Watch This Movie

Kickstarter project for "Date Number One" December screenings

2009-11-08T14:59:00.001-05:00

Indie Film Blogger Road Trip now available to view from ATLFF site

2009-04-15T13:36:00.001-04:00

Check out the feature length doc about film bloggers, free, from Atlanta Film Festival's website.

Sujewa on The Obenson Report podcast on Mon 2/9

2009-02-09T04:31:00.001-05:00

I will be one of the guests on The Obenson Report podcast on Mon 2/9 night - show starts at 8 PM (i am on at 8:40 PM). I'll be discussing my new documentary Indie Film Blogger Road Trip (podcast host Tambay Obenson is featured in the doc) & D.I.Y. filmmaking/self-distribution. Tune in, check it out!

Current Blog

2009-02-05T20:58:00.001-05:00

Busy with a couple of film distribution things in Feb, will be back after that. In the meantime, I am at DIY Filmmaker Sujewa blog - mostly.

- Sujewa

Opening 9 minutes from new documentary Indie Film Blogger Road Trip

2008-12-20T22:56:00.001-05:00

Now blogging at the new Wild Diner Films blog

2007-09-05T20:25:00.000-04:00

Right here. See ya there sometime.

- Sujewa

Date Number One, 7/12 - 18, 2007, Kensington, MD!

2007-07-11T23:12:00.000-04:00

D A T E ** N U M B E R ** O N E
http://www.wilddiner.com/
a comedy about several first dates
a movie by sujewa ekanayake

Thu July 12 - Wed July 18, 2007
Armory Building
3710 Mitchell Street
Kensington, MD 20895 :: map
7:30 PM daily
$7

Film's Description: "Date Number One", a comedy about several first dates, is made up of 5 different stories: Story 1 - Just Another Ninja Searching For Love, about a ninja who goes on a blind date (ninja is played by John Stabb Schroeder from the DC punk band G.I.), Story 2 - A Romantic Dinner For 3, about a woman attempting to add a third partner to a romantic relationship, Story 3 - Washington "City Of Love" DC/Start Over, about a writer who tries to get back together with his ex-girlfriend, Story 4 - Air Quotes Woman, about a woman who always uses air quotes, and her search for a new boyfriend, Story 5 - The Superdelicious French Lesson, about a first date where a character learns a little bit of French in an unusual way. The movie has been discovered to be: "Witty" (GreenCine Daily), "Funny" (The Chutry Experiment), and "Sexy, Sexy, Sexy" (Hollywood Is Talking).

*
Featuring Hot DC Indie Film Stars John Stabb Schroeder, Julia Stemper, Jennifer Blakemore, Shervin Boloorian, Dele Williams, Steve Lee, Kelly Ham, Christine D. Lee, Fritz Flad, Subodh Samudre, Jewel Greenberg

*
Not Rated * 115 Minutes * yummy

SCREENED AT: Goethe-Institut - Washington, DC (World Premiere, May 2006), Northwest Film Forum - Seattle (May 2006), Capital City Microcinema - Kensington, MD (June, October 2006 & March 2007), Sangha - Takoma Park, MD (July 2006), Pioneer Theater, New York City (August 2006), Warehouse Screening Room - Washington, DC (November 2006).
*
Director will attend the screenings. Brief discussion, Q & A period after each screening for those audience members who are interested in such things.

"The film is about as charming as they come...presents a world in which cultures don't clash, they mesh. It's refreshing to see characters who all appear to have a natural optimism, as opposed to the typical indie-film predilection for bitterness and cruelty. "
- Michael Tully, Rotterdam & SXSW film festivals selected filmmaker & indieWIRE blogger
http://blogs.indiewire.com/tully/archives/010529.html

"I found the characters and the premise sexy, sexy, sexy."
- Jerry Brewington, Hollywood Is Talking blog, on Story 2 of Date Number One
http://hollywoodistalking.com/Blog/508/

*

"...witty...often inventive...and, even better, airy: characters are given time and space to spell out their views...views that never bear the artificial markings of a Hollywood screenwriter's compulsion to reduce them to sound-bites."
- David Hudson, Editor, GreenCine Daily blog
http://daily.greencine.com/archives/002353.html

"FIVE really entertaining, fully realized romantic interludes...a shamefully rare achievement"
- Tom Kipp, Seattle audience member, former film reviewer for Seattle alternative weekly The Stranger
http://diyfilmmaker.blogspot.com/2006/05/interview-with-seattle-audience-member.html

"Heartfelt...poignant...I loved it!"
- Jon Moritsugu, award winning filmmaker

"...somehow, someway, in the end, the love of the characters, the positiveness of the film, and Sujewa’s disregard for conventions wins you over. The act of making this film wins you over. There is only a positive through line in this film, and that is rare to see, especially when dealing with characters in their late to early thirties."

