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

What is the Hollywood & Indiewood time frame for the initial most significant period of distribution of a film & making money back from the project? I'd say usually 12 - 24 months. Within that time a film will have its theatrical wide release (if Hollywood) or have its premiere at one of the famous film festivals (if Indiewood, and now some Hollywood films too) and, if Indiewood, may go on to some level of theatrical distribution (most Hollywood theatrical goes far wider), or will go to DVD and other markets (both Hollywood & Indiewood stuff). All that happens within a 12 -24 month period, as far as I can tell, for most Hollywood & Indiewood projects with a theatrical & DVD distribution component. And through all that the Hollywood or Indiewood companies that own the films may make a lot of money, and may make the film and its director and perhaps some if its actors famous. And all that work would have been accomplished by spending a lot of money (hundreds

Go here to buy tix for tomorrow's screening. Pioneer's website with info. on the other 6 upcoming screenings of the film (scroll down 'till you see COCAINE ANGEL). Here's the Cocaine Angel website . About the movie: "The flip side of the sunshine state. COCAINE ANGEL is caked with legitimate, unforgettable grime, one that makes similar Hollywood efforts seem as fake as an orange juice commercial." - FILMMAKER MAGAZINE "Another American low-budget highlight, first-time director Michael Tully's convincingly grimy Cocaine Angel goes a long way toward rescuing the addiction drama from junkie stereotypes and self-help cliches, thanks in no small part to star/screenwriter Damian Lahey, whose shambling presence is well matched by his gift for free-ranging monologues.” - THE VILLAGE VOICE "Most impressive about the film is its conclusion, which hits just the right note of optimism; Scott may be doomed, but the world he's living in turns out to have

lotsa interesting things in this clip . including tarantino, cohen & a little story about getting the camera confiscated by the government. check it out . - sujewa

actually right here . a youtube video to warm up yer winter heart. over 27,000 views. go! - sujewa

Received an interesting screening announcement from filmmaker Rob Nilsson today. Here it is: " CITIZEN CINEMA SCREENINGS I am inaugurating a series of screenings at the Edwin Johnson Screening Room here at 1418 5th. St., Berkeley, home offices of Citizen Cinema, our new film institute/production company. The newly completed screening room, designed and built by Charlie Wilson of Sonic Zen Records, also located in the building, is named in honor of Edwin Johnson who was a major force in all of the Tenderloin yGroup films from CHALK to the 9 @ Night series. We will begin with a 12 week series on the subject of love. Capitalized or not, in or out of italics, it is everyone’s sacred cow. Without love there would be no human race. Without an interest in sex the human race would be over in 40 years. Without eroticism, Art would end up desiccated and dead. Without friendship and comraderie we might live in isolation chambers viewing porn, which could happen anyway, because pornography ha

I don't mean Sofia, I mean the other famous filmmaker in the Coppola family: Francis Ford. Sure I loved his big Hollywood movies like The Godfather before I discovered indie films, but Hollywood's broad spell has not been so powerful after that. So FF Coppola was not a director I thought about much in the last 14 years or so. But his new self financed (from his day job?/side job? in the wine biz - in classic real indie style/making yer movies with money from yer day job :) Youth Without Youth sounds very interesting. As is the general real indie direction that he is heading with his career. Read all about it here . Maybe he'll self-distribute YWY - David Lynch style or possibly even new Star Wars or Passion of the Christ style - for total indie freedom. Either way, looking forward to the flick. I've read & liked some books by YWY author Mircea Eliade . YWY is a great title & a great name for a band. I bet there already is, or if not, soon will be, some

Very interesting article in the New Yorker about various reactions, including a couple of different military reactions, to the use of torture by the "good guys" in Fox's show "24". Read it here . Thanks GreenCine Daily and CineFile Video for the link. And of course, it goes without saying, when in doubt, regardless of what a TV show may or may not imply, don't torture ! Torture is: generally illegal, unconstitutional, a war crime, useless & counter productive under all circumstances. Many experts will tell you the same, more in the article . Even if some "bright" legal scholars & attorneys play with the exact meaning of the word torture in order to allow you to carry it out or if certain circumstances will allow you to get away with it temporarily, torture is wrong. If you do it you will most likely have to pay for it one day; victims, their families, and most countries have long memories when it comes to these things . - Sujewa

Digital video filmmaking pioneer Todd Verow has a new short premiering at Berlinale and he has shot a new feature called Between Something and Nothing . Very productive that Mr. Verow. Find out more about all his projects at Bangor Films .

of course by the time it is done, it should not bear much resemblance to the very early models that i keep in mind while i am writing the script, even before the film is shot; but my next feature will be kind of like Woody Allen's Manhattan. of course the city will be DC, not NYC. it'll be in color & in digital video, not black & white & in 35mm film. the lead character will be nothing like a Woody Allen lead character. it will be a comedy/romantic-comedy/comedy-drama like Manhattan. if i am very lucky i will end up with some great music as Allen did with Manhattan, i doubt mine will be classical though. maybe only i will be able to see the similarities between my next movie & Manhattan, but, as long as it turns out halfway decent, the whole thing will be a fine & worthy undertaking. it helps me to have some models for the film as i am making it. my '06 movie Date Number One is, in some ultimately minor ways, similar to certain Jim Jarmusch movies (spec

My newest indie filmmaking related past time is trying to help fellow low/"no" budget filmmakers make their second or third or whaterver, post-first & good, "no" budget feature. And by "no" budget I mean under $10K ($3K to $5K budget would be best, it is doable, Swanberg & Dance Party, USA & Kelley Baker & others have done it in the past). Often it isn't the exact amount of money that makes a big difference in an ultra-low budget project, it is the fact that someone other than the filmmaker believes enough in the filmmaker or the project to give any money to the project. I have been supported at very crucial times by small investments in my most recent project Date Number One . So I would like to return the favor, help another filmmaker or two this year. I offered $500 (to be handed over in May, after taxes & current Date Number One debt & other related expenses of mine are well under control) towards the next feature of a fil