Oscars Celebrate Indie Films

March 8, 2010 Comments »

It was a great night for independent film at the Oscars. From Mo’Nique’s Best Supporting Actress Award for “Precious,” to Jeff Bridges’ Best Actor award for “Crazy Heart” to the Best Picture and Best Director Awards for Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker.” Last night celebrated the power of story.

Despite “Avatar”’s groundbreaking computer generated animation which helped make it the biggest grossing movie of all time, a great film, and certainly an Oscar-winning film should center on story: how compelling it is and how it’s told through its script, actors and, of course, its cinematography and editing.

I’m thrilled the Academy focused on that last night.

Most of all as female filmmaker, I’m inspired by Kathryn Bigelow becoming the first woman to win the honor of Best Director. Women made up only 7% of, directors in 2009 and 8% of writers in Hollywood, according to the Women’s Media Center.

Hopefully, Bigelow paves the way for more women to crack Hollywood’s glass ceiling.

5 Points Theatre Media Update 3/5

March 5, 2010 Comments »

1. We are running our “Dinner & a Movie” promotion all through March. Every Wednesday it’s buy one movie ticket, get one free with a receipt from any restaurant in 5 Points. The attached flyer has all the details and fine print, and a list of all the movies playing.

2. The Citrus Cel animation festival is starting to take shape! It will be April 9th through 11th at the theatre. It will open with the amazing Oscar-nominated Secret of the Kells:

Saturday night will feature A Town Called Panic, a film that is described as “More Terrifying than Psycho, More Catastrophic than Armageddon, More Romantic than Casablanca.” Watch the trailer:

3. We’ve also set our late night movies for the next month:

March 5 (tonight!) – Pee Wee’s Big Adventure at 11:30 pm
March 12 – The Warriors at 11:30 pm
March 19 – Dr. Strangelove at 11:30 pm
March 26 – Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at 11:30 pm
April 2nd – Eraserhead at 11 pm

I have to keep reminding myself to stop calling them “Midnight Movies” – we start them after the 9 pm show. This can be a little confusing, but it does seem to make it easier for older folks (like me) to catch the movies.

4. We are continuing to host some really fascinating events:

March 9 – JCCI Forward “Operation Welcome Home” is a forum examining how veterans are returning to Jacksonville and the challenges they face. For more info, check out their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=353247436312&ref=mf
March 16 – The return of Pecha Kucha. We’re expecting another big crowd for this one: http://www.aigajacksonville.org/events/pecha-kucha-8/
March 23 – We’ll be hosting the St. Johns Riverkeeper’s Annual Meeting
April 2 & 3 – The Florida Coastal School of Law puts on The Vagina Monologues. That’s right.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

March 4, 2010 Comments »

This review was originally posted by Sharon Cobb at FunnyFixx.com

Fall face-first into the Imaginarium of Dr. Terry Gilliam and take an outrageous ride through a surreal world you may not want to leave…depending on your imagination.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is a delicious fantasy about Parnassus, his mystical traveling show and the ordinary people in their audience who get a chance to walk through the “looking glass” imaginarium into an extraordinary world. The world is their wildest dreams, their worst nightmares. It’s an exploration of their imagination and psyche, good, bad or indifferent.

Dr. Parnassus has a dark secret and it has something to do with immortality, Tom Waits…ah, Mr. Nick (the devil) and his first-born daughter whose 16th birthday is looming large. The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is a visual feast of magical madness. It’s the kind of movie where you forget you’re in a theatre. Like many of the story’s London audience members, you volunteer to step into the Imaginarium with delight. You go along on the adventure with Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), Valentina (Lily Cole), Tony (Heath Ledger), Anton (Andrew Garfield) and Percy (Verne Troyer), hoping the journey is never-ending.

The film is a comedy, it’s a fantasy, it’s a drama. It’s delightfully difficult to pour into the dreaded marketing mold that rounds off the edges and flattens out capriciousness of any film run through the Hollywood factory.
Heath Ledger’s death caused by an accidental overdose of prescriptions meds during the filming of this movie was a shock to the actor’s fans and Hollywood. Ledger was 28, and although he died in Manhattan, he had been shooting The Imaginarium in London at the time of his death in January 2008.

After Gilliam decided to continue shooting and to finish the film in Ledger’s honor, he invited Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Ferrell to play “Imaginarium Tony #1, #2 and #3.” It was a stroke of brilliance, since the scenes shot with Depp, Law and Ferrell all take place in the extraordinary world of the Imaginarium, where imaginations determine physical being.
In an interview with Wired.com, Gilliam spoke about continuing production after Ledger’s death.

Wired.com: In the case of Imaginarium, after Ledger died, you reshot an early scene with a second actor to play the same minor character in order to establish the idea that people change appearance after they go through the magic mirror.

