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Written, directed, and starring Martin Donovan, Collaborator is a noble first effort. Donovan’s self-cast as a New York playwright on the skids, Robert Longfellow, who heads back to Los Angeles looking for work and a fresh start, or at least a long enough break for his last reviews to disappear in his rear-view. Where Donovan falls short, however, isn’t in the limited scope of his ideas, but rather their unwieldy breadth. Developing parallel plotlines with his estranged wife, Alice (Melissa Auf der Maur), and an old actress flame, Emma (Olivia Williams), Donovan proceeds to visit his not-so-ailing mother, Irene (Katherine Helmond).

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DVD Release Date: March 5, 2013

Price: DVD $19.98

Studio: Entertainment One

Who's zoomin' who?: Martin Donovan (l.) and David Morse star in Collaborator.

Iconic indie actor turned formidable mainstream presence Martin Donovan (Trust) makes his feature film directorial and screenwriting debut with the 2011 independent drama-thriller Collaborator. He also co-stars in the film, which contains its share of laughs.

Robert Longfellow (Donovan) is a famous playwright who can’t seem to catch a break, his recent Broadway play having met with horrible reviews and an early cancellation, and his marriage being tested by the re-appearance of an old flame (Olivia Williams, The Ghost Writer). Retreating back to his childhood home to visit his mother (Katherine Helmond, Brazil), Robert crosses paths with his childhood neighbor, Gus (David Morse, TV’s Treme). A right-wing, ex-con who still lives at home with his mother, Gus is Robert’s polar opposite in every possible way. When...

Geneviève Bujold is back: Canadian Screen Awards 2013 [See previous post: "Canadian Screen Awards: Oscar-Nominated War Witch Tops."] In addition to War Witch‘s Rachel Mwanza, the Canadian Screen Awards 2013 Best Actress nominees are Evelyne Brochu for Inch’allah, Marilyn Castonguay for L’Affaire Dumont, Suzanne Clément for Laurence Anyways, and Geneviève Bujold for Still Mine. In the Michael McGowan-directed drama based on real-life events, the veteran Bujold plays farmer James Cromwell tough-but-ailing wife whose physical frailty sets in motion the film’s plot: Cromwell’s desire to build a better, more comfortable house for Bujold pits him against government inspector Jonathan Potts. (Photo: Geneviève Bujold, James Cromwell Still Mine.) The Montreal-born Geneviève Bujold is best known for her Hollywood movies: Charles Jarrott’s Best Picture Academy Award nominee Anne of the Thousand Days (1969), which earned Bujold a Best Actress Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Anne Boleyn; Mark Robson’s Earthquake, playing Charlton Heston...

Thanks to our friends at The Festivalists and Possible Worlds, we have 5 double passes for the Australian premiere of Martin Donovan's directorial debut, Collaborator, to give to our readers. Date: Wednesday August 15Time: 8:30pmVenue: Dendy Opera Quays, SydneySpecial Guest: Writer, director and main actor Martin Donovan Synopsis: Robert Longfellow (Martin Donovan) is a famous New York playwright in crisis: his marriage is on the rocks and his star is on the wane. He flies to La to visit his mother, call in on an old flame and kickstart a screenwriting career. One night, he catches up with childhood neighbour Gus (David Morse), a right-wing ex-con who still lives at home. During a drunken night, Gus pulls a gun on Martin and decides to...

Collaborator is a dark comedy about Robert Longfellow, a renowned writer experiencing the humiliation of the failure of his latest Broadway. He leaves his wife and children as is his habit with little explanation to return to his childhood home in suburban Los Angeles. He.s ostensibly doing business for his mother (Katherine Helmond) but he.s actually depressed and wants to get away. While there he reconnects with his ex- (Olivia Williams) and indulges in a kiss. The kiss is shot by an unknown photographer, hits TV and goes viral. His wife (Melissa Auf De Mar) watches in horror. Meanwhile, Longfellow.s mother.s next door neighbor, an oafish, drunken ex-con (David Morse) wants to bend his ear. What follows is...

