Slamdance Film Festival

Indiewire Exclusive ISA of the Day: 108 Media Acquires Slamdance Winner Jug Face

Sydney Levine — Thu, 09 May 2013 19:30:00 GMT

108 Media is not only an international sales agent but works with U.S. Distribution Guru Mark Urman. They recently opened Michel Gondry's The We And The I, the Sundance-prize-winning drama My Brother the Devil, and Deepa Mehta's Midnight’s Children in the U.S.

Now 108 Media has picked up international sales for Jug Face which won the Slamdance Grand Prize for Best Screenplay by Chad Crawford Kinkle in January 2013. When producer Andrew van den Houten stated his confidence that "no stone outside the U.S. market will be left unturned", I wondered (and still am wondering) whether the same is not going to be true within the U.S. Market.

The film was produced by Andrew van den Houten and Robert Tonino for Modernciné, with Lucky McKee, Arrien Schiltkamp, and Loren Semmens serving as Executive Producers. The deal was negotiated by Rastogi and van den Houten. Gravitas Ventures has domestic VOD distribution and the film will be distributed in theaters by Modernciné.

“Working with a company that only takes select films to the international market each year allows for each film to have a unique campaign in finding the right home,” said van den Houten. “Modernciné has always enjoyed being represented by the passion and enthusiasm that people like Mr. Rastogi and his team exude. We look forward to this new collaboration and are confident no stone outside the U.S. market will be left unturned.”

Expanding the slate of films in its international sales operation, 108 Media has acquired the terrifying feature Jug Face, it was announced by 108 CEO Abhi Rastogi. Based on the Slamdance Grand Prize Winning screenplay by Chad Crawford Kinkle, international sales will commence at the Cannes Market this month.

Written and directed by Kinkle, Jug Face thrilled audiences and critics at its Slamdance premiere in January with its dark story of a demonic power worshipped by an isolated rural community. The monster offers health and protection in exchange for human sacrifices, identified when their faces materialize on ceramic jugs fabricated by an entranced potter. Bloody chaos ensues when the newest victim is hidden from the monster. The ensemble cast features Sean Young (Blade Runner), Larry Fessenden (The Last Winter), Lauren Ashley Carter (The Woman, Premium Rush), Daniel Manche (The Girl Next Door), and Sean Bridgers (The Woman, Sweet Home Alabama).

“Chad Kinkle has created a masterfully creepy film with Jug Face,” said Rastogi. “I’m looking forward to introducing his talent and this film to the world and we’ve already started to receive strong interest from multiple buyers in territories spanning the globe.”

AFFRM Array Adds 'Big Words' To Their Growing Acquisition List

Cristina A. Gonzalez — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:33:51 GMT

The African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement's (AFFRM) multi platform label, Array, has announced "Big Words" as their sixth acquisition. The film was a Slamdance festival favorite and is the first feature for Neil Drumming, who is a former Entertainment Weekly writer.

"Big Words" centers around a group of friends who formed a hip-hop crew in their youth but separated over time and come together again on the eve of Obama's election. The crew is made up of John (Dorrian Missick), James (Gbenga Akinnagbe) and DJ Malik (Darien Sills-Evans). John used to be known as Big Words but is now a working class guy who left behind his days of rapping and while James used to rap about getting girls, he is now a publicist living with his boyfriend. DJ Malik is the only one still involved in music but he reminisces about the groups former hey-day. When the group reunites on election day they are confronted with old dreams and new visions.

Slamdance Co-Founder's Ensemble Comedy 'Between Us' Acquired by Monterey Media

Cameron Sinz — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:49:33 GMT

"Between Us," the upcoming fourth feature from writer-director, and Slamdance Film Festival co-founder, Dan Mirvish has been picked up by distributor Monterey Media, who have acquired all U.S. and Canadian rights to the film.

The ensemble comedy stars Julia Stiles, Taye Diggs, Melissa George and David Harbour as old friends, whose friendships unravel as they realize how much success, money and children has changed them. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Bahama Film Festival and has been honored at over 20 film festivals in 7 countries.

This marks Mirvish's first time directing since 2004's comedy musical "Open House," although he has largely kept busy in the year's since making various short films and continuing to work with Slamdance.

Monterey Media has yet to set a date for the film but plans on releasing it theatrically over this summer.

Rogue Arts and Fairway Film Alliance form Partnership to Create a New Landscape for the Indie Filmmaker

Sydney Levine — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:00:01 GMT

Indie Film Distribution/Production Company Rogue Arts has just signed a partnership agreement with Fairway Film Alliance to distribute films globally. The partnership began at AFM where three of Rogue Arts new titles were launched successfully. "We are creating these kind of relationships in order to be completely transparent with both our investors and our filmmakers. It is a great time of growth in our company", stated company founder, Kirk Harris. "Our goal is a new type of company where partnership with the filmmaker really means both the filmmaker and the distributor benefit from the proceeds and know step by step what is occurring with the films," stated Don Franken, also a Principal at Rogue Arts.

Rogue Arts has produced 8 films and Rogue Arts and Fairway Films Alliance has handled the distribution of more than 50 titles. Founded as a production company in 2004 by Actor/Filmmaker Kirk Harris, company executives now include Celebrity sports talent and marketing agent Don Franken, Retired Navy Special Forces SWCC Vernon Mortensen and Fairway Films Alliance's Marty Poole. "With over 20 years working film in film sales, and also as a filmmaker, I felt it was time to create a company by, with, and for the filmmaker" stated Fairway Films Alliance founder, Marty Poole. Another feature of the Rogue Arts and Fairway Film Alliance partnership is the unique blend of world sales, theatrical booking, digital content knowledge and PR and Marketing experience the principles have.

Recent produced titles include: The Kid: Chamaco, directed by celebrated Mexican producer Miguel Necoechea starring Martin Sheen, Kirk Harris and Gustavo Sanchez Parra. They also include the freshly completed Western Thriller The Sorrow, directed by Rogue Arts' Vernon Mortensen and starring Harris, John Savage and Michael Madsen.

Noted distribution titles include: "Flickering Lights" from Academy Award Winning Anders Thomas Jensen and starring Ulrich Thomsen and Mads Mikkelsen. Wim Wenders presents Michael Meredith's "Three Days of Rain" starring Peter Falk, Blythe Danner and Lyle Lovett and last but not least, "Spooky House" from director William Sachs starring Ben Kingsley and Mercedes Ruehl.

Rogue Arts titles have screened at the Sundance, Berlin, Toronto, Slamdance and Venice Film Festivals.

Recent titles that premiered at AFM were the FX action film "Time Warrior", Terrorist subway thriller "Red Line" and "The Sorrow". "Time Warrior" and "Red Line" were acquired through a new strategic alliance with the San Diego Film Festival to provide distribution for some of their premiere entries.

Additionally, Rogue Arts has two TV series in development as well as several feature projects of varying budgets in the pipeline.

Slamdance Winners 2013: 'Dirties,' 'Hank and Asha,' 'Bible Quiz,' 'My Name is Faith' and More

Sophia Savage — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:46:59 GMT

Winners of the 19th Slamdance Film Festival are announced below. Audience and Grand Jury prizes were given to feature and short films at the Park City festival. Slamdance's Peter Baxter states, "We are pleased to be celebrating these extraordinary films from this year's truly powerful slate of vanguard cinema." Big winners include "My Name is Faith," "Hank and Asha," "The Dirties" and "Bible Quiz."

Films competing in the feature Documentary and Narrative programs were limited to first-time filmmakers with budgets under $1 million.

AUDIENCE AWARDS

  Audience Award for Feature Documentary: MY NAME IS FAITH by Jason Banker, Jorge Torres-Torres, Tiffany Sudela-Junker

  Audience Award for Feature Narrative: HANK AND ASHA by James E. Duff

GRAND JURY AWARDS -- NARRATIVE

  This year's Slamdance Narrative Grand Jury Prizes were selected by the esteemed panel of industry members Nancy Schafer, Meira Blaustein and Chris Gore.

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Feature Narrative: THE DIRTIES by Matt Johnson.

"Terrifyingly timely and brutally honest, 'The Dirties' uses film references to the extreme as dreams of youth and intense growing pains collide."

  Special Mention: JOY DE V., by Nadia Szold.

"Filled with humor, flawless characters and performances and a highly developed visual style, 'Joy de V' is a film that signals the arrival of a powerful new filmmaking talent."

GRAND JURY AWARDS -- DOCUMENTARY

This year's Slamdance Documentary Grand Jury Prizes were selected by the esteemed panel of industry members Daniel J. Harris, Brian Knappenberger, and Dan Schoenbrun.  Grand Jury Sparky Award for Feature

Documentary: BIBLE QUIZ by Nicole Teeny.

"Director Nicole Teeny's careful storytelling and her subject's passion, angst, and youthful uncertainty are captured with universal empathy."

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Short Documentary: THE BIRDMAN by Jessie Auritt.

"We felt this slice-of-life portrait said a lot about the economy and changing way of life in a New York City neighborhood."

GRAND JURY AWARDS -- SHORT FILMS  

This year's Short Film Grand Jury Prizes were selected by the esteemed panel of industry members Sheri Candler, Eleanor Burke, and Ron Eyal.  Grand Jury Sparky Award for Animation: I AM TOM MOODY by Ainslie Henderson. "For its insight and for its playful spirit."

  Grand Jury Sparky Award for Short Film: ROTKOP by Jan Roosens and Raf Roosens.

"For its outstanding ensemble, emotional resonance and its bold portrayal of teenage alienation."  Special Mention: JOSEPHINE AND THE ROACH by Jonathan Langager. "For its richly imaginative visual style and for lead Jenna Augen."

Special Mention: DONALD CRIED by Kris Avedisian.

"For a standout performance, with the power to inspire empathy as well as to make you cringe."

