Charleston’s own Post & Courier has a piece on the 56-minute documentary, S.O.B. and the Legend of Alan Schafer, co-directed by Jesse Berger and Nate Mallard. You can view it here, or download a printer-friendly PDF here. Congratulations, Jesse and Nate!

The Charleston International Film Festival, which runs April 23-26, will be held at the Terrace Theatre on James Island (1956D Maybank Highway). You can read all about the films and events here. See you there!

The final screening for this semester’s series, devoted to movies about movies, is For Your Consideration (2006), directed by Christopher Guest and featuring the dazzling improvisitory talents of Harry Shearer, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, and others. It’s a funny look at acting and the hopelessness of hoping for, well, recognition. Join us, one last time, at 7:00pm in ECTR 118.

This week’s screening will be The Player, directed by Robert Altman (1992). This is Altman’s very dark, very cynical comedy (based on the novel by Michael Tolkin, who also adapted the screenplay) about an ambitious Hollywood executive (played by Tim Robbins) who becomes convinced that a vindictive screenwriter is terrorizing him. Chock full of in-jokes, cameos, and references to other films, this film is the ultimate movie about the movies. It’s good, nasty fun. Join us at 7:00pm in ECTR 118.

The Charleston International Film Festival, which begins April 23, is featuring a documentary made by Jesse Berger and Nate Mallard, both College of Charleston students. S.O.B. and the Legend of Alan Schafer will premiere Saturday, April 25th at the Terrace Theater 12:30pm Tickets are $9. S.O.B. is a look at the bizarre roadside attraction South of the Border and the controversial man who created it. Beyond building a $50 million enterprise, Alan Schafer was a heavy player in politics. He supposedly moved a highway, skirmished with the KKK, and went to prison for voting fraud. Jesse Berger is Film Studies minor and was the top-prize winner at the 4th Annual Student Film Festival. His short film, The City Green, has been uploaded to the College of Charleston’s iTunesU site. You may also view the films that won 2nd and 3rd prize–just click here. For more information about the Film Festival click here.

Named in honor of noted educator and South Carolina statesman, Alex Sanders, in recognition of his service to the College of Charleston and South Carolina, this award will be made to first time documentary makers. The Center for the Documentary (CD) will make these awards to College of Charleston undergraduates and new alumni (May 2009) planning on attending graduate school for film, media or documentary studies. These awards are intended to help them conduct summer-long documentary fieldwork projects. CD sets no restrictions on the subject of the project, but does want to see work that explores the question: “How do we come to know others and the worlds they inhabit?” To be eligible, student applicants should demonstrate an interest in documentary studies and possess the talent and skills necessary to conduct an intensive documentary project. Applicants should write a proposal describing the focus of their video documentary project. We invite both individual and collaborative proposals. Students who wish to work collaboratively on a project should submit a single proposal (letter, budget, SASE, work sample) with appropriate supporting materials for each student. Applicants must submit the following:

Two-to-three-page treatment describing the project and including a statement about the importance of the project to the student, the styleu sed, and project goals for the summer. One-page autobiography and resume including name, university, year, and email address, phone number, mailing address. Sample of work (a trailer or work in progress, writing sample, five-minutes of interviews). Two letters of recommendation, one from two professors mailed to CD or delivered. Short budget outline detailing projected costs for supplies, travel, accommodations, and other expenses related to fieldwork. Self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with adequate postage for the return of all samples and supporting materials. Awards may be used for travel, supplies, and rentals. Incomplete submissions may be ineligible for consideration

Awards of up to $600-1000 will be made by June 30, 2009. Past winners include Film Studies minors Jesse Berger and Mary Catherine Kennedy.

This week’s screening, which is part of the Films about Films/Filmmaking series, is Richard Rush’s 1980 film The Stunt Man (1980). This film received many rave reviews and several nominations when it was released (including five Golden Globe nominations as well as Academy Award nominations for best screenplay, best director, and best actor), but it then quickly (and mysteriously) fell into obscurity. It is now considered something of a masterpiece. The story is of an escaped convict–a Vietnam veteran by the name of Cameron (played by Steve Railsback)–who stumbles upon the set of an epic WWI film, directed by the monomaniacal Eli Cross (brilliantly played by Peter O’Toole). Cameron is given a job as stunt man and quickly experiences the insanity that produces (and is produced by) moviemaking. What is reality? What is illusion? In Hollywood, there is no way of knowing. Tonight’s film will be preceded by a short animated feature: the legendary Warner Brothers cartoon “Duck Amuck” (1953), directed by the great Chuck Jones. Daffy Duck is more than ready to get to work on his next cartoon, but the animator in charge is determined to sabotage the whole thing. I’ll be giving a brief introduction to The Stunt Man. So join us at 7:00pm in ECTR 118.