Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno and Other Shorts is now showing on Mubi in many countries.Green Porno: Mantis. Ask any film lover about Isabella Rossellini, and the first image that springs to their mind is most likely to be the star’s iconic performance as songstress Dorothy Vallens, the femme fatale of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986), a glamorous yet tortured vision draped in sensual, shimmering black. Revealing a delightfully eccentric side to her screen image, Rossellini’s directorial career ventures into a very different realm of sexuality: that of the mating and maternal habits seen in the animal kingdom. Rossellini’s playful and educational micro-shorts—divided into three series cheekily titled Green Porno (2006–2008), Seduce Me (2010), and Mammas (2013)—are vaudevillian studies in animal behavior, awash in puppetry, construction-paper sets, and slapstick. In addition to her writing and directing duties, Rossellini also gamely performs these frisky rituals in inventive,...
- 4/30/2024
- MUBI
Norika Fujiwara to narrate and provide voiceover for the Japanese version of Isabella Rossellini’s series.
Isabella Rossellini’s Green Porno Live has been selected to screen in the inaugural Panoramic Section of the Tokyo International Film Festival (Oct 22-31).
Japanese pay-tv broadcaster Wowow partnered with Sundance Productions on the film, documenting the stage version of Rossellini’s award-winning Green Porno series, which dramatizes the sex life and mating habits of home and garden creatures.
It has also been revealed that Japanese actress and former model Norika Fujiwara will narrate and provide voiceover for Rossellini for the Japanese audience.
Fujiwara is known to local audiences as the voice of Princess Fiona, originally played by Cameron Diaz, in the Japanese-dubbed versions of all four Shrek films.
Kayo Washio, who runs Wowow’s Los Angeles office, executive produced the film with Sundance Productions’ Laura Michalchyshyn.
Director is Jody Shapiro and producer is Sundance Productions’ Molly O’Keefe.
Wowow retains...
Isabella Rossellini’s Green Porno Live has been selected to screen in the inaugural Panoramic Section of the Tokyo International Film Festival (Oct 22-31).
Japanese pay-tv broadcaster Wowow partnered with Sundance Productions on the film, documenting the stage version of Rossellini’s award-winning Green Porno series, which dramatizes the sex life and mating habits of home and garden creatures.
It has also been revealed that Japanese actress and former model Norika Fujiwara will narrate and provide voiceover for Rossellini for the Japanese audience.
Fujiwara is known to local audiences as the voice of Princess Fiona, originally played by Cameron Diaz, in the Japanese-dubbed versions of all four Shrek films.
Kayo Washio, who runs Wowow’s Los Angeles office, executive produced the film with Sundance Productions’ Laura Michalchyshyn.
Director is Jody Shapiro and producer is Sundance Productions’ Molly O’Keefe.
Wowow retains...
- 8/25/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Film Circuit™, Tiff’s national film outreach program, revealed that audiences across the country awarded Don McKellar’sThe Grand Seduction and Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox as winners of the 11th annual Film Circuit People’s Choice Awards. The Grand Seduction was named Best Canadian Film and The Lunchbox was selected as the Best International Film.
Film Circuit operates through domestic grassroots networks and strong community partnerships, bringing Canadian and international independent films and artists to communities across Canada. From Prince Rupert to Charlottetown, Film Circuit has 174 groups in 155 locations. 2014 saw record attendance, with 342,091 people attending 2,116 screenings.
“Now in its 20th year, Film Circuit continues to grow and establish new groups across the country,” said Jesse Wente, Director of Film Programmes, Tiff. “Along with that growth, films are working Film Circuit into their release plans as a way to reach new and engaged audiences.”
In 2014, guests travelled to communities across...
Film Circuit operates through domestic grassroots networks and strong community partnerships, bringing Canadian and international independent films and artists to communities across Canada. From Prince Rupert to Charlottetown, Film Circuit has 174 groups in 155 locations. 2014 saw record attendance, with 342,091 people attending 2,116 screenings.
“Now in its 20th year, Film Circuit continues to grow and establish new groups across the country,” said Jesse Wente, Director of Film Programmes, Tiff. “Along with that growth, films are working Film Circuit into their release plans as a way to reach new and engaged audiences.”
In 2014, guests travelled to communities across...
- 4/22/2015
- by Press Releases
- Bollyspice
You certainly can and probably should go home again, at least according to the faux approximation of himself in the 2007 pseudo-documentary/experimental homage My Winnipeg from Canadian auteur Guy Maddin. However, donning nostalgic garb calls for drastic reinvention. A director who has built a painstaking filmography of films imitating silent and lost titles from annals of vintage cinematic eras, his name can both provoke and evoke the emotional state phonetically represented by his surname. But whether one embraces his style or not, there’s no one quite like him.
This year is off to a great start for Maddin, beginning first with his second title to grace the Criterion collection (his 2006 title Brand Upon the Brain! also holds this distinction) as well as the premiere at the Sundance Film Festival of his latest work, the operatic The Forbidden Room (which pays homage to the two-headed Roman god, Janus, looking forwards and backwards simultaneously,...
This year is off to a great start for Maddin, beginning first with his second title to grace the Criterion collection (his 2006 title Brand Upon the Brain! also holds this distinction) as well as the premiere at the Sundance Film Festival of his latest work, the operatic The Forbidden Room (which pays homage to the two-headed Roman god, Janus, looking forwards and backwards simultaneously,...
- 1/20/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Title: Burt’s Buzz Director: Jody Shapiro It’s immediately clear by the film’s odd, buzzy opening — the raucous reception of its septuagenarian subject in a Taiwan airport — that “Burt’s Buzz” isn’t going to be a normal documentary. Unfortunately, though, it turns out to be atypical in a variety of exasperating and ultimately fatal ways. In fact, if there were an upper-level college or film school class specifically about burying the lede, it would be difficult to immediately think of a more fitting example than Jody Shapiro’s nonfiction portrait of an amiably deposed hippie businessman, which putters about aimlessly, getting to its most essential questions only an hour into its running time or leaving [ Read More ]
The post Burt’s Buzz Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Burt’s Buzz Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 6/8/2014
- by bsimon
- ShockYa
Shapiro Follows Honey Trail; Enigmatic Shavitz is the Bee’s Knees
The bearded-face of Burt’s Bees, a pioneering company in the commodification of “all-natural” personal care, is not an imagined icon slapped onto distinctive yellow packaging, but the likeness of founder Burt Shavitz. Documentarian Jody Shapiro (How to Start Your Own Country) draws an intimate portrait of the lesser-known man behind the brand in Burt’s Buzz. The project, suggested and produced by Isabella Rossellini, never exoticizes the 76-year old recluse, but thoughtfully approaches his contradictory public and private life. Hardly resting on the unaided appeal of his strangely charming subject, Shapiro frames emotion and wry humor with subtlety to create a layered, lively documentary.
Somewhere in the backwoods of Maine, Shavitz looks at the camera and says “I got granola in my teeth should I get up and wash my mouth out”, introducing the steady stream of unusual hilarity to follow.
