Ab Film Review & The Last New Wave

Robert Machoian is an independent American filmmaker who continues to stun with a body of work that is emotionally shocking, and at times, darkly comedic. His previous film, The Killing of Two Lovers, stands as one of the towering achievements of modern American indie filmmaking, and it's with that strength and the fortitude of low budget filmmaking that he turns the story of a man trying to do the right thing for his family into a darkly comedic tragedy with The Integrity of Joseph Chambers.Robert collaborates once more with Clayne Crawford, with Clayne playing the titular character. Joseph is a skewed version of David from The Killing of Two Lovers: dedicated to his family and their safety, yet unlike David, he is filled with a pride and misguided machismo that he believes will be enough to support his family in the event that there is some kind of massive event where food or supplies are no longer widely available.Yet, while on the surface this may seem to narratively be a COVID-adjacent film, The Integrit

On this episode I chat with new author Monica Vuu about her first novel, When One of Us Hurts. This is a tight thriller set in a small coastal town. Tragedy has struck the region with a baby being abandoned at a lighthouse, while a teenager has drowned. The novel unravels in captivating fashion, following two characters - Livvy and Marie. Monica's writing vividly brings the their stories to life, leading to a gripping conclusion. In this interview, Monica talks about how she started writing, and the transition from living in Dubai to moving to Tasmania with her partner. When One of Us Hurts is published by Pan Macmillan Australia and a copy of the book was provided for this interview. When One of Us Hurts is now available through all good bookstores.https://www.thecurb.com.au/when-one-of-us-hurts-author-monica-vuu-talks-crime-and-tasmania-in-this-interview/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Andrew chats with director Luzia Schmid about her stunning documentary Trained to See, which is screening at the Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival. It will launch at the in person screening on June 17, with online sessions available to everyone in Australia afterwards. Trained to See tells the story of three American women journalists - Martha Gellhorn, Lee Miller, and Margaret Bourke-White - who each documented the Second World War in a fearless manner, putting themselves on the front line to capture their stories. Throughout Trained to See, we hear their stories from correspondence and journals that they kept during the period, and ultimately get to see the difficulties they faced as the power of misogyny arose during the war. This is both a powerful and engaging film, and is one of the finest archival documentaries of the year. As mentioned, Trained to See is available to watch for Australian audiences via CDocFF.com.au, alongside other great films including the brilliant football-focu

Flyways is a visually stunning and emotionally enriching film about three different groups of endangered migratory shorebirds from around the globe. Each of these birds fly thousands of kilometers around the globe through migratory routes, traversing hemispheres and continents to reach breeding grounds. Often they will fly days without food or water. Directed and shot by Randall Wood, Flyways is a passionate film that presents parts of the avian species that are threatened by humanity alongside the many bird watchers and scientists who eagerly follow their journeys. These scientists use tracking devices and location data, and occasionally, if luck is their side, visual verification from humans, to monitor where the birds move. Flyways plays out like a blend between Travelling Birds and Jennifer Peedom's River and Mountain, acting as a plea for mankind to respect nature and to consider just how we impact the living world around us. With a soaring score by Cezary Skubieszewski, and gentle narration by Mia Wasik

The Blue Caftan screens at Perth Festival from March 20th to 26th, before having a theatrical release in cinemas. Maryam Touzani’s sublime and sweet drama, The Blue Caftan, is a film that will stick with me for a long time. Filmed in Morocco, a region of the world where gay relationships come with a criminal sentence, this tells the story of Halim (Saleh Bakri), a maalem, or a master tailor, who works with the support of his wife Mina (Lubna Azabal) to craft stunning, intricate and personal garments. In this interview, Maryam talks about how the titular garment, the Blue Caftan, was created, how she presented the sense of touch on screen, and about the power of giving her actors the space to explore emotional intimacy. Throughout the film, we see Halim work on crafting the titular ‘blue caftan’ for an extremely demanding client who cannot understand why he’s taking so long. After all, the machine made garments can be constructed in half the time and, to their eyes, look just as good. Halim and Mina have a t

