Here’s the first trailer for Lawless , n
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The Cannes jury is now complete. The Descendants director Alexander Payne and actor Ewan McGregor have joined the festival’s competition jury, which will judge the 65th annual event’s 22 films in competition . They join previously announced jury president Italian director Nanni Moretti ( We Have a Pope ) who will announce the Cannes winners on stage at the closing ceremonies on May 27th. And it’s not just filmmakers and actors taking on this year’s festival competition in the hallowed maze that is the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. French designer Jean Paul Gaultier – forever famous for designing Madonna’s external lingerie way back in the Blonde Ambition days – is on the jury. Joining him are Haitian director Raoul Peck ( Moloch Tropical ), actor Diane Kruger ( The Host ), actor Emmanuelle Devos ( In the Beginning ), British writer-director Andrea Arnold ( Fish Tank ) and Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass ( Miral ).
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Alexander Payne, Ewan McGregor, Jean-Paul Gaultier Join Cannes Jury
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Movieline spotlighted filmmakers and trailers from the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival over the weekend and last week . The festival is still underway all this week, so it’s certainly not too late to catch a little Tribeca action. If you’re in New York and want to see some films at the festival (or if you are looking for a taste of Tribeca from afar), here is a sneak glimpse of more of this year’s offerings from the festival’s World Narrative Competition and World Documentary Competition . Tuesday’s spotlights include World Narrative Competition features Nancy, Please and War Witch as well as World Doc Competition contenders The Flat and The List . And in Tribeca’s genre-centered Cinemania section is Rat King . Nancy, Please by director Andrew Semans – U.S. [World Narrative Competition] Synopsis : Paul’s life is good. He is a gifted graduate student at Yale, completing a PhD in English literature, and has finally moved in with his longtime girlfriend, Jen. A bright and promising future seems assured. There’s just one thing. Paul has left an item of great importance at his old apartment: a tattered, personally annotated copy of Dickens’ Little Dorrit, the subject of his dissertation, and he simply must have it back. Doing so will mean recovering it from his casually sinister and inexplicably vindictive former roommate, Nancy, who blithely thwarts Paul’s increasingly frantic attempts at retrieval. His annoyance turns to rage and then to obsession, until his life begins to come undone. Things will get much, much worse before they get better. [Courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival] Comments by Andrew Semans … Nancy, Please quick pitch : Paul has recently moved in with his girlfriend. In the process, he has left something of great personal importance behind in his old apartment. Nancy, his casually sinister former roommate, refuses to give it back for reasons unknown. Paul is confused; Paul is frustrated; Paul is doomed. Nancy, Please is a black comedy that explores obsession, self-righteousness, and the perverse allure of victimhood in New Haven, CT. …and why it’s worth seeing at Tribeca : It’s a funny and occasionally ghoulish story that tracks the process by which a seemingly mundane conflict can evolve into something truly absurd and truly destructive. Thoughts about the clip : In this clip, our protagonist (Paul) confronts his former roommate (Nancy) on her doorstep in an effort to retrieve a cherished book that she’s been inexplicably withholding from him. The Flat , by director Arnon Goldfinger – Israel, Germany [World Documentary Competition] Comments by Arnon Goldfinger … The Flat quick pitch : After my grandmother passed away at the age of 98, my family and I went to empty out the flat and soon discover hints to a mysterious and painful past. …and why it’s worth seeing at Tribeca : [It is] an unbelievable story, the secrets that are revealed, the moving characters – and the deep feelings that the film brings up with viewers. Thoughts about the trailer … The trailer is taken from the beginning of the film and is the starting point for a complicated journey that is about to unfold on screen. The flat is still filled with objects, photos and letters that accumulated over a lifetime. Soon this will all disappear, but along the way, secrets that were hidden, will begin to emerge. The List by director Beth Murphy – U.S. [World Documentary Competition] Synopsis : After working for an aid group tasked with improving infrastructure in war-torn cities in Iraq, young American Kirk Johnson returns home to news that his Iraqi co-workers are being killed, kidnapped or forced into exile by radical militias who perceived them as traitors because of their involvement with the U.S. Frustrated by his government’s inability to safeguard its endangered allies, Johnson begins compiling a list of Iraqis seeking refuge and a new life in America — all of them desperately in need of an advocate. [Courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival] Comments by Beth Murphy … The List quick pitch : The List is a modern-day Oskar Schindler story about a young American who is working to save Iraqis who are being targeted for death because they worked for the United States government and military to rebuild their country. …and why it’s worth seeing at Tribeca : [The film] shows the human face of the Iraq War, an example of the aftermath of war. And I believe the aftermath of war is something that is all too often forgotten. America has moved on from Iraq, but for Iraqis who worked with our government and military, there is no moving on from the life-threatening reality they and their families face. And in this big picture is a very personal and emotional story of a former U.S. government employee who is single-handedly trying to redeem a nation. Thoughts about the clip : In this scene from The List , Kirk Johnson meets in a cramped Baghdad hotel room with desperate Iraqis who are being hunted down as “traitors” and “collaborators with the enemy.” All of these Iraqis are among the thousands on Kirk’s list. They are all in danger because of their affiliation with America, and they have all been waiting for years for help from the U.S. War Witch by director Kim Nguyen – Canada [World Narrative Competition] Synopsis : Montreal-based filmmaker Kim Nguyen paints a poignant and harrowing portrait of Komona, a 14-year-old girl (wonderfully played by nonprofessional actress Rachel Mwanza) who has been kidnapped from her African village by rebels to become a child soldier. She escapes from the camp with an older albino soldier and experiences for the very first time the joys of a peaceful and loving life, but a fresh tragedy will force her to confront and fight the ghosts haunting her mind. [Courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival] Brief comments by Kim Nguyen … The War Witch quick pitch : It’s a love story at a time of war, and it’s also a story of resilience in a world filled with magic, violence and poetry. …and why it’s worth seeing at Tribeca : Definitely, first and foremost, to see Rachel Mwanza, one of the most powerful actresses we have seen on the screen in the last decade. A thought about the trailer : Hope in troubled times! Rat King by director Petri Kotwica – Finland [Cinemania section] (non-English) Synopsis : Eighteen-year-old Juri spends his days absorbed in his computer gaming world, to the exclusion of school, friends, and his exasperated girlfriend. One night his Internet ally “Modred,” actually another student named Niki, turns up at his door, fearing for his life. Niki is caught in the grasp of a mysterious new online game, and Juri, warned of the dangers but with nothing to lose, eagerly follows him down the rabbit hole. Initially unimpressed with a game that seems to be nothing but a series of banal tasks, Juri soon finds himself immersed in an all-consuming race against the clock for his very life. [Courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival] Comments by Petri Kotwica … The Rat King quick pitch : [It is] the story of Juri, 18, who is looking for a way out of his online gaming addiction only to find himself drawn into a deadly psychotic real-life nightmare by net-mate Niki. …and why it’s worth seeing at Tribeca : Cleverly constructed and with outstanding cinematography, Rat King manages to combine contemporary issues, such as the relative dangers of gaming addiction, with a fast paced and entertaining storyline. Thoughts about the trailer : I wanted to show the topic and style of the film. Rat King is a thriller spiced up with horror elements about a high school kid who enters a deadly online game. Read all of Movieline’s Tribeca 2012 coverage here .