The bearded-face of Burt’s Bees, a pioneering company in the commodification of “all-natural” personal care, is not an imagined icon slapped onto distinctive yellow packaging, but the likeness of founder Burt Shavitz. Documentarian Jody Shapiro (How to Start Your Own Country) draws an intimate portrait of the lesser-known man behind the brand in Burt’s Buzz. The project, suggested and produced by Isabella Rossellini, never exoticizes the 76-year old recluse, but thoughtfully approaches his contradictory public and private life. Hardly resting on the unaided appeal of his strangely charming subject, Shapiro frames emotion and wry humor with subtlety to create a layered, lively documentary.
Somewhere in the backwoods of Maine, Shavitz looks at the camera and says “I got granola in my teeth should I get up and wash my mouth out”, introducing the steady stream of unusual hilarity to follow.
- 6/5/2014
- by Caitlin Coder
- IONCINEMA.com
What would you do if you started a multimillion-dollar company almost by accident? More importantly, how would you be?
Jody Shapiro's documentary Burt's Buzz, his third as director, shows one man's response to those conditions, following Burt Shavitz, the heavily whiskered face of personal care company Burt's Bees.
Now approaching 80, Shavitz lives in much the same way he did before founding his company, except that his image is now an internationally recognized logo, and he has the resources to travel and employ a full-time assistant. There's much more footage of Burt than his bees — for insight into the role of bees in industrial agriculture, you'd do better with Markus Imhoof's 2012 doc More Than Honey — but Shavitz actually is the guy that...
Jody Shapiro's documentary Burt's Buzz, his third as director, shows one man's response to those conditions, following Burt Shavitz, the heavily whiskered face of personal care company Burt's Bees.
Now approaching 80, Shavitz lives in much the same way he did before founding his company, except that his image is now an internationally recognized logo, and he has the resources to travel and employ a full-time assistant. There's much more footage of Burt than his bees — for insight into the role of bees in industrial agriculture, you'd do better with Markus Imhoof's 2012 doc More Than Honey — but Shavitz actually is the guy that...
- 6/4/2014
- Village Voice
Art and Craft
From Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman, and Mark Becker comes a fascinating look into the life and work of notorious art forger Mark Landis, who, for over 30 years, has duped museums across the country into accepting phony paintings. The secret to such a long career? Landis doesn’t sell; he donates (often in the name of his made-up deceased sister’s estate), so the FBI and irate curators everywhere are powerless to prosecute him for what he considers “philanthropy.” Opposite Landis, the filmmakers consult Matthew Leininger, a former registrar obsessed with seeking revenge on the forger. Yet with all his personal issues (schizophrenia, alcoholism, and a Norman Bates-like obsession with his late mother, to name a few), Landis always looms front and center. A talented artist who can replicate everything from Peanuts sketches to portraits from Picasso’s blue period, you wouldn’t be the first to wonder...
From Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman, and Mark Becker comes a fascinating look into the life and work of notorious art forger Mark Landis, who, for over 30 years, has duped museums across the country into accepting phony paintings. The secret to such a long career? Landis doesn’t sell; he donates (often in the name of his made-up deceased sister’s estate), so the FBI and irate curators everywhere are powerless to prosecute him for what he considers “philanthropy.” Opposite Landis, the filmmakers consult Matthew Leininger, a former registrar obsessed with seeking revenge on the forger. Yet with all his personal issues (schizophrenia, alcoholism, and a Norman Bates-like obsession with his late mother, to name a few), Landis always looms front and center. A talented artist who can replicate everything from Peanuts sketches to portraits from Picasso’s blue period, you wouldn’t be the first to wonder...
- 5/7/2014
- by Misa Shikuma
- SoundOnSight
Hitting theaters on June 6 and On Demand a day earlier is the new documentary Burt's Buzz centered on Burt Shavitz, the face and co-founder of Burt's Bees. You know, the lip balm, lotion and whatever else all of us have used at some point in our lives. Produced and Directed by Jody Shapiro, the doc is said to explore Burt's life and just watching the trailer I feel something of a kinship with the man and his final statement: "A good day is when no one shows up and you don't have to go anywhere." Of course, hard work breeds interest and Burt is a celebrity, a moisturizing celebrity at that... a not-too-common category of stardom. The film looks like a rather simple story of a reclusive man that found fame in a weird roundabout way and is dealing with it however he knows best. I don't expect there to...
- 4/23/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
In his documentary "Burt's Buzz," Jody Shapiro tells the story of the man behind the Burt's Bees label, Burt Shavitz. Shavitz's story is amazing. After growing up in a middle class family in New York, Burt grew a beard and took to the land in middle age. In Maine, he took up beekeeping and sold honey in gallon containers by the side of the road. After a bit, he met a young woman. They fell in love and developed a brand of personal care products that prided themselves on using ingredients from the earth, and they took the Maine craft fair circuit by storm. After scaling up to a few retail stores in quaint small cities, Burt was bought out of the business and his partner eventually sold it for millions of dollars. Now, he's just a spokesperson. While many in America don't know that the man behind the beard is a real person,...
- 9/13/2013
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
Toronto — Having chronicled the sex lives of insects with Isabella Rossellini in her Green Porno series, Jody Shapiro turns to beekeeping in Burt's Buzz, a portrait of the bearded fellow whose face adorns a lip balm near you. Demonstrating the unlikely fact of Burt Shavitz's worldwide celebrity, the film shows how a man who lives without electricity became the face of a huge corporation. Full of eccentric notes and a touch of melancholy, the doc may ride its subject's fame to a respectable showing in limited theatrical bookings before VOD. Those who don't know his story already may at
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- 9/12/2013
- by John DeFore
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Independent film distributor FilmBuff, together with Everyday Pictures Inc., announced today the early 2014 theatrical and video-on-demand release of award-winning filmmaker Jody Shapiro's documentary "Burt's Buzz." "Burt's Buzz" offers an insightful character-portrait of Burt Shavitz, founder of the iconic personal care company "Burt's Bees." The documentary examines the life and times of Shavitz from beekeeper modesty in rural Maine to global fame. Filmmaker Shapiro, who follows the long-bearded legend through the ebb and flow of his private and public life, has said he is, "absolutely thrilled that Burt's Buzz will now be part of the FilmBuff family," and that knowing, “the importance that VOD now plays when releasing a documentary, I couldn't be more excited to bring Burt’s unique story to both cinemas and homes across the Us.” "'Burt's Buzz' is not only a character driven, human story about a remarkable man, but also provides an incredible lens into one of the.
- 9/9/2013
- by Ramzi De Coster
- Indiewire
FilmBuff has acquired Us rights to Tiff Docs entry Burt’s Buzz and will release in theatres and on VoD in 2014.
Jody Shapiro’s film chronicles the life and times of Burt’s Bees founder Burt Shavitz, a beekeeper and formerphotojournalist who reluctantly assumed the mantle of a globally renowned brand.
