The Oscars can have its annual celebrity luncheon. This week, several documentarians celebrated the Cinema Eye Honors with an after-hours field trip to the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Conceived in 2008 as a bid to broaden awareness for documentary achievements, the Cinema Eyes highlight a dozen categories that range from best director to best cinematography to graphic design. However, while it began as a tonic to the five-nominee limitations that circumscribe the Oscars, the Cinema Eyes have evolved into an idiosyncratic celebration all its own. Although the awards are Wednesday night at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, the ceremony is now only the culmination of a full week of programming that includes three days of activities.
“It’s kind of like senior skip week,” said co-founder and filmmaker Aj Schnack, catching his breath on Monday night before delivering a speech to the filmmakers in attendance. “Yes,...
Conceived in 2008 as a bid to broaden awareness for documentary achievements, the Cinema Eyes highlight a dozen categories that range from best director to best cinematography to graphic design. However, while it began as a tonic to the five-nominee limitations that circumscribe the Oscars, the Cinema Eyes have evolved into an idiosyncratic celebration all its own. Although the awards are Wednesday night at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, the ceremony is now only the culmination of a full week of programming that includes three days of activities.
“It’s kind of like senior skip week,” said co-founder and filmmaker Aj Schnack, catching his breath on Monday night before delivering a speech to the filmmakers in attendance. “Yes,...
- 1/11/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
It might be missing the industry saturated Park City fervor, but the smaller, shorter, and more intimate Columbia, Missouri based True/False Film Festival is the Rolls-Royce (by way of John Deere) of doc focused cinema. Filmmaker Laura Poitras is not alone in stating that her “love for True/False runs deep – from the smart programming, passionate audiences, inspired buskers, and fabulous venues.” Time and time again, selected filmmakers throughout this year’s edition expressed their love of the fest, while plenty of filmmaker personalities from prior editions could be spotted milling around town as casual filmgoers happy to pay to relive the experience.
With a highly curated program just shy of 50 films shown on 9 different screens (each of which are walkable in just 5-10 minutes of one another) over just 4 days, True/False centers its attention on quality and community, both locally and cinematically. For a city with a...
With a highly curated program just shy of 50 films shown on 9 different screens (each of which are walkable in just 5-10 minutes of one another) over just 4 days, True/False centers its attention on quality and community, both locally and cinematically. For a city with a...
- 3/15/2016
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Director Aj Schnack and his producing partner Nathan Truesdell had an incredibly busy week at the 2013 Hot Docs Film Festival, peddling a pair of features in Caucus and We Always Lie To Strangers, which was co-directed by David Wilson. While the former follows the 2011-2012 Iowa Republican race a la Primary and The War Room, the former is a hands off portrait of four families in the stage based vacation destination, Branson, Missouri. Both reveal the hearts and souls of people who normally never reveal their true selves to the public they so urgently need to survive in their chosen fields.
Their films, though never stated explicitly, have been more about places rather than people. Prior to a special screening of The War Room moderated by Schnack himself, I had the opportunity to speak with the pair of filmmakers about why this is, as well as how the Ross bothers...
Their films, though never stated explicitly, have been more about places rather than people. Prior to a special screening of The War Room moderated by Schnack himself, I had the opportunity to speak with the pair of filmmakers about why this is, as well as how the Ross bothers...
- 7/28/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
"It's like Vegas if it were run by Ned Flanders," Bart Simpson once said about Branson, Missouri. And while that makes for a good joke, the truth is that Branson does have a rich musical history, and that gets explored in the forthcoming documentary, "We Always Lie To Strangers." Directed by Aj Schnack and David Wilson, and premiering this past spring as part of the Documentary Feature Competition at SXSW, the film chronicles the unique Ozark town of 10,500 that pays host to 7.5 million tourists a year, with attractions that include over 100 musical stage shows. However, that doesn't mean just anyone can come in and set up shop. In this exclusive clip we see the kind of wholesome entertainment Branson has become known for, while a veteran reminds viewers that for all the success, many have failed when trying to establish their own hit spectacles. "We Always Lie To Strangers" is...
- 5/12/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
It’s almost here! The 22nd Annual St. Louis International Film Festival (Sliff) kicks off this Thursday night, November 14th.
Sliff will screen 330 films: 75 narrative features, 63 documentary features, and 192 shorts and the first of these will be the eagerly-awaited Branson documentary We Always Lie To Strangers. The screening will take place at the Tivoli Theater Thursday night, November 14th, at 7:00pm.
There will be an opening night reception, awards presentation, and live performance by We Always Lie To Strangers subjects Gail Lennon, Bill Lennon and Pope Firman before and after the screening. Doors open at 6pm.
Cost is $15 for the reception, film, and concert.
Co-directors Aj Schnack and David Wilson, cinematographer/producer Nathan Truesdell, and subjects Bill and Gail Lennon will be at the reception. Schnack is the recipient of Sliff’s Charles Guggenheim Cinema St. Louis Award.
We Always Lie To Strangers is a story of family, community,...
Sliff will screen 330 films: 75 narrative features, 63 documentary features, and 192 shorts and the first of these will be the eagerly-awaited Branson documentary We Always Lie To Strangers. The screening will take place at the Tivoli Theater Thursday night, November 14th, at 7:00pm.
