SeriesFest, the international television festival dedicated to showcasing the best and boldest emerging voices in television, revealed the winners of this year’s international pilot competition at a closing reception today in Denver. Chief among the winners was “Halfway There,” which took home the prize for best independent dramatic pilot a well as the audience award. Created by Nick Morton and Rick Roesnthal, “Halfway There” stars Matthew Lillard as a sober addict running a rehabilitation facility, and Blythe Danner as his alcoholic mother whom he is forced to treat.
“The quality of content selected for this year’s International Pilot Competition was simply unmatched. We are encouraged by the diverse perspectives represented, and in awe of each and every creator who took part in our festival,” said SeriesFest co-founders Randi Kleiner and Kaily Smith-Westbrook in a statement.
Many independent projects that debuted at SeriesFest have gone on to score production deals,...
“The quality of content selected for this year’s International Pilot Competition was simply unmatched. We are encouraged by the diverse perspectives represented, and in awe of each and every creator who took part in our festival,” said SeriesFest co-founders Randi Kleiner and Kaily Smith-Westbrook in a statement.
Many independent projects that debuted at SeriesFest have gone on to score production deals,...
- 6/27/2018
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The Tribeca Film Festival announced programming today for its N.O.W. (New Online Works) section, an inspired array of established and emerging creators who are pushing the boundaries of online storytelling.
Read More: Tribeca 2017 Set to Open With ‘Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives’ Premiere Event at Radio City Music Hall
Top-lining the section is the premiere of “Awake, A Dream from Standing Rock,” a documentary from the Oscar-nominated team of Josh Fox and James Spione and Executive Producer Shailene Woodley. The project is a collaboration with indigenous filmmaker Myron Dewey about the Native-led resistance against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Eli Roth’s Crypt TV will premiere “Monster Madness,” a series of several character shorts; and Op-Docs, The New York Times’ award-winning forum for short, opinionated documentaries, will screen three films at the Festival.
Read More: Tribeca 2017 Lineup: New Films From Alex Gibney, Azazel Jacobs and Laurie Simmons...
Read More: Tribeca 2017 Set to Open With ‘Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives’ Premiere Event at Radio City Music Hall
Top-lining the section is the premiere of “Awake, A Dream from Standing Rock,” a documentary from the Oscar-nominated team of Josh Fox and James Spione and Executive Producer Shailene Woodley. The project is a collaboration with indigenous filmmaker Myron Dewey about the Native-led resistance against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Eli Roth’s Crypt TV will premiere “Monster Madness,” a series of several character shorts; and Op-Docs, The New York Times’ award-winning forum for short, opinionated documentaries, will screen three films at the Festival.
Read More: Tribeca 2017 Lineup: New Films From Alex Gibney, Azazel Jacobs and Laurie Simmons...
- 3/24/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Paul Feig went from creating ’90s cult favorite Freaks and Geeks to directing 2011′s comedy hit Bridesmaids, but between those, he directed 2003′s little-known drama I Am David – which he’s still proud of to this day. See what the director had to say about that film, along with his other picks for favorite underrated movies:
Loves of a Blonde
“This first feature film from Amadeus director Milos Forman is the funny and bittersweet tale of a pretty teenage girl living in Communist Czechoslovakia trying desperately to find anything to lift her out of her bleak everyday life. Filled with funny,...
Loves of a Blonde
“This first feature film from Amadeus director Milos Forman is the funny and bittersweet tale of a pretty teenage girl living in Communist Czechoslovakia trying desperately to find anything to lift her out of her bleak everyday life. Filled with funny,...
- 3/14/2014
- by EW staff
- EW - Inside Movies
Black Christmas: Clark’s Nostalgia Tinged Nightmare of Christmas Tradition
Even those unfamiliar with previous films directed by Zach Clark (Modern Love is Automatic; Vacation!) will be on high alert in the opening credits of his latest slice of indie fresh, White Reindeer, as we languidly witness our protagonist embark on a zany shopping spree of unnecessary Christmas items in an unremarkable mall amidst all the earmarks of the season. And soon after the tattered opening credits, a running self-destruct mechanism begins with the announcement that it’s currently 24 days before Christmas. Deliberately dark in its examination of the reinforcing power of traditions such as nationally observed holidays and other socially sanctioned existences (i.e. marriage), Clark’s biggest surprise is how warmly humanistic it is despite its framing as a sometimes grotesque parody of Midwestern milquetoast ideals.
