Director's Cut

(upbeat music) Jazzy, how have you been? I haven't seen you in a while. (lively music) Love me. Love me. Hi, welcome to the annual Wisconsin Film Festival edition of Director's Cut. I'm Pete Schwaba, and with the Oscars and their celebration of big studio films and big studio politics in the rear view mirror for another year, it's time once again to turn to the most organic, pure,

visual storytelling medium there is

independent film. And what better way to celebrate such films than with one of the best film festivals in all the land, which also happens to be right around the corner, both literally and figuratively. That's right, folks, it's time for the Wisconsin annual Film Festival edition of Director's Cut on Wisconsin Public Television. The Wisconsin Film Festival runs right here in Madison, opening April 14th and running through the 21st. As always, our first guest today is none other than the festival's director of programming, Jim Healy. Jim, welcome back. - Thank you. Good to see you again. - Good to see you. So, let's just jump in. What can we expect at this year's festival? Give us some overall thoughts. Yeah, well, we've got the usual assemblage of great international films from all around the world, and a great selection of films that are from, say, more of the underrepresented side of filmmaking. You know, a big part of our festival is always those films that have distributors and sales agents. They are the best of the festivals. They've been shown at festivals for the last 12 to 14 months around the world, and this is their chance for local audiences to see them for the first time. But we have a very significant, and much larger section this year, of those films that aren't represented by distributors or sales agents that audiences will be seeing for the first time. And many of them are Wisconsin's own selections, films that are made here. We've also changed the footpath of the festival a little bit. We're gonna be on the east side of Madison for the first time, at the Barrymore Theater, with a lot of significant premieres there. That was my next question, actually, is was there any change in venues? But I love what you said about-- 'Cause with all sales agents and all that, everybody jockeying for their-- It's so great that you still-- That's what film festivals are all about is getting the films that don't have representation and that don't have these big sales agents in their corner. And giving them a venue, too. So that's excellent. Talk a little about the new venue. That's great, you using the Barrymore. The Barrymore, was built as a movie theater, I'm not sure what year, but it ran mainly as a movie theater for most of its life. For the last several years, it's been a live performance and music venue mainly, with the occasional film screenings. But this is the first time we're gonna be there, and it's a beautiful, large theater. A great place to see a movie. We're bringing in a big screen for the theater this year. It can seat a lot of people. So we're gonna be filling that place up. Named after, of course, Drew Barrymore. Drew, right. Or John Drew Barrymore, her father, I think. It's right next to the Charlie Sheen theater. We have about a minute to go before our next clip, but tell me, how do you pick a film? Do you have kind of an agenda going in, or do you watch and see what grabs you; how do you do that? Well, sometimes something will grab us because we have other films in the festival. For example, if we might have a significant number of films from, say, Switzerland, and we see another Swiss film that really grabs us, we know that it makes a nice section of the festival. We don't have a particular section from Switzerland this year. We did a couple years ago. But, generally, we're just looking for quality and something that we know primarily that our audiences will respond to. We looked at what our audiences like, what they go to. We know what's worked at other festivals and other locations when a film's been released. And so a lot of times it has to be good. That's the first thing, has to grab our attention. But it also has to be something that we know our audiences will come to. Sure. Well, let's take a look at our first sampling of just a couple of the films that will be at this year's festival. (speaking Korean)

both laughing

visual storytelling medium there is

Your mother and I really are under a lot of pressure at the moment. We had a look at our accounts and-- They're taking you out of school. We're not taking you out of school. We're transferring you. (school bell ringing) You'll be new there. What's your name? - Connor Lawlor. -

