Eric Koretz was the cinematographer for Sam Esmail's "Comet." His previous credits include the award-winning documentary "Dragonslayer" and AMC webseries "The Trivial Pursuits of Arthur Banks." The film stars Emmy Rossum ("The Phantom of the Opera," "Mystic River") and Justin Long ("Live Free or Die Hard," "Dodgeball") and will have its world premiere on the 13th of July. [Editor's Note: Indiewire reached out to filmmakers with films playing at the 20th La Film Festival (June 11-19) to ask them about how they shot their indie, and what advice they had for other filmmakers. We'll be posting their responses throughout the run of the festival. Go Here for the master list.] What camera and lens did you use? Red Epic with Cooke S4 primes. What was the most difficult shoot on your movie and how did you pull it off? The scenes at the cemetery were difficult because we couldn't control the time of day in which to shoot because we didnt have much time there....
- 6/12/2014
- by Oliver MacMahon
- Indiewire
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Tristan Patterson talked to Indiewire about "Electric Slide," which tells the story of famous bank robber Eddie Dodson. He's familiar with icon-centered chronicles - his last documentary, "Dragonslayer," followed a local skate legend. Talking about this new project in comparison, Patterson calls both works "portraits of outsiders in the city of Los Angeles, structured like mix tapes." Biggest challenge in completing this project? I wrote the script for “Electric Slide” awhile back. It was a film I was completely obsessed with making, but the financing kept falling apart. I went off and made my first film, “Dragonslayer,” instead. There are certain overlaps between the two films—both are portraits of outsiders in the city of Los Angeles that are structured like mix tapes—but it was a bit surreal to go from documenting a 23-year gutter punk skating through the California wasteland to a...
- 4/16/2014
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Electric Slide
Director: Tristan Patterson
Writer: Tristan Patterson
Producers: Myriad Pictures’ Kirk D’Amico, Skyscraper Films’ Hans Ritter & Killer Films’ Christine Vachon
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Jim Sturgess, Isabel Lucas, Vinessa Shaw, Chloë Sevigny, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Lambert
His award-winning debut Dragonslayer was a major achievement for a debut and played extremely well on the indie docu circuit, and we’re thinking Tristan Patterson might be excessively fine-tuning his introduction to this non-fiction true crime story as to not appear like your run-of-the-mill caper film.
Gist: Based on the article “The Yankee Bandit: The Life and Times of Eddie Dodson, World’s Great Bank Robber”, written by Timothy Ford and scripted by Patterson, this tells the true story of suave hipster and celebrity-magnet Eddie Dodson, who in 1980s Los Angeles owned and ran one of the city’s most stylish art deco furniture stores and happened to rob...
Director: Tristan Patterson
Writer: Tristan Patterson
Producers: Myriad Pictures’ Kirk D’Amico, Skyscraper Films’ Hans Ritter & Killer Films’ Christine Vachon
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Jim Sturgess, Isabel Lucas, Vinessa Shaw, Chloë Sevigny, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Lambert
His award-winning debut Dragonslayer was a major achievement for a debut and played extremely well on the indie docu circuit, and we’re thinking Tristan Patterson might be excessively fine-tuning his introduction to this non-fiction true crime story as to not appear like your run-of-the-mill caper film.
Gist: Based on the article “The Yankee Bandit: The Life and Times of Eddie Dodson, World’s Great Bank Robber”, written by Timothy Ford and scripted by Patterson, this tells the true story of suave hipster and celebrity-magnet Eddie Dodson, who in 1980s Los Angeles owned and ran one of the city’s most stylish art deco furniture stores and happened to rob...
- 2/11/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
With heavy critical praise (we were huge fans of the film here on the site) his award-winning debut Dragonslayer (Grand Jury Prize Winner for Best Documentary at SXSW in 2011) made the type of waves that essentially jettisoned it’s filmmaker into a larger land of opportunity and a rapid shift from docu to narrative. Tristan Patterson didn’t rob the bank, but lucked out with what looks to be a heck of a modern Bonnie & Clyde tale in Electric Slide which will feature the name cast of Jim Sturgess, Isabel Lucas, Vinessa Shaw, Chloë Sevigny, Patricia Arquette and Christopher Lambert. Production began in October of 2012, so this is more than ready to showcase and find a distribution deal.
Gist: Based on the article “The Yankee Bandit: The Life and Times of Eddie Dodson, World’s Great Bank Robber”, written by Timothy Ford and scripted by Patterson, this tells the true...
Gist: Based on the article “The Yankee Bandit: The Life and Times of Eddie Dodson, World’s Great Bank Robber”, written by Timothy Ford and scripted by Patterson, this tells the true...
- 11/18/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
There have been plenty of quality biographical extreme sports docs released in the last couple years, with Jeff Tremaine’s profile of BMX godfather Matt Hoffman, The Birth of Big Air, Stacy Peralta’s loving skate team autobio, Bones Brigade, and even Tristan Patterson’s beautifully unconventional debut, Dragonslayer, but the more the merrier as far as we’re concerned. Jacob Rosenberg’s directorial debut, Waiting For Lightning, stylishly outlines the life of boundary pushing skateboard legend Danny Way by combining elements of retrospective bits with the capping of a career in Way’s attempt to jump the Great Wall of China. The cross cut story is not a complete success, but Way, like many of the skate icons who vet his story, is an enigmatic character of practiced skill and devout will, making for a compelling film filled with fledgling career footage and plenty of big air delirium.
Like...
Like...
- 3/6/2013
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Bigger, Faster, Higher: Biography Of Way’s Big Air
There have been plenty of quality biographical extreme sports docs released in the last couple years, with Jeff Tremaine’s profile of BMX godfather Matt Hoffman, The Birth of Big Air, Stacy Peralta’s loving skate team autobio, Bones Brigade, and even Tristan Patterson’s beautifully unconventional debut, Dragonslayer, but the more the merrier as far as we’re concerned. Jacob Rosenberg’s directorial debut, Waiting For Lightning, stylishly outlines the life of boundary pushing skateboard legend Danny Way by combining elements of retrospective bits with the capping of a career in Way’s attempt to jump the Great Wall of China. The cross cut story is not a complete success, but Way, like many of the skate icons who vet his story, is an enigmatic character of practiced skill and devout will, making for a compelling film filled with fledgling...
