After a teenager is killed in the streets of Flatbush, Brooklyn in 1980, the police pressure a child witness to identify a suspect. Based on the testimony, Colin Warner, an 18 year old from Crown Heights, is wrongfully convicted of the murder and sentenced to life in prison. Audience Award winner at the Sundance Film Festival, “Crown Heights” is the true story of a man’s fight to prove that man’s innocence. The Amazon Studios flick follows not only Warner’s time in jail, but also Colin’s childhood friend Carl “Kc” King as he devotes his life to fighting for his best friend’s freedom. Written and directed by Matt Ruskin (“Booster,” “The Hip Hop Project”), the film stars Lakeith Stanfield (“Atlanta”) as Colin Warner and Nnamdi Asomugha as Carl King. This adaptation of a “This American Life” episode is set for an Aug. 25 theatrical release. Check out the trailer...
- 7/21/2017
- backstage.com
A rather remarkable, perhaps rare, but not unheard true life story of false imprisonment and the type of stubborn dedication it selflessly takes to make a wrong into a right, for his sophomore feature film following 2012’s Booster (Special Jury Prize winner at SXSW), filmmaker Matt Ruskin began lensing Crown Heights all the way back in September of 2015 and was profiled in a Sundance Institute about the editing process.
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- 11/24/2016
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Wow, the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival already has been amazing!
Sliff’s main venues are the the Hi-Pointe Theatre, Tivoli Theatre, Plaza Frontenac Cinema, Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium, Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium and the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, Il
The entire schedule for the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival be found Here.
http://cinemastlouis.org/sliff-2012
Here is what will be screening at The 21st Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival today, Thursday, November 15th
Shorts Program 8: Quirky Relationships
Shorts Program 8: Quirky Relationships plays at 5:00pm at the Tivoli Theatre
Shorts that give romance a twist.
Boo! (Rupert Reid, Australia, 2012, 5 min.): An aging married couple keep their love alive by staying one step ahead of each other. Coffees (Alex Beh, U.S., 2012, 11 min.): As a last-ditch effort, Mikey decides to go to his ex...
Sliff’s main venues are the the Hi-Pointe Theatre, Tivoli Theatre, Plaza Frontenac Cinema, Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium, Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium and the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, Il
The entire schedule for the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival be found Here.
http://cinemastlouis.org/sliff-2012
Here is what will be screening at The 21st Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival today, Thursday, November 15th
Shorts Program 8: Quirky Relationships
Shorts Program 8: Quirky Relationships plays at 5:00pm at the Tivoli Theatre
Shorts that give romance a twist.
Boo! (Rupert Reid, Australia, 2012, 5 min.): An aging married couple keep their love alive by staying one step ahead of each other. Coffees (Alex Beh, U.S., 2012, 11 min.): As a last-ditch effort, Mikey decides to go to his ex...
- 11/15/2012
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Review by Dane Marti
Living within a tough, decadent world of drug addicts and scum, anyone would have a hard time surviving. The city is Boston and the subject matter is rather grim. This film is cleverly directed by Matt Ruskin.
As the film starts, a nervous young man named Simon steals miniscule items. He.s basically a petty thief, with the emphasis on petty. He hasn.t completely been sucked into the nightmare world of crime and prison yet.but it.s just around the corner. Nico Stone convincingly plays Simon.
Strangely, the actor.s demeanor reminded me of a young Steve McQueen. While he definitely loves his grandmother, and tries to not be consumed by the world around him, when his older brother is arrested and incarcerated for an armed robbery, will he give in to the pressure around him and begin to do more serious crimes.a...
Living within a tough, decadent world of drug addicts and scum, anyone would have a hard time surviving. The city is Boston and the subject matter is rather grim. This film is cleverly directed by Matt Ruskin.
As the film starts, a nervous young man named Simon steals miniscule items. He.s basically a petty thief, with the emphasis on petty. He hasn.t completely been sucked into the nightmare world of crime and prison yet.but it.s just around the corner. Nico Stone convincingly plays Simon.
Strangely, the actor.s demeanor reminded me of a young Steve McQueen. While he definitely loves his grandmother, and tries to not be consumed by the world around him, when his older brother is arrested and incarcerated for an armed robbery, will he give in to the pressure around him and begin to do more serious crimes.a...
