Your mission if you choose to accept it is to spend 5 years of your life animating man vs pigeon, in an epic technological battle that could...wait, that's telling you way too much information.

First off, shoutout to the folks that scored Martell's PIGEON: IMPOSSIBLE, even without the great visuals, the music has such a great 60's spy-thriller vibe, I know adults are going to be grinning ear to ear. Add in a pigeon, lasers, explosions and donuts, you wind up with six minutes that can entertain the knee-highs and the parents of knee-highs who, because they love their kids, usually have to endure most kids entertainment. Martell's labor of love, along with GRAMPA KERVOKIAN is screening in this year's Teen Screen Saturday Morning Cartoons block. 

PIGEON: IMPOSSIBLE
Lucas Martell - Writer/Director Animator
Become a Facebook Fan of the Pigeon from Pigeon Impossible:  PIGEON: IMPOSSIBLE
Watch the Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdNdW-BatwI

If you could describe your film using only 3 words, what would they be?

Spy vs. Pigeon

Is there a character or subject in your film you most identify with? Would you switch places with them just for a day?

I'm absolutely the nerdy secret agent character, yet somehow even less cool. I might like to take his place on a day that's not shown in the short.

What's the one thing about your film you're most proud of?

That we managed to finish it. The production spanned 5 years and ~10,000 man hours.

What do you want audiences to take away from your film?

Just to have a good time and enjoy it. I'd like to say that it was a subtle commentary on nuclear proliferation, but that's pushing it.

Someone has to go to the bathroom during your film, and they have to miss part of your film. Do they miss the beginning, the middle or the end?

It's only 6 minutes long, so If they go to the bathroom they've pretty much missed the whole thing. :)

Screening as a part of our Teen Screen: Saturday Morning Cartoons block, GRAMPA KEVORKIAN is...well, just look at the image below. This line drawing encapsulates everything one needs to know about the impact one life had on one little girl. 

Capturing memory, illusive and ethereal, Almon has given us the privilege to share in a film that's personal, joyous and full of love. 

GRAMPA KEVORKIAN
Claire Almon – Director/Animator
GRAMPA KEVORKIAN Blog: GRAMPA KEVORKIAN
Watch the Teaser: http://vimeo.com/10052088

If you could describe your film using only 3 words, what would they be?

Best Film Ever... ok maybe that's a stretch.  How about: A Precious Memory.

Is there a character or subject in your film you most identify with? Would you switch places with them just for a day?

Well, the film is autobiographical so I definitely identify with the little girl in the film because she is based on me.  I would love to switch places with her for a day and see my Grampa again!

What's the one thing about your film you're most proud of?

Grampa Kevorkian was made to be an heirloom for my family;  a keepsake to commemorate my Grandfather's life.  I really cherish the fact that it means so much to my family and that I could do something to honor his life.

What's the one thing about your film you're most proud of?

Well, it's interesting because everyone likes something different about it.  I'm always surprised that it gets a similar emotional response no matter who I show it to.  Even though I intended it to get that response, I still find it amazing that something I created can move somebody.

What do you want audiences to take away from your film?

I'd like people to take away a sense of warmth and family.  Even though Grampa Kevorkian is about loss, it's mostly about the close bonds we have with family and people we love. Do I get an award for sounding corny?

Who are the directors, filmmakers and artists that most influenced your film or yourself?

This film was influenced a lot by Caroline Leaf (The Street), Michael Dudok De Wit (Father and Daughter) and Yuri Norstein (Tale of Tales).  All three of these animators' films have such a wonderful quality that really pulls at your heartstrings without being sappy or dishonest.  Their styles are also very illustrative which appeals to my background in illustration.

Who is the unsung hero of your film and why?

Possibly Hulu.  I listened to hours of tv while working on this film in a computer lab.  I've now seen the complete seasons of Lost, The Office, Good Eats, and Arrested Development among others.  I don't know how I'd have painted over a thousand frames of animation without it.

Where do you see your film in 5 years?

Hopefully, in 5 years Grampa Kevorkian might be on a compilation DVD with some other films I'm working on.

Someone has to go to the bathroom during your film, and they have to miss part of your film. Do they miss the beginning, the middle or the end?