Suzanne Barrington (Anna Margaret Hollyman) is a real estate agent in...
Even those unfamiliar with previous films directed by Zach Clark (Modern Love is Automatic; Vacation!) will be on high alert in the opening credits of his latest slice of indie fresh, White Reindeer, as we languidly witness our protagonist embark on a zany shopping spree of unnecessary Christmas items in an unremarkable mall amidst all the earmarks of the season. And soon after the tattered opening credits, a running self-destruct mechanism begins with the announcement that it’s currently 24 days before Christmas. Deliberately dark in its examination of the reinforcing power of traditions such as nationally observed holidays and other socially sanctioned existences (i.e. marriage), Clark’s biggest surprise is how warmly humanistic it is despite its framing as a sometimes grotesque parody of Midwestern milquetoast ideals.
Suzanne Barrington (Anna Margaret Hollyman) is a real estate agent in...
- 12/17/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Jenn Harris starred in Off-Broadway's smash hit Silence The Musical and can be seen in the hilarious hit indie film Gayby. In part two of her interview with Graham Douglass for The Graham Show, Harris talks about the hardest aspects of being an actor, how to approach auditions, moving on after not being cast, and channeling Pink in the audition room. Click below to watch...
- 7/27/2013
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
Titie: Gayby Directed by: Jonathan Lisecki Starring: Jenn Harris, Matthew Wilkas Running time: 89 minutes, Unrated Special features: Commentary, Gaby Short, Deleted Dream Musical Sequence, More Deleted Scenes Jenn is a single woman in her thirties whom is desperate to have a baby. She asks her best friend Matt (who is gay) to be the father of her child. She doesn’t want to do fertility treatments, she wants to make a baby the “old fashioned way.” Matt semi-reluctantly agrees. While the process is an arduous one, they both question their friendship, their separate searches for love and their anxieties about raising a child together. This tale has been told a [ Read More ]
The post Gayby DVD Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Gayby DVD Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 12/23/2012
- by juliana
- ShockYa
For those of you who are looking for a different angle with your comedy, “Gayby” from writer-director-star Jonathan Lisecki might just be the comedy you’ve been looking for. “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” star Matthew Wilkas stars as a gay man who decides to have a baby with his straight best friend (Jenn Harris). The film is based on a popular short film that became the darling of more than 100 film festivals. The film, distributed by Wolfe Video, has already been released on digital platforms, but if you prefer the physical, you can now get a copy of “Gayby” on DVD now! The DVD will also come with bonus [ Read More ]
The post Gayby Now Available On DVD appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Gayby Now Available On DVD appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 12/12/2012
- by monique
- ShockYa
This week on DVD/Blu-ray: A comedy about a gay guy and his best girl friend who decide to have a baby (cough, a "Gayby"); the complete first season of Lena Dunham's extremely successful foray into television; a demented and totally fun forgotten gem from the '80s; Christopher Nolan's black-and-white debut, remastered for the first time on Blu-ray; and a mostly wordless trio of films with music by composer Philip Glass #1. "Gayby" Criticwire Page A raucous hit on the festival circuit (and recent nominee at the upcoming Spirit Awards) "Gayby" is the long form version of Jonathan Lisecki's award-winning short of the same name about two thirty-something friends from college, Matt (Matthew Wilkas) and Jenn (the hilarious Jenn Harris,) who decide they want to bring a baby into the world the old-fashioned way. The couple continues to navigate the daunting New York dating scene throughout their ups and downs of attempting.
