Jessica Chastain & Michael Shannon in "Take Shelter," now playing at the Cape Ann Community Cinema.

The Lowell Film Collaborative sends VERY Happy Thanksgiving wishes to each and every one of you! We are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended a Lowell film screening or who conveyed their support through kind words, generous donations, or by helping to publicize our Mill City movie mission. We hope you enjoy spending this day with good people, great food, AND terrific film!

As for us, we’ll be enjoying our first all vegan Thanksgiving dinner with our favorite homemade sides, dessert, and a fabulous ‘turkey’ courtesy of Cafe Indigo in Concord, NH. We also have some great film plans we have as well, including the Cape Ann Film Festival taking place throughout the weekend in Gloucester, MA, at the Cape Ann Community Cinema and The Cape Ann (“The Annie”). Our good friend and film supporter Rob Newton — owner & operator of the CACC — has curated quite an incredible fest as well as some terrific post-fest screenings, including a LIVE guest appearance by director John Sayles at the local premiere of his latest film Amigo. Check out the full Cape Ann Film Fest schedule HERE and do consider making the trek if you’re in the Boston area. We just barely snagged our tickets for tomorrow night’s (Friday’s) showing of Take Shelter with a post-film Q&A with producer Sarah Green. Though that event is currently sold out, you’ll be able to catch Take Shelter on Sunday and later in the week (sans Q&A).

Finally, you’ve probably read our past post on the MARVELOUS French produced film The Artist starring Jean Dujardin and Berinice Bejo — for us, the anticipation of the U.S. release of this film has been intense. The wait is over, though, as The Artist premieres THIS FRIDAY, November 25. Joy! We had the privilege of seeing this remarkable 2011 Cannes festival favorite at Cinema Utopia during our recent holiday in France. This trendy, cafe-sporting cinema in the heart of Bordeaux absolutely charmed us, as did seeing The Artist with a French crowd. GO SEE THIS FILM — you’ll be positively delighted and immersed in cinematic nostalgia.

In addition to these great flicks, we’ll no doubt break out the Netflix Instant and peruse some other titles before the weekend is over. We hope your holiday festivities includes some of your own favorite titles — ENJOY, and a very Happy Thanksgiving!

This past July, we had the pleasure of getting a sneak preview of the remarkable documentary Paul Goodman Changed My Life at the Maine International Film Festival in Waterville, ME. We’re excited to hear that the film will be showing at 6PM this Thursday, November 3, at the Coolidge Corner Theatre as part of the 23rd Annual Boston Jewish Film Festival. As he was at our screening of the film in July, director/producer Jonathan Lee will be present for Friday’s screening, a real treat for anyone in attendance.

ABOUT THE FILM
Paul Goodman was once so ubiquitous in the American zeitgeist that he merited a “cameo” in Woody Allenʼs Annie Hall. Author of legendary bestseller Growing Up Absurd (1960), Goodman was also a poet, 1940s out queer (and family man), pacifist, visionary, co-founder of Gestalt therapy — and a moral compass for many in the burgeoning counterculture of the ‘60s. “Paul Goodman Changed My Life” immerses you in an era of high intellect (that heady, cocktail-glass juncture that Mad Men has so effectively exploited) when New York was peaking culturally and artistically; when ideas, and the people who propounded them, seemed to punch in at a higher weight class than they do now. Using a treasure trove of archival multimedia — selections from Goodmanʼs poetry (read by Garrison Keillor and Edmund White); quotes from Susan Sontag, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Noam Chomsky; plentiful footage of Goodman himself; plus interviews with his family, peers and activists — director/producer Jonathan Lee and producer/editor Kimberly Reed (Prodigal Sons) have woven together a rich portrait of an intellectual heavyweight whose ideas are long overdue for rediscovery.

If you’re fortunate enough to be able to make this screening, PLEASE GO. And once the film is over, please bombard director Jonathan Lee with your questions. He’ll be glad to regale you with stories of his research on Goodman’s life, and most especially on his family. As stated in the film’s trailer, Paul Goodman is quite possibly “the most influential man you’ve never heard of,” which makes Jonathan Lee one of the most influential filmmakers you’ve never heard of. Kudos to the Boston Jewish Film Festival for including this documentary in their program.

Learn all you need to know about Paul Goodman Changed My Life at PaulGoodmanFilm.com. 