There have been plenty of quality biographical extreme sports docs released in the last couple years, with Jeff Tremaine’s profile of BMX godfather Matt Hoffman, The Birth of Big Air, Stacy Peralta’s loving skate team autobio, Bones Brigade, and even Tristan Patterson’s beautifully unconventional debut, Dragonslayer, but the more the merrier as far as we’re concerned. Jacob Rosenberg’s directorial debut, Waiting For Lightning, stylishly outlines the life of boundary pushing skateboard legend Danny Way by combining elements of retrospective bits with the capping of a career in Way’s attempt to jump the Great Wall of China. The cross cut story is not a complete success, but Way, like many of the skate icons who vet his story, is an enigmatic character of practiced skill and devout will, making for a compelling film filled with fledgling...
- 11/28/2012
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
While at a house party in Chino, California, director Tristan Patterson accidentally found a subject for his directorial debut in personable 23 year old skater punk, Josh “Skreech” Sandoval. In Patterson’s eyes he was the hero of the sun washed, wasted suburban youth generation, shrugging off responsibility as he wanders through the drug induced haze with surprising compassion. The film artfully captures Sandoval’s tail of skating abandoned pools, falling in love, and eventual submission to capitalistic adulthood with penetrating intimacy, and eloquent authenticity. Now a year since the conclusion of its award winning festival run, Dragonslayer is finally making its way to DVD thanks to the folks at First Run Features.
Sandoval’s first born, Sid, has just arrived, but unfortunately his relationship with the child’s mother has gone sour. Afraid of letting the child grow up in a home filled with anger and resentment, he leaves to...
Sandoval’s first born, Sid, has just arrived, but unfortunately his relationship with the child’s mother has gone sour. Afraid of letting the child grow up in a home filled with anger and resentment, he leaves to...
- 5/30/2012
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
DVD Release Date: May 15, 2012
Price: DVD $24.95
Studio: First Run Features
Josh "Skreech" Sandoval in Dragonslayer.
The 2011 documentary Dragonslayer chronicles the transgressions of Josh “Skreech” Sandoval, a local skate legend from the stagnant suburbs of Fullerton, California, in the aftermath of America’s economic collapse.
Directed by Tristan Patterson, the film takes a look at Skreech’s life—one that the filmmaker surmises could be potentially bleak but that Skreech could tackle and overcome. The action—much of which finds Skreech on his skateboard and getting high—is set to a soundtrack of bands from Mexican Summer and Kemado Records – including Best Coast, Bipolar Bear, Children, Dungen, Jacuzzi Boys, Little Girls and The Soft Pack.
The winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at SXSW Film Festival, Dragonslayer was executive produced by Christine Vachon (Boys Don’t Cry, Velvet Goldmine), and acclaimed by The New York Times as “the...
Price: DVD $24.95
Studio: First Run Features
Josh "Skreech" Sandoval in Dragonslayer.
The 2011 documentary Dragonslayer chronicles the transgressions of Josh “Skreech” Sandoval, a local skate legend from the stagnant suburbs of Fullerton, California, in the aftermath of America’s economic collapse.
Directed by Tristan Patterson, the film takes a look at Skreech’s life—one that the filmmaker surmises could be potentially bleak but that Skreech could tackle and overcome. The action—much of which finds Skreech on his skateboard and getting high—is set to a soundtrack of bands from Mexican Summer and Kemado Records – including Best Coast, Bipolar Bear, Children, Dungen, Jacuzzi Boys, Little Girls and The Soft Pack.
The winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at SXSW Film Festival, Dragonslayer was executive produced by Christine Vachon (Boys Don’t Cry, Velvet Goldmine), and acclaimed by The New York Times as “the...
- 5/8/2012
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Our friends at Snagfilms are giving away swag for the iTunes launch of Dragonslayer, director Tristan Patterson’s award-winning skate documentary about Josh “Skreech” Sandoval. (You can watch it here.)
The first prize winner will receive an Addikt Skateboard deck (right) inspired by the legend of “The Gonz” graphic, Skatebook 3 — a skateboard photography coffee table book — as well as an action-packed street skateboarding DVD featuring Skreech and other insane skaters. Two runners-up will receive the Addikt deck and the DVD. To enter, just send an email to nick@filmmakermagazine.com and tell us which award Dragonslayer won at last year’s SXSW Film Festival. To whet your appetite for the film, here’s an extract from an interview Filmmaker did with Patterson last year to coincide with Dragonslayer‘s theatrical release:
Filmmaker: The entire film has a fever dream quality to it, despite being grounded in the economic realities of the time.
The first prize winner will receive an Addikt Skateboard deck (right) inspired by the legend of “The Gonz” graphic, Skatebook 3 — a skateboard photography coffee table book — as well as an action-packed street skateboarding DVD featuring Skreech and other insane skaters. Two runners-up will receive the Addikt deck and the DVD. To enter, just send an email to nick@filmmakermagazine.com and tell us which award Dragonslayer won at last year’s SXSW Film Festival. To whet your appetite for the film, here’s an extract from an interview Filmmaker did with Patterson last year to coincide with Dragonslayer‘s theatrical release:
Filmmaker: The entire film has a fever dream quality to it, despite being grounded in the economic realities of the time.
- 5/1/2012
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Gaze Film Series
Our first listing is an ongoing monthly film series, not a festival. So, there are no deadlines, no limit to how much you can submit and no submission fees. But, there is one catch: You have to be a female filmmaker to submit.
The Gaze Film Series is dedicated to any and all film and video made by women artists. They are currently accepting media in all formats, all lengths and any subject matter. Submissions can also be new work or previously screened material.
Screenings will take place monthly at the Artists Television Access center in San Francisco, California and films will be selected by a “committee of women cineastes.” No date has been set yet for the debut screening.
For more guidelines and to submit, please visit the Gaze Film Series website.
Arizona Underground Film Festival
The Arizona Underground Film Festival will celebrate its fifth anniversary...
Our first listing is an ongoing monthly film series, not a festival. So, there are no deadlines, no limit to how much you can submit and no submission fees. But, there is one catch: You have to be a female filmmaker to submit.
The Gaze Film Series is dedicated to any and all film and video made by women artists. They are currently accepting media in all formats, all lengths and any subject matter. Submissions can also be new work or previously screened material.
Screenings will take place monthly at the Artists Television Access center in San Francisco, California and films will be selected by a “committee of women cineastes.” No date has been set yet for the debut screening.
For more guidelines and to submit, please visit the Gaze Film Series website.
Arizona Underground Film Festival
The Arizona Underground Film Festival will celebrate its fifth anniversary...