Martin Donovan is destined to be forever remembered for his remarkable actor-director partnership with Hal Hartley during indie film’s halcyon days of the early to mid 1990s. In era-defining movies such as Trust, Simple Men and Amateur, Donovan was Hartley’s on-screen simulacrum, a smart, softly spoken man who was simultaneously familiar and enigmatic. While Hartley’s work is sadly not nearly as popular or present as it once was, it’s fitting that Donovan has made his debut feature as a writer and director with Collaborator, a knowing and witty cinematic chamber piece that feels nostalgic for the more culturally sophisticated times of the 1990s.

Donovan, in the kind of role that made him famous, is Robert Longfellow, a playwright whose latest opus is a pale shadow of his previous work and who has left his wife (Melissa Auf der Maur) and child back in New York to...

Collaborator

Directed by Martin Donovan

Written by Martin Donovan

U.S.A., 2011

What is it about those hard to define films that can earn the admiration of movie goers everywhere or get completely lost in the endless sea of small, medium and big budget releases? Some movies are simply beyond categorization, no matter how hard those stubborn about plastering labels on films are. Is so and so film a comedy, a drama, a dramedy? Hold on a moment, for there are elements of suspense as well, not to mention a couple of out of place action scenes. Without the shadow of a doubt many readers can instantly point to a number of films which, for lack of a proper term, simply ‘are what they are.’ This may be to a movie’s benefit or detriment, for the unclassifiable film may venture too far off into a vast array of tones,...

Though The Collaborator is Martin Donovan’s writing and directorial debut, he is no stranger to the game. Donovan has acted in both film and television for over two decades. His roles have ranged from co-staring in the 2009 horror film, A Haunting in Connecticut, to playing Mary-Louise Parker’s love interest in the popular Showtime television series, Weeds. Though Martin had plenty of acting experience in a number of different genres (as well in a T.V. show about a woman who sells pot), The Collaborator marks the first time an audience gets to see what he can do behind the camera....

Martin Donovan’s directorial debut, Collaborator, returns to the IFC Center tomorrow for a week-long run before opening Los Angeles on the 20th. It’s also available now on VOD. Here, from the June 18 IFC Center screening is the Q&A with director Hal Hartley interviewing Donovan along with executive producer Ted Hope and actors David Morse and Melissa Auf der Meur.

(Hat tip: Truly Free Film.)… Read the rest...

Playwright Robert Longfellow, the lead character in “Collaborator,” is a familiar New York intellectual struggling to produce honest work. Despite notably lucrative side gigs as a Hollywood screenwriter for hire, he hasn’t lived up to what the (fake) Times loudly declared him to be, a once-hypothetical “the voice of a generation.” His latest play, “American Excursion,” was a flop, and if you really need to know more about that play beyond the title, then you probably don’t recognize the sweater-vest frou-frou type here personified by writer, director and star Martin Donovan. Our only time spent in New York is a silent shot of Donovan, collar high, walking through an implausibly-empty Times Square. Lost in thought, he’s strikingly handsome in this milieu, as Donovan the director takes great pains to shoot Donovan the actor as a young Dylan, despite the fact that “American Excursion” probably isn’t Blonde On.

In case you haven't yet seen "Beasts of the Southern Wild," that's still your best bet for a satisfying cinematic experience. Otherwise, this holiday weekend's offerings feel tired and uninspired, ranging from the unnecessary reboot "The Amazing Spider-Man" (already going strong) and Oliver Stone's soulless and frenetic "Savages," to the Duplass brothers' little indie "The Do-Deca Pentathlon" and Martin Donovan's "Collaborator," which is earning by far the best reviews. Check out reviews, trailers and more below: "Savages" Universal, Us | Dir: Olivier Stone; Cast: Salma Hayek, John Travolta, Benicio Del Toro, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Aaron Johnson | 67% Fresh | Village Voice: "Soul is something Savages has in short supply, not least because Kitsch and Johnson register as blanks on-screen,..[Hayek and del Toro] give big, scenery-chewing performances and earn our interest and empathy...

