In today’s film news roundup, Aaron Paul is honored, Bruce Berman is re-upped at Village Roadshow, and Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher get a book deal.
FESTIVAL HONORS
The Sun Valley Film Festival has selected Idaho native and three-time Emmy winner Aaron Paul as the winner of its Pioneer Award, presented by Variety for his work in television and film on March 15.
He will attend the world premiere screening of Christopher Cantwell’s “The Parts You Lose,” in which Paul stars and also serves as a producer, and will participate in a moderated discussion about his career.
Alex Ross Perry will receive the Rising Star Award for Directing on March 16, and attend a screening of his latest film “Her Smell,” which stars Elisabeth Moss, and Fisher Stevens will receive the Snow Angel Award on March 16 and screen his film “Tigerland.” Meg Ryan will receive the festival’s Vision Award.
The festival will open on March 13 with the Sony Pictures Classics’ documentary “David Crosby: Remember My Name” with director A.J. Eaton attending, and close with the HBO documentary “Running with Beto,” directed by David Modigliani. The festival will screen premieres of the documentaries “Apollo: Missions to the Moon” and “Hostile Planet: Mountains.”
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ROADSHOW RE-UPS
Village Roadshow Entertainment Group has re-upped Bruce Berman in his position as chairman/CEO of Village Roadshow Pictures after more than 20 years in the position.
Berman will retain oversight of feature film activities and collaborate with the entire development group to create content for television, streaming and emerging platforms. He will continue to report to Village Roadshow Entertainment Group CEO Steve Mosko.
The company’s upcoming films include “Joker” with Joaquin Phoenix and Robert De Niro and “Sherlock Holmes 3” with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Previous Roadshow titles include “Sully,” “American Sniper,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Lego Movie” and the Ocean’s Eleven franchise. The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.
BOOK DEAL
Filmmaker Paola Mendoza and writer-performer Abby Sher have signed a book deal for an upcoming fictional book “Sanctuary,” Variety has learned exclusively.
The book is set in a futuristic world and follows 16-year-old Vali and her little brother Ernie, who are forced to flee their home, aided by an underground world of freedom fighters and human trackers after the government’s newly installed deportation force abducts their mother. The book will be released in Fall 2020 from G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
Mendoza is a Colombian-born film director whose credits include “Entre Nos,” “Free Like the Birds” and “On the Outs.” Sher is the author of “All the Ways the World Can End” and “Amen, Amen, Amen: Memoir of a Girl Who Couldn’t Stop Praying (Among Other Things). She has also performed with The Second City. CAA reps both Mendoza and Sher.