- 12/11/2012
- by Nigel M Smith
- Indiewire
Gayby
Directed by Jonathan Lisecki
United States, 2012
Philadelphia Film Festival
Jenn (Jenn Harris) and Matt (Matthew Wilkas) are 30-something friends from college. He’s gay, she’s straight. He’s just out of a long relationship, she’s had zero luck in her love life. Both feel the call of commitment, so they decide to have a baby through traditionally heterosexual means.
Every description for Gayby includes the phrase “the old fashioned way” in some iteration. While the awkward sex – especially the first time – between Jenn and Matt is truly hilarious, the film also has flashes of poignancy with its mostly tongue-in-cheek look at modern relationships.
Still, Gayby can be frustrating. There’s one gratifying sigh of relief when a sitcom-ish double date mistaken identity setup is easily avoided and yields an ultimately stronger, post-date makeout scene.
But then fewer than 20 minutes later Jenn irrationally decides to drop incredibly bad...
Directed by Jonathan Lisecki
United States, 2012
Philadelphia Film Festival
Jenn (Jenn Harris) and Matt (Matthew Wilkas) are 30-something friends from college. He’s gay, she’s straight. He’s just out of a long relationship, she’s had zero luck in her love life. Both feel the call of commitment, so they decide to have a baby through traditionally heterosexual means.
Every description for Gayby includes the phrase “the old fashioned way” in some iteration. While the awkward sex – especially the first time – between Jenn and Matt is truly hilarious, the film also has flashes of poignancy with its mostly tongue-in-cheek look at modern relationships.
Still, Gayby can be frustrating. There’s one gratifying sigh of relief when a sitcom-ish double date mistaken identity setup is easily avoided and yields an ultimately stronger, post-date makeout scene.
But then fewer than 20 minutes later Jenn irrationally decides to drop incredibly bad...
- 10/22/2012
- by Neal Dhand
- SoundOnSight
It’s the stuff of sitcom gold: girl and guy want baby, but they don’t want each other. Gayby is strikingly similar to a Will and Grace plotline that never materialized, following a pair of best friends aware that their time for parenting might soon pass them by. Jenn (Jenn Harris) is thankfully not as neurotic as Grace, but she is equally self-deprecating. She suffers under her overbearing boss at work and has no luck choosing male partners. Her best friend, Matt (Matthew Wilkas) is a sweet comic book nerd who also has no luck finding a male partner after an...
- 10/19/2012
- Pastemagazine.com
Because of time constraints and interview availability I ended up having to watch the new comedy Gayby, which opened this weekend in NYC, alone a week or so ago. Though comedies are much funnier with crowds, I still laughed out loud. So it was a joy to interview the writer/director Jonathan Lisecki for Towleroad. He also co-stars in the movie as one of the central couple's best friends, "Nelson". He was smart enough to keep some of the best lines for himself.
Here's two bits about his actors that I couldn't fit into the published interview.
Nathaniel R: I noticed you're cross-pollinating with HBO's Girls with your casting.
Jonathan Lisecki: Some people ask if I cast Alex Karpovsky and Adam Driver because they’re both in Girls – there was no Girls last year. I love Lena. She’s awesome. My short played with Tiny Furniture on the festival circuit.
Here's two bits about his actors that I couldn't fit into the published interview.
Nathaniel R: I noticed you're cross-pollinating with HBO's Girls with your casting.
Jonathan Lisecki: Some people ask if I cast Alex Karpovsky and Adam Driver because they’re both in Girls – there was no Girls last year. I love Lena. She’s awesome. My short played with Tiny Furniture on the festival circuit.
- 10/14/2012
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Gayby might be the first feature from writer/director Jonathan Lisecki, but its ace comic timing and deft depiction of physical humor suggest a seasoned comedic maestro. Expanded from a short that Lisecki shopped around the festival circuit in 2010 (it debuted at Slamdance and went on to hit more than 100 venues), the film is easily one of the year’s funniest, much thanks to its maker’s classic instincts for drumming up laughs. A veteran of independent theater, Lisecki couples a sharp, knowing wit with a mature sense of benevolence, yielding a well-rounded comedy for a demographic that desperately needs it.
