Milwaukee Film

Milwaukee Film blog has moved

2010-03-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

Hello Readers of the Milwaukee Film blog,

For any of you who may not have noticed yet, we have made some changes with our blog, so it is now hosted directly on our website. To continue receiving updates from our blog, please update your bookmarks with the new url: http://www.milwaukee-film.org/blog/

Thank you and we hope to hear from you if you have any comments, questions or suggestions for our blog.

Milwaukee Film

http://www.milwaukee-film.org/blog/

Because Reality TV is Lame.

2010-02-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

// By Anna Krutzik //

Today is Tuesday, also known as New DVD Day!

There are several notable films this week, a couple of which I feel contractually obligated to mention, as both screened at the 2009 Milwaukee Film festival: $9.99 and Shall We Kiss. $9.99 is an exquisite stop-motion animation by Israeli animator Tatia Rosenthal about one man's quest for the meaning of life. Shall We Kiss is a french romantic comedy about two friends who would like to kiss each other. You should rent these two films...so ends my shameless film festival plug.

The film that I'm most interested in promoting is the DVD release of Sorority Row. Directed by relative newcomer Stewart Hendler, this remake of 1983's House on Sorority Row delivers a surprisingly good rendition of pop culture via cheesy horror film stereotypes and a good dose of bitchy girl power thrown in.

The cast includes the who's who of today's IT girls (Briana Evigan, Margo Harshman, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Leah Pipes) whose names you might not recognize, but that doesn't matter because none of them were chosen for their great acting skills and some are already on their way out of America's collective consciousness (The Hill's Audrina Patridge). The dialogue is uncharacteristically smart (sometimes) and even funny (in a good way).

The film doesn't pretend to be anything but a bunch of popular girls wearing cool (a.k.a slutty) clothes that run around and get slaughtered. But it does what it does well. Once the killer comes around there isn't an endless 15 minute chase scene, people start dying and they do so in a big way. But the best part of Sorority Row has to be Carrie Fisher who plays the shotgun-wielding house mother of the girl's sorority.

Pop culture on celluloid, sparkly and fun.

*Still image from Sorority Row

See You at the Movies!

2010-02-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

// By Anna Krutzik //

So, it is a nondescript Friday in February and once again you're looking to go out and enjoy a movie in your local cinema because frankly there isn't much else to do in February in Wisconsin (*which I know is a false statement. There is a lot to do in Milwaukee on the weekends, but this is a film blog so we pretend that all that other stuff doesn't exist. It's a little biased but it makes for a more consice blog).

There is always the UWM Union Theatre which is showing Beeswax (directed by Max Von Sydow, Patricia Clarkson, Ted Levine, and Jackie Earle Haley

The Silver Lining on the Silver Screen

2010-02-17T10:46:00.000-08:00

// By T.J. Fackelman //

Lest you all begin to think it´s nothing but "doom and gloom" at the 60th Anniversary of the Berlinale, I´d like to tell you about a few of the less bleak titles I´ve enjoyed so far. The one that has elicited the most laughs from myself and fellow audience members by far has been TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL. This hilarious (yet slightly gory) comedy follows a group of college frat boys and their female friends on a camping trip into the Appalachian woods. At the same time, Tucker and Dale, two good ole´boys who like nothing more than downing a few beers and fishing, are on their way to Dale´s recently purchased "summer house," a rundown cabin deep in the forest. What begins as the perfect vacation for both groups turns into a grisly nightmare as limbs get hacked off and bodies begin to pile up. Is it the "pure evil lurking in the forest" that the local sheriff warned them about, or is it something worse? Could there be a suicide cult??

One thing is for sure...this ain´t DELIVERANCE!

Another wild ride is also one of the most hyped films of both the Berlinale and the recent Sundance Film Festival, Banksy´s EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, which according to the press materials, directed itself. The mysterious Banksy may be the main draw of the film, but it´s the eccentric and fanatical filmmaker Thierry Guetta who gets the most screen time and steals the show. But Banksy full on admits this right off the bat in the opening interview segment which distorts both his voice and face, concealing his true identity. Guetta´s cousin is a street artist named Space Invader who specializes in creating and displaying mosaics in the likeness of baddies from the classic arcade game of the same name. It´s through this relationship that Guetta first meets fellow street artist Shepard Fairey, best known for his blue and red image of Barack Obama used in the 2008 Presidential Election Campaign, as well as many other artists using urban walls, sidewalks and streets instead of canvasses. Guetta´s excitement over filming these street artists is overly infectious, and his excitement becomes a full on obsession when he begins his mission to find the elusive Banksy. The artists agree to let Guetta film them because he claims he´s making the definitive street art documentary, but he confesses that he has no such intention. He just wants to film them.

In the dead of night, we witness Guetta and his subjects scaling walls, and climbing onto rooftops to create their art without being seen. And this stuff truly is art, not just ugly graffiti or simple tags, proven by the hundreds of thousands of dollars some collectors have paid to own a Banksy.

In the end, it´s up to the viewer to try to decide who´s putting on who and what´s real and what isn´t in this post-modern meta-documentary (the film that "directed itself"). No matter what you decide, it´s impossible to not have a blast watching this film that´s unlike anything you´ve ever seen before.

Exquisite Gloom and Doom

2010-02-16T06:32:00.000-08:00

// By Jonathan Jackson //

Film festivals sometimes cast a dark shadow over their audience. It is a full-on eclipse at the 60th Berlinale.

My two fiction favorites thus far are no exception. Sundance Jury Prize winner WINTER'S BONE from Debra Granik and Thomas Vinterberg's return to form, the Danish SUBMARINO, both center on a subject many of us, maybe all if we are honest, can relate to: being the child of a dysfunctional parent(s).

Fulfilling the promise of her 2004 debut DOWN TO THE BONE, Debra Granik's WINTER'S BONE is a riveting, slow burn thriller that follows an Ozark mountain teenage girl, Ree (Jennifer Lawrence in a breakout role). Ree is desperately searching for her out-on-bail father so that her family does not lose their home and land, which he put up for bail. When not taking care of her catatonic mother, or two younger siblings, Ree must stand-up to an entire, seemingly lawless community whose only common value is to remain silent.

WINTER'S BONE could easily have become a cliche-riddled melodrama, in Granik's hands it becomes first rate thriller with the best depiction of a lost American mountain community this side of DELIVERANCE.

While Granik fulfilled the promise of her debut film immediately, Vinterberg has not. His three films following his hugely influential, masterful Dogme 95 debut film THE CELEBRATION all flopped with audiences and critics.

SUBMARINO will change that, at least with critics.

Me leading contender for the Berlinale Golden Bear, SUBMARINO is an unsparring, unflinchingly realistic look at two estranged brothers who are struggling to overcome an abusive and alcoholic mother, an absent father, drug addictions, poverty and the death of their little brother as an infant. Basically your typical date night movie!

Apaprently, SUBMARINO is the term for a type of water torture where the victim's head is held underwater until just before the moment of drowning. Vinterberg does the same to his two leads.

Soul bearing, pitch-perfect performances from the brothers, Danish actors Jakob Cedergren and Peter Plauborg, anchor the drama and allow you to actually empathize with their situations.

In addition to securing stellar performances from the entire cast, Vinterberg nails the right pacing and color palette to reinforce, but not overwhelm the drama.

Simply devastating.

Berlinale Streaming Restored METROPOLIS

2010-02-12T04:50:00.000-08:00

// By Jonathan Jackson //

"One of the most important film archival discoveries in history," Roger Ebert writes about the newly restored version of the Fritz Lang 1926 classic METROPOLIS. The newly restored version is set to premiere tonight at the Berlinale and live on the web at the same time (1:30pm Milwaukee time).

Apparently at least a half hour of footage of this landmark film that was thought to be lost forever was found in a film archive in Buenos Aries, full story via The Hollywood Reporter.

I can't guarantee the langauge of the subtitles, but here is the supposed location of the German live stream.

Here is to hoping that The Magnificent Ambersons ending is discovered next!

Guten tag!

2010-02-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

// By T.J. Fackelman //

Guten tag!

Jonathan and I arrived in Berlin for the 60th Annual Berlinale this morning around 10am, after a full day of travel narrowly skirting blizzards (including the flight to Berlin from JFK with nearly the entire NYC independent film industry, including actor Ben Foster, who's on the Jury this year). For those of you who don't know, Jonathan has been returning to the Berlinale year after year, but this is my first time (and it's my first time crossing the Atlantic since a trip to Ireland back in '97). Needless to say, I've been looking forward to this for years.

After leaving the airport, the first thing I noticed was the ice. Sure, we get a ton of snow in Milwaukee, so I'm used to it, but I didn't expect several layers of uneven ice layering every single walking surface. (It seems they put gravel down on the ice, but certainly no salt.) Jonathan and I even have a standing bet to see which of us will be the first to land face-first on Berlin ice. Keep an eye on this blog and you'll see who wins and who loses.

Getting past the weather, Berlin is an incredible city. The architecture of the buildings and the layout of the streets themselves creates an awesome blend between the old and the very new. Well, more about the city in the next few days as I see and learn more...

We are here for the MOVIES!

The thing is, with a festival of this size, it takes far more than two individuals to cover everything, but we are going to try our hardest, which means we'll be at completely different movies at all times. With that, here are a few of the highlights we're each looking forward to.

The film I'm probably most excited to see is Sylvain Chomet's THE ILLUSIONIST. Chomet was the creator of the incomparable animated tale THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE (I'm still peeved that FINDING NEMO took its Oscar for Best Animated film in 2004.) I've been waiting for years to see his follow-up.

Next up was my most-wanted-to-see-at-Sundance. Well, I didn't get to see it there, but it was an eleventh hour addition to the Berlinale lineup: EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP. It's a documentary by the equally legendary and mysterious UK graffiti artist Banksy. Sundance described it as such, "Banksy turns the tables on the only man who has ever filmed him, creating a remarkable documentary that is part personal journey and part an exposé of the art world with its mind-altering mix of hot air and hype."

