The 14th Annual Santa Fe International Film Festival has announced its juried award winners for the event which has run from Oct. 19-23.
More than 100 filmmakers have traveled to the Land of Enchantment state to show off their cinematic wares.
Says SFiFF Artistic Director Jacques Paisner, “We play strange movies, small movies and foreign films, and the audience is keen on a chance to see something they wouldn’t otherwise experience.”
Courtesy of Santa Fe International Film Festival A scene from Godfrey Reggios Once Within a Time.
Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award tonight is Qatsi trilogy filmmaker Godfrey Reggio who is here with his new documentary, scored by longtime collaborator Phillip Glass and edited by Jon Kane, Once Within a Time. The pic is billed as a “fantasy of the real with themes of climate change and the perils of technology, and their effects on future generations. It is geared...
More than 100 filmmakers have traveled to the Land of Enchantment state to show off their cinematic wares.
Says SFiFF Artistic Director Jacques Paisner, “We play strange movies, small movies and foreign films, and the audience is keen on a chance to see something they wouldn’t otherwise experience.”
Courtesy of Santa Fe International Film Festival A scene from Godfrey Reggios Once Within a Time.
Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award tonight is Qatsi trilogy filmmaker Godfrey Reggio who is here with his new documentary, scored by longtime collaborator Phillip Glass and edited by Jon Kane, Once Within a Time. The pic is billed as a “fantasy of the real with themes of climate change and the perils of technology, and their effects on future generations. It is geared...
- 10/22/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The Caribbean Film Mart (Cfm) has been in the making for several years and in September its debut took place at the 2015 trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) . Bruce Paddington, a filmmaker himself as well as an academic and the Founder and Director of the Festival, along with Annebelle Alcazar, Jonathan Ali and Nneka Luke, and spearheading the Cfm and the Caribbean Film Database (Cfdb) , Emilie Upczak and Melanie Archer, have created an A level event which after 10 years now encompasses three important aspects of film beyond the showcasing of the Caribbean and international docs and fiction films: filmmaking, film marketing and film education which this year included an academic symposium through the University of the West Indies, a Youth Jury of young people from 16 to 21 and sold out matinees for school children.
Cfm envisages the Caribbean -- home to the most genetically variegated people of the world -- as a whole whose varied stories will go out into the larger world (much like the Trinis themselves). Coming from islands which remind us of those planets described in Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ), the Caribbeanos gathered here in Trinidad to receive coaching and positive feedback to extend their reach into the rest of world. Our world, still divided along colonial and post-colonial color and class lines needs this idealistic and inspiring vision.
For more coverage of the event, Lisa Harewood, a Barbados filmmaker, has written about the event in Shadow and Act.
This year 15 feature film projects from 10 countries were pitched and discussed at the inaugural Caribbean Film Mart (Cfm) in parallel with an academic symposium of university professors presenting on films, festivals and markets at the Hyatt Hotel. The unique mix of academics and professionals with upcoming filmmakers was vibrant, alive and upbeat, and we hope it continues to grow even though the financing from Acp Cultures which made this event possible may not continue to lend its support.
The 11 fiction feature projects and four doc projects (out of 100 submissions) selected from Guadaloupe, Cuba, Curaçao, Guyana, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Barbados, Dominican Republic and The Bahamas in development and pre-production were discussed over three days with 30 international film producers, sales agents and film funds coming from diverse countries in the Caribbean, Europe and North America.
The meetings resulted in professional relationships and partnerships that will enable the production and distribution of the participating projects going forward.
“We are pleased that a number of the projects are from ttff alumni, some of whom have gone through our Rbc Focus: Filmmakers’ Immersion, and others the Eave Producers’ training initiative which took place at ttff/14,” said Emilie Upczak, ttff Creative Director.
The selected projects were selected by the ttff, the Global Foundation of Democracy and Development from the Dominican Republic, the Association for the Development of Art Cinema and Practice from Guadeloupe, the Foundation of New Latin American Cinema in Cuba, and the Regional and International Festival of Cinema of Guadeloupe.
The project is co-financed by the Acp Cultures+ Program (Acp Group of States), funded by the European Union ( European Development Fund), and implemented by the Acp Group of States.
The projects were all most interesting visualized stories, and the filmmakers themselves, whether just beginning or with one or two features already under their belts, were all well prepared and professionally aligned with the more seasoned professionals in their objectives. Every one of the selected projects holds a promise of unique enchantments.
Jan Miller the international consultant and trainer specializing in film and television coproduction and coventuring who started Transatlantic Partners after she established Atlantic Partners, part of the Atlantic Film Festival in Nova Scotia, and who has delivered one of the top pitching and content development events for 20 years created a substantive and fun environment intensely devoted to the filmmakers.
The winner of the 15 selected Cfm projects was:
1. "Kidnapping Inc.” a fiction feature from Haiti to be directed by Bruno Mourral and produced by Gaethan Chancy and Remi Grelletty who both produced “Moloch Tropical” and “Murder in Pacot” and Raoul Peck the award winning director who has also produced five features and four docs.
Read more about Raoul Peck and his current production “The Young Karl Marx” on Shadow and Act.
“Kidnapping Inc.” has Canal + Antilles as a coproducer as well as private equity. They are still seeking other coproduction partners.
This twisted, dark comedy is about two delivery men working for an underground kidnapping corporation in Haiti. Doc and Zoe are scheduled to deliver a senator’s son worth $300,000. In the midst of their usual bickering, one kills the senator’s son accidentally. Trying to fix the mess they find themselves in, they stumble upon the senator’s son’s lookalike, which sets them on the craziest kidnapping of their lives.
Bruno Mourral is interested in developing the industry in Haiti as well as making movies. He says, “’Kidnapping Inc. is a dark comedy and satire of Haitian society waltzing between ‘City of God’ and ‘Pulp Fiction’. This film depicts the raw complexity and Haiti’s harsh day-to-day and pushes the viewer towards a better understanding of social issues such as color, sexism, machismo, social class discrimination and identity.
2. “The Dragon” is a fictional story from Trinidad and Tobago based upon the novel by the world renowned (but little known in the U.S.) Earl Lovelace and to be directed by his daughter Asha Lovelace. Having read the novel I can say that this story of a Trinidad community of African descendants which has inherited traits cultivated under slavery is immediately riveting. It brings another view of the radical political actions we in the U.S. witnessed in the 70s. Moreover, a musical composition written by a Trini composer who read the novel and was so enamored that he freely and without asking composed an entire opus makes this immediately into a transmedia project which is accessible and exploitable. The novel, the musical opus, and what I hope to see -- the movie -- all tell a tale of a people we can identify with but have never seen like this.
The book is a masterpiece and brings to mind “Black Orpheus” with its setting in the poverty-stricken Calvary Hill whose inhabitants’ lives are centered in the yearly Carnival. It also brings to mind John Steinbeck’s stories with struggling characters in the Salinas Valley.
Director Asha Lovelace’s debut short “George and the Bicycle Pump” premiered at Toronto International Film Festival. She co-wrote, produced and directed her first feature “Joebell and America” which screened at several film festivals and won for Best International Narrative Feature Film at the Women’s International Film Festival in Miami in 2008. She lectures on film at the University of the West Indies, founded and is festival director of Africa Film Trinidad and Tobago, a film festival dedicated to African cinema.
Producer Lesley-Anne Macfarlane has worked in the audio-visual industry in U.K. and Trinidad, graduated with an Ma in Cultural Policy and Management from City University, London and has produced several short films and music videos.
The story centers on Aldrick whose sole responsibility in life is to his dragon masquerade that he plays for Carnival. When he finds himself falling for Sylvia, the most desired young woman on the hill, he is unable to commit to her and she succumbs to the advances of an older man. This plummets Aldrick into a moment of blind rebellion that ends in tragedy and forces him to confront his role as dragon and man.
3. “ Sprinter” from Jamaica will be directed by Storm Saulter whose well-received first feature, the 2010 crime drama “Better Mus’ Come” received U.S. distribution through Ava du Vernay’s Affrm. It is being produced by Donald Ranvaud (“City of God”) who is well known and well loved on the international film circuit.
This fictional feature is set against the world of track and field – an area in which Jamaica has excelled for decades – and addresses urgent and poignant broader themes. “Those images of Rastas smoking ganja on the beach or the gunman from Kingston – it isn’t who we are,” Saulter told Jeremy Kay in a Screen interview.
In his interview with Screen, Jeremy also asked what has it been like pitching to dozens of people here.
“You kind of have to get to the soul of the thing and you see what people respond to. This is about meeting with people that can help with financing and also potentially sales agents and exploring co-production possibilities. Jamaica does not have a treaty with the U.S .but we have treaties with the U.K. and Canada. It’s this whole puzzle you have to put together. The responses have been positive.”
The film is about Akeem, a young Rastafarian, who surprisingly shatters the 200-metre high-school track record. He must make the national team tocompete at the World Youth Championships in Philadelphia if he wants a chance to reunite with his mother who has been living there illegally for ten years. Akeem’s overnight popularity and the sudden return of his estranged older brother disrupt his focus. Meanwhile, a scandal is brewing that threatens to derail his career before it’s even started.
4. “ Beauty Kingdom ” is a Dominican Republic project to be directed by Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas who will also produce along with Mónica De Moya. Guzmán and Cárdenas also worked together on "Sand Dollars" (2014) which premiered at Tiff in 2014, "Jean Gentil" (2010) which premiered in Venice in 2010 and "Cochochi" (2007).
This fictional feature takes place in a magical place in the Caribbean and is about the most expensive film of all time which is about to be shot. The Diva, a 70-year-old eccentric actress (played by Geraldine Chaplin), has arrived to star in the film. She finds herself surrounded by the absurdity that such a film production implies, as she rigorously prepares for her role. All the while, she senses the impending end of the world. Nevertheless, the film must go on.
5. “Doubles With Slight Pepper” is a fiction feature coproduction of Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S. to be directed by Ian Harnarine, produced by Ryan Silbert and exec produced by Spike Lee.
Ian Harnarine , a Trinidadian living in Canada has already won numerous awards for the short that this feature is based upon and has been working on this feature for several years. The film will go into production in Trinidad in November.
In Lisa Harewood’s interview for Shadow and Act , Ian said, "The Caribbean Film Mart was incredibly important in opening up the world (literally!) to the project. To meet face to face with people from Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, Norwegian South Film Fund, World Cinema Support etc makes the opportunities available to me very real."
Dhani, a young Trinidadian street vendor, struggles to support himself and his mother by selling doubles. When his estranged father, Ragbir, unexpectedly invites him to New York, Dhani must travel to America and decide if he will save his father’s life.
Best Short Film at the Toronto International Film Festival 2011
Best Live Action Short Drama at the Genie Awards 2012 (the Canadian Academy Awards)
Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Film:
filmmakermagazine.com/news/people/ian-harnarine/
Watch the short Here.
6. “The Extraordinary Journey of Celeste Garcia” from Cuba will be the first fiction feature to be directed by Arturo Infante. His shorts have shown at home and abroad and have won several awards and he has written several produced scripts such as “Havana Eva” and “L’edad de la peseta”, films which Cuban film fans all know well. His producers,Claudia Calviño and Alejandro Tovar are two of Cuba’s top young producers whose film “Juan of the Dead” is Cuba’s most current best selling satire. Like that, this story highlights characters who must react to a surreal situation in an already slightly surreal country called Cuba.
