Archive for January, 2009
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009
Congratulations to filmmaker, new media creator, and Filmmaker contributor Lance Weiler, who was awarded the Arte France Cinrma prize here at this year’s Rotterdam Cinemart. In his remarks when presenting the award, Arte’s Michel Reilhac said that the award acknowledged the visionary nature of Weiler’s project and noted that it speaks towards the type of new thinking about audience and platforms that will be necessary if our world of specialty cinema is to survive in the coming years.
Weiler’s project is described by him in the program book thusly:
HIM is my newest cross-media poject — a collision of film, gaming and interactive technology that continues with my horror 2.0 series, placing the viewer literally in the shoes of the protagonist. This is a new type of social entertainment experience that fuses storytelling and gaming in a way that enables audience members to become collaborators within the story world.
Congratulations also to Byamba Sakyaan who was awarded the Prince Claus Film Grant for the Cinemart project Birdie.… Read the rest
Sunday, January 25th, 2009
I’m returning to Rotterdam after a 10-year absence. The last time I was here we were screening my first feature The Last Broadcast.
Last night I enjoyed a dinner with Nekisha Cooper (Pariah) and Ben Howe (Treeless Mountain) two up and coming producers who are attending the Rotterdam Lab. I was struck by the fact that the conversations from a decade ago were still so relevant today. Sustainability was an issue then and is even more so now. Unlike a decade ago the technology is now a reality. But along with this advancement comes the changing of roles. As prep, production, post and distribution become one it creates a different set of responsibilities. There’s a need for new crew positions and different working methods thanks to social media, audience building and the management of a project’s rights. Producers are in a unique position to help usher in this change.
I know personally that my process has changed. The methods in which I’m working are very different from a decade ago. In addition to attending CineMart with my newest project, I’ll be sharing some of my process with the producers from the Rotterdam Lab.
The following is piece that I was asked to write for the IFFR “Daily Tiger” about the value of transmedia / cross-media storytelling and how it has impacted my process.
I don’t consider myself a filmmaker anymore. I rarely shoot on film, don’t cut on film and often my work is shown digitally. I’m not sure what the new term will become but I feel more like a story architect.
As people become more connected thanks to technology, I find myself drawn to making stories social. Social in the sense that they can bring people together and hopefully inspire an individual to pass them to another. The concept of letting audience members step into the shoes of a protagonist or any character for that matter is incredibly exciting to me. My work has become a fusion of film, gaming, tech, and design. I create a project universe where stories are meant to
… Read the rest
Sunday, January 25th, 2009
Via Wired’s Underwire blog comes news of Gotham Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You director Nina Paley’s latest effort to raise money to pay the music rights for her film Sita Sings the Blues. Nominated for a Spirit Award, she’s auctioning off her companion seat. Bids start at $1,000.… Read the rest
Sunday, January 25th, 2009
Documentarian Doug Pray has made films about grafitti artists (Infamy), an iterant surfing family (Surfwise), Seattle punk scene (Hype!) Hip Hop DJ’s (Scratch) and truckers (Big Rig), and now, with Art & Copy, he profiles the living legends of corporate advertising. Advertising has a complicated relationship to filmmaking — for one thing, many feature and documentary directors make a living doing commercials. The men and women profiled in Pray’s film have been responsible for most revolutionary campaigns of the ad business — VW’s “Lemon” and “Think Small” were by George Lois, who also provoked controversy with his Esquire Covers and was at the agency that did the infamous Lyndon Johnson “Daisy Girl” ad (which has been credited with Johnson’s election win); “Got Milk?” by Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein; Lee Clow of Chiat/Day’s Apple Computer campaign, advertising which is integral to the brand itself; sentimentalist master Hal Riney, whose voice you would recognize from every commercial that ever made you cry (and some, like Ronald Reagan’s “It’s Morning in America,” that might have made you scream). Phyllis Robinson empowered the women of the “me generation” with Clairol ads and took the 1960’s to the sky for airlines. Dan Weiden and David Kennedy took their Nike motto “Just Do It” from the published last words of an executed felon, and set about to make a campaign that changed how sports are played in America. Pray put the camera on these men and women not to provoke them into talking about corporate responsibility, but to expose, in the purest way possible, what their art is and how they think about it.
