Stars: Jena Carpenter, Yancy Butler, Melora Walters, George Harrison Xanthis, Izabela Vidovic, Maiara Walsh, Goran Visnjic, Miraj Grbic, Ian Fisher, Alla Tumanian | Written and Directed by Kathryn Michelle, Elizabeta Vidovic
The Accursed opens with a text crawling across the screen telling us about groups of Croatian women who banded together into groups or Sisterhoods, of three to harness the elements. And how all of them moved to the USA and prospered, except for one such trio. I’m sure you can guess who this film is about. And probably how it all ends up for that matter.
After emigrating to America Aishe (Jena Carpenter; The Hatred) catches Hana with her husband. In the ensuing chaos, Hana kills Aishe before she can complete an epic curse on her and her family. Which means that Nadia has to cut off Hana’s hand and bury Aishe with it over her mouth to...
The Accursed opens with a text crawling across the screen telling us about groups of Croatian women who banded together into groups or Sisterhoods, of three to harness the elements. And how all of them moved to the USA and prospered, except for one such trio. I’m sure you can guess who this film is about. And probably how it all ends up for that matter.
After emigrating to America Aishe (Jena Carpenter; The Hatred) catches Hana with her husband. In the ensuing chaos, Hana kills Aishe before she can complete an epic curse on her and her family. Which means that Nadia has to cut off Hana’s hand and bury Aishe with it over her mouth to...
- 3/9/2022
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
Stars: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O’Hagan, James Ransone, Alla Tumanian, Luiza Nersisyan | Written by Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch | Directed by Sean Baker
As a concept, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Tangerine sounds like an overambitious student film project. Filmed entirely on iPhones, we follow the travails of Sindee-Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), a transgender sex worker looking for her pimp boyfriend after she discovers he’s been cheating on her with a “white fish” (a cisgendered white woman). In practice, however, it turns out to be one of the most energetic, audacious and raucous comedies of recent years.
We first meet Sindee in Hollywood on Christmas Eve, having just finished a stint in jail, buying a donut to share with her best friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor), who’s plugging a big performance at a local bar later that night. Alexandra lets slip that her...
As a concept, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Tangerine sounds like an overambitious student film project. Filmed entirely on iPhones, we follow the travails of Sindee-Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), a transgender sex worker looking for her pimp boyfriend after she discovers he’s been cheating on her with a “white fish” (a cisgendered white woman). In practice, however, it turns out to be one of the most energetic, audacious and raucous comedies of recent years.
We first meet Sindee in Hollywood on Christmas Eve, having just finished a stint in jail, buying a donut to share with her best friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor), who’s plugging a big performance at a local bar later that night. Alexandra lets slip that her...
- 10/12/2015
- by Mark Allen
- Nerdly
Glamour, palm trees, and surgically perfected bodies define Los Angeles in the eyes of the world, but beneath that artificial sunshine there are people and places that never find themselves portrayed on screen. People on the bus, on the not-so-pretty streets, in the neighborhoods that no one’s ever hear of, in those places that have stories that are never told. Even Hollywood, as plastic as it’s often depicted, has areas that have not yet been gentrified and in which people outside the norm are also allowed to be beautiful in their own way. It’s here that director Sean Baker found the stars of his riotous and perfectly acted latest film “Tangerine,” and where he shot it.
At the center of it are Alexandra (Mya Taylor) and Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), two transgender sex workers on Santa Monica Boulevard who struggle to get by while dealing with heartbreak, revenge, and their dreams. Their story, which takes place on a sunny California Christmas eve, exists in the real world without embellishments and its driven by their hilarious banter that's always based on uncompromising sincerity. It's in this sort of uncontrollable environment that Sean Baker found beautiful accidents as his camera, or better said his iPhone, recorded the characters interacting with the city.
We had a chance to talk to Sean Baker about the making of one the year’s best film and a standout at the most recent Sundance Film Festival.
