Art House Update: ND/NF Deadline Extended

A few updates from the city's art house/repertory circuit have trickled in over the last 24 hours:

--The Film Society of Lincoln Center extended its submission deadline for the 2007 New Directors/New Films festival to this coming Friday, Jan. 12 -- splendid news for the NYC-based Sundance filmmakers I've spoken with over the last few days who are still mixing sound on their competition films. Expect a few dozen submissions accompanied by a few dozen more roses at the Walter Reade Theater.

--Do not take the A train: Pioneer Theater programming guru Ray Privett sends sad word that Lush Life, the documentary about the relatively unheralded jazz composer and Duke Ellington collaborator Billy Strayhorn (above), has been hamstrung by music rights issues and will not be screening in its Jan. 17-23 theatrical engagement. Privett has news about the titles that will replace Lush Life at its Web site. UPDATE: Lush Life producer George Seminara acknowledges: "In my excitement to bring this film to the public's attention, I allowed it to be scheduled for screening before, as the lawyers say, 'every "I" was dotted and every "T" crossed.' "

--Finally, BAM announced its upcoming, fabulously titled "Pimps, Prostitutes, and Pigs: Shohei Imamura's Japan" retrospective, featuring 20 films over 28 days in March. The program includes a week-long run (and a new 35mm print) of his 1979 serial killer classic Vengeance is Mine, followed by his Palme d'Or-winners The Ballad of Narayama and The Eel and almost a month's worth of other selections. Expect more about this from The Reeler as it approaches.

Posted at January 10, 2007 12:39 PM