Inside Jamaica's Growing Film Industry

Though it may not be making major headlines, Jamaica’s film industry is currently having a significant moment in the spotlight. This month’s release of “Sprinter” marks the third film made by, or heavily featuring, Jamaican talent to be distributed in North America in 2019. Showcasing an array of filmmaking sensibilities, these films – Storm Saulter’s “Sprinter”, Idris Elba’s “Yardie” and Khalik Allah’s “Black Mother” – reflect the changing dynamics of the nascent Jamaican film industry. As “Sprinter” prepares for a unique theatrical run, AwardsCircuit.com caught up with some key figures of the contemporary Jamaican film scene to get an inside perspective on the factors that are fueling the industry’s recent growth.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Sheldon Shepherd

With the release of Idris Elba’s debut feature “Yardie“, authentic Jamaican culture gets a rare showcase on the big screen. Among its cast of British and Jamaican actors, actor/musician Sheldon Shepherd stands out as someone who fully embodies the island’s distinctive spirit. On the eve of the film’s arrival in US theaters, I spoke with Shepherd about the experience of making the film and his creative process.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Ed Perkins

Recently Oscar nominated for Best Documentary Short, “Black Sheep” tells a powerful true story about racism and identity in the United Kingdom. Its subject is a young black man named Cornelius Walker, who recalls his traumatic childhood experiences with violent racism after moving from London to a predominantly white housing estate in Essex. Deftly mixing interviews and reenactment, “Black Sheep” is one of the impressive contenders in its Oscar category. In speaking with director Ed Perkins, however, he revealed that the idea for the film arose unintentionally from a casual conversation.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Vincent Lambe

It’s never easy to depict a highly sensitive topic on screen, especially when it’s a horrific murder of a child by two other children. Such is the true story of Vincent Lambe’s “Detainment“, which poignantly recreates the early 90s investigation into the shocking murder of two-year-old James Bulger by a pair of 10-year old boys. Decades later, the highly publicized incident still touches a raw nerve with British and Irish citizens, who struggle to comprehend this heinous act of violence. In honor of its recent selection to the Academy’s shortlist for Best Live Action Short film, I caught up with Lambe to discuss the challenge of exploring the film’s touchy subject and the sense of understanding he aspired to convey. Below is an edited version of that discussion.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Barnaby Blackburn

Featuring a suspenseful storyline filled with surprising twists, Barnaby Blackburn’s “Wale” is easily one of the most thrilling films in the Oscar shortlist for Best Live Action Short. But the film, which follows a fateful day in the life of a young black man in London, also makes a clear statement about the harsh realities of social injustice. In our edited conversation below, I spoke with Blackburn to discuss the inspirations behind the film and his filmmaking style.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Likarion Wainaina

One of the most interesting developments in the Oscar race for Best Foreign Language Film this season was the selection of the Kenyan film. After the much publicized controversy surrounding the LGBT-themed “Rafiki,” many presumed it would be the country’s final pick. But the official list of submissions came with a surprise, as Likarion Wainaina’s “Supa Modo” was named as Kenya’s representative. Telling a touching story about a cancer-stricken young girl and her love of cinema, “Supa Modo” has since emerged as significant dark horse for to progress to the upcoming Oscar shortlist. As we await that announcement, I spoke with Wainaina about the meaning behind the film and its place in the promising future of Kenyan cinema. Below is an edited version of our chat.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Rima Das

As you gaze upon the sophisticated direction of “Village Rockstars“, you wouldn’t guess that its helmer Rima Das had no formal training in film. And when you further realize that she made shot, wrote, produced and edited the film on her own, you would agree that “Village Rockstars” is in her words, a miracle. Recently I caught up with Das to get further insight into the long journey of making this award-winning drama, which is now India’s official Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film. In our edited interview below, she discusses honing her craft with children as her inspiration and how her acting dreams led her to becoming a successful director.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Gustavo Steinberg and Daniel Greco

Most politically-charged films arise out of a desire to comment on a prevalent issue. In rare instances, however, they can actually foreshadow the zeitgeist. With their animated Oscar contender “Tito and the Birds“, director Gustavo Steinberg and co-producer Daniel Greco have accomplished just that, crafting a tale about a pandemic of fear which is all too relevant to today’s world. I recently caught up with this filmmaking duo, as we engaged in a fascinating discussion about the film’s unexpected prescience regarding the rise of Donald Trump, as well as the sensitivity of exploring fear in the context of a children’s film. Read below for an edited version of our interview.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra

Hailed by critics as a Colombian take on “The Godfather”, Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra’s “Birds of Passage“ is one of the most ambitious films of Latin American cinema. Exploring themes common to gangster epics, “Birds of Passage” adds new dimensions through its tribal setting. In celebration of the film’s festival run and its selection as Colombia’s official Oscar submission, I spoke with Gallego and Guerra about their striking achievement. Below is an edited version of that discussion, with topics ranging from the importance of a female perspective to respecting ancestral spirits.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Benedikt Erlingsson

Although Iceland hasn’t been nominated for the Foreign Language Oscar since 1991, the Scandinavian nation has submitted some of the most intriguing films over the years. Benedikt Erlingsson’s “Woman at War” is no different, telling a unique story of an environmental activist who wages a one-woman war against her local aluminum industry, while facing major upheavals in her personal life. With several surreal elements in the narrative, the film showcases Scandinavian cinema’s penchant for absurdism and dark humor. In a recent interview with Erlingsson, however, he revealed his strong influences from Greek art and literature. Below is an edited version of our discussion.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Eva Melander