I also can't wait to see MAMMUTH, the new comedy from Benoît Delépine and Gustave de Kervern, who made the film AALTRA, possibly one of the greatest laugh out loud dark comedies ever. The pair make a perfect team behind and in front of the camera, creating brilliantly bleak comedy out of the everyday.

Jonathan, the Berlinale vet., has several films on tap. First up is WINTER'S BONE, one of the Sundance Award Winners he wasn't able to catch amongst the hundreds of others in Park City last month. After seeing a poster while walking around Berlin, Jonathan mentioned how interested he is in seeing Thomas Vinterberg's latest film SUBMARINO. Vinterberg was the co-founder of the influential Dogme 95 film movement. He's also been talking up another award winning director, Jasmila Zbanic (who won the Golden Bear two years ago here with her debut film Grbavica).

Stay tuned to the Milwaukee Film blog to hear more about the films and our adventures in Germany. And start placing your bets on who falls first. Odds are on me as the new guy, but I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen.

We're Loving:

2010-02-10T11:56:00.001-08:00

// By Kyle Heller //

Ataque de Pánico! (Panic Attack!)
A YouTube movie that lists its budget at $300. I know this is old for the internet, but it is a testament of the rapidly increasing capabilities of independent/at-home filmmaking. The filmmaker Fede Álvarez, was offered a $30 million Hollywood deal to develop and direct a full-length film to be produced by Sam Raimi.

BROOKFIELD - All Recovered Monster Footage

A video assembled by our friends at Firestarter Films. Event organizers, Shawn Monaghan and Phil Koch assembled user submitted snippets and segments to create this Cloverfield parody, only this time the movie takes place here in Milwaukee. The digital effects used in the film are similar to Ataque de Pánico! in that something as uneventful as Wisconsin Avenue can turn into the next great monster scene.

If independent/at-home filmmaking does not continue, this is what happens...

The Muppets: Beaker's Balad
A reminder that while YouTube may be a great platform for independent/at-home filmmaking, the commentary and critiquing of pieces still need to grow up some.

*Still image from Ataque de Pánico! (Panic Attack!)

Collaborative Cinema: Filmmakers Workshop

2010-02-08T11:27:00.000-08:00

// By Anna Krutzik //

This past Saturday February 6th a group of talented local film professionals got together at RDI Stages to give a crash course in film making to 35 Wisconsin high school students. The event was presented by Milwaukee Film as part of its Collaborative Cinema program, a unique education program that provides high school students the chance to experience all aspects of film, from scriptwriting to working on an actual film set. The event was free for students and made possible by the incredible generosity of the film professionals who donated their time, equipment, and knowledge. The Collaborative Cinema program is generously funded by the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation.

During the Filmmakers Workshop students rotated to different stations to learn about the art department, camera, and production and shadowed crew members as they shot a scene from the animated Pixar film Up, using live actors (including Collaborative Cinema's project director Mark Metcalf) instead of computer generated ones. Carlo Besasie (amazing local filmmaker and creator of the 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival sponsor and commercial trailers) directed the scene along with AboutFace Media's Ryan Dembroski as the assistant director. Local production companies like Independent Edit, North American Camera, and Blue Moon Lighting also helped out in filming the scene. DocUWM was on hand to document the excitement. All in all, it was a great example of the local film community coming out and supporting the future filmmakers. It was amazing to see the students' eagerness to learn. And kudos to all the film industry professionals. You guys make great teachers!

Of the 35 student participants, 5 will be chosen to work as interns during the film shoot this summer as Collaborative Cinema turns the winning script from its high school screenplay competition into a short film that will premier at the 2010 Milwaukee Film Festival. But first, the Collaborative Cinema mentors must chose the top 15 scripts to move on in the competition and attend the second writing workshop to be held February 27 at Discovery World.

Good luck to all the participants in the program and thanks to those who made Saturday such a great success!

See You at the Movies

2010-02-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

// By Jonathan Jackson //

Bored by the prospect of seeing all 100, I mean 10, films nominated for a Best Picture Oscar this year? Thankfully, you are in luck, as the 13th Annual UWM Festival of Films in French is playing NOW at the UWM Union Theatre.

No country in the world has as a rich a cinematic history as France, so it is with just cause that Milwaukee has its very own festival dedicated to French film.

From February 5 - 14, the festival will unfurl 16 films, a mix of acclaimed new films and rare classic titles, almost all free and open to the public. The festival includes three films from the 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival, Seraphine, The Beaches of Agnes and Azur and Asmar; the US premiere of Germaine Dulac's 1927 surrealist masterpiece The Seashell and the Clergyman; and the LONG OVERDUE Milwaukee premiere of the acclaimed 2007 film The Secret of the Grain.

Unfortunately, as with every year of this venerable festival, I will be out of town at the Berlinale for its duration. I hope to hear from everyone after my return about the treasures that unfolded during this year's UWM Festival of Films in French.

Full Schedule of Films

*Still image above is from The Secret of the Grain

JJ's Loving

2010-02-03T11:32:00.000-08:00

// By Jonathan Jackson //

Best Online Videos of 2009 According to Sight & Sound

I Heart Zooey

Ariana Delawari on David Lynch Foundation Television

Question of the Day: Why are There So Few Female Filmmakers? Read the Comments!

For a Mere 700 Million You Could Own Miramax

*Behind the scenes image from Ariana Delawari music video directed by David Lynch

Because Reality TV is Lame.

2010-02-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

//By Anna Krutzik//

If you are like me, then it doesn't even matter what films are being released on DVD today because all you can think about is the season premiere of Lost tonight on ABC beginning at 7pm. I mean, does anyone else hear that ticking sound? That's the deafening crescendo of the hands on your wristwatch, ever so slowly ticking down the seconds until you can turn on your TV tonight and your life is complete. The title of this Tuesday blog post says it all: because reality TV is lame, watch Lost.

But if you want to rent a DVD tomorrow to take your mind off of the long week ahead until the next episode of Lost airs (Tuesday nights, 8pm) then you should definitely rent The House of the Devil, a delightful throwback to the heyday of '80s horror films and an Official Selection at the 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival. The film is directed by Ti West who at only 29 years old already has four feature films under his belt and is steadily making a name for himself as a new master of horror. Jocelin Donahue plays the central character, Samantha, who accepts a shady babysitting job at the last last minute on the night of a full lunar eclipse to get the money she desperately needs to move into her dream one-bedroom apartment. And actually, that pretty much is the whole plot. So to recap: young college girl, babysitting, alone, night of lunar eclipse, huge old house. That is all it takes to set the stage for one of the scariest films I've seen in a long, long time.

I was fortunate enough to see this film at its Midnight screening to a packed house at the Oriental Theatre during the 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival. The look and feel of the film seemed to be very authentic '80s, from the music to the hair and clothes, even the use of camera and editing resembled a time when people had longer attention spans than today's current YouTube generation. The film does an amazing job at building extreme tension out of virtually nothing, following Samantha as she explores the house, tries to delay boredom and put herself at ease, playing on the audiences' sense of dread and knowledge of the inevitable (it is called The House of the Devil, that should be your first clue). Which is the other thing I love about this film, the title. It's slightly over the top, and yet sort of comes across as confidence, as in "FACT: this is the devil's house" and you can't help but keep that in the back of your mind through the entire film. The tagline on the film's promotional poster reads: Talk on the phone. Finish your homework. Watch TV. DIE. Brilliant. Simple. I love it. The expectation of horror and tension is building before you even press play on this DVD.

If you're the type of person who enjoys that moment in a horror film when you just have to look away from the screen because you know something bad is about to happen and you simply can't stand the tension of waiting for it, then you will love this movie because the entire film is that moment. (A quick tip: If you have a boyfriend, and he has a shoulder, it definitely helps to be clutching his shoulder in a deathgrip for the first 40 minutes of this film to relieve that tension, otherwise it might be too much for you.) And if you're not that person, it should be worth sitting through this movie anyway because the ending definitely delivers on what the title promises and does not disappoint.

All in all, The House of the Devil is a must see for horror fans, '80s fans, and Lost fans suffering withdrawal.

*In an attempt to harness even more of the spirit of the '80s (which is almost impossible at this point) The House of the Devil is being released on a special edition VHS tape (that's right, VHS, like the thing you need a VCR for) in addition to the standard DVD and Blu-ray DVD. Awesome!

See You at the Movies!

2010-01-29T08:45:00.000-08:00

// By Anna Krutzik //

If you're headed out to see a brand new film at your local Milwaukee cinemas this weekend, I will warn you that there are some slim pickings. Of course, you could just see Avatar again. Everybody's doing it. But as the Friday blog spot is dedicated to reviewing and recommending just released feature films, I am relegated to writing about When in Rome (the latest "I'm-smoking-hot-but-just-can't-find-the-right-guy-and-when-I-search-for-him-hilarity-ensues" film) or Edge of Darkness.

So, Edge of Darkness is an emotionally charged thriller set at the intersection of politics and big business, according to its website. The film is directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale), and stars Mel Gibson in his first leading role since M. Night Shyamalan's Signs in 2002. Yeah, 2002. I guess Mel's been really busy doing, um, other things.

My initial reaction to the trailer for Edge of Darkness was that it seemed to closely resemble the 2008 film Taken starring Liam Neeson, in which a grizzled old man goes on a rage-fueled rampage for the truth because of his daughter being kidnapped, the only difference being that in Edge of Darkness the daughter is murdered. However, IMDB tells me that Edge of Darkness is actually based on a 1985 BBC mini-series of the same name, which was also directed by Campbell. I find it interesting that the director would choose to make a scaled-down movie version of his own 6-hour mini-series, which is often cited as one of the best and most influential pieces of British television drama ever made.

