Today, the 2011 Sundance Film Festival starts. I am in Los Angeles. Draw your own conclusion.
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The other day my buddy sent me an article noting 10 famous Sundance rejects, including SWINGERS, THE KING OF KONG: A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS, THE DAYTRIPPERS, GEORGE WASHINGTON, MAD HOT BALLROOM, FOLLOWING and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY.
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All I know right now is that I’m gonna go home and play some BLACK OPS, maybe have a Jameson.
As I’m slamming through post so I have something decent to hand in for the Sundance submission deadline, I realize it’s been ages since I’ve submitted a film to festivals. I’m out of the loop. I don’t know what are the new make-or-break festivals out there. Right now I’m planning on submitting to…
What other fests should I apply to? Please let me know in the comments section of my blog. Also, leave a reason why.
Okay, I’m not anti-film but continuing from an earlier riff Sundance 2010 doesn’t excite. Maybe I’m grumbling because I have my own film and I’m frustrated with the speed of the post process (so f**king SLOW!) but I did see one film that’s playing at Sundance and it’s just more of the same… with one exception.
I’m very curious about the Sundance NEXT category. As far as I can tell, this is for no/low budget films (although how you have one starring Dax Shepard is beyond me) and I hear that a couple of these flicks have decided to use the festival to launch their DIY distribution. In other words, they’re not looking for a distribution deal, they’re doing it themselves.
If that works, I think that’s where truly independent films are headed.
Can’t wait to see how this turns out.
No, not really.
Well, sorta.
First, yesterday, Sundance announced their line up. I looked at it, thought “you gotta be in it to win it” and bounced within 30 seconds. What can I say, I haven’t been in the best mood lately and the thought of my feature just sitting at the editor’s breaks my heart but there isn’t much I can do about it right now.
But near the top of the list I saw one name I recognized: Derek Cianfrance. I first heard that name over a decade ago when my friend Kris put a screener in my hand and said, “this is the real deal.” I watched the film, BROTHER TIED, and I was pretty impressed. I don’t know if we screened it at my fest (I was either working for AFI or LA Film Festival at the time) but I have some vague memory of meeting him. Still, all that quickly faded from memory.
But then every once in a while his name creeps back. I’ll see his name in a festival brochure or on a website or God knows where. I don’t know why but it’s just one of those things.
I gotta say, I’m glad to see that he’s still around. If I’m reading his IMDB right, this is only his second feature. That’s two features in twelve years. Dude, I admire your resolve. Here’s hoping Sundance brings you and your new film much success.
This is a quick shout out to my friend Mo who just won the Slamdance Grand Jury Prize for her first feature A QUIET LITTLE MARRIAGE.
As I’ve been so caught up with my own little world, I completely forgot that Sundance was happening. You too? Then take a look at this useful tool.
I have little doubt that this could have been one of the most significant American movies of the year. Unfortunately, like that girl you always pined for but never mustered up the courage to ask out until she was firmly in the arms of another, a misstep in timing can snatch greatness from one’s destiny.
First, this movie is remarkable. Not only does Sean Penn dazzle but so do all the supporting performers. On top of that, this might be Gus Van Sant‘s best work since… ever. His filmmaking is stylish, daring and thrilling while always growing organically from the richness of the script and the performances. Don’t believe me? When was the last time you held your breath while watching a ballot measure’s vote tally?
Which brings me to the non-review section of this post: why the hell was this film released after prop 8 passed in California?
For those that don’t know, proposition 8 was a California ballot measure that would rewrite the state constitution to define marriage as only possible between a man and a woman.
Clearly, a piece of thrilling, life affirming, mind opening entertainment like MILK could have swayed a few more people to reconsider their fear of “the other”. Was it that the filmmakers were afraid of getting caught up in the mix, of being labeled as “political”?
And while we’re on this topic, let me address the Rich Raddon issue. Mr Raddon was the director of the Los Angeles Film Festival, an arm of Film Independent. Apparently Mr Raddon, a practicing Mormon, donated $1,500 to the “Yes on 8″ campaign. Once this news went public, he tendered his resignation but FIND declined to accept it. Word was that FIND didn’t want to throw one of their own under the bus for what they saw as improved PR.
Then the news spread like wildfire. Filmmakers were up in arms. Sure, nobody thought a boycott of Sundance would ever work but LAFF, yeah, the Los Angeles gay activist community could seriously disrupt that festival. Rumor had it that the board at FIND was regretting their decision. After a couple weeks of silence, Mr. Raddon resubmitted his letter of resignation but this time the board took him up on it. Afterwards, Mr. Raddon and FIND released a couple of pretty lame press releases.
I’ve met Mr. Raddon, I’ve worked for LAFF, I am a dues paying member of FIND and an alumni of their minority filmmaker support program, Project: Involve. If you’ve read this blog for a while, you know that I attend many of their seminars. I can’t imagine Los Angeles without this organization.
So, without casting stones, let me simply ask these questions. Why did FIND remain silent for so long? Why did Mr. Raddon do it? Does he believe in his heart of hearts that homosexual don’t deserve the same rights as heterosexuals or was he simply being obedient to his church?