Shapiro produced and Jean Du Toit, Phyllis Laing and Isabella Rossellini served as executive producers.
The film is scheduled to screen on Tuesday (10) and again on Friday. The Film Sales Company’s Andrew Herwitz handles international sales.
Jody Shapiro’s film chronicles the life and times of Burt’s Bees founder Burt Shavitz, a beekeeper and formerphotojournalist who reluctantly assumed the mantle of a globally renowned brand.
Shapiro produced and Jean Du Toit, Phyllis Laing and Isabella Rossellini served as executive producers.
The film is scheduled to screen on Tuesday (10) and again on Friday. The Film Sales Company’s Andrew Herwitz handles international sales.
- 9/9/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
This story first appeared in the Sept. 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Burt's Buzz Director: Jody Shapiro The Skinny: The biopic of Burt Shavitz reveals how a reclusive beekeeper spawned the billion-dollar Burt's Bees natural product line, and how he survives the pressures of a world from which he tried to hide. Photos: Toronto 2013: The Films Finding Vivian Maier Directors: John Maloof, Charlie Siskel The Skinny: A look into the life of a Chicago nanny who died in 2009, leaving behind photographs that have made her the posthumous toast of the art world. Submarine is handling U.
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- 9/5/2013
- by THR Staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: The Film Sales Company president Andrew Herwitz has acquired international rights to Jody Shapiro’s documentary ahead of its world premiere in Toronto.
Burt’s Buzz chronicles the career of Burt Shavitz, founder of the cosmetic giant Burt’s Bees.
Shapiro previously directed How To Start Your Own Country and produced My Winnipeg.
Shapiro produced Burt’s Buzz and Jean Du Toit, Phyllis Laing and Isabella Rossellini serve as executive producers. Cinetic is in talks to represent Us rights.
Herwitz’s Toronto roster includes When Jews Were Funny and White Lies.
Burt’s Buzz chronicles the career of Burt Shavitz, founder of the cosmetic giant Burt’s Bees.
Shapiro previously directed How To Start Your Own Country and produced My Winnipeg.
Shapiro produced Burt’s Buzz and Jean Du Toit, Phyllis Laing and Isabella Rossellini serve as executive producers. Cinetic is in talks to represent Us rights.
Herwitz’s Toronto roster includes When Jews Were Funny and White Lies.
- 9/5/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The 38th Toronto International Film Festival has released an incredible guest list of celebrated talent from around the globe. Filmmakers expected to present their world premieres in Toronto include: Catherine Breillat, Nicole Garcia, Pawel Pawlikowski, Bertrand Tavernier, Steve McQueen, Godfrey Reggio, Denis Villeneuve, Bill Condon, Jean-Marc Vallée, John Wells, Ralph Fiennes, Richard Ayoade, Atom Egoyan, Matthew Weiner, John Carney, Jason Reitman, Jason Bateman, Yorgos Servetas, Liza Johnson, Megan Griffiths, Fernando Eimbcke, Alexey Uchitel, Johnny Ma, Biyi Bandele, Rashid Masharawi, Paul Haggis, Ron Howard, Eli Roth, Álex de la Iglesia, Bruce McDonald, Jennifer Baichwal, John Ridley, and Justin Chadwick.
The Festival also welcomes thousands of producers and other industry professionals bringing films to us.
The following filmmakers and artists are expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival:
Ahmad Abdalla, Hany Abu-Assad, Yuval Adler, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Alexandre Aja, Bruce Alcock, Gianni Amelio, Thanos Anastopoulos, Madeline Anderson, Nimród Antal, Louise Archambault,...
The Festival also welcomes thousands of producers and other industry professionals bringing films to us.
The following filmmakers and artists are expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival:
Ahmad Abdalla, Hany Abu-Assad, Yuval Adler, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Alexandre Aja, Bruce Alcock, Gianni Amelio, Thanos Anastopoulos, Madeline Anderson, Nimród Antal, Louise Archambault,...
- 8/21/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity, one of many Special Presentations at this year's Tiff.
The Toronto International Film Festival has begun to announce its lineup for its 2013 edition, beginning with Gala and Special Presentations. To browse the festival's programming on their web site, visit here.
Gala Presentations
American Dreams in China (Peter Chan, China)
The Art of the Steal (Jonothan Sobol, Canada)
August: Osage County (John Wells, USA)
Cold Eyes (Cho Ui-seok & Kim Byung-seo, Korea)
The Fifth Estate (Bill Condon, USA)
The Grand Seduction (Don McKellar, Canada)
Kill Your Darlings (John Krokidas, USA)
Life of Crime (Daniel Schechter, USA)
The Love Punch (Joel Hopkins, France)
The Lunchbox (Ritesh Batra, India/France/Germany)
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (Justin Chadwick, South Africa)
Parkland (Peter Landesman, USA)
The Railway Man (Jonathan Teplitzky, Australia/UK)
The Right Kind of Wrong (Jeremiah Chechik, Canada)
Rush (Ron Howard, UK/Germany)
Shuddh Desi Romance (Maneesh Sharma, India...
The Toronto International Film Festival has begun to announce its lineup for its 2013 edition, beginning with Gala and Special Presentations. To browse the festival's programming on their web site, visit here.
Gala Presentations
American Dreams in China (Peter Chan, China)
The Art of the Steal (Jonothan Sobol, Canada)
August: Osage County (John Wells, USA)
Cold Eyes (Cho Ui-seok & Kim Byung-seo, Korea)
The Fifth Estate (Bill Condon, USA)
The Grand Seduction (Don McKellar, Canada)
Kill Your Darlings (John Krokidas, USA)
Life of Crime (Daniel Schechter, USA)
The Love Punch (Joel Hopkins, France)
The Lunchbox (Ritesh Batra, India/France/Germany)
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (Justin Chadwick, South Africa)
Parkland (Peter Landesman, USA)
The Railway Man (Jonathan Teplitzky, Australia/UK)
The Right Kind of Wrong (Jeremiah Chechik, Canada)
Rush (Ron Howard, UK/Germany)
Shuddh Desi Romance (Maneesh Sharma, India...
- 7/31/2013
- by Notebook
- MUBI
Not too long ago we saw a rather impressive list of films announced for the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival 2013. With titles like Gravity, 12 Years a Slave and The Fifth Estate all set to appear, I simply cannot wait for September to arrive. With all the Oscar contenders flying around though, it’s easy to forget about some of the other films at the festival.
With that in mind, the Midnight Madness lineup has been announced today, showcasing some quality horror/thriller films that will serve as a break from the serious, weighty dramas that popular the majority of the festival lineup.
Amongst the highlights are the world premiere of Ei Roth’s The Green Inferno as well as the next film from Lucky McKee, All Cheerleaders Die.
Additionally, Tiff also revealed their documentary lineup today, which can be seen below along with the Midnight Madness films.
The Toronto International...