Another great film festival hits New England this weekend when the 2011 Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) comes to Maine from Thursday, September 29 to Sunday, October 2. This gives you about one week to peruse the Festival website, pick your films, and snag your passes! We hope to see at least a couple of days worth of screenings, though the robust film line-up and choice of 9 venues makes it delightfully challenging to pick our favorites. If you’re looking to be a part of the action, volunteer opportunities may still be available — click here for complete details on volunteering at the CIFF as well as some of the great incentives.

We’re shining a spotlight on three of the films that have piqued our curiosity: Convento, At Night They Dance (La Nuit, Elles Dansent), and To Be Heard. The latter title is especially poignant to us as we are huge supporters of the spirited and passionate young people of FreeVerse!, Lowell’s own Youth Poetry Slam Team. We know they’d be incredibly inspired by this film so we’ll be looking into its availability for a Lowell screening.

One other film that deserves an asterisk is Paul Goodman Changed My Life, which we saw this past July at the Maine International Film Festival. The film is a remarkable look at a brilliant, complex, literary man who inspired a generation; we were very fortunate to have director Jonathan Lee present at the screening as well as Goodman’s daughter. If you’re able to hit the CIFF, we highly recommend checking on which filmmakers are in attendance.

Enjoy the sneak previews below and be sure to visit CamdenFilmFest.org for complete Festival information!

Get more information on Convento

Get more information on At Night They Dance

At Night, They Dance from Les films du tricycle on Vimeo.

Get more information on To Be Heard

To Be Heard: Trailer from Edwin Martinez on Vimeo.

Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis in "O Lucky Man!" which screened Saturday, July 16 at the Maine International Film Festival with McDowell in attendance.

An LFC report on the Maine International Film Festival
(in short, we loved it!) 

We picked a glorious weekend to be indoors for the Maine International Film Festival (MIFF) in Waterville, Maine this past weekend (July 15-17). Ok, perhaps a little bit of rain would have made us feel less guilty about missing the gorgeous summer sunshine, but at least we were joined by plenty of other enthusiastic film fest goers who also sat for hours in a darkened theater. As always, the MIFF was superb and offered up the perfect film fest getaway. In addition to spending our movie-watching time at the Railroad Square Cinema (the fest’s primary host venue), we spent as much time as we could in downtown Waterville at the spots we adore most: Barrels Community Market, Grand Central Cafe and Jorgensen’s Cafe. A new addition to the city center is a tea drinkerie called Selah Tea Cafe. We were delighted to run into this newly opened space (just three months old) and enjoyed delicious, expertly brewed hot and cold teas.

We want to state again how impressive this film festival is. Given that Waterville is a town of less than 25,000 people, it’s so great to see a group of people so immersed in film, so connected with their community, and so hellbent on delivering a quality festival that outshines the modest location where it’s held. From the pleasant and welcoming volunteers to the beautiful festival program (as good or better as any we’ve received at Boston festivals), this fest is truly one to be proud of. Our hats off to Festival Director Shannon Haines and her dedicated staff, including LFC friend and Festival Programmer Ken Eisen, founder of Shadow Distribution.

Malcolm McDowell fields questions after "O Lucky Man!" at the Maine International Film Festival. (Photo taken by Suzz)

In our two-and-a-half days at the MIFF, we enjoyed six amazing and VERY different films plus a screening of O Lucky Man! in commemoration of the MIFF’s special guest and Mid-Life Achievement Honoree Malcolm McDowell who traveled to Waterville and hung out at the event all weekend. If being just a few feet away from McDowell wasn’t already a thrill, he attended our final film screening on Sunday and looked as comfortable and casual as everyone else in the audience. McDowell wasn’t the only film star on hand — as always at the MIFF, we were treated to filmmaker and cast visits at most of the screenings, one of the primary things we love about this fest.

For your perusing pleasure, below is the list of films we viewed each day at the Maine International Film Festival along with our ‘Personal Picks’ — trailers for the films are located on each film website/Facebook page. Should you be free in the days ahead, the festival takes place through July 24. We wholeheartedly recommend making the trek to Waterville!

DAY ONE (July 15)
The American Folk Festival
Completed as a documentary film project, this vibrant film showcased a weekend in Bangor, Maine, during one of the largest music festivals in the northeast.

The Green
A Manhattan gay couple newly transplanted to a small Connecticut community experiences unforeseen conflict with the citizens of their new home.

DAY TWO (July 16)
Paul Goodman Changed My Life
A detailed and personal look into the fascinating and complicated life of poet, writer, activist, and anarchist Paul Goodman.

Darwin -  Suzz’s Pick
Visit the eccentric people of Darwin, CA, an isolated 35-person town located at the ‘end of the earth’ in the heart of Death Valley. Fascinating, emotional and unforgettable.