- 11/15/2012
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Day six of the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival is upon us!
Sliff’s main venues are the the Hi-Pointe Theatre, Tivoli Theatre, Plaza Frontenac Cinema, Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium, Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium and the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, Il
The entire schedule for the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival be found Here.
http://cinemastlouis.org/sliff-2012
Here is what will be screening at The 21st Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival today, Tuesday, November 13th
Band Of Sisters
Band Of Sisters plays at 5:00pm at the Tivoli Theatre
nspired by Vatican II (a 1962-65 council of Catholic bishops) and the great social movements of the 1960s and .70s, U.S. nuns left their convents, found their mission with the poor, and grew in their spirituality . often to the chagrin of the Vatican hierarchy. Against this backdrop, .Band...
Sliff’s main venues are the the Hi-Pointe Theatre, Tivoli Theatre, Plaza Frontenac Cinema, Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium, Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium and the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, Il
The entire schedule for the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival be found Here.
http://cinemastlouis.org/sliff-2012
Here is what will be screening at The 21st Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival today, Tuesday, November 13th
Band Of Sisters
Band Of Sisters plays at 5:00pm at the Tivoli Theatre
nspired by Vatican II (a 1962-65 council of Catholic bishops) and the great social movements of the 1960s and .70s, U.S. nuns left their convents, found their mission with the poor, and grew in their spirituality . often to the chagrin of the Vatican hierarchy. Against this backdrop, .Band...
- 11/13/2012
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
To celebrate their 5th anniversary, the Arizona Underground Film Festival has expanded to a whopping nine nights on Sept. 21-29 for a cinematic event the likes of Tucson has never seen before!
The shenanigans kick off with the opening night film The Legend of Kaspar Hauser, an experimental Italian feature directed by Davide Manuli and starring Vincent Gallo as the hero and the villain to a strange young boy, then end with the closing night film Jason M. Solomon’s nostalgic documentary 7 Years Underground: A 60′s Tale, which profiles the legendary Cafe Au Go Go in NYC that hosted such up-and-coming acts such as Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, George Carlin, Lily Tomlin and more.
In between those two films lies a twisted carnage of movie mayhem, including Spencer Parsons’ demented homage to ’70s mystery cartoons Saturday Morning Massacre; Michael Melamedoff exploitative semi-doc The Exhibitionists; Stephen Amis’ Australian WWII sci-fi...
The shenanigans kick off with the opening night film The Legend of Kaspar Hauser, an experimental Italian feature directed by Davide Manuli and starring Vincent Gallo as the hero and the villain to a strange young boy, then end with the closing night film Jason M. Solomon’s nostalgic documentary 7 Years Underground: A 60′s Tale, which profiles the legendary Cafe Au Go Go in NYC that hosted such up-and-coming acts such as Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, George Carlin, Lily Tomlin and more.
In between those two films lies a twisted carnage of movie mayhem, including Spencer Parsons’ demented homage to ’70s mystery cartoons Saturday Morning Massacre; Michael Melamedoff exploitative semi-doc The Exhibitionists; Stephen Amis’ Australian WWII sci-fi...
- 9/14/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
A number of our favorite independent films of the year are screening this week at the Northside Festival, a Brooklyn-based film and music event that gathers a number of film organizations, includuing Filmmaker, to guest curate some of its programming. Filmmaker‘s night is Wednesday, when we screen in its New York premiere Andrew Neel’s wickedly funny King Kelly (pictured) and Jeremiah Zagar & Nathan Caswell’s haunting short, Remains, but there are a number of other favorites dotted throughout the schedule. For example, tonight there’s one of the best documentaries of the year, Ashley Sabin and David Redmon’s Girl Model (presented by Pov) as well Ryan O’Nan’s warm and spirited Ifp Lab project, The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best (presented by Oscilloscope and Rooftop Films). Also tonight is the Cuban artist doc Unfinished Spaces, which you’ll read about in the next issue of the magazine,...
