ICMF-FF7: Programmer's Thread

[zzzorf]

Nomination #4

Digger (2020)



Preferred Slate: Euro

Alternate Slate: NA

Director: Georgis Grigorakis

Links:





IMDb Plot Summary: A father and a son long lost. Love and hate. Digging deep into mud to find their roots. Revenge and Redemption. A Western, revisited.

Wikipedia Information: Digger is a 2020 Greek drama film directed by Greek director and screenwriter Georgis Grigorakis. It had its world premiere screening as part of the Panorama section at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the independent jury International Confederation of Art Cinemas Art Cinema Award for Panorama 2020.

The film has been shown and nominated in international festivals around the world, winning 19 awards. It was nominated for 14 awards at the Hellenic Film Academy Awards and won ten awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Director, and Best Cinematography. It was selected as the Greek entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.

My Two Cents: I held off on this one last year so I wanted to make sure I got it up this year before I forgot about it. Here is my review from 2 years ago
"Like a lot of movies of late this one grew on me the longer I watched. The more I got invested in the characters the more I felt about their individual plights and by the time the final confrontation came about I was ready for the conclusion. In the end it turned out to be a pretty impactful movie that I was happy I got to watch."

[sol]

This Much I Know to Be True is a 2022 British documentary film directed by Andrew Dominik. It is a companion to Dominik's documentary One More Time with Feeling (2016).

How important would it be to watch the 2016 film first?

[zzzorf]

Nomination #5

Ballad of a White Cow (Ghasideyeh Gave Sefid) (2020)



Preferred Slate: Asia

Alternate Slate: NA

Director: Maryam Moghadam (F) & Behtash Sanaeeha

Links:





IMDb Plot Summary: Mina's life is turned upside down when she learns that her husband was innocent of the crime for which he was executed, so she starts a silent battle against a cynical system for her own and her daughter's sake.

Wikipedia Information: Ballad of a White Cow (Persian: قصیده گاو سفید, romanized: Ghasideyeh gave sefid) is a 2020 Iranian drama film co-directed by Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moqadam, and co-written by Sanaeeha, Moqadam, and Mehrdad Kouroshniya.

The film had its worldwide premiere at the 38th Fajr Film Festival. It also showed at 71st Berlin International Film Festival in March 2021. This film was also nominated for New Talent Award at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2021

My Two Cents: Stealing another nomination from last year, this time Bantha's. This was close to making it last year and has been well received by those who have watched it and I see no problem with someone else watching it and giving the extra support it needs.

[sol]

Second queer nomination from me this year:

8. Sissy (2022, Kane Senes; Hannah Barlow) [female director]

https://www.icheckmovies.com/movies/sissy/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9602472/reference/
https://letterboxd.com/film/sissy-2022/

Preferred slate: LGBTIQ+ --- Alternative slates: Just Before Dawn / English Language Indi



Tensions simmer at a bachelorette party as a social media influencer unexpectedly reunites with a girl who bullied her a decade earlier in this Australian horror movie with an appropriately eerie cabin in the woods setting. The first half plays out as more of a psychological thriller, gradually revealing more and more about the fallout between the two girls with mounting flashbacks. Aisha Dee is excellent in the lead role and highly sympathetic with her nervousness and uncertainty as to whether her former bully is still out to get her. The second half of the film takes a more overt horror route, but even if one isn't into the horror, what keeps the film chugging along though is how relatable Dee is every step of the way, even as her own actions get out of hand. Add in some social media influencer satire, and welcome LGBT representation, and this is a pretty appealing concoction overall.

Recommended to: Filmbantha and Onder (stylish psychological thriller), zzzorf (Australian cinema) and Ferg (LGBT representation). I suspect parts of the film may be a bit violent for Ferg's taste, but if the horror crowd here like it enough, this could be a solid alternative candidate for the LGBT slate. Not sure if the film is really to beavis or Gloede's taste, but as always, would love to be proven wrong.

[zzzorf]

This Much I Know to Be True is a 2022 British documentary film directed by Andrew Dominik. It is a companion to Dominik's documentary One More Time with Feeling (2016).

How important would it be to watch the 2016 film first?

To be honest I haven't watched the first one yet. I think it may have been mentioned once or twice but it is completely standalone is my opinion, just a companion piece as Wikipedia stated. Though I will need to rectify not having watched it soon.

[sol]

Next nom:

9. Earwig (2021, Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Belgium) [female director]

https://www.icheckmovies.com/movies/earwig/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10062338/reference/
https://letterboxd.com/film/earwig/

Preferred slate: Art House --- Alternative slates: Just Before Dawn / English Language Indi / Europe



This enigmatic drama follows a young girl and a much older man employed to take care of her, which includes frequently changing her dentures. If not quite as masterful as Innocence or Evolution, this is yet another great, non-straightforward look at childhood and the mysteries of the adult world from Lucile Hadzihalilovic. Much like her earlier films, it works best as a mood piece. The most compelling scenes focus on the barefoot girl wandering around dark hallways in silence a la Amer. The deliberately low lighting is perfectly atmospheric and the dialogue-free first twenty minutes are excellent with Hadzihalilovic accentuating every gulp of food and other such sounds. The film largely seems to revolve the caretaker's fear of how the child in his care is developing and changing. While it initially sounds nefarious when he is told to prepare her to leave his care, this could be read as a film about him wrestling with his fears of letting her go/change/grow up.

