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 November 20, 2008 FIRST PERSON | Basil Tsiokos: The Challenging State of Film Fests Today
At the end of October, after 12 years with the organization, I officially stepped down from my position as the Artistic Director of NewFest: The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival, which just celebrated its 20th Anniversary. Within the last year, three of the other best-known U.S. LGBT film fests have also experienced significant staff changes, beginning with the departure of Outfest's Executive Director Stephen Gutwillig, followed by Frameline's Artistic Director Michael Lumpkin, and, most dramatically, by the wholesale staff restructuring of the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. While some of these changes were simply career shifts after long tenures, others were unfortunately borne out of economic necessity. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under First Person, Lead Story, Queer Cinema ] November 18, 2008 "I Don't Live On This Planet": Tilda Swinton On Her Post-Oscar Career and the Evolution of Independent Film
A short time ago in Los Angeles, actress Tilda Swinton had a very busy few days. She was there promoting her work in Erick Zonca's "Julia," screening at AFI Fest 2008. But in the two nights preceding its screening, she continued her newfound role as a staple honoree with back-to-back fetes: a tribute at AFI, and an award of excellence at the 2008 BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards. "It's very strange this getting awards," Swinton said upon accepting her award from BAFTA/LA. "I have to confess until so recently that the only thing I'd ever won was a raffle when I was twelve. I got a bottle of aftershave I gave my brother for Christmas and he still has it." [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Profiles ] November 17, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | Taking it all On: Ellen Kuras Directs "The Betrayal"
Documentary coverage sponsored by SnagFilms. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Lead Story ] November 14, 2008 indieWIRE | The End of Cancer? Director Steve Kroschel Speaks of "The Beautiful Truth"
Steve Kroschel's "The Beautiful Truth" follows the story of 15-year old Garrett. After the unexpected and tragic death of his mother, Garret, who is an animal-loving teenager, spirals downward and fast. His father withdraws Garrett to be home-schooled to avoid flunking out. Growing up on an Alaskan animal reserve, Garrett's father recognized his son's interest in the dietary habits of their animals. This prompts him to assign a book written by Dr. Max Gerson, which maintains that there is a direct link between diet and a cure for cancer. Fascinated and curious, Garrett embarks on a cross-country road trip to investigate the merits of The Gerson Therapy. He meets with scientists, doctors and cancer survivors who reveal how the multi-billion dollar medical industry has made it their mission to dismiss the notion of alternative and natural cures. The film opens in limited release today (Friday), November 14. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews ]  indieWIRE PROFILE | "A Christmas Tale" Director Arnaud Desplechin
Fresh on the heels of 2005's critical hit "Kings And Queen," Arnaud Desplechin is returning to American screens this fall with his new film, "A Christmas Tale" (Un Conte de Noel). Already a hit on the international festival circuit, "A Christmas Tale" is also Desplechin's most successful release to date; international box-office receipts for the film have exceeded $4,000,000. indieWIRE caught up with Desplechin after his recent New York Film Festival screenings to discuss the film and his thoughts on the prospects for commercial success in the United States. The film launched its VOD release earlier this week and debuts today in theaters (and a retrospective of Desplechin's work opened recently in New York City). [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Lead Story ] November 13, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | Dreaming Kawabatas: "House of Sleeping Beauties" Director Vadim Glowna
Based on Yasunari Kawabata's novel, Vadim Glowna's "House of Sleeping Beauties" follows Edmond, a man in his sixties whose wife has recently passed away, and who is told about a secret establishment where men can spend an entire night in bed alongside beautiful, sleeping young women who never awaken. The German film is being released stateside by First Run Features, and opens at the Quad Cinema in New York this Friday, November 14. indieWIRE talked to Glowna about the film and its U.S. release. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, World Cinema ]  "Milk" and the Movement: Visibility, Politics and Writer Dustin Lance Black
While attending a party with both gay and straight members of the film and music communities last weekend in Los Angeles, I was struck by the parallels between the current post-Prop 8 environment and the anti-gay Prop 6 that late San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk campaigned to defeat in the '70s. "There were no gay people shown in the early anti-8 commercials," one attendee told me over the weekend. "They made it an abstract rights issue, while the pro-8 people made it personal. It was only after [the Yes vote] went up in the polls that they started rolling out Ellen [DeGeneres] on TV." As seen in Gus Vant Sant's new film, ""Milk," Harvey Milk advocated way back in the 1970s that gay people need to make themselves visible in order to change perceptions in society, a subject I discussed with "Milk" writer Dustin Lance Black recently in California. [ read more in People ] [ 2 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Profiles ] November 12, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | Going Full Frontal: Yair Hochner's "Antarctica"
