Cold Weather - Portland Premiere Update

More than 1,000 movie fans attended screenings of Cold Weather at Cinema 21 over the weekend. Thank you Portland for your enthusiastic support!

The young director is winging his way back home to Pittsburgh for much needed R & R after an intense month of interviews, public appearances, and screenings from New York to LA.

We had a wonderful visit and an exciting weekend. Now the house is strangely quiet.

Cold Weather - Portland Premiere

Last night as Gary turned the car onto NW 21st, I could see right in front of me the Cinema 21 marquee bolding announcing: "Aaron Katz in Person - Cold Weather". Underneath a line of frozen movie buffs (temperatures appropriately in the mid 20s) snaked down the sidewalk in both directions. It took my breath away. Many years ago when I lived in a tiny apartment a half block from this same theater, I would never have pictured my son's name on that familiar marquee.

The 500 seat theater was almost packed to capacity with all ages and descriptions of eager supporters by the time my boy was introduced. I was shaking in nervous anticipation wondering how this crowd would respond. A few minutes into the film when it was clear that the audience was engaged, I was able to relax and smile not only because of the humorous predicaments of the movie characters, but also from pure pleasure and pride.

Enthusiastic applause greeted Aaron as he came to the front to answer questions following the film. Afterwards a sea of familiar faces greeted me while I made my way forward to congratulate the young director -  Aaron's teachers from pre-school through high school, former neighbors & baby sitters, old family friends, coworkers, and new acquaintances. Everyone's praise seemed genuine and I could see that each one took pride in their personal connection. These are the people who have supported Aaron and helped make him who he is.

This morning as I look at the photo of the marquee, I still can't quite believe my eyes. Even though it all seems dream-like, I have to agree with the local critic who said in his review yesterday that some people such as Aaron are born to make movies.

To Be Understood

It has been quite a week and it isn't over yet.

On Sunday, my son Aaron sounded giddy on the phone. He was talking fast as he has always done when he is excited and his mind is racing ahead of his words. We discussed the feature in the Sunday Times, the week of scheduled interviews and appearances, and of course the opening of Cold Weather at IFC on Friday. In the midst of all the excitement, I could hear some tension when he spoke about the esteemed New York Times reviewer who would be writing about his film in the Friday paper. I asked if he had any idea what to expect and he replied somewhat nervously, "I'm hoping she wouldn't have taken the assignment if she didn't like the film."

I have a Google Alert set up on my computer that generates an email every time something about Aaron's movie is posted on the Internet. When I counted them this morning, I found more than 50 alerts since Monday and each one of them leads to several postings. All week, every few hours, I've checked my computer, read the blog postings, read the articles/interviews, and I still can't get my head around this phenomenon. My little boy and his little movie have been hashed around in the New York Times, New Yorker Magazine, Wall Street Journal, NPR, ABC Entertainment, Time Out New York, and Village Voice, to name just a few.

A lot of people are enthusiastic about the film, some luke warm, and a few hate it. Most writers mention the DIY independent film movement referred to as Mumblecore. Many go on to say Aaron's films have always stood out from the others as having a more polished aesthetic and a keen sense of place and character. They all talk about the detective genre and the connection to Sherlock Holmes. Those who like it are drawn to the quirkiness of the characters, the subtly infused humor, the cleaver twist of plot, and the stunning image of Portland's gray skies.

All day yesterday I nervously checked the New York Times website looking for the promised review. When it finally came through around 3 pm, I immediately knew Aaron would be pleased and why the words from this reviewer mattered. Manohla Dargis saw through all the hype about film movements and genre conventions and understood what Aaron was trying to achieve:

"With only the most natural of conversations and an exacting relay of close-ups, intimate two shots and meditative landscapes, Mr. Katz reveals how the self-knowing individual becomes known to others, and me turns into we."

"With no grand speeches or oversized gestures, Mr. Katz creates a specific world that gracefully enlarges with universal meaning. It's a world in which a simple coffee table (carried home by Doug in the beginning) becomes the literal centerpiece for newfound friendship, as the four characters meet for the first time one night, hanging out while Keegan Dewitt's tinkling percussive music keeps them company. As the camera (the cinematographer is the gifted Andrew Reed) moves around the table from one to the other, the warm light brightens their faces, pulling them out of the dark and toward shared discovery."

Last night even though the Skype connection was choppy, I could hear a calm in Aaron's voice. The final outcome of the whirlwind in New York no longer mattered. Aaron had achieved what he came for - to be understood.