Recommended to: Fergenaprido, I guess, because everybody else has apparently seen it, and I don't know if there will be enough 3s to go around from the other programmers given that I am the first to put this one forward. Doesn't really look like a Ferg film on the surface of things, but it's currently streaming on Mubi CA if he feels like giving it a go at some point.

[Fergenaprido]

8. Sissy (2023, Kane Senes; Hannah Barlow) [female director]
Recommended to: Filmbantha and Onder (stylish psychological thriller), zzzorf (Australian cinema) and Ferg (LGBT representation). I suspect parts of the film may be a bit violent for Ferg's taste, but if the horror crowd here like it enough, this could be a solid alternative candidate for the LGBT slate. Not sure if the film is really to beavis or Gloede's taste, but as always, would love to be proven wrong.

I think you mean solid alternative candidate for the JBD slate.

I was aware of the film, but yes, the potential violence gives me pause.

9. Earwig (2021, Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Belgium) [female director]
Recommended to: Fergenaprido, I guess, because everybody else has apparently seen it, and I don't know if there will be enough 3s to go around from the other programmers given that I am the first to put this one forward. Doesn't really look like a Ferg film on the surface of things, but it's currently streaming on Mubi CA if he feels like giving it a go at some point.

lol. I guess that's as good a reason as any to recommend it. Her work doesn't really interest me, but I may still give this a go.

[zzzorf]

I did watch Earwig a go a couple of months back, my second of the directors work I've seen. Haven't minded what I have seen but nothing has blown me away yet. I did like it enough to give it a 2 in the spreadsheet though.

[sol]

I think you mean solid alternative candidate for the JBD slate.

I was aware of the film, but yes, the potential violence gives me pause.

I would actually prefer Sissy to make the LGBT slate since it's pretty different from the dramas and comedies that generally seem to place in that slate. Also, we need a lot more queer horror films! Well, maybe not for you, but I could definitely dig a few more.

I guess that's as good a reason as any to recommend it. Her work doesn't really interest me, but I may still give this a go.

Yeah, no worries. I wouldn't hold it against you if you decide to give it a miss.

I did watch Earwig a go a couple of months back, my second of the directors work I've seen. Haven't minded what I have seen but nothing has blown me away yet. I did like it enough to give it a 2 in the spreadsheet though.

Cheers for that. I'm surprised that you didn't like Innocence more, but maybe it was too arthousey for your taste. Definitely one of the most striking films about kids that I can recall. Maybe LH's Evolution would be more to your taste?

[zzzorf]

I did watch Earwig a go a couple of months back, my second of the directors work I've seen. Haven't minded what I have seen but nothing has blown me away yet. I did like it enough to give it a 2 in the spreadsheet though.

Cheers for that. I'm surprised that you didn't like Innocence more, but maybe it was too arthousey for your taste. Definitely one of the most striking films about kids that I can recall. Maybe LH's Evolution would be more to your taste?

I watched Innocence to many years ago when I was still starting this Cinephile journey and I hadn't even started to grasp the ArtHouse style yet (if I haven't really yet even). It is one I have passed on to others though and one that I will rewatch sooner rather than later.

[Fergenaprido]

I think you mean solid alternative candidate for the JBD slate.

I was aware of the film, but yes, the potential violence gives me pause.

I would actually prefer Sissy to make the LGBT slate since it's pretty different from the dramas and comedies that generally seem to place in that slate. Also, we need a lot more queer horror films! Well, maybe not for you, but I could definitely dig a few more.

Hmm, I misunderstood then. I thought you were putting it as LGBT slate primarily, but if it did well with the horror crowd you would also consider it for the JBD slate. I didn't get why you would nominate a queer film for the LBT slate but they call it an alternate candidate.

And there's plenty of queer horror films, especially nowadays. I can handle the camp ones, and low-production-value-sexy ones, but not this modern slasher stuff.

[Onderhond]

Y'all didn't tell me this was the arthouse horror film festival.

Dunno man, only have 1 arthouse entry and while I do have quite a few JBD ones, none of them is a true core horror film.
I do see JBD more as "fantastic film fest" slate rather than a true horror slate though. I do know it's the violence that usually gets you, so I understand why some/many of my noms won't appeal to you

Also, Earwig gets a solid 3 from me. Thanks for freeing up more space in my own nomination slots @sol!

[sol]

I misunderstood then. I thought you were putting it as LGBT slate primarily, but if it did well with the horror crowd you would also consider it for the JBD slate.