Celeste is in her sixties and sells tickets at a planetarium. The discovery of an alien race shocks the world. Humans will send a spaceship carrying regular citizens to make contact with the alien civilization. Tired of her monotonous life, Celeste decides to apply for a spot on the ship and embark into the unknown.
What Celeste and the rest of the passengers on the ship seek in another galaxy is the Cuban dream of a better life.
Arturo speaks of his interest in characters, both real and as actors. “Growing up in a family with many women made me develop a special ‘ear’ towards the feminine. I spent my childhood in an old colonial-style house, hearing the voices of my mother, my grandmothers, aunts and neighbors. They all talking from one side to another, sharing their stories, dreams and secrets, but also their visions about the reality and politics of my country. That’s why I think the main character in my story must necessarily be a woman. I realize now that Celeste embodies all those voices of my childhood. Celeste’s character also represents my parents’ generation. A generation that gave their best years to build a utopian project that was diverted into paths that were not exactly the ones they dreamed of. A generation now marked by disenchantment and skepticism, a process of which I have been a constant witness. With my story I want to give Celeste a chance to travel to a new planet, the opportunity to see the rebirth of those fallen dreams of her youth.”
http://www.facebook.com/produccionesdela5taavenida
7. “The Fisherman’s Son” from Puerto Rico and Colombia will be directed by Edgar Deluque. Producer Annabelle Mullen from PR is a former entertainment attorney with several credits to her name. She presented this project about a transsexual running away from the city to his childhood home at a fishermen’s island after murdering a policeman. He must face his father whom he hasn’t seen in fifteen years and who doesn’t want anything to do with his transsexual child.
The writer-director, Edgar Deluque, is an emerging talent from Colombia.
8. “Hello Nicki” from Trinidad and Tobago will be directed by Miquel Galofré whose previous moving doc about songwriters who were in prison in Kingston, Jamaica, “Songs of Redemption”, showed at various festivals including Havana and Krakow. Aside from this Miquel has made six other feature docs This doc, produced by Jean Michel Gibert whose sequel to “Pan! Our Music Odyssey” called “ Re-Percussions! Our African Odyssey ” just won the award for Best Trinidad and Tobago Documentary Feature Film at ttff.
This documentary follows Shanice, a teenage girl from Trinidad, as she seeks to actualize her grand dream of making music and collaborating with Nicki Minaj, a Trinidadian born American rapper – the most popular musical personage in the world today. Shanice is a spirited soul living with cerebral palsy and has a unique way of viewing the world. She is keenly aware of the isolation her appearance has caused, but her personality remains bright, upbeat and hopeful.
http://www.miquelgalofre.com .
You can meet Shanice here: https://vimeo.com/136969025 Password: Shanice
9. “Papa Machete” from Haiti, Barbados and U.S. to be directed by Jonathan David Kane is based upon the short which screened at ttff. The producers, Jason Fitzroy Jeffers and Keisha Rae Witherspoon were discussing the doc as well as the fiction feature to be made. Many of the people they spoke with, including myself, thought the fiction feature would be more accessible, though perhaps a TV doc would also be possible with the footage they have made the 10 minute short with.
The story is fascinating as the machete was used as a weapon 200 years ago when Haitian slaves defeated Napoleon’s armies with the very tool they used to work the land. Papa Machete explores the esoteric martial art that emerged from this victory through the life and recent death of Alfred Avril, a poor farmer who was one of the art’s few remaining masters. With his passing, Avril’s two sons are confronted with loss, legacy and American dreams.
10. “Wind Rush” is conceived as a doc coproduction between Trinidad and Tobago and U.S. director-writer-producer Vashti Harrison lives in Atlanta, Geogia. Her parents are Trinis and she has a great love for Trinidad and its music. This is an experimental doc about Calypso music which serves a significant role in the Caribbean emigrant experience in London, which began in earnest in the 1950s. Calypso was the music of the minority, the voice of the other, and it helped to define the West Indian identity in England. Using the music of calypsonians Lord Beginner and Lord Kitchener as a road map to this journey of discovery and displacement, the film will focus on their homes both in Trinidad and London.
The criticism she received was about obtaining music clearances in U.K. when she herself is not a U.K. resident or citizen. Perhaps she needs to find a U.K. producer who can also access U.K. Funds. Her experimental films and docs have shown around the world at Rotterdam, Edinburgh, N.Y. and Havana Film Festivals. All of her work focuses into her Caribbean heritage and is quite evocative, artistic and well executed.
11. “Conch” from Curaçao will be directed and produced by German Gruber whose first film, urban drama, “Sensei Redenshon” was completed in 2013 and will be released in the Netherlands this fall. This fiction feature about the natural side of Curaçao is a road movie about a young boy who runs away from home after the loss of his mother. Searching for the message that he saw her whisper into a conch shell the night before her death, he seeks clues from the characters he meets along his desolate journey. Between nightmares of drowning and daydreams of becoming a musician, he eventually confronts his fear of the sea to find the answer.
12. “Green Days by the River” is a fiction feature set against the backdrop of rural Trinidad in 1952. A fifteen-year-old boy who has just moved to a village naively seeks the affection of two girls, an attractive rich Indian girl, and a more personable and accessible one. The ensuing triangle forces him to focus on becoming a man as he must make life enduring decisions.
Director Michael Mooleedhar has made several award winning shorts.Producer Christian James graduated in 2014 with an Mfa in Cretive Producing from Columbia College Chicago, has interned with K5 International during 2014 Cannes and participated in the 2015 Rotterdam Film Festival Lab.
13. “Potomitans : Women Pillars in Revolt” , a doc project from Guadeloupe will be directed by Bouchera Azzouz whose first documentary, “Nos Meres nos daronnes” (“Our Mothers”) aired this year on France 2 (France Televisions) and was one of its biggest audience hits. This is her second work on popular feminism. Producer Nina Vilus' short "Vivre” has won awards and their “Villa Karayib”, a 3 minute 30 second series with 140 episodes aired on Canal + Antilles. Laurence Lascary is coproducing.
This film is an exploratory journey into the heart of the everyday life of five Guadeloupean women who are considered “potomitans”, women who assume professional and familial responsibilities without the help of a man. Everything rests on the courage of these women, who are trying to emancipate themselves by claiming a new way of being a woman.
It is an Art & Vision Productions, De l’autre cote du periph (Dacp) and Canal + Antilles coproduction which Canal + will broadcast in the French Caribbean. 37% of the financing is secured through the Guadeloupe regional council, Agence national pour la cohesion social et l’egalite des chances (Asce), Ministry of French overseas territories. Apcag network of theaters in Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guyana along with Aubervilliers Theater in France will premiere the film.
14. “The Seawall” is a fiction project to be coproduced by Guyana and U.S.
Director Mason Richards says, “My intention for ‘The Seawall’ is to create a dramatic narrative set in Guyana, South America with simple characters navigating through complex issues within the Caribbean cultural context. It is also my intention to make a film that seeks to reconcile our Caribbean and non-Caribbean identities through the journey of my protagonist who returnes “home” to Guyana and is confronted with issues of his past that he has suppressed. The story needs to be told because many of us from the Caribbean diaspora struggle with “trans-national” identities, meaning we are from the Caribbean, however we’ve immigrated to other countries like the U.S. where we’ve adapted to a new dominant culture and way of life. With tht, there is a feeling of “dis-connect” as though we have left something behind, back “home” in the Caribbean, whether it’s family members, our cultural identity, or simply our childhood memories. It is also my intention to make an entertaining, quality film that highlights the beauty of the Caribbean through the stories and hearts of the characters.
The fiscal partner of this project is Frog (Friends and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Guyana), Verisimiltude in New York City. The executive producer C.R. Wooten has exec produced several film projects for TV and HBO and exec produced the short film, “The Seawall”.
The writer-director, Mason Richards, is an alumnus of Film Independent’s Project Involve, a recipient of Sony Pictures Diversity Fellowship 2012, winner of The Ainslie Alumni Achievement Award 2011 and Guyana’s 46th Independence Golden Arrowhead Award.
Producer Sohini Sengupta is an award-winning of creative director of theatrical campaigns, including “Birdman”, “12 Years a Slave”, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”, “Black Swan” and “Slumdog Millionaire”. She is a production team member of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and was named one of Glamour Magazine’s 35 under 35 Women Who Run Hollywood.
Malachi, a struggling young writer in Brooklyn, learns of his girlfriend’s pregnancy and returns to his birth country, Guyana, to sell off his inheritance. In Guyana, Malachi ends up confronting his estranged father who abandoned him as a child. Malachi gets closure, and makes decisions about the kind of father he would be to his unborn child.
15. “Epiphany” by Maria Govan who is a self-taught filmmaker from the island of New Providence in The Bahamas. When she was 18 she moved to L.A. and worked for four years on Hollywood sets. In 1999 she returned home, bought a digital camera and began making small guerilla-style local documentaries. In 2004 she moved to New York and began writing her first narrative script “Rain” which premiered in 2008 at the Toronto International Film Festival, won several awards and aired on Showtime to a strong audience response. Her second film “Play the Devil” was shot entirely in Trinidad in the spring of 2015 and she hopes it will premiere in the winter of 2016.
Producer Abigail Hadeed has worked with Caribbean crews on big budget commercials. She worked on the short “4am” in 2011 which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festval. In 2012 she produced an award winning feature doc “La Giata” and produced “Play the Devil” with Maria.
They are looking for coproducers and can offer a 35% rebate on Trinidadian spend with a 50% rebate on roles in key positions for films shot in Trinidad. Exterior and ocean environments can be shot in the Bahamas.
Set in the Bahamas — Mary, a loner with a passion for spear fishing and the sea, is forced to give up her room to her overbearing cousin’s girlfriend, an “illegal” colorful Cuban named Gabriel. When a love triangle develops and George realizes he’s been betrayed, the women are forced into the dark terrain of human smuggling.
Links to “Rain” (director’s previous work): Trailer
Link to Maria Govan’s Show Reel: https://vimeo.com/35611171
Other films in the program but exceeding the official number of 15 include
16. “Cargo” from The Bahamas, a fiction feature based upon the short film of Kareem Mortimer. Producer Trevite Willis has produced several films including the Lgbt feather “Children of God” with Kareem directing. Producer Alexander Younis now has a doc, “Brigidy Bram ” in post-production.
“Cargo”, based upon Kareem’s short “Passage”, is about a Bahamian fisherman whose life is slowly unraveling. After wasting his remaining money at a gambling house, he is approached by a security guard who suggests that Kevin supplement his income by using his vessel as a means to transport people illegally into the United States. Kevin leads scores of migrants on a treacherous, unsettling and perilous final journey.
17. “Scattered” reminded me of “Desperately Seeking Susan” in the story of an young uptight British woman who has her run-of-the-mill life disrupted when the Caribbean grandmother she barely knew leaves a request for her to scatter her ashes in Trinidad where a free-spirited cousin takes her on a wild road trip that changes her life forever.
