NewFest and the Brooklyn Academy of Music (Bam) have announced the fourth annual lineup for their “Queering the Canon” retrospective film series, this year subtitled “Besties.”
This year’s lineup of films screening at Bam in downtown Brooklyn (April 11 – 15) includes a 4K restoration of Rose Troche’s lesbian classic “Go Fish,” the world premiere of the 4K restoration of Brian Sloan’s queer romantic comedy “I Think I Do,” 35mm screenings of Gus Van Sant’s “My Own Private Idaho” and F. Gary Gray’s “Set It Off.” The “Go Fish” screening will be accompanied by a Q&a with Rose Troche in person along with star Guinevere Turner.
The repertory series was created by NewFest, co-curated by NewFest’s Nick McCarthy (director of programming) and Kim Garcia (technical director and programmer), and is presented in partnership with Bam.
The event will also include a panel discussion, “Best of the Besties,...
This year’s lineup of films screening at Bam in downtown Brooklyn (April 11 – 15) includes a 4K restoration of Rose Troche’s lesbian classic “Go Fish,” the world premiere of the 4K restoration of Brian Sloan’s queer romantic comedy “I Think I Do,” 35mm screenings of Gus Van Sant’s “My Own Private Idaho” and F. Gary Gray’s “Set It Off.” The “Go Fish” screening will be accompanied by a Q&a with Rose Troche in person along with star Guinevere Turner.
The repertory series was created by NewFest, co-curated by NewFest’s Nick McCarthy (director of programming) and Kim Garcia (technical director and programmer), and is presented in partnership with Bam.
The event will also include a panel discussion, “Best of the Besties,...
- 3/13/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For regular updates, sign up for our weekly email newsletter and follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSBreathless.The Mubi Podcast returns on January 25. Titled “Tailor Made,” the fifth season will consider landmark movies that captured major fashions of their times—from Jean Seberg in Breathless to Sofia Coppola’s body of work to date—with insights from leading costume designers, fashion designers, cinematographers, and directors.Alongside the announcement of the Competition and Encounters sections, with the addition of new films by Abderrahmane Sissako, Mati Diop, Hong Sang-soo, Ruth Beckermann, and more, we’ve updated our Berlinale lineup post ahead of the festival’s commencement on February 15.June Givanni, a writer on and curator of African and African diasporic cinema and the founder of the June Givanni PanAfrican Cinema Archive, is to be recognized by BAFTA with an Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema...
- 1/23/2024
- MUBI
On social media, attacks on LGBTQ people aren’t always as direct as calling someone a name or threatening to hurt them — obscuring attacks in coded language, jokes, and dog whistles is a common method people use to try to get around the rules. “There are a lot of coded references, such as the number 41 percent — oftentimes used as saying a trans person should ‘go 41-percent themselves’ — a reference to the number of trans people that attempt suicide,” says Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at Harvard Law School and LGBTQ rights advocate.
- 1/16/2024
- by Andrea Marks
- Rollingstone.com
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
BlackBerry (Matt Johnson)
In BlackBerry, the rise of a blue-chip tech company sets the stage for the dissolution of a longstanding friendship. Sound familiar? Just wait ‘til you hear the score. Directed by Matt Johnson, it tells the true story of Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin, software engineers who founded the company Rim in the mid-80s and later invented a cellphone that could handle email. The film begins on the day when they meet Jim Basillie (Glenn Howerton), a Rottweiler who, alongside Lazaridis’ genius, turned Rim’s invention (only later christened BlackBerry) into the world’s most ubiquitous mobile device––at least for a time. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
The Hole in the Fence (Joaquín del Paso...
BlackBerry (Matt Johnson)
In BlackBerry, the rise of a blue-chip tech company sets the stage for the dissolution of a longstanding friendship. Sound familiar? Just wait ‘til you hear the score. Directed by Matt Johnson, it tells the true story of Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin, software engineers who founded the company Rim in the mid-80s and later invented a cellphone that could handle email. The film begins on the day when they meet Jim Basillie (Glenn Howerton), a Rottweiler who, alongside Lazaridis’ genius, turned Rim’s invention (only later christened BlackBerry) into the world’s most ubiquitous mobile device––at least for a time. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
The Hole in the Fence (Joaquín del Paso...
- 6/2/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Closing out the summer, Mubi has unveiled their August 2021 lineup, kicking off most fittingly with Brett Story’s acclaimed recent documentary The Hottest August. Also among the lineup is Akira Kurosawa’s epic Ran, Fritz Lang’s hugely entertaining two-parter The Tiger of Eschnapur and The Indian Tomb. As his latest films arrive, Pablo Larraín’s The Club is also part of the lineup.
Xinyuan Zheng Lu’s Rotterdam winner The Cloud in Her Room is coming to Mubi in August, plus a “late film” special featuring Manoel de Olviera’s Gebo and the Shadow and The Last Sentence by Jan Troell. There will also be a canine double feature of Heddy Honigmann’s Buddy and Los Reyes by Bettina Perut and Ivan Osnovikoff.
See the lineup below and get 30 days of Mubi free here.
August 1 | The Hottest August | Brett Story
August 2 | Gebo and the Shadow | Manoel de Oliveria | Twilight...
Xinyuan Zheng Lu’s Rotterdam winner The Cloud in Her Room is coming to Mubi in August, plus a “late film” special featuring Manoel de Olviera’s Gebo and the Shadow and The Last Sentence by Jan Troell. There will also be a canine double feature of Heddy Honigmann’s Buddy and Los Reyes by Bettina Perut and Ivan Osnovikoff.
See the lineup below and get 30 days of Mubi free here.
August 1 | The Hottest August | Brett Story
August 2 | Gebo and the Shadow | Manoel de Oliveria | Twilight...
- 7/19/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Jenni Olson's The Royal Road and Arthur Bressan Jr.’s Gay USA are both part of Mubi's Pride Unprejudiced collection. The series Awakenings: Three By Stephen Cone is playing on Mubi in many countries.The Royal RoadThe morning after Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party screened at the Castro Theatre as a part of Frameline 39 (San Francisco LGBT Festival), I sat, severely hungover, in the rear floor section of that historic theatre and watched a matinee screening of Jenni Olson’s The Royal Road, an intimate, 65-minute “essay film” about California, unrequited love, narrative and nostalgia that I would eventually come to consider one of the greatest of all films. Sleep-deprived and heart-pounding from dehydration, I had no business being out in public, but with each serene 16mm California image accompanied by Olson’s dryly humorous, reflective voice-over, I began to feel that, in fact, I had no business being anywhere else.
- 6/28/2021
- MUBI
After decades of toiling in relative obscurity, Jenni Olson is finally receiving the industry recognition she deserves. Her collection of rare 35mm and 16mm queer film prints was acquired by Harvard’s Film Archive last summer. Her films “The Joy of Life” (2005) and “The Royal Road” (2015), which both premiered at Sundance, recently became available on the Criterion Channel alongside her many short films. She was a 2018 MacDowell fellow, and is in development on her third feature-length essay film, “The Quiet World,” which received funding from the Catapult Film Fund and Field of Vision.
Now, she’s the latest recipient of a special Teddy Award from the Berlinale, which recognizes a figure “whose work has made an exceptional contribution…to queer perspectives in art, culture and the media.” Past recipients include Tilda Swinton, Christine Vachon, John Hurt, and Udo Kier.
Anyone involved in queer film over the last three decades will know Olson.
Now, she’s the latest recipient of a special Teddy Award from the Berlinale, which recognizes a figure “whose work has made an exceptional contribution…to queer perspectives in art, culture and the media.” Past recipients include Tilda Swinton, Christine Vachon, John Hurt, and Udo Kier.
Anyone involved in queer film over the last three decades will know Olson.
- 6/25/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Filmmaker, curator, author and LGBT film historian Jenni Olson will be receiving the 35th special Teddy Award at the 71st Berlinale on Friday, June 18. An award dedicated to outstanding work in queer filmmaking that improves the social and political condition of the LGBT community, Olson will be joining past recipients such as Tilda Swinton and Cheryl Dunye in holding the honor. Known for her stylistically unique 16 millimeter films depicting urban landscapes with voiceover essays, Olson is responsible for The Blue Diary, which premiered at the Berlinale in 1998, and whose The Joy of Life (2005), and The Royal Road […]
The post “By Reconnecting Us to Our Humanity, I Believe Nostalgia Could Be the Very Thing That Saves Us”: Jenni Olson on Receiving the 35th Special Teddy Award first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “By Reconnecting Us to Our Humanity, I Believe Nostalgia Could Be the Very Thing That Saves Us”: Jenni Olson on Receiving the 35th Special Teddy Award first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/17/2021
- by Sally McGee
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Filmmaker, curator, author and LGBT film historian Jenni Olson will be receiving the 35th special Teddy Award at the 71st Berlinale on Friday, June 18. An award dedicated to outstanding work in queer filmmaking that improves the social and political condition of the LGBT community, Olson will be joining past recipients such as Tilda Swinton and Cheryl Dunye in holding the honor. Known for her stylistically unique 16 millimeter films depicting urban landscapes with voiceover essays, Olson is responsible for The Blue Diary, which premiered at the Berlinale in 1998, and whose The Joy of Life (2005), and The Royal Road […]
The post “By Reconnecting Us to Our Humanity, I Believe Nostalgia Could Be the Very Thing That Saves Us”: Jenni Olson on Receiving the 35th Special Teddy Award first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “By Reconnecting Us to Our Humanity, I Believe Nostalgia Could Be the Very Thing That Saves Us”: Jenni Olson on Receiving the 35th Special Teddy Award first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/17/2021
- by Sally McGee
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSFollowing the launch of the English-language podcast earlier this month, yesterday we revealed our upcoming original Spanish-language podcast! In the first season of the Mubi Podcast: Encuentros, co-produced by Mubi and La Corriente del Golfo Podcast, leading voices in Latin American film and culture come together to think about their own methods and processes for approaching the craft, talk about personal experiences, and reflect on films and filmmakers that have inspired their work. We begin with Gael García Bernal (Mexico) and Carolina Sanín (Colombia) as the guests of the first episode, entitled The Ritual of the Masks. The first season of Encuentros consists of in-depth conversations among colleagues, an encounter between two people who share their love for cinema. Check out the trailer above and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts here.Andrea Arnold...
