Chicago International Film Festival

Interview: Ben Foster Brings Humanity to ‘The Messenger’

BrianTT — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:40:46 -0700

CHICAGO – Ben Foster has stolen scenes in works as diverse as “Six Feet Under,” “Freaks and Geeks,” “3:10 to Yuma,” and “Alpha Dog,” but he truly shines in the spotlight of the lead role in “The Messenger,” giving the best performance of his career to date. The young actor was in town for the Chicago International Film Festival and took some time to speak to us about his research for the film, how one leaves such a dramatic work behind, and his love for co-star Woody Harrelson.

Foster stars in “The Messenger” as Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery, a young man returned home from his tour but with a few months of service left. To fill out his time, Will is assigned to the Casualty Notification Office (and partnered with Woody Harrelson’s Captain Tony Stone), the men who inform “NOK” (next of kin) when their loved one has been killed in the line of duty.

Ben Foster on the red carpet for the Chicago International Film Festival premiere of The Messenger.
Photo credit: Joe Arce/HollywoodChicago.com

Will finds himself drawn to a widow played by Samantha Morton, but the film is much more than a typical love story. “The Messenger” is a moving, dramatic examination of loss and how we deal with grief. Naturally, diving into that kind of a part can be tough for someone to leave behind. Foster admits, “I don’t know if I’ve totally shaken it. What’s nice about asking these kind of questions in the form of a film is that it demands a personal rigor to ask yourself these questions. How do we deal with grief? How do we deal with loss? How do we find ways to connect and celebrate what we do have? If that’s hard to shake, that’s fine with me. I like those questions rattling around.”

The Messenger
Photo credit: Oscilloscope Pictures

To help him shake off the ghosts of “The Messenger,” Foster dove right into another project, the poorly-received “Pandorum,” which was released earlier this year. Three weeks after wrapping something as realistic as Oren Moverman’s debut film, Foster was in Berlin, planning to “go to museums and play hard and run around a f**king spaceship. It was a naive concept.”

Foster somewhat talks around the subject of why it was naive but does admit that “…it wasn’t what was presented to me at the time. I think I probably should have taken time off. I’m not saying I shouldn’t have done it, but…You don’t want to start a project if you don’t have anything to give.”

“The Messenger” may be about a very specific job and the character feel three-dimensional but, for Foster, it’s about the universal experience of loss. He explains, “We’ve received those phone calls and we’ve made them. Someday, people will receive them on our behalf. We’re in a culture where we really duck it. We hide it. And, on some level, I believe it’s an unhealthy approach to the inevitable. It’s not morbid if someone is able to feel what they’re feeling - even if it’s scary and hard and recognize the delicacy and the gift that we have of just existing right now.”

The Messenger
Photo credit: Oscilloscope Pictures

To prepare for such a complex role, Foster and the team behind “The Messenger” had the head of CNO on-set every day. Even the extras were actual men and women who had just returned from their tour of duty. Ben, Woody, and Oren spent time at Walter Reade - “We hung out with those kids…missing pieces. It was very sobering. The way that Oren directed us - his strategy was to serve the piece and not ourselves. He set an example and created an environment where we had to listen to each other and honor these men and women. There was no rehearsal for any scene. We never met those we had to notify until we were actually knocking on the door. He would work the camera in a single move and those that would be notified separately. So, when Woody and I would walk up, we were raw nerves. It created this space where we had to really listen to each other. We didn’t know what would happen.”

Even before they got on-set, Ben Foster went to New York two months early to speak to Oren, talk to soldiers, and watch documentaries. Foster says, “We built a shorthand where, by the time we were on-set, his direction, although incredibly insightful, was very simple and subtle. We just built trust. He’s one of those guys - when you meet him…you can smell a liar. You just know that he’s a true humanist.”

A large part of the success of “The Messenger” is due to the interplay between Foster and Harrelson. “I had already been a huge fan of Woody’s for years,” says Foster. “When I heard that he was coming on, I was so excited. Of course, they say never meet your heroes. But it’s one of those rare love affairs. I’m so…I don’t want to say proud…it’s not the right word…blown away to work with him as he’s working on such a deep level. He hasn’t made the choice to do this kind of work often but when he does, he really swings. He’s my brother. I would do anything for Woody.”

The Messenger
Photo credit: Oscilloscope Pictures

Ben Foster has made a wide variety of films in his short career, but is often seen as “an intense actor”. When asked if he wants to do a comedy someday, he jokingly says that he’s called up the Apatow guys looking to do anything - “I really like to laugh. Help me out here. I’ll hold a f**king light.”

As to what draws him to certain projects, Foster says, “I choose each film for a different reason. I’d like to say there’s some grand scheme but it’s really about what shows up and when and where you’re at. I imagine…just thinking of this out loud for the first time…as a writer, if you’re good at what you do, you’re probably only going to be asking one or two different questions. They’re going to be variations on a theme. You’ll have a question that is important to you and you work through the films or the current project to get closer to some kind of answer. I like to be challenged in different ways, but it depends on who I’m working with. I like all kinds of movies. I’m not a movie snob. I like all sorts of genres. Shaking it up and playing with different environments…”

To close out our interview, Foster once again immodestly speaks of his co-stars and director more than himself as to what he learned on the set of “The Messenger” - “There’s such a humility from Samantha Morton and Woody Harrelson to Jena Malone and Steve Buscemi - it’s so impressive to work with people on such a high level. You see that it’s about sacrifice. I suppose it’s not a new thing to learn but it’s something important to keep after - it’s not about YOU, it’s about IT. That kind of commitment and selflessness for something that could be perceived as selfish is inspiring.”

