Some Timely Independent Film Gossip

E'lo again, indie film sponges! With the Sundance Film Festival upon us, I only thought it proper that I say a little about the shenanigans that are occuring on the other side of our fair nation.

Sundance kicked off its 26th installment just a little over a week ago now. The big news surrounding the festival this year, beyond the usual "my favorite film" gossip ("Blue Valentine" directed by Derek Cianfrance), is the new kid on the block, John Cooper. Cooper has been involved with the festival for over 20 years and now is inheriting the directorship reins from Mr. Geoffrey Gilmore, and boy, is he heir to a tough industry. With the recession the way it has been, it is an incredibly difficult time for independent film -- many major studios have shut down their independent wings to cut costs. It's a sad reality, but indie film is generally like the theater program at a high school during tough times -- keep the sports (mainstream studios) and cut the arts (independent film). But heck, evidently it's not all doom and gloom; I stumbled upon a short upbeat interview by NPR's Culturetopia in which Mr. Cooper gives his own opinion on the industry's situation, as it relates to Sundance.

Hope you enjoy!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122867520

- Andrew

Indie Flick Files - First blog post...second semester

Hey there Indie Flick Filers!

Andrew Graham here - your zealous-yet-slightly remiss producer.

For those of you going through withdrawal from a lack of independent films, fear not: Indie Flick Files is back and has a new film slated to air in February, and it's a doozy. "Aaltra" is a film written by, directed by, and co-starring Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern, who hail all the way from Belgium (yes, they make films over there too). I know I have a bias when I say this is a strong film, but for lovers of dark and physical humor, this film will hit your funny bone in all the right places. Delépine and Kervern are masters of saying just enough to make a joke work. Their punchlines are subtle and underplayed in a way that will have you nodding in approval as you chuckle along with the unbelievably original story line. This picture has reaffirmed for me why independent film is so important -- the innovative ideas come from the edges and "Aaltra" is way out there in left field, positioned in a way to challenge how we look at comedy in cinema.

Hey, it made me giggle.


- Andrew


"Indie Flick Files" airing every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday only on OTN: channel 2, 2.1 and 2.2.