The Circuit

by Steven Gaydos
Like many film fans, I go to film festivals for surprises. Some brave the winter snows of Prop. 8-loving Utah to find the next Darren Aronofsky, while others have risked incurring the wrath of the totalitarians in Soviet-era Moscow to discover the next Ousmane Sembene.

Me, I go to the Bahamas International Film Festival in Nassau at the beginning of tourist season to learn that 26-year-old "At the Movies" TV pundit Ben Lyons (pictured left of Lawrence Fishburne) is actually pretty smart and good at the job of covering the film biz.

Before you accuse me of professional cowardice, let me clarify: the risk is not in the Bahamian setting, which was balmy, beautiful, refreshing, a delight, but in bringing this troubling news to serious film fans back in America.

You think this is easy? Last time I checked the blogosphere, Lyons was getting pilloried in terms like "half-wit" and "starfucker," while getting accused of everything from nepotism (yes, Hollywood readers, believe and read on) to "destroying the fabric of American cinema," whatever that means.

There's even a website called stopbenlyons.com. I never saw a website called robertmugabe.com or one called stopcarrottop.com and having never watched his show, I figured this guy must be pretty bad and/or stupid.

So when he sat down for the fest's highlight, an hour-and-a-half public chat with Laurence Fishburne, who was receiving the fest's Career Achievement award, I was stage-side with a drool bucket.

But surprise!

Ben didn't drool.

Instead, he did a lively, freewheeling discussion with Fishburne who was, absolutely no surprise at all, smart, charming, witty and generous with his insights about his three-and-a-half decades in the business. Ben dug out some great anecdotes about Tommy Lee Jones who did a soap opera with Fishburne way back when and "rewrote every bit of dialogue he was handed and got away with it because he was Tommy Lee Jones."

Ben worked on weaving filmmakers and films, TV and stage work and Fishburne's personal journey into a compelling narrative which included a stop at Francis Coppola and "Apocalypse Now" which Fishburne got cast in because "Fred Roos asked a secretary if she would believe I was 18 years old (Fishburne was 14 at the time) and she said 'Yes,' so 'Thank you' to that woman whoever she was, wherever she is!" He also confirmed the non-drug-free nature of that storied set, remembering "the guy who brought the Thai sticks to the crew. Like a fool I asked him what was in his briefcase one day and finally he showed me. It was some incredible smoke."

Ben (never reading crib notes like some people I could mention) (me) also ventured onto political ground, querying Fishburne about a recent New York Times piece that suggested television might experience "The Obama Effect," which would lead to more black leading men on the tube.

Fishburne acknowledged the pressure he feels as the recent replacement for William Petersen on "CSI" "after he was the star and after nine years as the number one show in the world." He said he had read the article in the Times and had "started to get questions about it." So he "called CBS president Les Moonves to ask him what he'd like me to say when people ask me why there aren't more black leading men on television. Les said, 'Dennis Haysbert is on 'The Unit.'"

Ben fielded questions from the audience, walked, talked and, if my eyes didn't deceive me, chewed gum at the same time.

As I have done several hundred interviews with filmmakers such as the one Ben had just done and I think I do a pretty good job and he did an even better job and looks a hell of a lot younger and than prettier than me, I made another discovery: Ben Lyons may be a starfucker but I suspect that most of his detractors are just fucking jealous.

by Brandon Harris
At the Atlantis Theatre on Paradise Island, located just off the northern shores of boardering Nassau, Jason Reitman's "Juno" brought the curtain down on the 4th annual Bahamas International Film Festival. Perhaps surprisingly, no one from the surely exhausted "Juno" team will be in attendance, the resort bound fest proving unable to lure anyone from the Fox Searchlight Oscar horse down to present the film as its awards season moment only continues to build.

For the most part, a calm and leisurely atmosphere pervaded at BIFF - screenings occasionally start a bit late or linger into long-winded filmmaker Q&As, filmmakers, jurors and festivalgoers routinely fraternize at the resorts impressive selection of waterparks and beaches in between screenings. Although spirited post screening debates accompanied James Ewert's provocative doc on Jamaican street gangs "Trench Town" and Adrian Belic's "Beyond The Call," which along with Ritchie Mehta's "Amal" took home the audience awards in doc and narrative last night,, for the most part audiences here are cordial and appreciative, even of some of the festival's weaker selections.

