indieINblog

2007-07-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

Our goal was simple. Or at the time, it seemed to be. All we really wanted to do was to create a place where people could find out where indie films were playing. The idea came to me one day, after a long day at work at a place where every day I was trying to help indie filmmakers to get their films made. However, despite the filmmakers' efforts and sometimes success in getting their films made, the way to get these films to audiences was the same--spend huge amounts of money on advertising and pray that you will be able to get some buzz if you got into a film festival.

How could we change the market so that "regular" audiences would be able to find indie films? Could we make it affordable for indie filmmakers to market their films directly to those audiences? This idea kept running around my head for a while. I ran it by Julie and here we are. This journey began about four years ago. At that time, MySpace was just a new competitor for the already popular,Friendster. Filmmakers only method of marketing their film was postcards and chain emails. Netflix had just begun to make a name for itself. YouTube, Joost, and Jaman, and all of the other movie download companies did not even exist.

Earnest and eager, we set out to try and build our little website that we believed would at least put a dent in the divide between filmmaker and audience. Much like an independent film, we had very little funds but great supporters. Some people believed in us. Others laughed. But we stood by our dream. And that's why it pains us to say that although we had a little success, our journey has come to an end.

Looking back now, I realize the one thing that kept us going was our belief in independent and foreign films. Just this past week, I found myself completely moved with excitement and anticipation of seeing an indie film while at a movie theater, and that was just during the trailers. I don't know what it is that makes these films different. The definition of an indie film is constantly changing, but the thing that people usually agree on is how it is made. The money. But with indieIN, we wanted to focus on much more than that.

Indie films represent personal stories that dare to look at the world in a different way, or sometimes, even just as it is. The characters in an indie film have faults, they sweat, they lie, they cheat and are often not at all glamorous. They are alive. The stories of these films can make you think, leave you hanging, anger you, and move you to say, what the fuck? To me, my favorite place in the world is still third row center of a movie theater, just as the lights go down. It's the only place I feel free.

It's been almost four years and although many people were excited by the idea of indieIN, we were unable to find the resources to expand the site to a full online magazine. As a result, indieIN will be "closing its doors." But even though we won't be around, we ask you to continue to support indie film, because--as our tagline states--there is more out there.

Go support your local film festival. Check out your independent theater and see a movie that you don't know anything about. Or, add some new indie and foreign movies to your DVD queue. If you have cable, spend a weekend watching IFC and Sundance or check out their INDemand section on Comcast and HDnet. The movies are out there if you know where to look. By supporting even one independent film, you are supporting many, many more. You can make a difference in how many independent and foreign films get made and released. If you live within the two coasts, we especially encourage you to support this work. Box office numbers mean wider distribution so you will not have to drive miles to see the next Michel Gondry film.

We'd like to give a special thanks to the following people who have supported and contributed to the success of indieIN.

Kurt Neumann, Quimbik Inc., P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes, Justina Krakowski-Gruettemann, Kelly DeVine, Dan Edelman, Cari Beachump, Tara Veneruso, Scott Ahlberg, Arianna Bocco, Michelle Byrd, Louis Dienes, Eugene Hernandez, Michael Lawson, N. Bird Runningwater, Elizabeth Stanley, Joan La'Bassiere, Nicholas La'Bassiere, Susan La'Bassiere, Gary Phillips, Mark Vennis, Claire Battersby, Fred Nelson, Paul Howson, Sharon Swart, Barclay Butera, Julie DuBrow, Johanna Schaetzke, AFI Film Festival, Brian Newman, Maxyne Franklin, Moira Griffin, Jacques Thelemaque, Thomas Ethan Harris, Elizabeth Gilcreast, Daniele Neuharth, Debra Maniscolo, Mia Villanueva, Greg Lontok, Melissa Bella, Debra Balamos, Diana Williams, Michael Harrison, Kate Tremills, Ellen O'Donnell, Andrea Dudley, Jennifer DeFilippo, Dino Ladki, Susannah Bridges, Elizabeth Liput, Rebecca Wiegand, Colan Mehaffey, Bruce Lynch

Long live indie film,

Michelle and Julie

2007-06-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

Years ago in the independent film world, the documentary, though great admired for the "truth" that it brought to audiences was seen as the smart but not that pretty middle child. With few exceptions - the Mayles brothers and Errol Morris, there were few documentary filmmakers or documentaries for that matter that the average moviegoer could name. In recent years, with films like BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, FARENHEIT 9/11, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH and MARCH OF THE PENQUINS, audiences have become more and more familiar with the "stars" of the documentary film world - Michael Moore - as well as the films and their subject matter. There are probably a number of reasons for this - and I am not saying this as though I think that docs dng better at the box office or more being made is a bad thing - historical timing, mass media, Harvey Weinstein's PR genius, and celebrity endorsement.

September 11th, unlike any other event in US history, was a tragedy that we watched unfold as it happened. It was not like Vietnam where a) it was thousands of miles away and b) it was footage shot already. It was not a live television event. September 11th put us in the story as it unfolded. It was not only a document of the world's history but of our own. It is this connection that laid the groundwork for the success of a film like Farenheit 9/11 and others like it. Those films whether well made or not put us back to a place that we remember. Though I was not alive at the time, I would think it is the same phenomenon that occurs when people see footage of JFK being assassinated - the footage brings back time and space and places us the audience in it. If you take a look at the stats of the box office success of docs since 2001 - the numbers back this up.

Mass media, Harvey Weinstein and celebrity endorsement can not really be separated as they in effect are part and parcel of the same phenomenon. As the numbers of people who do everything online - shop, date, get news, watch - the connection between reality and fiction or the acceptance of reality as fiction increases. We are so used to seeing everything, knowing everything about everyone - those we think we know and those we don't. The acceptance of knowledge through a documentary film form is just another way to know. A PR genius like Harvey Weinstein understands this and uses it to his and his films' advantage. Whether it is about making Michael Moore a celebrity rather than a filmmaker starting from his campaign for Bowling... up to the recent contention that the US government was investigating Moore in connection with his new film SICKO all before anyone has even seen the film. The other genius thing is that Moore's film NEVER premiere in the US and mostly always at Cannes. That would be France - a country notorious for hating Americans and specifically the US government.

Finally, our good old trusty celebrity endorsement for a doc. Whether it is Al Gore, George Clooney, Ben Affleck, or Leonardo DiCaprio - a celeb saying that a doc is good is a surefire way to get butts in seats. Again, I am not knocking the films or the celebs for that matter. I am just pointing out the facts with the hope that it pushes audiences to think for themselves a bit more, to want to know because we should all know as human beings about each other - even those we do not see or understand. Knowing in a thoughtul manner through the art of cinema as opposed to via television shows like Big Brother, Tori and Dean: The Inn, The Real World or Newlyweds. Reality is only too much when it is meaningless and ruled by advertising dollars.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

If you see something, say something...

2007-06-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was young, I've wanted to open up a movie theater. My dream theater. This is how I imagined it. It'd be a huge warehouse with a screen from ceiling to floor. The floor itself would be slanted and moviegoers would be able to choose seats, moving recliners, and put them anywhere they wanted to sit. The recliners would be equipped with cupholders on one side and food trays if you wanted a meal. But most of all, there would be a bouncer, a lifeguard of sorts. If people talked too much or acted obnoxious. They were out. If the sound or picture went out, they were on it.

Well, I still have yet to open my theater, but Regal Cinemas have taken strides of making their own patrons "bouncers" in their theaters. This new device is called Regal Response and was introduced in their 114 theaters across the United States. There are four call buttons on the device: sound, picture, piracy, and "other disturbances," which is meant for their noisy guests. Instead of turning around and hushing the rude guest, moviegoers with this device simply push a button and a manager will come to remedy the situation.

Because so many moviegoers are so many options to watch films in the comfort of their own homes, this is exhibitors way of trying to make the in theater movie experience better for patrons. I have to admit, it drives me nuts when someone talks in the theater. But I couldn't help but notice that it is usually in the box office studio films. When I am watching indie films, the audience is quiet (except for maybe someone catching up after a bathroom break), and I can't help but wonder why. Is it respect for the artistry and craft of the film? Could it be that the stories "pull in" their viewers more than the car chases and explosions? Or maybe they are so depressed they can't bring themselves to talk? I guess there's no real way to know but I'll be curious to see if these devices also make their way into the smaller theater houses. What do you think?

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2007-05-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

Though summer is traditionally the season of the big budget studio blockbuster a la Spiderman 3. Pirates of the Caribbean 3 Shrek the Third - I hope that you see the pattern here - , there are, of course, some fantastic indie and foreign films coming to a theater near you in the next few months. So when you are sick of seeing Spiderman 3 for the third time, take a chance on some of the following titles that will scare you, make you think, make you laugh and make you much more wary of sheep.

A MIGHTY HEART- Based on the book A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life And Death Of My Husband Danny Pearl. The film is written by John Orloff, directed by Michael Winterbottom, and stars Academy Award Winner Angelina Jolie. Just coming off its successful world premiere at Cannes, this film is a must see this summer. JUNE

CRAZY LOVE - Dan Klores' CRAZY LOVE tells the astonishing story of the obsessive roller-coaster relationship of Burt and Linda Pugach, which shocked the nation during the summer of 1959. The film examines the human psyche and the concepts of love, obsession, insanity, hope and forgiveness. JUNE

ANGEL -A - Directed by Luc Besson (LA FEMME NIKITA) - his first film as director since 1999's THE MESSENGER: THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC - ANGEL A is an arty black-and-white film about two suicidal Parisians who pull themselves out of the Seine and set out to oppose a gangster. JUNE

BLACK SHEEP - The debut feature from New Zealander Jonathan King. The film describes itself as "Baa baa, black sheep, have you any…fangs?!!! The sylvan pastures of New Zealand, home to forty million sheep, are the setting for gory mayhem when a mutant strain of the normally placid fleecy ones runs amok in this endearingly funny horror romp" and I can't do better than that. JUNE

JOSHUA - directed by George Ratliff and starring Sam Rockwell and Vera Farmiga was one of my favorite films from Sundance this year. The film is the story of how a 10 year old boy reacts to the newest addition to the family. Taking sibling rivalry to a whole other level, JOSHUA takes us into the psychosis of a little boy and his need to truly be the first born son. Gripping, funny, and terrifying, the film is a must see - especially for all of you new parents of a second child out there. JULY

SUNSHINE - Director Danny Boyle's homage to 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, this sci-fi fantasy film starring an international cast headed by Cillian Murphy takes place in the future when the sun is about to die. A crew is sent into to space with the mission of launching a nuclear warhead into the sun to give it a much needed kickstart. Fantastic effects and great morality play. JULY

THIS IS ENGLAND - Shane Meadows - one of my all time faves - is back with an incredibly poignant film about a boy who finds "family" with a group of local skinheads after his father dies in the Falklands War. JULY

PARIS J'TAIME - Twenty-one directors are credited for this omnibus of short film whose remit was to show the true Paris, the one that is off the tourist beaten track. Each short focuses on an "unusual encounter" in one of the city's neighborhoods. Directors include the Coen brothers, Olivier Assayas, Gurinder Chadha and Wes Craven and the films star such actors as Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Gerard Depardieu, Nick Nolte, Natalie Portman and Elijah Wood. SUMMER TBA

SMILEY FACE - Indie bad boy director Greg Araki (MYSTERIOUS SKIN) is back with a comedy about a young actress (Anna Faris) who accidentally eats her roommate's pot brownies and has a tripped-out day. SUMMER TBA

Remember to check your local listings as some release dates vary by city.

Keeping it indie,
Julie

First Sundance Cinema opens in Madison, WI

2007-05-18T15:40:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, I had to go to Madison, Wisconsin, for a short business trip. It was also It was my first time visiting this quaint little university town so I was excited to explore the city. Turns out, the same weekend, Sundance Cinemas was opening its first official theater, Sundance 608, located at the Hilldale Mall in Madison.

I have been looking forward to the opening of Sundance Cinemas ever since they made the announcement a few years ago, but hadn't heard much lately. So it was great for me to hear about this grand opening, not from the film community, but from the citizens of Madison itself. Without even knowing about my cinephile tendancies, almost everyone one I met brought up this new addition to the city.

The idea behind Sundance Cinemas was to create a moviegoing exprience that was different from the mainstream. The Madison theater, and each theater that will be built in other cites, will be designed with that city in mind, creating a sense of place that matches the city. The theater has stadium seating, a bar and bistro, and will sell artwork from local artists, in an attempt to create a place where new audiences can not only see new films but discuss them and meet other indie film lovers.

Sundance Cinemas will play films that played at their festival, but will also use this venue as a way to feature the shorts and features that are looking for exposure. The next Sundance Cinema set to open will be the newly remodeled Kabuki Theater in San Francisco. So stay tuned!

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2007-05-12T07:37:00.000-07:00

Though some might view this as "selling out," I think that it is not only an incredibly smart marketing move but also a business one. No one can doubt the rise of success of Mexican directors over the past few years. The very fact that someone like Alfonso Cuaron can make low budget indie Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN and then go on to direct a multi million dollar franchise movie such as HARRY POTTER illustrates this. With not only the box office but critical success of Guillermo del Toro's PAN"S LABYRINTH and Alejandro González Iñárritu's BABEL, it is extremely forward thinking for these filmmakers to "strike while the iron is hot" and use their collective celebrity to gain access to financing for their films. They have the track record to back it up. The interesting thing about this group is that though they have spent their early careers dipping into the same pot for money for "foreign films," they have remained very supportive of each other. They read each other's scripts, bounce ideas, share crew, etc. It is very reminiscent to me of how some of American indie filmmakers like Allison Anders, Todd Haynes, Alexandre Rockwell and Rose Troche used to work. Helping each other out when someone needed it, reading each other's work, being supportive of each other, etc.

I would love to see a move back to collaboration in indie film as opposed to what I think is competition now. Though I am thrilled that there is more money and more access and more audience out there for indie film, this has made the competition for all of it much more fierce even on the low end of spectrum where young filmmakers are becoming less and less likely to collaborate than in years past. Everyone seems to be about themselves and how they are going to "make it." The only place where I have not seen this, is with marketing and outreach. More and more I am seeing filmmakers get together to publicize their screenings at festivals - short filmmakers all in the same program or the short filmmaker and the feature filmmaker getting together and doing an after party, etc. This is great to see. I would love it to happen and be encouraged to happen on the production side.

There is a possibility, though unlikely, that the offer to the studios by the Mexican filmmakers may be rejected. Even if it does, there is a great lesson to be learned for filmmakers at every level - sometimes together you are much more powerful and have much more control and access than you would have if you go at it alone. Collaboration with other filmmakers does not mean you lose. It often can mean that you gain - seeing how others work, banding together to share information or crew and getting perspective on your own work, can only make you as an individual filmmaker better.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

2007-05-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

True to the international scope of this year’s festival, the top award winners at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival represented films from around the world. This year’s Festival included 157 features and 88 short films from 47 countries. The world competition winners were chosen from 18 narrative and 16 documentary features from 25 countries.

The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature was given to My Father My Lord (Hofshat Kaits). Directed by David Volach (Israel), in this heartbreaking film, a respected rabbi in an ultra-Orthodox community--who is also a father and husband--is forced to come to terms with the demands of his faith and the welfare of his own family.

Best Documentary Feature was given to Taxi to the Darkside, directed by Alex Gibney (U.S.A.), the filmmaker behind Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. This documentary murder mystery examines the death of an Afghan taxi driver at Bagram Air Base from injuries inflicted by U.S. soldiers.

Best Screenplay and Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film went to Making Of (Akher film),directed by Nouri Bouzid (Tunisia, Morocco). Lofti Edbelli stars as Bahta, a 25-year-old breakdancer in Tunisia who, after the eruption in Iraq in 2003, falls in with a group of fundamentalists whose brainwashing is intended to make him a suicide bomber. In the
framing story, the actor playing Bahta doesn't know how the film will end, and he and the director have conflicts of their own.

On Saturday, Tribeca presented the Cadillace Award (chosen by the festival audience) to We Are Together (Thina Simunye), a documentary film from the U.K. directed by Paul Taylor and produced by Paul Taylor and Teddy Liefer. The film tells the story of children in the South Africa Agape Orphanage, most of who have lost their loved ones to AIDS.

For a complete list of winners, go to www.tribecafilmfestival.org!

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2007-04-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

Film festival juries are a funny thing. For the festival, they are as much about PR as they are about making sure that major corporate sponsors are happy - who doesn't want to get their picture taken with an Academy Award winner or supermodel(!) at a swank film party. Juries are also tricky in that they should reflect the ethos of the film festival as well as be made up of people who at least have seen a film. There also needs to be a significant balance between writers, directors, and actors so that the prize has some relevance to filmmakers. Whether made up of cash, services or prestige, Jury prizes can make careers, get or expand a film's distribution and make the filmmaker an international media darling. Perhaps the most famous or infamous film festival jury for all of these things is the one for Cannes - headed up this year by the magnificent Stephen Frears. MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE is still one of my favorite films of all time.

For filmmakers winning a jury prize is always good as long as the festival and the jury has some relevance. You don't want to win a jury prize for an animated film from a bunch of musicians. More often than not, the jury prize as mentioned above, will bring increased media attention and will also more often than not get your submission fees waived at other film festivals. Though I am not a big fan of juries that are made up of people who know nothing about the category they are judging on, the prize (especially if it is cash) can make a huge difference in the life of the filmmakers so I can't be a hater.

The 2007 Tribeca Film Festival has an inordinate amount of jury members. On one hand because they actually give out a lot of prizes and on the other, because it is the Tribeca Film Festival headed up by Robert DeNiro - who knows a few people. Most are "of this moment" for one reason or another but there are few wild cards thrown in to make it interesting. My hat's are off to the talent relations department of this year's festival. This year's eclectic slate includes fashion designer Rachel Roy, actresses Whoopi Goldberg and Edie Falco, Ivanka Trump, Andre Leon Talley, Quincy Jones and DJ Spooky to name a few.

The juries will award cash and prizes in 16 categories and a complete list of who is doing what and where is below.

World Narrative Competition: Chris Cooper, Edie Falco, Goran Paskaljevic, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Barry Sonnenfeld

World Documentary Competition: Heidi Ewing, Whoopi Goldberg, Jehane Noujaim, Raoul Peck and Gideon Yago

“Made in NY” Narrative Feature Award: Minnie Driver, Dave Fear, Alex Gibney, Leah Rozen, Oren Rudavsky and Mercedes Ruehl

“NY Loves Film” Documentary Feature Award: Eric Bogosian, Marshall Fine, Susan Lyne, Patrick McCarthy, Sheila Nevins, Gene Seymour and Ivanka Trump

Narrative Short Award: Elizabeth Banks, Lee Daniels, Thelma Golden, Quincy Jones, Dany Levy, John Leguizamo, Alfred Molina and Todd Wagner

Documentary and Student Short Awards: Frank Deford, Barbara Gladstone, Mario d’Urso, Ted Leonsis, Dan Lohaus, Emmy Rossum and Helen Zell

Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Award (Narrative): Elizabeth Avellan, Susie Castillo, Ashwin Navin, Freddy Rodriguez, Andre Leon Talley and Kerry Washington.

Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Award (Documentary): DJ Spooky (Paul Miller), Shola Lynch and Rachel Roy.

Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Award (Screenwriting): Heavy D, Tracey Edmonds and Milton Liu

Keeping it indie,

Julie

Phoning it In...

2007-04-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

I am constantly amazed about how fast technology has advanced, particularly when it comes to cellphones. I still have my "first phone" which I bought in 1997. It is so big (it almost the size of my current home phone) compared to the skinny models that we have access to now. And forget just using the phone for a call. You can send email, text message, download and listen to music, and take pictures, and both watch and capture video footage.