Winner of the Un Certain Regard Award at the Cannes Film Festival and now the official Swedish submission for the Foreign Language Oscar, Ali Abassi’s “Border” is easily one of 2018’s standout films. Its bizarre yet beguiling storyline centers on a woman with abnormal features who comes to realize her true nature when she develops an attraction to a fellow troll. Playing that lead role is Eva Melander, who underwent an extraordinary transformation to look the part. I was therefore excited to talk with Melander recently, as we discussed how she approached the role and ultimately empathized with an inhuman character. Below is an edited version of our conversation.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Javier Fesser

It’s rare for a feel-good film to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, but Spain’s submission “Champions” is trying to buck the trend this year. Directed by Javier Fesser, this unlikely sports dramedy follows a basketball team made up entirely of players with intellectual disabilities. Led by a disgraced professional coach, their heartwarming journey conveys the importance of empathy and camaraderie. Expressing the same enthusiasm depicted in the film, Fesser was effusive about this unique filmmaking experience when I spoke with him recently. Below is an edited version of our conversation.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Gustav Möller

One of the year’s most captivating films hits North American theaters this weekend in the form of “The Guilty,” the debut feature from Danish director Gustav Möller. This inventive thriller takes audiences through a nerve-wracking kidnapping investigation, as it plays out through a phone call set entirely within the confines of an emergency dispatch center. Winner of the Audience Award at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, “The Guilty” now aims for a bigger prize as the official Danish submission for the Foreign Language Oscar. In recognition of its release and upcoming Oscar campaign, I recently spoke with Möller to discuss the making of the film. Below is an edited version of our chat.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Carla Simón

Filmmaking rarely gets more personal than the award-winning debut feature from Carla Simón. Inspired by the personal tragedy surrounding her mother’s death from AIDS-related complications, “Summer 1993” is a tender drama told from a child’s point of view. As the film heads to US theaters around the 25th anniversary of the events depicted, I recently caught up with Simón to discuss the challenges and fulfillment of making a film from painful memories. Below is an edited version of our conversation.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Laura Checkoway

Elder abuse, interracial romance, family drama. These are some of the fascinating topics covered by Laura Checkoway’s Oscar-nominated documentary short “Edith+Eddie“. This bittersweet true story about America’s oldest interracial newlyweds is certainly one of a kind. Recently, I spoke with Checkoway about her experiences and the insights garnered from making the film. Below is an edited version of our conversation.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Reed Van Dyk

We’ve seen numerous accounts of acts of terror adapted for the big screen before, but Reed Van Dyk’s “DeKalb Elementary” brings something different to the table. Nominated for the Best Live Action Short Oscar, this harrowing drama depicts the events surrounding an aborted school shooting. It is an incredible true story that was captured on a 911 call placed by the brave receptionist who calmly negotiates with the shooter. The scenario therefore required an uncommonly empathetic approach to a hot-button issue. In a recent interview with Van Dyk, we discussed how casting and tone were crucial in the making of the film. Below is an edited version of our conversation.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Ildikó Enyedi

People often say love is strange, but Hungarian filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi takes it to a whole new level. In her latest film “On Body and Soul,” a pair of slaughterhouse co-workers strike up a romantic connection in their dreams, where they meet as deer in a forest. But to make things even more peculiar, these two individuals can barely even hold a conversation in their waking life. It’s a tough foundation on which to base a love story, but Enyedi somehow pulls it off. In a recent interview, Enyedi discussed the process of crafting this atypical romance, as well as her own surprise at the film’s warm reception by audiences and Oscar voters. Below is an edited version of our conversation.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Ziad Doueiri

Ask Ziad Doueiri and he will tell you that he doesn’t make political films. But when you see his latest effort “The Insult” there’s no denying a politically engaged voice behind his filmmaking. Despite controversy surrounding his previous film (which even lead to his arrest), Doueiri continues to fearlessly spotlight unpleasant sociopolitical tensions in the Middle East with this gripping courtroom drama. Recently, I spoke to Doueiri to learn more about the background behind “The Insult” and its significance. In our interview, he was very candid about how his personal experiences with censorship and politics affected the film. Below is an edited version of our discussion.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Chris Overton

Depicting an important topic we don’t often think about, “The Silent Child” is one of the most poignant and meaningful of this year’s shortlisted films for the Best Live Action Short Oscar. This tender-hearted drama is directed by Chris Overton, based on a story written by his fiancé Rachel Shenton, who also stars in the film. Shenton plays a social worker named Joanne, who takes a keen interest in the deaf child of middle class family and teaches her how to communicate. As their relationship grows, both Joanne and Libby’s lives are changed for the better. Recently I had the pleasure to speak to Overton, as we discussed his tender approach to the story and the importance of its commonly neglected message.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet

INTERVIEW: Katja Bentrah

If your think shorts can’t be as powerful as feature-length films, then you probably haven’t seen “Watu Wote: All of us“. Based on a true story, this Oscar-shortlisted drama follows the harrowing experience of a group of bus passengers in 2015 Kenya, where tensions between Christians and Muslims are at an all-time high. As “Watu Wote: All of us” unfolds, the reason for this disharmony is revealed with palpable intensity, as a terrorist group attempts an attack. But what happens next comes as a surprise to both the terrorists and the audience. I recently caught up with director Katja Bentrah via phone, as we discussed how she turned this amazing story into an award-winning film. Below is an edited version of that interview.

Read more at The Awards Circuit

Tweet