Albuquerque Film Festival 2009

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www.downtownabq.com
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for over 9 Years.
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B2 OFFICIAL GUIDE OF THE ALBUQUERQUE FILM FESTIVAL
T
he first Albuquerque
Film Festival will
bring some of
Hollywood’s best-
known stars and up-and-
coming directors to show
some of their ground-
breaking films.
From Dennis Hopper, who
will show “Easy Rider,” and
actor Giancarlo Esposito,
who will show his new film,
“Gospel Hill,” to newcomer
Paul Solet, who will show
“Grace,” which earned rave
reviews at Sundance this
year, the festival promises
five days of films, panels
and workshops beginning
Wednesday, Aug. 5.
The festival will kick off
with a showing of the Best
of the 48 Hour Film Project
on Wednesday, Aug. 5. The
project, which hosts events
in cities across the globe,
including Albuquerque,
challenges small teams to
make short films in just two
days.
Hopper, who wrote and
directed “Easy Rider,” still
calls it his best work. It
introduced a generation
to music, motorcycles and
Jack Nicholson. Hopper will
screen his film at the KiMo
Theatre at 6 p.m. Saturday,
Aug. 8, and talk about the
1969 movie that inspired a
generation of filmmakers.
The festival will host an
Albuquerque premiere of
Esposito’s film “Gospel Hill”
just weeks before it goes into
limited release at theaters
across the country. Esposito,
who’s known for his acting
work in “Law & Order”
and “The Usual Suspects,”
went behind the camera
for the first time to direct
“Gosepl Hill,” a film about
gentrification and politics in
the South.
“I didn’t want to direct
a film that championed
violence or sex, and I wanted
to do something with good
characters,” he said.
Esposito, who learned the
craft of acting in the theater,
also will host an acting
workshop at the festival with
tips for actors who are just
starting in the business and
refresher tips for those who
have already stepped in front
of a camera.
Though the star power
of people like Hopper and
Esposito is hard to ignore,
several up-and-coming
directors are bringing films
to the festival that have
earned critical acclaim at
other film festivals.
“American Meth,” which
is narrated by Val Kilmer,
is a documentary made by
Justin Hunt of Farmington.
In “American Meth,” Hunt
visited several communities
in the western United States
and shows the havoc that the
drug methamphetamine has
wrought on major cities like
Portland, Ore., and small
towns in Wyoming and Utah.
Hunt also chronicles
the daily lives of two meth
addicts whom he lived with
and filmed for two months.
“You’re emotionally
drained after you watch
it,” Hunt told the Journal.
“When you watch a 2-year-
old eat out of the trash, it
messes with you.”
There are some light-
hearted films, as well,
like “Jackson,” about two
down-and-out men who
find solace in singing opera
arias together, or the campy
animated musical “Sita
Sings the Blues,” which tells
the story of one of India’s
greatest epochs.
Several films — like the
documentary “Made in
Pakistan” by Ayesha Khan,
who now lives in Santa Fe,
or the luscious “Baraka”
— show the world in
unexpected ways.
The festival also is
bringing some classics to
life, like Vivian Vance,
who played Ethel Mertz
on “I Love Lucy.” Vance,
who would have turned 100
this year, became Lucille
Ball’s best-known sidekick.
Vance got her start in show
business in Albuquerque,
and the film festival will
present the special Vivian
Vance 100th Birthday
Celebration on Saturday,
Aug. 8, at the KiMo Theatre.
The festival, though, is as
much about making films as
it is showing them. Celebrity
panelists like Todd Jefferson,
the director of games for
Marvel Comics, and Ziad
Serafi, who created much
of the computer graphics
for the films “The Golden
Compass” and “Pirates of
the Caribbean: At World’s
End,” will share their secrets
at panels throughout the
weekend.
Parties every night
will bring the festival
community together at some
of Downtown’s hottest spots,
from Sauce and Proof to the
Blackbird Buvette, where
film fans can gather and,
with a little bit of luck, meet
some of the filmmakers
who’ve brought their films to
the first Albuquerque Film
Festival.
