Tag: Filmmakers Showcase

SLFS 2011 Review: JOINT BODY

JOINT BODY is the newest film from indie writer and director Brian Jun, whose 2006 film STEEL CITY earned him the Sundance Channel Emerging Director award at the St. Louis International Film Festival. The film was shot just across the Mississippi River in Illinois, Jun’s home state.

The story takes place over seven days in a small town, following Nick (Mark Pellegrino) as he stumbles through an uncertain future. Having served seven years in prison, Nick is released on parole, with the condition that he relinquishes all rights of custody over his now teenage daughter to his ex-wife. Nick settles into a shabby halfway house and secures a job welding for a fabricator. Nick’s brother Dean (Ryan O’Nan) is now a cop on the vice squad, fresh out of the academy. In an awkward attempt to rekindle some connection that never exists between him and his brother, Dean supplies Nick with a throwaway revolver as protection.

As Nick slowly acclimates to life outside of prison, he meets an exotic dancer named Michelle (Alicia Witt) who lives in his building. With nothing left to lose, Nick proposes he and Michelle get coffee, with about as much confidence as a high school nerd asking the prom queen to dance. As it turns out, Michelle has little more to lose and they form the fragile beginning of a blind relationship, but their relationship is turned on its head shortly after it begins when someone from Michelle’s past returns unexpectedly, resulting in a violent incident putting Michelle and Nick down the wrong path once more.

Brian Jun, in my eyes, is already showing signs of a master storyteller. JOINT BODY is unpretentious, down to Earth and unassuming. The human drama he weaves is like a minimalist tapestry with the finest details. The suspense that builds in JOINT BODY is a slow burning sensation, taking a back seat to Jun’s development of tactile characters the viewer can connect with, only enhanced by performances that should result in a heightened respect for these two lead actors, as well as the director.

Mark Pellegrino, most recognizable for his television work on shows including Dexter and Lost, delivers fully as a misunderstood ex-con who only wants to live what little is left of his life without being noticed, but can’t shake the stigma now attached to his presence. Alicia Witt, best known for her role on the TV series Friday Night Lights and her recent role in PEEP WORLD, gives the audience one more reason to love her, embracing her role as a stripper, but adding so much to the character’s well-written role to lift Michelle out of the stereotype and into the hearts of the audience. Michelle is a good woman, stuck in a dead end situation by an immature decision made as a teenager.

JOINT BODY is shot with a gritty, almost sepia-tinged color palette, giving the story an added sense of decay. Layer the crumbling appearance of the small town on top of this and the film carries with it a subconscious tone of impending tragedy. Whereas the average reaction to such a setup would be for Nick to defy the law and set out to reconnect with his daughter, Jun takes the story in an entirely different direction. Nick makes every effort to do things right, while Michelle inadvertently pulls Nick into a worst-case scenario like a magnet for bad luck, despite her best intentions.

What I love most about JOINT BODY is how Brian Jun makes everything about this story beautiful, not in a storybook perfect sort of way, but in a way that takes all the bad things and unhappy feelings that are inherent in life and shows that even the darker gray shades of the human experience can have a poetically somber beauty. Where Hollywood would inject melodrama, Jun relies marvelously on realism and authenticity. This element of the film is present throughout the film, leading up to a partially open-ended, bittersweet conclusion that is as heartbreaking as it is fittingly appropriate.

I am proclaiming JOINT BODY as one of my favorite films of 2011. Within an hour of first seeing the film, I found myself with an overwhelming urge to revisit it a second time. I wanted to reconnect with Nick and Michelle, almost as if I wanted to make sure they were all right. Few fictional films actually make me feel like I actually care about the characters, but JOINT BODY does this effortlessly, leaving a deep and lasting impression with me that keeps resurfacing in my mind. If this is something you enjoy experiencing in a film, or never have and would like to know what it’s like, go see JOINT BODY and tally this as one more reason why independent film needs and deserves your support!

JOINT BODY will screen during the 2011 Stella Artois St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase at 7:00PM on Sunday, August 14th at the Tivoli Theatre.

Cinema St. Louis now accepting entries for 11th Annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase

The 11th Annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase (SLFS), an annual presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis, is accepting entries now through May 31.

SLFS serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. SLFS screens works that were written, directed, edited or produced by St. Louis natives or those with strong local ties. With advances in affordable digital filmmaking, more and more movies are being made in St. Louis and environs, but opportunities for moviegoers to see that work are scarce, because few of the films ever screen commercially. SLFS frequently provides the only chance area filmmakers have to display their talents on the big screen.

