SAGIndie was very pleased to sponsor a screening of the indie film, THE DISH & THE SPOON at the 2011 AFI Fest. After the screening, writer/director Alison Bagnall participated in a Q&A.
You guys! Because I know a good time when I see one, I spent the beginning of the month in Tennessee at Indie Memphis. Also because someone finally recognized my genius and put me on a jury with Adam Donaghey and Chris Parnell.
On the flight to Memphis, I sat next to another festival juror, the criminally underrated Daniel Waters (and I’m not just calling him that because I happen to know that he googles “Daniel Waters, underrated”). Let me say that again: I sat next to the man who wrote Heathers. I was close enough to touch him! (I didn’t though, cause I wasn’t reared that way. Don’t worry, you guys, I played it cool.)
Upon my arrival I realized how much Indie Memphis does for the filmmakers (they let the jury tag along). My days there were a blur of movies and receptions and tours and panels and southern food and more movies and parties. It was like summer camp! And all with a free shuttle! (You’d be surprised to know how many festivals have expected attendees to figure out how to get back and forth from screenings that are 10-20 miles from the festival host hotel without going broke.) This fest is really great to the filmmakers that attend, and that must be the word on the street, because the city was crawling with them. And because I am trying to be a person of use to society, I had a chance to do a SAGIndie workshop with quite a few of said filmmakers. It was really heartening to have the turn out I did. (Are you guys, like, “I can’t figure out which part of this story is supposed to be interesting”(?) OK! Enough sincerity!)
How about this: Indie Memphis was insane! Seriously, you have one white wine spritzer* and the next thing you know you’re wearing a horse mask sitting in a converted airstream trailer sitting in between two men you just went with to what may or may not have been a rave (?), one of whom wrote Heathers, and listen, the night is not even close to being over.**
On the final night, after our last deliberation, Adam and I walked back to the Playhouse on the Square with Chris to go watch his panel, which was super entertaining as I’m sure you can imagine. During the Q&A, I raised my hand and asked “Out of the two others serving on the Hometowner Jury with you, which one is your favorite?” That drew a gasp from the crowd and a polite politician-y answer from Chris, who claimed he liked me and Adam equally, which we all know can’t be true. I have so much going for me, like awesome hair and a million pictures of my dog dressed up like Dracula! Adam? All he has is his own movie theater and a million producing credits.
After the panel was the awards ceremony, where the Hometowner Jury was pleased to award best Hometowner Feature to Morgan Jon Fox’s documentary This is What Love In Action Looks Like and Best Hometowner Short to Ryan Parker and G.B. Shannon’s Fresh Skweezed (which also won the Hometowner Audience Award). After the awards ceremony was the after party***, and after the party was the hotel lobby. And after that? Well, I guess I had to come home some time.
THE END
*Alright, it wasn’t a spritzer I was drinking!
**Actually, this sounds a lot like my Tuesday nights.
***At Ernestine and Hazels.
Every once in a while, an opportunity arises that you cannot resist. Riding camels in Egypt, giant wave surfing in Australia, nude sunbathing during Thailand’s monsoon season. Well, I’ve done none of these things, but I still got to do something pretty cool.
This year at the 20th annual Raindance Film Festival in London, UK, SAGIndie was invited to share our knowledge on independent filmmaking and new media content. I assumed it was the Queen herself, asking for me. I’m sure she went through “channels”.
Actually, our introduction came to Raindance in the best possible way; through filmmakers who liked our message. Back in March we were at SXSW Film/Interactive/Music Festival. There, SXSW had a section called SX-UK where they had a group of UK filmmakers doing business, meeting people, and generally trying to convince us that we don’t pronounce aluminum or centrifugal correctly. Well, we quickly set them straight on that. But it turns out that the folks from “across the pond” are also interested in filmmaking. Too bad they do it so poorly… (Wait, what? They don’t do it poorly? Long history of filmmaking? What the heck is the King’s Speech?!)
Despite their obvious shortcomings (why can’t they speak English?) we met quite a few filmmakers who seemed cool. Several of them mentioned this great festival for indie filmmaking that takes place in October in London. Turns out, they were more than just talk, they actually mentioned me to the festival director, Elliot Grove and we met each other while in Cannes. One thing led to another and off I went to London.