Ah, well I actually see it as a LGBTIQ film primarily since it's more a psychological thriller than an outright horror movie, largely revolving around one woman's anxiety at the hen's party of the girl who she had a crush on at school (and who is marrying another woman). The film has marketed as a horror film though and has been released internationally through Shudder, so I imagine that's where many would want to place it, even if I think it fits better as an alternative to the dramas and comedies that tend to make up the LGBT slate. My memories are a bit fuzzy (not a recent watch), so maybe wait for one of the others to watch and they can give you a more accurate account of just how much violence there is. I didn't think there was that much? Relatively.

Also, Earwig gets a solid 3 from me. Thanks for freeing up more space in my own nomination slots @sol!

Amazing. Great to hear!

Also folks, I just thought I would chime in here to let you guys know that I finished watching Strawberry Mansion and I have given it a 3 in the spreadsheet, which -- if I'm not mistaken -- makes it our first 3x3 film which is not a re-nomination. No review yet (only literally finished it minutes ago and I need some time to process it) but I'll write about it soon in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy thread.

[zzzorf]

Ok all lists should be updated now, hopefully I have messed up any of the movies in them.

Just a request I have though, when putting the IMDb links in the spreadsheet can you make sure no letters/words come after the TT number, iCM doesn't like them and won't let me import the list properly when I copy paste.

[Onderhond]

Brian and Charles (2022) Indie
https://icheckmovies.com/movies/brian+and+charles-2022/

Somehow missed your post with nominations in all the fuss. Love David Earl, really appreciated this film too. Gets a solid 2.

[sol]

Okay; one more nomination before bed, and this time I will delete the "/reference" at the end of the IMDb URL when I add it into the spreadsheet.

10. An Ideal Host (2020, Robert Woods, Australia)

https://www.icheckmovies.com/movies/an+ideal+host/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12452752/reference/
https://letterboxd.com/film/an-ideal-host/

Preferred slate: Just Before Dawn --- Alternative slates: English Language Indi



As a young couple with OCD meticulously rehearse the guy's "surprise" proposal at a planned dinner party, this indie comedy gets off to an offbeat start. There is much amusement to be had in their over-planning and disdain whenever one of their guests does something unexpected. The really unexpected thing though is when one of the guests is revealed to be carrying an alien parasite, and the film is at its strongest as the friends become paranoid over who else is infected while the known infected person taunts them. Think John Carpenter's The Thing with a comedy twist. The special effects during the final third are particularly amazing for a movie on a budget and the final shot is excellent. This was entirely filmed in WA (my state) too. Novelty value there.

Recommended to: zzzorf as fellow Australian who doesn't mind a good horror film. The film is probably way too low budget for Onder's taste and I don't know who else it would appeal to, but I know that Tom is a fan (just not how much of a fan he is!) and with the right support from zzzorf and Tom, maybe this could make the grade. It would certainly be exciting to have something in the slate that was filmed within driving distance of where I live.

[zzzorf]

Nomination #6

Goddess of the Fireflies (La déesse des mouches à feu) (2020)



Preferred Slate: Indie (if memory serves me well enough that's where we put French-Canadian stuff just because it has nowhere else to go)

Alternate Slate: NA

Director: Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette (F)

Links:





IMDb Plot Summary: A coming of age story set against the backdrop of a rural Québec town and grunge music's rise. 16 year old Catherine and her friends are loitering between shacks and mall parking lots , partying and learning about life and love until a dramatic event will change them forever.

Wikipedia Information: Goddess of the Fireflies (French: La déesse des mouches à feu) is a Canadian drama film, directed by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette and released in 2020. An adaptation of the novel by Geneviève Pettersen, the film centres on the coming of age of Catherine (Kelly Depeault), a teenage girl living in a small town in Quebec in the early 1990s.

My Two Cents: I guess this is a type of nomination you would expect to see somewhere from me, a strong coming-of-age story, with kids on the more outside of society. Anyway this is a very feminine gaze movie for anyone interested about a 16 yo girl, directed by a female from a screenplay by a female adapted from a book by a female.

[zzzorf]

Nomination #7

107 Mothers (Cenzorka) (2021)



Preferred Slate: Euro

Alternate Slate: NA

Director: Peter Kerekes

Links:





IMDb Plot Summary: Follows the real-life stories of 107 mothers in the Odesa prison in Ukraine.

Wikipedia Information: 107 Mothers is a Russian-Language Slovak drama film directed by Péter Kerekes and released in 2021. Its world premiere took place on 1 September 2021 at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, where it was screened in Horizons competition program. It was selected as the Slovak entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.

My Two Cents: Going to get this nomination up now since we are currently in the Central European challenge, perfect for this film from Slovakia. A nice look at what mothers with young children who are convicted of murder go through in a Ukraine prison which allows them to have their kids around while they are a baby/toddler.

