Yay! My favorite film of 2015 was the big winner at the recently concluded Film Independent Spirit Awards taking home the best feature, director (Tom McCarthy), screenplay, and editing. It was previously announced that the film was the winner of the prestigious Robert Altman Award (ensemble) as well.
Oh and kudos to the Film Independent Spirit Awards for bestowing their Best Supporting Actress Award to Mya Taylor for "Tangerine!" Taylor becomes the first transgender performer to receive major acting award! See her acceptance speech right here.
Let's see if this will continue with tonight's Oscars. See my full Oscar predictions right here.
Here's the complete list of winners of the Film Independent Spirit Awards:
Best Feature
Award given to the Producer; Executive Producers are not awarded.
"Anomalisa"
"Beasts of No Nation"
"Carol"
*** "Spotlight" (Winner)
"Tangerine"
Best Director
Cary Joji Fukunaga, "Beasts of No Nation"
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, "Anomalisa"
David Robert Mitchell,...
Oh and kudos to the Film Independent Spirit Awards for bestowing their Best Supporting Actress Award to Mya Taylor for "Tangerine!" Taylor becomes the first transgender performer to receive major acting award! See her acceptance speech right here.
Let's see if this will continue with tonight's Oscars. See my full Oscar predictions right here.
Here's the complete list of winners of the Film Independent Spirit Awards:
Best Feature
Award given to the Producer; Executive Producers are not awarded.
"Anomalisa"
"Beasts of No Nation"
"Carol"
*** "Spotlight" (Winner)
"Tangerine"
Best Director
Cary Joji Fukunaga, "Beasts of No Nation"
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, "Anomalisa"
David Robert Mitchell,...
- 2/28/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Todd Haynes is in the running for best director and both Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are in contention for best female lead alongside Room’s Brie Larson as Carol earned six 2016 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations in Los Angeles on Tuesday.Scroll down for full list of nominations
Close behind were Spotlight and Beasts Of No Nation on five apiece, followed by indie darling Tangerine and Anomalisa on four each.
Not even a glitch that saw the list of nominees temporarily appear on the Film Independent website prior to the official announcement could spoil what turned out by and large to be a recognition of independent film in its myriad forms.
Besides the more predictable contenders like Carol, Spotlight and Room, there was plenty of love for Tangerine, shot on an iPhone, and Beasts Of No Nation from Netflix, whose day-and-date release (and what that portends) infuriated large swathes of the exhibition sector but has clearly...
Close behind were Spotlight and Beasts Of No Nation on five apiece, followed by indie darling Tangerine and Anomalisa on four each.
Not even a glitch that saw the list of nominees temporarily appear on the Film Independent website prior to the official announcement could spoil what turned out by and large to be a recognition of independent film in its myriad forms.
Besides the more predictable contenders like Carol, Spotlight and Room, there was plenty of love for Tangerine, shot on an iPhone, and Beasts Of No Nation from Netflix, whose day-and-date release (and what that portends) infuriated large swathes of the exhibition sector but has clearly...
- 11/24/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Todd Haynes is in the running for best director and both Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are in contention for best female lead alongside Room’s Brie Larson as Carol earned six 2016 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Close behind were Spotlight and Beasts Of No Nation on five apiece, followed by indie darling Tangerine and Anomalisa on four each.
Not even a glitch that saw the list of nominees temporarily appear on the Film Independent website prior to the official announcement could spoil what turned out by and large to be a recognition of independent film in its myriad forms.
Besides the more predictable contenders like Carol, Spotlight and Room, there was plenty of love for Tangerine, shot on an iPhone, and Beasts Of No Nation from Netflix, whose day-and-date release (and what that portends) infuriated large swathes of the exhibition sector but has clearly impressed critics.
Magnolia Pictures earned...
Close behind were Spotlight and Beasts Of No Nation on five apiece, followed by indie darling Tangerine and Anomalisa on four each.
Not even a glitch that saw the list of nominees temporarily appear on the Film Independent website prior to the official announcement could spoil what turned out by and large to be a recognition of independent film in its myriad forms.
Besides the more predictable contenders like Carol, Spotlight and Room, there was plenty of love for Tangerine, shot on an iPhone, and Beasts Of No Nation from Netflix, whose day-and-date release (and what that portends) infuriated large swathes of the exhibition sector but has clearly impressed critics.
Magnolia Pictures earned...
- 11/24/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the La Film Festival and Film Independent at Lacma, announced nominations for the 2016 Spirit Awards this morning. Film Independent President Josh Welsh presided over the press conference held at W Hollywood, with actors John Boyega and Elizabeth Olsen presenting the nominations.
Nominees for Best Feature included Anomalisa, Beasts of No Nation, Carol, Spotlight and Tangerine.
“This year’s nominees are a testament to the strength, vitality and diversity of independent, artist-driven filmmaking,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “It’s an astonishingly strong group of films and performances this year and we look forward to celebrating them all at the Spirit Awards.”
Spotlight was selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman...
Nominees for Best Feature included Anomalisa, Beasts of No Nation, Carol, Spotlight and Tangerine.
“This year’s nominees are a testament to the strength, vitality and diversity of independent, artist-driven filmmaking,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “It’s an astonishingly strong group of films and performances this year and we look forward to celebrating them all at the Spirit Awards.”
Spotlight was selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman...
- 11/24/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Todd Haynes' "Carol" is shaping up to be the movie to beat this awards season. Based on Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt, the romantic drama stars Cate Blanchett as an older, married woman who is developing some strong feelings towards a seasonal shopgirl played by Rooney Mara. And the actresses may have to prepare their acceptance speeches! "Carol" leads the pack of nominees for the 31st Independent Spirit Awards!
I'm also very happy that "Tangerine" by Sean Baker received 4 nods for Best Feature, Director, Female Lead (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), and Supporting Female for Mya Taylor. shot mostly on iPhone, this small-budget wonder is truly what the Independent Spirit is all about!
Some of my few gripes are not a whole lot of love for the fantastic "Room" (just screenplay, female lead for Brie Larson, and editing -- what about the awesome child actor Jason Tremblay?), and that...
