Sundance Line-up Announced

Visit their site here: http://festival.sundance.org/2010/ to see the chosen films.

Sundance also offers a free film download if you submit your e-mail address (see right side of home page).

The festival runs January 21 - 31 in Park City, Utah.

SIFF Sighting: Live from the red carpet!

6:40 p.m. It's amazing that I made it out of there alive! The moment Stuart and Charlize took their stroll down the carpet, all of the friendly press pals became savages and threatened each other's survival. But being short has its advantages—I was able to scramble my way underneath other people's legs and get a few choice shots...which I will post in a few hours. All I can say is that if humanly possible, Charlize is better looking in person.

6:20 p.m. Things are getting very quiet inside, which probably means I should get myself outside to await the glorious red-carpet-arrival, so you may not hear from me for a bit. Don't want to miss that money shot!

6:15 p.m. Apparently many members of the esteemed Seattle film-snob community are unaware that if they have a ticket to tonight's film, they also have a ticket to the gala. Shame about the staff having to repeat themselves 458 times.

6:07 p.m. This place is buzzing like a chainsaw. I'm mildly enjoying watching all of the folks who expected to walk up and purchase a ticket for tonight's screening (which has long been sold out) be told that the only hope they have is a rush ticket, and the chances of getting one of those is next to nothing. CHARLIZE THERON is in town, folks. Come on.

5:55 p.m. I just took a lap around the red carpet and peeked into the VIP tent. It's filling up. There are a lot of hybrids pulling up with people in couture clothing getting spit out on the curb. You've gotta love Seattle.

5:42 p.m. A big shout out to the SIFF publicity team who is treating us bloggers like gold. They couldn't be more accommodating and the space to work that they're allowing us is much appreciated (right now I'm inside the lovely air-conditioned SIFF Cinema at McCaw Hall). In a few more minutes I'll head back out to the carpet for the big arrivals.

5:03 p.m. Greetings from the opening night festivities at the 34th Annual Seattle International Film Festival!

I'm here in the press area watching all of the people-who-are-dressed-much-more-formally-than-me walk by and make a beeline for the red carpet. I just took a photo of a few of them who seemed to be important (but I have yet to learn why).

Oh, and about those photos...when I left my home this morning in the wee hours, I neglected to pack the cord that pulls the pictures from my camera and plants them onto my trusty laptop, so those will have to follow when I return home later tonight (the photo you're seeing right there is a stock photo from the film being made). I promise I'll post mine before I go to bed.

What's coming up in the meantime? Stuart Townsend, the director of BATTLE IN SEATTLE, which is the opening gala film AND his lovely partner Charlize Theron, who stars in the film.

Check back often for updates on their arrival!

Michael is Live at the San Jose Cinequest Film Festival

Hey guys--

They have a pretty cool lounge here, with about ten sweet laptops available, so I'll try to post about what I'm seeing from time to time.

Saturday: It's a little bit later now. You know how you assume that people at festivals are a bit more cinema-savvy? I'm sitting in the lounge (not as cool as it sounds) and there's some loudmouth 50ish guy who is spewing all kinds of bullshit. He's not trying to get attention, he's just talking. Here's what he's said that's bad so far: "You know that Bruce Willis movie where they said every name in the book? Boy Scouts?" Of course, it was THE LAST BOY SCOUT. He then said "I just saw the film THE TRAP, where ...." and then proceeded to tell everyone within earshot the very last scene. What a dickhead. I'm out. Talk to you later.

Sunday: Last night, I sat next to a couple on a date whereby the girl sat on the guy's lap for the whole 90 minute running time. Imagine. The guy had to spread out a bit more than usual so I twisted to the right, she would ask if he could see in a voice that wasn't a whisper, they shared sliced apples and water at one point, and they talked like they were on their own couch. And the worst part. I was the third person in the theater because I'm so psycho about how and where I sit. What are the chances. The couple on the other side of my friend and I decided to make out when the characters on film made out so I heard smooching in surround sound. Here's what I've learned: I simply cannot go to a public exhibition of filmed entertainment after 7 p.m. on Fridays or Saturdays. That's it. Even surrounded by film festival people. Woe is me.

~~~~~

Got a late start at the festival. BTW, the link for the fest is here. Opening night was Wednesday, I started on Friday evening. So far, here's my order:

1) The Trap (Klopka) from Serbia--Man must raise $30,000 quickly for an operation for his son.
2) The Silence Before Bach from Spain.
3) D Tour: A Tenacious Documentary
4) This Dust Of Words
5) Young People Fu***** from Canada.
6) Three Priests
7) Unfinished Girl from China.
8) China: A Will To Rise

Cinebanter Special Edition - TELEBANTER/CINEQUEST REPORT

The MP3 file of Cinebanter Episode 23 is available here.

In this episode, Michael and Tassoula take their banter to the small screen as they reveal their Top 10 television shows of 2006. Also, Michael offers a special report about his viewings at the 17th Annual Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California.

As Michael discussed in his Cinequest Report, here are the best films he saw at this year's festival.
Fiction:
1) The Melon Route (Put Lubenica) [Croatia--Chinese refugee is sole survivor of capsized boat and must rely on depressed Bosnian war veteran without the help of language]
2) The Road (Fang Xiang Zhi Lu) [China--the story of the Communist Revolution is told with three characters who pine for each other over 40 years on a public bus]
3) Prague (Prag) [Denmark--married couple's relationship unravels as they travel to Prague to retrieve his father's body]
4) Pure Hearts (Rene Hjerter) [Denmark--mental patient believes an old film is real and escapes his hospital to meet its leading lady]
5) Outsourced [USA--Seattle man must travel to rural India to train his replacement].
Non-Fiction:
1) The Ghost Mountain Experiment [USA--In the 1930s a man moves his family to desert mountain to live as hermits]
2) Urban Explorers [USA--explores subculture of people who map, photograph, and meet in places unknown to must city dwellers].

If you'd like to subscribe to the show (it's free, of course) via iTunes, click here.

The show is also available on Podcast Alley, Pop Current and Podcast-Review. Please vote for us at any of those sites if you like what you hear. And, if you're compelled to donate to the show, there is a PayPal button labeled 'Make a Donation' to the left of this blog. All donations are much appreciated.

Special thanks to Brad Daane and Mark Cummins for providing the music in this episode.

Reviews and/or notes of every movie Michael sees can be found at his MichaelVox website.

Tassoula has reviews (of movies she sees at the theater only) at Tassoula's Movie Review Blog.

Feedback is always welcome - you may leave comments here or e-mail the hosts at cinebanter@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy the show!