[zzzorf]

Nomination #8

Liborio (2021)



Preferred Slate: Latin

Alternate Slate: Art House

Director: Nino Martínez Sosa

Links:





IMDb Plot Summary: Liborio disappears in a hurricane. One day he returns speaking as a prophet, curing the sick and congregates many followers deep in the mountains. The local powers confront him only to see him vanish, until he decides to confront his deepest fears and battles the invading US Marines.

Wikipedia Information: N/A

My Two Cents: Probably shooting myself in the foot as I'm representing the Dominican Republic in the World Cup but I think this movie is better suited to the Festival than the World Cup. This movie is made up of seven segments with each segment a different focal person is used to look at a certain part of the life of historical Dominican figure Liborio. This doesn't take the normal of biographical film of praising and/or vilifying the main character but instead the effect on those around him.

[sol]

So, given how few documentaries have been nominated so far, I have decided to re-nom my best performing documentary nominee from last year that didn't make it through, which automatically becomes our highest scoring documentary candidate so far:

11. Stalking Chernobyl Сталкеры Чернобыля: Исследователи пост-апокалипсиса (2020, Iara Lee, Ukraine) [female director]

https://www.icheckmovies.com/movies/sta ... pocalypse/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13327648/reference/
https://letterboxd.com/film/stalking-ch ... pocalypse/

Preferred slate: Documentary --- Alternative slate: Europe



Now a dark tourism hotspot, this documentary looks at the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, those who sneak into the area and the booming tourism trade from those who pay for guided tours. It is a fascinating subject since the area is still full of radiation, though apparently as long as one does not stay too long it is not dangerous. Especially fascinating as the shots we get of blotchy mushrooms and apples inside the zone. The titular "stalkers" are curious too with daredevil videos of them drinking the water and eating produce from the edge of the zone. We even get first-hand accounts of what the original evacuation was like and how some left their pets at home since the government lied to them and told them that the evacuation would only be short and temporary.

Recommend to: Everyone. This already has strong 2/3 support from both Chris and Wayne. I know Tom doesn't usually like documentaries, but the Stalker stuff might interest him, while the film is short enough (only around an hour long) that it should be easy for the other programmers to make time for it.

[zzzorf]

Nomination #9

Mamá, mamá, mamá (2020)



Preferred Slate: Latin

Alternate Slate: Art House

Director: Sol Berruezo Pichon-Riviére (F)

Links:





IMDb Plot Summary: A veil of sadness lies over the oppressively hot summer days. Cleo dives into daydreams with her cousins, the girls share secret signs and rituals. Flowing gently, in impressionistic images, the empty space that the death of Cleo's sister has left in the family is poetically encircled.

Wikipedia Information: Mamá, mamá, mamá is an Argentine film shot in colors directed by Sol Berruezo Pichon-Rivière based on her own script that premiered on January 7, 2021 and whose main actors were Agustina Milstein , Chloé Cherchyk , Camila Zolezzi , Matilde Creimer Chiabrando and Siumara Castillo .

My Two Cents: If I was talking about female gaze before this one puts that to shame. There were no men involved with this movie with the complete cast and crew being female. Yeah the movie is a little slow, even with its small length but it is beautiful and a great look at the grief of a family after a tragedy.

[sol]

Following my previous post, what documentaries would everyone else like me to nominate?

I have two more documentaries from last year that I have been considering nominating, only I'm afraid that nobody will watch them this year because nobody did last year. If anybody is prepared to commit to giving them a go, I will re-nominate them, but I can't see any point in re-nominating them if nobody else has the slightest interest in seeing them:

Class Action Park link - documentary about an incredibly dangerous amusement park from the 1980s with animated re-enactments used to depict just how dangerous the rides were

Made You Look link - Canadian documentary about fake art and one of the greatest scandals of the past few years with fake art sold at auction and those denying knowing it was fake

There is also another documentary that I have been thinking about nominating that I watched for the December Challenge:

Honeychild aka Another Child link - only 7 IMDb votes but freely streaming on Tubi, this involves a woman abused as a child returning to her family home to uncover even darker secrets

Just to reiterate, I'm not looking for anyone to commit to giving these films high scores; I just want to know how strong an interest there is (if any) before I set about nominating them. I know that I also had a bunch of 2019 documentaries nominated last that that only got one other viewing, or no other viewings at all (poor Wrinkles the Clown!) so maybe I just watch documentaries on subjects that few others are interested in...

[zzzorf]

OK, I think I'm done with my nominations for now. There are others I'm debating on and others that I would have possibly nominated but I'm unhappy with their previous attempts in the festival or from what I seen from reactions from other programmers/low ratings on sites.

If any of you don't mind checking out my potential nominations list and let me know any you would support/interested in it may help me make a final decision on a few more nominations. Please note though once you get past those that would get a 3 I am less likely to nominate it and not every movie is a serious candidate, it just includes all eligible movies.

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls084726496/

[beavis]

Following my previous post, what documentaries would everyone else like me to nominate?

