Venom may have made over $850 million at the box office, proving to Sony that they could build their own lucrative Marvel universe even without Spider-Man, but it wasn’t exactly a great movie. Besides Tom Hardy’s entertainingly bizarre performance as the title character, there’s nothing particularly memorable about it at all, with the story as generic as it comes, some talented actors completely wasted in two-dimensional supporting roles and incredibly inconsistent CGI for a $100 million blockbuster.
That being said, there is renewed hope surrounding the upcoming Venom 2. Following his sequel-baiting cameo at the end of the first movie, Woody Harrelson takes center stage as Eddie Brock’s arch-nemesis and fan favorite villain Carnage, thankfully sporting a much better and more convincing wig than he did the first time round.
Original director Ruben Fleischer has also been replaced by Andy Serkis, and while it may only be his third feature,...
That being said, there is renewed hope surrounding the upcoming Venom 2. Following his sequel-baiting cameo at the end of the first movie, Woody Harrelson takes center stage as Eddie Brock’s arch-nemesis and fan favorite villain Carnage, thankfully sporting a much better and more convincing wig than he did the first time round.
Original director Ruben Fleischer has also been replaced by Andy Serkis, and while it may only be his third feature,...
- 2/29/2020
- by Scott Campbell
- We Got This Covered
Here’s your daily dose of an indie film, web series, TV pilot, what-have-you in progress, as presented by the creators themselves. At the end of the week, you’ll have the chance to vote for your favorite.
In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments.
The Sounding
Logline: Liv, after years of silence, begins to weave a language of her own out of Shakespeare’s words. “The Sounding” is a psychological mystery about a woman who literally speaks her mind. Crazy, right?
Elevator Pitch:
On an island off the coast of Maine, Liv, after years of silence, begins to weave a language out of Shakespeare’s words. A driven neurologist, brought to the island to protect her, commits her to a psychiatric hospital. She becomes a full-blown rebel; her increasing violence threatens to keep her locked up for life as...
In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments.
The Sounding
Logline: Liv, after years of silence, begins to weave a language of her own out of Shakespeare’s words. “The Sounding” is a psychological mystery about a woman who literally speaks her mind. Crazy, right?
Elevator Pitch:
On an island off the coast of Maine, Liv, after years of silence, begins to weave a language out of Shakespeare’s words. A driven neurologist, brought to the island to protect her, commits her to a psychiatric hospital. She becomes a full-blown rebel; her increasing violence threatens to keep her locked up for life as...
- 12/12/2016
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Kayti Burt Aug 10, 2016
Where We Have Always Lived In The Castle is coming to the screen, with The Winter Soldier, Sebastian Stan, taking a lead role...
Sebastian Stan does creepy oh-so-well, and the Captain America star will be bringing his talents to the horror film Where We Have Always Lived In The Castle, a film adaption of the short story written by Shirley Jackson — best known for her novel The Haunting Of Hill House.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stan is playing the role of creepy cousin Charles Blackwood in a story about a New England family who has lost four of its number to a mysterious poisoning several years prior. In the time since, the family has isolated itself from the rest of the town in the hopes of staying safe, using rituals and talismans to keep the hostile townspeople away. When Charles shows up on the scene intent on acquiring the family's fortune,...
Where We Have Always Lived In The Castle is coming to the screen, with The Winter Soldier, Sebastian Stan, taking a lead role...
Sebastian Stan does creepy oh-so-well, and the Captain America star will be bringing his talents to the horror film Where We Have Always Lived In The Castle, a film adaption of the short story written by Shirley Jackson — best known for her novel The Haunting Of Hill House.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stan is playing the role of creepy cousin Charles Blackwood in a story about a New England family who has lost four of its number to a mysterious poisoning several years prior. In the time since, the family has isolated itself from the rest of the town in the hopes of staying safe, using rituals and talismans to keep the hostile townspeople away. When Charles shows up on the scene intent on acquiring the family's fortune,...
- 8/9/2016
- Den of Geek
If you’ve watched your fair share of prestige TV you probably know Maggie Siff from “Mad Men” and “Sons of Anarchy.” She also had a terrific lead turn in the Sundance indie “Concussion” in 2013. Currently kicking ass on Showtime’s “Billions,” Siff also landed a plum role in “A Woman, A Part,” which had its world […]
The post Exclusive: Watch The Trailer For Drama ‘A Woman, A Part’ With ‘Billions’ Star Maggie Siff appeared first on The Playlist.
The post Exclusive: Watch The Trailer For Drama ‘A Woman, A Part’ With ‘Billions’ Star Maggie Siff appeared first on The Playlist.
- 6/24/2016
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Director, producer and screenwriter Rose Troche (The L Word, Go Fish, Concussion) will present at the 360 Vision lab intensive being held during Vivid Sydney..
Initiated by Screen Nsw with the ABC, Screen Australia and Event Cinemas will also partner on the 360 Vision event, Australia.s first Virtual Reality development initiative..
The initiative kicks off with an intensive one-day invitation-only lab at Carriageworks to be held June 7, at which Troche will present alongside other international and Australian leaders in Vr. .
Troche is best known as the co executive producer, writer and director of the groundbreaking Showtime series The L Word.
She has also directed episodes of Six Feet Under, Ugly Betty and Law & Order, and first came to prominence in 1994 when her directorial debut Go Fish premiered at Sundance..
.I am honored to be a part of the Screen Nsw Virtual Reality event - 360 Vision. The line up is incredible and...
Initiated by Screen Nsw with the ABC, Screen Australia and Event Cinemas will also partner on the 360 Vision event, Australia.s first Virtual Reality development initiative..
The initiative kicks off with an intensive one-day invitation-only lab at Carriageworks to be held June 7, at which Troche will present alongside other international and Australian leaders in Vr. .
Troche is best known as the co executive producer, writer and director of the groundbreaking Showtime series The L Word.
She has also directed episodes of Six Feet Under, Ugly Betty and Law & Order, and first came to prominence in 1994 when her directorial debut Go Fish premiered at Sundance..
.I am honored to be a part of the Screen Nsw Virtual Reality event - 360 Vision. The line up is incredible and...
- 4/6/2016
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Director, producer and screenwriter Rose Troche (The L Word, Go Fish, Concussion) will present at the 360 Vision lab intensive being held during Vivid Sydney..
Initiated by Screen Nsw with the ABC, Screen Australia and Event Cinemas will also partner on the 360 Vision event, Australia.s first Virtual Reality development initiative..
The initiative kicks off with an intensive one-day invitation-only lab at Carriageworks to be held June 7, at which Troche will present alongside other international and Australian leaders in Vr. .
Troche is best known as the co executive producer, writer and director of the groundbreaking Showtime series The L Word.
She has also directed episodes of Six Feet Under, Ugly Betty and Law & Order, and first came to prominence in 1994 when her directorial debut Go Fish premiered at Sundance..
.I am honored to be a part of the Screen Nsw Virtual Reality event - 360 Vision. The line up is incredible and...
Initiated by Screen Nsw with the ABC, Screen Australia and Event Cinemas will also partner on the 360 Vision event, Australia.s first Virtual Reality development initiative..
