Last year, watching The Gathering Squall, based on a short story by Joyce Carol Oates, alerted me to the talent of the film’s writer/director, Hannah Fidell. Seeing shortly afterward a rough cut of her debut feature, A Teacher, confirmed that considerable talent. A Teacher is being put out theatrically by Oscilloscope this Friday, and to help promote the release The Gathering Squall is now on Vimeo, where it is a Staff Pick. Fidell was one of our “25 New Faces” last year, and Squall was shot by another New Face, Andrew Droz Palermo, who also shot A Teacher and Adam Wingard’s […]...
- 9/4/2013
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Last year, watching The Gathering Squall, based on a short story by Joyce Carol Oates, alerted me to the talent of the film’s writer/director, Hannah Fidell. Seeing shortly afterward a rough cut of her debut feature, A Teacher, confirmed that considerable talent. A Teacher is being put out theatrically by Oscilloscope this Friday, and to help promote the release The Gathering Squall is now on Vimeo, where it is a Staff Pick. Fidell was one of our “25 New Faces” last year, and Squall was shot by another New Face, Andrew Droz Palermo, who also shot A Teacher and Adam Wingard’s […]...
- 9/4/2013
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Ioncinema.com’s Ioncinephile of the Month feature focuses on an emerging filmmaker from the world of cinema. Following Ryan Coogler (July) and Destin Daniel Cretton (August), this September we’ve added yet another exciting new American indie writer-director voice to our, sorta speak, depth chart. This one made waves with micro-budgeted feature debut at both the Sundance (view our coverage) and SXSW (Chicken & Egg female narrative directing award winner) Film Festivals. Picked up by distrib label Oscilloscope Laboratories, Hannah Fidell’s A Teacher recently hit VOD and will be released theatrically September 6th. Hannah details her early memories associated with cinephilia and how recent masterworks might have influenced her own stylistic choices and as part of our profile, we ask the filmmaker to include their personal top ten. Here’s our profile on Hannah and make sure to check out her current Top Ten Films of All Time list.
- 9/1/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
A Teacher by Hannah Fidell is being released theatrically by Oscilloscope after its Sundance Institute's Next Weekend replay in Los Angeles and other cities in August. We on the jury of U.S. In Progress at the Champs Elysees Film Festival 2012 awarded it the top prize which enabled its post-production to be funded and which enabled it to be seen by Europa Distribution's indie distributors from all over Europe. We are very proud of this film and the coverage it is garnering is gratifying. Congratulations Hannah!!
Go Back To School With "A Teacher"!
Trailer Now Available
Just as students head back to school this fall, Hannah Fidell’s controversial and salacious film "A Teacher" opens theatrically and on video-on-demand September 6th
"Hard to look away from this head-on exploration of a woman escaping the demands of adult life by surrendering to inappropriate passion."
- David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
"A taut, closely-observed psychological tale."
- Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times
Part psychological thriller and part provocative character study, A Teacher explores the unraveling of a young high school teacher, Diana (Lindsay Burdge), after she begins an affair with one of her teenage students, Eric (Will Brittain). What starts as a seemingly innocent fling becomes increasingly complex as the beautiful and confident Diana gets fully consumed by her emotions, crossing boundaries and acting out in progressively startling ways. Lindsay Burdge delivers a deeply compelling and seamlessly naturalistic performance that brings us into the mind of an adult driven to taboo against her better judgment.
A Teacher made its world premiere at The Sundance Film Festival in 2013 and will be released theatrically and on-demand this September by Oscilloscope Laboratories.
Meet The Teacher:
Lindsay Burdge / Diana Watts
Lindsay Burdge is one of the hottest young actresses in indie cinema today. For A Teacher, Lindsay has received much critical praise and was highlighted by Variety, IndieWire, Verge among other publications as one of the actresses to watch at Sundance 2013. The role of Diana in A Teacher was written and developed specifically for Lindsay by Hannah Fidell.
Lindsay has also appeared in Joe Swanberg's All The Light In The Sky, opposite Ti West, which played at AFI Fest last year. She also appeared in Ben Dickinson's First Winter, which played at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. Lindsay also worked on the other side of the camera as both a producer and casting director on Adam Leons’ Gimme The Loot.
