*Selection for Mason Gross School of the Arts New Lens Film Festival 2013*
Calvin is having a hard time finishing his homework for his filmmaking class, so he travels into the future to get the finished film from his future self. An obvious homage to my favorite Calvin and Hobbes strip.
Written and Directed by Zack Morrison
Starring Andy Martinez & Christopher M. Pasi
Cinematography and Editing by Zack Morrison
*Winner: Best Drama-Rutgers University, Campus Moviefest 2013*
*Winner: Silver Tripod Award-Best Soundtrack, Campus Moviefest 2013*
A film about a brother’s love for his sister, and how art and music can transcend communicational boundaries.
Director’s Cut.
Directed by Zack Morrison
Produced by Christopher M. Pasi
Written by Zack Morrison and Christopher M. Pasi
Starring Dave Seamon & Lyndsay Anna
Featuring Andrew Marone, Bryan Hansen, Eric Ubel, David Kolchmeyer, Zack Morrison, Patricia Morrison
Assistant Director Josephine Bathan
Cinematography by Zack Morrison
Edited by Matt Herrmann and Zack Morrison
No better way to prepare for camping out for James Franco’s new movie than with McDonalds. Especially when they serve beer with their burgers!
The line for the premiere was out the gate from the minute the film ahead of it went into the theater.
We waited around all day. Since the Un Certain Regard films were not in the Grand Lumiere Theatre, tickets are not required. Therefore, the entire world was lined up for to attend. “As I Lay Dying” is one of the dozen or so films that is a selection in the Un Certain Regard category of the festival. It is a parallel selection to the in-competition features, which are highlighted for their “Original and Different” creative styles. Fruitvale Station, a film that we saw last week, was also Un Certain Regard, as was The Bling Ring with Emma Watson which opened the Un Certain Regard parallel to Great Gatsby.
That poster is everywhere. I want one.
Serra, Brittany, Leigh, and myself, along with Steve-my friend from Rutgers-went to see “As I Lay Dying.” We’ve all gotten so close over the course of the trip so far. I’m so excited that after the trip is over, we are going to be re-united at Campus Moviefest Hollywood!!!
The list of Un Certain Regard films. If any of them come to the US, I definitely recommend seeing them.
The title card.
The man himself. James Franco is so cool.
I was front row for his directorial debut. It was so incredible. If this film is any indication of the types of films he is going to helm in the future, I am quite excited. The project had a unique style of split screen editing, which portrayed the point of view of the different narrators of the film. Each perspective was a little different, which is very loyal to the book. The cinematography was absolutely fantastic. I was very impressed.
Afterwards, we went out for dinner. In this side street is our “favorite” bar for the trip The Cave. It’s entirely stone interior.
Old Cannes is so beautiful at night.
Well the majority of the day today was crisis management. Early in the morning, I reserved tickets for the premiere of Blood Ties, a movie with Mila Kunis, Clive Owen, and Marion Cotillard. It was going to be fantastic. In addition, I was going to catch the reprise screening of The Cohen Brothers’ Inside Llewin Davis. Going to be wonderful. Got dressed up all pretty, fought off my hangover quickly, and went to the palais. I had a friend holding a spot in line for me at the Cohen Brothers film in a smaller theater–she’s been camping out 2 hours early. Of course the shuttle was late. These drivers are worse than the drivers at Rutgers. On the way, I ran to the ticket office to print off my Blood Ties ticket. When I got there though, shit hit the fan. The computer lost it. It poofed away into nothingness and with it, took the 100 points I paid for it with (I can hold max 130, and only regenerate 48 each day). After about an hour of trying to explain to the guy, he told me I had to come back later in the day. Naturally, by the time I got over to the theater for Llewin Davis, I missed the cut off. They tend to overbook theaters and Press end up taking all the seats anyways..
It was such a pleasant surprise running into my friend Keren, a fellow Scarlet Knight who graduated last year out of the Mason Gross film program. She’s here with her boyfriend who’s a journalist and getting to sneak into the big parties. So lucky. We went out for lunch and it was a great reunion and break from the stress of dealing with the ticket people.