Aguilar: "Tangerine" shows us a side of Los Angeles we rarely see in film, far from all the glamour and artificial beauty. I know the streets where Alexandra and Sin-Dee exist. I've taken those buses, those trains, and been to those places. It feels very real and vibrant in an unpretentious way. Why did you want to tell this singular L.A. story?
Sean Baker: I'm originally from New York and I spent most of my life there, so when I came out to L.A. I was surprised to find that most of L.A. hasn't been shot out. I thought that the studios would have covered L.A. for the last 100 years, but then I realized there is a whole city south of Pico where there are these subcultures or communities that haven't been focused on whatsoever, and also wonderful locations. For example, I told everybody, "I don't want to make this film unless we can lock down Donut Time," because it's such a landmark. Thank god my great producers Darren Dean and Shih-Ching Tsou were able to lock Donut Time. I've fallen on love with Los Angeles and I love to explore it myself. If I'm telling an L.A. story I want to tell a fresh L.A. story and show places that haven't been shown before.
Aguilar: How rough was it to shoot out there in the wilderness of the city? You only have control of your equipment and your actors, everything else is alive and moving without you having power over it.
Sean Baker: I'm kind of used to that because I did it with "Prince of Broadway" and I did it with "Take Out." With those two films I kind of had to accept the fact that there was going to be obstacles, but that those obstacles would lead to happy accidents. If I have a bystander who is stepping into the frame sometimes that would work, as long as we get their permission and get releases everything is fine. I'm open to that. I like the lack of control sometimes. I think that leads to a lot of interesting things, plus I edit my own films, so I almost like to edit from a documentary point of view. It keeps me awake and keeps me surprised in the edit when every take is different and there are new things to be seen on every scene.
Aguilar: You have to two incredible leads in Mya and Kiki, but also two leads who have big personalities. Was it a challenge at first to work with actresses that didn't have much experience or none at all?
Sean Baker: They were as professional as professional could be from day one. I was so incredibly lucky to have found Mya and Kiki. They started impressing me one or two days in. I realized how great they were. I didn't even know they were going to be that great. With a film like this, even though it's scripted and you know where you are going, you kind of still have to find it while you shoot, and then you find it again in the edit. I was going into the shoot knowing that if they weren't good enough I was going to focus on the characters around them or I was going to give them less dialogue. That's how I was going to do it, but then when they started impressing me after the first day I was like, "Why not? They are stealing the show every time, let's roll with it."
Aguilar: Even though the film is a sense dialogue-heavy it feels very vibrant throughout. The only quiet moment is when Kiki sits by the Vermont station to consider her next move. Did you feel like you needed that calm beat before the madness was unleashed?
Sean Baker: In that scene, I didn’t know I was going to be marrying the Beethoven track to it at that moment. I just said, “This is a moment in which I’m going to slow thing down.” It was the quiet before the storm. We already had a shot of adrenaline in the beginning and this was going to be the second shot of adrenaline right after this quiet scene. I basically said, “Look, let’s just take a moment and allow the audience to breathe a little bit.” I told Kiki, “Sorry, you are gonna have to smoke like 10 cigarettes,” because we needed to get every angle possible. I should have gotten even more coverage. I wish I had more coverage.
Aguilar: You weaved in hilarious comedy within this story about two marginalized characters. Was finding that tonal balance difficult? The humor is just so clever. There are lots of quotable material in the film like “You didn’t have to Chris-Brown the bitch”or the whole part about "real fish."
Sean Baker: [Laughs] That was really just because when I was in my research process and I’d be hanging out with them, it was like going to a stand up comedy routine. They were so funny, and they would always finish each other's sentences. They would set up jokes and then deliver a punch line. I realize there is so much humor in that world because the women use that humor to cope. They use it to get by. We all use humor in our lives to get through, but they do so especially because they are sex workers because they have to be. They’ve been so marginalized they don’t have other opportunities. They are faced with discrimination, with danger, and with violence on a regular basis. They have to use humor just to cope and I witnessed this. I thought that if I didn’t inject that humor in the story it would be dishonest.
Aguilar: How did the Armenian driver who lives a very traditional lifestyle at home and finds solace in these transgender girls come about? It certainly adds another layer of complexity to the story.
