In Didn’t Die, the host of a podcast continues broadcasting even after the apocalypse, using irony to mask her fear. The 2025 Sundance Film Festival Midnights selection contrasts her podcast demeanor with her family life and takes inspiration from George Romero and Post-Impressionism. Paul Gleason wore many hats for the production of Didn’t Die. Below, he answers questions in his capacity as DP, elucidating how to navigate budgetary limitations with carefully chosen equipment and connecting the effect budget has on aesthetic to film noir and horror films. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2025Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? The most significant day on this film’s journey was our shoot in Joshua Tree. It was 115 degrees at its peak, and Paul, the cinematographer, nearly collapsed from heat stroke with the weight of the camera rig, which was apt for a film about survival. We were really out of money at this point […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2025Bucks County, USA, directed and produced by Robert May (Kids for Cash) and Barry Levinson (Rain Man; Good Morning, Vietnam) follows a pair of teenage girls, best friends with opposing political views, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, one of the swingiest counties in a crucial swing state. The series, part of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s Episodics section, follows the political battles in the county through the perspective of its young protagonists. Below, Bucks County, USA DPs Antonio Rossi and Ben Bloodwell talk about what drew them to such a political project, matching two different cameras in post, and overcoming the […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2025Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? When Jason Sosnoff, Barry Levinson, and I began the project and started filming in April 2022, our intention was to talk with and get to know adults on both sides of the political divide, to begin a journey—a respectful deep dive, if you will—to gain trust and present a sense of humanity by generously […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2025The Librarians shines a light on the people on the frontlines of the ongoing war on education, focusing on the renewed wave of book bans in Florida, New Jersey, and especially Texas. The film, directed by Kim Snyder (Us Kids) is part of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s Premieres section. Paulius Kontijevas (camera op on Janet Planet) and Derek Wiesehahn (How to Survive a Plague, Welcome to Chernobyl) served as the film’s cinematographers. Below, Kontijevas talks about lighting and staging interviews that protect librarians’ anonymity and the beauty of light refracting through glass. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2025Director Kim A. Snyder (Us Kids) turns her camera to the frontlines of the contemporary book-banning wave that is sweeping many U.S. states, particularly Florida and Texas, in The Librarians. The film is part of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s Premieres section and marks the first producer credit of Janique L. Robillard. Below, Robillard discusses the film’s origins and how the film’s subject connects to today’s film production industry. See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time producer interviews here. Filmmaker: How did you connect with this filmmaker and wind up producing the film? Robillard: I first worked with director-producer Kim A. […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2025Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? Our first meeting with John Battsek and Chris Smith was quite a moment, as I’m a fan of both their works. My partner in crime Erin Williams-Weir and I took a bit of risk personally funding the initial production for Never Get Busted! We cut together a teaser and pitched the project to John, […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2025Following his 2022 film Hypochondriac, writer-director Addison Heimann’s Touch Me centers on two best friends (Olivia Taylor Dudley and Jordan Gavaris) who fall under the erotic spell of the same guy (Lou Taylor-Pucci). At least he looks like a guy; the truth is, he’s an intergalactic being ensconced in a human flesh suit. As the best friends vie for his affection, they gradually realize that they’re fighting for their right to live as much as love. Cinematographer Dustin Supencheck discusses his working relationship with Heimann, the importance of capturing vibrant colors and the influence of 20th century Japanese cinema on the […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2025Shiro and Wachuka are two Nairobi women who attempt to transform the McMillan Memorial Library, a whites-only library until 1958, into a modern and vibrant cultural hub. Their attempts to navigate local politics and Kenya’s colonial history is tracked in How to Build a Library, husband-and-wife duo Christopher King and Maia Lekow’s follow-up to The Letter. King, besides co-directing, also served as the film’s cinematographer. Below, he explains the importance of capturing a Kenyan point of view and why working as a two-person crew helps build trust with their subjects. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2025