students

visual storytelling medium there is

Ooh! - Shut up! We have a black shoe policy here, Mr. Lawlor. They're brown, they're quite sensible. They're not black. Who knows what this new prison will do for you? This is your time. You see, this is beautiful. How come you're not in school? - I'm a model. Do you want to be in a video for my band? If you're in a band, sing me a song. (imitating A-ha's "Take on me"] Take on me We need to form a band. Connor's putting a band together. Oh, good geez. You can play every instrument known to mankind. Probably. - Show him. (playing various instruments) It's all about the girl, isn't it? What's this? - Homework. I have school in the morning. - This is school! Rock and roll is a risk. You risk being ridiculed. Jesus, what are you all wearing? Yeah, we're just working that out. Meaningful, indecipherable That was good fun. - Yeah, it was really fun. Have you kissed her yet? - She's got a boyfriend. Pulled off in his car, music blaring. What was he listening to? - Genesis. (tires squealing) No woman can truly love a man who listens to Phil Collins. So the guy with the car? It's complicated. As long as you're happy. You are truly on a hero's journey. Are you up to that? I think she's just an amazing human being. (brother exhales loudly) - Think big, Connor. Freedom End of term disco at the school hall. I say we ask if we can play there. It's our first gig. It's gonna be amazing. I'll try and come. - You have to come. This is your life You can go anywhere You gotta grab the wheel and own it It's not exactly 'The Beatles', is it? This is your life You can be anything You gotta learn to rock and roll it You gotta put the metal down I actually love this band. (laughter) (upbeat rock music) (crowd cheering) Back with Jim Healy. Jim, you talked a little bit before about some festivals having a theme or a block of films. Yeah. - Maybe a theme. Are there any themes to this year's festival? Well, there are a few strands. There are. One thing we're doing is a selection of rare Robert Altman films that coincides with the Cinematheque season of Robert Altman screenings that start in a week or so. So we've got a film he made in 1980 called Health, with Lauren Bacall and James Garner and Carol Burnett. I remember that film. Never released. It was just barely released. It was on HBO, I think. - I think so, yeah, probably. It was the first HBO, where you'd watch any movie that came on. It's a terrific film, but it just-- It never got its due from its distributor so we're showing it. And we're showing the uncut California Split. So that's one of the strands we have this year. And then we have, new documentaries from around the world. So we haven't really focused on any kind of national cinema this year, but we have a nice sprinkling of stuff from all over the world. Do you have, and maybe you don't want to say this, but do you have personal favorites in the festival this year you want to talk about? Or some you recommend people get tickets for right away? Always, well, I mean, those two we just saw clips from are two terrific films, but the advanced sales on both those films are sold out right now. But there's a terrific film that's screening on our last night called The Love Witch, directed by Anna Biller, which is one of the strangest and funniest movies and really most beautifully directed films I've seen in a long time. You've worked at festivals, many different, this has kind of been your career, right? I mean, programming and-- Yeah, festivals on and off. I always have been involved with some kind of festival or another. But I've been involved with film programs for 20 years, yeah. What makes the Wisconsin Film Festival unique, in your opinion? Well, I think it's that opportunity to show the films from our local artists. A lot of them who are gonna be on the show today. And they are, I think a lot of times they're underserved, and they don't have the distributors that we talked about. And they're really significant films. Really wonderful, innovative films that audiences might not get a chance to see outside of our state or our festival, and hopefully the festival gives these films some life even beyond our festival. The fact that we show them here might mean that they get selected for other festivals, and I really hope that happens. We just have a few seconds before we have to go to the next clip, but do you ever get-- Do you have the final say? Is there ever a film you really want in the festival, but you can't get it past the gatekeepers, or are you the gatekeeper? I guess, ultimately, there really isn't anybody I need to get it by. Maybe there might be something controversial that I'll want some guidance on in terms of how to handle it, if a film is going to serve a significant part of our audience, but might upset another part. I sometimes need some help on that. But that hasn't really happened yet. That's good. Keep it up. Thanks. - Thanks, Jim. We'll talk to you at the end of the show. Up next, a documentary on a small Madison studio that has recorded some big names, like Nirvana to The Smashing Pumpkins. I'm sure you've heard of those. I hadn't recorded with them yet, but the guys had. And Kurt and Chris were like, "Well, let's just do it with Butch. "What are we thinking? He's the greatest." (acoustic guitar intro to "Polly" by Nirvana) Polly wants a cracker He