Has the cellphone launched a new era of filmmakers? Gone are the days where one must carry around a video camera, it's as simple as pulling out your phone. And because of the size, the "filmmaker" is practically invisible. Just a few weeks ago here in Chicago, footage was released of a former police officer beating up a bartender. Then, in Virginia last week, the news used a student's footage of the chaos on Virigina Tech campus, also captured on a phone. The images are erratic and a bit blurry but it's clear to see what is happening. The media and audience seemingly has accepted this coverage as a reliable means of journalism, but would they it accept it as entertainment?

This week, Why Didn't They Tell Me It Would Become this bad in Afghanistan, a film shot almost entirely on a cellphone, will play at both the Tribeca Film Festival and the San Francisco Film Festival. The film is told through the eyes of Cyrus Frisch, a Dutch soldier who has returned to Amsterdam, traumatized after a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Frisch has taken advantage of the fuzzy video quality and easy mobility of a cellphone, to create a intimate, experimental film told in the first-person narrative.

I'm curious to see the film myself to see how it stands up as a feature. But nonetheless, I find it truly inspiring that someone has taken what was only used a tool for communication to make art. As the technology continues to advance, I believe this will open up more doors for future filmmakers who use alternative methods to share their story. Indie filmmaking on the rise... you can't beat that.

Long live indie film,
Michelle

P.S. If you are in San Fran or Tribeca and see the film, email me at Michelle@indieIN.com and let me know what you think.

2007-04-15T03:51:00.001-07:00

The demise of Premiere Magazine is certainly a sad thing as it was part of the institution of Hollywood for so many years. It was, in fact, Entertainment Weekly before Entertainment Weekly in that it was a place to find a certain kind of film journalism that covered films coming out, reviews, who was hot and who was not in an easily digestible manner that both your granny and your kid sister could enjoy. In an age, however, of EW which covers all media from what is on in cinemas to what books are out to plays and DVDs, Premiere lost its way a bit in the competition for shelf space. Why would consumers spend money on one magazine for each of the media that they enjoy when they can get what they want, how they want in a weekly offline (and online) format that is quick and easy to read and looks pretty. Premiere writers have gone on to "bigger" and better things e.g, Anne Thompson the former Wext Coast editor for Premiere for many years is now a staple at the Hollywood Reporter writing a blog about what is going on in the business of Hollywood.

What is interesting to me about the whole thing is that it brings to fore the idea that though publications like EW cover indie film, there really is not a publication that currently exists that covers indie and foreign film in that vein that appeals to the average moviegoer. Fantastic online and offline pubs like Filmmaker, indieWIRE, and Sight&Sound often do amazing and informative coverage of these type of films but their coverage is geared for the most part, towards filmmakers or people actually working in the film industry NOT the average moviegoer. The one thing that we, at indieIN, have tried to do since we started was to offer information about indie and foreign film in a format that was appealing to the most amount of people possible. The tagline "because there's more out there" is not only about the fact that there are more than just the movies that the studios put out but also, and perhaps, more importantly, about the fact there is more than just an audience of cinephiles, critics and filmmakers who are/can be interested in indie and foreign film. This fact is demonstratedby the fact that there are over 1000 film festivals in the US alone. All of those festivals were not started and do not continue to run successfully because they are run solely by film afficionados. The large majority of people who run AND attend these film events are above all regular people who are just a comfortable seeing Spiderman 3 as they are Little Miss Sunshine or Half Nelson.

In the coming months, one of the things that we will be focussing on is developing indieIN's editorial content. We will be expanding our profiles and creating new features to give our faithful readers - that means you- a bit more meat to bite into. You will see more and therefore be able to make more informed choices about what to see, where to see it and a bit of the context of the industry. As we go through ths process, I would invite you to write to me or Michelle with any suggestions that you may have to improve our coverage. We are here to serve, you, the audience so anything we can do to make the experience better, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Keeping it indie,
Julie

2007-03-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

Wristcutters: A Love Story is a film about exactly what it says it is about - love found among people who have committed suicide as they take a road trip through purgatory. Writer/director Goran Dukic's dark comedy-romance has received a ton of acclaim since its 2006 Sundance Film Festival debut. The film stars the wonderful Patrick Fugit (of Almost Famous fame) and Shannyn Sossamon (an actress who is always threatening to break out but never quite does) and won best feature honors at the Gen Art Film Festival, earned a nomination for Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You at the 2006 IFP Gotham Awards and noms for best first feature and best first screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards in February. So this film, though up until now has not had a huge amount of buzz, is being distributed this July by After Dark Releasing - a non exclusive distribution partner of Lionsgate - has been around the block or two among audiences and the response overall has been largely positive.

After Dark Releasing, you might remember is the distributor of Captivity a film starring Elisha Cuthbert whose ad campaign had to be pulled because of the intense protest billboards depicting Elisha being tortured and killed. It has been a long while since the indies have provoked the ire of "the establishment" in the way that these two campaigns have. The last one I recall was for Vincent Gallo's Brown Bunny which depicted Chloe Sevigny giving Old Vince a blowjob. In any case, what is more than interesting about the brouhaha about Wristcutters: A Love Story is that the ad campaign is that the public or anyone of the protesting groups have yet to see it. It is a "proposed" campaign that MAY feature - "images of people jumping off a bridge, electrocuting and hanging themselves, they would be displayed as traffic-style stop or yield signs with a barring-style circle and line over the illustrations, along with hearts to reference the film's romantic story line." Proposed!

Besides the obvious increased buzz on this film that this protest is creating - controversy may turn away some audiences but more often than not. it increases them - the company releasing the film has a chance to engage those people who may have been on the fence. The whole thing is a genius marketing ploy. I wish I had thought of it.

From one perspective it is reminiscent of the pressure that the studios get from groups when films are deemed to "sexual" usually. Interestingly, there is rarely protest about a film being too violent. Indies have been courting very good favor with audiences and with "the establishment" because of films like Little Miss Sunshine and Crash. In my opinion, not a good thing as indies are around to provoke and challenge the status quo not be part of it. Maybe with the controversy surrounding the ad campaign for Wristcutters: A Love Story, indies may be back in business.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

2007-03-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

Tribeca Film Festival has selected 32 projects for Tribeca All Access, a program designed to help foster relationships between film industry executives and filmmakers from traditionally underrepresented communities.

Now in its fourth year, Tribeca All Access does just what its name promises—gives filmmakers direct contact with over 100 potential investors, development executives, producers and agents, for exclusive one-on-one meetings. Tribeca has selected a diverse group of arts, including members of African American, Latino, Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander communities. The film genres are just as diverse, ranging from romantic comedies to documentaries.

Here’s just a few of the projects chosen:

The Flicker’s Dance- Writer/Director - Priyanka Kumar
Cast: Joe Mantegna, William Mapother, Ione Skye
Confined to his house because of his illness, a boy refuses to give up his love of the outdoors and unexpectedly changes the lives of those around him.

Rain for Kabul- Screenwriter - Soo Hugh
The lives of a celebrated journalist working on a story of detainee prison abuse and an American aid worker in Kabul collide when one of them goes missing.

The Foolishness of God: Desmond Tutu and Forgiveness
Director - Karen Hayes, Producer - Darin Kuhlmann
An in depth examination of Desmond Tutu’s life and work with a focus on his controversial message of forgiveness and reconciliation.

In addition, this year will show off a few of the alumni of the 2005 TAA program, who work will premiere at the 2007 Festival, held April 25-29. Director Benson Lee will premiere his documentary, Planet B-Boy, a film that captures the world championship break dancing. Director Jeffrey Morgan presents Lillie & Leander: A Legacy of Violence, a feature-length documentary that examines what happens when a woman stumbles upon an explosive family secret that hints at decades of racially charged murders.

For a list of the films chosen for the program, visit www.tribecafilmfestival.org.

Long live indie film,
Michelle

2007-03-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

I know that it sounds strange as the argument would be that any assistance - especially financial - is a good thing for independent filmmakers. But the longer I spend with foreign filmmakers and I am sorry to say the Brits are the worst at this - the more I think that public funding bodies like the UK Film Council and the various and sundry screen agencies are=ound Britain - make filmmakers more than a bit lazy. The constant whinge from UK filmmakers is that they didn't get the money that someone else did and that money - listen up you US filmmakers - is upwards of $100,000! I mean can you imagine. Truly. I had the distinct displeasure at being involved in a seminar with some indie UK filmmakers last week where I was there to speak to the US perspective, festivals and marketing, etc. One after another filmmaker got up and whinged and whinged about the fact that the UK does not do ENOUGH to support filmmakers who are not privileged like Richard Curtis, Michael Winterbottom, Stephen Frears, etc. because THEY did not get any money from the UK Film Council for their film. I sat and sat and then just had to give them some home truths about how freaking lucky they are to be living in a country where the government not only supports the arts but funds it - to a degree that although is not to the extent of countries like France but still is substantially more than the US - the richest and most powerful country in the world. Though by no means a perfect system and one that suits everyone, it is something. I had to remind the group that had they been indie filmmakers in the US, they would have gotten nothing - not even if they were Steven Speilberg.

The laziness is so apparent is scares me to think what the future holds for these filmmakers who are looking for things - especially money - to be handed to them on a lovely silver platter. Not only do filmmakers here get help with funding production, distribution and some marketing, but they get training. There are a million and one different training orgs that teach everything from how to be a grip to editing. You be lucky if you got that for less than the price of a car in the US.

By no means do I need to say that all UK filmmakers are like this but more and more I see a nasty little trend developing where instead of the hunger and desperation - that I miss ever so slightly - there is instead a laissez faire attitude to making a film here that I do not think fosters good work. If you know that is going to be easy, you do not try as hard. You do not take any risks. Good work, especially art work, comes from risk and hunger and to be truthful desperation. You push yourself to make the scene work in any way you can. You are creative with props and with design. You work as if your life depended on it. These things, to be sure, have produced crap but in between the crap, there have been some gems.

Interestingly, this phenom of laziness does not seem to be happening in other countries in Europe where the governments are very supportive of film from funding to tax breaks to distribution. It only seems to be spurring those filmmakers to do better. Does this prove the recent theory that like the US, the UK is falling behind because it has fallen in love with itself? I hope not.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

2007-03-11T19:37:00.000-07:00

It seems like every day I hear about a new technology that will enable you to watch independent film in the comfort of your own home. Apple TV, VOD, DVD, On Demand... you can watch a film on your cellphone! But for me, a self-proclaimed cinephile, the best way to see a film is on the big screen. When I talk about my love for movies, the films itself are just a part of the experience. I have my favorite spot in the theater: fifth row center (or back a bit further, depending on the size of the theater). I like to lean way down in my seat so the only thing I see if the moving pictures in front of me. I don't like people who talk in the theater, not just because it's rude, but because it takes me out of the experience.

So, this is my preference. But... I'm a busy woman and lately I've found it's hard to get to the theater as frequently as I would prefer. I live in Chicago and many of the films I want to see don't play here as soon as they might in New York or Los Angeles. So lately, I've been watching many films at home using On Demand. I discovered the "IFC in Theaters" section by mistake really. If you haven't heard about it, it's on Comcast and it's my new favorite thing. I've been able to check out Land of Plenty, Exterminating Angels (pictured), and An Unreasonable Man, three films that have yet to play in my area.

Last week, I checked out Wild Tigers I Have Known, a film by Cam Archer that I've been tracking on the film circuit. It's a lovely film about a sexually confused teenager. Not completely narrative, but not quite experimental, it became quite clear to me why this film received a nomination for Best Cinematography. But watching the film on my 19 inch TV screen, I knew I was missing out on my wall-to-wall experience. If I want to duplicate my cinema surroundings, I guess i can do a few things at home. Get a better stereo and hook up surround sound. I can buy a large screen flat TV. Put black shades on the windows to block out all the lights. Lock the kitties in the bathroom. But even then, will the experience be the same?

I have to admit, I have been watching more films since I discovered this little portal of indie in my home. I finally am getting to see some of these little charms that don't get big releases. If they aren't playing in a big city like Chicago, there are certainly tons of others in small town that also don't have access to these films. I guess it comes down to deciding what is more important? Seeing the film, or seeing a film in the theater. And for me, I will take what I can get.

Long live indie film,
Michelle

2007-03-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

Albert Gore, Jr is probably the most famous and seemingly influential President of the United States that has never actually been President of the United States. Depending on what side of the political fence that you sit on, Al Gore won the 2004 Presidential election. But, as we all know, the what the people want to happen and what actually happens are often very polar opposites so what has happened is a President who is not and looks like never will be President who has a global influence. Unless you have been living under the proverbial rock, Al Gore is the star of a documentary directed by Davis Guggenheim and produced by Laurie David and Lawrence Bender called AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. This film has not only captured the pulse of the US but has had a global impact on audiences and the powers that be who can actually have a direct effect on climate change. The film, very much Mr Gore himself, is pretty straightforward and no frills but manages to distill a very complicated problem into simple layman's terms so much so that not only was the film nominated for this year's Academy Awards - it won! How cool is that! One billion people watched Al Gore accept an Oscar for a film about global climate change. Think about that for a moment.

In an effort to foster his citizen action, a few years ago, Al Gore launched Current TV, a viewer created content site - "The TV Network By the People Who Watch It" - that is less videos of baby's first steps as it is a mini CNN for politically and socially conscious youth. Videos are created and uploaded by 17 to 30 year olds about things like community action campaigns, green issues and political injustice. To make the site seem less of a downer, there is also a fair amount of indie music videos and performances by hip bands like Deathcab for Cutie, Coldwar Kids and The Shins and popular culture stuff culled from other sites. Watching the news and current events video content, one wonders why CNN is not knocking on some of these kids doors as their content is often more compelling and balanced than what is being done for the so- called professionals. In few cities in the US, Current TV is on local cable channels but in most places the only place to watch is online.

Running since 2005 in the US, Current TV is coming to the UK and Ireland and will air on BSkyB - a Fox owned and operated broadcast outlet. With 30% of the content on the network viewer created, I wonder if UK "kids" will warm up to the socially, environmentally and politically action oriented content that has been produced in the US or will a bit of backlash occur as Al has gotten into bed here with Sir Richard Branson. Though the goal of the Green contest they are running for the best solution for climate change, is a commendable one. Many here in the UK question Branson's Green cred. Whether the partnership with Branson will affect Current TV remains to be seen as unlike with AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, Al's association with the channel are not always apparent here.

Either way, I think that Current TV coming to the UK is a great thing. Especially as it is the antithesis to myspace and youtube which have swept the UK like the rest of the planet.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

Short Films go a long way...

2007-02-26T10:25:00.000-08:00

When you hear talk about the Oscars, it's easy to hear debate Best Feature, actors, or even sound or art. But when it comes to the short films, this category is somewhat a mystery. After all, how often does the average moviegoer have a chance to see the films?

The majority of the short films that were nominated for the Oscars have been favorites on the festival circuit. If you're in Miami, you can check out The Danish Poet, winner of Best Animated Short Film, at the Miami Film Festival on March 8th or got on iFilm.

If you're in the Midwest, head over to the True/False Festival in Columbia, MO, which screens documentary shorts and feature films. On Thursday, March 1st, you'll be about see Ruby Yang's award-winning short doc, The Blood of Yingzhou District, along with nominees, Recycled Life (directed by Leslie Iwerks, who will be in attendance), Rehearsing a Dream by Karen Goodman & Kirk Simon, and Susan Rose Behr's Two Hands, the story of pianist Leon Fleisher, who lost his ability to play with his right hand at the height of his career.

If you can't make it to a festival, check out iFilm.com or youtube.com. They are playing many of the shorts so if you put Oscar shorts into the keywords, you should get some hits. Some of the shorts are also playing at art-house theaters, so keep an eye out in your city for the chance to see some great little films.

Long live indie film,
Michelle

2007-02-16T12:45:00.000-08:00

Unless you have been living under the proverbial rock, you know that video downloading is king in the world of growing technology. YouTube, before Google swallowed it up in one huge multimillion dollar gulp, was the place where you could share videos of your family vacation, your geeky proposal to your high school sweetheart and your baby's first steps to not only relatives living far away but the entire planet. It was an amateur video smorgasbord of stuff - often hilariously bad - that was, in my opinion, very no harm no foul and it was logged on to by millions on the hour on the hour every day of the year. Then the tech geeks got involved and figured out they could share their library of clips of archive television programming with someone other than their other geek friends. You could watch a clip of that famous touchdown by that famous football player at that famous super bowl. You could watch rare footage of Kate Bush singing on live television and you could watch that seminal moment when Diane and Sam or Addie and David or Mulder and Scully got together. All free anytime you would like.

The problem is that those geeks - bless their little cotton socks -DO NOT OWN that material. It belongs to the copyright owner - in most cases, the network where the show first aired. For a good long while, because it seemed all of the stuff was often decades old and was in clip form as opposed to the entire program, the networks seemed to ignore the infringement - possibly hoping that people would get bored of community building and sharing videos with millions of others! With the sale of YouTube to Google - a major player in the media world who needs the cooperation of those content owners to survive - comes a whole set of issues over copyrighht infringement. It's cool for a studio to release footage of BORAT before the film hits theaters because they own it. It is not okay for someone who works at Fox to smuggle out a copy of the film and upload it to YouTube so that everyone and their mother can watch it for free.

I am not one to always agree with "the man" as a dear friend would call the networks and studios BUT there is something to be said for standing up for what is yours and that is exactly what they are doing. I think, unlike most things that come out of the studios, this will be an excellent thing for indie filmmakers. Cracking down on YouTube for copyright infringement would make sure that films were not on the site illegally - uploaded by someone who does have ownership. Too often indie filmmakers get screwed out of profits from exhibition and move to make sure that everything that is uploaded on the free site is uploaded by the owner can only be good. In my mind, it indicates respect for the creator of that work no matter how good or bad it is and it makes the end user more aware of the actual work it takes to make the video they are enjoying instead of working.

More and more, short film distributors tell me that they have had to call YouTube out for having films on the site that they in fact have ownership or licensing rights to. Over the past few weeks, as more and more of the major players get a little mad, they are having to call them out less and less. The trickle down theory working at its very best,

Keeping it indie,

Julie

2007-02-08T18:43:00.000-08:00

Today, without thinking, I turned to my friend and asked a simple question: "When is the Academy Awards?"
Before she answered me, I was struck by what I had just asked. The words hung above me like a cartoon bubble. How could I, the movie freak, the self-proclaimed cinephile, the indie queen, not have on the tip of my tongue the date of what used to be one of the premier events of my year. Perhaps, I'm being a bit dramatic, but part of me is wondering, "what happened to me?"

Last week was the Superbowl. Living in Chicago, it was the talk of the town. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing about the Superbowl. Who would win? The game. The parties. Every single sign said, "Go Bears." There was no way to NOT know and be excited about the game. I could name you players and plays and stats... but a year ago I barely knew what a field goal was. But when talking to friends outside of Chicago, it was a minor event. I realized, part of the fun, was being in town and feeling the fever of the event.

So now, as I have my amnesia about the awards, it makes me wonder, was living in Los Angeles part of the fun of awards season? Working in the film industry, you see the ads in Variety and Reporter everyday. Billboards litter the town. Nominees pop up EVERYWHERE. In addition to the Academy Awards, there's a party or award show pretty much every other weekend for two months. You can't help but feel the caught up in the fervor. But, in addition to getting votes and awards, the award shows can act as free publicity for the winning films. As Elizabeth mentioned just last week in the INsider, nominations play a major role in the amount of screens an indie film plays. But, if a film has a small marketing budget to begin with, do they get additional dollars to take advantage of an extended run?

I don't have the answers but it has peaked my interest. I guess I just have to go back to my indie roots and help spread the word on these films the only way I know how--here!

