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Academy of Art Is Off the Beaten Path
Moviemaking hotspots like New York and Los Angeles are generally the first place a potential film school student turns when looking to learn more about the moviemaking process. The cities are host to a plethora of film schools, but you can find a few off the beaten path, too—like Academy of Art University. Located in San Francisco, the university has both BFA and MFA programs and is made up of many schools that target different areas of the arts and offers various courses that cover acting, cinematography, editing and screenwriting, to name a few.
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FirstGlance Film Festival Conquers New Frontiers
What began 12 years ago in the basement of a little movie theater in Center City Philadelphia with a group of indie moviemakers scrounging up every big screen TV and movie projector they could find has become one of the most revolutionary film festivals in the country. With more than 400 projects shown to date, an audience of more than 10,000 and two separate bi-coastal events (one in Philadelphia and the other in California) being held annually since then, the FirstGlance Film Festival has come a long way from its humble basement beginnings.
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Discover New Technology at HD EXPO New York
Want to learn more about the latest innovative film technology, and even try it out yourself? Then HD EXPO, making its New York City debut on September 25th, will be right up your alley. This exclusive trade show features keynote speakers and intensive workshops that will allow participants to hear how top leaders in the entertainment industry are applying the most up-to-date innovations in their current work. Participants will then be given the chance to test out this eye-popping technology on the HD EXPO exhibit floor. MM spoke with HD EXPO's CEO/founder Kristin Petrovich about the upcoming event.
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Mill Valley Film Festival Marks Three Decades of CInema
For the last 30 years Mill Valley, California has welcomed moviemakers and audiences with open arms to its annual 11-day film festival. The long-running and well-loved event sells more than 40,000 tickets and attracts more than 200 international moviemakers each year. Hosted by the California Film Institute, the Mill Valley Film Festival focuses on featuring films that have yet to secure U.S. distribution.
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Jon Avnet Aims for a Righteous Kill
From Risky Business to Righteous Kill, director-producer has a weak spot for great actors
His filmography defies easy categorization because Jon Avnet says he's only interested in one thing: Great acting. He's proving it this summer, as he teams up with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro for Righteous Kill.
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Towelhead: Alan Ball's Controversial New Film
Writer-director doesn't shy away from controversy, as he's proving once again with Towelhead
In 1999, a plastic ball floated in the wind—the most beautiful thing ever seen by the strange boy next door—and with that, Alan Ball won an Academy Award for his very first screenplay, American Beauty. Nine years later, he's making his feature directorial debut with Towelhead, which, even before its release, is confronting controversy for its title and few key scenes.
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Giuseppe Tornatore Dives Into the Great Unknown
He may be best known for the beloved Cinema Paradiso, but Giuseppe Tornatore's The Unknown Woman, his first film since 2000's Malena, is a substantial departure from that bittersweet love song to cinema. The Unknown Woman stars Russian actress Xenia Rappaport as Irena, a mysterious Ukrainian woman who ingratiates herself with a prosperous Italian family, taking care of their young daughter. Is she after blackmail? Revenge? Lightning-quick flashbacks provide hints of terrible secrets from her past, andThe Unknown Woman constantly keeps us off-balance with its blend of suspense and melodrama, and its mingling of past and present into one continuous stream.
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Two Festivals Come Together in Kansas City
Watch out, Midwest: A new festival is coming. It may sound a bit familiar though, for this new fest, the Kansas City FilmFest, is actually a joint effort of two former Missouri-based ones: KC Jubilee Film Festival and FilmFestKC. MM had the chance to ask festival president Fred Andrews a few questions about the new event, discussing both the issues and advantages that come along with re-creating a festival.
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Vancouver Film School Fishes For YouTube Talent
Online video communities are emerging as ideal places for unknown and often untrained artists to display their work. The Vancouver Film School (VFS) took advantage of this pool of young talent by holding an online competition, in conjunction with YouTube, to award scholarships to three aspiring moviemakers. The winners—Christopher Harrell, Stefan Ramirez Pérez and Jorge Rolando Canedo Estrada—can look forward to a great year spent honing their skills under the direction of accomplished faculty at a school that prizes hands-on experience and produces artists who have the creative vision as well as the technical knowledge they need to gain a foothold in the industry.
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Spotlight on Aspiring Moviemakers at the Angelus Student Film Festival
Moviemakers with heart, take note: The Angelus Student Film Festival is awaiting your next film. The 2008 festival, which will be held Sept. 13 at the Directors Guild of America Theater in Hollywood, honors future moviemakers as they create works that respect the dignity and complexity of the human condition. And after 12 years honoring the inspiring works of student moviemakers, Angelus has expanded to include an accomplished jury for their documentary competition.
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Facing the Digital Dilemma
Are you creating films to stand the test of time?
Digital video is fast becoming a popular alternative to traditional filmstock, but is it worth the cost of storage and the possibility of losing the movie forever?
