ARTHOUSE FILM NEWS - Cosmic Disco Detective Rene at Facets, Chicago 11/29/23

Check it out here . Lots of info. in the article, could be very useful for DIY filmmakers & self-distributors. I didn't see one option listed or talked about - selling DVDs through Amazon - by getting a Pro-Merchant account (about $40 a month) & it appears you have to have UPC codes on your DVD in order to list them on Amazon (i'll have more on this option at the end of Feb. after I've listed the Date Number One DVD on Amazon). Check out Reiss's article at Filmmaker Mag . - Sujewa

Curious about the touring indie/DIY filmmaker Todd Sklar's movie Box Elder? Then here's a review of the flick at Row Three . From the review: "It gets a bit herky-jerky, but that’s of little importance as the genius is in the “it’s funny cause it’s true” style comedy. Inevitably, it doesn’t really matter when we are. What matters is what’s happening at that particular moment. For instance, one of the segments is simply titled “Junior Year” and is about a two minute long segment of two guys having a quick, inane conversation in a sandwich shop before we skip ahead to senior year. So some of the comedy lies simply with the editing and structure of the movie itself. Kudos." Read the rest of the review at Row Three . And here's the site for Box Elder . - Sujewa

Todd Sklar talks about what he learned by doing 2 DIY tours with his movie Box Elder, at New Breed. In two parts - one , & two .

Got a pleasant surprise in the mail today - 3 recently published books about film from Soft Skull Press - looks like I've got my winter film related reading . Here are the links to the work, flipped through all of them & can't wait to read each fully: True Fiction Pictures & Possible Films - Hal Hartley in conversation with Kenneth Kaleta, by Hal Hartley From Soft Skull's site: "Hal Hartley's comedies of unlikely love, trust, and social questioning have been provocative must-sees for the past two decades with critics and audiences alike. In this book of interviews with Kenneth Kaleta, Hartley reflects on the evolution of his filmmaking, elaborating on the forces he believes helped shape it and the ways in which his aspirations develop as time goes on, revealing a good deal of what it is like to be an independent creative artist in a commercially driven culture. This is an important resource for anyone interested in Hartley's filmmaking in particular, a

Scott's review is a good read, specially for fans of MfM, check it out at NYT . Also, Mike Tully has a chat with MfM director Barry Jenkins at Hammer to Nail, check it out .

Get all the info. re: the event at Shooting Down Pictures .

Pretty much all the cool indie filmmakers & fans that I know in NYC are planning on attending the Medicine for Melancholy opening at IFC Center tomorrow , so, it should be a fun event (and it'll be a great networking event for those of you who are into that kind of thing). Go check out Barry Jenkins' debut feature - a lot of film festivals have liked it - but don't let that stop ya :), & some people are throwing MfM in with Mumblecore - don't let that stop you either - MfM is more like a regular movie - it actually is a regular movie - with a plot, script, good acting, etc. - then an improvised non-scripted thing shot in a hipster apartment with hand held shaky-ness (not that there is anything wrong with all that stuff, I do like some of those movies, and some of my movies have those very same qualities at points - but this invite is to people who have not been WOW'd by the newest new wave of no/lo budget 'merican indies - your days in the digital video

So it looks like the 2/17 World Premiere will not be the only US screening of Indie Film Blogger Road Trip in the near future. A programmer for a screening event saw the 9 minute clip from the film & said he wants to show the doc at his event - dates & details to be determined in the coming weeks. Once everything is set up, will announce the details here (I'll probably start promoting the next screening after the 2/17 event, makes it simpler). Nice to know that the doc will receive more promotion, from another source & another screening opportunity. In the meantime, see ya on 2/17 at Anthology! It's gonna be a film blogger party yo. - Sujewa

Looks great, can't wait to see it: Check out DiCillo's site & blog here . When You're Strange premiered at Sundance '09. DiCillo is the director of several fiction features, including the indie filmmaking classic Living In Oblivion. According to DiCillo all footage in the documentary is original material from the past, no re-creations were used. Sounds like a great project, no doubt specially for fans of The Doors. - Sujewa

Read all about it at Women & Hollywood . Congrats to Melissa Silverstein, the author of Women & Hollywood. Silverstein is featured in my doc Indie Film Blogger Road Trip . - Sujewa

A friend of mine wants a list of cool video/DVD stores in Manhattan, Brooklyn, & anywhere in or near NYC where he may be able to sell his movies. If you've got any suggestions, please leave them in comments. Thanks!

* Read about the movie at Shooting Down Pictures .

Tambay & I will discuss Indie Film Blogger Road Trip plus anything else we want to talk about on the Mon 2/9 episode of The Obenson Report podcast .

