★★★★​ Directed by: Tharun Mohan Written by: Tharun Mohan Starring: Natali Servat, Alvaro Cea Alvarez, Bhasker Patel, Maria Carmel, Paul Parker Short Film Review by: Chris Olson With crisp visuals and a tense, mysterious atmosphere, short film A Purgatory State of Mind from filmmaker Tharun Mohan is a contemplative piece of cinema that aims to a tell a love story from either side of life and death. Anna (Natali Servat) opens the short film with a brutal and shocking sequence of self-harm that is layered with emotional depth. The questions that the audience have begin to mount up surrounding this character before she is transported from her bathroom floor to a train carriage. Inside the carriage are a couple of guys (Alvaro Cea Alvarez and Bhasker Patel) who hold some of the answers to Anna’s puzzlement as to where she finds herself, and thereby unlocking some of the answers for the viewer. An intelligently crafted piece, A Purgatory State of Mind aims to tell a bold story in a daring way, which is totally commendable. The performances are solid, in particular Servat, who transfixes the audience from the opening scene with her intimate violence, enabling us to be completely immersed in the dramatic story which unfolds. Her dialogue with Cea Alvarez is also compelling, the two embark on a philosophical exchange which is poignant and heartfelt. There was a sequence involving a nurse and doctor near the end which sadly lacked the same gusto in terms of performance but did lend a suitably thrilling conclusion to the short. There was a lovely piece of music which played over the opening sequence of Anna cutting her hair in front of the mirror which was genuinely affecting. It suited the tone of the story wonderfully and supported the tense visuals really well. There were some other moments where the sound design was used to great effect. Such as a scene in the bath where all other sound stops except Anna. Thematically there are some interesting topics raised by Mohan, who opts for a drama-cum-mystery laced with romance. His characters are well sketched and there is plenty for the audience to chew on long after the movie finishes. Whether you are a spiritual person or not, the ideas of love, life, and death affect us all and each one of these gets explored with commanding storytelling. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #ChrisOlson #Drama #Mystery #Thriller #TharunMohan #NataliServat #AlvaroCeaAlvarez #BhaskerPatel #MariaCarmel #PaulParker

★★★★ Directed by: Ofir Raul Graizer Starring: Tim Kalkhof, Sarah Adler, Roy Miller Film Review by: George Wolf A delicately subtle and sometimes poetic film, The Cakemaker boasts sterling performances and finely drawn characters for a resonant meditation of love, loss, faith and...food. Thomas (Tim Kalkhof in a wonderfully tender, understated turn) is a German baker at a Berlin cafe. He begins a long-term affair with Oren (Roy Miller), an Israeli businessman with a wife and son in Jerusalem. When Oren misses his monthly visit to Berlin and calls go unanswered, it takes some persistence on Thomas's part to discover that Oren has been killed in a car accident. Grief and confusion take Thomas to Berlin, where he discreetly seeks out Oren's widow Arat (Foxtrot's Sarah Adler - excellent again), takes a job baking at her cafe, and assumes a growing place in her life. This brings differing (and telling) reactions from Arat's family, and could threaten her cafe's important Kosher certification. Writer/director Ofir Raul Graizer adopts a quiet, observational tone that is deceptively effective. Though this type of triangle may not be new (especially to foreign film fans), the way Graizer lingers on little moments (especially those in the kitchen) make even the most mundane encounters seem sensuous. You may know where The Cakemaker is going, but getting there is a sweet and satisfying trip. #TimKalkhof #RoyMiller #SarahAdler #GeorgeWolf #movies #film #entertainment #moviereviews #filmreviews #AndersDanielsenLie #TheCakemaker #OfirRaulGraizer #FilmReviews #TheatricalReleases

★★★★★ Directed by: David Esposito Written by: David Esposito Starring: David Esposito, Lauren LaVera, Ryan Crepack Short Film Review by: Chris Olson Eccentric short comedy Mulk, from filmmaker David Esposito, takes a bizarre day in the life of its central character and shows the audience how it's the little things that...well...infuriate us. Esposito plays Tom, a man on the edge after his partner Jenny (Lauren LaVera) mispronounces everyone's favourite cow juice as Mulk. And not just once, she keeps saying it as if it's the proper way and has been for centuries, even as I type this I feel the same fury which overwhelmed Tom. IT'S MILK… Anyway, things go from bad to worse when Tom agrees to pop off to the mulk store and finds some stranger (Ryan Crepack) standing on his doorway checking his emails on his phone. No rhyme or reason for choosing that particular spot just steps from Tom’s home, this completely befuddles our protagonist only for it to worsen when Jenny seems totally unbothered by it. Rarely does a short comedy evoke so many actual laughs out loud from this jaded film critic. This is brilliantly funny writing delivered by a superb cast. The comedy beats are intelligently placed to keep a consistent tempo and the increasingly weird behaviour of the supporting characters is sublime to watch. Esposito delivers a strong turn in front of the camera (always a worry when a filmmaker chooses to write, direct, and star) capitalising well on the frenetic energy buildup of his character's burning rage. LaVera is