Gayby is about characters first, namely Jenn (Jenn Harris) and Matt (Matthew Wilkas), a straight woman and her gay best friend who decide to have a child together the old-fashioned way. Hilarity, of course, ensues, but not in the boilerplate manner one might expect. Brimming with quotable one-liners (many spouted by Nelson,...
Gayby is about characters first, namely Jenn (Jenn Harris) and Matt (Matthew Wilkas), a straight woman and her gay best friend who decide to have a child together the old-fashioned way. Hilarity, of course, ensues, but not in the boilerplate manner one might expect. Brimming with quotable one-liners (many spouted by Nelson,...
- 10/12/2012
- by R. Kurt Osenlund
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
A Love By Any Other Name: Lisecki’s Debut a Modest Comedic Gem
Based on his short film of the same name, director Jonathan Lisecki expands Gayby for his feature debut, a surprisingly well tread concept, into a delightful narrative exploring an all too familiar premise. Employing a plethora of notable film and television stars as reliable reinforcement, there’s nary a dull moment, for better or worse, in a feature that hits all the notes its heterosexual counterpart, Friends With Kids, just couldn’t.
Friends Jenn (Jenn Harris) and Matt (Matthew Wilkas) have been the best of friends since college, and now, both in their thirties, find themselves single and not exactly where they imagined themselves to be. Matt, a comic book aficionado, works in a comic book store where his hours are tooled around avoiding his ex-boyfriend, a frequent fixture there. Jenn, a yoga instructor, despises her boss,...
Based on his short film of the same name, director Jonathan Lisecki expands Gayby for his feature debut, a surprisingly well tread concept, into a delightful narrative exploring an all too familiar premise. Employing a plethora of notable film and television stars as reliable reinforcement, there’s nary a dull moment, for better or worse, in a feature that hits all the notes its heterosexual counterpart, Friends With Kids, just couldn’t.
Friends Jenn (Jenn Harris) and Matt (Matthew Wilkas) have been the best of friends since college, and now, both in their thirties, find themselves single and not exactly where they imagined themselves to be. Matt, a comic book aficionado, works in a comic book store where his hours are tooled around avoiding his ex-boyfriend, a frequent fixture there. Jenn, a yoga instructor, despises her boss,...
- 10/12/2012
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
At first glance, the new film Gayby sounds like a remake of the Madonna film The Next Best Thing. Both films are about two best friends—a straight woman and a gay man—who have a baby together after giving up on finding serious relationships. But where The Next Best Thing delves into the melodrama that comes later in life as they raise the child together, Jonathan Lisecki's Gayby focuses on the comedic foibles that result from these two friends trying to procreate together “the old-fashioned way.”
Jenn and Matt have been best friends since college (they even had a Will & Grace-esque drunken dalliance). Now in her thirties, Jenn (Jenn Harris) is finding life unfulfilling. Her job teaching “hot yoga” seems to be going nowhere—just like her dating life. Likewise, Matt (Matthew Wilkas) is dealing with a devastating breakup. He can barely focus on starting up with dating again,...
Jenn and Matt have been best friends since college (they even had a Will & Grace-esque drunken dalliance). Now in her thirties, Jenn (Jenn Harris) is finding life unfulfilling. Her job teaching “hot yoga” seems to be going nowhere—just like her dating life. Likewise, Matt (Matthew Wilkas) is dealing with a devastating breakup. He can barely focus on starting up with dating again,...
- 10/12/2012
- by John Keith
- JustPressPlay.net
Gayby, in case you're puzzled, is a neologism that the UrbanDictionary.com defines as a baby with one or more parents of the non-straight persuasion. In "Gayby," a slender, eager-to-please, low-budget comedy, a straight woman and a gay man, best friends since college, decide to have a baby together when they both find themselves in their mid-30s and unattached. Jenn (Jenn Harris), who's an instructor at a yoga studio, and Matt (Matthew Wilkas), a sales clerk at a comic books store, begin doing their best to have a baby the old-fashioned way. At...
