My blog
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NYC Memories
Friday, Nov 4, 2011 4:05PM / Standard Entry
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Taking the Sex Shop to Transylvania
Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011 1:28PM / Standard Entry
I've just returned from Cluj, Romania -- in the heart of Transylvania -- for the Comedy Cluj International Film Festival. Transylvania seems like a rather unexpected place for Europe's largest comedy film festival (horror may be what first comes to mind), but Cluj is a real fun-loving college town and very much went against any stereotyped expectations I may have had. Unlike the movies, there was no horse drawn carriage to meet me at the airport. Though I did see far more people at night than in the day-time hours (!) I spent 4 days exploring the city, hanging out with filmmakers, and showing "Red Light Revolution". It turns out Romania has quite a few sex shops, but they are mostly only open in the day-time. One of the things I learnt during my trip is that the Transylvanian accent we hear in vampire movies doesn't exist, folks don't talk like that at all!
An official government building hangs the festival poster.
The closing gala was a serious affair with the host giving a long off-the-cuff lecture on the nature of comedy and the voices he hears in his head. Was bizarre but very memorable.
Red Light screened for the first time in a converted synagogue. Here's me, the doll, and participating filmmakers from Munich.
Closing night party with filmmakers.
Cluj has some very interesting old architecture.
And retro public telephones.
Would be a great location to shoot a spy movie set in the 60's.
Very cool alley-ways, a real cinematic town.
Overall an amazing trip and a very fun festival, thoroughly recommended.
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Things I've Never Done in Wuhan Before with a Sex Shop Comedy
Tuesday, Jun 28, 2011 2:36PM / Standard Entry
The "Red Light Revolution" 《红灯梦》 movie train hit the city of Wuhan recently, which is a bustling metropolis about two hours flight from Beijing. It was a new experience for me so I thought I'd write a list of things I'd never done before but did in my 48 hours in Wuhan.
Things I've Never Done in Wuhan Before with a Sex Shop Comedy:
Going into a Chinese sex museum.
Going into a Chinese sex museum to showcase my own work. (never saw that one on the "to-do" list growing up)
Having people not attend the sex museum screening because they said they were too shy to enter the sex museum (but would you please tell me the address of the next screening).
Discovering that the people who attend sex museum screenings are very academic. (It was one of the most intellectual Q&A's we've had for the film so far). It was interesting to see that none of the "trench-coat crowd" attended. If anyone knows where the trench-coat crowd watches their movies in Wuhan, please let me know, but it's not the sex museum.
Having a sex museum provide me and the film's team with free accommodation and breakfasts (in the hotel owned by the sex museum).
Finding out that sex museum breakfasts are the same as regular breakfasts.
Having receptionists at the hotel leave their posts to sneak into the screening mid-way through.
Screening the movie at someone's 12th floor 80 square metre apartment, an apartment that has been transformed into an indie film club with a hefty mailing list. If you didn't know where this club was, you'd never find it, it's totally off the radar.
Playing to the Wuhan university crowd in the university district -- and finding out that some of the Beijing slang used in the film isn't used down in Wuhan.
Hitting up Vox, an indie music venue, and packing it out.
All in all an eye-opening 48 hours in Wuhan! Cheers to Waiting in Wuhan for organizing it!
Finally 《红灯梦》 gets it's own clapper board announcement!
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Memories from the Terracotta Film Festival, London
Thursday, May 19, 2011 2:34PM / Standard Entry
Just returned from a great week in London, where I got to hang out with fellow ANDers Junichi and Akira, as well as make heaps more friends at the Terracotta Far East Film Festival. I caught about 5 films playing at the festival, all great, but my favourite was a surprising Korean comedy called "Petty Romance" that puts a unique spin on the romantic comedy genre by adding a manga storyline. And I've got to say the Prince Charles Cinema, built in the '60s, has a really nice vibe to it: red, dark (not ominously so), and retro (with old-school squeaky leather chairs). Word is there was a bit of an outcry when the original fold-out chairs were replaced a few years back. Reminds me of a mix between the Astor and Northcote's Westgarth cinema in Melbourne. "Red Light Revolution" 《红灯梦》 picked up the audience award, which was a very cool way to end 7 days in the UK. A big cheers to Suki for the fest photos.
Show-time outside the Prince Charles Cinema with Candy the inflatable doll. One audience member won the same Beijing sex toy T-shirt she is wearing (well, not THE same one).
Candy has traveled to Brazil, the USA, and now England. Customs inspectors have been very friendly at national borders.
Guest actors and Directors. From left: Kim (Breathless), me, Tak (Yakuza Weapon), Rina (Karate Girl), Clement (Gallants).
With guests and the organizing team at Terracotta at the Slug & Lettuce Bar, just down the road from the cinema. The pub was offering 25% off to festival-goers, something I forgot to run with.
The festival hosted a great Sichuan dinner and after party.
Discussing indie filmmaking at a festival class with Londoners before the screening.
Q&A with Joey from Terracotta.
The rest of my stay in London I spent exploring the city by foot. The weather was perfect and there were heaps of surprises behind every corner.
The swans of Kensington Palace.
The Big B.
The gate to Chinatown, with a banner celebrating the royal wedding.
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