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News & Updates
December 14, 2017
25 Years of SXSW Film Festival – Sean Baker
To commemorate the 25th edition of the SXSW Film Festival, we continue our weekly alumni spotlight on careers launched, artists discovered, powerful performances, and more with filmmaker Sean Baker.
Baker’s directorial debut Four Letter Words premiered at SXSW in 2001. In 2012, he brought his drama Starlet starring Dree Hemingway which premiered in Narrative Feature Competition. Besedka Johnson won a special jury recognition for her performance. In 2015, Baker wrote and directed his fifth feature Tangerine, a breakout hit shot on an iPhone 5. Baker’s critically-acclaimed The Florida Project is currently playing in theaters and is being praised for Baker’s direction and performances by Willem Dafoe, and newcomer Brooklynn Prince. The film is on numerous “Top Ten Lists” with many nominations and awards this season.
We are honored to share his #SXSWFilm25 story with you.
“I might not have kept going if it wasn’t for SXSW. Four Letter Words was my first feature and getting into SXSW meant everything. The festival was my first champion and supporter – I don’t know if I would be here if not for them.”
Stay tuned to SXSW News for more 25th edition stories.
Join Us For SXSW 2018
Grab your Film Badge today for primary access to all SXSW Film events including world premieres, roundtables, workshops, and parties. Register to attend by Friday, January 12 and save. Book your hotel through SXSW Housing & Travel for the best available rates.
Stay tuned for the 2018 SXSW Film Festival lineup which will be announced in January.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SXSW News for the latest SXSW coverage, announcements, and updates.
See you in March!
Dustin Finkelstein/WireImage
The post 25 Years of SXSW Film Festival – Sean Baker appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Film
December 14, 2017
Photography: It’s time for the Holidays!
Photography: It’s time for the Holidays!
Just about two weeks before Christmas time, I don’t know why but this is my favourite part of the year. It’s usually the time where you get yourself loose for delicious foods, cherish the love with siblings and desperately getting some time off everything. Time for a reset! As another lovely tradition on ABDZ (something we haven’t done in years), we are sharing this collection of photography with a theme about the holidays. We are grateful to have platforms like Unsplash where it’s quite easy to find high-quality images for multiple use. Whatever it is for an email, cover picture, holiday wishes or else; we hope you will enjoy this collection.
More Links
- Cover Image by rawpixel.com
- Follow my tweets @aoirostudio
- Follow my pictures on Instagram
Holiday Photography
AoiroStudio
Dec 14, 2017
Source: Abduzeedo Photography
December 13, 2017
Get to Know: 9 Australian Artists Performing at SXSW 2018
The SXSW Music Festival is one of the largest annual music events in the world. Each year, over 1000 acts from all over the world converge on Austin in March to perform for an international audience of creatives, industry pros, and fans eager to get a sneak peek at the next generation of musical talent. With so many international and regional artists, not to mention many newer acts, it’s impossible not to find something new to be excited about in our festival lineup if you are on the lookout. With that in mind, we are highlighting a selection of Australian artists performing at SXSW 2018.
Australian Artists Spotlight
Harriette Pilbeam, Hatchie, may be in the early days of her career, but her shoegaze pop singles “Try” and “Sure” already have fans eagerly awaiting her debut LP. Newcastle’s Vacations make sun-kissed jangle pop with just the right amount of lo-fi charm. Fans of post-punk will enjoy RVG for their retrospective guitar riffs and clever vocals. For something uptempo, check out Sydney’s melodic punk rock outfit Bloods and 70’s rock riffing sisters Stonefield.
Australia has no shortage of modern soul between Melbourne’s soulful singer WILSN, who recently transplanted to Nashville, and The Teskey Brothers, whose take on the motown sound is getting bigger by the day. The country has produced many impressive electronic pop acts in recent years, and Sydney’s Bad Pony look like they may be next in line to break out. Finally, don’t miss out on Perth’s singer-songwriter Stella Donnelly, who was recently awarded the Levi’s Music Prize at BIGSOUND.
Discover More
Still craving more artists to check out? We’ve got you covered. Check out our SXSW Artist of the Day page for more artist highlights, surf the SXSW 2018 Showcasing Artists Music Videos playlist, and listen to the SXSW 2018 Spotify Playlist. Pro tip: if you add the artists you are interested in to your favorites on the SXSW Schedule, the date and time of their performance will auto-populate on your personal schedule view once it is announced.