Kaya, welcome to The Curb podcast. My name is Andrew Peirce and this podcast is recorded in Boorloo, Perth, Wadjuk Nation, and I pay respect to the elders past present and emerging.On this episode, Andrew talks with director Clayton Orgles, whose latest film Dissociation, a retelling of the HP Lovecraft story The Picture in the House, is screening at the Long Shorts, Short Longs session at the WA Made Film Festival. This impressive short horror film utilises the countryside of Western Australia to unsettling effect, with central performances from Angela Leta Kaye and James Hagan conjuring particularly unnerving characters.in this interview, Clayton talks about how his work on music videos has informed his filmmaking work, the role horror plays in his work, as well as how he created the imagery of the film. The Long Shorts, Short Longs session is now sold out, but there is a waitlist available, so head over to the WA Made Film Festival facebook page for further details.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i

On this episode, filmmaker Molly Haddon talks about her brilliant indie family drama The Longest Weekend, which tells the story of three siblings Lou (Mia Artemis), Avery (Elly Hiraani Clapin), and Rio (Adam Golledge), who are each going through a personal crisis and congregate at their mother's (Tammy MacIntosh) home to support one another and work their way through familial tensions. The Longest Weekend is a wonderful performed triple hander, with rich dialogue and narrative that comes from a script written by Jorrden Daley. On paper, this sounds like it might be a rather leaden experience, but there is frequent levity throughout the narrative, and the true to life bonds between each of the characters helps make the story of a family being gradually pulled back together after being stretched apart by the machinations of life feel genuine and grounded. In the following interview, Molly talks about the production process of the film, how she worked with each of the characters, as well as talking about the sup

Andrew heads down the rabbit hole with the travelling exhibition at Boola Bardip WA Museum in Perth, ACMI's Alice in Wonderland exhibition. Featuring a mammoth array of archival materials from since Lewis Carroll's iconic and formative book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, was first released in 1865, this exhibition takes you on a magical journey with early silent era films, to Jan Svankmajer's haunting and eerie stop motion feature, to Disney's animated version, all the way to the recent Tim Burton entries. Along the way, there is a wealth of knowledge about the various different versions of the story, whether it be through drug awareness campaigns, anime, or even x-rated musical comedies: you name it, it's here in some capacity. Yet, don't let the mention of X-rated musical comedies make you feel that this is solely an adult experience, as kids of all ages can find something to enjoy here, with a mystical maze like hallway experience with small doors, a spectacular Mad Hatter tea party experience where a

In this episode Andrew chats with writer, director, actor Greg Sestero about his latest film, Miracle Valley, which is screening around Australia from today - February 15 - with Q&A screenings taking place around the country. Naturally, when Greg is in town, screenings of The Room take place too, and Greg will be on hand to chat with audiences about his work on those two films. But Greg's more than just a guy who's received fame from The Room. He's also starred in films like The Christmas Tapes, which Perth local Rob Livings co-directed. Greg talks about Miracle Valley, twenty years of The Room and what the title 'the worst film of all time' means to him. This interview was recorded in Northbridge so there is some atmospheric sound, and you'll have to excuse the mic dropping midway through, the wind knocked it over. The interview starts with Andrew, naturally, talking about Mac and Me, another 'worst film of all time'. If you're in Perth, head along to catch Miracle Valley and The Room at Luna Leederville

 We Are Still Here is a First Nations anthology film featuring the directing and writing work from Chantelle Burgoyne, Dena Curtis, Richard Curtis, Mario Gaoa, Danielle MacLean, Miki Magasiva, Renae Maihi, Tracey Rigney, Tim Worrall, Samuel Paynter, Tiraroa Reweti, and supervising director Beck Cole. It is a film that spans from the past, to the present, and into the future, and is a response to 250 years of colonisation after the arrival of Captain Cook to Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific island nations. In this interview, Andrew talked with Dena Curtis about her entry in the anthology, Woke, featuring co-lead performances from Sean Mununggurr and Robert Taylor. It's a powerful short that pulls back in time and presents colonial Central Australia and the fractious relationship between Taylor's coloniser who is lost, and Mununggurr's Kngwarraye who guides him back home to a truth he doesn't want to hear. Dena also talks about her career, and what has changed in the twenty years since she started workin

