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January 4, 2018

25 Years of SXSW Film Festival – Alex Karpovksy

Alex Karpovsky

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 actor and filmmaker Alex Karpovsky.

Karpovsky has appeared in numerous films at SXSW from 2010 Narrative Feature Competition Jury Winner Tiny Furniture to 2017 selection Fits and Starts. His second directorial feature, Woopecker world premiered at SXSW 2008 and the following year he debuted his first documentary film, Trust Us, This Is All Made Up. He’s appeared in many films by Austin filmmakers including Beeswax (2009) by Andrew Bujalski, Lovers of Hate (2010) by Brian Poyser, and Wuss (2011) by Clay Liford. From the years 2012-2017 he played the role of Ray Ploshansky on Lena Dunham‘s hit HBO drama Girls, which was the first television series to premiere at SXSW. Karpovsky will appear in the films, You Can Choose Your Family and The Front Runner in 2018.

We are honored to share his #SXSWFilm25 story with you.

“I’ll never forget crossing 8th Street and Brazos at 10 in the morning. It was SXSW 2009 and I was negotiating with a colossal hangover. A friend of mine was talking to a young woman across the street and waived me over. He introduced me to Lena Dunham. ‘Hello’. ‘Hello’. He told me that her debut feature was playing at the festival and it was shot almost entirely in her dorm at Oberlin. She was a whip-smart self-deprecating 22-year-old goofball, and she kept cracking me up. I was living in Austin at the time, but we stayed in touch, swapped DVDs, and I watched all her bizarre yet mesmerizing short films and web series. Who was this weirdo? I moved back to NYC, we hung out a bit over that summer, and in November she wrote a part for me in her new movie, Tiny Furniture. Just a few months later, we premiered it at SXSW and were lucky enough to take home the audience award, which helped open the door for Girls, which we then showed at SXSW the following Spring.

Lena is her own singular and fearless force, but she is one of many people I’ve met over the years at SXSW that have changed my life in very significant ways – friends and collaborators that, I’d like to think, have showed me how to work in a way that is not only more honest and original, but also how to have more fun doing it. I’m very grateful there is a corner in central Texas where, for one week a year, goofballs and weirdos and guerillas and introverts and lightweight drinkers can all collide and say hello.”

Stay tuned to SXSW News each week 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!

Alex Kaprovsky – Photo by Tyler Nutter

The post 25 Years of SXSW Film Festival – Alex Karpovksy appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film

January 2, 2018

25 Years of SXSW Film Festival – Stella Meghie, Hannah Fidell, and Evan Katz

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 filmmakers Stella Meghie, Hannah Fidell, and Evan Katz.

Stella Meghie

Meghie’s directorial debut, Jean of the Joneses premiered in the Narrative Spotlight section at SXSW 2016 and earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Screenplay. Her next film, Everything, Everything, based on the book of the same name by Nicola Yoon was released in May by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film earned a combined total of over $60 million dollars.

“SXSW changed my life by giving me a platform to premiere my feature debut Jean of the Joneses! I love SXSW because they love true independent cinema.”

Hannah Fidell

At SXSW 2012 Fidell produced the Midnight Short selection Man & Gun as well as wrote and directed the short The Gathering Squall. In 2012, her feature debut A Teacher screened at SXSW after its Sundance premiere and earned her the SXSW Chicken & Egg Emergent Narrative Woman Director Award. That same year, she was also named one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker. In 2016, Fidell world premiered her relationship drama 6 Years which premiered in the Narrative Feature Competition. Her next film, The Long Dumb Road, is due out in 2018.

“SXSW changed my life by introducing me to so many wonderful people that I’m happily working with and am inspired by today. After programming my first short, the festival gave me the confidence to dedicate my life to making films. Going to SXSW (with or without a film) feels like coming home. Janet and the entire film programming team have been true champions of independent film and I can’t thank them enough for all their support over the past few years.”

Evan Katz

Katz world premiered his feature directorial debut with Cheap Thrills in the 2013 Midnighters section and won a SXSW audience award. He directed the short A is for Amateur in the horror anthology sequel ABCs of Death 2 in 2014 and in 2017, he presented the premiere of Small Crimes at SXSW. Small Crimes is currently streaming on Netflix.

“SXSW changed my life by introducing my work to the world, as dynamically, and passionately as humanly possible – and really starting my career as a professional filmmaker.”

Stay tunes to SXSW News each week 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!

