Last night, I had the occasion to speak with world-renowned hip-hop provocateur Boots Riley on a wide range of subjects spanning from his childhood in Detroit, spent in a household of Communist organizers, to his current work, organizing people in his neighborhood as a member Occupy Oakland. And, of course, we touched on his equally […]
Tag Archives: independent film
The Ypsi Film Shootout
A few weeks ago, upon hearing that a local film competition was being planned, I submitted a list of questions to the organizers. Well, I just received the following answers from Mark Ducker, the man behind the Ypsi 24-Hour Film Shootout. (As his response came in the form of one long message, I’ve broken it […]
Ypsi/Arbor Exit Interviews: Adrianne Finelli
After living among us for the past half dozens years, Adrianne Finelli will be leaving shortly for Pennsylvania. I took the opportunity to ask her a few questions. MARK: Where will you be moving to and what will you be doing there? ADRIANNE: I’m moving back to Pennsylvania, not back to Philly, but the other […]
The Ann Arbor Film Festival’s “50 Screens” initiative
If you’ve walked around Ann Arbor these past few days, you likely encountered free film, video and moving image installations, in the windows of stores, projected onto buildings, etc. The initiative, called 50 Screens, was undertaken by our friends at the Ann Arbor Film Festival, in order to engage with members of the public who […]
Emilia Javanica on the Red Blob Massacre, and what it’s like to shoot one’s first independent film
A few months ago, I announced here on the site that an aspiring filmmaker in Ann Arbor, by the name of Emilia Javanica, was looking for actors to cast in a comedic horror film that she was making called the Red Blob Massacre. Well, the film has just completed production, and I took the opportunity […]