"I've been trying to get out more, and put myself out more." This short film premiered years ago but it's just now showing up online and it's worth a watch - it's just under 15 minutes. Some really impressive puppet work for the main character. Myrna the Monster is written and directed by Ian Samuels, who went on to make the feature films The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (which I really enjoyed) for Amazon, and Sierra Burgess Is a Loser for Netflix. Myrna first premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and it also played at the SXSW, Dallas, Nashville, and Montclair Film Festivals. A heart-broken alien dreamer from the moon named Myrna transitions into adult life in Los Angeles like any other 20-something. It's actually a touching little story about loneliness and connection. With the voice of Kathleen Hanna and Victor Yerrid as the puppeteer for Myrna, and animation by Ethan Clarke.
- 7/26/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Myrna the Monster, Ian Samuels’s 2015 short film that secured him a spot on our 25 New Faces of Film list that same year, is finally available to watch online via the filmmaker’s personal Vimeo account. The titular monster is voiced by Kathleen Hanna and embodied by an elaborate puppet that Samuels, a former Sesame Street employee and graduate of CalArts’s puppetry program, crafted himself. Filmmaker editor-in-chief Scott Macaulay penned Samuels’s 25 New Faces profile, describing the plot of the 14-minute short as follows: Hovering just around 3 feet, Myrna — […]
The post Watch: Ian Samuels’s Kathleen Hanna-Voiced 2015 Short Myrna the Monster first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Watch: Ian Samuels’s Kathleen Hanna-Voiced 2015 Short Myrna the Monster first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 7/20/2023
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Myrna the Monster, Ian Samuels’s 2015 short film that secured him a spot on our 25 New Faces of Film list that same year, is finally available to watch online via the filmmaker’s personal Vimeo account. The titular monster is voiced by Kathleen Hanna and embodied by an elaborate puppet that Samuels, a former Sesame Street employee and graduate of CalArts’s puppetry program, crafted himself. Filmmaker editor-in-chief Scott Macaulay penned Samuels’s 25 New Faces profile, describing the plot of the 14-minute short as follows: Hovering just around 3 feet, Myrna — […]
The post Watch: Ian Samuels’s Kathleen Hanna-Voiced 2015 Short Myrna the Monster first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Watch: Ian Samuels’s Kathleen Hanna-Voiced 2015 Short Myrna the Monster first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 7/20/2023
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
What would you do if your forever was a single day? In most films about time-loops, we watch characters struggle to escape repetition and eventually find a hole in the plot allowing them to slip back into their regular lives. In “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things,” directed by Ian Samuels, this idea pivots by changing the motivations of the two teens stuck in the loop.
Continue reading ‘The Map of Tiny Perfect Things’: Time Loops For Tiny Teens [Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Map of Tiny Perfect Things’: Time Loops For Tiny Teens [Review] at The Playlist.
- 2/13/2021
- by Ally Johnson
- The Playlist
Another year, another “Groundhog Day” rip-off. Nearly three decades after Bill Murray got stuck in a time loop until he became a better man, the concept has spawned so many iterations that it basically exists as its own genre, mixed and mashed with other tropes to reanimate a familiar routine. Often, the deja vu of watching these movies mimics the predicaments of their characters, even when they’re halfway decent. The latest to take the rom-com approach, “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things,” offers an agreeable kind of breezy, soul-searching variation, but can’t break free of the overwhelming meta impression that we’ve seen this all before.
The movie plays like a hybrid of several recent variations: Like 2017’s drama “Before I Fall,” it’s a slick YA adaptation (sci-fi writer Lev Grossman wrote the screenplay off his short), it has some tonal similarities to the horror-comedy “Happy Death Day,...
The movie plays like a hybrid of several recent variations: Like 2017’s drama “Before I Fall,” it’s a slick YA adaptation (sci-fi writer Lev Grossman wrote the screenplay off his short), it has some tonal similarities to the horror-comedy “Happy Death Day,...
- 2/12/2021
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
So, after nearly a year of…well, for want of a less annoying phrase, the “new normal”, are you feeling as though every day is the same? You know, predictable? Just like that nearly thirty-year-old comedy classic starring Bill Murray? Its setting is this month’s first big major holiday, so it’s on somewhere. That “bizzaro” premise has inspired lots of entertainment, from TV shows (“Russian Doll” on Netflix most recently) and other movies, in several genres. Even the horror/slasher flicks embraced it with the pair of Happy Death Day romps in 2017 and 19. And just last year Hulu grabbed lots of attention and a few awards with its fantasy “rom-com” Palm Springs. Now another streaming service goes much the same route, but just a touch younger with this effort which is based on a recently published short story, so this could be in the YA (Young Adult) novel adaptation arena.
- 2/12/2021
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
It’s hard to find a new spin on a story that’s been told before. This week, The Map of Tiny Perfect Things seeks to traffic in material that we saw done to classic effect in Groundhog Day, not to mention brilliantly spun last year in Palm Springs. This movie could have easily been derivative and a total misfire. Luckily, the flick sidesteps nearly all of the pitfalls, finding a way to make this premise still feel unique. It may not reinvent the wheel, but if you’re looking for a solid new film to check out, this is one not to sleep on. The film is a romantic drama, with a fantasy/science fiction element thrown in for good measure. Early on, we meet teenager Mark (Kyle Allen), who is living the same day over and over again. Having mastered the day while in this endless time loop,...
- 2/11/2021
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Before we’re even out of the opening credits of “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things,” director Ian Samuels and screenwriter Lev Grossman waste no time clueing us into its premise revolving around a time loop that will teach its teen protagonists to accept life’s little gifts and major detours. This John Green-lite fantasy for the young-adult crowd holds many sequences that sparkle and shine, but a few that stumble and sag as well. Yet the feature’s genteel, sweet spirit and radiant lead performances rescue it from forgettable mediocrity and genre familiarity.
Seventeen-year-old budding artist Mark (Kyle Allen) begins all his mundane mornings the same way — not by choice, but because he’s trapped in a time loop. Every day he wakes up at the same exact time, sees his workaholic mom drive away, greets his dad Daniel (Josh Hamilton) and irascible younger sister Emma (Cleo Fraser) at the breakfast table,...
Seventeen-year-old budding artist Mark (Kyle Allen) begins all his mundane mornings the same way — not by choice, but because he’s trapped in a time loop. Every day he wakes up at the same exact time, sees his workaholic mom drive away, greets his dad Daniel (Josh Hamilton) and irascible younger sister Emma (Cleo Fraser) at the breakfast table,...
- 2/9/2021
- by Courtney Howard
- Variety Film + TV
There’s a grammar-school-friendly version of the Sondheim musical called “Into the Woods, Jr.,” which erases all of Act Two (except “Children Will Listen”) so you can have the storybook charm without the sex or death. Amazon’s “A Map of Tiny Perfect Things” is essentially “Groundhog Day Jr.,” turning the idea of being stuck on the same day into a YA romance.
“Groundhog Day” was by no means the first story to use the idea of people in a temporal anomaly as a metaphor for being in a rut, but it launched its own sub-genre that includes Sundance hit “Palm Springs,” the Netflix series “Russian Doll,” the horror franchise “Happy Death Day,” and even the made-for-tv holiday film “12 Dates of Christmas.” All that’s left for “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” to mine is a narrative that places teens in the center of the universe and allows...