The initiative kicks off with an intensive one-day invitation-only lab at Carriageworks to be held June 7, at which Troche will present alongside other international and Australian leaders in Vr. .
Troche is best known as the co executive producer, writer and director of the groundbreaking Showtime series The L Word.
She has also directed episodes of Six Feet Under, Ugly Betty and Law & Order, and first came to prominence in 1994 when her directorial debut Go Fish premiered at Sundance..
.I am honored to be a part of the Screen Nsw Virtual Reality event - 360 Vision. The line up is incredible and...
- 4/6/2016
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Director, producer and screenwriter Rose Troche (The L Word, Go Fish, Concussion) will present at the 360 Vision lab intensive being held during Vivid Sydney..
Initiated by Screen Nsw with the ABC, Screen Australia and Event Cinemas will also partner on the 360 Vision event, Australia.s first Virtual Reality development initiative..
The initiative kicks off with an intensive one-day invitation-only lab at Carriageworks to be held June 7, at which Troche will present alongside other international and Australian leaders in Vr. .
Troche is best known as the co executive producer, writer and director of the groundbreaking Showtime series The L Word.
She has also directed episodes of Six Feet Under, Ugly Betty and Law & Order, and first came to prominence in 1994 when her directorial debut Go Fish premiered at Sundance..
.I am honored to be a part of the Screen Nsw Virtual Reality event - 360 Vision. The line up is incredible and...
Initiated by Screen Nsw with the ABC, Screen Australia and Event Cinemas will also partner on the 360 Vision event, Australia.s first Virtual Reality development initiative..
The initiative kicks off with an intensive one-day invitation-only lab at Carriageworks to be held June 7, at which Troche will present alongside other international and Australian leaders in Vr. .
Troche is best known as the co executive producer, writer and director of the groundbreaking Showtime series The L Word.
She has also directed episodes of Six Feet Under, Ugly Betty and Law & Order, and first came to prominence in 1994 when her directorial debut Go Fish premiered at Sundance..
.I am honored to be a part of the Screen Nsw Virtual Reality event - 360 Vision. The line up is incredible and...
- 4/6/2016
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
River of No Return: Sobel Brings Scent of Southern Gothic to the Mid-West with Stellar Debut
Family reunions have tremendous potential as battlefields for dysfunctional reparations, and provide easy arenas for comedy or drama to flourish. Director Matt Sobel draws upon the decidedly uncomfortable sort with his debut, Take Me to the River, an astute collision of adolescent anguish, coming-out suppression, and rural redneck nightmare all rolled into a flammable powder keg that leaks incendiary fumes but never builds to explosive relief. Age old juxtapositions, such as the sinful worldliness of Californians vs. corn-fed Midwestern white values, are enhanced by the dramatic charge of queer tensions Sobel compellingly conjures. Sure to make you squirm thanks to a reservoir of debauched sexuality lurking underneath the thin veneer of respectable propriety, Sobel culls a handful of startlingly realistic performances from a fine cast.
17-year-old Ryder (Logan Miller) is on his way...
Family reunions have tremendous potential as battlefields for dysfunctional reparations, and provide easy arenas for comedy or drama to flourish. Director Matt Sobel draws upon the decidedly uncomfortable sort with his debut, Take Me to the River, an astute collision of adolescent anguish, coming-out suppression, and rural redneck nightmare all rolled into a flammable powder keg that leaks incendiary fumes but never builds to explosive relief. Age old juxtapositions, such as the sinful worldliness of Californians vs. corn-fed Midwestern white values, are enhanced by the dramatic charge of queer tensions Sobel compellingly conjures. Sure to make you squirm thanks to a reservoir of debauched sexuality lurking underneath the thin veneer of respectable propriety, Sobel culls a handful of startlingly realistic performances from a fine cast.
17-year-old Ryder (Logan Miller) is on his way...
- 3/14/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
The Good Wife
"Supernatural" and "Watchmen" star Jeffrey Dean Morgan has scored a series regular role on the seventh season of CBS' legal drama "The Good Wife". Morgan will play an experienced and calm investigator named Alex whom Alicia (Julianna Margulies) hires. The new season premieres October 4th. [Source: Variety]
Adventure Time
Cartoon Network has renewed five of its top-performing series - "Adventure Time," "Regular Show," "Uncle Grandpa," "Steven Universe" and "Clarence".
'Adventure' and 'Regular' will be getting their eighth seasons, 'Grandpa' and 'Universe' their third and "Clarence" its second. Nearly all five series rank No. 1 in their respective time periods among kids/boys. [Source: The Live Feed]
Transparent
Acclaimed "Fish Tank" and "Wuthering Heights" director Andrea Arnold has reportedly directed two episodes of the upcoming second season of Amazon's transgender drama "Transparent".
Arnold joins a list of acclaimed female film helmers who tackled several episodes each for the new season including Marielle Heller ("The Diary Of A Teenage Girl...
"Supernatural" and "Watchmen" star Jeffrey Dean Morgan has scored a series regular role on the seventh season of CBS' legal drama "The Good Wife". Morgan will play an experienced and calm investigator named Alex whom Alicia (Julianna Margulies) hires. The new season premieres October 4th. [Source: Variety]
Adventure Time
Cartoon Network has renewed five of its top-performing series - "Adventure Time," "Regular Show," "Uncle Grandpa," "Steven Universe" and "Clarence".
'Adventure' and 'Regular' will be getting their eighth seasons, 'Grandpa' and 'Universe' their third and "Clarence" its second. Nearly all five series rank No. 1 in their respective time periods among kids/boys. [Source: The Live Feed]
Transparent
Acclaimed "Fish Tank" and "Wuthering Heights" director Andrea Arnold has reportedly directed two episodes of the upcoming second season of Amazon's transgender drama "Transparent".
Arnold joins a list of acclaimed female film helmers who tackled several episodes each for the new season including Marielle Heller ("The Diary Of A Teenage Girl...
- 7/8/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
How much does Amazon love "Transparent"? Well, they've already renewed the award-winning, critically acclaimed, audience loved show for a third season, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. The second season of the Jill Soloway guided series is yet to air and on the way, and there's an additional reason to put this one on your radar. Andrea Arnold ("Fish Tank," "Wuthering Heights") has directed two episodes from the upcoming season. She's joined behind the camera by Soloway herself, along with Marielle Heller (Sundance award winner "The Diary Of A Teenage Girl"), Stacie Passon (Berlin award winner "Concussion"), and Silas Howard. That's a pretty terrific range of talent for the season's ten episodes, and notably, a lineup led by women as well. Read More: 5 Reasons To Binge-Watch Amazon's New Series 'Transparent' For Arnold, the gig continues what seems to be a swing toward the mainstream or at least,...
- 7/7/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Rick Grimes and and the living dead of Robert Kirkman's comic book world get a new look from artist Gilbert Hernandez in the Wizard World Las Vegas variant cover art for The Walking Dead #1. Also featured in our latest round-up are release details for The Lazarus Effect Blu-ray, as well as the trailer for The Dead Lands.
