THE INDEPENDENT REPORTER
AN INDEPENDENTS GUIDE TO INDEPENDENT CINEMA
Dedicated to Independent Cinema



 

THE AMERICAN FILM MARKET

    

 The 2008 American Film Market kicked of another bustling year amid massive global economic pitfalls and downturns. It was speculated widely that many International Independent Film Distributors wouldn't t be outwardly pursuing new product this year,  due to the falling foreign currency values and a small uptick in the US dollar, which overall , led to higher prices of US exports and Independent Films, being one of those exports,  would  surely have a crushing year.  After TIR visited this year's AFM in sunny Santa Monica, California, we will present to you some of the outcomes and trends that seem to be on the horizon for Independent Films.



 LLOYD KAUFMAN AND FRED WILLIAMSON

Lloyd Kaufman and The Troma Dance Film Festival. The Godfather of Independent Cinema Lloyd Kaufman, and his wonderful work in Independent Cinema, including his new role as Chairman of the Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA), his
 new films, his old films, the Troma Dance Film Festival and his ongoing struggles to remain true to Independent Cinema
















The Face In The Wall

https://www.amazon.com/Face-Wall-Jonah-Ehrenreich/dp/B07286Y6TG/


Calvin Jessup is a freelance camera man working on a low budget video production with director Bruce Leiderman
 and sound man Jimmy DiCarlo, but when he sees a mysterious face in a wall of an old film location that only him
and a few of his friends can see, things start to get a little weird. Is it a ghost, a spirit or a lost soul, is there
paranormal activity within their midst? Find out in The Face In The Wall.

Starring: Frantz Lecoeur, Jonah Ehrenreich, Victoria Guthrie, Amiya Steed & Mark C. Fullhardt.
written & Directed By: Dwayne Buckle
Presented By: 360 Sound and Vision 












Ex - Machina

https://www.amazon.com/Ex-Machina-Blu-ray-Digital-HD/


Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), a programmer at an internet-search giant, 
wins a competition to spend a week at the private mountain estate of the company’s
 brilliant and reclusive CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). Upon his arrival, Caleb 
learns that Nathan has chosen him to be the human component in a Turing 
Test—charging him with evaluating the capabilities, and ultimately the consciousness, 
of Nathan’s latest experiment in artificial intelligence. That experiment is Ava (Alicia Vikander),
 a breathtaking A.I. whose emotional intelligence proves more sophisticated, s
eductive––and more deceptive––than the two men could have imagined













GET OUT


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y1H48K7



Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), have reached
 the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate
 with Missy and Dean. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as
 nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend
 progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never
 could have imagined.













THE GLASSES 2

https://www.amazon.com/Glasses-2-Kwame-Smalls/dp/B0747BGQSJ/


The Glasses 2 is a 30 minute scifi, horror film about a special pair of sunglasses that
 allows the wearer to see into the future.. a future...well... that is not so bright. But if
you had a pair of glasses that enabled you to see into the future, would you still believe
 the world around you? Only time can tell in The Glasses 2.
The Glasses 2, shot in New York City, stars Kwame Smalls, Jim Bligh, and Mark Keaton
and is the sequel to the original short film. The Glasses 2 is directed by Dwayne Buckle.
















Dinner with Lloyd is a feature length documentary about the legendary independent
 film director Lloyd Kaufman and Troma Films. The documentary, captures the zany
 Lloyd Kaufman as he talks about his life, his work, independent film, and the state
 of the film industry.

Dinner with Lloyd was Shot at the Troma Films Studio in New York City.

http://www.amazon.com/Dinner-Lloyd-Kaufman/dp/B00LU8RAA4/ref=sr_1_9?ie=
UTF8&qid=1405998804&sr=8-9&keywords=dwayne+buckle




















5Pointz A Historical Journey is a feature length documentary about the world
renowned graffiti museum that was once known as 5 Pointz. The documentary,
 hosted by the museum's curator and graffiti artist, Meres One, takes you on a
 tour of the building, giving an in depth look at the process, the artwork, the
 artists, the history, and what it actually means to be a graffiti artist.

Shot in New York City, 5 Pointz:An Historical Journey's artistic and musical
style truly captures the flavor and the essence of this graffiti mecca and its
meaning.

5 Pointz:An Historical Journey will be released May 20, 2014 and will be
available internationally online and in retail outlets. 5 Pointz:An Historical
Journey will be available as a VoD (Video on-Demand), through various VoD
 partners.

5 Pointz:An Historical Journey, is directed by Dwayne Buckle.

The Official Website of 360 Sound and Vision

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IAZA6U6/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=

SPACE WOMB - THE DOCUMENTARY 


Shot in New York City, Space Womb artistic style, colorfully tells Jongwang
 Lee's story in a unique engaging way.

