VIDEO: “ARBITRAGE” DIRECTOR NICHOLAS JARECKI

Stephen and Patrick from the National Film Society are back with one last Sundance interview. And they’re going in style, sitting down with Nicholas Jarecki, director of the hedge-fund thriller Arbitrage, for what Jarecki refers to as “without a doubt the weirdest interview I’ve ever done.” One of the big hits of this year’s festival, Arbitrage sold to Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions for a deal reportedly in the $2.5 million range.

Video Highlight: Jarecki hilariously describing some unexpected sexual tension during his first meeting with actor Richard Gere. Watch that, and more, below:

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VIDEO: TERENCE NANCE AND NAMIK MINTER OF “AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF HER BEAUTY”

Sundance 2012 is in the wind, but Stephen and Patrick from the National Film Society are back with another interview they filmed during the festival. This time out, the duo sit down with director Terence Nance (An Oversimplification of Her Beauty) and actress Namik Minter. Minter and Nance, who spent over half a decade readying Oversimplification, are good sports, answering Stephen and Patrick’s questions about their favorite part of being in love, their least favorite part of being in love, and how to get into Sundance parties.

Watch the interview:

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A YEAR WITHOUT RENT IN PARK CITY: “OK, GOOD” AND “HEAVY GIRLS”

One of the trickier things about reviewing movies at a festival is that your identity isn’t exactly a secret. You’ve got a press pass with your name and the name of your outlet on it, so a lot of conversations you have with filmmakers revolve around that very fact. Or you end up in a long conversation at the Kickstarter party with the director of a film you hated. But my philosophy is if you can’t stand face-to-face with someone and defend your opinion of their work, then you have no business telling it to anyone else. Comments and critiques from behind the veil of anonymity are cowardly and childish and harmful. There’s no place for them in the indie film community.

Which brings us to Daniel Martinico’s Ok, Good, essentially a one-man show of struggling actor Hugo Armstrong and his endless string of rejections. We watch Armstrong go through commercial audition after commercial audition, all of them for things like laundry detergent and potting soil and any number of things you don’t necessarily care about.

But Armstrong cares. He cares deeply, spending hours poring over scripts and rehearsing even the simplest things like how he introduces himself to the casting director. He’s meticulous. Maybe too meticulous. He finds a flaw in the duplication of his headshot, and the rectification of that pretty much becomes his life mission for awhile.

It wears on him and we start to see his processes fall apart, little by little. All the while, he’s attending these acting workshops where a bunch of actors pace around a room, screaming at each other and doing some bizarre form of yoga and, well, all sorts of weird shit. It’s all very primal and you half expect them to be getting psyched up for a football game. But I guess that’s what they do.

What’s probably most impressive about Ok, Good is the cinematography. Martinico shot it himself and it looks fantastic, with an attention to detail that dovetails beautifully with Armstrong’s preparations. The audition footage looks appropriately terrible, but everything is well-frame, each shot serving … Read the rest

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH “I AM NOT A HIPSTER” DIRECTOR DESTIN DANIEL CRETTON

A dubious term to be sure, it seems that one of the pre-reqs for hipster certification is denying that you actually are one. Based on this criterion, Brook, the main character in Destin Daniel Cretton’s feature debut, definitely qualifies. But I Am Not a Hipster is not so much concerned with labels as it is with crafting an intimate, small-scale character portrait. Adrift in San Diego’s music scene, Brook’s lackadaisical lifestyle is interrupted when his family visits with the intention of spreading his late mother’s ashes. Cretton, who made a splash at Sundance in 2009 with his Grand Jury Prize winning short Short Term 12, has employed the musical talents of singer-songwriter Joel P. West to help bring to life this introspective exploration of a character, a music scene, and a subculture.

Filmmaker: How long have you been involved in the San Diego music scene? How did your experiences within it influence this story?

Cretton: I lived in San Diego for 10 years and fell in love with a lot of local bands there. I can’t really say I was heavily involved in the music scene, because I’m not a musician (more of a groupie). But being a part of the creative community in that city was a constant source of inspiration for me. It’s just a really great group of down-to-earth people who love to get together and do creative things, whether that’s music or art or building a mini golf course in someone’s living room. But the movie isn’t just inspired by that community; it’s literally made by them. We shot most of the film in San Diego at a lot of the same venues we hang out at (The Casbah, Habitat, San Diego Velodrome). We basically rallied all our friends there to help make the movie. There was absolutely no way we could have done it without them.

Filmmaker: How did you conceive of Brook, the film’s main character? Was his backstory developed from personal experience?

