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

I haven't seen a movie in a theater in a couple of months or so, but this weekend - starting in just a few hours, I'll get to make up for that; at Maryland Film Festival (on tap for tonight: maybe Nights and Weekends, definitely Medicine for Melancholy, also Baghead, and whatever else I can squeeze in). And more MFF movies Sat & Sun. At some point this weekend I'd like to check out Iron Man also. MFF photos & notes coming this weekend. Looks like it's gonna be a good weekend - a weekend full of new movies. - Sujewa

Sure, some bloggers are dropping out of this thing of ours , but is it possible to stay away? We'll have to see. I think they'll be back. - Sujewa

Check it out here. From the Thu 5/1 edition of the Post, from article In Baltimore, Big Movies, Small Scale: "Also on tap over the weekend are several documentaries: "I.O.U.S.A.," about the national debt crisis, from Patrick Creadon ("Wordplay"); "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson " by recent Oscar winner Alex Gibney ("Taxi to the Dark Side"); "At the Death House Door," by Peter Gilbert and Steve James ("Hoop Dreams"); and Nanette Burstein's "American Teen." Fiction films include "Baghead," a new comedy from Jay and Mark Duplass ("The Puffy Chair"); Ramin Bahrani's "Chop Shop"; and the festival's closing-night film, Melvin Van Peebles's "Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha."" Read the rest here . - Sujewa

I am all for JonathanRosenbaum.com , 'cause now when I have to write a review of some movie, and I can't quite put to words certain impressions regarding that movie, I can ask myself "self, what would Jonathan Rosenbaum do at a moment like this?" and then proceed to answer my own question by visiting Rosenbaum's site - featuring many reviews by him; with, no doubt, plenty of examples on translating feelings regarding images and sounds into precisely useful review words. :: Check out Rosenbaum's review of a $5,000 Greg Araki movie called The Long Weekend (o'Despair) ; a flick so DIY even I haven't seen it (yet). Thanks GreenCine Daily for the Rosenbaum site link. - Sujewa

* Merrily, Merrily From MFF site : "MERRILY, MERRILY (James M. Johnston, USA, 17 min., digibeta) Merrilee is a 13-year-old only child. Introspective and out of place, her social nexus is nominal, her mother is overbearing and weak, and her father is distant and stressed. Nonetheless, her relationship with her parents is the strongest in her life -- until the her own existence suddenly comes into question." Screening in Narrative Shorts 1 program May 2, 4:00 PM Charles Theater 4 Buy Tickets * May 4, 11:00 AM Charles Theater 3 >> Buy Tickets * Quick Feet, Soft Hands From MFF site : "QUICK FEET, SOFT HANDS (Paul Harrill, USA, 25 min., BetaSP) A minor-league baseball player and his fiancée struggle to pursue the American dream. Starring Greta Gerwig (Hannah Takes the Stairs, Nights and Weekends, Yeast) and Jason Von Stein." Screening in Narrative Shorts 2 program May 2, 1:30 PM Charles Theater 4 Buy Tickets * May 4, 11:00 AM Charles Theater 4 >> Buy Tickets

Check it out here . - Sujewa

To read Baltimore Sun's articles about & see video clips from the Maryland Film Festival, go here . - Sujewa

Well, looks like I was using a slightly different poster, a joke poster, for Yeast thus far, but the one above (minus color photo of a dude on the side) is the real one, so says Mary Bronstein, director of Yeast. Will replace other ones with this real poster - at my earlier posts, later today. - Sujewa

Most mainstream (or non-ethnic focused) indie film festivals of the past few years did not program (as far as I can recall) many (maybe one or two here and there) fiction features by African-American or other minority directors (again, there could have been exceptions, but I do not recall hearing about it through the indie film news channels that I check out regularly). This could have happened due to lack of compatible product (I think the target market for most mainstream indie festivals is a "white" alternative or alternative-interested crowd), lack of submissions (maybe a lot of African-American directors submitted mostly to Black film festivals), or habit (seems like most indie films are made by "white" directors, so perhaps programmers did not see the lack of ethnic diversity in the filmmaker ranks as being odd). Anyway, whatever the reasons for the past were, I like the shape of the future, as indicated perhaps by Maryland Film Festival 's (starting today

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