- 10/11/2012
- by Leah Rozen
- The Wrap
Jenn Jenn Harris, Silence and Matt Matthew Wilkas, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark are best friends from college who are now in their thirties. Single by choice, Jenn spends her days teaching hot yoga and running errands for her boss. Matt suffers from comic-book writer's block and can't get over his ex-boyfriend. They decide to fulfill a youthful promise to have a child together... the old-fashioned way. Can they navigate the serious and unexpected snags they hit as they attempt to get their careers and dating lives back on track in preparation for parenthood Gayby is an irreverent comedy about friendship, growing older, sex, loneliness, and the family you choose.
- 10/11/2012
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
About ten minutes into the comedy Gayby - in which a gay man and his best ladyfriend decide to procreate in the most dinner-party-convo-demolishing way possible (aka "The Old Fashioned Way") - I laughed out loud. Sure, some gay romcoms are cute, or naughty, or sweet - but laugh-out-loud funny? Pretty rare. So imagine my delight when I found my guard shattered to thousands of glittery bits by the well-placed use of the word "whimsical".
Written and directed by relative newcomer Jonathan Lisecki, Gayby tells the story of two New York City friends who want to be parents, and decide that it's time to use their natural biological complements to do so. Matt (Matthew Wilkas, aka "The Adorable Bastard Lovechild of Dexter and Stifler") works in a comic book store and is still sorting through the rubble of a failed long-term relationship. Jenn (future Gay Icon nominee Jenn Harris) is...
Written and directed by relative newcomer Jonathan Lisecki, Gayby tells the story of two New York City friends who want to be parents, and decide that it's time to use their natural biological complements to do so. Matt (Matthew Wilkas, aka "The Adorable Bastard Lovechild of Dexter and Stifler") works in a comic book store and is still sorting through the rubble of a failed long-term relationship. Jenn (future Gay Icon nominee Jenn Harris) is...
- 10/10/2012
- by brian
- The Backlot
Every year there is a film or two that finds success through the festival circuit. Maybe it was overshadowed at Sundance or Toronto, but has consistently built word of mouth through screenings at SXSW, Seattle, Laff or other popular regional festivals across the country. Meet this year's addition to that word of mouth club: "Gayby." The New York-based comedy debuted at SXSW this spring and has been winning both gay and straight fans ever since. Based on his original short film, Jonathan Lisecki's "Gayby" centers on two lifelong friends, Jenn (Jenn Harris) and Matt (Matthew Wilkas) who decide to fulfill an...
- 10/9/2012
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
Jenn Harris and Matthew Wilkas in Gayby
Festival circuit favorite Gayby opens in limited release on Friday, October 12th. The film's subject: a gay man and his female best friend decide to have a baby together. Producers shared this clip exclusively for AfterElton readers featuring Matthew Wilkas as "Matt", writer/director Jonathan Lisecki as "Nelson" and Mike Doyle as "Scott", the potential new guy in Matt's life.
[logo_video_player|video_id=842230|width=540|height=305]
From the film's press kit...
Jenn and Matt are best friends from college who are now in their thirties. Fed up with the New York dating scene and single by choice, Jenn spends her days teaching ‘hot yoga’ and running errands for her boss. Matt, unable to get over his ex-boyfriend, has withdrawn into his comic-bookstore job and has stopped pursuing his dream of being a graphic novelist.
When Jenn proposes that they have a baby together, it seems like the right idea at the right time.
Festival circuit favorite Gayby opens in limited release on Friday, October 12th. The film's subject: a gay man and his female best friend decide to have a baby together. Producers shared this clip exclusively for AfterElton readers featuring Matthew Wilkas as "Matt", writer/director Jonathan Lisecki as "Nelson" and Mike Doyle as "Scott", the potential new guy in Matt's life.
[logo_video_player|video_id=842230|width=540|height=305]
From the film's press kit...
Jenn and Matt are best friends from college who are now in their thirties. Fed up with the New York dating scene and single by choice, Jenn spends her days teaching ‘hot yoga’ and running errands for her boss. Matt, unable to get over his ex-boyfriend, has withdrawn into his comic-bookstore job and has stopped pursuing his dream of being a graphic novelist.