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Video: Get to Know 5 More 2012 Tribeca Filmmakers (and Their Films)
SXSW 2012 marked the starring screen debut of model-turned-actress Dree Hemingway – daughter of Mariel, great-granddaughter of Ernest , and at 24, a veteran of the fashion world — as an airy Los Angeleno named Jane who befriends a cranky senior citizen (85-year-old newcomer Besedka Johnson) in Sean Baker’s Starlet , a surprisingly sweet tale comprised of a series of moving, naturalistic episodes … and one infamous hardcore sex scene. But as much as Starlet is a fantastically observed introduction to Hemingway, who possesses Evan Rachel Wood ’s preternatural poise and Daryl Hannah ’s leggy looks, sitting down with her in Austin – and indulging in a post-interview round of karaoke together — offered greater insights into one of the more talked-about but hard-to-talk-about films of the fest. For starters: Movieline learned that Hemingway does a mean Pat Benatar. But not everything comes as easy as belting out the power warble of “We Belong” in an afternoon karaoke session with someone you’ve only just met; from Starlet ’s hardcore sex scene (shot with professionals) to its likely NC-17 rating to the tricky task of discussing it without divulging too much, Hemingway and director Baker ( Prince of Broadway ) have tangled with a number of challenges on the road to getting their film, which also stars Stella Maeve and James Ransone, out into the world. That said, Starlet is a film whose secrets are minor but impactful in the grand scheme of things, at least in how they inform their two central characters. Hemingway’s Jane is a twenty-something L.A. transplant who lounges around in short shorts with her toy Chihuahua, Starlet, and her pothead roommates in the San Fernando Valley. Besedka’s Sadie is a grumpy old lady trying to shut the world out of her lonely, isolated existence. The two meet by chance when Jane buys a thermos from Sadie at a garage sale, then discovers thousands in cash hidden inside; she returns, worming her way into Sadie’s life as she struggles to come clean about the money, and the rest… well, the rest is best discovered on your own. [ GALLERY: See which stars too SXSW 2012 by storm ] So what else should you know about Starlet and its star? SKYPE, THE YMCA, AND CASTING STARLET ’S TWO LEADS Although she’s been a runway and fashion model since her 2009 debut, Hemingway attended RADA for acting and says her dramatic interests predated her modeling career. Though she’s appeared in small roles in a few projects to date, Starlet marks her first star turn. “I grew up on my mom’s film sets, so it was kind of a natural instinct for me. And I’ve always kind of been an attention whore,” she laughed. “Or more of a performing whore? I said to my manager, who kind of found me and whom I met through Bruce Weber, actually, I said, ‘Don’t worry — there’s going to be one director who’s going to see something in me and really want me to be in their film.’ Then I met Sean [Baker] and we instantly connected over a Skype video call, and I read his script and fell in love with it immediately.” Meanwhile, co-star Besedka Johnson, who makes her own screen debut here at the age of 85, always wanted to be discovered – and was finally found by Starlet ‘s casting director at her local YMCA. (Johnson earned a special SXSW Jury recognition for her performance in the film.) WHAT HOOKED HEMINGWAY ON STARLET – AND WHAT IT HAS IN COMMON WITH SOFIA COPPOLA’S SOMEWHERE Hemingway described what grabbed her most when reading Baker’s script. “I love the connection that Sadie and Jane have. It’s very awkward and weird and there’s a funny side and a sadness and a realness to the movie,” she said. “I was telling Sean that one of my favorite movies of 2010 was Somewhere , and I kind of got that feeling from the movie a little bit. I like the weird silences and the realness of the people. And the nice thing about working with Sean is that I never worked with somebody who just got it, completely trusted me and wanted to know my opinions on things, which is amazing because sometimes you have so much to say and you just can’t get it out there.” YARD SALES AND PORN STARS, TWO GREAT TASTES… The film was conceived of by Baker (who co-scripted with Chris Bergoch) out of the confluence of two disparate ideas: The real life story of a friend who happened upon a small fortune in a yard sale find, and the intriguingly mundane private lives of porn stars Baker had met while casting for his MTV show Warren the Ape . Porn actors Asa Akira, Manuel Ferrara, Kristina Rose, and Jules Jordan appear in cameo roles in scenes in one subplot that portrays the matter-of-fact business side of the adult industry. “That’s the thing that was nice about the portrayal in the movie,” said Hemingway. “Yes, these girls have these jobs. I think the nice thing is these girls are really normal – I mean they’re normal, and there’s a fucked-upness about it, but I think there’s also a deeper inner story to it.” ABOUT THAT HARDCORE NC-17 SEX SCENE… Baker originally envisioned the film’s much talked-about sex scene as a hardcore sequence using real porn actors. Adult actress Zoe Voss served as consultant and body double on the film, and helped advise a nervous Hemingway the day of her big scene. “I literally sat down next to her and I was like, ‘I somehow have forgotten that I had ever had sex before,’” she recalled. “I was like, ‘ What do I do ?’” Her only previous point of reference was a nude photo shoot she’d done for an art magazine (“It was so beautiful and not sexual at all”), but Starlet ’s big scene was far more daunting. “I had freaked out and there was all this stuff going on in my head because I’m not somebody who likes to watch porn, it freaks me out a bit, I don’t know why,” she said. “But talking to Zoe, who is the sweetest person ever, she’s like, ‘Dree, it’s normal. You deep breathe when you have sex, do this when in doubt,’ throwing different things at me.” Baker, meanwhile, isn’t concerned about the potential challenges his film might face with an NC-17 rating, which it would most likely earn. “This is how I see it: The state that we’re in right now with independent films, the best case scenario, which is like one percent, is a Blair Witch or Paranormal Activity that gets out and makes a hundred million dollars,” he explained. “But for the most part independent films are going to play, best case scenario, strongly in the metropolitan areas and then do well on VOD. I don’t see how a scene like that can hurt that model.” MODELING VS. ACTING, PHOTOGRAPHY VS. FILM Hemingway, who continues her acting career with a role in Hervé Mimran and Géraldine Nakache’s French film Nous York (which also stars Sienna Miller and John Cameron Mitchell), sees acting as a natural offshoot of her fashion work. “I kind of got into modeling because I was obsessed with people’s fashion and style, and I think it was more me being interested in how people kind of rearrange themselves,” she said. “That kind of goes for acting as well. I love watching people and I can kind of sit in a room and observe for a really long time. I was a ballet dancer for 15 years, so modeling was an aspect that could bring both together — dance and acting — because I think for every shoot you have a different character in mind that you’re trying to portray for the photographer, who is like the director… I didn’t really get into it until recently because I didn’t think I was ready in life experience to just do that yet.” TAKING CUES FROM ACTRESS MOTHER MARIEL While Hemingway is following in the footsteps of her mother Mariel and late aunt, Margaux, she intends to carve out her own path. Still, she’s well-versed in her mom’s film work and looks to her bold career choices as inspiration. “I want to do my own thing, but if I had the opportunity to do the kinds of things she’s done…” she mused. “My mom had balls, to be honest. She went for big things that were like, wow — Star 80 was very bold; Personal Best was the first movie that really touched based on lesbian issues; Manhattan , and her character in that, is one of my go-to movies for if I feel like I need to be real.” One major difference: Hemingway is commanding her own foray into acting, whereas her mother was “pulled” in. “The reason she got into acting was because Margaux was doing Lipstick and they couldn’t find the girl to play her sister,” she said. “They literally grabbed my mom, and my mom tells me that she went and saw the movie, got so mad at my grandpa and her dad and was like, ‘I didn’t know I was being raped in this movie!’ And he’s like, ‘Why did you think you were running away?’ She’s like, ‘I wouldn’t have done this film if I had known!’ But then, Manhattan [happened] and it all kind of fell into place.” Stay tuned for more on Starlet , which does not yet have distribution. Read more from SXSW 2012 here . Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
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On SXSW Surprise Starlet, Its Racy Hardcore Scenes, and Newcomer Dree Hemingway
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Those NMA TV wizards have done it again: Watch as the Taiwanese animators offer their take on the in-progress South by Southwest Music, Film and Interactive festival (“If you’re watching this animation, that likely means you’re not at SXSW. You’re probably not even cool enough to go”). Tears, hippie DJs, 21 Jump Street , bands the rest of the world will hear about months from now… it’s all here! Okay, okay. SXSW isn’t quite as douchey as this video suggests — though the divide between the Interactive/Music folks and the Film attendees always feels like some sort of class division. But earlier today, I di d overhear the following while walking downtown: “What if pills could contain… ideas?” And also: “The thing is, I already have a green trucker hat!” Here’s hoping more notable SXSW ’12 events happen that warrant their own NMA video. Where’s Jake Gyllenhaal when you need him? [ NMA ] Catch up with Movieline’s ongoing coverage of SXSW Film and follow along on Twitter .