 Cretton: Brook’s backstory is fictional, but still based on emotions that are close to me. I’m not a musician, but … Read the rest

“THE WORDS” | directors Brian Klugman & Lee Sternthal

[PREMIERE SCREENING: Friday, January 27  6:30 pm –Eccles Theatre, Park City]

There are so many reasons why we chose film as our medium to tell stories.   The fact is we’re children of our culture (how could we not be?) a culture of the mash up: of so many forms of expression constantly mixing and intertwining in all of our daily lives.  Well, film is the only medium where you get to combine so many of these forms of expression simultaneously: literature, music, photography, visual art and theater, all in your own unique way to create a singular vision that can reflect life, contemplate it and, if you’re lucky, for a moment even crystallize it.

There’s the joys and trials of actually making the film, the constant planning, the problem solving, the limitations you encounter before, during, and after production, and the re-imagining these limitations force you to do that constantly keeps you fresh, sharp and creative in trying to tell your story in the most compelling way possible.  This is to say that it is often the most frustrating difficulties of making a film that lead to its greatest joys.  When you can say that about your chosen field, that’s a pretty cool job.

Then there’s the communal aspect: in making a film you’re constantly being challenged, surprised and inspired by so many interesting, talented people every day as you collaborate to bring this vision to life.  No matter how simple or complicated, playful or important the project may seem, there’s always that joy of creating with friends or colleagues that, when all is said and done, goes back to the simplest days of being children.

Also, with film you have an opportunity to play with time in ways that, obviously, you just can’t in life (move forwards, backwards, even stop time) to make sense of things, to make amends, to speak to issues that are important to you or even just for the sheer joy of it.  Because of this, in many ways, making a film is the closest you can come to literally creating dreams.  Since The … Read the rest

“WELCOME TO PINE HILL,” “NO ASHES NO PHOENIX” TAKE HOME TOP HONORS AT SLAMDANCE AWARDS

During a ceremony held tonight at Park City’s Treasure Mountain Inn, prize winners were announced for the 18th annual Slamdance Film Festival. Taking home the Narrative Grand Jury Prize was Welcome to Pine Hill, Keith Miller’s vérité portrait of a reformed Brooklyn drug dealer undergoing a crisis of mortality. Meanwhile, Jens Pfeifer’s basketball documentary No Ashes, No Phoenix was awarded the Documentary Grand Jury Prize, while Caskey Ebeling’s Getting Up and Andrew Edison’s Bindlestiffs took home the Audience Awards for documentary and narrative, respectively.

The full list of winners, per The Hollywood Reporter:

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Audience Award for Feature Documentary: Getting Up by Caskey Ebeling

Audience Award for Feature Narrative: Bindlestiffs by Andrew Edison

GRAND JURY AWARDS – NARRATIVE

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Feature Narrative: Welcome to Pine Hill by Keith Miller, “for its poetic and emotionally honest depiction of one man’s final journey in life, crafted from a true spirit of humanity and community.”

Special Jury Award for Bold Originality: Heavy Girls by Axel Ranisch, “for its joie de vivre, an incredibly life-affirming film that is presented with a unique vision and an amazing cast.”

GRAND JURY AWARDS – DOCUMENTARY

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Feature Documentary: No Ashes, No Phoenix by Jens Pfeifer, “for its adeptly piercing and cinematic look at a basketball team’s impassioned struggle not for glory, but to just avoid losing.”

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Short Documentary: The Professional by Skylar Neilsen, for ”an honest and natural portrayal of work-as-life, and the slowly disappearing craft of an American working man.”

GRAND JURY AWARDS – SHORT FILMS

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Animation: Venus by Tor Fruergaard, “for its creative use of claymation characters to explore sexual adventure and its lighthearted, touching and memorable story.”

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Short Film: I Am John Wayne by Christina Choe, “for its unique storytelling, cinematography and performances, including the brilliant use of a real horse in an urban environment.”

Special Jury Prize for Experimental Short: Solipsist by Andrew Huang, “for its unique blend of live action footage of the human body, puppetry and computer animation that creates a colorful and insightful fantasy world.”

Honorable Mention for … Read the rest

SUNDANCE VIDEO: “SAVE THE DATE” DIRECTOR MICHAEL MOHAN AND ACTOR MARTIN STARR

Stephen and Patrick from the National Film Society are back with another Sundance interview, this time sitting down with Save the Date director Michael Mohan and star Martin Starr (Advenureland, Freaks and Geeks.) Stephen and Patrick have been inching towards perfecting their strange and unique interview style all week. This time out, they quiz Martin Starr about his love-life, ask Mohan how to make a movie, and invite both guys to join their society.

Watch the full interview below.

