Now in its eighth year, the American Film Festival offers a unique perspective on recent developments in U.S. indie filmmaking. That’s because it happens in Poland, staged at the stylish Kino Nowe Horyzonty film center in Wroclaw, also home to the summer New Horizons festival, which has more of a European tilt.
Although the festival, which recently concluded, surveys many favorites from Sundance and South by Southwest, the curation doesn’t merely transpose selections to a new setting. It imports a lively assortment of filmmakers, as well, and creates a cozy, engaged atmosphere more akin to the communal vibe of the Maryland Film Festival. Indeed, to rub shoulders in a crowd that included Jody Lee Lipes, Noel Wells, Dustin Guy Defa, Nathan Silver, producer Mike Ryan, Jessica Oreck and Mike Ott is to experience a deep dive into the creative bustle of current indie ferment.
That spirit is...
Although the festival, which recently concluded, surveys many favorites from Sundance and South by Southwest, the curation doesn’t merely transpose selections to a new setting. It imports a lively assortment of filmmakers, as well, and creates a cozy, engaged atmosphere more akin to the communal vibe of the Maryland Film Festival. Indeed, to rub shoulders in a crowd that included Jody Lee Lipes, Noel Wells, Dustin Guy Defa, Nathan Silver, producer Mike Ryan, Jessica Oreck and Mike Ott is to experience a deep dive into the creative bustle of current indie ferment.
That spirit is...
- 11/14/2017
- by Steve Dollar
- Indiewire
In the battle for what will be the premier streaming home for current independent film, Amazon Prime is showing signs that it could top Netflix, FilmStruck, and Mubi. Between funding auteur-driven Amazon originals like Jim Jarmusch’s “Paterson,” Park Chan-wook’s “The Handmaiden,” Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester By the Sea,” and their exclusive deal with A24 (“American Honey,” “Lobster,” “Swiss Army Man,” and “Moonlight” which arrives 5/21), Prime has a good percentage of the best titles.
What often gets lost in Amazon’s suboptimal browsing interface is the number of recent lower-profile indies on the service that feature some of the most exciting filmmaking of the last year. Here are seven recent gems you shouldn’t miss.
“The Love Witch”
You have never seen anything like this film. Sure, it looks like a late-era technicolor film — shot on 35mm, with deliciously saturated production and costume design — but this isn’t nostalgic kitsch.
What often gets lost in Amazon’s suboptimal browsing interface is the number of recent lower-profile indies on the service that feature some of the most exciting filmmaking of the last year. Here are seven recent gems you shouldn’t miss.
“The Love Witch”
You have never seen anything like this film. Sure, it looks like a late-era technicolor film — shot on 35mm, with deliciously saturated production and costume design — but this isn’t nostalgic kitsch.
- 5/1/2017
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
London, November 10: A man swam across the entire length of the Amazon in 66 days by consuming two bottles of wine a day.
The 55-year-old swimmer, who became the greatest endurance swimmer in the world after he completed 3,274 miles, swimming 10 hours a day for 66 days, said that he was determined to swim across the world's most dangerous river or die trying, the Mirror reported.
A film has been made on Martin Strel's astonishing story of courage and determination called 'Big River Man' which will be releasing soon. (Ani)...
The 55-year-old swimmer, who became the greatest endurance swimmer in the world after he completed 3,274 miles, swimming 10 hours a day for 66 days, said that he was determined to swim across the world's most dangerous river or die trying, the Mirror reported.
A film has been made on Martin Strel's astonishing story of courage and determination called 'Big River Man' which will be releasing soon. (Ani)...
- 11/10/2013
- by Abhijeet Sen
- RealBollywood.com
Along with Jonathan Caouette, Ingrid Kopp, Thom Powers, Esther Robinson, Morgan Spurlock, and John Vanco I’ll be co-hosting a benefit screening of John Maringouin’s Big River Man on Tuesday, September 4, at the IFC Center at 7:30Pm. All proceeds will go towards the filmmaker’s surgery fund and an urgently needed lung operation. Additionally, IFC will be donating an additional 50% of the box towards the fund as well as 100% of all income from membership sales and renewals purchased that evening. I’ve posted about Maringouin’s situation previously, and, with days left, the fund still needs monies to reach its $60,000 goal, which will enable a down payment on Maringouin’s surgery.
Here’s information on Big River Man and Maringouin:
In February 2007 Martin Strel began an insane attempt to be the first person to swim the entire length of the world’s most dangerous river, the mighty Amazon.
Here’s information on Big River Man and Maringouin:
In February 2007 Martin Strel began an insane attempt to be the first person to swim the entire length of the world’s most dangerous river, the mighty Amazon.
- 8/31/2012
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
August 24
7:30 p.m.
San Francisco Film Society Cinema
1746 Post St.
San Francisco, CA 94115
Hosted by: John Maringouin Surgery Fund
This special screening of the documentary Big River Man is a benefit for it’s maker, John Maringouin, who is in desperate need of surgery immediately! Typical of the American health care system, Maringouin is currently without insurance, but is in dire need of an operation to remove a tumor from his lung.
If you cannot attend this screening, but want to donate to the John Maringouin Surgery Fund, please visit their fundraising site at Give Forward. Along with Give Forward, all proceeds from the screening will go to the surgery fund. (The Give Forward site also gives all the details about Maringouin’s situation.)