took two guys named Kurt and Billy who were from the basement. They were writing about being alienated and about being, you know, ###### with. And Butch took their rage and their alienation and their incongruity with the world and loaded it into this giant guitar and drum-filled canon and said, "#### you." (hard rock electric guitar) The day hair bands died. The day that no one returned hair band phone calls anymore. That day... has a lot to do with right here. I remember being at the studio and the Spin magazine arrived with Nirvana on the cover. We all were just staring at this cover like we couldn't believe our friends Nirvana or another band from the Underground was on the cover of Spin magazine. The reason that band was so ####### great was that a certain percentage or a certain chunk of their being was... new. That was a clip from The Smart Studios Story. Joining us now is the film's director, Wendy Schneider. Wendy, thanks for being here. - Great to be here. Okay, so for the people, obviously, people locally know about the Smart Studios. Most of them. - Yeah. But for those of us who hadn't had a radio or listened to an MP3 or CD in the last 20 years, tell us a little bit about the significance of the studio in the film. Well, you've probably been touched by the music of Smart Studios even if you don't know about Smart Studios, because a lot of the records that they did, seminal records, pivotal records for people, have come out over the last 30 years. Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Death Cab for Cutie, Danger Mouse, I mean, just to name a few. But the studio started as an outlet for Butch Vig and Steve Marker's work with local bands. They were doing, excuse me. They were doing a lot of recordings in basements on Steve's four track and expanded from that by opening up a space in The Gisholt Building. That was the first era of Smart. And started recording a lot of local bands. Really became sort of the access that local bands had to getting their music out into the world. Yeah, and was it hard to corral all these people to make this film? Like how long did it take to get Dave Grohl, and Billy Corgan, and Butch, and Steve, you know? Well, it wasn't hard to a certain extent. I started the film when the studio closed in 2010. I hadn't planned on making a documentary. I just wanted to capture how people felt locally about the film, about the studio closing. And I began to edit segments of those interviews together, and Butch, Steve, and I thought that we could expand on the story and include some people like Dave Grohl, and Billy Corgan, Shirley Manson, Jonathan Poneman, who started Sub Pop Records. They were all on the west coast. So I just did a week out there, did all those interviews, and the film expanded. It got a lot broader, you know? As far as like, the marquee, who's on the marquee. Are you having good success? I would assume this is a festival darling. Have you played a lot of festivals? No. - What's been the reaction? We've only played one festival. We premiered the film at South by Southwest a couple weeks ago. And this little show in Chicago, at CIMMfest. It'll show here in Wisconsin, and we're just trying to sorta strategize how we're gonna roll out a film, you know? Yeah. It's the first time for me, Butch, and Steve. We have a wonderful producer, who's just come on board, Kerry Brown. So the four of us are really trying to sort out how we're gonna roll out the film. And it seems like it's... It seems like it's going to be more like an indie band releasing a record than it is releasing an independent film. That's how we talk about it anyway. Why did the studio close in 2010? I didn't even know it had closed. I mean, I was well aware of it, but I didn't until I read your press kit. I was like, "Oh, I didn't even know it closed." That's interesting. Why did it close? I think that it was a confluence of just circumstances, and events, and the times, you know? The digital era was upon us. Butch and Steve didn't live in Madison anymore. A lot of musicians were choosing alternative means to make records that were a little bit more affordable for them. Smart had grown significantly after the success of "Nevermind" and it had, you know, the bar had been raised. It's bottom line was different mid-'90s than it was in the early '80s. So it had, you know there were expenses, and it just became a bit more of a struggle than it did, you know, a flourishing business. The business model of mid to large-sized recording studios has really changed. They're just not in demand. There are too many other opportunities that musicians have to record. We have about 30 seconds before we go to another clip. But give us a crazy story that happened at the-- One of those music business stories that happened at the Smart Studios right here in Madison, if you can. (laughing) - That's the worst question. - Maybe you can't. That's a great question. Come on, spill it. Because some of those-- (clears throat) I don't want to talk about, things like heroin needles and people being stabbed. I mean, all these things-- - Oh, my gosh. You know, they're on the list, and they're fairly private. I think that the film, it's exciting because it's, you know, it's a retrospective of 30 years of not only independent energy that went through that studio, but it put its stamp on just the local history of Madison. There