The film programs that will screen at the Hi-Pointe Theatre in late July will serve as SLFS’s centerpiece. SLFS annually features 15-20 programs over four days, ranging from full-length fiction features and documentaries to multi-film compilations of fiction and documentary shorts. Most programs include post-screening Q&As with filmmakers. SLFS also hosts a series of free seminars on the filmmaking process and a lively awards party on closing night that features announcements of SLFS films chosen for inclusion in the St. Louis International Film Festival and awards given by the St. Louis Film Critics.

Cinema St. Louis has presented the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase since 2002, taking over from the St. Louis Film Office, which inaugurated the event in 2001. During its 11-year existence, SLFS has shown more than 550 films with St. Louis ties. SLFS is held at the Tivoli Theatre in the vibrant Delmar Loop entertainment district.

Cinema St. Louis Announces the 10th Annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase

The 10th Annual St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase begins July 18th at the historic Tivoli Theatre, so prepare yourself once again to witness the talent that lives and creates amongst us… read more about the event below.

June 17, 2010 – The 10th Annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase (SLFS), an annual presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis, serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. SLFS screens works that were written, directed, edited or produced by St. Louis natives or those with strong local ties.

The 16 film programs that screen at the Tivoli from July 18-22 serve as SLFS’s centerpiece. The programs range from full-length fiction features and documentaries to multi-film compilations of fiction and documentary shorts. Most programs include post-screening Q&As with filmmakers. There are 65 films in this year’s event.

In addition to the screenings, SLFS offers filmmaking seminars for anyone interested in the moviemaking process. The programs feature Q&As with working filmmakers and are held on Saturday, July 17, at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Blvd. Admission is free.

SLFS hosts a closing-night awards party on Thursday, July 22, at Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd. KDHX DJ Rob Levy will spin music, and Cinema St. Louis will announce the films chosen for inclusion in the St. Louis International Film Festival. Awards for the best films will be given by the St. Louis Film Critics. Admission is free, but donations are accepted.

Highlights of this year’s SLFS include the following:

Rebecca Ormond’s “Gateway Guardians”: A volunteer organization called the Gateway Guardians feeds daily, rescues and adopts hundreds of animals each year off the streets of East St. Louis, Ill. This documentary captures heartbreaking footage of the abandoned pets, volunteers on the streets, vet visits and foster homes.

Ryan Eslinger’s “Daniel and Abraham”:When Daniel sets out on a five-day hike to spread his father’s ashes, he encounters a mysterious stranger, Abraham, who appears to live in the woods. The film turns increasingly dark, as Daniel continues on his way and Abraham persistently follows. With writer/director Eslinger (“Madness and Genius,” “When a Man Falls in the Forest”), a St. Louis-area native, who will also host a seminar on micro-budget filmmaking on Saturday, July 17, at the Regional Arts Commission.

Niyi Coker’s “Pennies for the Boatman”: In North St. Louis during the summer of 1958, a woman is struggling with a secret and a prodigal sister who unexpectedly appears like a force of nature. The storm stirred up leaves behind both a trail of calamities and some unforeseen hope. The film is adapted from the award-winning play by Mario Farwell.

Mark Smith’s “Louis Sullivan: The Struggle for American Architecture”: This compelling documentary examines the life and work of the great American architect Louis H. Sullivan (1856-1924), one of the original practitioners of the Prairie School of design and a key influence on Frank Lloyd Wright. Sullivan’s legacy is especially visible in his adopted home of Chicago, but his work is found throughout the U.S. and includes St. Louis’ Wainwright Building – one of the world’s first skyscrapers – and Union Trust Building.

Tickets:
Tickets for film programs at the Tivoli are $10 each; $8 for students with valid and current photo ID and for Cinema St. Louis members with valid membership cards. Advance tickets are on sale beginning July 1 at the Tivoli Theatre box office (5-10 p.m. Monday-Friday and 2-10 p.m. Saturday-Sunday). Tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets may also be purchased in advance at tickets.landmarktheatres.com. There is a $1 per-ticket service charge. You must pick up your tickets at the Tivoli box-office window. Bring the credit card that you used to purchase the tickets and the confirmation number. Online sales are limited to full-price tickets only. Cinema St. Louis member and student discounts can only be obtained in person at the box office because ID is required. No phone sales.

Saturday, July 17: Filmmaking Seminars 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Blvd. Topics include documentary filmmaking, micro-budget filmmaking (with writer/director Ryan Eslinger), genre filmmaking, and using SAG/AFTRA low-budget contracts. These seminars are free and open to the public.

Sunday-Thursday, July 18-22: Film Programs
At the Tivoli Theatre, 6350 Delmar Blvd.
For times and film descriptions, see full schedule (document attached) or visit cinemastlouis.org.

Thursday, July 22: Closing-Night Awards Party
8 p.m.-midnight at Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd. Free (donations accepted).

