Writer/director Tim Sutton first made an impression with his directorial debut Pavilion (review), a mesmerizing coming-of-age story which premiered at SXSW in 2012. Sutton has made a couple of other films since then but few have caught my attention as much as his latest: Donnybrook.
Adapted by Sutton from Frank Bill's debut novel of the same name, the story follows three individuals as they prepare for Donnybrook, a brutal back-woods cage match where participants beat the living daylights out of each other for a chance at $100,000.
By many standards that's not a lot of money but for Earl (Jamie Bell), a struggling ex-marine trying to keep his family afloat,...
Adapted by Sutton from Frank Bill's debut novel of the same name, the story follows three individuals as they prepare for Donnybrook, a brutal back-woods cage match where participants beat the living daylights out of each other for a chance at $100,000.
By many standards that's not a lot of money but for Earl (Jamie Bell), a struggling ex-marine trying to keep his family afloat,...
- 1/29/2019
- QuietEarth.us
"It's how you fight is all that counts at the Donnybrook..." IFC Films has debuted the first official trailer for an indie fight drama titled Donnybrook, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and Fantastic Fest last year. This is the latest feature made by indie filmmaker Tim Stutton, of the films Pavilion, Memphis, and Dark Knight. It's about "three desperate souls" who must fight their way out of a dead-end world in this "bracing, gut-punching glimpse into America’s dark underbelly. Two men prepare to compete in a legendary bare-knuckle fight where the winner gets a $100,000 prize. Starring Jamie Bell as Earl, along with Frank Gillo, Margaret Qualley, James Badge Dale, Chris Browning, Adam Bartley, and Pat Healy. If you're already a fan of Sutton's low key films, then you know what you're getting into, but it really looks like he's kicking things up a notch and going more...
- 1/26/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Six characters go about their faintly ominous business before a mass shooting in Tim Sutton’s artful study of ennui and a dislocated society
Less deft in the title department, Tim Sutton’s enigmatic third feature, after Pavilion and Memphis, takes an equally oblique quasi-art-film approach to the mass shooting as Gus van Sant’s Elephant. Instead of directly dramatising the Aurora massacre at a Batman screening in 2012, on which the film is loosely based, Sutton observes six characters as they go about faintly ominous daily business leading up to the incident: a decompressing Iraq vet at a support group, a smoothie-pounding selfie queen, a disaffected artist in a Freddy Krueger sweater being quizzed by an unseen interviewer.
With fey indie laments wafting through these dispassionate vignettes, it feels like Austrian miserablist Ulrich Seidl has gone on American vacation. Occasionally too emblematic as individuals, the characters collectively mesh into a...
Less deft in the title department, Tim Sutton’s enigmatic third feature, after Pavilion and Memphis, takes an equally oblique quasi-art-film approach to the mass shooting as Gus van Sant’s Elephant. Instead of directly dramatising the Aurora massacre at a Batman screening in 2012, on which the film is loosely based, Sutton observes six characters as they go about faintly ominous daily business leading up to the incident: a decompressing Iraq vet at a support group, a smoothie-pounding selfie queen, a disaffected artist in a Freddy Krueger sweater being quizzed by an unseen interviewer.
With fey indie laments wafting through these dispassionate vignettes, it feels like Austrian miserablist Ulrich Seidl has gone on American vacation. Occasionally too emblematic as individuals, the characters collectively mesh into a...
- 8/18/2017
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Adaptation (Spike Jonze)
It’s almost depressing to rewatch Adaptation in 2016, because it’s a reminder of how strong an actor Nicolas Cage is when he actually invests himself in good projects. It was soon after this that his career went off the rails, but he’s remarkably impressive here, playing the dual roles of Charlie Kaufman and his fictional twin brother, Donald. As much a mind-fuck as any other Kaufman screenplay,...
Adaptation (Spike Jonze)
It’s almost depressing to rewatch Adaptation in 2016, because it’s a reminder of how strong an actor Nicolas Cage is when he actually invests himself in good projects. It was soon after this that his career went off the rails, but he’s remarkably impressive here, playing the dual roles of Charlie Kaufman and his fictional twin brother, Donald. As much a mind-fuck as any other Kaufman screenplay,...
- 8/4/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Blow Out (Brian De Palma)
In a career fixated on the machinations of filmmaking presented through both a carnal and political eye, Brian De Palma’s fascinations converged idyllically with Blow Out. In his ode to the conceit of Blow Up — Michelangelo Antonioni’s deeply influential English-language debut, released 15 years prior — as well as the aural intrigue of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation, De Palma constructs a conspiracy...
Blow Out (Brian De Palma)
In a career fixated on the machinations of filmmaking presented through both a carnal and political eye, Brian De Palma’s fascinations converged idyllically with Blow Out. In his ode to the conceit of Blow Up — Michelangelo Antonioni’s deeply influential English-language debut, released 15 years prior — as well as the aural intrigue of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation, De Palma constructs a conspiracy...
- 5/5/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Brooklyn-based writer-director Tim Sutton makes challenging, daring and experimental films often culled together from micro-budgets. His debut, “Pavilion“, is a coming-of age statement and his follow up, “Memphis”, is a poetically fragmented look at a musician’s drifting life. In his latest movie, “Dark Night,” Sutton continues to prove he’s one of the most fascinating, on-the-rise indie filmmakers working today.
Thought-provoking and unsettling, “Dark Night” is loosely based on “The Dark Knight Rises” movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado in 2014.
Continue reading The Movies That Changed My Life: ‘Dark Night’ Director Tim Sutton at The Playlist.