‘The Messenger’ stars Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Steve Buscemi, and Jena Malone. It was written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman and directed by Oren Moverman. It opens in Chicago on November 20th, 2009. It is rated R.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: 50 Years of Filmmaking With Martin Landau

BrianTT — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:30:53 -0700

CHICAGO – The legendary Martin Landau was recently in Chicago with two films in special presentation at The 45th Annual Chicago International Film Festival - the classic “North by Northwest,” also releasing on Blu-Ray tomorrow, November 3rd, 2009, and the new drama “Lovely, Still,” co-starring Ellen Burstyn.

Very few actors will ever have an experience like Mr. Landau did at the film festival in October, bringing two experiences from such different eras of their working life. We spent a lot of time with Martin discussing what’s important to him as an actor and he made clear that it’s the arc of his character that’s essential to the projects he chooses.

Landau explains, “The interesting thing is that I’ve had an interesting cross-section of directors - Joe Mankiewicz, George Stevens, Henry Hathaway, George Marshall, Tim Burton, Francis Coppola, Woody Allen, Steve Spielberg. The good directors create a playground for you and give you a lot of freedom.”

“That’s the secret - casting the right person, somebody with the range and understanding to play your character, and then opening a door and creating a space for them to have fun. I haven’t been directed, literally, in thirty years by anybody. I haven’t been given a direction. I come in with stuff and I figure if they don’t like it they’ll tell me. They don’t tell me. I hit my marks, I say the words, and I go home. All an audience wants to believe is that what’s going on between two or more people is happening for the first time ever. That’s what you have to create in a positive sense. It’s a dynamic of behavior - what’s going on NOW. That’s what’s exciting about what I do.”

Martin Landau at the Chicago International Film Festival Awards Ceremony in the Pump Room at the Ambassador East Hotel, October 17, 2009.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

When asked if he would take a bad script if the collaborators were talented, Landau revealed that he would turn down anyone if he didn’t like the screenplay, even Woody Allen, saying that he has turned him down in the past. It’s the arc of the character - “both the story and the challenge” - that matters.

As an example, Landau brought up how he became attached to “Entourage” - “Doug Ellin wrote it for me. It was a three-episode arc. I turned it down on the basis of one script. So he says let’s have dinner. He and Jeremy Piven take me out to dinner and I told them that there’s two more scripts and I wanted to see where the character goes. So, he sends me the second one and one of the directors and Doug take me to dinner. I say, “Look, I’m not being difficult but I want to see where the character goes.” In the beginning, you think the guy doesn’t have a few cylinders working and then you see that he doesn’t even have a project and then as it goes on you think that he’s going to be taken advantage of and then he winds up getting Ari fired. I liked that and I liked where it went.”

Lovely, Still
Photo credit: The Chicago International Film Festival

Landau revealed that he may be coming back to “Entourage,” but the focus of his time in Chicago was on “North by Northwest” and “Lovely, Still”. He explained how he got the part in the former - “I was very new in Hollywood. I had been involved in the theatre and stage work and summer stock and, suddenly, I’m in a play that travels the country and winds up in L.A. Hitchcock comes and sees the play opening night and the next thing I know I get a call and read a script and the character is 180 degrees from the character I’m playing in the theater. Suddenly, I’m working with Cary Grant, who I grew up with in theaters on Saturdays with my friends. James Mason.”

“Hitchcock was legendary, even then. I had seen Rebecca, Suspicion, Saboteur, which is one of the reasons he did North by Northwest. He felt he had made a mistake by having the bad guy hanging off the Statue of Liberty. He told me that. He said [in a perfect Hitch impression], “Martin I made a terrible error. I had the bad fellow in jeopardy. No one gave a damn. DIE for Christ’s sake. It’s one of the things that made me do this film. I wanted to correct a major error on my part of judgment.” Having the good guy - a different national monument but the same scene really.”

Fifty years later and after dozens of amazing films, Landau isn’t just picked by directors, he has parts written for him. Such was the case with “Lovely, Still,” a drama co-starring Ellen Burstyn in a tale of an elderly romance with a twist. Writer/director Nicholas Faeckler sent the script to William Morris who sent it to Landau’s agent and then the real work began.

Martin Landau in North by Northwest
Photo credit: Warner Brothers

Landau says, “It’s a good piece and a good concept and I told my agent that I’d like to meet with the writer. I said, “How old is he?” I figured 50 or 60. Who’s going to write an older couple love story? “He’s 22 years old.” “Wow. I’d like to meet him and have lunch with him.” “Well, he lives in Omaha, Nebraska.” “Well, that’s his problem.” I wound up loving Omaha. We shot there. Anyway, he flies in and we have a 5 hour lunch at Art’s Deli in the Valley, where they don’t throw you out. I said, “The first act has to build to the date. These scenes do not belong here. These scenes need to be here.””

“The reality that you’re watching this movie on is not the actual reality. The second time is another movie. There’s double entendres and moments that it needed. He did a rewrite and for two months on the telephone, we did 5 or 6 pages at a time. I said, “If you work with me on this, I’ll do your movie.” We had a list - Ellen Burstyn, Gena Rowlands, Blythe Danner. When it was 90% there, I said send it to Ellen. She called me and said, “Marty, what the f**k are we going to do in Omaha for seven weeks?” It never got past Ellen.”

Martin Landau in North by Northwest
Photo credit: Warner Brothers

When it comes to his career of work, Martin Landau barely has time to watch his older films, revealing that he has several projects in some state of production, runs the Actor’s Studio on the west coast, is working on a seminar with Mark Rydell and Lyle Kessler, and is working on a stage musical that he is also shooting behind-the-scenes material on for a making-of show.

But when pressed as to which films he feels should be seen first by someone new to his career, Landau mentions some classics including “Crimes and Misdemeanors,” “Ed Wood,” “Tucker,” and, somewhat surprisingly, “Pinocchio,” noting that it wasn’t the first time that he had worked with “a wooden actor”.

