Where We Begin

Where we begin? Right at the start? Maybe?
Well yes if this were a question from say someone who speaks English as a second language.
Or maybe it's meant to be locating where we actually begin?

All this is not relevant in this case because Where We Begin is actually a title for a short film that is being made, a film made by Mitsuyo Miyazaki. Actually it's a collaboration between her and the band called Mono, most popular in Japan. And wait for it......it's a dance film.

Mono live

Photos by Viola Kam 

http://shadowviola.wordpress.com/

 Well shit! what does that mean? and that's a good question but before I go there I wanna tell you about the first film that I saw directed by Mitsuyo.

TSUYAKO (2011) 

(V'z Twinkle Photography)

This was her USC School of Cinematic Arts, MFA Thesis project.  It's one of the most beautiful short films that have passed my eyes, beautifully shot, exquisite and seamless production design, great casting and direction, etherial score and such a touching personal story. 
It really is magnificent!
Check out the trailer here.
Based on this film alone I will claim Mitsuyo is a great filmmaker and I will back her next project to see what comes next, what delight is just around the corner? Just check out the website and see all the awards this film has won to realise I'm not just spouting hot air on this one. I think all who have seen it will agree with my words and some may say I'm understating.

So now we have a dance film on the cards, could be tragic....maybe but I doubt it. 

It's funny how things come in groups but I have had some really good experiences around dance and film, filmmakers with a dance background, films about dancers, dance as the main communicator.
Most recently and also from the States is a short film by Abe Heisler. He is a very accomplished filmmaker also and has just recently completed a short called Dancing with Nureyev that explores the passion of ballet, the journey and the crossroads of an aspiring performer. 
Simply put it is a beautiful lyrical piece, all Abe's films come from the heart.
 

Viktor Kabaniaev & Sasha De Sola from the film Dancing with Nureyev

So not long after seeing this I also became aware of Where We Begin. 
I think I'm into the idea of it, if this film lands halfway between Abe's film and Tsuyako it would be a stunningly beautiful masterpiece. Check out the kickstarter campaign quickly, cause it's expiring very soon, and there and on the facebook page there are many videos giving insight into the creative process and the thinking behind this film. Plenty of material for you to make up your own mind.

These are the sort of projects that attract my attention and these are the sort of projects that I finacially back. I want to see them birthed into this world. I am interested.

NOIRHOUSE - the return.

Series II Episodes 4 - 9

So series two of Noirhouse launched nationally on ABC iView in November but was only available in Australia (why would yo geoblock a web series?? indeed we live in strange times!).
But as of December it is available to the rest of the world on the Noirhouse web site and it is in glorious HD.  Forgive me if you tried to access the show outside of Australia the last time I posted about this  but now you can all see it.

Series II has double the episodes of series I but continues on the hellbent tangent of murder, mystery and mayhem that is only possible in a Noir Share-house and only possible emanating from the deep south's capital of Hobart. 

NOIRHOUSE, so who really drank the milk?

I have a vested interest in pushing this little baby.

Hobart is my second home, I am unofficial Hobartarian and thus I will champion the creative endeavors that regularly pop from this part of the world.

Mick, Nathan & Mel 

I have shared both good times and bad times having worked on many a short film with lots of the Noirhouse cast and crew.  They are very good at what they do and they be good people too! 

Of course I want to see their work succeed.

The Rusian, The Feme Fatale & The Detective

I have worked on a lot of shit productions in my time. Most of what I have worked on would fall into this category but when on the rare occasion I do get to work on something that is good I like to gloat about it and shout its virtues to the ends of the world. I've had the privilege of scheduling and managing both series of Noirhouse and not only did I do a blistering job!!!! but these shows are actually really well written, beautifully cast, well acted, shot just delightfully, stunning production design, sublimely scored and greatly directed. In short this stuff aint shit, they are good shows.

the romance of candlelight

Series II is part of a batch of web series that the ABC has invested in so that it can bring unique and specific programing to ABC iView, making it more than just a 'catch up' portal. Noirhouse, along with Wasteland Panda and a couple of others are now exclusive to ABC iView. Its exciting and pioneering stuff, will this out let enable sustainable production for web series or is there a larger agenda going on? Maybe the online hub is like a crowd sourcing exercise or a broadcast audience test bed platform.
Is it a matter of 'the series with the most hits' gets converted into a comedy show for ABC 1 or 2???
Or is the ABC truly wanting unique programing for it's web presence because it sees this as the future of broadcast and exhibition?

