Vernor Vinge, whose expansive science fiction brought the concepts of The Singularity and cyberspace to a wider audience, died from Parkinson’s disease at age 79 on March 20 in La Jolla, California. The confirmation came in a Facebook tribute from fellow author David Brin.
“A titan in the literary genre that explores a limitless range of potential destinies, Vernor enthralled millions with tales of plausible tomorrows, made all the more vivid by his polymath masteries of language, drama, characters, and the implications of science,” wrote Brin.
Vinge won Hugo Awards for his novels A Fire Upon the Deep (1993), A Deepness in the Sky (2000), and Rainbows End (2007). He also won Hugos for novellas Fast Times at Fairmont High (2002) and The Cookie Monster (2004).
Vinge’s novella True Names (1981) is frequency cited as the first presentation of an in-depth look at the concept of “cyberspace.”
The author first presented the term “singularity” in 1983, borrowed...
“A titan in the literary genre that explores a limitless range of potential destinies, Vernor enthralled millions with tales of plausible tomorrows, made all the more vivid by his polymath masteries of language, drama, characters, and the implications of science,” wrote Brin.
Vinge won Hugo Awards for his novels A Fire Upon the Deep (1993), A Deepness in the Sky (2000), and Rainbows End (2007). He also won Hugos for novellas Fast Times at Fairmont High (2002) and The Cookie Monster (2004).
Vinge’s novella True Names (1981) is frequency cited as the first presentation of an in-depth look at the concept of “cyberspace.”
The author first presented the term “singularity” in 1983, borrowed...
- 3/24/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar nominee Steve James (Hoop Dreams) has been set to direct Mind vs. Machine, a new docuseries on the lightning rod topic of artificial intelligence from Oscar winner Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions, Closer Media, Anonymous Content, and Emmy-winning producers Alyssa Fedele & Zachary Fink of Collective Hunch.
Gibney comes to the project after working with Closer Media and Anonymous Content on the forthcoming documentary Musk, to be distributed by HBO/Universal. Within the last year, his Jigsaw has also teamed with the companies on the MGM+ acquired documentary In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon and the Raoul Peck-helmed Orwell on 1984 author George Orwell, to be distributed by Neon.
As artificial intelligence bursts onto the world stage – and into our lives – it may seem like a radical new life form has suddenly been created. But as Mind vs. Machine illustrates,...
Gibney comes to the project after working with Closer Media and Anonymous Content on the forthcoming documentary Musk, to be distributed by HBO/Universal. Within the last year, his Jigsaw has also teamed with the companies on the MGM+ acquired documentary In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon and the Raoul Peck-helmed Orwell on 1984 author George Orwell, to be distributed by Neon.
As artificial intelligence bursts onto the world stage – and into our lives – it may seem like a radical new life form has suddenly been created. But as Mind vs. Machine illustrates,...
- 2/1/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Steve James, the Oscar-nominated director behind Hoop Dreams and Life Itself, will tackle AI in the docuseries Mind vs. Machine, which has Alex Gibney on board as a producer.
Closer Media and Anonymous Content, which are working with Gibney on his upcoming Elon Musk doc Musk, are financing the project and also producing alongside James and Gibney, Alyssa Fedele and Zachary Fink of Collective Hunch.
New York Times technology correspondent Cade Metz will executive produce with Closer Media’s Zhang Xin, William Horberg, and Joey Marra, and Anonymous Content’s Nick Shumaker, Jessica Grimshaw, and David Levine.
According to the announcement, the project is described as “a five-part, landmark docuseries artfully crafted from a blend of interviews, archival footage, dramatic recreations, AI visualizations, and cutting-edge special effects, is definitive in its unparalleled access to key inventors, scientists, futurists, and thinkers including Geoffrey Hinton, Yann LeCun, Ray Kurzweil, Deborah Raji, and Meghan O’Gieblyn.
Closer Media and Anonymous Content, which are working with Gibney on his upcoming Elon Musk doc Musk, are financing the project and also producing alongside James and Gibney, Alyssa Fedele and Zachary Fink of Collective Hunch.
New York Times technology correspondent Cade Metz will executive produce with Closer Media’s Zhang Xin, William Horberg, and Joey Marra, and Anonymous Content’s Nick Shumaker, Jessica Grimshaw, and David Levine.
According to the announcement, the project is described as “a five-part, landmark docuseries artfully crafted from a blend of interviews, archival footage, dramatic recreations, AI visualizations, and cutting-edge special effects, is definitive in its unparalleled access to key inventors, scientists, futurists, and thinkers including Geoffrey Hinton, Yann LeCun, Ray Kurzweil, Deborah Raji, and Meghan O’Gieblyn.
- 2/1/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Not many directors would choose an apocalyptic sci-fi romance spanning several filmmaking disciplines for their feature debut, but Sam and Andy Zuchero wouldn’t have it any other way when it comes to “Love Me.” The film, which will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this week, stars Oscar-nominated duo Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun as a buoy and a satellite falling in love a billion years after humans have gone extinct.
Speaking exclusively to Variety, the married filmmaking team say they first thought of the idea for “Love Me” back in 2019, and shortly after the global pandemic had them ruminating on themes of isolation and human connection.
“We thought that the idea of a buoy and a satellite, the two furthest things from each other, having a conversation was really funny,” Sam says when asked about the seeds of the project. “Then we read Ray Kurzweil...
Speaking exclusively to Variety, the married filmmaking team say they first thought of the idea for “Love Me” back in 2019, and shortly after the global pandemic had them ruminating on themes of isolation and human connection.
“We thought that the idea of a buoy and a satellite, the two furthest things from each other, having a conversation was really funny,” Sam says when asked about the seeds of the project. “Then we read Ray Kurzweil...
- 1/19/2024
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety Film + TV
When, Not If, Robots Destroy humanity in the next few decades, they won’t resemble the Terminator, says Eliezer Yudkowsky, the leading pioneer of artificial intelligence who now believes we’re doomed.
Yudkowsky is 43, balding, and with a dark beard and glasses. Over Zoom in Seattle, he wears a loose-fitting, long-sleeve gray polo shirt, and a cloak of despair. For the past 20 years, he’s been a lead researcher at the Berkeley-based, Machine Intelligence Research Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to creating what he calls “Friendly AI,” artificial intelligence that aligns...
Yudkowsky is 43, balding, and with a dark beard and glasses. Over Zoom in Seattle, he wears a loose-fitting, long-sleeve gray polo shirt, and a cloak of despair. For the past 20 years, he’s been a lead researcher at the Berkeley-based, Machine Intelligence Research Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to creating what he calls “Friendly AI,” artificial intelligence that aligns...
- 9/4/2023
- by David Kushner
- Rollingstone.com
After serving as a writer on The Big Bang Theory and its spinoff Young Sheldon, Tara Hernandez makes her debut as showrunner with Mrs. Davis, which premieres the first four episodes Thursday on Peacock.
The absurdist comedy follows Betty Gilpin’s hero nun Simone on a quest to find the Holy Grail in the hopes of destroying the all-knowing algorithm — known as Mrs. Davis — currently controlling everyone’s lives. For Hernandez, who co-created the series with Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers), getting a rare shot at running her own show also meant incorporating some of her passions, including a love...
The absurdist comedy follows Betty Gilpin’s hero nun Simone on a quest to find the Holy Grail in the hopes of destroying the all-knowing algorithm — known as Mrs. Davis — currently controlling everyone’s lives. For Hernandez, who co-created the series with Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers), getting a rare shot at running her own show also meant incorporating some of her passions, including a love...
- 4/20/2023
- by Keisha Hatchett
- TVLine.com
CAA is keeping an eye on NFTs — and other new digital acronyms that represent some of the new methodologies Hollywood is using to distribute entertainment.
Joanna Popper has been named Chief Metaverse Officer at the large agency, tasked with setting strategy and business priorities for CAA and its clients as entertainment and media companies dive more deeply into virtual reality, blockchain and non-fungible tokens. The title and position are indicative of the new attention movie studios, TV networks and advertisers are paying to cutting-edge ways of disseminating intellectual property to fans and consumers.
“CAA has always been at the forefront of charting new and emerging business opportunities for our clients. At this pivotal time in our industry, the metaverse will be impactful to shifts in content creation, distribution, and community engagement that drive significant opportunity for our clients,” said Jim Burtson, President, CAA, in a prepared statement. “We are thrilled to welcome Joanna to CAA,...
Joanna Popper has been named Chief Metaverse Officer at the large agency, tasked with setting strategy and business priorities for CAA and its clients as entertainment and media companies dive more deeply into virtual reality, blockchain and non-fungible tokens. The title and position are indicative of the new attention movie studios, TV networks and advertisers are paying to cutting-edge ways of disseminating intellectual property to fans and consumers.
“CAA has always been at the forefront of charting new and emerging business opportunities for our clients. At this pivotal time in our industry, the metaverse will be impactful to shifts in content creation, distribution, and community engagement that drive significant opportunity for our clients,” said Jim Burtson, President, CAA, in a prepared statement. “We are thrilled to welcome Joanna to CAA,...
- 8/4/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
While fully aware of Japan’s Ghost in the Shell and its impact as a Manga and Anime, I never experienced any version of it. As a result, I watched the recent live-action film version without preconceived notions. I knew all about the casting controversy but until there’s an actress of Japanese descent who can open a movie wide, casting decisions, such as this, will continue. So get over it.
Masamune Shirow created an interesting meditation on where humanity is going as he, like Ray Kurzweil, foresees the day when man and machine blend into a singular being. It won’t be overnight, nor will it be neat and easy. As a result, the question of what does it mean to be human permeates the film as written by Jamie Moss, William Wheeler, and Ehren Kruger and directed by Rupert Sanders.
The story centers on Major (Scarlett Johansson), an...
Masamune Shirow created an interesting meditation on where humanity is going as he, like Ray Kurzweil, foresees the day when man and machine blend into a singular being. It won’t be overnight, nor will it be neat and easy. As a result, the question of what does it mean to be human permeates the film as written by Jamie Moss, William Wheeler, and Ehren Kruger and directed by Rupert Sanders.
The story centers on Major (Scarlett Johansson), an...
- 7/21/2017
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In honor of David Lowery’s “A Ghost Story,” what is the best movie about the afterlife?
Kate Erbland (@katerbland), IndieWire
It will come as no surprise to anyone that, as a child, I watched a lot of television. A lot. I was mostly obsessed with HBO — our single movie channel, number 2 on the dial; yes, my childhood TV had a dial, don’t ask — with intermittent deviations into mostly inappropriate mini-series (thus explaining my rarely disclosed expertise on “The Thornbirds”), and was pretty much given free range to watch whatever the hell I wanted, whenever I wanted. This is why my favorite...
This week’s question: In honor of David Lowery’s “A Ghost Story,” what is the best movie about the afterlife?
