America’s Film Legacy
America’s Film Legacy 2009-2010
Category Archives: Film Festivals
NYFF Post Mortem: Streaming a Festival
Yes, the pandemic has changed everything about the movie industry, from production to exhibition. Unable to hold in-person screenings, theater owners have turned to the only viable alternative, streaming, in the process accelerating the decline of their livelihood. Even without … Continue reading
Posted in Documentary, Film Festivals, Streaming
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Aswang review: The victims of Duterte’s drug war
In Filipino folklore, an “aswang” is a shapeshifting demon, the monster parents use to frighten their kids. For director Alyx Ayn Arumpac, the aswang is a metaphor for the current state of the Philippines. How else to explain the 30,000+ … Continue reading
Posted in Asian, Documentary, Film Festivals, Streaming
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Steve McQueen on Lovers Rock
With covid-19 still uncontrolled, the 58th edition of the New York Film Festival gets underway September 25, running until October 11. A collaboration of sorts with the Toronto International Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival, this year’s schedule is … Continue reading
Posted in Film Festivals, New Releases, Streaming
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14th Japan Cuts surveys Japanese cinema
The 14th annual Japan Cuts Festival of New Japanese Film opens in an online edition starting today, July 17. The largest festival devoted to Japanese film in North America, Japan Cuts has built a tradition of providing viewers New Yorkers … Continue reading
Posted in Asian, Awards, Film Festivals, New Releases
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The Painter and the Thief probes a puzzling crime
Striving for objectivity in documentaries is an impossible goal. Every creative choice is subjective, from equipment to lighting and composition. Deciding what to cover may be the most subjective choice of all, and the dynamic between documentarian and subject is … Continue reading
Posted in Documentary, Film Festivals, New Releases, Streaming
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The Third Strike tackles mandatory sentencing laws
Documentaries are great at pointing out issues and problems. Offering solutions is another matter. The Third Strike tackles a major injustice: mandatory prison sentencing required by federal “three strikes” laws. The movie also offers a sliver of hope in the … Continue reading
Posted in Documentary, Film Festivals, Uncategorized
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Review: Searching for answers in Family Obligations
A sudden loss forces an outsider to rethink his priorities in Family Obligations, a well-meaning but flawed drama now streaming after festival screenings. Written and directed by Kenneth R. Frank, the movie doesn’t always overcome its bare-bones budget and technical … Continue reading
Posted in Film Festivals, New Releases
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1917, The Lighthouse, Honeyland win at ASC Awards
The American Society of Cinematographers held its 34th Awards Saturday night, January 25, in the Ray Dolby Ballroom in the Hollywood & Highland complex. Winners included 1917, The Lighthouse, and Honeyland. Some 1600 guests attended a cocktail reception and dinner … Continue reading
Posted in Awards, Film Festivals
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French filmmaker Louis Valray’s 1930s features restored
Louis Valray directed two independent features in France in the mid-1930s. Adapted from a play by Pierre Wolff, La belle de nuit is structured a bit like La Ronde, starting with a theatrical couple facing a crisis and progressing through … Continue reading
Review: The Wake of Light from writer/director Renji Philip
A quiet, contemplative drama of people lost in failed dreams, The Wake of Light lives up to some, if not all, of its ambitions. It’s a love story without a real romance, a faith-based drama where religion doesn’t seem to … Continue reading
Posted in Film Festivals, New Releases
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