Commissioned by the designer Miu Miu as part of a series of seven films, “Women’s Tales,” Spark and Light is a lovely and wonderfully executed short by Treeless Mountain director So Yong Kim. Riley Keough, in a sensitive, affecting performance, plays a motorist stranded in snowy Iceland as she’s on her way to visit her dying mother in the hospital. Dreams, memory and reality all merge as Keough’s character turns her moments alone into a hypnotic emotional journey. Special mention to Eric Lin’s subtly expressive cinematography.
- 2/13/2014
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Commissioned by the designer Miu Miu as part of a series of seven films, “Women’s Tales,” Spark and Light is a lovely and wonderfully executed short by Treeless Mountain director So Yong Kim. Riley Keough, in a sensitive, affecting performance, plays a motorist stranded in snowy Iceland as she’s on her way to visit her dying mother in the hospital. Dreams, memory and reality all merge as Keough’s character turns her moments alone into a hypnotic emotional journey. Special mention to Eric Lin’s subtly expressive cinematography.
- 2/13/2014
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Shonali Bose
Shonali Bose’s feature film Margarita, with a Straw that won her the Sundance Institute– Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award 2012 has completed principal photography. The film was shot in India in March and in New York in June 2013.
The film features Kalki Koechlin (Shanghai, That Girl in Yellow Boots), Revathy (Thevar Magan, Dhoop, Marupadiyam) and William Moseley who played Peter Pevensie in the film series The Chronicles of Narnia.
Produced by Bose’s production company Ishan Talkies and Viacom 18, the film is still in need of finishing funds. It is expected to be ready by October this year.
The film revolves around Laila (Koechlin) who falls repeatedly in love, yearns to have sex and wants to be a Bollywood lyricist.
Academy award winner Resool Pookutty (Slumdog Millionaire) is the sound designer of the film. Prasoon Joshi ( Taare Zameen Par, Rang de Basanti) has penned the lyrics. Anne Misawa ( Treeless Mountain,...
Shonali Bose’s feature film Margarita, with a Straw that won her the Sundance Institute– Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award 2012 has completed principal photography. The film was shot in India in March and in New York in June 2013.
The film features Kalki Koechlin (Shanghai, That Girl in Yellow Boots), Revathy (Thevar Magan, Dhoop, Marupadiyam) and William Moseley who played Peter Pevensie in the film series The Chronicles of Narnia.
Produced by Bose’s production company Ishan Talkies and Viacom 18, the film is still in need of finishing funds. It is expected to be ready by October this year.
The film revolves around Laila (Koechlin) who falls repeatedly in love, yearns to have sex and wants to be a Bollywood lyricist.
Academy award winner Resool Pookutty (Slumdog Millionaire) is the sound designer of the film. Prasoon Joshi ( Taare Zameen Par, Rang de Basanti) has penned the lyrics. Anne Misawa ( Treeless Mountain,...
- 7/5/2013
- by Nandita Dutta
- DearCinema.com
Zero Dark Thirty; Lincoln; A Good Day to Die Hard; For Ellen
From the moment columnist Naomi Wolf compared Kathryn Bigelow (the first woman to win the Academy award for best director) to Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl (no, really), it was clear that Zero Dark Thirty (2012, Universal, 15) was never going to get a sensible hearing. Claims that this gripping account of the hunt for Osama bin Laden somehow justified or endorsed torture were fuelled by stories of CIA co-operation, stories that the intelligence agency promptly debunked in an attempt to distance itself from harrowing scenes of water-boarding, humiliation and worse.
Yet, as Bigelow and writer Mark Boal point out, if you watch the film (rather than read the hysterical press), you'll find no evidence that "harsh tactics" produce anything other than rotten results. Indeed, the great irony of Zdt's complex narrative is that the CIA is too busy putting the...
From the moment columnist Naomi Wolf compared Kathryn Bigelow (the first woman to win the Academy award for best director) to Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl (no, really), it was clear that Zero Dark Thirty (2012, Universal, 15) was never going to get a sensible hearing. Claims that this gripping account of the hunt for Osama bin Laden somehow justified or endorsed torture were fuelled by stories of CIA co-operation, stories that the intelligence agency promptly debunked in an attempt to distance itself from harrowing scenes of water-boarding, humiliation and worse.
Yet, as Bigelow and writer Mark Boal point out, if you watch the film (rather than read the hysterical press), you'll find no evidence that "harsh tactics" produce anything other than rotten results. Indeed, the great irony of Zdt's complex narrative is that the CIA is too busy putting the...
- 6/8/2013
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
When we first meet Joby (Paul Dano), he is driving on snow-covered rural roads. His long black hair, make-up and clothing all suggest that Joby might be in some sort of heavy metal band. When Joby stops at a gas station to touch up his make-up, we can only assume that he is on his way to a concert. Instead he drives up to a modest business office where his wife (Margarita Levieva) is waiting with her lawyer to finalize their divorce paperwork. From that opening sequence, we know full well that writer-director So Yong Kim's (In Between Days, Treeless Mountain) portrayal of Joby is not going to be the standard cinematic stereotype of a heavy metal musician. Joby is an intriguing character study of a walking and talking contradiction: equally conceited-yet-vulnerable, awkward-yet-charismatic, thoughtful-yet-dumb. Joby may have chosen the life of an absentee husband and father for several years...
- 2/24/2013
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
The latest in the Guardian's watch on demand films is a brilliantly observed story about a musician – played by Paul Dano – who tries to connect with his small daughter during a custody battle
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view video
It's time to pull on the filthy jeans, chip the black nail varnish and find a large mirror to prance in front of: For Ellen has arrived. As tattooed rocker Joby Taylor, Paul Dano is a revelation: self-absorbed, vulnerable, idiotic, charismatic. This is no ordinary rock'n'roll movie though: For Ellen is really about a young man growing up quickly into fatherhood.
Taylor turns up in a small American town to sign divorce papers with an understandably embittered wife; but he groggily realises, in the nick of time, that he would have to give up custody of his 6-year-old daughter. Watching their relationship develop is one of the pleasures...
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view video
It's time to pull on the filthy jeans, chip the black nail varnish and find a large mirror to prance in front of: For Ellen has arrived. As tattooed rocker Joby Taylor, Paul Dano is a revelation: self-absorbed, vulnerable, idiotic, charismatic. This is no ordinary rock'n'roll movie though: For Ellen is really about a young man growing up quickly into fatherhood.
Taylor turns up in a small American town to sign divorce papers with an understandably embittered wife; but he groggily realises, in the nick of time, that he would have to give up custody of his 6-year-old daughter. Watching their relationship develop is one of the pleasures...
- 2/16/2013
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
So Yong Kim's new film features a bravura turn from Paul Dano as a deadbeat dad. The Korean-American director talks to Andrew Pulver about the echoes with her own life
If you know So Yong Kim's work at all, chances are you will have her pigeonholed as an archetypal Sundance director with a penchant for investigating her own displaced and fatherless life story. Her first two films, In Between Days (2006) and Treeless Mountain (2008) were studies of, respectively, a teenage Korean girl grappling with a new life in Canada, and two young Korean girls seemingly abandoned by their parents. They won a clutch of festival awards, including a Sundance special jury prize.
But now Kim has made a third film, and it couldn't be more of a U-turn. It's called For Ellen, and is about a stumbling, slurring rock'n'roller, complete with chipped black nail varnish, on the skids and far from home,...
If you know So Yong Kim's work at all, chances are you will have her pigeonholed as an archetypal Sundance director with a penchant for investigating her own displaced and fatherless life story. Her first two films, In Between Days (2006) and Treeless Mountain (2008) were studies of, respectively, a teenage Korean girl grappling with a new life in Canada, and two young Korean girls seemingly abandoned by their parents. They won a clutch of festival awards, including a Sundance special jury prize.
But now Kim has made a third film, and it couldn't be more of a U-turn. It's called For Ellen, and is about a stumbling, slurring rock'n'roller, complete with chipped black nail varnish, on the skids and far from home,...
- 2/12/2013
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Eight projects for the eighth edition of the Rawi Screenwriters Lab have been chosen by The Royal Film Commission-Jordan and Sundance Institute. The Rawi Screenwriters Lab is an example of Sundance Institute’s longstanding international work to support emerging filmmakers around the world. Former Rawi Fellows include Cherien Dabis (Amreeka), Mohammed Al Daradji (Son Of Babylon) and Sally El Hosaini (My Brother The Devil).