Space Womb is a feature length documentary about Korean painter
Jongwang Lee and his gallery called Space Womb. This educational
documentary reveals the inner workings of the artists life, his beginning
 family life, the painter's everyday work, and the meaning behind the
Space Womb gallery.

Space Womb will be released May 20, 2014 and will be available
internationally online and in retail outlets. Space Womb will be available
 as a VoD (Video on-Demand), through various VoD partners.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017GR5306/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=


The Official Website of 360 Sound and Vision

http://www.360SoundandVision.com










CYBORNETICS: URBAN CYBORG (special edition DVD). Features Enhanced Widescreen.
 More DVD options including CYBER TOOLS Video, High Definition Theatrical Trailer
&  Bonus Features.  In a future world of bio-mechanical technology and awe-inspiring
 scientific advances, humans share every aspects of their lives with their machines. But
when a leading scientist (James Rich) and his team build an advanced prototype cyborg
named A.R.C. 1 (Justiin A. Davis) for an undisclosed secret military project, the scientists
aren't prepared for the consequences. Suddenly, A.R.C. 1 is on his own in a strange
and dangerous world, as he embarks on a spectacular quest to discover the startling
secrets of his true identity.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00D6I7HZO?tag=360soundandvi-
&linkCode=sb1&camp=212353&creative=380553

WWW.CYBORNETICS.COM






 

A PRESIDENT SPEAKS - DOCUMENTARY

A live an intimate look at President Barack Obama's speech at the National Action
 Committee convention on April, 11, 2014

Produced & Directed By Dwayne Buckle

https://www.amazon.com/President-Speaks-Barack-Obama/dp/B00NS340AW/



CASINO JACK AND THE UNITED STATES OF MONEY
This portrait of Washington super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, from his early years
 as a gung-ho member of the GOP political machine to his final reckoning as a
 disgraced, imprisoned pariah, confirms the adage that truth is indeed stranger
 than fiction. A tale of international intrigue involving casinos, spies,
sweatshops and mob-style killings, this is a story of the way money corrupts
 our political process. Oscar®-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney illuminates the
 way politicians' desperate need to get elected and the millions of dollars it
costs may be undermining the basic principles of American democracy.
Infuriating, yet undeniably eye-opening and entertaining, CASINO JACK is
a saga of greed and corruption with a cynical villain audiences will love to hate.




The film tells the story of an Irish fisherman named Syracuse (Colin Farrell) who discovers
 a woman named Ondine (Alicja Bachleda) in his fishing net, whom he believes to be a a 
mermaid. She says her name is Ondine, which means "she came from the sea". His
daughter Annie (Alison Barry) comes to believe that the woman is a selkie, a magical
seal/woman creature, while Syracuse falls helplessly in love. In the Celtic myth, a selkie
 is able to become human by taking off her seal coat, and can return to seal form by
 putting it back on. However, like all fairy tales, enchantment and darkness go hand in
 hand. Annie hopes that Ondine has come to live on land for 7 years and that she can
use her selkie wish to cure Annie's kidney failure. Whenever Ondine is onboard
Syracuse's fishing boat, she sings a siren song, and his nets and lobster pots are
 full of fish and seafood in tremendous numbers hard to believe. However, being Irish,
Syracuse (or "Circus" the nickname he is trying to outlive, one he has earned for
 his previous hard drinking ways) is mistrustful of good luck, with it comes bad.
.



Superstar genetic engineers Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley)
specialize in splicing DNA from different animals to create incredible new
hybrids. Now they want to use human DNA in a hybrid that could
revolutionize science and medicine. But when the pharmaceutical company
that funds their research forbids it, they secretly take their experiment
underground--risking their careers to push the boundaries of science and
 serve their own curiosity and ambition. The result is Dren, an amazing,
strangely beautiful creature of uncommon intelligence and unexpected
physical developments. At first, Dren exceeds their wildest dreams. But
as she grows and learns at an accelerated rate, her existence threatens
to become their worst nightmare.








Vince Rizzo (Andy Garcia) is a lifelong resident of the tiny, tradition-steeped
 Bronx enclave of City Island. A family man who makes his living as a
 corrections officer, Vince longs to become an actor. Ashamed to admit
his aspirations to his family, Vince would rather let his fiery wife Joyce
(Julianna Margulies) believe his weekly poker games are a cover for an
 extramarital affair than admit he’s secretly taking acting classes in
 Manhattan. When Vince is asked to reveal his biggest secret in class,
 he inadvertently sets off a chaotic chain of events that turns his
mundane suburban life upside down. Winner of the Audience Award at
the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, City Island spins a web of
misrepresentations, misinterpretations and misunderstandings into a
smart and charming comedy about a family that stops at nothing to avoid
 the truth.








