A "Commmunity Center" for Memphis Filmmakers 1000 S. Cooper Memphis, TN 38104 901.278.9077

Friday, November 25, 2005

CELEBRITY CITINGS, OMG! (no.2)

Wed Nov 23rd, Young Ave. Deli-The Glass, Harlan T. Bobo, and Vending Machine.
Oh my, people, the celebrities were out on wednesday night, like...completely. To bad if you missed the show, because it was all the rage, and many stars showed face, made deals, and cause controversy...all the makings of a great night out, in Memphis.


Heidi Marie Knochenhauer
, emerging actress (Dollars & Signs, Bright Sunny South), was out and about in style, and was overheard speaking of her new "absolutely incredible" part in an upcoming project. When our staff asked her what project this was she replied "why don't you go make your little indie films, and leave the real stars alone, b*#%@^." Wow.






Joshua Peter Laurenzi
(left), star of Blue Citrus Hearts arrived early to the show, however, he had to sneak to the back of the venu after "out of control" fans beseiged him with requests to quote lines from the film. One "fan" in particular ripped two buttons from his jacket, screaming "eBay, eBay, eBay." wtf?








Chris Scott McCoy
(left), director of the award winning Automusik Can Do No Wrong, was stationed at the back of the venue, and claimed to be congregating with members of the Gambino Crime Family discussing "family business". McCoy was overheard shouting, "werfjwlefkjalskfj2 wlkdsflkopitolk,wer09i 3u9083289923". We don't know what that means.





Hairdesigner for the stars, the beautiful and ever-charming Robin Tucker made an appearance with new love interest, and an entourage of "bad asses", so to speak.












Shortly after her entrance, Tucker bumped heads with artiste extraodinaire Anastasia Laurenzi (DP on away(A)wake), who was on "shifty terms" with the hair designer because members of Tuckers entourage "created a ruckus" at Laurenzi's last art opening. By the end of the night, the two were on great terms, but their respective entourages were purportedly still "not talking."






Morgan Jon Fox and Tiffany Watts were seen enjoying the show in the VIP section, however, at this very moment captured in the photograph, the two were disturbed by "fowl drunk people" that somehow stumbled a "little too close for confort". Watts was seen later "having it out" with her security guards over the incident, saying "if you even let those "people" look at me again, i'll make you swin with eels." !!!!????





Filmmaker Brent Shrewsbury arrived casually, conversing with New York installation artist Aaron Suggs. Shrewsbury left immediately after the two spoke because of an "important phone call". Word has it, Stephen Spielberg wants to remake his short film 17 Inch Cobras, however, Shrewsbury apparently told Mr. Spielberg to "go swin with eels." We're still not sure what exactly that term means, however, it seems to be a common phrase amongst the stars. More on this later...


Andrew Nenninger, of Bright Sunny South fame, was overheard telling an unidentified woman "a huge secret". Once Nenninger recognized that we heard this secret, he threatened to pour beer on our "tiny digital camera not worth a splash of his taste in good beer", he concluded that if we divulged his secret, that "he'd see to it that we....." (something about eels). In the background, the filmmakers lady friend watched on in spite, at one point blurting out "how come i don't even know the secret and that gurl gets to hear it, s*$t man."



Brilliant actor Bret Magdovitz (Dollars & Signs, away(A)wake, Bright Sunny South) was seen chilling near the VIP section speaking of his role in a new Sawed-Off Pictures short film from Andrew Nenninger. Magdovitz also was seen yelling at Morgan Jon Fox, "eyh, i got something for you, pal." We were unable to confirm what that "something" was.





Ben Nichols, lead singer of Lucero was at the show, however, he remained outside all night, looking the other way, humming his own lyrics, occasionally glaring at local filmmakers saying "I dare you to use my music in your indie films, we'll sue you for every penny you're never gonna be worth." When contacted to verify the "completely outlandish" situation, Nichols said, "listen cuz..." and then hung up. Jeeeze.






Brad Postlethwaite
(left), lead singer of Snowglobe also attended the show but ignored the musicians on stage. At one point he rallied audience members to come an route him on in beligerent game-playing antics. Postlethwaite also joined Nichols later on outside, purpotedly placing bets pertaining to the number of people who'd be at Lucero's Friday night show at The Complex.




***All information included herein is to be considered "purported", or "heresay", therefore plese don't hate us or whatnot, because it's all love. THankx, bye.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS, OMG!

