August 2008

As major Hollywood productions increase in the New England
area, news coverage has similarly increased.  Barely a day goes by without a
newspaper or website reporting a celebrity sighting.  But what about everyone
else?  Where is the publicity for the rest of the talent in the region still
striving for their big break?  Well, in New Hampshire, a couple of industry
veterans were wondering the same thing and decided to do something about it. 

A few month ago, I wrote the first part of this piece which covered the planning, casting, and production of Red Sneakers.  Of course, a film is not much more finished after production than it is after a script is written.  In fact, I was surprised to hear from the actors in Red Sneakers how often they simply never hear back from a filmmaker after the shoot.  But the key to making a short film, no matter how awful or great it might be, is actually finishing it.  So here's how it works.

Two phrases lingered with me after my meeting with Lowell
filmmaker James Higgins. The first was “you have to have an obsession with
images” and the second was “it’s tricky to shoot a film with a still camera.” 
Indeed, the former and the latter collide in four short films that Higgins has
produced since 2006.  In a distinctive technique Higgins calls “stop motion,”
these shorts combine ethereal movement, light, and sound, with themes and stories
about gangs, abuse, addiction and alienation. 

Despite growing up as an avid fan of Ingmar Bergman, Richard Kane never considered film a career pursuit.  He was passionate about things as varied as theater, law, and politics, so he assumed those interests would lead him to law school.  It wasn’t until his sister got a job with a documentary film company in New York that he saw film as a viable plan.  Following a brief period as a journalist in San Diego, he began two years of graduate studies in film at Temple University. 

For the past eleven years, the Rhode Island International
Film Festival (RIIFF) has offered a vast cinematic buffet for film buffs to
devour.  The 12th Annual Festival, August 5 -10, is no different.  Boasting a
wide array of side contests that complement the typical festival competitions, RIIFF is known for its size, as New England’s largest film festival, as well as
its caliber, as New England’s only Academy Award qualifier for short films.  A
horror film contest, a Jewish film festival, a gay and lesbian film festival and