>> So this is a better job,
except that I don't like
the photograph as much.
My face is so fat,
I can't stand it.
Richard named me
Chuckie Fat Face
when I was in graduate school.
And that's what everybody
called me for a long time.
>> Chuckie Fat Face?
>> Yeah.
>> About a half-stop.
On the count of three.
One, two, three.
( loud beep )
>> Okay.
>> I'd like to get more
of the shadow.
>> So, just power down?
>> But I'd like
to blast out of the side
and get that shape, too.
Can I have a mirror?
My eyebrow got matted down.
Sticky eyebrows.
Okay.
>> Hi, and welcome
to Director's Cut.
I'm your host,
Charles Monroe-Kane.
Here at Director's Cut,
we're dedicated to bringing you
the best in independent films
and filmmakers.
Today, we have a treat for you,
an hour-long special edition
of Director's Cut, featuring
the Wisconsin Film Festival.
But for many of us, the film
festival is it.
It's the motion picture moment
to end all moments, the
celluloid crème de la crème, the
light at the end of the movie
tunnel.
It's the big screen bomb.
And we've got the director
right here, Meg Hamel.
Meg, thank you for coming today.
>> Absolutely, Charles.
>> It's exciting, isn't it?
>> It is.
>> Tell me about the Wisconsin
Film Festival.
>> Well, this is the 11th year
of the festival.
It's a big event put on by the
University of Wisconsin.
And the goal is simply to bring
as many films as we can from
around the world.
>> How many?
>> There are 198 in this year's
lineup.
>> Wow.
>> That includes full-length
films, films that are three
hours long, down to films that
are maybe only a minute long.
>> That's cool.
>> Yeah.
>> How do you guys decide which
films to choose?
You get a lot more than 198 sent
to you.
>> Some of the films are sent to
us.
All the Wisconsin films, for
example, get submitted to the
festival as part of the
Wisconsin's Own competition.
But also, I go out and seek out
films all over the world that I
think are going to be a good fit
for this audience.
So this is my ninth year being
partf the festival.
I was a volunteer for five
years.
This is my fourth year
as the director.
So what I try to do is pull
together films that I think
represent the widest variety of
filmmaking that's happening in
the world today.
So we get experimental films,
documentary films, narrative
films, everything that I can
think of to bring together.
>> This is a full-time job.
>> Yeah.
>> How many films do you watch
in a year?
Like, how many did you watch in
the last 12 months?
>> It's easily a thousand.
>> What a great job!
>> I can't keep track of it.
It's too many.
>> You should keep track for me
next year when you're on.
You should wear a clicker on
your belt.
A thousand films?
So when relax from work, you
don't go home and rent a movie,
right?
>> Well, no.
What happens is I do a full day
at the office, and then go home
and watch six or eight hours of
movies most nights.
It's a lot.
>> That's intense.
This show is an hour-long
special.
And it's about movies, so let's
see some clips.
What we're going to see first,
is one of the people
who work for Director's Cut,
Bob Trondson, who you also know
as well, went out last year
and made some clips about
kind of the day in the life
of the film festival.
So our very own Bob Trondson is
going to show us how to survive
the morass of the Wisconsin Film
Festival.
Let's roll that clip.
>> Welcome to the Wisconsin Film
Festival.
? ?
I'm Bob Trondson.
I'm from the Director's Cut.
I had a twitch there, sorry.
And I'm going to be your tour
guide today, as we do a day in
the life of the Wisconsin Film
Festival.
Held every spring in Madison,
Wisconsin, the festival brings
over 175 films from all across
the world.
Thought provoking documentaries,
hip indie films,
and Wisconsin-bred
shorts and features.
So I'm going to give you some
tips and guides to help you get
through the festival.
You have to know how to do it
right to make the most out of
your experience.
Now, granted, there's no wrong
way to do it.
But I disagree, I think there is
a wrong way to do it.
That's why I'm here.
Can I have a cup of coffee?
The number one rule to do it
right, coffee.
Coffee will get you through the
day.
You have a lot of films to go
to.
You are going to be spending
hours and hours watching in a
darkened room.
You have to keep awake.
You have to make that sixth film
of the day as fun as the first
film.
So, number one rule, drink your
coffee.
Can I get a small cup of coffee?
Luckily, there's more than one
coffee shop in Madison.
Okay, so you have your cup
of coffee.
That's rule number one taken
care of.
The second thing you need is the
guide.
This is your bible.
This is going to get you through
the day.
There's a lot of information,
a lot of films.
There's so many things to do.
You have to know how to do it
right.
The guide is just that.
It gives you all the
descriptions of all the movies
and all the events.
I almost laminated it one time.
In addition, the guide gives you
the layout of the day.
When you walk out of a theater
and you're like juiced up,
excited about seeing another
film, you look down and you're
like, wait a second, across the
street, another film is playing,
when does it start.
When does it start.
Sometimes you're running down
the street to get to the place.
Very important, you need your
guide to get you through the
day.
So, we've got our coffee.
We've got our guide.
Let's go to the movies.
>> That's Bob Trondson, from
Director's Cut, on surviving
the Wisconsin Film Festival.
You know, film festivals are
really, they've become very,
very popular.
Why do you think they're so
popular around the country?
>> Well, they can vary, too.
Remember that there are a lot
of different kinds
of film festals.
There are very small film
festivals put on by small
communities that are really
community events.
Then there are larger film
festivals that are really
industry events that are
designed to help filmmakers
sell their films.
Wisconsin fits in the middle.
And I think one of the reasons
they're so popular is simply
that I think a lot of the
audience trusts that the films
that are going to play in the
festival have been selected just
for them.
And that there is a very special
combination of movies available
to them.
