IFP » Tim Sutton

Dream = Reality: Filmmaker Tim Sutton on Moving into Production at the Venice Biennale

Tim Sutton — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 18:00:06 +0000

Leaving Venice at 7am, I was planning to shlep my way to the airport via two vaporettas and a bus – you know, back to reality. Yet, by, divine intervention, I was lucky enough to hop a free ride in a water taxi with the Artistic Director of the Biennale Cinema College directly to the airport. It was glorious – the quiet, glassy water, the rosy morning light, a slight breeze to nurse my exhaustion. As we hummed along, he said, with poker face intact, ‘It is even more delightful in the summer.’ He went on to Berlin, I went to visit a friend in Rome and it crossed my mind that I was pretty much living in a dream – and later on that day the dream turned into my reality: � Memphis� would be one of the 3 films financed by the Biennale and will premiere at the 2013 Venice Film Festival. I’ll be honest, the first thoughts I had were guilt and fear – guilt because of the 12 incredibly daring film projects that did not get funding, and fear that 6 months is an insanely tight schedule to make something of quality. Over wine (and a serious plate of Roman lamb) that night, those feelings dissipated into a pure feeling of excitement. Both John Baker and I believe in our project – in our ability to truly realize this film – and now we had one of the most important art institutions in modern history believing in it too. An awesome realization to consider, and potent fuel to add to the fire that will be this film. We now get to� make the film.

Aside from the intensity of the process of proving our film ready to be put into action, as well as the creative jolt of energy we put toward the story, the thing I will take away is this – and if it is a cliche, well, so be it: American indie filmmaking is just one fraction of the larger universe that is global independent cinema. There are so many new waves and new cinematic ideas coming from diverse spaces around the world: the (literally) first Arab science fiction film will hopefully be made this year and it will resemble La Jette more than� Alien; Israeli and Lebanese films will creatively question identity and trust in ways that American filmmakers do not attempt; South African and Thai projects will (again, literally) expand the concept of cinema in its 21st century form…I guess my point is that telling cinematic stories on micro-budgets not only matters; it is the now…and the future. We’re just thrilled the Biennale Cinema College believes thatMemphis� is a valuable part of this now, and that future.

Tales From Venice Biennale : The Good, The Bad and The Ugly with Tim Sutton

Tim Sutton — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:06:20 +0000

I mentioned the Biennale Cinema College grounds are a former insane asylum, right? Because we have all gone entirely bonkers. The schedule has been one of crushing deadlines on rewrites that have occupied much of our free time, budget analysis and re-analysis and production schedule fine-combing down to the dollar (and Euro) and minute. Okay, so,

The good: Our project, Memphis, is looking really strong – the characters now feel like real people and a key scene at the end has gone from an interior to an exterior and, for some magic reason, it makes the entire concept work in a more natural and organic way. The budget and schedule are air tight and, even more important, truly feasible. And it isn’t just our project – everyone’s film here has gone through transformations and changes and, with the bulk of the work done, each project stands on firmer ground than when they arrived – the lab works.

The bad: during this process, we have all gone somewhat insane or suffered a flu/fever on this island. I walked by an Italian producer yesterday and instead of greeting me he simply said, ‘Blah blah blah.’ And it was perfect because I knew exactly what he was saying! A Thai film project has changed its title and storyline 3 times in 5 days (and it is awesome, btw). A Spanish producer and I guzzled wine last night as the conversation around us was on a philosophical approach to immersive media. I thought he might have lost consciousness twice during the conversation. Maybe I did.

The ugly: on Thursday, each project presents their work to the head of the Venice Film Festival, the head of the entire Venice Biennale, along with numerous journalists and students coming from as far as Rome to watch us deliver or melt down. Pressure. So, say a prayer for Memphis and, as everyone says right before festivals announce: fingers crossed.

Tales from Venice Biennale with Tim Sutton

Tim Sutton — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:00:15 +0000

I figured why not start with a couple of masterpieces to get me in the right frame of mind. So, packing up to head off to the Venice Biennale College Cinema workshop to pitch my second feature, Memphis, I did the math for the long day of travel ahead: book – Geoff Dyer’s Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi. Movie -� Joachim Trier’s Oslo, August 31st. I figured those two daring and beautiful pieces were the right first steps in getting into the mindset to engage in what lies ahead – ten days of collaborative development with fourteen other film projects to try and carve out which ends up one of the three fully funded microbudget projects to premiere at the 2013 Venice Film Festival. But it gets even more intense when it turns out we’re staying on an island that is home to an ancient monastery-turned-mental-hospital-turned-university. The room I am staying in feels like all three. The seclusion of the campus just across a waterway from San Marco square is both beautiful and well, ghostly. And the mist that comes in off the lagoon as thick as velvet helps both said beautiful and ghostly achieve even greater depths.

Filmmakers from Israel, Lebanon, Phillipines, Thailand, Brazil, UK, Italy, South Africa…and a sister team from the U.S. along with me and my producer, John Baker (Dragonslayer), so the mix isn’t just providing a diverse community, it is entirely inspiring. After running my first feature, Pavilion, through the IFP Narrative Lab in 2011-12, I knew there would be some of that inspiration for sure. However, housed on the watery outskirts of Venice – a city that may have created the term ‘wonder while I wander’ – this lab has an endless sense of creativity and intensity. Every day, thus far, John heads off to his producer’s grilling – the base of which are the questions ‘can you actually get this film done in time and on budget’ and ‘how do you define the producer’s role’ – while I work with a group leader and four other projects – defining our creative goals, challenges, and directions – in essence, proving our project’s validity. The afternoons, I engage with story consultants to try and defend and expand the notions of the story I am trying/hoping/praying to make. Evenings are social and filled with the type of dialogue I missed by not going to film school – theory, references, personal histories – beautiful film nerd stuff – over a glass or two of wine. And then coming back by vaporetta to our little insane asylum in the deepest fog to sleep it off and press restart. So far, so good.