Five Questions With... Jamie Meltzer, Director of TRUE CONVICTION

After serving jail time for more than a decade for a murder he didn’t commit, Christopher Scott was exonerated. Seeking to make sense of his experience, he joins forces with fellow exonerees Steven Phillips and Johnnie Lindsey to start a detective agency. Their mission: to find other wrongfully convicted prisoners, investigate their cases, and prove their innocence. Director Jamie Meltzer follows these determined men as they struggle to make a difference on the outside.

Read more with Jamie below, and catch TRUE CONVICTION on Friday, June 23 at 6:30 PM and/or Saturday, June 24 at 9:15 AM!

NFF: How did you first become acquainted with and interested in Chris, Johnnie, and Steven?

Jamie: In 2012, I got a tip from a journalist friend in Texas that a group of exonerated men in Dallas came together as part of a unique support group. He told me that three of them were starting an investigation agency, a sort of grassroots Innocence Project, so I went down to Dallas and sat in on a group support session they were having. I was immediately moved by their sense of brotherhood, their desire to make change, to turn their experience into something meaningful and impactful. Plus the idea of staffing an investigation team with men who had experienced wrongful convictions themselves, was so unique, I had to see where it would lead.  I started film on that trip, and the film took 5 years to complete.

NFF: Why do you think this film is particularly relevant in this cultural moment?

Jamie: I didn’t set out to make a “message” film, but through the journey of the three protagonists, the film I think gets at the heart of the issues plaguing our criminal justice system. It was important to me that this “message” be conveyed in a way that’s organic to the story of the film. I couldn’t have anticipated how relevant this topic is in current day political and cultural conversations, but I’m glad that the film can contribute and shed light on areas that desperately need reform.

NFF: Was it challenging for you to remain impartial yourself, when faced with these stories of possible innocence?

Jamie: The film doesn’t aim to be impartial, its follows the world of the exoenrees and the cases through their unique and subjective perspective. And I think it very clearly highlights two criminal cases where justice wasn’t served. As a filmmaker, it was really hard to maintain a critical distance from the injustices my subjects were uncovering, and in fact, there were lots of times where I couldn’t keep that distance, and just had to do everything I could to help the individual cases unfolding within the film. At times my filmmaking team became active participants, always with a respect for the work of the main protagonists, and with an aim towards helping their goal of freeing potentially innocent individuals.

NFF: What surprised you the most while you were making the film?

Jamie: The willingness of people to talk on camera- there were a lot of situations where the exoneree detectives were interviewing a witness or a prosecutor or detective and I couldn’t imagine why they would allow us to be there filming. There are a few moments that still surprise me in terms of how we got access.

On a larger scale, I went into this project somewhat naive about overturning cases of wrongful conviction, I assumed it would be enough to find someone who was clearly innocent, and I think the experience of making the film showed me how much of an immense challenge my subjects of the film had set for themselves, for me this turn’s the film’s central quest to free the innocent into a really noble Sisyphean struggle.

NFF: Why are you excited to show the film in Nantucket, and/or what do you hope Nantucket audiences will take away?

Jamie: I hope the film grips people the way a great detective story does; but with the added bonus of enlightening the viewer about certain flaws in the justice system and hopefully also creates a deep connection to the men in the film, and their mission.

Five Questions With... Lisa Cortés, producer of THE TALE OF FOUR

THE TALE OF FOUR is Oscar®-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe's (Empire, Precious) directorial debut. We're proud to present this piece at our Afternoon Tea Talk on Sunday, June 25 at 2:15pm, followed by a lively, moderated conversation accompanied by tea and treats.

This multi-layered story inspired by Nina Simone’s “Four Women” spans one day in the lives of four different women connected by their quest for love, agency and redemption. Featuring Jussie Smollett (Empire) and Ledisi.

Sidibe’s directorial debut is part of Refinery29’s Shatterbox Anthology short film series, which works to cultivate and spotlight the voices of women behind the camera, in order to provide emerging female filmmakers with the support to realize their creative vision.

We spoke with producer Lisa Cortés about the film, and are also happy to present the first trailer, below. Take a look, and join us on Sunday!

NFF: Can you talk a little about how this project came to you? Why were you interested in this script?

Lisa: I've had the pleasure of knowing Gabby (Gabourey) since working with her as a Producer on "Precious". When she was putting together the team for The Tale of Four, she and her manager reached out and asked if I'd be interested in joining the team. Hello, where do I sign up? I love when personal and professional relationships come full circle. 

The story is timely and relevant to where we find ourselves right now. The script spoke to me because it compliments much of my work which has been committed to telling expansive stories about our Black bodies.  

