July 25, 2006
Gathering of Filmmakers
Chattanooga, TN – Filmmakers, professionals working in the TV industry, film students and media artists are all invited to meet and mingle on Thursday, July 27, 2006. Jarrod Whaley, a local filmmaker and chair of the Commission's Local Projects Committee said, “There are many people in town working in film but they are not connected through any association. This is our first attempt to reach out to those people in an effort to organize, network, and hopefully bond the film community together.”
The event will take place at Foodworks, on 205 Manufacturers Road in the Knitting Mill Complex on July 27 at 6:30 pm. Appetizers will be provided.
Co-Founder and the City of Chattanooga’s Education Arts and Culture Director Missy Crutchfield said, “The Film Commission has a dual mission: generating business by enticing outside production companies to make films here in Chattanooga and also supporting the local film community which is growing and flourishing.”
For more information about the event email Jarrod Whaley at jaimetout@oakstreetfilms.com.
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June 28, 2006
Upward Bound Students Produce Story Of AIDS Film
Rising East Ridge High freshmen, Shikela Ray and twin sisters, LaShunda and LaQuanda Kendricks, arrived at UTC's Upward Bound program in early June to embark on six-weeks of pre-collegiate experience.
Within the first week, the threesome were assigned to a creative life skills project, in which they were to tell a story to their classmates through visual projection. They wrote a script, which was supposed to be submitted to Black Entertainment Television for its Rap-It-Up Contest, but they missed the deadline for entry.
They came up with "The Domino Effect: How I Got AIDS," a short film about a young girl who was conceived by a mother who had contracted AIDS through sex with an infected, drug abusing partner. The Kendricks, Ray and other Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math-Science students also serve as actors.
The film will be shown publicly on Friday, June 30, at 1 p.m. in the University Center Auditorium in the UTC University Center. Admission is free and open to the public.
Upward Bound is a pre-college program for low-income, at-risk youth who attend Howard, Brainerd and East Ridge High Schools, and who wish to pursue post-secondary education. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
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May 25, 2006
Back Row Series Continues June 1
The Back Row Film Series continues at the Hunter Museum on Thursday, June 1 at 5:30 p.m. with special guest "Cowboy" Jack Clement and the screening of the film Shakespeare Was a Big George Jones Fan: Jack Clement's Home Movies. In addition to the screening of this popular documentary directed by music historian Robert Gordon, there will be discussion and music provided by Cowboy Jack Clement.
Note: $5 discounted tickets are available for anyone with tickets to the George Jones concert on the same date.
AEC and Hunter members and UTC students and staff $5; all others $12 (admission +$5 movie charge), cash bar.
Visit www.BackRowFilms.com for more details.
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May 22, 2006
"Anti-Arktikos" Premiere at CTC
The world premiere of Anti-Arktikos (an animated film by local artist Judy Mogul) will take place on Thursday, June 15 on the main stage at The Chattanooga Theatre Centre (400 River Street). Showtimes are 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Contact the CTC box office at (423) 267-8534 for more information.
Anti-Arktikos
Written and Created by Judith Mogul
Cinematographer and Editor: Jarrod Whaley
Music and Sound Design: Bob Stagner & Dennis Palmer
Combining live action and stop motion animation, puppets and children, Anti-Arktikos follows the adventures of a young girl named "Momo" and her penguin friend "Pipi" in a land first identified by Greek geographers. Believing that a large continent existed at the "bottom" of the world, to balance the land that they knew about, early Greeks named this place "Anti-Arktikos".
Constructed primarily of paper, Judith Mogul's puppets and sets are brought vividly to life by the cinematography of Jarrod Whaley and the soundscape created by musicians Dennis Palmer and Bob Stagner.
Based on a dream by the artist herself, the film is set in a fantastical landscape of paper-sculpted glaciers--inhabited by demons, shamans, and a skeptical colony of penguins. Multiple layers of reality co-exist, as we travel from two- to three-dimensional animation and storytelling.
Click here to see a clip. (Real media player required.)
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"Chattanooga's Homeless Challenge" Documentary Premiere
"Chattanooga's Homeless Challenge," Wes Rehberg’s feature-length documentary exploring the lives of Chattanooga’s homeless and those who minister to them, premieres Thursday, May 25 at 6 p.m. at the Memorial Auditorium (399 McCallie Avenue). Admission is free. Call (423) 642-8497 for more information.
Click here to see some clips.
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April 24, 2006
Back Row Film Series Continues with "Confederate States of America"
The Back Row Film Series continues with the Chattanooga premiere of a Spike Lee-produced film entitled Confederate States of America, an eye-opening faux documentary about what America might have looked like if the South had won the Civil War. The film event will take place at the Hunter Museum of American Art, in collaboration with the Hunter Happens series, on Thursday, May 4, at 5:30 p.m.