The director-producer-cowriter, Karen Martinez, is a Trinidadian filmmaker based in London, U.K. She has worked extensively in the film world in U.K. and the Caribbean. In 2013 she wrote, produced and directed her frist narrative fiction “After Mas”. Her most recent film, “Dreams in Transit” is an essay-style documentary of a contemporary migrant reflcting on identity and the meaning of “home”.
18. “Unfinished Sentences” by writer-director-producer Mariel Brown, an award winning documentary director and founder of the creative and production company Savant. Her documentary films have been screened on television, at festivals and other special events around the world, most recently at the Pan African Film Festival and Clermont-Ferrand.
This is a story of a writer father and a filmmaker daughter who walks the line between adoration and disappointment, success and failure, race, family and art. When he dies, in her great grief she discovers his poetry and prose transcend death, allowing her to hear his voice again and to find a way back to her own self. For more information go to http://www.unfinishedsentencesfilm.com.
19. “Queen of Soca” by Kevin Adams
“’ Queen of Soca’ was inspired by my home base of Laventille, Trinidad and Tobago where the frustration of living a life of restricted opportunity is a narrative I observe often.“
“ Queen of Soca” is the story of Olivia, who lives in an impoverished community and is striving to make a better life for herself. Her life is full of struggles, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
The short version of “Queen of Soca”, entitled “No Soca No Life” premiered at Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival in 2012 and has been well received by movie goers and movie industry practitioners. “No Soca No Life” is currently available on Vimeo, Pay per view.
“We are now focused on the original goal of creating a blockbuster inspirational story for the world to enjoy, and using the Trinidad and Tobago culture as the vehicle for our message. On behalf of myself and my team, thank you for your interest in this project and we look forward to completing this journey with you !”
The Cfm was held from 24-27 September at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The ttff/15 took place from 15-29 September.
Cfm envisages the Caribbean -- home to the most genetically variegated people of the world -- as a whole whose varied stories will go out into the larger world (much like the Trinis themselves). Coming from islands which remind us of those planets described in Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ), the Caribbeanos gathered here in Trinidad to receive coaching and positive feedback to extend their reach into the rest of world. Our world, still divided along colonial and post-colonial color and class lines needs this idealistic and inspiring vision.
For more coverage of the event, Lisa Harewood, a Barbados filmmaker, has written about the event in Shadow and Act.
This year 15 feature film projects from 10 countries were pitched and discussed at the inaugural Caribbean Film Mart (Cfm) in parallel with an academic symposium of university professors presenting on films, festivals and markets at the Hyatt Hotel. The unique mix of academics and professionals with upcoming filmmakers was vibrant, alive and upbeat, and we hope it continues to grow even though the financing from Acp Cultures which made this event possible may not continue to lend its support.
The 11 fiction feature projects and four doc projects (out of 100 submissions) selected from Guadaloupe, Cuba, Curaçao, Guyana, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Barbados, Dominican Republic and The Bahamas in development and pre-production were discussed over three days with 30 international film producers, sales agents and film funds coming from diverse countries in the Caribbean, Europe and North America.
The meetings resulted in professional relationships and partnerships that will enable the production and distribution of the participating projects going forward.
“We are pleased that a number of the projects are from ttff alumni, some of whom have gone through our Rbc Focus: Filmmakers’ Immersion, and others the Eave Producers’ training initiative which took place at ttff/14,” said Emilie Upczak, ttff Creative Director.
The selected projects were selected by the ttff, the Global Foundation of Democracy and Development from the Dominican Republic, the Association for the Development of Art Cinema and Practice from Guadeloupe, the Foundation of New Latin American Cinema in Cuba, and the Regional and International Festival of Cinema of Guadeloupe.
The project is co-financed by the Acp Cultures+ Program (Acp Group of States), funded by the European Union ( European Development Fund), and implemented by the Acp Group of States.
The projects were all most interesting visualized stories, and the filmmakers themselves, whether just beginning or with one or two features already under their belts, were all well prepared and professionally aligned with the more seasoned professionals in their objectives. Every one of the selected projects holds a promise of unique enchantments.
Jan Miller the international consultant and trainer specializing in film and television coproduction and coventuring who started Transatlantic Partners after she established Atlantic Partners, part of the Atlantic Film Festival in Nova Scotia, and who has delivered one of the top pitching and content development events for 20 years created a substantive and fun environment intensely devoted to the filmmakers.
The winner of the 15 selected Cfm projects was:
1. "Kidnapping Inc.” a fiction feature from Haiti to be directed by Bruno Mourral and produced by Gaethan Chancy and Remi Grelletty who both produced “Moloch Tropical” and “Murder in Pacot” and Raoul Peck the award winning director who has also produced five features and four docs.
Read more about Raoul Peck and his current production “The Young Karl Marx” on Shadow and Act.
“Kidnapping Inc.” has Canal + Antilles as a coproducer as well as private equity. They are still seeking other coproduction partners.
This twisted, dark comedy is about two delivery men working for an underground kidnapping corporation in Haiti. Doc and Zoe are scheduled to deliver a senator’s son worth $300,000. In the midst of their usual bickering, one kills the senator’s son accidentally. Trying to fix the mess they find themselves in, they stumble upon the senator’s son’s lookalike, which sets them on the craziest kidnapping of their lives.
Bruno Mourral is interested in developing the industry in Haiti as well as making movies. He says, “’Kidnapping Inc. is a dark comedy and satire of Haitian society waltzing between ‘City of God’ and ‘Pulp Fiction’. This film depicts the raw complexity and Haiti’s harsh day-to-day and pushes the viewer towards a better understanding of social issues such as color, sexism, machismo, social class discrimination and identity.
2. “The Dragon” is a fictional story from Trinidad and Tobago based upon the novel by the world renowned (but little known in the U.S.) Earl Lovelace and to be directed by his daughter Asha Lovelace. Having read the novel I can say that this story of a Trinidad community of African descendants which has inherited traits cultivated under slavery is immediately riveting. It brings another view of the radical political actions we in the U.S. witnessed in the 70s. Moreover, a musical composition written by a Trini composer who read the novel and was so enamored that he freely and without asking composed an entire opus makes this immediately into a transmedia project which is accessible and exploitable. The novel, the musical opus, and what I hope to see -- the movie -- all tell a tale of a people we can identify with but have never seen like this.
The book is a masterpiece and brings to mind “Black Orpheus” with its setting in the poverty-stricken Calvary Hill whose inhabitants’ lives are centered in the yearly Carnival. It also brings to mind John Steinbeck’s stories with struggling characters in the Salinas Valley.
Director Asha Lovelace’s debut short “George and the Bicycle Pump” premiered at Toronto International Film Festival. She co-wrote, produced and directed her first feature “Joebell and America” which screened at several film festivals and won for Best International Narrative Feature Film at the Women’s International Film Festival in Miami in 2008. She lectures on film at the University of the West Indies, founded and is festival director of Africa Film Trinidad and Tobago, a film festival dedicated to African cinema.
Producer Lesley-Anne Macfarlane has worked in the audio-visual industry in U.K. and Trinidad, graduated with an Ma in Cultural Policy and Management from City University, London and has produced several short films and music videos.
The story centers on Aldrick whose sole responsibility in life is to his dragon masquerade that he plays for Carnival. When he finds himself falling for Sylvia, the most desired young woman on the hill, he is unable to commit to her and she succumbs to the advances of an older man. This plummets Aldrick into a moment of blind rebellion that ends in tragedy and forces him to confront his role as dragon and man.
3. “ Sprinter” from Jamaica will be directed by Storm Saulter whose well-received first feature, the 2010 crime drama “Better Mus’ Come” received U.S. distribution through Ava du Vernay’s Affrm. It is being produced by Donald Ranvaud (“City of God”) who is well known and well loved on the international film circuit.
This fictional feature is set against the world of track and field – an area in which Jamaica has excelled for decades – and addresses urgent and poignant broader themes. “Those images of Rastas smoking ganja on the beach or the gunman from Kingston – it isn’t who we are,” Saulter told Jeremy Kay in a Screen interview.
In his interview with Screen, Jeremy also asked what has it been like pitching to dozens of people here.
“You kind of have to get to the soul of the thing and you see what people respond to. This is about meeting with people that can help with financing and also potentially sales agents and exploring co-production possibilities. Jamaica does not have a treaty with the U.S .but we have treaties with the U.K. and Canada. It’s this whole puzzle you have to put together. The responses have been positive.”
The film is about Akeem, a young Rastafarian, who surprisingly shatters the 200-metre high-school track record. He must make the national team tocompete at the World Youth Championships in Philadelphia if he wants a chance to reunite with his mother who has been living there illegally for ten years. Akeem’s overnight popularity and the sudden return of his estranged older brother disrupt his focus. Meanwhile, a scandal is brewing that threatens to derail his career before it’s even started.
4. “ Beauty Kingdom ” is a Dominican Republic project to be directed by Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas who will also produce along with Mónica De Moya. Guzmán and Cárdenas also worked together on "Sand Dollars" (2014) which premiered at Tiff in 2014, "Jean Gentil" (2010) which premiered in Venice in 2010 and "Cochochi" (2007).
This fictional feature takes place in a magical place in the Caribbean and is about the most expensive film of all time which is about to be shot. The Diva, a 70-year-old eccentric actress (played by Geraldine Chaplin), has arrived to star in the film. She finds herself surrounded by the absurdity that such a film production implies, as she rigorously prepares for her role. All the while, she senses the impending end of the world. Nevertheless, the film must go on.
5. “Doubles With Slight Pepper” is a fiction feature coproduction of Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S. to be directed by Ian Harnarine, produced by Ryan Silbert and exec produced by Spike Lee.
Ian Harnarine , a Trinidadian living in Canada has already won numerous awards for the short that this feature is based upon and has been working on this feature for several years. The film will go into production in Trinidad in November.
In Lisa Harewood’s interview for Shadow and Act , Ian said, "The Caribbean Film Mart was incredibly important in opening up the world (literally!) to the project. To meet face to face with people from Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, Norwegian South Film Fund, World Cinema Support etc makes the opportunities available to me very real."
Dhani, a young Trinidadian street vendor, struggles to support himself and his mother by selling doubles. When his estranged father, Ragbir, unexpectedly invites him to New York, Dhani must travel to America and decide if he will save his father’s life.
Best Short Film at the Toronto International Film Festival 2011
Best Live Action Short Drama at the Genie Awards 2012 (the Canadian Academy Awards)
Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Film:
filmmakermagazine.com/news/people/ian-harnarine/
Watch the short Here.
6. “The Extraordinary Journey of Celeste Garcia” from Cuba will be the first fiction feature to be directed by Arturo Infante. His shorts have shown at home and abroad and have won several awards and he has written several produced scripts such as “Havana Eva” and “L’edad de la peseta”, films which Cuban film fans all know well. His producers,Claudia Calviño and Alejandro Tovar are two of Cuba’s top young producers whose film “Juan of the Dead” is Cuba’s most current best selling satire. Like that, this story highlights characters who must react to a surreal situation in an already slightly surreal country called Cuba.
Celeste is in her sixties and sells tickets at a planetarium. The discovery of an alien race shocks the world. Humans will send a spaceship carrying regular citizens to make contact with the alien civilization. Tired of her monotonous life, Celeste decides to apply for a spot on the ship and embark into the unknown.