Festival gives filmmakers their close-up
Both the famous and the up-and-coming
will bring their work directly to the fans
PRESENTING SPONSORS
City of Albuquerque
Martin J. Chávez, Mayor
ClearChannel Outdoor
Comcast
Citadel Broadcasting
Corporation
McCune Charitable
Foundation
ABQ Ride
Film for Change
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Reel Solutions
Hyatt Regency
Albuquerque
Hotel Albuquerque
Country Inn and Suites
Aha Toro
PATRON SPONSORS
Grubb & Ellis NM
100 Gold
Banque Lofts
Green Bar Cafe
Great Face and Body
Rogue Taurus Productions
ShadowPlay Pictures
Imitsu Media
1/2 Native Productions
CONTRIBUTING
SPONSORS
CinnaFilm
Production Central ABQ
Bird of Paradise
Movie Waste Management
Newport Furnishings
Lobo Theater
The Cell Theatre
Downtown Action Team
Studio Hill Design
TL PRODUCTIONS
Dotte
AFFILIATE SPONSOR
Albuquerque Studios
I
came to New Mexico in 2007 to
produce a feature film. New Mexico
surpassed my expectations, and I stuck
around to teach screenwriting and film
production at the Institute of American
Indian Arts in Santa Fe. As I became more
and more involved in the local film scene in
New Mexico, I noticed the need for a film
festival in Albuquerque to complement the
city’s vibrant Downtown and arts scene. I
opened shop on June 5, and the festival
kicks off Aug. 5 thanks to the support I’ve
had from people around the community and
our generous sponsors, including Mayor
Martin J. Chávez. It is with sincere gratitude
that we would like to thank our sponsors
for their willingness to share in our vision
and to support our goals with a tremendous
generosity of spirit. Together, through the arts
and the Albuquerque Film Festival, we will
create a campus for creativity and the nexus
for new ideas in the heart of New Mexico —
Downtown Albuquerque.
— Rich Henrich, founder and director,
Albuquerque Film Festival
Please note: Film festival events
may be subject to change.
Albuquerque Film Festival director and founder Rich Henrich with AFF intern
Adam N. Bille.
Dennis Hopper will be a spe-
cial guest at the Albuquerque
Film Festival, where several
of his films from “Night Tide”
and “Blue Velvet” to “Easy
Rider” will be shown.
\B3 OFFICIAL GUIDE OF THE ALBUQUERQUE FILM FESTIVAL
O
n Sunday night, the
Albuquerque Film
Festival will present
“Gospel Hill,” the
directorial debut by famed
actor Giancarlo Esposito.
He was originally offered
the lead acting role in the
film, but it just didn’t suit
him. Instead, he chose to play
a lesser character, who had
more depth.
“The film came to me as an
actor, and they asked me why
I chose Palmer. They asked,
‘Why don’t you play the
lead?’ ” Esposito said. “It’s
not me. It needs a seasoned-
looking actor, like Danny
Glover.”
Then, after making
several more suggestions,
the producers had enough
and simply offered him the
director’s chair.
He was well prepared.
After appearing in several
major films from “The Usual
Suspects” to “Do the Right
Thing” and several TV
shows such as “NYPD Blue”
and “CSI: Miami,” he had
the experience in front of the
camera.
The film tells the story of
two men in the South and
their intersecting lives.
One is the son of a slain
civil-rights worker (played
by Samuel L. Jackson) and
the other a terminally ill
small-town sheriff. It’s all
set against the backdrop
of a love story and the
gentrification of a small
Southern town.
It was filmed in Fort Mill,
S.C., because, Esposito said,
it had the feeling and the look
of a fictional town of the old
South trapped in the modern
world.
“There were no jobs and a
lot of gentrification,” he said.
“My film was about losing
jobs to other countries and
addressing gentrification.”
His character in “Gospel
Hill,” Dr. Palmer, buys
properties in a historic
neighborhood to turn it into
a golf course, much to the
chagrin of the locals.
“For me, the gentrification
will homogenize. It doesn’t
relate to color, it relates to
money. Palmer buys other
African-American homes
and property to get ahead,”
he said.
Esposito cast an all-star
group in the film, from
Angela Bassett to Glover and
Jackson.
Not long after Sunday’s
Albuquerque premiere of
the film, it will see a limited
theatrical release, he said.
Esposito also will moderate
a workshop on acting at
2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8,
for the Albuquerque Film
Festival at The Cell theater.