Launched in 2005, the Lab is led by the Royal Film Commission of Jordan (Rfc), under the leadership of Deema Azar, in consultation with Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, under the direction of Michelle Satter. The Lab provides an opportunity for filmmakers from the region to develop their work under the guidance of accomplished Creative Advisors—this year including Athina Rachel Tsangari (Attenberg), Henry Bean (The Believer), So Yong Kim (Treeless Mountain), Bernd Lichtenberg (Goodbye Lenin!) and Katherine Dieckmann (Motherhood)—in an environment that encourages storytelling at the highest level.
George David, General Manager of the Rfc, said, “It makes us very proud to be organizing the eighth round of the Rawi Screenwriters Lab again this year in consultation with Sundance Institute. The Lab is gaining momentum and receiving increased regional and international acclaim, with more and more projects developed through the Lab and being awarded internationally. The caliber of this year’s selected projects will certainly have an impact on the regional filmmaking scene, at a time when cinema in the region is attracting worldwide attention with all the changes that have been taken place recently and are often reflected in cinematic works.”
Paul Federbush, International Director of the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program, said, “We’ve had the privilege to help give voice to some extraordinary new filmmakers in the region over our eight-year partnership with the Rfc. This year’s Fellows continue in that tradition and bring a diverse range of stories that we believe will resonate with audiences around the world.”
2009 Rawi alumnus Haifaa Al Mansour premiered her debut feature Wadjda—the first feature film shot entirely in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the first-ever by a Saudi female filmmaker—at this year’s Venice International Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival. The film was acquired for U.S. distribution by Sony Pictures Classics.
About her experience at the Lab, Mansour said, "The real momentum for Wadjda began with the Rawi Screenwriters Lab; I am tremendously grateful for the unwavering support of Michelle Satter and her entire team at Sundance Institute who not only helped the script find its true voice, but also in every aspect of getting the film made.”
The participants and projects selected for the 2012 Rawi Screenwriters Lab represent eight different countries. The Lab takes place November 14-18 in Wadi Feynan in Southern Jordan.
Daughters of Abdel Rahman by Zaid Abu Hamdan (Jordan)
Years after running away from their oppressive past, four estranged sisters have to join forces to find their suddenly missing father.
Zaid Abu Hamdan holds an Mfa from the New York Film Academy in Hollywood California, and a BA in Communication Arts from the Lebanese American University in Beirut. In 2009, Zaid established his company Zaha Productions, producing 5 award winning short films in both the Us and the Gulf. His debut film Baram & Hamza won International awards and distribution in the Us and Europe. His other films include Love…Older (of 2 parts) and the 2012 Oscar-qualified film Bahiya & Mahmoud, after winning “Best of Fest” at the Palm Springs Int. Shortfest. Zaid is currently developing his first feature film Daughters of Abdul-Rahman, which has been selected for The Doha Film Institute, the Torino Film Lab, the Royal Film Commission of Jordan and other international film organizations.
Via Dolorosa by Sobhi Al Zubaidi (Palestine)
A Palestinian man is released after 20 years in Israeli prisons and is united with his family, only to face new challenges in life after Oslo in the West Bank.
Sobhi al-Zobaidi is a Palestinian filmmaker (My Very Private Map, Women in the Sun, Light at the End of the Tunnel, Hawal, Crossing Kalandia, About the Sea). His film projects have received awards and recognition from institutions including Hubert Bals Fund, Rotterdam Flm Festival, Locarno Flm Festival, Goteborg Flm Festival and Abu Dhabi Flm Festival. His current project, Via Dolorosa, is a feature film that has received development support from Afac and Abu Dhabi Film Festival (Sanad).
Trees Also Die by Rabih El Amine (Lebanon)
A young mother and her child decide to isolate themselves from the outside world in a delirious attempt to flee the war and to escape their fate.
Born in 1974, Rabih El-Amine is a Lebanese-Canadian photographer, screenwriter and filmmaker based in Montreal. He holds a BA in Communication Arts (Radio/TV/Films). His first documentary Ahmad the Japanese screened at various festivals and won a jury prize in Docudays. Trees Also Die is his first feature film project.
Noor by Mustafa Shakarchi (Iraq)
Inspired by a true story, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl dreams of a normal childhood—to go to school and make friends. But her caretaker Aunt forces her to work in the streets selling novelty items.
Born in Baghdad, Iraq and raised in Southern California, Mustafa is a co-founder of TruArt Pictures, an independent production company. Noor is his first feature film.
Crescent Moon by Naz Sadoughi (Iran)
Ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is freedom, and Ebby is suddenly forced to test the limits of his loyalties – either remain faithful to the regime and his corrupt paymasters, or to his conscience and feelings for the man he’s spying on.
Naz Sadoughi is an Iranian screenwriter. Born in Tehran she moved to the UK with her parents in 1978. Initially trained as an Illustration and animation artist she moved into live action film-making in 1999 and began working as a commercials director in the UK and throughout Europe. In 2004 she set up a production company where she produced and directed short documentaries for the Discovery Channel. In 2011 Naz completed an Ma in screenwriting at The Lcc, University of the Arts London.
I Am Nojood by Khadija Al-Salami (Yemen)
Ignorance and poverty force a ten -year old girl, Nojood, to endure an outrageous experience when she is forced to marry a thirty-year-old man. Unable to accept this fate others have chosen for her, Nojood does the unthinkable: she asks for a divorce.
Khadija Al-Salami gained her independence at an early age when her family forced her into an early marriage at the age of 11. In order to escape family pressure and tradition, she found a job at the local TV station in the afternoons, while pursuing her studies in the mornings. She earned a scholarship at 16 years of age to the United States, where she studied film-making. Her first film, for her thesis, was about women in Yemen. Khadija is Yemen’s first woman film-maker, and has made some over 20 documentaries for various TV stations in France and Yemen and received several awards at various film festivals worldwide. With her husband, she has written a book, The Tears of Sheba, about her experiences growing up in Yemen. She was, until 2011, the Press Counselor and Director of the Communication and Cultural Center at the Embassy of Yemen in Paris.
Two Rooms & a Parlor by Mohamed Salah El Azzab & Sherif Bendari (Egypt)
Khalil has spent his life living the routine of a low profile employee. When he finds himself alone after the death of his wife Ihsan, Khalil decides to discover the world outside of his little house and life beyond its ordinary details.
Born in 1978, Egyptian filmmaker Sherif Elbendary lives and works in Cairo. Elbendary graduated from the Faculty of Applied Arts in 2001, then in 2007 studied film directing at the High Institute of Cinema in Cairo. His first short fiction film Rise & Shine produced by the Egyptian Film Center in 2006 was officially selected in more than 75 film festivals in 33 countries and won 15 awards. Elbendary’s second short film was his graduation project At Day's End produced by the High Institute of Cinema in 2008 which was officially selected in more than 50 film festivals and won 14 awards. Sherif directed the segment “curfew” in the omnibus feature 18 Days which was selected to the Cannes Film Festival in 2011.
Born in Cairo 1981, novelist and journalist and scriptwriter Mohammad El Azzab has four novels which are: A Long Cellar with a Low Ceiling making you Crouch, Repeated Stoppingwas, Tales of Sidi Barrani and The Italian's Bed. Also a collection of short stories, Blue In a Sad Way. El Azab, has won several literary Egyptian and Arabian awards. He wrote the screenplay films: Repeated Stoppingwas and Two-Bedroom Apartment, which was awarded best screenplay in Sawiris awards in Egypt in 2011.
Until the End of Time by Yasmine Chouikh (Algeria)
As they slowly approach the hour of their death, Ali and Joher, both in their seventies, meet and discover love, friendship and the happiness of living the joys of life together.
Born in 1982 in Algiers, Yasmine Chouikh studied human arts and sciences, graduate in psychology and educational sciences. She worked as an actress in La Citadelle (1987) by Mohamed Chouikh, in a television film by Djamel Bendedouch in 1990, then in Hamlet of Women (2004) by Mohamed Chouikh. She wrote in the cultural page of the daily newspaperl'Autentique and works as a journalist as well as presenting a cinematographic television program on the national Algerian television since 2005. She has written some shorts film scripts, and directed two of them, The Door and the djinn. She is the art director of the International Taghit.
The eighth annual Rawi Screenwriters Lab of The Royal Film Commission-Jordan is presented in consultation with Sundance Institute and made possible in part by a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.
Launched in 2005, the Lab is led by the Royal Film Commission of Jordan (Rfc), under the leadership of Deema Azar, in consultation with Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, under the direction of Michelle Satter. The Lab provides an opportunity for filmmakers from the region to develop their work under the guidance of accomplished Creative Advisors—this year including Athina Rachel Tsangari (Attenberg), Henry Bean (The Believer), So Yong Kim (Treeless Mountain), Bernd Lichtenberg (Goodbye Lenin!) and Katherine Dieckmann (Motherhood)—in an environment that encourages storytelling at the highest level.
