Atlanta Film Fest 365

Secret Stash at HAPPY ENDING tonight

2010-04-23T10:03:00.001-04:00

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS DOCUMENTARY—SECRET TO A HAPPY ENDING

Friday night, 4/23 at 14th Street Playhouse, Atlanta

In addition to the film…YOUR ticket includes:

• Introduction by Oscar-winner and ATLFF alum Ray McKinnon (will director Scott Teems join him for a surprise announcement?)

• Post-film Q&A with director Barr Weissman, Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley and Jay Gonzalez

• Special intimate performance by DBT's Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley and Jay Gonzalez

• Gift bag that includes a limited edition bonus DVD with extras from the DBT doc EXCLUSIVELY burned for the ATL including live performance of "Sandwiches for the Road" and "Zip City"

• After-party at ARTMORE Hotel sponsored by Comcast, RED BRICK Brewery and BAREFOOT Wines.

(Heres a link to footage from last year's closing night party. Totally worth it:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPwZslTiQco[/youtube]

ALSO--use the code promotional code "FilmFest365" to receive a $10 discount--for ADVANCE PURCHASES only.

Tickets and Venue information here: http://www.woodruffcentertickets.org/center/ticket/reserve.aspx?perf=34099.

Not at Cannes

2009-05-13T16:15:00.006-04:00

Cannes started today without me yet again. The lineup looks particularly stacked with high profile filmmakers this year, and there also seems to be something of a horror bent to many of the titles. I will be looking forward to reading others' reports from Cannes and hopefully catching many of the films as they travel the festival circuit or perhaps find distribution in the United States. There is often not much to go on when looking at the lineup so I'm usually drawn to directors that I like or perhaps if something grabs me in the description. Perusing the program, here are 10 films I am most anxious to see (in alphabetical order).

Air Doll (Hirokazu Kore-Eda)
Based on a manga comic, Air Doll sounds a little bit like the surprisingly touching Lars and the Real Girl. It’s the story of a life-size blowup doll who develops a soul and falls in love with a video clerk. Kore-Eda is probably best known in the U.S. for the tender and heartbreaking Nobody Knows, and a similar touch seems appropriate here.

Antichrist (Lars Von Trier)
It sounds like a standard horror film: a grieving couple goes to their cabin in the woods as an escape to try to repair their relationship, but then things start to go badly as nature or the supernatural takes its course. But there’s no reason to expect anything “standard” from the director of Breaking the Waves, Dogville, and Dancer in the Dark among others. A trailer can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FHp5yDw38U.

Don’t Look Back (Marina De Van)
Marina De Van’s debut feature as a director, the self-cannibalism film In My Skin, examined themes such as identity and dissociation, and it appears that she continues those themes in her new film. Jeanne is a writer with a husband and two children, who begins to notice that her perception does not match the world around her and feels that her body is transforming though no one else seems to notice. A photograph motivates her to track down a woman in Italy, and there, completely physically transformed, she will learn the secret of her identity. Jeanne is played by both Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci in what is sure to be a mind-bender.

Enter the Void (Gaspar Noe)
Gaspar Noe hasn’t made a feature film since Irreversible in 2002. Perhaps the world needed that time to recover from that beautiful, harrowing film. He returns with the story of a brother and sister recently arrived in Tokyo, where he is a small time drug dealer and she works as a stripper. When he is killed, his spirit remains faithful to the promise he made to protect his sister and refuses to abandon the world of the living. The press notes promise that “Past, present and future merge in a hallucinatory maelstrom” which sounds like a good two hours of cinema to me.

Looking for Eric (Ken Loach)
Ken Loach is known for his films featuring everyman heroes and social realism. A past winner of the Golden Palm for The Wind That Shakes the Barley, I more associate him with films like My Name is Joe, Sweet Sixteen, and Ae Fond Kiss. In Looking for Eric, a down on his luck postman turns to soccer star Eric Cantona (playing himself) for advice and guidance. http://www.lookingforericmovie.co.uk/

Nobody Knows about Persian Cats (Bahman Ghobadi)
Iranian director Bahman Ghobadi has already established himself with films such as A Time for Drunken Horses, Marooned in Iraq, and Turtles Can Fly. He has generally focused on Kurdish people in his films and often features musicians as his main characters. Nobody Knows about Persian Cats follows a young man and woman who form a band and become underground musicians trying to leave for Europe to play the music they are unable to play in Iran.

Police, Adjective (Corneliu Porumboiu)
Corneliu Porumboiu, writer/director of 12:08 East of Bucharest (ATLFF 2007), returns with his follow-up film about a police officer assigned to perform surveillance on a teenager who is accused of selling pot. In the process of gathering evidence, the police officer also develops sympathy for the teen and is torn between his professional duty and not wanting to destroy this young man’s life. Romanian cinema has exploded in recent years, and this looks to be another worthy entry.

Thirst (Park Chan-Wook)
I’ve been a fan of Park Chan-Wook since stumbling across JSA: Joint Security Area, and that continued, of course, through his “revenge trilogy” of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, and Lady Vengeance. Here he takes on a vampire story, and from the looks of the trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG2NCsz1mFc), it could be a nice companion piece to last year’s Let the Right One In to provide a new look at the well-worn vampire genre.

To Die Like a Man (Joao Pedro Rodrigues)
Inspired by the real life of a Portuguese drag performer. Her star status is being threatened by younger performers, her boyfriend is pressuring her to undergo a sex change operation to turn her into a woman, and her son whom she abandoned as a child returns after going AWOL from the army. She and her boyfriend leave town and wind up lost in an enchanted forest where they come across an enigmatic figure who will reveal the secrets of life and transfiguration.

The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke)
You can always count on something interesting from Michael Haneke (Cache, The Piano Player, Funny Games). In a rural school in 1913 Germany strange accidents befall the students and residents and these accidents gradually take on the character of a ritual punishment and may relate to the rise of fascism.

Don't Forget To Change RSS Feed For This Blog

2009-01-18T12:06:00.003-05:00

Yes the Atlanta Film Festival 365 Blog has moved. It's now fully integrated into our home website. Be sure to subscibe to the New RSS Feed if you haven't already.

New Blog Hom e

New Home For Atlanta Film Fest 365 Blog

2008-11-21T15:12:00.003-05:00

Yes the Atlanta Film Festival 365 Blog has moved. It's now fully integrated into our home website.

New Blog Home

New Blog RSS Feed

Academy Awards Shortlist for Documentaries

2008-11-18T22:00:00.007-05:00

From indieWIRE:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have named 15 films that made the short-list in the Documentary Feature category for the 81st Academy Awards, whittling the number down from a record 94 that had originally qualified. Documentary Branch members will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles on the shortlist. The Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater, and the awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

The Fifteen films are:

"At the Death House Door, directed by Peter Gilbert and Steve James
"The Betrayal" (Nerakhoon), directed by Ellen Kuras
"Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh", directed by Roberta Grossman
"Encounters at the End of the World", directed by Werner Herzog
"Fuel", directed by Josh Tickell
"The Garden", directed by Scott Hamilton Kennedy
"Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts", directed by Scott Hicks
"I.O.U.S.A.", directed by Patrick Creadon
"In a Dream", directed by Jeremiah Zagar
"Made in America", directed by Stacy Peralta
"Man on Wire", directed by James Marsh
"Pray the Devil Back to Hell", directed by Gini Reticker
"Standard Operating Procedure", directed by Errol Morris
"They Killed Sister Dorothy", directed by Daniel Junge
"Trouble the Water", directed by Carl Deal and Tia Lessin

Get the latest coverage of awards season in indieWIRE's special section.

At The Death House Door won the Grand Jury Award for Documentary at 2008 Atlanta Film Festival. The film's directors, Peter Gilbert and Steve James, were also honored at the 2008 IMAGE Film Gala Awards. The filmmaking duo previously nominated for the Oscar for Hoop Dreams, in 1995.

(Steve James, Peter Gilbert and Ric Reitz - photo courtesy of Bob Mahoney)

2008 Screenplay Retreat Finito

2008-11-17T11:23:00.009-05:00

It's hard to believe, but it's been two months since I wrote this on the blog: "The fundamental element of 99 percent of all narrative filmmaking is the screenplay. You can say the director is the beating heart of a film. We're going to adamantly say it's 110 pages of paper and ink. The power a well written script can have to attract talent and to inspire passion isn't the stuff of legends, it's the truth."

Well those scripts did attract some serious talent to Atlanta this weekend. From our industry mentors who have been involved in some of the most influential projects of the last 30 years, to our winning screenwriters whose varied backgrounds, scripts and awards ensure that the world of film, hell, media in general, will never be bereft of great stories.

Also on display this weekend was the power these scripts had in bringing 12 strangers from around the country to the ATL for an experience that created new friendships and networking opportunities. You know you're in friend territory when you...okay me...have had your ass spanked by both fest director Dan and Miracole, wife of our Perfect Pitch operator Chris Burns (pictured below in uniform), on the dance floor in front of the screenwriters. Or, enter into a can't-be-repeated conversation with both a screenwriter and a mentor that starts innocently with a pants leg zipper being unzipped. (Again me) Yes, we kept this prestigious retreat respectful and above board the entire weekend.

The entire weekend moves much too quickly.

I'd like to name everyone involved with this weekend, but unfortunately, the list is way, way too long. It takes a small company of soldiers to pull a weekend like this off. When it's all said and done, by my count, there's literally over a 100 people who were involved in this competition and retreat. From the script readers and folks who provided coverage, to the folks who helped promote it, to the actors who read.

I'd like to thank Sandy Corley (pictured on the right) for hosting the Friday night reception at her home for the screenwriters and mentors. You know the night's a success when the writers and mentors opt to walk back to the hotel together as a group. It's that kind of Southern hospitality that sucks people right in and makes them comfortable enough to let their guard down (which is a must, because the next day is when the critiquing and mentoring happens in earnest).

I'd also like to thank Drew Fransen and Hotel Midtown for hosting our group again this year. Having a host hotel that you know will do whatever it can to make your guests feel welcome is key.

As a venue, the weekend wouldn't have been what is without the Margaret Mitchell House and staff. Gracie Gummere and her crew were accommodating, friendly and again, demonstrated what Southern Hospitality is all about. Working hand in hand with the Margaret Mitchell House just reinforces how much writing is at the center of this weekend. And having our reading in the space couldn't have gone better. Is it no surprise that our collaboration continues into the New Year with some of our Winter/Spring screenwriting classes?

Huge thanks to Chris Burns who hosted Perfect Pitch: Elevator Edition. Believe it our not, we added this easily 15 minute component to this year's reading and we actually had an event that was almost 20 minutes shorter than last year. Between our mentors, who were definitely game, Dan and Burns, it was an event that was not only fun, but added an injection of energy that kept the show flowing.

Shout out to the actors at the reading. The list is entirely too long, so what I'm going to do is upload the program and link to it. As usual, Atlanta's talent brought their "A" game.

Other thanks to Turner; Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment; Delta; Georgia Council for the Arts; Fulton County Arts Council; National Endowment for the Arts; Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs; Metro Atlanta Arts Fund; Atlanta Convention & Vistitors Bureau; Inktip.com and the members of Atlanta Film Festival 365.

Lastly, thanks to Joel Zwick, J.T. Petty, Anne Hubbell, Stephen Israel, Morgan J. Freeman, and Carly Hugo. These mentors where gracious with their time and advice. Without them this weekend wouldn't be what it is.

ATL Film Fest Alums McKinnon and Goggins land AMC series

2008-11-13T08:48:00.005-05:00

Ray McKinnon and Lisa Blount are joined by Walton Goggins to celebrate the Oscar win for "The Accountant" as best live-action short. The film qualified for its Oscar by winning the Atlanta Film Festival

AMC, Johnson to 'Rectify' drama
Network to develop legal show
By MIKE FLAHERTY

AMC is developing a legal-themed drama with "Breaking Bad" exec producer Mark Johnson.
Walton Goggins, of FX's "The Shield," is set to star in "Rectify" as a man released from a lengthy prison term after being exonerated by DNA evidence.

Script was penned by Ray McKinnon, who won an Oscar for his 2001 live-action short "The Accountant."

McKinnon will exec produce along with Johnson. Goggins is set to co-exec produce along with Stephen Kay.

"Ray McKinnon's script beautifully weaves together the legal drama surrounding a wrongful conviction into a great character-driven family drama," said Christina Wayne, AMC's senior veep of scripted series and miniseries.

Johnson has been a key player in AMC's push into original series as one of the stewards of "Breaking Bad." The gritty drama earned an Emmy for star Bryan Cranston in September.

In addition to "Rectify," AMC's series development slate includes a fantasy drama "Red Mars," based on the classic sci-fi tome by Kim Stanley Robinson.

Read the full article at Variety

Project Direct: Sundance Speed Filmmaking Competition

2008-11-12T17:04:00.002-05:00

Sundance and Youtube announce: Project Direct a new speed film making competition. See the introduction below from PI and THE WRESTLER director Darren Aronofsky:

How funny this should be announced on the same day the Onion announced a YouTube Contest Challenging Users to Make a 'Good' Video:

Will New President Mean New Media and a New Hollywood?

2008-11-12T13:42:00.007-05:00

Fundraising to getting out the vote, no other presidential candidate has used the Internet to fuel their campaign the way President-Elect Barack Obama did. And the speed that he had change.gov up and running is further indications that an Obama presidency will use the Internet as an integral tool in communicating with the public.

But what does an Obama presidency mean for media and Hollywood?

Considering that Obama wants to push for further diversification in media, create a cabinet level post of chief technology officer, expand broadband access for the nation and believes the U.S. isn't creating enough high, what we could be seeing is the ground work for a New Hollywood.

With a CTO focused on creating new security measures for the U.S. at large, combined with a more robust Internet, the underpinnings of ever more secure methods of distributing movies across the country and overseas could be possible.

As audiences crave programing that speaks to them, diversification, in combination with a technology shift, could see the already astounding number of voices explode in unimagined ways. Diversification, depending on how it's implemented (so much of new media doesn't fall under FCC rule) could mean that the media conglomerates' continued stranglehold on distribution could become more egalitarian. Smaller companies finally getting a foot into door that is notoriously narrow.

It's hard to say what the future will look like. Howevever, with a blackberry addicted, flickr using President at the helm, we could be looking at the impetus of a web 3.0.

(photo: LA Times)

ATL Film Fest @ GPP Fundraiser

2008-11-11T11:38:00.005-05:00

Last week Georgia Production Partnership held it's annual "Made in Georgia" fundraiser at Magick Lantern Studios.

Positioned at the intersection of art, culture and commerce, the Atlanta Film Festival champions shared community experiences, fosters the free exchange of ideas, and nurtures the development of a thriving industry.

The Atlanta Film Festival demonstrates leadership in the field by acting as the creative hub between film lovers, independent film makers, and the industry. As such, we were there to represent:

Managing director Paula Martinez with Board Member Ashley Epting (Producer, The Hill; Harry's Pig Shop & Epting Events)

Ashley dives into a shot with Programming manager Elizabeth Ingram

Board Member Pete Ballard (Lab 601)

Board Member Linda Burns and JD Taylor

Youth Filmmaking Opportunity

2008-11-10T14:40:00.002-05:00

Looking for hands-on experience shooting with digital video
cameras, non-linear editing, scriptwriting and storyboarding?

Join the FUEL Media Explorer Post program to develop
leadership and communication skills, which wil help you speak
out about issues that matter to you.

From Nov. 2008 to May 2009, FUEL Media will provide a series
of workshops for young people (ages 15-18) to create a variety of
public service announcements, studio projects, community forums
and screenings. These activities will give particpants an
opportunity to address topics of community development, cultural
enrichment and personal growth.

To download your application today, visit
www.peopletv.org/ptv_youth.html and return via fax or e-mail to
404-874-3239 / antoine@peopletv.org

Watch 2007 Alum Soldiers of Conscience Online

2008-11-10T11:07:00.007-05:00

Soldiers of Conscience premiered at the 2007 Atlanta Film Festival and is now streaming online till November 18. It's a powerful film that asks some tough questions about war and the effects killing can have on soldiers. Watch Now

Synopsis : Soldiers of Conscience is a dramatic window on the dilemma of individual U.S. soldiers in the current Iraq war — when their finger is on the trigger and another human being is in their gunsight. Made with cooperation of the U.S. Army and narrated by Peter Coyote, the film profiles eight American soldiers, including four who decide not to kill, and become conscientious objectors and four who believe in their duty to kill if necessary. The film reveals all of them wrestling with the morality of killing in war, not as a philosophical problem, but as soldiers experience it — a split-second decision in combat that can never be forgotten or undone.

THE VISITOR is coming back to visit once more!

2008-11-05T15:44:00.019-05:00

Just announced by Active Voice and ACLU Of Georgia! THE VISITOR is back in Atlanta for limited screenings at various college campuses around town, with the first one scheduled for this Thursday! Made possible with support from Active Voice, the ACLU of Georgia is presenting these screenings in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Each event is additionally being co-sponsored by a number of other human rights groups.

THE VISITOR, as many of you know, premiered in Georgia as the closing night film of the 2008 Atlanta Film Festival back in April. It eventually had a theatrical run and screened at limited venues this Summer with no more screenings since then in the area...UNTIL NOW! There are 4 encore opportunities to see this film on the big screen so if you missed it at our festival or this Summer, go out and support human rights while getting to see a great film!

