Authors — Natalia Keogan
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IDA Interim Executive Director Ken Ikeda Releases Letter on Documentary Workers United’s Two-Year Contract Ratification
Months of negotiations came to an end on Friday, July 21 when the Documentary Workers United (DWU) unanimously voted to ratify a two-year contract with the International Documentary Association (IDA), a non-profit that provides grants and general support to documentarians and the broader non-fiction film sector. “Our contract, our union, and our victorious ratification is a labor of love and care that would not have been possible without the continuous work of IDA workers, past and present,” DWU, which is part of the Communications Workers of America local 9003, said in a Twitter thread last week. Several changes ratified in […]
by Natalia Keogan on Jul 27, 2023 -
“Film Sets Are the Best Film School”: YouTubers-Turned-Filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou on Their A24 Horror Debut Talk To Me
Ventriloquist demons go viral in Talk To Me, the feature film debut of twin brothers and co-directors Danny and Michael Philippou. While the A24 horror venture marks their first official foray into feature filmmaking, the duo have been uploading action-packed videos onto their YouTube channel, RackaRacka, since 2013. Unlike Kyle Edward Ball, another YouTuber-turned-filmmaker whose chilling feature debut Skinamarink released earlier this year, the Philippou’s prior output wasn’t necessarily horror-focused. To date, their channel is mostly comprised of stunts, comedy sketches, satirical vlogs and prank videos. This decade-spanning commitment to making content is likely what primed the brothers to helm Talk […]
by Natalia Keogan on Jul 27, 2023 -
Trailer Watch: Ellie Foumbi’s Our Father, the Devil
A new trailer lands today for Our Father, the Devil, writer-director Ellie Foumbi’s feature debut that earned her a spot on our 25 New Faces of Film list last year. Selected for funding through the Venice Biennale College Cinema in December 2019, the film first screened as a “work in progress” at Venice in 2021 before premiering a final cut at Tribeca in 2022, where it won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. Here’s the plot of the film, per an official synopsis: Nominated for the 2023 Best Feature Independent Spirit Award, Ellie Foumbi’s elegant moral thriller and debut feature […]
by Natalia Keogan on Jul 24, 2023 -
TIFF Announces First Wave of 2023 Programming With 60 Gala and Special Presentation Titles
The Toronto International Film Festival unveils today 60 titles programmed for the 2023 edition’s gala and special presentation sections. Taking place from September 7-17, TIFF’s first wave lineup announcement encompasses 37 World Premieres, seven International Premieres, 12 North American Premieres, and four Canadian Premieres. At a glance, several buzzy films that premiered at this year’s Cannes will also screen in Toronto, including Palme d’Or winner Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet, Gran Prix winner The Zone of Interest by Jonathan Glazer, Kore-eda Hirokazu’s Monster (which won Best Screenplay for Yuji Sakamoto), Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera and Catherine Breillat’s Last […]
by Natalia Keogan on Jul 24, 2023 -
Watch: Ian Samuels’s Kathleen Hanna-Voiced 2015 Short Myrna the Monster
Myrna the Monster, Ian Samuels’s 2015 short film that secured him a spot on our 25 New Faces of Film list that same year, is finally available to watch online via the filmmaker’s personal Vimeo account. The titular monster is voiced by Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill, Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin frontwoman) and embodied by an elaborate puppet that Samuels, a former Sesame Street employee and graduate of CalArts’s puppetry program, crafted himself. Filmmaker editor-in-chief Scott Macaulay penned Samuels’s 25 New Faces profile, describing the plot of the 14-minute short as follows: Hovering just around 3 feet, Myrna — […]
by Natalia Keogan on Jul 20, 2023 -
Dos Estaciones, Charm Circle, a New Joel Potrykus Short and More to Debut on the Criterion Channel in August
Alongside programming celebrating hip-hop, actress Kay Frances, Roger Corman’s Poe adaptations and “eurothrillers,” this August’s streaming selections on the Criterion Channel heavily feature filmmakers who’ve appeared in this publication, including in our recent Summer 2023 print issue. First up, Juan Pablo González’s highly-recommended Dos Estaciones will have its exclusive streaming premiere on the platform. González made our 25 New Faces of Film list back in 2015, and Dos Estaciones is the director’s sophomore feature. Described by Criterion as blending a “fictional character study and documentary-like observation,” the film follows tequila ranch owner María (Teresa Sánchez, winner of a Special Jury […]
by Natalia Keogan on Jul 19, 2023 -
Trailer Watch: Jennifer Reeder’s Perpetrator
Jennifer Reeder’s follow-up as a writer-director to her 2019 feature debut Knives and Skin, the first trailer arrives today for Perpetrator. The film had its world premiere at this year’s Berlinale before having its North American premiere at Tribeca Festival earlier this summer. In my interview with Reeder ahead of Berlinale ’23, I briefly elaborate on the film’s premise: Precocious 17-year-old Jonny (Kiah McKirnan) has a no-frills home life with her deadbeat father, supported by her after school hustle as a petty thief. Her mother has long been out of the picture, only exacerbating her feeling of isolation when she […]
by Natalia Keogan on Jul 19, 2023 -
Steven Soderbergh Announces Sci-Fi Series Command Z Dropping on His Website July 17
Although his new miniseries Full Circle just premiered on Max, Steven Soderbergh has announced today that another episodic project—which he allegedly made between Magic Mike’s Last Dance and Full Circle—will be ready to watch by next week. Command Z, an eight episode sci-fi project that’s roughly 90 minutes overall, will launch on Soderbergh’s website, Extension 765, this Monday, July 17. As of right now, a trailer for Command Z is available to watch on the site. Command Z takes place sometime in the distant future and revolves around a mission that a lead scientist (Michael Cera, appearing only via screen) […]
by Natalia Keogan on Jul 14, 2023 -
Trailer Watch: Laura Moss’s birth/rebirth
The trailer arrives for birth/rebirth, the feature debut of writer-director Laura Moss, a 25 New Faces alum from 2017. Co-written by Moss and their longtime screenwriting partner Brendan O’Brien, the film is essentially a modern-day take on Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, examining the biological urge to create life (whether through scientific exploits or human procreation) and the true meaning of “motherhood.” In my interview with Moss out of this year’s Sundance, I provide a general rundown of the film’s plot: The film follows Dr. Rose Casper (Marin Ireland), a brilliant pathologist lacking in basic social skills. Human connection doesn’t interest her […]
by Natalia Keogan on Jul 13, 2023 -
Trailer Watch: Claire Simon’s Our Body
Watch the trailer for Our Body, the latest from acclaimed French documentarian Claire Simon, director of God’s Offices, The Competition, I Want to Talk About Duras and others. The doc had its world premiere at this year’s Berlinale before screening at MoMA’s Doc Fortnight and True/False stateside. Per an official synopsis: French documentary titan Claire Simon observes the everyday operations of the gynecological ward in a public hospital in Paris. In the process, she questions what it means to live in a woman’s body, filming the diversity, singularity and beauty of patients in all stages of life. Through these many […]
by Natalia Keogan on Jul 13, 2023
