This Day in Indie History: Freddy Rodríguez

Freddy Rodriguez in the “Planet Terror” segment of Dimension Films’ Grindhouse - 2007

Chicago native Freddy Rodríguez entered the world 32 years ago today. In 1988 Rodríguez landed his first film role—after a considerable high school stage career—in the drama The Undertaker, though his first significant role came in 1995 when he appeared alongside Keanu Reeves in A Walk in the Clouds. But the Puerto Rican-American actor is perhaps best known for his role in the HBO series “Six Feet Under,” landing an Emmy nomination and two SAG awards for his performance as the harried apprentice undertaker Federico Diaz during his five years with the show.

For representing his Latino origins, Rodríguez also won Imagen and ALMA awards for this role. The actor launched back into film after the series’ finale with four features released in 2006 alone. You might have caught him in Harsh Times with Christian Bale, in the recent remake of Poseidon, as the oddly muscular tenant in Lady in the Water or in Emilio Estevez’s ensemble drama Bobby.

Film Star Factoid: Freddy Rodríguez will next be seen in Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror segment of Grindhouse—the highly anticipated horror flick that is comprised of two separate films, written and directed by the Texan director and his quirky pal, Quentin Tarantino.

January 16th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival

Where: Nevada City, CA
Festival Dates: January 12th-14th, 2007

Last summer the United States found itself wrapped up in debate, but not about the typical topics of the Iraq War or stem cell research. Instead, the debate turned to environmental issues when docs Who Killed the Electric Car? and An Inconvenient Truth highlighted the disturbing consequences that modern living has had on the environment. It seems likely, then, that the popularity of those films is what led to the sheer volume of films submitted to this year’s Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival (WSEFF) in Nevada City, California. Organized by the South Yuba River Citizens Leagues, the festival screened an impressive 100 films in its three-day run, which took place this past weekend.

This year’s theme for the largest West Coast environmental film fest—Truth, Hope, Action—"sets the tone for the festival,” says director Kathy Dotson. “We selected films that not only expose environmental problems and issues, but also offer inspiration and hope for the audience.”

The South Yuba River Citizens League formed in 1983 to protect the California watershed. Five years ago it began hosting the WSEFF. When discussing the League’s motivation for founding the festival, Dodson offers the following explanation: “Film viewing—particularly when framed within a context of civic engagement and with subject matter that links the human to the natural world, and links local and planetary issues—can be a transformative community experience for participants.” For more information, visit www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.com.

Sound Off: Do you believe, as Dodson suggests, that film has the ability to transform society? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments section!

January 16th, 2007 | Category: Festival of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Zeitgeist Films

Zeitgeist, as defined by the Webster’s College Dictionary, is “the spirit of the time.” That is to say, those trends and opinions which characterize a particular culture in any given period. With this all-encompassing word as their moniker and mission statement, Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo, co-founders and presidents of Zeitgeist Films, have made a point of capturing this spirit by distributing some of the best foreign and independent cinema of the last 20 years.

Founded in 1988, Zeitgeist has always focused on cultivating what they call the “auteur-driven film,” selecting works that might be overlooked or avoided by other companies. From Todd Haynes’ Sundance award-winner Poison to the theatrical reissue of Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Zeitgeist swiftly made a name for itself as a company with discriminating—and impeccable—tastes.

Over the years, says Russo, “We’ve maintained our mission by continuing to acquire and release auteur-driven and challenging foreign films and documentaries, which reflect the world we live in today.”

Next up, Zeitgeist is set to release several exciting new films, including the three-hour acclaimed monastic epic, Into Great Silence by Phillip Groening, as well as Jennifer Baichwal’s multiple award-winning Manufactured Landscapes, which explores the photography of artist Edward Burtynsky.

For more information on Zeitgeist and its upcoming projects, visit www.zeitgeistfilms.com.

Sound Off: Zeitgeist Films has devoted itself to exhibiting those films it feels capture “the spirit of the times.” What recent films do you feel have captured the zeitgeist of the 21^st century? Talk back in the comments section!