What Celeste and the rest of the passengers on the ship seek in another galaxy is the Cuban dream of a better life.
Arturo speaks of his interest in characters, both real and as actors. “Growing up in a family with many women made me develop a special ‘ear’ towards the feminine. I spent my childhood in an old colonial-style house, hearing the voices of my mother, my grandmothers, aunts and neighbors. They all talking from one side to another, sharing their stories, dreams and secrets, but also their visions about the reality and politics of my country. That’s why I think the main character in my story must necessarily be a woman. I realize now that Celeste embodies all those voices of my childhood. Celeste’s character also represents my parents’ generation. A generation that gave their best years to build a utopian project that was diverted into paths that were not exactly the ones they dreamed of. A generation now marked by disenchantment and skepticism, a process of which I have been a constant witness. With my story I want to give Celeste a chance to travel to a new planet, the opportunity to see the rebirth of those fallen dreams of her youth.”
http://www.facebook.com/produccionesdela5taavenida
7. “The Fisherman’s Son” from Puerto Rico and Colombia will be directed by Edgar Deluque. Producer Annabelle Mullen from PR is a former entertainment attorney with several credits to her name. She presented this project about a transsexual running away from the city to his childhood home at a fishermen’s island after murdering a policeman. He must face his father whom he hasn’t seen in fifteen years and who doesn’t want anything to do with his transsexual child.
The writer-director, Edgar Deluque, is an emerging talent from Colombia.
8. “Hello Nicki” from Trinidad and Tobago will be directed by Miquel Galofré whose previous moving doc about songwriters who were in prison in Kingston, Jamaica, “Songs of Redemption”, showed at various festivals including Havana and Krakow. Aside from this Miquel has made six other feature docs This doc, produced by Jean Michel Gibert whose sequel to “Pan! Our Music Odyssey” called “ Re-Percussions! Our African Odyssey ” just won the award for Best Trinidad and Tobago Documentary Feature Film at ttff.
This documentary follows Shanice, a teenage girl from Trinidad, as she seeks to actualize her grand dream of making music and collaborating with Nicki Minaj, a Trinidadian born American rapper – the most popular musical personage in the world today. Shanice is a spirited soul living with cerebral palsy and has a unique way of viewing the world. She is keenly aware of the isolation her appearance has caused, but her personality remains bright, upbeat and hopeful.
http://www.miquelgalofre.com .
You can meet Shanice here: https://vimeo.com/136969025 Password: Shanice
9. “Papa Machete” from Haiti, Barbados and U.S. to be directed by Jonathan David Kane is based upon the short which screened at ttff. The producers, Jason Fitzroy Jeffers and Keisha Rae Witherspoon were discussing the doc as well as the fiction feature to be made. Many of the people they spoke with, including myself, thought the fiction feature would be more accessible, though perhaps a TV doc would also be possible with the footage they have made the 10 minute short with.
The story is fascinating as the machete was used as a weapon 200 years ago when Haitian slaves defeated Napoleon’s armies with the very tool they used to work the land. Papa Machete explores the esoteric martial art that emerged from this victory through the life and recent death of Alfred Avril, a poor farmer who was one of the art’s few remaining masters. With his passing, Avril’s two sons are confronted with loss, legacy and American dreams.
10. “Wind Rush” is conceived as a doc coproduction between Trinidad and Tobago and U.S. director-writer-producer Vashti Harrison lives in Atlanta, Geogia. Her parents are Trinis and she has a great love for Trinidad and its music. This is an experimental doc about Calypso music which serves a significant role in the Caribbean emigrant experience in London, which began in earnest in the 1950s. Calypso was the music of the minority, the voice of the other, and it helped to define the West Indian identity in England. Using the music of calypsonians Lord Beginner and Lord Kitchener as a road map to this journey of discovery and displacement, the film will focus on their homes both in Trinidad and London.
The criticism she received was about obtaining music clearances in U.K. when she herself is not a U.K. resident or citizen. Perhaps she needs to find a U.K. producer who can also access U.K. Funds. Her experimental films and docs have shown around the world at Rotterdam, Edinburgh, N.Y. and Havana Film Festivals. All of her work focuses into her Caribbean heritage and is quite evocative, artistic and well executed.
11. “Conch” from Curaçao will be directed and produced by German Gruber whose first film, urban drama, “Sensei Redenshon” was completed in 2013 and will be released in the Netherlands this fall. This fiction feature about the natural side of Curaçao is a road movie about a young boy who runs away from home after the loss of his mother. Searching for the message that he saw her whisper into a conch shell the night before her death, he seeks clues from the characters he meets along his desolate journey. Between nightmares of drowning and daydreams of becoming a musician, he eventually confronts his fear of the sea to find the answer.
12. “Green Days by the River” is a fiction feature set against the backdrop of rural Trinidad in 1952. A fifteen-year-old boy who has just moved to a village naively seeks the affection of two girls, an attractive rich Indian girl, and a more personable and accessible one. The ensuing triangle forces him to focus on becoming a man as he must make life enduring decisions.
Director Michael Mooleedhar has made several award winning shorts.Producer Christian James graduated in 2014 with an Mfa in Cretive Producing from Columbia College Chicago, has interned with K5 International during 2014 Cannes and participated in the 2015 Rotterdam Film Festival Lab.
13. “Potomitans : Women Pillars in Revolt” , a doc project from Guadeloupe will be directed by Bouchera Azzouz whose first documentary, “Nos Meres nos daronnes” (“Our Mothers”) aired this year on France 2 (France Televisions) and was one of its biggest audience hits. This is her second work on popular feminism. Producer Nina Vilus' short "Vivre” has won awards and their “Villa Karayib”, a 3 minute 30 second series with 140 episodes aired on Canal + Antilles. Laurence Lascary is coproducing.
This film is an exploratory journey into the heart of the everyday life of five Guadeloupean women who are considered “potomitans”, women who assume professional and familial responsibilities without the help of a man. Everything rests on the courage of these women, who are trying to emancipate themselves by claiming a new way of being a woman.
It is an Art & Vision Productions, De l’autre cote du periph (Dacp) and Canal + Antilles coproduction which Canal + will broadcast in the French Caribbean. 37% of the financing is secured through the Guadeloupe regional council, Agence national pour la cohesion social et l’egalite des chances (Asce), Ministry of French overseas territories. Apcag network of theaters in Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guyana along with Aubervilliers Theater in France will premiere the film.
14. “The Seawall” is a fiction project to be coproduced by Guyana and U.S.
Director Mason Richards says, “My intention for ‘The Seawall’ is to create a dramatic narrative set in Guyana, South America with simple characters navigating through complex issues within the Caribbean cultural context. It is also my intention to make a film that seeks to reconcile our Caribbean and non-Caribbean identities through the journey of my protagonist who returnes “home” to Guyana and is confronted with issues of his past that he has suppressed. The story needs to be told because many of us from the Caribbean diaspora struggle with “trans-national” identities, meaning we are from the Caribbean, however we’ve immigrated to other countries like the U.S. where we’ve adapted to a new dominant culture and way of life. With tht, there is a feeling of “dis-connect” as though we have left something behind, back “home” in the Caribbean, whether it’s family members, our cultural identity, or simply our childhood memories. It is also my intention to make an entertaining, quality film that highlights the beauty of the Caribbean through the stories and hearts of the characters.
The fiscal partner of this project is Frog (Friends and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Guyana), Verisimiltude in New York City. The executive producer C.R. Wooten has exec produced several film projects for TV and HBO and exec produced the short film, “The Seawall”.
The writer-director, Mason Richards, is an alumnus of Film Independent’s Project Involve, a recipient of Sony Pictures Diversity Fellowship 2012, winner of The Ainslie Alumni Achievement Award 2011 and Guyana’s 46th Independence Golden Arrowhead Award.
Producer Sohini Sengupta is an award-winning of creative director of theatrical campaigns, including “Birdman”, “12 Years a Slave”, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”, “Black Swan” and “Slumdog Millionaire”. She is a production team member of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and was named one of Glamour Magazine’s 35 under 35 Women Who Run Hollywood.
Malachi, a struggling young writer in Brooklyn, learns of his girlfriend’s pregnancy and returns to his birth country, Guyana, to sell off his inheritance. In Guyana, Malachi ends up confronting his estranged father who abandoned him as a child. Malachi gets closure, and makes decisions about the kind of father he would be to his unborn child.
15. “Epiphany” by Maria Govan who is a self-taught filmmaker from the island of New Providence in The Bahamas. When she was 18 she moved to L.A. and worked for four years on Hollywood sets. In 1999 she returned home, bought a digital camera and began making small guerilla-style local documentaries. In 2004 she moved to New York and began writing her first narrative script “Rain” which premiered in 2008 at the Toronto International Film Festival, won several awards and aired on Showtime to a strong audience response. Her second film “Play the Devil” was shot entirely in Trinidad in the spring of 2015 and she hopes it will premiere in the winter of 2016.
Producer Abigail Hadeed has worked with Caribbean crews on big budget commercials. She worked on the short “4am” in 2011 which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festval. In 2012 she produced an award winning feature doc “La Giata” and produced “Play the Devil” with Maria.
They are looking for coproducers and can offer a 35% rebate on Trinidadian spend with a 50% rebate on roles in key positions for films shot in Trinidad. Exterior and ocean environments can be shot in the Bahamas.
Set in the Bahamas — Mary, a loner with a passion for spear fishing and the sea, is forced to give up her room to her overbearing cousin’s girlfriend, an “illegal” colorful Cuban named Gabriel. When a love triangle develops and George realizes he’s been betrayed, the women are forced into the dark terrain of human smuggling.
Links to “Rain” (director’s previous work): Trailer
Link to Maria Govan’s Show Reel: https://vimeo.com/35611171
Other films in the program but exceeding the official number of 15 include
16. “Cargo” from The Bahamas, a fiction feature based upon the short film of Kareem Mortimer. Producer Trevite Willis has produced several films including the Lgbt feather “Children of God” with Kareem directing. Producer Alexander Younis now has a doc, “Brigidy Bram ” in post-production.
“Cargo”, based upon Kareem’s short “Passage”, is about a Bahamian fisherman whose life is slowly unraveling. After wasting his remaining money at a gambling house, he is approached by a security guard who suggests that Kevin supplement his income by using his vessel as a means to transport people illegally into the United States. Kevin leads scores of migrants on a treacherous, unsettling and perilous final journey.
17. “Scattered” reminded me of “Desperately Seeking Susan” in the story of an young uptight British woman who has her run-of-the-mill life disrupted when the Caribbean grandmother she barely knew leaves a request for her to scatter her ashes in Trinidad where a free-spirited cousin takes her on a wild road trip that changes her life forever.
The director-producer-cowriter, Karen Martinez, is a Trinidadian filmmaker based in London, U.K. She has worked extensively in the film world in U.K. and the Caribbean. In 2013 she wrote, produced and directed her frist narrative fiction “After Mas”. Her most recent film, “Dreams in Transit” is an essay-style documentary of a contemporary migrant reflcting on identity and the meaning of “home”.
