Authors — Jason Guerrasio

SUNDANCE ANNOUNCES PREMIERES, SPECTRUM, MIDNIGHT AND NEW FRONTIERS LINEUPS

In the second day of lineup announcements for the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, titles range from the the already announced opening night film, Brett Morgen‘s Chicago 10, to the closing night film Nelson George‘s Life Support. Other notables include, Craig Brewer‘s Black Snake Moan, Sarah Polley‘s Away from Her (which was already praised at Toronto), Mike White‘s Year of the Dog, and Gregg Araki‘s stoner comedy Smiley Face. Premieres AN AMERICAN CRIME/ USA, Director: Tommy O’Haver; Screenwriters: Tommy O’Haver, Irene TurnerA fictionalized account of the true story of a young girl’s torturous ordeal at the hands of a troubled mother […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Nov 30, 2006
FAMILIAR FACES IN ’07 SUNDANCE SLATE

Chris Smith. George Ratliff. Jeffrey Blitz. David Gordon Green. Jessica Yu. Those are some of the names you will recognize while looking over the 64 films below that were announced today for the 2007 Sundance Film Festival International Film and World Cinema Competitions. The festival will be held Jan. 18-28. Documentary Competition BANISHED (Director: Marco Williams)—This story of three U.S. towns which, in the early 20th century, forced their entire African American populations to leave, explores what—if anything—can be done to repair past racial injustice. World Premiere. CHASING GHOSTS (Director: Lincoln Ruchti)—Twin Galaxies Arcade, Iowa, 1982: the birthplace of mankind’s […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Nov 29, 2006
HOW SWEET IT IS

Looking through the nominees for the Independent Spirit Awards I’m very happy to see Ali Selim’s Sweet Land nominated for Best First Feature and Best Female Lead for Elizabeth Reaser. Since I saw it premiere at the Hamptons International Film Festival (where it won the Audience Award) in 2005 I’ve been a big fan. Set in a turbulent post-WWI America, Reaser gives a gripping performance as a German immigrant sent to Minnesota for an arranged marriage and hope for a better life and David Tumblety’s camera work of the Northwestern plains are breathtaking. The film had to go the self-distribution […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Nov 28, 2006
On the Move

Gotham Awards Tribute recipient Ellen Kuras takes us into the fast-paced life of an in-demand DP. Ellen Kuras operates like a perpetual-motion machine. One moment she’s photographing Michel Gondry’s latest feature. The next, shooting The Rolling Stones for Martin Scorsese. There are meetings with Lou Reed about an upcoming concert project. Also, a long-gestating documentary she’s been directing at every opportunity. And in between all of that, she found time to replace her old car that just died and pick up her new tailless cat from the vet. ELLEN KURAS. There are, of course, rewards to such endeavors. Like being […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Nov 27, 2006
AGE IS JUST A NUMBER

Currently out on DVD through First Run Features, Michael Apted‘s 49 UP continues the examination of the lives of 14 people that began when they were children in Paul Almond‘s Seven Up! Via GreenCine here’s a Q&A with Apted on the UP series.
by Jason Guerrasio on Nov 16, 2006
THE BEST FILM NOT PLAYING AT A THEATER NEAR YOU

IFP Gotham Awards are around the corner and this year you have a chance to see the nominees for Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You. From Nov. 24-27 they’ll be screening at MoMA leading up to the announcement of the winner, selected by Filmmaker, at the Gotham Awards Nov. 29th. The five nominees — So Yong Kim‘s In Between Days, Richard Wong‘s Colma: The Musical, Steve Barron‘s Choking Man, Goran Dukic‘s Wristcutters—A Love Story, and Jake Clennell’s The Great Happiness Space: Tale of an Osaka Love Thief — were selected by a panel of advisors from numerous […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Nov 16, 2006
DOC SHORT LIST

Over at The Hot Blog David Poland gives us some Oscar hopefuls for Best Doc. Though I haven’t seen all of these I would have to say one of my favorite docs of the year so far is Deborah Scranton‘s The War Tapes. When I saw it at Tribeca (where it won Best Doc) I was drawn not only by its originality of looking at the war but how Scranton stays with the soldiers as they return home and start a whole new battle: adjusting to civilian life. In some ways that’s harder than surviving the war.
by Jason Guerrasio on Nov 15, 2006
STRANGERS ON DVD

Out on DVD today is the raunchy and hilarious Strangers With Candy. Even if you weren’t a big fan of the TV show this movie is still worth checking out. If not for the handful of A-list cameos, watch it for the absurd scenes between Amy Sedaris and Stephen Colbert. Priceless. Created by Sedaris, Colbert and Paul Dinello (who also directed the film), GreenCine dug up this Q&A Andy Spletzer had with the trio when it played at Sundance.
by Jason Guerrasio on Nov 14, 2006
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

There was an excellent piece on Steven Soderbergh‘s The Good German in yesterday’s New York Times (Warner Bros. opens the film next month). Channeling the 1940s era of filmmakers like Michael Curtiz (Casablanca), Soderbergh has created a film that according to Dave Kehr has the look and feel of old Hollywood. An excerpt: During the production Mr. Soderbergh was committed to remaining as true as possible to the technique of the era. By reproducing the conditions of an actual studio shoot from the late 1940s, he hoped to enter the mind of a filmmaker like Mr. Curtiz, to explore the […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Nov 13, 2006
REMEMBERING ROSSELLINI

Here’s an early holiday gift for all you Roberto Rossellini fans. Beginning next Wednesday and running through Dec. 22 the Museum of Modern Art will be holding a Rossellini retrospective that will include his work in film, TV and a parallel exhibition on his film posters (retrospective also has dates set in LA and London). Manohla Dargis wrote up a little retro of her own in today’s New York Times and points out the lack of recognition the auteur has in the States. “One can’t live without Rossellini,” a character declares in Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1964 film “Before the Revolution.” Yet, […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Nov 10, 2006

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