There's a revolution underway in South America, but most of the
world doesn't know it. Oliver Stone sets out on a road trip across
 five countries to explore the social and political movements as
well as the mainstream media's misperception of South America
while interviewing seven of its elected presidents. In casual
 conversations with Presidents Hugo Chavez (Venezuela),
Evo Morales (Bolivia), Lula da Silva (Brazil), Cristina Kirchner
(Argentina), as well as her husband and ex-President Nestor Kirchner,
 Fernando Lugo (Paraguay), Rafael Correa (Ecuador), and Raul Castro
(Cuba), Stone gains unprecedented access and sheds new light
 upon the exciting transformations in the region.




 Ballast is a stunningly evocative story of personal catastrophe and communal
redemption. In the cold winter light of the Mississippi Delta, three lonely people
 stumble under the weight of a shared tragedy. Lawrence (Micheal J. Smith, Sr.)
 is paralyzed with grief after the loss of his twin brother. Twelve-year-old James
(Jim Myron Ross) drifts into the perilous orbit of local teenagers while his single
mother, Marlee (Tarra Riggs), is too exhausted from her menial job to interpret
the clues. When sudden violence forces mother and son to flee their home in
the night, they alight desperately on Lawrence's property. Though this provides
safe harbor, it rekindles the fury of a bitter, longstanding conflict. Writer-director
Lance Hammer and his gifted cast of local, non-professional actors have created
 an unflinching, profoundly humane story of lost souls forced by circumstance to
 seek solace in the most unlikely of places





 
O

On the 20-year anniversary of his groundbreaking masterpiece 'Roger & Me,' Michael
 Moore's 'Capitalism: A Love Story' comes home to the issue he's been examining
throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday
 lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world). But this time the culprit is much
bigger than General Motors, and the crime scene far wider than Flint, Michigan. From
Middle America, to the halls of power in Washington, to the global financial epicenter in
 Manhattan, Michael Moore will once again take filmgoers into uncharted territory.

With both humor and outrage, Michael Moore's 'Capitalism: A Love Story' explores a
taboo question: What is the price that America pays for its love of capitalism? Years ago,
 that love seemed so innocent. Today, however, the American dream is looking more like
a nightmare as families pay the price with their jobs, their homes and their savings.
Moore takes us into the homes of ordinary people whose lives have been turned upside
 down; and he goes looking for explanations in Washington, DC and elsewhere. What he
 finds are the all-too-familiar symptoms of a love affair gone astray: lies, abuse, betrayal...
and 14,000 jobs being lost every day.

'Capitalism: A Love Story' is both a culmination of Moore's previous works and a look into
 what a more hopeful future could look like. It is Michael Moore's ultimate quest to answer
 the question he?s posed throughout his illustrious filmmaking career: Who are we and
why do we behave the way that we do? 








 Scientists predict that if we continue fishing at the current rate, the planet
 will run out of seafood by 2048 with catastrophic consequences. Based on
 the book by Charles Clover, The End of the Line explores the devastating
 effect that overfishing is having on fish stocks and the health of our oceans.
With Clover as his guide, Sundance veteran Rupert Murray (Unknown White Male)
 crisscrosses the globe, examining what is causing the dilemma and what can
 be done to solve it. Industrial fishing began in the 1950s. High-tech fisheries
 now trawl the oceans with nets the size of football fields. Species cannot
survive at the rate they are being removed from the sea. Add in cofactors of
 decades of bad science, corporate greed, small-minded governments, and
 escalating consumer demand, and we’re left with a crisis of epic proportions.
 Ninety percent of the big fish in our oceans are now gone.Murray interweaves
 glorious footage from both underwater and above with shocking scientific
 testimony to paint a vivid and alarming profile of the state of the sea. The
ultimate power of The End of the Line is that it moves beyond doomsday
rhetoric to proffer real solutions. Chillingly topical, The End of the Line drives
 home the message: the clock is ticking, and the time to act is now.






On August 7th 1974, a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit stepped out
on a wire and illegally rigged between the New York's twin towers. After nearly
an hour dancing on the wire, he was arrested, taken for psychological evaluation,
and brought to jail before he was finally released. This documentary complies
 Petits footage to show the numerous extraordinary challenges he faced in
completing the artistic crime of the century.










On the 40th anniversary of the Internet, WE LIVE IN PUBLIC tells the story
 of the effect the web is having on our society, as seen through the eyes
of “the greatest Internet pioneer you’ve never...