Big River Man is Maringouin’s 2009 feature-length documentary that tells the insane true story of Slovenian championship swimmer Martin Stel who attempted to become the...
7:30 p.m.
San Francisco Film Society Cinema
1746 Post St.
San Francisco, CA 94115
Hosted by: John Maringouin Surgery Fund
This special screening of the documentary Big River Man is a benefit for it’s maker, John Maringouin, who is in desperate need of surgery immediately! Typical of the American health care system, Maringouin is currently without insurance, but is in dire need of an operation to remove a tumor from his lung.
If you cannot attend this screening, but want to donate to the John Maringouin Surgery Fund, please visit their fundraising site at Give Forward. Along with Give Forward, all proceeds from the screening will go to the surgery fund. (The Give Forward site also gives all the details about Maringouin’s situation.)
Big River Man is Maringouin’s 2009 feature-length documentary that tells the insane true story of Slovenian championship swimmer Martin Stel who attempted to become the...
- 8/21/2012
- by screenings
- Underground Film Journal
Back when we selected filmmaker John Maringouin for our 25 New Faces list in 2006, we knew he had crazy, gonzo talent. His father-son reunion pic, Running Scared is, as I wrote at the time, “a true epic in the fucked-up family doc genre.” Three years after Running Scared, Maringouin made an even bigger impact with Big River Man, a hilarious and heartfelt tale of adventure and human endurance.
But now, as I sadly learned in an email from filmmaker Stephen Kijak, Maringouin is fighting his own medical battle and he needs our support. I’ll let Kijak explain:
My friend, celebrated documentarian John Maringouin, thought he was suffering from chronic asthma for nearly a decade. His insurance company had recently blocked his numerous efforts to get a Cat scan and other advanced diagnostics when his condition worsened. Having recently dumped them in pursuit of better coverage, John learned that in fact,...
But now, as I sadly learned in an email from filmmaker Stephen Kijak, Maringouin is fighting his own medical battle and he needs our support. I’ll let Kijak explain:
My friend, celebrated documentarian John Maringouin, thought he was suffering from chronic asthma for nearly a decade. His insurance company had recently blocked his numerous efforts to get a Cat scan and other advanced diagnostics when his condition worsened. Having recently dumped them in pursuit of better coverage, John learned that in fact,...
- 8/7/2012
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
#99. When The World’s On Fire Director/Writer: James ClauerProducers: Brent Stewart, Ryan Zacarias and Brooke Bernard (from Septien) with John Maringouin (Big River Man)Distributor: Rights Available The Gist: Javier, a Guatemalan immigrant, finds himself homeless and living on the fringes of society in a hardscrabble Southern town. With a loyal dog for a companion, Javier encounters a revolving cast of characters each more colorful than the last, rugged souls who are fighting to break free from their suffocating predicaments, and hoping to catch some faint glimmer of the American dream...(more) Cast: James Cooke and Leo Kling List Worthy Reasons...: Six years since his breakout short film debut "The Aluminum Fowl," hit the festival circuit (Sundance, Rotterdam, Cannes), James Clauer's feature length debut in glorious 35mm is finally upon us and should make the immigrant experience samples as Sin Nombre feel like a Disney film. Backed by the Nomadic Independence clan,...
- 1/4/2012
- IONCINEMA.com
#76. When the World's on Fire - James Clauer His unforgettable, unclassifiable and somewhat off-putting (the animal cruelty aspect) 13-minute short (The Aluminum Fowl) travelled from Park City to Rotterdam and made a splash on the Croisette back in 2006. I'm looking forward to what kind of world James Clauer (see pic above) is looking to explore and the visual treatment of his text with his feature debut, which is backed by those who produced by the same folk who backed Michael Tully's Septien (Sundance - 2011). What we do know is that we think that this might have been based on a 2007 short film and besides that --- nada. Look for When the World's on Fire to be a strong contender for the New Frontier sidebar. Gist: Coming soon. Producers: Brent Stewart, Ryan Zacarias and Brooke Bernard (all on Septien) with John Maringouin (Big River Man)(Ioncinema.com Preview Page // IMDb...
- 11/14/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
The nD Festival, which brings together film, fashion and music, held its fashion show this week at the Belcourt Theater in Nashville. (Here’s a report from photographer Heidi Jewell.) The fest benefits the theater, and at the show short films by James Clauer, Kristin Barlowe and David McClister were shown. Each featured the work of one designer, and all three can be seen here. Embedded below is Clauer’s, a psychodramatic trip to the carnival outfitted by Steven Alan. Some of you will remember Clauer’s striking short, Aluminum Fowl, and his work on Big River Man. Reportedly, Clauer’s debut feature, When the World’s on Fire, is on the horizon.
- 10/9/2011
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
There's no question that the biggest DVD and Blu-ray release this week is Christopher Nolan's Inception (with Shrek Forever After also likely to sell a ton of copies), but if you're looking to get some last-minute Christmas gift ideas, you might find a few other odds and ends hitting stores this week as well. Sandy Collora, director of popular fan films Batman: Dead End and World's Finest, has his first feature film Hunter Prey finally out on DVD today, plus the indie comedy Barry Munday starring Patrick Wilson and The Year of Getting to Know Us starring Jimmy Fallon. Some interesting non-fiction releases include Restrepo, Big River Man and Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel, plus the first volume of the Espn 30 for 30 series. All this plus Criterion Bd releases for Cronos and Videodrome, and for Reed Farrington, it's Trek Stars Go West! What will you be buying or renting this week?...