I'm also very happy that "Tangerine" by Sean Baker received 4 nods for Best Feature, Director, Female Lead (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), and Supporting Female for Mya Taylor. shot mostly on iPhone, this small-budget wonder is truly what the Independent Spirit is all about!
Some of my few gripes are not a whole lot of love for the fantastic "Room" (just screenplay, female lead for Brie Larson, and editing -- what about the awesome child actor Jason Tremblay?), and that...
- 11/24/2015
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
In its 31st year, the Film Independent Spirt Awards showcase the best that modest (and, occasionally, lower budget) filmmaking has to offer annually. This year, it’s little surprise the the stellar Carol is leading the pack with six nominations, while Spotlight and Beasts of No Nation are close behind with five each. On the actual smaller scale of productions, the iPhone-shot drama Tangerine picked up a heft four nominations, a film that, alongside Anomalisa and the aforementioned titles, rounds out their Best Feature category.
Ahead of a ceremony on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 5Pm Est, check out the full list of nominations below, which also recognize It Follows, Bone Tomahawk, The End of the Tour, Room, The Mend, James White, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Heaven Knows What, and more.
Best Feature
Award given to the Producer; Executive Producers are not awarded.
“Anomalisa”
“Beasts of No Nation”
“Carol”
“Spotlight...
Ahead of a ceremony on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 5Pm Est, check out the full list of nominations below, which also recognize It Follows, Bone Tomahawk, The End of the Tour, Room, The Mend, James White, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Heaven Knows What, and more.
Best Feature
Award given to the Producer; Executive Producers are not awarded.
“Anomalisa”
“Beasts of No Nation”
“Carol”
“Spotlight...
- 11/24/2015
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Summer may be over, but with this year marking the 35th anniversary of Friday the 13th, it's never too late to visit the lake. Ahead of the event's November 4th start date, the folks behind the Denver Film Festival have announced the first wave of programming, including a special November 13th 35mm screening of Sean S. Cunningham's monumental slasher film.
Press Release: October 9, 2015 (Denver, Colo.) - The Denver Film Festival (Dff), produced by Denver Film Society (Dfs), announced its first wave of programming. Recognized as the Rocky Mountain Region's premier film event, the festival will feature a focus on Polish Cinema, sidebars for CinemaQ, CineLatino, Late Night and Women+Film, as well as robust Shorts Packages and Music Spotlight programming.
"In keeping with our long and rich tradition of presenting the best in Eastern European cinema, we at the Denver Film Festival are proud to announce that this year's...
Press Release: October 9, 2015 (Denver, Colo.) - The Denver Film Festival (Dff), produced by Denver Film Society (Dfs), announced its first wave of programming. Recognized as the Rocky Mountain Region's premier film event, the festival will feature a focus on Polish Cinema, sidebars for CinemaQ, CineLatino, Late Night and Women+Film, as well as robust Shorts Packages and Music Spotlight programming.
"In keeping with our long and rich tradition of presenting the best in Eastern European cinema, we at the Denver Film Festival are proud to announce that this year's...
- 10/14/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Read More: Meet the 2015 SXSW Filmmakers #1: Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti Navigate a Terminal Illness in 'A Woman Like Me' After being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2011, Brooklyn-based filmmaker Alex Sichel decided to confront and process her terminal illness through film. In order to get over the initial struggle of making a movie about cancer, a topic not fit for "the hot babe movie," as she puts it, Sichel has created a fictional, more optimistic alter-ego named Anna. The resulting film, "A Woman Like Me," is a narrative-documentary hybrid that gives the director an outlet to explore her own experience and take an active role in combatting her illness. The trailer promises a delightful blend of the imaginative and intimate, offering several candid moments with Sichel and imaginative encounters with her alter-ego Anna, played by Lili Taylor. To help "A Woman Like Me" reach a wider.
- 9/9/2015
- by Tarek Shoukri
- Indiewire
The SXSW Film Festival has never been seen as a marketplace for new movies on par with Sundance or Cannes, but the Austin gathering nevertheless provides the first glimpse of many new titles without distribution. While the latest edition came to a close over the weekend, a number of its memorable ingredients remain unsold. Whether that's simply because buyers have already passed on them or simply haven't had a chance to consider their options, these movies continue to be fresh, conversation-worthy options that deserve audiences far beyond one city in Texas. Here are 10 highlights that deserve a future in theaters and VOD. Read More: SXSW 2015: A List of Criticwire Grades for Every Feature "A Woman Like Me"Alex Sichel died before the completion of this personal and idiosyncratic portrait of her experiences with cancer, but her voice is evident in every scene of the heartfelt project. Completed by Elizabeth Giamatti...
- 3/23/2015
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Read More: SXSW: Complete List of Winners at the 2015 Film Awards In advance of this year's SXSW Film Festival, Indiewire sent out a questionnaire to the filmmakers taking their work to Austin. Below you'll find some of the inspirations for the competing films, both narrative and documentary. Here are the filmmakers' responses: Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti ("A Woman Like Me"): We were inspired by a wide range of movies: "All That Jazz," Agnes Varda's "The Beaches of Agnes," "Symbiopsychotaxiplasm," "Day For Night," "The Wizard of Oz," "Blue Vinyl," "Reds," Abbas Kiarostami's "Close-Up…." Alison Bagnall ("Funny Bunny"): I don't know if certain films inspire me anymore, though Jerry Schatzberg's "Scarecrow" is always an inspiration. Certain directors inspire me. The usual European suspects; Polanski, Pasolini, Fassbinder-but now it's...
- 3/19/2015
- by David Ballard
- Indiewire
Winner of a Special Jury Award for Directing at the 2015 SXSW Film Festival, Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti’s A Woman Like Me is a frankly disarming and emotionally piercing hybrid doc as well as a necessary directorial collaboration. Filmmaker Alex Sichel’s 1997 debut feature, All Over Me, was an important entry in the decade’s New Queer Cinema, a scrappy teen lesbian drama that, in the L.A. Weekly, critic Manohla Dargis wrote “comes closer to unlocking the secret lives of girls than any other recent American movie.” In the years following that film, Sichel taught directing at Nyu, raised a […]...
