Cameron Bailey's TIFF words of wisdom

LOVE this from Cameron Bailey's TIFF indiewire preview:

“When I started this gig four years ago I used to work 20-hour days in July,” he said. “Now I work 15-hour days in July. Everything else is pretty much the same: You work your ass off trying to get the best new movies you can, you fight with people who you thought were friends, you make friends with people you thought were enemies and then you climb up on stage and raise the curtain.”

iPOP 'Tiny Furniture''s Big Dance Party! - indieWIRE

So proud of Lena Dunham and TINY FURNITURE! A thrill to be able to stop by the NYC premiere.

iPOP 'Tiny Furniture''s Big Dance Party! - indieWIRE

Me and Wendell

I don't know many actors, nor do I usually ask to have my photo taken with the famous - friends, associates or otherwise. But I couldn't resist when I ran into Wendell Pierce at the MD Film Festival. What a great actor. What a gorgeous voice! Just loved getting to meet him for a minute and talk in person. He took the photo :)

SXSW Animated Venue and Shuttle Guide

I just love this! Can't embed, but very worth clicking on. It's an adorable animated guide to SXSW Venues and new 2009 Shuttles.

Peggy and Steven, looking fine on Oscar night

Love seeing this photo with Peggy's newest piece on NPR "Who are you Wearing to the Oscars? Who Cares?" Steven's 4th Oscar nomination! I'll certainly be cheering him on.

David Lowery on films festivals and relationships

I found David Lowery's answer to this question from Karina Longworth re: her sxsw preview interview on Spoutblog.com amazing. Just beautiful and so apt. Cool series - Karina, thanks. And David - thank you for a great perspective....

Karina: There’s been some criticism that the only way to get into SXSW is by being a part of an “incestuous scene where everybody knows everybody.” So who did *you* have to sleep with to get in? Metaphorically or literally: are there any SXSW filmmaker(s) past or present that you’re close with personally and/or professionally, and how have those relationships helped or hurt the process of producing your film and getting it seen?

David: Why apply a pejorative? I like to think that film festivals both foster relationships with individual filmmakers, and engender a sense of community amongst those filmmakers. It’s a beautiful thing, and it’s only natural that, within a given festival lineup, there will be a few works by people who have screened there in the past, and works by their friends, and perhaps even a bit of cross–pollination in the credits. This doesn’t by any means create a veil of exclusivity. I have five friends with feature films in the festival this year whose work has screened here in years past. That is five films out of 108, meaning there are 103 other features I’ll be walking into blindly, and 103 filmmakers I’m looking forward to making friends with.

Ah Austin K on John's Master Class again

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David Hudson on Beeswax in Berlin

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Milk - Highly Recommended

What a movie! I cried my way through this beautiful, sad, uplifting, and important work. As I expected it was almost overwhelming in terms of personal history and resonance, but of course, it's so much greater than that. Just a great piece - great acting, great directing, vitality, sensitivity but also, of course, its politics. Go see it. Amen.

Young Rob in 1978

I just need to copy this photo here (snagged from Indiewire...no pun intended :)) because I love it so much. Young Rob Epstein!!! This is 1978. We met in 1973, our very first day of college. We were inseparable for months, then life shifted. But our paths kept crossing, and have still been crossing all these years later. I couldn't be more proud of Rob's career - he's made some incredible, deeply affecting films.

How I wish I had at least one picture of us young together!!

Thrilled to see the renewed attention Rob is getting for his superb The Times of Harvey Milk. And chomping at the bit to immerse in Gus Van Sant's Milk. I've missed several advanced screenings. A great subject, a great director. And I lived in SF 1975-1980. I remember that moment very well. I was spending all my time outside of my day job (distributing experimental films) up off Castro at a small lesbian run theatre company. I'm pre-disposed to go crazy for this film on so many, many levels. Really looking forward to it.

Go: See Zack and Miri with a fullhouse

Go!!

And do yourself a favor - see Zack and Miri in a crowded movie theatre, with lot of others laughing their heads off. It's a group experience you won't want to miss.

SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK Highly Recommended!!

I first saw Synecdoche, New York at the Toronto Film Festival this year. I found it breathtaking, heartbreaking, funny, moving, romantic -- completely engaging on every level. The acting is sublime! I saw it again tonight and loved every single minute again.

In this time of decreasing art house audiences, megawatt blockbusters, and fractured niche comfort zones, I wonder how much room there is for a movie like this. This is a movie that I find so utterly satisfying. This is a movie that I know is not for everyone. But this is a movie that totally speaks to me. Go see it.

Order of Myths w Margaret Brown in person. Highly Recommended

I really love this film! Come see Margaret Brown in person for this special AFS presentation in advance of her Alamo South premiere on Friday. Or go when it opens. Just don't miss it.