are so many, endless and-- Endless stories that go along with Smart Studios, but I don't think that there's one that jumps out at me that's safe enough to tell on the air. So what I'm hearing is a lot of scripture was read. (laughter) Okay, thanks so much for being here. Thank you for having me. Next, from a trip to his native Turkey emerges an intimate portrait of the mother/son relationship. This is Revza. (speaking Turkish) (dog barks high-pitched 'yip') That was a clip from Revza, and this is the film's director, Emir Cakaroz. That's almost as hard to say as Schwaba. Welcome back to Director's Cut. - Thank you. So, it's so hard, we see these clips on the show, and you just want to see all the films, but you can't. Tell us what we saw there, a little bit about your film, if you could. So kind of just a scene of-- just a scene before the climax of the film. My mom and my niece are watching kind of Turkish pop star and making a comment about one of the contestant. Okay. And the film is about your relationship with your mother, for the most part. Yeah, the film is about my relationship with my mother and also her life when she, like about her life too. Okay. You had a great, in your bio, you had a great way to describe something, and I want you to elaborate on it. - Sure. You said, "Documentary films "are not just a platform for a filmmaker's observations. "It is an arena that the filmmaker and the subjects "come together, communicate, and negotiate." Can you explain that, especially the negotiation part? Well, my films are mostly observational, but I believe that observation is not enough to get deep information about your subjects. I feel like you need to interact with them to get deeper and to really know them. And I don't mind making them in front of the camera because when you're filming someone, you kind of create the power relationship between subject and yourself. And because you are behind the camera, you get the most authority. You feel like much more powerful than your subject. And by passing in front of the camera, you kind of balance, you kind of balance this powerful relationship. This is what I meant there. That's interesting. That's very interesting. This is your second appearance at the Wisconsin Film Festival. Fourth. - Oh, fourth. Yeah. - Second since I've known you. Yes. - I should clarify. So you're like an old pro at this. And this is the second installment of a trilogy. Yes, it is. So, talk about the trilogy. How does it relate to this film? So, originally, my parents immigrated from Bulgaria to Turkey. And I would like to make three films about this immigration process and my relationship with my mother. And the first film was screened in 2013 in the Wisconsin Festival. It was mostly about the past. It was telling how did we immigrate. And this is mostly representation of present time and how is my mom and how is my family doing in Turkey. And the third one is going to be, hopefully, my mom hasn't seen her brother and sister for 40 years, and I would like to take her back to Bulgaria and bring them all together. That's the plan. Has she seen these films? I assume she has. Yeah, she has seen. What does she think of them? - Ah... mostly-- That's not a good reaction. Mostly positive. I mean, people don't like to see themselves in front of the camera. Like, I don't like to see myself in front of the camera. So, yeah. This is the reason. So, is there any pressure? You've got these two films. They've both played at the Wisconsin Film Festival. What if you submit the third one, and they say, "Nah, sorry"? What do you do then? - I will bribe them. Bribe them. That's a good idea. To show the third one, yeah. Have you had a lot of success with the film at festivals? This second one is gonna be the premiere, world premiere, and the first one screened at Cannes Film Festival at the Short Corner. Oh, okay. So, yeah, I think it did well. Very good, well, good luck. - Yeah, thank you very much. Thanks for being here. It's good to see you again. Thank you. - We'll see you at the festival. - Thanks. We'll talk more with Wisconsin filmmakers in just a moment, but first, here's a look at three more brilliant films featured at the Wisconsin Film Festival. (Krrrrrrrr, clack, Krrrrrrrr, clack) (speaking Spanish) (singing in Spanish) (classical music) (airplane engine rumbling) (classical music) I had him a year, and I new he was pretty smart. That's when I got him a cupcake with a candle on it, and I got him a hat. One of these party hats, and put it on. And he left it on. He didn't shake it off. "Boy," I said, "That's unusual." Let's go. Come on, let's go. (whistling) So then I just start putting... I put framed glass on him and then this and that, and then sunglasses, because a cat usually doesn't want you to put anything on him. But, boy, he didn't care what you put on him. We gotta get our little Bobby Whisker. (jovial laughing) - Got you again! And here comes Pudgy Wudgy, doing his shopping at Hancock Fabrics. Ah, my Pudgy, seeing anything you like? Purple! I think he needs a tuxedo out of those. That's a lighter weight one. Did you see that for the summer, Kyle? For the summer? Get him in the mirrors. This is the lady's clothes. She worked at a place where they sold the fabric. Just one thing to another. He was doing tricks... Thatta boy! I want you up, moving the stick. Come on. Thatta