Kate Erbland (@katerbland), IndieWire
It will come as no surprise to anyone that, as a child, I watched a lot of television. A lot. I was mostly obsessed with HBO — our single movie channel, number 2 on the dial; yes, my childhood TV had a dial, don’t ask — with intermittent deviations into mostly inappropriate mini-series (thus explaining my rarely disclosed expertise on “The Thornbirds”), and was pretty much given free range to watch whatever the hell I wanted, whenever I wanted. This is why my favorite...
- 7/10/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Check out these essentials even if you don’t catch the new movie.
Another week, another live-action remake of an animated classic. Well, you could argue that most of Ghost in the Shell isn’t really live action, since there’s so much that’s CG. You could also say it’s not a remake so much as a new adaptation of a Japanese comic book. Regardless, a lot of it is a pretty faithful copy, so a good percentage of this week’s list of Movies to Watch could apply to the manga or the anime versions of the story (I’m making it a given that you should see the original). That’s good for any of you boycotting the new movie due to its whitewashing controversy.
These 12 titles are worth seeing either way:
The Creation of the Humanoids (1962)
Despite being a cheap, cheesy sci-fi B movie, this is a significant work for being possibly...
Another week, another live-action remake of an animated classic. Well, you could argue that most of Ghost in the Shell isn’t really live action, since there’s so much that’s CG. You could also say it’s not a remake so much as a new adaptation of a Japanese comic book. Regardless, a lot of it is a pretty faithful copy, so a good percentage of this week’s list of Movies to Watch could apply to the manga or the anime versions of the story (I’m making it a given that you should see the original). That’s good for any of you boycotting the new movie due to its whitewashing controversy.
These 12 titles are worth seeing either way:
The Creation of the Humanoids (1962)
Despite being a cheap, cheesy sci-fi B movie, this is a significant work for being possibly...
- 3/31/2017
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.
Lineup Announcements
– The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has announced its lineup for the 32nd edition, which will run February 1 – 11. The festival will offer a vast array of films representing 50+ countries, 51 world premieres and 64 Us premieres, along with tributes with the year’s top talent, panel discussions, and free community education and outreach programs. The festival will kick off on February 1 with the world premiere of “Charged.” The fest will also feature “Heal the Living” as its international gala and “Their Finest” as it closing night offering.
Sbiff will also play home to a number of tributes, with honorees including Denzel Washington, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, Isabelle Huppert and many more, previously announced accolades.
To find out more about the full lineup, plus information on tributes...
Lineup Announcements
– The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has announced its lineup for the 32nd edition, which will run February 1 – 11. The festival will offer a vast array of films representing 50+ countries, 51 world premieres and 64 Us premieres, along with tributes with the year’s top talent, panel discussions, and free community education and outreach programs. The festival will kick off on February 1 with the world premiere of “Charged.” The fest will also feature “Heal the Living” as its international gala and “Their Finest” as it closing night offering.
Sbiff will also play home to a number of tributes, with honorees including Denzel Washington, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, Isabelle Huppert and many more, previously announced accolades.
To find out more about the full lineup, plus information on tributes...
- 1/12/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Producer Amy Hobby has been promoted to executive director of Tribeca Film Institute (Tfi), effective immediately.
Hobby previously served as vice-president of artist programs at Tfi and will now oversee programming, including oversight of the artist programs, education and interactive departments and their slates, as well as overall management of the organisation.
David Earls is rejoining Tfi in the new role of managing director and will take charge of Tfi’s financial oversight, corporate governance, business affairs, fundraising and communications.
Earls served as head of individual giving at Tfi from 2003 to 2012.
Anna Ponder, who served as interim executive director of Tfi from February 2015 through December 2016, stepped down at the end of the year after leading Tfi through its most successful annual benefit in November.
Vee Bravo and Opeyemi Olukemi remain in leadership roles as Tfi’s vice-president of education and senior director of interactive programmes, respectively.
SXSW has announced its next batch of featured speakers for the...
Hobby previously served as vice-president of artist programs at Tfi and will now oversee programming, including oversight of the artist programs, education and interactive departments and their slates, as well as overall management of the organisation.
David Earls is rejoining Tfi in the new role of managing director and will take charge of Tfi’s financial oversight, corporate governance, business affairs, fundraising and communications.
Earls served as head of individual giving at Tfi from 2003 to 2012.
Anna Ponder, who served as interim executive director of Tfi from February 2015 through December 2016, stepped down at the end of the year after leading Tfi through its most successful annual benefit in November.
Vee Bravo and Opeyemi Olukemi remain in leadership roles as Tfi’s vice-president of education and senior director of interactive programmes, respectively.
SXSW has announced its next batch of featured speakers for the...
- 1/11/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Singularity is a high-concept term that tends to get thrown around a lot. In physics, it represents a point where a certain quantity is ostensibly infinite – such as the staggering amount of mass at the center of a black hole. When it comes to the pressing issue of AI, though, the technological singularity is a hypothesis hatched by futurist Ray Kurzweil that posits artificial intelligence will one day surpass that of human intelligence, resulting in a dramatic, largely terrifying paradigm shift for humanity.
It’s a theory that has fuelled countless works of dystopian fiction, but thanks to Seth Rogen and producing/writing partner Evan Goldberg (Sausage Party, Preacher), a new half-hour comedy series designed to inject comedy into a realm of complicated scientific theories has set up shop at FX.
Currently doing the press rounds for R-rated animation Sausage Party, Rogen cautioned that it’s still early, early days on The Singularity,...
It’s a theory that has fuelled countless works of dystopian fiction, but thanks to Seth Rogen and producing/writing partner Evan Goldberg (Sausage Party, Preacher), a new half-hour comedy series designed to inject comedy into a realm of complicated scientific theories has set up shop at FX.
Currently doing the press rounds for R-rated animation Sausage Party, Rogen cautioned that it’s still early, early days on The Singularity,...
- 8/12/2016
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have found success in TV with their AMC series Preacher, which was one hell of a wild ride of insanity. They’ve got another project in the works that sounds like it has promise.
It’s a comedy series being developed for FX and it’s a series that revolves around the singularity. Rogen briefly talked about the pilot he was working on while he was a guest on the Nerdist podcast. He told them:
“We have a pilot for FX that we’re gonna shoot that we’re working on right now. We’re working on the script right now and we’re going to film that in the next year basically.”
The project might be called The Singularity, and it didn’t sound like Rogen was sure if the project was officially announced or not. Since I've never heard about it until now,...
It’s a comedy series being developed for FX and it’s a series that revolves around the singularity. Rogen briefly talked about the pilot he was working on while he was a guest on the Nerdist podcast. He told them:
“We have a pilot for FX that we’re gonna shoot that we’re working on right now. We’re working on the script right now and we’re going to film that in the next year basically.”
The project might be called The Singularity, and it didn’t sound like Rogen was sure if the project was officially announced or not. Since I've never heard about it until now,...
- 8/12/2016
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Why Watch? If you’re feeling anxious about what the future holds, this short film from Cgp Grey isn’t going to help. In Humans Need Not Apply, a horrible dystopian future present reigns over the landscape, forcing humans from their jobs as less-expensive robots become more available. If you’re certain that robots won’t be coming for your job, think again. This documentary has some startling statistics about how many fields they’re already in and will be in soon. Everyone from office workers to your neighborhood professional painter might be looking for a new gig. The caveat to all this (which the doc doesn’t go into) is that — while this revolution is wholly different from others — it will still have to abide by the basic rules of economics. Simply put, if everyone is out of work, no one will have any money to buy the products that companies need the robots to make...
- 8/25/2014
- by Scott Beggs
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
I have not seen Transcendence, but the critical buzz is not good at all. Cinematographer Wally Pfister’s directorial debut, headlined by Johnny Depp playing a scientist specializing in AI, follows that scientist as he gets his brain uploaded into a computer and begins to leave his humanity behind. While it’s a thoroughly sci-fi concept, there are some who believe that such scenarios will in fact be possible one day — and that that day may be sooner than you think. The chief proselytizer of such ideas is Ray Kurzweil, one of the most famous futurists in the world. He’s made a fortune off of multiple patents, and he doesn’t like the idea that he’ll die someday. Which is fair enough, as most people harbor the same feeling. But unlike most people, he’s serious about beating death. He consumes over 200 pills a day to regulate his body, claiming...
- 4/18/2014
- by Nonfics.com
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Why Watch? As a potential upside, we could be uploading our consciousness into a computer to dominate our reality like Johnny Depp (or Ray Kurzweil). As a potential downside, we could be robo-slaves kept pliant by our addiction to an alternative version of reality. Either way, it all starts with Google Glass. This sharp and brooding short film from Josh Fortune was created for the Sci-Fi London 48 Hour Film Competition, and it tells a personal story within the confines of a future history and a metal chassis. Few movies get away with voiceover as a primary vehicle, but here, a disembodied voice aching to make a connection is thematically perfect. Plus, X27′s (Jared Fortune) vocals are sufficiently world weary and gruff, acting as a consistent reminder that there’s a man inside the formaldehyde. As for the visuals, the animation is a quaint cut-paper job that evokes the sandier elements of Star Wars. It...
- 4/16/2014
- by Scott Beggs
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
I think, therefore I am. I remember, therefore I have been. But if I forget, did I really exist? The movies love amnesia. Start with a character who has lost his memory and you immediately intrigue the audience with a mystery that puts them on the same page as the protagonist. Every time we go to the movies it should be like we’ve got a bout of amnesia ourselves, our brains rebooted for a whole new experience, a venture into the unknown. Not every movie provides a completely fresh encounter, but there’s usually enough there that’s distinct as far as the movie filling our mind with a visual story we haven’t exactly encountered before. Amnesiac movies are therefore a great reflexive exercise for the viewer, giving us a character to identify with on a fundamental level. Pig, an indie sci-fi flick that was recently released on DVD and streaming outlets (namely Amazon, iTunes...
- 3/25/2014
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Inspired by Ray Kurzweil's book The Singularity Is Near, Henry Barrial's Pig quickly evolves from a film about a man's confounding rediscovery of his own identity into a science fiction treatise on the future of neurobiological science. To dismiss Pig as merely being derivative of Memento totally discredits the intellectual prowess of Barrial's film. Pig functions as an existential diatribe on how one's past informs one's sense of self. Then, by wiping the protagonist's memory, Barrial tests the epistemological theory of tabula rasa, allowing the man to be "reborn" without built-in mental content so that he can learn purely from his experiences and perceptions. The "reveal" might seem a bit rushed, but otherwise Pig is an intense rollercoaster ride in which we (thankfully!) never know more than the protagonist.
- 3/19/2014
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
If you've been to film festival shorts program recently and found yourself watching some sort of weird, wonderful, and wacky short, there is a chance it was brought to you in part by the Borscht Corporation. Perhaps you caught Jillian Mayer & Lucas Leyva's #PostModem at Sundance, Nyff, SXSW, Dallas, Boston Underground, AFI Fest, or one of 30 other festivals it has played in the last year (full list). If not, we've got the full short musical odyssey for you down below. Go watch it! A comedic satirical sci-fi pop-musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists. It's the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with the technological singularity, as told through a series of cinematic tweets. #PostModem...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 3/19/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Miami-based filmmakers Jillian Mayer and Lucas Leyva — two of Filmmaker‘s 25 New Faces — have been touring the festival circuit with their short film, #PostModem, which they describe like this: “[It's] a comedic satirical sci-fi pop-musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists. It’s the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with the technological singularity, as told through a series of cinematic tweets.” For the first time this insanely infectious riff on virality and uploaded consciousness is online. Watch it above, and try to keep its K-Pop-styled song out of your head.