As for what he’s working on next, Landau reveals, “I’m going to do a movie next with Jennifer Lopez, a film noir kind of movie like Double Indemnity - a lot of that stuff. We hired a director who did a pass on the script and it was terrible. We gave them another shot and it was worse. It’s a very good script as it is but the guy didn’t get it. I won’t mention his name. It looked like it was written by a farmer with a rake. It’s a good script and it’s gotten better but he didn’t get it. He’s one of the friends of another one of the producers and it took a lot of time. But now there’s a guy we’re very interested in and we’re talking to him. But that’s going to go. That’s a go project. It’s a very good one for her. It’s good.”

“North by Northwest” will be released on Blu-Ray on November 3rd, 2009 and “Lovely, Still” will open in theaters on a TBA date.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 25 ‘The House of the Devil’ Passes to Advance Chicago Screening

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:28:01 -0600

CHICAGO – In our latest horror edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of “The House of the Devil”!

“The House of the Devil” from writer and director Ti West (read our interview with him here) stars Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Greta Gerwig, AJ Bowen, Dee Wallace, Heather Robb, Mary B. McCann and John Speredakos. The 1980s-set satanic thriller opens in Chicago on Nov. 13, 2009 and was part of the 2009 Chicago International Film Festival.

To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “The House of the Devil” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is answer our question below. That’s it! This screening will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

“The House of the Devil” from writer and director Ti West.
Image credit: Magnet Releasing

Here is the “The House of the Devil” plot description:

From writer and director Ti West comes “The House of the Devil”: a satanic thriller set in the 1980s starring Jocelin Donahue (J.T. Petty’s forthcoming “The Burrowers”), indie ingénue Greta Gerwig (“Hannah Takes the Stairs,” “Baghead”), Tom Noonan (“Snow Angels,” “Manhunter”), Mary Woronov (“Eating Raoul,” “The Devil’s Rejects”), AJ Bowen (“The Signal”) and Dee Wallace (“E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” Rob Zombie’s “Halloween”).

Sam (Donahue) is a pretty college sophomore who’s so desperate to earn some cash for a deposit on an apartment that she accepts a babysitting job even after she finds out there is no baby. Mr. and Mrs. Ulman (cult actors Noonan and Woronov) are the older couple who lure Sam out to their creeky Victorian mansion deep in the woods just in time for a total lunar eclipse.

Megan (Gerwig) is Sam’s best friend who gives her a ride out to the house and reluctantly leaves her there despite suspecting that something is amiss. While Victor (Bowen) at first seems like just a creepy guy lurking around the house, he quickly makes it clear that Sam will end this night in a bloody fight for her life.

“The House of the Devil” trailer can be watched now below.

To secure your free tickets now, make sure you’re logged into your HollywoodChicago.com account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having an account with a valid e-mail address is required. Then, simply add a new comment in the form below. In your comment, include an answer to this question:

What is the most effective scare tactic in a horror film?

Like all Hookups here, this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup is simple: Just submit your comment below and we will award 25 people randomly via e-mail for our “The House of the Devil” Hookup. Winners need to arrive early as seats are consumed on a first-come, first-served basis. Good luck!

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: Willem Dafoe on Lars von Trier’s Controversial ‘Antichrist’

BrianTT — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:32:06 -0600

CHICAGO – The legendary Willem Dafoe, star of modern classics like “Platoon” and “Shadow of the Vampire,” is still one of the hardest working men in Hollywood. He has two films opening this week, a cameo role in “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant” and a lead in the controversial “Antichrist,” which he brought to the 45th Chicago International Film Festival and took time for an interview with HollywoodChicago.com.

Lars von Trier’s “Antichrist” has been stirring up controversy since it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. With graphic violence, nudity, and themes not often seen in movies, “Antichrist” has been polarizing audiences. One thing commonly agreed upon is the quality of the performances at the center of the piece. Gainsbourg won an acting award at Cannes and Dafoe has been receiving unanimous praise.

Willem Dafoe on the red carpet for the Chicago International Film Festival premiere of Antichrist.
Photo credit: Joe Arce/HollywoodChicago.com

Dafoe stars as “He” to Gainsbourg’s “She”. The unnamed pair are the only characters in a dark drama about a couple suffering through unimaginable grief after their child falls out a window. They retreat to a cabin the woods to analyze their depression and end up traveling deeper down the rabbit hole of obsession, pain, and, ultimately violence.

Antichrist.
Photo credit: IFC Films

The more graphic elements of “Antichrist” have provoked walk-outs in some markets and even at the CIFF screening. To Dafoe, it’s not just the horror elements of the piece that is dividing audiences.

“It’s a film that’s hard to account for,” says Dafoe. “And there are some very extreme things that you’re not used to seeing in films. People react to that and sometimes they’re very literal. They think the movie is about that. I think the strong reaction is people hanging their hat on the extremeness of it. When they’re lazy, they put very simple politics on it. I think what makes it difficult is the unrelenting examination of depression, despair, guilt. People really have a hard time with, although they admire Charlotte’s performance, they have a hard time accepting what she’s thinking.”

With a film so deep in symbolism and subtext, one might think that getting under the skin of these characters might be difficult, but Dafoe describes the process of making “Antichrist” as something closer to therapy.

Dafoe says, “For me, I had a very specific task. It was scripted. This wasn’t true improvisation. But we weren’t rehearsed. So, we would learn our dialogue and, because the shooting style is very loose and we weren’t rehearsed, it felt a little like improvisation. You only have your task and this dialogue as a way to get you to your task but there were so many things that you couldn’t factor in because they weren’t figured out in rehearsal. It sounds simple. Conventionally, in a scene like those early scenes that are quite talky, you knew where they started and where they ended, but how you got from point A to point C was a big question mark.

As part of the preparation, I studied and sat in on behavioral therapy sessions. So, I knew some of the language because has Lars has taken that therapy and knew some of the language. So, some of the situation, we knew the structure. When you say, “Is it difficult to be real?” No. Because I had real things to do. And, also, the terrifying and the vulnerable part is that, in rehearsal, you haven’t blocked out movement, set expectation, tone.

