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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Freedom Film Society

Oftentimes it is only audiences in New York or Los Angeles that are fortunate enough to see any movie in limited release, leaving those who live outside the “big cities” no access to a plethora of well-made and original films. The Freedom Film Society (FFS) of Monmouth, New Jersey was formed with this problem in mind. “It is our goal to bring a little bit of that independent mindset to the Jersey Shore,” says FFS president Marc Leckstein.

Arguably the most intriguing and innovative idea to come out of the Freedom Film Society is Film Addicts Anonymous. The group meets once every month and is organized much like a book club, with a discussion group following the private screening of an otherwise inaccessible film. FSS brings intellectual, esoteric films to Monmouth and invites cinephiles from the area who might be starved for a little film-based conversation. It “allows participants the opportunity to screen ‘art’ films and then sit back after the fact and intelligently discuss with others what they have just seen,” Leckstein explains.

But this is only part of Freedom Film Society’s solution to reinvigorate film appreciation in the previously nicknamed “Dead Bank.” Run entirely by a dedicated team of volunteers, each year the society hosts the Red Bank International Film Festival in addition to the Emerging Filmmakers Series. The festival brings the arts community of Red Bank together every October to celebrate with the international film community. To encourage the up-and-coming talent, the Emerging Filmmakers Series offers the winner of local high school competitions a screening at the fest, as well as scholarship money to further pursue the art of moviemaking.

Entries for this October’s Red Bank International Film Festival are now being accepted. For more information on the festival and Freedom Film Society, visit www.rbiff.org.

SOUND OFF QUESTION: If there was a Film Addicts Anonymous in your area, would you attend? Which upcoming movies would you want to watch and discuss as part of such a group? Talk back in the comments section!

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

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Academy of Film Arts

For the aspiring moviemaker with no time to spare, the Academy of Film Arts (AFA) is the ideal film school. In as few (or as many) as eight days, the AFA teaches students the basics of producing, directing and cinematography.

The school originated in 2005 as an aid to disadvantaged youths in the Los Angeles area. The young and innovative academy, according to president Monica Ortiz, was started to help the students “focus on their dreams and give them real-life experience in making movies.” Two short years later the film school has achieved impressive growth. Expansion includes a campus in New York, a one-month course duration and new program that focuses on the ins and outs of movie sound.

Currently, two- and eight-day intensive courses are available for working professionals with limited vacation days. Ortiz describes them as “exhausting” yet “extremely rewarding.” Except how can a student learn in eight days, never mind two, what others spend years studying? Mostly, Ortiz credits the high instructor to student ratio, which allows each student “to receive the individual attention [he or she] need[s] in order to grow in [his or her] respective creative field.” Moreover, the Academy doesn’t attempt to make its students hone in on a single moviemaking style. Instead, AFA builds the tools needed to discover this style over the course of their moviemaking careers. With this philosophy, the Academy of Film Arts understands that providing knowledge is the most important duty of any film school—it’s up to the student to make a career out of this knowledge.

For more information, visit www.academyoffilmarts.com.

SOUND OFF QUESTION: The Academy of Film Arts is expanding its range to include a one-month course for prospective moviemakers. Would you prefer to attend an eight-day intensive course, getting your hands dirty immediately, or a relatively relaxed month-long instruction? Talk back in the comments section!

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

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This Day in Indie History: Todd Haynes

Todd Haynes directs Focus Films’ Far From Heaven - 2002 Photo: Abbot Genser

When it comes to making your name in the film business, it’s quality, not quality, that counts. Moviemaker Todd Haynes, born on this day in 1961, proves this statement with each subsequent project. Covering issues from discrimination to anorexia to environmental pollution, Haynes has tackled each of these difficult subjects with wit and depth in the critically acclaimed Douglas Sirk homage, Far From Heaven, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story and 1995’s Safe. Other titles by the Brown University grad include the British glam rock tale Velvet Goldmine (1998 Best Artistic Contribution, Cannes) and 1991 Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, Poison.  In 2007 expect the release of I’m Not There, a Bob Dylan biopic that casts British thespians Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett, among others, in the role of the great folk hero.

Filmmaker Factoid: Superstar:  The Karen Carpenter Story depicts the singer’s anorexia and subsequent death entirely with girls’ fashion dolls. Richard Carpenter filed suit against Haynes, who had not received the rights to Carpenter’s music.  Subsequently, distribution of the film has come to an indefinite halt.

January 2nd, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Luis Guzmán

Luis Guzman in Fox Searchlight’s Fast Food Nation - 2006

Popular character actor Luis Guzmán came into the world on this day in 1957. Born in Cayey, Puerto Rico, Guzmán soon moved with his family to New York City’s Lower East Side. It was only a short while after graduating from college that the Latino actor landed his first bit part in the 1977 film Short Eyes. In the years since, Guzmán has appeared in almost 100 films including Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights, Magnolia and Punch Drunk Love. For his turn as Eduardo Roel in The Limey (one of several collaborations with Steven Soderbergh), the typically overlooked supporting actor was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. Most recently, you’ll catch him in Richard Linklater’s Fast Food Nation.

