Acad unveils shortlist of shorts

Ten live-action short films have made the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' list of films that will advance in the voting process for the 84th Academy Awards. Some 107 pictures had originally qualified in the category. These are the 10 films: -- "Je pourrais etre votre grand-mere (I Could Be Your Grandmother)," Bernard Tanguy, director-producer -- "Love at First Sight," Michael Davies, director, and Sandra Gorel, producer -- "Pentecost," Peter McDonald, director -- "Raju," Max Zahle, director, and Stefan Gieren, producer -- "The Road Home," Rahul Gandotra, director-producer, and Ameenah Ayub, producer -- "The Roar of the Sea," Ana Rocha Fernandes and Torsten Truscheit, directors -- "Sailcloth," Elfar Adalsteins, director-producer -- "The Shore," Terry George, director-producer -- "Time Freak," Andrew Bowler, director, and Gigi Causey, producer -- "Tuba Atlantic," Hallvar Witzo, director The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting in screenings held in Los Angeles. Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select three to five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, NY and San Francisco in January. The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 5:30 a.m. in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Contact Christy Grosz at christy.grosz@variety.com

ICM preps for publish-Rizvi future

Modern Family is probably the implies that have situated ICM and Rizvi Traverse Management to earn stout TV packaging-fee gold coin. SilbermannBergChris Silbermann spent the majority of this season driving toward the handshake agreement arrived at Friday to change ICM right into a partner-possessed percentery, six years after it grew to become the guinea pig web hosting equity opportunities in Hollywood's repetition business.The ICM prexy spent several weeks effective the agency's majority owner, Rizvi Traverse Management, that ICM's lengthy-term stability hinged on being able to keep top agents within the fold and motivated. Within the percentery world, motivation is doled to key gamers as partner status, huge bonuses or perhaps an equity stake (even when merely a sliver) within the agency.ICM has not had the opportunity to provide individuals perks since the possession continues to be so carefully held among Birmingham, Mich.-based Rizvi Traverse and also the agency's top echelon, including Silbermann and ICM's longtime chairman-Boss, Shaun Berg. When the restructuring deal is completed, Silbermann's challenge is to keep ICM competitive after making what comes down to a large wager around the agency because it stands today.Experts stated ICM could be attractive like a merger or acquisition target since there's no more an outdoors investor to deal with. However, industry sources stated ICM silently examined the waters for any possible deal and among its bigger rivals captured and located no takers (this continues to be refused by ICM associates, however).The campaign for any restructuring started early this season, as Silbermann stressed the requirement for the company to possess more versatility in paying its greatest contributing factors and rewarding its up-and-comers.By multiple accounts, it had been slow opting for Silbermann with Rizvi Traverse prexy Suhail Rizvi and chief financial officer Ben Kohn, who runs the business's L.A. office and it has minded its purchase of ICM. (Rizvi Traverse also offers opportunities in Summit Entertainment, Playboy magazine, Twitter and facebook.)Berg was stated to become less intent than Silbermann on obtaining a deal done rapidly with Rizvi until lately, when ICM started to get rid of prominent agents, including four defections to UTA.The interior drama spurred endless industry chatter in regards to a boardroom fight for control raging between Berg and Silbermann. Knowledgeable sources have consistently downplayed the talk of extreme discord between your two. Sources also stressed the pact revealed to ICM staffers on Friday (with little detail) will not have happened had Berg not been onboard, given his possession curiosity about the company, when they have labored in excess of 4 decades.Berg orchestrated the 2005 cope with Rizvi Traverse that gave the company an believed $75 million in recapitalization gold coin. It had been an initial nowadays in this era for any Hollywood talent agency along with a private equity finance concern. The Rizvi war chest permitted ICM to get Broder Webb Chervin Silbermann in 2006, getting its giant lit clients and it is respected management team into ICM, which frantically needed the brand new bloodstream on fronts.An investment has by all accounts been a high quality one for Rizvi Traverse, as ICM has already established a windfall of TV packaging-fee profits in the off-network success of shows including "2 . 5 Males," "The Large Bang Theory," "Modern Family," "House," "Criminal Minds" and "Grey's Anatomy."Particulars from the restructuring deal remain murky, however it seems that Rizvi Traverse will cede a number of its equity curiosity about ICM to be able to allow Silbermann and Berg to create much more of its top entertainers into equity-owner positions.The offer was indicated by individuals knowledgable like a "transfer of possession" towards the new partnership as opposed to a formal management buyout, also it was stressed that nothing will rotate within the transaction. Due to that, it's expected that Rizvi Traverse will hang onto a substantial chunk of ICM's best receivables ("Large Bang Theory" alone will generate hundreds of huge amount of money for that agency in in the future through its syndie certification pacts).The amount of agents in line for elevation to partner status continues to be unclear (one source stated "a lot more than two and under 100"). It'll encompass heavy players from over the agency's key divisions: TV, film, posting, legit, marketing, concerts and touring. Berg's and Silbermann's game titles will probably change underneath the partnership structure.Silbermann is stated to determine the reorg as lounging the footwork for organic growth. Anticipation would be that the partnership structure will bolster the company at the very top and provide new incentive to the more youthful ranks. Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