THE VISITOR will be screening on:

Thursday, Nov. 6th, 7 p.m., PushPush Theater; post-screening discussions with Azadeh Shahshahani, ACLU of Georgia. Sponsored by: The ACLU of Georgia, Georgia for Democracy, Amnesty International, and many other human rights groups

-Tuesday, Nov. 11th, 6 p.m., Morehouse College, Wheeler Hall, Room 236; post-screening discussions with Azadeh Shahshahani, ACLU of Georgia and a former detainee will also be a guest and participate in discussion and q&a. Sponsored by: The ACLU of Georgia, Morehouse Sociological Association, Morehouse Philosophy & Religion Society, and other Morehouse student groups

-Wednesday, Nov. 12th, 7 p.m., Emory University, White Hall, Room 206; post-screening discussions with Herbert Abdul, former immigration detainee and Azadeh Shahshahani, ACLU of Georgia. Sponsored by: The ACLU of Georgia, ACLU Emory chapter, Amnesty International Emory chapter, Emory South Asian Law Student Association

-Wednesday, Nov. 19th, Georgia State University campus, location and time TBD. Sponsored by: The ACLU of Georgia, Amnesty International Georgia State chapter

Don't Stress Election Night - Boozer Doodle at the Vortex

2008-11-03T15:20:00.004-05:00

Tuesday, November 4th- Boozer Doodle is Election Night Headquarters!

Join our new electoral emcees Elizabeth and Jenny from the Gorgeous Ladies of Comedy as they bring you the groundbreaking results of our nations' biggest political party! Get your sketchbook ballots ready to rock the vote as Dames Aflame performer Shockaboom shakes the room with her own special campaign contributions. This is one battleground state that can't be missed!

http://www.damesaflame.com/
http://www.gorgeousladiesofcomedy.com/

Check out our new website for pictures from the last event and new
information for this upcoming Tuesday!

http://www.boozerdoodle.com

So vote early & we will see you there!

When: Tuesday, November 4, 2008 7:30 PM
Where: The Vortex Bar & Grill
878 Peachtree St. NE
Atlanta GA 30309

NEW TICKET INFO - PLEASE READ
Tickets are sold at the door for $10 bucks on the night of the event.
Front row tables for $13. (cash only)
Paid parking lot across the street ($2.50)

Out On Film: All Grown Up

2008-11-01T13:32:00.015-04:00

ATL icon Ru Paul closes OUT 2007's Out On Film screening of STARRBOOTY!

More than a few folks have been asking about the current status of Out On Film, and how The Atlanta Film Festival (nee IMAGE) will be involved in its future. So, I figured I'd offer an update.

Over the course of the past two and half years, I've blogged about the challenges (crisis?) facing LGBT Film Festivals:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/gabe/archive/017768.html

The problem is compounded by the recent theatrical success of a film like Noah's Arc.

On 5 screens, "Arc" grossed $161,302, averaging an astounding $32,260. The film opened in New York (Chelsea), Los Angeles (Sunset 5), Chicago (Century Centre Cinema), Atlanta (Landmark Midtown), and Washington, DC (E Street Cinema). Not only was its average among the best of 2008 (it's just a few $100 behind "Rachel Getting Married"'s fall season benchmark average earlier this month), it also is already 2008's highest grossing narrative gay film overall (beating Regent Releasing's "Shelter," which grossed $142,666 this Spring).

Such stories bode well for the future of LGBT cinema, but complicate the prospects for LGBT Film Festivals.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/gabe/archive/013959.html

The more LGBT films find success in the marketplace, on broadcast outlets and On Demand outlets like Logo and hereTV!, the more important it is for events like Out On Film to focus on the development of the community!

A successful LGBT Film Festival MUST, first and foremost, serve the needs of the COMMUNITY. While content remains important, the event MUST be on par with a community event like Atlanta Pride! if it is going to succeed long term.

As part of an ambitious strategic plan, the Atlanta Film Festival began to transition Out On Film back into the hands of LGBT community leaders. (This plan returns Out On Film back to its original mission...IMAGE was never intended to be the sole presented of Out On Film, but rather had been invited to advise with the film festival production aspects of the event.)

As described in this article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution (back when the paper had film critics on the rolls), IMAGE envisioned a partnership that involved a multi-year hand off:

"While Image will be "stewards" for this year's Out on Film —- to be held Nov. 6-9 —- and participate in the call for entries and film selections, the event will move to Theatre Decatur, which will become one of the fest's major players, Wardell says. Also involved will be Carma Productions Inc., which annually prints guides to events such as Atlanta Pride....Ideally what we'd like to see happen is for a lot more of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community leaders to take ownership of the event," Wardell says. "We can continue to give guidance, but Out on Film needs a community. We're using as a model the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, which has such a large base and sponsorship support."

Since this article first appeared in the AJC in May, there have been significant changes to this plan (as reported in Southern Voice.)

An Oct. 3 press release confirms again that IMAGE Film & Video released Out on Film, Atlanta’s gay and lesbian film festival, to a new group in control of the event since May. It also states the new board recently voted to decline IMAGE’s offer to help with resources and guidance and formed its own entity, Out on Film, Inc.

What the release doesn’t say is that the new organization will not produce a festival in 2008. Out on Film is traditionally held at the end of October or in early November. ...Once we settle on the dates in the very near future, we will start holding fundraising screenings.”

Out on Film is now run by several gay business owners, including Advantage Graphics & Signs, Brushstrokes, Carma Productions, Labrys Magazine, the Gay Community Yellow Pages, and Theatre Decatur.

Good news! On the NEW Web site, Out On Film 21's dates and venue have been announced:

Mark your calendar

The 2009 Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (2009 AGLFF) will be held May 28 - 31, 2009 at the Plaza Theatre.

Please join our mailing list to be kept informed of upcoming events, movie screenings, festival information, and community involvement.

Congratulations to the NEW Out On Film. We couldn't be happier to see our baby all grown up.

All said, it is IMPORTANT for the me to stress the following point: The Atlanta Film Festival will continue to showcase significant and important works by for and about the LGBT community. In the 2007 Atlanta Film Festival, the festival showcased a strand of Out On Film content and issued the first PINK PEACH AWARD to celebrate superior LGBT filmmaking, as covered in Southern Voice. (Such prizes are issued at International Fests like Berlin and Venice...to the best of our knowledge, we are the first U.S. fest to follow suit.)

The ultimate goal of this move is to allow Out On Film to thrive--just as the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival has succeeded under the guidance and stewardship of a dedicated (and vested!) community.

This past year, the Atlanta Film Festival has provided our members numerous LGBT themed opportunities this year--including in person appearances by Alan Ball (TOWELHEAD) and Kimberly Pierce (STOP LOSS).

We'll continue to pursue screenings of interest to the LGBT community: in fact, we have a select cache of passes to a sneak preview of Gus Van Sant's MILK.

The first 10 folks who renew (or sign up for a new!) Atlanta Film Festival 365 Membership (click here) and email me at gabe[at]AtlantaFilmFestival[dot]com with the header "Milk: Out On Film Renewal" will be officially RSVP'd for our MILK sneak preview.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T11:34:00.006-04:00

Another Marquee event.

Lucy?!!! You got a lot of 'splainin'to do!

Thanks to the Plaza, FEARnet and Comcast for making Demon & Zombie Night such a monster success!

Did you miss out?

Order scary films from FEARnet On Demand…on Halloween, or anytime! FREE to Comcast Digital Cable customers!

Joakin Phoenix to quit acting?

2008-10-29T17:11:00.003-04:00

It vexes me. I'm terribly vexed...

I quit

Joaquin Phoenix: Quitting acting or Acting like he's quitting?

Joaquin Phoenix, the twice Oscar-nominated star of Gladiator and the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, has announced his decision to retire from acting to pursue a career in music.

Phoenix said this to a presenter for US celebrity TV show Extra at a benefit for a Paul Newman-backed charity in San Francisco last night. Phoenix had been on stage performing with Hollywood glitterati such as Julia Roberts, Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Warren Beatty, Danny DeVito and Sean Penn in a one-off production of Ernest Hemingway's The World of Nick Adams.

"I want to take this opportunity ... also to give you the exclusive and just talk a little bit about the fact that this will be my last performance as an actor," Phoenix told the shocked reporter. "I'm not doing films any more." The actor's representative later confirmed the news.

Netflix HD Streams Coming to Xbox

2008-10-29T12:46:00.005-04:00

Dear Santa,

I want an Xbox and an HD TV for Christmas. No, not for playing games - for watching HD streaming movies from Netflix. Well, I heard that they're making TVs that will be able to stream on demand via an internet connection and have an interactive component (via Tru2way), so maybe I don't need the Xbox. Hmmmmm, although, I think I would like to play some games too.... so, yeah, go ahead and throw the Xbox in there.

Milk and Cookies will be waiting for you beside the fireplace.

Yours Truly,
Paula

I just saw this in the New York Times:

Netflix HD Streams Coming to Xbox
By CHRIS ALBRECHT, GigaOm
Published: October 29, 2008

The Netflix hits just keep on comin’. We’ve known for a while that the movie rental company was going to make its streaming service available to Xbox 360 users. But what we didn’t know is that it was going to offer movies in HD. Hot diggety, the battle for your TV just got wayyyy more exciting.

Gadget sites Gizmodo and Engadget got a preview of the can’t-come-soon-enough (it’s being released on Nov. 19) update of the Xbox Live service, the “New Xbox Experience.” Part of the upgrade includes the Netflix capability, which appears to work similarly to the Roku’s Netflix player in terms of design and functionality.

But as Engadget discovered, the NetfliXbox has the Roku beat (and the other Netflix streaming partners, LG and Samsung Blu-Ray players) by offering high definition streaming. Unfortunately there aren’t any further details at this time (does it incorporate Microsoft’s Silverlight like Netflix on the Mac?). We’ll just have to wait until Nov. 19, when its released.

This could be a game-changer in a couple of ways. It helps accelerate Netflix into a leadership position among those offering digital movie and TV delivery as the combination of HD plus an all-you-can eat movie subscription is an offer that’s hard to refuse. And having a streaming video solution could finally give Microsoft something it’s been salivating over forever — getting a stronger foothold in your living room beyond just gamers.

Despite all this coolness, the Netflix service still has one huge hurdle to overcome, and that’s content. Even though it’s signing new deals, the library of content still has a long way to go before it becomes compelling.

It's the Great Pumpkin, ATL!

2008-10-29T11:16:00.004-04:00

Mad props to Jeanette Gregory (our Membership Specialist) for carving this awesome ATL365 Pumpkin!

BOO!!!

Have you renewed your membership? (She's crafty with a knife!)

Have you RSVP'd for Demon and Zombie Night? (Our free Double Feature Screening of Exorcism of Emily Rose & Resident Evil at the Plaza Theatre on Thursday, October 30, at 7:30 PM?)

It's FREE.

There will be prizes!

Xtacles Preview from Atlanta's 70/30

2008-10-29T08:08:00.002-04:00

Atlanta is not only home to Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, but it's also home to a large concentration of animation houses. One of those is Studio 70/30, which has become a staple on Adult Swim with its shows Frisky Dingo and Sealab:2021. Now 70/30 is back with The Xtacles a spin off of Frisky Dingoand you can watch a preview up above. The show premieres on Adult Swim November 9th.

What Is Fringe?

2008-10-28T18:39:00.010-04:00

Fringe is an amazing cultural experience.

The program starts in the court yard with casual mix of fellowship, food, music and a cash bar.

The courtyard also includes video installations, and other surprises.

Meanhile DJ Little Jen spins an eclectic ambient mix...

The show begins with a film..

...a real (reel?) 16mm film projected for all to enjoy.

The films are followed by a short documentary about the musicians, leading to an amazing chamber music performance!

The performance is anything but stuffy. You'll be mesmerized. Feel free to clap. Cheer. Enjoy!

The next Fringe concert on November 8th! The performance will feature The Vega String Quartet performing Beethoven's Quartet in C Major and Bartok's String Quartet No. 1 in A Minor.

YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS!

I have programmed three 16mm shorts, including two silent films in honor of Beethoven who deigned to "make no secret of your deafness, not even in your art."

The program includes Cat Film For Katy and Cynnie, by Standish Lawder and Nightcats by Stan Brakhage (the most imporartant experiemntal filmmaker of the 20th Century.)

Don’t wait to try and get tickets after this concert sells out!

Click here to buy your tickets.

Additionally, the organizers want to keep Fringe affordable for everyone. Tickets are cheap. But if you are able, become a "Friend of Fringe" by donating online at FringeAtlanta.org or by paying more than the minimum for your ticket via TicketAlternative.com.

We look forward to seeing you November 8th!

Where the Dexter Fans at?

2008-10-28T16:39:00.007-04:00

Jennifer Carperter, Dexter's potty-mouthed, romantically challenged sister on the cult hit DEXTER...

...stars in THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE...

...which will featured as part of our DEMON AND ZOMBIE APPRECIATION NIGHT...

...this Thursday, October 30 at 7:30pm at the Plaza theatre.

Comcast is also providing DVDs (and other cool give-aways) but you gots to dress up in a cool costume to qualify.

To guarantee your seat, send an RSVP for you (and up to 3 friends) to rsvp@atlantafilmfestival.com

Is anyone as creeped out by the fact that brother and sister Deb and Dexter Morgan are dating in real life?

(I thought he was still dating Keith, right?)

Savannah Film Festival (Step and Repeat)

2008-10-27T13:02:00.002-04:00

Striking a Pose at Savannah

A Marquee Event

Third Annual Atlanta-Indo American Film Festival

2008-10-24T11:17:00.005-04:00

This weekend the Atlanta Indo-American Film Festival starts. It's going to be 5 weekends of films from India and the Indian Diaspora. It's getting cold outside and if you're looking for a good place to escape to to get warm, think about hitting the festival one of these weekends. Some of the films that have us in the office intrigued are Sita Sings the Blues and Lions of Punjab. And if you missed The Wold Unseen at the 2008 Atlanta Film Festival here's your chance to catch it again.

Full Schedule

The third annual Atlanta Indo-American Film Festival
will take place in Atlanta from October 25th through November 22nd , 2008. Presented by the Indo-American Film Society, the festival will be a fascinating five-weekend long journey into independent Indian cinema. The Atlanta Indo-American Film Festival will feature screenings of new independent films and select mainstream films, discussions with film makers, parties, and a gala. Screenings will include both feature length and short films from India and the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Diaspora, in Narrative and Documentary styles, from a variety of established and upcoming directors. A panel of expert judges will review the top films and announce winners in various categories. Films will be screened at distinguished locations in Atlanta: High Museum of Art, Emory University, Kennesaw State University, Georgia State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology (GA Tech).

Serious Actors Wear Facial Hair and Bleed- Pride & Glory vs. Body of Lies

2008-10-24T09:27:00.009-04:00

I was at Atlantic Station to see a movie a few weeks ago and when I looked up I saw two giant banners tucked in the corner. One was for Body of Lies and the other was for Pride & Glory.

And there in all their 4 foot giant head awesomeness was Edward Norton and Leonardo Dicaprio, their faces adorned with hair. Their furrowed brows indicating that their characters were wrestling with complex moral and ethical issues. Read: Serious. Read: Important. Read: Pretentious.

Can't you just hear the interview in your head? "See it's a metaphor. Half my face is hidden. We live in the shadows and a beard is a metaphorical half-shadow. A metaphorical half-shadow that's located where words come out. Words out of shadows. Is it truth coming out of the shadows or lies?"

I'm not sure if you've seen the trailer for either film, but I think they're just godawful in the way they don't communicate anything about the plot or story in either film. Body of Lies is the most egregious, with its quick cuts. And Pride's is just plain insulting with the hip hop soundtrack that's supposed to indicate that it's gritty. Hear that penetrating bass, this is hard hitting drama at its best. To reinforce how much the trailers are trying to hide, is the dismal 50% score for Body and the 31% score for Pride on Rottentomatoes.

So let this be a warning to you, if you see either Ed or Leo donning facial hair, be forewarned. There's serious acting and probably poor script choice ahead. Which is never a good combination.

Should I See W In the Theaters?

2008-10-23T08:00:00.003-04:00

Back in the 90s, when independent film exploded and well regarded classics and obscure cult films could be found in small hole in the wall stores, tucked in the oddest places, I caught up on a lot of flicks. From Hong Kong action flicks starring Jackie Chan and directed by John Woo, to French New Wave Cinema, I saw hundreds of films that the average American had never heard of.

One, that quite a few people probably already were aware of was Micheal Moore's Roger & Me. Maybe if I had rented it and watch it with my boys, who like me enjoyed the hunt for something different, I might have finished the film.

To this day, I just can't finish a Michael Moore film. I find him smug. His conclusions, derived from very few facts, annoy the hell out of me. And the fact that he sounds exactly like the folks he's denouncing, only proves to me how a like conservatives and liberals are. To be fair, the only Moore film I haven't given a chance is Bowling for Columbine.

For me, the best political films have always been like a Rorschach test. Liberal or conservative, you watch the film and fundamentally you agree with all the basic tenets in the film (freedom of the press, serving your country is patriotic and noble, etc.). However, once you start comparing that film to the world at large, it's where you find the antecedents that reflect what you believe.

It's that ability for a film to outlive the politics of its time to be applicable to any time period, any situation, that makes a film about politics great and intriguing.