I suspect I’ll never get a satisfactory answer to this question. I do hope this mark doesn’t taint FIND or LAFF for too long. I do believe the organization wanted to do the right thing but found itself stuck between responding to the outcries of its community and what it must have felt like shutting out a friend that made a huge mistake.
So as not to leave you on such a downer, how about a bit of musical comedy featuring my thespian doppelganger?
It’s been a few days since the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival wrapped and I’m still feeling exhausted from the experience. I worked most of the festival as a videographer for FesTV but I did manage to squeeze in a few films and a turn as James Lipton.
My first major event was the “Conversation with Pharrell Williams” at the Hammer Museum. Elvis Mitchell moderated and I must report that Pharrell is a nerd at heart. He went on and on about movies and science and science-fiction and then movies again (e.g., how the witch from THE WIZ and Stanley Kubrick scared the s#!t out of him as a kid).
My next gig was a series of interviews conducted by a lovely French woman named Celia (how can the French make beauty and grace seem so effortless? I gotta book a flight to France). We spoke with Scott Pendergast (KABLUEY), Stephane Gauger (OWL AND THE SPARROW) and Jess Manafort (THE BEAUTIFUL ORDINARY)… pardon the interruption but I was so completely enchanted by Jess that I will publicly declare my full blown crush on her.
Let me stop here and say that jealousy overtook me this day. I’ve met Scott before (he came to my birthday party but apparently I was too drunk to really remember), I have worked with Stephane on the G&E team, then there was a documentary by Almudena Carracedo (a really cute UCLA critical studies student I used to flirt with recklessly) and a film by Chris Eska (a recent UCLA grad). They all had features at the festival. For Christ’s sake, Stephane won the audience award and Chris took home the Target prize — $50k, so be sure he buys the drinks when you see him at a bar.
On this day I also covered the red carpet premiere of JOSHUA and I was blown away by 1) the little star’s poise when interviewed (can he train me to speak in front of a crowd) and Michael McKean’s presence (it was a treat to stand 2 feet from him).
On Wednesday I covered the red carpet for THE HOTTEST STATE and, while Ethan did grant us an interview, I was supremely bummed that Catalina (aka, the future Mrs. Tony Arias) didn’t show.
My next day working I shot Buck Henry’s chat and he was a pure delight. He told great stories and even imparted a bit of sagely advice. Later that night I was called up for a last minute event, a Q&A with Jeff Garland (CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM) and Paul Mazursky, who was screening a print of HARRY & TONTO. Paul laid out one of the most obvious but best bits of wisdom – the best directing is casting.
The next day I covered a panel on exploitation filmmaking with Eli Roth (HOSTEL), Craig Brewer (HUSTLE & FLOW) and the legendary Jack Hill (SWITCHBLADE SISTERS). What struck me most was that all three of them, while genre directors, bemoaned the death of the personal (albeit genre) film. I was feeling deeply saddened by the state of the film industry.
Sunday was my day off. armed with vouchers for films, I caught a few screenings.
First, Shorts Program #4. Most were okay, one was awful but the crowning jewel was Don Hertzfeldt’s EVERYTHING WILL BE OK. That film is so tremendously funny and insightful and honest and touching and transcendent and artful… I’m just gonna stop gushing. You must see this film.
I then caught the music video program Eclectic Mix #2. Why are all low budget music videos made by Silver Lake hipsters obsessed with being trendier than thou (yet they have no clue about style)? On top of that, all the big budget videos were odes to grindhouse films (Joseph Kahn, that might have been the best music video you’ve ever made but I still think you can take your 4-point lighting and geometric editing and shove it up your… HEY NOW! Let’s try and keep this family friendly). The only music video that got me to applaud was the one by Ramon & Pedro. Kudos to the two of you.
I then caught the new Johnnie To film EXILED… there’s a reason, Mr Giant Robot Man, that everyone was catching flick on pirated region 6 DVDs. It’s a copycat cousin to John Woo’s THE KILLER.
Lastly I caught a reprise of the UCLA award winning films at the Crest theater. While attempting to sneak out to grab a bite to eat, I was roped into doing an introduction and a Q&A. Let me say that I hate unmoderated Q&A’s. Every time I see a film and people ask lame questions about budget or schedule I want to disembowel someone with a rust hook. That said, the audience asked stupid questions but my own were brilliant. 
And that concludes my LAFF experience. I only wished I’d seen more films. Maybe next year when I might have a short or feature of my own playing there.
No, I haven’t answered the calling of professional hit man (yet) but I am working for the Los Angeles Film Festival this year as a videographer. So far I’m scheduled to shoot Pharrell Williams, some Transformers and Buck Henry. I think I’ll post some tweets after each job, to let you know how the wet work went or if the package changed.
Oh, and be sure to say “hi” if ya see me in Westwood.
The UCLA Festival of Student Works kicks off today and word on the street says this year will be one of the strongest in recent memory. As I have only seen one film that’s playing this year, I can’t testify to that but I do know that the more you attended, the greater the range of works you’ll see. Everything will be on display, from undergraduate camera exercises to graduate thesis films shot in other countries. It’s a great opportunity to see the learning process in action, catch a few amazing short films and meet the Gore Verbinskis and Alexander Paynes of tomorrow. If you do plan on attending, you should RSVP at the website and remember to gush over a filmmaker at least once.
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