The following essay was produced as part of the 2017 Locarno Critics Academy, a workshop for aspiring film critics that took place during the 70th edition of the Locarno Film Festival.
The term “independent film” is vaguer than ever, but film festivals are the best place to look for its evolving definition. While American independent film has developed a unique identity thanks to Sundance and other North American showcases, it takes on a very different profile when these films travel abroad.
The Locarno Film Festival has developed something of a reputation for enabling European festival-goers to discover the best of American independent film, its visitors relying on the festival’s programmers to delve through the material sold as independent to find the films that deserve the label. Here’s a look at four highlights from this year’s lineup that were well-received by the festival’s audiences.
“Good Time”
Though it...
The term “independent film” is vaguer than ever, but film festivals are the best place to look for its evolving definition. While American independent film has developed a unique identity thanks to Sundance and other North American showcases, it takes on a very different profile when these films travel abroad.
The Locarno Film Festival has developed something of a reputation for enabling European festival-goers to discover the best of American independent film, its visitors relying on the festival’s programmers to delve through the material sold as independent to find the films that deserve the label. Here’s a look at four highlights from this year’s lineup that were well-received by the festival’s audiences.
“Good Time”
Though it...
- 8/23/2017
- by Matt Turner
- Indiewire
Expanded from the quirky short of the same name, Person to Person is an effortless riff on a specific indie vibe. Crafted lovingly and naturally by director Dustin Guy Defa, Person to Person moves from his initial concept, following the quest of hippie record collector Bene (Bene Coopersmith) to purchase a rare LP, to other characters who occupy the screen as their small dramas play out over a brisk autumnal day. These other New Yorkers include Phil (Michael Cera) and Claire (Abbi Jacobson), an investigative journalist boss and first-time reporter, respectively. The powerplay, awkwardness and anxiety between them plays out with surprisingly varied results as they piece together a potential murder. Most of their banter takes place in Phil’s car, where he mansplains and tries to...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 8/16/2017
- Screen Anarchy
I spoke to Dustin Guy Defa shortly before the New York City premiere of Person to Person at New Directors/New Films in March 2017. Defa discussed the merits of short-form filmmaking, his fondness for interlocking narratives, and the advantages of the invisible plot.
- 7/28/2017
- MUBI
In “Person to Person,” Abbi Jacobson of “Broad City” plays a young woman named Claire too timid to stand up to her cat. Despite her mousy personality, Claire tries her hand at becoming a tabloid reporter, covering crime and grime in New York City. Why would a former librarian like her confront (or at least attempt to confront) grizzled cops, possible killers, and/or grieving widows? Don’t expect satisfying answers from this aimless drama, which is chockablock with characters but offers little insight or cohesive storytelling. A weightless knickknack of a film from writer-director Dustin Guy Defa (“Bad Fever”) and executive producer.
- 7/26/2017
- by Inkoo Kang
- The Wrap
Netflix has picked up a new animated comedy from Simpsons creator Matt Groening starring Broad City's Abbi Jacobson, Deadline reports. The series received a 20-episode order with the first 10 expected to premiere next year.
Disenchantment is an adult fantasy set in the crumbling medieval kingdom of Dreamland. The series centers around the hard-drinking princess Bean (Jacobson), her elf friend Elfo and "personal demon" Luci. Comedian Eric Andre is attached to voice Luci with actor Nat Faxon voicing Elfo.
"Disenchantment will be about life and death, love and sex, and...
Disenchantment is an adult fantasy set in the crumbling medieval kingdom of Dreamland. The series centers around the hard-drinking princess Bean (Jacobson), her elf friend Elfo and "personal demon" Luci. Comedian Eric Andre is attached to voice Luci with actor Nat Faxon voicing Elfo.
"Disenchantment will be about life and death, love and sex, and...
- 7/26/2017
- Rollingstone.com
A sweet, light puff of a movie, Person To Person succeeds on the strength of its affection for shaggy-dog stories and the personalities who waltz in and out of them. In theory, it’s the sort of indie that’s already been done to death: an ensemble-cast love letter to the prickly character of New York. (Even worse, it’s shot on fuzzy Super 16mm.) But writer-director Dustin Guy Defa, a prolific director of short films making his first feature since 2011’s Bad Fever, has developed a feel for American eccentricity that brings to mind Jim Jarmusch and Richard Linklater in its best moments, albeit in a scruffier style. Taking its title from a superb, more or less unrelated short that Defa directed in 2014, the movie follows several stories, which are set over the course of a single day but don’t always overlap. It’s a film ...
- 7/25/2017
- by Ignatiy Vishnevetsky
- avclub.com
Person To Person Review Person to Person (2017) Film Review, a movie directed by Dustin Guy Defa, and starring Michael Cera, Abbi Jacobson, Philip Baker Hall, Michaela Watkins, Tavi Gevinson, Olivia Luccardi, Craig Butta, Ben Rosenfeld, Hunter Zimmy, Bene Coopersmith, George Semple III, Buddy Duress, [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Person To Person (2017): A Simple, Silly Day In The Life Of New York City...
Continue reading: Film Review: Person To Person (2017): A Simple, Silly Day In The Life Of New York City...
- 7/22/2017
- by Reggie Peralta
- Film-Book
The summer movie season may start winding down by early August, but for cinephiles, that’s when the real fun begins. While the fall season festivals — epitomized by the trio of awards season influencers Telluride, Toronto and New York — are a massive platform for major prestige titles at the end of the year, the Locarno Film Festival has the jump on all of them, and provides the most diverse range of cinema you’ll see anywhere in the world.
The 70th edition, announced this week, provides the latest example. No festival embodies the “something for everyone” philosophy better than Locarno, which complements its cinephile-oriented sections with another one exclusively designed for wider audiences. That would be the Piazza Grande, where 16 features screen outdoors for an audience of 8,000 people. But rather than simply showcasing the same summer blockbusters that have dominated the box office, the Piazza features international efforts well suited to pleasing massive crowds,...
The 70th edition, announced this week, provides the latest example. No festival embodies the “something for everyone” philosophy better than Locarno, which complements its cinephile-oriented sections with another one exclusively designed for wider audiences. That would be the Piazza Grande, where 16 features screen outdoors for an audience of 8,000 people. But rather than simply showcasing the same summer blockbusters that have dominated the box office, the Piazza features international efforts well suited to pleasing massive crowds,...
- 7/15/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Ben & Joshua Safdie's Good TimeThe lineup for the 2017 festival has been revealed, including new films by Wang Bing, Radu Jude, Raúl Ruiz and others, alongside retrospectives and tributes dedicated to Jean-Marie Straub, Jacques Tourneur and much more.Piazza GRANDEAmori che non sonno stare al mondo (Francesca Comencini, Italy)Atomic Blonde (David Leitch, USA)Chien (Samuel Benchetrit, France/Belgium)Demain et tous les autres jours (Noémie Lvovsky, France)Drei Zinnen (Jan Zabeil, Germany/Italy)Good Time (Ben & Joshua Safdie, USA)Gotthard - One Life, One Soul (Kevin Merz, Switzerland)I Walked with a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur, USA)Iceman (Felix Randau, Germany/Italy/Austria)Laissez bronzer les cadavres (Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani, Belgium/France)Lola Pater (Nadir Moknèche, France/Belgium)Sicilia! (Jean-Marie Straub & Danièle Huillet, Italy/France/Germany)Sparring (Samuel Jouy, France)The Big Sick (Michael Showalter, USA)The Song of Scorpions (Anup Singh, Switzerland/France/Singapore)What Happed to Monday (Tommy Wirkola,...
- 7/12/2017
- MUBI
Atomic Blonde, The Big Sick, The Song Of Scorpions among line-up.