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MEETING ROBERT REDFORD: THE “DURING SUNDANCE” BLOG

I’ve been considering many cold opening quotes to this “During Sundance” blog ranging from, “Bagels again?” to, “Marina Abramovic is in the next bathroom stall!”

I’ll let Robert Redford start it with, “There’s Sundance here,” as he points towards the floor at the Directors Brunch “And then there’s Park City,” he indicates down the mountain.

“Park City is not Sundance.”

We directors nod. Bob understands. We won’t buy into the machine of the market place. Our film is already the gold and Bob is warning us to stay grounded.

We then instantly bum rush him as soon as his speech is over to speed gush and get a picture.

“Mr. Redford, I’m Erin Greenwell I just wanted to say when I was little I did a living history presentation of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid and I dressed up like a cowboy and nobody picked on me and I realized I wanted to make movies from that moment and I just wanted to say you are one of the reasons I’m standing here.”

Phew!

Redford radiates a godlike smile “I’m so glad you told me that. Where did you grow up, Erin?” “Missouri!” I blurt as our state flag, bird and motto flash through my head with pride. “May I get a picture with you?”

“Quick real quick” urges his handler, AND ear buds a jangle and hands trembling to the point of dropping my cell phone, I take three and mutter gratefully “Thanks thanks thanks” and step out of the circle.

Opening weekend is a fun and frightening haul. There are three circles of concern rotating through the “Park City” side of me. When is the next interview or photo op for my cast and crew, how’s the premier going to go and will we get a good Variety review?

At the premier, my producer, the AD and myself sit near the door. For every audience laugh, we fist bump. For every moment dropped, we shoot each other furtive glances. This goes on for the entire movie, punctuated by sudden victories “I didn’t think that would get a … Read the rest

PHOTO STREAM: MORE SUNDANCE PHOTOS AND EVENTS

Producer Nekisa Cooper (Pariah) and the IFP’s deputy director Amy Dotson joined Chicken & Egg Pictures in Park City to honor WMM‘s Debra Zimmerman with the 2012 Good Egg Award.

Director Josh Radnor spoke about his film Liberal Arts, his experiences at Kenyon College, and David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest.

Sarah Barnett, the EVP of the Sundance Channel, and Nancy Klasky Gribler, the EVP of Marketing for Sundance Cinemas, caught up at the Sundance Channel’s party.

The cast of the new Sundance Channel television show, Push Girls.

The director (Leslye Headland, far left) and cast of Bachelorette in one of the more raucous Q&A portions I’ve witnessed.  Apparently some of the cast members (Rebel Wilson) had a bit too much to drink before the screening, and were finding it difficult to focus on the questions being asked. That’s okay though because Wilson made her love and respect for Headland obvious, while also admitting to loving Kirsten Dunst because she was in Bring It On.… Read the rest

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH “THE SURROGATE” DIRECTOR BEN LEWIN

Strictly speaking figures, The Surrogate has been the big Sundance winner thus far. Scooped up by Fox Searchlight for a massive $6 million, the film is already reportedly being groomed for next year’s Oscar race. The first narrative feature from filmmaker Ben Lewin since 1994′s Paperback Romance, The Surrogate tells the true story of journalist Mark O’Brien, a polio stricken man who, after living most of his life in an iron lung, decides to try to lose his virginity. Starring John Hawkes as O’Brien, The Surrogate received a standing ovation at it’s premiere, and it’s already being praised by critics as a light-hearted, accessible crowd-pleaser.

Filmmaker: How did you first come across Mark O’Brien’s story. What inspired you to adapt it?

Lewin: I stumbled across Mark’s article “On Seeing a Sex Surrogate” on the internet. I felt that if I could do on film what he had done to me with his writing, then I could potentially deliver something powerful.

Filmmaker: What kind of research did you do into O’Brien’s medical history? And how closely did you work with people who knew him personally

Lewin: I am very familiar with polio from my own experience and felt I understood Mark’s medical condition pretty well. I worked very closely with Susan Fernbach, Mark’s partner during the last few years of his life, and of course, Cheryl Cohen Greene, the surrogate.

Filmmaker: John Hawkes is a very versatile actor, but this role seems like quite a departure from the work he’s garnered acclaim for. What made you think he was right to play O’Brien?

Lewin: I was deeply impressed with the fact that John Hawkes strove to embrace the real Mark O’Brien as much as he possibly could.  It went beyond delivering a great performance. It became personal. I think he genuinely wanted to do this for Mark.

Filmmaker: Considering the obvious physical limitations, how did you work with John Hawkes and Helen Hunt to develop their on-screen chemistry?

Lewin: I was just there.  They created the chemistry themselves from their intense connection with the script and their determination to … Read the rest