Sean Baker: The actor, Karren Karagulian, this is my fifth time working with him. I love him. He is great, but he is underrated. This industry hasn’t noticed him yet. He doesn’t even have an agent and yet he’s been the lead of three films now. This is due to the racism of the industry, but I’m hoping that this is the film that finally breaks him in because he is so good. I approached him and said, “Look I’m making a film about two transgender sex workers in Los Angeles, how can we incorporate you? Or how can we find a character for you?” He said, “Look there is a huge Armenian community in L.A, I’ll be a cab driver who is into one of them.” I said, “There we go.” [Laughs]. He is New York-based, so he came out and through his connections I was able to get the stars of Armenia. Alla Tumanian, who plays the mother in law, is a classic actress from Armenia. Arsen Grigoryan, who plays the other cab driver that rats on him, he hosts The Voice over in Armenia. He is our biggest celebrity in the movie. It was really interesting to work with some of the stars of Armenia, such seasoned talent.
Aguilar: Will it ever play in Armenia since you have names that are recognized there? Or is it too non-traditional in terms of its themes to play there?
Sean Baker: Yeah, that’s the thing. We are hoping that it plays at the Golden Apricot, which is their film festival, but we are still not sure.
Aguilar: Out of Sundance most of the talk about the film was related to how it had been shot on an iPhone. Have you gotten to a point where you want to talk about the actual film and not mechanics of how it was made?
Sean Baker: Yeah, I’m sort of sick of it at this point. What started out as a budgetary thing has become sort of a gimmick and it’s not, but it is a selling point at the same time so we can’t dismiss it. Some critics have gone as far as to say that subtextually the fact that we are shooting on this accessible device works with the subject matter about these women who might not have the means to shoot any other way. I’m just happy that it’s accepted and that we were able to find our aesthetic. We were sort of forced into it but I’m happy with the look of the end product. I come from the school of thought that feels that if you can shoot film, you should shoot film. I’m still in that Christopher Nolan, Tarantino thing.
Aguilar: Save film!
Sean Baker: Yeah! If I had the budget I would have shot it on film but then I probably wouldn’t have made the same movie.
Aguilar: Did you ever image that "Tangerine" would go as far as it has or did it catch you by surprise? Despite all the iPhone talk, reviews have been stellar and people seem to really connect with the film and its humor.
Sean Baker: No, I thought that it might have the same acceptance as my last film "Starlet," the critics liked it and it won the Altman Award, but it’s still under the radar and people are still finding it on Netflix. I thought it would be the same, but this one seems to have a bigger impact. I thought it was going to divide critics more and so far it hasn’t really done that. People really seem to accept it, which is a great thing. My hope is that with the trans movement being such a big part of the zeitgeist that Mya and Kiki can really parlay this. That’s the hope.
Aguilar: Do you think it’ll be difficult for them to find more acting jobs after this?
Sean Baker: That’s my fear, but at the same time I’m hoping that with the industry realizing that diversity it so important they may be offered more roles. They are talented enough to play anybody. It doesn’t just have to be a trans role. I’d love to see both of them take on anything. That would be the ultimate success for this film.
Aguilar: They are both amazing, colorful, and brimming with authenticity. How did you find them? I'm sure raw talent like this didn't come from traditional casting.
Sean Baker: You have to put in the time. With “Prince of Broadway,” which is the film I made before ”Starlet,” we spent a year in that district and everybody kept on telling us to find Prince Adu. “Find Prince Adu, he’ll like you. He’ll work with you,” and when we did, it all worked out. He was enthusiastic and he wanted to make the movie with us and everything worked out. In this case I tried to keep that in mind, “If I can just find that one person who is enthusiastic enough.” Then, only two weeks in, we went over to the Lgbt center and there was a courtyard, Mya was about 40 feet away and I saw her and thought, “She has a look. There is something about her. She is the one who stands out in the crowd." We went up to her and introduced ourselves. Next thing you know she was doing what Prince did, she had that enthusiasm. She was like, “I want to make this film with you!” We exchanged information and we started going from there. That’s how it happened and then she brought Kiki to the table. This is also something I haven’t said enough, Mark and Jay Duplass were very supportive. They found us the money to make it. When nobody else was stepping forward they were the only ones that said, “We’ll help you make this film.”
