News

The Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film is thrilled to announce that acclaimed actor Philip Seymour Hoffman will be in attendance at the 10th Annual Chlotrudis Awards Ceremony, Sunday, March 28, 5:00 p.m. at the Brattle Theatre. Phil will be the first inductee into the newly created Chlotrudis Hall of Fame.

Already an experienced actor of six years in the movies when Chlotrudis first noticed him in the unforgettable Paul Thomas Anderson film Boogie Nights, it was 1998 that was Phil’s first big year for this organization. Phil received a double-nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category for his roles in Todd Solondz’ Happiness, and Brad Anderson’s Next Stop Wonderland. That same year, Phil was awarded the first Gertrudis Award, given to an actor who in a short time and relatively small number of performances has burned an indelible mark on our film consciousness. Who knew how right we were in giving Phil this award?

The following year at the Sixth Annual Chlotrudis Awards, Phil won the Chltorudis Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Best Movie winner, Magnolia. Since then, Phil has impressed indie film buffs and megaplex audiences alike with stellar work in such films as Flawless, State and Main, Almost Famous, Punch-Drunk Love, 25th Hour and Cold Mountain.

2003 was a big year for Phil at the movies. He starred in the powerfully original film Love Liza, written by his brother Gordy (who is nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Award this year). While Chlotrudis members embraced Love Liza and found Phil’s performance intensely gripping, it was his low-key work in Owning Mahowny that brought Phil’s third Chlotrudis Award nomination, his first in the Best Actor Category.

Phil works tirelessly in such a wide variety of films, who would have guessed that he is also a critically acclaimed stage actor and theatre director? Some of Phil’s stage roles include Tony Award nominated performances in Long Day’s Journey Into Night and True West. Phil has directed three plays, Jesus Hopped the A Train, The Glory of Living, and Our Lady of 121st Street.

We are all fortunate that Phil seems to enjoy working so much. He is building a career of lasting relevance and inspiration. It has been the Chlotrudis Society’s pleasure to grow as an organization concurrently with Phil’s amazing career, and we are pleased to honor him with the premiere spot in our brand new Hall of Fame.

Phil joins Agn’Godard, Kerry Washington, Daniel MacIvor, Thom Fitzgerald, Wiebke von Carolsfeld, and Larry Meistrich as this year’s honored guests. Tickets for the 10th Annual Chlotrudis Awards Ceremony are available at the Brattle Theatre Box Office, 40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA, and through their website. Tickets are $20 for non-members, $15 for Chlotrudis members and students. The ceremony begins promptly at 5:00 p.m.

The Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film is thrilled to announce Chlotrudis Winner Agn’Godard as this year’s recipient of the Visionary Award, given to a cinematographer whose work represents an independent and creative vision. Godard will be present at the March 28 ceremony to accept this award. She will also accept the Best Cinematography Award that she won at the 7th Annual Awards for Beau Travail. She is nominated this year for her work in Claire Denis’ Vendredi Soir (Friday Night).

Godard has worked with many internationally praised directors, most notably France’s Claire Denis. She was a camera operator for Denis’ early films, Chocolat and S’en Fout le Mort (No Fear, No Die). As director of photography, Godard teamed with Denis for J’ai pas sommeil (I Can’t Sleep), N’tte et Boni, Beau Travail, Trouble Every Day, and Vendredi Soir (Friday Night). Early in her career she worked as a camera operator on several of Wim Wenders’ films, including Wings of Desire and Peter Greenaway’s A Zed and Two Noughts. As cinematographer she lent her eye to Agn’Varda’s Jacquot de Nantes, Erick Zonca’s La Vie R’e des Anges (The Dreamlife of Angels), and most recently Andr”in’ Les ‘ar’/a>. Godard’s work has been recognized at numerous awards and festivals, including a Best Cinematography C’r Award fo Beau Travail.

CSIF invites you to welcome Agn’Godard at the 10th Annual Chlotrudis Awards Ceremony. Tickets are currently on sale to members via e-mail or to non-members at the Brattle Theatre box office and website.

Nominated in three categories, Marion Bridge is exactly the type of film Chlotrudis likes to champion. A tiny independent, family drama with a lot of appeal that because of the nature of the business can’t get wide exposure. The Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film takes notice though. Marion Bridge received nods in the Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cast, and Buried Treasure categories.

