Your weekly one-stop-shop for film news, interviews, articles, and videos from the week that was.
Many cinephiles were left reeling last March when it was announced that Film Comment, the venerable publication from Film at Lincoln Center, was being put on hiatus after 58 years. This week, the long-awaited comeback commenced with word that Film Comment was relaunching its podcast and rolling out a weekly newsletter. The newest podcast episode offers a wrap report on the virtual Berlinale, including takes on Hong Sangsoo’s Introduction, Céline Sciamma’s Petite Maman and Radu Jude’s divisive Golden Bear-winner, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn.
In 2015, Marya E. Gates committed herself to spending the year solely watching films directed by women. Writing for RogerEbert.com, she reflects on the experience and gauges how much has changed in the ensuing six years. “If I were to embark on this same challenge now what would the difference be? Well, I think you could very easily spend five years watching a film a day directed by a woman and you wouldn’t come close to running out. The history is there and the ability to watch those gems from the past is rapidly increasing.”
It’s hard to believe that it’s been little more than a year since Josh and Benny Safdie’s Uncut Gems took our Vancity Theatre by storm. While keeping their directing skills sharp with short films and music videos, the Safdies will next produce a two-part HBO documentary series about the notoriously private Paul Reubens.
Alexander Nanau’s Collective continued to add to its trophy case this week by nabbing Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking at Cinema Eye Honors, an event devoted to celebrating documentaries and the teams that create them. Garrett Bradley (Time) and Bill and Turner Ross (Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets) – all guests at Totally Indie Day at VIFF 2020 – were also recognized for their accomplishments.
Given that practically everyone on the planet has seen a plan or two dashed in the past twelve months, IndieWire has updated their list of the “Best Movies Never Made“. Drawing primarily from the past 20 years (Kubrick’s Napoleon earns a mention but not a full writeup), the list confirms that – despite evidence to the contrary – not even Steven Soderbergh gets to indulge his every whim.
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