After finding international success with his spiritual teachings through best-selling books The Power of Now and A New Earth, author and counselor Eckhart Tolle set his sights on children in 2008 with Milton’s Secret and its blatantly synergistic subtitle to those previous works “An Adventure of Discovery through Then, When, and the Power of Now.” Written in collaboration with Robert S. Friedman and illustrator Frank Riccio, this tale focuses upon the titular eleven-year old (soon-to-be twelve) boy as an example of the internal transformative power we all possess to stop letting the past and future dictate our actions. With help from his grandfather Howard, Milton discovers how to live in the now as the proactive person he wants to be rather than the reactive one he had become.
Adapted by director Barnet Bain and co-writers Sara B. Cooper and Donald Martin, the cinematic version of this children’s book retains...
Adapted by director Barnet Bain and co-writers Sara B. Cooper and Donald Martin, the cinematic version of this children’s book retains...
- 9/28/2016
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Here is a clip from the coming-of-age drama Milton’s Secret, a film based on the Ya novel from bestselling author and spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle and Robert Friedman. This marks the first book-to-film adaptation for a Tolle book. The man the New York Times calls “the most popular spiritual author in the United States” also has a strong following among Hollywood execs, so it might not be the last. Barnet Bain directed the pic, which he penned with Donald…...
- 9/27/2016
- Deadline
Adapting the spiritual philosophy of Eckhart Tolle is no easy task, but that’s exactly what writer-director Barnet Bain has done with “Milton’s Secret.” Based on Tolle’s 2008 children’s book, the family drama stars William Ainscough as a 12 year-old boy dealing with workaholic parents at home (Mia Kirshner, David Sutcliffe) and bullies at school. When his grandfather (Donald Sutherland) visits, Milton learns rehashing the past and worrying about the future are preventing him from finding true happiness.
Read More: Momentum Pictures Picks Up Inspiring Underdog Story ‘Milton’s Secret’
The book was written as a way for Tolle to communicate his “power of now” self-help philosophy to children, and it appears the movie will do the same. The author serves as an executive producer on the project, which also costars Michelle Rodriguez. IndieWire is excited to premiere the official poster for the movie below, as well as announce...
Read More: Momentum Pictures Picks Up Inspiring Underdog Story ‘Milton’s Secret’
The book was written as a way for Tolle to communicate his “power of now” self-help philosophy to children, and it appears the movie will do the same. The author serves as an executive producer on the project, which also costars Michelle Rodriguez. IndieWire is excited to premiere the official poster for the movie below, as well as announce...
- 8/8/2016
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Plus: Telefilm Canada announces 12 Cfff productions; and Arielle Boisvert on the rise at Brightlight Entertainment
Zag has joined forces with Chris Columbus’ 1492 Pictures and Ocean Blue Entertainment on the live-action-animation hybrid 12/24.
Matt Lieberman wrote the screenplay from an original idea by David Guggenheim, who will produce with Madhouse Entertainment. Columbus, Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe will produce for 1492 Pictures.
12/24 (pictured) follows two brothers who try to prove the existence of Father Christmas and set an elaborate trap on Christmas Eve.
Telefilm Canada has raised more than C$8m (Usd 5.9m) to produce 12 english-language films through its Canada Feature Film Fund (Cfff), writes Angela Lee. The films are: Martine Blue’s Hunting Pignut; Aising Walsh’s Maudie; Bruce McDonald’s nineteenseventysomething; Jay Baruchel’s Goon: Last Of The Enforcers; Nathan Morlando’s Mean Dreams; Barnet Bain’s Milton’s Secret; Erik Canuel’s Operation Insanity; Joey Klein’s The Other Half; Jeremy Torrie’s Juliana And The Medicine Fish; [link...
Zag has joined forces with Chris Columbus’ 1492 Pictures and Ocean Blue Entertainment on the live-action-animation hybrid 12/24.
Matt Lieberman wrote the screenplay from an original idea by David Guggenheim, who will produce with Madhouse Entertainment. Columbus, Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe will produce for 1492 Pictures.
12/24 (pictured) follows two brothers who try to prove the existence of Father Christmas and set an elaborate trap on Christmas Eve.
Telefilm Canada has raised more than C$8m (Usd 5.9m) to produce 12 english-language films through its Canada Feature Film Fund (Cfff), writes Angela Lee. The films are: Martine Blue’s Hunting Pignut; Aising Walsh’s Maudie; Bruce McDonald’s nineteenseventysomething; Jay Baruchel’s Goon: Last Of The Enforcers; Nathan Morlando’s Mean Dreams; Barnet Bain’s Milton’s Secret; Erik Canuel’s Operation Insanity; Joey Klein’s The Other Half; Jeremy Torrie’s Juliana And The Medicine Fish; [link...