“I do workshops all over.
I like to talk about acting
style and I like to talk about
the theater, and that’s the
steppingstone for all of it
and that’s how you grow
your work and understand
the third wall and your
character,” Esposito said.
“Not every character on
paper is complete, and we
have to, as actors, bring that
character to life and give
them life.”
Those were lessons he tried
to convey to the actors in
“Gospel Hill,” he said.
“Some people don’t want to
talk about the details. Danny
Glover asked me a thousand
questions,” he said.
But “Gosepl Hill,” Esposito
said, is more about making
a film he could be proud to
take his family to, especially
his two children.
“I took them to ‘Ratatouille’
and ‘The Golden Compass’
and ‘Bridge to Terabithia’
and I decided that whatever I
make has to have a message,”
he said. “I have to see ‘Up’
now. I’ve heard such good
things.”
Esposito’s next project is
the feature “Rabbit Hole,”
with Nicole Kidman and
Aaron Eckhart, which is
expected to be released next
year.
Actor skips lead but takes director’s chair
Giancarlo
Esposito will
screen his
new film,
“Gospel Hill,”
which deals
with love and
gentrification
in the South.
“Hello. I’m Mayor Martin J. Chávez
and I would like to invite you to
attend the 2009 Albuquerque Film
Festival. Full festival schedule and
more details can be found at:
Mayor Martin J. Chávez
City of Albuquerque Film Office
www.FilmABQ.com
www.albuquerqueflmfestival.com.”
18
\19
* Indicates a New Mexico made or
produced project.
WED
AUG. 5
National Hispanic Cultural Center,
1701 Fourth SW
7 p.m.
The Best of the 48 Hour Film Project *
The 48 Hour Film Project challenges
small teams to make a short film in
48 hours.
TBD
Best of 48 Hour 2009 After Party
THURS
AUG. 8
The Lobo Theater
2 p.m.
“The Standard Man” with “El Taxista”
Set at Christmas, it’s an exploration
of love and loss set against the back-
drop of a nuclear scientist’s definition
of the standard man.
KiMo
2 p.m.
IAIA Presents the Disney ABC Summer
Workshop Films
American Indian filmmakers from
the summer filmmaking program will
present films.
KiMo Theatre
4 p.m.
“Sita Sings the Blues” (family film)
“Sita Sings the Blues” is a musi-
cal, animated interpretation of the
Indian epic the “Ramayana.” The film
follows Sita and her quest to under-
stand why her husband, Rama, reject-
ed her. Set to the 1920s jazz vocals
of Annette Hanshaw, “Sita Sings the
Blues” earns being called “The Great-
est Break-Up Story Ever Told.”
Lobo
4 p.m.
Local Shorts, including “The Spider
Experiment,” “Mickey,” “The Leg-
end of Aerreus Kane” and “Hunters
Moon.” *
The Cell
5 p.m.
“Tangled Up in Bob” *
Searching for Bob Dylan, best-selling
author and Taos resident Natalie
Goldberg travels to his hometown
and finds his songs in the dirt, the
swamps, the mines and bars. She
discovers the seeds of his creativity
in his ordinary childhood, from a high
school friend and his English teacher
and learns the secret of coming
home.
KiMo
5:30 p.m.
The Best of the Duke City Shootout
Over the last nine years, teams of
filmmakers have put together short
films made in one week through Albu-
querque’s Duke City Shootout. The
program will show the winning films
from the annual festival.
Lobo
6 p.m.
“Night Tide”
Young Johnny Drake (Dennis Hopper)
meets a mysterious young woman
who plays a mermaid in seaside tour-
ist carnival. Several strange things
happen that make Johnny wonder if
she’s a real mermaid and what other
secrets she may harbor.
KiMo
7 p.m.
“Baraka” *
A pastiche of images and scenes
from across the world, from volca-
noes and waterfalls to monks sing-
ing, “Baraka” takes viewers on a jour-
ney across the globe. It’s essentially
plotless, but the message of destruc-
tion, via images of strip-mining and
urban life, show what the Earth is
becoming. Filmmaker Alton Walpole
will speak.
Lobo
8 p.m.
