I learned about WINNEBAGO MAN Jack Rebney about a week before the festival. I saw the documentary about him yesterday, and then the director Ben Steinbauer won the Sarasota Film Festival's award for Best Documentary Feature at the Filmmaker's Tribute last night.
It's nice how things work out like that.
I'm not much of a big party person, but I was determined to go to the Late Night Wrap Party and have fun. And I did - I had excellent time. Ceviche was a fun maze of people and stairs and good food and drinks and elevators and stars. And I got what I wanted at the very end of the night - I talked for a few minutes with Richard Schiff (of The West Wing among other things) before he left, and got a photo with him.
It's nice how things work out like that.
Today was just a chill relaxed day - no 9am staff meeting, no events to run around and help set up... I sat in on the documentary D TOUR and was treated to an amazing film with good music and a good story and message. A great last day of the festival; a great 10 days really...
It's nice how things worked out.
Wendy
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Trust Territory
Absolutely blown away.
I mentioned the performance by TJ and Dave on Tuesday. Today I saw the documentary about them, TRUST US, THIS IS ALL MADE UP.
Improv has never looked so good. (On film, at any rate.)
There are so may angles that make this film interesting: from a film audience perspective, from a live performance audience perspective (in trying to recreate that feel but through film), from a viewer who is familiar with improv, to a viewer who has never seen any kind of improv before...
And then there's the performer perspective. I did improv on stage before audience for almost 3 years. And maybe that's why I am so impressed by the 83 minutes of film I saw today.
For me (and for a lot of performers, I would wager) it's just not an easy thing to explain why you keep performing improv - there's a rush, but it's more than that. This film is absolutely what I know and FEEL and remember from all the performances I ever did with Theatre Strike Force in Gainesville - I got nerves in anticipation of TJ and Dave going on stage in the film; It felt like I was there with them.
The camera-work and editing just give this first-person view of what's going on stage; you see every little nuance: the stuff you're looking for from your partner when you're an improviser - the stuff that a live audience rarely sees all of, because they're too far away too separated from the stage.
There's always the possibility that filming something live and spontaneous will absolutely ruin that thing (by making it no longer live or spontaneous). With improv it may be more difficult to convey that, since some people seem to have a hard time anyway in grasping/believing that it is entirely made up, right on the spot even in a live performance (let alone for a movie, albeit a documentary).
But Alex Karpovsky does it. And it's brilliant. And it's funny. And it's real. He uses an entire near-hour-long performance, without mincing any of the slight lulls or what might be thought of as 'mistakes' in the performance (there are no real mistakes in improv, trust me).
It's funny. It's good. You want to see this even if you have no idea what I've been saying at all. Really, you do.
Wendy
I mentioned the performance by TJ and Dave on Tuesday. Today I saw the documentary about them, TRUST US, THIS IS ALL MADE UP.
Improv has never looked so good. (On film, at any rate.)
There are so may angles that make this film interesting: from a film audience perspective, from a live performance audience perspective (in trying to recreate that feel but through film), from a viewer who is familiar with improv, to a viewer who has never seen any kind of improv before...
And then there's the performer perspective. I did improv on stage before audience for almost 3 years. And maybe that's why I am so impressed by the 83 minutes of film I saw today.
For me (and for a lot of performers, I would wager) it's just not an easy thing to explain why you keep performing improv - there's a rush, but it's more than that. This film is absolutely what I know and FEEL and remember from all the performances I ever did with Theatre Strike Force in Gainesville - I got nerves in anticipation of TJ and Dave going on stage in the film; It felt like I was there with them.
The camera-work and editing just give this first-person view of what's going on stage; you see every little nuance: the stuff you're looking for from your partner when you're an improviser - the stuff that a live audience rarely sees all of, because they're too far away too separated from the stage.
There's always the possibility that filming something live and spontaneous will absolutely ruin that thing (by making it no longer live or spontaneous). With improv it may be more difficult to convey that, since some people seem to have a hard time anyway in grasping/believing that it is entirely made up, right on the spot even in a live performance (let alone for a movie, albeit a documentary).
But Alex Karpovsky does it. And it's brilliant. And it's funny. And it's real. He uses an entire near-hour-long performance, without mincing any of the slight lulls or what might be thought of as 'mistakes' in the performance (there are no real mistakes in improv, trust me).
It's funny. It's good. You want to see this even if you have no idea what I've been saying at all. Really, you do.
