After making a series of films set in or around Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (an area that blatantly externalizes the city's socioeconomic disparities), Paris-born, (now) Toronto-based filmmaker Antoine Bourges' turned his eye towards Canadian social institutions and support networks, particularly for those struggling with mental health issues or addiction. More specifically, he looked at their fundamental inadequacy—not through a feature-length exposé, but by observing the individuals that often bear the brunt of the cost. The film, Fail to Appear, charts the meeting of two such individuals: Isolde (Deragh Campbell), a well-meaning, but inexperienced social worker, and her client Eric (Nathan Roder), a man charged with theft and awaiting a court hearing, first introduced solely by a case file. Pointedly bifurcated to follow each character individually, the film structures itself around negative spaces, various gaps—in personal attention, social interaction, and institutional bureaucracy—and the incremental weight of what gets lost therein.
- 11/2/2017
- MUBI
Prototype (Blake Williams)The 36th Vancouver Film Festival recently wrapped, and with it, the second year of the Future//Present program, a selection of eight features (and a number of shorts) dedicated to emerging Canadian filmmakers. If the inaugural edition had the task of distinguishing itself from the rest of the festival's True North “stream,” this year's offered the opportunity to cement its relevancy and expand its vision. That's something for which the admirably varied program proved more or less able, albeit with higher highs and lower lows than in 2016, which speaks, at least, to chances being taken (something that can't necessarily be said of the festival's programming in general). Taken on the whole, there are—beyond the uniting sensibility of critic and programmer Adam Cook—filmmaking trends that one could identify, and patterns that one could connect, for better and for worse, to the larger contemporary arthouse scene. But the most successful selections,...
- 10/20/2017
- MUBI
The Bradford International Film Festival is typically an underground-friendly fest. This year appears to be no exception with two very special experimental film retrospectives, as well as a few modern underground-type flicks.
The 19th annual Biff will roll on April 11-21 at several locations around Bradford and Leeds in England, including the National Media Museum, Hebden Bridge Picture House, Hyde Park Picture House and other venues.
Biff is hosting a tribute to Stan Brakhage this year by screening the prolific filmmaker’s magnum opus, Dog Star Man, as well as a selection of his short films, from 1963′s legendary Mothlight to 1994′s Black Ice. There’s also going to be an epic-sized tribute/retrospective of experimental films from Austria, a country with a proud avant-garde filmmaking tradition that’s typically overlooked.
From Austria, Biff is, of course, screening two works from one of the experimental film world’s biggest masters,...
The 19th annual Biff will roll on April 11-21 at several locations around Bradford and Leeds in England, including the National Media Museum, Hebden Bridge Picture House, Hyde Park Picture House and other venues.
Biff is hosting a tribute to Stan Brakhage this year by screening the prolific filmmaker’s magnum opus, Dog Star Man, as well as a selection of his short films, from 1963′s legendary Mothlight to 1994′s Black Ice. There’s also going to be an epic-sized tribute/retrospective of experimental films from Austria, a country with a proud avant-garde filmmaking tradition that’s typically overlooked.
From Austria, Biff is, of course, screening two works from one of the experimental film world’s biggest masters,...
- 3/11/2013
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
News.
One of the greatest Japanese directors, Nagisa Oshima, has passed away at the age of 80. Criterion remembers him in words and images. The Berlin Film Festival has unveiled more details of its Panorama section and has announced some "Special" screenings. It looks like John McTiernan, one of our favorite Vulgar Auteurs, is, um, heading to jail. Senses of Cinema has published their massive 2012 World Poll in three parts (1, 2, 3). Our own Daniel Kasman, David Phelps, Gina Telaroli and Celluloid Liberation Front (who, if the Poll were a competition, would win—hands-down) are among the participants. Finds.
Above: David Bordwell on the "thirteen years that changed cinema": 1908-1920. For Cinema Scope, Michael Vass interviews Antoine Bourges about his documentary East Hastings Pharmacy.
