THE JOYS AND CHALLENGES OF MAKING A FILM ABOUT MARCELLA HAZAN

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Director Peter Miller talks with Geneva Anderson

(March 20, 2025- foods mentioned with an * behind them open to recipes)

Marcella Hazan is the secret ingredient that made Italian cuisine irresistible to Americans. Through her cookbooks and teaching, she taught home cooks to focus on fresh ingredients and master simple techniques to unlock flavor, which is what truly matters in food.  Emmy and Peabody Award winning director Peter Miller’s thoroughly engaging new documentary, “Marcella,” which just won a Taste award for best feature, masterfully pieces together Hazan’s life (1924-2013) and legacy.

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SUDDENLY SOMETHING CLICKED

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An excerpt from Walter Murch’s upcoming book on “The Languages of Film Editing and Sound Design”

Award winning editor Walter Murch will be in conversation after a screening of “Her Name Was Moviola” on Friday, March 21 at the Smith Rafael Film Center @ 7pm. He will discuss the kind of editing equipment used for decades with celluloid and how his work has changed in the digital age. Moviolas and other equipment will be on display. For full information and to buy tickets go here.

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You Stopped My World: From Menus-Plaisirs to La Cocina, A Reflection

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“You have to edit the material.

That assumes that some kind of a mind is operating in relation to the material. 

Not all minds are the same. 

Every aspect of filmmaking requires choice. 

The selection of the subject, the shooting, editing and length are all aspects of choice.” 

~ Frederick Wiseman

 

By Cari Borja

Quotes center me. I always begin with them. Whether at the start of a salon dinner, a birthday card, a performance installation, or a piece of writing. They lend focus. The above Wiseman quote does the same ~ his words, his films, his quote ~ a focus. Continue reading →

SECRETS FROM THE MOVIE SET

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An Interview with Producer Paul Zaentz

By Gary Meyer

(updated November 21, 2024)

34 Oscar nominations.

22 Wins including 3 Best Pictures.

That is only a fraction of the awards the Bay Area ‘s Saul Zaentz won for the terrific movies he brought to the international big screen.

The Berkeley FILM Foundation and the California Film Institute presented the Saul Zaentz Film Celebration, an event honoring the legacy of the legendary independent film producer, November 15-17, 2024, at the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, California.

Amadeus shows at Davies Hall with the SF Symphony the score live on  music. on Nov. 29-30, 2024. Tickets and info here.

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Making the Cut at Pixar

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(August 7, 2023)

Join industry insiders Bill Kinder and Bobbie O’Steen as they guide readers on a journey through every stage of production on an animated film, from storyboards to virtual cameras and final animation in their recently published Making the Cut at Pixar: The Art of Editing Animation. We offer an excerpt from the book.

And meet them in person at the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive as they introduce a series of contemporary animated features from Pixar, Hayao Miyazaki, Marjane Satrapi, Wes Anderson, and others throughout August. There will also be free outdoor screenings as part of “The Art of Animation: Storytelling in the Digital Age.” 

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THE SHAPE OF FILMS TO COME- An Excerpt

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An excerpt from the new book by James Curtis.

Have you ever marveled at the “look” of certain movies? The art direction creates a memorable world. For example, The Son of the Sheik……

Son of Sheik

William Cameron Menzies’ original rendering of Ahmed’s desert retreat for The Son of the Sheik (1926). Economies scotched the design, a shame considering it would be Rudolph Valentino’s final film and a formidable commercial success. (courtesy of Pamela Lauesen)

Son_of_the_Sheik_movie_still_pix_adj_for_Gray_l

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