TvFILM Guy does Dylan!

Here is a promo that was produced for the first season of TvFILM way back in 2008!  It's so good we had to dust it off for one more go-round!  Special thanks to Mike Melita for providing a Bob Dylan inspired, TvFILM tune!

Enjoy!

PS - Ignore the date at the end of this promo -- TvFILM returns Monday, June 16th at 7:30pm!

TvFILM Class of 2014!

Okay, enough suspense, without further ado, here are the filmmakers and films for the new season of TvFILM.  It all starts on our new date and time, Monday, June 16^th at 7:30pm only on WMHT!  

Monday, June 16^th at 7:30pm

“Corrugated” - Stephen Blauweiss

This film is about visual artist Wayne Montecalvo's unique work with cardboard.  He is a multi-disciplinary artist whose wide-ranging works include mixed media, printmaking, paintings, sculpture, video and collaborative street performance.

“They Will Be Here Tomorrow” - Lawrence White

Is it possible for nature to counter-attack mankind?  Filmmaker Lawrence White brings us a poem about humanity’s assault on Mother Nature.

“Demons” - Loki Rasmussen

This short film and animation video was created to express the difference between who people are perceived to be and who we actually are and feel. At the end, there is a coming to terms with the people we are, inside and out.

“Still” - Nicholas Colbert

This short film depicts a troubled young man's journey home.  It is told in short, disconnected chapters to allow the audience space to invent their own origins for the main character.

 June 23^rd at 7:30pm

“First Name: Jogger, Last Name John” - Kaleigh Griffin

This is a true story of a successful man who falls into drugs and picks his life back up as a homeless man.  One day, he rides a bike from NYC to Woodstock, NY, and found the town to be so welcoming, he never left.

“DNA Spoofing” - Heather Dewey-Hagborg

In this project, we anticipate the possibility of genetic surveillance in the post-apocalyptic present. As humans, we are constantly shedding genetic material in public space. It is becoming increasingly common to use those traces for surveillance and reconstruction.  In this spirit, our work offers some DIY techniques for counteracting genetic surveillance.

June 30^th at 7:30pm

“Killer” - Kristin Holodak

Sometimes waiting for the bus can be the most dangerous part of your day.  Filmmaker Kristin Holodak brings a who-dunnit murder mystery to the corner bus stop.

“The Girl In The Storm” - Tim Appleman

This is a short in the style of classic American film noir. The piece is a two-character drama concerning a drifter and a young woman who, by coincidence, met up when seeking shelter in an abandoned cottage during a severe storm and flood. 

July 7^th at 7:30pm

“The Damned McMarters” - Jim and Steve Powers

The two patriarchs of feuding families meet in Hells Kitchen, 1923.

“D22: Day of Eviction” - Bhawin Suchak

On December 22nd the Occupy Albany encampment at Academy Park was forcibly removed by The City of Albany. This short documentary follows the day’s events as they unfolded.

July 14^th at 7:30pm

“Plans” - Aaron Peck

This short film tells the story of a son longing for his father and a father trying to juggle it all. Even the best-laid plans can go wrong.

“Blog Zombie”- Lawrence White

Zombies do not wander the streets. They haunt the internet. This music video stars actor/comedian John Byner and features an original score by Lawrence White, performed by the infamous Beatniks From Mars.

“Inside The Ring” - Imani Peterkin and Darian Henry

This Youth FX short documentary tells the story of Albany's city youth boxing program through the sights and sounds of the gym, the words of longtime coach Jerrick Jones and the aspiring young boxers.

July 21^st at 7:30pm

“Extraterrestrials” - Molly Durnin and Mike Feurstein

This music video featuring Molly Durnin follows a group of kids on a Gooney reminiscent adventure as they follow a mysterious map, while guided by glowing crystals.

“Thanks For Looking: Behind the Art of Welldunn” - John Glenn and Gregory Maxwell Dunn

Meet Albany's own street artist, Welldunn.  He is conflicted by his love of building and loathing of covering up old history as he restores old abandoned buildings in Albany and finds ways to preserve their history in his own unique and artistic way.

