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» FACE VALUE Hits Coney Island This Saturday
» THE TOURIST Screens at Rooftop Films This Friday!
» Rachel's, Rebecca Moore, Super 8 Film, Dreams with Subtitles, and more!
» FACE VALUE's Niabi Caldwell Rocks The Fest Circuit; An Amusing Theory About Our SXSW Screening
» "Face Value" World Premiere at SXSW 2007!
» "The Tourist" Online!
» THE TOURIST Screens This Saturday at Coney Island
» Back and Forth Films - Scenes from 5 Shorts
» A TOURIST Screens in Brooklyn
» Watch Back and Forth Films on MySpace
» THE TOURIST Now Available in DVD Shorts Anthology
» THE TOURIST Screenings in NY and London; FACE VALUE Shoot
» THE TOURIST Hits Hotlanta
» FACE VALUE post party wrapup
» FACE VALUE Benefit Party Tonight!
» SXSW Photo Wrapup
» THE TOURIST trailer online
» THE TOURIST at SXSW!
» Rebecca Moore Valentine's Day Show!
» B&F at Sundance '05 wrapup
» THE VENICE OF BROOKLYN to screen at Berlin Architecture Film Fest
» Rebecca Moore show this Friday!
» Attack of the Fifty Foot Reels on Sunday April 18!
» Our latest super 8 short: UP AND DOWN
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Our short film, "Face Value" continues it's festival run with screenings in Denver and Manhattan this week.
At the Starz Denver Film Festival, we screen on Thursday and Saturday in a shorts program entitled:"What I Did For Love." The fest description goes:
Be they comic, tragic or simply bizarre, we all do the most extraordinary things in the name of love.
Back in New York, the 4th Annual Big Apple Film Festival kicks off this week at Tribeca Cinemas, where we'll be screening in a shorts program on Saturday.
Big Apple is also showing the NYC Premiere of Stephane Gauger's "Owl and the Sparrow" (Winner -- Audience Award 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival, nominee 2007 Gotham Award for Breakthrough Director) and Alan Cumming's "Suffering Man's Charity" (starring Alan Cumming, David Boreanaz, Anne Heche, Carrie Fisher).
Unfortunately I won't be able to make it since I'll be in Denver but Jeff will be on hand to represent.
And check back here for festival updates, where I'll be "comic-blogging."
The Coney Island Film Festival is a whole lotta fun, with a crazy opening night party with burlesque dancers and sword swallowers, along with a tight program of films, including docs about the Coney Island Cyclone and Don Dohler's "The Cinema of Transgression" movement, as well as a screening of the Coney Island cult classic, "The Warriors."
Screening this Saturday at 2pm will be our latest short film, Face Value.
(We also have a screening at the Global Peace Film Festival in Orlando, Florida on Sunday in a program called "Eastern Views - Shorts from the Middle East and Southeast Asia."
Check out our "comic strip" trailer below.
Our short film THE TOURIST, the film that keeps giving, will be making a Manhattan appearance this Friday at Rooftop Films as part of their Collection of Best Shorts from 2007.
"The Tourist" is shot on Super 8 film, and features dreams with subtitles, gorgeous Kodachrome landscapes shot in South Carolina, Georgia, and France, as well as a cryptic plot involving a woman and a puzzle.
Musician and actress Rebecca Moore plays lead character Claire.
8:30pm - Live Music by Frances
9:00pm - The Films
11-1AM -After Party: Open Bar at Fontana's (105 Eldridge St @ Grand)
Courtesy of Martin Miller's Gin
Venue: On the roof of the Open Road Rooftop Project
Address: 350 Grand Street @ Essex (Lower East Side, Manhattan)
Tickets are $8. Their shows tend to sell out but you can buy online here.
I can't praise the folks at Rooftop enough for putting on such a top notch series with cool music, beautiful screening locations, and a great program. Check 'em out!
Our short film, The Tourist, is currently showing at IFC.com thanks to fine folks at Rooftop Films and IFC. Woo hoo!
This Super 8 film (shot on b&w and Kodakchrome) is about a woman afraid to leave her Brooklyn apartment who makes a puzzling discovery.
It features music by Rachel's and the indisputable lensing by one of the best Super 8 DP's out there, David Teague.
The lovely musician and actress Rebecca Moore plays lead character Claire.
