Interview with director Monty Miranda and writer/star Spencer Berger about their film “Skills Like This” which opens around the San Francisco Bay are on Friday, April 10. Shot during the San Francisco Independent Film Festival.
Monty Miranda’s directorial debut “Skills Like This” opens this weekend in the bay area, playing at the Sundance Kabuki in San Francisco, the Elmwood in Berkeley, and the Nickelodeon in Santa Cruz. Miranda’s film, the South by Southwest Film Festival audience award winner, is about a struggling writer named Max Soloman (played by screenwriter Spencer Berger) who decides to make an unlikely career change at the spur of the moment. When Max calmly walks across the street and robs a bank after the failure of his latest play, he discovers that he’s finally found something he’s good at. As Max embraces his new talents, his change in career filters through his friends and they start to look at their lives from new perspectives as well. The film is amusing; it doesn’t take itself too seriously and features good performances from Berger, love interest Kerry Knuppe and Gabriel Tigerman as the uptight friend Dave.
FilmClick had an opportunity to discuss the film with director Monty Miranda and writer/star Spencer Berger while they were in town for the film’s showing at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival. Take a look.
For more info on the film, check out the “Skills Like This” website:
http://www.skillslikethis.com
Interview with director Jon Bowden about the film “The Full Picture” which plays on Sat. Feb 21 at 9:30 PM at the Shattuck Theater in Berkeley, California. Shot during the San Francisco Independent Film Festival.
Interview with director Kevin Chapados about his film “Abraham Obama” which focuses on a grass-roots campaign to promote Barack Obama’s campaign for the Presidency through street art. Shot during the San Francisco Independent Film Festival.
Interview with producer/writer Karim Ahmad about the film “Harrison Montgomery” which plays on Fri. Feb 20, at 7:15 PM at the Shattuck Theater in Berkeley, California. Shot during the San Francisco Independent Film Festival in San Francisco.
Filmmaker Phillip Snyder’s “time-travel, sci-fi comedy” Fitgerald’s Flask is a fantasy mixture of Roaring Twenties silent film cinema and futuristic science fiction. Destitute and drunk, Jazz Age author F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby) contacts sci-fi writer H.G. Wells (The Time Machine) and travels forward in time to the 21st century. Upon arrival, he auctions his memorabilia and thus reaps the rewards of his posthumous success. The film plays at the Reel Time Film Festival on Friday, December 12, 2008 at 6:50 PM. For more information go to:
http://reeltimefilmfestival.org/venue
View the trailer here:
Tell me about your film. Why should people see it?
It’s an off-beat time-travel, sci-fi comedy. It combines old and contemporary filmmaking styles.
What led you to make this film?
My brother, Robert, read an article about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s drinking flask being auctioned recently for $50,000.00. That led him to think what would happen if the poverty-stricken writer could travel forward in time and reap the rewards of his posthumous success.
What were some of the greatest challenges you faced in making this film?
Editing the time-travel dream sequence and the compositing the auction scene.
What impact do you hope this film will have?
Make people laugh.
What are you working on now, or next?
Developing a screenplay from a short story plus any short editing projects that come along. Documentaries are usually long form projects. I’ve done a few. It’s best, when shooting, to never stop the camera. Then, when editing, it becomes a process not unlike molding clay.
What are your three favorite films?
That changes constantly depending which are on my mind at a given time. At the moment, I would say “Psycho”, “Jaws”, “The Godfather, pts. 1 & 2″.
Many of our users are just starting out; what advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?
For fiction films, coming up with a good story that has a satisfying ending. Really, story is everything.
Have you placed your films online and do you think it’s a good outlet for young filmmakers to get exposure?
Yes, but there is so much stuff out there that it can get lost. What you have to do after posting your film online is to send the link to as many people as possible.
Did you go to film school? If yes, where and what did you think of the experience?
No, I did not go. I was an English major in college. It relates to my belief that learning what makes a good story is the most essential element in filmmaking. The technical stuff can be learned later.
