Chicago – Jon Lennon Espino of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review on the Pride film “Gun Hill Road” (2011), currently on Tubi for free, about the culture of Latino machismo when confronted with a transgender son. Happy Pride Week!
Rating: 4.5/5.0
The film centers around a Bronx borough family in New York City, whose patriarch (Esai Morales) has come home after a three year prison sentence. This is a family in flux, trying to reconcile who they are with who they want to be. For example, son Danny (Harmony Santana) is in transition to his true female self, and is forced to start this transition with back alley hormone shots and attempts at homemade plastic surgery. When Danny’s ex-con father finds out his son is leading a queer lifestyle, he tries anything … including forcing Danny to be with a prostitute … all in a failed attempt to prove their “manhood.”
“Gun Hill Road...
Rating: 4.5/5.0
The film centers around a Bronx borough family in New York City, whose patriarch (Esai Morales) has come home after a three year prison sentence. This is a family in flux, trying to reconcile who they are with who they want to be. For example, son Danny (Harmony Santana) is in transition to his true female self, and is forced to start this transition with back alley hormone shots and attempts at homemade plastic surgery. When Danny’s ex-con father finds out his son is leading a queer lifestyle, he tries anything … including forcing Danny to be with a prostitute … all in a failed attempt to prove their “manhood.”
“Gun Hill Road...
- 6/25/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Tyrone Marshall Brown (Love Is___) is set as a lead opposite Tate Donovan and Melissa Leo in the Fox pilot Blood Relative, a forensic genealogy-themed crime drama from writer-producer Chris Levinson and producer Liza Chasin, Paramount Television Studios and Anonymous Content, which will co-produce with Fox Entertainment.
Blood Relative is based on James Renner’s 2018 article “Beyond the Jungle of Bad: The True Story of Two Women from California Who Are Solving All the Mysteries,” about Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick and Dr. Margaret Press, who have combined their genealogy expertise to push the boundaries of forensic science and help law enforcement identify Joe and Jane Does and track down serial killers.
Written by Levinson and Renner and to be directed by Phillip Noyce, Blood Relative centers on genetic genealogy, the best new tool in crime scene forensics, and nobody knows it like Louise Kelly (Leo). Too bad she’s impossible to deal with.
Blood Relative is based on James Renner’s 2018 article “Beyond the Jungle of Bad: The True Story of Two Women from California Who Are Solving All the Mysteries,” about Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick and Dr. Margaret Press, who have combined their genealogy expertise to push the boundaries of forensic science and help law enforcement identify Joe and Jane Does and track down serial killers.
Written by Levinson and Renner and to be directed by Phillip Noyce, Blood Relative centers on genetic genealogy, the best new tool in crime scene forensics, and nobody knows it like Louise Kelly (Leo). Too bad she’s impossible to deal with.
- 2/27/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Tyrone Marshall Brown, who most will know from his starring role on Own’s “Love Is ___” and his recent turn in the sixth and final season of “Power,” has boarded a Fox pilot.
He is set to join Melissa Leo and Tate Donovan in “Blood Relative,” one of only four dramas on the books at Fox this pilot season.
The series is based on James Renner’s article “Beyond the Jungle of Bad: The True Story of Two Women from California Who Are Solving All the Mysteries,” and stars Leo as genetic genealogist Louise Kelly. Her field is the best new tool in crime scene forensics, but it’s too bad she’s impossible to deal with.
Brown will play the role of Detective Brick Doughty, a homicide detective and partner to Donovan’s John Kelly. Brick is described as a bit of a wiseass. When he and John catch a rough case,...
He is set to join Melissa Leo and Tate Donovan in “Blood Relative,” one of only four dramas on the books at Fox this pilot season.
The series is based on James Renner’s article “Beyond the Jungle of Bad: The True Story of Two Women from California Who Are Solving All the Mysteries,” and stars Leo as genetic genealogist Louise Kelly. Her field is the best new tool in crime scene forensics, but it’s too bad she’s impossible to deal with.
Brown will play the role of Detective Brick Doughty, a homicide detective and partner to Donovan’s John Kelly. Brick is described as a bit of a wiseass. When he and John catch a rough case,...
- 2/27/2020
- by Will Thorne
- Variety Film + TV
“Premature” is the provocative sophomore feature from Rashaad Ernesto Green (“Gun Hill Road”), headlined by a breakthrough performance by Zora Howard, who co-wrote the screenplay with Green. Adapted from their award-winning 2008 short of the same name, the coming-of-age drama serves as both an ode to a vanishing piece of New York City and a universal story of love among black youth.
“We asked ourselves what we felt was missing in present-day black cinema, and we felt there was an overabundance of black films with narratives driven by themes of black victimization, black fear, and black pain,” Green said. “Although we understood the impulse to explore these narratives, we decided instead to explore black life and black love. In the current cinematic climate, we viewed simply telling a young black love story as a radical act.”
They trusted their instincts and culled from their own life experiences as black Harlemites who...
“We asked ourselves what we felt was missing in present-day black cinema, and we felt there was an overabundance of black films with narratives driven by themes of black victimization, black fear, and black pain,” Green said. “Although we understood the impulse to explore these narratives, we decided instead to explore black life and black love. In the current cinematic climate, we viewed simply telling a young black love story as a radical act.”
They trusted their instincts and culled from their own life experiences as black Harlemites who...
- 2/21/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
There’s poetry in “Premature” — literally, if not always cinematically. Zora Howard, a spoken word artist and sometime actor who reunites with director Rashaad Ernesto Green for his second feature (they collaborated more than a decade earlier on a short of the same name), plays Ayanna, a tentatively romantic Harlem teenager navigating a relationship for which neither side seems ready.
When confronted with questions, Howard’s character can be found scribbling in her private journal. “What did I know of my heart before you gave it shape?” she recites at one point, an evocative line that will later inspire the lyrics to her first love song. Ayanna writes what she knows, as do Green and Howard (the verses heard in voiceover are her contribution), resulting in one of those labors of love made on almost no budget that rather clumsily retreads familiar ground, doing so from a less common perspective...
When confronted with questions, Howard’s character can be found scribbling in her private journal. “What did I know of my heart before you gave it shape?” she recites at one point, an evocative line that will later inspire the lyrics to her first love song. Ayanna writes what she knows, as do Green and Howard (the verses heard in voiceover are her contribution), resulting in one of those labors of love made on almost no budget that rather clumsily retreads familiar ground, doing so from a less common perspective...
- 2/20/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
There’s a moment that encapsulates the essence of “Premature,” director and co-writer Rashaad Ernesto Green’s eagerly awaited sophomore feature following 2011’s criminally underrated “Gun Hill Road.”
It’s when 17-year-old Ayanna (co-writer Zora Howard) and her friends are on the subway in Harlem, looking cute with their braids and sneakers, when they spot a group of guys across the car who they think are hot. The train stops and they all get off. Ayanna, in a bold move, stops one of the guys walking in front of them on the platform and asks for his number for her friend who’s been eyeballing him. He gives it to her with a smile, and the two groups walk their separate ways.
It’s because this moment is about being young and just graduating high school and thinking you’re cool enough to approach a guy you like on the...
It’s when 17-year-old Ayanna (co-writer Zora Howard) and her friends are on the subway in Harlem, looking cute with their braids and sneakers, when they spot a group of guys across the car who they think are hot. The train stops and they all get off. Ayanna, in a bold move, stops one of the guys walking in front of them on the platform and asks for his number for her friend who’s been eyeballing him. He gives it to her with a smile, and the two groups walk their separate ways.
It’s because this moment is about being young and just graduating high school and thinking you’re cool enough to approach a guy you like on the...
- 1/27/2019
- by Candice Frederick
- The Wrap
“Possessor of a sneaky sort of charm that hides his utter tenaciousness, Rashaad Ernesto Green, a promising directorial talent from the Bronx, makes movies that get under your skin with what, upon reflection, seems like relative ease.” That’s Brandon Harris from Filmmaker‘s 25 New Faces of 2010 writing about writer/director Green in the months before the premiere of his debut feature, Gun Hill Road. That Sundance 2011 pic — a tough and empathetic drama about an ex-con grappling with his son’s transition — more than attested to all the promise we spotted in Green’s early shorts, one of which, 2008’s […]...
- 1/26/2019
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
“Possessor of a sneaky sort of charm that hides his utter tenaciousness, Rashaad Ernesto Green, a promising directorial talent from the Bronx, makes movies that get under your skin with what, upon reflection, seems like relative ease.” That’s Brandon Harris from Filmmaker‘s 25 New Faces of 2010 writing about writer/director Green in the months before the premiere of his debut feature, Gun Hill Road. That Sundance 2011 pic — a tough and empathetic drama about an ex-con grappling with his son’s transition — more than attested to all the promise we spotted in Green’s early shorts, one of which, 2008’s […]...
- 1/26/2019
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Film is second feature from director Rashaad Ernesto Green.
London-based sales and financing house Film Constellation has picked up international rights to Rashaad Ernesto Green’s second feature, Premature.
The film will premiere in the Next strand of the upcoming Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, Jan 26.
Director Green’s debut was Gun Hill Road, which was at Sundance in 2011.
Premature follows Ayanna - played by Zora Howard, who also co-wrote the script - who is making the most of her last summer in Harlem, New York, before heading to college. When she meets the slightly older Isaiah (Joshua Boone), she...
London-based sales and financing house Film Constellation has picked up international rights to Rashaad Ernesto Green’s second feature, Premature.
The film will premiere in the Next strand of the upcoming Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, Jan 26.
Director Green’s debut was Gun Hill Road, which was at Sundance in 2011.
Premature follows Ayanna - played by Zora Howard, who also co-wrote the script - who is making the most of her last summer in Harlem, New York, before heading to college. When she meets the slightly older Isaiah (Joshua Boone), she...
- 1/21/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
So far, the big breakthroughs have all been on the younger end of the spectrum: the first transgender winner of an Indie Spirit award for acting arrived in 2015, the first transgender person to be nominated for an acting-centric Primetime Emmy dates back to 2014, and there’s still never been a transgender actor nominated for an Oscars. For many of them, getting any kind of role in Hollywood is worth celebrating, but it’s rarer still for them to lock down a seemingly obvious next step: getting cast as a transgender person.
Few trans-centric stories have made it to the screen over the years, and the vast majority of them have seen pivotal roles go to cisgender actors, from Elle Fanning to Matt Bomer, Eddie Redmayne to Hilary Swank. The tide, however, is starting to turn. Here are a dozen talented transgender actors who have also played transgender roles on the screen,...
Few trans-centric stories have made it to the screen over the years, and the vast majority of them have seen pivotal roles go to cisgender actors, from Elle Fanning to Matt Bomer, Eddie Redmayne to Hilary Swank. The tide, however, is starting to turn. Here are a dozen talented transgender actors who have also played transgender roles on the screen,...
- 1/31/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
"Why is everyone on this fucking island addicted to drama?" the all-knowing Mama (a superb Luis Alberto Garcia) moans.
Mama is the owner of a Havana gay bar featuring chintzy drag performers who gesticulate to emotional diva tunes and who, when the show's over, whore a little on the side. That's part of the setting for Viva, Ireland's Spanish-language submission for this year's Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Having strutted its way onto a list of nine finalists -- which will eventually be whittled down to a mere five -- Viva showcases nothing a bit Irish onscreen, not even a high kick filched from Michael Flatley. And although some of the shooting was done on the Emerald shores, possibly interior shots, all the Erin-Go-Bragh action is off screen: Paddy Breathnach, director; Mark O'Halloran, screenwriter, and so forth and so on. (There's also a dash of Mexican for added excitement:...
Mama is the owner of a Havana gay bar featuring chintzy drag performers who gesticulate to emotional diva tunes and who, when the show's over, whore a little on the side. That's part of the setting for Viva, Ireland's Spanish-language submission for this year's Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Having strutted its way onto a list of nine finalists -- which will eventually be whittled down to a mere five -- Viva showcases nothing a bit Irish onscreen, not even a high kick filched from Michael Flatley. And although some of the shooting was done on the Emerald shores, possibly interior shots, all the Erin-Go-Bragh action is off screen: Paddy Breathnach, director; Mark O'Halloran, screenwriter, and so forth and so on. (There's also a dash of Mexican for added excitement:...
- 1/13/2016
- by Brandon Judell
- www.culturecatch.com
Tangerine
Directed by Sean Baker
Written by Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch
USA, 2015
Director Sean Baker (Starlet, Prince of Broadway, Take Out) was reportedly inspired to make Tangerine, after observing the customers of a donut shop in Hollywood’s red-light district. Tangerine’s stars are a pair of first-time actresses, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor. They play two trans sex workers – Sin-Dee, who’s just been released from a 28-day stint in prison for drug possession – and her best friend Alexandra who prepares for a gig singing at a local nightclub. The film follows the duo over the course of a day – opening on a donut shop which serves as one of the key locations the two transitioning male-to-female call girls hang out. It’s the morning of Christmas Eve at the sketchy intersection of Santa Monica and Highland in Los Angeles and Alexandra and Sin-Dee are sharing a red-and-green sprinkled donut.
Directed by Sean Baker
Written by Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch
USA, 2015
Director Sean Baker (Starlet, Prince of Broadway, Take Out) was reportedly inspired to make Tangerine, after observing the customers of a donut shop in Hollywood’s red-light district. Tangerine’s stars are a pair of first-time actresses, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor. They play two trans sex workers – Sin-Dee, who’s just been released from a 28-day stint in prison for drug possession – and her best friend Alexandra who prepares for a gig singing at a local nightclub. The film follows the duo over the course of a day – opening on a donut shop which serves as one of the key locations the two transitioning male-to-female call girls hang out. It’s the morning of Christmas Eve at the sketchy intersection of Santa Monica and Highland in Los Angeles and Alexandra and Sin-Dee are sharing a red-and-green sprinkled donut.
- 7/16/2015
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
From writer/director Max Joseph, here’s a first look at the trailer for We Are Your Friends starring Zac Efron, Emily Ratajkowski and Wes Bentley.
The film marks Max Joseph’s (MTV’s “Catfish: The TV Show”) feature film directorial debut.