- 6/18/2012
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
SXSW 2012 film review
complete coverage of SXSW Film 2012
Booster
Director & Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail
(World Premiere)
Film Synopsis (from SXSW.com)
Who’S It For? Another Boston crime drama movie, but this one is nicely on the smaller scale.
Overall
It’s surprising to learn this is Stone’s first acting gig. It doesn’t feel that way. While this is a smaller film (not many chases, explosions, big-name actors, etc.) everyone does a very nice job in this film.
Simon is a booster. He’s good at his job. If you’re not aware what a booster is, he shop lifts. That’s his livelihood and I was immediately hooked. Why?...
complete coverage of SXSW Film 2012
Booster
Director & Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail
(World Premiere)
Film Synopsis (from SXSW.com)
Who’S It For? Another Boston crime drama movie, but this one is nicely on the smaller scale.
Overall
It’s surprising to learn this is Stone’s first acting gig. It doesn’t feel that way. While this is a smaller film (not many chases, explosions, big-name actors, etc.) everyone does a very nice job in this film.
Simon is a booster. He’s good at his job. If you’re not aware what a booster is, he shop lifts. That’s his livelihood and I was immediately hooked. Why?...
- 3/21/2012
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
We're going to be taking our sweet time wrapping up this year's SXSW Film Festival, looking over one section at a time and allowing for digressions and occasional notes on films that screened in Berlin and Sundance as well, focusing on what's interesting, skimming over what's not. Before we begin, a few pointers to overviews of the festival in general: IndieWIRE and the Playlist have indexed their extensive coverage and Eric Kohn's had an end-of-the-fest chat with Ben Kenigsberg and Matt Singer; James Francis Flynn posted a diary at Cinespect; and, in his podcasts for the Film Society of Lincoln Center and Kut.org, Eugene Hernandez has interviewed a slew of filmmakers and touched on broader issues with a wide range of critics: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
On to the Narrative Feature Competition, eight films in all, of which I saw none; it was only after the festival was over that I realized...
On to the Narrative Feature Competition, eight films in all, of which I saw none; it was only after the festival was over that I realized...
- 3/20/2012
- MUBI
With the film portion of the South By Southwest Film Festival slowly winding down -- and with those crazy music-only people seemingly turning Austin into a deleted scene from "Southland Tales" -- what better time to give out some festival awards! SXSW did just that on Tuesday night, honoring the graffiti drama "Gimme the Loot" and the rock documentary "Beware of Mr. Baker," about Cream drummer Ginger Baker. Fun! Other winners included Richard Linklater's "Bernie" and even "X-Men: First Class"? Sure thing.
Narrative Spotlight, Documentary Spotlight, Emerging Visions, Midnighters, 24 Beats Per Second, SXGlobal and Festival Favorites Audience Awards will be announced separately Saturday, but for now, check out these SXSW winners.
Feature Film Jury Awards
Documentary Feature Competition
Grand Jury Winner: "Beware of Mr. Baker"
Director: Jay Bulger
Narrative Feature Competition
Grand Jury Winner: "Gimme The Loot"
Director: Adam Leon
Special Jury Recognition for Performance:
Jamie Chung - "Eden...
Narrative Spotlight, Documentary Spotlight, Emerging Visions, Midnighters, 24 Beats Per Second, SXGlobal and Festival Favorites Audience Awards will be announced separately Saturday, but for now, check out these SXSW winners.
Feature Film Jury Awards
Documentary Feature Competition
Grand Jury Winner: "Beware of Mr. Baker"
Director: Jay Bulger
Narrative Feature Competition
Grand Jury Winner: "Gimme The Loot"
Director: Adam Leon
Special Jury Recognition for Performance:
Jamie Chung - "Eden...
- 3/14/2012
- by Christopher Rosen
- Huffington Post
With the film portion of the South By Southwest Film Festival slowly winding down -- and with those crazy music-only people seemingly turning Austin into a deleted scene from "Southland Tales" -- what better time to give out some festival awards! SXSW did just that on Tuesday night, honoring the graffiti drama "Gimme the Loot" and the rock documentary "Beware of Mr. Baker," about Cream drummer Ginger Baker. Fun! Other winners included Richard Linklater's "Bernie" and even "X-Men: First Class"? Sure thing. Narrative Spotlight, Documentary Spotlight, Emerging Visions, Midnighters, 24 Beats Per Second, SXGlobal and Festival Favorites Audience Awards will be announced separately Saturday, but for now, check out these SXSW winners. Feature Film Jury Awards Documentary Feature Competition Grand Jury Winner: "Beware of Mr. Baker" Director: Jay Bulger Narrative Feature Competition Grand Jury Winner: "Gimme The Loot" Director: Adam Leon Special Jury Recognition for Performance: Jamie Chung - "Eden...
