Highlights from Nitehawk Shorts Fest 2024
Plus: Cool NYC screening series' and lots of production listings.
Hello! Welcome to Nothing Bogus, an Indie Film Listings+ newsletter. The + is commentary, interviews, dispatches, tutorials, and other groovy stuff. I’m going to start with the +. If you subscribed for the listings and only the listings, scroll as fast as you can to the bottom of this email. If you came for the +, no scrolling necessary :)
This past weekend, Nitehawk Cinemas were bustling—and not just with people eager to see bald Elvis and snag a well-marketed viral popcorn bucket. Nitehawk Shorts Fest began Wednesday and ran through Sunday night. I’ve come to look forward to Nitehawk Shorts Fest every year for the programming, the pristine projection, and the preponderance of filmmakers from the New York scene. It’s a low-key festival, executed well—and to top it all off, half the festival takes place within walking distance from my apartment (something Sundance should consider).
This year, I stopped by for three of the festival’s seven screening blocks. I’d seen a few of the shorts before. I very much enjoyed Nyala Moon’s Dilating for Maximum Results and Wes Andre Goodrich’s Palm Sunday when they played at Metrograph’s Filmmaker Magazine 25 New Faces showcase last year. And same for Conor Dooley’s Gold & Mud, which screened in the same NoBudge block as Fried Shrimp a while back.
Other than those films, here are some favorites I caught this year:
Marissa Losoya’s Beyond Failure is a hilarious first-person account of falling down an internet fitness rabbit hole and becoming determined to obtain the perfect ass—mostly by hip-thrusting every heavy object in her backyard. It’s a DIY effort, and you can tell that the same obsession Losoya applied to hip-thrusting was applied to her process of writing, filming, and editing Beyond Failure, which is extremely tight and well-crafted.
Christopher J. Cole’s Terminally Ill was likewise very funny, though hitting a totally different register of absurdity. When a young man visits his grandmother at her deathbed, he recites a rap he wrote to show her what she means to him. His bars momentarily give her vitals a boost, encouraging him—and a few supporting characters—to extend the verse. The humor keeps a very sweet film from ever veering saccharine.
I was enamored with the vibrant, beautifully rendered mix of animation and live action in Liam LoPinto’s The Old Young Crow. The film is narrated by Mehrdad, a now elderly man, who recalls his journey from Iran to Japan. With its symmetrical compositions and heavy use of narration, it may call to mind the work of Wes Anderson—but LoPinto’s use of dreamy, imaginative animation sets his style apart.
Some cool things this week…
Film Forum’s Japanese Horror series continues all week (through the 14th).
BAM’s series on The Paranoid Style in American Cinema, 1974-1999 runs through March 7.
Film at Lincoln Center’s Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2024 continues through March 10.
Metrograph begins a series on the films edited by Dede Allen on March 6 (with Bonnie and Clyde), and it will be hosting an Oscars party on Sunday, March 10.
Listings
Matthew Levy is searching for a valuable assistant editor to join on a feature length documentary. Someone with a keen eye for creative storytelling as well as an ability to sift through a wide array of archival assets. Feature length doc experience is a must. Email mclcuts@gmail.com.
Ryan Martin Brown is looking for a two-bedroom apartment in the $2k-range that two crew members could take over for a few weeks in May, dates somewhat flexible. Email ryanmartinbrown@gmail.com.
Jordan Tetewsky is selling a Sony Fs5 body. Includes RAW license. The side grip is locked in one position and the EVF isn’t functioning but everything else is working great. $550. Contact jordantetewsky@gmail.com.
Sinners casting call: Producer Emilija Davidovic and director Samiramis Kia are looking to fill the following roles for a Toronto shoot in March. Email sinnersfilm2023@gmail.com.
Leila’s Store Manager: Runs a small business; meets up with employee’s son and husband to hand them a deliver. Age: 35 - 65. (March 22 / half day / unpaid)
Sina’s Store Manager: Runs a small butcher shop. Getting frustrated with Sina’s communication in dealing with customers. Age: 35 - 64. (March 26 / half day / unpaid)
Woman at the store: Trying to pick something up at the store where Sina works after hours. Impatient and in a rush. Age: Early to mid 20s. (March 22 / half day / unpaid)
Paramedics: Show up at the house as Leila passes away. Age: Any. (March 19 / half day / unpaid)
Casting Double is looking for a Female, 20s to play a mythological character—a redemptive, beautiful, guardian angel. Humbling and powerful, she’s equally strong and gentle and comforting when her respect is earned. The script implies that she provides sex work. Co-lead, open to SAG and non-SAG talent. Paid. Dm @castingdbl on IG.
If you would like to list in a future issue, either A) post in the Nothing Bogus chat thread, or B) email nothingbogus1@gmail.com with the subject “Listing.” (It’s FREE!) Include your email and all relevant details (price, dates, etc.).