“Groundhog Day” was by no means the first story to use the idea of people in a temporal anomaly as a metaphor for being in a rut, but it launched its own sub-genre that includes Sundance hit “Palm Springs,” the Netflix series “Russian Doll,” the horror franchise “Happy Death Day,” and even the made-for-tv holiday film “12 Dates of Christmas.” All that’s left for “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” to mine is a narrative that places teens in the center of the universe and allows...
- 2/9/2021
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
"The Map of Tiny Perfect Things" is a new romantic science fiction comedy feature, directed by Ian Samuels, from a screenplay by Lev Grossman, based on his short story of the same name, starring Kathryn Newton, Kyle Allen, Jermaine Harris, Anna Mikami, Josh Hamilton, Cleo Fraser and Jorja Fox, streaming February 12, 2021 on Prime Video:
"...teenager 'Mark' is trapped in a 'time loop' and that's just fine with him. It's summertime and he's spending this one infinitely repeating day reading his way through the town library. Then he discovers someone else in the loop with him: the brilliant, haunted 'Margaret'. Together Mark and Margaret set out to find every wonderful, amazing, perfect thing that happens in that one day that will take them to the dark secret that waits at the very heart of their endless journey..."
Click the images to enlarge... ...
"...teenager 'Mark' is trapped in a 'time loop' and that's just fine with him. It's summertime and he's spending this one infinitely repeating day reading his way through the town library. Then he discovers someone else in the loop with him: the brilliant, haunted 'Margaret'. Together Mark and Margaret set out to find every wonderful, amazing, perfect thing that happens in that one day that will take them to the dark secret that waits at the very heart of their endless journey..."
Click the images to enlarge... ...
- 1/28/2021
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Benicio Del Toro has joined the feature film “Reptile” as star and executive producer, Variety has learned exclusively.
The Black Label Media project will also mark the feature directorial debut of Grant Singer, the prolific music video director whose collaborators include The Weeknd and Taylor Swift.
Del Toro will play Nichols, a hardened New England detective unflinching in his pursuit of a case where nothing is as it seems, one that begins to dismantle the illusions in his own life.
Singer wrote the script with Benjamin Brewer. Black Label will produce and finance, led by Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill and Thad Luckinbill. Seth Spector will co-produce.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with one of the most talented emerging filmmakers, Grant Singer on his original script alongside the brilliant Benicio Del Toro,” the Black Label team said in joint statement. “Grant is a bold storyteller who has crafted a sophisticated,...
The Black Label Media project will also mark the feature directorial debut of Grant Singer, the prolific music video director whose collaborators include The Weeknd and Taylor Swift.
Del Toro will play Nichols, a hardened New England detective unflinching in his pursuit of a case where nothing is as it seems, one that begins to dismantle the illusions in his own life.
Singer wrote the script with Benjamin Brewer. Black Label will produce and finance, led by Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill and Thad Luckinbill. Seth Spector will co-produce.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with one of the most talented emerging filmmakers, Grant Singer on his original script alongside the brilliant Benicio Del Toro,” the Black Label team said in joint statement. “Grant is a bold storyteller who has crafted a sophisticated,...
- 12/11/2020
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Rising starlet Kathryn Newton (who we just saw in Freaky – read review) toplines this sophomore feature — an Amazon Studios backed fantasy project from helmer Ian Samuels. The filmmaker saw his short film Myrna the Monster hit Sundance in 2015, and the shot in Alabama (in February of this year) The Map of Tiny Perfect Things also features Kyle Allen, Jermaine Harris, Anna Mikami, Josh Hamilton, Cleo Fraser, and Jorja Fox. This is based on a screenplay by Lev Grossman, based upon his short story of the same name.
Gist: Two teens who live the same day repeatedly, enabling them to create the titular map.…...
Gist: Two teens who live the same day repeatedly, enabling them to create the titular map.…...
- 11/19/2020
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Exclusive: Paramount Pictures has come aboard Flight, feature based on a spec script by Miles Chapman, the screenwriter behind the Sylvester Stallone-led Escape Plan movies. 47 Meters Down and 47 Meters Down: Uncaged helmer Johannes Roberts will direct. Akiva Goldsman’s Weed Road Pictures (Star Trek: Picard) is producing the project, through its first-look deal with the studio, along with Tea Shop Productions (Strangers: Prey at Night).
Based on an original story by Roberts, the pic is said to be a contained thriller set on an international flight. Producers are James Harris and Mark Lane of Tea Shop as well as Greg Lessans and Rachel Reznick on behalf of Weed Road.
Weed Road’s film slate includes the Michael B. Jordan-staring Tom Clancy film Without Remorse, Brillance with Will Smith, the Major Matt Mason adaptation starring Tom Hanks, and The Map of Tiny Perfect Things directed by Ian Samuels. Additional...
Based on an original story by Roberts, the pic is said to be a contained thriller set on an international flight. Producers are James Harris and Mark Lane of Tea Shop as well as Greg Lessans and Rachel Reznick on behalf of Weed Road.
Weed Road’s film slate includes the Michael B. Jordan-staring Tom Clancy film Without Remorse, Brillance with Will Smith, the Major Matt Mason adaptation starring Tom Hanks, and The Map of Tiny Perfect Things directed by Ian Samuels. Additional...
- 5/20/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Amazon Studios has signed on to finance and distribute “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things,” a Ya adaptation from Oscar winner Akiva Goldsman and FilmNation.
The streamer comes on board a package that included director Ian Samuels (“Sierra Burgess Is a Loser”), and Variety can exclusively report the film’s just-appointed leads: Kathryn Newton and Kyle Allen.
Shooting is currently underway with FilmNation, run by Glen Basner, and Goldsman’s Weed Road Pictures. The feature film is based off the short story by Lev Grossman, who also adapted the screenplay. Additional cast members include Jermaine Harris (“Ballers”), Anna Mikami, Josh Hamilton and Cleo Fraser.
The film follows a teenager contentedly living the same day in an endless loop who gets his world turned upside-down when he meets a girl who’s also stuck in the time warp. What follows is a love story with a fantastical twist, as the two...
The streamer comes on board a package that included director Ian Samuels (“Sierra Burgess Is a Loser”), and Variety can exclusively report the film’s just-appointed leads: Kathryn Newton and Kyle Allen.
Shooting is currently underway with FilmNation, run by Glen Basner, and Goldsman’s Weed Road Pictures. The feature film is based off the short story by Lev Grossman, who also adapted the screenplay. Additional cast members include Jermaine Harris (“Ballers”), Anna Mikami, Josh Hamilton and Cleo Fraser.
The film follows a teenager contentedly living the same day in an endless loop who gets his world turned upside-down when he meets a girl who’s also stuck in the time warp. What follows is a love story with a fantastical twist, as the two...
- 2/13/2020
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Akiva Goldsman’s Weed Road Pictures is teaming with FilmNation to produce Ya movie The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things, I understand.
Ian Samuels, director of Netflix’s Sierra Burgess Is A Loser will helm the feature, which novelist Lev Grossman is adapting from his own short story about two teens who live the same day repeatedly, enabling them to create the titular map.
In Grossman’s magical realist romance, a deconstruction of the Groundhog Day paradigm, the character of Mark takes advantage of reliving the same day over and over by reading his way through a library. When he meets Margaret, who’s also aware of the time loop, they set out to find every amazing event — no matter how big or small — that occurred on that day.