What are the other films you have made?
Many short films including, most recently, “Paperman” (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0818690), “Reaper Madness” (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455717) and three documentaries on WWII veterans.
Which filmmakers have most influenced your work?
Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, Orson Welles, Francis Coppola, Mike Nichols, Steven Spielberg, John Huston, the Maysles brothers, the Cohen brothers.
What’s your motto?
“Shoot first. Ask questions later.” Which means get the footage in the can ASAP and don’t get hung up on technicalities.
What format (film, video, hi-def) and camera did you use and why did you choose the format and camera? If you had a choice, would you use that camera again?
Shot “Fitzgerald’s Flask” on miniDV in standard def because it was the easiest and cheapest. I owned the camera a Sony HDR-FX1. Next time, I’ll shoot in DVCPRO HD 720 24p with the Panasonic HVX-200A.
What other festivals is your film appearing in?
It appeared in the Long Island International Film Expo.
What was your goal when you decided to make the film?
To tell a good story, make people laugh and create some neat visual effects.
Clandestine tells the story of how a woman’s jealousy leads her to betray her arguably naive, but unequivocally loyal best friend and the sequence of events that spur from that betrayal. However, it’s very subtle at telling the story. -Director Condra Magee
What led you to make this film?
In 2005, I challenged a few of my fellow writing buddies to write a script for a short film in 30 days and then we’d all team up to produce it. It was the result of a seminar I attended where the speaker said he made a short film for $1,000. It was so motivating! Well 30 days turned into 45 for me (and probably still counting for my friends) and even months before I got up enough courage to really shoot it but I knew I needed to get over the hurdle of “the first one.” I haven’t looked back since. The story was developed around sentiments I had at the time. And the title was an accusation about me from an ex-boyfriend. (smile)
What were some of the greatest challenges you faced in making this film?
Fear and naivete’! My fear almost prevented me from doing it at all and thank God I partnered with someone who knew the business and was able to connect me with the right pieces to the filmmakers puzzle, crew members, equipment, etc., to balance my naivete. Also, wearing so many different hats. Oftentimes on low-budget films, producers and directors have to pull double duty to make up for what the budget lacked. While it was definitely more cumbersome, I don’t regret it because it was the best way to learn about the various components to film production.
What impact do you hope this film will have?
Is it to much to hope for increased fidelity? (smile) There are so many underlined themes in the film that any one of them might resonate more than others depending on who’s watching. Ultimately though, I hope people are reminded of what is means to be loyal - in friendships, relationships, faith, to yourself, everything.
What are you working on now, or next, and how do you find documentary projects?
I’m currently working on a reality TV show as well as my first feature film. I shot a documentary in late August in relation to the historic election that premiered in Atlanta in October. BELIEVE. Vote For Change featured several Who’s Who from the South who shared their thoughts on the election. You can check out the film at www.believehopechange.com.
What are your three favorite films?
My God, why is this such a hard question?! Stephen Spielberg would probably rattle them off in seconds. These are probably not my absolute favorites but they are at the top quartile: The Color Purple (cinematography), A Time To Kill (dialogue), Hustle and Flow (character and story development). I think people get lost in the surface and miss the underlined themes and “relatability” of the latter one. But I’m also an ultimate fan of the Indiana Jones, Lethal Weapon and Die Hard series!
Many of our users are just starting out; what advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?
Read as much as you can! And don’t be afraid to team up with someone that has more experience than you but MAKE SURE you have the same vision, work ethic. Otherwise the relationship will be too combative. Clandestine was the first time my partner and I had ever worked together and we only had two disagreements: one was casting for Jasmine (he won) and the other was the music for the opening (we found a great compromise).
Have you placed your films online and do you think it’s a good outlet for young filmmakers to get exposure?