The festival was very cool. Over the course of 12 days, Raindance showed movies, (opening with the much talked about ANOTHER EARTH), held panels, and threw some groovy parties (suddenly, I feel all Austin Powers). I was on s panel about creating a web series. While the internet is worldwide, it seems that the US of A is leading the pack in creating stories for it. Raindance wanted us to share the wisdom we’ve acquired over the years.
You all should know that, as a rule, I try not to acquire anything– not wisdom or anything else that might make my luggage heavier and harder to get through customs. But, as it turned out, I was able to share a bit about how web series are getting better, more prolific, and attracting really talented people to be a part of them. It seemed like a good time was had by all.
I also made a jump and visited a group of filmmakers in Dublin, Ireland. I had padded the trip by two days so I could roam around a little. Just as I was deciding between visiting Oxford or Canterbury for a little educational ME time, I got an email asking me if I’d come to Dublin and talk with a group of filmmakers, actors and even guild members (producer’s guild and directors). How could I pass that up? Plus, their offices were mere blocks from the Jameson Irish Whiskey Distillery – if you like that kind of thing – which I do NOT (unless you have photographic evidence). So, I met a great group of professionals and students in filmmaking.
Clearly, I’m not the shyest person on the planet and I try to make friends wherever I go (except YOU Minnesota. Haven’t forgotten how you snowed on me in SEPTEMBER!!). But I can happily say that I met the nicest, warmest people on my trip. We had dinner, we talked film, we talked politics, we talked Princes (Will AND Harry), and I just generally felt welcomed in by our counterparts “over there”. I would happily go back tomorrow, IF the dollar were just a little bit stronger.
Now, could someone please tell me how many pounds a STONE is? WHY CAN’T THEY JUST TALK AMERICAN?!
Guinivere Cramer and Damon Burke sit down with SAGIndie’s Darrien Gipson to talk about the circuit of film festivals she has been involved in, including her favorite, Sundance. They also discuss the African American Film Festival on Martha’s Vineyard as well as her involvement in the Screen Actors Guild.
Why scheme, lie, cheat, and steal? Because an honest day’s work is so darn hard, and the payoff is usually higher; at least that’s what Mickey Prohaska would have you believe in the 2011 Sundance film The Convincer. Mickey (Greg Kinnear, As Good as It Gets, Little Miss Sunshine) enters every scene with one objective in mind: how can I get more out of this situation? His vile, unapologetic persona is always on the lookout for another scam, and he’s about to unearth his easiest con yet. Once his plot is put into motion, nothing, and no one, can stand in his way. Or, so he thinks.
It all begins at an insurance convention where Mickey convinces a fresh, eager salesman, Bob Egan (David Harbour, War of the Worlds, The Quantum of Solace), to accept a position with Mickey’s insurance company, instead of a high-paying offer with a larger firm. Mickey exaggerates his office space, his staff, his clients, his income, everything really, so he can hook Bob. Bob joins his team, and Mickey assigns him to the clients who are the farthest drive away from their office. This little bit of employee abuse backfires when Bob comes across an old man, Grovy Hauer (Alan Arkin, Catch-22, Little Miss Sunshine), on a farm estate with a rare and valuable violin in his attic.
Mickey jumps on the chance to steal this client and handle Mr. Hauer’s insurance needs himself. He has the violin appraised by a persnickety violin shop owner (Bob Balaban, Gosford Park, The Majestic), who tells him the artifact is worth 30,000 dollars. This is the exact amount Mickey needs to patch things up with his wife. Prior to the start of the film, he had emptied their joint bank account without her knowledge, leading to their current separation. He sets his plan in motion to lift the violin from spacey Old Man Hauer, but neighbor BG (James Stordahl), as well as security installer Randy Kinney (Billy Crudup, Big Fish, Watchmen), foil his plans.
Have no fear; Mickey is a smart, conniving man, and he continually adjusts his plans; as one door closes, five more open. The Convincer is a maze of plot twists. The story unfolds with Mickey starring as stage director, the man behind-the-scenes, pulling the strings on his many puppets, but, really, Mickey may not be the show runner he’s convinced himself he is. Self-absorbed, Mickey sees the world with blinders on. He is so untrustworthy, it is undoubtedly his own fault that he doesn’t recognize dishonesty in others. His world and the cast of characters around him, truly, are not as they seem.