This is probably why a film like A Man for All Seasons, after 40 years and set 600 years ago, is still such a powerful film. Thomas More standing against King Henry VII as the later rejects the Catholic church to meet his own needs could easily be Kennedy standing against his own Military during the Cuban Missile crisis. With all the conservatives backing Obama because of McCain's choice of running mate and how they've perceived his campaign, conservative intellectuals could easily be More and McCain could be King Henry VII. Even Hillary supporters who haven't come on board for Obama could be seen as been very More like. And yes Obama would be the King Henry in that sitch.

Everything I've seen of W. and read, says that the film isn't a blunt cinematic clubbing of our current President. Yet everything I've read also says that the film isn't all that insightful either. It sounds like that in 50 years, no one is going to be using W. as a Roscarch test to gage the political temperature of a room. Which is a shame. I may be a soft gooey liberal inside my heart, but my brain enjoys being challenged by ideas and concepts from all political spectrums.

While I'd like to avoid films like Michael Moore's, even though I probably agree with 90% of his conclusions, I'm even less likely to enjoy a film that seems to arouse no passions in me at all. So no, I guess I won't be seeing Oliver Stone's new flick. Too bad. The Angry Black Man in me hasn't been fed in a while and he's hungry for a good film.

Ice Ice Baby...Redux

2008-10-21T15:20:00.002-04:00

So, after admiring the Ice Sculpture at the PC&E Party, I'd be remiss if I didn't showcase the Ice Sculpture celebrating the Woodruff's 40th.

Avant Garden I: A Succesful Beginning

2008-10-21T11:46:00.008-04:00

Since I've become an active member of the Atlanta Film Community, I've gotten to know a lot of folks and become friends with them. Over the last few years, I can pretty safely say that if I go to any event or organization, there's a chance there's going to be at least one friendly face that can help ease me into the crowd. But, that took attending a lot of separate events and running around over a few years.

(Okay, this blog is already starting out a little more dry than I'd like. Which it isn't. Really. Look at the people laughing in photo number 2. See. Not dry. Down below that. Local filmmaker and proud new father Pat Clark is giving us the thumbs up. NOT DRY!)

For people who are new to Atlanta, new to filmmaking, for arts professionals who are consistently working and for those who are just patrons of the arts, running to multiple events every month doesn't make sense. (And in Atlanta traffic, is probably bucking for a stress related heartattack) And there are times when you want to network with little emphasis on the work. Then are the folks who sometimes wonder if an event is even for them.

Why not have one place where you can meet and hang with folks? Why not have one event that attempts to encompass all that Atlanta has to offer, but do it in a more social environment that's open to everyone and anyone.

That's the philosophy behind Avant Garden. Not simply to have an event that has some educational component, but to create an event that can bring together a critical mass of organizations and people. To create something that's interactive and not just a passive experience. To have an event that allows people to just come out and have a few casual drinks with other like minded individuals. And to have FUN. Huge emphasis on fun.

To those ends, I can say Avant Garden I this past Thursday was a success.

People got to drink--$2 PBR, nuff said--and mingle. Our Improv teacher Josh Warren brought some of his acting buddies and folks who drifted in the classroom got to do some improv with them. There was our blog confessional that allowed people to unburden a cinematic sin or two. And curator Stuart Horodner of The Contemporary, our partners in this new venture, was able to give gallery tours of The Contemporary's space. (If you haven't, come out and see their current exhibition which is part of Atlanta Celebrate's Photography and see 35 years of Contemporary history)

We're already gearing up for the Avant Garden II on November 20 and we're hoping to see you there. If not then, then for the next one. And if not that one, then the next one after that. And if not that one...

Ice Ice Baby...at PC&E Party

2008-10-20T17:01:00.003-04:00

Celebrating PC&E's 25th anniversary with BBQ and Cole Slaw and Iced Tea and Ice Sculpture!

Paula Martinez, Me (with Gustav) and my wife Trin

Little G had a great time. Thanks for the hospitality! Best wishes for 25 more!

Multi-talented Local Filmmaker Featured in Access Atlanta

2008-10-20T12:41:00.009-04:00

Check out this latest article available online in Access Atlanta as local filmmaker, Phoebe Brown, is spotlighted as a dual winner for her STILL photography? Most know her as a moving picture gal, but apparently she is now being recognized for her still photography as well. It also tells of her latest documentary project with Coca Cola that premiered in Beijing this Summer with other local co-filmmaker, Micah Stansell (who also had a short this year in our festival called A Convolution Of Imagined Histories).

Eventhough the article is primarily about recent kudos regarding her still photography, it's also mentions her latest short, 99 To 1, which has had a successful festival circuit run this year, playing not only at our own Atlanta Film Festival back in April, but also at the Ashville Film Festival, The Big Muddy Film Festival, Reel Women Film Festival, Rome International Film Festival, Rocky Mountain Women's Film Festival, and the San Diego Women's Film Festival, to name a few.

If you missed seeing it locally at either the Atlanta Film Festival or the Rome International Film Festival, you have one more chance as there is a screening of local shorts through GSU, called EXPOSURE 2008, so you can still see Phoebe's short as well as Micah Stansell's short (mentioned above) and many other locally-produced shorts, AND IT'S FREE! Check out http://dael.gsu.edu:16080/exposure/ for more info on this two-night screening event.

Oh, and check out Phoebe's photography at the local Mason Murer Gallery starting on Nov. 14th!

Confessing at PC&E Party this weekend

2008-10-20T10:03:00.001-04:00

What up with this?

Confessing With the Atlanta Film Festival

2008-10-17T11:30:00.004-04:00

Last night at Avant Garden we had our first Confessional. The topic: Confess Your Cinematic Sin - Name the Worse Movie You Ever Watched.

Local Shorts Screening At The Rialto Is Another Chance To See Films That Screened At The Atlanta Film Festival this year!

2008-10-16T15:55:00.019-04:00

EXPOSURE 2008, a screening that will take place at The Rialto next week, will spotlight a selection of projects by Georgia State University's Department Of Communication alumni, faculty, and students. The student films are finalists selected by faculty and student peers for their annual STUDENT ACADEMY AWARD.

You may recognize alot of these films, as these creative works have screened in international and national festivals, on national television broadcasts, and in museums and galleries, including the Atlanta Film Festival this year, so if you missed them, you have another chance to see them. AND THE SCREENING IS FREE!

The Film Schedule:

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23rd
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Program:

Theme: Personal Constructions
A Convolution of Imagined Histories (9 minutes) Micah Stansell
Bear Woman Transformation (3 minutes) Chanju Lee
Found (10.5 minutes) Sherri Larsen

Theme: Love and Damage
Bent (7 minutes) Suban Dey
Disclosures (23 minutes) Sheldon Schiffer

Theme: Magical Worlds
Troll Picnic (10.5 minutes) Torey Haas
Going to the Beach (15.5 minutes) Elizabeth Strickler
The Adventure (22 minutes) Michael Brune

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2008
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Program:

Theme: Memories and Passions
Blame Falls (22 minutes) Ly Bolia
Paper, Flowers and Ashes (23 minutes) Melissa Posse
Thirty-three (29 minutes) Parker Davis

Theme: Struggles of Existence
99 to 1: Ovarian Cancer and Me (19 minutes) Phoebe Brown
Weaving Life (30 minutes) Roberto Arevalo

These films represent various genres, approaches, and subjects so there is something for everyone, so come out one or both of these nights to see what has been deemed the best of the best at Georgia State this year! For more info about these screenings, go to http://dael.gsu.edu/exposure

Atlanta Film Festival Alum Honored by WIFTA Tonight

2008-10-16T14:06:00.003-04:00

Tonight is WIFTA's 34th Anniversary Gala and among the honorees is Baily Barash, and we're beyond ecstatic. This past April her film The Aids Chronicles -Here to Represent played the 2008 festival. And in 2006, she was a finalist for the Southeastern Media Award also with The Aids Chronicles.

For those who don't know, Aids has become a devestating disease in the African American community. What Baily does with the film isn't so much to focus on the devestation but to highlight the people in the Atlanta community who are dealing with this epidemic. At times funny and sad, it's an illumaniting piece about Atlanta and folks touched by Aids.

As with Rapid i Movement and all the other things we do here, we're always excited to do what we can to not only support the films that played here, but also to highlight what Atlanta filmmakers are doing. Baily has made the film available for educational use and if you want to purchase a copy be sure to visit http://www.bbarash.com/bb_newrelease.htm (You know, you can always find out about donating a copy to your local school or church).

If you see Baily at the Gala tonight, be sure to stop and congratulate her.

Humanitarian Award
Bailey Barash
Documentary Filmmaker & Journalist
bbarash productions LLC

Confessional?

2008-10-16T12:16:00.002-04:00

Tonight at AVANT GARDEN, our FREE monthly networking/social, you will have the opportunity to confess!

What does this mean?

Back in the 60's at Warhol's Silver factory...

...one of the staples was a photo booth, which, according to Mark Francis in 'Still-Life: Andy Warhol's Photography as a form of Metaphysics'

"resembles that of the Catholic confessional, translated into the profane environment of the railway terminal, the street, or the passport office...."

Another thing that happened at such happenings, were "confessions"

In CHELSEA GIRLS--Warhol's cinematic masterpiece--Ondine unleashes a harrowing bit of improv as the Pope, taking confession from an unsuspecting wannabe ingenue.

In these post modern times, we're updating this factory confessional concept by using our handy flip camera. We'll be posting the results here and on YouTube!

...Oh, and if you want to improv...we've got some of that too!

See you tonight!

6:00-7:00 PM Socialize

7:00-8:30 PM Arts

* Hot Fresh Now (& Then): 35 Years Exhibition
* Gallery Tour
* Improv with Josh Warren (sign-up when you arrive--space LIMITED!)
* Blog Confessional with the Atlanta Film Festival
* Atlanta Screenwriters Group (Meeting adjourns at 8pm!)
* ...and more

The Contemporary
535 Means St. NW, 30318
FREE PARKING

Facebook launches Video On Demand with ONE TRACK MIND

2008-10-16T09:53:00.003-04:00

Spend too many hours on Facebook already? Well, now you can spend even more, watching VOD movies. Starting today, October 16th, Facebook, with the assistance of Kyte Channel, is launching its own digital platform allowing users to watch video on demand. The film kicking the whole thing off is ONE TRACK MIND, from Chris Malloy and Woodshed Films. The Facebook article is pasted below.

ONE TRACK MIND WORLD PREMIERE ON FACEBOOK.COM, OCTOBER 16th, 2008
Mon 10:21pm
VENTURA, Calif. (October 10, 2008) - One Track Mind, the newest film from Chris Malloy and Woodshed Films will premiere on Facebook, the world's largest online social network, for 48 hours straight starting on Thursday, October 16, 2008. The film will be broadcast on Facebook through Kyte, the universal digital media platform that enables brands and communities to easily produce live and on-demand digital content. Chris and crew are celebrating the release by inviting fans to participate in a live chat on the facebook.com/film, which will begin at 5:30 pm Pacific time on October 16th. World champions Kelly Slater and Tom Curren and other featured surfers from the film such as super grom Kalohoe Andino, along with Brushfire Records recording artist Matt Costa, will join Chris in discussing the film from Patagonia's headquarters in Ventura, CA before the film airs.

Patagonia, the environmental clothing manufacturer and Etnies, the action-sports footwear and apparel company, will co-sponsor the premiere. Also Surfing Magazine and Wetsand.com are promotional sponsors. People that want to watch are encouraged to RSVP on Facebook.com/film in advance. To view the film, just type in www.facebook.com/film, then click on the One Track Mind Kyte player--that's it. Anyone can view the film at facebook.com/film and share it with their friends. Signing up for a Facebook account is easy and only takes a couple minutes.

"We are excited to be entering into the modern era of premiering a film with Facebook," says Emmett Malloy, co-producer of the film, "We hope the enthusiasm of going to a surf premiere will carry into everyone's homes as they watch One Track Mind - and in the process, everyone will pick up a few new 'friends' for their own Facebook page."

Patagonia will also host a premiere of One Track Mind on its campus in Ventura, CA on October 16, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. Chris Malloy will introduce the film to the crowd. Matt Costa will play a few songs acoustically after the film plays to a live audience.

One Track Mind, directed by Chris Malloy, is the latest surf movie from Woodshed Films, a.k.a. The Moonshine Conspiracy. Shot on location in Mexico, Indonesia, Micronesia, Australia and Southern California, One Track Mind explores the mindset behind what it takes to be one of the best surfers in the world. The cast includes today's best up-and-comers, including Jordy Smith, Kolohoe Andino and Julian Wilson, state-of-the-art talents like Mick Fanning, Dane Reynolds and Joel Parkinson, as well as veterans Kelly Slater, Sunny Garcia, Mark Occhilupo, Wayne Bartholomew and Tom Curren.

As the first film to ever debut on Facebook, the movie will stream live in its entirety for 48 hours through the One Track Mind Kyte player. The multimedia chat feature within the Kyte player allows fans to chat live while watching the film. Check out how One Track Mind is using Facebook's free marketing tools - Photos, Video, Events, Notes, Posted Items, FBML, Platform applications, and more-to promote the new film One Track Mind.

Facebook.com/film

About Woodshed Films:
Woodshed Films, aka The Moonshine Conspiracy, was founded by Chris Malloy in 1998. Woodshed is a co-op of talented artists, directors and producers, who seek to make films that capture an experience and inspire people. Members include Chris Malloy, Emmett Malloy, Tim Lynch, Thomas Campbell and Jack Johnson.

rebranding made simple (starring charles judson!)

2008-10-15T16:49:00.003-04:00

Or, how we went from:

to

Hard Out Here for a Pimp: Howard Replaced by Cheadle in Iron Man Sequel

2008-10-14T17:18:00.003-04:00

So...in today's Hollywood Reporter, we learn that Don Cheadle will be replacing Crash co-star Terrence Howard in the sequel to Iron Man.

"Don Cheadle is stepping in to replace Terrence Howard in "Iron Man 2," Marvel Studios' sequel to its summer blockbuster.

In the movie, Howard played Jim Rhodes, Tony Stark/Iron Man's best friend and future armor-clad hero War Machine. One scene featured Howard looking at a silver suit of armor and saying "Next time," a line that caused great delight for fans.

But there will be no next time for Howard.

Marvel had no comment, but sources close to the deal said negotiations with Howard fell through over financial differences, among other reasons. Marvel, which had wanted to work with Cheadle, then decided to take the role in another direction and approached the actor, who is shooting Antoine Fuqua's "Brooklyn's Finest" with Richard Gere and Ethan Hawke.

Rhodes is expected to play a larger part in the sequel, which is rumored to go beyond high-tech villains. Justin Theroux is writing the screenplay."

Why wouldn't Marvel play ball with Howard?

In the end, it's character actor (Cheadle) vs. leading man (Howard)...and apparently it boiled down to character actor money vs. a leading man payday.

This reminds me of Tank's transformation into Link in the sequels to the Matrix films in a dispute that appears to have been over salary...

DONE IN ONE wins at Indie Memphis

2008-10-14T11:28:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to MAVIN Productions for winning Special Achievement in Storytelling, a Special Jury Award, at Indie Memphis Film Festival this past weekend. Their short, DONE IN ONE, was a production done as part of Atlanta Film Festival's speed filmmaking contest, Rapid I Movement. The short is a fine piece of work that lasts slightly over six minutes and is all done in one take.

Jay Zimmerman (co-director--pictured far right), and Matt Cornwell (actor--center), attended the festival. Also in the photo is Charles Judson (pictured far left), ATL Fest's communication director.

Representin' at the Arts Resource Market & AVANT GARDEN!

2008-10-12T17:48:00.005-04:00

Last week, ATL Film Fest was in force at the Arts Resource Market...

...where we handed out materials (including FREE ATL Fest T-Shirts!)...

...and partnered with our friends at the Contemporary to promote our FREE monthly networking/social called AVANT GARDEN!

October 16
Free, Fun, Social

6:00-7:00 PM Socialize

Cash Bar
Free Drink Ticket For Contemporary and Atlanta Film Festival Members *
PBR Drink Special
Mingle with Arts and Film Professionals
Meet with Other Arts Organizations

ATL + PBR = FUN

+ =

7:00-8:30 PM Arts

Hot Fresh Now (& Then): 35 Years Exhibition
Gallery Tour
Improv with Josh Warren (sign-up when you arrive--space LIMITED!)
Blog Confessional with the Atlanta Film Festival
Atlanta Screenwriters Group (Meeting adjourns at 8pm!)
...and more

The Contemporary
535 Means St. NW, 30318
FREE PARKING

Indie Memphis: Ladies and Gentleman Meet E!

2008-10-10T10:21:00.003-04:00

When it comes to Karoke some folks are slow to jump to the mike. In fact, most people are afraid to jump to the mike. Not E. This man was ready to rock the mike consistently. So for your enjoyment, E! (And if you're laughing at this man and not with him I'm personally coming to kick your arse!)

Getting Rapid in Memphis: Done in One

2008-10-08T16:44:00.004-04:00

Done in One took the Jury Prize in the Rapid i Movement category at the 2008 Atlanta Film Festival and now you can catch it again at Indie Memphis this weekend.

Mavin is a dangerous team to battle when it comes to weekend filmmaking. They also won the Jury Prize in 2007 for their film The Midgard Serpent. And this will be Mavin's second return to Indie Mempis. They went to Memphis in 2005 with their film My Redneck Brain Cell.

Done screens Saturday, October 11.

Indie Memphis Film Festival

Mr. Perry Responds...sort of.

