The 54th edition of the notorious Flaherty Film Seminar (June 21-27) kicked off with some steamy words from president Patti Bruck. “We’re not here to discuss film,” she insinuated; “we’re here to argue about film.” Begun in 1955 when Robert Flaherty’s widow Frances gathered filmmakers, critics, and musicians to discuss the potential of the moving image, the Seminar has evolved into one of the more idiosyncratic and invigorating stops in the film world, with an almost Nietzschean will for conflict. No titles or filmmakers are announced beforehand; all screenings, meals, and discussions are mandatory; filmmaker/audience hierarchies are abandoned in favor […]
In an announcement sent out today, the Film Society of Lincoln Center has chosen Laurent Cantet‘s Palme d’Or winner The Class as the opening film of the 2008 New York Film Festival, marking the film’s American debut (the film will be released later in the year through Sony Pictures Classics). Two showcases at the Walter Reade Theater have also been announced. “In the Realm of Oshima” will celebrate the work of Japanese filmmaker Nagisa Oshima and runs thoughout the festival while the annual “Views from the Avant-Garde” will feature a 30th anniversary of Guy Debord‘s In girum imus nocte et […]
This coming issue marks the tenth anniversary of our “25 New Faces” feature and as part of several activities we’re compiling a list of the accomplishments of people who have been on the list. If you’ve been profiled as part of this feature, please let us know what you are up to — what projects you’ve made since appearing on the list and what projects you are in the midst of making. You can email me at editor.filmmmakermagazine AT gmail.com.
Charles Arthur in The Guardian writes about Acta, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement about to be ratified at the G8. Is it an inevitable government response to piracy and filesharing, or a belated rear guard action doomed to failure? He explores both possibilities. Here’s his lede: The heads of the G8 governments, meeting this week, are about to ratify the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (Acta), which – it’s claimed – could let customs agents search your laptop or music player for illegally obtained content. The European Parliament is considering a law that would lead to people who illicitly download copyrighted music or […]
At Boing Boing, Joel Johnson interviews designer Syd Mead, whose work includes Aliens, Tron and Blade Runner.
Here’s something to mark down on your calander complements of the folks at From Here To Awesome. DIY DAYS | fund :: create :: distribute :: sustainJuly 26th 9:30am to 7:30pm Under Spring, 1745 North Spring #4, Los Angeles, CA 90012 What’s an independent filmmaker to do in these times of a failing industry, piracy and so much damn competition? The industry pioneers behind Head Trauma, Four Eyed Monsters, and We are the Strange created From Here to Awesome to help artists find their way. And from the awesomeness was born DIY DAYS, a day to bring a bunch of […]
AN IRAQI ROLE PLAYER IN TONY GERBER AND JESSE MOSS’ FULL BATTLE RATTLE. COURTESY MILE END FILMS. A strong partnership always relies on both individuals bringing different things to the table, and documentary filmmakers Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss certainly draw on diverse backgrounds for their creative collaboration. New York City native Gerber began his career directing alternative theater and making films for theatrical productions, and went on to work with conceptual artist Matthew Barney on Cremaster III (2002) and Drawing Restraint 9 (2005). He directed the short film, Small Taste of Heaven in 1997, and his debut fiction feature, […]
I’m blogging from Paris where, the other night, I had dinner with two Palme d’Or-winning French producer friends. “What did you think of the Mark Gill article?” one wanted to know. Yes, Gill’s speech is dinner conversation across the Atlantic. In fact, the producer had printed it out and circulated it among her staff. I’ve commented before on the Gill piece, which I mostly agree with. Now we’re seeing a second wave of responses to the article, and one must-read for indies is by writer/director John August, who blogs about the release of his Sundance film The Nines and relates […]
At Stream, Jamie Stuart muses on the possibilities of theatrical for one’s first feature. An excerpt: More and more independent producers and distributors with years of experience are trying to convince indie filmmakers that theatrical distribution isn’t that important. This isn’t because these people in the know dislike the theatrical experience. It’s because they understand that the costs of going theatrical are becoming a legitimate burden, and that the real revenue streams lie in the ancillary markets, especially for small movies. Unfortunately, the thing that most filmmakers understand — and this has nothing to do with advocating the communal experience […]
Artforum reports that filmmaker Bruce Conner has died. Here is their notice: Bruce Conner, a San Francisco–based artist known for his assemblages, films, drawings, and interdisciplinary works, passed away Monday afternoon. Conner moved to San Francisco in 1957 and quickly found his place within the city’s vibrant Beat community. His gauzy assemblages of scraps salvaged from abandoned buildings, nylon stockings, doll parts, and other found materials gained him art-world attention, as did A Movie (1958), an avant-garde film that juxtaposed footage from B movies, newsreels, soft-core pornography, and other fragments, all set to a musical score. (In 1991, A Movie […]