We Are Your Friends is about what it takes to find your voice. Set in the world of electronic music and Hollywood nightlife, an aspiring 23-year-old DJ named Cole (Efron) spends his days scheming with his childhood friends and his nights working on the one track that will set the world on fire. All of this changes when he meets a charismatic but damaged older DJ named James (Bentley), who takes him under his wing. Things get complicated, however, when Cole starts falling for James’ much younger girlfriend, Sophie (Ratajkowski). With Cole’s forbidden relationship intensifying and his friendships unraveling, he must choose between love, loyalty, and the future he is destined for.
The film marks Max Joseph’s (MTV’s “Catfish: The TV Show”) feature film directorial debut.
We Are Your Friends is about what it takes to find your voice. Set in the world of electronic music and Hollywood nightlife, an aspiring 23-year-old DJ named Cole (Efron) spends his days scheming with his childhood friends and his nights working on the one track that will set the world on fire. All of this changes when he meets a charismatic but damaged older DJ named James (Bentley), who takes him under his wing. Things get complicated, however, when Cole starts falling for James’ much younger girlfriend, Sophie (Ratajkowski). With Cole’s forbidden relationship intensifying and his friendships unraveling, he must choose between love, loyalty, and the future he is destined for.
- 5/20/2015
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
David Hasselhoff and Bo Derek are braving the storm with Ian Ziering and Tara Reid in The Asylum and Syfy's Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! Featured in our latest round-up, the third installment in the tongue-in-cheek franchise has received a summer release date. We also have a casting update for the second season of Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, as well as a Friday the 13th 35th Anniversary T-shirt from Fright Rags.
Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!: The third Sharknado film will splash onto the Syfy channel on Wednesday, July 22nd at 9:00pm Est:
Press Release (via TV by the Numbers) - New York – March 18, 2015 – Syfy and The Asylum today announced that the official title of the latest installment in the global pop culture sensation is Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! The two-hour original movie will devour the planet on Wednesday,...
Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!: The third Sharknado film will splash onto the Syfy channel on Wednesday, July 22nd at 9:00pm Est:
Press Release (via TV by the Numbers) - New York – March 18, 2015 – Syfy and The Asylum today announced that the official title of the latest installment in the global pop culture sensation is Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! The two-hour original movie will devour the planet on Wednesday,...
- 3/18/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Ifp announced its 2014 slate of 133 new films in development and works in progress selected for its esteemed Project Forum at Independent Film Week. This one-of-a-kind event brings the international film and media community to New York City to advance new projects by nurturing the work of both emerging and established independent artists and filmmakers. Through the Project Forum, creatives connect with financiers, executives, influencers and decision-makers in film, television, new media and cross-platform storytelling that can help them complete their latest works and connect with audiences. Under the curatorial leadership of Deputy Director/Head of Programming Amy Dotson & Senior Director of Programming Milton Tabbot, this one-of-a-kind event takes place September 14-18, 2014 at Lincoln Center supporting bold new content from a wide variety of domestic and international artists.
“As we set to embark on our 36th Independent Film Week, we are impressed by the outstanding slate of both U.S. and international projects selected for this year’s Project Forum,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of Ifp. “We know that the industry will be as excited as we are with the accomplished storytellers and their diverse and boundary pushing films.”
Featured works at the 2014 Independent Film Week include filmmakers and content creators from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. From documentarians Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How To Nail A Dictator"), and Penny Lane ("Our Nixon") to Michelangelo Frammartino ("Quattro Volte") and Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), as well as new work from critically acclaimed artists and directors Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"), Travis Matthews ("Interior. Leather. Bar") and Yen Tan ("Pit Stop").
Independent Film Week brings the international film and media community to New York City to advance new documentary and narrative works-in-progress and support the future of storytelling. The program nurtures the work of both emerging and established independent artists and filmmakers through the facilitation of over 3,500+ custom, one-to-one meetings with the financiers, executives, influencers and decision-makers in film, television, new media and cross-platform storytelling that can help them complete their latest works and connect with audiences. In recent years, it has also played a vital role in launching the first films of many of today’s rising stars on the independent scene including Rama Burshtein ("Fill The Void"), Derek Cianfrance ("Blue Valentine"), Marshall Curry ("If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth LIberation Front"), Laura Poitras ("The Oath"), Denis Villeneuve ("Incendies") and Benh Zeitlin ("Beasts of the Southern Wild").
For the full 2014 Project Forum slate visit Here
New For 2014
Evenly split between documentary and narrative features, selected projects hail from throughout the U.S., Europe and Canada, as well Africa, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. New this year, Ifp will be including web series in it programming, as well as spotlighting Latin & Central American artists and content with 15 projects featured across all programs in the Forum.
In a joint effort to recognize the importance of career and creative sustainability, Ifp and Durga Entertainment have partnered on a new $20,000 filmmaker grant for an alumnus of Ifp. The grant is intended for active, working filmmakers who are also balancing a filmmaking career with parenting. The grant provides a $20,000 unrestricted prize to encourage the recipient to continue on her or his career path of making quality independent films. American directors or screenwriters working in narrative film who have participated in the Ifp Filmmaker Labs or Ifp Independent Film Week's Emerging Storytellers or No-Borders International Co-Production market are encouraged to apply by the deadline of August 8, 2014.
Narrative Feature Highlights
Narrative features and webseries in Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers and No Borders International Co-Production Market sections highlight new work from top emerging and established creative visionaries on the U.S. and international independent scene.
This year’s slate includes new feature scripts featuring directors Dev Benegal ("Road, Movie"), Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin ("Now, Forager"), Michelangelo Frammartino ("Le Quattro Volte"),Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda"), Rashaad Ernesto Green ("Gun Hill Road"), Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita Y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"),Alison Klayman ("Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry"), Travis Mathews ("Interior. Leather Bar"), Stacie Passon ("Concussion"), Yen Tan ("Pit Stop"), as well as up-an-coming actor/directors Karrie Crouse ("Land Ho!") and Peter Vack ("Fort Tilden""I Believe in Unicorns").
Producers and executive producers of note attached to participating projects include Jennifer Dubin and Cora Olson ("Good Dick"), Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams ("Hellion"),Laura Heberton ("Gayby"), Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Kishori Rajan ("Gimme the Loot"), Adele Romanski ("The Myth of the American Sleepover"), Kim Sherman ("A Teacher"), Susan Stover ("High Art"), and Alicia Van Couvering ("Tiny Furniture").
Web Storytellers Highlights
For the first time this year, Ifp presents a dedicated spotlight within the Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers program for creators developing episodic content for digital platforms. The inaugural slate for the Web Storytellers spotlight includes new works from filmmakers Desiree Akhavan ("Appropriate Behavior", HBO’s Girls), Calvin Reeder ("The Rambler"), and Gregory Bayne ("Person of Interest"), as well as producers Elisabeth Holm ("Obvious Child"), Susan Leber ( "Down to the Bone"), and Amanda Warman ("The Outs,"Whatever This Is"). Two of the series participating are currently in post-production, and will be making their online debut in the coming months – Rachel Morgan’s Middle Americans, starring Scott Thompson, Carlen Altman, and Alex Rennie, and Daniel Zimbler and Elisabeth Gray’s Understudies, starring Richard Kind and David Rasche. [p Spotlight On Documentaries Highlights
The documentary selection includes new work from seasoned non-fiction directors such as Emmy winners Robert Bahar andAlmudena Carracedo ("Made in La"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How to Nail a Dictator"),Ramona Diaz ("Imelda," "Don’t Stop Believin’") Gini Reticker ("Pray the Devil Back to Hell") Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"); from producers such as Court 13’s Benh Zeitlin and Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Liran Atzmor ("The Law in These Parts"), Tim Williams ("Once In A Lifetime") and Hilla Medalia ("Web Junkie"), and follow-up second features from recent doc world “breakouts”Steve Hoover ("Blood Brother") Penny Lane ("Our Nixon"), Michael Collins ("Give Up Tomorrow"), and Michael Nichols and Christopher Walker ("Flex is Kings").
Exciting new work from debut documentary directors previously known for fiction films include Alex Sichel ("All over Me") with her personal doc The Movie about Anna, Lisa Cortés (producer, "Precious") with "Mothership: The Untold Story of Women and Hip Hop," and Daniel Patrick Carbone ("Hide Your Smiling Faces") with Phantom Cowboys.
Sponsors
Independent Film Week’s Premier sponsors are Royal Bank of Canada (Rbc) and HBO. Gold sponsors are A&E IndieFilms and SAGIndie. Silver sponsors are Durga Entertainment, Eastman Kodak Company, National Film & Video Foundation of South Africa and Telefilm Canada. Official Independent Film Week Partner is Film Society of Lincoln Center. Independent Film Week is supported, in part, by funds provided by the Ford Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council for the Arts and Time Warner Foundation.
About Ifp
The Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) champions the future of storytelling by connecting artists with essential resources at all stages of development and distribution. The organization fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Independent Film Week, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gotham Independent Film Awards and the Made in NY Media Center by Ifp, a new incubator space developed with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. Ifp represents a growing network of 10,000 storytellers around the world, and plays a key role in developing 350 new feature and documentary works each year. During its 35-year history, Ifp has supported over 8,000 projects and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, including Debra Granik, Miranda July, Michael Moore, Dee Rees, and Benh Zeitlin. More info at www.ifp.org.
“As we set to embark on our 36th Independent Film Week, we are impressed by the outstanding slate of both U.S. and international projects selected for this year’s Project Forum,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of Ifp. “We know that the industry will be as excited as we are with the accomplished storytellers and their diverse and boundary pushing films.”
Featured works at the 2014 Independent Film Week include filmmakers and content creators from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. From documentarians Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How To Nail A Dictator"), and Penny Lane ("Our Nixon") to Michelangelo Frammartino ("Quattro Volte") and Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), as well as new work from critically acclaimed artists and directors Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"), Travis Matthews ("Interior. Leather. Bar") and Yen Tan ("Pit Stop").
Independent Film Week brings the international film and media community to New York City to advance new documentary and narrative works-in-progress and support the future of storytelling. The program nurtures the work of both emerging and established independent artists and filmmakers through the facilitation of over 3,500+ custom, one-to-one meetings with the financiers, executives, influencers and decision-makers in film, television, new media and cross-platform storytelling that can help them complete their latest works and connect with audiences. In recent years, it has also played a vital role in launching the first films of many of today’s rising stars on the independent scene including Rama Burshtein ("Fill The Void"), Derek Cianfrance ("Blue Valentine"), Marshall Curry ("If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth LIberation Front"), Laura Poitras ("The Oath"), Denis Villeneuve ("Incendies") and Benh Zeitlin ("Beasts of the Southern Wild").
For the full 2014 Project Forum slate visit Here
New For 2014
Evenly split between documentary and narrative features, selected projects hail from throughout the U.S., Europe and Canada, as well Africa, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. New this year, Ifp will be including web series in it programming, as well as spotlighting Latin & Central American artists and content with 15 projects featured across all programs in the Forum.
In a joint effort to recognize the importance of career and creative sustainability, Ifp and Durga Entertainment have partnered on a new $20,000 filmmaker grant for an alumnus of Ifp. The grant is intended for active, working filmmakers who are also balancing a filmmaking career with parenting. The grant provides a $20,000 unrestricted prize to encourage the recipient to continue on her or his career path of making quality independent films. American directors or screenwriters working in narrative film who have participated in the Ifp Filmmaker Labs or Ifp Independent Film Week's Emerging Storytellers or No-Borders International Co-Production market are encouraged to apply by the deadline of August 8, 2014.
Narrative Feature Highlights
Narrative features and webseries in Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers and No Borders International Co-Production Market sections highlight new work from top emerging and established creative visionaries on the U.S. and international independent scene.
This year’s slate includes new feature scripts featuring directors Dev Benegal ("Road, Movie"), Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin ("Now, Forager"), Michelangelo Frammartino ("Le Quattro Volte"),Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda"), Rashaad Ernesto Green ("Gun Hill Road"), Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita Y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"),Alison Klayman ("Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry"), Travis Mathews ("Interior. Leather Bar"), Stacie Passon ("Concussion"), Yen Tan ("Pit Stop"), as well as up-an-coming actor/directors Karrie Crouse ("Land Ho!") and Peter Vack ("Fort Tilden""I Believe in Unicorns").
Producers and executive producers of note attached to participating projects include Jennifer Dubin and Cora Olson ("Good Dick"), Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams ("Hellion"),Laura Heberton ("Gayby"), Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Kishori Rajan ("Gimme the Loot"), Adele Romanski ("The Myth of the American Sleepover"), Kim Sherman ("A Teacher"), Susan Stover ("High Art"), and Alicia Van Couvering ("Tiny Furniture").
Web Storytellers Highlights
For the first time this year, Ifp presents a dedicated spotlight within the Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers program for creators developing episodic content for digital platforms. The inaugural slate for the Web Storytellers spotlight includes new works from filmmakers Desiree Akhavan ("Appropriate Behavior", HBO’s Girls), Calvin Reeder ("The Rambler"), and Gregory Bayne ("Person of Interest"), as well as producers Elisabeth Holm ("Obvious Child"), Susan Leber ( "Down to the Bone"), and Amanda Warman ("The Outs,"Whatever This Is"). Two of the series participating are currently in post-production, and will be making their online debut in the coming months – Rachel Morgan’s Middle Americans, starring Scott Thompson, Carlen Altman, and Alex Rennie, and Daniel Zimbler and Elisabeth Gray’s Understudies, starring Richard Kind and David Rasche. [p Spotlight On Documentaries Highlights
The documentary selection includes new work from seasoned non-fiction directors such as Emmy winners Robert Bahar andAlmudena Carracedo ("Made in La"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How to Nail a Dictator"),Ramona Diaz ("Imelda," "Don’t Stop Believin’") Gini Reticker ("Pray the Devil Back to Hell") Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"); from producers such as Court 13’s Benh Zeitlin and Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Liran Atzmor ("The Law in These Parts"), Tim Williams ("Once In A Lifetime") and Hilla Medalia ("Web Junkie"), and follow-up second features from recent doc world “breakouts”Steve Hoover ("Blood Brother") Penny Lane ("Our Nixon"), Michael Collins ("Give Up Tomorrow"), and Michael Nichols and Christopher Walker ("Flex is Kings").