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association awarded Holy Motors as the "Best Foreign-Language Film". Leos Carax wasn't present but provided them with a speech. Listen here, or read below:
"Hello,...
One of the greatest Japanese directors, Nagisa Oshima, has passed away at the age of 80. Criterion remembers him in words and images. The Berlin Film Festival has unveiled more details of its Panorama section and has announced some "Special" screenings. It looks like John McTiernan, one of our favorite Vulgar Auteurs, is, um, heading to jail. Senses of Cinema has published their massive 2012 World Poll in three parts (1, 2, 3). Our own Daniel Kasman, David Phelps, Gina Telaroli and Celluloid Liberation Front (who, if the Poll were a competition, would win—hands-down) are among the participants. Finds.
Above: David Bordwell on the "thirteen years that changed cinema": 1908-1920. For Cinema Scope, Michael Vass interviews Antoine Bourges about his documentary East Hastings Pharmacy.
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association awarded Holy Motors as the "Best Foreign-Language Film". Leos Carax wasn't present but provided them with a speech. Listen here, or read below:
"Hello,...
- 1/16/2013
- by Adam Cook
- MUBI
For the duration of the 25th anniversary edition of the Images Festival (site), Toronto's second oldest film festival and the largest festival in North America for experimental and independent moving image culture, we're presenting three films from the program worldwide — and for free!
At the Av Club, John Semley writes that Antoine Bourges's medium-length film East Hastings Pharmacy
goes behind the tempered plastic partition of a pharmacy in Vancouver's notorious Downtown East Side. There, a demure pharmacist (Shauna Hansen) hands out carefully measured doses of liquid methadone to recovering addicts, who must down it front of her daily, as an attempt to curb abuse of the drug.
Produced by the Toronto-based Medium Density Fibreboard Films, East Hastings Pharmacy continues the studio's aesthetic tradition of using nonprofessionals (in this case, residents of the Downtown East Side) in the service of some neo-neo-realist drama that doesn't so much blur the line...
At the Av Club, John Semley writes that Antoine Bourges's medium-length film East Hastings Pharmacy
goes behind the tempered plastic partition of a pharmacy in Vancouver's notorious Downtown East Side. There, a demure pharmacist (Shauna Hansen) hands out carefully measured doses of liquid methadone to recovering addicts, who must down it front of her daily, as an attempt to curb abuse of the drug.
Produced by the Toronto-based Medium Density Fibreboard Films, East Hastings Pharmacy continues the studio's aesthetic tradition of using nonprofessionals (in this case, residents of the Downtown East Side) in the service of some neo-neo-realist drama that doesn't so much blur the line...
- 4/14/2012
- MUBI
Toronto’s Images Festival celebrates it’s 25th anniversary on April 12-21 at theaters, galleries and other venues all over the city. They are celebrating with a massive event with films and videos, live performances, installations, artist talks and other events.
Below is the lineup for Images’ specific film screening events and some live performances. The fest’s Opening Night film is John Akomfrah’s The Nine Muses, which takes a poetic look at the immigrant experience, particularly through using images of Caribbean and African migrants in the 1950s and ’60s.
The fest will close with a live score by alt-rock band Yo La Tengo accompanying the avant-garde scientific underwater films by French documentary filmmaker Jean Painlevé. Yo La Tengo has been performing “Sounds of Science” since they were commissioned for the project by the San Francisco Film Festival in 2001.
In between these two events is a lineup of feature-length experimental works,...
Below is the lineup for Images’ specific film screening events and some live performances. The fest’s Opening Night film is John Akomfrah’s The Nine Muses, which takes a poetic look at the immigrant experience, particularly through using images of Caribbean and African migrants in the 1950s and ’60s.
The fest will close with a live score by alt-rock band Yo La Tengo accompanying the avant-garde scientific underwater films by French documentary filmmaker Jean Painlevé. Yo La Tengo has been performing “Sounds of Science” since they were commissioned for the project by the San Francisco Film Festival in 2001.
In between these two events is a lineup of feature-length experimental works,...
- 4/9/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
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