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Primer Movie Poster Low Budget Sci-Fi(Photo Credit –Prime Video)

When we think of sci-fi films, movies like James Cameron’s Avatar and Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar usually cross our minds. Massively mounted films that have premium production values backed by an enormous budget. There is no doubt that these are great movies, but some sci-fi films have somehow managed to make an impact without the backing of a big production house, a hotshot director, and a star-studded cast. And Shane Carruth’s 2004 flick ‘Primer’ is one such gem. It’s a mind-bending time travel movie that was made on a budget of just $7000. Can you believe it? A film like Primer is the perfect proof that a terrific idea, combined with great storytelling, is the heart of a well-made sci-fi film. (Via IndieWire)

Primer – Plot & Cast

Directed by Shane Carruth, the sci-fi film follows the story of two friends and engineers,...

Dive deep into mind-bending sci-fi films to unravel hidden layers of philosophical questions and abstract concepts. Embrace ambiguity and surrealism in cerebral movies like "Under the Skin" to explore the depths of human behavior and reality. Challenge your perception of time, reality, and causality with thought-provoking narratives like "Looper" and "Tenet" by Christopher Nolan.

While it's normal for a sci-fi thriller to be somewhat confusing on the first watch, some other movies in the genre remain perplexing even after multiple viewings. These films, often praised for their intellectual depth and complex narratives, challenge the boundaries of traditional storytelling and demand a higher level of engagement from their audience. From mind-bending explorations of time and space to surreal journeys into the human psyche, these movies tackle profound philosophical questions and abstract concepts that require careful analysis and interpretation.

Unlike more straightforward sci-fi movies about time travel or extraterrestrial encounters, these cerebral films often employ nonlinear narratives,...

This post contains spoilers for "Primer."

It is tempting to describe "Primer" as a time travel film — which it very much is — but the sheer headiness of the subject matter morphs it into something undefinable and elusive, eclipsing the metaphor of a puzzle box by the time the credits roll. Crafted with a shoestring budget of roughly $7,000, Shane Carruth's debut feature demands a certain sense of discipline and meticulous attention to detail, where seemingly innocuous dialogue or subtle character expressions often prove crucial to unraveling its wildly complicated plot. To call "Primer" confusing is an understatement: it is a film that absolutely requires repeat viewings simply to be understood, but engaging intimately with it does not guarantee comprehension of every facet.

Although Carruth peppers enough clues and red herrings to help us arrive at a sound conclusion, "Primer" does not encourage the tying up of every loose end, or...

Amy Seimetz had a starring role in Shane Carruth’s “Upstream Color,” which proved to be one of the more impressive and confounding films released in 2013. You’d be forgiven for assuming that the duo’s follow-up collaboration would be another dense, trippy, nearly Pynchonian web of mind-bending sci-fi and ultra-impressionistic visuals. Read More: Watch The Trailer For Short 'Everything & Everything & Everything' Starring Shane Carruth And yet, it turns out, quite the opposite is true: Carruth and Seimetz have reunited for a charming new short film entitled “We’ll Find Something.” Carruth is not behind the camera here, which may explain the short's relatively straightforward delivery and structure (directing credit, in this case, goes to Casey Gooden). The result is a pleasant, mostly plotless bit of observational comedy/verbal jousting that occasionally brings to mind the laid back, walk-and-talk verbal fireworks of Richard Linklater’s 'Before' trilogy. Not much really.

The multitalented Shane Carruth ("Upstream Color") and Amy Seimetz ("Sun Don't Shine") show off their formidable acting chops in Casey Gooden's 12-minute SXSW short "We'll Find Something," about a couple visiting New York and looking for food—as well as "something" else—on a Friday night in New York. "Watch: 'The Girlfriend Experience' Channels Steven Soderbergh's Cool (Trailer)" As early evening passes into late night, and the frustrations of the overcrowded city spill over into pre-existing marital and professional problems, both Carruth and Seimetz carry off the "ornery" nature of the conversation convincingly—and Gooden's unfussy direction and naturalistic dialogue suggests an emerging, lo-fi talent. What may be most remarkable, though, is that Carruth and Seimetz found the time to participate at all: he's preparing for his next feature, "The Modern Ocean," and her TV series "The Girlfriend...