So after a few hours of wandering around the Marche, I went back to the ticket booth to talk to them again like they said. But the nice guy I was talking to wasn’t there anymore–some awful bitchy lady replaced her. She was giving me a hard time about being able to get those tickets, because apparently Short Film Corner participants aren’t “prestigious enough” to attend them, and that we have been a pain in her ass. Meanwhile, all week we have been huddling around the computers waiting for returned tickets to become available again. Like everyone at the entire festival does. And tickets don’t discriminate–you have one, you can attend the show.
I don’t know why she had such a major stick up her ass, but either way, I wasn’t given the ticket I rightfully reserved. She refunded my points, but at that point there were no more top screenings available that day so it didn’t even help.
Thankfully, James Franco came in in the clutch.
Well today started off like any other day: After a night of partying until 4-something in the morning, my roommate and I woke up at 8am for the morning ticket rush. There were two big films premiering at the Grand Lumiere today—Inside Llewin Davis by the Cohen Brothers and Borgman, a Dutch thriller by Alex Van Warmerdam. As I just confirmed today, and had prior suspicions about when other big films were going sold out immediately, the festival badges are structured into seniority brackets. These brackets are based on number of years attending the festival and how much money you are spending on buying/selling films within the last year. So naturally, I get shit. CMF is in group 7, meaning there are 6 other groups of people able to reserve tickets ahead of us. Which sucks—meaning the Cohen Brothers premiere was all but impossible to attend. So instead, we all chose Borgman.
Idk wtf she is wearing…but it’s made out of clothes pins. After seeing this, we decided that anyone taking pictures of someone dressed up instantly grabs attention, which launched our master plan.
Today we spent the morning walking around the Marche and Palais exploring. Dan acted as if he was someone important, and I followed with my camera; as if shooting a documentary. It was surprising how much an entorage with camera instantly bumps up your status at the festival. We just happened to know “Jarad,” who happened to somehow be on the list at every VIP room. Eventually though, they caught on—and kicked us out of the VIP wine lounge on the roof.
“Oh, do you know Daniel Mall? He’s a big deal. He knows Jarad, who invited us to the VIP room.”
“I’m a documentary filmmaker making a film about Daniel Mall’s triumphant return in Cannes”
“He’s along for the ride.”
Oh yea…we ran into Justin Timberlake today.
The guy on the right is the man who created the Toxic Avenger, and TROMA, the movie studio from Long Island that “is the longest running active movie studio that has never had a hit…and never will.” He’s hilarious, and actually very well knowledged about marketing your independent films. I need to read his book.
We got invited to an exclusive party held by the Brazilian film pavilion.
After the Brazilian party, we rushed back to the hotel to get ready for “Borgman.” I knew little about the film going into it, other than the fact that it came from the Neatherlands.
The red carpet at the Grand Lumiere theater was pumping. This was the most crowded I’ve seen it since Gatsby…mostly because it was FINALLY NOT RAINING ANYMORE. Everyone had their best best on tonight because no one knew if it was going to downpour again after. It was very impressive, and unlike “Like Father, Like Son,” they let us actually walk the carpet. The stars came in after we did, and they televised their entrances on the big screen while we took our seats.
I really enjoyed Borgman. Naturally, like every film that I’ve seen so far here, the Morrison Narcolepsy gene kicked in, and I once the lights went down, I was out. I only missed about 10 minutes, then my body jerked me awake and “Sleepy Zack” was good to go. The film was hilarious. It was about a quirky cult who was looking for a new hideout, so they plotted to basically take over this residential home. They infiltrate the home by killing the gardner and then filling in as his replacement. The comedic timing of the events was perfect. Punches thrown, smash cuts after punchlines, and hilarious freak-out moments. I loved it.
Afterwards, we went to karaoke. It was classic.
Well the lights go low on the avenue…Cannes Palais de Festival Avenue that is.
Chilling with George who cooked us up nice pizza. Between pizza and sandwiches, I’m surprised how thin all French people are. All they eat is bread, cheese, and wine. Not even joking.
Today was a lazy day. The rain continued, making it the third straight day with full downpour. Made me not want to leave my room, let alone wear a tux.
