Authors — Scott Macaulay
-
What’s So Controversial About Beasts and the SAG Awards?
I’m a little perplexed by the mini-controversy that has erupted over the Screen Actors Guild determination that the actors in Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild are ineligible to receive Screen Actors Guild Awards because the film was not made under a SAG contract. (In other words, the film did not employ professional actors.) From Scott Feinberg in the Hollywood Reporter: Director Benh Zeitlin, out of financial necessity (he had a budget of just $1.3 million) and a desire for the greatest possible sense of authenticity (his film revolves around eccentric characters who populate a remote part of America’s […]
by Scott Macaulay on Oct 2, 2012 -
Gordon Von Steiner and Steven Meisel Face the Future
I haven’t posted a great fashion film in a while because, well, I haven’t come across one. This, via Director’s Notes, is out-there enough to warrant placement here. It’s directed by Gordon von Steiner and was shot during Steven Meisel’s “Face the Future” photoshoot for Vogue.
by Scott Macaulay on Sep 27, 2012 -
5 Things to Know Before Submitting to The Tribeca Film Festival
Here’s Tribeca Film Festival Director of Programming Genna Terranova on her way to work while imparting some useful info about submitting to the 2013 edition. Early deadline, believe it or not, is October 19.
by Scott Macaulay on Sep 27, 2012 -
Swanberg Clobbers Faraci
Filmmaker Joe Swanberg clobbered Badass Digest critic Devin Faraci — in the ring, that is. I’ll leave it up to you to decide who scored more rhetorical points in their on-stage debate at Fantastic Fest. But after the verbal duel, the two climbed in the ring — literally — for a boxing match of which Swanberg emerged the victor. Indeed, Faraci’s haymakers were no match for Swanberg’s driving jabs. Matt Singer at Indiewire has the full transcript of the talk. An excerpt is below, as is a video of the fight. Devin Faraci: Joe, I want to thank you for […]
by Scott Macaulay on Sep 23, 2012 -
What’s New on Our Curated Kickstarter Page
Filmmaker has a curated page on Kickstarter, where we point you towards projects that we think are worthy of your attention. Here are our recent additions, and to read more about them visit them via Filmmaker Magazine on Kickstarter. Love Spasm: New York underground film icon Nick Zedd has just launched a campaign for what sounds like an ambitious feature set to shoot in Berlin. “The themes of this movie are love, sexual freedom, loyalty, human insecurity and the strategies people employ to survive and maintain relationships within the unnatural constraints imposed upon them by the economic pressures of capitalism, […]
by Scott Macaulay on Sep 23, 2012 -
Arthur “Sandy” Mandelberger, 1954 – 2012
I was very sorry to hear this week of the passing of Sandy Mandelberger, an indefatigable champion of independent film and independent film festivals. I first met Sandy almost two decades ago, when he was the Associate Market Director of the IFP’s Independent Feature Film Market. I remember him as a sunny, enthusiastic and engaged professional who thought very clearly about the ecosystem that supports independent film. He went on to form his own company, International Media Resources, where he consulted with both filmmakers and film festivals on their promotion and industry branding. He also organized the Independents Showcase at […]
by Scott Macaulay on Sep 19, 2012 -
“25 New Faces” Screen Tonight at IFC Center
If you’re in New York, please join us tonight at 8:00 PM at the IFC Center for a program selected from our 2009 “25 New Faces” list. Derek Cianfrance, director of Blue Valentine and a 2009 “25” alumni, will be hosting along with myself and Nick Dawson, and a panel discussion will follow after the screenings. The complete information is below, and tickets can be purchased here at the link. A special IFP Film Week showcases of work from members of Filmmaker Magazine‘s “25 New Faces of Independent Film” of 2012: The Gathering Squall (Hannah Fidell, 2012, 13 mins) Doubles […]
by Scott Macaulay on Sep 19, 2012 -
12 Tips from James Schamus and Christine Vachon at IFP Film Week
The IFP’s Independent Film Week’s Filmmaker Conference kicked off today, beginning with a case study of Beasts of the Southern Wild and ending with a conversation, moderated by IFP Executive Director Joana Vicente, between producer and Killer Films head Christine Vachon and producer, screenwriter and Focus Features CEO James Schamus. Below are 12 tips from the latter event — advice aimed at producers and, in some cases, anybody else, from two veterans with deep, decades-long roots in the independent community. 1. Consider producing. Christine Vachon and James Schamus are producers, but they both remembered a time when they were not. […]
by Scott Macaulay on Sep 16, 2012 -
Diane Von Fursternberg Shows Off Google Glass
Eyeglass cameras have been around for years… but, hey, this short film is made up entirely of footage not from just any old eyeglass camera. We’re talking about Google Glass! Here, Diane Von Furstenberg and her models take you through their New York fashion week. Some of this footage looks quite nice. At the New York Times, David Pogue discusses his try-out of Google Glass. He’s got a lot of details in his piece, but here’s how he concludes: But already, a few things are clear. The speed and power, the tiny size and weight, the clarity and effectiveness of […]
by Scott Macaulay on Sep 13, 2012 -
Five Questions with Mark Lombardi: Death-Defying Acts of Art and Conspiracy Director Marieke Wegener
In the years since his death in 2000, the work of artist Mark Lombardi has seemed even more prescient and relevant than it had during his lifetime. Lombardi’s finely-etched drawings, filled with annotated lines, circles and squiggles, traced the flow of capital and political power between various government, private and underworld actors. His subjects were American foreign policy, crime, corruption and conspiracy, and his artwork consisted of not only his drawings but the investigative work required to create them. Lombardi’s drawings reference the drug wars, the BCCI scandal, Charles Keating and the savings and loan scandal, and Iran contra, but […]
by Scott Macaulay on Sep 13, 2012