Lindsay’s upcoming projects include Up The River (director: Ben Greenblatt), Some Beast (director: Cameron Bruce Nelson), Anguish (director: Sonny Mallhi), Invitation (director: Karyn Kusama)
Meet The Student:
Will Brittain / Eric Tull
A Teacher marks the on-screen debut of Will Brittain, a fresh-faced young actor from Austin, Texas.
Prior to his role in the film, Will appeared on stage in several prominent theatrical productions in Austin including: “Colossal”, “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde”, and “D’Angelico”.
Will was featured as a Sundance Breakout Star by Indiewire and named one of their Ten Actors to Watch at SXSW.
Meet The Woman Behind The Film:
Hannah Fidell / Director, Writer, Producer
Hannah Fidell is a filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. Her first feature film, A Teacher, debuted at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and recently played in the Festival Favorites section of SXSW where Fidell was awarded the Chicken & Egg Emerging Narrative Female Director award. She was also included in Filmmaker Magazine’s annual “25 New Faces of Independent Film” list in 2012. Hannah had two short films, “The Gathering Squall” and “Man & Gun” play at SXSW in 2012. She is currently in pre-production on her next film.
Go Back To School With "A Teacher"!
Trailer Now Available
Just as students head back to school this fall, Hannah Fidell’s controversial and salacious film "A Teacher" opens theatrically and on video-on-demand September 6th
"Hard to look away from this head-on exploration of a woman escaping the demands of adult life by surrendering to inappropriate passion."
- David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
"A taut, closely-observed psychological tale."
- Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times
Part psychological thriller and part provocative character study, A Teacher explores the unraveling of a young high school teacher, Diana (Lindsay Burdge), after she begins an affair with one of her teenage students, Eric (Will Brittain). What starts as a seemingly innocent fling becomes increasingly complex as the beautiful and confident Diana gets fully consumed by her emotions, crossing boundaries and acting out in progressively startling ways. Lindsay Burdge delivers a deeply compelling and seamlessly naturalistic performance that brings us into the mind of an adult driven to taboo against her better judgment.
A Teacher made its world premiere at The Sundance Film Festival in 2013 and will be released theatrically and on-demand this September by Oscilloscope Laboratories.
Meet The Teacher:
Lindsay Burdge / Diana Watts
Lindsay Burdge is one of the hottest young actresses in indie cinema today. For A Teacher, Lindsay has received much critical praise and was highlighted by Variety, IndieWire, Verge among other publications as one of the actresses to watch at Sundance 2013. The role of Diana in A Teacher was written and developed specifically for Lindsay by Hannah Fidell.
Lindsay has also appeared in Joe Swanberg's All The Light In The Sky, opposite Ti West, which played at AFI Fest last year. She also appeared in Ben Dickinson's First Winter, which played at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. Lindsay also worked on the other side of the camera as both a producer and casting director on Adam Leons’ Gimme The Loot.
Lindsay’s upcoming projects include Up The River (director: Ben Greenblatt), Some Beast (director: Cameron Bruce Nelson), Anguish (director: Sonny Mallhi), Invitation (director: Karyn Kusama)
Meet The Student:
Will Brittain / Eric Tull
A Teacher marks the on-screen debut of Will Brittain, a fresh-faced young actor from Austin, Texas.
Prior to his role in the film, Will appeared on stage in several prominent theatrical productions in Austin including: “Colossal”, “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde”, and “D’Angelico”.
Will was featured as a Sundance Breakout Star by Indiewire and named one of their Ten Actors to Watch at SXSW.
Meet The Woman Behind The Film:
Hannah Fidell / Director, Writer, Producer
Hannah Fidell is a filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. Her first feature film, A Teacher, debuted at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and recently played in the Festival Favorites section of SXSW where Fidell was awarded the Chicken & Egg Emerging Narrative Female Director award. She was also included in Filmmaker Magazine’s annual “25 New Faces of Independent Film” list in 2012. Hannah had two short films, “The Gathering Squall” and “Man & Gun” play at SXSW in 2012. She is currently in pre-production on her next film.
- 8/1/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Hannah Fidell's Next competition film "A Teacher" explores themes of trust and authority, sex and power. Fidell was one of Filmmaker Magazine's filmmakers to watch after she had two short films at SXSW last year. What It's About: A Teacher is about a popular high school teacher in Austin, Texas who has an affair with one of her students. And so it's really about: The film is about our ability as humans to justify actions that might be deemed inappropriate or wrong. It’s also about holding on to youth, both literally and metaphorically, as a way to avoid the responsibilities of adulthood. What was your path to filmmaking? I just moved back to Brooklyn after a year and a half hiatus in Austin, Texas. I initially went out there to shoot my short, The Gathering Squall, but then I ended up signing a lease on a house with...