Exciting new work from debut documentary directors previously known for fiction films include Alex Sichel ("All over Me") with her personal doc The Movie about Anna, Lisa Cortés (producer, "Precious") with "Mothership: The Untold Story of Women and Hip Hop," and Daniel Patrick Carbone ("Hide Your Smiling Faces") with Phantom Cowboys.
Sponsors
Independent Film Week’s Premier sponsors are Royal Bank of Canada (Rbc) and HBO. Gold sponsors are A&E IndieFilms and SAGIndie. Silver sponsors are Durga Entertainment, Eastman Kodak Company, National Film & Video Foundation of South Africa and Telefilm Canada. Official Independent Film Week Partner is Film Society of Lincoln Center. Independent Film Week is supported, in part, by funds provided by the Ford Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council for the Arts and Time Warner Foundation.
About Ifp
The Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) champions the future of storytelling by connecting artists with essential resources at all stages of development and distribution. The organization fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Independent Film Week, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gotham Independent Film Awards and the Made in NY Media Center by Ifp, a new incubator space developed with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. Ifp represents a growing network of 10,000 storytellers around the world, and plays a key role in developing 350 new feature and documentary works each year. During its 35-year history, Ifp has supported over 8,000 projects and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, including Debra Granik, Miranda July, Michael Moore, Dee Rees, and Benh Zeitlin. More info at www.ifp.org.
- 7/25/2014
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
Starring Harmony Santana ("Gun Hill Road") and Laura Patalano, "You're Dead to Me" centers on a Chicana mother's eerie experience with love and loss as she prepares for her Dia de los Muertos celebration. From the film's website: As she prepares to receive family members on an important anniversary a mother cooks, cleans, and fights with her daughter over the way she dresses, often too "boyish." The argument reveals some rifts in their relationship and resolves itself in an unexpected and touching climax. Written by Adelina Anthony, directed by Wu Tsang and produced by Melissa Haizlip, the short film was produced in Film Independent's Project Involve and has been touring film...
- 6/18/2014
- by Shadow And Act
- ShadowAndAct
Ahead of the Official Selection of feature films for the 67th Festival de Cannes, which will be revealed tomorrow, Thursday April 17, the list of short films (including its Cinéfondation selections) has been unveiled in advance. Congratulations are in order for Reinaldo Marcus Green (brother of Rashaad Ernesto Green, director of the critically-lauded 2011 drama Gun Hill Road), whose 14-minute short film, Stone Cars, was selected for the Cinéfondation section, which picks 15 to 20 short and medium-length films each year, presented by film schools from all over the world. The coming-of-age love story set in the shacks of Khayelitsha township, in...
- 4/16/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
I was going to start this article by saying that I don't want to take anything away from Jared Leto's performance in "Dallas Buyers Club". But in a sense, I do. The performance certainly holds up as a piece of art, but as a part of our culture, I believe it needs contextualizing.
I am not the first person to suggest this. Chelsea Hawkins wrote in PolicyMic that "Dallas Buyers Club" fails trans actors while Paris Lees in the Independent was perhaps more equivocal but still asked "Why can't we cast trans people in trans roles?". Of course, nobody wants to limit trans actors to trans roles, but in the context of the status quo and general acceptability of handing the role to an actor such as Leto, it would be an undeniably liberating move.
But wait, you say - Leto was playing a pre-op trans woman. Surely it would be appropriate for the character to be played by a biological male? This doesn't strike me as exquisite logic. Laverne Cox famously spoke out against the objectifying focus on the status of trans people's genitalia, while Janet Mock talks about the obsession with "passing", pointing out that in her mind she is not passing as anything, but simply being herself.
The concept of "passing" betrays a corrosive misunderstanding that being transgender is in some sense a performance as opposed to a reality. By casting a well-known cis actor in a trans role, it makes it all about the performance. Anyone who has watched "Orange is the New Black" will know that watching a real trans actor in a trans role has an entirely different, utterly compelling and humanizing effect.
With that in mind, I thought it worth highlighting ten actors who could have played the role of Rayon. This is not because they meet the specifics that Leto brought to the character. The role was a fictional one, not based on a real-life person like Matthew McConaughey's Ron Woodroof, a fact which would seem to afford a great deal of freedom and possibility. In this case, the filmmakers chose not to pursue that route. But that doesn't stop us from imagining.
1. Harmony Santana
Santana's role in "Gun Hill Road" led to a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards, the first trans actor nominated for a major acting award and a hugely significant milestone.
2. Laverne Cox
Breakout star of "Orange is the New Black", passionate trans advocate and exceedingly eloquent educator of Katie Couric, Laverne Cox's star is rising fast and is a delight to witness.
3. Jamie Clayton
Clayton hosted VH1's TRANSform Me alongside Laverne Cox, but she is also an actress of note, with perhaps her most high profile gig to date being her appearance in two episodes of HBO's "Hung".
4. Stephanie Michelini
Fellow Francophone director Sebastian Lifshitz showed "Dallas Buyers Club" director John-Paul Vallee how it's done by casting a trans actor in his feature film "Wild Side". The film won the Teddy at the Berlinale and a clutch of other festival awards, including a Best Actress trophy for Michelini.
5. Alexandra Billings
With roles on "E.R." and "Grey's Anatomy" among her credits, Billings made history as the first trans actor to appear in a transgender role on American television.
6. Elizabeth Coffey
Ok, so she hasn't done any screen acting for a while, but let's pay our dues regardless. Known as a "Dreamlander" as one of John Waters' regular cast of actors, Coffey played a transgender role in the iconic "Pink Flamingoes". Two years later, she returned to play a non-trans role for Waters in 1974's "Female Trouble".
7. Calpernia Addams
Addams first made the news for tragic reasons when her soldier boyfriend was murdered by his colleagues on discovery of their relationship. A subsequent fiction film of events led to her meeting Jane Fonda at Sundance and conceiving the idea for an all-transgender production of "The Vagina Monologues". Addams was later invited to perform in the 10th anniversary edition of the play alongside Fonda, Glenn Close and Salma Hayek.
7. Eva Robin's
Robin's considers herself androgynous rather than transgender, having been born male and then developed feminine features naturally. Her most famous role was in Dario Argento's horror film "Tenebrae". While the film's politics are certainly thorny, a non-cisgendered actor playing a female role for a celebrated director is a shamefully uncommon occurrence.
9. Bibi Andersen
Competition for a place in Almodovar's stable of actresses is fierce, but Bibi Andersen clocked up no less than four credits in Almodovar feature films in the late eighties and early nineties. It is also rumoured that it was Almodovar's desire to attend the 1988 Oscars with Andersen as opposed to his leading lady Carmen Maura that caused the 18-year professional rift between Maura and the director.
10. Candis Cayne
Following a role on "Nip / Tuck", Cayne went one further by becoming the first ever transgender actress to play a recurring transgender role on primetime as Carmelita in ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money".
Want more /bent? Follow us on Twitter.
I am not the first person to suggest this. Chelsea Hawkins wrote in PolicyMic that "Dallas Buyers Club" fails trans actors while Paris Lees in the Independent was perhaps more equivocal but still asked "Why can't we cast trans people in trans roles?". Of course, nobody wants to limit trans actors to trans roles, but in the context of the status quo and general acceptability of handing the role to an actor such as Leto, it would be an undeniably liberating move.
But wait, you say - Leto was playing a pre-op trans woman. Surely it would be appropriate for the character to be played by a biological male? This doesn't strike me as exquisite logic. Laverne Cox famously spoke out against the objectifying focus on the status of trans people's genitalia, while Janet Mock talks about the obsession with "passing", pointing out that in her mind she is not passing as anything, but simply being herself.
The concept of "passing" betrays a corrosive misunderstanding that being transgender is in some sense a performance as opposed to a reality. By casting a well-known cis actor in a trans role, it makes it all about the performance. Anyone who has watched "Orange is the New Black" will know that watching a real trans actor in a trans role has an entirely different, utterly compelling and humanizing effect.
With that in mind, I thought it worth highlighting ten actors who could have played the role of Rayon. This is not because they meet the specifics that Leto brought to the character. The role was a fictional one, not based on a real-life person like Matthew McConaughey's Ron Woodroof, a fact which would seem to afford a great deal of freedom and possibility. In this case, the filmmakers chose not to pursue that route. But that doesn't stop us from imagining.
1. Harmony Santana
Santana's role in "Gun Hill Road" led to a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards, the first trans actor nominated for a major acting award and a hugely significant milestone.
2. Laverne Cox
Breakout star of "Orange is the New Black", passionate trans advocate and exceedingly eloquent educator of Katie Couric, Laverne Cox's star is rising fast and is a delight to witness.
3. Jamie Clayton
Clayton hosted VH1's TRANSform Me alongside Laverne Cox, but she is also an actress of note, with perhaps her most high profile gig to date being her appearance in two episodes of HBO's "Hung".
4. Stephanie Michelini
Fellow Francophone director Sebastian Lifshitz showed "Dallas Buyers Club" director John-Paul Vallee how it's done by casting a trans actor in his feature film "Wild Side". The film won the Teddy at the Berlinale and a clutch of other festival awards, including a Best Actress trophy for Michelini.
5. Alexandra Billings
With roles on "E.R." and "Grey's Anatomy" among her credits, Billings made history as the first trans actor to appear in a transgender role on American television.
6. Elizabeth Coffey
Ok, so she hasn't done any screen acting for a while, but let's pay our dues regardless. Known as a "Dreamlander" as one of John Waters' regular cast of actors, Coffey played a transgender role in the iconic "Pink Flamingoes". Two years later, she returned to play a non-trans role for Waters in 1974's "Female Trouble".
7. Calpernia Addams
Addams first made the news for tragic reasons when her soldier boyfriend was murdered by his colleagues on discovery of their relationship. A subsequent fiction film of events led to her meeting Jane Fonda at Sundance and conceiving the idea for an all-transgender production of "The Vagina Monologues". Addams was later invited to perform in the 10th anniversary edition of the play alongside Fonda, Glenn Close and Salma Hayek.
7. Eva Robin's
Robin's considers herself androgynous rather than transgender, having been born male and then developed feminine features naturally. Her most famous role was in Dario Argento's horror film "Tenebrae". While the film's politics are certainly thorny, a non-cisgendered actor playing a female role for a celebrated director is a shamefully uncommon occurrence.
9. Bibi Andersen
Competition for a place in Almodovar's stable of actresses is fierce, but Bibi Andersen clocked up no less than four credits in Almodovar feature films in the late eighties and early nineties. It is also rumoured that it was Almodovar's desire to attend the 1988 Oscars with Andersen as opposed to his leading lady Carmen Maura that caused the 18-year professional rift between Maura and the director.
10. Candis Cayne
Following a role on "Nip / Tuck", Cayne went one further by becoming the first ever transgender actress to play a recurring transgender role on primetime as Carmelita in ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money".
Want more /bent? Follow us on Twitter.
- 2/20/2014
- by Matthew Hammett Knott
- Sydney's Buzz
From the Sundance Film Festival here is Glenn on three great new editions to Lgbt cinema.
One of my goals for my first trip to Sundance was to see as much Lgbt cinema as possible. This year has proven to be particularly strong in this arena with films like Ira Sachs’ recently acquired Love is Strange and Desiree Akhavan’s ought-to-be acquired Appropriate Behaviour covering the “l”, the "g" and the “b” of that acronym and are soon to be reviewed by Nathaniel. I, however, found myself catching three very strong titles that deal with transgender men and women, which took me especially by surprise. Like Gun Hill Road, Xavier Dolan’s Laurence Anyways, Orange is the New Black and, yes, even Dallas Buyers Club, cinema visibility of trans issues are becoming more and more common and, in the case all three films below, feature actual transgender or gender neutral personalities.
One of my goals for my first trip to Sundance was to see as much Lgbt cinema as possible. This year has proven to be particularly strong in this arena with films like Ira Sachs’ recently acquired Love is Strange and Desiree Akhavan’s ought-to-be acquired Appropriate Behaviour covering the “l”, the "g" and the “b” of that acronym and are soon to be reviewed by Nathaniel. I, however, found myself catching three very strong titles that deal with transgender men and women, which took me especially by surprise. Like Gun Hill Road, Xavier Dolan’s Laurence Anyways, Orange is the New Black and, yes, even Dallas Buyers Club, cinema visibility of trans issues are becoming more and more common and, in the case all three films below, feature actual transgender or gender neutral personalities.
- 1/24/2014
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
Late as usual. People are attending Mipcom in Cannes and in November Afm in Santa Monica, and I’m only now getting around to writing about my own private Toronto. I chose films I would not be able to see soon in a theater near me and I chose films because my schedule permitted me to see them. Occasionally I chose films my friends were going to and that happened when my time was not demanding other things be done.
I wish I could have seen 100 other films too but for some reason or another I could not fit them in.
I moderated a wonderful panel (and we did blog on that!) on international film financing with Sffs’ Ted Hope, UTA’s Rena Ronson, Revolution’s Andrew Eaton, and Hollywood-based Cross Creek’s Brian Oliver, and Paul Miller, Head of Film Financing, from the Doha Film Institute, Qatar's first international organization dedicated to film financing, production, education and two film festivals.
I also spoke with Toronto Talent Lab filmmakers and then I filled my days with films – I did get an interview with Gloria’s director Sebastian Lelio and Berlin Best Actress winner Paulina Garcia and with Marcela Said, director of The Summer of Flying Fish but mostly I watched film after film after film – up to five a day, just like in the old days when I had to do it for my acquisitions jobs. This was pure pleasure. Friends would meet before the film, we would watch and disperse. And we would meet again at the cocktail hour or the dinner hour and then disperse again.
My partner Peter had lots of meetings with the Talent of Toronto from the Not Short on Shorts and the Talent Lab Mentoring Programs.
Parties like the Rotterdam-Screen International party gave us the chance to catch up with our Dutch friends whom we have not seen for the last two years. Ontario Media Development Corporation’s presenting the International Financing Forum luncheon gave us the chance to talk to lots of upcoming filmmakers and old friends again who were mentoring them. The panel Forty Years On: Women’s Film Festivals Today, moderated by Kay Armatage, former Tiff programmer, Professor Emeritus University of Toronto, and featuring Debra Zimmerman, Executive Director of Women Make Movies, NYC, Melissa Silverstein, Do-Fojnder an dArtistic Director of the Athena Film Festival in NYC and blogger of Women in Hollywood, So-In Hong, Director of Programming of the International Women’s Film Festival in Seoul had a rapport and didn’t hesitate to challenge each other. It felt like a party even though the subject was quite serious. The SXSW party was crowded as always, filled with everyone we could possibly know. It is always a great party we all want to attend.
