Saturday at True/False
This festival is so much about exhibition done right. I've never seen such challenging films greeted with midnight Star Wars premiere enthusiasm before. I will walk away not thinking "I saw this, this and this," but rather "I experienced this festival." I also experienced Shakespeare's Pizza and several Newcastles, and will now slink into bed.
True/False
the day.
I'm blown away by the coordination & enthusiasm around this event.
Like the much smaller Siouxland Fest, it's driven more by audiences.
Screenings are full & energetic, not just showcases for other
filmmakers.
I'll post more later in the weekend.
New Toy
Through the miracle of Craigslist (and with thanks to Patrick for the tip), I am now the proud owner of this cherry little Bolex 8mm camera. I bought it from a very nice old gentlemen who bought it new in 1961. He had also made a leather case for it, had extra lenses and some other bells and whistles.
I don't have any immediate plans for what to do with it, but couldn't pass it up. I predict any future short films will include a "flashback" in grainy 8mm.
Who votes for these things?
The question of who votes gets to the core of why the ISAs drift to the mainstream - access.Eligible voters are members of LA Film Independent or NY, Chi, MN IFP. These people are filmmakers, though in many cases that may be more aspirational. Fact is, all one needs to be a member is to pay a fee of around $100.
I was a member the last two years, though I let mine lapse this year. I would get the occasional screener DVD, and they’ve tried to arrange others via Neflix and online streaming, plus some screenings in LA and maybe NY.
So it’s up to a membership with fringe connections to see a slate of nominees that are often difficult to find. If you didn’t catch the smaller films during their one-week run at your local art house, and they haven’t been released on DVD, good luck finding them - even if you’re an ISA voter.
The ISAs consistently nominate a stronger crop than the Oscars, and I give them credit for considering some ultra-low budget fare alongside specialty material. But given their voting body, the winners will tend to be the most widely distributed.
The same line of reasoning should be applied to Academy voters - film professionals, but not necessarily experts in a given category and less likely to have seen smaller films, shorts, etc. Critics Associations probably offer the most valid evaluation of a year's films, but their press releases will never be as sexy as the events at the Kodak Theater or on the Santa Monica beach.
Damn right this opinion is sound
Now anyone who's always wanted a recording of me rambling on about Buddy Holly can have it. You know, for posterity.
Seriously though, Sound Opinions is a great show I've been podcasting for years, which now airs on IPR as well.