All the fun of the festival

As we mentioned in our news roundup, the 61st Cannes Film Festival begins on 14^th May. As usual there will be a broad selection of films on show encompassing the mainstream, the indie, the wonderful and the just plain weird with anyone and everyone who has a film to plug turning up (Lurid green thongs optional.)

President of the feature film competition this year is left wing Hollywood darling Sean Penn (who also appears in the festival’s closing film What Just Happened?). Natalie Portman and Alfonso Cuaron are the other more familiar names on a jury featuring industry figures from as far afield as France, Mexico and Thailand. As mentioned in the previous post, the competition will be launched by Fernando Merirelles’ Blindness, with 22 films in all competing for the coverted Palme D’Or, presented this year by Robert De Niro.

As well as the main prize there’s also the ‘Un Certain Regard’ (a varied mix of world cinema) and short films competitions to keep an eye on, as well as the films "out of competition" which include Woody Allen’s latest Vicky Cristina Barclelona. Indie National of course will be keeping you up to date with the winners. But away from the highbrow contenders (and Indiana Jones), the most fun to be had at Cannes is arguably found in Marché du Film. This commercial counterpart of the festival is the largest film market in the world, and is the reason why sights like Jerry Seinfeld in a giant bee suit jostle with the luminaries of art cinema on the beachfront. Purists may turn up their noses, but this cinematic meat market is vital for getting interest in your project, especially for smaller films. But that’s what’s so fascinating about Cannes: from high art to cold hard cash – all aspects of the film industry crammed into one location for 11 days.

Interestingly, festival organisers claim that the tone of this year’s festival is provided by the work of David Lynch. Apparently, the poster artist Pierre Collier has “designed an aesthetic environment for festival goers that can be seen outside and inside the Palais, as though declaring it the land of film.” Hopefully for festival goers this doesn’t mean that searching for the ladies loos will become a nightmarish journey through America’s dark side (possibly featuring lesbian dwarfs) , but then, you never do know what to expect at Cannes.

The rise of Canadian cinema

Gone are the days when Hollywood was all people talked about when it came to films. The rise of Bollywood and Nollywood have contributed to filmmaking being a truly global enterprise, but could Canada (Collywood?) be the next big thing?

Canadian film is entering a ‘golden age’, according to the Stephen Hunt in the Calgary Herald. And he could well be right. As he points out, Canadian directors and actors are being recognised, with Sarah Polley’s Away From Her which was nominated for multiple Oscars, as well the runaway success of Juno, the marmite must-see film of the year. Juno was directed by and stars two Canadians, and is just one of the recent successes for the industry.

Show Canada is an event which tries to get more independent Canadian films into cinemas. Naturally, this year they are hoping for great things. John Dippong, of Telefilm Canada, which funds homegrown productions says the success is down to Canada simply producing better films. He adds: “As an industry, right across the country, we’re maturing. We’ve basically got a really strong product this year.”

Not only that, but our friends across the Atlantic seem have the Midas touch when it comes to film festivals – Adoration, by Canadian director Atom Egoyan will be in the running at Cannes, and even better, joint Brazilian/Canadian-made flick Blindness, directed by Fernando Meirelles, (best known for City of God) will open Cannes. The festival has only opened with a Canadian production once before, in 1980 with Fantastica. However, last year’s celebration of the moving image closed with the Canadian Days of Darkness. Looks like Cannes is starting as it means to go on, and if the quality of film is anywhere near that of Juno (whatever you think of it) Canada is clearly a nation to watch – literally.

Indie Newsweek - 30th April 2008 - Page to screen and back again

So Guillermo Del Toro has finally been confirmed as director of the forthcoming The Hobbit prequels. After weeks of speculation and not-so secret discussion between almost everyone involved, it has been announced that the Mexican behind 2006’s stunning Pan’s Labyrinth will definitely helm the two films, expected to see release dates in 2011 and 2012.

Although it’s all change on the director front, much of the team behind the huge-selling original film trilogy are expected to return. Sir Ian McKellen’s Gandalf and Andy Serkis’ Gollum are back, and Peter Jackson will return for screenwriting duties with Lord of the Ring's scripters Phillippa Boyens and Fran Walsh. With effects maestros Weta also on board, and New Zealand once again standing in for Middle Earth, it would seem the project survived the protracted studio wrangling surprisingly intact…