Director Yair Hochner's "Antarctica" is set in Tel Aviv and centers on an interconnected group of friends and their various relationships. At the crux is the adorably bookish Omer, about to turn 30, who still hasn't found himself, and his free-spirited best friend Miki, who both end up inadvertently dating the same handsome journalist, Ronen. Frozen in place, they and their assorted family members and lovers all seek the same thing--a guiding light to show them that love is still out there. Regent Releasing opens "Antarctica" in Los Angeles Friday, November 14 with other cities to follow. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Lead Story, Queer Cinema ]  indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "We Are Wizards" Director Josh Koury
EDITORS NOTE: This interview was originally published as part of our coverage of the 2008 South By Southwest Film Festival. Josh Koury's "We Are Wizards" had its world premiere at the 2008 South By Southwest Film Festival and has since screened in festivals around the world. The doc is a portrait of the unusual and passionate culture of Harry Potter fans. As the SXSW catalog described the film, "The 'Harry Potter' mythos allows the nerdy, the average, the young, the downtrodden, and the bored a chance to borrow a little inspiration and step out of their respective worlds to be a part of something 'big.'" The film opens in theatrical release this Friday, November 14th at the Cinema Village in New York City. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews ]  iW PROFILE | "Eden" Director Declan Recks
In Irish director Declan Recks' remarkably tense romantic drama "Eden," actions speak louder than words -- or, at least, more coherently, as far as American audiences are concerned. For those inexperienced in the careful discernment of regional accents, "Eden" offers no subtitles, but the central themes are thankfully not lost in translation. Recks relied on visual lyricism as much as dialogue when translating Eugene O'Brien's devastating 2002 play about an estranged young married couple from the stage to the screen. As a result, he doesn't mind if a few lines remain unintelligible to certain viewers. "It makes them pay attention more," Recks told indieWIRE. "People might not get every single word, but they know what's going on from the performances. It's not a very heavily plotted film; it's a character study." [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Profiles ] November 11, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | A Decade in the Making: Director Dave McLaughlin and Producer Lance Greene Talk "On Broadway"
Director Dave McLaughlin and producer Lance Greene's "On Broadway" tells the story of Jack O'Toole, a 30-something Boston everyman, who writes a play about his dead uncle as a way to reconnect with his hard-nosed dad. With no money and just his gut to guide him, Jack quits his job as a carpenter so that he can mount a production of his play on the only stage he can afford: in the back room of his neighborhood pub, on a little street called Broadway. "On Broadway" is available exclusively on Amazon VOD for the next month, via a special deal brokered by Cinetic Rights Management. The film premiered at the Independent Film Festival of Boston in April 2007, and then screened at the Galway Film Festival and the Newport Beach Film Festival. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews ]  indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "The Dukes" Director Robert Davi
Robert Davi's "The Dukes" stars Davi and Chazz Palminteri as a Doo Wop group struggling for survival. Their manager (Peter Bogdanovich) is trying to get them work but things aren't working out, leading them to attempt to pull of a heist. The film screened at last year's Rome International Film Festival and has since won the Coup de Coeur at the Alpe d'Huez International Comedy Film Festival. CAVU Pictures is opening the film in New York on November 14th, and then nationwide on November 21st. indieWIRE spoke to Davi about the film and its upcoming release. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Lead Story ] November 6, 2008 iW PROFILE | "Otto; Or Up With Dead People!" Director Bruce LaBruce
"Honestly, I started getting tired of movies that treat zombies like worthless, homeless people who can be cruelly annihilated for sport," "Otto; Or Up With Dead People!" director Bruce LaBruce told indieWIRE. "I thought it was high time for a zombie uprising, so to speak. I also thought it was time for a new homosexual revolution, so it made sense to combine the two uprisings." Perhaps Canada's best known and most controversial contributor to queer cinema, with films like "Super 8 1/2" and "The Raspberry Reich," LaBruce's "Otto" makes its way to US theatres this Friday at New York's IFC Center. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Profiles ] November 5, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | Apartheid and Woman Love in Sarif's "The World Unseen" and "I Can't Think Straight"
Director Shamim Sarif's "The World Unseen" is adapted from her novel, and is set in 1950s apartheid South Africa amongst the Indian community. The themes are universal - that whatever family, societal or even political constraints you find around you, you can question those constraints, and then take small steps to change them. Her other film, "I Can't Think Straight," meanwhile is a contemporary urban romantic comedy set in London and Jordan. It is a love story between two women of different Eastern cultures and whether or not they can come to terms with the implications of accepting their own sexuality. Sarif describes it as "a light-hearted piece." Regent Releasing opens "I Can't Think Straight" on November 21 and "The World Unseen" this Friday, November 7 in limited release. [ read more in People ] [ 1 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Lead Story ] November 4, 2008 PARK CITY '08 INTERVIEW | "The Guitar" Director Amy Redford
