andrzej wajda Tagged Articles at Cinematical

In this week's edition of Indie Roundup, we begin with prison and end with a liberating acceptance speech.

Deals. Tough prison drama Bronson has been acquired by Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (the Pusher trilogy) and starring Tom Hardy as the real-life inmate who adopted the name and persona of the titular tough guy movie star, Bronson moved Scott Weinberg to describe it as "raw, blistering, harsh and compelling in the way that only a really good 'prison film' can be." [via indieWIRE]

News. In unhappy distribution news, "after 43 years in business, New Yorker Films has ceased operations." That's the simple statement posted on their official site. Eugene Hernandez at indieWIRE notes that the company has "a legendary legacy, boasting a long-standing track record in international film distribution, bringing a staggering number of international auteurs to this country's movie theaters over more than four decades. The company's crucial role in establishing a lasting film culture in this country cannot be underestimated."

Indeed, New Yorker Films played a crucial role in my own personal education, giving me the opportunity to see challenging work like Werner Herzog's Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Wim Wenders' The American Friend, and Wayne Wang's Chan is Missing, among many others.David Hudson at IFC's The Daily rounds up reactions ranging from dismay to shock. Reportedly, the company's film library will be sold off at auction to satisfy a loan taken out by its former owner.

After the jump: Indie Weekend Box Office, San Jose's Cinequest opens, and Mickey Rourke's Spirit Awards speech.

• Edward Klosinski (1943-2008) - Cinematographer who shot Lars Von Trier's Europa, Krzysztof Kieslowski's series The Decalogue and his Three Colors: White, many of Andrzej Wajda's films, including Man of Iron and Man of Marble, and Rolf Schübel's Gloomy Sunday. He is also credited as a co-writer on Kieslowski's Three Colors: White and on Felkis Falk's Szansa. He died of lung cancer January 5, in Milanówek, Poland. (NY Times)
• Christopher Bowman (1967-2008) - Champion ice skater who also worked as a stunt man on Lost Boys, License to Drive and Surf Nazis Must Die. He also plays an assistant football coach in Brian DePalma's next film, Down and Disturbance, coming out this year. He died January 10 in Mission Hills, California. (LA Times)
• Grace Cianciotta (c.1964-2008) - Marketing expert who worked for Alliance Atlantis and Maximum Films. She died of breast cancer January 7, in Toronto. (Variety)
• Dusty Cohl (1929-2008) - Founder of the Toronto International Film Festival. Read Kim's full obit post here.
• Alexandre de Paris (c.1922-2008) - French celebrity hairdresser who styled Elizabeth Taylor's hair for Cleopatra. He also worked as a hair stylist on the 1980 Agatha Christie adaptation The Mirror Crack'd and on Claude Sautet's César & Rosalie. His date and cause of death are unknown. (BBC)

The Berlinale is underway with lots of exciting films to hear about. Here's what's been going down in Berlin, where all the falling snow has people thinking they're still at Sundance:

Golden Bear awards: Sir Ian McKellan (pictured) was awarded an Honorary Golden Bear, the Berlinale's top prize, at a ceremony following a special screening of his 1995 film Richard III, shown in tribute to McKellan. Polish director Andrzej Wajda is also to receive an Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement during the fest.