Also making the journey from page to screen is Blindness, which will open the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. Adapated from an acclaimed novel by Jose Sarmago, the thriller follows the lives of a city’s residents devastated by a sudden epidemic of blindness. Starring Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo, Blindness is directed by Fernando Meirelles, whose biggest UK hit was 2005 political thriller The Constant Gardener. The film will kick off a festival which also includes new films from Charlie Kaufman, Clint Eastwood and – yes – the first look at Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Finally, following Issue 3’s look at the art of poster design (see Hands On, April 2008), we thought it’d be worth pointing you in the direction of the forthcoming Now Showing, an exhibition representing over 70 years worth of film in the form of specially commissioned prints.
Forty assorted “creative types” – from comic illustrator Nathan Fox to magazine designer Corey Holms – were invited to create “their own interpretation of a cult, classic or obscure film poster from the past, whether it be a literal or abstract solution.” Among the films tackled are Blade Runner, Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Rear Window. None of them can be described as easy choices, since the films already have strong visual identities in their own right, but the organisers describe this as part of the appeal: “This project certainly wasn’t about redesigining ‘bad’ film posters; that was far from its objective. Most contributors taking part picked films that already had beautifully executed solutions. Having said that, there is never just one solution to a creative brief, as some of the classic films proved.” The exhibition runs from 29th May to 13th June at the COSH Gallery, Soho.

Indie Newsweek - 10th March 2008 - SXSW Roundup

SXSW has rolled around again, bringing the best in alternative film and music to Austin, Texas for one crazy week. IndieNational’s invites were presumably lost in the post, but here is our guide of the big rumblings and stories coming out of the festival.

Let’s kick off with Sundance darling American Teen, which received its regional premiere as part of the official SXSW selection. A documentary feature following the senior high-school year of four teenagers in Indiana. The film was directed by Nanette Burstein (On the Ropes/ The Kid Stays in the Picture) and has been hyped as a modern day Breakfast Club, only, you know, real and that. It’s slated for a late July release in the States from Paramount Vantage; we’ll keep you posted on when it’ll be arriving over here.

The next film to spike our interest was one of the midnight showings, Gregg Bishop’s zombie action-comedy Dance of the Dead. The film follows events at a high school prom following a zombie invasion. Who has to save the day? The geeks of course. Bishop’s directing pedigree (he is a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, the school that produced George Lucas and Robert Zemeckis) and desire to get his film made have impressed us here at IndieNational. Shot on HDVideo the film was financed by takings from short Voodoo and his director’s calling card, The Other Side. Taking its cues from Shaun of the Dead and Return of the Living Dead, this one should be great fun when it drops in October.

The final IndieNational pick is another documentary, the intriguing Full Battle Rattle. Tony Gerber & Jesse Moss’ feature focuses on the “virtual Iraq” that has been constructed in the Mojave Desert to train US troops. The film follows a battalion as they struggle to stop the mock town of Medina Wasl from falling into “civil war”, and highlights along the way the curious religious and cultural differences between troops and the indigenous people of Iraq. Praised as funny, moving and surreal the film is sure to provide a new view of a war that has finally begun to be challenged by filmmakers. No set release date yet, but keep an eye out for this one as one of the most unique and challenging festival picks of the year so far.

Huw Baines – Still waiting for the postman.

IndieNational Podcast - 1 Feb 08

The first ever IndieNational video Podcast has been recorded and is available to watch and download below.

In it Colin Scott and Ewen Hosie discuss No Country For Old Men, Heath Ledger, Terry Gilliam, Lost in La Mancha, Cloverfield and The Host.

We hope you enjoy it, feel free to comment on its content in the IndieNational forum.

Thanks for visiting and enjoy the Podcast.
Colin

Download this Podcast: coming soon (once file factory sorts itself out)

Akira, Neo-Manhattan and International Remakes

Warner Brothers gather talent to remake Manga classic amid controversy

Warner Brothers has revealed details of its forthcoming live action remake of the Japanese Anime classic Akira, but despite initial gasps of horror in geekdom it may prove to be an interesting project.

The original Akira, which spearheaded Anime’s blitz into Western culture, is set in a neon-lit post-apocalyptic Tokyo overrun with bike gangs. One gang member, Tetsuo, is involved in an accident with an escaped government secret which subsequently unleashes some teenage angst style psychic ability, which he fuels to dangerous effect. His gang leader and friend, and the owner of the coolest bike in the world, Kaneda must then rescue his friend and prevent him destroying Tokyo.

Rather than a direct remake, Warner Brothers intend to develop two films from the original graphic novel, and controversially transfer the action from neo-Tokyo to a post apocalyptic Manhattan island.

We have reasons for concern.

Hollywood hasn’t got a great record when remaking Japanese movies, or even transferring Eastern promise to Western audiences. Dark Water and Ringu were poorer versions of their previous selves.