What it all boils down to is that Edge of Darkness just isn't my type of film, really. But please don't misunderstand my lack of enthusiasm for this movie and take it as a bad review. It looks like it would be an entertaining conspiracy theory action-filled 2 hours complete with a bad-ass ultimate hero. And if that floats your boat, more power to you. Maybe I'm just bitter because I couldn't write a review for Saint John of Las Vegas which stars Steve Buscemi and also comes out today but only in New York and LA. Or maybe I should have reviewed When in Rome, which isn't my type of film either, but I might have enjoyed making fun of that one more.

I guess Crazy Heart is still playing at the Downer Theatre. And that film won two Golden Globes recently, one for Jeff Bridges as Best Actor and one for Best Original Song ("The Weary Kind"). I do love T Bone Burnett who was a producer of the film in addition to co-writing the music and lyrics of "The Weary Kind". Darn it, I change my mind. This review is no longer about Edge of Darkness and is instead urging you to see Crazy Heart, a film about a broken-down hard-living country music singer on his road to salvation, starring Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, and Colin Farrell, in a directorial debut by Scott Cooper.
I hope you like it.

And if you go see Edge of Darkness, I hope you like that too.

And if you were really looking forward to seeing When in Rome, I'm sorry.

Rodrigo Garcia Saves The Melodrama

2010-01-27T09:13:00.000-08:00

// By Jonathan Jackson //

Director Rodrigo Garcia has stayed relatively under the radar. An astonishing feat considering his impeccable directing and writing track record, which includes the 2005 Milwaukee International Film Festival Closing Night film Nine Lives and countless hours of the best television of the last decade (Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, Big Love and In Treatment).

He is a gifted storyteller whose direction, which comes across as effortless, creates a lyricism that supports, not distracts, the complex character studies he creates. I would argue that no other writer/director working today creates characters with the same degree of psychological depth.

Actors must be dying to work with him.

Mother and Child features Annette Benning, Naomi Watts, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Jimmy Smitts and David Ramsey in a multi-character drama centered on love and parenthood. The scandalously under seen Annette Benning, the luminous Kerry Washington (in her second 2010 Sundance appearance), and the masterful Naomi Watts all deserve awards consideration at next year's Academy Awards.

Most melodrama in television and movies today is not generated from the characters, it is manufactured by vacant plot twists, over dramatic acting and vomit inducing scores. It is reassuring that we have an master/writer director choosing to work in the genre, reminding us of the potential it has to generate a profound connection with audiences.

I'm Pat Fucking Tillman

2010-01-24T17:13:00.000-08:00

// By Jonathan Jackson //

Three days into the 'rebellion,' the same trend is emerging as last year: documentaries rule at Sundance. Not necessarily an indictment of the fiction films unfurling, it is more a sign of how the documentary form has grown in the last few years as the best technology has become more accessible and more artists are choosing the documetary form over fiction.

From the entertaining, fly-on-the-wall view of a social networking nightmare in "Catfish," to the poetic and heartfelt stories of love from 70 different women found in "His and Hers," to the more investigative, interview orientated "The Pat Tillman Story" it has become clear that the only thing that eclipses the range of documentaries styles on display are the depth of emotions and insights found within them.

More on "Catfish" and "His and Hers" some other time, but for now I can't stop thinking about "I'm with Pat Tillman." I have seen plenty of films and read plenty of analysis that has made me sick about the actions of our elected officials and military leaders during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but I am not sure that any of them have hit me on a personal level quite the way this film did.

What makes "I'm with Pat Tillman" great though, is not the staggering revelations of improper actions by our leaders, or the virtuoso filmmaking for that matter, it is the incredible portrait of an honest family and their fallen son who only ever had two wishes: that they know the truth of the circumstances surrounding their son's death and that the government respects his wishes.

The Tillman family was lied to, manipulated and used as a marketing tool during the aftermath of Pat's death and their search for answers. Pat's documented wishes for his funeral and privacy we're betrayed.

To this day the officials responsible have still not been held accountable.

Pat Tillman and his family come across as some of the most real Americans I have ever encountered. The Tillman parents raised their boys to be open, honest and human. To navigate the World through their own eyes, their family's eyes and their country's eyes. It is simply a tragedy that the American government and military ran over them and betrayed them.

Prior to its premiere at Sundance, "The Pat Tillman Story" was actually titled "I'm Pat Fucking Tillman." The director Amir Bar-Lev changed the title, likely for obvious reasons.

The original title comes from the moments just before Tillman's death. As friendly fire rained down on Pat Tillman from only 40 yards away, in desperation he shouted to the American soldiers firing at him:

"I'm Pat fucking Tillman! Why are your shooting at Me?"

"I'm Pat fucking Tillman!"

This is Your Guide to CInematic Rebellion

2010-01-22T18:57:00.000-08:00

// By Jonathan Jackson //

Earlier this week, as I was getting ready for my annual trek into Mormon country, I found myself less enthusiastic than ever before to attend arguably the nation’s leading film event.

I could point to a number of possible reasons: John Cooper’s ascendancy to the top post, the ridiculous slogan on the cover of the guide “This is Your Guide To Cinematic Rebellion,” the avalanche of work I was planning to bring with me that had nothing to do with the pleasures of movie going or maybe it was just my anticipated homesickness.

Whatever the reason was, it was misplaced.

As I dug deeper into the program guide on my flight here, I was excited to discover that many of my favorite contemporary filmmakers were premiering new work at the festival.

Here are the five I am most looking forward to seeing:

12th & Delaware
Directed by Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady (The Boys of Baraka)

Hesher
Directed by Spencer Susser (I Love Sarah Jane)

Casino Jack and the U.S. of Money
Directed by Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side)

Freedom Riders
Directed by Stanley Nelson (Jonestown: the Life and Death of the People’s Temple)

Wisdom Teeth
Directed by Don Hertzfeldt (Everything Will Be Okay)

*Above still image from the film Hesher

See You at the Movies!

2010-01-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

by T.J. Fackelman //

As you’ve probably heard by now, tonight will mark Conan O’Brien’s last show as host of The Tonight Show. And I know it will be tempting to stay in and watch CoCo deliver his final monologue and reminisce over the last 7 memorable months, but that’s why we have DVRs. So we can go to the movies! So, while my DVR faithfully records Conesy’s last moments on NBC, I will be out at the theater. Care to join me?

One film in particular that I’ve been looking forward to seeing is Until The Light Takes Us, a documentary by Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell that explores the world of Norwegian ‘black metal.’ But black metal isn’t just a music genre, it’s more of a cultural phenomenon that veers into cult territory. The black metal scene emerged in Norway in the 1980s, but it took a string of controversial crimes in the ‘90s to really raise the profile of the scene. The crimes range from dozens of cases of arson (all involving churches burned to the ground) to murder and from alleged Satanism to cannibalism.

In order to examine the complex and misunderstood beliefs and principles of the Norwegian black metal scene, documentary filmmakers Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell packed up and moved to Norway for several years, living amongst the musicians and establishing a good rapport that grants them never-before-seen access. With this access, Aites and Ewell choose to focus on several of the most prominent musicians in the scene to tell the storied history.

If you decide to go, just don’t expect a concert film. In fact, don’t expect to hear much of the black metal music they’re discussing at all. In an interesting judgment call, Aites and Ewell prefer the use of electronic atmospheric sounds to the brutal, crushing sounds of Norwegian bands like Burzum, Darkthrone and Mayhem. I’m really curious to see how effective the use of music is in this documentary, as well as learn some more about this rather mysterious European musical and cultural scene.

Until The Light Takes Us (93 min.)

Times Cinema
5906 W. Vliet St.
Milwaukee, WI 53208
(414) 453-2436

Friday, Jan. 22 at 9pm & 11pm
Saturday, Jan. 23 at 9pm & 11pm

We're Loving:

2010-01-20T14:34:00.000-08:00

by Jonathan Jackson //

Alexander Payne (Sideways, Election) begins next film and George Clooney introduces Wes Anderson as only he can

Top 25 Films of the Decade, American made for under $1,000,000

Project Taliban: Malick or Bigelow?

The Sundance Film Festival begins tomorrow, here are Filmmaker Magazine’s Most Anticipated Films

Finally, what I am thinking about as I head to Sundance

*Still Image from David Gordon Green's George Washington

Because Reality TV is Lame

2010-01-19T14:08:00.000-08:00

The Hurt Locker - Out on DVD/Blu-ray now!

by Mark Metcalf //

Kathryn Bigelow directs films that a man should direct. That’s wrong. She directs films that you would expect a man to direct, but she directs them even better.

The protagonist of The Hurt Locker is an arrogant, self-involved soldier just dying to be a hero. Bigelow looks at that directly; does not comment on it, does not shy away from it, any more than she shies away from the war he is involved in. And I think she comes away from the experience of directing this film understanding that it may just take that kind of person to fight a war like this, a war that probably should not be fought at all.

The war is Iraq. The year is 2004. It is the year in which four Blackwater “contractors” were killed, mutilated and burned, and then dragged through the streets and hung from a bridge for everyone to view. It is the year in which the United States lost its 1,000th soldier to violent death in that war. The story centers on Staff Sgt. William James who takes over the EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) unit in Bravo Company. Disarming an IED (Improvised Explosive Device), as you can imagine, is the most dangerous job in war. James loves his job. He puts his partners’ lives at more risk than necessary because he loves his job so much. He leaves his wife and his infant son to go back to Iraq for more. But he is much more than an adrenaline junkie who likes to risk his life. He is a man who chooses death over life. Certainly the possibility of death.

Bigelow’s camera and editing, her absolute concentration on the task at hand, with no obvious showboating, takes you on an extremely visceral ride. I think a male director might have let us know that he was there; would have removed us, and himself from the experience by taking the god position. Bigelow puts the camera right inside the helmet of Staff Sgt. James as he approaches an IED. She faces it directly with little or no ego other than what we imagine it must take to do the job at hand.

It is a remarkable war movie, although, I think it is a little patchwork in its story telling. There is an attempt to fill it with as many of the experiences of that war as possible. But one of those extra scenes, in the desert, when the EOD team has to transform itself into a sniper team, and Bigelow again allows us to experience the long agonizing wait, in the sun, with total stillness, and the purest concentration on the task at hand that I have ever seen in a film, while one sniper team waits until the other makes the mistake of motion so that they can be seen and killed. That scene may be the best one in the film. But somehow it is extraneous to the primary story.

