Here’s a first look at the official posters for Automata, starring Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith and Dylan McDermott.
An insurance agent of Roc robotics corporation routinely investigates the case of manipulating a robot. What he discovers will have profound consequences for the future of humanity.
Banderas costars in The Expendables 3 movie, in theaters this Friday. After 18 years of marriage, he and Griffith announced their separation in June of this year.
Griffith can be seen next in the short film, Thirst. Read IndieWire’s in-depth article about the actress Here.
Millennium Entertainment will release Automata in theaters and OnDemand October 10.
The post Check Out The New Automata Posters Starring Antonio Banderas appeared first on We Are Movie Geeks.
An insurance agent of Roc robotics corporation routinely investigates the case of manipulating a robot. What he discovers will have profound consequences for the future of humanity.
Banderas costars in The Expendables 3 movie, in theaters this Friday. After 18 years of marriage, he and Griffith announced their separation in June of this year.
Griffith can be seen next in the short film, Thirst. Read IndieWire’s in-depth article about the actress Here.
Millennium Entertainment will release Automata in theaters and OnDemand October 10.
The post Check Out The New Automata Posters Starring Antonio Banderas appeared first on We Are Movie Geeks.
- 11/08/2014
- di Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
A screenshot from All we Share
A guest post from Mico Tatalovic, in Locarno, Switzerland.
Strolling through the narrow streets of Locarno, a picturesque lake-side town surrounded by the Alps, on the way to screenings, one feels the buzz and quaintness that come with the festival’s prestige and location – but, perhaps unexpectedly, one also gets a lot of negative vibe that comes from what appear to be frequent hitches in the festival’s organisation.
It was during an over-long wait – packed like commuters in a long queue in a hallway without air conditioning – and in between the viewers’ booing and shouting ‘let us in’ in Italian, that I overheard a Us film distributor complaining about the poor selection of shorts here. She was in the same screening as me, seeing one of the ‘Pardi di domani’ (Leopards of tomorrow) screenings of talented upcoming directors’ short and medium-length films split...
A guest post from Mico Tatalovic, in Locarno, Switzerland.
Strolling through the narrow streets of Locarno, a picturesque lake-side town surrounded by the Alps, on the way to screenings, one feels the buzz and quaintness that come with the festival’s prestige and location – but, perhaps unexpectedly, one also gets a lot of negative vibe that comes from what appear to be frequent hitches in the festival’s organisation.
It was during an over-long wait – packed like commuters in a long queue in a hallway without air conditioning – and in between the viewers’ booing and shouting ‘let us in’ in Italian, that I overheard a Us film distributor complaining about the poor selection of shorts here. She was in the same screening as me, seeing one of the ‘Pardi di domani’ (Leopards of tomorrow) screenings of talented upcoming directors’ short and medium-length films split...
- 10/08/2014
- di Alison Frank
- The Moving Arts Journal
On a sunny afternoon in Locarno on 7 August, Boyd van Hoeij from Variety moderated a discussion with short film "Thirst" director Rachel McDonald and its stars Melanie Griffith and Gale Harold. The topics ranged from the making of McDonald’s film, to the actors’ takes on the differences between working with men and female directors, to ageism in Hollywood.
I asked Rachel McDonald about using crowd-sourcing to fund "Thirst".
Rachel McDonald : “We shot a teaser and put it on Kickstarter. I learned a lot about social media in a short period of time. We raised the money in two different rounds and were able to do the shoot. I was overwhelmed by the generosity and people who had faith in us. There are two donors here in the audience today; they drove three-hours from Italy today to be here! I think crowd-sourcing is amazing and people can be a part of telling a story in a different way.”
About Thirst
Rachel McDonald : "Thirst’s" themes are about compassion and about the human connection. There are definitely themes of mercy that reflect on ourselves and on each other. Sometimes that comes in the form of a complete stranger or those already in our lives. With an undercurrent of addiction.”
Melanie Griffith: “My character, Sue, is a down-and-out alcoholic. And this young man comes into her life and they have this sort of understanding and go through a metamorphous together. And Rachel, I must say was an incredible director and allowed what happened without the words, to happen in this world. I’m here because I love the film. I want to support her in many more movies.”
Gale Harold : “My character, “John” comes in about halfway through film; he has an oracle quality, he’s saying things he doesn’t have reason to know about and makes offhand statements that become echoed through the film.”
McDonald: “The movie takes place over a period of three days. The script, written by Michael Albanese, was inspired by a true story that happened to him when he was living in New York City in the 90s, and was broke and disconnected, and got a temporary job in Hell’s Kitchen. We developed the story together.”
