KUCI: Film School

Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali / FIlm School Radio interview with Director Marcus A. Clarke

For three pivotal years, Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X forged a brotherhood that would not only change both men but change the world. Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali tells the extraordinary story behind the friendship —and the ultimate falling out— of two of the most iconic figures of the 20th century. Few people understand the bond these men shared. In this new feature-length documentary from producer Kenya Barris, director Marcus A. Clarke offers a fresh perspective by using insider voices and never-before-seen footage to chart this most complex of friendships, tracing the near simultaneous and symbiotic rise of the charismatic and outspoken Olympic champion who charmed the nation, and the ex-con-turned intellectual revolutionary who railed against oppression. Through interviews with those closest to them — Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz, Ali’s brother Rahman and daughters Maryum and Hana — and cultural luminaries such as Cornel West and Al Sharpton, the film illuminates their meeting, bonding, and eventual falling out over discord within the leadership of the Nation of Islam. Director Marcus A. Clarke joins us for a conversation about the brief but transformative relationship that developed between these two giants of the late 20th century civil rights, and anti-war movements. Clarke also talks about the powerful forces that eventually broke their bond, to the lasting regret of Muhammad Ali.
To watch: go to netflix.com/BloodBrothers

No Responders Left Behind / Film School Radio interview withDirector Rob Lindsay

In the spring of 2019, former host of The Daily Show Jon Stewart gave an impassioned speech during his testimony to the U.S. Judicial Committee, where he criticized Congress for not providing aid to thousands of sick and dying 9/11 First Responders. Jon’s speech went viral almost immediately.  However, the journey that brought him to that fateful hearing began eighteen years earlier by the most unlikely of people: a construction worker named John Feal. For nearly two decades, John Feal dedicated his life fighting for the rights of First Responders and volunteers who came to help in the 9/11 rescue and recovery operations. John wasn’t just an advocate, he was also a fellow responder who was injured working on the pile. Together, John Feal and Jon Stewart put an international spotlight on the injustices being served to the entire 9/11 community. Their relentless activism resulted in the U.S. Senate passing the Zadroga Act and Victims Compensation Fund, a health and compensation bill that gives medical and financial assistance to thousands of terminally ill 9/11 First Responders. NO RESPONDERS LEFT BEHIND follows John and Jon over the span of several years during their grassroots social advocacy campaigns. These two unsung heroes inspire and encourage a whole new generation of people to dedicate their lives to activism. John and Jon never took no for an answer. Instead, they fought tirelessly for years so that all the heroes of 9/11 were taken care of. NO RESPONDERS LEFT BEHIND shines a light on a group of grass root social activists who took on the government and won—simply because it was the right thing to do. Director Rob Lindsay stops by to talk about the protracted and insanely frustrating journey for the men and women who devoted their waking life to securing the legislation to provide appropriate medical care, as well as how the making of No Responders Left Behind changed him.
For news and updates go to: paradoxpictures.net/no-responders-left-behind

Turning Point, 911 and The War on Terror / Film School Radio interview with Director Brian Knappenberger

The September 11, 2001 attacks changed the world in ways that have taken decades to understand. Twenty years later, following the longest war in American history and with Afghanistan once again under Taliban control, TURNING POINT: 9/11 AND THE WAR ON TERROR answers the questions: Who attacked the U.S. and why? What breakdowns in intelligence allowed it to happen? How did decisions at the highest levels of three administrations in the war on terror bring us to this moment? The series features a wide range of interviewees including officials from multiple U.S. presidential administrations, former CIA members, and U.S. military veterans as well as Afghanistan National Army soldiers, Taliban commanders, members of the Afghan government, Afghan warlords, and Afghan civilians – many who had never spoken on camera before. It also spotlights the voices of survivors of the attacks themselves. The 5-part Netflix docu-series is a vital and illuminating chronicle of the 9/11 attacks and how those events changed the course of history. Director Brian Knappenberger joins us for an informative conversation on his sprawling, multi-part series that traverses the many twists and turns in the fight against terrorism and the impact that this protracted war and frustratingly unfocused goal of ending this deadly modern day scourge.
To watch Turning Point go to: netflix.com/TurningPoint

Anne at 13,000 FT / Film School Radio interview with Director Kazik Radwanski and Actor Deragh Campbell