Attend SXSW 2018
Interested on getting a sneak peak at the next generation of musical talent by attending SXSW 2018? Learn more about attending SXSW 2018 here. The best way to experience SXSW Music Festival events is with a Music Badge: not only will you have access to all nighttime showcases, but you’ll also receive entry into daytime Conference sessions, networking events, and parties.
Book your hotel through SXSW Housing & Travel for the best rates and availability. We hope to see you in March!
The Teskey Brothers – Photo by John Fish
WILSN – Photo by Michelle Grace Hunder
The post Get to Know: 9 Australian Artists Performing at SXSW 2018 appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Music
December 13, 2017
Filmmaker In Focus: The Ballad of Lefty Brown [Video]
The Ballad of Lefty Brown world premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in the Narrative Spotlight section. Take a closer look at this Western with our Q&A with director Jared Moshe. The Ballad of Lefty Brown starts playing in theaters Friday, December 15. Be sure to check out our red carpet coverage from the premiere!
Q: Tell us a little about your film?
JM: The Ballad of Lefty Brown is a coming-of-age Western for a 63 year old cowboy. Aging sidekick Lefty Brown (Bill Pullman) has ridden with Eddie Johnson (Peter Fonda) his entire life. But when a rustler kills Eddie, Lefty is thrust from his partner’s shadow and must confront the world’s ugly realities to bring the killer to justice.
Q: What motivated you to tell this story?
JM: The idea for The Ballad of Lefty Brown grew out of my fascination with the unappreciated. The men and women relegated to supporting roles in other people’s epic stories. Lefty Brown is an old man, lanky with white hair and intense eyes. His wide-brimmed hat flopped on his head, and his lips in a half-formed smile. He waits alone in a one-room jail, atop a gnarled wagon or in the muck behind a saloon. He’s Walter Brennan or Andy Devine or Hank Worden – the fool, the crank, the comic relief. Yet this joke of a man has been entrusted with guarding a prisoner, protecting the food and defending the hero’s back. I wanted to understand why. This script was developed with the belief that there is an intrinsic strength in these characters, and that becoming a “sidekick” was a conscious choice.
Q: What do you want the audience to take away from this film?
JM: I hope to encourage my audience to question the stories and myths that they hold true. Whether it’s ISIS, gun violence, productivity culture or the American Dream, we use stories to hide from truths we’d rather not face. The Western has always provided a fertile ground for storytelling, capturing the innate conflicts of American identity and enabling us to dig into modern day problems in a historical setting. The Classical Western provided us with a creation myth. The Revisionist Western asked us to reconsider our identification with it. With The Ballad of Lefty Brown, I’m embracing the myth while accepting the brutal history beneath it.
Join Us For SXSW 2018
Grab your Film Badge today for primary access to all SXSW Film events including world premieres, roundtables, workshops, and parties. Register to attend by Friday, January 12 and save. Book your hotel through SXSW Housing & Travel for the best available rates.
Stay tuned for the 2018 SXSW Film Festival lineup which will be announced in January.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SXSW News for the latest SXSW coverage, announcements, and updates.
See you in March!
The post Filmmaker In Focus: The Ballad of Lefty Brown [Video] appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Film
December 13, 2017
UI Inspiration: This week’s selections from Willie.H, Arnar Ólafsson, Zak Steele-Eklund and more
UI Inspiration: This week’s selections from Willie.H, Arnar Ólafsson, Zak Steele-Eklund and more
It’s that time of the week for our collection of UI/UX interactions to boost your UI inspiration. We are focusing on cool animations, layout designs, UX thinking and more. We will mix it all from static, dynamic and even live prototypes, this might be a great article to bookmark! For this week, we have some cool interactions with a recipe app concept and a very intuitive animation for a freelancer app on meetups.
In this collection we are featuring the work from Willie.H, Arnar Ólafsson, Zak Steele-Eklund, Anton Aheichanka and more.
