Needle in a Haystack: FORGOTTEN PEACE

The second feature I'll try to keep up will be this one, currently under the monikier "Needle in a Haystack". I'll try to cover low to no budget indie features and shorts that might not get a lot of love other wise.
We will see how this works... This could feature trailers, posters, reviews or in the case of a short, the actual film itself. The bottom line: it is about spreading the word. I won't pretend to be the source for finding all these films and will give credit where credit is due. So let's get to it!

I'll start with a short film that was made by New Jersey based filmmaker, Michael Casperson. Over the course of a year living in Philadelphia, Mike captured the cultural current of Northern Philly with this short. I think Mike's words speak of it best:

Combining an experimental documentary with narrative storytelling, Forgotten Peace is a harsh and realistic view of society in North Philadelphia. Anger, rebellion, and violence consume many who reside in this troubled area. Seen from the eyes of an outsider, there is an undeniable struggle that exists. Beyond all of the chaos and fear, a hope for peace remains. While it may seem far away, it is buried right in the heart and soul for all those who choose to find it.

Forgotten Peace


For a series of photographs that accompany the film please visit Mike's myspace page.

Swedish Vampires, Swedish Singers and the Mississippi Delta, OH MY!

These are the things that occupy my mind at the moment.

Swedish Vampires = the film Let The Right One In

I'll being seeing this soon enough in NYC and can not wait.
The film has been getting a lot of attention this year at fests around the globe including Toronto. It is in limited release right now in the states, expanding by a few cities weekly.

So the story? Oskar, a 12 year old who's a regular target for bullies, befriends the new neighbor girl, Eli only to find out that well... she is a vampire. Blood and mayhem sprinkled with awkward adolescent love in the biting cold of the Swedish winter ensue.

Check out the trailer here.


Apparently the Swedish musician, Lykke Li is very popular. I had no idea who she was and to be frank when I first heard her I was very torn... Liked a lot of the melodies and instrumentation but wasn't crazy about what she was doing vocally. Since a day has passed I've grown more fond of her voice and debut album Youth Novels. Though sometimes lyrically trite, the songs exude an ethereal, atmospheric chamber pop sound mixed with catchy electronic beats and an Ennio Morricone edge.

Take a listen over on her myspace.

Now back to movies. Ballast from director Lance Hammer, won the awards for directing and cinematography at Sundance this year, was pretty much unanimously cited as the best film of the fest and then found no distributor. Bummer, because the trailer knocked me for a loop.
The film centers around a small Mississippi town ship and the aftermath of a suicide.
Luckily the filmmakers took matters into their own hands and the film is slowly making its way around the U.S. Check the official website for screening info and to take a gander at that trailer!

http://ballastfilm.com/