- Amir Motlagh, director of the popular '04 Atom Films' short Still Lover & upcoming feature Whale
http://stilllover.blogspot.com/2006/10/date-number-one-review.html

"Date Number One is quite funny...twentysomethings and occasional thirtysomethings looking for romance recall Richard Linklater's philosopher slackers and Jim Jarmusch's minimalist attention to conversation...also a subtle, thoughtful film...might be understood as the anti-Crash depiction of life in the city...depicts a comfortably multi-ethnic community...I'd happily recommend it."
- Chuck Tryon, media professor & blogger, The Chutry Experiment blog
http://chutry.wordherders.net/archives/005873.html

*
Date Number One website: http://www.wilddiner.com/
blog: http://www.diyfilmmaker.blogspot.com/
::
!Thanks!

Making Distro Low Budget Indie & D.I.Y: Searching For & Building The New U.S. Indie Film Frontier

2005-10-24T02:19:00.000-04:00

Thoughts On Expanding & Developing A New Field Of Existence For The American Indie Filmmaker, A Sub-Goal Of The "Date Number One" D.I.Y. Distro Project.

By Sujewa Ekanayake

I am the maker (Producer/Screenwriter/Director/Cinematographer/Editor) and the distributor (D.I.Y. ultra-low budget self-distro effort including a 2 year U.S. tour) of the upcoming U.S. indie feature film "Date Number One" http://www.wilddiner.com. The film is being edited at the moment and the low-budget/no-budget pre-distribution promotional & publicity work will kick into a higher gear on Dec. 1 with a talk at Kensington Row Bookshop in Kensington, Maryland about the making of the movie http://members.verizon.net/~vze4nbyt/talks.html. I expect to begin theatrical screenings in Spring '06 - most likely in April, starting in Washington, D.C (the film will also be submitted to festivals world wide starting in Nov/Dec of this year). The primary goals of the self-distro project are of course to get the film seen by a lot of people and to make a profit from the project. There are secondary goals for the distro project, they are: 1) to see if an unknown, ultra-low budget/no budget filmmaker can successfully mount an ultra-low budget theatrical distribution effort for an ultra-low budget/no-star DV feature, and 2) to document the experience, make the notes available to the general public/other filmmakers so that they may be able to use the experience in distributing their own movies. Real indie distribution exists in the indie rock world to a very high degree, but, in the indie film world, at this point in time in the U.S.A., the same is not the case. Distribution, real indie/D.I.Y. distribution, is a new frontier for development in the U.S. indie film industry/scene and I will be jumping enthusiastically into that field of exploration.