O Lucky Man!
Malcolm McDowell is Mick Travis, a charming, disaffected coffee seller who finds himself hellbent on making a success of himself. Director Lindsay Anderson tells the story like a naughty Greek fable, complete with a 70′s Brit-pop Greek Chorus in the form of keyboardist Alan Price.

DAY THREE (July 17)
The Athlete - Brett’s Pick
The true story of Ethiopia’s 1960 Olympic gold-medal marathon runner Abebe Bikila comes to life through stunning archival footage and a fantastic lead performance by Rasselas Lakew.

Luck, Trust & Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Country
Directors Mike Kaplan and John Dorr turn the camera on the legendary Robert Altman and Altman’s entire cast as they filmed Short Cuts, one of Altman’s most renowned films.

• • • •

The Maine International Film Festival
Friday, July 15 – Sunday, July 24, 2011
Waterville, Maine
MIFF.org

In just a couple of weeks, the 14th Annual Maine International Film Festival — one of our favorite local fests — comes to the quaint city of Waterville and the charming, homegrown indie theater the Railroad Square Cinema [it all started with a passion for movies -- read "Railroad Square Cinema: Maine's Movie Mecca," 1999]. Festival co-founder and director Ken Eisen (he founded the Fest along with his late, beloved wife, Beth) has become a good friend and film compadre, though we’ve only met in person once. We first spoke to Ken almost three years ago as we planned our Lowell screenings of Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus and Girls Rock. We obtained licensing for the films from Ken’s Waterville-based distribution company Shadow Distribution, who have since acquired rights to some mighty impressive titles, including last year’s MIFF hit The Kids Grow Up and one of our favorites, Earthwork, which we’re proudly screening right here in Lowell on Tuesday, September 13, as part of our 2011 Film & the Arts Series. The relationships we’ve made since starting up the Lowell Film Collaborative have been priceless – thank you, Ken, for the support you give to independent filmmakers and all us indie film buffs.

The MIFF’s catchy tag of 10 days, 100 films, 50 filmmakers is no lie. Their program is packed so be prepared to spend time working out your schedule. As is tradition, the Fest bestows a Mid-Life Achievement Award to an actor or actress of the highest caliber. Their 2011 recipient, Malcolm McDowell, is this year’s Guest of Honor and will accept his award on Saturday, July 16 at Colby College’s Given Auditorium. McDowell’s work will be showcased and celebrated through screenings of his most renowned films, including (of course) A Clockwork Orange and O Lucky Man! (He was unforgettable as the vulgar, sex-obsessed Roman emperor in Caligula, but we’re pretty sure the MIFF is trying to keep the Fest open to all audiences!) Other award honorees in years past include John Turturro, Peter Fonda and Sissy Spacek. If rubbing elbows with Malcolm isn’t enough, you’ll also meet producers, writers, directors and actors at many of the MIFF screenings. This is a special treat for indie film buffs, and something we treasure about this Fest.

We attended the MIFF in 2010 and had a blast taking in all the films we possibly could and even tried our hand at blogging each film we saw; a tough feat given our tight viewing schedule. We think sitting in a Railroad Square Cinema chair donated by Stephen King inspired us (be sure to look for the coveted seat in their smaller screening room — it’s got great mojo!) One of the remarkable things that impressed us about the MIFF was Waterville’s Festival support — everywhere we went we saw welcome signs in the windows and were treated to special deals as Festival goers. Believe us when we say that this makes a HUGE difference to a visitor. It’s something we’re always pushing for in Lowell and we’re happy to say that Waterville makes it look easy. Not-to-be-missed spots in downtown Waterville include Barrels Community Market and Jorgensen’s Main Street Cafe, two of our favorite places. Another gem, the Grand Central Cafe, is right next door to the Railroad Square Cinema and is always decked out for the Fest – their pizza is pretty phenominal. Click here for more info on Waterville and its shops and eateries.

Your next step? Visit the Maine International Film Festival at miff.org and sign up to get an e-mail alert when their complete film lineup gets released. We’re confident you’ll make this indie film fest an annual trek!

Movie-lovers at the Newburyport Documentary Film Festival at the Newburyport Screening Room.

Founded by Nancy Langsum and Andrew Mango, the Newburyport Screening Room started out as a small business dream built on grassroots ideals, passion, and perseverance. It’s an AMAZING story, and fortunately, all the details of their multi-year (at times uphill) venture are perfectly captured on their History Page which we wholeheartedly encourage you to read. Again, fascinating stuff and all documented. We have great admiration for this duo!