SPECIAL & SPONSORED AWARDS  

Spirit of Slamdance Sparky Award Presented by Actor/Director Thomas Jane: THE DIRTIES by Matt Johnson. Awarded by the Class of 2013 Slamdance Filmmakers to the film team that best embodies the creative, independent, and entrepreneurial spirit of the festival, as well as showing exceptional talent as artists.

  The Kodak Vision Award for Best Cinematography: Dieter Deventer for FYNBOS. "For creating a perfect visual balance between breathtaking landscapes, naturally lit settings, and simple but strong compositions that present the tense fragility of the human spirit within the story."

'The Dirties,' 'Bible Quiz' Top Slamdance Film Festival

Peter Knegt — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 06:53:16 GMT

Matt Johnson's "The Dirties" and Nicole Teeny's "Bible Quiz" won the two main jury prizes at the Slamdance Film Festival, which announced its winners tonight in Park City, Utah.

Other major winners included Jason Banker's "My Name Is Faith" and James E. Duff's "Hank and Asha," which won audience awards.

Full list of winners below.

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Audience Award for Feature Documentary: MY NAME IS FAITH by Jason Banker, Jorge Torres-Torres, Tiffany Sudela-Junker

Audience Award for Feature Narrative: HANK AND ASHA by James E. Duff

GRAND JURY AWARDS - NARRATIVE

This year's Slamdance Narrative Grand Jury Prizes were selected by the esteemed panel of industry members Nancy Schafer, Meira Blaustein and Chris Gore.

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Feature Narrative: THE DIRTIES by Matt Johnson. "Terrifyingly timely and brutally honest, 'The Dirties' uses film references to the extreme as dreams of youth and intense growing pains collide."

Special Mention: JOY DE V., by Nadia Szold. "Filled with humor, flawless characters and performances and a highly developed visual style, 'Joy de V' is a film that signals the arrival of a powerful new filmmaking talent."

GRAND JURY AWARDS - DOCUMENTARY

This year's Slamdance Documentary Grand Jury Prizes were selected by the esteemed panel of industry members Daniel J. Harris, Brian Knappenberger, and Dan Schoenbrun.

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Feature Documentary: BIBLE QUIZ by Nicole Teeny. "Director Nicole Teeny's careful storytelling and her subject's passion, angst, and youthful uncertainty are captured with universal empathy."

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Short Documentary: THE BIRDMAN by Jessie Auritt. "We felt this slice-of-life portrait said a lot about the economy and changing way of life in a New York City neighborhood."

GRAND JURY AWARDS - SHORT FILMS

This year's Short Film Grand Jury Prizes were selected by the esteemed panel of industry members Sheri Candler, Eleanor Burke, and Ron Eyal.

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Animation: I AM TOM MOODY by Ainslie Henderson. "For its insight and for its playful spirit."

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Short Film: ROTKOP by Jan Roosens and Raf Roosens. "For its outstanding ensemble, emotional resonance and its bold portrayal of teenage alienation."

Special Mention: JOSEPHINE AND THE ROACH by Jonathan Langager. "For its richly imaginative visual style and for lead Jenna Augen."
Special Mention: DONALD CRIED by Kris Avedisian. "For a standout performance, with the power to inspire empathy as well as to make you cringe."
SPECIAL & SPONSORED AWARDS

Spirit of Slamdance Sparky Award Presented by Actor/Director Thomas Jane: THE DIRTIES by Matt Johnson. Awarded by the Class of 2013 Slamdance Filmmakers to the film team that best embodies the creative, independent, and entrepreneurial spirit of the festival, as well as showing exceptional talent as artists.

The Kodak Vision Award for Best Cinematography: Dieter Deventer for FYNBOS. "For creating a perfect visual balance between breathtaking landscapes, naturally lit settings, and simple but strong compositions that present the tense fragility of the human spirit within the story."

Slamdance 2013 Review: Psycho Thriller 'Vipaka' Aims To Thrill But Underwhelms

Shadow And Act — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 21:14:05 GMT

Directed by French/Lebanese director Philippe Caland (Boxing Helena), the psychological thriller Vipaka had its premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival today.

Set in New Orleans, Vipaka (a Buddhist term for Karma) has its share of thrills and twists, but unfortunately fell short of our expectations.

On one hand, it was nice to see black characters in this kind of a story, and in this genre, since that doesn't happen often; but, on the other hand, the film seems content with blending in with other similar thrillers.

Thomas Carter, played by Anthony Mackie, has become a renowned author of a book that recounts his near-death experience after a car wreck five years prior, which was caused by him driving drunk, with his brother (played by Mike Epps) in the car with him. Thomas, who is also a life-coach, begins counseling a distraught man named Angel (Forest Whitaker), who is grieving the death of his mother. When Angel begins his therapy session, we soon realize that he is more mentally disturbed than we'd previously thought, and there’s definitely more to his unresolved grief.

Sanaa Lathan plays Thomas’ wife Maggie. They seem to be in a loving and stable marriage, but their happy coupledom hits a rock as soon as Thomas’ brother Ben (Mike Epps) crashes their pad unannounced, planning to stay for an undetermined amount of time.

There’s initially some mystery surrounding these sequences: Why did Ben go to jail? Why is there a constant rivalry between the brothers? Why does Ben seem to resent Thomas' wife?

Ben is the blue-collar, black sheep of the two, and you sense that Ben knows something shameful about his brother, and that perhaps the straight-laced, successful author/life-coach is not the spiritual-renaissance man that he portrays himself to be.

The most thrilling sequences of the film occur during the physical and psychological tussle between the two men - Mackie's Thomas and Whitaker's Angel. Thomas’ mentally ill client has abducted him, and begins torturing Thomas, as a means to force him to confess to past misgivings, using the counselor’s own teachings against him, giving him a taste of his own medicine. Initially it's not entirely clear what Angel's real motivation is (it will by the end of the film), as Thomas, bound to a chair by Angel, reveals past sins, from one sequence of torment to the next, from childhood through adulthood, with Angel's *encouragement.*

With each passing minute, it becomes obvious that there's a very specific confession that Angel wants from Thomas, although, unfortunately for Thomas, he isn't sure what exactly it is Angel wants. So he simply starts spilling his guts, revealing whatever sin he committed that he can remember, leading to the eventual big reveal that apparently relieves Angel of the burden that's at the root of his grief.

Seemingly compelling on paper, it’s unfortunate that with this caliber of actors, the film misses a wonderful opportunity to be as refreshing and engaging as we think it wants to and initially sets out to be.

It simply doesn’t stand out from the average films of this genre.

First, in terms of production design and cinematography, this is the kind of film that needs "atmosphere," which it lacked given that it's supposed to be this dark, violent, psycho thriller. The budget isn't public yet, but it didn't look like much thought was given to creating mood, setting, atmosphere, which would really help build suspense, generate a genuine edge and even creepiness that would all help amplify the nature and appreciation of the story.

And maybe the most disappointing thing about the film were the uneven performances, given the caliber of actors - especially the film's two stars in Mackie and Whitaker, who are usually in good form in whatever roles they play. Here, in more instances than there should've been, they just weren't as engaging, and we'd say even looked more like they were rehearsing rather than actually performing for tape, even though we'd also say that the characters they play seem very well suited for each - Mackie being more external and an extrovert (seemingly), and Whitaker being more internal, just like their characters. So we could say that we've seen both of them in somewhat similar roles before, albeit in different plot circumstances.

So for all intents and purposes, playing Thomas and Angel should've been routine for both actors; but maybe one sometimes can get too comfortable and confident in one's routine that you just might end up phoning in a performance.

We'd like to think we were supposed to care enough about each character, to be really anxious about whatever fate each of them would eventually be dealt; but key elements just aren't consistent to help audiences settle on an emotional connection.

The women felt ultimately like an after-thought here. And so did Mike Epps, in fact, even though he played an instrumental part as we see towards the end of the film. The actresses’ roles lacked substance; they served more as fillers. Nicole Ari Parker plays Whitaker’s estranged wife (a very small role), who knows he is mentally ill and on medication, and one can’t quite reconcile her leaving their daughter alone under his care, knowing his condition very well, and expecting young “Francesca” to help her father reach some kind of normalcy again.

It was also difficult to truly suspend belief with Epps' character; it's a dramatic role, but he isn't convincing. Perhaps it's due to the fact that we've just seen him in too many comedies. In a way, and not intentionally, you almost expect him to become the film’s comic relief. But the fact that he isn't convincing could also speak to how his character was written.

Furthermore, Vipaka really would’ve worked better without the additional insignificant subplot of a past "love triangle" between Lathan, Mackie and Epps. In fact, we almost would've liked this to be a "chamber drama" between the two men (Mackie and Whitaker), with a lot fewer distractions from all the other characters; a tete-a-tete between two flawed men with secrets, as the stakes escalate, while the clock ticks, the power shifting from one man to the other, like a chess match, leaving the audience in suspense, wondering who's telling the truth, who's lying, whether Forest's Angel is really just crazy, if Mackie really has something major that he's hiding - until the breaking point at the end, when the truth is finally revealed.

The film could've striven for something much more powerful, especially with its religious subtexts, but it unfortunately falls short, getting bogged down in unnecessary secondary plots, characters and other things.

So, we'd say it's an average thriller, which may work for some, but for us, was disappointing, given how high our expectations were for it.

As stated earlier, it's great to see a "color-less" story like this, in this genre, with black characters, since it's such a rare occurrence, especially with "recognizable name" black actors, who don't often get the opportunity to star in Hollywood-made films like this. So that was an aspect of the film we'd say was definitely refreshing.

And the film isn't completely without its share of rousing, suspenseful and even “creepy” sequences; but all the key elements put together just aren't consistently strong enough to keep one fully connected and engaged throughout, and by the time the big reveal at the end happens, you just may not care as much.

Slamdance 2013 Review: Clever 'Big Words' Is A Well-Acted & Engaging Feature Debut By Neil Drumming

Vanessa Martinez — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 21:23:26 GMT

Premiering at Slamdance 2013 in Utah this past Thursday, Neil Drumming’s feature film debut Big Words has been one of our most anticipated films of the fest’s lineup, and that anticipation is well deserved.