Also, they're going to get a
chance to see films that they'd
never otherwise get a chance to
see.
It's very appealing for a lot
of people.
>> It's interesting,
because I love film festivals.
There's energy to them.
Also, the films, I don't want
to use the word good or bad,
but the films are always better.
It's like I was talking earlier
about watching a Kate Hudson
romantic comedy.
You're not going to see that.
You're going to see a much
better quality film.
Why don't movie theaters, since
they're so popular and people
love these types of films, why
don't movie theaters just have
film festivals every month,
or something?
>> I don't know.
I think that's a really good
question.
And I'm surprised that there
aren't more film festivals
around, actually, even though
they've been springing up left,
right and center.
I think that there is so much
good material out there.
We talked before about how many
films I've watched to look at
the festival.
Easily, this festival could be
a lot bigger than the 198 films,
because there are so many good
films out there.
There really should be more
opportunity for filmmakers to
show them, including at
commercial movie theaters.
>> I find it really weird.
Plus, the venues are so nice,
it's interesting.
Again, let's see another clip.
We have a clip called "Vincent."
It's a documentary.
It's amazing.
Can you tell us a little bit
about the film, and then we'll
roll that clip.
>> Yeah, "Vincent: A Life In
Color," is about a Chicago man
who is well known to people who
walk the streets of Chicago on
their way to work, because he
entertains people, especially on
the bridges, as people are
taking tours of Chicago.
This was a film that was
submitted to the festival as
part of the Wisconsin's Own
competition.
So, Jennifer Burns is the
filmmaker.
She submitted this to the
festival.
And it was selected by the
three-member jury that looks at
Wisconsin films.
And now, audiences here are
going to be able to see it.
And my understanding is that
Vincent himself is also going to
be coming to the festival.
>> Yay!
It was interesting, a short
little thing about myself, not
that anybody would really care,
but I was a tour guide in
Chicago, on the boats, an
architecture tour guide, on the
boats and buses for a living
before I got this wonderful job.
We would build Vincent up.
You would go under a bridge and
he's there like clockwork.
He is part of Chicago.
Now that they've made the film,
anyone in the world can see
he's part of that.
That's great.
Let's roll the clip.
And let's see that clip
from "Vincent."
>> When I leave work, I usually
go right to the LaSalle Street
Bridge, when the Wilmette
is coming down
on its 4:00 architecture tour.
The reason I go to the LaSalle
Street Bridge is because of the
timing that the boats run.
I certainly would miss the boat
if I came directly to this
bridge.
And some days, there are times I
would even miss the boat if I
went to the Wells Street Bridge.
As soon as I get done with the
Wilmette, I just get over here
to this bridge for the rest of
the boats.
I'm expecting the Shoreline
Sightseeing.
The boats I expect usually are
Shoreline Sightseeing makes a
run, Seadog makes a run.
And before Dearborn, that's
where I end the session.
And here comes a River Bus.
( boat blows horn )
Oh my, isn't he horny today?
( boat blows horn )
Whoo!
Oh, what the heck.
He wants it,
he'll get it!
I think bought my first suit
from Alberto's
back around 1999 or 1998.
Today, unless I see something
that really knocks me out,
I'm not going to buy a suit.
I may buy a couple shirts,
but I'm not going to buy
a suit, unless he shows me
something that's
really, really wild.
I've already got this color.
I just kind of take a look here,
but mostly these are either
colors I have or colors
that don't particularly do it.
>> This one?
>> Yes, maybe not this specific
one, but I do have a suit
that's almost exactly
like that in mint green color.
What's this other suit
you had laid out?
Let's see it,
just take a peek at it.
Hmm, this one?
Eh, doesn't do anything for me.
>> Not doing anything?
>> No.
Compared to the suits I have,
this one's rather blah.
Hmm, I don't have this one,
but then again, I've got
a couple royal...
>> Put it on.
>> I'll put it on,
but then again, I've got
a couple royal blue ones.
A nice suit.
Yeah, a nice suit, but then
again, I have two other suits
that are royal bluish,
a shiny one
and a not so shiny one.
>> A clip from a documentary
"Vincent," from the Wisconsin
Film Festival.
You show, like you said,
198 films.
So here I go, I get the guide in
the paper, what, on Thursday.
I open up the Isthmus.
I have a guide here.
I pull it out.
Can you give advice?
Like, how do you help people
choose films?
It's huge.
>> My advice is to not
over-worry about trying to
figure out the best film, or the
right film for you.
The idea of the festival is that
you can pick and choose and
sample from this huge variety
that we've collected.
And so, I often liken it to
going to the restaurant that has
the buffet.
The whole point of that is to
take a little bit of everything.
It's not to focus on one
particular dish.
And so, the festival...
>> Don't just eat the chicken!
>> That's right!
Try a little bit of everything.
Go get some tickets for
documentaries, for experimental
films, for locally made films.
And to try to explore and push
the boundaries of your own taste
a little bit, too.
It's often the case that people
who get tickets for films that
they didn't think that they were
going to like very much, often
come out of those movies saying,
"That really blew me away."
>> Do you run into that?
Like, when you go to the Toronto
Film Festival, or you have a
film sent to you, and you're
like, wow, man, I'm not going to
like it, but I've got to watch
this film, and you're like, wow.
>> It happens all the time.
It's really common for people to
kind of set for themselves the
definition of what they like and
what they don't like.
There are times where even I'll
start to look at a film and
think, oh, I know how this is
going to turn out.
This is going to be pretty
predictable.
And just by trusting the
filmmaker, you can often allow
yourself to be incredibly
surprised, and discover some
really amazing films, just by
recognizing that your own biases
may not actually be that valid.
>> There you go, it's a good
answer.
It helps me understand what to
do.
