Interviews

10 Filmmakers to Watch: Complex Movements

10 Filmmakers to Watch: Complex Movements

At the intersection of community organizing, design, hip-hop, electronic music, architecture, film, and theater, Complex Movement’s latest project Beware of The Dandelions is a science fiction parable in which the audience plays the role of post-apocalyptic survivors and unlocks the untold stories of their community. This talented group of artists joins The Independent’s 10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2016 for their immersive visual and sound experience that incorporates science-fiction, projections, songs, and interactive game elements.

10 Filmmakers to Watch: Kate McCartney & Kate McLennan

10 Filmmakers to Watch: Kate McCartney & Kate McLennan

Julia Child may have been pioneered cooking show humor, but co-creators and co-performers Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan have taken cooking hilarity to the brilliant level it deserves with their series The Katering Show, chronicling the journey of an “intolerable foodie” and her anti-foodie food intolerant “friend.” Hence, they join The Independent’s 10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2016.

10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2016: Joel Hodge & Evan Glodell

10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2016: Joel Hodge & Evan Glodell

In 2011, Evan Glodell and Joel Hodge partnered up to make the film Bellflower, with Glodell writing, directing and acting, and Hodge working as DP. With a budget of about $17,000, the film became acclaimed for its stunning action-packed cinematography, resulting from their own hand-made camera built exclusively for the film. Now, Glodell and Hodge make The Independent’s 10 Filmmakers to Watch list for their upcoming feature Chuck Hank and the San Diego Twins.

10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2016: Damon Davis and Sabaah Folayan

10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2016: Damon Davis and Sabaah Folayan

Whose Streets, a documentary from filmmakers Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis currently in post-production, chronicles the lives of activists in Ferguson, Missouri and the surrounding St. Louis area following the controversial killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by white police officer Darren Wilson on August 9, 2014. Folayan and Davis focus on the aftermath of the incident and the evolving social movement surrounding it. Their hope is to bring awareness and clarity to this racially-charged, constantly unfolding narrative. The directing duo make our 10 filmmakers to watch list for 2016.

10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2016: Paisley Smith

10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2016: Paisley Smith

Paisley Smith first found her niche in Virtual Reality working with the “Godmother of VR” Nonny de la Peña and the Emblematic Group. Smith now makes The Independent’s 10 to Watch list for her most recent project, an animated Virtual Reality documentary Taro’s World based on the story of Taro, an exchange student from Japan who lived with Smith and her family for his teenage years, but at age 17, took his own life.

10 Filmmakers to Watch: Andrew Ahn

10 Filmmakers to Watch: Andrew Ahn

In each of his short films, Andrew Ahn explores the dynamics of an Asian American family living in the United States and the very nature of family itself. Now, he makes our 10 Filmmakers to Watch list for his debut feature film, Spa Night, a film that continues to explore these themes and recently premiered at Sundance 2016 in US Dramatic Competition.