- 3/18/2015
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Winner of a Special Jury Award for Directing at the 2015 SXSW Film Festival, Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti’s A Woman Like Me is a frankly disarming and emotionally piercing hybrid doc as well as a necessary directorial collaboration. Filmmaker Alex Sichel’s 1997 debut feature, All Over Me, was an important entry in the decade’s New Queer Cinema, a scrappy teen lesbian drama that, in the L.A. Weekly, critic Manohla Dargis wrote “comes closer to unlocking the secret lives of girls than any other recent American movie.” In the years following that film, Sichel taught directing at Nyu, raised a […]...
- 3/18/2015
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The winners of this year’s jury and special awards were revealed tonight [March 17] at the ceremony hosted by Vanessa Bayer.
SXSW has announced the winners of this year’s Jury and Special Awards.
Trey Edward Shults’ Krisha, expanded from his award-winning short of the same name, was named the Grand Jury winner of the Narrative Feature Competition, with Special Jury Recognition for Visual Excellence going to Creative Control director Benjamin Dickinson.
Grand Jury winner of the Documentary Feature Competition went to Scott Christopherson & Brad Barber’s Peace Officer, with Special Jury Recognition for Directing going to A Woman Like Me directors Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti.
Twinsters directors Samantha Futerman and Ryan Miyamoto were awarded Special Jury Recognition for Editing.
Kyle Buchanan, Wesley Morris and Krista Smith made up the Narrative Feature Competition jury, while the Documentary Feature Competition jury consisted of Tabitha Jackson, Jason Spingarn-Koff and Alison Willmore.
Short Film Jury Awards went to the likes...
SXSW has announced the winners of this year’s Jury and Special Awards.
Trey Edward Shults’ Krisha, expanded from his award-winning short of the same name, was named the Grand Jury winner of the Narrative Feature Competition, with Special Jury Recognition for Visual Excellence going to Creative Control director Benjamin Dickinson.
Grand Jury winner of the Documentary Feature Competition went to Scott Christopherson & Brad Barber’s Peace Officer, with Special Jury Recognition for Directing going to A Woman Like Me directors Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti.
Twinsters directors Samantha Futerman and Ryan Miyamoto were awarded Special Jury Recognition for Editing.
Kyle Buchanan, Wesley Morris and Krista Smith made up the Narrative Feature Competition jury, while the Documentary Feature Competition jury consisted of Tabitha Jackson, Jason Spingarn-Koff and Alison Willmore.
Short Film Jury Awards went to the likes...
- 3/18/2015
- by ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
- ScreenDaily
Though SXSW will carry on screening films through Saturday, the awards were presented tonight. Trey Edward Shults's Krisha wins the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Award, while Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber's Peace Officer takes the Documentary Feature Grand Jury Award. Among the other winners: Benjamin Dickinson's Creative Control, editor Jeff Consiglio for Samantha Futerman and Ryan Miyamoto's Twinsters, Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti for A Woman Like Me, Yvonne Kerékgyártó's Free Entry and Bill Ross and Turner Ross for Western. » - David Hudson...
- 3/18/2015
- Keyframe
Though SXSW will carry on screening films through Saturday, the awards were presented tonight. Trey Edward Shults's Krisha wins the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Award, while Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber's Peace Officer takes the Documentary Feature Grand Jury Award. Among the other winners: Benjamin Dickinson's Creative Control, editor Jeff Consiglio for Samantha Futerman and Ryan Miyamoto's Twinsters, Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti for A Woman Like Me, Yvonne Kerékgyártó's Free Entry and Bill Ross and Turner Ross for Western. » - David Hudson...
- 3/18/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
Though SXSW will carry on screening films through Saturday, the awards were presented tonight. Trey Edward Shults's Krisha wins the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Award, while Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber's Peace Officer takes the Documentary Feature Grand Jury Award. Among the other winners: Benjamin Dickinson's Creative Control, editor Jeff Consiglio for Samantha Futerman and Ryan Miyamoto's Twinsters, Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti for A Woman Like Me, Yvonne Kerékgyártó's Free Entry and Bill Ross and Turner Ross for Western. » - David Hudson...
- 3/18/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
Though SXSW will carry on screening films through Saturday, the awards were presented tonight. Trey Edward Shults's Krisha wins the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Award, while Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber's Peace Officer takes the Documentary Feature Grand Jury Award. Among the other winners: Benjamin Dickinson's Creative Control, editor Jeff Consiglio for Samantha Futerman and Ryan Miyamoto's Twinsters, Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti for A Woman Like Me, Yvonne Kerékgyártó's Free Entry and Bill Ross and Turner Ross for Western. » - David Hudson...
- 3/18/2015
- Keyframe
Our overview of the previews of this year's SXSW includes links to the Austin Chronicle's profile of Jason Schwartzman, who stars in Bob Byington's 7 Chinese Brothers and Patrick Brice's The Overnight; Raoul Hernandez on Joe Nick Patoski's documentary Sir Doug and the Genuine Texas Cosmic Groove; Indiewire's interviews with Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti (A Woman Like Me) and Alison Bagnall (Funny Bunny); the Hollywood Reporter's chat with Amy Schumer about Trainwreck and her director and producer, Judd Apatow; the Guardian's talk with Julien Temple about The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson; and Sam Fragoso's conversation with Bill Ross and Turner Ross about Western. » - David Hudson...
- 3/13/2015
- Keyframe
Our overview of the previews of this year's SXSW includes links to the Austin Chronicle's profile of Jason Schwartzman, who stars in Bob Byington's 7 Chinese Brothers and Patrick Brice's The Overnight; Raoul Hernandez on Joe Nick Patoski's documentary Sir Doug and the Genuine Texas Cosmic Groove; Indiewire's interviews with Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti (A Woman Like Me) and Alison Bagnall (Funny Bunny); the Hollywood Reporter's chat with Amy Schumer about Trainwreck and her director and producer, Judd Apatow; the Guardian's talk with Julien Temple about The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson; and Sam Fragoso's conversation with Bill Ross and Turner Ross about Western. » - David Hudson...
