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

Gene Ertel, a local pro DP, got me to sign up to help out with the shooting of an indie feature this summer - project happens over 10 weekends or so, starting 5/10 - I'll be needed as the DP for 2 or 3 weekends (w/ maybe another weekend assisting the regular DP/Gene), a very ultra-indie D.I.Y. type shoot - a crew of about 3 or 4 for most days. Gene liked some of the videography I did for Date Number One , so this new gig - paid (always nice, even if it is ultra-low-budget indie pay), & a chance to make a local feature happen, but most importantly a chance to brush up on my videography skills before I shoot Actress this summer (we'll be using a new Canon HD camera, more info. on that soon). The film is an anti-war drama, has to do with the Vietnam war. More info. on the project soon. - Sujewa

From an indieWIRE interview of Yeast director Mary Bronstein: " Please elaborate a bit on your approach to making the film . I am actually very excited with how this project ended up getting made. After I decided to make the thing, I didn't really know what to do. I approached Greta Gerwig about making a project together with the same themes, but sort of a different story. She had the awesome idea to set this part of the film on a camping trip. Then I thought I'd bring in more from my original outline and asked my long-time friend Amy Judd to be involved. I made another outline that combined the two stories and sent it to both Greta and Amy. They made additions, changes and fleshed out their characters and sent it back to me. We did this until I had something to finalize into a script. However, we used the script as a blueprint for doing the creative work of the movie within, rather than a master document of how the film would be. I would meet with the actors before a sc

While preparing a book I took a look at all the indie film director interviews I've done over the course of about 2 years, and I think there was only 1 female director (Jennifer Fox) in the entire bunch - out of about 20 or so interviews. Either there aren't many indie films being directed by women or they are not being publicized & distributed through media & retail avenues that cross my path or female indie directors are not seeking/not interested in or are not accessible to indie film blog press (or just my blog) or something stranger is going on. But on the bright side, Mary Bronstein's new feature Yeast is going to play at the Maryland Film Festival this weekend, go here for dates & times & tix , and here's the trailer: Yeast [trailer] Looks interesting. Go here for more on Yeast . - Sujewa

First, the trailer: For my review of Plain Us, a new short film about a touring musician who visits his home town, go here . And now, the interview with Amir Motlagh, the director of Plain Us: Sujewa : So let's start with some basic stuff; what lead you to pick the subject of a touring musician dealing with a domestic issue (visiting his young daughter, attempting to reconcile with his estranged former lover/the daughter's mother)? Amir : Well, I feel that given my own circumstance as a person who plays in a band, blending this alter-reality is very interesting. I felt that I could give this world some personal realism but in a narrative, fictional type of way in which I play out issues that I wanted to write about. I have my own band, but obviously the circumstances in this film are made up. The character is make believe. I don't have the same issues and conflicts as this character, well, not entirely, but to the degree presented is a fabrication. It's post modern in a

* * * * :: Notes from Maryland Film Festival 2008 5.4.08 Sun (fest day 4) * That Mary Bronstein's gonna do great things (already has with Yeast) :: Day at MFF was excellent * Live at the Maryland Film Festival with Anne Haddad :: Fest videos! * 5.3.08 Sat (fest day 3) * Maryland Film Festival poster design controversy * Confessionsofa screens at Maryland Film Festival on Sun 5/4 * 5.2.08 Fri (fest day 2) * Weekend of movies is here: Iron Man everywhere plus Medicine for Melancholy, Baghead & other movies at MFF * Washington Post article re: Maryland Film Festival * 5.1.08 Thu (fest day 1) * Merily, Hands, Anticipations: Links for 3 Maryland Film Festival short films * Baltimore City Paper's guide to the Maryland Film Festival * Sun coverage of Maryland Film Festival * The real YEAST poster * This might be rare (& good); three fiction features by African-American directors at a "regular" film festival (Maryland) 4.30.08 Yeast links: iW interview, Tully's re

For the brand spankin' new indie film screening series Lo-Def in Silver Spring, MD, we chose St. Louis's Aaron Coffman's debut feature Texas Snow as the movie to screen in August. Texas Snow @ Lo-Def screening date is Thu August 21 . We have not yet chosen the Lo-Def movies for June or July. Those selections coming soon. The Lo-Def movie for May is Date Number One , screening on May 22 . More info. re: Texas Snow coming to the Lo-Def site & this blog next week. In the meantime, the show is up on the Lo-Def Calendar . Check out my review of Texas Snow here . More on Texas Snow at its site . - Sujewa

Funny. But maybe not for like hard core believers. Here it is: Modern Day Jesus - The Date on FunnyOrDie.com - Sujewa

Maybe Gerwig ( MySpace page , Paper mag profile ) is the Hardest Working Lady in Real Indie Film at the moment; she has a lead role in 4 movies (including one that she co-directed) at this weekend's Maryland Film Festival : Baghead "Impressed by the small successes of a local, low-budget filmmaker, four struggling actors decide to head for a cabin in the woods and write their masterpiece -- with juicy roles for themselves, of course. Standing in their way? Shortages of just a few things: talent, motivation, energy, and inspiration. Oh, and a surplus of two -- hormones and alcohol -- as multiple romantic entanglements and a fridge full of beer take the friends further and further away from a completed screenplay." Yeast "Yeast begins by throwing us into an awkward situation -- a young woman, Rachel (Mary Bronstein) rousing her disheveled roommate Alice (Amy Judd) for a camping trip they've planned with Gen (Greta Gerwig, star of MFF 2007's Hannah Takes the Sta

For people who spend a lot of time thinking about indie film & indie film fests, this post at Film Festival Secrets should be entertaining (and also the post that inspired it, at LA Diary - which is a feature at Guardian's Film blog ). My current thoughts re: the issue (" Are film festivals really worth entering?" - LA Diary ): Fests are OK, some are great, but if you don't like what the fest world offers or don't like having to submit your film & pay $s, you can set up DIY screenings of your movie somewhere (& then spend a lot of time & some $s publicizing the event so that ppl know about it, generating press, etc., on the bright side you get to keep any box office $s) or you can set up a monthly screening series (such as Lo-Def in Silver Spring, MD) for your & others movies (requiring the same type of work as doing a single DIY screening, but more in terms of quantity of work). Ultimately, it is good to have fests around as one possible cho

Several DC musicians talk about their memories of & ideas re: the National Mall in Washington, DC: - Sujewa

Since iW's Eugene H. & most likely few other important-to-this-event bloggers will be away for Cannes ( official site ) the week ending on 5/31 (possible meeting date time frame suggested in my previous post re: this event ), we are working on figuring out a better day to hold the meet up. The event will happen in June, July, or August. Stay tuned for the decision on the date. If you have any suggestions for a meet up date & a venue in NYC, let me know . Thanks. - Sujewa