Tiger Beat

On Vox: Documentary Oscar shortlist

I'll update this with more info tonight.

Five of these will be nominated on Jan. 22nd:

"Autism: The Musical" 

"Body of War" 

"For the Bible Tells Me So"  http://www.forthebibletellsmeso.org

"Lake of Fire"  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_of_Fire_%28film%29

"Nanking"    also see ted.aol.com/category.php?catID=359

"No End in Sight"  (on DVD) 

"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience"  

"Please Vote for Me" 

"The Price of Sugar"

"A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman"

"The Rape of Europa" 

"Sicko"

"Taxi to the Dark Side"

"War/Dance" 

"White Light/Black Rain"   (on DVD) 

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

On Vox: Three film festivals on Thursday

The CounterCorp Anti-Corporate Film Festival opens at the Victoria tonight and continues through the 20th.

The Arab Film Festival opens at the Clay and continues in several venues (including the Roxie) in the bay area through the 28th and then in LA October 31st to November 4th.

The United Nations Association Film Festival is at the Roxie in San Francisco tonight, then East Palo Alto on the 19th, and San Jose on the 21st.   I'll write more about some of the films which will be playing at Stanford from the 24th to the 28th.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

On Vox: Cheney's Law & Worldplay

San Francisco Mime Troupe July 4th opening

Frontline begins the fall season tonight with Cheney's Law.  It expands on last year's The Dark Side (which is online), with a focus on Cheney's push to expand executive power and many would consider the disastrous consequences.  It will be online Wednesday.  Also see the Washington Post's series on Cheney.

On many PBS stations, it will be followed the Wordplay on Independent Lens (check local listings).  Until it airs (or you watch it on DVD), you can work on this crossword puzzle.  And you can listen to Will Shortz every Sunday morning on NPR.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

Welcome to Nollywood & the Orchestra of Piazza Vittorio

There are a couple of special film events in San Francisco on Tuesday, October 9th (tonight).  The Mill Valley Film Festival comes to the San Francisco Art Institute with a screening at 7:30 pm of Welcome to Nollywood.  The documentary looks at the film industry in Nigeria which only started in the early 90s, but is already the third largest behind Hollywood and Bollywood.  Director Jaimie Meltzer (Off the Charts) and producer Henry Rosenthal (The Devil and Daniel Johnson) both live in San Francisco.  Michael Fox interviewed Meltzer for SF360.

The Orchestra of Piazza Vittorio screens at the Clay Theater at 7:30 followed by a performance by the group and Q&A with filmmaker Agostino Ferrente.   The documentary tells story of an effort to save a historic theater by creating an orchestra made up of musicians from all over the world.  The tour is being presented by Netflix's Red Envelope Entertainment.

The Living Goddess

Sajani self photo, originally uploaded by DarkFibre.

I went to a sold out screening of
The Living Goddess at DocFest. It will be shown again at 5 pm on Saturday, October 6th and Sunday, October 7th at the Roxie.

The films tells the fascinating story of one of the child goddesses of Nepal at a time of mass protests for democracy.

In June, Andy Carvin met Sajani, the subject of the film when she was in the US for Silverdocs, and he interviewed her by email in September.

When she went back to Nepal, she was stripped of her divinity. One of the filmmakers wrote:

Yep - she was sacked but we went to Nepal and negotiated her reinstatement. We were all devastated by the news of her dethroning and we and her family took her to India while the situation was sorted out. Many people from her hometown refused to accept her being dethroned...

There are photos taken during her visit and the filming.

The political process in Nepal is again in the news, and seeing this film gives the headlines a human perspective.

On Vox: Rev Billy & Chicken John, the Tribe on iTunes

Chicken John introducing Rev Billy at DocFest

On Friday, DocFest opened at the Roxie. with What Would Jesus Buy?

Chicken John introduced Rev. Billy before the Q&A.  They'll be having a conversation at 8 pm on Tuesday,
October 2nd (details).

Rev. Billy at the opening of DocFest at the Roxie

  If you missed the film, it will start opening around the country by Thanksgiving.  More photos (including of Joan
Baez, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, and Larry Harvey).  There are also many more great documentaries at DocFest through October 10th.