Aguilar: They are like the indie film godfathers.
Sean Baker: Exactly!
Aguilar: I have my own theories about this, but why did you decide to title the film “Tangerine”? Is it the sweet and sour nature of the two leads?
Sean Baker: Yes, you got it [Laughs]. Is that and it's also the color. The sense and the fruit you get from the color of it. I didn’t want to go with a literal title. I’m sick of those. Film is the only art form where we feel we have to title our stuff literally. Musicians don’t have to title their songs literally. It can be more about what’s conjured up when you think of a word. In this case for some reason tangerine just kept sticking and we kept on going back to that.
"Tangerine" is now playing in Los Angeles at ArcLight Cinemas Hollywood and in NYC at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema...
At the center of it are Alexandra (Mya Taylor) and Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), two transgender sex workers on Santa Monica Boulevard who struggle to get by while dealing with heartbreak, revenge, and their dreams. Their story, which takes place on a sunny California Christmas eve, exists in the real world without embellishments and its driven by their hilarious banter that's always based on uncompromising sincerity. It's in this sort of uncontrollable environment that Sean Baker found beautiful accidents as his camera, or better said his iPhone, recorded the characters interacting with the city.
We had a chance to talk to Sean Baker about the making of one the year’s best film and a standout at the most recent Sundance Film Festival.
Aguilar: "Tangerine" shows us a side of Los Angeles we rarely see in film, far from all the glamour and artificial beauty. I know the streets where Alexandra and Sin-Dee exist. I've taken those buses, those trains, and been to those places. It feels very real and vibrant in an unpretentious way. Why did you want to tell this singular L.A. story?
Sean Baker: I'm originally from New York and I spent most of my life there, so when I came out to L.A. I was surprised to find that most of L.A. hasn't been shot out. I thought that the studios would have covered L.A. for the last 100 years, but then I realized there is a whole city south of Pico where there are these subcultures or communities that haven't been focused on whatsoever, and also wonderful locations. For example, I told everybody, "I don't want to make this film unless we can lock down Donut Time," because it's such a landmark. Thank god my great producers Darren Dean and Shih-Ching Tsou were able to lock Donut Time. I've fallen on love with Los Angeles and I love to explore it myself. If I'm telling an L.A. story I want to tell a fresh L.A. story and show places that haven't been shown before.
Aguilar: How rough was it to shoot out there in the wilderness of the city? You only have control of your equipment and your actors, everything else is alive and moving without you having power over it.
Sean Baker: I'm kind of used to that because I did it with "Prince of Broadway" and I did it with "Take Out." With those two films I kind of had to accept the fact that there was going to be obstacles, but that those obstacles would lead to happy accidents. If I have a bystander who is stepping into the frame sometimes that would work, as long as we get their permission and get releases everything is fine. I'm open to that. I like the lack of control sometimes. I think that leads to a lot of interesting things, plus I edit my own films, so I almost like to edit from a documentary point of view. It keeps me awake and keeps me surprised in the edit when every take is different and there are new things to be seen on every scene.
Aguilar: You have to two incredible leads in Mya and Kiki, but also two leads who have big personalities. Was it a challenge at first to work with actresses that didn't have much experience or none at all?
Sean Baker: They were as professional as professional could be from day one. I was so incredibly lucky to have found Mya and Kiki. They started impressing me one or two days in. I realized how great they were. I didn't even know they were going to be that great. With a film like this, even though it's scripted and you know where you are going, you kind of still have to find it while you shoot, and then you find it again in the edit. I was going into the shoot knowing that if they weren't good enough I was going to focus on the characters around them or I was going to give them less dialogue. That's how I was going to do it, but then when they started impressing me after the first day I was like, "Why not? They are stealing the show every time, let's roll with it."
