Sport and Cinema.com

In time for the holiday shopping rush comes the entire set of thirty films now combined into one DVD package (and available on Blu-ray) from ESPN’s acclaimed 30 for 30 series, a compelling “television film festival”. The 30 for 30 Limited Edition Collector Set is packaged in a collectible box & contains 30 for 30 Gift Sets Volume 1 & Volume 2 as well as an exclusive retro ESPN hat featuring the company’s original logo.

There has never been anyone like them in the history of boxing. Ukrainians Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko are six-foot-six brothers in arms (big arms) and both heavyweight champions of the world. Their intense and complex interpersonal relationship is at the core of this film by German director Sebastian Dehnhart (“Stalingrad”, “Miracle at Bern”).

The stats are impressive – 8,000 filmmaking professionals from 70 nations involving over 400 films with more than $800 million in deals to be sealed over the next eight days. And they are all converging right in my backyard – Santa Monica, California. That averages out to about 30 new films every two hours – the majority of them world or U.S. premieres. It is the American Film Market, one of the biggest annual business gatherings of the independent motion picture production and distribution industry.

After gaining some exposure at a few film festivals, “Berlin 36”, a small-budget movie from a major historic event — the Olympic Games held in Nazi-controlled Germany – is now in general release in the U.S.

All Things Fall Apart, a drama that tells the story of a Heisman-bound college football star whose career hits a wall when he is diagnosed with a tumor only inches from his heart, has been picked up by Image Entertainment which has secured all U.S. rights.

In 20th Century Fox’ “Win Win”, Paul Giamatti stars as Mike Flaherty a small town lawyer struggling to support his family. Moonlighting as a high school wrestling coach, stumbles across a star athlete (Alex Shafer) through some questionable business dealings while trying to make ends meet. Just as it looks like he will get a double payday, the boy’s troubled mother (Melanie Lynskey) shows up fresh from rehab and flat broke, threatening to derail everything.

A new documentary film about one of the great drivers in Formula One racing history, Brazil’s Ayrton Senna is now out in limited release including the Los Angeles Film Festival this week. The movie, which will go wider in August, takes you inside the sport with brilliant on-board cameras as well as the politics and rivalries that were part of the three-time world champion’s world.

Tribeca, in partnership with ESPN Films, has announced a summer sale offering for the first time a handful of independent sports films to over 40 million homes via VOD.

Most film festivals seek to showcase best of the up-and-coming. Not Turner Classic Movies. The TCM Classic Film Festival is back with more than 70 screenings, as well as special introductions, guest appearances, panel discussions and other events revolving around the all-time classics of cinema.

Now in play and running through May 1st, Tribeca, with partner ESPN, present a compelling and diverse slate of sports documentary films in its 10th annual gathering throughout New York City.