The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival (HRWIFF) returns to Boston for its fourth year in January, bringing its mix of challenging and provocative documentary and dramatic films on human rights issues around the world. Question and answer sessions with visiting filmmakers provide deeper insight into the issues raised.
The HRWIFF festival takes place January 22-26, 2003 with opening night at the Museum of Fine Arts and continues throughout the weekend at the MFA, the Coolidge Corner Movie Theatre and the International Institute of Boston. From January 27-29, the Coolidge Corner Movie Theatre will offer rollover screenings of several of the festival’s most popular films on three additional nights in the Video Screening Room.
The Festival showcases fifteen titles from twelve countries, presenting films and videos that provide personal testimony to threats against political and individual freedom. The triumph of the arts, the human rights of health care and the impact of terrorism and war characterize many of this year’s films. (NOTE: see description of films on their web site.)
The HRWIFF festival opens at the MFA with the Boston premier of the first feature film from post-Taliban Afghanistan, OSAMA. A young girl dresses in boys’ clothes to help earn a living despite the potential punishment that will await her if the Taliban discover her deception. Closing night at the Coolidge features BALSEROS, which follows the seven-year journey of several individuals who fled Castro’s Cuba on rafts and now navigate the United State’s social and cultural waters. Cuban cuisine and a lively post-screening discussion with the filmmaker follow the film.
Filmmakers scheduled to attend include Carles Bosch (BALSEROS), Paul Devlin (POWER TRIP), Jocelyn Glatzer (THE FLUTE PLAYER) and Frederick Wiseman (DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 2).
For more information on the films and show times, visit the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival Website at www.hrw.org/iff and click on Boston.
Kodak unveiled KODAK VISION2 Expression 500T Color Negative Film 5229/7229, the second product in the new generation of VISION2 color motion picture films, at the Camerimage International Festival of the Art of Cinematography in Lodz, Poland early in December. The new emulsion is designed to satisfy the needs of filmmakers who want a 500-speed film that renders images with a somewhat softer look, including smoother skin tones and a more subdued range of contrast and color saturation. The new film also features a noticeable reduction in apparent grain, a broad range of under- and over-exposure latitude, and an enhanced capacity for recording subtle details in bright highlights and dark shadows.
“We have made a quantum leap forward in photochemical science and technology with the KODAK VISION2 platform,” says Kodak’s Entertainment Imaging Division President Eric Rodli. “We are now leveraging those advances to provide visual storytellers with an extraordinary new palette of motion picture films.”
“The KODAK VISION2 Expression film is the second 500-speed film in the VISION2 platform,” notes Bob Mayson, general manager and vice president of Image Capture for Kodak’s Entertainment Imaging. “This new film benefits from the improved grain structure and tonal range of the VISION2 platform, while offering the lower color and contrast attributes that filmmakers have asked for when devising the right looks to tell their stories. These films are also designed for efficiency during optical and digital postproduction”
Masao Nakabori, JSC, a cinematographer based in Japan, shot a 35 mm demo designed to judge how the new film renders images in natural light. “I like the subdued colors,” he says. “The degree of grain shown by 5229 in the highlighted portion (of the image) is superb. In a scene we shot in falling rain, with only one Kino Flo used as supplemental lighting, the 5229 showed a color tone and softness that matched the rain.”
Rodli notes that the film has been enthusiastically received by cinematographers around the world, and that Kodak will introduce additional film stocks to the VISION2 family in early 2004.
The Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF) announced the appointment of a new Executive Director. Gabrielle A. Hanna has assumed the role, following the recent resignation of founding director PJ Layng. Hanna was the Festival’s Director of Development for the last three years and was pivotal in establishing an active sponsorship program for the Festival, raising over $100,000 to support ongoing operational expenses. She earned her undergraduate degree at Barnard College, and a Masters at Columbia University, and has worked in the development field for over fifteen years.
Within her first month of taking the position of Executive Director, Hanna has planned two fundraising events for the festival-one in New York City and the other on-line at Ebay. PIFF’s first Ebay Auction kicked off on Monday, December 8th featuring a wide assortment of music, movie and sports memorabilia and artwork.
Established in 1999, The Provincetown International Film Festival quickly established itself as a leading celebration of independent and innovative work. The festival's annual "Filmmaker on the Edge Award" has honored such industry luminaries as John Waters (1999), Christine Vachon (2000), Ted Hope and James Schamus (2001), Gus Van Sant (2002), and this past year Todd Haynes.
Hanna has re-appointed some key members of the founding team. "It is an honor and a challenge to be given the position of Executive Director of the Provincetown International Film Festival," says Hanna. "I am pleased to announce Connie White will remain Artistic Director, Marianne Lampke will remain Director of Publicity and Nick Robertson has been named Managing Director."