Link to the New York Times review: click here

In the New York Times

I knew the article would be there, I had already read it on-line, and I still let out a gasp when I opened the Sunday New York Times Arts & Leisure section to an article about my son's new movie, Cold Weather. There it was a half page feature complete with a photo of the young director looking pensive, his head turned to the side. Tears of pride and joyful celebration welled up as I carried the paper to the car.

No matter what happens from here on, my son has had a chance to live his dream and be recognized for his art. As a mom, the best part of this is that he is still the thoughtful, sensitive, and unassuming boy who was crazy about dinosaurs, unusual musical instruments, buses, Uncle Scrooge comics, and Sherlock Holmes.

Congratulations to Aaron, Ben, Brendan, Reed, Cris, Trieste, Raul, Robyn, Lars, Jay and all of the other talented and dedicated filmmakers who put their hearts into this project!

PS - Hot off the presses: New York Times review of Cold Weather 2/4/2011

Update from Locarno

Not a lot of Cold Weather news yet from the Locarno Film Festival. Yesterday I resorted to using an online translator to check out articles written in German and Italian. Not very satisfying. On the plus side, it was fun to see a few photos of Aaron taken against the festival's leopard backdrop and I found an interesting webcam of the Piazza where some of the movies are shown for an audience in the thousands.

As you might imagine, I was pleased when I received a reassuring email this morning from Switzerland, "Our screening was last night and it was well attended and well received." Yippee!

Report from Locarno

I've been wondering how things are going for Aaron and his film Cold Weather at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. With a nine hour time difference, it is almost evening where he is by the time I have breakfast. He emailed me yesterday to say he arrived safely after a 24+ hour trip plagued by delays and complicated by extremely poor customer service from the Bank of America (that is a whole other story). I won't hear much more until he returns.

This morning I discovered an IndieWire blog written by festival attendee Eric Kohn. I thought maybe some of you would be interested in seeing the photos he posted of the quaint town of Locarno located in the mountains near the Italian border as well as some of the action generated by the festival (click here). It is fun to imagine Aaron standing in the same spot and enjoying similar experiences.

If anything interesting happens I will post an update. Arrivederci!

2010 Lineup for Locarno

The lineup for the August 2010 Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland was announced yesterday. Out of more than 60 films Aaron's Cold Weather is one of 7 films by American filmmakers and the only U.S. film in the International Competition. You can read the article in Variety.

Cold Weather will be at one of the many theaters in town, but a few of the films are shown on a huge screen in the public square packed with thousands of people. You have to see it to believe it - click here.

Congratulations Aaron, Ben, Brendan, and all the other cast/crew members who made this possible!

PS - Here is another link to an article about the announcement Hollywood Reporter.

The Red Carpet - Update

Check out the link to Cold Weather Movie on Facebook under "Favorite Links" in the right hand margin of this blog. There are more photos, one of Trieste looking gorgeous, and a new review/interview.

Sorry, the proud mom just can't help herself.

The Red Carpet

Click on "The Red Carpet" to see Aaron and some of the "Cold Weather" crew at the Los Angeles Film Festival last night. I would certainly like to be a fly on the wall to see how the audience responded to the film. Reviews continue to be positive and there was even a feature article in the LA Times on Trieste who plays the part of the sister in Aaron's film.

I became attached to all these interesting film makers when we fed them during filming a year ago in March and April. It is exciting to revel in their success.

Cold Weather - The Official Announcement

The long awaited announcement regarding distribution of my son Aaron's latest film, Cold Weather, was made today by IFC Entertainment President Jonathan Sehring. He said in a statement,

We've always been fans of Aaron Katz's work, but with Cold Weather, he has made a great step forward as a filmmaker. This is one of the most original American independent films of the year and we can't wait to bring it to audiences via all of our various platforms.

Read about the IFC Announcement at IndieWire.

Congratulations to the entire cast and crew!

Cold Weather - The Mom's Movie Review

The positive reviews and comments have been pouring in ever since my son Aaron's film Cold Weather premiered to a a sold out crowd at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas a couple of weeks ago. As a mom, it is especially heartening when the reviewers notice the deeper meaning and the beauty of his work:

. . . Katz succeeds because he stays true to his belief that filming the honest reactions of sensitive human beings is as worthwhile a venture as dazzling your audience with explosions and melodramatic confrontations. He believes in the power of intimate moments and creative modesty. Josh Rosenblatt-Texas Observer

. . . striking visual sensibility. . . impressive experiment in genre. . . nobody does unspoken tension and unforced sensuality quite like Aaron Katz. Karin Longworth-LAWeekly

Some directors experiment with various moods before discovering their sweet spots, but Aaron Katz pulls off the impressive trick of experimenting within the boundaries of his sweet spot. Eric Kohn-IndieWire

Cold Weather has just enough of a jolt of conventional plotting to make it a more audience-friendly and, dare one say it, commercial picture. Mark Olsen-LA Times

The last one really got my attention - you mean Aaron could sell this film? That would certainly be better than auctioning off his comic book collection to pay the rent.

