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

It's a golden age for DIY filmmaking & distribution.  I define DIY filmmaking & distribution as one central artist - the director/producer/writer or the main filmmaker, or a group of artists - making films and making them available to interested audiences - specially feature length films - with or without help from Hollywood, large companies, the traditional film industry (relevant specially when done outside of the industry - or not letting lack of film industry help stop one's desire for making movies.)  It's as tough as ever to make a lot of money from independent filmmaking work, but, it is possible now to make and distribute your work relatively easily - compared to the first decade of the 2000s, the 1990s, the 1980s etc. Now a filmmaker can shoot a film on his or her phone or other easily available high quality image making devices such as DSLRs, camcorders, and then release the movie on Vimeo or YouTube or eventually Amazon, iTunes, perhaps even Netflix, st

* This campaign is raising money to finish and release the feature films THREE WORLDS and MAN. Those two films complete a project called THREE MARKS, TOO MANY SIGNALS. Filmmaker Amir Motlagh has created over 15 films to date. Motlagh's films are often fiction and documentary hybrids that examine modern life as lived by characters who are searching for meaning. Individual identity, family, assimilation, the past, creative struggles are some of the themes that Motlagh tackles in his work. THREE WORLDS is a unique, introspective drama that delves into a character's multiple perspectives in different points of space and time.   Time, history and his personal choices change the course of his existence.  THREE WORLDS is a drama using elements from science fiction to reveal a character trying to find his way out of a maze. MAN is a semi-scripted, slice of life story told in a fresh, experience centric style that explores a man’s relationship with friends and family

Amir Motlagh, from his film CANYON Filmmaker, actor, musician Amir Motlagh has directed over 15 films to date. Motlagh's films are often fiction and documentary hybrids that examine modern life as lived by creative characters - often Iranian-American artists, played by Motlagh. Individual identity, family, assimilation, the past, creative struggles are some of the themes that Motlagh tackles in his work. We spoke with him as he prepares to finish and release two new features - THREE WORLDS and MAN. The two new features and a visual album called CANYON (featuring music by Amir's band MIRS) make up a project called THREE MARKS, TOO MANY SIGNALS. knock. knock. (2007) from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . Plain Us (2008) from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . Khoobi (are you ok) - 2011 from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . Still Lover (2003) from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . DIY Filmmaker blog's Sujewa - Hello Amir.  Thanks for talking to DIY Filmmaker blog about your

* 1 CANYON from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . * 2 Still Lover (2003) from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . * 3 35 Year Old Man from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . * 4 Khoobi (are you ok) - 2011 from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . * 5 Love @ 11:47 (2001) from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . * 6 Pumkin Little (2004) from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . * 7 Whale - feature film (2010) from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . * 8 my break ups into a million pieces (2005) from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . * 9 knock. knock. (2007) from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . * 10 Plain Us (2008) from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . * 11 Dino Adino (2001) from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . ::

Khoobi (are you ok) - 2011 from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo .

This is a test video I shot on the iPhone 7+.  HD, hand held, no other/new processing programs on phone - phone is straight out of the box, lens is the one straight out of the box - no new lenses added. I added Film Grain effect in Final Cut Pro X in post. Otherwise exposure was adjusted in post, and color saturation was adjusted.  Footage looks pretty good - pretty great HD video for a cell phone camera I think.  Looking forward to trying 4K footage on the iPhone 7+, w/ various programs, lenses, other accessories that can improve the image. * Iphone7+ video, HD, w/ film grain from Sujewa Ekanayake on Vimeo .

Go join the films & Space Rabbit convo here (Matt started answering some questions on Wed night, but he will be there live Thu 3/16 starting 12 Noon!) -  https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/5zm89e/i_am_matt_zoller_seitz_film_tv_critic_author/ And check out Matt's new project Space Rabbit show info here; support & share! -

* SPACE RABBIT TEST SCENE from SpaceRabbit on Vimeo . * More about Space Rabbit here -  https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-matt-zoller-seitz-make-space-rabbit-fantasy#/

SPACE RABBIT: INDIEGOGO Campaign Pitch Video + Test Scene from SpaceRabbit on Vimeo .  * Space Rabbit at IndieGoGo -  indiegogo.com/projects/help-matt-zoller-seitz-make-space-rabbit-fantasy#/ In the test scene in this video, Kenolta Lyef, a street-talking, pot-bellied, alcoholic knight on the animal-populated planet of Planimus, has been arrested for the assassination of President Kaprakoza, a goat. He is accused of rigging a giant globe, the planet’s Globe of Peace, and rolling it over the president, flattening him. However, his monogrammed flask is discovered at the scene of the crime. The ruthless police pig force detains Kenolta and attempts to get a confession out of him, by any means necessary. This scene is from Space Rabbit - a puppet sci-fi TV show directed by filmmaker and film critic Matt Zoller Seitz. In Space Rabbit a group of puppet animals attempt to free their planet from a dictator. In production now. Release in 2018. Test Scene credits: Executive Producer

SPACE RABBIT TEST SCENE from SpaceRabbit on Vimeo . * Space Rabbit project at IndieGoGo -  indiegogo.com/projects/help-matt-zoller-seitz-make-space-rabbit-fantasy#/ In this Test Scene, Kenolta Lyef, a street-talking, pot-bellied, alcoholic knight on the animal-populated planet of Planimus, has been arrested for the assassination of President Kaprakoza, a goat. He is accused of rigging a giant globe, the planet’s Globe of Peace, and rolling it over the president, flattening him. However, his monogrammed flask is discovered at the scene of the crime. The ruthless police pig force detains Kenolta and attempts to get a confession out of him, by any means necessary. This scene is from Space Rabbit - a puppet sci-fi TV show directed by filmmaker and film critic Matt Zoller Seitz. In Space Rabbit a group of puppet animals attempt to free their planet from a dictator. In production now. Release in 2018. Test Scene credits: Executive Producer - Matt Zoller Seitz, Producer - Sujewa

Here are couple of photos from the 1/11/17 test shoot for Space Rabbit.  In photo 2 Matt Zoller Seitz is directing the shoot.  For a lot more photos from that shoot check out Space Rabbit Twitter , also Space Rabbit Facebook . - S

Film is opening soon.

Check out the article at MovieMaker -  http://www.moviemaker.com/archives/mm_guide_2014/beginners-guide-budget/

Space Rabbit storyboard panel * Sujewa Ekanayake working on budget for Space Rabbit with Stephen, one of director  Matt Zoller Seitz's puppet friends * Sujewa, Stephen the puppet, and Matt discussing the budget for Space Rabbit * Matt receiving advice from Stephen on how to budget  for the needs of the puppet cast members *** Over 10 years ago a then little known film critic and filmmaker named Matt Zoller Seitz sent me his first feature "Home" to review on one of my blogs .  It was a pretty good first feature, and I kept in touch with Matt a bit over the years - easy to do thanks to Facebook and other social media.  About a year ago I ran into Matt on the subway in Brooklyn.  This was only the second time in real life that we hung out or met up - the first being back in 2007 during a film blogger meet up in NYC.  Anyway, at the subway meeting we briefly and quickly got caught up on news on our various creative projects and made vague p