Clandestine isn’t but another project is online and I think it was a great tool to gain exposure. With the distribution channels growing and costs decreasing ,there are myriad ways to create a film and share it with the world, the internet being one key tool. It can only help you. But be sure not to over-expose it before you’ve done the film festival circuit though as it may disqualify the film in some cases.
Did you go to film school? If yes, where and what did you think of the experience?
I did not attend film school. One of my best friends is there now so I try to keep up with her experience. Ironically, I’ve had two successful directors, one is a major producer for a well-known studio and the other a music video director, both tell me that they only went for the first year or so and at that point they had gained all they really needed to know. In fact, one director said that the professor told his class that they’d be in the same place as someone who didn’t go to film school once they graduated: hoping to get a job as a PA on a major film and work their way up. So he said, “well why waste the time and money when I can go out and get a head start now.” Somehow, not long after, this guy met Scorsese and developed a friendship. Go figure. That experience is an anomaly rather than the norm, of course.
What are the other films you have made?
BELIEVE. Vote For Change (www.believehopechange.com). The rest of my work is on the music video, commercial and reality TV side.
What’s you motto?
“Just a girl naive enough to think she could change the world”
What format (film, video, hi-def) and camera did you use and why did you choose the format and camera? If you had a choice, would you use that camera again?
We used Panasonic DVX cameras to shoot Clandestine but in light of nearly comparable costs, I would definitely recommend upgrading to high definition camera (i.e. Sony EX) that will give you an even better quality. However, most of my projects lately have been shot on the RED One, an amazing digital camera that shoots in 4K whose images rival that of 35mm film. It’s awesome!
What other festivals is your film appearing in?
Every time I think Clandestine is nearing the end of it’s film festival run, I get a new call or email for it! That’s so exciting. Since its debut in October 2006 where it took home the best short film award at the Urban Mediamakers festival, Clandestine has appeared in several festivals across the country as well as making its television debut on BETJ The Best Shorts in Summer 2008. Clandestine has appeared in the Urban Mediamakers Film Festival, Black Hollywood Resource Center SE Manly Film Showcase, Legacy Filmmakers Showcase, Pan African Film Festival, Spaghetti Junction Urban Film Festival, Roxbury Film Festival, Run & Shoot Filmworks Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, and National Association of Black Female Executives In Music & Entertainment Conference.
What was your goal when you decided to make the film?
Can I say to just do it without being sued? (smile) My goal was to get one under my belt. I knew that it would get easier for me after that. Not the work but the courage to do the next one. I was never afraid of the work.
Mass Romantic, a new independent feature by Richard Paro, follows activists and academics struggling to find love while creating political art. The film focuses on relationships, while the characters work with controversial topics such as healthcare, queer politics, abortion, transphobia, food activism and corporate control of media.
Mass Romantic plays at the Reel Time Film Festival at 3pm on Friday, December 12th. For more information go to:
http://reeltimefilmfestival.org/venue
Tell us about your film. Why should people see it?
Richard Paro (Director, Co-Producer) - They’ll be entertained. There’s a lot happening in it. I don’t think you’ve seen many movies like this. It has great acting and a great soundtrack. And it’ll leave you feeling good.
Cyra K. Polizzi (Co-Producer, Actor) - To tell you a bit about it, Mass Romantic follows a group of 20-somethings, falling in and out of love while creating political art. It features underrepresented people, stories and methods of filmmaking. You can check out the trailer at www.mudgeonsoul.org , www.myspace.com/MassRomanticFilm and www.youtube.com/mudgeonsoul .
What led you to make this film?
Richard- I wanted to tell a story that reflects the people I know.
Cyra - Richard conceived of an amazing project and so although I only signed on to act in the film initially, I was quickly drawn into just about every aspect of making the film. It has been a truly collaborative process.
What were some of the greatest challenges you faced in making this film?
Richard- Casting took almost a full year. We had a large cast and because there was so much collaboration and improvisation, the actors had to be comfortable enough with the subjects to be able to work like that. Once we had the cast set and we started filming, they were all pretty amazing.