One of the great dinners was that of The Creative Coalition Spotlight Awards Dinner honoring Alfre Woodard (12 Years a Slave), Hill Harper (1982, CSI: NY), Sharon Leal (1982), Matt Letscher (Scandal, The Carrie Diaries), Brenton Thwaites (Oculus, Maleficient), Tommy Oliver (1982, Kinyarwanda – I am a great fan of Tommy’s!), Tom Ortenberg (CEO, Open Road Films which has a coventure with Regal Theaters and AMC Theaters recently acquired by the richest man in China), and David Arquette (The Scream series). Our hostess, Robin Bronk is so welcoming and so dedicated to furthering the cause of universal education as a human right, education in the arts as a must. I admire her presence and her good work.
Here is a list of the great (and not so great, but never bad) films I got to see. I also list those I continue to hear about even now. I do not list all the films which were picked up during the festival and later. For that, you can go to SydneysBuzz.com and buy the Fall Rights Roundup 2013 and see all films whose rights were acquired (and announced) and by whom with links to all companies and Cinando for further research. For buyers it will, by deduction, show what is still available for Afm and for programmers, it will show who is in charge of the film for specific territories. The second edition will be issued two weeks after Afm.
One of the first films I saw and still retaining its place as one of my favorites was the documentary Finding Vivian Maier which begins with the discovery of photographs by an unknown woman named Vivian Maier by filmmaker John Maloof. As the mystery of this woman is uncovered, the audience is treated to her stunning work and the story of who she was.
One of my favorite films was by one of my favorite directors, Lucas Moodyson. We Are The Best (Isa: Trust Nordisk) was a great surprise, the story of three teeny-bopper punk-influenced girls who loved getting into unusual situations. It was loving and fun, darling and funny. I would take my children to see it and would delight in seeing it again. It was the biggest surprise for me. I can see why Magnolia snapped it up for the U.S. I thank programmer Steve Gravenstock for giving me the ticket for this film which I would have missed otherwise.
I had missed Jodorowsky’s Dune in Cannes. I am a great fan of El Topo and was eager to see this film. I was surprised at the elegance and skill of Jodorowsky in explaining his vision. Afterward, Gary Springer, our favorite publicist, arranged a wonderful reception at a classic comic book store where we loaded up on some fascinating graphic novels and Gary showed us his depiction on an old issue of Mad Magazine discussing the making of Jaws which he was in. picture here.
A totally unique and unexpected film about the African Diaspora, Belle, written and directed by Amma Asante was not talked about much to my surprise, perhaps because Fox Searchlight acquired all rights worldwide from Bankside before the festival. It is a stunningly beautiful British period piece of the 18th century about a mixed race aristocratic beauty.
My favorite film, on a par with The Patience Stone last year was Bobo (Isa: Wide) by Ines Oliveira starring Paula Garcia Aissato Indjai, produced by my friend Fernando Vendrell who gave me a ticket when I could not get one myself. This story of a woman who does nothing except go to work is forced to accept a claning woman and her young sister from Guinea-Bissau. Together they face down their demons. I love the cross-cultural understanding which results in their shared situations. I recently saw Mother of George and found the same warm connection across great cultural divides, though this one was of generations.
I wish I could have seen Pays Barbare/ Barbaric Land, the Italian/ French doc in Wavelengths about Mussolini’s attempted subjugation of Ethiopia (the only country in Africa never colonized). It sounds like great political poetry.
1982 which had previously won the prize of the jury I served on for Us Works in Progress held in July at the Champs Elysees Film Festival in Paris. It was deeply moving and disturbing film which depicts the shattering and the healing of a family. It also helps feed the pipeline begun with Lee Daniels producing Monster’s Ball who went on to direct to such films as Precious and The Butler. If the African American experience can continue to be expressed so eloquently by such filmmakers as Tommy Oliver, Rashaad Ernesto Green (Sundance 2012’s Gun Hill Road), Ava DuVernay (Middle of Nowhere), then a film literate audience will foster greater growth of even more talent in the coming generation. While I didn’t see All Is By My Side by U.K.’s John Ridley which is about Jimi Hendrix nor (yet!) the most highly acclaimed film of the festival, 12 Years a Slave by U.K.’s Steve McQueen, but I would include them in this discussion of the African American Experience.
On the subject of Africa, where last Sundance God Loves Uganda shocked and upset me, this year Mission Congo (Cinephil) revealed much of the same cultural divide only these two films show the negative impact of the Christian right upon already besieged Africans. What is done in the name of a righteous G-d is cause for dialogue and oversight.
Israel and the Middle East
No major turmoil or denunciations this year (Thank G-d, Allah, or whoever She may be). Katriel Schory, head of the Israeli Film Fund told me that if I could only see one film, then it should be Bethlehem which is the country’s submission for Academy Award Consideration for the Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. It was a sad and clear eyed microcosmic view of the issues of trust and betrayals played out among every level of the society. People compared it to Omar by Hany Abu-Assad,the filmmaker of a favorite of mine, Paradise Now, but I did not see Omar.
Rags and Tatters at first seemed like a documentary, and does have doc footage, but it is a circular story that ends where it began but with much more understanding of the chaotic events in Cairo. Really worth watching.
Latino
Of the Latino films two Chilean films, Gloria (Chile) and The Summer of Flying Fish (Review), were accompanied by interviews which you can read on my previous blogs here and here. El Mudo from Peru by the Vega brothers was in the odd vien of their previous film, October. Not sure at the end just what the film was saying…
Toronto Film Fest Programmer Diana Sanchez’s official count of Latino films in the festival is 16. Of these, 5 are by women; 30% is a strong number. Venezuela and Chile are strong with year with two films each. Two other films might have been chosen except they went to San Sebastian for their world premieres. Especially hot this year was Mexico. 4 films are here but she might have chosen 10 if she could have. Costa Rica is making a showing with All About the Feathers and Central America is making more movies. There is lots of industry buzz coming from the good pictures from Brazil like A Wolf at the Door from Sao Paolo production
She is not counting Gravity by Alfonso Cuaron as as Latino film but as a U.S. film.
And Our White Society
The Dinner (Isa: Media Luna) by Menno Meyjes ♀ (Isa: Media Luna), a Dutch film deals with the personal and political as two families disintegrate when the affluent sons kill a homeless woman. Deeply disturbing social issues on the other side of the spectrum from those of 1982 and yet very much the same. How a society can foster such dissonance in class structure today which results in the disintegration of family and even a nation’s political life is, as I said, deeply disturbing. Based on the N.Y. Times best selling book which sold over 650,000 in The Netherlands, and is published in 22 countries, it stars four of Holland’s most renowned actors, Jacob Derwig, Thekla Reuten, Daan Schuurmans, and Kim van Kooten. This is a story that could be remade in America and still maintain its strength. The writer-director Menno Meyjes wrote the Academy Award nominee The Color Purple and collaborated with director Steven Speilberg on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In 2008 he directed Manolete with Penelope Cruz and Adrien Brody.
The Last of Robin Hood was a romp which thrilled us because Peter Belsito, my own dear husband, had a moment on screen (as the director of Errol Flynn’s last film Cuban Rebel Girls). He got the part because he had had an equally small role in the original Cuban Rebel Girls when it filmed in Cuba in 1959, four months after the Revolution. He happened to be there on vacation with his family including his 18 year old sister and his crazy aunt because Puerto Rico was full that year and Cuba had plenty of room. Directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland invited him to play in their film. The film actually had more meaning than merely a romp as it revealed what lays below the June-September love affair between Errol Flynn and 15 year old Beverly Aadland, the nature of fame (“a religion in this godless country” to quote Flynn himself) and ambition. Kevin Kline, Susan Sarandan and Dakota Fanning were all great in the repertoire piece.
Can a Song Save Your Life? garnered great praise as the film that followed the simple pure Once. I found it a bit flat though it kept my interest enough that I was not contemplating leaving. But it lacked the simplicity of Once.
Fading Gigolo proves that a Woody Allen Film is a Genre. John Turturro makes a Woody Allen middle-aged man fantasy of a wished for love affair with a Hasidic woman. Turturro is always lovable on screen, but his directing has something inauthentic about it…the only authentic thing was the twice-stated thought that somewhere in his heritage he was really Jewish. When I saw his previous film Passione, about Italians and passion, the opening song, being one of the first Cuban songs I ever heard, turned me off because again, it was inauthentic. It was Cuban, not Italian. I think he is not comfortable in his Italian guise.
Other films at Tiff I have seen previously:
Only Lovers Left Alive by Jim Jarmusch (Isa: HanWay, U.S. Spc). If you can see it as a dream of night, then the vampires dreaminess might appeal to you. I personally was ready to fall into my own stupor after watching this 123 minute movie of Vampires who have seen it all. Zzzzzz.
Don Jon is sexy and sweet. Scarlett Johansson is a superb comedienne, equal to Claudette Colbert in this film about two totally media mesmerized young lovers. ___ and his father are also great straight men. I loved this film, so funny and sweet and all about sex. Loved it!
Borgman Darkest humor, or is it humor? Creepy and definitely engrossing. Dutch filmmaker Alex van Warmerdam at his best. This is the Netherlands' Official Academy Awards Submission.
What I hear was good:
Aside from the ones that got snapped up for lots of money and are covered in all the trades already, there are films which I keep hearing about even now and will see:
Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon
12 Years a Slave (Isa: Summit, U.S. Fox Searchlight)
The Lunchbox (Isa: The Match Factory)
Prisoners (Isa: Summit/ Lionsgate, U.S.: Warner Bros)
Dallas Buyers Clubs (Isa: Voltage, U.S. Focus Features)
Life of Crime (Isa: Hyde Park, U.S.: )
A Touch of Sin (Isa: MK2, U.S. Kino Lorber)
Gravity (Isa: Warner Bros. U.S. Warner Bros.)
Enough Said (Isa: Fox Searchlight, U.S. Fox Searchlight)
La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty) (Isa: Pathe, U.S. Criterion) Italy’s submission for Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film
Violette (Isa: Doc & Film, U.S.: ?)
Omar (Isa: The Match Factory, U.S.: ?)
Le Passe (The Past) (Isa: Memento, U.S. Spc) Iran’s submission for Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
To the Wolf (Isa: Pascale Ramonda)
The Selfish Giant (Isa: Protagonist, U.S. IFC)
At Berkeley by Frederick Wiseman (Isa: Doc & Film, U.S. Zipporah)
The Unknown Known (Isa: Entertainment One, U.S. Radius-twc)
Ain’t Misbehavin (Un Voyager) by Marcel Ophuls (Isa: Wide House)
Faith Connections by Pan Nalin (Isa: Cite Films). This Indian French film, produced by Raphael Berduo among others is written about here.
Civil Rights (?)
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
12 Years a Slave (Isa: Summit, U.S. Fox Searchlight)
Belle (Isa: Bankside, all rights sold to Fox Searchlight)
Lgbt
Kill Your Darlings: The youthful finding of himself by Alan Ginsburg as he enters Colombia University and meets Lucien Carr, Jack Kerouac and Alan Bourroughs revolves around a murder which actually happened. The period veracity and Daniel Radcliffe’s acting carry the film into a fascinating character study. (U.S. Spc)
Dallas Buyers Club (Isa: Voltage, U.S. Focus Features)
Tom a la ferme / Tom at the Farm by Xavier Dolan Isa: MK2, U.S.:)
L’Armee du salut/ Salvation Army by Abdellah Taia (Isa: - U.S.:-)
Eastern Boys (Isa: Films Distribution)
Pelo Malo/ Bad Hair (FiGa Films)
The Dog (Producer Rep: Submarine)
Ignasi M. (Isa: Latido)
Gerontophilia (Isa: MK2, U.S. Producer Rep: Filmoption)...
I wish I could have seen 100 other films too but for some reason or another I could not fit them in.
I moderated a wonderful panel (and we did blog on that!) on international film financing with Sffs’ Ted Hope, UTA’s Rena Ronson, Revolution’s Andrew Eaton, and Hollywood-based Cross Creek’s Brian Oliver, and Paul Miller, Head of Film Financing, from the Doha Film Institute, Qatar's first international organization dedicated to film financing, production, education and two film festivals.
I also spoke with Toronto Talent Lab filmmakers and then I filled my days with films – I did get an interview with Gloria’s director Sebastian Lelio and Berlin Best Actress winner Paulina Garcia and with Marcela Said, director of The Summer of Flying Fish but mostly I watched film after film after film – up to five a day, just like in the old days when I had to do it for my acquisitions jobs. This was pure pleasure. Friends would meet before the film, we would watch and disperse. And we would meet again at the cocktail hour or the dinner hour and then disperse again.
My partner Peter had lots of meetings with the Talent of Toronto from the Not Short on Shorts and the Talent Lab Mentoring Programs.
Parties like the Rotterdam-Screen International party gave us the chance to catch up with our Dutch friends whom we have not seen for the last two years. Ontario Media Development Corporation’s presenting the International Financing Forum luncheon gave us the chance to talk to lots of upcoming filmmakers and old friends again who were mentoring them. The panel Forty Years On: Women’s Film Festivals Today, moderated by Kay Armatage, former Tiff programmer, Professor Emeritus University of Toronto, and featuring Debra Zimmerman, Executive Director of Women Make Movies, NYC, Melissa Silverstein, Do-Fojnder an dArtistic Director of the Athena Film Festival in NYC and blogger of Women in Hollywood, So-In Hong, Director of Programming of the International Women’s Film Festival in Seoul had a rapport and didn’t hesitate to challenge each other. It felt like a party even though the subject was quite serious. The SXSW party was crowded as always, filled with everyone we could possibly know. It is always a great party we all want to attend.
