ARTHOUSE FILM NEWS - Cosmic Disco Detective Rene at Facets, Chicago 11/29/23

This blog was started in 2006.  Back in those days the idea of making, marketing, distributing an independent feature film on an ultra low budget, outside of Hollywood/Indiewood was still a major challenge.  Those days are now over.  Now, with the proper planning and preparation, it is possible for an indie filmmaker to make & release at least one feature film a year. The developments in crowdfunding over the last several years ( Indiegogo , Kickstarter , Seed & Spark , etc), the coming into being of several ultra low budget films that have gained national & international attention (see Quiet City ,  Lord Byron , All the Light in the Sky , 25 ultra low budget films by Rick Schmidt on Fandor , & many other examples out there) and the emergence of great self-distribution options such as Vimeo VOD makes previously difficult goals of the DIY Filmmaking Revolution (a whole lot of us attempting to master filmmaking & distribution around 2006) now achievable.  Plus the e

By Sujewa Ekanayake According to my math (see details below), based on the figures available on the linked documents - wikipedia page - dem presidential primaries 2016 , ny times page - primary results - if Sanders wins the rest of the states at 55% (& Clinton gets 45% of the vote) - on average - Sanders will end up with 2053.75 pledged delegates to Clinton's 1997.25 pledged delegates. Then at the convention there's 709 super delegates that each candidate can go after to try to get the 2383 total that they need to win the nomination. So Sanders has to go to the convention with the greater number of pledged delegates to justify the super delegates coming to his side for him to get the nomination. This is no doubt only 1 of many possible paths to the nomination at this point. Regardless of the path, all of them will require a lot of work by Team Sanders & supporters. But, as we saw with Michigan last night, amazing things are possible :). The math -  1 - to

About the new indie theater in NYC.  Read at i ndieWire . - S

Check out the article at Ebony . - S

Film is playing now at IFC Center .

* Streamed live on Jan 17, 2016 Watch this live stream of Sen. Bernie Sanders, State Sen. Nina Turner, Dr. Cornel West, and Killer Mike as they discuss Martin Luther King Jr., his legacy, and the relevance of his work today. 

Finally saw All the Light in the Sky.  Pretty good movie.  Slow, but good.  Here's the trailer.  The movie's on Netflix now.

1 - Hollywood or the mainstream American film industry has always been racist because, well, it's the film industry of a historically racist country.  And, unlike many other industries in the US, for some reason, Hollywood has not yet been legally forced to integrate.  As such, non-white talent being shut out of Oscars is to be expected. 2 - Instead of there being 1 Hollywood in a massive, rich, diverse country like the US, there should be multiple Hollywoods.  Sure, the old Hollywood is racist, but nothing is stopping people from organizing a new Hollywood or Hollywoods where diverse talent is used in front of & behind the camera.  All it takes is money, the desire to make & distribute movies, & the desire to create movies that reflect the country's diversity.  Make it happen interested people. 3 - Without diversity, & without true competition, the quality of work & the state of the art form suffers.  Why is most Hollywood entertainment bad?  Perhaps i

good short video about the spike lee movie (follow link below to watch on vimeo): BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY: MAKING MALCOLM X from Gary Leva on Vimeo .