THE ART OF THE STEAL at STF

• by Raphaela Neihausen, February 22, 2010
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Last Tuesday, THE ART OF THE STEAL screened as a sneak preview at STF with the filmmakers in person. Inclement weather didn’t deter viewers from filling the theater, following the film’s critical acclaim at the Toronto and New York film festivals last fall.

Director Don Argott was joined on stage by producer Sheena Joyce and executive producer Lenny Feinberg (pictured) to discuss their muck-raking investigation into the fate of Albert Barnes’ art collection, valued in the billions. The film is the subject of a Sunday New York Times article and won attention for its poster on the Auteurs site.

This film will begin its official run at the IFC Center starting on Friday.

(Photos courtesy of Joshua Z Weinstein)

L to R: STF curator Thom Powers, director Don Argott, producer Sheena Joyce and executive producer Lenny Feinberg.

The filmmakers attended the post-film reception at Alibi Lounge.

Thom Powers exchanging stories with Lenny Feinberg.

Related Film/Screening:
THE ART OF THE STEAL by Don Argott

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THE COVE and STARTUP.COM come to STF

• by Thom Powers, February 16, 2010
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Last week, STF audiences enjoyed great docs from both ends of the decade. On Monday, director Louie Psihoyos and producer Fisher Stevens (pictured here) presented their Oscar-nominee THE COVE that plays like a thriller. The pair received a rare standing ovation from the sold out audience. During the Q&A, they announced that they had just fulfilled a long held ambition to have the film distributed theatrically in Japan where it takes place. The New York Times Carpetbagger has a report on the Japan deal and Film Panel Notetaker offers a report on the Q&A. Afterwards, the crowd moved to The Dove lounge on Thompson Street (a one night departure from our usual hangout at the Alibi Lounge) to keep the conversation going.

On Tuesday, the STF screening of STARTUP.COM took us back to the start of the decade when New York City was undergoing the boom and bust of the dotcom economy. In her Q&A, co-director Chris Hegedus recalled how she had researched several Internet companies - including Prodigy featured in the recent film WE LIVE IN PUBLIC – before joining forces with collaborator Jehane Noujaim to focus on GovWorks.com.

See below for photos from both nights:

Photos from THE COVE reception

Director of THE COVE Louie Psihoyos with filmmaker (and STF passholder) Jasmine Dellal.

Charles Musser in the center, with friends on both sides.

Editor (and STF passholder) Cheree Dillon with Film Panel Notetaker Brian Geldin.

Photos courtesy of Joshua Weinstein

Photos from STARTUP.COM

The Q&A with Thom Powers and co-director Chris Hegedus.

Co-director of STARTUP.COM Chris Hegedus.

Chris Hegedus with husband - documentary legend D.A. Pennebaker (DONT LOOK BACK, JANE and many more)

Photos courtesy of EJ

 

Related Film/Screening:
THE COVE by Louie Psihoyos

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Spike Jonze comes to IFC Center

• by Thom Powers, February 15, 2010
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STF fans, we want to alert you to a very special documentary presentation at the IFC Center. On Wed. Feb 24 at 8pm, there will be a screening of TELL THEM ANYTHING YOU WANT: A PORTRAIT OF MAURICE SENDAK (2009), followed by a Q&A w/ directors Lance Bangs & Spike Jonze.  Tickets are available here:.

In conjunction with the filming of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, director Spike Jonze teamed up with Lance Bangs to document an intimate portrait of the author behind the original book.  TELL THEM ANYTHING YOU WANT is a deeply moving tribute to Maurice Sendak, whose conflict with success and lifelong obsession with death have subtly influenced his work. Now 81, Sendak is best known for WILD THINGS, which he created twelve years into his career as a writer and illustrator. WILD THINGS would go on to become one of the most beloved and critically lauded children’s books of all time and, much to Sendak’s chagrin, would come to define his career. Through his own words, personal photos, and illustrations, Sendak offers a rare, intimate, and unexpected look at his exceptional life.

Following the 40-minute film, Jonze and Bangs will join me for an extended conversation about the making of this work.

Please note, the STF season pass does NOT apply to this event; a separate ticket is required.