The film follows the time-tested path of the “war movie,” with a scene of action followed by a scene of introspection followed by another scene of action. It executes those scenes with a certainty, and intelligence, and a desire to see the truth that has been rare in films about the endless war in Iraq. However, because it lacks originality in its structure it is not a great film, but it is the best war movie I have seen since A Walk In the Sun.

Five Cool Film Links for the Week 1/15/2010

2010-01-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

Still Image from Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank

By Jonathan Jackson

Feeling down lately? You MUST have a case of the Avatar blues!

I was elated when I found out that the brilliant Scottish director Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher, Morvern Callar) was in talks to direct the shattering novel The Lovely Bones. Then I cried when Peter Jackson elbowed his way in. Surprise, it looks as if the novel lost its soul on screen.

Speaking of UK directors, Andrea Arnold’s (Wasp, Red Road) latest and possibly greatest, Fish Tank, opened today in NYC.

I love looking at movie posters and some of the ones in this collection are insane: X-Rated - Adult Movie Posters of the 60s and 70s.

Seems like a great idea for a book: Screen Epiphanies: Filmmakers on the Films that inspired them.

Cinema to See This Weekend: Broken Embraces

2010-01-15T09:56:00.001-08:00

By Anna Krutzik

As you finish reminiscing about the great art you saw Friday evening at Gallery Night, you settle in to your Saturday afternoon and you’re wondering “What movie should we see this weekend?”, remember that you read the Milwaukee Film blog and they recommended Broken Embraces, Pedro Almodóvar’s newest feature film (his 17th film to date, if you’re keeping track) starring Penélope Cruz, Lluís Homar, and a slew of other Almodóvar regulars.

Opening today at the Downer Theatre, Broken Embraces is the story of a writer and film director (Homar) who was blinded 14 years earlier in a tragic car accident that also took from him the love of his life, Lena (Cruz). The story is told mostly in flashbacks, jumping between the two personas of Homar’s character, Harry Caine and Mateo Blanco. The plot twists around the intense love between Lena and Harry/Mateo and the jealousy and betrayal that affect them, incorporating a film-within-a-film and numerous references to Almodóvar’s other features all while keeping a neo-noir theme.

The film has been getting mostly favorable reviews and looks to me like a fun throwback to the noir genre that shows off the best of Almodóvar’s sensibilities: his use of color, strong female characters, unexpected plot twists, and the overwhelming sense of perseverance through it all.

Broken Embraces has been nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film for the Golden Globes, which air this Sunday on NBC beginning at 6pm (CST). So go check out the film and then watch it win! Well, maybe. I don’t actually know the outcome of the Golden Globes, but I do know that Broken Embraces will be going on my list of cinema to see this weekend.

Decade of Amnesia

2010-01-14T10:58:00.000-08:00

by Jonathan Jackson

We live in a society of the present. Information, media and advertising bombard us in every conceivable way. It has brought our World closer together, but it has also marginalized the past and with it the value of knowledge.

Everyone has always had an opinion, but now everyone has a platform to voice those opinions. Not that this is a completely negative occurrence, but it should not cause the death of serious journalism and make intellectualism a bad thing. Today, everyone is a critic. Unfortunately, this has marginalized our best critics, thinkers, writers who have devoted their lives to their field.

It may just be a product of my growing older, but I am horrified that today, more than ever before, the value of history has been forgotten. Many of the financial, political and cultural missteps of the past decade could have been avoided by learning from our past.

As we hurdle forward into a new decade at a staggering pace, it is reassuring to me that our leading film artists tried to remind us that we do not in fact all have collective amnesia. Amongst my favorites of the decade, no theme is more dominant than the importance of the past.

Ten Best Fiction Films of the Decade

10. George Washington

9. Fat Girl

8. The Bourne Supremacy & Ultimatum

7. Donnie Darko (Original Theatrical Version)

6. Zodiac

5. Time Out

4. Yi Yi

3. Children of Men

2. There Will Be Blood

1. In the Mood for Love

Ten Best Documentaries of the Decade

10. Jesus Camp

9. Unknown White Male

8. The Unforeseen

7. Tarnation

6. Darwin’s Nightmare

5. Taxi to the Dark Side

4. Bowling for Columbine

3. Stevie

2. Jonestown: The Life and Death of the People’s Temple

1. Iraq in Fragments

Ten Best Television Shows of the Decade

10. The Daily Show

9. Deadwood

8. Freaks and Geeks

7. Curb Your Enthusiasm

6. Dexter

5. Arrested Development

4. 30 Rock (Pre-Writers Strike)

3. The Office (BBC)

2. Six Feet Under

1. The Wire

Ten Best Albums of the Decade

10. Air: Talkie Walkie

9. Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP

8.Sufjan Stevens: Illinois

8. Bob Dylan: Love and Theft

7. OutKast: The Love Below/ Speakerboxxx

6. LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver

5. TV on the Radio: Dear Science

4. Hot Chip: The Warning

3. Gnarls Barkley: The Odd Couple

2. M.I.A.: Kala

1. M. Ward: Post-War

Blu-ray/DVD Release of the Week: Big Fan (2009)

2010-01-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

Welcome to a new weekly section of the Milwaukee Film blog dedicated to keeping you up to date on some of the best new Blu-ray/DVD releases. On the docket for this week is Big Fan, an Official Selection of the 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival.

Big Fan is the directorial debut from Robert D. Siegel, former Madison resident who took time out of his busy schedule to attend a screening of Big Fan at the 2009 Milwaukee Film Fest. Siegel's established his place within the international film community with his critically acclaimed screenplay for the 2008 Oscar-nominated film The Wrestler.

Although Big Fan stars notorious funnyman Patton Oswalt, and it was written and directed by a former Senior Editor of The Onion, it's a far cry to call it an ordinary sports comedy. Oswalt stars as Paul Aufiero, the titular anti-hero who's obsessed with the NY Giants. Working as a parking lot attendant, Paul spends his evenings calling in to sports talk radio shows and his weekends watching his beloved Giants on a tiny TV from the stadium parking lot. Following a violent confrontation with one of the stars of his favorite team, Paul is forced to put his entire belief system into question. As his life spins out of control, Big Fan raises the stakes and hurtles towards an ending you don't see coming.

You can read an interview with Robert Siegel and A.V. Club Milwaukee Editor Steve Hyden here.

Multiple Milwaukee Film Festival Alumni need your votes to win awards

2010-01-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

Carlo Besasie nominated for People’s Choice Award

Local filmmaker and 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival Alum Carlo “Vinnie” Besasie attended the American Film Market in Los Angeles back in November and participated in their Favorite Film Pitch contest. Carlo was given 2 and a half minutes to make a pitch for his movie idea entitled All the Queen’s Men. When the Market was over, 5 movie pitches were nominated for a People’s Choice Award, and All the Queen’s Men was one of those selected. Voting for the People’s Choice Award is open to the public, and you can vote as many times as you’d like. To see Carlo’s movie pitch and vote for it, click here.

In addition to receiving the Favorite Film Pitch award, the winner will also receive an AFM 2010 package that includes full access for two to the AFM, including seminars and conferences; airfare for two to Los Angeles; hotel for five nights in Santa Monica; and scheduled meetings with producers and distributors.

Though he needs your votes to win this award, Carlo is no stranger to winning accolades for his filmmaking. Most recently, he was awarded the Allan H. (Bud) & Suzanne L. Selig Audience Award for his short film The Violinist at the 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival. Two of Carlo’s other short films, Wishtaker and The Cherry Tree, were also award winners at the now-defunct Milwaukee International Film Festival. Not one to rest and be content with his past awards, Carlo is also phenomenally prolific. For the 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival, Carlo directed a team of filmmakers who produced the fun, promotional trailer, as well as the beautiful sponsor trailer shot in the remarkable home theater belonging to Racine resident Fred Hermes, which hides a treasure trove of decades worth of film equipment. Carlo, always willing to lend a needed hand, also donated his time to fill the role of Cinematographer for the Collaborative Cinema/Milwaukee Film produced short film The Waiting Room, written by former Brookfield Central High School student Emily Downes for the 2008 screenwriting contest.

Andrew Swant & Bobby Ciraldo nominated for four PILL Awards

Local filmmakers and 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival Alumni Andrew Swant and Bobby Ciraldo have entertained you with ballet dancers prancing around to the spoken words of William Shatner, their hilarious music video for Samwell’s What What In The Butt was parodied on South Park, and they keep the stoners and drunks busy with their late-night comedy show Something Theater, but now they need your help to win the four PILL Awards for which they have been nominated. Andrew and Bobby have the following videos nominated in the following categories:

#03. PARODY PILL - "Samwell Goes To The Woods" by Samwell
#11. BEST ANIMATION/FX - "What What (In the Butt)" by Samwell
#15. BEST MUSIC VIDEO - ELECTRO - "What What (In the Butt)" by Samwell
#23. BEST EPISODE - "Episode 53: ELECTRO"

Click here to go to the PILL Awards website and vote!

Collaborative Cinema

2010-01-11T11:26:00.000-08:00

This Saturday January 9^th, Milwaukee Film hosted the first workshop for its Collaborative Cinema program at Discovery World. 41 high school students from Milwaukee and surrounding areas (out of over 100 who submitted) were picked to attend the workshop based on their idea for a short film. During the workshop, the students learned tips and tricks from film industry professionals to help guide them in turning their ideas into a full screenplay. The goal of the program is to continue working with the students and their screenplays until ultimately one is chosen to be made into a short film which will premiere at the 2010 Milwaukee Film Festival. Past participants of the Collaborative Cinema program including Vinnie Balistreri (She Never Screams, winner in ’06), Katrina Schwarz (Small Talk, winner in ’07) Emily Downes (The Waiting Room, winner in ’08), and Natalie Mullins (Ward Three, winner in ’09) also attended to offer guidance and suggestions to this year’s 41 hopefuls. With Project Director Mark Metcalf (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Seinfeld) at the helm, the day was filled with fun, learning, and for 41 high school students, the chance of a lifetime.