boy, thatta boy! Want to sit up pretty? Sit up pretty. Good boy. Come on. You know what this is. Come on down and eat. Swish down under there. Thatta boy! There. Oh, strike! Pudgy made a strike. What do you think about President Clinton? (cat growls) Oh, I want to hear a little more than that. What do you think about President Clinton? (cat growls) Whoa, you almost fell off. Here. What do you think about Clinton? What do you think about Clinton? (cat hissing) Thatta boy. No, oh, you cheated there now. You're gonna have to do it over again. Come on over here. Come on over here. Get turned around. Okay. No, no, no, no! Right here. Come on. Thatta boy. I'm sorry, it's for food. (poignant piano instrumental) Y'all finished with taping now? This is an un-- In case anybody wants to know, this is not a perfect tape, is it? This is a tape we made just one, two, three. Huh, Pudgy? We don't practice. This is Pudgy Wudgy. He hopes he makes it on TV. The Wisconsin Film Festival takes place in Madison from April 14th through the 21st. With over 150 films to choose from, it is a movie heaven. The festival attracts more than 30,000 movie-goers that watch films on several screens around Madison. Go to the 2016 Wisconsin Film Festival website and start picking your movies. We've got more directors and more movies coming your way. Here's a clip from the documentary Still 60. So, here I am for my second session. I'm aiming for 15 minutes this time, though you'll only get to see highlights. You'll notice that I've shaved my head since my first sit. For the record, I'm perfectly healthy for a guy nearing 60. A little high strung to be sure, but for the most part a normally functioning adult. As for the shaved head, what happened is that I wanted to trim the hair up front, so people couldn't accuse me of a comb-over, and I got carried away. My mustache was collateral damage. Anyway, symbolically speaking, my shaved head reflects my restless spirit, as my hair doesn't tend to keep the same look for very long. You'll notice that I have also changed locations. I'm sitting on a boardwalk overlooking a small lake about a half mile from my home. It's one of my top 10 hangouts, though, of course, I don't usually sit here for longer than 15 minutes doing nothing. (indistinct conversation) The voices behind me are coming from a school a few blocks away. But I'm not focusing on what people are saying. I'm here to sit. The voices are merely background, like the wind, the birds singing. That said, thanks to the natural beauty of this spot, I find this a relatively easy sit, except it's starting to get hot, and I'm getting sleepy. (birds chirping) Wait a second. (sneezing, twice) Those sneezes signal the 11 and a half minute mark of this session, and this is where my struggles really begin. If you look closely, you can see I'm trying not to yawn. Now I'm fidgeting. And my camera just stopped recording 12 minutes and 39 seconds into my sit. The battery is fine. This time, it's the automatic shutoff, which is a feature of my digital movie camera. I'll have to learn how to adjust that setting for next time. That was a clip from Still 60, and joining me now is Director's Cut alum Marc Kornblatt. Marc, welcome back. - Thanks, Pete. You've been here almost as much as me. A pleasure-- Well, I'm a lot older than you are. No, you're just a lot more prolific. It's so funny. When I was reading about your film, most filmmakers figure out ways they can add action to their movie to tell the story, and you're doing the exact opposite. Tell us a little about your film. You know, it's partly Jim Healy's fault because they have encouraged me. I mean, this film has now been seen across the country, in Canada, but I know that they are open to all kinds of things. And since I can't compete with Matt and Ben and all those guys making the big films, then I'm gonna do what I can do. And since I had no budget for this and I needed to find a way to relax during the summer before going back into teaching fifth grade, I thought, "Well, I'll make a film." Yeah. So it grew out of a necessity of not having any funding, not having crew, and wanting to work with a really good friend. Yourself. (laughing) Actually, no. This is a cast of about four or five. I have a friend who's sociology professor here at the university. He couldn't make it today 'cause he's too busy teaching. And we were on a bike ride during the summer, and for my 60th birthday, I wanted to do a 60-mile hike and invite different people to come. But after a tough year at school I said, "Oh, I have to call this... "We've got to arrange where everyone meets me. "I would walk and..." So I was complaining to him on this bike ride and we just came out with this thing, why don't you do the opposite and just do nothing? So I do nothing for 60 minutes. No music. No bourbon. No conversation. No yoga. No anything. We just sit. But for me, as I think you know me a little by now-- I do. That's a real hard thing. So I practiced. So this clip you just saw? That was my second sit. And because of the DSLR, the camera I used has a shutoff. So even though I was going for 15, it shut off at about 10. And, of course, viewers don't have to worry that I even show the 10 minutes. I'm compressing. Kind of like when you export a film, okay? Yeah, yeah. That sneeze was your equivalent to a car chase. That's as action packed--

