Three Features in Competition at Sundance
I’m proud and excited to have sound edited and mixed three feature films that will be premiering in-competition at 2018’s Sundance Film Festival.
On Her Shoulders, directed by Alexandria Bombach, follows Yazidi genocide survivor Nadia Murad as she brings her story to the United Nations and hope to her people.
Shirkers, directed by Sandi Tan, recounts her personal story of making Singapore’s first independent film, until it was absconded by its enigmatic director in a veil of mystery. 20 years later the footage returns and a voyage of discovery begins.
And lastly, Bisbee ’17, directed by Robert Greene, both documents and dramatically reassembles the 100 year anniversary of the town’s darkest history chapter, where 1,200 striking miners were rounded up from their homes, deported, and left in the desert to die.
All three of these films have remarkably different soundscapes and sound design styles, and it was an incredible pleasure working on them all, and I’m thrilled they are all part of this year’s Sundance lineup!
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LEGO Ninjago: Decoded TV Series for Cartoon Network
I was also happy to return back to the world of LEGO, for an all new TV series Ninjago: Decoded for Cartoon Network. This 10-part series explores the lore, characters, and world of Ninjago within the context of an all new story. It was wonderful working on this series with the production team at Psychic Bunny, and it was a fun high-energy mix. You can watch a trailer for it here.
New Theatrical Premieres
Both A River Below (Tribeca ’17) and Bending the Arc (Sundance ’17) came to theaters across the country in October and November, accumulating wonderful reviews.
A River Below, directed by Mark Greico, was described by the Hollywood Reporter as ‘haunting’, the Village Voice called it ‘intoxicating’, the LA Times called it ‘skillful and compelling’ and the New York Times described it as ‘a bold and urgent documentary’.
The film is currently sitting at 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
A River Below lands on iTunes and digital on February 13th.
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Bending the Arc, directed by Pedro Kos and Kief Davidson and produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, was called ‘a triumph’ by the Boston Globe, ‘uplifting’ by the Washington Post, ‘inspiring’ by the San Francisco Chronicle, and ‘genuinely stirring’ by the Los Angeles Times.
Bending the Arc is also rated 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Short Film and Commercial Work
I was honored to be asked to mix the short film PINKY that was a part of Refinery 29’s ShatterBox Anthology. The program showcases women-driven stories and women-directed films, and it was wonderful working with the directors Roja Gashtili and Julia Lerman and producer Deanna Barillari on this non-traditional and boundry-pushing coming of age story.
I also did commercial mixes for Toyota and their new Mobility Foundation, as well as AirBnB for their new Experiences offerings, directed and produced by the fine folk at Superfilms!
Festival Awards, Critics Choices and End of Year Best Lists
Crown Candy won Best Documentary Short at the St. Louis Film Festival, and was also chosen as a Vimeo Staff Pick
Both Spettacolo and Contemporary Color were nominated in the Critics Choice awards, Spettacolo for Best Documentary and Contemporary Color for Best Music Documentary
Spettacolo also ended up on KCRW’s Best-Documentaries-of-2017 list, as well as Esquire’s Top-10 Documentaries of 2017
Contemporary Color was listed in the Film Stage’s Best Documentaries of 2017 list, and was an honorable mention in Rolling Stone’s 10 Best Documentaries of 2017, as well as Variety’s 10 Best Films (of any genre) in 2017
Both Nobody Speak and Contemporary Color also showed up in Vox’s Best Documentaries of 2017 recap
Wrapping Up 2017 and Looking Ahead to 2018
As we reach the end of another calendar year I look back with pride at all that the studio accomplished in 2017. Well, more accurately, once I finish the last of the current Sundance mix slate I can take a breath (and a nap) and THEN have some time to reflect. This year blurred by in a rush, once again the studio was the busiest it has ever been and with a multitude of projects I’ve loved and was honored to be a part of. I’ve also loved watching the studio grow and evolve, as well as the constant variety of beautiful work that crosses my doorstep, I’m continually filled with awe at the skill and passion of so many filmmakers. I’m still perpetually learning to manage the work/life balance of being a busy yet independent studio, but at the end of the day I always feel lucky to be able to chart a living making art and doing the creative job I love most in the world every day. And I’m already looking forward to the wonderful potential of new projects in 2018, seeing the studio space continue to grow, and being drawn into the worlds of numerous new stories waiting to be told and the worlds of sound yet to be discovered.
Wishing a Happy New Year out there to all my many clients, collaborators, cohorts, friends, and film families, and cheers to another successful year notched on the calendar.
