massachusetts | williamstown

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Creative Capital retreat attendees walking at Williams College this weekend.
[photo by eugene hernandez]

Having spent a bit of time working with the Creative Capital Foundation back in their early days, I have a big soft spot for the organization and fearless leader Ruby Lerner. I can't believe its been almost ten years since the group launched. Kudos Ruby!

At Creative Capital's sixth retreat, artists presented some 70 funded projects. My personal favorites are linked below, with more coverage available in an indieWIRE dispatch published earlier today. But, the real testament to the organization is the impact it has had on individual artists. During a number of private consulting sessions with filmmakers on Saturday, the artists praised the organization for offering more than just financial support. Chatting with one filmmaker who I had consulted with at the retreat three years ago, I was taken aback that a previously shy, rather reluctant director was now able to talk about film projects with such clarity. The filmmaker seemed so much more self-confident and attributed the growth and awareness to the organization.

Marshall Curry | Lynn Hershman Leeson | Brad Lichtenstein & Vernon Reid | Kalup Linzy | Jake Mahaffy | Tara Mateik | Laura Poitras | Luke Savisky | SuttonBeresCuller



in france | au revoir

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Just one more from France: Avenue Marechal Foch in Villefranche-sur-mer.
[photo by eugene hernandez]



in france | villefranche, tuesday

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Villefranche-sur-mer in France, a little over 24 hours ago.
[photo by eugene hernandez]



in france | ventimiglia

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A Sunday side trip to Italy: The beach in Ventimiglia yesterday afternoon.
[photo by eugene hernandez]



in france | villefranche

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Saturday afternoon in Villefranche-su-mer.
[photo by eugene hernandez]



in france | aiguebelle

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The plage at Aiguebelle, near the French house I am calling home for the week. Warm weather finally broke though yesterday afternoon... Today, its hazy and tranquil.
[photo by eugene hernandez]



in france | marche

Ten days of post-festival down time in France began yesterday (although its back to Cannes tonight for the awards).

Pictured: This morning at the rainy outdoor market in La Londe les Maures.
[photos © eugene hernandez]

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» Continue reading "in france | marche"


in paris | "paris in the spring"

Wrapping up snapshots from Paris I return to last year's clip from my trip to the city. Wandering around the city and shooting digital pix and clips I recalled a track from my iPOD. Its from bandleader Ray Noble & singer Al Bowlly, last year on the train ride to Cannes I quickly cut together a low-res montage with some images from Paris...



in paris | pangea

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A few moments ago at the Place de L'Odeon in Paris, watching Pangea Day online at the hotel.
[photo by eugene hernandez]



just in time for cannes: a weaker €

From the Financial Times:

Last month the euro reached an all-time high of $1.6018 against the dollar and a record high of £0.8097 against the pound. But it has since fallen 3.6 per cent, on Wednesday hitting $1.5438 against the dollar and £0.7802 against the pound, its weakest level since March 25.



camp ontario

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Near Ontario International Airport, a sprawling camp for the homeless has emerged (pictured above), supported by the local city government. In the words of a recent LA Times article about the camp, "Tents now cover several large dirt lots on both sides of Cucamonga Avenue. Side streets are lined with battered vans and recreational vehicles. Dogs run wild. A 6-month-old was recently found living in a tent with his mother. Authorities said they would provide better shelter for all mothers with children they find...
[photo by eugene hernandez]



in l.a. | art + commerce = murakami

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Inside The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA yesterday, folks check out Takashi Murakami's graphic and surprising sculpture, "My Lonesome Cowboy." A long line of local hipsters and parents with children wandered through the retrospective, which seamlessly blends cute Superflat anime imagery with pieces meant for mature audiences. Hardly familiar wth Takashi's work, I found it hilarious and provocative, particularly the free-standing Louis Vuitton boutique located within the exhibit that includes samples of Marc Jacobs/Takashi Murakami commecial collaborations and offers nearly $1,000 handbags that are being sold in limited editions at the MOCA show.

Crass and grotesque? Maybe. But, also a fitting extension of Takashi's high and low art (which is apparently created in an Andy Warhol-style factory setting by employees that Takashi supervises). Today, Warhol's work is incorporated into licensed handbags, sneakers, and even toy dolls, while Takashi has taken that one step futher combining art, commerce, marketing and merchandising into a single effort. Brilliant.