I want to just make clear

the sneeze is real. - I believe you. I didn't practice that. It came out of the moment. It felt very organic. I'm just gonna say this. When it was at the St. Louis Film Festival, which I was very proud to be because it's an Oscar- qualifying festival for shorts. Oh, nice. Of course, you have to win at a festival to apply, but just to get to that level. But when I was put there, I was in a collection of films of performance art. And I asked her, "Why did you put that there?" And she said, "'Cause this really is like performance art." So, in fact, this is between fiction and nonfiction. It's like what they would call here at the academic world creative nonfiction. So I really did the sit, I really filmed myself, but I was shaping it along the way. So it's closer to narrative than it might be to straight doc. So talk about the things you discover when you-- You know, you're a very prolific guy. You've done films on a wide array of subjects. Talk about some of the things you discover while you're filming. Like something you may have with this, or Dostoevsky Behind Bars. What's that journey like? Yeah, someone asked me about, most of my documentaries, and actually I started here, my first film at the festival was a narrative. And I really want to do narratives because I love the story form, but the more I've done them, they're very expensive. What I spent for this you couldn't even pay for the crew's food. And someone said, you know, but most of your documentaries and the things you've done for schools with children about social justice, you know, and I bring up Ferguson in this film because I feel like I'm being self-indulgent. And my answer was-- What I discovered was this is almost as important as doing those because if you're someone, and my activism is through film and through teaching before I retire. You want to do something that also feeds you. So this restored me during the summer. That's awesome. And I was able to go back onto the front lines. Well, thanks again for being here. I'm sure I'll see you next year. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Next, a former Golden Badger Award winner returns with her experimental film on Internet psychics. Welcome, guests. Feel free to register. No credit card required, and you get free member benefits, too. Oh, okay. You've been having weird dreams. Well I can interpret your dreams for you. I do dream interpretation, yes. I do some dream interpretation, and I've been good at it, too. Welcome, guests. Feel free to register. No credit card required, and you get free member benefits, too. I'm ready when you are to go to private chat.

typing

computer chimes, squeaks

I want to just make clear

Hello, Jazzy. Hi, can you hear me? So you wanna know about this dream you've been having. Tell me about it. I love to hear about dreams. Tell me, like, what about babies, you know? As far as what dreams are concerned, you know. Oh, okay. A baby that belongs to a friend that you found in your house. Right, right. Let me see for just a minute. Mm-hmm. Oh, man. That's not crass, trust me. That's not crass. You can't be in this profession and be prude. Trust me. I don't get insulted easily. Joining me now is director Kara Mulrooney