- 3/13/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
Our overview of the previews of this year's SXSW includes links to the Austin Chronicle's profile of Jason Schwartzman, who stars in Bob Byington's 7 Chinese Brothers and Patrick Brice's The Overnight; Raoul Hernandez on Joe Nick Patoski's documentary Sir Doug and the Genuine Texas Cosmic Groove; Indiewire's interviews with Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti (A Woman Like Me) and Alison Bagnall (Funny Bunny); the Hollywood Reporter's chat with Amy Schumer about Trainwreck and her director and producer, Judd Apatow; the Guardian's talk with Julien Temple about The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson; and Sam Fragoso's conversation with Bill Ross and Turner Ross about Western. » - David Hudson...
- 3/13/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
Our overview of the previews of this year's SXSW includes links to the Austin Chronicle's profile of Jason Schwartzman, who stars in Bob Byington's 7 Chinese Brothers and Patrick Brice's The Overnight; Raoul Hernandez on Joe Nick Patoski's documentary Sir Doug and the Genuine Texas Cosmic Groove; Indiewire's interviews with Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti (A Woman Like Me) and Alison Bagnall (Funny Bunny); the Hollywood Reporter's chat with Amy Schumer about Trainwreck and her director and producer, Judd Apatow; the Guardian's talk with Julien Temple about The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson; and Sam Fragoso's conversation with Bill Ross and Turner Ross about Western. » - David Hudson...
- 3/13/2015
- Keyframe
Alex Sichel was both the co-director and subject of "A Woman Like Me," a devastatingly humane exploration of terminal illness. In it, Sichel creates a fictional character based on herself (played by Lili Taylor), and by doing so learns how to maintain her vibrancy and personality while contending with the illness. Sichel has since passed away, and her co-director, Elizabeth Giamatti, looks back on the enormously gratifying and challenging experience with pride. In the process of examining a difficult subject with humor and grace, she and Sichel created a film of unmatched emotional resonance and deeply personal reflection. What's your film about in 140 characters or less? By creating a fictional character based on herself, filmmaker Alex Sichel learns how to navigate a terminal disease with grace and humor. Now what's it Really about? "A Woman Like Me" is about life, death, art, faith, craft and learning to live joyfully with a ticking time bomb.
- 3/12/2015
- by David Canfield
- Indiewire
Amy Schumer and Bill Hader in TrainwreckPhoto: Universal Pictures With Sundance just wrapping up and Berlin starting up in a few days, we are now immersed in the year-long barrage of film festivals. One such festival in South By Southwest. A few weeks back they announced the first seven films of their program, including the opening night film Brand: A Second Coming. Today, they have revealed the rest of the features to be shown in March (except for the midnight program), and some of it has me very excited. The bigger titles announced do not do much for me. Paul Feig's Spy, starring Melissa McCarthy, and the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart starrer Get Hard leave a lot to be desired in terms of anticipation, as does a work in progress cut of Judd Apatow's latest film Trainwreck. I'm guessing an Apatow work in progress is probably around three and a half hours.
- 2/3/2015
- by Mike Shutt
- Rope of Silicon
South by Southwest, the multi-faceted film, music and technology festival held annually in Austin, TX will feature such upcoming films as Paul Feig’s Spy, David Gordon Green’s Manglehorn, Alex Gibney’s documentary Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, and Ondi Timoner’s Russell Brand profile Brand: A Second Coming as headliners in this year’s film festival lineup.
SXSW runs from March 13 to 21 in Austin and is now in its 22nd year. Variety has details of the 145 films and 100 world premieres bowing at this year’s festival. Brand, as previously reported, will be the festival’s opening night film.
Other notable titles on the list are the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard, a rough cut of Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck, the directorial debut of 28 Days Later screenwriter Alex Garland, Ex Machina, and a new comedy by Michael Showalter, Hello, My Name is Doris.
On the small screen,...
SXSW runs from March 13 to 21 in Austin and is now in its 22nd year. Variety has details of the 145 films and 100 world premieres bowing at this year’s festival. Brand, as previously reported, will be the festival’s opening night film.
Other notable titles on the list are the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard, a rough cut of Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck, the directorial debut of 28 Days Later screenwriter Alex Garland, Ex Machina, and a new comedy by Michael Showalter, Hello, My Name is Doris.
On the small screen,...
- 2/3/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Top brass at the 22nd South By Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival have announced the feature line-up for the upcoming festival, set to run from March 13-21 in Austin, Texas.
SXSW will showcase 145 features. The line-up includes 60 films from first-time film-makers and comprises 100 world premieres, 13 North American premieres and 11 Us premieres.
Head of film Janet Pierson and her team of programmers culled selections from a record 2,385 feature-length submissions composed of 1,614 Us and 771 international features. The record of 7,335 total submissions marks a 13% gain on 2014.
For the first time the number of films in the juried Narrative Feature and Documentary Feature selections have risen from eight to ten. The complete Conference line-up and schedule will be released on February 17.
Besides the Narrative Feature Competition and Documentary Feature Competition selections listed below, feature entries include Judd Apatow’s work-in-progress comedy Trainwreck starring Amy Schumer in Special Events, music film 808 (pictured) in 24 Beats Per Second and Alex Garland’s sci-fi...
SXSW will showcase 145 features. The line-up includes 60 films from first-time film-makers and comprises 100 world premieres, 13 North American premieres and 11 Us premieres.
Head of film Janet Pierson and her team of programmers culled selections from a record 2,385 feature-length submissions composed of 1,614 Us and 771 international features. The record of 7,335 total submissions marks a 13% gain on 2014.
For the first time the number of films in the juried Narrative Feature and Documentary Feature selections have risen from eight to ten. The complete Conference line-up and schedule will be released on February 17.
Besides the Narrative Feature Competition and Documentary Feature Competition selections listed below, feature entries include Judd Apatow’s work-in-progress comedy Trainwreck starring Amy Schumer in Special Events, music film 808 (pictured) in 24 Beats Per Second and Alex Garland’s sci-fi...