Actor Martin Donovan has starred in films such as “Trust,” “Amateur,” “The Portrait of a Lady,” “The Opposite of Sex,” “Living Out Loud,” “Insomnia,” “The Sentinel,” “The Haunting in Connecticut” and “Unthinkable,” and TV series such as “Wonderland,” “Weeds” and “Boss.” His first film as a writer-director, the Tribeca Film hostage tragi-comedy “Collaborator,” in which he stars with David Morse, is available now via cable VOD, iTunes, Amazon and Vudu, and opens theatrically in New York July 6 and in L.A. July 20. (You can follow the film on Facebook or Twitter, @DonovanWord.) After a few decades of toiling in the trenches as an actor, the Red Sea finally parted and I was given the chance to direct my own film, “Collaborator.” This miraculous event gave me the opportunity to test what I’ve learned about the...

Martin Donovan has long been a staple of the independent cinema scene. He first emerged on-screen in the films of esteemed director Hal Hartley, starring in Trust, Simple Men, Amateur, and others projects from the auteur. Since then, he's appeared in films such as The Opposite of Sex, Insomnia, and The Portrait of a Lady, in addition to recurring roles on television shows like 'Boss' and 'Weeds.' Clearly not one to limit himself, Donovan recently fulfilled his lifelong ambition to write and direct a feature: the result is Collaborator. The indie film veteran flawlessly transitions between writer, director, and actor to create this enthralling tragi-comedy. Collaborator follows famous playwright Robert Longfellow (Donovan), whose most recent works have been widely panned by critics and fans alike. Discouraged and unhappy with his marriage, Robert retreats to his childhood home in California to look in on his elderly mother. As...

Martin Donovan has an impressively long acting resumé, from his much admired collaborations with indie auteur Hal Hartley to his arc on Weeds to, most recently, his role in the acclaimed Starz show Boss. In short, the actor has seen more than a few directors at work. Yet when Donovan donned the metaphorical jodhpurs to helm his first movie, Collaborator, there was still one aspect of the filmmaker’s trade which came as a surprise. “No one told me that one of the key parts of a director’s job is to keep people from killing each other,” says Donovan.

Indie audiences first came to know and love actor Martin Donovan through his symbiotic partnership with director Hal Hartley in a series of films in the early 90s, which included Trust, Simple Men, and Amateur. Since then, Donovan has become a staple of film - The Opposite of Sex, Insomnia, Saved! - and television (Weeds, Boss), where he can be counted on to deliver deadpan performances rife with prickly, world-weary humor and simmering intelligence. It's no wonder that Donovan's writing and directing debut reflects the qualities he's honed and absorbed for so long. Collaborator sets the stage for a culture clash ripe for our times. Robert Longfellow (Donovan) is a successful, highbrow playwright visiting his childhood home in Reseda, California - aka 'the Valley' - when he runs into his longtime neighbor Gus (David Morse), an angry man who loves his country but hates what it's become; he is,...

Screen Australia is offering a producer internship with with producer Ted Hope, producer of films such as 21 Grams, American Splendor and Martha Marcy May Marlene.

The announcement:

Screen Australia is again pleased to offer an outstanding opportunity for a producer at an early stage in their career with a bespoke producer internship. Following earlier internships with Film4, Belladonna and Killer Films, we are pleased to announce applications are now open for the Ted Hope Producer Internship.

Ted Hope is one of the most respected and dynamic independent producers in the Us. The successful applicant will receive $40,000 from Screen Australia to support their six-month placement working with Ted at his New York-based production company Double Hope Films, commencing in August 2012.

Emerging in the early 1990s with his phenomenal company Good Machine, Ted has remained at the forefront of new technologies, consistently delivering vital and exciting work. He has produced and executive produced over 40 films,...