Jean of the Joneses World Premiere – Photo by Photo by Hutton Supancic/Getty Images for SXSW
6 Years World Premiere – Photo by – Dustin Finkelstein/Getty Images for SXSW
Small Crimes – Photo by Hubert Vestil/Getty Imagesfor SXSW

The post 25 Years of SXSW Film Festival – Stella Meghie, Hannah Fidell, and Evan Katz appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film

January 2, 2018

YouTuber Logan Paul Sparks Controversy With Disturbing Video of Apparent Dead Body

YouTube celebrity Logan Paul is under fire for posting a controversial video depicting an apparent dead body hanging from a tree. The video was filmed in Aokigahara, a forest in Japan which is known as “the suicide forest” due to the many suicides that occur there. The video, which has since been removed by YouTube, was posted with the title “We Found A Dead Body in Japan’s Suicide Forest.”

“This is not clickbait. This is the most real vlog I’ve ever posted to this channel,” Paul said in the video’s intro. “I think this definitely marks a moment in YouTube history because I’m pretty sure this has never hopefully happened to anyone on YouTube ever. Now with that said: Buckle the fuck up, because you’re never gonna see a video like this again!” When Paul and members of his entourage stumble across a dead body hanging from one of the trees, he turns the camera back on himself and apologizes to his fans. “This was supposed to be a fun vlog.”

Although the video racked up 6 million views in the first 24 hours it was online, it drew sharp criticism from many for making light of suicide. “You are pure trash,” wrote “Breaking Bad” star Aaron Paul on Twitter, who is of no relation to the YouTuber. “Plain and simple. Suicide is not a joke. Go rot in hell.”

Paul later issued an apology, claiming he intended to raise awareness about suicide prevention. “Game of Thrones” actress Sophie Turner wasn’t buying it, tweeting: “You’re an idiot. You’re not raising awareness. You’re mocking. I can’t believe how self-praising your ‘apology’ is.”

You can find Paul’s full apology below:

Source: IndieWire Digital TV

January 1, 2018

Here Are 6 Core Concepts of Visual Effects for Newbies

Working in visual effects is awesome — there’s no doubt about that. However, its concepts can be complicated and therefore a little intimidating for …
Source: CW’s Flipboard Feed

December 31, 2017

‘Not Directed by Terrence Malick’ Shows the Master Filmmaker’s Huge Influence — Watch

Terrence Malick is one of the most influential filmmakers alive, with everyone from Christopher Nolan and David Gordon Green to John Hillcoat and Andrew Dominik citing him as an inspiration. To show the extent to which the “Badlands,” “The Thin Red Line,” and “The Tree of Life” director has left his mark on a generation of directors, Vimeo user Jacob T. Swinney made a video called “Not Directed by Terrence Malick” made up of shots from other filmmakers whose work bears a distinct resemblance to Malick’s. Watch below.

Borrowing the music that graced the trailer for “To the Wonder,” the strikingly made video cuts between Malickian footage from a range of films: “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints,” “George Washington,” even “Man of Steel” (whose first teaser had a heavy Malick influence that was sorely lacking from the actual movie).

Here’s the full list of movies featured:

“Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” (2013), David Lowrey
“All the Real Girls” (2003), David Gordon Green
“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (2007), Andrew Dominik
“Beasts of No Nation” (2015), Cary Fukunaga
“The Better Angels” (2014), A.J. Edwards
“Ex Machina” (2015), Alex Garland
“George Washington” (2000), David Gordon Green
“Joe” (2013), David Gordon Green
“Lost River” (2014), Ryan Gosling
“Man of Steel” (2013), Zack Snyder
“Shotgun Stories” (2007), Jeff Nichols
“Silent Light” (2007), Carlos Reygadas
“Up in the Air” (2009), Jason Reitman
“Upstream Color” (2013), Shane Carruth

Source: IndieWire film

December 31, 2017

Tom Hanks Fondly Recalls Jonathan Demme, a Filmmaker Unafraid to Break the Rules

Before he was one of the most revered actors on the planet, Tom Hanks was best known for more comedic performances in films like “Big,” “The ‘Burbs,” and “Turner & Hooch.” That changed when he starred in Jonathan Demme’s “Philadelphia,” for which he won his first Academy Award; the second, for “Forrest Gump,” came just a year later. As part of Entertainment Weekly’s efforts to recall those we lost in 2017, Hanks has shared his fond recollections of a filmmaker who wasn’t afraid to ignore the rules.

Prior to their collaboration, Hanks was simply a fan of Demme’s. “I took my wife out on one of our first dates it was to go see his Talking Heads concert film ‘Stop Making Sense,’” he recalls. “I remember ‘Something Wild’ was a fantastic movie, ‘Married to the Mob,’ then of course ‘Silence of the Lambs.’ I think I had been in the audience when ‘Silence of the Lambs’ won best picture in 1992. But I had never met him. He was a mystery to me.”