- 3/14/2012
- by Christopher Rosen
- Moviefone
Jay Bulger's biopic of drummer Ginger Baker wins grand jury prize for documentary, while Adam Leon's tale about graffiti artists wins prize for narrative fiction
Drum roll please ... Beware of Mr Baker, a biopic of Cream drummer Ginger Baker, has taken the grand jury prize for documentary at SXSW. Jay Bulger's film shared the festival's highest prize with Adam Leon's Gimme the Loot, which took the grand jury prize for narrative fiction for its depiction of a pair of lovable graffiti artists facing off against their rivals on the streets of New York.
Both films earned positive reviews after their world premieres at the festival this week. "Like the graffiti art it documents, it's a lovingly handmade affair," said Indiewire's Eric Kohn of Leon's film. The Hollywood Reporter's John DeFore described the Baker documentary as "an affectionate but unfawning portrait that finds the drummer of Cream...
Drum roll please ... Beware of Mr Baker, a biopic of Cream drummer Ginger Baker, has taken the grand jury prize for documentary at SXSW. Jay Bulger's film shared the festival's highest prize with Adam Leon's Gimme the Loot, which took the grand jury prize for narrative fiction for its depiction of a pair of lovable graffiti artists facing off against their rivals on the streets of New York.
Both films earned positive reviews after their world premieres at the festival this week. "Like the graffiti art it documents, it's a lovingly handmade affair," said Indiewire's Eric Kohn of Leon's film. The Hollywood Reporter's John DeFore described the Baker documentary as "an affectionate but unfawning portrait that finds the drummer of Cream...
- 3/14/2012
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
Jury and Audience Award winners were handed out Tuesday evening in Austin as the 2012 South By Southwest Film Festival heads into its final stretch. For the first time this year, winners were announced in every category available at the festival, giving jurors a chance to choose from the 132 films that screened over the course of the fest. Jay Bulger.s Beware of Mr. Baker took home the Grand Jury prize in the Documentary Featrure category, while Adam Leon.s Gimme the Loot won in the Narrative competition. Special Jury Recognition for Performance went to Jamie Chung (Eden), Besedka Johnson (Starlet), and Nico Stone (Booster). Audience Awards, meanwhile, went to Annie Eastman.s Bay of All Saints in the documentary category and Megan Griffiths. Eden on the Narrative Feature category. .It.s been amazing this year to hear over and over again about the high range of quality across the board,...
- 3/14/2012
- cinemablend.com
Gimme the Loot (pictured), Adam Leon’s entirely winning story of two young graffiti artists discovering their own relationship as they seek to tag Shea Stadium (er… Citi Field), picked up the top Narrative Jury Prize at tonight’s SXSW awards ceremony. The Documentary Jury prize went to Beware of Mr. Baker, Jay Bulger’s portrait of famed rock drummer Ginger Baker.
The jury gave Special Recognitions for three outstanding performances in dramatic features: Jamie Chung’s starring role in Eden; Nico Stone’s in Booster; and Besedka Johnson’s debut in Starlet. The 85-year-old Johnson, who plays a bitter widower forming an unlikely friendship with a sweet porn actress (Dree Hemingway), was discovered at a gym by one of the film’s producers and asked to audition.
Audience Awards went in the Documentary category to Annie Eastman’s Bay of All Saints and in the Narrative category to Megan Griffiths’ Eden.
The jury gave Special Recognitions for three outstanding performances in dramatic features: Jamie Chung’s starring role in Eden; Nico Stone’s in Booster; and Besedka Johnson’s debut in Starlet. The 85-year-old Johnson, who plays a bitter widower forming an unlikely friendship with a sweet porn actress (Dree Hemingway), was discovered at a gym by one of the film’s producers and asked to audition.
