NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW

For filmmakers, musicians, & creative people who do amazing things and want to make the world better in some way.

Capturing Authentic Cajun Culture on Screen: Lost Bayou

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My podcast coverage of Nashville Film Festival begins with Lost Bayou, a film that premiered at Tribeca and went on to win Best Picture at the El Dorado Film Festival. Lost Bayou tells the story of a struggling addict who returns home to the Louisiana bayou to reconnect with her faith healer father, only to discover he’s hiding a troubling secret aboard his houseboat.

During the Nashville Film Festival, I had the chance to interview director Brian Richard, writer-producer Hunter Burke, and actor Jackson Beals about the film.

Some of the things we discuss include

  • Honoring, not exploiting, the Cajun faith-healing community
  • Getting the Cajun accents right and using them for story purposes
  • Working with the Grammy-winning band Lost Bayou Ramblers on the soundtrack
  • Nurturing a family-like atmosphere on set
  • Exploring a crisis of faith on screen
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Related Episode

A few years ago I had the opportunity to interview Brian and Hunter about their short film Atchafalaya. That conversation is included in my coverage of the New Orleans Film Festival 2015.

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Related Things

Hunter, Brian, me, and Jackson doing the festival thing!
  • Good for What Ails You, the doc directed by Glen Pitre that explores Cajun faith healers.
  • Lost Bayou Ramblers, the band that provided the music for the film
  • If you are in or near New Orleans, you can catch Lost Bayou on Oct. 17 & 23 at the New Orleans Film Festival.

Music for the show provided by Rob Costlow.

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Louisiana International Film Festival Recap #LIFF2018

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This year, I had the chance to interview several filmmakers screening films at the Louisiana International Film Festival.  On this episode, I recap some of those interviews and share some of my experiences and takeaways from LIFF2018.

Louisiana International Film Festival 2018 podcast recapHere are my prior interviews from #LIFF2018. On the recap below, I share some of the highlights from each interview, what it was like getting to screen my short at the festival, and some of the new discoveries and filmmaking observations, and life lessons I learned while attending.

Films from LIFF2018 that I discuss on this episode include

  • 1000 Year Flood
  • And Then I Go 
  • Blaze 
  • Brimstone & Glory 
  • Cut Off 
  • Do U Want It 
  • Gabriel & the Mountain 
  • Hearts Beat Loud
  • Larger Than Life: The Kevin Aucoin Story
  • Mixed Signals (short)
  • Mr. United States (short)
  • Stay Woke (short)
  • Stuck
  • Tinker
  • Through the Banks of the Red Cedar

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Want to learn more about one of the bands that played at the festival? Then check out this interview I did with Peter Simon, the lead singer of Minos the Saint, which was one of the bands that played at LIFF’s Filmmaker Lounge this year.

 

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My short film Mixed Signals premiered at LIFF 2018 on April 21.
Mixed Signals directed by Nick Savides at LIFF 2018#

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Related Things

Louisiana International Film Festival headquarters

LIFF headquarters at Perkins Rowe during the festival

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  • LIFF 2018
  • Festival winners (everything except the Dan Ireland award was selected by the audience)
    • Dan Ireland New Voices/New Visions Award – Stealing Rodin
    • Best Narrative Feature – Streaker
    • Best Documentary Feature – Sammy Davis, Jr.: I Gotta Be Me 
    • Best Louisiana Narrative Feature – Blaze 
    • Best Louisiana Documentary Feature – Larger Than Life: The Kevin Aucoin Story
    • Best International Short Film – Newborn
    • Best Louisiana Short Film – Headless Swans
    • Best Mature Animated Short –  Your Black Friend 
  • Past #LIFF2018 interviews, arranged by film
  • My first visit to SXSW
  • My recap of SXSW 2018
  • Shortcut for the podcast: nicksav.show

Music for the show provided by Rob Costlow.

