I n d e p e n d e n
Tabatha Mudra's "Pit Bulls & Piranhas"
Film Spotlight: "Thelma"
Sheryl Lee Ralph is a Precious Gem
The Palm Beaches SSOF & More
Director German Kral Talks "Adios Buenos Aires"
Honored at Miami Film Festival
The passionate and romantic music of Tango playsa pivotal role in the film
?AdiosBuenosAires.?Playing itsmelodies, imbued with Argentinan history and culture,bringstogether a group of friends who find solace and sustenance through its rhythms.Their music isset in contrast to the backdrop of the social unrest in the outside world.
The movie isset during the 2001 economic crisisand everyone isstruggling.There isrioting,looting and people clanging potsand pansin the streets. People are hungry, barely making endsmeet.The stressispalpable and people are leaving the country.Those faithful to Argentina no matter the cost classify those who emigrate astraitors.
Julio Farber,played by Diego Cremonesi,isa bandeneon player in the band,and he findshimself in the middle of conflictson all fronts. With hisbrothersin music,he too appearsto commiserate with the faithful,but secretly he hasmade other plans?to emigrate to Germany.
He had experienced the strife of daily life,struggling to make it asa musician,shoe salesman and divorced dad.But leaving,he finds,isnot so easy. The dominoesare not falling into place for him.In contrast, one by one,everything isfalling apart. He hasbattleson the homefront with hisdaughter,problemswith hisbandmatesover his decision to leave and one final blow delivered by the government enough to make him question whether he ever will be able to leave He also findshimself hit ?quite literally ?by another persistent conflict ? amouthy female taxi driver (Marina Bellati) who becomes entangled in hislife in an unexpected way.
Another reason for Farber not to leave isthe newest addition to their band,an older man (Mario Alarcon),who hasfound hisown new lease on life by being apart of the group.Farber leaving threatens
to upend their future.
Will thisman torn asunder by circumstancesbeyond hiscontrol steer the ship toward brighter shoresand escape hiscurrent peril or will he stand against a seaof troublesin hope to end them?
(The film also includesCarlosPortaluppi,Manuel Vicente,Rafael Spregelburd and LuisZiembrowski ashisfriends).
Director German Kral hascreated an engaging film that createsa sense of warmth and camaraderie intermixed with a feeling of angst and frustration perfectly showcasing the dichotomy of what the characterswere facing. He utilizesbeautiful music and cinematography to illustrate the tale,which haselementsof sadness, humor,despair and hope all wrapped into one. Told in Spanish with English subtitles,thismovie keepsthe audience engaged with its seriesof surprising turn of events.
Q&A with Director German Kral
RG: What inspired the movie?
GK: At the end of 1999,I started to shoot adocumentary ("The Last Applause," 2009) about avery special Tango-bar in BuenosAires. It?s name wasBar el Chino,in honor of the nickname of hisowner,El Chino.But he wasby no meansChinese. Hisreal name wasJorge Garcíaand hispassion wasto meet every Friday,in hisbar,with his friendsjust to sing Tango. They would start Friday evening and would sing over the whole weekend until Monday morning. I found there some incredible characters,who loved Tango and lived for it. They had never become famous. Most of them even lived on the verge of poverty.But each weekend,they would wear their best clothes,go to the bar and sing in front of asmall,but passionate audience. They lived only for thisapplause.I think thisbar and those characterswere the genesisof "AdiósBuenosAires."
RG: I see that you had several writers on the film, how was it working with others on this?
GK: I started to write the film,alone,in 2002.At a certain moment I felt that,writing alone,I could not reach the depth and dramaturgical richnessthat I wanted to have in the film. So,I called an old friend, Fernando Castets,who had written some beautiful filmsthat I really admired,with the great director Juan José Campanella. Fernando said
"Yes,?and we started to work immediately. We wrote some versionsof the script that were very funny ...maybe even more funny than the final version. But we had to finance the film from Germany,and these versionswere "too Argentinean.?So,I called my friend Stephan Puchner,who isagreat writer from Munich,which whom I had studied film. Stephan did agreat job. He gave the script a more "structured? approach (Stephan isGerman!),and thanksto hisprofound work,we were finally able to finance the film. But,until the very end,Fernando, Stephan and I worked together.The script versionswere going back and forth from Munich to BuenosAires,from Spanish into German, alwaystrying to condense the best of each of us.I admire Fernando?s wit and humanity and Stephan?sprofound sense for structure. So,I feel very honored and grateful to have been able to work with them.
RG: You have created several films about Tango. What is it about the dance that keeps inspiring you?
GK: Tango is,of course,a dance.But,in Argentina,the importance of Tango isvery much connected with their lyrics. The lyricsin many Tangoswere written by some of the most talented poetsof Buenos Aires.Some of them are able to transmit a profound sense about the pain and the beauty of life. So,the lyricswere my entrance into Tango. The crucial moment came to me when I arrived in Berlin,in 1991,to study film. Afriend of my picked me at the airport.At home,he played the Tango "Naranjo en Flor?("Blossoming Orange Tree"),sung by Roberto Goyeneche.The Tango goes: "Primero hay que saber sufrir, Despuésamar,Despuéspartir y al fin andar sin pensamiento" ("First you have to know how to suffer,Then to love,Then to leave and finally to walk without thought.?) For me,I had just arrived in Berlin searching for my life,that wasthe union between Zen Buddhism and Tango.That wasfor me the beginning.Aone-way ticket into Tango...