NFF: The film asks a lot of questions about identity and how we define ourselves. Do you think self-image is something that can be shaped and changed, or is it more structured and set?

Lisa: Self-image can be fluid. The woman I am is different from the girl I was. The change happened because I did the work (which never stops) and met the right people along the way who supported my quest.  What's important is that we create mirrors in our work that provide vistas and portals to possibility and change.

NFF: Why is this film important right now?

Lisa: The characters in the film were inspired by the women that Nina Simone sang about in 1966 in her iconic song, "Four Women".  Some of the challenging situations and microaggressions that these sisters undergo are still a part of our everyday experiences as Black women. If it's true that "the more things change, the more they stay the same",  I hope that their are lessons for empowerment and self love to be found within our film.

NFF: What surprised or challenged you the most while you were making the film?

Lisa: I have tremendous respect for Gabby and was delighted to see that all the ideals she upholds and represents are a part of her directing style.  We had a set filled with committed, smart and passionate people. Yes, there were challenges but along with the other producers - Refinery29 (Amy Emmerich, Shannon Gibson and Kate Bolger) and Kia Perry we always built upon our community to find solutions.

NFF: Why are you excited to show the film in Nantucket, and/or what do you hope Nantucket audiences will take away?

Lisa: I am so looking forward to premiering our film at Nantucket. The strong direction and rich programming of the festival promises to provide a forum for thoughtful exchanges about film and its ability to create empathy and fuel change.

Producer Lisa Cortés

Five Questions With... Angus MacLachlan, Writer/Director of ABUNDANT ACREAGE AVAILABLE

Following the death of their father, brother and sister Jesse (Terry Kinney) and Tracy (Amy Ryan) must decide whether to continue to run the family farm or make a change in their lives. Their choice is complicated by the arrival of another group of siblings, who set up camp and claim a surprising connection to their land. Executive produced by Martin Scorsese and written and directed by Angus MacLachlan (Goodbye to All That, NFF 2014), ABUNDANT ACREAGE AVAILABLE wrestles with questions of family, legacy, and generational responsibility.

Read more with writer/director Angus MacLachlan below, and come see a screening on Friday, June 23 at 2:15 PM and/or Saturday, June 24 at 9:00 PM!

NFF: Do you have siblings? Was the story influenced or inspired by any personal relationships?

Angus: I do, actually, have two brothers. But that realization didn’t really occur to me until late in the project. I can’t say the specifics of this piece were inspired by actual events, but as we were making it there were many events that mirrored the story. In fact, my father died a week after we finished shooting the film.

NFF: Can you talk a little about casting, and how your actors came to the project? Did you write this with any of them in mind?

Angus: I do not write with specific actors in mind, wanting to create characters first. I had a relationship with a wonderful agent at Gersh, Rhonda Price, who read the script and suggested Amy Ryan. She then gave it to Amy’s agent. Steve Coulter, who plays Charles, had been in my last film, and we actually went to school together. Terry, Francis, and Max came about through luck and flukes and much good fortune.

NFF: The location is integral to the story. How did you find and decide on your location? Where did you shoot?

Angus: We shot it where it is set in East Bend, NC. Which is about 40 minutes from where I live. I had imagined the story there, and then wanted to shoot there. To find the actual farm I drove around East Bend and came upon the house, which was empty. It had been a rental, but empty for a year or so. I had to do some sleuthing to find out the owner, Thad Joe Matthews. And then had to convince him that we would take good care of his property. It was such a perfect embodiment of what I had imagined.

NFF: A few of your actors come from a theatre background, and film is notoriously short on time for rehearsal. Did having theatre actors on set change the way you rehearsed or prepared?

Angus: We had a day before we started shooting to rehearse with everyone. Of course I had had one on one discussions with each actor prior. And, yes, I would say all the actors had theatre technique and came prepared. This helped with the amount of dialogue that everyone had. And also resulted in a very close relationship between the cast.

NFF: Why are you excited to show the film in Nantucket, and/or what do you hope Nantucket audiences will take away?

Angus: My experience at the Festival with my last film, GOODBYE TO ALL THAT, in 2014 made me feel the Nantucket audiences were some of the most responsive, savvy viewers my film had. They seem appreciative of film. I hope this movie will be resonant. It truly is about ‘letting go’. And the idea that no matter what we possess, or earn, or hold on to, no matter who we love in this life - we will all have to let go of it at some point. And how hard that is to do. 

