In 1961, Shirley Clarke finished directing her first feature film and debuted The Connection at the Cannes Film Festival to much acclaim.
Previously, Clarke had begun her creative career as a dancer before moving on to direct many well-respected short experimental films, such as 1958’s Bridges-Go-Round. Clarke had always aimed her sights high with her career and, despite the improbability of a woman directing an independent feature film in the early 1960s, she accomplished just that.
The Connection was originally a play written by Jack Gelber and performed by New York City’s Living Theatre in 1959. The plot revolves around a group of junkies waiting around one afternoon for their drug dealer to arrive.
Clarke had seen and loved the play, but it was her brother-in-law — theater critic Kenneth Tynan — who convinced her to make a film of it. Money was raised through Lewis Allen, a theater investor who wanted to move into producing films.
Previously, Clarke had begun her creative career as a dancer before moving on to direct many well-respected short experimental films, such as 1958’s Bridges-Go-Round. Clarke had always aimed her sights high with her career and, despite the improbability of a woman directing an independent feature film in the early 1960s, she accomplished just that.
The Connection was originally a play written by Jack Gelber and performed by New York City’s Living Theatre in 1959. The plot revolves around a group of junkies waiting around one afternoon for their drug dealer to arrive.
Clarke had seen and loved the play, but it was her brother-in-law — theater critic Kenneth Tynan — who convinced her to make a film of it. Money was raised through Lewis Allen, a theater investor who wanted to move into producing films.
- 9/9/2018
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
BUDAPEST -- The 39th Hungarian Film Week, opening Tuesday, will present the best of the past year's Hungarian cinema. Beside the selected 18 full-length features competing for the new prize of The Golden Reel, a total of 388 other films will screen during the event in Budapest.
The 2008 festival has significantly more movies to offer than any other before, organizers say. And, for the first time, the result of the main competition will only be revealed at the ceremony closing the festival, adding a touch of Hollywood showbiz to the event. As well as the Golden Reel, a Best Genre Film is to be chosen and foreign critics will present the Gene Moskowitz Award.
Eva Vezer, head of the Hungarian Film union, expects about 120 attendees from abroad -- including many mainstream media film critics -- to attend the event, which closes Feb. 5.
The message organizers want the event to convey is that Hungarian film production is alive and kicking and eager to become integrated into the European and overseas film production.
The 2008 festival has significantly more movies to offer than any other before, organizers say. And, for the first time, the result of the main competition will only be revealed at the ceremony closing the festival, adding a touch of Hollywood showbiz to the event. As well as the Golden Reel, a Best Genre Film is to be chosen and foreign critics will present the Gene Moskowitz Award.
Eva Vezer, head of the Hungarian Film union, expects about 120 attendees from abroad -- including many mainstream media film critics -- to attend the event, which closes Feb. 5.
The message organizers want the event to convey is that Hungarian film production is alive and kicking and eager to become integrated into the European and overseas film production.
- 1/28/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
LONDON -- Hungary's annual competitive review of national film, the 38th Hungarian Film Week, closed in Budapest on Tuesday night with a novel dual top prize.
The main prize for best art house film went to director Csaba Bollok for youth film "Iska's Journey", which screens to Berlin International Film Festival audiences next week in the Generation Kplus competition program.
Top commercial "genre" film was Gabor Rohonyi's "Konyec", about an elderly couple who turn to crime when they reach their 70th birthdays.
But the film that garnered the most prizes, including the prestigious foreign critics Gene Moskowitz award, was Jano Szasz's "Opium -- Diary of a Mad Woman". The film, about a drug-addicted doctor working in a lunatic asylum who discovers that one of his patients is a gifted writer, took best director for Szasz, best cinematography for Tibor Mathe and best sound for Istvan Sipos, Manuel Laval and Matthias Schwab.
Best actor was Sandor Zsoter for his role in "Fragment" (Toredek), directed by Gyula Maar, and best actress Kati Kovacs for her part in "Kythera", directed by Peter Meszaros.
The main prize for best art house film went to director Csaba Bollok for youth film "Iska's Journey", which screens to Berlin International Film Festival audiences next week in the Generation Kplus competition program.
Top commercial "genre" film was Gabor Rohonyi's "Konyec", about an elderly couple who turn to crime when they reach their 70th birthdays.
But the film that garnered the most prizes, including the prestigious foreign critics Gene Moskowitz award, was Jano Szasz's "Opium -- Diary of a Mad Woman". The film, about a drug-addicted doctor working in a lunatic asylum who discovers that one of his patients is a gifted writer, took best director for Szasz, best cinematography for Tibor Mathe and best sound for Istvan Sipos, Manuel Laval and Matthias Schwab.
Best actor was Sandor Zsoter for his role in "Fragment" (Toredek), directed by Gyula Maar, and best actress Kati Kovacs for her part in "Kythera", directed by Peter Meszaros.
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