Drumming, a black man by the way, is a former staff writer and editor at Entertainment Weekly whose sole film credit prior to Words is the short film Hi Res, which stars Jevon McFerrin and Nadia Kiyatkina.

The narrative takes place in the backdrop of the 2008 election. Although it’s barely a backdrop, it further added significance to the film’s underlying theme of change in these characters’ lives. While watching the film I kept wishing it had premiered at Sundance instead. It’s one of those films that deserve more opportunities and a bigger platform.

Malik, played by Darien Sills Evans (20 Rock, Treme), was the DJ of an up-coming rap group trio in the early 1990’s, who along with John “Big Words” (Dorian Missick) and James (Gbenga Akinnagbe), hoped to “make it“ as the likes of “De La Soul” and “A Tribe Called Quest” at the height of Alternative Hip-Hop’s boom.

But it has been 11 years after the group’s break-up, now Malik lives with his girlfriend and makes a living taking up different DJ gigs. There’s new R&B song that keeps hitting the airwaves, and to his mortification, the new “hit” samples a beat Malik produced 15 years ago. He is the only one out of the trio still hoping to reunite with the group and get due recognition.

John – a "glass-half-empty-state-of-mind" kind of guy - has been getting by as a computer tech that has seemingly lost all his drive; his disappointments have gotten the best of him. He strikes an unlikely friendship with a stripper named Annie (a fantastic Yaya Alafia better known as “DaCosta”) whom he sees out in the city trying to buy a microphone. Their subplot is one of the most enjoyable highlights of the film. It’s not common to see a nuanced, realistic portrayal of a stripper or “dancer” on screen without gratuitous shots of pole dancing or “booty shaking”. Their chemistry is organic, so is their blossoming, genuine connection, stemming from her passion for singing; his very own passion for rap is being deeply buried. I appreciated their fully layered and dynamic – their complex need to bond, differences, attraction, romantic hesitation, insecurities and fears.

James, the only white-collar worker out of the trio, is now a book publicist who has been living openly as a homosexual since departing the group. The past comes back to hunt him when one of his colleagues seeks his advice on a book he’s thinking of writing about said colleague’s father, who just happens to be the rap group’s manager. Conflict arises when James and his boyfriend are hosting an election party, which Malik and John - separately - get word of and show up.

Their distinct personalities are finely developed. Akinnagbe is aplomb in the challenging role of a well-to-do gay ex-rapper now out of the closet; Missick is superb and so is Evans, whose TV work I have not seen. The scenes in which Evans is inebriated are so convincing that I could’ve sworn he actually was during the making of the film.

Drumming’s Brooklyn-set debut is impressively acted and touching. I’d be remiss if I don’t mention the freshness of the poetic lyricism in the film, as well as the beats by DJ Malik.

This rap group felt real; the rifts and consequent estrangement among group members felt authentic; the amusing conversations had among peers in their age group - how hip hop music used to be, its lyrical content, and cultural progressiveness versus that of the new generation - felt familiar and immediately recognizable although in a very good way. In most scenes, I felt as if I was in the room with these characters, laughing along and wanting to partake in their discussions.

Neil Drumming’s Big Words is an engaging, entertaining and clever film about passion and nostalgia; overcoming regrets and failure, team camaraderie and self-actualization just when you thought your dreams and hopes were lost. And Drumming is able to craft a film buoyed by compelling and convincing performances sans the didactical clichés that films of this genre tend to offer.

Guest Post: Why We Shot on Film in Rural West Texas

Brea Grant — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:52:13 GMT

“What’s the movie about?” a very solemn man in a cowboy hat asks us.

I hesitate. One of the first things I learned when traveling to West Texas to shoot our low budget indie BEST FRIENDS FOREVER was how to pitch to strangers in order to convince them to let us shoot in their gas station/taco stand/state highway. My producer, Stacey Storey, usually used “we’re just a bunch of Texas gals coming home to make a movie” whereas I generally went with the “it’s such a small production” casual route.

But by the time we talked to the gentleman who ran The Cowboy Church (not a joke), I was exhausted from trying to find several new locations at the last minute. Noticing this, my first AD jumps in, eloquently telling the cowboy the plot of our project. At some point, he tears up as he says, “The movie is about the world falling apart around you. It makes you ask yourself what’s most important to you.”

I hold my breath and look at the tall Christian cowboy standing in front of me.

“That sounds great. Y’all can use the church for your little movie.”

It was the day before the first day of shooting and we had now officially secured The Cowboy Church as our base camp. Sure, it was four miles from the location, but we were shooting in the middle of nowhere, outside of Alpine, Texas, and we felt fortunate to even find a building with running water.

When talking about shooting our apocalyptic road trip movie, my goal was to stay as authentic as possible. In the film, the two main characters drive through West Texas and, due to the lack of people, radio signals and general absence of life, have no idea that a nuclear bomb has detonated in the United States. I thought it was a genius plan to shoot it like a road trip – everyone could drive to West Texas and we could shoot on the empty highways there. Then, we could caravan to Austin for the remainder of the film.

When I say, “film,” I mean film. Against all odds and perhaps this is one of those instances where ignorance is bliss meets my stubbornness, we decided to shoot our movie on Super 16 mm. The gritty texture of Super 16 seemed like the perfect medium for capturing the beautiful West Texas landscapes.

Most independent, shoestring budget features don’t shoot on film because it’s too expensive. Stacey judiciously figured out that we could afford between 1200 and 1500 feet per day of shooting. Anyone who has ever shot on film just gasped.

The first day’s location was where three highways intersected but was surprisingly light on traffic. The mountains were on one side, the desert on the other and endless highway on the last, creating a perfect triangle.

We had switched to the “triangle” after taking my sound team (one very brave woman) to my original choice for the location. She shook her head.

“It’s like a wind tunnel.”

While the “triangle” wasn’t a complete sound nightmare, it did have another drawback we discovered about West Texas – no cell phone service. The first day began and everyone was late but they couldn’t call to let us know. If they got lost, they couldn’t Google where they were or look at the map in their inbox.

In spite of all of this, as the sun rose over the desert and I watched my DP set up her first shot, I thought that we were in the most beautiful and perfect place in the world for this film.

Somehow we successfully completed our first day even though we had to shuttle people back and forth from the Cowboy Church (we later got an RV to be on set all the time which at one point spilled the entire contents of its waste system onto a Texas highway). I quickly learned how little film 1200 feet actually is and how to divide a scene up so that we didn’t shoot the entire thing from an angle I wouldn’t use (sorry to my editor). I also learned to prep my actors on being ready for only shooting one or two takes (sorry to the actors).

And even though we didn’t get to see the labor of our work until a full week after it was shot because we had to ship off our film to be developed and wait for it to return (in the cheapest ground shipping possible), when we saw the expansive landscapes on the grainy film stock, I knew dragging everyone out to the middle of nowhere had been the right choice.

____________________________________

Brea Grant is the director of Best Friends Forever, a post-apocalyptic road trip movie premieres tonight at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival. Brea has acted in several films and television shows including Heroes, Dexter and Friday Night Lights.

Indiewire's Picks For the Five Breakouts of Slamdance 2013

Beth Hanna — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:16:12 GMT

The 19th annual Slamdance Film Festival, which runs in Park City January 18-24, boasts expanded narrative and documentary lineups and counts Christopher Nolan, Benh Zeitlin and Oren Peli as alums. So who might this year’s Slamdance heroes be? Below, five diverse titles to seek out at Slamdance 2013. 

“Ghost Team One”: Referencing “The Exorcist,” “Paranormal Activity” and an infamous shot from “The Silence of the Lambs,” Scott Rutherford and Ben Peyser’s batshit skewering of the found-footage horror genre manages to be hilariously offensive and ludicrously endearing. Brad and Sergio are two horny stoners who discover an ex-prostitute poltergeist slinking around their man cave. With the help of Fernanda, a hottie with a sixth sense who may be more malevolent than meets the eye, the duo set out to document their house’s lewdly spooky goings-on. Masturbation, paranormal sex-tivity, exploding heads and oh-no-they-didn’t Asian parodies (to rival Mickey Rooney in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”) ensue. 

“Bible Quiz”: 17-year-old Mikayla is one of three members on her high school’s Bible Quiz team. The group memorizes entire books from the Bible -- cramming over 2,000 verses of Scripture -- and competes around the country against other dedicated teenagers with the same flare for unusual extracurricular activity. Yet we discover that Mikayla, who classifies herself as “not evangelical,” isn’t solely motivated by the prospect of winning or even love for Jesus, but by a much more common desire. She has a crush on the Bible Quiz team captain -- tall, handsome and staunchly moral JP. Nicole Teeny’s documentary about young love and the role religion can play in confusing budding romantic feelings is simple, unbiased and ultimately quite moving.  

  “

The Dirties”: Matthew Johnson directs, co-writes and stars in this queasy yet dead-on depiction of two high-school film nerds (Johnson and Owen Williams), who slowly hatch a plan to exact brutal -- and videotaped -- revenge on their tormenters, a vicious group of popular jocks they call “The Dirties.” Johnson and Williams give two of the most believable, strangely sympathetic performances in recent memory, speaking in the language of manic movie soundbites and endless references to Tarantino, Scorsese and the Coen brothers. Despite its uncomfortably topical subject material, this deceptively simple film manages to be hilarious, horrific and even meta (in the way that cine-nerds of all ages love), and will likely be one of the best films to land at Park City this January.  

“Diamond on Vinyl”: Husky-voiced, sleepy-eyed Sonja Kinski (daughter of Nastassja, granddaughter of Klaus) stars alongside Brian McGuire in this kinky, unsettling portrait of sound-recording fetishists rambling around the wilds of a bright white Los Angeles. When Henry (McGuire) repels his fiancée after recording them having sex, he meets Charlie (Kinski), an aimless soul looking for “adventures,” as she puts it, and willing to indulge his peculiarities. J. R. Hughto’s film, which moves from one sparsely decorated room to another, with patches of palm tree-lined streets in between, recalls the stripped-down aesthetic of Steven Soderbergh, and plays with the nature of relationships, rehearsal and replication in alluring ways.  

