Funding for Films and Festivals
Hi all,
Much of the non-Hollywood cinematic infrastructure relies on federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, which supports films and festivals as well as state and local arts agencies. Additionally, funding comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS. These films and festivals create and show films that enrich our perspective of the world. They are the foundation of everything I have been working on for all these years. This week, the Trump administration is cutting NEA grants and threatening to kill the NEA and CPB. This is no surprise. After the election, I was worried this might happen, and here it is. This week, we had two great film festivals (DIFF and USA) that get funding from the NEA. I hope they both can survive and thrive next year somehow.
Film Festivals and PBS show essential work that would not otherwise be seen. For example, “The Librarians,” a great film about the struggle of librarians who are standing up for book banning, received NEA funding and will be shown on PBS. We need to keep both of these organizations strong. Write your representatives, protest, or sign this petition. For PBS, you can make sure you join your local PBS Station. For film festivals, please donate to them if you can or volunteer for them.
Now is the time to stand up and support independent media makers and the organizations that show their work.
After writing this, I woke up and heard that Trump wants to impose 100% tariffs on films coming into the USA. Think about what that means for audiences that love foreign films. Think about your local art house. What will that mean to them? Think about the FW Modern, where Elijah projects foreign films. The film business is struggling because audiences are not going to theaters as they used to, thanks to COVID, and younger audiences are watching YouTube and TikTok. It is very expensive to shoot a film in Los Angeles, I don’t think this will make it better.
I will be following this in the weeks to come.
I am generally not a fan of Horror films, but I saw three good ones this week. The first was “The Confession,” the new film from Will Canon, who made several good films in Texas. This one was inspired by Texas but not made here. The film deals with uncovering family secrets and is a great ride.
The second is a film called “Clown in the Cornfield,” which will be in theaters this week. While killer clowns are not new, this tale of small-town craziness is told through the eyes of a father and daughter from urban life.
But the horror film that blew me away was “Sinners”. I had heard great things about it but had not read anything about it, so I had no preconceived notions other than that it was a horror film and that Ryan Coogler, the maker of “Fruitville Station” and “Black Panther,” made it. This is one of the best and original films I have seen in a long time.
This film is doing really well in theaters, and I strongly recommend you see it, in a theater.
The horror part of the film doesn’t show up until about halfway through. The film takes seriously the idea that the blues is the devil’s music. There is a scene in the film where this young guitar player is rocking it, and suddenly, we go back in time and forward in time, seeing generations of black music and how it all fits together. This scene is magical by itself, but there is so much more to see in the film.
The film stars Michael B. Jordan, who plays two brothers. Here is a story that shows how they did that.
And make sure you stay through the credits, there is something very special there!
This month’s Frankly Festival Pod is about finding out and meeting all the different jobs people have at film festivals; you can hear that here.
We have several new episodes of “The Fog of Truth” out. One features an interview with Anna Feder about her new series, Resistance of Vision. Another features an interview with Alex Braverman about his documentary about Andy Kaufman, “Thank You Very Much”. And one features an interview with Kim A. Snyder, who made the “Librarians,” which I mentioned earlier.
Next week we have another screening of Richard Bailey’s “Howler” next week because the last one sold out. It will be shown on Wednesday, May 14 at the Violet Crown Theater at 7:30pm.
-Bart
Around this time 52 years ago, the Senate began its famed and televised Watergate hearings. They slowly but surely led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon and prison time for a slew of his top level staffers and assorted henchmen. Yeah, so? Why bring it up now? Well, because I just finished “Watergate: A New History,” published in 2022, written by Garrett M. Graff and weighing in at 679 pages in the paperback version. Its front cover blurb comes from none other than The Washington Post, where Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein became internationally famous (and very rich) from their early digging into the biggest scandal in U.S. history. “Do we need still another Watergate book?” the Post reviewer asks, “The answer turns out to be yes — this one.”
There’s a lot to digest, but this book is well worth the dining experience.. Of all its intrigue and machinations, though, a quote on page 409 still stays with me. It’s from prosecutor Jill Volner, who’s describing not Nixon but Nixon enabler Jeb Magruder when she says, “I was stunned by the ease with which he dissembled, even as he tried to clear himself. He was a slippery confabulator, and I came to the conclusion, based on our many hours of conversation, that he had no moral center.”
Not to get too political (heh), but does this remind you of a serial liar who constantly spouts the specters of “rigged” elections, hoaxes and “fake news?” The difference this time around is there’s no one to stop him. Many notable and staunch Republicans stepped forward at the climax of Watergate to say that Nixon had lied and connived his way to the point of no return. He resigned because of a bipartisan impeachment and the certainty that a resultant Senate trial would result in conviction and expulsion. So he had no real choice. Alas, it’s impossible to imagine that happening today. Republicans are firmly in lockstep and no amount of media revelations are going to change that. Yes, Watergate now seems long ago and far away. Alas, its lessons now seem irretrievably lost, never to be found again.
-Ed
Howdy,
Honestly, it's looking a little desperate for the arts in general. Trying to revoke public funding for PBS is one of the more outrageous cuts. There aren't many people who think shows like "Sesame Street" and "Antiques Roadshow" are not net-goods for society. My personal favorite show as a kid was "FETCH with Ruff Ruffman" about an anthropomorphic dog who hosted a game show/scavenger hunt for kids that taught Boston history and science. Not everything needs to be run like a business. Government funding for the arts, for public schools, for groceries for low-income families- these are largely popular amongst the public even if they don't directly generate money for the country. Having a healthy educated society should be a given.
Luckily at The Modern, the film screenings are backed by museum donors and members, but other theaters and films fests that rely on the National Endowment are going to struggle to survive. And that does not even account for the proposed 100 percent tariff on internationally produced films. Not only would that make showing many films impossible, but it won't bring productions back to the US. Other countries like Canada, the UK, and Australia have implement huge tax incentives for film and TV productions. Not only does support for the arts add inherent value to society and culture at large, but it directly supports jobs from catering to construction and countless others that are paid for in production costs. Bringing those same incentives to the US is an immediate solution that would support the industry, rather than hurt it.
I highly recommend the podcast "The Town" and the two part episode they did interviewing HBO CEO Casey Bloys. He's very candid about the various rebrandings that HBO has gone though (my area of special interest HBO Go to HBO Now to HBO to HBO Max to MAX) and the type of content that is going to be MAX Original branded. With the recent return to black and white branding, I think its only a matter of time before we are back to HBO proper on that little icon.
At the Modern this week, they are screening the classic film "12 Angry Men" on Wednesday at 2pm. I have jury duty this week so its particularly relevant to me. On Thursday at 6pm the Lone Star Film Fest is hosting a screening of the documentary "The Body Politic." Then this weekend, our Magnolia film is "Lilly," which is kind of like a remix of "Erin Brockovich" but about equal wages in the workplace. Check out the trailer below.
-Elijah