The Independent’s Editor speaks with Gnimbin Ouattara, Associate Professor of History and International Studies at Brenau University on his new documentary Ali, mbomayé’s. The film centers on four African people who vividly remember the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” fight in Zaire, where Muhammad Ali, former heavyweight champion, defeated George Foreman, the undefeated world heavyweight champion in a knockout.
The continued rise of streaming platforms has had reverberating effects in online film communities. Every company, regardless of size and scope, must complete to find, maintain, and build online audiences. Courtney Sheehan shares news of new streaming services after speaking with industry reps at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
The Independent’s Senior Film Critic, Kurt Brokaw, was at this year’s New York Film Festival. In this article, he reviews his favorites in the narrative drama and documentary genres. Read about the films that captured Kurt’s attention.
Courtney Sheehan reports on digital media pioneer Katerina Cizek, who has brought a new documentary project to the Toronto International Film Festival. Cizek is leading the co-creation of the MIT Open Documentary Lab, a research center for emerging new media technologies. Sheehan discusses Cizek’s newest film project and the exciting innovations in documentary filmmaking that are being explored.
Courtney Sheehan talks with Serbian Director Mila Turajlic at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Turajilic’s new documentary, The Other Side of Everything (Druga strana svega) mines the depths of family history to offer an untold story of Yugoslavia’s past. The filmmaker shares about her process, her family’s fascinating story, and the role of documentary in representing and reflecting upon cultural complexities.
Backpack Full of Cash is a new documentary by Director and Activist Sarah Mondale. The film, which is co-produced by Vera Aronow, offers an unforgiving portrayal of the charter school movement in America. Marie-Emmanuelle Hartness was at the Boston screening and talks with Mondale and Aronow about making the film and about working with Nancy Carlson-Paige and her son, Matt Damon.
The Independent’s Senior Film Critic, Kurt Brokaw, picks early favorites from four shorts programs at this year’s New York Film Festival (Sept. 28-Oct. 15). Read about Brokaw’s picks and where and when these great films will be showing.
Kaufman’s Game is the award-winning, full-length drama by first time Writer/Directer Helier Bissell-Thomas. The film stars Jye Frasca as Stanley, an unemployed man with a passion for boxing, who becomes drawn into the violent operations of a powerful organization. The Independent’s editor caught up with Bissell-Thomas to discuss the film’s production and its influences.
Gloria Muñoz of Pitch Her Productions shares industry tips for emerging female filmmakers. Muñoz and her production company has just released Keep Me Posted, a comedic web series written and directed by Hillary Nussbaum. The series, which stars Maya Deshmukh, Terra Mackintosh, and Kim Blanck offers an unforgiving look at social media, notably the complexities of balancing online personas with authentic, real-world intimacy.