In addition to the screening, the film’s director, Kevin Willmott, will share his experiences of creating and screening the film to standing-room-only crowds around the country. The event will also present the Winner of Best Short Documentary from the local film competition.
Willmott, a film professor at the University of Kansas, created this darkly comic movie to reach audiences who might not otherwise see a film about slavery and to encourage intelligent talk about race relations. The film’s presence in the US has been quite limited, so event organizers from the AEC, Hunter Museum, and UTC are thrilled about the opportunity to show this film for the first time in Chattanooga, and bring the director to share his own stories about this unique film endeavor.
Tickets are $12 and include museum admission. Hunter members, AEC Film Club members, and UTC students and faculty are admitted for only $5. To purchase tickets in advance, call the AEC at 423-267-1218. Tickets will be available at the door, but seating is limited. A cash bar will be open.
For more information, visit www.BackRowFilms.com or call (423) 267-1218.
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April 11, 2006
Film Up Front: Back Row Film Fest Kickoff at GPS
The Arts and Education Council’s 2005 Summer Film Series at the Hunter Museum was a rush job. The museum—complete with a brand new movie theatre—had just reopened after a massive expansion, and AEC (organizers of the Independent Film Series at the Bijou) hurried to expand their film offerings into the summer despite having little time to plan or attract sponsors. Once each month, AEC collaborated with the Hunter to show classic and independent films coupled with discussions with film historians and filmmakers, and preceded by short films from local filmmakers.
At the same time, organizers of the UTC-based Firefly Film Fest were mulling options for their next event. Their first event, held in the fall of 2004 at Club Fathom, featured a bevy of local, regional and national short films, but was hampered by similar time and money issues. And just as plans for a Firefly follow-up were being solidified, organizers from both sides met to brainstorm an idea for a brand new festival. In November of last year, the idea for the Back Row Film Series emerged.
“After we met with [the organizers of Firefly],” says Hunter Curator of Education and Back Row co-chair Adera Causey, “we all realized that we could join together to create one large partnership of film programs for a much stronger, large-scale offering that could have an even greater impact citywide.”
AEC board member and Back Row organizer Maury Nicely says that the Back Row series will be more of an “event” than its predecessors and he hopes that it can turn into a “marquee event” for the city.
“This year, we wanted to shift the focus of the series to bring in unique and interesting films which might not be otherwise available to Chattanooga filmgoers,” says Nicely. “At the same time, we continue to couple these films with additional presentations, including speakers, musical performances, and so forth, to enhance the viewers’ experience of the films.”
Incorporated into the museum’s Thursday night “Hunter Happens” schedule, the six-event Back Row series is a “celebration of film” that runs through September (see schedule below), offering an eclectic mix, from the edgy, Spike Lee-produced documentary Confederate States of America to music- and food-related film events to a panel discussion about the film Deliverance. A night devoted to local and regional short films kicks off the series at the GPS Evans Auditorium on April 15.
Causey is excited about the opportunities Back Row provides for up-and-coming filmmakers.
“This is a great venue for (local filmmakers) both to see and be inspired by professional films, to meet nationally known filmmakers and scholars, to be inspired and mentored by them and, of course, to showcase their own films to the local community in a prestigious forum.”
Featured at the series opener will be Suburban Tumbleweed, a slick and hilarious short about a 12-year-old zombie hunter, directed by Nashville filmmaker Seth Worley. Worley will be on hand to discuss the film. Members of the bands Actress, Gold and the Kissfits will be performing their original score to a silent film and a handful of other shorts and music videos will also be featured, including Jim Burer’s Krusty, Corey Critser’s Plague of Ticks and a few short films by Asher Mendonsa, the St. Elmo teen who was paralyzed after falling while shooting a film last year at Parkway Towers. The Hadrienne Kathleen Mendonsa Young Filmmaker’s Award—named in honor of Asher’s sister who passed away in November of last year after an automobile accident—will be given out in honor of, as Causey says, the Mendonsa’s “commitment to the film community.” A short film competition will take place for the duration of the series with winners in each category being screened on each film night.
In addition to submissions from UTC’s documentary production class, the series will also feature other local filmmakers’ works each week, including films made by Chris Willis’ video production students at UTC and the high school students who attended his workshops at the Hunter earlier this year. Willis, who served as a faculty advisor for Firefly and now serves as co-chair of Back Row, says events like Back Row are crucial to the development of a true local film scene.
