So we started yesterday morning with running around promoting the "sleet/snow" screening, putting up posters, handing out postcards. Ran into Ry Russo-Young in the process. Then we were off to get into the front of the line for Andrew Bujalski's new film "Beeswax."
This film premiered at Berlinale, and we saw it's US premier here at SXSW. It was really nice, good crowd, well enjoyed by all. I wrote about this before I left yesterday and found the film that I was looking for. "Beeswax" is sweet, meandering, and beautiful. I am starting to feel more and more confidence that my tastes haven't changed too much.
After words we rushed over to see "Sons of a Gun" and we met up with Jon Mitchell, who was part of the Odessa Crew on Sleet/Snow. I won't say too much about Sons, with its heartfelt and compelling subject matter, I had expected a little more in the ways of the edit. Almost every cut in the film felt weak and amateurish. I isn't my film so I won't say how I would've fixed it but I will definitely take that experience to back to the India project.
Then we went a PBS Party I had a drink and Adrian ate chips (this is starting to sound like Adrian's Blog so I'll stop here...).
To fill our gap we snuck in to see "Moon" where Sam Rockwell plays a lone worker on a mining camp on the, you guessed it, MOON. Other then Rockwell typically dead on performance, the film seemed extremely forced and bland. Special Effects and Make-up looked great, but who cares, answer; I didn't and left early to get a good spot in line for Alexander the Last.
Now before I begin to discuss my thoughts on Swanberg's best film yet, I will take some time to express thoughts on some of the excuses I've heard from people for their reason's why they are not attending the festival. Why film students who have a desire to write, direct, edit, shoot, or whatever, decided, "meh, not really worth it..."
I'm paraphrasing here but this is the gist of each of the top reasons.
1. Money
2. Work
3. Bitterness (this was my excuse)
Money
"I don't have the money, but I'd love to go." But you'll spend 3K on making a film to submit it to said festival... (I will explain why that jsut does not seem logical in one moment but first...) Let's look at how much money you spend on beer, cigarettes, "fancy"/"fashionable" clothing, restaurants/fast food, etc. It adds up quick, probably thousands a year. All of these things do not compare on any level (in my opinion) to the experiences you'll get with the $70 film pass, which grants you admission to every screening during the film portion of SXSW. Films that are achieving current success at our level of production or lower, in a theater, and their good. You get the chance to see shorts, that were supposedly better then yours (but I'll get to bitterness later), that you will likely never get another chance to see again. $70 for a film pass, that's it. Everyone has friends and there are a bunch of places to stay in Austin for free. If you get a Badge ($325 or if you submitted a film, that didn't get in, it is discounted to $300), there is so much free alcohol your last trip to caves would feel like a thunderous waste, and you can pretty much eat for free too. Folks, Main Street will be there when you get back after a couple days of SXSW. Now you could probably even request for money from the University, and call it research, because that is what it is.
Work
This one I understand to some extent, but if you are planning to throw thousands of dollars into making a film and you are taking off work for that, why not research. Actively seeking out and discovering what is what in film today. I have been told it is the same as it has always been, but that is a lie. Every year new films made by different filmmakers, with new voices get into SXSW and seeing what is out there gives you clues to predict what will be the next big thing or what sort of bait is biting in the festivals at large. There is a simple philosophy here, and that is treat your film as your job, and whatever else you are doing as a supplemental for of income, (even if it is your primary source). To call yourself a filmmaker on the set of your first film is pure fantasy, but that's what most of this is. It is attitude and follow through. Anyways, just ask off for SXSW, it is tremendously insightful for a first time filmmaker or even second time.
Bitterness (my reason)
The reality is after my first year at South By, I declared, almost masochistically, that I wouldn't attend another SXSW without a film in the festival. But to fair I had wanted to go last year, and had I not gotten director in the narrative class I would've gone. Now I submitted a very rough cut of "sleet/snow" to South By, and got rejected. I knew in my heart when I dropped it off at the post office I would not be accepted. I distinctly felt my legs go numb like they used to when I was a child if I were to stand on the edge of a balcony. When I wasn't accepted I felt a very bitter rejection, feeling that my film was, above all else, inadequate. The last I wanted to be seen was at SXSW '09. Needless to say here I am, my film part of this really spectacular festival. I have met so many talented people at this point on my trip, gotten so many business cards. I feel I have fulfilled and surpassed my networking expectations for this whole year in one fail swoop. I won't soon miss another SXSW. Even if all I can afford is the $70 Film Pass, I will be here, and if you're not, you probably should.
So now that I've made a jerk of myself.
"Alexander the Last"
I'll say now that I've seen parts of "Hannah Takes the Stairs" and I own "LOL," but those films did carry the weight or had half the effect on me as did this. Joe's newest film has all the same complexities and spontaneous energy of his other films, but this is a new step for him professionally and creatively. I'll say it appeared it might have been one for David as well, but who knows. I mean, both of them created this film. It had a more striking beauty in the framing of the shots then Joe's other films. Another careful edit as well. It is just a more mature film in a lot of ways, not to say his other films contextually weren't mature, this one looked and felt like a movie. I haven't seen 'Nights and Weekends" yet, but when I saw the trailer awhile back, and heard the general concept I was really sort of intrigued.
It is hard not to love one of Joe's films after seeing it at SXSW with that SXSW audience, (I would extend this to Bujalski's films as well). At this point it is hard for me to divorce the work of Joe Swanberg with SXSW. If you want to know what this movie is about go read up on it, or check it out OnDemand from IFC. I won't discuss plot here, because I'm impartial to loving the fleeting nature of it (see any of my films).
I mentioned before the edits so I will talk about that, because that is something I enjoyed the most about this film, other then the really good cast. The film is broken up into vignettes or deliberate sequences divided by a few seconds of black leader, each bloke containing a blip of vision or one element of style. Pinning this film down to one specific style would almost be impossible, yet all the elements come together to for a pretty consistently adventurous voice. Anyways, congratulations to Mr. Swanberg this is definitely my favorite, and look forward to your next film... (which I found out about later in the trip but I'll get there, when I do.)
So after that Jon Mitchell and I said goodbye to Arian Testolin,
"Bye Adrian, see you later after your car gets towed" (it was in bad taste even then)
and we went on to the Premier's big, crowded after party. I talked to nearly 30 people, collected business cards, promised to see like 10 films I won't, and handed out the rest of our "sleet/snow" post cards. After that Jon and I went to get some beers at a Bar I forget the name of.
d
No comments:
Post a Comment