Wendy
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Things to Celebrate
The World Cinema Celebration started out for me as an hour or more of filling and moving sandbags (that then weren't actually needed) and a resultant sunburn (because I really needed an alluring farmer's tan)... Nothing too worldly, cinematic, or celebratory there.
But the event was awesome - and packed - and delicious - and entertaining. You start to wonder if it's possible to hear too many good things. So an amazing job well done by our Events department and crew. (I'm still thinking about that pineapple ice cream...)
Wendy
But the event was awesome - and packed - and delicious - and entertaining. You start to wonder if it's possible to hear too many good things. So an amazing job well done by our Events department and crew. (I'm still thinking about that pineapple ice cream...)
Wendy
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Making it up as we go along...
I graduated from the University of Florida in August 2008. That was the last time I performed improv - the last time I had seen any as well. I performed with Theatre Strike Force (TSF) for two and a half years (and also spent a semester with Vic Improv in Wellington, New Zealand) - then graduated - then moved back to Sarasota from Gainesville... then nothing.
The last show I performed (our troupe was called 'Murph!') was absolutely the best show I had been in and the most fun I've ever had doing improv. So it's strange to go from that absolute high in performance and involvement to absolute zero.
Needless to say, as soon as I found out that two of the best improvisers from Chicago (or anywhere) would be in Sarasota to perform, I was absolutely going to be there. And I wanted to share the love.
Fourteen members of TSF drove 3 hours (each way) to see TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi here in Sarasota tonight. It was awesome on all accounts. The performance was - well, they're TJ and Dave! It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing; which is the amazing part of improv (and often hard for people to understand).
TSF took up almost two full rows in the Historic Asolo; they came not just to watch and laugh and enjoy the show, but also to learn (but mostly to watch and laugh and enjoy the show). It wouldn't surprise me to see any of my friends on that stage; maybe they caught a glimpse of their future tonight.
The festival is offering so much this year that extends through all the arts - it's not just about movies and filmmaking - it's about artistry. And that's a powerful thing.
Wendy
The last show I performed (our troupe was called 'Murph!') was absolutely the best show I had been in and the most fun I've ever had doing improv. So it's strange to go from that absolute high in performance and involvement to absolute zero.
Needless to say, as soon as I found out that two of the best improvisers from Chicago (or anywhere) would be in Sarasota to perform, I was absolutely going to be there. And I wanted to share the love.
Fourteen members of TSF drove 3 hours (each way) to see TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi here in Sarasota tonight. It was awesome on all accounts. The performance was - well, they're TJ and Dave! It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing; which is the amazing part of improv (and often hard for people to understand).
TSF took up almost two full rows in the Historic Asolo; they came not just to watch and laugh and enjoy the show, but also to learn (but mostly to watch and laugh and enjoy the show). It wouldn't surprise me to see any of my friends on that stage; maybe they caught a glimpse of their future tonight.
The festival is offering so much this year that extends through all the arts - it's not just about movies and filmmaking - it's about artistry. And that's a powerful thing.
Wendy
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Nothing like a Twin Paradox
Funny story:
At the festival kick-off party, this couple started chatting with me and my (twin) sister, as we were all standing near each other waiting for some announcements. We learned the wife was pregnant with - you guessed it - twins.
Funnier story:
A few minutes later there were some announcements, including mention that the director of one of the films in the festival was in attendance at the party for his film Moon. He was - you guessed it - the husband we were talking to (I had no idea who he was; assumed he was 'just some guy' involved with sponsoring the festival).
Funniest story:
I went to see the (only!) screening of Moon - both because I wanted to and because I kind of felt like I should since I hadn't had a clue that I was talking to the director. Then, during the quick introduction to the film, I learned that the director, Duncan Jones, also went by the name Zowie Bowie for a time.
Oh.
David Bowie's son.
(Yes, THAT David Bowie.)
I was talking to him. With NO idea who he was.
Brilliant.
Anyway, the film was good - I enjoyed it as I don't often seek out science fiction in my cinematic diet. I don't want to give anything away, but the fact that Jones and his wife are expecting twins adds an interesting dynamic to thinking about the film.
Wendy
At the festival kick-off party, this couple started chatting with me and my (twin) sister, as we were all standing near each other waiting for some announcements. We learned the wife was pregnant with - you guessed it - twins.
Funnier story:
A few minutes later there were some announcements, including mention that the director of one of the films in the festival was in attendance at the party for his film Moon. He was - you guessed it - the husband we were talking to (I had no idea who he was; assumed he was 'just some guy' involved with sponsoring the festival).