I gather the team are gearing up to shoot in January with casting underway. Grossman has worked closely on the...
Ian Samuels, director of Netflix’s Sierra Burgess Is A Loser will helm the feature, which novelist Lev Grossman is adapting from his own short story about two teens who live the same day repeatedly, enabling them to create the titular map.
In Grossman’s magical realist romance, a deconstruction of the Groundhog Day paradigm, the character of Mark takes advantage of reliving the same day over and over by reading his way through a library. When he meets Margaret, who’s also aware of the time loop, they set out to find every amazing event — no matter how big or small — that occurred on that day.
I gather the team are gearing up to shoot in January with casting underway. Grossman has worked closely on the...
- 9/26/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
[Editor’s note: The following post contains some spoilers for “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser.”]
Netflix’s newest high school-set romantic comedy, “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser,” doesn’t shy away from its many genre predecessors, going so far as to cast a pair of John Hughes regulars — Alan Ruck and Lea Thompson — as the parents of its eponymous heroine (“Stranger Things” breakout Shannon Purser). But while director Ian Samuels’ charming spin on the ever-popular Cyrano de Bergerac story is outfitted with plenty of classic trappings of the genre, it also happily bucks some of the more tired tropes of the rom-com.
For star Purser, the smart subversions that make “Sierra Burgess” such a delight have long been baked into some of her favorites of the genre, so it’s little surprise that they pop up in the actress’ first leading role.
“I didn’t really have a lot of new rom-coms to watch when I was that age,” Purser told IndieWire in a recent interview.
Netflix’s newest high school-set romantic comedy, “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser,” doesn’t shy away from its many genre predecessors, going so far as to cast a pair of John Hughes regulars — Alan Ruck and Lea Thompson — as the parents of its eponymous heroine (“Stranger Things” breakout Shannon Purser). But while director Ian Samuels’ charming spin on the ever-popular Cyrano de Bergerac story is outfitted with plenty of classic trappings of the genre, it also happily bucks some of the more tired tropes of the rom-com.
For star Purser, the smart subversions that make “Sierra Burgess” such a delight have long been baked into some of her favorites of the genre, so it’s little surprise that they pop up in the actress’ first leading role.
“I didn’t really have a lot of new rom-coms to watch when I was that age,” Purser told IndieWire in a recent interview.
- 9/7/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Teenager Sierra Burgess (Shannon Purser) steps out of the shower and gradually comes into view. Strong legs, pink robe, and finally, in the foggy mirror, a face: red hair, freckles, a Molly Ringwald for millennials. Other kids at her high school might sneer, as does the title of Ian Samuels’ cutesy throwback romantic comedy, that “Sierra Burgess is a Loser.” By ’80s standards — clichés that Samuels adheres to with an asterisk — she is. Sierra’s in the marching band and, yes, she’s big-boned. But where Ringwald’s outcast characters in John Hughes’ “Pretty in Pink” and “Sixteen Candles” were lip-bitingly awkward, Sierra looks at her reflection and smiles. “You are a magnificent beast!” she grins, and she nods like she believes it. Though when Sierra heads into the kitchen for breakfast, her upbeat, ego-boosting parents (Hughes alums Alan Ruck of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and Lea Thompson of...
- 9/6/2018
- by Amy Nicholson
- Variety Film + TV
It is a promising sign of the times that in just a few short years, Shannon Purser has gone from supporting player — albeit a beloved one — to leading lady in a glitzy Netflix rom-com that is sure to earn her even more fans. Best known for her role on Netflix’s Emmy-nominated “Stranger Things” as Barb, square sidekick to Nancy Wheeler, Purser garnered a devoted cult following from a mere three episodes. She has since charted a remarkably fast-track to mainstream success for a character actress, taking center stage in “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser.” A delightful bit of teen fluff based on “Cyrano de Bergerac,” the movie deftly treads familiar ground while injecting some much-needed body positivity into the genre.
Purser plays the similarly-named Sierra Burgess, a precocious high schooler living in the shadow of a famous novelist father (Alan Ruck), and saccharine motivational speaker mother (Lea Thompson). While...
Purser plays the similarly-named Sierra Burgess, a precocious high schooler living in the shadow of a famous novelist father (Alan Ruck), and saccharine motivational speaker mother (Lea Thompson). While...
- 9/5/2018
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Netflix’s teen-focused output has, in the words of our Editor in Chief, been smashing it of late, with The Innocents, To All the Boy’s I’ve Loved Before and many more making the streaming service ever more popular.
The latest of these is Sierra Burgess is a Loser, a high school crush-fest with popularity and the true beauty deep inside tropes being given a fresh wash of paint. Recently we spoke to Tatbilb and Sbial alum Noah Centineo about his role in the film.
Then last week DaniElle DeLaite took to the red carpet for the premiere of the film to interview the cast of the new high school teenage romance Netflix original film everyone will be talking about in a week or two.
Sierra Burgess Is a Loser starring Back to the Future’s Lea Thompson, Noah Centineo, Ferris Bueller’s Alan Ruck, Chrissy Metz, Shannon Purser,...
The latest of these is Sierra Burgess is a Loser, a high school crush-fest with popularity and the true beauty deep inside tropes being given a fresh wash of paint. Recently we spoke to Tatbilb and Sbial alum Noah Centineo about his role in the film.
Then last week DaniElle DeLaite took to the red carpet for the premiere of the film to interview the cast of the new high school teenage romance Netflix original film everyone will be talking about in a week or two.
Sierra Burgess Is a Loser starring Back to the Future’s Lea Thompson, Noah Centineo, Ferris Bueller’s Alan Ruck, Chrissy Metz, Shannon Purser,...
- 9/4/2018
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
DaniElle DeLaite sat down with Noah Centineo, one of the cast of the new high school teenage romance Netflix original film Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, which stars Back to the Future’s Lea Thompson, Noah Centineo, Ferris Bueller’s Alan Ruck, Chrissy Metz, Shannon Purser, Alice Lee, Rj Cyler, Will Peltz and Kristine Froseth. The film was written by Lindsey Beer and directed by Ian Samuels.
The film deals with a case of mistaken identity results in unexpected romance when the most popular girl in high school and the biggest loser must come together to win over their crushes.
Sierra Burgess Is a Loser arrives on Netflix on the 7th of September, 2018. Here are our interviews.
Sierra Burgess Is a Loser Cast Interviews
The post Exclusive: Noah Centineo on falling in love with Sierra Burgess is a Loser – Netflix’s new teen romance appeared first on HeyUGuys.
The film deals with a case of mistaken identity results in unexpected romance when the most popular girl in high school and the biggest loser must come together to win over their crushes.
Sierra Burgess Is a Loser arrives on Netflix on the 7th of September, 2018. Here are our interviews.
Sierra Burgess Is a Loser Cast Interviews
The post Exclusive: Noah Centineo on falling in love with Sierra Burgess is a Loser – Netflix’s new teen romance appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 9/3/2018
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Don’t be surprised if we get to love some more “Boys.”
The stars of Netflix’s latest rom-com hit “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” are pushing for a sequel.
“All I know is that every single person involved in the making of that film wants a sequel,” Noah Centineo, who stars as Peter Kavinsky in the film, tells Variety. “We’ve all talked about it in depth. I’ll do as many as they want me!”