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2007-02-02T08:23:00.000-08:00

Controversy is a very funny thing. In the independent film world, with its limited marketing budgets and sometimes complete ignorance from the mainstream press, controversy is often the thing that will bring you a significant audience. I will not be so cynical to believe that every single controversy about a film that hits before anyone has even seen the film is cooked up be savvy publicity and marketing people, but I will not be naive in thinking that PR people have nothing to do with the controversy stirring that goes on in the media - again often for months before anyone (critics included) have seen the film. What is interesting to me is that sometimes films with really controversial subject matter don't even get a whisper (especially if they are docs) and others with hardly any true controversial material are in the media and public eye all the time. A case in point was at this year's Sundance Film Festival where two films - HOUND DOG and ZOO - stood at these opposites sides of the spectrum.

HOUND DOG, a film by Deborah Kampmeier and starring Dakota Fanning as a precocious 12 year old living with her hard done by grandmother and abusive father. She is obsessed with Elvis Presley. It is a film that is the epitome of the southern Gothic tale of sorrow, regret and violence. But this is not the controversy. as you may have heard, the film contains a rape scene in which Dakota's CHARACTER (caps for emphasis) is violated by an older boy. There is much to be said about the film as a whole -though Dakota Fanning gives a very real and poignant performance, the film is not only flawed but racist- but what was blown up about in the press was this rape scene. The Catholic League were up in arms about the "irresponsibility" of the filmmakers in showing things of such a graphic nature on screen. This, by the way, having not actually seen the film but upon hearing about its content. major national publications such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and Entertainment Weekly to name but a few, all covered the controversy. Was Dakota ruining her career? her image? What does the film say about the status and protection of children in America when a filmmaker is allowed to show something like this? Again, the film had not been seen by anyone. So afraid of the media backlash, Sundance scheduled, instead of the regular filmmaker Q&A, a panel with the filmmakers, Dakota and representatives from rape awareness groups. For all of you who are wondering, the rape scene lasts perhaps 30 seconds. You see a leg, an arm and Dakota's face. The scene is done with grace and professionalism given the context. Rape happens to everyone - men, women and sadly, children. There is nothing gratuitous about the scene and in my opinion was actually the most honest part of the film. Controversy sold out screenings and led to much buzz before and after. But was the controversy justified?

Another film at Sundance, that I expected to court much controversy and protest was ZOO. ZOO is a documentary by Robinson Devor about the people and events surrounding the "mysterious" death of a man in Washington state some years ago. What is controversial about the film is not that the man died, but how he died - he bled internally as a result of injuries sustained by sexual penetration by a horse. Yes, a horse. The man was part of a group of men who regularly had sexual relations with horses at a nearby farm. The group - zoophiles- had been around for a while and included members of the local community. The film is fascinating and beautifully shot but is at its core a film about bestiality - an act most people find abhorrent. Yet, barely a whisper of controversy.

Is it because one of these films is a narrative/fictional story starring one of America's darlings and the other is a true story about people no one knows or cares about? Has controversy become about status? Is it only controversial if we know (or think that we know) the people involved? Either way, one of these films people are still talking about but to date does not have a theatrical distributor (HOUND DOG) the other will be released by Think Film in the coming year.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

Docs that make a difference...

2007-01-26T13:51:00.000-08:00

Who says that films can't help change the world? Last year at the Sundance Film Festiavl, Kirby Dick's This Film is not yet Rated premiered, a breakthrough investigation into the MPAA film ratings system and its profound effect on American culture. One year later in the same location, Dan Glickman, President and CEO of the MPAA, held a press conference announcing new reforms for filmmakers--crediting Dick's documentary as an influence behind the change.

In the documentary, Dick explored this rating system and asked whether Hollywood movies and independent films are rated equally for comparable content; whether sexual content in gay-themed movies is given harsher ratings penalties than their heterosexual counterparts; whether it makes sense that extreme violence is given an R rating while sexuality is banished to the cutting room floor; whether Hollywood studios receive detailed directions as to how to change an NC-17 film into an R, while independent film producers are left guessing; and finally, whether keeping the raters and the rating process secret leaves the MPAA entirely unaccountable for its decisions.

Of the many new changes that the MPAA has proposed, filmmakers will now be able to cite other movies when waging an appeal for their film and the Classification & Rating Administration (CARA) will post post the ratings rules on the MPAA Web site, describing the standards for each rating. Glickman has also appointed Scott Young, a 19-year MPAA veteran who has been serving as a senior rater, to act as a filmmaker liaison to work directly with directors and producers through the rating process.

Only time will tell if these new reforms will be effective in fairly rating indie films, but I think it's a good sign change itself was brought about by a filmmaker.

Way to go Kirby!

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2007-01-22T10:53:00.000-08:00

The weather is getting colder but things are definitely heating up here in Park City. There was a bit of quiet when we first arrived but things have definitely picked up. Sunday AM was beautiful and clear and after being in the grey of London it was wonderful to see the sunshine. Started out the day watching JOSHUA - George Ratliff's new film. I know George from his doc, HELL HOUSE, which I screened many moons ago at the Gen Art Film Festival. JOSHUA is a straight narrative but still has the elements of doc voyeurism. We are given a bird's eye view into what seemingly is a perfect family. As we look closer, the cracks begin to show in a huge and tragic way. The film stars Sam Rockwell and Vera Farmiga - two actors who are in multiple films at the festival. Both are very good but the real star is newcomer, Jacob Kogan. This kid is a star.

Sundance is not Sundance without the annual Queer Brunch held at the Grub Steak. This event is such a highlight and this year was sponsored by HERE TV. It is a great community event that welcomes everyone. The food is always good and the company exceptional. I love going and this year, the goodie bag was full of treats that I will use again and again.

We also stopped in at the Film Your Issue party - which launched their initative to get young people to make films about issues that they care about. It was a very lovely party. They screened the winners of the previous year's competition which talked about issues ranging from sexual abuse to AIDS awareness to the lack of conversation in society. Kevin Bacon - who just happened to be walking by the party - agreed on the spot to be on the jury. Love him.

At the Discovery Channel party, we stood in the presence of greatness. Buzz Aldrin was there promoting STANDING IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON - a film premiering at the festival. Not much of a space buff, but I have to say it was pretty damn cool to see him - talk about bravery.

All in all I would say, it was a pretty good Sundance day. See you next time.

Julie

Saturday night's all right...

2007-01-22T08:56:00.000-08:00

Even though this is my ninth time here at Sundance, I still am surprised about how overwhelming it can be. So many movies to see, parties to attend, with cocktail parties and brunches in between. Hard work!

Saturday was big movie day for me. My daily goal is five films per day and I managed to get in four so I felt pretty good.
We started off the day with Snow Angels, the new film by David Gordon Green, director of George Washington and All the Real Girls. Starring Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, and Michael Angarano (Jack's son on Will & Grace), this lyrical drama tells the story of a separated couple who are trying to pick up the pieces of their life, when they are hit with another tragedy that affects the whole town. Keep an eye out for this one. It hit me too the core.
Next up was Teeth, a dark comedy about a girl who discovers she has teeth in her vagina. Oh, yes, vagina dentata. This film was hilarious and you could hear the women laughing much louder than the men. After a break, I saw An American Crime, the new film by Tommy O'Haver (Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss, starring Catherine Keener and Ellen Page. It's based on a true story of Sylvie Likens who was tortured and beaten by a family and the neighborhood kids under the guidance of Gertrude Banisewski. It's a powerful film that you will not forget.

After American Crime, I needed a break so I headed up the Blackhouse, a new spot put on by the Blackhouse Foundation. This is a great little place that was put together by a group of filmmakers to help spotlight the films by African American filmmakers. You can check your email, meet with other filmmakers, and they have a happy hour every day. This has quickly become my favorite place to hang out at Sundance. We even saw Dan Glickman, president of the MPAA, talking with the filmmakers.

My last film of the day was Broken English written and directed by Zoe Cassavetes. Starring Parker Posey, Gena Rowlands, and Drea de Matteo, it's about a girl in her 30s who is still single while the rest of her friends are married or have children. Then she meets someone who changes her perspective on relationships. Or in other words, this the story of my life. It had a very Sex in the City meets Before Sunset vibe to it, but I really liked the film.

I have to run to a movie, but we'll be back with a full report on Sunday's events. Stay tuned!

Live from Park City,

Michelle

Friday: the arrival...

2007-01-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

Well, after a long day of travel, I arrived in Park City yesterday afternoon. I had a close call and almost didn't make it. I used a buddy pass from my sister, a flight attendant, and little did I know I was flying stand-by. The flight was delayed for two hours which turned out to be a blessing in disguise because there was also a dress code i wasn't aware of. Thanks to some nice guys from the Airport Hilton (who drove me to Target to buy a new outfit) I made my flight and looked presentable enough to board.

I arrived in Park City just in time to pick up my press pass from Festival Headquarters. And it was there i saw my first celebrity sighting: Crispin Glover. He was being interviewed for his film "It's Fine, Everything is Fine" which premiered last night. After chatting with some friends I haven't seen in a long time (festivals are the equivalent of high school reunions) I headed back to the condo to wait for Julie to arrive.

After traveling for 13 hours, Julie arrived from London. She was exhausted but somehow mustered up enough strength to go to the GEN ART party held at Delta Sky Lodge on Main Street. Or should I say, attempt to go. We arrived only a half hour from the parties start time but the event was already full capacity. Julie decided to go get some rest, but not before seeing her first celebrity: Lance Bass (bye, bye, bye...). I decided to stay and soon was let into the party.

I didn't see many GEN ART folks but it turns out they were sharing the party for the short film, High Falls, directed by Andy Zuckerman (pictured). Starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (the latter two were at the party), the film is about a man and his pregnant wife who share their secrets with their best friend, on a weekend in their country home. Zuckerman, who is also a photographer, had an incredible press kit with stills from the film. Here I had a couple of more celeb sightings: Screech and Beth from Real World. Oh, the horror.

After a couple of cocktails, I headed up to Slamdance for the party for the premiere of Weirdsville, directed by Allan Moyle. I missed the film but everyone was raving about how great it was, saying it was a cross-between Slackers and Pulp Fiction. Two of its stars were on hand: Wes Bentley and Scott Speedman. After that, I decided to head home, making my way through the people fighting to get in parties on Main Street. Wanted to get some rest to prepare for a full day of movies on Saturday. After all, that is why I came!

Long live indie film,
Michelle

2007-01-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

I will admit it upfront. I am a Mac girl - always have been and probably always will be AND I am a bit of a tech idiot which is why it is not surprising that I was scouring various and sundry news sources this week about Steve Jobs' announcement of what he is calling Apple TV. "I don't understand" How does it work again?"" What will I need to buy and how much will it cost me?" Here is the skinny: Essentially, Apple TV is a Mac combo of itunes and IPTV. It will consist of a wireless box that will sit on top of your television with a 40G hard drive capable of storing 50 hours of video. You will be able to download films, video content, etc from your computer to this box and watch on your television. I think the whole thing is pretty fantastic. For one, it has brought the talk of IPTV to the mass media and the public and two, because I firmly believe that it will change the face of the independent film industry. If successful, it is going to change the way indie films are distributed, marketed and eventually financed.

Apple has already made a deal with movie studio, Paramount Pictures for about 250 titles to make available for download. Included in this mix will be titles from Paramount Vantage - the studio's indie specialty arm. As small a step as this may seem, this allows more people to have access to films that a) do not come to your local cinema or festival and b) may not be available at your video store. In another indie friendly move, itunes has also struck a deal with this year's Sundance Film Festival. A number of this year's festival shorts will also be available for download. This fabulous but I am sure not flawless technology is paving the way for more and more people - that means you - to see and experience independent film. Each film that is available this way is automatically given a much further reach than ever before and each filmmaker who may not ever have been able to get their film released in the traditional theatrical or DVD way will now have a chance. All good, right? Well that remains to be seen.

The downside of all of this "new" technology is that is just that new. Not everyone from filmmakers to the consumer is going to feel comfortable with it. The issues of broadband vs a T1 cable or dial up will make the download times for films vary tremendously. If it takes you longer to download a film than to go out to the store to rent it or get it from Netflix, will you do it? But as someone mentioned to me the other day, when ipods first came out - even though they knew they really didn't need the CDs once the songs were downloaded and backed up - they still bought and kept them. Now years later, this same person NEVER buys CDs and downloads all of her music from itunes. It is all about mindset, convenience, and access,

So how this all plays out remains to be seen, but I would guess that a year from now more and more people will be downloading their films, more and more filmmakers will be looking at downloading as just another means of distribution and we will still be here keeping you up to date on all of it.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

New Year's Resolutions

2007-01-04T21:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay... Obviously if you really want to quit smoking or drop some pounds it's a good thing. But so many of us get so overwhelmed by the pressure that comes with the new year, by mid-February we're back to binge eating and chain smoking. I have decided to skip the grief and have come up with a few that I may actually be able to keep.

--See a film that's not "my kind of movie"
Last weekend, I went to see Pan's Labryinth. Initially, when I first heard about the film, I had no desire to see it. Sure, it was made by a great filmmaker and had rave reviews at Cannes, but this is not the movie I'd typically see. Yes, I like the romantic dramas that are guaranteed to have you bawling in the end. But, I was curious and also was going with a friend who I thought might like the fantasy-element of the film. I'm glad i did because I LOVED it. Sure, I covered my eyes through half of it because of the vicious detail Mr. del Toro is known for, but had I stuck to my "genre", I would have missed out on a great film.

--Don't be tempted to "wait for the DVD"
As we speak, they are perfecting the technology that soon we won't have to leave the house to see a film in the theater. Everyone is saying it, and I am fighting it because I believe films are meant to be seen on the big screen. But, sometimes I am lazy. Sometimes I get busy. Sometimes I'm broke. Whatever the reason, I catch myself saying, I'll just wait for the DVD. Then, months later when I catch the film (and it's good) I always say, man, I wish I would have seen that in the theater. I don't know how many times someone has told me they didn't like a film and then after a bit of discussion, I find out they watched it over three sittings in three days at home. That is not a way a film is meant to be seen people. So, I am going to make a conscious effort to get my butt to the theater.

--See a film I've never heard of
Everyone once in a while, mostly at festivals, I'll pick a film solely because I like the photo or it's just playing at the right time. But it's an unknown director with unknown actors. Sometimes I get a dud, but I have discovered some of my favorite films that way. Take a risk, you never know what you might find!

If anyone would like to join in my quest, I think it will be much more fun challenge than eating boiled eggs and grapefruit. And, of course, you can find out about all the great films here on our lovely site (shameless plug). Whatever the choice, it'll be a good year me thinks.

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2006-12-29T05:05:00.000-08:00

As we have been saying over the past few weeks, 2006 has been a pretty good year for indie film. Not only for filmmakers but for audiences as well. You. Now how great is that. You, the indie audience, have been treated to a plethora of incredible performances by the old indie favorites - Maggie Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Ryan Gosling, etc. films from great indie directors - Spike Lee, Sofia Coppola, John Cameron Mitchell, Michael Winterbottom, etc. and fantastic work from new filmmakers such as Paul Taylor's WE ARE TOGETHER, Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland's QUINCEANERA and Richard Wong's COLMA: THE MUSICAL. There has been more access to indie and foreign films then ever before. Stories about films such as THE QUEEN, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, SHUT UP AND SING, BABEL, SHORTBUS, BUBBLE, THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY to name very few - dominated popular press as never before. You , the audience, were able to read about, hear about, and see more about indie films than indie music - with the explosion of myspace that is something. Judging by the very significant box office grosses garnered by docs just this past weekend, more and more of you went to see indie films this year. Even if you don't necessarily think of docs as indie films, they are. Hooray!

As Michelle mentioned last week, 2006 has been the year of alternative ways of marketing and distribution of indie and foreign films. MySpace, YouTube and Google all had a place in increasing the audience for independent film - not just in the US but all over the world. Mark Cuban tried to shake things up with day and date and while the numbers of people going to see films in theaters has decreased, the numbers of DVD rentals has increased tremendously. Festival attendance numbers are increasing and more and more of you are subscribing to IFC and Sundance Channel. There was a great shift in independent and foreign film landscape this year and I can only look hopefully towards the future to see where the chips fall.

It has all been really exciting for those of us who work to bring indie film to audiences as there is nothing better than having great work to get out to receptive audiences.

So here's looking to 2007.

Thanks for all of your support for us at indieIN and for indie and foreign film in general. Watch this space for some exciting things to come.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

Top 10 stories of 2006

2006-12-22T20:49:00.000-08:00

Well, it's time for the holidays. It's hard to believe that 2007 is just days away! Along with the holiday celebrations, now is also the time of year when critics and organizations announce their favorite films of the year. That's always been a bit hard for me because I am so influenced by each film I see. So instead I thought I would reflect upon some of the news and events that happened this year that had an effect on indie film--and on me.

1. Day-and-Date

Early in the year, the first "day-and-date" experiment took place, as Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner released Bubble simultaneously in theaters and on DVD. All the articles were a buzz that this would change the course of indie film and how audiences would choose to see independent films. So what happened? The film made an estimated $1.6 million, with just over $70K on opening weekend. According to Magnolia Pictures president, Eamonn Bowles, the company shipped more than 100,000 DVD units, with few returns. While there was plenty of press beforehand, I have not heard much from the Cuban/Wagner team, although Magnolia Pictures (owned by Cuban/Wagner) has put out many titles this year that with appropriate marketing, may have served better in that format. This leads me to...

2. I Am a Sex Addict
At the 2005 Gotham Awards, Caveh Zahedi's I am a Sex Addict won the award for "Best Film NOT Playing in a Theater Near You." And it almost stayed that way when Zahedi's film was caught in a battle between Mark Cuban, IFC Films, and Comcast, over day-and-date distribution because Comcast would not Cubans two cable networks (HDNet and HDNet Movies).To summarize, Sex Addict was being released by IFC Films as part of their IFC First Take, where films play in theatrically on the same day they are available for ON Demand for Comcast subscribers. As a result, Mark Cuban pulled Zahedi's films from Landmark Theaters because it was competition. Despite his pleas, the film's theatrical release was cut short (but did get some free publicity). IFC First Take continues to release many of its films with Comcast but surprisingly, I do not see this marketing these films. Seems like a bit of a waste to me...

3. The Critics versus The Audience
Okay, so I know the real films that got slammed by the critics yet still did fantastic in the box office were studio films—Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest and The DaVinci Code but still it became abundantly clear that critics don't always get it right. To bring it back to indie films, I will point out that the well-loved Little Miss Sunshine was given a mere "C-grade" in EW which stated the film was "...not funny." Just weeks later, the film was on the cover being touted as a "surprise hit." The film still continues to do well and is nominated for several awards so I think the lesson learned here is, read the review but decide for yourself what to see.

Okay, those are the biggies so here are the rest in no particular order:

4. Evangelist Ted Haggard being outed by a male prostitute (if not for the documentary Jesus Camp, I would not have known who this guy was or what a HUGE deal this news was)
5. AIVF closing its doors
6. Mel Gibson's anti-semetic tirade (Okay, I know not really indie but some people argue that Passion of the Christ was an indie film)
7. Inconvenient Truth making a major impact in theaters and in people's minds [personal note: the climate crisis is real folks, learn all you can!]
8. The title song from Hustle and Flow ("It's hard out there for a pimp...") winning Best Song at the Oscars
9. The deaths of Robert Altman and Adrienne Shelly
10. You. Okay, a little sentimental but the fact that you visit indieIN means that you are supporting indie film. Thank you and please continue to help spread the word that "there's more out there..."!

Have a great holiday and go see an indie film!

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2006-12-15T10:09:00.000-08:00

Though as one would hope would be a given in any year in film, 2006 has been a pretty good year for actresses with some fantastically complicated roles played with skill, luminosity and sheer will that have blown me and the hardened critics away. Though by no means is the list below exhaustive, I have narrowed it down to a select few (in no order) so far - as I have not managed to see everything yet...