This June Collaborator will have two special screenings here in New York City before its July theatrical release. The first is June 18th at the IFC center, and the second is on June 19th at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. Hal Hartley will be there to present on the 18th, and Martin Donovan, David Morse, and Ted Hope will be there to answer your questions on both nights. June 18th: IFC Center 7pm Buy tickets online. June 19th: Museum of the Moving Image Buy tickets online. Find out more about Collaborator on Prescreen. Collaborator premiered at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, winning several...

Martin Donovan, the actor you may recognize from TV's Boss and Weeds or indie films like Saved!, The Opposite of Sex or Trust, is gearing up to make his directorial debut with Collaborator, in which he also stars as a New York playwright who thinks bad reviews are the worst thing that can happen. until he winds up caught in a hostage crisis. If that all sounds a little dramatic to you, then check out the exclusive trailer for the film that we're premiering below-- if you think a hostage crisis is all about high drama and tears, you clearly haven't seen a guy be forced to drink a beer at gunpoint with his captor. Take a look below. You probably also recognize the hostage taker, David Morse, who has popped up in everything from Drive Angry to The Hurt Locker to Dancer in the Dark. And of course the...

Tribeca Film will release The Giant Mechanical Man, Death Of A Superhero, and Sleepless Night nationwide via video-on-demand during the Tribeca Film Festival, which runs April 18.29. The films are each an official selection of the Festival and feature notable actors such as Jenna Fischer, Topher Grace, Malin Akerman, Tomer Sisley, Andy Serkis and Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

Tribeca Film also announced it has acquired North American rights to Booker.S Place: A Mississippi Story, rounding out its selection of titles to be released during the Festival. Booker.S Place is a riveting documentary offering a wholly original perspective on the Civil Rights struggle through its subject, Booker Wright. The film is directed by Raymond De Felitta and produced by eyepatch productions, the independent in-house production company of Ogilvy & Mather, New York. The deal was negotiated by Nick Savva, Director of Acquisitions for Tribeca Film, and Steven Beer of Greenberg Traurig, Llp, on...

Tribeca Film has announced its acquisition of Martin Donovan's directorial debut "Collaborator." The film stars Donovan as a playwright struggling through a rut who is taken hostage by his ex-con neighbor (David Morse). The films has screened at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it received the Fipresci International Critics' Prize and a Best Actor award for Morse's performance. “There is an undeniable intensity and intelligence propelling 'Collaborator,' which is a trademark of Martin Donovan’s work,” said Geoff Gilmore of Tribeca Enterprises. “The energy builds scene by scene on the strength of terrific acting by the great ensemble cast led by Martin and David Morse. We are delighted to be introducing this accomplished work to wider audiences through Tribeca Film.” Full press release below: Tribeca Film Acquires U.S. Rights To Collaborator Summer Release Planned for Comedic Drama...

Tribeca Film Acquires U.S. Rights To Collaborator *** Summer Release Planned for Comedic Drama Starring Martin Donovan and David Morse *** Donovan’s Directorial Debut to Reach Nationwide Audiences After Well-Received Festival Run New York, NY – February 27, 2012 – Tribeca Film announced today that it has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Martin Donovan's directorial debut Collaborator, a comedic drama starring Donovan, David Morse, and Olivia Williams. Tribeca Film plans a summer release across multiple platforms for the film, which had its world premiere at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where the film received the...

Tribeca Film has acquired domestic distribution rights to "Collaborator," Martin Donovan's comedic drama -- the actor's directorial debut, the company said Monday. Tribeca Film plans a summer release for the movie. Donovan stars in the film, which he wrote and directed. Also read: Ted Hope, Anne Carey Shut Doors, Stay in Business In "Collaborator," Donovan plays Robert Longfellow, a famous playwright whose new play has bombed and whose marriage is becoming rocky. When his childhood neighbor, a right-wing ex-con who still lives with his mother reappears in Robert's life, the playwright finds himself held hostage...