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VIDEO: Taiwanese Animators Explain Why You’re Not Cool Enough for SXSW
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One of the great perks about working out of the Alamo Drafthouse’s next door hangout spot The Highball between SXSW films? Listening to the dynamic stylings of Cuban-born musician CuCu Diamantes during her soundcheck on the back room stage. The Grammy-nominated singer is in town with a pseudo-doc/fiction film in which she stars as herself, filmed with live concert footage; just listening to her rehearse bumped Amor Cronico onto my want-to-see list. Trailer after the jump! Synopsis: Amor Cronico follows the flamboyant Grammy nominated Cuban-born and New York based singer CuCu Diamantes on her tour around Cuba. The film interweaves footage of live musical performances with a fictional love story narrative. The result is an energetic display of CuCu Diamantes’ glamorous performance style with a fresh Latin soundtrack and comical twist. It is at unique road movie and portrait of a Cuban artist traveling back to her roots. Amor Cronico is directed by Jorge Perugorria and world premieres tonight at SXSW.
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TRAILER: Grammy-Nominated Singer CuCu Diamantes Stars in Amor Cronico
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Get ready for some twee twinkling on the Croisette — Wes Anderson ‘s Moonrise Kingdom is set to open the 2012 Cannes Film Festival! Last year’s opener, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris , went on to enjoy a rousingly successful theatrical run on its way to a Best Picture nomination; Anderson’s comedy, about a pair of pre-teen lovebirds on the lam in 1960s New England, will open stateside just over a week after its May 16 Cannes debut and marks his return to live-action film after his most recent film, the Oscar-nominated Fantastic Mr. Fox . In a statement announcing the premiere, Cannes head Thierry Frémaux referenced Fellini and Renoir while calling Anderson a ‘ brilliant and inventive filmmaker ‘; not too shabby for a guy who most recently followed in the footsteps of some of cinema’s brightest directors by helming a pair of car commercials for Hyundai ! (Said ads are classic Anderson, though, through and through — can’t quite say the same for this week’s other ad director-for-hire, Darren Aronofsky .) Moonrise Kingdom stars youngsters Jared Gilman as Sam and Kara Hayward as his best gal Suzy, along with Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, Ed Norton, Frances McDormand, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban, and Harvey Keitel. [ Deadline ]
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Twee-riffic! Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom Will Kick Off Cannes
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Film festivals have emerged as one of the best, most fertile grounds for discovering new voices in genre filmmaking, so much so that just about every fest these days has a midnight sidebar for edgier, darker fare. Among the just-announced midnight selections at this year’s SXSW Film Festival (held March 9-17 in Austin, TX): Tales of killer lady bartenders, faceless spooks, space-traveling Nazis, a deadly virus, VHS tapes , and the most evil kind of nightmare-inspiring villain imaginable, feral children. (Shudder.) Let’s rundown the freakiest-sounding offerings of the SXSW Midnight slate! 1. Intruders (Spain, UK) “The haunting story of two children living in different countries, each visited nightly by a faceless being who wants to take possession of them.” –> “Faceless being.” Not scary sounding enough to you? JUST LOOK AT WHAT THEY DID TO CLIVE OWEN’S FACE . 2. [REC] ³ GENESIS (Spain) “Koldo and Clara’s wedding is horrifically interrupted when some of the guests start showing signs of a strange illness. Before they know what’s happening, the bride and groom find themselves in the middle of a hellish ordeal, as an uncontrollable torrent of violence is unleashed on the wedding.” –> The first REC inspired an Americanized remake ( Quarantine ) and itself earned three sequels ( REC 4 is forthcoming). Mysterious viral outbreaks never get old… or do they? 3. The Tall Man “When her child goes missing, a mother looks to unravel the legend of the Tall Man, an entity who allegedly abducts children.” –> There’s been a recent resurgence in child-themed horror – children in peril being pursued by the spooky creatures of fantasy — and for good reason: Even adults remember the dread inspired by the nightmare boogeymen of their youth. 4. V/H/S “A group of misfits are hired to burglarize a house in the countryside and acquire a rare tape. The guys are confronted with a dead body and an endless supply of cryptic footage, each video stranger than the last…” –> Having seen this anthology horror already , I admit it’s not so much scary as it is viscerally thrilling, an excellent use of the found footage gimmick made by folks who have a true affinity for the genre. 5. CITADEL (Ireland, Scotland) “An agoraphobic father teams up with a renegade priest to save his daughter from the clutches of a gang of twisted feral children.” –> FERAL CHILDREN. Oh hell no. Of course, there are all sorts of genre scares in the SXSW Midnight line-up as well, including grindhouse yarns ( Iron Sky ) and cult pics in the making ( John Dies at the End ). And don’t forget the shorts slate! SXSW programmers have a knack for finding exceptional short films each year, and the inclusion of my Sundance ’12 favorite — Jillian Mayer’s Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke , a Miami-set twist on La Jetee starring Uncle Luke of 2 Live Crew as himself — not to mention new shorts from Bill Plympton and Don Hertzfeldt, is promising. Full slate of Midnight films and shorts below. — SXSW Midnight Slate: The Aggression Scale Director: Steven C. Miller, Screenwriter: Ben Powell 4 hitmen + $500,000 of stolen cash + 1 family = WAR Cast: Fabianne Therese, Ryan Hartwig, Dana Ashbrook, Derek Mears, Jacob Reynolds, Joseph McKelheer, Boyd Kestner, Lisa Rotondi, Ray Wise (World Premiere) CITADEL (Ireland, Scotland) Director/Screenwriter: Ciarán Foy An agoraphobic father teams up with a renegade priest to save his daughter from the clutches of a gang of twisted feral children. Cast: Anuerin Barnard, James Cosmo, Wumni Mosaku, Jake Wilson, Amy Shiels (World Premiere) Girls Against Boys Director/Screenwriter: Austin Chick A psychological thriller about two girls on a killing spree. With edgy and ironic humor and a darkly meditative tone, it is also a coming-of-age story about a girl learning how the world really works. Cast: Danielle Panabaker, Nicole LaLiberte, Liam Aiken, Michael Stahl-David, Andrew Howard (World Premiere) Intruders (Spain, UK) Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Screenwriters: Nicolás Casariego, Jaime Marques The haunting story of two children living in different countries, each visited nightly by a faceless being who wants to take possession of them. Cast: Clive Owen, Carice Van Houten, Daniel Brühl, Pilar López de Ayala (U.S. Premiere) Iron Sky (Finland, Germany, Australia) Director: Timo Vuorensola, Screenwriters: Michael Kalesniko, Timo Vuorensola In 1945 the Nazis went to the moon; in 2018 they are coming back. Cast: Julia Dietze, Götz Otto, Christopher Kirby, Peta Sergeant, Stephanie Paul, Tilo Prückner, Michael Cullen, Udo Kier (North American Premiere) John Dies At The End Director & Screenwriter: Don Coscarelli On the street it’s called “soy sauce,” a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. Suddenly, a silent otherworldly invasion is underway. Can college dropouts John and Dave save humanity? No, they can’t. Cast: Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown, Glynn Turman Modus Anomali (Indonesia) Director/Screenwriter: Joko Anwar A man tries to save his family who go missing during a vacation in the forest. Cast: Rio Dewanto, Hannah Al Rashid, Izziati Amara Isman, Aridh Tritama, Surya Saputra, Marsha Timothy, Sadha Triyudha, Jose Gamo (World Premiere) [REC] ³ GENESIS (Spain) Director: Paco Plaza Screenwriters: Luiso Berdejo, Paco Plaza Koldo and Clara’s wedding is horrifically interrupted when some of the guests start showing signs of a strange illness. Before they know what’s happening, the bride and groom find themselves in the middle of a hellish ordeal, as an uncontrollable torrent of violence is unleashed on the wedding. Cast: Leticia Dolera, Diego Martin (World Premiere) Super Secret Screening Be the first to see this feature film coming to theaters near you. The Tall Man Director/Screenwriter: Pascal Laugier When her child goes missing, a mother looks to unravel the legend of the Tall Man, an entity who allegedly abducts children. Cast: Jessica Biel, Jodelle Ferland, Stephen McHattie, William B.Davis (World Premiere) V/H/S Directors: Ti West, Adam Wingard, Joe Swanberg, David Bruckner, Glenn Mcquaid, Radio Silence, Screenwriter: Ti West, Simon Barrett, David Bruckner, Radio Silence, Glenn Mcquaid A group of misfits are hired to burglarize a house in the countryside and acquire a rare tape. The guys are confronted with a dead body and an endless supply of cryptic footage, each video stranger than the last… Cast: Joe Swanberg, Calvin Reeder, Kate Lynn Shiel, Sophia Takal, Lane Hughes, Helen Rogers, Adam Wingard NARRATIVE SHORTS A selection of original, well-crafted films that take advantage of the short form and exemplify distinctive and genuine storytelling. The winner of our Grand Jury Award in this category is eligible for a 2013 Academy