PLUS: Warner Bros dates all-female Ocean’s 8; Vimeo’s big plans for Staff Pick channel; and more…

La La Land

La La Land will open and Jackie will close the 39th Denver Film Festival, set to run in Colorado from November 2-12.

Lion is the Centerpiece screening and Lost In Paris will receive the Rare Pearl Award.

“From Damien Chazelle’s modern musical La La Land, starring the dazzling Emma Stone, to Natalie Portman’s iconic portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy in Pablo Larraín’s Jackie, these films set the bar for the entire programme of impressive work coming to our screens in November,” said Denver Film Society festival director Britta Erickson.

Organisers will announce the full programme on Monday.

  • Warner Bros and Village Roadshow said on Wednesday the studio will release the all-femaleOcean’s 8on June 8 2018.
  • Vimeo on Wednesday unveiled an initiative to extend its Staff Pick channel into a year-long online film festival. An open submissions process will encourage filmmakers whose films have played in competition at an Oscar-qualifying event within the last two years to feature on Staff Pick Premieres, a weekly global online film premiere slot. The first selection is the short film Curmudgeons from director Danny DeVito now streaming. Click here for further information.
  • Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired North American rights to Gary and Edmund Entin’s drama Sins Of Our Youth starring Lucas Till. Joel Courtney, Mitchel Musso and Ally Sheedy round out the key cast. CEO Rich Wolff negotiated the deal with executive producer Anthony Bretti of Enumerated Pictures and plans a December theatrical release in Los Angeles followed by DVD and VOD roll-out.
  • Former president of partnerships and licensing at Universal Studios Stephanie Sperber has launched White Space Entertainment to represent brands and studios. Clients include Dr, Seuss, Uglydoll, and DR1 drone racing league.
  • A24 confirmed it has acquired US rights jointly with DirecTV to David Leveaux’s recent Toronto world premiere The Exception starring Christopher Plummer and Janet McTeer. UTA Independent Film Group handled the deal for the filmmakers and Lotus Entertainment represents international rights.