Last year we were flattered when The Grand Cinema in Tacoma, Washington asked if they could put together a screening series of our 2010 25 New Faces of Independent Film. It was an amazing turnout with The Grand screening films from 22 of the 25 and 11 of the filmmakers making the trip to attend. Well, The Grand is doing it again! Beginning this Friday and running until the 25th, The Grand Cinema will screen 20 works from this year’s 25 and it sounds like they will once again have a bunch of the filmmakers on hand. If you live […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Aug 15, 2011The IFP announced today the slate for this year’s Project Forum, which will take place during the 33rd edition of Independent Film Week on Sept. 18-22 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center. The centerpiece of Independent Film Week, Project Forum is designed specifically as a place for industry to meet with new talent, as well as discover fresh projects from emerging and veteran filmmakers. Read the complete press release and full list of titles in this year’s Project Forum. All 150 projects showcased in the Project Forum this year are narrative and documentary features […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Aug 11, 2011As the riots in London continue, with statistics including 563 people arrested, one man shot, emergency services attacked and multiple police officers injured in the last three days, last night the Pias/Sony distribution center in Enfield, London was set on fire by looters (see video below). Hundreds of thousands of CDs and DVDs were destroyed. Reports say independent filmmakers and music producers will be hit the hardest as the building was Sony’s only depot for CDs and DVDs in Britain.
by Jason Guerrasio on Aug 9, 2011Now up on our VOD calendar are titles available for the month of August. Some of the highlights: Meek’s Cutoff, The Beaver, Jane Eyre and John Landis returns to features after over a decade of directing for TV with his dark comedy Burke and Hare (which hits theaters in September), starring Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis as the legendary 19th century body-snatchers. For titles from previous months go to our VOD Calendar homepage.
by Jason Guerrasio on Aug 1, 2011Select stories from our Summer issue are now available, including this year’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film. You can also read online our interviews with Steve James on his new film The Interrupters, Evan Glodell talks about Bellflower and doc filmmaker Paul Devlin looks at the battle between documentary filmmakers and the IRS. Plus, columns Culture Hacker, Industry Beat and more. The issue hits stands next week, but you can read it now on your desktop by subscribing to our digital issue. Learn more here. Enjoy.
by Jason Guerrasio on Jul 20, 2011Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Steve James returns to his native Chicago to look at a group of ex-cons who have formed an organization dedicated to wiping out the violence that has plagued their streets in THE INTERRUPTERS. By Jason Guerrasio | Photograph by Henny Garfunkel
by Jason Guerrasio on Jul 20, 2011From the outside it looked like Eddie Alcazar had it all figured out. With only a year under his belt at the Academy of Art University where he studied visual effects and animation film theory, Electronic Arts plucked him in 2004 to work in its game design division on the Medal of Honor series. A year and a half later he started the digital content creation boutique Alcazar Entertainment, where he did the video game design and 3D modeling for more than 30 commercials and games, including The Matrix: Path of Neo, James Bond: From Russia with Love and Oddworld: […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Jul 17, 2011Asked when he realized he wanted to become a filmmaker, moments quickly came to Alrick Brown’s mind. The first time was while taking a summer course in college on Hitchcock. Another was when, while substitute teaching at a middle school in his hometown of Plainfield, N.J., he realized the only thing his kids paid attention to were movies and music videos. But the defining moment came in the early 2000s during his time in the Peace Corps when he was brought to the slave castles in Ghana. Setting foot in these atrocious landmarks, Brown realized what his calling was. “I […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Jul 17, 2011The Sundance Institute announced today the participants for its annual Creative Producing Labs and Creative Producing Summit, which will take place in Sundance, Utah starting July 18. From the 18-22, ten projects will participate in the Labs (five narrative, four documentaries) and receive ongoing support throughout the year. Following the Labs, from the 22-24, leaders in the independent film community will partake in the Summit that will include case study sessions, panels, roundtable discussions, one-on-one meetings and pitching sessions. Summit panelists include Josh Braun (Submarine Entertainment), Victoria Cook (Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz), Liesl Copland (William Morris Endeavor), Eric d’Arbeloff […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Jul 12, 2011Now up on our VOD Calendar are titles available for the month of July. Some of the highlights: Duncan Jones‘ fantastic thriller Source Code, Cannes winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, David Robert Mitchell‘s impressive debut The Myth of the American Sleepover and Michael Tully‘s Southern Gothic tale Septien. For titles from previous months go to our VOD Calendar homepage.
by Jason Guerrasio on Jul 1, 2011