Antichrist.
Photo credit: IFC Films

So, on one hand, you’re scared to death and feel very insecure because you have nothing to root for. On the other hand, because you don’t and because the camera is very fluid and the lights are set with very few technical obligations…he doesn’t work with a traditional cutting pattern. He believes anything can cut to anything. You’re not doing coverage in a traditional way. So, you’re also very free. What you’re doing is what’s happening.”

Naturally, something this dark can be hard for an actor to leave behind on the set. Dafoe has long objected to the theory, saying that he often thought that the camera “activated” the character and that when it was off, the character was left there. But “Antichrist,” a film that the actor has seen three times himself, And he admits, “As I get older, I find that when I do a role like this and I have a lot of responsibility, it becomes harder and harder to shake.”

He later expands on the idea - “I never think of what I do as therapy but what I do is very personal, so how can you not take it personally. That’s the only way you don’t become cynical about what you do. It has to stay personal. You’re exploring how you feel, seeing how your brain works, your relationship to other people, challenge what you think about who you are, the myth of personality, etc. You’re playing with a lot of things that aren’t intended as therapy but bringing your life into your work. These are things I think about anyway but they’re focused in a constructive way.”

When von Trier approached Dafoe with “Antichrist,” even he wasn’t sure what the final product would look like. He says, “I read a script and some of it is so shocking that I think “How are we going to do these things?” I mean literally. “Lars, do you REALLY mean this? Am I gonna do this? Are we gonna do this? How are you going to shoot it?” So, I knew. But he’s considered…look, his movies are always arthouse movies. Having said that, it had horror film elements that kind of made it more popular obviously and I still think that’s a possibility, but it’s not really a horror film. It borrows from horror language. But it doesn’t satisfy if you go into it expecting a horror film. I think it’s too demanding. Horror films are usually about titillation and playing a game with the audience. This film is a little too demanding for your average horror film.”

Antichrist.
Photo credit: IFC Films

Dafoe goes in-depth about what “Antichrist” means to him and what it could mean to you when he says, “It gets under your skin and it’s very much….When I see a movie like this, it gets me in touch with certain dark parts of me that allow me to kind of embrace a bottom line. If you can embrace that darkness, it can be kind of exhilarating. It’s when we can’t think about those things that we feel the repression; we feel the boredom; we feel the tedium. This film is very rough but in its more lyrical moments I feel oddly exhilarated. Like the very enigmatic epilogue. I feel inexplicably moved by that.”

A good place to see demanding film is at a film festival and Dafoe recognizes the importance of events like the 45th Chicago International Film Festival, noting, “I just think it’s a broader thing about film and an exchange of ideas and taking stuff, particularly international elements, and bringing them locally. It’s very important. It’s a quality of life thing. Americans have always entrusted the marketplace to give them their culture. That works for the most part. Because of that we have very strong popular culture.

But the entertainment and art that is a little more difficult or a little more cutting edge can’t be sustained economically by itself and so it needs a little help. And one of the ways that you give films a good forum and allow people to speak about them and get people interested in something they may be unfamiliar with is a film festival. At its best, it represents an exchange of ideas and also just a cross-fertilization.”

Hopefully, you experienced the cross-fertilization of the 45th Chicago International Film Festival. If not, check out our extensive coverage and don’t miss “Antichrist,” opening in theaters this Friday, October 23rd, 2009.

Before you go, check out the preview for “Antichrist,” courtesy of IFC Films:

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Surprise! Chicago International Film Festival Screens ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’

PatrickMcD — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:03:41 -0600

CHICAGO – “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassas,” the long anticipated final film of Heath Ledger, directed by Terry Gilliam, was previewed last night at the Chicago International Film Festival at their “surprise’ screening.

The Audience Anticipates the Surprise Screening at the Chicago International Film Festival, October 20, 2009.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

Patrons gained entrance to the film by wearing an official Chicago International Film Festival clothing. Festival Artistic Director Michael Kutza got into the spirit, coordinating a photo shoot of the audience before the feature presentation.

Festival Founder and Artistic Director Michael Kutza and Patrick McDonald, October 20, 2009.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

The buzz about what film it could possibly be was palpable as everyone was seated. Many votes were cast for the Robert Downey/Guy Ritchie “Sherlock Holmes,” and as the surprise film also began in London the possibility was still there. When the title card came up, “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassas,” a rousing burst of applause was heard.

This major preview was directed by Terry Gilliam, and concerns a troupe of actors performing their traveling show to modern Londoners. It features the mysterious Doctor Parnassas (Christopher Plummer) and his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole). They pick up a prominent charity director along the way named Tony (Heath Ledger) and the secrets of the Imaginarium begin to unfold.

Those secrets will be revealed on a 2009 Christmas Day Opening. The audience spilled out of the surprise screening extremely pleased, knowing that again the Chicago International Film Festival continued their tradition of being the at the forefront with major releases and quality festival fare.

”Best of the Fest” is tonight, October 21, 2009. The Chicago International Film Festival wraps up October 22th. Click here for details.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

2009 Chicago International Film Festival Awards: Martin Landau Speech, Young Filmmaker Interviews

PatrickMcD — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:06:40 -0600

CHICAGO – Film and TV icon Martin Landau accepted his Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 Chicago International Film Festival in the same hotel he stayed at while filming Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” in 1959.

The famous film also has scenes shot at the Ambassador East Hotel, and HollywoodChicago was at the awards ceremony in the Pump Room there.

Landau began his acceptance speech by reminiscing about filming North by Northwest in Chicago, relating how he shared a meal in the Pump Room with fellow cast members Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason and the “Master of Suspense,” director Alfred Hitchcock.

The remarks continued with Landau’s concern for Hollywood today, and the dearth of character driven themes in films. He emphasized that a knowledge of the past glories of Hollywood history was necessary for maintaining substantial roles for actors in the industry today.

