Authors — Paula Bernstein
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Vidiots Launches the Video Store into the Next Era
Vidiots, the iconic Santa Monica movie rental store-turned film non-profit, has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo with the goal of raising $65,000 to keep the doors open and to fund new programs. Just last year, Vidiots was in danger of closing after 30 years in business. Not long after co-owners Cathy Tauber and Patty Polinger announced they were going to have to shutter, they got a last-minute donation from film producer Megan Ellison of Annapurna Pictures. But Vidiots needs to continue raising money in order to launch new programs and initiatives to preserve and provide access to their diverse and […]
by Paula Bernstein on Sep 28, 2016 -
The Indie Memphis Film Festival Unveils Film Slate for 19th Edition
The Indie Memphis Film Festival has announced the full slate of films for the 19th edition of the film festival, which runs from November 1-7. Prichard Smith’s documentary The Invaders will open the festival and Stephen John Ross’s documentary Kallen Esperian: Vissi D’Arte is the Closing Night title. World Premieres include Mike McCarthy’s Destroy Memphis, Kathy Lofton’s I Am A Caregiver, Madsen Minax’s Kairos Dirt & The Errant Vacuum, Flo Gibb’s Mentality: Girls Like Us, and Lakethen Mason’s Verge, with Jennifer Anderson and Vernon Lott’s The Act of Becoming making its U.S. Premiere. Festival favorites include Sophia Takal’s Always Shine, Kirsten Johnson’s Cameraperson, Ira Sachs’ Little Men, David Farrier and […]
by Paula Bernstein on Sep 27, 2016 -
Five Questions for Miss Stevens Writer/Director Julia Hart
We’ve seen our fair share of films about teacher-student relationships, but they tend to fall into either the titillating or inspirational categories. Miss Stevens is neither. It’s a quiet drama which is powerful in its subtlety. The plot itself is understated, but the execution is surprisingly compelling. The set-up involves Rachel Stevens (Lily Rabe), a lonely high school teacher who reluctantly chaperones three teens – including the troubled and charismatic Billy (Timothee Chalamet) – to a drama competition. In her directorial debut, Julia Hart, who co-wrote the film with her husband Jordan Horowitz, exhibits an aptitude for working with actors. Rabe won the Best Actress […]
by Paula Bernstein on Sep 27, 2016 -
Trailer Watch: Ava DuVernay’s 13th
Ava DuVernay’s documentary 13th, will have its world premiere as the Opening Night selection of the 54th New York Film Festival. The first-ever nonfiction work to open the festival, 13th will debut on Netflix and open in a limited theatrical run on October 7. You can check out its first trailer above. The title of the film refers to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which reads “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.” The film chronicles the history of racial inequality and examines how the U.S. has produced […]
by Paula Bernstein on Sep 26, 2016 -
My First Film Shoot: A Lesson in Documentary Filmmaking and Flexibility
If you need any motivation to begin production on your first-ever documentary, here’s a tip: tell thousands of people you’re making a documentary. That’s what I did when I shared the news on Filmmaker and Facebook that I was going to make my first film, a short documentary, tentatively titled Sole Doctor. Of course, I loved the enthusiastic response. But hearing, “Can’t wait to see it!” from more than 100 people sure ratchets up the pressure to deliver. With my subject nailed down and a DP and sound mixer onboard, it was time to begin production. For the first shooting day, […]
by Paula Bernstein on Sep 26, 2016 -
2016 Camden International Film Festival and Points North Winners Announced
Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) has announced the winners of the 2016 Festival, which ran from September 15-18 in Camden, Rockport and Rockland, Maine. For the second year, Conservation Media Group partnered with the Points North Institute to select projects from filmmakers and organizations alike that use video to create measurable action in ocean conservation or sustainable energy. 2016 CMG Action Grant finalists included: Alex Finn’s Whale Heritage Sites, Jeff Talbot’s Protect the Great Bear Sea, and Doug Woodring’s Global Alert – Floating Trash. This year’s $10,000 CMG Action Grant cash prize was awarded to Whale Heritage Sites. The 2016 class of […]
by Paula Bernstein on Sep 23, 2016 -
Trailer Watch: TOWER
With campus shootings occurring at a frightening frequency, TOWER, the new documentary about the 1966 campus shooting at the University of Texas, is, sadly, timelier than ever. The SXSW Grand Jury and Audience Award winner combines archival footage with rotoscope animation of first-person testimonials to retell the tragedy where a sniper took the lives of 16 people. Directed by Keith Maitland and executive produced by Meredith Vieira and Luke Wilson, TOWER will get a limited theatrical release in October via Kino Lorber. Check out the film’s new trailer above and read an interview with Maitland out of SXSW here.
by Paula Bernstein on Sep 22, 2016 -
Trailer Watch: Mifune: The Last Samurai
“Mifune’s performance is layered, complex. He studied the movement of lions. He’s like a caged animal,” says Martin Scorsese in the (above) trailer for Mifune: The Last Samurai, the new documentary about Toshiro Mifune, the greatest actor from the Golden Age of Japanese Cinema. Directed by Academy Award-nominated director Steve Okazaki and narrated by Keanu Reeves, Mifune: The Last Samurai features rare archival footage and interviews with Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Koji Yakusho as well as Mifune co-stars Kyoto Kagawa, Haruo Nakajima and Yoshio Tsuchiya. Mifune appeared in nearly 170 films, including Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, and Red Bear. The film […]
by Paula Bernstein on Sep 21, 2016 -
Why Director Joel Potrykus is Releasing His New Movie as “Pay What You Wish”
Along with the debut of a brand new trailer (above) for Joel Potrykus’ The Alchemist Cookbook, distributor Oscilloscope Laboratories has announced that the film will be released via BitTorrent Now for pay-what-you-wish on October 7th. The Alchemist Cookbook is a portrait of a Sean, a young hermit in the woods who sets out to solve an old mystery, and loses his mind along the way. Starring Ty Hickson and Amari Cheatom, the film premiered at SXSW and screened at various other festivals including BAMcinemaFest and Fantasia. Potrykus, who previously directed Ape and Buzzard, recently penned an Op-Ed about why he’s a fan […]
by Paula Bernstein on Sep 20, 2016 -
Watch: How the Coen Brothers Storyboarded Blood Simple
In advance of the release of Criterion’s 4K restoration of Blood Simple, photographer Grant Delin created a video essay which compares scenes from the finished film to the original storyboards. With commentary by the Coens, cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld, and actor Frances McDormand, this glimpse into their creative process highlights the meticulous planning and elaborate storyboards behind the film’s signature aesthetic. The restored version of the Coens’ 1984 debut feature will be available in both Blu-ray and DVD editions beginning on September 20. Find out more here. You can also watch the Coen Brothers’ pitch trailer for the low-budget classic here.
by Paula Bernstein on Sep 19, 2016
