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.
An interview with director P.J. Bagley about the film “Fat Man Walking” at DocFest in San Francisco.
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