Variety caught up with Centineo on Thursday at the premiere of his new Netflix film “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser,” a rom-com retelling of the classic Cyrano de Bergerac story. An intelligent but unpopular high schooler, Sierra (“Stranger Things” and “Riverdale’s” Shannon Purser), falls in love with a hottie (Centineo) over the phone. But there’s a catch — Centineo’s character thinks the girl he’s been communicating with...
The stars of Netflix’s latest rom-com hit “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” are pushing for a sequel.
“All I know is that every single person involved in the making of that film wants a sequel,” Noah Centineo, who stars as Peter Kavinsky in the film, tells Variety. “We’ve all talked about it in depth. I’ll do as many as they want me!”
Variety caught up with Centineo on Thursday at the premiere of his new Netflix film “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser,” a rom-com retelling of the classic Cyrano de Bergerac story. An intelligent but unpopular high schooler, Sierra (“Stranger Things” and “Riverdale’s” Shannon Purser), falls in love with a hottie (Centineo) over the phone. But there’s a catch — Centineo’s character thinks the girl he’s been communicating with...
- 8/31/2018
- by Rachel Yang
- Variety Film + TV
"Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is just be you."
Netflix has released the trailer for a great looking coming-of-age film called Sierra Burgess is a Loser and it stars popular Stranger Things actress Shannon Purser. This actually looks like quite a charming film that tells a story filled with heart and inspiration.
The film is a modern rom-com retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac, only it's set in high school. The story centers on Sierra (Purser), "an intelligent teen who does not fall into the shallow definition of high school pretty but, in a case of mistaken identity that results in unexpected romance, must team with the popular girl (Kristine Froseth) in order to win her crush."
This insecure and intelligent teen doesn't really fit in with the popular girls at school, and one day, a text from a wrong number kicks off a romance that she doesn't want to ruin.
Netflix has released the trailer for a great looking coming-of-age film called Sierra Burgess is a Loser and it stars popular Stranger Things actress Shannon Purser. This actually looks like quite a charming film that tells a story filled with heart and inspiration.
The film is a modern rom-com retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac, only it's set in high school. The story centers on Sierra (Purser), "an intelligent teen who does not fall into the shallow definition of high school pretty but, in a case of mistaken identity that results in unexpected romance, must team with the popular girl (Kristine Froseth) in order to win her crush."
This insecure and intelligent teen doesn't really fit in with the popular girls at school, and one day, a text from a wrong number kicks off a romance that she doesn't want to ruin.
- 7/13/2018
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Sierra Burgess Is a Loser Trailer Ian Samuels‘ Sierra Burgess Is a Loser (2018) movie trailer stars Shannon Purser, Kristine Froseth, Noah Centineo, Rj Cyler, and Alan Ruck. Sierra Burgess Is a Loser‘s plot synopsis: “Sierra Burgess Is A Loser is a modern rom-com retelling of the Cyrano de Bergerac story [...]
Continue reading: Sierra Burgess Is A Loser (2018) Movie Trailer: Shannon Purser is a Modern Day Cyrano de Bergerac...
Continue reading: Sierra Burgess Is A Loser (2018) Movie Trailer: Shannon Purser is a Modern Day Cyrano de Bergerac...
- 7/12/2018
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
"Do you think you could like me?" Netflix has debuted an official trailer for an indie romantic comedy titled Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, another reinvention of the romantic comedy play Cyrano de Bergerac (this isn't the only film based on that play this year - there is also the British film Old Boys). Shannon Purser stars as Sierra, the one from the title of the film, who is very intelligent but not very pretty by high school standards. A case of mistaken identity results in unexpected romance when the most popular girl in high school and the biggest loser must come together to win over their crushes. Also starring Rj Cyler, Noah Centineo, Chrissy Metz, Alan Ruck, and Lea Thompson. This actually looks like a cute & honest film. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Ian Samuels' Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, direct from YouTube: Sierra Burgess Is...
- 7/11/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
First we hear Sierra Burgess say, “You ever feel like you’re the one teenager who doesn’t obsess over looks?” But later, clad in her band uniform, she tearfully asks the popular cheerleader at a party, “Do you have any idea, like, to be a teenage girl and to look like this?”
Here is the first teaser trailer for Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, a modern rom-com retelling of the Cyrano de Bergerac story set in high school starring Shannon Purser. “Modern” meaning, of course, a case of misfired texting that’s a whisker or two away from catfishing. “They’re my words,” Sarah tells a friend (Rj Cyler). “He’s falling for me.”
The logline: Sierra is an intelligent teen who does not fall into the shallow definition of high school pretty. But, in a case of mistaken identity that results in unexpected romance, she...
Here is the first teaser trailer for Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, a modern rom-com retelling of the Cyrano de Bergerac story set in high school starring Shannon Purser. “Modern” meaning, of course, a case of misfired texting that’s a whisker or two away from catfishing. “They’re my words,” Sarah tells a friend (Rj Cyler). “He’s falling for me.”
The logline: Sierra is an intelligent teen who does not fall into the shallow definition of high school pretty. But, in a case of mistaken identity that results in unexpected romance, she...
- 7/11/2018
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Sierra Burgess is smart. Sierra Burgess is driven. Sierra Burgess isn’t into the typical trappings of high school. Sierra Burgess is her own woman. Sierra Burgess is… a loser? In Netflix’s latest high-school set rom-com — joining the likes of “The Kissing Booth” and “Alex Strangelove” — beloved “Stranger Things” breakout Shannon Purser stars as the eponymous Sierra Burgess, who is not a loser, at least by her own approximation (or that of anyone who values cool stuff like brains and ambition). But in the teenage wilds of high school, she’s just not cool.
Can a romance change that? Should it?
In “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser,” Purser’s Sierra is on track to getting the hell out of her high school nightmare — bolstered by some very impressive Sat scores — but she’s hamstrung by the fact that there’s not much else that seems to make her stand out.
Can a romance change that? Should it?
In “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser,” Purser’s Sierra is on track to getting the hell out of her high school nightmare — bolstered by some very impressive Sat scores — but she’s hamstrung by the fact that there’s not much else that seems to make her stand out.
- 7/11/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Two stars from some of the biggest shows on TV — Chrissy Metz of “This Is Us” and Shannon Purser of “Stranger Things” — are headed to Netflix with a feature film. The streaming giant has acquired “Sierra Burgess Is A Loser,” a modern-day telling of Cyrano de Bergerac set in high school. Ian Samuels directs from Lindsay Beer’s script. Rj Cyler (“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”), Kristine Froseth (“Let The Right One In”), Noah Centineo (“The Fosters”) and Lea Thompson costar. Also Read: Robert Redford Says #MeToo Will Help Women in Hollywood (Video) The rom-com centers on Sierra (played by Purser),...
- 1/19/2018
- by Matt Donnelly and Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Cyrano de Bergerac retelling to debut on streaming platform this year.
Netflix has pounced on Black Label Media’s high school rom-com Sierra Burgess Is A Loser starring Shannon Purser from Stranger Things.
Ian Samuels makes his feature directorial debut on the Cyrano de Bergerac retelling from a screenplay by Lindsay Beer. The story follows an intelligent teenager who falls into a romantic entanglement over mistaken identity and must team up with the popular girl to win her crush.
Rj Cyler, Kristine Froseth, Noah Centineo, Chrissy Metz, Alan Ruck and Lea Thompson star.