- 3/6/2014
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Miami-based filmmakers Jillian Mayer and Lucas Leyva — two of Filmmaker‘s 25 New Faces — have been touring the festival circuit with their short film, #PostModem, which they describe like this: “[It's] a comedic satirical sci-fi pop-musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists. It’s the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with the technological singularity, as told through a series of cinematic tweets.” For the first time this insanely infectious riff on virality and uploaded consciousness is online. Watch it above, and try to keep its K-Pop-styled song out of your head.
- 3/6/2014
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
By Mark Pinkert
Contributor
…
In less than a week, the Academy will crown its 2013 Best Picture and, soon after, we’ll all move on to 2014. But which of the current films will stand the test of time? Which ones will we re-watch, now and later, despite massive influxes of new movies? Some of this year’s films, we’ll find, are “re-watchable,” while others fill us up after one viewing. Here’s my look at the nine Best Picture contenders and how I think they’ll fare down the road.
12 Years a Slave
This is a film that needs to–and will–stand the test of time. The source of its longevity, years later, will be the poignant performances and powerful scenes that burn into our memories, as when Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) clings barely to life from a noose on the plantation. But the film is difficult to watch,...
Contributor
…
In less than a week, the Academy will crown its 2013 Best Picture and, soon after, we’ll all move on to 2014. But which of the current films will stand the test of time? Which ones will we re-watch, now and later, despite massive influxes of new movies? Some of this year’s films, we’ll find, are “re-watchable,” while others fill us up after one viewing. Here’s my look at the nine Best Picture contenders and how I think they’ll fare down the road.
12 Years a Slave
This is a film that needs to–and will–stand the test of time. The source of its longevity, years later, will be the poignant performances and powerful scenes that burn into our memories, as when Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) clings barely to life from a noose on the plantation. But the film is difficult to watch,...
- 2/24/2014
- by Mark Pinkert
- Scott Feinberg
As Ray Kurzweil speaks to the Observer New Review about the impending advances in artificial intelligence, it seems a good time to heed the warning of such screen classics as Alien, The Terminator and Blade Runner and look back at the rogue computers, robots and replicants that have brought death, disquiet and destruction to humankind. Enjoy, before it's too late Continue reading...
- 2/22/2014
- by Greg Whitmore
- The Guardian - Film News
Google's director of engineering, Ray Kurzweil, predicts that the AI dating depicted in the Oscar-nominated film Her might be possible by 2029
• Xan Brooks on why Her should win the best picture Oscar – video
• Read more about Spike Jonke's Her
It might just be music to the ears of lovelorn geeks prepared to wait another 15 years to meet the love of their lives: a prominent futurologist has claimed that AI girlfriends (and presumably boyfriends) like the one played by Scarlett Johansson in the Oscar-nominated film Her could become a reality by 2029.
Ray Kurzweil, an inventor and Google's director of engineering makes the claim in a review of Spike Jonze's much-praised sci-fi romance. In a post on his website, Kurzweil delivered a generally positive verdict on the film, which stars Joaquin Phoenix as a man called Theodore who falls in love with his operating system, Samantha, before moving on to its technological implications.
• Xan Brooks on why Her should win the best picture Oscar – video
• Read more about Spike Jonke's Her
It might just be music to the ears of lovelorn geeks prepared to wait another 15 years to meet the love of their lives: a prominent futurologist has claimed that AI girlfriends (and presumably boyfriends) like the one played by Scarlett Johansson in the Oscar-nominated film Her could become a reality by 2029.
Ray Kurzweil, an inventor and Google's director of engineering makes the claim in a review of Spike Jonze's much-praised sci-fi romance. In a post on his website, Kurzweil delivered a generally positive verdict on the film, which stars Joaquin Phoenix as a man called Theodore who falls in love with his operating system, Samantha, before moving on to its technological implications.
- 2/20/2014
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Last year famed astrophysicst Neil deGrasse Tyson made all kinds of headlines when he picked apart the obvious (to him) bad science in Gravity. A lot of people took issue with his complaints, though, that seemed to be more in line with the tone in which he delivered them (on Twitter, where individual tweets could easily be taken out of context), than the complaints themselves. Well now another scientist has taken to addressing one of 2013's most beloved science fiction films: Her. The scientist in question is Ray Kurzweil. He may not be as immediately recognizable a personality as Tyson, but he's widely considered one of the world's leading futurists. He's dedicated much of his career to artificial intelligence, transhumanism and mankind's inexorable march...
Read More...
Read More...
- 2/19/2014
- by Peter Hall
- Movies.com
Ray Kurzweil quite liked Spike Jonze’s latest film, “Her,” and thought that it had “a a well-crafted script, excellent directing, and outstanding performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson.” More importantly, the famed inventor, futurist and current Director of Engineering at Google thinks that many of the slick technologies used in the sci-fi film will soon be available in the real world, as he wrote in a review posted to his site. Also read: Spike Jonze’s “Her” Named Year’s Best By National Board of Review “Samantha herself I would place at 2029, when the leap to human-level AI would be reasonably believable,...
- 2/19/2014
- by Jordan Zakarin
- The Wrap
Perhaps best qualified to discuss the realism of Spike Jonze's Her is futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil, who helped popularize the idea of the singularity and who recently joined Google to work on "machine learning and voice processing." As you might imagine, the idea of how closely our future might mirror the future of Jonze's world is exactly what the man thinks about all day long. And not only does Kurzweil think we'll soon be having the types of virtual relationships envisioned in Her, but he also thinks we'll be having them relatively soon:i would place some of the elements in Jonze’s depiction at around 2020, give or take a couple of years, such as the diffident and insulting videogame character he interacts with, and the pin-sized cameras that one can place like a freckle on one’s face. Other elements seem more like 2014, such as the flat-panel displays,...
- 2/18/2014
- by Lindsey Weber
- Vulture
Thanks to futurists like Ray Kurzweil, the technology of Artificial Intelligence is closer than ever to completion, and “Transcendence” takes things to the next level.
The forthcoming film features an all-star cast including Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy, Paul Bettany and Rebecca Hall.
“Transcendence” just released an initial teaser trailer ahead of the April 18th, 2014 theatrical street date, and it’s mysterious to say the least.
According to the synopsis, “Two leading computer scientists work toward their goal of Technological Singularity, as a radical anti-technology organization fights to prevent them from creating a world where computers can transcend the abilities of the human brain.”...
The forthcoming film features an all-star cast including Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy, Paul Bettany and Rebecca Hall.
“Transcendence” just released an initial teaser trailer ahead of the April 18th, 2014 theatrical street date, and it’s mysterious to say the least.
According to the synopsis, “Two leading computer scientists work toward their goal of Technological Singularity, as a radical anti-technology organization fights to prevent them from creating a world where computers can transcend the abilities of the human brain.”...
- 12/19/2013
- GossipCenter
Is everyone pumped for the singularity? We’ll get to live forever and play in sick synth-pop bands with Ray Kurzweil. But what if the singularity is bad? That’s where Transcendence comes in. Directed by Christopher Nolan’s cinematographer Wally Pfister, it tells the story of a brilliant artificial-intelligence researcher, Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp), who goes mad with power trying to achieve singularity. The movie co-stars Morgan Freeman, Rebecca Hall, Cillian Murphy, Clifton Collins Jr., Kate Mara, and Paul Bettany and opens on April 14 of next year. But if you're busy, don’t worry — you’ll soon have eternity to see it.
- 12/19/2013
- by Jesse David Fox
- Vulture
High Tech Affairs: Jonze Unites Poets & Processors
In Her, Spike Jonze’s brainy and big hearted exploration of near future human relationships with techno-intelligence, Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore, an eloquent writer of personalized letters for those unwilling or unable to breath comparable verve into the romantic, if archaic, language of the handwritten word. Based on provided dossiers, conjured from the ether, and spoken out loud to a screen which automatically interprets dialogue into personalized scrawl, Theodore’s missives are the stuff of raw romance, deeply personal, profoundly affecting and pathetically silly, despite a shallow knowledge of his clientele’s startlingly unintimate relationships. These letters often serve as a physical embodiment of the feeling the film flawlessly projects – an open dialogue of emotions laid bare, where love is laid on the line in embarrassingly intimate, hopelessly fragile words based purely on abstract feelings. Sprinkled with the magic of technology and endlessly...
In Her, Spike Jonze’s brainy and big hearted exploration of near future human relationships with techno-intelligence, Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore, an eloquent writer of personalized letters for those unwilling or unable to breath comparable verve into the romantic, if archaic, language of the handwritten word. Based on provided dossiers, conjured from the ether, and spoken out loud to a screen which automatically interprets dialogue into personalized scrawl, Theodore’s missives are the stuff of raw romance, deeply personal, profoundly affecting and pathetically silly, despite a shallow knowledge of his clientele’s startlingly unintimate relationships. These letters often serve as a physical embodiment of the feeling the film flawlessly projects – an open dialogue of emotions laid bare, where love is laid on the line in embarrassingly intimate, hopelessly fragile words based purely on abstract feelings. Sprinkled with the magic of technology and endlessly...
- 12/18/2013
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Title: Terms and Conditions May Apply Director: Cullen Hoback An engaging and rather scary nonfiction look at the death-by-papercut of online privacy, “Terms and Conditions May Apply” roots down into those small-print promises that companies extract from consumers via the Internet on a weekly if not daily basis. Directed by Cullen Hoback, the film makes a compelling case for if not outright societal revolt then at least much greater awareness, attention and oversight, lest a clear and settled-without-debate caste system of governmental spy privilege become the new normal. Interviewees include Ray Kurzweil, musician Moby, Orson Scott Card, Margaret Atwood and, well, sort of Mark Zuckerberg (more on that later), but ”Terms [ Read More ]
The post Terms and Conditions May Apply Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Terms and Conditions May Apply Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 7/15/2013
- by bsimon
- ShockYa
Title: Terms and Conditions May Apply Directed by: Cullen Hoback Featuring: Margaret Atwood, Orson Scott Card, Ray Kurzweil, Moby, and Mark Zuckerberg Running time: 79 minutes, Not Rated, In theatres July 12th Does anybody actually read the Terms and Conditions Agreement before accessing a program or website? Yeah me neither. Most people forget that those things are legally binding contracts. What are we actually agreeing to? It’s not like that episode of South Park where Kyle gets forced to become the middle part of a human centipede by Apple because he didn’t read what he was agreeing to on iTunes, but then again, who’s to say something like that couldn’t [ Read More ]
The post Terms and Conditions May Apply Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Terms and Conditions May Apply Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 7/10/2013
- by juliana
- ShockYa
What we have on our nightstands is a very private matter, for some. And when celebrities reveal what they keep at their bedside, the items may be surprising.