This time, they didn’t let us walk the main red carpet for the premiere of “Like Father, Like Son,” a Japanese film about a father that learns his son was actually switched at birth. It was a truly heartwarming story about what makes a house into a home, and asks the question whether it is more important to be related to your child or to have been the one who loved him and raised him for 6 years.
Steve and I just inside the Grand Lumiere Theater. Stopped for a photo op to send back home to Rutgers
The Grand Lumiere Theater at the Palais is the most impressive theater I have ever been in. Seats 2300 people. You can only see the upper balcony here, there is an entire floor Orchestra level as well.
We took a nice walk in the rain looking for food after “Like Father, Like Son.” The city is so beautiful at night.
They do pizza so differently here. It’s kinda soupy, but all the ingredients are super fresh! Plus the wine is fantastic.
Lol had to make a shoutout to all the Cap and Skull members who have been so supportive of my trip thus far. Thanks guys for everything, and congrats to the graduating class of 2013! SA
Sitting in the theater waiting for Fruitvale to start. Going into it i’ve heard only so many good things about it. It blew my mind.
I was lucky enough to be able to get into a screening for Fruitvale Station, a feature film about the last day of Oscar Grant’s life, and how he goes about trying to be the best person he can be, despite a troubled past which he has been working to over come, before he is brutally shot and killed by a police officer in the early hours of New Years Eve 2009. The true story, which won Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at Sundance for dramatic narrative, touched my heart and honestly brought out tears at the end. The cinematography was fantastic, the story was both heartwarming and heart wrenching, and it serves as a true celebration of the man Oscar was about to set out to become. Michael B. Jordan captured the role perfectly and was supported by wonderful performances across the film.
Here is the trailer for Fruitvale Station. If you get the chance to see it somewhere, it was one of the best films I’ve ever seen.
Holy jib.
The back of the Marche. The market place is so massive that it takes up two entire convention halls and is honestly a larger part of Cannes than the festival itself. I was listening to a lecture that someone was giving on the floor–no idea who it was because I arrived late to it–but he was explaining the difference between film festivals and film markets. When you’re trying to send your independent film around to try for distribution, you need to hit the 5 major stops on the Circuit: Cannes in the summer, Toronto in the fall, Sundance in the winter, and Berlin in the spring. I honestly never would have known that, because no class at Rutgers talks about marketing your film.
Happy hour at the short film corner. Every day at 5pm, as the Marche is closing down for the day, the Short Film Corner stocks up on free Stella Artois and the French equivalent of 3-Buck Chuck, and lets all the SFC filmmakers mix and mingle. This is my favorite time of the day! …not for the free alcohol, which is always a plus considering how uber-expensive everything is here, let alone food and wine…but because everyone is at the same place in their careers as me. We all have our shorts, ranging from 5 to 25ish minutes, and we’re just showing them around at Cannes. It’s great to hear all the stories about how their films were made, the trials the filmmakers had to face, different techniques they are using, and to see what the finished product looks like!
Day 4 was the big premiere for Heli, a spanish film written and directed by Amat Escalante. The film was absolutely fantastic. First of all, it provided a fantastic story, simple in its elegance. About a young man, Heli, who has to fight for his wife and younger sister after randomly being in the wrong place at the wrong time and getting into trouble with the Mexican drug cartel. He is wrongfully blamed for losing a supply of drugs. The best part of the film was the cinematography. Everything was just…off about it. It was shot as if they were shooting a documentary–lots of hand-held, back seat of the car shots that are also comparable to stuff Jean Luc Godard shot. He also locks the camera off a lot for long takes and doesn’t seem to care if the subject is within the frame or not. It was great. There was also no soundtrack, which added to the overt realism of the project.
It was so cool being on the red carpet with all the photographers this time!
=)
The best part about the screening was that we not only found a way to sneak around the line and go through a side entrance from everyone else, but then our tickets–which were supposed to be for the balcony–got instantly upgraded to the orchestra! They were trying to fill seats in the large pit section up front. So then they walked us down to two rows in front of where the stars of the film were about to sit down.
It was so surreal to watch them walk in. Now I had no idea who they were, or who the director was, or other things that they have done, but they were treated like royalty. The entire Grand Lumiere theater was cheering for these three.