Black Label Media produced and fully financed Sierra Burgess Is A Loser and Black Label’s Molly Smith, Rachel Smith, Trent Luckinbill and Thad Luckinbill serve as producers
Netflix will debut the film on its streaming platform this year and brokered the deal with Endeavor Content.
Black Label Media’s credits include Sicario, 71, The Good Lie, Rebel In The Rye and Begin Again, and it served...
Netflix has pounced on Black Label Media’s high school rom-com Sierra Burgess Is A Loser starring Shannon Purser from Stranger Things.
Ian Samuels makes his feature directorial debut on the Cyrano de Bergerac retelling from a screenplay by Lindsay Beer. The story follows an intelligent teenager who falls into a romantic entanglement over mistaken identity and must team up with the popular girl to win her crush.
Rj Cyler, Kristine Froseth, Noah Centineo, Chrissy Metz, Alan Ruck and Lea Thompson star.
Black Label Media produced and fully financed Sierra Burgess Is A Loser and Black Label’s Molly Smith, Rachel Smith, Trent Luckinbill and Thad Luckinbill serve as producers
Netflix will debut the film on its streaming platform this year and brokered the deal with Endeavor Content.
Black Label Media’s credits include Sicario, 71, The Good Lie, Rebel In The Rye and Begin Again, and it served...
- 1/19/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has acquired rights to Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, the high school twist on the Cyrano de Bergerac tale that was produced and financed by Black Label Media. Stranger Things‘ Shannon Purser stars in the romantic comedy. The movie will bow on the streaming service later this year. The pic penned by Lindsey Beer and directed by Ian Samuels centers on Sierra (Purser), an intelligent teen who does not fall into the shallow definition of high school pretty but, in a case…...
- 1/19/2018
- Deadline
Exclusive: Lea Thompson and Alan Ruck have been cast as the parents of Shannon Purser’s title character in the Ian Samuels-directed comedy Sierra Burgess Is A Loser. Described as a contemporary retelling of the Cyrano de Bergerac tale, the film is being produced by Black Label Media’s Molly Smith, Rachel Smith, Trent Luckinbill and Thad Luckinbill. Lindsey Beer wrote the screenplay for the movie, which centers on Sierra, an intelligent teen who does not fall into the…...
- 2/14/2017
- Deadline
Exclusive: Shannon Purser, who plays Barb Holland on Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things, has landed the title role in Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, a feature film from Black Label Media being called a modern retelling of the Cyrano de Bergerac story. She joins Rj Cyler in the cast. Ian Samuels is directing a script from Lindsey Beer, who was part of Akiva Goldsman's writers room for the Transformers franchise. Black Label's Molly Smith, Rachel Smith, Trent Luckinbill and…...
- 1/5/2017
- Deadline
Me And Earl and The Dying Girl actor Rj Cyler has joined Ben Hardy as a topliner in the modern retelling of the Cyrano de Bergerac film, Sierra Burgess Is A Loser. Ian Samuels is directing from a screenplay by Lindsey Beer. The pic centers on a case of mistaken identity that results in unexpected romance when the most popular girl in high school and the biggest loser must come together to win over their crushes. Cyler will play Dan, Sierra's best friend but can't work up…...
- 12/2/2016
- Deadline
Exclusive: X-Men Apocalypse‘s Ben Hardy has been set as one of the leads in Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, a feature film that will serve as a modern retelling of the Cyrano de Bergerac story. Ian Samuels is attached to direct the script from Lindsey Beer, who was part of Akiva Goldsman’s writers room for the Transformers franchise. Black Label Media’s Molly Smith, Rachel Smith, Trent Luckinbill and Thad Luckinbill are producing. The pic centers on a case of mistaken identity…...
- 9/9/2016
- Deadline
The Shortlist Film Festival invaded the YouTube Space La Tuesday, after filmmakers from around the world submitted their projects, TheWrap narrowed the field to 12 finalists. Gabriel Osorio’s “Bear Story” won TheWrap’s Audience Award and the Jury Prize; Runners-up were Frankie Shaw for her short, “Smilf” and Ian Samuels with “Myrna the Monster.” Pepsi’s first Creators League Award went to Mike and Tim Rauch for “1st Squad, 3rd Platoon.” Now in its fourth year, the Shortlist added a new category for an original film, titled Pepsi’s Creators League, which chooses one new short, up to five minutes in length.
- 8/20/2015
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Moving to the city can be tough, especially if you haven’t quite figured yourself out yet. In “Myrna the Monster,” one of the finalists in TheWrap’s 2015 ShortList Film Festival, writer-director Ian Samuels stuffs the anxieties of finding new friends, love interests, hobbies and one’s identity into a funky, frazzled-looking puppet from outer space. “The film is sort of my autobiography,” Samuels told TheWrap. “I moved to L.A. a few years ago and just felt like an outsider. I had to adjust to life in L.A. and also being in transition in life in my late 20s and messing a lot.
- 8/5/2015
- by Sarah Collins
- The Wrap
Read More: What John Waters Learned About Bobcat Goldthwait in Provincetown The 2015 Provincetown International Film Festival came to a wrap over the weekend with the announcement of this year's winners. The HBO Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to Isabel Coixet's "Learning to Drive," starring Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley. The equivalent documentary honor was awarded to "Packed in a Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Wilkinson," from director Michelle Boyaner. The John Schlesinger Award, presented to a first time documentary and narrative feature filmmaker, went to "Breathe," by actress and filmmaker Mélanie Laurent, for narrative and "Outermost Radio by Alan Chebot for documentary. Below are the other winners: HBO Short Documentary Award: "The Face of Ukraine: Casting Oksana Bull" directed by Kitty Green Jury Award / Best Narrative Short Film: "Myrna The Monster" directed by Ian Samuels Jury...
- 6/22/2015
- by Nigel M Smith
- Indiewire
Following the recent announcement of their full film lineup that includes Trainwreck, Get Hard, and Spy, South by Southwest has revealed their lineup of Midnight movies and short films to screen during the festival. Chief among them is the Sundance 2015 hit Turbo Kid (read our review here) and the Sundance ’15 winner of the Short Film Prize World of Tomorrow. SXSW runs from March 13-21. View the full Midnighters and Shorts lineup below via the SXSW website.
****
Midnighters
The Corpse of Anna Fritz (Spain)
Director: Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Screenwriters: Hèctor Hernándes Vicens, Isaac P. Creus
Anna Fritz, a famous and beautiful actress, has died recently. Three young men sneak into the morgue to see her naked. Fascinated by her beauty, they decide to become the last people to have sex with her. Cast: Alba Ribas, Cristian Valencia, Bernat Saumell, Albert Carbó. (World Premiere)
Deathgasm (New Zealand)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Lei Howden...
****
Midnighters
The Corpse of Anna Fritz (Spain)
Director: Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Screenwriters: Hèctor Hernándes Vicens, Isaac P. Creus
Anna Fritz, a famous and beautiful actress, has died recently. Three young men sneak into the morgue to see her naked. Fascinated by her beauty, they decide to become the last people to have sex with her. Cast: Alba Ribas, Cristian Valencia, Bernat Saumell, Albert Carbó. (World Premiere)
Deathgasm (New Zealand)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Lei Howden...
- 2/10/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
This is a great treat.
I laughed a lot.
