TRIBECA DIRECTOR INTERVIEW: IVAN O’MAHONEY, BAGHDAD HIGH

By Admin

Screening Times: Apr 29th, 7:30pm (AMC Village VII), Apr 30, 10:30pm (Village East), May 1st, 3:00pm (AMC Village VII), May 2nd, 11:30am (19th St AMC), May 3rd, 10:45am (Village East)

A provocative look at the daily lives of four Iraqi teenagers struggling to educate themselves and simply survive their senior years of high school, journalists turned filmmakers Ivan O’Mahoney and Laura Winter’s Baghdad High surfaces this week a Tribeca with a tremendous amount of anticipation. Shot largely by the cast themselves, its a penetrating look at the delicate balance these students make between the concerns any teenager faces with those of a much more deadly nature.

Filmmaker: Tell us about your backgrounds as filmmakers. You both began as journalists, yes?

O’Mahoney: My original background is international law. After law school I worked as a UN peacekeeper in Bosnia and then as a litigation lawyer for a few years. I loved the investigative angle of the work, but being in a big city firm was often frustrated feeling I was representing the party on the wrong side of the argument. I switched into journalism ten years ago. While at journalism school (Columbia/NYC) I immediately took to the camera. My wild ideas of becoming an on screen war reporter quickly evaporated – early on I realized I wanted to make films and rather be behind the camera. It started with very journalistic magazine length stories. Over the years the films have become proper documentaries, longer, much more observational and character driven.

But even as a documentary film maker I still am drawn to stories like Baghdad High that have a high journalistic value to them.

Filmmaker: How did the two of you begin working together on this project?

O’Mahoney: Laura and I met through the alumni network of our journalism school. Two years ago I started my own production company in London and put out a call for ideas among the school’s alumni. I was looking for long term access based story ideas. Ideas that would make for great epic narratives with lots of time passage in them … Read the rest

YUNG CHANG, “UP THE YANGTZE”

By Nick Dawson

A SCENE FROM DIRECTOR YUNG CHANG’S UP THE YANGTZE. COURTESY ZEITGEIST FILMS.

At a time when the popularity of documentaries is at an all-time high, Canadian director Yung Chang is not only telling stories as compelling as his peers’, but doing so with a truly cinematic sensibility that is often lacking in his field. Born in Whitby, Ontario, to first generation Chinese immigrant parents, Chang studied film production at Concordia University, graduating in 1999. He was also a student at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, where he learned the Meisner Technique. He directed the short film The Fish Market in 2002 and the following year made his documentary debut with Earth to Mouth, a National Film Board of Canada commission that chronicled the existence of a Chinese immigrant farmer in Canada. The film won prizes at a number of film festivals including Rencontres Internationales du documentaire in Montreal, the city where Chang is currently based.

Like Earth to Mouth, Chang’s latest film, Up the Yangtze, sees the director drawing on his cultural heritage as a source of inspiration. The documentary takes as its subject the Yangzter river’s Three Gorges Dam Project, a symbol of Chinese progress – and the flooding and eradication of whole towns that is a result of this “step forward.” The film focuses on the lives of two young employees working on a Yangtze “farewell cruise” (to see towns before they are submerged), shy Yu Shui (“Cindy”), a studious but impoverished girl whose family home will soon be lost to the rising waters, and Chen Bo Yo (“Jerry”), an arrogant middle class teen intent on making his fortune. Chang ably balances the different elements in the film, making it both epic in its depiction of the changing countryside and intimate in the tender way it depicts its inhabitants. He offsets the tragic story of the Yu family with Jerry’s almost comic subplot and never takes us too far beyond these personal perspectives, resisting the temptation to make some forced grand argument out of their lives.

