Inside the arthouse: Los Frikis

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Join Greg Laemmle and I on Inside the Arthouse this week as we speak with co-directors of THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON,  Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, about their new film, LOS FRIKIS.

LOS FRIKIS is a powerful coming of age story inspired by true event of a group of punk rock iconoclasts defying the oppression of Castro’s rule in 1990’s Cuba.

Led by budding international star, Adria Arjona, the film is a kind of update on DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, weaving a tale where passion, love and art stand in defiance of politics.

Join us as we talk with Tyler and Michael about their two films, the pleasures and perils of self distribution, and the importance of believing in your work even – and especially – when the industry is telling you to move on.

We start with a clip from THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON, a film which has a connection to the history of Laemmle Theaters.

Join us for a fascinating conversation on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE!

Inside the Arthouse: Porcelain War

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Porcelain War

On our most recent episode of INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, Greg Laemmle and I welcome Brendon Ballomo, director of PORCELAIN WAR.

Winner of the 2024 Sundance Grand Jury Prize, PORCELAIN WAR is the most decorated documentary feature of the year.

In PORCELAIN WAR, amidst the chaos and destruction of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, three artists defy the devastation, finding inspiration and beauty as they fight to defend their culture and homeland.

In a war where professional soldiers target ordinary civilians, these artists choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras, and, for the first time, their guns. Their journey is a stunning tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, embodying the enduring hope and passion of ordinary people navigating extraordinary circumstances.

Hear the extraordinary story behind the film, how Brendon Ballomo smuggled in cameras and worked remotely to get this film made, on INISDE THE ARTHOUSE.

Watch the episode on Inside the Arthouse’s Youtube channel:

 

 

Inside the Arthouse: Sabbath Queen

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Sometimes, it takes a documentary filmmaker a while to get to the essence of the story they are trying to tell. In the case of SABBATH QUEEN, filmmaker Sandi DuBowski needed 21 years to really get a handle on his central character, Amichai Lau-Lavie, and Amichai’s journey from being the son of a Holocaust survivor and the nephew of the chief rabbi of Israel to his transformation into Haddassah Gold, a cross-dressing Hungarian-accented rebbetzin. And that’s just the beginning of the story.

Following up on his landmark 2001 documentary, TREMBLING BEFORE GOD, Sandi DuBowski has created a film which is both a specific look at Amichai’s path, but also a kind of updated version of the centuries old work, THE GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED, illustrating the path that we all walk as we try to reconcile the conflicting demands of family, tradition, faith and experience along the way to finding spiritual peace.

Join hosts Greg Laemmle and Raphael Sbarge as they welcome filmmaker Sandi DuBowski to INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE for a conversation about his critically acclaimed film, and the role that it can play in healing a divided world.

Watch on their YouTube channel, or learn more on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE’s website.

 

Inside the Arthouse: A Woman Under the Influence

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If you can get past the Sundance hype and the commodification of the term “indie,” you can see that the independent film revolution began decades earlier. And it arguably began with John Cassavetes, a man who THE NEW YORKER said, “…may be the most influential American director of the last half century.”

A successful actor, Cassavettes pioneered modern American independent cinema by self-financing and producing film like SHADOWS, FACES and HUSBANDS. But his greatest achievement may have been the 1974 film A WOMEN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, where he truly bucked the system and took on the role of distributor along with financier and filmmaker.

Starring his wife, Gena Rowlands, and friend Peter Falk, the film was a box office smash, also earning Academy Award nominations for Cassavetes as director and for Gena Rowlands as Best Actress.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the film’s release, on Inside the Arthouse, hosts Greg Laemmle and Raphael Sbarge sit down with Jeff Lipsky, a veteran indie sales and marketing executive who got his start in the distribution business working on the release of the film. Jeff went on to help introduce American audiences to filmmakers like Jim Jarmusch, Mike Leigh and Lasse Halstrom, founding October Films along the way. But it all goes back to Cassavetes and A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE.