Gilliam: It’s all in my head, the kind of movie I’m making, so once I’ve got that happening, when I come up with a solution it’s always within the realm of the world that I’ve been working in. It’s just another way of looking at the world, Parnassus is doing that all the time, trying to encourage people to look at the world in a slightly different way. [To illustrate, Gilliam points to the hotel room TV set.] “That’s not a television. That’s a black hole in the wall. What happens if you fall into that black hole?” I’m very quick to do that and, frankly, it makes life bearable to me — the fact that I can keep on morphing the world into other things.

Wired.com: There’s a line in Imaginarium that sort of sums up Doctor Parnassus’ world view, something about the power of enchantment.

Gilliam: “The world is full of wonder for those with eyes to see.”

Read More of Wired.com’s interview http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/01/imaginarium-terry-gilliam/2/#ixzz0gm0CNXLb

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is a must-see film. Take your leap of imagination soon.

“Crazy Heart” Oscar Worthy? You Decide

March 1, 2010 Comments »

At the Five Points Theatre through March 11th

It’s a simple story about the failed American rock-and-roll dream and the sacrifices made to live a life on the road.

Despite “American Idol” catapulting the likes of Taylor Hicks and Jennifer Hudson to fame, millions of other singers spend each and every day aiming for that one big hit that will launch their careers.

“Crazy Heart” gives us a look at the less glamorous, less reported side of the music business—near failure.

But the film’s larger theme goes beyond the music world, capturing the realities of veering way off course after achieving success and the inspiration love can provide to get back on track.

Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is a washed up, alcoholic country singer playing in a bowling alley somewhere in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is a single mom and journalist who’s admittedly made “some bad decisions” and sees the real man behind the faded legend.

Jean meets Bad after her uncle arranges for her to interview him for a newspaper feature. They get involved and fall in love.

But as in many love stories, things get complicated.

And the battle over whether to let your heart or your mind decide what your future holds is fought once again.

What’s the lesson?

One of them is that while love can motivate people to change, seeking something more out of life, finding a way to do the things you set out to do has to come from deep inside.

The music throughout the film is wonderful, and both Bridges and Gyllenhaal are stellar in their roles.

If you like stories about love and redemption, you’ll enjoy “Crazy Heart.”

It’s not a new story, but one we can all relate to as we wake up every morning in search of meaning and fulfillment, and try to figure out how we’re going to get there.

Local Filmmakers Screen at the Amelia Island Film Festival

February 26, 2010 Comments »

“Africa’s Daughters” Natalie Halpern (25 minutes, USA, Uganda)

Saturday, February 27, 11 a.m. Indigo Alley, 316 Centre Street, Fernandina Beach

Two Ugandan girls with big dreams… Challenging their culture, defying the odds…
In a country where a high school education is generally reserved for boys.

Hoctavia is one of 31 children, most of whom dropped out of school. Ruth lives in a tiny apartment in one of Kampala’s poorest neighborhoods with her mother and three siblings. Graduating from high school is the only way they can lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

Like millions of girls in Africa who will never move beyond primary school, their challenges are not unique. Their journey is.

“One Village Same Ocean,” Josh Hansbrough (45 minutes, USA)

Sunday, February 28, 11 a.m. Hampton Inn & Suites, 19 S. 2nd Street, Fernandina Beach

As a cruise ship threatens to move into Mayport Village, residents and supporters band together to show that community, livelihood, environment and health cannot be bargained for. Journey the seas with shrimpers, and unveil the area’s astounding lost history. This is the story of a small fishing village fighting the powerful cruise ship industry. Will these ships continue polluting the very places they promote visiting? Or will one camera and a wealth of knowledge unite supporters in protecting the ocean and the fishermen left along its shores.

“Blonde Thing,” Antonio Sarte (15 minutes, USA)

Sunday, February 28, 11 a.m. Hampton Inn & Suites, 19 S. 2nd Street, Fernandina Beach

Watch a clip from the film

A young woman changes her identity to become the object of her man’s desire.

5 Points Theatre Media Update 2/25

February 25, 2010 Comments »

1. We have put together our schedule for March, and it includes a lot of the less well-know films that have been nominated for Oscars. Here’s what it looks like:

Week of February 26 – Crazy Heart
Week of March 5 – Crazy Heart & Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Week of March 12 – The Messenger & Imaginarium
Week of March 19 – The Last Station & The Red Baron
Week of March 26 – Hot Tub Time Machine (I know, not an art film per se, but we just couldn’t resist. Check out the trailer here:

Or the R-rated trailer here:

2. There are currently 18 special events scheduled for March at the theatre – everything from the weekly Cinemania events, to movie premiere screenings, to forums and meetings for non-profit groups, to a performance by the Orange Park Men’s Chorale group. We are very excited to help people and groups reach out to their audiences.