Filmmaker spoke to Chang about … Read the rest

ROBBED CLOSING CANNES’ FORTNIGHT

By Jason Guerrasio

Cannes‘ 40th Director’s Fortnight was announced today in Paris with good showings from Latin America, Spain and particularly France with 12 of the 22 films either French or co-productions. The lone U.S. film is Joshua Safdie‘s The Pleasure of Being Robbed, a warm, beautifully lensed, simple story of a curious girl wondering around New York City in search of connections with strangers. The film gained a lot of attention at its premiere at SXSW and has been building buzz on the regional circuit since. I saw it at Sarasota earlier this month (where it received the fest’s Independent Vision award) and was one of my favorites there.

Below is the full list of Fortnight films:

Four Nights With Anna, France-Poland, Jerzy Skolimowski (opener)
The Pleasure of Being Robbed, U.S., Josh Safdie (closer)
Acne, Uruguay-Spain-Argentina-Mexico, Federico Veiroj
Aquele querido mes de agosto, Portugal-France, Miguel Gomes
Boogie, Romania, Radu Muntean
Les Bureaux de Dieu, France, Claire Simon
El Cant dels ocells, Spain, Albert Serra
De la guerre, France, Bertrand Bonello
Le Dernier Maquis, France-Algeria, Rabah Ameur-Zaimeche
Eldorado, Belgium-France, Bouli Lanners
Eleve libre, Belgium-France, Joachim Lafosse
Liverpool, Argentina-France-Netherlands-Spain-Germany, Lisandro Alonso
Monsieur Morimoto, France, Nicola Sornaga
Knitting, China, Yin Lichuan
Now Showing, Philippines-France, Raya Martin
Il Resto della notte, Italy, Francesco Munzi
Salamandra, Argentina-France-Germany, Pablo Aguero
Shultes, Russia, Bakur Bakuradze
Blind Loves, Slovakia, Juraj Lehotsky
Lonely Tune of Tehran, Iran, Saman Salour
“Tony Manero,” Chile-Brazil, Pablo Larrain
“Le Voyage aux Pyrenees,” France, Jean-Marie Larrieu, Arnaud Larrieu… Read the rest

TRIBECA DIRECTOR INTERVIEW: JUSTIN MEEKS, THE WILD MAN OF THE NAVIDAD

By Admin

Screening Times: Apr 24th, 7:45pm (AMC Village VII), Sat Apr 26th, 11:59pm (New School, Tischman Auditorium), Apr 28th, 6:45pm (AMC Village VII), May 1st, 8:00pm (AMC Village VII), May 3rd, 10:30pm (AMC Village VII)

Austere and clastrophobic as opposed to the torture porn passing as horror these days, Justin Meeks and Duane Graves’ low budget horror thriller, The Wild Man of Navidad owes some debt to vintage 70s horror films and classic monster movies. Apparently based on the “real life” journals of Texas rancher Dale S. Rogers, it stars the Mr. Meeks and was co-produced by Kim Henkel of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Filmmaker: Where were you and how did you hear that you had been accepted to Tribeca? How did you react?

Meeks: I was literally in the middle of shooting an additional scene for The Wild Man of the Navidad when we got the call from Tribeca. I believe I might have knocked over some lights and I know the camera fell from the tri-pod from all the excitement exuded by Duane and myself. However, the motivation to finish the additional scene was heightened and with a little dusting, the camera was ready to go.

Filmmaker: What about 70s horror films appeal to you and what ones in particular did you revisit when prepping Navidad?

Meeks: The horror films of the 70′s created an atmosphere that you just don’t see anymore. They toyed with the human psyche, and often guided the viewer down a road in which one’s imagination played out the scene in it’s entirety. Leaving the scene open to imagination and utilizing the principle, “less is more”, really adds mystery, and heightens the films viewing
experience. Our main goal and vision was to re-tell Dale’s story in an honest homage to vintage horror. We watch a ton of old movies anyway, but several movies that we researched for Wild Man were, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Town That Dreaded Sundown and The Legend of Boggy Creek. All of these movies are story-driven tales that utilize atmosphere and … Read the rest

30%

By Scott Macaulay

It’s official — Governor Patterson has signed the enhanced New York tax incentive. The state now offers a 30% tax credit against qualified expenses and it’s now payable to the production company in one year, not two. The city’s five percent remains intact, meaning a 35% credit for films lensed within the five boroughs.… Read the rest

GLORIOUS GLORY

By Scott Macaulay

One of the hits of this year’s SXSW was the 25-minute short, Glory at Sea. Set in a magically real, emotionally honest post-Katrina New Orleans, the film is something of a mini-epic, a grand tale of outsized, heartbreaking ambition set against both a devastated city and the boundlessness of the open waters.