Probably the most "famous"performance this year by an actress is Helen Mirren in Stephen Frears' The Queen. If you have not seen this film, stop reading this (it will be up for at least a week) and go. Go now. I am serious. Not only is the subject - the PR, political and royal fall out from the death of HRH Princess Diana - fascinating to see from the inside but Mirren is absolutely sublime. Not only is it fantastic to see her act her socks off effortlessly but to do it as a living person who you can compare her to - a more than daunting. This is also a rare example of a performance that fits itself into the film as they are equally brilliant. Well written, well acted across the board and just the right length ( a secret pet peeve of mine) to make it worth your while but not interminable.

Two of my other favorites (and I group them together because they are both incredibly difficult roles to play) were from Kate Winslett and Cate Blanchett - two actresses that I would pay to watch read the phone book and in Little Children and Babel respectively, do not disappoint. In Little Children, Winslett plays a married wildly intelligent mother who falls into a relationship with a very attractive stay at home married father. The key to Winslett is her complete distaste for and distance from her child, a daughter whom you suspect she loves but just can't bring herself to emotionally connect with. Winslett manages to find her way to an emotional connection with her daughter by way of falling in love with a man that she knows she can never be with. The struggle, the fragile line between beauty and exhaustion, and the ferocity of sexual desire for the man are all played by Winslett in a way that you almost can't believe is possible. She manages to make us fall in love with her even though she is really without much going for her in the strength of character department. Sublime. Unlike Winslett, Blanchett has only 20 minutes of screen time (in an almost 3 hour film) to convey both the emotional and historical life of her character and her relationship with her husband played by Brad Pitt. Blanchett, with very little dialogue, tells us who she is and who she might be. There has not been a more intense scene for me on film this year than the one between her and Pitt as he does the simple act of helping her go to the bathroom. Again, sublime.

Other brilliant performances include:

Isabelle Huppert in Patrice Chereau's Gabrielle - not a film I particularly loved but worth the price of admission to watch a master at playing a woman of deception and cruelty at her very very best.

Slindile from Paul Taylor's We Are Together - not a performance as the film is a doc about this 12 year old and her siblings at the Agape Orphanage. Slindile not only sings like an angel but manages to take us through her life of pain and suffering with a sense of strength and determination of spirit that is rarely captured on film.

Penelope Cruz in Pedro Almodovar's Volver - finally a performance that reminds us why we fell in love with her in the first place. Viva Almodovar!

Lei Hao in Lou Ye's Summer Palace - again a film that is far from perfect in any way but a performance which manages to take us through 20 odd years of a woman's life from University in Bejing to the fall of the Berlin Wall with sensitivity, fascination and wonder. The only Chinese film ever to be up for the Palme d'Or.

Shareeka Epps in Ryan Fleck's Half Nelson - this debut performance by this young actress is one of the best I have seen in a long time. Epps has a wonderful maturity and walks the line between naiviete and adulthood that is so fabulous to watch. Her scenes with Ryan Gosling balance between flirtation and familial impeccably and with a sophistication that actresses twice her age and experience can't muster.

This as I said above is by no means an exhaustive list, just a few of my faves this year so far.

Keeping it indie!

Julie

2006-12-09T12:23:00.000-08:00

The Weinstein Company has come up with an interesting new way to market George Hickenlooper's new film, Factory Girl--a design contest! Designers are encouraged to show off their artistic skills by designing a poster for the film. The grand prize winner will receive a full-sized copy of the poster signed by the cast of Factory Girl, a private screening of the film for the winner and 25 of their friends, and the poster will be used to market the film in the winner's local theater as well as posted on the film's official website, www.FactoryGirlMovie.net.

I think this is a very clever way to market this film, that explores the rise and fall of 60s "it girl" Edie Sedgwick, who became the muse to Andy Warhol. The contest is clearly geared town atracting artists but I think it would more effective if they actually used the poster for the national campaign.

Independent filmmaking is already such a collaborative process. Filmmaker's must work with cinematographers, actors, costume designers, and musicians to create the film. Why not extend the step one further and go to artists who are looking to showcase their work. I think more indie filmmakers may want to look at this model.

I'm a fan of Hickenlooper so I'm interested to see the film and the winning poster. I guess we can all stay tuned...

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2006-12-01T06:32:00.000-08:00

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced this week that AIDS is set to be the 3rd leading cause of death worldwide and that 117 million people will die of AIDS between 2006 and 2030. 39 million people worldwide are living with HIIV/AIDS today. Staggering statistics – but even more frightening is the fact that of that 39 million living with the virus, there is a growing majority of them that are unaware that they are infected. In a world of constant awareness of anything and everything virtually at the moment it happens e.g, we know that Britney Spears broke up with K-Fed over a text message and the every movement of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie half a world away, HIV/AIDS numbers are not dwindling, but increasing at an incredibly rapid rate. The issues of poverty, access to retroviral drugs and political upheaval notwithstanding in the developing world, there is no excuse for the growing numbers of HIV/AIDS in the “developed’ world. Have we just turned off? Do we just not care anymore because we have become lax in the belief that HIV/AIDS happens to “other” people? Let me repeat myself….”of that 39 million living with the virus, there is a growing majority of them that are unaware that they are infected”

The New York Times first reported on AIDS in 1981. However, while the esteemed paper was breaking the news to the public at large, there were a number of indie filmmakers within and outside of the gay community that were already using their films to send a message about the severity and fragility of life with HIV/AIDS. Early films by filmmakers such as Vito Russo’s THE CELLULOID CLOSET and Albert Bressan Jr.’s Buddies explored the impact of the virus on the gay community. In 1985’s AN EARLY FROST directed by John Erman AIDS was mentioned on television for the very first time. Filmmakers were beginning to reflect what was going on around them furthering. One of the strongest connections between the indie film world and the AIDS “crisis” of the 80s was a film called PARTING GLANCES (1986) directed by Bill Sherwood. The film is a typical NY story about a stressed out gay couple and the impact that AIDS has on their lives. It is both funny and sad and gave the indie film world one if its greatest and most respected talents, Steve Buscemi. It was his feature film debut.

As time went on indie filmmakers focused less and less on the films about “the disease” and more on how the disease was a part of the fabric of their narratives. Indie films such as Greg Araki’s THE LIVING END, Larry Clark’s KIDS, and Cyril Collard’s SAVAGE NIGHTS all featured characters or storylines that had an element of living with HIV/AIDS. Documentaries such as Tom Joslin’s SILVERLAKE LIFE and Robert Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s COMMON THREADS were notable for their depiction of what it was like living with HIV for the infected and those who love them.

But that was then.

Where are the filmmakers now when the “crisis” that we allowed ourselves to think was over because we were distracted is far from over? It is not the responsibility of filmmakers to influence society but it is their responsibility as artists to reflect society either in a fictionalized way or just the straight truth. There have been at least 25 films – narratives and documentaries made about the conflict in Iraq and practically none on the war that is currently ravaging communities at home. Maybe it is time to wake up.

For more information on HIV/AIDS, you can check out the following sites:

www.amfar.org
www.knowhivaids.org

2006-11-18T04:42:00.000-08:00

Indie filmmakers more often than not are very good at holding a mirror up to "the establishment" to let them know what they are doing wrong. Though things are changing ever so slightly, documentary filmmakers are the epitome of indie filmmakers and are always going to lead the charge against what is wrong with the way things are going. Therefore it comes as no surprise at all that when the shortlist for the feature length documentary category for the 2007 Academy Awards was announced this week, the list was dominated by films about the war in Iraq. For those of you who don't know, there is a documentary branch of the Academy that screens a number of docs to get to a preliminary list of 15 films that will then be narrowed down to the five nominations.

Of the 15 films on the shortlist, the Iraq centered films includes Patricia Foulkrod's "The Ground Truth," which offers up the testimony of veterans of the war; James Longley's "Iraq in Fragments," in which Iraqis detail their own accounts of life in wartime; Laura Poitras' "My Country, My Country," which focuses on a Sunni doctor as he campaigns in the 2005 election; and Deborah Scranton's "The War Tapes," which accompanies a National Guard unit into action and Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck's "Shut Up & Sing," which documents the backlash encountered by the Dixie Chicks after Natalie Maines criticized President Bush's invasion of Iraq.

However, even though Iraq was a dominant theme, doc filmmakers did focus their cameras on some rather fascinating other subjects and some of these films did make the shortlist.

They include:

Frank Popper's "Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?" a film about a teacher who ran for a Missouri Senate seat in 2004
Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's incredible "Jesus Camp," a film which explores a camp for preteen evangelicals and the connection to Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court
Amy Berg's "Deliver Us From Evil,"about a Catholic priest who admits to a long history of pedophilia
Lucy Walker's "Blindsight" which follows six blind Tibetan youths as they attempt to scale a Himalayan peak - if you get a chance catch Lucy's fabulous "Devil's Playground" about Amish youths going through Rumspringa on DVD.
Florence Ayisi and Kim Longinotto's "Sisters in Law," which looks at women and justice in Cameroon
Yael Klopmann's "Storm of Emotions," about Israel's disengagement from Gaza
Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg's "The Trials of Darryl Hunt," which explores the case of a man wrongly convicted of rape and murder
Davis Guggenheim's "An Inconvenient Truth" about Al Gore's quest to save us from ourselves with regards to the environment
Henriette Mantel and Steve Skrovan's "An Unreasonable Man," about consumer activist Ralph Nader.

One of my favorite films that made the list is Stanley Nelson's "Jonestown: The Life and Death of People's Temple,"an incredible exploration into cult leader Jim Jones' ill-fated settlement in Guyana. Partly because Guyana is where my family is from and partly because it is a film that goes into the psychology of cult behavior in a riveting and personal way that I have not yet seen. Marvelous.

Most of these films have or will have theatrical and/or DVD distribution so I strongly encourage you to check them out. Sometimes that mirror is not just for the establishment but for us as well.

Nominations are announced January 23, 2007.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

2006-11-12T16:58:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, I was shocked and saddened to hear the tragic news about indie actress/filmmaker Adrienne Shelly. On November 1, Shelly was found dead in her New York office. At first, her death was ruled a suicide but later evidence revealed she was murdered during an argument with a construction worker. Shelly is survived by her husband, Andy Ostroy, and a three-year-old daughter Sophie.

Shelly was born Adrienne Levine in Queens, New York and raised on Long Island. She is best known for her performances in Hal Hartley's films The Unbelievable Truth and Trust. Trust, still one of my favorite films is the first time I discovered this actress and Hal Hartley. I remember relating to Maria, the pregnant high school drop-out, who Shelly played with such such conviction. Over the years, Shelly appeared in several films and television dramas, and most recently starred in Bent Hammer'sFactotum. Shelly also wrote and directed Sudden, Manhattan (1997) and I'll Take You There (1999) and most recently completed Waitress, a feature film starring Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines and Jeremy Sisto. The film was waiting to hear if it was accepted into Sundance, so hopefully the film will still be able to find distribution.

I send out my prayers and best wishes to Adrienne Shelly's family.

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2006-11-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

I know that this might prove to be difficult if you are over 12 and are not up during the hours of midnight and 3 AM when it seems to be the only time MTV shows actual videos, BUT I strongly encourage you to TIVO or just stay up a little late one night and check out what is happening on the music video front. I, myself, am not an avid MTV watcher but I recently got a gym membership and most times when I am huffing away on the treadmill there are a string of music videos on. How delightful! Some are what you would expect - The Pussycat Dolls dancing around in their underwear and flipping their hair so much that I am sure the wind mustered could power a car, Beyounce sadly doing the same hair flip action and a hip hop artist I have never heard of in a flash car with a bunch of scantily clad big bottomed women. However, in amongst the excess skin and the hair flip, there are some fabulously cinematic gems.

Case in point: Christina Aguilera's HURT - directed by the fabulous Floria Sigismondi - this video harkens back to vaudeville with a storyline of a liitle girl whose father was the center of her world and is not around to see her later success which now seems empty without him. Shot beautifully in sepia tones and elegant costumes, Christina emotes! The video is a film about love, loss, and fame. Floria has been around for quite a while shooting videos for the likes of Sigur Ros, Interpol, Incubus, and The Cure. She is a master of visual style and innovation. If I were a producer and she wanted to make a feature, I would just write her the check - no questions asked.

Where Floria has a mass of experience, Barney Clay - the director of the equally fabulous Gnarls Barkley video - WHO CARES - is relatively new on the scene. He has shot videos for hip bands such as Dirty Pretty Things and Zero 7. WHO CARES is a sadly hilarious take on the blaxploitation classic, Blacula. The lead character, played by Mario Van Peebles, is a vampire who has lost his mojo. Even when he bites someone, the guy just ends up inviting him up to watch TV. This would be a great short film even without the music.

A few years ago, the graduating class of music video director to filmmaker was crowded with the likes of Michel Gondry (Massive Attack to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Jonathan Glazer (Radiohead to Sexy Beast), Mark Romanek (Michael and Janet to One Hour Photo) and of course, Spike Jonze (Beastie Boys to Being John Malkovich).
Though there has been, in my opinion, a bit of a fallow period, things seem to be looking up. Bryan Barber just directed Idylewild with Outkast and Tim Burton is in post production on The Killers new video, Bones,

Will music videos replace short films entirely as calling cards for filmmakers? I am not sure but judging from the work that I am seeing in the music video world - videos are certainly giving short films a run for their money.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

2006-10-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to hear Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu speak at the Chicago International Film Festival, after a screening of his film, Babel. Someone in the audience asked him if he still considered himself an independent filmmaker, now that he had a higher budget (Babel had a $20 million budget compared to the $2 million Amores Perros). Inarritu laughed and said "I am and will always be an independent filmmaker." He then shared a story about how his friend and fellow filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron, was complaining about not having enough money while making the Harry Potter film. said "And no matter what your budget is, you will never have enough money."

So I thought I'd take this opportunity to highlight some of the filmmakers with upcoming films who got their start making low-budget and no-budget films and as a result of their success had loads of cash at their disposal. And I can't help but wonder, is it enough?

Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan's new film, The Prestige, opens this week in theaters, starring Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, and Christian Bale, who Nolan worked with on Batman Begins and the upcoming The Dark Knight. Nolan burst on to the film scene with Memento but that was not actually his first film. Back in 1998, Nolan made his directorial debut with Following, a black and white film about a writer who likes to follow strangers around London. The budget for the film? $6,000. Compared to the $140 million it cost to make Batman!

Marc Forster
You may not know the name Marc Forster, but I'll bet you've heard of his films. Forster's latest, Stranger than Fiction, starring Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson, opens in theaters this week. Forster found box office bliss with Finding Neverland and Monster's Ball and also earned nominations for his actors (and an Oscar win for Halle Berry). But his first feature, Everything Put Together, was a small indie film about a young woman struggling with the death of her child from SIDS. This low-budget film starring Radha Mitchell and Megan Mullaly, cost merely $500K to produce--compared to $40 million for ...Fiction.

Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky's new sci-fi love story, The Fountain, is making its rounds on the festival circuit and will open in theaters in late November. Spanning over one thousand years, and three parallel stories, The Fountain is a story of love, death, spirituality, and the fragility of our existence in this world, and cost roughly $38 million to produce. Compare that to the $60,000 it took to make PI, Aronofsky's directorial debut.

It's interesting to look back and remember these filmmakers got their start. If you get a chance, I'd recommend renting the films on video. I was lucky enough to interview all three of these gentleman who at the time were unknown artists. So to all the filmmakers who are funding their films on credit cards, don't give up. It could happen to you too!

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2006-10-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot about music in the past few weeks. How it makes me feel, gives me impetus to act, how it has always been a constant. I have spent a lot of time listening to it, old stuff and new, oddly watching a number of films about it and for some reason, this quote kept coming back to me it. It is from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night - a play admittedly I do not know very very well but this quote and the remainder of it was something that has always stuck with me.
The entire quote reads:
If music be the food of love, play on
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting
The appetite may sicken, and so die.

It is said by Orsino - the very definition of a hopeless romantic who is more in love with love than he actually loves. He craves it, needs it but has a hard time actually having it as a real thing in his life. This is perhaps a digression but the main point is that he loves love so much and is so full of desire for it that he will die - literally and figuratively for it. Is that passion or insanity? I have never really been able to tell but I know that feeling - that sense of heady bliss that a piece of music or a scene in a film or the performance of an actor gives me. I have felt it Not sure if I would be willing to die for it, but I would certainly go to as great as lengths as I had to to always be able to have it.

I had an experience last week that was a confirmation of all of this blathering about Shakespeare, passion and insanity.

A friend of mine unbeknownst to me signed me up to something called mobile clubbing. It is a sort of flash mobbing that was, I am told, very popular here in London a few years ago. The idea is to get a "mob" of strangers together in a location and have them do something collectively. Back in the day, this was in the form of warehouse parties where you would get a secret code and location, show up and dance until all hours of the night with random other people.

This "mobile club" occurred at the Liverpool Street Tube station at 7pm last Thursday. I received an email to arrive at the location a few minutes before the witching hour with my ipod. I arrived about 6:45 with said ipod not really sure what to expect. I saw lots of people around but it is a pretty busy station so was not sure if it was all a big hoax. BUT, at 6:55 everything changed. People were all taking out their ipods and scrolling for music. I did the same. We all were looking at each other with a sense of anticipation and to be honest, pure excitement. At 7:00pm, people with ipods (and some without) started to dance. Not just swaying tapping to the music dancing but full on - 50 Cent's In Da Club (the song I chose) dancing. It was fucking awesome. It lasted for about 15 or 20 minutes with commuters joining in or staring but it was awesome. Then, people just started to back to the business of their evenings.

After the absolute high of that experience, I started to think about the fact that film gives me and countless other people all together in a dark theater the same sort of experience as mobile clubbing. We are not all listening to our own music but watching the same thing on the screen. Yet, we all bring and take away our own experience. Our reactions can all be the same - we all laugh, we all feel sick but the way character walks or talks or flips their hair may bring to mind a different thing all together that is not related to what the film is about. It is about life - our lives, the lives of the writer, the director, the characters in the story. It is passion, insanity, reality, fantasy, and despair all in 120 minutes.

Film is the food of life.

For more info on mobile clubbing, check out this website - http://www.mobile-clubbing.com/

Keeping it indie,

Julie

2006-10-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

This week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced the short-list of Documentary Short Subject films that will be eligible for nominations for this year’s Academy Awards.

Here’s a list of the films:

The Blood of Yingzhou District (pictured on homepage)- The Blood of Yingzhou District is a stunningly shot, sensitive portrait of a hidden AIDS epidemic in China, a country not commonly associated with the disease. . Hong Kong-born filmmaker Ruby Yang and award-winning producer Thomas Lennon followed orphans in the rural villages of Yingzhou District for one year.

Dear Talula(pictured here) - Filmmaker Lori Benson is a quintessential downtown New Yorker who was diagnosed with breast cancer just 14 months after the birth of her daughter Talula. With much grace and humor, Benson brings us along as her friends and husband document an emotionally charged year.

The Diary of Immaculée – Peter LeDonne’s The Diary of Immaculée reveals the horrific, yet inspiring story of a remarkable woman’s experiences in the midst the Rwanda genocide, one of history’s most tragic events.

Phoenix Dance - Karina Epperlein's Phoenix Dance follows Homer Avila as he dances a pas de deux despite the loss of his leg.

Recycled Life – Directed by Leslie Iwerks, this documentary is an account of people living and working around a toxic landfill in Guatemala City.

Rehearsing a Dream - Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon's documentary short follows talented 17-year-old artists during a week of mentoring with artists such as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Vanessa Williams and Michael Tilson Thomas.

A Revolving Door - Marilyn Braverman's film captures a family as they help a son deal with mental illness and addiction.

Two Hands - Directed by Nathaniel Kahn, Two Hands, is a portrait of pianist Leon Fleisher, who after losing the ability to play with his right hand in the '60s played with only his left until experimental surgery enabled him to return to playing with both hands.

The official nominations for the 79th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2007. In the meantime, check back to see if these films are playing at a festival near you.