The line-up for the 70th Locarno Festival (Aug 2-12) in Switzerland has been announced.
Scroll down for the full line-up
The 16-strong Piazza Grande strand features 11 world premieres, including opening night film Tomorrow And Every Other Day directed by Noemie Lvovsky and starring Mathieu Amalric, and closing night music doc Gotthard - One Life, One Soul, about the swiss rock band.
Other Piazza Grande films include Atomic Blonde with Charlize Theron, Good Time starring Robert Pattinson, Kumail Nanjiani’s The Big Sick, What Happened to Monday? with Glenn Close and the world premiere of Anup Singh’s The Song of Scorpions, starring Irrfan Khan, who will attend the festival.
Actor and director Mathieu Kassovitz will receive the festival’s 2017 excellence award and Nastassja Kinski will be honoured with a lifetime achievement award.
Michel Merkt (Toni Erdmann, Elle) will receive the festival’s best independent producer award.
As...
The line-up for the 70th Locarno Festival (Aug 2-12) in Switzerland has been announced.
Scroll down for the full line-up
The 16-strong Piazza Grande strand features 11 world premieres, including opening night film Tomorrow And Every Other Day directed by Noemie Lvovsky and starring Mathieu Amalric, and closing night music doc Gotthard - One Life, One Soul, about the swiss rock band.
Other Piazza Grande films include Atomic Blonde with Charlize Theron, Good Time starring Robert Pattinson, Kumail Nanjiani’s The Big Sick, What Happened to Monday? with Glenn Close and the world premiere of Anup Singh’s The Song of Scorpions, starring Irrfan Khan, who will attend the festival.
Actor and director Mathieu Kassovitz will receive the festival’s 2017 excellence award and Nastassja Kinski will be honoured with a lifetime achievement award.
Michel Merkt (Toni Erdmann, Elle) will receive the festival’s best independent producer award.
As...
- 7/12/2017
- by orlando.parfitt@screendaily.com (Orlando Parfitt)
- ScreenDaily
The heat of the summer season is upon us, and with it comes the most promising tentpole line-up of the year thus far. (Along with it, there’s perhaps the best film I’ve seen in several years.) After you finish catching up on the best films of 2017 so far, kick off the second half of this year with our recommended picks below.
Matinees to See: Bronx Gothic (7/12), To the Bone (7/14), Chasing Coral (7/14), The Fencer (7/21), Killing Ground (7/21), Kékszakállú (7/21), Strange Weather (7/28), Brigsby Bear (7/28), and An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power (7/28)
15. Person To Person (Dustin Guy Defa; July 28)
Synopsis: Follows a variety of New York characters as they navigate personal relationships and unexpected problems over the course of one day.
Trailer
Why You Should Watch It: One of the more divisive films to come out of Sundance this year, the 16mm-shot Person to Person packs quite the varied ensemble — from Michael Cera...
Matinees to See: Bronx Gothic (7/12), To the Bone (7/14), Chasing Coral (7/14), The Fencer (7/21), Killing Ground (7/21), Kékszakállú (7/21), Strange Weather (7/28), Brigsby Bear (7/28), and An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power (7/28)
15. Person To Person (Dustin Guy Defa; July 28)
Synopsis: Follows a variety of New York characters as they navigate personal relationships and unexpected problems over the course of one day.
Trailer
Why You Should Watch It: One of the more divisive films to come out of Sundance this year, the 16mm-shot Person to Person packs quite the varied ensemble — from Michael Cera...
- 7/5/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Let’s get the obvious comparison out of the way first: Yes, this looks and feels very much like a Woody Allen comedy from the ‘80s. The trailer for Dustin Guy Defa’s Person To Person features a sprawling cast, comic vignettes taking place all over New York City, and wry, meandering conversations about life, love, and what it all means. The excerpts from positive reviews sprinkled throughout all mention a similar old-school, talky vibe and the ease with which the movie slips you into the rhythms of these characters’ lives, and that does seem to largely be the point. This is a film about trying to capture those little moments that end up being meaningful in the larger picture, and it shows, for better and worse. (Tavi Gevinson’s character in particular seems like she might be straining under the weight of that arch dialogue.)
Unfolding over the course ...
Unfolding over the course ...
- 6/23/2017
- by Alex McLevy
- avclub.com
Countless films have tried to capture the aimless, buoyant spirit of New York City — and now we have another to add to the list. Person to Person is an indie film from rising director Dustin Guy Defa that follows an ensemble cast — including the It Boy of indie dramedies, Michael Cera — of disparate characters as […]
The post ‘Person to Person’ Trailer: Michael Cera and Abbie Jacobson Lead an Ensemble Drifting Through Life in New York appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Person to Person’ Trailer: Michael Cera and Abbie Jacobson Lead an Ensemble Drifting Through Life in New York appeared first on /Film.
- 6/23/2017
- by Hoai-Tran Bui
- Slash Film
Michael Cera knows a thing or two about comedy, and he seems like the perfect fit to spearhead Person to Person, director/writer Dustin Guy Defa's (Bad Fever) comedic ode to New York City. Cera stars as Phil, a news boss who while showing an investigative reporter (Abbi Jacobson) the ropes, reveals his own ulterior motives. [...]...
- 6/23/2017
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
"Terrible things happen every day in this city." Magnolia Pictures has debuted the first official trailer for an ensemble indie drama titled Person to Person, which first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. The film follows different characters "from person to person" in New York City, handing off the narrative to each one as it continues on. The full cast of quirky characters includes Michael Cera, Abbi Jacobson, Tavi Gevinson, Isiah Whitlock, Michaela Watkins, Olivia Lucciardi, Ben Rosenfield, Buddy Durress, Bene Coopersmith, George Sample III, and Philip Baker Hall. This looks like a nice slice of life in New York City, showing the mix of people and all the interesting things going on. Enjoy. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Dustin Guy Defa's Person to Person, direct from YouTube: During a single day in New York City, a variety of characters grapple with the mundane, the unexpected, and the larger questions permeating their lives. An investigative reporter ...
- 6/22/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Michael Cera, Abbi Jacobson, Tavi Gevinson & More Survive New York in Trailer for ‘Person to Person’
Multiple New York stories come together in Dustin Guy Defa’s Person to Person, an ensemble piece that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. The film was shot on 16mm, which lead The Film Stage’s Dan Mecca to comment, “There is certainly — and commendably — a worn look to this version of New York City, thanks in large part to cinematographer Ashley Connor and her use of Super 16. If not for cell phones and other modern tech, we could be in the middle of a Woody Allen picture from the 1980s.”
Featuring a cast that includes Abbi Jacobson, Michael Cera, Tavi Gevinson, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., George Sample III, Olivia Luccardi, Hunter Zimny, Ben Rosenfield (here meeting a better fate than on Twin Peaks), and Philip Baker Hall. Watch the first trailer below.
During a single day in New York City, a variety of characters grapple with the mundane, the unexpected, and the larger questions permeating their lives. An investigative reporter struggles with her first day on the job, despite help from her misguided boss; a rebellious teen attempts to balance her feminist ideals with other desires; and a young man seeks to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend, even as her brother threatens revenge. Meanwhile, an avid music lover traverses the city in search of a rare record for his vinyl collection.
Person to Person opens in theaters and VOD on July 28.
Featuring a cast that includes Abbi Jacobson, Michael Cera, Tavi Gevinson, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., George Sample III, Olivia Luccardi, Hunter Zimny, Ben Rosenfield (here meeting a better fate than on Twin Peaks), and Philip Baker Hall. Watch the first trailer below.
