The Independent: obsessed with independent film since 1978
Wednesday 18th of January 2012
Wednesday 18th of January 2012
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Approaches to End of the World DocsVoice-over or not? When to animate? And where to leave your viewers? Two IDFA docs, Four Horsemen and Surviving Progress tackle the consequences of progress by making different stylistic choices. |
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Reasons for the Cutting Room FloorAn editor's technical toolbox may have changed since the 80s but there are still lessons to be learned from classic ensemble dramas like The Big Chill. All those adults in one kitchen, dancing? Editor Mike Sullivan caught up with editor Carol Littleton to ask how she cut that scene and about the significance of leaving Kevin Costner on the cutting room floor. |
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IDFA 2011 - In Touch with the "Planet of Snail""I think every doc director is an activist, their army is visual images," says director Seung-Jun Yi. His film, Planet of Snail, about the blind and deaf poet Young-Chan, just won the best feature-length documentary award at IDFA. Seung-Jun Yi has made documentaries for Korean television and is among a growing movement of filmmakers to break out and expand the form. |
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IDFA 2011 - Int'l Perspectives on Digital Distribution and Doc FinancingEven though funding and distributing your doc can feel like a confusing quagmire, to some it's the new sexy. IDFA panelists have their say on the evergreen questions, including an announcement of a new source for financial support: BRITDOC. |
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Of-the-Moment Tips on Funding Indies, Social Media, Genre Films, TV Pitches and More"Self-distribution is not for the faint of heart," is just one of the most salient bits of commentary and advice The Independent's Katherine Brodsky overheard at the Annual BNA Atlas International Film & TV Finance Summit. Jodi Piekoff, Josh Braun, Warren Nimchuk, Ira Deutchman, Wilder Knight, Karrine Behr, Vinca Jarrett are mentioned. |
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New York Film Festival 2011 - Critic's ChoiceThe Independent's senior film critic, Kurt Brokaw, is viewing the entire main slate of the 49th New York Film Festival, showing at Lincoln Center September 30-October 16th. His critic’s choices―from among 27 feature films plus numerous ‘special event’ features, masterworks, “views from the avant garde” and shorts―begin here. |
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Casting His BellThe premise sounds like either a miracle or a gimmick: thousands of hours of visual and audio footage off a cell phone turned into a meaningful personal documentary. Yet Bosnian filmmaker Ned?ad Begovi?'s Mobitel (A Cell Phone Movie) manages to make cell phones ring like they're centuries old. |
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Postcard from Northern OntarioFor 23 years, the Cinefest Sudbury International Film Festival has come at the heels of the Toronto International Film Festival. But Cinefest has no red carpet, and the only big name you’re likely to see is on the screen. John Charrette introduces us to one Ontario filmmaker whose name you should know, Benjamin Paquette. His fourth feature, (Non) Fiction premiered at Cinefest over the weekend. |
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State of the Film Industry in Southeast EuropeTax incentives. Public and private funding. Transnational co-productions. During a year abroad to study regional film festivals and exhibition, Courtney Sheehan takes in Southeast Europe through the lens of presenters at the third annual industry Cinelink forum during the Sarajevo Film Festival. |
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Afghan Life According to Afghan FilmmakersFrom the long walk between work and home to squeezing water from the desert dust, The Fruit of Our Labor depicts daily life in post-9/11 Afghanistan, as told by 10 Afghan filmmakers trained by Community Supported Film. |
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Overcoming Overemotion One Chocolate at a Time"Especially for directors, writers or anyone that is an artist, being overemotional is actually both a gift and a curse. That’s your tool," says Jean-Pierre Am?ris to The Independent's Katherine Brodsky about his new film, Romantics Anonymous. In the interview and the quirky romantic comedy, Am?ris lays bare his own struggle with social anxiety, the loneliness all people face, and the universal appeal of chocolate. |
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Friend Your College Film Programmer, Pronto!Every minute you let your nearest college film program go by without becoming acquainted with its schedule, leadership, and selection process, is a day you miss of fresh, often free cinema (and popcorn), and a chance to get eyes on your latest masterwork. Courtney Sheehan gives a behind-the-scenes account of running a college film program in Iowa and suggests that filmmakers and distributors should seek out these venues now, before they disappear. |