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Getting to the Next Level in Wilmington
WiFi Film Conference kicks on in June
While no one can say that Hollywood isn’t a great place to be as a moviemaker, with its star power and extensive history, it’s not necessarily the only place to be. In fact, in the past few decades, the thriving film community of Wilmington, North Carolina has been giving Hollywood a run for its money. There may not be a Grauman’s Chinese Theater or Walk of Fame, yet what Wilmington lacks in legendry it makes up in its hunger for independent moviemaking.
From Friday, June 27th through Sunday, June 29th, the moviemakers of Wilmington will be satiated when the inaugural Wilmington Inside the Film Industry Film Conference brings a chunk of Hollywood to the east coast.
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Roger Ebert Celebrates 10 Years of Overlooked Movies
He may be the world's best-known film critic, but the movies that Roger Ebert is most interested in celebrating at his annual Ebertfest are far from household titles. In fact, "overlooked" is the adjective Ebert himself would use to describe these films, which make up the program of the five-day fest, which kicks off on April 23rd at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, Illinois.
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Tanna Frederick Lives the Hollywood Dream
It seems appropriate that actress Tanna Frederick's breakthrough came in a film called Hollywood Dreams, Henry Jaglom's tale of an aspiring actress who takes Hollywood by storm. With absolutely no connection to the movie business, the Iowa native has proven herself a force to be reckoned with—"determined" would be an understatement—and has found a kindred spirit in Jaglom, who can't say enough kind things about his new muse.
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Nick Stoller Can't Forget Sarah Marshall
Longtime fans of Judd Apatow will recognize a few familiar moments in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, out in theaters Friday, April 18. From an awkward reunion of sorts for lead actor-writer Jason Segel and his “Undeclared” love Carla Gallo to Segel’s uncontrollable sobbing over a girl who has left him for another man, the movie borrows a few tricks from Apatow’s television series “Undeclared.” “I think this is a story that we started telling eight years ago on the TV show that no one saw and that we’re completing now on the bigger screen, with full frontal male nudity,” jokes Marshall director Nick Stoller. Together with Segel, who appeared in a handful of episodes of the 2001 college comedy, Stoller had been a force behind the series.
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Jared Leto Throws His Weight Behind Chapter 27
For all the girls wondering how to get the key to Jared Leto's heart, here's part of the answer: Write an intriguing screenplay that allows him to spread his wings. That's all it took for writer-director Jarrett Schaefer to persuade Leto to star in his independent drama, Chapter 27, and throw his weight behind the film (quite literally) as an executive producer as well.
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Phoenix Film Festival Manages to Thrive in the Desert
With plans to celebrate its eighth birthday April 3-10, 2008, the organizers of the Phoenix Film Festival must be proud of their young fest. In the eight short years since the event began, it has become the largest film festival in Arizona, a state with a burgeoning cinema scene.
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Paula Mazur Imagines Nim's Island
For most moviemakers, the only place to go after winning an Oscar, ACE and Emmy award is down—or rehab. But multi-hyphenate Paula Mazur is changing the rules. Best known as a producer, Mazur has spent the last three decades building a reputation as a moviemaker with a discerning eye for high-quality content, whether in television or film, fiction or documentary. After shifting gears to make her directorial debut in 1992, Mazur is adding a new title to her business card, this time as a screenwriter on Nim’s Island.
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Patricia Riggen Crosses Borders
Immigration has been a hot topic of debate in this country for the past decade (just ask Lou Dobbs) and with this fall’s election just around the corner, it may even be the deciding factor in determining our next president. But if you think that Patricia Riggen’s feature film debut, Under the Same Moon, is a controversial or political vehicle for discussing such views, think again.
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Idyllwild Arts Academy Nurtures Young Moviemakers
Many film artisans only begin their professional training in college or afterwards, without any previous formal experience in moviemaking. But Idyllwild Arts Academy, one of three arts-based boarding schools in the country, believes it's the earlier the better when it comes to learning one’s craft.
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Zak Penn's Grand Experiment in Comedy
In-demand screenwriter steps behind the camera for The Grand
Sure Zak Penn can write you a surefire blockbuster. He has proven that time and again with X-Men, Electra, Fantastic Four, etc. But that's not all he can do. The Grand, an improvisational comedy set in the world of competitive poker that he wrote and directed, contains neither a superhero nor a highfalutin special effect. But what the film lacks in terms of big-budget luxuries it makes up for with those erstwhile and less marketable traits: Intelligence, wit and originality.
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Zak Penn: Things I’ve Learned
"On the blockbuster summer movies, writing subplots that intersect with the main plot in the third act can be the difference between a good script and a bad one" and other lessons learned from one of Hollywood's most in-demand screenwriters.