During a single day in New York City, a variety of characters grapple with the mundane, the unexpected, and the larger questions permeating their lives. An investigative reporter struggles with her first day on the job, despite help from her misguided boss; a rebellious teen attempts to balance her feminist ideals with other desires; and a young man seeks to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend, even as her brother threatens revenge. Meanwhile, an avid music lover traverses the city in search of a rare record for his vinyl collection.
Person to Person opens in theaters and VOD on July 28.
- 6/22/2017
- by Chris Evangelista
- The Film Stage
‘Person to Person’ Trailer: Michael Cera Stars In A Summer Indie That Evokes the Best of Woody Allen
Dustin Guy Defa has been making a name for himself on the indie circuit with acclaimed short films like “Review” and his 2011 feature “Bad Fever,” but his profile is about to get a huge boost with the release of “Person to Person.” The movie was a Sundance highlight earlier this year and finds the writer-director evoking the best of Woody Allen’s scrappy New York City days.
Read More: ‘Person To Person’ Review: Tavi Gevinson And Philip Baker Hall Shine In This Charming New York City Mosaic
“Person to Person” is set during a single day in New York City and follows a disparate group of characters all facing various emotional obstacles. Abbi Jacobson plays an investigative reporter trying to get through her first day on the job with help from her misguided boss (Michael Cera). Tavi Gevinson plays a rebellious teen attempting to balance her feminist ideals with other desires. Other story threads follow a young man seeking to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend and an avid music lover searching for a rare vinyl.
In his B+ review out of Sundance, IndieWire senior film critic David Ehrlich said, “Dustin Guy Defa’s ‘Person to Person’ is a gentle summer breeze of a movie that’s set during an early fall day. Amiably unstuck in time without feeling anachronistic, Defa’s second feature pulls off the trick of offering an analog version of New York in a digital age.”
The “Person to Person” ensemble includes Isiah Whitlock, Michaela Watkins, Olivia Lucciardi, Ben Rosenfield, Buddy Durress, Bene Coopersmith, George Sample III and Philip Baker Hall.
Magnolia Pictures will release “Person to Person” in theaters, on iTunes, OnDemand and Amazon Video July 28. Watch the trailer below.
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Related stories'Roar': Watch a Wild Behind-the-Scenes Look At Notorious Accident From Hollywood's Most Dangerous FilmNew York Asian Film Festival: The Best in Modern Asian Cinema Gets a Badass New Trailer -- Watch'Stronger' Trailer: Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany Look Incredible in Boston Bombing Drama...
Read More: ‘Person To Person’ Review: Tavi Gevinson And Philip Baker Hall Shine In This Charming New York City Mosaic
“Person to Person” is set during a single day in New York City and follows a disparate group of characters all facing various emotional obstacles. Abbi Jacobson plays an investigative reporter trying to get through her first day on the job with help from her misguided boss (Michael Cera). Tavi Gevinson plays a rebellious teen attempting to balance her feminist ideals with other desires. Other story threads follow a young man seeking to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend and an avid music lover searching for a rare vinyl.
In his B+ review out of Sundance, IndieWire senior film critic David Ehrlich said, “Dustin Guy Defa’s ‘Person to Person’ is a gentle summer breeze of a movie that’s set during an early fall day. Amiably unstuck in time without feeling anachronistic, Defa’s second feature pulls off the trick of offering an analog version of New York in a digital age.”
The “Person to Person” ensemble includes Isiah Whitlock, Michaela Watkins, Olivia Lucciardi, Ben Rosenfield, Buddy Durress, Bene Coopersmith, George Sample III and Philip Baker Hall.
Magnolia Pictures will release “Person to Person” in theaters, on iTunes, OnDemand and Amazon Video July 28. Watch the trailer below.
Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
Related stories'Roar': Watch a Wild Behind-the-Scenes Look At Notorious Accident From Hollywood's Most Dangerous FilmNew York Asian Film Festival: The Best in Modern Asian Cinema Gets a Badass New Trailer -- Watch'Stronger' Trailer: Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany Look Incredible in Boston Bombing Drama...
- 6/22/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
David Gordon Green didn’t exactly knock it out of the park with his last feature, the 2015 Sandra Bullock misfire “Our Brand is Crisis,” but he’s got what looks to be one powerhouse of a comeback on his hands with “Stronger.”
Read More: ‘Nightcrawler’ Director Dan Gilroy Reteaming With Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo for New Film
The Boston Marathon Bombing drama stars the very appealing duo of Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany and is based on the 2014 memoir of the same name by Jeff Bauman. Gyllenhaal plays Bauman, a victim of the bombing who lost his legs.
Maslany plays Bauman’s girlfriend, Erin Hurley. The supporting cast includes Miranda Richardson, Clancy Brown and Frankie Shaw.
“Stronger” is the second major motion picture to focus on the Boston Marathon Bombing after Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg’s “Patriots Day,” which was released last December. While that film took a detailed look at the manhunt to capture the terrorists behind the attack, “Stronger” looks to be a more intimate look at the lives affected.
Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions will release “Stronger” in theaters September 22. Watch the debut trailer below:
Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
Related stories'Person to Person' Trailer: Michael Cera Stars In A Summer Indie That Evokes the Best of Woody Allen'Roar': Watch a Wild Behind-the-Scenes Look At Notorious Accident From Hollywood's Most Dangerous FilmNew York Asian Film Festival: The Best in Modern Asian Cinema Gets a Badass New Trailer -- Watch...
Read More: ‘Nightcrawler’ Director Dan Gilroy Reteaming With Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo for New Film
The Boston Marathon Bombing drama stars the very appealing duo of Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany and is based on the 2014 memoir of the same name by Jeff Bauman. Gyllenhaal plays Bauman, a victim of the bombing who lost his legs.
Maslany plays Bauman’s girlfriend, Erin Hurley. The supporting cast includes Miranda Richardson, Clancy Brown and Frankie Shaw.
“Stronger” is the second major motion picture to focus on the Boston Marathon Bombing after Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg’s “Patriots Day,” which was released last December. While that film took a detailed look at the manhunt to capture the terrorists behind the attack, “Stronger” looks to be a more intimate look at the lives affected.
Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions will release “Stronger” in theaters September 22. Watch the debut trailer below:
Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
Related stories'Person to Person' Trailer: Michael Cera Stars In A Summer Indie That Evokes the Best of Woody Allen'Roar': Watch a Wild Behind-the-Scenes Look At Notorious Accident From Hollywood's Most Dangerous FilmNew York Asian Film Festival: The Best in Modern Asian Cinema Gets a Badass New Trailer -- Watch...
- 6/22/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Caveh Zahedi: "I think honesty is the most subversive thing you can do in this world." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
An episode spoofing Spike Jonze and Viceland with Emmy Harrington as "Slut Machine" from Caveh Zahedi's spine-chilling The Show About The Show was a highlight of this year's Tribeca Film Festival N.O.W. Showcase.
Person to Person director Dustin Guy Defa (in Matías Piñeiro's Hermia & Helena), Eléonore Hendricks (Peter Brunner's To the Night with Caleb Landry Jones), Alex Karpovsky (Jess Bond's Rosy with Stacy Martin), Kentucker Audley (Celia Rowlson-Hall's Ma and Charles Poekel's Christmas, Again), Sam Stillman, editor Peter Rinaldi, Applesauce director Onur Tukel and his cinematographer Jason Banker, Amanda Field, and even IndieWire's Eric Kohn have been seduced by the creator to play themselves or others.
"I feel that way about all my films, not just this one. I think they're all a perfect expression of me.
An episode spoofing Spike Jonze and Viceland with Emmy Harrington as "Slut Machine" from Caveh Zahedi's spine-chilling The Show About The Show was a highlight of this year's Tribeca Film Festival N.O.W. Showcase.