Thought-provoking and unsettling, “Dark Night” is loosely based on “The Dark Knight Rises” movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado in 2014.
Continue reading The Movies That Changed My Life: ‘Dark Night’ Director Tim Sutton at The Playlist.
- 2/9/2017
- by The Playlist
- The Playlist
Tim Sutton is a filmmaker with a distinct visual style, which he brings into the heart of the gun control debate with Dark Night, an entrancing, terrifying exploration of the moments before a horrible event. Following multiple characters living in a Florida town, Sutton paints an American portrait that feels doubly relevant following last year’s election and everything that’s come since. The Film Stage had an earnest conversation with the writer/director about the the business of indie film, how politics affect art and how one casts a film so it feels authentic to the story being told.
The Film Stage: When you jump into a project like this, what’s the research process like?
Tim Sutton: So, research-wise I really tried to limit myself. People have asked if I’ve talked to a lot of people in Aurora or in Denver, and I did not. The work is purely fiction,...
The Film Stage: When you jump into a project like this, what’s the research process like?
Tim Sutton: So, research-wise I really tried to limit myself. People have asked if I’ve talked to a lot of people in Aurora or in Denver, and I did not. The work is purely fiction,...
- 2/6/2017
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
A year after premiering at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, Tim Sutton’s “Dark Night” is set to arrive in theaters courtesy of Cinelicious Pics. An elliptical quasi-documentary, the film brings to mind Gus Van Sant’s “Elephant” (and, for that matter, Alan Clarke’s “Elephant”) as it explores the day leading up to a tragedy that’s modeled in part after the mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado of 2012. Find the film’s trailer and poster below.
Read More: Sundance Review: ‘Dark Night’ is a Gorgeous Look at an American Tragedy
The trailer offers glimpses of the nonprofessional actors who make up Sutton’s cast and keeps viewers guessing as to who among them might be plotting violence as day slowly turns into night. Hélène Louvart (“Pina,” “The Beaches of Agnes”) shot “Dark Night,” and her cinematography is its most distinctive, arresting element — all mood and atmosphere, the film relies on...
Read More: Sundance Review: ‘Dark Night’ is a Gorgeous Look at an American Tragedy
The trailer offers glimpses of the nonprofessional actors who make up Sutton’s cast and keeps viewers guessing as to who among them might be plotting violence as day slowly turns into night. Hélène Louvart (“Pina,” “The Beaches of Agnes”) shot “Dark Night,” and her cinematography is its most distinctive, arresting element — all mood and atmosphere, the film relies on...
- 1/10/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
One of the most controversial and haunting films of last year’s Sundance Film Festival line-up was Tim Sutton‘s follow-up to Memphis, Dark Night. An impressionistic feature loosely based on the horrific 2012 shooting in Aurora, Colorado which left 12 people died, the first trailer has now arrived ahead of a release next month. Featuring a portrait of a suburban community before hinting at the terror to come, it looks to be one of the year’s essential films.
We said in our review, “In many ways, writer-director Tim Sutton‘s third feature, Dark Night, exists in the same world as his first two films, Pavilion and Memphis. As we follow a collection of young men and women drifting through a long day in the American suburbs, many of the themes from his earlier work shine through — boredom as punctuated by anger, lust, and artistic ambition, to name a few. Where...
We said in our review, “In many ways, writer-director Tim Sutton‘s third feature, Dark Night, exists in the same world as his first two films, Pavilion and Memphis. As we follow a collection of young men and women drifting through a long day in the American suburbs, many of the themes from his earlier work shine through — boredom as punctuated by anger, lust, and artistic ambition, to name a few. Where...
- 1/10/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
All caught up with our top 50 films of 2016? It’s now time to look to the new year, and, ahead of our 100 most-anticipated films, we’re highlighting 50 titles we’ve enjoyed on the festival circuit this last year (and beyond) that will likely see a release in 2016. While the first batch have confirmed dates all the way through the summer, we’ve also included a handful that are awaiting a date and some we’re hopeful will get a release by year’s end pending acquisition. U.S. distributors: take note!
Staying Vertical (Alain Guiraudie; Jan. 20)
Those only familiar with Alain Guiraudie’s sublime Stranger By the Lake, which finally brought the gifted French director to a (relatively) wider audience following a laureled Un Certain Regard premiere in 2013, will likely find themselves confounded by its follow-up, Staying Vertical. With his first entry in Cannes’ main competition, Guiraudie returns to the...
Staying Vertical (Alain Guiraudie; Jan. 20)
Those only familiar with Alain Guiraudie’s sublime Stranger By the Lake, which finally brought the gifted French director to a (relatively) wider audience following a laureled Un Certain Regard premiere in 2013, will likely find themselves confounded by its follow-up, Staying Vertical. With his first entry in Cannes’ main competition, Guiraudie returns to the...
- 1/4/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
With over 60 films covered, a number of interviews and more coverage from the Sundance Film Festival, it’s time to wrap up the first major cinema event in 2016. We already got the official jury and audience winners (here) and now it’s time to highlight our favorites, as well as complete coverage from the festival.
One will find our top fifteen favorites (in alphabetical order), followed by the rest of our reviews (from best to worst, including previously premiered features), then interviews. Check out everything below and stay tuned to our site, and specifically Twitter, for acquisition and release date news on the below films in the coming months.
The Best
Cameraperson (Kirsten Johnson)
Kirsten Johnson has been a cinematographer and / or camera operator on documentary films for 20 years. This has taken her all over the world and led her to meet all kinds of people. She’s been in Bosnia,...