With that in mind, the Midnight Madness lineup has been announced today, showcasing some quality horror/thriller films that will serve as a break from the serious, weighty dramas that popular the majority of the festival lineup.
Amongst the highlights are the world premiere of Ei Roth’s The Green Inferno as well as the next film from Lucky McKee, All Cheerleaders Die.
Additionally, Tiff also revealed their documentary lineup today, which can be seen below along with the Midnight Madness films.
The Toronto International...
- 7/30/2013
- by Matt Joseph
- We Got This Covered
Yesterday we looked back at the exquisite documentaries that have graced us with their presence thus far in 2013, but now it is time to look to the Toronto International Film Festival which plays host to the biggest docu titles of the fall festival season. While Sundance tends to be the spring launching pad for politically charged films, Tiff tends to have a broader spectrum of non-fiction fare. This morning, Tiff Docs programmer Thom Powers and the rest of the team at the Lightbox dropped a press release with the list of non-fiction films joining this year’s already stacked lineup.
Unsurprisingly there are a few titles making their way over from Cannes in Frank Pavich’s hilarious and tragic Jodorowsky’s Dune, Claude Lanzmann’s continued Holocaust investigation with The Last of the Unjust and Mark Cousins’s film history follow up The Story of Children and Film. Expectedly, Errol Morris...
Unsurprisingly there are a few titles making their way over from Cannes in Frank Pavich’s hilarious and tragic Jodorowsky’s Dune, Claude Lanzmann’s continued Holocaust investigation with The Last of the Unjust and Mark Cousins’s film history follow up The Story of Children and Film. Expectedly, Errol Morris...
- 7/30/2013
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
The 2013 Toronto Film Festival selection grew quite a bit today as the organizers announced the Midnight Madness, Documentary, Vanguard, City to City and Cinematheque selections for this year's festival. Among the title announced there aren't exactly a ton of names that pop off the paper immediately. The Midnight Madness selection will open with Lucky McKee's All Cheerleaders Die in which a young girl who practices the dark arts turns on her best friend after she joins the cheer squad. However, I assume most attention will be on Eli Roth's The Green Inferno, a film in which a group of humanitarians go to the Amazon to help a native tribe only to have the tribe kidnap them and later learn their cannibalistic heritage is very much intact. The Documentary selection includes plenty of familiar faces such as Marcel Ophuls, Claude Lanzmann and Errol Morris and Frank Pavich will be bringing Jodorowsky's Dune,...
- 7/30/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
New work from Errol Morris and Frederick Wiseman will screen in the Toronto International Film Festival’s Tiff Docs strand, while City To City spotlights Athens and Alex Aja’s Horns is among the Vanguard offerings.
Festival staff remind readers that the following listing is not complete or final and is subject to change.
Premieres key
Wp = World PremiereIP = International PremiereNAP = North American PremiereCP = Canadian PremiereTIFF Docs
A Story Of Children And Film
Mark Cousins (UK) Nap
Ain’t Misbehavin’
Marcel Ophüls (France) Nap
At Berkeley
Frederick Wiseman (Us) Nap
Beyond The Edge
Leanne Pooley (New Zealand) Wp
Burt’s Buzz
Jody Shapiro (Canada) Wp
The Dark Matter Of Love
Sarah McCarthy (UK) Nap
The Dog
Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren (Us) Wp
Faith Connections
Pan Nalin (France/India) Wp
Filthy Gorgeous: The Bob Guccione Story
Barry Avrich (Canada) Wp
Finding Vivian Maier
John Maloof and Charlie Siskel (Us) Wp
Hi-Ho Mistahey!
Alanis Obomsawin (Canada...
Festival staff remind readers that the following listing is not complete or final and is subject to change.
Premieres key
Wp = World PremiereIP = International PremiereNAP = North American PremiereCP = Canadian PremiereTIFF Docs
A Story Of Children And Film
Mark Cousins (UK) Nap
Ain’t Misbehavin’
Marcel Ophüls (France) Nap
At Berkeley
Frederick Wiseman (Us) Nap
Beyond The Edge
Leanne Pooley (New Zealand) Wp
Burt’s Buzz
Jody Shapiro (Canada) Wp
The Dark Matter Of Love
Sarah McCarthy (UK) Nap
The Dog
Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren (Us) Wp
Faith Connections
Pan Nalin (France/India) Wp
Filthy Gorgeous: The Bob Guccione Story
Barry Avrich (Canada) Wp
Finding Vivian Maier
John Maloof and Charlie Siskel (Us) Wp
Hi-Ho Mistahey!
Alanis Obomsawin (Canada...
- 7/30/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
New work from Errol Morris and Frederick Wiseman will screen in the Toronto International Film Festival’s Tiff Docs strand, while City To City spotlights Athens and Alex Aja’s Horns is among the Vanguard offerings.
Festival staff remind readers that the following listing is not complete or final and is subject to change.
Premieres key
Wp = World PremiereIP = International PremiereNAP = North American PremiereCP = Canadian PremiereTIFF Docs
A Story Of Children And Film
Mark Cousins (UK) Nap
Ain’t Misbehavin’
Marcel Ophüls (France) Nap
At Berkeley
Frederick Wiseman (Us) Nap
Beyond The Edge
Leanne Pooley (New Zealand) Wp
Burt’s Buzz
Jody Shapiro (Canada) Wp
The Dark Matter Of Love
Sarah McCarthy (UK) Nap
The Dog
Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren (Us) Wp
Faith Connections
Pan Nalin (France/India) Wp
Filthy Gorgeous: The Bob Guccione Story
Barry Avrich (Canada) Wp
Finding Vivian Maier
John Maloof and Charlie Siskel (Us) Wp
Hi-Ho Mistahey!
Alanis Obomsawin (Canada...
Festival staff remind readers that the following listing is not complete or final and is subject to change.
Premieres key
Wp = World PremiereIP = International PremiereNAP = North American PremiereCP = Canadian PremiereTIFF Docs
A Story Of Children And Film
Mark Cousins (UK) Nap
Ain’t Misbehavin’
Marcel Ophüls (France) Nap
At Berkeley
Frederick Wiseman (Us) Nap
Beyond The Edge
Leanne Pooley (New Zealand) Wp
Burt’s Buzz
Jody Shapiro (Canada) Wp
The Dark Matter Of Love
Sarah McCarthy (UK) Nap
The Dog
Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren (Us) Wp
Faith Connections
Pan Nalin (France/India) Wp
Filthy Gorgeous: The Bob Guccione Story
Barry Avrich (Canada) Wp
Finding Vivian Maier
John Maloof and Charlie Siskel (Us) Wp
Hi-Ho Mistahey!
Alanis Obomsawin (Canada...
- 7/30/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Sydney Film Festival has announced a selection of free talks, Q&As and workshops surrounding film premieres and the arrival of international filmmakers.