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Other Films & Shows Mentioned

  • Breaking Bad
  • Gunslinger
  • Godfather
  • Home Remedy (web series)
  • Lost

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Bands & Musicians Mentioned

  • Minos the Saint
  • Pappa Grows Funk
  • Ryan Harris

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New Orleans Film Festival’s Artistic Director, Clint Bowie

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After years of experience as the programming director for the New Orleans Film Festival,  Clint Bowie was promoted to artistic director in early 2017. As artistic director, Clint now plays a larger role in determining what screens at the festival, whether indie films or studio submissions.

The New Orleans Film Festival’s selection process takes months and involves a great deal of discussion amidst the programming team. After becoming an Oscar-qualifying festival for short films, the festival’s task load increased exponentially. This year they had to sift through over 5000 submissions.

Clint Bowie Artistic Director of the New Orleans Film Festival

I really see our festival as an opportunity for filmmakers to advance their careers, to connect with other filmmakers, and of course to connect their stories with an audience.” – Clint Bowie

The selection process for any given film festival can often seems opaque and mysterious, but the selection process for the New Orleans Film Festival might seem a little less so after hearing Clint’s interview. He does into some detail about how films get selected and some processes that they have in place to ensure that every film gets a fair shot.

Some of the things that we discuss include

  • The guiding philosophy behind the festival’s selection process
  • When it pays to get out there and dance
  • What filmmakers can do to improve their chances of getting their films selected
  • What, if any, supplemental materials should filmmakers include in their festival submissions
  • How films can impact society for good or for ill, and whether there is such a thing as films that go too far
  • How filmmakers can take advantage of the opportunities that film festivals offer to develop their careers

This year New Orleans Film Festival happens on Oct 11-19, and Clint also shares some recommendations about what to check out. After the interview concludes, I mention some festival screenings and events that caught my attention. I then elaborate on some things that came up in the discussion and share my thoughts on what makes a film worth celebrating and how the films we embrace can influence society at large.

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Instead of using this section for a promotional announcement, I would like to encourage you to donate to those affected by hurricane damage from Harvey, Irma, or Maria.
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Related Things

  • New Orleans Film Festival
  • NOFF 2017 schedule and program
  • NOFF on
  • Some of the festival highlights that Clint mentioned include
    • Bangaologia – The Science of Style  
    • Catching Sight of Thelma & Louise
    • IF/Then Documentary Short Film Program, a partnership between NOFF, the Tribeca Film Institute, and the MacArthur Foundation. The winner of the competition will win a year of mentorship and  $20,000 to make their project.
    • Love and Saucers
    • Watermelon Women
  • Some of the films that caught my eye include
    • Current War
    • Darkest Hour
    • Last Flag Flying 
    • the Louisiana short film blocks
    • Mudbound 
    • Power of the Glove 
  • Other notable events at the festival include a conversation with Patricia Clarkson,  International Screenwriters Association table read and reception. New Orleans Video Access Center’s Filmmakers Welcome Party, the tropical pool party at the Drifter Hotel,  and a Michael Jackson Thriller-themed party at the Art Garage
  • Jordan B. Peterson’s video message to millennials relates to a number of things I discuss in my concluding comments. Discovering it was an encouraging nudge to go forward with the episode.
  • “The Art of Disagreement” from New York Times columnist Bret Stephens
  • The Wired piece about the temp workers moderating content for companies like Google and Facebook and the trauma they experience after prolonged periods of watching extreme content
  • PragerU on the downfall of Venezuela
  • My blog post on John Ford and his films
  • Past podcast episodes mentioned
    • Larry Blake, the re-recording mixer and supervising sound editor who has worked on most of Steven Soderbergh’s films
    • Bradley Greer, the colorist who has worked on films like 12 Years a Slave, Iceman, and The Looper
    • Richard Matson from The Orchard, the distribution company behind Oscar-nominated films like Cartel Land and Life, Animated

 

Other Films & Shows Mentioned

  • 12 Years a Slave
  • Braveheart 
  • Clockwork Orange 
  • Gray Gardens, directed by the Maysles brothers. (Clint also mentioned the work of the Maysles brothers in general. Other well-known films from them include Gimme Shelter and Salesman.)
  • Leviathan (2012)
  • Hari Kiri
  • Irreversible
  • Queen Sugar 
  • Raging Bull
  • Searchers 
  • Thelma & Louise

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Film Distribution with BOND/360’s Elizabeth Sheldon

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BOND/360 is a film distribution company that grew out of BOND Strategy & Influence, which specializes in film marketing. Some of the campaigns that the BOND team has worked on include the Oscar-nominated film Exit Through the Gift Shop, the BAFTA-winning Senna, and the Walter Murch-edited documentary Particle Fever about the Large Hadron Collider.