excellent as the lackadaisical layabout, stirring Tom’s temper with a wonderful nonchalance. My favourite scenes, though, were between Esposito and Crepack, reminiscent of a Larry David encounter in Curb Your Enthusiasm. Spectacular. Crepack (who teamed up with Esposito on a previous short called Fatal Premonition), is very funny as the oblivious stranger with no boundaries. There were a few moments of nice cinematic flair too, such as a quick pan to the guy in the bushes (you'll understand when you watch Mulk) and the quick cuts during Tom's antagonized exchange with Jenny in the opening sequence. This editing style is perfectly suited to the tone of the short. Major criticism can only be found in the fact that Mulk is too damn short. Its...ahem...shelf life needs to be much extended to see if Esposito has what it takes to make a feature length comedy - arguably the most formidable of filmmaking challenges. As it is, though, this stands as a resounding triumph and could well be on the list of best comedy shorts of the year. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #ChrisOlson #5StarFilm #Comedy #DavidEsposito #LaurenLaVera #RyanCrepack

★★★★ Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames Film Review by: George Wolf Tom Cruise's next mission - and he'll most likely accept it - is to try and outdo the stunts he pulls in this latest Mission: Impossible entry. Good luck with that, because Fallout delivers the GD mail. It's an action film that hits on nearly every cylinder, thrilling enough to elevate the value of the other five films in the franchise. Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie (a frequent Cruise collaborator) returns from 2015's MI: Rogue Nation, leaning on that solid foundation while he ups every ante, delivering not only his most impressive work as a director, but his most complete screenplay since The Usual Suspects. Cruise's Ethan Hunt draws the ire of his IMF boss (Alec Baldwin) and his boss's boss (Angela Bassett) by choosing the lives of his team (Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg) over a stash of rogue plutonium. To keep that payload from the highest bidder, they have no choice but to accept help from agent August Walker (Henry Cavill and the 'stache that ate DC), a "kill now-ask questions later" bruiser. It can't go unnoticed that Fallout marks the third blockbuster this year to feature a villain whose goals are more societal than financial. Coincidence? Clearly no, but McQuarrie's script keeps the social commentary smart, subtle and out of the way. Familiar allies (Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa), old foes (Sean Harris as Solomon Lane) and new femme fatale "White Widow" (Vanessa Kirby) dot the landscape of double and triple crosses, with McQuarrie being careful not to overplay the genre elements. Sly, self-aware references ground the film when it's in danger of reveling in any Bond-ish excess, with plenty of well-placed surprises that, even when they're not that surprising, help ease the bloat of a 2 and 1/2 hour running time. But let's not kid ourselves, that's all just spy game gravy. These stunts - from rooftop to mountaintop, crowded streets to midair and beyond - are showstoppers, with Cruise so electric a t-shirt proclaiming "movie star" would not be out of place under Hunt's endless supply of tight black jackets. Cruise's insistence on doing these stunts himself got him a broken ankle, but there is plenty of gain for his pain. You cannot deny the added authenticity his stuntwork brings to these set pieces, with McQuarrie's nimble camerawork and some luscious landscapes sealing the deal. Say what you what about the summer movie season so far, Fallout is here to make you remember how breathlessly fun it can be. #GeorgeWolf #movies #film #entertainment #moviereviews #filmreviews #blockbusters39actionmovies #TomCriuise #MissionImpossibleFallout #ChristopherMcQuarrie #HenryCavill #SimonPegg #VingRhames #RebeccaFerguson #FilmReviews #TheatricalReleases

★★★★★ Directed By: Chris Delforce Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Sia Documentary Film Review by: Jack Bottomley Documentaries can be a force of great change. They educate, inform and illuminate but many can muster a great societal change and open the lid on issues that have until now been contained. This new Australian documentary film by Chris Delforce is one such feature and, like The Cove, Blackfish and Earthlings (a film this has been already compared to and another film featuring Joaquin Phoenix), Dominion is a disturbing rally call for change. Through the use of hidden cameras, drones and undercover filming, the film covers a range of industries from the animal agricultural business to clothing, research and entertainment and cuts open the dark underbelly of these practices revealing the horror, pain and suffering of the animals involved. Exec produced by the likes of the vegan shop All About Empathy and Animal Liberation, the filmmaker’s stance is clear but the images speak louder than any of the big name narrators (including Phoenix, Sia, Rooney Mara, alongside Delforce himself) ever could. Despite some effective scoring by Asher Pope, the soundtrack to this film is less the music and more the diegetic sound, most prominently the screaming. This film, for 2 hours, presents more misery, cruelty and lingering violence than I can ever recall seeing in a film. The footage not only highlights the fundamental failing of many trusted industries or an absolute absence of morality, respect and basic humanity in the face of nature but what lingers