January 16th, 2007 | Category: Exhibitor of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Florida State University

When asked to describe the ideal applicant to Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture, Dean Frank Patterson replies, “You know the kind of person who is compelled to shoot photos from inside a crashing plane as it’s plummeting to the earth? We are looking for filmmakers who, even in the face of death, feel compelled to capture the human experience.” It follows then that FSU is a school whose reason for being is to fuel the passion of its students.

Offering both graduate and undergraduate programs in film production, as well as a minor in film studies and an MFA in professional writing, FSU is the only film school in the country that fully funds all films produced by its students.  This, Patterson explains, “create[s] a level playing field for students, so that they may focus on art, craft and imagination—instead of fundraising.” Now, with a program that has already been commended by the Directors Guild of America for its contribution to American culture, FSU is expanding even further with the creation of Torchlight Pictures.

Torchlight Pictures, which will be headed by a top New York distributor, will give FSU students the chance to learn the business side of moviemaking and get their work seen by a larger audience. While Torchlight will distribute student works, its primary function will be to provide hands-on-experience in the business side of moviemaking, as students work with faculty to actually distribute feature films that are picked up by the company. After all, notes Patterson, “A filmmaker who doesn’t understand distribution doesn’t understand filmmaking.”

For more information on FSU’s graduate and undergraduate film programs, visit www.film.fsu.edu.

Sound Off: FSU’s newest innovation is the creation of a distribution company to help students learn the business of moviemaking. Do you think that it’s key for students to learn about distribution while still in school, or is it better to simply focus on developing your own moviemaking style? Talk back in the comments section!

January 16th, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Alex Film Society

The historic Alex Theatre of Glendale, California is a magnificent specimen of 1920s architecture. With a striking art deco neon column gracing its entrance and a Greco-Egyptian-inspired interior, the theater is a key element of Glendale’s landscape, speaking to its history as a home for the movie world. With this in mind, the citizens of Glendale banded together, restoring the venue to its original glory, and in 1994 founded the Alex Film Society (AFS).

The foremost priority of the AFS is to maintain the theater as a venue for classic film in the modern day. From their opening night, which featured a reunion of the surviving cast members of Gone with the Wind, the society has more than proven its ability to accomplish this goal with panache. Today, the AFS hosts a series of screenings, including the Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn comedy Desk Set (on February 10), and William Wyler’s Best Years of Our Lives, which will be shown in the spring. In addition, AFS president Randy Carter notes that the society is “constantly looking for ways to make our screenings [into] real events, with pristine 35mm prints, interesting guests, fun programs and in-theater promotions.” With such a diverse and entertaining roster of films and the magnificent Alex Theatre as its home, it seems the Alex Film Society will have no trouble maintaining its mission as guardians of classic cinema history.

For more information or to become a member, visit their website.

Sound Off: What classic films are you dying to see up on the big screen?  Let us know in the comments section!

January 16th, 2007 | Category: Association of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Celeste Davis

Celeste Davis as Silver Strand in Purgatory House.

Stories of troubled or angst-ridden teens are no stranger to the independent film landscape. Nevertheless, eloquent stories written by girls that have just entered those teen years are pretty few and far between. We last saw Nikki Reed accomplish this feat, when her much talked about indie drama, Thirteen, was released in 2003. And now itâ€(tm)s Celeste Davisâ€(tm) turn. At the young age of 14, the young writer-actress recorded her life struggles on paper and, soon after, on screen. The result was Purgatory House (shot a year before Thirteen), which has experienced a wide run on the festival circuit and will be released on DVD January 16.

When Davis was seven, her parents divorced and she moved across the country with her alcoholic mother. Things became tense and she left shortly after. Back in California, Davis lived for a time with her father, but ultimately landed herself in a shelter for runaway teens, struggling to find meaning in a life she didnâ€(tm)t ask for and couldnâ€(tm)t deal with alone. Serendipitously, Davis’ attempt to rehabilitate herself was what also landed her a spot in the world of moviemaking.