One will find our top fifteen favorites (in alphabetical order), followed by the rest of our reviews (from best to worst, including previously premiered features), then interviews. Check out everything below and stay tuned to our site, and specifically Twitter, for acquisition and release date news on the below films in the coming months.
The Best
Cameraperson (Kirsten Johnson)
Kirsten Johnson has been a cinematographer and / or camera operator on documentary films for 20 years. This has taken her all over the world and led her to meet all kinds of people. She’s been in Bosnia,...
- 2/1/2016
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
"After essaying lost teenagers in his poetic debut picture, Pavilion, and a creatively-blocked soul singer in his compelling follow-up, Memphis, New York-based independent filmmaker Tim Sutton ventures into considerably darker terrain with Dark Night," writes Scott Macaulay, introducing his interview with Sutton for Filmmaker. "Loosely based on the Aurora theater shootings of 2012, in which a gunman killed 12 and wounded 70 moviegoers attending a screening of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, Dark Night depicts the moments around such an event, using suspense and foreshadowing to meditate on American violence and spectatorship." We're gathering reviews. » - David Hudson...
- 1/27/2016
- Keyframe
"After essaying lost teenagers in his poetic debut picture, Pavilion, and a creatively-blocked soul singer in his compelling follow-up, Memphis, New York-based independent filmmaker Tim Sutton ventures into considerably darker terrain with Dark Night," writes Scott Macaulay, introducing his interview with Sutton for Filmmaker. "Loosely based on the Aurora theater shootings of 2012, in which a gunman killed 12 and wounded 70 moviegoers attending a screening of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, Dark Night depicts the moments around such an event, using suspense and foreshadowing to meditate on American violence and spectatorship." We're gathering reviews. » - David Hudson...
- 1/27/2016
- Fandor: Keyframe
In many ways, writer-director Tim Sutton‘s third feature, Dark Night, exists in the same world as his first two films, Pavilion and Memphis. As we follow a collection of young men and women drifting through a long day in the American suburbs, many of the themes from his earlier work shine through — boredom as punctuated by anger, lust, and artistic ambition, to name a few. Where the day will end we already know, thanks to the film’s blunt title, a not-so-subtle reference to the 2012 shooting at a showing of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado.
Before the violence, there are a swath of selfies and video games and vape pens and angst, building a lingering sense of dread within this portrait of “normal.” Most of the performers remain unnamed and dialogue is mostly scarce. One faux-doc interview, in which a mother and her distant son attempt to...
Before the violence, there are a swath of selfies and video games and vape pens and angst, building a lingering sense of dread within this portrait of “normal.” Most of the performers remain unnamed and dialogue is mostly scarce. One faux-doc interview, in which a mother and her distant son attempt to...
- 1/26/2016
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
After essaying lost teenagers in his poetic debut picture, Pavilion, and a creatively-blocked soul singer in his compelling follow-up, Memphis, New York-based independent filmmaker Tim Sutton ventures into considerably darker terrain with Dark Night, which premiered yesterday at Sundance in its Next section. Loosely based on the Aurora theater shootings of 2012, in which a gunman killed 12 and wounded 70 moviegoers attending a screening of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, Dark Night depicts the moments around such an event, using suspense and foreshadowing to meditate on American violence and spectatorship. Below, Sutton answers five questions about his intention […]...
- 1/25/2016
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
After essaying lost teenagers in his poetic debut picture, Pavilion, and a creatively-blocked soul singer in his compelling follow-up, Memphis, New York-based independent filmmaker Tim Sutton ventures into considerably darker terrain with Dark Night, which premiered yesterday at Sundance in its Next section. Loosely based on the Aurora theater shootings of 2012, in which a gunman killed 12 and wounded 70 moviegoers attending a screening of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, Dark Night depicts the moments around such an event, using suspense and foreshadowing to meditate on American violence and spectatorship. Below, Sutton answers five questions about his intention […]...
- 1/25/2016
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Filmmaker Tim Sutton has quietly emerged as a directorial talent with a distinctive visual and narrative voice. His debut, “Pavilion,” made waves at SXSW; his followup, “Memphis,” debuted at the Venice Film Festival, screened at Sundance, and once again established his singular approach; and this week he returns to Park City with “Dark Night,” which might be his boldest statement yet. Read More: Check Out All Of Our 2016 Sundance Film Festival Coverage Starring Robert Jumper, Anna Rose Hopkins, Rosie Rodriguez, Karina Macias, Aaron Purvis, and Eddie Cacciola, the story unfolds over the course of a lazy summer day, leading to an unforgettable event that is likely to have audiences buzzing at Sundance. Certainly, its placement in the Next category of programming, where films like “Tangerine,” “James White,” “A Girl Who Walks Home Alone At Night,” “Obvious Child,” and others have broken out in recent years, bodes well, and makes "Dark Night...
- 1/23/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Unlike some other media outlets who are blasphemously drawing up “most anticipated” Sundance lists that come across as a simple rehash of the entire feature film line-up, over here, Nicholas Bell and I pare down this shared enthusiasm in what are individual must see top five lists. The catch: select five films from five sections. In the decade I’ve been coming down here, the U.S Dramatic Comp section was the sure-fire bet for treasures, the Premieres section offered heavyweights and misfires while you had to look elsewhere for the gems. Last year’s Next was where all the riches were at. James White, Entertainment, Tangerine , Nasty Baby, and the upcoming Take Me to the River reminded me why the Next section has become a robust category in itself but surprisingly it might be the Premieres program (half a dozen offerings I could easily see in Cannes) is poised to get the major attention.