- 6/16/2021
- MUBI
How did a little girl who loved Westerns grow up into an icon of queer cinema? As she wins a Teddy award, the filmmaker talks about a life devoted to the movies
When Jenni Olson accepts the Berlin film festival’s coveted Teddy award this month – for “embodying, living and creating queer culture” – she will join the ranks of past recipients including John Hurt, Joe Dallesandro and Tilda Swinton. “Me and Tilda, you know?” laughs the 58-year-old as she winces in the morning sunlight which is streaming into her home in Berkeley, California. With her youthful features, crisply side-parted hair and apostrophe-shaped eyes, she might have been drawn by Charles M Schulz.
“When I started my little gay film series at the University of Minnesota in 1987,” she says, “I never could’ve imagined that one of the largest film festivals in the world would recognise my work.” Along the way,...
When Jenni Olson accepts the Berlin film festival’s coveted Teddy award this month – for “embodying, living and creating queer culture” – she will join the ranks of past recipients including John Hurt, Joe Dallesandro and Tilda Swinton. “Me and Tilda, you know?” laughs the 58-year-old as she winces in the morning sunlight which is streaming into her home in Berkeley, California. With her youthful features, crisply side-parted hair and apostrophe-shaped eyes, she might have been drawn by Charles M Schulz.
“When I started my little gay film series at the University of Minnesota in 1987,” she says, “I never could’ve imagined that one of the largest film festivals in the world would recognise my work.” Along the way,...
- 6/15/2021
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Like many cinephiles I know, I’ve found the Criterion Channel to be a sort of emotional life preserver during these anxiety-ridden times; while it’s nearly impossible to achieve a state of total calm, one can come close by revisiting old favorites and making new discoveries while browsing through the streaming service’s expertly curated selection. This month the programmers have given audiences a great gift by showcasing the work of Jenni Olson, a director who understands the restorative power of nostalgia and reflection better than any other – it’s a key component to her work, and one of many reasons why […]...
- 10/16/2020
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Like many cinephiles I know, I’ve found the Criterion Channel to be a sort of emotional life preserver during these anxiety-ridden times; while it’s nearly impossible to achieve a state of total calm, one can come close by revisiting old favorites and making new discoveries while browsing through the streaming service’s expertly curated selection. This month the programmers have given audiences a great gift by showcasing the work of Jenni Olson, a director who understands the restorative power of nostalgia and reflection better than any other – it’s a key component to her work, and one of many reasons why […]...
- 10/16/2020
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The Criterion Channel’s stellar offerings are continuing next month with a selection of new releases, retrospective, series, and more. Leading the pack is, of course, a horror lineup perfectly timed for Halloween, featuring ’70s classics and underseen gems, including Abel Ferrara’s The Driller Killer (pictured above), Tobe Hopper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, early films by David Cronenberg, Wes Craven, and Brian De Palma, Bill Gunn’s Ganja & Hess, and more.
Also of note is a New Korean Cinema retrospective, featuring a new introduction by critic Grady Hendrix and a conversation between directors Bong Joon Ho and Park Chan-wook, whose Barking Dogs Never Bite, The Host, Mother, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, and Lady Vengeance are part of the lineup, as well as Lee Myung-se’s Nowhere to Hide, and more titles to be announced. Bong’s short Influenza will also arrive, paired with Michael Haneke’s Caché.
Also of note is a New Korean Cinema retrospective, featuring a new introduction by critic Grady Hendrix and a conversation between directors Bong Joon Ho and Park Chan-wook, whose Barking Dogs Never Bite, The Host, Mother, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, and Lady Vengeance are part of the lineup, as well as Lee Myung-se’s Nowhere to Hide, and more titles to be announced. Bong’s short Influenza will also arrive, paired with Michael Haneke’s Caché.
- 9/29/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
"Possibly the most important film you've never heard of." Peccadillo Pics in the UK has released an official trailer for a digitally restored re-release of 1985 film titled Buddies, written and directed by the late Arthur J. Bressan. Buddies was the first feature-length drama about AIDS when it was released. When 25 year-old David (David Schachter) volunteers to be a "buddy" to an AIDS patient the community center assigns him to Robert (Geoff Edholm), a 32 year-old politically impassioned gay California gardener abandoned by his friends and lovers. "Bressan did a simple yet radical thing: He told the story of one such friendship and, in the process, made the first feature-length drama about AIDS. Shot on 16mm film in nine days, [it] earned respectful reviews and a few festival prizes, but has faded from view over the years. Bressan died of AIDS in July 1987; now, thanks to the efforts of his sister Roe Bressan and film historian Jenni Olson,...
- 1/3/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
"In the grand scheme of things, being alone seemed more preferable to being around people. It made me feel even more self-loathing, insecurity, and dysphoria."—Jenni Olson, Blue Diary, 1998In a time and space far from the New York City of Chantal Akerman's News From Home, Olson wanders through the sunny streets of San Francisco, recalling the "melancholy story of a dyke pining over a one-night stand with a straight girl.”...
- 4/15/2019
- MUBI
A rarely-seen queer film, starring Sandra Bernhard and a young Rose Byrne, will finally see the light of day. In a partnership with NewFest, New York’s Quad Cinema will show the film on the big screen for the first time since its release. Experimental filmmaker and queer film historian Jenni Olson lent a rare 35 mm print from her personal collection, and will introduce the film and lead a post-screening discussion. Bernhard is not set to appear.
Released in 1994, “Dallas Doll” is Australian filmmaker Ann Turner’s loose riff on Pier Paolo Pasolini’s “Teorema,” with Bernhard in the Terence Stamp role. She plays an American golf pro who, on a trip to Australia, begins seducing her way through a bourgeois family and country-club set. The film received mixed reviews during its limited theatrical run, including from Bernhard herself, who made no secret of her feelings. She distanced herself from the film in interviews,...
Released in 1994, “Dallas Doll” is Australian filmmaker Ann Turner’s loose riff on Pier Paolo Pasolini’s “Teorema,” with Bernhard in the Terence Stamp role. She plays an American golf pro who, on a trip to Australia, begins seducing her way through a bourgeois family and country-club set. The film received mixed reviews during its limited theatrical run, including from Bernhard herself, who made no secret of her feelings. She distanced herself from the film in interviews,...
- 1/22/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
It's already started! Look lively! The To Save and Project festival of film preservation at New York's Museum of Modern Art offers a typically eclectic range of films, fiction, documentary and experimental, united in their importance and the fact that they've recently been restored and preserved. Think you've seen Murnau's Faust (1926)? Both versions? (Every shot was filmed with two cameras to provide two negatives.) Well, what about this new restoration, which incorporates never-before-seen intertitles in verse written for the film but removed before release due to the scenarist's objections?Other films are far less familiar. George Griffin explores the history and philosophy of animation in Lineage (1979), a mixed-media mini-masterpiece that moves from scribbles on celluloid through line animation to manipulated live action shots and early computer graphics. The visuals never stoop to merely illustrating the voice-over, nor do they distract from it. Instead they take wing, riffing on the ideas and having fun.
- 1/11/2019
- MUBI
Ghost Town AnthologyThe titles for the 69th Berlin International Film Festival are being announced in anticipation of the event running February 7-17, 2019. We will update the program as new films are revealed.COMPETITIONThe Ground Beneath My FeetThe Golden Glove (Faith Akin, Germany/France)By the Grace of GodThe Kindness of StrangersI Was at Home, but A Tale of Three SistersGhost Town Anthology (Denis Côté, Canada)Berlinale SPECIALGully Boy (Zoya Akhtar, India)BrechtWatergate (Charles Ferguson, USA)Panorama 201937 Seconds (Hikari (Mitsuyo Miyazaki), Japan)Dafne (Federico Bondi, Italy)The Day After I'm Gone (Nimrod Eldar, Israel)A Dog Called Money (Seamus Murphy, Ireland/UK)Waiting for the CarnivalChainedFlatland (Jenna Bass, South Africa/Germany/Luxembourg)Greta (Armando Praça, Brazil)Hellhole (Bas Devos, Belgium/Netherlands)Jessica Forever (Caroline Poggi, Jonathan Vinel, France)AcidMid90s (Jonah Hill, USA) Family MembersMonos (Alejandro Landes, Columbia/Argentina/Netherlands/Germany/Denmark/Sweden/Uruguay) O Beautiful Night (Xaver Böhm,...