Davis joined The Big Sisters of Los Angeles and met her would-be director Cindy Baer.  Davis came to Baer with her script for Purgatory Houseâ€"a film that examines the female perspective of life through its protagonist, a lost soul named Silver Strand, and her communication with a god that is distinctly feminine. “Like [Silver] in Purgatory House, I am learning that I canâ€(tm)t run away from my problems,” says Davis, now a mature and adjusted young adult. “They go where I go. I have to deal with them, and only I can make them better.”

For more information on Davis and Purgatory House, visit her website.

Sound Off: Every moviemaker was a teenager at one point in his or her life. But does it take an actual teenager to accurately convey all of those turbulent emotions puberty brings about? Can adults do it just as well by recalling their own adolescence?

January 16th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Raising Victor Vargas

Peter Sollett’s Raising Victor Vargas screened at the Sundance Film Festival on this day in 2003. Based on the writer-director’s short film, Five Feet High and Rising, his feature chronicled the efforts of a young Dominican teen finding his place within his family, his Lower East Side community and the world. After Victor is caught in the bedroom of an overweight neighborhood girl, he tries to reestablish his reputation and regain trust inside the walls of his grandmother’s restrictive household. Sollett developed the screenplay through the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab and first saw it released at Cannes in May 2002. The film went on to nab five Independent Spirit Award nominations but unfortunately was never widely released in the U.S.

Film Factoid: Moviemaker Sollett has made only two films so far in his career. Right out of the gate Five Feet High and Rising won big at both Cannes and Sundance in 2000. Like their director, this was the first time most of the actors had worked on a film. Victor Rasuk, who played the title character in both Sollett films, has since moved on to significant supporting roles in Lords of Dogtown and I’m Reed Fish.

January 15th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Dead Poets Society

Carpe diem! Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society finished filming on this day in 1989. The film starred comedian Robin Williams in a smart and dramatic role as the inspiring teacher Mr. John Keating. As an English teacher at a 1950s boys’ boarding school, Keating somehow gets the young men to break out of their monotonous routines to enjoy the flow of poetry, literature and, most importantly, life. The film was nominated for a total of four Oscars in 1990 (including a Best Actor nod for Williams and one for Best Picture), with writer Tom Schulman bringing home the sole trophy for his original screenplay.

Film Quotable: “O Captain, my Captain. Who knows where that comes from? Anybody? Not a clue? It’s a poem by Walt Whitman about Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Now in this class you can either call me Mr. Keating, or, if you’re slightly more daring, O Captain my Captain.” –Williams as John Keating, addressing his students.

January 15th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Mary Harron

Canadian writer-director Mary Harron was born on this day in 1953. The creative and technical mastermind behind some of the most provocative films of the last decade, Harron found her way to the movie world after a brief stint as a journalist both in North America and abroad. Her first feature film, I Shot Andy Warhol, starring indie maven Lili Taylor, was made for under $2 million and ended up a critical darling. The Oxford educated moviemaker is often drawn to ideas of patriarchy and the subversive culture that results from that system. For further examples, see her filmic interpretation of Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho (about a Wall Street banker’s desire for sexual conquest and murder) and her biographical tribute The Notorious Bettie Page (an unauthorized account of the 1950s pinup model’s pornography career and the subsequent Senate investigation).

Filmmaker Factoid: American Psycho was almost a different film altogether. After finding fame with Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio was reported to be interested in the project. However, when DiCaprio bowed out, the female director successfully brought the controversial drama to the big screen, choosing Christian Bale to embody the role of the psychopathic Patrick Bateman.

January 11th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Maurice Pialat

Divisive French moviemaker Maurice Pialat died on this day in 2003, at the age of 77. Over the course of his career, Pialat developed a unique style of storytelling that relied on disjointed narratives and elliptical timeframes, yet somehow also maintained a stark realism. After a failed career as an artist, Pialat moved on to moviemaking when he was in his late thirties, winning the Prix Jean Vigo for his first film, L’Enfance nu, in 1968. Aside from the creation of morally ambiguous and challenging films, Pialat’s most essential contribution to the film world was his discovery of the acclaimed French actress Sandrine Bonnaire, who made her debut in Pialat’s À Nos Amours.

