“To the Wonder” yearning to feel life

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  When writer/director Terrence Malick’s latest cinematic painting unfolds Neil (Ben Affleck) and Marina (Olga Kuryenko), playfully cross the causeway to Mont St. Michel at low tide. They visit the old monastery. Neil says nothing but Marina reflects on love and wonders what will come next. They go from France to Oklahoma, with Marina’s daughter, Tatiana (Tatiana Chiline). The house is new, empty, and though almost sterile, filled with light. Marina and Tatiana begin to adapt, but … [Read more...]

So you have a movie idea? Want to write a script?

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"So You Have a Movie Idea?" Quite frequently I receive requests to read scripts and story ideas from people who have written scripts, are starting to write one, or want to write one. For a while I was consulting on scripts but discovered that 99.9% of those who contacted me really didn't want a critique or analysis as much as they wanted me to tell them they were on to something great. The truth is, good will and passion count, but they are not enough to create a great script. It takes a … [Read more...]

Sundance Film Festival captures human experience (final blog post from Sundance)

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My final blog post about Sundance 2013: In this year's Sundance Film Festival, the first I've attended, women made half of the approximately 200 films screened. This is a milestone even for a festival that has celebrated independent filmmaking from its beginning in the early 1980s. The cinematic lineup of the 2013 festival, held Jan. 17-27, included films from 39 countries and 51 first-time filmmakers. I saw only 21 films in competition or premiering at the festival (and three others), but … [Read more...]

Sundance is full of inspirational films and people

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As the films continue to premiere and the voting for audience awards moves forward, it occurs to me that Sundance is a place you don't want to come unless you are willing to have your worldview questioned. Some will argue that Sundance has a reputation for a liberal agenda, and this is somewhat true if your lens is fixed on the political. But if your lens is made up of human stories about people's ethical and moral choices as well as the subtle religious and overtly spiritual themes, there is … [Read more...]

A ‘Sundance virgin’ on her first few films

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  This is my first year at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and as I listen to people chatter in the lines, what I hear most often is, "I am a Sundance virgin." OK, that fits. This Sundance trip came together after speaking with Dennis Coday, editor of the National Catholic Reporter, over breakfast at the Catholic Press Association's conference last summer. His response to my proposal was, "Let's go for it." The reason I think Sundance is important to the faith … [Read more...]

Catholic Christian criteria for awarding films

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  SIGNIS and INTERFILM Criteria for Juries  I have had the privilege of serving on Catholic and Ecumenical Juries at Berlin (2004), Venice (2000, 2010), and Locarno (2006). Here are the criteria that SIGNIS, the World Catholic Organization for Communication, and INTERFILM (the International Interchurch Film Organization), have developed to inform and guide jury members as they discern winning films: The Ecumenical Jury makes awards to films and to filmmakers according to the … [Read more...]

Cannes 2012 Ecumenical Jury Prize “The Hunt” & “Beasts of the Southern Wild”

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