The Wachowski brothers managed to merge the two cultures well to great success on The Matrix only to ruin it on the sequels. They are currently looking to repeat the trick of the former with Speed Racer. Oh and of course Quentin Tarantino did it well with Kill Bill, but I can’t imagine anyone at Warner Brothers is as immersed in Anime as ‘The Chin’ is with Japanese samurai movies.

Even beyond the Far East international remakes are never Hollywood’s forte, The Vanishing and The Assassin ruined dark thrillers from Europe by including cheery endings, (for a more rewarding experience see Spoorloos and Nikita respectively). Currently the remake to get excited about is Michael Haneke’s Funny Games and that’s only because the man himself is more or less remaking it shot for shot in all its brutal glory.

So why should we get excited about Warner Brothers’ Akira?

Well, to start with, if it’s adapted from the epic six-volume graphic novel there is a wealth of new material that can be explored beyond the original film. This includes a post-Akira timeline desolated city run by Tetsuo and Kaneda.

Then there is the talent attached, which is promising. Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company, Appian Way, producing and according to certain rumours, the man himself is to play Kaneda… wait a second, isn’t Kaneda a 16 year old boy?

The central character of Tetsuo is apparently going to be played by the talented Joseph Gordon-Levitt who proved in Brick he can easily play multi-faceting angsty characters.

Writer Gary Whitta has written sci-fi previously with credits on Futurama and Star Trek: Voyager but his first feature film, The Book of Eli, currently expected in 2008, is still to be tested.

Director and all round cool person (check out his website) Ruairi Robinson is no stranger to sci-fi either, writing, storyboarding, directing, editing, and doing most the visual effects on his Oscar nominated short, Fifty Percent Grey, (which can be watched below).

Time will tell whether the Akira remake will inspire as much as the original. As always though IndieNational will be there to celebrate or commiserate as required.

Colin Scott – Heading down Neo-Tokyo for some ultra-violence.

Indie Newsweek - 25th February 2008 - Death of HD, Fincher's Black Hole and an Americanised Akira

IndieNational reviews the stories grabbing the headlines in the independent film world this week.

This past week the end of HD-DVD was heralded by anguished cries from those who stood next to a Blu-Ray player and plumped for HD. Toshiba, the owners of the technology, have decided to cut their losses in the face of mounting dominance in the HD market by Sony’s Blu-Ray. Scaling back on production will begin immediately and cease all together in March. While this may appear to be in the realms of big business, the end of this competitive technology could have a great impact upon the distribution of Indie films. Healthy competition between technologies breeds an open market, and crucially options for filmmakers and small distribution companies. If you can only go Blu-Ray, then the owners of that technology and also the major Hollywood players, who are already tied into the technology’s success, will hold an uncomfortable sway of the destination of distribution rights for Indie films. Rumblings that HD held benefits in terms of quality for image reproduction are sadly redundant, but let’s see what happens now with smaller companies moving into the high def market. The problems here could run a way deeper than eBay being inundated with auctions for HD-DVD players, and keep your eyes peeled for more on this in the next issue of IndieNational.

Away from the worries of the money men, one of Indie cinema’s most treasured graduates, David Fincher, has announced pre-production on comic adaptation (haven’t they all been made yet?) Black Hole. The plot of the graphic novel by Charles Burns centres on a plague amongst teens in Seattle that is passed on through sexual contact. The problem is that the symptoms of the plague include horn growth (not that kind), skin moulting and second mouths. Now we’re interested. The master of alienation and atmosphere, Fincher appears to have a tale of teenage angst that runs on an imaginative plain away from traditional teen flicks. Add to the mix a script from Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, and you’ve got a pretty potent mix. No words yet on a cast, but expect a whole host of bright young things getting yucked up in the make up department.

So from the exciting to the worrying. Akira, one of the best loved and most widely seen Manga films of all time has been commissioned as a two part feature by Warner Bros. Can it be done? Should it be done? There’s going to need to be a fairly colossal budget if it is to be successful, and first time Irish director Ruairi Robinson will have a big old task to pull it off. Chucking money at world classics does not always bring success (take a bow The Ring, The Grudge and Vanilla Sky) and here the prognosis is already not good. Fanboy reaction is sure to be fierce, but bet also on something of a backlash from fans of the uniquely Manga style of the film and its place within Japanese pop culture. The film is to be “Americanised”, so expect a toning down of some of the more off the wall elements, and gratuitous interiors at a Wendy’s. Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way are on board as producers, but it appears unlikely that he will be in front of the camera here, despite rumours. Watch this space, and best of luck to you Mr.Robinson.

Huw Baines – trying to avoid a second mouth.