The Tribe at the SF Jewish Film Festival

 Also tonight at 8 pm, there will be a showing of The Tribe at the San Francisco Apple store followed by
a panel discussion of the internet and film distribution with Tiffany Shlain and Ken Goldberg.  The film
is now availalbe on iTunes for $1.99 and also on DVD with a discussion kit. 

There also is a podcast about the film and a facebook group. Photos from the premiere (even before it played at Sundance).

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

DocFest through October 10th

SF DOCFEST poster, originally uploaded by DAVe Warnke.

DocFest opens tonight with What Would Jesus Buy? with an appearance by Rev. Billy (former San Francisco resident Bill Talen) at the Roxie (where all the films will be shown this year).

  One of the most interesting documentaries playing this weekend is wtf: an okaymentary, a profile of the OkayPlayer online community.  It is co-directed by Leslye James who will be at the screenings at 5 pm on Saturday, September 29th and Sunday, September 30th.

I'll be going to screenings and posting and taking photos over the next 13 days.

On Vox: Strange Culture in San Francisco, NYC

Steve Kurtz

Strange Culture is playing at the Roxie and the Rafael through Thursday, September 27th.  It will be at the
Cinema Village in New York from October 5th to 18th (check the website for other places it will be shown).

It tells the story of artist Steve Kurtz's arrest in 2004 weaving together documentary, segments with Tilda Swinton and other actors, and animation.  I saw Kurtz talk about his art at SFMOMA in March and saw the film at the San Francisco International Film Festival in May (photos).

Lucy Gray interviewed Kurtz and director Lynn Hershman Leeson in March and interviewed  her again recently.

DocFest opens at the Roxie on Friday and runs through October 10th and the Mill Valley Film Festival opens at the Rafael and other theaters on October 4th and runs through October 14th.  I'll be writing about both festivals.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

Anthony McCall's You and I, Horizontal at SFMOMA

                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

At Anthony McCall's You and I, Horizontal at SFMOMA

            

           

   

I'll expand this later, but see Anthony McCall's You and I, Horizontal which is at SFMOMA through Septembrer 30th if you can.
                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

In Anthony McCall's You and I, Horizontal at  SFMOMA

            

           

   

His Four Projected Movements is at New Langton on Friday evening & Saturday afternoon (details).

                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Anthony McCall at SFMOMA

            

           

   

He spoke at SFMOMA last night.  I'll update this with more on what he said.  Until then, some photos (I have many more to go through).

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

iPhone test

typepad has a new iPhone interface, so hopefully I'll be doing more mobile blogging (beyond 140 character twitter updates).

On Vox: The Devil Came on Horseback & more at the Roxie

Gavin Newsom asking a question at the Devil Came on Horseback

Last Friday, the Devil Came on Horseback opened at the Roxie (it continues through 9-13).  San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom introduced the documentary on Darfur along with producer Jane Wells.  He stayed for the film and Q&A and asked a question about current legislation in congress on Darfur.

The film tells the story of the genocide in Darfur through the eyes of Brian Steidle who became a military observer there in 2004 after leaving the Marines.  He photographed the horrors he saw there, but later wrote that his camera was not nearly enough.  But the images he took are powerful, particularly as he tells the story in the film.

Interview Log 2 - Brian Steidle (1/2)

Wells says there will be a feature film based on his story, but people should see the documentary now.  I asked
her about being the field producer on a segment of the film where Steidle visits Rwanda.  She said people are still in mourning twelve years later, that what happened had an impact long after the killing stopped.

War Made Easy

War Made Easy continues at the Roxie through at least September 14th.  Norman Solomon will introduce the film at the Rafael tonight (8-31), and it will open at the Elmwood in Berkeley on September 7th (check the website for more information on more theaters.  It is also available on DVD).

Roxie

Revolution Summer which played at the San Francisco International Film Festival also opens at the Roxie tonight.  Jonathan Richman who did the score will perform.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

On Vox: Films opening

Norman Solomon, War Made Easy

  This is one of those weekend where it would be nice to be able to be in more than one place at a time.