Person to Person director Dustin Guy Defa (in Matías Piñeiro's Hermia & Helena), Eléonore Hendricks (Peter Brunner's To the Night with Caleb Landry Jones), Alex Karpovsky (Jess Bond's Rosy with Stacy Martin), Kentucker Audley (Celia Rowlson-Hall's Ma and Charles Poekel's Christmas, Again), Sam Stillman, editor Peter Rinaldi, Applesauce director Onur Tukel and his cinematographer Jason Banker, Amanda Field, and even IndieWire's Eric Kohn have been seduced by the creator to play themselves or others.
"I feel that way about all my films, not just this one. I think they're all a perfect expression of me.
- 5/14/2017
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Exclusive: Emmanuelle Bercot also cast; Celluloid Dreams, Avenue B pact for feature.
Paris-based Celluloid Dreams has boarded French director Sebastien Marnier’s high-school-set thriller School’s Out, featuring Laurent Lafitte and Emmanuelle Bercot in the cast (pictured).
Caroline Bonmarchand of Avenue B is producing. She previously collaborated with Marnier on his well-received debut thriller Faultless (Irréprochable), starring Marina Foïs as a down-on-her-luck estate agent who is hell-bent on getting her old job back at an agency in her provincial home-town, whatever it takes.
For School’s Out, Elle co-star Laurent Lafitte is set to play protagonist Pierre Hoffman, a substitute form tutor, brought in after his predecessor commits suicide by throwing himself out of the classroom window in front of his teenage students.
Actress and film-maker Emmanuelle Bercot will play another teacher in the school. Other cast members will include French rapper Gringe, Pascal Greggory, Greg Montel, Thomas Scimeca and Véronique Ruggia.
Lafitte’s character...
Paris-based Celluloid Dreams has boarded French director Sebastien Marnier’s high-school-set thriller School’s Out, featuring Laurent Lafitte and Emmanuelle Bercot in the cast (pictured).
Caroline Bonmarchand of Avenue B is producing. She previously collaborated with Marnier on his well-received debut thriller Faultless (Irréprochable), starring Marina Foïs as a down-on-her-luck estate agent who is hell-bent on getting her old job back at an agency in her provincial home-town, whatever it takes.
For School’s Out, Elle co-star Laurent Lafitte is set to play protagonist Pierre Hoffman, a substitute form tutor, brought in after his predecessor commits suicide by throwing himself out of the classroom window in front of his teenage students.
Actress and film-maker Emmanuelle Bercot will play another teacher in the school. Other cast members will include French rapper Gringe, Pascal Greggory, Greg Montel, Thomas Scimeca and Véronique Ruggia.
Lafitte’s character...
- 5/2/2017
- ScreenDaily
Although there’s no shortage of regional film festivals throughout the year, few — if any — are better curated than the Maryland Film Festival. With a slate organized by Director of Programming Eric Allen Hatch, the downtown Baltimore festival, which takes place from May 3-7, offers the finest in independent and international cinema of the past year, as well as some of our most-anticipated world premieres.
Now in its 19th year, we’re pleased to debut the full line-up for the 6-screen festival, and can exclusively reveal that Brett Haley‘s The Hero (one of our favorite films from Sundance) will be the Closing Night film. World premiering at the festival is Stephen Cone‘s Princess Cyd, his follow-up to one of last year’s finest films, Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, along with Josh Crockett‘s Dr. Brinks & Dr. Brinks.
We can also exclusively reveal the Opening Night Shorts — 5 short...
Now in its 19th year, we’re pleased to debut the full line-up for the 6-screen festival, and can exclusively reveal that Brett Haley‘s The Hero (one of our favorite films from Sundance) will be the Closing Night film. World premiering at the festival is Stephen Cone‘s Princess Cyd, his follow-up to one of last year’s finest films, Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, along with Josh Crockett‘s Dr. Brinks & Dr. Brinks.
We can also exclusively reveal the Opening Night Shorts — 5 short...
- 4/21/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Paris-based company to launch sales on Sundance title during Cannes.
Paris-based Celluloid Dreams has taken on world sales of writer-director Dustin Guy Defa’s off-beat comedy Person To Person following a number of New Yorkers over the course of one day.
Described as a love letter to New York, the film follows four slice-of-life stories set in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, involving a record collector, his heartbroken room-mate, a teenager accompanying a friend on a date and a rookie reporter sent to cover a murder case.
The ensemble cast features Michael Cera, Abbi Jacobson, Philip Baker Hall, Michaela Watkins, Tavi Gevinson, Olivia Luccardi, Ben Rosenfield, George Sample III, and newcomer Bene Coopersmith.
It is Defa’s second film after his 2012 work Bad Fever.
The new work grew out a short film of the same name which premiered at Sundance in 2014 and also screened at SXSW, AFI Fest and the Berlin Film Festivals, where it won...
Paris-based Celluloid Dreams has taken on world sales of writer-director Dustin Guy Defa’s off-beat comedy Person To Person following a number of New Yorkers over the course of one day.
Described as a love letter to New York, the film follows four slice-of-life stories set in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, involving a record collector, his heartbroken room-mate, a teenager accompanying a friend on a date and a rookie reporter sent to cover a murder case.
The ensemble cast features Michael Cera, Abbi Jacobson, Philip Baker Hall, Michaela Watkins, Tavi Gevinson, Olivia Luccardi, Ben Rosenfield, George Sample III, and newcomer Bene Coopersmith.
It is Defa’s second film after his 2012 work Bad Fever.
The new work grew out a short film of the same name which premiered at Sundance in 2014 and also screened at SXSW, AFI Fest and the Berlin Film Festivals, where it won...
- 4/5/2017
- ScreenDaily
Sundance premiere will close new Directors/New Films in New York.
Magnolia Pictures announced on Friday it has acquired North American rights to Person To Person, writer-director Dustin Guy Defa’s second feature, which he also edited.
The film premiered this year at Sundance and will receive its New York premiere o n March 25 as the closing night selection of New Directors/New Films 2017, a presentation of the Museum Of Modern Art and the Film Society Of Lincoln Center.
Person To Person stars Michael Cera, Abbi Jacobson and Tavi Gevinson and tells the story of a record collector who hustles for a big score while his heartbroken roommate tries to erase a terrible mistake.
Meanwhile, a teenager bears witness to her best friend’s new relationship, and a rookie reporter, alongside her demanding supervisor, chases the clues of a murder case involving a world-weary clock shop owner.
“With Person To Person, Dustin has crafted...
Magnolia Pictures announced on Friday it has acquired North American rights to Person To Person, writer-director Dustin Guy Defa’s second feature, which he also edited.
The film premiered this year at Sundance and will receive its New York premiere o n March 25 as the closing night selection of New Directors/New Films 2017, a presentation of the Museum Of Modern Art and the Film Society Of Lincoln Center.
Person To Person stars Michael Cera, Abbi Jacobson and Tavi Gevinson and tells the story of a record collector who hustles for a big score while his heartbroken roommate tries to erase a terrible mistake.
Meanwhile, a teenager bears witness to her best friend’s new relationship, and a rookie reporter, alongside her demanding supervisor, chases the clues of a murder case involving a world-weary clock shop owner.
“With Person To Person, Dustin has crafted...
- 3/24/2017
- ScreenDaily
Magnolia Pictures has picked North American distribution rights to Dustin Guy Defa’s written and directed comedy Person To Person. The pic, which world premiered at this year’s Sundance film fest, stars Abbi Jacobson, Michael Cera, Tavi Gevinson, Olivia Luccardi, George Sample III, Bene Coppersmith and Philip Baker Hall. Magnolia is planning to release Defa’s sophomore feature later this year. Its follows a record collector hustles for a big score while his heartbroken…...
- 3/24/2017
- Deadline
Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.
