Last modified: Thursday, August 16, 2012
'Cinema With No Excuses': IU Cinema series brings indie filmmakers for Jorgensen lecture
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 16, 2012
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Independent filmmakers Joe Swanberg and Amy Seimetz will visit Indiana University's Bloomington campus this month, where they'll screen several of their films at IU Cinema and deliver a Jorgensen Guest Filmmaker Lecture.
Photo by Joe Swanberg
Mark Duplass and Greta Gerwig in "Hannah Takes the Stairs," a film by Joe Swanberg.
Part of the "Cinema With No Excuses" series, the films are representative of the movement characterized by micro-budgets, an embraced digital aesthetic and naturalistic dialogue dubbed "mumblecore."
The film series pulls its title from a journal article by Brigitta Wagner, adjunct assistant professor in IU's Department of Communication and Culture, who said filmmakers like Swanberg "make films without excuses. They make films about people their age, their perception of the world and their technological moment with the means available to them."
Swanberg's films have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and the SXSW Film Festival, while Seimetz's latest directorial effort, "Sun Don't Shine," premiered in March at SXSW Film Festival, where it won a Chicken and Egg Emergent Woman Narrative Filmmaker award.
The two filmmakers will also deliver a Jorgensen Guest Filmmaker lecture at 3 p.m. Aug. 24 at IU Cinema. The series is made possible through the support of the Ove W Jorgensen Foundation.
"This series should be inspirational to all young filmmakers," IU Cinema Director Jon Vickers said. "It's pretty impressive to see how these prolific filmmakers work with very modest budgets, then manage to see their creations distributed. At the same time, they've carved out a place for themselves with these immediate, relevant films that speak to a world filled with cell phones, digital cameras, social media and the Internet."
Screenings as part of the film series are:
- 7 p.m. Aug. 23, "Silver Bullets." Claire's boyfriend is suspicious when she accepts a role in a horror film directed by a talented young filmmaker.
- 6:30 p.m. Aug. 24, "Sun Don't Shine." On the road in central Florida, Crystal and Leo have good hearts but do very bad things.
- 9:30 p.m. Aug. 24, "Alexander the Last." A portrait of young marriage illuminates the challenges of monogamy.
- 11:59 p.m. Aug. 24, "V/H/S." This horror film features five directors, an abandoned house, a dead body and an endless supply of cryptic footage.
- 6:30 p.m. Aug. 25, "Hannah Takes the Stairs." Struggling to find fulfillment in relationships, Hannah risks leaving destruction in her wake.
- 9:30 p.m. Aug. 25, "LOL." Alex, Tim and Chris view the women in their life through a screen or lens in a film that explores masculinity in the new millennium.
Swanberg and Seimetz are scheduled to be present for "Silver Bullets" and "Alexander the Last." Seimetz is expected to be present for "Sun Don't Shine," while Swanberg will introduce "V/H/S."
No tickets are necessary for the lecture, but seating is limited. Tickets for the film series are free for students and $3 for the general public. Tickets can be obtained at the IU Auditorium Box Office from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; one hour before each screening at the cinema; or online.
IU Cinema is a world-class facility and program dedicated to the scholarly study and highest standards of exhibition of film in its traditional and modern forms. For more information on the facility or programs, call 812-856-2503 or visit www.cinema.indiana.edu.