EDITORS NOTE: This interview was first published in January profiling first-time feature directors who had films screening at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Amy Redford's "The Guitar" opens in limited edition via Lightning Media November 7. Amy Redford, who has acted in such films as "The Music Inside" as well as Sundance 2008 offering "Sunshine Cleaning," and is also he daughter of Robert Redford, will premiere her first feature film, "The Guitar," at Sundance. What the festival's Geoffrey Gilmore calls a "whimsical fairy tale," "The Guitar" follows Mel (Saffron Borrows), a unfortunate young woman who loses her job and boyfriend and finds out she has terminal cancer all on the same morning. Instead of giving in she embarks on a journey that Gilmore claims has the "kind of self-indulgent wish fulfillment that we have all fantasized about." Based on a true story adapted by Amos Poe, "The Guitar" is "overflowing with an energy and vitality that belie the initial darkness of its narrative." [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Lead Story ] October 28, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Dear Zachary" Director Kurt Kuenne
Documentary coverage sponsored by SnagFilms. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Lead Story ] October 24, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Synecdoche, New York" Director Charlie Kaufman
In the opening scene of "Being John Malkovich," John Cusack is a street puppeteer controlling the interaction of his creations. Spike Jonze may have directed, but the film's screenwriter, Charlie Kaufman, makes clear from the get-go that he is the master of the enterprise. The screenwriter as auteur. We see that again in "Adaptation," also directed by Jonze, but the complex doubling of character is pure Kaufman. The non-linear narrative of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," in which people can have memories erased from their minds, is Kaufman, not Michel Gondry. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Lead Story ]  indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "I've Loved You So Long" Director Philippe Claudel
The film has yet to bow here, yet Kristin Scott Thomas is already a magnet for Oscar buzz. In "I've Loved You So Long" by Philippe Claudel she plays Juliette, a woman just released from prison after serving a fifteen-year sentence for murder. Taken in by her younger sister Lea (Elsa Zylberstein), whom she hasn't seen all this time, Juliette begins the tortuous re-entry into civilian life, facing the hostility of her sister's husband, the revulsion her past inspires in potential employers, and the awkwardness of social rituals that now seem alien. Mostly, though, she faces her own struggle to turn from darkness and despair toward a new beginning. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Lead Story ] October 23, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Fear(s) of the Dark" Director Charles Burns
Directed by Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, Richard McGuire, Romaine Slocombe, Jerry Kramsky, Michel Pirus and Etienne Robial, "Fear(s) of the Dark" is a collection of fearful tales by ten cutting-edge and acclaimed graphic artists. Their intertwined stories make up an epic where phobias, disgust and nightmares come to life and reveal 'Fear' at its most naked and intense. Charles Burns gave indieWIRE his insight on his collaboration on the project. IFC Films opened the film Wednesday in New York. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Lead Story ] October 22, 2008 In "The End of America," Naomi Wolf Unveils 10 Point Wake Up Call
"This film came together as an urgent message," explained author Naomi Wolf this weekend at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Published last fall, her book The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot, was swiftly adapted for the screen by filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg ("The Devil Came on Horseback," "The Trials of Darryl Hunt") and a version was completed just in time for a Hamptons fest screening on Friday and a SnagFilms online debut this week. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Profiles ] October 21, 2008 iW PROFILE | "Wendy and Lucy" Actress Michelle Williams
"I know how some people might think that when a film is made for such little money, it's a less desirable project," Michelle Williams said recently in an interview with indieWIRE, "But I find it more liberating. There's less pressure." Over the past decade Williams has built her career around such films, from Tom McCarthy's "The Station Agent" to Charlie Kaufman's upcoming "Synecdoche, New York." But she admits the "smallest" film she's ever made is Kelly Reichardt's "Wendy & Lucy, currently gathering significant acclaim on the festival circuit and stirring awards season buzz. "It was the most bare bones," she said. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Profiles ] October 14, 2008 iW PROFILE | "Filth and Wisdom" Director Madonna
EDITOR'S NOTE: The interview portion of this article was originally published during indieWIRE's coverage of the 2008 Berlin Film Festival] Her first feature may have been made relatively under the radar -- at least for a woman of her stature -- but iconic actress/author and all around uber pop star, now turned filmmaker, Madonna nevertheless made quite a splash when the film premiered at the Berlinale in February. Not surprisingly, Madonna landed on the cover of local tabloids ahead of the world premiere of her directorial debut "Filth & Wisdom" at the Berlinale , and she and the film were back in the spotlight last night as she celebrated the film at a premiere and party in New York last night. indieWIRE spent some quieter moments with Madonna during one of the few one-on-one interviews she gave back in Berlin. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Profiles ] October 9, 2008 iW PROFILE | "Ashes of Time Redux" Director Wong Kar-Wai and Cinematographer Chris Doyle
