Top 10 Reasons To Go To The Tribeca Film Festival

The 2011 Tribeca Film Festival from April 20-May 1 is almost underway and if you've never attended the festival or need a tiny reminder why you should come back again this year, here's 10 reasons why we think you should check it out:


10. It's in New York City.

It's located in the best city in the U.S.  Okay, for some that statement may be up for debate, but let's face it--NYC has it all; bright lights, showtunes, great food, and an annual festival that brings some of the biggest A-list celebrities and international talent from all over the world.

9. You may meet DeNiro.

Robert DeNiro co-founded the festival along with Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff  in 2001 following the attacks on the World Trade Center.  DeNiro is very involved with the festival and throughout its run, DeNiro can be spotted at a number of events.  "You lookin for me?"  Bad joke...we know.

8. Impressive Sponsors.

This isn't just any other festival with mom and pop sponsors from the local deli or Bob's hardware store.  With big wig companies like American Express and Cadillac, expect to see some awesome perks that come with that type of sponsorship.  Not sure if you will get a free car, but you will get a pretty awesome festival gift pack!

7. An Insane Amount Of Movies Screened.

You can watch anything from 5 minute indie shorts to feature length mainstream films.  It's easy to spend an entire day watching movies from a variety of locations.  Check out a short film in Tribeca Cinemas off Varick St. or a movie premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater in midtown.

6. All-Access.

Having a festival pass (depending on what type) gives you entry into events such as the filmmaker lounge, to family events for the kids, to an evening with drinks and appetizers at a hip downtown bar.  You pick your pleasure.

5. Tis The Season


The weather in late April and early May in NYC is at its peak. Meaning it's not too hot and not too cold. It's breezy easy weather that makes standing outside and waiting for tickets to a screening so much easier to cope with. It's the time of year right before summer hits, so you can still plan your summer getaway and it will not conflict with your festival schedule. It's right after Mardi Gras, so you have been able to get New Orleans out of your system. It takes place at the right time of year that makes you feel like it in fact is the season to be jolly---for watching movies. LOTS of em.

 
4. It's Two Whole Weeks!

Most film festivals last a week or even a weekend.  Tribeca gives festival attendees an opportunity to enjoy two whole weeks of its awesome goodness and the cool thing is, if you're not in town to enjoy the first week of the festival, there's always the second and vice-versa.

3. Festival Staff

You gotta give props to the guys that run this festival.  Some of the hardest working individuals are somehow able to pull out one of the biggest festivals in all of Hollywood.  From the guys doing hard labor in the distribution teams, to the sponsorship crew and let's not forget the volunteers that put in tons of hours to help prep the festival and make it run smoothly.  College students, film geeks, and industry locals all come out to help with the festival.

2. Ubiquity.

Many festivals take a place in a few theaters and a couple of venues.  Although the festival initially began in TriBeCa (Triangle Below Canal St.), which is located in downtown Manhattan, the festival has several screenings throughout the island from downtown to midtown and even uptown.  These events are happening all over Manhattan all at once, so it really gives the festival goer the opportunity to explore the great city of Manhattan and all its splendor.

1. Notoriety.


If you're a filmmaker, writer, or actor and your film is entered in this festival--the sky's the limit. The Tribeca seal alone on your film is going to give you the attention you deserve. You may leave the festival with a ton of voicemail messages from industry people wondering what just happened. Get prepared for fame. Filmmakers receive crazy perks too like video editing systems. You're almost treated like royalty.

Tribeca All Access – 2011 Project Selection

Tribeca All Access – 2011 Project Selection


NOTE:

*BOLD Name – indicates Spotlighted Filmmaker



DOCUMENTARIES:

Boarders Without Borders

“Boarders Without Borders” follows three American snowboarders on a journey to the world-class mountains of Iran, where they meet and ride with Iranian youth snowboarders. A shared passion creates an understanding between two seemingly disparate nations.