Click here to watch.
As we head into our next round of screenings of "Face Value" at the Sarasota Film Festival this week, I recently read an amusing theory that Gabe Wardell from the Atlanta Film Festival noted on his blog regarding our unusual screening matchup with Michael Tully's music doc "Silver Jew" at SXSW:
The short before, "Face Value," seemed to have little in common with the feature. The feature is a music doc about one man's religious and artistic epiphany, the other is a comic narrative short by the Israel brothers.
Then it became clear:
1) both films feature a stranger in a strange land struggling to make a connection.
2) "Silver Jew" is set in Israel, "Face Value" is BY the Brother's Israel.
3) Both films are by indieWIRE bloggers. (Commenting on this last bit makes me feel soooooooooooooo indulgent.)
Another connection I noticed this week is that "Face Value" actress Niabi Caldwell is also in a short film, "Look Alive, Mr. Kline", which is screening at the Atlanta Film Festival. So Niabi has a total of four festival screenings in the next two weeks:
Apr 20 2007 2:45P
FACE VALUE @ SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL Sarasota FL
Apr 20 2007 5:30P
LOOK ALIVE, MR. KLINE @ ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL Atlanta GA
Apr 21 2007 11:00A
FACE VALUE @ SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL Sarasota FL
Apr 26 2007 7:00P
LOOK ALIVE, MR. KLINE @ ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL Atlanta GA
Girl, you're on fire.
So Jeff and I are really thrilled to announce that our latest and most ambitious short film yet, "Face Value" will have its world premiere at SXSW 2007.
We were there a few years ago with our Super 8 short, "The Tourist" (watch it online here!) and are happy to be returning with this latest project. We shot "Face Value" in Fall 2005 with producers extraordinaire Amanda Doss and Caitlin Cassaro and spent most of 2006 patiently putting our music together and working with the fine folks at Postworks on our color correction and mastering.
What we ended up with is a fun, flirty relationship short about a lonely office worker from another country who becomes entranced by a seductive barfly.
"Face Value" features music by The Magnetic Fields, JC Hopkins, Barney McAll and others and was shot on location primarily at Bar Royale in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
You can watch two scenes from the film above, which stars Piter Marek and Niabi Caldwell and was shot by cinematographer Matthew Hale on HD 24p.
Our film, The Tourist, which premiered at South by Southwest and hit the festival circuit in 05 and 06, can now be viewed online! Shot in two different stocks of Super 8, the short stars Rebecca Moore as a woman afraid to leave her Brooklyn apartment makes a puzzling discovery as she struggles with her dreams, memories and the mundane.
I saw 'The Tourist' at SXSW - it was quiet and dreamy and had a subtle sense of humor that I really liked." - Karina Longworth, Cinematical
"A short film with much power, and an almost mystical instinct about the weirdness of everyday life." - Mark Rhodes, Films in Review
"Nicely enigmatic and with spectacular colour sequences." - Simon Cameron, Shooting People
"Eerie and intense b&w visuals." - from the blog small- scale: stash
Please check it out and let us know what you think!
Our short film THE TOURIST will be making its final festival appearance this Saturday at the 2006 Coney Island Film Festival. If you haven't seen it we really encourage you to come check it out! It is shot on Super 8 film, including the soon to be extinct Kodakchrome stock.
In THE TOURIST, Claire (Rebecca Moore) finds her routine day of hiding inside her apartment has changed after she discovers a mysterious box of puzzle pieces in her closet. As she assembles the puzzle to reveal the image, she struggles to confront her loneliness and self-imposed isolation.
when: Saturday Oct. 7th, 4pm
where: Sideshows by the Seashore, 3006 W.12th St. @ Surf Ave.
cost: Tickets are $6.00 and go on sale 30 minutes prior to showtime.
You can view some scenes from the film by visiting here.
Under Back and Forth Films, my brother Jeff and I have been steadily making short films for the past several years, ranging from enigmatic, dreamy Super 8 pieces like "Back and Forth" to our most recent film, "Face Value," a 17 minute narrative shot on 24P HD about a foreigner conflicted by responsibility and desire.
Our films have shown at festivals such as South by Southwest, the Hamptons International Film Festival, the Woodstock Film Festival, Atlanta and Raindance. We've put together this reel which offer selections from five short films made between 2001-2006, including two scenes from "Face Value," which will premiere on the festival circuit in 2007.