 Josh Harris, often called the “Warhol of the Web,” founded Pseudo.com,
 the first Internet television network during the infamous dot-com boom
of the 1990s. He also created his vision of the future: an underground
bunker in NYC where 100 people lived together on camera for 30 days
over the turn of the millennium. (The project, named QUIET, also became
 the subject of Ondi Timoner’s first cut of her documentary about Harris.
Her film shared the project’s name.) With Quiet, Harris proved how, in
 the not-so-distant future of life online, we will willingly trade our privacy
 for the connection and recognition we all deeply desire. Through his
experiments, including another six-month stint living under 24-hour live
 surveillance online which led him to mental collapse, he demonstrated
the price we will all pay for living in public. --© Official Site






Record high oil prices, global warming, and an insatiable demand for energy:
 these issues will be the catalyst for heated debates and positive change for
many years to come. 2008 Sundance award-winning film FUEL exposes
shocking connections between the auto industry, the oil industry and the
government, while exploring alternative energies such as solar, wind,
electricity and non-food-based biofuels.  

Josh Tickell and his Veggie Van take us on the road as we discover the
 pros and cons of biofuels, how America’s addiction to oil is destroying the
U.S. economy and how green energy can save us, but only if we act now.
TOP INDEPENDENT FILMS










DVD SPOTLIGHT: HOT INDEPENDENT FILMS NOW ON DVD:


  

 British director Danny Boyle takes another intriguing career turn with this heartfelt
 underdog tale. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is a street kid (or "slumdog") who has landed
 an appearance on India's version of the hit TV game show WHO WANTS TO BE A
MILLIONAIRE? Jamal exceeds expectations on the show, and the producers alert
the police after they become suspicious of his methods. The young contestant is
subsequently arrested and is interrogated at the hands of a nameless police inspector
 (played by Bollywood star Irfan Khan). As the interrogation proceeds, Boyle tells
Jamal's story through harrowing flashbacks that both show the terrible poverty of
 Mumbai and help explain how he knew the answers to the MILLIONAIRE questions.

 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is a tightly woven story that has been expertly edited into
shape. The contrast between Jamal's upbringing and his chance of escaping it on the
 show are adeptly juxtaposed. Mumbai is portrayed as a place of terrifying poverty
and unforgettable brutality, and Jamal and his brother get into a never-ending
succession of challenging situations. But the way Boyle ties together Jamal's life
experiences with his answers on the show is quite brilliant, and the film really does
run the full gamut of emotions as we see him growing up, falling in love, coming
close to death, and teetering on the brink of escaping from his terrible predicament.
The film belongs to Boyle's cast, who are mostly unknown outside of India. Patel,
in particular, gives a startlingly mature performance that audiences are likely to
remember long after the credits role on this affecting feature.
 
Twentieth Century Fox Home Video





       
 
An honest, hardworking man discovers the hardships of being stereotyped as
 a Black man in America after losing his cushy office job and suddenly being
 bombarded with racial biases. Jake Jackson (Billoah Greene) is one of the
 nicest, most decent people you'd ever hope to meet; he works hard at his job,
 leads a clean lifestyle, and just wants to lead a carefree life. But being
 comfortable in your own skin isn't always easy when it's a darker shade of brown,
 and after being inexplicably fired Jake begins to experience the frustration of
being a minority in a racist society. As Jake sets out in search of a new job, his
 eyes are suddenly opened to the bigotry all around. Jake has worked hard to
get where is today, and all he asks in return is justice and respect. When those
things elude him, Jake begins a dark slide down the path to insanity. Only when
 Jake manages to capture a wanted serial killer does his luck begin to change,
but by then he has already grown bitter after seeing the true colors of the
people he once trusted. 
Carson Grant, Ava Mateova, Bern Cohen and Charles Gaylord
also star in this provocative, independent drama from first-time feature director Dwayne Buckle.
 
360 Sound and Vision Entertainment.






Takes place in the days before Christmas near a little-known border crossing
on the Mohawk reservation between New York State and Quebec. Here, the
lure of fast money from smuggling presents a daily challenge to single moms
who would otherwise be earning minimum wage. Two women - one white, one
 Mohawk, both single mothers faced with desperate circumstances - are drawn
 into the world of border smuggling across the frozen water of the St. Lawrence
 River. Ray and Lila - and a New York State Trooper as opponent in an evolving
cat-and-mouse game. 
Sony Picture Classics.









NEWS


         
      

  • BIFF: The Buffalo International Film Festival
  • STEPS: International Rights Film Festival
  • Michael Moore: Cinema A Love Story
  • Freida Pinto: Slumdog Millionaire Hot!!!
  • Lloyd Kaufman: Troma Films
  • Spike Lee: Miracle at St.Anna
  • Darren Aronofsky: The Wrestler
  • The American Film Market
  • Fred Williamson: 4 Decades of Independent Cinema
  • Dwayne Buckle: A Young Director Defying The Odds
  • On Set Of The Independent Film Series: The Glasses 2
  • Technology: Sony EX1 XDCAM

              

  
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