Olivia Munn, for example, recently told Marie Claire that on hers, you'll find "Melatonin; The Singularity Is Near by Ray Kurzweil; strawberry lip balm; a 980,000-volt stun gun for protection; Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream."
Here are some other responses to the question "What's on your nightstand," courtesy of HuffPost Celebrity's #nofilter series.
Olivia Munn, for example, recently told Marie Claire that on hers, you'll find "Melatonin; The Singularity Is Near by Ray Kurzweil; strawberry lip balm; a 980,000-volt stun gun for protection; Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream."
Here are some other responses to the question "What's on your nightstand," courtesy of HuffPost Celebrity's #nofilter series.
- 6/20/2013
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
Olivia Munn is a rare combination of brains, beauty and humor, that we know. But what we were surprised to find out is the lengths she'd go to to make herself feel safe.
Munn, 32, answered Marie Claire magazine's personal questionnaire (which will appear in their July issue) and revealed some very interesting tidbits about her life.
For instance, when asked what one would find on her nightstand, the gorgeous actress replied "Melatonin; The Singularity Is Near by Ray Kurzweil; strawberry lip balm; a 980,000-volt stun gun for protection; Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream."
Wait, what? A stun gun?
Munn, whose HBO show "The Newsroom" returns July 14, also talks to the magazine about her anxiety disorder -- a condition she opened up about last year. "It's manifested in trichotillomania, a disorder that gives me the urge to pull out my eyelashes," she says.
For more on Munn, head over to MarieClaire.
Munn, 32, answered Marie Claire magazine's personal questionnaire (which will appear in their July issue) and revealed some very interesting tidbits about her life.
For instance, when asked what one would find on her nightstand, the gorgeous actress replied "Melatonin; The Singularity Is Near by Ray Kurzweil; strawberry lip balm; a 980,000-volt stun gun for protection; Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream."
Wait, what? A stun gun?
Munn, whose HBO show "The Newsroom" returns July 14, also talks to the magazine about her anxiety disorder -- a condition she opened up about last year. "It's manifested in trichotillomania, a disorder that gives me the urge to pull out my eyelashes," she says.
For more on Munn, head over to MarieClaire.
- 6/18/2013
- by Liat Kornowski
- Huffington Post
Revision3's TestTube sub-network only launched a few days ago, but it is already providing viewers with some incredible thought-provoking content. The network's newest show is Shots of Awe, where host Jason Silva rapidly delivers a complex philosophical idea while a hip-hop montage of cool images accompanies him. Silva, who hosts Brain Games on the National Geographic channel, has an abundance of deep topics stored in his head. In one episode, he talks about futurism, incorporating the wild philosophy of Ray Kurzweil. In the most recent episode, he discusses what it means to be awed, a fitting topic given his channel's title. If Shots of Awe has a contemporary, it is PBS Idea Channel, the similarly philosophical and fast-talking exploration of big ideas that has now surged past 235,000 subscribers. However, where Idea Channel is flip and rooted heavily in Internet culture, Shots of Awe is more serious and aims to...
- 5/29/2013
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Along with the other Monday presentations at Digital Content Newfronts, the Wall Street Journal gave its pitch. The leading news publication discussed partnerships with companies like the New York Stock Exchange and announced a new web series, Start-Up of the Year, where noted entrepreneurs and celebrities will join fans in determining the best start-up out of 25 contestants. Start-Up of the Year will be a five-month long documentary that follows each of the 25 start-ups as they develop their ideas and business plans. Along the way, they'll receive help from big names such as Sir Richard Branson, will.i.am, Ray Kurzweil, and Mc Hammer (because why not). Once the series has concluded, WSJ editors will decide the winner, with viewer votes as a consideration. Start-Up of the Year will debut June 24 on WSJ Live, the publication's multi-platform video service. WSJ Live averages 20 million streams a month and complements the WSJ Digital Network YouTube Original Channel.
- 4/30/2013
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
From Marvel's Ultron to Obama's brain mapping project, science and fiction are breaking the barriers between man and machine
No sci-fi plot is as reliable as that of the rebelling robot. It's a story as old as digital time: the once promising but ultimately impetuous computer/child, realizing its mortal creators are at best obsolete and at worst a plight, tries to eradicate humanity/father.
The first play to feature automatons, Czech playwright Karel Capek's 1920 piece Rossum's Universal Robots (R.U.R.), provided the template for the rotten robot, one used in movies, in books, on television and even music, as on The Flaming Lips 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.
And of course comic books have mined the robot-versus-man myth, as in the latest Marvel Comics limited series, The Age of Ultron, a tale in which villain Ultron, terrorizing heroes since 1968, returns once again to kill his creator, which is...
No sci-fi plot is as reliable as that of the rebelling robot. It's a story as old as digital time: the once promising but ultimately impetuous computer/child, realizing its mortal creators are at best obsolete and at worst a plight, tries to eradicate humanity/father.
The first play to feature automatons, Czech playwright Karel Capek's 1920 piece Rossum's Universal Robots (R.U.R.), provided the template for the rotten robot, one used in movies, in books, on television and even music, as on The Flaming Lips 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.
And of course comic books have mined the robot-versus-man myth, as in the latest Marvel Comics limited series, The Age of Ultron, a tale in which villain Ultron, terrorizing heroes since 1968, returns once again to kill his creator, which is...
- 4/25/2013
- by Andrew Belonsky
- The Guardian - Film News
A new TV spot for director M. Night Shyamalan’s After Earth has come online and it looks thrilling.
Even the film’s screenwriter Gary Whitta tweeted, “This new #AfterEarth spot is sweet! Love that shot of the armada evacuating Earth.”
If you missed it earlier today, Will Smith and Jaden Smith joined in for their first ever live Google+ hangout to discuss After Earth. The event was moderated by futurist Ray Kurzweil, Google’s director of engineering. Joining Kurzweil was Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and the co-founder of Tesla Motors and PayPal; the environmental advocate, explorer and filmmaker Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams, an Indian American astronaut and a United States Navy officer who holds the record for longest space flight by a woman
A crash landing leaves teenager Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his legendary father Cypher (Will Smith) stranded on Earth,...
Even the film’s screenwriter Gary Whitta tweeted, “This new #AfterEarth spot is sweet! Love that shot of the armada evacuating Earth.”
If you missed it earlier today, Will Smith and Jaden Smith joined in for their first ever live Google+ hangout to discuss After Earth. The event was moderated by futurist Ray Kurzweil, Google’s director of engineering. Joining Kurzweil was Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and the co-founder of Tesla Motors and PayPal; the environmental advocate, explorer and filmmaker Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams, an Indian American astronaut and a United States Navy officer who holds the record for longest space flight by a woman
A crash landing leaves teenager Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his legendary father Cypher (Will Smith) stranded on Earth,...
- 4/24/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Sony has put together a cool event for tomorrow: After Earth Day. In promotion for the film, they got together a number of experts for a Google+ hangout session!
The Google+ Hangout will take place tomorrow, April 23, at 12 noon Eastern / 9 a.m. Pacific.
Watch live at YouTube.com/AfterEarth
Submit questions to Google.com/+AfterEarth
Learn more below.
Description of the event from Sony:
The ‘After Earth’ Day Google+ Hangout will be moderated by futurist Ray Kurzweil, Google’s director of engineering. Joining Kurzweil will be Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and the co-founder of Tesla Motors and PayPal; the environmental advocate, explorer and filmmaker Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of Jacques-Yves Cousteau; Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams, an Indian American astronaut and a United States Navy officer who holds the record for longest space flight by a woman; and Jaden Smith and Will Smith, the stars of ‘After Earth’. On the literal day after Earth Day,...
The Google+ Hangout will take place tomorrow, April 23, at 12 noon Eastern / 9 a.m. Pacific.
Watch live at YouTube.com/AfterEarth
Submit questions to Google.com/+AfterEarth
Learn more below.
Description of the event from Sony:
The ‘After Earth’ Day Google+ Hangout will be moderated by futurist Ray Kurzweil, Google’s director of engineering. Joining Kurzweil will be Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and the co-founder of Tesla Motors and PayPal; the environmental advocate, explorer and filmmaker Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of Jacques-Yves Cousteau; Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams, an Indian American astronaut and a United States Navy officer who holds the record for longest space flight by a woman; and Jaden Smith and Will Smith, the stars of ‘After Earth’. On the literal day after Earth Day,...
- 4/23/2013
- by Alex Corey
- LRMonline.com
In advance of the nationwide release of After Earth, the highly anticipated film in theaters May 31, Columbia Pictures is teaming up with Google for a live “After Earth Day” Google+ Hangout tomorrow, April 23 – the day after Earth Day. The Google+ Hangout brings together some of the world’s most renowned thinkers, inventors, authors, and futurists to discuss the film’s themes and the future of our planet.
The After Earth Day Google+ Hangout will be moderated by futurist Ray Kurzweil , Google’s director of engineering. Joining Kurzweil will be Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and the co-founder of Tesla Motors and PayPal; the environmental advocate, explorer and filmmaker Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of Jacques-Yves Cousteau; Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams, an Indian American astronaut and a United States Navy officer who holds the record for longest space flight by a woman; and Jaden Smith and Will Smith , the stars of After Earth.
The After Earth Day Google+ Hangout will be moderated by futurist Ray Kurzweil , Google’s director of engineering. Joining Kurzweil will be Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and the co-founder of Tesla Motors and PayPal; the environmental advocate, explorer and filmmaker Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of Jacques-Yves Cousteau; Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams, an Indian American astronaut and a United States Navy officer who holds the record for longest space flight by a woman; and Jaden Smith and Will Smith , the stars of After Earth.
- 4/22/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In advance of the nationwide release of After Earth on May 31, Columbia Pictures is teaming up with Google for a live .After Earth Day. Google+ Hangout tomorrow, April 23 . the day after Earth Day. The Google+ Hangout brings together some of the world's most renowned thinkers, inventors, authors, and futurists to discuss the film's themes and the future of our planet. The "After Earth Day" Google+ Hangout will be moderated by futurist Ray Kurzweil, Google.s director of engineering. Joining Kurzweil will be Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and the co-founder of Tesla Motors and PayPal; the environmental advocate, explorer and filmmaker Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of Jacques-Yves Cousteau; Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams, an Indian American astronaut and a United...
- 4/22/2013
- Comingsoon.net
Next week in Miami, hundreds of bloggers, marketers, corporate brand reps, music and film artists will be checking in at the Eden Roc Hotel to attend Hispanicize, a social media platform for today’s Latino innovators. Now in its 4th year, the marketing, interactive, film and music conference was founded by Manny Ruiz, a PR businessman who adopted the term Hispanicize to signify the transformation and growing impact of Latino culture into traditional American mainstream and who created this convergence to amplify the success of diverse voices in social media.