Elizabeth Sheldon has been the chief operating officer for BOND/360 since 2016. Before that she was the senior vice president for indie film distributor Kino Lorber, where she expanded her knowledge of the global independent film landscape.

Elizabeth Sheldon discusses film distribution on The nsavides PodcastOn this episode of The nsavides Podcast, she discusses how she finds films to acquire, how she likes to work with filmmakers, and how BOND handled the campaign for three recent releases: God Knows Where I Am,  Karl Marx City, and Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back. Plus, she shares some breaking news about a new acquisition that came out of SXSW 2017.

God Knows Where I Am tells the story of a mentally ill woman who starved to death in an abandoned house. It won two Special Jury Prizes at Hot Docs 2016.  Karl Marx City explores Cold-War East Germany from the perspective of the filmmaker whose father committed suicide and had rumored ties to the Stasi secret police. Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back profiles the infamous artist-provocateur who has earned both esteem and contempt in art circles around the world. 

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Film Distribution Takeaways

  • Quotes on a movie poster can help a film stand out in a crowded marketplace.
  • Distributors sometimes turn to their peers, agents, and festival goers for recommendations about what to buy.
  • Some distributors are open to meeting new filmmakers at festivals, and emailing a request in advance might help to make it happen.
  • Universities and higher-learning organizations can build awareness and increase income for issues-driven films.
  • Filmmakers who try to take on distribution themselves aren’t able to take advantage of a distributor’s sophisticated relationships with big industry players who can help a film gain traction.
  • Creating special outreaches for segmented audiences related to a film can raise awareness of a release.
  • A film campaign isn’t always just about getting more views. Sometimes it can also extend conversations around a film’s topic.
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Related Things

Past releases from BOND/360 that caught my attention but that we didn’t get to discuss include Mudbloods, a look at the real-life quidditch sport inspired by the world of Harry Potter, and two Shakespeare-related films. Now: In The Wings On A Worlds Stage follows the worldwide tour of a Richard III production that starred Kevin Spacey and was directed by Sam Mendes. A Midsummer Night’s Dream was filmed during Julie Taymor’s stage production of Shakespeare’s beloved play.

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Films Discussed

God Knows Where I Am film promo

  • God Knows Where I Am
  • The Imposter
  • Karl Marx City
  • Man Down
  • Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back
  • Through the Repellent Fence

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SXSW 2017 Podcast Coverage Part II – Music & Interactive Interviews and Concluding Thoughts

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This is Part II of my SXSW 2017 podcast coverage. Part I includes the film-related interviews I did while attending the festival. On this episode I share my interactive and music-related interviews. Then I share my takeaways from the music, interactive, and film aspects of the festival that I experienced.

The episode concludes with my own personal SXSW story. In it, I explore some of the big questions that the festival evoked, meet Tim Ferriss and a few other luminaries for the first time, and share my struggles in attempting to navigate the festival without a drop of alcohol. Some complications ensue.

The nsavides Podcast coverage of SXSW 2017The interviews and my concluding thoughts are interconnected, which is why I kept them together in one episode, but we cover a lot of ground so you might want to reference the start times below if you have a particular area of interest.

Note: The length of the episode seems to affect how the web player displays the time. If you are trying to get to a certain section and aren’t hearing it, try going back a few minutes, up to 10 minutes or so as you get towards the end of the episode.

