I create online media and multimedia for The Film Society of Lincoln Center. I blog about social media here and for the Film Society here. What fires me up creatively is helping arts and media organizations connect to passionate audiences through the web. I created this site as a way of showcasing some of my favorite recent projects. You can also see my resume here.
Rendez-Vous with French Cinema is one of our most popular series of the year, consistently showing to packed houses of rabid French cinema fans. If you missed our priority sales period for Members, there are still ways to get your fix of the best in new French cinema. We'll be tweeting last-minute ticket releases for sold-out shows, and you can come right here to read more about films for which limited tickets remain.
Upcoming highlights include:
They were cinema's earliest pioneers and their work still dazzles. The always entertaining raconteur Thierry Frémaux, Cannes Film Festival artistic director, will be on hand to offer a running commentary the Lumières’ pioneering experiments with color—and even 3D. Our associate programmer Scott Foundas, who saw this unique showcase in Lyon, raves that it's an incredible experience you won't soon forget. This Saturday Only at 3:30!
Winner of numerous international awards, and nominated for a slew of French César awards (including Best Actor for Vincent Lindon), Welcome became one of the biggest box-office hits in France. Although the screening on Sunday is just about sold out, you can catch a matinee tomorrow at 1:15.
Want more of Vincent Lindon? Be sure to catch a special conversation with him this Sun at 6:15!
Another illustrated conversation will take place on Mon, March 15th with the inventive film, commercial and music video director, Michel Gondry at 8:00 pm. He's created some of the most innovative work over the last decade including his 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and of course his well-known collaborations with artists like Björk and The White Stripes. Gondry will discuss the trajectory of his work and his upcoming release, A Thorn in the Heart.
Before James Bond and the Pink Panther, there was Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath. Reviving France's top secret agent, director Michel Hazanavicius lovingly conjures up an earlier era with Sixties-flavored set design and candy-colored cinematography in OSS 117. The Tuesday night screening on March 16th is almost sold out but another option is the Monday matinee at 1:00 pm!
They say the best things come in small packages... if you love short films, then you can't miss the seven that we're featuring on Tue, March 16th at 1:30 and Thurs, March 18th at 6:30 pm as part of New French Shorts. Actress Julie Gayet will make an appearance.
One of the most talked about films in the program is The French Kissers which won the César award for Best First Work. This hilariously crude and surprisingly touching coming-of-age comedy is a movie for everyone who remembers the glories of first love and the horrors of premature ejaculation. The "Superbad" of France? You decide! Limited tickets remain for both the Fri March 12 screening at 9:25 and the Tue March 16 screening at 3:45!
Another offbeat comedy in the program we recommend seeing is The King of Escape which was presented at Cannes Directors' Fortnight last year. The wackiness ensues when a gay, portly, middle-aged tractor salesman helps to rescue a vivacious 16-year-old girl (The Secret of the Grain’s remarkable Hafsia Herzi) from a gang of bullies, and she falls head over heels for her unlikely savior. Tickets are selling fast so grab them before they're sold out! Sat Mar 13: 9:00 and Mon Mar 15: 3:45
Paris comes to New York for just a brief window during the spring so you don't want to miss the boat! For the complete festival, read more.
Don't miss a special program of short films from France being shown at the 2010 Rendez-vous with French Cinema, screening Tue Mar 16: 1:30 & Thu Mar 18: 6:30!
Allons-y! Alonz!
Directed by Camille Moulin-Dupré
In this tribute to famous new-wave actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, an old man chases a beautiful woman out of reality itself into an animated comic strip that plays out across the big screen.
L’Aide au Retour
Directed by Mohammed Latrèche
This films explores the struggle of illegal immigration in Europe through the lives of Sofija and Miroslav, who are working to improve their lives in France with their two sons when they are suddenly offered money to return to the country from which they fled.
The Girls (Les Filles)
Directed by Anna Mouglalis
The Girls is short love story about a young woman in an aged and seedy bar, who meets a stranger amid the crowd of tired regulars.
Les Grandes Forêts
Directed by Frédéric Guélaff
In this film about siblings and shared history, Gilles drags his young sister Lise reluctantly away from her new life as he desperately escapes into the forest to try and outrun his would-be murderer.
L’Occupant
Directed by Gabriel Le Bomin
L’Occupant is a war story about a unusual bond between an Italian soldier who deserted his military post and is forced to bargain with a young boy for food in exchange for pages from a book on Italian Renaissance architecture.
One Last Cigarette (Une Dernière Cigarette)
Directed by Géraldine Maillet
One Last Cigarette explores smoking and relationships in the story of two strangers who have both abandon their dates to duck out of the same restaurant to satisfy their nicotine cravings, and then proceed to change their lives forever.