More Links
- For more, check out Dribbble
- Follow my tweets @aoirostudio
- Follow my pictures on Instagram
via Dribbble
Design by Anton Aheichanka
Design by Martin Strba
Design by Willie.H
Design by Pawel Waraksa
Design by Arnar Ólafsson
Design by Minh Pham
Design by Zak Steele-Eklund
Design by Andrew Aquino
Design by Stugbear
Design by Cuberto
Design by Kane_D
Design by CANAAN
Design by Ramotion
Design by Zoeyshen
Design by Johny vino™
Design by Ales Nesetril
Design by ∆ Studio–JQ ∆
Design by Hrvoje Grubisic
Design by Lukáš Straňák
Design by Matteo Pasuto
Design by M S Brar
AoiroStudio
Dec 13, 2017
Source: Abduzeedo UI/UX
December 12, 2017
Announcing Keynote Lyor Cohen and Featured Speakers Common, Lena Waithe, Peter Diamandis and More for SXSW 2018
SXSW is pleased to announce Lyor Cohen, Global Head of Music at YouTube and Google, as the latest Music Keynote for SXSW 2018. Additionally, a new group of Featured Speakers comprised of industry trailblazers, dynamic storytellers, and creative visionaries joins the SXSW programming lineup.
“Over his 30 year career, Lyor Cohen has been behind the most prolific musical acts and at the helm of the biggest labels. His creativity and passion to keep the music industry innovative continue to flourish with his leadership at YouTube,” said Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer. “Cohen and the speakers announced today continue to define SXSW as the foremost destination for creative people.”
Featured Speakers include Giphy CEO Alex Chung; actor and musician Common; journalist and author Katie Couric, songwriter and musician Kim Deal; XPRIZE Foundation founder and Executive Chairman Peter Diamandis; Uber Chief Brand Officer Bozoma Saint John; the cast of NBC drama This Is Us; actress, producer and Emmy Award-winning writer Lena Waithe; and others.
Building on an impressive 2018 Conference lineup, these speakers represent many of the developing trends expected to come out of SXSW 2018. Cohen’s presence also reflects one of our 12 top trends for SXSW 2018 – that new media companies are breaking into entertainment in a big way.
With even more reasons to attend SXSW 2018, buy your badge by Friday, January 12 and save. Dive into our speaker lineup below and get ready to explore what’s next in the worlds of film, culture, music, and technology during the 2018 SXSW Conference & Festivals from March 9-18 in Austin, TX. Stay tuned for more programming announcements throughout the season.
Keynote Speaker
Lyor Cohen (Music Keynote) – Lyor Cohen is an American music industry executive, currently serving as Global Head of Music at YouTube and Google where he oversees domestic and international music partnerships as well as artist and label relations. He is also founder of 300, a music content company that leverages innovative tech to discover, cultivate and promote rising artists with a boutique focus. Prior to 300, Cohen was the Chairman and CEO of Recorded Music for Warner Music Group. Cohen was intimately involved in the careers of The Killers, fun., Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, The Black Keys, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and many more.
Cohen joins previously-announced SXSW Keynotes Darren Aronofsky, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Barry Jenkins, Sadiq Khan, Esther Perel, and whurley. His Keynote will take place on Wednesday, March 14 during the second half of SXSWeek.
Featured Speakers
Alex Chung (Brands & Marketing) – Alex Chung is the founder and CEO of GIPHY, the people who bring you all the GIFs. Before founding Giphy, he was a Hacker in Residence at Betaworks and directed media technology for companies such as MTV, Viacom, and Comcast, managed research for Paul Allen’s R&D lab, and started his career as a hardware engineer at Intel.
The Chi Featured Session (Entertainment Influencers) – Showtime’s The Chi is a relevant, timely, and distinctive coming-of-age story that follows six interrelated characters linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption that takes place in Chicago’s South Side. Join executive producer Common; creator, writer, and executive producer Lena Waithe; and actors Jacob Latimore and Jason Mitchell for a conversation about the upcoming drama.
Katie Couric (News & Journalism) – Katie Couric is an award-winning journalist, cancer advocate, and New York Times best-selling author. Couric’s documentaries include: Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric, for National Geographic; Under the Gun, which aired on EPIX; and Fed Up, available on Netflix. Following the success of Gender Revolution, Couric is partnering with National Geographic on a six part documentary series airing in Spring 2018 that takes a deep dive into the revolutionary changes and major social issues of our time. She hosts an eponymous podcast on the Stitcher network with Brian Goldsmith, featuring conversations with boldfaced names in politics, media, and popular culture.
