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sundance 2006 Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Interview: 'August' Director Austin Chick

by Eric Kohn Jul 11th 2008 // 2:02PM

Filed under: Drama », Independent », New Releases », DIY/Filmmaking », Interviews »



The world changed on September 11, but Austin Chick's second film, August, focuses on the moments right beforehand. Starring Josh Hartnett as a young start-up entrepreneur deluded by power trips, the movie moves along with a subtle pace, letting the natural drama emerge from a situation about to veer out of the control with the crash of the stock market. Chick's first feature, XX/XY, explored a three-way relationship; August, which opens in New York on Friday, explores the relationship between money and power during a key time in American history. Supporting performances from Rip Torn and David Bowie elevate the movie, while Howard A. Rodman's script keeps its conceits in check. Chick spoke with Cinematical about envisioning August's themes and working with his talented cast.

Cinematical: The film uses a very specific setting -- August 2001 -- immediately before 9/11. What interested you about that time?

Austin Chick: It captures a moment on the eve of change. If Howard (Rodman) and I were to move it to any other time, we would probably move it further back. The market really started crashing about eighteen months prior to when the movie is set. But I feel like there was still a certain amount of momentum in New York up until 9/11, this sense that things were going to turn around. The market had completely crashed, but there was still this crazy sense of decadence. All that really changed with 9/11.

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Sundance Video Roundup

by Karina Longworth Jan 31st 2006 // 7:14PM

Filed under: Independent », Sundance », Cinematical Indie »

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We recorded an astounding amount of video whilst in Park City this year – so much, in fact, that we'll still be parcelling some of it out over the next two weeks. So stay tuned, for interviews with Shannyn Sossamon (Wristcutters: A Love Story), Alan Berliner (Wide Awake), and others. In the meantime, here's a guide to the video coverage that we've already posted:

  • Is Sundance all about the swag? James sat down with Jono, a professional gift bag artist, to get to the bottom of that very burning question. Jono kindly inspected the one gift bag we managed to collect up to that point, and we thus learned that we weren't going to the right parties.
  • We shot a total of four roundatable sessions whilst in Park City, in which we discussed the films, the scene, and the festival at large. In the opening Roundtable, we fittingly discussed the opening film, Friends with Money, starring Jennifer Aniston. Roundtable Two was all about sex: specifically, the missing Katie Holmes sex scene, and the too-twisted-for-buyers sexual subtext of Bob Goldthwait's Stay. Little Miss Sunshine was at the center of biggest sale of the festival, and in Video Roundtable Three, Jason, James and I discuss whether or not Fox Searchlight overpaid for the Steve Carell film. Then, in Video Roundtable Four Managing Editor Kim Voynar joined us for a discussion of the Closing Night Awards, which included honors for Stephanie Daley and Quinceanera. We also discussed the last few films we screened, including Michel Gondry's The Science of Sleep, and Alpha Dog, starring Justin Timberlake.
  • I had the honor of speaking with Geoff Gilmore, Sundance Festival Director, about his programming process and some of his favorite films at Sundance 2006. Here's a hint: we have one in common.
  • Jason moderated a panel on Vlogging, Podcasting and the Right to Free Expression, featuring speakers Susan Buice (Four Eyed Monsters), Mika Salmi (founder of Atom Films), Ken Rutkowski (KenRadio), and SoccerGirl, creator of the wildly popular video podcast. Part 1 and Part 2.
  • James interviews Lauren Greenfield, director of the harrowing documentary Thin. Amongst other things, Greenfield discusses the challenge of making a documentary about very sick women with a healthy crew.
  • Red Doors didn't play at Sundance this year, but it did play – and win awards – just about everywhere else. Writer-director Georgia Lee served on the Sundance 2006 shorts jury, and she sat down with us to talk about festivals, filmmaking, and the threads dangling in between.
  • When director Philip Groening decided he wanted to make a documentary about the Carthusian monks living in the French Alps, the monastary asked him to wait until they were better prepared for an outside visitor. After 15 years, they called Groening up and said, "We're ready." The resulting film, Into Great Silence, won a major award at this year's festival. C.K. Sample talks to Groening about the film, which broke box office records in his native Germany.

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Sundance is over, but we're just getting started

by Karina Longworth Jan 31st 2006 // 11:45AM

Filed under: Site Announcements », Sundance »



Ahh, Sundance. After 12 days in Park City, where the average temp was something like 12 degrees and anyone who made it to less than 3 screenings a day was kicked off the island, I gave the kids a day off to recuperate. Now we're back (baby), and we have enough backed-up content to choke a horse. Stay tuned, because over the next two weeks, we'll have more reviews, video interviews, deal news and, coming today and tomorrow, a few extra-special festival roundups. Have any lingering questions about the fest? Comment here and we'll try to get it all sorted.