Ross McElwee & Grace Coddington take the STF stage

• by Raphaela Neihausen, February 07, 2010
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Last week, STF sold out two nights in a row for unforgettable films and conversations. On Tuesday was A NIGHT WITH ROSS MCELWEE, featuring the acclaimed director of SHERMAN’S MARCH presenting two early short works CHARLEEN (1977) and BACKYARD (1984) that are rarely screened. McElwee described how both films were shot around the same time while he was still a graduate student at MIT, where the faculty included Ricky Leacock and Ed Pincus. In CHARLEEN, McElwee introduces the title character who would later appear in SHERMAN’S MARCH, TIME INDEFINITE and SIX O’CLOCK NEWS, exhibiting a knack for making poetry out of everyday life. In CHARLEEN, McElwee takes a traditional observational approach without his voice over commentary that became characteristic of his work. His transition to that style came in BACKYARD where he looks at his southern family and their longtime house workers, introducing his own voice as a guide. The Film Panel Notetaker blog has a full report of McElwee’s conversation here. STF host Thom Powers began the night with a tribute to the film editor Karen Schmeer who was killed in a car accident on the previous Friday.  (Photos courtesy of Joshua Weinstein)

On Wednesday, STF hosted a special screening of THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE, followed by a conversation with director R.J. Cutler and Vogue creative director Grace Coddington. The audience was arguably the most fashionable looking STF audience ever. Coddington described her initial reluctance to get involved with the film. In order to woo her, Cutler gave her copies of A PERFECT CANDIDATE (that he directed) and MY ARCHITECT (shot by his DP Bob Richman). “I never did watch those,” said Coddington. See coverage on New York Magazine’s blog.  (Photos courtesy of EJ)

A NIGHT WITH ROSS McELWEE:

Ross McElwee and Thom Powers during the Q&A.

Filmmaker Donal Mosher (OCTOBER COUNTRY) with a friend.

Filmmakers Hugo Perez and Francisco Bello.

Filmmaker David Redmon gets his Ross McElwee DVD autographed by the man himself.

FIlmmakers Nina Davenport (PARALLEL LINES, OPERATION FILMMAKER), Ross McElwee, Lucia Small (THE AXE IN THE ATTIC) and Joshua Seftel.

Filmmakers Doug Block (51 BIRCH STREET) and Michel Negroponte (I’M DANGEROUS WITH LOVE).

THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE:

Thom Powers with Vogue creative director Grace Coddington.

Director R.J. Cutler with Grace Coddington.

Related Film/Screening:
A NIGHT WITH ROSS McELWEE by Ross McElwee

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“BIGGEST CHINESE RESTAURANT” IS BIG HIT AT STF

• by Thom Powers, February 04, 2010
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THE BIGGEST CHINESE RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD played to a sold out audience on January 26. The film’s editor Jean Tsien regaled the audience in her Q&A, discussing how she first worked with Chinese director Weijun Chen on the film PLEASE VOTE FOR ME without ever having met him. The tapes from the film were shipped from China to her base in New York. Working without any input, Tsien constructed the film from raw tapes. The same working method was used for BIGGEST CHINESE RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD. In addition to the feature length version, Tsien also cut the material as a series for Sundance Channel and BBC.

Tsien recalled her own family experience running a Chinese restaurant in the Bronx and her monotonous labor as a teenager peeling cold shrimp. Another chore was to shove take-out menus under apartment doors in the neighborhood. The audience included past collaborators including Barbara Kopple, director of SHUT UP & SING and THE HAMPTONS; and Danny Anker, director of SCOTTSBORO: AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY and MUSIC FROM THE INSIDE OUT. All four of those titles were edited by Tsien.

(Above photo courtesy of EJ; below photos courtesy of Jean Tsien)

Barbara Kopple and Maureen Dougherty of Cabin Creek Films show off a photo of the newest STF team member Bez Powers Neihausen.

Editor Jean Tsien with Ngwang Choephel (dir, TIBET IN SONG) and Kim Rogers (production coordinator, THE COVE).

Tsien and STF host Thom Powers.

Choephel, Rogers and Robert Chang, an avid fan of Chinese cinema from NYU’s visual anthropology department.

Powers and Danny Ankner.

Related Film/Screening:
BIGGEST CHINESE RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD by Weijun Chen

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