Festivals & Events
Festivals & Events
-
“I Was Basically Operating as a One Man Band”: DP Nelson Walker on Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV
Seminal video artist Nam June Paik and his extensive roster of iconic collaborators are the subject of Amanda Kim’s documentary Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV. Utilizing archival footage and interviews with Paik’s contemporaries, the film also features Steven Yeun reading excerpts from Paik’s journals and artistic statements to bring the revolutionary creative to life anew. Cinematographer Nelson Walker discusses how he approached lensing the project, which began remotely due to COVID protocols. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What […]
-
“The Freedom To Find My Own Way Through Such a Personal Story”: Director-DP-Editor Sierra Urich on Joonam
In her personal documentary film Joonam, director, editor and DP Sierra Urich attempts to make sense of her complicated identity as an Iranian-American. Growing up in Vermont, the culture and homeland of her mother and grandmother has never been truly known to her—only through stories, cuisine and holidays has she been able to connect with her Iranian heritage. Particularly with the current political climate of Iran, the prospect of visiting seems all the more impossible. Urich briefly discusses shooting and editing her feature debut, touching on how instrumental supervising editor Maya Daisy Hawke was during the process. See all responses […]
-
“Our Cinematography Hopefully Emphasizes the Elegance of Mariachi”: DP Michael Crommett on Going Varsity in Mariachi
Competitive scholastic mariachi in South Texas is the subject of Going Varsity in Mariachi, the documentary from filmmakers Alejandra Vasquez and Sam Osborn. Specifically, the focus is on Edinburg North High School’s Mariachi Oro team, featuring passionate coach coach Abel Acuña, driven team captains Abby, Marlena, and Bella as well as the vibrant music produced by the entire team. DP Michael Crommett discusses lensing the project, including how his past documentary work aided him on this shoot. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your […]
-
“The Process Is Similar to the One I Go Through When I Direct”: Editor Babak Jalali on Fremont
In Fremont, the latest film from Babak Jalali, Afghan refugee and former translator for the U.S. government Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) suffers from intense bouts of insomnia. Living in the Bay Area and working at a fortune cookie factory, she channels her loneliness and frustration into an odd outlet. She decides to insert a personalized fortune into a random cookie, curious and unsure of whose hands it will land in. Fremont director and co-writer Babak Jalali discusses the process of editing the film, a role he undertook due to a strong “gut feeling.” See all responses to our annual Sundance […]
-
“I Wanted the Camera To Be an Actor”: DP Johan Aidt on Poacher
In Poacher, the limited series from director Richie Mehta, a group of NGO workers, wildlife officials and well-intentioned volunteers band together to take down some of India’s biggest ivory poachers. In the process, they uncover conspiracies and cover-ups often involving those who are tasked with protecting these endangered elephants who calls the the jungles of Kerala home. Johan Aidt, the cinematographer of the series, cites the “strong connection” he felt with Mehta, who he collaborated with previously on the first season of Delhi Crime. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you […]
-
“Nobody Shot a Feature Film on 16mm in Lithuania for a Long Time”: DP Laurynas Bareiša on Slow
Writer-director Marija Kavtaradze’s sophomore feature Slow follows the complicated romance between a contemporary dancer named Elena (Greta Grinevičiūtė) and an asexual sign language interpreter named Dovydas (Kęstutis Cicėnas). Though the pair share an intense chemistry, their individual sexual needs and desires (or lack thereof) are a source of constant compromise and adjustment, leading to inevitable strain. Cinematographer Laurynas Bareiša talks about working on the project, which is distinct for being the first Lithuanian film shot on 16mm in approximately a decade. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being […]
-
“Be Very Conscious About Pruning Unnecessary Branches”: Editor Silvija Vilkaite on Slow
When contemporary dancer Elena (Greta Grinevičiūtė) meets sign language interpreter Dovydas (Kęstutis Cicėnas), they’re immediately attracted to each other. Slowly, their bond grows more intimate, but becomes somewhat complicated when Dovydas discloses his asexuality. Yet the pair commit to recognizing and facilitating each other’s needs—until they inevitably become weary of constant compromise, leading them to explore the limits of their relationship. Slow, writer-director Marija Kavtaradze’s sophomore feature, premiered at Sundance in the World Cinema Dramatic category. Editor Silvija Vilkaite discusses how she approached cutting the film, a process which she considers “a pleasure.” See all responses to our annual Sundance […]
-
“Participants Were Spread Over 10 Countries” | Laura McGann, The Deepest Breath
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? Starting out, I was acutely aware that freediving was a really intriguing world that I knew nothing about; I had a lot to learn before I could start to understand the powerful story of our central subjects, Stephen and Alessia. We spent hundreds of hours having conversations with over 50 people on Zoom to learn more. It became clear that […]
-
“I Saw the Benefits of Technology” | Amanda Kim, Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? I’m sure many productions experienced this unforeseen obstacle, but no one expected a pandemic in early 2020. And at the height of it when the world was shutting down, our production was scheduled to begin. I wasn’t sure when and how we were going to continue production. But during the quiet of the first couple of months in lockdown and […]
-
“It Wasn’t Clear That They Would Even Qualify for the State Competition” | Alejandra Vasquez and Sam Osborn, Going Varsity in Mariachi
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? The varsity mariachi team that we had chosen to focus on had historically been one of the best in the state. We’d filmed with the team two years earlier and had immense respect for the coach and his program. And although he’d warned us that the team was heading into a “rebuilding year,” we weren’t prepared for the impact that […]