3. Sharon Cobb at Cinemania has put together an amazing program of weekly events, every Monday at 6:30 pm. From readings of un-produced screenplays, to forums on filmmaking technique, to showings of locally made films (like short film by DA students on March 15th) to screenings of other films that may not have been seen in Jacksonville (like a sneak preview of The Messenger on Monday, March 1st.

You can see the complete schedule at www.jacksonville.com/cinemania.

4. We were very proud to receive the “Neighborhood Friendly Business” award from Riverside Avondale Preservation at their Annual Meeting last week.

5. Eraserhead – We’ve got a restored 35mm print of the original cult movie Eraserhead. It’ll show as a late movie on April 2nd, and for those old enough to have seen it before, it will also show as a Cinemania event on April 5th at 6:30 pm.

If you somehow haven’t seen it or heard of it, you can watch the trailer here:

Jacksonville Filmmaker Gerald Jackson Jr. to Shoot Feature Film

February 15, 2010 Comments »

This article appeared on jacksonville.com on February 9, 2010.

Jacksonville filmmaker Gerald Jackson Jr. sees his big break in movie filming this summer

BY MATT SOERGEL

• STORY UPDATED AT 3:13 PM ON TUESDAY, FEB. 9, 2010

When Gerald Jackson Jr. was a child, his mother took him to the movies just about every weekend. And when the movie was over, she remembers, he wouldn’t leave his seat when everyone else did: He wanted to stay and watch the ending credits.

What are all those names? What did they all do?

That was a clear indication that Jackson was headed for a career as a filmmaker, though – and he laughs at this – an admiration for the Tim Deegan of two decades ago did inspire a temporary ambition to be a TV meteorologist.

Making movies is the path Jackson, now 32, has chosen. It’s hasn’t been easy: Five years after film school, he’s working at a Starbucks. He’s holding bake sales to promote his production company. And, crushed by student loans, he’s still living at home, in the suburbs near the airport.

“I’m embarrassed. I live with my parents,” he says, laughing. “Of course I have really cool parents.”

He sighs. “The life of a struggling filmmaker.”

But his big break could be coming this summer. He plans to make a feature film, shot in Jacksonville, based on a book by his mother, Brenda Jackson, a prolific and best-selling author of African-American romance novels.

He knows it’s a lucky break, being her son. Still, he’ll take it. Who wouldn’t?

Anyone in the city’s filmmaking community is familiar with Jackson. He’s an outgoing, regular presence at festivals and functions, always ready to talk, to volunteer as an extra, to hand out business cards, to offer praise to those who need it.

“Everybody loves Gerald,” says Warren Skeels, a filmmaker and co-executive director of the Jacksonville Film Festival. “He’s probably the nicest guy I’ve ever met on the face of the planet. He’s an incredible supporter of any kind of facet of the film industry here in town.”

But it hasn’t been easy for Jackson to make his mark in the movie-making world. Up until now, he has just a few short works to his credit – among them some music videos and book trailers for his mother’s novels.

“The film industry is very stressful. I’m going gray,” he says. “But let me tell you something: I don’t give up.”

Jackson was born and raised in Jacksonville. He went to Stanton College Prep and the University of North Florida.

During college, he worked on a few movies and TV shows shooting in his home town. Yes, he thought, this really is what I want to do.

Inspired by a visit to New York – walking the streets was just like being in a movie – he got a second bachelor’s degree, this one in film studies from Columbia University in Manhattan.

Then on his third attempt, he got into Florida State University’s film school, one of just 22 in his class.

After graduation, his film school friends headed for New York and Los Angeles.

Jackson went home, to the parents, just to get a respite from the bills as he started his career. He figured he could make his mark in his hometown before heading someplace bigger.

“I thought I was going to be God’s gift to Jacksonville filmmaking,” he says.

But it turns out the few big movies that came to the city were harder to get work with than he’d imagined.

And no one was knocking at his door to offer him the next blockbuster, even with all his credentials. The economic downturn has only made things tougher.

Now he’s focused on the movie based on his mother’s book, “Truly Everlasting,” about an ex-NFL player who has a love affair with a childhood acquaintance.

He just finished the script and will soon be looking at casting and getting a crew. So far it has a budget of about $30,000, though that could change.

Brenda Jackson says she knows her son will be faithful to her book, unlike a version of her “One Special Moment,” which was made into a movie by Black Entertainment Television. Her readers were not pleased with the liberties taken by the filmmakers. And neither was she.

“Truly Everlasting” is set during Christmas, in Houston, so there will be challenges making it in July or August in Jacksonville.

Brenda Jackson isn’t worried. “I’m blessed to have a son who has gone to film school,” she says. “I’ve gotten him to do a couple of book trailers for me, which I’m really pleased with, so I think he’s ready to take the step and put on the director’s hat.”

