Launch Flix

WOODY ALLEN COMING TO 2012 LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL WITH TO ROME WITH LOVE

admin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:59:04 +0000

Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, in conjunction with Presenting Media Sponsor the Los Angeles Times and Host Partner L.A. LIVE, announced the North American Premiere of Woody Allen’s To Rome With Love as the opening night film for the 2012 Festival. The Festival is widely recognized as a world-class event, showcasing the best in new American and international cinema, and is produced by Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that also produces the Spirit Awards. The 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival will screen a diverse slate of over 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries, along with signature programs such as the Filmmaker Retreat, Ford Amphitheater Outdoor Screenings, Poolside Chats, Coffee Talks, Music Events and more.

Written and directed by Woody Allen, To Rome With Love is a story about a number of people in Italy — some American, some Italian, some residents, some visitors — and the romances and adventures and predicaments they get into. The film stars Allen, Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penélope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig and Ellen Page, and is produced by Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum. To Rome With Love is being released by Sony Pictures Classics on June 22, 2012.

“I can’t think of a better way to kick off this year’s festival than with the original independent filmmaker himself, Woody Allen. It’s a true honor for Los Angeles to host the North American premiere of To Rome With Love,” said Festival Director Stephanie Allain.

“We are thrilled to bring Woody Allen and the US premiere of his new film To Rome With Love at the LA Film Fest,” said SPC’s Co-President Tom Bernard. “The Festival is a premiere showcase for films and we couldn’t be more excited that Stephanie and her team have chosen us to open the Festival.”

“I’ve always wanted to make a film in Rome. It’s obviously one of the great cities of the world, and when you make a film in a foreign city you get a chance to spend several months there, so shooting in Rome gave me and my family an opportunity to really enjoy a city I love in a way that I don’t usually get to. I wrote the film especially for Rome because over the years and my many visits there little ideas occurred to me, and I was able to utilize those ideas to comic advantage, romantic advantage, combined with the visual beauty of Rome,” said Woody Allen.

Returning to downtown Los Angeles, with its central hub at L.A. LIVE, the Festival will run from Thursday, June 14 to Sunday, June 24. Now in its eighteenth year, the Festival provides the movie-loving public with access to critically acclaimed filmmakers, film industry professionals, and emerging talent from around the world.

Passes are currently on sale to past Festival attendees and Film Independent members will be available to the general public on April 22. In addition to screenings and events, Festival passes provide access to a series of networking receptions and entry to the Filmmaker Lounge, where Festival pass holders can interact with Festival filmmakers and professionals in the film community. General admission tickets to individual films go on sale beginning May 29. Contact the Ticket Office for passes, tickets and event information by calling 866.FILM.FEST (866-345-6337) or visit LAFilmFest.com. The Official Film Guide, the comprehensive source for all movie info, screenings, locations, and related events is produced by the Los Angeles Times. It will top The Los Angeles Times on Sunday, June 10 in Los Angeles and Orange County and be made available throughout downtown during the ten-day event.

Shane Hurlbut’s Master Cinema Series Launch Event

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:11:43 +0000

We had a fantastic time working on this launch event with Hurlbut Visuals, Letus Corporation and world reknowned cinematographer, Shane Hurlbut, A.S.C. for the Master Cinema Series launch of his innovative rigs used for shooting with the Canon 5D. The band we used is the Under Cover Girls, very entertaining and highly recommended.

Letus Corporation/Shane Hurlbut Master Cinema Series Launch from Shane Hurlbut, ASC on Vimeo.

Interest in Pinterest?

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:01:55 +0000


It’s been awhile since a new social media site got our attention. After all, we’re so used to the stream of start-ups, good, bad, and ugly that we’ve become sort of immune to it all.
However, when our friend Dawn at Women Entrepreneurs Group chose to focus on Pinterest as a business topic at the March meeting, we decided to take a second look.   Pinterest is essentially an invite only virtual vision board.  It’s easy to see why 11 million mostly female users have become addicted. You can spend a lot of time browsing friend’s selections or making your own. But what Dawn pointed out, is that many brands are starting to build pages of their own. It’s a great way to creatively share the theme and spirit of your brand while including images of items for sale, for example.
So, for a film that we are currently marketing, we are sharing images for the soundtrack, merchandise, our philanthropic partner, and  Behind the Scenes photos, as well as other things we think magnify the brand feeling.
When you create a Pinterest page, you have to choose whether to build a company page or a personal page. This was one of the initial issues with our Facebook strategy. We started to accept acquaintance friend requests before company branded pages came out.  So, be sure to think through your strategy before you start. But give it a try. If you need an invite to Pinterest, email steph (at) launch flix dot com.
Another new app we’re liking and watching is Sonar. Once you have a Twitter and Foursquare account, you can log into Sonar and they will tell you if a friend’s friend is in the vicinity. It could be an interesting networking tool and a fun way to meet people when you are out and about.
Let us know what you think!!