Filmmaker Factoid: When Pialat’s Sous le soleil de Satan controversially won the Palme d’Or at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival, the audience responded with a chorus of boos. As he accepted the award, the director famously turned to the audience, raised his fist and replied, “Since you don’t like me, I can tell you that I don’t like you either.”

January 10th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Adaptation

The second collaboration between director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, Adaptation, released nationwide on this day in 2003, continued the duo’s pattern of quirky, cerebral moviemaking. The story of a creatively-blocked screenwriter and the novel he is attempting to adapt for the screen, the film stars Nicolas Cage as the brothers Charlie and Donald Kaufman, as well as Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Tilda Swinton, Maggie Gyllenhaal and a host of other notable actors. While Cage received high praise for his work in the film, it was Cooper who came away with the most tangible honors—in the form of both Academy and Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actor.

Film Factoid: The screenwriting credit for this film, as well as all consideration for awards, went to both Charlie and Donald Kaufman, the screenwriter’s on-screen twin brother/alter ego, a totally fictitious character.

January 9th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Imelda Staunton

Imelda Staunton is an appropriately lauded acting talent in her native England, but has only recently come to wider recognition in the United States. The British actress, born on this day in 1956, received many awards and innumerable nominations (including an Oscar nod) for her turn as the accommodating, doting mother who moonlighted as an abortionist in Mike Leigh’s Vera Drake (2004). Despite the accolades, Staunton lost the Academy Award to Hilary Swank, with whom she is currently starring in this month’s Freedom Writers. You can also catch the actress alongside many of the U.K.’s most respected entertainers in the latest Harry Potter installment, to be released later this year.

Film Star Factoid: Before turning to minor roles in films such as Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility (she played the peppy wife to Hugh Laurie’s stoic Mr. Palmer) and John Madden’s Shakespeare In Love (whre she guarded the door during a nighttime tryst), Staunton was heralded as a major stage talent in her home country. She is a three-time winner of the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award—for 1986’s A Chorus of Disapproval and The Corn is Green and in 1991 for .

January 8th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Elvis Presley

American icon Elvis Presley was born on this day in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1935. While he is better known as the King of Rock & Roll, Presley also made many lasting contributions to the world of cinema that should not be overlooked. Presley starred in a whopping 33 films after being catapulted to worldwide celebrity status, made bankable by the King’s recognizable, catchy vocals setting the scene. In addition to his own acting vehicles including Love Me Tender, Blue Hawaii and Viva Las Vegas, the King’s crooning has provided the soundtrack to nearly 200 film and television programs, such as Barry Levinson’s Diner, David Lynch’s Wild at Heart and Tim Burton’s Big Fish.

Film Star Factoid: As a young man, Elvis worked as a movie theater usher before moving on to pursue a career in the music industry, where he became perhaps the most famous figure in rock and roll history.

January 7th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo del Toro directs Picturehouse’s Pan’s Labyrinth - 2006

It might seem like a near-impossible feat to make it big in Hollywood while maintaining your own unique voice, but Mexican writer-director Guillermo del Toro has proven that being successful does not have to mean selling out.After the smash success of his first feature, Cronos, in 1993, del Toro quickly gained a reputation as one of the most original and imaginative moviemakers working today. After being recruited to direct the cult hit Blade II, del Toro became the go-to guy for quirky, science-fiction and fantasy flicks—he wrote and directed the film adaptation of the comic book favorite, Hellboy, and his most recent endeavor, Pan’s Labyrinth, was released in theaters on December 29.

The film, considered by many to be del Toro’s best work to date, details the adventures of a young girl living in Franco-era Spain and has been lauded by critics for its darkly surreal dreamscape of a story. With the success of high-concept fantasy flicks like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Pan’s Labyrinth may even find significant success stateside, breaking out of its foreign indie niche. What’s more the Pan’s Labyrinth illustration contest (http://www.panslabyrinth.com/mysketchbook) offers fans the chance to win a movie poster signed by the writer-director and have their work featured on the film’s DVD.