The Story of My Life (Toute ma vie)
Directed by Pierre Ferrière
In this introspective piece, Alessandra receives a call on her cell phone from a stranger, who begins to remind her about all the important life-changing moments in her past without revealing his real identity.
Screening Tue Mar 16: 1:30 & Thu Mar 18: 6:30
It's the festival that brought you Spike Lee, Christopher Nolan, Wong Kar Wai and more early in their careers, and this year's New Directors/New Films lineup promises to be an unparalleled opportunity to sample the visions of some of the most exciting filmmakers working today. With over two dozen films from 19 countries, New Directors/New Films is simply the place to be this March 24-April 4.
And you're invited to preview that incredible selection on the festival's first-ever dedicated web destination, newdirectors.org.
Visit newdirectors.org now to experience:
With a festival this strong and wide-ranging, you'll want to make your selections early. And why wait until the public sale date of March 13 to buy your tickets when you can beat the crowds by becoming a Member today!
Members of the Film Society of Lincoln Center enjoy a special priority ordering period from Tuesday March 9 through Saturday March 13.
Plus, you'll enjoy benefits of Membership all year long, with everything from free movie tickets to advance buying opportunities for the New York Festival and insider access to New York's prime destination for world and independent cinema, The Film Society of Lincoln Center.
Get the inside track on the most exciting festival of the season--take a tour of the new newdirectors.org--and become a Member today!
Though we host a bold-face list of notables year round here at the Film Society, March 5-11 promises to turn up the heat here at the Walter Reade with an incredible roster of Hollywood royalty. The reason? Our salute to the fabulous Anne Bancroft, as well as a series highlighting some of the most indelible Oscar-winning films set in New York.
Mark your calendar for a set of appearances you won't want to miss! And remember you can enjoy this incredible roster of classic Hollywood films, plus the celebrity appearances for one incredible All-Access Pass Price! Read on for full details.
William Friedkin March 5: Mr. Friedkin will be here to talk about The French Connection. Of course we'll want to ask him about the legendary car chase scene pictured above. But questions about his other classic films, including the Exorcist, are sure to come up during this discussion. Buy tickets>>
Stanley Jaffe March 6: Kramer Vs. Kramer was a film that defined a generation, and producer Stanley Jaffe exemplifies high-quality major studio filmmaking at its finest through films as diverse as Goodbye Columbus, The Bad News Bears, Fatal Attraction and The Accused. Don't miss this chance to hear his tales from the trenches! Buy tickets>>
Ulu Grossbard March 6: Before making his name on the Oscar-winning film The Subject Was Roses (also screening March 6), Grossbard served as an assistant director on such legendary films as The Pawnbroker, directed by Sidney Lumet, and The Miracle Worker (which is screening here March 8). The Subject Was Roses is soon to be revived on Broadway--be sure to see it here on March 6! Buy tickets>>
Mike Nichols March 9: Masterful film, master director, master class here at the Film Society on March 9th, as we salute the work on Anne Bancroft. If you've never seen the film up on the big screen, be prepared to be get seduced--not only by the incredible Bancroft, but also the eye-popping widescreen cinematography. Buy tickets>>
Patty Duke March 8th: Appearing with one of her very first screen roles in The Miracle Worker, Patty Duke joins us in tribute to her co-star Anne Bancroft. Buy tickets>>
Marsha Norman March 9th: The legendary playwright and screenwriter stops by to talk about 'night, Mother, the classic 1986 drama featuring Anne Bancroft and Sissy Spacek. Buy tickets>>
Neil Simon March 11: Who doesn't love them a little Neil Simon? Especially when he's appearing to talk about such an incredible set of performances in The Prisoner of Second Avenue. In this iconic New York drama, Anne Bancroft and Jack Lemmon hit the roof. Buy tickets>>
Enjoy star power at the Film Society this March 5-11:
See them all with an All Access Pass for just $119 ($99 Members / $109 Seniors & Students). Buy now>>
See schedule of And The Winner is...New York! March 5-7
See schedule of Fierce and Fabulous: Anne Bancroft March 8-11
What's a little snow to an intrepid New York movie lover?
This weekend at the Walter Reade, you can make an escape into the world of twisted lovers, urban legends born out of a tormented political moment, and the latest selections from countries ranging from France to Japan to the Philippines.
So if you want to stay in, stay in here and immerse yourself in four of the series' best films on Saturday with an all-day pass for just $40 ($25 Member/Student)!