18. “Unfinished Sentences” by writer-director-producer Mariel Brown, an award winning documentary director and founder of the creative and production company Savant. Her documentary films have been screened on television, at festivals and other special events around the world, most recently at the Pan African Film Festival and Clermont-Ferrand.
This is a story of a writer father and a filmmaker daughter who walks the line between adoration and disappointment, success and failure, race, family and art. When he dies, in her great grief she discovers his poetry and prose transcend death, allowing her to hear his voice again and to find a way back to her own self. For more information go to http://www.unfinishedsentencesfilm.com.
19. “Queen of Soca” by Kevin Adams
“’ Queen of Soca’ was inspired by my home base of Laventille, Trinidad and Tobago where the frustration of living a life of restricted opportunity is a narrative I observe often.“
“ Queen of Soca” is the story of Olivia, who lives in an impoverished community and is striving to make a better life for herself. Her life is full of struggles, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
The short version of “Queen of Soca”, entitled “No Soca No Life” premiered at Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival in 2012 and has been well received by movie goers and movie industry practitioners. “No Soca No Life” is currently available on Vimeo, Pay per view.
“We are now focused on the original goal of creating a blockbuster inspirational story for the world to enjoy, and using the Trinidad and Tobago culture as the vehicle for our message. On behalf of myself and my team, thank you for your interest in this project and we look forward to completing this journey with you !”
The Cfm was held from 24-27 September at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The ttff/15 took place from 15-29 September.
- 10/7/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Israel Cárdenas and Laura Amelia Guzmán romance from the Dominican Republic won the Best Fiction Feature prize at the 2015 trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) awards ceremony.
Best Documentary Feature went to Aleksandra Maciuszek’s Casa Blanca, which also earned a special mention for artistic merit from the Amnesty International Human Rights Prize jury.
In the Trinidad and Tobago film categories, Sean Hodgkinson’s Trafficked took Best Fiction Feature, while Kim Johnson’s Re-percussions: An African Odyssey won Best Documentary Feature.
The People’s Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature went to Joanne Johnson’s local title Sally’s Way as Antigua’s Vanishing Sail by Alexis Andrews took corresponding documentary honours.
The prize for best project at the first ever Caribbean Film Mart went to Kidnapping Inc from Haiti by Gaethan Chancy, Bruno Mourral and Raoul Peck. The festival ran from September 15-29.
Full list of award winners:
Best Fiction Feature: Sand Dollars, (Dominican Republic-Mexico-Argentina...
Best Documentary Feature went to Aleksandra Maciuszek’s Casa Blanca, which also earned a special mention for artistic merit from the Amnesty International Human Rights Prize jury.
In the Trinidad and Tobago film categories, Sean Hodgkinson’s Trafficked took Best Fiction Feature, while Kim Johnson’s Re-percussions: An African Odyssey won Best Documentary Feature.
The People’s Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature went to Joanne Johnson’s local title Sally’s Way as Antigua’s Vanishing Sail by Alexis Andrews took corresponding documentary honours.
The prize for best project at the first ever Caribbean Film Mart went to Kidnapping Inc from Haiti by Gaethan Chancy, Bruno Mourral and Raoul Peck. The festival ran from September 15-29.
Full list of award winners:
Best Fiction Feature: Sand Dollars, (Dominican Republic-Mexico-Argentina...
- 9/28/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Top brass have announced 60 films culled from 8,061 submissions across four categories – Us and international narrative, documentary and animation.
“This year’s short film-makers have broken through their limited timeframe with a high level of artistry and story that will resonate with audiences long after each film has ended,” said senior programmer Mike Plante.
The Short Film programme is presented by YouTube.
Sundance 2015 is set to run in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah, from January 22 to February 1.
All synopses provided by the festival.
Us Narrative Short Films
Actresses
Jeremy Hersh
The film follows the relationship between a young, aspiring actress and an established off-Broadway star.
A.D. 1363, The End Of Chivalry (USA-New Zealand)
Jake Mahaffy
A little-known historical catastrophe leads to the definitive end of the era of chivalry and questing.
Color Neutral
Jennifer Reeves
A color explosion sparkles, bubbles, and fractures in this handcrafted 16mm film. Jennifer Reeves utilises...
“This year’s short film-makers have broken through their limited timeframe with a high level of artistry and story that will resonate with audiences long after each film has ended,” said senior programmer Mike Plante.
The Short Film programme is presented by YouTube.
Sundance 2015 is set to run in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah, from January 22 to February 1.
All synopses provided by the festival.
Us Narrative Short Films
Actresses
Jeremy Hersh
The film follows the relationship between a young, aspiring actress and an established off-Broadway star.
A.D. 1363, The End Of Chivalry (USA-New Zealand)
Jake Mahaffy
A little-known historical catastrophe leads to the definitive end of the era of chivalry and questing.
Color Neutral
Jennifer Reeves
A color explosion sparkles, bubbles, and fractures in this handcrafted 16mm film. Jennifer Reeves utilises...
- 12/9/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
There are a small number of martial arts born out of slavery around the world. Brazil's capoeira - taught and transmitted for generations as a dance to avoid notice by the slave masters - is the most famous of these but in Haiti there is a little known art known as tire machet, a discipline created by fusing traditional African stick fighting disciplines with elements of European swordplay with the results being a key factor in allowing the rebellion of Haitian slaves against their Napoleonic masters to stand as one of the only - if not the only - successful slave rebellions in history.Tire machet is the subject of Jonathan David Kane's short documentary film Papa Machete and while I missed the film when it...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 10/22/2014
- Screen Anarchy
The 39th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival is underway, running through September 14, with another year of an always impressive slate of high-profile films making their world premieres at the festival - a few that we've been tracking on this blog, including "Papa Machete," which will premiere at the festival as part of its first ever slate of international shorts. From Executive Producers/Writers Jason Fitzroy Jeffers & Keisha Rae Witherspoon, as well as director Jonathan David Kane, "Papa Machete" highlights Alfred Avril, an aging farmer in Haiti who also happens to be a master of Haitian machete fencing...
- 9/5/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
New work from Claire Denis takes its place in the inaugural Short Cuts International line-up at the Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 4-14).Scroll down for full list
A total of 36 shorts from filmmakers representing 29 countries will screen in five curated programmes.
“Some of the best filmmaking in the industry is happening in the short form and the introduction of this programme allows the festival to identify talented filmmakers and connect them to the rest of the world as well as the highly engaged audience present here in Toronto,” said Tiff director of special projects Shane Smith.
“From politically and socially provocative narratives, to aesthetically compelling animation and profoundly moving documentaries, the works in Short Cuts International are vigorous and vital films showcasing unique, yet universal, stories about the human condition.”
Short Cuts International is programmed by Smith; Kathleen McInnis, Short Cuts International programmer; and Magali Simard, Short Cuts programmer and Tiff manager Of film programmes.
The...
A total of 36 shorts from filmmakers representing 29 countries will screen in five curated programmes.
“Some of the best filmmaking in the industry is happening in the short form and the introduction of this programme allows the festival to identify talented filmmakers and connect them to the rest of the world as well as the highly engaged audience present here in Toronto,” said Tiff director of special projects Shane Smith.
“From politically and socially provocative narratives, to aesthetically compelling animation and profoundly moving documentaries, the works in Short Cuts International are vigorous and vital films showcasing unique, yet universal, stories about the human condition.”
Short Cuts International is programmed by Smith; Kathleen McInnis, Short Cuts International programmer; and Magali Simard, Short Cuts programmer and Tiff manager Of film programmes.
The...
- 8/12/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The 38th Toronto International Film Festival has released an incredible guest list of celebrated talent from around the globe. Filmmakers expected to present their world premieres in Toronto include: Catherine Breillat, Nicole Garcia, Pawel Pawlikowski, Bertrand Tavernier, Steve McQueen, Godfrey Reggio, Denis Villeneuve, Bill Condon, Jean-Marc Vallée, John Wells, Ralph Fiennes, Richard Ayoade, Atom Egoyan, Matthew Weiner, John Carney, Jason Reitman, Jason Bateman, Yorgos Servetas, Liza Johnson, Megan Griffiths, Fernando Eimbcke, Alexey Uchitel, Johnny Ma, Biyi Bandele, Rashid Masharawi, Paul Haggis, Ron Howard, Eli Roth, Álex de la Iglesia, Bruce McDonald, Jennifer Baichwal, John Ridley, and Justin Chadwick.
The Festival also welcomes thousands of producers and other industry professionals bringing films to us.
The following filmmakers and artists are expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival:
Ahmad Abdalla, Hany Abu-Assad, Yuval Adler, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Alexandre Aja, Bruce Alcock, Gianni Amelio, Thanos Anastopoulos, Madeline Anderson, Nimród Antal, Louise Archambault,...
The Festival also welcomes thousands of producers and other industry professionals bringing films to us.
The following filmmakers and artists are expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival:
Ahmad Abdalla, Hany Abu-Assad, Yuval Adler, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Alexandre Aja, Bruce Alcock, Gianni Amelio, Thanos Anastopoulos, Madeline Anderson, Nimród Antal, Louise Archambault,...
- 8/21/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Fans of the Godfrey Reggio/Philip Glass "Qatsi" trilogy can look forward to a fourth movie, "Visitors," which Cinedigm has acquired for North America. The black-and-white digital film will world premiere with a live Toronto Symphony Orchestra performance of Glass's score at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival this September. Cinedigm plans to release "Visitors" theatrically in 4K throughout Fall 2013. Seven years in the making, this collaboration from director Reggio, composer Glass and filmmaker Jon Kane follows "Koyaanisqatsi," "Powaqqatsi," and "Naqoyqatsi." “For a world on speed, in rush hour, this film is counter-intuitive to contemporary image-making," said Reggio. "Face-to-face with more to say then can be spoken, one might leave expectations at the door. Cinedigm's enthusiasm for theatrical release and its commitment to innovative marketing and exhibition, offers this odd-one-in an opportunity to seek a life of its own. I can only feel anxious joy as I prepare...
- 5/23/2013
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
'The Boy Who Smells Like Fish' (USA) Dir. By Analeine Cal Y Mayor
LatinoBuzz: This is your first film - they say that sometimes you have been waiting your whole life to tell the first one - Was that the case with this story?
Analeine Cal Y Mayor: Not with this story. I had never heard about this disease until 2006 in the first place. I was waiting indeed for a long time to direct my first feature. I felt I was ready and I enjoyed working with actors very much but the story was not waiting in a drawer for years fortunately. I saw the article in the newspaper and I immediately knew I wanted to do a film based on that news. It was a beautiful girl with this terrible disease, Trimethylaminuria, terrible more because of what it causes emotionally and psychologically to the persons not so much the physical part. I wanted to turn this drama into a comedy, otherwise I would do a documentary.
LatinoBuzz: Was it always an intention when you were writing the screenplay, that this would be in English?
