Functioning in the mode of a lifestyle documentary like Dogtown and Z-Boys, Ben Patterson’s Maddman: The Steve Madden Story tells the sweeping take the shoe impresario, a self-made man who started from the bottom as a shoe salesman, worked his way to the top, fell from grace, and came back leading his Long Island City-based design house. It’s a lively, energetic story that only occasionally veers into that documentary gray area called Branded Content. In the opening random shoppers are asked, “What do you know about Steve Madden?,” and evidently nobody knows much about the man.
Told through interviews with Madden, his brother John, his ex-wife Wendy, and several key employees, many from the old days relay the story of how a fashion brand with one SoHo store grew into a billion dollar business. After a modest success with his signature Marilyn shoe, his company goes public via...
Told through interviews with Madden, his brother John, his ex-wife Wendy, and several key employees, many from the old days relay the story of how a fashion brand with one SoHo store grew into a billion dollar business. After a modest success with his signature Marilyn shoe, his company goes public via...
- 11/22/2017
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
Ben Patterson's Sweet Micky for President follows the very unlikely presidential campaign of Michel Martelly -- otherwise known as Sweet Micky, a risqué compas musician who is known for being outrageous, naughty and outspoken. The primary goal of Martelly's campaign is to disassociate the artist's persona from the person (the candidate), all the while leveraging Sweet Micky's notoriety to its fullest potential. Martelly has no political history or platform -- though some of his songs do feature profound political lyrics -- but who needs a political platform when you are one of Haiti's best-known musicians?...
- 1/31/2015
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
The winners of the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival were announced last night and, as per usual, they shine a spotlight on some very exciting new filmmakers. The big winner among narrative features was Esra Saydam and Nisan Sag's intimate debut feature (and Indiewire Project of the Day) "Across the Sea," which scooped up the Audience Award for Narrative Feature as well as an honorable mention from the jury. On the documentary side, "Sweet Micky for President" dominated, winning both Jury and Audience Awards. Feature-length jury prize winners are awarded $3,500 in legal services from Pierce Law Group. Narrative, animated and documentary short jury prize winners go on to qualify for the Academy Awards. The complete list of winners is below: Audience Awards Narrative Feature: "Across the Sea," directed by Esra Saydam & Nisan Dag Documentary Feature: "Sweet Micky for President," directed by Ben Patterson Jury Awards Narrative...
- 1/30/2015
- by David Canfield
- Indiewire
The 21st annual Slamdance Film Festival kicks off this week, Jan. 23–29 in Park City, Utah. This year’s selection of 11 narrative films and 8 documentaries includes, or most interest to this blog, the world premiere of "Dennis Rodman's Big Bang in Pyongyang," Colin Offland's documentary on Dennis Rodman's so-called "hoops diplomacy" in North Korea, when he met with dictator Kim Jong-un; and the world premiere for "Sweet Micky for President," also a documentary, directed by Ben Patterson, featuring the contributions of Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel of the Fugees, as well as presidential candidate...
- 1/20/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
While the Sundance Film Festival is the better known film festival located in Utah that runs in January, it is not the only one, as the Slamdance Film Festival has been running in the same place during the same month for over 20 years. The unique aspect of the Slamdance Film Festival, however, is its Narrative Features and Documentary Features program, which restricts its selection to films that are directorial debuts, made for under $1 million, and don’t have Us distribution. The 2015 incarnation of the festival is set to run from January 23rd to the 29th, and ahead of the festival’s premiere next month, organisers have unveiled the lineup for the aforementioned categories. The lineup is as follows.
Narrative Features Program:
Across The Sea (Turkey/USA), making its North American Premiere
Written and Directed by Nisan Dağ and Esra Saydam
Starring Damla Sönmez, Jacob Fishel, Ahmet Rıfat Şungar, Hakan Karsak,...
Narrative Features Program:
Across The Sea (Turkey/USA), making its North American Premiere
Written and Directed by Nisan Dağ and Esra Saydam
Starring Damla Sönmez, Jacob Fishel, Ahmet Rıfat Şungar, Hakan Karsak,...
- 12/2/2014
- by Deepayan Sengupta
- SoundOnSight
Festival top brass announced the 19 films that will screen at the Slamdance Film Festival, set to run in Park City, Utah, from January 23-29.
The 11 narrative and eight documentary selections include 13 world premieres. All competition films are feature directorial debuts budgeted below $1m without Us distribution.
“It’s very exciting to bring this dynamic lineup to audiences in Park City,” said festival director Anna Germanidi. “We are proud to help launch these filmmakers’ careers and celebrate the success we all believe these films deserve.”
“Our success in showcasing emerging artists is most obviously linked with American talent, but increasingly at Slamdance, we want to also support new international talent,” said co-founder and president Peter Baxter.
All synopses below provided by Slamdance.
Narrative Features
Across The Sea (Turkey-usa)
Dirs Nisan Dağ, Esra Saydam
Young, beautiful and pregnant, Damla has to confront her first love in a Turkish summer town before she can fully embrace her new life in...
The 11 narrative and eight documentary selections include 13 world premieres. All competition films are feature directorial debuts budgeted below $1m without Us distribution.
“It’s very exciting to bring this dynamic lineup to audiences in Park City,” said festival director Anna Germanidi. “We are proud to help launch these filmmakers’ careers and celebrate the success we all believe these films deserve.”
“Our success in showcasing emerging artists is most obviously linked with American talent, but increasingly at Slamdance, we want to also support new international talent,” said co-founder and president Peter Baxter.
All synopses below provided by Slamdance.
Narrative Features
Across The Sea (Turkey-usa)
Dirs Nisan Dağ, Esra Saydam
Young, beautiful and pregnant, Damla has to confront her first love in a Turkish summer town before she can fully embrace her new life in...
- 12/1/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The 21st annual Slamdance Film Festival has announced its narrative and documentary feature film competition programs. This year’s selection of 11 narrative films and 8 documentaries includes, or most interest to this blog, the world premiere of "Dennis Rodman's Big Bang in Pyongyang," Colin Offland's documentary on Dennis Rodman's so-called "hoops diplomacy" in North Korea, when he met with dictator Kim Jong-un; and also the world premiere for "Sweet Micky for President," also a documentray, directed by Ben Patterson, featuring the contributions of Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel of the Fugees, as...
- 12/1/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
The Sundance Film Festival dominates Park City in late January, but there is also the upstart Slamdance Film Festival. We’ve not really highlighted that fest or its program, but I always stay at Treasure Mountain Inn where Slamdance is headquartered and they’ve kind of grown on me. Last year they brought Christopher Nolan to speak (the fest had the good sense to program his first film) and Joe Mangianello came to vamp his male stripper docu. This year, there’s every chance of seeing Dennis Rodman, the flamboyant former rebounding machine and Bff of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, for the docu Dennis Rodman’s Big Bang In Pyongyang. So let’s all root for an international incident! Here are the films they’ll be playing from January 23-29:
Narrative Features Program
Across the Sea – Directors & Screenwriters: Nisan Dağ, Esra Saydam. (Turkey/USA) North American Premiere.
Narrative Features Program
Across the Sea – Directors & Screenwriters: Nisan Dağ, Esra Saydam. (Turkey/USA) North American Premiere.
- 12/1/2014
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline
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