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Creating an on screen farcical love letter to a meaningful friendship can often be a cathartic relationship for many filmmakers who work with their closest companions. That’s certainly the case for up-and-coming auteurs, Alexandra Kotcheff and Hannah Leder, who made their feature film written, directorial and producing debuts with the new dark comedy, ‘The Planters.’ […]

The post Exclusive: Alexandra Kotcheff and Hannah Leder Video Interview and Clip For The Planters appeared first on Shockya.com.

The weekend is almost upon as, and as the theatrical schedule remains a barren wasteland until at least the beginning of next year, the weekly onslaught of new VOD releases have arrived to try and entice folks who’ve run out of things to watch on the various streaming services at their disposal that they haven’t seen a handful of times already.

There are a whopping 30 titles flooding the market this weekend, but the bad news is that none of them are what would exactly be called appointment viewing. Pick of the bunch is arguably The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, which sees Francis Ford Coppola return to the closing chapter of his sprawling crime saga and deliver a brand new edit. The early reactions are that he’s greatly improved the original cut, but still not enough to see it enter the rarefied air of the first two installments,...

“Just start shooting.” That was the advice the legendary A.C. Lyles delivered to young filmmakers when they asked him how he managed to produce five films every year. “Don’t waste your time waiting for some nameless executive to give you the green light,” Lyles told them.

His approach was problematic, but in today’s stalled pandemic economy, it makes perverse sense. Two young female filmmakers successfully pursued his tactic this year with festival-winning results that might inspire others to follow suit. So did a distinguished 87-year-old director who has finished shooting his new film built around two veteran stars, ages 82 and 90.

In both cases, the filmmakers knew the odds were stacked against them – too much experience on one side, too little on the other. They thus decided not to wait in vain for a studio green light, instead scratching together their resources until they could finally shout, “Action!”

The films,...

"She's very weird." 1091 Pics has released a trailer for an indie dark comedy titled The Planters, which first premiered at the Raindance Film Festival last year. This "film fest favorite" was entirely shot without a crew, made by and starring Cali natives Alexandra Kotcheff & Hannah Leder. Awkward telemarketer Martha Plant (Kotcheff) lives a lonely existence burying treasure and eating split pea soup. When she takes in a vagrant with multiple personalities (Leder), she discovers having three friends in one may be more than she can handle. The film's cast is rounded out by New York theater actor Phil Parolisi, and cinema veteran Pepe Serna in supporting roles. This kind of looks like Wes Anderson meets David Lynch, with even more awkwardness than both of them. This will probably end up as a cult classic beloved by a small group of fans. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Kotcheff & Leder's The Planters,...

When the book of no-budget filmmaking war stories is written The Planters should get its own chapter. Not only were Hannah Leder and Alexandra Kotcheff the co-writers and co-directors of this truly independent comedy, they also served as its cinematographer and camera operator, gaffer, production designer, wardrobe designer, hair stylist, sound recordist, and — oh yes — its two lead actors. With only producer Jacqueline Beiro and a few supporting performers rounding out the production team, Leder and Kotcheff persisted through desert heat and nearly 130 days of filming to produce their feature debut. Of course, none of this would […]...

When the book of no-budget filmmaking war stories is written The Planters should get its own chapter. Not only were Hannah Leder and Alexandra Kotcheff the co-writers and co-directors of this truly independent comedy, they also served as its cinematographer and camera operator, gaffer, production designer, wardrobe designer, hair stylist, sound recordist, and — oh yes — its two lead actors. With only producer Jacqueline Beiro and a few supporting performers rounding out the production team, Leder and Kotcheff persisted through desert heat and nearly 130 days of filming to produce their feature debut. Of course, none of this would […]...

It’s that time again: We need your vote for Project of the Year.

Our Project of the Year alumni include Justin Simien’s “Dear White People,” which won our inaugural contest in 2012 (and went on to become a hit movie and soon, a Netflix series). The 2014 contest winer, Amy Jo Johnson’s “The Space Between,” is set for a theatrical release later this year. “Almost Adults,” our 2015 winner, played at various festivals including Outfest, and is now available on demand. On many of those platforms, you can also watch 2013 winner, “Know How.”

Now we need to select another winner to join that group, and that’s where you come in.

Below, we’ve gathered information on all 12 Project of the Month winners in 2016. At the bottom of the page, there’s a poll where you can select your favorite.

The 2017 Project of the Year winner will earn a spot...