- 12/1/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Read More: Momentum Pictures Acquires Luke Wilson Western 'Outlaws & Angels' Momentum Pictures has acquired worldwide distribution rights to "Milton’s Secret." The film is based on the children’s book of the same name, co-authored by Eckhart Tolle. The project is currently in post-production and stars Donald Sutherland and Michelle Rodriguez. Emmy Award nominee Barnet Bain wrote and directed the film. The official film synopsis reads: "Based on the story by Eckhart Tolle, 'Milton’s Secret' follows the life of young Milton, who is bullied at school. His teacher does her best to uplift his spirits and inspire him under difficult circumstances, but it is his grandfather, a retired Force Recon Marine, who shows Milton the secret to finding true happiness." "Participating in a book-to-screen adaptation of this caliber is an exciting opportunity for our company," said Berry Meyerowitz, President of Momentum Pictures. "We look forward to...
- 11/19/2015
- by Sonya Saepoff
- Indiewire
Momentum Pictures has acquired the worldwide distribution rights Milton's Secret, the pic based on the children's book co-authored by Eckhart Tolle. Donald Sutherland and Michelle Rodriguez star. It’s the latest pickup from Momentum, the label recently revived by Entertainment One. Barnet Bain wrote and directed the film, which follows the life of young Milton (William Ainscough), who is bullied at school. His teacher (Rodriguez) does her best to uplift his spirits and…...
- 11/19/2015
- Deadline
Plus: Freestyle sets Mother Teresa drama The Letters release date; Kathy Bates joins Bad Santa 2; Momentum picks up word rights to Milton’s Secret; Stx Entertainment wraps The Space Between Us… and more.
The 18th Costume Designers Guild Awards on February 23, 2016 will honour Quentin Tarantino with the Distinguished Collaborator Award and veteran costume designer Ellen Mirojnick with the Career Achievement Award
Mirojnick’s credits include Chaplin, Cocktail, Wall Street, Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct and Behind The Candelabra
Freestyle Releasing will distribute Mother Teresa drama The Letters starring Juliet Stevenson on December 4 in more than 1,000 theatres. Max von Sydow and Rutger Hauer also star and William Riead directed the life story of the late nun.
Kathy Bates has joined Bad Santa 2 for Miramax and Broad Green and will play Sonny Soke, the “foulmouthed, tough-as-nails mom” to Billy Bob Thornton’s lead. Miramax and Broad Green Pictures co-finance and co-produce the sequel, while Broad Green...
The 18th Costume Designers Guild Awards on February 23, 2016 will honour Quentin Tarantino with the Distinguished Collaborator Award and veteran costume designer Ellen Mirojnick with the Career Achievement Award
Mirojnick’s credits include Chaplin, Cocktail, Wall Street, Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct and Behind The Candelabra
Freestyle Releasing will distribute Mother Teresa drama The Letters starring Juliet Stevenson on December 4 in more than 1,000 theatres. Max von Sydow and Rutger Hauer also star and William Riead directed the life story of the late nun.
Kathy Bates has joined Bad Santa 2 for Miramax and Broad Green and will play Sonny Soke, the “foulmouthed, tough-as-nails mom” to Billy Bob Thornton’s lead. Miramax and Broad Green Pictures co-finance and co-produce the sequel, while Broad Green...
- 11/19/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Michelle Rodriguez ("Furious 7") will join Donald Sutherland in the film adaptation of Eckhart Tolle and Robert Friedman's children's novel "Milton's Secret" for Buck Productions, Riverside Entertainment and Hulo Films.
Rodriguez will play a school teacher lifting the spirits of a young boy (William Ainscough) who is bullied by fellow students. Sutherland will play the boy's grandfather who helps him discover his obsession with his preteen fears will prevent him from finding true happiness.
David Sutcliffe, Mia Kirshner, Sheila McCarthy and Hays Wellford also star in the film which Barnet Bain directs. Stephen Huszar, Ryan Lockwood, Sean Buckley and Fred Fuchs will produce and shooting is underway in Hamilton, Ontario.
Source: THR...