As for documentaries, I can only tell you what I've seen and rated high and what I would like to see...
these I would strongly support:

8 - Die Naturgeschichte der Zerstörung (2022)
8 - The Unstable Object II (2022)
8 - Herr Bachmann und seine Klasse (2021)
8 - Notturno (2020)
7,5 - All That Breathes (2022)
7,5 - De humani corporis fabrica (2022)
7,5 - How to Save a Dead Friend (2022)
7,5 - Babi Yar. Context (2021)
7,5 - Zima (2021)
7,5 - Esquirlas (2020)
7,5 - Leonie, actrice en spionne (2020)

these I like to see:

- Amenra - A Flood of Light (2020) because I love their music only really, so I did not select this one in my LB FFF watchlist
- As I Want (2021) Egypt, female directed
- Inner Lines (2022) because it's Pierre-Yves Vandeweerd!!!
- Sotto le stelle fredde (2020) this looks stunning, and there is a strong strand of this kind of "slow cinema" documentary in Italy

and this, but it might be more of the essay kind:
- Dal pianeta degli umani (2021) Italian again

This one is also intersting, it is labeled as a fiction, but made in such a way that it COULD be documentary. The director's debut was similar (but way more explicit and controversial) and I was really intrigued when I discovered his work in my recent Argentinian binge:

7,5 - Las ranas (2020)

If anything, it would also be a very nice LatAm nomination, if I had rated it an 8 it would have been an instant nomination for me

[beavis]

If any of you don't mind checking out my potential nominations list and let me know any you would support/interested in it may help me make a final decision on a few more nominations.

I've been through your list. There are quite a few on there that I very much would like to see, some I've had on my watchlist for a long time now... But this is all that I have seen from it:

7,5 - Noche de fuego 
7,5 - The Spine of Night 
7 - Selva trágica 
7,5 - Eyimofe
7,5 - Window Boy Would Also Like to Have a Submarine
8 - Mila
7,5 - Rizi
6,5 - Taming the Garden 
8,5 - Ta fang jian li de yun 
7 - Black Medusa
8 - El perro que no calla
6,5 - Circumstantial Pleasures

[zzzorf]

If any of you don't mind checking out my potential nominations list and let me know any you would support/interested in it may help me make a final decision on a few more nominations.

I've been through your list. There are quite a few on there that I very much would like to see, some I've had on my watchlist for a long time now... But this is all that I have seen from it:

7,5 - Noche de fuego 
7,5 - The Spine of Night 
7 - Selva trágica 
7,5 - Eyimofe
7,5 - Window Boy Would Also Like to Have a Submarine
8 - Mila
7,5 - Rizi
6,5 - Taming the Garden 
8,5 - Ta fang jian li de yun 
7 - Black Medusa
8 - El perro que no calla
6,5 - Circumstantial Pleasures

Yeah basically a lot of them I watched due to the festival but not much I'm really looking at putting forward myself.
Window Boy is something that may do well here and if I look into pushing into my 2's to nominate anything that may be one of the first up.

One of the ones I'm debating on due to the rating but very well could be my next nomination is one I think would do reasonably well for you, I Will Make You Mine. I would love to hear your thoughts on it so I guess it may make the cut soon to give you a possible chance of watching it.

What ones were you wanting to see, may give me a thought on some of them?

[beavis]

Nomination #9
Mamá, mamá, mamá (2020)

Very cool new nominations zzzorf! I gave two of them full support and looking forward to Liborio very much

(also gave Erwig a full support!)

[beavis]

What ones were you wanting to see, may give me a thought on some of them?

I went back! and found three other movies I had already seen... I'm distracted here at work, at my distractions from work, by work

6 - Double World
7,5 - Gaia
7 - Slucajna raskos prozirnog vodenog rebusa

But these are the ones I already have lined up in one form or another, a few previous nominations amongst them:

The Medium (2021)
Stop-Zemlia (2021)
Hotel Coppelia (2021)
Everything Is Cinema (2021)
The Old Ways (II) (2020)
Die Adern der Welt (2020)
The Beta Test (2021)
Residue (2020)
Time (I) (2020)

Of the titles I don't know there is not much that immediately jumps out for me, but because of the country and a female director I will look into
Return to Epipo (2020)

I Will Make You Mine, could indeed for similar reasons, female director and US indie, be interesting to me
I am already slightly overwhelmed with the amount of titles that I REALLY REALLY want to see, so anything new might have to wait a few months, I am not the best to give immediate support to movies I haven't seen yet... certainly won't see all nominated movies like some of you are trying (and in case of sol also expecting ) to do!

[zzzorf]

What ones were you wanting to see, may give me a thought on some of them?

