Filmmaking

ROAD TO OSCAR NIGHT

Looking at our coverage of films last year we realized we did a pretty good job choosing films that went on to get Oscar nominations (yes, there was much rejoicing in the office). Some appeared in Nick Dawson’s Director Interviews section on the Website, others were Web Exclusives, while a good deal was in the magazine and we never got them online. So beginning tonight and going all the way to Oscar night on Feb. 24, we’ll be republishing those pieces in the Oscar Preview section on the main page (except for There Will Be Blood (nominated for Best Picture, […]

By Jason Guerrasio on Feb 5, 2008 Filmmaking
NEWSHOUNDING ON SUPER TUESDAY

Over at the FilmInFocus site there’s a five-part series beginning today in which five documentary filmmakers (or filmmaking teams) tell us their top sources for news and political reporting and commentary. The first set, picked by Jesus Camp directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, spans an “alternative news nexus” to a site that measures “hostility across the political spectrum.” Their selections are at the link.

By Scott Macaulay on Feb 5, 2008 Filmmaking
CONGRATS TO THE GIANTS AND GIANTS FANS!

An amazing, amazing Super Bowl with a fourth quarter for the ages. John Woods, liveblogging for The New York Times, says, “To heck with the Coen brothers. This is your best picture of the year.” I just finished watching the game in Paris on France 2, where most of the late-game commentary consisted of “Incroyable!” and “Ooh, la la!” (Seriously.) Anyway, congrats to the Giants and all the fans!

By Scott Macaulay on Feb 3, 2008 Filmmaking
NEW YORK INDIES STRIKE WGA DEAL

The AP is reporting that four New York indie film companies — Greenestreet Films, This is That Corporation, Killer Films and Open City Films — have signed an interim agreement with the striking WGA, allowing them to go forward with WGA-scripted development projects and productions. From the piece as it runs on CNN.com: Jason Kliot and Joana Vicente, speaking for GreeneStreet, Open City and Killer films, credited the union with “thoughtfulness during the discussions.” This is that co-founders, Ted Hope and Anne Carey, said the united action by the companies to settle “clarifies our support for and solidarity with the […]

By Scott Macaulay on Feb 3, 2008 Filmmaking
CHIRLS ON CINEMATECH

Brian Chirls, who was part of the Filmmaker team at Sundance this year, sat down for an interview with Scott Kirsner over at his Cinematech blog/ They talked about audience building, monetizing your web audience, and Brian’s work with the Four Eyed Monsters team. I’ve embedded it below. And if you are not a regular visitor to Kirsner’s blog, click over there for lots of other great commentary on web video, new media, and new distribution and business models.

By Scott Macaulay on Feb 2, 2008 Filmmaking
ROTTERDAM: ABLE DANGER

Given that he’s just made his debut feature about the mysteries, speculations, half-truths and flights of fancy that comprise the 9/11 Truth Movement, I guess it makes sense that filmmaker Paul Krik is accustomed to finding conspiracy wherever he goes. He’s travelled from Brooklyn to Rotterdam to premiere Able Danger, but when I ask him to shoot me an email about why he chose to make a movie about 9/11 conspiracy theorists, he responds by noting some suspicious activities having to do with Dutch bicycle renting: “Indruk de en Brooklyn fietser in Rotterdam” True Conspiracy #1; It is illegal to […]

By Scott Macaulay on Feb 1, 2008 Filmmaking
HALF-LIFE LOVED IN THE BLOGOSPHERE

Jennifer Phang’s Sundance Frontier entry Half-Life received something of a critical honor recently when producer Mike Ryan, whose thoughtful and passionate reviews can be found at the new Hammer To Nail, cited the film as his favorite of the 34 he saw at this year’s festival. An excerpt: We often see an art film that may leap around in perspective, mostly for rhetorical or comic effect, but it is truly rare to be carried emotionally through a film that tells a multi-perspective story through a seamless integration of naturalistic action, animation and self consciously artificial CGI compositing. Half-Life exists on […]

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 31, 2008 Filmmaking
FIENNES WINS ROTTERDAM’S CINEMART COMPETITION

On the 25th anniversary of the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s Cinemart, the prize for the “best project” has gone to Sophie Fiennes’ The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology, a follow-up to her The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema which also features philosopher Slajov Zizek. The award comes with a cash prize of 10,000 euros, which one guest at the party tonight quipped would be about equal to the film’s first clip license. Here’s Variety’s wrap-up of the event, and below is a clip from Fiennes’s previous collaboration with Zizek.

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 30, 2008 Filmmaking
RAY CARNEY ON QUIET CITY

If you just bookmark this blog page and don’t check the main site, head over there so as not to miss professor and critic Ray Carney’s essay on Aaron Katz’s Quiet City, which hits DVD stores this week.

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 29, 2008 Filmmaking
ARIN CRUMLEY WAS ROBBED!!!

The Four Eyed Monsters filmmaker is offering a handshake and a hug to the perpetrator if his stuff is returned.

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 29, 2008 Filmmaking

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