- 12/8/2010
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
Filmmaker John Maringouin, the man behind last year's epic swimming-of-the-Amazon doc "Big River Man," shot the surreal video below while in the security line of the Oklahoma City Airport on Tuesday, where a wheelchair-bound blond woman sat in her underwear petting a dog and waiting to be searched by the Tsa. The woman, whose name is Tammy Banovac, provided an explanation to The Oklahoman:
Tuesday night Banovac said she chose to wear her underwear because of an unpleasant experience two weeks ago at airport security. She is typically hand-searched at airports because she uses a wheelchair, she said, and she felt violated by the more invasive searches employed at airports recently. "If it happened anywhere else, it would have been sexual assault."
The video's already gone viral, for obvious reasons -- nearly naked lady -- but the most telling aspect is how hard everyone else in line seems to be trying not to look,...
Tuesday night Banovac said she chose to wear her underwear because of an unpleasant experience two weeks ago at airport security. She is typically hand-searched at airports because she uses a wheelchair, she said, and she felt violated by the more invasive searches employed at airports recently. "If it happened anywhere else, it would have been sexual assault."
The video's already gone viral, for obvious reasons -- nearly naked lady -- but the most telling aspect is how hard everyone else in line seems to be trying not to look,...
- 12/2/2010
- by Alison Willmore
- ifc.com
1. make a extreme documentary that almost drives you insane
2. go to airport
3. accidentally film naked woman in wheelchair with cat
4. convince security that its not performance art, keep camera
5. put on youtube
6. wait til CNN calls you (less than 24 hrs later) to air the video
7. promote upcoming DVD release
John Maringouin (Running Stumbled, Big River Man) captured this scene in Oklahoma City yesterday. Tsa eventually covered her up and then questioned John as they thought he staged the whole thing. There’s something funny about John – he got arrested while filming Steve-o smoking on a plane (he was making a Jackass behind-the-scenes that got shelved), I watched airport security rip through his luggage after the True/False Film festival, and when we brought him to the Loft Film Fest in Tucson last month… Read the rest...
2. go to airport
3. accidentally film naked woman in wheelchair with cat
4. convince security that its not performance art, keep camera
5. put on youtube
6. wait til CNN calls you (less than 24 hrs later) to air the video
7. promote upcoming DVD release
John Maringouin (Running Stumbled, Big River Man) captured this scene in Oklahoma City yesterday. Tsa eventually covered her up and then questioned John as they thought he staged the whole thing. There’s something funny about John – he got arrested while filming Steve-o smoking on a plane (he was making a Jackass behind-the-scenes that got shelved), I watched airport security rip through his luggage after the True/False Film festival, and when we brought him to the Loft Film Fest in Tucson last month… Read the rest...
- 12/1/2010
- by Mike Plante
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
More casting news has been released for Amy Heckerling’s horror comedy Vamps, adding to the cast that already includes Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Ritter, Sigourney Weaver, Richard Lewis and Kristen Johnston. From the official press release:
Red Hour Films, Lauren Versel and Maria Teresa Arida of Lucky Monkey Pictures and Molly Hassell announced today that Wallace Shawn, Justin Kirk, Dan Stevens and Todd Barry have joined the cast of writer/director Amy Heckerling’s new feature film Vamps. Written and to be directed by Heckerling, Vamps tells the modern day tale of two young beautiful female vampires (Alicia Silvestone, Krysten Ritter) living the good nightlife in New York until love enters the picture and each has to make a choice that will jeopardize her immortality. Filming begins this week in Detroit, Michigan.
Shawn will portray Dr. Van Helsing, a well-known vampire expert and hunter; Kirk will portray Vadim, a Russian...
Red Hour Films, Lauren Versel and Maria Teresa Arida of Lucky Monkey Pictures and Molly Hassell announced today that Wallace Shawn, Justin Kirk, Dan Stevens and Todd Barry have joined the cast of writer/director Amy Heckerling’s new feature film Vamps. Written and to be directed by Heckerling, Vamps tells the modern day tale of two young beautiful female vampires (Alicia Silvestone, Krysten Ritter) living the good nightlife in New York until love enters the picture and each has to make a choice that will jeopardize her immortality. Filming begins this week in Detroit, Michigan.
Shawn will portray Dr. Van Helsing, a well-known vampire expert and hunter; Kirk will portray Vadim, a Russian...
- 8/3/2010
- by Phil
- Nerdly
More casting news has come in for Amy Heckerling's horror comedy Vamps, and instead of giving us a good bite on the neck, it looks like we'll just be getting some playful nips.
From the Press Release
Red Hour Films, Lauren Versel and Maria Teresa Arida of Lucky Monkey Pictures and Molly Hassell announced today that Wallace Shawn, Justin Kirk (pictured, right), Dan Stevens and Todd Barry have joined the cast of writer/director Amy Heckerling’s new feature film Vamps. Written and to be directed by Heckerling, Vamps tells the modern day tale of two young beautiful female vampires (Alicia Silvestone, Krysten Ritter) living the good nightlife in New York until love enters the picture and each has to make a choice that will jeopardize her immortality. Filming begins this week in Detroit, Michigan.