Gerald Jackson Jr. says he’s more than ready.

“There has to be a time when I stand on my own two feet. But being offered the opportunity to produce, to put a feature together, is rare. People fight for an opportunity like this.”

It might even help him fulfill his long-delayed dream of getting out of his hometown. His friends tell him he should go, and he knows he should.

He likes it in Jacksonville, but he’s spent most of his life looking at the same sky, the same river, the same buildings.

It’s time for something new, time for him to follow his old classmates to where the action is.

“I’ll be honest. When you grow up in a city …”

Jackson pauses.

“Cities like L.A. and New York have major film energy, a major film vibe,” he says. “I’m by no means trying to be critical. Jacksonville has that spirit, but in New York or L.A., there’s just, just more of it.”

5 Points Theatre Media Update 2/12

February 12, 2010 Comments »

1. Our schedule for the next month or so is starting to shape up. We’re going to be running several of the smaller films that are up for Oscars.

We’ve got A Single Man starting February 19th. It’s got an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for Colin Firth.

We’re trying to get Crazy Heart for February 26th. It’s also got a nomination for Best Oscar, for Jeff Bridges as a drunken country music singer.

We also plan on showing The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, probably the 2nd weirdest film we’ll show this month. Directed by Terry Gilliam, starring the late Heath Ledger, and up for Oscars for Art Direction and Costume Design.

The Last Station has been nominated for Best Actress (Helen Mirren) and Best Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer).

2. The weirdest film we’ll be playing this month is Hausu at 11 on February 19th. This is a 70s Japanese horror film that has been described as “a live action Scoobie Doo on acid.”

3. We’re very excited to be showing the Oscar-nominated short films:

Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts – Tuesday, February 23rd at 7 pm
Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts – Wednesday, February 24th at 7 pm

The Animated Shorts program will also feature a short sneak preview of the 2010 Citrus Cel Animation Festival (www.citruscel.com).

4. Sending us into special event overload, Cinemania events start Monday, February 15th with a showing of the winning Doorpost Film Project short films. Cinemania events will be every Monday and run the gamut from locally made films to script readings. Check out the website and calender at www.jacksonville.com/cinemania.

5. And of course, Broken Embraces is playing this week. The latest film from legendary director Pedro Almodovar features Penelope Cruz.

5 Points Theatre Media Update 2/4

February 4, 2010 Comments »

1.  Our midnight movie this week will be Back to the Future 2 (and 3, which I said last week).  Note that it starts at 11 pm (we often do that when the 9 pm movie is less than 2 hours long).  After that we’ve got:
 
February 12 – Heathers – 11 pm
February 19 – Housu – 11 pm
February 26 – Weird Science – 11 pm
 
2.  Me and Orson Welles and Nine start this Friday (Nine at 5 and 9 pm and Orson at 7 pm).  Both are fun movies that got overlooked at Christmas.  Broken Embraces (the new Almodavar film) starts February 12.  It looks like we’ll get The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (the new film from Director Terry Gilliam, and Heath Ledger’s last film) starting on March 12.
 
Trailers:
 
Nine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_5_lzags3I
Me and Orson Welles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTofKi1XUJM
Broken Embraces: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IApuTyhNW_E
Imaginarium: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3giivt2l3MY
 
3.  Join us for the Super Bowl!  Doors will open at 6 pm on Sunday, February 7th.  As always, football is free at the 5 Points Theatre.  We are also moving our scheduled movies to earlier in the day on Sunday.
 
4.  The theatre will be showing the Oscar-nominated live action and animated shorts.  Live action shorts will be shown on Tuesday, February 23rd at 7 pm.  Animated shorts will be Wednesday, February 24th at 7 pm.  This should be a fun look at some interesting films.  Many short film directors go on to bigger and better things in the future.

Wine, Films, Community

Comments »

First Coast Film Friends Happy Hour

Tuesday, February 9 at 7:00pm.

Walkers in Riverside

Invite your friends and others interested in the film/television and entertainment industry.

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=278238804227&mid=1ce643fG1f58ac83G3e2910aG7

2009 Doorpost Project Winning Films Screen in Jax

Come watch the top four winners from 2009 at the Five Points Theatre on Monday, February 15 at 8 p.m.

The Doorpost Film Project is an international filmmaking competition in which filmmakers create a 7-minute movie that captures a truth-seeking topic such as freedom, joy, community, authenticity.

The top 20 finalists are chosen and must submit script for a new 12 to 30-minute short based one of the same themes as the first round.

Five finalists are then commissioned to shoot a second short for the final round of the project for which they are each given $40,000.

The first place winner received $100,000.

The event is the kickoff for Cinemania, a new film society launched by the Florida Times-Union and www.jacksonville.com.

For more information contact Cinemania director contact Sharon Y. Cobb Sharon@FunnyFixx.com.