Film Festivals

Tribeca 2015: Critic’s Choice

Tribeca 2015: Critic’s Choice

Senior critic Kurt Brokaw commends Tribeca’s Sharon Badal on her “peerless curating” in his annual selection of festival favorites. From the buzzy The Wolfpack to the under-the-radar shorts such as Big Boy selected by Badal, this year’s picks thus far include dramatized dance, rock legends (but not conspiracy theories), and under-helicoptered children.

Filmmakers and Their Global Lens: Ondi Timoner

Filmmakers and Their Global Lens: Ondi Timoner

“Oh, he was frustrated with me and I was frustrated with him through the process of making this film, but I’m a fan of the man,” says Ondi Timoner to The Independent’s Dana Knight. The pair talks shop about filming Russell Brand for Brand: The Second Coming, which premiered at SXSW 2015.

SXSW 2015: This Year Women Bring the Substance

SXSW 2015: This Year Women Bring the Substance

From two boxing documentaries to the viewpoints of Afghan photojournalists, much of the buzz during this year’s SXSW surrounded films by or about women. Steven Abrams offers up his observations of this festival, growing each year in every direction, as it struggles to keep the margins front and center.

SXSW 2015: Film Conference Highlights

SXSW 2015: Film Conference Highlights

With more than 240 offerings, even seasoned SXSW attendees like Steven Abrams can feel overwhelmed. Abrams took a step back and gleaned the best nuggets from the film panels so that those of us who couldn’t attend can get a sense of what’s what.

DIY Film Fest Case Study – Salem Film Fest

DIY Film Fest Case Study – Salem Film Fest

The Independent kicks off a new series to aid would-be curators and filmmakers (seasoned and new) in their hunt for the best of indie film community gatherings. First up: Salem Film Fest, an all-documentary festival, growing in audience numbers and prestige, held in Salem, MA each March.

Filmmakers and Their Global Lens: Eugene Jarecki

Filmmakers and Their Global Lens: Eugene Jarecki

Dana Knight and documentarian Eugene Jarecki talk about the cliches of being rich and poor, holding two conflicting ideas in your mind at the same time, and the feasibility of democracy, among other topics, while attending The International Festival of New Latin American Cinema.