most – even more than the violence and death itself – is the unnecessary joy taken in it. Throughout the duration of this highly sickening film, we see people laughingly torture and flippantly maim without any semblance of regard or feeling. The most worrying takeaway is not the failure of these industries to consider animal’s rights or emotions but the way in which individuals enjoy causing more torment, more pain and more bloodshed than necessary. The film paints a damning statement of our race’s moral and ethical decay, linking it to our violent actions of the past. The filming techniques are staggering in their construction and the crew’s unwavering commitment to reveal the darkness is worthy of the utmost admiration. As this is hard to sit through, so god knows how hard it was to compile and witness. Dominion asks us directly what to make of this and it is hard to formulate an answer without allowing rage to take over. The film’s core value is to make us think about our relationship with the animal kingdom and assess the power we use (and abuse) but more than that, through the viscera stained graphic footage and lingering power, Dominion exposes how we need to grow, we need to improve and frankly, we need to wake the hell up. Not in a long time has a film like this shaken me and not because of the shock that such evil acts go on but because of the visual confirmation of the lengths to which they occur. Dominion showed me further proof of modern day inhumanity and how profit has long since over taken any grain of kindness. Thankfully the film does show some signs of hope in how this team has rallied and saved what they can where they can, while showing the world what really goes on behind the locked doors, slaughterhouses and workshops. That said, whether this is enough to compensate for everything else is up for debate, as there is little joy in this vital document and nor should there be in any rational onlooker, in fact it is a depressing, distressing and damning statement on mankind as it currently stands. Though, as the film suggests, it is up to people to improve and advance because these voiceless victims cannot do anything but scream in pained confusion at their needless torture, before being silenced by that one final blow, as the perpetrator laughs about it, hiding behind a corporation, belief, job title or worse yet not hiding their wretched amusement at all. Perhaps these screams emerging from this crucial film will follow me to the grave, and so they should. Watch the official movie trailer for Dominion below... #DocumentaryFilmReviews #Documentaries #JackBottomley #ChrisDelforce #JoaquinPhoenix #RooneyMara #Sia

★★★★★ Directed by: Anssi Korhonen Written by: Anssi Korhonen Starring: Wendy Rosas, Michael Pitthan, Holden McNeil Short Film Review by: Chris Olson Vividly chilling and intensely atmospheric, short film 42 Days from filmmaker Anssi Korhonen is a compelling piece of horror cinema that combines a terrific storyline with a phenomenal central performance. Wendy Rosas plays Sofia, a mother-to-be whose expectancy has been wholeheartedly trampled by the fact that she is losing her vision. Whilst her doctor (Michael Pitthan) goes some way to ease her pain by stating her visual deterioration has slowed, perhaps enough for her to see her baby when it's born, he goes on to pile on the misery by saying Sofia is also suffering with Charles Bonnet Syndrome, a side-effect of losing her sight which will cause visual hallucinations. As these spooky apparitions start to plague our protagonist, she must count down the clock and hope she can maintain her grip on reality, at least until her little one is born. Rosas is incredible in the leading role, delivering a turn that is utterly convincing and moving. Not only does she thrive in the horror-based scenes, she also brings a wonderful sense of empathy and compassion in the warmer scenes, such as a telephone call with her mother where they plan to have a baby shower. This ability to combine the lighter and darker forces around her character made the impact of 42 Days wholly more immersive. Pitthan is also excellent as the caring doctor and his delivery of the good and bad news in the earlier scene were a brilliant foundation for him to build the character for what comes later. The cinematography is gloriously macabre, rendering the viewer inert in this landscape of blurred reality and disturbing visions. There is a palpable sense of tension throughout the short that Korhonen constructs and then uses to grip the viewer whilst the narrative becomes increasingly intense and foreboding. The use of darkly lighted scenes is particularly useful in highlighting the isolation of the main character as well as the internal view of her growing fetus which cements this sense of impending tragedy. Horror genre fans will be delighted to know that 42 Days does not suffer from relying too heavily on the spooky apparitions. Instead, the film remains balanced on the right side of the narrative, keeping the characters in full focus for the majority of the run time and allowing the obvious emotional distress of Sofia to do the heavy lifting. The result is an incredibly affecting short horror that smartly puts all of its faith in a brilliant story, incredible performances, and a deftly cultivated tone. Watch the official movie trailer below... #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #ChrisOlson #5StarFilm #Horror #MovieTrailers #AnssiKorhonen #WendyRosas #MichaelPitthan #HoldenMcNeil