RG: Where did you shoot the film? Was it shot in Argentina? How is the permitting process there? Is it difficult to shoot a film?
GK: We shot the film entirely in BuenosAires. The permitting process, if you mean the shooting permitsfor the different locations,are not difficult to get ... except in difficult placeslike the harbor? But we worked with very professional people,who could organize everything very well. Yes,to shoot afilm isextremely difficult.But,it?salso wonderful!
RG: What directors have inspired you most as a filmmaker?
GK: There are many directorswho I admire very much and who have inspired me asafilmmaker.(And the list growscontinuously,asI?m getting older!) But I really love the work of Andrzej Tarkowsky,Wim Wenders,Alexander Payne,Juan Campanella,Ettore Scola,Yazujiro Ozu,Kenji Mizoguchi,Satjayit Ray,Vittorio De Sica,Clint Eastwood,
Steven Spielberg,Frank Capra,Pedro Almodóvar,LeosCarax,Carlos Saura,Peter Weir and so many others...
RG: What made you get into filmmaking in the first place?
GK: I wasborn in BuenosAiresin 1968 At the age of 15,I began to study photography. I took black and white photos,developed and copied them myself,at night,because light came into my darkroom I also liked to read,write,and play the guitar very badly.
At some point,I went to a Super-8 film workshop. We made a short film and I loved the work of filming. I started studying Ethnology at the University of BuenosAires. One day,I saw ?The State of Things" by Wim Wendersin a movie theater on CorrientesStreet. I left the theater transported to another world.Shortly after,I saw "The Wingsof Desire" by Wim Wendersaswell.Then,I saw Andrzej Tarkowski's?The Sacrifice." I remember that,after the film wasover,I stayed to watch it asecond time.
Between the filmsof Wim Wendersand Tarkowski,my deep desire to make filmswasborn. One day,I found out that Wim Wendershad studied film in Munich. I wasalready studying German in BuenosAires, probably influenced by Borgesand hislove for foreign languages.I decided that Munich wasthe place where I wanted to study ... It wasn't easy,but life helped me to do it. I am very grateful that I wasable to do it.
RG: How did you obtain the stock photography used in your film?
GK: We had aperson who wasin charge of getting all the archival material.She did avery good job finding documentary material from all imaginable sources.Then,I watched all these hoursof material and selected around five minutesin total for the whole film. Thismaterial wasvery important to usin order to build the tension of the story through the power of reality.
RG: How did you get your
For the boys in the band, the music matters most... Courtesy of Outsider PIctures
cast?
GK: We had a wonderful team of casting directors,who did agreat job looking for the characters written in the script.Casting isan essential issue for the successof a film. But all of our main charactersare very well known actorsin Argentina.
RG: How long did it take to shoot?
GK: We shot 2 weeksin 2020,before the pandemic,and 5 weeksin 2021,after an interruption of 11 months.
RG: Was your music original?
GK: All the Tangosthat we featured in the film are not only original, but also some of the best known of the history of Tango. We recorded them for the film with some of the best Tango musiciansfrom Buenos Aires.Two very talented musicianswere in charge of the production of the Tangos: Fulvio Giraudo and NicolásEnrich. Then,there isalso the film music. All the music that isnot played "on screen?by our protagonists-- thismusic,which iscalled "incidental music,?was composed by agreat German composer from Munich,Gerd Baumann. We are very glad that Milan Recordsand Sony published the soundtrack of the movie. You can find it here: https://soundtracks.lnk.to/adiosbuenos.
RG: What was your biggest challenge in making the movie?
GK: All the stepsduring the making of afilm are big challenges.But during the making of "AdiósBuenosAires,?the pandemic wasa terrible experience for me.I have to put it into perspective right away, because there are many people around the world who died from it or lost afamily member.I didn't have to experience anything like that, thank God.But for me personally,it wasvery,very difficult. On March 20,2020,the lockdown began in Argentina. For me,it waslike I was driving at 200 Km/h on the highway and suddenly a wall ispushed in from the side.Two daysbefore we were shooting 100%,and two dayslater,I couldn't leave my apartment. I came back from
BuenosAiresto Munich with aflight via Sao Paulo,had to spend two daysin ahotel at the airport.It wasabsolutely deserted. The train from Frankfurt to Munich wasempty.And just asempty were my next months.Terrible.Worrying if we would ever be able to finish the movie ...I woke up in the morning thinking I wasin the middle of a nightmare.But usually,nightmaresend when you wake up ...Thisone didn't end. Day after day,it went on ... for months. Ten monthsafter the last take,we were able to start shooting again. The first scene we shot wasin the cemetery,when Julio bringsflowersto Atilio'sgrave.It wasasif we had stopped just aweek before. We all had to wear masks and get tested every day.But,we were able to finish the film.That was great!
RG: The movie's theme is about the grass not always being greener somewhere else. Have you experienced that in your own life?
GK: Well,I think thisisan experience that we all do in our lives. There isthisbeautiful oriental story about aman who islooking for a treasure.He spendsyearstraveling the world until,one day,he realizesthat the treasure he waslooking for wasburied under the stove of hishome.Julio Färber,our main character,experiences something like thisin the course of hisstory ? But I don? t want to reveal too much of the film.
RG: Where has the movie been shown so far? Has it won awards?
GK: The film wastheatrically released in Germany,Austria,Switzerland and Argentinaso far. We hope that after the U.S.and Canada,many other territorieswill release the film. The film won the following awards:Audience Award:Filmkunstfest MV Schwerin ?Germany, Audience Award:Festival de Cine Musical Oberaudorf ?Germany, Audience Award:Latin Film Festival Warsaw - Poland.