Amy Ryan in Abundant Acreage Available

Five Questions With... Shorts Directors Matthew Dixon, Dawid Ullgren, and Saman Hosseinpuor

Our first Narrative Shorts program, FEELING CONNECTED, plays this Thursday, June 22 at 9:00 AM. We spoke with three of the directors in this program, Matthew Dixon (MODERN HOUSES), Dawid Ullgren (MR. SUGAR DADDY), and Saman Hosseinpuor (THE MAN WHO FORGOT TO BREATHE). Read more from these talented filmmakers below, and join us for the screening on Thursday morning!

NFF (To all): Your film is in the "Feeling Connected" group - how do you think that theme is represented in your film?

Matthew: Fortunately, the programmers have a broad-minded view on what constitutes 'connecting' because I’m not sure “Modern Houses” fits in the obvious way.  We, or at least I, typically think about connecting to someone or something other than one’s own self.  For The Architect in the film, it is more about connecting the conflicting pieces of herself to become whole and empowered to achieve the only thing that she cares about: creating a transcendent piece of art.  It’s a great theme, and the central one in E.M. Forster’s “Howards End” when he writes “Only connect!  Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted…live in  fragments no longer.”  That sounds highfalutin, but I’ll go with it. 

Dawid: Mr. Sugar Daddy is about an older man who is trying to connect with a younger boy. For our leading character, it's not an age thing, but more about the real connection they getting through the night. It's more about the feeling, than how it really is. The theme of the program is really present in the film! It fits like a glove!

Saman: My film is about a family in a crisis of partnership. There was a fight between the man and the women last night. So I think it can be related to that section. The man and women are connected and they will find peace eventually thanks to their child.

NFF (To Matthew): Do you have a background in architecture or design? How do you think constructing a building is similar to constructing a film?

Matthew: I don’t have a background in architecture or design.  While the character is an architect, the story, about creativity and fear, could belong to any artist – painter, writer, actor.  Cherry Jones read it and called it, “Every artist’s nightmare.”  I chose an architect because, for one, it’s more interesting to watch someone build something than sit at a typewriter, but mostly because I needed a place that a voice could live in.  I was personifying an invisible villain, one’s own fear.  A model house was where it could run, hide, stalk, look out at the artist from within.  It worked practically and metaphorically. 

In your second question, you used the word ‘constructing’ for both a building and a film.  I think that’s right.  They both require a vision, a plan, resources, materials, and a lot of skilled and talented people working together toward a common goal.  And it would not be out of place to say that the writer/director is the architect of the film.  

NFF (To Dawid): The use of light and sound in the film really punctuates the drama. Were you thinking about those elements when writing/reading the script?

Dawid: I always knew that the feeling of a night club is one of the most important elements of the film. As a visual style we where only thinking of the lightning. Giving the two lead characters their own color from the beginning and when the film progress their colors submerse - going from being just one to two. The red lit dance scene (at the end of the film) has been almost the same from the first draft of the script to the final film. I'm also pleased that we could clear the music for that scene, because it was my only choice! We wanted to make a visual beautiful film that doesn't feel like a long music video. The story was always the most important element!

NFF (To Saman): What surprised or challenged you the most while you were making the film?

Saman: Working with cats was a challenge. We needed a cat fight at the end of the film but we couldn't do that, as you can see. The two most challenging things in filmmaking are animals and kids to work with.

NFF (To all): Why are you excited to show the film in Nantucket, and/or what do you hope Nantucket audiences will take away?

Matthew: A literary friend of mine said that The Architect’s obsession at the expense of sanity made him think of "Moby-Dick."  Since anyone reading this, and certainly Melville in his grave, is now having a laugh at my expense, I’ll just say that it’s a great festival that has always chosen the sort of films that interest me, and we're thrilled to be included among the people that make them. Of course level one of what you want for the audience for them to be engaged and want to know, What’s going happen next?  But I also want them to be thoughtfully provoked, to care about the character and her fight, and to appreciate the value of what is at stake: creativity.    

Dawid: I'm really proud and happy to screen the film in Nantucket! I wish I could attend the screening and sit in the back of the cinema and just take in the audience reactions! I hope that the audience see the beauty in this film about a heartbreak. It's never easy to go forward in your life, but you should always try! That's one of the things I really love about our lead character Hans.

Saman: There is no specific place to screen short films, I want to screen my films as much as I can. Nantucket film Festival is one of the greatest festival. Your film can be watched by thousands of people and that's a dream for young filmmakers like me.

Five Questions With... Christy McGill, producer of SERENADE FOR HAITI

Since 1956, Sainte Trinité Music School has brought classical music to thousands of Haitians. Its director, Father David Cesar, has made music education accessible through programs all around the island nation. In the wake of Haiti’s catastrophic 2010 earthquake, the school is destroyed—but Cesar, his faculty, and their students refuse to let Sainte Trinité disappear. Filmed over seven years, SERENADE FOR HAITI is a testament to resilience, hope, and the power of music.