The Devil Came on Horseback Trailer

  The Devil Came on Horseback, a documentary on Darfur which was sold out at the San Francisco International Film Festival, is opening in the bay area.  Friday, August 24th, Mayor Gavin Newsom will introduce the 7 pm screening at the Roxie, and producer Jane Wells will do a Q&A.  She will also be at the 8:50 screening and at the 5:10 pm (Q&A) and 7:30 pm (intro) shows at the Shattuck in Berkeley on Saturday, and the 4:30 pm (Q&A) and 6:45 pm (intro) at the Rafael.   The 11th Hour

War Made Easy - TRAILER

War Made Easy also opens at the Roxie.  Norman Solomon will be at the opening on Friday, August 31st at the Rafael.   I do Norman's website and have sent him an email asking if he will be at any of the Roxie screenings. There was an article in the Chronicle on how the film uses fair use.  It will expand to theaters in other cities and is available on DVD and for screenings at house parties.  More photos of the screening at the Grand Lake theater.

The 11th Hour "Symptoms of a Problem"

Thom Hartmann and Paul Hawken will be at the 7:30 pm and 10 pm shows of the environmental documentary the 11th Hour on Friday at the Embacadero.  Producer Brian Gerber will be at all shows on Saturday and Sunday.

Director Seth Gordon will speak at the 7:15 pm and 9:45 pm screenings of The King of Kong on Friday.

There will be a free screening of Made in LA on Thursday, September 6 at 7 pm at the Roxie (it will also be show on PBS on September 4th).   There will be a discussion with filmmakers Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar; Guadalupe Hernandez, one of the workers featured in the film; and Katie Quan, Associate Chair of the UC Berkeley Labor Center. 

 

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

On Vox: Watch Sean and Following Sean

Malcolm Pullinger & Ralph Arlyck at Following Sean screening

 I first saw Ralph Arlyck's films in college, but I never saw his 1969 short film Sean (which is now online through 8-31-07).  In Following Sean which airs on most PBS stations as part of POV on Tuesday, July 31, Arlyck describes how the  film about a child living in the Haight became part of the cultural debate at the time.  I saw it at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 2005.  The documentary updates Sean's story.  It is also available on DVD.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

On Vox: San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival moves to Berkeley (til Aug 4) and Palo Alto (til Aug 2) Saturday, July 28th (today).  It will then be in San Rafael Aug 4 - 6 and there will be a special screening of the Israeli tv series, A Touch Away, Aug 4 - 5 at the JCC in San Francisco. 

Shimon Dotan, Hot House

This afternoon at 3 pm, following a 1:50 pm screening of Wasted at Berkeley Rep's Roda Theater, there will be a panel discusion of Israeli documentaries.  Several of the filmmakers participating including Shimon Dotan were interviewed on YourCall Radio (an MP3 is online).  Donlan's intense Hot House which won the best World Cinema Documentary award at Sundance is screening at 4:30 pm today in Palo Alto, on Sunday at 4:15 pm in Berkeley, and next Saturday, Aug 4 at 4:30 pm in San Rafael (full details are at the link)

I'll write more about some of the films, but I have posted a bunch of photos.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

Photographer Edward Burtynsky at SF premiere of Manufactured Landscapes Friday

                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Manufactured Landscapes

            

           

   

Manufactured Landscapes opens today (July 20th) in San Francisco and Berkeley.  Photographer Edward Burtynsky will be at the 7:15 pm and 9:35 pm screenings at the Lumiere tonight.

I'll write more about the film (it really should be seen in a theater) which will be opening in other cities.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

San Francisco Silent Film Festival

                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

San Francisco Silent Film Festival

            

           

   

  This is one of the best years for silent film in San Francisco in a long time.  One the highlights of the San
Francisco International Film Festival was the live performance of Guy Maddin's Brand Upon the Brain (there
was also a screening of the Phantom Carriage).  Charlie Chaplin's City Lights just was at the Castro.  And the San Francisco Silent Film Festival runs through Sunday, July 15th.

It opens Friday at 7 pm with Ernst Lubitsch's The Student Prince of Old Heidelberg.  Chronicle film critic Mick LaSalle (who has written about star Norma Shearer in his book Complicated Women) introduces the film.  He talked with Silent Film Festival executive director Stacy Wisnia and with artistic director Stephen Salmons on recent podcasts.

Michael Hawley previews the festival at The Evening Class and Max Goldberg for the Bay Guardian and for SF360.  I'll just mention the free More Amazing Tales from the Archives program with Rob Stone of the UCLA Film at 10:30 am on Sunday.  My photos from last year.

The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival will be showing His People with a live jazz score by Paul Shapiro at 7:30 pm on July 21st at the Castro..

