Boston Underground Film Festival 2019 Recap
Critic Evan Crean shares reviews of his favorite new release films from 2019 Boston Underground Film Festival, which ran from March 20-24 at the Brattle Theatre.
Critic Evan Crean shares reviews of his favorite new release films from 2019 Boston Underground Film Festival, which ran from March 20-24 at the Brattle Theatre.
The 48th annual edition of ND/NF, curated by The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Manhattan’s Museum of Modern Art, spotlights 35 features and shorts from promising directors worldwide. Senior film critic Kurt Brokaw examines five dramas and documentaries, including Chinonye Chukwa’s Opening Night prison drama, Clemency, premiering in New York just 13 days after California’s governor granted temporary reprieves to over 700 inmates on the state’s death row.
A conversation between editor Michele Meek and contributor Emily Watlington about the new book Independent Female Filmmakers, which recounts the legacy of 15 groundbreaking female filmmakers from Deepa Mehta to Cheryl Dunye to Martha Coolidge, while also highlighting the history of The Independent itself.
Ever doubt your sanity after selling your condo and moving halfway across the country? Meet Camille Hollett-French, writer, director, and actor of Her Story (In Three Parts): No. 3 In the Absence of Angels. Despite doubts and financial obstacles, her efforts were awarded when was selected to screen at the 2019 Slamdance Film Festival, the Park City film festival focused on emerging artists and low-budget independent films. In this piece, Courtney Gardner writes from a conversation with Hollett-French about the use of film to discuss sexuality and shame, and about what it means to go for the jugular.
Directors, Writers, and Editors Deragh Campbell and Sofia Bohdanowicz are adept at indie film budgeting or what they call the “microbudget.” In this interview, they talk about creating and funding their film, sharing some of the tips they’ve learned along the way, such as keeping the shoot to a minimal number of days, finding locations that would offer space for free, and raising funds from Canadian grants and screening fees.
Artist/ Writer Neil Kendricks talks with Filmmaker Just Philippot about the inspiration behind his apocalyptic vision of environmental collapse in his terrifying film, Acid. The short was one of 73 featured at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.
Macedonian filmmaker Teona Mitevska’s film Gospod postoi, imeto i’ e Petrunija or God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya, begins on an ordinary…
Rendez-Vous With French Cinema unreels in Lincoln Center February 28-March 10. The 24th annual edition, co-sponsored by The Film Society of Lincoln Center and UniFrance, presents nearly two dozen new French dramas, most having their US or New York premieres. Senior film critic Kurt Brokaw viewed everything available and selects Invisibles (above), Paul Sanchez Is Back!, and Raising Colors as favorites. Read those reviews here.
Filmmaker Robert Machoian recruited his father Bruce Graham and this three sons Arri, Ezra, and Jonah to create the short film The Minors. The Writer/Director/Producer spoke with Neil Kendricks about the end result: the film not only gave Machoian’s family an opportunity to combine quality time with creating cinematic art, but The Minors premiered at Sundance winning a Short Film Jury Award for directing. Not bad for a family with artistic aspirations finding an audience on the film-festival circuit.