Open | Filmmaker Magazine

WHEN PIRACY BECOMES PERSONAL

When I initially talked with producer Jake Abraham about contributing a piece to our Web Exclusives section about his DIY distribution of Kirt Gunn’s Lovely by Surprise, I told him I wanted it to be a two-parter. I wanted him to check back after the release had time to prove itself and let us know how it all worked out. Well, as Abraham notes in the intro to his just-posted new piece, “Tweet This!”, that time has come sooner rather than later. In brief, Abraham was compelled to write when he discovered that the film he’s been tirelessly promoting has […]

by Scott Macaulay on Aug 26, 2009

THIS WEEKEND: STILL WALKING AND BIG FAN

Posted this morning over on the main page are interviews with Hirokazu Kore-eda on his touching family drama Still Walking and Robert Siegel talks about his dark comedy Big Fan. Both films open in limited release this weekend.

by Jason Guerrasio on Aug 26, 2009

Hirokazu Kore-eda on Still Walking

A connoisseur of longing and remembrance who brings great sensitivity to each of his reflective fables, Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda should be better known in the States, as his films extend the tradition of world-class artists like Naruse and Ozu. Enthralled with the operation of memory and the impact of grief on the lives of everyday people, Kore-eda has created a body of work that’s as rich with feeling as it is modest in tone. In Maborosi (1995), Kore-eda told the story of a quietly devastated young widow struggling to move on after her husband commits suicide. He then departed from […]

by Jason Guerrasio on Aug 26, 2009

SPIKE LEE’S FILM ABOUT STEW’S PASSING STRANGE

Back in 2005 Matt Ross selected STEW for our “25 New Faces” list. STEW is the multi-media art duo consisting of theater artists Stew and Heidi Rodewald, and they had just staged their show Passing Strange at the Public Theater and attended the Sundance Producer’s Lab. Four years later a film version of Passing Strange opens at the IFC Center, directed by Spike Lee. Check it out this weekend and meet Stew and Heidi, who will be appearing in person at the shows. Here’s the trailer:

by Scott Macaulay on Aug 21, 2009

“HUSBANDS”

If you never saw Husbands during its brief release in 1970 through Columbia (mostly misunderstood by critics, audiences and even the studio that released it) or bought it on VHS, you’ve probably only heard of it through discussions people have of John Cassavetes’ work or books written on the actor/director. If you’ve read about the film, like I have, you’re probably excited for this release, as for the first time, Husbands is being released close to how Cassavetes wanted it to be seen. It is one of my favorite chapters in Ray Carney’s seminal book on Cassavetes’ life and work, […]

by Jason Guerrasio on Aug 21, 2009

PARSING THE MEANINGS OF NEIL BLOMKAMP’S DISTRICT 9

Unlike many critics, I liked the $30 million South African-shot sci-fi feature District 9 better as it went along, finding the apartheid metaphor set-up a little awkward and unrewarding. The more I thought about it, the more I found some of the movie’s strategies kind of contradictory to its implied social conscience. But the film works as a straight-out action film, which why its is looking like this week’s box-office winner. It’s easy to get off on the movie’s pulp-y energy and a vibe that reminded me of Robocop and the first Terminator movie. For a discussion of the metaphors […]

by Scott Macaulay on Aug 15, 2009

ALMODOVAR’S BROKEN EMBRACES TO CLOSE 09 NYFF

The line up for the 47th New York Film Festival has been announced. The U.S. premiere of Alain Resnais‘s Wild Grass will open the fest and Pedro Almodóvar‘s Broken Embraces will close. NYFF will run Sept. 25 – Oct. 11. (Click here to watch our video coverage of last year’s fest by Jamie Stuart.) Full line up is below. OPENING NIGHTWild Grass / Les herbes follesAlain Resnais, France, 2009; 113mThe venerable Alan Resnais creates an exquisite human comedy of manners, mystery and romance with some of France’s – and our – favorite actors: Sabine Azéma, André Dussollier, Emmanuelle Devos and […]

by Jason Guerrasio on Aug 12, 2009

DUBAI FILM CONNECTION DEADLINE, AUGUST 15

As my brief interview with Cherien Dabis in festival coverage of the Dubai International Film Festival (in our Spring, 2009 edition and which I’ve just posted online) noted, some of the financing for her debut feature Amreeka was found at the DIFF’s Dubai Film Connection, a CineMart-like financing market aimed at films from directors of Arab nationality or origin. Producers (who can be of any nationality) have until August 15 (that’s one week from now) to submit projects for this year’s edition. Here’s the official word: The DFC is open for documentary and feature film projects that are currently in […]

by Scott Macaulay on Aug 8, 2009

IS YOUR SOUL WEIGHING YOU DOWN?

In preparation for this weekend’s opening of Sophie Barthes‘ philosophical sci-fi dramedy, Cold Souls, go and check out the faux Website for The Soul Storage Company (thanks to Barthes for sending the link). If you don’t know the premise already, the film follows Paul Giamatti (playing Paul Giamatti) who while struggling to tap into the part of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya decides to have his soul removed by The Soul Storage Company. The site includes an introductory video from Dr. David Flinstein (David Strathairn), a FAQ page, an office tour, a phone number (where “operators are standing by”) and you can […]

by Jason Guerrasio on Aug 4, 2009

A Filmmaker’s Glamorous Life: Barry Jenkins

In “A Filmmaker’s Glamorous Life,” online and in our latest print edition, Esther Robinson surveyed a number of filmmakers about the jobs they’ve taken to support themselves when they are not making films. In this blog series we’ll run the unedited responses we received that were then condensed for the piece. Below: Barry Jenkins. Filmmaker: How did you support yourself during the production of your last movie/movies? Jenkins: I had this job at Banana Republic that was more or less essential to getting my last movie done. Was a great job, I was the shipment supervisor at the largest Banana […]

by Scott Macaulay on Aug 4, 2009

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