- 1/2/2019
- MUBI
I’ve been making 16mm durational urban landscape voiceover films, slowly but surely, since the late ‘90s. My short film Blue Diary premiered at the Berlinale in 1998. My two features, The Joy of Life (2005) and The Royal Road (2015) both premiered in the prestigious New Frontiers section at the Sundance Film Festival and have been as wildly successful as experimental films can be. Which is to say, they remain fairly obscure. My small but enthusiastic fan-base frequently asks me for recommendations of films that are similar to my own in terms of incorporating durational landscapes and voiceover and a meditative pace. While it is certainly one of the smallest subgenres in the realm of filmmaking, here are a handful of excellent landscape cinema examples by the practitioners I know best. I confess that my expertise here is limited and hope that the learned Mubi community will chime in with additions in the comments field below.
- 10/11/2016
- MUBI
Available today on DVD and digital platforms, Jenni Olson’s The Royal Road is a beautifully crafted essay film that ruminates on several histories — the Spanish Colonization of California, film history and, through voiceover monologue, the director’s own personal story — all set against elegantly composed (in 4:3 16mm) landscape shots captured along the El Camino Real. Olson’s form here recalls the durational cinema of James Benning even as she brings in a wealth of information and references through her audio track, including, at one point, the words of playwright Tony Kushner, who offers a critique of the kind of […]...
- 9/6/2016
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
★★★★☆ In her sophomore mid-length feature, The Royal Road, Jenni Olson refers to Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo as a “cinematic ode to nostalgia” - it would be redundant to search for an alternative, more apposite quote to describe Olson's eclectic and poetic essay film itself. Cinema in its very nature is memory and Olson seeks to preserve in the “amber of celluloid” California as beautifully photographed in 16mm tableaux by her cinematographer Sophie Constantinou. The images are accompanied by the director's ruminations on the flickering dreams of the silver screen, her own sexuality, a history of America's invasion of Mexico and a road trip along the 'El Camino Real' that gives the film its title.
- 9/5/2016
- by CineVue
- CineVue
Glenn here. Each Tuesday bringing you reviews of documentaries from theatres, festivals and on demand.
One of the many benefits of doing this weekly column is not just talking about the sort of documentaries that we may be discussing throughout award season, but also being able to highlight those that deserve haven’t a hope that nonetheless deserve the attention. Such is the case with Jenni Olsen’s The Royal Road, an essay film that trades in experimental and avant-garde traditions as a means to explore deeply personal topics.
Using dry yet curiously hypnotic narration, Olsen swerves between discussing Californian history, a long-distance relationship with a woman named Juliet, classic Hollywood movies, and the effects of nostalgia (the latter of which even features a voice cameo by Tony Kuschner). Her film a progression of beautifully captured California vistas of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and everywhere in between, filmed on 16mm...
One of the many benefits of doing this weekly column is not just talking about the sort of documentaries that we may be discussing throughout award season, but also being able to highlight those that deserve haven’t a hope that nonetheless deserve the attention. Such is the case with Jenni Olsen’s The Royal Road, an essay film that trades in experimental and avant-garde traditions as a means to explore deeply personal topics.
Using dry yet curiously hypnotic narration, Olsen swerves between discussing Californian history, a long-distance relationship with a woman named Juliet, classic Hollywood movies, and the effects of nostalgia (the latter of which even features a voice cameo by Tony Kuschner). Her film a progression of beautifully captured California vistas of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and everywhere in between, filmed on 16mm...
- 8/30/2016
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
Following a list of some of the best recent American independent films, Girish Shambu offers notes on the work of Josephine Decker, Gina Telaroli, Khalik Allah, Jenni Olson, Amanda Rose Wilder, Joanna Arnow, Bingham Bryant and Kyle Molzan, Joe Swanberg, Kentucker Audley, Stephen Cone and Nathan Silver. Also in today's roundup: Jim Hemphill on Joe Dante's The Second Civil War, Jonathan Rosenbaum on Wong Kar-wai's Days of Being Wild and Edward Yang's A Brighter Summer Day, an interview with Steven Soderbergh, Lodge Kerrigan and Amy Seimetz, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward on All the President's Men, Simon Callow on Orson Welles and a podcast featuring Dennis Hauck (Too Late), Joachim Trier (Louder Than Bombs) and Gabriel Mascaro (Neon Bull). » - David Hudson...
- 4/9/2016
- Keyframe
Following a list of some of the best recent American independent films, Girish Shambu offers notes on the work of Josephine Decker, Gina Telaroli, Khalik Allah, Jenni Olson, Amanda Rose Wilder, Joanna Arnow, Bingham Bryant and Kyle Molzan, Joe Swanberg, Kentucker Audley, Stephen Cone and Nathan Silver. Also in today's roundup: Jim Hemphill on Joe Dante's The Second Civil War, Jonathan Rosenbaum on Wong Kar-wai's Days of Being Wild and Edward Yang's A Brighter Summer Day, an interview with Steven Soderbergh, Lodge Kerrigan and Amy Seimetz, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward on All the President's Men, Simon Callow on Orson Welles and a podcast featuring Dennis Hauck (Too Late), Joachim Trier (Louder Than Bombs) and Gabriel Mascaro (Neon Bull). » - David Hudson...
- 4/9/2016
- Fandor: Keyframe
Much larger in sponsorships, this year's Napa Valley Film Festival (November 11-15) has become so popular that the main road between Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga is jammed and the smaller theaters are playing to Sro crowds. The St.Helena Cameo Cinema is the longest running single screen theater in the United States, going back to 1913 and “featuring 400 seats, 150 opera chairs, a modern stage and two standing sets".
Culinary, wine and film mix well here. This year we were invited to dine with second-generation vintner Ron Nicholsen, at his estate, Kelham Vineyards, where chief Tyler Rodde from Oenotri, the southern Italian restauranteur from the town of Napa served us his finest food. And at every screening, the best of wines are tasted, In the morning we could (and I did once) practice yoga on the vineyard banks of the river running through the valley. Afternoon and evenings wine pours freely and people mix as they go to movies or to the parties and receptions. My big discovery was White Stone Wine grown on the shores of the mighty Lake Roosevelt in the shadows of Whitestone Rock. I award it for its white chalky stone accent on its bold red wines.
Jury and audience awards were given to the winners at the Uptown Theatre on Sunday, November 15, 2015. The Festival had screened 120 new independent films in 12 unique screening venues in the four postcard-perfect towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga.
David Glasser, COO and President of The Weinstein Company presented awards on behalf of the third annual Lexus Short Film Series. Lexus’ Media Director Teri Hill and TWC announced the four winners, Alexis Michalik, Byoung-Gon Moon, Damian Walshe-Howling and Pippa Bianco. Look for my blog about this event.
The Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature went to “The King of New Orleans”.
The Special Jury Award for Authenticity in Narrative Feature Storytelling went to “ Life in Color”.
The Full List of Juried Awards is Below: Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature presented by Taken Wine Company, and with a $10,000 cash prize courtesy ofMeadowood Napa Valley, went to “ The King of New Orleans”. Jury Award for Best Screenplay presented by Italics Winegrowers went to “ Tumbledown”. Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast presented by Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley went to “ Jane Wants a Boyfriend”. Member of the ensemble, Louisa Krause, also won the Audience Award for Favorite Actress. Audience Award for Favorite Actress presented by Eleven Eleven Wines went to for her work in the film "Jane Wants a Boyfriend." Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature presented by Trinchero Napa Valley, and with a $10,000 cash prize courtesy ofMeadowood Napa Valley, went to "Romeo is Bleeding." Jury Award for Best Narrative Short presented by Wolf Family Vineyards went to "It’s Perfect Here." Honorable Mention went to "Birthday." Jury Award for Best Documentary Short presented by Priest Ranch went to "Elder." Honorable Mentions go to: "Code Oakland, Une Passion d’or et de feu" (A Passion of Gold and Fire) , and "Riding the Highline."
Jury Award for Best Lounge Feature presented by Ca’ Momi Winery went to "Night Owls." Jury Award for Best Lounge Short presented by Modus Operandi Cellars went to "A Man Wakes Up." Honorable Mention went to "Ci: A Tedd Talkumentary." Special Jury Award – Courage in Documentary Feature Filmmaking presented by Rombauer Vineyards went to " Life Under Siege: Exploring Gaza’s Secret Tunnels." Special Jury Award – Authenticity in Narrative Feature Story-Telling presented by The Hess Collection Winery went to "Life in Color." Special Jury Award – Acting in a Lounge Feature Film went to sisters Aly Michalka and Aj Michalka for their work in the film "Weepah Way For Now." A Full List of a Audience Awards is Below: Audience Award for Favorite Actor presented by Caldwell Vineyard went to David Jensen for his work in the film "The King of New Orleans." Audience Award for Favorite Actress presented by Eleven Eleven Wines went to Louisa Krause for her work in the film "Jane Wants a Boyfriend." Audience Award for Favorite Documentary Feature presented by Grgich Hills Estate went to "Landfillharmonic." Audience Award for Favorite Documentary Short presented by Kelham Vineyards and Winery went to "Ron Taylor: Dr. Baseball." Audience Award for Favorite Narrative Feature presented by Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. went to "Friends and Romans." Audience Award for Favorite Narrative Short presented by Favia Erickson Winegrowers went to "Sin Frontera." The Runner-Ups for Narrative Shorts presented by Matthiasson Wines are "Playdate" and "Birthday." Audience Award for Favorite Short Feature presented by Beaulieu Vineyard went to "Sketch." Lexus Short Films winning filmmakers received their awards presented by Alpha Omega Winery, Merryvale Vineyards, Raymond Vineyards and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars.