I'm curious, because on this
show, we use this word,
independent.
It's a show about independent
films, independent filmmakers.
As we've been doing this show,
that definition is pretty
interesting.
A $5 million film is
independent, a $200 film is as
well.
Are your films all independent?
Is that the point of film
festivals, that they're
independent films?
>> Well, I think the label
independent doesn't mean much
anymore.
>> Right.
>> It certainly doesn't mean a
specific kind of film.
Back decades ago, when Hollywood
had a studio system, where
certain actors, for example,
were under contract to studios,
then it made sense that you
could actually define pictures
that were totally made outside
that system.
But years have past.
So, it's very difficult to try
to figure out how to define an
independent film.
What we do have a lot at the
festival, are films that are
made by filmmakers that have
created the films from the
beginning themselves,
meaning directors weren't
hired-in midway through
to complete a project
that was already underway.
That's somewhat more common with
Hollywood filmmaking.
We're showing films that have
been a labor of love for
everybody involved in the film.
And that the final film that got
made is the only kind of story
that could've ever been made by
this team, because this was the
story that they wanted to make.
But at the festival, there will
be large budget films from other
countries, films that have been
nominated for Oscars, films that
have won prizes at other
international film festivals
that were certainly made with a
lot of resources behind them,
but aren't going to be seen in
the U.S., if it weren't
for film festivals.
>> So it doesn't really matter
about the label, the point is
that here in Madison,
here in Wisconsin, you can't
get a chance to see this film.
You're giving them a chance
to see this film.
>> And also I think specifically
here at the Wisconsin Film
Festival, we try very hard to
stay away from labels.
Each film stands on its own.
I don't like clustering films
together too much, and trying to
define what they are.
I like being able to just let
the audience discover what that
film is on screen.
>> Okay, no labels, and
don't only eat the chicken
on the buffet.
I'm learning here.
Let's see a trailer here
from a film.
This is from an African
pop star.
Why don't you tell us
a little bit about this film.
>> Youssou Ndour?
This is a film that I think,
when I saw it, I knew it was
going to be a good fit for the
audience here, especially
directly here in Madison.
There are a lot of people that
come in from all different
places around Wisconsin and
other states to see the
festival.
But here in Madison, there is
a very strong, and a lot
of support for World Music.
And Youssou Ndour is one of
the most impressive musicians
on the international scene.
He's from Senegal.
This is a film that I thought
would be particularly appealing
to our audience here.
>> Well, let's see the trailer
for that film.
? ?
>> Let's go!
Are you ready tonight?!
( cheering )
Everybody clap your hands!
? ?
It's going to be all right
tonight!
>> The -- in West Africa
is the one that has to say
the important things, that has
to carry the message that needs
to get out to people.
>> We are the modern Gilead.
People, Youssou Ndour!
? ?
? The man... ?
? ?
? Every time... ?
? ?
? Makes me survive ?
? It is ?
? Crazy world ?
? ?
>> The album is big.
I'm telling you.
( cheers and applause )
? ?
>> Talk about our music,
our religion, our faith.
And positively.
? ?
>> I think people coming with a
sort of negative sense of Islam,
this is something
that can help overcome that.
? ?
>> That is a great clip.
There's a Wisconsin connection
even though that's set
in Senegal, right?
>> Yeah, two of the producers on
that film, including Sarah
Price, two of the producers are
from Milwaukee.
Some of your viewers may be
familiar with Sarah Price's
work.
She did American Movie, which is
one of her best known works.
And also, with the film
festival, we pull together films
that fit certain series, that
are co-presented with some
of my colleagues here on the
University of Wisconsin-Madison
campus.
So there's a huge initiative
going on this year called
"Inside Islam," to look at
different aspects of the Muslim
world.
So, at the film festival, we
have a whole series of films, in
a series called "Inside Islam,"
that explores different aspects
of Muslim culture.
So this film, "Youssou Ndour:
I Bring What I Love,"
is part of that series.
>> So you could, for example, if
you were interested, say if you
were a graduate student or just
a person interested in Islam,
you could go and say, I'm going
to watch these.
All of my films are going to be
from the "Inside Islam" series.
>> Yeah, yeah.
>> And do your dissertation.
>> That's exactly right.
There's several different
series.
We also have one called the
"Cream and the Crop," which is
all about farming and dairy.
>> The "Cream and the Crop"?
>> And agriculture, yeah.
So there's a bunch of films.
There's a lot of milk, and a lot
of cows, and a lot of chickens
in the festival this year.
>> That's fantastic.
I do actually like the series
inside of your festival.
I think that's attractive.
I can't remember, it was some
years ago, there was an Iranian,
it was all Iranian films.
And I just watched the Iranian
films.
I'd never seen an Iranian film
before.
Oh, man, they were fantastic.
They were alive, it was really
great.
>> These series are all
co-presented, as I said, by
different programs here on the
UW-Madison campus.
So, we work collaboratively to
select the films.
So there's people for that
"Inside Islam" series, we all
looked a large pool of films and
eventually decided on what we
thought were the best
representative examples, both to
show different aspects of Islam,
and also films that I felt met
my standards for cinematic
achievement.
>> It's interesting to me.
I think about a film experience.
I go to the film.
I don't normally go to big movie
theaters very much.
I've got two little kids, and
I'd rather just rent movies.
But I went to see "The
Wrestler," I really wanted to
see it.
I like Mickey Rourke.
I went to the movie theater.
It's such an impersonal
experience.
I went by myself, which is odd.
Then, it's totally dark in
there.
You've got your popcorn.
There's a big screen.
There's a bunch of other people
in there, but it's very
impersonal.
But when I go to the film
festival, I still may go to the
film by myself, but it's not
impersonal.
Same thing.
