On Tuesday, Americans go to the voting booth to determine what kind of country they want theirs to be. Months of the most polarized, and polarizing, presidential campaign in recent memory have left many of us with battle fatigue and gnawing pangs of cynicism and nausea. To quote Thomas McGuane, in the opening line of his 1973 novel “92 in the Shade”: “Nobody knows, from sea to shining sea, why we are having all this trouble with our republic.”
Our filmmakers might have a clue. And a little distance brings perspective. The American Film Festival just celebrated its seventh annual survey of new (and mostly) independent cinema made in the U.S.A., as assembled for and viewed by eager European audiences in Wroclaw, Poland. Though not without some escapist and experimental tangents, the selections couldn’t help but offer a provocative composite of work that serves as a kind of state of the union address.
Our filmmakers might have a clue. And a little distance brings perspective. The American Film Festival just celebrated its seventh annual survey of new (and mostly) independent cinema made in the U.S.A., as assembled for and viewed by eager European audiences in Wroclaw, Poland. Though not without some escapist and experimental tangents, the selections couldn’t help but offer a provocative composite of work that serves as a kind of state of the union address.
- 11/7/2016
- by Steve Dollar
- Indiewire
Taking to the stage
Hunky Dory marks the feature debut of director Michael Curtis Johnson and writer and star Tomas Pais. The film tells the story of Sidney (Pais), a "glam rock dilattente" who finds he has to reassess his life after his young son George (Edouard Holdener) turns up on his doorstep for longer than expected. The plot beats may sound familiar but this is a character-driven narrative, hinging on a magnetic performance by Pais in the central role and great chemistry with Holdener, which saw the film pick up a Jury prize for acting at Slamdance Film Festival in January.
Chicago-born Johnson and Pais, who is originally from Lisbon in Portugal, have known one another for 10 years and collaborated previously on short films together.
Waiting for the train
"We had similar stories of trying to get our careers off the ground in Los Angeles, me with my directing...
Hunky Dory marks the feature debut of director Michael Curtis Johnson and writer and star Tomas Pais. The film tells the story of Sidney (Pais), a "glam rock dilattente" who finds he has to reassess his life after his young son George (Edouard Holdener) turns up on his doorstep for longer than expected. The plot beats may sound familiar but this is a character-driven narrative, hinging on a magnetic performance by Pais in the central role and great chemistry with Holdener, which saw the film pick up a Jury prize for acting at Slamdance Film Festival in January.
Chicago-born Johnson and Pais, who is originally from Lisbon in Portugal, have known one another for 10 years and collaborated previously on short films together.
Waiting for the train
"We had similar stories of trying to get our careers off the ground in Los Angeles, me with my directing...
- 3/14/2016
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
In the week that saw Brian Golden Davis’ documentary secure a distribution deal with Discovery Communications’ Animal Planet and Lionsgate, the film also left Park City with two top awards.
The Million Dollar Duck won the narrative jury and audience awards for best documentary feature on Thursday night.
Paul Taylor’s Driftwood claimed the juried narrative feature awards while Honey Buddies by Alex Simmons took the audience award.
“Congratulations to all of the filmmakers this year. Outside of winning a Sparky, as a collective they showed us the power of real independent film and how much it enriches our lives,” said Slamdance president and co-founder Peter Baxter.
Audience Awards
Narrative Feature
Honey Buddies, dir Alex Simmons
Documentary
The Million Dollar Duck, dir Brian Golden Davis
Jury Awards
Narrative Feature
Driftwood, dir Paul Taylor
Honourable Mention for Acting
Tomas Pais and Edouard Holdener in Hunky Dory, dir Michael Curtis Johnson
Documentary
The Million Dollar Duck, dir [link=nm...
The Million Dollar Duck won the narrative jury and audience awards for best documentary feature on Thursday night.
Paul Taylor’s Driftwood claimed the juried narrative feature awards while Honey Buddies by Alex Simmons took the audience award.
“Congratulations to all of the filmmakers this year. Outside of winning a Sparky, as a collective they showed us the power of real independent film and how much it enriches our lives,” said Slamdance president and co-founder Peter Baxter.
Audience Awards
Narrative Feature
Honey Buddies, dir Alex Simmons
Documentary
The Million Dollar Duck, dir Brian Golden Davis
Jury Awards
Narrative Feature
Driftwood, dir Paul Taylor
Honourable Mention for Acting
Tomas Pais and Edouard Holdener in Hunky Dory, dir Michael Curtis Johnson
Documentary
The Million Dollar Duck, dir [link=nm...