Aguilar: Even though the film is a sense dialogue-heavy it feels very vibrant throughout. The only quiet moment is when Kiki sits by the Vermont station to consider her next move. Did you feel like you needed that calm beat before the madness was unleashed?
Sean Baker: In that scene, I didn’t know I was going to be marrying the Beethoven track to it at that moment. I just said, “This is a moment in which I’m going to slow thing down.” It was the quiet before the storm. We already had a shot of adrenaline in the beginning and this was going to be the second shot of adrenaline right after this quiet scene. I basically said, “Look, let’s just take a moment and allow the audience to breathe a little bit.” I told Kiki, “Sorry, you are gonna have to smoke like 10 cigarettes,” because we needed to get every angle possible. I should have gotten even more coverage. I wish I had more coverage.
Aguilar: You weaved in hilarious comedy within this story about two marginalized characters. Was finding that tonal balance difficult? The humor is just so clever. There are lots of quotable material in the film like “You didn’t have to Chris-Brown the bitch”or the whole part about "real fish."
Sean Baker: [Laughs] That was really just because when I was in my research process and I’d be hanging out with them, it was like going to a stand up comedy routine. They were so funny, and they would always finish each other's sentences. They would set up jokes and then deliver a punch line. I realize there is so much humor in that world because the women use that humor to cope. They use it to get by. We all use humor in our lives to get through, but they do so especially because they are sex workers because they have to be. They’ve been so marginalized they don’t have other opportunities. They are faced with discrimination, with danger, and with violence on a regular basis. They have to use humor just to cope and I witnessed this. I thought that if I didn’t inject that humor in the story it would be dishonest.
Aguilar: How did the Armenian driver who lives a very traditional lifestyle at home and finds solace in these transgender girls come about? It certainly adds another layer of complexity to the story.
Sean Baker: The actor, Karren Karagulian, this is my fifth time working with him. I love him. He is great, but he is underrated. This industry hasn’t noticed him yet. He doesn’t even have an agent and yet he’s been the lead of three films now. This is due to the racism of the industry, but I’m hoping that this is the film that finally breaks him in because he is so good. I approached him and said, “Look I’m making a film about two transgender sex workers in Los Angeles, how can we incorporate you? Or how can we find a character for you?” He said, “Look there is a huge Armenian community in L.A, I’ll be a cab driver who is into one of them.” I said, “There we go.” [Laughs]. He is New York-based, so he came out and through his connections I was able to get the stars of Armenia. Alla Tumanian, who plays the mother in law, is a classic actress from Armenia. Arsen Grigoryan, who plays the other cab driver that rats on him, he hosts The Voice over in Armenia. He is our biggest celebrity in the movie. It was really interesting to work with some of the stars of Armenia, such seasoned talent.
Aguilar: Will it ever play in Armenia since you have names that are recognized there? Or is it too non-traditional in terms of its themes to play there?
Sean Baker: Yeah, that’s the thing. We are hoping that it plays at the Golden Apricot, which is their film festival, but we are still not sure.
Aguilar: Out of Sundance most of the talk about the film was related to how it had been shot on an iPhone. Have you gotten to a point where you want to talk about the actual film and not mechanics of how it was made?
Sean Baker: Yeah, I’m sort of sick of it at this point. What started out as a budgetary thing has become sort of a gimmick and it’s not, but it is a selling point at the same time so we can’t dismiss it. Some critics have gone as far as to say that subtextually the fact that we are shooting on this accessible device works with the subject matter about these women who might not have the means to shoot any other way. I’m just happy that it’s accepted and that we were able to find our aesthetic. We were sort of forced into it but I’m happy with the look of the end product. I come from the school of thought that feels that if you can shoot film, you should shoot film. I’m still in that Christopher Nolan, Tarantino thing.
Aguilar: Save film!
Sean Baker: Yeah! If I had the budget I would have shot it on film but then I probably wouldn’t have made the same movie.