- 3/10/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Berlin's festival of American independent film, Unknown Pleasures, runs from January 1 through 15 at the Babylon, and co-programmers Hannes Brühwiler and Andrew Grant have put together a lineup for this fourth edition that's a little more adventurous that the first three:
Dustin Guy Defa's Bad Fever Sean Durkin's Martha Marcy May Marlene Todd Haynes's Mildred Pierce Monty Hellman's Road to Nowhere Azazel Jacobs's Terri Aaron Katz's Cold Weather Laurel Nakadate's The Wolf Knife Mike Ott's Littlerock Tristan Patterson's Dragonslayer Matt Porterfield's Putty Hill Peter Bo Rappmund's Psychohydrography Lee Anne Schmitt's The Last Buffalo Hunt Joe Swanberg's Silver Bullets Sophia Takel's Green Frederick Wiseman's Boxing Gym Zach Weintraub's Bummer Summer
There are also two special programs, one highlighting Martin Scorsese's recent documentaries (George Harrison: Living in the Material World, A Letter to Elia and Public Speaking). And for the other,...
Dustin Guy Defa's Bad Fever Sean Durkin's Martha Marcy May Marlene Todd Haynes's Mildred Pierce Monty Hellman's Road to Nowhere Azazel Jacobs's Terri Aaron Katz's Cold Weather Laurel Nakadate's The Wolf Knife Mike Ott's Littlerock Tristan Patterson's Dragonslayer Matt Porterfield's Putty Hill Peter Bo Rappmund's Psychohydrography Lee Anne Schmitt's The Last Buffalo Hunt Joe Swanberg's Silver Bullets Sophia Takel's Green Frederick Wiseman's Boxing Gym Zach Weintraub's Bummer Summer
There are also two special programs, one highlighting Martin Scorsese's recent documentaries (George Harrison: Living in the Material World, A Letter to Elia and Public Speaking). And for the other,...
- 12/22/2011
- MUBI
The fifth annual Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking will be handed out next month in New York City, with such inveterate documentarians as Errol Morris (Tabloid), Steve James (The Interrupters) and Kevin Macdonald (Life in a Day) facing off against the upstart likes of Alma Har'el (Bombay Beach), Tristan Patterson (Dragonslayer) and Clio Barnard (The Arbor). But look no further than the Audience Choice Award nominees for the most dynamic, high-stakes clash between old and new.
- 12/13/2011
- Movieline
The Cinema Eye Honors revealed the nominees for the 5th Annual Awards honoring Non-Fiction Filmmaking. Winners will be announced on January 11. Here's the list of the 2012 Cinema Eye Honors:
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking:
"The Arbor," Directed by Clio Barnard, Produced by Tracy O.Riordan
"Senna," Directed by Asif Kapadia; Produced by James Gay-Rees, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner
"Project Nim," Directed by James Marsh, Produced by Simon Chinn
"Position Among the Stars," Directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich, Produced by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich
"Nostalgia for the Light," Directed by Patricio Guzmán, Produced by Renate Sachse
"The Interrupters," Directed by Steve James, Produced by Alex Kotlowitz and Steve James
Outstanding Achievement in Direction:
Clio Barnard for "The Arbor"
Leonard Retel Helmrich for "Position Among the Stars"
Patricio Guzmán for "Nostalgia for the Light"
Steve James for "The Interrupters"
Danfung Dennis for "Hell and Back Again"
Outstanding Achievement in Production:
Erik Nelson...
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking:
"The Arbor," Directed by Clio Barnard, Produced by Tracy O.Riordan
"Senna," Directed by Asif Kapadia; Produced by James Gay-Rees, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner
"Project Nim," Directed by James Marsh, Produced by Simon Chinn
"Position Among the Stars," Directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich, Produced by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich
"Nostalgia for the Light," Directed by Patricio Guzmán, Produced by Renate Sachse
"The Interrupters," Directed by Steve James, Produced by Alex Kotlowitz and Steve James
Outstanding Achievement in Direction:
Clio Barnard for "The Arbor"
Leonard Retel Helmrich for "Position Among the Stars"
Patricio Guzmán for "Nostalgia for the Light"
Steve James for "The Interrupters"
Danfung Dennis for "Hell and Back Again"
Outstanding Achievement in Production:
Erik Nelson...
- 12/11/2011
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
[Editor's note: this was originally published around the time of this year's Hot Docs Film Festival.] At this year's Hot Docs I had the wonderful opportunity to see Dragonslayer, a doc that garnered an insane amount of buzz after its premier at SXSW earlier this year. Following the fest I had a chance to interview the craftsmen behind the feature, director Tristen Patterson. Executive produced by Killer Films' Christine Vachon, his film was my favorite doc of the fest, and others agreed, as it took home the Best International Feature prize. Here's an emailer interview with the filmmaker. Jordon M. Smith: First, I wanted to congratulate you on the SXSW Jury Prize for Best Doc and Best Cinematography awards you raked in earlier this year. Despite just recently premiering, I've heard quite a lot of buzz about the film. Are you surprised at how well the film is being received? Tristen Patterson: I'm surprised and humbled by how well the film is being received. I...
- 11/4/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
Even as I carry on updating the entry on Doc NYC, there's quite a lot besides going on in the field of nonfiction filmmaking. Last week, both the International Documentary Association and Cinema Eye Honors announced the nominations for their respective awards, and yesterday, Cinema Eye unveiled "a new, periodic award called the Hell Yeah Prize, to be given to filmmakers who have created works of incredible craft and artistry that also have significant, real-world impact. The inaugural Hell Yeah Prize will be presented to Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky for their HBO Documentary Films trilogy Paradise Lost, which played a critical role in securing the release from prison of the wrongly prosecuted and convicted West Memphis Three."
And the other day, when I pointed to Dennis Lim's review of Travis Wilkerson's An Injury to One (2002), "one of American independent cinema's great achievements of the past decade, just issued on DVD by Icarus Films,...
And the other day, when I pointed to Dennis Lim's review of Travis Wilkerson's An Injury to One (2002), "one of American independent cinema's great achievements of the past decade, just issued on DVD by Icarus Films,...
- 11/4/2011
- MUBI
Brett Ratner's timely Tower Heist taps into anti-Wall Street sentiment and is just what you'd expect: competent, breezy, escapist entertainment. The well-cast Madoff-inspired comedy--which stars Ben Stiller, Matthew Broderick, Tea Leoni, Alan Alda and Eddie Murphy in a supporting comeback bid--is expected to take in $29 million this weekend, while R-rated sequel A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas 3D could score $15.5 million. In the mood for something smaller or more serious? Check out several indie documentaries (SXSW winner Dragonslayer, Charlotte Rampling: The Look and The Other F Word), dramas (Another Happy Day, Son of No One) and even a decadent-looking German period piece about Johann Wolfgang von Goethe--Young Goethe in Love. Reviews, details and trailers below: Dragonslayer, Drag City, Us | Director: Tristan Patterson ...