A number of filmmakers arrived at the halfway point as the majority of the jurors and dignitaries fled town, an exception being Naomie Harris, dynamite in projects at diverse as "Miami Vice" and the BBC's stunning adaptation of Zadie Smith's "White Teeth," who was honored with a Rising Star award on Tuesday night at Aura nightclub, a shimmering hotspot above the Atlantis Resort's casino.

The bulk of prizes were given out two nights before on Sunday, with Paul Haggis' "In The Valley of Elah" and Daniel Junge and Siatta Scott Johnson "The Iron Ladies of Liberia" taking the Spirit of Freedom prizes for drama and documentary. The short film prize went to Hoku Uchiyama's "Rose," while the festival's New Vision prize was awarded to Jennifer Sharpe's "I'm Through With White Girls," which has won ten second tier festival prizes since it's debut at the Atlanta Film Festival last spring. It is still without domestic distribution, perhaps a victim of it's provocative title, lack of stars and it's squandered, non-major festival premiere.


Brandon Harris has directed several award winning short films including Happiness is no fun, a recipient of the 2006 National Board of Review student filmmaking grant and Evangeleo, which has screened at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City. He serves as a film critic for National Board of Review’s website, freelances for Filmmaker Magazine and blogs at http://cinemaechochamber.blogspot.com.

by Brandon Harris
The Bahamas International Film Festival got underway this week, expanding from four days to seven for its fourth edition at Paradise Island’s Atlantis resort and a few scattered locales on PI and neighboring Nassau. An eclectically programmed affair showcasing 83 films from 26 countries, the young festival is showing signs of maturity amidst the broad simulacrum that dominates the landscape of a pricey Caribbean resort, even one as rich with natural beauty as this locale.

It has, not surprisingly, no pretenses of market status or preoccupation with world premieres; the festival’s primary achievement from a programming perspective having been to provide a leisurely, hospitable stop along the fest circuit for a unique cross-section of features and shorts, be they critic driven, underperforming indiewood titles (Paul Haggis’ "In The Valley of Elah," Mira Nair’s "The Namesake"), Sundance and Cannes favorites (James C. Strouse’s "Grace Is Gone," Sean & Andrea Fine’s "War/Dance," Cristian Mungiu’s "4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days" and Philip Van’s short "High Maintenance," which played both), popular films from the Black, Gay and Asian niche scenes without distribution (Jennifer Sharpe’s "I’m Through With White Girls," Ian Poitier’s "Oh Happy Day,"  Ritchie Mehta’s "Amal"), notable micro indies which have had small runs in New York (Scott Dacko’s "The Insurgents," John Jeffcoat’s "Outsourced") and a few films nearing the end of their mid-tier festival run (J.G. Bigg’s "Pleure En Silence," Ramcess Jean-Louis’ "Sarbane’s Oxley").

Other notable films include opening night selection "Battle In Seattle," a star studded recounting of the 1999 WTO protests by actor turned filmmaker, Stuart Townsend, "Beyond The Call," Adrian Belic’s follow up to his Oscar nominated doc "Genghis Blues,"  Philip Van’s and perhaps the hottest title on the festival circuit this fall, Jason Reitman’s "Juno"

Festival attendees, when not busy hitting the impressive array of waterslides, acquariums, beaches, fitness centers and astronomically priced shops and restaurants, are treated to constant stream of parties, panels, fashion shows, dinners and tributes during the festival’s first few days. Actress Naomie Harris will receive the festival’s “Rising Star Tribute” on Tuesday and Actress/Filmmaker Daryl Hannah was feted last night, receiving a  “Career Achievement Tribute” from festival patron Sir Sean Connery, who was in fine comedic form during last evening’s ceremony and even over the phone during Friday’s opening press conference.

Festival founder Leslie Vanderpool burst into the room, interrupting one filmmaker to exclaim that she had Connery on the phone for a brief word. She put him on speaker, which fazed the legendary actor, who, in his signature Scottish brogue, said it sounded as if everyone in the press conference had been forced into a “tight toilet”.

I’ve been a bit too busy seeing films, finding reasonably priced local food and talking to budding auteurs to lose any money at the low stakes, three card poker tables or even go swimming yet, but I was able to catch Floyd Mayweather’s 10th round knockout of Brit Ricky Hatton on one of the casino’s giant screens, the fight being closely watched by jurors Elliot Kotek and Ryan Fleck.

Fleck, who was here with "Half Nelson" last year, is an avid sports fan; his next film "Sugar," which bows at Sundance next month, is about a Dominican baseball player’s time with a farm team in the Midwest.