RG: What do you hope people will come away with after watching this film?
GK: I love filmsthat move me emotionally. I think that thisiswhat a film must achieve.And I like filmsthe most in which I cry and laugh. And I like even more if thishappensat the same time!
Therefore,my hope and the hope of all my cast and crew isthat "Adiós BuenosAires?will move and entertain the audience,and bring them to tearsand to laughs.Taking into consideration the reactionsof the audience in New York,I have the feeling that we achieved what we wanted.People left the cinemawith tearsin their eyesand a beautiful smile on their faces.
The film screened in South Floridain locationslike Coral GablesArt Cinemaand Cinema Paradiso in Hollywood and Savor Cinema in Fort Lauderdale in May. Formoreinformation,visit outsiderpictures.us.
Summertime can be challenging for filming,especially in South Florida. The sun beating down makesbeing outside unbearable,not to mention the bugsand the humidity. And then the rain comesand doesnot stop for days! But the show must go on! Make sure to have plenty of placesfor cast & crew to remain in the shade asmuch as possible,with some accessto air conditioning if at all possible. And don't forget to drink plenty of water. And remember that crafty may not fare so well outdoors.Make alternate plans for rain daysand have cover if needed. If you take precautions,filming outside can be done with minimal problems. Keep cool and dry,my friends! Break a leg!
Rachel Galvin Publisher
The 29th Annual Palm BeachesStudent Showcase of Films(SSOF), Florida?slargest student film competition and award show,announced thisyear?sclassof winnerson April 26. The event washeld at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre.The theme wasArtificial Intelligence (AI). Guests arrived in style and walked the AI LED Wall created by TUCANAgency and red carpet alongside Spot the Robot to a specially curated AI playlist.More than 700 were in attendance.
More robotic charactersjoined dancersfrom Digital Vibez,ayouth non-profit organization based in Palm Beach County with the mission of empowering underserved communitiesthrough dance fitness, technology,and the arts.
Frank Licari,asusual,hosted the event. Licari isknown not only asan actor himself,but also asthe Emmy-nominated creator and star of South FloridaPBS?TVshow "On the Town in The Palm Beacheswith Frank Licari." Look for a film called "The Driven," which he wasin, directed by Alex Leaty,to be released soon.
VanillaIce came back again asa celebrity presenter,asdid local actor,writer and director Jevon White and newsanchor Matt Lincoln from WPECCBS12.
Guestswere surprised by aflash mob by Kitty Lundan,star of
"What?sPoppin,PBC" before presenting the awardsfor High School Feature/Short.More than $28,000 in scholarship money and prizes, and customized signature trophies,were awarded.
The winnersare:
Burt Reynolds Scholarships
- Burt ReynoldsScholarship ($5,000) ?KarlaCaviedes,G-Star High School of the Arts(Palm Springs)
- SaraFuller Scholarship ($1,000) ?Jasmyn Eiler,Seminole Ridge Community High School (Westlake) Sponsored by: Film Florida
- Mel Maron Scholarship ($1,000) ?Riley Phillips,Seminole Ridge Community High School (Westlake)
- Gray Family Scholarship ($1,000) - Noah Lambert,G-Star High School of the Arts(Palm Springs)
- B.Carleton Bryant Scholarship ($1,000) ?Natalie Rodriguez, Palm Beach GardensHigh School (Palm Beach Gardens)
College Feature/Short Awards
- 1st Place ($2,000) ?Luigi Bencosme,University of Florida(Gainesville), "Sweet Nothing"
- 2nd Place ($1,500) ? Wilderley Mauricette, Ringling College of Art and Design (Sarasota), "Spare Me"
- 3rd Place ($1,250) ?Julie Peley,University of Miami (Coral Gables),"After Mountains"
High School Feature/Short Awards
- 1st Place ($1,500) ? Luciano Alzate,Coral GladesHigh School (Coral Springs),"Asphyxia"
- 2nd Place ($1,000) ? BibianaEichenberg Pinto,
Gulliver Preparatory (Miami),"Märchen"
- 3rd Place ($750) ?LucasDavid Gonzalez,Marjory Stoneman DouglasHigh School (Parkland),"Remedy"
Suzanne Niedland Documentary Award ($2,000)
- Zoe Heafner,University of Central Florida (Orlando),"Fishtail: The Last Best Place"
Vanilla Ice Music Video Award ($1,000)
- MariaKukharchuk,Gulf Coast High School (Naples),"Banned Goods"
Animation Award ($3,000)
Sponsored by Five PeaksAnimation
- CarolinaRapp,University of Central Florida (Orlando), "Superstitious"
Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful Environmental PSA Award ($1,000)
- Drew Van Dam,CypressBay High School (Weston),"Trashy Choices"
Commercial PSA Award ($1,000)
- Charlotte Mills,G-Star School of the Arts(Palm Springs),
"Burning of Our Future"
Nellie & Fred Chasin Screenwriting Award ($650)
- Capri Wayne,A.W. DreyfoosSchool of the Arts(West Palm Beach),"Mind"
Poster Design Award ($1,000)
Sponsored by Laurence Gartel
- Sendi Perez Matias,SouthTech Academy (Boynton Beach), "Floral Sunset"
Palm Beach County Tourism PSA Award ($1,000)
Sponsored by Discover The Palm Beaches
- Natalie Rodriguez,Palm Beach GardensHigh School (Palm Beach Gardens),"The Perfect Vacation:The Palm Beaches"
- Ancil DeLuz,W. DreyfoosSchool of the Arts(West Palm Beach)
- Frank Eberling,Palm Beach GardensHigh School (Palm Beach Gardens) & Palm Beach State College (Lake Worth)
- Ed Gigante,Palm Beach GardensHigh School (Palm Beach Gardens) & Connecticut School of Broadcasting (North Palm Beach)
- Wilson Plumb,William T.Dwyer High School (Palm Beach Gardens),Pahokee Middle-Senior High School (Pahokee),& G-Star School of Arts(Palm Springs)
- Susan Tieche,Bak School of the Arts(West Palm Beach),A.W. DreyfoosSchool of the Arts(West Palm Beach),& G-Star School of the Arts(Palm Springs)
- Cathy Yonkers,Palm Beach GardensHigh School (Palm Beach Gardens)
- Lauryn Eisenstein,G-Star School of the Arts(Palm Springs)
Missed thisevent?The submission window for the 30th Annual Palm BeachesStudent Showcase of Filmsopensin October 2024.Stay tuned for updates.