Variant Cover for The Walking Dead #1: Press Release - "Las Vegas, April 13, 2015 -- Wizard World, Inc. (Otcbb: Wizd) and Skybound, Robert Kirkman’s imprint at Image Comics, today announced that Love & Rockets creator Gilbert Hernandez has drawn the seventh in a yearlong series of Limited Edition Exclusive Variant Covers of The Walking Dead #1 comic, to be provided free to all full-price attendees at the inaugural Wizard World Comic Con Las Vegas, April 24-26. Skybound’s The Walking Dead created by Kirkman, the groundbreaking, Eisner Award winning comic book series, continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Variant Cover for The Walking Dead #1: Press Release - "Las Vegas, April 13, 2015 -- Wizard World, Inc. (Otcbb: Wizd) and Skybound, Robert Kirkman’s imprint at Image Comics, today announced that Love & Rockets creator Gilbert Hernandez has drawn the seventh in a yearlong series of Limited Edition Exclusive Variant Covers of The Walking Dead #1 comic, to be provided free to all full-price attendees at the inaugural Wizard World Comic Con Las Vegas, April 24-26. Skybound’s The Walking Dead created by Kirkman, the groundbreaking, Eisner Award winning comic book series, continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
- 4/13/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
The initiative runs now through April 17 in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and will be followed by another residency later this autumn.
The Gabrielle A Hanna Film Institute, an initiative of the Provincetown Film Society (Pfs), launched the women’s residency programme.
The project will allow female film-makers from around the world to work in the Cape Cod locale during the off-season alongside other artists and writers.
Pfs, in collaboration with local businesses such as Land’s End Inn, Roux and Sage Inn & Lounge, will provide lodging and meals and an inviting environment for film-makers to foster their work.
“When we first conceived of the idea of a film institute, we met with several leaders in the film world to explore ways in which we could have an immediate impact on our underserved communities,” said Provincetown Film Society CEO Christine Walker.
“We concluded that a residency programme for women would serve as a catalyst for change in an industry where an...
The Gabrielle A Hanna Film Institute, an initiative of the Provincetown Film Society (Pfs), launched the women’s residency programme.
The project will allow female film-makers from around the world to work in the Cape Cod locale during the off-season alongside other artists and writers.
Pfs, in collaboration with local businesses such as Land’s End Inn, Roux and Sage Inn & Lounge, will provide lodging and meals and an inviting environment for film-makers to foster their work.
“When we first conceived of the idea of a film institute, we met with several leaders in the film world to explore ways in which we could have an immediate impact on our underserved communities,” said Provincetown Film Society CEO Christine Walker.
“We concluded that a residency programme for women would serve as a catalyst for change in an industry where an...
- 4/6/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Body Talk: Marquardt’s Debut Treads Lightly Through Provocative Territory
Sexuality, prostitution, and that obscure object of desire are all tricky matters to convey cinematically. In written form, many humans are able to project their own fantasies onto the scenario they’re consuming, and thus, titillation may be more accessible. Throughout the past century of cinema, dominated by not only the male gaze, but predominantly the white, heterosexual male’s tastes as well, we’ve not had the opportunity to rightly weigh the perspectives of those who don’t identify as readily or at all with such materials. But we’ve been conditioned to see things one way, and thus Anja Marquardt’s directorial debut She’s Lost Control, which concerns the struggles of a sex surrogate, has a feeling of familiarity while also being thought provoking for its potency as an observational character study from a perspective unconcerned with morality,...
Sexuality, prostitution, and that obscure object of desire are all tricky matters to convey cinematically. In written form, many humans are able to project their own fantasies onto the scenario they’re consuming, and thus, titillation may be more accessible. Throughout the past century of cinema, dominated by not only the male gaze, but predominantly the white, heterosexual male’s tastes as well, we’ve not had the opportunity to rightly weigh the perspectives of those who don’t identify as readily or at all with such materials. But we’ve been conditioned to see things one way, and thus Anja Marquardt’s directorial debut She’s Lost Control, which concerns the struggles of a sex surrogate, has a feeling of familiarity while also being thought provoking for its potency as an observational character study from a perspective unconcerned with morality,...
- 3/20/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
I have had the pleasure of being one of the lab leaders at the Ifp Filmmaker Lab for the past five or so years where I help run the distribution and marketing component of the labs. Each year, the four times I travel to New York for the labs are some of the highlights of my calendar. Yet I am continually amazed by the number of first time filmmakers that I talk to that didn’t apply to the lab (and many had not heard of it!). Read More: Attention, Filmmakers: Know Your Non-Theatrical and Educational Rights In recent years, films such as David Thorpe's "Do I Sound Gay?," Leah Meyerhoff's "I Believe in Unicorns" and Stacie Passon's "Concussion" participated in the labs. "Above all else, the Ifp Labs taught me that I could not wait around for someone else to give me permission to make my film.
- 2/18/2015
- by Jon Reiss
- Indiewire
Eric Lavallee: Name me three of your favorite “2014 discoveries” …
Robin Weigert: I’ve become a big jazz fan this year. Its newly my music of choice. I’ve been reading a ton about Russia because of something I’m writing and I’ve been listening to Dave Brubeck, Theloneous Monk, Miles Davis, Bill Charlap. Sort of anomalous, I know, listening to this sound that’s so unbounded and so totally American and reading about gulags, crony capitalism and kleptocracy. I’m at work on something and I don’t exactly know what it is, so I’m just letting instinct take me right now. I think I’m trying to figure out what freedom is, sounds like, feels like. I was hugely inspired by the film Whiplash, which was somehow right on theme for me. True freedom may mean being slave to nothing but your own muse, its true,...
Robin Weigert: I’ve become a big jazz fan this year. Its newly my music of choice. I’ve been reading a ton about Russia because of something I’m writing and I’ve been listening to Dave Brubeck, Theloneous Monk, Miles Davis, Bill Charlap. Sort of anomalous, I know, listening to this sound that’s so unbounded and so totally American and reading about gulags, crony capitalism and kleptocracy. I’m at work on something and I don’t exactly know what it is, so I’m just letting instinct take me right now. I think I’m trying to figure out what freedom is, sounds like, feels like. I was hugely inspired by the film Whiplash, which was somehow right on theme for me. True freedom may mean being slave to nothing but your own muse, its true,...
- 2/6/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
For the more adventurous viewer, the Sundance Film Festival’s Next section is where it’s at, and where some of the most creative filmmaking discoveries come from. Last year gave us Ana Lily Amirpour's "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" (with the director since setting up her next movie at Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures), Desiree Akhavan's "Appropriate Behavior" and Gillian Robespierre’s “Obvious Child” which became a big indie comedy hit last year, among others. We don’t yet know what will stand out this year, but one strong contender, mentioned in our Most Anticipated Sundance 2015 Film Fest picks, is Matt Sobel’s “Take Me To The River.” A movie about secrets and the layers of misunderstanding and misperceptions between family, “Take Me To The River” is also a little bit like a mysterious waking dream. Starring up-and-comer Logan Miller, Robin Weigert (Sundance drama “Concussion”), Josh Hamilton,...
- 1/21/2015
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Safe to say that 2015 should be the roll out year for this directorial debut. Some got an early peak at this summer’s Rooftop film series and then it received some cool parting gifts from the Us in Progress in Wroclaw, Poland. Matt Sobel, a Filmmaker Magazine Top 25 New Faces of ’14 personality made his debut feature in his own backyard of Nebraska. Starring Logan Miller, Robin Weigert (Stacie Passon’s Concussion), Josh Hamilton and Richard Schif, Take Me to the River sounds like the uncharted waters type of discomfort drama that’ll make some folks queasy. Sign me up.