We spoke with producer Christy McGill about the process of working on the film. Read more below, and join us for this moving and powerful documentary on Thursday, June 22 at 11:15 AM and/or Sunday, Jun 25 at 9:15 AM!

NFF: How did the film come to you? Had you worked together before?

Christy: I knew Owsley as a friend and fellow filmmaker I very much admired, and we had been bouncing around a different idea for a film when we met for lunch in San Francisco 2011. My background is in screenwriting, story, and creative producing and I was looking forward to the possibility of a creative collaboration with him.  Our conversation that day, though, centered around his Haiti film. He was at an important crossroads in the project-- the earthquake had such a catastrophic effect on the music school he had been filming for years, and the film had, of course, irrevocably changed direction. Once I saw some of his footage in his offices, I was completely drawn in. We decided to work together to find pathways for the film's narratives, and I signed on to help produce.

NFF: Can you talk a little bit about how the earthquake affected shooting?

Christy: At the end of 2009, Owsley and his cinematographer, Marcel Cabrera, had finished a 2+ year shoot in Haiti, and had returned to SF to begin sorting through the footage and transcribing interviews from Haitian Creole and French into English. They may have thought they might need a pick-up shoot, but they were pretty much wrapped. A few weeks later, the massive earthquake struck, and the whole situation was profoundly changed. I had never been involved in any project that had that kind of turn, and I was deeply impressed that Owsley committed to open the film up and return to chronicle the story of the music school in really unstable conditions there.

NFF: Shooting took seven years total, correct? Had you committed that amount of time to a project in the past, or was this unique?

Christy: I hadn't projected the project would continue as long as it did. I returned with him and small crew in 2014 to field produce what became the last third of the film, and I am so grateful he was willing to keep shooting, as the 7-year sweep that the film encompasses really fills out the story with much more dimensionality.  It was a very unique and challenging story to nurture-- weaving together what was one former film idea, with material from after this just massive disaster. We had a really great team-- fellow Producer Anne Flatté and incredible editors, Gina Leibrecht, Eva Brzeski, and Jeff Boyette. Everyone was very committed.

NFF: What impact do you think music and art can have society?

Christy: This is the crux of the film's message for me-- the incredible power and almost mysterious agency of music and art itself to transform a single person and an entire community. I've seen this film now so many times-- countless-- and I am moved every time by the potency of this message. The students (some as little as four years old!) and the tireless faculty of this classical music school literally will their lives forward through the commitment to music and their art. Not just the learning and performing of it, but the sense of self and purpose it generates within them. There is also the important identification with their own country's music. (Haiti has a just incredible musical heritage which comprises much of the film's soundtrack.) Art, and in this case, music, is absolutely essential to humanity and the best expression of our society we can muster. Anywhere.

NFF: Why are you excited to show the film in Nantucket, and/or what do you hope Nantucket audiences will take away?

Christy:  I am so excited to be in Nantucket! I was fortunate to spend several summers with my family on the island-- on Brant Point and one summer in Sconsett for parents anniversary- and these are among my most cherished memories. The island has this totally timeless feel and remarkable, singular beauty. I think also, the sense you have of being way out to sea does something to everyone there. It's magic. And films in their best iteration can be, too-- so it's a perfect combination. The programmers of NFF are also among the best in the industry, so we feel enormously privileged and very happy to be participating.

Five Questions With... Jody Hassett Sanchez, Director of MORE ART UPSTAIRS

Who gets to decide what is good art? For three weeks in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the general public carries as much sway as international art critics. At ArtPrize, the world’s most-attended art show, both groups have equal power to award $500,000 to the best of a pool of more than 1,500 submissions. MORE ART UPSTAIRS is a fascinating and entertaining demonstration of what happens when the cultural elite butts up against Midwest populism.

We spoke with director Jody Hassett Sanchez about the film - read more below, and join us for a screening on Wednesday, June 21 at 4:00 PM and/or Thursday, Jun 22 at 9:15 AM!

NFF: How did you become familiar with ArtPrize?

Jody: I was intrigued after reading a snarky review that derided ArtPrize as a naked bid to buy cultural cachet in a flyover state. Whenever a writer becomes that vexed about something, I figure it’s worth investigating. I also have a serious art collector friend who attended and told me about the absolute mobs of families, from great grandmothers to triplets in strollers that wait in long lines to see the art.

When I first came to Grand Rapids to check out the scene, I adored how you could walk into any local bar and folks wouldn’t be debating politics or sports but art! During the three-week competition, the evening news broadcasters breathlessly report on the art and the local papers feature it on their front pages. It’s this alternative reality in this small Midwestern city!