Juries Narrative Features Jury: Sydney Levine, Morrie Warshawski, Ralph Macchio
Documentary Features and Shorts Jury: Dierk Sindermann, Marcia Jarmel, Sheri Linden
Narrative Shorts Jury: Alonso Duralde, Neil Berkeley, Lissa Gibbs
Documentary Shorts Jury: Ken Schneider, Brandon Carroll, Jenni Olson
The Lounge Jury: Gren Wells, Evy Warshawski, Elvis Mitchell
Each of the festival winners received a large format wine bottle from one of the festival’s esteemed Vintner Circle winery partners. For the first time The Lounge Features and Shorts were up for the Juried and Audience Awards. The winners of the Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature jury were awarded $10,000, presented by Meadowood Napa Valley.
Culinary, wine and film mix well here. This year we were invited to dine with second-generation vintner Ron Nicholsen, at his estate, Kelham Vineyards, where chief Tyler Rodde from Oenotri, the southern Italian restauranteur from the town of Napa served us his finest food. And at every screening, the best of wines are tasted, In the morning we could (and I did once) practice yoga on the vineyard banks of the river running through the valley. Afternoon and evenings wine pours freely and people mix as they go to movies or to the parties and receptions. My big discovery was White Stone Wine grown on the shores of the mighty Lake Roosevelt in the shadows of Whitestone Rock. I award it for its white chalky stone accent on its bold red wines.
Jury and audience awards were given to the winners at the Uptown Theatre on Sunday, November 15, 2015. The Festival had screened 120 new independent films in 12 unique screening venues in the four postcard-perfect towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga.
David Glasser, COO and President of The Weinstein Company presented awards on behalf of the third annual Lexus Short Film Series. Lexus’ Media Director Teri Hill and TWC announced the four winners, Alexis Michalik, Byoung-Gon Moon, Damian Walshe-Howling and Pippa Bianco. Look for my blog about this event.
The Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature went to “The King of New Orleans”.
The Special Jury Award for Authenticity in Narrative Feature Storytelling went to “ Life in Color”.
The Full List of Juried Awards is Below: Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature presented by Taken Wine Company, and with a $10,000 cash prize courtesy ofMeadowood Napa Valley, went to “ The King of New Orleans”. Jury Award for Best Screenplay presented by Italics Winegrowers went to “ Tumbledown”. Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast presented by Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley went to “ Jane Wants a Boyfriend”. Member of the ensemble, Louisa Krause, also won the Audience Award for Favorite Actress. Audience Award for Favorite Actress presented by Eleven Eleven Wines went to for her work in the film "Jane Wants a Boyfriend." Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature presented by Trinchero Napa Valley, and with a $10,000 cash prize courtesy ofMeadowood Napa Valley, went to "Romeo is Bleeding." Jury Award for Best Narrative Short presented by Wolf Family Vineyards went to "It’s Perfect Here." Honorable Mention went to "Birthday." Jury Award for Best Documentary Short presented by Priest Ranch went to "Elder." Honorable Mentions go to: "Code Oakland, Une Passion d’or et de feu" (A Passion of Gold and Fire) , and "Riding the Highline."
Jury Award for Best Lounge Feature presented by Ca’ Momi Winery went to "Night Owls." Jury Award for Best Lounge Short presented by Modus Operandi Cellars went to "A Man Wakes Up." Honorable Mention went to "Ci: A Tedd Talkumentary." Special Jury Award – Courage in Documentary Feature Filmmaking presented by Rombauer Vineyards went to " Life Under Siege: Exploring Gaza’s Secret Tunnels." Special Jury Award – Authenticity in Narrative Feature Story-Telling presented by The Hess Collection Winery went to "Life in Color." Special Jury Award – Acting in a Lounge Feature Film went to sisters Aly Michalka and Aj Michalka for their work in the film "Weepah Way For Now." A Full List of a Audience Awards is Below: Audience Award for Favorite Actor presented by Caldwell Vineyard went to David Jensen for his work in the film "The King of New Orleans." Audience Award for Favorite Actress presented by Eleven Eleven Wines went to Louisa Krause for her work in the film "Jane Wants a Boyfriend." Audience Award for Favorite Documentary Feature presented by Grgich Hills Estate went to "Landfillharmonic." Audience Award for Favorite Documentary Short presented by Kelham Vineyards and Winery went to "Ron Taylor: Dr. Baseball." Audience Award for Favorite Narrative Feature presented by Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. went to "Friends and Romans." Audience Award for Favorite Narrative Short presented by Favia Erickson Winegrowers went to "Sin Frontera." The Runner-Ups for Narrative Shorts presented by Matthiasson Wines are "Playdate" and "Birthday." Audience Award for Favorite Short Feature presented by Beaulieu Vineyard went to "Sketch." Lexus Short Films winning filmmakers received their awards presented by Alpha Omega Winery, Merryvale Vineyards, Raymond Vineyards and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars.
Juries Narrative Features Jury: Sydney Levine, Morrie Warshawski, Ralph Macchio
Documentary Features and Shorts Jury: Dierk Sindermann, Marcia Jarmel, Sheri Linden
Narrative Shorts Jury: Alonso Duralde, Neil Berkeley, Lissa Gibbs
Documentary Shorts Jury: Ken Schneider, Brandon Carroll, Jenni Olson
The Lounge Jury: Gren Wells, Evy Warshawski, Elvis Mitchell
Each of the festival winners received a large format wine bottle from one of the festival’s esteemed Vintner Circle winery partners. For the first time The Lounge Features and Shorts were up for the Juried and Audience Awards. The winners of the Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature jury were awarded $10,000, presented by Meadowood Napa Valley.
- 11/25/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
It's All Hallows' Eve, and we begin today's roundup with the New Yorker's Richard Brody declaring that Edgar G. Ulmer's The Black Cat with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff is his "favorite Halloween movie." We're also pointing to pieces on Werner Herzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre, Victor Halperin's White Zombie, Roman Polanski's Repulsion, Pavel Khvaleev's III, Nicolas Roeg's The Witches and Wim Wenders's Wings of Desire. Plus interviews with Agnès Varda, David Lynch, Charles Burnett and Jenni Olson. And Spike Lee's got a warning for you. » - David Hudson...
- 10/31/2015
- Keyframe
It's All Hallows' Eve, and we begin today's roundup with the New Yorker's Richard Brody declaring that Edgar G. Ulmer's The Black Cat with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff is his "favorite Halloween movie." We're also pointing to pieces on Werner Herzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre, Victor Halperin's White Zombie, Roman Polanski's Repulsion, Pavel Khvaleev's III, Nicolas Roeg's The Witches and Wim Wenders's Wings of Desire. Plus interviews with Agnès Varda, David Lynch, Charles Burnett and Jenni Olson. And Spike Lee's got a warning for you. » - David Hudson...
- 10/31/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
A new restoration of Lino Brocka’s Insiang (1976) begins its weeklong run at MoMA today. More goings on: A Mathieu Amalric retrospective and screenings of Jenni Olson's The Royal Road, Elia Kazan's A Face in the Crowd and Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder in New York, Adam Curtis Weekend in Berlin, an Alejandro Jodorowsky retrospective in Bordeaux and, in São Paulo, a Jean-Luc Godard retrospective aims to screen the entire filmography, 125 works in all, including features, shorts, commercials and trailers. Through November 30. » - David Hudson...
- 10/28/2015
- Keyframe
A new restoration of Lino Brocka’s Insiang (1976) begins its weeklong run at MoMA today. More goings on: A Mathieu Amalric retrospective and screenings of Jenni Olson's The Royal Road, Elia Kazan's A Face in the Crowd and Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder in New York, Adam Curtis Weekend in Berlin, an Alejandro Jodorowsky retrospective in Bordeaux and, in São Paulo, a Jean-Luc Godard retrospective aims to screen the entire filmography, 125 works in all, including features, shorts, commercials and trailers. Through November 30. » - David Hudson...
- 10/28/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
Jenni Olson begins The Royal Road, her latest emotional excavation of Hollywood nostalgia via Benning-esque 16mm landscape portraiture, by self-referentially quoting Michel Chion on the shadowy pretext of off screen voiceover after reflecting in her own dryly articulated voiceover on the monologue that opens Billy Wilder’s classic allegory of broken La dreams, Sunset Boulevard. Though Olson’s film revolves around another stretch of California highway, the 600-mile El Camino Real strip, the cinematic reference leads us down a winding poetic path on which Hollywood history, the neglected record of the Mexican American War and Olson’s own unrequited romantic pursuits come together with the same sort of mannered meditation that won her San Francisco Film Critics Circle’s Marlon Riggs Award for The Joy of Life back in 2005.
Pitting rigorously composed images of modern day Los Angeles and San Francisco against her own gender dysphoric voice, she explicates an...
Pitting rigorously composed images of modern day Los Angeles and San Francisco against her own gender dysphoric voice, she explicates an...
- 10/26/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Jenni Olson’s latest film, The Royal Road, weaves through seemingly unrelated subjects, including a lesbian woman’s search for love, the Spanish colonization of California, the Mexican-American War, and Hollywood cinema. These subjects are connected by El Camino Real—the Royal Road—which originally linked Spanish missions from San Diego to Sonoma in Northern California. Fractured by hundreds of years of urban development, El Camino Real now runs through some of California’s most iconic and populated locations. The Royal Road meditates on these locations, the steady 16mm camera lingering on graffitied buildings, Edwardian apartments, historical statues, and San Francisco’s Mondrian-like cacophony of telephone lines. Olson’s narration bridges the apparent chasm between the contemporary landscape, the region’s past, and her own experiences. Two hundred and fifty years of history converge poetically and almost seamlessly. The Royal Road traces the residue of colonization and war and gestures...
