May 1, 2008

DISPATCH FROM MIAMI | Miami Gay Fest Tosses on the Go-Go Boots and Throws a Bash

by Charlie Olsky (May 1, 2008)

It's hard to believe that it's only the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival's 10th anniversary. In only a decade, it has established itself as the first major stop on the annual U.S. gay and lesbian festival circuit. Filmmakers, sponsors and audiences alike have jumped at the invitation to spend time amongst Miami's famed art deco facades, shirtless rollerbladers, and endless parade of girls pulling at their short skirts and falling over their heels. It's a distinctly Miami affair.
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April 30, 2008

TRIBECA CRITICS NOTEBOOK 3 | Some Gems at TFF: "Bitter & Twisted," "Bart Got a Room," "Days in Sintra"

Tribeca Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by Howard Feinstein (April 30, 2008)

Now that I have seen dozens and dozens of films in this 7th Tribeca Film Festival, I want to correct myself. I was wrong in my first report. Tribeca is unique, and occupies a certain niche in New York that belongs to it alone. It is neither film festival nor film market. It is closer to Las Vegas's Showest, or Orlando's Show East, which are more mainstream in their focus than, say, artier events like the New York Film Festival, although it is eclectic enough to include "high art" movies, too.
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April 28, 2008

TRIBECA CRITICS NOTEBOOK 2 | Docs: Topical or Art? Or Both? The Highs and Lows

Tribeca Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by Howard Feinstein (April 28, 2008)

EDITOR'S NOTE: In the second of three critics notebooks, New York-based film critic Howard Feinstein takes a look at some of the documentary offerings at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. Feinstein, a former editor at the Village Voice and a current programmer at the Sarajevo Film Festival, also offers up some opinion on presenting docs as vehicles for discussion vs. their worthiness as art.
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April 27, 2008

TRIBECA '08 DISPATCH | Clive Owen, Film Critics and "Squeezebox!"

Tribeca Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by Eugene Hernandez, Brian Brooks and Peter Knegt (April 27, 2008)

Recalling a night at former New York City club Motherfucker back in 2002 where he watched early footage of "Squeezebox!," Tribeca Film Festival programming head David Kwok saluted a group of local filmmakers (and their fans) for their perserverance and patience in bringing the documentary to the big screen. At the time, the group -- including directors Steve Saporito & Zach Schaffer and producer Lyle Derek -- expected to finish their film by the end of 2002. Yet, even back then they warned that it might take longer than that, "This is a personal project for all of us," Derek told indieWIRE six years go, "We want to really just take our time, this is a labor of love."
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April 24, 2008

TRIBECA CRITICS NOTEBOOK 1 | Taking on Art vs. Biz and Finding Some Gems--and then some

Tribeca Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by Howard Feinstein (April 24, 2008)

EDITOR'S NOTE: In the first of three critics notebooks, New York-based film critic Howard Feinstein takes a look at some of the fiction offerings at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. Feinstein, a former editor at the Village Voice and a current programmer at the Sarajevo Film Festival, also offers up some opinion on the event itself, now in its seventh year.
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TRIBECA '08 | Diversity, Tina Fey, and New Yorkers as 7th Tribeca Fest Kicks Off

Tribeca Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by Eugene Hernandez and Brian Brooks (April 24, 2007)

"Holy shit, its Tiny Fey!" screamed a stock broker looking New Yorker on 54th St. in Midtown this evening (Wednesday), walking by the Zeigfeld theater with a female companion on a warm Spring night. A large crowd of onlookers were watching the half-block long red carpet arrivals for the Tribeca Film Festival's opening night screening Michael McCullers's "Baby Mama," starring Fey and Amy Poehler. As the couple watched the arrivals for a moment, an older woman wandered up to the scene. Studying the crowd for just a moment, she asked nobody in particular, "Does anyone know what's going on here?" After a few moments in which not a single person responded to her she turned and made her way toward 5th Ave. and wandered off. With a mix of enthusiasm and slight disorientation the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival officially kicked off on Wednesday night.
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April 22, 2008

DISPATCH FROM TORONTO | Documentary Filmmaking and "The Long Haul"

by Peter Knegt (April 23, 2008)

Termed "the longitudinal documentary" by Hot Docs Director of Programming Sean Farnel, films that follow a character or story over an extended period of time are increasingly problematic these days. Deals with distributors or television networks put pressure on the time a doc has to finish, often limiting the diachronic scope of the project. Three feature films screening at the 2008 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Jens Hoffman's "20 Seconds of Joy," Greg Kohs' "Song Sung Blue," and Nik Sheehan's "Flicker," exemplfy this increasingly rare form in documentary filmmaking.
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TRIBECA '08 | Eating, Drinking, and Shopping in New York: An indieWIRE Insiders Guide

Tribeca Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by Lily Oei (April 22, 2008)