The actors join the previously announced cast: Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Ritter, Sigourney Weaver, Richard Lewis and Kristen Johnston.
From the Press Release
Red Hour Films, Lauren Versel and Maria Teresa Arida of Lucky Monkey Pictures and Molly Hassell announced today that Wallace Shawn, Justin Kirk (pictured, right), Dan Stevens and Todd Barry have joined the cast of writer/director Amy Heckerling’s new feature film Vamps. Written and to be directed by Heckerling, Vamps tells the modern day tale of two young beautiful female vampires (Alicia Silvestone, Krysten Ritter) living the good nightlife in New York until love enters the picture and each has to make a choice that will jeopardize her immortality. Filming begins this week in Detroit, Michigan.
The actors join the previously announced cast: Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Ritter, Sigourney Weaver, Richard Lewis and Kristen Johnston.
- 8/2/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
I have seen a few pretty good documentaries this year, including October Country and Big River Man, but 9500 Liberty is something else. This could be the future of documentaries. I have been looking for ways that documentaries could break out of their tired formats, using talking heads and clips, or else that old pompous, preachy, "this is good for you" tone, and this movie by Eric Byler and Annabel Park has done it. It follows the progress of an anti-immigration law in Virginia. With everyone fighting and taking sides, the filmmakers discover that they are in possession of the most complete and accurate information, and so they begin to take part in their own story. In addition, they posted bits and pieces of the film on YouTube, further changing the direction of their coverage. It's a living, breathing film.
Die-hard film buffs may recognize Eric Byler's name. He has...
Die-hard film buffs may recognize Eric Byler's name. He has...
- 6/13/2010
- by Jeffrey M. Anderson
- Cinematical
Believe it or not, Mongrel Media, a Canadian film distributor, puts its products on iTunes. Moreover, as far as I know, downloading a film on iTunes is legal. The following is the list of some films and there are Canadian films among them.
Canadian Feature films:
* Away from Her.
* Breakfast with Scot.
* Cairo Time.
* Growing Op.
* How She Move.
* Love & Savagery.
* Nurse.Fighter.Boy.
* One Week.
Foreign feature films:
* Mary and Max.
* The Narrows (2008).
* Scenes of a Sexual Nature.
* Wendy and Lucy.
Documentaries:
* Big River Man.
* Blood on the Flat Track.
* The Corporation.
* A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash.
* Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father.
* Flow: For Love of Water.
* Garbage Warrior.
Canadian Feature films:
* Away from Her.
* Breakfast with Scot.
* Cairo Time.
* Growing Op.
* How She Move.
* Love & Savagery.
* Nurse.Fighter.Boy.
* One Week.
Foreign feature films:
* Mary and Max.
* The Narrows (2008).
* Scenes of a Sexual Nature.
* Wendy and Lucy.
Documentaries:
* Big River Man.
* Blood on the Flat Track.
* The Corporation.
* A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash.
* Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father.
* Flow: For Love of Water.
* Garbage Warrior.
- 2/5/2010
- by anhkhoido@hotmail.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
Fish Tank
DVD, Artificial Eye
Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank is very much in the UK's lineage of social realist dramas. As with the works of Tony Richardson, through Ken Loach and Alan Clarke, Fish Tank presents, or rather captures, the world warts and all – even going as far as being filmed in the more TV-like aspect ratio of 1.33:1 to avoid any accidental glamour that widescreen might have delivered. The situations here are familiar to any follower of kitchen-sink drama but the settings and language have been updated, and it's in these details that Arnold really shows her talent. Mia (Katie Jarvis) is an argumentative and bored Essex teenager who dreams of becoming a dancer – her lonely practice sessions in a vacant council flat are her only real moments of calm. It's easy to see why she's so aggressive, with her limited opportunities and her single mother constantly chipping away at her.
DVD, Artificial Eye
Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank is very much in the UK's lineage of social realist dramas. As with the works of Tony Richardson, through Ken Loach and Alan Clarke, Fish Tank presents, or rather captures, the world warts and all – even going as far as being filmed in the more TV-like aspect ratio of 1.33:1 to avoid any accidental glamour that widescreen might have delivered. The situations here are familiar to any follower of kitchen-sink drama but the settings and language have been updated, and it's in these details that Arnold really shows her talent. Mia (Katie Jarvis) is an argumentative and bored Essex teenager who dreams of becoming a dancer – her lonely practice sessions in a vacant council flat are her only real moments of calm. It's easy to see why she's so aggressive, with her limited opportunities and her single mother constantly chipping away at her.
- 1/16/2010
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Director: John Maringouin Starring: Martin Strel, Borut Strel He's an overweight 53 year old man who used to be a professional gambler. He now teaches flamenco guitar for a living. He regularly drinks and drives, eats horse burgers, and spends his days in underground caves learning how to think like an animal. He is also 'the world's last superhero'. Meet Martin Strel, aka Big River Man. Strel is hardly the most typical of heroes, but as far as documentary subjects go he's a fine choice. Having taught himself to swim at the age of 6, Martin made the decision to become a marathon swimmer in his mid-30s, and has since set numerous world records. You wouldn't know it to look at him. His gut is large, and his thirst seemingly unquenchable - Strel drinks two bottles of wine a day whilst swimming, and much more besides when he's on dry land.