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

Gypsy Caravan

                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Gypsy Caravan at SF Indiefest

            

           

   

Gypsy Caravan director Jasmine Dellal will do a Q&A after the Saturday, July 7th 4:50 show at the Shattuck and the 7 pm show at the Lumiere.  Voices of Roma will present live music and a discussion on Friday, July 6th at the 7 pm Lumiere and the Saturday, July 7th show at 7:10 pm at the Shattuck.

                                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Gypsy Caravan

            

           

   

It is also now playing in New York and LA and will be expanding to other cities.  A soundtrack is available.  There are more clips of the performers on the film's myspace page.  Dellal was interviewed on WNYC's Soundcheck.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars

                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars & crew

            

           

   

The Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars airs on PBS tonight as part of POV.  In San Francisco, it will be on KQED at 10 pm (check local listings - it may air another night or repeat).  It also will be available on DVD and through Netflix.

                                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

P.O.V. | Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars | Preview | PBS

            

           

   

I saw the documentary last fall at a San Francisco Film Society screening and bought the  band's wonderful CD (they are touring).

                                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

High Hat

            

           

   

Also tonight on most PBS stations and online later this week is the last episode of this season of Frontline/World (though they will be posting a new story or photo essay each week this summer - subscribe to the newsletter to get updates).

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

On Vox: Award-winning Frameline documentaries on cable Monday

Red Without Blue

Frameline closed Sunday night with the feminist fairy tale, the Itty Bitty Titty Committee, which was produced by Frameline Award winner Andrea Sperling (who was interviewed by SF360).  The other award winners were announced, and two of the them will be on cable tonight (Monday, June 25th).  

Red Without Blue

Red Without Blue won the $10,000 Michael J. Berg documentary award for best documentary.  It will be on the Sundance Channel at 9 pm tonight and screeening at a number of festivals.  SIgn up for their email list to get information on when it will be repeated and available on DVD.  Michael Guillen interviewed the directors.

   
    Jeff Key, originally uploaded by KQED.Radio.

Semper Fi won the audience award for best documentary.  It will start showing on Showtime at 8:30 pm tonight and be repeated several times this week  (as well as being  available on  demand through July 23rd).  Jeff Key was interviewed on the California Report.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

Colma: the Musical opens in San Francisco

The best musical (and one of the best movies) I saw last year, Colma: the Musical, opens Friday in San Francisco. There will be Q&As at the Embarcadero with director Richard Wong, screenwriter and star H.P. Mendoza, and other cast members at the 7:30 pm and 10 pm shows on Friday, June 22 and Saturday, June 23rd.  There will also be a party Friday at Frisson.

Update: Richard Wong will be at the 7:30 pm & 10 pm shows on Friday, June 29th & Saturday June, 30th. 

It will be opening in New York City on July 6th at The Quad Cinemas at 34 W. 13th St and in LA in August.  Hopefully, it will be the sleeper indie hit of the summer (they already have an ad promoting repeat viewings) and expand to other cities.

They are  promoting Colma on myspace with profiles of characters from the film including Maribel, Billy, and Rodel (HP Mendoza who also has a profile plays him).  The film is also a new, shorter cut which Wong and Mendoza talk about in this interview.

More photos from the premiere at the 2006 San Francisco International Film Festival where it won a special jury award (they did the trailer for this year's fest).  RIchard Wong was also a finalist for the Independent Spirit Someone to Watch Award.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

Frameline Festival's final days

                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Frameline through Sunday

            

           

   

Frameline continues through Sunday.  There still are so many films to see.  Here are a few.

I'll write more about Red Without Blue when it airs on the Sundance Channel on Monday, June 25th, but there is a screening on Wednesday at 2:15 pm at  the Castro with the directors and the twins the film is about doing a Q&A.

On Thursday at 7 pm at the Victoria, Black White + Gray:  A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe is screening  (it is sold out, but there are rush tickets if you get there early enough).  I followed the NEA battle over Mapplethorpe's work closely (and was able to see the show that sparked the controversy at the Whitney), but I still learned a lot about his work and the influence of Sam Wagstaff.

                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Michelle Tea - Radar reading

            

           

   

Michelle Tea is in a short about a JT Leroy like author in Gay Noir on Friday at 4:30 pm at the Castro as well as in Dream of an Ex-Girlfriend in the Homos by the Bay at 1:15 pm on Saturday at the Victoria. 