The film was so powerful. It’s simplicity was it’s best point. The dialogue was short and brief, and he let the action speak louder than the words. At the end of the film, there was a 10 minute standing ovation. I couldn’t imagine the feeling they were going through for it.
Nice and dry in here for a brief moment.
No, I wasn’t able to meet Leo. Sorry Kelly. Tonight was absolutely crazy. The lines for the screening began at 4:30pm, and the two showtimes were 8pm and 11:30. The 8pm one was the same one that Leonardo DiCaprio, Spielberg, and all those guys were at. That was sold out before tickets even became available to the public. BUT, I was able to get a ticket into the 11:30 screening, which meant we were walking in as they were walking out. Just as cool–same premiere status, same red carpet with pictures and all that.
The line for Gatsby began so insanely early. Little did they know of the impending doom…aka the perfect storm.
We knew it was going to rain. I was prepared–just like any Eagle Scout should. The only problem was that none of us anticipated being held out in the pouring rain for 2 hours. There was some sort of massive delay in getting the second screening ready–everyone was dressed out in absolute top formal attire, but the festival staff held us outside to wait. Umbrellas did nothing. There was no point. We were wet. So we gave up trying to spot the stars walking the carpet before the 8pm screening and just decided to stay dry as long as possible. It didn’t last long.
I think this just speaks for itself. The guy holding my phone for the picture was literally inches away from me. We were all so crammed tight, trying to form a wall with out umbrellas. The only problem with that was it was raining sideways, and the drip off the collective edges of just about everything caused us all to be completely drenched.
We tried for a nice group picture…but at this point…none of us wanted to be outside any longer, and neither did the security guards, so they hurried us along and the picture suffered as a result. Good thing there will be more.
You can see how soaked my tux got…
Once we got passed all that craziness…I finally got to seeing the film. I went into it with an open mind, but I already heard a good deal of critique on it. Luhrmann definitely has a unique style, and I would compare the film a good deal to Mulan Rouge. The visual spectacle was a huge part of the film, and it was almost as if they tried to use sensory overload to distract from the rather dry story. The soundtrack was a unique mix of modern hip hop and 1920′s ragtime. I enjoyed it mostly, and Jay Z did a great job, just a bit much at times created a rather jarring experience in the first act.
The massive theater for the premiere screenings. We’re in the balcony above the massive orchestra.
Thanks to Richard at The Clothing Center on Rt 18 for helping me get ready for my trip and providing these retro onyx cufflinks!
The Cannes Crew
After the crazy/miserable night that was the Gatsby premiere, we needed some relief. This tequila lime martini really helped. Shaken, not stirred.
So there are many different sections of the festival. There are the Official Selections, the features and shorts broken down into different categories that are judged by the jury. Those people are awesome, and get a page and profile in the official program. I’m not that awesome. Yet. But then there is the Marche Du Film, or Film Marketplace, where there are literally thousands of filmmakers trying to sell their content to thousands of buyers and distributers. The smaller corner of the Marche is the Short Film Corner, where shorts from all over the world are shown in On Demand kiosks throughout the floor. This is where Don’t Make Me Sing is being shown. It doesn’t sound cool in comparison–and isn’t–but with everyone walking around and buzzing about, you never know who you’re going to get interested. And it could make for a great conversation starter. Basically…having a film at the Short Film Corner=full access to the whole festival (well most of it sans the VIP sections) plus awesome networking with like-minded and equal playing field filmmakers.
Don’t Make Me Sing representing at the Campus Moviefest table!
The cards came out great…too bad the date of our screening changed.
The walls of the Short Film Corner are loaded with racks like these. So many films.
The rest of the Marche is devoted to the buying and selling of content. Hunderds of production companies around the world, set up booths and try to attract buyers, who literally walk around and just buy content. It’s crazy. And so crazy that these production companies don’t want to talk to you if you’re not trying to throw down $1 Million into their films. Which makes things real awkward for me, cause I’m a broke college student trying to find a job at one of these production companies.
Production companies making their presentations to whoever is listening
There are a lot of international agencies trying to get you to invest in their production industry.
The Marche du Film