2012 Line Up for the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival
admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:21:44 +0000
For the past 16 years, the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival (GPJFF) has celebrated Jewish culture through film, bringing an exciting lineup of films to Arizona honoring Jewish traditions and heritage. This year, the festival presents more great films that make our festival even bigger and better. From February 12^th to the 26^th the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival will be showing11 films showcasing the best of Jewish traditions at three valley locations: Harkins Camelview 5, Scottsdale; Harkins Crossroads 12, Chandler; and Harkins Arrowhead 18, Peoria.   
In addition to the website: http://gpjff.org, you can also follow the Festival on  Facebook.com/greaterphxjewishfilmfest or @GPJFF on Twitter.


WHAT:    The 16th Annual Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival
WHEN:    Sunday, February 12^th through Sunday, February 26th
WHERE:  Harkins Camelview 5, 7001 E. Highland Ave., Scottsdale
                 Harkins Chandler Crossroads 12, 2980 E. Germann Road, Chandler
                 Harkins Arrowhead 18, 16046 N. Arrowhead Fountains Ctr. Dr., Peoria
 
Ticket Prices:   $10.00 for adults/$5 for students 
For more information about tickets, ticket packages or group discounts, call Bob Segelbaum at 602.908.8007.
 
 
 
Orthodox Stance                                                                                          AREA PREMIERE
 
Documentary – 83 minutes, Hebrew/English/Russian, w/ English subtitles
 
Screenings: 
       Harkins Camelview 5, Scottsdale – Sun. Feb. 12^th, 3 PM
       Harkins Arrowhead 18, Peoria – Tues. Feb.21^st,3 PM 
       Preceded by Hava Nagila: What Is It? - Short
 
Dimitriy Salita, Russian, immigrant and Orthodox Jew follows a traditional route out of poverty:  Boxing.  It is truly that sport’s story of “body and soul.”
 
Guest Speakers:
Camelview 5: Director Jason Hutt
Arrowhead 18: Harvey Prezant, former boxer, now a boxing judge and trainer.

 
Naomi                                                                                                                      AREA PREMIERE
 
Drama – 90 minutes, Hebrew/Arabic, w/ English Subtitles
 
Screening: Harkins Camelview 5, Scottsdale- Sun. Feb. 12^th, 7 PM
 
All the elements of a psychological thriller are here.  A May-December marriage on the brink.  A mother prepared to do whatever to protect her “boy.”  Unease and uncertainty joined with suspicion.  A surprise conclusion awaits you.
 
 
David                                                                                                               ARIZONA PREMIERE 
Drama– 80 minutes, English
Preceded by David & Goliath/Short at all three showings 
Screenings: Harkins Crossroads 12, Chandler – Sun. Feb. 12^th, 3 PM
             Harkins Camelview 5, Scottsdale – Sun. Feb. 19^th, 3PM
             Harkins Arrowhead 18, Peoria – Wed, Feb. 22^th, 7PM 
Two children thrown together: Yoav, Jewish, and David, Muslim, meet in a city environment of religious tensions and suspicions, and ask themselves two enduring questions: “How can I fit in?” and “Can we be friends?” An important film for all ages. 
Guest Speaker at Camelview 5: Rabbi Darren Kleinberg   
 
 
The People v. Leo Frank                                                                             AREA PREMIERE
 
Docudrama – 85 minutes, English
 
Screening: Harkins Camelview 5, Scottsdale – Mon. Feb 13^th, 7 PM
                 Harkins Crossroads 12, Chandler – Tues. Feb 14^th, 7PM
                 Harkins Arrowhead 18, Peoria – Mon. Feb 20^th, 7PM
 
A troubling, boldly depiction of murder mere words cannot convey.  It takes this powerful docudrama to convey the shocking and tragic events as they unfolded in 1913 Atlanta.
 
Guest Speaker:
Camelview 5 and Chandler Crossroads 12 : Writer/Director/Exec Producer: Ben Loeterman
 
 
 
Hidden Children                                                                           ARIZONA PREMIERE            
 
History/Docudrama – 90 minutes, French w/ English subtitles
 
Screening: Harkins Camelview 5, Scottsdale – Tues. Feb. 14^th, 7 PM 
                 Harkins Arrowhead 18, Peoria – Sun. Feb. 19^th, 3 PM
                 Harkins Crossroads 12, Chandler – Tues. Feb 21^st, 7 PM 
 
Here is fact more poignant, filled with outrage, with pain, and with more twists and turns than fiction. It’s the true saga of two little French Jewish boys, the Finalys, sheltered by a devout Catholic woman when their parents were sent to their deaths in a concentration camp. The film will tug at your heart.  
 