The show continues at MOCA in L.A. through February 11th and is, according to a blog report, heading to the Brooklyn Museum for its only other U.S. viewing (April 5 through July 13, 2008).



in amsterdam | staalstraat

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Yesterday on Staalstraat in Amsterdam.
[photo by eugene hernandez]



in paris | cafe

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Lunch on Tuesday in Paris, at a terrific French bistro: Cave la Bourgogne (144 rue Mouffetard). Try a cassoulet.
[photo by eugene hernandez]



in paris | mouffetard

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This afternoon on rue Mouffetard.
[photo by eugene hernandez]



in l.a. | dispatches

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My third trip to L.A. in a month has come to an end. It was a busy week in California, as evidenced by a number of recent iW articles, including a look at the WGA strike (see related photo above from Sunset, near Gower), a dispatch from a weekend of awards related campaigning and three articles from AFI Fest and AFM. Included are a look at the two rival L.A. fests, notes from a few days of culture and commerce, and insights from Werner Herzog as I catch a couple of new docs. Adios L.A.!



in l.a. | sunset

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And now I'm back in California, for the second of three trips to SoCal over the course of just a few weeks... I'm in town to participate in the Film Independent's 3rd annual Filmmaker Forum. Last night kicked off with a screening of Marc Forster's powerful new film, The Kite Runner, a moving drama essentially about coming-of-age in Afghanistan amidst decades of dramatic changes within that country.

Pictured: Dusk last night at the corner of Sunset and Fairfax in Los Angeles.
[photo by eugene hernandez]



hamptons | fall

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I appreciated a taste of autumn earlier this week in the Hamptons, where I caught the first 2 days of the Hamptons International Film Festival... The event (celebrating its 15th birthday) is in the midst of a transition, having recently announced the appointment of a new leader, in a a year when a group of folks took the helm to make the fest happen. I'm a fan of the event, having attended annually for the past 13 years. Its a great place to relax, catch some films and hang out with an eclectic mix of folks in a more mellow fest setting. The Hamptons event has come a long way and seems to have hit its stride in recent years as organizers avoided the temptation to expand beyond their foundation as a top notch weekend showcase for both emerging and established filmmakers.

Over the past few years, indieWIRE hosted an annual industry toast honoring a member of the film community. While we put those plans aside this year amidst all the changes taking place at the fest, I hope we can bring back the salute in '08.
[iphone photo by eugene hernandez]



in mexico | thursday

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A street in the historic district of Morelia on Thursday afternoon.
[photo by eugene hernandez]



in mexico | eating

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There aren't as many VW bugs on the streets of Morelia as I would have expected. Apparently, they are quite prominent in Mexico City. But I spotted this one parked on a quiet side street here in the capital of the state of Michoacan. Day one at the Morelia International Film Festival was jammed with getting oriented and meeting new people, always a bit harder when a fest has already been underway for a few days. Amidst all the running around, writing and networking, I also got in a few excellent meals.

At the bountiful daily lunch that runs from 1 - 5 p.m., I was urged to try to the festive Chiles de Nogada, a stuffed pepper dish that is apparently only whipped up for special events and holidays. Filled with meat, the green chile is topped with a white crushed nut sauce. Tasty. During dinner later, at the absolutely excellent La Casa del Portal (address: Guillermo Prieto 30) overlooking the busy Plaza de Armas, I was told to order their Sopa Terasca (a bean based tortilla soup with cheese and avocado), which friends say they do better than anyone else... another highlight, aside from their top notch enchiladas, were the Huchepas, a sort of sweet corn tamale with a softer cornmeal masa and a warm, tasty cream sauce



in mexico | balloons

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A late night flight from LAX last night meant that I didn't catch my first real glimpse of Morelia, the capital of the Mexican state of Michoacan, until late this morning after breakfast at the hotel. Moments after stepping out of my hotel to find the festival's accreditation office -- walking on a street near the cathedral -- I came upon this scene, which I was fortunately able to quickly capture with my iPhone.
[photo © eugene hernandez]



in socal | l.a.'s best mex?

Where do you get the best Mexican food in Los Angeles? I'll submit two restaurants worth considering (in no particular order): Guelaguetza, well known for its rich mole sauces at three L.A. locations and La Serenata de Garibaldi (where I ate this weekend) featuring some of the tastiest dishes at an equal number of venues.

Any other suggestions?



in l.a. | bumper-to-bumper

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The stagnant 405 Freeway at rush hour, as seen from my hotel room balcony in Brentwood, looking towards Westwood.
[photo © eugene hernandez]



overheard in brentwood...