Doesn't really matter what is going on cause that is just a side story to the main event of some really good, entertaining content that is now available for your immediate consumption. Get on it and have a watch but also get it out amongst the others so they can have a watch too.
Share the Shit out of it cause it's Good Shit!

Red Carpet for Opening Night, BIFF 2014.

Wowy Cowy, me as the paparazzi? nahhh, never. But popping off shots of celebrities was exactly what I did on opening night this BIFF. It takes quite a while to fill an outdoor cinema via a red carpet.
So the decision between passively watching this parade of actors and directors or taking it head on as undercover photographer was made with very little deliberation and here are the results.
No Shame!

Ryohei Otani & Dir. Kim Han-min  (Roaring Currents)

Lee Jung-hyun (Roaring Currents)

Watanabe Ken & Moon So-ri host's of the evening.

Kim Won hae doing it like a Gangster

Tang Wei & Dir. Ann Hui (The Golden Era)

Kim Soo-hyun (Level 7 Civil Servant, The Avengers)

Chen Jian Bin, Chen Yi Han, Juan Ethan, Wan Qian, Dir. Niu Doze Chen-Zer & Dir. Lee Yong-kwan

Paradise in Service Dir. Niu Doze Chen-Zer & BIFF 2014 Dir. Lee Yong-kwan

Dir. Shim Sung Bo + Han Ye-ri (Haemoo)

Cast from One on One and Dir. Kim Ki Duk

Han Ye-ri + Moon Seong-geun (Haemoo)

Lee Ha-Nui Honey Lee (Behind the Camera) & Kim Nam-gil (The Pirates)

Im Ji-yeon (Obsessed)

Kim Hee-ra and wife

Love Never Fails - Jang Hyun-sung, Oh Yu-jin & Choi Jungwon

Paradise in Service - Opening Night Film

Kim Gyu-ri, Dir. Im Kwon-Taek & Kim Ho-Jung (Revivre)

Kim Hee-ae (Elegant Lie)

Kim Hee-ae (Elegant Lie)

Kang Ye-won (The Huntress, Haeundae)

Jo Yeo-jung (The Target, Obsessed) + one

Jung Woo-sung + Esom (Behind the Camera)

Jung Yumi (Our Sunhi, In Another Country, Oki's Movie)

Kaho Minami, dir Ryuichi Hiroki & Lee Eun-Ho (Kabuki Lovehotel)

Well it was a bit of fun and it certainly passed the time before the official formalities.
It was amazing that I was where I was and was able to witness the passing parade.
Opening Night tickets sold out online within 3 minutes! It's a pretty in demand event.
What's not captured in the pictures is the clapping and cheering and screaming that is going on, depending heavily on who was on the carpet. There were some who got complete silence.
The rest of the night was sort of epic in scale and a bit weird too, ending in a screening of Paradise in Service. Which was great but that's not for here nor now.

Gwangandaegyo Bridge, Busan

   

Connecting the left hemisphere with the right or just bypassing the grey matter in between

where the Suyoung River meets the sea

Just one of many spectacular links in the city of Busan

Korean Tourism Organisation

Especially at night!

Gwangandaegyo Bridge, Busan.   부산 광안대교

BIFF Bucket List

3 days out and counting
Here's my El - Biffo Bucket List,
I fuck'n never make bucket lists, own a bucket list or use the expression.
What's going on?
Anyway I've been watching the fish jumping for joy in the SuYeong River and I'm pretty excited too!
Here we go.

Thurs:
Paradise in Service (Taiwan). Opening night film. Very lucky to get ticket so will attend.

Fri:
Hill of Freedom 자유의 언덕 (Korea). This is Hong Sangsoo's latest, plus it's so short (70min) it mus be sweet and there is a guest visit!!!! Say no more.   