★★★ Directed by: Jason D. Morris Documentary Film Review by: Hannah Sayer Created by Chris Carter, famous for his hit series The X Files, Millennium aired on Fox between 1996 and 1999. It was cancelled in early 1999, ironically, just before the millennium. This documentary explores why it still endures twenty years later, through interviews with many of the major cast and crew members involved. Through in-depth discussions about individual episodes and the vastly differing three seasons, Millennium after the Millennium delves deeper into the show’s production and release, the reasons why it was cancelled, how the show could potentially be revived and how it has had a part in changing the shape of television today. After Chris Carter’s work on The X Files, he was approached about creating a new series, which became Millennium. With similarities between the show and more modern TV drama series, particularly David Fincher’s Mindhunter, Millennium followed a tortured FBI agent Frank Black, played by Lance Henriksen, who was able to see beyond reality into the minds of killers. Carter describes the series as “hyper reality” and highlights that what makes the show scary is that it realistically captures something of the everyday. Millennium tapped into the worldwide sense of foreboding about the impending millennium and it was the only show to capture this feeling of dread. This fear of the unknown made it all the more frightening to viewers at the time. The documentary highlights how the pilot was terrifying and darker than anything else seen on TV in the 1990s. Multiple interviewees express how they were expecting it not to be allowed to go to air. It was an extremely dark TV show but one which was unusual because it was one of the first instances of television which proved that the medium could be cinematic. It was concerned with character, relationships, metaphor and mythology, amidst its plotting, and this made it exciting and distinct from the popular procedural dramas of the time. Cinematic television is a big thing of the present as many filmmakers turn to TV as their medium of choice. Shows like Twin Peaks: The Return, True Detective and Sharp Objects are examples of how television has evolved and has begun to challenge film as the most effective and visually exciting way to tell a story. Interviews are interspersed with clips and images which make the documentary exciting visually. This balances the dialogue heavy discussion based interview segments. Eerie music is played throughout most of the documentary which mirrors the tone of Millennium, but this does become repetitive and at times distracting. Clips from different TV success stories such as Breaking Bad and The Sopranos provide the viewer with a great level of context to fully understand Millennium’s role within the history of television. It may seem alienating for those not familiar with Millennium and it is not something many would seek out unless they were big fans of the show, yet the documentary is still an interesting watch for fans of television who are keen to learn more about how the medium became what it is today. As someone new to Millennium, the documentary also gives an insight into the intentions behind decision making during production. Millennium after the Millennium is ultimately a documentary made out of love for the show. The filmmakers wanted to give something back to the fans, even campaigning for a return of their beloved Millennium to the small screen. The cast and crew of Millennium’s eagerness to talk about the show means that the documentary is a success as it effectively captures the love everyone has for this show. Overall, the film works well as a celebration of this short lived series and how it pushed boundaries of what a TV series could be. Watch the official movie trailer for Millennium after the Millennium below. #MillenniumaftertheMillennium #JasonDMorris #ChrisCarter #Millennium #TheXFiles #LanceHenriksen #HannahSayer #DocumentaryFilmReviews #MovieTrailers #Documentaries

★★★★★ Directed by: Stanley Xu Written by: Stanley Xu Starring: Valerie Ong, Stanley Xu Short Film Review by: Chris Olson A remarkably graceful yet poignant social drama, Stanley Xu’s short film Lullaby is one of those rare pieces that manages to combine subtle cinema with intelligent themes without resorting to sanctimonious grandstanding. Instead, the social commentary is presented with affection and strong characterisation. Three generations of a Singaporean family reside within a household. Whilst the mother and father discuss going away on a vacation or giving instructions for their son to listen to his grandma, we never actually see them on camera (aside from a brief glimpse of the bottom half of the mother). The remainder of the short film comprises of intimate and heartwarming scenes between the boy and his grandma, who share beautiful moments of connection, as well as tense cautions from the grandmother about her son (i.e. the boy's father). Stanley Xu delivers a tremendous amount of tender storytelling in this 9 minute movie, so much so that audiences will likely be begging to see a feature length from him (so far having only directed shorts). The story is intelligently delivered to the viewer without offering copious amounts of exposition or needless signposting. We are presented with suitably soft shots of the boy on the floor, or him and his grandma on the bed, to give a sense of warmth to their relationship. By not including any physical shots of the boy's parents, Lullaby makes a bold statement that reflects the story's strongest theme: neglect. Now, this is not so much a specific neglect by the parents (although they do seem