- 1/15/2010
- by Joel Gregory
- t5m.com
Fancy watching an overweight, alcoholic Slovenian man swim the length of the Amazon? No, it's not some new reality TV torture porn, but Big River Man, an extraordinary documentary on 50 year old endurance swimmer Martin Strel. Dodging piranhas, crocodiles, snakes and all manner of other hostile fauna, Strel campaigns for a cleaner environment by swimming the world's largest and most polluted rivers from the Yangtze to the Mississippi. It's his World Record for swimming the Amazon that's the subject of John Maringouin's documentary though, and with more than a whiff of Werner Herzog's fascination with the planet's eccentrics it should be well worth a look.
Big River Man is out on UK R2 DVD through Revolver Entertainment on 18th Jan 2010.
Big River Man is out on UK R2 DVD through Revolver Entertainment on 18th Jan 2010.
- 1/6/2010
- Screen Anarchy
"When I was 7 or 8 years old, I swam very, very long, for hours and hours. Who knows? Maybe I was born like this," says champion endurance swimmer and larger-than-life eccentric Slovenian Martin Strel. In an exclusive interview he discusses facing pirates, piranhas and parasites in his record-setting 3,200-mile 66-day swim down the length of the Amazon, the 10,000 calorie per day diet he must follow when swimming and his hope that the documentary Big River Man will promote his message that the "Amazon is the most precious river in the world."
— Elaine Bergstrom, Channel Guide Magazine...
— Elaine Bergstrom, Channel Guide Magazine...
- 12/23/2009
- ChannelGuideMag
Just recently New York Times critic Manohla Dargis made some waves with an interview she gave using some salty language and calling out a few people here and there. Today she delivers a list of her favorite films of 2009.
While beating the dead horse that is the hatred for such films as G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen she also has a few kind words for some films that didn't make her ultimate list such as Star Trek, Julie and#038; Julia (agree keep the Julie), Duplicity, A Perfect Getaway, Up and A Single Man.
I have listed her top 13 directly below as she listed them, "in order of their domestic release" with links to my reviews where available. Following that is a list of her "other favorites." Like I said when I linked to her interview, "I have mixed feelings when it comes to...
While beating the dead horse that is the hatred for such films as G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen she also has a few kind words for some films that didn't make her ultimate list such as Star Trek, Julie and#038; Julia (agree keep the Julie), Duplicity, A Perfect Getaway, Up and A Single Man.
I have listed her top 13 directly below as she listed them, "in order of their domestic release" with links to my reviews where available. Following that is a list of her "other favorites." Like I said when I linked to her interview, "I have mixed feelings when it comes to...
- 12/18/2009
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The Cinema Eye Honors, my favorite awards ceremony after the Indie Spirits, has released the nominations in eleven categories with Louie Psihoyos’ The Cove racking up a total of seven nominations . - The Cinema Eye Honors, my favorite awards ceremony after the Indie Spirits, has released the nominations in eleven categories with Louie Psihoyos’ The Cove racking up a total of seven nominations while 2nd place with four nominations each, we find Robert Kenner’s overrated Food, Inc., Anders Ostergaard’s miraculous Burma VJ and a pair of films that I'm sure many in the general public know nothing about in Darius Marder’s Loot and Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher’s October Country. Winners will be announced on the 15th of January. Loot (which got a "money back guarantee" from Hammer to Nail's Michael Tully) follows two WWII veterans and their guide across the...
- 12/13/2009
- by Ioncinema.com Staff
- IONCINEMA.com
Interview by Alicia Van Couvering Filmmaker selected John Maringouin as one of our "25 New Faces of Independent Film" in 2006 after seeing Running Stumbled, the filmmaker's hilarious and disturbing film documenting his own reconciliation with his estranged father. This year he brought his remarkable film Big River Man to Sundance, a film several years in the making that documents the Amazon River expedition of Slovenian endurance swimmer Martin Strel. Strel’s stated mission is to bring environmental awareness to the rivers he swims, which have included some of the most polluted on Earth. Maringouin sets out to follow Strel’s expedition and to paint a portrait of this main, combining shots of Strel swimming by dead bodies and tales of...
- 12/2/2009
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Interview by Alicia Van Couvering Filmmaker selected John Maringouin as one of our “25 New Faces of Independent Film” in 2006 after seeing Running Stumbled, the filmmaker’s hilarious and disturbing film documenting his own reconciliation with his estranged father. This year he brought his remarkable film Big River Man to Sundance, a film several years in the making that documents the Amazon River expedition of Slovenian endurance swimmer Martin Strel. Strel’s stated mission is to bring environmental awareness to the rivers he swims, which have included some of the most polluted on Earth. Maringouin sets out to follow Strel’s expedition and to paint a portrait of this main, combining shots of Strel swimming by dead...
- 11/30/2009
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The only big film festival in my own backyard is back and it runs from November 12th through the 22nd. While it caters more to heavy run fest material and arthouse film, they do have some of the more interesting films playing this year:
Ryan Ward's excellent Son of the Sunshine which is one of my favorite films of the year. (review)
The weird, lengthy comedy The Revenant (review)
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
and much more. Program after the break!
In Competition
Children of Invention
Two first-generation Chinese kids in suburban Boston find themselves on their own after their desperate mother is unwittingly involved in a pyramid scheme and arrested. Older brother Raymond takes a page from her marketing seminars to start creating a life for himself and his sister - casting a strange, pint-sized reflection on the American Dream.