- 1/22/2013
- by Indiewire Staff
- Indiewire
A Teacher, filmmaker Hannah Fidell’s feature debut, focuses on the increasingly unstable Diana (Lindsay Burge), a young teacher carrying on an affair with her underage student. But the film is not too concerned with the shocking or tawdry details of this central relationship. Instead, Fidell turns her focus inwards towards Diana’s subtly crumbling mental state, treating her gradual self-destruction as the focal point of tension. It’s a subtle and precise work, and surely one of the most unnerving selections of this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Filmmaker: Like your short The Gathering Squall, which was based on a Joyce Carol Oates …...
- 1/20/2013
- by Dan Schoenbrun
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
#5. Concussion
Who: Having begun her ascension via her work as a commercials director/producer, 2012/2013 has turned out to be fairly kick ass in terms of receiving support. From the guidance of producer Rose Troche (helmer of Go Fish), being chosen by Independent Feature Project’s narrative lab to grabbing grants in the shape of the Adrienne Shelly Director’s Grant and Gothams Award’s Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers Live the Dream Grant.
What: Sight unseen, with a high libido, this might be compared to Steve McQueen’s Shame as it also centers on a Manhattanite whose midlife crisis includes a character with a double life of sorts.
Where: You can find more info on the facebook page and the official website should start getting into gear shortly.
When: The Rose Troche produced drama was shot in New York City in March of last year.
Why: Premise alone for...
Who: Having begun her ascension via her work as a commercials director/producer, 2012/2013 has turned out to be fairly kick ass in terms of receiving support. From the guidance of producer Rose Troche (helmer of Go Fish), being chosen by Independent Feature Project’s narrative lab to grabbing grants in the shape of the Adrienne Shelly Director’s Grant and Gothams Award’s Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers Live the Dream Grant.
What: Sight unseen, with a high libido, this might be compared to Steve McQueen’s Shame as it also centers on a Manhattanite whose midlife crisis includes a character with a double life of sorts.
Where: You can find more info on the facebook page and the official website should start getting into gear shortly.
When: The Rose Troche produced drama was shot in New York City in March of last year.
Why: Premise alone for...
- 1/18/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
If you’re in New York, please join us tonight at 8:00 Pm at the IFC Center for a program selected from our 2009 “25 New Faces” list. Derek Cianfrance, director of Blue Valentine and a 2009 “25″ alumni, will be hosting along with myself and Nick Dawson, and a panel discussion will follow after the screenings. The complete information is below, and tickets can be purchased here at the link.
A special Ifp Film Week showcases of work from members of Filmmaker Magazine‘s “25 New Faces of Independent Film” of 2012:
The Gathering Squall (Hannah Fidell, 2012, 13 mins)
Doubles with Slight Pepper (Ian Harnarine, 2011, 15 mins)
Belly (Julia Pott, 2011, 8 mins)
3 episodes of The Slope (Desiree Akhavan and Ingrid Jungermann, 2011/2012, 11 mins)
Extract from yet-to-premiere documentary by one of 2012?s “25 New Faces” (10 mins)
There will be a panel discussion and Q&A, moderated by Filmmaker magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Scott Macaulay, with the attending filmmakers and Derek Cianfrance,...
A special Ifp Film Week showcases of work from members of Filmmaker Magazine‘s “25 New Faces of Independent Film” of 2012:
The Gathering Squall (Hannah Fidell, 2012, 13 mins)
Doubles with Slight Pepper (Ian Harnarine, 2011, 15 mins)
Belly (Julia Pott, 2011, 8 mins)
3 episodes of The Slope (Desiree Akhavan and Ingrid Jungermann, 2011/2012, 11 mins)
Extract from yet-to-premiere documentary by one of 2012?s “25 New Faces” (10 mins)
There will be a panel discussion and Q&A, moderated by Filmmaker magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Scott Macaulay, with the attending filmmakers and Derek Cianfrance,...
- 9/19/2012
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The funny thing about film festivals is that there never seems to be enough time to talk about the films you’ve just seen. Distribution strategies, yes, industry gossip, most definitely, but the actual creative decisions and approaches involved in making the films themselves – barely! So the Grand Cinema’s mini-festival celebrating Filmmaker‘s 25 New Faces of Independent Film in Tacoma, Wa, last month felt like a truly rare treat.
