Producer Ina Fichman, Oscar nominated for “Fire of Love,” was at the 25th edition of Hot Docs Forum on Tuesday to pitch her latest project “Ba’s Book.” Directed by Canadian filmmaker Ashley Da-Le Duong, the hybrid docu focuses on Duong’s father and his experiences living through both the Vietnam War and the Iranian Revolution.
“Let me take you somewhere for a moment,” Duong told the Forum audience and participating distributors including Arte, A24 and Al Jazeera. “It’s 1968 and a young man stands in the middle of a rice paddy field and looks up and sees a helicopter. Not unusual because his house is right beside an American army base, but this time the helicopter overhead shoots at him and he pretends to be dead. He vows to leave his village forever. Eventually he does escape. He wins a scholarship to Iran. But his escaping terror is short...
“Let me take you somewhere for a moment,” Duong told the Forum audience and participating distributors including Arte, A24 and Al Jazeera. “It’s 1968 and a young man stands in the middle of a rice paddy field and looks up and sees a helicopter. Not unusual because his house is right beside an American army base, but this time the helicopter overhead shoots at him and he pretends to be dead. He vows to leave his village forever. Eventually he does escape. He wins a scholarship to Iran. But his escaping terror is short...
- 5/1/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Every year, SXSW seems to grow in size and breadth. The opportunities to glimpse the future and connect with its architects in an intersection of disciplines—music, technology, television, and cinema included—can be overwhelming. And in 2024 alone, there were more than 115 films and 80 short features at the fest.
It is impossible to see everything, yet our team of critics and journalists made a concerted effort to give it the old college try. Of the more than 40 projects we did glean between us, here were the ones that stood out most and we think should probably be on your radar. Also to note, the list is in alphabetical order.
Adrianne & the Castle
Given the sheer volume and variety of films at this festival, rarely does one do a double-take when reading loglines or hearing directors or producers soft pitch their films in passing. But that was absolutely the case...
It is impossible to see everything, yet our team of critics and journalists made a concerted effort to give it the old college try. Of the more than 40 projects we did glean between us, here were the ones that stood out most and we think should probably be on your radar. Also to note, the list is in alphabetical order.
Adrianne & the Castle
Given the sheer volume and variety of films at this festival, rarely does one do a double-take when reading loglines or hearing directors or producers soft pitch their films in passing. But that was absolutely the case...
- 3/18/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
While studio-backed crowdpleasers tend to dominate the headlines generated by the SXSW Film & TV Festival (like rowdy opener “Road House” and steamy closer “The Idea of You”), this year’s festival was chock-a-block with smaller offerings that a) delighted audiences and b) are still looking for distributions deals so that the may delight still more audiences. These titles run the gamut: debuts and follow-up features, narrative films and documentaries, comedies and horror joints, bonafide award winners and seemingly instant cult classics, and at least one film that hinges on the possibilities of “Grand Theft Auto.”
And while it’s still early days, given the incredible assortment of films still looking for homes, we can’t help but tout their allure to all interested buyers. These aren’t just the best available films from SXSW, they’re some of the very best of the fest, full stop, and wider audiences deserve to see them,...
And while it’s still early days, given the incredible assortment of films still looking for homes, we can’t help but tout their allure to all interested buyers. These aren’t just the best available films from SXSW, they’re some of the very best of the fest, full stop, and wider audiences deserve to see them,...
- 3/18/2024
- by Kate Erbland and David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
“Reality is for those who lack imagination” is one of the many witticisms dispensed by Adrianne Blue Wakefield St. George, the star and subject of Shannon Walsh’s documentary “Adrianne & The Castle” and a woman who also once proclaimed: “I am my own art.” Indeed she was. A gloriously Rubenesque force of nature who appeared to take her fashion and beauty tips from Divine, Adrianne was muse not only to herself but likewise to her adoring husband Alan St. George, who built a castle for — and his entire life around — his beloved wife of 30-plus years.
Now, in the wake of her death almost two decades ago, Alan has become the keeper of his late partner’s story; of Adrianne’s voluminous journals and the extensive collection of home videos Alan shot of her, in addition to “The Day the Queen of Cold Got a Face Lift” and the...
Now, in the wake of her death almost two decades ago, Alan has become the keeper of his late partner’s story; of Adrianne’s voluminous journals and the extensive collection of home videos Alan shot of her, in addition to “The Day the Queen of Cold Got a Face Lift” and the...
- 3/11/2024
- by Lauren Wissot
- Indiewire
Shannon Walsh’s documentary “Adrianne & the Castle”, which will make its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival on March 9, tells the love story of Alan St. George and his late wife, Adrianne, via fantastical musical re-enactments. Before her death, St. Georges, a mascot-maker and artist, hand-built Havencrest Castle, a medieval castle in rural Illinois that represented the love between the couple. Walsh follows St. George as he puts the finishing touches on Havencrest Castle while also grappling with his grief over the passing of his wife.
“We say it’s the greatest love story you’ve never heard of,” says Walsh, whose previous films include “The Gig Is Up.” “It’s really a story of love and grief and the risk that you take whenever you fall in love. Grief is really the central thread. But it’s also about imagination and our ability to create...
“We say it’s the greatest love story you’ve never heard of,” says Walsh, whose previous films include “The Gig Is Up.” “It’s really a story of love and grief and the risk that you take whenever you fall in love. Grief is really the central thread. But it’s also about imagination and our ability to create...
- 2/29/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
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