Anne hasn’t been the same since the jump. While skydiving for her best friend Sara’s bachelorette party, the 27-year-old felt focused, free, above it all. Back on the ground, the pressures of her daily life threaten to overwhelm her. Her coworkers at the daycare center are constantly questioning the way she connects with the children. At Sara’s wedding, she meets a nice guy named Matt, but she can’t help bringing him into ever-more-awkward social situations. ANNE AT 13,000 FT chronicles the stressful circumstances that continue to mount as Anne prepares for another jump. ANNE AT 13,000 FT pairs of two of the brightest young stars in cinema, director and writer Kazik Radwanski (Tower, How Heavy This Hammer) and rising talent Deragh Campbell (I Used to Be Darker). From the hurly-burly of the opening skydive to moments of Anne’s frenetic tantrums, ANNE AT 13,000 FT reveals a director and star in search a woman of the brink. Director and writer Kazik Radwanski and actor Deragh Campbell join us for a conversation on their collaborative efforts to capture the shattering chaos of Anne’s daily life with an unflinching rawness, and how the piercingly honest dialog and tight camera evoke the work of John Cassavetes, Sean Baker and Harmony Korine.
For news and updates go to: cinemaguild.com/anneat13000ft

Wild Indian / Film School Radio interview with Director Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr.

In Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr’s debut feature film Wild Indian follows Makwa, a young Anishinaabie boy, looking for a way to escape his troubled life by playing with his friend Ted-O. One day Makwa shockingly murders a schoolmate, and the two boys cover it up. Now as adults, the two men must come to terms with what happened. Decades after covering up his classmate’s murder, Michael (Michael Greyeyes) has moved on from his reservation and fractured past. When a man who shares his violent secret seeks vengeance, Michael goes to great lengths to protect his new life with his wife (Kate Bosworth) and boss (Jesse Eisenberg) from the demons of his past. Director Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr. joins us to talk about his debut feature film that showcases an amazing performance by Michael Greyeyes that brings to life a scathing study of trauma, anger, conciliated redemption in the context of “making it” in a colonial society.
To find out more about Wild Indian go to: Vertical Entertainment
To watch Wild Indian go to: tv.apple.com/us/movie/wild-indian

Yakuza Princess / Film School Radio interview with Actor Masumi

Based on the acclaimed graphic novel "Samurai Shiro" by Danilo Beyruth and set in the expansive Japanese community of Sao Paulo, Brazil — the largest Japanese diaspora in the world — YAKUZA PRINCESS follows orphan Akemi, played by pop star MASUMI, who, upon turning 21, discovers that she is the heiress to half of Japan's expansive Yakuza crime syndicate. After forging an uneasy alliance with an amnesiac stranger, Shiro, played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers (History Channel's The Vikings) who believes an ancient sword binds their two fates, Akemi unleashes war against the other half of the syndicate who wants her dead.  Starring MASUMI, an emerging talent starring in her first film role, as well as Rhys Meyers, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Toshiji Takeshima, Eijiro Ozaki, and Charles Paraventi. Lead actor Masumi joins us to talk about this rip-roaring, violent action-thriller from director and co-writer Vicente Amorim, as well as how and why she decided to make the jump from music to movies, and how the training for the role of Akemi helped transform her into a princess.
For screenings and updates go to: yakuzaprincessfilm.com
To watch go to: magnetreleasingfilms.com/nowplaying

Mogul Mowgli / Film School Radio interview with Director Bassam Tariq

Bassam Tariq’s narrative feature debut, MOGUL MOWGLI is a bold, vital and electrifying exploration of heritage and identity. Coming off his historic Academy Award Best Actor nomination for SOUND OF METAL, Riz Ahmed, inhabits the character of Zed or Zaheer, a British Pakistani rapper, who, on the brink of his first international tour decides to fly home to the UK to visit the family he has not seen in two years. In the midst of his attempt to reconnect with his parents, particularly his father, he is suddenly struck down by an autoimmune disease. As his condition worsens and his big breakthrough moment is in danger of vanishing into thin air, Zed descends into a physical and emotional crisis, amplified by vivid hallucinations. MOGUL MOWGLI was recently nominated for Best British Film at the 2021 BAFTA and received six 2020 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) nominations, with Ahmed winning Best Debut Screenwriter. Ahmed won the 41st London Critics’ Circle Film Award for British/Irish Actor of the Year (for body of work) for performances including Zed in MOGUL MOWGLI. Director and writer Bassam Tariq stops by for a conversation on the challenge of navigating the multiple worlds that Zed lives in, collaborating with Riz Ahmed and incorporating the lessons learned from his work in documentary filmmaking into the world of narrative story-telling.
For screenings and updates go to: strandreleasing.com/films/mogul-mowgli

Kipchoge: The Last Milestone / FIlm School Radio interview with Director Jake Scott