We hope you enjoy it.
In case you haven't seen it, our Super 8 short film THE TOURIST has two screenings coming up in Brooklyn:
FLICKER NYC
When: Friday, September 22 at 8pm
Where: Brooklyn Lyceum in Park Slope
227 4th Ave, between President and Union
(Take the N, R Train to Union)
CONEY ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL
When: Saturday, October 7 at 4pm (Program 4)
Where: Sideshows by the Seashore, 3006 W.12th St. @ Surf Ave.
Wanna see a few scenes from THE TOURIST (and a sneak peak at our new short FACE VALUE?)
Visit here.
So we've finally broken down and joined all the rock bands, porn stars, and frontin' hipsters by creating a profile on MySpace. Check us out, and while there you can view two of our early short films (shot on Super 8):
Back and Forth (2001)
A triptych of sorts about work, art, and being a child.
Terrain Vague (2002)
An unearthly exploration of a post-industrial landscape where sounds from the past continue to hang in the air.
Sign up to be our friend while you're at it!
Our short film THE TOURIST is now available on DVD! It has been published in Volume 2 of a new quarterly DVD anthology, The Journal of Short Film. Modeled on a literary journal, the JSF publishes new, independent work every quarter and provides its subscribers a steady stream of exceptional, peer-reviewed short films.
The folks producing this are obviously doing it as a labor of love and should be supported. Volume 2 (The Winter issue) also features 10 other short films, ranging from experimental and documentary to narrative and animation. Shorts include an experimental doc that "follows two inner city kids in a poetic walk through the streets of Chicago," a "hip hop documentary musical about politics starring Shakademic, Glenn Scott, and Walter Mondale," "A Super-8mm expressionistic recording of a demolition derby," and "a colorful, intense 2D/3D meditation on the mythical mandrake plant."
At only $10, this is a total bargain. (That's only two drinks to you New Yorkers.) Subscriptions are also available to keep 'em coming. Both can be ordered online here.
THE TOURIST is our latest short film and has been screening the festival circuit for the past year, premiering at South by Southwest last March and continuing on to the Woodstock Film Festival, Atlanta, the Hamptons International Film Festival, and others.
Shot on black and white and color Super 8mm Film, THE TOURIST is about a woman afraid to leave her Brooklyn apartment who makes a puzzling discovery as she struggles with her dreams, memories and the mundane.
While we're gearing up to shoot our latest short film,
FACE VALUE this coming weekend, we are also pleased to announce that our short film THE TOURIST will be screening at the following festivals in October:
2005 Woodstock Film Festival
Saturday, October 1st at 2:00 p.m.
2005 Raindance Film Festival
Monday, October 3 at 5:00 pm
2005 Hamptons International Film Festival
Friday, October 21st at 10:30 a.m.
Stay tuned for FACE VALUE news!
Our short film THE TOURIST is screening at the Atlanta Film Festival Wednesday, June 15. Jeff and I unfortunately won't be heading down this time, but had the pleasure of attending a few years ago. Aside from the June heat (they don't call it Hotlanta for nothing) the fest is a lotta fun, with plenty of top notch films and easy-going, unpretentious parties for revelers to get their drink on. If you're attending the fest, be sure to check out Jay and Mark Duplass' THE PUFFY CHAIR, one of my favorite films at Sundance this year. And while you're at it, check out our short, which will probably be one of the last films you'll see that was shot on Super 8 Kodakchrome, a really nice, rich stock that Kodak is unfortunately eliminating due to lack of sales. The image above is actually a screengrab from THE TOURIST, not a still, to give you an idea of what we'll be missing.
Our benefit party last week for FACE VALUE (our latest short film) was a smashing success! We had a great crowd of fellow filmmakers, industry associates, and friends, (old and new) and was pleased with how everyone really came out to help support the project.
» Continue reading "FACE VALUE post party wrapup"We're having a fundraising party tonight to support our next short film, FACE VALUE, to be directed by James and Jeff Israel and produced by Amanda Doss and Caitlin Cassaro.
» Continue reading "FACE VALUE Benefit Party Tonight!"I am finally getting caught up after coming back from SXSW last week. Having never been to Austin (or even Texas) it was great to attend a festival that was laid back with a friendly, enthusiastic audience. And throw in some awesome Tex-Mex, BBQ, tons of parties, warm weather, and no early morning screenings and you have a pretty awesome event.