When Jenn proposes that they have a baby together, it seems like the right idea at the right time.
- 10/4/2012
- by AfterElton.com Staff
- The Backlot
Title: Gayby Wolfe Releasing Reviewed for Shockya by Harvey Karten Grade: B+ Director: Jonathan Lisecki Screenwriter: Jonathan Lisecki Cast: Jenn Harris, Matthew Wilkas, Mike Doyle, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Jack Ferver, Jonathan Lisecki, Alycia Delmore, Adam Driver, Dulé Hill Screened at: Broadway, NYC, 10/1/12 Opens: October 12, 2012 You won’t see a sitcom like this on “Leave It to Beaver,” one that could divide the gay community into two groups: one faction that might find the movie hilarious and yet another way to convince the straight world that gays are not from Venus with straights from Mars; or an insult feeding into the stereotypes that the straights have about their gay [ Read More ]
The post Gayby Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Gayby Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 10/2/2012
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Well, good luck watching this first trailer for Jonathan Lisecki‘s Gayby without smiling and laughing like a nut, because damn if this isn’t two minutes of charming. The film stars Jenn Harris and Matthew Wilkas as a pair of best friends who have the same problem – can’t land a good man – and the same quest – want to have a baby – so they decide to just chuck convention and do it together. The old-fashioned way. While that storyline might sound a bit old hat, Lisecki’s film is actually quite fresh and he’s not afraid to take it in some really unexpected directions (the kind that have carry real world repercussions that films this funny usually just gloss right over). As our own Allison Loring says in the film’s first trailer, it “delivers heart and hilarity.” Cute alliteration and all, but she’s right. Gayby is a charmer. Let...
- 9/14/2012
- by Kate Erbland
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Laff 2012 Review: ‘Gayby’ Delivers Heart and Hilarity Through a Modern-Day Take on Creating a Family
Over the past few years, the idea of the traditional “nuclear family” has changed from a father, a mother, and 2.5 kids to any number of variations from two dads to two moms to a mom and two dads. Televisions shows like Modern Family and next season’s The New Normal have embraced this idea and show audiences on a weekly basis that no matter who makes up a family, at the end of the day, love is love. Gayby tells the story of a woman (“hag since birth” Jenn, played with aplomb by Jenn Harris) and her gay best friend Matt (Matthew Wilkas) who would both like to have a child and decide to do so together. Instead of going the ol’ turkey baster route (at least at first), the two agree to do it the “old fashioned way” to create their gayby. With Matt finding himself recently out of a long-term relationship and (unsuccessfully) getting back...
- 6/23/2012
- by Allison Loring
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Wolfe Releasing acquired the U.S. rights to the Jonathan Lisecki comedy "Gayby" at the SXSW Film Conference & Festival, the company said Tuesday. The deal for the film is "valued in the low six figures," according to Wolfe. The film, which stars Jenn Harris and Matthew Wilkas, follows two former college buddies -- a gay man and a straight woman -- who decide to have a child together, via traditional methods. “Gayby' is the funniest movie I’ve seen in years,” Maria Lynn, president of Wolfe Entertainment, said. “It’s a pleasure to be...
- 4/24/2012
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
Jenn Harris and Matthew Wilkas in a scene from Gayby.
Gayby was first made as a 12-minute short film by director/writer Jonathan Lisecki. The premise of the short was fairly straight-forward (no pun intended) -- and a tad bit bizarre. Jenn (Jenn Harris) wants to have a baby so she solicits the help of her gay best friend Matt (Matthew Wilkas). He agrees to help, but she wants to conceive without the help of a turkey baster. Yup. You heard that right. She wants to conceive the old fashioned way: sex. Sex with her gay best friend.
After gaining traction at over a hundred film festivals, Lisecki decided to blow it up into a full feature-length film, and with the help of the short's two original stars, the film made its world premiere at this year's South by Southwest film festival in Austin -- and people liked it. They liked it a lot.