“Hank and Asha”: James E. Duff’s infectiously sincere love story centers on Asha (Mahira Kakkar), an Indian film student studying in Prague, and Hank (Andrew Pastides), an emerging filmmaker living in New York, paying his dues as a gofer on a reality TV shoot. When Asha contacts Hank about his ballroom-dancing film, which she saw at a Czech film festival, they strike up a friendship, sending each other creative video messages. The relationship quickly turns into something more, and the two are faced with the great “What Next” question -- are some romances better left at a distance? Duff doesn’t force any answers, instead presenting a quiet, thoughtful portrait of love caught in the pull between hyper-connectivity and loneliness. 

Exclusive: Eerie & Surreal Trailer For Slamdance Entry 'Jug Face' Starring Sean Young

Kevin Jagernauth — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:59:02 GMT

Recent cinema has seen a small handful of movies about cults or communities -- "Martha Marcy May Marlene," "Sound Of My Voice," "The Master" among them -- but perhaps the eeriest or strangest of them all is the upcoming "Jug Face." Set to premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival, we have the first exclusive trailer for the movie, and....well, just watch it, and you'll see what we mean.

Starring Lauren Ashley Carter (in what is described as a breakout role), Sean Young, Sean Bridgers, Larry Fessenden and Daniel Manche, the story takes place in a backwoods community, where the face revealed on a newly crafted ceramic mug points to the person that must be sacrificed to the pit. Ada, who is pregnant with her younger brother's child, is determined to save her own life and that of her child, but the pit will keep killing people in the community unless she sacrifices herself.

The project heads to Park City with some heat already, thanks to being the grand prize winner of the 2011 Slamdance Screenwriting & Teleplay Competition. Chad Crawford Kinkle wrote and directed the picture that will have its premiere on Wednesday, January 23rd. See what you're in for and watch the trailer below.

Exclusive: Trailer For Apocalyptic Slamdance Entry 'Best Friends Forever'

Kevin Jagernauth — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 15:56:00 GMT

For some, continuing to call the Sundance Film Festival "indie" given the huge stars, swag bags, parties and more that mark each year in Park City, is a bit of joke. But for those looking for some truly independent cinema, films that feature actors, actresses, writers and directors who are truly looking for a leg up, the Slamdance Flim Festival is the place. Overlapping with the festivities at Sundance, Slamdance will have a plethora of offerings on display, and one movie hoping to rise above the noise is "Best Friends Forever." But don't let that title deceive you.

Written by and starring Brea Grant ("Heroes," "Dexter") and Vera Miao ("CSI: Miami," "Brothers & Sisters"), with Grant making her directing debut, this dark comedy/apocalyptic disaster story follows Harriet (Grant), a perpetually optimistic comic-book artist who leaves Los Angeles and hits the road for a new life in Austin, Texas, bringing her seemingly devil-may-care BFF Reba (Miao) along for the ride. However, following a nuclear explosion, the girls are forced to answer some big questions about their lives. And in this exclusive trailer, you get a great sense of the mix of tones in the film, where the peril is very real as it aims for laughs and chills in equal measure.

"Best Friends Forever" will have its first screening at Slamdance on Saturday, January 19th. Watch the trailer below.

Sundance 2013: Exclusive First Look at NEXT Comedy 'Newlyweeds' as Circus Road Films Grabs Sales Rights

Jay A. Fernandez — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:58:57 GMT

One of the funkier selections in the Sundance Film Festival’s NEXT <=> program is “Newlyweeds,” the filmmaking debut of writer-director Shaka King. In its look at the life of a couple in love with smoking up as much as with each other, the dark romance-comedy has the pungent aroma of a potential cult hit wafting from it.

Indiewire has a few exclusive photos from “Newlyweeds” below, including one of King and former NYU graduate school classmate Michael Matthews, who produced the film, on set. While the movie, which will have its premiere Jan. 18 at Prospector Square Theatre, is pitched as a comedy with a dramatic undercurrent (it does involve three veterans of “The Wire”), the filmmakers put together a Kickstarter video to raise finishing funds that goes straight for the laughs (and succeeds).

L.A.-based Circus Road Films (“Geezers!”) has just come aboard to rep sales on "Newlyweeds," as well as a Slamdance title premiering the same day, Harry Patramanis’ debut feature “Fynbos.” The latter, shot and cast in South Africa, is a mystery-drama about a near-bankrupt real estate developer who heads off with his wife to a remote property they own to close a life-saving deal. Check out the first-look photo below.

Watch: 'No Limits, No Fear' In Animated Trailer for the 19th Slamdance Film Festival (Exclusive VIDEO)

Eric Mattina — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:02:52 GMT

Last week's devotion to announcements regarding next month's Sundance Film Festival takes a turn with updates from Park City's alternative program, The Slamdance Film Festival.

Slamdance has made available to Indiewire exclusively a new animated trailer for its upcoming 19th edition, emphasizing thrills to enhance this edition's tagline of "No Limits, No Fear."

The 19th Slamdance Film Festival will take place Jan. 18-24. Go HERE for the full lineup. The video can be viewed below.

Slamdance Award-Winner 'Punching the Clown' Being Developed as a Showtime Series

Alison Willmore — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:42:57 GMT

Director Gregori Viens' indie comedy/future cult film "Punching the Clown" won the audience award for best narrative feature at Slamdance in 2009 before a small self-distributed theatrical release in 2010. The film, which Viens co-wrote with star Henry Phillips, is loosely based on Phillips' life as a writer and performer of comedic songs, and follows him as he navigates sudden showbiz success and a just as sudden fall from grace in Los Angeles.

Now, according to the Hollywood Reporter, "Punching the Clown" is being developed into a TV series at Showtime, with Viens, Phillips and Chuck Martin ("Arrested Development") serving as writers, and all three attached as executive producers alongside Sarah Silverman and David Permut ("Youth in Revolt").

Viens and Phillips have been working on variations of this story for years -- before "Punching the Close" was a narrative feature, they reportedly made a documentary on the subject together in 1997. The TV incarnation of this project will have Phillips living with his brother, a struggling actor, and dealing with different romantic entanglements.

The trailer for "Punching the Clown" is below:

Michael K. Williams Talks 'Snow on tha Bluff' and His Upcoming Turn as Ol' Dirty Bastard in 'Dirty White Boy'

Nigel M Smith — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:27:28 GMT

Michael K. Williams, the actor best known for playing Omar Little on HBO's "The Wire," dons a new hat as executive producer for the first time with the microbudget indie "Snow on tha Bluff," which world premiered at the 2011 Slamdance Film Festival and hits DVD and VOD tomorrow.

Dubbed a "'Blair Witch Project' in the hood" by Williams, "Snow on tha Bluff" documents a few days in the life of real-life robbery boy and crack dealer Curtis Snow via a camera that Snow steals from some college kids. The handheld footage bears witness to robberies of rival dealers, brutal gunfights and brawls, all involving real-life figures from the West Atlanta neighborhood known as "tha Bluff," leaving viewers to wonder: what's real and what's not?

Indiewire caught up with Williams to find out how and why he came onto the project (directed by Damon Russell), and what Wu-Tang Clan fans can expect of his upcoming turn as Ol' Dirty Bastard in the biopic of the rapper, "Dirty White Boy."

Your visibility obviously helps you get behind projects like these and promote stories that you are extremely passionate about. How did you get involved with this film in particular?

The way I got involved was actually through Twitter. A friend of mine brought this clip for me that was floating around YouTube. I didn't know what to make of it. The first thing I thought was, "Wow, this guy looks like the real live Omar Little," you know, Curtis. And then I saw another clip of this guy cut really badly on his face, and that reminded me of when I got cut on my face. It intrigued me enough to make me want to see more. I got in contact with the director, Damon, and said, "How can I see more of this?" We got it together and shot the footage for the feature film and it got picked up.

Given that the film wasn't completed when you initially came on board, what did you bring to the project apart from your clout as an established artist?

I completely stayed out of their way. Obviously they were already on to something. I saw that from the clips that I'd seen on YouTube and Twitter. So I just got in contact with them and I send I'd like to help to make this thing complete and after that I stayed out of their way.

Were you at all nervous about backing something like this?

As a producer, you're always nervous about what is going to be received properly or not. But at the end of the day you can't worry about that. It is what it is, and the reason why I want to produce is to be involved in stories that I find interesting. I want to shed light on people that don't really get it. The community called the Bluff in Atlanta is a forgotten city. I wanted to lend my help to it as much as I could to get it out.

At the end of the day I can't worry about what people think, but what I would hope is that people walk away feeling some type of empathy for what they see because these are not actors. It is not like "The Wire" where there was lights-camera-action. Although "The Wire" was based on reality, all "tha Bluff" is reality. Those people are real and they're really there. Those cuts you see on Curtis' face are real. Those are his real kids in this movie. It's not a Hollywood production in that aspect.

Do you know what is real and what isn't in the film? Did they share that with you or did they keep "tha Bluff" shrowded in mystery?

There real wasn't anything to believe in, it's to just share it. I went down to the Bluff and saw enough. Even if every scene in the movie is not 100% real, it really goes down and these are real people showing you what really happens in the Bluff. It is like the ultimate "Blair Witch Project" in the hood, you know what I mean? These are definitely not actors in the sense where they have to audition for a feature. These are real people.

Did you seek out any kind of legal advice before putting your name behind this? Cops do get involved in several scenes.

The only legal advice I got was from my entertainment lawyer to find out how this kind of thing was happening. I don't live in the Bluff. I don't know the day to day of what goes on. This film is just a pretty good look into the community and that's my involvement in it. I've come to know Curtis via this project, but I don't live up there so I don't spend every day with him. I would hope that the law in that aspect would not do anything to negatively affect this film. I hope that anything that is shown in this film would not bring any type of law enforcement attention into a negative light.