Martin Landau finished his acceptance by saying that, “this may be a Lifetime Achievement Award, but I am not finished.”

Writer/Director Nicholas Fackler of Martin Landau’s festival film, ‘Lovely, Still’

Energetic and spiritual, Nicholas Fackler is the writer and director of “Lovely, Still,” starring Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn. He spoke briefly about that unique production experience.

Nicholas Fackler at the Chicago International Film Festival Awards Ceremony.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywooodChicago: What was it like working with film legends Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn?

Nicholas Fackler: Working with them was a gift. I never went to college but going to the set everyday, I learned what it was like to work with artists. Before I never thought of acting as artistry, I didn’t understand it, but working with Martin and Ellen, they are two artists. They completely transformed themselves and it was one of the most amazing experiences I had in my entire life.

Jodie Markell, Director of ‘The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond’

Fans of HBO’s “Big Love” may recognize Jodie Markell, who portrayed Wendy Hunt in that popular series from 2006-07. She made her directorial debut after discovering a Tennessee Williams screenplay that was never produced, and brought the film, starring Bryce Dallas Howard, to the Chicago International Film Festival.

Jodie Markell at the Chicago International Film Festival Awards Ceremony, October 17, 2009.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

HC: How did you find the Tennesee Williams screenplay and get it to a producer for you to direct?

Jodie Markell I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and by the age of sixteen I had read everything that Williams had written. In acting school one of my teachers showed me a collection of his screenplays. I never could believe The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond had never been made, so years later I met up with a producer who bought the rights and I directed it.

HC: What attracted you to the story?

JM: The lead character, she’s a person who feels that conventional society is keeping her down. Williams is really interested in anyone who is different, more defensive, more creative and more vulnerable. The characters had that.

HC: Tell me about working with that tremendous cast [Bryce Dallas Howard, Ann-Margret, Ellen Burstyn] you gathered.

JM: We had such a great time. Many of them told me it was the best experience on-set that they ever had. I love actors and I love to help them make discoveries.

HC: What do you think is your best characteristic for keeping a set relaxed and comfortable for everyone?

JM: I guess you have to ask other people that question (laughs). What I try to remember is that being kind to people is as important as getting the right shot. Surprisingly, a lot of people aren’t used to that.

”Best of the Fest” is tonight, October 21, 2009. The Chicago International Film Festival runs until October 22th. Click here for details.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

2009 Chicago International Film Festival ‘Best of the Fest’ For Oct. 21, 2009

PatrickMcD — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:33:47 -0600

CHICAGO – As the 45th Chicago International Film Festival comes to a close, this year’s award-winning and most popular films are being screened one more time. All of the screenings will be held at the AMC River East 21 theater at 322 E. Illinois St.

MISSISSIPPI DAMNED (USA), Director: Tina Mabry

Winner Gold Hugo: Best Film, Best Screenplay - Tina Mabry, Best Supporting Actress - Jossie Harris Thacker

7:30PM

They weren’t the first to dream of escaping their small Mississippi town, but—raised among their family’s vicious cycle of abuse, addiction, and lies—three young black children learn the hard way that their dreams will never be enough. Based on a true story, Mississippi Damned is the brutally honest tale of what happens when a family’s haven is also its prison.

‘Mississippi Damned,’ Winner of the Gold Hugo for Best Film at the Chicago International Film Festival.
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

FISH TANK (UK), Director: Andrea Arnold

Winner Silver Hugo: Special Jury Award, Best Supporting Actor – Michael Fassbender

5:45PM

Oscar® winner Andrea Arnold asserts her place at the pinnacle of contemporary British cinema with Fish Tank, her keenly observed and unflinchingly realistic portrait of life in a rough Essex housing project. Mia (Katie Jarvis, a revelation in her first screen role) is an alienated, emotionally volatile teenager whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of her mother’s charming new boyfriend Connor (Michael Fassbender, named best actor at last year’s Festival for Hunger).

VINCERE (Italy/France), Director: Marco Bellocchio

Winner Silver Hugo: Best Director - Marco Bellocchio, Best Actor – Filippo Timi, Best Actress – Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Best Cinematography – Daniele Cipri

8:00PM

The closely guarded story of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini’s secret lover and son is revealed in fittingly operatic proportions in this electrifying tour de force. Thunderstruck by the young Mussolini’s charisma, Ida Dalser gives up everything to help champion his revolutionary ideas. When he disappears during World War I and later resurfaces with a new wife, the scorned Dasler and her son are locked away in separate asylums for more than a decade. But Ida will not disappear without a fight….

GIGANTE (Uruguay), Director: Adrián Biniez

Winner Gold Hugo: New Directors Competition

6:30PM

This gentle and subtly humorous one-sided love story follows Jara, a shy, heavyset supermarket security guard whose humdrum life is turned upside down when he notices his coworker Julia on the security monitors. Jara’s fascination soon moves off the video screens and into the streets, but when rumors of layoffs begin to circulate at work, Jara realizes he must make a move or risk never seeing her again.

MADE IN CHINA (USA), Director: Judi Krant

Winner Silver Hugo: New Directors Competition

6:00PM

A wide-eyed Texas hayseed travels to China to find a manufacturer for the novelty product he hopes will put him right up there with the guy who invented the whoopee cushion. But when he gets sucked into a world of scammers and schemers, this eternal optimist will have to figure out just how far he’s willing to pursue the American Dream. Wes Anderson’s whimsy meets David Mamet’s love of duplicity in this peppy comic debut.

SOUNDTRACK FOR A REVOLUTION (USA), Directors: Dan Sturman, Bill Guttentag

Docufest Winner Gold Plaque: Best Direction - Dan Sturman, Bill Guttentag

8:00PM

Relive the American civil rights movement through the soul-stirring folk songs that fortified protestors struggling for equality. This powerful doc pairs modern renditions by Wyclef Jean, John Legend, TV on the Radio, the Roots, and others with footage from the bitter days of segregation and emotional present-day interviews with the people (including Harry Belafonte and Congressman John Lewis) who fought and lived through it.