– Fox Searchlight will acquire the U.S., Canada and U.K. rights to to “The Old Man And The Gun,” Deadline reports. Director David Lowery’s drama stars Robert Redford, Casey Affleck, Sissy Spacek and Danny Glover and begins shooting on April 3.
Based on a true story, the film centers on bank robber and 17-time prison escapee Forrest Tucker (Redford). Affleck plays a detective obsessed with bringing Tucker to justice while Spacek plays Tucker’s love interest. The film is produced by Conde Nast Entertainment Wildwood Enterprises and Identity Films.
Read More: Film Acquisition Rundown: Neon Picks Up Errol Morris’ ‘The B-Side,’ FilmRise Gets Two Sundance Premieres and More
– Grasshopper Film has acquired the U.S. rights...
– Fox Searchlight will acquire the U.S., Canada and U.K. rights to to “The Old Man And The Gun,” Deadline reports. Director David Lowery’s drama stars Robert Redford, Casey Affleck, Sissy Spacek and Danny Glover and begins shooting on April 3.
Based on a true story, the film centers on bank robber and 17-time prison escapee Forrest Tucker (Redford). Affleck plays a detective obsessed with bringing Tucker to justice while Spacek plays Tucker’s love interest. The film is produced by Conde Nast Entertainment Wildwood Enterprises and Identity Films.
Read More: Film Acquisition Rundown: Neon Picks Up Errol Morris’ ‘The B-Side,’ FilmRise Gets Two Sundance Premieres and More
– Grasshopper Film has acquired the U.S. rights...
- 3/24/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Welcome back to the Weekend Warrior, your weekly look at the new movies hitting theaters this weekend, as well as other cool events and things to check out. And if you're into box office and how movies might do, come play some of the box office games at EZ1 Productions including their new Pick 5 game!
This Past Weekend:
As expected, Legendary Pictures’ Kong: Skull Island won the weekend, and honestly, the Weekend Warrior’s original prediction of $61.6 million was pretty darn close to the movie’s opening weekend which ended up at $61 million. (Unfortunately, I chickened out on Thursday because my prediction was so much higher than all others and lowered it to $58 million, which was Still closer to than every other prediction last weekend.) Also, as expected (at least by me), Hugh Jackman’s Logan took a 2nd weekend tumble as has been the case with most X-Men movies,...
This Past Weekend:
As expected, Legendary Pictures’ Kong: Skull Island won the weekend, and honestly, the Weekend Warrior’s original prediction of $61.6 million was pretty darn close to the movie’s opening weekend which ended up at $61 million. (Unfortunately, I chickened out on Thursday because my prediction was so much higher than all others and lowered it to $58 million, which was Still closer to than every other prediction last weekend.) Also, as expected (at least by me), Hugh Jackman’s Logan took a 2nd weekend tumble as has been the case with most X-Men movies,...
- 3/15/2017
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
Now in its 46th iteration, Film Society Of Lincoln Center and The Museum Of Modern Art’s annual New Directors/New Films series has routinely introduced the film world to some of the most interesting and singular young voices within cinema. Be it their first lineup in 1972 which included Wim Wenders’ The Goalie’s Anxiety At The Penalty Kick or last year’s selection that included this writer’s favorite film of 2016, Neon Bull, Nd/Nf has become one of the great film series on any year’s calendar.
And 2017 is no different.
Three films lead the way for this year’s slate, all of which are Sundance-approved entries into the greater American Independent Cinema canon. Opening the festival is Geremy Jasper’s Patti Cake$, with Eliza Hittman’s latest Beach Rats and Dustin Guy Defa’s New York-set Person to Person, all of which garnered solid notices out of Park City this January,...
And 2017 is no different.
Three films lead the way for this year’s slate, all of which are Sundance-approved entries into the greater American Independent Cinema canon. Opening the festival is Geremy Jasper’s Patti Cake$, with Eliza Hittman’s latest Beach Rats and Dustin Guy Defa’s New York-set Person to Person, all of which garnered solid notices out of Park City this January,...
- 3/15/2017
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, this year’s New Directors/New Films festival will screen 29 features and nine short films. This year’s lineup boasts nine North American premieres, seven U.S. premieres, and two world premieres, with features and shorts from 32 countries across five continents.
The opening, centerpiece, and closing night selections showcase three exciting new voices in American independent cinema that all recently debuted at Sundance: Geremy Jasper’s “Patti Cake$” is the opening night pick, while Eliza Hittman’s “Beach Rats” is the centerpiece selection and Dustin Guy Defa will close the festival with “Person to Person.”
Read More: 2017 New Directors/New Films Announces Full Lineup, Including ‘Patti Cake$,’ ‘Beach Rats,’ ‘Menashe’ and More
Now in its forty-sixth year, Nd/Nf has played home early films from such heavy hitters as Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Chantal Akerman, Pedro Almodovar,...
The opening, centerpiece, and closing night selections showcase three exciting new voices in American independent cinema that all recently debuted at Sundance: Geremy Jasper’s “Patti Cake$” is the opening night pick, while Eliza Hittman’s “Beach Rats” is the centerpiece selection and Dustin Guy Defa will close the festival with “Person to Person.”
Read More: 2017 New Directors/New Films Announces Full Lineup, Including ‘Patti Cake$,’ ‘Beach Rats,’ ‘Menashe’ and More
Now in its forty-sixth year, Nd/Nf has played home early films from such heavy hitters as Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Chantal Akerman, Pedro Almodovar,...
- 3/14/2017
- by Chris O'Falt, Eric Kohn, Jude Dry and Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
One of the best festivals during the first half of the year is The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s New Directors/New Films, which kicks off its 46th year this March, running from the 15th to the 26th. With last year’s line-up including some of the year’s best films, including Cameraperson, The Fits, Kaili Blues, Neon Bull, Weiner, and more, we can expect many more discoveries this year.
Opening with Patti Cake$ and closing with Person to Person, in between will be one of our favorite films from Sundance as the centerpiece, Beach Rats. Also among the line-up is a handful of other festival favorites, including The Dreamed Path, The Giant, Menashe, and Lady Macbeth.
“Authenticity is an elusive thing these days, and without it we risk ruin. This is particularly true in cinema,” says Rajendra Roy, the Celeste Bartos Chief...
Opening with Patti Cake$ and closing with Person to Person, in between will be one of our favorite films from Sundance as the centerpiece, Beach Rats. Also among the line-up is a handful of other festival favorites, including The Dreamed Path, The Giant, Menashe, and Lady Macbeth.
“Authenticity is an elusive thing these days, and without it we risk ruin. This is particularly true in cinema,” says Rajendra Roy, the Celeste Bartos Chief...
- 2/15/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center has today announces their complete lineup for the 46th annual New Directors/New Films (Nd/Nf), running March 15 – 26. Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, this year’s festival will screen 29 features and nine short films. This year’s lineup boasts nine North American premieres, seven U.S. premieres, and two world premieres, with features and shorts from 32 countries across five continents.
The opening, centerpiece, and closing night selections showcase three exciting new voices in American independent cinema that all recently debuted at Sundance: Geremy Jasper’s “Patti Cake$” is the opening night pick, while Eliza Hittman’s “Beach Rats” is the centerpiece selection and Dustin Guy Defa will close the festival with “Person to Person.” Other standouts include “Menashe,” “My Happy Family,” “Quest” and “The Wound.”
Read More: The Sundance Rebel:...
The opening, centerpiece, and closing night selections showcase three exciting new voices in American independent cinema that all recently debuted at Sundance: Geremy Jasper’s “Patti Cake$” is the opening night pick, while Eliza Hittman’s “Beach Rats” is the centerpiece selection and Dustin Guy Defa will close the festival with “Person to Person.” Other standouts include “Menashe,” “My Happy Family,” “Quest” and “The Wound.”
