Alla Kovgan’s CUNNINGHAM to premiere at TIFF, U.S. premiere at NYFF

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Current VCFA film student Alla Kovgan’s film, CUNNINGHAM, will have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on September 6th and 7th, 2019, and its U.S. premiere at the 57th New York Film Festival, on September 29th and October 1st!

Thom Powers from TIFF writes of the film:

The iconic Merce Cunningham and the last generation of his dance company is stunningly profiled in Alla Kovgan’s 3D documentary, through recreations of his landmark works and archival footage of Cunningham, John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg, and more.

Even for those who know little about dance, Merce Cunningham is a recognizable name — an iconic figure in his field. His mid–20th century collaborations with composer John Cage (his lifelong partner) and visual artist Robert Rauschenberg were central to an era of transformation. Cunningham resisted “avant-garde” or any other label. “I don’t describe it. I do it,” he once said.

Now, with Cunningham, we have a chance to experience what he did. Filmmaker Alla Kovgan assembles the last generation of Cunningham dancers (led by Merce Cunningham Dance Company assistant director of choreography Jennifer Goggans) to present landmark works from the Cunningham repertoire. The film concentrates on the three decades from 1942 to 1972 when Cunningham was making his reputation. Gorgeously shot in 3D, Cunningham brings us closer to these works than any audience has ever been before. Taking an inventive approach with locations, the film places dancers in evocative backdrops such as a tunnel, a high-rise rooftop, and a forest.

These current-day performances are interlaced with archival footage of Cunningham speaking and moving. We also hear illuminating interviews with Cage, Rauschenberg, and members of the original Merce Cunningham Dance Company, who endured years of rejection and outrage before they slowly won over audiences.

“I never believed that idea that dancing was the greatest of the arts,” said Cunningham. “But when it clicks, there’s the rub. It becomes memorable. And one can be seduced all over again.” Whether you come to Cunningham as a neophyte or an aficionado, you’ll leave with a rich experience of his art.

Earlier this year Magnolia Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film. Magnolia president Eamonn Bowles said at the time, “Alla Kovgan’s stunning cinematic tribute to the genius of Merce Cunningham is destined to end up as a classic of the genre. We’re thrilled to be bringing it to the public.”

Congrats Alla! We can’t wait to see the rave reviews roll in!

Born in Moscow, Kovgan has divided her time between Europe and the US working with dance and film collaborations on screen, VR and in theatre. In addition to directing, Kovgan has a strong background as a documentary writer and editor. Her film NORA has received 30 awards in every genre and was broadcast worldwide. She co-wrote/edited the Emmy-nominated TRACES OF THE TRADE (Sundance, PBS), MOVEMENT REVOLUTION AFRICA (ZDF/ARTE) and edited MY PERESTROIKA (Sundance, PBS). Her first VR piece with Finnish music duo Puhti DEVIL’S LUNGS won Grand Prix at the Vienna Shorts Festival, which made her an artist-in-residence at Vienna’s Museum Quarter 21 in 2019. Kovgan will graduate from VCFA’s MFA in Film program in the spring of 2020. Kovgan wrote and directed her most recent film, CUNNINGHAM.

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Film faculty Till Schauder receives competitive 2019 Seoul Film Commission grant!

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VCFA film faculty Till Schauder recently received a competitive Seoul Screenplay Development grant from the Seoul Film Commission for his feature script ALMOST 14. The project, a film mostly set in Korea, will be on a nice trajectory for production with the help of this exciting grant award.

More about the Seoul Screenplay Development Support program:

The Seoul Screenplay Development Support program is not intended to provide support to Korean films. The goal of the program is to support the development of “overseas” projects that are set in Seoul but target foreign markets. 

This year, due to the increase in the number of submissions as well as in the variety of countries from which the applicants hail, a great deal of time and impassioned discussions went into the judges making their final selections. The utmost importance was placed on projects that would be difficult to produce if they were not filmed in Korea, and projects that were deemed to be able to enhance the image of Seoul were preferentially chosen with due consideration of their quality. 

Congrats Till! We look forward to seeing ALMOST 14 come to life!