Kaira Pitt Would Star within an Julia Roberts-Directed Film 'In a Second'

Since 'Mr. & Mrs. Cruz,' Kaira Pitt and Julia Roberts happen to be among Hollywood's most-famous star couples (sorry, Jen!), but except for that 2005 action film the happy couple haven't labored together onset since. Since Jolie has walked behind your camera for 'In the Land of Bloodstream and Honey,' will that change? If Pitt has his way, absolutely. Within an interview with Extra, Pitt stated that he'd use Jolie, the director, 'in another.A When that quote was relayed towards the actress, whose directorial debut opens later this month, she appeared pleased. "Well, you realize, I'd be very lucky to [direct him," she stated. "He's among my personal favorite stars! He's so remarkable, so I'd be lucky, but nonetheless shy. I'd be shy to provide him direction. We'll discuss it tonight." Jolie used Pitt like a sounding board while writing the script for 'In the Land of Bloodstream and Honey,' an appreciation story set from the backdrop from the Bosnian war. "I do not watch television and that i wasn't reading through anything. And So I began writing. I went right from the start towards the finish. I did not know every other way," she told Vanity Fair captured, before revealing that they passed the script along to Pitt. "He known as and stated, 'You know, honey, it's not too shabby.AInch Jolie, who had been at the middle of a 'Blood and Honey' suit debate the 2009 week, isn't in 'Blood and Honey,' but her directorial debut hits on 12 ,. 23 in limited release. [via Extra] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Hot Trailer: The Cabin In The Woods

The trailer for The Cabin In The Woods went online today. The horror thriller that stars Chris Hemsworth was finished before his breakthrough as Thor. Directed by Cloverfield scribe Drew Goddard, who co-wrote it with Joss Whedon, the MGM project stalled because of that company’s financial problems and Lionsgate made a deal to distribute it, eventually setting it to open April 13, 2012. Cast includes Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Jesse Williams, Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison, Brian White, Amy Acker, Reila Aphrodite and Jodelle Ferland.

National Board of Review Backs Oscar Contenders Needing a Big Boost (Analysis)

Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesSeth Grahame-Smith, left, with David Katzenberg Warner Bros. has acquired the rights to Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunterauthor Seth Grahame-Smith's new book Unholy Night for approximately $2 million. Grahame-Smith will write the script.our editor recommendsJohnny Depp's 'Dark Shadows' Photos Draw Comparisons to Michael Jackson, Willy Wonka Unholy Night retells the birth of Jesus as an adventure story centered on the three kings in the nativity story who travel to Bethlehem to witness his birth. In Grahame-Smith's version, the three kings are thieves on the run who are forced to help Mary and Jesus escape to Egypt. Along the way they battle magical biblical creatures and encounter figures like Pontius Pilate and John the Baptist. Grand Central will publish the book on April 10, 2012. Grahame-Smith pioneered the current trend of literary mash-ups with the surprise 2009 bestseller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. He followed that up with this year's hit Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Grahame-Smith wrote the screenplay for the movie version of Abraham Lincoln due in June 2012. He also wrote the screenplay for the Tim Burton-directed remake of the TV show Dark Shadows, which is set to be released in May 2012 and created the MTV show The Hard Times of RJ Berger. Grahame-Smith will also produce the film with partner David Katzenberg through their KatzSmith Productions shingle in conjunction with David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford's Heyman Films. KatzSmith recently acquired the rights to produce the movie version of the hit Young Adult novel The Scorpio Races. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery 10 Biggest Book-to-Big Screen Adaptations of the Last 25 Years Seth Grahame-Smith

Christopher Plummer Recalls 'Awful,' 'Gooey' 'Sound of Music' Role (Video)

Netflix said Thursday it has hired as its head of global government relations Christopher Libertelli, a former Skype executive and legal advisor to the chairman of the FCC.our editor recommendsThe Real Reason Hollywood Studios Should Beware of Netflix (Opinion)How Netflix Came UndoneAnalyst: 'There May Be No Bottom' to Netflix's 2012 losses Libertelli will replace Michael Drobac, who said he'll leave Netflix to launch his own public-service and health-care company. Last year, Drobac established a government-relations office in Washington. PHOTOS: Netflix's 10 Most Rented Movies of All Time The appointment of Libertelli comes at a time when Internet service providers are mulling the possibility of usage-based billing, whereby users pay more if they use more bandwidth. Netflix subscribers who stream movies and TV shows, naturally, use a ton of bandwidth, and its business could be harmed dramatically if UBB takes hold. Netflix, in fact, has already complained to the FCC about the prospect of UBB, so Libertelli's connections there should come in handy. "Christopher is a seasoned public affairs executive with great insight into the global regulatory issues that Internet-based companies like Netflix face," said Netflix general counsel David Hyman. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Biggest Blunders In July, Hyman wrote a plea against UBB that appeared in the Wall Street Journal. "While the question used to be whether or not to bill based on consumption, the talk now is of how and when to do it," he wrote. "Such a shift is bad news for consumers and threatens to slow down the innovation powering today's Internet economy." Related Topics Netflix FCC