George David, General Manager of the Rfc, said, “It makes us very proud to be organizing the eighth round of the Rawi Screenwriters Lab again this year in consultation with Sundance Institute. The Lab is gaining momentum and receiving increased regional and international acclaim, with more and more projects developed through the Lab and being awarded internationally. The caliber of this year’s selected projects will certainly have an impact on the regional filmmaking scene, at a time when cinema in the region is attracting worldwide attention with all the changes that have been taken place recently and are often reflected in cinematic works.”
Paul Federbush, International Director of the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program, said, “We’ve had the privilege to help give voice to some extraordinary new filmmakers in the region over our eight-year partnership with the Rfc. This year’s Fellows continue in that tradition and bring a diverse range of stories that we believe will resonate with audiences around the world.”
2009 Rawi alumnus Haifaa Al Mansour premiered her debut feature Wadjda—the first feature film shot entirely in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the first-ever by a Saudi female filmmaker—at this year’s Venice International Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival. The film was acquired for U.S. distribution by Sony Pictures Classics.
About her experience at the Lab, Mansour said, "The real momentum for Wadjda began with the Rawi Screenwriters Lab; I am tremendously grateful for the unwavering support of Michelle Satter and her entire team at Sundance Institute who not only helped the script find its true voice, but also in every aspect of getting the film made.”
The participants and projects selected for the 2012 Rawi Screenwriters Lab represent eight different countries. The Lab takes place November 14-18 in Wadi Feynan in Southern Jordan.
Daughters of Abdel Rahman by Zaid Abu Hamdan (Jordan)
Years after running away from their oppressive past, four estranged sisters have to join forces to find their suddenly missing father.
Zaid Abu Hamdan holds an Mfa from the New York Film Academy in Hollywood California, and a BA in Communication Arts from the Lebanese American University in Beirut. In 2009, Zaid established his company Zaha Productions, producing 5 award winning short films in both the Us and the Gulf. His debut film Baram & Hamza won International awards and distribution in the Us and Europe. His other films include Love…Older (of 2 parts) and the 2012 Oscar-qualified film Bahiya & Mahmoud, after winning “Best of Fest” at the Palm Springs Int. Shortfest. Zaid is currently developing his first feature film Daughters of Abdul-Rahman, which has been selected for The Doha Film Institute, the Torino Film Lab, the Royal Film Commission of Jordan and other international film organizations.
Via Dolorosa by Sobhi Al Zubaidi (Palestine)
A Palestinian man is released after 20 years in Israeli prisons and is united with his family, only to face new challenges in life after Oslo in the West Bank.
Sobhi al-Zobaidi is a Palestinian filmmaker (My Very Private Map, Women in the Sun, Light at the End of the Tunnel, Hawal, Crossing Kalandia, About the Sea). His film projects have received awards and recognition from institutions including Hubert Bals Fund, Rotterdam Flm Festival, Locarno Flm Festival, Goteborg Flm Festival and Abu Dhabi Flm Festival. His current project, Via Dolorosa, is a feature film that has received development support from Afac and Abu Dhabi Film Festival (Sanad).
Trees Also Die by Rabih El Amine (Lebanon)
A young mother and her child decide to isolate themselves from the outside world in a delirious attempt to flee the war and to escape their fate.
Born in 1974, Rabih El-Amine is a Lebanese-Canadian photographer, screenwriter and filmmaker based in Montreal. He holds a BA in Communication Arts (Radio/TV/Films). His first documentary Ahmad the Japanese screened at various festivals and won a jury prize in Docudays. Trees Also Die is his first feature film project.
Noor by Mustafa Shakarchi (Iraq)
Inspired by a true story, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl dreams of a normal childhood—to go to school and make friends. But her caretaker Aunt forces her to work in the streets selling novelty items.
Born in Baghdad, Iraq and raised in Southern California, Mustafa is a co-founder of TruArt Pictures, an independent production company. Noor is his first feature film.
Crescent Moon by Naz Sadoughi (Iran)
Ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is freedom, and Ebby is suddenly forced to test the limits of his loyalties – either remain faithful to the regime and his corrupt paymasters, or to his conscience and feelings for the man he’s spying on.
Naz Sadoughi is an Iranian screenwriter. Born in Tehran she moved to the UK with her parents in 1978. Initially trained as an Illustration and animation artist she moved into live action film-making in 1999 and began working as a commercials director in the UK and throughout Europe. In 2004 she set up a production company where she produced and directed short documentaries for the Discovery Channel. In 2011 Naz completed an Ma in screenwriting at The Lcc, University of the Arts London.
I Am Nojood by Khadija Al-Salami (Yemen)
Ignorance and poverty force a ten -year old girl, Nojood, to endure an outrageous experience when she is forced to marry a thirty-year-old man. Unable to accept this fate others have chosen for her, Nojood does the unthinkable: she asks for a divorce.
Khadija Al-Salami gained her independence at an early age when her family forced her into an early marriage at the age of 11. In order to escape family pressure and tradition, she found a job at the local TV station in the afternoons, while pursuing her studies in the mornings. She earned a scholarship at 16 years of age to the United States, where she studied film-making. Her first film, for her thesis, was about women in Yemen. Khadija is Yemen’s first woman film-maker, and has made some over 20 documentaries for various TV stations in France and Yemen and received several awards at various film festivals worldwide. With her husband, she has written a book, The Tears of Sheba, about her experiences growing up in Yemen. She was, until 2011, the Press Counselor and Director of the Communication and Cultural Center at the Embassy of Yemen in Paris.
Two Rooms & a Parlor by Mohamed Salah El Azzab & Sherif Bendari (Egypt)
Khalil has spent his life living the routine of a low profile employee. When he finds himself alone after the death of his wife Ihsan, Khalil decides to discover the world outside of his little house and life beyond its ordinary details.
Born in 1978, Egyptian filmmaker Sherif Elbendary lives and works in Cairo. Elbendary graduated from the Faculty of Applied Arts in 2001, then in 2007 studied film directing at the High Institute of Cinema in Cairo. His first short fiction film Rise & Shine produced by the Egyptian Film Center in 2006 was officially selected in more than 75 film festivals in 33 countries and won 15 awards. Elbendary’s second short film was his graduation project At Day's End produced by the High Institute of Cinema in 2008 which was officially selected in more than 50 film festivals and won 14 awards. Sherif directed the segment “curfew” in the omnibus feature 18 Days which was selected to the Cannes Film Festival in 2011.
Born in Cairo 1981, novelist and journalist and scriptwriter Mohammad El Azzab has four novels which are: A Long Cellar with a Low Ceiling making you Crouch, Repeated Stoppingwas, Tales of Sidi Barrani and The Italian's Bed. Also a collection of short stories, Blue In a Sad Way. El Azab, has won several literary Egyptian and Arabian awards. He wrote the screenplay films: Repeated Stoppingwas and Two-Bedroom Apartment, which was awarded best screenplay in Sawiris awards in Egypt in 2011.
Until the End of Time by Yasmine Chouikh (Algeria)
As they slowly approach the hour of their death, Ali and Joher, both in their seventies, meet and discover love, friendship and the happiness of living the joys of life together.
Born in 1982 in Algiers, Yasmine Chouikh studied human arts and sciences, graduate in psychology and educational sciences. She worked as an actress in La Citadelle (1987) by Mohamed Chouikh, in a television film by Djamel Bendedouch in 1990, then in Hamlet of Women (2004) by Mohamed Chouikh. She wrote in the cultural page of the daily newspaperl'Autentique and works as a journalist as well as presenting a cinematographic television program on the national Algerian television since 2005. She has written some shorts film scripts, and directed two of them, The Door and the djinn. She is the art director of the International Taghit.
The eighth annual Rawi Screenwriters Lab of The Royal Film Commission-Jordan is presented in consultation with Sundance Institute and made possible in part by a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.
- 12/1/2012
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Hard Knock Life: Troch Returns With Another Exquisite Examination on Anguish
Actress turned director Fien Troch returns with her third feature film, Kid, another beautifully wrought portrait of a family caught in the cross-hairs of a cruel existence, this time related almost entirely from the viewpoint of children. With this latest, perhaps a cap on a trilogy of films all dealing with children experiencing tragic circumstances, Troch definitely solidifies herself as one of the best up and coming Belgian directors, and you can certainly add her name to a very small list of up and coming female auteurs.
