Archive for the ‘programmer profile’ Category
By chris, March 2nd, 2010 in programmer profile | No Comments
My name: Lane Kneedler
My current festival: AFI FEST
My title: Associate Director of Programming
Other fests I’ve worked for: Sundance, LAFF, Cinevegas
Movies that best represent my personal tastes: Primer, Network, Container, and Chain Camera
When I’m not watching movies I like to: Game, read comics, mainline internet culture.
A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: Last year we had the world premiere of the film Playing Columbine by Danny Ledonne. It’s a great film because it highlights how some subject matter requires a long form documentary investigation to be fully understood, some subjects can’t be reduced to a sound bite or 2 minute trailer.
When filmmakers ask me “What’s different about your film festival?” I say: Our new free festival model allows us to support filmmakers that are taking more risks. Audiences risk little in coming to see our free show so they can be a little more adventurous, in turn we are looking for filmmakers who are taking risks and making art on the edge. I see our festival as a safe place where we can challenge our boundaries together, audiences and filmmakers alike.
Our festival audience has come to expect: Challenging world cinema and original voices, I hope that’s what they are expecting because that’s what they are getting!
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By chris, February 9th, 2010 in programmer profile | 3 Comments
My name: Jon Gann
My current festival: DC Shorts Film Festival and Screenplay Competition
My title: Festival Director (and creator)
Other fests and film-related organizations I’ve worked for: I started the DC Film Alliance, a non-profit organization which unifies the Washington, DC regional film and media arts community through the sharing of information, a monthly Film Salon, online resources, and a comprehensive calendar of every film event from Baltimore to Richmond. Before that, I ran a small production house which created short films, commercial and industrial works for hire.
Three movies that best represent my personal tastes: Sunset Boulevard, Big Night, Soapdish.
When I’m not watching movies I like to: Write new screenplays and theatrical pieces, knit, cook, meet with visiting filmmakers, travel.
A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: Every season, there is one film that touches me deeply to the point of tears. Last year, Marc Havener’s And What Remains was that film. I must have seen it a dozen times before it hit the bigs screen during the festival — and I still melted into a mess — as did a large portion of the audience. I love short film’s ability to move people and register some deep-seated emotion in only a few minutes. That is the power of good storytelling.
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By chris, January 19th, 2010 in programmer profile | No Comments
My name: Jenn Murphy
My current festival: New Orleans Film Festival
My title: Program Director
Movies that best represent my personal tastes: My top 3 would probably be: Requiem for a Dream, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and My Neighbor Totoro. The longer list would include: Rear Window, The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Princess and the Warrior, Wild at Heart, Children of Men, Pan’s Labyrinth, Control, Dancer in the Dark, Oldboy, Heavenly Creatures and The Muppets take Manhattan.
When I’m not watching movies I like to: Play roller derby with the Big Easy Rollergirls, make delicious vegan meals and cakes, hang out with my boyfriend and two cats, and reading film magazines and comics. Read more »
By chris, December 16th, 2009 in programmer profile | No Comments
My name: Adam Roffman
My current festival: Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston)
My title: Program Director
Other fests I’ve worked for: Past/Forward Film Series (Chinatown, Boston – 2002), Member of IATSE Local 481 film union 1998-present, Advisory Board Member – Women in Film & Video/New England, 2008-present
Movies that best represent my personal tastes: DIG!, The Cruise, Man On Wire, Miller’s Crossing, Brick, The Kid Stays In The Picture, Day Night Day Night, The Puffy Chair, The Hole Story, Frownland and Decasia: The State of Decay.
When I’m not watching movies I like to: Do set decoration on or produce feature films: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0736526/
A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: This isn’t very recent, but the movie that stands out the most in my mind as a great personal discovery was Alex Karpovsky’s The Hole Story. This film hadn’t played anywhere yet when I got it and I was immediately taken with its originality, its humor, and its perfect blend of documentary and fiction. I thought it was unlike any other film we had shown at the festival at that point and was excited to bring it to Boston audiences. I was so taken with the film that I called other program directors around the country to recommend the film and have since produced Alex’s next two films. Read more »
By chris, December 11th, 2009 in programmer profile | Comments Off
I hadn’t planned to post two programmers from one festival, especially not back-to-back, but Fridays are normally pretty low traffic and I like the different perspectives on the same festival. It is also important to note that there are always several opinions in an organization that matter when it comes to festival programming. So please, Friday readers – enjoy this alternate take on the Atlanta Film Festival from Paula Martinez.
My name: Paula Martinez
My current festival: Atlanta Film Festival
My title: Managing Director/Festival Producer
Other fests I’ve worked for: Out On Film
Movies that best represent my personal tastes: Half-Nelson, Office Space, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and my guilty pleasure movie – Benny & Joon
When I’m not watching movies I like to: Travel, listen to music.
A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: WE FUN. This movie has so much character and I was so excited about it as I was screening it. It has a lot of Atlanta and Athens bands in it, but it’s really transferable to any city – or indie music centric areas.