- 4/27/2015
- by Matthew Harrison Tedford
- MUBI
Becoming Anita EkbergThe Film Society of Lincoln Center’s "Art of the Real" series, which recently unspooled its second season, has become New York’s annual showcase for the “hybrid” film, experimental works that, despite a more than tenuous relationship with the documentary tradition, oscillate between fiction and nonfiction. Now that documentary has become unmistakably fashionable (a banal subplot in Noah Baumbach’s dreary comedy, While We’re Young, is even spawned by cartoonish version of a debate over “documentary ethics”) the schism between films such as The Hunting Ground and Merchants of Doubt, which resemble feature-length 60 Minutes stories, and the sort of documentaries programmed at film festivals like Doclisboa and Cph: Dox has grown even wider. Art of the Real, laden with an amalgam of festival favorites and classic precursors of cinematic hybridity (this year’s Agnés Varda retrospective is a case in point) is certainly a cheerleader for...
- 4/25/2015
- by Richard Porton
- MUBI
The San Francisco Film Society has announced the inaugural recipients of its Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellowships, a brand new suite of services designed to support female writer/directors working on their second or third narrative feature through a combination of financial backing, innovative programs and events, mentorship services, industry connections and a growing community of fellow filmmakers. Supported by the Kenneth Rainin Foundation and facilitated by Filmmaker360, the Film Society's filmmaker services department, these fellowships provide direct assistance to an under-served group of storytellers and help to build sustainable careers for women filmmakers all over the world.
Participants in the Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellowship must be working on a second or third English-language narrative feature screenplay. They must have had a previous film premiere at a major international festival and priority is given to women working in the genres of science fiction, comedy, action, thriller and horror, which are traditionally under-represented for women filmmakers.
"We're thrilled to be kicking off this new initiative with such talented individuals, and to help bridge the support gap we have seen for many women in finding the resources they need, especially on their second or third feature film projects," said Michele Turnure-Salleo, director of Filmmaker360. "It's also very satisfying to support kick-ass women making edgy sci-fi, horror and comedies, and we hope this initiative contributes to leveling the playing field in those areas. Like our Sffs Producers Initiative, this program focuses on backing people rather than individual projects, and we are committed to helping these amazing folks realize their creative visions."
In 2013 and 2014, academic institutions such as the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California and the Center for Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State produced substantive reports on the state of women in the film industry, revealing startling statistics that point to drastic gender inequality. The latter group, for example, reports that in 2013, women accounted for just 6% of directors, 10% of writers, 15% of executive producers, 17% of editors and 3% of cinematographers. Additionally, women were found more likely to be working on romantic comedies, dramas or documentaries than the top-grossing genres of animation, sci-fi, action and horror.
"We all benefit from a more accurate and diverse portrayal of society on film," said Jennifer Rainin, CEO of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. "As more than 50% of the population, it's imperative that women have opportunities to share their stories on screen and that we see female characters valued as much as males, yet there's a lack of progress on these issues and little funding for female filmmakers working in narrative. Recognizing this gap, we've created the Women Filmmaker Fellowships as a way to build a critical mass of female filmmakers enjoying sustainable and thriving careers. I hope it inspires other film organizations and philanthropists to join us in building out this initiative, and to replicate this model."
Designed to grow organically over time to include additional programs and events, the Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellowship is currently seeking additional funding partners. For more information, visit sffs.org/filmmaker360
2015 Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellows
Nikole Beckwith
Nikole Beckwith is from Newburyport, Massachusetts. Her plays have been developed and performed with the Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Clubbed Thumb, Here Arts Center, Colt Coeur, Lesser America, 3Ld and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater among others. Her newest play Untitled Matriarch Play (or Seven Sisters) was written at the National Theatre of London's Studio and premiered in rep at the Royal Court under the direction of Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone. Also a pen and ink artist, Beckwith's comics have been featured on NPR, Wnyc, the Huffington Post and the Hairpin, among others. Her first film "Stockholm, Pennsylvania" (2012 Nicholl Fellowship, 2012 Black List, 2013 Sundance Screenwriters Lab), which was adapted from her stage play of the same name, premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival in the Us Dramatic Competition. She lives in Brooklyn.
Jennifer Phang
Jennifer Phang's sophomore feature "Advantageous" won the Us Dramatic Competition Special Jury Prize in Collaborative Vision at Sundance 2015. The film will play at the San Francisco International Film Festival and Bam Cinemafest, and is expected to see a release in June. Her award-winning debut feature "Half-Life" premiered in 2008 at the Tokyo International and Sundance film festivals. It screened at SXSW and was distributed by Sundance Channel. She was invited to Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab and was awarded a Sffs FilmHouse Residency and Sundance Institute Feature Film Grants in support of "Advantageous." Phang was originally commissioned to create "Advantageous" as a short film for the Itvs Futurestates Program. A Berkeley-born daughter of a Chinese-Malaysian father and Vietnamese mother, Phang graduated from the Mfa directing program at the American Film Institute.
Stewart Thorndike
Stewart Thorndike is a writer/director from Tacoma, Washington. She makes female-driven genre films and her first film, "Lyle," was hailed as a "lesbian Rosemary's Baby " after its premiere at Outfest, where star Gaby Hoffmann won the Grand Jury Award for Best Actress. Thorndike attended Nyu's graduate film program and her thesis short film, "Tess and Nana," premiered at SXSW. Stewart's next film, "The Stay," is about a group of women at a hotel who are told to do bad things by a haunted Ted Talk, with Chloe Sevigny attached to star in the 2015 production. She is currently developing her second horror feature, "Daughter," about a love triangle between a single mother, her troubled teenage daughter and the witch who moves in next door. Thorndike plans to shoot "Daughter" in 2016.
Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellowships will take place from April to October each year, overlapping with the Film Society's previously announced Producers Fellowship programs and the San Francisco International Film Festival (April 23 - May 7). Program support includes:
* A $25,000 - $40,000 cash grant, which must be used for living expenses. Individual amounts depend on place of residence and estimated travel costs to participate in Bay Area fellowship components.
* Placement in FilmHouse Residency program and access to all FilmHouse programs and activities.
* One-on-one consultation with film industry experts from the Bay Area and beyond regarding casting, financing, budgeting, legal issues, distribution and other relevant topics.
* Weekly one-on-one consultation services provided by Filmmaker360 staff, with feedback on screenplays, verbal pitch strategies and written materials such as synopsis and treatment.
* Presentations and networking opportunities with Bay Area narrative filmmakers.
* Expenses covered for one 3-day networking trip with a Filmmaker360 staff member from San Francisco to Los Angeles, for meetings with established industry professionals.
Filmmaker360 has a strong track record for supporting innovative work by female writer/directors. Four out of six of the projects that received funding in the most recent round of Sffs / Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants-the Film Society's flagship grant program which has disbursed more than $2.8 million since its inception-were written and directed by women. Additionally, four films supported by Sffs grants, residencies and fiscal sponsorship had their world premieres at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival:
-Jennifer Phang's "Advantageous"
-Jenni Olson's "The Royal Road"
-Chloé Zhao's "Songs My Brothers Taught Me"
-Kris Swanberg's "Unexpected."
For information about all Filmmaker360 support services, visit sffs.org/filmmaker360 .
Participants in the Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellowship must be working on a second or third English-language narrative feature screenplay. They must have had a previous film premiere at a major international festival and priority is given to women working in the genres of science fiction, comedy, action, thriller and horror, which are traditionally under-represented for women filmmakers.
"We're thrilled to be kicking off this new initiative with such talented individuals, and to help bridge the support gap we have seen for many women in finding the resources they need, especially on their second or third feature film projects," said Michele Turnure-Salleo, director of Filmmaker360. "It's also very satisfying to support kick-ass women making edgy sci-fi, horror and comedies, and we hope this initiative contributes to leveling the playing field in those areas. Like our Sffs Producers Initiative, this program focuses on backing people rather than individual projects, and we are committed to helping these amazing folks realize their creative visions."
In 2013 and 2014, academic institutions such as the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California and the Center for Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State produced substantive reports on the state of women in the film industry, revealing startling statistics that point to drastic gender inequality. The latter group, for example, reports that in 2013, women accounted for just 6% of directors, 10% of writers, 15% of executive producers, 17% of editors and 3% of cinematographers. Additionally, women were found more likely to be working on romantic comedies, dramas or documentaries than the top-grossing genres of animation, sci-fi, action and horror.
"We all benefit from a more accurate and diverse portrayal of society on film," said Jennifer Rainin, CEO of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. "As more than 50% of the population, it's imperative that women have opportunities to share their stories on screen and that we see female characters valued as much as males, yet there's a lack of progress on these issues and little funding for female filmmakers working in narrative. Recognizing this gap, we've created the Women Filmmaker Fellowships as a way to build a critical mass of female filmmakers enjoying sustainable and thriving careers. I hope it inspires other film organizations and philanthropists to join us in building out this initiative, and to replicate this model."