Guest Speakers:
Camelview 5: Dr. Murray Henner
Arrowhead 18: Rabbi Arthur Abrams
Chandler Crossroads 12: Paul Wieser
 
 
Je Taime I Love You Terminal                                                            ARIZONA PREMIERE 
 
Drama, Comedy, Romance – 80 minutes, English
 
Screenings: Harkins Camelview 5, Scottsdale – Wed. Feb. 15^th, 3 PM
       
“Love usually happens when God decides He needs a laugh.”  You will, too, in this romantic diversion.  Israeli Ben meets English Emma and the result is outrageous, flaky fun.  Have a good laugh; we all can use one. 
 
 
The Matchmaker                                                                                        AREA PREMIERE
 
Drama – 112 minutes, Hebrew w/ English Subtitles
Camelview 5, Scottsdale and Arrowhead 18, Peoria: Preceded by Honeymoon Suite – Short
Chandler Crossroads 12: Preceded by Hava Nagila: What Is It? – Short
 
Screenings: Harkins Camelview 5, Scottsdale  – Wed. Feb 15^th, 7 PM 
                    Harkins Arrowhead 18, Peoria – Sun. Feb. 19^th, 7 PM
                    Harkins Crossroads 12, Chandler – Thurs. Feb. 23^rd, 7 PM 
 
The matchmaker is a mystery.  Is he a Holocaust survivor with a hidden past, a shady business man or more on a mission as a mentor to a teenager coming of age than in business?  Watch, enjoy, and perhaps find some answers.
 
Guest Speaker: Chandler Crossroads 12, Rabbi Dean Shapiro
 
 
The Human Resources Manager                                                                       ARIZONA PREMIERE
 
Drama – 103 minutes, Hebrew, English, Romanian, w/ English subtitles
 
Screenings: Harkins Camelview 5, Scottsdale – Thurs. Feb. 16^th, 3 PM
 
Life and death come together in this film.  An Israeli Manager is forced to return the remains of a woman to her native Rumanian village.  He and perhaps you, too, learn much about life from this journey of trials and tribulations.
 
 
Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom                                                                   AREA PREMIERE 
Documentary – 96 minutes, English
Preceded by Hava Nagila: What Is It? – Short 
Screening: Harkins Camelview 5, Scottsdale – Thurs. Feb 16th, 7 PM 
Good, bad, never dull, Tony Curtis’ rags to riches, intolerance struggle, fame and infamy, is a story defining a truly original movie 
 My Best Enemy                                                                                               ARIZONA PREMIERE
    
Drama/Dark Comedy – 109 minutes, German w/ English subtitles
Camelview and Arrowhead: Preceded by David & Goliath – Short
 
Screening: Harkins Camelview 5, Scottsdale – Sun. Feb. 19^th, 7 PM
                 Harkins Crossroads 12 , Chandler – Sun. Feb 19^th, 7 PM
                 Harkins Arrowhead 18, Peoria – Thu. Feb 23^st, 7PM
 
Wonderful acting and directing make this “edge-of-seat” thriller work. 
With all its escapades and questions raised you will want to see how it all plays out. 
 
Guest Discussion Leader: 
Chandler Crossroads 12 – Bill Goodykoontz, Chief Film Critic, Gannett and Film Critic,  Arizona Republic.
 
Guest Speaker
Arrowhead 18, Peoria – Paul Wieser, Holocaust Expert 
 
 
Yoo-Hoo Mrs. Goldberg                                            
    
Documentary – 92 minutes, English
Preceded by Seltzer Works – Short
 
Screening: Harkins Crossroads 12, Chandler – Sun. Feb 26^th, 3 PM
 
First via radio, then by TV, the depressed American public took this warm, loving Jewish mother into their homes and hearts.  See how Gertrude Berg, as Mollie, brought to life an imagined cast of characters.  



Casting Call for LA Short
admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:17:27 +0000
Casting:  Non SAG Short film: Bershert (Meant to Be)
We’re looking to cast the following roles for an eight minute short to be shot in the metro Los Angeles area before the end of the year. Please send your headshot and resume to casting (at) launchflix dot com by November 15, 2011.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Henry Oertelt
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A German immigrant is questioned during a cocktail party in Minnesota regarding his whereabouts during World War II…and discovers that the world can be a very small place.
 
Henry Oertelt:
Jewish, Mid-thirties, brown eyes, brown hair . German Immigrant. Thin, below average-height, eye-glasses.
 
Inge Oerelt:
Henry’s wife. Mid-thirties, Jewish, brown eyes, brown hair . German Immigrant. Thin, below average-height.
 
Steffi Oertelt:
Henry and Inge’s daughter. 5 years old, blonde brown eyes.
 
Mrs. Reece:
50’s, Local teacher, little overweight, pushy, but down-home at the same time. Minnesota Native.
 
Arnold Fink:
Mid to late 30’s. Guest at a cocktail party. Jewish, Minnesota native. Knew Henry in the past.
 
Mary:
Early twenties female babysitter, Minnesota native.
For more information visit http:6mfor6m.org or join our Facebook page.
 
Inge Oertelt