Coming Soon: Montclair Film Festival
April 17th, 2015 by chocko
Thom Powers (Artistic Director) making some fest announcements
The 4th Annual Montclair Film Festival is right around the corner. Check out the latest movies from emerging voices in cinema to the established O.G.’s. Sit back and enjoy a Q&A with your favorite actors and directors, party down with filmmakers or check out a concert by Yo La Tengo. All this and more is happening from May 1-10 in a beautiful town in the Garden State. This year features another excellent selection of movies and shorts. I really want to see the new Kurt Cobain/Nirvana documentary KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK, DANNY SAYS! a doc about Danny Fields-former WFMU DJ back in the day and manager for The Ramones (I’m a huge Ramones fan!), WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE a doc about Nina Simone…bring on the music documentaries. Get your tickets HERE, grab a seat, and see you at the Montclair Film Festival!
BENEATH THE HARVEST SKY directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly
Before Chocko blasts off for Montclair via the Garden State Parkway, let’s look back at last year’s highlights with some photographs from the vaults and quick thoughts on the movies I saw. THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY: THE STORY OF AARON SWARTZ is a documentary directed by Brian Knappenberger. It’s about a young, internet genius who began to focus on social issues rather than cash in on his talents. He became a target in a national crackdown against hackers and Aaron’s story just goes downhill from there. Sad story about a young man with unique gifts and abilities. On the same night, I saw STARRED UP directed by David Mackenzie. It’s an intense prison drama from the UK about a troubled teenager who ends up incarcerated in the same prison as his father.
Carroll Spinney at Montclair Kimberley Academy
I AM BIG BIRD: THE CARROLL SPINNEY STORY is a documentary by directors Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker. The movie tells a moving and emotional story about the puppeteer behind Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar The Grouch. This movie is so well done, tells a beautiful story and is highly recommended but it is a tearjerker…bring the tissues! After the screening there was an entertaining Q&A that included Carroll Spinney, his wife Debra and Oscar The Grouch! Spinney was so gracious to hang out with his fans and fellow puppeteers outside of the venue to take photos and sign anything you brought up to him. It was a delight to see him interact with the children that came up to him. It was the highlight of the festival for me to see such a great movie and meet Mr. Spinney too. See I AM BIG BIRD at a theater near you! It opens in NYC on May 6.
NO CAMERAS ALLOWED Q&A featuring James Marcus Haney
WE ARE THE BEST! directed by Lukas Moodysson is funny Swedish movie about three preteen female punks who want to start up a band. This hilarious ode to rebellion and youth takes place in the 1980’s in Stockholm. I had a blast seeing this and you should definitely check it out! NO CAMERAS ALLLOWED directed by James Marcus Haney is also a youthful and rebellious romp which documents James as a college student and his adventures sneaking into photo pits at music festivals across the country. Wacky characters are met along the way, friends get in the mix, college gets the backseat, and his relationship with his girl hangs in the balance! Is this wild ride really a documentary or some MTV “reality” show? Either way, it was a fun, movie you should check out.
‘Listen’by Tom Nussbaum at the Montclair Art Museum
Kevin Smith at the Montclair Art Museum
Chocko and Mr. C capped off the Montclair Film Fest with the program titled WHAT IS KEVIN SMITH THINKING? which featured an always funny Kevin Smith in conversation with AMC executive Joel Stillerman at the Montclair Art Museum. It was great hearing Kevin talk about his younger years in New Jersey, jamming around Montclair and Paramus Park. He also talked about the television show Comic Book Men and his upcoming movie projects. At the time he talked about TUSK which has already been out in theatres and is now out on Blu-ray. Check out the Q&A’s I recorded from the I AM BIG BIRD and NO CAMERAS ALLOWED screenings below and also check out Mr. C’s review of a Montclair Film Festival documentary he saw titled NO, NO: A DOCKUMENTARY about the notorious baseball player Dock Ellis. Check that out HERE.
Tags: carroll spinney, i am big bird, kevin smith, montclair, montclair film festival, movies, new jersey
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