Documentary Insider

In NY?? Go see a selection from the ND/NF Classics: Documentaries from 20 Years of New Directors/New Films March 27 – 31. Looks fab.

There are also some docs in their main program.

I just got a call from AIVF. They’re calling all their members looking for money. They’re switching over their board, have a new exec director and putting everything online. They are in financial crisis.

If 1/3 of the exsisting AIVF members donate $50 they will generate their operating budget for the next 2 months.

It’s a good cause. Donate here!

Last night I went to what is for me some of the best entertainment possible – Charles Phoenix’s Retro Disneyland Slide Show featuring other peoples slides of the 50s, 60s and 70s. Now I know how the train video watchers feel (see The Station Agent). I sat there for two hours literally enjoying every single second and only checking my watch to make sure there was plenty left to see. I think I wanted it to go on forever.

Just one of the many fab photos from Charles Phoenix’s Retro Disneyland Slide Show.

I have to admit that I love Disneyland. Growing up in Southern California it was the place to go for birthdays, holidays, and as I got older – high school – we always went 2 or 3 times a year. In 1999 I got my first annual pass and started collecting books and magazines about and featuring Disneyland shortly after. It’s not a huge collection – but if these slides were in a book format I’d be the first in line. Charles Phoenix is doing a great job preserving and presenting Americana. He himself may actually be a national treasure.

Charles on his “Disneyland” Tour of Downtown LA. Next tours April 2, 9 and 23.

Tribeca has been busy all week announcing their large lineup. Most of it is here.

This just in:

South by Southwest (SXSW) is happy to announce that the winner of the
24 Beats Per Second Audience Award for the 2006 festival is Alexandra
Lipsitz’s “Air Guitar Nation.” The film, which had its world premiere
at SXSW, received the highest votes of all the films in the music-
related section of films playing the festival. The runner-up was Zach
Niles & Banker White’s film, “The Refugee All Stars.” These winners
were announced Sunday, March 19, after the rest of the film festival
awards were announced on Tuesday, March 14. The 24 Beats Per Second
section of the festival featured 15 music documentaries including
Nathaniel Hornblower’s “Awesome: I Fuckin’ Shot That!,” Andrew
Shapter’s “Before the Music Dies,” Steven Cantor & Matthew Galkin’s
“loudQUIETloud: A Film About the Pixies,” the Charlize Theron-
produced “East of Havana,” and many more. Meanwhile, the acclaimed
SXSW Music Festival celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2006. A
complete list of SXSW 2006 winners can be found at: http://
www.sxsw.com/film/

March 21, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Academy to Fuse Topical Issues with the Art of Filmmaking

Beverly Hills, CA — Fast food, oil, politics, press, retail giants, sexual abuse, war and filmmaking will be among the topics of discussion at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Documentaries of Dissent, Part II” on Friday, April 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Hosted by Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan, the evening will feature film excerpts and discussions with Academy Award®-nominated director Kirby Dick (Twist of Faith), Academy Award-nominated director/producer Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me), producer Kathleen Glynn (Bowling for Columbine, the 2002 Oscar® winner for Best Documentary Feature), producer/director Robert Greenwald (Uncovered: The Whole Truth about the Iraq War and Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price), and director Jehane Noujaim (Control Room).

Documentaries questioning the status quo have been an integral part of culture for generations, giving film artists and audiences a means to express their particular, and sometimes contentious, points of view.

“Documentaries of Dissent, Part II,” a sequel to the Academy’s 2004 historical overview, will spotlight some of the filmmakers who exemplify alternative voices in recent documentaries and examine the methods they employed to make their voices heard. Theatrical documentaries have gained a newfound popularity, in many cases because of their willingness to challenge the status quo.

The program is being presented under the banner of the Academy’s John Huston Lecture on Documentary Films, which annually provides an opportunity for established documentarians to discuss their work and the field of documentary filmmaking. The lecture is named in honor of the director, screenwriter and actor whose fourteen Academy Award nominations in the three disciplines included wins for directing and writing of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Huston’s documentary work during service in World War II produced three portraits, Report from the Aleutians (1943), The Battle of San Pietro (1944), and Let There Be Light (1946).

Tickets to “Documentaries of Dissent, Part II” are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid I.D. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Free parking is provided in the garages located at 8920 and 9025 Wilshire Boulevard. For more information, call 310-247-3000 ext 111.

# # #

©A.M.P.A.S.®
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
8949 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90211-1972
(310) 247-3000 | www.oscars.org | publicity@oscars.org

I just heard about this cool thing. It’s an issue-film competition for US residents between the ages of 18 and 26. Looks great for students.

Film Your Issue!

Here are the doc award winners from Tuesday night’s SXSW awards show.

JURY AWARDS
Documentary Feature
Winner:
Jam
Dir. Mark Woollen

Special Jury Award:
Maxed Out
Dir. James D. Scurlock

AUDIENCE AWARDS
Documentary Feature
Winner:
Darkon
Dir. Andrew Neel & Luke Meyer

Lone Star States
Winner:
State VS Reed
Dir. Ryan Polomski & Frank Bustoz

Runner Up:
Slam Planet: War of the Words
Dir. Mike Henry & Kyle Fuller

Emerging Visions
Winner:
High Score
Dir. Jeremy Mack

Runner Up:
Manhattan, Kansas
Dir. Tara Wray

In Austin you gotta start the day with a breakfast taco. So off I went to Taco Shack. Conveniently located near the Austin Convention Center it was taco time and for less than 4 bucks it didn’t hurt my budget either (I’m starting to sound like Rachel Ray!). Tummy full I went to see Shadow Company, a doc about private military companies PMC’s). The film is well made and reminded me of the MTV True Life series. This one would be True Life: I’m a mercenary. A mercenary is someone that fights in a war for money and not based on their personal beliefs. Filmmakers Nick Bicanic and Jason Bourque got incredible access to this industry that works within the law, but below the radar.

