Showbiz History: Eartha Kitt, Smooth Talk, From Dusk Till Dawn

6 random things that happened on this day, January 17th, in showbiz history...

1976 "I Write the Songs" by Barry Manilow hits #1. Do you know any 'Fanilows'?

1986 The 3rd Sundance Film Festival kicks off. The Laura Dern led Smooth Talk wins the Grand Jury Prize in the dramatic competition prize, but two queer classics Desert Hearts and Parting Glances, also received jury recognition. Also on this day The Clan of the Cave Bear opened in movie theaters starring Daryl Hannah. I remember it vividly because the poster was cool (Oscar-nominated makeup!) and my mom was reading the best-seller it was based on but wouldn't go to see it because it was rated R...

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Sundance 2021 - The Lineup

by Nathaniel R

Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson in "Passing"

Sundance has revealed its lineups for the forthcoming virtual edition of their fesival: 72 features, 50 shorts, 4 indie series, and more. It's a bit shorter and later than usual this year running from January 28th through February 3rd. Tickets are on sale  January 7th. The full lineup is after the jump...

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Abe Gives Thanks 2020

A few volunteer members of Team Experience will be giving thanks this holiday week. Here's Abe Friedtanzer

This year has had its share of disappointments, but there’s plenty to celebrate personally and cinematically. I’m fortunate to have great weather in Los Angeles where I can spend time outdoors on a regular basis. It’s also been exciting to write much more frequently for The Film Experience and to interact with contributors and readers who were mostly willing to forgive my lukewarm attitude towards Schitt’s Creek. Here are ten movie/TV-related reasons I’d like to give thanks:

• Parasite winning Best Picture. I predicted 1917 but couldn’t have been more thrilled to see a stat-busting international triumph. It’s also the first time since The Departed that my #1 film of the year was also chosen by Oscar.

• The Sundance Film Festival happened completely as normal. For my seventh time in Park City, Utah, I got to see 41 films and enjoy sitting in the front row in crowded theaters for five movies in a row per day for a week straight. Little did I know that January would be my last visit to a movie theater...

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Interview: Garrett Bradley, Fox and Rob Rich on their award-winning documentary "Time"

by Murtada Elfadl 

Fox and Rob Rich in a shot from the film

This year’s documentary sensation is Time, now streaming on Amazon Prime, a film that announces the arrival of Garrett Bradley as an accomplished filmmaker. Telling the decades spanning story of Fox Rich, an entrepreneur and abolitionist who spent almost 20 years fighting for the release of her husband Rob Rich out of the Louisiana State Penitentiary, commonly known as Angola. He has been given a 60 year sentence for a robbery they both committed in a moment of desperation. Talk about punishment that doesn’t fit the crime.

The film’s 2020 journey of accolades started at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where Bradley won the Best Director award in the Documentary feature competition. Since then it has played the Toronto and New York film festivals and is now available to screen on Amazon. And it is absolutely my favorite film of 2020.

The film is a mix of Fox’s video diaries that she recorded over the years with insight into the last couple of years of her family’s story shot by Bradley. That was not the original concept. After ending the shoot Fox gave Bradley a treasure of archival footage that she had shot through the years. Bradley changed direction and incorporated Fox’s footage. Recently I had the chance to speak to the Riches and Bradley over zoom and I started the conversation at this juncture asking Fox why she gave Bradley her video diaries.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity... 

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Zainab Jah and Jayme Lawson reminisce about Sundance

by Murtada Elfadl

 

In the final part of the conversation I moderated between the actresses Zainab Jah (who will next be seen in Seacole) and Jayme Lawson (who will next be seen in The Batman), they talk about going to Sundance for the first time. They were there in January to premiere their film together Farewell Amor in which they play mother and daughter immigrants. With nostalgia for film festivals in full bloom, let's take a trip back to a happier time just a handful of months ago...

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