“It makes no sense to me that Hollywood distributors mark off particular times of year as no-go zones for major theatrical releases. That practice serves only to tell our audiences to stop paying attention at certain times of the year — and that benefits nobody.” So writes National Association of Theater Owners president John Fithian, in a piece where he looks over the 2013 release calendar, and calls for distributors to be more creative with their scheduling, citing “Blue Jasmine” and “Gravity” as examples of films that bucked conventional programming wisdom to great effect, and the summer animation glut as an example of tentpole excess. [Hollywood Reporter]

Meanwhile, Joe Reid reminds us that good films do sometimes emerge in the so-called January wasteland, from “The Grey” to “Before Sunrise,” . [The Wire]

“12 Years a Slave” costume designer Patricia Norris — whom I hadn’t realized is 82 years old — talks through the film’s spare but specific wardrobe. [Vanity Fair]

Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto talks about the look he and Martin Scorsese settled upon for “The Wolf of Wall Street.” [American Cinematographer]

Stephen Frears on strong female characters amnd what he still doesn’t quite understand about “Philomena.” [LA Times]

John Patterson feels “oppressed” by “12 Years a Slave.” Perhaps he might have chosen another word? [The Guardian]

Michael Cieply on the legacy of the short-lived but noble film distribution company ThinkFilm. [New York Times]

Andreas Wiseman speaks to BAFTA CEO Amanda Berry about the challenges of maintaining an international profile while retaining a British identity. [Screen Daily]

In the first official interview for “Nymphomaniac,” Charlotte Gaionsbourg reveals thaty she thought it was a joke at first. [The Playlist]