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Village Voice

adminhb — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 15:08:00 +0000

While boilerplate indie storylines like those listed above are certainly common at the festival, you can also find their opposites: crowd-pleasers that long for a Hollywood delivery out of their budget range. These pictures—notably HairBrained, Billy Kent‘s comedy that opens the festival, and Cut to Black, Dan Eberle‘s neo-noir that closes it—may be made on an independent scale, but they’re absolutely constructed for mainstream audiences. To their credit, the genuine love these pictures’ creators exhibit for Hollywood genres lends them an endearing charisma. HairBrained is a misfit buddy comedy (and a Bad News Bears-esque sports picture) about a 14-year-old genius (Alex Wolff) who enters college, becomes friends with a 41-year-old undergrad (Brendan Fraser!), and revitalizes the school’s quiz team. Wolff is charismatic as the brilliant but socially inept brain, and the chemistry between him and his doting, often dunderheaded older buddy charges the film.

Brooklyn Film Festival Reveals Full Lineup; To Open With ‘HairBrained’ Starring Parker Posey

adminhb — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:24:48 +0000

The Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) announced their lineup and their opening feature, “HairBrained,” starring Brendan Fraser and Parker Posey. This year’s festival runs May 31 – June 9 and takes place in Williamsburg with screenings held at indieScreen and Windmill Studios.
“HairBrained” centers on the plight of 14-year-old genius Eli Pettifog as he sets off to Whittman College, a second choice for Ivy League rejects. He is paired with another unlikely student, Leo, who is a 41-year-old seeking to start over after his gambling career ends. While initially less than trilled about their shared dorming situation, the odd pair form a friendship.

Read below for the full lineup. Go here for more info.

Narrative Features:

A Wife Alone (USA) Dir. Justin Reichman – World Premiere

Black Out (The Netherlands) Dir. Arne Toonen – East Coast Premiere

Cut to Black (USA) Dir. Dan Eberle – World Premiere

Detonator (USA) Dir. Damon Maulucci & Keir Politz – East Coast Premiere

Emmanuel and the Truth About Fishes (USA) Dir. Francesca Gregorini – East Coast Premiere

Flying Blind (UK) Dir. Katarzyna Klimkiewicz – New York Premiere

Giraffes (Jirafas) (Cuba) Dir. Enrique Álvarez – USA Premiere

HairBrained (USA) Dir. Billy Kent – World Premiere

Hank and Asha (USA) Dir. James E. Duff – East Coast Premiere

Sado Tempest (Japan) Dir. John Williams – East Coast Premiere

Sleeping with the Fishes (USA) Dir. Nicole Gomez Fisher – World Premiere

Soft in the Head (USA) Dir. Nathan Silver – New York Premiere

Somewhere Slow (USA) Dir. Jeremy O’Keefe – East Coast Premiere

Documentary Features:

Ben: In the Mind’s Eye (USA) Dir. Iva Radivojevic – New York Premiere

Caffe Capri (USA) Dir. Casimir Nozkowski – World Premiere

Cavedigger (USA) Dir. Jeffrey Karoff – East Coast

Dragon Girls (Germany) Dir. Inigo Westmeier – USA Premiere

Exit Point (Poland) Dir. Jagoda Szelc – USA Premiere

Eternal Amazon (Brazil) Dir. Belisario Franca – USA Premiere

Forbidden Voices (Switzerland) Dir. Barbara Miller – New York Premiere

Furever (USA) Dir. Amy Finkel – New York Premiere

Glass Eyes of Locust Bayou (Canada) Dir. Simon Mercer – USA Premiere

A Hole in the Sky (France) Dir. Antonio Tibaldi & Àlex Lora Cercós – USA Premiere

Miles & War (Germany/Switzerland) Dir. Anne Thoma – USA Premiere

Mr. Angel (USA) Dir. Dan Hunt – New York Premiere

Not For Sale (USA) Dir. Matthew C. Levy – New York Premiere

The Real Motel Life (USA) Dir. Winnie Cheung – World Premiere

The Rink (USA) Dir. Sarah Friedland – New York Premiere

Rogalik (Poland) Dir. Pawel Ziemilski – USA Premiere

Scattered (USA) Dir. Lindsay Lindenbaum – USA Premiere

Venom & Fire (USA) Dir. Brandon Faris – USA Premiere

Without Shepherds (Pakistan) Dir. Cary McClelland – New York Premiere

Premiere gets HairBrained

adminhb — Sun, 12 May 2013 16:59:49 +0000

Premiere Entertainment has come on board to handle worldwide sales at Cannes on the Brendan Fraser family comedy.

Alex Wolff, Parker Posey and Julia Garner also star in the story about the unlikely friendship between two college freshmen – one a 14-year-old genius and the other a 40-something former gambler.

Billy Kent directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Sarah Bird and Adam Wierbianski.

Senior vp Jack Campbell acquired HairBrained, which screens in the market on May 20. “We’re very excited to be taking HairBrained to Cannes this year,” said Campbell. “It’s a well-made, star-driven, lighthearted comedy, which rounds out our slate quite nicely.”

Premiere’s Cannes roster includes Juno Temple starrer Afternoon Delight, which earned Jill Soloway the dramatic best director prize at Sundance this year.

Premiere News!

adminhb — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:24:51 +0000

Premiere News! HairBrained will open the Brooklyn Film Festival on May 31. We are SO thrilled to be opening our home town festival.

Check out the Brooklyn Film Festival press release.

10 Actresses Poised For The Big Time

adminhb — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 00:13:21 +0000

on The Rise 2012: 10 Actresses Poised For The Big Time

Julia Garner
When we were in our senior year of high school, we were mostly concerned with getting the opposite sex to talk to us and bartenders to give us drinks. But Julia Garner has bigger things on her mind, clearly. The ethereally beautiful 18-year-old first came to the attention of many as Sarah, one of the women in Patrick’s commune in “Martha Marcy May Marlene.” But it was in Berlin when we really suspected that she was going to be a star: Garner stars in “Electrick Children,” as Rachel, a 15-year-old Mormon girl who falls pregnant with what she believes is an immaculate conception from a cover version ofBlondie‘s “Hanging on the Telephone.” Our review from the Berlinale said that “the camera doesn’t so much love as fall at the feet of in worship. If she’s not the next big thing, she’s probably the next next big thing,” and subsequent reviews from SXSW have echoed that. She told us in an interview that she’s aiming to have a career like Philip Seymour Hoffman, and she certainly seems to be following his diversity: she’s got small roles in “The Perks Of Being A Wallflower” and David Chase‘s “Not Fade Away,” and is then starring in quirky indie comedy “HairBrained” with Brendan Fraser, in Leyer Meyerhoff’s intriguing-sounding “Unicorns,” and in the horror sequel “The Last Exorcism 2,” which is shooting right now. She’s steadily building a strong resumé which will only lead to bigger and better things.