Long live indie film,
Michelle

2006-10-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

If you have never seen a film starring Isabelle Huppert - stop reading this (actually keep reading for a minute or two more) and get yourself to your nearest indie video store or Netflix list because you need to have the experience of watching this amazing actress work - though I am not sure you can actually classify what she does as work as much as it is some sort of combination of the slightest of movements or gestures with her eyes or her hand or the way she moves into or out of a room imbued with a simultaneous mixture of power and fragility that amazes. I, admittedly, was a bit late on the Isabelle Huppert fanwagon and the first film I saw of hers was La Separation (a film co-starring the equally fabulous Daniel Auteuil about the disintegration of a marriage). In the film, Huppert plays Anne, a woman who one day informs her husband that she has fallen in love with another man and she is leaving him. The film is a raw and painful study on how two people who were once in love enough to pledge their lives to each other can turn around in a moment to inflict the worse kind of pain on each other. Sublime.

The fantastic thing about Huppert is her clear indie maverick streak not only in her performances from playing a hooker (La Vie Promesse) to a dominatrix music professor (The Piano Teacher) to Madame Bovary to an ugly duckling aunt (Eight Women) to her an eccentric writer (I Heart Huckabees) and her recent turn as a woman having an affair with a man she hates (Gabrielle) but her desire to work with the most original directors out there - Chabrol, Maurice Pialat, Ozon, Diane Kurys, Hal Hartley. David O Russell, Michael Haneke and Paul Cox. Huppert is not one to appear in the big Hollywood blockbuster though she does have the distinction of being a part of Hollywood legend playing the part of Ella the whore courted by Kris Kristofferson and Christopher Walken in Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate.

It is hard to pick which of Huppert's films is my favorite but I think that it would have to The Piano Teacher as it is in this film that she is her most sublime. She is at once authoritative, even brutal but she manages to make you feel sympathetic towards her as she sexually (and emotionally) terrorizes her young student.

The BFI has very smartly decided to honor this French arthouse cinema icon screening 20 of her films including an in-person tribute screening her latest film, Patrice Chereau's Gabrielle. If you are in London, get thee to the NFT in November. if you are not lucky enough to be able to see this extraordinary body of work on the big screen, most of these films are available on DVD.

Keeping it indie!

Julie

2006-09-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

The 2006 AFI FEST has chosen actress Penelope Cruz, as the recipient of the festival's annual Tribute. On November 2, the festival will present the U.S. premiere of Pedro Almodovar's Volver, starring Cruz, at Arclight's Hollywood Cineramadome, followed by a Centerpiece Gala. Volver was recently chosen as Spain's official selection for the Best Foreign Film for the 79th Academy Awards.

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, AFI FEST is launching a new program, AFI PROJECT: 20/20, in an effort to enhance international cultural exchange and collaboration among filmmakers around the world. Up to 20 American and international filmmakers (with films at this year's festival) will be chosen to participate in this new program which has the goal of developing ways in which artists and their films can help promote cultural awareness and understanding and challenge stereotypes, while presenting a fresh, clear vision of the common values people share. By sharing their films with audiences here and abroad, AFI PROJECT: 20/20 will encourage understanding and appreciation of values such as freedom of expression, tolerance and rights in intellectual property.

AFI is teaming with several organzations to present this new program, including the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH), the Department of State, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services in support of this effort.

For more information on AFI PROJECT:20/20 or this year's festival events, go to www.afi.com.

Long live indie film,

Michelle

P.S. indieIN is proud to be an affiliate media sponsor for the 2006 AFI FEST.

2006-09-22T01:03:00.000-07:00

Of course they are (not)? It is a tricky question to ask and answer. Generally, all truly indie - forgive the pun- filmmakers: struggle to get money to fund their work, struggle to get a crew together for their funds they have, struggle to get the cast that they want for the funds they have and struggle to pay the funds that they have invariably borrowed back. Essentially, being an indie filmmaker is all about struggle and that struggle does not end once the film is made. In my view, the real struggle has just begun. Getting an indie film made is hell, getting an indie film out to the world is the hell below hell. But this is where "all indie filmmakers are alike" theory goes a bit pear shaped (translation: it all goes awry) as some filmmakers take their marketing, distribution and festival strategy very very seriously and are thinking about those very important things like "who is my audience" and "how can i reach them" in the early days of post production. I will digress a moment to not so shamelessly plug indieIN's filmmaker listings - you can as a filmmaker list your film in the zip code search for a mere $10 - so that anyone in any part of the US, Canada and the UK can find your film and where it is playing. Check it our on our ADVERTISE page.

Back to how filmmakers are not alike...some filmmakers are part of the "membership has it's privileges" club which means that they have invariably screened at Sundance once or better yet won a prize there or another major festival and therefore can always use this as a signal to distributors or other festivals or the public for that matter, to gain entry to the small group of films and filmmakers that will always at the very least get a viewing by someone who could potentially help their film get out there. This could be a producer rep, a lawyer, a distributor, etc.

Other filmmakers, specifically, ones in Europe have a lovely thing called government funding that can help filmmakers of any point in their career from the seasoned veteran to the new filmmaker gain funds to help with marketing, distribution and festival play, Here in the UK, the UK Film Council gives filmmakers and/or production companies money to subtitle prints for festival play, go to major festivals and markets outside the UK and P&A money. Filmmakers here complain about the process - how lengthy it is, etc. - but coming from the US where NOTHING like that exists, I remind them how spoiled they are. Did I mention this is money that they don't have to pay back??? The UK is not alone in this. France does it, Spain, Germany, etc....

But with all of this government assistance - filmmakers can also get development money - indie filmmakers in these countries still struggle like their US counterparts. Is the struggle part of being an indie filmmaker? I have always been fascinated by the idea that all the widely considered great artists of this century have had to struggle in some way - with mental illness, addiction of some kind, poverty, abuse, society's ridicule, some physical impediment. Do all outsider or indie artists need that aspect of struggle to make their art? If indie filmmakers were given all of the money to what they wanted, access to distribution, marketing to a wide audience, screens to show their films? Would they still be indie? Come to think of it, wouldn't that make them Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Michael Bay, John Woo or Richard Curtis....

Keeping it indie,

Julie

2006-09-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

Recently at an event in San Francisco, Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder and chief executive unveiled their online movie download service that will be available through the iTunes store. In addition, they revealed iTV, a new device that will allow you to download movies to watch on your own TV. To kick off this new service, iTunes is now offering films from Disney, Pixar, and Miramax films, but talk has already begun about other studios jumping on board. Althought this iTV device will not be available until 2007, the question has been raised of how will this affect DVD rentals. Over the past year, many new DVD clubs have popped up, opening the doors for many indie filmmakers to distribute their films online. Will these new companies be able to compete with Apple?

It's too early to tell, but somehow I suspect that online distribution will follow the same lines as theatrical. The companies with lots of money to market their films will dominate the sector, while the smaller films are left to the niche-companies. I hope, if anything, this new technology does allow for more people to discover indie films that they might not otherwise... but in the comfort of their homes. For now, I guess all we can do is stay tuned...

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2006-09-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

The Toronto International Film Festival has been running over 30 years and it is consistently the place where films that you will be seeing at a theater near you - at least those in contention for the Academy Awards - will be screened. This year's festival as eclectic as ever is screening everything from the ridiculous - Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan starring Sasha Baron Cohen's most infamous character - to the sublime Babel the last installment of a magnificent trilogy that began with Amores Perros and 21 Grams from one of the most interesting, I think, directors around, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarittu. The film stars Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt and Gael Garcia Bernal is told in four languages and is a modern version of the story of the biblical story of The Tower of Babel. The film will be released by Paramount Vantage - the newly named old Paramount Classics. Don't miss it.

Other indie films sure to be released in the upcoming pre pre Awards season and screening for the first time in North America are Anthony Minghella's Breaking and Entering with Jude Law, Juliette Binoche and Robin Wright Penn, Emilio Estevez' directorial debut, Bobby about the assassination of Bobby Kennedy, Barbara Kopple's documentary about the aftermath of the Dixie Chicks infamous comments against President Bush and the War in Iraq in 2003, and John Cameron Mitchell's controversial Shortbus.

In addition to the above films though, the thing I love about Toronto is its true spirit of celebration of the film and filmmakers from all over the world. A list of those filmmakers included this year includes Johnnie To, Lou Ye, Alain Renais, Patrice Leconte, Nanni Moretti, and Werner Herzog just to name a few.

The non screening highlight of this year's festival is certain to be the Vangauard Cinema conversation with John Waters and John Cameron Mitchell - two unbelievably witty auteurs who have made their own way. It is going to be difficult to hear anything either of them say over the laughter.

For more information about what else is on at this year's festival - go to http://www.e.bell.ca/filmfest/2006

Keeping it indie,

Julie

2006-09-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

Fall has always been my favorite season. Ever since I was young, I looked forward to shopping for the new school wardrobe full of long sleeves and sweaters, watching the leaves change colors, start of a new season for all of my favorite TV shows. Even though it’s technically the end of year, it feels like a new beginning of sorts.

Well, I’ve been out of school for a long (long) time, but Fall still marks the beginning of a new season, but for film. This is the time of year where filmmakers bring out their best in hopes of being a contender for the Academy Awards. The Fall festivals provide the perfect platform launch films and create a buzz and media extravaganza. Two festivals which are often used for this purpose is the Telluride Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.

The Telluride Festival, now in its 33rd year, traditionally runs every Labor Day weekend in the small mountain town in Colorado. Telluride stands out from the rest because they do not announce their program previous to the festival, but they have a reputation for selecting outstanding work. Over the years, hundreds of filmmakers, celebrities, press, and film lovers flock to the festival each year to discover such films as The Crying Game, Slingblade, Breaking the Waves, Eve’s Bayou, and Lost in Translation. This year, festivalgoers were the first to discover, Fur, the Diane Arbus biopic starring Nicole Kidman; the documentary, The US versus John Lennon; Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu’s powerful drama, Babel; and Mira Nair’s The Namesake.

Next week, the Toronto International Film Festival kicks off, which is arguably one of the most important festivals. Both the press and the public look to Toronto to find out the most promising films of the year. This year some of the premieres will include Infamous, the other Truman Capote biopic; Christopher Guest’s For Your Consideration; and The Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing.

Check out our INFESTIVALS page to find out other festivals that are playing in the next few weeks. And stay tuned!

Long live indie film,
Michelle

2006-08-24T03:55:00.000-07:00

I have been coming on and off to the Edinburgh International Film Festival for about 5 years and now in their 60th year, I took a job working at the festival organizing their Industry Events. Since I arrived in Edinburgh there has been - quite rightly- a bit of a fuss about the 60th birthday of the festival. There was a lovely fancy birthday party last week hosted by the festival's patron, Sir Sean Connery and attended by the likes of Kevin Smith, Charlize Theron, Robbie Coltrane, Gabriel Byrne and Brian DePalma and the Filmhouse which is the premiere venue for the festival and a long running arthouse cinema hosted EIFF screening series highlighting films and filmmakers from the past 59 years.

With all of the hullabaloo, lots and lots of people (including yours truly) have been quite reflective about the films that they saw here for the very first time. In its 60-year history, the EIFF has shown a tremendous amount of really exceptional work by filmmakers well known then and now. Everyone from Scorsese to Tarkovsky to Denis to Soderbergh have screened here. They were one of the first festivals to do retrospectives which covered the wor of everyone from John Huston to Kirk Douglass to this year's Mitchell Leisen. Though not every film has been great or well received at the festival, it has been my experience at both in the past and this year that I have walked out of the cinema glad I went in. By no means have I loved everything I have seen but there always a lovely sense of emotional adventure here - i am moved, angry, disapppointed, turned on or disgusted and these are feelings that often barely register when I go to other festivals.

I saw Amores Perros here – a film that startled me and made me ravenous for Mexican Cinema; I saw Claire Denis’ Trouble Every Day – a film that took me away from and brought me back to my love of vampire flicks all at the same time and it was at EIFF that I first saw Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love – a film that moves me everytime I think of it. It was for me irrefutably one of the best film festival moments of my life. For that experience alone, the Edinburgh International Film Festival will always hold a special place in my heart.

Beginning in 1947 as a documentary festival, the EIFF has premiered and screened a great number of the classics from Tarkovsky's Andrei Rublev to Bertolucci's The Conformist to Hopper's Easy Rider. It is a festival known for its sometimes obscure eclecticism something I find very refreshing in these days of recycling of the same films by the same directors. This year marks the departure of Shane Danielsen, my friend and often controversial Artistic Director. During his five years at the festival, he has brought his uniqueness of vision and taste without ever worrying that people might not like it or might not come - again, a rarity in the festival world. Shane has always had faith in the audience. He knew that they would alwyas find their way to the work. I wish him godspeed in his new endeavors.

Keeping it indie,
Julie

2006-08-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

Recently, I decided to go and check out the new film, Quinceanara, directed by Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer. I was looking forward to seeing it because after knowing it played so favorably on the festival circuit. First winning both a jury prize and audience award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festivals and has been receiving kudos in every city that it played. But when I asked a friend if she wanted to join me, she stated, “Oh, I heard it wasn’t very good,” and mentioned an unfavorable review in Entertainment Weekly. I still went to see the film (alone) and I thought it was great. The audience was filled on opening weekend of a Friday night in Chicago, and everyone was laughing and clapping throughtout the movie. When I got home, I was curious to see this negative review so I looked it up online. While Lisa Schwarzbaum’s review clearly wasn’t recommending the film, but it she talked more about the filmmakers than she did the actual film.

I decided to look at a few other reviews on the site so I checked to see how they reviewed Little Miss Sunshine, which was currently featured on the cover of the magazine. Much to my surprise, they gave it a “C” and stated it was “unfunny.” Neither review made no mention of these films success at festivals. So basically, if I had never heard of this film, and Entertainment Weekly was my only source of information, for discovering films, I would not bother checking out either film.

Earlier in the summer, the point was raised asking about the relevance of reviewers after they slammed blockbuster hits including The Da Vinci Code, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. The audiences made it clear that despite reviews, they wanted some entertainment. But the difference is, both Da Vinci Code and Pirates had millions of marketing dollars behind them, so the audience at least were able to make the choice.

I think reviewers are entitled to their opinion, but I wonder if perhaps after going from screening to screening, some reviewers have forgotten that many people go to the movies simply to be entertained. If you don’t like a film, give a little perspective as to why. And for everyone else, I encourage to spread the word on the films you. Publicity in all forms, that's what I say.

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2006-08-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

As I write this the powers that be are trying to make themselves and us feel better as we have once again been "attacked"' and our civil liberties have been jeopardized. I say this not in complete disagreement with those said powers as everyone should have the right to move about freely, carry about their business without fear of being killed. Sadly, however, we live in a world, a rather large world, where this is not the case. But, is the response to our basic freedoms being threatened to restrict those freedoms, to make us feel more like caged animals than protected. As I listen to and read the news from the US and the UK, I hear things like "more restrictions," "a ban on," and "tighter security measures," and though I understand the need and responsibility to try and protect as many people as possible, I can't help feeling more like a victim than someone who feels safe. Of course, I want people (including myself) to be as safe as possible but will not having carry on luggage do that or worse yet, having my personal items in a clear plastic bag so they are no longer personal but public. There is something very strange and invasive about this to me that falls in line with the current conservative wave of not just the US but the UK as well - and I am no conspiracy theorist.

Recently I was in a discussion with someone about 5 Days a film that is a chronicle of 5 days during the forced deportation of the Jews from the settlements in the Gaza Strip last August. The film shows the Israeli Defense Force physically removing their fellow Jews from their homes. It is a sight that is both heartbreaking for the soldiers who feel they are doing their duty as soldiers and betraying their faith and people simultaneously. It is not in any way a pro-Israeli film or a pro Palestinian film in my view and it manages to try and capture both sides from the point of view of the action. However, the person who I was having the discussion with felt that because of what was happening currently in Lebanon that I had no right to discuss or even comment favorably on a film about and/or made by someone Israeli. I was dumbfounded. Not only did the film have nothing to do with the current situation in Lebanon. The film was a living breathing document of a moment in history - a tragic moment but a moment nonetheless. Looking at something like this and the pre-release uproar over Oliver Stone's World trade Center I am finding more and more that people are consistently willing to dismiss or cry controversy over films they have not actually seen and/or present a view that is not their own or one widely held. I find myself again feeling trapped in a place where filmmakers, writers, artists, songwriters will not be able to make great work that rocks all of our sensibilities. Without the look outside the popular view, we would not have A Clockwork Orange, the Sex Pistols. Lolita, The Last Tango in Paris, Salo or Get Up Stand Up. It is so called controversy that makes us -in my view- as a society so wonderfully unique and creative. it brings out the best in us and the worst which is okay as long as it all continues.

Keeping it indie,
Julie

2006-08-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

With all of the media attention going toward Mel Gibson in the past few weeks for his "mistake", I wanted to take this time to pay tribute to some of the most talented and creative people in Hollywood—personal publicists. I think these individuals are some of the most creative people in the industry but their works of fiction often go unrecognized. When celebrities behave badly, great publicists can turn any tragedy into triumph, a sinner to a saint—all with the power of a press release.

Here's my two personal favorites: When Winona Ryder was first arrested for shoplifting, a statement was released that she was "researching" a role. Or better yet, when Eddie Murphy was caught with a tranvesite, he was "simply giving the young lady a ride home." Genius.

But while studio films have stars dish the dirt to keep them in the new, most indie films don't have the luxury or the budget. So publicists have to pitch the only story they have... the actual film! So whenever you see a story about any indie film, you can guarantee that their was a team working away to spread word about the film.

So, as my inbox fills with press releases, I just wanted to recognize these hard-working folks... filmmakers, don't leave home without one!

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2006-07-27T15:14:00.000-07:00

Two things made me decide to write my blog this week on obscenity particularly attitudes towards sex. One, the whole kerfuffle about Bush uttering an "obscenity" into a hot microphone at the G8 summit and two, a comment a British friend who now lives in the US made to me when we met for a drink on a balmy summer evening in Notting Hill last week. As the Hollywood Reporter talked of fines and decency laws being broken because the utterance had been broadcast, British papers barely gave the "incident" a mention except to say that Blair as always (who is not enjoying great popularity here at the moment) seemed inept at handling the situation. Obscenity, at least in the American sense of the word, has to be pretty obscene to get some real attention here. This is, you must remember, the country of the Page 3 girl - a pinup of a topless "model" which graces the inside (it's not porn) of the popular papers here.
Which brings me to the comment my friend made to me. A recent husband and father of a less than year old child, this friend said that he felt that the UK had become more sexualized than he remembers. It should be noted that this friend only left London a few years ago. He went on to say that he felt like "everything was about sex' here. Whether it was selling cars or dish soap, somehow sex was involved. My response was surprise but also it made me think about the very glaring differences between the attitudes about sex in Europe and sex in America. Right now on television in the UK, I have counted at least three separate adverts for dish soap, yoghurt and deoderant in which a man gets naked. You don't see any frontal (we are not Italians!) but there is a definite view in 2 out of 3 of the ads of a naked ass. When I first saw the ads, I was shocked. Now I really love them as they remind me that sex and sexuality is a part of everyday life and so should be a part of our everyday culture. Sure girls are dressing a little sluttier a bit too early but I wonder if that is because they are more sexualized by the media or because I notice more as I am fast approaching the point where I could have a teenager myself.

This all brings me to the point of sex in cinema. Think Film will be releasing John Cameron Mitchell's SHORTBUS later this year in the US. The film depicts attractive singles and couples having unsimulated sex - that would be real sex to you and me. Though I haven's seen the film, people I know and trust who saw it at Cannes really loved the humanity of it. Not one of them mentioned the sex until I asked about it. I wonder how audiences in the US are going to react. When 9 Songs came out, no one went to see it. Audiences seemed to be so turned off by the idea that they were going to see real human connection in a physical way that they missed out on a heartwrenching tale of lost desire. Intimacy, a film by Patrice Chereau, met a similar fate. Interestingly, when Intimacy was released here in the UK, there were very erudite articles in The Guardian (the arts paper) about the actress and the unsimulated sex with someone that was not her husband. In the US, the film went straight to video.