Review: ‘Shadowland’

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It’s been said time and time again, and it bears repeating every so often, that if you’re a filmmaker working with a low budget, the best thing you can do is come up with inventive ideas.  Ideas are free.  It doesn’t cost a dime to create an original and engaging story.  This is something writer/director Wyatt Weed has taken to heart and achieved with his first feature film, ‘Shadowland.’

Purely written for the screen, ‘Shadowland’ is among the best, original, vampire movies in recent memory.  Told in non-linear fashion, it keeps the viewer enticed in its mysteries without ever force-feeding exposition or crossing over into boredom.  The film is driven by plot and character, something Weed has no trouble in delivering ample amounts of.

The film jumps back and forth between the modern world and a small community in the late 1800s.  In the present day, a girl, Laura, awakens to find she has no memory of who she is or where she has come from.  She also cannot speak.  She soon discovers, however, that she is being chased by a man named Julian.  Julian is a hunter sent out by the Catholic church to rid the world of vampires.

The fact that Laura is a vampire is not part of the mystery to the story.  We see in the film’s opening scene how she came to be buried having been staked by a priest.  However, Weed does an excellent job of hiding Laura’s true self to us for much of the film.  We simply do not know who she was prior to being buried, whether she was an evil vampire of lore or something far more human.  This is the decision Julian must face, too, as his methods of killing a vampire as soon as he comes across one does not, exactly, align with the beliefs of the church.

This level of character is brilliantly crafted in Weed’s screenplay.  There is so much depth to even some of the smaller roles in the film.  A man working at an all-night diner who Laura comes across has as much depth as the leads, and that is an incredible level Weed achieves with his characters.  What we believe about Laura’s character switches sides numerous times throughout the course of the film.  What’s more, you care about her just as much as you do Julian, and, even though they are both on opposing sides, you understand where each of them are, why they make the choices they make.

Also of note with ‘Shadowland’ is the liberties Weed takes with the vampire mythology.   Much like “True Blood,” we know very little about the vampires of this world.   As the film progresses, more and more of their characteristics are revealed.   The vampire in ‘Shadowland’ is something Weed makes his own, keeping certain, familiar aspects and completely scuttling others off to the side.   These aren’t Hot Topic rejects with pointy fangs who burst into flames whenever they step into sunlight.   These vampire are playing on a much deeper level than most, and the mythologies Weed creates in ‘Shadowland’ are a welcome surprise.

‘Shadowland’ was filmed on a minuscule budget, but the film looks incredible.  The scenes that take place in the 1800s are beautifully shot by cinematographer Nicholas Gartner.  Some of these shots rival anything found in a film that costs $200 million.  The makeup effects and visual effects are superb, as well.  Weed does a great job of shooting around any trouble spots in his production.  You can never tell where the film had to hold back on certain things, and that is a commendable ability in a low-budget filmmaker.  Even a fight scene in an alleyway is shot particularly well and has some very clever and enjoyable choreography.

Caitlin McIntosh, a former semifinalist in the Miss Teen USA Pageant making her debut here, is near faultless in her performance as Laura.  She gives the character a deeper sense of mystery, but she allows herself to be likable, too.  The same can be said for Carlos Leon as Lazarus, a stranger whom Laura falls in love with in the film’s flashback scenes.  He gives Lazarus the perfect amount of charm and darkness the character requires.

Driven by its intricate story and beautifully developed characters, ‘Shadowland’ is an inventive entry into the vampire sub-genre, something the film’s big-budget siblings should take a cue from.  Wyatt Weed has crafted a fabulous screenplay and his director’s eye pulls the film’s execution off with very little in the way of imperfections.  ‘Shadowland’ is a low-budget film that never tries to be something it’s not.  It is highly original and a fresh return to the creativity that made the vampire film so popular to begin with.

‘Shadowland’ will play at the Tivoli Theatre from July 24 thru July 31, 2009 during the Saint Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase.

Preview: ‘Shadowland’ playing at Tivoli, Saint Louis

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On the heels of the 9th Annual Saint Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase, Wyatt Weed’s feature film ‘Shadowland’ will be playing at the Tivoli Theatre in Saint Louis from July 24-31, 2009. The film is a fresh take on the classic vampire story starring Caitlin McIntosh and Jason Contini.

‘Shadowland’ has been an Official Selection in more than ten U.S. and International Film Festivals and
received a slew of honors and awards, including…

Best Horror Film (Heart of England International Film Festival)
Best Horror/Suspense Feature Film (ConNooga Film Festival)
Best Cinematography (Freakshow Horror Film Festival)
Best Actress (Freakshow Horror Film Festival)
Best Sci-Fi Fantasy Film (St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase)
Best Director (St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase)
Best Actress (St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase)

Check out the ‘Shadowland’ trailer below and visit Official Website and friend the film on Facebook.