Funniest story:
I went to see the (only!) screening of Moon - both because I wanted to and because I kind of felt like I should since I hadn't had a clue that I was talking to the director. Then, during the quick introduction to the film, I learned that the director, Duncan Jones, also went by the name Zowie Bowie for a time.
Oh.
David Bowie's son.
(Yes, THAT David Bowie.)
I was talking to him. With NO idea who he was.
Brilliant.
Anyway, the film was good - I enjoyed it as I don't often seek out science fiction in my cinematic diet. I don't want to give anything away, but the fact that Jones and his wife are expecting twins adds an interesting dynamic to thinking about the film.
Wendy
Saturday, March 28, 2009
28 Days Later
Imagine if you opened the newspaper (you do remember what those are, right?) and turned to the movie reviews and read:
"Oren Moverman's THE MESSENGER is a powerful military drama that had the audience laughing in their seats and rolling in the aisles."
That would be weird, right?
But that's kind of how I felt. It was a good film; it covered heavy, serious subject matter. But it didn't wear you down and make you weep for the tragedy of existence. It said: this is life and this is how we live in the face of death; this is how we cope.
And it was also funny. (As the film went on, I started to pay just as much attention to audience reaction as to the movie itself.) Perhaps that's inevitable with an actor like Woody Harrelson in one of the starring roles... but maybe that's what made it real for me - my life isn't a comedy, nor is it a sad, stony drama. Humor is a classic coping mechanism; as many times as I teared up during the screening, there were just as many (and probably more) things to laugh about. The balance was incredible.
The Q&A with the cast and filmmakers after the film was a nice bonus. The most amazing things - that the film was done in 28 days; that Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson didn't know who was on the other side of the door, or what exactly would happen until they knocked - really translated into intensity and focus and creating the 'reality' of the film.
If you missed it, I hate to say it, but you kind of missed out. Fortunately, the 2009 Sarasota Film Festival is off to a great start - and there will be a lot more amazing films and events to catch over the next week.
See you there!
Wendy
"Oren Moverman's THE MESSENGER is a powerful military drama that had the audience laughing in their seats and rolling in the aisles."
That would be weird, right?
But that's kind of how I felt. It was a good film; it covered heavy, serious subject matter. But it didn't wear you down and make you weep for the tragedy of existence. It said: this is life and this is how we live in the face of death; this is how we cope.
And it was also funny. (As the film went on, I started to pay just as much attention to audience reaction as to the movie itself.) Perhaps that's inevitable with an actor like Woody Harrelson in one of the starring roles... but maybe that's what made it real for me - my life isn't a comedy, nor is it a sad, stony drama. Humor is a classic coping mechanism; as many times as I teared up during the screening, there were just as many (and probably more) things to laugh about. The balance was incredible.
The Q&A with the cast and filmmakers after the film was a nice bonus. The most amazing things - that the film was done in 28 days; that Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson didn't know who was on the other side of the door, or what exactly would happen until they knocked - really translated into intensity and focus and creating the 'reality' of the film.
If you missed it, I hate to say it, but you kind of missed out. Fortunately, the 2009 Sarasota Film Festival is off to a great start - and there will be a lot more amazing films and events to catch over the next week.
See you there!
Wendy
Friday, March 27, 2009
Ready, set... SFF!
I was up at 4am - I've been up to Tampa airport and back - already had a power nap, and waiting on a staff meeting to begin.
Yes, it's 9am. Good morning!
The 11th Annual Sarasota Film Festival kicks off today.
(As if you didn't know!)
Hope to see you at THE MESSENGER - screening at the Van Wezel tonight at 7pm. You can still get tickets - online at www.sarasotafilmfestival.com, by phone at 941.366.6200 or in person at the Box Office, 1991 Main Street, Main Plaza, Sarasota.
Alright, you'll get more later. Yeesh. It's only 9am.
Yes, it's 9am. Good morning!
The 11th Annual Sarasota Film Festival kicks off today.
(As if you didn't know!)
Hope to see you at THE MESSENGER - screening at the Van Wezel tonight at 7pm. You can still get tickets - online at www.sarasotafilmfestival.com, by phone at 941.366.6200 or in person at the Box Office, 1991 Main Street, Main Plaza, Sarasota.
Alright, you'll get more later. Yeesh. It's only 9am.
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