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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
The life and career of Michael J. Fox is told through recreations of his most iconic acting roles in STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie. Editor Michael Harte tells Filmmaker about working on the latest film from Davis Guggenheim. 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? Harte: I grew up in the 80s so like a lot of people my age I loved Michael’s movies as a kid. They […]
Based on Alysia Abbott’s memoir of the same name, Fairyland chronicles Alysia’s (Emilia Jones’s) coming of age in the ’70s and ’80s. After her mother dies, her father moves to San Francisco with the then-5-year-old Alysia and begins openly dating men. The film follows Alysia’s ever-evolving relationship with her father as she relocates to New York for college, travels to France for a study abroad program and eventually returns home to San Francisco. Co-editors Peter Hagan and Lawrence Klein discuss how they worked together to cut Andrew Durham’s debut feature. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor interviews here. Filmmaker: […]