Filmmaking

SUNDANCE AWARDS PUSH WITH THREE AWARDS, INCLUDING TOP HONOR

The award winners of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival were announced this evening and Lee Daniels‘s Push: Based on a novel by Sapphire was the big winner as it took not only the Dramatic Grand Jury prize but also the Audience Award and Special Jury prize for actress Mo’Nique. Ondi Timoner‘s We Live In Public was awarded the top Documentary prize. The full list of winners are below. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize:Push: Based on a novel by Sapphire, Lee Daniels Documentary Grand Jury Prize:We Live In Public, directed by Ondi Timoner Dramatic World Cinema Jury Prize:The Maid, directed by Sebastian […]

By Jason Guerrasio on Jan 24, 2009 Filmmaking
A QUIET LITTLE MARRIAGE TAKES TOP PRIZE AT SLAMDANCE

Closing its 15th year, the Slamdance Film Festival announced the winners of its 2009 edition Friday night with Mo Perkins‘s A Quiet Little Marriage winning the Best Narrative Feature Award. The full list of winner are below. Best Narrative FeatureA Quiet Little Marriage, directed by Mo Perkins Special Jury Mention for Best Performance: Larry Fessenden in I Sell the Dead Best Documentary FeatureStrongman, directed by Zachary Levy Special Jury Mention: Second Sight, directed by Alison McAlpine Best Narrative ShortPrincess Margaret Blvd, directed by Kazik Radwanski Best Documentary ShortRare Chicken Rescue, directed by Randall Wood Best Animated ShortUndone, directed by Hayley […]

By Jason Guerrasio on Jan 24, 2009 Filmmaking
YOUTUBE RESTORES LEE’S VIDEOS

Previously I posted some thoughts on the Kevin Lee/YouTube situation, and now, via Lee’s Shooting Down Pictures blog, it’s great to report that YouTube has responded to criticism and restored Lee’s account. In a long post entitled “Things I Learned from Losing — and Regaining — my YouTube Account,” Lee tells all of us how we can defend ourselves against a similar type of complaint, the nature of copyright laws and why YouTube may not be to blame for his situation, and also how we can fight further for digital rights and fair use issues. Thanks to Kevin for his […]

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 23, 2009 Filmmaking
WINTER ISSUE ONLINE

Over on the main page, select stories from the Winter issue have been posted. Steve McQueen talks about his amazing first feature, Hunger; Greg Mottola chats about his return to indie films with Adventureland; and the always talkative James Toback reveals how it was to get inside the mind of Mike Tyson for his documentary, Tyson. Also, Jon Reiss continues his series of pieces on self-distribution, this time focusing on the home video aspect, and Lance Weiler gives tips on how to build a film industry via the Web. And much more, enjoy. Don’t forget: You can get the latest […]

By Jason Guerrasio on Jan 23, 2009 Filmmaking
CHILLY WORDS FOR FROZEN RIVER

So you come from outside the industry, scrape up enough money to make a small movie about working-class characters… and get slagged off on MSNBC by Courtney Hazlett for being a member of an “elite, effete” group who made a movie that you have to see on “some website.” Check out the clip at the link.

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 23, 2009 Filmmaking
OWN NOTHING

I’m in the group that believes that physical media — books, DVDs, CDs — is essentially going away. I think a sentimental or nostalgic connection will be required to convince us in the future to actually buy something that will sit on our shelves. You love Thomas Pynchon, you have all his books, so when his new one comes out you’ll buy it to reconnect to that part of you that used to love to buy things and loved the idea that your own literary cool could be signified by a physical object. That new writer who has gotten great […]

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 22, 2009 Filmmaking
MANOHLA DARGIS ON THE INDIE FINANCING CONUNDRUM

I agree with Manohla, the reduced crowds make this Sundance the most pleasant in years. In her just-posted piece in the New York Times on the festival, however, she includes a bit of historical summary that nails the current conundrum facing the independent sector. An excerpt: The industry was still in attendance this year, but the high-roller fever that has gripped the festival for the last decade has cooled. Although this made for the most pleasant Sundance in memory, it also presents a host of unknowns. If the studios don’t buy independent films, fewer investors in turn may be inclined […]

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 22, 2009 Filmmaking
OBJECTIFYING APPLE

Two years ago at SXSW I stood in line trying to see the premiere of Gary Hustwit’s Helvetica. At SXSW, ‘natch, the heavy contingent of designers made my attendance impossible as the line snuch through the lobby of the convention center when I arrived. Now, Hustwit has a new doc, Objectified, that will premiere at SXSW this year , and it’s about industrial design. So, expect another packed premiere, especially given news on the film’s blog that Hustwit filmed an interview with Apple designer Jony Ive inside Apple’s super-secret design facility. Here’s the trailer.

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 22, 2009 Filmmaking
PUSHING THE PANIC BUTTON

The big panel at Sundance this year was called “The Panic Button: Push or Ponder.” Here’s how it was described: The sky fell, companies collapsed, and the industry spent much of the year with one hand on the panic button. So, where do we go from here? Is this the end or simply a transition? Of the questions that besiege the industry today (content, distribution, its very identity), maybe the most fundamental is what kind of movies we want to make…and see. Today we ask for a vision of the future; for new models that foster the health, diversity, and […]

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 22, 2009 Filmmaking
SUNDANCE QUICK TAKES: THE MESSENGER AND MORE

If you’ve taken a look around the blogosphere you’ll notice that — and on not just this site — postings have slowed from the avalanche of early interviews and features. That’s for a couple of reasons. First, some of us pre-screened films, allowing us to get a jump on coverage; and second, for each day that goes by we see more and more films, and there are only so many hours in the day to compose thoughtful coverage. For me, that means I’ll be trying to write up my take on some of the more complicated films here after tomorrow, […]

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 20, 2009 Filmmaking

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