“The Map Reader”
The story of a 16-year-old who finds
solitude in maps, but through some
new friends he’s roused from isola-
tion in New Zealand.
Banque Loft
9 p.m.
VIP Sponsorship Event
Atomic Cantina
9 p.m.
AFF Festival Opening Night Party
FRI
AUG. 7
KiMo
11 a.m.
Shorts Program: Narrative *
“Assassin Emeritus,” “Old Dogs,”
“Missing Pieces,” “Potage de Ma
Mere,” “In The Tradition of My Fam-
ily,” “Red Flag,” “Right Foot, Left
Foot” and “Akaroa”
The Cell
11 a.m.
“Laffghanistan” with “Hello Junkie”
Comedian Graham Elwood tours
Afghanistan’s war zones to entertain
U.S. troops.
Lobo
11 a.m.
“Off the Map” *
Arlene (Joan Allen) and Charley (Sam
Elliott) star in this drama about a
family who live off the map, with no
modern conveniences. Charley, how-
ever, is clinically depressed and his
daughter is ready to break free of her
eccentric home life.
KiMo
1 p.m.
Shorts Program: Art Films *
and Animation
“Permutation,” “Mega City,” “Of
Wood and Clay,” “Clicker Clatter,”
“Portrait of an Artist,” “A Hair Piece,”
“Android Love” and “Housle.”
The Cell
1 p.m.
“Neshoba”
This documentary follows the quest
of several people in Neshoba County,
Miss., who brought Klansmen to jus-
tice for slaying three young civil-rights
workers 40 years after their murder.
The film “Mississippi Burning” chroni-
cled the murders.
Lobo
1 p.m.
“Chasing the Horizon” with “Res-Q”
(family film)
This documentary follows three
unlikely teammates in their quest to
conquer the world’s toughest off-road
car race, the Tecate SCORE Baja
1000.
KiMo
3 p.m.
“The Last Waltz”
In 1978 Martin Scorsese released
“The Last Waltz,” one of the greatest
concert films ever made. The film fea-
tures greats of the 1960s and 1970s
rock scene, from Bob Dylan to Van
Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Ringo Starr,
Eric Clapton and Neil Young, as they
say goodbye to The Band.
The Cell
3 p.m.
“Baghdad Diary”
In 2003, a Norwegian journalist
smuggled a small video camera
into Baghdad and Iraqi Fadil Kadom
filmed everything he saw around
him. Meanwhile, Craig White, an NBC
cameraman, filmed what he saw
while embedded with troops. “Bagh-
dad Diary” weaves these two stories
together.
Lobo
3 p.m.
“Blue Velvet” (for mature audiences)
with “LO-JO”
Jeffrey Beaumont makes a horrible
discovery, but he soon finds out
it’s just the lobe of a much larger
conspiracy in this 1986 David Lynch
classic. With Dennis Hopper, Kyle
MacLachlan and Isabella Rossellini.
KiMo
5 p.m.
“Jackson” with “Idiot Box”
Two down-and-out characters, fueled
by bottles of Thunderbird wine, end
up on a great adventure full of humor,
philosophy and danger, all while
expressing themselves through some
of world’s greatest opera arias.
The Cell
5 p.m.
“American Waitress” * with “American
Dream”
Service with a smile, New Mexico
style. This feature-length documen-
tary shows the lives of four women
in the service industry, from work to
play.
KiMo
7 p.m.
“The Back 9”
Upon turning 40, an above-average
golfer accepts the challenge to chase
his dream of playing professional
golf. With his passion for the sport,
the right team, training schedule
and commitment, will he have his
chance?
Sauce and Proof, 405 Central NW
7 p.m.
Brother Filmmaking Teams Panel and
Happy Hour
Brothers Mason and Markus Canter
will join brothers Jacob and Arnold
Pander for a discussion on what it’s
like to make films with your brother,
sibling rivalry, creative differences
and the creative process. The Flying
Canter Brothers have a documentary,
“Chasing the Horizon,” in the AFF and
the Pander Brothers will be screen-
ing “Selfless” and participating on
the Games, Comics, and Movies with
Todd Jefferson, Marvel Comics direc-
tor of games.
SAT
AUG. 8
KiMo
10 a.m.
