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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Archival and present-day footage are utilized to create a non-linear portrait of a legendary singer-songwriter in Willie Nelson & Family, a seven-part docuseries from directors Thom Zimny and Oren Moverman. Encompassing all seven decades of Nelson’s career, the series also touches upon his “philanthropy, marijuana advocacy, and activism on behalf of the American farmer.”  Editors Brett Banks and Chris Iversen discuss their collaborative cut, resulting in a final product that’s an “amalgam” of both of their editing choices and styles.  See all responses to our annual Sundance editor interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the […]

Filmmakers Thom Zimny and Oren Moverman capture the seven decade-spanning legacy of one of America’s greatest living musicians in Willie Nelson & Family, a seven-part docuseries that weaves together archival and present-day footage to create a non-linear portrait of an iconic artist. DP Bobby Bukowski talks about lensing the series, touching upon his longtime collaboration with Moverman and how “no artificial enhancement was employed” on the shoot.  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 were the factors and attributes that led to […]

The epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) in Montana’s Big Horn County and its surrounding areas is the focus of the doc Murder in Big Horn from directors Razelle Benally and Matthew Galkin. With dozens of young women and girls from Crow and Northern Cheyenne Nations having gone missing over the past decade, the filmmakers utilize interviews with grieving loved ones, Native journalists and local law enforcement to try and understand the circumstances surrounding these tragic cold cases. Editor David Mehlman talks about cutting the three-part docuseries, including his longstanding collaboration with much of the team involved. See […]