Formoreinformation,visit www.pbfilm.com/SSOF.
Raw and brutal,TabathaMudra's "Pit Bullsand Piranhas" takesan in-your-face deep dive into the cycle of generational abuse in a visceral way. Itstrigger warning isjustified as it exploresrough topicslike domestic violence and animal cruelty.
The story takesplace in the 1980s primarily within arundown and dirty trailer where afamily filled with pain eeksout their existence. The father is like a mad dog spitting out his violence at every turn.The mother seeksescape through drug use,which leavesher a shaking and contorted messsubject to hisevery whim The young daughter isleft to witnessthe chaosaround her and befriendstheir pet piranhas, mimicking their aggressive behavior.The fish frenzy issymbolic of the whirlwind of depair in which she findsherself. Violence begets violence and she isforced to feed into it in order to finally get out of the abuse. That achild would have to not only suffer through this existence,but then take the kind of action she had to take in order to escape isheartwrenching.
But an escape from one hell leadsher to another.Perhapsabetter situation,but nonethelessnot ideal,she findsherself under the thumb of anew type of abuser.But with what she hasseen,she isnot going to go gently into submission.
Thisfilm wasvery personal for Mudra,who poured her heart and soul into itsproduction.It wasa story she knew she had to tell. She searched all over to find the perfect location and then formed her dedicated team and a stellar cast.
The gritty feel of the film came down to the close-up cinematography,which added to the uncomfortability of viewing thisfilm asit forced the audience to really get into the moment
and feel the angst in each scene.It'snot for the weary.Thisisasreal as it gets
Mudraisbrave enough to reveal a world just below the surface where few dare to look,the type of world that few speak about perhapsbecause the pain of it istoo much to bear.
But Mudraisno shrinking violet. She isa force to be reckoned with. But even for thismultiple award winning director,thiswasa lot to take on.And thisisjust the beginning. Thisshort film wasactually aproof of concept for amuch larger piece that will continue the story of the young girl and the world around her asshe growsup and strivesto overcome her past.
The film wasshown March 28 at aspecial screening at Savor Cinema in Fort Lauderdale to an enthusiastic crowd. It received amuch deserved standing ovation.
She introduced the film and screened a few videosabout the making of it,showing the cast and crew dealing with stifling heat shoved into asmall room trying to make the magic happen.The ubiquitousfilm commissioner Sandy Lighterman also said a few wordsabout film incentives.
After the film,she had two Q&As,one with the cast and one with the crew. She had everyone scan aQRcode and fill out a short survey to write about their experience of the film. Next,the crowd had achance to mingle and continue the party out on the patio.
Mudraand her 1310 Banditsteam have made many filmsthroughout her career. She hasalwaysbeen a powerful stand for bringing women and Queer voicesto the forefront through her filmmaking Find her 1310 Banditson social media.
Introducing the closing night film "Ezra,"director/ actor Tony Goldwyn, who won an Art of Light Award, and producer Jon Kilik, along with the festival's own Director of Programming Lauren Cohen.
By Rachel Galvin
Miami Film Festival wasastar studded event Held April 5 to 14,the film festival brought in heavy hitterslike actorsTom Hiddeston,Molly Ringwald,Heather Graham,Jeremy Piven and so many others. Many of the actorswere honored.Afew of them are written about here, including Sheryl Lee Ralph receiving a PreciousGem Award on page 13 and Alison Brie receiving an Art of Light Award on page 15.
There were eventsthroughout the festival from the opening night "Thelma," which openstheatrically June 21 (see more pg. 11) to the closing night film "Ezra," which opened theatrically on May 31.
There were plenty of Q&Asand soirees. The event culminated with a party at Jungle Island. Talk about wild!
Here are a few snapsfrom the event for you to enjoy! Find out more, including info. on the awardsat www.MiamiFilmFestival.com.
i g h t : " T h e l m a "
together."
He said through hislife,it hasbeen apassion. "You know,my background isin performing,but it'salso writing and editing,and kind of,you know,wearing alot of those different hats."
The apple doesnot fall far from the tree.Margolin'sgrandfather, named Ted Post,wasalso in the business. He directed such classicsas "Gunsmoke," "Hang Em High," "Rawhide" and "Beneath the Planet of the Apes," and many others.Unfortunately,Margolin said he did not get achance to really see hisgrandfather work. By the time he was into filmmaking,hisgrandfather wasin his80sand 90s.