Vivian Vance 100th Birthday Celebra-
tion (family event)
A party to celebrate the star Vivian
Vance, who played Ethel Mertz in “I
Love Lucy” and reprised the role sev-
eral times over the years. Vance got
her start acting in Albuquerque and
would have turned 100 this year.
Production Central ABQ
11 a.m.
Movies, Games and Comics Panel
Todd Jefferson, director of games for
Marvel Comics, will lead a discussion
on film, games and comics.
KiMo
Noon
Staff Films Screening
The staff of the Albuquerque Film
Festival’s favorite short films.
Production Central ABQ
12:30 p.m.
Locations Panel
To inform filmmakers of the pro-
duction value available to them in
utilizing locations, the advantages
of budgeting for a location manager,
and best practices for filming and
preserving New Mexico locations.
Moderated by Holly Roach, location
manager, IATSE Local 480.
KiMo
2 p.m.
“A Powerful Noise” * with “Underway”
Hanh is an HIV-positive widow in Viet-
nam, Nada is a survivor of the Bos-
nian war, and Jacqueline works the
slums of Bamako, Mali. These three
women come from different worlds,
but they share something. Each is
overcoming gender barriers to rise up
and claim a voice in their societies.
Through their empowerment and abil-
ity to empower others, Hanh, Nada
and Jacqueline are sparking remark-
able changes.
The Cell
2 p.m.
Acting Workshop with Giancarlo
Esposito
Esposito is an award-winning actor
best known for his role as FBI agent
Jack Baer in “The Usual Suspects.”
He’s also been in hundreds of TV
shows and will have a recurring role
on Albuquerque’s “Breaking Bad” this
fall. In his workshop he will go over
techniques for becoming a character
and give tips on the audition process.
Production Central ABQ
3 p.m.
New Mexico Post-Production Panel
KiMo
4 p.m.
“Etienne!” with “Dear Fatty” (family
film)
Richard loves his little companion,
Etienne, a dwarf hamster. But, once
Etienne is diagnosed with terminal
cancer, instead of just letting go,
the pair go on a bicycle trip through
California and discover a world that’s
more beautiful and full of adventure
than the pair could have imagined.
KiMo
6 p.m.
Dennis Hopper Honorarium and AFF
Awards Ceremony
Hosted by Emmy winner Bryan Cran-
ston, the AFF Awards Ceremony
will feature Dennis Hopper, a Taos
resident, who will receive a lifetime
achievement award for his work on
films such as “Easy Rider.”
El Rey
9 p.m.
Festival Party
SUN
AUG. 9
KiMo
11 a.m.
“Visual Acoustics”
A documentary on Julius Shulman’s
architectural photography.
The Cell
11 a.m.
“Sacred Sites of the Dalai Lama” with
“Kathmandu’s Sacred River”
This documentary takes you to the
mystical sites of the Himalayas and
Tibet where early Buddhist monks
meditated.
Production Central ABQ
Noon
“Social Change and Cinema: Gonzo
Documentaries Panel”
A selection of short documentaries
with a panel of filmmakers who,
against all odds, completed their
films.
KiMo
1 p.m.
“Made in Pakistan” *
Newsweek magazine called Pakistan
“The Most Dangerous Country in the
World” in 2007. This documentary
follows the lives of four Pakistanis
who defy this prevailing stereotype of
the country. They are working profes-
sionals: two women entrepreneurs,
a politician and a lawyer. These four
represent a multifaceted Pakistan,
a country where politics, fashion,
religion, debate and tradition inter-
mingle, and where one definition of
an Islamic state no longer holds true.
The first documentary to ever be
released in Pakistan. Director Ayesha
Kahn will speak.
The Cell
1 p.m.
“American Meth” * with “On the Bus”
(for mature audiences)
Narrated by Val Kilmer, “American
Meth” is a cross-country journey
that focuses on several facets of the
methamphetamine epidemic. From
the oil fields of Wyoming and New
Mexico to the homeless in Portland,
Ore., and the teens of Montana, the
film shows the horrors of the drug.
Gold Lofts, 100 Gold Ave. NW
1 p.m.
Visual Literacy Event
Experience the ability of film to be
a powerful tool for adult literacy.