fairly uninterested in their son or mother/mother-in-law). It is rather a societal neglect that fails to dedicate anywhere near enough time to its most vulnerable citizens. The youth and elderly, who often make up the shadow demographics in many cultures are brought into the light here and it's the parents who get out casted, literally from the frames. There is a tragic sense of inevitable and impending uselessness on the grandmother's character in particular. A callback sequence involving her lying on the bed in the same way the boy had earlier in the short film was really moving. Disenfranchisement riddles Lullaby in a way that makes the story seem teeming with sorrow. How can a home where love is so obviously present still be a place of isolation and despair? The performances are wonderful in particular the grandma who captures the balance between the joy of being with her grandson and the misery of being forgotten by her son marvelously. Affecting and beautiful cinema that captures life’s bittersweetness whilst maintaining a wonderful aesthetic that builds a palpable sense of tragedy within the viewer that is not cynical or dissonant but instead wholesome and heartfelt. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #ChrisOlson #5StarFilm #Drama #WorldCinema #StanleyXu #Singapore #ValeriaOng

★★★★★ Directed by: Nic Barker Starring: Honor Wolff, Isabelle Ford, Alex Cooper and Kaarin Fairfax Short Film Review by: Chris Olson A filmmaker known for his social realism and cinematic intimacy, Nic Barker brings another compelling short film to audiences with The Greta Fragments, a movie which is layered with immense storytelling and wonderful performances. Similar in style and tone to another of his short films, Dead Sharks, Barker embarks on a non-linear character study that aims to express its central protagonist Greta (Honor Wolff) using a variety of snapshot conversations between her and those around her. Whilst some chats are candidly revealing, such as the one with her mate Bec (Isabelle Ford), others are revealing in terms of what she doesn't say, such as her intensely awkward exchange with love interest Jordan (Alex Cooper). Over the course of the movie, the fragments we are presented with start to coalesce into a tapestry of identity that is punctuated with self doubt and insecurity. Honor Wolff is completely entrancing in the titular role. Her chemistry with all three of the other performers (Kaarin Fairfax playing a maternal role) is palpable and she highlights the acutely emotional state of her character brilliantly with both the dialogue and physicality of her performance. I believe The Greta Fragments is created from improvisation, which makes Wolff’s turn all the more impressive. Likewise Isabelle Ford, who is a tremendous addition to the cast, riffing off Greta's tale of an embarrassing encounter brilliantly and injecting some memorable moments of humour. The use of a black and white aesthetic is a clever choice here, where the entirety of the short is made up of pieces of Greta's sense of self worth or memory. Having the visual landscape feel intimate to the point of claustrophobia is also essential in cementing the dramatic tension at play and keeping the audience glued to the swirling picture they are meant to be forming about this character. Intense close-ups are used as well as no musical score or extravagant flair that would be distracting. Exploring the theme of identity in a short film can be a huge challenge. The filmmakers need to get the viewer to care about the central character very quickly in order to then build on the narrative and then execute some form of emotional revelation, either for the character or the audience. Barker does this brilliantly in just 9 minutes and leaves you desperate for more. Essential viewing for followers of the Barker filmography (which should pretty much be everyone in my opinion) and a serious candidate for my top short films of 2018 list, The Greta Fragments manages to piece together a little bit of pure cinematic genius that is as richly layered as it is completely human. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #ChrisOlson #Drama #BlackandWhite #5StarFilm #NicBarker #HonorWolff #IsabelleFord #AlexCooper #KaarinFairfax

★★★★ Directed by: James Webber Written by: James Webber Starring: Rosie Day, Sian Breckin, Kate Dickie, James Alexandrou Short Film Review by: Hannah Sayer ‘Soror’, when translated from Latin, means ‘sister’. Written and directed by James Webber, this short film follows a family of three women with fractured relationships with one another. A sisterly bond present between the two half-sisters in the film is the only joyous aspect of this familial drama at the beginning, yet Soror goes on to explore how these three women revisit their past and attempt to seek reconciliation with one another. Grace, played by Rosie Day, is a talented dancer living with her half-sister Lisa, played by Sian Breckin, and her mother Amanda, played by Kate Dickie. There is a mysterious tension in the house, which is first realised in a scene when Amanda joins Grace and Lisa for breakfast. It is clear that Lisa is more of a mother figure to Grace than Amanda is and that something has happened in the past to cause this tense atmosphere to engulf the household. As Lisa and Amanda begin to argue with one another, Grace cries out “Can we please not do this again?” This reinforcement of ‘again’ suggests the harsh reality of their existence as a family and that this is an ongoing tension. Soror follows the two half-sisters as they spend their last day together