Features

SUNDANCE 2019: Robert Machoian Graham
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SUNDANCE 2019: Robert Machoian Graham

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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.  

Sundance 2019: Writer/Director Soudade Kaadan
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Sundance 2019: Writer/Director Soudade Kaadan

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Filmmaker Soudade Kaadan lends her darkly comic voice to humanity under siege in the short film Aziza, winner of the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.  In this interview, Neil Kendricks speaks with the filmmaker about how she transformed her experience as a Syrian exile into this award-winning short.

Meet the Director: Alice Waddington
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Meet the Director: Alice Waddington

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Courtney Gardner, who attended this year’s Sundance Film Festival (January 23—February 3) shares insights abut Paradise Hills, the feature debut of 28-year-old, Spanish director Alice Waddington. Bringing her love of science fiction and fantasy to the screen, Alice tells a story of women traditionally underrepresented in film.  Alice spoke with Courtney about the identities she holds close, the barriers she sees and has faced in the film industry, and of the symbolism in Paradise Hills

A Tribute to Jonas Mekas (1922-2019)
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A Tribute to Jonas Mekas (1922-2019)

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Immigrant artisan, insatiable curator, preservationist, fearless exhibitor who got the world to understand that raw and unruly “underground” cinema could be classic independent moviemaking —Jonas Mekas did it all, passing away January 23 at age 96. Senior film critic Kurt Brokaw salutes the life and work of the pioneer who built Anthology Film Archives in lower Manhattan, proudly calling himself a filmer and not a filmmaker.

People sitting inside a movie theater.

Revisiting Summer: Reflections from Coolidge Corner Theater’s New Film Series

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Mike Sullivan introduces readers to the Coolidge Corner Theater’s new “Summer Seminar” series by revisiting memorable screenings from the 2018 season. As part of the educational series, seminar attendees enjoy a pre-screening presentation and participate in post-film analysis, led by experts in various aspects of film: technique, theory, style, trivia, etc. In this article, Mike describes the fascinating lectures and evocative screenings of Jaws (a Coolidge Corner Theater summer tradition!) and The Silence of the Lambs.

American Film Market Oct. 31- Nov. 7 2018
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American Film Market Oct. 31- Nov. 7 2018

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The 2018 American Film Market just wrapped up in Santa Monica, California. This year saw  comparably stronger sales for small, independent films. Courtney Sheehan was at the AFM, and writes about the importance of relationships and risk-taking,  key themes that emerged in the conference sessions on production and distribution.

“There Were No Laws Against It Then”
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“There Were No Laws Against It Then”

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As the world opened up to women’s liberation, civil rights, and new social movements, Hollywood of the 1960s doubled down on the exploitative practices that had made the industry so harmful to women. In this sixth series installment, Kerry McElroy argues that the sexual revolution stirring the larger culture, epitomized in the rise of Hugh Hefner, fanned the flames of an already misogynist, violent industry culture.  As seen through the lives of Tippi Hedren and Marilyn Monroe, this article shows that the commodification of women only increased, even as the old studio system was dying. Few stars experienced the exception; read on about a compelling example: Elizabeth Taylor.