- 1/29/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
[Editors Note: Project of the Day is presented in partnership with Blackmagic Design, one of the world's leading innovators and manufacturers of creative video technology.] Here's your daily dose of an indie film, web series, TV pilot, what-have-you in progress -- at the end of the week, you'll have the chance to vote for your favorite. In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments. Hunky Dory Logline: A comedy-drama about a drag queen and his son. Elevator Pitch: After his ex-girlfriend disappears, Sidney, a grifting glam rock dilettante, is forced to look after his 11-year-old son full-time. His "cool dad" facade crumbles and his life goes into full tailspin as he struggles to let go of his rock-and-roll lifestyle. Production Team: Director: Michael Curtis Johnson Writers: Michael Curtis Johnson, Tomas Pais Producers: Bernie Stern, Tomas Pais, Michael Curtis Johnson Cinematographer: Magela Crosignani ("The...
- 12/28/2015
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Festival top brass announced on Monday the 12 Narrative and eight Documentary Feature Film Competition films in 22nd edition, set to run in Park City from January 22-28, 2016.
The 20-strong line-up includes 12 world premieres, three North American premieres and one Us premiere.
All competition films are feature directorial debuts with budgets of less than $1m and without Us distribution.
Jury awards are presented to feature films in both categories and all films are eligible for audience awards as well as the Spirit Of Slamdance Award, judged by the filmmakers themselves.
“The standard of Diy filmmaking around the world is the highest we’ve seen, and the diversity of storytelling is the most we’ve experienced,” sad Slamdance co-founder and president Peter Baxter.
“With a record breaking number of submissions to select from, the narrative and documentary feature line-up has never been so competitive or as exciting to programme.”
All synopses provided by the festival.
Narrative Features...
The 20-strong line-up includes 12 world premieres, three North American premieres and one Us premiere.
All competition films are feature directorial debuts with budgets of less than $1m and without Us distribution.
Jury awards are presented to feature films in both categories and all films are eligible for audience awards as well as the Spirit Of Slamdance Award, judged by the filmmakers themselves.
“The standard of Diy filmmaking around the world is the highest we’ve seen, and the diversity of storytelling is the most we’ve experienced,” sad Slamdance co-founder and president Peter Baxter.
“With a record breaking number of submissions to select from, the narrative and documentary feature line-up has never been so competitive or as exciting to programme.”
All synopses provided by the festival.
Narrative Features...
- 11/30/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Festival top brass announced on Monday the 12 Narrative and eight Documentary Feature Film Competition films in 22nd edition, set to run in Park City from January 22-28, 2016.
The 20-strong line-up includes 12 world premieres, three North American premieres and one Us premiere.
All competition films are feature directorial debuts with budgets of less than $1m and without Us distribution.
Jury awards are presented to feature films in both categories and all films are eligible for audience awards as well as the Spirit Of Slamdance Award, judged by the filmmakers themselves.
“The standard of Diy filmmaking around the world is the highest we’ve seen, and the diversity of storytelling is the most we’ve experienced,” sad Slamdance co-founder and president Peter Baxter.
“With a record breaking number of submissions to select from, the narrative and documentary feature line-up has never been so competitive or as exciting to programme.”
Al synopses provided by the festival.
Narrative Features...
The 20-strong line-up includes 12 world premieres, three North American premieres and one Us premiere.
All competition films are feature directorial debuts with budgets of less than $1m and without Us distribution.
Jury awards are presented to feature films in both categories and all films are eligible for audience awards as well as the Spirit Of Slamdance Award, judged by the filmmakers themselves.
“The standard of Diy filmmaking around the world is the highest we’ve seen, and the diversity of storytelling is the most we’ve experienced,” sad Slamdance co-founder and president Peter Baxter.
“With a record breaking number of submissions to select from, the narrative and documentary feature line-up has never been so competitive or as exciting to programme.”
Al synopses provided by the festival.
Narrative Features...
- 11/30/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The premiere post-tiff destination (September 20-25th) in the film community and a major leg up for narrative and non-fiction films in development, the Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) announced a whopping 140 projects selected for the Project Forum at the upcoming Ifp Independent Film Week. Made up of several sections (Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers program, No Borders International Co-Production Market and Spotlight on Documentaries), we find latest updates from the likes of docu-helmers Doug Block (112 Weddings) and Lana Wilson (After Tiller), and among the narrative items we find headliners in Andrew Haigh (coming off the well received 45 Years), Sophie Barthes (Cold Souls and Madame Bovary), Terence Nance (An Oversimplification of Her Beauty), Lawrence Michael Levine (Wild Canaries), Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are), Eleanor Burke and Ron Eyal (Stranger Things) and new faces in Sundance’s large family in Charles Poekel (Christmas, Again) and Olivia Newman (First Match). Here...
- 7/22/2015
- by admin
- IONCINEMA.com
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