Aguilar: Did you ever image that "Tangerine" would go as far as it has or did it catch you by surprise? Despite all the iPhone talk, reviews have been stellar and people seem to really connect with the film and its humor.
Sean Baker: No, I thought that it might have the same acceptance as my last film "Starlet," the critics liked it and it won the Altman Award, but it’s still under the radar and people are still finding it on Netflix. I thought it would be the same, but this one seems to have a bigger impact. I thought it was going to divide critics more and so far it hasn’t really done that. People really seem to accept it, which is a great thing. My hope is that with the trans movement being such a big part of the zeitgeist that Mya and Kiki can really parlay this. That’s the hope.
Aguilar: Do you think it’ll be difficult for them to find more acting jobs after this?
Sean Baker: That’s my fear, but at the same time I’m hoping that with the industry realizing that diversity it so important they may be offered more roles. They are talented enough to play anybody. It doesn’t just have to be a trans role. I’d love to see both of them take on anything. That would be the ultimate success for this film.
Aguilar: They are both amazing, colorful, and brimming with authenticity. How did you find them? I'm sure raw talent like this didn't come from traditional casting.
Sean Baker: You have to put in the time. With “Prince of Broadway,” which is the film I made before ”Starlet,” we spent a year in that district and everybody kept on telling us to find Prince Adu. “Find Prince Adu, he’ll like you. He’ll work with you,” and when we did, it all worked out. He was enthusiastic and he wanted to make the movie with us and everything worked out. In this case I tried to keep that in mind, “If I can just find that one person who is enthusiastic enough.” Then, only two weeks in, we went over to the Lgbt center and there was a courtyard, Mya was about 40 feet away and I saw her and thought, “She has a look. There is something about her. She is the one who stands out in the crowd." We went up to her and introduced ourselves. Next thing you know she was doing what Prince did, she had that enthusiasm. She was like, “I want to make this film with you!” We exchanged information and we started going from there. That’s how it happened and then she brought Kiki to the table. This is also something I haven’t said enough, Mark and Jay Duplass were very supportive. They found us the money to make it. When nobody else was stepping forward they were the only ones that said, “We’ll help you make this film.”
Aguilar: They are like the indie film godfathers.
Sean Baker: Exactly!
Aguilar: I have my own theories about this, but why did you decide to title the film “Tangerine”? Is it the sweet and sour nature of the two leads?
Sean Baker: Yes, you got it [Laughs]. Is that and it's also the color. The sense and the fruit you get from the color of it. I didn’t want to go with a literal title. I’m sick of those. Film is the only art form where we feel we have to title our stuff literally. Musicians don’t have to title their songs literally. It can be more about what’s conjured up when you think of a word. In this case for some reason tangerine just kept sticking and we kept on going back to that.
"Tangerine" is now playing in Los Angeles at ArcLight Cinemas Hollywood and in NYC at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema...
- 7/11/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Exclusive: Trailer For 'Aram, Aram' The First Ever Armenian Film To Screen At The L.A. Film Festival
Cinema features a diverse array of storytelling voices from around the world, and this year at the L.A. Film Festival, organizers have opened a slot for "Aram, Aram" the first ever Armenian film to screen at the event. Today we have the exclusive trailer for the film. Read More: L.A. Film Fest Review: Winter In The Blood Written and directed by Christopher Chambers and starring John Roohinian, Levon Sharafyan, Sevak Hakoyan, Alla Tumanian, Inga Stamboltyan, Mike Ghader, David Villada, Tina D'Marco and Naria Alyssa, the film follows the titular 12 year-old boy who is sent from Armenia to live this grandfather in the United States and chronicles the culture shock he experiences as he adapts to his new home. "Aram, Aram" will have its premiere screening on Sunday, June 14th. Watch below.