Kim Deal and Steve Albini (Music Culture & Stories) – Kim Deal is a songwriter and musician, known for her work as the bassist of the alternative rock band The Pixies and the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for The Breeders. Breaking out with 1990’s Pod and 1993’s Platinum-selling Last Splash, The Breeders defined the American rock underground and helped pave the way for grunge and alternative to explode into the mainstream. Renowned studio engineer Steve Albini has recorded legendary rock albums from The Breeders, Nirvana, PJ Harvey, The Jesus Lizard, The Stooges, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and hundreds more. Albini owns and runs his analog studio, Electrical Audio, in Chicago and performs with his band, noise-rock icons Shellac, now in their 25th year.
Peter Diamandis (Startup & Tech Sectors) – Dr. Peter H. Diamandis is an international pioneer in the fields of innovation, incentive competitions, and commercial space. In 2014, he was named one of “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” by Fortune Magazine. In the field of innovation, Diamandis is Founder and Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, best known for its $10 million Ansari XPRIZE for private space flight. Diamandis is also the co-founder and Vice-Chairman of Human Longevity Inc. (HLI), a genomics and cell therapy-based diagnostic and therapeutic company focused on extending the healthy human lifespan.
Bethenny Frankel (Social Impact) – Bethenny Frankel is a businesswoman ahead of the curve, from becoming a natural foods chef and marketing Bethenny Bakes, her healthy baked goods to selling “Princess Pashminas” at house parties, and ultimately creating the low calorie cocktail category with the launch of Skinnygirl Cocktails. More recently through her charity B Strong, Frankel has provided people affected by natural disasters with much-needed gift cards, bank cards, and critical supplies. Her efforts have raised an expected value of over $4 million in relief efforts for Puerto Rico.
Bozoma Saint John (Brands & Marketing) – Bozoma “Boz” Saint John is the Chief Brand Officer for Uber. Over the course of her career, Boz has earned a formidable reputation as a trailblazing marketing and advertising executive. Most recently, Boz was the Head of Global Consumer Marketing for Apple Music and iTunes. In the role, she spearheaded campaigns geared towards growing consumer brand recognition, loyalty, and equity around the world.
Shakey Graves with Bodie Johnson, Janelle Browning and Keith Levy (Music Industry) – In this session, musician Shakey Graves (Alejandro Rose-Garcia) and his team will share insights into their personal journey within the music industry and the steps made to build career longevity. Hear directly from an artist and the team that provides support: managers, tour managers, agents, label reps, publicists, and all the components that create success.
This Is Us Featured Session (Entertainment Influencers) – Everyone has a family. And every family has a story. This Is Us chronicles the Pearson family across the decades: from Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) as young parents in the 1980s to their 37-year-old kids Kevin (Justin Hartley), Kate (Chrissy Metz), and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) searching for love and fulfillment in the present day. Join cast Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, and Justin Hartley for an inside look at the Emmy Award-winning drama.
Join Us March 9-18, 2018
Explore new opportunities during 10 days of sessions, screenings, showcases, exhibitions, networking, and beyond from March 9-18 at SXSW 2018.
With expanded access to events for all registrants, attendees will receive primary access to programming associated with their badge type but now also enjoy secondary entry to most other SXSW events. Save big when you register before Friday, January 12 at 11:59pm PT.
SXSW Conference programming is organized into 24 Tracks divided between Interactive, Film, Music, and Convergence, presented in a variety of session formats. Take the Tracks Quiz to generate the perfect badge for you.
SXSW registrants get access to hotels at the best available rates and locations. Visit our availability page and make your reservation through SXSW Housing & Travel today.
Stay in the SX know throughout the season as more exciting programming is announced – sign up for SXSW Event Updates and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
2018 Keynote, Lyor Cohen – Photo by Noa Griffel
The post Announcing Keynote Lyor Cohen and Featured Speakers Common, Lena Waithe, Peter Diamandis and More for SXSW 2018 appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Interactive
December 12, 2017
Mind-boggling Vector Illustration Work by James Gilleard
Mind-boggling Vector Illustration Work by James Gilleard
James Gilleard shared a set of beautiful illustrations that he created in 2017. They are all vector illustration and it definitely sets the bar at another level. The amount of details is nothing but staggering, I was trying to understand some of them like the one of Paris, or the ones with buildings and I couldn’t. There’s just too much going on which makes me wonder how long it took it for James to create those illustrations. Below you can see some of my favorites.