2008-10-07T10:51:00.002-04:00

From Mr. Perry's weekly eblast:

Hello there,

I had to write you today. You know that I'm not a man that deals in
negativity, but when I'm being attacked I have to let you know.

Something is going on right now that I have to tell you about, but not
today. I'll tell you about it in a couple of days.

Today, I wanted to tell you about the opening celebration of my new
studio. I refused to let anything get me down this weekend because I was
going to celebrate the dream coming to fruition.

Here is the link: http://tylerperry.com/specialMessage

Tyler Perry

Here is the post about his opening:

Special Message from Tyler: I Wanted You There!

October 7th, 2008

Hello there,

I only had room for 350 guests. So, I couldn’t invite all of you, but I wanted to find a way to make you feel like you were there with us. So here are lots of pictures and my little bit of a walking tour for you.

I called the celebration IMAGINE THAT.

When you invite people to come you really don’t know who will show up. So, I was so honored and moved when I saw Will Smith, Sidney Poitier, Cicely Tyson, Oprah, Ruby Dee, Danny Glover, Usher, John Legend, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Mary J. Blige and on and on and on. They all came to celebrate with me. Isn’t that the coolest thing?

We started at 6:00p.m. with a walking tour of the studio. Then we did a presentation with fireworks. Tamar Davis sang THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM here on the pond.

We flew in over just under a million flowers for this event from all over the world. I called this moment TAKING TIME TO SMELL THE FLOWERS. Then we went onto the backlot, and I dedicated 3 of the 5 sound stages. One to Ms. Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, and then the next to Ms. Cicely Tyson, and the last was the moment when I lost it. When Sir Sidney Poitier took the platform for his dedication, I lost it. There was not a dry eye there.

Then we had dinner, and afterwards I raised the roof, literally, in the place and Mary J. took us home with an hour-long concert. Then John Legend sang. Then Patti LaBelle and Gladys. Oh my God!

Then on Sunday I invited everyone to my house for the Gospel Brunch. Now, I used to be ashamed to let people see how blessed I am. Ain’t that crazy! So I wouldn’t show anything. I would hide it. Now I know that was wrong because how can people be inspired if they don’t see? So here are some pictures of my house from the Sunday Gospel Brunch, and I would only show these to you.

I hope this made you feel like you were there somehow because I carried each and every one of you there with me in my heart. And the thing that made me so emotional was knowing that it was all of you. Before any of these folks knew me you were right there coming to see me. Crowding into theaters, like the Saenger, the Kodak, the Beacon, the Merriam, the Regal, the Warner, the Hampton Coliseum, and the Fox. Some kid from New Orleans! Oh God, that makes me full.

Listen to me when I tell you this. Hear me clearly please. DREAM, DREAMER!

There is a scripture in the bible where God asks Moses, “What is that in your hand?” And then there is another scripture that says your gift will make room for you. And what that is saying is, God is not trying to get information. He knows what’s in your hand already, but he wants you to know it. So, what I’m asking you today is, “What’s in your hand? What gifts do you have that you are sitting on?” Use them and they will take you to your destiny.

Don’t worry about what’s going on or how many people there are who may have what looks to be the same gift. YOUR GIFT will make room for YOU if you believe and faint not. And listen, be careful who you share your dreams with, because there are people who don’t know how to dream and will try to discourage you. That’s okay. Sometimes only you and God have to know. And if He is for you then show me one human being that can stand against you.

Everybody who left my house on Sunday after the Gospel Brunch was so excited because they all got uplifted. They all felt like they could dream again. The last thing that Oprah said to me before she left was even she was inspired to dream a bigger dream. Imagine that!
Tyler

Resource Market for the Arts

2008-10-06T09:58:00.003-04:00

Today, the Atlanta Film Festival will join many other arts organization at the Resource Market for the Arts in downtown Atlanta from 1-4pm, at the Rialto Center for the Arts, 80 Forsyth Street. Please feel free to stop by and learn about all of the arts organizations!

From the web site:
"Representatives of local organizations who fund the arts and/or provide services to arts organizations will be available to answer your questions about their programs and chat one-on-one. Organizations represented include the Fulton County Arts Council, Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund, Southern Arts Federation, Georgia Council for the Arts, and Georgia Council for the Humanities.

Preceding the Market at 12:00 pm, Susan Weiner, Executive Director, Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA), will discuss the Economic Impact of the Arts and demonstrate the economic impact calculator GCA has recently developed.

At 2:00 pm, Carolyn Morris, Executive Director, Alternate ROOTS, will moderate a program about Making the Case for Fiscal Support for Individual Artists.

From noon until 2:00 pm, artists can participate in "Creative Speed Dating for Artists." This peer-to-peer networking session will offer an unique opportunity connecting artists to art professionals in diverse disciplines. Artists will spend small increments of time with seasoned art professionals to gain information and resources to advance their professional career activities. Space is limited; contact Alternate ROOTS at 404-577-1079 to register.

Please note: The Resource Market is a meet-and-greet opportunity, not a formal panel presentation. You may come at anytime and talk to the service providers and funders you wish."

Soderbergh in NYC: Schizopolis

2008-10-06T00:06:00.004-04:00

Slamdance held a screening of Schizopolis @ IFC Center in NYC a few weeks back:

Here are their sponsors..and the cool Shepherd Fairy modified logo::

The film was followed by a Q&A with a bearded Soderbergh, and Anthony Kaufman.

A surreal experience...for a number of reasons I won't really go into here. But take my word for it.

If you've never seen the film, watch the opening scene, and you'll get a sense of what I mean:

GO ARTS Month

2008-10-05T18:32:00.006-04:00

The Atlanta Film Festival represented at Atlanta Performs GO ARTS month kickoff on Saturday, October 4th at Atlanta Underground:

I was especially taken with the "community quilt" aspect of the chalk drawing--boxes of chalk set out amidst a grid of taped squares:

Kids indulged:

This patriotic Army recruiter drew a flag, and chatted up a prospect:

Meanwhile, at the arts fair inside, the shaggy puppet chats up the MAACC ladies:

Click HERE for a complete list of the month's activities!

Tyler Perry Protesters

2008-10-04T13:59:00.002-04:00

From an early morning email received from Jayson Pope, WGAW Organizing Department:

Please forward to everyone you know in Atlanta. Let your voices be heard and tell Tyler Perry he should treat the writers, who write his hit show, with fairness and respect! He directs all the shows and gets a DGA union pay scale. His actors get paid SAG wages. Only the writers are being shut out of their fair share. Why is Tyler Perry dissing the writers who helped make his show possible?

The writers of Tyler Perry's House of Payne need your support. Read what happened!

To the public Tyler Perry is the model of self-made success. His sit-com "House of Payne" is the highest-rated sit-com in the history of basic cable. He signed a deal with TBS for $200 million and sold the syndicated rights

to MyNetwork for $100 million. He has won NAACP Image Awards for the much-needed diversity his films and TV shows bring to the screen.

But Tyler Perry doesn't do it all himself. We are writers who have helped "House of Payne" become the success that it is. We have written over
100 episodes of House of Payne in just 2 seasons and received compensation well below industry standards, no health care benefits and no residuals.

When we asked to be treated as professionals and receive minimums and benefits protected by a WGA contract, Tyler Perry illegally fired us.

Please read the attached Press Release and see the Turnout Flyer and join the picket line in ATL at Tyler Perry Studios!

In solidarity,

Jayson Pope
WGAW Organizing Department
323 782-4714

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is from the WGA's Chair of the Committee of Black Writers.

Three of the fired writers are WGA members, and all four have been
trying to get Guild coverage for the show since last year. They have
been coming to CBW meetings (even the non-Guild member) and have met
with the showrunners and writers from the Comedy Central shows who went
on strike and won a contract. Negotiations between Tyler Perry and the
WGA have been going on since April, and this week he showed himself to
have been acting in bad faith all along.

Tyler, like any other sellout exploiter, profits from the desperation of black people
whenever he can. His show is covered by DGA and SAG. The only people
he has denied a union contract are the writers.

NY TIMES

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/03/arts/television/03perry.html?ref=arts

THR

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i149edf3e04ae0168d35c493ededcf9a9

LA TIMES

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2008/10/short-merger-pl.html

http://blogs.theroot.com/blogs/diggingdeep/archive/2008/10/03/tyler-perry-goes-to-jail-the-sequel.aspx

As a fan of both Mr. Perry, and of writers getting paid their fair share, I hope this matter is resolved amicably.

There is much to admire in Mr. Perry's drive, ambition, and business acumen. The prolific output of his studio is astonishing. Those who had a hand in his success deserve compensation.

I'm certain Mr. Perry will respond to this matter--and I'll follow-up with his comments.

ATL named Best City For Singles by Forbes

2008-10-04T13:37:00.002-04:00

If Bridget Jones hopped across the pond from South London to the dirty South would she have shed her singleton status sooner?

Would Carrie and company have found Southern Comfort instead of Sex and the City.

According to Michael Noer, of Forbes.com, they should have been looking to the ATL--the best city for singles:

Atlanta tops our annual ranking of America's best places to live on your own.

For the first time ever, Atlanta tops our list of the best cities for singles. The capital of Georgia and home of Coca-Cola earns the top slot because of its hopping nightlife, relatively high number of singles and sizzling job growth.

To those who know "Hotlanta," the ranking should come as no surprise. In the eight years that we have been ranking America's largest urban areas in terms of their friendliness to the nation's 74 million single adults, only once did Atlanta place outside the top 10.

The Alex Orr and Joe Swanberg Show at Sidewalk

2008-09-30T16:49:00.002-04:00

Alex Orr (Blood Car) and Joe Swanberg (Nights and Weekends) put on a show as they announce the documentary winners at the 2008 Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

Creative Loafing Files Chapter 11

2008-09-30T11:07:00.002-04:00

Then: Now:

The Atlanta Business Chronicle is reporting that Creative Loafing THE free alternative weekly, and a publication that cultivates love of culture and art in this market is filing for bankruptcy protection.

They've shown much love to the Atlanta Film Festival--including 2008 Best of honors...it is our hope they make it through these troubled times.

It would be HUGE loss:

Creative Loafing files for bankruptcy protection

Atlanta Business Chronicle

With a $40 million loan default looming, Creative Loafing Inc., the parent company of a local alternative weekly in Atlanta of the same name, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday.

According to the filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court’s Middle District of Florida, Creative Loafing reported estimated assets of between $10 million and $50 million and liabilities of the same amount.

The bankruptcy filing comes the same day Creative Loafing sued Atalaya Administrative LLC, Atalaya Funding II LP and BIA Digital Partners SBIC II LP asking a judge to stop a default on $40 million loan. In the suit, filed with the same court, Creative Loafing said the lenders failed to act in good faith when they refused to negotiate lowering the financial covenants. Without the injunction, Creative Loafing says it has no other options in stopping the default, as it would be “too late to save the debtors’ businesses, reputation, and close-knit and effective management.”

Read entire story here.

A Few Pics From 2008 Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival

2008-09-29T17:54:00.007-04:00

Atl Film Fest Director Dan Krovich, Jason Ritter,
Atl Film Fest Communications Director Charles Judson,

Filmmakers arrive for the iron pour at Sloss.

Atl Film Fest Education Director Elizabeth Ingram,
Michael D Friedman, B-Side Director of Festival Operations Chris Holland

Sidewalk Award Ceremony

View Rest of the Photos

Sidewalk '08

2008-09-27T21:23:00.004-04:00

I made it to the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival today. Lot's of familiar faces. First ones were Charles and Mike Friedman. Had lunch with Dan, Elizabeth and Alex Orr, from Blood Car. Then headed to the Carver Theatre for ROCK-AFIRE EXPLOSION and to meet up with Chris Holland, from B-Side. The movie is about the Showbiz Pizza animatronic characters, and the real life characters who love them, still. As adults. It was rather charming. Below is the trailer.

After the show, I said hello to the annual ATLFF jury wrangler, Arik Sokol, and headed over to watch some shorts. Now, sitting her watching the UGA/Alabama game. Not looking too good for GA. ;( Hopefully they'll turn it around.

Anyway, after the game I'll be heading to the party at the Avon Theatre. Birmingham is a charming little town. Too bad the city itself virtually shuts down on the weekend. Another downfall, not enough Starbucks!

More later......

***Update: GA just made a 92 yard TD!***

Catching Up With 'Bama Girl at Sidewalk

2008-09-27T01:21:00.003-04:00

'Bama Girl was an official 2008 Atlanta Film Festival selection and is the Closing Night film at this year's Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

ATL & Sidewalk: Rolling Against the Tide?

2008-09-26T09:40:00.021-04:00

Me (and Molly Mayeux, and Daniel Wallace) presenting prizes in Birmingham!

A few things about this weekend's Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham, Alabama:

#1--I'll be missing the festival for the first time in its ten year history owing to the birth of my son. Trin's water broke at 1:15am, and the baby has decided to arrive two weeks early.

Trin calling the doctor to tell her that her water broke, at 1:15am

#2 This weekend has always been special to me, for reasons I can't fully explain. Sidewalk is a magical place. It was at the iron pour at Sloss Furnaces that I forged my own de facto wedding band for Trin, proposing upon return from Sidewalk...

...and the journey West on I-20 to Birmingham has become an annual ritual for the Atlanta Film Festival staff for the past three years.

#3 This annual trip to Birmingham helped us get our proverbial groove back in the ATL. Two years ago, we forged "IMAGE" logos at the Sloss Pour. Last year, we made original Rapid i Movement prizes...

I can't wait to see what the members of the Atlanta Film Festival staff forge at the furnaces this year!

Stay tuned to this site for updates!

#4 The Atlanta Film Festival staff is rolling against the tide.

This weekend is the HUGE Georgia/Alabama showdown in Athens. Which means the Tide will be rolling East from Birmingham, and all places Alabama in hopes of pulling an Oregon State on the (presumptive) #1 team in the nation.

Because of the scarcity of fuel in the Southeast right now, some are proposing they cancel tomorrow night's game.

Forget that! People will go Road Warrior up in this before they cancel a SEC game.

What do they think this is, a presidential debate?

Indie Memphis Announces Lineup!

2008-09-24T18:00:00.003-04:00

Erik Jambor, co-founder of the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, has moved to Tennessee. He now heads up the Indie Memphis Film Festival there. It's scheduled to take place October 9-16th, and movie lovers are in for a treat!

From the Indie Memphis web site:

"Now in its 11th year, Indie Memphis utilizes Memphis' rich cultural history to serve as a connecting point for regional filmmakers from all corners of the country -- and provides a showcase for films celebrating Southern stories and storytelling. The festival builds bridges that inspire filmmakers and film lovers to collaborate and connect within the unique creative landscape that is the home of the Blues and the birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll.

Sign up for Indie Memphis e-newsletter to stay in the indie film loop!"

Check out the fantastic line-up of films.

Thanks Creative Loafing!

2008-09-24T17:31:00.003-04:00

Once again, we've been named Atlanta's Best Film Festival by the staff of Creative Loafing, as well as all the readers!

For sheer variety, quantity and quality of films, the 32-year-old ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL still belongs on the top of the bill of local movie-related events. Parent organization the IMAGE Film & Video Center recently renamed itself Atlanta Film Festival 365 and has shown some welcome stability under executive director Gabe Wardell and festival director Dan Krovich. Plus, its springtime schedule and convenient central location at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema put Atlanta's best, most welcoming face forward in between screening times.

I'd be remiss if I didn't point out something obvious--but which bares repeating: It takes a village!

Dan and I are part of a team that includes Communications Director Charles Judson, Education Director Elizabeth Ingram, and Managing Director Paula Martinez.

The tireless work of this core group of 5(!) makes this baby soar. And look at me, so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open.

Add to this foundation an AMAZING army of volunteers--as well as remarkable support from partners like Turner, Carma Productions, Comcast, Delta, Landmark Theatres, the Georgia Office of Film, Music and Digital Entertainment, the Midtown Hotel, bSide, Max 20, ECG, the Contemporary, Stella Artois, Crawford Communications, Epting Catering, Entertainment Partners, Paste Magazine, Guillotine Post, The Independent, Kodak, SAGIndie, and the Atlanta Link!

We also have a dedicated board--without whom this organization would cease to function.

Thanks to EVERYONE who helps us make this event the best in Atlanta--this honor belongs to everyone!

Thanks for the recognition y'all!

It means the world to us.

Twitter is the new Text Msg

2008-09-23T12:05:00.003-04:00

The Atlanta Film Festival is now on Twitter. Become a follower to stay updated on the latest happenings and exclusive Twitter news.

Follow AtlantaFilmFest on Twitter.

Tyler Perry To Produce Other Projects

2008-09-22T14:42:00.002-04:00

Tyler Perry's ready to share the love.

The multimedia mogul is launching 34th Street Films, a production arm of his Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios that will focus on recruiting outside filmmakers to work under and expand the Perry brand.

Former Jinks/Cohen executive vp Matt Moore will run the division as executive vp production and development. Perry's new venture also will include former State Street Pictures vp Poppy Hanks, who will join as vp production, and former New Line executive Amber Rasberry, who will be a creative executive. Moore and his team will work out of offices in Los Angeles. - Full Article At Hollywood Reporter

Soldier

2008-09-19T16:21:00.004-04:00

Those driving down Marietta Street in Atlanta, between Dancer's Elite and the new Thumb's Up Diner are confronted by this confounding billboard:

At first, I thought...what is this? Is it some sort of cryptic endorsement by Derek Jeter?