One of the great dinners was that of The Creative Coalition Spotlight Awards Dinner honoring Alfre Woodard (12 Years a Slave), Hill Harper (1982, CSI: NY), Sharon Leal (1982), Matt Letscher (Scandal, The Carrie Diaries), Brenton Thwaites (Oculus, Maleficient), Tommy Oliver (1982, Kinyarwanda – I am a great fan of Tommy’s!), Tom Ortenberg (CEO, Open Road Films which has a coventure with Regal Theaters and AMC Theaters recently acquired by the richest man in China), and David Arquette (The Scream series). Our hostess, Robin Bronk is so welcoming and so dedicated to furthering the cause of universal education as a human right, education in the arts as a must. I admire her presence and her good work.
Here is a list of the great (and not so great, but never bad) films I got to see. I also list those I continue to hear about even now. I do not list all the films which were picked up during the festival and later. For that, you can go to SydneysBuzz.com and buy the Fall Rights Roundup 2013 and see all films whose rights were acquired (and announced) and by whom with links to all companies and Cinando for further research. For buyers it will, by deduction, show what is still available for Afm and for programmers, it will show who is in charge of the film for specific territories. The second edition will be issued two weeks after Afm.
One of the first films I saw and still retaining its place as one of my favorites was the documentary Finding Vivian Maier which begins with the discovery of photographs by an unknown woman named Vivian Maier by filmmaker John Maloof. As the mystery of this woman is uncovered, the audience is treated to her stunning work and the story of who she was.
One of my favorite films was by one of my favorite directors, Lucas Moodyson. We Are The Best (Isa: Trust Nordisk) was a great surprise, the story of three teeny-bopper punk-influenced girls who loved getting into unusual situations. It was loving and fun, darling and funny. I would take my children to see it and would delight in seeing it again. It was the biggest surprise for me. I can see why Magnolia snapped it up for the U.S. I thank programmer Steve Gravenstock for giving me the ticket for this film which I would have missed otherwise.
I had missed Jodorowsky’s Dune in Cannes. I am a great fan of El Topo and was eager to see this film. I was surprised at the elegance and skill of Jodorowsky in explaining his vision. Afterward, Gary Springer, our favorite publicist, arranged a wonderful reception at a classic comic book store where we loaded up on some fascinating graphic novels and Gary showed us his depiction on an old issue of Mad Magazine discussing the making of Jaws which he was in. picture here.
A totally unique and unexpected film about the African Diaspora, Belle, written and directed by Amma Asante was not talked about much to my surprise, perhaps because Fox Searchlight acquired all rights worldwide from Bankside before the festival. It is a stunningly beautiful British period piece of the 18th century about a mixed race aristocratic beauty.
My favorite film, on a par with The Patience Stone last year was Bobo (Isa: Wide) by Ines Oliveira starring Paula Garcia Aissato Indjai, produced by my friend Fernando Vendrell who gave me a ticket when I could not get one myself. This story of a woman who does nothing except go to work is forced to accept a claning woman and her young sister from Guinea-Bissau. Together they face down their demons. I love the cross-cultural understanding which results in their shared situations. I recently saw Mother of George and found the same warm connection across great cultural divides, though this one was of generations.
I wish I could have seen Pays Barbare/ Barbaric Land, the Italian/ French doc in Wavelengths about Mussolini’s attempted subjugation of Ethiopia (the only country in Africa never colonized). It sounds like great political poetry.
1982 which had previously won the prize of the jury I served on for Us Works in Progress held in July at the Champs Elysees Film Festival in Paris. It was deeply moving and disturbing film which depicts the shattering and the healing of a family. It also helps feed the pipeline begun with Lee Daniels producing Monster’s Ball who went on to direct to such films as Precious and The Butler. If the African American experience can continue to be expressed so eloquently by such filmmakers as Tommy Oliver, Rashaad Ernesto Green (Sundance 2012’s Gun Hill Road), Ava DuVernay (Middle of Nowhere), then a film literate audience will foster greater growth of even more talent in the coming generation. While I didn’t see All Is By My Side by U.K.’s John Ridley which is about Jimi Hendrix nor (yet!) the most highly acclaimed film of the festival, 12 Years a Slave by U.K.’s Steve McQueen, but I would include them in this discussion of the African American Experience.
On the subject of Africa, where last Sundance God Loves Uganda shocked and upset me, this year Mission Congo (Cinephil) revealed much of the same cultural divide only these two films show the negative impact of the Christian right upon already besieged Africans. What is done in the name of a righteous G-d is cause for dialogue and oversight.
Israel and the Middle East
No major turmoil or denunciations this year (Thank G-d, Allah, or whoever She may be). Katriel Schory, head of the Israeli Film Fund told me that if I could only see one film, then it should be Bethlehem which is the country’s submission for Academy Award Consideration for the Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. It was a sad and clear eyed microcosmic view of the issues of trust and betrayals played out among every level of the society. People compared it to Omar by Hany Abu-Assad,the filmmaker of a favorite of mine, Paradise Now, but I did not see Omar.
Rags and Tatters at first seemed like a documentary, and does have doc footage, but it is a circular story that ends where it began but with much more understanding of the chaotic events in Cairo. Really worth watching.
Latino
Of the Latino films two Chilean films, Gloria (Chile) and The Summer of Flying Fish (Review), were accompanied by interviews which you can read on my previous blogs here and here. El Mudo from Peru by the Vega brothers was in the odd vien of their previous film, October. Not sure at the end just what the film was saying…
Toronto Film Fest Programmer Diana Sanchez’s official count of Latino films in the festival is 16. Of these, 5 are by women; 30% is a strong number. Venezuela and Chile are strong with year with two films each. Two other films might have been chosen except they went to San Sebastian for their world premieres. Especially hot this year was Mexico. 4 films are here but she might have chosen 10 if she could have. Costa Rica is making a showing with All About the Feathers and Central America is making more movies. There is lots of industry buzz coming from the good pictures from Brazil like A Wolf at the Door from Sao Paolo production
She is not counting Gravity by Alfonso Cuaron as as Latino film but as a U.S. film.
And Our White Society
The Dinner (Isa: Media Luna) by Menno Meyjes ♀ (Isa: Media Luna), a Dutch film deals with the personal and political as two families disintegrate when the affluent sons kill a homeless woman. Deeply disturbing social issues on the other side of the spectrum from those of 1982 and yet very much the same. How a society can foster such dissonance in class structure today which results in the disintegration of family and even a nation’s political life is, as I said, deeply disturbing. Based on the N.Y. Times best selling book which sold over 650,000 in The Netherlands, and is published in 22 countries, it stars four of Holland’s most renowned actors, Jacob Derwig, Thekla Reuten, Daan Schuurmans, and Kim van Kooten. This is a story that could be remade in America and still maintain its strength. The writer-director Menno Meyjes wrote the Academy Award nominee The Color Purple and collaborated with director Steven Speilberg on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In 2008 he directed Manolete with Penelope Cruz and Adrien Brody.
The Last of Robin Hood was a romp which thrilled us because Peter Belsito, my own dear husband, had a moment on screen (as the director of Errol Flynn’s last film Cuban Rebel Girls). He got the part because he had had an equally small role in the original Cuban Rebel Girls when it filmed in Cuba in 1959, four months after the Revolution. He happened to be there on vacation with his family including his 18 year old sister and his crazy aunt because Puerto Rico was full that year and Cuba had plenty of room. Directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland invited him to play in their film. The film actually had more meaning than merely a romp as it revealed what lays below the June-September love affair between Errol Flynn and 15 year old Beverly Aadland, the nature of fame (“a religion in this godless country” to quote Flynn himself) and ambition. Kevin Kline, Susan Sarandan and Dakota Fanning were all great in the repertoire piece.
Can a Song Save Your Life? garnered great praise as the film that followed the simple pure Once. I found it a bit flat though it kept my interest enough that I was not contemplating leaving. But it lacked the simplicity of Once.
Fading Gigolo proves that a Woody Allen Film is a Genre. John Turturro makes a Woody Allen middle-aged man fantasy of a wished for love affair with a Hasidic woman. Turturro is always lovable on screen, but his directing has something inauthentic about it…the only authentic thing was the twice-stated thought that somewhere in his heritage he was really Jewish. When I saw his previous film Passione, about Italians and passion, the opening song, being one of the first Cuban songs I ever heard, turned me off because again, it was inauthentic. It was Cuban, not Italian. I think he is not comfortable in his Italian guise.
Other films at Tiff I have seen previously:
Only Lovers Left Alive by Jim Jarmusch (Isa: HanWay, U.S. Spc). If you can see it as a dream of night, then the vampires dreaminess might appeal to you. I personally was ready to fall into my own stupor after watching this 123 minute movie of Vampires who have seen it all. Zzzzzz.
Don Jon is sexy and sweet. Scarlett Johansson is a superb comedienne, equal to Claudette Colbert in this film about two totally media mesmerized young lovers. ___ and his father are also great straight men. I loved this film, so funny and sweet and all about sex. Loved it!
Borgman Darkest humor, or is it humor? Creepy and definitely engrossing. Dutch filmmaker Alex van Warmerdam at his best. This is the Netherlands' Official Academy Awards Submission.
What I hear was good:
Aside from the ones that got snapped up for lots of money and are covered in all the trades already, there are films which I keep hearing about even now and will see:
Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon
12 Years a Slave (Isa: Summit, U.S. Fox Searchlight)
The Lunchbox (Isa: The Match Factory)
Prisoners (Isa: Summit/ Lionsgate, U.S.: Warner Bros)
Dallas Buyers Clubs (Isa: Voltage, U.S. Focus Features)
Life of Crime (Isa: Hyde Park, U.S.: )
A Touch of Sin (Isa: MK2, U.S. Kino Lorber)
Gravity (Isa: Warner Bros. U.S. Warner Bros.)
Enough Said (Isa: Fox Searchlight, U.S. Fox Searchlight)
La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty) (Isa: Pathe, U.S. Criterion) Italy’s submission for Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film
Violette (Isa: Doc & Film, U.S.: ?)
Omar (Isa: The Match Factory, U.S.: ?)
Le Passe (The Past) (Isa: Memento, U.S. Spc) Iran’s submission for Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
To the Wolf (Isa: Pascale Ramonda)
The Selfish Giant (Isa: Protagonist, U.S. IFC)
At Berkeley by Frederick Wiseman (Isa: Doc & Film, U.S. Zipporah)
The Unknown Known (Isa: Entertainment One, U.S. Radius-twc)
Ain’t Misbehavin (Un Voyager) by Marcel Ophuls (Isa: Wide House)
Faith Connections by Pan Nalin (Isa: Cite Films). This Indian French film, produced by Raphael Berduo among others is written about here.
Civil Rights (?)
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
12 Years a Slave (Isa: Summit, U.S. Fox Searchlight)
Belle (Isa: Bankside, all rights sold to Fox Searchlight)
Lgbt
Kill Your Darlings: The youthful finding of himself by Alan Ginsburg as he enters Colombia University and meets Lucien Carr, Jack Kerouac and Alan Bourroughs revolves around a murder which actually happened. The period veracity and Daniel Radcliffe’s acting carry the film into a fascinating character study. (U.S. Spc)
Dallas Buyers Club (Isa: Voltage, U.S. Focus Features)
Tom a la ferme / Tom at the Farm by Xavier Dolan Isa: MK2, U.S.:)
L’Armee du salut/ Salvation Army by Abdellah Taia (Isa: - U.S.:-)
Eastern Boys (Isa: Films Distribution)
Pelo Malo/ Bad Hair (FiGa Films)
The Dog (Producer Rep: Submarine)
Ignasi M. (Isa: Latido)
Gerontophilia (Isa: MK2, U.S. Producer Rep: Filmoption)...
- 10/8/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The name SimonSays Entertainment may not immediately register with you, but I'm sure film titles like Night Catches Us, Gun Hill Road, Blue Caprice, and Mother Of George, most certainly will - at least one of them, especially if you've been a reader of this blog over the last 2 years, as we've celebrated every single one of those titles. It's quite an impressive resume, and one that I think most independent production houses would envy - well-directed dramas, telling well-written stories about a diverse body of interesting characters, brought to life by a selection of strong actors. A critically-acclaimed library of positively challenging projects, with the icing on the cake being that...
- 7/11/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
SimonSays Entertainment, the blossoming production house behind critical hits like Night Catches Us, Gun Hill Road, and the upcoming Blue Caprice, and Mother Of George, has announced a summer call for screenplays. As an aside, I interviewed the company's principals - Ron Simons (founder and president of the company) and Producing Associate, April Yvette Thompson - in February, and you're encouraged to read that interview Here if you missed it. It was an extensive piece profiling the company. Here are the details of their call for summer script submissions: SimonSays Entertainment only considers scripts that have been submitted via our...
- 5/28/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
No, we're not talking about the recently released John Cusack flick of the same name, though it couldn't possibly be worse, that's for sure. On tap for you cats right now is the first word on the latest spooker coming our way called The Factory.
From the Press Release
Rumpus Room Productions begins lensing on The Factory, the Golan Ramras (Snuff) script, with story by Isak Borg and Dena Hysell, in New York starting April 2, 2013.
Starring Azura Skye (Bandits), Bill Sage (Mysterious Skin), and John Hennigan (pictured; John Morrison/Johnny Nitro – WWE), The Factory will be directed by Dena Hysell (The Paladins) and produced by Hysell and Sirad Balducci (Gun Hill Road).
The Factory, inspired by true events, chronicles a group of people considering buying an old factory who get trapped inside trying to escape the demons from the factory's past.
“How is it possible that a century ago we...
From the Press Release
Rumpus Room Productions begins lensing on The Factory, the Golan Ramras (Snuff) script, with story by Isak Borg and Dena Hysell, in New York starting April 2, 2013.
Starring Azura Skye (Bandits), Bill Sage (Mysterious Skin), and John Hennigan (pictured; John Morrison/Johnny Nitro – WWE), The Factory will be directed by Dena Hysell (The Paladins) and produced by Hysell and Sirad Balducci (Gun Hill Road).
The Factory, inspired by true events, chronicles a group of people considering buying an old factory who get trapped inside trying to escape the demons from the factory's past.
“How is it possible that a century ago we...
- 3/28/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Maguey, pronounced Ma Gay -- the plant from which Tequila is distilled here in the State of Jalisco and the City of Guadalajara -- is the perfect name for the Gay Prize of the Festival International de Cine de Guadalajara (Ficg).