Rodriguez will play a school teacher lifting the spirits of a young boy (William Ainscough) who is bullied by fellow students. Sutherland will play the boy's grandfather who helps him discover his obsession with his preteen fears will prevent him from finding true happiness.
David Sutcliffe, Mia Kirshner, Sheila McCarthy and Hays Wellford also star in the film which Barnet Bain directs. Stephen Huszar, Ryan Lockwood, Sean Buckley and Fred Fuchs will produce and shooting is underway in Hamilton, Ontario.
Source: THR...
- 10/9/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
After spending time on screen this year with Fast cars and hulking heroes, Michelle Rodriguez is switching gears for a new role. She’s joined the adaptation of kid’s book Milton’s Secret.Rodriguez will become part of a cast that already includes Donald Sutherland, David Sutcliffe, Mia Kirshner, Sheila McCarthy and Hays Welford. Barnet Bain is in the director’s chair, working from a script he adapted alongside Donald Martin and Sandra Cooper.The book, published in 2009 by The Power Of Now author Eckhart Tolle and co-writer Robert Friedman, was an attempt to translate his live-in-the-moment philosophy for a younger readership. The Milton of the title is the story's young protagonist (William Ainscough), who learns to overcome his fear of bullies and other childhood nightmares by living in the moment, and ceasing to "project his past fears into the future". Sutherland is his grandfather and instead of packing...
- 10/8/2015
- EmpireOnline
Donald Sutherland ("The Hunger Games") has joined Barnet Bain's upcoming $5 million film adaptation of Eckhart Tolle and Robert Friedman's children's novel "Milton's Secret".
"The Hunger Games" villain will play the grandfather of the story's central character, Milton, a young boy who is dealing with being bullied in school and discovers that his obsession with preteen fears prevent him from finding true happiness.
Sutherland replaces Peter Fonda, who was previously attached, and filming begins this fall in southern Ontario. Bain, Donald Martin and Sandra Cooper penned the script.
Source: THR...
"The Hunger Games" villain will play the grandfather of the story's central character, Milton, a young boy who is dealing with being bullied in school and discovers that his obsession with preteen fears prevent him from finding true happiness.
Sutherland replaces Peter Fonda, who was previously attached, and filming begins this fall in southern Ontario. Bain, Donald Martin and Sandra Cooper penned the script.
Source: THR...
- 7/24/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Currently enjoying some high-profile villainy as The Hunger Games' Coriolanus Snow, Donald Sutherland has just signed up for another adaptation of a rather different kids' book. He's joined the cast of Milton's Secret, from the book by Eckhart Tolle and Robert Friedman. Barnet Bain (the producer of What Dreams May Come) co-wrote the screenplay with Donald Martin and Sandra Cooper, and will direct.Tolle is a spiritual public speaker and author, probably best known for his self-help book The Power Of Now. The slim Milton's Secret, published in 2009, was an attempt to translate his live-in-the-moment philosophy for a younger readership. The Milton of the title is the story's young protagonist, who learns to overcome his fear of bullies and other childhood nightmares by living in the moment, and ceasing to "project his past fears into the future".Sutherland will play Milton's grandfather: a role previously occupied by Peter Fonda,...
- 7/24/2015
- EmpireOnline
Buck Productions, Riverside Entertainment and Hulo Films announced on Thursday that the Canadian icon will star in the coming-of-age drama.
Milton’s Secret is based on the book of the same name by Eckhart Tolle, author of the celebrated self-help book The Power Of Now.
Barnet Bain is confirmed to direct and principal photography is earmarked for autumn in Toronto. Additional cast will be announced shortly.
Milton’s Secret focuses on an anxious 11-year-old boy whose visiting grandfather teaches him to live in the present. Donald Martin and Sandra B Cooper adapted the screenplay.
Sean Buckley produces for Buck Productions alongside Fred Fuchs for Riverside Entertainment and Stephen Huszar and Ryan Lockwood for Hulo Films.
Milton’s Secret is based on the book of the same name by Eckhart Tolle, author of the celebrated self-help book The Power Of Now.
Barnet Bain is confirmed to direct and principal photography is earmarked for autumn in Toronto. Additional cast will be announced shortly.
Milton’s Secret focuses on an anxious 11-year-old boy whose visiting grandfather teaches him to live in the present. Donald Martin and Sandra B Cooper adapted the screenplay.
Sean Buckley produces for Buck Productions alongside Fred Fuchs for Riverside Entertainment and Stephen Huszar and Ryan Lockwood for Hulo Films.