- 11/3/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
What are you doing this weekend? If you had any friends that came to Tuesday night's HopeForFilm Screening at Goldcrest of Tristan Patterson's SxSW Audience Award winning film Dragonslayer, I am sure that's what you'll now be going to see, because the word was "that good"! When I put on a screening, I also write a letter letting my list know why I care about the film. This is that letter for Dragonslayer. Dear Film Fans, It's hard to find much good with the speculative & irresponsible practices of our financial sector, but the devastation they've delivered is the quiet…...
- 11/3/2011
- Hope for Film
What are you doing this weekend? If you had any friends that came to Tuesday night's HopeForFilm Screening at Goldcrest of Tristan Patterson's SxSW Audience Award winning film Dragonslayer, I am sure that's what you'll now be going to see, because the word was "that good"! When I put on a screening, I also write a letter letting my list know why I care about the film. This is that letter for Dragonslayer. Dear Film Fans, It's hard to find much good with the speculative & irresponsible practices of our financial sector, but the devastation they've delivered is the quiet but extremely resonant backdrop for Tristan Patterson's fascinating...
- 11/3/2011
- Hope for Film
Tristan Patterson's skater doc "Dragonslayer," winner of the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW, makes its theatrical debut this Friday in New York. Tt's the pick of the week for opening specialty films, according to the folks polled on criticWIRE. Drag City opens the film at New York's Cinema Village this Friday, followed by Los Angeles next week and other major cities over the course of the next few months; it ...
- 11/2/2011
- Indiewire
The measured vérité style of Frederick Wiseman meets the visual polish of Terrence Malick in "Dragonslayer," a fascinating slice of crude Americana from first-time director Tristan Patterson. However, it stands alone with an infectious hard rock attitude. Patterson doesn't have the epic aims of those filmmakers but equals their respective abilities to create thoroughly involving environments, pitting gorgeous imagery against cold reality with a delicacy rarely seen in the non-fiction ...
- 11/1/2011
- Indiewire
A foursome of Sundance titles (Position Among the Stars, The Interrupters, Hell and Back Again and Senna) and a trio of titles that were launched at Tribeca (Clio Bernard’s The Arbor), Cannes 2010 (Patricio Guzman’s Nostalgia for the Light) and SXSW (Tristan Patterson’s Dragonslayer) lead the noms with four a piece for this year's five edition of the Cinema Eye Honors -- the annual awards group that honors docu films in directing, editing, design and production tech categories. The noms were announced at Sheffield Doc/Fest, and the winners of the 5th Annual Cinema Eye Honors will be announced on January 11, 2012. In the mean time you can check out their spiffy 2012 site to see the honored titles and see the huge list of contributors that help with the process -- worth noting the eligibility rules ensure quality over quantity. For a title to be considered it must have:...
- 10/27/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
In a ceremony last night at the Sheffield Doc/Fest in London the nominees were announced for the 5th annual Cinema Eye Honors. Complete list of nominees are below.
Recognizing the best in nonfiction work, this year marks the first time six films will be vying for the top prize.
33 films from 12 countries are among this year’s nominees, including four nominations for seven films (The Arbor, Dragonslayer, Hell and Back Again, The Interrupters, Nostalgia for the Light, Position Among the Stars and Senna) and four individual nominations for The Interrupters‘ director Steve James.
Winners will be announced on January 11, 2012 as Cinema Eye returns for a second year to New York City’s Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens.
Learn more at cinemaeyehonors.com.
2012 Cinema Eye Honors Nominees
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking
The Arbor
Directed by Clio Barnard
Produced by Tracy O’Riordan
The Interrupters
Directed...
Recognizing the best in nonfiction work, this year marks the first time six films will be vying for the top prize.
33 films from 12 countries are among this year’s nominees, including four nominations for seven films (The Arbor, Dragonslayer, Hell and Back Again, The Interrupters, Nostalgia for the Light, Position Among the Stars and Senna) and four individual nominations for The Interrupters‘ director Steve James.
Winners will be announced on January 11, 2012 as Cinema Eye returns for a second year to New York City’s Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens.
Learn more at cinemaeyehonors.com.
2012 Cinema Eye Honors Nominees
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking
The Arbor
Directed by Clio Barnard
Produced by Tracy O’Riordan
The Interrupters
Directed...
- 10/27/2011
- by Jason Guerrasio
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Patricio Guzmán's Nostalgia for the Light From the the remains of political prisoners buried in Chile's Atacama desert to Muslim-Christian relationships within a (very large) family in Indonesia: Clio Barnard’s The Arbor, Steve James’ The Interrupters, Patricio Guzmán’s Nostalgia for the Light, Leonard Retel Helmrich’s Position Among the Stars, James Marsh’s Project Nim and Asif Kapadia’s Senna are all in the running for Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking at the 2012 Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking. It's the first time that six films are competing for the top Cinema Eye award. Seven documentaries received four nominations each, the highest number this year: Tristan Patterson’s Dragonslayer, Danfung Dennis’ Hell and Back Again, The Arbor, The Interrupters, Nostalgia for the Light, Position Among the Stars and Senna. In all, 33 films from 12 countries are vying for Cinema Eye awards in 11 categories. The five nominees for...
- 10/27/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The 2012 Cinema Eye Honors nominations, announced Wednesday in London, were dominated by Tristan Patterson's skateboard doc Dragonslayer, Danfung Dennis’ Afghan embed adventure Hell and Back Again, Patricio Guzman's Nostalgia for the Light, dramatic car racing doc Senna, Clio Bernard's audacious The Arbor, the third installment of the Indonesian family trilogy Position Among the Stars, and Steve James' The Interrupters. Both Senna and Life in a Day were cited in the editing category, while Errol Morris's Tabloid and James Marsh's HBO look at a 70s chimp, Project Nim, landed nominations in graphic design and animation. The Cinema Eye committee of international fest programmers culled 33 films from 12 countries. The awards will be announced on January 12 at the Museum of the Moving Image in ...
- 10/26/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
The devastation that the “Great Recession” has wrecked on the California exurbs resonates through the backdrop of Tristan Patterson’s fascinating study of a peculiar California skating subculture in Dragonslayer. Focusing his representation mostly on the drug and alcohol addicted daredevil skater punk Josh Sandoval, nicknamed “Skreech,” Patterson’s doc searches the lives of this talented, troubled young man and his makeshift family of itinerant skaters with tremendous aesthetic grace and ideological empathy; finding great beauty in the suburban wasteland of derelict homes and pools that become their refuge from a largely unforgiving world. With a skating style all his own, Skreech launches himself through the air with abandon and enthusiasm, accepting pain and chronic injuries as a given. Patterson’s portrait seems him as a martyr to authenticity, literally stranded in tract upon tract of abandoned American simulacrum and artifice.