By Rachel GalvinWhen an unsuspecting 93-year-old ThelmaPost (played by June Squibb) getsscammed over the phone,she takesjustice into her own handsand tracksdown the perpetrator herself. She endsup setting off on adangerousepic adventure that leavesher family unawaresand worried,bringing her very hesitant friend Ben (the late Richard Roundtree) along for the ride.
Thislighthearted film,directed by Josh Margolin,hasplenty of laughsaswell astender moments.The audience isleft cheering on the fiesty grandmaand laughing at many funny momentsalong the way. It really isafun film that can be enjoyed by all.
The movie wasactually based on a true story.Margolin'sown grandma,also named ThelmaPost,found herself in a similar situation. She hasthe same fiesty spirit,although she did not really go after the scammer in real life.The family wasable to intervene before she took action.But Margolin imaginatively took the next step.What would his grandmahave done if they had not intervened?
Asked how he got into the art of filmmaking,Margolin said,"You know,I think from an early age,I just alwaysloved making things. Secondly,I could kind of get my handson avideo camera,I was making shortswith my friendsand editing them and putting them
He added,"Watching moviesat my grandparentshouse isa really important memory for me of just aplace and an activity that just made me feel at home and creatively excited. So,I think I associated still conversationswith him,and them,asapart of my introduction to loving what I love,but I also think somehow it wasmaybe just in our DNA,something that we were drawn to for one reason or another. But I've alwaysloved it."
Margolin did study theater in college and worked on acting here and there and film projects. "I wasalwaysalso writing and making web seriesor short films,or editing somebody else's,or writing with a group of pals," he said.
He came from an Improv background and he utilized some of those principalswhen making the film."I love seeing a joke or an idea planted earlier in order to pay off later ...you know,reemerge asa call back.I got that really drilled into me doing Improv. I wastrying to find waysto sort of carry those threadsthrough and have them pay off in fun or unexpected ways. And so,I think that that mindset or that way of thinking about story and character in just sort of joke structure was definitely something that guided me. I alwayslove when it feelskind of off the cuff and naturalistic,and soundslike people talking,but is able to be sort of punctuated and heightened alittle bit too," he said.
"Thelma" wasthe first film he wrote on hisown and he felt he really needed to direct it because it wasa story he felt passionately about and he knew how he wanted to tell it
"I'm glad I had worn so many different hatsthroughout my 20s because being able to be aperformer and an editor and awriter,I think probably helped prepare me for being able to be in the director's
role and to do so with some confidence," said Margolin.
One of the challengeshe hasfaced isthe audience being dubiousof the main character,an action hero,being asenior citizen.But with June,he really hit the jackpot."We got really lucky with June," he said. "She issuch aconsummate pro and set the bar so high for everyone else.She wasthe sharpest and had the best energy.And so was Richard ... really,really lovely,warm guy,and kind of lit up the set every time he wasthere."
Squibb actually did her own stuntsin the movie,although they had a double on stand-by.She loved being on the scooter."I think anytime June wason the scooter wasalwaysjust a wild time.I think honestly anytime June wason that thing wasa little bit nerve wracking,if I'm being honest,but also kind of really fun to see her have asmuch fun on it asshe did.I think she just she really came alive on that scooter," he said
Before Thelmagoeson her adventure,she happensto watch some scenesof Tom Cruise in "Mission Impossible." Asked if he needed permission for that footage,he said,"We did have to get permission. And we were we were really lucky.Actually,we basically got Tom's permission,which wasvery,very cool of him to to let ususe it. We went to him actually first and then we went to Paramount once we'd gotten hisokay."
Hisprocessmay have been unorthodox,but it worked. He sent Cruise the scene and some footage and a Zoom table read so he wasable to get asense of it. "Lucky for us," he said. "he gave usthe okay,which wasvery cool."
Because he wasdealing with such professionals on set, Margolin said he felt more at ease with the process. Another challenge he faced wasvery strict COVID protocols,even though this wasfilmed in 2022.
And they wanted to make sure everyone had the energy to continue. He said,the actors"met usmore than halfway and and brought just everything that we'd hoped they would bring." Still,they made sure the shooting schedule wasnot too long for June,for example,trying to wrap her scenesasquickly aspossible.
The movie wasshot in LosAngeles,largely in the valley,in North Hollywood,Burbank and Sherman Oaks. "We actually ended up also filming a little bit on the west side of town and in my grandma'sreal condo.She wasliving with my parentsat the time," he said.
He felt shooting there really tied the character into hisgrandmother, being that it wasso full of elementsof her life. "That,to me,felt very evocative of her and her spirit and character." He called it "weird,but cool."
Asked what he would do differently if he had to do it over again,he said,"It dependson the day.Some days,I'm like,'Oh,my God,I would do everything differently.' And other days,I'm like,'Oh,I feel pretty happy with how we got this,thisand this.' At the end of the day,the thing I would do differently would be going into the processwith the knowledge that there are going to be thingsyou can control and things you can't,and being sort of at peace with navigating that really early."
When it came to working with actors,he sometimeswasable to be more handsoff and other timeswork more with the actor. "I think it wasreally both honestly; it wasa mix.And I think it very dependent on the actor,depending on the scene.I definitely had a very specific tone I wanted the movie to hit in termsof making sure we didn't tip too broad,and you're really playing thingshonestly and playing them straight,and trying to keep the stakesalive and carry the authenticity of it even amidst some of the dramastuff. For me,often it wasjust about making sure people felt in the same universe,and we felt like we were playing it with that level of honesty and that pitch. It isabout trusting the people you've hired,and also not being afraid to guide to be helpful..."