Well, its only 2 minutes long so they'd probably miss the whole thing.  But, if I had to chose a part for them to miss, I'd say the beginning because they'd only miss the title sequence.

How do you properly refer to Atlanta?

 A) The ATL

 B) Hotlanta

 C) The A

 D) The Dirty South

 E) Anything but B, no one in Atlanta who knows better still uses it.

 F) I'm embarrased to say I still use Hotlanta and I now a vow to never use it again except to denounce it as corny and outdated.

 G) Huh? What does this have to do with filmmaking? (But, the answer is E)

A) The ATL

Extra Credit: Use our 2010 festival words EXPERIENCE, THINK, LAUGH, CONNECT, FEEL and Do in a sentence describing your film.

I DO THINK Grampa Kevorkian is an EXPERIENCE that can CONNECT you to your past, make you FEEL like you're going to LAUGH and cry, but ultimately leave you smiling.

THE THINGS WE CARRY is a title that pretty much sums up a huge chunk of what motivates us as adults. It's difficult to explain to a 13-year old kid that everything they will be is either a culmination of, a reaction to, or an extension of the moments from when they could first speak, to the moment they realize just how many bills they're responsible for when they first move out.

Alyssa and Athena's THE THINGS WE CARRY explores how inextricably  complicated this becomes when you not only add a sibling to a mix, but when you must also deal with a parent struggling with an addiction and mental illness. Anyone who has a brother or sister, or three, will instantly recognize the love-hate, why-can't-I-be-me-and-you-be-you sibling dynamic that WE CARRY captures, with humor as well as pathos, all too well.

Didja know?: Alyssa Lobit's screenplay for THE THINGS WE CARRY was a 2007 Nicholl Fellowship quarterfinalist, putting the script in the top 5% of 5050 entries.

Selfishly, one of the goals every film festival has is to be among the first to discover new talent. Playing films by veteran filmmakers and alum is always exciting, yet, there's nothing like knowing you played a role in helping introduce a filmmaker to audiences. Especially when their work is so assured.

As director and writer of ASBURY PARK, Anderson has shown a deft hand at not only drama, and ably navigating the tricky waters that are family dynamics, but at crafting mystery as well. Based off his work here, it would be little surprise if we find ourselves revisiting the world and characters of Asbury Park in another three or four years, only expanded to feature length (see Anderson's answer to number 8 below).

ASBURY PARK
Robert Anderson - Director
Join the Group: Asbury Park
Watch the Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb4-A0kYYDg

If you could describe your film using only 3 words, what would they be?

Redemption, Rebuilding, Rebirth

Is there a character or subject in your film you most identify with? Would you switch places with them just for a day?

I identify with Colin. Everyone knows what it is like to screw up and then have to seek out forgiveness. Few people make as costly a mistake as he has, of course, but we can all identify with where he's at. I would never want to switch places with him and have to live with what he's living with.

What's the one thing about your film you're most proud of?

I'm proud of creating a character driven film that still creates a portrait of the town it is named after. I wanted to make a film about Asbury Park, New Jersey, but I love stories with great characters and great acting, so I didn't want to make a documen

When you first screened your film, was there a moment, scene or character the audience reacted to, that surprised you?

The film is pretty mysterious. A kid comes home and we're not exactly sure what's going on. When I was sitting in the premiere screening, we hit a point in the film where Colin picks up a baseball bat, and the woman sitting behind me said, "Ohhh." She knew exactly what was going on, and she understood earlier than I expected. It was the first time I felt connected with an audience through my film.

What do you want audiences to take away from your film?

I want people who know of Asbury Park to say, "yeah, that was an Asbury Park story." I want people who know nothing about Asbury Park to understand it just a little bit.

Who are the directors, filmmakers and artists that most influenced your film or yourself?

Lance Hammer and his debut film BALLAST. I had already written "Asbury Park" when I saw it but I was amazed how much they had in common. It gave me the confidence to push forward and make this film. THE WIRE, Spike Lee, Bruce Springsteen, Jan Egleson (independent filmmaker from Boston).

Who is the unsung hero of your film and why?

All of the people from Asbury Park who made this film possible. People who were excited to help and encouraged me. City managers who waived shooting fees, home and business owners who let me use their property and provided food and lodging, and The Praise

Where do you see your film in 5 years?

