Between the 6th and 17th of June, the 2012 Sydney Film Festival screened more than 150 films to more than 120 000 Australian film goers…just one of whom was yours truly. Although not quite as large or prestigious Melbourne International Film Festival, there’s no doubt that Sydney’s standing has been improving in recent times. This year, programmers took particular advantage of their festivals convenient placement in the international film festival calendar, snapping up several features hot of their premiere at Cannes last month (and perhaps stealing some of MIFF’s thunder in the process). Amongst the Cannes titles, Michael Haneke’s Palme d’Or winning Amour and Leo Carax’s Holy Motors proved to be two of the highlights…
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[OCFF Interview]…’Richard’s Wedding’ Writer/Director Onur Tukel
Writer/Director Onur Tukel’s film Richard’s Wedding, takes an ordinary story about a group of friends and one couples wedding, and turns it into an adventure that will keep you guessing what’s next until the very end. The film premiered at the 2012 Sarasota Film Festival, where it took home the Special Jury Prize for Best Screenplay in the “Independent Visions” program. This week, Go,See,Talk sat down to talk with Tukel about his film, which will screen during the Oak Cliff Film Festival on Sunday, June 17 at 3 pm. Check out the trailer for Richard’s Wedding and the insightful interview session we had with Onur Tukel… —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————– – Despite the eccentric characters and often, unusual plot twists,…
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[OCFF Interview]…’Reconvergence’ Director/Producer Edward Tyndall
Edward Tyndall’s feature-length documentary, Reconvergence, examines the human crisis of being of mortality, and how we cope with this reality. Taking a look at this idea from the perspectives of four individuals: a naturalist, a neuroscientist, a poet and a historian, Tyndall creates a powerful and compelling film on the subject by weaving these four stories together. Have a look at the trailer as well as the high-lights from our interview with Edward Tyndall… Reconvergence Trailer from Edward Tyndall on Vimeo. —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————– – What made you decide to approach the subject of the struggle with this sort of existential crisis of the impermanence of the self, and did the specific areas of focus evolve as you…
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[OCFF Interview]…’The Comedy’ Producer Mike S. Ryan
Three of the films in the Oak Cliff Film Festival were recently produced by Mike S. Ryan‘s production company Greyshack Films. Go,See,Talk got the chance to sit with him to talk about them and pick his brain on all things film related. ————————————————————————————————————————– – Mike, we’re excited to have you on board and appreciate you making time to talk with us. These three films, The Comedy, Think of Me and The Turin Horse are all quite different in terms of style, narrative and production, and yet they all deliver outstanding results. What would you say makes these films, and the others that you’ve worked on, stand out above the rest? What do you…
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[OCFF Interview]…’The Comedy’ Writer/Director Rick Alverson
Contrary to people’s initial perception based on the title, writer/director Rick Alverson’s The Comedy, is actually a thought-provoking dramatic film that examines the life of the over-privileged, white male from the contemporary, desensitized, “entitlement-generation,” perspective. This week, Go,See,Talk sat with Alverson to discuss his groundbreaking film. For those of you unfamiliar with the project, have a look at this promo clip (from when The Comedy was showcased at the Sundance Film Festival) as well as our insightful interview with him… ————————————————————————————————————————– – Rick, taking a look at your films, New Jerusalem, The Builder, and now The Comedy, they all feel like in depth character studies of the main character. Is this how…
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[OCFF Interview]…’The Ghastly Love of Johnny X’ Writer/Director Paul Bunnell
Tomorrow evening, the Oak Cliff Film Festival will kick off at the Texas Theatre, and director Paul Bunnell’s 1950’s throwback film, The Ghastly Love of Johnny X, will open the festival. “Johnny X” follows Johnny and his group of fellow, rebel aliens who are banished to earth. This 1950’s drive-in movie era love letter is sure to have something for everyone. Go, See, Talk spoke with Bunnell this week about the making of Johnny X, and where his inspiration for this highly unorthodox rock-a-billy tale came from. For those not familiar with it, check out the trailer below as well as the highlights from our interview… ———————————————————————————————————————————— Paul, this film…
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Announcement: Oak Cliff Film Festival Runs June 14th – June 17th
This Thursday, June 14, kicks off the inaugural Oak Cliff Film Festival, brought to you by the film fanatics of Aviation Cinemas, also known as the guys who resurrected the Texas Theatre. Get your VIP badges, and beginning at 5 p.m., start the festival off right in the Texas Theatre’s New Belgium Filmmakers Lounge along with visiting filmmakers and other film lovers. Stick around for the festival’s Opening Night film, the modern day throwback to the 1950’s sci-fi thriller with a musical twist, The Ghastly Love of Johnny X, at 7:30 p.m., followed by a musical performance from local favorites, The King Bucks. The festival also features repertory picks, C.M. Talkington’s Love and a .45 and the…
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[USAFF Review]…The Giant Mechanical Man
In Lee Kirk’s indie film The Giant Mechanical Man, two lost individuals find that they are not as alone or hopeless as they think they are. Janice (Jenna Fischer) can’t hold down her temp jobs and Tim (Chris Messina) spends his days as a thankless street performer; a silver painted, dry-wall stilt wearing 9 foot “mechanical man“. When nothing is going right, their paths cross and they prove to be the only one who truly understands the other, especially when the world thinks they’re both nuts. Sure, details aside, this has the set up of many films (indie or otherwise) you’ve seen before: quirky character A meets quirky character B, romance ensues, roll credits.…
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[IFFBoston Review]…Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
There’s a degree to which the story of Chinese artist-activist Ai Weiwei– filtered through the lens of director Allison Klayman– is incomprehensible. Not in terms of our ability to latch onto and absorb the information Klayman conveys to us, mind; referring to craft and technique, Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry has much and more to recommend it. Supporting all of that is the compelling narrative Klayman constructs about Ai’s life, career, and confrontations with Chinese authorities, and that final detail represents the element that makes the film so difficult to process. Ai, perceptive, compassionate, and endlessly clever, lives in a world where creative expression can lead to a person vanishing into…
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[IFFBoston Review]…We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists
Brian Knappenberger’s We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists is a lot of things, but first and foremost it’s an outstanding example of documentary filmmaking done perfectly; it’s exciting, it’s propulsive, it’s entertaining, and it’s insightful. Documentaries should be educational and thorough as a rule, and We Are Legion doesn’t disappoint in that respect, but Knappenberger’s film– despite all of its historical and academic value– regardless manages to carry out its purpose with tongue firmly in cheek. And maybe there’s a point to that. After all, there’s something intrinsically bizarre about the idea that Knappenberger’s subject, the online, multi-faceted group of prankster-activists, Anonymous, actually has become a genuine catalyst for…