Presented by tutors from the New
Mexico Coalition for Literacy, this
fascinating use of film is destined
to play an important role in reducing
New Mexico’s literacy problem. The
New Mexico Coalition for Literacy
encourages and supports community-
based literacy programs and is the
local affiliate and coordinator for
the national ProLiteracy America
program.
Production Central ABQ
1 p.m.
Green Filmmaking Panel
Explore and share green practices for
filming in New Mexico with producers,
location managers and state of New
Mexico representatives.
KiMo
2:30 p.m.
“Selfless” with “Spanish Boots” (for
mature audiences)
“Selfless” is the story of an iden-
tity thief, and shows that it can be
the most devastating of nonviolent
crimes.
The Cell
3 p.m.
“War Against the Weak” with “The
Ghost in the Machine” and “Night Ter-
rors and Waking Dreams” *
The documentary “War Against the
Weak” exposes America’s role in the
pseudoscience of eugenics and how
some in the early days of the Nazi
regime supported Germany’s proj-
ects that eventually turned into the
Holocaust.
Production Central ABQ
3 p.m.
Panel: “The Art of the Film Business”
This panel will discuss the art of pro-
ducing and distributing a film. Enter-
tainment attorney Chad Mathis will
join line producer Brent Morris (“The
Devil’s Rejects,” “Monster”), director
Paul Solet (“Grace”), Emmy-nominat-
ed producer Anthony Mark (“The Hurt
Locker,” “Once Upon a Time in Mexi-
co”) and actor, director and producer
Giancarlo Esposito, who will share
their insight about films. Moderator
will be festival director Rich Henrich.
KiMo
4 p.m.
The National Institute of Flamenco will
present a dance performance.
Blackbird Buvette, 509 Central SW
9 p.m.
Festival Closing Night Party
VENUES
ALBUQUERQUE FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
Lobo Theater
3013 Central NE
KiMo Theatre
423 Central NW
The Cell
700 First NW
Banque Loft
217 Central NW
Atomic Cantina
315 Gold SW
Sauce Nightclub & Proof
405 Central NW
Production Central ABQ
519 Central NW
El Rey Theater
624 Central SW
KiMo
8 p.m.
“Easy Rider”
Dennis Hopper’s
classic adventure
film about two
motorcyclists, hun-
gry for adventure,
on their way to
New Orleans. Hop-
per will talk about
his film at this spe-
cial screening.
KiMo
6 p.m. “Gospel Hill”
Directed by Giancarlo Esposito, the film will see its Albuquerque pre-
miere at the festival. Starring Angela Bassett, Danny Glover, Julia
Stiles with Esposito and RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, “Gospel Hill” follows
the investigation into the death of a civil rights leader, and a small-
town sheriff dealing with his own past signs. Esposito will talk at the
screening about the film.
KiMo
9 p.m. “Grace” with “Sweetie” (for mature audiences)
Madeline Matheson is eight months pregnant and deter-
mined to deliver her unborn child, Grace, naturally. When
an accident leaves Grace dead inside her, Madeline
insists on carrying the baby’s corpse to term. Weeks
later, when Madeline delivers, the baby miraculously
returns to life ... with an appetite. Filmmaker Paul Solet
will speak.
Jordan Ladd
as Madeline
Matheson
in “Grace,”
which will
have a New
Mexico
premiere at
the AFF.
Dennis Hopper will talk about his 1969 film
“Easy Rider” and screen the classic on Satur-
day at the Albuquerque Film Festival.
Giancarlo Esposito in his directorial debut, “Gospel Hill.”
The Albuquerque Film
Festival Pass is $99 and
is good for admission to
all film screenings, panels,
workshops and parties.
The pass is available at
the Albuquerque Film Festival
Office at 102 Gold SW.
Awards Celebration tickets,
at the Historic El Rey Theater,
620 Central SW, are $20.
Individual tickets for KiMo
Theatre events are $10 at the
KiMo box office, 423 Central
NW, or at www.ticketmaster.
com. Call 768-3522.
Tickets for events at The
Cell, 700 First NW, and Lobo
Theater, 3013 Central NE, are
$5 at the venue box offices.