Gist: This is about a California teen (Logan Miller) who plans to come out at his family reunion in Nebraska. But when a bloodstain on his younger cousin’s dress makes him an unwitting suspect in her possible abuse, the weekend takes a very different turn…
Production Co./Producers: Matt Sobel.
Gist: This is about a California teen (Logan Miller) who plans to come out at his family reunion in Nebraska. But when a bloodstain on his younger cousin’s dress makes him an unwitting suspect in her possible abuse, the weekend takes a very different turn…
Production Co./Producers: Matt Sobel.
- 11/14/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Technically hitting paydirt in the indie biz with their breakout addiction drama, we could argue that over the course of their four film filmography (television fiction and docu assignments aside) that the writing-directing tandem of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck are softening their searing-like stance yet adhering to a contemplative template. Half Nelson (easily among my top ten films of ’06) was followed by Sugar (2008), dramedy It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010) and in 2015, we can “bet” on a roadtrippin comedy to detail our need to beat the odds. Boden and Fleck are no strangers to Park City, a pair of their shorts landed there prior to their first two features. Mississippi Grind is a blue-chip indie item that originally had Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead but Ben Mendelsohn, Ryan Reynolds take the reigns alongside Analeigh Tipton, Sienna Miller, Alfre Woodard and Concussion thesp Robin Weigert. Shot in Alabama, New Orleans and Louisiana,...
- 11/13/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
To mark the release of Concussion on 8th September, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on DVD.
Stacie Passon’s accomplished film, produced by iconic director Rose Troche, features breakout performances from Robin Weigert (Deadwood) and Maggie Siff (Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy), and explores the secret desires and sexual re-awakenings of women with a mix of sensuality and poignancy that will appeal to men and women alike.
After Abby, an attractive 40-something, wealthy housewife, is smacked in the head by her son’s baseball, she begins to yearn for something else, something more than her banal suburban life. Determined to take on a new project, she buys a pied-à-terre in Manhattan. But walking around the city streets reminds Abby of what it feels like to be sexy and her pent-up libido compels Abby to invent a secret double life that draws her deeply into the world of high-end prostitution for women.
Stacie Passon’s accomplished film, produced by iconic director Rose Troche, features breakout performances from Robin Weigert (Deadwood) and Maggie Siff (Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy), and explores the secret desires and sexual re-awakenings of women with a mix of sensuality and poignancy that will appeal to men and women alike.
After Abby, an attractive 40-something, wealthy housewife, is smacked in the head by her son’s baseball, she begins to yearn for something else, something more than her banal suburban life. Determined to take on a new project, she buys a pied-à-terre in Manhattan. But walking around the city streets reminds Abby of what it feels like to be sexy and her pent-up libido compels Abby to invent a secret double life that draws her deeply into the world of high-end prostitution for women.
- 9/12/2014
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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
On the heels of the 39th edition of the Toronto Int. Film Festival (Sept 4-14), Ifp’s Independent Film Week is where a plethora of fiction, non-fiction and new this year, web-based series from the likes of Desiree Akhavan and Calvin Reeder find future coin. Sectioned off as projects at the very beginning of financing to those that are nearing completion, there happens to be tons of Sundance alumni in the names below. Among those that caught our attention we have Medicine for Melancholy‘s Barry Jenkins’ sophomore feature, produced by Bad Milo!‘s Adele Romanski, Moonlight is about “two Miami boys navigate the temptations of the drug trade and their burgeoning sexuality in this triptych drama about black queer youth”. Concussion‘s Stacie Passon digs into the thriller genre with Strange Things Started Happening. Produced by vet Mary Jane Skalski (Mysterious Skin), this is about “a woman who has...
- 7/24/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
One of my favorite new films, Blue Ruin by director Jeremy Saulnier(Murder Party) is finally coming home to Blu-ray and DVD from Anchor Bay and Radius TWC. Blue Ruin is a slow-burning, gritty, brutal, and realistic revenge film, about a man, who after experiencing a traumatic family tragedy, lets his despair destroy his life. Living the life of a bum, he learns that the person responsible for the tragic event that took away his life, is being released from prison. The character of Dwight, played by Macon Blair, that also appeared in Saulnier’s Murder Party, packs up what little shit he has, and makes his way to the prison where the release is happening, so he can find a way to get the revenge he feels that he is owed. If you like revenge movies, especially those that are executed perfectly, then Blue Ruin is a film you...
- 5/29/2014
- by Shawn Savage
- The Liberal Dead
“I wanted to start with an intensely personal story”, says Stacie Passon, a talented filmmaker presenting her debut feature feature film Concussion. And personal it certainly is, as a poignant, intimate exploration of a middle-aged woman’s lust for something new, something exciting, to remove her from the tedium of a middle class suburbia.
When speaking to the director, Passon speaks candidly about the project, and what inspired her to tackle such themes. She also tells us how she can relate to the lead role, and her joy working with the actress Robin Wiegert. She also talks about her portrayal of lesbian sex in the movie, and compares it to the contentious display in Blue is the Warmest Colour, claiming that female directors perhaps have more licence in such an area.
What inspired you to make Concussion?
There was a certain, ‘what the heck am I doing with life?’ feeling about it,...
When speaking to the director, Passon speaks candidly about the project, and what inspired her to tackle such themes. She also tells us how she can relate to the lead role, and her joy working with the actress Robin Wiegert. She also talks about her portrayal of lesbian sex in the movie, and compares it to the contentious display in Blue is the Warmest Colour, claiming that female directors perhaps have more licence in such an area.
What inspired you to make Concussion?
There was a certain, ‘what the heck am I doing with life?’ feeling about it,...
- 5/16/2014
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
When a film opens with David Bowie’s Oh! You Pretty Things, it has set itself up for greatness. Instantly intrigued and endeared to the project at hand, the next, and somewhat more challenging job for the filmmaker, is to then maintain that distinction, and director Stacie Passon does a more than commendable job, in what is an accomplished debut feature film.
Robin Weigert plays Abby, who finds herself rushed to hospital by her partner Kate (Julie Fain Lawrence) when her two kids accidentally throw a ball at her, cutting the side of her face open. It’s this act of clumsiness which proves to be the icing on the cake for the property developer, who longs for something new in her life, something licentious, to take her away from the tedium of this modern suburbia and the ring of Stepford Wives surrounding her. So when the opportunity arises to...
Robin Weigert plays Abby, who finds herself rushed to hospital by her partner Kate (Julie Fain Lawrence) when her two kids accidentally throw a ball at her, cutting the side of her face open. It’s this act of clumsiness which proves to be the icing on the cake for the property developer, who longs for something new in her life, something licentious, to take her away from the tedium of this modern suburbia and the ring of Stepford Wives surrounding her. So when the opportunity arises to...