Filmmaker: How is this film different from your other films?
Pray: For one thing, here I was in these expansive, gorgeous, architecturally wondrous ad agencies in these super high-end apartments in New York City, which is a far cry from the trash infested alleys and truck stops of my previous films. I thought when I started the film that it was gonna be totally different — that any fans of … Read the rest
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
The award winners of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival were announced this evening and Lee Daniels‘s Push: Based on a novel by Sapphire was the big winning as it took not only the Dramatic Grand Jury prize but also the Audience Award and Special Jury prize for actress Mo’Nique. Ondi Timoner‘s We Live In Public was awarded the top Documentary prize. The full list of winners are below.
Dramatic Grand Jury Prize:
Push: Based on a novel by Sapphire, Lee Daniels
Documentary Grand Jury Prize:
We Live In Public, directed by Ondi Timoner
Dramatic World Cinema Jury Prize:
The Maid, directed by Sebastian Silva
Documentary World Cinema Jury Prize:
Rough Aunties, directed by Kim Longinotto
Dramatic Audience Award:
Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire, directed by Lee Daniels
Documentary Audience Award:
The Cove, directed by Louise Psihoyos
Dramatic World Cinema Audience Award:
An Education, directed by Lone Scherfig
Documentary World Cinema Audience Award:
Afghan Star, directed by Havana Marking
Dramatic U.S. Special Jury Prize:
Mo’Nique, for acting in Push: Based in a novel by Sapphire
Dramatic U.S. Special Jury Prize:
Humpday, directed by Lynn Shelton, “for its independent spirit.”
Documentary U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize:
Good Hair, directed by Jeff Stilson
Dramatic World Cinema Special Jury Prize:
Catalina Saavedra for her performance in The Maid
Dramatic World Cinema Special Jury Prize for Originality:
Louise-Michel, directed by Benoit Delepine and Gustave de Kervern
Documentary World Cinema Special Jury Prize:
Tibet in Song, directed by Ngawang Choephel
U.S. Dramatic Excellence in Directing:
Cary Joji Fukunaga, Sin Nombre
U.S. Documentary Excellence in Directing:
Natalia Almada, El General
World Dramatic Excellence in Directing:
Oliver Hirschbiegel, Five Minutes of Heaven
World Documentary Excellence in Directing:
Havana Marking, Afghan Star
U.S. Dramatic Excellence in Cinematography:
Adriano Goldman, Sin Nombre
U.S. Documentary Excellence in Cinematography:
Bob Richman, The September Issue
World Dramatic Excellence in Cinematography:
John De Borman, An Education
World Documentary Excellence in Cinematography:
John Maringouin, Big River Man
U.S. Documentary Excellence in Editing:
Karen Schmeer, Sergio
World Documentary Excellence … Read the rest
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
The award winners of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival were announced this evening and Lee Daniels‘s Push: Based on a novel by Sapphire was the big winner as it took not only the Dramatic Grand Jury prize but also the Audience Award and Special Jury prize for actress Mo’Nique. Ondi Timoner‘s We Live In Public was awarded the top Documentary prize. The full list of winners are below.
Dramatic Grand Jury Prize:
Push: Based on a novel by Sapphire, Lee Daniels
Documentary Grand Jury Prize:
We Live In Public, directed by Ondi Timoner
Dramatic World Cinema Jury Prize:
The Maid, directed by Sebastian Silva
Documentary World Cinema Jury Prize:
Rough Aunties, directed by Kim Longinotto
Dramatic Audience Award:
Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire, directed by Lee Daniels
Documentary Audience Award:
The Cove, directed by Louise Psihoyos
Dramatic World Cinema Audience Award:
An Education, directed by Lone Scherfig
Documentary World Cinema Audience Award:
Afghan Star, directed by Havana Marking
Dramatic U.S. Special Jury Prize:
Mo’Nique, for acting in Push: Based in a novel by Sapphire
Dramatic U.S. Special Jury Prize:
Humpday, directed by Lynn Shelton, “for its independent spirit.”