Designed to grow organically over time to include additional programs and events, the Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellowship is currently seeking additional funding partners. For more information, visit sffs.org/filmmaker360
2015 Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellows
Nikole Beckwith
Nikole Beckwith is from Newburyport, Massachusetts. Her plays have been developed and performed with the Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Clubbed Thumb, Here Arts Center, Colt Coeur, Lesser America, 3Ld and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater among others. Her newest play Untitled Matriarch Play (or Seven Sisters) was written at the National Theatre of London's Studio and premiered in rep at the Royal Court under the direction of Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone. Also a pen and ink artist, Beckwith's comics have been featured on NPR, Wnyc, the Huffington Post and the Hairpin, among others. Her first film "Stockholm, Pennsylvania" (2012 Nicholl Fellowship, 2012 Black List, 2013 Sundance Screenwriters Lab), which was adapted from her stage play of the same name, premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival in the Us Dramatic Competition. She lives in Brooklyn.
Jennifer Phang
Jennifer Phang's sophomore feature "Advantageous" won the Us Dramatic Competition Special Jury Prize in Collaborative Vision at Sundance 2015. The film will play at the San Francisco International Film Festival and Bam Cinemafest, and is expected to see a release in June. Her award-winning debut feature "Half-Life" premiered in 2008 at the Tokyo International and Sundance film festivals. It screened at SXSW and was distributed by Sundance Channel. She was invited to Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab and was awarded a Sffs FilmHouse Residency and Sundance Institute Feature Film Grants in support of "Advantageous." Phang was originally commissioned to create "Advantageous" as a short film for the Itvs Futurestates Program. A Berkeley-born daughter of a Chinese-Malaysian father and Vietnamese mother, Phang graduated from the Mfa directing program at the American Film Institute.
Stewart Thorndike
Stewart Thorndike is a writer/director from Tacoma, Washington. She makes female-driven genre films and her first film, "Lyle," was hailed as a "lesbian Rosemary's Baby " after its premiere at Outfest, where star Gaby Hoffmann won the Grand Jury Award for Best Actress. Thorndike attended Nyu's graduate film program and her thesis short film, "Tess and Nana," premiered at SXSW. Stewart's next film, "The Stay," is about a group of women at a hotel who are told to do bad things by a haunted Ted Talk, with Chloe Sevigny attached to star in the 2015 production. She is currently developing her second horror feature, "Daughter," about a love triangle between a single mother, her troubled teenage daughter and the witch who moves in next door. Thorndike plans to shoot "Daughter" in 2016.
Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellowships will take place from April to October each year, overlapping with the Film Society's previously announced Producers Fellowship programs and the San Francisco International Film Festival (April 23 - May 7). Program support includes:
* A $25,000 - $40,000 cash grant, which must be used for living expenses. Individual amounts depend on place of residence and estimated travel costs to participate in Bay Area fellowship components.
* Placement in FilmHouse Residency program and access to all FilmHouse programs and activities.
* One-on-one consultation with film industry experts from the Bay Area and beyond regarding casting, financing, budgeting, legal issues, distribution and other relevant topics.
* Weekly one-on-one consultation services provided by Filmmaker360 staff, with feedback on screenplays, verbal pitch strategies and written materials such as synopsis and treatment.
* Presentations and networking opportunities with Bay Area narrative filmmakers.
* Expenses covered for one 3-day networking trip with a Filmmaker360 staff member from San Francisco to Los Angeles, for meetings with established industry professionals.
Filmmaker360 has a strong track record for supporting innovative work by female writer/directors. Four out of six of the projects that received funding in the most recent round of Sffs / Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants-the Film Society's flagship grant program which has disbursed more than $2.8 million since its inception-were written and directed by women. Additionally, four films supported by Sffs grants, residencies and fiscal sponsorship had their world premieres at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival:
-Jennifer Phang's "Advantageous"
-Jenni Olson's "The Royal Road"
-Chloé Zhao's "Songs My Brothers Taught Me"
-Kris Swanberg's "Unexpected."
For information about all Filmmaker360 support services, visit sffs.org/filmmaker360 .
- 4/23/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The Royal RoadAttending the Ann Arbor Film Festival is a bit like stepping into a parallel universe. Here, dialogue and narrative lie on the margins, while abstract animation and ethnographic documentary take center stage. Absent are movie stars, paparazzi, and bidding wars; here, a “big name” is someone like Peggy Ahwesh or Lewis Klahr. It’s as if this one week in March at the historic Michigan Theater, just a couple blocks away from the University of Michigan campus, had been carved out of normal space-time and given over to the love of film as an art.At the Aaff, assumptions about 21st century moviegoing don’t necessarily hold water. Slates of short films dominate the festival’s schedule, and even the occasional feature tends to be paired with a short or two. Digital projection is hardly the default, and the sheer diversity of formats makes each program an object...
- 4/17/2015
- by Andreas Stoehr
- MUBI
The second edition of Art of the Real opens tomorrow at New York's Film Society of Lincoln Center with the premieres of new short films by João Pedro Rodrigues and João Rui Guerra da Mata, Eduardo Williams and Matt Porterfield, all of whom will be present for a Q&A. Closing on April 26 with Jenni Olson's The Royal Road, the series features a tribute to Agnès Varda and a spotlight on reenactments. Other highlights include films by Peter Watkins, James Benning, Harun Farocki, Jill Godmilow, Derek Jarman and more. » - David Hudson...
- 4/9/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
The second edition of Art of the Real opens tomorrow at New York's Film Society of Lincoln Center with the premieres of new short films by João Pedro Rodrigues and João Rui Guerra da Mata, Eduardo Williams and Matt Porterfield, all of whom will be present for a Q&A. Closing on April 26 with Jenni Olson's The Royal Road, the series features a tribute to Agnès Varda and a spotlight on reenactments. Other highlights include films by Peter Watkins, James Benning, Harun Farocki, Jill Godmilow, Derek Jarman and more. » - David Hudson...
- 4/9/2015
- Keyframe
Held last month on March 24-29, the Ann Arbor Film Festival handed out awards to a gaggle of experimental films and filmmakers.
The big winner of the fest was Sicilian filmmaker Simone Rapisarda Casanova for his fiction/documentary hybrid film The Creation of Meaning, which won the overall Best of the Festival award. The film tells the story of a WWII survivor who lives as a shepherd in the Tuscan Alps.
The Best Narrative Film award went to Lonnie van Brummelen & Siebren de Haan’s Episode of the Sea, a neo-realist drama focused on the struggles of a tiny inland fishing community in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the Best Documentary Film award went to longtime collaborators Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat for their Speculation Nation, which examines the current housing crisis in Spain.
Other winners include Alexandre Larose (Most Technically Innovative Film); Jenni Olson (Best Lgbt Film); Kevin Jerome Everson (Handcrafted...
The big winner of the fest was Sicilian filmmaker Simone Rapisarda Casanova for his fiction/documentary hybrid film The Creation of Meaning, which won the overall Best of the Festival award. The film tells the story of a WWII survivor who lives as a shepherd in the Tuscan Alps.
The Best Narrative Film award went to Lonnie van Brummelen & Siebren de Haan’s Episode of the Sea, a neo-realist drama focused on the struggles of a tiny inland fishing community in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the Best Documentary Film award went to longtime collaborators Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat for their Speculation Nation, which examines the current housing crisis in Spain.
Other winners include Alexandre Larose (Most Technically Innovative Film); Jenni Olson (Best Lgbt Film); Kevin Jerome Everson (Handcrafted...
- 4/7/2015
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The Ann Arbor Film Festival celebrates its epic 53rd annual edition on March 24-29 with a colossal selection of experimental short films and features.
Feature film highlights include the documentary Speculation Nation by regular collaborators Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat, which examines the recent Spanish housing crisis; a new ethnographic doc by Ben Russell, Greetings to the Ancestors, which plunges deep into the culture of South Africa; and Jenni Olson’s grand California study The Royal Road.
Short film highlights include the much anticipated new film by Jennifer Reeder, Blood Below the Skin, a narrative following a week in the dramatic and romantic lives of three teenage girls; a new music video by Mike Olenick called Beautiful Things with music by The Wet Things; new animations by Don Hertzfeldt, World of Tomorrow, and Lewis Klahr, Mars Garden; plus new experimental work by Vanessa Renwick, Peggy Ahwesh and Zachary Epcar.
Special...
Feature film highlights include the documentary Speculation Nation by regular collaborators Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat, which examines the recent Spanish housing crisis; a new ethnographic doc by Ben Russell, Greetings to the Ancestors, which plunges deep into the culture of South Africa; and Jenni Olson’s grand California study The Royal Road.
Short film highlights include the much anticipated new film by Jennifer Reeder, Blood Below the Skin, a narrative following a week in the dramatic and romantic lives of three teenage girls; a new music video by Mike Olenick called Beautiful Things with music by The Wet Things; new animations by Don Hertzfeldt, World of Tomorrow, and Lewis Klahr, Mars Garden; plus new experimental work by Vanessa Renwick, Peggy Ahwesh and Zachary Epcar.
Special...
- 3/24/2015
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Read More: MoMA and Film Society of Lincoln Center Announce Complete New Directors/New Films Lineup New York's Film Society of Lincoln Center announced the complete lineup for the second annual Art Of The Real documentary film festival. The nonfiction showcase will premiere a trio of shorts to open the festivities, including João Pedro Rodrigues & João Rui Guerra da Mata’s "Iec Long", Eduardo Williams’s "I Forgot," and Matt Porterfield’s "Take What You Can Carry." Jenni Olson's "The Royal Road" gets the closing night honors after having its world premiere at Sundance in January. The festival runs April 10-26 and the rest of the newly announced films can be found below. Visit filmlinc.com for more information. [Synopses courtesy of the Film Society.] Opening Night Opening Night Shorts Program:Premiering new works by João Pedro Rodrigues & João Rui Guerra da Mata, Eduardo Williams,...