- 5/15/2014
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
★★★☆☆ Stacie Passon's debut film Concussion (2013) explores the modern ennui suffered by liberal cookie-cutter wives - with a twist that the female in question is a lesbian with her own partner and children. Beginning with a slightly satirical opening featuring a gaggle of middle-aged Stepford Wives doing a spinning class (as David Bowie's Oh! You Pretty Things plays over the opening credits), we enter a world of free-thinking, good-looking women, bemoaning their non-existent flabby thighs and ageing skin. One such woman is property developer and interior decorator Abby (Robin Weigert), who's no longer satisfied with her 2:4 lifestyle.
- 5/14/2014
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Top brass at the Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) have announced (12) 10 ten documentaries selected for the 2014 Independent Filmmaker Labs for first-time feature directors.
The creative teams of the selected films, chosen from a national pool of more than 200 submissions, are currently attending the first week’s sessions – The Time Warner Foundation Completion Labs – that run from May 12-16 in New York.
The Narrative Lab selections will be announced in June.
“With the ability to support filmmakers and their projects over the long-term, the Labs remain one of Ifp’s most rewarding and successful programmes,” said Ifp executive director Joana Vicente.
“With 80% of previous Lab projects debuted in festivals and released worldwide, the impact of the programme continues to be significant.”
The 2014 labs mark the 10th anniversary edition of the mentorship programme conceived by producer and Filmmaker Magazine editor Scott Macaulay.
The Labs were launched in 2005 as a three-day initiative for eight narrative projects and have evolved into a...
The creative teams of the selected films, chosen from a national pool of more than 200 submissions, are currently attending the first week’s sessions – The Time Warner Foundation Completion Labs – that run from May 12-16 in New York.
The Narrative Lab selections will be announced in June.
“With the ability to support filmmakers and their projects over the long-term, the Labs remain one of Ifp’s most rewarding and successful programmes,” said Ifp executive director Joana Vicente.
“With 80% of previous Lab projects debuted in festivals and released worldwide, the impact of the programme continues to be significant.”
The 2014 labs mark the 10th anniversary edition of the mentorship programme conceived by producer and Filmmaker Magazine editor Scott Macaulay.
The Labs were launched in 2005 as a three-day initiative for eight narrative projects and have evolved into a...
- 5/12/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Somewhat oddly, the GLAAD Media Awards split their awards across two ceremonies, three weeks apart, on opposite coasts. On Saturday, the second of these took place in New York, as a range of films, TV shows and media outlets were honored for commendable coverage of Lgbt issues. Included in the second ceremony were the two chief film awards. Best Picture Oscar nominee "Philomena" took the prize for best film in wide release, beating out the likes of "Blue is the Warmest Color" and three-time Oscar winner "Dallas Buyers Club." In the limited release section, I'm pleased to see that Stacie Passon's excellent but neglected lesbian drama "Concussion" was recognized. At the earlier ceremony, "Bridegroom" and "Call Me Kuchu" had tied for the documentary award, while "Behind the Candelabra," already lavishly rewarded, took the TV film/miniseries prize. On the TV front, Netflix's "Orange is the New Black" was named...
- 5/5/2014
- by Guy Lodge
- Hitfix
F. Scott Fitzgerald famously stated that “There are no second acts in American lives.”
Concussion would beg to differ, it instead presents an American lifestyle permanently stalled in its second act – your dramatic conflict is internal, your strive for a conclusion is an endless war against the white picket waves of suburbia. That the film happens to center around a lesbian woman is almost irrelevant, this is a universal tale of confused escapism and sexual deviancy. You know, the usual stuff.
For every driven man or woman who strikes out and makes it big, there’s another who has to stay at home and watch the kids. What kind of life is a life based on monotonous routine? You should at least be paid. Something better is always just out of reach, but you’ve got to hit spin class and then pick the kids up before you can even think about grabbing it.
Concussion would beg to differ, it instead presents an American lifestyle permanently stalled in its second act – your dramatic conflict is internal, your strive for a conclusion is an endless war against the white picket waves of suburbia. That the film happens to center around a lesbian woman is almost irrelevant, this is a universal tale of confused escapism and sexual deviancy. You know, the usual stuff.
For every driven man or woman who strikes out and makes it big, there’s another who has to stay at home and watch the kids. What kind of life is a life based on monotonous routine? You should at least be paid. Something better is always just out of reach, but you’ve got to hit spin class and then pick the kids up before you can even think about grabbing it.
- 4/1/2014
- by Dominic Mill
- We Got This Covered
In many ways, Concussion feels like a big step forward: its sex scenes are frank without being sensational, and its portrayal of lesbianism never stops to congratulate itself on how ‘edgy’ it is. As something of an update on Belle de Jour, however, it registers as a bit of a disappointment. Filmed in a shadowy, verite style that seems to be legally mandated for all independent films shot in New York, Concussion never truly asserts a tone, feeling oddly distant from its own actions, despite an excellent lead performance by Robin Weigert.
Read more...
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- 3/18/2014
- by Anders Nelson
- JustPressPlay.net
Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave pulled a five finger discount at the 2014 Indie Spirit Awards grabbing hardware in the Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress and Best Cinematography categories. Apart from the larceny in the Best Doc category, the winners in the above mention category (excluding Bobbitt’s work) and the double win pairing of Leto and McConaughey along with Cate Blanchett’s perf win in Blue Jasmine will likely repeat itself less than 24 hours later at tomorrow’s Academy Awards celebrations obviously begging many to ponder the following: who needs the 86th Academy Awards when we have the Indie Spirit Awards? While today’s most pleasurable wins come from the truly indie kudos for Best First Feature (Ryan Coogler for Frutivale Station) the John Cassavetes award for Chad Hartigan’s This is Martin Bonner, and the Piaget Producers Award to Ain’t Them Bodies Saints...
- 3/2/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
The time of the year has come for aspiring independent filmmakers to give their careers the boost it needs. The Ifp's unique year-long mentorship program, which supports directors through some of the most crucial stages of the production process, is now accepting submissions for their Independent Filmmaker Labs. The program, designed to help filmmakers with the completion, marketing and distribution of their low-budget features (<$1 million), provides them with the technical, creative and strategic tools necessary to launch both their films and their careers through industry support and exposure. "Ifp Narrative Lab was an immersive year-long intensive that helped me focus my energy to what needed to be accomplished with our film," said director Stacie Passon, whose Ifp Lab film, "Concussion," went on to Sundance glory. "If you’re lucky enough to be a part of this lab, as we were, it will change your entire perspective of the filmmaking process,...
- 2/6/2014
- by Ziyad Saadi
- Indiewire
There are big movies and there are little movies. I mean that entirely in the sense of budget and release, promotion and theatrical scope. In the United States we talk most about our wide studio releases, then homegrown smaller independent films and the big-name foreign imports. But that leaves quality filmmaking to fall through the cracks. Movies that, for one reason or another, no one seems to be talking about. There are overlooked gems, and then there are the deep cuts. The homegrown niche dramas, the Irish horror flicks, the Latin American comedies, the Scandinavian experiments in nonfiction? This year saw some extraordinary unheralded work from abroad, alongside some excellent films that came from unexpected domestic places. Here are thirteen of them. Concussion There aren’t enough independent lesbian dramas (or comedies, for that matter) released in the United States. This is actually a mathematical fact, given the near impossibility of funding projects like Concussion. So...