Then it occurred to me--the Contemporary is at it again...

http://soldiersface.com
http://www.suzanneopton.com

International Black Docu Fest at the High: Sept. 18-20

2008-09-17T18:43:00.005-04:00

The International Black Docufest starts tommorrow and the lineup looks pretty good. Of particular interest is In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies & the Birth of Black Cinema. (Thursday at 6:10pm, 9/18/08)

The fest is free, so make sure to attend if you can. And be sure to visit the website to RSVP.

The second annual International Black DocuFest ™ will take place September 18th – 20th, 2008 at Atlanta’s celebrated High Museum of Art. There is no cost to attend the festival.

internationalblackdocufest.com

ADVENTURES OF POWER - Sidewalk's Opening Night Film

2008-09-16T10:59:00.002-04:00

Sidewalk Announces Opening Night Film
ADVENTURES OF POWER

"Adventures is a crazy, hilarious, bizarre, insane movie. And all in the best ways possible."
(Ain't It Cool News)
"Hilarious... Universally entertaining. The film is rife with insta-classic one-liners..."
(UGO Entertainment)
"I highly recommend seeing Adventures of Power for a feel-good experience."
(Associated Content)

TIFF '08 - Day 6 - Slummin' to a Revolution

2008-09-14T16:16:00.006-04:00

It's Wednesday and I'm already kind of sad to be leaving Toronto on Friday, but also kind of ready to get back home. Weird how all that works.

I started the day early and had to get to Sutton Place Hotel for a meeting with a young lady who requested to meet with me, and ask questions about submitting films to festivals. She works as a Canadian consultant to filmmakers, helping them to decide which festival might be appropriate for their film, marketing strategies and so forth. These are important questions and points that filmmakers need to ask themselves. Blindly submitting your film to as many festivals as possible isn't smart and it can be a costly venture. You should definitely research festivals and look at the types of films they screen, requirements (ie: premiere status, formats, etc), and lots of other things. A resource filmmakers might want to check out is "Film Festival Secrets" by Christopher Holland, due out October 2008.

The first movie of the day was WENDY AND LUCY, starring Michelle Williams (the late Heath Ledger's ex-wife and his baby momma). This movie was very well done, purposely slow, and Williams' performance was great. It's a story of a young woman and her dog (Lucy), down on her luck, traveling to Alaska in search of a new start at life. Strapped for money, we watch her make a decisions that lead to disproportionate consequences, which are a pretty realistic reflection of current society. Directed by Kelly Reichardt, the film runs 80 minutes long. While it's a nicely done film, I believe it could be cut in half to 40 minutes (without losing its nuance and sentiment) and actually have a nice shot at a nomination for the Academy Award (especially given the nominated narrative shorts last year).

Next was lunch before getting in line for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (which is an excellent name for a rock band). I've eaten pizza numerous times already and today was no different. We found a nice little Italian place with a patio and had some pizza. Mike had visited the Royal Ontario Museum earlier, while I watched my movie. He said the museum was fantastic.

The next movie on the agenda was at 3:00pm at the Ryerson. The Ryerson theater is located on the campus of Ryerson University and holds a massive number of people, close to like 600, which seems to always fill to capacity during the screenings. The screen is also massive, so it actually works. This is also where the midnight madness screenings are held.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is Danny Boyle's new flick. A couple other films that he's done are TRAINSPOTTING and 28 DAYS LATER. This was probably the most interesting, colorful and unique film that I've seen so far in Toronto. The story is about an Indian (dot not feather) boy from the slums who made it on the game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire." What follows is a colorful account of his life lessons of hard knocks that provides him with some, or all of the, answers to the difficult questions asked during the game show. Had I just read that this movie was about a boy on a game show, I doubt I would've seen it. I'm so glad I didn't know much about it going in. The movie was a huge hit in Telluride and Dan pushed me to see it. So glad I did! (By the way, this was not the screening where Roger Ebert was whacked by a person in front of him.)

We had a few hours before the final screening of the day and decided to walk over and see the CN Tower, the famous one that looks like the Seattle Space Needle. Below are a few photos.

The final screening of the night was Steven Soderbergh's CHE (part 2), starring Benicio Del Toro. This movie is broken into two parts, although should probably be watched together. The problem is that no one wants to sit through a four and a half hour movie. The movie is a biopic about Che Guevara, the revolutionary primarily responsible for Fidel Castro's successful coup d'etat of U.S.-backed Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. Part two of the movie is well done but somewhat slow - it focuses on Che's revolutionary mission in Bolivia. Part one (which we will be seeing tomorrow) spotlights Che's actions in Cuba - so we're seeing it backwards.

Steven Soderbergh, Benicio Del Toro, and Lou Diamond Phillips were all at the screening. Below are some photos.

TIFF '08 - Day 5 - Gotta love porn!

2008-09-13T13:32:00.003-04:00

I started off the day with SUT. This is a Turkish film about a boy and his mother, both confronting the traditional and contemporary ways to live life. The opening scene of this movie was fantastic! It's one of the most stunning openings I've seen in a long time. It's all v-e-r-y s-l-o-w m-o-v-i-n-g from there. I ended up leaving because life's too short.

I was really looking forward to seeing ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO today at the Elgin Theatre. The movie started at 3:00pm so that meant we needed to be in line no later than 2:00pm to get any kind of a good seat. We got to the theater right at 2:00pm and the line was already wrapped around the block. People in Atlanta think they've seen a line......they haven't seen anything! And, all of the people in line are completely used to it and consider it part of their festival experience. Interesting.

The movie was funny! It stars Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks (neither of whom were able to attend the screening). Also in the cast are Craig Robinson (from The Office), Traci Lords, Jason Mewes, and Katie Morgan [who has a hot little HBO On-Demand Late Night Special series of Sex Toys (which I watched in its entirety - for blogging research purposes only, of course) and Porn 101]. Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, and Katie Morgan were on hand for a Q&A after the screening. Kevin was his usually funny self and provided the audience with a couple great stories. This movie is due to hit theaters October 31st, but recently received the kiss of death - a NC-17 rating from the MPAA. So, here is the red-band trailer.

We finished the evening by watching MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY, a film by Barry Jenkins. This film was good and reminded me a lot of the kind of movie Spike Lee would've done (if he hadn't tried to venture off into wherever he is now). The story is about a couple who wake up and meet after having a one-night-stand. The audience follows them through the next 24 hours and we watch them get to know each other (as do we), in an effort to provide some sort of meaning for the affair instead of making it a cheap, drunken mistake. Jenkins was able to touch on race and relationships here in a very successful and not "in-your-face" sort of way. This film was recently selected to kick off Independent Film Week in NYC on Monday, September 15th. Below is the trailer.

More photos from TIFF '08:

Cheech & Chong! (Zack and Miri screening)

Kevin Smith Introducing Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Kevin Smith

Kevin and Cast

Love this!

****Update**** Zack and Miri Make a Porno is rated R. It was originally given an NC17 rating but Kevin Smith and the Weinstein Company appealed and won the dispute. Read more here: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=63831867&blogID=424468543.

Why The Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition Matters

2008-09-13T10:17:00.006-04:00

We're no longer taking submissions for the 2008 Screenplay Competition. That means that some folks are going to be anxiously waiting to hear if their screenplay is a finalist, while others will probably think that because they aren't writers or didn't enter the competition, there's no reason to care.

Here's why you should care:

Productions that spend $50,000 or more in Michigan are eligible to receive up to a 40 percent refundable tax credit, or 42 percent if they shoot in one of 103 "core" communities, which includes Flint.

The rebates also apply to video games, TV shows and documentaries.

"It's probably one of the best presentations in the country," said Mike Matthews, a Saginaw native who's filming a TV pilot called "The Flynns" in Flint and other Michigan cities.

Matthews said his family is financing the pilot episode. He's been writing and producing the show with his brother, Craig, of Richmond, Va.

Crews will start filming in Flint at the end of June, said Mike Matthews, who's staying in Flint Township. He said he intends to shoot 13 episodes in Michigan and apply for the state's incentives.

"We've already had investors lining up," he said. "It's an exciting product. It has a real moral story." - Mlive.com

The tax incentive war has been raging for several years as industry and government folks--remember those evil, troll like people--have realized that a proper package can modestly double or triple the size of the local film industry in some places and in others increase it by 200 fold. Imagine going from $2 million in local production to $400 million. (In Georgia, if we were to add another $400 million dollars in production to the state's GDP, that would be an almost 5% increase overall to a $12 billion plus GDP. In economic turns, that's not insubstantial.)

While legislators battle it out, what local industry and film folks should be doing is making sure the tools are in place to take advantage of these legislative packages. Incentives mean nothing if productions have to bring in so much crew or equipment that the cost negates the incentives. So we need local crew.

But, even more paramount than that. You need heat and some sizzle. You need productions that catch the eyes of folks who want to follow a film's journey from pre to post. You need product that makes people think of your state/city--Georgia/Atlanta in our case--as a place that turns out films and shows that demand attention. You need films that people hunger to see.

The easiest place to focus that energy, the one area that really can do that, is the screenplay.

The fundamental element of 99 percent of all narrative filmmaking is the screenplay. You can say the director is the beating heart of a film. We're going to adamantly say it's 110 pages of paper and ink. The power a well written script can have to attract talent and to inspire passion isn't the stuff of legends, it's the truth. And we dare you to name a great narrative film that doesn't have a great screenplay.

People respond to stories. Tyler Perry is who is because people respond to his characters and situations. Woody Allen keeps working, because, even if critics have been disappointed with his latest works, people still respond to his stories and make them profitable. Juno's success wouldn't exist without Diablo Cody. Richard Linklater to Kevin Smith, screenplays are the engine that drives this industry.

Why open it up nationwide if we're so gung-ho on Georgia? Think about it in sports terms. We're always going to root for the Atlanta Falcons. Even when they're crappy, We're hoping for the best. But, when we're not on the field, we're looking to the next underdog and rooting for them. The entire sport of football would be boring as hell--*examplecough*yankeescough*buyingchampionshipscough*--if your team was the only one with a chance of making it to the Super Bowl. In relation to other sports like basketball and baseball, football is more exciting preciesly because of parity.

We also run a world respected festival and our audiences want to see films that hail from places as far way as Tanzania and as close as Birmingham. We've been digging into our past history, and the films we've shown by early filmmakers is astounding. Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brother's Bloom), Spike Lee, Victor Nunez, Mark Osborne (Kung Fu Panda), the list is still growing as we dig. So encouraging interesting and great filmmaking across the country is in our self-interest. Encouraging filmmaking at its genesis is just smart investing if we want to be programming great films in 2011 or 2021 and beyond.

Don't get it twisted, we really do want to see Atlanta filmmaking continue kicking ass and growing. But, whoever the 6 finalists are for 2008, they're going to be the screenplays that resonate with our selection committee. Stories that, after we've read the last sentence, we hunger to see come to life on the big screen. Stories that will hopefully be filmed--wink, wink--here in Georgia using our incentives.

Yo, looking for someplace to film? How about Georgia! 2008 Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act

Somebodies Preys on Van Wilder then the Preacher's Kid Gets Religion

2008-09-12T10:57:00.003-04:00

This has been a good week for filmmaking in the A and Georgia.

Somebodies had its debut on BET earlier this week and most of the reviews have been fairly positive. For BET, Hadjii definitely gives the network a cred it's never had before. Eschewing standard sitcom mechanics for a show populated by folks of color, it may seem prescient in a few year. Somebodies in combination with Medicine for Melancholy may inspire a whole new generation of African American filmmakers and writers to find new ways of the bringing stories about folks of color to the small and big screen.

Also a winner? Georgia's logo at the end. A few more turns and the logo's appearance should definitely work wonders as it reminds and, in some cases, introduces Georgia as a serious contender when it comes to being film friendly.

The Family That Preys opens in over 2000 theaters today and most estimates are banking on a 20 million plus opening. With a combination of Tyler Perry, Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard, the film should easily achieve that, plus a little more. I didn't get to see it at the preview screening last week, but from what I can tell, The Family That Preys makes me think of Peyton Place with a spiritual message. Hadjii started the week strong, hopefully Tyler will deliver his usual knock out punch.

And between Van Wilder 3, The Preacher's Kid, Footloose and the other various productions I've heard about, it appears that the next few months will be quite busy for crews in town.

Tag--we're it! Physical Graffiti at the Contemporary

2008-09-09T10:50:00.008-04:00

On Bankhead Highway NW, a street buttressed by the Back Wall of the Atlanta Film Festival Offices in the Contemporary, at 535 Means Street, NW, Atlanta, the walls have been tagged with graffiti.

(To see "before shots", click in the Google Maps link and click "Street View".

Here's how the white wall looks now:

Is this an act of vandalism? Or a subversive art show?

In the wake of the Graffiti brouhaha in Cabbagetown:

"Bowman "got involved" after some neighbors decided, unbeknownst to some others, to clean up the graffiti gracing a long brick wall at the north end of the neighborhood. The wall flanks the opening to the graffiti-saturated Krog Street tunnel, a dank expanse that's widely known as a "free space" for taggers to express themselves.

The same free-for-all attitude, however, does not translate to the wall, where tagging has been alternately tolerated and excoriated. Tensions over the wall peaked when graffiti-styled tags – and straight-up vandalism – began cropping up on Cabbagetown's sidewalks, trash cans and a local church.

As a result, a few exasperated members of the neighborhood association, who call themselves the Wallkeepers Initiative, decided to paint over the wall with the blessing of its owner, CSX railroad. In the process, they covered a mural by renowned Atlanta graffiti artist Totem – a mural that originally had been commissioned by the neighborhood, and later defaced by a tagger who sprayed it with the word "overproduced.

Not all neighbors supported the Wallkeepers' decision."

The New Member Cards are Here! The New Member Cards are Here!

2008-09-09T10:42:00.005-04:00

I got home from work last night and found a letter from the Atlanta Film Festival atop my stack of mail.

Inside: My new Atlanta Film Festival member card, and a welcome letter, from me! (It all felt very Charlie Kaufman.)

I love the new card!

Want one?
http://atlantafilmfestival.com/membership.html

Toronto: Che, The Burrowers, A Year Ago in Winter, Machan

2008-09-09T08:51:00.004-04:00

Continuing the theme of discovery, after a long day of movies I didn't have anything scheduled for an evening movie yesterday. I considered calling it a day, but instead I figured I would just try my luck in the Rush Line of whatever the next movie starting at the nearest theater was. That turned out to be Machan, a Sri Lankan movie about a team handball team. Not something that might have been at the top of my list but it turned out to be a delightful underdog story of a group of men in Colombo, Sri Lanka who decide to fake being the National Handball Squad to get a visa to travel to Germany in order to find a better life for themselves and their families. The film is directed by one of the producers of The Full Monty, and much of the loveable losers tone that made that a hit is on display in Machan.

The day started with the four and a half hour version of Steven Soderbergh's Che. The film will apparently be released as two movies theatrically and was shown as one film with an intermission at this screening. Part one concerns Ernesto Che Guevera's time as part of the successful revolution in Cuba, while part two covers his less successful attempt to export revolution to Bolivia. It's less of a biopic and more of a meditation on revolution. The Cuba section is certainly the more accessible stand alone section, but the Bolivia portion works as a contrasting companion piece that adds to the film's themes. On a different note was JT Petty's Western/horror film, The Burrowers. When a family disappears in the Dakota plains in the 19th century, the local Indian tribes are suspected so a posse sets out for the rescue or to exact revenge. In this horror reworking of The Searchers, hostile Indians are among the least of their worries. Making it a perfect four for four day was A Year Ago in Winter, the latest film from Academy Award winning director Caroline Link (Nowhere in Africa). The story of a family coping with the death of the youngest child, 19-year-old Alexander, isn't an original story, but the movie is powered by a captivating performance by Karoline Herfurth as his older sister.

TIFF '08 - Day 4 - Gimme Some Sugar

2008-09-09T00:00:00.006-04:00

I saw my favorite TIFF movie today (so far) - Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's, SUGAR. Miguel "Sugar" Santos is a baseball player living in the Dominican Republic trying to get scouted by a major league team in the states. He gets his wish when he's asked to report to spring training camp and then lands a starting pitching position with The Swing, a minor league team in Bridgewater, Iowa. The film does an excellent job showing the difficulties of being a fish out of water - Sugar was plucked (albeit voluntarily) from his small shanty, where he lived with his family, friends and girlfriend, and placed in an all-white, Christian farm community. Even though the old couple who take him in are kind and sincere, they're no replacement for Sugar's family and friends. What follows is Sugar's struggle with his current situation, his hopes and dreams of the future and the decisions he makes as a result.

The compelling story drives the movie from the onset. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE STORY! Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck are the creative team behind HALF NELSON, one of my other all-time favorite movies. While Sugar isn't as fragile of a film as Half Nelson, Boden and Fleck are successful with character development, story structure, editing and cinematography. Boden was the editor on Sugar and Half Nelson and she is wonderful at it. The duo also teamed up with the same shooter they used in Half Nelson. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Well, it definitely ain't broke for Boden and Fleck. Sugar will have a theatrical release sometime this year.

I started the day off with YOUSSOU NDOR: I BRING WHAT I LOVE. This was a wonderful documentary about the very politically controversial, African, Muslim, Grammy winning musician Youssou Ndor. While the film is a tad too long, it is very inspirational and captivating. There's also something very evocative about African music and drumming - although this one is more Muslim centered. Youssou played at Amnesty International Live 8 concert and has some collaborations with Peter Gabriel, shown in the film.