Fans of your work are obviously going to see the correlations between this film that you've put your name behind and your work on "The Wire." Have you been trying actively to separate yourself from that role or are you glad that it still lives on the way it has?

Oh man. I'm ecstatic that the role of Omar and the work that we did as an ensemble cast on "The Wire" still lives on. There's nothing to do to distance myself from it. You build on that, you grow from that, but you don't wipe out your foundation. "The Wire" is my foundation. That's my breakout role and from there I'm still getting calls and offers from people wanting to work with me, solely based on the work I did on "The Wire." Why would I want to distance myself from that? Build on that if anything.

What did you make of President Obama declaring Omar to be his favorite character of the show?

It's humbling. I was very grateful. It made more proud and more secure in my admiration for him and backing for him. I'm not a politician, nor do I pretend to know a lot about the world of politics, but I supported President Obama. When he came out and acknowledged "The Wire," it didn't make me proud like, "Obama's talking about me," it made me glad that he has his finger on the pulse of what's really going on in the community. He's not detached.

I didn't take it as a personal feather in my hat, per say. It was a testimony to how involved he is and how in tune he is to what's really going on in the streets. He didn't forget about us and he sees us. It made me want to step up even more as an American citizen and do more for him in my own little world. I'm not trying to go to the White House, I'm not trying to have a beer summit with the dude. I know he's a busy man. I just try to listen to him, and take in the things that he says, and try and make it work in world and my community. In my own way, I feel like "Snow on tha Bluff" is me doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

In "Snow on tha Bluff" you're going to see a community; you're going to see people struggling; you're going to see a lot of pain; and you're going to see a lot of hope. There's this woman, Molly, she lives in the middle of the Bluff and she took her house and decided that she was going to make a place where people can come to get their resumes done, get internet access. If you're hungry she'd feed you; if you needed a place to stay she'd shelter you; if you needed clothes for you and your children she'd clothe you; if you need to get HIV tested she'll test you; if you need a hepatitis shot they give that there; and she doesn't charge anyone a dime.

She's not a non-profit organization, nor does she get subsidies from the state. It's all out of her pocket or through what people donate from the surrounding community. She was a shining example of what the President speaks about about just starting where you're at. You don't need a lot, you don't need to put your power in somebody else's hands. It starts right there in your community. There are little things you can do and you just got to get up and do it. She never asked anybody for anything, and in that sense. She opened up her home to a community that society would be like, "Oh my god, no!" She's got her doors wide open for anybody who needs help.

That's what I hope this film, "Snow on tha Bluff", will evoke more of. More of that approach to the community. Not to shun it or turn your nose up at it. I believe in the concept that we're all connected, so by me taking my little celebrity to go down there and shed some light on the Bluff via "Snow on tha Bluff," you know, who's to say? All I know is that the late, great Tupac Shakur took my little picture, my little dark, grimy polaroid picture laying around the office and he made them come look for me. Where else would I have gotten a chance to be where I'm at today? So, I feel obligated to give it back and reach into a neighborhood where Hollywood is not necessarily going to go.

It sounds like your role as a producer really fulfills you in a totally different way than the other side of your career does. What do you have planned next and what kind of a career do you hope to foster for yourself as a producer?

You know, as a producer I'd like to tell more iconic black American stories. I feel that the youth, especially the inner city youth, are so ignorant as to who are our black role models were -- it's like we have no one to look up to. Man. there are a lot of things that Hollywood doesn't think make for good entertainment. A lot of times we hear they don't do well overseas, in the overseas market.

But there are a lot of stores, a lot of great men and women. I had options to the rights of the the Madam CJ Walker story about the first female millionaire in this country. James Baldwin, Miles David -- there are a lot of stories of people. We tend to forget about a lot of our great black American leaders or role models or heroes, if you will. I would like to tell more of those stories.

I'd like to tell stories like that and incorporate talent that wouldn't necessarily get a chance in Hollywood. Give them an opportunity. I would like to be known for that.

I'm not sure how far along you are with it, but what can you tell me about your work playing Ol'Dirty Bastard in the upcoming biopic, "Dirty White Boy"?

Well we haven't begun filming yet, I'm still in production for the third season of "Boardwalk Empire." So I'm doing the research. I had the beautiful pleasure of meeting his mother, Mrs. Sherry, who gave me a world of knowledge about who he was when the cameras weren't rolling. This movie is not about the Wu-Tang and that time -- how they got their deal and how they met. It's not about that. It's about the last years of his life, and the reason why it's called "Dirty White Boy" is because his manager, Jerry, was an integral part of the last two years of his life.

And you're gonna see a lot of things that they didn't know in the media. There were a lot of faces that you didn't see in the media. He wasn't just Ol Dirty Bastard, he was Ason to some people, he was Rusty to other people, to his family. We wanted to explore those other sides, and hopefully the audience will walk away from this movie feeling like, "Wow. This could have happened to anybody." His untimely death and what happened in his life those last two years could have happened to anybody in any genre. It just happened to be his, but it's not solely about the Wu-Tang Clan, or just Ol' Dirty Bastard, it's about his life, his last years, what he was going through, what he struggled with, and how he dealt with it.

I can't wait.

Yeah I can't wait either. It seems to be a pretty hot topic. I didn't know that the hip-hop community was so on it. Everywhere I go I get a lot of support, so the pressure is on. I gotta deliver. I can't let this project down.

On the Scene at Slamdance 2012

Indiewire — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:16:14 GMT

Park City's slightly kookier festival Slamdance celebrated with their annual sled-off, a horror happy hour, and a visit from Stan Lee. Check out the pics below!

'Welcome To Pine Hill' Leads Slamdance Award Winners

Peter Knegt — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:20:14 GMT

The 18th Annual Slamdance Film Festival tonight announced the feature film and short film recipients of this year’s awards in the Audience, Grand Jury, and Sponsored Award categories.

The award winners were announced at the annual Closing Night Awards Ceremony at the Treasure Mountain Inn. As in previous years, juries of leading industry experts and esteemed filmmakers determine the Slamdance Jury Awards for Feature Narrative, Feature Documentary, and Short Film categories. Audience and Sponsored Awards, and the Spirit of Slamdance Award are also bestowed.

The feature competition films in the Documentary and Narrative Programs are limited to first-time filmmakers working with production budgets less than $1 million.

“What a great way to end Slamdance's 18th festival - by celebrating the films our excellent jurors and incredible audiences have awarded these emerging filmmakers,” said Peter Baxter, Co-Founder and President of Slamdance in a statement. “This years narrative and documentary competitions are stronger than ever, and these filmmakers represent the vanguard of true independent filmmaking.”

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Audience Award for Feature Documentary: GETTING UP by Caskey Ebeling

Audience Award for Feature Narrative: BINDLESTIFFS by Andrew Edison

GRAND JURY AWARDS – NARRATIVE

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Feature Narrative: WELCOME TO PINE HILL by Keith Miller, “for its poetic and emotionally honest depiction of one man's final journey in life, crafted from a true spirit of humanity and community."

Special Jury Award for Bold Originality: HEAVY GIRLS by Axel Ranisch, “for its joie de vivre, an incredibly life-affirming film that is presented with a unique vision and an amazing cast."

GRAND JURY AWARDS – DOCUMENTARY

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Feature Documentary: NO ASHES, NO PHOENIX by Jens Pfeifer, "for its adeptly piercing and cinematic look at a basketball team's impassioned struggle not for glory, but to just avoid losing."

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Short Documentary: THE PROFESSIONAL by Skylar Neilsen, for "an honest and natural portrayal of work-as-life, and the slowly disappearing craft of an American working man."

GRAND JURY AWARDS – SHORT FILMS

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Animation: VENUS by Tor Fruergaard, "for its creative use of claymation characters to explore sexual adventure and its lighthearted, touching and memorable story."

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Short Film: I AM JOHN WAYNE by Christina Choe, "for its unique storytelling, cinematography and performances, including the brilliant use of a real horse in an urban environment."

Special Jury Prize for Experimental Short: SOLIPSIST by Andrew Huang, "for its unique blend of live action footage of the human body, puppetry and computer animation that creates a colorful and insightful fantasy world."

Honorable Mention for Best Ensemble: I'M COMING OVER by Sam Handel, "for its extraordinary ensemble which creates a world that extends beyond the film's 25 minute length."

SPECIAL & SPONSORED AWARDS

Spirit of Slamdance Sparky Award: HEAVY GIRLS (Dicke Mädchen) - Axel Ranisch, Heiko Pinkowski, Anne Baeker. Awarded by the Class of 2012 Slamdance Filmmakers to the film team that best embodies the creative, independent, and entrepreneurial spirit of the festival, as well as showing exceptional talent as artists.

The Kodak Vision Award for Best Cinematography: FAITH, LOVE AND WHISKEY by Kristina Nikolova, "for shooting every single frame of this picture in a way that is not only pleasing to the eye, but also strongly supportive to the story being told."

Panasonic AF100 Award for ‘The Five Flavors of Filmmaking’ Competition: JOSH GIBSON, director of the short film Kudzu Vine. Five filmmaking teams created one-minute films during the 2012 Slamdance Film Festival. The winning team exemplifies excellence in visual storytelling and receives a Panasonic AF100 Camera Package.

Slamdance 2012: Doc Competition Offers Sex, Rebirth and Anonymous

Christopher Campbell — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:41:04 GMT

One thing I began to notice last year is that many documentaries are a bit too long. I think some of this has to do with the desire to be sold as a “true” feature length film, although in this day when VOD, online streams and TV formatting overshadow theatrical for nonfiction distribution and viewership, I don’t know why going 90 minutes and above seems favorable to filmmakers when the content just isn’t there. One of the best docs of last year, according to many doc critics and fans (including myself) is Jarred Alterman’s "Convento," which comes in at a mere 50 minutes. We need more of this.