Read More: The Sundance Rebel:...
- 2/15/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
A Ghost StoryBelow you will find our favorite films of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, as well as an index of our coverage.Awardstop Picksjosh Cabritai.Call Me By Your NameII.A Ghost StoryIII.Beatriz at Dinner, Dayveon, Dina, Golden Exits, Kuro, Person to PersonLAWRENCE N Garciai.Call Me By Your NameII.Golden Exits, My Happy FamilyIII.Beatriz at Dinner, Dina, The Big Sick, Landline, Long Strange TripCORRESPONDENCESBy Josh Cabrita and Lawrence N Garcia#1 Josh Cabrita on William Oldroyd's Lady Macbeth, Dustin Guy Defa's Person to Person | Read#2 Lawrence N Garcia on Travis Wilkerson's Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun?, Gillian Robespierre's Landline, Damien Power's Killing Ground, Taylor Sheridan's Wind River | Read#3 Josh Cabrita on Bryan Fogel's Icarus, Dee Rees' Mudbound, David Lowery's A Ghost Story | Read#4 Lawrence N Garcia on Luca Guadagnino's Call Me By Your Name, Matthew Heineman's City of Ghosts,...
- 2/1/2017
- MUBI
Generally speaking, this year’s Sundance Film Festival was a very healthy marketplace that guaranteed many of its highlights will make it to audiences beyond the festival circuit soon. From heavy hitters like “The Big Sick” and “Mudbound” to discoveries like “Thoroughbred,” there was plenty of buyer interest spread throughout the lineup. As usual, though, plenty of worthy titles ended the festival with uncertain futures.
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Here are a few memorable ones that deserve distribution.
“Bitch”
There are plenty of stories about domestic housewives who grow tired of their oppressive routines, but none quite like Marianna Palka’s vicious feminist satire “Bitch,” in which the writer-director-star plays a woman who assumes the identity of a wild dog. It’s a blunt metaphor, but Palka transforms the absurd premise into a chilling look at the destruction...
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Here are a few memorable ones that deserve distribution.
“Bitch”
There are plenty of stories about domestic housewives who grow tired of their oppressive routines, but none quite like Marianna Palka’s vicious feminist satire “Bitch,” in which the writer-director-star plays a woman who assumes the identity of a wild dog. It’s a blunt metaphor, but Palka transforms the absurd premise into a chilling look at the destruction...
- 1/31/2017
- by David Ehrlich, Eric Kohn and Jude Dry
- Indiewire
There are plenty of characters and there is plenty of New York City in writer/director Dustin Guy Defa‘s Person To Person, but the whole thing meanders all over without ever really settling somewhere that matters. Amongst the pack, we’ve got rag newspaper reporter Phil (Michael Cera) and temp Claire (Abbi Jacobson) awkwardly getting to know each other while they follow up on a potential murder case, involving a rich widow (a criminally-wasted Michaela Watkins).
Meanwhile, a couple of old-timers (including Isiah Whitlock Jr.) hang out at a timepiece repair shop owned by Jimmy (Philip Baker Hall, understated and wonderful); a man named Bene (Bene Coopersmith) hunts down a rare Charlie Parker album while worrying about his new shirt while his best friend Ray (George Sample III) hides out at his apartment after posting nude photos online of his ex-girlfriend (Marsha Stephanie Blake); a quartet of teenagers (Tavi Gevinson,...
Meanwhile, a couple of old-timers (including Isiah Whitlock Jr.) hang out at a timepiece repair shop owned by Jimmy (Philip Baker Hall, understated and wonderful); a man named Bene (Bene Coopersmith) hunts down a rare Charlie Parker album while worrying about his new shirt while his best friend Ray (George Sample III) hides out at his apartment after posting nude photos online of his ex-girlfriend (Marsha Stephanie Blake); a quartet of teenagers (Tavi Gevinson,...
- 1/31/2017
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
I’ve mapped it out, and best as I can say, there are five discrete narratives in writer/director/editor Dustin Guy Defa’s Person to Person. Some of them overlap, some do not. They bolster one another through opposition, the way each shows very different ways of relating to other people. It’s a light comedy involving murder, fraud, and betrayal after all. Contrasts are its driving force.
In one thread, newspaper editor Phil (Michael Cera) is training new reporter Claire (Abbi Jacobson) by taking her around to investigate a woman (Michaela Watkins) suspected of murdering her husband. That woman has taken a broken watch, which may or may not be key to the case, to a shop run by Jimmy (Philip Baker Hall) for repair. In a separate thread, Bene (Bene Coopersmith) is trying to acquire a rare Charlie Parker record, chasing its possible seller all over town once their deal complicates; meanwhile,...
In one thread, newspaper editor Phil (Michael Cera) is training new reporter Claire (Abbi Jacobson) by taking her around to investigate a woman (Michaela Watkins) suspected of murdering her husband. That woman has taken a broken watch, which may or may not be key to the case, to a shop run by Jimmy (Philip Baker Hall) for repair. In a separate thread, Bene (Bene Coopersmith) is trying to acquire a rare Charlie Parker record, chasing its possible seller all over town once their deal complicates; meanwhile,...
- 1/28/2017
- by Scott Nye
- CriterionCast
by Peter Belsito
This is a series of parallel stories and groups of characters, who mostly do not meet or interact, set in upper middle class (meaning money is near) New York City.
The interwoven tales of young and older, male and female characters struggling with unexpected situations, conflicts and some unusual compulsions are typical but unique as well and quite affecting. The NYC setting just perfect for such a group.
During a single day in New York City, a variety of characters grapple with the mundane, the unexpected, and the larger questions permeating their lives.
A confused and naive investigative reporter for a sensationalist rag of a newspaper, she is really just an intern trying to get ahead, struggles with her first day on the job, despite too much odd and finally suspicious help from her misguided boss. What begins as a search for leads into a suspicious death...
This is a series of parallel stories and groups of characters, who mostly do not meet or interact, set in upper middle class (meaning money is near) New York City.
The interwoven tales of young and older, male and female characters struggling with unexpected situations, conflicts and some unusual compulsions are typical but unique as well and quite affecting. The NYC setting just perfect for such a group.
During a single day in New York City, a variety of characters grapple with the mundane, the unexpected, and the larger questions permeating their lives.
A confused and naive investigative reporter for a sensationalist rag of a newspaper, she is really just an intern trying to get ahead, struggles with her first day on the job, despite too much odd and finally suspicious help from her misguided boss. What begins as a search for leads into a suspicious death...
- 1/28/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
As in the past few years, the 2017 Sundance Film Festival kicked off with a sampling of six movies from the different sections, but the movie that probably had the most interest right off the bat was the premiere of An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.
Ten years after Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth was blowing minds about global warming from its 2006 Sundance premiere to winning the Oscar, he’s back with an update that offers at least some hope for the future of the earth, but tempered with a warning that the United States could end up backtracking under the leadership of a vocal denier of climate change.
The previous movie was essentially Gore’s slide show presentation of graphs and charts showing how the build-up of carbon gases in the atmosphere has created unstable climate and weather, being responsible for the increase in the deadliest typhoons and hurricanes. At first,...
Ten years after Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth was blowing minds about global warming from its 2006 Sundance premiere to winning the Oscar, he’s back with an update that offers at least some hope for the future of the earth, but tempered with a warning that the United States could end up backtracking under the leadership of a vocal denier of climate change.
The previous movie was essentially Gore’s slide show presentation of graphs and charts showing how the build-up of carbon gases in the atmosphere has created unstable climate and weather, being responsible for the increase in the deadliest typhoons and hurricanes. At first,...
