FREE CINEMA NOW

For the longest time, movies were constrained to only exist in the time and space of a single screen (albeit a theatrical or television screen). Yes, they lived on in our heads, imaginations and aspirations but the sender-receiver model remained archaic (in plain terms that is). With the "New Cinema" upon us--that sometimes dangerous, always exhilarating landscape which is truly indie film--movies have now stretched to avenues of social filmmaking , Transmedia, revitalized underground cinema and much more. The short film, for example, is no longer a stepping stone; it's a valuable entity in a new market (VOD, iTunes, Mubi, etc.). And Transmedia, with its cross-platform approach to storytelling, is quickly becoming less of a novel gimmick and more of a cultural phenomenon. In this Tribeca (Online) Film Festival piece , this popular genre is put into context: "Whether called transmedia , multi-platform , cross platform or just cross media , filmmakers from all...

  It was only a matter of time before the big fish in the pond began seeing the incredible potential in digital distribution and new media exhibition platforms. It's more than just iTunes or iPads or online streaming. The potential comes in the revival of niche programming, a renaissance in avant garde indie content. Up until now, any indie auteur relied solely on festival exposure to have any chance at reaching a targeted audience; this would often prove to be a nominal gesture for said filmmaker because big wig marketers usually catered to the wrong crowd. We know now, with web 2.0 and filmmaking 2.0, that free online tools help content creators curate their targeted audience .  So when you add aggressive self promotion, free online platforms and sophisticated tools for distribution (tablet devices, small digital cinemas), you have a new wave of moviemaking and thus a resurgence in the cinephile moviegoing community . And for any exhibitor or distributor, a reviv...

The need for neoauteurs is great. Probably more needed than ever. And not for conventional reasons of industry argument either (e.g. to exist as the antidote to such Tinseltown dreck as Avatar or The Ugly Truth ) but because this recent democratization of film has given birth to a wave of faux novice filmmakers who are more in love with their camera--and not their content. Our indie cinema needs more narrative risk takers and more artists challenging our perception of the world. I'm not saying that there aren't any neoauteurs around right now but with filmmaking 2.0 being available at every corner, it seems that now is the most opportune time to really experiment with conventional form, delivery and method . A few years back a colleague of mine, James Choi , managed to get a few questions in with one of my favorite filmmakers Harmony Korine down at the SXSW Festival. It's a gem of an interview because Korine plays his usual role as a subtle prankster, challen...