"Can you just be supportive?" Here's another short film to watch whenever you have the time. This one is called We'll Find Something, and it actually starts Shane Carruth and Amy Seimetz, as well as Julia Farell. The two play a couple on a trip to New York City looking for somewhere to get some food, all the while discussing various relationship topics and other random trifles. This short is fresh out of the SXSW Film Festival, where it initially premiered earlier this year, as well as the Maryland Film Festival, and is now available online in full for free via Vimeo below. It's nothing spectacular, but it is a nice little short to enjoy. From Vimeo - thanks to The Film Stage for the tip. Description: We'll Find Something is a short film written and directed by Casey Gooden. A couple struggles to choose a restaurant while visiting New York City.

As Shane Carruth readies his next feature (the highly-anticipated, star-studded naval drama The Modern Ocean) he found some time to re-team with his Upstream Color star Amy Seimetz on a short film. We’ll Find Something, directed and written by Casey Gooden (who acted in Primer and worked on Upstream), premiered earlier this year at South by Southwest Film Festival where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Award in its category, and now it’s available to stream online in full.

Clocking in at around 12 minutes, there’s no sci-fi bent, pigs, or orchids here. Rather, the story follows Carruth and Seimetz as a couple visiting New York City as they struggle to decide on at what restaurant to eat. It’s a fairly simple conceit, but one that allows some natural chemistry to occur, and frustration to bubble up as insecurities are tested. Check it out below in...

Today's roundup opens with Jonathan Rosenbaum on Edward Yang and Béla Tarr. Then it's Terrence Rafferty on Satyajit Ray, Jordan Cronk on Natto Wada, wife and collaborator of Kon Ichikawa, an interview with Frederick Wiseman and an assessment of the career of Todd Haynes. Plus: Richard Linklater's Everybody Wants Some will see its world premiere in March when it opens SXSW 2016. Meantime, Ben Wheatley's in talks to co-write and direct a remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot's The Wages of Fear, and we link to the online premiere of We'll Find Something, directed by Upstream Color producer Casey Gooden and starring Amy Seimetz and Shane Carruth. » - David Hudson...

Today's roundup opens with Jonathan Rosenbaum on Edward Yang and Béla Tarr. Then it's Terrence Rafferty on Satyajit Ray, Jordan Cronk on Natto Wada, wife and collaborator of Kon Ichikawa, an interview with Frederick Wiseman and an assessment of the career of Todd Haynes. Plus: Richard Linklater's Everybody Wants Some will see its world premiere in March when it opens SXSW 2016. Meantime, Ben Wheatley's in talks to co-write and direct a remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot's The Wages of Fear, and we link to the online premiere of We'll Find Something, directed by Upstream Color producer Casey Gooden and starring Amy Seimetz and Shane Carruth. » - David Hudson...

Following the recent announcement of their full film lineup that includes Trainwreck, Get Hard, and Spy, South by Southwest has revealed their lineup of Midnight movies and short films to screen during the festival. Chief among them is the Sundance 2015 hit Turbo Kid (read our review here) and the Sundance ’15 winner of the Short Film Prize World of Tomorrow. SXSW runs from March 13-21. View the full Midnighters and Shorts lineup below via the SXSW website.

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Midnighters

The Corpse of Anna Fritz (Spain)

Director: Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Screenwriters: Hèctor Hernándes Vicens, Isaac P. Creus

Anna Fritz, a famous and beautiful actress, has died recently. Three young men sneak into the morgue to see her naked. Fascinated by her beauty, they decide to become the last people to have sex with her. Cast: Alba Ribas, Cristian Valencia, Bernat Saumell, Albert Carbó. (World Premiere)

Deathgasm (New Zealand)

Director/Screenwriter: Jason Lei Howden...

Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" received the most nominations at the 2013 Gotham Awards but in the end, the Coen Brothers' "Inside Llewyn Davis" took home the big award of the night -- the Best Feature award. Matthew McConaughey also beat "12 Years a Slave's" Chiwetel Ejiofor with his memorable, feel it in your bones performance as a dying AIDS patient in "Dallas Buyers Club."

Is this a sign to come this awards season? Stay tuned!