*Producer's Note.

 
 TvFILM is a lot like Austin City Limits.  Ok, I’m not trying to be presumptuous by comparing us to the very definition of live music on television.  What I mean is that week after week, year after year, ACL brings us music- new music, classic music, music you’ve never heard, all kinds of music. Maybe you like the music, maybe you don’t, but the point is you tune-in to listen and watch.

This is our goal with TvFILM.  We strive to bring you all sorts of independent film from our community.  Maybe you’ll love it, maybe not, but by bringing you the art (locally made short films) and the artists, maybe, just maybe we can expand the reach (success) of our own independent film community. At some point someone has to stand up and say I want films (movies) that don’t need a corresponding Happy Meal.  Yes, this is a dig on Hollywood.

That is where TvFILM comes in.  So, please enjoy our upcoming season premiering this June!

Sincerely,
Brandon B.
Producer/Host --- aspiring indie-filmmaker

PS – this is not a mission statement.

LAST CALL!

This is it, last call for submissions for season six of TvFILM!  It all ends Monday, March 3^rd!  It’s time to make that final cut and click upload!   What are you waiting for?

http://www.wmht.org/topics/arts-entertainment/tvfilm/registration-form/

John Sayles' New Film

John Sayles has a new film coming out, “Go For Sisters!”  Checkout this interview with Mr. Sayles in which he talks about his new film, his completely underrated film “Limbo,” and a possible television series he’s working on.

TvFILM in print!

Stopped on the street!

Last week I went to the Spectrum to see “Elysium.”  I know, not very indie but I liked the director’s first film, “District 9.”  Anyway, as I left the theater a man I did not know greeted me.  He walked up and asked if I was the host of the program on PBS that shows local short films?  I was surprised but said yes and we shook hands.

I’m not complaining here, but the whole television hosting deal is really, really surreal, especially now that I have a different day job besides working at WMHT.  If you could imagine working as a carpenter for 51 weeks a years and for one week you are a chef.  That is kind of the feeling I have.  During that one week (actually three shooting days) I stand in front of hot lights and a green screen and do my best to read the teleprompter (*SPOILER).  It’s all very Twilight Zone with some Truman Show mixed in.

So, when someone comes up to me actually saying they saw me on the television it is always surprising.  Usually I hear second hand from my wife or mother that so and so saw me. The gentleman at the Spectrum said he liked the variety of films shown and inquired if the series was broadcast outside the Capital Region.  We spoke for a few seconds and he was on his way, leaving me under the basking glow of neon marquee, thinking people are watching!  They’re really watching!

GULP.

Easter Egg

Remember DVDs?  You know those things that look like compact discs but play movies.  They were big right around Y2K.

Anyway, some DVDs had secret bonus material, like behind-the-scenes footage on the disc.  Usually there was an additional icon on the DVD menu that would lead you to these stashed-away cinema treasures.  These extras became known as “easter eggs” and if you were a good Cinefile, you knew which DVDs had them, what they were and where to find them on the disc.

Why am I telling you this?  Well, I’m about to drop an easter egg for all you folks who are reading this blog!  Ready? 

TvFILM’s season six official call for entries starts October 1^st!  This is currently need-to-know, James Bond-level information, so you’re now in some pretty exclusive company!   Check back for all the info, get to work and we’ll see you in the fall!

Happy Filmmaking!

Sincerely,

Brandon B.

Host, TvFILM

TvFILM's new season's schedule!

Ok, it’s almost here, the premiere of TvFILM season five.  Below you’ll find a convenient schedule of the what, who, and when for our new season.

Fade up on season five:

June 16, 2013 at 10:30pm

Her Telling Heart – Heidi Elizabeth

Edgar Allan Poeʼs timeless chiller The Tell-Tale Heart gets a feminist perspective and a suspenseful new twist in this short film from award-winning director Eli Meissner.

Secret Chamber - Jason van Staveren

This film is a short re-seeing of the design and spending flaws of a bureaucratic system.  A lost room below the SUNY Albany campus is imagined as a secret chamber, and its accessibility considered on different terms.