Audience Awards went in the Documentary category to Annie Eastman’s Bay of All Saints and in the Narrative category to Megan Griffiths’ Eden.
- 3/14/2012
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
With the film portion of SXSW festival half-over, they’ve announced their top jury winners. Taking home highest honors in narrative competition was Gimme the Loot, a film that used Kickstarter to help raise funds. The synopsis is as reads: “As Malcolm and Sofia’s latest graffiti masterpiece is buffed by a rival gang, these two determined Bronx teens must hustle, steal, and scheme to get spectacular revenge and become the biggest writers in the City.” It sounds like an interesting concept and will be looking forward to a chance to check it out after its big win.
On the documentary side, Jay Bulger‘s Beware of Mr. Baker took home top honors. The documentary explores the life of Ginger Baker, drummer for Cream and Blind Faith, who now lives in South Africa. Also featuring Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Carlos Santana and more. Check out the trailer and more info...
On the documentary side, Jay Bulger‘s Beware of Mr. Baker took home top honors. The documentary explores the life of Ginger Baker, drummer for Cream and Blind Faith, who now lives in South Africa. Also featuring Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Carlos Santana and more. Check out the trailer and more info...
- 3/14/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Premiering in the Narrative Competition at SXSW, Matt Ruskin‘s Booster dives deep into the Boston underworld to tell a story about family, loyalty, and the looming specter of crime. Nico Stone stars as Simon, who is asked to commit a series of armed robberies after his brother is arrested for the same kinds of crimes. As the film’s poster asks – “what would you do for your family?” Just what will Simon do for his brother, and what effect will it have on both of their lives? Interestingly enough, Ruskin cast non-actors for his production from the area in order “to add a layer of authenticity and relevance to the film.” Such a choice brings to mind films like Act of Valor and Gummo and lauded television series The Wire, who all used the same casting aim (to mixed results). The film’s very first (and very cool) poster was designed by Caspar Newbolt for Version...
- 3/8/2012
- by Kate Erbland
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Another year, another South by Southwest. The Indiewire team will once again be attending the SXSW Film Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas. To help you keep track of the latest news, we've made up a handy guide to all of this year's feature films with links to their film pages and relevant interviews. Narrative Feature Competition "Booster" (Filmmaker Interview) Director & Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere) "Eden" Director: Megan Griffiths | Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips & Megan Griffiths | Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim A young Korean-American girl, abducted and forced into prostitution by domestic human traffickers, joins forces with her captors in a...
- 3/8/2012
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
SXSW starts tomorrow, hotels and airfares were sold out long ago, and Austin’s data networks are already trembling. I’ll be there, and here are 20 films and other things that I’m looking forward to catching.
1. Tchoupitoulas. Bill and Turner Ross won Best Documentary at SXSW in 2009 with their doc, 45365. Their new film, Tchoupitoulas (pictured), promises to be a similarly beguiling exploration of time and place. It is about, in the words of the filmmakers, “three kids, New Orleans at night, and Music,” and it’s produced by the founding members of Court 13, whose Beasts of the Southern Wild was Sundance’s most exciting discovery this year.
2. The Sheik and I. Note to politically sensitive Middle Eastern art fairs: you don’t commission a cinematic provocateur like Caveh Zahedi to make a film about “art as a subversive act” if you can’t handle the consequences. One did, and...
1. Tchoupitoulas. Bill and Turner Ross won Best Documentary at SXSW in 2009 with their doc, 45365. Their new film, Tchoupitoulas (pictured), promises to be a similarly beguiling exploration of time and place. It is about, in the words of the filmmakers, “three kids, New Orleans at night, and Music,” and it’s produced by the founding members of Court 13, whose Beasts of the Southern Wild was Sundance’s most exciting discovery this year.
2. The Sheik and I. Note to politically sensitive Middle Eastern art fairs: you don’t commission a cinematic provocateur like Caveh Zahedi to make a film about “art as a subversive act” if you can’t handle the consequences. One did, and...