Two young brothers, Billy (Maarten Meeusen) and Kid (Bent Simons) share a washed out, somnolent existence with their mother (Gabriela Carrizo). It seems their father disappeared some time ago, leaving their mom in extreme financial difficulty, and more than just with bill collectors. She takes her boys to her sister’s farm,...
Actress turned director Fien Troch returns with her third feature film, Kid, another beautifully wrought portrait of a family caught in the cross-hairs of a cruel existence, this time related almost entirely from the viewpoint of children. With this latest, perhaps a cap on a trilogy of films all dealing with children experiencing tragic circumstances, Troch definitely solidifies herself as one of the best up and coming Belgian directors, and you can certainly add her name to a very small list of up and coming female auteurs.
Two young brothers, Billy (Maarten Meeusen) and Kid (Bent Simons) share a washed out, somnolent existence with their mother (Gabriela Carrizo). It seems their father disappeared some time ago, leaving their mom in extreme financial difficulty, and more than just with bill collectors. She takes her boys to her sister’s farm,...
- 11/2/2012
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
With his broad, serious face and lanky body, Paul Dano has always played the kinds of finely tuned characters that pop out for their intensity, from a black-haired, mostly silent 16-year-old in 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine to a screaming evangelical preacher, and his twin brother, in 2007’s There Will Be Blood. He’s also proved himself to be neurotically funny, as he was in this year’s romantic comedy Ruby Sparks.
But 28-year-old Dano has rarely played a dad on film (he adopts a baby in 2008’s Gigantic), much less the deadbeat rocker dad starring role he takes on in...
But 28-year-old Dano has rarely played a dad on film (he adopts a baby in 2008’s Gigantic), much less the deadbeat rocker dad starring role he takes on in...
- 10/17/2012
- by Solvej Schou
- EW - Inside Movies
As I mentioned in the preface to the first part of my Wavelengths preview (the one focusing on the short films), there are significant changes afoot in 2012. Until last year, the festival had a section known as Visions, which was the primary home for formally challenging cinema that nevertheless conformed to the basic tenets of arthouse and/or “festival” cinema (actors, scripting, 70+minute running time, and, once upon a time, 35mm presentation). This year, Wavelengths is both its former self, and it also contains the sort of work that Visions most likely would have housed. While in some respects this can seem to result in a kind of split personality for the section, it also means that Wavelengths, which has often been described as a sort of “festival within the festival,” has moved front and center. Films that would’ve occupied single slots in the older avant-Wavelengths model, like the...
- 9/12/2012
- MUBI
Tomorrow Tribeca Film releases So Yong Kim’s latest feature, For Ellen. The following interview was originally published on the eve of the film’s Sundance Film Festival premiere.
After winning over half a dozen festival prizes for her first two feature films, So Yong Kim has spent the last few years producing for her husband, Bradley Rust Gray (The Exploding Girl), and developing and writing her newest movie, For Ellen. Similar to her previous films, For Ellen’s narrative derives from Kim’s own experiences growing up. Brought together through the character of a young man traveling to see his daughter for the first time, Kim’s personal style of filmmaking not only forces the audience to question their own decisions, but has also allowed the filmmaker a cathartic way to view her own life.
Filmmaker: When did you begin writing For Ellen? Was it a long process?
Kim:...
After winning over half a dozen festival prizes for her first two feature films, So Yong Kim has spent the last few years producing for her husband, Bradley Rust Gray (The Exploding Girl), and developing and writing her newest movie, For Ellen. Similar to her previous films, For Ellen’s narrative derives from Kim’s own experiences growing up. Brought together through the character of a young man traveling to see his daughter for the first time, Kim’s personal style of filmmaking not only forces the audience to question their own decisions, but has also allowed the filmmaker a cathartic way to view her own life.
Filmmaker: When did you begin writing For Ellen? Was it a long process?
Kim:...
- 9/5/2012
- by Alexandra Byer
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The lines between indie and studio films are blurring further and further each year as independent movies are brought to the Sundance Film Festival and immediately picked up by studios in hopes they can break out and become mainstream hits. One filmmaker who has remained almost fiercely independent is So Yong Kim, whose first two films In Between Days and Treeless Mountain featured unknown non-actors and dealt with small stories of people in other cultures. (Kim also produced and helped edit her husband Bradley Rust Gray's movies The Exploding Girl and the upcoming Jack and Diane .) For her third film For Ellen , she has brought established actors into her style of filmmaking, most notably actor (and the film's executive producer) Paul Dano, who plays Joby Taylor, a...
- 9/4/2012
- Comingsoon.net
Debuting at Sundance earlier this year, we have the first trailer for So Yong Kim’s (Treeless Mountain) indie drama For Ellen.
Stemming from Kim’s desire to understand her own father, For Ellen follows aspiring rock star Joby Taylor (Paul Dano) who, in the midst of a low period in his life, agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva).
He soon realises, however, that signing the papers means he will forfeit all custody of his six-year-old daughter, Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo). With a good-natured lawyer (Jon Heder) unable to make headway in reversing the decision, Joby negotiates a visit with his daughter to explore whether he is able to walk away from his child, and whether it might be too late for reconciliation.
The new trailer looks very downbeat and slow but powerful nonetheless, and if nothing more it promises a deeply moving performance from Dano.
Stemming from Kim’s desire to understand her own father, For Ellen follows aspiring rock star Joby Taylor (Paul Dano) who, in the midst of a low period in his life, agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva).
He soon realises, however, that signing the papers means he will forfeit all custody of his six-year-old daughter, Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo). With a good-natured lawyer (Jon Heder) unable to make headway in reversing the decision, Joby negotiates a visit with his daughter to explore whether he is able to walk away from his child, and whether it might be too late for reconciliation.
The new trailer looks very downbeat and slow but powerful nonetheless, and if nothing more it promises a deeply moving performance from Dano.
- 8/17/2012
- by Charlie Derry
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
In So Yong Kim's "For Ellen," Paul Dano stars as an aspiring rocker who agrees to sign divorce papers for his estranged wife in order to get money from the sale of their home, but then realizes his daughter is also part of the bargain and he will be forfeiting all parental rights to her. Kim ("Treeless Mountain," "In Between Days") debuted the film at Sundance 2012. Dano is joined by Jon Heder, Jena Malone, Margarita Levieva and Shaylena Mandigo. Read More: Paul Dano's Best Performance Yet is in So Yong Kim's 'For Ellen' Eric Kohn reviewed the film at Sundance, declaring that, "Nobody else could fit the role of a crestfallen rocker that Paul Dano embodies in director So Yong Kim's remarkable 'For Ellen.' Kim's delicate feature takes the conventional deadbeat dad formula and rejuvenates it by letting Dano's naturalistic performance lead the way.
- 8/15/2012
- by Sophia Savage
- Indiewire
Among established filmmakers, few have moved as fascinatingly from film-to-film quite like So Yong Kim. The writer-director recently moved from the austere, critically acclaimed Korean picture “Treeless Mountain” to the upcoming “For Ellen,” a quintessentially American indie about a tortured rock star dealing with custody issues with his young child. However, it looks like the writer-director, who has formed an indie super couple with “Exploding Girl”/"Jack and Diane" director Bradley Rust Gray, is about to paint a wider canvas. “The working title is called ‘Seventy,’ ” Kim told The Playlist regarding her next film. Currently writing the project, she says the picture will death with, “a very old mom, like a matriarch of a family. The mom’s the main character, but there’s a whole supporting cast, so it’s like an organism that’s moving, and fighting with each other. It’s...
- 8/15/2012
- by Gabe Toro
- The Playlist
From the director of "Treeless Mountain" and "In Between Days," comes "For Ellen," a bleak and moody-looking picture about a fuck-up rocker also trying to negotiate being a father. However, is it far too late? Directed by So Yong Kim and starring Paul Dano, Shaylena Mandigo with appearances by Jon Heder, Jena Malone, Dakota Johnson, and Margarita Levieva, "For Ellen" doesn't exactly look like a great time at the movies, but it does seem to feature a commanding performance by Dano. And perhaps one we've never seen from this young actor. Debuting at Sundance earlier this year, "For Ellen" was met with mixed reviews. Our own review described it as grueling at times, but almost all critics seem to agree that while stark and perhaps a tad depressing, Paul Dano shines in the picture and that alone makes this one to keep an eye on. Here's the official synopsis: Aspiring...
- 8/14/2012
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
It’s about that time, with Sundance and SXSW in the rearview, distributors both big and small are starting to snap up the promising titles that could possibly bring the fall a lot of prestige.