- 6/10/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Magnolia is attending Filmart in Hong Kong March 23 – 26 with an exceptionally strong package of festival films from Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize winner “The Wolfpack” and “Tangerine” by the Duplass brothers, Tiff’s “Best of Enemies”, SXSW’s “The Wrecking Crew” to smart horror films and their own special productions. Just look at their line-up. Don’t you want to see every one of them? Well, you can if you live in U.S. As they have the domestic rights to them all. For available rights, see their page in Cinando
"The Wolfpack"
2015 Sundance Grand Jury Prize
Directed by Crystal Moselle
Locked away from society in an apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the Angulo brothers learn about the outside world through the films that they watch. Nicknamed the Wolfpack, the brothers spend their childhood re-enacting their favorite films using elaborate homemade props and costumes. With no friends and living on welfare, they feed their curiosity, creativity, and imagination with film, which allows them to escape from their feelings of isolation and loneliness. Everything changes when one of the brothers escapes, and the power dynamics in the house are transformed. The Wolfpack must learn how to integrate into society without disbanding the brotherhood.
"Xx" (In Production)
Directed by Sofia Carrillo, Mary Harron Karyn Kusama, Jennifer Chambers Lynch, Jovanka Vuckovic
Produced by Magnolia Pictures, Xyz Films ("Tusk," "The Raid") and Dwjuan Fox
Xx is a new Horror anthology with a gender twist - all segments will be helmed by female directors and will start female leads. The directors have been given free creative rein within budget and time constraints, but all of the segments themselves will involve the horror genre.
"Results"
Directed by Andrew Bujalski ("Computer Chess")
Cast:: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker
Recently divorced, newly rich, and utterly miserable, Danny (Kevin Corrigan) would seem to be the perfect test subject for a definitive look at the relationship between money and happiness. Danny’s well-funded boredom is interrupted by a momentous trip to the local gym, where he meets self-styled guru/owner Trevor (Guy Pearce) and abrasive yet irresistable trainer Kat (Cobie Smulders). Soon their three lives become intertwined, both professionally and personally.
"Tangerine"
Directed by Sean Baker ("Starlet")
Cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O’Hagan, Alla Tumanian, James Ransone
It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend hasn’t been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra, embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity.
Executive produced by Mark and Jay Duplass
"Satanic" (In Production)
Directed by Jeff Hunt ("Fringe," "CSI," "Person of Interest")
Produced by Lawrence Mattis (Circle of Confusion) and Michael Moran (MarVista Entertainment)
"Satanic" follows a group of college students visiting sites from Los Angeles’ “Satanic Panic” era. They follow the creepy owner of an occult store home, only to find themselves saving a suspicious girl from an apparent human sacrifice. Only this “victim” turns out to be much more dangerous than the cult from which she escaped.
"Best of Enemies"
Directed by Morgan Neville ("20 Feet from Stardom") and Robert Gordon
Featuring Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley, Jr.
In 1968 ABC hired two towering public intellectuals to debate each other during the Democratic and Republican national conventions - William F. Buckley, Jr. and Gore Vidal. Like rounds in a heavyweight battle, they pummeled out policy and personal insult—cementing their opposing political positions. Their explosive exchanges devolved into vitriolic name-calling. It was unlike anything TV had ever broadcast, and all the more shocking because it was live and unscripted.
"The Wrecking Crew"
Directed by Denny Tedesco
Featuring Interviews with: Cher, Dick Clark, Brian Wilson, Nancy Sinatra
Six years in a row in the 1960’s and early 1970’s, the Grammy for “Record of the Year” went to Wrecking Crew recordings. The film tells the story of the unsung musicians that provided the backbeat, the bottom and the swinging melody that drove many of the number one hits of the 1960’s. It didn’t matter if it was Nat “King” Cole, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, The Monkees, The Byrds or The Beach Boys, these dedicated musicians brought the flair and musicianship that made the American “west coast sound” a dominant cultural force around the world.
"Iris"
Directed by Albert Maysles ("Grey Gardens," "Gimme Shelter")
Produced by Laura Coxson, Rebekah Maysles and Jennifer Ash Rudick
Iris pairs legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles with Iris Apfel, the quick-witted, flamboyantly dressed 93-year-old style maven who has had an outsized presence on the New York fashion scene for decades. More than a fashion film, the documentary is a story about creativity and how, even at Iris’ advanced age, a soaring free spirit continues to inspire.