Hopefully remade as a feature film, directed by me and staring Chance Harlem Jr. (fingers crossed)

Someone has to go to the bathroom during your film, and they have to miss part of your film. Do they miss the beginning, the middle or the end?

It's only 20 minutes. I hope you can hold it. If not, sprint there in the middle of the movie.

How do you properly refer to Atlanta?

A) The ATL

B) Hotlanta

C) The A

D) The Dirty South

E) Anything but B, no one in Atlanta who knows better still uses it.

F) I'm embarrassed to say I still use Hotlanta and I now a vow to never use it again except to denounce it as corny and outdated.

G) Huh? What does this have to do with filmmaking? (But, the answer is E)

A) The ATL

Extra Credit: Use our 2010 festival words EXPERIENCE, THINK, LAUGH, CONNECT, FEEL and Do in a sentence describing your film.

DO see "Asbury Park" because it will make you THINK as you EXPERIENCE a day in the life of a character and a town as you CONNECT with them, FEEL what they feel, and LAUGH a little.

In the early days of film the norm was to store a print for a few years after an initial run and when space was needed, to burn it.  Studios would keep the hits they knew they could re-release every few years, but Hollywood had no problem destroying hundreds of films they no longer had any financial use for--to be fair,  they did keep the scripts around so they could remake them. Unfortunately, it wasn't until the 1960s that film preservation really started in earnest and it really wasn't till the 1980s there were enough techniques developed to salvage the large number films that were literally crumbling. One hundred plus years of filmmaking has disappeared, and is disappearing, and no one will see it.

What directors Kennedy and Rosentrater have done is to go beyond preservation and have,  in the tradition of oral storytelling, reordered the familiar to craft a new narrative that's grounded in reality, tinged in paranoia and intimately personal.

CLANDESTINE
Gideon Kennedy & Marcus Rosentrater - Directors
Become a Facebook Fan: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clandestine/52491697245?ref=nf
Watch the Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1xEJ82ggr0

 

If you could describe your film using only 3 words, what would they be?

ECHO HOTEL PAPA (that's also a clue!)

Is there a character or subject in your film you most identify with? Would you switch places with them just for a day?

Can't really say without generating unwanted suspicion.

What's the one thing about your film you're most proud of?

The fact that we were able to weave sounds and images from hundreds of sources into one seamless film that tells two stories, is really something to be proud of. That, and a genuine paranoia of the FBI.

When you first screened your film, was there a moment, scene or character the audience reacted to, that surprised you?

Because our film is half non-fiction and half narrative fiction, many people assume that the narrative half is documentary and therefore autobiographical. It is not. However, it is based on research around the thoughts, feelings and reactions people have towards an adulterous parent or role model.

What do you want audiences to take away from your film?

We've found that many viewers leave reflecting on a parent or role model who has let them down, or somehow grew out of favor. On the documentary side, it's been fun to see people's reaction to Numbers Stations; their surprise that governments are still br [transmission cut off]

Who are the directors, filmmakers and artists that most influenced your film or yourself?

Hopefully a viewer, watching our film, would see the influences of Chris Marker, Craig Baldwin, Rick Prelinger, Laura Kissel, Bill Morrison, Peter Watkins and perhaps even Jay Rosenblatt.

Who is the unsung hero of your film and why?

Adolf Tolkachev. In addition to being one of the most productive spies in history, his story and personal life are the most reminiscent of the story told in the narrative segments. His greatness is relative to which side you are on.

Where do you see your film in 5 years?

Gathering dust on archive.org, from which most of it came.

Someone has to go to the bathroom during your film, and they have to miss part of your film. Do they miss the beginning, the middle or the end?

Leave at the beginning, and don't come back. In a word, ABORT!

How do you properly refer to Atlanta?

B) Hotlanta

Extra Credit: Use our 2010 festival words EXPERIENCE, THINK, LAUGH, CONNECT, FEEL and Do in a sentence describing your film.

No problem, and I'll even write it in code:

AJDU8 EJEFS S883J SD0D FJJEJ

SSSE9 HET2N 45DKI FOOE0 FFSNN

FJEYH HFIR8 47RHF K6MFU RHTKF

ADQEW HGKFU BNGHT YR74H FYGEF

Documentaries by their nature are often topical. What can  make them even more timely are the unexpected twists their stories can take while filmming, or in the case of DIVORCING GOD after initial filming has stopped.  The original plan was to follow a young Christian couple, who adhered to the tenants of their faith, from engagement to nuptials. Little did the filmmakers know that 6 months later that they'd be back to also capture the dissolution of that same marriage.