A treat for those of us who adore chatting endlessly about film is the Screening Room’s monthly film discussion hosted by the Newburyport Film Society. Founded in January 2010, the Film Society is an informal group open to the public that meets the first Monday of the month at the Screening Room for a flick and post-film discussion. (Read “Port Film Society Nights look to get people talking,” Jan. 2010). Film discussion groups are a great way to hone your movie chops, meet good people, and share those intense post-film thoughts floating around your head. Er, Tree of Life anyone? The Newburyport Film Society also produces the Newburyport Documentary Film Festival, an annual event held at the Screening Room and the Firehouse Center for the Arts, a marvelous performing arts center also in downtown Newburyport.

The coming attractions at the Screening Room are impressive and have us dashing to our calendars. We’ve listed their schedule below through September 15, but please visit the Newburyport Screening Room for full details and descriptions. Hit this marvelous little venue and enjoy your summer film viewing while supporting a local indie/art house cinema. And let them know the Lowell Film Collaborative sent you!

July 8 – 21: Beginners
Get those happy endorphins going — see this film! Two thumbs WAY UP from the LFC.

July 22-25: Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall All His Past Lives
A winner at Cannes 2010 with an international ghostly twist. 

July 29-August 4: Cave of Forgotten Dreams [in 2D]
Werner Herzog’s newest documentary mesmerizes — a stunner.

August 5-18: Buck
At the top of our own must-see list — we’ll be hitting this one for sure.

August 19-22: The Trip
This Steve Coogan/Rob Brydon venture had us longing for food, travel, and our own British sidekicks. Two thumbs WAY UP on this one.

August 26-29: Tabloid
You can’t go wrong with director Errol Morris, just bring along that open mind.

September 2-15: Magic Trip
Try to catch the Monday, September 12 screening which features a Q&A with Alison Ellwood, the film’s writer, director, and editor!

THE 13TH ANNUAL BOSTON UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL
March 24 – 31, 2011
Kendall Square Cinema  | Cambridge, MA

The Boston Underground Film Festival (BUFF) showcases some of the most bizarre, horrific, and brilliantly far-out-there films and events this side of New England. Anyone who knows us personally knows that we’re passionate fans of horror and genre films – we might be stepping out on a limb with some of you, dear fans and supporters, but it’s probably best for us to ‘fess up now. Just remember: great filmmaking comes in all shapes and sizes!

We invite you to CLICK HERE, and venture into the madness and profound creativity that IS the Boston Underground Film Festival. The fun takes place at Cambridge’s Kendall Square Cinema, your go-to place in the Boston area for fantastic indie and foreign film, AND one of our favorite haunts. If you plan on being at the BUFF tonight, drop us a Tweet and let us know – we’d love to meet fellow fest fans. We’ll also be at BUFF screenings this weekend on Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening.

For those who might be BUFFing it this evening, our Friday night plan of attack includes:
7:30PM: Machete Maidens Unleashed!
9:30PM: The Woman (East Coast premiere)
11:55PM: Midnight Transgressions

We hope you enjoy your weekend, whatever type of movie-madness it entails!

It’s almost 12:30AM on Monday, March 7, and we’ve just returned from the Boston premiere of Red State at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston’s theater district. The screening, part of Kevin Smith’s official ‘tour’ of the film, was electric. From what we could tell, the Wilbur audience absolutely ate up the event, AND the film, which we can wholeheartedly say, was pretty darn fabulous. Smith was a delight (as long as you’re a fan of his rantings and seemingly endless well of stories) and a captivating host. After introducing the film, he encouraged the audience to Tweet up and FB the event, even as they were watching the movie, something Smith said he’d be doing himself from the comfort of the balcony (read Smith’s real-time Tweets from the Wilbur event). Nice touch, Kevin.

If you read our original post below of Red State‘s Sundance premiere, you’ll see us refer to the film as a ‘horror’ film, a moniker Smith himself uses to describe the work, but one you’ll probably wrestle with once you’ve let the movie do its work on your brain. In his VERY entertaining, emotional, and enlightening post-film Q&A, Smith referred to Red State as a “Tarantino film by way of the Cohen Brothers,” and he’s truly not far off the mark. But, a horror film? “The stuff that takes place in the film IS ‘horrible,’” spouted Smith, somewhat defensively. Though horror fans will leave the theater puzzled about the label, they will hopefully be satiated by the film’s gripping theme, top-notch performances (including that of Academy Award winner Melissa Leo), and graphic shoot-em-up-style action scenes. No spoilers here on plot and what we thought was a nicely done ending. Suffice it to say that tonight’s seats may have been pricey, but the evening was priceless.

