In a sign of pricing flexibility that could bode well for future indie film titles sold by Apple’s iTunes Movie Store, Apple has just announced a new section called “This Week’s Great Movies for Under $5.” You can download to purchase titles like Basic Instinct, Terminator 2 and St. Elmo’s Fire, among others, for a fiver. It seems to be Apple’s attempt to compete with those cut-rate DVDs sold in bins at the checkout lane of the discount stores, and it points the way towards more elastic pricing of digitally delivered media by Apple.
HOLDEN AND DARIUS WILKINS IN DIRECTOR JOSH KOURY’S WE ARE WIZARDS. COURTESY BROOKLYN UNDERGROUND FILMS. Despite his youth, 31-year-old Josh Koury has already carved out quite a reputation for himself within the world of independent film. Born and raised in upstate New York, Koury studied fine art at Munson Williams Proctor Institute in Utica and then film at Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute, where he also ran a weekly multimedia event. Following his graduation, Koury made his debut feature, Standing By Yourself, a documentary about problem teens in upstate New York, which premiered in competition at Slamdance in 2002 and was released […]
Several articles from Filmmaker‘s Fall issue are online here on the site, but one piece not included in our online offerings has just been posted on the FilmInFocus site. It’s an interview with Gus Van Sant by Peter Bowen that appeared in the special Gotham Award tribute section, and I think it’s an excellent look into Van Sant’s creative process on his latest film, Milk. And, by the way, the IFP is selling individual tickets to the Gothams this year. More info available here. Two excerpts: Filmmaker: How did your story veer from the historical record? Van Sant: Mostly we […]
In the current issue of Filmmaker Karina Longworth reviews this year’s Fantastic Fest, and one of the titles she singles out for praise is J.T. Petty’s The Burrowers. She wrote: For my money, the most impressive film at Fantastic Fest with a studio credit attached was not a Secret Screening, but J.T. Petty’s The Burrowers. A monster film in plot detail only, this period Western plays as a moral drama heavily influenced by Terrence Malick. Unfortunately, the affiliated studio is Lionsgate, who have recently heavily cut back on their support for horror, and thus The Burrowers –– a film as […]
Here’s episode three of Todd Sklar and his Range Life Entertainment’s tour diary documenting the highs and lows the group’s current DIY traveling film fest. Click on the link for upcoming tour dates.
Okay, I’m a week or two late to the party, but I just came across MTV Music, a new website, in beta, from MTV that streams music videos. For younger readers, a music video — formerly called, in the pre-music-video days, a “promo,” or a “clip” — is a short film or staged musical performance set to a pop song and usually featuring as performers the singer and musicians of that song. MTV used to show them, and for those of us who remember the launch of the channel, music videos once seemed new, interesting, and even culturally relevant. Creative […]
The Institute for International Film Financing (IIFF) have announced another of their popular networking events for next Monday, Nov. 17. Information on how to attend and who’s scheduled to speak are below. IIFF New York City Townhall Meeting Monday, November 17, 2008 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM School of Visual Arts (SVA) 209 East 23rd Street Amphitheater – 3rd floor New York, NY 10010 VERY LIMITED CAPACITY. To avoid disappointment, reserve your DISCOUNTED SEAT now at http://nym.filmfinancing.org/111708w Next Monday’s gathering of FILMMAKERS AND FINANCIERS follows IIFF’sproven formula for film financing success. It features a powerful lineup ofLEADING TOPICAL EXPERTS whose […]
An intimate portrait of a pair of friends’ struggle to get by in a post-9/11 New York, Ilya Chaiken‘s sophomore effort (her previous feature was Margarita Happy Hour) has an authentic feel of urban life and an impressive story arch that surpasses its low-budget expectations. The film opens with Derrick (Al Thompson) and Tico (Kareem Saviñon) working on Liberty Island during the day and partying up at night. Though Derrick is more goal oriented than Tico, they both are stuck in the same rut when the Towers come down as they lose their jobs and struggle to find work. Though […]
Director and producer Jim McKay (Everyday People, Our Song) sent the following email about Jonathan Demme’s latest feature, Rachel Getting Married, to his personal list. It’s a great acclamation of the film, and it nicely addresses and puts into context some of the movie’s bolder editorial choices. With permission, I’m posting it here. If you’re thinking about taking a pass on the new Jonathan Demme film, Rachel Getting Married, because it has a weird title and because his last two fiction films, The Truth about Charlie and The Manchurian Candidate, were remakes and didn’t have the oomph that his movies […]
Adam Yamaguchi and David Casey offer a fascinating, strangely upbeat yet ultimately disquieting look at climate change in I Heart Global Warming, which premieres on Current TV on Wednesday, November 12, at 10 p.m. Check out the trailer.