Film of the Month Winners: November
In November, playwright, screenwriter, frequent Alejandro González Iñárritu collaborator and Hollywood hotshot Alex Dinelaris joined us as Film of the Month judge. Here’s his feedback on the films that received the most votes from that month’s shortlist.
A Film By Vera Vaughn by Sorrel Brae
Alex’s winner was Sorrel Brae’s compelling, masterful meta-thriller A Film By Vera Vaughn, in which the layers of a filmmaker’s creation fold in on her. Alex remarks that the film is “taut and well executed. Mr. Brae obviously has a good sense of mood, pace, and tension. Very well done.”
His first runner up was Jeremiah Quinn’s popular short Incognito, a slow burner that grows out of a conversation between two mysterious men. Alex was impressed, and gave some valuable feedback to the filmmaker alongside his praise. “Rich with style, a bit short on story, I worry that the main thing that makes the film resonate are the titles at the end of the film, which gives it context. (For the record, “they did not like each other” seems to explain something we already understood ourselves). All that being said, Mr. Quinn seems to have a knack for behavior and detail, and I would be interested to see what he does next.”
Next up was Javian Le’s SXSW selected short Dastaar. “A bit on the nose and not as emotionally charged as one might hope for a film with this subject matter. It’s lacking counterpoint which makes it polemic rather than thought provoking. Though the gas station / van chase deserves credit.”