Then I hung around just a little to long and missed the panel I was going to attend about small screen distribution. Lucky for me Air Guitar Nation was starting in 2 minutes. What a treat! When I read the catalog description I couldn’t help thinking that this looked like the lamest film. That may be true, but I was entertained as ever! I literally laughed from the first frame on. “To err is human. To air guitar is divine.” says air guitar enthusiast Bjorn Toroque (say it out loud – you’ll get it – Born to Rock). The film follows the 2003 World Championship of Air Guitar – something CNN called “the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.” But the film is structured so well you hardly have to speak English to understand it. To quote a college professor I had a “Rocky moment,” (that’s a moment that makes you stand up and cheer). All I can say is – just see it. It’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

On what was turning into a veritable Austin food tour I stopped at the Hideout for a hummus plate before parking it in James Scurlock’s Maxed Out, a doc about the credit card industry and credit card debt in America. The film injects a little humor into what is a pretty bleak topic. It is carefully structured, shot well and covers the topic pretty completely.

The film left me feeling pretty despondent. Luckily I had a party to go to celebrating AFI’s Music Docs series. The Refugee All Stars played and people hung around outside drinking margaritas and chowing on the Mexican fare. I was having such a nice time meeting people and hanging out but I had to get going to make it to the Dobie and The Treasures of Long Gone John. This film screened at the same time as the Awards Ceremony and seemed a little under the radar to me. I felt like I was getting to see something really special. The Treasures of Long Gone John charts the life and endeavors of Long Gone John, founder of Sympathy for the Record Industry, co-owner of Necessaries Toy Foundation and art collector (not necessarily in that order). Using John as the spark the film also covers the urban vinyl toy scene and many low-brow artists (I hate this term as much as they do) including an incredible time-lapse of Todd Schorr painting a gigantic piece commissioned by John plus interviews with Camille Rose Garcia, Gary Baseman, Mark Ryden, Shag, Frank Kozik and many others. Filmmaker Greg Gibbs invited the entire audience to a party at the Continental Gallery to celebrate the film’s premiere.

From the Continental I grabbed a cab and headed to the official closing night party. It was loud with Sleater Kinney playing away. Before I could get comfy my phone rang and it was time to go get something to eat. Magnolia Café is a great place for 24-hour diner dining – don’t miss the dessert!!

I’m still bummed I didn’t get to see Lifelike and many other docs – but there’s just never enough time. While SXSW is clearly a place to make a splash as a premiere, it’s not the most accessible festival to an outsider. In an article during the fest Variety said the festival has a, “loose, fuck it attitude,” and I can’t say I disagree. And it’s one I can’t decide if I like or not.

Monday I was determined to eat at Las Manitas and it worked out perfectly since it’s right near the Alamo Drafthouse. I sat at the counter chatting with a wonderful local woman. We ogled Owen Wilson together as he left the restaurant. But soon I had consumed my fajita quesadillas and I had to scoot by Michael Eisner to get out of my seat at the bar to make it over to see Darkon (who knew this local taco joint was such a celebrity hang?!). Darkon is sort of Dungeons and Dragons meets Civil War reenactment. The film follows a couple of characters through their daily lives and their alternate lives as Darkonians. The film is beautifully shot, with great music and for the most part pretty fun. The audience seemed into it but that could have been partly due to the coupons the crew handed out to every single audience member for a free beer or soda.

I wanted to see 95 Miles to Go with Ray Romano and Tom Caltabiano. Ray and Tom have been friends for a long time before they worked together for a long time (Tom was a writer on Everybody Loves Raymond). I really like films about comedians, not really concert films, but more things going in their lives a la Seinfeld’s Comedian, Jeffrey Ross’ Patriot Act and Patton Oswalt and Brian Posehn in Comedians of Comedy. Good times. I snagged a seat near the front of theater and the fun began. The film is warm and funny too. They are both great writers and it really shows in their story of an 8 day tour through the south. After the film Ray and Tom took center stage for a bit of stand up/question and answer. I laughed throughout and then someone in the back raised their hand to ask a question and it was Brad Garrett (the tall guy with the deep voice also from Everybody Loves Raymond), he says, “You’re on TV 4 times a day, what makes you think people want to watch you travel?”. He joined the guys on stage for more witty banter. Everybody left the theater smiling. The film opens theatrically in New York and LA April 7th and will air HBO sometime later.

Ray, Tom and Brad yuck it up for the crowd.

I spent a little time walking around downtown Austin before deciding to check out the Bettie Page biopic. I can’t tell you if I liked it or not because the dang thing sold out and I didn’t make it in. Instead a friend and I grabbed a cab and headed to Shady Grove where the wait was 45 minutes for a table. However!! It’s important to note that you can still sit outside in the “waiting area” and order drinks, appetizers and dessert. So one margarita, order of hot wings and a peach cobbler later it was time to head back and see Heaven’s Fall. For anyone who’s seen 2001 documentary Oscar nominee Scottsboro: An American Tragedy, it’s the same topic, only fictionalized a bit. Not my fave film of the fest, but seems like it could play on cable very well.

I left there, bailed on any parties and crashed out. Bonk. Day 5 is my last day at the fest – going to try and fit in more docs.