"Thelma" premiered at Sundance,but it hasscreened elsewhere, such asCleveland,Sarasotaand Philadelphia,aswell asthe Miami Film Festival and Savor Cinema,and will have other upcoming screenings. But it will be showing theatrically June 21.
Formoreinformation,visit www.magpictures.com/thelma.
By Rachel Galvin
writing or acting,or doing art. "I had friendswhose parentswere absolutely against it.And for a lot of them,they were so sad because they were so willing to give up their dreamsto make their parents happy.And I just couldn't do that for my mother. I had to follow my own dream,and I'm so glad I did. And so isshe ...since I bought her a house," she said.
She talked about the importance of an actor really understanding the craft and delving into the backstory,knowing where they came from as acharacter."I alwaystell people an educated actor isa far more interesting actor because they understand the words.There are so many people who get a script and have no ideathe back story,where they're coming from,where thisplace islocated.They don't know the food that people eat.They don't get it. And it'samazing to me.And you never believe how many timespeople will come up and they'll ask me, 'What doesthisword mean?' Sometimes,I want to turn around and say, 'Y'all got Google,please.' But reading isfundamental ...not just in the library,kids," she said.
Sheryl Lee Ralph isbest known now for her Emmy Award winning role asBarbaraHoward in "Abbott Elementary." But she hasalong career in the industry,working on TV,in film and on the stage.People may remember her from creating the role asDeenaJonesin "Dreamgirls" on Broadway or asDee Mitchell in "Moesha," or possibly asFlorence Watson in "Sister Act 2," or in many other productions. Through the years,she hastaken on many typesof rolesand she has gained plenty of wisdom along the way.
On April 13,at the Chapman Conference Center at the Miami Dade College-Wolfson Campus,The Miami Film Festival recognized this industry veteran with aPreciousGem Award.She held up the award with pride and said a few wordsbefore sitting down to a Q&A. She went on to talk about her unlikely path and how her parents hoped she would become something more traditional,maybe adoctor or lawyer, but it wasn't something she felt she could do. She added that she had friendswhose parentsthought it wascrazy to think people could make money other than asteady nine to five job. Singing wasOKbecause it could be done in choir in church,but not
She also spoke about the change through the yearsin regard to women being in more rolesand behind the camera."I am so thrilled when I get on setsnow,and especially the one that I work on,and women are everywhere," she said. She adviseswomen to know their worth and not be taken advantage of in the industry.She hasdealt with it firsthand. "I say to myself,to my daughter,to all the daughtersand sonsout there -- know your worth."
She continued,"I love my art.I keep working at my art.I'm always learning.Aslingshot goesthe farthest the more tension you are able to put on ... the more strength you have to pull it back and know when you've reached the peak to let go. That'slife,honey."
She also talked about the importance of having patience. "I think I have been struggling and working on patience my whole life. I was very young and I did atelevision show in Jamaicathat wascalled 'Take 20.' I did it with my father.You have to answer these questions and you gottaget the 20 done in like three minutesor something like that.And we won for like seven weeksstraight. And the only reason we had to leave the show wasbecause I had to go back to college. And at the end of that,my father looked at me one day and he said, 'Patience.Patience with people.Patience with yourself because you're pretty quick.Be patient.' So,I'm learning so much about [my character] Barbarabecause Barbarahaslearned to be very patient."
Evidently,Ralph'spatience haspaid off because she hasnot only made big stridesin the industry,but continuesto leave her mark and be apreciousgem for all to enjoy.
After posing for quick photoson the red carpet for the Miami Film Festival, actressAlison Brie popped her head into the theater at Regal South Beach where the first episode of her TV show "ApplesNever Fall" wasabout to be shown. She gave a brief introduction: "You know,it'sa mystery. It'sa dramedy.It'sa dark comedy. But above all,it'sabout family and the idiosyncrasiesthat exist within every family and the roles that we play,and the waysthat those rolesnever change aswe get older. It'san incredible cast .It'sbased on a book by Liane Moriarty."
Then,she popped out asquickly asshe came in and let people watch the Peacock TVmini seriesepisode 1 starring not only Brie,but also Annette Benning,Sam Neill and others.
Fanswere happy for her return after the episode when she received an Art of Light Award and sat down to a quick Q&Aabout her career. Brie isalso known for her appearancesin TVshowslike "GLOW," "Community," "Mad Men," and other productions.
Upon receiving the award,she said,"Thank you to the Miami Film Festival. Thank you to Miami Dade College for hosting thisbeautiful event and highlighting the work of so many talented artists I hope that we all can continue to be inspired."
When Brie wasgiven the script for "ApplesNever Fall," she said she thought the role wasfor Brooke,the little sister,not Amy.After all,
she wasalittle sister in real life. But,no,she wasgoing to be the older sister,arole she wassurprised she fit in so well. "My (older) sister is like the most incredible woman and so responsible," she said. "She's sort of like the mom of our whole family,my parentsincluded. So,I really get to be the baby.I get to be really indulgent. I'm an actress.But it wasfun to assume [the role of the older sister]. I felt very protective of Essie [who played Brooke].I think also just asan older actor and wanting to really welcome her into the industry and protect her."
