Blvck America + Bidoun present Vintage Short Films

This Sunday join Blvck America and the folks at Bidoun to check out some awesome vintage short films from the Middle East. This is the last of the Liberty Hall screenings at the Ace Hotel for January. Not only is the screening free, but they'll have DJs spinning and a drink special for folks who get there early.

Sunday, January 30th
7PM
Liberty Hall at the Ace Hotel

Seu Jorge + Almaz "The Model"

Check out the homies from What Matters Most -- amazing work guys!!

****

Now-Again Records and What Matters Most present a short film duo entiled “The Model,” inspired by the recently released Seu Jorge and Almaz album by Brazilian singer and actor Seu Jorge.

The first part "Chapter 1: Marcello in Limbo" is a one-take affair that follows Jorge as he weaves through a cliff-side mansion in the Hollywood Hills. The film showcases three cover songs from the album (Roy Ayers’ “Everybody Loves The Sunshine,” Martinho da Vila and João de Aquino's “Cirandar” and Kraftwerk’s “The Model”) and features the members of his band Almaz, as well as the producer Mario C and keyboardist Money Mark.

The first chapter acts as an introduction to the second part of the short film "Oshun and The Dream," which will be released in the next couple of weeks.

Seu Jorge and Almaz - The Model (Chapter One) from Now-Again on Vimeo.

Skating Shanghai

Filmmaker Charles Lanceplaine created Shanghai Five, a documentary about the burgeoning skateboard scene in Shanghai and released as an online feature. This trailer is pretty badass -- cant wait for it to come out! Check out his skateboarding blog here. Below is another short film he did on surfing the "Silver Dragon" in Hangzhou.

Ray Charles + Willie Nelson + Bill Cosby +++

The latest film on the legendary Ray Charles will air Tuesday, October 12 on A&E's bio channel at 8 PM. The two-hour special, narrated by David Duchovny, commemorates the 80th anniversary of Ray Charles’ birth and explores the life and music of the man behind such hit songs as “What’d I Say,” “Georgia On My Mind,” “Hit The Road Jack,” “America, the Beautiful” and “I’ve Got A Woman.”

A unique partnership between the Grammy-nominated producers of the BIO documentary “Johnny Cash’s America,” and The Ray Charles Foundation, the film features unprecedented access to the Ray Charles archives including a wealth of rare and never-before-seen footage and photos and more than 25 of Charles’ recordings.

The special includes: A yet to be released recording of “It Hurts to Be In Love;” a never-before seen interview at his studio not long before his passing; live video from his recording sessions for “Genius Loves Company” including his duet with Willie Nelson for “It Was a Very Good Year” and his duet with Elton John for “Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word; an amazing performance of “Ring of Fire” on the Johnny Cash Show; and a tour of his private recording studio in LA including his wardrobe, chessboard and personal Braille address book and magazines. The many interviewees in the program include Willie Nelson, Clint Eastwood, Bill Cosby, Fran Drescher, Elton John, James Taylor, Quincy Jones, Ben Harper, Common, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, B.B. King, Taylor Hackford, Glen Campbell, Tom Waits and Norman Lear.

Director Alexis Manya Spraic seeks out provocative and challenging subject matter. Last year, her documentary Shadow Billionaire examined DHL founder Larry Hillblom's mysterious disappearance off the coast of Micronesia (and subsequent estate battle among his many children with bar girls across all of Asia).

Marwencol

The wonder and healing power of imagination!
"Marwencol" is a documentary about the fantasy world of Mark Hogancamp.

After being beaten into a brain-damaging coma by five men outside a bar, Mark builds a 1/6th scale World War II-era town in his backyard. Mark populates the town he dubs "Marwencol" with dolls representing his friends and family and creates life-like photographs detailing the town's many relationships and dramas. Playing in the town and photographing the action helps Mark to recover his hand-eye coordination and deal with the psychic wounds of the attack. When Mark and his photographs are discovered, a prestigious New York gallery sets up an art show. Suddenly Mark's homemade therapy is deemed "art", forcing him to choose between the safety of his fantasy life in Marwencol and the real world that he's avoided since the attack.

"Marwencol" is playing at the IFC center and Hogancamp's photography is on view at the Esopus Gallery. Thanks Stacy!

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox

After escaping from an insane asylum where he was locked up for spreading the gospel of the Moral ABC, Dr. Emmanuel Bronner decided that the best way to spread the message of his All One faith was to make the best soap in the world and print the Moral ABC on the label. Thus Dr. Bronner's Magic 18-in-1 Pure Castille Peppermint Soap was born. A 5th generation soap maker, Bronner's vision for uniting spaceship Earth is carried out through the ethics and practices of the company. His grandson now helms the family-owned business using only organic fair-trade ingredients, investing in olive oil from the holy land, and was the first company to use 100% post consumer recycled bottles! Check out the clip from Sarah Lamm's amazing documentary about the man, the mission, and the soap.