We also recommend that you check out James website at www.jamesgilleard.com/ – James is a designer, art director and illustrator based in London, UK. He has an incredible portfolio with more amazing vector illustration projects.
Vector Illustration
Fast Magazine – Japanese Cedar House
DB Mobile – Frankfurt redevelopment
Washington Post – Future Restaurants
Videogame Concept Art and Visual Development
Animation Backgrounds
abduzeedo
Dec 12, 2017
Source: Abduzeedo Illustration
December 11, 2017
Explore LGBTQIA+ Series of Sessions at SXSW 2018
The SXSW Conference includes 24 programming tracks divided amongst Interactive, Film, Music, and Convergence, presented in a variety of session formats. SXSW Convergence programming features a range of topics that straddle the cultural and technological intersection at the heart of SXSW.
For SXSW 2018, we have developed two full days of programming dedicated to LGBTQIA+ focused topics. From March 10-11, the LGBTQIA+ Series of Sessions will examine topics such as community alliances, the gender spectrum, activism, visibility, the movement towards equality, and more.
Here’s a few LGBTQIA+ sessions at SXSW 2018 you shouldn’t miss.
Beyond Boxes: The Intersex Case for Intersectionality
Gender equity activist Alicia Weigel describes her own experience as an Intersex individual and discusses ways to get involved with intersectional advocacy within the LGBTQIA+ community.
LQBTQ Representation in Cinema
This session featuring Charlie Tabesh Senior VP of Programming for Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Alonso Duralde, film critic and host of the Gay and Lesbian Cinema Showcase on FilmStruck, will discuss the ways in which cultural and societal institutions have suppressed sexual orientation over the course of history.
Youth Power: Young Activists on the Front Lines
Hear from four young iconic activists in this panel focused on the future of activism. Learn what activists are currently doing to amplify their voices and how you can get involved.
See all of our currently announced LGBTQIA+ programming below:
After Pulse- Creating an LGBTQ+ Alliance in Orlando
Couples Who Eat, Sleep & Build Businesses Together
Diversity in Tech: It’s Not Just a Gender Problem
Founding an LGBT+ Nonprofit: Backstage Series Q
Trans Visible in Texas: Develop a Media Campaign
Browse through all confirmed programming for the 2018 SXSW Conference & Festivals on the online SXSW Schedule and begin building your personal schedule.
Join Us For SXSW 2018
Explore new opportunities during 10 days of sessions, screenings, showcases, exhibitions, networking, and beyond from March 9-18 at SXSW 2018. With expanded access to events for all registrants, attendees will receive primary access to programming associated with their badge type but now also enjoy secondary entry to most other SXSW events. Save big when you register before Friday, January 12 at 11:59pm PT.
SXSW registrants get access to SXSW hotels at the lowest rates available by making reservations through SXSW Housing & Travel. Visit our availability page and then book your stay today to save.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SXSW News for the latest SXSW coverage, announcements, and updates.
2018 SXSW Speakers (l-r) Alicia Roth Weigel – Photo courtesy of the speaker; Blair Imani– Photo courtesy the speaker; Alonso Duralde – Photo courtesy of the speaker.
The post Explore LGBTQIA+ Series of Sessions at SXSW 2018 appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Interactive
December 11, 2017
Book Recommendations: Gift Guide (2017)
Book Recommendations: Gift Guide (2017)
We hoped that you have been enjoying our gift guides from the past week, let’s keep the holiday spirit alive with another guide. But this time, we will stay away from the tech stuff and focus on books! With the holidays knocking at the door, it will be a great moment to enjoy a nice book next to a fireplace? In all seriousness, it’s always good to go back to the basics for a change, we spend a crazy amount of time on our smartphones. Let’s leave it on the coffee table for a change. I have to admit that I wish I was reading more books this year, it’s on my things to do more for 2018. Hope you will enjoy this list!