With the President (who is from Texas for pity's sake) unable to swear on TV, I am not sure how far the US will really embrace sex in the cinema. Perhaps ShortBus will be the one to help break down some barriers in this regard.

One can always hope.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

Indie Inspirations

2006-07-22T22:31:00.000-07:00

I have been working indie film for almost ten years and I feel lucky to talk to hundreds of independent filmmakers, to hear their stories and then share them with others.

It’s no surprise to me that every filmmaker has a different story to tell about the struggles to get their film made. And there always seems to be a struggle. Some filmmaker tried to get studio funding and then finally after constant rejection, turned to friends, family, and their own bank accounts to get their film made. Others turned to private investors as the only alternative to keeping the vision of their film.

Or the all-too-familiar stories of the filmmaker who successfully made the film, won awards at festivals, found distribution, but then didn’t get the marketing needed to find the audience. I have yet to talk to someone who says, “Yes, I wrote the script, everyone loved it, I raised a million dollars and made my film. Easy.”

Whatever the story, luckily they all had a happy ending of sorts—the film was playing in a theater. Although all these stories are different, there is one thing that remains the same. Despite rejection (or because of it) these artists decided to take their film into own hands in order to get it made.

To me, this is truly inspiring and I look to these visionaries to keep me motivated as I strive for the seemingly impossible. There are so many times when I want to give up or give in but then I remember. There are no rules.

So to all the artists out there who are struggling, I say don’t be afraid to declare your independence. If you get turned down by studio, raise the money and make the film yourself. If you can’t find a distributor, you can self-distribute. If you don’t like your festival time slot, sign up for film listing and fill your audience. If you don’t know where to start, read interviews with other filmmakers who were able to complete their film.

I’m not saying it will be easy—it will most likely be the hardest thing you ever do... and the most rewarding.

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2006-07-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

I have been living and working in the UK for about a month now and as I go about my travels meeting various people in the film industry, one thing is abundantly clear - the short film is alive and well. Everyone - from producers to filmmakers to film commissions and festivals - is still amazingly enamored by the short film. There are seemingly thousands of schemes, festivals, outlets for the short filmmaker to hone their craft, meet a sales agent or get their work screened. Short films are even corporate supported by the likes of Orange, COBRA beer and Nokia. The COBRA beer shorts are even screened on television!

Coming from the no man's land for the short film as the US has become, it is both distressing and refreshing that the short film is thriving amongst these shores. I am so happy that the Brits have figured out a way to make money on the darn things - something that doesn't exist in the US. Cable channels like IFC and Sundance used to buy shorts with abandon. Atom Films and Hypnotic basically built their businesses on this fact alone. But wait, what is this I hear - there is no actual cash in the production or distribution of short films in the UK??? Then, why such much of the love. Making for the art is great if you have the cash but the kind of budgets being spent are pretty high for these films and I don't mean to be that girl but aren't the days of making shorts as "calling cards" over. There are music videos and commercials for that, even something as simple as the great pitch can get you a feature made these days. I don't get it. But being the intrepid reporter that I am, I asked around. "Why still make so many short films?" The responses pretty unanimously were "because we do" and "because we can get money for them" Unlike in the US, where the only place you are going to get the cash to make a short film is from your rich relative who wants to see their name on the big screen just once, in the UK, the government - both on the local and national level- provided funding for short films (production and distribution). I have seen a number of these films over the past few weeks and a lot of them are quite good so i can't gripe that the money is being spent on crap. I just am a bit confused as to why so much of the money and support is being given to making short films in Britain and not so much on funding, marketing and support for features to be made in Britain.

But maybe it's just me.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

2006-07-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Film Festival was a year of trial and error. From the film selection to the change in locale it had quite a shift to previous years. To create more of a village type feel almost the entire festival was sent out to Westwood and spread throughout the theatres there. A great idea in theory and appealing to those only visiting but for the locals, the space proved far less central than past years at the Sunset 5 and Directors Guild screening rooms. With gas prices and traffic, many Eastsiders stayed home to garden instead of going to see up-and-coming filmmakers.

But the Sunset 5 was not completely pushed off the map. Some films debuted and closed in the West Hollywood location. For those who don't know the area, it's quite a trek between West Hollywood and Westwood. The days of jumping from screening to screening came to a halt when the films were split between those two venues. And festival-goers with no transportation were forced to stay put and hopefully be able to view the alternate screening times of their desired films.

I'm not sure when the change happened in film festivals where it was no longer about pushing independent filmmakers who created original work but rather promoting and premiering Hollywood films that already had distribution. Part of the allure of attending a festival is the chance to see work that you may never have the opportunity to see projected in a dark theater. Reasons being that they were perhaps not Hollywood enough, would never be Hollywood enough, or that Hollywood just wasn't ready for them. The makers of such films are also able to show their art to a large uninfluenced audience for the first time. An added bonus would be a company wanting to distribute their film to the masses.

This year at the Festival, the Opening Night and Closing Night films were Hollywood films under the guise of "independent" (Even the Centerpiece Premiere already received distribution while at Sundance). But all three films opened either within the run of the festival or only weeks after the festival's end. So is the festival community catering to “big picture making” instead of seeking the promotion of truly independent artists? Perhaps this is the way it has always been but I just never really noticed before. Although on the last day of the festival I found myself skipping the closing Gala film (Little Miss Sunshine) to see an Italian independent documentary. I knew for a fact that in two weeks time I would be able to purchase a ticket at any theatre to see the film at a time that fit comfortably within my schedule.

Unfortunately this year's choices in the real independent films also lacked that certain luster that moviegoers are seeking. I found myself longing to know what truly drove the characters because there seemed to be no definitive reason to why the movie was even happening. Analog Days (dir. Mike Ott) was a perfect example of that. A hipster's version of Dazed and Confused, but the film grazed upon the following topics: racism, terrorism, the extreme left and right of American politics, art school, college days, young adult angst, and the list continues. All great possible stories but none of which were ever developed. For me, the highlight of the festival was Chalk, directed by Mike Akel—by far the best in the Narrative Competition. The film had heart, humor, and a great story.

Perhaps it was just an off year in picking films for the Los Angeles Film Festival. Or maybe I'm not speaking the language of the up-an coming films. But if there is one thing that should remain the same i that film festivals should give well-written, well-executed, original films the opportunity to be seen by over 60,000 festival devotees—instead of catering to the premiere of Hollywood's big name films.

--Jennifer

Don't Shoot the Messenger

2006-06-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

I finally got the chance to see An Inconvenient Truth last week and I must say I really enjoyed the film. In my "other life" I work at The Nature Conservancy, so environmental conservation is a priority for me. Much to my surprise, when I've asked people if they've seen the film, the conversation immediately turns political, whether or not Gore should be President, the current war in Iraq, (or if Gore really invented the internet). Sure, publicity on the film is centered on Al Gore (the narrator of the fil), and the film and the documentary shares Gore's passion for spreading the word on Global Warming, but in the end, it's really about the truth he is trying to deliver. Isn't it?

This makes me recall a similar experience I had a few years ago when Fahrenheit 9/11. I asked a friend if she saw the film and she immediately ranting how she supported George Bush--as if seeing the film would be a betrayal to him.

It makes me wonder, in film, especially with documentaries, can the message get lost in the messenger? If instead of Al Gore as the centerpiece of the film, if some random river scientist were sharing the impending threats of climate change, would we listen?

Well, if you are interested in finding out more about climate change and global warming without "supporting Gore" here are a few places you can look.

The Nature Conservancy - www.nature.org
Climate Crisis - www.climatecrisis.net
Clean Air, Cool Planet - www.cleanair-coolplanet.org
Climate Wire - www.climatewire.org

Long live indie film,
Michelle

2006-06-23T16:05:00.000-07:00

Though as most of you know who have been reading my blog installments, I am not one to be hating on the big budget "event" movies - except for when they star insane men with "please everyone love me" complexes and when films are marketed on my fruit. I, for one, am very excited about the crop of summer-blockbuster-event-sequel-Hollywood-needs-to-make-up-for-the- lull- in- box -office- numbers-by-studio -films movies. I am looking forward to Bryan Singer's Superman as well as Pirates of the Carribbean 2 and the Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (because speed needs no translation). But, if you are anything like me, while you love the event, the experience gets old, your brain starts to numb and you get a little deaf from all of the noise of things blowing up and big stars making asses of themselves. I have the perfect cure for what ails you... a sampling of some of the very cool, non mind numbing, least blockbuster quality (and I mean that in the best possible way) laden films coming out this summer. Check your local listings.

Brothers of the Head (Louis Pepe and Keith Fulton) - a film that just floored me when I saw it at Toronto last year all about conjoined twins who form a ultra punk band in the 70s. Creepy and cool, it is being released by IFC Films and Fuse Network.

Wassup Rockers (Larry Clark) - must admit I am not a huge fan of this director but I left this film invigorated and yelling "Wassup Rockers" to all of my friends. The film is about the adventures of Mexican skater kids who travel from the barrio to Beverly Hills. Don;t miss the Janice Dickinson cameo among others.

The Wind That Shakes the Barley (Ken Loach) - winner of this year's Cannes Palme d'Or. Cillian Murphy stars, Ken Loach directs and you really do not need to know more than that. Run to the theater.

Gabrielle (Patrice Chereau) - I am not going to lie to you this a difficult film - it is about the final break in an unfaithful marriage (a story that has been told many times before) but in the hands of the French master Chereau and starring the luminous Isabelle Huppert, the film is a stunning work of vulnerability, brutality and utter loneliness.

Road to Guatanamo (Michael Winterbotton) - the unbelievably prolific director has done it again with a stunning film about 3 Britons who go to Pakistan for a wedding and end up being held under suspicion in Guantanamo. Timely and devastating.

The Illusionist (Neil Burger) - you can't get more indie than this film in that it stars some of the indie world's darlings including Lili Taylor, Adrienne Shelly and Fisher Stevens along with Matt Dillon who plays Charles Bukowski's alter ego - a man whose mission is to do nothing but write but life will not let him.

A Scanner Darkly (Richard Linklater) - technically not really indie but I put it here because Linklater is great at bringing innovation in animation on a more intimate scale - it stars Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder and the fabulous Robert Downey Jr.

The Science of Sleep (Michel Gondry) - after Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Dave Chappelle's Block Party much less all of his fabulous music videos, I will see anything Gondry does - throw in Gael Garcia Bernal and I am in the front row.

Shadowboxer (Lee Daniels) directed by the producer of Monsters Ball and The Woodsman, this film stars Helen Mirren and Cuba Gooding Jr. I did not catch it a festival so I will see it when released this August.

The Photographer, His Wife and Her Lover (Paul Yule) doc about a photographer who at 73 married a 48 year old woman who stole his work and sold it while keeping him locked in the basement and taking another lover - yes a true story.

So this should give a good base o start with. Keep checking with indieIN weekly to see what may be coming to your town.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

2006-06-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

“Will it play in Peoria?” How many times have you heard that term? When talking in circles about the audience for independent film, it comes up often. “Sure,” they say, “indie films do great in Los Angeles, New York, or even in San Francisco, but will it play…” You get the picture. As a Midwestern transplant, I always wondered why anyone would gauge the potential success (or failure) of a film on a small town in Illinois with a population of 112,000.

This past weekend I heard this phrase yet again, but this time in another small Midwestern town, Saugatuck, Michigan, at the Waterfront Film Festival. I overheard two older women discussing the films they had seen that day, and remarking how they’ve attended every year because this was the only opportunity to see indie films all year long. “After all,” the woman said, “Will it play in Peoria?”

Curious, I had to get to the bottom of this. So, of course, I turned to Google. Much to my surprise, this phrase dates back to the early 1920s in the vaudeville era, originated by Groucho Marx who first asked this question when he was putting together a new act. He believed if a show could play in Peoria, it could play anywhere in America.

Over the years, Peoria was deemed the perfect place for a test market not only for films but for consumer products, politicians, and concerts. Bob Dylan and Robert Plant have launched concert tours there. At one time, Peoria closely reflected the diversity of the United States population in terms of race, income, age, business interests, and educational background. And while they are still considered an ideal test market, cities such as Albany, Santa Barbara, and Greensboro are more commonly used.

And just in case you were wondering, Peoria only has three movie theaters in town which were all playing studio films. In fact, there were only two independent films playing within a 50 mile radius. So will it play in Peoria? Probably not.

2006-06-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

The 2006 World Cup started this week with teams from all over the world from England to Trinidad & Tobago (in the very first appearance) to Brazil to Portugal competing for the coveted top prize. But unlike, other international sports competitions like Wimbledon or the Grand Prix, the Olympics or even the ahem, Oscars millions and millions of people around the globe will be listening and watching and not just for a few days or one night but an ENTIRE MONTH! However, the majority of those millions will not come from the United State, even though there is a US team that is actually contrary to years past doing quite well. There is no full on network coverage like NBC does for Wimbledon or the Olympics. Is it because Americans just don't care about football/soccer or is there something else at work here? I just don't get it. There is certainly money to be made in advertising dollars, good looking superstar athletes (as demonstrated by the lovely Becks) and kids all over the country play it with parents watching and cheering them on - family values at their very best. What is it all about? Why ha America kind of ignored this worldwide phenomenon except for at McDonalds in Latino communities? I think I got it....football matches are quite long with very low scoring. There often contain sublime moments of utter athletic perfection (see Becks' left foot), great endurance and quick skill that you will remember for a lifetime after but those moments do not come quickly and without patience, much like what happens when you watch a foreign film. Perhaps this is why Americans are so afraid of the long running times and subtitles of some of these films. They are so used to the quick fix, the easy emotional pay off and the fortune cookie wisdom soundbyte from the trailer, that they have no patience to wait for the sublime.

Films by Kurosawa or Bunuel or Truffaut or Marker (some of the greatest foreign filmmakers of all time) are not exactly quick or apt to spell it all out to you. You must sit and wait and absorb with patience but if you do, you are rewarded by the sublime. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing better than a quickie - good guy vs bad guy story to help you escape from life's crap but I implore you, the audience, to take some time to watch a film by one of these directors without scheduling anything afterwards, you will NOT regret it. If you want to start out on the shorter side, check out Chris Marker's La Jetee - a film you may recognize the content of. If you are feeling incredibly adventurous, I recommend SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE by Victor Erice - an almost 4 hour epic poem that is one of the most beautiful and moving things committed to film.

Go England!

Keeping it indie,
Julie

LA Film Fest mixes the old with the new...

2006-06-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Film Festival announced its 2006 line-up yesterday, offering an ambitious and eclectic mix of films and events. The festival, which opens June 22 through July 2, will open with David Frankel's The Devil Wears Prada and will close with Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' much-talked about comedy,Little Miss Sunshine. Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland’s award-winning Quinceañera will screen as the Centerpiece Premiere.

George Lucas will serve as the Festival's Guest Director and will host the annual filmmaker's retreat at the Skywalker Ranch in Marin. DJ Danger Mouse, aka Brian Burton, will serve as the Artist-in-Residence for the fest. Both Lucas and Danger Mouse have each selected a sidebar of films that will be featured in the festival including Jean-Luc Godard's Masculine Feminine, Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko, and Fassinder's The Marriage of Maria Braun.

The LA Film Fest will award two $50,000 cash prizes to the winner of the Juury awards for the Narrative and Documentary Competition. This year's contenders follow:

Narrative Competition
Analog Days, Mike Ott
Chalk, Mike Akel
Gretchen, Steve Collins
Ira & Abby, Robert Cary
Islander, Ian McCrudden
The Lather Effect, Sarah Kelly
Swedish Auto, Derek Sieg
Undoing, Chris Chan Lee

Documentary Competition
Beyond Conviction, Rachel Libert
The Creek Runs Red, Bradley Beesley, Julianna Brannum
Darkon, Andrew Neel, Luke Meyer
Deliver Us from Evil, Amy Berg
East of Havana, Jauretsi Saizarbitoria, Emilia Menocal
Inheritance, James Moll
Kabul Transit, David Edwards, Gregory Whitmore
Mario’s Story, Jeff Werner, Susan Koch
Matthew Barney: No Restraint, Alison Chernick
Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater, Julie Anderson
A Place to Dance, Alan Berg

Other special events at the festival will include A Leonard Cohen Evening (with a special appearance by Cohen himself), The Filth and the Fury Live, and an 20th anniversary screening of Blue Velvet with David Lynch. For a full list of events, go www.lafilmfest.com.

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2006-05-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

The news out of the Cannes Film Festival yesterday (May 24, 2006) was that at a press screening for Sofia Coppola's new film MARIE ANTOINETTE starring Kirsten Dunst, Steve Coogan and Jason Schwartzman, the critics booed. As of this writing, the film has not yet premiered to the public but the damage in a lot of ways has been done. Before a "real" audience has seen the film, the international scuttlebutt is that the film is bad, really bad. I haven't seen the film so I can not comment on the quality of the work but I question whether or not critics can make or break a film or whether people listen to them at all.

Don't get me wrong. I think that criticism in any field including cinema is hugely important. Good criticism should help us understand something in the context of history, society and culture as well as give us insight from someone who is or should be an expert in that field. It seems to me that in recent years film criticism, save very few like AO Scott, is more E! Entertainment than Cahiers du Cinema with very little middle ground. Audiences are smarter than I think that critics (and studios for that matter) give them credit for and will go to see whatever they want regardless of what the critics say. Take The Da Vinci Code for example...one of the most anticipated films of the year based on a multi million dollar selling book - it was universally panned by the critics. The film opened last weekend and had the second highest box office opening weekend in history!

So with independent and foreign film not having the huge marketing budget edge over studio films and therefore not able to reach everyone on the planet in the vicinity of a television,magazine, computer, newspaper or billboard, how do indie and foreign films get a chance at the box office? Besides indieIN, of course - good reviews from those very same critics that booed at the screening of Marie Antoinette.

It is a vicious cycle. One that I think can change if audiences were a bit more informed about their choices. Not necessarily informed about whether or not a film is good or bad but things like cast, subject matter, how the film fits into the context of life, culture, and society. For me, indie film is sometimes like when you are a kid and you are trying new things, foods, tasks. You are initially reluctant and afraid because of what you have "heard" - you can fall off a bike and hurt yourself, broccoli is good for you so it must taste bad. But then, you get on the bike and you feel like you are flying for the first time. You eat the broccoli and is not really that bad. Either way, you have to work up to it. Take the time to learn balance, speed and confidence. In the fast paced culture we live in - with the desire for instant gratification driving everything we do, every decision we make, every food we eat - maybe if we took a little time, took a breath long enough to prepare for a leap of faith, we just might discover something incredibly satisfying that might last a bit longer than an instant.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

The Down Low on Downloading...

2006-05-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

The way people view movies has certainly come along way. Thanks to videopodcasts and streaming videos, watching a short film or video (and soon feature films) is now as simple as a click of a button. But is this the best way to truly experience a film?

I’ve always been reluctant to viewing films online. Sure when traveling, I’ve used my computer to watch DVDs and even borrowed a friend’s video iPod to catch a missed episode of Lost. But this week, I found out about a short film, A Supermarket Love Song, by filmmaker Daniel Outram. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and will be making it rounds at a few festivals this summer. At present, I wouldn’t be able to attend the festival so I thought I’d view it online on the Sundance website.

So I pulled up the link on my Mac G3 laptop and tried to watch the film. Slowly the film started to load. Although the film is only 13 minutes long, it took me about 25 minutes to view with the stopping and starting or pixilated view. By the film’s end , my first thought, I bet that would be great in a theater.

Maybe I’m being too much of a purist, but for me, the best part of the watching a film is the entire experience. Hunching down in your comfy seat of a large dark theater, with the images dancing on a huge screen is your only view and the sound enveloping you. That way I can truly escape. Watching films online, I feel like I’m given the information but am robbed of the emotional experience.