Tribeca Film is thrilled to announce it has acquired the multiple platform U.S distribution rights to Collaborator, the writer/directorial debut of actor Martin Donovan, starring David Morse, Olivia Williams and Donovan himself. Courtesy of Tribeca Film The riveting and insightful comedic drama Collaborator follows Robert Longfellow (Martin Donovan, Insomnia, Trust) a famous playwright who has seen better days. His recent Broadway play landed with a thud and his marriage is being tested by the reemergence of an old flame (Olivia Williams, The Ghost Writer, Rushmore). But all of that pales in comparison to what happens when he crosses paths with a childhood neighbor, Gus (David Morse, The Green Mile, Dancer in the Dark). A right-wing ex-con who still lives with his mother, Gus is Robert's polar opposite in every way. The unlikely reunion quickly spirals out of control as Robert finds himself held hostage at gunpoint in his childhood home.

Did you know I Executive Produced this years Best Actor & Critic Prize Winning Film at the world's oldest film festival? Martin Donovan's Collaborator is that film. My guess is you did not get over to the Czech Republic last month to see it. But you know what? It will be playing around the USA this fall. Soon we should be announcing those next steps, and then the ones that follow. But if you need a fix, perhaps this will do. I am very proud of this film. It was one of those great experiences where you get to help…...

Judi Dench Yossi Madmoni's Israeli family drama Restoration, in which two brothers fight for the affection of both their father and the wife of one of the brothers, won the Crystal Award (worth $30,000) at the 2011 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. [Full list of Karlovy Vary winners.] Earlier this year, Restoration took home the Screenwriting – World Cinema Dramatic Award at Sundance. Written by Erez Kav-El, Restoration features Henry David, Sasson Gabai, Nevo Kimchi, and Sarah Adler. Martin Szulik's Czech-Slovak coming-of-age drama Gypsy won the Special Jury Prize, worth $20,000. Additionally, Gypsy received the European Cinemas Label Award, the International Federation of Film Societies Don Quixote Prize and a special mention for actor Ján Mizigár. The Best Actor and Best Actress awards went to, respectively, David Morse for his performance as an ex-con who takes his neighbor (Martin Donovan) hostage in Donovan's Collaborator, and Stine Fischer Christensen for her young actress cast in a production of Camille in...

Henry David, Sasson Gabai, Sarah Adler in Yossi Madmoni's Restoration Judi Dench, John Turturro, Goran Bregovic: Karlovy Vary 2011 Honorees Grand Prix – Crystal Globe Restoration / Boker Tov, Adon Fidelman Directed by: Yossi Madmoni Israel, 2010 Special Jury Prize Gypsy / Cigán Director: Martin Šulík Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, 2011 Best Director Award Pascal Rabaté for the film Holidays by the Sea France, 2011 Best Actress Award Stine Fischer Christensen for her role in the film Cracks in the Shell / Die Unsichtbare Directed by: Christian Schwochow Germany, 2011 Best Actor Award David Morse for his role in the film Collaborator Directed by: Martin Donovan Canada, USA, 2010 Special Mention Ján Mizigár for his role in the film Gypsy / Cigán Directed by: Martin Šulík Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, 2011 Jocelyn Pook for the music of the film Room 304 / Værelse 304 Directed by: Birgitte Stærmose Denmark, Croatia, 2011 East Of The West – Films In Competition East of the West Award...

Famous spa town Karlovy Vary located in Western Bohemia traditionally belongs to the International Film Festival. This year Israeli film Restoration, from director Joseph Madmony, has won the Crystal Globe, grand prix at the Czech 46th Mff . Slovak director Martin Sulik received the Special Jury Award for the Czech-Slovak touching coming-of-age movie Gypsy.A jury headed by Hungarian Oscar-winning director Istvan Szabo also awarded the Best Director Award to the French offbeat comedy Holidays by the Sea by Pascal Rabate.

Restoration is a psychological study of various characters of contemporary Israeli society. The lead role of an elderly man facing the question of whether to continue with a collapsing family antique furniture restoration business was acted by Sasson Gabai.

Restoration was a labor of love — lacking money, I gave it all my heart and now I feel as if the movie is paying me back. And to be awarded the...

Five Canadian films went to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. However, only three won some awards.