SHORTS 3: REDISCOVERY

Program Includes the Award Winning Short SHORT TERM 12

5:30PM

Ali Shan (Canada) endeavors to answer the question, “How do we dream?” A man seizes one last opportunity for intimacy with his ex-wife in The Handover (New Zealand). A teacher helps a student learn how to get off in Acting for the Camera (USA). Ten for Grandpa (Canada) tries to uncover whether Grandpa was a manipulative antihero or simply a victim of a McCarthy witch hunt. Short Term 12 (USA) is a film about kids and the grown-ups who hit them. A poetic exploration of memory and loss, Steel Homes (UK) takes the viewer inside the world of a self-storage warehouse. Happy 95th Birthday Grandpa (USA) presents a fleeting memory of childhood quarrels at grandpa’s birthday. Careful with that Power Tool (New Zealand) shows the real reason why little boys shouldn’t play with power tools. In Young Love (Australia), Erno is in tortuous pain, but he must keep moving as danger awaits him.

BEST OF THE HUGO TELEVISION AWARDS

6:00PM

The Hugo Television Awards celebrates new and exciting approaches continually influencing television programming and commercials. In celebration of the 45th anniversary of the Chicago International Film Festival and the Hugo Television Awards, this program presents a selection of the most memorable commercials awarded throughout the history of the competition.

VIDEOCRACY (Sweden/Italy), Director: Erik Gandini

Festival Favorite

7:30PM

Shockingly relevant and precisely crafted, Erik Gandini’s documentary portrays the relationships between Italy’s political elite and its powerful media empire. As Gandini puts it, “President Silvio Berlusconi has created a perfect system of TV entertainment and politics.” With an eerily fitting soundtrack to guide it along, Videocracy exhibits firsthand the dangers of government-television cohabitation.

PERSĖCUTION (France), Director: Patrice Chéreau

Festival Favorite

8:30PM

Daniel has a talent for making life go his way, but lately he’s been put to the test by a stranger who follows him through the streets, to his job, to his apartment. And this strange relationship is not the only one wearing on him: His possessive attitude toward Sonia, his partner of three years, is slowly poisoning them both. Soon Daniel will discover how it feels to be both persecutor and persecuted…. Charlotte Gainsbourg, Romain Duris, and Jean-Hugues Anglade star in this psychological drama from provocative director Patrice Chéreau (Intimacy, Queen Margot).

CHICAGO OVERCOAT (USA), Director: Brian Caunter

Back by Popular Demand

9:45PM

Twenty years ago, Lou Marazano (Frank Vincent, The Sopranos, Casino) was the deadliest triggerman in the notorious Chicago Outfit. When Lou’s jailed boss (Armand Assante) orders a wave of hits to cover up a conspiracy between city officials and the mob, Lou sees a chance to finance his retirement and relive his glory days. But does he still have what it takes? This neo-noir crime drama is an accomplished debut from first-time local filmmakers.

BERLIN ’36 (Germany), Director: Kaspar Heidelbach

Back By Popular Demand

6:15PM

With Nazi-ruled Berlin facing boycotts of its 1936 Olympic Games if Jewish athletes aren’t allowed to participate, party officials bully expat champion high jumper Gretel Bergmann into training alongside a team that reviles her. At the same time, they use über-athlete Marie Ketteler as a pawn in a covert campaign to defeat Gretel. This powerful true story celebrates the small triumphs strong-willed individuals can win over tyranny and hatred.

HIPSTERS (Russia), Director: Valery Todorovsky

Back by Popular Demand

8:15PM

Moscow, 1955. Soviet uniformity is the order of the day, but incurring the wrath of all the grim-faced comrades in Russia isn’t enough to stop a group of young “hipsters” from donning outrageous threads, puffing up their pompadours, pushing up their cleavage, throwing back martinis, and shakin’ their hips. Could this romantic, infectiously fun musical be this year’s Slumdog Millionaire?

The Chicago International Film Festival runs until October 22th. Click here for ticket information. Walk-up box office locations are at the Cinema/Chicago Administrative Office at 30 E. Adams, Suite 800, Monday through Friday, 10:00am to 6:00pm or at the AMC River East 21 Festival Box Office at 322 E Illinois St., 7 days a week, noon to 9pm. All ticketing locations take Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Interviews: Winners at the 2009 Chicago International Film Festival

PatrickMcD — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:16:44 -0600

CHICAGO – “Mississippi Damned,” the feature film winner of the Gold Hugo, the top prize at the Chicago International Film Festival, was a labor of passion for producer Morgan R. Stiff and director/writer Tina Mabry.

HollywoodChicago was at the awards ceremony at the Ambassador East Hotel, in the famous Pump Room, and after the presentation of the Gold Hugo for Best Picture spoke to Morgan Stiff and Tina Mabry about their newly crowned film.

Producer Morgan R. Stiff (left) and Director Tina Mabry, Winners of the Gold Hugo for Best Film at the Chicago International Film Festival Awards Ceremony, October 17, 2009.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago: Morgan, what does winning this award mean to you?

Morgan Stiff: It means a lot. We sacrificed a lot to make this film, it was a film that was crucial to the director, who is my partner in life. It means a lot to have this recognition for something we worked so hard for.

Tina wrote it and poured her heart out into the script. I was dedicated to make the film, not only because she is my partner and I love her, but it is a great story and she really got to the heart of a lot of universal themes.

HC: Tina, what kind of passion did you have for your story to work so hard to get it to the screen?

Tina Mabry: It is based on my family and life story. I always wanted to explore that concept and put it on film. So I really didn’t have the luxury to fail. My family saw me writing the script and wanting to make the film, so we had to go through with it. Not doing it wasn’t an option.