- 1/21/2016
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Each year, the Sundance Film Festival premieres a wealth of movies, and some—like this year's Oscar contenders "Whiplash" and "Boyhood"—explode into bigger and better things. Others, like the low-key "Memphis," which hit Park City in January last year, need a bit more space to find their groove. If you missed the indie drama at your local arthouse last year, it arrives on home video this week and we've got some copies for a few lucky readers. Starring musician Willis Earl Beal, and written and directed by Tim Sutton ("Pavilion"), the fragmentary film follows a talented musician drifting through the titular city, opting for self-discovery instead of recording music. It's film with a unique vibe all its own, and those looking for something a little bit under the radar, and a little special, should seek this out. So, how do you win? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and tweet: "I want to win.
- 1/13/2015
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
If you've been paying attention to the independent music scene recently, you likely already known the name Willis Earl Beal. The songwriter attracted some notice after leaving CD-Rs of his recordings around Albuquerque, and soon buzz began to build, leading to a record contract. Three albums and multiple EPs later, Beal has expanded into acting by taking a role in "Memphis," which premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year. And now that the film is headed to theatres, we have an exclusive clip from the movie. Written and directed by Tim Sutton ("Pavilion"), the fragmentary film follows a talented musician drifting through the titular city, opting for self-discovery instead of recording music. And as you'll see in this clip, Beal's character's daydreaming gets under the skin of those eager for him to perform. "Memphis" is now playing in New York City at the IFC Center and opens on September 12th...
- 9/11/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
As the Toronto International Film Festival gets underway with North American and World debuts of films that will hit Awards Season and beyond,a good number of seasoned films that have traveled the festival circuit are finally making their way into the Specialty Box Office. Drafthouse Films will open Cannes ’13 title The Congress starring Robin Wright and Harvey Keitel in a dozen locations this weekend, while SXSW’s Juliette Lewis starrer Kelly & Cal will open exclusively in NYC. Sundance’s Last Days In Vietnam will have a theatrical run before heading to PBS next fall and the Guadalajara Film Festival’s Frontera is taking advantage of a timely topic in the U.S. Venice financed its 2013 premiere Memphis, opening exclusively this weekend in NYC. And China Lion hopes to take a successful template for romantic dramas and apply that to But Always.
The Congress
Director-writer: Ari Folman
Writer: Stanislaw Lem (novel)
Cast: Robin Wright,...
The Congress
Director-writer: Ari Folman
Writer: Stanislaw Lem (novel)
Cast: Robin Wright,...
- 9/5/2014
- by Brian Brooks
- Deadline
Riding on a Western Dream: Sutton’s Sophomore Film Drifts About a Drifter
To refer to Tim Sutton’s sophomore film, Memphis as understated would itself be an understatement. Somnolent and ambiguous to the point of distraction, it’s a sometimes significant mood piece set entirely in the distracted head of its protagonist. Filmed within the city for which it’s so named, this is more a lyrical ode than an actual exploration, homage to the locale as perhaps a state of mind rather than a tangible space.
An artist in the midst of a considerable creative block, a Blues musician Willis (played by real life musician Willis Earl Beal) is struggling to find inspiration for a new album. His previous work has already solidified his reputation as a musical genius with a gift from God, (as explained by the highly religious local populace of Southern Baptists) and local musicians...
To refer to Tim Sutton’s sophomore film, Memphis as understated would itself be an understatement. Somnolent and ambiguous to the point of distraction, it’s a sometimes significant mood piece set entirely in the distracted head of its protagonist. Filmed within the city for which it’s so named, this is more a lyrical ode than an actual exploration, homage to the locale as perhaps a state of mind rather than a tangible space.
An artist in the midst of a considerable creative block, a Blues musician Willis (played by real life musician Willis Earl Beal) is struggling to find inspiration for a new album. His previous work has already solidified his reputation as a musical genius with a gift from God, (as explained by the highly religious local populace of Southern Baptists) and local musicians...
- 9/4/2014
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Willis Earl Beal is the star of Tim Sutton's Memphis, his second feature after Pavilion. The New Yorker's Richard Brody: "With his loamy mosaic of drifting moods and troubled memories, Sutton offers a pictorial translation of the blues, a vision of an American classicism sheltered by the urban landscape’s mystical embrace." Here's what others are saying. » - David Hudson...
- 6/18/2014
- Fandor: Keyframe
Memphis
Written and directed by Tim Sutton
USA, 2013
Like past Sundance films, there are offerings that will connect with the audience or those that detach themselves completely, choosing to envelope themselves in their craft. Memphis, the second directorial feature from Pavilion director Tim Sutton, is the latter.
The film focuses on Willis (Willis Earl Beal), a young blues musician stuck in a rut. Finding himself wandering round the streets of Memphis and struggling to put in the effort with his friends and girlfriend, Willis debates what to do with his life.
In terms of pace and tone, Memphis is a slow and mellow film, subsequently making it difficult to stay engaged with. Like Willis, you find yourself wandering aimlessly round Memphis and unfortunately, the plot doesn’t have an end point. In addition, Willis spends a bit too much time on self-reflection rather than adopting a more proactive attitude to...
Written and directed by Tim Sutton
USA, 2013
Like past Sundance films, there are offerings that will connect with the audience or those that detach themselves completely, choosing to envelope themselves in their craft. Memphis, the second directorial feature from Pavilion director Tim Sutton, is the latter.
The film focuses on Willis (Willis Earl Beal), a young blues musician stuck in a rut. Finding himself wandering round the streets of Memphis and struggling to put in the effort with his friends and girlfriend, Willis debates what to do with his life.