I went back! and found three other movies I had already seen... I'm distracted here at work, at my distractions from work, by work

6 - Double World
7,5 - Gaia
7 - Slucajna raskos prozirnog vodenog rebusa

But these are the ones I already have lined up in one form or another, a few previous nominations amongst them:

The Medium (2021)
Stop-Zemlia (2021)
Hotel Coppelia (2021)
Everything Is Cinema (2021)
The Old Ways (II) (2020)
Die Adern der Welt (2020)
The Beta Test (2021)
Residue (2020)
Time (I) (2020)

Of the titles I don't know there is not much that immediately jumps out for me, but because of the country and a female director I will look into
Return to Epipo (2020)

The Medium would have been a definite nomination if not for it being over 9000 votes already, knew I should've went with it last year. Zemlia and Old Ways are ones I was holding back on due to others programmers poor reactions to. Coppelia is one I was looking at re-nominating I just wasn't sure if it really had a chance there was some support last year but no full support.

[beavis]

I'm not sure how fast rating go on Imdb, but I think it might not hit those 800 extra votes this year as the movie already had its festival run and the core audience seems not to be hardcore Imdb users... I think it is very much a nomination in line with what we already have... but, in relation to that and Ferg's comment on it, I think your current nominations are much stronger precisely because they bring a bit more diversity in what is on offer so far...
I don't expect greatness from Coppelia, but I am very intrigued... I like movies with the word Motel or Hotel in the title, they are usually either very gloomy or very sexy... hopefully both

[Onderhond]

I'm making more of an effort this year, skipping through all the trailers of the proposed films and prioritizing them for myself. Hopefully I'll watch a few more films throughout the year!

Watched Resurrection, not terrible, but it lacked something for me. Meagre support (1).

A film with potential. It's a shame it felt a bit too much like a 90s TV thriller. There are some elements that try to set it apart, like Hall's performance and the somewhat more graphic ending, but these bits aren't poignant enough to carry the film by themselves, and in between, there's just too little to keep things interesting. Hall's performance is very good, Roth on the other hand isn't nearly as creepy or menacing as he should've been. The build-up of the tension is decent, but not overly convincing and the presentation feels a little bland. It just wasn't enough to keep me glued to the screen for the entire runtime.

[filmbantha]

This thread moves very quickly! Lots to react to/comment on so hopefully I'll remember to respond to everything I intended to whilst scanning through the responses over the last couple of days.

@Zzzorf - pleased to see you renominated Ballad For A White Cow, fingers crossed it gets the boost it needs with another 3 vote. Out of your 3 votes that I haven't seen on your IMDB lists Girl In The Basement and The Old Ways look the most intriguing. If you think either are likely to work for me I could look into watching them. I think Beavis has a good point though, your last few nominations seem to be covering different ground for the festival and I will certainly be seeking most of you nominations out as there are some very appealing looking films coming through from you.

@Sol - I have also watched This Much I Know To Be True but not the earlier film from the same Director, and it feels like an independent feature that doesn't require familiarity with the previous documentary. I think mileage will vary depending on how much you enjoy Nick Cave's music - I only watched it as my dad is a huge Nick Cave fan and we watched it at the cinema together. I would probably not listen to Nick Cave were it not for my dad but his music is impressive so I enjoyed it somewhat.

Really excited to see you nominated An Ideal Host - an instant 3 from me, hopefully the other programmers will find it as much fun as we did. As you know Earwig failed to make an impression on me and sadly I have to give it a zero but at least you have support from others who have seen it. Divisive films are always a good talking point.

@Onderhond - Glad to see your support for Brian and Charles. I like David Earl as well and he is great in this film, though I have only seen him in his TV work with Gervais. Fingers crossed he gets more film work off the back of this. I'm surprised Resurrection didn't work that well for you but thanks for giving it a shot. I was incredibly impressed with the performances and the slick direction. It felt like a really polished and intelligent horror with a lot to unpack and had me on the edge of my seat throughout.

I've already watched three nominations so here are my thoughts;

Azor - 3
This was an excellent start to the proceedings with captivating cinematography and superb performances from all involved. The film teases the audience with just the right amount of mystery to tangle you in the surprisingly thrilling world (in this case anyway) of private banking! The soundtrack was also noteworthy, it kind of conflicts with the world we are presented with yet feels somewhat fitting with the film's overall menacing atmosphere. This is a great find and one that I can imagine doing really well in the festival.

Mona Lisa and The Blood Moon - 2
A fun genre flick with a hypnotic colour palette and an original storyline. The opening scene and introduction to the lead was sublime, it gets a little messy towards the end and I wasn't really taken with the young boy's involvement in the story, but overall this was another enjoyable film that I could see potentially finding a home in the JBD slate.

Digger - 1
I was very intrigued by the setup of this brooding Greek drama, the conflict between an aging farm owner and a ruthless mining company who are set on taking his land from him was appealing. However, this is merely the backdrop for an estranged father-son relationship, which wasn't as heated or thrilling as it had the potential to be.

As an aside should we limit the amount of slates a film can be selected for in the spreadsheet? I note that Earwig has qualified as a 3x3 film and is ticked in four different slates. This seems a little misleading when looking at the total qualified films as it increases the number in all four of these slates. I try and limit all of my nominations to the 2 most fitting slates if there are any films which could be considered for more than 2 slates, and I think this helps visibility with our collective progress.