Footprints...
Ryan Ward's excellent Son of the Sunshine which is one of my favorite films of the year. (review)
The weird, lengthy comedy The Revenant (review)
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
and much more. Program after the break!
In Competition
Children of Invention
Two first-generation Chinese kids in suburban Boston find themselves on their own after their desperate mother is unwittingly involved in a pyramid scheme and arrested. Older brother Raymond takes a page from her marketing seminars to start creating a life for himself and his sister - casting a strange, pint-sized reflection on the American Dream.
Footprints...
- 10/26/2009
- QuietEarth.us
Every year in Toronto, the Hot Docs Film Festival [1] manages to assemble an exciting assortment of top-notch documentary films from around the world. This year was certainly no different, and a number of the movies have already picked up distribution deals and are well on their way to gaining mainstream attention. However, there are always plenty of diamonds in the rough as well, amazing films that sadly may never find the audience they deserve. So which upcoming documentaries are hits and which are near-misses? Read on for our full report from the 2009 Hot Docs Festival! Best Worst Movie When he was 11 years old, Michael Paul Stephenson was cast in a low budget horror movie called Troll 2. He, along with many of the other actors, thought that it would be their ticket to big time acting careers, but were shocked to find out afterward that the final product was a complete disaster.
- 5/27/2009
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
0:00 - Intro / In-house Stuff 8:30 - Review: Fighting 19:35 - Review: Monsters vs. Aliens 26:25 - Review: Fast & Furious 37:55 - Hot Docs Review: Best Worst Movie 54:30 - Hot Docs Review: Reporter 1:05:35 - Hot Docs Review: Zombie Girl: The Movie 1:14:45 - More Hot Docs Previews: Yes Men Fix the World, Action Boys, Winnebago Man, Carmen Meets Borat, Sweety, Broke, Laughology, Burma VJ, Big River Man 1:33:20 - What We Watched: Superman: Doomsday, Hulk vs., New World Order, Deadly Eyes 1:43:45 - This Week's DVD Releases 1:44:10 - Outro » Download the MP3 (50 Mb) [1] » View the show notes [2] » Vote for us on Podcast Alley! [3] Subscribe to the podcast feed: [4] [5] [6] [7] [1] http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/media.libsyn.com/media/filmjunk/filmjunk217.mp3 [2] http://www.filmjunk.com/podcast/#apr27_09 [3] http://www.podcastalley.com/podcast_details.php?pod_id=29441 [4] http://www.filmjunk.com http://feeds.
- 4/28/2009
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
Chicago – The 2009 Sundance Film Festival Awards were announced on Saturday, January 24th, 2009 and Lee Daniels’ examination of parental abuse and self-redemption in Harlem in the 1980s, “Push: Based on a Novel by Sapphire,” won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the U.S. dramatic competition.
“Push” tells the story of an embattled teenageer living in 1980s Harlem.
Photo credit: Sundance/Variety “We Live in Public” won the Grand Jury Prize for documentary. The Chilean film “The Maid” by Sebastian Silva, won the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema. The audience award in World Cinema went to “An Education” by Lone Scherfig. The film recounts a 16-year-old girl’s adventures in early ’60s London.
Other winning documentaries besides Ondi Timoner’s look at Internet pioneer Josh Harris were “Rough Aunties” by Kim Longinotto, which won the World Cinema docu grand jury prize. The doc focuses on...
“Push” tells the story of an embattled teenageer living in 1980s Harlem.
Photo credit: Sundance/Variety “We Live in Public” won the Grand Jury Prize for documentary. The Chilean film “The Maid” by Sebastian Silva, won the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema. The audience award in World Cinema went to “An Education” by Lone Scherfig. The film recounts a 16-year-old girl’s adventures in early ’60s London.
Other winning documentaries besides Ondi Timoner’s look at Internet pioneer Josh Harris were “Rough Aunties” by Kim Longinotto, which won the World Cinema docu grand jury prize. The doc focuses on...
- 1/26/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
"Push," Lee Daniels' adaptation of performance poet Sapphire's novel about an abused, illiterate teenager struggling to break free from her hellish homelife in Harlem, was the big winner at this year's Sundance Film Festival, picking up both the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award, with star Mo'Nique earning a Special Jury Prize for Acting. Ondi Timoner's film about dot-com golden boy Josh Harris "We Live in Public" snagged the Documentary Grand Jury Prize, while in the World category, Kim Longinotto's "Rough Aunties" and Sebastián Silva's "The Maid" were given awards. The complete list of awards follows:
The Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary was presented to "We Live in Public," directed by Ondi Timoner. The film portrays the story of the Internet's revolutionary impact on human interaction as told through the eyes of maverick web pioneer, Josh Harris, and his transgressive art project that shocked New York.
The Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary was presented to "We Live in Public," directed by Ondi Timoner. The film portrays the story of the Internet's revolutionary impact on human interaction as told through the eyes of maverick web pioneer, Josh Harris, and his transgressive art project that shocked New York.
- 1/25/2009
- by Alison Willmore
- ifc.com
The 2009 Sundance Film Festival has been underway the past week and unfortunately I’m not there. Luckily there hasn’t been any news making its way out of Park City, Utah and I was able to cover everything else from my cozy abode 1,500 miles away. I would have loved to see the films though.
