Over the last week I have been swimming in way too many films. I originally thought they were all for SXSW (because every one I know was focused on that) but the truth is there are other festivals happening this up coming weekend and I have been getting tons of films for those as well.
Because I don't have it in me to do several different curtain raisers I'm going to do one ginormous one talking about each.
SXSW
Ths is like the spring version of Sundance. Its the place in America where a lot of American filmmakers go to get first word out on their films. What amuses me about SXSW is that despite becoming a major launching pad for American cinema the festival almost always treats it as an after thought. They want to focus on music, education and othe non-cinema things. Still the festival still gets some winners every year.
The first of two absolute MUST see films at the festival is Marq Evans CAPTURING BIGFOOT. A look at the Patterson/Gimlin film that breaks the myth, via a recently unearthed second reel of film. Evan's film is going to rewrite what we thought we knew about the mysterious cryptid. At the same time the film is incredibly bittersweet as we watch the few feet of film destroy the lives of many it touched. Just see it and be moved in both your head and heart.
The other MUST see is BEYOND THE DUPLEX PLANET, which is a portrait of David Greenberger who started the zine Duplex Planet which revealed the lives and thoughts of the people who lived in the nursing home where he worked. Expanding out to records, performances and books Duplex Planet changed lives. The film about it is a staggering achievement on a scale that few films ever reach. It will leave you full of feelings and thoughts and it will not leave you for weeks after seeing it. Trust me I can not shake the film.
EDIE ARNOLD IS A LOSER is a very good film. A visually glorious film, trust me what this film does with films will blow your mind, its the story of an outsider girl who ends up in a band and a battle of the bands. And that is all I can say. While I was sent the film in the hope of doing an interview or getting it into the curtain raiser I was asked not to review it. That's the filmmakers choice, they want people to see it in a theater with an audience, but the truth is having spoken to a couple of other writers who saw it and loved it, its a mistake. This is a wonderful film and everyone who has seen it is itching to sing its praises. Don't believe me- buy a ticket and go to Catholic school with Edie.
CPH: DOX
This is a documentary fest in Denmark. Its a fest that shows a lot of great docs that don't always make to the US. I was only sent a couple of films to review such as MARINIIKA about a city in Ukraine divided by the war, where brothers fight on opposite sides and DAUGHTERS OF THE FOREST a great film about mushrooms.(Trust me its really good).
However I have already covered a good number of films they are playing:
Aanikoobijigan [ancestor / great-grandparent / great-grandchild]
BELOW THE CLOUDS
BOY GEORGE AND CULTURE CLUB
Radur Jude's DRACULA
DRY LEAF
EVERYONE TO KENMURE STREET
GHOST ELEPHANTS
HAIR,PAPER, WATER...
HOLDING LIAT
LANDMARKS
OUR LAND
PHENOMENA
UNDERLAND
If you do a search you'll find reviews for all of them
CINEQUEST
Every year I am flooded with requests for coverage for films from this west coast festival- and who am I to say no?
They always have a bunch of great off the radar films that end up on my year end list. This year some of the choice films include:
MERMAID- the story a young trans girl who tries to walk into the ocean with a bakpack full of rocks and is saved by a drag queen. This is not what Hollywood give us and instead it has a real and lived in feel where people are truly damaged and not fixed at the end. You will be moved.
TETHER is a deeply moving film about the aftermath of a school shooting that asks when will the madness truly end when the shooting takes out more than just the kids in the school. Highly recommended.
IN SPITE OF OURSELVES is an expectedly wonderful romance with real people. This is not a cute Hollywood film but something more real. The cast is great and the writing is even better. It's a must see.
NYICFF
The New Yorl International Children's Film Festival is going into in its last weekend. Hopefully you already got to some screenngs this past weekend. I know a bunch sold out.
I will be back in the trenches both Saturday and Sunday completeing the one thing that I always wanted to do- which was see every film playing at the festival. I am six features away from doing that.
There will be more reviews this week including the just added MAGNIFICENT LIFE from Sylvain Chomet who did Triplets of Belleville. I will also have reviews of all the films in the STUDENT SHOWCASE. I can't tell you how good those films are, many are playing in other collections or as the opening film before a feature.
I need to say something to all of you because even after talking to filmmakers people don't understand how good and important NYICFF is. I had a discussion with a filmmaker who was feeling a bit like an imposter, that his film didn't belong in the festival. What I told him was a less flowery version of this:
If you have gotten your film into thge festival you have achieved something amazing. I have been going to the festival every year since the second year and the programmers only pick the absolute best films. If your film has been chosen it means that it is a top tier film and worth seeing just for being chosen. That is the reason I try and see every film that plays, because the programmers are simply that good. NYICFF is an Oscar qualifying festival for a reason- many films they choose end up getting Oscars or nominations. If you need to know how highly they are held in the world film community consider that it is the only place Studio Ghibli has ever let play Ghibli Museum shorts for a non-fund raising reason.
I am telling you this because you need to buy tickets and go to the festival this weekend because you will see something wondrous.
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