NFF: Do you have a background in visual or performance art?

Jody: Is making films a visual art? I think so! My interest in art probably can be traced back to being traipsed through museums by my mum at a very young age and discussing the stories depicted in the Old Masters paintings. During college, I would regularly wander through the marvelous Smith College art museum when I was stressed out about an upcoming exam.  Being able to return to a painting on different days at different times and really look at it might have taught me more than any of the art history classes I took.

I later helped to start a weekly art show at CNN International. They paid me to cover foreign policy and let me do art stories on the side!

NFF: Who do you think should be judging art: critics, audiences, or other artists? 

Jody: We’re in this era of aesthetic pluralism, which has both an upside and a downside. The upside – everyone has a voice and we’re no longer reliant on a powerful critic to tell us what’s worth viewing.  Everyone now has a say, which has created a new ecosystem of tastemakers online. I can’t remember who said it, but someone referred to this as the “zagatization of culture.”

You definitely see this happening in my film. About halfway through the contest, the public votes on the top twenty artworks. After that, people follow a route to those particular works on their phone, ignoring anything else along the way that they might otherwise stumble upon serendipitously and actually like.

The downside is that there are many times when we need someone knowledgeable to help us understand why a particular object is worth viewing, perhaps because of its historical context or its relationship to other art. Online, there’s so much free form resentment and people rage against anyone they perceive as being 'above' them or an authority figure. There’s still an important role for cultural critics and it’s unfortunate they are often dismissed as “elitists.”

 NFF: How do you define "successful" art?

 Jody: Often when you read about successful art, it’s the latest work to sell for multimillions at auction. I’m not sure “successful” is an adjective I’d use to describe a work of art. I am also weary of hearing about “important” art. I’m more interested in art that offers us an insight into the human experience or a chance to see the world through fresh eyes. But if I were forced to answer the question, I’d say art is successful if you are still talking or thinking about it after you leave the gallery or museum.

 NFF: What surprised or challenged you the most while you were making the film? 

Jody: I discovered that people who don’t spend much time around art have the strongest opinions about what is and isn’t art.  The art critics and writers who visit ArtPrize have more expansive notions. They argue that art shouldn’t necessarily be judged on its technical or aesthetic merits, but on the ideas or concepts that the work explores. So they are much keener on conceptual or installation art than the public is. This tension between populist and professional ideas about art emerges as a major theme in the film.

NFF: Why are you excited to show the film in Nantucket? 

Jody: Nantucket has always been a part of my life. I was born on the Cape and remember an early, soggy camping trip to the island with my Girl Scout troop. Subsequent visits have been slightly more elegant. As a journalist, I lived out of a suitcase for years traveling the globe. But my heart is never happier than when I get off the plane, breathe in the sea air and head to one of my favorite local fried clam joints.

NFF: What do you hope Nantucket audiences will take away?

Jody: For folks who find contemporary art intimidating or irrelevant, I hope they’ll leave the theater with a few new ideas about how to look at art. As one of the characters in the film puts it, thinking critically about art is a great way to start thinking critically about everything else.

For people who are already big art supporters, my hope is that they might consider why the American public has been thoroughly alienated from the fine arts while, paradoxically, continuing to enjoy museums for the sake of sensation and spectacle, much as it enjoyed circuses a century ago.

Five Questions With... Alexandra Dean, director of BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY

Screening on Opening Day of #NFF17, BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY shares with the audience an unseen side of Hedy's private life.

Good looks made Hedy Lamarr a 1940s Hollywood siren, but her beautiful mind earned her a spot in technology history. During World War II, the Austrian Jewish émigrée developed a secret communications system that she hoped would help defeat the Nazis—one that would later serve as the basis for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Weaving in archival interviews with the glamorous actress, this film for lovers of history, Hollywood, and science reveals Lamarr's under-acknowledged role as a pioneering inventor.

We spoke with producer/director Alexandra Dean - read more below, and join us for the film on Wednesday, June 21 at 1:30 PM and/or Thursday, June 22 at 9:30 AM!

NFF: What prompted your interest in/fascination with Hedy Lamarr?

Alexandra: I have always wanted to know why there aren't more female inventors. Inventing is so creative, and it shapes the world we live in. I wrote about inventors for Businessweek and did television segments and I was always surprised at how few women identified themselves as inventors. The women I did profile told me they felt like pioneers because they had no role models who came before them. That's changing now with Hidden Figures, but at the time it seemed true that women didn't see technology and invention as their domain. I refused to believe there were no female inventors that changed America and I suspected the women who came before were simply forgotten, but I didn't know for sure. Then a colleague gave me Hedy's Folly by Richard Rhodes and i was delighted to discover that hollywood star Hedy Lamarr was an amateur inventor. As I read and read my eyes turned to saucers... she really did invent something that changed the world, and the only reason we don't know it today is that she was so far ahead of her time. Her invention went unrecognized partly because it seemed so unlikely someone known as "the most beautiful girl in the world" could turn out to be among the most brilliant as well. But she was! The story seemed incredibly timely and surprising so I jumped at the chance to make a documentary about it.