before Lisa leaves the estate to make a new life for herself. When Lisa is arguing with her boyfriend in the pub about wanting “something new” and her desire to move away, it is clear she has aspirations of escaping her current situation, whether it is with him or not. Throughout this day, Amanda takes up a new job and past memories come flooding back for all three women. These relationships are all tested in different ways before the short film’s resolution. There is a naturalistic feel to Soror which is reinforced through the filming technique employed, the acting styles and the dialogue. This works well in establishing realistic character dynamics and a sense of place. All three of the women in their respective roles are brilliant, particularly Kate Dickie as the mother who feels isolated from her daughter. The viewer is given a brief snapshot into these lives, while the filmmaker continues to build intrigue by withholding names and relationships from the viewer for a while into the short film. This allows for own interpretations of character motivations to be created and not allowing the viewer to be given all the answers encourages an element of mystery to linger long after viewing. Experimental shots are also interspersed throughout the narrative adding an artistic edge to the production. With a reflective ending which doesn’t reveal all, but one which suggests these characters are in a happier place than they were at the start, Soror ends on a high note. Watch the official movie trailer for Soror below. #Soror #JamesWebber #RosieDay #SianBreckin #KateDickie #JamesAlexandrou #ShortFilmReviews #HannahSayer #MovieTrailers

Filmmaker Interview by Chris Olson. Recently, we caught up with the director of new documentary: Millenium Afte the Millenium. Your documentary has an interesting premise. How would you describe it to a new audience? It’s tough to describe actually, but I would start by asking you if you were a fan of Hannibal? Millennium was such a fascinating analytical show that was on the cutting edge of dark television in fact far ahead of its time that it paved the way for shows like Hannibal. Millennium was cancelled prematurely and you can find out the real reasons why, which is never what people think, it had nothing to do with ratings, and here we are twenty years later with a thriving fanbase for that show that has only intensified due to Chris getting The X-Files limited series off the ground. Not to mention the ever-present Lance Henriksen fans that show up to every convention he does asking about a Millennium movie or limited series. The best part about this, it’s not a fan film or about the fans, it’s a celebration of extremely hard work from some of the top names in the industry, the fact they enjoyed what they had created so much and recognized the enduring love and excitement from the fans still after 20 years it was amazing to us how quickly they all jumped on board to talk about this. I’m rambling but if I had the ability to SHOW people that have never heard of Millennium the pilot I would just do that instead of trying to explain it. It’s like trying to explain Citizen Kane, there is now way you can do it justice just by telling someone what it’s about. Why did you want to make this documentary? Well you can probably consider it a swan dive of sorts. Troy, my producing partner was a major piece of the puzzle to a campaign to try and bring the show back in some capacity (Back To Frank Black), they even wrote a masterful, intelligent and thought provoking book exploring the themes and characters of the show that was massively well received, and this isn’t easy lite reading, it was as complex and carried a level of depth equal to the show itself. Troy, Lance, Joe and I have discussed this a lot and we looked at doing something that was a sorta final farewell, the hope was that the studio would take notice and want to get behind a limited series or a film and that was a part of our push to do this but ultimately we felt that like any film a filmmaker creates, it is a story that needs to be told. We think the stories that could be told in the world of Millennium are so much more relevant than anything that would be on TV today, it really is the perfect timing, it took 20 years for this show to catch up to actual darkness of the world and now we are in a place in time that we can actually relate to that theme of growing darkness and needing a hero that’s flawed but ultimately pure of heart. Today's television has a certain vapid shinny gloss to it, even in the world of Criminal Minds and Hannibal. Frank Spotnitz said something interesting about entertainers having a responsibility to not make safe television, that it needs to make you feel uneasy, I am paraphrasing here but basically there is a responsibility to show the darkness of the world and make it uncomfortable or people will become used to it and I think a lot of people have gotten used to it, I personally don’t want to watch Criminal Minds every week watching women getting raped and people getting murdered and it being gross and gory but also feeling like it's safe and that can’t actually happen…because it does happen, all the time, every day, and because a TV show presents it to us with Hollywood production values and a pretty FBI agent we say oh it’s just a TV show. Well Millennium was the opposite of that, it was dark and gritty and grounded in reality no matter how supernatural it might have gotten it still felt real. Were there any particular documentaries that you looked to for inspiration? We did look at a few, right now it's