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Sundance Deals: Wordplay sells to IFC

by Karina Longworth Jan 25th 2006 // 5:30PM

Filed under: Documentary », Deals », Sundance », IFC », Distribution »

IFC Films just sent around a press release announcing their acquisition of Wordplay, Patrick Creadon's doc on crossword puzzle guru Will Shortz. It's IFC's second buy of the fest, after picking up Bent Hamer's Factotum, and their Jonathan Sehring couldn't be more pleased. "This has been one of the most rewarding Sundance experiences in the history of IFC,” Sehring said. “With our acquiring Factotum at the start and announcing the launch of IFC’s First Take, we felt it couldn’t get any better. Then Wordplay captured the hearts of the entire team, and we simply couldn’t live without it."  IFC hasn't released financial details on the deal, but they did say they plan to release the doc sometime this year.

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Sundance Party MetaList

by Karina Longworth Jan 25th 2006 // 4:33PM

Filed under: Sundance »

Someone has made a terrible mistake  – they've leaked a partial list of this year's Sundance parties to us nerds. Since most of us on the Cinematical/Blogging Sundance team like to check into our hyperbolic chambers by 11 at the latest, we thought we'd pass this highly classified information on to you. We'll update this list daily until the Festival ends or the Party Gods strike us down (whichever comes first). Feel free to post your own party deets and gossip in the comments.


6:00 PM
BMI Snowball
Kimball Art Center
638 Park Avenue (corner of Main Street and Heber Ave.)
Kris Kristofferson to perform (!!!)


7:00 PM
Starbucks Salon, curated by Gen Art
449 Main Street
JT Leroy Performs with friends
Free tix at door or rsvp10@genart.org

8:00 PM
Sauza/URB NEXT 100 Party
Harry O’s
427 Main Street

9:00 PM APA Party
Star Bar, The Night Club
268 Main Street

9:00 PM
Slamdance Midweek Party
Slamdance Lounge
608 Main Street

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Sundance Interview: Geoff Gilmore, Sundance Festival Director

by Karina Longworth Jan 24th 2006 // 3:33PM

Filed under: Independent », Sundance », Podcasts », Interviews », Cinematical Indie »



I got a chance yesterday to sit down with Geoffrey Gilmore, longtime Director of the Sundance Film Festival. Geoff is all about the films, and through the course of our conversation he talked about everything from his programming strategy, to the potential impact of technology on the festival's future. You can download the file directly here, or scoop it up from the iTunes music store.

Format
QT MPEG4 (3IVX), 18:39, 66.8 MB

[Download Here]

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Sundance Party MetaList

by Karina Longworth Jan 23rd 2006 // 9:33PM

Filed under: Sundance »

Someone has made a terrible mistake  – they've leaked a partial list of this year's Sundance parties to us nerds. Since most of us on the Cinematical/Blogging Sundance team like to check into our hyperbolic chambers by 11 at the latest, we thought we'd pass this highly classified information on to you. We'll update this list daily until the Festival ends or the Party Gods strike us down (whichever comes first). Feel free to post your own party deets and gossip in the comments.

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Variety 10 Directors to Watch
The Stein Erickson Lodge

9:00 PMDreamland Premiere Party
Hollywood Life House
528 Main Street

9:00 PM – 1:00 AM
Bender Spink/Tommy Lee Party
Premiere Lounge
573 Main St
live DJ performance by Tommy Lee

9:00 PM
Film Punks Party
Star Bar, The Night Club
268 Main Street

9:00 PM –1:00 AM
Gen Art and Myspace Party w/ Beastie Boys
Legacy Lodge
Park City Ski Area
Base of Park City Slopes



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Sundance PartyTracker

by Karina Longworth Jan 20th 2006 // 4:31PM

Filed under: Sundance »

Someone has made a terrible mistake  – they've leaked a partial list of this year's Sundance parties to us nerds. Since most of us on the Cinematical/Blogging Sundance team like to check into our hyperbolic chambers by 11 at the latest, we thought we'd pass this highly classified information on to you. We'll update this list daily until the Festival ends or the Party Gods strike us down (whichever comes first). Feel free to post your own party deets and gossip in the comments.

Friday Night, Jan. 20

6:00PM
Opening Gala Salt Lake City
Jeanne Wagner Theatre, 138 West Broadway
Salt Lake City, Utah

7:00PM
Starbucks Salon (curated by Gen Art)
449 Main Street

9:00pm
Slamdance Opening Party
Star Bar, The Night Club 268 Main St.

9:00 PM Blender Sessions at Tao (formerly Harry O's)
427 Main Street

9:30 PM – 1:00 AM
ICM Party
Premiere Lounge 573 Main St.

11:30 PM
Weinstein Co.
Lucky Number Slevin Party, Village at the Lift
825 Main St.

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