[zzzorf]

This thread moves very quickly! Lots to react to/comment on so hopefully I'll remember to respond to everything I intended to whilst scanning through the responses over the last couple of days.

@Zzzorf - pleased to see you renominated Ballad For A White Cow, fingers crossed it gets the boost it needs with another 3 vote. Out of your 3 votes that I haven't seen on your IMDB lists Girl In The Basement and The Old Ways look the most intriguing. If you think either are likely to work for me I could look into watching them. I think Beavis has a good point though, your last few nominations seem to be covering different ground for the festival and I will certainly be seeking most of you nominations out as there are some very appealing looking films coming through from you.

@Sol - I have also watched This Much I Know To Be True but not the earlier film from the same Director, and it feels like an independent feature that doesn't require familiarity with the previous documentary. I think mileage will vary depending on how much you enjoy Nick Cave's music - I only watched it as my dad is a huge Nick Cave fan and we watched it at the cinema together. I would probably not listen to Nick Cave were it not for my dad but his music is impressive so I enjoyed it somewhat.

Really excited to see you nominated An Ideal Host - an instant 3 from me, hopefully the other programmers will find it as much fun as we did. As you know Earwig failed to make an impression on me and sadly I have to give it a zero but at least you have support from others who have seen it. Divisive films are always a good talking point.

@Onderhond - Glad to see your support for Brian and Charles. I like David Earl as well and he is great in this film, though I have only seen him in his TV work with Gervais. Fingers crossed he gets more film work off the back of this. I'm surprised Resurrection didn't work that well for you but thanks for giving it a shot. I was incredibly impressed with the performances and the slick direction. It felt like a really polished and intelligent horror with a lot to unpack and had me on the edge of my seat throughout.

I've already watched three nominations so here are my thoughts;

Azor - 3
This was an excellent start to the proceedings with captivating cinematography and superb performances from all involved. The film teases the audience with just the right amount of mystery to tangle you in the surprisingly thrilling world (in this case anyway) of private banking! The soundtrack was also noteworthy, it kind of conflicts with the world we are presented with yet feels somewhat fitting with the film's overall menacing atmosphere. This is a great find and one that I can imagine doing really well in the festival.

Mona Lisa and The Blood Moon - 2
A fun genre flick with a hypnotic colour palette and an original storyline. The opening scene and introduction to the lead was sublime, it gets a little messy towards the end and I wasn't really taken with the young boy's involvement in the story, but overall this was another enjoyable film that I could see potentially finding a home in the JBD slate.

Digger - 1
I was very intrigued by the setup of this brooding Greek drama, the conflict between an aging farm owner and a ruthless mining company who are set on taking his land from him was appealing. However, this is merely the backdrop for an estranged father-son relationship, which wasn't as heated or thrilling as it had the potential to be.

As an aside should we limit the amount of slates a film can be selected for in the spreadsheet? I note that Earwig has qualified as a 3x3 film and is ticked in four different slates. This seems a little misleading when looking at the total qualified films as it increases the number in all four of these slates. I try and limit all of my nominations to the 2 most fitting slates if there are any films which could be considered for more than 2 slates, and I think this helps visibility with our collective progress.

Of the two of my unnominated movies you mentioned I would recommend The Old Ways to you more and would have nominated it probably already if it wasn't for Onders poor reception of it, it is a good exorcism movie which adds in a great Mexican feel to the ideas of the genre. Girl in the Basement is good but not one I was really serious in looking at, but for all I know it could do well for you and for others.

I saw that you had watched the Nick Cave documentary and thanks for the support for it. It helps to have a knowledge of him but even not I think it has enough to interest non fans. It would have been great to see it in cinema, the lighting would have been great, let alone being surrounded by the music.

Thanks for giving Digger a try, even if it didn't go as well as you hoped. I went into it different to you, knowing more about the father/son aspect then anything else so that's is why it may have worked better for me.

As to Earwig I really don't think it hurts being in more slates, it gives us more wiggle room in the long run. It is able to slot in wherever we need it to. Gloede does a good job in posts he does later in the year seperating the slates showing us just what qualifies and doesn't in each slate and helps us visualise better what area needs more help.

[matthewscott8]

I would like to take part this year. Beavis has already nominated quite a lot of my eligible favourites, particularly Malmkrog, which is one of the greatest films ever made, in my opinion.

These are what I am thinking so far, I will try and put these down formally tomorrow when I have a moment:

1. Circumstantial Pleasures (2020 - Lewis Klahr)

2. Corsage (2022 - Marie Kreutzer)

3. In the Earth (2021 - Ben Wheatley)

4. Felkészülés meghatározatlan ideig tartó együttlétre / Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2020 - Lili Horvát)

5. Ali & Ava (2021 - Clio Barnard)

6. Malmkrog / Manor House (2020 - Cristi Puiu)

[Fergenaprido]

I would like to take part this year.

