For their Op-Doc collaboration with Sundance Institute grantees, The New York Times tapped 25 New Face Andrew Droz Palermo and his cousin Tracy Droz Tragos, filmmakers behind the Sundance title Rich Hill, to produce a short profile of Sarah, a pregnant Midwestern teen, struggling to strike out against her familial trajectory. Sarah’s Uncertain Path acts as a microcosm for what Droz Palermo and Droz Tragos call “a myth in America.” “If you have a strong moral compass, work hard and make good choices, you will have equal opportunity,” they write of this unfulfilled promise. “But after two years of listening to and documenting low-income […]
by Sarah Salovaara on Jan 22, 2014One of the most intriguing things about transmedia when compared to traditional film, particularly documentary, is that through its multiple entry points and interactive experiences it has the potential to more fully engage viewers in causes. It doesn’t just inspire people to action, in other words; at its best, it gives them the tools and initial opportunities to take action then and there. Such is the case with Half the Sky, a four-hour film and transmedia property that airs in two parts tonight and tomorrow on PBS. In fact, it may be possible that Half the Sky is the most […]
by Randy Astle on Oct 1, 2012Originally posted as part of our 2011 SXSW coverage, Better This World is nominated for Best Documentary. Screening Times: Saturday March 12th, 11:00am (Vimeo Theater), Monday March 14th, 1:45pm (Alamo Lamar B), Friday March 18th, 2:00pm (Paramount Theatre) Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane De La Vega profile the young political radicals David McKay and Bradley Crowder in Better This World. The pair plotted to disrupt the 2008 Republic National Convention, but found themselves charged with domestic terrorism. Filmmaker: How did you first hear of David McKay and Bradley Crowder? What drove you to make a film about them? De […]
by Brandon Harris on Oct 31, 2011We here at Filmmaker haven’t been able to stop talking about Drive since we saw it a few months ago. Nicolas Winding Refn‘s first foray into the mainstream is a fresh take on the crime thriller with an amazing ’80s electronica score and just enough violence and gore to settle the appetite of those who loved Bronson and Valhalla Rising. Over at the New York Times, Mekado Murphy produces this excellent video piece narrated by Refn that breaks down one of the getaway scenes in Drive. Want more Refn talking about Drive? Check out our interview with the Danish director. […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Sep 15, 2011Not to pick on Anne Thompson again, a fine industry journalist certainly, but a blog entry she published this past Friday piqued my interest for all the wrong reasons. (See the post, the healthy comments thread, and also David Poland’s response.) Thompson took a critical stance on a new feature of the New York Times’ Carpetbagger section, where lead critics Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott will provide an in-depth answer to one reader’s question every month. Allowing the critics to choose a question to answer, and giving them some time to work on their response, as opposed (one presumes) to […]
by Zachary Wigon on Feb 21, 2011