Crew:

*Marjan Tehrani (Co-Director, Producer)

Brian Sachson (Co-Director)

Brian Sachson (Producer)

Broken Heart Land



After the tragic suicide of a gay teen, the surrounding community of gay youth and their families in the Bible Belt are left to deal with the aftermath as they struggle to prevent further deaths.
Crew:

*Randy Stulberg (Director, Producer)

Jeremy Stulberg (Director, Producer)

Eric Juhola (Producer)


Gideon's Army



Every day, more and more people are arrested, handcuffed, shoved into a

squad car, and booked. Weeks turn into months and their only line of defense is in the hands of a public defender. “Gideon’s Army” asks, are public defenders up to the fight?


Crew:

*Dawn Porter (Director, Producer)


God Loves Uganda



Evangelical missionaries from the U.S.A. export their war against immorality to Uganda, where the battle for human souls clashes with the fight for human rights.



Crew:

*Roger Ross Williams (Director, Producer),

Nick Quested (Executive Producer)

Derek Wiesehahn (DP)

Montana Medical Marijuana Film (title TBD)

Set against the sweeping vistas of the Rockies, the steamy lamplight of marijuana grow-houses, and the cold sterility of the hospice ward, “Montana Medical Marijuana Film” examines the process of turning an underground

Crew:

*Rebecca Richman Cohen (Director, Producer),

Francisco Bello (Producer, Editor)

Joshua Weinstein (Director of Photography)



NARRATIVE:

County Line (Drama)



A Southern town's underbelly exposed when its sheriff tries to rid himself of a drug alliance with a family friend and investigate the deaths of his female informants. In the process, he must confront his son's addiction to the drugs he's allowed in his county.



Crew:

*Tina Mabry (Director, Screenwriter),

Morgan Stiff (Producer, Screenwriter, Editor)

Lee Stiff (Producer, Exec. Producer)

Bradford Young (D.P.)

Meg Morman (Casting Director)


Dandekar Finds Home (Dramedy)

When a kindly middle-aged man is forced into retirement, and his daughters attempt to cheer him up by trading away his old, clunky Volvo for a brand-new one, Dandekar’s daylong journey to get his beloved old car back prepares him to move onto the next phase of his life.



Crew:

*Leena Pendharkar (Director, Screenwriter)

Megha Kadakia (Producer)



We’ll Be Gone (Drama)



“We’ll Be Gone” tells the story of a disparate group of Americans bound together by a bad mortgage in the days leading up to the economic collapse.



Crew:

*Hossein Keshavarz (Director, Screenwriter)


The Tennis Partner (Drama)



“The Tennis Partner” is an unforgettable, true story of a doctor's struggle to teach a student about medical science and, as their relationship grows, to save him from cocaine addiction. It is an adaptation of the bestselling memoir by Dr. Abraham Verghese about his medical practice in El Paso, TX.



Crew:

*Mridu Chandra (Screenwriter)

Amy Hobby (Producer)


Somebody to Love (Drama)



Chuck Banks is a broken down soul singer surviving off the fame of his late father and a hit he wrote years ago. After one too many drinks, one too many miles, and one too many fights with his band-mate and girlfriend Janelle, he finds himself in a familiar town where an old flame seems to offer the dream of settling down. Faced with a choice, Chuck struggles to find the love he thinks he wants but ultimately realizes that family is closer than he thought.



Crew:

*Alrick Brown (Director)

Mick Casale (Writer)

Edward McDonald (Producer)

Tati Barrantes (Producer)

Peter Newman (Mentor)

Susan Jacobs (Music Supervisor)


INTERNATIONAL:



UK Film Council Supported:



Giant Land (Drama)



Troubled ten year-old Ryan escapes his mother and her boyfriend by playing on the industrial wasteland near his home, where he finds an injured Afghani man hiding out in a shipping container and convinces himself he has found his estranged father.



Crew:

*Yousaf Ali Khan (Screenwriter,Director)


Canadian Film Centre (CFC) Supported:



Born into This (Comedy)



Jazz musician Benjamin, a down on his luck romantic arrives home after being kicked out of his prestigious music school. His life takes an unexpected turn when his 80 year-old grandfather gives him the family business and becomes a lively roommate.