- 1/23/2017
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
Opening the first day of Deadline’s Sundance studio on Thursday morning was Dustin Guy Defa’s slice-of-life comedy Person to Person. An off-beat film smartly lensed in 16mm, the picture follows the lives of an electic cast of characters—a passionate record collector, a timid apartment dweller and a first-day field reporter, among others— on one particular day in New York. Featuring a top-notch ensemble cast, Person to Person stars Broad City‘s Abbi Jacobson, Michael Cera…...
- 1/22/2017
- Deadline
Person to PersonDear Lawrence,Sometime during our excursion from Vancouver to Park City you asked about a movie I’ve been planning in my head for over a year. Though neither of us are filmmakers by trade or by nature, we both have an innate desire to create, to harness life experience and transform it into something universal: into art. But as critics, we’ve become accustomed to deciphering meaning rather than creating it, better at explaining with words than evoking with images, inspired to discuss others’ stories but not tell our own. But instead of making a movie, my life had become one. Our trip began on Wednesday with a two hour inspection at the border where we were ultimately turned away. The next day was gonzo, shifting tones at a breakneck speed, jerking us around from crushing disappointment to hope, from frustration to elation. If Wednesday seemed like...
- 1/22/2017
- MUBI
A proudly analog day-in-the-life comedy whose ensemble members scatter across New York City without stepping on each other's toes, Dustin Guy Defa's Person to Person looks and feels (in a good way) like something that might have played Sundance twenty or more years ago. Investing the least in its biggest names (Michael Cera and Abbi Jacobson), the picture identifies beautifully with marginal characters who, in a mid-2000s Sundance film, would have been milked ruthlessly for quirk value. Focused on amiable local color instead of escalating laughs, it will find many fans on the fest circuit and deserves its moment in...
- 1/21/2017
- by John DeFore
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Documentarian Dan Sickles’ road to his new documentary, the Sundance premiere “Dina,” was a strange one. While he and co-director Antonio Santini were completing their first film together, “Mala Mala,” both of Sickles’ parents passed away. In order for the pair to juggle both the editing of the film and Sickles’ new familial responsibilities, they picked up and moved — plus editor Sofia Subercaseaux — to suburban Philadelphia, the home of the Sickles’ family.
Read More: Sundance 2017: 20 Must-See Films At This Year’s Festival
Sickles’ father had been a friend and a mentor to Dina since he taught her at the local high school, eventually helping to co-found the Abington Aktion Club, a social/community service organization for developmentally disabled adults, of which Dina is a long-time and dedicated member. Sickles had known Dina his entire life, and was pleased to introduce her to Santini and Subercaseaux. While the group was...
Read More: Sundance 2017: 20 Must-See Films At This Year’s Festival
Sickles’ father had been a friend and a mentor to Dina since he taught her at the local high school, eventually helping to co-found the Abington Aktion Club, a social/community service organization for developmentally disabled adults, of which Dina is a long-time and dedicated member. Sickles had known Dina his entire life, and was pleased to introduce her to Santini and Subercaseaux. While the group was...
- 1/20/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
In 2006, “An Inconvenient Truth” propelled Al Gore’s climate change activism to a new level of awareness, proving that distilling a PowerPoint to a feature-length format doesn’t have to make great cinema to achieve its goals. A decade later, “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” does it all over again, with somewhat more engaging filmmaking and a far greater sense of urgency.
Co-directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk (taking the reigns from “Truth” director Davis Guggenheim), the filmmakers manage to improve on the limitations of the original by showing more of Gore’s resilience in the field. He’s grayer, wrinkled and a little wider around the midsection, but the former Vice President continues to wage a seemingly effective crusade to widen environmental awareness.
See MoreAs ‘An Inconvenient Sequel’ Debuts on Sundance Opening Night, Al Gore Vows ‘We Are Going to Win This’
Although it opens with...
Co-directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk (taking the reigns from “Truth” director Davis Guggenheim), the filmmakers manage to improve on the limitations of the original by showing more of Gore’s resilience in the field. He’s grayer, wrinkled and a little wider around the midsection, but the former Vice President continues to wage a seemingly effective crusade to widen environmental awareness.
See MoreAs ‘An Inconvenient Sequel’ Debuts on Sundance Opening Night, Al Gore Vows ‘We Are Going to Win This’
Although it opens with...
- 1/20/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
“Look at that stupid house. Stupid tree. Stupid rock. Stupid concrete. Stupid people.” The voiceover continues like that in a low mumble as a 13-year-old black teen wheels his pink bike through the economically depressed Arkansas town that he calls home. “Everything stupid.”
A little movie about a little man with a huge hole in his heart, “Dayveon” gives its young title character (Devin Blackmon) plenty of reason to be frustrated with the world. His older brother, memorialized by the airbrushed portrait that hangs on Dayveon’s bedroom wall, was shot and killed in 2014, presumably as a result of some business involving the local sect of Bloods who hang out down the street. His name was Trevor, and a loaded handgun is the only thing he left behind. When he’s alone in the house, Dayveon dives into his shoebox of secret stuff and holds the weapon in his hands,...
A little movie about a little man with a huge hole in his heart, “Dayveon” gives its young title character (Devin Blackmon) plenty of reason to be frustrated with the world. His older brother, memorialized by the airbrushed portrait that hangs on Dayveon’s bedroom wall, was shot and killed in 2014, presumably as a result of some business involving the local sect of Bloods who hang out down the street. His name was Trevor, and a loaded handgun is the only thing he left behind. When he’s alone in the house, Dayveon dives into his shoebox of secret stuff and holds the weapon in his hands,...
- 1/20/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Momentum Pictures has acquired the North American theatrical rights to Sundance entry “Fun Mom Dinner,” which sold its streaming rights to Netflix, Deadline reports. The deals combined for around $5 million. “Fun Mom Dinner” premieres on January 27 in Sundance’s Premieres section.
The comedy follows high-powered lawyer and mother Emily (Katie Aselton) and a group of friends who take a break from their full time jobs as moms to have a wild night out on the town. The film stars Toni Collette, Molly Shannon, and Bridget Everett as moms who party hard while also making “tearful revelations.”
UTA, Wme and ICM handled the sale. The film joins the list of more than half a dozen Sundance movies that have been acquired ahead of their premieres.
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Related storiesHere's Why ABC's Talking-Dog TV Show Belongs At the Sundance Film FestivalTragedy,...
The comedy follows high-powered lawyer and mother Emily (Katie Aselton) and a group of friends who take a break from their full time jobs as moms to have a wild night out on the town. The film stars Toni Collette, Molly Shannon, and Bridget Everett as moms who party hard while also making “tearful revelations.”
UTA, Wme and ICM handled the sale. The film joins the list of more than half a dozen Sundance movies that have been acquired ahead of their premieres.
Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
Related storiesHere's Why ABC's Talking-Dog TV Show Belongs At the Sundance Film FestivalTragedy,...
- 1/20/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
The Sundance Film Festival has long been a proving ground for brand new talents and stars-in-the-making looking to catapult their career into the big leagues, and this year’s edition of the lauded fest looks to be no different. From actors to filmmakers, we’ve targeted a batch of up-and-coming talents who are set to make it big at this year’s festival. There may be a familiar face or two among their ranks, but we’re betting that, post-Sundance, they’re going to be just about everywhere from now on.
Read More: Sundance 2017: Check Out the Full Lineup, Including Competition Titles, Premieres and Shorts
Ahead, check out 13 talents we’re excited to see break out at this year’s festival.
Margaret Qualley, actor, “Novitiate”
Over the past few years, Margaret Qualley has amassed a notable screen career, between “The Leftovers” and last year’s hypnotic Spike Jonze-directed Kenzo short.