More Links
- Follow my tweets @aoirostudio
- Follow my pictures on Instagram
Book Recommendations
Life’s a Pitch: How to Sell Yourself and Your Brilliant Ideas by Mavity
Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team by Alina Wheeler
Type Matters! by Jim Williams
Creative Workshop: 80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills by David Sherwin
Logo Design Love: A guide to creating iconic brand identities by David Airey
Burn Your Portfolio: Stuff they don’t teach you in design school, but should by Michael Janda
à
In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist’s Sketchbook by Jessica Hische
Book of Ideas: 1: A Journal of Creative Direction and Graphic Design by Radim Malinic
This Brutal World Hardcover by Peter Chadwick
Look Inside: Cutaway Illustrations and Visual Storytelling by Juan Velasco
Overview: A New Perspective of Earth by Benjamin Grant
Photoviz: Visualizing Information through Photography by Nicholas Felton
Graphic: 500 Designs that Matter
Draplin Design Co.: Pretty Much Everything by Draplin
AoiroStudio
Dec 11, 2017
Source: Abduzeedo Books
December 10, 2017
Inside the ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ World Premiere: Hollywood Celebrates Rian Johnson’s Movie
Misdirection: Keep that in mind when you check out the eighth “Star Wars” installment, “The Last Jedi,” next weekend.
That’s what writer-director Rian Johnson does throughout this dense, careening, seemingly unstructured movie’s 2-hour, 32-minute running time. The movie is worth a second viewing, as it demands that you pay attention. Every little detail pays off.
Daisy Ridley and Kathleen Kennedy
ABImages
At the world premiere — the first-ever public screening — Saturday night at downtown L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, security guards swept under every car, guests wore individual badges with seat assignments, carried their own smartphones in locked security bags to their seats, and kept their collectible “Last Jedi” popcorn buckets with them all night.
On crutches, veteran director and puppeteer Frank Oz headed into the auditorium to see the film for the first time. No one else gets to voice Yoda, he confirmed. As 2,200 guests at the Shrine watched red-carpet video of 25-year-old movie star John Boyega explaining how he almost didn’t make it out of snowbound Atlanta in time, director Jon Favreau (“Jungle Book,” “Lion King”) chatted with Edgar Wright and Jon Watts.
Seemingly the entire LA press corps and the extended Disney/Marvel/Lucasfilm/Pixar family were on hand, revved to see this movie, which was deemed so strong that Disney and Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy has already signed Johnson up for three more “Star Wars” installments.
Disney
Lining up on the Shrine stage were returning stars Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma), Lupita N’Yongo (Maz Kanata), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), and Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), as well as newcomers Andy Serkis (Supreme Leader Snoke), Laura Dern (Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo), Benicio del Toro (DJ), and Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico), who has built a rabid following ahead of anyone seeing the movie. The biggest applause of the night went to Anthony Daniels (Spoiler: both C-3PO and R2-D2 are back). Missing in action was Oscar Isaac (cocky fighter pilot Poe Dameron), who’s in France shooting Julian Schnabel’s Vincent Van Gogh movie “At Eternity’s Gate.”
Andy Serkis and Frank Oz
ABImages
Johnson choked up as he dedicated the screening to the missing Carrie Fisher, whose role as Princess Leia in the movie is central, and was expected to be pivotal in the ninth “Star Wars” movie.
That was the subject of much speculation at the after-party that featured plenty of photo opportunities, blackjack tables, and wandering Storm Troopers (“May I take a picture?” “Affirmative!”). The reaction was largely positive (the movie is under review embargo until December 12), although some mentioned the long running time. Other hot topics: The movie is often funny (yes, the Porgs are used as comic relief), there’s a number of gorgeously designed new creatures, and a plot that not only deals with the balance of The Force but also power dynamics between men and women.
Domhnall Gleeson and Kelly Marie Tran
ABImages
Hanging anxiously just inside the entrance to the after party, Johnson admitted that the movie took a long time to write and featured “many moving pieces.” The filmmaker held court to such admirers as Ryan Coogler, whose Marvel entry “Black Panther” is up in February. He told me he had to get back to the editing room, but now has an even higher quality standard to meet. Gina Prince-Bythewood thanked Johnson for giving her some tips as she heads into her next assignment, Marvel’s “Silver Sable.”
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” opens on December 15.
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Source: IndieWire film