Gayby was first made as a 12-minute short film by director/writer Jonathan Lisecki. The premise of the short was fairly straight-forward (no pun intended) -- and a tad bit bizarre. Jenn (Jenn Harris) wants to have a baby so she solicits the help of her gay best friend Matt (Matthew Wilkas). He agrees to help, but she wants to conceive without the help of a turkey baster. Yup. You heard that right. She wants to conceive the old fashioned way: sex. Sex with her gay best friend.
After gaining traction at over a hundred film festivals, Lisecki decided to blow it up into a full feature-length film, and with the help of the short's two original stars, the film made its world premiere at this year's South by Southwest film festival in Austin -- and people liked it. They liked it a lot.
- 4/23/2012
- by Dino-Ray
- The Backlot
Gayby is not without laughs – however while half the jokes do land, there is a realization the film is at its core a sitcom. It’s saving grace is that it has moments of honesty – written and directed by Jonathan Lisecki, Gayby is an adaptation of the award winning 12-minute short by the same name from 2010. The moral of the story – if you see Gayby with a sold-out crowd at SXSW or the Quad Cinema, you will probably not have a bad time, but if you watch it at home, you may switch the channel to see what they’re doing on Two and a Half Men instead.
Jenn Harris is Jen, an neurotic yoga instructor (a contradiction, you’d think – but I do know one of these in real life) hitting what we assume is her late 30’s, she is getting that material instinct and decides the father of...
Jenn Harris is Jen, an neurotic yoga instructor (a contradiction, you’d think – but I do know one of these in real life) hitting what we assume is her late 30’s, she is getting that material instinct and decides the father of...
- 3/24/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
I had planned to see Mike Birbiglia's Sleepwalk with Me last Thursday afternoon, but it was playing the tiny theatre at Alamo Ritz and of course filled up with badges before we folks with passes or ticketbuyers could get in. I saw that Jonathan Lisecki's comedy Gayby was playing the State around the same time, and since my friend had caught an earlier screening of the film and loved it, I figured there was a good chance I would enjoy the movie. And did I!
The core relationship in Gayby is between thirtysomething single best friends Jenn and Matt. Jenn (Jenn Harris) loves her job teaching hot yoga and is supporting her married sis through her adoption process. After a conversation with her sister Kelly (Anna Margaret Hollyman), Jenn asks Matt (Matthew Wilkas) if he wants to have a baby with her. Matt, still feeling raw after a breakup months ago,...
The core relationship in Gayby is between thirtysomething single best friends Jenn and Matt. Jenn (Jenn Harris) loves her job teaching hot yoga and is supporting her married sis through her adoption process. After a conversation with her sister Kelly (Anna Margaret Hollyman), Jenn asks Matt (Matthew Wilkas) if he wants to have a baby with her. Matt, still feeling raw after a breakup months ago,...
- 3/23/2012
- by Elizabeth Stoddard
- Slackerwood
Jonathan Lisecki’s award winning short Gayby screened at over one-hundred festivals world-wide, and it’s easy to see why. Lisecki takes a potentially divisive premise – a single woman looking to become a mother commissions her gay best friend to knock her up – and explores it in a style that’s so frank, honest, and completely hilarious that it’s impossible not to be charmed. Anchored by wonderful comic turns from Jenn Harris and Matthew Wilkas (who reprise their roles in the feature version), the Gayby short is available now on the new Wholphin No. 15. Lisecki meanwhile has been preppng the feature version for its premiere this afternoon in competition at SXSW.
Filmmaker: How did you initially conceive of the concept for Gayby? What led you to this story, and these characters?
Lisecki: The story partially comes from a suggestion a friend made to me. I didn’t take this...
Filmmaker: How did you initially conceive of the concept for Gayby? What led you to this story, and these characters?
Lisecki: The story partially comes from a suggestion a friend made to me. I didn’t take this...
- 3/5/2012
- by Dan Schoenbrun
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Sound On Sight will once again be covering the SXSW Film Festival this year, making it our second time attending. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas fest taking place March 9-17, including 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. As previously announced, Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods will have the honours of opening the festival, and now they have released the full list of films – and it’s looking pretty amazing. Enjoy!
