FilmClick

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.

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For more info on Docfest go to: www.sfindie.com

B. Douglas Robbins talks about “Debate Team”, the characters that make up the world of college debate, and the subject of objectivity in film. This interview was shot at DocFest in San Francisco at the Roxie Theater.

See it in HD here.

See it in SD here.

For more info on Docfest go to: www.sfindie.com

Dawn Valadez talks about the making of her film “Going on 13″. We were interested in how she chose her subjects and was able to gain a level of trust between herself, the parents of her subjects, and the school districts much of the film was shot at.  This interview was shot at DocFest in San Francisco.

See it in HD here.

See it in SD here.

For more info on Docfest go to: www.sfindie.com

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An interview with director Melody Gilbert about the film “Urban Explorers” at DocFest in San Francisco.

See it in HD here.

See it in SD here.

For more info on Docfest go to: www.sfindie.com

In the Washington forest, my brother-in-Law recorded audio of what he thought was Bigfoot. The film is my quest to find out if his recording is real. - David Thayer on why he made Bigfoot.

What were some of the greatest challenges you faced in making this film?

Long drives across the west, with girlfriend Katrin Sutter (who helped film it) and my baby boy Jethro, to meet the folks in the movie. It was also a challenge to keep Jethro from walking into the shots. I gave up after a while and managed to integrate him into the film.

What impact do you hope this film will have?
You mean, like, bringing awareness to Dafur?
I think that there are already too many “Movies That Matter” so I am honored when my film makes no impact whatsoever.

Bigfoot: A Beast on the Run

What are you working on now, or next, and how do you find documentary projects?

I am currently working on a couple of screenplays and I am in the middle of making a doc on the St. Bernhard dogs here in Switzerland.

What are your three favorite films?

Dogsville, Fake! and Robocop 2.

Many of our users are just starting out; what advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?

I’m an aspiring filmmaker myself. My advice might be bad.

Have you placed your films online and do you think it’s a good outlet for young filmmakers to get exposure?

I have. Why not?

Did you go to film school?  If yes, where and what did you think of the experience?

I learned everything on the streets.

What are the other films you have made?

Mostly I’ve worked on other people’s films, but Bigfoot is my first real movie.

Which filmmakers have most influenced your work?

As soon as I’ve made my first fiction film I can answer that: but as far as Bigfoot goes, I can’t reference anything other than the many hours I spent in front of the TV as a child.

What’s you motto?

I’m working on it.

What do you think film festivals like DocFest offer to the dialogue about issues facing our society?

What I like about the Docfest program is that it doesn’t offer anything like this. Unfortunately, most festivals do.  I think it’s cynical of any festival to imply that they can change or ‘better’ anything in our society when they charge in excess of 70 bucks entrance fee.  With numerous civic and private sponsors posted in their catalogs, many festivals anyway accept huge entrance for one of their unpaid volunteers to almost watch, and reject, hundreds on bad films on 300 dollars worth of equipment.  I guess it’s OK to charge that much because it’s business: but if they’re gonna rip the little guy off, they shouldn’t do it under the pretense of saving 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?

I used a sony DV cam. It’s broken now and I now have an HDV cam.

What other festivals is your film appearing in?

It showed at Fantaspoa in Brazil, and It’s been rejected by another four festivals. It’s encouraging that it made it into the SF docfest so I will send it off to another few festivals. Ultimately, though, I would like to see my film appear on television.

What was your goal when you decided to make the film?

Laughs, education, fun - maybe find Bigfoot.

“Bigfoot” is playing at DocFest in the San Francisco Bay Area in October.

For more info, check out http://www.sfindie.com

Melody Gilbert’s new film Urban Explorers captures a facet of life and adventure that I never really ever considered. I must admit that it was a complete surprise to me, I had no prep and I’d heard nothing about this film when I saw it.

The film takes a look at a new breed of explorer.  These explorers investigate the urban landscape; abandoned places and underground infrastructure throughout the world.  It’s interesting as a piece about something you’ve most likely never heard of before, and something you might not ever have tried, yet.  Often, the explorers are climbing fences and breaking the law to explore, but doing the illegal isn’t their goal.  Many are deeply interested in this history and function of these places beyond the chaos and danger of their current state.  There is a perspective which they garner from the entropy they seek out.  Gilbert takes a voyeuristic look at their mini-culture, in which they often meet other urban explorers for foreign adventures after connecting on the internet.  There’s even a convention.

This film is engrossing and doesn’t try hard to be anything but a film about some people with an unique hobby.

See Urban Explorers this weekend in San Francisco at DocFest:

Fri. Oct 24 2008, 7:15 pm at Roxie Cinema
Sun. Oct 26 2008, 12:30 pm at Roxie Cinema

by Christopher Potter, FilmClick.com

For more info, check out http://www.sfindie.com

Kassim The Dream is the poignant story of World Champion Boxer, Kassim ‘The Dream’ Ouma and his emotional journey back home to war-torn Uganda. Kidnapped from boarding school at age six, Kassim was forced to become a child soldier and commit violent atrocities for a rebel army. Twelve years later, he fled the army and Uganda to come to the United States, where he trained as a boxer and quickly became the Junior Middleweight Champion of the World.

Kassim the Dream

Living the American Dream complete with fame, success and a hip-hop lifestyle,  Kassim is portrayed as jovial and friendly. His outspoken nature and interesting interpretations of urban slang provide comic relief to this often heavy story. Still, the heart of the film is in Kassimʼs efforts to reunite with his family and return to Uganda after 10 years of exile. The rebel army he fled is now in control of the country and he fears the death penalty as punishment for his desertion.  Kassim campaigns for a military pardon from the Ugandan government, and his efforts prove to be a distraction, as he loses an important world title fight against Jermain Taylor, the current Middleweight Champion.

Kassim the Dream

When Kassim returns to Uganda, he is greeted as a hometown hero. The emotional homecoming is at times too much for Kassim, who realizes his country is in worse shape than ever. He visits a boxing camp in the village of Gulu, where he teaches the trainees, but notes that the conditions were poorer than what he had to deal with (he at least had shoes). When he reaches his familyʼs home to visit his grandmother, he is engulfed by the villagers who follow his every move, even while at his fatherʼs gravesite, where he is overcome with grief.

Kassim the Dream

The film is wonderfully shot but particularly shines once Kassim returns to his homeland. The images are saturated and colorful, emphasizing Ugandaʼs natural beauty and people. The soundtrack is rich with drum beats and African music. Most remarkable is a scene where Kassim attends a reenactment of a murderous attack on a village. The camera moves in slow motion as children clutching realistic-looking guns, rampage about, pushing and assaulting anyone in sight.  Director Kief Davidson has created an engaging portrait of Kassim Ouma. We experience Kassimʼs passion and spirit as we follow him inside and outside the ring, but mostly as he confronts his horrific childhood.

by Arami Reyes, FilmClick.com