The Missing Person, edited by TEC alum/instructor Mollie Goldstein and the class project of the November 2007 six-week class, was released on DVD on April 13th. The film is a modern interpretation of a classic film noir, set in a post-9/11 world. It was directed by Noah Buschel, and stars Michael Shannon and Amy Ryan. The Missing Person was called "irresistible" by the New York Times and was a critic's pick in New York Magazine. The film can be purchased on Amazon.
Monogamy, edited by TEC alum/instructor Mollie Goldstein, will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival April 24th. The narrative focuses on Theo (Chris Messina) a Brooklyn wedding photographer whose side business is shooting surveillance-style photos of clients on the sly. His side venture takes an unexpected turn—and creates a rift with his fiancée (Rashida Jones)—when he's hired by a provocative mystery woman (Meital Dohan).
For Once in My Life, a project of the July 2009 6-week class, won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at SXSW. The film has been receiving praise from many places including Cinematical, which writes, "South by Southwest has a great history of introducing documentaries to audiences. Some have even ended up on the shortlist and final lists for Oscar. Of all the ones I have seen so far from this fest, one Oscar will have a hard time avoiding is this film…" The film was edited by TEC alum, Amy Foote.
Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields, the project of the July 2008 6-week class, screens at the Full Frame Documentary Festival in April. The film was edited by Sarah Devorkin, co-edited by Naomi Goodman and assisted by Kathryn Schubert -- all of whom are alums. Also screening at Full Frame is Racing Dreams, directed and edited by TEC guest lecturer Marshall Curry. TEC alum Matthew Hamachek and TEC guest lecturer Mary Manhardt were also editors on the film.
Reporter, the project of the November 2007 class, makes it television premiere on HBO February 18th. The documentary is set in central Africa and chronicles, in verité fashion, the haunting, physically grueling and, at moments, shocking voyage of Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, Nick Kristof. TEC Alums, Daniel Rosen and Bo Mehrad were the associate editor and additional editor, respectively, on the film. The film was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2009. For additional viewings, visit HBO.
As previously written, four Edit Center films will be screening at SXSW. In addition, Silver Sling will be playing at the fest as part of the FutureStates sci-fi series presented by ITVS -- the short was edited by alum Jenny Lee who was assisted by alum Phil Thangsombat. Jenny is also the post-supervisor on Camp Victory: Afghanistan, which is playing in the doc competition. Lastly, the short titled Bikini Lighters - directed and edited by TEC instructor Andrew Blackwell - will premiere in the narrative shorts section.
Four Edit Center class films to play SXSW in March. Cold Weather (July 2009), Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and The Magnetic Fields (July 2008 & September 2008), For Once in My Life (July 2009), and fresh off its Sundance win, Winter's Bone (May 2009). For Once in My Life was edited by TEC Alum Amy Foote, Strange Powers was edited by Sarah Devorkin, co-edited by Naomi Goodman and assisted by Kathryn Schubert -- all of whom are alums. Winter's Bone was cut by TEC instructor, Affonso Gonçalves.
Winter's Bone, the project of the May 2009 6-week class, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance 2010 film festival. Eric Kohn of indieWIRE, writes that the film is "An elegant, soft spoken noir," and the characters' conflicts of interests "…places the drama in such a meditative world that the antagonism morphs into a tone poem with random inflections of genre conventions." And Justin Chang of Variety writes that Winter's Bone is "…utterly enveloping." The film was directed by Debra Granik, written by Granik and Anne Rosellini (Down to the Bone, Sundance 2004) and edited by TEC instructor Affonso Gonçalves, who was assisted by TEC alums Naomi Goodman and Tory Stewart.
Lance Edmands (TEC Alum '04) and Myna Joseph (TEC Alum '01) are two of the twelve filmmakers chosen every year by the Sundance Institute to attend the "Screenwriters Lab," a five-day screenwriting workshop that takes place at the Sundance Resort in Utah. Edmands was selected for his project entitled Bluebird, and Joseph was chosen for her script, My Favorite Nightmare. The workshop promotes artistic freedom and encourages filmmakers to explore new methods of storytelling. Attendees of this year's "Screenwriters Lab" include filmmakers from China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, in addition to the United States. For more information on the "Screenwriters Lab" please visit their website.
Sundance has announced the festival's closing night film to be Twelve, directed by Joel Schumacher. The films stars Kiefer Sutherland, Chace Crawford, Ellen Barkin and Emma Roberts. Alums Ron Dulin and Kate Abernathy were assistants on the film.