Documentary U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize:
Good Hair, directed by Jeff Stilson
Dramatic World Cinema Special Jury Prize:
Catalina Saavedra for her performance in The Maid
Dramatic World Cinema Special Jury Prize for Originality:
Louise-Michel, directed by Benoit Delepine and Gustave de Kervern
Documentary World Cinema Special Jury Prize:
Tibet in Song, directed by Ngawang Choephel
U.S. Dramatic Excellence in Directing:
Cary Joji Fukunaga, Sin Nombre
U.S. Documentary Excellence in Directing:
Natalia Almada, El General
World Dramatic Excellence in Directing:
Oliver Hirschbiegel, Five Minutes of Heaven
World Documentary Excellence in Directing:
Havana Marking, Afghan Star
U.S. Dramatic Excellence in Cinematography:
Adriano Goldman, Sin Nombre
U.S. Documentary Excellence in Cinematography:
Bob Richman, The September Issue
World Dramatic Excellence in Cinematography:
John De Borman, An Education
World Documentary Excellence in Cinematography:
John Maringouin, Big River Man
U.S. Documentary Excellence in Editing:
Karen Schmeer, Sergio
World Documentary Excellence … Read the rest
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
Closing its 15th year, the Slamdance Film Festival announced the winners of its 2009 edition Friday night with Mo Perkins‘s A Quiet Little Marriage winning the Best Narrative Feature Award. The full list of winner are below.
Best Narrative Feature
A Quiet Little Marriage, directed by Mo Perkins
Special Jury Mention for Best Performance: Larry Fessenden in I Sell the Dead
Best Documentary Feature
Strongman, directed by Zachary Levy
Special Jury Mention: Second Sight, directed by Alison McAlpine
Best Narrative Short
Princess Margaret Blvd, directed by Kazik Radwanski
Best Documentary Short
Rare Chicken Rescue, directed by Randall Wood
Best Animated Short
Undone, directed by Hayley Morris
Best Experimental Short
Funny Guy, directed by Frank R. Rinaldi
Special Jury Mention: Tony Zoreil, directed by Valentin Potier
Best Music Video
Don McCloskey Mister Novocaine, directed by Peter Rhoads
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
Punching the Clown, directed by Gregory Viens
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature
Heart of Stone (formerly It’s Hard to be an Indian), directed by Beth Toni Kruvant
Audience Award for Best Anarchy Film
The Tides, directed by Eva Flodstrom
Spirit of Slamdance Award
(tie) Zombie Girl, directed by Aaron Marshall, Erik Mauck, Justin Johnson; and Vapid Lovelies, directed by Frank Feldman
Kodak Vision Award for Best Cinematography
I Sell the Dead cinematographer Richard Lopez
Dos Equis “Most Interesting Film” Award
You Might as Well Live, directed by Simon Ellis
IndieRoad Award
Punching the Clown, directed by Gregory Viens
The online audience award voted on by IndieRoad.net viewers.
Writer Award for Best Screenplay
Numbered, by Neil McGowan
Writer Award for Best Short Screenplay
Crybaby, by Mark Seidel… Read the rest
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
Closing its 15th year, the Slamdance Film Festival announced the winners of its 2009 edition Friday night with Mo Perkins‘s A Quiet Little Marriage winning the Best Narrative Feature Award. The full list of winner are below.
