Sundance
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“An Incredible Learning Experience”: Director Michael Larnell | Roxanne Roxanne
During its development, production or eventual distribution, what specific challenge of communication did, or will your film, face? How did you deal with it, or how are you planning to deal with it? My first feature film, Cronies, had a small budget and production team. For Roxanne Roxanne, we had a bigger budget, and this allowed for a larger production team. This meant there were more moving pieces, which presented a slew of challenges on all levels. The fact that the film is a 1980s period film in the busy land of NYC complicated these challenges even more. There were […]
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“The Notion of Truth Is Being Challenged”: Director Peter Nicks | The Force
During its development, production or eventual distribution, what specific challenge of communication did, or will your film, face? How did you deal with it, or how are you planning to deal with it? This year, perhaps more than any other year I can remember, the notion of truth is being challenged. We are creating fences around ourselves – virtual fences built from social media circles that reinforce increasingly segregated belief systems that have led to great division in America. In this environment, artistic expression is more important than ever, especially when tackling themes and subjects that audiences approach with their […]
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“Crying on the Inside and Nodding on the Outside”: Director Janicza Bravo | Lemon
During its development, production or eventual distribution, what specific challenge of communication did, or will your film, face? How did you deal with it, or how are you planning to deal with it? The most challenging thing to convey was that I was capable. The road to getting the film (Lemon) made started five years ago. I had only one short film under my belt. Last spring I had eight short films, all of which had played at prestigious festivals and one episode of television and whether or not I was ready or could handle a feature was still on the […]
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“More Eyes, More Money and More Pressure”: Editor Casey Brooks on Landline
Gillian Robespierre assembled a familiar team for her second film. Like her 2014 breakthrough Obvious Child, Landline features the work of DP Chris Teague, co-writer/producer Elisabeth Holm, star Jenny Slate and editor Casey Brooks. In the below interview, conducted before the film’s world premiere at Sundance 2017, Brooks discusses the film’s balance of comedy and drama, his entry into editing and dealing with heightened expectations in the wake of Obvious Child. Landline costars John Turturro, Edie Falco, Abby Quinn and Jay Duplass. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to […]
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“Letting Moments Breathe and Have the Space to Flourish”: Editor Joi McMillon on Lemon
Joi McMillon received an Eddie Award nomination earlier this year for her work on Moonlight. An editor on a number of shorts and TV series, including an episode of Girls, McMillon’s newest feature is Lemon from writer/director Janicza Bravo. Filmmaker, which hailed Bravo as one of its 25 New Faces in 2014, spoke with McMillon before the 2017 Sundance Film Festival about the genre-defying new film. McMillon discussed the film’s unique blend of comedy and drama, the importance of an unspoken glance and her cinematic influences. Lemon stars Brett Gelman, Judy Greer and Michael Cera. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of […]
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“A Challenge for Some in the Audience”: Director Yance Ford | Strong Island
During its development, production or eventual distribution, what specific challenge of communication did, or will your film, face? How did you deal with it, or how are you planning to deal with it? It’s important to understand that Strong Island was in development years before a frame of the film was shot. The first challenge I faced was “coming out” as someone who had lost a loved one to homicide. In the doc community there is a divide that we don’t talk about much, if at all: My parents grew up in the Jim Crow South, I am ONE generation […]
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“Getting the Right Balance Between Clarity and Intrigue”: Editor Anna Price on Tokyo Idols
Kyoko Miyake explores issues of gender and power dynamics in Japanese pop culture with her new documentary Tokyo Idols. Her film focuses on Ri Ri, an aspiring pop singer, and the adult male super-fans who surround her. Miyake hired doc editor Anna Price to help shape her hours of footage into a coherent statement on a unique (and, to many, unsavory) cultural phenomenon. Price spoke with Filmmaker about the project prior to its premiere in the doc competition at Sundance 2017. 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 […]
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DP Lyle Vincent on Shooting Neo-Noir Thriller Thoroughbred
Lyle Vincent served as DP on two films at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival: the Midnight selection Bushwick and the NEXT entry Thoroughbred. From first time director Cory Finley, Thoroughbred is a neo-noir character drama that features one of the final performances of the late Anton Yelchin. Vincent discussed his process and approach to cinematography with Filmmaker ahead of the film’s world premiere at Sundance. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Vincent: The film’s writer/director Cory Finley […]
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“I Was Exposed to Very Dangerous Situations”: Director José María Cabral | Woodpeckers
During its development, production or eventual distribution, what specific challenge of communication did, or will your film, face? How did you deal with it, or how are you planning to deal with it? Communication was the key for writing, shooting and making the movie, particularly this one. Woodpeckers explores communication and language on a very specific level. First of all, the writing process was about making contact and understanding the prisoners, getting to create relationships, not only for the script but also because I wanted them as actors too. It was also kind of a social experiment, where I was […]
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“We Were Interested in Creating Something Raw”: DP Isiah Donté Lee on Burning Sands
Isiah Donté Lee shot 10 shorts in four years before making the jump to features with Burning Sands. The story of five college students who embark on a “Hell Week” of hazing to gain entry into a prestigious black fraternity, Burning Sands premiered last week at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and will be released by Netflix in March. The film draws heavily from the college experiences of its writer/director, Gerard McMurray. Below, Lee speaks with Filmmaker about the film’s deliberate mix of handheld and static compositions, shooting the climactic scene in one night and the “beautiful richness” of Cooke […]