Meet the Filmmakers at the Apple Store
Director Miranda July discusses her film The Future, in Official Competition, about a couple who feel the impending pressure of adopting a kitten and live out their dreams before responsibility strikes. The Future has competed at Sundance and Berlin film festivals. Session time: Sunday 12 June, 2-3pm.
The Forgiveness of Blood director, Joshua Marston will discuss his film, about an Albanian family caught in an old feud, and no doubt his debut, 2004′s Maria Full of Grace. Session time: Monday 13 June 12.30-1.30pm.
Phil Rosenthal discusses his hit TV series Everybody Loves Raymond and his feature film Exporting Raymond, about attempting to turn the show into a Russian sitcom. Session time: Monday 13 June, 2-3pm.
Metro Screen Q&As
Jody Shapiro,...
Meet the Filmmakers at the Apple Store
Director Miranda July discusses her film The Future, in Official Competition, about a couple who feel the impending pressure of adopting a kitten and live out their dreams before responsibility strikes. The Future has competed at Sundance and Berlin film festivals. Session time: Sunday 12 June, 2-3pm.
The Forgiveness of Blood director, Joshua Marston will discuss his film, about an Albanian family caught in an old feud, and no doubt his debut, 2004′s Maria Full of Grace. Session time: Monday 13 June 12.30-1.30pm.
Phil Rosenthal discusses his hit TV series Everybody Loves Raymond and his feature film Exporting Raymond, about attempting to turn the show into a Russian sitcom. Session time: Monday 13 June, 2-3pm.
Metro Screen Q&As
Jody Shapiro,...
- 5/31/2011
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
As the leading independent screen learning and development hub in Nsw, Metro Screen has just announced that this year they're partnering with three of Sydney's major events this June - Sydney Film Festival, Creative Sydney and EncoreLive. In conjunction with the upcoming Sydney Film Festival, Metro Screen will hold a ‘Filmmaker Studio Series', an exciting collection of workshops where guest filmmakers, all of whom have films screening at the festival, will share their knowledge and insight about the creative process and establishing a career in the film industry. The first director to kick off the series is multi-talented Canadian filmmaker Jody Shapiro, who has produced for Isabella Rossellini and Guy Maddin and directed the unique and adventurous documentary How to Start Your Own Country, which is sure to be a highlight when it premieres in Australia at the festival.
- 5/17/2011
- FilmInk.com.au
The film poster for Entertainment One's Keyhole is debuting here. In the graphic, actor Jason Patric (In the Valley of Elah) is forefront as Ulysses, a man confronting the surreal in Guy Maddin's latest dramatic thriller. The film poster also shows actress Isabella Rossellini in black and whites, with this film soon to be completed. Those interested can find a synopsis below.
The synopsis for Keyhole is here:
"A gangster and a deadbeat father, Ulysses Pick (Patric), returns home after a long absence. He is toting two teenagers: a drowned girl, Denny, who has mysteriously returned to life and a bound-and-gagged hostage, who is actually his own teenage son. Confused, Ulysses doesn’t recognize his own son, but he feels with increasing conviction he must make an indoor odyssey from the back door of his home all the way up, one room at a time, to the marriage bedroom...
The synopsis for Keyhole is here:
"A gangster and a deadbeat father, Ulysses Pick (Patric), returns home after a long absence. He is toting two teenagers: a drowned girl, Denny, who has mysteriously returned to life and a bound-and-gagged hostage, who is actually his own teenage son. Confused, Ulysses doesn’t recognize his own son, but he feels with increasing conviction he must make an indoor odyssey from the back door of his home all the way up, one room at a time, to the marriage bedroom...
- 4/14/2011
- by Remove28DaysLaterAnalysisThis@gmail.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
I guess it should come as no surprise that my preference for film festivals tends to follow my sensibility when it comes to films themselves. If everyone in the blogosphere and beyond is talking about the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster or even the latest offering from the mumblecore crowd, I’ll want to review what’s coming out of Kazakhstan (The Gift to Stalin — three stars!) or rave about an undistributed doc that takes a refreshing look at a trio of grandma-age sex workers in Berlin (Saara Aila Waasner’s uplifting Frauenzimmer). I often feel like I’m out of the loop as the Zeitgeist passes me by. But to be honest, I’ll happily take the sun, sand and beach perks of the Miami International Film Festival while those in the know head to SXSW any day.
And since Miff is known for its focus on Ibero-American films and filmmakers,...
And since Miff is known for its focus on Ibero-American films and filmmakers,...
- 4/11/2011
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
#81. Keyhole Director: Guy MaddinWriter(s): Guy Maddin and George TolesProducers: Jean Du Toit, Lindsay Hamel, Phyllis Laing, Jody Shapiro and MaddinDistributor: Rights Available. The Gist: A gangster (Jason Patric) returns home after a long absence toting a drowned girl, who has mysteriously returned to life, and a bound-and-gagged hostage, who is actually his own teenage son. His odyssey is through his own house one room at a time until he arrives in the boudoir of his wife (Isabella Rossellini.)....(more) Cast: Jason Patric, Isabella Rossellini and Udo Kier List Worthy Reasons...: Maddin reunites with his Saddest Music In the World star Isabella Rossellini and grabs mysterious screen personas in Jason Patric and Udo Kier for what will surely be another glorious b&w shot film, which will once again be difficult and pointless to classify. Release Date/Status?: Will play at Tiff for sure, the festival circuit...
- 1/11/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
When I first saw Blue Velvet back in 1986, I actually felt kind of bad for Isabella Rossellini. Her performance was brilliant, but I always suspected that she was the sole sane person in a cast and crew of perverts and sociopaths. Maybe she didn’t know exactly what she was getting into until it was too late, and being the consummate professional, she didn’t protest when asked, as the Guardian so eloquently described it in a movie review, to submit to “a myriad of indignities.” Twenty-four years later, the now 58-year-old actress is the star, writer, and co-director (with Jody Shapiro) of Seduce Me, a series of online shorts created for the Sundance Channel about the sexual proclivities of animals. Last August, her strangely erotic take on bedbug fucking went viral, thanks to a perfectly timed bedbug epidemic in New York City. There was something revelatory about watching Rossellini...
- 11/18/2010
- Vanity Fair
Despite the United Nations recognizing 192 member states of the organization, it is clear from Jody Shapiro’s documentary that it’s difficult to affirm how many countries exist in the world. There are political ramifications involved in such a declaration, and, as one interviewee states, “There are as many variations in countries as there are countries.”
Self-declared countries, or “Micronations” such as the Republic of Molossia, may not be found on any maps, but their independence and eccentricities have been found worthy of exploration in the aptly titled “How to Start Your Own Country.”
While Molossia was inspired by “The Mouse That Roared” and now boasts stamps, a customs booth, a flag, its own money and resident numbers that include the pet dogs that roam the 1.3 acres in Northern Nevada, the micronation of Seborga spans a more substantial six square kilometers, has instruments of government, an education system and 340 people.