 Allegra Teo launched an impressive career in 2022 with two films: The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay and the AACTA award nominated and WA Screen Culture Award winning Pieces. With sell-out screenings and national support, Pieces is heading to the upcoming WA Made Film Festival on February 18 2023. Tickets are moving out the door, so pick up yours before they sell out. In this interview, Allegra talks about the difference of working on both productions, what her dream roles are and the actors who have inspired her, and what working alongside Martin Wilson to tell a story of mental illness was like.Check out other episodes at www.TheCurb.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Still Standing is an Aussie made doco about the golden era of arcade and pinball machines. It's a nostalgic trip down memory lane, where director Brad Gilbertson heads into the legendary arcades around the nation and chats with the people who helped form many childhood memories. Brad is based in Adelaide, and as such frequented local arcades like Downtown and Magic Mountain, and chatted with the godfather of amusement venues, Frank Sebastyan, for the documentary, alongside many other folks. Independently produced and made by BGVC Films, Still Standing is releasing around the globe on February 22. In this interview, Andrew chats with Brad about how he made the film, what his favourite arcade game was, and some of the uniquely Australian stories about Australian arcades that he discovered during filming. To find out more, heading over to the Still Standing Facebook page and check out the trailer below.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio

Perth based filmmaker Hassib Kushkaki's feature film Rampage Electra will have its world premiere at the upcoming WA Made Film Festival, which screens at Palace Cinemas Raine Square, Perth, between February 17 to 26. This is a Perth shot action film that features Mikayla Levy as Hannah Electra, a young girl who has a shadowy past that is revealed to her by her father, throwing her into a harsh world of gangsters and guns. Featuring a huge cast and shot in iconic Perth locations like Fremantle Prison and Lancelin, Rampage Electra shows creative ingenuity on a micro-budget. Hassib caught up with me to talk about the film ahead of its world premiere on February 24 at the WA Made Film Festival. Hassib is also taking part in the free Indie Filmmaker Panel on February 19 at The Globe, alongside producer Stephanie Davis who produced the web series Love Me Lex, filmmaker Aaron Kamp who recently made Thorns & Thistles at the End of the World, Arnold Carter, who made Sun Moon & Thalia, Sarah Legg who made Cheru

The story of Julie Peters is explored in the documentary The Accidental Archivist, which is screening at the upcoming Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney on Monday February 20th alongside the great short Trans Glamoré, about DJ Victoria Anthony. In The Accidental Archivist, Julie tells her story of how her extensive collection of trans-related media came into existence prior to her story of transitioning while working at the ABC in the 1990s. In the following interview, Julie talks about the years of working at the ABC, the way that change takes place in workplaces, as well as about her live show at the Midsumma Festival, Mutton is the New Lamb, between the 3rd of February and the 12th of February. In this interview, Julie also talks about her PhD, A feminist post-transsexual autoethnography on challenging normative gender coercion, which is available to read via Deakin University or can be purchased in book format via Routledge.com here. The Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival runs from Februar

