Mike Sullivan reviews Liyana, a new documentary directed by Aaron and Amanda Kopp (former 10-to-watch series winners!) The film, which employs stunning animation, tells the story of five orphaned children living and dreaming in Swaziland. Liyana premiered at the LA Film Festival in June, where it won “Best Documentary.”
The Independent speaks with gough, a screen writer, director, and producer based in Australia. gough, who is legally blind, runs the successful company Beernuts Productions, which has produced a variety of documentaries, shorts, and other media content. Here gough reflects on how his disability informs his work and comedy.
Writer, Director, and Producer Harry Assouline talks with The Independent about his award-winning, sci-fi thriller New York 2150. The film stars Kalen J. Hall as intergalactic bounty hunter Jaydon Jaxon, who partners with Mac Cole (Marcus Brandon) to apprehend a psycho-killer. Together the two face a variety of haunts, surreal and actual, in the futuristic terror-world of New Manhattan.
Critic Evan Crean interviews Comedian Kumail Nanjiani on his new romantic comedy The Big Sick.
Justin Chon makes our 10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2017 list with Gook, a black-and-white dramedy set during the 1992 L.A. Riots. Chon wrote, directed, and stars in the award-winning film.
Actor, writer, and musician Zoe Lister-Jones makes her directorial debut with the dramedy Band Aid. The Independent’s Evan Crean caught up with Lister-Jones about the film’s exploration of a long term relationship–its deep wounds and power dynamics–her decision to hire an all-female crew for Band Aid, and how Jewish identity enters into her art.
Fawzia Mirza makes our 10 Filmmakers to Watch list for 2017 with her film Signature Move, a feature that she co-wrote, produced, and stars in, which premiered at SXSW. The film tells the story of a Muslim lesbian in a new relationship, her Lucha-style wrestling, and the pressures of her conservative live-in mother. It is a romantic comedy.
Australian filmmaker Kitty Green makes our 10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2017 list with her documentary Casting JonBenet, where she not only sheds new light on a 20-year old crime, but bends the form of documentary.
Filmmaking team Sonja O’Hara and Jaspal Binning make our 10 to watch list in 2017 for their webseries <em>Doomsday</em> about cult in upstate New York awaiting the end of days. The duo created, produced, directed, and star in the series. O’Hara is the script writer.