LO-RES: 04.22.04

Movies that are shot on digital video suck.

Right?

Somebody forgot to tell Miguel Coyula. 

And since Miguel didn’t know any better, he went out and shot an ambitious feature length drama with a Canon GL1 and a budget of around $2,000. The movie is RED COCKROACHES and it’s pretty amazing. The film is set against a surreal futuristic backdrop and explores complex themes like alienation, betrayal and incest. The film has already developed a huge buzz among low-budget filmmakers thanks to the slick website and incredible trailer. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to track this guy down and see this movie.

The film is currently not available for purchase, but expect that to change soon. It’s currently making the rounds at film festivals in NYC and Austin. The film is by no means perfect, but it raises the bar for microcinema and for that reason alone it’s an important film. It also is a showcase for Miguel’s formidable talents.

I had the chance to interview Miguel about his background, digital video and filmmaking in general. As usual, it’s too long to run in this column, but you can check it out here.

The Miguel Coyula Interview

THE BOX screens at Tambay Film & Video Festival

Local Talent Production’s critically acclaimed DV feature THE BOX will be showing at the Tambay Film & Video Festival this weekend!  The screening time is Sunday at 1:45 p.m. at the Channelside Cinemas in Tampa.  THE BOX is one of 84 films screening and is in competition for a variety of feature film awards.  You can more information about the fest and other films screening here. Many of the cast and crew as well as director Pete Bauer will be on hand during the entire three-day event.

If you’re not in Florida and want to see THE BOX… too bad! For now anyway. The initial press run of DVDS has SOLD OUT!  However, Local Talent should have new copies available any day now available for purchase via their online store.

Microcinema Fest Deadline Approaching

There is less than ONE MONTH left for submissions into this year’s Microcinema Fest, to be held between July 5 - 11, 2004 in Rapid City, South Dakota. A cooperative effort between three Microcinema news and critical review sites (REwind Video , B-Independent.com and MicrocinemaScene), this year’s event is also sponsored by Indie Club and will feature three nights of screenings in two different theaters, juried competition for cash prizes, roundtables for filmmaker networking and discussion, and post parties after every night of screening. Need more information? Visit microcinemafest.com to find out how to submit your latest work.

Screenwriters: Write John Carpenter’s next movie
Creative Screenwriting magazine and horror filmmaking legend John Carpenter are holding a screenwriting contest to find a screenplay for Carpenter’s next film. And you can do better than GHOSTS OF MARS, right? The winner will receive a $500 option on their screenplay (enough to pay your attorney) against a six-figure purchase price with production bonuses, and the winning script will be read by writer/director John Carpenter. Deadline is June 1st. For more details check out the site.

Matt McDermitt.com
I found out about this kids site when I was reading some digital video message boards. People were freaking out over the high quality of his clips. In fact, the buzz about his work got so out of control that he had to close down his site due to bandwidth issues. It’s finally back up and you can check out his work for yourself. Right now his projects are mainly comprised of a few music videos and a short film, but they are top notch. The composition, editing, color corrections and compositing are all outstanding and absolutely professional. And the guy is 17, shooting on DV and editing in Vegas Video. He definitely has major talent and is going to be a filmmaker to watch. 

If you want us to review your films send them to the address below. Keep in mind that we aren’t going to bullshit you with these reviews. We are nice guys, but we have to tell the truth about your film even though we want to be your friend. If you can’t handle it, please don’t send us anything to review.

Cinema Eye
5030 N. May Ave. Suite 168
Oklahoma City, OK 73112

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