Tickets to the Opening
Night VIP party, at the Banque
Lofts, northeast corner of
Central Avenue and Third
Street, are $20. RSVP to the
festival, at 508-0712
TICkETS
& pASSES
B6 OFFICIAL GUIDE OF THE ALBUQUERQUE FILM FESTIVAL
T
odd Jefferson may
be the most powerful
man in comics.
Jefferson is in
charge of all development
for Marvel Comics’ games,
movies, and anything else
that carries the Marvel
stamp of approval. It’s
a tough job that takes a
devoted comic book nerd
and movie buff to handle.
“All these projects
come across my desk,”
Jefferson said. “We guide
the projects from concept
to code release and make
sure the expression of the
characters is consistent
with our standards for that
character, the rules, the
boundaries. If someone
wants to put Spider-Man in
Gotham, that’s a problem.”
From Iron Man and
X-Men to Spidey, Captain
America, the Marvel
Ultimate Alliance and
more, Jefferson is in charge.
If there’s a goof-up, the
fanboys would have his
head.
But, with 5,000 characters
to keep track of, he said, it’s
nearly impossible to know
everything about each one.
“If I were to break them
into major families, there
are at least five or six
families, Spider-Man,
X-Men, Iron Man, Punisher,
Fantastic Four, Daredevil
and Elektra, Ghost Rider
and Hulk.”
All of the movies, games,
books and dolls from those
films and books must have
Jefferson’s approval before
they’re produced.
At 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug.
8, Jefferson will host a panel
at the Albuquerque Film
Festival on games, movies
and comics at Production
Central ABQ.
“I come from a gaming
background. I started in
the industry 12 years ago
as a tester at Activision and
learned everything I could
and rose up the ranks,”
Jefferson said. From there
he went to Pixar, and now to
Marvel.
Marvel, he said, is the
best fit. “I’ve been collecting
comics and collecting since
I was a kid,” he said.
Marvel, he said, is
working on a new animated
series, “Super Hero Squad,”
a kid-friendly show with
Wolverine, Captain America
and others, that could
premiere as soon as this fall
on television.
Superheroes must answer to Marvel guy
Todd Jeffer-
son, who is
in charge of
all of Marvel
Comics’ intel-
lectual prop-
erty, works
to make sure
films like the
“Spider-Man”
movies stay
true to the
characters.
Where Talent
Meets Technology
Audio Mastering & Restoration
ANDY ROGULICH
505-459-6242
www.highfidelitymastering.com
“Movies make money for New Mexico” “Scene 1”
Producer:
So I give you $1, and you give me $0.25?
NewMexico:
Yes
Producer:
That’s it?
NewMexico:
Oh, and we charge you tax
Producer:
So what happens to the other $0.83?
NewMexico:
Precisely
*That money stays in New Mexico -- $0.75 in the private
sector to help create jobs, $0.08 to public coffers.
IATSE Local 480
We make the movies, we all make the money
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B7
OFFICIAL GUIDE OF THE ALBUQUERQUE FILM FESTIVAL
W
hen two people
passed out this
year at the
premiere of
“Grace” at the Sundance
Film Festival, director Paul
Solet didn’t know how to take
it.
“I was concerned when that
happened,” Solet said.
Is it a good sign when
people pass out at your
movie’s premiere?
“It was one of the midnight
films and had that ‘Blair
Witch’ slot, and they really
took care of us,” Solet said.
“At that first screening
(this year) we had two men
pass out from the intensity
of the film. I think people
have passed out before. I
think someone passed out at
‘Reservoir Dogs,’ but never
two.”
“Grace” is an intense
film, to be sure, but “I was
concerned that it would give
the wrong idea,” Solet said.
The film, after all, isn’t like
“Saw” or “Rosemary’s Baby,”
but it does have its moments.
“Grace” will have its New
Mexico premiere on Friday,
Aug. 8, at the Albuquerque
Film Festival at 9 p.m. at the
KiMo Theatre, just one week
before it goes into a limited
theatrical release.
After losing her unborn
child, Madeline Matheson
(Jordan Ladd) insists on
carrying the corpse to term.
Following the delivery, the
child miraculously returns
to life — with an appetite —
and Matheson is faced with
an ultimate decision.
The problem is, Matheson
is a vegan who wouldn’t
hurt a fly. She’s the sort of
woman who gets grossed
out by cooking meat for her
husband.