It may even be the same theater.
How do you pull that off?
How does a film festival make
this very impersonal experience
personal?
>> Well, I think about when I
grew up here in Madison.
And when I would go to the movie
theater, theaters that are no
longer around, like the Esquire
and the Strand, here in downtown
Madison, I always felt that
there was this community around
me.
So, at the film festival, and
indeed at most film festivals,
this is something that we
organizers try to achieve.
And how the magic happens, I
don't know.
It's even a mystery to me.
But what's clear is that the
people who attend the festival
love coming together and being a
part of this, and remember what
a strong community we are.
And people often say that they
love waiting in line for films,
because they get to talk with
neighbors.
They get to see people that they
haven't seen in a while, and
they get to meet new people.
And so, there's a lot of
conversation that goes on.
What have you seen?
What did you see?
You know, what movie are you
seeing next?
And so, for a lot of people, the
four day festival experience
becomes a very personal one
where you get to talk with a lot
of people, both old friends and
new people, too.
>> Well, let's see another clip.
This time, we're going to see
another one from Bob Trondson,
showing a day in the life of the
festival.
So let's roll that clip.
>> One of the great things about
the Wisconsin Film Festival is
it brings filmmakers, actors,
directors, producers to
Wisconsin to show their films.
How long have you been working
on this project?
>> Fourteen years
and a month or two.
We spent some time...
>> Paying off the credit cards!
( both laugh )
>> That's going to be another
theme of the day.
How many producers have credit
cards still yet to pay off.
>> We do.
>> By bringing the filmmakers
here, it allows the Wisconsin
audiences to see behind the
screen, meet the directors, meet
the actors and ask them
questions, tell them that they
loved it, tell them that they
didn't like it.
>> What I love about showing at
film festivals is, it's one
thing to show it to people who
know the story.
It's one thing to show it to
your friends and family who have
heard about it for years.
But to show it in front of
people who are just coming
because it sounds like an
interesting movie, and then
watching their reaction.
>> It's very exciting.
>> And this great audience
experience is an all-age event.
A perfect example of that is the
documentary, "Girls Rock," about
I'm guessing 8 to 18-year-old
girls who go to a girls' rock
school to become rock stars,
probably.
So, Shane, thanks for coming.
>> Yeah, absolutely.
I see some young girls
in the audience here,
some 12 and 13-year-olds.
Have you had any response from
them?
>> That's been, I think, the
most gratifying part of rolling
the movie out.
This whole Q&A, the first like
five or six questions is all
girls under 12 asking questions.
So just knowing that we made a
movie that made them feel like
that room was theirs, and it was
you know, they were the one
whose voices needed to be heard.
>> Another thing the Wisconsin
Film Festival does is it's part
of the university.
It brings, if you will, breeds
its own filmmakers.
It's very supportive of the
young filmmakers.
The great thing about this,
everyone's family and friends
show up.
It's a great big party.
It's a great time.
So I have a couple filmmakers
with me today.
These are the folks from "Spin
Cycle," Andrew, Michael and
Deborah.
You're at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison.
Where do you go from here?
Are you looking at leaving town
and making films elsewhere?
Is this your calling card?
>> That's the big question
right now.
I really like making films.
It's certainly a competitive
field.
Right now, I want to try to make
some films on my own.
I think Wisconsin's a great
place to stay.
>> What's the scene like for
actresses in Madison?
>> It's pretty good for someone
starting out, because I've done
about four or five now, and I
just started this last year.
>> What was working with these
gentlemen like?
>> Awesome.
They're great.
>> Yeah?
>> Talented couple of guys.
I thought the script was
fantastic when I read it.
>> Well, I think it's worth the
money that they paid you,
I'm sure.
>> Topper's Pizza!
I work for food.
>> I think that's the rate here
in town.
Thank you guys so much.
>> Thank you very much.
>> Bob Trondson with
a day in the life of
the Wisconsin Film Festival."
It's interesting about the
Wisconsin Film Festival, I've
been to a number of other film
festivals, and there's red
carpets.
There's very serious VIP
treatment.
I used to live in the Czech
Republic, and there was an
active film festival there.
They got big names and red
carpets, and champagne, and all
that stuff.
You don't do that stuff.
>> We don't do that stuff, and
part of it, I think, comes from
the festival's roots, which is
at the University of Wisconsin.
But I also think that the
philosophy that has been
established since day one at the
film festival is really not
about presenting films as
something that is exclusive,
something that is VIP, something
that has that Hollywood glamour.
We're recognizing the diverse
range of films that are being
made in the world today, and
doing what we can to help the
audience discover that.
And I think the more that a
festival tries to present the
films as being something that's
exclusive or hard to get into,
or that you need VIP access to
get to, means that the audience
itself is actually losing out.
So what we try to do here at the
Wisconsin Film Festival is that
every ticket is as available to
anybody as the next one.
And what I really want to do is
get away from this idea that the
act of seeing a film is the act
of also rating it, or judging
it, or grading it.
So we do have an audience choice
award, which is a lot of fun.
The audience can vote on their
favorite film.
But beyond that, we don't do a
lot of big prizes, which is
something that's very typical
for festivals, to give out lots
and lots of awards.
>> Doesn't that hurt you as a
festival?
Isn't it kind of a marketing
scene to that, you won the Grand
Jury, the prize at the film
festival?
>> I think if my goal was to try
to focus the Wisconsin Film
Festival as becoming a prominent
international festival, then
there are certain things that I
could do differently.
Yes, I could definitely hype
films more in a certain way.
I could do more awards and
prizes, which are things that
can get your festival attention
outside your audience.
But my goal is directed toward
the filmmakers themselves, and
toward the audience, and
putting on the best show we can
for both filmmaker and audience.