- 3/5/2015
- by David Ballard
- Indiewire
He may have been around for a long time, but until this Sundance where he was working on Jenni Olson’s “The Royal Road”, I had never heard of publicist, Matt Johnstone before. This Berlin he is promoting a slew of films.
See his full slate below:
"Dora Or The Sexual Neuroses of Our Parents" (Switzerland - Germany / Panorama)
Dora, a life-loving, mentally disabled teenager, is taken off medication by her mother to allow her to mature and find her own independence. As she explores her newfound sexuality, she becomes pregnant after a spontaneous sexual encounter with a suspicious man, and continues an affair with her dubious suitor. This sexual awakening deeply affects her mother, and sets Dora on an unexpected path to adulthood and independence. Based on the acclaimed German play by Lukas Bärfuss. Trailer: http://vimeo.com/111535397 *English Subtitles: Click Cc button on bottom right of Vimeo link
"My Skinny Sister" (Sweden - Germany / Generation)
Just as Stella enters the exciting and awkward world of adolescence, she discovers that her idolized big sister Katja, a competitive figure skater, is hiding an eating disorder. As the secret unravels and the disease tears the family apart, Stella is torn between her love for her sister and loyalty to her family. Writer / Director Sanna Lenken, who struggled with anorexia as a teenager, has created a powerfully autobiographical debut feature film, with striking debut feature performances from her two leading actresses. Trailer: http://youtu.be/uX-u_cebYL8
"Misfits" (Us - Denmark - Sweden / Panorama Dokumente)
A vibrant portrait of three brave Lbgt teenagers in the 'bible belt' of the Us - Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the drop-in community center they call home, as they struggle to find themselves in a highly conservative and religious community, where a church resides on nearly every street corner. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1rR_Cu8a8c
"Nuclear Nation II" (Japan / Forum)
A sequel to the acclaimed documentary follows the displaced residents of Futaba, who have been exiled from their homes for over four years in the wake of the Fukushima Nuclear reactor disaster. A powerful film that examines the human cost of nuclear energy and capitalism. Theme Music by acclaimed composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. Trailer: To be Released Shortly
For more information on these films at the Berlinale email mattjohnstone-pr[At}sbcglobal.net...
See his full slate below:
"Dora Or The Sexual Neuroses of Our Parents" (Switzerland - Germany / Panorama)
Dora, a life-loving, mentally disabled teenager, is taken off medication by her mother to allow her to mature and find her own independence. As she explores her newfound sexuality, she becomes pregnant after a spontaneous sexual encounter with a suspicious man, and continues an affair with her dubious suitor. This sexual awakening deeply affects her mother, and sets Dora on an unexpected path to adulthood and independence. Based on the acclaimed German play by Lukas Bärfuss. Trailer: http://vimeo.com/111535397 *English Subtitles: Click Cc button on bottom right of Vimeo link
"My Skinny Sister" (Sweden - Germany / Generation)
Just as Stella enters the exciting and awkward world of adolescence, she discovers that her idolized big sister Katja, a competitive figure skater, is hiding an eating disorder. As the secret unravels and the disease tears the family apart, Stella is torn between her love for her sister and loyalty to her family. Writer / Director Sanna Lenken, who struggled with anorexia as a teenager, has created a powerfully autobiographical debut feature film, with striking debut feature performances from her two leading actresses. Trailer: http://youtu.be/uX-u_cebYL8
"Misfits" (Us - Denmark - Sweden / Panorama Dokumente)
A vibrant portrait of three brave Lbgt teenagers in the 'bible belt' of the Us - Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the drop-in community center they call home, as they struggle to find themselves in a highly conservative and religious community, where a church resides on nearly every street corner. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1rR_Cu8a8c
"Nuclear Nation II" (Japan / Forum)
A sequel to the acclaimed documentary follows the displaced residents of Futaba, who have been exiled from their homes for over four years in the wake of the Fukushima Nuclear reactor disaster. A powerful film that examines the human cost of nuclear energy and capitalism. Theme Music by acclaimed composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. Trailer: To be Released Shortly
For more information on these films at the Berlinale email mattjohnstone-pr[At}sbcglobal.net...
- 2/8/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
California has, historically, been a gleaming promise land, although one fortified in blood and conflict and built upon the broken dreams of prospectors and starlets and holy men. What the enveloping new documentary, "The Royal Road," does, fascinatingly, is juxtapose the history of the state with the personal life of Jenni Olson, the writer/director/narrator, whose frank examination of her own existence eloquently compliments the trials and tribulations of The Golden State. Olson initially describes herself as a "gender dysphoric tomboy," who looked to the state as a kind of promised land, where she could claim her individuality and follow her own path to happiness. This, of course, is not what happened. The film is divided into chapters, each detailing a failed relationship of Olson's, and the first has a particular power since it's a long distance relationship, with Olson living in San Francisco and her lover living in Los Angeles.
- 1/29/2015
- by Drew Taylor
- The Playlist
Like Los Angeles Plays Itself by way of Ross McElwee, Jenni Olson‘s The Royal Road surveys the landscape of Southern California as a way of exploring her past relationship troubles. That may sound like the sort of arty navel-gazing that many viewers are allergic to, but this is an utterly transfixing piece of work. The 16mm cinematography of Los Angeles and San Francisco is gorgeous and hypnotic, and it’s more than just pretty pictures. Olson’s narration works in concert with the architecture and geography, sometimes overtly, sometimes subtly. She purposefully establishes herself as a “shadow” — her voice is heard but she is unseen, and in fact, the whole film is bereft of human presence. She is, in a way, becoming the film, holding a conversation with the audience. Olson talks not just about her often tempestuous romantic misadventures but about Vertigo, the Spanish conquest and subsequent American annexation of the American Southwest, nostalgia...
- 1/26/2015
- by Nonfics.com
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
The directors of “Bachelorette” and “Miss Representation” return to Sundance with, respectively, a brilliantly bawdy comedy and a vital look at how our culture raises...
I try not to make sweeping pronouncements about Sundance movies until I’m back at sea level, and my brain is receiving its usual amounts of oxygen; there’s something about the air up here that can occasionally lead to irrational exuberance. (Google “The Spitfire Grill” or “Happy, Texas” if you don’t know what I mean.)
Even though I’m still in Park City, Utah, (and panting when I walk up hills) I’ll...
I try not to make sweeping pronouncements about Sundance movies until I’m back at sea level, and my brain is receiving its usual amounts of oxygen; there’s something about the air up here that can occasionally lead to irrational exuberance. (Google “The Spitfire Grill” or “Happy, Texas” if you don’t know what I mean.)
Even though I’m still in Park City, Utah, (and panting when I walk up hills) I’ll...
- 1/26/2015
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
At one not so distant point in the history of the United States, el camino real (spanish for "the royal road") was a fairly direct route that connected Spanish missions from Mexico to Sonoma, California. Technically, any road under the jurisdiction of Spain was considered a camino real; this particular route has since evolved into a juggernaut of highways and local roads, marked -- seemingly haphazardly -- by a series of roadside bells. Though it is never directly addressed, it seems director Jenni Olson chose this specific route to address just how complicated things (eg: relationships) have become; that said, Olson freely admits that the history of The Royal Road is not quite that simple...
- 1/24/2015
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
This year there are 127 feature-length films, representing 29 countries and 45 first-time filmmakers, including 19 in competition. 103 are world premieres.
You can gather these figures and look up contact information as it pertains to your job in this industry, or you can buy the Sundance by Numbers Report from SydneysBuzz and import an excel sheet of all relevant data with contact names, into your own database. If you are about to go to Sundance and need to know the publicist or if in the future, you are going to need a good publicist, or a producer rep, or a festival oriented international sales agents or U.S. distributor who will surely be on the festival circuit, you need this report now.
All titles are linked to contacts you will need for your particular line of work if you are a professional in the business.
There are 26 women directors ( ♀ ).
‧ U.S. Dramatic Competition: 5 of 16 are directed by women (36%).
‧ U.S. Documentary Competition: 7 of 16 are directed by women.
‧ World Cinema Dramatic Competition: 5 of 12 are directed by women.
‧ World Cinema Documentary Competition: 6 of 12 are directed by women.
‧ Next: 1 of 10 is directed by a woman.
‧ New Frontiers has Jenni Olson's "The Royal Road"
48% (62) of the films have international sales agents.
Ryan Kempe's Visit Films and Andrew Hurewitz' Film Sales Company both have 5 films.
3 films are being sold by Im Global, HanWay and Protagonist.
2 by Dogwoof, Epic, Films Distribution, The Match Factory, Trust Nordisk and Xyz and Annapurna.
1 film each are represented by the other sales agents:
Alpha Violet, Altitude Film Sales, Autlook, Cargo ,Content, Dreamcatchers, Film Factory Entertainment,Fortitude, Funny Balloons, Hyde Park International, K5 International, Kaleidoscope, Lotus Entertainment, Memento, Studiocanal, The Exchange, The Match Factory, The Solution, Voltage, Wild Bunch
14% (18) have U.S. distribution. Titles and links are in the report.