Kinnear, Harbour, Arkin, and Balaban feed off of each other’s energy. Their dynamics are entertaining to watch and each accomplished actor shines in their assigned role. The Convincer is an unexpected film. Writers Jill and Karen Sprecher have woven quite a yarn, and Jill’s steadfast direction completes this wry and guileful picture. Much like the film, I have waited until the last act to tell you what it’s really all about; The Convincer is fairly smart, dark, and oddly humorous in a toned-down kind of way. Mixed into this fun, mysterious farce is a splash of The Usual Suspects, a touch of Fargo, and just a hint of The Red Violin. Ultimately, though, this movie stands up on its own with a unique, dark-humored tone and unraveling plot. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this film!—
If you can ever find it. I saw The Convincer when it premiered in January 2011 at the Sundance Film Festival, in Eccles Theater, in Park City, Utah. Since then, I have read that it has undergone many changes, and it is not the film I saw at Sundance. We will have to wait and see what its final version will be like. I have not seen this new version, so I cannot comment on it in any way. I can only hope that it somehow remains the film I enjoyed at Sundance. For information on the changes, check out this Indiewire article as a starting point.
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In addition to her duties at SAGIndie, Ellen Tremiti is also a Contributor for Fanboy Comics, an independent comic book publishing company based in Los Angeles, CA. For more interviews, blogs, and reviews by Ellen and the FBC staff, check out the Fanboy Comics website at FanboyComics.net or sign up for the e-newsletter, The Fanboy Scoop, by emailing subscribe@fanboycomics.net.
Check out a review of THE TROLL HUNTER that SAGIndie’s Ellen Tremiti did for FANBOY COMICS.
Check out a review of THE DETAILS that SAGIndie’s Ellen Tremiti did for FANBOY COMICS.
Is the 8th time the charm?
Yeah, not really. Don’t get me wrong, it’s the south of France, so complaining isn’t worth it. No one cares if you’re not happy in Cannes. And I am pretty happy. The weather has held up decently, though we’re all praying to hold off the rain. The people actually seem less obnoxious – with a few notable exceptions. And the movies – heck, I have no idea about the movies. One week in and we haven’t seen a movie. We really doubt we will. There are some here that we were interested in seeing, and some that it would just be cool to see. I even have a fancy dress. What I do not have, is the time, the energy to finagle a ticket, and the desire to put on high heels. Cuz, the truth is, Cannes is tiring. We spend every day filling our schedule with the best and the brightest the industry has to offer and we bring them in to do one hour roundtables. They speak to the film students at the American Pavilion Student Program; a great program for those who want to learn what film life could be like once you leave the hallowed halls of film school. If you’re lucky. The lucky ones this year are people who were part of the AmPav program in 2008, and this year, are back with films. I’d say they parlayed pretty well. People like producer, Charlie Birns, who is here this year with a film called THE RETURN. Great work if you can get it.
But enough about other people, what about me? Other than the two (2) hours I sat on a runway, in a plane that “had a small problem”, and the major attack of hay fever, I feel pretty good. It helps that the weather is neither storming nor blazing hot. And the people we meet here in Cannes are really great and generous with their time. And the best aperitif is a Kir Royal. So I hear (ahem). Eliza and I are amazed that it’s already Saturday, which means our first week is about over. It really does fly once you get here. Our days are full of meetings, panels, roundtables, and then dinner. An occasional after-party might be in the cards. Wash, repeat. For 12 straight days.
Eh, I’ll sleep when I’m dead. Or, at least, when I stop sneezing.
“Lisa Aschan’s “She Monkeys” (Apflickorna) won the best narrative feature prize, while Alma Har’el took best documentary for “Bombay Beach” at the Tribeca Film Festival tonight in New York. The world competition winners for narrative and documentary films were chosen from 12 narrative and 12 documentary features from 21 countries. Aschan took to the stage, capping the efficiently dispersed awards with utter surprise.”
Read the rest at INDIEWIRE