Co-produced with Christine Vachon’s Killer Films, Dragonslayer was...
Co-produced with Christine Vachon’s Killer Films, Dragonslayer was...
- 10/26/2011
- by Brandon Harris
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Dragonslayer is a documentary about the transgressions of a lost skate punk and new father living the life out in SoCal. The documentary is Directed by Tristan Patterson and features Josh ‘Skreech’ Sandoval, Josh ‘Peacock’ Henderson and Leslie Brown. It opens in theaters on November 4th, 2011. Watch Trailer: Story: Directed by Tristan Patterson and executive produced by indie-maverick Christine Vachon, Dragonslayer is the Grand Jury Prize winner for Best Documentary Feature at SXSW 2011, and is the second feature to be released theatrically by Drag City following Harmony Korine’s Trash Humpers. Dragonslayer documents the transgressions of a lost skate punk falling in love in the stagnant suburbs of Fullerton, California in the aftermath of America’s economic collapse. Taking the viewer through a golden SoCal haze of broken homes, abandoned swimming pools and stray glimpses of unusual beauty, Dragonslayer captures the life and times of Josh “Skreech”...
Visit site for full article.
Visit site for full article.
- 10/25/2011
- by Benjamin Porter
- BuzzFocus.com
Up until last year, film festivals had always been a bit of a mystery to me. I had gone to a few conventions before and been shown advanced screenings of films, but to actually go to an event where all you did was watch films seemed a bit beyond my reach. Didn’t help either that I had never really lived in areas with affordable or frequent festivals. That is, up until last year when I was introduced to AFI Fest. They hooked me in with free tickets and the promise of engaging cinema from around the world. To say I had fun is a bit of an understatement. As the credits to the last film rolled, I decided that I would come back next year in a more professional manner and write about it.
Which brings us to now. AFI Fest 2011 Presented by Audi is a little over a...
Which brings us to now. AFI Fest 2011 Presented by Audi is a little over a...
- 10/24/2011
- by Jonathan Hardesty
- Flickchart
★★★☆☆ Director Tristan Patterson's award-winning documentary Dragonslayer (2011) (SXSW Grand Jury Prize for best documentary feature) documents the life of Josh 'Skreech' Sandoval, a jaded skateboarding veteran living in the sun-drenched, extreme sports-loving town of Fullerton, California.
Skreech's skateboarding career has almost grounded to a complete halt and despite his local fame his sponsorship deals have began to dwindle away, whilst his appearances at international championships have diminished to just a few fleeting excursions a year. However, he seems content to spend his time bumming around America, crashing at friend’s houses whilst taking in the sun and occasionally recapturing his once famous sporting prowess in the disused swimming pools of abandoned homes - now in abundance across a recession struck America.
His carefree existence distracts him from his paternal responsibilities, yet he strongly believes that his decision to explore the world will help make him a better farther in the long run.
Skreech's skateboarding career has almost grounded to a complete halt and despite his local fame his sponsorship deals have began to dwindle away, whilst his appearances at international championships have diminished to just a few fleeting excursions a year. However, he seems content to spend his time bumming around America, crashing at friend’s houses whilst taking in the sun and occasionally recapturing his once famous sporting prowess in the disused swimming pools of abandoned homes - now in abundance across a recession struck America.
His carefree existence distracts him from his paternal responsibilities, yet he strongly believes that his decision to explore the world will help make him a better farther in the long run.
- 10/20/2011
- by Daniel Green
- CineVue
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
It’s difficult to imagine what the Grand Jury at this year’s SXSW festival were thinking when they awarded the Best Documentary Feature award (as well as one for its cinematography) to Dragonslayer, a meandering slice-of-life doc which aims – and somewhat awkwardly succeeds – to capture the myopic lifestyle of jaded skaters. The problem is that in achieving this goal it is also a disenchantingly dull, overly self-indulgent portrait of a figure that is nearly impossible to warm to.
Josh “Skreech” Sandoval is an unremarkable young man, and so it suits that should a film be made about his life, it might be unremarkable too. Skreech is a relatively skilled skater who hung up his board a few years ago after a bout of depression, only recently returning to the sport, albeit with diminished sponsorship opportunities and a small, though nevertheless loyal, following. His life consists...
It’s difficult to imagine what the Grand Jury at this year’s SXSW festival were thinking when they awarded the Best Documentary Feature award (as well as one for its cinematography) to Dragonslayer, a meandering slice-of-life doc which aims – and somewhat awkwardly succeeds – to capture the myopic lifestyle of jaded skaters. The problem is that in achieving this goal it is also a disenchantingly dull, overly self-indulgent portrait of a figure that is nearly impossible to warm to.
Josh “Skreech” Sandoval is an unremarkable young man, and so it suits that should a film be made about his life, it might be unremarkable too. Skreech is a relatively skilled skater who hung up his board a few years ago after a bout of depression, only recently returning to the sport, albeit with diminished sponsorship opportunities and a small, though nevertheless loyal, following. His life consists...
- 10/15/2011
- by Shaun Munro
- Obsessed with Film
As if to demonstrate just how gnarly of a documentary Dragonslayer is, Tristan Patterson opens his film with Josh "Skreech" Sandoval exposing a huge growth-like lump on his hip as an off screen companion vacantly comments, "That's not normal." Presumably a skateboard injury, it is definitely not normal. But neither is Dragonslayer. An award winner at SXSW and Hot Docs, Patterson's unconventional a-year-in-the-life portrait of a skate punk extraordinaire openly embraces the most unsavory aspects of youth in rebellion with no intention of elevating or demonizing. Patterson chronicles Skreek's shaky return to skating after a bout of depression and ditching his sponsors. He spends his time haunting the streets of Orange County looking for abandon pools, getting stoned, drunk or some combination of the...
- 10/8/2011
- Screen Anarchy
The BFI London Film Festival is the biggest film festival the UK has to offer, and one of the most prestigious and well-recognised festivals across the globe. This year, the festival is celebrating its 55th run, and it has an absolutely fantastic line-up of films scheduled to play through the festival, from 12th – 27th October.
We’re now able to share with you the shortlists for the festival’s various awards, along with the juries for each of those awards. More excellent news also comes with the announcement that the BFI will be honouring both writer-director David Cronenberg, who is bringing his film A Dangerous Method to the festival this year, and actor-director Ralph Fiennes, who will be bringing his directorial debut Coriolanus to the festival, with its highest honour, in the form of the BFI Fellowship.
On receiving the award, Cronenberg has said,
“This is a monumental, in fact overwhelming,...