And really, I think the success
of the festival over the first
ten years, it's grown from a
very small event, just here on
campus where about 3,000 people
attended the very first festival
in 1999, to something where over
30,000 tickets were used at last
year's festival.
And I think that the success of
that is really due to the fact
that we're positioning films as
something that we encourage a
broader range of films for the
audience to choose each year,
rather than focusing on picking,
like what's the best one, and
sort of aiming
just for the single best film.
>> Interesting philosophy.
>> It's atypical for festivals.
>> There you go, atypical.
Good for Madison, Wisconsin.
Well, let's see another.
I think this one
speaks for itself.
This is a great documentary
called, "Fishin' For Tradition."
Let's show that clip.
>> Top ten eating contests
on the Travel Channel.
It's going to be
very interesting
in the guppy division.
We have three brothers who have
never tried lutefisk before.
( laughter and applause )
It's going to be good.
It'll be the highlight
of the night, right there.
The sharks, that's the big guys,
there's Jerry.
And for those of you who are
you new to the community,
Jerry can eat up to 8-1/4 pounds
at one sitting.
He's done it before.
He could do it again.
I believe we have five entered,
we just got another one.
So four challengers for Jerry
tonight.
>> Food of champions.
>> The world's, and perhaps the
universe's lutefisk eating
champion, Jerry Osteraas,
from Madison, Minnesota.
( cheers and applause )
One pound at a time
for the sharks.
When we say "go," they've
got five minutes to eat
and three minutes to rest.
That's how it goes.
Throughout the course of the
night, we'll close the curtain,
so you don't have to watch them
all the time.
We have a talent show going on
out here during that event.
Get set, start eating!
? ?
( laughter )
We'll be quiet here,
and just kind of savor it.
? ?
( girl singing indistinctly )
>> Wasn't this fun?
( laughter and applause )
? ?
( applause )
>> A one-man band!
What can we say?
Any comments?
>> The lutefisk was great.
I found out that eating
with a spoon was faster.
( laughter )
>> Okay, there you go, Jerry.
>> Thank you.
Our lutefisk champion.
( applause )
>> A clip from
"Fishin' for Tradition," from
the Wisconsin Film Festival.
So, this film is part of the
Wisconsin's Own, right?
Tell me a little about
the Wisconsin's Own.
>> This is a film made
by Eric Nelson, who lives
in Madison.
He's worked on a number of films
that have been in the festival
before.
And what we try to do with the
Wisconsin's Own series is give
local filmmakers an opportunity
to get their films in front of
an audience.
So filmmakers can submit their
films to the festival.
They're looked at by a three
member jury, who then chooses
the films that they want to have
in the festival.
And the jury also gives out some
prizes for films, too.
I said before that the festival
doesn't really do a whole lot in
terms of awards and prizes, but
I do think it's important to
recognize those local filmmakers
that have really distinguished
themselves in a particular way.
So there are Wisconsin's Own
prizes every year given by that
jury.
But really, this is one of those
areas where, as a festival
director, it can be very
difficult, because we see, there
are so many films, you know, I
think over 200 Wisconsin-made
films are submitted to the
festival each year.
And it's a very difficult
process knowing that not every
single one of them can be shown
here at the festival.
There's just not time in a
four-day festival.
But it's one of the reasons why
I am encouraging so many people
around the state to try to do
other festivals, because there
aren't that many opportunities
for people like Eric to show his
film.
>> Right.
>> And I really want to try to
create more opportunities.
It's tough, because every year
after the selections get made by
the jury, it's me that is the
one that tells filmmakers
whether their film is in the
festival or not.
And there are a lot of people
who are always really
disappointed.
But I just hope that in time, we
can find more ways to build up
other festivals in the state,
and give more local filmmakers a
chance to get their really quite
lovely and marvelous films out
in front of an audience.
>> You also feature student
films, as well.
I went to a student short last
year.
That room was just electric.
Those film students loved it.
Tell me about those student
films, how you do that.
>> A lot of the student films
are made as part of classes.
UW-Madison here has a wonderful
film production program.
UW-Milwaukee actually has
probably the most accomplished
one in the entire state.
Also, of course, there could be
other students that are
attending schools at other
colleges outside Wisconsin.
But if they're Wisconsin
residents, then we include them
as part of the Wisconsin's Own
pool.
And again, I think it's
absolutely imperative that a
festival support these up and
coming filmmakers, who are just
getting to learn their craft.
Some of the Wisconsin student
films show some exceptional,
you know, promise.
And it's one of the most
satisfying parts of the
festival, to be able to be that
link for these young filmmakers,
and I hope that I can continue
to support them with their
second film, third film, fourth
film, as they're really coming
into their own with their
career.
>> The film festival is filled
with so many different kinds of
films, from the student
experimental shorts, to a
documentary, to a full-length
film.
I want to change gears here.
I want to show a clip from
another film, a film that
I got to watch recently called
"Tulpan."
Could you tell me a little bit
about that film?
Let's talk about that one.
>> "Tulpan" is a film that I saw
when I went to the Toronto
International Film Festival in
September.
I traveled up to Toronto, which
is North America's largest film
festival.
>> That's in Canada.
>> In Canada, across the border.
And I saw "Tulpan," and it's an
absolutely beautiful film.
>> Oh it is, physically.
>> And it's one of those films
where the landscape plays as
much of a role in the film as
the characters do.
It's from Kazakhstan.
And again, one of the nice
things that I think the audience
likes so much about the film
festival is that people often
refer to it as it's like
a mini-vacation.
You can transport yourself
to a very faraway place.
A place that in some cases, you
may have a hard time finding on
a map.
But for two hours, you can
absorb yourself in the culture
of another place.