EDITORS NOTE: This article was originally published one year ago. We invite indieWIRE readers to post comments, suggestions and updates to the recommendations included here. Last year, the Tribeca Film Festival stretched across Manhattan, from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine to the Winter Garden in Manhattan, and into the surrounding boroughs for the "Spiderman 3" premiere. This year the event is anchored near Union Square and in Tribeca. That means for locals and visitors alike, attending TFF has involved exploring parts unfamiliar. How can you encapsulate a city of with so many wonders? Not easily -- everyone's got their own opinion on everything, especially food, which triggers all sorts of rhapsodic recollection.
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April 19, 2008

DISPATCH FROM TORONTO | Hometown "Demi-Gods of Metal" Kick Off Toronto's Hot Docs Fest

by Peter Knegt (April 18, 2008)

The 15th edition of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival started off with a (head) bang in Toronto Thursday night, showcasing the Canadian premiere of Sacha Gervasi's "Anvil! The Story of Anvil." Taking the stage of the historic Winter Garden to introduce the film, Hot Docs' Executive Director Chris McDonald proudly declared the festival "the finest collection of documentaries anywhere." With 174 films from 36 countries screening over 11 days, Hot Docs has grown into the largest documentary festival in North America, blasting out of the shadow of the Toronto International Film Festival to become a major industry event in its own right. The festival now welcomes some 2,000 delegates and 80,000 filmgoers, double the numbers from just three years ago.
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April 17, 2008

SHORTS COLUMN | Jury, Audience, and Industry Buzz Agree: Docs Rocked Aspen Shortsfest 2008

by Kim Adelman (April 16, 2008)

The jurors at this year's Aspen Shortsfest, which took place April 2 - 6 in Aspen, Colorado, were so enamored with the shorts in the documentary competition category that they couldn't pick just one. Instead, they split the prize between two British films, "Elegy for the Elswick Envoy" and "Peter and Ben." The ticket-buying public was also doubly impressed and voted two American docs, "Come Back to Sudan" and "One Bridge to the Next," co-winners of the Audience Favorite Award. Even the industry insiders were abuzz. "This was the strongest doc lineup the festival has ever had," declared Scott Dwyer, a PBS programmer who has attended Aspen Shortsfest for the past seven years.
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April 15, 2008

DISPATCH FROM TEL AVIV | Doc Aviv's 10th Anniversary Presents a Strong Israeli Scene

by Thom Powers (April 15, 2008)

The appearance of Shimon Peres on stage for the opening night of Doc Aviv's 10th anniversary was an early indicator that the Israeli documentary scene deserves attention. The 84-year-old former Prime Minister, who now serves in the more ceremonial role of President, addressed the packed house at Tel Aviv's Performing Arts Center. Often such an occasion is susceptible to formulaic remarks. Think of the political welcome letters that preface most festival catalogues. But Peres surprised this jaded festival goer with his eloquent perspective on the role of documentary film. Speaking in Hebrew (translated on headsets for international guests), he observed that memory has a tendency to focus on the best of times, whereas the documentary camera can keep a more accurate record of the things we might prefer to forget. He wryly noted that Israel supplies so much drama that it's an ideal home for documentary makers.
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April 13, 2008

DISPATCH FROM SARASOTA: Festival Celebrates Tenth Anniversary with Fun, Sun, Glamour, and Of Course, Films

by James Israel (April 13, 2008)

Sunny, warm weather and a sea of smiling faces greeted attendees of The Sarasota Film Festival as the southwestern Florida event wrapped its tenth anniversary and continues to grow in prominence as an important part of the film festival circuit. With screenings of over 105 features, tributes to film industry talent, as well as an impressive twelve film retrospective of actress and filmmaker Liv Ullmann's collaborations with the late great Ingmar Bergman, Sarasota impresses strongly as an event that caters beyond that of merely a regional festival for a city of 55,000.
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April 8, 2008

DISPATCH FROM DALLAS | AFI Dallas Goes for the Robust and Finds a Niche in Year Two

by Eric Kohn (April 8, 2008)

At first glance, the AFI Dallas International Film Festival appears to have a lot in common with the similarly nascent Tribeca Film Festival. Both gatherings are in their first decades of existence, emphasize locality by spotlighting the works of filmmakers from their own communities, and rely on major corporate sponsorship to stay afloat. However, AFI Dallas senior programmer James Faust and programming coordinator Sarah Harris compare their eleven day event, which concluded its sophomore run last weekend, to September's far sturdier Toronto International Film Festival. "Dallas isn't as big or metropolitan," Faust said, "but, structurally, that's the way we're laid out."
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April 3, 2008

DISPATCH FROM DALLAS | Sprawling Young Texas Fest Offers Noteworthy New Films: "The Last Lullaby," "Frag"

by Eric Kohn (April 3, 2008)