 

Till Schauder is a Brooklyn-based writer, director, and cinematographer. His films have premiered at major film festivals around the world including Tribeca, Berlin, and Tokyo, and are funded through grants, partnerships and co-productions with organizations like the Sundance Documentary Institute, Fork Films, The Catapult Film Fund, The Jerome Foundation, NYSCA, Film und Medienstiftung NRW, FFA/German Federal Film Board, ITVS, ARD, ZDF, ARTE and many others. His films include: SANTA SMOKES,  THE IRAN JOB, WHEN GOD SLEEPS, WARRIORS OF FAITH (GLAUBENSKRIEGER), and REGGAE BOYZ. In addition to teaching at VCFA, Schauder teaches film at NYU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies and is a frequent guest speaker at other film schools.Sports brands | Nike Air Force 1 , Sneakers , Ietp STORE

Alumnx Spotlight: Martin Castañeda (’16)

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VCFA’s MFA in Film alumnx Martín Castañeda has recently been hired as a full-time visiting professor at New Mexico Highlands University  in the Media Arts Department starting August 2019. Castañeda has been teaching as adjunct faculty in film at the Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) for the past 2 years. In addition to his teaching, Castañeda has been working on commercials and several smaller productions as Assistant Production Coordinator.

In 2018, Castañeda directed the short BAD SITUATION (written by Leon Gaitanis), with a crew entirely composed of CNM students. BAD SITUATION has seen some fantastic festival action this year, including: official selection in 5 festivals in NM, Canada, LA, and TN (so far!); nominations for Best Actor, Screenwriting ,and Original Idea; the “Platinum Award: Best New Mexico Short” at Mindfield Film Festival in NM; Semi-Finalist at Los Angeles CineFest; and winner in its category at New Mexico Filmmakers Showcase 2019.

We caught-up with Martín and asked him a few questions about the project:

The synopsis of BAD SITUATION reads, “a final discussion with death.” Can you share a bit more about the tone and tenor of the film? 

The film is about Jack, a self recluse in the middle of nowhere that receives an unexpected visitor. Jack knows who this is: death finally coming for him. He’s been expecting it, but what he doesn’t know is death first wants to go over some uncomfortable loose ends about his past before deciding his fate.

Your crew was comprised of CNM students, were there any unforeseen challenges that you noted when working on this project with them? Do you find you have to work harder as a director when you have a greener crew?

I had to constantly remind myself that it was a film executed by students in their first term of school, and as such, I couldn’t just jump in and intervene to get what I had in mind. I had to really let go and let them do everything. This is something I learned at VCFA in my third semester when I worked on ABOUT BARBARA, a film developed mostly by the actors during a month long laboratory. On BAD SITUATION, I had a couple of students coming from working in theater, so their previous skills really shined through in the film’s set dressing and wardrobe.

I actually never expected much life beyond the classroom environment for BAD SITUATION. It was Scot, one of the actors, that asked if he could send it to festivals, and the result really surprised me! It’s ironic, I would make an expensive film and no one seemed interested, but this one, made with zero budget (besides school equipment and facilities of course), was picked up by everyone around here.

What elements of filmmaking do you most enjoy teaching and why?

Teaching is a passion I discovered while chasing my first passion: filmmaking. What I enjoy the most is the second half of the term when the students have gone through learning the technical and technological elements and it’s time for them to apply it all to their creativity. That’s when I become less of a professor and more of a supervisor and advisor.

To see more of Martín’s work, find him on vimeo!

Martín Castañeda is US-Peru dual citizen filmmaker. He’s worked in advertisement, teaching, as in-house videographer for institutions and writing, acting, directing and editing films. He received his MFA in Film degree in April 2016.

His feature length screenplay WRITTEN BY VICTORS won a Royal Reel 2016 Award at the Canada International Film Festival and was officially selected at the Berlin Film Fest International 2016. His short film BOX won Best Experimental Film at the 2015 Oregon International Film Awards, and his latest short JOAN IN OWL LAND was officially selected at the Vermont International Film Festival 2016 and ITVfest 2016.

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Student Spotlight: Frances de Larminat’s short film, ANNABELLE, to screen at Revelations Film Festival in Australia

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Current VCFA MFA in Film student Frances de Larminat’s experimental short film, ANNABELLE, will be screening at Revelations Film Festival in Australia this July!

Through a rupturing of visual images and stammering of text, sound, and language, Annabelle is invited to escape a world of male dependence in search of liberty and self-reliance.

Revelations Film Festival has been dubbed “Australia’s leading festival of indie cinema” by The West Australian and “A true champion of independent cinema” by Filmink.

Super cool–congrats Frances!

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Ian Cheney’s (’18) films, THIRTEEN WAYS and PICTURE CHARACTER, premiere

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Alumnus Ian Cheney’s (’18) thesis documentary, THIRTEEN WAYS, will screen at the DC Environmental Film Festival on Thursday, Mar 21, 2019.

A series of scientists (and, for good measure, a few nonscientists) travel to a plot of Maine land they have never seen before. One-by-one, through all four seasons, they walk the land and describe what they see. What unfolds is an unusual meditation upon the human relationship to the natural world and the power of different ways of seeing.


PICTURE CHARACTER, directed by Cheney and Martha Shane, will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC on Sunday, April 28, 2019.