The story of Ben Zeitlin’s film, unfortunately, did not end with its triumphant Austin premiere. Zeitlin and members of his crew were injured in a serious car accident on the way to a screening. The uninsured Zeitlin broke his hip and pelvis and has two sprained ankles. So, the upcoming New York screening this Saturday is not only your chance to see a great film but also your chance to help Zeitlin pay his medical bills, as proceeds will go towards defraying his $80,000 worth of expenses. There’s also an Austin screening on April 29 that is also a medical-bill fundraiser. (And if these screenings sell out, which I’m sure they will, please consider donating.)

In case I haven’t been convincing enough, I’ll quote here Michael Tully from an email he sent around urging people to attend the screening:

Glory at Sea should be taught in film schools from this point forth. In only 25 minutes, it has the emotional gravity and impact of a feature four times its length. On a production level, I consider it to be more Herzog than Herzog. On an emotional level, is spiritually transcendent and indescribably powerful. It also has one of my favorite scores of all-time. Do yourself a favor and buy a ticket for this special screening of Glory at Sea. If there’s a way for me to be there, I will be. For now, I will simply watch it again and succumb to its reckless, daring, brilliant magic.

And the trailer is below:

… Read the rest

TRIBECA DIRECTOR INTERVIEW: ROBERT CELESTINO, YONKERS JOE

By Admin

Screening Times: Apr 24th, 9:30pm (BMCC Tribeca PAC), Apr 26th, 2:00pm (Village East), Apr 29th, 11:00pm (AMC Village VII), May 2nd, 10:30am (AMC Village VII), May 3rd, 10:30am (AMC Village VII)

Robert Celestino’s new feature is the story of a couple (Chazz Palminteri and Christine Lahti) who make a living working confidence scams and dice hustling until their life changes after the expulsion of the title character’s mentally challenged, 21 year old son (Tom Guiry). Forced to accommodate the young man, he and his wife plan the biggest scam of their lives.

Filmmaker: What gave you the initial idea for the film? How did writing the script unfold from there?

Celestino: As an aspiring magician I would run into these rogue characters as the magic shops. They were mechanics, which is on the opposite side of the spectrum of magicians; the good ones were great with slight of hand. I would hear stories of what these men did and it fascinated me. I met with “Fast Jack” Farrell and “Benny Jumbo” when I was in my early teens and they took me around. I saw them switch dice around crowded rough and tumble and craps tables, pitch poker, bankers and brokers, blackjack, anything you could gamble on. It was never a matter of testing your courage or how much money there was in the game. They simply walked up to the table, made their moves and got the money. It was work for them and I never saw any of them carry a gun for safety or protection. They didn’t even think about getting caught, in fact they as soon as suspicion arose they would work with each other in ways that made the players doubt their own suspicion. That is not to say they never got caught – they did, and when they did it was bad – but it was just the price of doing business.

I started the script as a journal about these men. But it become evident early on that I needed more – I needed a relationship the … Read the rest

TRIBECA DIRECTOR INTERVIEW: JONATHAN LEVINE, THE WACKNESS

By Admin

Screening Times: Apr 26th, 9:00pm (19th St. AMC), Apr 28th, 7:00pm (AMC Village VII), May 1st, 10:30pm (AMC Village VII)

A mid nineties, hip-hop textured bildungsroman, The Wackness, which was gobbled up by Sony Pictures Classics upon bowing at Sudnance, is the work of Jonathan Levine, whose first feature, All The Boys Love Mandy Lane is still tragically awaiting a theatrical release. With a standout cast that includes Ben Kingsley, Mary-Kate Olsen (who apparently makes out with the legendary British thesp), Method Man, Josh Peck and the inimitable, ex-25 New Face In Independent Film, Olivia Thirlby, it sure seems like the picture has broad appeal, even for those who’ve never heard of A Tribe Called Quest.