When filmmakers ask me “What’s different about your film festival?” I say: We’re all inclusive. We include LGBTQ programming each year into our festival (called Pink Peach) and issue an award. We also tend to spotlight a specific program each year. Last year we spotlighted Mexican cinema. This year will be another. Since Atlanta is such an eclectic city, our programming mirrors that. There is truly something for everyone.
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By chris, December 10th, 2009 in programmer profile | 1 Comment
My name: Dan Krovich
My current festival: Atlanta Film Festival
My title: Festival Director
Other fests I’ve worked for: Maryland Film Festival
Three movies that best represent my personal tastes: Three was definitely too few, but I decided to limit myself to 10. (Of course, then I went to 11.) Capturing the Friedmans, Elephant, Funny Games, Harold and Maude, Hukkle, Morvern Callar, Moulin Rouge, Piranha, Primer, Schizopolis, The Unbelievable Truth.
When I’m not watching movies I like to: Who would have thought that this would be the most difficult to answer? I like sports, but I seem to do a lot more watching of them than playing – tennis, football, college basketball. I also like to read, and I seem to be more on a nonfiction kick lately.
A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: Make-Out With Violence – What I liked most about it is that I couldn’t easily describe it. It didn’t fall into a simple categorization so it felt very fresh. It had creativity, originality, and the energy of new filmmakers.
When filmmakers ask me “What’s different about your film festival?” I say: We’re a general festival in that we show all genres and types of films, and I feel like we are really democratic across the genres. For example, the competition section will often feature films that might traditionally play in a midnight section at other festivals.
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By chris, December 9th, 2009 in programmer profile | No Comments
My name: Andrew Rodgers
My current festival: RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
My title: Executive Director
Other fests I’ve worked for: Sundance Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival
Movies that best represent my personal tastes: If I were stranded in a North Korean prison with only three movies, I’d want to have All the President’s Men, The Thin Man and The Maltese Falcon with me. Films I seem to find myself watching about once a year include Good Night and Good Luck, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Fog of War and The Red Violin. Other films I love intensely include Citizen Kane, The Third Man, Spirited Away, The Jerk, The Seventh Seal, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Muppet Movie (which was the very first film I ever saw in a theater as a kid). Great films I’ve seen in the last 12 months include Choke, Moon, Dogtooth, The Informant, La Danse, In the Loop and Push.
When I’m not watching movies I like to: Well, I like spending time with my wife, swimming, playing racquetball, cooking healthy food and reading novels from the 1800’s and biographies. But I usually end up neglecting my wife, getting fat on chocolate and fast food and ignoring my stack of books to spend all my spare time trying to raise money for RiverRun.
A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: One of the best things about being a programmer is when you stumble across a movie you didn’t know much about and, as it plays, your grin gets wider and wider because you know you’ve found something you want to show. And then, at the end of the credits, you jump out of your chair and do a little dance because you found a gem. It happens so rarely . . . but when it does, it’s what keeps you motivated to watch that fifth horrible film in a row on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. This past year, Brett Ingram’s documentary Rocaterrania was just that sort of film for me. It was a beautifully structured portrait of a quirky and compelling outsider artist.
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By chris, December 8th, 2009 in programmer profile | No Comments
My name: Gary Anthony Williams. (also known as that one black guy from Malcolm in the Middle, Boston Legal and The Boondocks.) I’m Googleable.
My current festival: L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival
My title: Artistic Director
Other fests I’ve worked for: Santa Barbara Film Festival as juror for the shorts program.
Three movies that best represent my personal tastes: No can do this. I’m a comedy ho.
When I’m not watching movies I like to: See live performances. Do the daddy thing. Do the friends thing. Laugh at stuff. Play Tennis.
A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: At LA Comedy Shorts, the three founders (Myself, Jeannie Roshar and Ryan Higman) program as a group. We can easily name 10 or 20 pieces that would be considered personal favorites from last year’s festival that not many folks have seen. All of which were original and made us laugh out loud. Here are a few of those in no particular order. The Deposition of Lou Bagetta, The Horribly Slow Murderer with an Extremely Inefficient Weapon, A Bit of Counseling, Love on the Line, The Lutheran, Cinderellis.
When filmmakers ask me “What’s different about your film festival?” I say: Hello filmmaker, my name is Gary. The L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival is the largest comedy film festival in the USA. It’s dedicated to introducing the newest and hottest comedic talent to the industry in a four-day, fun-packed weekend of screenings, parties, industry panels, and a star-studded red carpet awards event. It’s run by funny folks for funny folks. The founders either currently work in or have worked on stage live and/or in the comedy film and TV industry. Because we’re in the business, we have direct and friendly contact to Celeb-types, production companies, management companies, etc. Also, we hook up our winners (and festival attendees) with interviews and in-room meetings with folks who can really help their career. There is much hob-knobbing and shoulder rubbing to be done at the festival. Good-bye, filmmaker.
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Film Festival Secrets: A Handbook for Independent Filmmakers