In part modeled after SXSW and Ted Talks, Hispanicize aims to be a digital multi-media launchpad and idea stimulating conference tailored towards Latinos. The event’s core journalistic DNA is confirmed by guest co-chair, Soledad O Brien, who just signed off on her morning CNN show capping off a decade of reporting for the news outlet. For the second year the South Beach setting will host yacht parties, beachside receptions, breakfast and lunch networking, and 100 plus talks, featuring such entrepreneurs in social media like the Latina Mom Bloggers, panels like How Brands and Agencies are Engaging and Collaborating with Latino Bloggers and Getting on Corporate Boards. The heavily sponsored event, (Procter & Gamble is the presenting sponsor) will include a Diversity Tech Leaders Summit presented by Sprint in which the lesser-known business stories of diverse tech and social media entrepreneurs who are making their marks in digital media will be highlighted.
I have to admit I knew nothing of Hispanicize up until a couple months ago. Curious, I went on the website and I found the lingo a tad superfluous and hyperbolic. Words like iconic and mighty are used to describe the young but clearly flourishing event. Then again, this kind of grandiose speak is typical Public Relations so it makes sense given it is a partnership with Hispanic Public Relations Association (Hpra) and the Public Relations Society of America (Prsa).
I reached out to the founder Manny Ruiz to find out more about the mission of the event and found his enthusiasm and excitement for what he considers a pioneering movement infectious. It’s hard to argue that this mass tech and entertainment crossroads gathering makes for an incredible networking opportunity. Ruiz called it a “Uniting of these industries to create a symphony” and went on to note it is much more powerful for bloggers to converge at the same place with journalists, marketers, digital, music and film innovators then if you had them out there individually and remotely. Before I knew it I was put in touch with with Roman Morales, the Film Showcase Organizer and I came onboard as Programmer for the film component. A big reason I stepped in was because I was particularly attracted to presenting Us independent Latino films to an audience heavy with social media influence and bloggers, to see if it would indeed create a higher level of buzz, publicity and exposure from the community.
Along with a special screening of Filly Brown days before its national theatrical release, this year Hispanicize will screen six features including the high profile sneak preview of The Weinstein Company’s Aftershock, the horror comedy produced and starring Eli Roth, directed by Chilean filmmaker Nicolas Lopez (Que Pena tu Vida, Promedio Rojo). Also, straight from SXSW the music industry and character-driven documentary Los Wild Ones about the Wild Records label and family of Mexican rockabilly acts. With the exception of Aftershock, all the films reflect a taste of the diaspora of unique, bi-cultural Us narratives, and notably are all first features. Three of the films, Blaze You Out, Filly Brown and Mission Park are being distributed by Lionsgate labels Pantelion and Grindstone Entertainment. Meanwhile, seeking distribution is Dreamer written and directed by Salvador born Jesse Salmeron, a poignant and timely story starring and produced by Jeremy Ray Valdez about an upwardly mobile American whose paralyzed by the fear of being deported. Los Wild Ones is also seeking distribution and should find considerable traction within and outside hard core music fan circles.
My personal pride and joy however has to be the shorts film showcase. Portraying visionary quests for identity, love, truth and legacy and created by multicultural emergent voices from San Antonio, Miami, La, NYC, Oaxaca and Puerto Rico. This is the medium in which to find provocative, daring and versatile young generation of fresh voices who you can expect will blow up big soon. To name just a few, the filmmakers include Jillian Mayer and Lucas Leyva of the Borscht corporation, Zoé Salicrup Junco, the filmmaker of Gabi who workshopped her feature script of the short at San Antonio’s CineFestival’s Latino Screenwriters Project, Victor Hugo Duran the Colombia Film grad whose short, Fireworks played at the La Film Festival last year and is currently shooting his first feature in Mexico called La Victoria, and Steve Acevedo, the director of El Cocodrilo which is a powerful and urgent film about a journalist played by Jacob Vargas on the run from narcos, who participated in NBCU Directing Fellowship.
I’ll try not to go all Spring Breaker debauchery when I head to Miami next week. I’m very interested in immersing myself in the Hispanicize program to cover the dialogue and scrutinize the impact so stay tuned for my report.
See below to check out full film list and links. Hispanicize will take place April 9 – 13. For information on how to attend and the schedule click here.
Blaze You Out
(USA, 2013, 90 min)
Writers/Directors: Mateo Frazier, Diego Joaquin Lopez
Cast: Veronica Diaz Carranza, Elizabeth Pena, Q’orianka Kilcher, Mark Adair Rios, Elizabeth Pena
Logline: An unyielding young woman ventures into the ruthless underworld of the town’s heroin trade in order to save her younger sister’s life.
Dreamer
(USA, 2013)
Writer/Director: Jesse Salmeron
Cast: Jeremy Ray Valdez, Isabella Hofmann, Cory Knauf
Logline: Joe Rodriguez is an All American young man. He’s amiable, well educated and attractive. He’s graduated from college and is working and excelling in his field. He’s on his way to achieving the American Dream. That is until his employer discovers his undocumented status and the life he’s worked so hard for begins to crumble around him. He must face the possibility of losing his livelihood, his family and even himself.
Los Wild Ones
(USA, 2013, 95 min)
Director: Elise Salomon Writers: Ryan Brown, Elise Salomon
Featuring Luis Arriaga, Gizzelle, the Rhythm Shakers and more
Logline: Wild Records is an La indie music label comprised of young Hispanic musicians, it is run by Irishman, Reb Kennedy. Wild is an unconventional family, reminiscent of the early days of Sun Records, all of its musicians write and perform 50s Rock ‘n Roll. If Wild is going to continue to grow and reach broader audiences, its current business model will cease to work.
Aftershock
(USA, 2012, 90 min)
Director: Nicolás López
Writers: Guillermo Amoedo, Nicolás López and Eli Roth
Cast: Andrea Osvart, Ariel Levy, Eli Roth
Logline: In Chile, a group of travelers who are in an underground nightclub when a massive earthquake hits quickly learn that reaching the surface is just the beginning of their nightmare.
Mission Park
(USA, 2013, 120 min)
Writer/Director: Bryan Ramirez
Cast: Jeremy Ray Valdez, Walter Perez, Fenanda Romero, Joseph Julian Soria, William Rothaar, Jesse Borrego
Logline: Four friends from the rough side of town grow apart when two are consumed by a life of crime, and the other two become FBI agents sent deep undercover – to bring down those childhood friends.
Shorts Film Showcase~
#Postmodem
(USA, 2012, 13 mins)
Writers/Directors: Lucas Leyva, Jillian Mayer
Cast: Jillian Mayer, Kayla Delacerda, Amy Seimetz, Arly Montes, Jesse Miller, Shivers Thedog
Logline: A comedic, satirical, sci-fi pop musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists, #PostModem is the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with technological singularity, as told through a series of cinematic tweets.
@borschtcorp
Fireworks
(USA, 2012, 11 mins)
Director: Victor Hugo Duran
Writer: Kevin James McMuillin
Cast: Roger Cruz, Alberto Castañeda, Irene Sorto, Azucena Benitez, Edgar Vanegas, Julio Duran, Victor Hugo Duran, Kevin James McMullin
Logline: During the Fourth of July in South Los Angeles, a teenage boy and his brother scour the neighborhood for fireworks in order to win the admiration of a girl.
Twitter: @victorhugoduran
Clara Como El Agua
(USA, 2012 10 min)
Writer/Director: Fernanda Rossi
Cast: Kathiria Bonilla León, Sixta Rivera, Rubén Andrés Medina, Alfonso Peña Ossoria, Stephanie Quiles Reyes, Eyra Aguero
Logline: Clara is the only light-skinned and clear-eyed girl in an all-black neighborhood. Teased incessantly, the children claim her unknown father is actually a “gringo” tourist. However, Clara was told a different story, and to find out the truth, she will venture into the magical waters of the bioluminescent bay all on her own.
Echo Bear
(USA, 2012 6min)
Writer/director: Yolanda Cruz
Cast: Joe Nunez, Hugo Medina, Tzina Carmel, Donato López, Lobo Manet
Logline: Bear, a single gay Latino man in L.A.’s Echo Park neighborhood, looks for love online. Fearing traffic, he searches locally, but soon discovers how geographic convenience can turn to heartache overnight.
Vincent Valdez: Excerpts For John
(2012, USA, 12 min)
Directed by Mark and Angela Walley
Logline: Two years in the making, this beautifully shot and perfectly paced short documentary captures the creative process of painter Vincent Valdez, as the artist works on a series of pieces dedicated to a childhood friend John Holt Jr. an Army combat medic who died in 2009 after serving in Iraq.
El Cocodrilo
(2012, 15 min)
Director: Steve Acevedo
Writer: Alfredo Barrios, Jr.
Cast: Jacob Vargas Hugo Medina Shannon Lucio Manuel Uriza
Logline: A Mexican journalist and a cartel assassin collide in a diner, with tragic consequences for both.
Reinaldo Arenas
(USA, 2012, 3:29min)
Writer/director Lucas Leyva
Shark: Alberto Ibarguen Man: Epifanio Leyva
Logline: Told from the point of view of a dying shark, 'Reinaldo Arenas' metaphorically captures the current state of the aging Cuban-American exile community, many of whom have still not come to terms with the Communist Revolution that changed their lives forever. The film culls from various Cuban films and works of literature to create not a singular voice, but a feeling of a particular moment in time
@borschtcorp
Gabi
(2012, USA 20 min)
Writer/Director: Zoe Junco
Cast: Marisé Alvarez , Dalia Davi , Roy Sanchez Vahamonde , Aris Mejias
Logline: A Puerto Rican saying haunts single women in their 30’s: “If such a woman is not married by this time, she must be a slut, a lesbian, or a prude.” This is the story of that woman...
@gabifilm...
In part modeled after SXSW and Ted Talks, Hispanicize aims to be a digital multi-media launchpad and idea stimulating conference tailored towards Latinos. The event’s core journalistic DNA is confirmed by guest co-chair, Soledad O Brien, who just signed off on her morning CNN show capping off a decade of reporting for the news outlet. For the second year the South Beach setting will host yacht parties, beachside receptions, breakfast and lunch networking, and 100 plus talks, featuring such entrepreneurs in social media like the Latina Mom Bloggers, panels like How Brands and Agencies are Engaging and Collaborating with Latino Bloggers and Getting on Corporate Boards. The heavily sponsored event, (Procter & Gamble is the presenting sponsor) will include a Diversity Tech Leaders Summit presented by Sprint in which the lesser-known business stories of diverse tech and social media entrepreneurs who are making their marks in digital media will be highlighted.
I have to admit I knew nothing of Hispanicize up until a couple months ago. Curious, I went on the website and I found the lingo a tad superfluous and hyperbolic. Words like iconic and mighty are used to describe the young but clearly flourishing event. Then again, this kind of grandiose speak is typical Public Relations so it makes sense given it is a partnership with Hispanic Public Relations Association (Hpra) and the Public Relations Society of America (Prsa).