During dinner tonight in Brentwood, I overheard a group of three guys at the next table talking about the iPhone. One guy said to his friends:

So, the iPhone...I am not really in any rush to get it. I thought I was. Maybe if it had a 40 gig hard drive...
Then they moved on to other topics...movies, girls, and getting old. One guy made some joke about what his life might be like when he got old. "Can you imagine being 38?!" he wondered, as his friends laughed.



in france | one more for the road

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One more shot from Nice before flying back to NYC this morning after nearly four weeks in France. It will be good to be home!
[photo © eugene hernandez]



UPDATE: in france | passable

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It is impossible to capture in a photo the dinner vibe at the Passable Restaurant overlooking Villefranche-sur-mer at Cap Ferrat. The photo above was taken from our table on the sand as we watched the sunset during dinner. The tip from a travel book said to "beg, borrow, or steal" to get a spot for dinner to experience the view and it exceeded expectations. Food and service were also exceptional...
[photo © eugene hernandez]

note: i decided to update this entry with a different photo... the other one was just sorta bugging me, i don't like the way it turned out. the new shot is a few of the evening sky from our table and i moved the previous image to after the jump...

» Continue reading "UPDATE: in france | passable"


in france | nice

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In Nice this afternoon, folks hang out on the beach on a lazy, sunny Sunday.
[photo © eugene hernandez]



in france | bormes

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Yesterday, in fragrant Bormes les Mimosas, a small -- rather touristy but still charming -- French hillside town. We wandered around and had a refreshing lunch before hitting the road bound for the Cote d'Azur on the final leg of this trip...
[photo © eugene hernandez]



in france | pramousquier

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Guide books tout the beach at Pramousquier as one of the best in the area, nestled among rocks and trees (the house we've been staying in is located on the hill, in the center background of this image). Yesterday, we explored Pramousquier and also got in some down time on the beach, late in the day when many of the other tourists were heading in. Other than the gusts of blowing sand, it was a relaxing late afternoon. (I snapped this photo with my Blackberry.)
[photo © eugene hernandez]



in france | wounded camera

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My Canon PowerShot S80, which has served me well for about 2 years, is suddenly malfunctioning. Above is a recent image from the camera. While I will try to get it fixed back in the States, anyone have recommendation for the make/model of a new small digital camera that also shoots decent video clips?
[Photo by Eugene Hernandez]



in france | rainy day marche

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After a very warm two weeks in Cannes, the weather changed and its been a mix of wind and rain all week. Tuesday was glorious, but Wednesday brought heavy rains and grey skies all day....today is starting out clear, but very windy.

Here's a photo snapped at yesterday's crowded and quite wet, morning open-air market in nearby La Lavandou. Some of the live snails were slowly fleeing their confines and migrating to a nearby bin of red potatoes.
[Photo by Eugene Hernandez]



in france | st. tropez

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A popular destination even on a blustery early Tuesday morning, the weekly open-air market in the town square in St. Tropez is a busy place. It is set beneath a number of large trees (see photo above). The fables town is a mix of charming, winding village streets (with rows of designer boutiques) and a busy port area lined with luxury yachts and spots popular was gakwing tourists. At the market we found an assortment of fresh ravioli that matched well with a fresh pesto we whipped up for dinner back at the house.
[photo © eugene hernandez]



in france | nine more days

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Cannes is over, but my time in France isn't. There are still nine more days to go, including a week with friends at La Lezardiere in Le-Rayol-Canadel-Sur-Mer along the Corniche des Maures on the Mediterranean in the South of France. Heavy winds and intermittent rain have made for spotty weather, but the forecast shows nice weather in the coming days.
[photo © eugene hernandez]



"paris in the spring"

So, spending the past few days in Paris reminded me of a great little tune that I have on my iPOD. Its from bandleader Ray Noble & singer Al Bowlly and here it is with a few images and clips shot in the city this weekend...



in paris | jardin

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Parisians lounge in the Jardin du Luxembourg today, a mostly sunny Saturday afternoon.
[photo © eugene hernandez]



in paris | barefoot

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A lot of walking yesterday in Paris, along with a trip to the Musee de Orsay (pictured here). Some of the suggestions came from Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris, including the tip on the excellent Boulevard Raspail Street Market (Raspail between Cherche-Midi & Rennes), a great place to gather items for an impromptu picnic in a nearby park. Of course, no outdoor lunch is complete without a stop at La Grande Epicerie at the nearby Bon Marche. We visited the massive food hall three times yesterday, ultimately stocking up for tomorrow's TGV train trip to the South of France.
[photo © eugene hernandez]



in paris | and the winner is...