                                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

GODSPEED Trailer

            

           

   

Lynn Breedlove's Godspeed (based on her novel) will also show on Saturday as part of the same shorts program.  Breedlove will also be reading on Wednesday at 6 pm at the main library as part of the  Mad to Live: Queers Under the Influence of the Beats series Tea organized (it concludes on June 27th at the same time). Two films by experimental filmmaker Abigail Child will also be shown on Saturday at the Victoria at 6 pm.

                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Jamie Babbit and Guinevere Turner

            

           

   

Frameline closes on Sunday at 7:30 pm at the Catro with Itty Bitty Titty Committe directed by Jamie Babbit and starring Guinevere Turner (who both spoke at the POV conference at Frameline last year).  It is sold out, but there will be rush tickets if you get there early enough.  Babbit was inspired by Lizzie Bordon's 1983 film, Born in Flames, which is showing on Friday at 10:30 pm at the Roxie.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

Frontline: the Endgame in Iraq

                                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

FRONTLINE | Endgame | June 19 @ pbs.org/frontline

            

           

   

On the last episode of the Sopranos, Anthony, Jr. is watching a Frontline program on Iraq.  Endgame will almost certainly not be the last time Frontline does a program on Iraq.  But it does take a look back at the military failures in Iraq and how "the surge" strategy became the Bush administration's policy.   It airs Tuesday, June 19th on PBS station, and the entire program will be online.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

On Vox: Frameline through June 24th

Frameline June 14 - 24

One night when I came out of the Castro during the San Francisco International Film Festival, the marquee had been changed in preparation to shoot the trailer for the Frameline festival (you can watch them online and see photos i took).  Film Arts Foundation's Release Print recently compiled a long list of bay area film festivals and Frameline, the longest running and largest LGBT film festival, is certainly one of the most important.

Surveillance

Paul Oremland, director of Surveillance

Surveillance, a clever thriller, is screening again at the Roxie at 8:30 pm on Saturday, June 16 at 8:30 pm.

Robert Michael Morris, Stephen Israel, & Glenn Gaylord

Lez Be Friends which was inspired by Norman Lear's tv sit-coms of the 70s is screening again at 9:30 pm at the Victoria on Sunday, June 17.

I'll be writing more and posting photos.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

On Vox: Brand Upon the Brain!

Guy Maddin's Brand Upon the Brain

I heard several people say the best cinematic experience they've had in a long time was at the San Francisco International Film Festival live performance of Brand Upon the Brain (photos).  The theatrical release won't be the same, but with no foley artists or live musicians, it will be easier to pay attention to the quick cuts of the film.

Maya Lawson (on the screen above) will be at the Saturday, June 16th San Francisco screenings at 4:45 pm and 7:30 pm the Lumiere.

Guy Maddin wrote that one of the reasons he made Brand was to get more people to see silent films.
 At the San Francisco screening, he said the first time he saw a silent film with live music was at the San Francisco film festival in the 80s.  Hopefully some of the people who see Brand will go to the San Francisco Silent Film Festival at the Castro July 13th - 15th.

Emanuele Crialese, Graham Leggat & Vincenzo Amato

 The opening film at the festival, the Golden Door, directed by Emanuele Crialese and starring Vincenzo Amato also opened in San Francisco this weekend.
 

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

On Vox: Two San Francisco documentaries Tuesday

Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill will air on many PBS stations tonight (check local listings) as part of Independent Lens. I first saw it during the 2004 San Francisco International Film Festival and when it was shown theatrically in San Francisco in 2005 (photos).  The documentary which is based on Mark Bittner's book is also available on DVD.

Independent Lens | The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill Trailer

Bittner and director Judy Irving were interviewed last year on Terra TV.  Sign up for the email list on the Wild Parrots site (scroll down to the bottom) to get updates on the parrots and their other projects.

Chris Tashima, Daniel Dae Kim, Jason Scott Lee, and Jeff Adachi

I wrote about San Franciso public defender Jeff Adachi's documentary,The Slanted Screen, last year when it was shown theatrically.  It has been airing on PBS stations this month and will be on KQED tonight at 10:30 pm.  It is also available on DVD.  Jeff Adachi was interviewed earlier this month on WBUR.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

On Vox: Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep

50th SF International Film Festival

For 30 years, Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep was only rarely shown.  Even after being named to the National Film Registry in 1990, it wasn't released theatrically or on video.  As David Kehr wrote in the New York Times, the reason was the film was made as Burnett's graduate film at UCLA, so the music rights were never cleared.

