Authors — Scott Macaulay
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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 -
Director Maiko Endo on Kuichisan
Easily the most out-there film I saw at last year’s CPH:DOX was one touted by the programmers as “the discovery of the festival”: Maiko Endo’s Kuichisan, receiving its New York debut tomorrow as part of the LaDiDa Festival. Previously, Endo was a vocalist in the band Battles and co-produced Jessica Oreck’s documentary Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo. Now, Oreck has produced Endo’s debut picture, with Beetle Queen d.p. Sean Price Williams behind the camera. Stunningly shot in both black-and-white and color, Kuichisan is a tumbling collection of images, organized as much by feeling, sensation and the rhythms of its experimental soundtrack […]
by Scott Macaulay on Sep 13, 2012 -
PAUL FEDERBUSH NAMED SUNDANCE INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, FEATURE FILM PROGRAM
Distribution veteran Paul Federbush has been named International Director, Feature Film Program, at the Sundance Institute. Through his work at a number of companies over the years, Federbush is well known in the independent community. Most recently, Federbush formed the distribution company Red Flag Releasing with Laura Kim, and previously he was Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Production at Warner Independent, where he developed such projects as Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, and Hany Abu Assad’s Paradise Now. From the press release: In his new role, Federbush is responsible for the planning and execution of the international work of Sundance […]
by Scott Macaulay on Sep 11, 2012 -
FACTORY 25 ACQUIRES CASSIDY AND SHATZKY’S “FRANCINE”
Factory 25 has acquired North American rights to Brian Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky’s Francine, a bold and mysterious drama starring Melissa Leo as a paroled convict who finds solace in caring for animals. The film premieres this week, on September 12, at MoMA in a theatrical release by The Film Sales Company, and it will continue to play across the country this fall. Factory 25 and The Film Sales Company will co-release the film on VOD and digitally beginning November 1. DVD and non-theatrical screenings will begin in Spring, 2013. Francine premiered this year at the Berlin Film Festival, and […]
by Scott Macaulay on Sep 10, 2012