Crew:

*Emanuel Shirinian (Director)

David Miller (Producer)

Darren Portelli (Producer)

Tribeca Film Sets Expansion of Slate in 2011

Tribeca Enterprises today announced that Tribeca Film will expand to commercially release 26 films over the next year, more than double the number of titles released in 2010. The comprehensive distribution label for independent film also announced that it acquired U.S. rights to nine new titles to be released across multiple platforms. The curated selection of films includes many genres and features stars including Zach Braff, Vincent Gallo and Zoe Kravitz and filmmakers such as Peter Mullan, Jerzy Skolimowski and Vincent D’Onofrio.

Following its launch in March 2010, Tribeca Film has grown to a year-round, full-service distribution label that delivers quality independent films to audiences through innovative strategies bolstered by its partnership with American Express. Tribeca Film’s significant expansion is highlighted by Tribeca’s continued relationship with Comcast, one of the nation’s leading providers of entertainment and supporter of independent film. Tribeca Film plans to release the following titles theatrically, on video-on-demand and via other platforms throughout the coming year:

· Beware the Gonzo. From director and writer Brian Gobuloff (writer of The Basketball Diaries) comes a teen-angst comedy about an underground newspaper aiming to give voice to high school misfits. The film stars Zoe Kravitz, Ezra Miller, Jesse McCartney, Amy Sedaris, Campbell Scott, and James Urbaniak.

· The Bleeding House. Written and directed by comic book writer and first time filmmaker Philip Gelatt, this taut horror thriller is an original take on the home invasion genre about a family with a haunted past visited by a sweet-talking Texan killer who has come for retribution.

· Brother’s Justice. This Hollywood satire marks Dax Shepard’s directorial debut and is co-directed by David Palmer. The film follows Shepard as he makes the rash decision to abandon comedy in pursuit of his true dream: to become an internationally-renowned martial arts star. Winner of the audience award at the Austin Film Festival and an official selection of the Hollywood Film Festival, it features performances by Tom Arnold, Bradley Cooper, David Koechner, Michael Rosenbaum and Nate Tuck.

· Don’t Go in the Woods. Vincent D’Onofrio makes his feature-length directorial debut with this uproarious rock ‘n' roll horror musical about the fate of a young band seeking a quiet place to write songs in the wrong neck of the woods. The film has screened at the Woodstock Film Festival, the Sarasota Film Festival and the Savannah Film Festival.

· Grave Encounters. Directed and written by first time filmmakers the Vicious Brothers, this cinéma-vérité style supernatural thriller follows a ghost-hunting reality television show host and crew as they shoot an episode inside an abandoned psychiatric hospital, where unexplained phenomena have been reported for years. All in the name of good television, they voluntarily lock themselves inside the building for the night and begin a paranormal investigation, capturing everything on camera. They quickly realize that the building is more than just haunted - it is alive - and it has no intention of ever letting them leave.

· The High Cost of Living. Director Deborah Chow’s dark romantic drama about intertwined fates centers on the burgeoning relationship between an unlikely pair. Nathalie (Isabelle Blais) is expecting her first child, and Henry (Zach Braff) is on his way to his next drug deal. Their paths fatefully collide one night in an event that will irrevocably change their lives. The film was an official selection of the Toronto Film Festival.

· NEDS. Peter Mullan's third feature as a writer and director, after Orphans and The Magdalene Sisters, is a violent 1970s coming-of-age drama set in a gritty section of Glasgow. NEDS won Best Film at the San Sebastian Film Festival and was chosen Best Film at the 2011 London Evening Standard Awards.

· Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston. No one represented the 1970s quite like legendary designer Halston. In this stylish documentary, director Whitney Sudler-Smith takes a fabulous fun-and-fact-filled journey through Halston’s life and times. Interviews with friends and witnesses (including Liza Minnelli, Diane Von Furstenberg, André Leon Talley, Anjelica Huston, Bob Colacello and Billy Joel, among others) round out this glittering evocation of the man who defined the decadent era. Tribeca Film will release the following on VOD and other platforms:

· Essential Killing. A gripping adventure thriller directed by acclaimed Polish auteur Jerzy Skolimowski. A captured Taliban fighter (Vincent Gallo) is interrogated, tortured and then moved to an unnamed snowy detention camp in Europe. Following an accident involving his transport convoy, he becomes an escaped convict on a continent he does not know. Essential Killing world premiered In Competition at the Venice International Film Festival, and won the Special Jury Prize and Best Actor for Vincent Gallo's performance. Previously announced titles from Tribeca Film include the following, which will be released in theatres in multiple markets, as well as via VOD and other platforms:

· The Bang Bang Club. Award-winning documentary filmmaker Steven Silver makes his feature directorial debut with this electrifying tale of a young band of war photographers who documented the last days of apartheid in South Africa. Based on a true story, the film stars Ryan Phillippe, Malin Akerman and Taylor Kitsch and premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. · Janie Jones. Directed by David M. Rosenthal, Janie Jones is a charming rock ‘n’ roll road trip drama about a father and daughter finding their way to each other. The film stars Abigail Breslin, Alessandro Nivola, Elisabeth Shue and Brittany Snow and premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.

· Last Night. Director Massy Tadjedin makes her directorial debut with a carefully crafted romantic drama about two couples confronting temptation and the limits of fidelity over the course of one night. Starring Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes and Guillaume Canet, the film was an official selection at the Toronto, Venice and Rome Film Festivals. Fourteen more titles will be added to the Tribeca Film slate in the coming months. “With the rapidly evolving landscape, Tribeca Film provides strategic opportunities and plans to customize campaigns using new platforms for distribution,” said Tribeca co-founder Jane Rosenthal. “We see real opportunities for filmmakers and audiences.”

Upon its initial launch, Tribeca Film delivered an inaugural slate of 12 titles nationwide through a network of multi-platform distribution partnerships, beginning with an initial release via cable and telco video-on-demand and satellite pay-per-view in Spring 2010. The films were also distributed digitally via Amazon.com, the Apple iTunes Store, Netflix Streaming and Vudu, with select titles airing on Showtime. The independent label also released 11 of the films in limited theatrical engagements and partnered with New Video to launch the Tribeca Film home video label. The continued expansion of Tribeca Film attests to Tribeca Enterprises’ goal of redefining traditional models of independent film distribution and release patterns and, in conjunction with the Tribeca Film Festival and other of its media holdings, creating new opportunities and discovering new audiences for filmmakers. “Tribeca Film had a terrific launch in 2010, releasing an exciting selection of quality independent films,” said Geoff Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer at Tribeca. “In 2011, we look forward to continuing to respond to the contemporary challenges of distribution today and are especially excited to be on the cutting edge working to develop new scenarios.

We value our relationships with our distribution partners, the unique role played by American Express, and the talented filmmakers we have the pleasure of working with.” American Express is an important and unique element of Tribeca Film. American Express has reinforced its commitment to providing independent filmmakers with new platforms to deliver compelling stories to audiences, and Cardmembers, everywhere. In its second year, Tribeca Film will continue to leverage the unique marketing force of American Express to create customized release patterns that are filmmaker-friendly and provide audiences with access to films they otherwise might not have the opportunity to see.

SPIKE LEE TO BE HONORED AT AUCTION BENEFITING CHILDREN¹S CHARITY, CAMP BROOKLYN, ON WEDNESDAY, DEC 9

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will present the 20th Anniversary Mickey Mantle Community Service Award to director and actor Spike Lee as well as Denise Arbesu of Citibank at an annual sports and entertainment fantasy auction benefiting Camp Brooklyn on December 9th.

Camp Brooklyn was founded by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz to give children from low-income homes an opportunity to attend a sleep-away camp no cost to the camper. The Camp Brooklyn Fund gives these children a chance to leave their urban environment and learn about teamwork, loyalty, wholesome health habits, responsibility, personal respect and appreciation for nature, all of which are a part of a child¹s education at summer camp.

Since 2002 Camp Brooklyn sent more than 1500 Brooklyn children to summer camp. To help raise funds - - and send over 400 children to camp in 2010 - - Camp Brooklyn will auction off a number of unique and exclusive items at the event, including:

·A walk-on role In Spike Lee¹s next movie
·A Bruce Springsteen signed acoustic guitar
·A week-long stay along the Amalfi Coast in Italy with breakfast and gourmet
dinners in a sea view room at the 4-star rated Hotel Bonadies
· 4 or 5 day Carnival Cruise, sailing from the Port of New York
·An Alex Rodriguez #13 autographed New York Yankees pinstripe jersey

In addition to the above, a vacation package with Carnival Cruise Lines, VIP seats to the Late Show with David Letterman, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, getaways to Orlando, Salt Lake and Las Vegas and over 50 other items will also be auctioned.