So "Tulpan," I think is one of
the absolutely most gorgeously
filmed movies that we have in
the festival.
>> Let's transport ourselves to
Kazakhstan for a moment.
This is a clip from "Tulpan."
>> That is a clip from a film,
"Tulpan," from the Wisconsin
Film Festival.
You know, that film won the 2008
Cannes Film Festival award,
which just happened.
Does that bother you at all,
that it just won a big award
at the Cannes Film Festival?
Do you want all your films to be
first shown at your festival?
>> Oh, no, I guess that's
another way that the Wisconsin
Film Festival is different.
Because I'm just looking out for
the audience and trying to bring
the most interesting cross
section of films I can find, one
thing that's not that important
for me, is whether a film is
premiering here.
It can be something that many
festivals are competitive about.
They want to be the first place
to show a film.
And certainly it's true, that at
the Wisconsin Film Festival, we
are the first place to show
certain films, whether it's the
world premiere or a North
American premiere, or what have
you, but that's not a criteria
that I use to find films.
I just want the best stories
that I can find.
>> So it doesn't matter to you.
In a sense, I keep coming back
to this.
But the real criteria for you
is, I'm coming to the film
festival, and you're trying to
get what I want to see, and
something that I can't see.
I'm not going to be able to rent
"Tulpan," nor am I going to get
to see it at a movie theater.
Say "Tulpan" was coming to a
local movie theater, would you
not show it then, if you knew it
was coming?
>> That's right.
I try to avoid films that are
definitely going to be playing,
at least in the Madison market,
which is where we are, simply
because if the audience will
already get a chance to see it
theatrically, then I'd rather
use that slot for another film
that would not be found.
>> That's fair.
>> I have to say, though, that
there is an exception that I
made this year.
I broke my own rule.
There's a Jean-Claude Van Damme
film that I also saw at Toronto,
at the midnight screening there.
It was the most extraordinary
experience.
And the Sundance Theater here in
Madison did show this film in
late January or early February.
Normally, that would mean not
something I'm going to choose
for the festival.
>> Jean-Claude Van Damme gets an
exception.
>> But I loved this film so
much, and I know it's going to
be a midnight movie for us on
Friday night, and I know we're
going to have a fantastic
audience for it.
So it's nice being the festival
director, because then you can
break your own rules.
>> What I want to show next is
you all made a commercial, a
television commercial recently
for the film festival.
I want to show it.
And I want to talk to you about
it, because it was a
collaborative effort with some
of the Wisconsin filmmakers.
Let's see this TV spot from
the Wisconsin Film Festival.
( rooster crows )
? ?
>> That was a TV spot for
the Wisconsin Film Festival.
That was a collaborative effort.
Why don't you tell me about that
clip.
>> Everything with the film
festival, we always get as much
mileage out of it as we can.
So this is a clip that we have
running on cable stations,
through Charter Media.
But the piece itself, you're
right, it's a collaboration
between three key people,
actually four, because I want to
include the music as well.
Erik Gunneson teaches film
production here at the
university.
>> We've had him on the show.
>> Yes, and he worked with Nate
Theis, who is the head of the
motion department at Planet
Propaganda, which is an
advertising agency in Madison
that worked with the festival
for the first couple years,
creating the graphic design, the
logo for the festival, doing our
posters and web site, and so
forth.
But it's been a few years since
we've been able to work with
Planet.
So Nate and Erik worked together
with Cassie Wentlandt, who is a
student here in the Department
of Communication Arts on campus.
Then, Wendy Schneider is a local
musician.
She created the music with Erik
for the piece.
What we were aiming for is a
real world opportunity for a
student here on campus who is
studying 2-D and 3-D animation
in the Department of
Communication Arts, to actually
work with a professional in the
field, to collaborate together
to create that piece.
And I just had this idea in my
head that chickens were going to
be the way that we were going to
talk about the festival this
year.
It has nothing to do with
movies, but our posters, our TV
spot.
>> Chickens are the way.
>> Everything is sort of chicken
based in the festival this year,
just 'cause I felt like it.
>> Yeah, 'cause you felt like
it, chickens.
You were talking about
2-D animation.
I want to show a clip from
another film that I just watched
last night.
I don't want to be too value
judging here, but that movie
blew me away.
My wife and I were like, just
our jaws dropped.
It starts, it's a 2-D
animated film called
"Sita Sings the Blues."
And I just was blown away by it.
Why don't you tell us a little
bit about the film, and let's
watch this amazing clip.
>> About a year and a half ago,
a friend of mine had sent me a
link to a web site that was for
this film that was still in
production, still being worked
on.
Nina Paley is this filmmaker
who had been in the middle of
creating this animated film.
The film itself is actually
the story of Sita, who is
a goddess in the Indian Epic,
the Ramayana.
So I contacted Nina
and said when's your film
going to be done.
This looks great.
The clips that you have on your
web site are very interesting.
I'd love to see the whole thing
in consideration for the
festival.
So this was for the 2008
festival.
She said it's still being worked
on.
You know, a few months later I
contacted her and she said it's
going to premiere at the Berlin
Film Festival, which is a very
prestigious festival.
And we're not exactly sure what
that's going to mean for the
film.
So I wasn't able to bring it
last year for 2008, simply
because of the timing of when
she finished it.
But then I was very pleased to
be able to bring it for 2009.
This is a film that was written,
illustrated, produced,
everything, by this one woman,
with some of her colleagues
chipping in to provide some
voices, and so forth.
>> Let's see a great clip
from "Sita Sings the Blues."
>> Today, I wish to crown you
king, but my evil, scheming wife
just reminded me of an ancient
vow I made.
To honor this vow, instead of
crowning you king, I must banish
you to the forest for 14 years.