Listen to the conversation on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE‘S podcast or watch the episode on their YouTube channel: 

 

Inside the Arthouse: Hundreds of Beavers

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On this episode of INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, hosts Greg Laemmle and Raphael Sbarge speak with the producer of Hundreds of Beavers, Kurt Ravenwood – who is also the marketing genius who believed that there was a way to connect with audiences, and plowed a path to success.

HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS was unable to land a distribution offer after several successful festival screenings. But the team behind the film – convinced that their quirky comedy would draw ticket buyers – went ahead with a plan to release the film themselves.

And with an ad spend that wouldn’t even cover the sticker price of a luxury car, they managed to gross over half a million dollars, while also achieving a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Even more remarkable, more than half of their box office came AFTER the film landed on streaming platforms.

Watch the episode on Inside the Arthouse’s Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/kDkBiDfEg7I

 

Inside the Arthouse: Arthouse Cinema Celebrates 100 Years

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On this episode of INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, hosts Raphael Sbarge and Greg Laemmle discuss the One Hundred Year anniversary of Arthouse film with professor, historian, author and Academy Film Scholar, Ross Melnick. Listen to their lively conversation about the amazing history of arthouse film: where it started, how far it’s come, and where is it today. Greg Laemmle, CEO of Laemmle Theatres, third generation arthouse theater owner, adds his perspective, as we explore the last century, and then consider the future of arthouse. 

Watch the episode on Inside the Arthouse’s Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/N14k72GmKU4

 


 

Inside the Arthouse: La Cocina

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Hosts Greg Laemmle and Raphael Sbarge welcome filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios to Inside the Arthouse in this episode. His new film, La Cocina, takes us behind the scenes at a Times Square restaurant, illuminating the lives of the people who prepare and serve our meals. The ensemble cast, including two time Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara, delivering stunning performances, in this beautifully shot film. During the conversation, Alonso Ruizpalacios speaks to us about his very personal journey in making this film. 

 

Watch on Inside the Arthouse’s Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/AxHTlNPkOOc


 

 

 

Inside the Arthouse: My Name is Alfred Hitchcock

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What if Alfred Hitchcock decided — from beyond the grave — to take us on a guided tour through his remarkable body of work? What if he were able to tell his story in the first person? On this episode of Inside the Arthouse, hosts Greg Laemmle and Raphael Sbarge welcome celebrated Irish-Scottish filmmaker Mark Cousins, the director of the landmark series, THE STORY OF FILM, to discuss his new documentary, My Name is Alfred Hitchcock. My Name is Alfred Hitchock provides new insights on one of the most iconic filmmakers of all time.

Watch the episode on Inside the Arthouse’s Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/vu7azp0tWEo


Inside the Arthouse: Union

Posted on by Team Sbarge

On this episode of Inside the Arthouse, Greg Laemmle and Raphael Sbarge discuss Union, a documentary about labor and unionization efforts at Amazon, with directors Stephen Maing and Brett Story. The filmmakers share insights into capturing the stories of Amazon workers and the challenges they face in organizing against the company’s anti-union efforts. They also explore broader themes of corporate power, worker exploitation, and the fight for labor rights, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the human struggles behind the labor movement at one of the world’s largest corporations.

 

Watch this episode on Inside the Arthouse’s Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/JwhDHWuDexY


Inside the Arthouse: The Outrun

Posted on by Team Sbarge

On this episode of Inside the Arthouse, Greg Laemmle and Raphael Sbarge speak with Nora Fingscheidt, the visionary director behind the highly anticipated film The Outrun. She shares a behind-the-scenes look at her creative process, the inspiration for adapting Amy Liptrot’s acclaimed memoir into a visually stunning and emotionally powerful film, and the challenges of bringing complex characters and landscapes to life on screen. During the conversation, we dive deep into the themes of isolation, recovery, and the healing power of nature that define The Outrun. Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with one of today’s most exciting filmmakers. 

Watch this episode of Inside the Arthouse on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/p1MnusM0KmI