Ryan Sarnowski and the wonderful film students that are part of the DocUWM program were on hand all day capturing the action and excitement that unfolded to make a short documentary about the Collaborative Cinema program. I can’t wait to see the final product!

All in all, it was an intense workshop and a big thank you goes out to the mentors and students for making the day such a success!

Good luck to everyone participating in the Collaborative Cinema program this year!

Change the Conversation

2009-09-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

For today's blog we have invited Blyth Renate Meier, Producer of "Changing The Conversation: America's Gun Violence Epidemic," to interview the Director Janet Fitch.

Blyth Renate Meier, Producer: How did you get involved in the gun violence issue?

Janet Fitch, Director and Executive Producer:
I've always been active in the Milwaukee community, and when I heard some women friends were heading to the Million Mom March for sensible gun laws in Washington, DC, I knew I wanted to get a crew together to document it. The people I met on that journey and the stories they told me inspired me to dig deeper on this issue and explore it through local, national and state lenses. That was in 2000, and this film completes the 3-part Guns, Grief and Grace in America series. Midway through the process I learned about the concept of reframing discussion to a public health focus on prevention, and from that point on, I've remained extremely optimistic about that possibility.

BRM: What makes you think this kind of massive shift can be made in the public mindset?

JF: When compared with the current conversation - who can argue against this? I really believe people will want to be engaged with a common sense, non-political approach based on medical facts. I am also hopeful because in Milwaukee we have a broad coalition of people working to change this conversation. Across race, age, class and gender, people are beginning to come together to ask what they can do about this problem. Hope expands with this fresh, non-polarized approach so everyone can take their own next steps to further the discussion, and find solutions.

Janet Fitch & Blyth Renate Meier will be in attendance at the 9/30 screening of Changing the Conversation: America’s Gun Violence Epidemic at 7:30pm at the North Shore Cinema.

STORM on the Horizon

2009-09-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to re-post a blog entry of mine from Day 3 of my visit to the Berlin International Film Festival.

Berlinale disrupted by "Storm."

German director Hans-Christian Schmid has cemented his place as a world-class filmmaker and raised the stakes with his latest fiction film, "Storm." Tackling an international justice issue at the heart of foreign relations in war torn regions around the World, we follow the trial of a war time commander of the Yugoslavian National Army at The Criminal Tribunal at The Hague.

Schmid has always possessed a natural ability to put you inside and on the edge of his characters skin, and now with "Storm" he proves that he can create an engaging political thriller.

The scripts greatest asset is that it treats the subject in full and does not create easy solutions or answers for dramatic effect. It brings up the right questions, even if it can't answer them all.

Made with the approval of the tribunal, the film showcases the court in all of its complexity. While doing justice to the people who work for the court, it also looks very closely at the court's purity. The tremendous pressure the judges and attorneys are under when a verdict against a past injustice has unwanted ramifications in the present is palpable throughout the film.

In the end, I merely hope that "Storm" will have a chance to be seen by more people than his previous effort, the criminally under-appreciated "Requiem."

STORM screens Tuesday, September 29, 7:30pm at Oriental Theatre at the Milwaukee Film Festival

We Live In Public

2009-09-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

Milwaukee Film invited local Producer, Mark Foote of Flexible Films LLC to interview Ondi Timoner, director of the Milwaukee Film Festival Selection We Live in Public.

21 September 2009, Milwaukee, WI

Today, I spoke with Ondi Timoner, director of the award winning documentary We Live In Public, and I can assure you that over the last several months, she has gleaned some new insights into the meaning of her film for her audiences and our society at large. I realized that this story is about us...it is a cautionary tale about how the internet can and is affecting most all of our lives. It is looking ten years back, when there was no broadband, and predicting a future where we could be exponentially caught in the virtual web." said Ondi.

Since winning the 2009 Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, Ondi has toured the world with this project. The film's web site, www.weliveinpublicthemovie.com lists at least sixteen festivals where the film has screened, and Ondi has attended many of these premiers, including the Sydney and Melbourne Australia fests, and Karlovy Vary IFF in the Czech Republic, where she won the Special Jury Prize.

Alone in the Dark

2009-09-19T05:52:00.000-07:00

New York Movie, Edward Hopper

When the 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival ends no one will have seen the same movie. Each of us will have our own experiences and interpretations of the more than 160 films screening in the festival.

This makes me wonder, how in the world can a festival be programmed to satisfy an entire city's population?

Maybe more importantly, with so many movies screening that you have never heard of before, how in the world can you decide which ones to see?

The answers are not as elusive as you may think. At the Milwaukee Film Festival we pride ourselves on the quality line-up of films we present at the festival. We travel the world scouting possible film selections, conduct arduous research in our office throughout the year and view countless hours of films as a staff to pick out several hundred titles, most of them already award winners, that are all worthy of festival selection. But we don't stop there.

Since May of this year, over 30 film lovers have been in our office viewing films on a weekly basis to sort through and select only the best possible films for our festival. This process makes us capable of not only screening award-winning films, but also films that can satisfy a diverse audience of movie goers.

As for deciding which films to see, well, check out the new section of our website, Team Picks, which will be updated daily throughout the end of the film festival with the favorites of several staff and Program Committee members.

See you at the movies!

2009 Milwaukee Film Festival Trailer

2009-09-15T05:28:00.000-07:00

DESTINATION CINEMA

On behalf of the Board, staff and supporters of Milwaukee Film a heartfelt thanks goes out to the incredible team who donated their talent, time and services to create the 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival Trailer.

Crew: Carlo Besasie, Jeff Faber, Mike Gillis, Patrick Haley, Dave Kiehl, Mike Krieger, Frankie Latina, Ryan Plato, Marko Stachniw, Chris Thompson, and Don Unverrich

Cast: Clay Covert, Cesar Gamino, Dan Grenda, Michael Hayden, Richard Lau, Lance Miller, Miles O'Neil, Ryan Plato, Nathan Polzin, Amanda Shalhoub, Nick Sommer, Jason Vollmer, and Lindsey Weigel

Companies: Blend Studios, Blue Moon Lighting, Film Tools, Flexible Films, Independent Studios, Kodak, Light Force of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Film Corps, and North American Camera

A Front Row Seat to Revolution

2009-06-30T02:34:00.000-07:00

Fragmented social media tools and delayed reports from traditional media have allowed me to stay only intermittently aware of the struggle for democracy in the streets of Tehran. Never having been involved in a violent, passionate uprising against my government, it is strange how well I now understand the action on the ground. I attribute this to two unlikely sources, the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) and Danish filmmaker Anders Ostergaard.

The DVB, aka the Burma VJs, are a band of Burmese reporters who operate clandestinely inside the military dictatorship of Myanmar. In 2007, these brave Burmese reporters captured a massive rebellion, the “Saffron Revolution,” on handheld camcorders in the streets. Over 100,000 protesters were led by Buddhist monks, who broke a self-imposed silence in order to speak out against the 40-year-running repressive Myanmar regime. During the rebellion, the internet was shut down and foreign reporters were banned from the country. Fortunately for its fellow citizens and the world at large, the DVB risked life and limb to record the brutal clashes with the military and undercover police and soon became targets themselves. After shooting footage on the streets, the DVB systematically smuggled it out of the county to be broadcast worldwide via satellite.

Now enter Anders Ostergaard, a Danish filmmaker who was planning to make a 30-minute documentary portrait of one of the DVBs, Joshua (his pseudonym). As the revolution erupted, “Burma VJ" was born. Ostergaard has formed the scintillating raw material shot by the DVB into a taught, real-life thriller. Some scenes needed to be reenacted in order to connect the dots in the film, causing a bit of controversy amongst documentary purists, but Ostergaard insists the recreations are exact to what transpired and were necessary to construct the film. The editing project entailed to construct “Burma VJ” was massive; the proof of its success ample. The film has won numerous awards at film festivals around the world.

View the “Burma VJ” Trailer

After first seeing “Burma VJ” at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, I was reminded of what Francis Ford Coppola said near the end of the remarkable documentary on the making of “Apocalypse Now,” “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse,” ‘To me the great hope is that now these little 8mm video records and stuff that are coming out, just some, people that normally wouldn't make movies are going to be making them and, you know, suddenly one day some fat girl in Ohio is going to be the next Mozart and make a beautiful film…’

Coppola goes on to ramble about professionalism and art, but the illustrative point is that having technology in everyone’s hands expands the playing field for moviemaking and filmmaking. Few times will it lead to art as skillful and informative as “Burma VJ,” but it always has the potential to bring the world closer together.

Now Tibet and other movements around the world are looking at the DVB and “Burma VJ” to see how they can also use the tools of technology to communicate with the world and their people about their struggles.

If only the people in the streets of Tehran had been able to see this film and learn from the DVB before their uprising, perhaps the military crackdown on the protest would have been so successful.

You can see the Milwaukee Premiere of “Burma VJ” at the 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival, September 24 – October 24, 2009.

For a limited time Ticket Packages and Passes are on sale at their cheapest prices, so buy now and save a bundle at www.milwaukee-film.org

Sweet Baseball

2009-05-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Jackson
Artistic Director, Milwaukee Film

It’s amazing how early in the summer everyone in Milwaukee is talking about baseball, but it’s not just because of the Brewers recent hot streak. Screening in Milwaukee now at the Landmark Downer Theatre is the must-see, widely acclaimed drama “Sugar.”

“Sugar” follows Miguel Santos, a talented Dominican youth who is discovered by MLB scouts and travels through several development leagues in an attempt to make it to the big leagues and rescue his family from extreme poverty.

“Sugar” is the second feature from the writing and directing duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, whose remarkable debut film “Half Nelson” also screened to great acclaim and even earned an Oscar nomination for its lead actor Ryan Gosling.