THIS COLUMN FEATURES SNAPSHOTS AND BLURBS, OF WHAT'S SEEN AND HEARD THROUGHOUT THE WEEK...in, on, through, and around the MEMPHIS FILM SCENE.
Watchout, YOU MAY BE SPOTTED NEXT.

  • Wednesday Night, Nov 16th World Premiere of Delusions, Directed By Robert Saba

Actress Sarah Ewell was seen working the crowd, and spread word of a distribution deal for Shutter a new film from Jeremy Benson, which she has a feature role in...



Indie film star, Tiffany Pemberton, a lead in Delusions, was in high spirits with new beau..Pemberton was purpotedly approached by Sawed-Off producers for an up-comming role in a collaboration with Brandon Hutchinson(Dollars and Signs).



Actor John Stills, of Poor and Hungry, Shutter, and Hustle & Flow was in the house.



Red West, VIP, and entourage.




Film Commissioner Linn Sitler, VIP, arrived with Sharon Fox O'Guin, they stayed the whole time.



Award-Winning Director/Producer Brent Shrewsbury, who was seen discussing a new documentary project with Suzi Crashcourse of Sawed-Off. Shrewsbury had to leave the screening early "due to an emergency."



  • Other Sightings throughout the week...

Writer, Director Suzi Crashcourse was spotted attending the midnight screening of Harry Potter at Muvico with entourage and body guards.



Director Morgan Jon Fox(Sawed-Off/MeDiA Co-op) at the Harry Potter screening, threatened photographers to "stay out of his personal life"



Famed photographer Robin Salant at the Meisner Challenge premiere...



Kingpin Jon Sparks seen discussing wild ideas with fellow actors at the Meisner Challenge premiere the Seraphim.



Director Brandon Hutchinson and Fox seen at new hangout, Quetzal discussing a new project they're collaborating on.



Infamous graphic designer Sasha Barr spotted at Studio on the Square, with unidentified female, was at a screening of Capote, and supposedly disrupted the screening several times shouting "TRUMAN......."(wtf?)




Underground film star Timothy Morton and auteur Ben Siler discuss "issues" outside the MeDiA Co-op...



BUZZ BUZZ:

Craig Brewer supposedly is going to be directing not only Hustle-N-Flow 2, but also parts 3-17 and is purportedly slated to write and direct a shot by shot remake of The Godfather Part III, starring Justin Timberlake as the Godfather.

***All information in this column is unverified, and we cannot be held accountable for any mistakes we've made, defamation of character, liable, altered photos that make people look horrible, etc...Get real, get over it, and we apologize. Bye.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

TWO NEW COLLUMNS COMING SOON

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS
a collumn featuring snap shots of local film celebrities(HAVE YOU BEEN SPOTTED?)
and

CHOMPIN ON THE BIG APPLE(not official name)
posts from a memphis kid who's a freshman film school student in NYcity at SVA.

STAY TUNEDDDD

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

OPEN DISCUSSION TONIGHT AT CO-OP CALLING ALL FILMMAKERS...

TONIGHT AT THE MEDIA CO-OP we'll be having an open discussion on different filmmaking esthetics in the local community. Hopefully we'll have enough representation from the local community to have many different voices represented. And if all goes well, there'll be enough passionate creators in the room that a huge arguemnt over stylistic approaches will break out and a brawl will unfold resulting in THE BIRTH OF TRUE FILM SCENE...with rivalries and entourages who have showdowns at premieres and who try to disrupt one another film shoots and...or, maybe 6 people will show up and we'll talk about why we like making moves.

Either's fine.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

CO-OP NEWSSSSS

The MeDiA Co-op UPDATE.......
The Memphis Digital Arts Co-op 1000 S. Cooper Memphis TN 38104 901.278.9077
  1. UPCOMING SCREENINGS/EVENTS
  2. OVERALL CO-OP UPDATE....
PLEASE AD OUR NEW COMMUNITY BLOG TO YOUR BOOK MARKS: www.mediaco-op.blogspot.com
if you wish to post on this blog, please send a resonse to this email

1.UPCOMING SCREENINGS/EVENTS:
  • Sunday Nov 13th 6pm Films By Andrei Tarkovsky
  • Tuesday Nov 15th 7:30pm Open Discussion on different filmmakling esthetics
(The Films Of Fellini have been postponed)
  • Tuesday Nov 22nd 7:30pm Open Forum for discussion about current projects...
  • Sunday Nov 27th 6pm Celebration by Thomas Vinterberg, and The Idiots by Lars Von Trier

2.OVERALL CO-OP UPDATE

FREE TUESDAY NIGHT WORKSHOPS every tuesday at 7:30
Thanks to all of you who have been attending, facilitating, or even thinking about the Tuesday NIght workshops at the MeDiA Co-op. Coming up on our 4th year of holding these workshops every tuesday night, we are going to be changing the format up a bit, and launching a new educational program at the Co-op starting in the new year. Starting immediately, tuesday nights are going to serve more as an open forum, a place for people to discuss the films they're working on, a place to seek assistance for a production you're gearing up for, or to let people know what you've learned about the projects you've completed.