Boyd: “You had a screenplay and a great story, but how do you get Melanie Griffith in this movie?”
McDonald : “We are very fortunate to have an amazing cast. We were working with a wonderful casting director and talking to her about the project and she recommended Melanie. Michael Albanese and I wrote an impassioned letter and sent it to her with the script, and she invited us over to her home so generously and we connected instantly.”
Boyd: “What made the script stand out?”
Griffith: “It was the letter, the story, reading the script and meeting Rachel; this made me want to do it. I thought it was a great challenge to play an alcoholic since I am a recovering alcoholic, and it was a good way to get it out of my mind, my psyche. When I met Rachel, I saw something in her eyes that was familiar to me, like meeting a person you’ve known before.”
On Directing
McDonald: “I create a place the actors feel safe and where they can go to vulnerable places and in this story specifically they did so bravely. I’m a very visual storyteller, so I’m prepared with my shot list and what I want to achieve, and help bring the story to life.”
Boyd: “Obviously, Rachel is a female filmmaker. Is there a difference between a male and female director?”
Harold: “I think women and men filmmakers do bring a different perspective. Males can be emotionally-driven as well; some women are more driven though. It’s a different perspective when women and men tell a story.”
Griffith: “There are men who are sensitive with guiding an actor…they are few and far between. I do seem to be gravitating towards more female directors. I feel like -- men directors are amazing though -- with Rachel (and other female directors) they’ll look at a scene or a movie, and say, ‘I feel that the character would be doing this’ while a male director generally says, “I think the character would be doing this.”
Griffith then remarks on the overall disparity of women working in the film industry. “Only a small percent of women, maybe ten percent, are working in the industry. Considering more than half the planet are female – that’s not a good percentage!”
Boyd : “Melanie, you have nothing left to prove as an actor.”
Griffith : “I do have a lot left to prove. I always think if ‘Oh my God, can I do this role?’ It’s beautiful when you do it and make it work.”
Boyd: “Obviously you’re a daughter of a famous actor and your daughter is in "50 Shades of Gray".”
Griffith : “I think that Dakota is going to be better than me and my mom. She is amazing. She watched all the mistakes I’ve made and the things that happened to my mom. She’s a force of nature. I won’t see "50 Shades of Gray;" her father and I agreed we’ll just read the reviews.”
The Conversation concludes with an audience member asking about roles for women in Hollywood as they get older.
Griffith : “When you hit 40 it’s iffy. I did take a lot of time off to raise my kids, and now I’m doing a lot of work and have a couple of movies to shoot. I’m doing Pippin on Broadway in January. I now only have one child at home who will be a senior in high school and then I’m free. And I’m going to do whatever the fuck I want to do!”
Award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker, Susan Kouguell presents international workshops and seminars on screenwriting and film. Author of Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! and The Savvy Screenwriter, she is chairperson of Su-City Pictures East, LLC, a consulting company founded in 1990 where she works with over 1,000 writers, filmmakers, and executives worldwide.www.su-city-pictures.com , http://su-city-pictures.com/wpblog...
I asked Rachel McDonald about using crowd-sourcing to fund "Thirst".
Rachel McDonald : “We shot a teaser and put it on Kickstarter. I learned a lot about social media in a short period of time. We raised the money in two different rounds and were able to do the shoot. I was overwhelmed by the generosity and people who had faith in us. There are two donors here in the audience today; they drove three-hours from Italy today to be here! I think crowd-sourcing is amazing and people can be a part of telling a story in a different way.”
About Thirst
Rachel McDonald : "Thirst’s" themes are about compassion and about the human connection. There are definitely themes of mercy that reflect on ourselves and on each other. Sometimes that comes in the form of a complete stranger or those already in our lives. With an undercurrent of addiction.”
Melanie Griffith: “My character, Sue, is a down-and-out alcoholic. And this young man comes into her life and they have this sort of understanding and go through a metamorphous together. And Rachel, I must say was an incredible director and allowed what happened without the words, to happen in this world. I’m here because I love the film. I want to support her in many more movies.”
Gale Harold : “My character, “John” comes in about halfway through film; he has an oracle quality, he’s saying things he doesn’t have reason to know about and makes offhand statements that become echoed through the film.”
McDonald: “The movie takes place over a period of three days. The script, written by Michael Albanese, was inspired by a true story that happened to him when he was living in New York City in the 90s, and was broke and disconnected, and got a temporary job in Hell’s Kitchen. We developed the story together.”
Boyd: “You had a screenplay and a great story, but how do you get Melanie Griffith in this movie?”