- 7/23/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
A case study of the success of "Awake: The Life of Yogananda" will highlight the second annual Illuminate Film Festival’s "Conscious Film Convergence," a series of workshops and panels offering filmmakers – those with experience as well as those just starting out – the opportunity to learn about developing, producing and distributing conscious films, May 27-31 in Sedona, Arizona.
After its southwest premiere at last year’s inaugural Illuminate Film Festival, "Awake: The Life of Yogananada," the unconventional biography of the legendary East Indian mystic, went on to screen at 250 venues across North America and booked more than 30,000 tickets through the Gathr® theatrical on-demand platform. At this year’s Festival, the filmmakers and their distribution partners will discuss how they combined strategic partnerships, grassroots marketing and a hybrid distribution model to gross over $1 million at the U.S. box office within the first three months of release.
Additional panels at the Conscious Film Convergence, the first gathering of significant industry executives in this independent film genre, will feature master distribution strategist Peter Broderick and industry icons Barnet Bain ("What Dreams May Come," "The Celestine Prophecy"); Elizabeth Sheldon, Senior Vice President at Kino Lorber; and Abramorama President Richard Abramowitz, among others, as part of the Festival’s five days of life-affirming cinematic works that encourage audiences to ponder existence more deeply than their daily routines.
The Illuminate Film Festival curates narrative features, documentaries and shorts in the mind-body-spirit genre, featuring inspirational human journey stories and themes related to mindfulness, self-discovery, body-mind science, yoga, meditation, spiritual practice, organic and plant-based food movements and sustainable living.
“As a launching platform for conscious cinema, our goal is to get enlightening content into movie theaters across the globe,” said Illuminate Film Festival Executive Director and Founder Danette Wolpert. “The Conscious Cinema Movement has reached a tipping point. Conscious concepts, once trivialized, have become mainstream thanks to moguls like Oprah, Russell Brand, Deepak Chopra and Russell Simmons. The Illuminate Film Festival is poised to establish conscious cinema as a viable business sector within the independent film business.”
The Conscious Film Convergence schedule is:
Friday, May 29
• Spotlight Conversation with Barnet Bain:
Bain, a television and film industry veteran whose credits include Oscar-winning "What Dreams May Come," Emmy-nominated "Homeless to Harvard," spiritual classic "The Celestine Prophecy" and the new documentary, "When I Was Young I Said I Would Be Happy," will tell you that to make a conscious film, you must first become a conscious individual. In this Q&A with Barnett, attendees will discover how to connect with their true calling and unleash their full creative potential.
• Conscious Film Financing: "The Connected Universe"
Perhaps it’s fitting that a film that explores the science behind the interconnection of all things has just become the highest funded documentary in Indiegogo history with over $290 thousand raised via the popular crowdfunding website. Join "The Connected Universe" director Malcom Carter and others for insight into cracking the crowdsourcing code.
Saturday, May 30
• The Conscious Cinema Accelerator:
Five applicants will be invited to participate in 20-minute speed meetings for personalized project and career coaching from veteran film professionals in conscious film production, finance, marketing and distribution. Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/festival/ConsciousCinemaAccelerator.
• Powered By Your Audience with Peter Broderick
How can a filmmaker increase their independence and build a sustainable career that goes far beyond one film? Distribution guru Peter Broderick presents a comprehensive guide to help filmmakers develop and maximize their “own” audience and establish a strong foundation from which they can build a long-lasting filmmaking career. Using examples from across the Us and around the world, he will demonstrate how filmmakers are aggregating their audiences film by film and becoming empowered by followers who champion their work.
• Million Dollar Movie: "Awake: The Life of Yogananda" Case Study
Panelists: "Awake" Director Paola di Florio, Producer Peter Rader (CounterPoint Films); Richard Abramowitz (President, Abramorama); Richard Matson (Head of Distribution & Acquisitions, Gathr); The inaugural Illuminate Film Festival in 2014 was a launching platform for "Awake: The Life of Yogananada," the unconventional biography of the legendary East Indian mystic, whose box office success has turned the heads of distribution executives nationwide. Is this a model that can be replicated? Find out.