» Continue reading "SXSW Photo Wrapup"So we're gearing up to head to SXSW this Friday. For those curious about our latest short but not going to the Lone Star state for the screenings, the SXSW website has trailers of many of the films showing at the fest.
THE TOURIST trailer is here.
I am pleased to announce that our latest short film, THE TOURIST, will have its world premiere screening at the 2005 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival.
In THE TOURIST, a woman afraid to leave her Brooklyn apartment makes a puzzling discovery as she struggles with her dreams, memories and the mundane.
Featuring musician/actress Rebecca Moore and music by Rachel's.
» Continue reading "THE TOURIST at SXSW!"
Rebecca Moore, who appears in our latest short film, The Tourist, is playing a Valentine's Day show at The Poetry Project at St Mark's Church, East Village, NYC. She is appearing with her band, Prevention of Blindness.
If you like your music loaded with melodic string arrangements, ambient noise experimentation, and a beautiful voice, make sure and check this show out. You can preview some tracks on her website here.
» Continue reading "Rebecca Moore Valentine's Day Show!"I've been back from Sundance for about a week and have finally had a chance to post an entry about the fest. This being my fourth Sundance, it was super busy as usual, with my days filled with seeing films, going to parties, managing the Daily for indieWIRE, and drumming up interest in Back and Forth Film's current projects.
This was Jeff's first Sundance, where he attended to represent the dramatic competition feature "Loggerheads" (on which he was Associate Editor), check out films, party, and talk about our latest short film, "The Tourist"(currently in post).
» Continue reading "B&F at Sundance '05 wrapup"
Jeff and I are pleased to announce that our short film The Venice of Brooklyn will be screening at Architektur und Film in Berlin, Germany on June 7, 2004 at 8pm. Check out their website (in German only) for more details on this new architecture-themed film festival. The Venice of Brooklyn is a classical exploration of the serene waters of the Gowanus Canal
in Brooklyn, NY. It was shot on one roll of Super 8 film in one take with no post-production and premiered at Flicker NYC's Attack of the 50 Foot Reels last year.
The multi-talented musician and actress Rebecca Moore, who can be seen soon in our latest Super 8 short film, UP AND DOWN, is performing this Friday, May 21 with her band Prevention of Blindness at Sin-e in the Lower East Side, NYC. Rebecca's music is lush and dark, with lovely string arrangements and poignant lyrics. I don't like to make comparisons, as her music obviously has many influences, with no one song sounding like another, but it reminds me of PJ Harvey, Bjork, Cat Power, and Dirty Three.
Check out her song, WINTER BLESSING, a terribly moving, nursery rhyme like piece that is incredibly timely.
See the show this Friday at Sin-e. 150 Attorney Street, between Houston and the lonely eastern edge of Stanton Street.
Flicker NYC, the ongoing screening series for all things super 8 (and 16mm) is having it's annual Attack of the Fifty Foot Reels! on Sunday April 18. The difference between this show and your tyical indie film screening series is that all of the films have been shot in camera on one roll of super 8 film that is then turned into Flicker Master of Ceremonies David Teague for processing. The fun part begins at the screening, as the filmmakers will be seeing their projects for the first time with a live audience! Me and Jeff participated in the fun last year with our short, The Venice of Brooklyn. We could say that the film went off without a hitch and that the large hair smack dab in the middle of the frame was part of our well-crafted meditation on the murky depths of the body of water that seperates Park Slope and Red Hook, but have decided to remain uncharacteristically silent on the subject.
Attack of the Fifty Foot Reels! Sunday April 18, 2004, 7pm, $7, The Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard Street, NYC
We may (or may not) be participating this year, based on whether either of us come up with an idea by this weekend.
Our latest project over at Back and Forth Films is a super 8 experimental narrative, UP AND DOWN, which stars downtown musician and actress Rebecca Moore. We are currently finishing up a rough cut and securing music for the project, aiming for a completion date in summer 2004. The film is about a young woman who is afraid to leave her NYC apartment. It is a reaction to recent events without clarifying exactly why she has chosen this insular life, instead focusing on a seemingly typical day when something peculiar happens that begins to push her out of her shell.
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