Award nomination for Best Narrative Short. Aaron Burr, Part 2 Director: Dana O’Keefe History is a contest. Another Bullet Dodged Director: Landon Zakheim In the fading echoes of a relationship, character is revealed. Bear Director: Nash Edgerton Jack means well, but sometimes good intentions have horrible consequences. The Black Balloon Director: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie In New York City, a lone black balloon, once part of a huge 100-balloon bouquet, learns that humans are complicated creatures with extreme highs and lows. Part Sci-Fi, part children’s film. The Chair Director: Grainger David The story of one boy’s reaction to a mysterious outbreak of poisonous mold in his small town. A Chjána (The Plain) Director: Jonas Carpignano Inspired by real events, A Chjàna (The Plain) follows Ayiva, an African migrant worker who seeks to reunite with his best friend in the wake of the most significant race riot in Italian history. A Fábrica Director: Aly Muritiba An inmate convinces his mother to take a risk smuggling a cell phone for him into the penitentiary. FOXES Director: Lorcan Finnegan A young couple trapped in a remote estate of empty houses and shrieking foxes are beckoned from their isolation into a twilight world. A world of the paranormal or perhaps insanity. Heimkommen (Coming Home) Director: Micah Magee When Robert’s girlfriend dies, he turns his grief against his younger sister Jo. Jo plays ice hockey with the boys, hoping to gather strength to bring her brother back to the land of the living. In The Pines Directors: Zeek Earl, Chris Caldwell Simultaneously an exploration of nature and psyche, the film documents a young woman’s hunt for extraterrestrial meaning. Part science fiction, part psycho-thriller, part poetry – this film crafts a memorable scene rooted in the Pacific Northwest. Joy Director: Colm Quinn Nicola reluctantly introduces her newborn daughter to her best friend Tess. Liar Director: Adam Garnet Jones When a brutal teenage revenge plot gets pushed too far, 14 year-old Tara is forced to choose between standing helplessly on the sidelines or stepping in to defend the boyfriend that hurt her. Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke Directors: Jillian Mayer, Lucas Leyva A modern Miami adaptation of the 1962 French short film La Jetee, starring Uncle Luke of the 2 Live Crew. Little Dad Director: Noah Pritzker An insecure father prepares for a party at his in-laws. Mouthful Director: Robert G. Putka Bobby and Bliss are a happy couple, that is, until they begin to tell each other things probably better left unsaid. A single question leads them down a highway to relationship hell. My Friend Kills Time Director: Jakob Rørvik Thomas moves to a remote cabin in an attempt to disappear completely… even from himself. My Friend Kills Time mixes visual textures and haunting soundscapes to create a cinematic diary of a young man’s isolation. Not Far From The Abattoir Director: Kyle Thomas A story of a man controlling his demons and trying to imagine a better life outside of the only town he has ever called home. Pitch Black Heist Director: John Maclean Two men, professional safe crackers, meet on a simple job to relieve an office safe of its contents. The catch; a light activated alarm system impelling them to embark on a pitch black heist. Playtime (Spielzeit) Director: Lucas Mireles A seamless journey through the lives of German youth on a Sunday afternoon. Random Strangers Director: Alexis Dos Santos Lulu and Rocky meet, fall in love, spend the night together, and fall asleep looking at each other…except for the fact that he is in Berlin and she is in Buenos Aires. Reinaldo Arenas Director: Lucas Leyva Told from the point of view of a dying shark, Reinaldo Arenas is the story of an unintentional immigrant in Miami. REMAINS Directors: Jeremiah Zagar, Nathan Caswell A blend of documentary and fiction, Remains is about recollection and fading memories. Combining three years of recorded voice messages with stunning macro photography, the film documents a relationship from its inception to its end. Sea Meadow Director: Lily Baldwin A disoriented young woman stumbles upon an empty estate. There are signs of a lush life, but the inhabitants have disappeared. Or have they? Sea Meadow revamps the thriller with pop mashups and stylized dance tableaux. Shoot the Freak Director: Bradford Willingham Through the freak’s musings, this film chronicles the last days of the iconic, abrasive Coney Island attraction Shoot the Freak. In masked anonymity, the nihilistic teen indulges in drug-induced daydreams of violence and oceanic abandon. A Short Film About Ice Fishing Director: Jason Shahinfar In rural South Dakota two friends go out for the most explosive day of ice fishing either will ever experience. Syndromes Directors: The Golden Filter, Kristoffer Borgli A young girl’s bizarre and unexplained ability to help others leads to her involvement in a sinister underworld. Would You Directors: Brian McGinn, Rod Blackhurst Two friends play ‘Would You Rather.’ When their choices magically start to come true, they find themselves in a variety of awkward and funny situations. DOCUMENTARY SHORTS Unfiltered slices of life, from across the documentary spectrum. Aisha’s Song Director: Orlando von Einsiedel Musically lush and stunningly shot, Aisha’s Song is a touching and uplifting story of female empowerment from a part of the world where women are all too often overlooked. A Brief History of John Baldessari Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman No more boring films! Everything you need to know about the godfather of Conceptual Art… narrated by Tom Waits. BRUTE FORCE Director: Ben Steinbauer The story of Apple Records notoriously irreverent recording artist, Brute Force. CatCam Director: Seth Keal When a German engineer creates a tiny camera for his newly adopted stray cat to wear, the photographs reveal more than ever expected. Cutting Loose Directors: Finlay Pretsell, Adrian McDowall “I’m trusted with a pair of scissors and I’m in here for murder.” A snapshot of prison life in the build up to the annual hairdressing competition. Family Nightmare Director: Dustin Guy Defa Unearthed home movies and haunting dubbed voices collide to create a personal portrait of family dysfunction. The Fuse: or How I Burned Simon Bolivar Director: Igor Drljaca A nine-year-old boy thinks he is responsible for the civil war in Bosnia. Kudzu Vine Director: Josh Gibson This ode to the climbing, trailing, and coiling species Pueraria lobata evokes the agricultural history and mythic textures of the American South. The Love Competition Director: Brent Hoff The World’s First Love Competition. The Man That Got Away Director: Trevor Anderson A musical documentary that tells the true life story of Trevor’s great-uncle Jimmy in six original songs. Meaning of Robots Director: Matt Lenski Mike Sullivan’s world is overrun by an army of miniature sex robots with no end in sight. Minor/Major: The TV on the Radio Tour Documentary Director: Chioke Nassor An intense documentary portrait on the band TV on the Radio as they transition from minor label darlings to major label success. New York Accent Director: Caleb Slain Once a man with all the answers, Dr. Ed Dobson is struggling to resolve his own questions before succumbing to the unusual disease eating away his body. Written in Ink Director: Martin Rath Can one change what has already been written in ink? SX GLOBAL SHORTS A showcase for cutting-edge documentary shorts from around the world. Abuelas Director: Afarin Eghbal In Buenos Aires, an old woman looks forward to all the joys of becoming a grandmother. However, unfolding historic events mean she is forced to wait over 30 years. The Contest Director: Jakub Cuman Observational documentary made during the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition Preliminaries in 2010. Chronicle of Oldrich S. Director: Rudolf Smid Mr Sedlacek wrote one-sentence entries in his chronicle from 1981 to 2005, everyday stories of his life, his village, and of international events. This animated documentary is based on 80 of those entries. The Contract Director: Lina Mannheimer On the 5th of May 2005, Beverly Charpentier declares an oath of allegiance to Catherine Robbe-Grillet. Hereby she gives up her freedom, for the rest of her life. Doctor Rao Directors: Alexej Tchernyi, Wu Zhi Doctor Rao passed away. Family and friends are celebrating his last journey. Walt Disney Square Directors: Renata Pinheiro, Sergio Oliveira A “quasi-musical” approach to contemporary urban life that reflects Brazilian society and many others throughout the world, this documentary describes at the same time a place, a city and a country. ANIMATED SHORTS An assortment of stories told using a mix of traditional animation, computer-generated effects, stop-motion, and everything in-between. The winner of our Grand Jury Award in this category is eligible for a 2013 Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short. 