DIVORCING GOD
Maggie Sargent - Co-Director, Producer

If you could describe your film using only 3 words, what would they be?

God, why marriage?

Is there a character or subject in your film you most identify with? Would you switch places with them just for a day?

The film is partially based on my overall experience with church, marriage, and divorce. There are elements of both main characters that I identify with, and no, I would not want to switch places with them. Been there, done that - and it's not a fun place to be.

What's the one thing about your film you're most proud of?

We captured a very intimate story of one couple's journey through love, marriage, and disillusionment at exactly the right time needed in order to generate a larger discussion about Christian ideals and expectations placed on today's young people.

When you first screened your film, was there a moment, scene or character the audience reacted to, that surprised you?

At a pre-sreening of Divorcing God, many of the main character's Christian family and friends showed up. The discussion afterwards included both religious and non-religious perspectives - each with a completely different take on the film. We wondered if we had all just watched the same movie. It made for lively discussion afterwards, which was our whole point in making the film.

What do you want audiences to take away from your film?

I want the audience to take a good hard look at what the Christian church is teaching young people about marriage and divorce and see if it matches up to what their heart is telling them.

Who are the directors, filmmakers and artists that most influenced your film or yourself?

I like intimate story-driven documentaries that are objective and don't push a point of view on the audience. Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing's "12th & Delaware" about the pro-life/pro-choice conflict did this. It was one of 16 films I saw at Sundance this year, where some of the best documentaries in the world premiered.

I believe in putting the story out there and letting the audience decide what resonates with them and what does not. This makes some people uncomfortable. They would rather have a Michael Moore telling them what HE thinks, so they can decide in the end if they love his point of view or hate it.

Divorcing God is not made like this. It's about the gray areas. It's about forming your own thoughts independent of what the filmmaker thinks. In fact, you may not even know what we think after you watch the film. In some ways, this has hurt the movie's reception. People have said - "I don't know what 'side' you are on," "I think you need a 'discussion booklet' to guide conversation", "I'm more confused now than I was in the beginning". To that last comment, I say "good." You are confused because you don't want to think for yourself. Perhaps we need to stop being so lazy with our thoughts and start forming our own opinions, however complex they may be.

That's one of the reasons this film is so controversial in Christian circles. Most of the time, pastors don't want their people to form their own opinions, but as "sheep", they would rather they parrot their own personal thoughts and interpretations of what God is telling them. That is one of the themes of the film. 

Christianity is a touchy subject, especially in the southern US and in today's political climate. Marriage is something Christians value deeply, but in many congregations divorce is taboo, and people don't like to talk about what makes them uncomfortable or what may clash with their ideals. But these hard subjects need to be discussed if we are going to move forward together as intelligent human beings making sense of the reality around us. That is my hope with Divorcing God.

Who is the unsung hero of your film and why?

I want the audience to tell me that answer. It will be different for each person. That is the beauty of this film.

Where do you see your film in 5 years?

Divorcing God will be shown to every young person involved in church who is considering getting married someday. Perhaps pastors will be open-minded enough to show it in their own congregations. Non-religious people will enjoy the film as study of religion and its affect on relationships. It will be shown in every city across America and available on the internet, video-on-demand, and television. I would also like to have a nice, healthy theater run at many Southern cities in the US.

Someone has to go to the bathroom during your film, and they have to miss part of your film. Do they miss the beginning, the middle or the end?

If I have to choose, maybe parts of the middle - but please, it is only 1 hour and 8 minutes. Can't you hold it? ;)

How do you properly refer to Atlanta?

A) The ATL

B) Hotlanta

C) The A

D) The Dirty South

E) Anything but B, no one in Atlanta who knows better still uses it.

F) I'm embarrassed to say I still use Hotlanta and I now a vow to never use it again except to denounce it as corny and outdated.

G) Huh? What does this have to do with filmmaking? (But, the answer is E)

F) I'm embarrased to say I still use Hotlanta and I now a vow to never use it again except to denounce it as corny and outdated.