Filmstar Factoid: When not on location, Guzmán lives in Vermont with his wife and five children. He is the owner of Wild Orchid Stables, which offers lessons in horseback riding.

December 31st, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Jon Voight

Sixty-eight years ago today, Jon Voight was born in Yonkers, NY. The casual moviegoer might know him as the father of Oscar winner Angelina Jolie (both on-screen—in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider—and off). But Voight had earned his stripes long before his daughter’s philanthropy made headlines. Since graduating from Washington, D.C.’s Catholic University in 1960, the actor has received three Academy Award nominations (for Midnight Cowboy, Runaway Train and Ali) and one win for his performance as a Vietnam Vet in 1978’s Coming Home. His portrayal as a naive male prostitute in the decade-defining Midnight Cowboy is arguably still his most memorable role. Catch him next in 2007’s Transformers.

Film Star Quotable: “Well, sir, I ain’t a for-real cowboy. But I am one helluva stud.” —Jon Voight as Joe Buck, Midnight Cowboy.

December 28th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Auguste and Louis Lumière

Early prodigies in the development of the moving picture, brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière introduced the first commercially profitable film screening at Paris’ Grand Cafe in 1895. Improving on Thomas Edison’s Peephole Kinetoscope, the pair developed the Cinematograph, a lightweight and hand-cranked camera that ran 16 frames per second. Early films showed slice of life moments of everyday people gardening, exiting trains and heading home from work. In 1903 narrative films arrived on scene with breakthroughs including Edwin S. Porter’s The Life of an American Fireman and The Great Train Robbery.

December 27th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Marlene Dietrich

Screen star Marlene Dietrich was born on this day in 1901. The German actress made her film debut in 1923, after a wrist injury derailed her promising future as a violinist. In 1930 Dietrich landed a role in The Blue Angel, Germany’s first talkie; later that year she moved to Hollywood and received her only Oscar nomination for Morocco, co-starring Gary Cooper. By 1936 Dietrich was the highest paid actress in the business. But her success was short-lived and she found herself in need of a comeback. Destry Rides Again (1939) paired her with James Stewart and got her a new contract at Universal. Her career continued until 1979 when she went into seclusion in France. Dietrich passed away from kidney failure in May of 1992.

Film Star Factoid: Dietrich’s sister was a Nazi sympathizer in Germany during WWII. The actress, meanwhile, was awarded a Medal of Freedom for her contributions to the United States’ war efforts.

December 27th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: 21 Grams

Alejandro González Iñárritu and Guillermo Arriaga saw their second feature film venture, 21 Grams, opened in theaters today in 2003. Much like their other collaborations, Amores Perros and Babel, the moviemakers built a tale of interwoven characters and storylines, using handheld cameras for most of the film to create a gritty, in-your-face appeal. Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Benicio Del Toro star in the nonlinear tale of drug addiction, love and the weight of the human soul. Both Watts and Del Toro went on to Academy Award, SAG and BAFTA nominations, with all three actors winning prizes at the Venice Film Festival.

Moviemaker Quotable: “I think the target of every film that I do is to create a catharsis, an emotional movement. The response depends on the people who see it and which story and which theme or simple image will speak to them.” —Alejandro González Iñárritu (MovieMaker, Issue #66)

December 26th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: To Kill A Mockingbird

Harper Lee’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, reached the big screen on this day in 1962. In both forms, the classic story remains a touching tale of a Depression-era Alabamian lawyer who fights to defend a poor black man accused of rape. The movie stars Gregory Peck, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of lawyer Atticus Finch, and also featured Robert Duvall in his first movie role as the misunderstood “Boo” Radley. Recently the American Film Institute named Atticus Finch the number one screen hero of the last 100 years while the movie made it to number two on the Institute’s 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time.

Film Quotable: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in It.” —Gregory Peck, as Atticus Finch.

December 25th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Flying Down to Rio

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire’s first of nine films together, Flying Down to Rio, was released in the United States on this day in 1933. The dancing duo had bit parts as an orchestra singer and accordion player, respectively. The romantic musical tells the tale of a bandleader (Gene Raymond, of Hitchcock’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith) who seduces a Brazilian woman (Dolores del Rio, of John Ford’s Cheyenne Autumn) by promising her a free trip home. Though Raymond and del Rio were the purported stars, Astaire and Rogers stole the film with charming banter and a show-stopping dance number atop seven revolving white pianos, which had been fused together to form a stage.

Film Factoid: Dolores Del Rio made waves in Flying Down to Rio by sporting the first two-piece women’s bathing suit ever seen onscreen.

December 21st, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: The Graduate

Mike Nichols’ cinematic zeitgeist, The Graduate, was released in theaters on this day in 1967. Interestingly, although her character was meant to be at least 20 years his senior, Anne Bancroft was only six years older than her co-star, Dustin Hoffman. A landmark film on many counts, it won the 1968 Best Director Oscar for Nichols and was nominated for six more. That same year it won five Golden Globes out of a total seven nominations.

Film Factoid: The leg of then-unknown model Linda Gray would grace the famous promotional still for the film, standing in for Anne Bancroft’s Mrs. Robinson. More than 30 years later, Gray would play Robinson in the 2001 stage production of the film in London’s West End.

December 20th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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