Next up is an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel, The Witches, produced by another acclaimed Mexican moviemaker, Alfonso Cuarón. With the Children of Men director behind the scenes and del Toro both writing the script and directing, this version (an update of the lackluster 1990 film by Nicolas Roeg) promises to do justice to Dahl’s wickedly twisted story as only del Toro’s original and entertaining voice can accomplish.

Shameless Plug: Read del Toro’s take on the Latin film scene in the summer issue of MovieMaker, available to purchase here.

Sound Off: Guillermo del Toro has established himself as one of the most talented creators of sci-fi and fantasy cinema in the business. In addition to The Witches and his own Pan’s Labyrinth, what classic fantasy tale would you like to see the writer-director tackle? Talk back in the comments section of the blog!

January 7th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Washington, D.C.

Lee Pace and Matt Damon in Universal Pictures’ The Good Shepherd - 2006

Our nation’s capital is no stranger to film crews, which flock to the city to capture its long list of famous monuments and locations. From the Roman-inspired columns of the White House to the attractions on the National Mall, this city has seen countless productions use its alleys and byways. Political and historical movies like Oliver Stone’s Nixon (1995) have taken advantage of the steps at the Lincoln Memorial and the Watergate complex was the scene of the crime in Alan Pakula’s All The President’s Men (1976). On the non-political side, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist made famous use of the city’s Georgetown neighborhood, and Union Station was featured prominently in Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers On A Train. Robert De Niro joined these prestigious ranks when his latest movie, The Good Shepherd, filmed at Capitol Hill in 2005.Founded in 1790, the “Federal City” is governed by a local municipality—with certain exceptions under the jurisdiction of the nation’s government. For moviemakers, that means acquiring special permitting at the U.S. Capitol Building and the most-desired monuments. But don’t fret: It’s all funneled through the D.C. Office of Motion Picture & Television Development. Permits and free parking, guidelines and location assistance are all part of the package. The film office’s online Production Resource Guide supplies the contact information for everything from local sound stages to animal talent, and its crew list helps moviemakers find professionals for most production positions.

Other politically-charged movies shot on location in Washington, D.C. include:

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
JFK
A Few Good Men
The Pelican Brief
Traffic

More information may be found here.

Sound Off: Woody Allen knows how to film the beauty of New York City and Peter Jackson always takes our breath away shooting New Zealand landscapes. What movie and/or director do you find best demonstrates his or her passion for Washington, D.C.?

January 7th, 2007 | Category: Location of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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National Association of Latino Independent Producers

Although the Spanish and Latin cultures have infused and enriched the roots of this country since its inception, their presence in mainstream American media is a fairly new development. With the success of movies such as Julian Schnabel’s Before Night Falls and Marilyn Agrelo’s Mad Hot Ballroom, audiences are taking a greater interest Latin-American stories—though the journey is at times uphill. “Latinos are the largest minority in the United States with a swift growing economic presence but have remained sorely underrepresented in media,” says Kathryn F. Galan, the executive director of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP).

Instead of viewing this representational gap entirely as a negative, NALIP looks at growing the Latin community in media programming and moviemaking as a challenge, and an exciting one at that. Through various outreach efforts, from hosting a national conference to running workshops for screenwriters, producers and documentarians, NALIP plays a large role in supporting and developing the Latin voice. “Our organization grows as the field expands. We see more young artists attending film school and pursuing entertainment careers; we see Latino/a writers and directors accepted into industry training programs… and we see Latino/a television programs, production companies and other signs of health in the industry,” Galan enumerates. With a roster of more than 1,000 members, NALIP shows signs of exponentially increasing its presence in the film world, playing a major part in bringing the Latin-American voice to mainstream cinema.

For more information—or to join the NALIP ranks—visit their website.