There were aspectsof Amy that she really looked forward to sinking her teeth into."Being from LosAngelesand having gone to art school,I had alot of people to base facetsof her personality on. So,that was really fun.It wasjust like very freeing to inhabit acharacter who isso chaotic," she said.
She added,"I think of Amy aslike the rebel of the Delaney family because,you know,they're a sportsfamily and they've raised these kidsin such a goal oriented way. And the rest of Amy'slife hasbeen about trying to undo that,trying to,you know,Joy callsher a searcher And I think she is. I think she'slike devoting her life to blowing in the wind.And in some ways,that'sadmirable. I mean,I think it really is."
She really felt comfortable with the cast."The dynamic between all the siblingswasreally fun because we clicked immediately," she said. "We had atext chain.We were all texting on before we even got to Australia.Our two younger siblingsare Australian.And thiswassort of their first big job.So,there wasthisfun dynamic where,you know,Jake (Lacy) and I are the old hands. We've been doing thisfor a while. Annette (Bening) and Sam (Neill) are the icons. And then we had our young siblingsthat were so excited."
She continued,"What I love about Amy and Troy (Lacy) isthat,like at face value,they seem like total oppositesin the family. But actually, their relationship isso close being the two eldest siblings. They really experienced adifferent side of their father than the younger siblings experience.And that'swhat alot of the show sort of comesdown to ... we had different childhood than you guyshad."
She said that istypical with parents...they hover over the first child and get progressively looser on the reinswith the children asthey have them.
Working with Bening,she said,waswonderful because she idolized
her so much. Since the pair got close on set,it wasabit awkward to stop and say how much she valued working with her,but she did say, "Thisisso meaningful to me to shoot ascene like thiswith you. I just idolized you."
Fanning out on set isnot ideal,so she had to relax. But she was happy she got the chance to say how she felt."I have learned,you know,through missed opportunitiesin the past,how sometimesI want to be true professional and not expressthose thingsand I regret it later.And I'm so glad that I would say something like that to Annette in the moment,who turned back to me and said,'I feel the same,' and it wasso beautiful. I'll remember that for the rest of my life. Oh my God. It'sso great," said Brie.
She added,"And she (Bening) just came off of another great year, another Oscar nomination.She'sso good.I would get goosebumps watching her. It wasvery,very cool."
Asked what aspectsof Amy she wasthe most intrigued about playing and what wasthe most intimidating,she said,"I think the answer isthe same. It'sher vulnerability and her emotional threshold. You know,Amy livesin aworld where her heightened emotionsare just sitting,like just threatening to bubble over at any second. It'snot how I live my life.It'sprobably why I play so many charactersthat are so in control asI consider myself creating control of my emotionsmost of the time. And Amy isn't.
"And reading the third episode,aside from the fanning of it all,I would say episode three wasthe reason I wanted to do the show because Amy dipsinto some really scary depthsin revealing some thingsabout herself and her past,and her mental health. And these are thingsthat are close to my heart,my familial history and personal struggleswith mental health.And I think I wasexcited and scared to tap into that level of vulnerability."
The show looked like it took place in Palm Beach,Florida,but it was actually shot in Australiafor about six months.About that,she said, "There wassomething cool about shooting thisshow so far away. We shot on the Gold Coast of Australiafor Florida,that'san upgrade ...but also really far from home.I think that wassomething that bonded us all aswell,you know,like we were really hanging out with each other. "We only had each other,but I also had a lot of time alone. And I had alot of time with the material and to sit with Amy,and I often would really use the third episode aslike my Amy Bible because it iswhere you learn the most about her.That scene where we see Amy really opening up waslike my touchstone for her and I would reference it mentally when shooting so many other scenesjust to tap back into the true essence of that character.And I had a lot of time alone to really
think about that scene,think about what wasAmy'ssoundtrack."
She said that her character isactually "alittle more together than she getscredit for.She'ssort of the black sheep of the family and everybody kind of teasesher,but she'sactually the only communicator in the family. "I would venture to say,despite the variety of emotional intensity she offers,she'slike the most emotionally intelligent Delaney family member,so there are a lot of waysin which you'll see her almost come into her armament to sort of almost attempt to assume amatriarchal position now that her mom is gone," said Brie.
She added,"I think she'salwayshad that desire to look out for her younger siblings,but they just don't take her seriously."
Some of her favorite scenes,she said,are with Essie Randall,who playsBrooke,the youngest Delaney,her little sister. "I love the bond between sistersand I love playing those sceneswith her There'sa couple sceneswe have where it'sjust that unspoken thing. I think your family memberscan be the closest people in your life. But you can also say the most cutting,ruining thingsto them,and then also,two sentenceslater,you're bonding,[and saying,] 'Do my hair.' It'ssuch an intricate relationship."
After shooting the show,Brie and her husband,actor Dave Franco, went back to the land down under a month later again... thistime to shoot a movie called "Together" about the horrorsof co-dependency.
"So we were playing a couple that's been together over 10 years We've been together 12 years.We spent two monthsin Australia together 24 hoursaday, seven daysa week.We've worked
together before so many times. You know,if Dave'sdirecting something and I'm acting at it,there are momentswhere you don't see each other. Thismovie," she said,"wasreally full on in termsof like it's me and you."
