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

10 years ago (1999) I did not know of - did not hear about in the media - about a single art film director who is 2nd generation Iranian-American or Iranian-European. Now I know of 4 - three well known in the art/indie/foreign film world & one who just made a very promising first feature. Here are the names & some links: Caveh Zahedi ( I Am A Sex Addict ) Ramin Bahrani (Man Push Cart, Chop Shop, Goodbye Solo) Marjane Satrapi ( Persepolis ) &, just entering the feature filmmaking arena: Amir Motlagh ( Whale ) So is this a new & significant development? I'd like to hear from people who know a lot about creativity in the Iranian diaspora & about art/indie/foreign films in Comments. - Sujewa :: ADVERTISEMENT :: Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 bl

I plan on watching The Limits of Control on Sunday, so, I am wondering if I'll encounter a sublime, mind-altering Jarmusch film like Mystery Train or something far more difficult to get into & enjoy like Coffee & Cigarettes or Year of the Horse. This interview with Jarmusch by Salon's Andrew O'Hehir makes the movie sound very interesting. From the intro to the interview: "But the suave hero, the sharp clothes, the noirish atmosphere and the spectacular settings are only one layer of the onion. Jarmusch's title is meant to be metaphysically suggestive, referring not just to the limits of political control (that's a clue, but not a spoiler) but also to the fact that the movie itself is a fiction, and to the possibility that the world is not what we perceive it to be. There are hints that De Bankolé is able to control the landscape around him, at least at times, almost like the author of a story or like Keanu Reeves in "The Matrix."" A

whale_feature film trailer_director Amir Motlagh from Amir Motlagh on Vimeo . Amir Motlagh is a Los Angeles area based independent filmmaker & actor. After winning accolades from film festivals and web audiences for several short fiction & documentary pieces, Motlagh recently completed Whale - his first feature length film, a beautifully shot & edited work of fiction about an aspiring writer who returns to his parent's house to figure out the next phase of his life. I spoke with him recently about Whale, certain trends & other happenings in the indie film world - including the existence of several well regarded independent filmmakers with Iranian roots: Sujewa : What was the starting point for Whale? What experiences, other movies, career needs, other things led you to create Whale? Amir : Maybe I started Whale abstractly in 2001. It was the first film I had ever envisioned making, but I didn't have the know-how, resources and understanding of the film

So, took a couple of days, figured out how I want to use this blog now (as little as possible, only for projects that I am directly involved in, more here ). And, after speaking with a few people & getting some requests, the Feed is back on, so the blog posts will show up at various places once again, whenever they do happen. :: ADVERTISEMENT :: Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Grants page http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-grants-page.htm

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From now on I'll only be blogging about my own projects or about, sometimes, certain projects of collaborators (people who work with me on my projects, or projects of others than I work on). I think these new limits will help me cut down significantly on blogging - making more time available for making & distributing my movies. - Sujewa :: ADVERTISEMENT :: Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Grants page http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-busine

Check out MovieMaker article about new doc Blank City - about DIY filmmaking activity in NYC in the late 70's & early 80's. From the article : "Later I spoke to Tess Hughes-Freeland, assistant editor for Fingered, Richard Kern’s 1986 violent porn-as-antiporn film starring Lydia Lunch, who remarked that today’s explosion of instant DIY moviemaking—via digital outlets such as YouTube—mirrors the spirit of the Super8 moviemakers. She also praised Danhier for the comprehensiveness of her approach to chronicling that dynamic time." Check out the article at MovieMaker . And here's the website for Blank City . - Sujewa :: ADVERTISEMENT :: Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaw

Over the last few years - starting in '04 - I've done quite a bit with blogs: posted over 2,000 entries, made new friends, made a doc about blogging (screened it in NYC & made it a part of the recent Atlanta Film Festival) & learned a little about engineering & managing indie film publicity. Now I plan on applying a similar productive approach to making & distributing indie movies - less blogging, more film work in its place. So, in that spirit, coming very soon (working on these items now, should be up on the web w/in the next 7 days): - All of Indie Film Blogger Road Trip to Vimeo, Blip.TV, & YouTube in episodes. - All of Date Number One on Vimeo in several parts. - Both movies available in their entirety with the help of a new e-commerce solution for indie filmmakers that's in its beta phase - for those who want to contribute some $s towards the projects & or do not want to see the movies as separate episodes. - The same "new/expe

I want to start using this blog a little differently, so, the feed going out from here will be cut off soon, meaning, if you read this blog primarily at indieWIRE's blogs page or at another place that uses the feed, you may want to bookmark the blog if you want to read stuff here in the future - once the Feed is off the posts will not be showing up at iW page, etc. Thanks. - Sujewa :: ADVERTISEMENT :: Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Grants page http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.b

I haven't seen Frownland, but have met a few people who like it a lot, check out an interview with the film's director at Cinemad . :: ADVERTISEMENT :: Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Grants page http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-grants-page.html Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Chamber http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-chamber.html Farzad Rostami – Delaware History T

Here's the site for a new movie called Dog Days of Summer - looks well made & spooky (judging by the trailer). Out on DVD now. :: ADVERTISEMENT :: Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Grants page http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-grants-page.html Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Chamber http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-chamber.html Farzad Rostami – Delaware History Tra

From a recent post on Limits by Rosenbaum: "I can’t wait to see this movie again." Read the rest of the post here . - Sujewa :: ADVERTISEMENT :: Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Grants page http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-grants-page.html Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Chamber http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-chamber.html Farzad Rostami – Delaware History

Sujewa Ekanayake, Jim Jarmusch, 4/23/09 NYC photo (c) 2009 SE

From the Evening with Jim Jarmusch event presented by the Museum of the Moving Image. Copyright 2009 Sujewa Ekanayake

a scene from an upcoming sci-fi movie - a modern day location - the mcdonald's - is surrounded by a hologram/force-field emanating from the military installation inside the nearby mountain, creating the illusion of a late 1960's type (undeveloped/no buildings, wooden electricity poles, open highway, quality of sunlight, etc.) surrounding. one of the traverlers do not know this - trouble waits. * copyright 2009 sujewa ekanayake/wild diner films