In terms of pace and tone, Memphis is a slow and mellow film, subsequently making it difficult to stay engaged with. Like Willis, you find yourself wandering aimlessly round Memphis and unfortunately, the plot doesn’t have an end point. In addition, Willis spends a bit too much time on self-reflection rather than adopting a more proactive attitude to...
- 4/25/2014
- by Katie Wong
- SoundOnSight
★★★☆☆To describe Tim Sutton's Memphis (2013) - screening this week at the Sundance London film and music festival - as 'meditative' would be something of an understatement. With his 2012 debut, Pavilion, the director was likened to a cross between Terrence Malick and Gus Van Sant, producing an ephemeral riff on adolescence whilst blurring the line between documentary and fiction. Sutton is back at it again with the similarly elusive portrait of eccentric blues musician and poet, Willis Earl Beal, as he struggles through a period of artistic frustration. At once listless and mesmerising, it's a film that will be likely to divide audiences, except in appreciation of its beautiful visuals and quite exceptional soundtrack.
- 4/24/2014
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Deemed the verite American indie film that has a stronger resemblance/likeness to Euro fare, indieWIRE reports that Kino will distribute the Tim Sutton’s Venice & Sundance Film Fest (Next section) preemed Memphis while Vimeo, who is slowly making inroads in the VOD market, has acquired an exclusive 30-day worldwide digital window to the film. An early summer release is planned with an opening in NYC.
Gist: Starring iconoclastic musician Willis Earl Beal – who also scored the film – “Memphis” is a lyrical character study that borders on the metaphysical, charting Beal’s character’s descent towards madness as he drifts through the legendary city.
Worth Noting: Beal is a fascinating artist – here is bio and a sampling of his Church of Nobody project.
Do We Care?: Profiled in our Ioncinephile series for his break-out debut Pavilion, his sophomore film is further proof that the filmmaker relishes in the lyrically sensibilities found in film.
Gist: Starring iconoclastic musician Willis Earl Beal – who also scored the film – “Memphis” is a lyrical character study that borders on the metaphysical, charting Beal’s character’s descent towards madness as he drifts through the legendary city.
Worth Noting: Beal is a fascinating artist – here is bio and a sampling of his Church of Nobody project.
Do We Care?: Profiled in our Ioncinephile series for his break-out debut Pavilion, his sophomore film is further proof that the filmmaker relishes in the lyrically sensibilities found in film.
- 3/20/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Indiewire has exclusively learned that Tim Sutton's sophomore feature "Memphis" (he previously directed "Pavilion") has sold to Vimeo and Kino Lorber. The film played at both the Venice and Sundance film festivals. Read More: Sundance Exclusive -- Teaser for Tim Sutton's Award-Winning Next Entry 'Memphis' Vimeo has acquired an exclusive 30-day worldwide digital window on the film, while Kino will distribute the film theatrically stateside. The company is planning an early summer release for the film, opening in NYC with other national markets to follow. The film will be available on Vimeo On Demand following Kino's theatrical roll-out. "We’re so pleased to be able to bring this exceptional film to cinema audiences," said Kino head, Richard Lorber. "It’s a seductive yet bracing film of style, intelligence and mood that is ultimately and intimately about the creative process itself." Here's the synopsis per the two companies: Starring...
- 3/19/2014
- by Nigel M Smith
- Indiewire
Director Tim Sutton just released a new trailer for his film "Memphis," premiering at Sundance in the Next section on January 17th. These select cuts give just a taste of the folktale's entrancing cinematography and cool bluesy beats. "Memphis" first premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2013 and was awarded the cinema funding grant by Venice Biennale College. Sutton's first feature was "Pavilion," premiered at the 2012 SXSW Film Festival. Here's the synopsis per the Sundance Film Festival: A strange singer with God-given talent drifts through his adopted city of Memphis with its canopy of ancient oak trees, streets of shattered windows, and aura of burning spirituality. Surrounded by beautiful women, legendary musicians, a stone-cold hustler, a righteous preacher, and a wolf pack of kids, the sweet, yet unstable, performer avoids the recording studio, driven by his own form of self-discovery. His journey quickly drags him from love and happiness right to the edge of.
- 1/14/2014
- by Taylor Lindsay
- Indiewire
The ground rules were set early on in the Ifp Film Week panel "Neorealist Features & Hybrid Documentaries." There was to be no talk about "business." We were here to talk about art -- the art of cinema and how to transcend categorization. Moderated by David Wilson, co-conspirator, True/False Film Fest, the discussion involved ways in which filmmakers can defy categorization with films that are not quite documentary and not quite traditional narrative features. "I've submitted my film to various festivals and I've won awards in the documentary category, the narrative category and the experimental category," said Lynne Sachs, director, "Your Day is My Night." The audience laughed at the notion of a film that is able to straddle all of those categories, but the filmmakers on the panel nodded because they understood the situation all too well. As Tim Sutton, director of "Pavilion" put it, "I'm not a documentary filmmaker.
- 9/20/2013
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
I’ve yet to find myself on the Lido (at the top of my bucket list choices for film festivals I’ve yet to visit) but thanks to some forward-thinking folks such as the Festival Scope folks, the Venice Film Festival is coming directly to our living rooms, laptops and whatnot Live.