Cyra - Also, we shot without a budget, which was extremely challenging. Now looking back, I see how this served the film in many ways, but it wasn’t easy.
Trailer:
What impact do you hope this film will have?
Richard- On me, I’d like to be able to make another film. On others, I hope they leave the theatre possibly thinking about things a little differently, possibly meeting some people they didn’t know before or seeing people they know but haven’t seen on screen before…
Cyra - A major theme of Mass Romantic is the importance of community, so one of the greatest responses from audience members is when they tell us that they recognize themselves and their friends in the characters in a way they rarely do in mainstream media.
What are you working on now, or next, and how do you find projects?
Richard- I just finished directing a short called “Allison, My Love”, that we shot with three of the actors from Mass Romantic, including Cyra, that we’re just starting to submit to festivals. After that, I’m focusing on acting while writing a new feature. Though I may shoot a short or music video somewhere in there.
Cyra - I spend a lot of time acting. As a director, I have a couple shorts I’m working on and I’m writing a play.
What are your three favorite films?
Richard- Well, seeing how my Top 10 list each year consists of 20 movies or more it’s really hard to pick just three, but if I have to pick only three, today, it would be “Harold and Maude”, ” Me, You and Everyone We Know”, and “Before Sunrise/Sunset”. See, I even managed to make my top 3 films into 4.
Cyra - Ooo, “Before Sunrise/Sunset,” good answer. Hmm… there are just too many, I wouldn’t know where to begin.
Many of our users are just starting out; what advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?
Richard - Cast actors, at least for the main roles, instead of your friends. If your friends want to help, have them help with things like set up, transportation and food.
Cyra - If you can, surround yourself with people who love to create, and collaborate with them. Take a risk and fully commit to a project you believe in. And then stop calling yourself “aspiring.”
Have you placed your films online and do you think it’s a good outlet for young filmmakers to get exposure?
Richard- I put trailers on line, and I posted a short film series I did. I think it’s no longer really a question but a pretty essential way to be seen, find festivals and publicize screenings.
Cyra - I think it completely depends on the film.
Did you go to film school? If yes, where and what did you think of the experience?
Richard- No, I took a few classes but always knew what I wanted to do so I went out and did it. I think it would be different for everyone.
Cyra - I majored in Theatre Acting at UW-Madison and took some film classes while I was there. I had an excellent experience in school and the film classes were a part of that experience.
What are the other films you have made?
Richard- I directed the short film series “haunting perpetually dead squirrels”, the feature “an obvious moment of happiness” and just finished the short “Allison, My Love”. I also shot, produced and/or acted in a bunch of other things including shooting and producing “Most Wonderful People” which was one of Film Threat’s Top 10 shorts of 2004.
Cyra - Primarily, I work as an actor. Also, I’ve made a few shorts and a feature documentary, “13 Genders.”
Which filmmakers have most influenced your work?
Richard- Robert Altman, Woody Allen, Richard Linklater, Nicole Holofcener, Hal Ashby… I could actually list a lot here.
Cyra - My filmmaking is also very influenced by people outside the film industry, since much of my formal training is in Theatre, Women’s Studies and Environmental Studies. And it sounds cheesy, but the way my parents, a professional potter and a librarian, approach their work, certainly has an impact on the way I view filmmaking and the “industry.”
What’s you motto?
Richard- stop, collaborate and listen.
Cyra - Isn’t that someone else’s motto?
What format (film, video, hi-def) and camera did you use and why did you choose the format and camera? If you had a choice, would you use that camera again?
Richard- We shot with two cameras (mini dv), a Canon XL-1 and a JVC GY-HD100U. I had used the Canon before and like it. It was the first time shooting with the JVC and I think it looked beautiful.
What other festivals is your film appearing in?