Best Narrative Feature
A Quiet Little Marriage, directed by Mo Perkins
Special Jury Mention for Best Performance: Larry Fessenden in I Sell the Dead
Best Documentary Feature
Strongman, directed by Zachary Levy
Special Jury Mention: Second Sight, directed by Alison McAlpine
Best Narrative Short
Princess Margaret Blvd, directed by Kazik Radwanski
Best Documentary Short
Rare Chicken Rescue, directed by Randall Wood
Best Animated Short
Undone, directed by Hayley Morris
Best Experimental Short
Funny Guy, directed by Frank R. Rinaldi
Special Jury Mention: Tony Zoreil, directed by Valentin Potier
Best Music Video
Don McCloskey Mister Novocaine, directed by Peter Rhoads
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
Punching the Clown, directed by Gregory Viens
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature
Heart of Stone (formerly It’s Hard to be an Indian), directed by Beth Toni Kruvant
Audience Award for Best Anarchy Film
The Tides, directed by Eva Flodstrom
Spirit of Slamdance Award
(tie) Zombie Girl, directed by Aaron Marshall, Erik Mauck, Justin Johnson; and Vapid Lovelies, directed by Frank Feldman
Kodak Vision Award for Best Cinematography
I Sell the Dead cinematographer Richard Lopez
Dos Equis “Most Interesting Film” Award
You Might as Well Live, directed by Simon Ellis
IndieRoad Award
Punching the Clown, directed by Gregory Viens
The online audience award voted on by IndieRoad.net viewers.
Writer Award for Best Screenplay
Numbered, by Neil McGowan
Writer Award for Best Short Screenplay
Crybaby, by Mark Seidel… Read the rest
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
If you’re among the many who decided to skip Sundance this year, one way to get a taste of the festival without leaving your own home has been to check out the portion of Sundance’s shorts selection that the festival puts online.
While they made more films available in previous years on there own site than they did on iTunes this year, with a bit of internet video scouring and you can watch as nearly twenty of the eighty of so shorts screening as this year’s festival. As more festivals embrace the notion of allowing the films they select to stream on the internet before or during their event, it seems the taboo of putting your short on the internet, in fear that it may hinder one’s festival run, is dying away. That said, a director, when I mentioned that I’d seen his short online and wanted to write about it, asked that I keep it on the “DL”, noting that he was still waiting to hear back from a number of fests and didn’t want to jeopardize his chances.
If you get a chance, here’s some of the Sundance shorts that are definitely worth finding on your laptop.
Acting for the Camera: A riveting investigation into the artiface and craftsmanship of film acting, this ingenious sixteen minute short by the Newell Brothers, Justin and Thomas, depicts an acting teacher who’s bullshit meter is set of when a female student and her awful scene partner perform the fake organism scene from When Harry Met Sally. As he shows them how its done and pushes them toward authenticity, he realizes more about the young woman in the Meg Ryan role that she’d necessarily like. See it on iTunes for one more day.
From Burger it Came: American animator Dominic Bisignano’s hilarious short takes a deeply funny look at a middle American child of the 80′s obsession with contracting AIDS from a cheeseburger and later, from a hand puppet that had for a few moments occupied the penis of an adventurous friend. Droll and matter of fact, the short … Read the rest
Friday, January 23rd, 2009
Previously I posted some thoughts on the Kevin Lee/YouTube situation, and now, via Lee’s Shooting Down Pictures blog, it’s great to report that YouTube has responded to criticism and restored Lee’s account. In a long post entitled “Things I Learned from Losing — and Regaining — my YouTube Account,” Lee tells all of us how we can defend ourselves against a similar type of complaint, the nature of copyright laws and why YouTube may not be to blame for his situation, and also how we can fight further for digital rights and fair use issues. Thanks to Kevin for his generous link to and quotation from this blog. He credits the writing of all of us bloggers with convincing YouTube to contact him directly about reinstating his account.
In my blog post I mentioned Lance Weiler’s article in the new Filmmaker in which he discussed issues of data portability, which are germane to Lee’s situation. That article has just gone online.… Read the rest