Filmmaker: This picture is much different in tone and style to your first film – was this a conscious departure or did it grow organically from working with vastly different subject matter?

Levine: The Wackness is a very personal film whereas Mandy Lane is more of an experiment in combining tones/genres/etc. That said, I do feel there share commonalities from both a thematic and stylistic perspective. While not a conscious departure, this script did stem from a desire to express my own personality filmically. Mostly, though, I just wanted people to stop sending me shitty horror remakes to direct.

Filmmaker: Your film is loaded, in a rather engaging, unobtrusive way, with vintage early/mid 90′s hip-hop and features Method Man as one of the supporting players – how did that era of hip-hop, especially in New York City, inform the film you were making?

Levine: For me, every memory has a soundtrack to go with it, and 90′s hip hop wasthe soundtrack to my very own coming-of age. It also served the era metaphorically: the music combined unbridled creativity with a passion to provoke and challenge. It transcended lines of race or socioeconomics. These factors formed a fascinating backdrop to Luke’s journey. It also seems so foreign from our own contemporary culture, and that juxtaposition intrigued me.

Filmmaker: Josh’s character, perhaps because of … Read the rest

TRIBECA DIRECTOR INTERVIEW: JULIE CHECKOWAY, WAITING FOR HOCKNEY

By Admin

Screening Times: Apr 24th 7:30pm (19th St. AMC), Apr 30th 9:45pm (AMC Village VII), May 1st, 4:00pm (Village VII), May 2nd 8:30pm (19th St. AMC), May 4th 4:45pm (19th St. AMC)

For her debut feature, Julie Checkoway, a Salt Lake City based ex-radio reporter and writing professor, chose to follow the ten year struggle of Maryland artist Billy Pappas, as he attempted to create the world’s most detailed portrait. This fascinating 2005 New York Times article details just a portion of the long journey Checkoway’s film took to find the screen.

Filmmaker: Tell us about the history of this project and how you initially became involved with Billy Pappas.

Checkoway: A writer is always hungry for a once-in-a-lifetime story. I was initially introduced to the story of Billy Pappas in 2002 by Dr. Gary Vikan, director of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Vikan, who had known Billy for nearly 8 years, had already recognized a story of mythic dimensions, at that time purely because Billy had undertaken the Herculean and hubristic task of trying to invent a new art movement with a single pencil drawing. But the more I got to know Billy—I called him up from my then-home in Houston and eventually met him for lunch in a Baltimore restaurant—I realized that it wasn’t only the making of the drawing that was epic, but the search for someone to validate it. Billy and I seemed to bond pretty quickly. He was naturally suspicious of someone who wanted to hear and witness his story but he was also starved for company and desirous of confiding his methods, his years of suffering, and his aspirations. After a little dancing around each other, Billy allowed me to audiotape him talking about the project, and eventually, after a year, he allowed me to begin filming.

Filmmaker: You come from a literary and academic background – how have these informed your filmmaking?

Checkoway: Hugely. I had to make sure that what I had was not only a film but also a novel, a Bildungsroman, or in this case … Read the rest

TRIBECA KICKS OFF TONIGHT

By Admin

The Tribeca Film Festival, the nascent downtown upstart now in its seventh year, kicks off tonight with Michael McCullers’ Tina Fey/Amy Poehler vehicle Baby Mama. Running through May 4th, this year’s slimmed down edition will unfurl 120 features and 79 shorts in a selection that, while still premiere heavy, includes a broader range of crossover titles from festivals like Sundance, Berlin and SXSW than in years past. During the festival, this blog will host interviews with filmmakers both well known and not, critical dispatches and perhaps the occasional video piece. Over at my own site, Cinema Echo Chamber, you’ll be able to find longer form reviews of films and reflections on the festival.… Read the rest