Last year, Film Comment Selects unveiled the critically lauded, current Oscar favorite The Hurt Locker. Think of it this way: this weekend might be your very last chance to beat the critics and your film-loving friends to the next big discovery. Don't let a little bit of snow keep you from all you can experience at the theater this weekend:
Plan a different kind of "date night": frothy rom-coms have their place, but really, what can compare to seeing Charlotte Gainsbourg light up the screen in much loved French auteur Patrice Chereau's latest, Persecution? Let your Netflix queue languish as you crack a smile over Juliette Garicias's creepy-funny tale of dark obsession, Be Good (Sois Sage). And not all love stories portray two human lovers: Air Doll, from Japan, tells the story of a lonely salaryman and his love for a inflatable doll who comes to life.
Have a festival experience right in your own backyard: Kinatay (The Execution of P.) was a sensation when it premiered at Cannes last year. The young director, Brilliante Mendoza, has been on our radar since New York Film Festival 2008. See his latest exploration of the seamy side of big city life in the hard-hitting and decidedly political new film.
See a new side of film history: You've probably never seen a documentary as inventive as The Land of Madness by French New Wave iconoclast Luc Moullet. It tracks his native region's folklore of murder, suicide and mental illness. Film Comment Selects curator Gavin Smith calls Edward Yang's magnum opus A Brighter Summer Day "a film that will change your life; and this Sunday is your last chance to see it. Finally, much lauded 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days director Christian Mungiu passes the baton to a new generation of filmmakers with an omnibus exploration of the absurdities of life under Ceausescu, Tales from the Golden Age.
Remember, you have less than a week to explore some of the most provocative and boundary-breaking filmmaking on the planet via Film Comment Selects.
Whichever film you choose, it's certain to be a worthwhile journey.
This weekend's schedule:
Friday February 26
4:30 Persecution
6:30 Kinatay (The Execution of P.)
8:40 Persecution
Saturday February 27
1:30 Air Doll
4:00 The Land of Madness
6:00 Persecution
8:00 Tales from the Golden Age
Sunday February 28
1:30 A Brighter Summer Day
6:15 Be Good (Sois Sage)
8:15 Kinatay (The Execution of P.)
Get ready for the most exciting festival of the season, right here in New York!
Yep, it's the festival that brought you Spike Lee, Pedro Almodovar, Christopher Nolan, Darren Aronofsky, Wong Kar Wai and Kelly Reichardt early in their impressive careers. This March 24-April4, The Film Society of Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art present New Directors/New Films!
Opening with a portrait of legendary New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham, New Directors/New Films 2010 will unveil over two dozen new films from 19 countries, including Belgium, France, Greece, Lebanon, Iran, Romania, Russia, Argentina, Australia, Mexico, Spain and the United States. Read the full film descriptions here...
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Sunday, March 14th.
This year marks the first time the festival has had its own dedicated website, at newdirectors.org.
You can also keep up with the festival on Facebook and Twitter. We'll see you there!
You can see nine new and classic Asian films at this year's Film Comment Selects. With films from Japan, China, the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan, this diverse selection covers everything from urban life to wartime occupation and the love stories in between. Here are some highlights:
Accident is a film about an “accident” specialist, nicknamed the Brain. He stages elaborate plots to make murders look entirely accidental, so no one even suspects foul play. He is a fascinating character, highly skilled and plagued with guilt and haunting memories of his lost wife. Because he lives in a world where every happenstance is carefully planned and choreographed in advance, he’s begun to lose his faith in pure luck, believing instead that everything that happens is planned out. So when one of his men dies on the job, he is convinced that it must be foul play and someone is out to get him. Paranoid and reading between the lines of every interaction, he strives to kill his enemies first. The film is a fast-paced thriller of the highest order, with intricate scenes and complex characterization.
A Brighter Summer Day is a Taiwanese film about one boy’s struggle to grow up while navigating the confusing political atmosphere that was Taiwan in the 1960s. The film itself is nothing short of daring, capturing the intense and turbulent feelings of the time through S’ir’s experiences. Taiwan itself was undergoing massive changes after Japanese occupation and American influence, trying to work for an uncertain future. S’ir and his friends try to find their place in this new world, somewhere between gang violence and mandatory school attendance and phonetically-learned English pop music.
The cast was largely comprised of amateur actors, who came together magnificently to give a flavor of the complicated life of the everyman in Taiwan of the sixties. This is Edward Yang’s magnum opus in uncut glory, intense and personal while epic and universal. Don’t miss this film on February 28th, and buy tickets now.
Like You Know it All is the newest film from Hong Sang-soo about a young director who is asked to join the jury for the Jecheon International Music and Film Festival (which is a real annual film and music festival in South Korea). Koo Gyun-nam is unprepared for the event, and ends up running into an old friend, who invites him over to stay. He is thrown out the next morning, accused of seducing his host’s wife. Confused, he ends up travelling to Jeju island to give a lecture, only to get entangled in another complicated relationship. Over the course of the movie Hong Sang-soo directs ac complex world world with humor and realistic awkwardness in this fascinating tragicomedy. Check out more info and buy tickets here. Don’t miss this great film!