We’re thrilled to announce that Wiebke von Carolsfeld, director of Marion Bridge, will be on hand to receive the Chlotrudis “Someone to Watch” Award. Marion Bridge is Wiebke’s first feature as a director. She won the City TV Award for Best First Feature at the Toronto International Film Festival and was nominated by the Director’s Guild for outstanding Achievement in Direction for her work on the movie.

She has made two award winning short films as a director, ‘from morning on I waited yesterday’ and ‘spiral bound’, which have screened at festivals all across Canada, the United States as well as in Europe. In 2002, she was the Director Observer on Atom Egoyan’s feature Ararat.

Marion Bridge was distributed in the U.S. by Film Movement, whose founder and CEO, Larry Meistrich, will also be in attendance at the March 28 event. Could star Molly Parker make an appearance? We’ve got our fingers crossed.

Thom Fitzgerald’s films are tough to categorize. He started with a visually arresting, complex, time-jumping story of a young man returning home to his dysfunctional family after a ten year absence. The Hanging Garden scored two Chlotrudis nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best Cinematography. From there he moved to tongue-in-cheek docudrama with the delightful Beefcake. Switching gears entirely, Thom’s next film, The Wild Dogs, engaged gypsies, beggars, and actors to look at poverty and the sex-trade in post-revolutionary Romania. With The Event Thom looks at the complex morality of assisted suicide in a powerful human drama. The Event has received two more Chlotrudis nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Best Cast.

We are thrilled to honor Thom with this year’s Chlotrudis Award given to a director whose creative vision and filmmaking skill consistently challenge and intrigue audiences. Thom comes to Boston in the midst of making his most ambitious film, 3 Needles. Shot in the U.S., China, and Africa, 3 Needles follows the stories of a missionary nun, a blood trafficker, and a porn star set amidst the combatative and derisive AIDS pandemic. Hear what Thom has to say about his films and the independent film scene at the 10th Annual Chlotrudis Awards, March 28 at the Brattle Theatre.

Members may vote for their choices for the 10th Annual Chlotrudis Awards using the online ballot. The ballot will be open until midnight on Friday, March 26. Members are encouraged to see as many of the nominated films as possible before voting. In order to vote in the Buried Treasure category, members are asked to have seen all the nominated films. This year, the entire membership is also invited to vote in the Best Documentary category, but again, members must see all the nominees in that category in order to vote. E-mail vote@chlotrudis.org with any questions, or to obtain the password that will grant you access to the ballot.

In addition to many new reviews from 2003 that members have been seeing in preparation for the voting for this year’s Awards, several new reviews have been posted for 2004 films. Visit the reviews page to see new reviews on the films The Agronomist, The Backyard, Blind Shaft, The Dreamers, The Fog of War, Japanese Story, Kitchen Stories, Monster, and Osama. See what Chlotrudis members think of the latest releases!

The Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film would like to thank all the filmmakers, Chlotrudis members, Coolidge Corner Staff members, and attendees who made this year’s Short Film Festival such an exciting and successful event. The sell-out crowd was abuzz with praise about the quality of the films screened, and the difficulty deciding on which films to vote for. Seven filmmakers were in attendance, one coming from as far as Los Angeles, to see their films screened on the big screen with an enthusiastic audience, and to answer questions and meet filmgoers after the screening. Warren Bass, whose film Beat Box Philly opened the festival, drove to Boston from Philadelphia and was accompanied by his two daughters, one of whom was a camera operator for the film. Jason Dunn, writer/director of Robot Rumpus, flew in from Los Angeles to attend the Festival and visit the Boston area. Two of the filmmakers in attendance, Joey Kan director of Tomato Love, and Christina Spangler, director of Unearthed, recently graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and had friends in common. Jesse Epstein, director of Wet Dreams and False Images, which recently won the Jury Prize at the Sundance Online Film Festival, returned to her hometown of Brookline to lots of support from family and friends. The biggest filmmaker party certainly came with the film Dental Farmer. Co-directors Ellen Brodsky and Dunya Alwan appeared, along with the loveable subject of their documentary, the dental farmer himself, Alex Rybeck. Their extended family and friends took great pride and pleasure in seeing the film screened at the event. Check out all of the nominated short films on our Awards page.

The ballots are in the process of being counted, and the Chlotrudis Award and Audience Award winners will be announced at the 10th Annual Chlotrudis Awards Ceremony on Sunday, March 28 at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge. Look for a Call for Entries for the 5th Annual Chlotrudis Short Film Festival to go out soon, as the festival is being moved to its new date in October 2004.