THE ORDER OF MYTHS
With Director Margaret Brown In Attendance
Monday, 20 October 6:30 PM | The Alamo South Lamar (1120 S Lamar)
Tickets are $4 for AFS Members and $6 for Non-members. Buy Tickets>>

The first Mardi Gras in America was celebrated in Mobile, Alabama in 1703. In 2007, it is still racially segregated. Filmmaker Margaret Brown (“Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt”), herself a daughter of Mobile, escorts us into the parallel hearts of the city’s two carnivals. With unprecedented access, she traces the exotic world of secret mystic societies and centuries-old traditions and pageantry; diamond-encrusted crowns, voluminous, hand-sewn gowns, surreal masks and enormous paper mache floats. Against this opulent backdrop, she uncovers a tangled web of historical violence and power dynamics, elusive forces that keep this hallowed tradition organized along enduring color lines.

Watch the trailer for THE ORDER OF MYTHS>>

Buy Tickets>>


Official Film website: http://www.theorderofmyths.com/

THE ORDER OF MYTHS opens theatrically at The Alamo South Lamar on October 24. Tickets are available at http://www.originalalamo.com
The first Mardi Gras in America was celebrated in Mobile, Alabama in 1703. In 2007, it is still racially segregated. Filmmaker Margaret Brown (Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt), herself a daughter of Mobile, escorts us into the parallel hearts of the city's two carnivals. With unprecedented access, she traces the exotic world of secret mystic societies and centuries-old traditions and pageantry; diamond-encrusted crowns, voluminous, hand-sewn gowns, surreal masks and enormous papier-mache floats. Against this opulent backdrop, she uncovers a tangled web of historical violence and power dynamics, elusive forces that keep this hallowed tradition organized along enduring color lines. Prize winner at Silverdocs, and official selection at Sundance, SXSW, Full Frame, Edinburgh and LA Film Festivals.

http://www.cinemaguild.com/orderofmyths/

FILM FESTIVAL LIST:
World Premiere, Sundance Film Festival, 2008
Winner, Cinematic Vision Award, Silverdocs, 2008
Official Selection, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, 2008
Official Selection, Edinburgh International Film Festival, 2008
Official Selection, Los Angeles International Film Festival, 2008

The film’s running time is 80 minutes; it is not rated.

CRITIC'S PICK! "A WISE AND SOBERLY AFFECTING DOCUMENTARY.”
– Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

“BRILLIANT. HEARTBREAKING. A WINNER!”
– David Edelstein, New York Magazine

“BRILLIANTLY CAPTIVATING. AN INVALUABLE PORTRAIT OF US-AND-THEM AMERICA, A SMART, GENEROUS, POIGNANT, QUIETLY DISTURBING MOVIE.”
– Robert Abele, LA Times

“THE KIND OF ILLUMINATING WORK THAT SENDS AUDIENCES STUMBLING HOME IN A WIDE-EYED STATE OF ASTONISHMENT. A HAUNTING AND IMPORTANT DOCUMENTARY.
– S. James Snyder, The New York Sun

“THE ORDER OF MYTHS IS THE BEST DOCUMENTARY IN AGES, AND ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR.”
– Jeff Reichert, Reverse Shot

“HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED NONFICTION FILMMAKING. WONDERFULLY VIVID.”
– Michael Koresky, Indiewire

“AN INTIMATE EXCAVATION OF THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN RACISM.” CRITIC’S PICK
– Logan Hill, New York Magazine

“QUIETLY SHOCKING. DEFT, ENGROSSING.
– Vadim Rizov, The Village Voice

“REMARKABLY ASSURED. A LEVEL OF CRAFT THAT STUNS.”
– A. J. Schnack, Indiewire

“SMARTLY EDITED, UTTERLY ENGROSSING AND AS INTELLIGENT AN EXAMINATION OF AMERICAN RACE RELATIONS AS I’VE SEEN.”
– Pete VonderHaar, Film Threat

“A MOVING AND SURPRISING DOCUMENTARY.”
– Andrew O’Hehir, Salon.com

“A RICH PORTRAIT… BROWN PRESENTS A COMPLEX, PROVOCATIVE VIEW; AND SHE ENDS WITH ONE OF THE MOST MYSTERIOUS AND CHILLING TAG LINES EVER.”
– Andy Klein, LA City Beat

“A GREAT REMINDER THAT, EVEN IN THE YEAR OF OBAMA, WE REMAIN A NATION DIVIDED BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE.” CRITICS’ PICK
– David Fear, Time Out New York

It's a question of engagement

Had a blast in NYC last week for our annual trip in for the New York Film Festival opening night and weekend. Saw: Voy A Explotar, The Class, Happy Go Lucky, Wendy and Lucy, Hunger and Che. The highlights for me were definitely Happy-Go-Lucky and Hunger. Happy-Go-Lucky is deceptively simple, lingering, resonating soundly. Hunger, less than two minutes in screams the arrival of a major new filmmaking talent. No joke. It's a major achievement. Very, very powerful.

