Inside the Arthouse: Seven Veils

Posted on by Team Sbarge

A new Atom Egoyan film is cause for excitement among arthouse moviegoers. A stylish, self-assured filmmaker, his return to US screens is a welcome reunion for those who appreciate how he uses a non-linear plot structure to explore complex themes of fractured families, voyeurism, and obsession.

After several highly regarded early films, his charged erotic drama EXOTICA was a career breakthrough, winning the International Federation of Critics award at Cannes. His follow-up film THE SWEET HEREAFTER earned him even greater acclaim, garnering two Academy Award nominations. 

His new film SEVEN VEILS starring Amanda Seyfried, mixes the filmmakers’ love of opera and cinema. In it, art imitates life, and this visually stunning film feels like a fever dream that sweeps you away. 

Atom Egoyan remains one of the most challenging and talked-about directors on the international scene, and we got to sit down with him, to discuss his new film, SEVEN VEILS. 

 Join us on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now. 

Inside the Arthouse: Ex-Husbands

Posted on by Team Sbarge

As Tolstoy says, 

“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

And so, it is any wonder that stories about dysfunctional families are such fertile ground for filmmakers. 

Griffin Dunne stars in a new film, EX-HUSBANDS, And in the hands of writer & director Noah Pritzker, the story of the Pearce family as it unfolds in EX-HUSBANDS, is told with a wealth of empathy and wry humor, making for a particularly enjoyable bit of moviegoing.

It’s a great cast, James Norton, Rosanne Arquette and Richard Benjamin And– Griffin Dunne, in a welcome return to a leading role. He effortlessly anchors the film.

Join us now as writer-director Noah Pritzker and actor Griffin Dunne as they discuss their new film, EX-HUSBANDS, on Inside the Arthouse

Inside the Arthouse: The Fishing Place

Posted on by Team Sbarge
The fishing Place

A new movie lands in theaters, called THE FISHING PLACE, directed by the indie maverick Rob Tregenza.  

The FISHING PLACE has drawn high praise with rave reviews from Richard Brody in The New Yorker calling it, “Spectacularly conceived,” and that Tregenza is “An artisan of the highest order.” Manohla Dargis of The New York Times calls Tregenza, “An Authentic Independent who holds you rapt.” 

Rob Tregenza has done a bit of everything in the world of arthouse cinema.

As a distributor, he brought to US cinemas works by Michael Haneke, Jacques Rivette, and Jean-Luc Godard.

As a cinematographer, he shot Bela Tarr’s WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES.

And, as a director, his films TALKING TO STRANGERS, INSIDE/OUT and GAVAGAI drew so much critical praise that he received a retrospective tribute from the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.  

As THE FISHING PLACE rolls out to theaters across the US, we asked Rob to join us for a wide-ranging conversation about art and the search for meaning and beauty in cinema.

Join us now, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE. 

 

Inside the Arthouse: Oscar Nominated Short Films

Posted on by Team Sbarge

If you like filling out an Oscar contest ballot, you know how important it is to have seen all the nominated films in a given category. For a long time though, actually getting to see the nominated animated, documentary, and live-action shorts was nearly impossible …even IF you were an Academy member.

But not now. For the past 20 years, Shorts International has been compiling the nominated shorts into programs that screen at theaters across the US and around the globe.

After starting in just a few markets, the Oscar Shorts program now screens in over 600 theatres, all pretty much during the few weeks between the nominations and the Oscars presentation.

This program is one of the highest-grossing limited-release programs at the North American box office annually, so art house operators are looking forward to the February 14 launch with anticipation.

In today’s episode, we talk with Carter Pilcher from Shorts International, to take a look behind the curtain to see how the program is put together, and discuss the impact a nomination can have on the life of an up-and-coming filmmaker.

Join us now, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE.

 

Inside the Arthouse: Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat

Posted on by Team Sbarge

A sensation when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D’ETAT is where jazz and world politics collide. Cultural icons like Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Maya Angelou, Max Roach, Nina Simone, and Walt Disney get entwined in a forgotten episode of the Cold War. This story of the undermining of African self determination feels like a John Le Carre spy thriller.  

But sadly, it’s all true. 

 And that action from the early 1960’s is still being felt today, as we see a country again racked by violence and instability.

From filmmaker Johan Grimonprez, this audacious film, SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D’ETAT is now nominated for an Oscar Award for Best Documentary. 

