Pre-natal anxieties and an entity from Mexican mythology are deftly and devastatingly woven together in Huesera: The Bone Woman, the feature debut from director Michelle Garza Cervera. Co-written by Garza Cervera and regular collaborator Abia Castillo, the film centers on Valeria (Natalia Solián), a young woman in Mexico City delighted to learn that she and her husband Raúl (Alfonso Dosal) are expecting their first child. This giddy sentiment is eclipsed by nerve-shredding terror when Valeria witnesses a neighbor commit suicide from her bedroom window. From that point on, she becomes the target of a strange entity with broken bones and […]
Microbudget independent horror is certainly having a moment. Kyle Edward Ball’s experimental haunted house flick Skinamarink has grossed $2 million to date on a $15,000 budget, and 17-year-old YouTuber Kane Parsons will turn his lo-fi viral series The Backrooms into a feature film for A24. Similarly reinvigorating a long-reliable medium for first-time horror filmmakers, Robbie Banfitch’s found footage gem The Outwaters defies genre expectations while showing seasoned gore hounds exactly what they want to see (and perhaps a few things they’ll probably wish they hadn’t). The film’s writer, director, cinematographer, editor and producer, Banfitch also stars as Robbie Zagorac, the camera-wielding […]
In “The Body is a Tool,” I talked with DPs and camera operators about the routines they developed to maintain their bodies against taxingly long days on set. When even film workers’ unions provide few resources to prevent bodily harm, crew members create their own devices, so methods of self-preservation tend to vary greatly. This was true of both the four camera people I talked with for the article and many of the set workers I’ve encountered in production. In this environment, a Steadicam operator might recommend a vest for no reason other than it worked for them personally. There are […]
Jakub Piątek’s documentary Pianoforte follows several young participants in the International Chopin Piano Competition, which has been held in Warsaw every five years since 1927. The competitors navigate intense qualifying rules, several stages and the intimidating presence of world renowned jurors as they vie for a shot at professional recognition. Editor Ula Klimek-Piątek, also the filmmaker’s spouse, discusses the process of cutting the documentary, including the “magic” often captured on stage that was palpable “even in the dark editing room.” See all responses to our annual Sundance editor interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the […]
Italian freediver Alessia Zecchini and Irish safety diver Stephen Keenan set their sights on the famous Blue Hole located 184 feet below the Red Sea in The Deepest Breath from documentary filmmaker Laura McGann. Hell-bent on breaking a new world record, Alessia trains to make the seemingly impossible oceanic descent by holding one single breath without the aid of any scuba gear. Cinematographer Tim Cragg discusses his artistic vision on the shoot, which also featured technological complications. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your […]
In Laura McGann’s documentary The Deepest Breath, Italian freediver Alessia Zecchini strives to set the new world record in the extreme sport that entails descending to unimaginable oceanic depths without the use of scuba gear. Due to the high risk of blacking out upon ascension, safety divers like Stephen Keenan are vital for ensuring the safety of those who undertake these challenging dives. Forming an intense bond, Alessia and Stephen set their sights on the legendary Blue Hole in Dahab, Egypt, an 85-foot-long tunnel that plummets 184 feet below the Red Sea. Editor Julian Hart discusses cutting the film, which […]
The hunt for justice on the behalf of slaughtered elephants in India is the basis of Poacher, an eight episode limited series from Richie Mehta. A fledgling team of NGO workers, wildlife conservationists and passionate volunteers venture into the the jungles of Kerala to protect a severely threatened species—uncovering a series of conspiracies and cover-ups that indict several individuals who are tasked with protecting these very creatures from the ivory trade. Editor Beverly Mills offers insight on cutting the limited series, including the challenge of working with foreign language dialogue. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor interviews here. […]
Bill (David Strathairn) must confront his son David’s (Will Pullen) faltering faithfulness to his wife Tammy (Jane Levy) in A Little Prayer, the latest from writer-director Angus MacLachlan. However, before Bill can help David, he must reflect on his own bad habits when it comes to his relationship with wife and David’s mother Venida (Celia Weston). Editor Tricia Holmes talks about navigating the film’s cut and accentuating each character’s complex relationship to each other. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were […]
In writer-director Angus MacLachlan’s A Little Prayer, a father-son relationship becomes strained when family patriarch Bill (David Strathairn) discovers that his son David (Will Pullen) is cheating on his wife Tammy (Jane Levy). While attempting to guide David back onto the path of monogamy, he realizes that his own bad habits might have unintentionally been passed down to his son. DP Scott Miller tells Filmmaker about the shoot, including his affinity for the Alexa Mini on this project. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of […]
The Japanese cult behind a deadly nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system in 1995 is the subject of AUM: The Cult at the End of the World from filmmakers Ben Braun and Chiaki Yanagimoto. Editor Keita Ideno talks about how his bilingualism, previous collaboration with the directors and personal memories of the nerve gas attack influenced the film’s cut. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? […]