We’re now able to share with you the shortlists for the festival’s various awards, along with the juries for each of those awards. More excellent news also comes with the announcement that the BFI will be honouring both writer-director David Cronenberg, who is bringing his film A Dangerous Method to the festival this year, and actor-director Ralph Fiennes, who will be bringing his directorial debut Coriolanus to the festival, with its highest honour, in the form of the BFI Fellowship.
On receiving the award, Cronenberg has said,
“This is a monumental, in fact overwhelming,...
- 10/4/2011
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Drake Doremus‘ Sundance Grand Prize winner Like Crazy will be the opening night film for the 7th annual Film Independent Forum, according to the non-profit.
Taking place Oct. 21-23 at the Director Guild of America in L.A., Like Crazy (which Paramount Vantage opens on Oct. 28) will kick off the the three-day forum for emerging and established independent filmmakers that covers production, distribution, documentary and new media.
Speakers for the 2011 Film Independent Forum include:
Sara Bernstein, HBO Documentary Films
Laura Bickford, producer, Duplicity, Che
Josh Braun, Submarine
Lisa Callif, Donaldson & Callif, Llp
Juan Devis, Kcet Public Media
Arthur Dong, director, Hollywood Chinese
Jennifer Dubin, producer, The Perfect Family, Good Dick
Craig Emanuel, Loeb & Loeb
Christian Gaines, withoutabox.com and imdb.com
Matthew Greenfield, Fox Searchlight
Azazel Jacobs, director, Terri
Patty Jenkins, director, Monster, The Killing
Gina Kwon, producer, The Future
Greg Laemmle, Laemmle Theatres
Lisa Leeman, director, One Lucky Elephant
David Magdael,...
Taking place Oct. 21-23 at the Director Guild of America in L.A., Like Crazy (which Paramount Vantage opens on Oct. 28) will kick off the the three-day forum for emerging and established independent filmmakers that covers production, distribution, documentary and new media.
Speakers for the 2011 Film Independent Forum include:
Sara Bernstein, HBO Documentary Films
Laura Bickford, producer, Duplicity, Che
Josh Braun, Submarine
Lisa Callif, Donaldson & Callif, Llp
Juan Devis, Kcet Public Media
Arthur Dong, director, Hollywood Chinese
Jennifer Dubin, producer, The Perfect Family, Good Dick
Craig Emanuel, Loeb & Loeb
Christian Gaines, withoutabox.com and imdb.com
Matthew Greenfield, Fox Searchlight
Azazel Jacobs, director, Terri
Patty Jenkins, director, Monster, The Killing
Gina Kwon, producer, The Future
Greg Laemmle, Laemmle Theatres
Lisa Leeman, director, One Lucky Elephant
David Magdael,...
- 9/14/2011
- by Jason Guerrasio
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
SnagFilms has acquired domestic VOD and digital rights to the 2011 SXSW award-winning skatepunk documentary "Dragonslayer" and all worldwide rights, including theatrical, to the surfing documentary "Splinters." Directed by Tristan Patterson and executive produced by Christine Vachon, "Dragonslayer" won best documentary feature and best cinematography at the 2011 South By Southwest Film Festival and best international feature at Hot Docs 2011. It's the story of Fullerton, Calif. skateboarder Josh “Skreech” Sandoval, who the ...
- 9/9/2011
- Indiewire
The programme for the 55th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express launched today by Artistic Director Sandra Hebron, celebrates the imagination and excellence of international filmmaking from both established and emerging talent. Over 16 days the Festival will screen a total of 204 fiction and documentary features, including 13 World Premieres, 18 International Premieres and 22 European Premieres . There will also be screenings of 110 live action and animated shorts. Many of the films will be presented by their directors, cast members and crew, some of whom will also take part in career interviews, masterclasses, and other special events. The 55th BFI London Film Festival will run from 12-27 October.
Special Screenings
Opening the festival is Fernando Meirelles’ 360, written by Peter Morgan, and starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law and Rachel Weisz. Weisz is also the star of Terence Davies’ closing night film, The Deep Blue Sea, alongside a cast which includes Simon Russell Beale and Tom Hiddleston.
Special Screenings
Opening the festival is Fernando Meirelles’ 360, written by Peter Morgan, and starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law and Rachel Weisz. Weisz is also the star of Terence Davies’ closing night film, The Deep Blue Sea, alongside a cast which includes Simon Russell Beale and Tom Hiddleston.
- 9/7/2011
- by John
- SoundOnSight
From the 12th to the 27th of October the 55th BFI London Film Festival brings its annual box of delights to the capital. Earlier today the full programme was announced, and it look like being another fine year.
We already know that Fernando Meirelles’ latest 360 will open proceedings on the 12th and fifteen days later Terence Davies’ The Deep Blue Sea will bring the festival to a close but there are many more great films to come and see in London this October.
There was a familiar feeling creeping across the audience this morning that a lot of the films had, like last year, already played elsewhere but this is only a small consideration when you consider the scope of the festival’s remit. To bring a vital, fresh and horizon-expanding series of features, shorts and documentaries is no easy task, and while the more well known films have played...
We already know that Fernando Meirelles’ latest 360 will open proceedings on the 12th and fifteen days later Terence Davies’ The Deep Blue Sea will bring the festival to a close but there are many more great films to come and see in London this October.
There was a familiar feeling creeping across the audience this morning that a lot of the films had, like last year, already played elsewhere but this is only a small consideration when you consider the scope of the festival’s remit. To bring a vital, fresh and horizon-expanding series of features, shorts and documentaries is no easy task, and while the more well known films have played...
- 9/7/2011
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Artistic director Sandra Hebron has announced the line-up for the 55th BFI London Film Festival this morning where they will screen “a total of 204 fiction and documentary features, including 13 World Premieres, 18 International Premieres and 22 European Premieres” plus “110 live action and animated shorts”.
We are already knew Fernando Meirelles’ adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s erotic drama play 360 written by Peter Morgan and starring Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law and Rachel Weisz would open the festival and that The Deep Blue Sea, which incidentally is another adaptation of a play (Terence Rattigan’s) and also stars Rachel Weisz, will close it. Of Time and City’s Terrence Davies directed that movie which also stars Tom Hiddleston and Simon Russell Beale.
Now we know the in-between stuff from the Gala & Special Screenings and there’s a wide selection of extremely interesting films;
George Clooney is bringing his political thriller The Ides of March that...
We are already knew Fernando Meirelles’ adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s erotic drama play 360 written by Peter Morgan and starring Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law and Rachel Weisz would open the festival and that The Deep Blue Sea, which incidentally is another adaptation of a play (Terence Rattigan’s) and also stars Rachel Weisz, will close it. Of Time and City’s Terrence Davies directed that movie which also stars Tom Hiddleston and Simon Russell Beale.