[zzzorf]

I would like to take part this year. Beavis has already nominated quite a lot of my eligible favourites, particularly Malmkrog, which is one of the greatest films ever made, in my opinion.

These are what I am thinking so far, I will try and put these down formally tomorrow when I have a moment:

Circumstantial Pleasures (2020 - Lewis Klahr)
Lúa vermella / Red Moon Tide (2020 - Lois Patiño)
Corsage (2022 - Marie Kreutzer)
In the Earth (2021 - Ben Wheatley)
Felkészülés meghatározatlan ideig tartó együttlétre / Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2020 - Lili Horvát)
Ali & Ava (2021 - Clio Barnard)

Welcome aboard Matt, you will be a great addition to the team. I have added a column for you into the spreadsheet here https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... =680819982
When you get some time do you mind taking a look and adding in your scores for movies you have seen that are nominated. We rate on a 0-3 scale, 3 being a major support for the movie to be involved in the festival, 2 a moderate support, 1 a minor support and 0 no support. Also if you don't mind there are a bunch of movies lower on in the page, if you can put ratings in there as well it would be appreciated, these are films that were nominated previous years but have not been done so yet this year. This gives us an idea if it is worth our time to re-nominate them to give them another chance this year.

Again welcome to the team and I personally look forward to what you will bring to the table.

[zzzorf]

With an extra programmer involved I wanted to float an idea to everyone. The last two years we have used a 3*3 system for the main slate which has worked reasonably well. Going by that system this year we already have 5 qualifiers but I feel that having another programmer we are going to skyrocket the number of qualifiers to a too large number to send to the jury. Therefore I was wondering do we want to trial a 4*3 system for now and keep it updated like we did throughout the year last year and if we find that isn't working properly than readjust it closer to the end of our initial period?

This would be the look of the qualifiers at the moment under this system (this is without Matt's scores in yet mind you)


Potential Jury Qualifiers
1. Earwig (2021)


Note: Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy would also qualify if it is re-nominated but is currently sitting down in purgatory.

[sol]

I was wondering do we want to trial a 4*3 system for now and keep it updated like we did throughout the year last year and if we find that isn't working properly than readjust it closer to the end of our initial period?

I'm game to try this out if others are. And like you've mentioned, we can always go back to tracking 3x3 films if we find it isn't working.

I would like to take part this year.

Nice to have some fresh blood here! Are you a big documentary watcher, Matthew? I nominated a heap of documentaries last year but had trouble triggering the interest of my co-programmers to check them out. I have been thinking about nominating these two, and I will re-nom them if they look like something you may be interested in checking out:

Class Action Park link - documentary about an incredibly dangerous amusement park from the 1980s with animated re-enactments used to depict just how dangerous the rides were

Made You Look link - Canadian documentary about fake art and one of the greatest scandals of the past few years with fake art sold at auction and those denying knowing it was fake

[sol]

And speaking of documentaries, here's a surprise next nomination, only just watched this afternoon:

12. Feels Good Man (2020, Arthur Jones, United States)

https://www.icheckmovies.com/movies/feels+good+man/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11394182/reference/
https://letterboxd.com/film/feels-good-man/

Ranked #912 in the 1000<400 list

Preferred slate: Documentary --- Alternative slate: Indi



This documentary interviews a comic book artist whose innocent cartoon character ended up being appropriated as a hate speech icon during 2016 US presidential campaign. The character (Pepe the Frog) and his saga is apparently well-known by many out there, but for those with no idea of what it is all about, the documentary does an excellent job explaining how everything exploded through internet forums and other online sharing platforms. The film also provides a fascinatingly comprehensive look at internet memes and how they have evolved over the past two decades. The true story being told in the documentary is absolutely riveting; this is one those strange-but-true types of documentaries where things get crazier and crazier as more and more is revealed - and all the animated footage created directly for the film is divine.

Recommend to: I guess beavis and Gloede are the logical ones since they are both participating in the 1000<400 challenge this month, but this is certainly the sort of film that I could see zzzorf liking too with a bit of a side focus on the comic book artist and his daughter.

[St. Gloede]

I would like to take part this year. Beavis has already nominated quite a lot of my eligible favourites, particularly Malmkrog, which is one of the greatest films ever made, in my opinion.

These are what I am thinking so far, I will try and put these down formally tomorrow when I have a moment:

Circumstantial Pleasures (2020 - Lewis Klahr)
Lúa vermella / Red Moon Tide (2020 - Lois Patiño)
Corsage (2022 - Marie Kreutzer)
In the Earth (2021 - Ben Wheatley)
Felkészülés meghatározatlan ideig tartó együttlétre / Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2020 - Lili Horvát)
Ali & Ava (2021 - Clio Barnard)

Welcome Matthew, so happy to have you on board. I have already nominated Red Moon Tide, which with your 3 will be instantly approved.

I also nominated Circumstantial Pleasures previously, but not this year. Now it may have a shot.

Not seen the others, but I have Corsage available already.