There's this monster, see, but 'she' is really cute (as a petit monster) but a bit depressed as she has been rather violently kidnapped from some alien planet somewhere by this violent astronaut and her loving boy friend monster (looks like her) is killed.
So the film then is the story of a heartbroken alien dreamer from weird planet somewhere who transitions into young adult life in Los Angeles just like any other twenty-something.
She does her laundry, is in therapy and somehow relates to crazy humans, all of whom, are as lonely and displaced as she is.
I sat there watching this one with my mouth open in surprise and enjoyed every minute and was sad to see it end.
Very original, touching and funny as hell. Alien - yes! But it is also the lonely weird La I know.
"Myrna the Monster"
Dir. Ian Samuels
Year: 2014
Country: U.S.A.
Run Time: 14 min
Screened with Shorts Program 4
Company: MTV (other) / Nonetheless Productions...
I laughed a lot.
There's this monster, see, but 'she' is really cute (as a petit monster) but a bit depressed as she has been rather violently kidnapped from some alien planet somewhere by this violent astronaut and her loving boy friend monster (looks like her) is killed.
So the film then is the story of a heartbroken alien dreamer from weird planet somewhere who transitions into young adult life in Los Angeles just like any other twenty-something.
She does her laundry, is in therapy and somehow relates to crazy humans, all of whom, are as lonely and displaced as she is.
I sat there watching this one with my mouth open in surprise and enjoyed every minute and was sad to see it end.
Very original, touching and funny as hell. Alien - yes! But it is also the lonely weird La I know.
"Myrna the Monster"
Dir. Ian Samuels
Year: 2014
Country: U.S.A.
Run Time: 14 min
Screened with Shorts Program 4
Company: MTV (other) / Nonetheless Productions...
- 2/4/2015
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
Top brass have announced 60 films culled from 8,061 submissions across four categories – Us and international narrative, documentary and animation.
“This year’s short film-makers have broken through their limited timeframe with a high level of artistry and story that will resonate with audiences long after each film has ended,” said senior programmer Mike Plante.
The Short Film programme is presented by YouTube.
Sundance 2015 is set to run in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah, from January 22 to February 1.
All synopses provided by the festival.
Us Narrative Short Films
Actresses
Jeremy Hersh
The film follows the relationship between a young, aspiring actress and an established off-Broadway star.
A.D. 1363, The End Of Chivalry (USA-New Zealand)
Jake Mahaffy
A little-known historical catastrophe leads to the definitive end of the era of chivalry and questing.
Color Neutral
Jennifer Reeves
A color explosion sparkles, bubbles, and fractures in this handcrafted 16mm film. Jennifer Reeves utilises...
“This year’s short film-makers have broken through their limited timeframe with a high level of artistry and story that will resonate with audiences long after each film has ended,” said senior programmer Mike Plante.
The Short Film programme is presented by YouTube.
Sundance 2015 is set to run in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah, from January 22 to February 1.
All synopses provided by the festival.
Us Narrative Short Films
Actresses
Jeremy Hersh
The film follows the relationship between a young, aspiring actress and an established off-Broadway star.
A.D. 1363, The End Of Chivalry (USA-New Zealand)
Jake Mahaffy
A little-known historical catastrophe leads to the definitive end of the era of chivalry and questing.
Color Neutral
Jennifer Reeves
A color explosion sparkles, bubbles, and fractures in this handcrafted 16mm film. Jennifer Reeves utilises...
- 12/9/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Film Independent has selected 30 filmmakers for its Project Involve dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.
Producer Cathy Schulman, writer-director Billy Ray and writer-producer Virgil Williams will serve as guest speakers with additional guest speakers and mentors to be announced.
“Project Involve is an extraordinary program and a vital extension of the core values and mission of Film Independent,” said Jennifer Kushner, director of artist development at Film Independent.
“Among our key goals are to foster community, cultivate the careers of filmmakers, and increase cultural diversity in the film industry. We are committed to supporting this exceptional group of artists and professionals in their careers, and by doing so, we hope to contribute to a future where diverse voices will thrive in the entertainment industry.”
For the third consecutive year Sony Pictures Entertainment returns with the Diversity Fellowship in Project Involve, which provides...
Producer Cathy Schulman, writer-director Billy Ray and writer-producer Virgil Williams will serve as guest speakers with additional guest speakers and mentors to be announced.
“Project Involve is an extraordinary program and a vital extension of the core values and mission of Film Independent,” said Jennifer Kushner, director of artist development at Film Independent.
“Among our key goals are to foster community, cultivate the careers of filmmakers, and increase cultural diversity in the film industry. We are committed to supporting this exceptional group of artists and professionals in their careers, and by doing so, we hope to contribute to a future where diverse voices will thrive in the entertainment industry.”
For the third consecutive year Sony Pictures Entertainment returns with the Diversity Fellowship in Project Involve, which provides...
- 11/4/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Film Independent has selected 30 filmmakers for its Project Involve dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.
Producer Cathy Schulman, writer-director Billy Ray and writer-producer Virgil Williams will serve as guest speakers with additional guest speakers and mentors to be announced.
“Project Involve is an extraordinary program and a vital extension of the core values and mission of Film Independent,” said Jennifer Kushner, director of artist development at Film Independent.
“Among our key goals are to foster community, cultivate the careers of filmmakers, and increase cultural diversity in the film industry. We are committed to supporting this exceptional group of artists and professionals in their careers, and by doing so, we hope to contribute to a future where diverse voices will thrive in the entertainment industry.”
For the third consecutive year Sony Pictures Entertainment returns with the Diversity Fellowship in Project Involve, which provides...
Producer Cathy Schulman, writer-director Billy Ray and writer-producer Virgil Williams will serve as guest speakers with additional guest speakers and mentors to be announced.
“Project Involve is an extraordinary program and a vital extension of the core values and mission of Film Independent,” said Jennifer Kushner, director of artist development at Film Independent.
“Among our key goals are to foster community, cultivate the careers of filmmakers, and increase cultural diversity in the film industry. We are committed to supporting this exceptional group of artists and professionals in their careers, and by doing so, we hope to contribute to a future where diverse voices will thrive in the entertainment industry.”
For the third consecutive year Sony Pictures Entertainment returns with the Diversity Fellowship in Project Involve, which provides...
- 11/4/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
In just one week the fourth annual Telluride Horror Show kicks off in picturesque Telluride, Co, with Ben Ketai’s anticipated trapped-in-a-mine thriller Beneath rounding out the weekend.
Other films in the line-up include All Hallow’s Eve, a Halloween-based anthology that features the return of the demonic Art the Clown, who was first seen in the terrific short film Terrifier; Jesse T. Cook’s subversive and incredibly divisiveSeptic Man; and the World Premiere of Chemical Peel, directed by Grand Junction, Colorado, native Hank Braxtan.
Joining the fest will also be Guest Director Phil Tippett, who will be on hand to present a special sneak preview of Phil Tippett’s Mad God: Part 1, a surrealistic stop-motion nightmare featuring hundreds of detailed puppets. He will also present a special screening of his short film Mutantland.
For more info visit the official Telluride Horror Show website, "like" Telluride Horror Show on...
Other films in the line-up include All Hallow’s Eve, a Halloween-based anthology that features the return of the demonic Art the Clown, who was first seen in the terrific short film Terrifier; Jesse T. Cook’s subversive and incredibly divisiveSeptic Man; and the World Premiere of Chemical Peel, directed by Grand Junction, Colorado, native Hank Braxtan.
