Filmmaking

ST. CLAIRE BOURNE, RIP

Sadly, this just in from Adrienne Jones, Treasurer and Membership Director of the Black Documentary Collective: We regret to inform everyone that St Clair Bourne, our founder, has passed away. Details of his passing will follow. Also, information about his memorial service will be sent as soon as we have it. Members have expressed interest in making donations to the family. We would like to contribute money through our BDC/St Clair Bourne fund. If you wish to make a donation, please forward payment to: BDCP.O. Box 610Hamilton Grange StationNew York, NY 10031. In the memo line please write BDC/St Clair […]

By Scott Macaulay on Dec 16, 2007 Filmmaking
THE SIGNS OF PROGRESS

Filmmaker‘s Managing Editor, Jason Guerrasio, returned from the film festival in Dubai this weekend and, like most visitors, he was knocked out by the pace of construction there. (See his photo-essays, below). In fact, a discussion of Dubai’s explosive growth — the political, social and design repercussions of such — is a hot topic at the moment, and two very different takes on the build-up of Dubai can be found online. The current issue of Metropolis contains three articles on Dubai, one of seven states belonging to the United Arab Emirates. (Thanks to Bergen Swanson for the link.) The first, […]

By Scott Macaulay on Dec 16, 2007 Filmmaking
DIFF: A WEEK IN PICTURES (PART 2)

This series of photos will show you Dubai outside the festival walls. A LOOK AT DOWNTOWN DUBAI’S TOWERING SKYSCRAPERS FROM POOLSIDE OF THE HABTOOR GRAND RESORT, WHERE MOST OF THE MEDIA WERE STAYING. THE SKYLINE OF THE FUTURE. FOR EVERY BUILDING THAT’S FINSHED, THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE AROUND IT THAT ARE STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION. HOW MANY CRANES CAN YOU FIND IN THIS SHOT? ACCORDING TO A REPORT, 30% OF THE WORLD’S CRANES ARE BEING USED IN DUBAI. GIRDLOCK ON ONE OF DUBAI’S THREE MAIN ROADWAYS, AL SUFOUTH ROAD, CAUSED A LOT OF HEADACHES GETTING TO AND FROM EVENTS. THREE […]

By Jason Guerrasio on Dec 14, 2007 Filmmaking
DIFF: A WEEK IN PICTURES (PART 1)

The Dubai fest kicked into another gear Thursday night as the work week for Emiratis came to a close (their weekend is Friday and Saturday). With a performance by Gloria Estefan at Media City (her husband Emilio Estefan has his doc, 90 Millas, in the fest) and a gala reception highlighting their “Building Cultures” theme that went on until the wee hours, it was a fitting end to my week in Dubai. Though there were so many things that I wasn’t able to do and places I didn’t have time to visit, during my time here I met friendly people […]

By Jason Guerrasio on Dec 14, 2007 Filmmaking
DIFF: "insha’Allah"

There’s a very popular phrase used in the Arab world that usually ends every statement. And I’ve heard it a lot during my time here in Dubai. “The screening will begin at 7:00, insha’Allah.” “Your welcome pack will be in your room tonight, insha’Allah.” “The shuttle is on it’s way, insha’Allah.” (though, the constant gridlock on the three main roads in Dubai is a big proponent for the lack of shuttle service. Monorail service begins in 2009!) Translated in english insha’Allah means God willing and for most who work or live here the phrase is just part of everyday life. […]

By Jason Guerrasio on Dec 12, 2007 Filmmaking
WITNESSING HISTORY

As today is Human Rights Day, the 49th anniversary of the U.N.’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it’s a good time to link to Witness.org, the organization founded by musician Peter Gabriel that, as it explains on its home page, “uses video and online technologies to open the eyes of the world to human rights violations. We empower people to transform personal stories of abuse into powerful tools for justice, promoting public engagement and policy change.” Witness recently launched The Hub, which it calls “the first global platform dedicated to human rights media and action.” This section […]

By Scott Macaulay on Dec 10, 2007 Filmmaking
KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN, 1928 – 2007

One of the twentieth century’s great artists, the composer and electronic music pioneer Karlheinz Stockhausen, died last week. Pitchfork has a short appreciation, and our memoriam, his Helicopter Symphony, is below.

By Scott Macaulay on Dec 10, 2007 Filmmaking
DUBAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: THE BEGINNING

It’s my first day here in Dubai and my initial observations are the obvious ones: beautiful sights, impeccable service and construction (I mean a lot!). For those who don’t know a lot about this jewel of the United Arab Emirates, imagine Las Vegas before it became the tourist trap it is now, but instead of it built on mob money, this playground for adults is blossoming from the wealthy sheiks whose palaces are buried behind high gates along the coast. The picture above (not taken by me, but my images will appear in future posts) highlights the coast with Dubai’s […]

By Jason Guerrasio on Dec 10, 2007 Filmmaking
SLAMDANCE PREVIEW: MY MOTHER’S GARDEN

Cynthia Lester’s film My Mother’s Garden has been selected for the Slamdance Documentary Competition and will premiere at Park City in January. The film has a MySpace page which streams the extraordinary show reel (also embedded below) and contains this summary of the film: My Mother’s Garden explores one woman’s extreme attachment to material objects and her emotional struggle to let go of them. My Mother’s Garden is the story of Eugenia Lester whose hoarding disorder has entered a dangerous and life threatening stage. Directed by her daughter Cynthia, it documents how one family comes together to cope with their […]

By Scott Macaulay on Dec 9, 2007 Filmmaking
ANOTHER WAY OF THINKING

Last winter in a Filmmaker article recapping 2006’s most notable trends in independent film, I used as my lede a discussion of metrics — how, in every business, there’s some kind of unit of evaluation, but how in independent film that yardstick is often hopelessly confused. First-time filmmakers exorcising personal demons or doc makers espousing outside-the-mainstream viewpoints are later shocked and disheartened when their films don’t get picked up by a mini-major and gross Michael Moore numbers. Why don’t, I wrote, filmmakers consider things like the importance of transmitting the film’s message and their own enjoyment and personal growth as […]

By Scott Macaulay on Dec 9, 2007 Filmmaking

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