Random Acts of Kindness - Joe Glickman

An upbeat short, with a 'Happy-Go-Lucky' feel to it, this film highlights the happiness that random acts of kindness bring to people of all ages and genders.

June 23, 2013 at 10:30pm

Save The Date – Mike Feurstein

In this short comedy, two women make a bad date worse before they discover the secret behind some well-timed advice. 

quit job. press play - Nathan Meltz

A story of labor in three parts, told in a dada collage-meets-stop motion animation style. Technology’s influence on the institutions of school, war, and the factory are explored through the use of robotic characters that struggle to escape jobs that threaten to bore, brainwash, and kill them.

June 30, 2013 at 10:30PM

Un Baiser - Kevin Craig West and Sabeen Pervez

Enlisting the help of a porous celebrity, a determined man relentlessly pesters a beautiful woman for one kiss.

Bobby Undead - Mark Fiske and John Glenn

This mockumentary follows the story of Bobby and his close loved ones.  In a terrible accident, Bobby ingested some strange virus that has killed him and taken over his body, extensively turning him into a zombie.

July 7, 2013 at 10:30pm

Howard Stoner/Urban Farmer - Anthony Salamone

This short film is truly a collision of two passions: baking bread and the growing of grain.  You can’t have one without the other.

day snow| night snow - Marty Hardin

A look at snow fall, in daylight and at night, and the transformation of the world on which it falls.

More Than Hair – Dorothy Davila

The story of Dorothy Davila and her hair.  Diagnosed at 18, but noticing its effects much earlier, alopecia has infiltrated every aspect of her life, even dance. However, through these hardships she proves she is more than just hair.

July 14, 2013 at 10:30pm

The Notebook - Scott Danni

In a small town, on a quiet homestead, you never know who you may have breakfast with.

Space Nurses - Mike Feurstein  

A young boy uses his special gift to try to repair a family divide, but everyone needs something extra from the stars before their heart light fades away.  

DxONE - Dan Masucci

A family experiences ups and downs while coming to terms with their son's diagnosis with type 1 diabetes.

July 21, 2013 at 10:30pm

Black Creek - John W. Yost

After his release from prison, Josh tries to convince his family to move from this universe to the next through quantum suicide.  Unfortunately his sacrifice does nothing but shatter his family.

Rappin' for Godot - Stephen Blauweiss and Gilles Malkine 

The elusive humorists Mikhail Horowitz and Gilles Malkine present the breakthrough play of Samuel Beckett, as it might be performed by a hapless pair of academic rappers. The entire three-hour play is condensed into four minutes of nonstop hip-hop, with no intermission.

Five years and counting...

Five years ago TvFILM started it’s mission.  It is hard to believe that TvFILM Guy (you know, the dude with the television set on his head) has survived in the cutthroat business of primetime television.  Right now, we’re in the midst of our current call for entries.  So, let’s get that out of the way right now, send us your short film or tell someone to send us their film.  OK, back to reminiscing – it’s June 2008 and your local public television broadcaster, WMHT is about to premiere a new program that will feature local and regionally-made, independent short films and interview the filmmakers who created them. 

Fast forward 58 short films and 74 filmmakers later, we’re set to premiere a new season Sunday, June 23^rd at 10:30pm.  The success of TvFILM can be attributed to two main factors.  The first is the amazing independent filmmaking talent we have in our region.  Each season the short films, filmmakers, actors, musicians and various other artisans is amazing.  Everyone seems to be talking about Nano tech but Upstate independent film is the best-kept secret this side of the Mississippi!  Don’t tell those folks in Austin.  The second factor is you, the audience.  Television programs only work when there is someone there to watch.  So, not only do we have talented artists but we also have an audience that appreciates their work.  Of course, local independent film goes well beyond TvFILM but we’re a good microcosm of what’s happening.  And it doesn’t hurt you don’t have to leave your couch.
 

We might have all the makings of a full-blown independent film scene, think Seattle in 1990’s!  Too fast?  OK, we’ll save that until next season.  To our filmmakers, we want to see your films!  Submit today!  To our audience, stay tuned for our best season yet!