Ficg The Maguey Awards
(Aka: Premios Maguey: Pasiones intimas del cine queer or Intimate Passions of Queer Cinema)The jury -- comprised of Colombian Juan Carlos Arcienegas of CNN Latino, journalist and film critic; Kevin Murphy, Germany, Talent Campus; Darryl MacDonald, Director of Palm Springs Iff, Swedish filmmaker Ingrid Ryborg and Alexander Mello,Brazil, Director at Diversity in Animation. International Festival of Lgbt Animation--made a quick and easy decision after one hour of deliberation, but it took 2 1Ž2 hours to write the statement.
The line-up
Included some films I had seen including the Chilean (again!!) film by Esteban Lorrain The Passion of Michelangelo which I quite liked when I saw it at Berlin’s Efm; Gun Hill Road, Sundance 2012’s debut feature and Masters Film (from Nyu Graduate Film School) Gun Hill Road by New Yorker Rashaad Ernesto Green, Graduate of Dartmouth College, recipient of the Princess Grace Foundation Award and Spike Lee Fellowship which most unfortunately has been caught in the bankruptcy of its U.S. distributor Motion Picture Film Group (See Indiewire: What Happens You’re your Distributor Goes Bankrupt – Why Gun Hill Road is now Finally on DVD), Sundance 2012 lesbian Chicana film Mosquito y Mari, Any Day Now, starring Alan Cummings which I saw at the Napa Valley Film Festival where it won the Audience Award and the 2013 Sundance film Joshua Tree 1951: A Portrait of James Dean.
And the winner is: Quebranto (Disrupted), from Mexico, the memorial and testimony of trail blazers Fernando García, known as Pinolito, who was a child actor in the seventies and Doña Lilia Ortega, his mother, an actress. Fernando came out as a transvestite some years ago, and now calls himself Coral Bonelli. They live together in Garibaldi, Mexico yearning for their past in the movies, while Coral bravely comes to terms with her gender identity. They both still perform.
Honorable Mention went to the Israeli film Out in the Dark
The announcement and celebration party at the Black Cherry was great fun. I was honored to meet the great and beautiful Mexican actress Laura Zapata. I hung out with my new-found friends Lydia Genchi from Nomad Film Distribution in Italy and Catalina Arango of Zancudo Films from Argentina, and old friends Darryl, Jc and Kevin up until midnight when the prize should have been announced, but instead, the disco dancing with two great dancers a la “Rage” in West Hollywood went on another half an hour… Someone saw the poor exhausted dancers in their open window dressing room above the club afterward, self absorbed in private activities as they tried to rest their beautiful bodies. Personally I wish they would add a Latin beat to the monotony of one-one-one-one-one-one-one beat which really exacerbated my tinnitus.
So I went home, sharing a car with Swedish Staermose Soren of Yellow Bird Productions and Greek Patrice Vivancos, spokesman for Media Mundus which is Media’s international film fund and whom I had seen earlier moderating the roundtable on funds and funding strategies for Latin America.
Ficg The Maguey Awards
(Aka: Premios Maguey: Pasiones intimas del cine queer or Intimate Passions of Queer Cinema)The jury -- comprised of Colombian Juan Carlos Arcienegas of CNN Latino, journalist and film critic; Kevin Murphy, Germany, Talent Campus; Darryl MacDonald, Director of Palm Springs Iff, Swedish filmmaker Ingrid Ryborg and Alexander Mello,Brazil, Director at Diversity in Animation. International Festival of Lgbt Animation--made a quick and easy decision after one hour of deliberation, but it took 2 1Ž2 hours to write the statement.
The line-up
Included some films I had seen including the Chilean (again!!) film by Esteban Lorrain The Passion of Michelangelo which I quite liked when I saw it at Berlin’s Efm; Gun Hill Road, Sundance 2012’s debut feature and Masters Film (from Nyu Graduate Film School) Gun Hill Road by New Yorker Rashaad Ernesto Green, Graduate of Dartmouth College, recipient of the Princess Grace Foundation Award and Spike Lee Fellowship which most unfortunately has been caught in the bankruptcy of its U.S. distributor Motion Picture Film Group (See Indiewire: What Happens You’re your Distributor Goes Bankrupt – Why Gun Hill Road is now Finally on DVD), Sundance 2012 lesbian Chicana film Mosquito y Mari, Any Day Now, starring Alan Cummings which I saw at the Napa Valley Film Festival where it won the Audience Award and the 2013 Sundance film Joshua Tree 1951: A Portrait of James Dean.
And the winner is: Quebranto (Disrupted), from Mexico, the memorial and testimony of trail blazers Fernando García, known as Pinolito, who was a child actor in the seventies and Doña Lilia Ortega, his mother, an actress. Fernando came out as a transvestite some years ago, and now calls himself Coral Bonelli. They live together in Garibaldi, Mexico yearning for their past in the movies, while Coral bravely comes to terms with her gender identity. They both still perform.
Honorable Mention went to the Israeli film Out in the Dark
The announcement and celebration party at the Black Cherry was great fun. I was honored to meet the great and beautiful Mexican actress Laura Zapata. I hung out with my new-found friends Lydia Genchi from Nomad Film Distribution in Italy and Catalina Arango of Zancudo Films from Argentina, and old friends Darryl, Jc and Kevin up until midnight when the prize should have been announced, but instead, the disco dancing with two great dancers a la “Rage” in West Hollywood went on another half an hour… Someone saw the poor exhausted dancers in their open window dressing room above the club afterward, self absorbed in private activities as they tried to rest their beautiful bodies. Personally I wish they would add a Latin beat to the monotony of one-one-one-one-one-one-one beat which really exacerbated my tinnitus.
So I went home, sharing a car with Swedish Staermose Soren of Yellow Bird Productions and Greek Patrice Vivancos, spokesman for Media Mundus which is Media’s international film fund and whom I had seen earlier moderating the roundtable on funds and funding strategies for Latin America.
- 3/23/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
In the past few years, the indie community has seen the effects of distributors going under. Most notably, there was Regent Releasing, whose library of more than 100 films recently became tied up in courts owing to the company going out of business. Some of Regent's films were older titles whose home video distribution was up in the air; others, like Xavier Dolan's "I Killed My Mother" had not even done a theatrical run before the case came up. (This month, Dolan's film, which was recently acquired by Kino Lorber, will do a week long run at the MoMA.) After Indomina announced that it would stop distributing films, the future of Sundance film "Filly Brown" is uncertain. This week, though, another film whose distributor filed for bankruptcy, will be released on DVD and VOD for the first time to U.S. audiences. Rashaad Ernesto Green's "Gun Hill Road" tells...
- 3/7/2013
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
Rashaad Ernesto Green's feature film debut Gun Hill Road - an S&A critical fave - has finally hit the home video market. Released in theaters in the summer of 2011, the contemplative, compelling drama with all-around wonderful performances, and an auspicious debut for Rashaad, can now both be rented and purchased in digital and DVD format. Look for it on iTunes, as well as on DVD at your local online or brick and mortar store. In Gun Hill Road, an ex-con (played by Esai Morales) returns home to the Bronx after three years in prison to discover his wife (Judy Reyes) estranged, and his teenage son (Harmony Santana) exploring a sexual transformation that challenges the already...
- 3/5/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Within the last few years, gay culture and its acceptance within the larger American consciousness has been a major focus in independent film. So much so, in fact, that a set of clichés exists within the genre of films that deal with the sexual awakenings of gay youths and adults alike. Great films don’t necessarily avoid clichés, but they attempt to bring a new dimension to them when they have to use them, the poor films line them up like dominos and hope that they can hit each one in rapid succession. Gun Hill Road is the latter type, and goes after a story of a Latino father with traditional values returning home from prison to find out about the transsexual lifestyle his son adopted while he was away. A few decent performances keep Gun Hill Road from exploding in the director’s face, but horrendous characterization make it...
- 3/3/2013
- by Lex Walker
- JustPressPlay.net
The name SimonSays Entertainment may not immediately register with you, but I'm sure film titles like Night Catches Us, Gun Hill Road, Blue Caprice, and Mother Of George, most certainly will - at least one of them, especially if you've been a reader of this blog over the last 2 years, as we've celebrated every single one of those titles. It's quite an impressive resume, and one that I think most independent production houses would envy - well-directed dramas, telling well-written stories about a diverse body of interesting characters, brought to life by a selection of strong actors. A critically-acclaimed library of positively challenging projects, with the icing on the...
- 2/11/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Rambling On, an independent film interview show, is landing at Filmmaker. Produced by filmmakers Russell Costanzo and Melissa B. Miller (The Tested), the show gathers, roundtable style, producers, directors and actors to discuss their working practices. Here’s an excerpt from the duo’s previous episode, a roundtable with producers Sophia Lin (Compliance), Josh Mond (Simon Killer), Riva Marker (What Maisie Knew), Jared Goldman (The Magic of Belle Isle), and Michelle Ann Small (Gun Hill Road). The moderator here is Matt Patches from Hollywood.com, and this clip addresses a skill every producer needs to learn how to master: How — and when …...
- 2/7/2013
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
It was announced today that Grindstone Entertainment has acquired North American rights in all media to the gritty thriller Once Upon A Time In Brooklyn (formally titled Goat) and will be released by Lionsgate Home Entertainment. In a separate deal, International rights have been acquired by Los Angeles-basedsales company, Recreation, helmed by founder and president Ariel Veneziano.
Produced by William DeMeo, Paul Borghese and newcomer Robyn K Bennett, written by DeMeo and Borghese who also directs the movie, Once Upon A Time In Brooklyn stars Golden Globe nominated and Emmy Award winning actor Armand Assante (American Gangster, HBO’s Gotti), Ice-t (New Jack City), Vincent Pastore (Goodfellas), Ja Rule (The Fast And The Furious), William DeMeo (The Sopranos), Cathy Moriaty (Raging Bull) and Paul Borghese (Transamerica).
The film tells the story of Bobby Baldano, who after serving several prison sentences, is finally out. Although desperate to honor his family who...
Produced by William DeMeo, Paul Borghese and newcomer Robyn K Bennett, written by DeMeo and Borghese who also directs the movie, Once Upon A Time In Brooklyn stars Golden Globe nominated and Emmy Award winning actor Armand Assante (American Gangster, HBO’s Gotti), Ice-t (New Jack City), Vincent Pastore (Goodfellas), Ja Rule (The Fast And The Furious), William DeMeo (The Sopranos), Cathy Moriaty (Raging Bull) and Paul Borghese (Transamerica).
The film tells the story of Bobby Baldano, who after serving several prison sentences, is finally out. Although desperate to honor his family who...
- 2/6/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
She debuted her directorial debut, Party Girl at the fest (Sundance ’95) and now three films later, Daisy von Scherler Mayer found herself in the right place at the right time, working from what is most likely the best source material of her career with the stage to screenplay drama from Sundance regular, Neil Labute. Starring Kristen Bell, Jennifer Morrison, Zoe Kazan, Emily Watson, Adam Brody and Mía Maestro, filming on Some Girl(s) began in April and so this has been completed for several months now. Cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Any Day Now) and Production Designer’s Maya Sigel (Gun Hill Road) are part of the crew.
Gist: The film follows a man who revisits several of his scorned ex-girlfriends on the eve of his wedding. Watson plays Lindsay, a married woman with whom Brody’s character had an affair. Zoe Kazan, Jennifer Morrison and Mia Maestro play the main character’s other exes.
Gist: The film follows a man who revisits several of his scorned ex-girlfriends on the eve of his wedding. Watson plays Lindsay, a married woman with whom Brody’s character had an affair. Zoe Kazan, Jennifer Morrison and Mia Maestro play the main character’s other exes.
- 11/21/2012
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
The second annual Gary Indiana International Black Film Festival is set to kick off on Friday October 5 and will continue through October 7. One of major events for this years festival will be an appearence by filmmaker Robert Townsend (Five Heartbeats, The Meteor Man, Hollywood Shuffle, The Parent Hood, etc) who will screen and discuss his latest film project In The Hive ststarring the late Michael Clarke Duncan (in one of his last screen appearences), Loretta Devine, Vivica A. Fox and Roger Guenveur Smith Among the other films that will be screened are Byron Hurt's Soul Food Junkies, Steve James' The Interrupters and Rashad Ernesto Green's Gun Hill Road. ...
- 9/28/2012
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Adding to our Wednesday feature LatinoBuzz, Christine Davila, Sundance programmer is contributing Chicana from Chicago, her take on the Latino scene. Here is our first outing:
Diverse Voices, Universal Content
Runaway Renegade
Described as the largest gathering of Latinos working in media in the U.S., the 13thannual National Association of Latino Independent Producers (Nalip) Conference presented by Time Warner, most actively by way of HBO Latino and NBC Universal, and The National Latino Media Council, took place this weekend at the model tourist convention hub, Universal City Sheraton. Nalip finds itself in a bit of a transition following Kathryn Galan’s departure as Executive Director who spent almost eleven years at the organization shaping it into what it is today. The search is still on for a replacement but guiding the transition as Interim Director is the affable Beni Matias who started with Nalip from its inception. A couple of the board members are new, including Rosa Alonso, founder of My Latino Voicewho will lend her digital marketing expertise to the organization. These high level leadership changes can potentially bring about a revitalized and evolving mission to Nalip’s growing legacy. Covering the conference for Latin Heat Online Magazine, I greatly enjoyed the ability to observe and take part with an inquisitive gonzo-like spirit. Indeed I’d be remiss if I did not approach the significant Latino organization with an on-the-ground, critical eye, especially now while it is in a very ‘review mode’ on how to continue to stay relevant. Its crucial to recognize its monumental formation and landmark achievements. Equally as crucial is to identify how to pragmatically further the conversation it began thirteen years ago about Us Latino representation in front and behind the camera. Most important is to distill the relevant but sometimes incongruent messaging – for instance, the Robert Rodriguez keynote illustrated a polar opposite way of thinking to that of Ron Meyer’s keynote (Do we want to Break Out or Break In to the mainstream?), which makes for an intriguing forum of deeper discussion.