Self-declared countries, or “Micronations” such as the Republic of Molossia, may not be found on any maps, but their independence and eccentricities have been found worthy of exploration in the aptly titled “How to Start Your Own Country.”
While Molossia was inspired by “The Mouse That Roared” and now boasts stamps, a customs booth, a flag, its own money and resident numbers that include the pet dogs that roam the 1.3 acres in Northern Nevada, the micronation of Seborga spans a more substantial six square kilometers, has instruments of government, an education system and 340 people.
- 9/16/2010
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Canadian filmmaker Jody Shapiro‘s (of Green Porno Internet fame) new documentary, How to Start Your Own Country, is a quirky, informative, and all-around entertaining venture into the how and why of the micronation, small territories that claim to be independent countries, but are not recognized by major governments or international organizations.
Based on Erwin Strauss‘s 1979 book of the same name, How to Start Your Own Country isn’t actually an instruction manual. It’s more of a study on the people who have started their own micronations and the conditions that led to their founding. Shapiro takes us all around the world, from the historic Principality of Seborga in Italy to the Hutt River Province in Australia and more, to explore not only what it means to be a country, but also what drives a person to claim national independence.
For a documentary, there’s an unexpected amount...
Based on Erwin Strauss‘s 1979 book of the same name, How to Start Your Own Country isn’t actually an instruction manual. It’s more of a study on the people who have started their own micronations and the conditions that led to their founding. Shapiro takes us all around the world, from the historic Principality of Seborga in Italy to the Hutt River Province in Australia and more, to explore not only what it means to be a country, but also what drives a person to claim national independence.
For a documentary, there’s an unexpected amount...
- 9/14/2010
- by James Battaglia
- The Film Stage
Neatly balancing entertainment with information and a celebration of very unique brand of social outcast with a serious treatment of the issues that have driven them to the fringes - to say nothing of the further issues arising once they've arrived there - Jody Shapiro's How To Start You Own Country proves to be far less concerned with how to actually start a country of your own than it is with the people who have already done so.
Though the definition is somewhat hazy, the phenomenon that Shapiro explores here is the micro-nation, tiny countries seldom recognized on any map. They come in a surprising variety of shapes and sizes, from the very old and very serious - the Principality of Seborga was founded in 820 Ad and has been struggling to gain widespread recognition ever since - to seemingly frivolous art-punk stunts such as Gregory Green's New Free State Of Caroline,...
Though the definition is somewhat hazy, the phenomenon that Shapiro explores here is the micro-nation, tiny countries seldom recognized on any map. They come in a surprising variety of shapes and sizes, from the very old and very serious - the Principality of Seborga was founded in 820 Ad and has been struggling to gain widespread recognition ever since - to seemingly frivolous art-punk stunts such as Gregory Green's New Free State Of Caroline,...
- 9/11/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Rachel Weisz in The Whistleblower The Toronto International Film Festival has added even more films to their line-up today as the complete line-up was announced, which ended up causing the festival's server to crash, but I was lucky enough to get in and get out before missing out on the information.
First off, the festival's Mavericks line-up is quite interesting, which includes a series of guest presentations and this year will see Edward Norton interview Bruce Springsteen, NBA All-Star and native Canadian Steve Nash will present his hour-long film Into the Wind, Apichatpong Weerasethakul will talk with the audience as his Cannes Palm d'Or-winning film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall his Past Lives was just added to the Masters programme, Ken Loach and Paul Laverty will be interviewed by Michael Moore on politics and cinema and Philip Seymour Hoffman will have his own panel. Also on hand will be Bill Gates,...
First off, the festival's Mavericks line-up is quite interesting, which includes a series of guest presentations and this year will see Edward Norton interview Bruce Springsteen, NBA All-Star and native Canadian Steve Nash will present his hour-long film Into the Wind, Apichatpong Weerasethakul will talk with the audience as his Cannes Palm d'Or-winning film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall his Past Lives was just added to the Masters programme, Ken Loach and Paul Laverty will be interviewed by Michael Moore on politics and cinema and Philip Seymour Hoffman will have his own panel. Also on hand will be Bill Gates,...
- 8/24/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
An intriguing entry in the Toronto International Film Festival examines what can happen when you decide to put your name on the map. Filmmaker Jody Shapiro who collaborates with Guy Maddin on his otherworldy films and Isabella Rossellini on her Green Porno series, spent six months circling the globe in search of micronations, little backyard states or thousand year old principalities for his documentary How to Start Your Own Country. He met various heads of state including trying to determine what drives the need for territory to call one.s own. How to Start Your Own Country is a Canadian production and will be shown as part of Tiff.s Real to Reel Documentary series. Monsters and Critics -...
- 8/24/2010
- by Anne Brodie
- Monsters and Critics
The organizers at the Toronto International Film Festival have put together one hell of an impressive line-up that has grown significantly since my first list announcing the Galas and Special Presentations, a pair of lists that have also grown since then.
The lists have grown to include Massy Tadjedin's Last Night starring Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes and Guillaume Canet, which will serve as the closing night film.
It's also grown to include Danny Boyle's 127 Hours starring James Franco. Boyle recently spoke about the film at Movie Con and told the audience there it may be a challenge to watch saying, "It's a lovely way of doing a new kind of filmmaking, really. We want it to be a challenge to you [the audience] to see if you can sit and watch it."
In the film Franco plays real-life mountain climber Aron Ralston who ended up trapped under a...
The lists have grown to include Massy Tadjedin's Last Night starring Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes and Guillaume Canet, which will serve as the closing night film.
It's also grown to include Danny Boyle's 127 Hours starring James Franco. Boyle recently spoke about the film at Movie Con and told the audience there it may be a challenge to watch saying, "It's a lovely way of doing a new kind of filmmaking, really. We want it to be a challenge to you [the audience] to see if you can sit and watch it."
In the film Franco plays real-life mountain climber Aron Ralston who ended up trapped under a...
- 8/17/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
When the Canadian lineup for the Toronto International Film Festival was announced two days ago one title jumped out in particular due to its surprising familiarity. The film was Jody Shapiro's documentary How To Start Your Own Country, the surprise being that it had the exact same title as a television series that aired on the BBC covering the same topic five years ago. To say I was surprised was a bit of an understatement and I wondered aloud how two such similar projects could release so closely together with the exact same name.
Well, that was before I'd had the chance to see the film and compare it directly to the BBC series, which I have now done. And other than the unfortunately shared title the two works are quite distinct. The BBC series was a very personality based show driven by Danny Wallace and his quest to...
Well, that was before I'd had the chance to see the film and compare it directly to the BBC series, which I have now done. And other than the unfortunately shared title the two works are quite distinct. The BBC series was a very personality based show driven by Danny Wallace and his quest to...
- 8/13/2010
- Screen Anarchy
As usual, the Toronto International Film Festival sticks to one of its mission: promoting Canadian films to the world. In fact, the complete line-up of Canadian films has been revealed today. Moreover, the festival will be held from September 9 to 19.