McDonald : “We are very fortunate to have an amazing cast. We were working with a wonderful casting director and talking to her about the project and she recommended Melanie. Michael Albanese and I wrote an impassioned letter and sent it to her with the script, and she invited us over to her home so generously and we connected instantly.”
Boyd: “What made the script stand out?”
Griffith: “It was the letter, the story, reading the script and meeting Rachel; this made me want to do it. I thought it was a great challenge to play an alcoholic since I am a recovering alcoholic, and it was a good way to get it out of my mind, my psyche. When I met Rachel, I saw something in her eyes that was familiar to me, like meeting a person you’ve known before.”
On Directing
McDonald: “I create a place the actors feel safe and where they can go to vulnerable places and in this story specifically they did so bravely. I’m a very visual storyteller, so I’m prepared with my shot list and what I want to achieve, and help bring the story to life.”
Boyd: “Obviously, Rachel is a female filmmaker. Is there a difference between a male and female director?”
Harold: “I think women and men filmmakers do bring a different perspective. Males can be emotionally-driven as well; some women are more driven though. It’s a different perspective when women and men tell a story.”
Griffith: “There are men who are sensitive with guiding an actor…they are few and far between. I do seem to be gravitating towards more female directors. I feel like -- men directors are amazing though -- with Rachel (and other female directors) they’ll look at a scene or a movie, and say, ‘I feel that the character would be doing this’ while a male director generally says, “I think the character would be doing this.”
Griffith then remarks on the overall disparity of women working in the film industry. “Only a small percent of women, maybe ten percent, are working in the industry. Considering more than half the planet are female – that’s not a good percentage!”
Boyd : “Melanie, you have nothing left to prove as an actor.”
Griffith : “I do have a lot left to prove. I always think if ‘Oh my God, can I do this role?’ It’s beautiful when you do it and make it work.”
Boyd: “Obviously you’re a daughter of a famous actor and your daughter is in "50 Shades of Gray".”
Griffith : “I think that Dakota is going to be better than me and my mom. She is amazing. She watched all the mistakes I’ve made and the things that happened to my mom. She’s a force of nature. I won’t see "50 Shades of Gray;" her father and I agreed we’ll just read the reviews.”
The Conversation concludes with an audience member asking about roles for women in Hollywood as they get older.
Griffith : “When you hit 40 it’s iffy. I did take a lot of time off to raise my kids, and now I’m doing a lot of work and have a couple of movies to shoot. I’m doing Pippin on Broadway in January. I now only have one child at home who will be a senior in high school and then I’m free. And I’m going to do whatever the fuck I want to do!”
Award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker, Susan Kouguell presents international workshops and seminars on screenwriting and film. Author of Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! and The Savvy Screenwriter, she is chairperson of Su-City Pictures East, LLC, a consulting company founded in 1990 where she works with over 1,000 writers, filmmakers, and executives worldwide.www.su-city-pictures.com , http://su-city-pictures.com/wpblog...
- 09/08/2014
- di Susan Kouguell
- Sydney's Buzz
Melanie Griffith in a scene from Rachel McDonald's Thirst She remains one of the most familiar faces in Hollywood although the work offers Melanie Griffith used to get from the studios have more or less dried up.
The daughter of Hitchcock muse Tippi Hendren and still the wife of Antonio Banderas until the current divorce proceedings go through, Griffith, 56, found time to take a chance on an unknown first time film-maker Rachel McDonald, 31, and her first short Thirst (presented at the Locarno Film Festival in the Talents of Tomorrow section).
She plays Sue, an alcoholic who gives succour and solace to a young man Billy (Josh Pence) after he wanders in to her life in a haze of drink. The wilted beauty decides to save him from himself and provides him with inspiration to take the first halting steps toward a new sense of purpose.
“It is not like...
The daughter of Hitchcock muse Tippi Hendren and still the wife of Antonio Banderas until the current divorce proceedings go through, Griffith, 56, found time to take a chance on an unknown first time film-maker Rachel McDonald, 31, and her first short Thirst (presented at the Locarno Film Festival in the Talents of Tomorrow section).
She plays Sue, an alcoholic who gives succour and solace to a young man Billy (Josh Pence) after he wanders in to her life in a haze of drink. The wilted beauty decides to save him from himself and provides him with inspiration to take the first halting steps toward a new sense of purpose.
“It is not like...
- 08/08/2014
- di Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Snap happy Melanie Griffith turns her camera on the audience at the Piazza Grande in Locarno Photo: Richard Mowe There really is nothing like it. Under a pitch black sky with the stars twinkling above the mountains, the Piazza Grande in Locarno is the perfect natural auditorium for an audience of some 6000 to celebrate cinema in its all guises.
