Reel Girly

Made by the man responsible for Angels and Insects, The Situation is a narrative film about Iraq that follows the actions of an American Journalist Anna, (played by Connie Nielsen) and all those she works with. The film depicts how “the situation” in Iraq infects the lives of innocent civilians, guilty politician, and ignominious figureheads alike. It’s an effective and affecting film in the way it explores the conflict in Iraq and ultimately reminds us that the death toll is not statistics, rather it’s human loss.

DIRECTOR BREAKS SOME NEWS ABOUT HIS NEXT TWO FILMS!

The Situation will be at theatres beginning March 30th, 2007.

Interview with Phillip Haas, Director of The Situation

This doc by filmmaker and sociologist Arturo Perez Torrez, looks at a new (rather new-ish) form of activism taking place in Mexico today. Donning costumes made famous by the Lucha Libra Luchadors so popular in Mexico, these activists are like living super-heroes, working for local and global change, anonymous as superman and pudgy as Santa Claus. Well, except for Super Gay, he’s svelte. Alternatively legendary and effectual, these activists are the perpetual icons of populace change: their identities, like their origin stories, are beautifully mythologized by the people they help and by the filmmaker (and his animator) who represent them.
Great, great doc.

Super Amigos showed at CineQuest Film Festival 17.

Interview with Arturo Perez Torrez, Director of the documentary Super Amigos

The Curiosity of Chance is an absolutely adorable coming of age comedy about an astoundingly cosmopolitan queer boy named Chance. The film takes place at an international school in the 80s and features tons of kitschy (the good kind) pop and fresh humor about the eternal cliché that is adolescence.

The Curiosity of Chance is full of great performances and really smart writing, it’s only a matter of time before we can all catch this at the theatre or video store.

The film showed at CineQuest Film Festival 17.

Below are interviews with the director and two of the film’s stars.

Interview with Russell Marleau, Director of The Curiosity of Chance

Interview with Chris Mulkey, “Sir” from The Curiosity of Chance

Interview with Aldevina Da Silva, “Twyla” from The Curiosity of Chance

John Jeffcoat’s Outsourced has been courted by many festivals but they’re not big of handing out the pic to fests, no matter how open armed. He talks about this and his interest in the controversial subject of his film with me at the Paragon, after his screening and Q&A at CineQuest 17.

Click on the link below to hear this podcast.
Interview with John Jeffcoat, director of Outsourced

Note: when you’re interviewing at a festival you don’t have any time for prep. That said this podcast is imperfect. Expect a few awkward pauses and moments of faltering speech.