Now we know the in-between stuff from the Gala & Special Screenings and there’s a wide selection of extremely interesting films;
George Clooney is bringing his political thriller The Ides of March that...
- 9/7/2011
- by Matt Holmes
- Obsessed with Film
The Arizona Underground Film Festival keeps picking and screening the best in world extreme cinema and their fourth annual edition, which will run Sep. 16-24 in Tucson is no exception, compiling outrageous cult epics from countries such as Japan, Switzerland and Cuba; as well as some local nastiness produced in the fest’s own backyard.
The fest opens with Jack Perez’s Some Guy Who Kills People, a comedy thriller executive produced by John Landis and starring Kevin Corrigan as a loser who gets sadistic revenge on those he feels have wronged him.
While the opening night film is a big name affair, Auff is also celebrating local freaky film fare with films such as the film noir Sweet Love and Deadly, directed by Paul Clinco; and the horror comedy Dick Night, directed by Andy Viner.
From elsewhere around the U.S., there’s the fest’s annual celebration of extreme cinema,...
The fest opens with Jack Perez’s Some Guy Who Kills People, a comedy thriller executive produced by John Landis and starring Kevin Corrigan as a loser who gets sadistic revenge on those he feels have wronged him.
While the opening night film is a big name affair, Auff is also celebrating local freaky film fare with films such as the film noir Sweet Love and Deadly, directed by Paul Clinco; and the horror comedy Dick Night, directed by Andy Viner.
From elsewhere around the U.S., there’s the fest’s annual celebration of extreme cinema,...
- 8/30/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
"Dragonslayer" has picked up a number of awards this year--grand jury prizes for best documentary and cinematography from SXSW, best international feature from Hot Docs--but what sells the new trailer is a voiceover that sounds like the skatepunk version of the “Choose life” speech from “Trainspotting,” as interpreted by Tyler Durden. Directed by Tristan Patterson, the footage was shot partially on Flip cameras given to professional skateboarder Skreech and his ...
- 8/24/2011
- Indiewire
Tristan Patterson‘s skate punk documentary Dragonslayer tore up SXSW during its premiere, picking up the Grand Jury prize of Best Documentary Feature, as well as Best Cinematography by Eric Koretz. It was picked up by Drag City Records (who gave us Harmony Korine‘s insane Trash Humpers), and we have our first trailer, featuring a quote from yours truly.
We seemed to be in the minority, not liking the film much (our review here), but they were able to pull a fitting blurb for its defiant theme. I personally think this one looks like it could be an interesting portrait of this lifestyle, and I’m getting some Bellflower vibes, which is always good. Check out the trailer below via Twitch.
Synopsis:
Dragonslayer documents the transgressions of a lost skate punk falling in love in the stagnant suburbs of Fullerton, California in the aftermath of America’s economic collapse.
We seemed to be in the minority, not liking the film much (our review here), but they were able to pull a fitting blurb for its defiant theme. I personally think this one looks like it could be an interesting portrait of this lifestyle, and I’m getting some Bellflower vibes, which is always good. Check out the trailer below via Twitch.
Synopsis:
Dragonslayer documents the transgressions of a lost skate punk falling in love in the stagnant suburbs of Fullerton, California in the aftermath of America’s economic collapse.
- 8/24/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
It has been nothing but praise for Tristan Patterson's skate punk docu Dragonslayer since its SXSW premiere where it took home the Best Documentary Feature and Best Cinematography awards. From there it traveled up North where it won Best International Feature at Canada's Hot Docs fest. Exec-Produced by Christine Vachone, Dragonslayer is the second film to be released by Drag City Records (after Harmony Korine's Trash Humpers) and the music-label-turned-distrib has just dropped a new trailer ahead of the film's November 4th release. Peep the trailer below and check out the official page here. From Drag City: Dragonslayer documents the transgressions of a lost skate punk falling in love in the stagnant suburbs of Fullerton, California in the aftermath of America's economic collapse. Taking...
- 8/23/2011
- Screen Anarchy
The Arizona Underground Film Festival has released the titles of six films that will be screening as part of their 4th annual event on Sept. 16-24. The films come from all over the world and a few feature Hollywood cult icons. The six films are:
1. Karate-Robo Zaborgar, dir. Noboru Iguchi.
Japanese genre mixologist Noboru Iguchi returns to Auff with his latest concoction: An ode to ’70s Japanese robot martial arts TV shows, Karate-robo Zaborgar. The lead character is described as: Part motorcycle, part karate expert … all robot! A police officer and his metallic partner battle the evil organization Sigma, which is responsible for the cop’s father’s death.
(Iguchi previously screened his Robogeisha at last year’s festival.)
2. Some Guy Who Kills People, dir. Jack Perez.
Executive produced by John Landis and starring Kevin Corrigan and Karen Black, Some Guy Who Kills People is the story of a pathetic...
1. Karate-Robo Zaborgar, dir. Noboru Iguchi.
Japanese genre mixologist Noboru Iguchi returns to Auff with his latest concoction: An ode to ’70s Japanese robot martial arts TV shows, Karate-robo Zaborgar. The lead character is described as: Part motorcycle, part karate expert … all robot! A police officer and his metallic partner battle the evil organization Sigma, which is responsible for the cop’s father’s death.
(Iguchi previously screened his Robogeisha at last year’s festival.)
2. Some Guy Who Kills People, dir. Jack Perez.
Executive produced by John Landis and starring Kevin Corrigan and Karen Black, Some Guy Who Kills People is the story of a pathetic...
- 8/18/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
For their 5th annual event, which is set to run Sept. 8-11, the Sydney Underground Film Festival is looking a little more demented than ever. And that’s saying a lot for this scrappy, still relatively young fest, which typically offers ample twisted cinematic offerings.
The fun kicks off with the Opening Night film, the demented superhero comedy Super, written and directed by former Troma go-to screenwriter James Gunn (Tromeo & Juliet); then ends with the Closing Night wallowing in Sydney’s seedy underbelly, X, by homegrown filmmaker Jon Hewitt.
Crammed between these two excursions into violence and depravity is a lineup filled with perverse visions, scandalous public figures, sickening horror, experimental pop culture remixes and more.
For Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film, the highlight of the fest is Usama Alshaibi‘s Profane, a complex psychological, psychosexual, spiritual morality play about a Muslim sex worker who endures a “reverse...
The fun kicks off with the Opening Night film, the demented superhero comedy Super, written and directed by former Troma go-to screenwriter James Gunn (Tromeo & Juliet); then ends with the Closing Night wallowing in Sydney’s seedy underbelly, X, by homegrown filmmaker Jon Hewitt.