And a place you’ll find more of this immedately is the 2012 Slamdance Film Festival, the increasingly necessary event that coincides with and provides alternatives to Sundance, and which has debuted a number of great docs in recent years, such as "Dear Zachary: A Letter to A Son About His Father," "Mad Hot Ballroom," "American Hardcore," "The King of Kong: A Firstful of Quarters" and last year's "Superheroes." Most of these are in the 90-minute range, but the one that is arguably the most popular and probably the most seen, King of Kong, is only 79 minutes.

This year I’ve seen most of the titles in the Slamdance Documentary Competition and so far my favorite is the shortest of all, although I don’t favor it because of its running time. James Stenson’s "Kelly" is under an hour and still sufficiently exposes us to the life and world of a transgender teen prostitute. It is almost completely dependent on the fact that the eponymous subject is astonishingly compelling and candid. Kelly is the sort of documentary character that becomes a star through little more than straight interview material. And Stenson knows precisely how to capture, present and sell her physical beauty and blunt personality (and meth use) to an audience.

Continue reading this post at the Documentary Channel Blog.

6 Films to Watch at Slamdance 2012

Eric Kohn — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:40:51 GMT

While Sundance will soon consume the lives of many moviegoers in Park City, it's been years since it was the only game in town. Starting in 1995, the Slamdance Film Festival has retained its underdog status at the top of Main Street, where about 30 features and shorts will screen January 20 - 26.

More than just a scruffy alternative to the larger festival, Slamdance regularly serves as a starting ground for emerging filmmakers and movies made off the beaten track. Last year's premiere "Without" went on to play festivals around the world and announced the promising talent of director Mark Jackson, while previous Slamdance breakouts have included "Paranormal Activity" and "King of Kong."

But since the festival relies on a team of programmers with broad tastes and often nabs movies that simply don't fit Sundance's various sections, it can also provide a safety net for experimental and otherwise non-commercial films (such as the recent "General Orders No. 9") that may otherwise never find an audience. Here's a list of some of the potential highlights from the festival, which starts tomorrow.

"Welcome to Pine Hill"

Based on the short film "Prince/William," writer-director Keith Miller's documentary-fiction hybrid chronicles the strange relationship he cultivated with a man whose dog he discovered and adopted. When the duo first met on the street, tensions ran high: Shannon Harper, who raised the dog as a puppy, simply wanted his pet back, while Miller felt he had a say in the decision. The resolution for that situation is merely a jumping-off point for an exploration of class and other social constructs, as Shannon (an African American from a low-income community) and Miller (a white, comparatively sheltered filmmaker) hail from vastly different backgrounds and examine the assumptions they brought to the table in their rather unusual circumstances. If nothing else, "Welcome to Pine Hill" is not your average dog movie.

"Danland"

Known in the porn world as "Porno Dan," Dan Lear has made a name for himself over the past decade for creating amateur-production porn films that are wildly successful precisely because he eschews flashiness for rough, unimaginative sex. While Alexandra Berger's documentary portrait of Lear starts out like an episode of HBO's "Real Sex," it builds into a fascinating look at Lear's psychology and the forces behind his decision to leave his white-collar lifestyle in favor of a far more unorthodox profession. Love him or hate him, Porno Dan makes a terrific camera presence, even (or, to some viewers, especially) when he keeps his clothes on.

"Neil Young Journeys"

Few American filmmakers have nailed the appeal of the music documentary as well as Jonathan Demme and in recent years his muse in the genre has been Neil Young. Demme first worked with the musician for the energetic 2006 "Neil Young: Heart of Gold," followed by the equally acclaimed "Neil Young Trunk Show" in 2010. Rounding out the trilogy, "Neil Young Journeys" tracks Young as he revisits his Canadian roots and plays a show in Toronto. At Slamdance, where "Journey" will have its U.S. premiere, the filmmaker-subject duo will also participate in a "master class" to discuss their working relationship. Sony Pictures Classics has picked up the film for a theatrical release.

"We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists"

In the wake of Occupy Wall Street and other grassroots activism, the protest group Anonymous continues to hold sway over mainstream society with its complex ability to mobilize and maintain a capacity for widespread influence unseen since the era of Vietnam rallies. Brian Knappenberger's documentary promises a close investigation of the mysterious group's history and how it has managed to keep skepticism alive with a combination of polemics and strategic theatricality.

"The Sound of Small Things"

Quirky romances have been done to death many times over, but "The Sound of Small Things" promises a unique riff on the usual two-hander: The story of a rocky marriage between neurotic copywriter and a deaf woman, it promises a distinctive use of sound design to replicate the couple's disconnect. First-time producer-director Peter McLarnan also served as editor and production design, and that degree of control certainly makes sense for this potentially enveloping cinematic experience.

"Sundowning"

Described by one programmer "Chantal Akerman meets Andrei Tarkovsky," this low-budget film follows a woman in Singapore struggling with memory loss and the isolated world that reflects her subjectivity. Impatient viewers may throw up their hands, but the movie nevertheless sounds like a promising attempt to push film form in new directions, with the potential for a cult following along the festival circuit. In other words, ideal Slamdance material.

Slamdance 2012: "Getting Up: The TEMPT ONE Story" is an Inspiring Documentary About Our Collaborative Future

Christopher Campbell — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:16:44 GMT

In Bob Bryan’s low-budget 1995 documentary “Graffiti Verite,” L.A. street artist Tony Quan, aka ‘TEMPT,’ talks about how artists in his community feed off each other like jazz musicians. “Graffiti is very communal...very interactive,” he says. A clip of this interview is also now featured in the new film “Getting Up: The TEMPT ONE Story,” and it provides a great jumping off point with which to consider the overall point of this inspiring documentary.

The feature debut of director Caskey Ebeling (whose short “The Package” premiered at Slamdance in 2007), “Getting Up” follows Quan in the years following his 2003 hospitalization for Lou Gehrig’s Disease, or ALS, which has completely paralyzed him from head to toe. Without the means to speak or breathe on his own let alone continue producing works of art, he became the reason and guinea pig for technology that would allow him to be creative again.

In part, the film is a just another moving cause-doc and an unapologetic advertisement for a few non-profits, including the TEMPT ONE ALS Foundation, as well as an award-winning invention called the EyeWriter, which was co-developed by the film’s executive producer, entrepreneur Mick Ebeling (Caskey’s husband). The primary story concerns the making of this gadget, which allows Quan to type and, more importantly, tag a wall through the movement of his eyes (and for the latter purpose, additional help from lasers). But the simultaneous narrative about Quan’s willpower and triumph over his affliction is the dramatic and emotional center, and it holds up the geekier, more promotional aspects.

Another side to the film, one which I find most appealing, is the overlying point about communal collaboration. Nearly everything about “Getting Up” and its combined stories have to do with this idea of interaction and people working off each other. You’ve got the art of graffiti, the jazzy hip hop music of Money Mark, the nature of filmmaking itself, accented by the documentary structure and the fact that this in a way this film continues from Bryan’s earlier film. Then you have the EyeWriter, which has been designed and produced as an open-source device and program and is already leading to further DIY advancements in the technology.

There’s a hint of politics in the film’s point, as well, because all of this communal support and creation is discussed as an alternative, or substitute for, government funded programs and progress. It’s all about doing things ourselves, and together, rather than waiting on the bureaucratic and profit-minded hold-ups that come with both state and industry. It’s an interesting turn for the future when you take it as a response to Quan’s comments in the film about how man’s progress in the past century seem to have led to new diseases like ALS -- the sad irony would be if one day we discovered spray paint caused his condition, or if the next century brings new problems caused by technological developments like the EyeWriter. I guess we just have to stay optimistic.

“Getting Up,” which I can also appreciate for the double meaning title, is nice in the way it unites the cultures. It’s a doc that can be enjoyed by artists and geeks alike, most evident in the way one nerdy collaborator from Dell speaks at length in non-layman’s terms while being subtitled with more concise, street-friendly jargon (including words like “smooove”). Yet those cultures aren’t the only ones for whom this is an accessible and entertaining doc. From the opening dream sequence, featuring a digital voiceover narration from Quan himself (he’s also credited as writing the film), to the hopeful and heartwarming epilogue during the end credits, it’s a film that will make you smile and think positively about the future of one bedridden artist and of all mankind.

The only thing that would make it better is if it were a fully collaborative documentary and the Ebelings were curator-producers. Maybe some other filmmakers can come along and work off this and remix it.

"Getting Up: The TEMPT ONE Story" just premiered at the 2012 Slamdance Film Festival
Recommended If You Like: "Wild Style"; "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"; "So Much So Fast"

Follow Christopher Campbell on Twitter: @thefilmcynic
Follow Spout on Twitter: @Spout

Watch: Exclusive Trailer For Slamdance Entry 'The Sound of Small Things'

Nigel M Smith — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:51:59 GMT

Come January, Park City sees the Sundance Film Festival generating a press frenzy in Utah, but don't discount the great talent showcasing their latest works at the annual Slamdance Film Festival, occuring just up Main Street.

One of this year's Slamdance narrative competing films, "The Sound of Small Things," looks especially promising and we've got the exclusive trailer ahead of its premiere on January 21.

The indie drama, from first-time filmmaker Peter McLarnan, concerns a couple navigating the complexities of a young marriage.

Neil Young, Jonathan Demme and Stan Lee Headline Slamdance Master Classes

Nigel M Smith — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:51:22 GMT

Neil Young, filmmaker Jonathan Demme and comic book legend Stan Lee will headline this year's series of Morning Coffee Master Classes at the 2012 Slamdance Film Festival, which runs January 20-26.

Young and Demme will be at Slamdance to support their documentary "Neil Young Journeys," while Lee will be attending to promote the documentary "With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story," directed by Will Hess.

Here's the Morning Coffee Master Classes Schedule:

Sunday Jan. 22nd, 11:00am – 1:00pm: Coffee with Neil Young & Jonathan Demme, in conversation with filmmaker & Slamdance Director Paul Rachman.