"As I watch your films, I feel the way the characters are feeling," New York Press film critic Armond White told director Wong-Kar Wai as he introduced a discussion at the Apple Store Soho last weekend. "It comes across in the way the movie looks and it comes across especially through how you use music to underscore the images." The talk, presented by indieWIRE, featured "Ashes of Time Redux" director Wong-Kar Wai and longtime cinematographer Chris Doyle discussing the way they utilize music, not just in "Ashes" (which was given new music in its "Redux"), but in their many collaborations over the years. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Profiles ] October 8, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Choose Connor" Director Luke Eberl
Luke Eberl's "Choose Connor" premiered at the CineVegas International Film Festival in June 2007, and has since played in dozens of fests, including the Rome Film Festival, the Woodstock Film Festival, and the Philadelphia Film Festival, where it won the American Independent's Award. The film follows an idealistic 15-year old (Alex Linz), who becomes the youth spokesman for U.S. Senate Candidate Lawrence Connor (Steven Weber),, only to be exploited through Connor's election campaign. 22-year old Eberl, making his feature directorial debut after a career acting (with credits including TV series' "Big Love" and "Cold Case), talked to indieWIRE about the film. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews ] October 7, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Happy-Go-Lucky" Director Mike Leigh
In the opening scenes of "Happy-Go-Lucky," Poppy, a thirty-year-old teacher dressed in flea market duds and fishnet stockings, pedals through London dispensing cheer -- then ends up getting her bike stolen. Instead of going ballistic like most of us, Poppy regroups in the time it takes to say Shit happens, and decides to take driving lessons. Turns out Scott, her driving instructor (the superb Eddie Marsan), is her polar opposite, a fount of sulfuric rage, spouting semi-coherent opinions on the world's dire state -- and of course falling for radiant, irresistible Poppy (Sally Hawkins, winner of best actress at the Berlin Film Festival). [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Lead Story ] October 3, 2008 iW PROFILE | "Rachel Getting Married" Writer Jenny Lumet
"I suppose that there are writers that say, 'I write what I write and if people get it, great, if they don't, whatever,'" "Rachel Getting Married" screenwriter Jenny Lumet told indieWIRE earlier this week. "But I don't feel that way. I feel very passionate about making connections with people. I want very much to be heard." That aspiration is about to be realized. "Married," directed by Jonathan Demme and featuring a heavily lauded performance from Anne Hathaway, opens in theaters today after very well-received screenings in both Toronto and Venice. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Profiles ] October 2, 2008 iW PROFILE | "The Pleasure of Being Robbed" Director Josh Safdie
Josh Safdie doesn't look like the kind of guy who would make an advertisement. Hiding behind an untrimmed beard while discussing his abstract cinematic ambitions, the twenty-four-year-old filmmaker radiates an endearing scrappy artist vibe. However, Safdie's first feature, a surreal romp called "The Pleasure of Being Robbed" that opens this week at the IFC Center and becomes available through the company's video-on-demand service later this month, originally took root as a commercial. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Profiles ] September 26, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela" Director Olaf de Fleur Johannesson
Icelandic director Olaf de Fleur Johannesson's "The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela" is an 85 minute drama which chronicles the story of a naive but street smart Filipina transsexual prostitute named Raquela who decides to travel in order to find her prince charming. Like many Transsexuals (often known as "Ladyboys") in the Philippines, Raquela dreams of marrying a heterosexual man from the West. She spends much of her time on the Internet looking for men who can come and rescue her. They promise to come, but time after time Raquela gets stood up at the airport. Her life changes when, by luck, she lands a job as a webcam host on a transsexual porn site...Raquela eventually gets the opportunity to travel far away on her quest to find the straight man of her dreams. "Queen Raquela" won the Teddy Award at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival in addition to best foreign narrative feature and the Vanguard Award at the 2008 New Fest (New York Gay and Lesbian Film Festival). The film opens in L.A. at the Regent Showcase and in New York at the Quad Cinemas Friday, September 26. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews ] September 24, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell" Director Matt Wolf
Documentary coverage sponsored by SnagFilms. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Queer Cinema ] September 19, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Amexicano" Director Matthew Bonifacio and Writer Carmine Famiglietti
Director Matthew Bonifacio and writer Carmine Famiglietti's "Amexicano" is the story of an Italian-American and a Mexican illegal immigrant form an unlikely friendship in Queens, New York. Bruno (Carmine Famiglietti), is lazy, out of work and late with his rent. When an opportunity for work comes along Bruno is hesitant because it involves hiring undocumented day laborers on street corners. He is convinced it is not safe and sure enough the first guy he hires is Diego (Manny Perez), a fast talking hustler who could be dangerous. It's not until Bruno hires Ignacio (Raul Castillo) and meets his wife Gabriela (Jennifer Pena) that his attitude changes despite language barriers and racial prejudices. The film opens at New York's Quad Friday, September 19 and with other cities to follow. [ read more in People ] [ 3 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Lead Story ]
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