Darrel Manson

A Few of International Feature Oscar Hopefuls

Darrel MansonMar 3, 2021

Every country (except the U.S.) can submit one film for Oscar consideration for Best International Feature Film. How a country makes that choice varies. There are certain criteria, including how much English is allowed. The Academy has a process through which the...

Oscar Spotlight

Reporting from Slamdance – The Winners Are…

Darrel MansonFeb 27, 2021

Now that the 2021 version of the Slamdance Film Festival is over, it is time to look back at some of the best films that played at the festival. The festival included 25 feature films and 107 shorts. Of course, the festival this year was almost completely virtual (the...

News

Reporting from Slamdance – a few final films

Darrel MansonFeb 27, 2021

A few more films as I wind down my coverage of Slamdance Film Festival. It has been a wonderful experience, as most film festivals are. In Jim Bernfield?s documentary feature Me to Play, Dan Moran and Chris Jones, two actors with Parkinson?s Disease, set out to...

Film Reviews

Reporting from Slamdance – 18th & Grand

Darrel MansonFeb 26, 2021

Growing up in Los Angeles in the 50s and 60s, I was well aware of the Olympic Auditorium. That was where they held wrestling, roller derby, and boxing that came into our homes on local TV. Later it was the scene of punk rock shows. In the years since, I?ve driven by...

Film Reviews

Crisis – Trying to Take on Opioids

Darrel MansonFeb 25, 2021

The opioid epidemic is the setting for Nicholas Jarecki?s Crisis. The film looks at the issue from different angles by using three storylines (two of which converge) that allow the film to explore the pain caused by this problem as well as ethical and law enforcement...

Features Film Reviews VOD

Reporting from Slamdance – “Unstoppable” filmmakers (part 2)

Darrel MansonFeb 23, 2021

Diversity is being recognized as an important goal in the film industry. Many voices and many perspectives are needed in every art form, and that is very true of film. This year?s Slamdance Film Festival has made an express effort to bring the idea of ablism and the...

Features Film

Reporting from Slamdance – Narrative Features (part 2)

Darrel MansonFeb 22, 2021

Here is another round of narrative features that are part of this year?s Slamdance Film Festival. This set of films is from around the world. The world premiere of No Trace (Nulle Trace) from Canadian director Simon Lavoie served as the Opening Night film. Set in a...

Film Reviews

Reporting from Slamdance – a Sampling of Narrative Shorts

Darrel MansonFeb 22, 2021

Narrative shorts are films that are storytelling stripped down to the essentials. You don?t have time in shorts to develop side plots or bring in very many characters. You just put the story out there to be enjoyed or thought about. As I?ve had time, I?ve looked at a...

Film

Reporting from Slamdance – Docs of Empowerment

Darrel MansonFeb 18, 2021

Time to take a look at some of the feature length docs showing at Slamdance. I?m pulling some films together here from a couple of sections, but the films I?m looking at for this report are about community, voice, and empowerment, either as a group or individuals....

Features Film Reviews

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