The middle movie of the day was Larry Charles' RELIGULOUS, with Bill Maher. This is Bill's and Larry's attempt at a fair, but skeptical, look at the three main religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism). Naturally, cynicism and sarcasm are the main attractions to this film and there's a lot of it. The film feels a little Michael Moorish at times, but it seems to recover nicely. Don't go into this movie thinking you are going to be enlightened on the ways of religion. Only go see this movie if you are a skeptic, like sarcasm, are familiar with and like Bill Maher, and aren't easily offended (when it comes to mocking/questioning the logic religion).

Random photos from Toronto:

A four-seat stroller (with babies in them!)

Condom Shack (I should've shown this to lady above)

TIFF '08 - Day 3 (for me)

2008-09-08T19:13:00.001-04:00

I started the day off with ME AND ORSON WELLES. I liked this little movie. It's Richard Linklater's new film and stars Zac Efron and Christian McKay (who really steals the movie). This is a period piece, set in 1937, before Welles' Oscar winning movie, Citizen Kane. Efron's character, a wannabe actor, stumbles upon Welles one day and manages to impress Orson with his quick wit and cockiness (two traits Welles has perfected). The story describes the ups and downs that comes when working with a visionary genius. Claire Danes plays the love interest (of all involved) and portrays what it was like for a woman back in the day.

Me and Orson Welles was shown in the new AMC Theatre at Dundas Square. I really wish we had something like this in Atlanta (and no, Atlantic Station doesn't do it).

Mike arrived in Toronto in the late afternoon, so today was my day to start watching more mainstream movies. So, on the agenda was THE WRESTLER, starring Mickey Rourke, directed by Darren Aronofsky. Yes, you read that correctly, Mickey Rourke, and let me just say that I wouldn't be surprised he scored an Oscar nomination. Rourke plays a washed-up wrestler barely living paycheck to paycheck, trying to hold on to the bare threads of fame created in the eighties. He was known as Randy "The Ram," and even had an action figure. (Hulk Hogan comes to mind here - although I think he's more successful.) Marisa Tomei stars as an older (30 something) stripper, Cassidy, just trying to raise her son. The similarities in their lives are obvious and the two do a great job together on the screen. (Plus, Tomei is practically naked throughout the entire movie.) Evan Rachel Wood comes in as Randy's estranged daughter, Stephanie. My only problem with the film is that this storyline might be superfluous, but it still doesn't detract from the film enough to matter. I just learned that Fox Searchlight picked up this film today (Monday). So, look for it in theaters sometime soon.

The Wrestler was shown in Toronto's famous Elgin Theatre, and there were stars everywhere. And, no, I'm not above gawking and taking photos - I'm completely on that level (just so I can share it with you). ;)

Elgin Theatre (aka: Visa Screening Room)

Director and cast, sans Marisa Tomei (Rourke looked like a complete train wreck)

Mark Ruffalo (in town for The Brothers Bloom)

Mark Ruffalo talking to Julian Schnabel

Adrian Brody

Yes, Marilyn Manson, who was with Evan Rachel Wood, showing lots of PDA. YUCK!

The last movie of the evening was MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA. Let me start off by stating that I like Spike Lee, but this movie was a complete and utter mess. No offense, but it's a freakin' MIRACLE that a producer/production company actually signed off on this script, much less ponied up the money to produce it. It's way too long, I didn't care about the characters, the symbolism was way over the top, too many storylines that almost immediately lost my interest, and a few Paul Thomas Anderson moments (long scenic shots with loud momentous score), without the climax. This movie needs serious fixing before anymore eyes are thrust upon it. But, I haven't lost faith in Spike. I just hope he (as the parent of this baby), can recognize its deformities and take it to the proper surgeon for reconstruction.

Hadjii's back in Somebodies on BET! (Not that there's anything wrong with that...)

2008-09-08T17:07:00.004-04:00

Great news from Atlanta Film Festival Alum Hadjii: his hit feature follows in the footsteps of M*A*S*H, Alice, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Friday Night Lights transitioning from the big screen to the small screen.

New sitcom by UGA graduate, set in Athens evokes ‘Seinfeld’

"By RODNEY HO
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, September 08, 2008

On Tuesday, for the first time in its 28-year history, the BET cable network will debut an originally scripted series — that’s shot in Athens.

Yes, Athens. Not Hollywood. Not New York. Not even Atlanta.

Credit a University of Georgia graduate who goes by one name: Hadjii. His comedy “Somebodies” stars himself as Scottie, a dude who has been in college far too long but refuses to grow up and move on...."

When In Rome

2008-09-08T10:34:00.006-04:00

Well I did make it to Rome and it didn't disappoint. I got to see a few locally lensed films and to hangout with the usual suspects from the Atlanta film scene: Greg Thompson, Samantha Worthen, Terrie Thompson, Stephen Caudill, Daniel Burnley and I'll just say a few other folks before this list gets too long. Although, I have to say, I've run into Mike Brune so often the last month I think I started stalking him at some point. I hope not, I don't have enough black clothes in my closet.

I also got to hang with non-Georgia folks like Stephen Rubin (program director with the Santa Fe Film Festival) who I met at the Maryland Film Festival and Michael Behrens (education rogram director with Filmarts) from San Francisco.

Talking to those last two was great. We talked about some possible partnerships that could benefit the Atlanta Film Festival, but will also be useful for Georgia filmmakers if they happen. As with all things in life, hoops will have to be jumped, meetings will have to occur, caveats will have to addressed. But, hopefully at some point we can bring some of these ideas to fruition.

At the minimum, even if nothing program wise takes off--which as we all know, is the norm--I was energized to connect with folks from the West Coast/Southwest who are just as committed to finding new ways of keeping our respective organizations relevant and accessible to independent filmmakers.

Samantha (and sorta me) hamming it up for Terrie

Stephen Rubin on the right, and someone

I was too lazy to find out their name

Harry thanks the presenters at the Awards Ceremony

There are so many captions I could use for this pic. But I think

Samantha would kick my ass if I used any of them.
It was good to see Greg Thompson though.
And the answer is yes, he does have some interesting LA stories...

Misleading Headline: Nicolas Cage bombs at box office with "Bangkok"

2008-09-08T06:01:00.003-04:00

Every so often, the media seem to revel in the poor box office performance of a specific film. (Damn Liberal media...Nattering nabobs of negativism!)

Case in point: Speed Racer.

Newest case in point: Bangkok Dangerous.
Nicolas Cage bombs at box office with "Bangkok"

"Less than a year after starring in the biggest movie of his volatile career, Nicolas Cage led the North American box office to its worst weekend in five years on Sunday with one of his weakest."

Scroll down and find:
"Bangkok Dangerous," a thriller in which the 44-year-old actor plays a jaded assassin, opened at No. 1 with estimated three-day earnings of just $7.8 million, distributor Lionsgate said. While no one was expecting it to be a hit, industry observers had predicted it would earn more than $10 million."

Boxoffice guru puts it all into perspective:
The weekend after Labor Day is typically one of the slowest frames of the year. With students back in school and a new football season starting, studios generally avoid opening any strong films at this time which in turns helps the box office slow down. But this year with a major tropical storm hitting the east coast and election hoopla getting bigger after the political conventions, moviegoing just was not a priority for people."

Oh that...and the economy.

The chart of Post Labor Day Weekend Releases shows that this weekend was worse than expected.

Year Top 20 Gross ($) Est. Admissions (M)

2008 61,000,000 8.6
2007 72,721,798 10.7
2006 64,975,180 9.9
2005 81,021,863 12.6
2004 73,097,103 11.8
2003 59,654,268 9.9
2002 66,544,663 11.5
2001 69,292,294 12.3
2000 52,951,263 9.8
1999 69,105,766 13.6
1998 47,158,794 10.1

Guess we were READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!

Toronto: Goodbye Solo, $9.99, Patrik Age 1.5

2008-09-07T23:42:00.005-04:00

The Toronto Film Festival is in full swing with lots of glitz and glamor, seemingly largely involving Brad Pitt during the first weekend of the festival, but I tend to like to focus on the other side of the festival - the side full of great foreign films and "smaller" works that may not have the high-wattage starpower but make up for that by sheer force of artistic conviction. So even though I'm very much looking forward to films like Burn After Reading, The Brothers Bloom, and Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, I very specifically avoid any film scheduled for release before the end of the year and generally pass on higher profile films that seem likely to get a release relatively soon. Focusing on the unknown is a somewhat risky proposition, but it's also the thrill of a film festival where you never know when you're going to discover a new indie talent or perhaps a Hungarian director who quickly becomes one of your favorite directors.

So far the ratio of hits to misses has been pretty high at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival. I have only walked out on one film thus far (and taken an extended nap in another.) A few highlights from the first weekend: Ramin Bahrani has already made a name for himself with Man Push Cart and Chop Shop, and he continues to outdo himself with his latest feature, Goodbye Solo. Authenticity is always the keyword in Bahrani's films, and this character study of two men follows in that tradition. Solo is a Senegalese cab driver in Winston-Salem, North Carolina who receives an odd request one evening from William, a passenger in his cab. The outgoing Solo and the gruff William form an odd couple friendship (or at least tolerance) slightly reminiscent of the friendship in The Visitor from earlier this summer, and Souleymane Sy Savane and Red West give performances that would be attracting awards buzz if they were higher profile names in higher profile films. On the animated front, the stop-motion $9.99 follows the interconnecting lives of the residents of an apartment building over a few days as they do things such as search for the meaning of life. It plays like sort of a claymation Paul Thomas Anderson movie (at about half the running time), and though it is animated it is definitely not for kids as it features sex and full frontal clay nudity. From Sweden comes the crowd pleasing Patrik, Age 1.5 about a gay couple looking to adopt. It turns out that homophobia is alive and well even in the more liberal Scandinavia, but that's nothing compared to the difficulties that arise from a misplaced decimal point. The film takes a basically light-hearted approach to the situation but still manages to pack an emotional punch.

TIFF '08 - Day 2 (for me)

2008-09-06T23:35:00.001-04:00

I overslept this morning. I guess I was just exhausted from getting up early yesterday, traveling and then walking all over Toronto.

I started my day by attending a panel at the Match Club that talked about alternative distribution, specifically digital (which is what Cinetic pushes). The panelists were Matt Dentler (former SXSW producer) and Janet Brown from Cinetic Rights Management. They were interviewed by Shane Smith, who is the executive producer of inflight entertainment at Spafax. It was pretty interesting, especially given the state of film (independent or not) right now - getting theatrical distribution is tough and expensive. The straight to DVD (and now digital) model doesn't hold the same negative connotations it once held. So many people have HD TVs in their home, and a lot have stereo/surround sound, making it a much better visual experience than going to some theaters. I personally enjoy seeing movies on the big screen, but I do like to have options. Having options was exactly what this panel was all about. Thinking about alternative distribution early on in the project is advised. Sites like Hulu.com, iTunes, and YouTube can all show feature-length films and reach across the world, via marketing and virally.

I saw a few movies today, but didn't really like any of them. They were okay, but none just blew me away.

I went to see Firaaq, but ended up leaving (along with several others). I didn't think the acting was that good and couldn't get into the story because of it.

Then came UNIVERSALOVE, which was beautifully shot. It had somewhat of a BABEL feel to it, with several stories happening at the same time, and all involving love in some sort of way.

My last movie of the night was a French film, UNSPOKEN. I really wanted to like this movie. It does a nice job of introducing the characters to the audience just through the shots, without any kind of dialog. You later learn a lot more about the couple's life, the loss they're suffering and wish they would just talk to each other - hence the title. The movie was too slow, but an excellent example of shot progression.

Jokara-Micheaux Film Festival: Our Big Fat Festival Roadtrip

2008-09-06T19:10:00.027-04:00

On Labor Day weekend, the 4/5ths of the Atlanta Film Festival staff packed up and headed outside the perimeter to visit the the Jokara Micheaux Film Festival, based in the lovely town of Colquitt, GA--home to the Southwest Georgia Film Commission and home base for 2008 Atlanta Film Festival Alum Ralph Wilcox, who wrote, produced and directed Opening Night Film The Lena Baker Story.

The first thing you need to know about the trip from the ATL to Colquitt is how L-O-N-G the trip is...Google Maps listed the estimated driving time at 4 hours:

Paula drove:

I realized we weren't in Kansas anymore when I looked down and discovered we had NO SERVICE on our iPhones!. There was a dead zone like an hour around Colquitt.

Damn you AT&T service! (In fairness, their slogan is More Bars in More Places, and Colquitt feels like dry town. So it's possible they've banned bars of all sorts there, but don't quote me on that.)

Folks with Verizon had no such complaints:

In Colquitt, we stayed at the lovely, restored Victorian era Tarrer Inn:

The Tarrer Verandah:

We arrived in time for an opening night reception:

Photo: Quantrell Colbert

Afterwards--not placated by the finger food at the reception, we sought refuge the only place where we could find:

I had always assumed HH was Waffle House's bastard cousin, but the Camilla Huddle House proved me WRONG:

Before, Dan and Elizabeth consider their options:

After, casualties:

A good night's sleep and then we were up in the am, off to panels an hour away in Camilla:

The First Panel or the Last Supper? Everyone had something to say at "Training for Actors, Producers, & Directors" Photo: Quantrell Colbert

Between panels, guests grabbed a bite in Camilla Java, a truly indie coffee shop.

Panelist Gail Tassell (of Acuity Entertainment Management) was serenaded by Stratham GA R&B vocalists Blacstone:

Panel 2: My Big Fat Greek Panel:

Dan and I were joined by longtime television director, and MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING director Joel Zwick (left) on a panel called "Distribution - Feature Films, Television & Documentaries"

The Panels were held in a government municipal building. I like to call this photo "Dan/Bush":

Later, we were welcomed by the folks in Blakely, GA at a fantastic outdoor reception:

I always love the way they decorate at these receptions:

What Ralph Wilcox has made possible in this small town is amazing.

From a cotton field...

...he made movie magic.

A real life Field of Dreams.

He built it...and we came.

I wish we could have stayed longer, but alas--we had to return to the ATL.

And two days without cel phone service was ENOUGH.

TIFF '08 - Day 1 (for me)

2008-09-06T00:38:00.001-04:00

Well, I've always wanted to go to the Toronto Film Festival and today I got my wish. Dan and I landed in Toronto around 1:45pm. We grabbed our luggage, rode the bus to the subway and then went to our respective hotels. After dropping our bags we met back up at the Sutton Place Hotel, which is the festival headquarters. I registered, picked up my badge and found Dan in the industry computer lounge. What follows is my day in pictures. So exciting!! (for me, anyway)

I saw this ad in the onflight magazine and loved it!

Dan is declaring NOTHING!

Welcome!

Subway station monitor is running ads promoting Toronto Film Festival.

View from my hotel room window! Awesome!

Industry Computer Hook-up - Carpe WiFi!!!

Fuel!

Movie break. We saw HUNGER. It was good, but sometimes difficult to watch because of brutal violence.

Bright Lights

City Nights

No Rice-A-Roni here.

Didn't your Momma tell you not to drive your car on the table?!

Wha? (Why?)

Maybe we should build some bridges with this china.

Lots of HOT spots.

And lots of HOT girls in short shirts and high heels!

That's it for tonight. A panel, a few movies and lots of cool peeps.....that's on tomorrow's agenda. Peace out!

Toronto Bound

2008-09-05T10:52:00.003-04:00

Nope. Not me. I'll be heading to Rome for RIFF tomorrow. Today even if I can get enough done here at the office.

No, that would be Paula and Dan who are heading to the Great White North. It's a hard job traveling to one of the world's most influential film festivals. But damnit, they're going to do it.

Check back for blog posts from them both.

Tyler Perry Sightings, Zombie Love and African American Slackers

2008-09-03T08:11:00.006-04:00

Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys

Last night was the sneak peak screening of Tyler Perry's The Family that Preys. The man's fan base is as fanatical as a Comic-Con audience and 10 times as loyal, and from the audience reaction coming out of the theater, he's once again earned it.

And, for those who missed it, Mr. Madea himself was there to introduce the film. Not to one theater, but to three packed theaters, including one that was for the Cast and Crew. I had a sneaking suspicion the man was in the house when I saw Kenny Ernestes of Regal Cinema heading for the theater's green room with a large bowl of ice.

Perry bounced from theater to theater to gage audience reaction once the three prints got fired up. My sister, who had gotten turned around about a thousand times getting to the theater, was sitting way in the back row when she was asked if she and a few other folks would give up their seats for Perry. I'm trying to make this story as amusing as the way she told, but I'm failing miserably. If she happens to be with me at a screening again, I'll point her out and let her do the story justice.

The truly funny story is from Atlanta Film Festival member Deronte and his wife Kim--which is ironically the name of my sister. Apparently, security was asking people to predictably move to the center so they could make room for the mass of folks still coming into the theater. Without any prompting, one woman loudly declared that the empty seats she had were for her children who were at the concession stand. Security said they weren't addressing her, to which the woman loudly replied with a "well I'm just telling you."

A few minutes later, security came back and again, without any prompting the woman adamantly said her children were at the concession stand. That's when security had to tell her that, ma'am, there's only 4 people at the concession stand and ain't none of them her children. Unsurprisingly, the story ended with a cop escorting the woman out.