Analeine Cal Y Mayor: Actually it was not the intention at all. I wrote it in Spanish with another screenwriter (Javier Gullón) thinking it would be shot in Spanish. But I always imagined a North American neighborhood where Mica, the main character, lives. Partly inspired by Elvis´ Graceland, he lives in a museum house of Mexican kitsch singer Guillermo Garibai but we don´t have those museums in Spain or Mexico. We started even casting Spanish actors but suddenly it didn´t make sense where they lived. Somehow it didn’t fit that the actor was saying “joder” and other Spanish slang with this setting. Also the singer was supposedly very famous so I wanted it to be outside Mexico, he was an International singer after all. Now that I see the film it seems naturally suited for English language and the good news is that nobody that read it after it was translated suspected it was first in Spanish. Then my Canadian producer Niv Fichman told me “ You need to meet this actor, Douglas Smith, he is perfect for 'Mica'”. So I waited for the occasion for several months and finally one evening in Toronto we met after a screening and walking towards him was really like a film , I still remember crossing to the other side of the theater like in slow motion and when I saw him I knew it was going to work. I don´t know who was more nervous but he stepped on my foot. Zöe Kravitz came later. I didn´t write thinking of any actor in particular. I wanted someone that was attractive but that could stand out in other ways. There´s always in Hollywood like 4 or 5 actresses that I confuse because they don´t really stand out. She had to have a personality that you believed she fell in love with someone like him, and also a beautiful women that in the story is relaxed about her looks. She is an amazing actress and has something unique that I can´t really put in words. She is just a natural.
LatinoBuzz: You've worked on projects across the globe - has it changed the way you look at art?
Analeine Cal Y Mayor: After making video art in Innbruck, Austria and then getting a grant in almost the opposite city: New Delhi, I changed the way of working and also I try to get rid of clichés about expecting some art based on the artist´s Nationality. I learned to see more, I guess. I write a project back home but then when I get to a place I take my time to observe. I forbid myself to take photographs the first week and after a week I decide how to adapt my project or throw it away and start from scratch. Also after traveling I know that people expect a type of film again depending of your Nationality but that is a prejudice. Some people are going to say my film is not very Mexican or very Latin but that is if they are referring to a cliché of the “Mexicanity”. What does a film needs to have a Mexican flavor? Cactus, drug lords? Well, I have some mariachi music after all but because my characters live in a house of a Mexican singer. It ´s all part of the same world.
LatinoBuzz: There's amazing women filmmakers coming out of Latin America that's bringing an excitement and an invigorating voice that's been missing - do you see this continuing to emerge or is there still much needed change needed within the industry?
AnaIeine Cal Y Mayor: I'm optimistic of the emerging women directors. Every year I see a little bit more coming up slowly. In Mexico at least, the industry is still a man´s world. It's funny how some crew members can´t say “Yes, Mam” they say “Yes sir “ all the time! And they do it without thinking. I´m “Sir” in Mexico a lot of times. I admire Claudia Llosa and in Mexico, Paula Markovich, Mariana Chenillo and Patricia Arriaga.
LatinoBuzz: What's next from you?
Analeine Cal Y Mayor: I'm working on a new script that has to happen in an isolated forest, perhaps Sweden or Finland but while that film takes shape I might spend all my savings to do a very, very low budget film. This is one thing that I still enjoy in Mexico: my colleagues make films with 20 million pesos, 2 million or $200,000.
Visit www.analeine.com for more on this great talent!
The Midnight Game (USA) Dir. By A.D. Calvo
LatinoBuzz: What was the first horror film that scared the bejeezus out of you and got you hooked?
A.D. Calvo: Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things. Back in '79, shortly after my father died, my mom moved us into an old white house on a hill with an historic New England cemetery in the backyard. My bedroom window overlooked the tiny lot riddled with crooked, broken headstones. I can still remember the name on one of them, Alexander X. Weed, and my morbid fascination with the babies’ graves that had shifted in the ground over the years, revealing dark crevices into the earth around them. We didn't have cable back then, so I'd occasionally catch a scary movie on channel 9 or 11, our local NY affiliates. This film really scared the crap out of me. The thought of the dead rising from their graves kept me awake half the night. I was only 11 at the time, and I'm sure the death of my father -- and that damn cemetery – didn’t help. I checked that film out recently, and it was rather comical, deliberately campy. But man, oh, man, it wasn't back then. Orville was a living corpse who haunted me on many nights.
LatinoBuzz: How do you see your work evolving within the horror genre?
A.D. Calvo: Honestly, I'm not a big fan of violence in film and have consistently focused more on the psychological aspects of horror. In my more recent films, particularly The Midnight Game, I've tried to "amp up" certain graphic elements -- but my style is still a far cry from anything close to gore porn or slasher, which are just not my thing. I love a great ghost story and would love to revisit that world with a more mature approach one day. I think of horror classics like The Shining as benchmarks for what's possible within that realm. It all comes down to finding the right screenplay or writing something that I feel really works. After four films, three of which were skewed more toward young-adult horror, I'm looking to shift into more mature themes.
LatinoBuzz: With the likes of Guillermo Del Toro and Fede Alvarez etc and even a film like, Mama - crossing over to the mainstream, do you see a possible gateway for films to be made starring a Latino cast and marketed successfully to an American Latino audience?
A.D. Calvo: Yes, I do. I've always loved Latin horror films like The Devil's Backboneand The Orphanage, and even cerebral sci-fi like Timecrimes. I like the weird ones too, e.g., Santa Sangre, The Last Circus. There's just so many amazing Latino actors and directors, many who haven't been exposed much to Us audiences. The Argentine actor, Ricardo Darin, is a personal favorite, but lesser known here in the states, despite the Oscar win for The Secret in their Eyes. He'd be great in an American Latino ghost story! Something gothic like The Others, don't you think? Perhaps a nice mix of foreign Latino names, like Darin, and some better known domestic faces (Oscar Isaac, John Leguizamo, Rosario Dawson -- a few more personal favs). It's fun to think of the possibilities.
LatinoBuzz: You take a trip to a cabin in the middle of the woods straight outta Deliverance with 4 characters from Horror films and there's no cell phone reception -- because, despite all previous warnings, it's still a great idea -- Who are they and who's out in the woods (Dick Cheney is a perfectly acceptable answer)?
A.D. Calvo: I love this question! Here's my dream team: I'd take a Ripley-like character (from Alien)—someone who's capable of kicking ass and protecting the bunch; and I'd throw in a weak male sidekick, to provide a little comic relief—the quirky Shaggy of the bunch. My cabin wouldn't be complete without a wise old man, physically inferior but intellectually a necessity to the group's survival (I'm picturing Michael Caine type wisdom and self assurance here)… Then, lastly, I'd toss in another woman, but a sensitive type—someone who understands that even evil can have a good side. A character like the one Naomi Watts played in The Ring. She'll help offset Ripley's take-no-prisoners attitude, But will make the crucial mistake of sparing the lives of a few of our villains, who are none other than a mutant militia controlled by their own evil inbred children. (Militias really scare me. As do evil children.) Not sure what my chances of survival would be, but it would make for an interesting movie!
LatinoBuzz: Where and how do the ideas come to you? And how do you flesh them out?
A.D. Calvo: My creative process can be summed up as follows: left brain, right brain. On the one hand, I think about other films I've responded to and try to create an amalgam, of sorts, from that. Something fresh and new, but that still feels familiar and is producible within a set of constraints. This is the logical, left brain half of the process. On the other hand, I remain open to the infinite possibilities that unfold before us, in a more mystical and romantic way (the "creative tap" we all have access to). I have found this balance serves me well. Being true to my vision, creatively and aesthetically, while listening to, but not being bound by, the business side of things. In terms of fleshing out ideas, I have a great set of "go to" people whose opinions I really trust. As with any collaborative endeavor, it's important to keep folks involved (and hence excited about the project). Of course, it's also important to separate individual tastes and personal opinions from more important ideas that can make a project better (and not just different). When you hear that a particular thing isn't working, from a couple of trusted sources, you know you have a problem. Likewise if one's suggestion is well received by others on your team then it's probably worth pursuing, despite any hesitation you may have. I believe you can do this without compromising the so-called, "singular vision of the director." I've heard of film directors referred to as "benign dictators" but the key word here is "benign" and not "dictator." Filmmaking is a collaborative medium so you're acting more like a creative CEO, you still have a boardroom of key folks to listen to. It's really just a matter of building the right team and becoming calibrated enough to recognize the things that raise the bar versus the things that don't really matter. That's the core of it, I think. That, and not letting your ego get in the way of that, is key.
LatinoBuzz: What are the next projects?
A.D Calvo: I just finished another screenplay, my first in 2 years. It's definitely a deviation from horror. It’s a character-driven mystery with a little magical realism thrown in. American Splendor and Ghost World meetThe Lovely Bones. Very different for me. I've also been developing an original time travel concept. Sci-fi is a genre I've always enjoyed and I have a unique idea for a time machine that's fairly well grounded in physics... I have a few other concepts in various stages of development.
Any of these projects could be next, but we'll have to wait and see. Having the wherewithal to push another film through to the end is becoming a greater challenge, psychically, for me. Knowing the pitfalls and what is and isn't possible, given a budget, can become a hindrance of sorts, but it can also make you more discerning and creative—which is a good thing… as long as it doesn't cripple you.
For more on A.D.'s work, check out: www.goodnightfilm.com
Eenie Meenie Mineny Moe (USA) Dir. by Jorge 'Jokes' Yanez
LatinoBuzz: Tell us about the scene in the 305 -- there's a few collectives down there doing really interesting things.
Jokes: The 305 is my home, and there's nothing like it anywhere in the world, the mix of cultures, styles, personalities and weather is a stew with a flavor all its own. In the last few years the arts has really been gaining momentum and there’s talent that is staying and making stuff here which is great. I love seeing Miami artists I grew up with getting their respect. Miami has made its mark in music, sports and visual art and I'm happy that it’s finally starting to get an identity in film.
Latinobuzz: Where did this idea come from and how long from when you wrote this, did it go into production?
Jokes: The idea was conceived around 2003/2004, I was living in L.A. and directing music videos flying to all these different cities and I noticed how people would tell me I had an accent and style that they couldn't put a finger on. When I would say “Miami” they would say of course, it's obvious. So the first seed of making a feature with characters that were authentically Miami came to mind in the way New York filmmakers tell New York stories and wanting to make a movie that addressed a lot of the attitudes that I thought were prevalent in the 305, especially about hustlers with strong ethics and loyalty that were gaming the system. The final ingredient was meeting a few tow truck drivers and it inspired using that as a thread to tie everything together. In early 2007, J.Bishop, my writing partner and I finished the script and I started looking for financing. In 2009, we created a short film 'Vladimir’s Vodka' that features some of the characters and the aesthetics of “Eenie Meenie Miney Moe”. That piece created the momentum we needed and we finally went into production in late 2011.
LatinoBuzz: Who are the filmmakers that inspired the aesthetic of your work?
Jokes: I would say for this film i was really inspired by the work of Brian DePalma, Paul Thomas Anderson, Darren Aronofsky and a few little sprinkles of Kubrick, Scorsese and James Cameron. I mean all these guys are like titans in the industry its hard to make a movie and not be influenced by their work. Overall, I’ve been a film buff for years and there’s so many influences that contribute to my aesthetic choices.
LatinoBuzz: What does premiering in your home town mean to you?
Jokes: I couldn't imagine it any better way. I made this movie because of growing up in Miami and being able to share it with so many of my friends and family is what its all about.
LatinoBuzz: What are the constraints of making independent films in Miami?