Film festival fans in Milwaukee might remember Ryan Fleck, as he attended the 2004 Milwaukee International Film Festival with his short “Gowanus, Brooklyn.” I caught up with Ryan this week on Facebook to ask him a few questions and try to get inside look at the process of making “Sugar.”

Algenis Perez Soto is magnetic in the title role of ‘Sugar.’ Where and how did you find him?
We found him playing baseball with friends while casting for the movie in San Pedro de Macoris. He was number 452 of about 600 interviews we conducted during the process.

The ‘Ryan and Anna Internment Acting Class’ sounds pretty interesting… how did you prepare Soto for his first film appearance?
I’m pretty sure we’d be terrible acting teachers. Once we found Algenis (which is the hardest part of directing a movie like this) we spent a lot of time with him and his family just hanging out. And once our crew arrived to the Dominican Republic, they got to know him too. So by the time we were shooting, he felt super comfortable with all of us. We also gave him movies like Taxi Driver and Half Nelson to give him a sense of the understated style of acting we like in movies. Most of the movies they see in the DR tend to be big action movies or broad comedies.

The cinematography by Andrij Parekh, who also shot “Half Nelson,” is crucial to the intimacy between Sugar and the audience. How did you prepare for the photography of the film and what is your onset relationship like with Parekh?
Andrij is extremely sensitive to the acting process. He will never sacrifice an actor’s needs to the lighting. He understands that everything in a movie like this or “Half Nelson” revolves around the actor’s performances. That said, there is a significant amount of baseball in the movie that none of us were familiar with shooting. Once we created a shotlist, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to rehearse some of the baseball sequences on video and have Anna edit them on her laptop to see if they were working. That was a very helpful experience.

Being that “Sugar” is such a close, intense character study, I find it amazing that it also provides the viewer with an authentic look at three very distinct communities, as well as the MLB farm system. I am guessing the authenticity on screen has a lot to do with research, so please describe your and Anna’s research process for the film.
Yes, research was huge. We traveled to the Bronx, the Dominican Republic, Arizona, and Iowa to interview as many people as we could. The story and character details really came together based on our experiences during these trips. For example, in Iowa we learned about the host families that foreign players stay with to ease their financial burden while playing in the U.S. The Higgins family were based on a combination of families we met during the research.

Collaboration with a crew is a necessary part of any film production, but you and Anna take it to the next level by sharing writing and directing duties. There must be plenty of high and low points in your collaborative process, how about sharing one of each from “Sugar?”
The great part of any collaboration is sharing ideas and building upon them until a third idea emerges, which is hopefully better than the original two. The bad part of collaborating is private. Sorry.

I love the eclectic selection of music used in “Sugar,” tell me about process of selecting the songs, in particular the choice of ‘TV On The Radio’s’ “Blues From Down Here”?
We worked with a great music supervisor, Lynn Fainchtein. She came down to the DR and met with record labels and gave us hundreds of songs to sift through. We essentially handpicked the ones we liked. I believe she told us she had a connection to TV on the Radio and we’re fans so we went through their music and found “Blues from Down here” for the montage sequence.

Follow-up: Knowing that you share zip codes with ‘TV on the Radio,’ would you promise to tell them that they have a huge following in Milwaukee and it is borderline criminal that they have not played Milwaukee on their last two album tours?
We don’t know them, but if we ever meet, we’ll let them know. Perhaps we’ll meet at their show in Brooklyn this June. Sorry again.

As a MLB fan, what do you think of the NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers and their chances this year?
Don’t know much about the Brewers, but I suppose it’s been awhile since they were good, so I’ll be pulling for them.

So an adaptation of “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” by Ned Vizzini is up next. What drew you to the material?
The novel was given to us by a producer and we thought it was fun. It’s very different from “Sugar” or “Half Nelson,” but there are some serious ideas, despite the story’s comic tone.

Interested in the Art of Film: SEE

2009-04-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

“Revanche”
Monday, April 20 – 7:00 p.m.
Marcus North Shore Cinema
11700 N. Port Washington Rd. (Mequon)
Admission: $10
Purchase Tickets Now Online

“Revanche” Red Band Trailer

“Revanche” Website

Winner of over 14 film festival awards including: Best European Film at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival & Best Foreign Language Film of the Year from FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics); Milwaukee audiences have a chance to see “Revanche” two weeks prior to its US theatrical release date

At once a gripping thriller and a tragic drama of nearly Greek proportions, Revanche is the stunning, Oscar–nominated, international breakthrough film from Austrian filmmaker Götz Spielmann. In a ragged section of Vienna, hardened ex-con Alex (the mesmerizing Johannes Krisch) works as an assistant in a brothel, where he falls for Ukrainian hooker Tamara (Irina Potapenko). Their desperate plans for escape unexpectedly intersect with the lives of a rural cop (Andreas Lust) and his seemingly content wife (Ursula Strauss). With meticulous, elegant direction, Spielmann creates a tense, existential, and surprising portrait of vengeance and redemption, and a journey into the darkest forest of human nature, in which violence and beauty exist side by side.

Dir. Götz Spielmann / Austria 2008 / Color / 35mm / 1.85 / Dolby Digital / 121 min

“As it unfolds with calculated intricacy and diabolical inevitability, it overturns conventions and preconceptions to construct a haunting parable of crime and punishment, redemption and revenge.” -- Peter Keough, FIPRESCI

“A potent, sympathetically observed tragedy.”
-- Nicolas Rapold, Film Comment

"[Revanche] quietly attested to Spielmann's virtues as both writer and director: his patience, his watchful eye, his essentially compassionate view of human nature. The film goes off in all number of fascinating directions, at least one of which is totally unexpected. Yet it works -- magnificently, in fact."
-- Shane Danielsen, indieWIRE

“A galvanizing psychological thriller worthy of repeat viewings.”
-- Robert Bell, exclaim.ca

"Revanche is the kind of taut, thinking-adult's drama that America stopped producing 30 years ago.” -- Darren Hughes, longpauses.com

“A superb existential thriller that haunts you long after you’ve left the theater ... Avoiding cheap sentimentality and one of those scores that pushes buttons, Spielmann’s set piece will draw you in.”-- Yama Rahimi, IONCINEMA.com

“A thing of sheer beauty, the kind of film in which the details of each individual scene - composition, rhythm, performances, stray bits of business - are all so perfectly judged that their cumulative force kind of sneaks up on you.”
-- Mike D’Angelo, The Man Who Viewed Too Much

“Revanche is what we call a grower, its complexity gaining in richness with every turn.”
-- Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out New York

“[A] gorgeous, brooding, unpredictable neo-noir ... it’s dynamite.”
-- Andrew O’Hehir, Salon.com

“A subtle, poignant and thoroughly captivating film ... Masterfully and subtly, Spielmann puts on the screen all the emotion that can ripple just beneath the surface of lives and personalities, near and felt, but unseen and out of reach.”
-- Valerie Crawford Pfannhauser, The Vienna Review

“A profound revelation ... Spielmann combines a meticulous structural form with emotional truth, a thorough poetics with a penetrating understanding of human nature.”
-- Robert Koehler, Cinema Scope

"A film that simmers within you days after viewing ... as restrained as it is ravishing."
-- Jeff Meyers, Detroit Metro Times

Local Arts Stimulus

2009-04-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

April 5, 2009
Sunday Symposium on The Politics of Public Art

I have never been a big supporter of public art. Generally, I find public art pieces to be ostentatious. They tend to draw too much attention to their material and ideas without integrating fully into the environment they inhabit.

Janet Zweig's public art proposal has me speaking up on the issue for the first time in my life. Her proposal for Wisconsin Ave. is a stunning blend of environment, material and insight. Seamlessly attaching to "old world" light poles, the pieces would ingeniously blend into their environment. By combining the mechanical flap signs of train stations with "flip book" animation, considered the earliest form of the "moving picture," she provides pedestrians with unique commentary on the activity of the street.

However, even more important to me is her commitment to match the city investment in the project ($60,000) in jobs for local filmmakers and artists conceiving and creating the images. She is providing our art community with a much needed stimulus package.

Further, it turns her art project into more than public art: community art.

Jonathan Jackson
Artistic director, Milwaukee Film

Click here to join the Facebook cause in support of Janet Zweig's public art proposal in Milwaukee.

Film Critics are Meaningless

2009-03-22T09:24:00.001-07:00

How else could you explain the fact that arguably the most acclaimed foreign film of 2008, no, it was not “Slumdog Millionaire,” only reaches Milwaukee four months after its theatrical release.

“It filled me with unadulterated joy” A.O. Scott, New York Times

French director Arnaud Desplechin’s “A Christmas Tale” filled film critic top ten lists and garnered the types of quotes (from legitimate film critics, not the ones living in their parents basement) that make film distributors salivate, but only played in about 30 US cities (14 of which were in California).

“A marvelously rich visual, intellectual and emotional experience” Andrew O’Hehir, Salon

We at Milwaukee Film are presenting “A Christmas Tale” on Monday, March 23 as the opening film of our six week film series “Monday Night at the Movies with Milwaukee Film.” Our exciting new partnership with Marcus Theatres made it possible for us to bring six award-winning, critically acclaimed U.S. and foreign films to Milwaukee. Each premiere film will be shown at North Shore Cinema located in Mequon, a Northern Milwaukee suburb, and admission for each is $10 with tickets available now at www.marcustheatres.com or at the North Shore Cinema box office 11700 N. Port Washington Rd., Mequon.

“Nothing could be more energizing, more captivating, more pure pleasure on screen than (this) passionate, evocative experience .“ Kenneth Turan, The Los Angeles Times

We should be thankful in Milwaukee that at least our daily paper has its own film critic, Duane Dudek of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Many dailies around the country have laid-off their film critics and are now only publishing Associated Press reviews. In order for our film community to thrive it is vital that we have a quality film critic like Dudek who has access to the wide audience of a daily paper. The film events here are distinct from other cities and should only be covered from a local angle.

