10 Under 10

What's in a Name? - the doc I produced with Caitlin Lundin and Huda Abdul-Razzak in this class last spring got accepted in the 2010 10 Under 10!

More on fundraising and grants

New models:
http://www.persistenceofvision.org/2010/04/20/tfpf-recipients-using-kickstarter-for-funding/

And TFPF:
http://www.austinfilm.org/Page.aspx?pid=300

And yet another screening with filmmaker present!

The UT doc center is pleased to present João Mário Grilo's THE FLYING CARPET:

O TAPETE VOADOR (THE FLYING CARPET)
A documentary by Portuguese filmmaker João Mário Grilo
Monday, April 26, 7:30 pm
University of Texas at Austin, CMA 3.120

It was through Portugal that the Persian carpets entered Europe to establish one of the most important cultural traditions in terms of decorative arts in the West. 500 years later, we returned to Iran to discover their original gestures of fabrication and the hypnotic forms and colors that still maintain all their freshness and fascination. The film is structured in four voyages + one, from geometry to nature, from knotting to abrash (the natural way a color fades and shades). In reality, it’s a film about itself and maybe about art in general and its infinite and immemorial landscapes. At the end it will reveal the mystery of the real “flying carpet”, the one through which so many people has flown as they flight today through the screen (a mobile carpet) and its magical powers.

O TAPETE VOADOR (2008, 56 min.) was filmed in Esfahan, Iran. João Mário Grilo is a Portuguese film director, author, and associate professor at the Communication Sciences Department, Social and Human Sciences Faculty of the New University of Lisbon (UNL). His other work includes the 1992 O FIM DO MUNDO (THE END OF THE WORLD, 1992) and 451 FORTE (2000).

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Insightful article on Bill Moyers as he leaves 'Journal'

http://www.austin360.com/television/enthusiasm-for-conversation-ideas-citizenship-drove-bill-moyers-573141.html?viewAsSinglePage=true

Some sage reflections from guru Bill Moyers on the intersections of media, journalism, documentary, and advocacy in our world.

Donghwan Kim - Organizing Thougts

I feel that(thanks to Kim’s advice) I need to organize my thoughts through writing it down. I have been relying too much on the conversation with Edge, and I need some more footages that can include the heart of my documentary. Thus I have been trying to think about what I want this documentary to be about. The documentary will be about the homeless newspaper and what it does to the homeless people and the general public, and Edge and lady Valerie is the main voice. However, Both talking heads are kind of beating around the bush, and I have hard time connecting the two person due to the lack of verite footages, such as him picking up the newspaper at the office. The situation is also down – the new issue is far from coming out, and the vendors are mad that there are often no one in the office. Talking with Edge gives me a lot of good character demonstration footages, but still not to the core. Thus, I feel that there are two footages that are essential for the heart of the documentary.

1. the Verite shoot in the office: This I have been putting off because I was trying to go with Edge. If I get to go with him, that is the best situation, but it is hard because it is hard to make plans with him. The office footage(editors working on articles, coming in of the new issue if lucky) will, with or without Edge, provide nice b-rolls and the link between Edge and lady Valerie’s talk. I will deal with it by next Monday. I will shoot b-rolls and look for street poets in downtown to get some poems and other homeless voices.

2. the reception of the paper by general public: I have a few friends interested in reading the Austin Advocate News Letter. I will shoot their reaction to the paper, and their comments. Edge’s comment that the newsletter provide a bridge between the homeless and the housed people, thus comes to life, and will be the heart of my documentary. I scheduled shooting with my friends this Thursday, and I will try to catch the buying, the reading, and the reaction of my friends. These will be stitched together with many sales footage by Edge.

the Focus of the documentary: This has gone through a lot of changes since the beginning of the shooting. First, it started as ‘what is the hardship of the Austin Advocate, and why is it having hard time?’ as I began talking to the board members. Then, as I came to know Edge and his optimism and acquiring this distinctive rhythm of documentary through Guadalupe street shooting, I began focusing on Edge’s personality and his relationship with the office members as financially and mentally interdependent. However, as I began editing, I felt that there are questions unanswered, something very basic for my documentary to be meaningful: ‘what is this newsletter’s worth and meaning, to the general public, as well as the homeless people?’ Picturing the voice of homeless being heard by the public through the newsletter is the final purpose of this documentary.

Best Worst Movie, a documentary

http://www.originalalamo.com/Show.aspx?id=7271

With filmmakers in attendance opening weekend! Should be popular- I recommend reserving tix online.

From the Alamo website:
The 1990 horror movie TROLL II is The Worst Film Ever Made. But somehow, the stories of its participants and creation weave the best documentary we've seen in years! Critically acclaimed beyond belief, BEST WORST MOVIE is a hilarious, very real and shockingly sincere exploration of the incredible and/or flawed components that somehow brought history's most ridiculous film to life. This riveting true-life story brings us the actors and filmmakers behind TROLL II, telling the story in their own words whether they've spent years in the cult movie limelight or hiding from their on-screen legacy.

An incredible experience whether you're a TROLL II fan or you've never even heard of the damn thing. It was THE film of SXSW '09, it's one of the best docs of our time and we can't wait to watch it again.

Riddle? Yes. Enigma? Sure. Documentary?

An interesting new film that deals with authenticity, the art world, and pseudo/mockumentary.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/movies/14banksy.html?ref=movies

Banksy, the pseudonymous British street artist, is laboring in a new documentary to convince audiences that he’s playing it straight.