pretty difficult to not have a documentary shoved down your throat, and I do applaud them though they are digging up some fascinating topics, but it's that nagging feeling I always get with true crime type doc’s, is this really true? And we will never really know and I find if I am asking myself that question then they really are not doing a great job. However, specifically we looked at a Firefly documentary, and we looked at a great doc from a friend of ours called FANomenon directed by Lynne Carter, a Star Trek doc, the problem was that these all felt like fans making docs (with the exception of FANomenon, great doc) and we didn’t want this to be that, this isn’t a fan crush, this is a serious look at a topic, at least we feel like it is. All of that aside it helped tremendously to have the amazing Joseph Maddrey writing the script. A major influence on us was Joe’s documentary Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film. It is a brilliant doc that explores horror from its roots up to present day including all of the greats, Craven, Carpenter, Garris, Dante, Romero, Corman, I mean this thing has everybody! We wanted that, we wanted to get everyone we possibly could to come in and talk about the Millennium. We did for the most part, there were ultimately scheduling conflicts and travel barriers so there a few missed opportunities but over all we are very pleased with what we have been able to accomplish. One of the big things I noticed in a lot of current doc’s is the music. Filmmakers have really stepped up their game with something that was once probably an afterthought. We kept that in mind throughout this process and we ended up with an amazing score to the film that was composed by Matthew Gatsos. It’s good that we have gone out, pressed it to CD, and even have a new limited edition double CD sets coming out that is limited only 100 copied that will be signed by the composer, we even have plans to put it out on vinyl. It’s that good! I urge anyone that is a fan of OST’s to go pick up a copy. Were there any struggles in getting this movie made? Well money is always the devil in the room, lack of funds can be a hard thing and we self-financed this along with Shoni Cook through out company Resurrection Films. Other than the financial struggles really the most difficult thing was scheduling, Tory is in the Washington D.C. area and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and most of the cast and crew are either in Canada or in Los Angeles so we dealt with a lot of flying, motels, hotels, AirBnB’s, taxies, Ubers, Lyfts, Car2Go’s, I mean it was like living in that film Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Troy is amazing with the talent and he has this amazing ability to get everyone excited and get them scheduled and I think had he not been involved, well this would never have happened, this was his idea to begin with but if he had not had that skill set this would have been a far tougher experience. I would say there were far more disappointments than there were struggles. Disappointments came at us in many different shapes and forms, from people being available then suddenly having to go shoot Game of Thrones or American Horror Story or Ray Donovan, I mean in the scheme of things they were doing us a massive favor and there was no way we could just up and fly to the UK or Spain or where ever Homeland might be shooting that week so sometimes we unfortunately lost an interviewee and that was disappointing but just knowing that it wasn’t because they didn’t want to do was a pretty nice consolation prize. What advice would you give to new filmmakers? I know the common thing to say is “just go out and shoot your film” and I understand that advice, I used to give that advice but I have since changed my stance on, and I have changed my stance because of the product I have been seeing coming out of the current generation, I am not saying they aren’t talented but, and I don’t want to offend anyone but sloppy I think is the appropriate word. It appears film theory is becoming a bit of a lost art and I think that “just go out and shoot” is sort of to blame for that. So what I tell people now is read. Read as much as you can, don’t pay for film school it’s the same shit they are going to teach you that you can find in a book. Buy every book you can and read. Then go out and make mistakes. Make as many mistakes as you can cause that’s really the only way you will learn. While you are making these mistakes you save every damn penny you can cause you will need it. Don’t give yourself that easy out of an excuse that you don’t have any money, and don’t run up your credit cards, that’s all bad news. Read and make mistakes, there is no secret recipe but whatever you do don’t just pretend you want to make films, you do actually have to be proactive and do something so start with learning. What's the hardest thing about making a film in 2018? This makes me laugh because there are really only two factors that have changed for me, getting old is the major one, I’m not old yet but I am pushing 40 and trying to do things I could do with flying colours in my 20’s is proving to be challenging but it just means I have to keep up on my physical health, which I swear I am going to start going to the gym on Monday! The other factor is something I really hate discussing it’s like politics there is no winning situation bringing this up and my opinion is 100% based only on my experiences and strictly limited to that so I am not trying to put all into one category but the (funny enough) Millennial generation has