Extra Credit: Use our 2010 festival words EXPERIENCE, THINK, LAUGH, CONNECT, FEEL and Do in a sentence describing your film.

EXPERIENCE what it means to hear God's voice

THINK about why they got married

LAUGH (inside)

CONNECT with the characters

FEEL what seems right to you

DO talk about this film afterwards to the person you sat next to

 

Last year I had a lot of fun posting the 5/10 questions from filmmakers and I'm excited to bring it back for the 2010 Atlanta Film Festival. I'm using the answers from Michael Matzdorff of FEED THE FISH as bait, pun actually intentional this time, to get you hooked on what's to come. I've read a few of the forthcoming 5/10's and I think they'll definitely make you laugh as well as think.

 

FEED THE FISH

Michael Matzdorff - Director/Writer/Producer

 

 

If you could describe your film using only 3 words, what would they be?

 

Soul searching comedy

 

Is there a character or subject in your film you most identify with? Would you switch places with them just for a day?

 

Joe Peterson, our lead male character. Always looking for inspiration but never in the right places. Him finding something great by being in the wrong place at the wrong time is something I can relate to. Would I switch places with him? I think that depends on the day.

 

What's the one thing about your film you're most proud of?

 

That through the efforts of many we were able to accomplish a fine bit of storytelling.

 

When you first screened your film, was there a moment, scene or character the audience reacted to, that surprised you?

 

The unexpected abundance of laughter, was a very pleasant surprise. One of the best moments in the movie is a scene between Tony Shalhoub and Barry Corbin, which was conceived over a beer and written the night before we shot it. Delicate performances and a beautiful moment between father and son.

 

What do you want audiences to take away from your film?

 

Enthusiasm for the film, a good feeling in their hearts and inspiration to pursue their dreams, even under tough circumstances.

 

Who are the directors, filmmakers and artists that most influenced your film or yourself?

 

People I know personally and was able to work with: Tony Shalhoub, David Fincher and other's I've worked with like Harold Ramis. My co-producer Aaron Downing and Sound Supervisor Ted Caplan were instrumental in creating the story. I have worked in editing rooms for 20 years and all of those editors and directors gave great examples of what to do and what to be careful of.

 

Who is the unsung hero of your film and why?

 

I have to say my cinematographer Steve Parker. Cool head, great eye and a wonderful collaborator.

 

Where do you see your film in 5 years?

 

In five years, I hope "Feed the Fish" is a winter classic.

 

Someone has to go to the bathroom during your film, and they have to miss part of your film. Do they miss the beginning, the middle or the end?

 

I suggest they hold it. We will bring adult diapers for the audience.

 

How do you properly refer to Atlanta?

 

A) The ATL

B) Hotlanta

C) The A

D) The Dirty South

E) Anything but B, no one in Atlanta who knows better still uses it.

F) I'm embarrassed to say I still use Hotlanta and I now a vow to never use it again except to denounce it as corny and outdated.

G) Huh? What does this have to do with filmmaking? (But, the answer is E)

 

G) Huh? What does this have to do with filmmaking? (But, the answer is E)

 

Extra Credit: Use our 2010 festival words EXPERIENCE, THINK, LAUGH, CONNECT, FEEL and Do in a sentence describing your film.

 

Experience family dynamics, think about that vicious badger, laugh when it strikes you, even at the parts you feel you shouldn't and connect with the inner artist in yourself, do be doo be do.

The Atlanta Film Festival 365 Staff discusses the 2010 Oscar nominations, including the effect of 10 nominees for Best Picture on the ceremonies, the lack of respect for comedy at the awards, Hollywood’s Biases and the continued strangeness that is the documentary category.

Direct Link to 2010 Oscar Nominees Podcast

That headline is a bit of hyperbole, but not by much. Although I was always watching movies I didn't really start curating my movie experience till my sophmore year of college.

By 1993, Friday night at Blockbuster had morphed from a ritual I enjoyed with my family to one I then enjoyed with my boys. About 8 or 9 PM, it would be five of us piling into one car to spend an hour browsing Blockbuster's aisles building our weekend playlist.

That list always had to be strategic. Some weekends we'd be ten folks or more deep and one wrong pick could soon be driving people out of the room and effectively ending the night early. And spending 6 hours straight watching films in a cramped dorm room, with the lights out, was a perfect excuse to invite women over.