Wisconsin Film Industry in Peril

2009-03-04T13:04:00.000-08:00

Your Action Is Needed to Prevent the Removal of Film Incentives in Wisconsin

Fans of Milwaukee Film, are you aware that the growing film industry in Wisconsin is in serious jeopardy?

The proposed 2009 budget for the State of Wisconsin, from Governor Doyle’s office, calls for the elimination of the bi-partisan legislated Film Wisconsin tax incentives that were in effect for 2008. The elimination of the tax incentives would be devastating to the film industry in Milwaukee and throughout all of Wisconsin.

In just one year, the incentives brought “eight feature films, 16 TV shows, three national commercials, two new Wisconsin-produced video games, new film training programs at five colleges and universities and millions of dollars of new private investment in film and television production-related infrastructure throughout the state.” (Film Wisconsin) In addition, the incentives created 759 jobs for WI residents and has garnered the enthusiastic endorsement of the Northeastern WI stage hands union IATSE local 470.

After one year, let’s review and improve the incentives, not scrap them. Understanding the value of tax incentives, our neighboring states (Michigan, Illinois) are clamoring for this same business and are even installing larger tax incentives to lure the film industry. Don’t let Wisconsin fall behind, your help is needed!

Action Steps:

Write or call Gov. Jim Doyle, your senators and representatives, as well as members of the Joint Committee on Finance. Their contact information can easily be found here.

Join the Cause to Support the Incentives (Now Over 1,700 Supporters!)

Talking Points for Film Incentives

Arts Wisconsin Action Alert on the Film Incentives

Now is the time to act.

This is probably the most important film moment in Wisconsin’s history, let’s not be on the wrong side.

Join the Milwaukee Film staff in supporting the reinstatement of the Wisconsin Film Tax Incentives through writing and petitioning.

Diane Bacha
Executive Director

Jonathan Jackson
Artistic Director

Kyle Heller
Operations Director

T.J. Fackelman
Program Coordinator

Revenge at the Oscars

2009-02-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

Tonight at the Oscar's revenge is on the bill.

The Austrian film "Revanche" is one of five films nominated in the Foreign Language Film Category. Directed by Götz Spielmann, this thrilling, sexually frank character study was a surprise nominee. With over 14 festival wins, including the FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Foreign Language Film of the Year award, "Revanche" is entering the competition with considerable acclaim. The surprise is that it just seems like it has been a while since an artistically adventurous foreign film has been seriously considered by the Academy Awards.

"Revanche" will reach US audiences in May (Milwaukee in April!) via a stunning distribution deal made between The Criterion Collection and Janus Films. Founded in 1956, Janus is credited with introducing such foreign directors as Ingmar Bergman, Francois Truffaut, Federico Fellini and Akira Kurosawa to American audiences. The Janus release of "Revanche" will mark their first new film release in over 30 years. This distribution arrangement by Janus and Criterion is a testament to "Revanche."

So tonight, root for "Revanche" and a return to the days when films like "8 1/2, "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" and "Through a Glass Darkly" were winning Oscar gold.

Lesbian Vampire Killers - What more could you possibly want?

2009-02-13T03:37:00.000-08:00

Film markets bring together the most surprising films.

When I first came to the Berlin International Film Festival in 2003, I expected to be ensconced in the great tradition of European art cinema. While that was and still is the case, I also wade through the morass of the European Film Market.

The market is a nexus for films of all sorts and the juxtaposition of the salaciously hyped B-movie “Lesbian Vampire Killers” with the likes of “Garapa,” a sober Brazilian documentary on starvation is the norm at the market.

A film market is essentially a used car dealership for films and the European Film Market at the Berlinale is quickly becoming one of the largest of its kind. Last year, 430 companies from 51 countries participated, with 6,500 film professionals attending. The primary goal of a market is to connect buyers and sellers of films, creating a comfortable marketplace for the transactions that will determine which films of international origin will arrive in cinemas worldwide.

It is at the market where I am able to forge relationships with the various international agencies that will allow Milwaukee Film to screen films that have yet to secure US distribution. Meetings with international sales offices like Fortissimo Films and Celluloid Dreams and the government supported film foundations of Iran (Farabi Cinema Foundation) to Denmark (Danish Film Institute) make the experience invaluable.

The economic crisis is certainly dampening the buying at the market, however as Variety reports the general consensus is that it was not as bad as expected.

Two other areas outside of the traditional festival that have not been dampened by the economic crisis are the Berlinale’s heralded Talent Campus and the youth programming section Generation.

The Berlinale Talent Campus is an intensive week-long academy attended by up and coming filmmakers. Over 350 aspiring filmmakers from around the World attend the workshops, lectures and panel discussions given by industry professionals, many of whom are attending the festival with their films.

UW-Milwaukee Film Department graduate Dave Andre attended the program previously; more of our talented pool of aspiring Milwaukee filmmakers should be applying for this incredible opportunity.

The Berlinale also caters to kids.

Since 1978, the Berlinale has produced a competition called Generation, which screen short and feature films made for youth. The Generation program annually admits over 50,000 youth and in an innovative move, an 11-member youth jury actually selects the best films and gives out cash awards.

Let’s hope sometime soon children in Milwaukee will be afforded a similar experience.

Storm at Berlinale

2009-02-10T15:55:00.001-08:00

Be sure to check out my additional Berlinale blog series.

Berlinale - Day 5

2009-02-09T14:08:00.000-08:00

Female directors take over the Berlinale.

It's about time.

Many in the general movie going public don't realize this, but it is staggering to understand how male dominated the movie industry still is.

Question: What percentage of the top grossing films in 2007 were made by women?

Answer: 6%

Yes, 6%. It does not stop there. A recent study by San Diego State's Center for the Study of Women in Film and Television revealed that 70% of film criticism in the nation's major newspapers were written by men.

It was refreshing today then to see two films in a row, in significant programming slots, by female directors in the prime of their careers. Each film employed a distinct voice, an abundance of artistic and intellectual merit, but unfortunately several flaws of characterization and tone.

Actor turned actor/director, Julie Delpy's film "The Countess" suffered some from the cold tonal approach to the subject, but it still stood above many other recent period films that deal with love, or rather unrequited love.

Rebecca Miller burst onto the scene in 2002 with her second film "Personal Velocity." With "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" she defies genres and conventions in the inventively told story of a middle aged woman struggling to come to a deeper understanding of her own life. It is unfortunate that she choose such wooden and banal characters to explore.

If my article photos are too much of a tease, click here for a cool gadget from the Berlinale to view tons of the official festival photos.

Berlinale - Day 4

2009-02-09T02:54:00.000-08:00

The Berlinale is a dark, brooding and provocative Mammoth.

It is impossible for one person to gauge the overall scope of the programming of a festival. Especially one of this size. Everyone has a skewed perspective of the film selections, as one can only see about 1/10th of the total package.

That being said, it is a very dark year for the Berlinale. Not dark in terms of poor quality films, but darkness in terms of the subject matter, themes and messages of the countless fiction and documentary films I have seen thus far.

I have been trained through years of programming to be able to digest films ad infinitum like this, but it seems to be a taking a toll this year.

In particular, iconoclastic Swedish director Lukas Moodysson's "Mammoth" has me swearing I will never travel again without my loved one.

Extremely well directed, even if a bit repetitive and long on exposition, the global morality tale features an ace performance from Michelle Williams in the tale of three separate mothers who regret not spending more time with their children.

The sharply focused tale takes the tension and strain of separation on an epic scale, leaving one feeling that maybe the industrial revolution was not such a good thing after all. It is a tale of the toll that globalization takes on family life.

Think of "Mammoth" as a meditative "Babel," without all of its contrivances.

Here is a link to the trailer for "Mammoth."

Berlinale - Day 3

2009-02-08T02:29:00.000-08:00

Berlinale disrupted by "Storm."

German director Hans-Christian Schmid has cemented his place as a world-class filmmaker and raised the stakes with his latest fiction film, "Storm." Tackling an international justice issue at the heart of foreign relations in war torn regions around the World, we follow the trial of a war time commander of the Yugoslavian National Army at The Criminal Tribunal at The Hague.

Schmid has always possessed a natural ability to put you inside and on the edge of his characters skin, and now with "Storm" he proves that he can create an engaging political thriller.

The scripts greatest asset is that it treats the subject in full and does not create easy solutions or answers for dramatic effect. It brings up the right questions, even if it can't answer them all.

Made with the approval of the tribunal, the film showcases the court in all of its complexity. While doing justice to the people who work for the court, it also looks very closely at the court's purity. The tremendous pressure the judges and attorneys are under when a verdict against a past injustice has unwanted ramifications in the present is palpable throughout the film.

In the end, I merely hope that "Storm" will have a chance to be seen by more people than his previous effort, the criminally under-appreciated "Requiem."

Berlinale - Day 2

2009-02-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

Damn, the Danes know drama.

The positive dramatic effects of the Danish born "Dogma 95" film movement are still being felt in its contemporary independent cinema. One need to look no further than Annette K. Olesen's competition picture LITTLE SOLDIER for evidence. The taught drama follows the relationship of a female Iraq war vet, with untold war scars, to her father, a pimp. The scenario is a touch on the ridiculous, but the emotions and intensity are very real.

Spending a lot of time in the European Film Market. Held in conjunction with the Berlinale, more than 20,000 industry professionals from around the World attend the market. The market allows sales offices, distributors, producers and cultural film offices from around the world to sell, and hype, the films screening in the festival as well as hundreds more. See, in addition to the films screening in the festival, the market features several hundred more as anyone can rent a screening slot. ATTENTION Milwaukee filmmakers: where are you?

Saw my first shorts program today and once again I am left totally befuddled. I just can't seem to lock into the sensibilities of the short film programmers here, even after several years of attending. I don't seem to be alone in this, as every year the audience is always very shifty, exerting several groans, inappropriate timed laughs and even catcalls. I don't think it is simply a different German or European sensibility, as I have yet to find an equal for features programming than the Berlinale. However, I do have to pay tribute to their vision. They have stayed consistent over the years and at least are looking for some new voices and film language.