Sound Off: In the Summer 2006 issue of MM, Darlene Caamano Loquet, the president of NALA Films, told journalist Lily Percy, “We need to stop classifying stories as ‘Latin’ or ‘African-American’ or ‘urban’ and instead just call them what they are—great stories… We need to focus on making universally-themed stories with our people at the center.” What do you think about this idea with regards to the development of film from the Latin-American community?

January 7th, 2007 | Category: Association of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Cine Las Americas International Film Festival

Location: Austin, Texas
Festival Dates: April 19 - 26, 2007
Deadline: January 15, 2007
Late Deadline: January 31, 2007

Like our Association of the Week, the National Association of Independent Latino Producers, the Cine Las Americas International Film Festival (CLAIFF) is dedicated to promoting the voice of the Latino film community. What began as a Cuban film retrospective in 1997 has blossomed into an eight-day multicultural event that will celebrate the festival’s tenth anniversary in style. “Emerging Latino filmmakers and masters alike were largely invisible in the context of cinema in the U.S.,” says Jacqueline C. Rush Rivera, director of programming at CLAIFF. “Our objective has been to break down these cultural and institutional barriers and I think we are succeeding.”

Over the years, CLAIFF has established itself as an essential part of the Austin film scene, founding several after-school workshops for local high school students and using the festival to showcase the best of Latino and indigenous moviemaking that was often overlooked by more mainstream fests. At this year’s festival, in addition to adding three days to the calendar, CLAIFF plans to introduce a video art program featuring experimental works and more than 100 films made by or about Latinos and indigenous groups of the Americas. Says Rivera of the festival’s impact on its attendees: “Our audience has an opportunity to realize a deeper understanding of various cultures as well as a deeper appreciation of the art form.” For more information on the festival and submitting your film, visit http://www.cinelasamericas.org.

Sound Off: What are some of the best underground Latino or indigenous films you’ve seen in recent years? Are film festivals the best way to get films like these into the mainstream consciousness? Let us know in the comments section!

January 7th, 2007 | Category: Festival of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Tom Tykwer

Director Tom Tykwer and Dustin Hoffman on the set of Dreamworks’ Perfume:The Story of a Murderer.

Director Tom Tykwer consummately embodies the term “moviemaker,” often wearing the hats of director, writer, producer and composer. Despite his lack of a formal film education, Tykwer has managed to forge ahead and become a critically adored artist with a style all his own. His latest film, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, starring Ben Wishaw, Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman, began its limited U.S. release December 27. An adaptation of Patrick Suskind’s cult novel of the same name, the cinematic depiction brings to life the thrilling drama of a talented perfumer and the violent measures he takes to compose the perfect scent.

Most people will recognize the German-born director as the mastermind behind the art-house hit Run, Lola, Run. However, since that film’s 1998 release, he has built upon his success with two more feature films (The Princess and the Warrior and Heaven) and contributed a short to the upcoming Paris, je t’aime, alongside directors Alfonso Cuarón, Gus Van Sant and Gurinder Chadha.

Fascinated by the moving image at an early age (particularly film versions of Peter Pan and King Kong), Tykwer began his career as the projectionist at a Berlin movie house. By the age of 22 he became the sole programmer at the city’s Moviemento cinema, making him an esteemed contact for prominent German directors looking to screen their works. His first movie, 1990’s Because, was a hit on the festival circuit and helped to lead him to a partnership with fellow German moviemakers Stefan Arndt, Wolfgang Becker and Dani Levy. Together the men continue to run the X-Filme Creative Pool production house.

To hear it straight from the moviemaker’s mouth, visit Tykwer’s website.

Sound Off: Although Tykwer found success following his international triumph, Run, Lola, Run, his films have never had quite the same amount of publicity—until Perfume, which the late auteur Stanley Kubrick claimed could not be made. Do you think this is the movie to bring the director back to international acclaim? Talk back in the comments section!