After reading all this praise from strangers, I thought maybe it was time for the mom to weigh in with a review.

I couldn't resist sitting in on a few scenes a couple of days ago when my daughter was screening Cold Weather for a friend. I was supposed to be working on taxes, but found myself drawn away from my task as soon as I heard the distinctive music. I stayed on to watch close ups of our former neighbors filling in as parents in the opening dinner scene and came back for the lovely shot of Multnomah Falls gradually consuming the screen with rushing water. Finally when the mystery came into play, I had to sit down and finish it to the end. This time through, I enjoyed the film as pure entertainment with it's humorous situations, intriguing sound track, stunning photography, and quirky mystery story.

From the mom's perspective, I'm pleased to witness Aaron's skill at creating films that can be appreciated as entertainment and at the same time offer a deeper view of humanity. I always find images and thoughts floating through my consciousness days after, never fully realizing the full potential of the film until I've watched it a few times. His movies are about real people in real relationships living ordinary lives who are forced to deal with extraordinary circumstances.

There is always a lot of talk around Aaron's films about the twenty-something, aimless, naval gazing, slacker characters. I disagree with any criticism on this point. Soon approaching my 60th birthday, I can easily connect with these young people. Who hasn't bummed around playing games instead of always being responsible.

I had a unique opportunity to get to know these movie makers last year when they were working on the film and I can tell you without reservation, these young people are NOT slackers. I've baked them cookies, packed them lunches, and watched them from behind the scenes working long tedious hours striving for perfection on a smaller budget than anyone could possibly imagine. You couldn't find a more pleasant, dedicated, or hard working group of young men and women anywhere.

The bottom line is a proud thumbs up from the mom and congratulations for a job well done. On to the San Francisco Film Festival.

Pins and Needles Update

I wasn't the only one on pins and needles over the weekend. Aaron told me when he called this morning, about being tormented by "what ifs" as he waited for the premiere of Cold Weather on Saturday night. Thankfully, due to the positive press, the nerves have been replaced by a slight euphoria. Mostly he is just happy the audience connected with his film.

Aaron assured me that things are going well in Austin and he is having a good time - although after four nights of sharing a hotel room with eight people and a party every evening, he thought a quiet corner and a book sounded like a fine idea.

As I sit here writing, the second screening of the movie is just about over. I will be back to the Internet soon to see how it went.

On Pins and Needles

The premiere last night of my son's third movie Cold Weather at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas has kept me on pins and needles for days. Yesterday, I counted down the hours to the 5 pm (7 pm in Austin) show time somehow thinking my nervousness would disappear as soon as I imagined the lights went out and the movie appeared on the screen. Not so. What if no one came? What if the eight or ten people in the theatre hated it? What if the projector or the tape didn't work? What if . . . ? The tortured wonderings of the Mom sitting here more than 2,000 miles from the thick of things.

No word about the success or failure came before bed last night. My half awake, half asleep dreams were full of crazy images. As soon as the sky started to turn pink this morning, I rushed to the computer to see if there was any word. At first nothing except old news. I filled my time with making pancakes and reading the morning paper.

Then about 9:30 am a new search led me to a review by LA Weekly critic Karina Longworth. The first words that appeared on the screen were "Cold Weather - The first unqualified hit of 2010 SXSW Film Festival premiered last night to a packed crowd at Austin's Alamo Ritz." I ran around the house looking for Gary shouting "It's a hit, it's a hit." 

I spent the afternoon scanning the Internet for more reviews (there are several). My aunt called from Los Angeles to tell me she just stumbled onto a interview with Aaron in her Sunday LA Times. I've sent emails out to friends and family members with links to the reviews. My daughter called to tell me about an "I'm excited!" text she received from Aaron. Now I'm on pins and needles again wondering what happens next.

Cold Weather - The movie not the forecast

The long awaited indie film, Cold Weather, is set to premiere at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas in March. The trailer has created lots of buzz on the Internet. One site even includes the film in their list of most anticipated movies in 2010. Click on Cold Weather to see the trailer.

Here is the official plot description from the SXSW site:

A former forensic science major and avid reader of detective fiction, who, after making a mess of his life in Chicago, returns to his hometown of Portland, Oregon. There, he, his sister Gail, and new friend Carlos become embroiled in something unexpected. Director and Screenwriter: Aaron Katz (my son). Cast: Cris Lankenau, Trieste Kelly Dunn. Caterer: ME!