HC: What did learn about yourself, filmmaking and the capacity to get to the end of a project by doing ‘Mississippi Damned’?

TM: On a personal level there was a lot of issues, because it was based on my life. With its aspects of molestation, abuse and addiction, this was something I wasn’t able to talk about before and I had a shame associated with it, until I finally put it in the movie and started showing it. This story wasn’t just about me, it unfortunately the experience of many people. So the result is I didn’t feel so alone, and I know I felt shame about what I went through, but in the end it makes me feel stronger as a person.

HC: Are you putting this film out there to help other people who went through this situation?

TM: Naturally every time you make a film there can be a social component to it. For us, since it is touching on so many poignant issues, we’re putting it out there. Something we’re discovering at the screenings, people stand up and confess secrets in front of hundreds of people. It’s gratifying as filmmakers to feel like we created a safe environment in which people can say those things, proclaim their secrets and be stronger afterward.

Writer/Director Brad Bischoff of the Short Film ‘Wet’, Winner of the Chicago Award

In the short film category, ‘Wet,’ a truly guerilla film, won the Chicago Award at the presentation. Writer, director and featured performer Brad Bischoff talked about the experience.

Short Film Chicago Award Winner Brad Bischoff at the Chicago International Film Festival Awards Ceremony, October 17, 2009.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

HC: What is special about winning the Chicago Award?

Brad Bischoff: It’s the best feeling in the world, because short films are one of my favorite things to do and Chicago is the city I want to be in for the rest of my life for film.

HC: What is your background and how did you get to this point?

BB: I went to Columbia College Chicago for film school, and I would be nothing without my first instructor, Miguel Silveira. It was in his class that I made ‘Eyelids,’ my first short film, that wound up taking me to Cannes.

HC: What type of films do you want to make from here on?

BB: At this point in my life, I’m scared to grow up, so the films I am doing are based on staying young. I’m looking forward to shooting my first feature, about a boy who is born in aisle one at a toy store, growing up through the aisles as the store is going out of business. It has been a theme that I have been exploring since I started doing films, afraid to grow up.

HC: Any interesting stories from the set of ‘Wet’?

BB: When we were shooting Wet, we had no permits and it was shot during rush hour in the Chicago Loop during winter. It’s about a guy who is wet and the director of photography and myself both had stages of hypothermia. While we were filming, since we had no permits, we had people distracting the security guards while we got the shots. It was one of the most insane experiences of my life.

James Choi, Representing ‘Made in China,’ Winner, New Directors Competition

‘Made in China,’ Winner in the the New Directors Competition.
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

James Choi is the producer of Made in China.

HC: Tell me about the film, and tell me about the journey to make it.

James Choi: It is the epitome of the true independent film spirit. It was shot on location in Shanghai. It was seriously about the will to do it. It was made by the people, granted Judith [Krant, the director] is a amazingly talented person, but it is seriously made by the people by the people. It speaks to the audience.

I give credit to the festival programmers who gave us the opportunity to show this light comedy, goofy film among the traditional dark brooding independents.

Read about the rest of the winners here. The Chicago International Film Festival runs until October 22th. Click here for details.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: Director Brian Caunter of ‘Chicago Overcoat’ at the Chicago International Film Festival

PatrickMcD — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:25:39 -0600

CHICAGO – Last Saturday at the Chicago International Film Festival was a very important debut for the new film “Chicago Overcoat,” directed by newcomer Brian Caunter. The hometown audience gave big thumbs up to the gritty mobster film.

Filmed entirely on location in and around the Windy City, Chicago Overcoat features a veteran of “The Sopranos,” Frank Vincent (who played Phil Leotardo on that program and here plays aging hitman Lou Marazano). Lou is juggling a life-changing “final” assassination assignment, his daughter’s family problems and the nagging indignities of old age.

Mike Starr (left) and Frank Vincent of “Chicago Overcoat” at the
Chicago International Film Festival on Oct. 10, 2009.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com caught up with Brian Caunter after his triumphant Chicago International Film Festival presentation. He talked about influences for the film and using Chicago as a character within the narrative.

HollywoodChicago.com: How did the postmodern gangsterism of ‘The Sopranos’ influence ‘Chicago Overcoat?’

Brian Caunter: I wouldn’t say that it was The Sopranos that was the influence. I based Chicago Overcoat on the older gangster movies, like “Goodfellas” and “Casino” and those type of movies. The one thing that does set it apart from those other films is that it is a modern Chicago gangster film and the mob is now as flashy and colorful, it’s more humble and gritty.

HC: What immediate character traits did you get from the essence of the City of Chicago?

BC: I wanted to keep my characters humble and hard-working, I think that is a Chicago trait. I’ve been here for seven years and I’ve met a lot of people, and I get small little influences from everyone. I made a collage of what I feel the city is all about, especially about the ‘lingo’ to keep it real.

HC: What did Frank Vincent bring to the character of Lou that most surprised you?

BC: The humanity he brought to someone who is basically a serial killer, a gunman, like the anti-hero from the wild west movies. He brought more humanity than we ever imagined, so much so that people side with Lou, and is interested to see where he going next.

HC: You wrote the original story that became Chicago Overcoat. Any event or reminder that inspired the story initially for you?

BC: The title came first. We wanted to stay true to the title, that the ‘Chicago overcoat’ is another name for a coffin. We wanted it to be about an older gentleman and death. I was most inspired by the old French film, ‘Le samouraï,’ as a hitman movie. We even designed the interiors of Lou’s apartment to be similar to the character in that film.

Brian Caunter Checks a Shot During the Production of ‘Chicago Overcoat’
Photo credit: Columbia Chronicle

HC: How does having Stacy Keach and Armand Assante strengthen the small parts of Ray and Stefano?

