Festivals & Events
Festivals & Events
-
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things: New York Film Festival I
I have both good and bad news about the New York Film Festival (September 27-October 13). First, the good news: For the most part, the films in this impressive, carefully balanced program are very good. And the bad: The fest has become so expansive that quantity just may overshadow quality. A bright, high-energy, and well-regarded expert in all things cinema, Kent Jones debuts as head of the NYFF. For the first time in its 51 years, the composition of the selection committee has been, wisely, revised. Traditionally it was guided by the fest director, always a professional programmer, but rounded […]
-
Seed&Spark’s WestFest: Streaming to Theaters
Both a selective crowdfunding site and curated streaming platform, Seed&Spark has proven itself a unique enclave for filmmakers and viewers since its inception in 2012. From October 1-3, the hybrid will fully realize its “Cinema” component with a three-part film program at The HUB LA. Screening a total of six films from the recently launched Conversation series, the festival calls upon S&S founder Emily Best, Sundance programmer Christine Davila, and Twitch Film editor Ben Umstead to bring their selections to a live format. Filmmaker spoke with Seed&Spark’s director of content, Amanda Trokan, about the unprecedented event, and bridging the gap between online and […]
-
Independent Film Week Photo Diary
One of the great things about working with filmmakers is often copious documentation of events. Which is great, because IFP’s 35th annual Independent Film Week went by in a blur for most of us staff. I’ve had a lot of fun digging through our archives and Instagram finding some gems from last week to share with you, to try and convey the incredible and hard-working week that it was. Photos by (in order): Rose Vincelli Gustine; Charlotte McClure (IFP Conference Assistant); Tenzin […]
-
Jean-Pierre Jeunet on his 3D Movie, The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet
When he was eight, Jean-Pierre Jeunet would marvel at 3D pictures on his View-Master. It was a popular toy where someone could see a sequence of stereoscopic images printed on a cardboard disc inserted into a handheld viewer. “It my first step into cinema,” the director of Amelie fondly recalled, “because I would adjust the frame in the viewer to change the order, and I’d imagine a new kind of film.” Little did Jeunet know that his beloved View-Master would lead to him to direct an entire film in 3D 52 years later. Jeunet was speaking about the pleasures — […]
-
San Sebastian Critics Notebook: The Perils of Human Relationships
At almost the midway point of the 61st edition of the San Sebastian Film Festival, relationships have been high on the agenda in the competitive Official Selection, from the pushmi-pullyu problems of a middle-aged marriage in Le Week-End to an unhinged battle between the sexes in Álex de la Iglesia’s Witching and Bitching (Las Brujas de Zugarramundi) and the neat and sweet triumvirate of friendship that crops up in David Trueba’s Living is Easy with Eyes Closed (Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados). Relationships are also crucial to the festival itself and many others as they fight for films […]
-
“What’s Your Story?” Collaborative Media-Making at the Made in NY Media Center’ by IFP
I’ve been really eager to hear more about IFP’s newest venture, the Made in NY Media Center by IFP, which is a collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, the NYC Economic Development Corporation and General Assembly (an organization offering immersive classes in web development, media and business management). I was all ears for Thursday’s Filmmaker Conference profile panel where representatives from each of those organizations spoke a little more about the Media Center and what it will offer for NYC-area filmmakers. Opening in two weeks in a beautiful 20,000 square foot ground-floor DUMBO location (22 John Street), the Media Center aims […]
-
Notes from the Front Lines with Milo Daemgen, Producer of The Shotgun Waltz
One of the great things about Independent Film Week is getting to meet so many other filmmakers who are sharing in the same experience working in independent film. On any given day of the conference you could be sitting next to a producer, director or distributor who might end up helping you on your next project (or maybe you’ll end up helping them!) You also end up hearing about a lot of great projects and films, which is exactly what happened one session this week when I found myself sitting next to Milo Daemgen, independent producer of various short & […]
-
Roddy Bogawa Retrospective, If Films Could Smell, Opens at MoMA
Opening tonight through September 23 at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art is “Roddy Bogawa: If Films Could Smell,” a retrospective of the provocative L.A.-raised, New York-based Japanese American filmmaker. From Assistant Curator Sally Berger’s note in the program guide: Born and raised in Los Angeles, Japanese American artist Roddy Bogawa (b. 1962) studied art and sculpture and played in punk bands before turning to film. In his youth, Bogawa struggled with a desire to assimilate until the punk scene gave him a way to truly express himself, and the DIY punk aesthetic continues to influence his work. Other […]
-
Richard Linklater to Receive Tribute at Gotham Awards
IFP announced today that Richard Linklater will receive the Director’s Tribute at this year’s Gotham Independent Film Awards. The helmer of Before Midnight, one of the most respected, gifted and prolific figures within U.S. independent film over the past two decades, will be the recipient of this honor 21 years after making his breakthrough feature with Slacker. Last year at the Gothams, Bernie (his 16th feature), was nominated for the Best Feature award. “It is with great enthusiasm and pride that we give honor to a man who has played a significant role in expanding the language of film throughout the […]
-
“Cinema is Not Dead!” – Producer Jon Kilik at the IFP Conference
There doesn’t seem to be any disagreement that it’s tough out there in the world of independent film. The country’s financial uncertainty coupled with an over-saturation of films in the marketplace with no real avenues for revenue have made establishing a career as a film director very difficult. Pair that with the unending stream of big-budget, low-revenue, Hollywood-produced tentpole pictures and one could say these are the Dark Days of filmmaking. And most of the speakers on the first day of the Filmmaker Conference did reiterate that. Well…all but one: independent film producer Jon Kilik. Known for his early work […]