Bringing together 14 of the actors and filmmakers or filmmaking teams on the list, including myself and Katherine Fairfax Wright, my directing partner on Call Me Kuchu, The Grand Cinema scheduled five days of screenings that allowed us to leisurely take in and discuss each other’s works.
It was an idyllic long weekend of films, food, lake-side Frisbee, and far too much popcorn, with more than a hint of all the good bits of summer camp (or Woodcraft camp, for...
Bringing together 14 of the actors and filmmakers or filmmaking teams on the list, including myself and Katherine Fairfax Wright, my directing partner on Call Me Kuchu, The Grand Cinema scheduled five days of screenings that allowed us to leisurely take in and discuss each other’s works.
It was an idyllic long weekend of films, food, lake-side Frisbee, and far too much popcorn, with more than a hint of all the good bits of summer camp (or Woodcraft camp, for...
- 9/5/2012
- by Malika Zouhali-Worrall
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
A few weeks ago on the newsletter, I pondered the evolution of the “25 New Faces,” and posited the idea that it’s more than just a list that is published annually. I wrote that the list takes on a life of its own, that “it does not stop after the Filmmaker Summer issue hits newsstands. When Scott and I spend nights and weekends watching screeners and reading scripts through all of April, May and June, we’re looking for exciting creative voices that we think are the future of independent film. Once the list is done, that excitement has not dissipated; it prevails. As do many of the friendships with filmmakers we establish along the way.”
At the time, I said that there was a “25 New Faces” project that I was working on which would be revealed soon. Today, I’m very happy to announce that over the course of...
At the time, I said that there was a “25 New Faces” project that I was working on which would be revealed soon. Today, I’m very happy to announce that over the course of...
- 8/31/2012
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
I've been getting a surprising number of email messages this year that run along these lines: "We know there are a ton of cheap and free concerts and parties with live music during SXSW, what about free movies?" SXSW has set up several screenings and film-related events that are free to the public this year. In addition, I've found at least one other free movie-related event happening during the fest that I can recommend. If I've missed anything, don't be shy about letting me know in the comments.
Remember that although these events are free, you might have to pay to park near some of the venues. Check out our Guide for Locals and Passholders for some parking and transportation tips.
Free Panels and Events
Women in Cinema's SXSW Panel: Wednesday, March 14, 7-9 pm, Studio 4D, Cmb, The University of Texas
This event might have been perfect for the SXSW Film Conference,...
Remember that although these events are free, you might have to pay to park near some of the venues. Check out our Guide for Locals and Passholders for some parking and transportation tips.
Free Panels and Events
Women in Cinema's SXSW Panel: Wednesday, March 14, 7-9 pm, Studio 4D, Cmb, The University of Texas
This event might have been perfect for the SXSW Film Conference,...
- 3/7/2012
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
Robert G. Putka‘s Mouthful and Jared Varava‘s Tumbleweed! are two short films that have been selected to screen at the 2012 SXSW Film Festival, which will run in Austin, TX on March 9-17.
Mouthful is Putka’s second short film, a verbally raunchy comedy starring Eilis Cahill and Conor Casey as a young couple whose relationship becomes strained thanks to an overly frank discussion about their sexual histories. The film was recently reviewed on Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film saying “one shouldn’t assume too much how the premise of a young man and woman discussing [male] anatomy will play out.”
Putka has also mounted an IndieGoGo campaign to help fund his filmmaking team’s trip to SXSW and for marketing material, such as posters, T-shirts, press kits and such. If you want to help out, please visit the Mouthful IndieGoGo page.
Tumbleweed! is the latest collaboration between...
Mouthful is Putka’s second short film, a verbally raunchy comedy starring Eilis Cahill and Conor Casey as a young couple whose relationship becomes strained thanks to an overly frank discussion about their sexual histories. The film was recently reviewed on Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film saying “one shouldn’t assume too much how the premise of a young man and woman discussing [male] anatomy will play out.”
Putka has also mounted an IndieGoGo campaign to help fund his filmmaking team’s trip to SXSW and for marketing material, such as posters, T-shirts, press kits and such. If you want to help out, please visit the Mouthful IndieGoGo page.
Tumbleweed! is the latest collaboration between...
- 2/10/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
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