OK, they don't list the caterer on the SXSW site, but they should. The film couldn't have been made without happy movie makers and no one is happy without good food. If you are interested in the food details, go to my blog posts in March and April.

So far I've only seen the trailer (no previews even for Mom). It looks and sounds promising. I don't even know the whole plot, but I can remember the food for each scene. The trailer starts with the top of a parking garage (cold ham, salads, and homemade cookies); the next shot is on the bridge at Multnomah Falls (monster custom sandwiches and fruit); followed by Indian Beach at Ecola Park (more sandwiches); and toward the end the library at Portland State (lasagna, tossed salad, and homemade cupcakes).

When the reviews come out, maybe they will give kudos to the caterer.

Film Food Final

"It's a wrap" - the sweetest words I've ever heard. The last meal has been delivered and the last dish has been returned to the cupboard. Today I feel like I never want to cook or wash a dish again.

360 cookies, 250 paper plates, 100 cherry tomatoes, 64 cinnamon rolls, 40 mandarin oranges, 36 loads of dishes, 30 pounds of chicken & turkey, 24 apples, 20 pounds of flour, 14 trips to the grocery store, 12 heads of broccoli, 11 loaves of bread, 10 pounds of butter, 9 bags of salad greens, 8 pounds of sugar, 7 jars of salad dressing, 6 pounds of pasta, 5 dozen eggs, 4 pounds of rice, 3 pounds of dried fruit, 2 pineapples . . .

. . . and 1 very tired cook. 

Still Cooking

I start catering again tomorrow after a week off while my 'Ex' provided the food. In three or four more days and the filming will be over. My job will be finished, but the process of crafting thousands of takes of hundreds of scenes into a coherent film will require countless more hours of tedious labor. 

This movie making is hard work. I have it through an informed source that last Saturday, spent mostly in an ice freezer, was an 18 hour day. A cold has been passed around the cast & crew; last Wednesday the gaffer broke his toe when a large piece of equipment fell out of the truck; everyone is scrambling at the last minute to send in IRS tax extensions; and the final days of filming call for a 6 pm to 6 am schedule. It is no wonder they are all exhausted.

One thing I've learn from watching this process is that these young film makers are dedicated to their craft. You will never find these men and women sitting behind a desk in a coat and tie, but their high level of professionalism is impressive. They work long hours for little pay to give the rest of us a glimpse through the camera lens of a world we might not otherwise notice. 

Correction & More Movie Madness

I was wrong - my job is called "Catering" after all. "Craft Service" is the designation for providing snacks. I want to make sure you look in the right place in the credits for my name so you won't miss it.

It is hard to keep these movie terms straight. How many of you have noticed "Red Technician" or "Dolly Grip" in the credits? On this film the red technician appears to be the person who downloads the data from the camera to a computer. This data is referred to as "dailies" or "rushes". I'll keep you in suspense about dolly grip.

We had a chance to see some rushes one of the times we delivered food. The technician had just downloaded a "take" (a single continuous recorded performance of a scene). It was exciting to see fresh footage. 

Another time we watched from a distance as a take was done of a scene filmed in a car parked on the top of a parking garage downtown. The director and camera operator were wedged in the back of the car behind the actors while the assistant director, producer, production designer, art director, gaffer, and interns looked on out of camera range. 

We are enjoying our peek at film making from behind the scenes, but I don't think I could keep up the schedule these young movie makers thrive on. Saturday was easily a 14 hour work day. 

3 AM

I can't sleep! The weight of "Craft Service" is on my mind. I woke up at 1:30 and remembered that I forgot to buy the sausage and ricotta cheese. Oh No! One thing led to another so now here I am sitting at my computer wondering if there is any way to turn my head off and get back to sleep.

"Craft Service" is one of those terms you see if you stay all the way to the end of the credits when you go to a movie. It is kind of like catering, but I think "Catering" in the credits means something different. When the film comes out you will find me listed somewhere after "Gaffer" and "Best Boy."

In case you wonder what this is all about - my son is in town working on his third film and I volunteered to cook for the cast and crew. I will only be serving 18 people, but they are all "20 somethings" with BIG appetites. Apparently morale on a movie set has a lot to do with the food served half way through the 12 hour work day so the pressure is on.

I baked cinnamon and dinner rolls yesterday, today I will make cupcakes, tomorrow cookies and three roasting pans full of lasagna. Saturday it's custom sandwiches and Sunday pasta salad and ham . . . and don't forget, some of the crew are vegetarians. Oh My!

If I am this consumed by my tiny contribution, I can only imagine the stress on the director and producers. That is why my son's name might be up in lights and mine will appear somewhere near the bottom of the credits. Don't blink.