First, The Weinstein Company has acquired actor Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut “Quartet,” the comedy that stars an impressive ensemble of older talent like Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly, Michael Gambon and Pauline Collins. Apparently the Weinsteins closed the deal to acquire this one for around $3 million, and picked it up before anyone else could get their hands on it. Word has it that a screening for buyers was scrapped following the Weinstein’s acquisition, and it was a title insiders were expecting would be nabbed closer to Cannes. “Quartet” follows Cecily (Collins), Reggie (Tom Courtenay) and Wilfred (Connolly), aging opera singers who reside in a home for those of their profession, and each year they...
First, The Weinstein Company has acquired actor Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut “Quartet,” the comedy that stars an impressive ensemble of older talent like Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly, Michael Gambon and Pauline Collins. Apparently the Weinsteins closed the deal to acquire this one for around $3 million, and picked it up before anyone else could get their hands on it. Word has it that a screening for buyers was scrapped following the Weinstein’s acquisition, and it was a title insiders were expecting would be nabbed closer to Cannes. “Quartet” follows Cecily (Collins), Reggie (Tom Courtenay) and Wilfred (Connolly), aging opera singers who reside in a home for those of their profession, and each year they...
- 5/3/2012
- by Benjamin Wright
- The Playlist
Tribeca Film announced its latest acquisition today. For Ellen stars Paul Dano as an aspiring rock star trying to connect with his young daughter during a messy divorce. The film, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, is directed by Brooklyn filmmaker So Yong Kim, whose last two features were the independent standouts Treeless Mountain and In Between Days. A fall release is planned, including nationwide VOD and a release in select theatrical markets. For Ellen opens on September 5 at Film Forum in New York City. 'With a subtle, understated approach, esteemed director So Yong Kim has made a film that is both deeply moving and deeply resonant,' said Geoff Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises. 'Fueled by a remarkable performance by Paul Dano and delicately directed by Kim, we couldn't be more excited to share this very special story about a father trying to connect with his...
- 5/1/2012
- TribecaFilm.com
The 26th-29th April sees the Sundance London Film and Music festival hit the O2 Arena, which sees the festival – renowned for its programme of independent film – take place in the UK for the first time in its 34-year history.
As a Sundance newbie, I am excited to attend the indie festival. I’ve always heard so many great things about it, especially as a lot of great films initially got noticed at previous Sundance fests (Napoleon Dynamite, Clerks, Reservoir Dogs).
Looking at the line-up, I expect the cream of the crop of forthcoming independent releases.
Here are the following that I’m keeping my eye on during the festival:
For Ellen
The third feature film from In Between Days and Treeless Mountain writer and director So Yong Kim, and her first film with an American cast – a great cast ensemble, I need to add. Starring Little Miss Sunshine‘s...
As a Sundance newbie, I am excited to attend the indie festival. I’ve always heard so many great things about it, especially as a lot of great films initially got noticed at previous Sundance fests (Napoleon Dynamite, Clerks, Reservoir Dogs).
Looking at the line-up, I expect the cream of the crop of forthcoming independent releases.
Here are the following that I’m keeping my eye on during the festival:
For Ellen
The third feature film from In Between Days and Treeless Mountain writer and director So Yong Kim, and her first film with an American cast – a great cast ensemble, I need to add. Starring Little Miss Sunshine‘s...
- 4/16/2012
- by Katie Wong
- SoundOnSight
Few thought that when Beastie Boy Adam Yauch set up distribution label Oscilloscope Laboratories to put out his 2008 directorial debut "Gunning For That #1 Spot," it would turn out to be anything other than a vanity side-project. But in fact, the company has evolved over the past four years to become one of the most forward-thinking indie distributors around, having released films like "Dear Zachary," "Wendy And Lucy," "Treeless Mountain," "The Exploding Girl," "Howl," "The Unloved," "We Need To Talk About Kevin," "Bellflower," "The Messenger," "Exit Through The Gift Shop" and "If A Tree Falls," the latter three all turning out to win Oscar nominations for their trouble.
They've got some promising films coming up, including Andrea Arnold's superb "Wuthering Heights" and the Melanie Lynskey vehicle "Hello, I Must Be Going," and they've just added one more to their slate, one that seems to be close to Yauch's heart. The...
They've got some promising films coming up, including Andrea Arnold's superb "Wuthering Heights" and the Melanie Lynskey vehicle "Hello, I Must Be Going," and they've just added one more to their slate, one that seems to be close to Yauch's heart. The...
- 4/3/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
In the seven previous editions (with 2007 being the best crop of films with noteworthy titles such as Bertrand Bonello's De La Guerre, Michelangelo Frammartino's Le Quattro Volte, Semih Kaplanoglu's Milk, Ciro Guerra's The Wind Journey, João Pedro Rodrigues' To Die Like A Man and So Yong Kim's Treeless Mountain), L’Atelier has been a pivotal stop for new auteurs in world cinema finding some coin. And while this doesn't carry the same weight as Rotterdam, so far the ratio is 72 for 115. Among the 15 projects selected this year we find find the likes of Dutch helmer Marco van Geffen (pictured) who gave us last year's Au Pair mystery Among Us (Locarno, Tiff), docu helmer Mahmoud Al Massad (Sundance's Recycle) and a foursome of filmmakers (Pengfei Song, Mai Masri, Pablo Lamar and Adina Pintilie) who've workshopped their nascent projects at the well-regarded Torino Film Labs. Here's...
- 3/15/2012
- IONCINEMA.com
Nobody else could fit the role of a crestfallen rocker that Paul Dano embodies in director So Yong Kim's remarkable "For Ellen." Kim's delicate feature takes the conventional deadbeat dad formula and rejuvenates it by letting Dano's naturalistic performance lead the way. The actor portrays a perpetually lost young man with a combination of innocence and utter confusion as he wanders through his life in a total daze. It's a role he was born to play and the movie sustains it. Sporting a clichéd getup of black-painted fingernails, scrungy hair and an unkempt goatee, Dano's Joby wanders through an icy landscape attempting to preempt the efforts of his estranged wife (Jena Malone), who wants to divorce him and take custody of their young daughter. Kim, whose patient approach to narrative has already found its groove with "Treeless Mountain" and "In Between Days," here applies the same style to Dano's sad face.
- 1/28/2012
- Indiewire
So Yong Kim Discusses Her Collaboration With Paul Dano & Battling The Freezing Winter In 'For Ellen'
Thanks to her previous films "In Between Days" and "Treeless Mountain," and a none-more-indie cast featuring Paul Dano and Jena Malone, So Yong Kim's latest "For Ellen" (our review here) had to be one of the most anticipated films of the Sundance Film Festival. Forming one half of a power couple of indie cinema (with Bradley Rust Gray, director of "The Exploding Girl" and the upcoming "Jack and Diane"), it marks her first time working with more established names and proves to be her most accessible project to date. We were lucky enough to get a few minutes of time with Yong Kim at Sundance this week to discuss the project, her collaboration with her lead actor, and whether we'll be seeing the final part of her Korean trilogy any time soon. Your previous films were mostly in Korean so can you talk about the decision to cast Paul Dano...
- 1/25/2012
- The Playlist
After winning over half a dozen festival prizes for her first two feature films, So Yong Kim has spent the last few years producing for her husband, Bradley Rust Gray (The Exploding Girl), and developing and writing her newest movie, For Ellen. Similar to her previous films, For Ellen’s narrative derives from Kim’s own experiences growing up. Brought together through the character of a young man traveling to see his daughter for the first time, Kim’s personal style of filmmaking not only forces the audience to question their own decisions, but has also allowed the filmmaker a cathartic way to view her own life. For Ellen premieres today at the Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category.
Filmmaker: When did you begin writing For Ellen? Was it a long process?
Kim: After my second film Treeless Mountain was finished, I had a vague idea...
Filmmaker: When did you begin writing For Ellen? Was it a long process?
Kim: After my second film Treeless Mountain was finished, I had a vague idea...
- 1/21/2012
- by alexandra byer
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Being a fan of the filmmaker, the principle actor and several key indie filmmaking members behind the scenes, we're proud to have your first look at the festival one sheet poster for For Ellen - the U.S. Dramatic Competition feature film from So Yong Kim. In the one sheet designed by Gregory Homs (who designed one-sheets for A Room with a View, Home Of The Brave), the spatial dimensions in the shot expound on the central characters' solace (Paul Dano's character of Joby appears to be torn by his past, but his forthcoming future as well) and the carrot mahogany orange drowns out any frigidness of the wintery backdrop in favor of a warmer palette -- I'm thinking after featuring a pair of tiny siblings wrestling with pre-abandonment issues in Treeless Mountain, that we might be in store for a loving portrait about not giving up control. You can read the synopsis below,...