to talk about her film with a really cool title

jazzy@32. Welcome, Kara. - Thank you so much. So, this looks great. Tell us about your film a little bit. Yeah, it's a short, I guess, maybe, experimental doc, I hesitate to call it a straightforward doc, about online psychic communities. I was having some weird dreams, and I thought the psychics might have some answers for me. Wow. And I was really fascinated with this community for a long time, and I'd watched it for a long time. And so when I started having these dreams I thought, "Oh, that seems like it might yield some interesting material." And, obviously it did. You made a film about it. But, how did it work out for you in the dreams? Was it... (laughs uncomfortably) - I got a lot-- That's a great way to stumble upon a film or feel like you would discover subject matter, I would think as a filmmaker. Yeah, yeah. You know, honestly, I felt like... I don't know what, I don't know what, I thought they would have more beefy answers than they did. They're really, really good 'cause they can see how many credits you have, and it's a $1.99 per minute, so that was my budget, but they can see sort of as it's ticking down, and so they'll give you something really juicy at the end of it, ugh! So, I got a couple actually weirdly specific answers. Whatever you do tomorrow, don't go to the... Ding. Add more money. - Yeah, exactly. I'm like, "Oh, I'm so sorry, come back to my room." So I never, you know, heard of a film like that. You strictly shot it over the Internet. Talk about that experience and what that was like. It's kind of rogue and guerrilla in its own right, right? Yeah, I suppose so. Yeah, so it was shot entirely with my computer. This is actually the first film festival that it got into. And I can't help but wonder if people watch it and think, "Ugh, she just filmed it with her computer!" But I really am thinking like a filmmaker, and changing shots, and when is text necessary, when is text better, you know, than seeing their image, and how much can I cheat, you know, without losing, you know, losing the moment, so to speak. So, do you go to psychics? I assume you've had some experience in order to make it. You know, it's like my rational mind knows that it's totally silly, but there's just part of me that, I just love it so much and I guess I'm not terribly ashamed of that. Pee-wee's Big Adventure was my favorite film growing up. And so Madam Ruby became sort of my golden standard for psychics. And so my favorite psychic in the film, her name is Countess Starella. And she definitely-- She's like a warmer Madam Ruby, a warmer and lighter Madam Ruby, and with more headpieces. Do you think that name is on her birth certificate? I don't think so. She probably doesn't have a birth certificate. She maybe doesn't even have-- She fell from the stars. - Oh, right. So, you went to UWM? - Yes. UW-Milwaukee, and you were a film student and then a graduate student. Talk about that experience and how being a student of film helps, or possibly hinders, your filmmaking. Does it make your thinking structured more? I guess for me it only helps, and I just love UW-Milwaukee. It's an experimental film program. And, you know, when you go to film school, I think you have a lot of references for films and, like, "I'm going to be a filmmaker," and you have some sort of stock images for what that is. And I think in a way, UWM sort of, I don't know how to put this without sounding bad, but it breaks that down, you know? And they really teach you to find your voice and to use your voice, and I really think that without that I would be making much more straightforward work. I made a film, sort of, before film school, which I love. But it's much more, you know, traditional narrative. It's a wacky musical. And you would look at it and be like, "Yeah, you know, it's in the same world as jazzy@32, these sort of big, costumed characters," but it couldn't be more different in terms of approach and execution, as well. I mean, yeah this is... 'Rogue' is a fine word, and it's sort of Low-Fi. I'd love to keep you longer, but I'd have to charge you $1.99. Oh, I am tapped. - I know you're tapped, and your cards are maxed, but thank you for being here, and good luck at the festival. - Oh, thank so much. Next, a short film about college slackerdom. I think I'm saying that right. Here's a clip from White and Lazy. Um... Yeah, so... Curt was looking for the checks today. I was gonna run the checks over to, the checks over to Curt... the... for rent... today. So, I was just wondering if you had yours on you. Yeah, I'm not paying this month. Well... Why not? He makes a lot of money off this house. Okay, but... I mean, that... What do you mean? This house isn't worth what he's getting out of it. Like, he's probably collected three times what he paid for it in rent alone. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah? Well, isn't there more? Listen, I think you're thinking about it too, uh... I think you're thinking about it too conventionally. So, I'm gonna go ahead and explain it to you. Okay, yeah. Yeah? - Explain it. Okay, so we, like, fix up the house in all these little ways, right? You know, to make it better? Like when I painted that mural in my room. There's a mural in there? Yeah, and so none of that gets taken out of the rent, right? I guess. So we're upping the property value, you know, the monetary value of our home, and we get nothing in return. So, meanwhile, Curt's just sitting there in his house, you know, with his kid. I don't even know what they do, spend money wasting time. And, you know, we're down in the basement, like, you and me are just living in ####### closets down there. Like, I can't even breathe, it's so goddamn claustrophobic all the time. You know, what's that all about? I'm not so sure this is a 'we' thing, man. Why the hell did I get stuck with the smallest room? I don't know, but what do you want me to tell Curt? Tell him he knows where to find me. (ear-splitting banging on drums) Joining me is the film's writer and lead actor, James Runde. James, welcome. - Thanks for having me. That's very funny. So tell us a little bit about White and Lazy. So, yeah, it's a period piece, like set in 1991. And it's a comedy about a guy my age, (laughing) played by me. Coincidentally enough. - Right, yeah, yeah. Trying to collect the rent from his eccentric roommates. How many roommates does he have? Oh, man, I think-- - And what's the rent? The rent in 1991 I figured was probably around $178 bucks. Wow. Split four ways. Five ways. So, that's kind of the storyline. And there's all these, you know, hurdles that he comes across, like that guy. Nothing says slacker more than shirts like that, I think. Yeah. That's my dad's old bartending shirt. Oh, that's funny. I love the title, too. You said on the phone yesterday when we talked that the title was a little controversial. Talk about that. - Yeah. I didn't have any clue that it was going-- I guess I was just naive and in the process of whatever, all the craziness of making the film, but I thought, you know, it's named after a Replacements' song, which is my all-time favorite band. They're from, you know, the Midwest. And I-- To me, the title of the film is, like, very self-deprecating. There's nothing about this film that isn't tongue-in-cheek. Right. - So-- You'd hope people would know that from watching. Right, right, yeah, exactly. I actually had one friend that didn't realize it was a comedy. What did he think it was? Or she? Drama? I don't know. But it is pretty deadpan. But the title of the film is supposed to be a knock on, sort of, slacker culture. It's supposed to be like-- This may seem-- Underground culture may seem cool and you can be Bohemian and stuff but it is pretty monochromatic and at the end of the day, you know, it's kind of like, there's always a give and take in that regard. It's not all, you know, being cool and whatever, you know. It's supposed to be a joke. Do you, on some level, because I always think really good comedies, there's great drama in them. Yeah. So, on some level, are you sort of, flattered that people think it's a drama? Because there are dramatic moments like we just saw in that clip, funny as they may be. Yeah, no, I couldn't agree more. There's, for me, I mean, for sure, the film's a comedy. But for me, when I was writing it and making it, it was much more. There's a lot of, like, personal issues that I, you know, think about a lot. Like even the year 1991 for me is an important year, 'cause as Wendy Schneider's film will document, it's the year that Nirvana blew up and music, alternative music, became popular for like the first time in history, basically. - Right. So a lot of those issues of, like, where does the subculture end and where does, like, straight society begin are informing the film. So yeah, it is, I guess it is a compliment that she thought it was a drama. And where did those two societies meet? The straight society-- They kind of interwove at some point, didn't they? Yeah, they intersect with the main character, who wants to pay his rent, unlike all his roommates, but still is kind of a musician and sort of like, you know, clearly in the counterculture but kind of doesn't fit, just because he's a little more willing to play the game. So he's trying to negotiate it a bit more. At the end of the film does he just buy a tie? - Yeah. (laughs) That's his character arc? - No, no. I mean, that might have been a better ending, I don't know. No it's, he doesn't. He's kind of left in limbo. I won't spoil the ending, but it's like, yeah, definitely, the ending, it ends with my teacher, and one of the film's producers, Erik Gunneson, who's like, you know, he's been around Madison. So, it ends in his house, on a funny note with his kid. Yeah, don't spoil it. We'll see it at the festival, and it looks great. Thanks for being here. - Thanks for having me, Pete. Great to talk to you. You're welcome. Thanks to all the filmmakers who joined us for this preview.