Joining the fest will also be Guest Director Phil Tippett, who will be on hand to present a special sneak preview of Phil Tippett’s Mad God: Part 1, a surrealistic stop-motion nightmare featuring hundreds of detailed puppets. He will also present a special screening of his short film Mutantland.
For more info visit the official Telluride Horror Show website, "like" Telluride Horror Show on...
- 10/4/2013
- by Brad McHargue
- DreadCentral.com
It's time for the Los Angeles Film Festival!
Filmforum is the community sponsor for two films at the festival: The Island of St. Mathews by Kevin Jerome Everson, and The Act of Killing, by Joshua Oppenheimer and Christine Cynn. Details below:
La Film Festival
June 13-23rd
Mostly at L.A. Live, downtown
http://www.lafilmfest.com/
Now in its nineteenth year, the Los Angeles Film Festival is widely recognized as a world-class cinematic event, showcasing the best in new American and international cinema and providing the movie-loving public with access to some of the most critically acclaimed filmmakers, film industry professionals and emerging new talent by bringing them together in the heart of the entertainment capital of the world.
The Festival features unique signature programs including the Filmmaker Retreat, several Outdoor Screenings, intimate Coffee Talks and more. Additionally, the Festival screens short films created by high school students and has a special section devoted to music videos. Passes and Tickets are on sale Now! lafilmfest.com
--------
The Island of St. Matthews
preceded by Walker
Documentary Competition
(USA, 2013, 70 mins)
North American premiere
Directed By: Kevin Jerome Everson
Producer: Madeleine Molyneaux
Cinematographers: Lindsey 'Lnz' Arturo, Kevin Jerome Everson, Taka Suzuki
Trailer
With a filmmaking style that draws upon fiction, documentary and experimental traditions, filmmaker Kevin Jerome Everson deftly explores aspects of the African American experience in critically acclaimed work that is as likely to be seen in an art museum as at a film festival.
For his most recent feature (he has also directed over 70 short films), Everson turns to the community of Westport, Miss., where the nearly annual flooding of the Tombigbee River has touched everyone, including Everson's own family. In 1973, the raging waters threatened to wash away the entire town, along with countless family heirlooms and photo albums. Today, those waters can still trouble, but they also unite the community, bound together by flood barriers and baptisms.
Screening:
Sun, Jun 16th 4:00pm, Regal Cinemas 14
Mon, Jun 17th 7:20pm, Regal Cinemas 13
---The Act of Killing
International Showcase
(Denmark, 2012, 125 mins, Dcp)
In Indonesian with English subtitles
Directed By: Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn
Executive Producers: Werner Herzog, Errol Morris, André Singer, Torstein Grude, Bjarte Mørner Tveit, Joram ten Brink
By turns chilling, surreal and philosophical, this debate-worthy documentary revisits modern Indonesia's brutal origins by inviting those who mass-slaughtered ethnic Chinese, alleged Communists and intellectuals in the 60's to re-enact their long-ago killings in elaborate tableaux evoking classic movie genres. At the center of directors Joshua Oppenheimer and Christine Cynn's bold experiment in hellish nostalgia are gangster/paramilitary leader Anwar Congo and his followers, proud nationalists with cinema-inspired visions of themselves, who are nonetheless seen as heroes in their country today. But as set-designed, costumed pretend violence for the cameras sparks further recollections of death squad protocol, the weight of remembered atrocities takes its toll, particularly on dream-haunted Anwar.
Early screenings of this disturbing, one-of-a-kind meditation on history, sanctioned evil and self-mythologizing, so galvanized Werner Herzog and Errol Morris that they became executive producers.
Screening:
Fri, Jun 14th 10:00pm, Regal Cinemas 13
Sun, Jun 16th 7:00pm, Directv Theatre/Regal 9
------------------
Also recommended:
Our Nixon (USA, 2013, 85 mins, HDCam)
Directed By: Penny Lane
Assembled from over 500 reels of Super 8 film shot during the Nixon White House by top aides (and Watergate participants) H.R Haldeman, John Ehrlichman and Dwight Chapin, Penny Lane's documentary provides a unique insider's view of the most infamous presidency in American history.
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2013/filmguide/Title/Oo
Screening:
Sat, Jun 15th 1:40pm, Regal Cinemas 8
Sun, Jun 16th 9:30pm, Regal Cinemas 13
Shorts Program 3
This group of films takes us into dreamlike and hyper-real worlds in which fear and sadness are offset by the warmth of extraordinary human connections. Including films by Shaz Bennett, Jean-Guillaume Bastien, Ethan Clarke, Kevin Jerome Everson, and more.
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2013/filmguide/Title/SS
Shorts Program 4
Explorations about the complex challenges of childhood and playful young-adulthood are juxtaposed with stories of tradition and old age--with a monkey movie for good measure! Including films by Rachel Mayeri, Frances Bodomo, Ian Samuels, Tony Donoghue, and more.
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2013/filmguide/Title/SS
Purgatorio
With striking imagery, director Rodrigo Reyes re-imagines the Mexico/U.S. border as a mythical place comparable to Dante's purgatory. Leaving politics aside, he takes a fresh look at the brutal beauty of the border and the people caught in its spell.
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2013/filmguide/Title/Pp
Screening:
Sat, Jun 15th 1:30pm, Regal Cinemas 12, Door Only
Thu, Jun 20th 7:00pm, Regal Cinemas 12
------------------------
Filmforum is supported by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; and the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. Additional support generously provided by American Cinematheque. We also depend on our members, ticket buyers, and individual donors.
Coming Soon to Los Angeles Filmforum:
June 23 – Highlights from the Oberhausen Film Festival – Artist Film & Video
June 30 – Flaherty on the Road: Free Land by Minda Martin, Minda Martin in person!
Los Angeles Filmforum is the city's longest-running organization screening experimental and avant-garde film and video art, documentaries, and experimental animation. 2013 is our 38th year.
Memberships available, $70 single, $105 dual, or $50 single student
Contact us at lafilmforum[a]yahoo.com.
Find us online at http://lafilmforum.org.
Become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @LosAngFilmforum!
Filmforum is the community sponsor for two films at the festival: The Island of St. Mathews by Kevin Jerome Everson, and The Act of Killing, by Joshua Oppenheimer and Christine Cynn. Details below:
La Film Festival
June 13-23rd
Mostly at L.A. Live, downtown
http://www.lafilmfest.com/
Now in its nineteenth year, the Los Angeles Film Festival is widely recognized as a world-class cinematic event, showcasing the best in new American and international cinema and providing the movie-loving public with access to some of the most critically acclaimed filmmakers, film industry professionals and emerging new talent by bringing them together in the heart of the entertainment capital of the world.
The Festival features unique signature programs including the Filmmaker Retreat, several Outdoor Screenings, intimate Coffee Talks and more. Additionally, the Festival screens short films created by high school students and has a special section devoted to music videos. Passes and Tickets are on sale Now! lafilmfest.com
--------
The Island of St. Matthews
preceded by Walker
Documentary Competition
(USA, 2013, 70 mins)
North American premiere
Directed By: Kevin Jerome Everson
Producer: Madeleine Molyneaux
Cinematographers: Lindsey 'Lnz' Arturo, Kevin Jerome Everson, Taka Suzuki
Trailer
With a filmmaking style that draws upon fiction, documentary and experimental traditions, filmmaker Kevin Jerome Everson deftly explores aspects of the African American experience in critically acclaimed work that is as likely to be seen in an art museum as at a film festival.