( cry of anguish )
Good-bye, dear boy.
You are noble and good.
The embodiment of righteousness,
a brave warrior prince,
joy of heaven and earth,
the ideal man.
May the gods be with you.
>> Don't let the door
hit your ass on the way out.
>> That's what she asked for,
and he was heartbroken.
But given that all Indian men
are true to their word,
he had to.
He had to do that.
>> And then he died?
Then he died?
>> No, I don't think he died.
>> He died eventually.
>> Yeah, but all those--
>> I don't think he died.
>> That scene when I was a kid--
>> He died.
>> There's a big scene,
very dramatic.
He's having a heart attack
when his son is going away.
I assume he's dying.
>> I do think he's unwell.
I think something happens
where he had a stroke.
>> He has a huge issue, right?
He's ravished by guilt,
because of his son.
He was told to go away.
He said he would, like he
didn't create any problems.
>> Why?
>> He just kind of said,
"If that is your wish, father,
I shall go."
And he went.
And she said, "If you go, I go."
>> That is a great clip
from "Sita Sings the Blues."
Not very Disney-esque, is it?
>> It's one of my favorite films
at the festival.
>> We were talking earlier,
off-camera, a bit about
this thing you call a thumbs up
and thumbs down culture.
Tell me about the culture.
>> Well, I mean, I think the
viewer is really familiar with
how movies get pitched in
popular culture, which everybody
talks about box office draw,
you know, what gets stars
what gets awards and so forth.
And I think what that leaves out
is a whole lot of filmmakers who
do really incredible work, but
don't have these marketing
machines behind them in order to
get their films out.
So a lot of the films that we
see here at the film festival,
again, are ones that are
incredibly accomplished,
wonderfully made, things that
might do very well in their home
country and get a great
audience, for example, for the
art international films.
But because of the way film
culture has developed here, at
least in America, they just
don't get an opportunity to be
seen by an audience.
>> We're going to show another
clip from a French documentary
called "Lads and Jockeys."
Can you set that up for us?
We're going to see the trailer,
actually.
>> "Lads and Jockeys" is a film
that is a great example of one
that I don't think is being
shown much here in the states,
but is absolutely gorgeous.
It is the story of young boys
and girls in France, who go off
to this equestrian training
school
to learn how to be jockeys.
>> Let's roll the clip,
"Lads and Jockeys."
( trailer all in French )
>> I now want to watch that
film, "Lads and Jockeys."
I just want to add that there's
no subtitles in it there, but
in the film, it has subtitles.
It's interesting,
that's still very powerful,
even without the subtitles.
You know, I see a film like
that, and I think to myself,
the U.S., in our country,
we have so niched filmmaking.
We know when this Kate Hudson
film, they know how much money
it's going to make before it's
made, who's going to be in it,
who stars in it, what theaters,
how it's done.
It's become such a machine.
And for years, I think, because
of Sundance and others, that the
film festivals were kind of the
antidote for that.
But then it seems those have
become part of the machine as
well.
Is there a next wave of
something coming to then relieve
us of the machine that the film
festivals have become?
>> That wave is already here in
the sense that, as I said, there
are thousands of brilliant films
being made.
And film festivals are one of
the ways that the audience gets
to see those.
One of thing things that's fun
for me is that tickets go on
sale for the festival a month
before the festival itself.
And so, for months and months
leading up to that moment, I've
been watching these movies and
choosing them, and working with
the filmmakers to bring them to
the festival, and so forth.
But when tickets go on sale,
then it becomes an entirely
different thing, where it's no
longer just me and my own
relationship with all these
films.
But then the audience gets
introduced to them for the first
time.
I never know which films in each
year's festival are going to
turn out to be the ones that the
audience says, this is what I
really love.
Films that either win the
audience award, or just the
films that in the first couple
days of ticket sales end up
being the big hit.
And every year, there's a couple
that have just stood out,
because the audience says this
is what we really love.
I never know how to predict
which one it's going to be.
So it's always fun for me when
the general public ends up
getting to express their own
vote on these films.
>> I want to show another
trailer from another film.
I haven't seen this film, and
I'm intrigued by this trailer.
It's called "Lightbulb."
Tell me a little bit about
the film and then we'll see
the trailer.
>> "Lightbulb" is a film
that I'm very happy to have
in the festival, because
it was submitted to the festival
as part of this process.
It doesn't have a Wisconsin
connection.
There's another category of
films that people can use to
submit films to the festival.
And it is an exceptionally made
film for the kinds of things
that we generally see through
the submissions pool.
"Lightbulb" is, I think,
a good example of a contemporary
American independent film, if
we're going to use that label,
where it's a story made by
Mike Cram, who is in real life
an inventor and a guy who
develops novelty gadgets.
And he wrote a story, and got it
made.
He didn't direct the film.
He had somebody else direct it.
It's about his experience, sort
of looking for the next great
thing, the next great novelty
gadget.
And the result is a film that
has three very strong actors in
the lead.
And it is a beautifully made
film.
It's shot in Tucson, Arizona.
And you really get the sense of
Tucson coming through, which is
what all good independent films
can do, is really give you a
great sense of place.
So I'm very pleased that we're
going to be able to show this
film.
And it has gotten great
screenings at the festivals
it's played at so far.
We're one of the first festivals
to play it.
And I know it's going to do very
well after, when it gets
released.
>> Wow, that's a build up.
Let's see the trailer
from "Lightbulb."
>> This is a product that
cannot miss!
>> We have a storeroom full
of products that can't miss.
>> How many failed products have
you had lately?
That stupid jogger TV hat
I tried to talk you out of?
Watch TV while you jog?
Come on, Matt.
The ten-second toothbrush
for people in a hurry?
>> Okay, but this is completely
different.