Here is our final grouping of film clips

a throwback to Technicolor thrillers, a sci-fi coming of age story, and a bawdy romantic comedy written and directed by Julie Delpy. (dramatic music) Goddess, please. Send me a beautiful, sweet man... To love me as I love him. (clapping and drumming) Nine. 10. 11. 12. One, two, three, four, step in. 13. -

Instructor

Here is our final grouping of film clips

Five, six, seven, eight. -

Dancers

Here is our final grouping of film clips

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. 22. 24. 25. (dramatic music) (heavy breathing) (speaking French) Baby get outta my way (speaking French) I said hey hey I'm calling you Red and green and yellow too Can you tell me what color are you La la la-la-la-la-la-la La la la la La la la-la-la-la-la Good go on La la-la-la-la-la La la la-la-la-la-la-la It's almost overwhelming, like you see every trailer and you know you can't see every film, but we have about 30 seconds, what, for Jim Healy, a seasoned and possibly jaded moviegoer, what excites you about this year's festival? Well, that's just it. I'm not jaded because in this golden age of television, with all due respect to this wonderful medium, cinema is alive and well. People are making movies in the tradition of great cinema, meant to be seen on the big screen with an audience. And you're seeing it, the clips on the show, whether it's Kara's film or James' film, these movies have movies in mind, and everything we're showing in the film festival does. Jim, it looks like another great line up. Thanks so much for being here again. Thank you, Pete. And thank you for watching Director's Cut. For information on the Wisconsin Film Festival, go to WPT.org and click on Director's Cut. While you're there, send us an email or find out how to submit a film. Also, don't forget to like WPT on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. I'm Pete Schwaba, and I'll see you at the Wisconsin Film Festival. (upbeat music) Go home, witches. Go home. Just ignore them. They're always giving us trouble. I didn't know this town was hostile to witches. Well, it's certainly not San Francisco, but it's not bad for a small town.