Timeless in the Park

The lovely folks from Mochilla are taking over Saint Nicholas Park tomorrow night for a screening and jam fest with Bobbito, Jazzy Jay and Lean Rock! J. Rocc is flying in to do a "Timeless" Video Mix. In case you missed out, Timeless was an unforgettable orchestral concert series that brought together composers like Mulatu of Ethiopia, Arthur Verocai and J. Dilla (RIP) with a 15-piece orchestra interpreting their classic work during the Spring of 2009. This is a really unique way to experience the shows and enjoy the end of summer! Buy the boxed set here!

NYC Premiere: Downtown Calling

FINALLY!! This Wednesday my good friend Ben Velez's film, Downtown Calling, is making its NYC hometown debut. Chronicling the underground art, music and culture scene of New York during the late 70's and narrated by Deborah Harry, this film is an important document of the people and creative energy that birthed an undeniable NYC youth culture. The icons of Punk, Hip Hop, DJ and Downtown culture continue to influence the way we see and think about the world around us today! Buy tickets here and support the film at the NY International Latino Film Festival!

Report from TAIPEI: MARK LEE PING-BIN

Seasoned cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-Bin is finally gaining more recognition with a new book, Poet of Light and Shadow, and documentary, Let the Wind Carry Me. Linked often with director Hou Hsiao-Hsien (who calls him, affectionately, A-Bing) and overshadowed by fellow DP Christopher Doyle, Lee has steadily established himself as a technical master of "glamorous realism." He avoids HD whenever possible, and his shots are fluid and heart-breakingly gorgeous. See In the Mood for Love, Millennium Mambo, The Vertical Ray of the Sun (credited as Pin Bing Lee on imdb.com). The book reprints his fine art photography, poems and interviews.

On set, Hou likens his right-hand man to a soldier. Lee runs on self-deprivation: no bathroom breaks or family visits (his teenage son in Los Angeles struggles to understand his absenteeism). His mother, however, figures prominently in the documentary: in Taiwanese fashion, a true mama's boy! His favorite movie is Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Florent: Queen of the Meat Market at NYFFF

This week marks the opening of the 4th annual New York Food Film Festival. On Thursday, for one night only, join Florent Morellet to taste a selection of original menu items from Restaurant Florent and watch the World Premiere of David Sigal's "FLORENT: Queen of the Meat Market", a heartwarming film about the man behind the legendary restaurant. In June of 2008 cherished New York restaurant Florent closed its doors forever, marking the end of an era. Florent Morellet, the openly HIV-positive restaurateur turned his namesake diner in the Meatpacking District into a hotbed of activism and a community that welcomed one and all. These are the extraordinary stories and times of Florent, the staff, patrons, and celebrities who made up an extensive family. With appearances by Julianne Moore, Isaac Mizrahi, and Christo and Jean-Claude. This feature-length documentary chronicles the ups and downs of the French bistro's 23 glorious years. All proceeds for this special night go to the Food Bank of New York City! Get Tickets Here!

MIA "Born Free"

Check the new short film by MIA and Romain-Gavras of Justice fame. Gave me chills. Getit girl!!!

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

Trains, Planes and Bicycle-mobiles...

Check out NONSTOP Suzette Lee's stellar debut! Its an ode to being on-the-go in the city that never sleeps.

NONSTOP from SML on Vimeo.

Documentary Fortnight @ MoMA

With the blizzard outside, what better time to head inside and check some art and film. This is the last weekend to catch some of the amazing documentary films on view through MoMA's Documentary Fortnight program. Established in 2001, this annual event brings some of the world's most compelling non-fiction stories to NYC. The dynamic programming covers stories big and small ranging from the housing market in Williamsburg Brooklyn to the amazing collection of Western masterworks housed at Tehran's Museum of Contemporary Art (see below). Check out the full program here and a selection from a series of films focused on Iran that are screening on Saturday.


The Treasure Cave
2009. Iran. Directed by Bahman Kiarostami. Residing under one of the most vehemently anti-Western governments in the world, Tehran’s Museum of Contemporary Art possesses a treasure trove of masterworks that—virtually unseen for all but a few of the last three decades—are all but forgotten outside knowledgeable art circles. The film recounts the history of a museum that, despite possessing the most extensive collection of late nineteenth- and twentieth-century Western art outside the West, has been transformed into a place for honoring the martyrs of the revolution and Iran/Iraq war. In Farsi; English subtitles. 43 min.

Statues of Tehran
2008. Iran. Directed by Bahman Kiarostami. Statues of Tehran provides a brief overview of sculpture in Iran’s capital city, with a focus on two works. One of the first modern works to be erected in Tehran was created in the 1970s by Bahman Mohassess for what was then the Royal Family. Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War, the city’s public displays were limited to revolutionary and ideological works, and Mohassess’s sculpture was destined to disintegration and storage. In contrast, Iraj Esskandari’s statue in Enghelab (Revolution) Circus has been standing in a prominent location of Tehran for the last twenty-seven years, a symbol of the revolution and the war. Now this statue is set to be dismantled and replaced by a subway station. Presented by Howard Weinberg, President, New York Film/Video Council, in collaboration with the New York Film/Video Council. This program is supported by the E Ike Eshagian Foundation. In Farsi; English subtitles. 60 min.