The week leading up to the event, Camp Brooklyn will also host several items on-line at www.charitybuzz.com. This on-line auction will begin on Tuesday, December 1st and close at noon on December 9th. All on-line items will then be available for bidding at the event.

Tickets are $200 and available to the general public. All proceeds will benefit Camp Brooklyn. Tickets include a full buffet dinner, open bar, the award ceremony hosted by Jamie and Marty Markowitz and silent and live auctions with Q104¹s Ken Dashow as the auctioneer.

To purchase tickets or donate to the Camp Brooklyn Fund, visit: http://www.active.com/donate/campbrooklyn2009

Details:
Camp Brooklyn Fundraiser
Wednesday, December 9th.
6pm-9pm
Mickey Mantle¹s Restaurant
42 Central Park South
New York, NY 10019
(business attire recommended)

For more information, please contact Karen Rosenberg at Empire Events Group, Inc. 212-625-1025 or email: karen@empireeventsgroup.com or Brendan Gilmartin at Shore Fire Media (bgilmartin@shorefire.com) 718-522-7171 x. 12
Nancie S. Martin at Shore Fire Media (nsmartin@shorefire.com) 718-522-7171 x. 23

Media Coalition For Artists Of Color

The indigenous people of the Americas had no idea that the Thanksgiving Dinner with the European Pilgrims would become a "Last Supper" for their people throughout the "New World".
in this issue DV Republic Leadership Blogging in the Liberated Zone Media Coalition Networking Salon Martial Arts Challengers: Karate vs Kung Fu Blogging in the Liberated Zone

DV Republic provides a media digest to trigger online discussion in the "public square" of the DV Republic liberated zone. We monitor the intersection of media, technology, and social justice to bring you the latest news and information that deserves your attention and commentary.As a DV Republic citizen, we invite you to post your comments and engage in this dynamic online discussion.

Media Coalition Networking Salon

The next Media Coalition of Artists of Color networking salon will be November 30, 2009 and features a talk with Neema Barnette, a pioneering filmmaker among African American women in film and TV. This event is being held at the Dwyer Cultural Center in Harlem and hosted by the International Communication Association with the Harlem Arts Alliance.The International Communication Association is reaching out to alumni of the Community Film Workshop, Third World Cinema, and Institute of New Cinema Artist (INCA) and encourages them all to register and attend this event.The Media Coalition of Artist of Color includes African American Women in Cinema, Asian Cinevision, BFF, Black Documentary Collective, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, dvRepublic, National Association of Latino Independent Producers, and Tribeca All Access.

Magnolia Pictures presents Adrienne Shelly’s SERIOUS MOONLIGHT

Opens in theaters on December 4, 2009

Director Cheryl Hines (Actress on “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, “Waitress”) Starring Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton, Kristen Bell and Justin LongDirected by Cheryl Hines. Written by Adrienne Shelly. Produced by Andy Ostroy and Michael Roiff High-powered Manhattan lawyer Louise (Meg Ryan) is touched when she comes home for the weekend to her upstate getaway house to find it strewn with rose petals by Ian, (Timothy Hutton) her husband of 13 years.

Unfortunately, as Louise quickly discovers, Ian is not expecting her and has laid out the spread for his much younger girlfriend (Kristen Bell) who was meeting him for a secret getaway. In fact, he’s in the process of writing Louise a letter explaining his intention to leave her for good. But Louise has other plans--one thing leads to another, and Ian soon finds himself held captive by an oddly cool Louise who calmly explains that she won't release him until he professes his love for her and commits to working on their marriage together. And when Ian’s impatient mistress shows up, not to mention an opportunistic gardener (Justin Long), that’s where things start to get really weird.

Movie Review: Frailty

I know this movie is an oldie...but its also a goodie. "There are demons among us" echoes the voice of Mr. Meiks played by Bill Paxton as a man who has a vision by an angel and becomes a messenger of mercy from God to destroy demons. In the movie Frailty, the story begins with Fenton Meiks played by Matthew McConaughey as man who claims he knows the man who is known as the God's Hands killer. He admits that the serial killer is his own brother.