Kipchoge: The Last Milestone is a cinematic portrait of world record marathon holder Eliud Kipchoge as he prepares to break one of the last milestones in sporting history: the sub-two hour marathon. It follows his journey from his training grounds in Kenya, to the high-tech facilities in Europe, to his record attempt in Vienna. His motto: no human is limited. Kipchoge: The Last Milestone offers unprecedented access to Eliud, capturing the Kenyan marathon runner’s preparation ahead of his attempt to achieve the seemingly impossible. The film also takes a personal look at the athlete with footage from Kipchoge’s home in Kenya, interviews with those closest to him, the daily rituals of his life and the dynamics within his team and community. Director Jake Scott joins us for a conversation on working with Executive Producer Kevin Macdonald as well as the technical and logistical challenges of capturing behind-the-scenes team of specialist and the graceful choreography of the runners and the amazing Eliud Kipchoge.
Universal and the Ridley Scott Creative Group have released the first trailer for ‘Kipchoge: The Last Milestone’ ahead of the documentary’s release in August.
Directed by Jake Scott, produced by the Ridley Scott Creative Group, RSA EU MD Ross Plummer, RSA Global MD Kai-Lu Hsiung, and with executive production from Ridley Scott and Kevin Macdonald, the film
For news and screenings go to: kipchogemovie.com/watch-at-home

The Big Scary “S” Word / Film School Radio interview with Director Yael Bridge

The Big Scary “S” Word chronicles the history of socialism in America. Though the policy agenda of the emerging democratic socialist left may not be quite front and center in a Biden administration, its influence is clear in the polling numbers that show bipartisan majorities supporting policies like Medicare for All, and in the new administration’s emphasis on expanding democracy and alleviating economic inequality. With passage of transformative pieces of legislation like HR1 and the PRO Act uncertain given the realities of the senate filibuster, this film reminds viewers that the fight to empower workers has always been a powerful force for social and political progress in the United States. Featuring new and archival interviews with Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cornel West, and Naomi Klein, The Big Scary “S” Word explores the rich history of the American socialist movement. Weaving together hidden episodes of history and verité footage, the film shows that, contrary to popular belief, socialism is in fact deeply American and led to popular government programs such as public schools and Medicare. Activists and journalists explain how the 2008 financial crisis, the Wall Street bailout, the Occupy Movement, and the ascension of politicians like Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have pushed a new generation to embrace the language of socialism. Director Yael Bridge (Saving Capitalism) stops by for a conversation on the historical rabbit hole of deceitful rhetoric, hysteria and obfuscation that has marred any reasonable understanding of socialism and why he decided to embark on a project to present a clear-eyed history of socialism’s impact on America’s success.
For news and updates go to: socialismmovie.com

VAL / Film School Radio interview with Co-directed by Leo Scott & Ting Poo

For over 40 years Val Kilmer, one of Hollywood’s most mercurial and/or misunderstood actors has been documenting his own life and craft through film and video. He has amassed thousands of hours of footage, from 16mm home movies made with his brothers, from being the youngest student ever admitted to the drama department at Juilliard, to his time spent in iconic roles for blockbuster movies like Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone, and Batman Forever. This raw, wildly original and unflinching documentary reveals a life lived to extremes and a heart-filled, sometimes hilarious look at what it means to be an artist and a complex man. Co-directors Ting Poo and Leo Scott stop by to talk about the voluminous amount of footage and other material documenting the life and times of Val Kilmer, as well as working with Val’s son and daughter to help them pull together a moving, warts and all, look a man looking back and looking forward as he grapples with an illness that strikes at the core of his ability to do the thing he loves.
IN THEATERS JULY 23 & ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO AUGUST 6
About the filmmaker - Leo Scott works predominantly as an editor across the various disciples of film, including commercials, music videos, documentary and feature films. In 2013 he edited Gia Coppola's debut feature Palo Alto. He has also collaborated with Harmony Korine on several films including working as editor on Trash Humpers. He first feature as producer, Gozo, a project he also edited, went on to win best UK feature at Raindance in 2016.
About the filmmaker - Ting Poo majored in film at Columbia University, after which she worked at @ radicalmedia for almost 10 years cutting both commercial and long form content. In 2008, she edited the documentary Britney: For the Record which, at its premiere, was the most highly anticipated and watched program ever to air on MTV. She has worked on both independent features, and documentary series and is interested in storytelling across all platforms. In 2015, she co-edited her first VR piece, The Displaced, which won the Entertainment Grand Prix at Cannes and earned her an Emmy nomination for New Approaches: Current News Coverage. Recently, she edited “Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405” which won an Oscar for best documentary short.