Emojis (Japanese for “picture character”) have emerged as a way for billions to communicate. Their widespread use and ability to convey complex and subtle feelings could mean the world is on the cusp of discovering a new language. Directors Martha Shane and Ian Cheney take us deep into the world of picture characters, from the private non-profit international consortium that standardized emoji offerings and decides on the introduction of new ones, to the campaigns for new emojis such as those depicting menstruation and Argentinian mate, and to the very beginnings of emojis in Japan. 

Picture Character follows the path of smiling poops and heart-eyed faces, tackles the development of skin tones, and tracks the evolution of the global digital language. Like a good use of a chin scratching emoji, the documentary is both thought-provoking and fun, and it will insure that viewers never look at another emoji, or think of language itself, the same way again.  (Sudeep Sharma)

Be sure to check out the full lineup of 2019 Tribeca Festival films.

We expect to see both of these films have a busy festival year–stay tuned!Adidas footwear | Air Jordan

Festival Roundup: Alumnus John Bruner’s (’17) thesis short, GROUNDED

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Alumnus John Bruner‘s (’17) thesis film GROUNDED has had tremendous festival success this past year screening at: Woods Hole Film Festival, Maryland International Film Festival, Austin Indie Fest, Canada Shorts, Short and Sweet Film Festival, Great Lakes Shorts Festival, Independent Shorts Awards, as well as at the UFVA (University Film and Video Association) Conference.

GROUNDED will next be screened this April (2019) at the Ft. Myers Beach International Film Festival.

 

James is a pilot trying to move into management. He might miss his big chance because he has to take his aging and very proper mother home after her extended visit. As James struggles to get back on course, his mother runs out of time to reveal a secret that could be what finally slows James down.

​The film is semi-autobiographical, recounting road trips the director took with his own mother more than a decade ago. It’s a story about some universal truths: how we sometimes put careers in front of people, how fears can block our enjoyment of life, and how we all crave a closeness within our families that’s sometimes hard to achieve.

 

 

 

 

More about John: John Bruner teaches film and media production at Taylor University. John has worked in film and broadcast/corporate television as an executive producer, director, writer, camera operator, editor and engineer. He envisioned and co-founded Taylor’s Los Angeles semester, preparing students to work in the entertainment industry. His career has taken him as far as Russia and Australia, from documentary and narrative filmmaking to television coverage of live concerts, political events, and sports.

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Alumni Spotlight: Angelique Webster’s (’18) short doc RESPECT AND LOVE

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Angelique Webster’s thesis short doc RESPECT AND LOVE is on fire! In addition to past screenings we highlighted last fall, here is a round up of upcoming film festival showings, with no doubt more on the way! (Keep on eye out on RESPECT AND LOVE’s official facebook page to keep apprised of all of the details.)

March 2019 Events:

Women in Media Film Festival– Newark, New Jersey

Rapid Lion Film Festival– Johannesburg, South Africa

POW ( Portland Oregon Women’s) Film Festival– Portland, Oregon

Universe Multicultural Film Festival -Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

2019 New England Graduate Media Symposium– Boston, MA

April 2019 (and beyond) Events:

American Doc Film Festival–  April 2019 Palm Springs, CA

Langston Hughes Film Festival– April 2019 Seattle Washington

Creatively Speaking Double Exposure Film Series– Maysles Documentary Center June 2019  Harlem, NY

It has been said that Gloria was the first African-American woman to sue the Catholic Church. RESPECT AND LOVE is a short experimental documentary, in which the filmmaker sits down with her mother 30 years later to gain insight on how those experiences have shaped her mother’s life.

 

 

We recently caught up with Angelique and asked her a few questions, here is what she had to say:

RESPECT AND LOVE is a deeply personal story for you and your family, in what ways did the concept change or evolve from the start of the project through its completion?

I think the major change to my film was adding my voice. My plan was to use my mother’s interview to tell the story. As I was going through the footage I realize that strong transitions were missing. Along with the need for smooth transitions, I decided to juxtapose my thoughts along side of my mother’s. The two storylines made the film fuller and much more three dimensional.

What is the most valuable piece of advise, feedback, or inspiration you received here at VCFA as an MFA in Film student?

The most valuable feedback I received while at VCFA was to go out on a limb and try something different. I never imagined that I would write a script, but I did. I was nervous and not very confident… but had really great support and feedback. It actually felt good to write. With the next film I am working on, I have started with writing. The writing allows me to see themes and ideas that may be useful with making a stronger piece.

Where do you see yourself and your work in the next 3 years?

In the next 3 years I see myself teaching, making films, and creating a community space for inter-generational filmmaking projects.