• Champions of Conscious Cinema: Meet the Distributors
Panelists: Elizabeth Sheldon (Senior Vice President, Kino Lorber), Richard Cohn (President, Beyond Words), Richard Abramowitz (President, Abramorama), Brian Parsons (Head of Content Partnerships, Tugg); Abundant Internet connectivity and social media tools beckon today’s filmmaker to flirt with the very real possibility of self-distribution, while the lure of traditional distribution offers remains strong. Join the leaders of conscious film distribution as they explore the pros and cons of "all-rights” vs. "hybrid" distribution, debate the logic of day-and-date releasing and consider direct engagement via theatrical-on-demand. Learn your best options for theatrical, broadcast, video-on-demand and educational distribution as panelists share their outlook on the future of conscious cinema and the factors they consider before acquiring a film.
Sunday, May 31
• Conscious Cinema Summit (Industry Guests Only): a roundtable discussion with conscious film industry visionaries and media change-makers to discuss how conscious cinema can become a viable business independent film-sector business. Conversations will range from how to define conscious cinema to new business models to brainstorming new collaborative strategies to increase quality, quantity and availability of conscious cinema around the globe.
To register for the Conscious Film Convergence, visit Here!
The 2015 Festival will feature 22 films and more than 50 expert facilitators, practitioners, healers, performers, musicians, speakers and new thought leaders. In addition to the panels and films, the Festival’s series of “View and Do” events will let audiences more deeply integrate a movie’s message into their lives.
The full list of films exhibiting at the 2015 Illuminate Film Festival are online. For more information, visit Here!
After its southwest premiere at last year’s inaugural Illuminate Film Festival, "Awake: The Life of Yogananada," the unconventional biography of the legendary East Indian mystic, went on to screen at 250 venues across North America and booked more than 30,000 tickets through the Gathr® theatrical on-demand platform. At this year’s Festival, the filmmakers and their distribution partners will discuss how they combined strategic partnerships, grassroots marketing and a hybrid distribution model to gross over $1 million at the U.S. box office within the first three months of release.
Additional panels at the Conscious Film Convergence, the first gathering of significant industry executives in this independent film genre, will feature master distribution strategist Peter Broderick and industry icons Barnet Bain ("What Dreams May Come," "The Celestine Prophecy"); Elizabeth Sheldon, Senior Vice President at Kino Lorber; and Abramorama President Richard Abramowitz, among others, as part of the Festival’s five days of life-affirming cinematic works that encourage audiences to ponder existence more deeply than their daily routines.
The Illuminate Film Festival curates narrative features, documentaries and shorts in the mind-body-spirit genre, featuring inspirational human journey stories and themes related to mindfulness, self-discovery, body-mind science, yoga, meditation, spiritual practice, organic and plant-based food movements and sustainable living.
“As a launching platform for conscious cinema, our goal is to get enlightening content into movie theaters across the globe,” said Illuminate Film Festival Executive Director and Founder Danette Wolpert. “The Conscious Cinema Movement has reached a tipping point. Conscious concepts, once trivialized, have become mainstream thanks to moguls like Oprah, Russell Brand, Deepak Chopra and Russell Simmons. The Illuminate Film Festival is poised to establish conscious cinema as a viable business sector within the independent film business.”
The Conscious Film Convergence schedule is:
Friday, May 29
• Spotlight Conversation with Barnet Bain:
Bain, a television and film industry veteran whose credits include Oscar-winning "What Dreams May Come," Emmy-nominated "Homeless to Harvard," spiritual classic "The Celestine Prophecy" and the new documentary, "When I Was Young I Said I Would Be Happy," will tell you that to make a conscious film, you must first become a conscious individual. In this Q&A with Barnett, attendees will discover how to connect with their true calling and unleash their full creative potential.
• Conscious Film Financing: "The Connected Universe"
Perhaps it’s fitting that a film that explores the science behind the interconnection of all things has just become the highest funded documentary in Indiegogo history with over $290 thousand raised via the popular crowdfunding website. Join "The Connected Universe" director Malcom Carter and others for insight into cracking the crowdsourcing code.
Saturday, May 30
• The Conscious Cinema Accelerator:
Five applicants will be invited to participate in 20-minute speed meetings for personalized project and career coaching from veteran film professionals in conscious film production, finance, marketing and distribution. Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/festival/ConsciousCinemaAccelerator.
• Powered By Your Audience with Peter Broderick
How can a filmmaker increase their independence and build a sustainable career that goes far beyond one film? Distribution guru Peter Broderick presents a comprehensive guide to help filmmakers develop and maximize their “own” audience and establish a strong foundation from which they can build a long-lasting filmmaking career. Using examples from across the Us and around the world, he will demonstrate how filmmakers are aggregating their audiences film by film and becoming empowered by followers who champion their work.