- 1/17/2012
- IONCINEMA.com
So Yong Kim returns to Sundance this year after winning the 2006 Special Jury Prize for her debut "In Between Days." "For Ellen" (U.S. Dramatic Competition) marks her third feature following her sophomore effort "Treeless Mountain," released in 2009 by Oscilloscope Laboratories. Kim calls "For Ellen" her 'most personal film' to date. It also finds her working with her highest profile cast yet (Paul Dano, Jon Heder and Jena Malone round out the ensemble). What's it about? A young rockstar, Joby Taylor, travels to a small town to divorce his estranged wife, only to discover that in the process he must also face the possibility of losing custody of his daughter Ellen. Forced to choose between freedom and fatherhood, his decision will precipitate entire life changes for him and those he loves. Says director Kim: "When I wrote the film, I was filled with doubts about my ability as a filmmaker,...
- 1/4/2012
- Indiewire
As a way of celebrating this year's nominees for the Spirit Awards in the weeks leading up to the ceremony, we reached out to as many as we could in an effort to better understand what went into their films, what they've gotten out of the experience, and where they've found their inspiration, both in regards to their work and other works of art that might've inspired them from the past year. Their answers will be published on a daily basis throughout February.
Being a director can be a lonely profession, which is why Bradley Rust Gray is clearly onto something. A year after his wife So Yong Kim was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the Spirit Awards for the drama "Treeless Mountain" (on which he was a producer), Gray returns to the same category this year as a director with "The Exploding Girl" (a film that naturally his wife produced). However,...
Being a director can be a lonely profession, which is why Bradley Rust Gray is clearly onto something. A year after his wife So Yong Kim was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the Spirit Awards for the drama "Treeless Mountain" (on which he was a producer), Gray returns to the same category this year as a director with "The Exploding Girl" (a film that naturally his wife produced). However,...
- 2/4/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
#18. For Ellen Director/Writer: So Yong KimProducers: So Yong Kim, Bradley Rust Gray and Jen Gatien Distributor: Rights Available. The Gist: When an aspiring young rock musician (Paul Dano) agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife, he discovers he is not ready to forfeit all custody of his six-year-old daughter.....(more) Cast: Paul Dano, Jon Heder, Jena Malone, Margarita Levieva and Dakota Johnson. Why is it on the list?: We like her minimalist and miniscule triage dramas In Between Days and Treeless Mountain and look forward in seeing her work with name talent in Paul Dano and Jena Malone. Last year we had this at the number 53 spot. Release Date/Status?: Cannes looks probable. Tiff is a shoe-in for a North American premiere. ...
- 1/17/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
Ask me what my top 5 films of 2006 were, and it would probably be one of the rare times I'd list a short film among my top picks. Up there with Children of Mens and Little Childrens, I'd say a highlight of the year and certainly the best film of the 06' edition of the Sundance Film Festival was Bugcrush from fashion photographer/commercials director Carter Smith. A creepy, horror film about a loner who is enamored by a school bully travelled to Cannes and I imagine it meant that every horror script was sent to the filmmaker's agent's way. He would be attached to direct Come Closer - the Sara Gran novel for Miramax films, and he was invited to Sundance's 2007 Screenwriter's Lab (with projects such as Cary Fukunaga's Sin Nombre, Fernando Eimbcke's Lake Tahoe, So Yong Kim's Treeless Mountain and Victoria Mahoney's Yelling To The Sky...
- 11/30/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Chicago – At a time when many so-called independent film distributors are following the mold of mainstream companies, Oscilloscope Pictures is a breath of exhilaratingly fresh air. Its films range from electrifying shoestring documentaries like “Dear Zachary” and priceless foreign imports like “Kisses” to major award season contenders such as “The Messenger” and “Wendy and Lucy.”
All of these films are independent in a way that few commercial entertainments are ever allowed to be. They are each artworks more than entertainments, and often paint riveting and provocative portraits of the society in which we live, devoid of any stereotypical speechifying. When a big star signs on for one of these pictures, the filmmakers often allow the performer to work at a raw and intimate level rarely achievable in Hollywood (much like how HBO brings out the best in every actor, from Claire Danes to Al Pacino).
DVD Rating: 4.5/5.0
Though she is...
All of these films are independent in a way that few commercial entertainments are ever allowed to be. They are each artworks more than entertainments, and often paint riveting and provocative portraits of the society in which we live, devoid of any stereotypical speechifying. When a big star signs on for one of these pictures, the filmmakers often allow the performer to work at a raw and intimate level rarely achievable in Hollywood (much like how HBO brings out the best in every actor, from Claire Danes to Al Pacino).
DVD Rating: 4.5/5.0
Though she is...
- 9/20/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
[With its September 7th release on all-region DVD from Oscilloscope Laboratories, I thought it'd be a fine time to share my review of the film once again.]
I first saw Bradley Rust Gray's second feature, The Exploding Girl last December at Brooklyn Academy of Music's retrospective/showcase for his and filmmaker wife, So Yong Kim's (Treeless Mountain) handful of films. The Exploding Girl ended up in my top ten films of 2009. It remains the one film from that list which has really stuck with me into the new year.
College student, Ivy (Zoe Kazan) returns home to Brooklyn for spring break. She wanders around the streets, helps out at her mom's dance studio, has increasingly halting and awkward phone calls with her boyfriend, and hangs out with best bud, Al (Mark Rendell).
They share headphones in the park, play cards, mill about parties... Seemingly prerequisites for a young adult centered movie. Yet none of this is evocative of bitter, snarky mumblecore pictures or faux indie youth flicks.
Though its title may provoke wild imagery, The Exploding Girl is a quiet,...
I first saw Bradley Rust Gray's second feature, The Exploding Girl last December at Brooklyn Academy of Music's retrospective/showcase for his and filmmaker wife, So Yong Kim's (Treeless Mountain) handful of films. The Exploding Girl ended up in my top ten films of 2009. It remains the one film from that list which has really stuck with me into the new year.
College student, Ivy (Zoe Kazan) returns home to Brooklyn for spring break. She wanders around the streets, helps out at her mom's dance studio, has increasingly halting and awkward phone calls with her boyfriend, and hangs out with best bud, Al (Mark Rendell).
They share headphones in the park, play cards, mill about parties... Seemingly prerequisites for a young adult centered movie. Yet none of this is evocative of bitter, snarky mumblecore pictures or faux indie youth flicks.
Though its title may provoke wild imagery, The Exploding Girl is a quiet,...
- 9/3/2010
- Screen Anarchy
The end of the working week brings us to the end of this week’s batch of free movies. Over the course of the last four days we've published an international selection of independent films - Home, Treeless Mountain, Je Veux Voir and 1234 - and for today's grand finale we have Alexis Dos Santos’ 2009 hipster comedy/drama Unmade Beds.
read more...
read more...
- 8/13/2010
- by Angela
- indiemoviesonline
Sweat, money and no tears is how I would describe the journey of our next featured new voice in indie film. I mentioned this filmmaker in my predictions for last year's Sundance, but Victoria Mahoney's feature film debut, Yelling to the Sky was (part of the Sundance Screenwriters Lab class of 2006 with Sin Nombre, Lake Tahoe and Treeless Mountain) still in post. Since 2005, this true indiegrrl been getting some invaluable help along the way with the support from the Annenberg Film Fellowship Grant, Maryland Film Fellowship, the Cinereach Grant and just this summer, some post-production support from Ifp's Annual Independent Filmmaker Labs, which will have meant, that my Park City prediction was a correct one...off by only one year. In her former life, Mahoney packed her bags, headed West, was embraced by some big name mentors that pointed her back East. Sometime between her training at the Actor's Studio...
- 7/16/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Among those they have tapped for the fest they have a premium Midnight Screening for Gilles Marchand's Black Heaven and they are closing the festival with Julie Bertuccelli's The Tree. - The Sales/Distribution/Production company continually pluck from a batch of interesting U.S independent film auteurs (they are back on board with So Yong Kim for her to be released in the Fall title, For Ellen), grabbing select Euro titles Natalia Smirnoff's Puzzle (a Berlin) along with French films which we've been talking non-stop for the better half of year. Among those they have tapped for the fest they have a premium Midnight Screening for Gilles Marchand's Black Heaven and they are closing the festival with Julie Bertuccelli's The Tree. (see Charlotte Gainsbourg in pic above). On the sales side of things, they are working with Marchand's partner in crime Dominik Moll...
