Beneath the Festival: An Interview With Jeff Pinilla

After watching the official selection for this year's Beneath the Earth Film Festival I decided to interview Jeff Pinilla, director of the Audience Award winner, After Ever After. Given that both Jeff and I are currently in different parts of the world, I was more than impressed by his willingness to talk about his work for my site (ahem, take a cue up-and-coming filmmakers in Latin America...). Jeff was extremely helpful and you can see he has a real passion for his work. One of the things that made me curious about him, was the bio in the festival site where he reveals his passion for film began quite early in his life.

After Ever After is Pinilla's first short film after a notable career in television and advertising. While the film lacks a bit of mood and a harder punch near the climax, it more than makes up for it with inventive technique and some little moments that feel both intimate and universal. I forgot to tell Jeff, that a few lines in his movie seem to have been extracted out of my very own love life. I remembered to tell him this...

Jose: Watching the film one can't help but get the idea that it's very autobiographical (then you get to the credits and see it's based on a story you wrote). Is it autobiographical on any level?

Jeff: It's absolutely autobiographical. I went through one of the most excruciating heartbreaks I've ever felt in my life. I had been through breakups before and I remember thinking "okay, Jeff... two weeks and you should be okay." I kept psyching myself out by breaking down my emotions into these weekly phases. Obviously, it wasn't that easy. I was sleeping in my office, trying to find an apartment, I was obsessed with a commercial I was working on, and I couldn't figure out a way to get this girl out of my head Now, some parts in the script are exaggerated, but the emotions that I felt were in the script which I think helped make it completely honest.

Jose: I loved the way in which you capture some tiny details that make a difference. For example

when Sidney and his friend are playing pool, they have a short exchange that's filled

with pitch perfect timing. Would you say you plan this nuances or is some of this luck?

Jeff: It would be a lie if I said it's completely planned. Every time you're on set you get happy surprises.

A lot of this scene, however, was planned. There's definitely some choreographed moments like the crossing of the 180 when the conversation has a power shift and Dan's subtle moment of putting Sydney in his place by saying "what's your target demo". There's also a subtle moment in the beginning when the title card reads "Saturday morning" and we see them wake up together. This same title card appears later on when he wakes up at 1pm. The significance behind this is that Saturday morning is when you really feel the emptiness. One Saturday, you're waking up with her by your side and the next, you find yourself alone waking up in the worst way in the middle of the afternoon. It's very subtle and you'll only really know what this means if you really dig for it.

Jose: Michael Furlong gives a great performance in the film. Can you please share a bit about your process while directing actors.

Jeff: The process of finding Michael was funny, actually. Originally I was going to play the role myself (like every naive first time director usually does). The only reason I even considered it was based on a passage I read where Chaplin said "the only reason I ever starred in my films was to elevate my directing." I didn't want to risk it, so I decided to hold a casting call and when I saw Michael I was convinced. About two months prior to shooting, I made it a priority to really know how his mind works. We spent almost every night going to bars, playing pool, having conversations. When we were on set and he had his emotional breakdown scene, I came into the set in the morning and pretended that me and my father got into a big fight. He knew I was upset so I got him to start giving me advice by talking about his own personal problems he has had. The thought of loss lingered with him all day.

Jose: I enjoy the way in which you mix fantasy with reality. Sometimes I was reminded of 8 ½, would you say that was an influence? Can you mention filmmakers who have influenced you.

Jeff: It's crazy how you were spot on. 8 ½ was a complete 100 percent influence. I tend to drift into the Fellini/ Jonze/ Gondry realm with my style. It's not just with this film, but also with all my commercial work. Those are the guys that are my day to day influence. They have both style and substance.

Check out one of Jeff's commercials:

New York Jets "The Chase" from Jeff Pinilla on Vimeo.

Jose: I was very impressed by the editing work. Knowing that you have a background in television, you can see the quick cuts and the flashy moments but you also managed to create a great symmetry with longer takes and subtle cuts. In the future would you like to work more in movies or TV?

Jeff: Well, the only reason I ever started working in TV was because I had the freedom to create 30 second short films. Essentially, that's what an Ad is. I have the opportunity to tell a story in 30 seconds and I do my best to incorporate a little bit of style, a strong message, and a sell. I mean, if you can't tell a story in 30 seconds what makes you think you can tell one in an hour and a half? 

Jose: I come from a third world country where the film industry is barely starting and official film education is very flawed. How important would you say is the importance of a film  degree in a global context?

Jeff: I got myself a film degree and to be honest, I contemplated framing it everyday. Yes, a film degree is an awesome thing to have but it's not the degree itself that gives you the ability to chase your dreams. It's about the knowledge and experience you gain from going to a school that focuses on your passion. I don't believe there is such a thing as an official film school education. I've learned more in my two years out of school than I did at anytime in film school. 

Check out After Ever After and all the other films here.

Beneath the Earth Reviews.

As you all know, I was fortunate enough to be part of the Grand Jury of the Beneath the Earth Film Festival.
The official selection was comprised of some truly remarkable films made by people from all over the world.
My favorite entry in the official selection was the fast moving, excitingly melancholy It's Natural to Be Afraid, which deals with globalization, doomed love and is a hybrid between Tom Tykwer and Michel Gondry. You can watch this and all the other films here (but hurry, you have until 11/15)

As part of our work as jury members we all had to review the winning films, which I now present to you:

After Ever After - Winner of the Audience Award

Director: Jeff Pinilla

This tale of love gone wrong focuses on what happens after relationships end. In this case we follow young advertising creative Sidney Gamblin (gotta love the retro inspired name) as he goes through the phases of post-love grief. Done with extreme style and featuring a superb performance by Michael Furlong - perhaps the film's greatest asset - we witness a lovely story that feels urgent and very real. There is a dialogue exchange in a billiard room, which is captured with such care by director Pinilla, that you feel as if he's been poking around inside your memories. The film features a wonderful job of edition that focuses on both moments of extreme activity as well as more introspective scenes and Pinilla does an overall good job even if you get the feeling that he wanted to say much more than he could handle. The film could've done without a few minutes; even if it's quite short, sometimes its themes seem redundant, but Furlong is a joy to watch (talk about schadenfreude) and for all its flaws and slight stylistic incoherence the film results pleasing.