Galas
A Beginners Guide to Endings (Jonathan Sobol) World Premiere
Previously announced Canadian Galas include: The Bang Bang Club (Steven Silver), Barney’s Version (Richard J. Lewis), Casino Jack (George Hickenlooper), and Score: A Hockey Musical (Michael McGowan).
Special Presentations
Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie (Sturla Gunnarsson) World Premiere
Good Neighbours (Jacob Tierney) World Premiere
Incendies (Denis Villeneuve) North American Premiere
Les amours imaginaires (Heartbeats) (Xavier Dolan) English Canadian Premiere
Repeaters (Carl Bessai) World Premiere
Trigger (Bruce McDonald) World Premiere
Canada First
Daydream Nation (Mike Goldbach) World Premiere
Amazon Falls (Katrin Bowen) World Premiere
High Cost of Living (Deborah Chow) World Premiere
Jaloux (Patrick Demers) World Premiere...
Galas
A Beginners Guide to Endings (Jonathan Sobol) World Premiere
Previously announced Canadian Galas include: The Bang Bang Club (Steven Silver), Barney’s Version (Richard J. Lewis), Casino Jack (George Hickenlooper), and Score: A Hockey Musical (Michael McGowan).
Special Presentations
Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie (Sturla Gunnarsson) World Premiere
Good Neighbours (Jacob Tierney) World Premiere
Incendies (Denis Villeneuve) North American Premiere
Les amours imaginaires (Heartbeats) (Xavier Dolan) English Canadian Premiere
Repeaters (Carl Bessai) World Premiere
Trigger (Bruce McDonald) World Premiere
Canada First
Daydream Nation (Mike Goldbach) World Premiere
Amazon Falls (Katrin Bowen) World Premiere
High Cost of Living (Deborah Chow) World Premiere
Jaloux (Patrick Demers) World Premiere...
- 8/11/2010
- by anhkhoido@hotmail.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
A very serious question for How To Start Your Own Country director Jody Shapiro: Have you received a phone call from BBC copyright lawyers yet? Because if you haven't, there's a fighting chance you will. Why? Because they already made this, with the exact same concept and the exact same title as a six part mini-series in 2005 with Danny Wallace. Someone, somewhere, at some point, probably should have run your title through Google.
Here's the official Tiff write up for Shapiro's movie:
Jody Shapiro's ultra-sharp documentary How to Start Your Own Country examines micro-nations - tiny states seldom recognized by better-known, more conventionally established countries. Traversing the globe, Shapiro introduces us to several states you've almost certainly never heard of.
Somewhere in Nevada is the Republic of Molossia. Its land mass is 1.3 acres, it's population six (basically the president and his pets). There's also the Principality of Seborga,...
Here's the official Tiff write up for Shapiro's movie:
Jody Shapiro's ultra-sharp documentary How to Start Your Own Country examines micro-nations - tiny states seldom recognized by better-known, more conventionally established countries. Traversing the globe, Shapiro introduces us to several states you've almost certainly never heard of.
Somewhere in Nevada is the Republic of Molossia. Its land mass is 1.3 acres, it's population six (basically the president and his pets). There's also the Principality of Seborga,...
- 8/10/2010
- Screen Anarchy
The Toronto International Film Festival announced their complete slate of Canadian titles today, including the first announced midnight title in Michael Dowse's Fubar II. The Canadian slate this year looks to be a pretty compelling slate of newcomers and familiar names. Check all the news below!
Galas
A Beginners Guide to Endings Jonathan Sobol, Canada World Premiere
Raucous, charming and very funny, Jonathan Sobol's comedy A Beginners Guide to Endings follows three sons as they deal with their gambler father's somewhat complicated legacy. Featuring the legendary Harvey Keitel, the film also stars Scott Caan, Paolo Costanzo, Wendy Crewson, Tricia Helfer, Jason Jones, and J.K. Simmons.
Previously announced Canadian Galas include: The Bang Bang Club, Steven Silver; Barney's Version, Richard J. Lewis; Casino Jack, George Hickenlooper; Score: A Hockey Musical, Mike McGowan.
Special Presentations
Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie Sturla Gunnarsson, Canada World Premiere
At 75 years old,...
Galas
A Beginners Guide to Endings Jonathan Sobol, Canada World Premiere
Raucous, charming and very funny, Jonathan Sobol's comedy A Beginners Guide to Endings follows three sons as they deal with their gambler father's somewhat complicated legacy. Featuring the legendary Harvey Keitel, the film also stars Scott Caan, Paolo Costanzo, Wendy Crewson, Tricia Helfer, Jason Jones, and J.K. Simmons.
Previously announced Canadian Galas include: The Bang Bang Club, Steven Silver; Barney's Version, Richard J. Lewis; Casino Jack, George Hickenlooper; Score: A Hockey Musical, Mike McGowan.
Special Presentations
Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie Sturla Gunnarsson, Canada World Premiere
At 75 years old,...
- 8/10/2010
- Screen Anarchy
2009 Genie Awards 2009 Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television’s Genie Award nominations: Feb. 10, 2009 2009 Genie Award winners: Ottawa, April 4, 2009 ("*" denotes the winner in each category) Best Motion Picture / Meilleur Film Amal - David Miller, Steven Bray Ce qu’il faut pour vivre / The Necessities of Life - Bernadette Payeur, René Chénier Normal - Andrew Boutilier, Carl Bessai * Passchendaele - Niv Fichman, Francis Damberger, Paul Gross, Frank Siracusa Tout est Parfait / Everything is Fine - Nicole Robert Best Documentary / Meilleur Documentaire Infiniment QUÉBEC - Jean-Claude Labrecque, Yves Fortin, Christian Medawar My Winnipeg - Guy Maddin, Phyllis Laing, Jody Shapiro * Up The Yangtze - Yung Chang, Mila Aung-Thwin, John Christou, Germaine Ying-Gee Wong Best Direction / Meilleure RÉALISATION Richie Mehta - Amal Lyne Charlebois - Borderline * Benoit Pilon - Ce qu’il faut pour vivre / The Necessities of Life Carl Bessai - Normal Yves-Christian Fournier - Tout est Parfait / Everything is Fine Performance By...
- 4/5/2009
- by Deborah Arthur
- Alt Film Guide
- Many would say that at this year's Academy Awards got the documentary film category "right". The "right" doc film won and even the final nominees were worthy mentions. But all this doesn't make the Cinema Eye Honors mission less "important". Now in their second year and with eleven categories, a quirky film such as Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg receives a little bit more acknowledgement before disappearing on shelves, those who edit and photograph doc films have any evening reserved all to themselves and newbies to docu filmmaking world have a shot at getting some cred and mingle with the right crowd. The ceremonies take place on Sunday, we'll be reporting on who the winners are from the categories below. Make sure to check out their newly designed website. Outstanding Achievement In Production Henry Kaiser - Encounters At The End Of The World Simon Chinn - Man On Wire
- 3/24/2009
- IONCINEMA.com
TORONTO -- IFC Films has acquired U.S. rights to Guy Madden's My Winnipeg. The film, which premiered last Friday at the Toronto International Film Festival, is a documentary study of the director's home town, which blends images of the city with an account of its history and re-enactments of scenes from Madden's own childhood. Madden also wrote the screenplay for the film, which was produced by Jody Shapiro and Plyllis Laing and exec produced by Michael Burns. Maximum Films handled the sale to IFC.