For his most recent feature (he has also directed over 70 short films), Everson turns to the community of Westport, Miss., where the nearly annual flooding of the Tombigbee River has touched everyone, including Everson's own family. In 1973, the raging waters threatened to wash away the entire town, along with countless family heirlooms and photo albums. Today, those waters can still trouble, but they also unite the community, bound together by flood barriers and baptisms.
Screening:
Sun, Jun 16th 4:00pm, Regal Cinemas 14
Mon, Jun 17th 7:20pm, Regal Cinemas 13
---The Act of Killing
International Showcase
(Denmark, 2012, 125 mins, Dcp)
In Indonesian with English subtitles
Directed By: Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn
Executive Producers: Werner Herzog, Errol Morris, André Singer, Torstein Grude, Bjarte Mørner Tveit, Joram ten Brink
By turns chilling, surreal and philosophical, this debate-worthy documentary revisits modern Indonesia's brutal origins by inviting those who mass-slaughtered ethnic Chinese, alleged Communists and intellectuals in the 60's to re-enact their long-ago killings in elaborate tableaux evoking classic movie genres. At the center of directors Joshua Oppenheimer and Christine Cynn's bold experiment in hellish nostalgia are gangster/paramilitary leader Anwar Congo and his followers, proud nationalists with cinema-inspired visions of themselves, who are nonetheless seen as heroes in their country today. But as set-designed, costumed pretend violence for the cameras sparks further recollections of death squad protocol, the weight of remembered atrocities takes its toll, particularly on dream-haunted Anwar.
Early screenings of this disturbing, one-of-a-kind meditation on history, sanctioned evil and self-mythologizing, so galvanized Werner Herzog and Errol Morris that they became executive producers.
Screening:
Fri, Jun 14th 10:00pm, Regal Cinemas 13
Sun, Jun 16th 7:00pm, Directv Theatre/Regal 9
------------------
Also recommended:
Our Nixon (USA, 2013, 85 mins, HDCam)
Directed By: Penny Lane
Assembled from over 500 reels of Super 8 film shot during the Nixon White House by top aides (and Watergate participants) H.R Haldeman, John Ehrlichman and Dwight Chapin, Penny Lane's documentary provides a unique insider's view of the most infamous presidency in American history.
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2013/filmguide/Title/Oo
Screening:
Sat, Jun 15th 1:40pm, Regal Cinemas 8
Sun, Jun 16th 9:30pm, Regal Cinemas 13
Shorts Program 3
This group of films takes us into dreamlike and hyper-real worlds in which fear and sadness are offset by the warmth of extraordinary human connections. Including films by Shaz Bennett, Jean-Guillaume Bastien, Ethan Clarke, Kevin Jerome Everson, and more.
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2013/filmguide/Title/SS
Shorts Program 4
Explorations about the complex challenges of childhood and playful young-adulthood are juxtaposed with stories of tradition and old age--with a monkey movie for good measure! Including films by Rachel Mayeri, Frances Bodomo, Ian Samuels, Tony Donoghue, and more.
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2013/filmguide/Title/SS
Purgatorio
With striking imagery, director Rodrigo Reyes re-imagines the Mexico/U.S. border as a mythical place comparable to Dante's purgatory. Leaving politics aside, he takes a fresh look at the brutal beauty of the border and the people caught in its spell.
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2013/filmguide/Title/Pp
Screening:
Sat, Jun 15th 1:30pm, Regal Cinemas 12, Door Only
Thu, Jun 20th 7:00pm, Regal Cinemas 12
------------------------
Filmforum is supported by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; and the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. Additional support generously provided by American Cinematheque. We also depend on our members, ticket buyers, and individual donors.
Coming Soon to Los Angeles Filmforum:
June 23 – Highlights from the Oberhausen Film Festival – Artist Film & Video
June 30 – Flaherty on the Road: Free Land by Minda Martin, Minda Martin in person!
Los Angeles Filmforum is the city's longest-running organization screening experimental and avant-garde film and video art, documentaries, and experimental animation. 2013 is our 38th year.
Memberships available, $70 single, $105 dual, or $50 single student
Contact us at lafilmforum[a]yahoo.com.
Find us online at http://lafilmforum.org.
Become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @LosAngFilmforum!
- 6/13/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Fantastic Fest recently announced their selection of more than 40 short films slated to slither and crawl into all the various orifices of this annual extravaganza of genre film. The biopsy of the best genre short films from around the globe will showcase works from several countries, including Spain, South Korea, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and more.
38-39°C (2011)
Regional Premiere
Director: Jason Hong, South Korea, 8 minutes
A father and son confront the emotional divide that separates them in the intimate setting of a Korean bathhouse.
88:88 (2012)
Regional Premiere
Director: Joey Ciccoline, USA, 14 minutes
Val has lost control of her life. Those around her deny the reality of the extraordinary experiences she feels powerless against. Realizing she must stand alone, she has only one remaining option – to find a way to fight back.
Advantageous (2012)
Regional Premiere
Director: Jennifer Phang, USA 23 minutes
Gwen is the spokesperson for a radical technology...
38-39°C (2011)
Regional Premiere
Director: Jason Hong, South Korea, 8 minutes
A father and son confront the emotional divide that separates them in the intimate setting of a Korean bathhouse.
88:88 (2012)
Regional Premiere
Director: Joey Ciccoline, USA, 14 minutes
Val has lost control of her life. Those around her deny the reality of the extraordinary experiences she feels powerless against. Realizing she must stand alone, she has only one remaining option – to find a way to fight back.
Advantageous (2012)
Regional Premiere
Director: Jennifer Phang, USA 23 minutes
Gwen is the spokesperson for a radical technology...
- 9/13/2012
- by Travis Keune
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The official lineup of short films playing this year's Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, has been announced, and let's just say that there are lots of reasons why you should be packing your bags and heading to the Longhorn State!
From the Press Release:
Fantastic Fest is excited to announce the short film lineup for the eighth edition of Fantastic Fest, happening September 20th-27th in Austin, Texas. Fantastic Fest loves its short films - they provide a fertile ground for new and exciting filmmaking talent to show off their genre goods in an unrestrained format. Here is the lineup for Fantastic Fest 2012:
38-39°C (2011)
Regional Premiere
Director: Jason Hong, South Korea, 8 minutes
A father and son confront the emotional divide that separates them in the intimate setting of a Korean bathhouse.
88:88 (2012)
Regional Premiere
Director: Joey Ciccoline, USA, 14 minutes
Val has lost control of her life. Those around...
From the Press Release:
Fantastic Fest is excited to announce the short film lineup for the eighth edition of Fantastic Fest, happening September 20th-27th in Austin, Texas. Fantastic Fest loves its short films - they provide a fertile ground for new and exciting filmmaking talent to show off their genre goods in an unrestrained format. Here is the lineup for Fantastic Fest 2012:
38-39°C (2011)
Regional Premiere
Director: Jason Hong, South Korea, 8 minutes
A father and son confront the emotional divide that separates them in the intimate setting of a Korean bathhouse.
88:88 (2012)
Regional Premiere
Director: Joey Ciccoline, USA, 14 minutes
Val has lost control of her life. Those around...
- 9/10/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
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