663114 I am a 66-year cicada. There was a big earthquake. There was a big tsunami. There also was a big accident. Belly Director: Julia Pott I can feel you in my belly. Caldera Director: Evan Viera A young girl goes off her medication to leave a bleak metropolis and immerse herself in a vibrant oceanic cove. Chocolate Milk Director: Eliza Kinkz Growing up in a Texas drug rehab, a teenage girl learns the rules of life and dairy products. Combustion Director: Renaud Hallée Fire used as a visual and musical tool. Giraffe Danger Director: Randall Hopkins A giraffe with personal space anxiety has a bad day. The Hunter Director: Marieka Walsh A hunter searches for a missing boy deep in the snow covered mountains. He must make decisions that will forever change his relationship with the wilderness he fears. The Hunter is a stop-motion sand animation. “it’s such a beautiful day” Director: Don Hertzfeldt Bill finds himself in a hospital struggling with memory problems, in this third and final chapter to Don Hertzfeldt’s “Everything will be OK” trilogy. Little Boat Director: Nelson Boles One little boat, one big journey. The Maker Director: Christopher Kezelos Life is what you make it. (notes on) biology Director: Danny Madden An animated account of an organism adapting to its environment. Once It Started It Could Not End Otherwise Director: Kelly Sears A terrifying look back at high school. Paint Showers Director: Miguel Jiron Swirling cosmos of paint give way to a storm of color and drips. Photographs Directors: Christina Manrique, Robert Clogher An elderly woman living in an abandoned town finds a camera, which becomes a means for her to recreate her past life and remember a lost love. Reddish Brown and Blueish Green Director: Samantha Gurry Child services, schwag, and the American dream. The Shrine / An Argument Director: Sean Pecknold An elk wanders through a world of madness. Summer Bummer Director: Bill Plympton A man daydreams about what terror could be lurking in his backyard pool. MIDNIGHT SHORTS Bite-sized bits for all of your sex, genre, and hilarity needs. Cheap Extermination Director: Minka Farthing-Kohl For Ernst, the perfect disguise was to play himself. Cherry On Top Director: Mike Damanskis A prostitute finds new ways to attract business. Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared Directors: Rebecca Sloan, Joseph Pelling A short film about teaching creativity—by This Is It Collective. Duck Sauce, “Big Bad Wolf” Director: Keith Schofield Keith Schofield’s original, outrageous and very, very funny promo for Duck Sauce’s single Big Bad Wolf has been burning up the internet, causing millions of pelvises to be thrust worldwide. An instant classic. I Am Your Grandma Director: Jillian Mayer An autobiographical video diary log (vlog) that Jillian Mayer records for her unborn grandchildren. J.P.B.F. Director: Steve Collins A woman interviews for a job at a nefarious company that may or may not f**k b**ts. Jacuzzi Boys, “Glazin” Directors: Lucas Leyva, Jillian Mayer Glazin’ is part of a larger narrative where a group of 6 anonymous girls innocently paint their privates and rig them to lip-synch their favorite song as a gift to the band. Machines of the Working Class Directors: James Dastoli, Robert Dastoli Two robotic blue-collar workers take a brief hiatus to discuss delusions of grandeur. Man & Gun Director: Brian McOmber A post 9/11 fairy tale about a man’s love affair with guns. Merman Director: Jono Foley Harrison swims through the darkest recesses of his mind. Other Director: Daniel DelPurgatorio Patrick is a brilliant doctor in an obsessive race to alter his own grim prognosis. During a series of unconventional experiments, he discovers a scientific loophole unlike anything he had ever imagined. Perished Directors: Aaron McCann, Stefan Androv Radanovich Sometimes survival is worse than death. Zombie Chic Director: Todd Cobery A stuffy dinner party is interrupted by the zombie apocalypse. MUSIC VIDEOS A range of classic, innovative, and stylish work showcasing the scope of music video culture. Alexander, ”A Million Years” Director: Benjamin Kutsko Baskerville, ”Reloaded” Director: Marieke Verbiesen Battles, ”My Machines” Director: DANIELS Casey Veggies, ”Euphoria II” Director: John Bollozos Céline Desrumaux, ”Countdown” Director: Céline Desrumaux CHRISTEENE, “African Mayonnaise” Director: PJ Raval Cults, ”You Know What I Mean” Director: Kevin Lin Ganesh Rao, ”Empyrean” Director: Ganesh Rao The Good The Bad, “030” Jeppe Kolstrup Gotye (Feat. Kimbra), ”Somebody That I Used To Know” Director: Natasha Pincus Hawaaii, ”Welcome” Director: Churl Gwon Herman Dune, ”Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” Director: Toben Seymour Hooray For Earth, ”True Loves” Director: Young Replicant Hyperpotamus, ”De Camino” Director: Lucas Borras Kina Grannis,”In Your Arms” Director: Greg Jardin Little Tybee, ”Boxcar Fair” Directors: Brock Scott, Tom Haney Ok Go, ”All Is Not Lost” Director: Ok Go, Pilobolus, & Trish Sie Porter Robinson, ”Spitfire” Director: Saman Keshavarz Son of Kick,“Playing the Villain” Director: Matt Devine (Glues Society) When Saints Go Machine, ”Parix” Director: Daniel Kragh-Jacobsen Whomadewho, ”Every Minute Alone” Director: William Stahl Yip Deceiver, “Get Strict” Directors: Brandon LaGanke, John Carlucci Yuksek, ”ALWAYS ON THE RUN” Directors: David Hache, Marc-Edouard Leon TEXAS SHORTS An offshoot of our regular narrative shorts program, composed of work shot in, about, or somehow relating to the Lone Star state. foolproof Directors: Zach Anner, Marshall Rimmer Zach Anner, the freeloading roommate, and Marshall Rimmer, the responsible businessman, eat their morning cereal together. The Gathering Squall Director: Hannah Fidell A teenage girl is forced into adulthood after she is assaulted by a classmate. The Guessing Game Director: Angela Cheng A very short comedy set in a retirement home with senior citizens. On the morning of his birthday, Emmett asks his fellow residents to guess his age and is surprised by their answers. Hellion Director: Kat Candler All hell breaks loose when seven-year-old Petey is left with his hell-raising brothers. But things go from bad to really, really bad when Dad gets home. Knife Director: James M. Johnston From the rugged cross-timbers of Texas comes a portrait of greed and vengeance. Magpie Director: Russell O. Buh On a trip to reconnect with his estranged and recently engaged daughter, Phillip finds a sex tape of the little girl he used to know. Dinner is going to be awkward. Spark Director: Annie Silverstein While a boy waits out his father’s tryst he is unexpectedly forced to deal with the lady-friend’s daughter. Set on a ranch in Bastrop, Texas, Spark uses the environment to explore the internal space of children. Tumbleweed! Director: Jared Varava The true and historically accurate tale of one tumbleweed that did not tumble. What It’s Like Director: Matt Naylor A magazine writer goes to an old folks home to buy mushrooms from one of the elderly residents. What starts as a bizarre transaction becomes a moment of connection across generations. TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SHORTS Texas High School students offer a glimpse of a bright future for Texas filmmaking. The Apparition Director: Jonathan Munoz Paranormal Elimination 101. The Bench Directors: Kalen Doyle, Hirsh Elhence There’s a note for that. The Bench Director: Christian Benavides One son’s letter to his father. Boom Directors: Daniel Matyas, Brian Broder All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel. The monkey thought ’twas all in fun, then Pop! goes the weasel. Burn Spark Directors: Maqui Gaona, J.J. Rubin In the future, one man fights the system to choose his own love. Chance Director: Jasmine DePucci A young girl experiences a transformation by an evil spirit contained within the fluffy seams of a teddy bear. Code Red Director: Zach Prengler Four nerdy guys buy the hottest video game of the year, but what they bought was not what they expected. Drawings Directors: Christian Larrave, Alex McKenna The story of two doodles in love. Drones Director: Micah Autry A social issue film that projects the life of the protagonist and how he overcomes constraints of a normal life. Drum Roll Please Director: Alexander Villanueva Opposable thumbs have allowed humans to become the dominant species. How dominant, you say? Janitor’s Laundry Director: Brian Broder A dark thriller exploring the actions of a murderous janitor, who attacks lonely victims at the local laundrymat. Josh Lumsden, “Guilty” Director: Josh Lumsden Josh Lumsden sings and dances while trapped in a mental asylum. Julian Edmonson: Who I Am Director: Jake Wangner Julian Edmonson is a point guard who graduated from Fossil Ridge High School. This is a video putting a spotlight on this student before he went off to college. Knit-Picky Director: Bobby Jorgenson Life socks. Language Director: Leah Schell Jason and his Korean foreign exchange student struggle to overcome a language barrier. Masterpiece Director: Anele Page An artist struggles to create a masterpiece for a special cause. McChange: a Manifesto Directors: Jonathan Griffin, Josiah Sandhu Mark McNeil is the president that Pasadena Memorial High deserves, but doesn’t need right now. Plasticine Dream Directors: Samantha Fine, Andrew Fields Romance molded into the shape of a dream. The Process Director: Ty Whittington Ty Whittington, a young artist, takes us through the process of creating an artistic illustration in his own way. The Proposal Directors: Marcella Jimenez, Susannah Rodrigue The story of a young boys hope for childhood love. SAFE Director: Pierce Harvell When a tornado threatens the lives of two brothers, one decides to take the initiative towards survival despite the reservations of his twin. Silent Night Director: James Bradford Run fat boy, run! Zwichensug Directors: Cole Martin, Josh Willis An anonymous man with skills of inexplicable origin infiltrates the corporate hideout of a shady, but high-ranking businessman. Using fast and fluid tactics, our protagonist is determined to complete his task. Previously: The 2012 SXSW Features slate For more on the SXSW Film Festival, click here .
