Kristen Coates

Jay Duplass Talks ‘Kevin’ [Crowdfunded Cinema]

Kevin is the documentary debut director Jay Duplass (The Puffy Chair, Baghead). The film focuses on Kevin Gant, and Austin musician who was very inspirational to Duplass in the early 90s, but who then vanished without a trace. Now, fifteen years later, Duplass tracks down Gant, to both reconnect with him as well as what caused his disappearance. The result is a very heartwarming story that introduces an undiscovered musical voice into the world. The film premiered at SXSW, and is now looking to raise funds via Kickstarter to launch a wider festival tour, continuing to share Kevin’s story and music with audiences....

[Interview] Writer/Director Lynn Shelton Talks ‘We Go Way Back’

We Go Way Back is the story of young actress named Kate, who reflects on the youthful dreams of her 13-year-old self when dealing with the dissatisfaction of her adult reality. The film originally debuted in 2006, and opens in New York today. We recently caught up with director Lynn Shelton’s (Humpday), to talk about the film....

IFF Boston Boasts Impressive Line-up, Kicking Off This Week

The Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston) kicks off this Wednesday, and has a number of impressive films in its line-up. The festival will take place at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square, the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square, the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, and the Stuart Street Playhouse in downtown Boston. The festival, complete with over 110 film screenings, filmmaker Q&A sessions, panel discussions, visiting filmmakers, parties and events will showcase the best in current American and International cinema....

[Tribeca Review] The Bully Project

After seeing Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony, the feature documentary that earned Lee Hirsch awards and acclaim at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, I was intrigued to hear he had a new documentary. This film is The Bully Project, an honest, eye-opening glimpse into our country’s bullying crisis....

Springsteen Lends Support to Independent Cinemas

Bruce Springsteen and Columbia Records have partnered with Emerging Pictures to offer a Springsteen documentary for charitable screenings across the country. From April 22 to May 3, The Promise: The Making of Darkness On The Edge of Town will receive a special theatrical run only at Emerging Pictures’ network of community-based cinemas, performing arts centers and independent art-houses as a benefit screening and fundraiser....

Remembering Sidney Lumet

Sidney Lumet died aged 86 on today in his residence in Manhattan, New York, from lymphoma. Lumet was an Oscar-nominated director, known for films such as for "12 Angry Men", "Dog Day Afternoon", "Network" and "The Verdict"....

Kickstart the Monarchs: Take Part in Independent Filmmaking

Here at The Film Stage, we strive to bring the most current, accurate information about new emerging or releasing project in the cinematic world. Often, the support you the viewer then show to a film your interested in is to pass on these news stories, which spreads awareness, or to hopefully see them in their opening weekend, so their box office numbers can warrant a wider release. But wouldn’t it be nice if you could make a deeper impact. Allow me to introduce you to Eugene Martin and his feature-length documentary film The Anderson Monarchs. The Anderson Monarchs are an all-girls soccer team who compete, live, and thrive in an at-risk urban neighborhood in Philadelphia. The director, Eugene Martin, a critically acclaimed filmmaker whose work looks intimately at issues of youth, the inner city, poverty, and social justice, discovered the Monarchs when he began coaching his daughter’s soccer team, and was drawn to their story....

[Review] The Fab Five

For those film fans who are currently wrapped up in March Madness, this writer heavily recommends you tune into ESPN at 9pm ET, for the premiere of ESPN Films’ The Fab Five. By the producers of ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series, this two hour film tells the captivating story of one of the most famous/infamous teams in college basketball history....

[The Classroom] Making the Lion Roar: The 1920s Formation of MGM

As news breaks that MGM has risen out of bankruptcy, this writer would like to take a moment and remember when this studio first entered the news, with its formation being the result of a corporate merger on Wall Street over eighty years ago. Following this merge, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer would be the dominant motion picture studio in Hollywood, from the end of the silent film era through World War II....

Kristen Coates