- 5/13/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
The Sales/Distribution/Production company continually pluck from a batch of interesting U.S independent film auteurs (they are back on board with So Yong Kim for her to be released in the Fall title, For Ellen), grabbing select Euro titles Natalia Smirnoff's Puzzle (a Berlin) along with French films which we've been talking non-stop for the better half of year. Among those they have tapped for the fest they have a premium Midnight Screening for Gilles Marchand's Black Heaven and they are closing the festival with Julie Bertuccelli's The Tree. (see Charlotte Gainsbourg in pic above). On the sales side of things, they are working with Marchand's partner in crime Dominik Moll's filmed in Spain fantasy pic and are onboard Pawel Pawlikowski's new project – a helmer who's sabbatical has lasted a tad too long. Black Heaven (L'autre Monde) by Gilles Marchand - Completed The Monk...
- 5/12/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Encore Presentation Tonight Thursday May 6th At The La Asian Pacific Film Fest: http://asianfilmfestla.org/2010/encore-screening-of-big-island-films-short-program-56/
I saw the Lychee Thieves as part of the "Big Island Films" program at the L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival. This charming short film was shot last year on my home island of O'ahu. Beautiful cinematography by Anne Misawa (Treeless Mountain) helps the film stand apart from others in the program. But what I enjoyed most was the film's ability to distill complex cultural conflicts unique to the islands into a cohesive and moving film under 30 minutes.
I spoke with Executive Producer Stephen Gyllenhaal at the Q&A after the screening. He told me Lychee Thieves is one of three short films that will eventually become a larger feature film called called Cosmopolitan. I am excited to see it once it all comes together.
For more information on screenings of Lychee Thieves...
I saw the Lychee Thieves as part of the "Big Island Films" program at the L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival. This charming short film was shot last year on my home island of O'ahu. Beautiful cinematography by Anne Misawa (Treeless Mountain) helps the film stand apart from others in the program. But what I enjoyed most was the film's ability to distill complex cultural conflicts unique to the islands into a cohesive and moving film under 30 minutes.
I spoke with Executive Producer Stephen Gyllenhaal at the Q&A after the screening. He told me Lychee Thieves is one of three short films that will eventually become a larger feature film called called Cosmopolitan. I am excited to see it once it all comes together.
For more information on screenings of Lychee Thieves...
- 5/7/2010
- by christen@paradocsproductions.com (Christen)
- Reelartsy
I first saw Bradley Rust Gray's second feature, The Exploding Girl last December at Brooklyn Academy of Music's retrospective/showcase for his and filmmaker wife, So Yong Kim's (Treeless Mountain) handful of films. The Exploding Girl ended up in my top ten films of 2009. It remains the one film from that last which has really stuck with me into the new year.
College student, Ivy (Zoe Kazan) returns home to Brooklyn for spring break. She wanders around the streets, helps out at her mom's dance studio, has increasingly halting and awkward phone calls with her boyfriend, and hangs out with best bud, Al (Mark Rendell).
They share headphones in the park, play cards, mill about parties... Seemingly prerequisites for a young adult centered movie. Yet none of this is evocative of bitter, snarky mumblecore pictures or faux indie youth flicks.
Though its title may provoke wild imagery, The Exploding Girl is a quiet,...
College student, Ivy (Zoe Kazan) returns home to Brooklyn for spring break. She wanders around the streets, helps out at her mom's dance studio, has increasingly halting and awkward phone calls with her boyfriend, and hangs out with best bud, Al (Mark Rendell).
They share headphones in the park, play cards, mill about parties... Seemingly prerequisites for a young adult centered movie. Yet none of this is evocative of bitter, snarky mumblecore pictures or faux indie youth flicks.
Though its title may provoke wild imagery, The Exploding Girl is a quiet,...
- 3/10/2010
- Screen Anarchy
They all say this show changed a little bit, but we guess it was expected for the 25th annual ceremony from Stapless Center, or if you prefer – the Spirit Awards.
Last week we were all occupied with Oscar, but it’s always the right time to take a look at (maybe) less popular ceremony, but still – the good one! We’re going to remind you of this ceremony highlights.
The Spirits, run by the nonprofit Film Independent, threw in some of its typically enjoyable ironic touches.
One of them was definitely David Spade who presented the best foreign award, starting with:
“You may not know this, but my movies play in other countries. They’re huge in Poland. I can’t set foot in Bulgaria.” Thanks for letting us know Spade!
On the other hand, we had a chance to see Ben Stiller, known for studio comedies more than any boutique film,...
Last week we were all occupied with Oscar, but it’s always the right time to take a look at (maybe) less popular ceremony, but still – the good one! We’re going to remind you of this ceremony highlights.
The Spirits, run by the nonprofit Film Independent, threw in some of its typically enjoyable ironic touches.
One of them was definitely David Spade who presented the best foreign award, starting with:
“You may not know this, but my movies play in other countries. They’re huge in Poland. I can’t set foot in Bulgaria.” Thanks for letting us know Spade!
On the other hand, we had a chance to see Ben Stiller, known for studio comedies more than any boutique film,...
- 3/10/2010
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
While clearly not as closely followed as the Guild Awards, let alone the Golden Globes, the Independent Spirit Awards casts a much wider net in terms of nominees by accepting any film that is screened at various festivals, even if it's not released in theatres. It does, however, limit the film's budget to $20 million.
Precious won Best Feature and Lee Daniels nabbed the Best Director award. Precious ladies, Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique also won the female acting awards while Jeff Bridges and Woody Harrelson got the male acting gongs.
Here's the full list of the nominess and winners...
Best Feature
Precious
Amreeka
500 Days of Summer
Sin Nombre
The Last Station
Best First Feature
Crazy Heart
A Single Man
Easier with Practice
Paranormal Activity
The Messenger
Best Director
Lee Daniels - Precious
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen - A Serious Man
Cary Fukunaga - Sin Nombre
James Gray - Two Lovers
Michael Hoffman...
Precious won Best Feature and Lee Daniels nabbed the Best Director award. Precious ladies, Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique also won the female acting awards while Jeff Bridges and Woody Harrelson got the male acting gongs.
Here's the full list of the nominess and winners...
Best Feature
Precious
Amreeka
500 Days of Summer
Sin Nombre
The Last Station
Best First Feature
Crazy Heart
A Single Man
Easier with Practice
Paranormal Activity
The Messenger
Best Director
Lee Daniels - Precious
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen - A Serious Man
Cary Fukunaga - Sin Nombre
James Gray - Two Lovers
Michael Hoffman...
- 3/8/2010
- Screenrush
Mo’Nique still has one more trophy to pick up this weekend, but the good times for everyone involved in the making of Precious has pretty much come to a close. The film picked up the awards for best feature, best director (Lee Daniels), best actress, best supporting actress and the hard fought category for best first screenplay. The Best Foreign Film vote somehow got mangled up favoring An Education over A Prophet. - Mo’Nique still has one more trophy to pick up this weekend, but the good times for everyone involved in the making of Precious has pretty much come to a close. The film picked up the awards for best feature, best director (Lee Daniels), best actress, best supporting actress and the hard fought category for best first screenplay. The Best Foreign Film vote somehow got mangled up favoring An Education over A Prophet. The three...
- 3/7/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Last night the 25th Film Independent Spirit Awards at La Live's panoramic event deck in downtown Los Angeles and talk about predictable as I nailed 12 of the 13 winners in the categories I predicted, with Precious being the night's biggest winner taking home Best Feature, Director, Actress, Supporting Actress and First Screenplay. The only category I missed was Best First Feature, which I predicted Oren Moverman's The Messenger would take home the award, but instead it went to Scott Cooper's Crazy Heart, which also won for Best Actor, awarding Jeff Bridges on his way to an Oscar win this Sunday.
I have listed all the winners below, see you Sunday for the Oscars.
Best Feature Amreeka (500) Days of Summer The Last Station Precious Sin Nombre Best Director Michael Hoffman, The Last Station Lee Daniels, Precious Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man Cary Fukunaga, Sin Nombre James Gray, Two Lovers Best Actor Jeff Bridges,...
I have listed all the winners below, see you Sunday for the Oscars.
Best Feature Amreeka (500) Days of Summer The Last Station Precious Sin Nombre Best Director Michael Hoffman, The Last Station Lee Daniels, Precious Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man Cary Fukunaga, Sin Nombre James Gray, Two Lovers Best Actor Jeff Bridges,...
- 3/6/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
"Precious" took home five major honors at the 2010 Independent Spirit Awards including Gabourey Sidibe's first Best Actress win.
"Precious" won awards for Best Feature, Lee Daniels for Best Director, Geoffrey Fletcher for Best First Screenplay and Sidibe and Mo'Nique took home Best Actress and Best Supporting, respectively.
