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Memories will come out of the darkness in Kenneth Guertin's (The Incorporated) Antisocial Behavior. This film is slated for its World Premiere in Beverly Hills, California. Here, the film will shock for one night only. Antisocial Behavior stars Mary Elizabeth Boylan (Salvage Dream) and Jackson Kuehn (Made in China). The film is a psychological thriller, whose story involves drudging up the past. Joe (Kuehn) is a man with a traumatic past. He is losing his hold on reality and he must face his past, if he is to move on from his traumatic childhood. A trailer for Antisocial Behavior is hosted below. This film will show December 12th, 2013 at the Laemmle's Music Hall #3 theatre. Fans of indie horror, or of solid storytelling are encouraged to check out the film - live! For those not in the area, a trailer for the film is hosted below. The film will be...

Judith Krant makes her directorial debut with Made In China, a satirical mockumentary mumblecore mutt of a movie that is as original and creatively risque as it is funny and intelligent. Jackson Kuehn (Singularity) stars as Johnson, an eager and ambitious young entrepreneur who has decided to go all out and focus on making his novelty invention a reality. He sets off for Shanghai, China at his mother’s behest and begins his journey to find the elusive James Choi, the man who Johnson believes will manufacture anything.

Made In China is a wacky criticism of contemporary trends. Part mockumentary, part Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock documentary, with all the appeal of The Office. Johnson is confident and sure that his product will be a huge hit. His scenes, often aggressive and awkward, hint at an influence from Sasha Baron Cohen without the controversial crudeness. The film switches from segments...

Tina Mabry's "Mississippi Damned," an independent American production, won the Gold Hugo as the best film in the 2009 Chicago International Film Festival, and added Gold Plaques for best supporting actress (Jossie Thacker) and best screenplay (Mabry). It tells the harrowing story of three black children growing up in rural Mississippi in circumstances of violence and addiction. The film's trailer and an interview with Mabry are linked at the bottom.

Kylee Russell in "Mississippi Damned"

The win came over a crowed field of competitors from all over the world, many of them with much larger budgets. The other big winner at the Pump Room of the Ambassador East awards ceremony Saturday evening was by veteran master Marco Bellocchio of Italy, who won the Silver Hugo as best director for "Vincere," the story of Mussolini's younger brother. Giovanna Mezzogiorno and Filippo Timi won Silver Hugos as best actress and actor,...

Year: 2009

Directors: Judith Krant

Writers: Judith Krant & Dan Sumpter

IMDb: link

Trailer: link

Review by: cyberhal

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

[Newport Beach Film Festival coverage]

A naïve lad from small town East Texas travels to Shanghai, China to get his sure-fire novelty “Humorous Domestic Hygiene Product” made. His only weapons are sneezing powder and a winning smile. Judith Krant’s debut movie is an indie gem and I loved it. Skillfully shot in guerilla style, Made In China took the Grand Jury Prize for feature at SXSW, and the crowd around me at the Newport Beach festival loved it too. Now, I hear you say, where is the Quiet Earth post-apocalyptic/horror element in all this? Is there a subtle and clever relation to the decimation of American manufacturing industry and a brave new world of global realignment? No, is there bollocks. But it is well-funny and you will catch glimpses of a rubber chicken and joke dog plop.

Editor’s Note: This is one of a series of interviews, conducted via email, with directors whose films are screening at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival. “Made in China” Director: Judi Krant. Writer: Judi Krant and Dan Sumpter Lost in Shanghai, an inventor discovers that it takes more than a bright idea to succeed. Cast: Jackson Kuehn, Dan Sumpter [Courtesy of SXSW] “Made in China” will screen in the Narrative Features Competition. …...

Judi Krant's Made in China, premiering in Narrative Competition at SXSW, follows "a self-styled novelty inventor from a small town in East Texas" (Jackson Kuehn) who travels to Shanghai to make it big with his latest bright idea. In her answers to The 5 Questions We Ask Everyone, below the jump, Krant talks about paying the bills with vegetable oil, breaking out of jail with art cinema, and counteracting the SXSW conspiracy theory. Tell us about your movie. Who did you work with, why did you make it? Give us the reductive, 25-word or less, "It's like [pop culture reference a] meets [pop culture reference b]!" pitch, then explain what the quick and dirty sell leaves out. I made this movie with a bunch of g ...

Click on the image below to view a larger version

Cinematical has received this exclusive image from Made in China, which will enjoy its premiere in the competition section at this year's South by Southwest Film Festival. From the synopsis:

"Slinkys, Pet Rocks and Ant Farms are just some of the novelty items behind a great Novelty Inventor. Co-written and directed by Judi Krant (in her directorial debut), Made In China is a comedy about one such inventor, Johnson (Jackson Kuehn), a self-styled novelty inventor from a small town in East Texas, who is determined to bring his big idea - "a humorous domestic hygiene product" - to the world. Johnson's journey takes him to the Mecca of the novelty world: China, where anything is possible and everything has its price. Lost in the backstreets of Shanghai, Johnson discovers that it takes more than a million dollar idea to make it to the big time.