January 7th, 2007 | Category: Moviemaker of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall in MGM’s Assassination Tango - 2003 Photo: Juan-Angel Urruzola

It’s difficult to pick just one memorable role of Robert Duvall’s. The actor, born on this day in 1931, has contributed to such great films as The Godfather (I and II), Apocalypse Now and Network. The son of a career military officer, Duvall himself spent a few years in the service before moving to New York and studying alongside Dustin Hoffman at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. After establishing a solid stage career, Duvall debuted on film as Arthur “Boo” Radley in the pivotal 1962 movie To Kill A Mockingbird. Over the years, the award-winning actor has successfully dabbled in both directing and screenwriting, and has been nominated for a total of six Academy Awards, with one Best Actor win for 1983’s Tender Mercies.

Filmstar Quotable: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” —Duvall as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore in Apocalypse Now

January 5th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Gosford Park

Robert Altman’s Gosford Park was released nationwide on this day in 2002. Altman developed the story with cast member Bob Balaban. The screenplay, written by Julian Fellowes (Vanity Fair), won the film’s only Academy Award (out of seven nominations), and Altman also took home a Golden Globe for Best Director.  The film follows the events at an English country house in the 1930s, after a mysterious murder puzzles the wealthy guests and lowly servants alike. In addition to Balaban, Gosford Park boasts an impressive cast that includes Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Clive Owen, Emily Watson, Kelly Macdonald and Jeremy Northam, to name a few.

Film Factoid: Gosford Park pays homage to Jean Renoir’s Rules of the Game, as both are set during a weekend party in the English countryside. It is said that Altman’s hunting scene is a direct tribute to the rabbit hunt in Renoir’s classic.

January 3rd, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Five Easy Pieces

One of Jack Nicholson’s early masterpieces, Five Easy Pieces finished shooting on this day in 1970. The film went on to receive eight Academy Award and Golden Globe nods, with one Globe win for Karen Black’s supporting role. Directed by Bob Rafelson, Five Easy Pieces tells the story of Bobby Dupea (Nicholson) and his return to a family he tried to leave behind. The film follows the chain of events set in motion when Dupea finds out about his girlfriend’s pregnancy. In 2000 the U.S. Library of Congress named the movie a part of the National Film Registry.

Film Factoid: The title Five Easy Pieces refers to a book of piano compositions, key to the relationship between Dupea and his sick father.

January 3rd, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Iris Yamashita

It’s not every screenwriter who gets to see his or her first brought to life by two of the most powerful names in Hollywood, but that’s what happened to Iris Yamashita, whose Letters From Iwo Jima opened in theaters on December 20.Yamashita’s path to writing one of the most anticipated movie events of the year was anything but direct. Born in Missouri to first-generation Japanese-American parents, Yamashita went on to study engineering at U.C. San Diego and Berkeley, and also spent a year at the University of Tokyo studying virtual reality. Nevertheless, Yamashita found herself drawn to fiction writing, and embarked on a career that landed her first place honors at the Big Bear Lake Screenwriting Competition. From there it was just a hop, skip and a jump to an agent and an introduction to Letters from Iwo Jima producer Paul Haggis, who recruited Yamashita to write the script for Clint Eastwood’s companion film to Flags of Our Fathers.

The two films, which recount the battle of Iwo Jima from American and Japanese perspectives, provide a unique look at what was a profound moment in the history of both nations and a tide-altering battle of the second World War. Says Yamashita: ”Letters from Iwo Jima is an innovative project, part of a concept that has never been done before, and I hope I’ve been able to help create a memorial to the characters in a story that otherwise wouldn’t have been told.”

SOUND OFF QUESTION: Yamashita landed her coveted role as Letters from Iwo Jima scribe through the efforts of an agent. In your wildest dreams, would you rather be shopped out to work on a big-name picture like Eastwood’s or would you prefer to have your own screenplay “discovered?” Do you think it is easier to succeed in screenwriting if you are willing to tackle other people’s projects in addition to the stories you want to tell? Talk back in the comments section!