So what may be the layout of this new frontier that I am attempting to discover more directly and further illuminate through the "Date Number One" self-distro project? Glimpses of this area can be seen by examining the distribution stories of "The Debut" http://debutfilm.pinoynet.com/home.asp and "Robot Stories" http://www.robotstories.net/. I do not know the exact dollar figure for the self-distribution expenses on either of those projects, and I do not know if the filmmakers (at least the directors) of those projects were able to make a living through the self-distribution process during the distribution period or eventually were able to pay themselves adequately for the work performed on behalf of the films. One of the questions that I expect to answer for myself through my distro project is whether self-distribution can be a day job for an indie filmmaker. I sense that D.I.Y. distro can pay the bills/keep the filmmaker/distributor alive, given the right film project and given a filmmaker/distributor who has relatively low living expenses. I know that in the indie rock world disciplined and committed bands make a living through touring and performing their work and through selling their songs on CDs and other formats. Can something very similar be done in the indie film world? Can an indie filmmaker side-step the entire Hollywood and Indiewood distribution culture and mechanisms (except when collaboration with those entities is a massive benefit for the project and do not compromise ownership and control of the project, here I am thinking about arrangements Jim Jarmusch http://brokenflowersmovie.com/home.html makes for his movies) and make a living through self-distribution? Just as Fugazi http://www.dischord.com/bands/fugazi.shtml and Ani DiFranco http://www.righteousbabe.com/ani/index.asp do in the music world, it may be possible for one or more filmmakers from a given film project to make all the money they need for a given period of time through working on distribution of that project. It may be possible to make a living through making and distributing quality art/indie ultra-low budget, no-star movies. With DV technology such movies are easier and more affordable to make now, just add years of hard work, talent & skill to make them excellent (see Rick Schmidt's book "Extreme DV At Used Car Prices" for info. on making DV features for under $3000 http://lightvideo.com/ and for an intro to the basic work necessary), and through touring, selling DVDs and other low cost D.I.Y. distro efforts (possibly Video On Demand? see GreenCine for info. on that http://www.greencine.com/main , and see my web page for the D.I.Y. 2005 Film Movement http://www.wilddiner.com/diy2005.htm for more info. on the punk/indie rock industry/scene & Amir Motlagh http://www.amorproductions.com/amir_motlagh.html, a CA based indie filmmaker who tours often, inspired approaches to indie film distro) it may be possible to make money back, make a profit, and perhaps even make a living. The New U.S. Indie Film World may already contain but can certainly contain, in significant numbers in the very near future, filmmakers/directors who distribute their work through touring, through DVD & other accessible methods, and do this as their primary or only source of income. To be able to do so without having to become entangled in Hollywood or Indiewood and the limitations imposed by their economic needs, processes, protocol, preferences and prejudices would mean the achievement of a new level of excellence in the business side of American indie film. To be able to do so will also open up new creative vistas for the filmmaker. If the filmmaker is able to self-finance (through profits, fame, connections and most importantly experience gained from previous self-distro projects) and self-distribute a given low-budget art/indie project, she can have greater control over the cost of production, casting, subject matter, aesthetic choices and all other aspects of her movie. Indie-distributors-for-hire services offered by companies such as Artistic License http://www.artlic.com/ and Truly Indie http://www.trulyindie.com/ may be useful in expanding self-distro campaigns for certain features (perhaps after the filmmaker/distributor makes some money back from several dozen theatrical screenings and a lot of DVD sales or other project related revenue sources created by the initial self-distribution efforts, because hiring another company to expand self-distribution will most likely be more expensive than doing the work directly yourself).

I will explore all these tantalizing possibilities through the "Date Number One" self-distro project from Spring '06 to Spring/Summer '08, and will report the results of this experiment.

And a parting, somewhat related, thought: more indie film theaters/screening venues may have to be created/the economic possibility for creating more such venues may exist at this point. Just as the birth and development of punk and indie rock gave rise to dedicated venues to perform that work, the increase in production due to DV and popularity of the indie process may be an opportunity for opening more indie theaters that cater mostly to art/indie low-budget/D.I.Y. films. Creating and operating such venues can also be a day job for the indie/D.I.Y. filmmaker. Something worth looking into (check out
these venues for examples and possible inspiration: Ragtag Cinemacafe http://www.ragtagfilm.com/, Northwest Film Forum http://www.nwfilmforum.org/index.shtml, Storefront Cinema http://www.storefrontcinema.com/storfrnt.htm).

UPDATE 10/28/05 FRI
In order to battle spam comments, I will have to temporarily turn off the Comment function. As soon as I figure out how to delete individual spam comments, I'll turn the Comment function back on. Thanks. Boo! to spammers.
The Sujewa
***********

Totally digging Jon Moritsugu's "Scumrock" at the moment

2005-09-15T02:15:00.000-04:00

Jon Moritsugu's "Scumrock" - Birth of the Hi-8 Revolution?