Guests in this Episode

  • Gregory Kallenberg, founder of the Louisiana Film Prize  – starts at 6:15. He has been attending SXSW since year one and has been on the board for the interactive side of the festival for 20+ years. We discuss some of the changes that the festival has undergone throughout the years, notable aspects of the interactive portion of the festival, and some of the Louisiana Music Prize alumni who have gone on to play at SXSW.
  • Merisa Torneo & Josh Volkov, the friendly husband and wife duo behind the country-rock band Lovella – starts at 17:57. Merisa and Josh played daily at the SXSW Registrant Lounge right across from the Austin Convention Center. They also played a showcase at Cooper’s BBQ towards the end of the festival. We discuss the origins of the band, their experiences at the festival, and what they consider to be a successful show.

Lovella at SXSW 2017I interviewed Merisa and Josh on this balcony at the Austin Convention Center.

 

  • Michael Bonfiglio, co-director of May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers – starts at 32:40. His music doc (and/or the musicians and the filmmakers) got three standing ovations when it premiered at SXSW 2017. It went on to win 24 Beats Per Second audience award at the festival. Mike explains how they captured vulnerable moments from the band and what it was like to collaborate with co-director Judd Apatow.
  • Mark Falgout, owner of Blue Moon Saloon in Lafayette, Louisiana – starts at 45:20. He put together a showcase at Antone’s, a storied music venue in Austin, to help close out the music portion of the festival. Three of the bands in his Louisiana themed showcase have received Grammy nominations, one has appeared on NBC’s The Voice, and one has recorded music for HBO’s True Blood. He explains what he looks for in bands and shares some tips to musicians trying to make a living from their music.

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My Take on Things

  • Music – starts at 1:00:25. Here I talk about some of the music shows and keynotes that caught my attention.
  • Interactive – starts at 1:07:26. This includes some of the brands, panels, and keynotes dealing with technology and politics that I experienced.
  • Film – starts at 1:32:38. Here I give some recommendations to filmmakers trying to navigate the festival and share some of the films, shows, and keynotes that I got to check out.
  • My SXSW Story – starts at 1:57:55. Here I share some of the ups and downs that I experienced at the festival while doing podcast coverage and trying to figure out why I had a sense that I should attend the festival this year.

profiterole at Chez Nous in Austin

The profiterole I ordered at Chez Nous

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Related Things

This is the playlist I put together of some of the bands performing at SXSW 2017. It is a sort-of soundtrack to my festival experience.

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  • This keynote from National Geographic photographer and Canon shooter Cory Richards had a big influence on how this episode turned out.  
  • Writer and film critic Ben Parman also influenced this episode and provided feedback on it. Thanks for that, Ben.
  • pollstar.com – the site Mark mentioned for tracking band touring numbers

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Other Notable Keynotes & Q&As from SXSW 2017

This keynote from Joe Swanberg in 2016 is also worth a watch.

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Films & Shows Discussed

Update: METH STORM: Arkansas USA is another film I saw at the festival. It was difficult to watch, but it deals with a challenging topic in an evenhanded way and is worth seeing.

I overlooked it when going through my notes for this episode, possibly because parts of it were so searing, but it was not an intentional omission. That said, it would take me a few minutes to expand on my reactions to it. Considering that this episode is already over 3 hours long, it is probably best that I save that discussion for another time.  

METH STORM is directed by Brent and Craig Renaud. A few months ago,  Craig came on the show and discussed some of the other films he has directed with his brother.

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SXSW 2017 Podcast Coverage Part I – Film Interviews

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The SXSW Conference and Festivals that happens each year in Austin has three components: film, music, and interactive. Essentially it is three distinct festivals combined into one massive event that happens each March. This year I was able to get a press pass to do coverage for the podcast. Even with a few days of prep, it was still a challenge to stay on top of everything happening at SXSW 2017, but I gave it the ol’ college try.

The nsavides Podcast coverage of SXSW 2017This podcast episode includes most of the film-related interviews I was able to get at the festival or shortly after it concluded. The interviews are a little shorter than usual so as to allow for a sampling of perspectives.

Part II will include music and interactive-related interviews and my concluding thoughts about the festival experience. It’s not a definite account by any means, just my subjective take on what stuck out for me. I will also share some of the ups and downs I faced as honestly as I can, which I hope will provide some perspective on the festival experience that goes beyond what straight reporting can convey.

