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 special events is Noah Baumbach's seminal "Kicking and Screaming," a debut that is uniformly hilarious and likely the prognosticator of the entire micro-budget post-college malaise scene. The "Greenberg" director's first movie centers on a group of fresh graduates as they figure out how to operate life as adults without school. Joining the showcase will be Baumbach himself, plus co-writer Bo Berkman and cast members Carlos Jacott and Whit Stillman staple Chris Eigeman. More guest stars to come, keep your eyes on this one.
There's more. Sick of hearing about Sundance/SXSW movies and not being able to see them? BAMcinématek is bringing them home, and within their roster is Rick Alverson's irony/hipster take-down "The Comedy," Keith Miller's doc/narrative hybrid "Welcome to Pine Hill," Benh Zeitlin's magical "Beasts of the Southern Wild," horror anthology "V/H/S," So Yong Kim's father-drama "For Ellen," Josh Radnor's playful "Liberal Arts," and controversial Craig Zobel thriller "Compliance." Additional goodies include live performances by Simeon Coxe of the Silver Apples, Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt of The Sea and Cake, and the closing-day screening of Lotte Reiniger’s "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" — a German animated fairytale and the oldest surviving animated feature film — will take place with live accompaniment by by Irish instrumental and experimental post-rockers 3epkano and New York-based cellist and composer Erik Friedlander. Simply put, this will be another fun iteration, with something for everyone. Full lineup on the next page.
BAMcinemaFest Schedule
Wed, Jun 20
7:30pm: Opening Night—Sleepwalk With Me
Thu, Jun 21
7pm: Spotlight screening—Beasts of the Southern Wild
9:30pm: Tchoupitoulas
Fri, Jun 22
7pm: Francine
9:15pm: Gayby
Sat, Jun 23
2pm: Take Me to the Balloony Bin!
4:30pm: Welcome to Pine Hill
6:50pm: Nobody Walks
9:30pm: The Comedy
Sun, Jun 24
2pm: Crazy and Thief
4pm: Jerry and Me
7pm: The Imposter
9:30pm: The Unspeakable Act
Mon, Jun 25
7pm: The Patron Saints
9:15pm: The Machine That Kills Bad People
Tue, Jun 26
7pm: Radio Unnameable—Followed by a live performance by Simeon Coxe
9:30pm: The International Sign for Choking
Wed, Jun 27
7pm: Walk Away Renée
9pm: Outdoor—The Comedy
9:30pm: Detropia
Thu, Jun 28
7pm: Pavilion—Followed by a live performance by Sam Prekop & Archer Prewitt
9:15pm: For Ellen
Fri, Jun 29
7pm: Liberal Arts
9:30pm: Compliance
Sat, Jun 30
2pm: Mixed Shorts
4:30pm: All City Shorts
7pm: Kicking and Screaming—Cast reunion
10pm: V/H/S
Sun, Jul 1
6pm: The Adventures of Prince Achmed—Live accompaniment by 3epkano and Erik Friedlander
8pm: Closing Night—Rock ‘n’ Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
I would love to see Kicking and Screaming. I would think that Noah Baumbach's girlfriend Greta Gerwig is going to present for this event now that he goes to the NY screenings and after parties of her films!
Kicking and Screaming makes me want to gauge my own eyes out. Baumbach doesn't write for an audience. He writes for other writers. Which makes sense because his parents were both writers. He's still trying to win their approval.