The winner of the grand jury prize and the audience favorite was Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire. The dramatic film tells the story of a teenager in 80s Harlem who is abused by her parent. It is only the second film to receive both awards this decade, according to Variety.
Last year’s audience winner was The Wackness, almost completely ignored when it hit theaters last summer, and the jury prize went to the recently Oscar-nominated Frozen River.
As usual, the festival shut out many of the movies that featured recognizable Hollywood stars,...
The winner of the grand jury prize and the audience favorite was Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire. The dramatic film tells the story of a teenager in 80s Harlem who is abused by her parent. It is only the second film to receive both awards this decade, according to Variety.
Last year’s audience winner was The Wackness, almost completely ignored when it hit theaters last summer, and the jury prize went to the recently Oscar-nominated Frozen River.
As usual, the festival shut out many of the movies that featured recognizable Hollywood stars,...
- 1/25/2009
- by Jeff Leins
- newsinfilm.com
They're just about to hand out the awards for this year's Sundance Film Festival, and we'll be bringing them to you live as they're announced. Keep refreshing this page to see the latest update.
Alfred P. Sloan Award
Adam
Special Jury Prize
Tibet in Song
World Cinema Documentary
John Maringouin -- Big River Man
World Cinema: Documentary -- Editing
Burma VJ
World Cinema: Documentary -- Best Director
Havana Marking -- Afghan Star (check out our first look)
World Cinema Documentary: Grand Jury Prize
Rough Aunties
World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize For Acting
Catalina Saavedra -- The Maid (La Nana)
World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize For Originality
Louise-Michel (check out James Rocci's review)Filed under: Awards, Sundance, Festival Reports, Fandom
Continue reading 2009 Sundance Film Fest Award Winners!
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Alfred P. Sloan Award
Adam
Special Jury Prize
Tibet in Song
World Cinema Documentary
John Maringouin -- Big River Man
World Cinema: Documentary -- Editing
Burma VJ
World Cinema: Documentary -- Best Director
Havana Marking -- Afghan Star (check out our first look)
World Cinema Documentary: Grand Jury Prize
Rough Aunties
World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize For Acting
Catalina Saavedra -- The Maid (La Nana)
World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize For Originality
Louise-Michel (check out James Rocci's review)Filed under: Awards, Sundance, Festival Reports, Fandom
Continue reading 2009 Sundance Film Fest Award Winners!
Permalink | Email this | Comments...
- 1/25/2009
- by Elisabeth Rappe
- Cinematical
John Maringouin's first documentary feature, Running Stumbled, was praised by Michael Tully as "a startling achievement" and "one of the stronger anti-drug pieces of cinema that has ever been made"; when it screened at the CineVegas Film Festival in 2006, Variety's Robert Koehler favorably compared Stumbled to Tarnation. Now Maringouin is back with a second non-fiction feature, <a href="http://festival.sunda ...
- 1/13/2009
- by Karina Longworth
- Spout
John Maringouin's first documentary feature, Running Stumbled, was praised by Michael Tully as "a startling achievement" and "one of the stronger anti-drug pieces of cinema that has ever been made"; when it screened at the CineVegas Film Festival in 2006, Variety's Robert Koehler favorably compared Stumbled to Tarnation. Now Maringouin is back with a second non-fiction feature, <a href="http://festival.sundance.or ...
- 1/13/2009
- by Karina Longworth
- Spout
I am heading out the door and have no time to really dig into this, but here is the line-up for next year's 2009 Sundance Film Festival as reported by Variety. Dramatic Competition Adam, directed and written by Max Mayer ("Better Living"), about a slightly dysfunctional man's attempt at a relationship with an alluring new neighbor. Stars Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison. Amreeka, directed and written by Cherien Dabis, a drama examining the challenges faced by a divorced Palestinian woman and her teenage son upon moving to rural Illinois. With Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem. Arlen Faber, directed and written by John Hindman, about the intrusion of two strangers into the life of a famous reclusive author. With Jeff Daniels, Lauren Graham, Lou Pucci, Olivia Thirlby, Kat Dennings. Big Fan, directed and written by Robert Siegel (writer of "The Wrestler"), which hinges on the reaction of a...
- 12/3/2008
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Oh I'm so excited! One of the best fests of the year! The 2009 Sundance Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for its U.S. and World competitions for dramatic and documentary features. The non-competitive sections including Premieres, Spectrum, Midnight, and New Frontiers will be announced December 4. Sundance unspools January 15-25, 2009 in Park City, Utah.
Check out the film list after the break. via Variety.
Dramatic Competition
* Adam (Max Mayer)
* Amreeka (Cherien Dabis)
* Big Fan (Robert Siegel)
* Brief Interviews With Hideous Men (John Krasinski)
* Cold Souls (Sophie Barthes)
* Dare (Adam Salky)
* Don’t Let Me Drown (Cruz Angeles)
* The Dream of the Romans (John Hindman)
* The Greatest (Shana Feste)
* Humpday (Lynn Shelton)
* Paper Heart (Nicolas Jasenovec)
* Peter and Vandy (Jay Dipietro)
* Push (Lee Daniels)
* Sin nombre (Cary Fukunaga)
* Taking Chance (Ross Katz)
* Toe to Toe (Emily Abt)
Documentary Competition
* Art and Copy (Doug Pray)
* Boy Interrupted (Dana Perry)
* Sergio (Greg Barker...