• Million Dollar Movie: "Awake: The Life of Yogananda" Case Study
Panelists: "Awake" Director Paola di Florio, Producer Peter Rader (CounterPoint Films); Richard Abramowitz (President, Abramorama); Richard Matson (Head of Distribution & Acquisitions, Gathr); The inaugural Illuminate Film Festival in 2014 was a launching platform for "Awake: The Life of Yogananada," the unconventional biography of the legendary East Indian mystic, whose box office success has turned the heads of distribution executives nationwide. Is this a model that can be replicated? Find out.
• Champions of Conscious Cinema: Meet the Distributors
Panelists: Elizabeth Sheldon (Senior Vice President, Kino Lorber), Richard Cohn (President, Beyond Words), Richard Abramowitz (President, Abramorama), Brian Parsons (Head of Content Partnerships, Tugg); Abundant Internet connectivity and social media tools beckon today’s filmmaker to flirt with the very real possibility of self-distribution, while the lure of traditional distribution offers remains strong. Join the leaders of conscious film distribution as they explore the pros and cons of "all-rights” vs. "hybrid" distribution, debate the logic of day-and-date releasing and consider direct engagement via theatrical-on-demand. Learn your best options for theatrical, broadcast, video-on-demand and educational distribution as panelists share their outlook on the future of conscious cinema and the factors they consider before acquiring a film.
Sunday, May 31
• Conscious Cinema Summit (Industry Guests Only): a roundtable discussion with conscious film industry visionaries and media change-makers to discuss how conscious cinema can become a viable business independent film-sector business. Conversations will range from how to define conscious cinema to new business models to brainstorming new collaborative strategies to increase quality, quantity and availability of conscious cinema around the globe.
To register for the Conscious Film Convergence, visit Here!
The 2015 Festival will feature 22 films and more than 50 expert facilitators, practitioners, healers, performers, musicians, speakers and new thought leaders. In addition to the panels and films, the Festival’s series of “View and Do” events will let audiences more deeply integrate a movie’s message into their lives.
The full list of films exhibiting at the 2015 Illuminate Film Festival are online. For more information, visit Here!
- 5/11/2015
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
• Things have been pretty quiet for Anne Hathaway on the casting front since her Best Supporting Actress win, but we just assumed that she was waiting to line up the perfect post-Oscar project. She may have found that in Lynn Shelton’s (Your Sister’s Sister) next project Laggies — a dark comedy about a late 20-something afraid of growing up. Chloë Moretz, Sam Rockwell, and Mark Webber are also in talks to star. With a script by Like the Red Panda author Andrea Siegel, Hathaway would play Megan, the 20-something in question. When her boyfriend (potentially Webber) proposes to her,...
- 3/28/2013
- by Lindsey Bahr
- EW - Inside Movies
Eckhart Tolle is best known for his self-help books like "The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment" and "A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life.s Purpose," two books that likely won't ever find their way to the big screen. But such is not the case with Milton's Secret, the story that Tolle wrote with Robert Friedman - and not only is a film adaptation in the works, the project has just landed its first actor. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Peter Fonda, the two-time Oscar nominee best known for performances in films like Easy Rider and Ulee's Gold, has signed on for a key part in the developing movie. Set to be adapted by Barnet Bain (who is also directing) and Donald Martin, the film will tell the story of an eight-year-old boy named Martin who begins to fear going to school because of a bully...
- 3/27/2013
- cinemablend.com
Peter Fonda will star in the upcoming film adaptation of Milton's Secret, based on the children's book by Eckhart Tolle and Robert Friedman. The two-time Oscar nominee, who became famous for co-writing and starring in 1969's Easy Rider, will play the grandfather of the story's central character, Milton, a young boy who is dealing with being bullied in school. Story: Peter Fonda Joins 'Copperhead' Movie Shoot in New Brunswick Barnet Bain, a producer on What Dreams May Come and Homeless to Harvard, will direct the family drama, and he wrote the script with Donald Martin. Bain is also
read more...
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- 3/27/2013
- by Rebecca Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Lisa Horowitz
The first fictional work from best-selling "The Power of Now" author Eckhart Tolle will be filmed by Peace Arch Entertainment and Emmy-nominated producer Barnet Bain. The children's book, "Milton's Secret: An Adventure of Discovery Through Then, When, and the Power of Now," was Tolle's first work of fiction, co-written with Robert S. Friedman. Donald Martin ("Dim Sum Funeral") is adapting the book about a boy who discovers that his pre-teen fears, shaky parental relationships, confidence issues and schoolyard bullying are preventing him f...