As a lifelong Cincinnati Reds fan, Fleck shocked and delighted me when he revealed that the baseball advisor for "Sugar" was none other than Jose Rijo, the jovial former Cincinnati Reds right hander who was a member of their 1990 championship team and arguably the best pitcher in the National League for a few years in the early 1990s.

Brandon Harris has directed several award winning short films including Happiness is no fun, a recipient of the 2006 National Board of Review student filmmaking grant and Evangeleo, which has screened at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City. He serves as a film critic for National Board of Review’s website, freelances for Filmmaker Magazine and blogs at http://cinemaechochamber.blogspot.com.

The Bahamas fest has announced their jury - a nice, strike-time, working vacation.  The four competition categories at BIFF are Spirit of Freedom: Dramatic; Spirit of Freedom: Documentary; New Vision; and Short Film. The 2007 BIFF jury includes:

New Vision
Ryan Fleck- Writer/Director (winner of BIFF 2006 New Vision Award for "Half Nelson")
Ben Lyons- E! Entertainment's resident film expert
Lauren Craniotes- Vice President of Production at Warner Independent Pictures

Spirit of Freedom:  Dramatic
Sharon Swart - our own Senior Editor of features at Variety
Harlan Jacobsen - USA Today Film Critic, Writer, Director
Antonius Roberts - Bahamian Visual Artists

Spirit of Freedom: Documentary
Elliot Kotek- Editor in Chief of Moving Pictures Magazine
Philip Burk  - President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association
Jennifer Konawal - Talent/Literary Agent at The Gersh Agency

Short Film
Magali Dubie - Buyers Manager, Short Film Corner, Festival de Cannes
Katrina Rothenstein- Programmer for the Short Films at the Miami International Film Festival
Charley Walters - Director of International Casting and Creative Production Marketing at DreamWorks Animation

Also, BIFF is bringing in a group of industry heavies and semi-heavies to participate in various panels and seminars. They include actress Jennifer Tilly, writer/director Susan Jacobsen, Jennifer Konawal of the Gersh Agency; Director Adrien Belic ("Beyond the Call"); filmmaker Lawrence Konner ("Mighty Joe Young"); composer Francis Shaw; Ben Arnon; Chris "Kazi" Rolle; producer Peter Newman ("The Squid and the Whale"); producer Norman Golightly ("Ghost Rider"); Shoreline Entertainment CEO Morris Ruskin, Jerome Paillard - Executive Director of Cannes Marche du film, IFC Entertainment's Head of Theatrical Marketing Ryan Werner; veteran film festival director Nicole Guillemet; Pape Boyle from Coach 14; Bruno Chetelin from Filmfestivals.com; and Joan Graves - Chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

Bahamas fest announced their lineup along with their opening night film – Stuart Townsend’s WTO riots-inspired “Battle in Seattle” starring Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson, Ray Liotta, Michelle Rodriguez, Joshua Jackson and Andre Benjamin.  What will close it?  What else.  “Juno” - leading the casual observer to finally understand that these "Juno film festivals" around the world have other films, too. 

As always, Sean Connery will be there as the Festival’s Patron, handing out an award on December 8.

The rest of the program can be viewed here.

"Juno" will close the Bahamas International Film Fest as it continues to stomp across the festival circuit like a untouched heavyweight champ, ready for fight night on its December 5 release.  Since Searchlight has been squeezing all it can from "Juno's" success at these fests, it'll be something to see how that translates to the box office.

Not sure if she'll be there, but I think the film's screenwriter, Diablo Cody, needs this Bahamas break, if it turns out to be a break at all.  She sounds tired on her Pussy Ranch blog.  Strange stuff keeps happening on the circuit, which she dutifully reports.  Recently, at the Austin Film Fest, she and "Juno" director Jason Reitman uncover a "mint" pair of boxers next to four packaged Magnum condoms in a hotel room drawer.  They are left to piece together what happened, or "what didn't happen."  Cody's theory:

The Lodger is a UT Austin student with limited sexual experience. He procured a room at the Driskill in the hopes of surprising/seducing his new girlfriend, but he's self-conscious about his somewhat heavyset body. The (hypothetical) postcoital nude trek from bed to bathroom proved daunting, so he stashed a precautionary pair of boxers in the nightstand. That way, he could slide into them immediately after sex and stride to the john in style, modesty intact. Now, the purpose of the condoms is obvious. Unfortunately, none were used. The sex never went down

This is how I unwind, people.

The Bahamas International Film Festival runs December 6-13.