Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, December 15, 2008
Big Sky Film Festival
I found out this weekend that Profluence Productions' latest film, Bend & Bow, has been accepted into Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana. This is our second year in a row qualifying for the film festival and we are all thrilled. The exact date of the screening has not ben set, but the festival runs from February 13th to the 22nd. Fimmaker and blogger AJ Schnack named Big Sky as a rising film festival while P.O.V had this to say about last years festival:
Big Sky Film Festival
February 22, 2008 10:22 AM, by Simon
After the hectic pace and hype of Sundance, it was a treat to go for the first time to the Big Sky Film Festival in Missoula. In fact, it was my first time in Montana — and I'll be back. I was a juror in the documentary feature category along with the delightful Skylar Browing (Arts Editor of The Missoula Independent) and Deborah Barkow (filmmaker and editor). The winner of the feature competition was Jimmy Rosenberg: The Father, The Son, The Talent by Jeroen Berkvens — an elegant and richly layered film about a guitarist who should be known better in the U.S. A special jury award for artistic vision was given to When Clouds Clear by Anne Slick and Danielle Bernstein (lovely cinematography!). For full festival results, see the festival's website.
The festival's artistic director is Doug Hawes-Davis (Libby Montana, P.O.V. 2007), and in just five years the team there has built Big Sky into a festival with a deservedly good reputation. The home is the wonderful historic Wilma Theatre — a lovely specimen in downtown Missoula with a main house that holds an audience of 1100 and a smaller second theatre for special programming — this year, they'll feature a retrospective of the great work by Hart and Dana Perry.
Read more after the jump....
The program (over 160 films) had a nice mix of premieres, highlights from the festival circuit, shorts and films of particular appeal to local audiences. The opening film was the lovely (if perhaps a teeny bit long) The Gates by Antonio Ferrara and Albert Maysles — a fascinating and beautiful portrait of Jeanne-Claude and Christo's struggle and triumph to produce their exquisite installation in Central Park. Audiences lined up to see recent festival favorites from Up the Yangtze to Kurt Cobain: About a Son, a great set of shorts sponsored by the International Documentary Challenge, and premieres including La Americana by Nicholas Bruckman and Conviction by Mike West and Bill Ward. The audiences were particularly enthusiastic for some of the local programs with lines down the block for Montana films The Little Red Truck by Rob Whitehair and Class C by Justin Lake and Shasta Grenier.
It was a great, easygoing festival experience and Missoula's a lovely town — a wonderful mix of rural America and college town. So mark your calendar for February 2009, and treat yourself to a few days of taking in some excellent films in a great place. And when you go, be sure to take a hike in the Rattlesnake — you'll be awed by the wilderness!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
More air dates for Shadows of Guilt
Shadows of Guilt
- Rating: TV14
Are there some debts to society that can never be repaid' Gregory Frederick took a life and paid with 22 years of his own before struggling to reenter society. As he grapples with his new found freedom, the film explores what it means to live in the shadow of guilt.
Directed by Dana Bartle
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Shadows of Guilt to re-air on the Documentary Channel
When I initially negotiated with the Documentary Channel I was told that my film would only be guaranteed one screening and that additional screenings would be based on viewership. Since this will be the twentieth airing of my film, and since my mother does not get either channel, that must mean that someone else is watching it! Thanks for all of your support and keep watching!
Friday, October 31, 2008
My Detroit players...
We arrived in Detroit and it is 68 degrees! Since Bend & Bow does not screen until tomorrow we are headed out to enjoy Halloween. Everyone knows how much I love music, especially vinyl, so it should come as no surprise that I managed to track down a fantastic party for us to celebrate our first night in Detroit. My friend Richard Smith from Wax Poetics suggested that I check out People's Records to shop for some vinyl while I am in town. As luck would have it the owner of the shop is throwing a Halloween version of their celebrated Funk Night. He will be spinning rare soul and funk 45's from midnight until the sun comes up. So we are off to eat some bbq and dance all night. Here is the scoop on the party. So far Detroit seems pretty fantastic.
Since the monthly Funk Night happens to be on Halloween this year, we are going to do it right!
We have a fresh new spot in the Russell Industrial Center known as the Motor City Movie House. Throughout the month, they show Cult Classics and even have drive in movie nights. Check them out: http://www. myspace.com/motorcitymoviehouse
Scott Craig, the originator of Funk Night in Detroit,is flying back from LA for this special event. He is known worldwide for his funk collection and knowledge of rare 45s. He also put out a compilation of Michigan Funk/Soul 45s a few years back,through Ubiquity Records, titled "Searching For Soul". If you don't know it, check it: http://www. ubiquityrecords. com/lh046. html
Another treat for the evening is Will Sessions, a group of bad ass local musicians from Detroit. Not too many cats have heard them yet. They will be playing a set of raw funk, guaranteed to move the crowd! If you haven't heard them, you need to check them out.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Detroit Docs lineup anounced...
Bend & Bow will screen Saturday November 1st at 9am, at the Detroit Film Festival, 1515 Broadway. click here to see the full lineup
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Bend & Bow accepted to Detroit Docs Film Festival
It appears I will be heading to the Motor City at the end of October as Bend & Bow has been accepted into the Detroit Docs Film Festival. The festival runs from October 29th until November 3rd, and I will find out October 10th exactly when our film will screen.
Dear Filmmaker,
Congratulations! We are glad to inform you that your film, Bend and Bow, has been selected for screening at the 2008 Detroit Docs International Film Festival, October 29th through November 2nd.
This year we received and viewed numerous high quality films from around the world. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to make your outstanding work a part of Detroit Docs ’08.