- 2/3/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
SXSW announced today the 145 features being show in its upcoming SXSW Film Conference, March 13-21 in Austin, TX. From a record number of 2,385 feature submissions will be shown new work by directors Hannah Fidell, Benjamin Dickinson, Patrick Wang, Ron Nyswaner, Alex Sichel, Ondi Timoner and Alex Garland, among many others. The festival’s Episodics strand continues, with five new web series being shown in this second year. Of the large number of submissions, Festival Director Janet Pierson said, ““When faced with a record 2,400 feature submissions, we had every intention to cut back on the total number in our […]...
- 2/3/2015
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
SXSW announced today the 145 features being show in its upcoming SXSW Film Conference, March 13-21 in Austin, TX. From a record number of 2,385 feature submissions will be shown new work by directors Hannah Fidell, Benjamin Dickinson, Patrick Wang, Ron Nyswaner, Alex Sichel, Ondi Timoner and Alex Garland, among many others. The festival’s Episodics strand continues, with five new web series being shown in this second year. Of the large number of submissions, Festival Director Janet Pierson said, ““When faced with a record 2,400 feature submissions, we had every intention to cut back on the total number in our […]...
- 2/3/2015
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Bit of a panic yesterday as word spread fast and furiously that Studio Ghibli was shutting down production. But as Mark Schilling reports in Variety, the "death of Japan’s most famous animation house, to paraphrase Mark Twain, has been greatly exaggerated." Also in today's news roundup: Ann Hui and Johan Van Der Keuken are to be honored at festivals this fall. New trailer for Hong Sang-soo's Hill of Freedom. We point to reviews of a new biography of Joss Whedon and remember the late director Alex Sichel. » - David Hudson...
- 8/4/2014
- Fandor: Keyframe
Bit of a panic yesterday as word spread fast and furiously that Studio Ghibli was shutting down production. But as Mark Schilling reports in Variety, the "death of Japan’s most famous animation house, to paraphrase Mark Twain, has been greatly exaggerated." Also in today's news roundup: Ann Hui and Johan Van Der Keuken are to be honored at festivals this fall. New trailer for Hong Sang-soo's Hill of Freedom. We point to reviews of a new biography of Joss Whedon and remember the late director Alex Sichel. » - David Hudson...
- 8/4/2014
- Keyframe
Ifp announced its 2014 slate of 133 new films in development and works in progress selected for its esteemed Project Forum at Independent Film Week. This one-of-a-kind event brings the international film and media community to New York City to advance new projects by nurturing the work of both emerging and established independent artists and filmmakers. Through the Project Forum, creatives connect with financiers, executives, influencers and decision-makers in film, television, new media and cross-platform storytelling that can help them complete their latest works and connect with audiences. Under the curatorial leadership of Deputy Director/Head of Programming Amy Dotson & Senior Director of Programming Milton Tabbot, this one-of-a-kind event takes place September 14-18, 2014 at Lincoln Center supporting bold new content from a wide variety of domestic and international artists.
“As we set to embark on our 36th Independent Film Week, we are impressed by the outstanding slate of both U.S. and international projects selected for this year’s Project Forum,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of Ifp. “We know that the industry will be as excited as we are with the accomplished storytellers and their diverse and boundary pushing films.”
Featured works at the 2014 Independent Film Week include filmmakers and content creators from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. From documentarians Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How To Nail A Dictator"), and Penny Lane ("Our Nixon") to Michelangelo Frammartino ("Quattro Volte") and Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), as well as new work from critically acclaimed artists and directors Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"), Travis Matthews ("Interior. Leather. Bar") and Yen Tan ("Pit Stop").
Independent Film Week brings the international film and media community to New York City to advance new documentary and narrative works-in-progress and support the future of storytelling. The program nurtures the work of both emerging and established independent artists and filmmakers through the facilitation of over 3,500+ custom, one-to-one meetings with the financiers, executives, influencers and decision-makers in film, television, new media and cross-platform storytelling that can help them complete their latest works and connect with audiences. In recent years, it has also played a vital role in launching the first films of many of today’s rising stars on the independent scene including Rama Burshtein ("Fill The Void"), Derek Cianfrance ("Blue Valentine"), Marshall Curry ("If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth LIberation Front"), Laura Poitras ("The Oath"), Denis Villeneuve ("Incendies") and Benh Zeitlin ("Beasts of the Southern Wild").
For the full 2014 Project Forum slate visit Here
New For 2014
Evenly split between documentary and narrative features, selected projects hail from throughout the U.S., Europe and Canada, as well Africa, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. New this year, Ifp will be including web series in it programming, as well as spotlighting Latin & Central American artists and content with 15 projects featured across all programs in the Forum.
In a joint effort to recognize the importance of career and creative sustainability, Ifp and Durga Entertainment have partnered on a new $20,000 filmmaker grant for an alumnus of Ifp. The grant is intended for active, working filmmakers who are also balancing a filmmaking career with parenting. The grant provides a $20,000 unrestricted prize to encourage the recipient to continue on her or his career path of making quality independent films. American directors or screenwriters working in narrative film who have participated in the Ifp Filmmaker Labs or Ifp Independent Film Week's Emerging Storytellers or No-Borders International Co-Production market are encouraged to apply by the deadline of August 8, 2014.
Narrative Feature Highlights
Narrative features and webseries in Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers and No Borders International Co-Production Market sections highlight new work from top emerging and established creative visionaries on the U.S. and international independent scene.
This year’s slate includes new feature scripts featuring directors Dev Benegal ("Road, Movie"), Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin ("Now, Forager"), Michelangelo Frammartino ("Le Quattro Volte"),Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda"), Rashaad Ernesto Green ("Gun Hill Road"), Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita Y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"),Alison Klayman ("Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry"), Travis Mathews ("Interior. Leather Bar"), Stacie Passon ("Concussion"), Yen Tan ("Pit Stop"), as well as up-an-coming actor/directors Karrie Crouse ("Land Ho!") and Peter Vack ("Fort Tilden""I Believe in Unicorns").
Producers and executive producers of note attached to participating projects include Jennifer Dubin and Cora Olson ("Good Dick"), Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams ("Hellion"),Laura Heberton ("Gayby"), Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Kishori Rajan ("Gimme the Loot"), Adele Romanski ("The Myth of the American Sleepover"), Kim Sherman ("A Teacher"), Susan Stover ("High Art"), and Alicia Van Couvering ("Tiny Furniture").