- 9/15/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Winnepeg filmmaker Guy Maddin isn't known for run-of-the-mill movies, but the feature he debuted at the Toronto Fest was outrageous even for him. A silent film taking the form of a twelve-chapter Feuillade-flavored serial and designed to have live accompaniment, the movie itself is a match for any of his features to date, and could outstrip earlier efforts in the arthouse arena.
Guy Maddin is the hero here in a (we dare to assume) fictionalized version of himself -- a young boy whose family runs an orphanage housed in the sole structure (a phallic lighthouse) on a remote island.
Little Guy's family is a hotbed of psychosexual turmoil, and Maddin the filmmaker has as much fun as he's ever had mocking the sublimations and malfunctions of this sick family unit. "Always to please!" the title cards scream, as Guy tries to fill the needs of a perverse mother who tracks his movements around the island and communicates via an always-on Aerophone. Mother worries even more about the blossoming sexuality of Guy's sister, a naughty Goldilocks with a face made for silent cinema.
Ma and Pa Maddin's sins extend beyond Freudian oppression, though. They're conducting nasty mad-scientist experiments on the tots in their care, and a brother-sister team of kid detectives is determined to learn their secret (and, eventually, to seduce the Maddin youths). Dusty genres collide in a way that maximizes their cringe-inducing potential, saving the nastiest barbs for the sexually confused Guy and his Mother, who will do anything to beat the aging process.
To his familiar (which is not to say tired) bag of faux-vintage tricks -- the iris shots, manufactured decay, and hyper-artificial acting -- Maddin adds some newer techniques. He finds a way of integrating the flaws of digital imagemaking into an aesthetic that usually avoids any hint of the modern era, for instance: alongside his usual flash frames and jarring edits, Maddin adds the hiccupy freeze frames associated with digital playback errors.
In the Toronto performance, where a narrator, live foley artists, and a castrato supplied aural elements that will have to be turned into a soundtrack when the film is distributed (another live staging will take place, with different performers, at the New York Film Fest), a trio of lab coat-wearing sound effects specialists clambered on stepladders and sploshed in tubs of water to add texture to the onscreen action; in the box seats above them, semi-regular Maddin company actor Louis Negin provided an often sarcastic commentary. Twice toward the film's end, a rotund middle-aged man in a short cape and fur cap stood into a spotlight, opened his mouth, and sang in an impossibly pure soprano.
That sight is the only major sacrifice that will have to be made when this weird and very funny movie makes the jump from live event to distribution prints: On a soundtrack, the incongruity of that voice and its owner will be lost to moviegoers. That's hardly something to worry about, as Guy Maddin's stories and images already boast more eccentric jolts than audiences can digest at one sitting.
BRAND UPON THE BRAIN!
U.S. Distributor (if there is one)
The Film Company
Credits:
Director: Guy Maddin
Writer: Guy Maddin, George Toles
Producer: Amy E. Jacobson, Gregg Lachow
Executive producer: Jody Shapiro, Philip Wohlstetter, AJ Epstein
Director of photography: Benjamin Kasulke
Production designer: Tania Kupczak
Costumes: Nina Moser
Music: Jason Staczek
Editor: John Gurdebeke.
Cast:
Grown-Up Guy Maddin: Erik Steffen Maahs
Mother: Gretchen Krich
Young Guy Maddin: Sullivan Brown
Sis: Maya Lawson
Chance Hale / Wendy Hale: Katherine E. Scharhon
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 97 minutes...
Guy Maddin is the hero here in a (we dare to assume) fictionalized version of himself -- a young boy whose family runs an orphanage housed in the sole structure (a phallic lighthouse) on a remote island.
Little Guy's family is a hotbed of psychosexual turmoil, and Maddin the filmmaker has as much fun as he's ever had mocking the sublimations and malfunctions of this sick family unit. "Always to please!" the title cards scream, as Guy tries to fill the needs of a perverse mother who tracks his movements around the island and communicates via an always-on Aerophone. Mother worries even more about the blossoming sexuality of Guy's sister, a naughty Goldilocks with a face made for silent cinema.
Ma and Pa Maddin's sins extend beyond Freudian oppression, though. They're conducting nasty mad-scientist experiments on the tots in their care, and a brother-sister team of kid detectives is determined to learn their secret (and, eventually, to seduce the Maddin youths). Dusty genres collide in a way that maximizes their cringe-inducing potential, saving the nastiest barbs for the sexually confused Guy and his Mother, who will do anything to beat the aging process.
To his familiar (which is not to say tired) bag of faux-vintage tricks -- the iris shots, manufactured decay, and hyper-artificial acting -- Maddin adds some newer techniques. He finds a way of integrating the flaws of digital imagemaking into an aesthetic that usually avoids any hint of the modern era, for instance: alongside his usual flash frames and jarring edits, Maddin adds the hiccupy freeze frames associated with digital playback errors.
In the Toronto performance, where a narrator, live foley artists, and a castrato supplied aural elements that will have to be turned into a soundtrack when the film is distributed (another live staging will take place, with different performers, at the New York Film Fest), a trio of lab coat-wearing sound effects specialists clambered on stepladders and sploshed in tubs of water to add texture to the onscreen action; in the box seats above them, semi-regular Maddin company actor Louis Negin provided an often sarcastic commentary. Twice toward the film's end, a rotund middle-aged man in a short cape and fur cap stood into a spotlight, opened his mouth, and sang in an impossibly pure soprano.
That sight is the only major sacrifice that will have to be made when this weird and very funny movie makes the jump from live event to distribution prints: On a soundtrack, the incongruity of that voice and its owner will be lost to moviegoers. That's hardly something to worry about, as Guy Maddin's stories and images already boast more eccentric jolts than audiences can digest at one sitting.
BRAND UPON THE BRAIN!
U.S. Distributor (if there is one)
The Film Company
Credits:
Director: Guy Maddin
Writer: Guy Maddin, George Toles
Producer: Amy E. Jacobson, Gregg Lachow
Executive producer: Jody Shapiro, Philip Wohlstetter, AJ Epstein
Director of photography: Benjamin Kasulke
Production designer: Tania Kupczak
Costumes: Nina Moser
Music: Jason Staczek
Editor: John Gurdebeke.
Cast:
Grown-Up Guy Maddin: Erik Steffen Maahs
Mother: Gretchen Krich
Young Guy Maddin: Sullivan Brown
Sis: Maya Lawson
Chance Hale / Wendy Hale: Katherine E. Scharhon
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 97 minutes...
- 9/15/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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