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The Scariest-Looking Genre Pics in SXSW’s Midnight Line-up
He’s certainly no stranger to the world of entertainment, but Grammy-winning musician Common only recently began channeling his energies into acting. (His first film: Joe Carnahan ’s Smokin’ Aces ). And yet, relative newbie status be damned! The hip-hop veteran, currently seen on AMC’s Hell on Wheels , sat down last week with Movieline to discuss his Sundance pic LUV , a Baltimore-set family/gangster tale from director Sheldon Candis, and his goals for future greatness: “God willing, I’ll become one of the great actors of our day.” It was the first visit to Park City with a film for the self-professed “Sundance virgin,” marking a maturity in his developing acting career: Not only does Common lead the cast of LUV as Vincent, an ex-con shepherding his young nephew (standout newcomer Michael Rainey, Jr.) on a tour along the underbelly of Baltimore, he also earned his first producing credit on the indie production. Movieline queried Common on his filmmaking interests, how his acting career might affect his music, why the media fuss over Maya Angelou and his new record The Dreamer, The Believer was “disappointing,” and how he came to beef with rap upstart (and fellow Sundancer) Drake. How did you become involved with LUV in the first place? It came to me through my agent at the time, and he said it was a cool script, story was great, and he thought this character would be great for me. I read it and was like, I like the story and I know I could really do some things with this character – he’s a human being who’s just trying to do something in life, be somebody in life. I feel like that was a good thing for me to chase after as an actor, because so many people no matter what nationality or age group you are wants to be somebody and to achieve something in life. A friend of mine told me he thought it was like a street version of Pursuit of Happyness . [Laughs] I said ‘Ok, I’ll take that! I like that.’ Why was it important to also come onboard as producer? Once I was asked on as an actor I felt that I could bring some things as a producer, helping to bring cast members and give my creative input and just be in support of Sheldon, the director. It was one of those things where I could network to help bring in more cast members. That can be key to helping many small scale movies get made. Yes – get made, get seen, get attention… and to get a great cast, to make it quality. Who were some of the cast members you helped bring onboard? For me, Michael K. Williams… And he brings an interesting Baltimore connection to the film! Yeah, exactly! We thought it was so great to get him to play a cop instead of a street guy. And a sensitive cop at that – he has a great moment with [eleven-year-old] Michael Rainey Jr. in the film. Yeah! Michael Rainey Jr. is great. This guy is special. We were seeking him out. He’s a special human being, and we searched in a lot of places. It was one of those things where a friend suggested somebody and Sheldon drove up to New York, was waiting in the lobby and met this kid and was like, ‘Man, we got the guy.’ I was really keen on having a little boy who could do everything. You two make quite the dapper pair together. Thanks! You know, even when we weren’t filming we were bonding. He’s a natural. This little guy can sing old rap songs, like Wu-Tang! Everything is probably so new and overwhelming, and he’s just grateful. Some scenes were shot under the gun, with really limited time to capture the best take. What was the experience like for you as an actor under those circumstances and having to find the magic in a moment like that? As much as I always want to do a take over, knowing you only have one or two takes – I like that pressure, too. The last scene, Michael and I were literally in the van at five in the morning and he was asleep, but you’re put in that position and you have to deliver. This is why, if you want greatness and want to be a great actor, you have to deliver when called upon. In those situations you’ve just got to get to the art of things, you’re there as an actor to bring these people to life so you can’t really worry about things. The sun is coming up and we’ve only got two takes and we won’t be able to do this again – you just go for it. It was fun, in a way, the adrenaline, and you have to use your creative minds and ideas. It’s similar to doing an art project, where you’re working with creative people and it’s not somebody who’s not a creative person trying to tell you what to do. So even if you make your mistakes, it’s okay – that’s a part of what art is. There’s something to be said of creativity borne of constraints. There is – literally our crew was doing things that, I mean, there would be scenes where we didn’t have the right amount of extras and one person from the neighborhood would just step in and be in the scene. So there were a lot of natural elements there that I think serve for making good movies. Sheldon wanted you to feel the world of Baltimore; you get real people from Baltimore and you don’t have to try to get them to have a Baltimore accent, they have the Baltimore energy. It’s just there. To me it’s like when you see The Departed or The Fighter , you’re in the world no matter what. Looking at your career overall, you have so many interests and pursuits these days. How do you feel your perspective on your music may be changing the more you immerse yourself in Hollywood and acting? I think my perspective on music becomes a lot more confident and free because the more I grow as an actor the more confident I become in my career. I believe in my career as an actor and it allows me to free up the pressure of doing an album that’s going to be the biggest selling album, or doing an album that has to fit into the format of what’s going on in music. And though I always would go into my own world to create albums, there’s even more of a liberty to create music because acting has shown me more freedom as an artist. Acting has helped me learn more about myself and to be not as inward, to have fun and not be so self-conscious. There’s also the dichotomy of the personal nature of your music vs. acting, in which you become somebody else… Yeah, you do. And when I first began acting I was like, ‘I love getting to be this other person because I get to express things that Rashid – Common – can’t express.’ That was one of the greatest joys about being able to become this other person, but again the way I do things is sometimes within the acting process you’re dealing with your own things. So that’s what I mean in saying you learn more about yourself, even just from acting classes. Acting classes for me were the incubation, the beginning, the seed that made me say ‘I want to act.’ I want to go to acting classes – I mean, obviously I’d rather do films or plays – but I enjoy acting classes, too. Many actors say that the validation is all in the act of doing the work. Yes, and for me obviously you learn certain things in classes and different techniques and you get better, but when you get on a movie set there are new things to learn, too. Like even just learning, ‘Okay, you’re waiting around for 8 hours and they call you do a scene – you’d better be ready.’ ‘Okay, the light broke right when you were in the middle and fired up – you’ve got to chill and get back to the scene.’ I’m looking forward to doing plays and television, too; I mean, I’m doing television with Hell on Wheels ! That’s a role that I’m really enthused about because that character gives me a lot to do. I can develop and evolve with it and I like the responsibility that I possess with that character, because to play an African American in that time is a responsibility. So many times we’ve seen black people from that time as being depicted as downtrodden and oppressed and beat down, and the character I play is strong, a leader, intelligent. In a random Sundance coincidence, both you and Drake are in town during this year’s festival. Can you explain your well-publicized beef with him? I mean, to be honest I feel I said everything I needed to say on the song. I looked at this whole thing as a part of hip-hop [culture], MCs battle sometimes. One person says this, another person says that. That’s what it’s been for me. So it was more of a fun thing for you? It was fun for me, and I’m not personally invested in it. It’s not like I feel anything toward him as a human being. It’s more like, ‘You said something about me? I’m in the boxing ring too, so I’m gonna let you know…’ He felt offended by a song I did, so then he did it. On that record that I did a verse about him, he said some things about me that were more subliminal but I knew they were about me. [Laughs] I just decided to be outward with it and to be direct, and to say, hey – if you’re going to throw some blows at me, I’m about to throw them back. I mean, it’s hip-hop. It’s interesting to see you, at this moment in your career of going forward in a relatively new direction into acting and at the same time reach