Here's the complete list of winners (highlighted) and nominees of the 2013 Gotham Awards:

Best Feature

12 Years a Slave

Steve McQueen, director; Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas, producers. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Ain't Them Bodies Saints

David Lowery, director; Tony Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Amy Kaufman, Cassian Elwes, producers (IFC Films)

Before Midnight

Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Sara Woodhatch,...

This is a tough awards season! Lots of great movies to see, so little time! I'm catching up like crazy before we vote for the Critics' Choice Movie Awards for the Broadcast Film Critics Association. So I apologize if I haven't updated you with the latest on the awards season 2013-2014! And there were many award-giving bodies announcing nominations.

We already told you about the Rome Film Festival and the Film Independent Spirit Awards, now let's talk about the 2013 Gotham Awards, the Ida Documentary Awards, the Cinema Eye, and the Producers Guild announcing its best documentary choices.

First stop, we have the 2013 Gotham Awards where Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" topped the nominations with three nods including best feature, best actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor and breakthrough actor for Lupita Nyong'o.

Winners will be announced on Dec. 2nd where Richard Linklater, Forest Whitaker, and Katherine Oliver (head of the NYC...

2013 Gotham Awards 2013: Nominations (photo: Best Actress nominee Cate Blanchett in ’Blue Jasmine,’ directed by Woody Allen) See previous post: “Gotham Awards Nominations: No Oscar Guarantee (or Even Likelihood)?“ Best Feature 12 Years A Slave. Steve McQueen, director; Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas, producers. (Fox Searchlight Pictures) Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, David Lowery, director; Tony Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Amy Kaufman, Cassian Elwes, producers (IFC Films) Before Midnight, Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Sara Woodhatch, producers (Sony Pictures Classics) Inside Llewyn Davis, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, directors; Scott Rudin, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, producers (CBS Films) Upstream Color, Shane Carruth, director; Shane Carruth, Casey Gooden, Ben LeClair, producers. Best Documentary The Act Of Killing, Joshua Oppenheimer, director; Signe Byrge, Joshua Oppenheimer, producers (Drafthouse Films) The Crash Reel, Lucy Walker, director; Julian Cautherly,...

Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave leads this years Gothams award noms with three, but well-received Sundance items in Blue Caprice, Concussion, Fruitvale Station, Upstream Color and the Cannes preemed Inside Llewyn Davis find themselves all in the hunt for trophy-ware with a pair of nominations each. In the heavyweight Best Feature category, David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight (oddly no mention in the acting categories) and Shane Carruth’s Upstream Color go up against the Coens and McQueen. The 23rd Gotham Independent Film Awards will take place on December 2nd. Here are the categories:

Best Feature

12 Years a Slave – Steve McQueen, director; Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas, producers. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints – David Lowery, director; Tony Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Amy Kaufman, Cassian Elwes,...

2012 Ifp Gotham Independent Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street. Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

The 2013 Nominees for the Independent Filmmaker Project's Gotham Independent Film Awards were announced this morning in New York. The awards ceremony will take place on Monday, December 2, at Cipriani Wall Street.

The 23rd Annual Ifp Gotham Independent Film Awards' Nominees are:

Best Feature

12 Years A Slave

Steve McQueen, director; Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas, producers. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints

David Lowery, director; Tony Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Amy Kaufman, Cassian Elwes, producers (IFC Films)

Before Midnight

Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Sara Woodhatch, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)

Inside Llewyn Davis

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, directors; Scott Rudin, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, producers (CBS Films)

Upstream Color

Shane Carruth, director; Shane Carruth, Casey Gooden, Ben LeClair,...

The 2013 Gotham Independent Film Awards nominations have been announced. The trophies will be handed out December 2 at Cipriani Wall Street. This is the first of the many upcoming awards shows, and because of the Gotham’s indie bent, the awards rarely reflect how the Oscars turn out. I always found that to be the most charming thing about them. Here are the nominees: Best Feature 12 Years A Slave. Steve McQueen, director; Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas, producers. (Fox Searchlight Pictures) Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, David Lowery, director; Tony Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Amy Kaufman, Cassian Elwes, producers (IFC Films) Before Midnight, Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Sara Woodhatch, producers (Sony Pictures Classics) Inside Llewyn Davis, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, directors; Scott Rudin, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, producers (CBS Films) Upstream Color,...