Monday, January 23, 2012 10:00am-11:30am: Coffee with notable luminaries in the world of cinematography. Hosted by Kodak.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 9:30am-11:30am: Coffee with Stan Lee, in conversation with filmmaker Will Hess.

More info here.

Sundance and Slamdance 2012: Documentary Preview

Christopher Campbell — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:26:21 GMT

As I look back on my “Sundance Documentaries People Will Be Talking About” column from last January, I realize this is my equivalent to other bloggers’ annual “Most Anticipated Movies of [the Coming Year]” list. Partly because to preview the docs playing at Sundance is usually to preview the docs we’ll be seeing in theaters in the next twelve months, as well as to spot some of what will contend for the Oscar in the following year. And partly because in retrospect I similarly had high hopes for films that didn’t really meet expectations.

However, those disappointments aren’t so much of a critical nature, the way Green Lantern and The Hangover Part II might look in hindsight with a glance at movie previews from a year ago. They’re films that either were great but unfortunately weren’t talked about enough (How to Die in Oregon; Resurrect Dead; If a Tree Falls) or weren’t as popular at the box office as I envisioned (Project Nim; The Bengali Detective; Life in a Day). Also, like other bloggers comparing their year-end “Best of” list with their year-start anticipated list, I see a few titles I didn’t include in my 2011 Sundance preview that took me by surprise (Senna; We Were Here; Hell and Back Again) and even ended up on my own “Best of” list -- in fact nine Sundance ‘11 titles made my list of Top 20 docs of the year.

What will be this year’s big doc sensations? I can’t be sure, especially since we’re still more than a week away from Opening Night and I’ve only heard minimal buzz on some titles and haven’t yet seen a single one. So far I can only recommend one doc playing Park City this month, the Slamdance dairy farm doc The First Season, but while this terrific verite exploration of generation and restoration among a family and its cows is worth seeing, it isn’t really fodder for huge discussions. More provocative Slamdance offerings should be the child boxing film Buffalo Girls, the transgender teen prostitute film Kelly, the amateur porn doc Danland, the ALS grafitti artist profile Getting Up: The TEMPT ONE Story and the Anonymous profile We Are Legion: The Story of the Hactivists (pictured above).

Continue reading at Movies.com

Slamdance Film Festival Sets Jonathan Demme's Neil Young Doc, Other Special Screenings & Shorts

Bryce J. Renninger — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:29:02 GMT

The Slamdance Film Festival announced a long list of special screenings and short films that will play at its 2012 edition. Included in the mix is Jonathan Demme's "Neil Young Journeys," a portrait of the rock star at his 2011 summer solo shows in Toronto. The festival will also screen a never-before-seen TV pilot from Ed Wood as part of their program.

The Slamdance Film Festival will run from January 20-26 in Park City, Utah.

The complete list of films announced today is below. For the competition slate for this year's Slamdance, check out the earlier announced list.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS – NARRATIVE:

Holiday Road – Directors/Screenwriters: Todd Berger, Bill Palmer, Bobby Miller, Daron Nefcy,Benny Grinnell, Ian Eastin, Marcy McIlwain, Aaron Arendt, Michael Suter, Dee Robertson, DougManley, Helena Wei, Andrew Putschoegl. (USA)
World Premiere
A feature length comedic anthology celebrating the hilarious, poignant, and absurd aspects of America's twelve most recognized holidays.
Cast: Wendi McLendon-Covey, Jerry Trainor, Thomas Lenk, Blaise Miller, James Carpinello,Jeff Grace, Kent Osborne, Christing Ulloa

Old Dog – Director/Screenwriter: Pema Tseden. (China)
US Premiere
On the high Tibetan plains, an old shepherd will do anything to prevent his Tibetan Mastiff from being sold to an urban Chinese dealer.
Cast: Yanbum Gyal, Drolma Kyab, Lochey, Tamdrin Tso

Unconditional - Director: Bryn Higgins, Screenwriter: Jo Fisher. (UK)
World Premiere
The psycho-love story of two teenage twins who fall under the spell of a charismatic manoffering love on one condition: the boy becomes his own sister.
Cast: Christian Cooke, Melanie Hill, Harry McEntire, Madleine Clark

SPECIAL SCREENINGS – DOCUMENTARY:

Neil Young Journeys – Director: Jonathan Demme. (USA)
US Premiere
A personal, retrospective look into the heart and soul of iconoclast Neil Young – astold through intimate performances from Young’s 2011 summer solo shows in Toronto’s iconic Massey Hall, and insightful, wistful stories from his life while driving from his idyllic Canadian hometown.

No Room for Rockstars – Director: Parris Patton. (USA)
World Premiere
Through the experiences of four musicians on The Vans Warped Tour, No Room For Rockstars takes you on an emotional journey of hope and determination, and documents the extremehighs and lows that occur in the pursuit of success in today’s era of rock and roll.

Terra Blight – Director: Isaac Brown. (USA)
World Premiere
A global examination of the unseen life cycle of computer consumption, from manufacturing todisposal, that has created one of the largest, most common toxic wastes on our planet.

Wild in the Streets – Director: Peter Baxter, Screenwriters: Peter Baxter, Jay Nelson. (UK/USA)
World Premiere
Every year, thousands of locals from rival sides of a rugged English town brutally compete in an ancient sports game that is the lifeblood of the community – and the origin of soccer, rugby, and football.
Narrator: Sean Bean

With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story – Directors: Will Hess, Nikki Frakes, Terry Dougas, Screenwriters: Will Hess, Nikki Frakes. (USA)
The story of maverick pop culture icon Stan Lee - one man’s journey of perseverance, and howby sticking to what he loved, he became an internationally influential and successful artist.
Cast: Stan Lee, Nicolas Cage, Michael Chiklis, Roger Corman, Kirsten Dunst, Danny Elfman, James Franco, Samuel Jackson, Tobey Maguire, Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Seth Rogen, Bryan Singer, Kevin Smith, Ringo Starr

SPECIAL SCREENINGS – SHORTS:

Ed Wood's Lost Film Final Curtain – Director/Screenwriter: Edward D. Wood, Jr. (USA)
World Premiere
In a never before seen Ed Wood television pilot, a weary actor prowling a darkened theater at night searches anxiously for meaning which leads him to a surprising end.
Cast: James "Duke" Moore, Dudley Manlove, Jenny Stevens

Franchi is Back - Director/Screenwriter: Alexandre Franchi. (Canada)
World Premiere
A Filmmaker talks about his bout with cancer in a self-promo film in order to avoid repeating his damn story 1000 times to people because it's a pain in the ass.
Cast: Alexandre Franchi

SPECIAL SCREENING - $99 SPECIAL:

Filmmakers are challenged to make a short film in 99 days with $99

Harold's Bad Day – Director: Jordan Brady, Screenwriter: R.J. Buckley. (USA)
World Premiere
A wry, dark comedy about a well-intentioned teacher with a gambling debt.
Cast: Doug Benson, Nicholas Sadler, Zack Pearlman, Curtiss Frisle

SPECIAL SCREENING - MADE IN IRAN: 7 SHORT PREMIERES:

Dances With The Armchair - Director/Writer: Dariush Nehdaran. (Iran)
US Premiere
As an armchair burns down to the ground, all the faces and memories embedded inside it dance away from its body through the flames.

Far From Him, Towards Him - Director/Screenwriter: Javad Rezaei Monfared. (Iran)
WorldPremiere
An atheist with a terminal disease goes on a journey to find and reconnect with his father whom he believes is a servant in a holy shrine.

Room No. 8 - Director/Screenwriter: Zohreh Keshavarz Motlagh Shirazi. (Iran)
World Premiere
A story about a group of people trapped in various social and psychological confines who yearnto break free.

Pondering - Director/Screenwriter: Mohammad Hossein Keshavarz Motlagh Shirazi (Iran)
World Premiere
On a crisp night, under the blue moonlight, a man explores his inner child as he strangely interacts with the streetlights hovering above him.

A Pore As Big As a Knuckle - Director/Screenwriter: Ali Ahmadi. (Iran)
World Premiere
A story about a family that has to face the consequences of a painfully unusual rape incident committed by one of their own.

The Tree - Director/Screenwriter: Hamed Siami. (Iran)
World Premiere
A studio photographer loses the ability to associate people with their pictures.

When The Kid Was a Kid - Director/Screenwriter: Anahita Ghazvinizadeh. (Iran)
World Premiere
A ten-year-old girl strives to understand her divorced mother's world, while preparing for a play in which children imitate their parents.

SPECIAL SCREENING - ANARCHY SHORTS PROGRAM:

At The Formal – Director/Screenwriter: Andrew Kavanagh. (Australia).
US Premiere
Modern and ancient rituals collide in this macabre depiction of a high school formal.

The Dude – Director: Jeff Feuerzeig. (USA)
Documentary
As the inspiration for the beloved central character in the Coen Brothers' cult-favorite film TheBig Lebowski, Jeff Dowd has become a popular figure at Lebowski Fests around the country.

The Fritzl Effect - Director/Screenwriter: Stefanos Sitaras. (Greece)
A musician keeps a young woman in his basement for inspiration. As she tries to escape, she only falls deeper into his trap.

I Saw Your Sister Yesterday – Director: Mina Park. (USA)
Experimental animation about a woman's inner pain due to societal restrictions.

The Magic Man – Director/Screenwriter: DC Kasundra. (USA)
Hoping to secure fame and fortune, a struggling vaudeville magician turns to the dark arts, but the power unleashed could cost him the one thing he truly loves.

Mahahula The Giant Rodent of Happiness - Director/Screenwriter: Nomint Motion Design.(Greece)
An animated short film about happiness.

The Severe Psychosis of a Musicless Man – Director: Ian McClerin, Screenwriter: Matt Gomez. (USA)
World Premiere.
A cartoonish journey into the mundane life of Preston: a middle-aged family man who begins hearing music in his head, fusing with his eccentric family, that plummets him into insanity.