That changed with “Philadelphia,” of course. “I think the boldest thing that he did, and this was again him breaking the rules, was ‘Philadelphia’ was pretty much conceived despite the idea ‘nobody is going to pay to see a movie about this. You get AIDS and you die?’ A lot of people are afraid of it, and they’re not going to want to go see a movie about a subject matter that’s too painful.”

Demme didn’t just make a movie about AIDS — he cast performers who were actually living with it. “There were a lot of people in ‘Philadelphia’ who had AIDS and they were scattered throughout,” remembers Hanks. “Some of them played people with AIDS and some of them played people who did not have AIDS. Ron Vawter was certainly the biggest part of that.” Read his full thoughts here.

Source: IndieWire film

December 31, 2017

‘Padmavati,’ the Controversial Bollywood Film That Inspired Death Threats, Has to Change Its Name

Almost no one has actually seen “Padmavati,” but that hasn’t stopped the historical drama from becoming one of the most controversial movies in Bollywood history. After much uncertainty about whether Sanjay Leela Bansal’s film will even be released, India’s Central Board of Film Certification now says it will certify “Padmavati” if the title is changed, 26 cuts are made, a disclaimer is placed at the beginning, and the song “Ghoomar” is revised.

The controversy arises from a dream sequence that reportedly hints at a romance between a Hindu queen and a Muslim sultan, which has led extremist groups to call for the beheading of lead actress Deepika Padukone — a death threat that an Indian politician offered a $1.5 million bounty for anyone to carry out. Last month, the group Karni Sena threatened to set fire to any British cinema that screened the film. For all of this, Bansal claims that the scene in question doesn’t even exist.

The new title won’t be much different: “Padmavat.” Padukone responded to the threats against her life with defiant bravery: “I feel angry, I feel let down and I also find it amusing,” she said last month. “I will never feel scared. Fear is not an emotion I have ever identified with.”

Source: IndieWire film

December 30, 2017

Gal Gadot Is the Highest-Grossing Actress of the Year

It’s been a wonderful year for Gal Gadot, whose starring roles in both “Wonder Woman” and “Justice League” were enough to make her the highest-grossing actress of 2017. Her two movies took in a total of $1.4 billion worldwide, which makes her the third-highest-grossing performer overall; Vin Diesel (“Fate of the Furious,” “xXx: The Return of Xander Cage”) took the number one spot with $1.6 billion, followed closely by “Furious” co-star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (who also starred in “Baywatch” and “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”) at $1.5 billion.

The annual list comes from Forbes, which publishes a similar report at the end of every year. The outlet once again culled its data from Box Office Mojo and and “did not count animated movies where only actors’ voices were used and only included actors who were top-billed or had the most screen time.” Two other women made the top 10 as well: Emma Watson, who came in fourth with $1.3 billion, and Daisy Ridley, whose $1.08 billion was enough for sixth place.

Here’s the full list:

  1. Vin Diesel ($1.6 billion)
  2. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson ($1.5 billion)
  3. Gal Gadot ($1.4 billion)
  4. Emma Watson ($1.3 billion)
  5. Johnny Depp ($1.1 billion)
  6. Daisy Ridley ($1.08 billion)
  7. Tom Holland ($888 million)
  8. Chris Pratt ($864 million)
  9. Chris Hemsworth ($845 million)
  10. John Boyega ($815 million)

Source: IndieWire film

December 30, 2017

Porgs Got Their Adorable Chirp From a Mix of Three Different Birds at Skywalker Sound

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who love porgs and those whose empty hearts know no joy. The best part of Rian Johnson’s “The Last Jedi,” the puffin-like creatures have stirred debate since the moment they were first glimpsed in the film’s trailer; they’ve also inspired curiosity, with many wondering how they came to be.

In a new interview with CinemaBlend, sound designer Ren Kylce (whose name is suspiciously similar to Kylo Ren) offers some details about their distinctive squawk and the animals that helped create it.

“At Skywalker Sound there’s a chicken coop with these little chickens, and Coya Elliott, our first assistant, went down and recorded those chickens,” Klyce says. “And then we took that sound and slowed it down and stretched it out and found little chirps. We found this man who releases doves at weddings, and we asked him to come down so we could record them. So we have a little snippet of that [turkey call], a little bit of chicken, a little dove, and cut it all together.”

Johnson previously revealed to Entertainment Weekly that porgs were inspired by puffins, which were present on the island where some of “The Last Jedi” was shot. “If you go to Skellig [Island] at the right time of year, it’s just covered in puffins, and they’re the most adorable things in the world. So when I was first scouting there, I saw these guys, and I was like, oh, these are part of the island. And so the porgs are in that realm.”

Source: IndieWire film

December 29, 2017

Frequency

Understanding frequency is key to a complete understanding of audio and how to manipulate it. We’ll cover this important aspect as a basis for many …
Source: CW’s Flipboard Feed