Best Feature
500 Days of Summer, Producers Jessica Tuchinsky, Mark Waters, Mason Novick, Steven J. Wolfe
Amreeka, Producers Christina Piovesan, Paul Barkin
Precious, Producers Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness
Sin Nombre, Producer Amy Kaufman
The Last Station, Producers Chris Curling, Jens Meurer, Boonie Arnold
Best Director
The Coen Brothers for A Serious Man
Lee Daniels for Precious
Cary Fukunaga for Sin Nombre
James Grey for Two Lovers
Michael Hoffman for The Last Station
Best First Feature
A Single Man
Crazy Heart
Easier With Practice
The Messenger
Paranormal Activity
John Cassavetes Award
Big Fan
Humpday
The New Year Parade
Treeless Mountain
Zero Bridge
Best Screenplay
Alessandro Camon,...
"Precious" won awards for Best Feature, Lee Daniels for Best Director, Geoffrey Fletcher for Best First Screenplay and Sidibe and Mo'Nique took home Best Actress and Best Supporting, respectively.
Best Feature
500 Days of Summer, Producers Jessica Tuchinsky, Mark Waters, Mason Novick, Steven J. Wolfe
Amreeka, Producers Christina Piovesan, Paul Barkin
Precious, Producers Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness
Sin Nombre, Producer Amy Kaufman
The Last Station, Producers Chris Curling, Jens Meurer, Boonie Arnold
Best Director
The Coen Brothers for A Serious Man
Lee Daniels for Precious
Cary Fukunaga for Sin Nombre
James Grey for Two Lovers
Michael Hoffman for The Last Station
Best First Feature
A Single Man
Crazy Heart
Easier With Practice
The Messenger
Paranormal Activity
John Cassavetes Award
Big Fan
Humpday
The New Year Parade
Treeless Mountain
Zero Bridge
Best Screenplay
Alessandro Camon,...
- 3/6/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
The Spirit Awards are nearly upon us. I will live blog haphazardly tonight whilst cleaning my apartment and fine tuning Oscar Party Plans. In the meantime, while you wait for the festivities to begin, I thought you should hear from a Spirit voter. So I'll let him take it from here. Hello everybody! Michael B here, writing my first (and hopefully not last) guest post. Let me tell you a few things about myself before I begin. I’m 19 years old, from Los Angeles, but reside in New York City during the fall and spring. I attend Nyu and major in Dramatic Writing, or also known as, Film, Play and Television Writing. I’m a huge Oscar buff—I live five blocks away from the Academy Building—and have been an avid reader and “chatty moviegoer” at The Film Experience for over five years. And I do too love the actresses.
- 3/6/2010
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Film Independent's Spirit Awards marked their 25th anniversary this year and shook things up by trading their afternoon beachside luncheon for a nighttime party downtown. The show was hosted by comedian Eddie Izzard and a handful of the actors who attended and presented were Jeremy Renner ("The Hurt Locker"), Maggie Gyllenhaal ("Crazy Heart"), Carey Mulligan ("An Education") and Vera Farmiga ("Up in the Air"). Best Actor winner Jeff Bridges performed a song from his film "Crazy Heart" with Oscar-nominated songwriters T Bone Burnett and Ryan Bingham. The rock band Anvil whose career was chronicled in the independent film "Anvil: The Story of Anvil" also performed live and took home Best Documentary.
The Spirit Awards have supported and rewarded independent films throughout the years and MakingOf is proud to have interviewed many of this year's nominees and winners. I've included the full list of nominated films and talent below along with links to our exclusive interviews.
The Spirit Awards have supported and rewarded independent films throughout the years and MakingOf is proud to have interviewed many of this year's nominees and winners. I've included the full list of nominated films and talent below along with links to our exclusive interviews.
- 3/5/2010
- Makingof.com
For the silver anniversary, the Indie Spirit awards (you can follow them tomorrow night) decided to do the gala thing without the tent and a full 12 hours in advance of their regular Saturday time slot. For the fun of it, I've decided to put my expertise to the test. - For the silver anniversary, the Indie Spirit awards (you can follow them here tomorrow night) decided to do the gala thing without the tent and a full 12 hours in advance of their regular Saturday time slot. For the fun of it, I've decided to put my expertise to the test. Red highlighted titles are those that will win. Those in blue, are what should win, and finally, the picks in purple are when "will" and the "should" mix. Look for a brief commentary on each of the categories below. Best Feature Prior to Jason Reitman's win at Tiff for the audience award,...
- 3/5/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
I haven't talked about them since announcing the nominees back in December 2009, but tomorrow night, March 5, Film Independent will hold the 25th Annual Spirit Awards at La Live's panoramic event deck in downtown Los Angeles. The show will air live and uncut at 8:00 p.m. Pst/11:00 p.m. Est on IFC (Independent Film Channel).
I am going to be taking in a showing of the Broadway musical "Chicago" tomorrow night so I won't be reporting on the winners until late or possibly even Saturday morning, but for now here are my predictions for who will take home the Spirit Awards. Any of you disagree with my choices?
My winner predictions are bold and in red.
Best Feature Amreeka (500) Days of Summer The Last Station Precious Sin Nombre Best Director Michael Hoffman, The Last Station Lee Daniels, Precious Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man Cary Fukunaga, Sin Nombre James Gray,...
I am going to be taking in a showing of the Broadway musical "Chicago" tomorrow night so I won't be reporting on the winners until late or possibly even Saturday morning, but for now here are my predictions for who will take home the Spirit Awards. Any of you disagree with my choices?
My winner predictions are bold and in red.
Best Feature Amreeka (500) Days of Summer The Last Station Precious Sin Nombre Best Director Michael Hoffman, The Last Station Lee Daniels, Precious Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man Cary Fukunaga, Sin Nombre James Gray,...
- 3/5/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
I'm hoping that at some point during this year's Sundance Film Festival (staring Thursday, woo woo!) I'll be able to catch up with Paul Dano, who'll be there representing the New York-based comedy The Extra Man. Ever since holding his own against Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood Dano has chosen roles in tiny indies like Extra Man and Gigantic, and apparently shows no signs of stopping-- Variety is reporting that he'll star for director So Yong Kim in For Ellen. Dano will play a "struggling indie rocker" (indie cliche #1 alert) who winds up stranded in a small Midwestern town (indie cliche #2) and befriends a character played by Jon Heder (we've reached the cliche trifecta!) Kim, whose Treeless Mountain was a critical hit last year, will be directing her own screenplay, which I'm hoping is a lot less hackneyed in execution than it sounds from the basic plot outline.
- 1/18/2010
- cinemablend.com
In only a pair of outings, Kim has confirmed her presence as an indie filmmaker worthy of future auteurist theories -- her type of cinema, minimalist and miniscule triage dramas, reach for the highest levels of intimacy and with an isolated and an emotionally distraught Paul Dano, I'm expecting her to take up more room on the scene than her previous two combined. Seek out her films: In Between Days and Treeless Mountain. - #53. For Ellen Director/Writer: So Yong KimProducers: So Yong Kim and Jen Gatien (Holy Rollers)Distributor: Rights Available. The Gist: When an aspiring young rock musician (Paul Dano) agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife, he discovers he is not ready to forfeit all custody of his six-year-old daughter.....(more) Cast: Paul Dano and more cast Tba. Why is it on the list?: In only a pair of outings, Kim...
- 1/15/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
With a little help from Sherlock Holmes, Avatar is sustaining the UK box office through a weak January that's seen especially disappointing receipts for Sam Taylor-Wood's John Lennon biopic
The winner
While the chatter about Avatar's box office sales is now all about whether it can beat Titanic's $1.8bn (£1.1bn) to become the world's biggest ever box office hit, the sci-fi spectacle still has a few more obstacles in its path in the UK. In the first place, although it leapfrogged Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Up over the last seven days, it still needs to gross another £9m just to become the biggest-grossing release of 2009 (currently Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), never mind of all time. In fact, clearing that £50m hurdle won't even earn it a place in the all-time UK top 10.
Looked at another way, however, Avatar continues to do spectacular business:...
The winner
While the chatter about Avatar's box office sales is now all about whether it can beat Titanic's $1.8bn (£1.1bn) to become the world's biggest ever box office hit, the sci-fi spectacle still has a few more obstacles in its path in the UK. In the first place, although it leapfrogged Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Up over the last seven days, it still needs to gross another £9m just to become the biggest-grossing release of 2009 (currently Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), never mind of all time. In fact, clearing that £50m hurdle won't even earn it a place in the all-time UK top 10.
Looked at another way, however, Avatar continues to do spectacular business:...
- 1/12/2010
- by Charles Gant
- The Guardian - Film News
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