Jokes: The biggest constraint is finding money, Miami is a party town and not too many investors have done anything in the movie business and actually not been burned by it, the second is the weather being outdoors in the summer is hot and wet two things that’ll put a production in slow motion.
LatinoBuzz: And what are the benefits?
Jokes: Locations and finding people that are still mesmerized by the allure of the movie biz. In La it's big business and people are jaded and want their check, here so many people are just so helpful and proud that their block or business is being shown that they bend over backwards to accommodate you.
LatinoBuzz: Name a classic novel you could make into a film, and set it in Miami -- what is it and who is in it?
Jokes: 'The Count of Monte Cristo': I can see that being re-imagined into a Miami setting and I am definitely drawn into the revenge plot. I would love to use Benecio Del Toro, Julio Mechoso and Nestor Carbonell and some fresh new faces. I like discoveries.
LatinoBuzz: What's the next Jokes Flick?
Jokes: The next one is titled 'The Local Crew', it's a true to life story about some of the experiences J.Bishop and I had growing up. We just finished the script and are building the team to produce it.
For more on Jokes flick, visit: www.eeniemeeniemineymoe.com
Tony Tango (USA) Dir. By Manolo Celi
LatinoBuzz: You wrote the screenplay along with Billy Sommer from an idea Max Maulion and Andres Oliveira came up with.
Manolo Celi: Yep! Billy Sommer was the genius writer. There was a lot of back and forth between us via phone and many many Skype sessions, but the best stuff was written by Billy who is a truly gifted writer. Andres and Maxx had written an initial 1st draft and they created the iconic character of Tony Tango, and what started to be a doctoring of the script, ended up being a complete transplant. Everything changed except for some character names and that there is a dance competition, but even the main characters were re-written completely anew.
LatinoBuzz: How was this presented to you in the first place?
Manolo Celi: Andres and I had worked on some commercial projects previously, and we really hit it off. They gave me that 1st draft, and while I knew the script needed work, I really related to the character of Tony who was a real underdog. I also found both Andres and Maxx to be very talented and driven to get the film done.
LatinoBuzz: How did pitching a story about an overweight tango dancer in ill fitting ballroom outfits to investors go?
Manolo Celi: All of the investments came from Andres and Maxx sources. They dealt with the financing 100%
LatinoBuzz: What about the casting process? These characters where very specific.
Manolo Celi: We were lucky that the two main characters, Tony and Pablo were already being played by Maxx and Andres. And then, we were so fortunate to find tremendous talent like Antoni Corone and Sergia Louise Andersen to complete the picture - not to mention the rest of the cast who were all truly amazing. My main concern was working with the cast to get as genuine performances as possible. While their characters are very absurd and quirky, the audience needed to relate to all of them and sympathize with them.
LatinoBuzz: A lot of care went into the detail in making the film - the costumes, the choreography and the tone of the humor was very specific. How did you go about getting the right team with budget limitations?
Manolo Celi: What can I say about the crew? What great luck!! Many of them, I had already worked with or had known for a very long time. DoP Angel Barroeta is an incredible Dp and professional, not to mention a beautiful human being. Tom Criswell is hilarious and somehow made the art department work with barely any resources, Li Millian, the wardrobe stylist created Tony's most memorable clothing, hands down, Jonathan David Kane made the day to day run so smoothly, Alan Ramos found us the absolute best locations we could find within the limits of our budget, Jerry Perez and Christine Lopez not only acted great throughout the movie, but they also donated so much time beforehand choreographing Maxx's dance routines, Obi Reyes did a miraculous job with all of the film's make up needs, Carlos Gomez was superstar Gaffer. Both Ad's De la Vega and Rafa Herrera ran the set so smoothly, and they kept the energy alive and the production going. And, on the post side even, it was amazing: Juan Pablo Mantilla, the music producer composed an amazing score, and also produced so many great pieces for the film, and Bob Curreri was an incredible colorist. I mean, really, everyone put in so much time and love into the project for next to no money or for no money whatsoever. I hope to work with every single one of these people again, for the rest of my career.
LatinoBuzz: And how much was specifically your vision?
Manolo Celi: It really was a wonderful collaborative process by everyone involved. Obviously, as director, it is important to have a clear vision, and keep everyone on the same track. Especially in a low budget production like this, there are always situations that crop up that force you to think on your feet and be very receptive to suggestions from your team. I believe a good deal of the film reflects my vision, with compromises due to the resources available and not having final cut of the film, but there are many things that reflect the direction that we had aimed for.
LatinoBuzz: You guys applied this green initiative to shooting the film in Miami - and here people are, thinking filmmakers are heartless brutes -- where in the process was that decision made?
Manolo Celi: We all tend to be very environmentally conscious as individuals, but it was Jonathan David Kane who really pushed the green initiative. He was really who got that ball rolling and was very disciplined about it.
LatinoBuzz: What's the next project?
Manolo Celi: I have a short and another feature in the works. The short is musically-themed, and the feature is more indie-action themed. Besides that, I continue directing commercials.
For all info on Tony Tango click here! www.tonytangothemovie.com...
LatinoBuzz: This is your first film - they say that sometimes you have been waiting your whole life to tell the first one - Was that the case with this story?
Analeine Cal Y Mayor: Not with this story. I had never heard about this disease until 2006 in the first place. I was waiting indeed for a long time to direct my first feature. I felt I was ready and I enjoyed working with actors very much but the story was not waiting in a drawer for years fortunately. I saw the article in the newspaper and I immediately knew I wanted to do a film based on that news. It was a beautiful girl with this terrible disease, Trimethylaminuria, terrible more because of what it causes emotionally and psychologically to the persons not so much the physical part. I wanted to turn this drama into a comedy, otherwise I would do a documentary.
LatinoBuzz: Was it always an intention when you were writing the screenplay, that this would be in English?
Analeine Cal Y Mayor: Actually it was not the intention at all. I wrote it in Spanish with another screenwriter (Javier Gullón) thinking it would be shot in Spanish. But I always imagined a North American neighborhood where Mica, the main character, lives. Partly inspired by Elvis´ Graceland, he lives in a museum house of Mexican kitsch singer Guillermo Garibai but we don´t have those museums in Spain or Mexico. We started even casting Spanish actors but suddenly it didn´t make sense where they lived. Somehow it didn’t fit that the actor was saying “joder” and other Spanish slang with this setting. Also the singer was supposedly very famous so I wanted it to be outside Mexico, he was an International singer after all. Now that I see the film it seems naturally suited for English language and the good news is that nobody that read it after it was translated suspected it was first in Spanish. Then my Canadian producer Niv Fichman told me “ You need to meet this actor, Douglas Smith, he is perfect for 'Mica'”. So I waited for the occasion for several months and finally one evening in Toronto we met after a screening and walking towards him was really like a film , I still remember crossing to the other side of the theater like in slow motion and when I saw him I knew it was going to work. I don´t know who was more nervous but he stepped on my foot. Zöe Kravitz came later. I didn´t write thinking of any actor in particular. I wanted someone that was attractive but that could stand out in other ways. There´s always in Hollywood like 4 or 5 actresses that I confuse because they don´t really stand out. She had to have a personality that you believed she fell in love with someone like him, and also a beautiful women that in the story is relaxed about her looks. She is an amazing actress and has something unique that I can´t really put in words. She is just a natural.
LatinoBuzz: You've worked on projects across the globe - has it changed the way you look at art?
Analeine Cal Y Mayor: After making video art in Innbruck, Austria and then getting a grant in almost the opposite city: New Delhi, I changed the way of working and also I try to get rid of clichés about expecting some art based on the artist´s Nationality. I learned to see more, I guess. I write a project back home but then when I get to a place I take my time to observe. I forbid myself to take photographs the first week and after a week I decide how to adapt my project or throw it away and start from scratch. Also after traveling I know that people expect a type of film again depending of your Nationality but that is a prejudice. Some people are going to say my film is not very Mexican or very Latin but that is if they are referring to a cliché of the “Mexicanity”. What does a film needs to have a Mexican flavor? Cactus, drug lords? Well, I have some mariachi music after all but because my characters live in a house of a Mexican singer. It ´s all part of the same world.
LatinoBuzz: There's amazing women filmmakers coming out of Latin America that's bringing an excitement and an invigorating voice that's been missing - do you see this continuing to emerge or is there still much needed change needed within the industry?
AnaIeine Cal Y Mayor: I'm optimistic of the emerging women directors. Every year I see a little bit more coming up slowly. In Mexico at least, the industry is still a man´s world. It's funny how some crew members can´t say “Yes, Mam” they say “Yes sir “ all the time! And they do it without thinking. I´m “Sir” in Mexico a lot of times. I admire Claudia Llosa and in Mexico, Paula Markovich, Mariana Chenillo and Patricia Arriaga.
LatinoBuzz: What's next from you?
Analeine Cal Y Mayor: I'm working on a new script that has to happen in an isolated forest, perhaps Sweden or Finland but while that film takes shape I might spend all my savings to do a very, very low budget film. This is one thing that I still enjoy in Mexico: my colleagues make films with 20 million pesos, 2 million or $200,000.
Visit www.analeine.com for more on this great talent!
The Midnight Game (USA) Dir. By A.D. Calvo
LatinoBuzz: What was the first horror film that scared the bejeezus out of you and got you hooked?
A.D. Calvo: Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things. Back in '79, shortly after my father died, my mom moved us into an old white house on a hill with an historic New England cemetery in the backyard. My bedroom window overlooked the tiny lot riddled with crooked, broken headstones. I can still remember the name on one of them, Alexander X. Weed, and my morbid fascination with the babies’ graves that had shifted in the ground over the years, revealing dark crevices into the earth around them. We didn't have cable back then, so I'd occasionally catch a scary movie on channel 9 or 11, our local NY affiliates. This film really scared the crap out of me. The thought of the dead rising from their graves kept me awake half the night. I was only 11 at the time, and I'm sure the death of my father -- and that damn cemetery – didn’t help. I checked that film out recently, and it was rather comical, deliberately campy. But man, oh, man, it wasn't back then. Orville was a living corpse who haunted me on many nights.
LatinoBuzz: How do you see your work evolving within the horror genre?
A.D. Calvo: Honestly, I'm not a big fan of violence in film and have consistently focused more on the psychological aspects of horror. In my more recent films, particularly The Midnight Game, I've tried to "amp up" certain graphic elements -- but my style is still a far cry from anything close to gore porn or slasher, which are just not my thing. I love a great ghost story and would love to revisit that world with a more mature approach one day. I think of horror classics like The Shining as benchmarks for what's possible within that realm. It all comes down to finding the right screenplay or writing something that I feel really works. After four films, three of which were skewed more toward young-adult horror, I'm looking to shift into more mature themes.
LatinoBuzz: With the likes of Guillermo Del Toro and Fede Alvarez etc and even a film like, Mama - crossing over to the mainstream, do you see a possible gateway for films to be made starring a Latino cast and marketed successfully to an American Latino audience?