“It’s not a political film. I’m
interested in entertaining
you and getting under your
skin and making you think
a little bit. I really believe
that a great part of my
responsibility as a director
is to create a world that’s
complete enough that you
can’t get out.”
Solet wrote the script
when he moved from his
hometown of Boston to follow
his filmmaker dreams in Los
Angeles.
“When I got here, well,
a good script sells itself,”
he said. “But it’s harder
to convince them to let me
direct it.”
To convince financiers that
he had the chops to direct the
film, he made a six-minute
short based on the script
for “Grace.” That got the
attention of producer Adam
Green, who gave Solet the
chance.
“It’s a film that had to
overcome a lot of financial
constraints and budgetary
hurdles,” Solet said. “We shot
this film in 17 nine-and-a-
half hour days. Typically, a
film like this would shoot in
30 days. We knew we could do
it if we were prepared.”
The secret to the film’s
intensity, though, is its
subject matter and its pacing,
Solet said.
“It’s a carefully woven
tapestry that’s unsettling
and hypnotic. I want to create
a world that envelops you
and doesn’t let you out,” he
said. “Part of that is finding
out what world did my
characters come from and
what did their life look like.
She’s a woman who won’t kill
a fly. Won’t eat meat. That’s
more interesting than your
average Joe.”
First-time director Paul Solet, left, will premiere his film
“Grace” at the Albuquerque Film Festival on Friday, Aug. 8, at
the KiMo Theatre.
Director makes bold debut with ‘Grace’
Directors of Photography
Camera Operators
Digital Imaging Technicians
Video Controllers
Camera Assistants
Loaders
Camera Utilities and Digital Utilities
Still Photographers
Publicists
Living and working in the state of New Mexico.
We are pleased to be a part of the New Mexico flm community.
The International Cinematographers Guild, I.A.T.S.E.,
Local 600 is proud to represent
B8 OFFICIAL GUIDE OF THE ALBUQUERQUE FILM FESTIVAL
S
ome of the incredible
new images leaking
out about Tim
Burton’s new film
“Alice in Wonderland” are
coming from right here in
Albuquerque, from Sony
Imageworks’ studio in Mesa
del Sol.
One of the major graphics
compositors on the film is
Ziad Seirafi,
who has
worked on
some of
the biggest
blockbusters
of the last few
years, from
“The Golden
Compass” and
“Pirates of the
Caribbean: At
World’s End”
to “Sin City”
and “Sky
Captain and
the World of Tomorrow.”
“As a compositor you get
the shots from different
departments and you’re
responsible for putting them
together ... in one space, all
together, so that you believe
the fantasy,” Seirafi said.
He will sit on a panel with
other movie graphics and
games professionals at the
AFF.
“I’ve been doing this since
1992, and I started in post
production on a TV show
called ‘Tales from the Crypt.’
It was a great show,” he said.
“I had an opportunity to start
getting into effects there.”
But, in the early 1990s,
computer-generated effects
were expensive, complicated
and simply took too much
time for a weekly TV show.
“It was becoming more
accessible,” he said.
Seirafi poured himself into
the business, learning all
he could. He and his wife,
Sarah Seirafi, have started
Desert Sirens, a production
company in Santa Fe for their
projects in development.
He went to work for
some major firms doing
specialized graphics, then
went on his own. But to do
the really exciting stuff, he
said, you need to work with
a large company like Sony
that can afford to hire 600
programmers and can afford
the computers necessary to
make a huge film happen.
His biggest success so
far, he said, has been “The
Golden Compass,” which
earned two Oscars for Best
Achievement in Visual
Effects and Best Achievement
in Art Direction.
“It was a nice experience. I
was part of a very large team.
I was compositor on that. I
would say there was probably
600 people working on that,”
he said.
Ziad Seirafi’s digital compositing work can be seen in “The
Golden Compass,” which earned two Academy Awards.
Compositor makes
the fantasy believable
SEIRAFI:
Started his
career in
television
The Film Apprenticeship
Programs Inc.
is proud to congratulate the
Albuquerque Film Festival
on its debut. FAPI offers quality
on-the-job training & career
development for the
New Mexico Film industry.
Visit FAPI at:
www.filmapprentice.org