Filmmaker Phoebe Wolfe's short film The Overthrow tells the story of two friends, Cleo (Annabel Wolfe) and Iris (Miah Madden), who head out in the heat of summer to rollerskate from Sydney to Parliament House in Canberra to protest for more action on climate change. The two set off with the best of intentions, spreading awareness via social media with #Skate4Climate, but as the journey carries on, tensions erupt between the two, with Cleo questioning Iris' dedication to action on climate change. The Overthrow is a superb short film that is screening at Flickerfest 2023. In this interview, Phoebe talks about where the idea for the short came from, how working with her sister Annabel went, and the casting of Miah Madden, while also touching on how they managed to film outside Parliament House. Head over to Flickerfest.com.au to purchase tickets and follow where the national tour will take place.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Curb is proudly part of the Auscast Network. Subscribe via RSS feed, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio or Google Podcasts. Flickerfest is one of the leading Academy Award accredited and BAFTA recognised competitive short film festivals in the world. The 2023 festival takes place from January 20-29 in Bondi Beach, Sydney before heading out on a national tour. Festival director Bronwyn Kidd joins Andrew on this podcast to discuss the 2023 festival, looking back at 25 years of working with Flickerfest, and providing some 2023 festival highlights. The 2023 festival embraces the spirit of the Aussie classic, The Castle, and Bronwyn talks about what "it's Bondi, it's the vibe" means for the festival. Head over to Flickerfest.com.au to purchase tickets and follow where the national tour will take place.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, I'm joined by emerging Noongar Wongi rapper Ethan Eggington, also known as Inkabee, who recently released his debut single and music video Beat the Odds, and his father Joshua Egginton, aka award-winning Noongar Wongi rapper Flewnt MC. The two talk about the relationship they have working with each other, how Inkabee was inspired by Flewnt growing up, and the work of Kwinana Beats, a youth music program facilitated by hip hop artist Rush Wepiha.Beat the Odds is out on all streaming platforms now and was recorded at The Kwinana Beats studio. Make sure to check it out and follow Inkabee and Flewnt on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes and other music platforms.Head over to TheCurb.com.au for previous podcast episodes, interviews and reviews.Check out the music video for Beat the Odds here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P830e214Ois See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 ACMI (the Australian Centre for the Moving Image) is one of the finest cultural institutions in the nation, sitting in the heart of Melbourne's Federation Square. Over the summer months, ACMI is screening two curated film selections that celebrate some of the best films of 2022 and a series of films that represent and celebrate the season of summer. Joining Andrew to discuss this catalogue of films is ACMI film curator Reece Godwin who talks about his personal favourite pick of the line-up of 22 films in the Best 22 of 2022 line-up, how the films were selected, and what the importance of experiencing films in a cinema is. More about the curated film selections here: Best 22 of 2022 (1 Dec - 29 Jan) Spanning filmmaking, documentary and animation from Australia and around the world, this program celebrates the best cinema of 2022 - a great opportunity to dive in and catch the new films set to be awards-season favourites in 2023. Highlights include a preview screening of Ruben Östlund latest social satire Trian

Kaya, welcome to The Curb podcast. My name is Andrew Peirce and this podcast is recorded in Boorloo, Western Australia.It’s been a while between drinks for this audio podcast, and I’m proud to jump back in with a fascinating discussion with composer and filmmaker Ashley Davies in relation to his new film, album, and art exhibition entitled Gold. Gold is an album that is inspired by Ashley’s uncle, Len Davies, an artist who upon his death left a legacy of over 500 paintings to be distributed amongst his family. Ashley chose ‘The Lasseter series’, a group of paintings that told the tale of Lasseter’s Reef, the tale of Harold Bell Lasseter as he headed into Central Australia to search for a 15 k gold reef. The series of paintings, and Ashley’s score itself, reflect Lasseter’s fateful journey that resulted with his reputation tarnished and his death.Len Davies paintings work as a counterpoint to those legends, presenting Lasseter’s journey and death as a radiant, beautiful one.In the following interview, Ashley t

Filmmaker and award-winning journalist Yaara Bou Melhem makes their documentary debut with their impressive new film, Unseen Skies. Following artist-activist-writer-musician Trevor Paglen as he makes art out of the plentiful black op sites around the world, Unseen Skies interrogates what it means to be surveilled, what is happening with the wealth of data being collected from us, and more. It's a visually stunning film with a soaring score by Helena Czajka. Unseen Skies plays at the Sydney Film Festival on November 10th, November 13th, and will be available online via SFF On Demand on November 12th. Purchase tickets here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.