The AFI Dallas International Film Festival opened last week with Helen Hunt's directorial debut, "Then She Found Me," a warm account of aging femininity. If the title were altered to "Then They Found Me," it might make a suitable tagline for the festival's lively second year, which has attracted quite a crowd to eastern Texas. The city's motto, "Live Large. Think Big," fits the bloated program, a sprawling lineup that plays like the greatest hits of the festival circuit.
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DISPATCH FROM BERMUDA: Spirit of Discovery Carries Island Fest

by Charlie Olsky (April 3, 2008)

The beautiful island of Bermuda is a haven for Victorian manners in what appears to be a tropical paradise, but in reality is a freak of the north Atlantic Gulf Stream halfway between the Caribbean and Brighton, where strict regulations on development and behavior have kept the feeling of the British commonwealth alive. The coral reefs create an inviting turquoise glow to the water and pink shade to the sand that has tourists jumping into the ocean throughout the winter, despite the fact that the locals typically don't swim until May 24, which, tellingly, is currently known as "Bermuda Day" and was previously referred to as "The Queen's Birthday". The 65,000 well-healed islanders welcomed the 11th Bermuda International Film Festival, currently underway, with their annual show of polite enthusiasm. Residents hopped on their scooters to travel from the quaint town of Hamilton to the quainter town of St. George, past the well-groomed grounds of the Princess Hotel where Queen Victoria's daughter Louise once stayed, arriving at the unassuming Southside Theater in time to see the 9:15 screening of Martin Gero's "Young People Fucking".
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April 1, 2008

ND/NF '08 | Critics Notebook 2: Power Women, Economic Disparity and Asia Grab New Directors Spotlight

Tribeca Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by Howard Feinstein (April 1, 2008)

No extreme makeover needed unless they set the terms. Self-actualizers so tough and driven they make Lara Croft and Edie Britt seem like pussycats, larger-than-life females drive the most original movies playing the second half of New Directors/New Films, which ends April 6.
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March 25, 2008

ND/NF '08 | Assessing the Latest Crop: Precious and semi-precious Gems, and then some

Tribeca Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by Howard Feinstein (March 25, 2008)

Some people direct, others... shoot? New Directors/New Films (March 26 - April 6), the annual collaboration between New York's Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, highlights emerging talent--and the occasional lack of it. Which movies successfully integrate actors, location, editing, soundtrack, and mise-en-scene? Which are marred by comorbidities? It's a time to cull.
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March 19, 2008

DISPATCH FROM GREECE | Ten Years and Building: Thessaloniki Cements its Reputation as a World-Class Docfest

by David Wilson (March 19, 2008)

It's a difficult thing for an international guest to head to the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival and keep one's mind on the movies. Not that the programming isn't outstanding. It is. 153 films appear in this noncompetitive fest (though lots of auxiliary prizes are awarded), and they represent, for the most part, the cream of the recent international crop of docs, plus about fifty standouts from Greece. But the hospitality that Thessaloniki extends to its guests is as good as any fest in the world. Since much of the staff also works for the annual International Film fest in November (which shows more movies and attracts nearly 1000 guests from around the world), they seem to take the comparatively small docfest in stride.
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March 14, 2008

SXSW '08 | Film & Music Abound Along with the Late Late Nights

by Brian Brooks (March 14, 2008)

Encompassing two of the largest creative industries, SXSW has created a formula spotlighting both film and music during its nine-day run (not to mention the massive influx of interactive folks), and it's a unique opportunity for both to converge under one mega event. But some have observed amusing differences. Just the other day, a group of film industry members joked that coming to Austin for the film fest is so full of revelry and parties -- along with the many panels, screenings and other events that make up the SXSW Film Conference & Festival-- that mornings can be a bit rough after the late nights. Still, the group observed, the really good times and late night bacchanalias truly begin when the music industry and artists arrive, marking the official start of SXSW's signature music & media conference. 1700 bands arrived mid-week, along with their ubiquitous posse of friends and fans, and then the late late late nights...
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March 13, 2008

SXSW '08 DOC NOTEBOOK | Snapshots from the Competition: "Dorothy," "Wizards," "Assembly"

by Kim Voynar (March 13, 2008)

One of the films I was most interested in seeing at the South by Southwest film festival was a documentary called "They Killed Sister Dorothy," about the murder of Sister Dorothy Strang, a social and environmental activist, in Brazil. Daniel Junge's film won both the grand jury prize at the doc audience award at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival. Sister Dorothy, who had lived and worked as a missionary in Brazil since the 1960s, was involved in a sustainable living project in the Amazonian rain forest that was designed to set aside rain forest lands for poor farmers, allowing them to work the land in sustainable ways without destroying the biodiversity of the region.
[ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, SXSW ]