Authors — Jason Guerrasio

A CONVERSATION WITH “YOU WONT MISS ME'”S RUSSO-YOUNG & EDMANDS

Ry Russo-Young’s You Won’t Miss Me was one of our favorite films at Sundance this year. It is a free-wheeling, lyrical but sometimes jarring depiction of a few months in the life of young and struggling New York actress navigating both harsh auditions and her own chaotic emotional relationships. The film has a deceptively casual feel as it avoids obvious plot points and melodramatic narrative contrivances. By its conclusion, however, it feels full — an honest portrait of character we haven’t quite seen on screen before at a very specific moment in her life. Following its Sundance premiere, the film […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Mar 12, 2009
RACHEL/SYNECDOCHE CONTEST

Today Jonathan Demme‘s Rachel Getting Married and Charlie Kaufman‘s Synecdoche, New York are released on DVD and Blu-Ray. We’re giving away 1 DVD & Blu-Ray disc of each film to the first people to e-mail us the correct answers to the designated questions below. The answers can be found in our stories on the films in the Fall, 2008 issue. E-mail your answer to editor.filmmakermagazine AT gmail.com. (In subject line put in the film title and either “DVD” or “Blu-Ray” so we know what question you’re answering. Please only answer 1 question.) The winners will be notified and mailed the […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Mar 10, 2009
RACHEL/SYNECDOCHE CONTEST

With two of our favorites, Rachel Getting Married and Synecdoche, New York, coming out on Blu-Ray and DVD next Tuesday, we’re going to hold a contest with the first person to e-mail us the correct answers to our questions receiving a Blu-Ray or DVD of the films. Check back to the blog next Tuesday at 12:00pm (EST) for the questions. (DISCLAIMER: Contest is only available for those living in the U.S.) The answers will be found in our stories on the films in the Fall, 2008 issue. We are only giving away 1 Blu-Ray and DVD for each film.
by Jason Guerrasio on Mar 6, 2009
“I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG”

Nominated for Best Foreign Film and Best Actress for Kristin Scott Thomas at this year’s Golden Globes, Philippe Claudel‘s debut feature stars Scott Thomas as Juliette, who’s recently been released from prison where she’s spent the last 15 years for killing her son and now reluctantly begins to rebuild her relationship with her family after her younger sister, Léa (Elsa Zylberstein), volunteers to take her in. A tender story about redemption and forgiveness, Scott Thomas delivers one of the best performances of her career as a woman jaded by her past but slowly finds that she can make up for […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Mar 3, 2009
TRIBECA ’09 TO OPEN WITH ALLEN’S WHATEVER WORKS

After a four year absence from shooting in his beloved New York City, Woody Allen‘s latest film Whatever Works — starring Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley Jr — will open this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. In a press release sent out today, the festival announced the film, which will be released by Sony Pictures Classics in the summer, will screen at the festival on April 22. The festival will run from April 22 – May 3.
by Jason Guerrasio on Mar 2, 2009
THE STRANGE CONTINUES

While in San Jose to attend the Cinequest Film Festival I got a chance to hang out with one of our more eccentric “25 New Faces” alumni, M dot Strange. The Bay-area native has been hard at work on his next feature animation project. He didn’t want to go too in depth about it with me, but if you’ve seen his first feature, We Are The Strange, you know it will stretch the limits of DIY filmmaking. One tidbit I can give out is the film’s score will be done by Endika, a San Jose musician who is a moving […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Mar 2, 2009
“THE WHOLE SHOOTIN’ MATCH”

Unavailable for at least two decades, Eagle Pennell‘s landmark film has been lost in the conversation of influential American independent films. But with its low-budget filming, engaging yet hapless characters and Pennell’s semi-doc handheld shooting of Central Texas, The Whole Shootin’ Match is a precursor to almost any indie made today. The film, shot on B&W 16mm, follows two slacker cowboys who spend their time chasing women and getting drunk while trying to cook up get-rich-quick schemes. Legend has it when Pennell screened the film at the U.S. Film Festival in 1978, where it won the Audience Award, Robert Redford […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Feb 22, 2009
THE WRESTLER WINS BIG WITH THREE SPIRIT AWARDS INCLUDING BEST FEATURE

Film Independent‘s Spirit Awards just concluded in Santa Monica with Darren Aronofsky‘s The Wrestler walking away with Best Feature, Cinematography and Best Male Lead for Mickey Rourke, who did not disappoint when accepting the award (hopefully he kept some material for tomorrow night). Milk won Best Supporting Male (James Franco) and Best First Screenplay (Dustin Lance Black), Frozen River took home the Producer Award (Heather Rae) and Female Lead (Melissa Leo), Vicky Cristina Barcelona also took home two awards (Best Supporting Female for Penélope Cruz and Best Screenplay for Woody Allen) while Tom McCarthy received Best Director for The Visitor. […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Feb 21, 2009
GONDRY AND FORD ANNOUNCE WINNERS OF FIRST BABELGUM MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS

Director Michel Gondry and singer-songrwiter David Ford have announced the winners of of the first ever Babelgum Music Video Awards. Babelgum viewers from over 100 countries participated, for the first time simultaneously from the Web and from Mobile phones. The 10 finalists rated highest by the public online were then viewed by Gondry and Ford, for their final selection of the overall winner. From the release: The Babelgum Music Video “Grand Prize” (a record development deal with Universal Music UK) went to Quio (Germany) for her “So Dazed”, produced by Christine Lang (Director) and Maria Schöpe (Production design). “I liked […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Feb 18, 2009
IFP RELAUNCHES "SCRIPT TO SCREEN"

IFP announced today that after a five year sabbatical they are bringing back their spring conference, “Script to Screen.” Taking place March 7 & 8 at the New York Film Academy, the conference returns to address the new landscape and opportunities facing content creators working across platforms in film, television and new technologies. The conference opens with a conversation between James Schamus, Focus Features CEO, and Scott Macaulay, Editor of Filmmaker Magazine. The conference closes with a conversation with filmmaker Lee Daniels, director of the recent Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire. Other featured […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Feb 17, 2009

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