NFF: Do you think Hedy was a product of or a victim of the time she was born into?

Alexandra: Both. I think Hedy was an extremely strong woman who rejected the idea that she was a victim of her circumstances at every turn (she convinced Louis B Mayer to make her a star while fleeing war torn Europe! She invented a secret weapon to fight the nazis! She was among the first movie stars to produce her own films!) but eventually, over time, she did become a victim despite her best efforts to remain in control and powerful. The world applauded her beauty and her style and ignored her mind and her achievements out of the spotlight. Finally, worn down by drug use and ridicule from the press, she did start to believe that her own self worth was in her looks and not in her other qualities. Thank God the world started to recognize her as a brilliant inventor just before she died and she did see a glimpse of the legacy she left behind, which was all about her mind and not at all about her famous face.

NFF: Why do you think women face the challenge of being beautiful or smart, but not both?

Alexandra: In my edit suite, I propped up a note that reads: "this is a film about power" to remind myself that the question of power is really what lies behind our endless discussions about women, beauty and brains. Being beautiful and smart are two forms of power, and for whatever reason women are usually allowed to own one of those forms of power, but not both. Perhaps its because, traditionally, being a great beauty is about having the timeless female power of seduction; being something that other people want to posses, an object of lust, obsession, reverence. It's a passive power. The power of "being smart" on the other hand, is an active power that allows the person wielding it to take control of their own narrative. In the great literature of the world pre-1950 that person was traditionally male: the subject in the drama of life, not an object. Hedy tried to transition from the traditional passive power of being a trophy wife and a renowned beauty into an active role as an inventor that changed the world. That transition is what the public resisted. Even today women struggle to exist on both sides of that line: powerful for their beauty and their brains. It's like society says: decide, you are either going to take the traditionally male role or the female one, but you can't have power in both spheres. Perhaps in the future the world won't remain so gendered in its power structures. In fact, I see those bright lines becoming dimmer all the time and that gives me hope. I think we will live in a much more interesting world when we can really mix it up. Why not?

NFF: What surprised or challenged you the most while you were making the film?

Alexandra: The biggest challenge when I started making this film is that I could not find Hedy's voice anywhere. She never talked about inventing in TV interviews and only mentioned it casually a handful of times in her print interviews. The invention and how she invented it remained shrouded in mystery. There was an autobiography but it was very salacious. I didn't want to base the documentary on her book "Ecstasy and Me" because she sued the ghostwriter for $21 million claiming it was all lies. So I would go to bed every night dreaming that somewhere I would find tapes of Hedy talking about her life and telling us answers to all the mysteries about her. Finally I decided that I had to stop dreaming about the tapes and just go out and find them. My whole team divided up the names of everyone who had ever talked to Hedy Lamarr on the record, and after about six months of searching we found Fleming Meeks, a reporter who interviewed her for a short article in 1990. When he picked up the phone he said, "I've been waiting 25 years for you to call, because I had the tapes." I got chills and half an hour later we ran into his office with the camera running and that's the scene you see in the film when Fleming says he just found the last tape hidden behind his trash can. Once we made that discovery, Hedy's voice took control of the narrative and we scrapped the film we'd been trying to make in favor of a new one with Hedy at the helm.

NFF: Why are you excited to show the film in Nantucket, and/or what do you hope Nantucket audiences will take away?

Alexandra: I'm excited to show the film in Nantucket because I think the crowd here are an incredible group of people really in love with film and storytelling. It'll be in this gorgeous place where we can drink wine on the water and talk power and gender politics and sexy movie stars. I absolutely can't wait.

I hope Nantucket audiences will come away from this film remembering Hedy's wisdom at the end: When you are bold the world might kick you in the teeth and everything you build may burn to the ground. Do it anyway. 

Five Questions With... Davey Holmes, Creator/Executive Producer, and Lucy Walters, Star, of GET SHORTY

We're premiering a new screening and conversation series at #NFF2017 titled TV AND TALKS, featuring full episodes of GET SHORTY and THE KEEPERS. 