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths,...
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths,...
- 2/3/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry, shot by Bob Gruen in 1977
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
- 2/1/2012
- MUBI
With Sundance 2012 Film Festival over, the next big one on the horizon is South by Southwest, which we’ll be heavily covering. The biggest chunk of the line-up has been announced today, which has some great premieres including 21 Jump Street, Tiff and Sundance hit The Raid, Will Ferrell‘s Casa de mi Padre, the documentary Girl Model (which we liked at Tiff), as well as the next from Broken Lizard, The Babymakers. There are many other promising titles included and you can see them all below. Check back for our coverage for the fest, kicking off March 9th.
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
- 2/1/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Attendees of South by Southwest 2012 are in for a treat. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas festival taking place March 9-17. Among them are 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. The organization already announced [1] Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods would open the festival (the movie is phenomenal [2]) and today the majority of the remaining line up has been revealed. One of the highlights is the unbelievably smart and hilarious 21 Jump Street, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. Both of those are World Premieres. Other highlights include The Hunter, Killer Joe, The Babymakers, frankie goes boom, God Bless America, The Imposter, The Raid, Bernie and Casa de mi Padre just to name a few. After the jump, read descriptions of all the films that have been announced so far. Before I copy and paste the rest of the list, a few minor notes.
- 2/1/2012
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
SXSW announced its film lineup today, which is full of all kinds of features and documentaries. The big splashy Hollywood news is that the movie 21 Jump Street, starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, will premiere at the fest as its Centerpiece Film. In addition, the closing-night film will be the music documentary Big Easy Express from Emmett Malloy.
One marquee movie with a Texas connection is the Dallas-set Killer Joe, reuniting Bug filmmaker William Friedkin and playwright Tracy Letts, and starring Matthew McConaughey (and that's not the only film he's in that will play SXSW). Other notable movies playing the fest include Bobcat Goldthwait's God Bless America, the Will Ferrell-starring Casa de mi Padre and Guy Maddin's Keyhole ... among many many others announced.
SXSW Film has no Lone Star States category this year, but the overall lineup of narrative and documentary features includes many local and state connections.
One marquee movie with a Texas connection is the Dallas-set Killer Joe, reuniting Bug filmmaker William Friedkin and playwright Tracy Letts, and starring Matthew McConaughey (and that's not the only film he's in that will play SXSW). Other notable movies playing the fest include Bobcat Goldthwait's God Bless America, the Will Ferrell-starring Casa de mi Padre and Guy Maddin's Keyhole ... among many many others announced.
SXSW Film has no Lone Star States category this year, but the overall lineup of narrative and documentary features includes many local and state connections.
- 2/1/2012
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
Looks like the trend on HBO continues as far as the guest stars go, with Bored to Death featuring Oliver Platt and Parker Posey, just to name a few, during the month of October. Read on below to get the scoop on all of the October episodes of Bored to Death and don't forget to watch the premiere this Sunday on HBO (or click here to watch it on fancast now!). Read on for all the spoilery details.
Episode #3: “The Case of the Missing Screenplay”
Debut: Sunday, Oct. 4 (9:30-10:00 p.m. Et/Pt)
At a New York film-society party, George (Ted Danson) introduces Jonathan (Jason Schwartzman) to filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, a fan of Jonathan’s first book, who is interested in having him rewrite a screenplay. Later, after leaving his personalized script in a therapist’s (Denis O’Hare) office during an ill-advised late-night tryst with a...
Episode #3: “The Case of the Missing Screenplay”
Debut: Sunday, Oct. 4 (9:30-10:00 p.m. Et/Pt)
At a New York film-society party, George (Ted Danson) introduces Jonathan (Jason Schwartzman) to filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, a fan of Jonathan’s first book, who is interested in having him rewrite a screenplay. Later, after leaving his personalized script in a therapist’s (Denis O’Hare) office during an ill-advised late-night tryst with a...
- 9/16/2009
- by Bryan Jones
- TVovermind.com
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