There will be an opening night reception, awards presentation, and live performance by We Always Lie To Strangers subjects Gail Lennon, Bill Lennon and Pope Firman before and after the screening. Doors open at 6pm.
Cost is $15 for the reception, film, and concert.
Co-directors Aj Schnack and David Wilson, cinematographer/producer Nathan Truesdell, and subjects Bill and Gail Lennon will be at the reception. Schnack is the recipient of Sliff’s Charles Guggenheim Cinema St. Louis Award.
We Always Lie To Strangers is a story of family, community,...
- 11/12/2013
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
As Moore’s Law has continued to raise the quality and lower the cost of Av equipment, and more fledgling filmmakers have dipped their feet in the fountain of non-fiction, there’s been much talk about us being in the midst of a new golden age of documentary filmmaking. Now, lofty statements like these generally wind up being little more than buzzword attractions meant to set the blogosphere aflame, but this year has undoubtedly been a stellar year for the non-fiction form. From politically shattering investigations to form flexing art films to immensely personal portraits, not only are documentaries making a major impact on the ol’ festival circuit – Sundance, Tribeca, Hot Docs, SXSW, AFI Docs – many fest favorites from last year have had considerable success this year in art house theatres, not just in NYC & La, but in some cases nationwide – not an easy feat.
Of the lengthy list of...
Of the lengthy list of...
- 7/29/2013
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
The Jury Awards for the 2013 SXSW Film Festival were announced tonight, with the major awards going to narrative feature “Short Term 12” and documentary “William and the Windmill.” The eligible films were those in the narrative feature and documentary feature competition categories; the Audience Awards, to be announced March 16, are culled from all feature categories save headliners and special events. A complete list of tonight’s winners is below. Feature Film Jury Awards Documentary Feature Competition Grand Jury Winner: “William and the Windmill,” director: Ben Nabors Special Jury Recognition for Cinematography: “Touba,” Director of Photography Scott Duncan Special Jury Recognition for Directing: “We Always Lie To Strangers,” directors: Aj Schnack & David Wilson Narrative Feature COMPETITIONGrand Jury Winner: “Short Term 12,” director: Destin Daniel Cretton Special Jury Recognition for Ensemble Cast: “Burma”Christopher Abbott, Gaby Hoffmann, Christopher McCann, Dan Bittner, Emily Fleischer, Jacinta Puga, Matt McCarthy, Kelly Aucoin Special Jury Recognition for Acting: Tishuan Scott,...
- 3/13/2013
- backstage.com
For a certain generation, their only knowledge of Branson, Missouri may be from a quip by Bart Simpson who once said that Homer described it as "Las Vegas if it was run by Ned Flanders." Indeed, known for its own brand of colorful nightlife and entertainment, the city is far from a punchline, and has become one of the top tourist destinations in America. And starting this weekend at the SXSW Film Festival, you can take a closer look at Branson and what it means to live and perform there. Directed by Aj Schnack and David Wilson, and slotted in the Documentary Feature Competition at SXSW, "We Always Lie To Strangers" takes a look at the Ozark town, in which family still plays a very important factor both on stage and off. But with shifting social mores and the rippling effects of the economy being felt, changes are happening in Branson,...
- 3/7/2013
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
South by Southwest (SXSW) is just one of many film festivals, we here at Sound On Sight cover yearly. The fest, which takes place every spring in Austin, Texas, began in 1987, and has continued to grow in size every year. The fest announced the first wave of films back in early January, and the lineup included some highly anticipated films such as The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Evil Dead, Downloaded and Spring Breakers. Now the full lineup has been announced, and it just might be one of the best lineups the festival has ever programmed.
SXSW takes place March 8-16 in Austin Texas. Here are just some of the films we are excited about.
Narrative Feature Competition – This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,191 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere.
Awful Nice
Director/Screenwriter: Todd Sklar, Screenwriter: Alex Rennie
Estranged brothers Jim and Dave must travel to Branson together when...
SXSW takes place March 8-16 in Austin Texas. Here are just some of the films we are excited about.
Narrative Feature Competition – This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,191 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere.
Awful Nice
Director/Screenwriter: Todd Sklar, Screenwriter: Alex Rennie
Estranged brothers Jim and Dave must travel to Branson together when...
- 2/1/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Some of the best films of the 2012/2013 calender year from Richard Linklater, Harmony Korine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Andrew Bujalski, Jeff Nichols, David Gordon Green, Shane Carruth and Joshua Oppenheimer are among the headliner names for the 2013 edition of the South by Southwest Film Festival. With a little over 100 plus film line-up (a whopping 2000+ titles were submitted), almost 70 are world premieres: there is the highly anticipated sophomore film (that has been on our radar since it first went into production) with M. Blash’s (The Wait), Joe Swanberg who makes SXSW his second home will premiere Drinking Buddies, veteran indie filmmaker John Sayles saddles in with Go For Sisters, and rounding out the Narrative Spotlight section we’ve got The Bounceback from Bryan Poyser, Loves Her Gun from Geoff Marslett along with titles we thought might break into Park City, but found an Austin home instead with Jacob Vaughan’s Milo and...
- 2/1/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
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