Join us as we welcome Johan Grimonprez on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now.

 

Inside the Arthouse: I’m Still Here

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On Inside the Arthouse, three time Oscar nominated director Walter Salles talks with us about his newest film I’M STILL HERE, a film which wowed audiences when it premiered at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, and has the very rare honor of being  nominated for Best Foreign language film AND Best Picture, along with a Best Actress Nomination for Fernanda Torres.

Walter Salles came to the attention of the international film community with the Oscar-nominated CENTRAL STATION. With I’M STILL HERE, he returns to his Brazilian roots.  

This powerful film tells a true story from the period of Brazil’s military dictatorship. But with an amazing performance by Fernanda Torres in the leading role, it is as much a story of personal strength as it is a testament to political triumph.

Join us now as we welcome Walter Salles, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE.

Inside the arthouse: Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

Posted on by Team Sbarge

You think you know Liza Minelli. 

But you don’t.

Behind the tabloid headlines, there is a person. The product of a tumultuous marriage. Someone who had to deal with the early and tragic death of their mother. A performer who had to deal with the expectations of being the child of one of the most legendary performers of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

In today’s climate where nepotism and privilege draw such intense scrutiny, it can be hard to remember that expectation can also be a crushing weight. 

But Liza survived it all. 

In LIZA: A TRULY TERRIFIC ABSOLUTELY TRUE STORY, filmmaker Bruce David Klein pulls back the curtain and allows Liza’s friends to reveal how she was able to use a coterie of collaborators and mentors to reach the highest peaks of stardom, even as her personal life did not always match that success.

After seeing the film, you will undoubtedly have a greater appreciation for this talented performer and complex individual.

Join us as we welcome director Bruce David Klein to INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE.

Inside the Arthouse: Every Little Thing

Posted on by Team Sbarge

When is a documentary about Hummingbirds more than just another educational nature documentary?  In the case of Sally Aitken’s new movie, EVERY LITTLE THING, we discover that small things are very big things, and you will be more than a little surprised.

Hummingbirds’ wings beat fifty times per second, and with astounding high speed photography, they float like gossamer on the screen, captured like small magic sprites. Terry Masear, the films subject, runs a Hummingbird Rescue and she too, is magical and surprising. 

No bigger than your little finger, these remarkable birds become bigger than life, as we discover Terry’s care, attention, wisdom, and affection for these little beings. 

It’s a film that will stay with you long after you leave the theater. EVERY LITTLE THING is big and wide and will leave you thinking about how small acts of kindness, expressed to the tiniest of creatures, can have giant impacts. 

Join us for a discussion with the film’s director, Sally Aitkin, right now—on Inside the Arthouse.

 

Inside the Arthouse: Slamdance with Dan Mirvish

Posted on by Team Sbarge
Slamdance

In the 90’s, most indie filmmakers would have just given up if their debut feature was rejected by Sundance.  But not Dan Mirvish.

Combining forces with several other “rejectees,” they went rogue and started the Slamdance Film Festival, garnering attention for their films, even as they earned the ire of Robert Redford.

Mirvish went on to successfully self-distribute that debut film, OMAHA: THE MOVIE, plus several more over the years, including 18 1/2, a film about the 18 and a 1/2 minutes missing from the Nixon tapes which he shot during the pandemic.

A true renegade, Mirvish is the embodiment of a filmmaker who won’t give up on his film.

Listen and learn from the rest of our conversation with Dan Mirvish, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE.

 

 

Inside the Arthouse: Vermiglio

Posted on by Team Sbarge

Join hosts Greg Laemmle and Raphael Sbarge on Inside the Arthouse, as they welcome filmmaker Maura Delpero to discuss Vermiglio. 

Movies are often compared to dreams. In the case of Mauro Delpero’s new film, VERMIGLIO — we hear how the story was inspired by a dream and a nighttime visitation from her father. 

Delpero’s beautiful movie explores a moment in history when World War II loomed large against this Alpine Village — a distant, but constant threat. One day a deserted soldier arrives and the dynamics of one family and the village are forever changed.  

Quietly and powerfully, with searing landscapes and cinematography, this is a deeply personal story that will stay with you long after you leave the theater. It’s also a tender and intimate portrait of the woman in this small community, with every detail considered with care. 

A prize winner at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, VERMIGLIO has also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, and has been shortlisted by the Academy for the 2025 Best International Feature award.

Watch the latest episode now on their Youtube channel.