A.D. Calvo: Yes, I do. I've always loved Latin horror films like The Devil's Backboneand The Orphanage, and even cerebral sci-fi like Timecrimes. I like the weird ones too, e.g., Santa Sangre, The Last Circus. There's just so many amazing Latino actors and directors, many who haven't been exposed much to Us audiences. The Argentine actor, Ricardo Darin, is a personal favorite, but lesser known here in the states, despite the Oscar win for The Secret in their Eyes. He'd be great in an American Latino ghost story! Something gothic like The Others, don't you think? Perhaps a nice mix of foreign Latino names, like Darin, and some better known domestic faces (Oscar Isaac, John Leguizamo, Rosario Dawson -- a few more personal favs). It's fun to think of the possibilities.
LatinoBuzz: You take a trip to a cabin in the middle of the woods straight outta Deliverance with 4 characters from Horror films and there's no cell phone reception -- because, despite all previous warnings, it's still a great idea -- Who are they and who's out in the woods (Dick Cheney is a perfectly acceptable answer)?
A.D. Calvo: I love this question! Here's my dream team: I'd take a Ripley-like character (from Alien)—someone who's capable of kicking ass and protecting the bunch; and I'd throw in a weak male sidekick, to provide a little comic relief—the quirky Shaggy of the bunch. My cabin wouldn't be complete without a wise old man, physically inferior but intellectually a necessity to the group's survival (I'm picturing Michael Caine type wisdom and self assurance here)… Then, lastly, I'd toss in another woman, but a sensitive type—someone who understands that even evil can have a good side. A character like the one Naomi Watts played in The Ring. She'll help offset Ripley's take-no-prisoners attitude, But will make the crucial mistake of sparing the lives of a few of our villains, who are none other than a mutant militia controlled by their own evil inbred children. (Militias really scare me. As do evil children.) Not sure what my chances of survival would be, but it would make for an interesting movie!
LatinoBuzz: Where and how do the ideas come to you? And how do you flesh them out?
A.D. Calvo: My creative process can be summed up as follows: left brain, right brain. On the one hand, I think about other films I've responded to and try to create an amalgam, of sorts, from that. Something fresh and new, but that still feels familiar and is producible within a set of constraints. This is the logical, left brain half of the process. On the other hand, I remain open to the infinite possibilities that unfold before us, in a more mystical and romantic way (the "creative tap" we all have access to). I have found this balance serves me well. Being true to my vision, creatively and aesthetically, while listening to, but not being bound by, the business side of things. In terms of fleshing out ideas, I have a great set of "go to" people whose opinions I really trust. As with any collaborative endeavor, it's important to keep folks involved (and hence excited about the project). Of course, it's also important to separate individual tastes and personal opinions from more important ideas that can make a project better (and not just different). When you hear that a particular thing isn't working, from a couple of trusted sources, you know you have a problem. Likewise if one's suggestion is well received by others on your team then it's probably worth pursuing, despite any hesitation you may have. I believe you can do this without compromising the so-called, "singular vision of the director." I've heard of film directors referred to as "benign dictators" but the key word here is "benign" and not "dictator." Filmmaking is a collaborative medium so you're acting more like a creative CEO, you still have a boardroom of key folks to listen to. It's really just a matter of building the right team and becoming calibrated enough to recognize the things that raise the bar versus the things that don't really matter. That's the core of it, I think. That, and not letting your ego get in the way of that, is key.
LatinoBuzz: What are the next projects?
A.D Calvo: I just finished another screenplay, my first in 2 years. It's definitely a deviation from horror. It’s a character-driven mystery with a little magical realism thrown in. American Splendor and Ghost World meetThe Lovely Bones. Very different for me. I've also been developing an original time travel concept. Sci-fi is a genre I've always enjoyed and I have a unique idea for a time machine that's fairly well grounded in physics... I have a few other concepts in various stages of development.
Any of these projects could be next, but we'll have to wait and see. Having the wherewithal to push another film through to the end is becoming a greater challenge, psychically, for me. Knowing the pitfalls and what is and isn't possible, given a budget, can become a hindrance of sorts, but it can also make you more discerning and creative—which is a good thing… as long as it doesn't cripple you.
For more on A.D.'s work, check out: www.goodnightfilm.com
Eenie Meenie Mineny Moe (USA) Dir. by Jorge 'Jokes' Yanez
LatinoBuzz: Tell us about the scene in the 305 -- there's a few collectives down there doing really interesting things.
Jokes: The 305 is my home, and there's nothing like it anywhere in the world, the mix of cultures, styles, personalities and weather is a stew with a flavor all its own. In the last few years the arts has really been gaining momentum and there’s talent that is staying and making stuff here which is great. I love seeing Miami artists I grew up with getting their respect. Miami has made its mark in music, sports and visual art and I'm happy that it’s finally starting to get an identity in film.
Latinobuzz: Where did this idea come from and how long from when you wrote this, did it go into production?
Jokes: The idea was conceived around 2003/2004, I was living in L.A. and directing music videos flying to all these different cities and I noticed how people would tell me I had an accent and style that they couldn't put a finger on. When I would say “Miami” they would say of course, it's obvious. So the first seed of making a feature with characters that were authentically Miami came to mind in the way New York filmmakers tell New York stories and wanting to make a movie that addressed a lot of the attitudes that I thought were prevalent in the 305, especially about hustlers with strong ethics and loyalty that were gaming the system. The final ingredient was meeting a few tow truck drivers and it inspired using that as a thread to tie everything together. In early 2007, J.Bishop, my writing partner and I finished the script and I started looking for financing. In 2009, we created a short film 'Vladimir’s Vodka' that features some of the characters and the aesthetics of “Eenie Meenie Miney Moe”. That piece created the momentum we needed and we finally went into production in late 2011.
LatinoBuzz: Who are the filmmakers that inspired the aesthetic of your work?
Jokes: I would say for this film i was really inspired by the work of Brian DePalma, Paul Thomas Anderson, Darren Aronofsky and a few little sprinkles of Kubrick, Scorsese and James Cameron. I mean all these guys are like titans in the industry its hard to make a movie and not be influenced by their work. Overall, I’ve been a film buff for years and there’s so many influences that contribute to my aesthetic choices.
LatinoBuzz: What does premiering in your home town mean to you?
Jokes: I couldn't imagine it any better way. I made this movie because of growing up in Miami and being able to share it with so many of my friends and family is what its all about.
LatinoBuzz: What are the constraints of making independent films in Miami?
Jokes: The biggest constraint is finding money, Miami is a party town and not too many investors have done anything in the movie business and actually not been burned by it, the second is the weather being outdoors in the summer is hot and wet two things that’ll put a production in slow motion.
LatinoBuzz: And what are the benefits?
Jokes: Locations and finding people that are still mesmerized by the allure of the movie biz. In La it's big business and people are jaded and want their check, here so many people are just so helpful and proud that their block or business is being shown that they bend over backwards to accommodate you.
LatinoBuzz: Name a classic novel you could make into a film, and set it in Miami -- what is it and who is in it?
Jokes: 'The Count of Monte Cristo': I can see that being re-imagined into a Miami setting and I am definitely drawn into the revenge plot. I would love to use Benecio Del Toro, Julio Mechoso and Nestor Carbonell and some fresh new faces. I like discoveries.
LatinoBuzz: What's the next Jokes Flick?
Jokes: The next one is titled 'The Local Crew', it's a true to life story about some of the experiences J.Bishop and I had growing up. We just finished the script and are building the team to produce it.
For more on Jokes flick, visit: www.eeniemeeniemineymoe.com
Tony Tango (USA) Dir. By Manolo Celi
LatinoBuzz: You wrote the screenplay along with Billy Sommer from an idea Max Maulion and Andres Oliveira came up with.
Manolo Celi: Yep! Billy Sommer was the genius writer. There was a lot of back and forth between us via phone and many many Skype sessions, but the best stuff was written by Billy who is a truly gifted writer. Andres and Maxx had written an initial 1st draft and they created the iconic character of Tony Tango, and what started to be a doctoring of the script, ended up being a complete transplant. Everything changed except for some character names and that there is a dance competition, but even the main characters were re-written completely anew.
LatinoBuzz: How was this presented to you in the first place?
Manolo Celi: Andres and I had worked on some commercial projects previously, and we really hit it off. They gave me that 1st draft, and while I knew the script needed work, I really related to the character of Tony who was a real underdog. I also found both Andres and Maxx to be very talented and driven to get the film done.
LatinoBuzz: How did pitching a story about an overweight tango dancer in ill fitting ballroom outfits to investors go?
Manolo Celi: All of the investments came from Andres and Maxx sources. They dealt with the financing 100%
LatinoBuzz: What about the casting process? These characters where very specific.
Manolo Celi: We were lucky that the two main characters, Tony and Pablo were already being played by Maxx and Andres. And then, we were so fortunate to find tremendous talent like Antoni Corone and Sergia Louise Andersen to complete the picture - not to mention the rest of the cast who were all truly amazing. My main concern was working with the cast to get as genuine performances as possible. While their characters are very absurd and quirky, the audience needed to relate to all of them and sympathize with them.
LatinoBuzz: A lot of care went into the detail in making the film - the costumes, the choreography and the tone of the humor was very specific. How did you go about getting the right team with budget limitations?
Manolo Celi: What can I say about the crew? What great luck!! Many of them, I had already worked with or had known for a very long time. DoP Angel Barroeta is an incredible Dp and professional, not to mention a beautiful human being. Tom Criswell is hilarious and somehow made the art department work with barely any resources, Li Millian, the wardrobe stylist created Tony's most memorable clothing, hands down, Jonathan David Kane made the day to day run so smoothly, Alan Ramos found us the absolute best locations we could find within the limits of our budget, Jerry Perez and Christine Lopez not only acted great throughout the movie, but they also donated so much time beforehand choreographing Maxx's dance routines, Obi Reyes did a miraculous job with all of the film's make up needs, Carlos Gomez was superstar Gaffer. Both Ad's De la Vega and Rafa Herrera ran the set so smoothly, and they kept the energy alive and the production going. And, on the post side even, it was amazing: Juan Pablo Mantilla, the music producer composed an amazing score, and also produced so many great pieces for the film, and Bob Curreri was an incredible colorist. I mean, really, everyone put in so much time and love into the project for next to no money or for no money whatsoever. I hope to work with every single one of these people again, for the rest of my career.
LatinoBuzz: And how much was specifically your vision?
Manolo Celi: It really was a wonderful collaborative process by everyone involved. Obviously, as director, it is important to have a clear vision, and keep everyone on the same track. Especially in a low budget production like this, there are always situations that crop up that force you to think on your feet and be very receptive to suggestions from your team. I believe a good deal of the film reflects my vision, with compromises due to the resources available and not having final cut of the film, but there are many things that reflect the direction that we had aimed for.
LatinoBuzz: You guys applied this green initiative to shooting the film in Miami - and here people are, thinking filmmakers are heartless brutes -- where in the process was that decision made?
Manolo Celi: We all tend to be very environmentally conscious as individuals, but it was Jonathan David Kane who really pushed the green initiative. He was really who got that ball rolling and was very disciplined about it.
LatinoBuzz: What's the next project?
Manolo Celi: I have a short and another feature in the works. The short is musically-themed, and the feature is more indie-action themed. Besides that, I continue directing commercials.
For all info on Tony Tango click here! www.tonytangothemovie.com...
- 3/6/2013
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
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