New Works/New Voices: A Storyteller's Journey panel with Tamir Muhammad, Tribeca Film Institute, Shari Frilot, Sundance Film Festival, Gun Hill Road filmmaker Rashaad Ernesto Green moderated by Luis Castro, HBO
Lovely RRRRRRita - recipient of Nalip's Lifetime Achievement Award and exclusive Egot (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) club member
What to expect from Chicana from Chicago’s multi-part Nalip coverage? A couple of case-studies/interviews with Rashaad Ernesto Green who epitomizes the Diy mentality which made his feature debut, Gun Hill Road a unique success story, the filmmaker Michael D. Olmos and his star, Gina Rodriguez ofFilly Brown who embody the Us Latino pop culture flavor.
I’d like to recognize the influential Gatekeepers at non-profit, artistic development institutions responsible for introducing the most fresh, diverse and underrepresented voices to audiences, like Shari Frilot, Senior Programmer at Sundance Film Festival, Tamir Muhammad, Director of Feature Programming at Tribeca Film Institute and Richard Ray Perez who is the newest and welcome U.S. Latino staff addition at Sundance Institute’s Documentary Feature Program. I’m also most excited to give you a heads up on fresh new film and multi-media projects in the works, and I’ll make sure to dish on the fancy Awards Gala.
I found the theme of Nalip 2012’s, “Diverse Voices, Universal Content” sounding futuristic and empowering, yet initially too broadly defined and perfunctory. I strongly feel that the more focus we can bring to next year’s themes, the better we’ll be able to advance conversation. That said, I’ve identified a few key points that were strong merits of this year’s Nalip, and an excellent way to frame and contextualize what was really being said:
Training our content producers and artists, to not only compete but to raise the bar and expectations in every industry. Advocate and encourage our friends of color and diversity in all professions, in particular policy-making fields, towards becoming ‘Decision Makers” The need to vocally and financially support ‘our own content’, as peers but especially obligate those in a position of power who represent us and utilize our fan-dom (Robert Rodriguez with his new El Rey network) Networking and sharing with peers, and takeaway the hard lessons learned by our elders, those who first paved in-roads into mainstreams, like Rita Moreno and Jerry Velasco, recipients of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Awards. Developing our individual and personal voices with which we distinguish our mestizo identity while simultaneously relating the universal the power of storytelling
Overall, I found Nalip an absolutely positive and celebratory environment. . I’m happy to share my thoughts but I would love and need to hear from You. I invite you to engage and kindly ask you to share your comments and observations from this year’s Nalip, and in general the landscape of Us Latino representation in media as you’ve experienced it.
Diverse Voices, Universal Content
Runaway Renegade
Described as the largest gathering of Latinos working in media in the U.S., the 13thannual National Association of Latino Independent Producers (Nalip) Conference presented by Time Warner, most actively by way of HBO Latino and NBC Universal, and The National Latino Media Council, took place this weekend at the model tourist convention hub, Universal City Sheraton. Nalip finds itself in a bit of a transition following Kathryn Galan’s departure as Executive Director who spent almost eleven years at the organization shaping it into what it is today. The search is still on for a replacement but guiding the transition as Interim Director is the affable Beni Matias who started with Nalip from its inception. A couple of the board members are new, including Rosa Alonso, founder of My Latino Voicewho will lend her digital marketing expertise to the organization. These high level leadership changes can potentially bring about a revitalized and evolving mission to Nalip’s growing legacy. Covering the conference for Latin Heat Online Magazine, I greatly enjoyed the ability to observe and take part with an inquisitive gonzo-like spirit. Indeed I’d be remiss if I did not approach the significant Latino organization with an on-the-ground, critical eye, especially now while it is in a very ‘review mode’ on how to continue to stay relevant. Its crucial to recognize its monumental formation and landmark achievements. Equally as crucial is to identify how to pragmatically further the conversation it began thirteen years ago about Us Latino representation in front and behind the camera. Most important is to distill the relevant but sometimes incongruent messaging – for instance, the Robert Rodriguez keynote illustrated a polar opposite way of thinking to that of Ron Meyer’s keynote (Do we want to Break Out or Break In to the mainstream?), which makes for an intriguing forum of deeper discussion.
New Works/New Voices: A Storyteller's Journey panel with Tamir Muhammad, Tribeca Film Institute, Shari Frilot, Sundance Film Festival, Gun Hill Road filmmaker Rashaad Ernesto Green moderated by Luis Castro, HBO
Lovely RRRRRRita - recipient of Nalip's Lifetime Achievement Award and exclusive Egot (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) club member
What to expect from Chicana from Chicago’s multi-part Nalip coverage? A couple of case-studies/interviews with Rashaad Ernesto Green who epitomizes the Diy mentality which made his feature debut, Gun Hill Road a unique success story, the filmmaker Michael D. Olmos and his star, Gina Rodriguez ofFilly Brown who embody the Us Latino pop culture flavor.
I’d like to recognize the influential Gatekeepers at non-profit, artistic development institutions responsible for introducing the most fresh, diverse and underrepresented voices to audiences, like Shari Frilot, Senior Programmer at Sundance Film Festival, Tamir Muhammad, Director of Feature Programming at Tribeca Film Institute and Richard Ray Perez who is the newest and welcome U.S. Latino staff addition at Sundance Institute’s Documentary Feature Program. I’m also most excited to give you a heads up on fresh new film and multi-media projects in the works, and I’ll make sure to dish on the fancy Awards Gala.
I found the theme of Nalip 2012’s, “Diverse Voices, Universal Content” sounding futuristic and empowering, yet initially too broadly defined and perfunctory. I strongly feel that the more focus we can bring to next year’s themes, the better we’ll be able to advance conversation. That said, I’ve identified a few key points that were strong merits of this year’s Nalip, and an excellent way to frame and contextualize what was really being said:
Training our content producers and artists, to not only compete but to raise the bar and expectations in every industry. Advocate and encourage our friends of color and diversity in all professions, in particular policy-making fields, towards becoming ‘Decision Makers” The need to vocally and financially support ‘our own content’, as peers but especially obligate those in a position of power who represent us and utilize our fan-dom (Robert Rodriguez with his new El Rey network) Networking and sharing with peers, and takeaway the hard lessons learned by our elders, those who first paved in-roads into mainstreams, like Rita Moreno and Jerry Velasco, recipients of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Awards. Developing our individual and personal voices with which we distinguish our mestizo identity while simultaneously relating the universal the power of storytelling
Overall, I found Nalip an absolutely positive and celebratory environment. . I’m happy to share my thoughts but I would love and need to hear from You. I invite you to engage and kindly ask you to share your comments and observations from this year’s Nalip, and in general the landscape of Us Latino representation in media as you’ve experienced it.
- 4/25/2012
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
The media-driven stereotype of the Lgbt community is largely of an affluent white community. The well turned out men of Queer Eye putting you in fancy clothes, decor and food. Will rooming with Grace in a Manhattan apartment. A trendy liberal in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco. To the degree that society wants to think about homosexuals, they want gay to mean happy and fabulous. This isn’t the reality for many, especially Lgbt youth from poor urban communities. It’s a sad fact that Black Protestant and Hispanic Catholic parents are often less accepting of homosexuality, leaving these kids in a bind. A few recent films have attempted to shine a light on this reality, though as one director noted, often reduced by distributors to “urban niche” (urban meaning Black and niche meaning Lgbt) and not likely to have broad appeal.
Leave It On The Floor is a...
Leave It On The Floor is a...
- 4/2/2012
- by Erik Bondurant
- SoundOnSight
We’ve already got the The Black List, which highlights Hollywood’s top unproduced screenplays as voted on by those in the business. In an effort to dig deeper for more independent hidden talent, New York University has recently announced The Purple List, showcasing the top production ready feature screenplays written by students or recent alums of the Grad Film Program.
As voted on by a number of people in the industry, such as Jodie Foster, John Sayles and Karyn Kusama, could the below be the next Sin Nombre, Pariah, Circumstance or Gun Hill Road? Check out the list, which was founded by thesis students Ash Bhalla and Shandor Garrison. There is more on their official site, via indieWIRE, who also provide a quote from Nyu Grad Film Creative Director Spike Lee:
“The movie industry has long taken notice of the talent that comes out of Nyu Grad Film,...
As voted on by a number of people in the industry, such as Jodie Foster, John Sayles and Karyn Kusama, could the below be the next Sin Nombre, Pariah, Circumstance or Gun Hill Road? Check out the list, which was founded by thesis students Ash Bhalla and Shandor Garrison. There is more on their official site, via indieWIRE, who also provide a quote from Nyu Grad Film Creative Director Spike Lee:
“The movie industry has long taken notice of the talent that comes out of Nyu Grad Film,...
- 3/21/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Following on from the Top 10 Screenwriting Tips from Script to Screen post, I thought I’d write a companion piece on pitching, as Saturday’s Script to Screen conference also featured “Pitch Intermission” sessions in which a panel of experts fielded pitches and then offered advice on how the screenwriters could hone their spiel. The industry figures giving their insider expertise were: Ron Simons, the producer of Gun Hill Road and Night Catches Us; Dana O’Keefe, a sales agent at Cinetic; Dia Sokol, a producer of both MTV reality shows and Mumblecore movies; and David Young, head writer at CollegeHumor.com. Below are the best 10 bits of advice that were handed out.
1. Wear your heart on your sleeve. “Put across why you’re passionate about in your project,” said Ron Simons, “because that will help us be passionate about it too.”
2. Keep it loose. “Try and be personal and conversational,...
1. Wear your heart on your sleeve. “Put across why you’re passionate about in your project,” said Ron Simons, “because that will help us be passionate about it too.”
2. Keep it loose. “Try and be personal and conversational,...
- 3/19/2012
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Seth Rogen hosted the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday evening and the winners are:
Best Feature: The Artist. Also nominated: 50/50, Beginners, Drive, Take Shelter and The Descendants.
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist). Nominated: Mike Mills (Beginners), Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive), Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter), and Alexander Payne (The Descendants).
Best First Feature: Margin Call. Nominated: Another Earth, In The Family, , Martha Marcy May Marlene and Natural Selection.
Best Male Lead Performance: Jean Dujardin (The Artist). Nominated: Demián Bichir (A Better Life), , Ryan Gosling (Drive), Woody Harrelson (Rampart) and Michael Shannon (Take Shelter).
Best Female Lead Performance: Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn). Nominated: Lauren Ambrose (Think of Me), Rachel Harris (Natural Selection), Adepero Oduye (Pariah) and Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene).
Best Supporting Male Performance: Christopher Plummer (Beginners). Nominated: Albert Brooks (Drive), John Hawkes (Martha Marcy May Marlene), John C Reilly (Cedar Rapids) and Corey Stoll (Midnight in Paris...
Best Feature: The Artist. Also nominated: 50/50, Beginners, Drive, Take Shelter and The Descendants.
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist). Nominated: Mike Mills (Beginners), Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive), Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter), and Alexander Payne (The Descendants).
Best First Feature: Margin Call. Nominated: Another Earth, In The Family, , Martha Marcy May Marlene and Natural Selection.
Best Male Lead Performance: Jean Dujardin (The Artist). Nominated: Demián Bichir (A Better Life), , Ryan Gosling (Drive), Woody Harrelson (Rampart) and Michael Shannon (Take Shelter).
Best Female Lead Performance: Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn). Nominated: Lauren Ambrose (Think of Me), Rachel Harris (Natural Selection), Adepero Oduye (Pariah) and Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene).
Best Supporting Male Performance: Christopher Plummer (Beginners). Nominated: Albert Brooks (Drive), John Hawkes (Martha Marcy May Marlene), John C Reilly (Cedar Rapids) and Corey Stoll (Midnight in Paris...
- 2/27/2012
- MUBI
As I predicted, The Artist was the big winner at last night Spirit Awards ceremony, taking home 4 out of 5 honors. It’s only loss came in the Best Screenplay category, where it was the dark horse–being without dialogue and all. Yet it managed the mean feat of scoring Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Actor and Best Feature. Last year Black Swan made a similar sweep at the Spirits (except Best Female Lead instead of Best Male), but only Natalie Portman garnered an Oscar the following night. However, it’s likely The Artist’s luck will carry through the Academy Awards. Aside from nods in its Spirit-nominated categories, the silent stunner is also up for five others, including Best Supporting Actress for Bérénice Bejo. Basically, it’s seems impossible tonight will be a one-win event for The Artist.
A shock to some, Take Shelter, which had also been nominated for five Spirit awards,...
A shock to some, Take Shelter, which had also been nominated for five Spirit awards,...
- 2/26/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
For the past twelve years, the Independent Spirit Awards have been held the night before the Oscars, and although the two sets of nominees sometimes overlap, traditionally the Spirit Awards end up honouring most of the films that the Academy ignores. This year things might be a little bit different, however, as Michel Hazanavicius' The Artist ended up taking home a handful of the major Spirit Awards including Best Feature, Best Director and Best Male Lead. As far as I know, the Spirit Awards and the Academy Awards have only picked the same Best Picture once before: Oliver Stone's Platoon in 1986. Christopher Plummer also won for Best Supporting Male, while Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn) won for Best Female Lead. Is this all a sign of what's to come tomorrow night? There are at least a few Spirit Award winners who won't be repeating at the Academy...
- 2/26/2012
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
Michel Hazanavicius' "The Artist" was the big winner at the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards. The black-and-white silent film took home Best Feature, Director for Hazanavicius, Best Male Lead for Jean Dujardin, and Best Cinematography for Guillaume Schiffman.
In the performance categories, Michelle Williams took home the Best Female Lead award for her Marilyn Monroe portrayal in "My Week with Marilyn." Shailene Woodley, snubbed by the Academy for her memorable performance as George Clooney's daughter in "The Descendants," won Best Supporting Actress while Oscar frontrunner, Christopher Plummer, received the Best Supporting Actor award for his performance in "Beginners."
Held on Santa Monica Beach and hosted by Seth Rogen, the 27th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be broadcast by IFC at 10 p.m. Pst/Est.
Here's the complete list of winners (highlighted) and nominees of the Independent Spirit Awards:
Best Feature
50/50 - Producers: Evan Goldberg, Ben Karlin, Seth Rogen...
In the performance categories, Michelle Williams took home the Best Female Lead award for her Marilyn Monroe portrayal in "My Week with Marilyn." Shailene Woodley, snubbed by the Academy for her memorable performance as George Clooney's daughter in "The Descendants," won Best Supporting Actress while Oscar frontrunner, Christopher Plummer, received the Best Supporting Actor award for his performance in "Beginners."