Back in 2004, Shane Carruth made his feature debut at Sundance with Primer, hailed by critics as a very strong first film, winnin Carruth two awards at the festival. After hearing nothing from Carruth in the intervening years, he returned to the festival this January with Upstream Colour, a film that has now divided critics and audiences alike for months.

Having had its UK debut at Sundance London back in April, Carruth’s sophomore feature is on the cusp of release on our shores, and the new UK quad poster – bearing the British English spelling of the title, ‘Upstream Colour’, rather than the original American English of ‘Upstream Color’ – has washed up online.

A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism.

Carruth is both in front of and behind the camera, starring alongside Amy Seimetz in the joint leads.

And as you might expect,...

On Friday, the movie Upstream Color opened in Austin and is currently screening at Violet Crown Cinema and Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter.

While at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, I sat down for a conversation about the film with writer/director Shane Carruth, pictured above with producer Casey Gooden, production designer Tom Walker and editor David Lowery. This psychological science-fiction narrative is Carruth's long-awaited second feature.

Carruth also stars in the film with Amy Seimetz as a couple reluctantly brought together by forces of nature and fate beyond their control. Together they must piece together their lives and come to an understanding of their connection to one another and other people.

read more...

Although the film was much anticipated, whether because it was already locked into a self-distribution plan, or because film wise, it did not meet the climatic heights expected, Upstream Color remains newsworthy on account of the filmmaker Shane Carruth and his well thought-out plans for the film. Shane returned to Sundance Film Festival's Us Dramatic Competition nine years after his debut feature, Primer, won the Grand Jury Prize, and has also just announced Upstream Color for the 2013 Berlin Film Festival (Panorama) and New York's prestigious New Directors/New Films. Recently covered in the La Times, NY Times, and sneak-previewed at Arthouse Convergence. Taking advantage of the new creative distribution options available to artists, Carruth’s own company, erbp, will release Upstream Color in the Us. The film will open in New York at the IFC Center on April 5, before expanding in a platform release in over 20 markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Dallas, and Chicago. Digital distribution will follow in May with Cable VOD, iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, Hulu, Xbox, Sony Entertainment Network, Vudu and Netflix, and DVD/Blu-ray.

One of the most boldly original American independents of the year, Upstream Color is a hypnotic mindbender, in which a man and a woman are drawn together, entangled in the lifecycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives. The film, starring Amy Seimetz, is written and directed by Carruth, who also composed the original score, is the director of photography, and co-edited the film alongside fellow Sundance Film Festival 2013 alumnus David Lowery. It was produced by Casey Gooden, Ben LeClair, and Meredith Burke.

Aaaah….that crisp Park City air. Eric Lavallee, Nicholas Bell, and I Jordan Smith are returning to the Sundance Film Festival (@sundancefest) once again this year for another ten day cinematic marathon where we will surely discover a host of extraordinary new films from bright new filmmakers and veterans alike. While the city will be abuzz with must sees and fest happenings, the easiest way to keep tabs on how some of these filmmkers are living out the Park City & Salt Lake city event is via personal twitter feeds: which I’ve conveniently tracked down and listed in the click-thru pages below. Pull out your smart phones and track fest haps straight from the horses’ mouth, 140 characters at a time. And don’t forget to follow our twitter feed @ioncinema as we roam/cover #Sundance.

U.S. Dramatic Competition

Afternoon Delight

Director and screenwriter Jill Soloway – @jillwaysolo

Actors Josh Radnor – @JoshRadnor,...

Upstream Color

Director/Writer: Shane Carruth

Producer(s): Carruth, Casey Gooden, Ben LeClair

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available

Cast: Andrew Sensenig, Shane Carruth, Brina Palencia, Amy Seimetz, Juli Erickson, Mollie Milligan, Frank Mosley

I like to think that I’m on track with every indie film development there possibly is – especially Sundance alumni. But somehow the filmmaker who gave us Primer wasn’t as dormant as I thought he was. Upstream Color sees Shane Carruth oversee all aspects of his film: write, direct, act, compose the score, edit, and is also the dp and was a camera operator as well. By the looks of the media that has been released on this indie project – it looks glossy in the best kind of manner possible. The most anticipated film title at the fest this year (alongside a certain Linklater film) also stars the hardest working actress in the biz: Amy Seimetz.