“Local filmmakers are kind of challenged by what this city’s got to offer in terms of venues for showing their stuff and people to support them,” he says. “So, unless we get something rolling here, people are going to keep leaving (for bigger cities) to do this kind of work. We really need to create a scene here for people to get plugged into. Otherwise, they’re out of here. My goal is to build something that lasts here in Chattanooga; something that’s bigger than what we can do on our own, that’s citywide and hopefully has some longevity to it. AEC has helped with that.”
Continue reading "Film Up Front: Back Row Film Fest Kickoff at GPS"
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Indie Films at Barking Legs in May
F3Films, in cooperation with The Barking Legs Theater of downtown Chattanooga, is proud to announce “Movies in May” on Friday night, May 5th, at 7 p.m. They will be premiering four short independent films produced and directed by Tennessee’s own Jon Russell and Tracy Cring, a husband and wife team bringing a little bit of Hollywood to the Volunteer State.
The four films being presented are Dinner, The Man with the Red Hat, 12/23 and Inside, ranging in style from suspense and horror to Christmas to an historical drama to a dream-like sequence on the nature of creativity.
“Being an independent filmmaker means you have to use what you’ve got and make it look like what you want,” jokes Tracy Cring, main cinematographer. “Sometimes I wonder if we could make Ben Hur out of what we found in our couch cushions.”
When asked what F3Films stands for, Jon Russell replies, “It stands for fantasy, faith and farce—the three realms we wanted our films to explore that would cause adults to think and be entertained while not having to chase their kids out of the room.”
Each film runs about fifteen minutes in length.
They will also be showing trailers of their first feature-length film, Lenders Morgan, a mysterious epic drama set in rural America in 1969.
Mr. and Mrs. Cring will be at the screening of the movies to talk about the process of mini-budget filmmaking and the potentials available for budding artists as writers, actors and producers. The Barking Legs Theater is one of four stops in the Tennessee area in the month of May. Tickets are $5.00 and can be purchased at the door. For more information, please call 1 (800) 643-4718 then press 74.
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March 13, 2006
Back Row Kick-Off Event
The Back Row Film Series kickoff event will take on Saturday, April 15 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the GPS Evans Auditorium. This is the first event in the series co-sponsored by the Hunter, the Arts and Education Council and UTC. Local shorts will be presented and the audience will have a chance to vote on the best short, which will receive the Hadrienne Kathleen Mendonsa young Filmmakers award. The night will also feature a screening of the short film, Suburban Tumbleweed, as well a Q&A session with the film’s director, Seth Worley. Local musicians from the bands Actress, the Kissfits and Gold will be performing original music to an old silent movie. Admission $3 per person. Visit www.ArtsEdCouncil.org for more information.
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January 16, 2006
AEC's 2006 Spring Film Series Announced
The Arts & Education Council this week revealed its Spring 2006 Independent Film Series. The slate opens with Noah Baumbach’s The Squid and the Whale, the movie selected by Pulse film critic Aaron Mesh as the best film of 2005. “Baumbach’s comedic memoir of his Park Slope parents’ divorce is a gimlet-eyed satire of progressive mores and a heartbreaking record of adolescent memories,” Mesh wrote in his initial review. “It ruthlessly skewers intellectual pretension – including the sort of half-informed literary references often found on this page – but knows that, for Jeff Daniels’ thickly bearded college prof, self-importance is the only escape from overwhelming failure.”
Below is a list of all the films in the series, which begins at Carmike’s Bijou 7 on February 10.
The Squid and the Whale: (February 10-16)
Three Extremes: (February 17-23)
Paradise Now: (February 24-March 2)
The Kid and I: (March 3-9)
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont: (March 10-16)
Cache: (March 17-23)
The Dying Gaul: (March 24-30)
Winter Passing: (March 31-April 6)
Why We Fight: (April 7-13)
The Intruder: (April 14-20)
Merry Christmas: (April 21-27)
Unknown White Male: (April 28-May 4)
This article appears in the January 18, 2006 issue of The Pulse.
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January 12, 2006
Story: Brian Cagle's Ruthie premieres at The Hunter on January 18.
Trent Creswell (background) and Kim Coolidge in a scene from Ruthie.
Click here to read "Community By Film, Through Film, For Film" in The Pulse.
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January 10, 2006
Film Night at Caffeine
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November 18, 2005
New Brian Cagle Film to Premiere at the Hunter in January
From the Hunter Museum site:
Join award-winning filmmaker Chattanooga native Brian Cagle for the world premiere screening of this new indy film. “Ruthie,” filmed locally using local talent, is the story of two teens who take refuge in a subdivision that has been the site of a series of mysterious arsons. Hear the film maker and others involved in the movie speak and be the first to see this world premiere.