Hong Sangsoo

A Hard Night 끝까지 간다 (Korea). This is a text book case study in genre mechanics and a cracker of a ride. I wanna see it again to break it down a bit plus it has a guest visit.

Love Never Fails 사랑이 이긴다 (Korea) An overachieving high school girl and her overbearing mother. Hmmmm OK!

Kundo: Age of the Rampant 군도:민란의 시대 (Korea). One of this summer's period blockbusters that sent the domestic box office in a spin (in a good way). Must see to experience the fuss and maybe learn some history? It too has a guest visit.

Sat:
The Fatal Encounter 역린 (Korea). A historical piece about a king dodging too many assassins. A debut feature film for a established TV director.

One on One 일대일 (Korea). A Kim Ki-duk film is always worth the investment of some time. Happy to see the progression from Pieta and Mobius plus hear from the boss himself in a guest visit.

Timing 타이밍 (Korea) Superpowers of time control used to solve mysteries! With a guest event to explain. Sounds good to me.

Mother 마더 (Korea) A Bong Joon Hoclassic that needs to be seen on the big screen + guest visit.

Sun:
Roaring Currents 명량 (Korea) Another box office smashing, period, summer blockbuster staring Mr. Old boy himself, Choi Min-sik. Oh yeah it's including a guest visit.

Sion Sono

Tokyo Tribe (Japan). Sion Sono's latest and it sounds like a cracker. If anyone is going to switch me onto Hip Hop it's going to be the Master. Unfortunately amidst unsubstantiated rumours of unreliability and high jinx revelry he will not be in attendance this year. Boo!

Haemoo 해무 (Korea). debut feature and all about people smugglers/fisherman/boat people/illegal immigrants. Sounds kinda close to home?

Venus Talk 관능의 법칙 (Korea). I  dont think this is sex in the city but it might be. I apologise if I'm right off the mark.

Mon: Doco Monday!
The Truth Shall not Sink with Sewol 다이빙벨 (Korea). A doco looking into the disaster of the Sewol ferry sinking and the consequent Government inaction and silence ever since. Controversial and with guest visit. This one will get close to the bone.

The Target 표적 (Korea). A remake of Point Blank! Interesting. Chases & Twists Assassins and a doctor's kidnapped wife. Recipe for goodness maybe?

Southeast Asian Cinema, When the Rooster Crows. (Italian) A documentary featuring four directors from the region, the one that pricked my interest was Brillante Mendoza from the Philippines. This director also made a doco on South Korean cinema a few years back which was met with acclaim.
Tue:
Over your Dead Body (Japan). A ghost story from Takashi Miike, ahhh, OK!

Kill Me Three Times (Australia). Maybe a not so cute follow up to Red Dog.

Socialphobia  소셜포비아 (Korea) Internet bullies, provocative comments online, suicide or maybe murder. If it be too confusing a guest event might help.

Nick & Chai (Philippines). Doco on the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan and how one couple cope.

Wim Wenders

Wed: 
Salt of the Earth (Germany) Interesting doco from Wim Wenders. Track record impeccable, will always check out his work.

Bwaya (Philippines) Crocodile attack in swamps, guest event, Philippines.

Thur:
Han River 한강블루스 (Korea) Suicide, homeless, priesthood and that famous river.

Live TV 라이브TV (Korea) Suitably coocky story of a live internet broadcast of a threesome where they are stalked by a crazed killer. OK I'm there!

The Pirates 해적: 바다로 간 산적 (Korea). Another summer, period blockbuster, this time with those that say arrrggghh!

Asian Short Films program 3. A collection of shorts that are in competition this year.

Fri:
Korean Shorts Prog 1. A collection of shorts that are in competition this year.

Coming Home (China) cause it came highly recommended and has a star studded cast

Pasolini (France/Italy/Belgium). Reconstructing the last days of Pasolini's life. If this is half as good as the short on the same subject "Ostia - La Notte Finale" it will be a cracker.

Lars Von Trier

Nymphomaniac Lars Von Trier at midnight and uncut. Yes Please!

Sat:
Still the Water (Japan) Life, Death & First Love uh huh.



So that's it so far, busy schedule but it still has room for more.....but do I?