The first fictional work from best-selling "The Power of Now" author Eckhart Tolle will be filmed by Peace Arch Entertainment and Emmy-nominated producer Barnet Bain. The children's book, "Milton's Secret: An Adventure of Discovery Through Then, When, and the Power of Now," was Tolle's first work of fiction, co-written with Robert S. Friedman. Donald Martin ("Dim Sum Funeral") is adapting the book about a boy who discovers that his pre-teen fears, shaky parental relationships, confidence issues and schoolyard bullying are preventing him f...
- 9/30/2009
- by Lisa Horowitz
- The Wrap
Hollywood studios and networks are becoming more willing to distribute and air inspirational content that deals with issues of consciousness because they have come to realize there is a market for it, a panel of filmmakers concluded. Tuesday's panel, part of the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) conference, was moderated by Robert J. Dowling, editor-in-chief and publisher of The Hollywood Reporter. "For the first time ever, we have a perception that there is a marketable community here that has a unique set of values," said Barnet Bain, producer of 1998's What Dreams May Come and The Celestine Prophecy, set for release in October. "I've been making these kinds of movies for a lot of years, and it's always been a battle to get them out there. ... I think there's a sea change," Bain said. Dowling noted there is a dichotomy in Hollywood, with the vast majority of the industry caring "deeply" about the same environmental and sustainability issues that LOHAS is concerned with yet needing to deliver profitable content: "As a steward, they have the heart and soul. But the problem is they have to put something out in the marketplace."...
- 4/27/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- Author James Redfield's best-selling New Age novel The Celestine Prophecy is set to hit the big screen, with Sarah Wayne Callies and Matthew Settle to star. Armand Mastroianni (Touched by an Angel) is helming the indie project from a script adapted by Redfield with Barnet Bain. Bain (What Dreams May Come) also will produce along with Beverly Camhe and Terry Collif.
- 2/19/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- Lifetime has signed Thora Birch to star in a film based on a true story about a homeless teenager who turns her life around and ends up at Harvard University. Scheduled to go into production early next year, Homeless to Harvard (working title) is expected to air on Lifetime in the second quarter of 2003. Birch (American Beauty, Ghost World) will play Liz Murray, who was raised by poor, drug-addicted parents yet managed to win a New York Times scholarship that landed her in the Ivy League. Harvard is produced by Patriach Pictures in association with Barnet Bain Productions. Birch is repped by manager Jack Birch and attorney Brad Small.
- 10/7/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hollywood is still trying to figure out the Web. Depending on who you talk to, the Internet is either the next great way to market movies or a cutting-edge delivery system or a damn toy distracting people from what they should be doing -- going to the movies. But, clearly, the Production Company and online distributor behind "Quantum Project" believe the Internet is the future.
At 9:01 PDT tonight, Metafilmics' Internet movie will be released worldwide. For a $3.95 fee, the 301Ú2-minute film starring Stephen Dorff, John Cleese and Fay Masterson and directed by Oscar-winning production designer Eugenio Zanetti ("Restoration") can be downloaded from the SightSound.com Web site.
While certainly not the first film to debut on the Web, "Quantum" claims to be the first made specifically for release in the relatively new medium. In fact, it is such an Internet movie that the characters and story are designed in Internet terms. For instance, when a character is lost in thought, a software tool bar appears on screen.
The story wallows in this kind of techno-babble and is deliberately free-form and obscure, with less of a story line than a stream-of- consciousness progression of imagery. Producers Stephen Simon and Barnet Bain admit to creating a movie that cannot be figured out on first viewing. But the downloader, who instantly owns the film and can watch it repeatedly, presumably puts the pieces together on subsequent viewings.
Or, maybe not.
Repeat business in movie houses usually stems from audiences wanting to re-experience laughs, thrills or emotions provoked by a first viewing. But "Quantum", which is cerebral and philosophical, contains none of these.
Dorff plays a physicist who devotes his life to the pursuit of all things subatomic. In an underground lab where he watches electrons collide, he is startled one day when a particle speaks to him.
Then, in the outside world, the scientist experiences two epiphanies. A billion-to-one accident involving his red Volkswagen Beetle and two exact replicas somehow reunites him with his former girlfriend (Masterson). Later, when two lightning bolts strike his poor VW, he dashes off to an encounter with his father (Cleese), a computer scientist who seems worried that his son has become a computer scientist.