a completely different mindset than I was taught. I grew up with the ethic that the hard you work the further you get, and it's served me pretty well. I have done far more free work than paid work but part of that is because I absolutely LOVE making movies, this isn’t a hobby and never has been. But I cannot fathom how someone just starting out that has no money but needs to build that experience is going to find people to help them get their film made, Millennials seem to be all about the money and look I am not against artists being paid for their work that’s not what I am saying at all but you have to start somewhere and it just feels like these younger people coming out of film schools have a much higher sense of self worth without having actually paid any dues. I know this is a sensitive topic and I want to reiterate I am not trying to put all Millennials in a single category but this has been my experience with almost every Millennial I have hired and it really doesn’t matter what they taught you in film school if you haven’t experienced on the job training and been through the ropes and earned your stripes you are not on the top of the hiring heap, not by a long shot, there are far too many people in this industry that are out of work that have been around for years and have been in the trenches, my advice: take your time move up the ladder by doing good work and proving yourself, just because you got yourself into student loan debt doesn’t mean anyone owes you anything, you gotta earn it and prove your worth like the rest of us, I don’t say that lightly, I am still paying my dues. What's next for you? We have several projects in the works right now and it’s always hard to say which one will sort of hit that tipping point first and take off but we just finished shooting a horror featured called Dark Winter, starring Shoni Alysse Cook and Wade Thalburg, so we are currently in post-production for that and we are in the casting phase of an amazing project entitled Room Nineteen, starring Joe Flannigan and Lance Henriksen. I am really excited about R19 because I have always wanted to direct a neo-noir film and this script is so beautifully written by Carly Street that it’s just the perfect project for me to be involved in. We are working with the amazing Hollywood concept artist Paul Gerrard on a film he is gearing up to shoot and on the table recently we have been discussing another pop culture type documentary, this time though it will have a massive audience appeal, kind of a something for everyone documentary, we are trying to keep the documentary projects on the positive side of things since there is so much dark stuff out there and I know that’s irony to the fullest with our first doc covering one of the darkest shows to have ever been on television but the audience will see what I mean when I say Millennium after the Millennium is a true celebration if art. What would you say if you were a dolphin? “This is who we are…” Watch the official movie trailer for Millennium After The Millennium below... #Interviews #FilmmakerInterviews #ChrisOlson #JasonDMorris #Filmmaking

★★★★ Directed by: Sadaf Foroughi Starring: Mahour Jabbari, Vahid Aghapoor, Bahar Noohian Film Review by: Rachel Willis A single act of teenage rebellion is the catalyst for a family's destruction in director Sadaf Foroughi's feature debut, Ava. It's a harmless action that tears apart the family's fragile peace – Ava (Mahour Jabbari) tells her parents she'll be studying at her friend, Melody's, house only to sneak out to meet a boy and win a bet with a few of her classmates. Trying to prove she's won, she's late to meet her mother. Because of this, Ava's mother, Bahar (Bahar Noohian), begins a campaign to weed out any element she deems unsavory from her daughter's life. It's a hard world for a teenage girl. Gossip runs rampant, and it's not just fellow teenagers spreading rumors, but teachers and parents, too. One mistake can ruin a young woman's reputation and determine the course of her life. It's not surprising that Bahar treats her daughter's single offense with such vehemence. However, when Ava discovers a buried family secret, her rebellion takes on greater significance. As Ava, Mahour Jabbari is sympathetic and compelling. Her desire for independence is understandable, but her actions are careless. Few of the women in her life show any compassion toward her choices. Only her father (Vahid Aghapoor) stands by her as someone who believes what she says and supports her decisions. However, his support puts him at odds with Bahar, who knows better than her husband how deeply a single mistake can affect a woman's life. Both Aghapoor and Noohian are stellar. Each character is confused by their daughter's choices and her attitude, but how they handle the situation elevates the tension. They turn on each other; a once happy couple becomes another source of stress in Ava's life. Unfortunately, some of Foroughi's stylistic choices are more distracting than beneficial. Blurry images dominate the frame, while the focal point is relegated to a small image in the corner. Arguing characters will be shown from the neck down, their heads cut off at the top of the screen. The commentary Foroughi hopes to achieve, unfortunately, doesn't really come across. Ultimately, though, the filmmaker has crafted a compelling, thoughtful portrait of a family in crisis. #SadafForoughi #MahourJabbari #VahidAghapoor #BaharNoohianAva #RachelWillis #movies #film #entertainment #moviereviews #filmreviews #foreignfilms #familydramas #WorldCinema #FilmReviews #TheatricalReleases