From there Meiks tells the story to FBI agent Wesley Doyle played by Powers Boothe the story of his childhood and what it was like growing up in a single parent home with his father and brother. His father is sent on a mission from God to destroy the demons that are among us. These demons appear in human form and young Fenton believes his father is killing innocent human beings and not demons.

Fenton tries to tell the local police that his father is crazy, but no one believes him. Soon after Fenton is punished by his father forced to stay imprisioned in the backyard of a makeshift dungeon he created for disposing the bodies of his victims.

This film is a thriller/horror film that will have you on the edge of you seat minute by minute. Stunning performance by Bill Paxton, who also directed the film. A late review, but a film certainly worth its wait!!!

The summary of the movie ends here, because there is a pretty intense plot twist that shall remain secret until you have seen the film, but let's just say as someone who can predict a plotline very well, I didn't see it comin! As a sidenote; it was good to see McConaughey in a film where he didn't play a stoner or a wisecrackin douche who has commitment issues with women. Of course this film came out in 2001 and he hasn't really played against type since. Poor Matthew.

City's film business in a cliff-hanger? - Crain's New York Business

City's film business in a cliff-hanger? - Crain's New York Business

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2009 Screenwriting Expo

Sup peeps!
if you're in L.A. from OCT. 16th - 18th, this is one event you DON'T want to miss! Use the ISA code and receive 10% off your registration!



2009 Screenwriting Expo
For information or to register go to: click here.
If You Are Or Want To Be A Screenwriter, Here's Why You Should Attend The Screenwriting Expo...

SAVE 10% on Registration with the discount code below!- 135 seminars to improve your screenwriting and your skills at selling your scripts - A chance to hear and ask a question of our Guests of Honor: famous screenwriters and producers (so far this year, William Goldman, John Cleese, producer/exec Mike Medavoy, CSI’s Anthony Zuiker, Karey Kirkpatrick, Shane Black, Franklin Leonard (creator of The Black List) and Emmy-winning TV writers/producers James Manos and Erik Bork are on the program). - Network: rub elbows with 2,000 other screenwriters, agents, producers, directors, screenwriting teachers, and script consultants.

- Visit the exhibit hall for discounts on every screenwriting supply, book, or resource imaginable

- Practice pitching your stories at Pitch Boot Camp, then pitch your script and maybe close a deal.

- Save 10% off the registration fee with this coupon: ISA If you're a seasoned pro, the Expo has great tuneup and specific-topic classes for you -- writing an opening, character arc, dialogue, endings, pitching, managing your career. If you're an absolute beginner, the Expo is the place to start. It even has classes on how to use the screenwriting software of your choice.

If you're somewhere in between, they you're like most Expo registrants. From October 16-18 (Fri-Sun), the 2009 Screenwriting Expo will once again host the best pitch event in existence: The Golden Pitch Festival. With the best collection of studios, production companies, agencies and management companies we've ever presented, the Golden Pitch Festival gives you unparalleled access to industry professionals at top companies who are actively seeking new clients and material. For legal reasons, many of these companies must reject unsolicited material from unrepresented writers year-round - yet for 3 days this October, they've opened their doors exclusively for you!

Companies attending this year include Warner Bros, UTA, Gersh, Lionsgate, Summit, Imagine Entertainment, Relativity Media, Laura Ziskin Prods., Kurtman/Orci, Smoke House (George Clooney), Phoenix Pictures, and many many many more! The sooner you register, the better shot you have at nabbing slots with these amazing companies,. The ON-SALE date for these tickets is just A COUPLE DAYS AWAY. Make sure you are part of our attendee list so you will have your chance to get your idea out there. Come to the 2009 Screenwriting Expo – you won’t regret your decision!

For information or to enter, click here.

The Mourning After

There have been a number of films within the last five years that deal with circumstances around the tragedy of 9/11 in New York City. A new film by budding director, Lawrence LAW Watford called The Mourning After is about an extramarital relationship between a man and a woman and affair that took place the night of Sept 10th that would change their lives forever.