The couple hasbeen in several filmstogether,including "Little Hours," which they were in before they were acouple. The film was fully improvised. It wasbased on the Decameron,said Brie,who added that it isa14th century text about nuns. At that time,she said,nuns were not particularly religious. They were in the nunnery because they were unmarried or their family did not have any money.So,the movie isabout how the nunsactually wanted to have sex "Literally every nun in the movie hassex with my husband," said Brie. "We weren't married at the time. I said,'Everybody go for it.' It wasareally fun shoot. Aubrey Plazastarsin it. Kate Micucci,Molly Shannon and Fred Armisen.We shot it in Italy at real convents.It wasso beautiful. One of the most bizarre shootsI've ever done."
Asked how she choosesher parts,Brie answered, "You know,there'sa lot of factors. I think probably first and foremost,it'sabout the writing and the character.Isthere something that I feel like I'm connecting to and tapping into?"
She hasplayed alot of different rolesin different genres,but one genre she would still like to work in isSci-Fi in action roles."I am dying to get into more action," she said.
She loved the physicality of GLOW,in which she wasa "GorgeousLady of Wrestling" set in the 1980s,and feeling like amodern day superhero."That wasso fun," she said. "And it'sagenre that I love.I find it exhilarating."
She added,"I love horror.I mean,I just made thishorror movie with Dave. And I would love to go even further in the horror space. You can get a lot of action in horror as well,too."
Someone in the audience asked her if there will be a movie based on the TVshow "Community." She said it was something she isasked every day and now it seemsto be in the works."We've got a script for the movie," she said. "We're truly just working on dates...I feel like everybody's been saying datesand quotesfor the last two years But, thisyear isthe first time where I've actually gotten emails from professionalsalleging dates.And then also alerting me of the pushing of those dates. So,we're still putting it in quotes But it feelsmore real than ever "
She wasalso asked which she prefersmore -- TVor
movies,to which she said,"It'sso job specific," adding,"Although,I do think because I started in TVworking on "Mad Men" and "Community," my heart isin TV. Like,I do feel the most at home working on an ongoing seriescoming back to the same group of people.It'sreally fun. I love getting to live with a character for years,you know,and learning new thingsabout them all the time,because the writerswill just write something and suddenly you're like,'Oh,I have a sister.' That'sreally fun."
"At the same time," she added,"movies,alimited series,they're less daunting to sign on to because of the shorter time commitment." Since she worked on showslike "Community" and "GLOW," she feels that the bar isnow set very high. So,she isvery choosy when choosing projects.She added that if she comesacrossa project like "Apples Never Fall," that hasgreat writing and a great cast and a limited shooting time,it isareal gift.
The 48 Hour Film Project iscoming back! Here isyour chance to take on areal challenge,asdirectorsform teamsand then get ready to roll. The way it worksisthat everyone pullsagenre out of a hat,in thiscase two,which can be combined or one can be discarded.Then,all teams must use acertain prop,character name and phrase. Next,the fun begins...Teamshave to write ascript,cast the film, produce the film and edit the film... all within 24 hours!
Sound impossible?It can be done and hasbeen done... just make sure to complete the task in the time allotted.
Then,all the finished filmsare judged and all filmsare shown in a special screening where awardswill be given.The overall winner gets to go to participate with other people acrossthe world at Filmapalooza.
There are plenty of eventsto meet fellow actorsand become part of a team before the filming even begins.Here are more details:
- Meet & Greet:Sunday,June 16,5 p.m.
Bar Nancy (2007 SW 8th St.,Miami Beach,FL)
- Registration Opens: Monday,July 1,2024
- Meet & Greet:Tuesday,Aug. 13,7:30 p.m.
Savor Cinema
(503 SE6th Street,Ft. Lauderdale,FL)
- Kickoff:Friday,Sept.6,6 p.m.
CMLStudios
(4710 NW 165th St.,Miami Lakes33014)
- Dropoff:Sunday,Sept. 8,7:30 p.m.
- Premiere Screening:Saturday,Sept.28,1 p.m.
Savor Cinema
(Followed by AwardsCeremony at 8 p.m. & Wrap Party at 9 p.m).
Formoreinformation,visit 48hourfilm.com/miami/48hfp.
By Rachel Galvin
On April 27,director ShanksLarsen had a special event at Savor Cinema in Fort Lauderdale,FLpresenting several of his filmsand filmsfrom other filmmakershe admired.The highlight wasthe release of hisnew unique online seriescalled "That Night," which wasreminiscent of Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs." What makes it unique isthat each episode isonly about 3 minutes. Three of the cast memberswere also in another film that wasshown called "Lost Treasure," ashort film that this reporter also wasin. It wasone of several filmsthat were part of the last 48 Hour Film Project (48FHP) last year,which also had ascreening at Savor Cinema back in September and elsewhere and took home several awards. DanaDellacamera,who runsthe 48HFPspoke for a few minutes about thisyear'sevent and encouraged filmmakersto sign up.
Besidesthose two productions,several filmswere shown: The Man Favored By The Rainbow," "The Road LessTraveled," "Ladyfinger," "Cinnamon," "That'sNot Ketchup," "Spartan" and "The Sad Song of Lolita."
The event wasjam packed and after each film wasshown and filmmakershad a chance to be recognized along with their cast and crew.Guestshad achance to dive into some home cooking from Shanks' mother out in the patio afterward.Of course,there were plenty of photo oppsand interviewson the red carpet.
Thanks,Shanks,for bringing usall together!
Host and actress Angela Andronache interviewed
a
the
and
Striking a pose on the red carpet. (Courtesy of Shanks Larsen).
Rapper and actor Shaun WhiteDude Hofman, from "That Night," brought his friends out to support. (Courtesy of Hofman). Angela Andronache interviewing Lou Silver from "That Night" & "Lost Treasure."