Maybe this will all be solved when I can get an even higher, high-speed connection plus a new G5 computer with surround sound speakers. But until then, I think I’ll stick to it old style.

Long live indie film,
Michelle

P.S. Check out Daniel's film, A Supermarket Love Song this summer at the Seattle, Atlanta, or the Los Angeles Film Festival, or at the Kodak Short Film Showcase at BAFTA in London!

2006-05-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

For the first time in its 22 years, VC FILMFEST: The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, decided to have a juried Narrative Feature Award. It was my honor and absolute pleasure to serve as a member of that inaugural jury. The festival, which took place - May 4 -11, was a true celebration of Asian Pacific cinema from all over the world and offered a wide range of films that explored the complexity of relationships, identity and history within and without the Asian community. The 14 features I watched were all very diverse but the one thing that I took from each of them was an incredible excitement. Though most of the films were made by first time filmmakers, each film had a sense of ambition that is rarely seen in the most experienced filmmakers' work. Story lines dealt with race, politics, religion, immigration, and sexual identity. There was even a musical - a real honest to goodness musical! The quality of work was truly inspiring.

In addition to the features, there were shorts, digital media programs and seminars that encouraged not only the dialogue of the nuts and bolts of filmmaking but also the nurturing of filmmakers and of community. What was also interesting was that I noticed that a lot of people worked on each others films. Not just actors and actresses but editors, photographers, camera men, etc. The audience was the same. Though I am not certain, but just by seeing the amount of lanyards in the audience, I would venture to guess that the majority of attendees bought festival passes and not individual tickets - a sure sign that an audience is ready to support multiple films and not just one that they have heard hype about. As I spent the past few days at the festival chatting with both filmmakers and audience members, I started to wish that there was a little more of that same spirit within the general independent film community. I see indie filmmakers now who are much like actors who get into acting because they want to be rich and famous. This to me is the antithesis of indie filmmaking - indie filmmakers do not become rich and famous unless they stop making indie films. At VC FILMFEST, the emphasis seemed to really be on storytelling - the importance of having a voice, of being truthful to yourself, of challenging your audience and not being afraid. The whole experience was, for me, invigorating to be around.

Here is a list of highlights from the festival, but I encourage you to check out their site www.vconline.org for more information or screenings of these films at festivals in your area.

COLMA: THE MUSICAL - directed by Richard Wong with music and lyrics by H.P. Mendoza
Think the brilliance of the songs in Hedwig and the Angry Inch directed by Richard Linklater.

JOURNEY FROM THE FALL - directed by Ham Tram
A moving and highly ambitious film about the experience of a family fleeing from Vietnam.

SAIGON LOVE STORY - directed by Ringo Le
A coming of age love story set against a country - Vietnam - struggling towards the modern age.

ASIAN STORIES(BOOK 3) - directed by Ron Oda and Kris Chin
A hilariously sad story about the lengths you will go to get over a break up.

THE MOTEL - directed by Michael Kang
What happens when a 13 year old's life gets turned upside down and backwards by a stranger.

KIEU - directed by Thu Ha T Vu
A moving portrait of 24 hours in the life of a sex worker in San Francisco's Tenderloin.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

Docs Rule at the Tribeca Film Festival

2006-05-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival was a star-studded event. The Festival opened with a bang with the premiere of United 93, and then hosted the world premiere for both Poseidon and Mission:Impossible 3which even broadcast its own red carpet arrivals. But never mind the red carpet, you can find plenty of stars just by looking at the jury. Rather than having one jury judge all of the films, Tribeca created four juries for each program that included such judges as Trudie Styler, Melvin Van Peebles, Ed Burns, Whoopi Goldberg, Candace Bushnell, Wycleaf Jean, Lou Reed, and Laurence Fishburne (to name a few)!

Even with all this glitz and glamour is drawing attention to this heavily marketed festival, the majority of the 274 films playing at Tribeca do not have a film distributor. As I attended several films over the course of my visit there, I found myself being drawn to the documentary films.

The one film that really moved me was The Bridge, directed by Eric Steele, a documentary about the Golden Gate Bridge, which aside from being an American icon and tourist attraction, is also the site of more suicides than any other place in the world. Steele and his crew filmed the bridge every day for a year and captured more than two dozen suicides. Steele gives a glimpse into what led these people to this tragic decision through interviews with their friends and family, and even a jump survivor. The film is very powerful and touching, a tribute both to the people and the bridge itself. Its been over a week since I saw the film and I cant get it out of my head.

Another stand-out film was When I Came Home--which won Tribeca's New York Loves Film Documentary award. Director Dan Lohaus unveils the troubling statistic that over 300,000 of the estimated 1.2 million homeless in the United States are veterans, including men and women are currently returning from Iraq. The film follows Harold Noel, a returning Iraq War veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and is forced to live out of his car because he no longer qualifies for Section 8 housing. It incredibly disturbing watching Noel fight tooth-and-nail to receive the benefits he was promised before enrolling and at one point, his only alternative seems to be going back to Iraq. Noels fight leads him to the White House, and even though he finally received help from an unnamed source, he continues his battle for the other homeless veterans and ones who are still fighting today.

I have to say, overall, I was impressed by my Tribeca Festival experience. They seem to have bridged the gap of combining high-profile films with the small, indie films, which I guess is what New York City is all about. We will keep you up-to-date on when thse two great films are playing near you.

Long live indie films,

Michelle

2006-04-25T16:05:00.000-07:00

So here it is my second installment of the Girl in the 6th Row. I know I was going to talk about music this time but something else got stuck in my craw this week so music will come another time.

There was a recent US study that claimed that "children gain weight as they watch television." Something like 500 children aged 11 to 13 were monitored over a period of 20 months. For each hour they spent watching television, their food intake was found at the end of the period to have increased by 167 calories a day. This doesn't surprise me nor should it you, but it got me thinking that if kids are getting fat at home eating whatever is in the fridge, what happens when they go to the movies. Is the fat content consumed at home all day balanced out by the 2 (sometimes 3) hours of nonstop consumption of popcorn, nachos, candy and soda all having little or no nutritional value at all? I mean, I don't think I have ever seen anything in a movie theater that was good for me to eat or drink besides a $4 bottle of water.

So not only are we (sadly more often than not) giving kids' (and everyone else's) minds junk at the movies we are giving their bodies junk as well. No wonder people think that going to the movies is an unpleasant experience. It is also no wonder that in addition to the junk food sold at movie theaters, they also sell antacids. What would happen if the popcorn was made fresh hourly with canola oil and no fake butter? Or instead of nachos with fake cheese there were veggie chips, nuts or fruit? Parents would be much more likely to patronize theaters that didn't feed their kids crap and didn't smell like a fast food restaurant all of the time. The experience of going to the movies would be a healthier one (at least for the body). Maybe just maybe, if the indie movie chains - Landmark, Laemmle, etc. got together and established a healthy menu for their patrons, their audiences would feel better while they are there - be more apt to enjoy the experience and then be a bit more open to the indie/foreign movie fare that was being offered to them. I am not saying that there needs to be gourmet organic food. Putting out a basket of fruit or juice instead of soda would be a start and is not going to break the bank.

I don't think you are going to be able to change the big movie chains from their unhealthy menus but a little variety and consideration of health would be great especially b/c those of the chains that get the most kids.

I don't know. Maybe I am ranting for nothing. Maybe people love to eat and feed junk to their kids all of the time especially in the movie theater where it is dark and no one can see them eat enough popcorn to feed 5 other people. Not to mention the fact that they can also throw the crap on the floor and someone else will clean it up.
I would like to think that we care a little more about ourselves and each other.

Keeping it indie,
Julie

Is this thing on?

2006-04-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's hard to believe, but I have worked in the indie film industry for almost ten years. I have been a movie lover all of my life. And for as long as I can remember, there has been a constant dialogue on whether there is an audience for independent film. The conversation goes round and round and everyone has their own opinion.

Some say things are better for indie filmmakers. Some believe only people in the coastal cities want to see independent film. Others are convinced that people in the midwest (from where I hail) will only see a film if there's stars in the lead. Millions of dollars are spent on ads. Distributors come and go. Now ON Demand is the new item because "people don't go to the movies anymore."
It all comes down to money and box office.

indieIN was born from this as well. Julie and I were convinced that one of the reasons indie films struggle is because indie films don't have the marketing dollars to reach the film-going public. Enough with speculation, I want to hear YOUR opinion.

If you are reading this column and have an opinion, please post a comment and let me know how you feel about indie films?

Moviegoers: What makes you seek them out? Do you prefer them to other films, and if so why? What makes you see (or not see) a film?

If you are a filmmaker, what do think is the biggest obstacle to getting your film seen by an audience?

As someone who has spent the last ten years of her life "supporting indie film," I'm curious to hear what indie film has to say to me...

Long live indie film,

Michelle

Is it too much to advertise a movie on a banana?

2006-04-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

With the summer blockbusters coming out earlier and earlier each year—this year I think the front runner is MI:3 in early May—Los Angeles has become a veritable monopoly board of summer blockbuster billboard real estate. Everywhere you go, you see billboards for the aforementioned MI:3, XMEN 3 (one of my personal fave campaigns) and Superman. It got me thinking about advertising and how much is too much? Then I remembered the below:

A while ago, I bought a bunch of bananas in my local Ralphs supermarket. Though Ralphs is a place I rarely shop in, it was close to another store I was in, open and I needed some bananas for breakfast the next morning. I vaguely noticed the stickers on my bananas (most fruit has some sort of "Made in..." sticker on them, don't they?), packed them in my basket, paid and headed for home.

The next morning, as I went to peel the banana to slice and put in my cereal, I noticed something odd about the sticker. It had a monkey on it. Kind of cute, I guess. Something familiar caught my eye and I looked closer. The monkey sticker was not the logo for the company that produces the bananas but a nickel size advertisement for the movie, Curious George. I couldn't believe it. I know I live in LA, a city inundated with advertisements for movies on everything from bus shelters to billboards to movie tickets to in-store displays, but on bananas! Would having a sticker on the banana make me want to see Curious George because Curious George presumably eats bananas? Do studios think that the public is that dumb? Or is it that they think that the target audience for Curious George are clearly banana lovers? Just to see if perhaps this might have been some stunt put on by my local Ralph's the next day, I went to another to check out the bananas. Sure enough, the ever so subtle Curious George stickers were on every single banana in the store. Is this even legal? How can a studio buy out the Ralphs banana supplier sticker space? Why is that okay?

As someone who has spent their career as a marketer (especially one who has had to market indie films) I applaud anyone that thinks out of the box to get their product across. But I have to say, having a movie promotion sticker on my banana crossed some weird moral line with me. Do we have to resort to marketing on fruit because the advertising marketplace is so saturated with cereal boxes, beer, diet soda, and cookies that we have to start marketing on stuff that is good for you.

Ohmigod, maybe that is it. Bananas are good for you so therefore Curious George is good for you too. Genius.

Keeping it indie,
Julie

Truly Indie?

2006-04-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

It’s ironic that Caveh Zahedi won the “Best Film Not Playing in a Theater Near You” at this year’s IFP Gotham Awards. If Mark Cuban has his way, it will stay that way.

Zahedi’s award-winning film, I am a Sex Addict, picked up distribution from IFC Films after a long and successful festival tour. And then, his film was chosen as one of the first to be a part of IFC First Take, a day-and-date release agreement where the film opens simultaneously in theaters and offered On Demand through Comcast.

But in a surprise move, Mark Cuban, head of Landmark Theaters, pulled Zahedi’s film from Landmark theaters because he would not support the “competition.” I know this shouldn’t surprise me. It’s the nature of the business and everyone is looking out for themselves.

I think it’s a real shame that as a result, this will limit the audience for Zahedi’s film.

Maybe it’s because I worked at IFP for so many years, but I look at the independent film industry as a true community. WE (indie film biz peeps) look out for each other (other indie film biz peeps) to ensure that our work is seen and supported, because if one indie film succeeds, that opens the doors for the rest of us. Right?

We started this site because we wanted to make indie films more accessible to the general public. I ask you to support this film out when it comes to your town.

If you’re in New York, check out the panel presented by IFP and Filmmaker Magazine entitled “Distribution Now: Distribution How” featuring Zahedi, Debra Granik, and Jay Duplass as panelists. Moderated by Scott Macaulay, this panel will cover all the practical things every indie filmmaker should know regarding distribution, post production, and festivals. IFP has committed that $8 our of every $10 spent on the panel wil go directly to Zahedi’s opening box office and guaranteeing each participant a ticket to the film.

To learn more about Zahedi’s film, go to www.iamasexaddictthemovie.com.

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2006-03-29T17:57:00.000-08:00

Living in Los Angeles and working in the very insular world of film and entertainment, it is easy to become complacent about the plight of "everyone else" as I heard someone refer to the very large group of men, women and children who live on the "luxury" of minimum wage taking care of the kids, lawns, houses and restaurant tables in this city. The people that we don't see, but can't function without, are just that, people. They work hard to feed their families and struggle to give their children a better life than they had with as much dignity as "we" allow them. End of rant.

Watching and listening to the kids who walked out of their classrooms in protest saying that they were inspired by the film WALKOUT (that is currently airing on HBO) I couldn't help but think about the influence of art, especially film, on life and culture and vice versa. Filmmakers have often been the ones to sound the horn on issues that the people who could actually make real change were afraid or couldn't be bothered to. George Clooney may have had a point. Did people see black maids differently when Hattie McDaniel won her Oscar in 1939? Did they look at Vietnam from a different point of view when they saw Apocalypse Now or think about how AIDS can happen to "them" because Tom Hanks portrayed a lawyer with it and won an Oscar? I would like to think so but I am not sure. All I know is that a temporary spotlight is better than no light at all.

One of my favorite filmmakers of all time, British director Ken Loach, has made a career of making films that put a spotlight on the plight of the oppressed. A social realist who is always concerned with the essential truth of the matter at hand rather than what surrounds it, Loach has always forced his audience to not only look inside the world of outsiders but to live in it. Early films like KES, LADYBIRD, LADYBIRD, and RIFF RAFF focused on the plight of the poor and disenfranchised within British society. Later work, like CARLA'S SONG, BREAD AND ROSES and AE FOND KISS looked at the many issues that face immigrants, like finding a job, keeping a job and what happens when you step outside of what is expected of you. Ironically, BREAD AND ROSES, about immigrants who become union organizers in Los Angeles is the only film by Loach made in the US and starring a very well known actor, Adrien Brody.

I am not sure if any of Loach's films have made a difference legislatively. I do know that they most certainly have made a difference in the way that I think about what it means to be an outsider and how I as an insider can help make positive change.

Keeping it indie,
Julie

PS: Most of Ken Loach's films are available on DVD. Check one or two out and let me know what you think.

A Friend in Need

2006-03-23T17:46:00.000-08:00

Did you know more than 33 million Americans are currently living without life insurance? It's no secret that healthcare in this country has very limited access. Usually when you look at those numbers, the assumption is mostly the poor. But a large number are working professionals who work in the entertainment industry—artists, crew people, actors, musicians, photographers, event support, waiters... the list goes on and on. While many try to stay healthy, if something serious happens, what do you do?

This was the case for Deryl Davis, a friend and member of the indie film community, who was recently diagnosed with Lymphoma. Like many in the film community, Deryl does not have health coverage. But luckily, he has a lot of good friends...

The Davis Project was developed to help assist the Davis family with Deryl's medical expenses. Formed by a group of film professionals, there will be an ongoing online auction via eBay full of lots of enticing items to bid on. The auction will launch on March 23, so stay tuned and lend a hand.

For more information on The Davis Project, go to www.thedavisproject.org or use the following contact information:

Monetary Donations—donate@thedavisproject.org
Auction/Item Donations —auction@thedavisproject.org

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2006-03-14T18:01:00.000-08:00

So here it is...the debut of my monthly column, "From the Middle of the 6th row." To me, there is nothing better than the image which is why I have started out this new series with cinematography. For those of you who don't know, cinematography is technically the discipline of making lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for the cinema. Etymologically, it means "writing in the movement", from the French word cinéma, shortened from cinématographe, the camera invented by the Lumière brothers in the 1890s.

It is one of the most essential jobs on any film set and the choices made by the cinematographer (sometimes called the director of photography) can make something a masterpiece or a piece of shit. It is closely related to still photography and you can see that influence in a number of the cinematographers work in some recent indie (and some not so indie releases).

George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck was shot by Robert Elswit who also shot Magnolia and Boogie Nights for Paul Thomas Anderson. Each of these films have multiple characters who are almost always in constant motion. They live in the "densely packed moments" that are reminiscent of the great photographer Gary Winogrand.

Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain was shot by Rodrigo Prieto who also shot Oliver Stone's Alexander and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Amores Perros and 21 Grams. These films, though, seemingly different on the surface are all films that deal with intimate moments within the scope of vast environments so familiar in Walker Evans' work.

Phil Morrison's Junebug was shot by Phil Donahue who has previously shot documentaries for Errol Morris such as The Fog of War. Junebug is a film shot in a way that holds the life of each character in the image. There a long shots of a bicycle on a lawn, of a woman standing on a corner, of a character's face. Each of these images telling a hidden story just beneath the surface. No photographer did that better than Diane Arbus.

I could go on forever but you get the picture (no pun intended).

In case you were wondering about the name of this series - it is my favorite place in a theater to watch a film (well, that is until recently but that is for a later blog). In any case, I am what you call a "close-sitter." I didn't start out that way. In fact I was, up until about 8 years ago, a "middle to far back" person. Everything changed for me though, my first year attending the Sundance Film Festival. I walked into the massive Eccles Theatre and saw one of the indie film industry's most well known and respected people, film consultant and producer, Bob Hawk. With his characteristic warmth, he called out and waved to me from his seat in the middle of the first row. As I was sitting much further back, I walked up the aisle to chat. I asked him how he could sit so close to the screen. His answer," The more movies you see, the closer you sit." This was from a man who saw hundreds of films a year at festivals all over the world. I was just starting out my programming career. I think the middle to back would be just fine for me. Sure enough, as my years of programming and number of films increased, I got closer and closer to the screen. Never will I be in Bob Hawk's league but I now wave to him from my seat in middle of the 6th row.

This monthly will hopefully take its own shape and form as it goes along but that doesn't mean I don't want to hear your comments or suggestions for future pieces. If there is a topic you are interested in and want to see more about it on this blog or on indieIN as a whole, please don't hesitate to get in touch. You can email me at julie@indieIN.com.

Next month: Music. I think :)

Keeping it indie,
Julie

March Madness

2006-03-09T21:51:00.000-08:00

It seems like the past couple of months, all we've heard about is the awards. Who won, who lost, who was robbed. But now it's time to discover the movies that we'll be talking about all year long. Film festivals are perfect way to discover new films and March offers plenty of opportunity to do so. If you are in of these cities, or if you want to get away for the weekend, check out these great festivals.

South By Southwest - Austin
The 13th annualSouth By SouthwestFilm Festival held in conjunction with the music Festival. SXSW offers a ton of activities, including interactive panels, film conference, and a trade show and exhibition. Premieres at this year's fest includes A Prairie Home Companion, Autumn Eyes, The Last Western.

San Francisco Asian American Film Festival
The 24th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival is the largest showcase of Asian American and Asian cinema in North America. With over 120 films and videos over 11 days in three cities (San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose) there's something for everyone.

Cleveland International Film Festival
This Cleveland Festival opens on March 16th with Akeelah and the Bee, starring Angela Bassett. To get a preview of what else this festival has to offer, check out their podcast at www.cfspodcast.org.

River Run International Film Festival
The RiverRun International Film Festival is one of the premier film festivals in the Southeast, held annually at the North Carolina School of the Arts. The Fest was founded by Gennaro D'Onofrio, and his children Elizabeth and Vincent, a huge supporter of indie film. This year's fest presents an impressive selection including Take the Lead and The Legend of Lucy Keyes.