Rule number one when it comes to security or the police. Don't offer up anything that they didn't ask for. It just looks suspicious.

Dance of the Dead

Easily the most raucously audience-pleasing movie of the fest, Dance of the Dead deserves to be a monster break-out hit on DVD (it’s inexplicably bypassing a theatrical release) and is sure to cement Gregg Bishop as a major talent to watch. Completely unmissable and utterly awesome in every way, Dance of the Dead is hands-down the best comedy horror movie in recent years. - Aintitcool.com

So Dance of the Dead continues to amaze and astonish, now doing that at FrightFest over in the UK. Okay folks, somebody give Gregg Bishop an amazing budget and bring him back to the A so he can shoot films all year long.

Somebodies

It's a coming folks. Hadjii's show premieres next week on Monday, Sept.9 and it's already got a rave from the AP.

"Somebodies" (BET, Sept. 9). BET's first scripted series, this half-hour comedy is the brainchild of one-named, multitalented Hadjii, the writer-filmmaker-actor who plays an easygoing college student in no hurry to do much of anything — least of all graduate. Filmed on location in Athens, Ga., which both Hadjii and the University of Georgia call home, "Somebodies" has a sparkling look and a cast of refreshing new faces. Its lessons in self-motivation should tickle anyone who ever had a little too much fun matriculating. - AP

It's a rave that also puts him in the same steed as ex-Atlantan Alan Ball whose True Blood is airing on HBO and also got tagged as a can't miss for this fall. Hopefully we'll see Somebodies
live a long and happy life, eventually finding syndication a warm snug fit.

Yep, yep. Atlanta filmmaking is kicking all manners of ass. And I haven't gotten to Eric Mofford's work, using the Red Camera on EA's Need For Speed series.

Hopkins (Redux) Available For Viewing Online

2008-09-02T22:46:00.006-04:00

About 5 years ago, ABC ran a groundbreaking series called HOPKINS 24/7.

This summer, they went back to Baltimore and took a solid look at the lives of those who make life and death decisions in the World's premiere medical institution. Every episode of ABC News’ seven-part series HOPKINS is available for online viewing here: http://hopkins.abcnews.com/

The real life drama trumps the staged action of shows like ER and the soap-opera melodrama of Grey's Anatomy. The humor is often funnier than Scrubs. (So why muss up the real-life tragedy, drama and emotions with mediocre heart string tugging folk songs?)

Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival 2008 Lineup Announced

2008-08-30T21:17:00.005-04:00

The 10th Annual Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival announced its 2008 feature lineup. The festival is set for September 26-28th, in Birmingham, Alabama (where I hear they love the Gov'nr).

Competitive Feature Lineup Announced

Narrative Features
ADVENTURES OF POWER
COOK COUNTY
DARK STREETS
FIX
GOLIATH
GOOD DICK
HALF-LIFE
THE MAGISTICAL
MAKE-OUT WITH VIOLENCE
MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY
PRESENT COMPANY
SKIPTRACERS

Documentary Features
ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL
'BAMA GIRL (Closing Night Film)
CRAWFORD
DEAR ZACHARY: A LETTER TO A SON ABOUT HIS FATHER
THE DHAMMA BROTHERS
FAUBOURG TREMÉ: THE UNTOLD STORY OF BLACK NEW ORLEANS
FLOW: FOR LOVE OF WATER
I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW
INTIMIDAD
KING IN CHICAGO
LA AMERICANA
PAGEANT
PIP & ZASTROW: AN AMERICAN FRIENDSHIP
QUE VIVA LAS LUCHA (WRESTLING IN TIJUANA)
ROCK-AFIRE EXPLOSION
THIS AMERICAN GOTHIC
WE ARE WIZARDS

Visit their website for more information and updates.

2009 Atlanta Film Festival Countdown Widget

2008-08-30T12:53:00.009-04:00

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You Can't Make It Big By Going Small: Or Fox's Crap Summer

2008-08-27T15:23:00.008-04:00

Fox does have a powerhouse lineup of movies for next summer, so I'm certainly not predicting any precipitous fall from grace. But if the studio really believes it can continue to compete, year in and year out, without regularly working with top-flight artists, I think it will eventually find itself in decline. For decades, studios have tried, in one way or another, to take the risk out of filmmaking, either by laying off financing to outside entities or employing various sorts of quality-control formulas.

But art is elusive. It rarely responds to or can be regulated by any sort of formula. When Fox made "MASH" nearly 40 years ago, it thought the film was a disaster because it felt so far out of the mainstream. It turned out the film was more plugged into the emerging new culture than any of the studio executives. The same could be said about George Lucas' "Star Wars," or James Cameron's "Titanic," which was written off as an epic blunder before anyone saw a foot of footage. Great films come from great filmmakers.

The above is an excerpt from an August 11 La Times piece about the lackluster summer Fox is experiencing. It is amazing that Fox hasn't had one film cross the $100 million finish line. The crash of Meet Dave might be the most spectacular considering that in the modern era there's few bankable stars like Eddie Murphy.

Over the last few Summers, nearly every year, there's one studio that bites it hard. the most eventful I can remember is the one Summer that neither Disney nor Sony crossed the billion dollar line. Craptacular product, especially craptacular product back to back, will always result in craptacular results. Not bad, or mediocre, but craptacular. And that particular Summer, it had been especially bad for Disney. Pixar was a bright spot, but not only had they not released a film that might have added to the Mouse House's coffers, but even if it had, it would have been a painful reminder of how awful the once powerful studio's films had become. Sister Pixar gets straight A's, why can't you be like your sister?

One of the main issues is that few people within the Hollywood system speak up. Folks complain about the government being inept, but at least with the government the truth always comes oozing out in one form or another. And in government, the solutions aren't so cut and dry. Policy solutions today, can have an effect decades into the future (see the City of Atlanta's crumbling infrastructure). In film, folks clam up faster than Scrooge McDuck's wallet at Christmas.

This is a fear based business, in which few folks are willing to openly say why their films didn't work. And, even when they know why their films didn't work, there's even greater reluctance to make the changes needed to create films that do. In fact, studios are prone to allow the success or failure of one film to dictate the direction they take creatively with other films on their slate. Even Michael Mann's Manhunter was renamed from the original title of Red Dragon because the film Year of the Dragon was a flop. And they're not even closely related in genre or storyline.

Anne Thompson of Variety warned the director of Babylon A.D. against biting the hand that feeds him. He's been complaining that Fox's interference wrecked the film's chances before he could even assemble a rough cut. He should be encouraged to do so. As long as he's being truthful, there shouldn't be any reason he shouldn't be able to vent. (Although, having Gothika on his resume is enough to undermine his credibility alone. Which also has one of the worse posters in modern history by the way.)

All industries have their taboos and overt and not so overt rules of engagement. However, at least there, the rules aren't based on irrational fear, heavy emphasis on the irrational.

The movie industry is built on a bedrock of insecurity. Which is odd, because when you dig down deep enough, the industry as a whole is actually pretty solid. Star Trek's vision of the future aside, movies and television aren't going anywhere. It will reinvent itself and it may never look the same, but the same basic principles will exist.

1) People will go to the movies en masse
2) There will be people who love blockbuster/tentpole films
3) There will always be an arthouse crowd
4) There will always be work that connects with both the arthouse and blockbuster crowd
5) With no arms, an empty wallet and stuck in the North Georgia Mountains without equipment, filmmakers will find a way to make films (great, good, bad and the crappy)
6) Regardless of how many peope see it, there will be great work

The question is, will studios always have the heart to trust that good stories and visionary filmmaking is enough to put butts in seats? It's not simply that studios have to put more money into films. In fact, that's how we're in the mess we are now. The money cycle has infected everyone and all aspects of the industry to such an extent that now everyone is feeling the squeeze.

Even if you pare down the number of films released every year from the current 400 plus, down to something like 150 titles, the ratio of bona fide hits to right out bombs isn't going to change much. There will always be films that stink up movie houses like a dead rat trapped in a wall. Knowing that, why not swing for the fences artistically. Not every film needs to be Oscar-bait, nor should they be. But taking a few more chances is healthy for the industry as a whole. There's no such thing as no risk, and the sooner Hollywood embraces that, the better it will be for filmmakers, audiences and studios.

Fall 08 ATLFF 365 Workshops Abound

2008-08-26T17:50:00.030-04:00

Fall is in the air and school is back in session so it's a great time to take a film workshop or two! Some of our most popular workshops are back including the complete Screenwriting 101-103 series. Weekend Filmmaking, and Intro To Directing, Part I and II.

We also have some great NEW classes- Outside The Box:Creative Funding & Marketing For Your Indie Film, and Improv Acting For Film & Television, to name a few.

We also have partnered with Georgia State University to offer our members 10% discount for a new workshop they are presenting this Fall, Basic Gaffing & Gripping For The Beginner. This special workshop has certification eligibility for those who take it to provide a "leg up" in starting your production career in the local film industry! And... you can register conveniently through our website for this workshop.

I would like to take a moment and spotlight our first workshop of the season that anyone who has always wanted to write a script should take...Screenwriting 101. I cannot say enough about this class and our great Instructors (for ALL our workshops), and Jenna Milly, who is one of our Screenwriting Instructors (who also teaches at Emory and writes a column called "Scene Fix" for Script Magazine) is no exception! What her bio may not convey is her great rapport with her students and her comprehensive teaching style. Based on our feedback we have received from students who have taken her class, if this were The Olympics, she would definitely get the gold medal! In my opinion, there is no better workshop offered for the price and evening convenience in Atlanta for anyone who is a complete screenwriting beginner. Note- the early bird registration deadline is end of day TODAY for the best discount for this workshop! If Jenna's class does not fit in your schedule, because of the popularity of this beginning workshop, we have added an additional Screenwriting 101 workshop later in the season as well, taught by another wonderful Instructor, April Lundy. She is fairly new teaching with us but certainly not new to teaching screenwriting or new to the industry. We are already getting wonderful feedback as well on students who took her beginning screenwriting class this Summer. Check out her bio on our website to find out more about April and her workshop dates scheduled for November.

This is only a taste of many great workshops and Instructors, who I will continue to blog about throughout the Fall! I also welcome any suggestions or requests for workshops and am happy to answer any questions regarding any of the workshops available at present so feel free to email me at elizabeth@AtlantaFilmFestival.com

To see a full list of our Fall workshops, check out our Fall 08 downloadable newsletter, learn about our Instructors, or to register, go www.AtlantaFilmFestival.com. Hope to see you in class this Fall!

"Meet the Browns" Coming to TV

2008-08-26T17:48:00.004-04:00

Tyler Perry, whose "House of Payne" sitcom could end up grossing more than $200 million in its first cycle through 2012, has signed a deal with TBS for a comedy based loosely on his theatrical movie "Meet the Browns."
TBS has commissioned 10 half-hours of "Meet the Browns," which stars David Mann in the title role of Leroy Brown, with Perry as exec producer and director.

According to Variety, another Perry show is on the horizon. The man has brought much work to the city and helped raised the profile of what is possible here. With Hadjii's Somebodies scheduled to premeire on BET on Sept. 9, the next few years could be some fertile and--more importantly-- stable ground for production in Atlanta.

Go Miniman Go

2008-08-26T10:51:00.005-04:00

I can't believe Lego's Miniman is only 5 years younger than me. Tell me that Go Go Miniman chant at the end ain't catchy as hell. This is a part of Lego's 30th year celebration for the little man made of right angles and simple shapes.

Catching Up With Nerdcore Rising

2008-08-25T21:19:00.004-04:00

Word from Negin Farsad, Director of 2008 Atlanta Film Festival Selection Nerdcore Rising.

Nerdcore Rising is still on the festival circuit which means it still has me by the balls, so to speak. Of course, with this film, that means a lot more video blogging and online content. I just recently put up episode 6 of the film's companion web series "Nerd of the Week" -- its on the Chiptunes Nerd - those nutty kids that like to rip up their gameboys and make music with them. You can see that here:

Not too long ago we were the closing night movie at the DeadCenter Film Festival and the next major stop for me is the Penny Arcade Gaming Expo in Seattle. There are 55,000 geeks expected to attend this year and we get to screen the movie for them in a venue that might best be described as a "threateningly large monster hall." Needless to say, the nervousness has already set in and I'm pissing my pants well in advance of the screening date (August 30).

After Penny Arcade, we're off to some special screenings at ILM in San Francisco and the Hot Springs festival as well as some yet-to-be-confirmed fests and university screenings. And... if we're smart, we'll have the DVD on offer for cash monies very soon. I don't know if we're that smart yet...

We're showing like a regular theatrical release in Austin in October and there are a couple of other cities that will probably join the mix like Boston and New York (the hometown).

So, that's about it for now but I'll be posting video blogs more regularly as I get back on the road. The last few weeks have been pretty quiet but I have a feeling that Penny Arcade marks the beginning of some massive nerdery!

Observations from the August 22 Box Office: Or The Rocker Must Really Bite

2008-08-25T11:55:00.003-04:00

Fox continued its run of disappointments with �The Rocker,� a Rainn Wilson-starring bid at another �School of Rock�; it came in 12th with $2.8 million.

That blurb from Variety's wrap-up of the weekend tally is an understatement of grand proportions, considering how much of a marketing push the film got. Myspace branding, constant commercials and Wilson front and center for the last few weeks did nothing for this flick.

I haven't seen it, but I'd say the underwhelming performance has less to do with Wilson, than the fact that, while the film is about a 40 something ex-rocker of a hair band finding fame, the target audience appeared to be teenagers and young adults who only have memories of the 80's via VH1 specials. The film might have had a chance if they had made a film that was designed for a crowd that remembers when MTV used to show music videos and Real World was a rare guilty summer treat that hadn't yet been run into the ground creatively.

This is a case when going R, and making more of a satire, would have probably done the movie wonders in box office coin.

...it's almost unfortunate that [Emma Stone] and [Anna] Faris couldn't spend more time together on screen, riffing off ridiculous and random lines of dialogue. Erik Davis -Cinematical

I can't say The House Bunny is the best movie of the summer. I can say--outside of the trailer of Richard Gere and Diane Lane's new film Nights of The Rodanthe--I haven't laughed as hard or as much as I did in any other movie this Summer. Tropic Thunder is a better constructed movie, but Ben Stiller isn't a better comedian than Anna Faris.

Stiller's characters are almost always too self-aware. They're characters playing a character for the benefit of an audience. It's a style of comedy that's plagued SNL for the last 15 years.

Faris is a throwback to early SNL, when the likes of Gilda Radner totally committed to the part. When Gilda becomes Rosanna RoseannaDanna, she is Rosanna. Her posture, her voice, everything shifts to reflect who Rosanna is. Even when the jokes aren't punching, the fact that Radner is this other character does a lot of the heavy lifting.

Faris's turn in The House Bunny is much the same. The movie is silly--which isn't a knock on the film, not all the jokes work and the setups are fairly routine--that is a knock on the film. However, Faris's timing is so finely tuned, her ability to find a laugh so acute, she does what Dane Cook only dreams about in his sleep. She actually is able to carry the entire movie and to bring the damn thing home. Even Emma Stone is able to work some serious magic with her role.

Faris exec. produced the film. Which hopefully means she'll be wrestling more control over her films and will be able to turn out flicks that take advantage of her ability to do both physical and verbal comedy with virtual ease. Me wonders what could she do in the hands of the Cohen's or teaming up with Amanda Bynes--Fest Director Dan's idea--to be a Lewis and Martin type duo on screen.

...oh and if you haven't, watch the trailer for Nights of The Rodanthe and try not to laugh. George C. Wolfe is at the helm, so it gives me hope about the movie itself. But, the trailer feels as if it could have been constructed from a dozen other movies. When you put lines like: "You gave me back my father. You saved him." Back to back with lines like: "He looks this good and he has a dirty mind, he's definitely a keeper" from the female--I have no personal life of my own--best friend, the trailer can't help but send me over the edge. Paula literally had to get up and move to the other side of Dan and Gabe I was laughing so hard and loud.

IndieWIRE: Walking a Tight Rope and Swinging for the Fences: Across the Country, Non-Profits React to SFFS Announcement

2008-08-24T16:32:00.000-04:00

Walking a Tight Rope and Swinging for the Fences: Across the Country, Non-Profits React to SFFS Announcement

by Eugene Hernandez (August 24, 2008)

"The rules of the game are in flux," noted Gabe Wardell via email last week, reacting to the news of the San Francisco Film Society's expansion into filmmaker services in the wake of the demise of the 32 year old Film Arts Foundation. "While some say the sky is falling, and others make bold predictions about the future of our independent film, the truth is that no one knows for sure what the future holds." Wardell, who runs the Atlanta Film Festival organization in Georgia, formerly known as the Image Film and Video Center, was just one of the veterans of the non-profit film sector surveyed by indieWIRE via email this week.

"The biggest mistake independent filmmakers (and distributors, and multi-national conglomerates...) have made is trying to be something they're not," explained Wardell, "In baseball terms, indie films have always hit for average. After a few towering homers, everyone started trying to swing for the fences." He added, "Indie filmmakers have always worked (and should continue to work) on the margins. When you are not expected to hit a home run every time, you can be creative, take more risks and push the envelope. If investment remains modest, filmmakers, actors and producers will continue taking risks and producing groundbreaking work. (Or else they'll go to Europe like Woody Allen...)

