Blog Topic: Film

Culture Briefs: Ciné Showcases James Barsness' Bizarre Paintings, Amy Winehouse's Troubled Life

By Barbette Houser | August 24, 2015 1:50pm

Photo Credit: Barbette Houser

Detail of a work by James Barsness now on view at Ciné

Fantastical creatures populate the canvases of Athens artist James Barsness. His current exhibit at Ciné, which consists of three large-scale, mixed media paintings, opened on Friday, Aug. 21 with a reception. This was well-timed, as viewing his work proved to be the perfect prelude to watching Amy, the documentary directed by Asif Kapidia about singer Amy Winehouse, which is now showing at the independent movie theater.

Viewing Barsness’ painted demons set the stage for watching Winehouse’s inner ones on screen.

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Culture Briefs: Oscar Best Picture Nominees, Reviewed

By Blake Aued | February 22, 2015 11:43am

After all the overly long speeches and cringe-inducing musical numbers, we'll finally find out what a few old white people in Los Angeles think was the best movie of 2014. Here's what Flagpole film critics Drew Wheeler and Derek Hill had to say about the Oscar best picture nominees:

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Culture Briefs: Film Athens Presents Screenwriting Classes in January

By Barbette Houser | December 30, 2014 3:40pm

Photo Credit: Barbette Houser

Danielle Robarge Rusk, Executive Director of Film Athens, at Flicker

Do you long to be the next Wes Anderson? Do you feel like the third Coen brother? Aspiring directors, writers and producers in the Athens area will want to check out filmathens.net and get the lowdown on a series of courses the nonprofit is offering in the coming weeks.

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Homedrone: Flagpole Premieres: Musickland, a Documentary About Rocker-Turned-Farmer Adam Musick

By Gabe Vodicka | October 16, 2014 11:22am

Adam Musick

Last February, we hipped you to an in-progress documentary called Musickland, centered on rocker-turned-hog-farmer Adam Musick, the former frontman of Athens rock band Southern Bitch. Now, Flagpole is thrilled to premiere the finished project, courtesy of student filmmakers Cameron Bargerstock and Jacob Rosdail.

The 34-minute film is an incisive portrait of a very particular internal battle. It captures Adam Musick and his wife and former bandmate Wendy as they live, work and contemplate the series of events that led them from the 40 Watt stage to a farm in rural Virginia. It also documents Adam's slow but steady—and still ongoing—return to music.

Stream Musickland below:

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Culture Briefs: What Doesn't Kill Me... The Life and Music of Vic Chesnutt Premieres at Ciné

By Barbette Houser | October 3, 2014 10:20am

Photo Credit: Barbette Houser

Bob Sleppy, director of Nuci's Space, and Patterson Hood

What Doesn’t Kill Me…The Life and Music of Vic Chesnutt, a film by Scott Stuckey, had its rough-cut premiere on Wednesday evening, Oct. 1 at Ciné, benefitting Nuçi’s Space. Attendees included a large number of luminaries from the Athens music scene, many of whom had worked with Chesnutt through the years, including Michael Stipe, members of Elf Power and producer John Keane. Stuckey and John “JoJo” Hermann, producer of the film and keyboardist of Widespread Panic, were on hand after the screening to answer questions and reminisce about their friend and beloved Athens musician, Vic Chesnutt. Stuckey and Hermann have been working on the project together since 2005, when Hermann was researching Chesnutt for his masters thesis.

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Culture Briefs: Workshop Offers Tips on Being a Movie Extra

By Barbette Houser | June 1, 2014 3:43pm

Lois and Ted Brown.

“I Want to Be in Pictures”, a workshop offered at the ACC Library on Thursday, May 29, offered a glimpse into life on the film set and provided tips on how to become and succeed as a movie extra.

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Homedrone: Watch the Trailer for the New of Montreal Documentary

By Gabe Vodicka | April 29, 2014 1:15pm

Filmmaker Jason Miller's long-awaited, Kickstarter-funded of Montreal documentary, formerly known as Song Dynasties but now titled The Past is a Grotesque Animal, will see release this summer. The film, which Pitchfork reports will be available on iTunes and other digital platforms on June 24, screens locally at Ciné on Friday, June 27.

Check the trailer after the jump, and read our October 2013 feature on of Montreal.

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Culture Briefs: 24 Hour-ish Film Festival Team Pickup Tonight

By Gabe Vodicka | April 11, 2014 11:58am

The 24 Hour-ish Film Festival, the annual event put on by Film Athens wherein teams are given a line of dialogue, a prop, a special requirement and 24 hours… -ish (very -ish; it's actually more like 42 hours, but who's counting) to create a short film, happens Wednesday, Apr. 23 at Flicker Theatre & Bar.

But if you're interested in entering a movie into the competition, you've gotta scoot on down to Flicker between 4 and 6 p.m. today to get briefed on your mission. There's no pre-registration required (though there is a $20 entrance fee per team for non-Film Athens members); just show up and get crackin'.

Completed films are due back at Flicker on Sunday, Apr. 13 at noon. Cash prizes will be awarded to the Audience Choice and Judges' Choice winners following the Apr. 23 screenings.

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Culture Briefs: Watch the Trailer for a New Documentary on Athens Poet and Activist LIFE

By Gabe Vodicka | December 13, 2013 11:10am

Athens poet, social worker and author Lemuel LaRoche, a.k.a. LIFE, has made it his, er, life's work to improve his community, using unconventional tools like art, chess and music to educate and connect local underserved African American youths.

Now comes a new documentary called LIFE the Griot, directed by local filmmaker Matt DeGennaro and produced by Grady Thrasher and Kathy Prescott. You can watch the trailer after the jump.

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Culture Briefs: Big Star Documentary Screening at Ciné This Weekend

By Gabe Vodicka | December 5, 2013 2:12pm

Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me, director Drew DeNicola's critically acclaimed new documentary on the would-be-legendary Memphis power-pop group responsible for inspiring basically a whole generation of underground rockers, will play at Ciné beginning tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m.

The band, known for its earworm-y rock anthems like "September Gurls" and "In the Street"—the latter of which would be re-recorded by Cheap Trick and used as the theme song for "That '70s Show"—released three outstanding studio albums before fading away in the 1980s. A reunion album of sorts (minus founding member Chris Bell, who died in 1978, and featuring two members of The Posies in his stead), In Space, was released in 2005. Frontman Alex Chilton died in 2010.

Buy tickets and watch the trailer after the jump.

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