An experiment that began last year and in its sophomore edition has blossomed into a well-oiled virtual event, each film (see list) below will hold a maximum “seating capacity” of 500 virtual places/seat holders for world cinephiles (read the full description of the service). Among the dozen or so films from the Orizzonti section and a selected trio films from the new Biennale College are the make-up of Web Theatre programme and to help promote the event, we’re holding a contest – five lucky readers will get to watch Pavilion‘s Tim Sutton’s (an Ioncinephile of the...
An experiment that began last year and in its sophomore edition has blossomed into a well-oiled virtual event, each film (see list) below will hold a maximum “seating capacity” of 500 virtual places/seat holders for world cinephiles (read the full description of the service). Among the dozen or so films from the Orizzonti section and a selected trio films from the new Biennale College are the make-up of Web Theatre programme and to help promote the event, we’re holding a contest – five lucky readers will get to watch Pavilion‘s Tim Sutton’s (an Ioncinephile of the...
- 8/28/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Though I wasn't completely taken with Tim Sutton's debut Pavilion (review), I did love the director's approach to slice-of-life storytelling and his bold choice to play fast and loose with narrative storytelling. Pavilion worked despite a central story but from the looks of Sutton's follow-up, Sutton may be moving a little closer to a central narrative.
Made with a grant from the Venice Biennale Cinema College, Memphis stars real life R&B singer-songwriter Willis Earl Beal as a musician living in Memphis who is "surrounded by beautiful women, legendary musicians, a stone-cold-hustler, a righteous preacher, and a wolfpack of kids." The story, which appears t [Continued ...]...
Made with a grant from the Venice Biennale Cinema College, Memphis stars real life R&B singer-songwriter Willis Earl Beal as a musician living in Memphis who is "surrounded by beautiful women, legendary musicians, a stone-cold-hustler, a righteous preacher, and a wolfpack of kids." The story, which appears t [Continued ...]...
- 8/23/2013
- QuietEarth.us
Here’s a look at Memphis, Tim Sutton’s follow-up to Pavilion which has been developed in tandem with the Venice Biennale Film College, as one of the first three projects to emerge from the program’s first year. The film, which shot in the early part of the summer in the city of its title, has its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 31, and via The Dissolve we have a trailer for the film. It looks gorgeous and the story about a Memphis-based musician who is “surrounded by beautiful women, legendary musicians, a stone-cold-hustler, a righteous preacher, and a […]...
- 8/22/2013
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Tim Sutton's directorial debut "Pavilion," which premiered at the 2012 SXSW Film Festival, is now available via Factory 25 and Oscilloscope Labs on VOD, iTunes, Amazon and more digital platforms. The film opened theatrically in select cities on March 1st, to critical praise. As on reviewer describes it, the "gorgeously lensed tone poem" dreamily follows lone teenager Max (Max Schaffner) as he moves from a lakeside town to his father's home in suburban Arizona. What unfolds is a wistful portrait of romantic youth. Critics note the influence of Gus Van Sant, Larry Clark and Terrence Malick in Sutton's direction. Review highlights, and a trailer, below. Variety:The images appear deceptively casual, the action virtually unrehearsed, as if the team has merely turned on the camera, which typically remains fixed, to spy on the way kids of privilege but no apparent purpose pass their time. Still, the beauty of the footage is undeniable,...
- 3/26/2013
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Have you ever wondered what are the films that inspire the next generation of visionary filmmakers? As part of our monthly Ioncinephile profile (read here), we ask the filmmaker the incredibly arduous task of identifying their top ten list of favorite films. Tim Sutton (Pavilion), provided us with his all time top ten film list (dated: March 2013).
Ballast – Lance Hammer (2008)
“A film of strung-together moments that make up a whole becomes not only mesmerizing, but truly sublime. I saw Ballast and decided not to give up on making a feature. The fact that people in the industry refer to this film as a cautionary tale rather than as a masterpiece is sad to me.”
Beau Travail – Claire Denis (1999)
“Simply, Clair Denis and Agnes Godard are one of the sweetest director/cinematographer teams in cinema, and this is their masterpiece – effortless in its rhythm and sun-baked imagery, with an ending that makes you think for days.
Ballast – Lance Hammer (2008)
“A film of strung-together moments that make up a whole becomes not only mesmerizing, but truly sublime. I saw Ballast and decided not to give up on making a feature. The fact that people in the industry refer to this film as a cautionary tale rather than as a masterpiece is sad to me.”
Beau Travail – Claire Denis (1999)
“Simply, Clair Denis and Agnes Godard are one of the sweetest director/cinematographer teams in cinema, and this is their masterpiece – effortless in its rhythm and sun-baked imagery, with an ending that makes you think for days.
- 3/10/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Ioncinema.com’s Ioncinephile of the Month feature focuses on an emerging filmmaker from the world of cinema. This March, we feature Tim Sutton, whose debut film Pavilion premiered almost one year to the day at the 2012 edition of the SXSW Film Festival. Factory 25 just released the film in New York (March 1st) with further dates to come. Below you’ll find our profile and Tim Sutton’s personal Top Ten films of all time can be found here.
Eric Lavallee: During your childhood…what films were important to you?
Tim Sutton: The first film I ‘saw’ in a movie theater was Bambi. And all that I can recall (through memory combined with the story told to me over the years) was that my father cried. As a kid, I dug Star Wars, Breaking Away, Ode to Billie Joe – I just remember feeling really sad during the scenes on that bridge) and loved,...
Eric Lavallee: During your childhood…what films were important to you?
Tim Sutton: The first film I ‘saw’ in a movie theater was Bambi. And all that I can recall (through memory combined with the story told to me over the years) was that my father cried. As a kid, I dug Star Wars, Breaking Away, Ode to Billie Joe – I just remember feeling really sad during the scenes on that bridge) and loved,...