Don’t forget to check out the full schedule Film Comment Selects playing now through March 4th!
The film industry in Hungary is rich with traditions and values formed by the many social and political pressures that were of times before the fall of the communist regime. Today, filmmakers in Hungary still produce cinema that is both wonderfully innovative and high-quality. The Film Society at Lincoln Center is thrilled to host a selection of new movies right out of the contemporary Hungarian cinema scene on Feb. 12-18.
All of the movies look great, of course, but here are some of the movies that I’m particularly excited to see!
1 is the movie that I’m looking forward to the most. It’s a sci-fi story adapted from a short essay by famous writer Stanslaw Lern (Solaris). The movie explores the mysterious replacement of a rare collection of books with an almanac that seems to document the entire history of mankind. Watch the trailer now!
Iska’s Journey is a film that completely defies categorization. It lies somewhere between documentary, reenactment and fiction. Maria Varga (the leading actress) was a girl that Csaba Bollok (the filmmaker) met living in the streets of a coal-mining town. The film pieces together her struggles to survive on her own after her family ran out of money and she left an orphanage only to be caught up in a human trafficking ring. This trailer doesn't have subtitles, but it gives you a great feel for the film.
Another film, Puskas Hungary explores the life of one of the most famous Hungarian athletes to date. Ferenc Puskas was a soccer (or as they say in Europe, football) player who competed on an international scale. He is still well-remembered today, as a quick search through youtube will show you. The film is both a tribute to the man and the legacy, showing his personal life amid the fans and political chaos of Hungary in the mid-to-late 20th century.
These are only some of the many fantastic films airing as part of the collection of Hungarian films on Feb. 12-18. Don’t miss out on these films! You can go to the Film Society website to find out more info about all of the movies, and buy tickets now!
Some of you may remember the gripping and much talked about 2005 crime drama The Beat That My Heart Skipped from French director Jacques Audiard. It was a super-stylish remake of a James Toback movie from the 1970s, Fingers, and it swept the Cesars (the French Academy Awards), and opened to wide acclaim in the States.
Now Audiard is back with another crime film that seems poised to raise the bar on his already impressive reputation. A Prophet still possesses the genre-movie-laced stylistics of Audiard's previous works, but it tackles one of France's most hot-button issues, the clash between a deeply rooted sense of national identity and the perceived challenges brought on by an influx of new immigrants from the Arab world. The film follows an illiterate French-Arab prison inmate’s six-year odyssey from new kid on the cell block to underworld kingpin. The director told The Huffington Post: "In my film, I wanted to make a nice guy just like you and me, who also kills. So you can identify with him. Keep away from black and white moralizing."
The trailer looks awesome:
Writing in the current issue of Film Comment magazine, Amy Taubin says that "Like the strangely alluring The Beat That My Heart Skipped, A Prophet is a genre movie that mixes lyricism and violence with a detailed depiction of the little-remarked underbelly of an institution that the kind of people who go to Audiard movies—at home and abroad—would rather ignore."
The film won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes last year, and is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film. Catch a sneak preview--and get a jump on the Oscar handicapping--here at the Film Society next Thursday night at 7:30.
This Friday, February 5th, Detroit techno icon Carl Craig and Berlin duo NSI will perform LIVE to two early Warhol films – Blow Job and Kiss. Buy tickets>>
Writer and filmmaker Peter Gidal wrote the following on Blow Job: "In Andy Warhol's silent black-and-white movie, Blow Job (1964), a youth is filmed as he is apparently being given the sex act named in the title. The 35-minute film is accentuated by the paucity of expression on the actor's face: we see only his head and shoulders, rigidly framed so that all off-screen space has to be imagined, or avoided. Sometimes the young actor looks bored, sometimes as if he is thinking, sometimes as if he is aware of the camera, sometimes as if he is not. Like the protagonists of other Warhol films, he is apparently left to his own devices."
And just in case you’ve never heard of them- here’s some background information on the talented artists who will perform live. (Carl Craig plays with Blow Job, nsi. with Kiss)
Carl Craig, an extremely prolific musician, is known as a leader in Detroit’s second wave of techno. With well over 200 singles and remixes under his belt, Craig’s popularity pertains to his bold tastes, experimenting with European synth music, post-punk, jazz, funk, and R&B. In an interview with Stylus Magazine, Craig reveals, “I have a bad habit of getting my hands dirty in every little thing, and I really do enjoy it.”
NSI. (non standard institute) is the brainchild of Berlin sound engineers Max Loderbauer and Tobias Freund, prominent techno producers whose careers date back to the mid-1980s. Known for their visceral take on minimalism and techno, nsi. has established itself as one of the most inventive and aurally accomplished groups.