Artistic Director White welcomes the decision. "It's wonderful that Gabrielle Hanna has been selected as our new leading force. With five terrific years behind us, the film festival has already benefited greatly from Gabby's committed work in development and operations…Her hands-on experience, coupled with her strong fiscal and management skills, will ensure a film festival of high quality programs for years to come."
The sixth annual Provincetown International Film Festival will take place June 16-20, 2004. For more information visit www.ptownfilmfest.org.
Over four hundred clients enjoyed National Boston’s 2003 Agency Art Show, packing the Dummer Street location to its recently redecorated rafters. This very popular, annual event attracts artists from many local agencies keen to display their fine art skills and has become one of the Boston advertising communities most eagerly anticipated nights of the year. Amongst this year’s exhibitors were Jeff Dahlberg of RDW Group, Frank Lopresti of Clarke Goward, and Jim Fitts of monster.com, to name a few.
In addition to paintings, photography and sculpture, the 2003 show saw the inauguration of the entertaining Ten Second Film Festival, featuring more than thirty ‘very’ short animated and live action subjects produced by area creatives.
Besides the artwork, crowds also gathered around National’s new full-sized pool table located in the freshly unveiled Client Lounge along with Playstation games and practice putting green. Other draws included monitors screening a selection of National’s recent HD work in the fully equipped HD telecine, smoke and flame rooms. “National is like the Guggenheim of post houses” one reveler was overheard exclaiming towards the end of the evening.
The annual Boston Science Fiction Film Festival will be launching its yearly assault on cinematic sensibilities from a new launch pad. Producer/Organizer Garen Daly told IMAGINE that the venerable movie extravaganza will be at the Dedham Community Theatre located at 580 High Street in Dedham Square.
For the past 12 years the festival has been held at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, but after last year, the venue requested significant changes in the festival’s structure. Not willing to change what has become the country's oldest event of its type, a new location was sought and hence the new location.
The Boston Science Fiction Film Festival aka Boston's Other Marathon is a 24 continuous hour affair that begins on Sunday of President's Day Holiday and runs through to the following Monday. This year the dates are Sunday February 15 through Monday February 16. It will start at noon and end at noon. This will be the 29th installment.
People form all over the country converge and with popcorn in hand to watch 24- hours of nothing but science fiction films. Read IMAGINE for more information about films and guests. Their web site is www.bostonsci-fi.com.
Finger Frame Pictures announced the wrap of HEADS OR TAILS, a whimsical coming of age story that follows eight-year-old Jesse Crowley and his friends as they embark on a dangerous journey to test a lucky quarter and tempt fate. Shooting for HEADS OR TAILS took place over a rigorous 16 days and wrapped on October 26th.
Dan Prussmann, a native of Quincy, MA, is the film’s producer, writer and director. Dan’s eclectic life has included service in the Gulf War as a United States Marine, professional animation and web design in Seattle, Washington, and the creation of his own production company, Finger Frame Pictures, in Boston.
Dan’s focus is on directing, his gaze firmly set on Hollywood. HEADS OR TAILS is a part of Panavision’s Emerging Filmmakers Program. One of the many benefits of this honor is the free use of Panavision’s version of the Sony F900 High Definition camera package, the same camera George Lucas used to make the last STAR WARS film. George Loucas (not Lucas) served as Director of Photography.
The short (30-minutes) stars 8-year-old Tim Dennehey as “Jesse,” with Alex Berrigan and Blake Simpson as “Dougie” and “Pete,” Jesse’s best friends. Mark Scalia and Robin Brodsky join the cast as Jesse’s parents. The film also features William Ayers as the “Bad Luck Man,” Cherry Lindholm as “Ms. Underhill,” Michael Palmer as “Marty Winkle,” and Nick the Dog as “Lucky.”
The film’s crew consisted of a dedicated group of students/volunteers from Emerson College and the Boston and New York area film communities. F. Gilbert Hills State Park, The Taylor School, Jeff and Alice Booker, Ann Lally and Book Ends in Winchester provided locations. The film received generous contributions from Spalding Financial Group, Guaranteed Overnight Delivery (G.O.D.), Tage Inn, Jansport, Hasbro Corporation, Hannah Anderson and S.A.S.I Scoop.
Writer/director Jodi Lawaich has wrapped her first short film, THE OBSERVER, filmed on location in Harwich Port, MA, November 13, 14 & 15th. The premise is THE SIXTH SENSE meets THE PERFECT STORM, with a twist at the end. The film was shot using all local actors (except the lead) by award winning Director of Photography David Christopher of Dartmouth, MA, on Kodak super 16 mm color film.
Marilyn Matarrese, (Conan O'Brien, The Sopranos, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent) is in the lead role. Andrew Paquin serves as Executive Producer. Jodi Lawaich is both writer and director. The team did a film to tape transfer to edit on an Avid. Look for THE OBSERVER in March.