Authors — Scott Macaulay
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25 Recommended Independent Films to Watch on Amazon Prime
EDITOR’S NOTE, May 28, 2012: At the time of this blog post, all the below 25 films were available on Amazon Prime. Now, a year later, we have been informed by our readers that a number of them are no longer listed on the service. We apologize for any inconvenience, but, as we are learning, streaming windows can be short, and films can rotate on and off the various services. It’s thus possible that missing titles could return in the near future. In the meantime, we’ll work on another post with an entirely up-to-date selection of films. Amazon has dipped […]
by Scott Macaulay on Mar 8, 2011 -
Making a Living as a Filmmaker
A Tribeca Film Institute Panel at the New School this week mulled over just this topic. From the program: You’ve completed your school work and made a few films in school, and now you need to figure out your next steps. What career options exist for filmmakers? How can you develop and raise money for a film project and still cover your living expenses? This panel addresses these questions and provides examples and answers relevant to all makers of film and other media. The panelists: Sharon Badal (Moderator) is head short film programmer for the Tribeca Film Festival. Sandi DuBowski […]
by Scott Macaulay on Mar 8, 2011 -
SXSW TRAILER WATCH: JAMES GUNN’S “SUPER”
James Gunn’s Super is a demented real-life superhero action picture with a committed, out-there performance by Ellen Page and an engaging, improbably heartfelt one by Rainn Wilson. The film receives its U.S. premiere at SXSW and opens a few weeks later from IFC. Check out the trailer.
by Scott Macaulay on Mar 6, 2011 -
BROADCASTR TRAVELS THE WORLD OF STORYTELLING
Yesterday at DIY Days I presented a conversation with Scott Lindenbaum, a founder of the online publishing platform Electric Literature. I think his new venture, Broadcastr, is pretty amazing. But before I tell you more about it, here’s how Scott describes himself in his bio. Scott Lindenbaum is the Co-Founder/President of Broadcastr, a free social media platform for geo-located audio that lets people create and share recordings on an interactive map. On the Web, Broadcastr is a digital archive of human memory and narrative; mobile users can take a walk while stories about their surroundings stream automatically, like a museum […]
by Scott Macaulay on Mar 6, 2011 -
DETAILS ON APPLE’S NEW IMOVIE FOR IPAD2
Apple announced the new iPad 2 today, and with the announcement came a new iMovie for iPad. The iPad itself is thinner, has a faster processor, has both front and rear-facing cameras (although the still camera is not of iPhone 4 quality), and can be outfitted with a new and very cool protective covering that snaps on via magnets and can be folded for use as a stand. As for iMovie, Jobs said at the keynote that with its precision editor and touchscreen interface multi-track audio “you can really edit a movie on this thing.” I’m not sure I’d go […]
by Scott Macaulay on Mar 2, 2011 -
CINEKINK KICKS OFF ITS 11TH YEAR
At the Oscars, host Anne Hathaway said it was the cinematic year of lesbians. At the Spirit Awards, host Joel McHale said it was the year of cunnilingus. But this year at CineKink, the range of filmic sexual expression is, as always, more varied. Now in its 11th edition, Cinekink kicks off tonight at the Taj Lounge with a program of performance and short films before moving to the Anthology Film Archives tomorrow for four days of screenings. A closing night party will be held on Sunday, March 6. Each year I ask Cinekink director Lisa Vandever to make a […]
by Scott Macaulay on Mar 1, 2011 -
GARY WINICK, 1961 – 2011
Director and producer Gary Winick, a friend and mentor to many in the independent film community, died Sunday afternoon in New York at the age of 49. The cause was brain cancer, a friend told Indiewire. As the comments in that Indiewire piece — “an amazing mentor,” “a generous visionary,” “one of the finest human beings in our industry”— attest, Winick was a rare soul in the world of independent film. He was a smart, compassionate and truly giving person, and, even as his Hollywood career took off, he never forgot his roots. While he was crafting smart and heartfelt […]
by Scott Macaulay on Mar 1, 2011 -
THIS IS YOUR OSCAR HOST ON THE INTERNET
When it comes to James Franco’s Oscar-hosting performance, which has been described as squinty and blasé, I’m not going to pile on for two reasons. The first is that I’d suck at hosting something like this. Panels, Q&A’s, I’m fine, but hosting a nearly four-hour show, even with an amped-up cohost? My hat’s off to anyone who tries. (Especially anyone who tries with less than top-notch writing… what was up with that?) The other reason? Well, I recognize too well that frozen smile, that seemingly focused but actually distracted into-the-distance gaze. It’s not like Franco didn’t want to be there. […]
by Scott Macaulay on Feb 28, 2011 -
The Economist Film Project’s Gideon Lichfield
“We want to encourage people to make good documentaries because we feel like there’s not enough good explaining in the world.” That’s The Economist Film Project’s editorial director, Gideon Lichfield (pictured right), about the recently announced partnership between the British weekly and the PBS News Hour. Beginning April, that “good explaining” will arrive in the form of segments on the PBS News Hour that will include six-to-eight minute clips from full-length and short documentaries as well as related discussions by the anchors, outside experts and, sometimes, the filmmakers. The Economist Film Project is currently in the midst of a submission […]
by Scott Macaulay on Feb 28, 2011 -
WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE: DANNY BOYLE’S “127 HOURS”
This piece was originally printed in the Fall 2010 issue. 127 Hours is nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (James Franco), Best Adapted Screenplay (Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy), Best Editing (Jon Harris), Best Original Score (A.R. Rahman) and Best Original Song. When Werner Herzog made his 1982 true-life inspired tale of a Peruvian capitalist transporting a giant steamer across dry land, Fitzcarraldo, he famously replicated the ordeal, lugging with his crew an even bigger ship across the Amazon jungle in one of the most strenuous and demanding movie shoots of all time. Before its release, Francis Ford Coppola said […]
by Scott Macaulay on Feb 27, 2011