Web Storytellers Highlights
For the first time this year, Ifp presents a dedicated spotlight within the Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers program for creators developing episodic content for digital platforms. The inaugural slate for the Web Storytellers spotlight includes new works from filmmakers Desiree Akhavan ("Appropriate Behavior", HBO’s Girls), Calvin Reeder ("The Rambler"), and Gregory Bayne ("Person of Interest"), as well as producers Elisabeth Holm ("Obvious Child"), Susan Leber ( "Down to the Bone"), and Amanda Warman ("The Outs,"Whatever This Is"). Two of the series participating are currently in post-production, and will be making their online debut in the coming months – Rachel Morgan’s Middle Americans, starring Scott Thompson, Carlen Altman, and Alex Rennie, and Daniel Zimbler and Elisabeth Gray’s Understudies, starring Richard Kind and David Rasche. [p Spotlight On Documentaries Highlights
The documentary selection includes new work from seasoned non-fiction directors such as Emmy winners Robert Bahar andAlmudena Carracedo ("Made in La"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How to Nail a Dictator"),Ramona Diaz ("Imelda," "Don’t Stop Believin’") Gini Reticker ("Pray the Devil Back to Hell") Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"); from producers such as Court 13’s Benh Zeitlin and Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Liran Atzmor ("The Law in These Parts"), Tim Williams ("Once In A Lifetime") and Hilla Medalia ("Web Junkie"), and follow-up second features from recent doc world “breakouts”Steve Hoover ("Blood Brother") Penny Lane ("Our Nixon"), Michael Collins ("Give Up Tomorrow"), and Michael Nichols and Christopher Walker ("Flex is Kings").
Exciting new work from debut documentary directors previously known for fiction films include Alex Sichel ("All over Me") with her personal doc The Movie about Anna, Lisa Cortés (producer, "Precious") with "Mothership: The Untold Story of Women and Hip Hop," and Daniel Patrick Carbone ("Hide Your Smiling Faces") with Phantom Cowboys.
Sponsors
Independent Film Week’s Premier sponsors are Royal Bank of Canada (Rbc) and HBO. Gold sponsors are A&E IndieFilms and SAGIndie. Silver sponsors are Durga Entertainment, Eastman Kodak Company, National Film & Video Foundation of South Africa and Telefilm Canada. Official Independent Film Week Partner is Film Society of Lincoln Center. Independent Film Week is supported, in part, by funds provided by the Ford Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council for the Arts and Time Warner Foundation.
About Ifp
The Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) champions the future of storytelling by connecting artists with essential resources at all stages of development and distribution. The organization fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Independent Film Week, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gotham Independent Film Awards and the Made in NY Media Center by Ifp, a new incubator space developed with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. Ifp represents a growing network of 10,000 storytellers around the world, and plays a key role in developing 350 new feature and documentary works each year. During its 35-year history, Ifp has supported over 8,000 projects and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, including Debra Granik, Miranda July, Michael Moore, Dee Rees, and Benh Zeitlin. More info at www.ifp.org.
“As we set to embark on our 36th Independent Film Week, we are impressed by the outstanding slate of both U.S. and international projects selected for this year’s Project Forum,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of Ifp. “We know that the industry will be as excited as we are with the accomplished storytellers and their diverse and boundary pushing films.”
Featured works at the 2014 Independent Film Week include filmmakers and content creators from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. From documentarians Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How To Nail A Dictator"), and Penny Lane ("Our Nixon") to Michelangelo Frammartino ("Quattro Volte") and Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), as well as new work from critically acclaimed artists and directors Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"), Travis Matthews ("Interior. Leather. Bar") and Yen Tan ("Pit Stop").
Independent Film Week brings the international film and media community to New York City to advance new documentary and narrative works-in-progress and support the future of storytelling. The program nurtures the work of both emerging and established independent artists and filmmakers through the facilitation of over 3,500+ custom, one-to-one meetings with the financiers, executives, influencers and decision-makers in film, television, new media and cross-platform storytelling that can help them complete their latest works and connect with audiences. In recent years, it has also played a vital role in launching the first films of many of today’s rising stars on the independent scene including Rama Burshtein ("Fill The Void"), Derek Cianfrance ("Blue Valentine"), Marshall Curry ("If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth LIberation Front"), Laura Poitras ("The Oath"), Denis Villeneuve ("Incendies") and Benh Zeitlin ("Beasts of the Southern Wild").
For the full 2014 Project Forum slate visit Here
New For 2014
Evenly split between documentary and narrative features, selected projects hail from throughout the U.S., Europe and Canada, as well Africa, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. New this year, Ifp will be including web series in it programming, as well as spotlighting Latin & Central American artists and content with 15 projects featured across all programs in the Forum.
In a joint effort to recognize the importance of career and creative sustainability, Ifp and Durga Entertainment have partnered on a new $20,000 filmmaker grant for an alumnus of Ifp. The grant is intended for active, working filmmakers who are also balancing a filmmaking career with parenting. The grant provides a $20,000 unrestricted prize to encourage the recipient to continue on her or his career path of making quality independent films. American directors or screenwriters working in narrative film who have participated in the Ifp Filmmaker Labs or Ifp Independent Film Week's Emerging Storytellers or No-Borders International Co-Production market are encouraged to apply by the deadline of August 8, 2014.
Narrative Feature Highlights
Narrative features and webseries in Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers and No Borders International Co-Production Market sections highlight new work from top emerging and established creative visionaries on the U.S. and international independent scene.
This year’s slate includes new feature scripts featuring directors Dev Benegal ("Road, Movie"), Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin ("Now, Forager"), Michelangelo Frammartino ("Le Quattro Volte"),Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda"), Rashaad Ernesto Green ("Gun Hill Road"), Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita Y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"),Alison Klayman ("Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry"), Travis Mathews ("Interior. Leather Bar"), Stacie Passon ("Concussion"), Yen Tan ("Pit Stop"), as well as up-an-coming actor/directors Karrie Crouse ("Land Ho!") and Peter Vack ("Fort Tilden""I Believe in Unicorns").