Saturday, February 27, 2010, 4:00 p.m. , Theater 1, T1 (U.S. premieres. Followed by discussion with Bahman Kiarostami)

Act of God @ HSNY

Act of God is a feature documentary about the metaphysical effects of being struck by lightning. The event represents the paradox of being singled out by randomness, and so precipitates questions about chance, fate and meaning in life. The film explores seven stories from around the world that raise and respond to these questions, while keeping the sky and what comes out of it as a central visual metaphor and thread. Paul Auster, who was struck as a teenager, philosophically anchors the film, along with Fred Frith, the improviser, who both imaginatively underpins it and personally demonstrates the ubiquity of electricity in our bodies and the universe.

Thursday, 2/25
Horticultural Society of New York
148 West 37th Street, 13th Floor
Doors open at 6pm; film starts promptly at 6:30pm
Refreshments served
RSVP via email at hsny@hsny.org or call (212)757-0915 x115

Watching

Tonite @ 255

Where have I been for the last 3 months, you might ask? Grindin. Come by, have a beer, watch a film and check out what Ive been working on!!

************
255 Custom Lab and the Maysles Institute invite you to

JOCK DOCS at 255

THE REAL: Rucker Park Legends
Special Q+A with director Bob McCullough Jr.

Thursday, February 11
255 Elizabeth between Houston and Prince

Doors at 7PM

Coming Up in Jock Docs at 255: 2/25, The Karlton Hines Story

***************
About THE REAL: Rucker Park Legends
More than five decades ago, a New York City Parks employee named Holcombe Rucker encouraged Harlem kids to stay in school with a basketball tournament and league that would develop into an international phenomenon. Upon his death, two of his pupils continued his work by drawing from the league's Pro Division to start the famous "Each One Teach One" program, pairing up basketball's greats with disadvantaged youth. The innovative idea attracted such legends as Julius "Dr. J" Erving and streetball heroes such as Earl "The Goat" Manigault and Joe "The Destroyer" Hammond. Rucker Park's reputation quickly grew, becoming a virtual training ground for the NBA, influencing the playing style of the game and transforming Hip-Hop culture. Told by the legends themselves, this is The Real: the incredible true story behind Rucker Park from its unpolished beginnings through its heyday in the '60s and '70s to its more commercial present-day. But most of all, it's an amazing tale of how one man's dream and his pupils' gratitude explosively transformed an ordinary neighborhood basketball court into the world's most famous streetball arena.

Ego Trip x Maysles Institute

80 Blocks From Tiffany's
(Dir. Gary Wiess, 1979, 67 min.)

Shotgun
(Dir. Steven Goodman, 1982, 25 min.)

Egotrip and the Maysles Institute have partnered to present Egotrips favourite documentaries in a series titled, Under the Influence. It kicks off tonite with 80 Blocks from Tiffany's and Shotgun, a documentary short.

80 Blocks from Tiffany's is a rich film where filmmaker Gary Wiess and cinematographer Joan Churchill hang out with the South Bronx gang, the Savage Skulls. In Shotgun, this party atmosphere turns tragic. Steven Goodman, who has gone on to lead the field of video education with EVC, provides a portrait of Shotgun, an eighteen-year-old gang member living in the South Bronx, facing serious criminal charges.

Both filmmakers will be present at the In addition, Ponce Laspina, a former 5th Division President of the notorious Savage Skulls, and NYPD Detective Robert Werner (who appears prominently in 80 Blocks) will also be in attendance.

Check out the post Complex did with the crew from Ego Trip about the documentaries they chose for the series here!

About Ego Trip: Ego Trip is the New York-based creative collective behind the top-rated VH1 reality programs The (White) Rapper Show and Miss Rap Supreme as well as the critically acclaimed Book of Rap Lists and Big Book of Racism!

Maysles Institute
2/3 to 125th St
Located on the west side of the street between 127th and 128th streets on Lenox Ave (aka Malcolm X Blvd.)

Watching

This week's ungodly weather has me inside enjoying some sofa cinema.

Inspiration Procrastination

Taiwanese art student Bang-Yao Liu got a scholarship to take one year at SCAD in Georgia. I only just found his amazing final project on YouTube, which took him two weekends and four days of no sleep this summer to finish:



This is my senior project at Savannah College of Art and Design. Where my idea comes from is that every time when I am busy, I feel that I am not fighting with my works, I am fighting with those post-it notes and deadline. I manipulating the post-it notes to do pixel-like stop motion and there are some interactions between real actor and post-its.

Directed by Bang-yao Liu
Music by Röyksopp (http://royksopp.com)
Sound design by Ian Vargo, Shaun Burdick
Actor: Chun-yao Huang

The Making Of Video:

Copyright Criminals

Last night IFC's Stranger Than Fiction doc series presented Copyright Criminals. It's an informative look at the way copyright issues affected hip-hop's birth into the mainstream. The film airs on PBS's Independent Lens in January 2010.