Totally digging Jon Moritsugu's "Scumrock" at the moment. Saw it for the first time yesterday, watching it again right now, it's better the second time. Like when checking out new music or other unfamiliar art, the critical faculties have to be dialed down and the unusual presentation has to be allowed to wash over you in order to really get into the movie & connect with its emotional core (the film is shot on Hi-8 analog video, so it will not look like most movies you are used to, don't let it get in the way). Gotta add this movie & its maker to my list of fave movies. Here's the web site for the movie:
http://jonmoritsugu.com/films/scumrock/index.php
The movie is a multi-story feature about a musician and a filmmaker who are both pushing 30 or are getting older/deep into their 20's without much mainstream success, and there are several romantic-drama/comedy type sub stories woven in. Very interesting (in the most positive sense of the word) movie. If nothing else, there is a lot of humor in this movie. & the actress who plays the character Jelly is very cute & is an excellent performer. & yes, Bring on The Hi-8 Revolution! (i was at my local pawn shop today & saw a bunch of Hi-8 cameras for around $200-$300 each - some even digital 8 cameras. one of those, a $50 boom mic, and maybe the $500 Mac Mini w/ iMovie on it for editing, some kid w/ $700-$800 can turn herself into an indie movie studio - that inexpensive technology can totally produce something like "Scumrock", Moritsugu said he edited the movie linear, using two VCRs).

Sujewa
http://www.wilddiner.com/
PS: for all you TV on the Radio fans out there, Kyp Malone plays one of the leads in "Scumrock".
************************************************************************************

Almost got into a fight at a "Me And You And Everyone We Know Screening"

2005-07-03T04:15:00.000-04:00

Well, on the bright side, it was only a momentary flash of irrational anger - and it went away - I am sure Miranda July's quirky romantic movie helped. Went to see "Me And You..." for the second time today, was eating some popcorn, after I was nearly done with the popcorn some middle aged dude complained that the "noise" of me eating popcorn was bothering him. First I was all loud, like "dude, it's popcorn, it'll make some noise", deal with it, blah, blah, blah. Then the dude asked very quietly and politely to stop the popcorn bag (it was a wax paper bag) "noise", and it was a romantic comedy/art film we were at (at DC's E Street Cinema - an art house definitely) so getting into a fight there seemed a little silly (at a mall theater - now that would probably be OK :), and I was almost done with the popcorn, so I decided to let it go and put my remaining five or so popcorn pieces away. Then I was quietly getting mad for a while. Then the movie ended. The middle aged dude thanked me for stopping the popcorn "noise", we had a nice little conversation, I felt better. Even though it would have been more immediately satisfying to get into a fight over popcorn, I am, for the most part, glad that did not happen. "Me and You..." is a pretty good movie, certainly a lot better then most of the bigger budget Hollywood stuff out there now. It remineded me of "Amelie". Miranda July is a talented cutie.

Hot New Real & Good Indie Film Links For DIY Year 2005!

2005-05-11T02:52:00.000-04:00

Hey Star Babies,

What's real indie film? Is Jarmusch's new movie "Broken Flowers" a real indie film? Is Lucas's new movie "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" a real indie film? Is Motlagh's "My Breakups Into A Million Pieces" a real indie film?
Why does it matter if a movie is a real indie film or not? It matters for the same reason that real democracy is preferable to a "divinely sanctioned" monarchy or a place/a system where the rulers & the law makers are appointed solely by the wealthy or by just the historically powerful. Real indie film - accessible (to the filmmakers) film production & distribution is empowering, can be a useful tool for improving, making better the life of the filmmaker and the audience members world wide. What is accessible? Well, in the "First World" that I live in, some budgets are accessible for a committed artist & ordinary individual (person w/ out ties to & support from Hollywood) - such as a young filmmaker - let's say a budget of $5,000 - $10,000 - that much can be raised just by saving some money every month for several months to a year. A project on such a budgetary level can allow the filmmaker to be independent of financiers, distribution companies, etc. So, as the definition of Heaven and Hell depends on who you ask, for me real indie films are ultra-low budget or low budget, more or less self-financed, self-distributed movies. Motlagh's "...Breakups..." qualifies as a real indie film. Not only that, it is a good movie - from an aesthetic, creative perspective. Both Jarmusch & Lucas are famous for being independent creatively & also for being idependent in their business dealings, ownership of projects, etc. - so yes, "Broken Flowers" & "...Sith" are both indie films - although created with the support of or in collaboration with major Hollywood studios. But since indieness ultimately resides in the creative arena, those two relatively big budget (when compared to an ultra-low budget film like "...Breakups...") movies are still indies (but not as "real" as a low budget project like "...Breakups..." or my upcoming low budget, ultra DIY, self-distributed feature "Date Number One" http://www.wilddiner.com/).