Should you spot Red State playing at a theater near you, GO OUT AND CATCH IT. And let us know what you think. Or better yet, let Kevin Smith know what you think via Twitter. He may in fact surprise you with a response.

Read below for our original post on Red State, dated January 24, 2011:

This past weekend, the edgy, outspoken, and eternally surprising Kevin Smith premiered his newest film, Red State, to an electrified audience and equally razzed protesters at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. While reviews and criticisms are still coming in (with some already in the thumbs down category – read a review on Hit Fix), it’s safe to say that Smith has once again inserted shock and awe into his work, only this time he’s entered the horror genre and for some, a sacred hallowed ground. Not surprisingly, Smith plans to self-distribute Red State should no other takers emerge. As the official film poster implies, dark biblical forces are at work in the film, which stars John Goodman, Michael Parks, and Melissa Leo. While Smith’s teaser trailer below brutally sells the film, time will tell if fans of Smith’s work AND devoted horror/thriller fans are sold on the concept and hype. Please note that the trailer below contains some graphic scenes, though even more is left to the imagination:

Get the latest buzz on Kevin Smith and his new project via Twitter. For more on Red State, read on:

“Kevin Smith severs relations with Hollywood …” – Entertainment Weekly

“Kevin Smith preaches a new tune … ” – a Sundance review by Cinematical

“Counter protests await Westboro Church at Sundance … ” – ABC, Salt Lake City

“The Feel Good Film Festival is a non-profit film showcase encouraging the development, production, and distribution of short or feature length films with happy endings, that make audiences laugh, and that capture the beauty of our world. The winning projects will be entertaining, optimistic, humorous, or heartwarming and leave the audience feeling good.”

So reads the mission statement wonderfully developed by the founders of the 4-year old Feel Good Film Festival (FGFF) which will be held in Los Angeles, August 12-14, at the American Cinematheque. It’s a theme (and name) that the LFC thought they’d had the market on in 2010 when we, through the request of local friends and film followers, were asked to host a series of films that, quite simply, made people feel GOOD. I believe it was around this same time in 2010, actually, as the bitter winter was beating down on New England and the headlines were as dour and depressing as the weather forecasts. We began to brainstorm about which films in our brain archives would fit this description and also put the word out for suggestions. Our final film list, not surprisingly, mostly included films of the 50s, 60s, and 80s. Unfortunately, cost finally took down the project, but it will forever remain on our community event to-do list.

Unlike the community feel good film fest we wanted to host, the FGFF program consists of newly created features, film shorts, and student films submitted annually by filmmakers the world over.

For their fantastic theme and what we feel is a pretty great humanitarian mission, the Feel Good Film Festival earns our admiration. If you are a filmmaker who wishes to showcase a “feel good film,” the FGFF is currently accepting submissions for their 2011 fest. And if you’re in the LA area this August, we hope you’ll make this great film fest a part of your Tinseltown plans.

Visit the Feel Good Film Festival at www.fgff.org.

Below is a competition overview, directly from Aesthetica‘s marketing officer, Byrony Byrne:

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CALL FOR ENTRIES: AESTHETICA SHORT FILM COMPETITION

The Aesthetica Short Film Competition 2011 is now open for entries! It’s a fantastic opportunity to get your work broadcast to a wider audience and Aesthetica are keen to see entries from both new and established filmmakers who are driving short film forward. The winning film receives a fantastic prize package including:

~ £500 prize money (approx. $773)

~ Screenings at film festivals across the UK, including Rushes Soho Shorts (London), Glasgow Film Festival (Glasgow) and Branchage (Jersey)

~ A weekend filmmaking course, courtesy of Raindance

~ 12 months membership to Shooting People, the international film network

~ Inclusion on a DVD that will be distributed to all Aesthetica readers (60,000 viewers)

The runner-up will also receive £250, as well as DVD publication. Films should be no longer than 25 minutes but can be any genre including artists’ film, music videos, dance films, horror and comedy or anything you can think of!

Entry is £15 per film (approx. $23). No limit to the number of entries permitted. Deadline 31 April 2011.

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We hope your curiosity is piqued! For complete details, visit www.aestheticamagazine.com/shortfilm, and pass the news along to your networks.

You can visit Aesthetica Art & Culture Magazine online at www.aestheticamagazine.com. They are also publishers of this great looking hard copy mag, which can be ordered from their website.