Very much enjoyed the experience of seeing Che at the NYFF press screening at the Ziegfield. Soderbergh said:

It's a question of engagement. Participate or observe? We have to make this decision everyday.

Chris Smith's The Pool. Highly Recommended

Have I not been raving about Chris Smith's The Pool? It's a brilliant film. A rare jewel by one of our most gifted filmmakers working today.

You'll have to seek it out. It's in limited theatrical release. But very worthwhile. Check the website for screenings and more info.

The Art of the Floating Head Poster

Another good lead from Cinevegas blog. This "The Art of the Floating Head Poster" from Funny or Die.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

50 Incredible Film Posters from Poland

Thanks to Cinevegas Blog and WellMedicated for this excellent round-up of Polish Film Posters. I saw a great exhibit of Richard Linklater's personal collection at the Harry Ransom Center a few years back. These posters rock!




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Hamet 2 - Funny, enjoyable. Recommended

On Labor Day, John and I checked out Hamlet 2. And totally enjoyed it! I cannot understand why people aren't going.... the title? It's funny. Not the best film I've ever seen, but sweet, funny, entertaining. Better than plenty of other films. Check it out. Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, great comic timing all around.

Go see Humboldt County Sept 26! Highly recommended.

Stumbled across this promotional trailer first on Matt Dentler's blog before finding it again on Humboldt County's blog.

Humboldt County was one of my favorite films at SXSW 2008. Something about its created world was totally sure. I still don't know how to articulate why even though I wrote the SXSW catalogue copy. I didn't feel I did it justice. It was just about a place filled with people I came to really care about, where I immersed fully for a couple of hours. And longer. It's stayed with me in a surprising fashion.

While amusing on its own terms, this trailer is goofier than the film itself -- and doesn't really give you an accurate taste. Definitely check the feature out when it comes to your town! September 26: Humboldt. San Francisco, Berkeley, Portland, Seattle and Austin, TX!!

Finally, an American Teen review I can relate to

Finally, a smart, intelligent American Teen review I can relate to. Thanks to Marjorie Baumgarten at the Austin Chronicle.

American Teen

Year Released: 2008
Directed By: Nanette Burstein
(PG-13, 95 min.)

In our modern Information Age, it is no longer possible to believe in documentaries as conveyors of unfiltered, unvarnished truths. Everything is transmitted through the eyes of the beholders, from the lens of the filmmaker to the perceptions of the viewers. Burstein’s American Teen, however, causes us to become aware of the power the subjects have to control their ultimate image and message. We used to fret over the extent to which a filmmaker’s presence altered the very nature of that which was under observation. American Teen shows us that we really need to pay more attention to the ways in which the media-savvy of the subjects can shape the outcome of the observation. The teens of Warsaw, Ind., the town in which Burstein’s documentary is set, were born into the era of reality TV, in which a spot on The Real World or American Idol means a ticket to instant celebrity, and the confidences once shared in diaries and incessant phone chatter are now unveiled on Facebook and MySpace for all the world to consume. They may not have known it, but these kids were ready for their shot at fame long before Burstein entered their midst and wired them up with portable microphone packs. What her cameras capture shouldn’t be construed as truth but rather as scenarios that were cast in stone long before she came on the scene. The five high school seniors she chooses as her main subjects could have come straight from Central Casting – or The Breakfast Club: They are the princess, jock, rebel, heartthrob, and geek. It’s senior year, so the film gains some dramatic strength from the kids’ uncertainty about their futures, but apart from that, the film records the usual teenage obsessions with social insecurities, who’s dating whom, and the hierarchies of cool. From the outset, it’s necessary to ask if these students are a truly representative lot or whether they’re stereotypes that fit Burstein’s preconceptions. Burstein’s judgment also becomes an issue, as we watch the occasionally despicable behavior of the teens (as during the plastering of hate graffiti on an opponent’s window or the merciless mocking of a defenseless newcomer whose naked torso has been IM’d throughout the town), while her unyielding camera practically spurs further action with its rapt attention. The artsy rebel Hannah Bailey (who is now studying filmmaking in college) experiences a depression so intense that it precludes her being able to attend school, yet she gladly allows Burstein’s camera into her bedroom and inner thoughts. Burstein (who previously co-directed The Kid Stays in the Picture and On the Ropes) ultimately tells us nothing about senior year in the heartland of America that we didn’t already know. However, the film’s revelations about our media-soaked society are revelatory. At times it’s almost like Lord of the Flies, with the camera serving as the flypaper dipped in the honey of the promised land of celebrity.

Marjorie Baumgarten [2008-08-08]