Based on Elmore Leonard’s 1990 New York Times bestseller, Get Shorty is a 10-episode dark comedy coming to EPIX later this year. Miles, played by Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids, This Is 40, Love After Love), works as muscle for a murderous crime ring in Nevada but is attempting to become a movie producer and launder money through a Hollywood film. Three-time Emmy®-award winner Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond, Parenthood, The Big Sick) stars as Rick, a washed up producer who becomes Miles’ partner and guide through Hollywood. 

NFF is very pleased to present a screening of the first episode of Get Shorty, followed by a conversation with Creator/Executive Producer Davey Holmes (Shameless, In Treatment, Damages).

Read more from Davey and series star Lucy Walters below, and join us on Friday, June 23 at 1:45 PM at the White Heron!

NFF: Davey, when you were looking at adapting Get Shorty to a series, what inspired you to imagine this as a story that could last multiple years/seasons?

Davey: I believe any story can last multiple seasons if you care about, and believe in, the characters.  Certainly there are challenges if the premise of the show, the central conflict, seems to run its course early on.  As someone who has fought to make my way in the entertainment industry for several decades already, I don’t feel we're in danger of running out of material…  But I’m actually more interested in the dynamics of the characters.  Hollywood is simply a fun background.

NFF: Coming off shows like Shameless and Power, it seems you both have a penchant for anti-heroes. Can you talk a little about what draws you to these conflicted/complicated characters who aren't always "good"?

Davey: The ascension of the antihero on television was a God-given gift to writers like myself.  Heroes who struggle with the good and bad inside of them are so much more fun to write, and I think, to watch.  We’ve had enough great examples of this on television that there is now actually a backlash, with writers and critics wondering aloud if antiheroes are all played out.  But I think that’s nonsense.  If you’re imitating someone else’s approach to a character, yes, that’s going to be stale and limited.  So we try not to do that.  We find our own ways in.

Lucy: It was a shock to me how much people hated Holly [on Power] - they were throwing parties when she got killed! It's all a matter of perspective, and I loved Holly - I believe it is your job as an actor to never judge your character. You have to love them and believe in them and justify what they're doing. I guess I do feel drawn to the darker, shadowy roles - I think Lucy Walters suffers from being too accommodating, and both these women I've played recently are not trying to please anyone. There's something badass about getting to embody them!

NFF: Davey, you get to poke fun at Hollywood a bit. Are there any lines (or personalities) you don't want to cross?

Davey: So far, nothing seems off-limits, other than taking cracks at easy targets or being pointlessly cruel.  And we are fairly equal opportunity in who we go after: the “writer” characters on the show fare worse than anyone! 

NFF: Can you say a little about casting, and how putting together/finding this ensemble happened?

Davey: It’s something I’m incredibly proud of, that we managed to attract and find this group of actors.  We obsessed over it.  And we have a fantastic casting director, Rachel Tenner.  We reached out to Ray Romano early, as soon as we heard he was available, and he was excited about the project.  When Chris O’Dowd signed on, everything fell into place.  I’m incredibly proud of the whole ensemble.  Some actors came in to audition for roles that only had a line or two, and have grown into really big parts.  

Lucy: It's rare to read scripts that are just great and this one was GREAT - it felt fresh and real - I fell in love with Katie and it didn't feel like acting to read her. I was actually out of the country and sent in a self-tape for my initial audition - I was so pleasantly surprised to get the call that I needed to come to LA to read. I loved the script and the role and I'm so happy to be a part of the show.

NFF: What's been the most fun day of shooting?

Davey: That’s an impossible question.  First of all, it’s a big blur.  Second, there were countless moments that were so exciting, when the actors, director and crew not only lived up to the scene but transcended it, and the feeling on set was electric.  Those are moments everyone can feel, and if you’re even luckier, it translates to what you see on screen.

Lucy: I don't want to give away any spoilers for the series, but at least when shooting the pilot, we got to set up the world - it was so fun and there was so much possibility in figuring out who these people are. We shot this in New Mexico, and there's a different level of bonding that happens that when you're all together in the desert - we would go on hikes, and explore the state together, which I loved...plus we were in the hot tub every night!

Five Questions With... Pamela Yates, director of 500 YEARS

Our first filmmaker to tackle this year's "Five Questions With..." series is Pamela Yates, director of the powerful documentary 500 YEARS, which is this year's Facing History and Ourselves selection. 

500 YEARS completes Yates’s epic trilogy about Guatemala, which launched in 1983 and contributed to the downfall of the nation’s dictator. Building on her previous work but accessible on its own, this sweeping story of resistance culminates in a genocide trial and the ouster of a corrupt president. The film bears witness to the experiences of the persecuted indigenous Mayan population and celebrates its emergence as a powerful political force poised to usher in a new age of hope.