In total, Canada got four awards. The film with the most, which means two, is Martin Donovan's Collaborator. It won the Award of International Film Critics (Fipresci), which is a non-statutory award, and a Best Actor Award thanks to the performance of David Morse (John Adams, Treme).

In the Forum of independents, a group for indie films, Aaron Houston's mockumentary Sunflower Hour won the Independent Camera Award.

Moreover, Ivan Grbovic's Roméo Onze won the Special Mention award. Let's mention that producer Paul Barbeau, Ali Ammar and Joseph Bou Nassar, two actors of the film, went on the stage to take the award.

Finally, the theatrical release of these films in Canada have yet to be announced.

Israeli director Joseph Mahmony's "Restoration" won the Crystal Globe, the top prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, over the weekend, taking nods with France's Pascal Rabate for "Holiday's by the Sea," which earned the director the Czech film even't Best Director Award. Also taking home prizes this weekend in the resort town's fest were David Morse (Best Actor Award, "Collaborator"), Stine Fischer Christensen (Best Actress Award, "Cracks in ...

Five Canadian films will be presented at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, which will run from July 1 to 9.

The Canadian embassy had a role to play in bringing these Canadian films to Czech Republic. Moreover, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will present a tribute to Canadian director Denis Villeneuve (Incendies).

World premieres

Among the five films that will be screened, four will have their world premiere. In the official competition, Canada will be represented by Martin Donovan's Collaborator and Ivan Grbovic's Roméo Onze.

The teen drama Laurentie will be presented out of the competition while Aaron Houston's Sunflower Hour, a mockumentary, will be screened in the Forum of Independents.

Denis Villeneuve

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival's tribute to Denis Villeneuve will consist in screenings.

Four of his feature films will be presented: Un 32 août sur terre, Maelström, Polytechnique and Incendies, which was nominated...

Martin Donovan is best known for his numerous film appearances but the actor is about to turn over a new leaf with the premiere of his directorial debut.

A comedic drama also written by Donovan, Collaborator also stars the newly minted writer/director as a down on his luck dramatist whose most recent stage play was cancelled after only a two week run. He's depressed about work, confused about his on-again-off-again romantic relationship and in need of some motivation which comes in a bizarre form when he and his neighbour spend a night together under some strange circumstances: gunpoint.

The promo floating around for the film has the feel of an unpolished sales reel but I love the short scene between Donovan and his neighbour, played by the great David Morse. It starts off with some heavy tension which breaks as soon as the door closes. It's not clear what...

Less than 48 hours after it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, James Gunn’s (Slither) Super has found its distributor. IFC Films has paid seven figures to secure the U.S. rights to Gunn’s everyman take on the superhero archetype. While IFC normally pays less for its deals, they apparently faced some stiff competition for the film from potential buyers such as Magnolia.

Super stars Rainn Wilson as an “average guy” who takes on the persona of “The Crimson Bolt” upon learning that his wife is having an affair. Starring alongside Wilson are Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, and Kevin Bacon. To learn more about Super, check out Steve’s video blog/review of the film which he recorded shortly after its Toronto premiere.

[Update: You can now check out the official press release after the jump.]

IFC Films Takes U.S. Rights To James Gunn’S Super First Big Sale During Toronto Film Festival

Star-studded cast includes Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page,...

Andy Serkis is mesmerising as Ian Dury, the punk hero who defied the crippling effect of polio to pen some of pop's most potent lyrics

A great deal has happened in the 70 years since the inspirational Warner Brothers biopics of the 1930s were challenged by Orson Welles's Citizen Kane. Richard Attenborough is probably the last living director honourably bearing aloft a banner embroidered with Longfellow's words: "Lives of great men all remind us/ We can make our lives sublime". Film-makers now like to present us with portraits of deeply flawed heroes, whether they be rock stars, politicians or military leaders, to discover not just the secret of what motivated them but to reveal the worm in the rosebud. We no longer expect lives to be coherent, and we believe the real man is closer to the picture in the attic than to Dorian Gray.

The production team behind...