They whooped along with gusto at the opening choice of Luc Besson’s actioner Lucy, which raised the curtain on the 67th edition last night (August 6).
Besides Besson in person (read what he said to us here) the Festival also offered Melanie Griffith, (star of Working Girl, Body Double and Something Wild) who teetered on stage to flag up a short film Thirst by Rachel McDonald (competing in the Pardi di domain section or Talents of Tomorrow).
Griffith was full of praise for her younger protégé. “Just because it is short...
They whooped along with gusto at the opening choice of Luc Besson’s actioner Lucy, which raised the curtain on the 67th edition last night (August 6).
Besides Besson in person (read what he said to us here) the Festival also offered Melanie Griffith, (star of Working Girl, Body Double and Something Wild) who teetered on stage to flag up a short film Thirst by Rachel McDonald (competing in the Pardi di domain section or Talents of Tomorrow).
Griffith was full of praise for her younger protégé. “Just because it is short...
- 07/08/2014
- di Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Just steps from the outdoor screen and the 8,000 seats that have been set up on the Piazza Grande where the 67th Locarno International Film Festival will open on 6 August, I sat down with Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian to talk about films of the past and present, the American independent film line-up, Roman Polanski and Agnès Varda.
The Festival
Kouguell: This is your second year as Artistic Director. What changes will we see at the Festival this year?
Chatrian: “Last year, I didn’t want to change the Festival that much because I felt, and still feel, that the structure is good and fits the goals -- to continue on the same path with (both) the history of cinema and new films. This year’s selection of new films will have more surprises than last year. The main competition last year was composed of mainly quite well-known directors; this year there is a good balance of first-time, lesser known and established directors.”
Kouguell: Are there any current trends in filmmaking that you have found in this year’s films?
Chatrian: “Cinema as an art form has more than one direction. Luckily there are filmmakers willing to take different directions and we see this here at this year’s Festival. I’m always a little bit concerned when some critics say, ‘the new cinema will be this or that’ -- what I can say is that cinema -- especially through young filmmakers -- seems quite vibrant and not a dead art form.”
On American Indie Films at the Festival
Chatrian: “We try to provide a complete panorama of American indie cinema but we are not concerned about being exhaustive. Locarno is a good festival to help the career of a director. One of the purposes of the Locarno Film Festival is to discover new talent. I’m happy to have back -- they were discovered by Locarno -- American indie directors Alex Ross Perry ( "Listen Up Philip"), Joel Potrykus ("Buzzard") and J.P. Sniadecki with his documentary "The Iron Ministry".”
The other American films include "Single Stream" directed by Ernst Karel, Toby Kim Lee and Pawel Wojtasik, "Songs from the North" by Soon-Mi Yoo, the "Tony Longo Trilogy" directed by indie cinema veteran Thom Anderson, "Creep" (Patrick Brice’s first feature- length genre film), "Thirst" a short narrative film directed by Rachel McDonald, and the fiction feature "Christmas Again" directed by Charles Poekel.
On Roman Polanski
Kouguell: Some might feel that inviting Roman Polanski to the Festival is a controversial choice. What are your thoughts on this?
Chatrian: “I’m aware of this. I don’t want to hurt anyone. When I had the chance to invite him to do a master class for the young filmmakers at the Locarno Summer Academy, it was a chance to gain an inside angle of this director. That’s the purpose of the festival -- we exchange ideas; Polanksi can give his film knowledge to other people. One side is justice and one is the filmmaker. He is a great creator of moving images and for me, not controversial, simple as that. He is willing to share his ideas with young directors. If anyone else wants to take him and bring him to justice this is not the right place to do it because we are a film festival.”
On Honoring Agnès Varda with The Pardo d’onore Swisscom Award
Chatrian: “It is important to pay tribute to her as a woman director, and as a major figure in modern and independent cinema. Varda and I discussed the titles to choose to screen at the Festival. As you see there are well known films -- and others not as known [like] the 2011 documentary television series Agnès de ci de là Varda.
“What is interesting in her work is that she is absolutely free to choose topics, format, length, and style. She is free to switch from documentaries to fiction -- to work with big stars or not, to reflect on her own experience. Through her work we can see and experience a number of important movements in the 20th Century -- the American Blank Panthers (Huey), the women’s movement, "The Gleaners and I," " Les cent et une nuits de Simon Cinéma," and more. Varda allows me and the Festival to watch cinema as language; she allows the festival to retell important stories of the past years. At age 86 she is full of energy and willing to exchange her experience with the audience.”