SUNDAY NIGHT FILM SCREENINGS every sunday at 6pm
We officially launched our ESSENTIAL FILM SERIES to take place every sunday night at 6pm for a measily 3 bucks. These films will be scheduled in advance and advertised secretly through flyers that you can find at places like BlackLodge Video and Otherlands. THis film series will feature great directors from international and american cinema, from the past and present. Each screening will be accomodated by a lecture of some sorts. Some screenings will also actually be lectures on film history, with clips of films and the like. We will be encouraging people from the community to become engaged and be apart of this by selecting films and filmmakers they know alot about and therefore to curate a night of the ESSENTIAL FILM SERIES.

MEMBERSHIP
The co-op now offers 4 tiers of Membership ranging from simple use of office space/internet/printers, to access to a G4w/Editting and Design software, to access to a miniDV camera/boom mic/boom pole/various low-grade lights/tripod. We also have an Patron Membership where if you donate $100 to the co-op you can get discounts for workshops and screenings throughout the year at the co-op. If you have more questions, please email Tim at membership@mediaco-op.org or Andrew at anennngr@memphis.edu

1ST ANNUAL FILMMAKERS CONFERENCE
To celebrate our 4th year of being apart of the Film community of Memphis after First Congregational so graciously accepted us into their wonderful building we will be launching the FIRST ANNUAL MID-SOUTH INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS CONFERENCE in March. The conference will be a mulit-day event with workshops, panels, and screenings. Their will also be an audition formatted similar to the UPTA"s where film actors can audition in front of a panel of directors. Through this conference we hope to unite the independent film community in the surrounding area. We hope to establish the following goals through this project:
-The creation of the MIFD: Memphis Independent Filmmakers Database
A database of all the local directors, producers, actors, etc etc Including a listing of every film created in this city and who's worked on what and where.
-A Library of all locally produced works
-The initiation of an info-list serve where the local film community can stay in-touch with what's going on-including auditions, screenings, need to assistance with crew, etc...

We will start requesting information from individuals soon to get some of these projects off the ground. Please Let us know if you'd like to help with this in any way.

HOPE TO SEE YOU AROUND THE MEDIA CO-OP SOON.

Saturday, November 12, 2005

FUNDRAISER SCREENINGS AT CO-OP


Sawed-Off Collaboratory Productions seek your kind assistance.....

FUNDRAISER SCREENINGS FOR a SAWED-OFF COLLABORATORY PICTURES project...

to finish production on the new documentary This Is What Love In Action Looks Like
@The MeDiA Co-op 1000 S. Cooper
901-278-9077 for more info PAY WHAT YOU CAN!

  • Friday December 16th
7:30 What Does Love In Action Look LIke: a preface (plus short films)
9:30 Blue Citrus Hearts

  • Saturday December 17th
7:30 Away(A)wake
9:30 What Does Love In Action Look Like: a preface (plus short films)

The Documentary follows an international news story that unfolded in Memphis in the summer of 2005 surrounding the controversial "get straight camp" Love In Action, and their teenage program called Refuge. Sawed-Off needs funding to complete this documentary and then promote it around the country for distribution and festival screenings. What does Love In Action Look Like: a preface, the companion piece to This Is What Love In Action Looks Like was awarded the "Ron Tibbett Excellence In Filmmaking" award at the 2005 Indie Memphis film festival.

Sawed-off's previous films which will screen the 16th and 17th have been screened around the country and are distributed by Ariztical Entertainment nationally on DVD.

Acclaim for The 2003 Feature, Blue Citrus Hearts:

"one of the top 15 films of 2003" -The Commercial Appeal -The Chicago Reader

"this movie captures all the awkwardness, angst, despair, exhilaration and confusion of being a teenager. It’s raw and aching, beautiful and honest...
I am adding Fox to my list of filmmakers to watch and I am wondering just what is going on in Memphis, Tenn., to foster work so solid and accomplished"
-Chicago Free Press

All screenings will be accompanied by Q and A sessions....