Richard- Mass Romantic screened at the LINK Film Festival- Best Director (Olympia, WA), Women’s International Film Festival (Miami, FL), Entzaubert Queer Film Festival (Berlin, Germany), Portobello Film Festival (London, England), Deep Fried Film Festival (Lanarkshire, Scotland), Illinois International Film Festival (St. Charles, IL), Vacant Era Film Festival (Norman, OK) and then coming up after Reel Time in NYC, we have British Film Festival LA (Los Angeles, CA) and International Film Festival Thailand (Phuket, Thailand).
What was your goal when you decided to make the film?
Richard- To finish it the way I envisioned it (I did!).
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Mass Romantic, a new independent feature by Richard Paro, follows activists and academics struggling to find love while creating political art. The film focuses on relationships, while the characters work with controversial topics such as healthcare, queer politics, abortion, transphobia, food activism and corporate control of media. Mass Romantic celebrates the everyday lives of activists, queer people and their allies, and acknowledges the importance of allies in building meaningful, enriching communities. The theme of coalition-building present in Mass Romantic is reflected by the diverse group of individuals involved in the making of the film, many of whom are underrepresented in American cinema and identify as women, LGBTQ, people of color, non-native speakers and/or activists. Paro, along with partner Cyra K. Polizzi, produced Mass Romantic with a DIY sensibility after extensive story development and workshopping, utilizing the creative input and improvisational skills of the cast.
After years of development, Mass Romantic was shot in the sweltering Chicago heat of late summer in just 11 days featuring 40 actors in over 10 locations, producing 33 hours of footage. The film features 13 independent bands, including live performances by Carrie Lydon, Kate Brown, ROFO and members of Head of Femur.
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Jamie and Erin’s activist theater company sets out to create a play based on PJ’s book of political short stories. PJ hasn’t written much in a while… or socialized much either, except for hanging out at Olson’s vegan cafe. Erin’s girlfriend Bel, having just moved from New York, prepares for a conference and searches for an apartment, as well as community, in Chicago. Meanwhile, Billy is void of direction even with the self-fulfillment classes, but his partner Sally hopes his new job at Olson’s cafe will help. Olson’s partner Annette is writing her third quantum physics book and feeling uninspired… as are her students.
When you’re an artist, academic or activist and known for your passion, where do you turn when it wanes? Your work? Your partner? How do you fall in love with life again?
112 Minutes . Black & White . Not Rated . English
In a near death collision following a hit gone wrong, two former special-forces operators continue their battle, unbeknownst to them, in the realm of the unconscious. While investigating their possible involvement in a murder, a female detective becomes drawn into their conflict and must face her own demons as she uncovers the truth about a secret psychic military program, her father, and herself.
- John Nelson about Between Two Evils
Between Two Evils plays at the Reel Time Film Festival at 8pm on Thursday December 11th. For more information go to:
http://reeltimefilmfestival.org/venue
What led you to make this film?
We made a short, condensed version of a feature film as a proof of concept. We hoped to spark interest in the story, inspire audiences, and to raise additional funds for feature production.
Why should people see it?
Between Two Evils is a lean, mean, action thriller that doesn’t waste a second of screen time. It is a story of growth and redemption and has the ability to appeal to a wide audience both male and female.
The action and martial arts will capture the male audience, especially the coveted 18-34 demographic. The two male lead characters who do most of the fighting have a military past, and in the present interact in a decrepit, decaying, frightening dream world. This will have crossover appeal for martial arts film enthusiasts, war movie fans, and horror fans.
The film also features a strong female lead, who is attractive, confident, and driven. Her ambition, discovery, and personal growth will inspire and expand the female audience.
What were some of the greatest challenges you faced in making this film?
Getting funding, acquiring permits, and locking locations were the biggest challenges we faced.
What impact do you hope this film will have?
We want the audience to see the film and want to see more. There is so much more to this story.
What are you working on now, or next?
We’re working on securing additional funding for feature production of Between Two Evils.
What are your three favorite films?
Star Wars – George Lucas
Goodfellas - Martin Scorsese
Fight Night – Derek JW Wybourn
Many of our users are just starting out; what advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?