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This combination of campaign posters, spotted near the Pont des Arts here in Paris, leaves no question about who won Sunday's presidential election here in France.
[photo © eugene hernandez]



in paris | a flying film fest

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In an effort to stem the pain of jet lag, I opted for a rare daytime Air France flight from NYC to Paris early this morning, en route to Cannes in the coming days. Interestingly, the trip felt a bit like a flying film festival...I spotted filmmakers Ken Burns and Michel Gondry separately waiting for the flight. And once on board, our personal video screens offered a number of films that have yet to debut in U.S. theaters, including "La Vie En Rose", which was a big hit when it opened the Berlinale. and "Moliere", which will close the Seattle International Film Festival next month.



"free hugs"


A St. Patrick's Day walk along crowded 6th St. in downtown Austin, TX during SXSW yielded a one-take, 90 second verite short. I call it, "Free Hugs."

Enjoy!



one step at a time

strangesmiley.jpgWell, the other afternoon (as I was getting ready to head from my parent's house to Santa Monica for a Spirit Awards party), I learned a painful lesson about taking one step at a time. After a trip-and-fall accident I ended up at the E.R. and now I get to watch the Spirit Awards (and the Oscars tomorrow), from my folks' living room. Could be worse (they have an HDTV), but I'd rather not have stitches in my lip and three broken teeth. Anyway, I hope to be all fixed up someday soon...

Good luck nominees.



berlin | pop duo

A highlight of hanging out at Berlin's Ritz Carlton hotel in Potsdamer Platz earlier this week was the dynamic singing duo that entertained festival attendees in the hotel lounge. Here's a clip featuring a minute from their rendition of a late 80s pop classic.



"religious, cultural, political, and moral values"

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I decided to post this upon my return to the U.S....My RSS reader sends me to numerous websites each day, but while I was in Dubai recently, my options were limited. I don't remember exactly which site(s), but on more than one occasion I was met with the graphic above. The information superhighway is not without its dead ends in the United Arab Emirates.



xmas in dubai

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Christmas tress inside the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.
[photo by eugene hernandez]

Toronto National Post columnist Shinan Govani, a fellow fest guest last week at the festival, summed up the holiday season in Dubai in a recent column including a few words on the famous hotel:

The Christmas trees are routine, I later discovered. At the expensive, harem- perfect Al Qasr Hotel down the street; the lumber was so posh it looked like it was art directed by Jean-Paul Gaultier. At the even more famous Burj Al Arab -- the "world's first seven-star hotel" that is now the symbol of Dubai and looks like, depending on whom you ask, a sail, a cockroach, a shark's fin or a mighty penguin -- the trees, plural, were over-the top enough to give Al Gore another idea for a movie! (This hotel, by the way, does not disappoint. It is exhilarating, futuristic, vulgar, an epic somersault of design. And at night ? it lights up just like a Christmas tree!)



in dubai | the view

A quick clip from my hotel room at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai, including my view of -- correcting my previous entry -- the Arabian Sea...



in dubai | the gulf

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The view from my hotel window in Dubai; pictured is the striking Burj Al Arab in the Persian Gulf. I am here for a few days attending the 3rd Dubai International Film Festival (indieWIRE lineup story), which opens tonight. The 13 hour flight was quite comfortable, thanks to my business class seat on Emirates Air (including a personal 15" TV screen with probably 100 movie options). First impressions... not surprisingly, Dubai is a rabidly expanding modern place with an incredible amount of construction happening.

The area where I am staying is one of a string of new developments along the coast, connected by a beachside walkway, including the Burj Al Arab and the sprawling Madinat Jumeirah complex where the festival is based. It is comprised of numerous new buildings, some built to evoke classic Arabian architecture and structures, others entirely futuristic and distinctive. (More photos below...)

Overheard on a shuttle bus today: Person #1: "Where is the old part of Dubai?" Person #2: "That's the usual question...there is no old area, its all new!"

» Continue reading "in dubai | the gulf"


in amsterdam | farewell

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One more shot from Amsterdam, before heading back to NYC early in the morning.
[photo © eugene hernandez]



in amsterdam | goodbye enrique

Last week, I arrived in Paris tired and confused (as is often the case after an overnight flight...). It wasn't until I arrived at my hotel that I realized that I had forgotten "Enrique" (my iPOD) on the airplane seat. The only way to attempt to reclaim it via Lost & Found was to send an email or letter to Air France. Today, they finally responded with the news I'd already come to terms with:

Dear customer,
Due to a reorganisation in our department which took place recently, we were unable to reply earlier and we apologize for the delay. We are sorry to inform you, that the searches we have carried out have given no results.
Yours faithfully
JP Mathieu
Someone really scored...Enrique is a 60 gb video iPOD (less than a year old) loaded with more than 5,500 songs and a bunch of "Four Eyed Monsters" video podcasts. (Advice to other iPOD owners: Put your name and number/email address on your device, just in case its lost and then found by a trustworthy individual).