Off to see some more films...

Berlinale - Day 1 - Part 2

2009-02-06T03:08:00.000-08:00

Being shut out of your first screening at a festival is never a good sign.

However, the opening night film getting panned by critics is a pretty standard occurrence.

Rarely does a festival of this magnitude open with a great film; there are too many political, audience and sponsorship considerations that come into play. So it was no surprise that the timely film THE INTERNATIONAL (bankers steal your money and give it to arms dealers) was widely panned. The film was shot in Germany and was directed by one of its more famous filmmakers in Tom Tykwer (RUN LOLA RUN), who, with each additional film, looks more and more like a one-hit wonder.

Since I was shut out of Julie Delpy's THE COUNTESS (I swear there were still seats left in the cinema when they cut off the line - only letting film buyers in) I ended up catching a Sundance film I missed THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE. Similar in vein to the delightful 2006 drama THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, but real. The documentary follows the infamous Anna Wintour, who has been the editor at Vogue Magazine for over 20 years.

Delving deeply into the process of compiling the biggest issue in the magazine's history, the film reveals a fascinating process and explores the dynamic mind of an artist (Creative Director Grace Coddington) and editor in a commercial enterprise.

Tomorrow I have at least five films on the docket.

In case you were wondering, I have posted this photo because it is the Starbucks I blog from. On the right side of the frame is the poster for my most anticipated film of the Berlinale, STORM by Hans-Christian Schmid. Schmid made the film REQUIEM, which was my favorite film of 2006.

Berlinale - Day 1

2009-02-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

Milwaukee, Chicago, Brussels...Berlinale!

I have arrived, and thanks to some sleeping pills, am reasonably well rested. First on the docket is to sort through the 600 films screening and drink 42 cups of coffee while trying to plot out a schedule for the first few days. If my eyes are still open, I am going to see the new Julie Delpy film, "The Countess."

Considered the World's largest film festival, over 400,000 tickets sold annually, the Berlinale (as it is often called) is now in its 59th year and does not look to be slowed down by the global economic crisis. As Festival Director Dieter Kosslick says "it's not a real financial crisis. It's a crisis of idiots in suits and ties who gambled with billions of dollars and the tax money of ordinary people." (excerpted from Variety)

Sundance Film Festival - Day 4 (5 & 6)

2009-01-21T13:14:00.000-08:00

Nicholas Kristoff is developing a video game?

A conversation between two people, a documentary photographed largely on low-grade video cameras and an ultra-violent drama about a prisoner who discovers that violence is his art highlighted my past three days of Sundancing.

Two Pulitzer Prize winning authors, Nicholas Kristoff and Samantha Power, debated the merits of the printed word versus filmmaking in a stimulating discussion on the mediums. Both writers are showcasing their first forays into film at the festival. The discussion covered a range of topics and became particularly rewarding when it focused on how best to reach an audience to create change. Anecdotal highlights included Kristoff’s revelation that he is exploring every way possible to reach new audiences, including developing a video game.

“Reporter” follows Kristoff as he travels deep into the Congo to expose the desperate poverty and conflict in the region through his twice weekly column in The New York Times. It is a fascinating first-hand view of the travails of a reporter in a war-torn region, as well as a probing look at the challenging decisions about coverage, risk and subject manipulation he must constantly make. A particularly complex scene involves his interview and subsequent dinner with a notorious and brutal war lord.

“Sergio” is a look at the charismatic United Nations diplomat from Brazil, Sergio Vieira de Mello, who is often described as a cross between James Bond and Bobby Kennedy. Based on the novel by Samantha Power, this beautifully photographed, crisply edited and fascinating look into his life focuses on his appointment as U.N. ambassador to Iraq and a day that will live in infamy, August 19, 2003, the first time the U.N. had become the target of terrorism.

One of the most urgent films I have ever seen in my life, “Burma VJ” follows the harrowing journalistic exploits of the Democratic Voice of Burma (or simply DVB). Comprised mostly of handheld, low-grade video camera and cell phone footage, it surpassed the power of almost all of the talent laden, higher budgeted and tightly orchestrated dramas I have seen so far at Sundance.

The DVB band of renegade journalists provides the world and Burma its only news source in a country where reportage is strictly prohibited by a repressive regime. The film deftly compiles their footage, including the reporters’ firsthand accounts, of the 2007 peaceful rebellion led by Buddhist Monks that turned into a nightmare for the citizens of Burma.

On the dramatic side the highlight was “Bronson,” the latest film from Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn. Refn is famous for his “Pusher” trilogy, about underground crime in Copenhagen, which is considered a cult hit many circles.

With stunning imagery and a tour-de-force performance from Tom Hardy (who reportedly gained 100 pounds of muscle for the role!), “Bronson” dramatizes the real life of Charlie Bronson, Britain’s most violent prisoner. Stylistically urgent, this ultra-violent exploration of character can‘t be missed.

Sundance Film Festival - Day 3

2009-01-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

“She was in some Seth Green film…and she’s on TV a lot.” Unfortunately I did not get a peek at the young starlet in question, but simply overhearing this comment on Main Street provided enough pleasure.

My day started with a movie at dawn, no, Sundance does not screen around the clock; I viewed this Sundance film from the comfort of my bed, um, couch that I sleep on. While at Sundance I trade the comforts of a bed or my own room for sharing a two room condo with four film critics. Not only do I save money for Milwaukee Film, and experience the pleasures of sharing a bathroom between five men, I get access to several DVD screener copies of films from the film critics.

The highlight of my viewing day was by far the press & industry screening of “Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire.” My last minute decision to see the film, instead of going to a panel that I found out I catch online later, was rewarded with what I would consider, even at this early junction, the surprise of Sundance. In the clear favorite for the competition prize, bleak subject matter is given a refreshing and stylish treatment. Read John Anderson’s review in Variety, posted to the Milwaukee Film Facebook group page, could not have said it better myself.

The social highlight was a Milwaukee reunion at the edgier Slamdance Film Festival with Howie Goldklang (Event Producer at Slamdance for the past 8 years and Owner of www.establishmentproductions.com) and Scott Robbe (Executive Director at www.filmwisconsin.net). Scott and I then moved onto dinner and screenings, concluding the evening with a spirited debate over the merits of Sundance documentary “Art & Copy.”

I have started posting photos to the Milwaukee Film facebook group page, check them out if you get a chance.

Sundance Film Festival - Day 2

2009-01-17T11:47:00.000-08:00

The best thing about Sundance so far this year is by far the new seats at the Yarrow Hotel Screening Room. No disrespect to the films I have seen, but if you have ever sat 12 hours-a-day, for 8 days straight in conference room plastic chairs you will understand how I feel. To my delight, the Sundance Film Festival decided to splurge on the Press & Industry and actually brought in old cinema seats!

See, at Sundance, I rarely go to the screenings you read about in the media. Thankfully, they keep the programmers, press and miscellaneous industry folk away from the hordes and locked into closed to the public screening venues. The luxury is that you can easily get into 99% of the screenings without waiting and don’t have to deal with being herded like cattle. You see more movies this way, but unfortunately have fewer Dakota Fanning sightings.

Day 2 Film Tally: 15! Okay, it is not as impressive when more than half are shorts, but I am still proud. The most original and creative in the bunch were by far from the animated shorts program. Don Hertzfeldt, not to my surprise, highlighted the program with “I Am So Proud of You,” a continuation of the story of Bill from “Everything will be Okay.” The program also featured a mesmerizing and moody Quay Brothers style short film called “Out of Control” from Mexico.

Also of note was the complex and very personal competition documentary about the infamous defense attorney “William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe.” You follow the creators, his two daughters, journey into their father’s past as they try to come to terms with his controversial legacy.

Tomorrow will include my first visit to Main Street, so let the celebrity gawking begin!

Sundance Film Festival - Day 1 - Part 2

2009-01-16T14:39:00.000-08:00

I made it with 15 minutes to spare! Granted, I did have to pay extra and skip the shuttle for a cab from the airport, but I made it just in time for the opening night screening of "Mary & Max." A curious, stop-motion clay animation film from Australia created by Adam Elliot. Elliot may be familiar to some as the director of "Harvie Krumpet," the 2003 Academy Award Winner for Best Animated Short Film.

Based on the unlikely, 20-year pen pal relationship of a chubby 8-year-old girl from Australia and a 44-year-old Jewish man in NYC who is morbidly obese and suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, "Mary & Max" charms in the beginning, showcases excellent voice acting (Philip Seymour Hoffman & Toni Collette) and surprising visual complexity, but seems to stretch itself a bit thin by the end. Definitely worth the effort to see, but would be surprised if it receives any kind of wide distribution in this market. Word on the street is that distributors are really reluctant to pull the trigger on buying films this year an with no easily identifiable audience, “Mary & Max” may just slip through the cracks.

I mentioned in my opening post that the Sundance Film Festival is celebrating its 25th Anniversary, well, sort of. The Sundance Film Festival was actually founded in 1978, but was then known as, get this, the United States Film Festival. It is the 25th Anniversary of the Sundance Institutes purchase of the festival that is being celebrated. Purchased in 1985, it was immediately moved to Park City from Salt Lake, and shifted its focus to more independent film fare. In fact, in the first year the Coen brothers won the Grand Jury Prize for their debut film “Blood Simple,” a crisp, low budget neo-noir caper. They did not change the name of the festival until 1991.
For more on the history of Sundance, visit: http://festival.sundance.org/2009/history/

Tomorrow will be a full day of planning and screenings. The industry office was kind enough not to schedule a morning screening, allowing all of us to get our bearings.
Also of note, this is the first time since I have been going to Sundance that I would describe the temperature as balmy. However, I believe that has more to do with temperature in Milwaukee when I left this morning then the 35 degree temperature here.

Sundance Film Festival - Day 1

2009-01-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

En route to Sundance Film Festival, hoping to arrive in time to catch Opening Night Film "Mary & Max," a clay animation film from Australia. - Jonathan Jackson