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David Magee Lives for Miss Pettigrew
A self-described Midwestern boy from Michigan, screenwriter David Magee is frequenting Hollywood these days. Magee, who actually started as an actor and later honed his writing skills doing novel abridgments, scored both Oscar and Golden Globe nods for his “freshman” feature-length script, Finding Neverland. Now he awaits the release of his “sophomore” effort, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, starring Amy Adams and Frances McDormand, which he calls a lovely, light comedy.
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Virginia Stands Up for Moviemakers
The Commonwealth State has long held a distinctive position in the film industry. Its participation in such movies as D.W. Griffith’s America, Alfred Hitchcock’s Marnie and the Oscar-winning Giant, starring Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor, has been part of the draw that continually brings new and veteran moviemakers alike to join in the brotherhood that is Virginia’s moviemaking community.
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Deconstructing Penelope
Mark Palansky's philosophy of film
Blockbuster moviemaking would be the expected career path of one of Michael Bay's former employees, but Mark Palansky has never been one for doing the "expected" thing. In facting, spending the early part of his career on the sets of such big-budget projects as Armageddon, Pearl Harbor and The Island, helped this Toronto native make the most of a $12 million budget on the quirky Penelope.
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Enhance Your Education with SmartFlix
Looking to boost your moviemaking know-how, but not sure if film school is right for you? SmartFlix may be just what you’re looking for. A rental-by-mail service, SmartFlix specializes in instructional videos, and with a wide assortment of film-related titles, customers can check out videos on subjects ranging from screenwriting and directing to special effects to claymation and puppets.
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Colorado Film School Approaches Education from Every Angle
Colorado has a long history of film production, whether that is existing to serve the Western locales of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or the understated comedy of About Schmidt. It is a tradition and community that continues to be served today through the classes at the Colorado Film School. An offspring of the Community College of Aurora and the University of Colorado Denver, the school offers students a rounded curriculum in the way of both theory and production, explains school director Frederic Lahey.
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Love’s in the Air at the Romance in a Can Film Festival
Still trying to plan the perfect Valentine's Day? Whether you've got a special someone to spend it with—or are still on the lookout—Miami-area residents have a unique opportunity to turn the typical "dinner and a movie" date into something much more with the Romance in a Can Film Festival. Now in its second year, the Romance in a Can Film Festival puts a unique spin on the "genre fest" that we've seen so often with horror, sci-fi and comedy. Though based in Miami, Romance in a Can is a truly international event. Kicking off on February 10th, the festival will screen features from all over the world—including France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Finland and the gold old U. S. of A.
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Stephen Goldblatt's War on Film
In 2003, Goldblatt teamed up with director Mike Nichols to shoot the highly acclaimed HBO miniseries "Angels in America." Two years later, they worked together again on Closer. So when Nichols asked Goldblatt if he was interested in collaborating once again—on Charlie Wilson's War—the answer was a no-brainer. Not only was Goldblatt intrigued by the story (Nichols had recommend he read the book the film is based on several months earlier during lunch) and impressed by the cast (Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams among them), but he had found his previous outings with Nichols truly rewarding experiences. Goldblatt immediately said yes.
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TromaDance Film Festival Turns Nine!
When it comes to truly independent moviemaking, few studios have been doing it longer—or better—than New York City-based Troma Entertainment. So it's not surprising that the folks at Troma have been bringing more movies to the people in the form of the TromaDance Film Festival, an eight-day celebration of the wicked, weird and hysterically funny, happening in Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah this January 18 - 25th.
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Vittorio Storaro Paints With His Camera
The Oscar-winning DP channels Caravaggio
A frequent collaborator to moviemaking legends like Francis Ford Coppola and Bernardo Bertolucci, Vittorio Storaro is taking on one of the world's greatest artists with Caravaggio.
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CDIA Makes Media That Matters
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At the Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University, students can pursue studies in Digital Filmmaking, Photography, Audio Production and 3D Animation in a setting that honors the tried-and-true traditions of moviemaking while utilizing the newest technology.
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Geoffrey Richman Is No Slouch in the Cutting Room
Editor Geoffrey Richman’s credits include some of the most respected documentaries of the past few years, including SiCKO, God Grew Tired of Us: The Story of Lost Boys in Sudan and Murderball.
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Geoffrey Richman: Things I’ve Learned as a Moviemaker
"Finish a first cut as fast as possible" and other lessons from the editor of SiCKO, If I Didn't Care and May the Best Man Win.
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Hank Nelken: Things I’ve Learned as a Moviemaker
"Don't believe the hype" and other lessons from the writer-director behind Mama's Boy and Something Borrowed.
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In Theaters Now: Body of Lies, City of Ember, Quarantine, Happy-Go-Lucky & RocknRolla
Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott take Leonardo DiCaprio along for the ride on their gravy train while Bill Murray and Guy Ritchie aim for comebacks after Garfield and Swept Away, respectively.
Posted 10.10.08 | In Theaters Now | No comments yet...
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