Crammed between these two excursions into violence and depravity is a lineup filled with perverse visions, scandalous public figures, sickening horror, experimental pop culture remixes and more.
For Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film, the highlight of the fest is Usama Alshaibi‘s Profane, a complex psychological, psychosexual, spiritual morality play about a Muslim sex worker who endures a “reverse...
- 8/9/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 14th annual Revelation Perth International Film Festival is, once again, packed to the gills with worldwide wonderful, weird and revelatory filmmaking. The fest runs this year on July 14-24.
The highlight of the festival is the once-in-a-lifetime live performance of Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, which will be performed on July 17 at 7:15 p.m. American animator Brent Green will be traveling Down Under to provide the live musical score and narration for his emotional, live-action animated tale about undying love and creation. He will also be accompanied by band mates and foley artists, Mike McGinley, John Swartz, Donna K and Drew Henkles.
Some other films to look out for at the fest will be the Australian premiere of Zach Clark‘s terminally twisted Vacation!, a black comedy about four girls on a debauched weekend of drinking and drugging that ends horribly for all involved; Marie Losier’s acclaimed...
The highlight of the festival is the once-in-a-lifetime live performance of Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, which will be performed on July 17 at 7:15 p.m. American animator Brent Green will be traveling Down Under to provide the live musical score and narration for his emotional, live-action animated tale about undying love and creation. He will also be accompanied by band mates and foley artists, Mike McGinley, John Swartz, Donna K and Drew Henkles.
Some other films to look out for at the fest will be the Australian premiere of Zach Clark‘s terminally twisted Vacation!, a black comedy about four girls on a debauched weekend of drinking and drugging that ends horribly for all involved; Marie Losier’s acclaimed...
- 6/17/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Man, if you don't understand Tristan Patterson's documentary Dragonslayer, then you just don't get it. Some might say that the verite-style look at a washed-up punk skater, Josh "Screech" Sandoval, is pointless, but that's the point, man. Why do films have to go somewhere? Why do they have to mean something? Why do they have to be entertaining, or engrossing, or fascinating? Why do you have to care about the characters? You think there needs to be a "reason" to make a film? Dude, "reasons" are just random constructs created by Corpro-fascists to keep us all locked in our tiny little worlds of Starbucks and prepackaged meals.
Are there dragons in Dragonslayer? No, man. Dragons aren't real. Dragonslayer is real. Like, in your face real. It's about this guy, Screech, who like rides around on his skateboard all day in abandoned swimming pools out in California. He, like, used...
Are there dragons in Dragonslayer? No, man. Dragons aren't real. Dragonslayer is real. Like, in your face real. It's about this guy, Screech, who like rides around on his skateboard all day in abandoned swimming pools out in California. He, like, used...
- 5/3/2011
- by Dustin Rowles
Getting a film off the ground is no easy feat, and for a first time filmmaker, that task tends to be all the more difficult. However, for director Tristan Patterson, he's gotten off to a helluva start. His first film, the SXSW Best Documentary winner "Dragonslayer," has put him firmly on the map. We caught up with the film at IFFBoston and thought it was great, calling it a boundary pushing flick that created an authentic moviegoing experience. But what most people may not know is that Patterson was initially attached to make "Electric Slide" his film debut. The film…...
- 5/2/2011
- The Playlist
Writer and director Tristan Patterson is flying pretty high right now. His first feature-length film "Dragonslayer" just won the Jury Prize for Best Documentary at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and he's in the middle of negotiations for distribution. The film follows Josh "Skreech" Sandoval, a pool skateboarder from California, in his daily wanderings. Patterson took some time while promoting his film at the Independent Film Festival of Boston to sit down with us to talk about the odd form of his documentary, what type of viewer he's interested in and what it was like to win a major…...
- 5/2/2011
- The Playlist
Though many haven’t seen Tristan Patterson’s documentary “Dragonslayer” yet, there’s a high probability that it will be one of the most talked about documentaries of the year, much like last year’s “Catfish” or “Exit Through the Gift Shop.” The film follows West Coast skateboarder Josh “Skreech” Sandoval in his daily life as he searches for empty swimming pools, smokes a lot of weed and comes to terms with life after fatherhood. It’s easy to say that not much happens over the course of the film. There’s a lot of skateboarding, but there’s also just an abundance of Skreech hanging out…...
- 5/1/2011
- The Playlist
Toronto's 2011 Hot Docs Film Festival is now officially underway, having kicked off the proceedings last night with a screening of Morgan Spurlock's The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. Over the next week we will be catching some of the many great documentaries playing this year, so you can expect some reviews to turn up on Film Junk and The Documentary Blog in the near future. However, if you're interested in attending some screenings yourself, I thought it might be worthwhile to offer up a quick preview of what's playing so you can try and order some tickets [1] before it's too late. Check out our top picks of the fest, complete with trailers or video clips where possible, listed after the jump! Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey Directed by: Constance Marks Synopsis: The film traces Kevin Clash's rise from his modest beginnings in Baltimore to his current success as the...
- 4/29/2011
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
The Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston) kicks off this Wednesday, and has a number of impressive films in its line-up. The festival will take place at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square, the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square, the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, and the Stuart Street Playhouse in downtown Boston. The festival, complete with over 110 film screenings, filmmaker Q&A sessions, panel discussions, visiting filmmakers, parties and events will showcase the best in current American and International cinema.
The opening night film of the festival is Being Elmo directed by Constance Marks will open the 9th annual festival on April 27th at the Somerville Theatre. This marks the first time the festival will open with a documentary. The film follows Kevin Clash, from humble upbringings as he follows his dream to become a puppeteer and one day work with his idol, Jim Henson, to the present day...
The opening night film of the festival is Being Elmo directed by Constance Marks will open the 9th annual festival on April 27th at the Somerville Theatre. This marks the first time the festival will open with a documentary. The film follows Kevin Clash, from humble upbringings as he follows his dream to become a puppeteer and one day work with his idol, Jim Henson, to the present day...
- 4/26/2011
- by Kristen Coates
- The Film Stage
This week I recouped from two weeks away and then my annual day of mourning for my disappearing youth (aka my birthday). I'd like to thank Daniel Walber for all the great posts he contributed in order to compensate for any slack on my part. I did have a few offsite things, too, primarily some wrap-ups of coverage of SXSW at Cinematical. Here's an excerpt from my roundup of favorite documentaries seen in Austin last week: 'Dragonslayer' I might as well begin with the Grand Jury Winner, Tristan Patterson's near-verité look into the life of pro skateboarder Josh "Screech" Sandoval…...
- 3/26/2011
- Spout
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