The Locarno International Film Festival offers a vast range of work from the past and present, a diverse selection of shorts, feature-length, narrative and documentary films, and a window onto the future of cinema around the globe.
The Locarno International Film Festival runs from August 6-16, 2014. For more information visit: www.pardo.ch
Award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker, Susan Kouguell presents international workshops and seminars on screenwriting and film. Author of Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! and The Savvy Screenwriter, she is chairperson of Su-City Pictures East, LLC, a consulting company founded in 1990 where she works with over 1,000 writers, filmmakers, and executives worldwide.www.su-city-pictures.com , http://su-city-pictures.com/wpblog...
The Festival
Kouguell: This is your second year as Artistic Director. What changes will we see at the Festival this year?
Chatrian: “Last year, I didn’t want to change the Festival that much because I felt, and still feel, that the structure is good and fits the goals -- to continue on the same path with (both) the history of cinema and new films. This year’s selection of new films will have more surprises than last year. The main competition last year was composed of mainly quite well-known directors; this year there is a good balance of first-time, lesser known and established directors.”
Kouguell: Are there any current trends in filmmaking that you have found in this year’s films?
Chatrian: “Cinema as an art form has more than one direction. Luckily there are filmmakers willing to take different directions and we see this here at this year’s Festival. I’m always a little bit concerned when some critics say, ‘the new cinema will be this or that’ -- what I can say is that cinema -- especially through young filmmakers -- seems quite vibrant and not a dead art form.”
On American Indie Films at the Festival
Chatrian: “We try to provide a complete panorama of American indie cinema but we are not concerned about being exhaustive. Locarno is a good festival to help the career of a director. One of the purposes of the Locarno Film Festival is to discover new talent. I’m happy to have back -- they were discovered by Locarno -- American indie directors Alex Ross Perry ( "Listen Up Philip"), Joel Potrykus ("Buzzard") and J.P. Sniadecki with his documentary "The Iron Ministry".”
The other American films include "Single Stream" directed by Ernst Karel, Toby Kim Lee and Pawel Wojtasik, "Songs from the North" by Soon-Mi Yoo, the "Tony Longo Trilogy" directed by indie cinema veteran Thom Anderson, "Creep" (Patrick Brice’s first feature- length genre film), "Thirst" a short narrative film directed by Rachel McDonald, and the fiction feature "Christmas Again" directed by Charles Poekel.
On Roman Polanski
Kouguell: Some might feel that inviting Roman Polanski to the Festival is a controversial choice. What are your thoughts on this?
Chatrian: “I’m aware of this. I don’t want to hurt anyone. When I had the chance to invite him to do a master class for the young filmmakers at the Locarno Summer Academy, it was a chance to gain an inside angle of this director. That’s the purpose of the festival -- we exchange ideas; Polanksi can give his film knowledge to other people. One side is justice and one is the filmmaker. He is a great creator of moving images and for me, not controversial, simple as that. He is willing to share his ideas with young directors. If anyone else wants to take him and bring him to justice this is not the right place to do it because we are a film festival.”
On Honoring Agnès Varda with The Pardo d’onore Swisscom Award
Chatrian: “It is important to pay tribute to her as a woman director, and as a major figure in modern and independent cinema. Varda and I discussed the titles to choose to screen at the Festival. As you see there are well known films -- and others not as known [like] the 2011 documentary television series Agnès de ci de là Varda.
“What is interesting in her work is that she is absolutely free to choose topics, format, length, and style. She is free to switch from documentaries to fiction -- to work with big stars or not, to reflect on her own experience. Through her work we can see and experience a number of important movements in the 20th Century -- the American Blank Panthers (Huey), the women’s movement, "The Gleaners and I," " Les cent et une nuits de Simon Cinéma," and more. Varda allows me and the Festival to watch cinema as language; she allows the festival to retell important stories of the past years. At age 86 she is full of energy and willing to exchange her experience with the audience.”
The Locarno International Film Festival offers a vast range of work from the past and present, a diverse selection of shorts, feature-length, narrative and documentary films, and a window onto the future of cinema around the globe.
The Locarno International Film Festival runs from August 6-16, 2014. For more information visit: www.pardo.ch
Award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker, Susan Kouguell presents international workshops and seminars on screenwriting and film. Author of Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! and The Savvy Screenwriter, she is chairperson of Su-City Pictures East, LLC, a consulting company founded in 1990 where she works with over 1,000 writers, filmmakers, and executives worldwide.www.su-city-pictures.com , http://su-city-pictures.com/wpblog...
- 06/08/2014
- di Susan Kouguell
- Sydney's Buzz
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