- 3/8/2012
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Matt Ruskin, like many filmmakers, discovered the films of the 1970s and became obsessed. As a Boston teenager, Ruskin says, "These films seemed so much more authentic than other movies I had seen. It was the first time I became conscious of the filmmakers who were behind them, and I started to quietly think about what kind of films I would make if given the opportunity." While in film school he got to work with Darren Aronofsky on "Requiem for a Dream." After that, he had ten years of making docs. "Booster" is his return to the narrative form. What it's about: "Booster is a meditative film about a young man struggling to navigate Boston’s criminal underworld. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Caught between loyalty to his brother and his own will,...
- 3/7/2012
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Too often contemporary crime dramas binge on the crime and skimp on the drama. This is not the case with Booster, director Matt Ruskin’s debut narrative feature, and his followup to Sundance Channel documentary The Hip Hop Project. The story of Simon, a Boston-based petty thief forced to turn to serious robbery after his brother is arrested, Booster features stellar performances from a handful of Boston natives, as well as veteran character actor Seymour Cassel. Ruskin’s film wrestles with provocative moral issues, taking care to imbue even its most externally-loathsome characters with life and heart. Premiering in Narrative Competition today, Booster is sure to please audiences looking for a smart, meditative drama.
Filmmaker: The film strives for an authenticity and level of emotion not seen in many of modern-day crime films. How did you go about getting into Simon’s head, and building out his story?
Ruskin: The lead actor,...
Filmmaker: The film strives for an authenticity and level of emotion not seen in many of modern-day crime films. How did you go about getting into Simon’s head, and building out his story?
Ruskin: The lead actor,...
- 3/5/2012
- by Dan Schoenbrun
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
I’ve added some new projects to Filmmaker‘s curated Kickstarter page, including two Ifp Narrative Lab projects selected for premieres at SXSW in March. The first is Tim Sutton’s gorgeous Pavilion, an eerie tale of adolescence that is breathtakingly shot and hauntingly directed. (It also has one of the most gorgeous websites around.) The second is Matt Ruskin’s intense character-based thriller Booster. Both films are well on their way to completion but are short the final finishing funds that will allow them to make their premiere dates. And, of course, both have some decent rewards. For $750, Sutton will give a Video Kid Brooklyn master class to your kids and their friends, and for its highest levels Ruskin is offering various signed stills of Seymour Cassel.
Another project I added to the page is Dan Nuxoll and Martha Shane’s The Mystery of Mary Joceylene. I love the...
Another project I added to the page is Dan Nuxoll and Martha Shane’s The Mystery of Mary Joceylene. I love the...
- 2/7/2012
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The Ifp’s unique Independent Filmmaker Labs are now accepting applications for the 2012 programs. The Labs, which consist of year-round mentorship for first-time filmmakers along with focused seminar and instruction weeks, have recently seen alumni success at Sundance (Terrence Nance’s An Oversimplification of Her Beauty), Slamdance (Keith Miller’s Grand Prize winner Welcome to Pine Hill), in theaters (Dee Rees’s Pariah) and, upcoming, at Berlin (Lucy Mulloy’s Una Noche), SXSW (Matt Ruskin’s Competition title, Booster), and on TV (the Pov screening of Michael Collins’ Give Up Tomorrow).
From Ifp:
Ifp’s unique year-long mentorship program supports first-time feature directors when they need it most: through the completion, marketing and distribution of their films. Focusing exclusively on low-budget features (
… Read the rest...
From Ifp:
Ifp’s unique year-long mentorship program supports first-time feature directors when they need it most: through the completion, marketing and distribution of their films. Focusing exclusively on low-budget features (
… Read the rest...
- 2/3/2012
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Sound On Sight will once again be covering the SXSW Film Festival this year, making it our second time attending. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas fest taking place March 9-17, including 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. As previously announced, Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods will have the honours of opening the festival, and now they have released the full list of films – and it’s looking pretty amazing. Enjoy!
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths,...
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths,...