You can see some stills from the upcoming film here.
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November 04, 2005
ProjectGod Premiere Tonight @ The Rave
This just in from the folks at ProjectGod:
ProjectGod will have it's first screening premiere at Rave Motion Pictures (East Ridge) this evening at 7 p.m. ProjectGod currently has 11 films on its site. Three new movies will be premiered this evening. Including one shot in high definition and ProjectGod's largest movie yet, Confession. It will be an exciting evening and should have good crowds at the theatre because Chicken Little is playing in digital 3d as well.
For more info, call Executive Producer Andre Dantzler at (423) 400-7416.
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November 03, 2005
Sunday Night Cinema @ Caffeine
On Sunday, November 13, Caffeine (233 East MLK Blvd.) will be hosting "Sunday Night Cinema," an evening of experimental short films, including animation and avant garde. Showtimes are 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Call (423) 756-5911 for more information.
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October 24, 2005
Painting The Movies
Click here here to read about Katy Mena's recent foray into movie make-up on the set of Brian Cagle's recent film.
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September 29, 2005
Fire Eye Productions Grand Opening: October 6
Fire Eye Productions Inc. will celebrate its grand opening at its new location at 212 W. 8th Street on October 6. The celebration will include a catered lunch, beginning at 11 a.m.
Launched in 2000, Fire Eye provides businesses with creative, innovative and economical solutions for telling their corporate story, according to Fire Eye President and CEO Kris Simmons.
“The services of our digital media producers include helping businesses develop the best means of introducing products or services, helping non-profits with fund-raising activities and helping associations communicate important information to their members,” he says.
Among Fire Eye’s many products and services are DVD presentations, CD cards, event production, webcasting and streaming, training videos, and television commercials.
Fire Eye video presentations range from a 2004 Annual Report for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee to a Community Education Alliance Recruiting Video for the City of Chattanooga.
Prior to founding Fire Eye, Simmons was producer/director at Motion Picture Services, where he was instrumental in client account management, project development and the creative design and implementation of many video/multimedia productions.
Simmons, who has received three Addy Awards from the Chattanooga Advertising Federation for excellence in video production, was named Tennessee’s Small Business AdministrationYoung Entrepreneur of the Year in 2004.
For more information about Fire Eye, visit www.fireeyeproductions.com or contact Simmons at info@fireeyeproductions.com.
Arrangements for the Fire Eye grand opening celebration are being made by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.
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August 15, 2005
Help Needed on a Film
Volunteers are needed (grips, audio techs, etc.) for a short indie film being produced in Chattanooga by UTC alum Brian Cagle. This is a great chance to work on a project that is actually being shot on 16mm and they will also be using some Hollywood style dollies with tracks and other neat toys.
If you can help, even for only a few hours during the first 12 days of
September, E-mail Brian here.
Also, please tell anyone else you think might be interested.
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August 07, 2005
Lazy Bear sneak preview DVD obtained by the CFB
(Click for extreme bigness)
I have "obtained" (OK, they gave me one...) a copy of Lazy Bear's newest work, which is actually two older works plus one newer work all snuggily squeezed onto one easy-to-enjoy-yet-labeless DVD.
Regardless, it is quite good and will make its debut at the Hunter's classic film series next Thursday night.
Should you attend, pay close attention to Chris Willis' sweet clapping action during Rosebud! The Musical.
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July 22, 2005
Rebel ready to go
According to organizers, the Rebel Film Fest (RIFF) “will feature some of the best in independent filmmaking throughout the globe.” The festival features everything from feature length dramatic motion pictures to comedic shorts and takes place Sunday, July 31 at 6 p.m. at the new Encore Theatre (3264 Brainerd Rd.). Admission is free.
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Pedro says vote for the Firefly Film Fest
As Chris Willis posted today on his blog, the Firefly Film Fest is moving forward quite nicely:
"Things are looking up for the Firefly Film Festival this fall. We are meeting with the county Monday about a tourism grant application I sent in, hopefully to fund an appearance by Efren Ramirez, otherwise known as 'Pedro' from Napoleon Dynamite.
Someone suggested a name change such that people would get a better idea of where we are and what the festival is about. I've got 'The Unpretentious Film Festival' (TUFF), or 'Student Films, Eh..'
Any suggestions?"
The Chattanoogan.com story alluding the festival being left out of the grant pool no longer applies as the aforementioned (brief) meeting between Firefly organizers and the county is set for Monday morning.
Check out the Firefly Film Club's PSA that plays on UTC TV. Ryan DiGiorgi's voiceover is quite hilarious. (Requires high speed connection and Windows Media Player)
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