Check out the film list after the break. via Variety.
Dramatic Competition
* Adam (Max Mayer)
* Amreeka (Cherien Dabis)
* Big Fan (Robert Siegel)
* Brief Interviews With Hideous Men (John Krasinski)
* Cold Souls (Sophie Barthes)
* Dare (Adam Salky)
* Don’t Let Me Drown (Cruz Angeles)
* The Dream of the Romans (John Hindman)
* The Greatest (Shana Feste)
* Humpday (Lynn Shelton)
* Paper Heart (Nicolas Jasenovec)
* Peter and Vandy (Jay Dipietro)
* Push (Lee Daniels)
* Sin nombre (Cary Fukunaga)
* Taking Chance (Ross Katz)
* Toe to Toe (Emily Abt)
Documentary Competition
* Art and Copy (Doug Pray)
* Boy Interrupted (Dana Perry)
* Sergio (Greg Barker...
- 12/3/2008
- QuietEarth.us
U.S. Dramatic Competition
This year's 16 films were selected from 1,026 submissions. Each film is a world premiere.
Adam (Director-screenwriter: Max Mayer)
A strange and lyrical love story between a somewhat socially dysfunctional young man and the woman of his dreams. Cast: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison.
Amreeka (Director-screenwriter: Cherien Dabis)
When a divorced Palestinian woman and her teenage son move to rural Illinois at the outset of the Iraq war, they find their new lives replete with challenges. Cast: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Alia Shawkat.
Big Fan (Director-screenwriter: Robert Siegel)
The world of a parking garage attendant who happens to be the New York Giants' biggest fan is turned upside down after an altercation with his favorite player. Cast: Patton Oswalt, Michael Rapaport, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Matt Servitto.
Brief Interviews With Hideous Men (Director-screenwriter: John Krasinski)
When her boyfriend leaves with little explanation,...
This year's 16 films were selected from 1,026 submissions. Each film is a world premiere.
Adam (Director-screenwriter: Max Mayer)
A strange and lyrical love story between a somewhat socially dysfunctional young man and the woman of his dreams. Cast: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison.
Amreeka (Director-screenwriter: Cherien Dabis)
When a divorced Palestinian woman and her teenage son move to rural Illinois at the outset of the Iraq war, they find their new lives replete with challenges. Cast: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Alia Shawkat.
Big Fan (Director-screenwriter: Robert Siegel)
The world of a parking garage attendant who happens to be the New York Giants' biggest fan is turned upside down after an altercation with his favorite player. Cast: Patton Oswalt, Michael Rapaport, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Matt Servitto.
Brief Interviews With Hideous Men (Director-screenwriter: John Krasinski)
When her boyfriend leaves with little explanation,...
- 12/3/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It looks like the 25th annual Sundance Film Festival is borrowing the late Harvey Milk's famous line: You gotta give 'em hope.
Despite the war-weary, economically ravaged state of the nation and the industry, the Sundance Institute eagerly announced the 2009 competition lineup Wednesday. And while it certainly maintains a somber quotient, the festival roster includes enough fresh takes on old genres (think romance, sci-fi and politics) to satisfy moviegoers and industry players looking for some warmth during the snowy 11-day event.
At least that's how fest organizers Geoffrey Gilmore, Sundance's longtime director, and John Cooper, its programming director, choose to see it.
"What you might have expected is that the festival would be really reflective right now of a very dark time, and it's not really true," said Gilmore, in his 19th year overseeing the fest. "We haven't seen the numbers drop, we haven't seen productions severely impacted yet by these factors,...
Despite the war-weary, economically ravaged state of the nation and the industry, the Sundance Institute eagerly announced the 2009 competition lineup Wednesday. And while it certainly maintains a somber quotient, the festival roster includes enough fresh takes on old genres (think romance, sci-fi and politics) to satisfy moviegoers and industry players looking for some warmth during the snowy 11-day event.
At least that's how fest organizers Geoffrey Gilmore, Sundance's longtime director, and John Cooper, its programming director, choose to see it.
"What you might have expected is that the festival would be really reflective right now of a very dark time, and it's not really true," said Gilmore, in his 19th year overseeing the fest. "We haven't seen the numbers drop, we haven't seen productions severely impacted yet by these factors,...
- 12/3/2008
- by By Jay A. Fernandez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- World Cinema Documentary This year's 16 films were selected from 744 submissions. Films screening in World Cinema Documentary Competition are: 211:Anna / Italy (Directors:Paolo Serbandini & Giovanna Massimetti)—The story of Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist and human rights activist who risked her life to report the truth about the Chechen conflict and President Vladimir Putin. World Premiere Afghan Star / Afghanistan/UK (Director: Havana Marking)—After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, Pop Idol has come to television in Afghanistan: millions are watching and voting for their favorite singer. This film follows the dramatic stories of four contestants as they risk their lives to sing. North American Premiere Big River Man / USA (Director: John Maringouin)—An overweight, wine-swilling Slovenian world-record-holding endurance swimmer resolves to brave the mighty Amazon--in nothing but a Speedo®. World Premiere Burma VJ / Denmark (Director: Anders Ostergaard)—In September 2007, Burmese journalists risking life imprisonment to report from inside their sealed-off
- 12/3/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
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