Chris and Felicia work at the World Trade Center and on the evening of Sept 10th, the two decide to rent a room in a high rise Manhattan hotel suite. The film begins with Chris and Felicia preparing to go to work when the sounds of police sirens and fire trucks surround the background. Chris' cell phone is ringing off the hook and he immediately turns on the television to see what is going on. The face of Geroge W. Bush is seen annoucing to the world that two airplanes crashed into the twin towers in New York City.

The story turns now to Chris and Felicia, who were supposed to be in that building if not for their heated affair the night before, and both live with not only the guilt of cheating on their spouses, but also the torment of what would have been if they decided to stay faithful to their partners. The film takes a dramatic turn when Chris' life after the affair changes significantly compared to that of Felicia's and the two are battling feelings of shame, pity, and resentment that comes to a climactic close.

There are solid performances in this film and stunning shots of New York City's ground zero. It's a film that shows meaning and purpose in a meaningless act that occured on September 11th. The film was shot on a shoestring budget, but asthetically looks like it was made on larger scale indie budget. The Mourning After is definitely a film worth seeing and shows an intensity in a small sliver of screen time that has you yearning for more.

The film was made on a $12,000 budget in New York City. The trailer of the film can be seen here. Please contact Lawville Solutions if you are interested in more information about the film.

Take a look at the trailer here:

Movie Review: State of Play

Grrr arggg, Don't you hate it when you've challenged your cocky ass hole friend to an old fashioned, Race ya to the end of the block style dash off?
He's huffing and puffing and right out of the gate you've got this douche beat.
You start off with a burst of energy that this, criss-crossed cardigan over chest, dick-wad can't possibly keep up with.
I mean the guys a drinker, you drink too but this guy goes heavy on the Jagger bombs.
The end of the block is just within your grasp, you can feel it, taste it. step on it dance around and laugh at his face when you reach it.
but you didn't see that pebble coming, that pebble that snuck its way into your path just as you were reaching the finish line.
The one that causes you to embarrassingly tumble down, face first to the ground.
and allows professor douche-meister with the developing beer belly and sky blue cardigan dangling behind him in the wind to steal the lead and win the race.

such is the state of State of Play. the new political thriller from director Kevin Macdonald.
oh it starts off so well, with the perfect blend of spy thriller action and political intrigue.
recapping plots is always rather tedious.. and I think a disservice to viewers, I mean the fun part about watching a flick is having it unfold before your eyes.
So I will give you bare minimum
Russel Crowe plays a seasoned reporter at a Washington newspaper, headed by a balls to the wall editor in Helen Mirren.
She's got pressure from the big bosses to turn a profit with the paper.
Ben Affleck is an up and coming political poster boy senator who has set his sites on taking down a large defense company with shady dealings, after one of the senators aides turns up dead questions are asked, secrets are spilled and Crowe is given the task of unravelling the story for the paper, did we mention however that Crowe and Affleck's characters are old college buddies, thus placing Crowe in the difficult position of having to choose between his integrity as a reporter or as a friend.

Based upon a six part television series, that aired on the BBC, Screenwriters: Billy Ray, Tony Gilroy and Michael Matthew Carnahan, pull off the balancing act of a terse political thriller and character drama, ignoring the obvious age differences between Affleck and Crowe,the casting works.
Crowe as the staunch weathered old school reporter works, Robin wright Penn as the Senators wife caught in the middle works and even Rachel Mcadams doing her best Lois Lane as an on-line division reporter works here .
The director has written a sort of hallmark card to journalism, with its get the story by any means necessary inter cut clips of coffee fueled all nighters and Sources "butter upping" (not really a word)
it seemingly gets it all right. until those last 10 minutes.
in what may be the only bad play by the director, we are subjected to not one but "two" twist endings. the problem is that only one of them really works.
the first spin at the end delivers.
Its intense , plausible and satisfying.
Had the film just closed up shop at that point we would have had a solid story on our hands.
but nooo, it had to get greedy.
That pebble in the way of my almost victory lap is a massive fossil that sends the whole story toppling down to a scraped knee.
The "real" ending seems to forced, and the way the wheels work for one of the characters to "uncover" this other twist?, well I'm just not buying it.
the film is still worth checking out.. but try and leave when you first think its over.