- 12/27/2013
- by Daniel Walber
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Last night's Ifp Gotham Independent Film Awards were full of surprises, as well as some entertaining zings from various presenters, like Lee Daniels and Julie Delpy.
"Inside Llewyn Davis" snagged the Best Feature prize, and although Joel and Ethan Coen are a force to be reckoned with, it was certainly a surprise for those who had their money on "12 Years a Slave." (The other noms were "Ain't Them Bodies Saints," "Before Midnight," and "Upstream Color.")
From there, "Fruitvale Station" took over the night. Director Ryan Coogler took home the Breakthrough Director award, and Michael B. Jordan was presented with the Breakthrough Actor prize, beating out Dale DeHaan in "Kill Your Darlings," Kathryn Hahn in "Afternoon Delight," Lupita Nyong'o in "12 Years a Slave," and Robin Weigert in "Concussion."
Another upset was in the Best Actress category. Brie Larson won for her outstanding work in "Short Term 12," beating out Oscar fave Cate Blanchett in "Blue Jasmine.
"Inside Llewyn Davis" snagged the Best Feature prize, and although Joel and Ethan Coen are a force to be reckoned with, it was certainly a surprise for those who had their money on "12 Years a Slave." (The other noms were "Ain't Them Bodies Saints," "Before Midnight," and "Upstream Color.")
From there, "Fruitvale Station" took over the night. Director Ryan Coogler took home the Breakthrough Director award, and Michael B. Jordan was presented with the Breakthrough Actor prize, beating out Dale DeHaan in "Kill Your Darlings," Kathryn Hahn in "Afternoon Delight," Lupita Nyong'o in "12 Years a Slave," and Robin Weigert in "Concussion."
Another upset was in the Best Actress category. Brie Larson won for her outstanding work in "Short Term 12," beating out Oscar fave Cate Blanchett in "Blue Jasmine.
- 12/3/2013
- by Jenni Miller
- Moviefone
Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" received the most nominations at the 2013 Gotham Awards but in the end, the Coen Brothers' "Inside Llewyn Davis" took home the big award of the night -- the Best Feature award. Matthew McConaughey also beat "12 Years a Slave's" Chiwetel Ejiofor with his memorable, feel it in your bones performance as a dying AIDS patient in "Dallas Buyers Club."
Is this a sign to come this awards season? Stay tuned!
Here's the complete list of winners (highlighted) and nominees of the 2013 Gotham Awards:
Best Feature
12 Years a Slave
Steve McQueen, director; Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas, producers. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Ain't Them Bodies Saints
David Lowery, director; Tony Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Amy Kaufman, Cassian Elwes, producers (IFC Films)
Before Midnight
Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Sara Woodhatch,...
Is this a sign to come this awards season? Stay tuned!
Here's the complete list of winners (highlighted) and nominees of the 2013 Gotham Awards:
Best Feature
12 Years a Slave
Steve McQueen, director; Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas, producers. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Ain't Them Bodies Saints
David Lowery, director; Tony Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Amy Kaufman, Cassian Elwes, producers (IFC Films)
Before Midnight
Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Sara Woodhatch,...
- 12/3/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
While technically this was Forest Whitaker’s big night (Actor Tribute plus the weight he threw behind as a producer accolades for a small San Fran based film), if tonite’s Gothams awards informs us on how future noms might pan out for the “bigger” award shows, it’s that there are no tapering off signs for Fruitvale Station, that a Coen bros. film Inside Llewyn Davis has just become a partner alongside 12 Years a Slave as the front-runner for Best Picture slots for the Indie Spirits and Oscars, and that Joshua Oppenheimer should get the ultimate speech ready for The Act of Killing. Ryan Coogler’s big Sundance winner went 2 for 2 in the Breakthrough Director and Actor categories, while the heart, soul and spirit of Short Term 12 in Brie Larson rightly beat out her group of peers to win the Best Actress award. Here’s hoping that it picks up steam elsewhere.
- 12/3/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
This is a tough awards season! Lots of great movies to see, so little time! I'm catching up like crazy before we vote for the Critics' Choice Movie Awards for the Broadcast Film Critics Association. So I apologize if I haven't updated you with the latest on the awards season 2013-2014! And there were many award-giving bodies announcing nominations.
We already told you about the Rome Film Festival and the Film Independent Spirit Awards, now let's talk about the 2013 Gotham Awards, the Ida Documentary Awards, the Cinema Eye, and the Producers Guild announcing its best documentary choices.
First stop, we have the 2013 Gotham Awards where Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" topped the nominations with three nods including best feature, best actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor and breakthrough actor for Lupita Nyong'o.
Winners will be announced on Dec. 2nd where Richard Linklater, Forest Whitaker, and Katherine Oliver (head of the NYC...
We already told you about the Rome Film Festival and the Film Independent Spirit Awards, now let's talk about the 2013 Gotham Awards, the Ida Documentary Awards, the Cinema Eye, and the Producers Guild announcing its best documentary choices.
First stop, we have the 2013 Gotham Awards where Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" topped the nominations with three nods including best feature, best actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor and breakthrough actor for Lupita Nyong'o.
Winners will be announced on Dec. 2nd where Richard Linklater, Forest Whitaker, and Katherine Oliver (head of the NYC...
- 12/2/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Lesbian drama release a bold move given anti-gay legislation in Russia.
Stacie Passon’s lesbian drama Concussion is among four titles acquired by Russian distributor Cinema Without Borders (Kino bez Granits) at this year’s Afm for theatrical release in Russian cinemas in 2014.
The other titles acquired were:
Don Coscarelli’s black fantasy comedy John Dies At The EndLucky McKee and Chris Sivertson’s horror film remake All Cheerleaders Die, andAustralian Zak Hilditch’s apocalypse drama These Final Hours
According to Cinema Without Borders, the latter two titles are expected to be given a wide release.
The acquisition of the 2013 Teddy Award winner Concussion would seem particularly brave given the current anti-gay mood in Russia since the introduction of legislation earlier this year banning “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors.”
Despite anonymous “telephone terrorism,” bomb threats and harassment by the police, the sixth edition of St Petersburg’s Bok o Bok (Side by Side) Lgbt film festival...
Stacie Passon’s lesbian drama Concussion is among four titles acquired by Russian distributor Cinema Without Borders (Kino bez Granits) at this year’s Afm for theatrical release in Russian cinemas in 2014.
The other titles acquired were:
Don Coscarelli’s black fantasy comedy John Dies At The EndLucky McKee and Chris Sivertson’s horror film remake All Cheerleaders Die, andAustralian Zak Hilditch’s apocalypse drama These Final Hours
According to Cinema Without Borders, the latter two titles are expected to be given a wide release.
The acquisition of the 2013 Teddy Award winner Concussion would seem particularly brave given the current anti-gay mood in Russia since the introduction of legislation earlier this year banning “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors.”
Despite anonymous “telephone terrorism,” bomb threats and harassment by the police, the sixth edition of St Petersburg’s Bok o Bok (Side by Side) Lgbt film festival...
- 11/27/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Film Independent announced nominations for the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards this morning.
Film Independent President Josh Welsh presided over the press conference held at the W Hollywood, with actresses Octavia Spencer and Paula Patton presenting the nominations.