Adapting, Evolving, Reacting

"The world has changed so much since many of our organizations were founded," observed Rebecca Campbell, who runs The Austin FIlm Society, launched more than 25 years ago by Richard Linklater. "At AFS, we have tried to focus on evolving into a mature fundraising organization without losing our soul. It can make for internal culture clashes, but I'd prefer that to extinction. It is not necessarily a disaster when an organization 'goes under' or two organizations merge. It can be an opportunity to let go of programs that have outlived their usefulness."

"Years ago I predicted that this could happen as the media landscape began to change, and felt that the only way organizations could survive was to form partnerships or merge or configure themselves in whatever way they could to continue to do relevant work," noted Eileen Newman, former head of New York's Film/Video Arts and now deputy director at the Tribeca Film Institute, which recently merged with Renew Media. "Responding to the current needs of media artists is for me what matters most, if the San Francisco Film Society can provide services which enable work to be produced, for me that is the most important consideration. I work for an organization which just went through a huge change, with the goal of doing more as a merged organization than we could do if we were two separate organizations."

"There are always bumps in the road in any arts community, but this is a lot," noted Jane Minton, head of the IFP Minnesota, detailing recent challenges facing the arts community in her own Twin Cities. She said that the region has recently seen the closure of the Theatre de la Jeune Lune and the Minnesota Center for Photography, along with the departure of valued local adminstrators from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts' MAEP and the Southern Theater.

"A clear issue is prominent in these cases," Minton added, "A two-way communication with the constituents. A few of these organizations made quick, decisive moves without communicating to their core users. Consequently, the constituents staged loud and pervasive revolts, calling the decision-makers out on the carpet...On this point, I commend Film Arts Foundation's board for taking the time to communicate with their shareholders, negotiate with the San Francisco Film Society to preserve key programs for filmmakers and ensure the ongoing health of the filmmaking community."

The Bay Area

A volunteer at Film Arts Foundation twenty-five years ago while working on "The Times of Harvey Milk" (for which FAF served as a fiscal sponsor), indie consultant and producer Bob Hawk later founded and ran the organization's Film Arts Festival, a local film showcase that continued for 21 years. "After leaving FAF in 1993, I continued to consider it one of the vital centers for indie filmmakers in the U.S.," Hawk added, "Over time it was increasingly distressing to hear of certain programs being cut back or eliminated. It's pointless to go into the politics of it all at this time. The technology of the indie world has radically changed, and the way business is done, and the way work is now distributed, exhibited and made accessible has been in great flux."

"The most important thing to me -- the fate of the members and their being able to continue to enjoy needed services, including those who have projects with non-profit fiscal sponsorship -- is that they are being offered continuity by having their membership atomatically transferred to the San Francisco Film Society," Bob Hawk noted, "They will now be safely under a very strong umbrella, strengthened immeasureably in recent years by the leadership of Graham Leggat, whose intelligence and acumen I have admired for years and whose head and heart are in the right place."

Continuing with deep responses to indieWIRE's questions, Gabe Wardell noted that the San Francisco Film Society will have to walk a tight rope in its new role. "Shifting focus from catering to film connoisseurs to serving the entire Bay Area filmmaking community is a jarring transition. As the ED of an organization that endeavors to cater to both, I speak from experience when I comment that attempting to serve the needs of filmmakers while cultivating and serving the needs of film lovers, demands the patience, balance, tenacity, and strategic planning of Philippe Petit. One errant breeze could lead to disaster."

Former Film Arts Foundation head Gail Silva, who attended Tuesday's press conference in San Francisco said the announcement, "provides the opportunity for SFFS to revive what was once a strong commitment to local indies -- the kind of commitment that FAF has been unable to deliver in recent years. Without question, the Bay Area film community deserves both first-rate advocacy and unwavearing support." Continuing she noted, "SFFS will quickly learn that local indies don't sit quietly in their seats, waiting for the movie to begin. They will be phoning, emailing, and showing up at the door demanding that their needs be met by their new guardian. And SFFS had better be ready to provide that service."

Serving Filmmakers

Asked how filmmaker services should change today, Atlanta's Gabe Wardell responded, "Ultimately this is up to the filmmakers to decide. If there's a legitimate demand, someone will serve it. Conversely, organizations that are failing are doing so because they offer services that are no longer valued/supported...or they cannot find funding to cover to cost of the costly slate of services on the menu." He added, "Rather than attempting to serve a filmmaker's every need, an information age non-profit organization needs to be able to direct a filmmaker to the source of services they seek...the organization, and its constituents are better served if you identify quality strategic partners who can provide the services BETTER than you can. It's a win-win-win."

"Filmmakers should speak up more about what they really need, and what they are willing to pay for," advised Campbell from Austin. "As it stands now, the bulk of our services are paid for by private donors--via celebrity events--and government grants. I would feel more secure if we had a wider base of smaller donors. How do you convert people who value independent film into valuing their local media arts organization and paying their dues?"

"Very early on, I realized that to succeed, a non-profit must function like a business," noted Gabe Wardell, "Too many aging and ailing non-profits are clinging to romantic ideas--too many arts organizations possess big hearts and want to be all things to all people. Yet we lack the deep pockets to do this." He continued, "Every non-profit must acknowledge the economic realities of the market, and adjust accordingly," warned Wardell from Atlanta. "You have to be brutally honest. You cannot afford to be romantic or nostalgic--or you face the very real possibility that you'll join company with has-beens and also rans."

Looking Ahead

"How media arts organizations move forward into the 21st century is an important question," noted Jane Minton from Minnesota. "We've all discussed the need to shed the old models. It's important in Minnesota to continue to survey where our film community is headed...The national models that I admire are the Renew Media/Tribeca merger model and Film Independent. Centering media NPO's around a film festival does seem to be an important trend. In Minnesota we are glutted with festivals and I am looking for an alternative to that model.

"I think this is a particularly difficult time, because we don't totally understand what the future will be, and now we hear so much about endings and closings," added Eileen Newman from Tribeca, reiterating that organizations like FAF emerged at a particular moment, driven by specific needs. "The familiar, beloved models may go away, but exciting new models of communication will replace them, and for me that's what matters most."

"Media NPOs need to be in touch with the needs of [their] members, honor the traditions of the past but don't cling to them, and be flexible enough to move to the next service the field demands," said Minton from Minnesota. "In the midst of these confusing times, we must reassure our core that management is on solid ground, the finances should be transparent and we must realize that service to our members and the field are why we exist."

Amidst all the talk of change, Bob Hawk struck an optimistic tone. "Although I am no longer a Bay Area resident," he said, "I will become a member of the SFFS immediately to show my support for what I trust will be a very fruitful coalescence of forces that will enrich the overall American independent film scene."

EDITORS NOTE: Leadership of both Film Independent and the IFP in New York did not respond to two direct email requests for comments.

Art in the airport: does ATL appreciate art?

2008-08-24T11:48:00.008-04:00

Today's Atlanta Journal Constitution ran a troubling story about the fate of public art in the Atlanta air port:

Art may come down
By Moni Basu
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, August 24, 2008

"It’s sort of like taking a trip before the trip.

Glowing neon tubes —- rigid lines of an incomplete square, soft curves of an open circle —- greet passengers on their way to the concourses to catch flights at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Artist Stephen Antonakos wanted people to gaze upward as they descended by escalator into the bowels of the airport to catch the people mover. He wanted them to have a relaxing experience before boarding a plane.

So they have done for almost three decades.

“Four Walls for Atlanta Hartsfield Airport” was one of 14 public artworks commissioned by Mayor Maynard Jackson for the airport that now bears his name. Only four are still on display —- several pieces suffered irreparable damage from neglect and environmental wear and tear.

Now, Antonakos’ work could become the latest casualty.

Airport officials are considering taking down the installation, possibly to make room for advertising.

“We move art, we move advertising,” said General Manager Ben DeCosta in describing the airport’s “dynamic” environment."

Work by Stephen Antonakos in Texas

Irrespective what one thinks about the art itself, the fact that only four of fourteen pieces originally commissioned for Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport remain is a shameful show of neglect.

General Manager Ben DeCosta comments: “This is not a museum. Even in a museum, they change out the artwork.” Mr. DeCosta is being disingenuous--first shows his disregard for the art itself, then he insults our intelligence by suggesting he's following the curatorial practices of a museum by changing out the art work.

But Mr. DeCosta has no intention of changing out the work. He intends to reclaim the real estate so he can sell it to advertisers.

Should Mr. DeCosta succeed, this will be the most shameful thing to go down in an airport since the honorable senator from Idaho.

Prestige Picture: Vicky Christina Batman

2008-08-24T10:45:00.008-04:00

Who is that actress in Vicky Christina Barcelona?

We all know show stealing Penelope Cruz...

and, of course, this being a Woody Allen 3.0 film, we know Scarlett Johansson...

...but who's the other girl playing Vicky?

Rebecca Hall.

A quick glance at imdb the de facto bible of film credits, reveals relatively few credits for her.

One credit that does stand out is 2006's The Prestige.

It is worth noting that Hall was first paired with her Barcelona co-star Johansson in the Prestige:

Also of interest to Dark Knight-loving audiences discovering Nolan this summer, pairings of Dark Knight stars Chirstian Bale and Michael Caine:

And of course, the Prestige also featured a supporting role of the coin!

...which returned in a much meatier role in Dark Knight.

Killing a Film Softly

2008-08-24T08:59:00.009-04:00

I can't express my disappointment I experienced this Friday when previewing the movie listings in the Friday Atlanta Journal Constitution. (Yes, I still prefer to look at the movie listings in the Friday paper, rather than browsing online. When you have the entire smorgasbord of options in front of you and you can see the entire landscape, some things stand out.)

My disappointment stemmed from the location where the new film I.O.U.S.A. opened in Atlanta: the Regal Cinemas Hollywood 24.

Roadside Attractions decision to open a specialty documentary film at a suburban multi-plex is paramount to sending a prisoner to Siberia. In fairness, for the masses headed home to their suburban gated communities north of Atlanta, bypassing the Hollywood 24 on the shoulder of 85, the film will be a roadside Attraction.

When opening a specialty film theatrcially, location is one of the most significant factors for success, along with marketing, timing, and critical review. (The quality of the film is often secondary--I've seen countless great films--like Mondovino--tank at the box office, while mediocre films--like Bottle Schlock--catch on.

We've seen this elsewhere this summer:
Danny McBride's Foot Fist Way opened on a single screen in the Atlanta market--way the hell out in Stonecrest, in a multiplex over 40 minutes from Atlanta proper. Paramount Vantage held the theatrical release of this film for like 2 years...and then dumped it in the suburbs, over a month and a half before Danny McBride was positioned to break big.

Meanwhile, now that we're headed into September, Danny McBride's stock has risen! He's featured in two of this summer's hottest comedies: Tropic Thunder and Pineapple Express, and audiences are likely asking themselves, where can I see more of his work? Had Paramount Vantage held the release a few more months, they might have been positioned for a legitimate sleeper hit. Heck, had Paramount Vantage employed better strategy, the company itself might have survived...

Dan's been brave enough to see such specialty films as Midnight Meat Train and Uwe Boll's Postal upon their theatricial openings in banjo-strumming locales like Fayetteville and Riverdale.

The state of independent releasing is precarious. Small films need every possible advantage to succeed in a crowded, competitive marketplace.

When a distributor decides to open a film in Siberia, they doom the picture to failure.

There are reasons distributors dump a film:
1) From a desk in New York, one screen is as good as another. Getting the film on-screen is the thing. More often than not, such decisions show a distributor's ignorance about a specific market. But this is simply not true. All screens are not equal. Audiences are creatures of habit--and art house audiences have come to expect art house films at specific venues. The only time specialty films can perform in an unconventional screen is when the film crosses a tipping point and expands wide (Juno, March of the Penguins...etc) or when a film (like Passion of the Christ, the Tyler Perry canon) is positioned to reach a critical mass outside the art house hub.

2) They really don't care: Why would a distributor would choose to dump a film on purpose? They are contractually obligated to open the film on a certain number of screens, and by opening (in Siberia) they are honoring their obligation.

3) There just isn't any room on the desirable screens: In Atlanta, the Landmark Theatre is holding "art films" like Dark Knight, Mamma Mia!, Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder (I get it, they have to pay the bills, too!), and meanwhile, the UA Tara is holding tight to legit powerhouse art product, and doing quite well. I wonder why more companies, when they get squeezed by corporate theatres like Regal, UA and Landmark don't cozy up to independent theatres like The Plaza and Lefont? Seems to me these theatres are the last frontier for true indies.

I.O.U.S.A has been employing an aggressive and interesting marketing strategy. I've encountered the film numerous times on Google ads. They created a national opening event by staging a national town hall meeting (projected on digital screens throughout the country) with Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway; William Niskanen, chairman of the CATO Institute; Bill Novelli, CEO of AARP; Pete Peterson, senior chairman of The Blackstone Group and chairman of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation; and Dave Walker, president & CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation and former U.S. Comptroller General. But based on their list of theatrical venues, it looks to me like they've misplayed their hand.

All I know is this: a group of 5 interested film lovers--the film festival staff--opted to see Housebunny on Friday, instead of I.O.U.S.A.

I'm sure we'll see the film eventually--as soon at it's available on Netflix.

A Few Pics From the Week 8/22

2008-08-24T00:30:00.013-04:00

Women In Film & Television Atlanta's Navigating the Film Festival Circuit:
Donna Musil (Writer-Director), BRATS: Our Journey Home
Brats screened at the 2006 Atlanta Film Festival

Women In Film & Television Atlanta's Navigating the Film Festival Circuit:
Catherine Pfitzer, Executive Director Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival
Also pictured Hadjii, Writer-Director Somebodies (2007 Atlanta Film Festival) and
Mike Brune, Writer-Director The Adventure (2008 Atlanta Film Festival)

Women In Film & Television Atlanta's Navigating the Film Festival Circuit:
Gabe, Executive Director Atlanta Film Festival 365
(shamelessly plugging the fest with free t-shirts)

Women In Film & Television Atlanta's Navigating the Film Festival Circuit:
Harry Musselwhite, Creative/Program Director Rome International Film Festival

Line for the locals shorts at Atlanta Underground Film Festival

Jeremiah Prescott urges you to do your patriotic duty while
you're attending Atlanta Underground.

Waiting for the local shorts screening to start at Atlanta Underground.

Rapid i Movement Hits the Sidewalk and Goes Underground

2008-08-22T15:51:00.004-04:00

Just got word that Rapid i film Sturgess Fillmore Presents... Atlanta! just got accepted into this year's Sidewalk Moving Picture Film Festival. My reply, via IM was Hot Damn!

Then it hit me. I should blog about this. Because there's also Tibbet's Trust from Scott Balzer that's screening at the Atlanta Underground Film Festival this weekend.

Rapid i was created before my tenure here at the festival began. But, it plays into two of my personal passions. Encouraging local filmmaking and having fun. And seeing these two Rapid i films live beyond there initial screenings is what we hope for most. Films aren't like poems that sit in a diary, stuck under a bed, locked with a key. They're meant to be seen. And if they're good, to be enjoyed. And these two films definitely qualify.

Atlanta Underground Film Festival Screenings for Tibbets' Trust:

Friday August 23 8 PM Local Short Films The Plaza Theater

Saturday August 24 7 PM Comedy Short Films The Plaza Theater

Weird Stuff That Makes Me Chuckle

2008-08-22T10:25:00.004-04:00

I was on the way to work this morning when I saw that there was a cop over in the right lane and just right behind me. This being Atlanta I'm doing the required minimum of 75. Since he was too, I didn't worry too much about slowing down. Then as he rode by I noticed that his pants leg was kind of high.

Weird observation? Maybe.

I'm just glad brother man had lotioned. As any brother knows, ashy legs ain't funny. They're just sad.

Best Movie Summer of the Last 10 Years?

2008-08-21T11:16:00.006-04:00

Pretty much everyone kicks ass in this. Jason Statham and Tyrese Gibson not only compete on the track, but in one of the single greatest grumbling contests ever put to film. Every time they talk to each other, they seem to drop their testicles lower in an attempt to hit notes so low that only whales and heavy machinery can understand them.

This pull-quote is from an Ain't It Cool News review of Death Race 2000. And I'd be lying if I said the final judgment, that the film is good exploitation fun, doesn't it make the giddy kid inside me happy. (Although, I still haven't seen the thing, so that may change.)

On the whole this has to go on record as one of the strongest Summers when it comes to movies. The shear number of hits this season pretty much confirms it. Iron Man, Kung Fu Panda, Wall*E, The Dark Knight, it's been a fun Summer for flicks.

There's some crazy madness out there claiming that 2002 is a contender, but I'm sorry, but the list of Spiderman, Men in Black 2, Austin Powers Goldmember, Minority Report, Bourne Identity, and Signs has to take a few hits just for Signs' inane premise of aliens--sans suits-- invading a planet in which 70% of it's surface can kill them. And Men in Black 2 takes the prize for most uninspired sequel since Battle for Planet of the Apes. At least Battle has the excuse of having a significantly lower budget than the other four Apes flicks.

Although it is ironic that in a Summer that includes The Happening, which is probably the best comedy of the summer, some folks would bring up 2002. And also The Love Guru, which I haven't seen, apparently shares with Austin Powers' not only Mike Myers as lead and writer, but also that movie's fascination with a particular male member and bodily functions as a source of humor. So maybe there is something to that 2002/2008 connection.

P.S. And I purposely forgot about Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones...as far as I'm concerned the prequels never existed...