Charles Burnett at PFA in 2004

I was lucky enough to see it many years ago when I lived in New York.  I saw Burnett speak when Nightjohn (which is available on DVD) was shown at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 1996 and at Pacific Film Archive during a retrospective in 2004.

It took six years and  $150,000 (half donated by Steven Soderbergh) was spent to get the music rights.  They still weren't able to get the rights to Unforgettable by Dinah Washington which played during the closing of the film (and is still listed in the closing credits - you can buy it on itunes for 99 cents and bring your ipod to the theater).

Killer of Sheep

Killer of Sheep is playing in theaters in some cities through the fall.  It is at the Castro and Rafael through Thursday.  It will continue through at least next week at the Shattuck in Berkeley.  It will be out on DVD along with My Brothers Wedding and some short films on November 13th, but see it in a theater if you can.  Hopefully, his 1990 film, To Sleep with Anger, will also soon be available again on DVD.

Interview with Burnett, another interview, interview with links at bottom (though some don't work)

Review and story from NPR.

Review by J. Hoberman

More reviews and articles.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

The Rape of Europa

                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Rape of Europa during SFIFF50

            

           

   

Screenings of The Rape of Europa were sold out during the San Francisco International Film Festival, but it opens tonight in San Francisco, Berkeley, and San Rafael.  Co-directors Richard Berge, Bonni Cohen and Nicole Newnham, and Bernard Taper (who is interviewed in the film) will answer questions after the 7:30  pm show on Friday, May 18th at the Embarcadero (sign up for the Landmark newsletter to see if they will be at any future shows).

                                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

The Rape of Europa trailer

            

           

   

The documentary, based on the book of the same name by Lynn Nicholas, focuses on the massive theft of art by the Nazis which continues to have an impact today.  It doesn't ignore the impact of the Allies telling the story of the military's Monuments Men (including Taper) who worked to protect the culture of the cities in the path of the war.

                                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

SF360 Movie Scene Europa interview

            

           

   

While Rape of Europa will be shown on PBS, it does make a difference to really be able to see the art in a theater (schedule).  And it tells important aspects of the story the weren't in The Architecture of Doom and exhibits and plays I'd seen on the Nazis and art.

                                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Robert Edsel, co-producer of The Rape of Europa

            

           

   

Michael Guillén interviewed Berge and Cohen.  Cohen, Nicholas, and Taper were also on Forum this morning.  Co-producer Robert Edsel has a blog on issues related to the film. There are more video clips from the film online.

Cohen was executive producer of Wonders are Many which also screened at SFIFF, and Newnham directed Sentenced Home which has been airing this week on Independent Lens on PBS. 

 

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

Frontline: When Kids Get Life on PBS

                                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

FRONTLINE "When Kids Get Life" at pbs.org/frontline

            

           

   

When Kids Get Life airs on most PBS stations on Tuesday as part of Frontline (it will also be online).

Ofra Bikel's latest documentary looks at five of the 45 prisoners in Colorado who are serving life without parole for  crimes they committed when they were juveniles. 

Bikel's has done a series of documentaries on the criminal justie system for Frontline.  Some of them have helped innocent people be freed from prison.

They include The Case for Innocence, Requiem for Frank Lee Smith, Snitch, An Ordinary Crime, The Burden of Innocence, and The Plea (the last two are online).

It becomes clear that some of the inmates in When Kids Get Life should never have gone to jail and others should not spend the rest of their lives in jail.

Colorado once had one of the most progressive juvenile justice systems.  Jeffrey Fagan is interviewed about it.  But, in the early 90s like many states, they changed the law to allow for juveniles to be tried as adults and sent to prison for life without parole.  And the choice was left to the prosecutor, not the judge.

In 2006, Colorado became the first state to change from life to being eligable for parole after 40 years.  But a compromise to pass the bill over the objections of district attorneys and the families of murder victims dropped a provision to make it retroactive.

The Pendulum Foundation was started by the parents of Eric Jenson who is in tonight's documentary. 