Held on Santa Monica Beach and hosted by Seth Rogen, the 27th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be broadcast by IFC at 10 p.m. Pst/Est.
Here's the complete list of winners (highlighted) and nominees of the Independent Spirit Awards:
Best Feature
50/50 - Producers: Evan Goldberg, Ben Karlin, Seth Rogen...
- 2/26/2012
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, The Artist The Artist, Jean Dujardin, Michelle Williams: Spirit Award Winners Best Feature (Award given to the producer) 50/50 Producers: Evan Goldberg, Ben Karlin, Seth Rogen Beginners Producers: Miranda de Pencier, Lars Knudsen, Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech, Jay Van Hoy Drive Producers: Michel Litvak, John Palermo, Marc Platt, Gigi Pritzker, Adam Siegel Take Shelter Producers: Tyler Davidson, Sophia Lin * The Artist Producer: Thomas Langmann The Descendants Producers: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor Best Director * Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist Mike Mills – Beginners Jeff Nichols – Take Shelter Alexander Payne – The Descendants Nicolas Winding Refn – Drive Best Screenplay Joseph Cedar – Footnote Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist Tom McCarthy – Win Win Mike Mills – Beginners * Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash – The Descendants Best International Film (Award given to the director) * A Separation (Iran) Director: Asghar Farhadi Melancholia (Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany) Director: Lars von Trier Shame (UK) Director: Steve McQueen...
- 2/25/2012
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Hardly a surprise to anyone, The Artist dominated the 2012 Independent Spirit Awards, winning for Best Feature, Director (Michel Hazanavicius), Actor (Jean Dujardin) and Cinematography (Guillaume Schiffman). There were some complaints in the Twitter-verse as Penelope Anne Miller accepted the awards for The Artist up until Hazanavicius and the rest of The Artist team arrived five minutes before Hazanavicious was named Best Director. The reason? They'd just landed at Lax after flying in from France where The Artist won six awards at the Cesar Awards, France's equivalent of the Oscars, last night. A police escort managed to get them to the Spirits just in time for their third win of the night... also in time to take the stage to accept Best Feature Film. The Artist went into the Spirits with Take Shelter as the leading nominees with both receiving five nominations each. Take Shelter, however, only ended up going home...
- 2/25/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Chicago – Welcome to the HollywoodChicago.com coverage of the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards. These awards honor the best in independent film for 2011. Seth Rogen is hosting the Awards which will be shown at 9 p.m. Cst on IFC.
Below you will find a list of all the nominees for each category. As winners are announced, the list will be updated with winners appearing with a Spirit Awards icon next to them. All of the winners will have been announced before the show tonight, so if you don’t want to be Spoiled before watching the awards, don’t read any further.
Film Independent Spirit Awards
Photo credit: Film Independent
Best Feature
The Artist
Beginners
The Descendants
Drive
50/50
Take Shelter
Best Female Lead
Lauren Ambrose, “Think of Me”
Rachael Harris, “Natural Selection”
Adepero Oduye, “Pariah”
Elizabeth Olsen, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
Best Male Lead
Demián Bichir,...
Below you will find a list of all the nominees for each category. As winners are announced, the list will be updated with winners appearing with a Spirit Awards icon next to them. All of the winners will have been announced before the show tonight, so if you don’t want to be Spoiled before watching the awards, don’t read any further.
Film Independent Spirit Awards
Photo credit: Film Independent
Best Feature
The Artist
Beginners
The Descendants
Drive
50/50
Take Shelter
Best Female Lead
Lauren Ambrose, “Think of Me”
Rachael Harris, “Natural Selection”
Adepero Oduye, “Pariah”
Elizabeth Olsen, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
Best Male Lead
Demián Bichir,...
- 2/25/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
'The Artist' dominates, winning best feature, director, male lead (Jean Dujardin) and cinematography.
By Mary J. Dimeglio
Director for "The Artist," Michel Hazanavicius
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images
"The Artist" dominated the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday afternoon, snagging trophies for best feature, director, male lead (Jean Dujardin) and cinematography.
Michelle Williams was awarded Best Female Lead for her role in "My Week With Marilyn," while Best Supporting honors went to Christopher Plummer ("Beginners") and Shailene Woodley ("The Descendants").
The ceremony, hosted by Seth Rogan, will air at 10 p.m. Et/Pt Saturday (February 25) on IFC.
Best Feature
"50/50"
"Beginners"
"Drive"
"Take Shelter"
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"
Mike Mills - "Beginners"
Jeff Nichols - "Take Shelter"
Alexander Payne - "The Descendants"
Nicolas Winding Refn - "Drive"
Best Screenplay
Joseph Cedar - "Footnote"
Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"
Tom McCarthy - "Win Win...
By Mary J. Dimeglio
Director for "The Artist," Michel Hazanavicius
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images
"The Artist" dominated the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday afternoon, snagging trophies for best feature, director, male lead (Jean Dujardin) and cinematography.
Michelle Williams was awarded Best Female Lead for her role in "My Week With Marilyn," while Best Supporting honors went to Christopher Plummer ("Beginners") and Shailene Woodley ("The Descendants").
The ceremony, hosted by Seth Rogan, will air at 10 p.m. Et/Pt Saturday (February 25) on IFC.
Best Feature
"50/50"
"Beginners"
"Drive"
"Take Shelter"
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"
Mike Mills - "Beginners"
Jeff Nichols - "Take Shelter"
Alexander Payne - "The Descendants"
Nicolas Winding Refn - "Drive"
Best Screenplay
Joseph Cedar - "Footnote"
Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"
Tom McCarthy - "Win Win...
- 2/25/2012
- MTV Music News
'The Artist' dominates, winning best feature, director, male lead (Jean Dujardin) and cinematography.
By Mary J. Dimeglio
Director for "The Artist," Michel Hazanavicius
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images
"The Artist" dominated the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday afternoon, snagging trophies for best feature, director, male lead (Jean Dujardin) and cinematography.
Michelle Williams was awarded Best Female Lead for her role in "My Week With Marilyn," while Best Supporting honors went to Christopher Plummer ("Beginners") and Shailene Woodley ("The Descendants").
The ceremony, hosted by Seth Rogan, will air at 10 p.m. Et/Pt Saturday (February 25) on IFC.
Best Feature
"50/50"
"Beginners"
"Drive"
"Take Shelter"
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"
Mike Mills - "Beginners"
Jeff Nichols - "Take Shelter"
Alexander Payne - "The Descendants"
Nicolas Winding Refn - "Drive"
Best Screenplay
Joseph Cedar - "Footnote"
Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"
Tom McCarthy - "Win Win...
By Mary J. Dimeglio
Director for "The Artist," Michel Hazanavicius
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images
"The Artist" dominated the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday afternoon, snagging trophies for best feature, director, male lead (Jean Dujardin) and cinematography.
Michelle Williams was awarded Best Female Lead for her role in "My Week With Marilyn," while Best Supporting honors went to Christopher Plummer ("Beginners") and Shailene Woodley ("The Descendants").
The ceremony, hosted by Seth Rogan, will air at 10 p.m. Et/Pt Saturday (February 25) on IFC.
Best Feature
"50/50"
"Beginners"
"Drive"
"Take Shelter"
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"
Mike Mills - "Beginners"
Jeff Nichols - "Take Shelter"
Alexander Payne - "The Descendants"
Nicolas Winding Refn - "Drive"
Best Screenplay
Joseph Cedar - "Footnote"
Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"
Tom McCarthy - "Win Win...
- 2/25/2012
- MTV Movie News
This weekend isn't just about the Oscars, for the record. Saturday night, as is traditional, sees the warm-up for the big show with the 2012 Spirit Awards, Film Independent's antidote to the Academy Awards, intended to honor the best of independent cinema. With recent winners of the top prize including "Juno," "The Wrestler," "Precious" and "Black Swan," they've provided the opportunity for films that are perhaps a little too dark, small or offbeat to win Best Picture from the Academy the chance to grab some gold.
This year, things may be a little different, with oscar front-runner "The Artist" nominated in multiple categories, so we could end up seeing the two ceremonies mirroring each other more closely than ever. But will that actually be the case? True to their name, the Independent Spirits have been known to go their own way. We've run down our predictions below, and stay tuned for...
This year, things may be a little different, with oscar front-runner "The Artist" nominated in multiple categories, so we could end up seeing the two ceremonies mirroring each other more closely than ever. But will that actually be the case? True to their name, the Independent Spirits have been known to go their own way. We've run down our predictions below, and stay tuned for...
- 2/24/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
The Independent Feature Project is now accepting applications for two of its international programs.
The Cannes Producer’s Network, a week-long immersion program, runs concurrently with the Cannes International Film Festival in May. The program is specifically designed for experienced producers looking to build their international networks and share expertise on the international production, financing, and packaging marketplace. Recent participants have included Howard Gertler (Shortbus), Anita Onadine & Lance Weiler (Head Trauma, Pandemic), Mike Ryan (Choke), Susan Stover (Laurel Canyon), and Ron Simons (Gun Hill Road, Night Catches Us).
To apply, please send a resume and one-page letter of interest to John Sylva (jsylva@ifp.org), by Tuesday, March 6th. Five producers
will be selected to attend the Producers Network and two emerging producers will attend the Producer’s Lab. All applicants must be
Ifp members at any level to be considered for the program.
Applications are also open for the 2012 Trans Atlantic Partners Fellowship,...
The Cannes Producer’s Network, a week-long immersion program, runs concurrently with the Cannes International Film Festival in May. The program is specifically designed for experienced producers looking to build their international networks and share expertise on the international production, financing, and packaging marketplace. Recent participants have included Howard Gertler (Shortbus), Anita Onadine & Lance Weiler (Head Trauma, Pandemic), Mike Ryan (Choke), Susan Stover (Laurel Canyon), and Ron Simons (Gun Hill Road, Night Catches Us).
To apply, please send a resume and one-page letter of interest to John Sylva (jsylva@ifp.org), by Tuesday, March 6th. Five producers
will be selected to attend the Producers Network and two emerging producers will attend the Producer’s Lab. All applicants must be
Ifp members at any level to be considered for the program.
Applications are also open for the 2012 Trans Atlantic Partners Fellowship,...
- 2/22/2012
- by Dan Schoenbrun
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
This is it! The final week of Voting Spirit 2012. Last week I completed my journey to see all 38 nominated features, and then I–along with scores of other Ifp and Film Independent members– cast my ballot. And now I’ll break down for you my final thoughts on the nominees, as well as who will win and who should.
Tyrannosaur, The Kid With A Bike, Shame, A Separation, Melancholia
A curious trend in this year’s International nominees is a tendency toward truly dark drama. The Dardenne Bros. Kid With a Bike contains a lot of violence for a film about a young boy. Steve McQueen’s Shame dives headfirst into the depths of sexual depravity; while Paddy Considine’s deeply bleak Tyrannosaur paints a portrait so revolting that it dares you not to look away. Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation explores the troubling realm of what happens when good people make awful choices,...
Tyrannosaur, The Kid With A Bike, Shame, A Separation, Melancholia
A curious trend in this year’s International nominees is a tendency toward truly dark drama. The Dardenne Bros. Kid With a Bike contains a lot of violence for a film about a young boy. Steve McQueen’s Shame dives headfirst into the depths of sexual depravity; while Paddy Considine’s deeply bleak Tyrannosaur paints a portrait so revolting that it dares you not to look away. Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation explores the troubling realm of what happens when good people make awful choices,...
- 2/21/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Socially conscious media professionals and actress Judy Reyes (Gun Hill Road, Scrubs) will come together to raise money for Breastcancer.org on February 15, 2012.
The 3rd Annual Bowling for Breastcancer.org will be held at Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge in Manhattan from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Proceeds from the charity fundraiser will help fund expansion of the newly launched Spanish translation, Think Pink, Live Green—Breastcancer.org’s Global Breast Cancer Prevention Initiative, enhancements to Breastcancer.org’s current online content, mobile optimization, and video programming.
Breastcancer.org is the leading online resource for breast health and breast cancer information and support. Breastcancer.org is a place where women and men affected by breast cancer can find everything they need now: the most up-to-date medical information and research, risk and prevention information, a supportive and robust online community, and a friendly and compassionate atmosphere.
Read more...
The 3rd Annual Bowling for Breastcancer.org will be held at Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge in Manhattan from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Proceeds from the charity fundraiser will help fund expansion of the newly launched Spanish translation, Think Pink, Live Green—Breastcancer.org’s Global Breast Cancer Prevention Initiative, enhancements to Breastcancer.org’s current online content, mobile optimization, and video programming.
Breastcancer.org is the leading online resource for breast health and breast cancer information and support. Breastcancer.org is a place where women and men affected by breast cancer can find everything they need now: the most up-to-date medical information and research, risk and prevention information, a supportive and robust online community, and a friendly and compassionate atmosphere.
Read more...
- 1/27/2012
- Look to the Stars
First, a reminder that the last two episodes of Prime Suspect air tonight at 9 pm on NBC.
And a bunch of cast news:
Esai Morales has been nominated for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for his work in We Have Your Husband. Big congrats!
And also congrats to the Gun Hill Road team on the nomination for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film (Limited Release). Still no DVD release date for Ghr.
Not sure if I mentioned it, but Eric Stoltz directed an episode of Californication last year. The episode now has a title and an air date: "Love Song," February 12. Spoiler TV has the synopsis.
Magda Apanowicz has a new credit on the IMDb. She will make an appearance in episode 1x06 of Holliston, the first original series from the FEARnet cable channel. The show is a horror sitcom,...
And a bunch of cast news:
Esai Morales has been nominated for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for his work in We Have Your Husband. Big congrats!
And also congrats to the Gun Hill Road team on the nomination for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film (Limited Release). Still no DVD release date for Ghr.
Not sure if I mentioned it, but Eric Stoltz directed an episode of Californication last year. The episode now has a title and an air date: "Love Song," February 12. Spoiler TV has the synopsis.
Magda Apanowicz has a new credit on the IMDb. She will make an appearance in episode 1x06 of Holliston, the first original series from the FEARnet cable channel. The show is a horror sitcom,...
- 1/23/2012
- by fanshawe
- CapricaTV
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