This is just a glimpse at what is going on at these festivals. For more information and for a complete list of Festivals, go to our INFestival section.

And filmmakers, don't forget. We offer free film listings, so sign up today!

Long live indie film,

Michelle

Behind-the-Scenes at the Spirit Awards

2006-03-02T17:38:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is my wrap-up of the 2006 Independent Spirit Awards that were heldyesterday on a sunny and thankfully warm day for early March in a tent at the beach in Santa Monica. As in years past, the Spirit Awards (presented by Film Independent) was a casual affair with most celebs and industry insiders clad in jeans and sunglasses with the requisite cocktail accessory. The paparazzi was in full force and the fans who line up "outside the ropes" seem to have tripled in size hoping to catch a glimpse of indie film veterans and stars like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Maggie Gyllenhaal and of course, the Olsen twins. Yes, my friends, the Olsen twins have become the biggest stars on the indie film circuit. Clad in some sort of waif-like wispy fabric, these two young ladies were the talk of backstage. Everywhere you went, you heard someone asking in hushed reverent tones, "Did you see the Olsen twins?" No matter that standing right next to that person was Sean Penn having a smoke break or the fact that the unbelievably great David Strathairn did not seem that interested in the Gift Lounge (unlike another nominee who was beside himself hustling all the free swag). This year's Spirit Awards was also a little anti-climatic in the sense that looking at the nominees, everyone sort of knew who was going to win before the winner was actually announced. The fact that for the first time (possibly ever) the Spirit Award nominees and the Oscar nominees are almost mirror images of each other put a rather subdued tone on this year's show. Though Film Independent is an organization that in the words of Executive Director Dawn Hudson is all about""providing access" to indie filmmakers with "75% of the Spirit Award nominees not nominated by the Academy," the winners (listed below) were all pretty much what will most likely happen at the Academy Awards tonight. On a positive note, I would like to think that perhaps this is a sign towards the beginning of a new revolution in the indie film industry as I think that we all need to start re-examining what truly defines independent. The old definition doesn't exactly fit anymore. Perhaps host Sarah Silverman put it best in her very funny (and very blue) monologue, "The Spirit Awards are here to support struggling artists like Ang Lee and George Clooney."

The awards will be re-telecast on IFC over the course of the next week so check you local listings. If you are looking for a clean version of the show, check it out on AMC as I believe they will be editing out the many many "fucks" that seemed prevalent in not only winner Felicity Huffman's acceptance speech but a number of others.

Here is a complete list of the winners:

Best Feature: "Brokeback Mountain"
Producers: Diana Ossana and James Schamus

Best Director: Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"

Best Screenplay: Dan Futterman, "Capote"

Best First Feature: "Crash"
Director: Paul Haggis
Producers: Cathy Schulman, Don Cheadle, Bob Yari, Mark R. Harris, Bobby Moresco, Paul Haggis

Best First Screenplay: Duncan Tucker, "Transamerica"

John Cassavetes Award: "Conventioneers"
(For the Best Feature made for under $500,000)
Director: Mora Stephens
Writers: Mora Stephens and Joel Viertel
Producer: Joel Viertel

Best Supporting Female: Amy Adams, "Junebug"

Best Supporting Male: Matt Dillon, "Crash"

Best Female Lead: Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica"

Best Male Lead: Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"

Best Cinematography: Robert Elswit, "Good Night, and Good Luck"

Best Foreign Film: "Paradise Now"
Director: Hany Abu-Assad

Best Documentary: "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room"
Director: Alex Gibney

AMC/American Express Producers Award: Caroline Baron, "Capote", "Monsoon Wedding"
($25,000 unrestricted grant -- honors producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality independent films.)

IFC/Acura Someone To Watch Award: Ian Gamazon and Neill Dela Llana, "Cavite"
($25,000 unrestricted -- honors a director of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.)

Truer Than Fiction Award: Ian Olds and Garrett Scott, "Occupation: Dreamland"
($25,000 unrestricted -- presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features.)

2006-02-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

Race and politics highlight this year's Pan African Film Festival. The Pan African Film and Arts Festival just wrapped up in Los Angeles screening a total of 160 films in 12 days. Based at the Magic Johnson theaters in Baldwin Hills, the festival is in its 14th year and is the largest international Black film festival in the US screening shorts, features, and documentaries from all over the world. Reinforcing the growing resurgence of South African film, the festival opened with the Academy Award nominated. TSOTSI (see our INsider feature) and closed with the critically acclaimed, SON OF MAN. Directed by Mark Donford-May, SON OF MAN which had its world premiere at Sundance this year, is a fantastic hyper-realist retelling of the Gospels as a parable for the corruption and political strife in contemporary Africa. It won the Festival Award for Best Feature. The majority of the festival's award winners were also either politically or racially charged: the Jury Prize for Best Documentary went to Thomas Allen Harris' THE TWELVE DISCIPLES OF NELSON MANDELA: A SON'S TRIBUTE TO UNSUNG HEROES about a son's search for reconciliation with the man who raised him, an African National Congress foot soldier who sacrificed his life for the freedom of his country; the Jury Prize for Best Director First Feature went to Donovan Marsh's DOLLARS AND WHITE PIPES, a rags to riches story of a former gang member who becomes a well respected businessman; and the FESTIVAL AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY went to ARISTIDE AND THE ENDLESS REVOLUTION (directed by Nicholas Rossier) which chronicles the events that led to the removal of Haitian president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. One of the most terrifying films that I saw at the festival that was all about race and politics was a documentary called THE ORIGIN OF AIDS (directed by Peter Chappell and Catherine Peix) which traces the appearance of HIV back to the experimental polio vaccine that was given to nearly a million Africans in the Belgian Congo in the late 1950s. A multi-layered multi-national story, the film is a must-see civics lesson on how governments are capable of instituting tremendous campaigns - medical, political or economical - without any kind of accountability or recourse. I thought about it for days after I saw it. You will too.

Keeping it indie,
Julie

2006-02-16T11:30:00.000-08:00

It's a good day to be a short filmmaker! Magnolia Pictures and Shorts International have teamed together to bring the Oscar-nominated shorts to theaters. The films will screen first in New York and Los Angeles, on February 24, and then open in select theaters various cities including San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, Austin, Portland, and Seattle.

After the Oscars, the shorts will also be available through HDNet and Magnolia's Home Entertainment division, and through ShortsTV, for download on mobile phones.

This is great news for short films, who in past only have the opportunity to find their audiences through film festivals, online, and through select TV programming. It will be interesting to see, based on the success of this theatrical run, if perhaps this will pave the way for other Short Film Series to play theatrically across the country.

Below is a list of all of the nominated films, as well as a brief description. Make sure to check out this great collection of films if it reaches your city!

Long live indie film,
Michelle

Best Animated Short Film

Badgered
Directed by Sharon Colman
A beleaguered badger tries to get some sleep

The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation
Directed by John Canemaker and Peggy Stern
A son explores his difficult relationship with his dead father through an imaginary conversation about the older man's past.

The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello
Directed by Anthony Lucas
Haunted by a tragic mistake, an aerial navigator leaves his wife behind in their plague-ridden homeland and embarks on a voyage that he hopes will redeem him.

9
Directed by Shane Acker
In a nightmarish landscape, a hunted figure confronts an insect-like creature that is stealing the souls of its brethren.

One Man Band
Directed by Andrew Jimenez and Mark Andrews
Two street performers compete for a small child's last coin.

Best Live Action Short Film

Ausreisser (The Runaway)
Directed by Ulrike Grote
When the six-year-old son he never knew he had shows up on his doorstep one morning, a novice father tries to find the boy's absent mother.

Cashback
Directed by Sean Ellis and Lene Bausager
A London art student with a vivid imagination explains the fine points of getting through the night shift at a dull job.

The Last Farm
Directed by Runar Runarsson and Thor S. Sigurjonsson
An elderly man keeps a secret from the outside world as he reacts to the possibility that he will no longer be able to remain on his isolated farm.

Our Time Is Up
Directed by Rob Pearlstein and Pia Clemente
A therapist who learns he has only six weeks to live begins treating his patients with a dose of brutal honesty.

Six Shooter
Directed by Martin McDonagh
As he travels home by train after his wife's death, a grief-stricken man finds an already terrible day taking some bizarre turns for the worse.

2006-02-09T16:36:00.000-08:00

It is with very great pleasure that we, at indieIN, congratulate our friend, Jacques Thelemaque on his film,
"Transaction" winning the Grand Prix Du Jury Award at the 28th Clermont Ferrand International Short Film
Festival. Not only is this the festival's highest award but it is the first American film to ever win the award in the
Lab Competition category and the first American film to win the Grand Prix Du Jury Award in any category since 1995.

For those of you who are not aware, Clermont Ferrand is arguably the most prestigious short film festival in the world. It also boasts a higher attendance rate than major festivals like Sundance with over 100,000 people attending each year. Started by a group of student filmmakers in 1981 out of the need to both exhibit and celebrate short films, the festival has since 2000 been housed in a building appropriately called La Jetee in homage to Chris Marker's seminal short film of the same name. Note to readers: if you haven't seen this film, see it as soon as you can because I guarantee, you will never be the same.

Speaking of never being the same, I would be remiss in not mentioning the fact that we lost three incredibly independent minded women recently without whom the world (creative and otherwise) would be a much different place. All three, Betty Friedan, Wendy Wasserstein and Coretta Scott King, spoke their minds, stood their grounds and changed the face of and opportunity for women (and men) everywhere. There is nothing more indie than that.

Keeping it indie,
Julie

2006-02-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

It already seems like award season has been going on forever, but alas, the Oscar nominations were finally announced. It doesn't matter if you are on team indie or team studio, these are the noms that everyone looks forward to see what is considered "best"!

While there are certainly some familiar faces on the list, it was quite nice to see so many indie films included on this list. Off the top of my head, I can't remember seeing such a strong stance for independent films in the Oscar since 1997!

Here are some highlights of this year's nominations:

Leading Ladies
Independent films dominated the Actress categories this year. For Best Supporting Actress, there's Amy Adams for Junebug, Catherine Keener for Capote, Rachel Weisz for The Constant Gardener, and Michelle Williams for Brokeback Mountain. In the Best Actress, the lovely Felicity Huffman for Transamerica, Keira Knightley for Pride & Prejudice, and Dame Judi Dench for Mrs. Henderson Presents, go up against Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line. Special note: although North Country is not an indie film, it was directed by director Niki Caro, director of Whale Rider.

Capote
I have to send out a special congratulations to Bennett Miller for his nomination for Best Director. I have been a fan of Bennett's ever since I saw The Cruise. If you haven't seen this film, check it out.

Good Night, and Good Luck.
George Clooney's Good Night and Good Luck received four nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director. Mr. Clooney also made an Oscar first by becoming the first person to nominated for both Best Director and Best Supporting Actor for a different film. While Syriana is not an indie film, it's definitely a must-see.

The Squid and the Whale
Although they were shut of the acting nominations, Noah Baumbach still was recognized for his poignant script. Congratulations Noah!

Hustle & Flow
Terrence Howard was recognized for Best Press and Curl, but let's get to the real deal. I think the highlight of this year's show GUARANTEED will be when a "special celebrity" sings the hustler's theme song, It's Hard Out There for a Pimp. My money is on Jamie Foxx. Any takers?

Here's a list of the indie films that received nominations.
A History of Violence
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
The Constant Gardner
Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Hustle & Flow
Junebug
Mrs. Henderson Presents
Murderball
Paradise Now
Pride & Prejudice
Transamerica
Tsotsi
The Squid and the Whale

For a full list of nominees, check out www.oscar.com.

Long live indie film,

Michelle

2006-01-19T15:30:00.000-08:00

It looks like the "revolution" will be televised... at least on video ipods. Thanks to the smart and savvy folks at Apple (sorry PC users, I am all about the Apple) and the tech savvy filmmakers Arin Crumley and Susan Bice from last year's Slamdance fave Four Eyed Monsters, filmmakers participating in this year's Slamdance Film Festival will be able to have trailers, info and screening times available via podcast. The festival will also be able to podcast unique content, alumni updates, and other festival info. When you think about it, it is all rather fitting in that Slamdance (a festival truly started by a group of mavericks) will be the first ones on Main Street to use this incredible "indie" technology.

Podcasts are the new blogs. People all over the world are making, sending, uploading, and discussing news, politics, entertainment or what's going on in their communINdies - check this space for indieIN's podcasts coming soon. Everyone from Google to Apple to Verizon is jumping on the bandwagon and they are all going to need content. What an incredible opportunity for indie filmmakers especially short filmmakers who have until recently been giving the short (pardon the pun) shrift. There are less and less venues for shorts to be screened publicly, cable channels who were champions of the short film no longer pay enough for a filmmaker to pay one production bill, and the whole "a short film is a calling card to get a feature" idea has long been buried. I would like to think that podcasting may be the hope for the short filmmaker. Short films are not second class citizens and should not be treated as such. They are an incredible art form and can and have been made in every genre by every kind of filmmaker. Think of how much better your commute would be if you could watch a few shorts on the way to and from work instead of the television show you have on TIVO anyway.

Until then, check out the shorts screening at your local festival!

Keeping it indie,

Julie

2006-01-12T22:47:00.000-08:00

Hey there indie film lovers!

So have you heard about Ironweed yet? If not, let me be the first to share it with you.

Ironweed is a edgy DVD-of-the-month club—think Netflix for Lefties. They launched last month and have already picked some pretty amazing films. These guys aren't messing around! Ironweed's January package is Power Trip, a funny
and fearless documentary by Paul Devlin that follows an American multinational as it struggles to solve the electricity crisis in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Nominated for Best Documentary at the 2004 Independent Spirit Awards and winner of top prizes at the Berlin and Florida film festivals, Power Trip is a fascinating and sobering look at the real-world impact of privatization and globalization.

With Power Trip, you'll get Red Diaper Baby, a riveting concert film of Josh Kornbluth's acclaimed one-man show about growing up as the child of American communists in 1970s New York City.

If you want to sign up, click here... indieIN is proud to be an affiliate for this cool group and we look forward to working with them more in the future.

On another note, if you are heading out to a festival, don't forget to sign up for our film listings. And make sure to tell your filmmaker friends. We want to help you get those butts in seats and spread the word that "there is more out there!"

Long live indie film,
Michelle

2005-12-22T21:28:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official. Filmmakers can list their films for FREE on indieIN! And this is not just a holiday special—this special opportunity is here to stay! The Festival Season kicks-off next month in Park City, so make sure you sign up soon to guarantee your screening is packed. Moviegoers in the United States, Canada, and the UK visit to indieIN to find out what independent films are playing in their area. When you sign up for a Film Listings, your movie will be included in our city/zip code search. So why wait for the buzz to come about your film... create it yourself!

Oh, and indieIN is also offering the best rates in town for advertising for the 2006 awards season (December 2005 through Sunday, March 5th’s Academy Awards). Go to www.indieIN.com for more details

Have a great holiday!

2005-12-15T21:21:00.000-08:00

I have to say I was pretty excited to see the nominations for The Golden Globe Awards. After all, the awards truly are a window into what to expect from the Oscars. Sure there are a ton of awards show, from the indies to the critics, but the Globes and the Oscars will always reign as the two that people really watch and notice, especially the general public.

From my perspective, the Globes usually take a more commercial route. So it was pretty bleeping cool to see them recognize films that fall in the indie category. You may say that Brokeback Mountain was no surprise because it is topping the charts of all the awards, but it is an amazing film and Heath Ledger deserves all the hype he's getting.

(And I think it's official, Focus Features is the Miramax).

Here's the full list of nominees, just in case you haven't heard:

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

Brokeback Mountain
Focus Features/River Road Entertainment; Focus Features

The Constant Gardener
Potboiler Prods./Scion Films; Focus Features

Good Night, And Good Luck
Section Eight/2929 Entertainment/Participant Productions; Warner Independent Pictures

A History of Violence
New Line Cinema; New Line Cinema

Match Point
Jada Productions; DreamWorks Pictures

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS - DRAMA
Maria Bello, A History of Violence
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Gwyneth Paltrow, Proof
Charlize Theron, North Country
Ziyi Zhang, Memoirs of a Geisha

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR - DRAMA
Russell Crowe, Cinderella Man
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
David Strathairn, Good Night, and Good Luck

BEST MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Mrs. Henderson Presents
Heyman Hoskins Prods.; The Weinstein Company

Pride & Prejudice
Working Title Prods.; Focus Features/StudioCanal

The Producers
Brooksfilms; Universal Pictures/Columbia Pictures

The Squid and the Whale
American Empirical/Peter Newman - Internal; Samuel Goldwyn Films/Sony Pictures Releasing International

Walk The Line
Twentieth Century Fox; Twentieth Century Fox

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents
Keira Knightley, Pride & Prejudice
Laura Linney, The Squid and the Whale
Sarah Jessica Parker, The Family Stone
Reese Witherspoon, Walk The Line

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Pierce Brosnan, The Matador
Jeff Daniels, The Squid and the Whale
Johnny Depp, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Nathan Lane, The Producers
Cillian Murphy, Breakfast on Pluto
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk The Line

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Kung Fu Hustle (CHINA)
Columbia Pictures Film Prod. Asia Ltd/Huayi Brothers/Taihe Film Investment Co. Ltd/Star Overseas; Sony Pictures Classics

Master of the Crimson Armor aka The Promise (CHINA)
Beijing 21st CenturySheng Kai/China Film Group/Capgen Investment Group/Moonstone Prods.; The Weinstein Company

Merry Christmas (Joyeux Noel) (FRANCE)
Nord Quest Prods. Senator Film Prods./The Bureau Artemis Prods/Media Pro Pictures/TF1 Films/Les Productions de la Gueville; Sony Pictures Classics

Paradise Now (PALESTINE)
Augustus Film/Lama Films/Razor Films/Lumen Films/Arte France Cinema/Hazazah Film; Warner Independent Pictures

Tsotsi (SOUTH AFRICA)
UK/South African Prods.; Miramax Films

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Scarlett Johansson, Match Point
Shirley MacLaine, In Her Shoes
Frances McDormand, North Country
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
George Clooney, Syriana
Matt Dillon, Crash
Will Ferrell, The Producers
Paul Giamattii, Cinderella Man
Bob Hoskins, Mrs. Henderson Presents

BEST DIRECTOR
Woody Allen, Match Point
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
Peter Jackson, King Kong
Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
Fernando Meirelles, The Constant Gardener
Steven Spielberg, Munich

BEST SCREENPLAY
Woody Allen, Match Point
George Clooney & Grant Heslov, Good Night, and Good Luck
Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco, Crash
Tony Kushner & Eric Roth, Munich
Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana, Brokeback Mountain

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Alexandre Desplat, Syriana
James Newton Howard, King Kong
Gustavo Santaolalla, Brokeback Mountain
Harry Gregson-Williams, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
John Williams, Memoirs of a Geisha

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"A Love That Will Never Grow Old" -- Brokeback Mountain
Music by: Gustavo Santaolalla
Lyrics by: Bernie Taupin

"Christmas in Love" -- Christmas in Love
Music by: Tony Renis
Lyrics by: Marva Jan Marrow

"There's Nothing Like a Show on Broadway" -- The Producers
Music & Lyrics by: Mel Brooks

"Travelin' Thru" -- Transamerica
Music & Lyrics by: Dolly Parton

"Wunderkind" -- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
Music & Lyrics by: Alanis Morissette

2005-12-07T19:03:00.000-08:00

Is this thing on?

Okay, it's official. Julie and I have created a place where not only can we give you the latest news of what's going on at indieIN, but we can share of good, bad, and ugly of all we come across as we pursue our mission: conquering the world.

Oh, and that other mission too: increasing the audience for indieIN. A quick shoutout to everyone who's supported us thus far—you ROCK!

Keep posted for more and let us know what's on your mind!

Long live indie film,

Chelle