Producers and executive producers of note attached to participating projects include Jennifer Dubin and Cora Olson ("Good Dick"), Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams ("Hellion"),Laura Heberton ("Gayby"), Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Kishori Rajan ("Gimme the Loot"), Adele Romanski ("The Myth of the American Sleepover"), Kim Sherman ("A Teacher"), Susan Stover ("High Art"), and Alicia Van Couvering ("Tiny Furniture").
Web Storytellers Highlights
For the first time this year, Ifp presents a dedicated spotlight within the Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers program for creators developing episodic content for digital platforms. The inaugural slate for the Web Storytellers spotlight includes new works from filmmakers Desiree Akhavan ("Appropriate Behavior", HBO’s Girls), Calvin Reeder ("The Rambler"), and Gregory Bayne ("Person of Interest"), as well as producers Elisabeth Holm ("Obvious Child"), Susan Leber ( "Down to the Bone"), and Amanda Warman ("The Outs,"Whatever This Is"). Two of the series participating are currently in post-production, and will be making their online debut in the coming months – Rachel Morgan’s Middle Americans, starring Scott Thompson, Carlen Altman, and Alex Rennie, and Daniel Zimbler and Elisabeth Gray’s Understudies, starring Richard Kind and David Rasche. [p Spotlight On Documentaries Highlights
The documentary selection includes new work from seasoned non-fiction directors such as Emmy winners Robert Bahar andAlmudena Carracedo ("Made in La"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How to Nail a Dictator"),Ramona Diaz ("Imelda," "Don’t Stop Believin’") Gini Reticker ("Pray the Devil Back to Hell") Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"); from producers such as Court 13’s Benh Zeitlin and Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Liran Atzmor ("The Law in These Parts"), Tim Williams ("Once In A Lifetime") and Hilla Medalia ("Web Junkie"), and follow-up second features from recent doc world “breakouts”Steve Hoover ("Blood Brother") Penny Lane ("Our Nixon"), Michael Collins ("Give Up Tomorrow"), and Michael Nichols and Christopher Walker ("Flex is Kings").
Exciting new work from debut documentary directors previously known for fiction films include Alex Sichel ("All over Me") with her personal doc The Movie about Anna, Lisa Cortés (producer, "Precious") with "Mothership: The Untold Story of Women and Hip Hop," and Daniel Patrick Carbone ("Hide Your Smiling Faces") with Phantom Cowboys.
Sponsors
Independent Film Week’s Premier sponsors are Royal Bank of Canada (Rbc) and HBO. Gold sponsors are A&E IndieFilms and SAGIndie. Silver sponsors are Durga Entertainment, Eastman Kodak Company, National Film & Video Foundation of South Africa and Telefilm Canada. Official Independent Film Week Partner is Film Society of Lincoln Center. Independent Film Week is supported, in part, by funds provided by the Ford Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council for the Arts and Time Warner Foundation.
About Ifp
The Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) champions the future of storytelling by connecting artists with essential resources at all stages of development and distribution. The organization fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Independent Film Week, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gotham Independent Film Awards and the Made in NY Media Center by Ifp, a new incubator space developed with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. Ifp represents a growing network of 10,000 storytellers around the world, and plays a key role in developing 350 new feature and documentary works each year. During its 35-year history, Ifp has supported over 8,000 projects and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, including Debra Granik, Miranda July, Michael Moore, Dee Rees, and Benh Zeitlin. More info at www.ifp.org.
- 7/25/2014
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
On the heels of the 39th edition of the Toronto Int. Film Festival (Sept 4-14), Ifp’s Independent Film Week is where a plethora of fiction, non-fiction and new this year, web-based series from the likes of Desiree Akhavan and Calvin Reeder find future coin. Sectioned off as projects at the very beginning of financing to those that are nearing completion, there happens to be tons of Sundance alumni in the names below. Among those that caught our attention we have Medicine for Melancholy‘s Barry Jenkins’ sophomore feature, produced by Bad Milo!‘s Adele Romanski, Moonlight is about “two Miami boys navigate the temptations of the drug trade and their burgeoning sexuality in this triptych drama about black queer youth”. Concussion‘s Stacie Passon digs into the thriller genre with Strange Things Started Happening. Produced by vet Mary Jane Skalski (Mysterious Skin), this is about “a woman who has...
- 7/24/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
This is a special edition of Short Starts, where we look at the Sundance shorts program class of 1993. 1992 and 1994 are very notable years in the history of the Sundance Film Festival. Mostly for features. In between, the 1993 event should be recognized for its short film program. It was only the second year of this section — though shorts were an increasingly significant part of the fest since 1988 — and it remains, two decades later, probably the most important (if not best) batch of short films to ever come together in Park City. Among the filmmakers receiving their first real notice in this program were Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, David Wain, Eugene Jarecki, Tamara Jenkins, Ted Demme, Stanley Tucci (as writer/producer), Gary Fleder, Alex Sichel, Mike Mitchell and animators Eric Darnell and Matt O’Callaghan. Their early works played alongside shorts by Michael Almereyda, Lourdes Portillo and two eventual Oscar nominees, Christian Taylor...
- 1/18/2014
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Lgbt nonprofit media arts organization Frameline has announced the 36th edition of its annual film festival: Frameline36. The festival will run in San Francisco from June 14-22 and feature 217 films from more than 30 countries. Jeffrey Schwarz's documentary "Vito," which chronicles the life of gay activist Vito Russo, will open the festival. Other films screening at the festival include Jonathan Lisecki's "Gayby," Ira Sachs' "Keep the Lights On," and Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall’s "Call Me Kuchu." Frameline36 also will feature a retrospective on 1990s New Queer Cinema with Gregg Araki's "The Living Dead," Cheryl Dunye's "The Watermelon Woman" and Alex Sichel's "All Over Me." The festival will close with Thom Fitzgerald’s "Cloudburst," which follows a lesbian couple who breaks out of a nursing home to get married in Canada. ...