Angelique Webster is a filmmaker and educator. She  is a graduate from Lincoln University and received her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts in April 2018. Since 2003, Angelique has worked with community members to use media as a tool to share their stories and promote the importance of media literacy. She recently finished her first short film RESPECT AND LOVE. She lives in Worcester, MA with her wife Isabel and 3 year old daughter Vivian.

 

 

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VCFA at Sundance Film Festival 2019!

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VCFA had fantastic representation at the Sundance Film Festival this year! In addition to pleasure-goers, like our own Annie Howell, several alumni and students were there to speak and show support for their projects.

Ian Cheney (’18), Jason Rosenfield (’18) and VCFA faculty member Annie Howell

 

Recent VCFA graduate Jason Rosenfield was at the festival in support of the new Amazon docuseries LORENA which he worked on as Supervising Editor. LORENA will be available to stream on Amazon February 15th, 2019.

Lorena Bobbitt became a household name in 1993, when accounts of a mutilation dominated headlines: she cut off her husband’s penis, and the country collectively gasped. Twenty-five years later, Joshua Rofé excavates the scandalized case through a modern cultural lens. Each episode of this four-part docuseries, executive produced by Jordan Peele, builds upon the last, exposing the issues surrounding the couple and their criminal trials—Lorena’s then-husband, John Wayne Bobbit, for marital sexual assault, and Lorena for malicious wounding. In unearthing the long-term abuse that precipitated the infamous night, Rofé dives into a wider discussion about the lack of support for domestic-violence victims, the power and fragility of the word penis, John’s increasingly unpredictable life post-recovery, and how the public’s insatiable appetite for the Bobbitts’ story paved the way for the 24-hour news cycle. Rofé’s re-examination restores depth to a woman reduced to parodies and caricatures and prompts us to reconsider our preconceptions.

 

Alumnus Ian Cheney (’18) was at the festival as one of five inaugural Science Sandbox Nonfiction Project fellows to participate in a panel discussion titled “Exploring Boundaries” which focused on the intersection between science and storytelling. Cheney was selected as a recipient of the Science Sandbox Nonfiction grant in November 2018 for his film THE MOST UNKNOWN which he directed and produced.

Ian Cheney (’18) center, enjoying a meal with Lena and Werner Herzog, and Greg Boustead (co-producer THE MOST UNKNOWN).

Through imagination and exploration and a deep sense of wonder, scientists and artists aim to reveal deeper truths about our world—in different and sometimes surprisingly similar ways. Join us, our project fellows, and other special guests as we celebrate the inaugural year of the Science Sandbox Nonfiction Project and engage in a conversation between legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog and renowned astrophysicist and novelist Janna Levin about experimental science storytelling.

 

Current VCFA student Damon Davis also attended the festival, as did recent VCFA residency special guests Ramona Diaz and Nancy Schreiber. We hear Mike Day was also spotted out in the crowd!

 

Susan Kelechi Watson (THIS IS US), Annie Howell, and Anna Margaret Hollyman (SISTER AIMEE). Kelechi Watson and Hollyman starred in Howell’s 2012 film (co-directed with Lisa Robinson), SMALL, BEAUTIFULLY MOVING PARTS. Hollyman also starred in Howell and Robinson’s 2016 film CLAIRE IN MOTION.

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Alumnus Jay Koski’s (’16) THE PEPIE LEGEND’s latest festival showing, plus short doc BAIT SHOP screens

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Alumnus Stewart Jay Koski’s thesis documentary, THE PEPIE LEGEND, will screen at at the Wildwood Film Festival  March 22nd-23rd, 2019. This will be the third festival showing for THE PEPIE LEGEND, with more to come!

About the film:Full-time folklorist and book author Chad Lewis reveals a 150-year-old legend that continues to resurface in modern day. In an attempt to solve the puzzle of this long-sought legend a $50,000 reward has been offered for indisputable proof of this Midwest lake monster. Filmed entirely on location.

Additionally, Koski’s short doc, BAIT SHOP, which he also created while here at VCFA, is an official selection to the Speechless Film Festival March 29th-30th, 2019. Films selected for this festival celebrate the art of visual storytelling with little to no dialogue.buy footwear | 2021 New adidas YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 “Ash Stone” GW0089 , Ietp

Alumna Kathy Bruner’s (’17) feature length documentary, LAST YEAR AT THE CROSSING, screening at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

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Alumna Kathy Bruner’s (’17) thesis feature length documentary LAST YEAR AT THE CROSSING will be screening at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, MT on February 16th, 2019.

About the film: A heartbreaking, raw and ultimately hopeful story of four teens trying to earn a diploma at a last-chance high school in Indiana. Their struggle against hopelessness, drug culture, failed family structures and poverty is met by a dedicated school administrator who tries to help them rise above their circumstances.Best Authentic Sneakers | Nike Air Max 270

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