It's night and day.
This can work.
I know this can work.
>> We, together, have run our
business into the ground.
My wife left me.
We're completely broke, and
we're approaching middle age.
It's a reason to be depressed,
wouldn't you think?
Do I look depressed?
>> Pacific Productions
presents a serious comedy
about a little guy
with a big idea.
>> Whoa! This is it!
This is the one!
This is a chain store product.
This little thing right here?
This is going to get you
Gina back.
I'm going to get the money
for this.
>> We just spent the rent money
on this prototype.
>> I'll get it.
? ?
>> You win.
>> You got it!
? ?
>> Aw, man.
>> What the f---!
>> This is how we're going
to get Gina's money back.
J.J., he's been going out
to the desert, and he's been
making an absolute fortune,
swiping saguaros.
>> Lightbulb.
Overcoming hard times with hope.
>> I think this is the one
you've guys
have been waiting on.
? ?
>> Oh, yeah!
Time for a beer!
? ?
Yeah!
>> Yeah, time for a beer
and a movie!
That was from "Lightbulb."
Before we go, do you have
any parting advice?
You know, people are out there
with the guide.
They love films.
They're coming to Madison.
What's your parting advice
for them as they attend
the Wisconsin Film Festival?
>> Don't get overwhelmed
by the number of films.
Just choose a bunch that sound
appealing to you,
but don't sweat it.
Just go see a bunch of movies.
Tickets are cheap.
They're $7 a piece,
or $4 if you're a student.
That's less than the cost
of going to a movie
at the regular theater.
Just try to soak up the biggest
variety of films you can
while you're at the festival
and have a good time.
>> Okay, boom, I've got it!
So, we're going to see
another clip from Bob Trondson
who did a day in the life
for Director's Cut.
Thank you very much
for coming today.
This was fun.
I'm totally excited about the
Wisconsin Film Festival.
Let's see another clip from
Bob Trondson, a day in the life.
? ?
>> The film festival is
wonderful because you get this
feeling that this city's alive.
All the energy.
All the noise and people,
all congregating together.
>> I'm not sure I could put
together any coherent sentences
about it, other than to say it's
incredibly exciting.
>> Every year, it gets bigger
and bigger and bigger, and the
word gets out.
>> Seven dollars for a regular
ticket and $4 for students is
a fairly affordable price for
a lot of these people to pay.
And it gives them an opportunity
to do things that they may not
normally do.
>> We get out.
We get out of our homes and, you
know, the weather's changing.
We stop hibernating.
>> Bring people into Madison to,
you know, survey all the
cultural things that we have in
this town.
And I think film is one of the
big things.
>> To be here and see the big
crowd, sold-out, and just hear
those people laughing.
You're walking down to the next
theater, and the stage door, and
you can hear the people laughing
through the wall.
You know, it's just that energy.
It's so different.
? ?
>> Meg Hamel, the director of
the Wisconsin Film Festival is
basically the one paid person
running this entire ship.
There's a lot of volunteers.
This ship would sink without
volunteers.
You are a volunteer, correct?
>> I am.
>> Kathy, you have been doing
this?
>> Since the very beginning.
>> The Wisconsin Film Festival
happens with the volunteers, the
people who spend their weekend
giving suggestions what movies
people should see.
It's trying to sneak an extra
person in, so that every seat is
taken.
These people do this all
volunteer, just for the love of
the film, and for the love of
the festival.
>> The Union Theater, if you
walk straight down.
>> Very helpful.
? ?
We are meeting, right now,
the crème de la crème of
volunteers, Erik Gunneson.
? ?
>> There's a whole bunch of
different things that I do to
try to make the festival happen.
We have films coming from all
over the world.
Each film, as you can see, comes
in two cans like this.
Every single film is inspected
before it's projected.
All those films get spliced
together onto these big aluminum
reels.
We put them on a table like this
and wind them onto the platter.
They run them, and they break
them back down to the original
cans.
>> Is all that work a labor of
love for you?
>> Absolutely.
It's just exciting to see people
respond the way they do.
It's what makes me do it each
year.
>> So, it's getting later in the
evening.
And we are very lucky to be
joined by the executive director
of the Wisconsin Film Festival,
Meg Hamel.
Meg.
>> Oh, shucks, I'm just doing my
job.
>> You must be exhausted.
>> Actually, the festival itself
is the easy part.
The hard part is all the
planning.
It's a year-round job.
>> The question of what you are
going to wear during the week.
I think those decisions are
going to be the toughest.
>> I actually have a full
selection of special tennis
shoes that I wear, so that I can
run from festival to festival.
Today, I have my patent leather
Fly Kicks.
>> Give us a good highlight of
the week, something that warmed
the cockles of your heart.
>> For me, especially because I
have so few resources to work
with, I want to keep it focused
on the movies.
Although, it would be great to
have the time to plan, and I
hope in the future, I'll be able
to plan more panels and
workshops, and bring in more
guests, and have more context
for the films.
Nothing will ever be more
important at the Wisconsin Film
Festival than the films.
So, what has really warmed the
cockles of my heart is the fact
that we've had such wonderful
shows.
>> Meg, fantastic.
Fantastic festival.
We've had a great day today.
Thank you.
We'll see you next year.
>> Absolutely, thanks!
>> A day in the life
of the Wisconsin Film Festival.
Thank you very much
for coming today.
Break a leg at the festival.
>> Thank you so much.
>> And thank you all of you
for watching Director's Cut.
For more information
on the Wisconsin Film Festival
please go to:
wpt.org/directorscut
While you're there,
send us an email.
We love to hear from you.
I'm your host,
Charles Monroe-Kane.
For everyone here
at Director's Cut, thank you
for joining us today.
Check the gate.