- 3/10/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Tiny Wins and Losses: Sutton Explores Teenage Life
At fifteen, your neighborhood is your kingdom. Streets, curbs, lawns are the landscape on which you begin to write your own narrative, to begin making yourself up as you go along. In Tim Sutton’s directorial debut Pavilion, we follow Max, a standoffish, pensive teen, as he ambles around the woods and suburban side streets of upstate New York until he’s uprooted and relocated to live with his father in Arizona. In Pavilion, Sutton quietly watches Max and his friends and though the results are subtle, at times too subtle, they’re more often revealing; the kids often say very little, but in their blank stares they say a lot. He observes the kids and lets them interact freely, lets them be themselves, and in so doing captures the enormity of the tiny wins and losses that make up teenage life.
At fifteen, your neighborhood is your kingdom. Streets, curbs, lawns are the landscape on which you begin to write your own narrative, to begin making yourself up as you go along. In Tim Sutton’s directorial debut Pavilion, we follow Max, a standoffish, pensive teen, as he ambles around the woods and suburban side streets of upstate New York until he’s uprooted and relocated to live with his father in Arizona. In Pavilion, Sutton quietly watches Max and his friends and though the results are subtle, at times too subtle, they’re more often revealing; the kids often say very little, but in their blank stares they say a lot. He observes the kids and lets them interact freely, lets them be themselves, and in so doing captures the enormity of the tiny wins and losses that make up teenage life.
- 3/4/2013
- by Jesse Klein
- IONCINEMA.com
One of our favorite recent films at Filmmaker and Ifp is Tim Sutton’s dreamy and at times disquieting evocation of youth, Pavilion. The film went through the Ifp Labs, and its d.p., Chris Dapkins, made our 25 New Faces list last year. And, just this year, Sutton took part in the Venice Biennale College Cinema, which is partnered with Ifp, and because of its support, is set to make his new feature, Memphis, this Spring. As Sutton enters pre-production, Pavilion hits the theaters from Factory 25. It opens at IFC Center in New York tomorrow, and is recommended to all …...
- 2/28/2013
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
This Week’s Must Read: Nelson Carvajal wrote a very nice piece about a typically neglected subject: Women of the Avant-Garde, covering the work of Germaine Dulac, Maya Deren, Shirley Clarke, Janie Geiser and others.Speaking of Maya Deren, Making Light of It scanned and posted her “Notes, Essays, Letters.” Also, Ron Rice’s “Diaries, Notebooks, Sketches.”Donna k. reviews the acclaimed Holy Motors by Leos Carax, calling it the “best film I have seen in a loooong time … that explores the complications of the current cinematic landscape.”
J.J. Murphy reviews Tim Sutton’s debut feature Pavilion and praises it for the unexpected directions the narrative springs off to.I’m sure most of you reading this know all about Herschell Gordon Lewis, but Michael Varrati has an extremely nice profile the notorious horror filmmaker.Most people don’t write about the soundtrack to the infamous Cannibal Holocaust, but Electric...
J.J. Murphy reviews Tim Sutton’s debut feature Pavilion and praises it for the unexpected directions the narrative springs off to.I’m sure most of you reading this know all about Herschell Gordon Lewis, but Michael Varrati has an extremely nice profile the notorious horror filmmaker.Most people don’t write about the soundtrack to the infamous Cannibal Holocaust, but Electric...
- 2/3/2013
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Looking back at 2012 on what films moved and impressed us, it is clear that watching old films is a crucial part of making new films meaningful. Thus, the annual tradition of our end of year poll, which calls upon our writers to pick both a new and an old film: they were challenged to choose a new film they saw in 2012—in theaters or at a festival—and creatively pair it with an old film they also saw in 2012 to create a unique double feature.
All the contributors were asked to write a paragraph explaining their 2012 fantasy double feature. What's more, each writer was given the option to list more pairings, with or without explanation, as further imaginative film programming we'd be lucky to catch in that perfect world we know doesn't exist but can keep dreaming of every time we go to the movies.
How would you program some...
All the contributors were asked to write a paragraph explaining their 2012 fantasy double feature. What's more, each writer was given the option to list more pairings, with or without explanation, as further imaginative film programming we'd be lucky to catch in that perfect world we know doesn't exist but can keep dreaming of every time we go to the movies.
How would you program some...
- 1/9/2013
- by Daniel Kasman
- MUBI
Factory 25 has picked up worldwide rights to BAMcinemaFest, SXSW and Munich Film Festival film "Pavilion" today. The company will release it theatrically in January, followed by a DVD release in the spring. Also in the spring, "Pavilion" will hit digital platforms via Oscilloscope Laboratories as part of an exclusive digital distribution partnership. F25's digital acquisition with O-Scope is a two-year partnership that gives the latter sole distribution rights to all of F25's catalog and upcoming releases across all digital platforms. O-Scope is the exclusive digital distributor of Milestone Films' catalog, and this is the second type of partnership for them. "Pavilion," which is Tim Sutton's debut feature, follows a teenage boy's (Max) move from a pretty lakeside town in New York to a suburban home in Arizona to live with his father. According to Factory 25, the film, with its "mesmerizing imagery of hot summer bike...
