Interview with Benjamin Villeda – the director of Dive

I discovered a short film called Dive on Vimeo a few days ago and it is exactly the kind of sexy cool filmmaking I aspire to. When I was done watching the film I sent director Benjamin Villeda a request for an interview. He agreed almost immediately but he has been busy dealing with the excitement surrounding his short film and it took him a while to respond to my (rather long) set of questions. Watch the film here if you haven’t already and... Read More

The Berlinale Bag

In 2008, at the 58th edition of the Berlinale, this was the bag handed out to festival pass holders. I watched a few movies, I walked around that beautiful city, and I had the same weird movie-watching experience, twice–I sat through two movies made in languages I didn’t speak (Finnish and Portuguese) subtitled in another language I didn’t read (German). But I got enough out of both experiences to understand why filmmaking can... Read More

So is Midnight in Paris any good?

This movie begins with a three-minute montage of scenes around Paris set to music. And right away, in those few minutes of staring longingly at those boulevards, bridges and familiar landmarks, one is transported into the narrative. Those that have been (to the City of Lights) will want to go back and those that haven’t really should feel like visiting. Midnight in Paris is about another romantic – a screenwriter named Gil (Owen Wilson) –... Read More

Cool Internet Stuff: Vol. 18

A wide variety of cool stuff awaits in this edition of CIS. From some stunning photography to a clever photography-related prank to a fun little music video to a documentary short about the manufacture of veritable works of art, we’re taking the time and making the effort to be diverse. We hope you like it. Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment, with tips or suggestions for material you’d like to see featured on future editions... Read More

Film Crews: Shooting Themselves in the Foot

This piece has been withdrawn and will reappear online at a later date.  Read More

Cool Internet Stuff: Vol. 06

A cool short film, a documentary about a very cool person, and an upcoming documentary about an unbelievably talented photographer who died a complete unknown are featured in this update. Two Men Inspired by a Kafka short story, this is just a beautiful piece of filmmaking. It takes its time establishing its world, treats you to a narrative in a voiceover so rich it works like one more layer folding around visual storytelling that already features... Read More

Cool Internet Stuff: Vol. 02

Kurz und Schön This, believe it or not, is the opening sequence for a short film festival. As a short film-maker myself I would be very intimidated about having my work follow this. Ah well, you have to appreciate the amazing wherever you find it. Laundry Simple, sweet story told without the need for dialogue. Beautiful colours; hyper-saturated but never muddy. I’d love to chat with the colourist and receive some tips. Nice editing rhythm. Influencers I... Read More