I don’t have an awful lot of free time these days to write, but thought I should put down a few thoughts concerning what is turning out to be quite a concentrated education in festival programming, documentary filmmaking, and the endurance of the human attention span (at least for this specific human).
I’m approaching my fiftieth film in just over two weeks of this assignment, and a number of things have annoyed and surprised me. Though I’m far from an expert, I think I can confidently speak for some of the poor folks I’m working with who have screened north of 300 films already.
- I’m amazed how “rough” some of the rough cuts we’re getting are. I can understand that the film may not be completely finished, but long stretches of sound with a title card reading “missing footage” are not going to leave a good impression.
- On a related note, if your film is somehow unfinished, it’s incredibly helpful if you let me know exactly what is going to change and what isn’t. Writing something like “Picture and sound locked, scratch title sequence and end credits.” on the screener disc is always more helpful than writing, say, nothing.
- Narration isn’t always necessary in a documentary, but when it is, hire a professional. At least one gorgeously-shot film has been spoiled for me by a nasal narrator speaking too quickly. Though you may be tempted as a director to “do it yourself,” this is rarely a good idea unless you have a voice like Liam Neeson.
- It’s surprisingly easy to ignore timecodes and the watermarks on stock footage.
I hope I don’t sound too cranky. This has been an absolute blast so far, and the 2009 Hot Docs programme is shaping up to be the best in years. The only thing that kind of stinks right now is that I’m not really able to put too much time into planning my annual SXSW pilgrimage, which is, yikes, only two weeks away. Luckily, my offer to SXSW filmmakers has gone largely unnoticed, so at least I’m not going to disappoint anyone by not reviewing their film early. I’m just hoping that I’ll have any stamina left at all by the time I get to Austin.
P.S. For a real inside insider’s look at the programming process, check out Hot Docs’ Director of Programming Sean Farnel’s blog.
Tagged as:
#hotdocs09
A few days ago, I alluded to something I was working on that I “couldn’t talk about” and so I’m glad that now I am able to tell you about it. I’m very honoured to reveal that I’m working for the 2009 edition of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival as an Associate Programmer. I’ve attended the festival each year since 2004, and have always wondered how films are chosen. Director of Programming Sean Farnel has been posting about the process over on his fairly new blog, and it’s a fascinating read. It’s even more exciting, though, to be a part of it, and I’m tremendously grateful to Sean and his whole amazing crew for such a wonderful opportunity.
Though I’m not able to reveal anything about the films I’m currently screening, I can let you know that it’s been pretty gruelling so far. Each submission deserves careful consideration and I’m happy to report that Hot Docs’ process gives each film its chance to shine. I’m hopeful that at least some of the films I’ve recommended make it into the final schedule, but I won’t know for many weeks yet.
If you live within traveling distance of Toronto, Hot Docs really is a can’t-miss festival. Even if you’ve never considered yourself a fan of documentaries, you’re bound to come away with a fresh appreciation for all the dedicated and talented filmmakers telling stories about real people and places. Free from celebrity hype, manageable in size, and an amazing value. What’s not to love?
P.S. Documentary filmmaker and blogger AJ Schnack wrote about the festival programming process yesterday and cites Sean’s blog as “a primer that any filmmaker should read.”
Tagged as:
#hotdocs09
BLAST! is an intriguing documentary about a team of astrophysicists who travel to both poles in an effort to launch a massive telescope from a hot air balloon to discover more about the origins of the universe. The film originally premiered at Hot Docs in 2008 and is airing in Canada on the Discovery Channel on Friday February 21st at 7:30pm EST.
Doc blogger Agnes Varnum caught the film at the Sheffield Doc Fest in November and called it:
a movie about a scientific project but it is also about learning through trial and error, about what we know and don’t know about the universe, and also a smattering of faith in science.
Toronto science blogger Eva Amsen was also enthusiastic:
All in all, BLAST! was a blast! I loved that it was so very much focused on the work, not just on the results. The film had some animations to explain basic astrophysics concepts, but it also showed what the actual measurements from the telescope looked like (just graphs and numbers) and it emphasized how much work there was still left in actually interpreting the data. There are also some great shots of scientists being either sad or happy depending on how the research went that day, and everyone being bored and irritated when they have to wait for the weather to change. That’s science in action.
I respect the opinions of both of these women, and therefore I’m looking forward very much to seeing BLAST! If you’re at all interested in seeing real scientists at work, and wondering about the curiosity that drives them to the ends of the earth in search of knowledge, you won’t want to miss this broadcast.
Official site of the film
Trailer
Tagged as:
antarctica,
arctic,
canada,
faith,
physics,
science
Cactus (Director: Jasmine Yuen Carrucan): Questions abound in this low-budget road movie that takes place in the Australian outback. John Kelly (Travis McMahon) is in desperate need of some money so he takes a job which involves the kidnapping of a professional gambler, Eli Jones (David Lyons). John must deliver Eli to someone in the middle of the outback by following meticulous directions and instructions. Along the way a policeman (Bryan Bell) becomes involved and things get more confusing.
Very little back story is revealed which makes the film exciting yet frustrating. By the end of this journey your patience may wear thin. Like an episode of the TV show Lost, you’ll have more questions than answers.
Cactus is Carrucan’s first outing as a writer and director. With little to no budget, she has made a decent film. It’s beautifully shot and the acting is competent. Unfortunately she left me in the outback without a map and I’m still trying to figure out why the film is called Cactus.
Official site of the film
(5/10)
Tagged as:
australia,
road-movie
Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (Director: Mark Hartley): This is a fast-paced documentary about Australia’s “Ozploitation” films of the ‘70s and early ‘80s. It’s a celebration of the forgotten action movies, sex comedies and horror films that could never have been made in Hollywood.
Interviews with Quentin Tarantino, Dennis Hopper and Jamie Lee Curtis will pique the curiosity of North American audiences. An endless number of clips accompany the interviews. After 90 minutes you’ll understand why films such as Saw, Wolf Creek and even Death Proof are inspired by some of the Ozploitation films.
The action movies from this era were unbelievable in their quest for realism. There are tales of live ammunition being fired at actors. Dangerous high speed stunts often resulted in broken bones and sometimes even death. High speed automobile chases were routinely filmed without permits on open streets.
In The Man From Hong Kong George Lazenby was set on fire because a stunt double wouldn’t look as convincing. Of course, Lazenby was burned performing this stunt and he became so angry that he punched the director.
While making the horror film Thirst, Henry Silva refused to hang out of real helicopter. The director found a crane and told Silva that they would suspend him only a few feet off the ground and fake the shot. Once filming started the crane was raised 70 feet into the air with Silva hanging on for dear life.
If you love film then I think you’ll find this documentary to be very entertaining. The opening title sequence and production values are top notch and you’ll be amazed at some of the stories that come out of the interviews.
Official site of the film
(8/10)
Tagged as:
australia,
exploitation