I reached out to the founder Manny Ruiz to find out more about the mission of the event and found his enthusiasm and excitement for what he considers a pioneering movement infectious. It’s hard to argue that this mass tech and entertainment crossroads gathering makes for an incredible networking opportunity. Ruiz called it a “Uniting of these industries to create a symphony” and went on to note it is much more powerful for bloggers to converge at the same place with journalists, marketers, digital, music and film innovators then if you had them out there individually and remotely. Before I knew it I was put in touch with with Roman Morales, the Film Showcase Organizer and I came onboard as Programmer for the film component. A big reason I stepped in was because I was particularly attracted to presenting Us independent Latino films to an audience heavy with social media influence and bloggers, to see if it would indeed create a higher level of buzz, publicity and exposure from the community.
Along with a special screening of Filly Brown days before its national theatrical release, this year Hispanicize will screen six features including the high profile sneak preview of The Weinstein Company’s Aftershock, the horror comedy produced and starring Eli Roth, directed by Chilean filmmaker Nicolas Lopez (Que Pena tu Vida, Promedio Rojo). Also, straight from SXSW the music industry and character-driven documentary Los Wild Ones about the Wild Records label and family of Mexican rockabilly acts. With the exception of Aftershock, all the films reflect a taste of the diaspora of unique, bi-cultural Us narratives, and notably are all first features. Three of the films, Blaze You Out, Filly Brown and Mission Park are being distributed by Lionsgate labels Pantelion and Grindstone Entertainment. Meanwhile, seeking distribution is Dreamer written and directed by Salvador born Jesse Salmeron, a poignant and timely story starring and produced by Jeremy Ray Valdez about an upwardly mobile American whose paralyzed by the fear of being deported. Los Wild Ones is also seeking distribution and should find considerable traction within and outside hard core music fan circles.
My personal pride and joy however has to be the shorts film showcase. Portraying visionary quests for identity, love, truth and legacy and created by multicultural emergent voices from San Antonio, Miami, La, NYC, Oaxaca and Puerto Rico. This is the medium in which to find provocative, daring and versatile young generation of fresh voices who you can expect will blow up big soon. To name just a few, the filmmakers include Jillian Mayer and Lucas Leyva of the Borscht corporation, Zoé Salicrup Junco, the filmmaker of Gabi who workshopped her feature script of the short at San Antonio’s CineFestival’s Latino Screenwriters Project, Victor Hugo Duran the Colombia Film grad whose short, Fireworks played at the La Film Festival last year and is currently shooting his first feature in Mexico called La Victoria, and Steve Acevedo, the director of El Cocodrilo which is a powerful and urgent film about a journalist played by Jacob Vargas on the run from narcos, who participated in NBCU Directing Fellowship.
I’ll try not to go all Spring Breaker debauchery when I head to Miami next week. I’m very interested in immersing myself in the Hispanicize program to cover the dialogue and scrutinize the impact so stay tuned for my report.
See below to check out full film list and links. Hispanicize will take place April 9 – 13. For information on how to attend and the schedule click here.
Blaze You Out
(USA, 2013, 90 min)
Writers/Directors: Mateo Frazier, Diego Joaquin Lopez
Cast: Veronica Diaz Carranza, Elizabeth Pena, Q’orianka Kilcher, Mark Adair Rios, Elizabeth Pena
Logline: An unyielding young woman ventures into the ruthless underworld of the town’s heroin trade in order to save her younger sister’s life.
Dreamer
(USA, 2013)
Writer/Director: Jesse Salmeron
Cast: Jeremy Ray Valdez, Isabella Hofmann, Cory Knauf
Logline: Joe Rodriguez is an All American young man. He’s amiable, well educated and attractive. He’s graduated from college and is working and excelling in his field. He’s on his way to achieving the American Dream. That is until his employer discovers his undocumented status and the life he’s worked so hard for begins to crumble around him. He must face the possibility of losing his livelihood, his family and even himself.
Los Wild Ones
(USA, 2013, 95 min)
Director: Elise Salomon Writers: Ryan Brown, Elise Salomon
Featuring Luis Arriaga, Gizzelle, the Rhythm Shakers and more
Logline: Wild Records is an La indie music label comprised of young Hispanic musicians, it is run by Irishman, Reb Kennedy. Wild is an unconventional family, reminiscent of the early days of Sun Records, all of its musicians write and perform 50s Rock ‘n Roll. If Wild is going to continue to grow and reach broader audiences, its current business model will cease to work.
Aftershock
(USA, 2012, 90 min)
Director: Nicolás López
Writers: Guillermo Amoedo, Nicolás López and Eli Roth
Cast: Andrea Osvart, Ariel Levy, Eli Roth
Logline: In Chile, a group of travelers who are in an underground nightclub when a massive earthquake hits quickly learn that reaching the surface is just the beginning of their nightmare.
Mission Park
(USA, 2013, 120 min)
Writer/Director: Bryan Ramirez
Cast: Jeremy Ray Valdez, Walter Perez, Fenanda Romero, Joseph Julian Soria, William Rothaar, Jesse Borrego
Logline: Four friends from the rough side of town grow apart when two are consumed by a life of crime, and the other two become FBI agents sent deep undercover – to bring down those childhood friends.
Shorts Film Showcase~
#Postmodem
(USA, 2012, 13 mins)
Writers/Directors: Lucas Leyva, Jillian Mayer
Cast: Jillian Mayer, Kayla Delacerda, Amy Seimetz, Arly Montes, Jesse Miller, Shivers Thedog
Logline: A comedic, satirical, sci-fi pop musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists, #PostModem is the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with technological singularity, as told through a series of cinematic tweets.
@borschtcorp
Fireworks
(USA, 2012, 11 mins)
Director: Victor Hugo Duran
Writer: Kevin James McMuillin
Cast: Roger Cruz, Alberto Castañeda, Irene Sorto, Azucena Benitez, Edgar Vanegas, Julio Duran, Victor Hugo Duran, Kevin James McMullin
Logline: During the Fourth of July in South Los Angeles, a teenage boy and his brother scour the neighborhood for fireworks in order to win the admiration of a girl.
Twitter: @victorhugoduran
Clara Como El Agua
(USA, 2012 10 min)
Writer/Director: Fernanda Rossi
Cast: Kathiria Bonilla León, Sixta Rivera, Rubén Andrés Medina, Alfonso Peña Ossoria, Stephanie Quiles Reyes, Eyra Aguero
Logline: Clara is the only light-skinned and clear-eyed girl in an all-black neighborhood. Teased incessantly, the children claim her unknown father is actually a “gringo” tourist. However, Clara was told a different story, and to find out the truth, she will venture into the magical waters of the bioluminescent bay all on her own.
Echo Bear
(USA, 2012 6min)
Writer/director: Yolanda Cruz
Cast: Joe Nunez, Hugo Medina, Tzina Carmel, Donato López, Lobo Manet
Logline: Bear, a single gay Latino man in L.A.’s Echo Park neighborhood, looks for love online. Fearing traffic, he searches locally, but soon discovers how geographic convenience can turn to heartache overnight.
Vincent Valdez: Excerpts For John
(2012, USA, 12 min)
Directed by Mark and Angela Walley
Logline: Two years in the making, this beautifully shot and perfectly paced short documentary captures the creative process of painter Vincent Valdez, as the artist works on a series of pieces dedicated to a childhood friend John Holt Jr. an Army combat medic who died in 2009 after serving in Iraq.
El Cocodrilo
(2012, 15 min)
Director: Steve Acevedo
Writer: Alfredo Barrios, Jr.
Cast: Jacob Vargas Hugo Medina Shannon Lucio Manuel Uriza
Logline: A Mexican journalist and a cartel assassin collide in a diner, with tragic consequences for both.
Reinaldo Arenas
(USA, 2012, 3:29min)
Writer/director Lucas Leyva
Shark: Alberto Ibarguen Man: Epifanio Leyva
Logline: Told from the point of view of a dying shark, 'Reinaldo Arenas' metaphorically captures the current state of the aging Cuban-American exile community, many of whom have still not come to terms with the Communist Revolution that changed their lives forever. The film culls from various Cuban films and works of literature to create not a singular voice, but a feeling of a particular moment in time
@borschtcorp
Gabi
(2012, USA 20 min)
Writer/Director: Zoe Junco
Cast: Marisé Alvarez , Dalia Davi , Roy Sanchez Vahamonde , Aris Mejias
Logline: A Puerto Rican saying haunts single women in their 30’s: “If such a woman is not married by this time, she must be a slut, a lesbian, or a prude.” This is the story of that woman...
@gabifilm...
- 4/3/2013
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
There's a movie coming out this week called "Tyler Perry's Temptation." It has nothing to do with any personal temptation of Tyler Perry himself — it's a movie he directed called "Temptation," but it's Tyler Perry, so his name's in the title.
But it sounds more like a perfume than a movie, right? According to futurist Ray Kurzweil, there's a 37.6% chance that there will be a perfume called "Tyler Perry's Temptation" by 2018.
That got us thinking: What other movies out there could be perfumes? Here are 25 that you could spray on your neck and wrist before a night out.
But it sounds more like a perfume than a movie, right? According to futurist Ray Kurzweil, there's a 37.6% chance that there will be a perfume called "Tyler Perry's Temptation" by 2018.
That got us thinking: What other movies out there could be perfumes? Here are 25 that you could spray on your neck and wrist before a night out.
- 3/25/2013
- by Nick Blake
- NextMovie
Don't forget the shorts programs at SXSW this year. There are a number of great shorts at the fest. Some are from filmmakers you haven't heard of yet -- some feature well-known faces. We were able to get our hands on a few of the shorts before the fest, and here's a rundown on them.
If you're headed to SXSW, remember that in addition to the many world-premiere features there are also really great shorts programs where you can view short films from filmmakers and stars that you may never have another chance to see. Here is a run-down of the ones we were able to screen before the festival.
#PostModem (Shorts Program 1)
According to the filmmakers: "#PostModem is a comedic, satirical sci-fi musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists. It's the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with the technological singularity, as...
If you're headed to SXSW, remember that in addition to the many world-premiere features there are also really great shorts programs where you can view short films from filmmakers and stars that you may never have another chance to see. Here is a run-down of the ones we were able to screen before the festival.
#PostModem (Shorts Program 1)
According to the filmmakers: "#PostModem is a comedic, satirical sci-fi musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists. It's the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with the technological singularity, as...
- 3/9/2013
- by Mike Saulters
- Slackerwood
If your heart beats fast for Ra Ra Riot, the string-heavy indie band whose album "Beta Love" was released last month, get ready to break out those dance moves. Huffington Post Arts&Culture is pleased to premiere André Allen Anjos' remix of the band's title track, which may be even more catchier than the original.
"Beta Love" is inspired by cyperpunk novelist William Gibson and futurist Ray Kurzweil; the album propels the band's bittersweet indie tone into the future with unsettling sci-fi lyrics and technologically savvy tunes. André Allen Anjos of Rac, the remix artist collective, does what we never thought possible: made Ra Ra Riot's title song even more danceable. Check it out and let us know if you think Anjos enhanced Ra Ra's riotous hit.
Click here to download "Beta Love (Rac Mix)."...