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The Lasting Effects of "Buck"Normally literature is what moves fiction writer Peggy Rambach. Then she met Buck Brannaman through the documentary portrait of his life. Rambach's is part of a series of personal essays inspired by a particular film experience. |
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Governments Behaving Badly"In the emerging wave of new Romanian cinema, the misery index runs high," writes Brokaw. Cristian Mungiu and company's collection of light but critical vignettes in Tales from the Golden Age pairs well with the Emily Watson-powered drama, Oranges and Sunshine, which Brokaw suggests prompted two Prime Ministers to beg pardon for their governments' wrongdoing. |
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Summer Doc Reviews: Caves, Cowboys and CokeA new landscape for Herzog, natural horsemanship by a legendary whisperer, and indie rock percussion and recovery by a woman who has done a lot of living. Kurt Brokaw gives his take on three docs playing this summer: Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Buck, and Hit So Hard: The Life and Near Death Story of Patty Schemel. |
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Just Like Us: The Truth About LightWhat happens when a friend accomplishes something huge, like finishing his film, when you're still struggling to find your own artistic way? Ahmed Ahmed's new documentary about comedy in the Middle East inspired poet and memoirist Lisa Pegram in more ways than one. |
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It's Alive!If you thought the electric car died a slow, tragic death, you're right. And if you're like filmmaker Chris Paine, who helped document its demise in Who Killed the Electric Car? or the inventors and advocates in his new film, Revenge of the Electric Car then you believe, beyond a shadow of the doubt, electric can and will power vehicles of the future. Read what Paine told the The Independent's Katherine Brodsky after his film premiered. |
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10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2011From animation and shorts, to Web series, narrative features and documentaries, The Independent's 10 to Watch list brings you filmmakers from all backgrounds and genres, each of whom has one very important thing in common: Crazy-big talent. |
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Crowd Funding 101: How to Maximize Your Online CampaignCrowd Sourcing. Crowd Funding. Kickstarter. IndieGoGo. Everyone's either doing it, talking about it, or wishing they knew enough to utilize these new approaches to making a movie from the ground up. Here's your primer on who, what, and how. |
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"Losing Control" Melds Science and RomanceThanks to the candid film journal written by Valerie Weiss throughout the making of Losing Control, The Independent had an insider's view throughout its production. Now it's screening at venues throughout the US and Maddy Kadish explains why it's must-see viewing. |
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Tips on Securing Broadcast on National Public TelevisionIn this guide to securing public television broadcast, filmmaker and station relations consultant Jennifer Owensby Sanza spills the beans on how to reach the staggering potential only public television can offer--reaching 99 percent of American homes. |
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Are Pitch Sessions the New Black?Pitch sessions are becoming the go-to attraction at film festivals and conferences. |
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Securing Distribution with NetflixIndie filmmakers and DIY distributors are vying for a shot at Netflix distribution. Though Netflix added 300 streaming independent films to their service one year ago, the submission and selection process for indie films is still evolving. |
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Maximizing Film Exhibition Quality at FestivalsFinally, your work screens at a festival. But the sound is off and it looks terrible. Kelly Gallagher asks festival programmers and filmmakers how to increase exhibition quality at festivals. In addition to post-production, improve your audience's experience through preparation and developing rapport with festival staff. |
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Exhibitor FAQ: Emerging PicturesWith the largest network of digital theaters in the US, Emerging Pictures is helping exhibitors and filmmakers grasp hold of the future, which VP of distribution Josh Green says includes one-time screenings, easy access to classics, and front row seats to elite cultural programming. |
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Above photo is from Valley of Saints, by one of The Independent's 10 to Watch in 2010, Musa Syeed. Valley premieres at Sundance 2012. Photo by Yoni Brook. Read about Syeed here.
Note: The Independent was formerly The Independent Film & Video Monthly published by the AIVF (Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers).
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