The film constantly probes questions about reality and what it means to be human. Characters say such things as "nothing is real until it's perceived" and "reality is what you choose to make it."
Zanetti films with a digital camera that favors wide angles, employing geometric shapes in his set design that approximate imagery one associates with the Web. The sets range from the chrome-and-glass science lab and a cluttered 1920s mansion to eerie oil derricks pumping away at night and a shipyard of decaying ocean liners.
"Quantum" looks and acts like something that belongs on a computer screen. Which is to say, this is a hybrid: It's not a movie, but it's not an interactive game, either.
But whether or not tonight's event is the wave of the future, films such as "Quantum" and Mike Figgis' digitally shot real-time movie "Timecode" reformulate our perception of the filmic experience. "Quantum Project" may never answer the questions it poses about the nature of reality, but it shakes up our perception of what a movie is supposed to be.
QUANTUM PROJECT
SightSound.com
Metafilmics
Producers: Barnet Bain, Stephen Simon
Director: Eugenio Zanetti
Screenwriter: David Aaron Cohen
Executive producer: Scott Sander
Director of photography: Robert Primes
Production designer: Oliver Scholl
Music: Emilio Kauderer
Line producer: Terry Collis
Costume designer: Laurie Henricksen
Editor: Jay Nelson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Paul Pentcho: Stephen Dorff
Mia: Fay Masterson
Alexander Pentcho: John Cleese
Running time -- 31 minutes
No MPAA rating...
At 9:01 PDT tonight, Metafilmics' Internet movie will be released worldwide. For a $3.95 fee, the 301Ú2-minute film starring Stephen Dorff, John Cleese and Fay Masterson and directed by Oscar-winning production designer Eugenio Zanetti ("Restoration") can be downloaded from the SightSound.com Web site.
While certainly not the first film to debut on the Web, "Quantum" claims to be the first made specifically for release in the relatively new medium. In fact, it is such an Internet movie that the characters and story are designed in Internet terms. For instance, when a character is lost in thought, a software tool bar appears on screen.
The story wallows in this kind of techno-babble and is deliberately free-form and obscure, with less of a story line than a stream-of- consciousness progression of imagery. Producers Stephen Simon and Barnet Bain admit to creating a movie that cannot be figured out on first viewing. But the downloader, who instantly owns the film and can watch it repeatedly, presumably puts the pieces together on subsequent viewings.
Or, maybe not.
Repeat business in movie houses usually stems from audiences wanting to re-experience laughs, thrills or emotions provoked by a first viewing. But "Quantum", which is cerebral and philosophical, contains none of these.
Dorff plays a physicist who devotes his life to the pursuit of all things subatomic. In an underground lab where he watches electrons collide, he is startled one day when a particle speaks to him.
Then, in the outside world, the scientist experiences two epiphanies. A billion-to-one accident involving his red Volkswagen Beetle and two exact replicas somehow reunites him with his former girlfriend (Masterson). Later, when two lightning bolts strike his poor VW, he dashes off to an encounter with his father (Cleese), a computer scientist who seems worried that his son has become a computer scientist.
The film constantly probes questions about reality and what it means to be human. Characters say such things as "nothing is real until it's perceived" and "reality is what you choose to make it."
Zanetti films with a digital camera that favors wide angles, employing geometric shapes in his set design that approximate imagery one associates with the Web. The sets range from the chrome-and-glass science lab and a cluttered 1920s mansion to eerie oil derricks pumping away at night and a shipyard of decaying ocean liners.
"Quantum" looks and acts like something that belongs on a computer screen. Which is to say, this is a hybrid: It's not a movie, but it's not an interactive game, either.
But whether or not tonight's event is the wave of the future, films such as "Quantum" and Mike Figgis' digitally shot real-time movie "Timecode" reformulate our perception of the filmic experience. "Quantum Project" may never answer the questions it poses about the nature of reality, but it shakes up our perception of what a movie is supposed to be.
QUANTUM PROJECT
SightSound.com
Metafilmics
Producers: Barnet Bain, Stephen Simon
Director: Eugenio Zanetti
Screenwriter: David Aaron Cohen
Executive producer: Scott Sander
Director of photography: Robert Primes
Production designer: Oliver Scholl
Music: Emilio Kauderer
Line producer: Terry Collis
Costume designer: Laurie Henricksen
Editor: Jay Nelson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Paul Pentcho: Stephen Dorff
Mia: Fay Masterson
Alexander Pentcho: John Cleese
Running time -- 31 minutes
No MPAA rating...
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