- 2/3/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry, shot by Bob Gruen in 1977
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
- 2/1/2012
- MUBI
If you’re planning on attending the 2012 version of the South By Southwest film festival down in Austin, Texas this coming March, you’ll have plenty to chew on, from big studio releases like “The Cabin in the Woods” and “21 Jump Street”, to comedies like “The Babymakers” and Will Ferrell’s “Casa de mi Padre”, to foreign actioners like Gareth Evans’ “The Raid” and the indie horror “Lovely Molly”. Check out the full list of films domestic and foreign that will be gracing the screens of SXSW this year. I’m pretty sure there will be at least one, or two, or a dozen films that should go on your “Must See” list. Narrative Feature Competition Booster Director & Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone,...
- 2/1/2012
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
With Sundance 2012 Film Festival over, the next big one on the horizon is South by Southwest, which we’ll be heavily covering. The biggest chunk of the line-up has been announced today, which has some great premieres including 21 Jump Street, Tiff and Sundance hit The Raid, Will Ferrell‘s Casa de mi Padre, the documentary Girl Model (which we liked at Tiff), as well as the next from Broken Lizard, The Babymakers. There are many other promising titles included and you can see them all below. Check back for our coverage for the fest, kicking off March 9th.
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
- 2/1/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
SXSW 2012 is just over five weeks away, and I haven’t bought my plane ticket yet. But I will, especially now that I’ve seen today’s official announcement of the features (narrative and documentary) playing at this year’s fest. Fsr will be on the ground in Austin in the form of Kate Erbland, Jack Giroux, Neil Miller, and myself, and we look forward to seeing as many of the films below as our eyeballs can stomach. I know what you’re thinking, but gastronomical biology really does work differently within the confines of Austin. We’ll offer up some films we’re looking forward to closer to the fest, but it should come as no surprise that some of my most anticipated include The Raid, The Cabin In the Woods, The Hunter, Thale, and the documentary Seeking Asian Female. (Don’t judge.) Check out the complete (as of now) listing below of the feature films...
- 2/1/2012
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Attendees of South by Southwest 2012 are in for a treat. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas festival taking place March 9-17. Among them are 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. The organization already announced [1] Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods would open the festival (the movie is phenomenal [2]) and today the majority of the remaining line up has been revealed. One of the highlights is the unbelievably smart and hilarious 21 Jump Street, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. Both of those are World Premieres. Other highlights include The Hunter, Killer Joe, The Babymakers, frankie goes boom, God Bless America, The Imposter, The Raid, Bernie and Casa de mi Padre just to name a few. After the jump, read descriptions of all the films that have been announced so far. Before I copy and paste the rest of the list, a few minor notes.
- 2/1/2012
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
SXSW has announced their complete 2012 feature film slate. Over 90 films will screen across the festival’s ten categories, including the already announced opening night premiere of Joss Whedon’s Cabin in the Woods and a special preview screening of Lena Dunham’s new HBO series Girls.
New additions include the sixteen films premiering in narrative and documentary competition. The eight films competing on the narrative side include Booster, directed by Matt Ruskin, Eden, directed by Megan Griffiths, Gayby, directed by Jonathan Lisecki, Gimme the Loot, directed by Adam Leon, Los Chidos, directed by Omar Rodriguez Lopez, Pilgrim Song, directed by Martha Stephens, Starlet, directed by Sean Baker, and The Taiwan Oyster, directed by Mark Jarrett.
On the documentary side, the eight competing films include Bay of All Saints, directed by Annie Eastman, Beware of Mr. Baker, directed by Jay Bulger, The Central Park Effect, directed by Jeffrey Kimball, Jeff, directed by Chris James Thompson,...
New additions include the sixteen films premiering in narrative and documentary competition. The eight films competing on the narrative side include Booster, directed by Matt Ruskin, Eden, directed by Megan Griffiths, Gayby, directed by Jonathan Lisecki, Gimme the Loot, directed by Adam Leon, Los Chidos, directed by Omar Rodriguez Lopez, Pilgrim Song, directed by Martha Stephens, Starlet, directed by Sean Baker, and The Taiwan Oyster, directed by Mark Jarrett.
On the documentary side, the eight competing films include Bay of All Saints, directed by Annie Eastman, Beware of Mr. Baker, directed by Jay Bulger, The Central Park Effect, directed by Jeffrey Kimball, Jeff, directed by Chris James Thompson,...