'cause too many of the "new kids" (both in production & film writing) think DIY film - or working outside of Hollywood (& in more recent times indiewood) for production & distribution of movies started in 2005 with Mumblecore!!!! :) :) :) So, will have to look back in time to the days of Oscar Micheaux (pictured on top) & beyond (1930's & earlier), then more recently to Jonas Mekas & other 60's breakthrough NYC underground/indie/DIY filmmakers (Andy Warhol used the term DIY filmmaker in a book he wrote in the 70's or 80's, will have the title later), early efforts by John Waters, to Sarah Jacobson , Jon Moritsugu, & projects like The Last Broadcast, The Debut, Robot Stories, & more. Leave suggestions on comments re: filmmakers & projects I should mention in my brief history of DIY film. I'll probably have the post done at some point in early March at the latest. Once the thing is done, when we see someone trying to

MONDAY NOTES REALITY STILL BETTER THAN HD As I walked out of a building in Manhattan this evening (near 49th St. subway station) I was struck by the various shades of blues & reds in the sky and towering buildings nearby. It was better than seeing a well shot scene on HD. Perhaps physically being there gave the moment added excitement - something that you don't get by watching an image on an HD monitor. So, still, at this point in time, seeing something in the flesh at a beautiful moment is better than watching an image of it on HD. That may not be for too long, perhaps, since image quality keeps getting better - but, for the moment, I am glad that organic still trumps tech. KEVIN LEE SAW THE BLOGGER DOC I played Indie Film Blogger Road Trip to Kevin Lee today & he, as far as I can tell, enjoyed it. He said the film will make for some lively discussions on 2/17 when it premieres at Anthology . Kevin will introduce the movie & will moderate the post-show

Check out the short & the intro to it at The Obenson Report . Also, couple of famous or soon-to-be-famous-in-indie-film-circles directors on the podcast version of the Obenson Report tonight from 8 PM to 9 PM - more on that here . :: ADVERTISEMENT Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Grants page http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-grants-page.html Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Chamber http://farza

Twitch has a story about a new doc called Foreign Filmmakers' Guide to Hollywood . Thanks goes to The Daily for the link. :: ADVERTISEMENT Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Grants page http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-grants-page.html Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Chamber http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-chamber.html Farzad Rostami – Delaw

It reads like an Onion story, but sadly, it's happening in the real world - read all about a clueless idiot & his horrible name for a cookie at Village Voice and The Gothamist .

Get the full story at Angry Asian Man blog . UPDATE: From NY Press blogger Jerry Portwood's post : "And it’s not just Asians, even the Angry Black Woman is angry : “I’m holding out one hope — that this is some kind of messed-up viral marketing effort, maybe using reverse psychology to get people all riled up about the film so they’ll blog about it, etc. But if this is really the cast they’re planning to go with, I will definitely be boycotting this movie, and urging everyone I know to do the same.” " No word yet from anyone who is angry for the simple fact that M. Night is actually being ALLOWED to make another movie. Hasn't he wasted enough time and money over the years with such horrendous failures as The Happening and Lady in the Water . The Last Airbender will, most likely, justly be forgotten." Read the rest of Portwood's post here . - Sujewa

Another short film by Yongsoo Park (writer & actor in this flick) & Jonny Stranger (director): :: ADVERTISEMENT Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Grants page http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-grants-page.html Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Chamber http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-chamber.html Farzad Rostami – Delaware History Trail

Check it out at YouTube . Pretty awesome for a project whose total audience I had estimated at being around two hundred souls. :: ADVERTISEMENT Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Grants page http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-grants-page.html Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Chamber http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-chamber.html Farzad Rostami – Delawa

On PBS this Sunday 1/25, 10 PM . From the PBS site : "The Haitian Revolution was the only successful slave insurrection in history. Its leaders grasped the full meaning of French revolutionary ideas and used them to create the world’s first black republic. The event elevated a black general, Toussaint Louverture, to such international fame that admirers ranked him on par with George Washington. The movement has been called the birth moment of universal human rights. Vaguely remembered today, the Haitian Revolution was a hurricane at the turn of the 19th century, traumatizing Southern planters and inspiring U.S. slaves. ÉGALITÉ FOR ALL explores this history through music, voodoo ritual, powerful re-creations and the comments of insightful writers and historians." From PBS . :: ADVERTISEMENT Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrosta

Get all the info. at The Obenson Report . Here's a little bit of it: "Your ears and mouths are requested next Monday night, January 26th, from the 8PM to 9PM hour, when my podcast, The Obenson Report airs live, via BlogTalkRadio . Special guests for the episode include: - Barry Jenkins, writer/director of the SXSW hit Medicine For Melancholy (a film that I don't think needs an introduction for those regular readers of this blog). Barry's film opens at IFC Theatres, here in NYC, next week Friday, and he'll be on to talk about the film, and much more, I'm sure. And... - Scott Sanders, writer/director of Black Dynamite (also a film that doesn't need an intro), which razzled and dazzled Sundance audiences earlier this week, and was quickly acquired by Sony Pictures for $2 Million, with a theatrical release planned for later this year. I'm certain Scott will have a lot to say about his film, and Sundance experience." Read the rest at The Ob

Starting today, this is the new plan for dealing with film festivals re: Indie Film Blogger Road Trip - read it at IFBRT's blog . That approach will be the one also for other features that I will complete in 2009. In late 2009 I'll review the '09 Fest Submission Approach & see if it needs to be adjusted for 2010. - Sujewa :: ADVERTISEMENT Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Grants page http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-

Well, Hazlett can forget about being invited to host a FIND or Gotham Awards type show anytime soon (actually, she probably doesn't know what those events are, never mind - sometime you just gotta ignore ignorant people :) - get all the drama here . :: ADVERTISEMENT Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Grants page http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-grants-page.html Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Chamber

Check it out . Since I am a big fan of Living In Oblivion, it was impossible to resist the urge to link to an interview w/ DiCillo re: his latest film - a documentary about The Doors. Interview at Spout. Alright, back to reading & blogging about no-budget DIY flicks :) :: :: ADVERTISEMENT Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Grants page http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-grants-page.html Farzad Rostami – Delawar

I guess it's Hollywood day here today, first the Krasinski post, now the link to Greg "Superbad" Mottola interview re: his new flick Adventureland . Check it out at Spout . :: ADVERTISEMENT Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Grants page http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-grants-page.html Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Chamber http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware

The Office is getting a little stale (still funny, will be watching it 'till it ends) so probably a good idea for John Krasinski to branch out (though, I am sure my generation will forever think of him as Jim Halpert - even if he ends up playing Darth Vader in a Star Wars re-make in 2030) - and he has - Krasinski has directed a movie called Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. indieWIRE has an interview with Krasinski . From the interview: " How or what prompted the idea for your film and how did it evolve? I have wanted to adapt this book into a film ever since I first heard it out loud. In college, I was asked to be a part of a staged reading of the interviews. I can honestly say that, until that moment, I hadn’t really even thought about being an actor outside of school. It was in that one night’s performance where my personal definition of acting went from just “an opportunity to make my friends laugh” to this incredible sense of “being a part of something.” As cli

From Underground to Independent: New Cinema from China The China Institute and dGenerate Films presents On Friday, January 30, 2009 6:30pm - 8:00pm At China Institute 125 E 65th St New York, NY View Map Google MapQuest Microsoft Yahoo Contact Info Phone: 2127448181 Email: sinomatheque@chinainstitute.org * "Join us for TWO SCREENINGS and a LIVE Q&A with insiders from the burgeoning Chinese indie film scene: 6:30-7:15 PMSAN YUAN LI (45 min, OU Ning, CAO Fei, 2003) Equipped with video cameras, twelve artists present a highly-stylized portrait of SAN YUAN LI, a traditional village besieged by China's urban sprawl. Reminiscent of Dziga Vertov's THE MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA (USSR, 1929) and Godfrey Reggio's KOYAANISQATSI (USA, 1982), China's rapid modernization is brilliantly presented, with fast-edited scenes choreographed to music. Commissioned by the Venice Berlinale, SAN YUAN LI explores the modern paradox of China's economic gr

Kevin B. Lee has a lengthy post at Shooting Down Pictures about the lessons he learned from recently losing & then re-gaining his YouTube account. A good read for creatives who use YouTube a lot - and probably also for casual users. Check it out . - Sujewa :: ADVERTISEMENT Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business Grants page http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com/2013/02/delaware-small-business-grants-page.html Farzad Rostami – Delaware Small Business

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Kevin B. Lee * Kevin " Banned By YouTube " B. Lee, author of Shooting Down Pictures , will introduce Indie Film Blogger Road Trip - a documentary about film bloggers, at its World Premiere at Anthology Film Archives in New York City on February 17 . Lee will also moderate the post-screening Q & A session/discussion. :: Thanks a lot for taking part in the 2/17 indie film blogger festivities Kevin! - Sujewa :: ADVERTISEMENT Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 2 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco2.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 3 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco3.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 4 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco4.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami Delaware Tobacco 5 blog http://farzadrostamidelawaretobacco5.blogspot.com Farzad Rostami – Delaware Sm