Work hard, don’t give up. Surround yourself with good people who are talented and who you can rely on, then go for it!
Have you placed your films online and do you think it’s a good outlet for young filmmakers to get exposure?
I have put clips and short videos online. It’s not my first choice, but online is HUGE. I know people who would rather surf for videos than watch TV. Never underestimate online resources. I think it is a great outlet for all filmmakers, especially young ones or people who are new to the industry.
Did you go to film school? If yes, where and what did you think of the experience?
Yes, I went to SVA. It was a great experience, best of all for networking. I made some of my best friends and business partners there, my director for instance Derek JW Wybourn.
What are the other films you have made?
Fight Night
Which filmmakers have most influenced your work?
George Lucas
Martin Scorsese
Stephen Spielberg
Bruce Lee
Chia-Liang Liu
What’s you motto?
When the bell rings, come out swingin’
What format (film, video, hi-def) and camera did you use and why did you choose the format and camera? If you had a choice, would you use that camera again?
HD, Sony HVR-V1. We chose it because it was affordable and available. No, I would not use that camera again.
What other festivals is your film appearing in?
So far we have also appeared in the NBBC Film Festival in NYC
Trailer:
TREATMENT
Between 1969 and 1971, US intelligence sources concluded that the Soviet Union was engaged in psychotronic research and using it to train highly skilled KGB operatives. STAR GATE was one of a number of remote viewing programs conducted by the CIA in response to Soviet investigations of psychic phenomena. The effort initially focused on a few gifted individuals and empaths who were trained and taught to use their talents for psychic warfare.
Controlled Remote Viewing (CRV) is the ability of a viewer to gather information on a remote target consisting of an object, place, or person, etc., which is hidden from the physical perception of the viewer and typically separated from them by distance and/or time. The first generation of CRV’s had the ability to project images to each other over great distances, but the projections they sent and received were often convoluted, hazy, and unclear. The most talented of these CRV’s was then Second Lieutenant JAMES WAGNER.
In 1995 the program was declassified and publicly canceled. Secretly, however, the concept was being revamped to use viewers who could project crystal clear images to one another over short distances or by physical contact, Controlled Remote Viewing Close Proximity (CRV-CP), while being monitored by a first generation viewer from afar. The program evolved from a purely intelligence gathering asset into a tactical and combative one. This next generation CRV initiative was placed under the command of Lt. Colonel James Wagner.
During a black ops mission under the leadership of Cpt. JUSTIN MARSH, the primary CRV-CP assault team was betrayed and almost completely wiped out. Wagner mistakenly identified the wrong member of the team as the culprit and ordered the egress point destroyed in retaliation. Believing all members were lost, Wagner buried the details and moved on to create another team. Unbeknownst to him, two CRV’s, Marsh and ADRIAN VOSS, survived.
Suppressing their CRV ability to avoid detection by Wagner, the two were forced underground. After living lives amongst the shadows, organized crime, drugs, deceit, and murder, the two are reunited for one final showdown. As an attempted hit goes wrong the two former special-forces operators are involved in a nearly fatal collision. As they lie on their deathbeds, they continue their battle against each other in the realm of the unconscious, continuing their damaging effect on each other and those around them.
While investigating their possible involvement in a recent murder SAMIA LEWIS, an NYPD detective with a checkered past, becomes drawn into their conflict as she accidentally uses her latent and as of yet undiscovered CRV ability. She will be forced to choose between two evils, between justice and the law, and will face her own demons as she uncovers the truth about a secret psychic military program, her father, and herself.
B2E Website: http://www.between2evils.com
Keya Lea Horiuchi talks about “Considering Democracy” and the structure of her film. This interview was shot at DocFest in San Francisco and we discuss documentary filmmaking and the political aspects and intent of her film.
This is the HD version which will play above.
See it in SD here for lower bandwidth connections.
For more info on Docfest go to: www.sfindie.com