"Beta Love" is inspired by cyperpunk novelist William Gibson and futurist Ray Kurzweil; the album propels the band's bittersweet indie tone into the future with unsettling sci-fi lyrics and technologically savvy tunes. André Allen Anjos of Rac, the remix artist collective, does what we never thought possible: made Ra Ra Riot's title song even more danceable. Check it out and let us know if you think Anjos enhanced Ra Ra's riotous hit.
Click here to download "Beta Love (Rac Mix)."...
- 2/11/2013
- by Priscilla Frank
- Huffington Post
Legality Be Damned, Making Wells A Reality
Ben Lewis started as a commentator on the modern art world, but in recent years has made a name for himself as a sharp witted documentarian of modern culture, his films The Great Contemporary Art Bubble and Poor Us: An Animated History of Poverty making critical international waves. With his fluently astute and alarmingly predictory film, Google and the World Brain, Lewis finds us living in a Google fulfilled prophecy written by the hands of H.G. Wells in his book, World Brain. In this book, Wells theorized that all human knowledge would be centralized and freely accessible to all humans, with the downside that a ‘big brother’ type monitoring would be in place at all times. About a decade ago, Google started work on their Google Books platform, which would attempt to accomplish Wells’ story exactly.
The film begins with the positive – the...
Ben Lewis started as a commentator on the modern art world, but in recent years has made a name for himself as a sharp witted documentarian of modern culture, his films The Great Contemporary Art Bubble and Poor Us: An Animated History of Poverty making critical international waves. With his fluently astute and alarmingly predictory film, Google and the World Brain, Lewis finds us living in a Google fulfilled prophecy written by the hands of H.G. Wells in his book, World Brain. In this book, Wells theorized that all human knowledge would be centralized and freely accessible to all humans, with the downside that a ‘big brother’ type monitoring would be in place at all times. About a decade ago, Google started work on their Google Books platform, which would attempt to accomplish Wells’ story exactly.
The film begins with the positive – the...
- 1/21/2013
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Jillian Mayer and Lucas Leyva screen their latest short, #PostModem, at the Sundance Film Festival this week, but today they’ve dropped “MegaMega Upload,” the music video that takes over the movie at one point. The filmmakers say of #PostModem, “[it's] a comedic satirical sci-fi pop-musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists. It’s the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with the technological singularity, as told through a series of cinematic tweets.” I saw the short at Borscht 8 this year; Mayer and Leyva’s lo-fi riff on uploaded consciousness is super smart. Indeed, you …...
- 1/15/2013
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Glad you asked. Now that the entire programming slate has been announced for the 2013 edition of the Sundance Film Festival, let’s take a look at the representation of Latinos in the broadest, most diverse sense, because that is what that ill-defined lump category encompasses. {Full disclosure: I work as a Programming Associate for the Festival. These are not reviews but an insider breaking-it-down preview}
At first glance the Latino representation may not seem obvious. Nor may it seem as strong as the films and filmmakers from the African-American and Lgbt community representing, or the record breaking number of female directors’ – each group highly visible by their nature. We may not have a Mosquita y Mari or Filly Brown, two fiction films, which broke out of the festival this past year, but we do have two hugely relevant and urgent documentaries, Narco Cultura which explores the phenomenal music and social culture being shaped and perpetuated by the influence of Mexico’s violent drug cartels, and Who Is Dayani Cristal? an innovative doc-fiction hybrid produced by Gael Garcia Bernal that will hopefully re-divert much needed attention back to the Us/Mexico border. By the way, Who is Dayani Cristal? screens in the high profile Day One slot.
What’s Latino anyway?
I personally embrace the responsibility of changing the conversation as to what constitutes representing American Latinos. First, by focusing on both the above-the- line-talent (filmmaker or actor) And storyline/subject. The second part is highlighting the second, third, fourth and so-on generations of filmmakers. What about the filmmakers in the festival like Kyle Patrick Alvarez (C.O.G), Liz W. Garcia (The Lifeguard) and Eduardo Sanchez (S-vhs horror anthology and co-director of the infamous Blair Witch Project)? I don’t know these filmmakers personally so I can’t speak to how they might view their cultural identities and how it informs their work, if at all. But I do believe it is worth pointing out and feeling good about these last names being out there as part of the mainstream fabric. It is similar to how Robert Rodriguez does not identify himself as a Mexican-American yet his last name has been key to driving the younger Latino generation in feeling a proud connection as an American and not just “dash” American.
Chile is still hot
There are three films from Chilean filmmakers. In unprecedented fashion – because that’s how Sundance likes to roll- there is a repeat of last year with two in competition, El Futuro by Alicia Scherson (mostly taking place in Italy) and Magic Fairy by Sebastian Silva, an alumnus who broke out in 2009 with La Nana. In the section Spotlight aka “Movies we love and don’t care if they’ve traveled the festival circuit”, is Pablo Larrain’s No starring Gael Garcia Bernal. Chilean cinema is hot and king of engrossing character-driven fare. What we are seeing is a boom on two fronts; an invigorating new generation of provocateurs (Marialy Rivas’s Young & Wild comes to mind) and a slightly older generation of equally exciting filmmakers who continue to sustain their careers with their distinct voice (like Pablo Larrain along with Andres Wood).
So now lets dive in and look at the list. Loglines copied from official press release – Bold Italics are my comments.
Us Dramatic Competition
Fruitvale / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ryan Coogler) — The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family and strangers on the last day of 2008. Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O’Reilly, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray.
Puerto-Rican Diaz delivers a fiercely moving performance embodying the girlfriend of Oscar Grant who was with him that fateful day. Diaz is no stranger to the festival. She’s previously been at the festival with four films including seminal indie American Latino story, Raising Victor Vargas 2002 and comedies like Hamlet 2 20008. Why homegirl hasn’t gotten more props for her mad acting skills I don’t know, but this girl is wildly talented and Fruitvale showcases her dramatic chops.
Us Documentary Competition
Narco Cultura / U.S.A. (Director: Shaul Schwarz) — An examination of Mexican drug cartels’ influence in pop culture on both sides of the border as experienced by an La narcocorrido singer dreaming of stardom and a Juarez crime scene investigator on the front line of Mexico’s Drug War.
Absolutely arresting photography that works in giving weight to the violent images the public has become numb from seeing. I predict some of my hard core brown and proud friends might focus and hence diminish this film based on the fact that this bi-cultural, Mexican-American subject is made by non-Latino filmmakers. It could be argued as a valid point. When it comes to documentaries a legit question to make when evaluating is “What makes This person the right one to tackle This subject? What is their connection?” Let’s watch it to find out, then give consideration to what other docs are currently out there on this same timely topic made by Latinos, and without bias regard their depth and artistic merit.
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Crystal Fairy / Chile (Director and screenwriter: Sebastián Silva) — Jamie invites a stranger to join a road trip to Chile. The woman’s free and esoteric nature clashes with Jamie’s acidic, self-absorbed personality as they head into the desert for a Mescaline-fueled psychedelic trip. Cast: Michael Cera, Gabby Hoffmann, Juan Andrés Silva, José Miguel Silva, Agustín Silva. World Premiere. Day One Film
This marks Sebastian’s third appearance at the festival following La Nana and Gatos Viejos. Remember what I said about character driven? Silva excels at getting at spilling out the insides of his protagonists.
The Future / Chile, Germany, Italy, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Alicia Scherson) — When their parents die, Bianca starts to smoke and Tomas is still a virgin. The orphans explore the dangerous streets of adulthood until Bianca finds Maciste, a retired Mr. Universe, and enters his dark mansion in search of a future. Cast: Manuela Martelli, Rutger Hauer, Luigi Ciardo, Nicolas Vaporidis, Alessandro Giallocosta. World Premiere
Scherson’s last film, Turistas screened at various film festivals including the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2009. Shot in another country and in a different language, The Future continues the filmmaker’s incisive capturing of the strong female led journey.
World Cinema Documentary Competition
Who is Dayani Cristal? / United Kingdom (Director: Marc Silver) — An anonymous body in the Arizona desert sparks the beginning of a real-life human drama. The search for its identity leads us across a continent to seek out the people left behind and the meaning of a mysterious tattoo. World Premiere. Day One Film
An extraordinary cinematic and symbolic approach to the border crossing genre, this meta reflexive journey retraced by none other than Gael Garcia Bernal imagines the grueling experience of a migrant and who he might have been. Bernal has been lending his star power to the social justice causes that move him and you can tell its genuine.
New Frontier
Halley / Mexico (Director: Sebastian Hofmann, Screenwriters: Sebastian Hofmann, Julio Chavezmontes) — Alberto is dead and can no longer hide it. Before surrendering to his living death, he forms an unusual friendship with Luly, the manager of the 24-hour gym where he works as a night guard. Cast: Alberto Trujillo, Lourdes Trueba, Hugo Albores
As unsettling it is watch, its as deep to ponder, this incredibly-shot first feature had its world premiere at the Morelia Film Festival and its inclusion in the most daring section of the festival speaks to the highly diverse and radical new cinema coming from Mexico.
Spotlight
No / Chile, U.S.A. (Director: Pablo Larraín, Screenwriter: Pedro Peirano) — When Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet calls for a referendum to decide his permanence in power, the opposition persuades a young advertising executive to head its campaign. With limited resources and under scrutiny, he conceives a plan to win the election. Cast: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Luis Gnecco, Marcial Tagle, Néstor Cantillana.
There have been many films about the Pinochet regime and its wide-reaching after effects. But none have had as unique an entry point as No. Trust.
Midnight
We Are What We Are / U.S.A. (Director: Jim Mickle, Screenwriters: Nick Damici, Jim Mickle) — A devastating storm washes up clues that lead authorities closer and closer to the cannibalistic Parker family. Cast: Bill Sage, Ambyr Childers, Julia Garner, Michael Parks, Wyatt Russell, Kelly McGillis.
Okay, I only include this because this is based on the Mexican cult hit, Somos Lo que Hay by Jorge Michel Grau. Jim Mickle of Stakeland has promised to “Not Fuck it Up per Twitch interview
To cap off the features; Stalwart Spanish actor Alfred Molina is in Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes by Francesca Gregorini in Us Dramatic Competition, and we have a strong acting splash by Marcus DeAnda, a co-lead in Pit Stop directed by Yen Tan and co-written by David Lowery. The film about two gay working class lovers in small town Texas is in the Next section.
And lets not forget about shorts!
Short Film Competition
Broken Night / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Guillermo Arriaga) — A young woman and her four-year-old daughter drive across desolated hills. Everything looks fine and they seem to enjoy the ride, until an accident sends them into the nightmare of darkness.
Ever since writing and directing team Arriga and Innaritu broke up (Amores Perros, Babel) Arriaga has been trying to make his stamp directing his own material.
The Companion / Peru (Director and screenwriter: Alvaro Delgado-Aparicio) — On the outskirts of Lima, a young prostitute tends to his father, a fallen-from-grace artisan. However, the young man feels that his efforts are never enough. He tries to break free, but his father’s dependence is stronger than his son’s will.
Intriguing and highly atmospheric gem from Peru!
