This post was written by STF blogger Krystal Grow.

Following the STF screening of THE FRONT MAN, filmmaker Paul Devlin leads a Q&A with his film subjects, members of the band The Loaded Poets and their musician friends.

FULL Q&A

Thom Powers: How did you start filming this and what was the evolution of this film.

Paul Devlin: Well, it started because I had to answer the question of “what’s your next movie?” and I was doing a lot of different projects and I said to Jim one day, “I’m just going to start showing up with a camera every time we get together and see what happens,” and it was really just for fun at first and we had a really good time. It was a lot of laughs, and we were just joking around. And then things started to evolve and the ‘baby no baby’ sequence happened, and then she actually got pregnant, and then I realized “ok this is more than just a gag.” And then we just kept shooting and I would do other films and drop it for a year or two and then Jim would say that something was happening and we’d start again and I’d edit through the whole thing, and then we brought Glen and Graham into it and that brought a whole other dimension to it.

Powers: Jim, from your end, Paul followed you around with a camera for many, many years. What did you think of this process?

Jim Wood (The Loaded Poets, vocals): I loved it. Paul said, “I want to follow you around with a camera and see if anyone who doesn’t know you will think you’re funny,” which is kind of insulting, you know, but by the time we played it to a room full of strangers and they liked the film, I said “We’re done, mission accomplished.” It was over a long, long period of time, so there would be months, almost years where nothing would happen at all. I think the most profound thing for me is watching myself, taking a step back and watching my life on screen. He fixed my life in the editing, you know? So, I now realize I’m leading a charmed life because of the film. Whereas in the day-to-day shooting, it’s not so great.

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Stranger Than Fiction, the weekly documentary film series hosted by Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen and presented by IFC Center, begins on Tuesday with a retrospective screening of SANS SOLEIL (May 6), Chris Marker’s 1983 masterpiece. Film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum names it one of the key nonfiction films of our time and describes it as “a film about subjectivity, death, photography, social custom, and consciousness itself.” The screening will be accompanied by a conversation with filmmaker Jem Cohen, who cites Marker as a key influence on his own work. This presentation coincides with a month-long retrospective “Chris Marker & His Legacy” on Sundance NOW Doc Club, also curated by Powers.

The season bring many new films from STF alum to the IFC Center. Joe Berlinger‘s WHITEY: United States of America v. James J. Bulger (May 13) follows the trial of the infamous gangster James “Whitey” Bulger, using the courtroom action as a springboard to examine accusations of multi-faceted corruption within our nation’s law enforcement and legal systems. Acclaimed documentarian, Doug Block, has supported his career over the last two decades with a side business of videotaping weddings. In 112 WEDDINGS (June 3), he tracks down and interviews the more memorable of his 112 wedding couples. Marina Zenovich‘s ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED (June 17) revisits the key players involved Polanski’s controversial and complex sexual abuse conviction.

9-MAN (May 20) gives a glimpse into Chinese-American community through an athletic game that has been played exclusively Chinatowns across America since the 1930s. THE FRONT MAN (Thurs, May 29) is a non-fiction rock ‘n roll comedy love story about an everyman middle-class musician burdened by the desire for stardom.

The spring season closes with a special Wednesday screening of THE PLEASURES OF BEING OUT OF STEP (Wed, June 25), director David L. Lewis’ portrait of Nat Hentoff, a pioneer in music criticism, who has spent more than six decades championing jazz in the pages of the Village Voice, The Wall Street Journal, Down Beat, and numerous other publications. A New York story, the film won the DOC NYC Metropolis Grand Jury Prize in 2013.

The STF spring/summer season will take place weekly at the IFC Center for the next eight weeks. All screenings are Tuesday night at 8:00 pm, besides the special Thursday, May 29 screening of THE FRONT MAN, and the Wednesday, June 25 screening of THE PLEASURES OF BEING OUT OF STEP. Each event includes a discussion with the filmmakers, followed by a gathering at a nearby bar. The STF titles for May 27 and June 10 will be announced shortly.

Tickets are available for individual shows or season passes can be bought for $99 for 9 films.

With a season pass, you receive many perks including a free DVD from Docurama; free popcorn at every STF show; assurance that you never miss a sold out show (as long as you arrive by 15 min. prior); and the ability to transfer your pass to a friend, if you can’t come.

Click here to buy the Spring/Summer Season Pass.

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