The guests in this episode include

  • Mike Ott, director of California Dreams – starts at 4:23. He was once featured on Indiewire’s series “Futures: 15 to Watch,” which profiles up-and-coming voices in the indie film scene. His work has received accolades from the American Film Institute, the Gotham Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, and film festivals across the country. California Dreams follows a series of unusual characters struggling to make ends meet as they pursue their dreams of becoming actors.
  • Marina Zenovich, director of Water & Power: A California Heist – starts at 18:18. She won an Emmy for her film Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, one of two documentaries she made about the filmmaker.  On Water & Power, she worked with Alex Gibney to document California’s water crisis and used Polanski’s Chinatown as a framing device to explore the real-life intrigue happening behind the scenes.
  • Sebastian Junger, producer of Hell on Earth: The Rise of Syria, the Fall of ISIS – starts at 23:38. He is the New York Times best-selling author of The Perfect Storm, War, and Tribe. He also co-directed the Oscar-nominated documentary Restrepo. In his latest documentary he explores the destabilizing conditions that gave rise to ISIS and the unrest in Syria.

Sebastian Junger at the National Geographic Basecamp SXSW 2017

Sebastian Junger autographs some of his books at the National Geographic Further Base Camp, SXSW 2017.

  • Miao Wang, director of Maineland – starts at 35:00. She has produced short films in partnership with companies like Budweiser, GE, and Microsoft. Her first feature, Beijing Taxi, premiered at SXSW in 2010. Maineland is a cross-continental exploration of the Chinese students who apply to and attend a boarding school in rural Maine. The film won the Special Jury Recognition for Excellence In Observational Cinema at SXSW 2017.
  • Leonard Maltin, film historian and critic – starts at 48:26. He has appeared as a film reviewer on Entertainment Tonight and currently teaches a class at USC and hosts the Maltin on Movies podcast with his daughter. At SXSW he moderated the Q & A for the film Lucky and interviewed Frank Oz. The third edition of his book Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide: From the Silent Era Through 1965 was recently released and presented by Turner Classic Movies.

Some of the topics we discuss include

  • What distinguishes a true artist from a mere dreamer
  • Why winning an award or becoming famous doesn’t always make things better
  • The importance of ensuring that everyone has reliable access to water
  • How to use dramatic elements to make documentaries more compelling
  • How to collaborate with others to capture footage in dangerous regions
  • Destabilizing factors that can lead to violent extremism
  • How to work with large companies to produce short films
  • What is involved in shooting a cross-continental project
  • Notable highlights from this year’s SXSW
  • How Leonard Maltin responds to seeing a movie he doesn’t like when the filmmakers are in attendance

Special thanks to Sam Claitor from Fable House for helping me put together my podcast coverage of SXSW 2017. I would also like to thank Kara MacLean of K2 Publicity and Sara Tehrani of MPRM Communications for helping me get some of the interviews in this episode.

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Related Things

I shot this video during SXSW. In it Jon Miller from Hive Lighting demonstrates the features of the Wasp 100-C, a new light that Hive Lighting introduced at the festival.

Part II of my SXSW 2017 coverage includes interactive and music-related interviews. It also includes my festival recap and some of the bands, keynotes, and films that caught my attention.

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Films Discussed

  • American Movie
  • Beijing Taxi
  • California Dreams 
  • Chinatown
  • The Founder
  • Hell on Earth: The Rise of Syria, the Fall of ISIS
  • Hero
  • Lucky
  • Maineland
  • Park Row
  • Rear Window 
  • Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
  • Steel Helmet
  • Strangers on a Train
  • Water & Power: A California Heist

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Books Discussed

  • Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide: From the Silent Era Through 1965
  • Tribe

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Podcast Episodes Mentioned

  • Jeff Jasper – digital effects supervisor on The Dark Knight, Hugo, & Interstellar
  • John Lee Hancock – director of The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks, & The Founder
  • John Schneider – actor on Dukes of Hazzard, Smallville, & The Haves and the Have Nots

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