January 2nd, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Russell Brown

At the age of 30, writer-director Russell Brown has had a short film premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, and his feature debut, Race You to the Bottom, is already receiving acclaim from critics across the nation. ”Race You to the Bottom started as an exploration of how certain personal needs are played out in relationships,” explains Brown when asked about the origins of the film. “Initially the script consisted of a series of conversations over the course of a driving trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco about what characterizes the dynamic between a straight woman and a gay man."Starring Amber Benson (of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” fame) and Cole Williams (North Country), the film has been lauded for its insightful exploration of complex emotional relationships and won Benson the Best Actress Award at the 2006 Outfest.  In discussing his attraction to the unusual love story that unfolds within the film, Brown says, “I like writing films about people who are negotiating thorny internal moral grey zones: I like to see what happens when a character is facing contradictory pulls inside himself or herself, and how that impacts his or her interaction with the outside world. These situations are both funny and painful, and I attempt to tread that line in my writing.”

In addition to gearing up for the January release of Race You to the Bottom (recently acquired by Regent Releasing), Brown has also finished principal photography on his second feature, The Bluetooth Virgin. For more information on Russell and his upcoming projects, visit www.raceyoutothebottom.com.

SOUND OFF QUESTION: Are there other indie newcomers you think we should know about? Talk back in the comments section!

January 2nd, 2007 | Category: Moviemaker of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Angelika Entertainment Corporation

The Angelika brand name is famous in New York City as one of the few remaining vestiges of independent film.  Movie buffs escape to the theater on those unbearably hot summer nights.  Dedicated fans stand outside the Houston Street theater in the bitter New York winter winds to catch the latest in independent cinema. It is, needless to say, a landmark. But who knew that the charming Angelika is part of a larger entertainment media company with its fingers in everything from casting to distribution? In fact, the establishment wouldn’t be anything at all without its production arm—the division that started it all.Angelika Saleh began her movie career in 1969 as an actress and co-producer on the James Ivory production Bombay Talkie. Later, after failing to get distribution for her documentary Streetwise, Saleh charged full-force into self-distribution, acting as producer on the Academy-Award winning film. And the rest, as they say, is history.

The latest development in the Angelika empire is Angelika Classics, a private distribution label meant for the older Angelika films including an anniversary edition of Martin Bell’s Streetwise. “We would like it to function more like an independent record label within a larger media company [rather] than a free-standing operation,” says Angelika Entertainment general manager Barney Oldfield. The classics division will join the Angelika-sponsored NewFilmmaker Series and AngelikaTV—currently producing the YouTube hit “Illeanarama,” starring Illeana Douglas and Jeff Goldblum.

For more information on the Angelika Entertainment Corporation, visit www.angelikafilm.com.

SOUND OFF QUESTION: For those readers based in and around New York City, what was the most memorable moment you’ve had at the Angelika’s Manhattan location? Share your stories in the comments section!

January 2nd, 2007 | Category: Exhibitor of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Trafalgar Square

There are many spots on London’s map that make up the city’s famous landscape, but one of the most famous is no doubt the pigeon-bedecked Trafalgar Square. Built to commemorate the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, the square sits in the heart of the Charing Cross neighborhood and boasts an impressive collection of political figures as well as the famed bronze lions.

On the silver screen, Trafalgar Square has appeared in over three dozen films, from Scott Hicks’ acclaimed Shine, to the original 1967 version of Casino Royale. With the beautiful architecture of the National Gallery gracing the north side of the Square, the now iconic spot is a perfect establishing shot of England’s capital city, a feature that was never more eerily evoked than its desolate appearance in Danny Boyle’s zombie hit, 28 Days Later… Next up, the square takes another sci-fi turn in Alfonso Cuarón’s unsettling futuristic vision, Children of Men, which opened in limited release on December 25.

Short of visiting the famed London hotspot yourself, you can get a glimpse of Trafalgar Square in:
V for Vendetta
Love Actually
Arabesque
101 Dalmatians
The Living Daylights
84 Charing Cross Road
The Ipcress File

SOUND OFF QUESTION: From 28 Days Later… to the recently released Children of Men, London seems to have become a hot spot for apocalyptic sci-fi tales.  Why do you think moviemakers keep choosing England’s capital city as the site of futuristic catastrophes? Talk back in the comments section!

January 2nd, 2007 | Category: Location of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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