BC: We wanted to stay true to the genre in casting the mob boss [Assante]. Adding those two guys gave the film a bigger appeal than just local casting. At a film on this level, you have to selectively choose to afford bigger names in, and approach them with a smaller part that gives them enough meat so they want to play it and that contributes to the story.

HC: What did you try to do different with the ‘cop character’ that we haven’t seen before in TV or movies?

BC: The ‘drunk cop’ detective is usually a more likable character and what we tried to do in our film is put that type in an environment where you’re not sure whether you like this character. His word usage and general demeanor make him not likable. I think that helps the audience root for Lou the hitman and hope that he succeeds in the end instead of the detective.

HC: Obviously this is a hitman movie and there is going to be some violence and bloodshed. How did you determine how far you wanted to go with the violence in Chicago Overcoat?

BC: It comes down to edit. You shoot as much as you can on set, get it as graphic and detailed as possible. There are a lot of small, intensely violent shots that didn’t make the cut. An audience can get distracted by the gore and then they don’t respond to a scene like you want them to. So we cut back on a lot, wanting to keep it as realistic as possible.

HC: Why do you think Americans will continue to be entertained by the mob culture?

BC: Any sort of illegal activity, or an event that conjures suspense and thrills, I think will continue to be in the media. Whatever the audience is drawn is something that could never happen to them personally. A movie like a mob film gives them a glimpse into another life, a life that they themselves didn’t choose.

HC: Do you think Chicago has shed its mobster image or is it still in the background of the city?

BC: To the locals it has shed it. If you still go outside the city, especially to other countries, Chicago is still Al Capone. The young people don’t think of it as much, but it is still here. When I was working at a video store on 8th and Wabash when I was in college, I remember the mayor used to have his bodyguards rent movies from the store, and it felt kind of mobster-like. The general demeanor and the way they spoke (laughs).

But there is enough humor and lightness in our film to keep it away from an autobiography of any one person.

HC: How difficult was it, at the end of your film, to stay away from giving Lou more of a redemptive quality given that the audience is rooting for him?

BC: It’s all part of what I called ‘pure cinema.’ It’s a gun-slinging picture and you don’t want to take the audience anywhere so that they hate the ending. You spend the whole movie expecting Lou’s demise.

The response to the end has been very positive. The way we pull out of the movie, we can only assume where these characters will be afterwards.

The Chicago International Film Festival runs until October 22th. Click here for details.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Mississippi Damned,’ ‘Vincere’ Big Winners at 45th Chicago International Film Festival

BrianTT — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:40:04 -0600

CHICAGO – The winners for films in competition at the 45th Chicago International Film Festival were announced in a ceremony on Saturday night at the famed Pump Room at the Ambassador East Hotel. Michael Kutza, Founder and Artistic Director of the Chicago International Film Festival, Mimi Plauche, Head of Programming, and Jesse Berkowitz, Documentary and Short Film Programmer, proudly announced the winners.

Major trophies went to “Mississippi Damned,” “Fish Tank,” “Vincere,” “Hipsters,” “Backyard,” “Cooking History,” “Racing Dreams,” “Wet,” and more.

Mississippi Damned filmmakers and cast members celebrate Gold Hugo win at Chicago International Film Festival Awards Ceremony on Saturday October 18th. Photographed from left to right - Morgan Stiff (producer), Tina Mabry (writer/director), Jossie Thacker (Actress), Chastity Hammitte (actress).
Photo credit: Chicago Film Festival

There were competions held in International Feature Film, New Directors, Documentary, and Short Film Categories, along with a special Chicago Award for a local filmmaker.

The biggest prize at the fest, the Gold Hugo, went to “Mississippi Damned,” “for its powerful and uncompromising portrait of the compounding frailties and difficulties of a struggling black community.” The film also won Best Supporting Actress (Jossie Harris Thacker) and Best Screenplay (Tina Mabry).

The Silver Hugo for Special Jury Award went to Andrea Arnold’s “Fish Tank,” “for its aesthetic boldness in taking us into a grim public-housing environment and showing us the transcendent spirit of a young girl that struggles to overcome the adult lies that engulf her.” The film also won Best Supporting Actor for Michael Fassbender, who makes it two years in a row, having won an acting award last year for “Hunger”.

The Italian film “Vincere” walked away with several major awards including Best Director (Marco Bellocchio), Best Actress (Giovanna Mezzogiorno), Best Actor (Filippo Timi), and Best Cinematography (Daniele Cipri).

The Gold Plaque for Best Art Direction went to “Hipsters” and the Silver Plaque went to “Backyard”.

In the New Directors Competition, winners included “Gigante” (Gold Hugo), “Made in China” (Silver Hugo), and “Partners” (Gold Plaque).

Docufest Competition winners included “Cooking History” (Gold Hugo), “Racing Dreams” (Silver Hugo), and “Soundtrack For a Revolution” (Gold Plaque in Direction).

Short Film Competition winners included “The History of Aviation” (Gold Hugo), “Good Advice” (Silver Hugo), “Skhizen” (Silver Hugo for Animated Short), “Photograph of Jesus” (Gold Plaque for Experimental Short), “Cherry on a Cake” (Gold Plaque for Best Student Short), “The Illusion” (Gold Plaque for Best Essay Short), “Short Term 12” (Special Mention for Best Ensemble), and “Attached to You” (Special Mention for Animated Short).

The Chicago Award went to “Wet,” “a beautiful metaphor for isolation and loneliness. It is thought-provoking, quizzical, and original.” Special mention went to “Girls on the Wall” and “An Evening With Emery Long”.

Over the course of the festival, tribute awards were handed out to Martin Landau, Uma Thurman, Willem Dafoe, Patrice Chereau, Lee Daniels, and Gabourey Sidibe.

Award-winning films will replay in the “Best of the Fest” section of the schedule on Wednesday, October 21st. Head over to the official site for showtimes and details and don’t miss our continuing coverage of the fest.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com