Chicago? Check. Mexicans check! No, but really this intimate glimpse is poetic and moving.
A Story for the Modlins / Spain (Director: Sergio Oksman, Screenwriter: Sergio Oksman) —The tale of Elmer Modlin, who, after appearing in Rosemary’s Baby, fled with his family to a far-off country and shut himself away in a dark apartment for 30 years.
Must see. Fascinating and inventive ‘Found family photos’ yarn.
#PostModem / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Jillian Mayer, Lucas Leyva) — A comedic, satirical, sci-fi pop musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists, #PostModem is the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with technological singularity, as told through a series of cinematic tweets.
My favorite locos from Miami. After making the rounds with Life & Freaky Times of Uncle Luke, which played last year, these rump-shakers have been busy with their work in and out of their funky audiovisual collective Borscht Corp.
If you are heading to Park City I highly recommend you register to purchase Advance tickets here. See you on the mountain!
At first glance the Latino representation may not seem obvious. Nor may it seem as strong as the films and filmmakers from the African-American and Lgbt community representing, or the record breaking number of female directors’ – each group highly visible by their nature. We may not have a Mosquita y Mari or Filly Brown, two fiction films, which broke out of the festival this past year, but we do have two hugely relevant and urgent documentaries, Narco Cultura which explores the phenomenal music and social culture being shaped and perpetuated by the influence of Mexico’s violent drug cartels, and Who Is Dayani Cristal? an innovative doc-fiction hybrid produced by Gael Garcia Bernal that will hopefully re-divert much needed attention back to the Us/Mexico border. By the way, Who is Dayani Cristal? screens in the high profile Day One slot.
What’s Latino anyway?
I personally embrace the responsibility of changing the conversation as to what constitutes representing American Latinos. First, by focusing on both the above-the- line-talent (filmmaker or actor) And storyline/subject. The second part is highlighting the second, third, fourth and so-on generations of filmmakers. What about the filmmakers in the festival like Kyle Patrick Alvarez (C.O.G), Liz W. Garcia (The Lifeguard) and Eduardo Sanchez (S-vhs horror anthology and co-director of the infamous Blair Witch Project)? I don’t know these filmmakers personally so I can’t speak to how they might view their cultural identities and how it informs their work, if at all. But I do believe it is worth pointing out and feeling good about these last names being out there as part of the mainstream fabric. It is similar to how Robert Rodriguez does not identify himself as a Mexican-American yet his last name has been key to driving the younger Latino generation in feeling a proud connection as an American and not just “dash” American.
Chile is still hot
There are three films from Chilean filmmakers. In unprecedented fashion – because that’s how Sundance likes to roll- there is a repeat of last year with two in competition, El Futuro by Alicia Scherson (mostly taking place in Italy) and Magic Fairy by Sebastian Silva, an alumnus who broke out in 2009 with La Nana. In the section Spotlight aka “Movies we love and don’t care if they’ve traveled the festival circuit”, is Pablo Larrain’s No starring Gael Garcia Bernal. Chilean cinema is hot and king of engrossing character-driven fare. What we are seeing is a boom on two fronts; an invigorating new generation of provocateurs (Marialy Rivas’s Young & Wild comes to mind) and a slightly older generation of equally exciting filmmakers who continue to sustain their careers with their distinct voice (like Pablo Larrain along with Andres Wood).
So now lets dive in and look at the list. Loglines copied from official press release – Bold Italics are my comments.
Us Dramatic Competition
Fruitvale / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ryan Coogler) — The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family and strangers on the last day of 2008. Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O’Reilly, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray.
Puerto-Rican Diaz delivers a fiercely moving performance embodying the girlfriend of Oscar Grant who was with him that fateful day. Diaz is no stranger to the festival. She’s previously been at the festival with four films including seminal indie American Latino story, Raising Victor Vargas 2002 and comedies like Hamlet 2 20008. Why homegirl hasn’t gotten more props for her mad acting skills I don’t know, but this girl is wildly talented and Fruitvale showcases her dramatic chops.
Us Documentary Competition
Narco Cultura / U.S.A. (Director: Shaul Schwarz) — An examination of Mexican drug cartels’ influence in pop culture on both sides of the border as experienced by an La narcocorrido singer dreaming of stardom and a Juarez crime scene investigator on the front line of Mexico’s Drug War.
Absolutely arresting photography that works in giving weight to the violent images the public has become numb from seeing. I predict some of my hard core brown and proud friends might focus and hence diminish this film based on the fact that this bi-cultural, Mexican-American subject is made by non-Latino filmmakers. It could be argued as a valid point. When it comes to documentaries a legit question to make when evaluating is “What makes This person the right one to tackle This subject? What is their connection?” Let’s watch it to find out, then give consideration to what other docs are currently out there on this same timely topic made by Latinos, and without bias regard their depth and artistic merit.
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Crystal Fairy / Chile (Director and screenwriter: Sebastián Silva) — Jamie invites a stranger to join a road trip to Chile. The woman’s free and esoteric nature clashes with Jamie’s acidic, self-absorbed personality as they head into the desert for a Mescaline-fueled psychedelic trip. Cast: Michael Cera, Gabby Hoffmann, Juan Andrés Silva, José Miguel Silva, Agustín Silva. World Premiere. Day One Film
This marks Sebastian’s third appearance at the festival following La Nana and Gatos Viejos. Remember what I said about character driven? Silva excels at getting at spilling out the insides of his protagonists.
The Future / Chile, Germany, Italy, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Alicia Scherson) — When their parents die, Bianca starts to smoke and Tomas is still a virgin. The orphans explore the dangerous streets of adulthood until Bianca finds Maciste, a retired Mr. Universe, and enters his dark mansion in search of a future. Cast: Manuela Martelli, Rutger Hauer, Luigi Ciardo, Nicolas Vaporidis, Alessandro Giallocosta. World Premiere
Scherson’s last film, Turistas screened at various film festivals including the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2009. Shot in another country and in a different language, The Future continues the filmmaker’s incisive capturing of the strong female led journey.
World Cinema Documentary Competition
Who is Dayani Cristal? / United Kingdom (Director: Marc Silver) — An anonymous body in the Arizona desert sparks the beginning of a real-life human drama. The search for its identity leads us across a continent to seek out the people left behind and the meaning of a mysterious tattoo. World Premiere. Day One Film
An extraordinary cinematic and symbolic approach to the border crossing genre, this meta reflexive journey retraced by none other than Gael Garcia Bernal imagines the grueling experience of a migrant and who he might have been. Bernal has been lending his star power to the social justice causes that move him and you can tell its genuine.
New Frontier
Halley / Mexico (Director: Sebastian Hofmann, Screenwriters: Sebastian Hofmann, Julio Chavezmontes) — Alberto is dead and can no longer hide it. Before surrendering to his living death, he forms an unusual friendship with Luly, the manager of the 24-hour gym where he works as a night guard. Cast: Alberto Trujillo, Lourdes Trueba, Hugo Albores
As unsettling it is watch, its as deep to ponder, this incredibly-shot first feature had its world premiere at the Morelia Film Festival and its inclusion in the most daring section of the festival speaks to the highly diverse and radical new cinema coming from Mexico.
Spotlight
No / Chile, U.S.A. (Director: Pablo Larraín, Screenwriter: Pedro Peirano) — When Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet calls for a referendum to decide his permanence in power, the opposition persuades a young advertising executive to head its campaign. With limited resources and under scrutiny, he conceives a plan to win the election. Cast: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Luis Gnecco, Marcial Tagle, Néstor Cantillana.
There have been many films about the Pinochet regime and its wide-reaching after effects. But none have had as unique an entry point as No. Trust.
Midnight
We Are What We Are / U.S.A. (Director: Jim Mickle, Screenwriters: Nick Damici, Jim Mickle) — A devastating storm washes up clues that lead authorities closer and closer to the cannibalistic Parker family. Cast: Bill Sage, Ambyr Childers, Julia Garner, Michael Parks, Wyatt Russell, Kelly McGillis.
Okay, I only include this because this is based on the Mexican cult hit, Somos Lo que Hay by Jorge Michel Grau. Jim Mickle of Stakeland has promised to “Not Fuck it Up per Twitch interview
To cap off the features; Stalwart Spanish actor Alfred Molina is in Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes by Francesca Gregorini in Us Dramatic Competition, and we have a strong acting splash by Marcus DeAnda, a co-lead in Pit Stop directed by Yen Tan and co-written by David Lowery. The film about two gay working class lovers in small town Texas is in the Next section.
And lets not forget about shorts!
Short Film Competition
Broken Night / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Guillermo Arriaga) — A young woman and her four-year-old daughter drive across desolated hills. Everything looks fine and they seem to enjoy the ride, until an accident sends them into the nightmare of darkness.
Ever since writing and directing team Arriga and Innaritu broke up (Amores Perros, Babel) Arriaga has been trying to make his stamp directing his own material.
The Companion / Peru (Director and screenwriter: Alvaro Delgado-Aparicio) — On the outskirts of Lima, a young prostitute tends to his father, a fallen-from-grace artisan. However, the young man feels that his efforts are never enough. He tries to break free, but his father’s dependence is stronger than his son’s will.
Intriguing and highly atmospheric gem from Peru!
Chicago? Check. Mexicans check! No, but really this intimate glimpse is poetic and moving.
A Story for the Modlins / Spain (Director: Sergio Oksman, Screenwriter: Sergio Oksman) —The tale of Elmer Modlin, who, after appearing in Rosemary’s Baby, fled with his family to a far-off country and shut himself away in a dark apartment for 30 years.
Must see. Fascinating and inventive ‘Found family photos’ yarn.
#PostModem / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Jillian Mayer, Lucas Leyva) — A comedic, satirical, sci-fi pop musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists, #PostModem is the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with technological singularity, as told through a series of cinematic tweets.
My favorite locos from Miami. After making the rounds with Life & Freaky Times of Uncle Luke, which played last year, these rump-shakers have been busy with their work in and out of their funky audiovisual collective Borscht Corp.
If you are heading to Park City I highly recommend you register to purchase Advance tickets here. See you on the mountain!
- 12/5/2012
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
Tons of notable entries from established auteurs, documentarians and the next generation of filmmakers to watch out for are the make-up of Sundance’s 2013 Short Film program. A total of 65 short films were selected from a whopping 8000 plus entries and among the notable names/shorts to look out for we find The Captain – from the Blue Tongue Films gang of Nash Edgerton and Spencer Susser (Hesher) a project penned with Taika Waititi (Eagle vs Shark), Goran Dukic who brought The Wristcutters to the fest several years back, brings us What Do We Have in Our Pockets?, while Damien Chazelle who directed the feature Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, brings us Whiplash and Guillermo Arriaga (The Burning Plain) let’s us feast on Broken Night.
Andrew Renzi makes it back to back years at the fest, he was invited last year for The Fort (here’s our interview with him) returns with Karaoke!
Andrew Renzi makes it back to back years at the fest, he was invited last year for The Fort (here’s our interview with him) returns with Karaoke!
- 12/4/2012
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
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