Fortunately, our love of everything from Shaw Brothers to Disney to Blaxplotation to Comedies (romantic, stoner or otherwise), generally made finding movies easy. Then there's the fact that we had jokes and no matter how bad, or good the movie was, there would be entertainment. Oh, and that love of all things involving the moving image, plus being a funny group of brothas--we had to make up for our lack of a smooth game somehow--made us standout among guys on campus. As an aside, best weekend ever, watching the same set of Disney flicks back to back on two separate nights, with two different groups of women...man I miss college.

Because we watched so many flicks, we were always discovering new actors, new directors and new genres that we could burrow deeper into. By the time we moved into an apartment off Buford Highway in 1995 our lists became less aimed at pleasing everyone and more focused.

Our weekends would often be mini-retrospectives of John Woo or Pedro Almodovar. It's on one of those nights Chow Yun-Fat became a cinematic god to us (to watch him in THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS three years later remains one of the top 20 most disappointing moments in my cinematic life).

It's also on those weekends we discovered that beyond the repetition of actors and directors, it was a company called Miramax that was always making our playlists. Consistently, they had the most interesting films and often the most fun films.

Looking back on it, it's strange I never made the connection of how our change in movie watching habits (and even move) almost perfectly coincides with Miramax's rise in the 1990s. Just as we're seeking out new and even challenging cinematic experiences, there appears Miramax.

By 1999, most of us had moved into our own places or gotten jobs in other cities, but Miramax had already made an impression on us with films lke CLERKS, CHASING AMY, IL POSTINO, BEAUTIFUL GIRLS, TRAINSPOTING, FLIRTING WITH DISASTER, SWINGERS and THE GLASS SHIELD. 

For me that's a time when I not only learned how much I loved film and filmmaking, it's when I realized I wanted to be a screenwriter. It's also when my friends, watching those same movies, wanted me to be a screenwriter too.

There were so many stories we cooked up amongst ourselves and we wanted to see them on the big screen. We especially hungered for those films we imagined, because we wanted to have our own SWINGERS featuring 20-something Black guys fumbling through life. We wanted our on IL POSTINO (which played perfectly into being hyped for LOVE JONES). The hope was I would be the conduit for our ideas to have life.

That never happened, obviously. However, here I am working for the Atlanta Film Festival and working as best I can to support interesting filmmaking and filmmaking in Georgia. Would I be here without Miramax? As the Miramax we know it ends its 31 year run, it's a fascinating question to ponder.

The other day a letter from Harvey Weinstein to Errol Morris popped up on the interwebs, lettersofnote.com to precise. It's a fascinating note on how to sell oneself from one of the most successful and powerful distributors and producers of all time. Even in 1988, it was probably an anathema to receive a letter like that, in 2010 it's all part of the awards season gaming.

What really caught my notice on Letters of Note, as I was looking at past posts, was a letter from Otis L. Guernsey to Alfred Hitchcock. In it, Guernsey effectively relinquishes any rights he has to the idea of a man being mistaken for a master-spy who only exists on paper, a concept that Guernsey himself pitched to Hitchcock years earlier.

NORTH BY NORTHWEST is the resulting film and it's easily in the top 5 of greatest Hitchcock films and in probably at least the top 20 of greatest and most influential American made action-thrillers.

While the economic realities have changed since 1957 (there are a multitude of ancillary and merchandising rights that didn't exist then) the fundamental soul of production hasn't changed. A good idea will always remain a good idea, yet it takes great execution to create anything tangible from that idea.

Read up on the history of Hollywood and you'll find story after story of well-known directors, writers and actors turning down projects--even their own--they know they are an ill fit for. You'll also discover stories of financial and critical flops, which with the benefit of hindsight, the producers and creators will freely admit they should have handed over to someone else--or even just stopped production all together.

It may be hard to let go of an idea because it could be loss revenue or because it's a dream project. But, to not let go when there's the possibility that someone can take that idea and produce something memorable, something that has impact, is sometimes silly and just plain hubris. 

I'm not saying you should give up your rights, as much as I'm suggesting you should keep in mind that film is a collaborative medium that excels when the whole becomes more than the sum of its parts.