Sundance Responses
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“It’s Great When an Idea Is Transformed So Much That the Author Is Rendered Unknown”: Editor Jon Philpot on Theater Camp
A dysfunctional summer camp for thespians in upstate New York is the setting of Theater Camp, the co-directing effort of Molly Gordon (who also stars as quirky counselor Rebecca-Diane) and Nick Lieberman. Editor Jon Philpot discusses the process of cutting the mockumentary-style film. 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? Philpot: The directors, Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman, found me on IMDB while looking for editors that worked on […]
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“With Each Interior Location We Had a Distinct Color Palette”: DP Cary Lalonde on Young. Wild. Free.
Teenage lovers Brandon (Algee Smith) and Cassidy (Sierra Capri) embark on dangerous but lust-fueled journey in Young. Wild. Free., the feature debut from director Thembi Banks. Cinematographer Cary Lalonde tells Filmmaker about shooting this modern day take on Bonnie and Clyde. 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 your being hired for this job? Lalonde: The project was initially shut down after one day of shooting in the early days of COVID. Once it was […]
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“In Preparation We Talked About Claude Sautet’s Films”: DP George Lechaptois on Other People’s Children
Rebecca Zlowtowski’s longtime cinematographer discusses shooting Other People’s Children, the writer-director’s latest film that stars Virginie Efira and Roschdy Zem and grapples with themes of motherhood and the concept of being child-free. 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 your being hired for this job? Lechaptois: I met [director] Rebecca [Zlowtowski] in 2009 when shooting her first feature Belle Epine. I have since shot all her films. Filmmaker: What were your artistic goals on this […]
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“I Wanted the Lenses To Have Some Character”: DP Greg Harriott on Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
Renowned poet Nikki Giovanni is the subject of Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, co-directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson’s latest effort. Incorporating live poetry readings, space-age imagery, pivotal moments in American history and intimate moments with Giovanni herself, the documentary offers a holistic image of an invaluable artist and the broader cultural moment she continues to speak to. DP Greg Harriott talks about how he came to work on the film and how he approached capturing the wide range of visuals. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up […]
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“This Film Is Really a Poem in a Lot of Ways”: DP Laura Valladao on Fremont
In Fremont, writer-director Babak Jalali’s latest film, Afghan refugee and former U.S. Army translator Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) finds herself working at a fortune cookie factory in the Bay Area. She’s been having trouble sleeping, and her restlessness prompts her to send a message to the world through a uniquely sweet vessel. DP Laura Valladao tells Filmmaker about shooting the sumptuous black and white film. 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 your being hired […]
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“Really Great DIY Energy From the Beginning”: DP Matthew Pothier on Mutt
In writer-director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz’s film Mutt, a young trans man named Feña (Lío Mehiel) travels all around New York City during one particularly hectic day that brings forth unexpected relics from his past. Cinematographer Matthew Pothier tells Filmmaker about the process of shooting this project, including a lighting hack he adopted from the NYPD. 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 your being hired for this job? Pothier: One of the producers had seen a […]
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“I Could Tell There Was a Lot of Love in the Story and the Team Behind It”: DP Nate Hurtsellers on Theater Camp
The hilarious antics of campers and counselors alike is the basis of Theater Camp, the Cattskills-set mockumentary from co-directors Molly Gordon (who also stars) and Nick Lieberman. DP Nate Hurtsellers describes what initially drew him to working on the project, the films he looked to for visual inspiration and a particularly complicated aspect of 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 your being hired for this job? Hurtsellers: I have a background in […]
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“A Larger Than Life Revolutionary”: DP Rose Bush on The Disappearance of Shere Hite
Filmmaker Nicole Newnham’s latest, The Disappearance of Shere Hite, explores the author behind The Hite Report, one of the best-selling books of all time since its 1976 publication. Few remember Shere Hite today, and Newnham’s film interrogates why that might be. Cinematographer Rose Bush discusses how working on The Disappearance of Shere Hite was a perfect fit for her. 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 your being hired for this job? Bush: I’m a person […]
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“From the First Assembly, I Knew the Film Was There”: Editor Lindsay Armstrong on Young. Wild. Free.
Teenagers Brandon (Algee Smith) and Cassidy (Sierra Capri) form a perilous romance that rivals Bonnie and Clyde’s in Young. Wild. Free., director Thembi Banks’s feature debut. Filmmaker asked editor Lindsay Armstrong about her experience cutting the film, including the unexpected importance of VFX. 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? Armstrong: Director Thembi Banks and I met and became good friends while working towards our MFAs in Film Production […]
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“When a Place Is Transformed and Scrubbed, so Are the Original Memories”: Editor Mel Mel Sukekawa-Mooring on The Stroll
In The Stroll, the gentrification of New York City’s Meatpacking District is told through the history of the trans sex workers who long worked and resided in the neighborhood. Through extensive archival materials and intimate interviews, co-directors Kristen Lovell and Zackary Drucker explore how police violence factored into the downfall of “The Stroll” where this community would congregate. Editor Mel Mel Sukekawa-Mooring discusses cutting the film, also touching on the “roundabout journey” that brought them to the industry. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your […]