- 2/1/2012
- by Dan Schoenbrun
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
#10. Booster - Matt Ruskin A 2011 Narrative Filmmaker Lab Participant, Matt Ruskin's thriller starring Seymour Cassel might be considered as a longshot as the only logical category fit for a Park City showing might be the Next section. Nonetheless, Booster is produced by an up-and-comer producer in Andrea Roa, and Ruskin's does have Sundance connections in his past - his feature directorial debut, The Hip Hop Project, was aired on the Sundance Channel and he was a consulting producer on the Sundance preemed docu William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe. Gist: When Simon's brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Caught between loyalty to his brother and his own will, Simon is forced to examine his life. Producer: Andrea Roe (Sunlight Jr.)(Ioncinema.com Preview Page // IMDb Link) ...
- 11/8/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
If you thought "Blue Valentine" was depressing, get out your hankie because you ain't seen nothing yet.
Naomi Watts and Matt Dillon will be starring in "Sunlight Jr." as perhaps the saddest couple in history. He's a paraplegic, she's a convenience store clerk, together they represent the "generational cycle poverty and ignorance."
If there's a glimmer of hope for these two sad sacks, it's not in the press release. Melissa (Watts) discovers that she's pregnant but her excitement is tempered when she also loses her job.
Principal photography has begun on "Sunlight Jr.," which is written and directed by Laurie Collyer ("Sherrybaby") and produced by Charlie Corwin ("Half Nelson," "The Squid and the Wale") and Andrea Roa ("Booster").
I think it's safe to say that this movie makes "The Saddest Movies of all Time" list.
Take a look at our other favorite tear-jerkers.
Photos:...
Naomi Watts and Matt Dillon will be starring in "Sunlight Jr." as perhaps the saddest couple in history. He's a paraplegic, she's a convenience store clerk, together they represent the "generational cycle poverty and ignorance."
If there's a glimmer of hope for these two sad sacks, it's not in the press release. Melissa (Watts) discovers that she's pregnant but her excitement is tempered when she also loses her job.
Principal photography has begun on "Sunlight Jr.," which is written and directed by Laurie Collyer ("Sherrybaby") and produced by Charlie Corwin ("Half Nelson," "The Squid and the Wale") and Andrea Roa ("Booster").
I think it's safe to say that this movie makes "The Saddest Movies of all Time" list.
Take a look at our other favorite tear-jerkers.
Photos:...
- 10/31/2011
- by Jessie Heyman
- Huffington Post
New York, NY – October 31, 2011 – Principal photography has begun on Sunlight Jr., it was announced today by Original Media’s Charlie Corwin and Freight Yard Films’ Andrea Roa. Filmed on location in southern Florida, the independent film stars Naomi Watts and Matt Dillon. Sunlight Jr. is written and directed by Laurie Collyer (Sherrybaby) and produced by Charlie Corwin (Half Nelson, The Squid And The Whale), Andrea Roa (Booster) and Ariel Elia, who will produce on behalf of Empyrean. Joshua Skurla is on board as an Executive Producer, as are Billy Dietrich and Simon Fawcett, who arranged the financing. The film follows two have-nots who have fallen through the cracks of society. Hard-working convenience store clerk Melissa (Naomi Watts) and her paraplegic boyfriend, Richie (Matt Dillon), are trapped in a generational cycle of poverty and ignorance. They are genuinely excited when they learn that Melissa is pregnant. But when she loses her...
- 10/31/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Principal photography has begun on Sunlight Jr. , it was announced today by Original Media's Charlie Corwin and Freight Yard Films' Andrea Roa. Filmed on location in southern Florida, the independent film stars Naomi Watts and Matt Dillon. Sunlight Jr. is written and directed by Laurie Collyer ( SherryBaby ) and produced by Charlie Corwin ( Half Nelson , The Squid and the Whale ), Andrea Roa ( Booster ) and Ariel Elia, who will produce on behalf of Empyrean. Joshua Skurla is on board as an Executive Producer, as are Billy Dietrich and Simon Fawcett, who arranged the financing. The film follows two have-nots who have fallen through the cracks of society. Hard-working convenience store clerk Melissa (Watts) and her paraplegic boyfriend, Richie (Dillon), are trapped in a...
- 10/31/2011
- Comingsoon.net
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