Stihl – Directors/Screenwriters: James Benning, James Raymond (USA)
World Premiere
Experimental filmmaker James Benning and video artist James Raymond collaborate to create a world founded on modern day fears: darker images of chainsaws, teddy bears, porno and masked men that question whether we are the monsters we envision and perhaps want to be.

Stokje – Director/Screenwriter: Léonie de Boer. (Netherlands)
A tale of two boys at the playground, and their descent from child's play to immorality.

We'll Become Oil – Director/Screenwriter: Mihai Grecu. (Romania/Hungary)
World Premiere
The story of oil taking over history.

LIVE ACTION COMPETITION SHORTS:

33 Teeth – Director/Screenwriter: Evan Roberts. (USA)
A 14 year-old boy has a heightened fascination with the comb of his attractive neighbor, Chad.

The Agony and Sweat of the Human Spirit – Directors/Screenwriters: D. Jesse Damazo, JoeBookman (USA)
Two cowboys on a hunt. What are they hunting? Triumph.

Angelito - Director: Paula Lima, Screenwriter: Vitor Coral. (USA/Brazil)
Luisa the nanny tries to find peace taking care of a defiant young boy.

Another Bullet Dodged – Director: Landon Zakheim, Screenwriters: Landon Zakheim, Todd Luoto. (USA)
A wolf in sheep's clothing who thinks he is a sheep.

The Centrifuge Brain Project - Director/Screenwriter: Till Nowak. (Germany)
Portrait of a group of American scientists who in the 1970s conducted bizarre experiments involving amusement park rides.

Codes of Honor - Director/Screenwriter: Jon Rafman. (Canada)
A pro arcade gamer relives his triumphs, defeats and fading legacy.

Cold Blood - Director/Screenwriters: Martin Thibaudeau. (Canada)
An exhausted mother brings her terrified son to the hospital.

Crown – Director/Screenwriter: AG Rojas. (USA)
World Premiere
A middle-aged junkie experiences a surreal high.

DeafBlind - Director/Screenwriter: Ewan Bailey. (UK)
World Premiere
A deaf and blind woman and a young man share a spiritual and disturbing connection.

Eat - Director/Screenwriter: Janicza Bravo. (USA)
After locking herself out of her apartment, a young woman finds herself in the company of a reluctant neighbor.

Eileen Pratt - Director/Screenwriter: Michael Kratochvil. (Austrailia)
World Premiere
A socially awkward bus driver seeks to return to the only place she feels she belongs.

February - Director/Screenwriter: Nick Singer. (USA)
World Premiere
A young plumber has a series of abbreviated encounters.

The Good Person – Director: Yukihiro Katô. (Japan)
US Premiere
A housewife with a missing husband has a bizarre encounter with mysterious visitors.

Hope. You Like Crap. - Director/Screenwriter: Shaun Parker. (USA)
World Premiere
Me, looking back and painfully deconstructing my stupid, insipid student film 20 years later.

I Am John Wayne - Director/Screenwriter: Christina Choe. (USA)
World Premiere
A young black cowboy struggles with the death of his best friend.

I’m Coming Over - Director/Screenwriter: Sam Handel. (USA)
In an eccentric mountain town, a borderline neo-luddite struggles to maintain and share a fragile state of enlightenment.
Cast: Lauren Ambrose

The Kook – Directors/Screenwriters: Nat Livingston Johnson, Gregory Mitnick. (USA)
A gentle and unassuming member of an eccentric religious sect in the Catskill Mountains experiences a crisis in faith.

Lin - Director/Screenwriter: Piers Thompson. (UK/Bulgaria/Turkey)
A woman appears to be running away from her past.

Little Horses - Director/Screenwriter: Levi Abrino. (USA)
A divorced small town postal worker tries to use a pony to win his family back.

Memory by Design - Director/Screenwriter: Nathan Punwar. (USA)
The objects that three young women use to mark their past take on memories of their own.

New Skin - Director/Screenwriter: Vladimir de Fontenay. (USA)
Helen spends New Year's Eve working at a gas station, where she meets an intriguing young man just before midnight.

Park – Director/Screenwriter: Liz Cambron. (USA
)An unnamed girl living in a trailer park, drifting through life, beginning sexual explorations, and stealing her dad's Vicodin.

People Parade – Director: John Wilson, Screenwriters: John Wilson, Chris Maggio. (USA)
World Premiere
After the star of a long-running variety show passes away, his son is obligated to reunite a weathered cast of television performers and host the final episode.

Reinaldo Arenas - Director/Screenwriter: Lucas Leyva. (USA)
Told from the point of view of a dying shark, the film captures the last moments in the life of an unintentional immigrant in downtown Miami.

Rose and Sophia - Director/Screenwriter: Natalie Neal. (USA)
World Premiere
A childhood interest in spying is rekindled among two teenage girls stuck between adolescence and adulthood.

A Scene at the Sea - Director/Screenwriter: Jaehee Lee. (South Korea)
A father and son, roles now reversed as one becomes the caretaker of the other, execute a delicate dance at the edge of the sea.

A Short Film About Ice Fishing – Director/Screenwriter: Jason Shahinfar. (USA)
In rural South Dakota, two friends go out for an explosive day of ice fishing.

Silent River – Director/Screenwriter: Anca Miruna Lazarescu. (Germany)
US Premiere
Gregor and Vali want to get away from Romania and the Ceausescu regime in 1986.

Solipsist - Director/Screenwriter: Andrew Huang. (USA)
World Premiere
A three part psychedelic fantasy film about otherworldly beings whose minds and bodies converge into one entity.

Soy Tan Feliz – Director/Screenwriter: Vladimir Duran. (Argentina/Colombia)
US Premiere
Fragments of a Saturday winter day with the Vittenzein brothers, who find themselves in a strange intimacy on a stop during a drive to their mother's house.

TMI - Director: Jeff Tomsic, Screenwriters: Jordan Klepper, Laura Grey. (USA)
World Premiere
Obnoxiousness begins at conception.

When Rabbits Fly – Director: Helgi Jóhannsson, Screenwriters: Helgi Jóhannsson, HalldorRagnar Halldorsson. (Iceland)
North American Premiere
A family of three living with a rabbit in a cardboard box seeks six strangers to get their old lifeback.

ANIMATED COMPETITION SHORTS:

Birdboy – Directors/Screenwriters: Alberto Vázquez, Pedro Rivero. (Spain)
A terrible industrial accident changes little Dinky's life forever.

Follow the Sun! - Director/Screenwriter: MK12. (USA)
An homage and/or affront to a Great American Tradition: the drive-in intermission snack reel.

Hietsuki Bushi - Director/Screenwriter: Ryo Hirano. (Japan)
A seamless mixture of traditional Japanese song, blip music, universe, and agriculture.

Hollow - Director/Screenwriter: Oliver Anderson. (USA)
Two young brothers stumble across a disturbing secret in the fleeting light ofa Midwestern summer.

The House - Director/Screenwriter: David Buob. (Germany)
A family story in a revolving house.

The Observer - Director/Screenwriter: Abbey Luck. (USA)
World Premiere
A disenchanted citizen learns how to free his village from a tyrant king by observing patterns in nature.

Peekaboo - Director/Screenwriter: Cecilia Fletcher. (USA)
A woman must decide between reporting a crime and going on vacation.

Soil - Director/Screenwriter: Meejin Hong. (USA)
As imagery transforms between figures and abstraction, the life cycle of an organism and dualities within human nature are explored.

Thumb Snatchers from the Moon Cocoon - Director/Screenwriter: Bradley Schaffer. (USA)
A short tempered Texas sheriff uses his cowboy logic to recklessly defeat a race of condescending, cocoon dwelling critters.

Venus – Director: Tor Fruergaard, Screenwriter: Sissel D. Thomsen. (Denmark)
An erotic comedy in claymation.

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION SHORTS:

Ben Franklin Blowing Bubbles at a Sword: The Journeys of a Mental Athlete – Director:Jonathan Napolitano. (USA)
World Premiere
Three mental athletes stretch the limits of their minds as they train for and compete in the 2011 USA Memory Championship.

The Devotion Project: More Than Ever - Director: Antony Osso. (USA)
The inspiring true story of two men who forged a 54-year love story despite the odds.

I’m Never Afraid! - Director: Willem Baptist. (The Netherlands)
Eight-year-old Mack ‘the motor midget’ should be dead but nothing is stopping him.

Kiss the Paper – Director: Fiona Otway. (USA)
A poetic documentary contemplating the revival of the nearly obsolete, centuries-old craft of letterpress printing.

Kudzu Vine - Director: Josh Gibson. (USA)
This ode to the climbing, trailing, and coiling species Pueraria lobata evokes the agricultural history and mythic textures of the American South.

The Lookout - Director: Brian Bolster. (USA)
World Premiere
Watching over some of the most fire-prone landscape in North America, a Fire Lookout reflects upon his work.

Murder Mouth - Director: Madeleine Parry. (Australia)
Could you kill what you had for dinner? Maddie, a 21 year-old meat eater, decides to take the question into her own hands.

No Relation - Director: Kieran Dick. (Canada)What is real and how do you capture it?

No Wine Left Behind - Director: Kevin Gordon. (USA)
An Iraq War hero leads a ragtag group of veterans as they try to conquer the wine industry.

On Tender Hooks - Director: Kate Shenton. (UK)
Freak show magician Damien Lloyd-Davies pierces his flesh with meat hooks and performs a "suicide suspension.”

The Professional- Director: Skylar Nielsen. (USA)
Metal-fabricator Neil Youngberg never planned on taking over his grandfather's business and is now faced with passing on his legacy.

We Win or We Die - Director: Matthew Millan. (Libya, USA)
World Premiere
The inspiring story of one man’s heroic sacrifice that liberated a city from the yoke of oppression.

You Can't Win - Director: Jorge Torres-Torres (Puerto Rico/USA)
World Premiere
A typical night at the cockfights in the island of Puerto Rico.