- 6/26/2012
- by Srimathi Sridhar
- Indiewire
The fourth annual BAMcinemaFest kicks-off tomorrow and runs June 20 - July 1. This exciting festival showcases emerging voices in American independent cinema with NY and North American premieres of films from Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, SXSW, Berlin, and beyond. The fest from BAMCinematek in Brooklyn starts things off with its opening night screening of "Sleepwalk With Me" by director Mike Birbiglia. Starring Birbiglia himself and Lauren Ambrose, the film was co-written by "This American Life" host Ira Glass and centers on a burgeoning stand-up comedian who struggles with the stress of a stalled career, a stale relationship, and the wild spurts of severe sleepwalking he is desperate to ignore (read our SXSW review here).
Later in the week, they've got the highly celebrated "Beasts of the Southern Wild" indie by wunderkind Benh Zeitlin, director Ry Russo-Young's "Nobody Walks," “For Ellen” starring Paul Dano, “Liberal Arts” featuring Elizabeth Olsen, and a repertory...
Later in the week, they've got the highly celebrated "Beasts of the Southern Wild" indie by wunderkind Benh Zeitlin, director Ry Russo-Young's "Nobody Walks," “For Ellen” starring Paul Dano, “Liberal Arts” featuring Elizabeth Olsen, and a repertory...
- 6/19/2012
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Prior to its BAMcinemaFest screening on June 28, Tim Sutton’s festival favorite Pavilion has a haunting new trailer — featuring a new song from The Sea and Cake’s Sam Prekop — which we are delighted to be exclusively premiering on the Filmmaker website.
In the current issue of the magazine, Scott wrote the following on the film:
Tim Sutton’s Pavilion, premiering in the Emerging Visions section, is a beautifully shot and tantalizingly subtle tale of the fragility of adolescent friendships. A teenage boy (Max Schaffner) spends summers with his mother in upstate New York before traveling to stay with his father in Arizona. Shooting with the Canon 5D in an observational style, Sutton and his d.p., Chris Dapkins, capture every nuance of his subjects — their beads of sweat, non-verbal behaviors and the nuances of their group interactions — as they swim, party and ride their BMX bikes. As it’s an Ifp Narrative Lab film,...
In the current issue of the magazine, Scott wrote the following on the film:
Tim Sutton’s Pavilion, premiering in the Emerging Visions section, is a beautifully shot and tantalizingly subtle tale of the fragility of adolescent friendships. A teenage boy (Max Schaffner) spends summers with his mother in upstate New York before traveling to stay with his father in Arizona. Shooting with the Canon 5D in an observational style, Sutton and his d.p., Chris Dapkins, capture every nuance of his subjects — their beads of sweat, non-verbal behaviors and the nuances of their group interactions — as they swim, party and ride their BMX bikes. As it’s an Ifp Narrative Lab film,...
- 6/18/2012
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Live performances by Simeon Coxe of the Silver Apples, Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt of The Sea and Cake, & More
So, what're you New Yorkers up to this June? BAMcinématek hopes you'll be spending the last two weeks with them: the fourth annual BAMcinemaFest runs June 20 - July 1 and has the strongest lineup yet, including some 2012 festival favorites and sweet surprises.
Cinephiles will be pleased to know that Roberto Rosellini's recently discovered "The Machine That Kills Bad People," which premiered at Cannes last year, will make its American landing in Brooklyn. A magical comedy from a director firmly grounded in neo-realist roots, 'Machine' focuses on a man whose camera murders anyone it manages to snap. Spooky! A biting satire which critiques the Americanization of Italy, the "Germany Year Zero" director's once-lost project has been newly restored and is definitely worth checking out.
A more recent film that's part of the...
So, what're you New Yorkers up to this June? BAMcinématek hopes you'll be spending the last two weeks with them: the fourth annual BAMcinemaFest runs June 20 - July 1 and has the strongest lineup yet, including some 2012 festival favorites and sweet surprises.
Cinephiles will be pleased to know that Roberto Rosellini's recently discovered "The Machine That Kills Bad People," which premiered at Cannes last year, will make its American landing in Brooklyn. A magical comedy from a director firmly grounded in neo-realist roots, 'Machine' focuses on a man whose camera murders anyone it manages to snap. Spooky! A biting satire which critiques the Americanization of Italy, the "Germany Year Zero" director's once-lost project has been newly restored and is definitely worth checking out.
A more recent film that's part of the...
- 5/18/2012
- by Christopher Bell
- The Playlist
Today the full lineup for BAMCinemafest has been unveiled, including the opening and closing night films. (The initial slate of titles was announced just over a month ago.) The fest will be bookended by comedian Mike Birbiglia’s Sundance charmer Sleepwalk with Me and Rock ‘n’ Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen, the latest doc from British musician and filmmaker Don Letts (Dancehall Queen).
The Spotlight screening is Benh Zeitlin’s Sundance Grand Prize winner Beasts of the Southern Wild, and other highlights out of the newly announced titles include the Ross brothers’ Tchoupitoulas, Cory McAbee’s Crazy and Thief and Tim Sutton’s Pavilion (all of which I’m very excited to catch up with.)
Speaking about the 2012 lineup, BAMcinématek’s program director Florence Almozini said, “I’m really excited about the fourth edition of BAMcinemaFest as it may be our best yet. I think we’re refining...
The Spotlight screening is Benh Zeitlin’s Sundance Grand Prize winner Beasts of the Southern Wild, and other highlights out of the newly announced titles include the Ross brothers’ Tchoupitoulas, Cory McAbee’s Crazy and Thief and Tim Sutton’s Pavilion (all of which I’m very excited to catch up with.)
Speaking about the 2012 lineup, BAMcinématek’s program director Florence Almozini said, “I’m really excited about the fourth edition of BAMcinemaFest as it may be our best yet. I think we’re refining...
- 5/3/2012
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
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