OK, time for some links, enough theory & perspective for one day:

Info. on "My Breakups Into A Million Pieces", "Still Lover", "Whale" /Amir Motlagh:
http://www.amorproductions.com/production_program_amir.htm

"Still Lover" blog by Amir Motlagh:
http://www.stilllover.blogspot.com/

"Whale" blog by Amir Motlagh:
http://www.whalefilm.blogspot.com/

Amir Motlagh Interview:
http://www.wilddiner.com/amirinterview.htm

Blog entry on CA & DC DIY INDIE FILM SCREENING (Entry #29 )/Ekanayake/Mozie/Motlagh:
http://www.wilddiner.com/film_journal.htm

I have not seen the two indies below but their makers have made good movies before:
"Broken Flowers"/Jim Jarmusch on IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412019/

Some "Broken Flowers" stills:
http://www.ioncinema.com/beta/news.php?nid=586

"Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith"/George Lucas:
http://www.starwars.com/episode-iii/

DIY 2005 Film Movement web page:
http://www.wilddiner.com/diy2005.htm

The other indie feature to look out for in '05 (Besides "Broken Flowers" & "...Sith...") is "Date Number One" http://www.wilddiner.com/ (created by yours truly) - 100% indie, ultra-low budget, DIY production & self-distribution, and it's got a ninja in it & it's a romantic comedy. Playing in DC (& playing festivals) in fall '05, & US tour begins in fall 05 - will continue throughout '06, DVD may be available in late '05. Flick in in production & post at the moment.

Rock ya soon.
Sujewa
*********

I'm on the cover of the Kensington Gazette!

2005-04-18T01:01:00.000-04:00

Yup, local fame is excellent. I am showing several indie films in Kensington on 4/21 , http://www.wilddiner.com/dcmicrocinema.htm so the local newspaper wrote an article about me and it's on the COVER, w/ a colorful pic. Wild stuff, never been on a cover of a newspaper before. Here's the URL for the article on the web & the pic:
http://www.gazette.net/200515/kensington/news/269401-1.html
Talk 2 ya soon.
Sujewa
*********

"Still Lover" in DC, punk ninja goes on a date

2005-03-01T00:56:00.000-05:00

Hey Film Fans,

Amir Motlagh's popular & creative short film "Still Lover" is coming to DC as a part of a US tour. "Still Lover" will play on April 21, 2004 at a Capital City Microcinema screening along w/ the documentaries "My Break Ups Into A Million Pieces" (by Motlagh) and "Capital Heartbreak & Sweetness: 17 DC Poets" (by yours truly, Sujewa Ekanayake). It's a DC & CA DIY Indie Film Event baby! Check out more info. at: http://www.wilddiner.com/dcmicrocinema.htm
Here's the basic 411:
AN EAST COAST & WEST COAST D.I.Y INDIE FILM SCREENING
"Still Lover" - fiction, short & "My Break Ups Into A Million Pieces" preview screening, documentary about Lillideshan Bose, daughter of famous Filipino artist Santiego Bose (1949 - 2002) by Amir Motlagh from California. "Capital Heartbreak & Sweetness: 17 DC Poets" documentary feature by Sujewa Ekanayake from the Washington, DC area.
April 21, 2005 7 PM
$5
a Capital City Microcinema screening
at Kensington Row Bookshop
3786 Howard Ave.,
Kensington, MD 20895
301.949.9416
The Filmmakers Will Be Available For A Post-Screening Discussion
web site: http://www.wilddiner.com/dcmicrocinema.htm
Contact: Sujewa Ekanayake, wilddiner@aol.com

"Date Number One", my new feature film, is in production (2/3 done at the moment). In it, a ninja played by 80's DC punk rock hero John Stabb Schroeder (singer in Government Issue '80-'89, now sings in The Factory Incident) goes on a blind date. We shot that segment, Story # 1, this past weekend and it was hilarious to see John bring ninja man Mark H. Temonium to life. That boy's got some performance skills. See some pics, get more info. at: http://www.wilddiner.com The film will premiere in DC this Fall, will go on a US tour in '06, and will be available on DVD & VHS in early '07. It will also be submitted to a zillion festivals world wide.

