Authors — Scott Macaulay

JOE SWANBERG DEBUTS “MARRIAGE MATERIAL” FREE ON VIMEO

While director Joe Swanberg is in the midst of issuing his one-year, four-film DVD subscription series through Factory 25, he has uploaded a new film, Marriage Material, to Vimeo, where it can viewed free until the end of the month. From the Vimeo page a description of the film: Emily and Andrew, a young couple living in Memphis, agree to babysit their friend’s 6-month-old for a day. The experience causes them to examine their own relationship and their feelings about marriage and children. Marriage Material is shot by Adam Wingard, whose You’re Next opens later this year from LionsGate. It […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jan 16, 2012
FILM INDEPENDENT ANNOUNCES 2012 SPIRIT AWARD FILMMAKER GRANTS

Congratulations to Without writer/director Mark Jackson (one of Filmmaker‘s 2012 25 New Faces), producer Sophia Lin (Take Shelter), director Heather Courtney (Where Soldiers Come From) and directors Benjamin Murray and Alysa Nahmias (Unfinished Spaces) for winning Spirit Awards today at the event’s nominee brunch in Los Angeles. Jackson, Lin and Courtney received unrestricted grants of $25,000 from, respectively, Audi, Nokia and Piaget, while Murray and Nahmias received a $40,000 marketing and distribution grant that will go towards the release of their feature. (Note: I served on the jury for the Jameson grant.) The complete press release follows. LOS ANGELES (January […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jan 14, 2012
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS FROM “PARIAH” DIRECTOR DEE REES

Focus Features has just uploaded three short videos about the making of Dee Rees’ Pariah, which continues to open around the country. Here are she and two of her actors talking about the homework assignments they received while on set.
by Scott Macaulay on Jan 13, 2012
THE CINEMA AND ECONO-DISASTER TOURISM OF GREECE

Financial writer (Snap Judgement), documentary film producer (The Burger and the King) and Athens Biennial artist David Adler just returned from Greece, and files a report on the Frieze blog. He opens, “‘Athens is the new Berlin.’ This hopeful phrase, constantly repeated by visitors to the 3rd Athens Biennale, and by the artists who have moved to Athens to take advantage of the cheap rents and cultural climate, may or may not be true. There are many contenders for the title – Buenos Aires, even Warsaw – but what is indisputable is that Athens is the leader in EU econ-disaster […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jan 13, 2012
CREATIVE CAPITAL ANNOUNCES 2012 FILM AND VIDEO GRANTEES

At a reception last night at the Ronald Feldman Gallery in New York, Creative Capital announced its 2012 Film & Video and Visual Arts grantees. Among the media artists are a number of names familiar to Filmmaker readers, including 25 New Face directors Cam Archer, Matt Porterfield and Yance Ford. Others who received grants include L.A.-based director Nina Menkes, veteran experimental filmmaker Ken Jacobs, and Rooftop Films head Mark Elijah Rosenberg, who, as a director, will tell “a multimedia, fictional story of an astronaut heading to Mars alone on a one-way mission.” “Our grantees span artists from 27 years old […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jan 13, 2012
Sideways Author Rex Pickett on Success, Rejection and Sequels

In this episode of Brad Listi’s Other People Podcast, novelist Rex Pickett discusses the origins of his book Sideways, the basis for Alexander Payne’s hit movie. Pickett has written a sequel to Sideways called Vertical, and in the podcast he talks about why he’s self-published it. There’s a lot here about a writer’s take on the movie business, how success doesn’t protect you from rejection, and, uh, Pickett also has a few things to say about producer Michael London.
by Scott Macaulay on Jan 13, 2012
SUNDANCE TRAILER WATCH: “SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS”

This trailer for the LCD Soundsystem movie looks fantastic! The band’s amazing, the show was great, and now there’s this movie… I’m glad it exists. (Click on the headline above if you don’t see the video embed.)
by Scott Macaulay on Jan 13, 2012
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOCUS FEATURES FILM?

On its 10th anniversary year, Focus Features is running a poll on Facebook asking its viewers to select their 10 favorite Focus films. So far, the results are favoring Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lost in Translation and Brokeback Mountain, but my list also includes Greenberg, Lust, Caution and The Constant Gardener. Head over to Facebook to vote for yourself.
by Scott Macaulay on Jan 11, 2012
Luke Matheny Tells You How to Get an Agent

The auspiciously-titled National Film Society is, according to its YouTube page, “a new media studio co-founded by Los Angeles filmmakers Patrick Epino and Stephen Dypiangco, who’ve decided to take their talents to YouTube. They produce original content, showcase amazing movies, interview talented creators and make fun of each other as much as possible.” The page has short films, interviews about acting and film school (as in, to go or not), and even a (nepotistic) awards show. Below is Academy Award-winning short filmmaker Luke Matheney on getting an agent.
by Scott Macaulay on Jan 10, 2012
SEAN MCMANUS, JOSH WELSH PROMOTED TO FIND CO-PRESIDENTS

Congratulations to long-time staff members Sean McManus and Josh Welsh for their appointment today as Co-Presidents of Film Independent. Independent filmmakers know both men well as McManus has been serving as Senior Director and Welsh the Director of Artist Development. The two men replace Dawn Hudson, who left FIND to become the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The press release, issued today, follows: FILM INDEPENDENT APPOINTS SEAN MC MANUS & JOSH WELSH AS CO-PRESIDENTS LOS ANGELES (January 10, 2012) — Today, the Film Independent Board Chairman Bill Condon announced that Senior Director Sean Mc Manus […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jan 10, 2012

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