(Watch After Ever After here)

Photographs - Winner of the Best Film Award

Director: Brendan Clogher, Christina Manrique

The problem with Pixar is that they have spoiled us for most animated films out there. Such is the case when watching Photographs, the winner of this year's Best Film Award which seems merited but results slightly underwhelming when compared to other, more exciting work. Photographs tells the story of a lonely old lady who finds a photographic camera and proceeds to take mysterious pictures in different locations. It takes little imagination to figure out why she's doing it and perhaps the film relies too much on this eventual emotional revelation to maintain the audience captivated. Those who guess the twist in the first minute will then be showered with a series of pretty images that lead nowhere. The animation is indeed masterful and the score is gorgeous but the film's emotional payoff is directly connected to the viewer's ignorance of how dramatic structure works, or perhaps its joys are better reserved for those who are less cynical.

(Watch Photographs here)

Don't forget to share the films with your friends and family! As always, what's important is to get new filmmakers involved in the conversation!

It's Festival Time!

I'm taking a few minutes from my non-paradisaical stay on the country's Pacific coast, to remind you all that the Beneath the Earth Film Festival is happening right. this. very. second.

Go here to watch this year's official selection , the organizers have come up with a truly great array of short films, all battling it out for the ultimate Best Film award. Since I'm a Grand Jury member I can't reveal my favorites but I'll honestly say that all the films have something special to them. I can tell you this in advance: y'all know I'm an actress kind of guy, no? Well, most of the films in the selection have impressed me because of the performances of their actors!

What are you waiting to check them out?

Get the Lowdown on the BFI Film Festival!

London plays host to the British Film Institute (BFI) Film Festival every year. And every year the pick of the so-called ‘best’ new films to come out recently get special screenings as the biggest names in Hollywood descend on the English capital for a two-week movies extravaganza, which is currently in full flow. 

Week one saw the likes of Jade Law, Seth Rogen, Ralph Fiennes and Joseph Gordon-Levitt turn out to tread the red carpet. The premiere of Law’s new movie 360 got proceedings off and running, but of all the new films 2011 has yielded so far, this is not one that is likely to live long in the memory. That’s because the plot – a romantic drama involving 10 intertwined love stories – has, quite frankly, been done to death in recent years, although Anthony Hopkins does at least do his best to bring a touch of class to the film. 

Law may have stolen the limelight on the opening night, but it’s the combination of Rogen and Gordon-Levitt in 50/50 that has so far impressed most. The duo have been receiving gushing praise for their roles in the story of one man’s struggle to come to terms and stay alive after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. It’s poignant yet funny and fantastically uplifting. There are some who even think it could do well when the Golden Globes and Oscars are dished out. 

 And so we arrive at week two of the BFI Film Festival and all eyes are now on George Clooney and Tilda Swinton over the coming days when The Ides of March and We Need to Talk About Kevin respectively get an airing.
Clooney directs and stars in The Ides of March, a political thriller packed with intrigue lies and backstabbing. Clooney may be relatively new to this directing lark, but he seems to have got the hang of it already, while his acting skills remain as sharp as ever.
As for Swinton, her performance in We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lionel Shriver's award-winning novel, is so compelling that many are tipping it to be crowned best film at the BFI London Film Festival Awards on October 26, which is the climax of the cinematic festival. John C Reilly also shows his versatility as he and Swinton play parents with a troublesome relationship with their son, who embarks on a killing spree in a high school.

Battling it out with We Need to Talk About Kevin in the best film category is 360, The Deep Blue Sea, The Kid With A Bike and the much-anticipated Shame, the story of a 30-year-old addicted to sex from British director Steve McQueen. It’ll be a close call between Shame and We Need to Talk About Kevin for the coveted title, but the latter shades it for us.
Two people who already know they’ll walk away with silverware at the BFI Film Festival are David Cronenberg and Fiennes as the duo will both receive the BFI Fellowship for their sterling service to the film industry down the years. Cronenberg directed films such as the The Fly and History Of Violence, while Fiennes has appeared in a host of successful movies, including Schindler’s List and several of the Harry Potter franchise.

- This has been a special guest post by Vue.

Jury Duty.

A few months ago I had the pleasure of being invited to become a jury member for the upcoming Beneath the Earth Film Festival a groundbreaking opportunity for filmmakers the world over to show their talents to the world.

Currently festival organizers are still accepting submissions for the official selection, if you are interested I urge you to click on the link above and read all about the fest.

If you know someone who might be interested in submitting a film, send them here:

Style Sunday.

I am so happy that Kirsten Dunst finally decided to dress like a movie star! She has been flawless for the entirety of the Cannes Film Festival and this Chanel Couture is more than enough proof of it.

The thing with Kiki is that she has an awkward body posture, she still stands like a teenager and often hunches as if trying to hide her breasts. This is kinda cute when you think about it but when she pairs it with disastrous gowns, she just looks psycho.

The simplicity of this Chanel design seems to make Kiki feel right at home, gotta love that she went with black stilettos to finish her look and also did stunning hair and makeup.

Best part of all? She ended up going home with the coolest accessory ever...

...the Best Actress award (not Edgar Ramírez...)

What's your take on Kiki's style evolution? Did you like her more as a crazy bag lady or is this new, more serious Ms. Dunst working better for you?