Nominees for Best Feature included 12 Years a Slave, All Is Lost, Frances Ha, Inside Llewyn Davis and Nebraska.
Mud was selected to receive the annual Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.
In its commitment to recognizing the importance of below the line contributions to the art of filmmaking, Film Independent has now introduced, for the first year, the Best Editing category in the Spirit Awards.
Winners will be announced at the Spirit Awards on Saturday, March 1, 2014. The awards ceremony will be held as a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, with the premiere broadcast airing later that evening...
Film Independent President Josh Welsh presided over the press conference held at the W Hollywood, with actresses Octavia Spencer and Paula Patton presenting the nominations.
Nominees for Best Feature included 12 Years a Slave, All Is Lost, Frances Ha, Inside Llewyn Davis and Nebraska.
Mud was selected to receive the annual Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.
In its commitment to recognizing the importance of below the line contributions to the art of filmmaking, Film Independent has now introduced, for the first year, the Best Editing category in the Spirit Awards.
Winners will be announced at the Spirit Awards on Saturday, March 1, 2014. The awards ceremony will be held as a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, with the premiere broadcast airing later that evening...
- 11/26/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Adding to the awards show season buzz, the list of hopefuls for 2014 Film Independent’s Spirit Awards was just unveiled.
Hosted by Patton Oswalt, the much-anticipated event is slated to get underway on March 1st in Santa Monica, and there will be plenty of stars to be seen.
Bruce Dern, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Oscar Isaac, Michael B. Jordan, Matthew McConaughey, and Robert Redford will all compete in the Best Male Lead Category, while the Best Female Lead nominees are Cate Blanchett, Julie Delpy, Gaby Hoffman, Brie Larson, and Shailene Woodley.
The 29th Spirit Awards contenders are:
Best Feature
12 Years A Slave
All is Lost
Frances Ha
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
Best Director
Shane Carruth, Upstream Color
J.C. Chandor, All Is Lost
Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave
Jeff Nichols, Mud
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
Best Female Lead
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Gaby Hoffmann, Crystal Fairy
Brie Larson, Short Term 12
Shailene Woodley,...
Hosted by Patton Oswalt, the much-anticipated event is slated to get underway on March 1st in Santa Monica, and there will be plenty of stars to be seen.
Bruce Dern, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Oscar Isaac, Michael B. Jordan, Matthew McConaughey, and Robert Redford will all compete in the Best Male Lead Category, while the Best Female Lead nominees are Cate Blanchett, Julie Delpy, Gaby Hoffman, Brie Larson, and Shailene Woodley.
The 29th Spirit Awards contenders are:
Best Feature
12 Years A Slave
All is Lost
Frances Ha
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
Best Director
Shane Carruth, Upstream Color
J.C. Chandor, All Is Lost
Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave
Jeff Nichols, Mud
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
Best Female Lead
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Gaby Hoffmann, Crystal Fairy
Brie Larson, Short Term 12
Shailene Woodley,...
- 11/26/2013
- GossipCenter
Team Fox Searchlight should be returning to the winner’s circle at the next edition of the Indie Spirits awards. After winning with Black Swan three years back, and losing out in the Best Feature category with Beasts of the Southern Wild and The Descendants, Fox Searchlight’s 12 Years a Slave leads all other films with seven nominations Best Feature, Director, Screenplay, Cinematography and three of the four acting categories. Alexander Payne’s Nebraska follows with six noms. Both Sundance (Fruitvale Station) and SXSW (Short Term 12) winners figure among the noms, but they weren’t as plentiful with only three noms a piece. Among our favorite titles for 2013 which were left off the scorecard, David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints and Andrew Dosunmu’s Mother of George Saints got no recognition, while Eliza Hittman’s It Felt Like Love would have got my vote for the Annual Someone To Watch Award.
- 11/26/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" led the pack of the nominations for the 29th Annual Film Independent Spirit Award. The film received 7 nominations including best feature, director, and acting noms for Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong'o, and Michael Fassbender.
Winners of the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards will be announced on Saturday, March 1st at a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica with the premiere broadcast airing later that evening at 10:00 pm Et/Pt exclusively on IFC.
Congrats and good luck to all the nominees!
Here's the complete list of the nominees of the 2014 Spirit Awards:
Best Feature (Award given to the Producer, Executive Producers are not awarded)
12 Years a Slave
Producers: Dede Gardner, Anthony Katagas, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Brad Pitt, Bill Pohlad
All Is Lost
Producers: Neal Dodson, Anna Gerb
Frances Ha
Producers: Noah Baumbach, Scott Rudin, Rodrigo Teixeira, Lila Yacoub...
Winners of the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards will be announced on Saturday, March 1st at a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica with the premiere broadcast airing later that evening at 10:00 pm Et/Pt exclusively on IFC.
Congrats and good luck to all the nominees!
Here's the complete list of the nominees of the 2014 Spirit Awards:
Best Feature (Award given to the Producer, Executive Producers are not awarded)
12 Years a Slave
Producers: Dede Gardner, Anthony Katagas, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Brad Pitt, Bill Pohlad
All Is Lost
Producers: Neal Dodson, Anna Gerb
Frances Ha
Producers: Noah Baumbach, Scott Rudin, Rodrigo Teixeira, Lila Yacoub...
- 11/26/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave is in contention for seven Spirit Awards followed closely by Alexander Payne’s Nebraska on six as Film Independent top brass announced nominees on November 26.
McQueen earned a director nomination and will compete against Alexander Payne for Nebraska, Jc Chandor for All Is Lost, Jeff Nichols for Mud and Share Carruth for Upstream Color.
Not surprisingly given the strength and depth of this awards season, the categories are strong across the board.
Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty is among a mighty crop of international contenders that includes Abdellatif Kechiche’s Palme d’Or winner Blue Is The Warmest Colour, Sebastian Lelio’s Gloria, Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt and A Touch Of Sin from China’s Jia Zhang-Ke.
12 Years A Slave’s Chiwetel Ejiofor will contest the lead actor race with veterans Bruce Dern for Nebraska and Robert Redford for All Is Lost, as well as...
McQueen earned a director nomination and will compete against Alexander Payne for Nebraska, Jc Chandor for All Is Lost, Jeff Nichols for Mud and Share Carruth for Upstream Color.
Not surprisingly given the strength and depth of this awards season, the categories are strong across the board.
Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty is among a mighty crop of international contenders that includes Abdellatif Kechiche’s Palme d’Or winner Blue Is The Warmest Colour, Sebastian Lelio’s Gloria, Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt and A Touch Of Sin from China’s Jia Zhang-Ke.
12 Years A Slave’s Chiwetel Ejiofor will contest the lead actor race with veterans Bruce Dern for Nebraska and Robert Redford for All Is Lost, as well as...
- 11/26/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Keeper of Lost Causes, Bright Days Ahead, Concussion get release dates.
Picturehouse Entertainment, the distribution wing of exhibition chain Picturehouse, has announced a 2014 slate including Concussion, The Keeper of Lost Causes and Bright Days Ahead.
Stacie Passon’s Sundance debut Concussion, picked up from Content Media, chronicles a middle-aged mother who begins a double life as an escort for female clients.