Talk 2 u soon w/ more film news.

Still Lover

2004-12-11T01:45:00.000-05:00

Saw a cool movie called "Still Lover" by a filmmaker named Amir Motlagh. A short made up of still photos, w/ music & narration, a romantic drama, 5 mins. Check it out.

Let's Rock Again! a documentary about Joe Strummer

2004-11-21T23:41:00.000-05:00

Saw the documentary "Let's Rock Again!" last night at DC's 2004 Art-O-Matic. The doc is excellent and it offers a trip with Joe Strummer while he is out touring in US & Japan to promote his new album/rebuilding his music career. The punk icon & member of the now long gone but never forgotten band The Clash was filmed by his friend Dick Rude. Rude's documentary starts off casual, turns funny & sad, and in the second half becomes brilliant, entertaining & touching as the film showcases awesome performances by Strummer and his band The Mescaleros. Strummer left the human realm in 2002 but he will live on in the hearts of his fans, and a whole new generation may discover him through "Let's Rock Again!".

The Sujewa
http://www.wilddiner.com

Baby, Don't Talk To Me If You Haven't Seen & Liked Any Jarmusch Movies

2004-11-07T01:42:00.000-05:00

I personally don't hold that view but one of the characters in a Jarmusch movie, maybe the Tom Waits character in "Down By Law", may hold a similar view regarding some musician, poet or filmmaker. Movies by Jim Jarmusch are a must see for anyone interested in the current wave of American independent films. A wave that may have begun in 1984 with the Jarmusch film "Stranger Than Paradise" (according to John Pierson, the indie film expert and author of book "Spike, Mike, Slackers & Dykes"). Here are some of my favorite Jim Jarmusch movies (available at all cool video stores & at mega chains such as Blockbuster & others no doubt):

Mystery Train
http://imdb.com/title/tt0097940/
Down By Law
http://imdb.com/title/tt0090967/
Night On Earth
http://imdb.com/title/tt0102536/
Stranger Than Paradise
http://imdb.com/title/tt0088184/

The Sujewa
http://www.wilddiner.com/

"Primer" was frustrating, will have to watch again

2004-10-23T19:12:00.000-04:00

I saw an apparently $7,000 indie sci-fi movie called "Primer" last night. The movie is about a couple of young engineer types who accidentally invent a time machine. The production values are bare bones, acting & dialogue are good. When I left the theater (Landmark's new E Street cinema in Washington "City of Love" DC) I was frustrated because the film did not yield enough information to make sense of the plot. After some 'net research I am feeling a little better about the whole "Primer" situation and am looking forward to checking out "Primer" again so I can figure out the story (the director of the movie says all the necessary clues are in the movie, see Village Voice link below). Here is the official "Primer" movie web site:
http://primermovie.com/
Here is a Village Voice interview w/ the director of the movie:
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0441/lim.php
Here's where I found the above links, the old reliable IMDB's posts re: "Primer":
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390384/board/threads/

See ya in the past rock stars.
- Sujewa "The Caramel Flavored Man From 3 Seconds From Now" Ekanayake
http://www.wilddiner.com/

10/18/04 MON List of movies to watch

2004-10-18T16:00:00.000-04:00

1. "Mystery Train" by Jim Jarmusch.
Comedy. 3 groups of people on 3 nocturnal adventures in Memphis. Ghost of Elvis appears in this movie. Slow movie, but good. If you see this movie let me know what you thought about it.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097940/

2. "Return to Belaye: A Rite of Passage" by Amy Flannery
Documentary. Woman goes to Senegal with her husband when he goes there to participate in a secret initiation-into-manhood ceremony. Great story.
http://www.yellowcat.com/belaye.html

Official Filmmaker Websites Of The Day:
Greg Pak/"Robot Stories":
http://robotstories.net/
Hal Hartley:
http://www.possiblefilms.com/biography.html

Feel free to suggest good movies to watch & filmmaker related websites. And feel free to share your view on any movie or filmmaker mentioned in this entry.

The Sujewa
http://www.wilddiner.com/