It is also clear that there was physical and/or sexual abuse in many of the cases.  There needs to be more resources put into child abuse prevention and treatment programs.

                                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Independent Lens | THE CATS OF MIRIKITANI | PBS

            

           

   

Also, tonight on Independent Lens on many PBS stations is The Cats of Mirikitani which was shown in March at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

Rob Nilsson films on Jaman through Thursday

 

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Graham Leggat - 50th San Francisco International Film Festival

            

           

   

When Graham Leggat said (Enric has some video) at the press conference announcing the lineup for the 50 San Francisco International Film Festival that some films would be available on Jaman for a limited number of downloads, I didn't realize how limited.                        

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Jaman & Jonathan Richman at the Castro

            

           

   

They had hoped to announce the films at the press conference, then 10 days before the festival began, but the names of the films weren't released until a few days into the fest.  The six films would be  available for a day for up to 100 downloads.

                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Jaman

            

           

   

Unfortunately, that is understandable.  While technology has been changing rapidly, most theatrical distributors won't pick up a film which has been available online nor will most television channels.

           

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Robert Arnold & Malcolm Pullinger - the Key of G

            

           

   

The Key of G was available on Jaman only outside of the US and Canada because it will be on PBS in October. Sundance made some of the short films they showed available for free online and/or for $2 on itunes.  After he was on a panel at SFMOMA in February, I asked Jay Rosenblatt why he didn't include his Sundance short I Just Wanted to Be Somebody (which will also screen at Frameline in June).  He said his film was being considered by a cable channel which wouldn't have permitted it to be shown online.  Filmmakers may also only have festival rights to footage and music in their films before they are picked up for distribution or television.

And while Jaman is a great service (I've been beta testing it for a few months), it does require registration and downloading a player.  And the files are large, around a gig or more (though they download relatively quickly on a fast
internet connection).   Tribeca has also been offering free films for about a week each with no limit on downloads (one film is still available through the 9th and another through the 11th).  Still, one film was downloaded 128 times, one 106 times, and another 63 times according to Jaman's most downloaded page. 

                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Les Blank talking about All in This Tea

            

           

   

 

The SFIFF50 film All in This Tea was downloaded almost 80 times in one day.  When I asked Les Blank last week why he participated, he said, "Why not?"  He said he was experimenting with online distribution including making his 1973 film, Dry Wood, available at the free streaming site,  Folkstreams.

More theatrical distributors and television outlets should have that attitude.  Seeing a film online may help build an audience in theaters and on television.  When Sundance asked the filmmakers of The Tribe to put it online as part of the 2006 festival, they were hesitant.  But being online actually helped their DVD sales (when they had to have Sundance take the film down during Tribeca last year, sales went down).

           

   

       

           

                                    

           

   

  Rob Nilsson's SAMT (which I saw when it screened at the Mill Valley Film Festival) is available today.  Security is available Wednesday, and Opening on Thursday.

             

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Agua

            

           

   

Aqua which is playing at SFIFF (including Wednesday at 8:45 pm at PFA) is part of Jaman's growing library of films.

Next year, I hope the festival will also make short films available (they are smaller downloads) and make the feature films available for a longer time.

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com

Centerpieces

                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Isild Le Besco at SFIFF49

            

           

   

Last year's SFIFF Centerpiece film was Backstage (French site) which recently came out on DVD.  Isild Le Besco (French site) played a teenager obsessed with a Madonna-like singer who has the chance to meet her through an MTV style reality show.

                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

Delirious

            

           

   

This year's Centerpiece film, Delirious (French site even though it is not a French film), explores some similar themes. Steve Buscemi plays a photographer obsessed with getting the celebrity "shot heard 'round the world."  It was directed by Tom DiCillio who also made Living in Oblivion (amazingly, the 1995 website is still online). Delirious screens tonight at the Kabuki at 7 pm.  It is sold out, but there will be rush tickets if you get there early enough.  If you see it when it is released theatrically, make sure you stay until the end of the credits.

Isild Le Besco gives an even better performance in a film at this year's festival, A Parting Shot, which screens tonight at 7 pm at the Clay, and at the Kabuki on Monday at 1:30 pm, Tuesday at 6:30 pm, and Thursday at 4:30 pm. 

Originally posted on tigerbeat.vox.com