The Berlinale Teddy Award-winner is set for a May 16 release.
June 20 will see the release of Marion Vernoux’s French rom-com Bright Days Ahead, starring Fanny Ardant and Laurent Lafitte, was acquired from Le Pacte.
The film follows a former dentist in the midst of a late-life crisis finds comfort in the arms of a much younger man.
Mikkel Norgaard’s thriller The Keeper of Lost Causes, adapted from the first instalment of the best-selling Department Q novels by Jussi Alder-Olsen, is the story of a flawed police Inspector and his assistant’s investigation into the...
Picturehouse Entertainment, the distribution wing of exhibition chain Picturehouse, has announced a 2014 slate including Concussion, The Keeper of Lost Causes and Bright Days Ahead.
Stacie Passon’s Sundance debut Concussion, picked up from Content Media, chronicles a middle-aged mother who begins a double life as an escort for female clients.
The Berlinale Teddy Award-winner is set for a May 16 release.
June 20 will see the release of Marion Vernoux’s French rom-com Bright Days Ahead, starring Fanny Ardant and Laurent Lafitte, was acquired from Le Pacte.
The film follows a former dentist in the midst of a late-life crisis finds comfort in the arms of a much younger man.
Mikkel Norgaard’s thriller The Keeper of Lost Causes, adapted from the first instalment of the best-selling Department Q novels by Jussi Alder-Olsen, is the story of a flawed police Inspector and his assistant’s investigation into the...
- 11/25/2013
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
In the lead-up to the Gotham Independent Film Awards on December 2nd, Ifp announced it will hold a screening series to highlight the nominees of the Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award. From Thursday, November 21 through Saturday, November 23, the category’s five directorial debuts will screen at the new Made in NY Media Center by Ifp in Dumbo. The films are Stacie Passon’s Concussion; Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station; Adam Leon’s Gimme The Loot; Alexandre Moors’ Blue Caprice; and Amy Seimetz’s Sun Don’t Shine. Adam Leon, Alexandre Moors, and Sun Don’t Shine lead actors Kentucker Audley and Kate Lyn Sheil will be on hand for a Q&A following their respective screenings. […]...
- 11/13/2013
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
In the lead-up to the Gotham Independent Film Awards on December 2nd, Ifp announced it will hold a screening series to highlight the nominees of the Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award. From Thursday, November 21 through Saturday, November 23, the category’s five directorial debuts will screen at the new Made in NY Media Center by Ifp in Dumbo. The films are Stacie Passon’s Concussion; Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station; Adam Leon’s Gimme The Loot; Alexandre Moors’ Blue Caprice; and Amy Seimetz’s Sun Don’t Shine. Adam Leon, Alexandre Moors, and Sun Don’t Shine lead actors Kentucker Audley and Kate Lyn Sheil will be on hand for a Q&A following their respective screenings. […]...
- 11/13/2013
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The following is a guest post by writer/director Deb Shoval, whose debut feature Awol participated in the 2013 Ifp Narrative Labs. Nine months ago, I sat down with the endlessly generous Stacie Passon, the writer/director of Concussion, for some words of wisdom on making the low budget, indie first feature. Her biggest piece of advice? Get Awol into the Ifp Narrative Labs. Fast forward to Part 2 of 3 of the yearlong lab fellowship: Ifp Week. Stacie, now an Ifp Narrative Lab mentor, gets into more detail. Passon: Now if my son comes in during this interview and starts whining, […]...
- 10/30/2013
- by Deb Shoval
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The following is a guest post by writer/director Deb Shoval, whose debut feature Awol participated in the 2013 Ifp Narrative Labs. Nine months ago, I sat down with the endlessly generous Stacie Passon, the writer/director of Concussion, for some words of wisdom on making the low budget, indie first feature. Her biggest piece of advice? Get Awol into the Ifp Narrative Labs. Fast forward to Part 2 of 3 of the yearlong lab fellowship: Ifp Week. Stacie, now an Ifp Narrative Lab mentor, gets into more detail. Passon: Now if my son comes in during this interview and starts whining, […]...
- 10/30/2013
- by Deb Shoval
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
2013 Gotham Awards 2013: Nominations (photo: Best Actress nominee Cate Blanchett in ’Blue Jasmine,’ directed by Woody Allen) See previous post: “Gotham Awards Nominations: No Oscar Guarantee (or Even Likelihood)?“ Best Feature 12 Years A Slave. Steve McQueen, director; Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas, producers. (Fox Searchlight Pictures) Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, David Lowery, director; Tony Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Amy Kaufman, Cassian Elwes, producers (IFC Films) Before Midnight, Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Sara Woodhatch, producers (Sony Pictures Classics) Inside Llewyn Davis, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, directors; Scott Rudin, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, producers (CBS Films) Upstream Color, Shane Carruth, director; Shane Carruth, Casey Gooden, Ben LeClair, producers. Best Documentary The Act Of Killing, Joshua Oppenheimer, director; Signe Byrge, Joshua Oppenheimer, producers (Drafthouse Films) The Crash Reel, Lucy Walker, director; Julian Cautherly,...
- 10/29/2013
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
When the 23rd Gotham Independent Film Award nominations were announced earlier this week, Ryan Coogler ("Fruitvale Station"), Adam Leon ("Gimme The Loot"), Alexandre Moors ("Blue Caprice"), Stacie Passon ("Concussion") and Amy Seimetz ("Sun Don't Shine") were named in the Bingham Ray Breakthrough DIrector Award category. In case you missed the films in theaters (some are still showing in select theaters), you can still watch (or pre-order) them on iTunes. Click on the links below: Fruitvale Station Gimme The Loot Blue Caprice Concussion Sun Don't Shine...
- 10/25/2013
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
Erotic, but about more than the sex; droll, but about more than witty lines and cutting observations by and about bored suburban moms -- "Concussion" is a most promising first feature from writer-director Stacie Passon.
It's well-acted, sometimes poignant and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. Passon's little domestic melodrama about the demands of motherhood, the dullness of upscale suburbia with its Pilates-hot yoga-ladies who lunch, hangs on what could have been just a gimmick but isn't.
So don't call it "Desperate Lesbian Housewives."
We meet Abby (Robin Weigert), 42, covered in blood, racing to the hospital and cursing the rambunctious son who whacked her in the head with a ball. The damage is probably superficial. But you never know, so there are tests.
That blow to the head might have shaken up Abby's world. Is she content to gossip, jog, do exercise classes and listen to the blah-blah-blah chatter of women whose horizons are as limited as hers?...
It's well-acted, sometimes poignant and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. Passon's little domestic melodrama about the demands of motherhood, the dullness of upscale suburbia with its Pilates-hot yoga-ladies who lunch, hangs on what could have been just a gimmick but isn't.
So don't call it "Desperate Lesbian Housewives."
We meet Abby (Robin Weigert), 42, covered in blood, racing to the hospital and cursing the rambunctious son who whacked her in the head with a ball. The damage is probably superficial. But you never know, so there are tests.
That blow to the head might have shaken up Abby's world. Is she content to gossip, jog, do exercise classes and listen to the blah-blah-blah chatter of women whose horizons are as limited as hers?...
- 10/25/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
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