Archive for Independent Movie

The Providence Effect is the story of an individual man, the inner city Chicago school he founded, and the student lives the school has changed and saved.  The school, Providence St. Mel, has a 30-year 100% college placement record; with an “old school” approach to learning — “Do the work.” — and a dedicated corps of teachers and administrators, Providence St. Mel can serve as a model for revamping all of American education.

To turn Providence St. Mel into a first rank college preparatory school, and its African-American student body into a corps of driven, disciplined, high achieving students.  That was over 30 years ago.  Since then, 100% of Providence St. Mel graduates have been accepted to college, half of them, during the last seven years, to first tier and Ivy League colleges and universities.

The film opens Friday, September 25th, 2009.

You can read more about the film and check out the trailer at: www.theprovidenceeffect.com.

It’s summer, and you want to go out and watch a movie. But which one to watch? These are the newest movies to open in San Francisco this weekend.

1. Thirst

Directed by Park Chan-Wook (Oldboy, Sympathy For A Vengeance, Mr. Vengeance), Thirst is the story of Sang-hyun, a priest who will do anything to save humanity. He agrees to participate in a secret vaccine development program designed to wipe out a deadly virus. But something goes wrong and he finds out the blood he was injected with was infected, and he turns into a vampire.

2. Shrink

Written by Thomas Moffett and directed by Jonas Pate, Shrink is the story of Henry Carter, played by Kevin Spacey, a shrink who works in Hollywood and treats A-list celebrities that have left him jaded and cynical.

3. The Answer Man

John Hindman, in his directorial debut, brings us The Answer Man. Jeff Daniels plays Arlen Faber, author of Me and God, which has touched the lives of many people. Now on its 20th anniversary, people all over continue to seek him for the answers to their questions, but he’s a recluse and has succeeded in keeping himself away from the public eye.

4. 24 City

24 City is the story of three factory workers and how their lives changed when the China State-owned munitions factory they used to work for falls into ruin and is converted into a high-rise condominium building. 24 City was nominated for Best Cinematographer and Best Composer at the 2009 Asian Film Awards and Golden Palm for the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

5. In The Loop

A British government minister, played by Tom Hollander, makes a mistake in front of a national television audience and tries to fix it.

What do you think? Which movie do you want to watch?

Raring to go out and watch a new movie? Here’s a quick rundown of movies opening this week in San Francisco.

1. Cheri

Michelle Pfeiffer stars as Lea, Paris’ most envied seductress to the rich and famous. She has been thinking of retiring from her distinguished stature when her former courtesan and arch rival, Charlotte Peloux (played by Kathy Bates), asks her to teach her 19-year-old a thing or two about women.  Stephen Frears (The Queen) directed Cheri while Christopher Hampton (Atonement) wrote the screenplay.

2. The Stoning Of Soraya M.

Set in a remote village in Iran, a French journalist (played by James Caviezel) attempts to uncover the true details behind the death of Soraya from the words of her aunt, Zahra (played by Shohreh Agdashloo). The movie “exposes the dark power of mob rule, uncivil law and the utter lack of human rights for women” (from the website).

3. Unmistaken Child

Unmistaken Child chronicles the four-year search for the reincarnation of Lama Konchog, a world-renowned Tibetan master who passed away in 2001. Tenzin Zopa, the deceased monk’s devoted disciple, sets off on foot to find the reincarnation. He interviews young kids in even the most remote villages in Tibet and witnesses special traits and rare ritual tests to find out the identity of his reincarnated master and present him to the Dalai Lama.

4. Whatever Works

Larry David stars as Boris in the newest comedy from filmmaker, Woody Allen. Life starts getting complicated when a runaway named Melody (Evan Rachel Wood) enters his life and his apartment. Things get even crazier when her parents show up to rescue her.

A lot of people will be lining up to watch Transformer or My Sister’s Keeper. But it’s good to know that people have more choices than that when it comes to the big screen.

The 52nd San Francisco International Film Festival kicks off on April 23, 2009, at the Castro Theatre with Peter Bratt’s La Mission about an ex-con trying to make a better life living in San Francisco’s Mission District, until he discovers his son’s secret that threatens to destroy him. The film stars Benjamin Bratt, Erika Alexander and Jeremy Ray Valdez.

At this year’s festival, don’t miss tributes, awards and forums organized and chosen by the San Francisco Film Society.

1. The San Francisco Film Society recognizes, every year, filmmakers who have contributed vastly to the art of cinema and filmmaking. The Founder’s Directing Award for 2009, given to masters of world cinema, will be given to Francis Ford Coppola. The 2009 Peter J. Owens Award, given to filmmakers who have contributed well to cinema and its organizations, will be given to Robert Redford. And this year’s recipient of The Kanbar Award For Excellence In Scriptwriting is James Toback.

2. The Midnight Awards, sponsored by W Hotel and 7×7 Magazine, honor a young American actor and actress who have greatly contributed to independent and Hollywood films with their exceptional talent, intelligence and character. This year’s recipients are Evan Rachel Wood and Elijah Wood.

3. Centerpiece Event features the West Coast premiere of American director Marc Webb’s 500 Days Of Summer featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. This movie follows the 500 day romance of Tom and Summer. A cocktail eception follows the movie premiere at Clift Hotel. Both events will be on May 2.

4. The SFIFF also has organized different forums throughout the festival. Hear director Barbara Ettinger and producer Sven Huseby share their thoughts on making their documentary A Sea Of Change and the issue of ocean acidification. Listen to Jennifer Maytorena Taylor tackle the issues of American Muslims and destroy the negative image they currently have through her documentary, New Muslim Cool.

The SFIFF closes on May 7 with Alexis Dos Santos’ Unmade Beds at the Castro Theatre. Unmade Beds is the story of two young expats in East London, each with their own mission, crossing paths along the way.

There is something in many indie films that is missing in most commercial films– that secret ingredient that touches the soul and brings the viewer on an intense emotional journey. I guess it’s the honesty of indie films that makes them powerful. Iranian filmmaker Ramin Bahrani’s Goodbye Solo is one such indie movie. Goodbye Solo is Bahrani’s third outing. So if you are familiar with his earlier works, Man Push Cart (2005) and Chop Shop (2007), you know that he’s quite adept at looking at the very core of the human heart and painting what he sees in it on screen for us to see.

The first half of the movie is a joy ride, it is fun and you’d be all laughs, but when your reach the middle it begins to dig deep into you and leave its mark on your heart for days. Goodbye Solo is an in-depth study of characters, characters that you care about more and more as the film progresses and sucks you in. The story revolves around Solo (played by Souléymane Sy Savané), a talkative young Senegalese cab driver who is preparing to become a flight attendant, a profession that he thinks could give him and his family a better life. He meets William (played by Red West), a battered old soul whose life is going down the drain. The two characters have nothing in common; one is young and full of hope, the other is old, jaded, and sad.  But in spite of their differences, the two characters strike up a friendship, and their lives entertwine. Goodbye Solo is an exploration of the struggles and hopes of immigrants in America. I don’t know why films like this one, films that examine the frailty of the human soul and the innate strength that is within those who are in a struggle, can show such great power in a very subtle way.

The cinematography of this movie is as good as the direction. It brings out the beauty of what could otherwise be the plain streets of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The musical score also perfectly compliments the cinematography.