"The Wolfpack"
2015 Sundance Grand Jury Prize
Directed by Crystal Moselle
Locked away from society in an apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the Angulo brothers learn about the outside world through the films that they watch. Nicknamed the Wolfpack, the brothers spend their childhood re-enacting their favorite films using elaborate homemade props and costumes. With no friends and living on welfare, they feed their curiosity, creativity, and imagination with film, which allows them to escape from their feelings of isolation and loneliness. Everything changes when one of the brothers escapes, and the power dynamics in the house are transformed. The Wolfpack must learn how to integrate into society without disbanding the brotherhood.
"Xx" (In Production)
Directed by Sofia Carrillo, Mary Harron Karyn Kusama, Jennifer Chambers Lynch, Jovanka Vuckovic
Produced by Magnolia Pictures, Xyz Films ("Tusk," "The Raid") and Dwjuan Fox
Xx is a new Horror anthology with a gender twist - all segments will be helmed by female directors and will start female leads. The directors have been given free creative rein within budget and time constraints, but all of the segments themselves will involve the horror genre.
"Results"
Directed by Andrew Bujalski ("Computer Chess")
Cast:: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker
Recently divorced, newly rich, and utterly miserable, Danny (Kevin Corrigan) would seem to be the perfect test subject for a definitive look at the relationship between money and happiness. Danny’s well-funded boredom is interrupted by a momentous trip to the local gym, where he meets self-styled guru/owner Trevor (Guy Pearce) and abrasive yet irresistable trainer Kat (Cobie Smulders). Soon their three lives become intertwined, both professionally and personally.
"Tangerine"
Directed by Sean Baker ("Starlet")
Cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O’Hagan, Alla Tumanian, James Ransone
It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend hasn’t been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra, embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity.
Executive produced by Mark and Jay Duplass
"Satanic" (In Production)
Directed by Jeff Hunt ("Fringe," "CSI," "Person of Interest")
Produced by Lawrence Mattis (Circle of Confusion) and Michael Moran (MarVista Entertainment)
"Satanic" follows a group of college students visiting sites from Los Angeles’ “Satanic Panic” era. They follow the creepy owner of an occult store home, only to find themselves saving a suspicious girl from an apparent human sacrifice. Only this “victim” turns out to be much more dangerous than the cult from which she escaped.
"Best of Enemies"
Directed by Morgan Neville ("20 Feet from Stardom") and Robert Gordon
Featuring Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley, Jr.
In 1968 ABC hired two towering public intellectuals to debate each other during the Democratic and Republican national conventions - William F. Buckley, Jr. and Gore Vidal. Like rounds in a heavyweight battle, they pummeled out policy and personal insult—cementing their opposing political positions. Their explosive exchanges devolved into vitriolic name-calling. It was unlike anything TV had ever broadcast, and all the more shocking because it was live and unscripted.
"The Wrecking Crew"
Directed by Denny Tedesco
Featuring Interviews with: Cher, Dick Clark, Brian Wilson, Nancy Sinatra
Six years in a row in the 1960’s and early 1970’s, the Grammy for “Record of the Year” went to Wrecking Crew recordings. The film tells the story of the unsung musicians that provided the backbeat, the bottom and the swinging melody that drove many of the number one hits of the 1960’s. It didn’t matter if it was Nat “King” Cole, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, The Monkees, The Byrds or The Beach Boys, these dedicated musicians brought the flair and musicianship that made the American “west coast sound” a dominant cultural force around the world.
"Iris"
Directed by Albert Maysles ("Grey Gardens," "Gimme Shelter")
Produced by Laura Coxson, Rebekah Maysles and Jennifer Ash Rudick
Iris pairs legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles with Iris Apfel, the quick-witted, flamboyantly dressed 93-year-old style maven who has had an outsized presence on the New York fashion scene for decades. More than a fashion film, the documentary is a story about creativity and how, even at Iris’ advanced age, a soaring free spirit continues to inspire.
- 3/6/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.