Skip to main content

Amateur Cinema Movement manifesto at Genius Bastard Film Arts

From Brandon Wilson's site Genius Bastard Film Arts:

"Manifesto of the American Amateur Cinema Movement

When the word "independent" can be applied to both non-studio features that have budgets in the seven figures and a cast full of major movie stars as well as digital features done for four figures with all unknowns, the term "indie" begins to lose all meaning. Looking at the fare at most "independent" festivals has become a dispiriting experience. "Indie" movies have foolishly lost touch with the best tradition of world arts cinema, they have instead chosen to become the stepchild of the Hollywood Studios.

So it is time for some of us to reject the term "independent" altogether. Let that term be affixed to non-studio features with "A-list" studio talent attached detailing the quirky-yet-life-affirming-coming-of-age of yet another sensitive young white male with the ethnic sidekick.

Let us take up the word "amateur." Not in the sense of unprofessional, but in the sense of the root of the word- one who does something out of love rather than vocation."

Read the rest at Genius Bastard Film Arts, under Manifesto tab.

- Sujewa

Full Movie - SNEAK PREVIEW - Cosmic Disco Detective Rene And The Mystery Of Immortal Time Travelers

NEW - COSMIC DISCO DETECTIVE RENE (2023) - TRAILER!

Popular Posts

Written notes/review plus live video review of By the Stream (2025) by Hong Sang-soo

By the stream review - from Lincoln Center, NYC viewing - no spoilers The hype is real - By the Stream is very good by Hong movies standards and also normal comedy-drama standards. There were like 30-40 people at Lincoln Center for the 1PM Fri 8/8/25 (opening day) screening of By the Stream.  People in that neighborhood are serious about their foreign films. Cinematography is very simple, from a canon XA small sensor HD cam, I could see familiar details, how those cams film the moon, scenes at night - it’s like a 1980s or 1990s early indie cinematography style that we do not see much these days - works well for Hong’s movies. No color grading, very simple video/cinematography. A more fleshed out movie than some recent Hong movies. In the movie a skit is prepped, and we actually get to see it performed. A couple of serious issues are discussed.  Some unexpected, light things happen. It’s a comedy-drama chill hangout movie w/ creative South Korean people - good times. Probably o...
Read more

Review - doing difficult things well - making a period movie about the early 1980s with teenagers - Blake Calhoun's CASEY MAKES A MIXTAPE

By Sujewa Ekanayake * Blake Calhoun is an experienced indie filmmaker - but, it's very difficult to do period movies well - movies set in another era - on a low indie film budget, and it can be difficult to have several teenagers in your cast as the main characters - to get great performances. Calhoun has managed to do both things well in his new movie CASEY MAKES A MIXTAPE. The early 1980s Texas in Calhoun's movie looks - and more importantly feels - believable.  Great cinematography and color grading work.  And his teen actors do a great job bringing their characters to life.   I think the movie is being promoted as a mainstream accessible, realistic, light comedy-drama.  And perhaps it is also being marketed to a teenage audience. But, as an old person in NYC, I found the movie to be almost an observational movie - documenting a summer in the life of the main character (played in a low key, somewhat dramatic, and overall an entertaining way by the excellent Presle...
Read more

Canon G60 daytime and nighttime test videos - excellent camcorder for indie filmmakers

 
Read more

Reading Material

Show All