back to your roots and to hip-hop battle culture. Yeah, it is a dichotomy but it’s also who I feel like I am as a human being. I’m also a warrior, too – I’m a peaceful person, but I’m an MC. I love MCing. God willing, I’ll become one of the great actors of our day. I want to grow to be that type of actor, but I still think I’ll be writing songs even if it’s for a jazz club crowd. You say that one day you hope to be one of the greatest actors, which tells me you’re constantly seeking improvement. How do you see yourself at this point in your acting evolution? Oh yes, definitely. I recognize that I’m a baby in terms of acting. It’s only been a few years; 2007 is when Smokin’ Aces came out. I know that I have a long way to go, but I want to go that way. I’m learning at each time I get a chance I get to do it, and I’m going to keep working to improve and keep working to grow. Do you feel that LUV was an important film in your growth as a performer? I feel like I learned a lot, and we had to shoot in such a short amount of time and in difficult situations. Every day getting new lines, coming up with stuff there. It’s hard to see it just one time to see if it was my best performance, but it may be because it was the performance where I had to do the most, and it had the most emotional depth to it. I played the lead in a romantic comedy, Just Wright , but I didn’t have as much to do. This time I had a lot to do, and I’m a lead. I actually think my character in Smokin’ Aces was a great character, I really loved that character and he had depth too, but he wasn’t a lead so you didn’t see him as much. What films are coming up next for you? I did this film called Pawn , an independent starring Michael Chiklis, Forest Whitaker, and Ray Liotta. It’s a cool suspense thriller about these people who hijack a diner, and I play a negotiator. I’m about to film this movie called Now You See Me , which stars Jesse Eisenberg and Isla Fisher and Michael Caine and Mark Ruffalo – I’d say it’s an action movie, about these magicians. It’s dope. I’m going down to film that soon. And I’m looking to do more great, quality films – independent, studio, action, drama, comedy, animated… and I’m promoting The Dreamer, The Believer , which is my new album. What was your reaction to the fuss made over Maya Angelou’s comments about that album? That was that journalist really twisting things, because basically she doesn’t condone the use of the n-word. She is aware that I use that word; she told me, ‘I would like for you not to use it,’ but she understands. She knows I’m going through a process, people go through a process. She participated in my album with her heart and soul, and the writer wrote something to try to cause dissension but [Angelou] came out publicly and said look, Common is like my son. I love him and I don’t condone the use of the word but you can’t separate or divide us. She was acknowledging that she was happy to be on the album. I really was disappointed, especially because in hip-hop that’s a really profound thing to have Maya Angelou performing on a hip-hop song. So it was kind of like, yo – let us have this. This is something that is great. This is someone who is living history on a hip-hop album. Let’s just enjoy the fact that we have an elder that wanted to participate in hip-hop, reaching out for us. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter . Get more of Movieline’s Sundance coverage here .
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Common on Sundance Pic LUV, Drake Beef, and Acting Pursuits: I Want to Be ‘One of the Great Actors’
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Tagged common, drake, festivals, Hollywood, maya angelou, michael rainey jr, michael-rainey, Music, person, personal, the dreamer the believer, tv guide, work
It says something about how far Ice-T has come since his gangsta rap days that his directorial debut, the hip-hop documentary Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap , premiered at Sundance to a house packed with hip-hop heads and white older moviegoers who likely know Ice better from Law & Order: SVU than “New Jack Hustler.” And it says something about the film itself, which explores the historical landscape of hip-hop in intimate detail with over 40 of Ice-T’s fellow rappers, that even the L&O -watching grandmas in the audience were bopping their heads the whole way through. Taking a fresh approach to the music documentary, The Art of Rap sees Ice-T as a tour guide of sorts, navigating the viewer through home and studio visits with fellow MCs on both coasts as he has wide-ranging discussions about the roots of rap, what hip-hop means, and the skills and talent required of a truly great MC. (Among the hip-hop titans appearing in the film: Chuck D, Grandmaster Caz, Afrika Bambaataa, KRS-One, Melle Mel, B-Real, Mos Def, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, MC Lyte, Q-Tip, Redman, Immortal Technique, Nas, Common, and Kanye West.) As he travels from New York City to Los Angeles — with a detour to Detroit to see Eminem, described as one of the greatest rappers of all time — Ice asks his subjects to spit “something no one’s ever heard before,” resulting in a tapestry of astounding, off the dome freestyles and rare rhymes from some of the best rappers alive. With the intention of keeping the film feeling fresh and present, Ice-T forgoes include archival or concert footage as he revisits hip-hop’s colorful past, a choice that turns The Art of Rap into something of a communal, if dense, oral history of the genre. The doc could be a bit brisker with further edits and more complete in its comprehensiveness (he began with a three hour film before shaving off an hour for Sundance, but has dozens of hours of footage left; an Art of Rap series has been suggested, though Ice-T declined to discuss the possibilities), but with legends like these on hand speaking comfortably to one of their own – spilling their vulnerabilities as artists, exposed beyond the typically hard façade of the genre – it’s all utterly fascinating. Following the film’s premiere Movieline caught up with Ice-T as he and wife/reality TV co-star Coco breakfasted in Park City, where the rapper-turned-actor-turned-filmmaker explained what motivated him to grab his Rolodex and a tiny crew in the first place, why rap needed an Ice-T film more than another album, why the genre doesn’t get the respect it deserves, and how the film’s success or failure will determine his future directorial aspirations. How do you think things went at your premiere? I wasn’t breathing the whole night before, I was so nervous. I put a lot of time and work into it, but you never know. Sundance was our goal when we made the movie — I only wanted to make it to Sundance. This was it for me. And if I could make it here, I was in the right company of good movies. Why Sundance? It was interesting to see it play well here for a crowd of predominantly white, older viewers, and last year Beats, Rhymes, and Life also did quite well. Well, I didn’t know what films would be here when we submitted the film and got accepted. When you think about it, I’m an indie artist; I started out making hardcore records, so I wanted to make something that was raw. I said, I know Sundance is artsy but if I can get accepted there, then I’m on the right track. White people, black people, it really doesn’t matter. It’s just a matter of is it good? So when the movie came on and people started cheering and laughing and bobbing their heads, it was like oh my god – we got it! It’s kind of like not a normal documentary, it’s like a performance experience, an intimate concerts with a lot of the artists that people love. I was just happy. You’ve said that once you decided a documentary on rap should be made it was easy to just call your friends to be in the film, but in terms of the actual filmmaking what was your approach? Did you study documentary form to develop the style you eventually used? Not really. I mean, I’ve been watching movies and I’ve been in the film business for 20 years so I know what’s good. I wanted to shoot it, but I wanted to blur the lines of the filmmaking and behind the scenes. If the mic was exposed, that was good. A lot of the stuff, you see me talking to people; I wanted you to get the idea of what it was like to make it, not just watch it. People are into reality right now so this was like real reality; you’re with me, you’re on the set, I’m going to walk up to this guy and ask him a few questions. So as I edited, I just wanted the camera to feel like it might be anywhere at any moment. There are times people are talking and you’re showing the wall, or his hands, or his shoes. And then we shot with a Super 8 to kind of break up the cleanness of high definition. And we shot the big cinematic shots because I felt that if you just shoot the talking heads the movie becomes claustrophobic, so it’s just like, listen, listen, listen, breathe. Listen, listen, listen, breathe. Those sweeping overhead cinematic shots, of the cityscapes over New York City and Los Angeles and the places you visit in between, also do well to connect visually to a sense of place and geography… even though that also makes it conspicuous when you don’t visit, say, the Bay Area or the South. That’s what Mos Def said in the movie — the music is dictated by the geography, and that’s why New York sounds different than Detroit, different than L.A. And you know, I couldn’t go to the South; the biggest problem I ran into with the movie was once we started, just the lack of time and the amount of film we shot. When I got the nod for Sundance I had a three-hour film and they said the longest they’d run them here is two. We had interviewed 54 [musicians]; even to make a three-hour cut we had 47, and I had 25 people waiting to be filmed when we had to wrap shooting! So like Chuck D said [at asked why this person wasn’t in it and why that person wasn’t, and you know what? The movie’s not about that, it’s not about ‘Come see your favorite rapper.’ I feel every form of rap, every style, was represented. Are you currently considering extending this two-hour film somehow into something else, perhaps a series? I won’t speak on that, only because we don’t want to lower the integrity of this as a film. We want it to be a film, and once it does its dance as a film, whether it’s a theatrical release which looks like it’s about to happen… I’ll put it like this: We’ve got two hours on each artist. Wow. That’s pretty incredible considering that many of the rappers we only see for a minute or two at most. [Laughs] I have two hours! So you look at KRS-One; KRS-One talked about so much stuff, but my job is, let’s show the part where KRS talks about being vulnerable, like the moment where he got dissed. I want you to see the different dynamics of these artists. See, when you take young artists, right, young artists have their guards up. They never want to show any weakness, they’re scared. They’re worried about their persona. When you talk to people once they’ve been down the lane, they’ll tell you the story. They’ll say, ‘Wow, man — I’m Public Enemy and Mel was dissing us!’ Now they’re comfortable with themselves. Even the stories, WC was talking about how I would use kids as teleprompters. Early in my career I wouldn’t have said that, but now I’m like, let’s laugh about it! I think that’s part of this film’s charm, too. There’s a segment where you’re talking with Ice Cube and 50 Cent is referenced; Cube jokes that you don’t want to get rich and die trying. Was that a jab at Fiddy, or just an offhand remark? No, that’s not a diss -– it’s more like saying, this is my play on what you said. I don’t want to get rich and die trying. 50 Cent said ‘Get rich or die trying,’ but you can get rich and die trying. So once you made it now, let’s not fuck it off. That would be part two of Fifty. The next one is Get Rich AND Die Tryin … I just think that the way that rappers speak about each other in the movie is very endearing, how they speak about how they were inspired by this one, and also I think really showing Grandmaster Caz as one of the unsung heroes. Grandmaster Caz wrote “Rapper’s Delight!” It’s important shit. That’s a nice quality to the movie; it engenders appreciation not only between the artists that you interview, but having MCs spit live, directly into the camera without music really highlights rap as a performance and an art form. And you’ve got to remember this: Nobody knew they were going to rap. That’s part of being a rapper. Nobody knew they were going to rap. It’s like at the [Sundance premiere Q&A] the guy said, ‘Ice, can you quote a rhyme?’ Yeah, I’m a rapper – I’d better know how to fucking quote a rhyme! I pulled Rakim outta my ass, and that’s it. But during the interviews I said, ‘You want to spit something – you got anything in the head, want to say something no one’s ever heard?’ And bam! They just, bam! I didn’t tell anyone, ‘You’re going to rap.’ I didn’t tell Kanye he was coming over to rap. But you knew they could, because that’s what they do . Exactly! That’s what they do. You can’t interview a basketball player on a basketball court, with a basketball within his reach, and he won’t take a shot. It’s just what they do. He’s going to want to dribble the ball – he’s at home! So when you get a rapper in a comfortable situation with one of their friends and say, ‘Spit something,’ they might go, ‘Aww, come on Ice!’ Then they might go, ‘Hold on…’ bam! And another thing I did in the movie, if you really watch — some of the rappers in their rhymes kind of fuck up. They kind of slur words, because they’re connecting two rhymes together. That’s the art. You know, what you hear on records is something different. But when you hear it live, that’s all good. I mean, hopefully none of the rappers are so vain that they’re like, ‘Ice, you saw me fucking up.’ But that’s just what they did. That’s real shit. Which of your interviews was the most challenging to pull off, or to break through to? None. None of them. Every interview was just as easy to do, the only hard part was getting Ice-T, them, and a camera crew from London in the same place at the same time. How did you find your crew? When I came up with the idea, my manager said ‘I’ve got somebody who might be interested in doing it.’ We hooked up with a guy named Paul Toogood, he does a TV show called Songbook where they interview singers and they break down a song. It’s right up his alley. He said, not only do I want to do it, I’ll get the money to do it. I had to find somebody who was as passionate about it as me, and thank god – these guys are incredible cinematographers… the thing about this film is there were only five people that made it. There’s Paul, the cinematographer, myself, my guys that helped me wrangle the artists, Coco, Little Ice, and the sound crew. It’s apparent how small your crew is in the film when you have trouble fending off onlookers and fans while interviewing Q-Tip in New York… We just grabbed Q-Tip on the corner and we started shooting, I’ve got one of the homies out there blocking, I’ve got a camera guy and a boom, and we just go. So it’s very guerrilla, but I think that’s part of what makes the movie good. That comfortable distance of time and age that you mentioned that allows you to be more open with your experiences – do you feel like the impetus for making this film came from a desire to revisit where you’ve been in your career, to reconnect with your roots after transitioning into acting and television and beyond? I think it’s trying to do something for hip-hop, but do something that I am the only one who’s really capable of doing it. It’s kind of like, Ice-T could make another record, but we all know that. Now Ice is in another lane, he’s moved up, he’s got different credentials. So now it’s my job; I’ve got to make a movie. I’ve got to give hip-hop something they didn’t even know they wanted. Right now you make records and people don’t listen to them. You write a book and some people read. But people go to movies! And I wanted to direct; I have a lot of films that are in my sights, but I always learned in business that if you’re going to start a new business, go for the lowest hanging fruit. Start with something you know the best, first. And this is what I know the best. So I said, let me do something that’s important, that’s my way of giving back to hip-hop, and if it’s successful I’ll move on with my filmmaking career. If it’s not, I’ll re-assess my mistakes, maybe try again, or I’ll stop. But what is your barometer for success with this film? When will you be happy or satisfied with the results? It’s really just the response of the people. I never go by the critics, because critics’ jobs are to criticize. So a critic will look at you and how well you’re dressed but they’re looking for something they don’t like. Film journalists, I respect. But anyone who uses the word ‘critic’ in their description, I don’t fuck with them. But I can tell from the fans. Now, the internet and all the ways people can get back at you… you’ll know if you did something good or not. My first barometer is the hip-hop community. If they love it, and they’re like, ‘Man, you did something great. Thank you, Ice…’ That’s the first thing. Secondly will be the people and how they respond to it. So far, I went home last night and went through 30 reviews and didn’t get one bad, not one. I’m speechless! In the movie, we ask the question ‘Why don’t you think hip-hop is respected?’ Well, to have this film respected kind of says it is respected. It’s maybe not vocal, but it is, because people loved the movie. So it is respected. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter . Get more of Movieline’s Sundance 2012 coverage here .
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Ice-T, Director, Talks Sundance Hip-Hop Doc Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap
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Tagged actor, afrika-bambaataa, Career, chuck d, delight, Eminem, festivals, guide, kirk cameron, Movies, Music, public-enemy, style, sundance 2012
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