3 are with HBO
2 are with Roadside Attractions: "’71" and "Z for Zachariah"
The rest are each with:
Entertainment in Motion (airline)
Radius-twc
Universal Pictures
A&E/ Lifetime
Broad Green Pictures
Drafthouse Films
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Magnolia
Netflix
Sony Pictures Classics – "Wild Tales"
Strand Releasing – "Girlhood"
53% (68) have producer reps
Cinetic - 14
Submarine - 13
ICM - 10
Preferred Content - 8
Wme - 9
UTA -8
CAA - 7
Cassian Elwes - 2
Paradigm - 1
Publicists
Brigade - 9
Stategy - 7
Ryan Werner - 6
Prodigy - 6
David Magdael - 4
Acme - 4
Susan Norget - 4
Steven Rafael, Mj Pakos - 2
Bigtime - 2
Group 2050 - 2
Katleen McGinnis - 2 + 2 shorts
Jazo - 1
Dda - 1
Dish - 1
Sophie Gluck - 1
mPRm - 1
Sundance selected 7 films from Latin American (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico). Four are in official competitions - two for American cinema and two for international cinema - divided between fiction and documentary. Two coproductions with Mexico are in the U.S. Documentary Competition, "Cartel Land" by Matthew Heineman, and "Western" by Bill Ross and Turner Ross, two views on life and struggle in the border.
In the International Fiction Competition of 12 films, Brazil's "The Second Mother" ("Que hours ela volta?") by Anna Muylaert, a story about everyday relations between the employees and employers in a home upset by the visit of the nanny's daughter. Anna Muylawert participated in the Carte Blanche at Locarno dedicated to Brazilian cinema. In the Next secton, dedicated to innovative film is "H." a coproduction between the U.S. and Argentina directed by Rania Attieh and Daniel Garcia. The film is a reinterpretation of Greek mythology, following two women named Helen whose lives are altered in the small town of Troy, New York. New Frontier Films will premier Colombia-Mexico coproduction "Liveforever", the adaptation of Carlos Moreno("Dog Eat Dog") of the cult novel by Andres Caicedo.
And finally, in the new Sundance Kids section, "The Games Maker", a coproduction between Argentina, Canada and Italy, will premiere.
To purchase the report visit Here...
You can gather these figures and look up contact information as it pertains to your job in this industry, or you can buy the Sundance by Numbers Report from SydneysBuzz and import an excel sheet of all relevant data with contact names, into your own database. If you are about to go to Sundance and need to know the publicist or if in the future, you are going to need a good publicist, or a producer rep, or a festival oriented international sales agents or U.S. distributor who will surely be on the festival circuit, you need this report now.
All titles are linked to contacts you will need for your particular line of work if you are a professional in the business.
There are 26 women directors ( ♀ ).
‧ U.S. Dramatic Competition: 5 of 16 are directed by women (36%).
‧ U.S. Documentary Competition: 7 of 16 are directed by women.
‧ World Cinema Dramatic Competition: 5 of 12 are directed by women.
‧ World Cinema Documentary Competition: 6 of 12 are directed by women.
‧ Next: 1 of 10 is directed by a woman.
‧ New Frontiers has Jenni Olson's "The Royal Road"
48% (62) of the films have international sales agents.
Ryan Kempe's Visit Films and Andrew Hurewitz' Film Sales Company both have 5 films.
3 films are being sold by Im Global, HanWay and Protagonist.
2 by Dogwoof, Epic, Films Distribution, The Match Factory, Trust Nordisk and Xyz and Annapurna.
1 film each are represented by the other sales agents:
Alpha Violet, Altitude Film Sales, Autlook, Cargo ,Content, Dreamcatchers, Film Factory Entertainment,Fortitude, Funny Balloons, Hyde Park International, K5 International, Kaleidoscope, Lotus Entertainment, Memento, Studiocanal, The Exchange, The Match Factory, The Solution, Voltage, Wild Bunch
14% (18) have U.S. distribution. Titles and links are in the report.
3 are with HBO
2 are with Roadside Attractions: "’71" and "Z for Zachariah"
The rest are each with:
Entertainment in Motion (airline)
Radius-twc
Universal Pictures
A&E/ Lifetime
Broad Green Pictures
Drafthouse Films
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Magnolia
Netflix
Sony Pictures Classics – "Wild Tales"
Strand Releasing – "Girlhood"
53% (68) have producer reps
Cinetic - 14
Submarine - 13
ICM - 10
Preferred Content - 8
Wme - 9
UTA -8
CAA - 7
Cassian Elwes - 2
Paradigm - 1
Publicists
Brigade - 9
Stategy - 7
Ryan Werner - 6
Prodigy - 6
David Magdael - 4
Acme - 4
Susan Norget - 4
Steven Rafael, Mj Pakos - 2
Bigtime - 2
Group 2050 - 2
Katleen McGinnis - 2 + 2 shorts
Jazo - 1
Dda - 1
Dish - 1
Sophie Gluck - 1
mPRm - 1
Sundance selected 7 films from Latin American (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico). Four are in official competitions - two for American cinema and two for international cinema - divided between fiction and documentary. Two coproductions with Mexico are in the U.S. Documentary Competition, "Cartel Land" by Matthew Heineman, and "Western" by Bill Ross and Turner Ross, two views on life and struggle in the border.
In the International Fiction Competition of 12 films, Brazil's "The Second Mother" ("Que hours ela volta?") by Anna Muylaert, a story about everyday relations between the employees and employers in a home upset by the visit of the nanny's daughter. Anna Muylawert participated in the Carte Blanche at Locarno dedicated to Brazilian cinema. In the Next secton, dedicated to innovative film is "H." a coproduction between the U.S. and Argentina directed by Rania Attieh and Daniel Garcia. The film is a reinterpretation of Greek mythology, following two women named Helen whose lives are altered in the small town of Troy, New York. New Frontier Films will premier Colombia-Mexico coproduction "Liveforever", the adaptation of Carlos Moreno("Dog Eat Dog") of the cult novel by Andres Caicedo.
And finally, in the new Sundance Kids section, "The Games Maker", a coproduction between Argentina, Canada and Italy, will premiere.
To purchase the report visit Here...
- 1/20/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Sundance world premiere "The Royal Road" looks to be one of the most ambitious documentary projects at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Watch the trailer below. From Frameline Film Festival cofounder and Lgbtq film exhibitor Jenni Olson comes this deeply personal cinematic docu-poem that intertwines three story skeins: a primer on the Spanish colonization of California, the unrequited pursuit of two women in San Francisco and Los Angeles and a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock's Sf-set "Vertigo" along the lines of Chris Marker's 1983 avant-garde documentary essay "Sans Soleil." Featuring a voiceover cameo from playwright Tony Kushner, the film has an official synopsis from Sundance: "Deceptively simple landscapes serve as the framework for the film's lyrically written voiceover, which combines rigorous historical research with a stream-of consciousness personal monologue and relates these seemingly disparate stories from an intimate, colloquial...
- 1/13/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
At this past summer’s Frameline festival, where their Go Fish received its 20th Anniversary Screening, actress and writer Guinevere Turner and director Rose Troche interview filmmaker Jenni Olson about her Sundance-bound documentary, The Royal Road. Topics include Olson’s influences (including Chantal Akerman, James and Sadie Benning), archival documentary practice, urban landscapes and shooting on 16mm film. Check it out above.
- 12/24/2014
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
At this past summer’s Frameline festival, where their Go Fish received its 20th Anniversary Screening, actress and writer Guinevere Turner and director Rose Troche interview filmmaker Jenni Olson about her Sundance-bound documentary, The Royal Road. Topics include Olson’s influences (including Chantal Akerman, James and Sadie Benning), archival documentary practice, urban landscapes and shooting on 16mm film. Check it out above.
- 12/24/2014
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Announcements for the lineup for the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, taking place between January 22nd and February 1st, are starting to roll out. Watch this page for updates as more films and sections are revealed.
Premieres
Brooklyn (John Crowley, UK)
Digging for Fire (Joe Swanberg, USA)
Don Verdean (Jared Hess, USA)
End of the Tour (James Ponsoldt, USA)
Experimenter (Michael Almereyda, USA)
Grandma (Paul Weitz, USA)
I Am Michael (Justin Kelly, USA)
I'll See You In My Dreams (Brett Haley, USA)
Last Days in the Desert (Rodrigo Garcia, USA)
Lila & Eve (Charles Stone III, USA)
Mississipi Grind (Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden, USA)
Mistress America (Noah Baumbach, USA)
Seoul Searching (Benson Lee, USA/Korea)
Sleeping with Other People (Leslye Headland, USA)
Ten Thousand Saints (Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, USA)
True Story (Rupert Goold, USA)
A Walk in the Woods (Ken Kwapis, USA)
Zipper (Mora Stephens, USA)
Documentary Premieres
Beaver Trilogy Part IV (Brad Besser,...
Premieres
Brooklyn (John Crowley, UK)
Digging for Fire (Joe Swanberg, USA)
Don Verdean (Jared Hess, USA)
End of the Tour (James Ponsoldt, USA)
Experimenter (Michael Almereyda, USA)
Grandma (Paul Weitz, USA)
I Am Michael (Justin Kelly, USA)
I'll See You In My Dreams (Brett Haley, USA)
Last Days in the Desert (Rodrigo Garcia, USA)
Lila & Eve (Charles Stone III, USA)
Mississipi Grind (Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden, USA)
Mistress America (Noah Baumbach, USA)
Seoul Searching (Benson Lee, USA/Korea)
Sleeping with Other People (Leslye Headland, USA)
Ten Thousand Saints (Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, USA)
True Story (Rupert Goold, USA)
A Walk in the Woods (Ken Kwapis, USA)
Zipper (Mora Stephens, USA)
Documentary Premieres
Beaver Trilogy Part IV (Brad Besser,...
- 12/16/2014
- by Notebook
- MUBI
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.