Read More: Sundance 2017: Check Out the Full Lineup, Including Competition Titles, Premieres and Shorts
Ahead, check out 13 talents we’re excited to see break out at this year’s festival.
Margaret Qualley, actor, “Novitiate”
Over the past few years, Margaret Qualley has amassed a notable screen career, between “The Leftovers” and last year’s hypnotic Spike Jonze-directed Kenzo short.
- 1/12/2017
- by Chris O'Falt, Graham Winfrey, Jude Dry, Kate Erbland, Steve Greene and Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
This year’s Sundance Film Festival is mere days from unspooling in snowy Park City, Utah and, with it comes a brand new year of indie filmmaking to get excited about. As ever, the annual festival is playing home to dozens of feature films, short offerings and technologically-influenced experiences, and while there’s plenty to anticipate seeing, we’ve waded through the lineup to pick out the ones we’re most looking forward to checking out.
From returning filmmakers like Alex Ross Perry and Gillian Robesepierre to a handful of long-gestating passion projects and at least one film about a ghost, we’ve got a little something for every stripe of film fan.
Read More: Sundance 2017: Check Out the Full Lineup, Including Competition Titles, Premieres and Shorts
Ahead, check out 20 titles we’re excited to finally check out at this year’s festival.
“Landline”
The trifecta behind previous Sundance...
From returning filmmakers like Alex Ross Perry and Gillian Robesepierre to a handful of long-gestating passion projects and at least one film about a ghost, we’ve got a little something for every stripe of film fan.
Read More: Sundance 2017: Check Out the Full Lineup, Including Competition Titles, Premieres and Shorts
Ahead, check out 20 titles we’re excited to finally check out at this year’s festival.
“Landline”
The trifecta behind previous Sundance...
- 1/11/2017
- by Chris O'Falt, Eric Kohn, Graham Winfrey, Jude Dry, Kate Erbland, Steve Greene and Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
By Peter Belsito
“Person to Person” starring Michael Cera and Abbi Jacobson
This very interesting New York City deals with mostly youthful characters struggling with identity, career and some unusual compulsions. Their struggles are typical but unique also and quite affecting.
The NYC setting just perfect for such a group. During a single day in New York City, a variety of characters grapples with the mundane, the unexpected, and the larger questions permeating their lives.
An investigative reporter struggles with her first day on the job, despite help from her misguided boss; a rebellious teen attempts to balance her feminist ideals with other desires; and a young man seeks to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend, even as her brother threatens revenge.
Meanwhile, an avid music lover traverses the city in search of a rare record for his vinyl collection.
Shot entirely in 16mm, “Person to Person” effortlessly humanizes its characters, invoking...
“Person to Person” starring Michael Cera and Abbi Jacobson
This very interesting New York City deals with mostly youthful characters struggling with identity, career and some unusual compulsions. Their struggles are typical but unique also and quite affecting.
The NYC setting just perfect for such a group. During a single day in New York City, a variety of characters grapples with the mundane, the unexpected, and the larger questions permeating their lives.
An investigative reporter struggles with her first day on the job, despite help from her misguided boss; a rebellious teen attempts to balance her feminist ideals with other desires; and a young man seeks to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend, even as her brother threatens revenge.
Meanwhile, an avid music lover traverses the city in search of a rare record for his vinyl collection.
Shot entirely in 16mm, “Person to Person” effortlessly humanizes its characters, invoking...
- 1/6/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
…and so it begins. With the first wave of titles for the 2017 Sundance Film Festival arriving today, it means that we’re already looking to the year of movies to come. And it seems there will be a lot to get excited about.
Premiering in the Next Section at Park City will be Dustin Guy Defa‘s “Person To Person.” Rounding up an ensemble that includes Abbi Jacobson, Michael Cera, Tavi Gevinson, Isiah Whitlock, Michaela Watkins, Olivia Luccardi, Ben Rosenfield, Buddy Durress, Bene Coopersmith, George Sample III and Philip Baker Hall, the story follows a record collector who hustles for a big score while his heartbroken roommate tries to erase a terrible mistake, a teenager bears witness to her best friend’s new relationship, and a rookie reporter, alongside her demanding supervisor, chases the clues of a murder case involving a life-weary clock shop owner.
Continue reading Sundance First Look:...
Premiering in the Next Section at Park City will be Dustin Guy Defa‘s “Person To Person.” Rounding up an ensemble that includes Abbi Jacobson, Michael Cera, Tavi Gevinson, Isiah Whitlock, Michaela Watkins, Olivia Luccardi, Ben Rosenfield, Buddy Durress, Bene Coopersmith, George Sample III and Philip Baker Hall, the story follows a record collector who hustles for a big score while his heartbroken roommate tries to erase a terrible mistake, a teenager bears witness to her best friend’s new relationship, and a rookie reporter, alongside her demanding supervisor, chases the clues of a murder case involving a life-weary clock shop owner.
Continue reading Sundance First Look:...
- 11/30/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
2016 is nearly over and most people can’t wait to reach the finish line, so the Sundance Film Festival lineup couldn’t arrive at a better moment to give us something to anticipate for the new year.
Read More: Sundance 2017 Announces Competition and Next Lineups, Including Returning Favorites and Major Contenders
With the announcement of the U.S. and World Competition sections as well as the ever-tantalizing Next category of edgier fare, the first set of Sundance announcements kick off a wave of expectations from new talent and veterans alike. There will be much to dig through, from potential sales titles to breakthrough talent, and more announcements to come (the midnight section, short films, and forward-thinking New Frontiers section are all around the corner). In the meantime, we’ve dug through the initial Sundance blast to unearth a few standouts worthy of anticipation.
David Lowery’s Secret Movie Isn’t...
Read More: Sundance 2017 Announces Competition and Next Lineups, Including Returning Favorites and Major Contenders
With the announcement of the U.S. and World Competition sections as well as the ever-tantalizing Next category of edgier fare, the first set of Sundance announcements kick off a wave of expectations from new talent and veterans alike. There will be much to dig through, from potential sales titles to breakthrough talent, and more announcements to come (the midnight section, short films, and forward-thinking New Frontiers section are all around the corner). In the meantime, we’ve dug through the initial Sundance blast to unearth a few standouts worthy of anticipation.
David Lowery’s Secret Movie Isn’t...
- 11/30/2016
- by Eric Kohn and David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Here’s the first lineup for the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, with more to come in the days ahead regarding Special Presentations, Midnight Madness et al. Some highlights from the group below: new films by Alex Ross Perry (Golden Exits), Gillian Robespierre (Landline), and David Lowery’s recently revealed “secret feature” (A Ghost Story). Also: the sophomore feature from Dustin Guy Defa (Person to Person), Dayveon, the first feature by one of our 25 New Faces of Film, Amman Abbasi, and the documentary Casting JonBenet, on which Filmmaker‘s editor Scott Macaulay is a producer. U.S. Dramatic Competition Presenting the world premieres of 16 narrative feature films, […]...
- 11/30/2016
- by Vadim Rizov
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Michael Cera, Abbi Jacobson and Tavi Gevinson are set to lead the ensemble cast of “Human People,” an indie movie from director Dustin Guy Defa, it was announced Thursday. The film also stars Isiah Whitlock (“25th Hour”), Michaela Watkins (Hulu’s “Casual”), Ben Rosenfield (“6 Years”), Buddy Durress (“Heaven Knows What”), George Sample III (“Cronies”), Bene Coopersmith (Defa’s “Person to Person”) and Philip Baker Hall (“Magnolia”). “Human People” follows a variety of New York characters as they navigate personal relationships and unexpected problems over the course of one day. Also Read: Mel Brooks, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Cera, Lead Voice Cast of 'Blazing.
- 12/3/2015
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
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