- 5/23/2012
- by Devin Lee Fuller
- Indiewire
PARK CITY, Utah -- A competition entrant at Sundance, "All Over Me" boasts two fine lead performances from Alison Folland and Tara Subkoff as a pair of 15-year-olds whose friendship is tested by their own uncertain quests for self-identity and self-expression. Although flecked with perceptive insights into the special friendships that teenage girls develop with each other, the film's skimpy narrative never jells to full dramatic dimension, usually falling flat with pat plottings.
Selected theaters in urban areas are likely to be the only venues that will draw a modicum of moviegoers, essentially young females, to this underdeveloped Fine Line release.
Claude (Folland) and Ellen (Subkoff) spend nearly every waking moment together, usually in Claude's bedroom, talking boys, bands and personal stuff. The band talk usually comes from Claude, who is intent on forming a "girls' band," while Ellen chatters more about guys, preoccupied as she is with impressing a neighborhood hunk (Mark Carter).
It's clear they're more than friends, they're family to each other -- Ellen's parents are divorced and Claude's mother is preoccupied with her new beau. They're soulmates, but like friendships at this adolescent level, they're not in sync on a sexual/social level: Dishy, lithe Ellen is clearly attracting male notice and primping to the max, while plain, frumpy Claude is largely unnoticed by the neighborhood guys and munching to the blues.
The two friends are tugged in different directions and the fact that Ellen's macho male boyfriend is a loutish thug grates noticeably on the good-hearted Claude.
At its most poignant and vital, "All Over Me" paints a realistic picture of the uncertainties and insecurities that characterize the awkward times of adolescence, the transition from girlhood to womanhood when individuality and finding oneself is usually a series of lurches and bounces.
While Claude and Ellen are at a breaking point, essentially over Ellen's foray into bad-boy land, screenwriter Sylvia Sichel has solidly etched the underlying strength of the two girls' bonds and the long-term depth of their friendship. However, the overall scenario is narratively lackluster, largely because the supporting characters are not much more than cardboard-deep.
As the kind-spirited Claude, Folland's performance is a gem, a credible mix of clumsiness with maturity. Subkoff as the desperate-to-please Ellen is similarly strong, a terrific and credible blend of contradictions. Among the supporting cast, Leisha Hailey stands out as a gentle singer whose tender ways touch Claude.
Undeniably, the strength of the film is in the performance, reflective of director Alex Sichel's character-savvy workings; unfortunately, the visualization is less assured, including some tentative camera movements and compositions. Director of photography Joe DeSalvo's sharp shadings, however, are a tonal highlight as are Victora Farrell's character-crisp costumery. Composer Miki Navazio's minimalist, astringent score captures only a side of the girls' friendship and spirit.
ALL OVER ME
Fine Line
Producer Dolly Hall
Director Alex Sichel
Screenwriter Sylvia Sichel
Executive producers Andreas Buhler,
Stephen X. Graham, Nina M. Benton
Director of photography Joe DeSalvo
Production designer Amy Silver
Editor Sabine Hoffmann
Music supervisor Bill Coleman
Composer Miki Navazio
Costume designer Victoria Farrell
Casting Lina Todd
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Claude Alison Folland
Ellen Tara Subkoff
Mark Cole Hauser
Jesse Wilson Cruz
Claude's Mom Ann Dowd
Lucy Leisha Hailey
Luke Pat Briggs
Gus Shawn Hatosy
Don Vincent Pastore
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R...
Selected theaters in urban areas are likely to be the only venues that will draw a modicum of moviegoers, essentially young females, to this underdeveloped Fine Line release.
Claude (Folland) and Ellen (Subkoff) spend nearly every waking moment together, usually in Claude's bedroom, talking boys, bands and personal stuff. The band talk usually comes from Claude, who is intent on forming a "girls' band," while Ellen chatters more about guys, preoccupied as she is with impressing a neighborhood hunk (Mark Carter).
It's clear they're more than friends, they're family to each other -- Ellen's parents are divorced and Claude's mother is preoccupied with her new beau. They're soulmates, but like friendships at this adolescent level, they're not in sync on a sexual/social level: Dishy, lithe Ellen is clearly attracting male notice and primping to the max, while plain, frumpy Claude is largely unnoticed by the neighborhood guys and munching to the blues.
The two friends are tugged in different directions and the fact that Ellen's macho male boyfriend is a loutish thug grates noticeably on the good-hearted Claude.
At its most poignant and vital, "All Over Me" paints a realistic picture of the uncertainties and insecurities that characterize the awkward times of adolescence, the transition from girlhood to womanhood when individuality and finding oneself is usually a series of lurches and bounces.
While Claude and Ellen are at a breaking point, essentially over Ellen's foray into bad-boy land, screenwriter Sylvia Sichel has solidly etched the underlying strength of the two girls' bonds and the long-term depth of their friendship. However, the overall scenario is narratively lackluster, largely because the supporting characters are not much more than cardboard-deep.
As the kind-spirited Claude, Folland's performance is a gem, a credible mix of clumsiness with maturity. Subkoff as the desperate-to-please Ellen is similarly strong, a terrific and credible blend of contradictions. Among the supporting cast, Leisha Hailey stands out as a gentle singer whose tender ways touch Claude.
Undeniably, the strength of the film is in the performance, reflective of director Alex Sichel's character-savvy workings; unfortunately, the visualization is less assured, including some tentative camera movements and compositions. Director of photography Joe DeSalvo's sharp shadings, however, are a tonal highlight as are Victora Farrell's character-crisp costumery. Composer Miki Navazio's minimalist, astringent score captures only a side of the girls' friendship and spirit.
ALL OVER ME
Fine Line
Producer Dolly Hall
Director Alex Sichel
Screenwriter Sylvia Sichel
Executive producers Andreas Buhler,
Stephen X. Graham, Nina M. Benton
Director of photography Joe DeSalvo
Production designer Amy Silver
Editor Sabine Hoffmann
Music supervisor Bill Coleman
Composer Miki Navazio
Costume designer Victoria Farrell
Casting Lina Todd
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Claude Alison Folland
Ellen Tara Subkoff
Mark Cole Hauser
Jesse Wilson Cruz
Claude's Mom Ann Dowd
Lucy Leisha Hailey
Luke Pat Briggs
Gus Shawn Hatosy
Don Vincent Pastore
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R...
- 1/20/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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