Read more with Pamela below, and join us on Saturday, June 24 at 3:45 PM at White Heron for the screening, followed by a conversation with Yates, subject Irma Alicia Velásquez Nimatuj, and Marc Skvirsky of Facing History and Ourselves. 

NFF: 500 Years is the third in a trilogy of films documenting the Mayan / Guatemalan struggle. What brought you to this story originally, and why have you felt compelled to return to it?

Yates: I was working as a location sound recordist in Nicaragua and El Salvador in the early 1980s when I heard about a hidden uprising centered in the indigenous highlands of Guatemala.  The Guatemalan journalists trying to cover this story were being disappeared, tortured and murdered. I knew that the United States had overthrown the democratically elected government of Jacobo Árbenz in 1954, leaving a legacy of brutal military dictatorships. So as a U.S. citizen and filmmaker, I felt a responsibility to investigate the continuing role of the U.S. in human rights violations and to get this story out.

Guatemala wrapped its arms around my soul and never let me go. There is something so beautiful and spiritual about the country and its people. Yet it’s a country rich in resources that keeps its citizens in poverty. I’ve continued to tell the story of Mayan resistance over 35 years, with 3 films, because it is one epic story of determined resistance. And the films have had and continue to have universal resonance because they embody themes of justice, the quest for a sustainable planet, and indigenous rights while decrying greed, corruption, and racism.

I think it’s important for documentary filmmakers to stay connected to people and places where we’ve told stories. Not necessarily to make another film, but to make sure our relationships continue. We’re not rich, but we have rich lives.

NFF: Is there anything you've seen or learned from these stories that give you hope for the power of resistance in other cultures?

Yates: The whole idea for The Resistance Saga, which includes our trilogy of films about Guatemala, When the Mountains Tremble (1983), Granito: How to Nail a Dictator (2011) and my new film here at the festival, 500 YEARS (2017), is to learn from the wisdom of Mayan resistance and how it may apply to better our lives. With the rise of authoritarian governments here and around the world, we will have to be smart and creative about resisting the advances of conservatism to take away our civil rights. It may be only once that I will get to present my lifetime of work precisely at the moment when it is most needed.

NFF: How willing were the interviewees you spoke with and documented to give you access to their lives and stories? 

Yates: When I was a young child growing up in the Appalachian mountains, and a new family moved into our neighborhood, my parents would send me over to find out all about them. I was naturally curious and interested, I was open to new people and ideas.  And that quality has served me so well as a documentary filmmaker.

Access is about building relationships, and it takes time and honesty. I make films independently because I want to take the time to get to know people, and to collaborate with the protagonists in the telling of each story. In 500 YEARS we are modeling a much more collaborative model of non-fiction storytelling by involving the protagonists not only during the production but also in our multi-year outreach and engagement campaigns, when we take the film out into the world together.

Irma Alicia Velásquez Nimatuj, a Mayan leader, journalist, scholar and public intellectual will be with me here at the festival, speaking with the film.

NFF: Do you feel that you've now completed this story? Or are there more films to come from the Mayan / Guatemalan people?

Yates: The saga of the Mayans of Guatemala began well before I began making When the Mountains Tremble and will continue well after 500 YEARS. The next generation of Guatemalan filmmakers are coming on strong, and I’m confident that they will continue the story with vibrant innovations and their own style of storytelling.

NFF: What do you hope Nantucket audiences will see / take away from this film?

Yates: I hope that Nantucket audiences will know that resistance is a life long commitment to social change and that they will be inspired by the Mayans of Guatemala who have been resisting for 500 years, since the conquest. I want to galvanize newly minted activists – those who went to the Women’s March on Washington last January, or everyone who traveled to the encampment at Standing Rock – to be emboldened and energized by the creative movement building they’ll see in500 YEARS.  Our extended discussion after the film will center this idea.

Photo Credit: Daniel Hernández-Salazar

Sasheer Zamata Added to All-Star Comedy Roundtable!

We're thrilled to announce another acclaimed female comedian joining the All-Star Comedy Roundtable on Saturday, June 24: Sasheer Zamata!

Sasheer Zamata is a comedian, actress, writer, presenter, and host. Most recently a cast member on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," she has also appeared on TBS's "People of Earth," Amazon's "Transparent," Comedy Central's "Inside Amy Schumer," Netflix's "Bojack Horseman," SeeSo's "Night Train with Wyatt Cenac," as well as voiced the role of Maisie in Nickelodeon's "Albert" and Sally in "Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare." She appears in the features "Yoga Hosers," "Sleight," and "Deidra & Laney Rob a Train" on Netflix. She also serves as ACLU's Celebrity Ambassador for Women's Rights. Her one-hour standup comedy special, "Pizza Mind," is available on Seeso.

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