We are not as open about mental illnesses as we are about broken legs. If we were, can you imagine how much more understanding there would be? People often forget that the brain is a part of the physical body; suffering from a mental illness—whether temporary or chronic—should be as normal to the outside observer, or family member, or employer, as the common cold. The severity differs, but the stigma—or lack thereof—should not. In order to empathize with the mentally ill, we need to have a better understanding of what they’re suffering from, and that understanding requires a proactive effort on everyone else’s part.
Mental Illness In Movies: An Exploration into the Dark Side Hollywood Doesn’t Show You
March 21, 2019 by Leave a Comment
NO ALTERNATIVE: Project Semicolon
September 19, 2017 by Leave a Comment
The issue of mental illness must be destigmatized. This is what compelled me to make “No Alternative” into a movie. My sister, Briana, was a victim of mental illness, and she fought against her illness with aplomb. She fought against it through her art—both painting and music. This battle in which she waged is something I […]
NO ALTERNATIVE: “…And That’s A Wrap!”
December 12, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The last time I updated my blog, we had yet to begin production on “No Alternative.” Perhaps it’s a testament to the all-consuming nature of production that you have not heard from me since! I am therefore extremely pleased to write that we’ve finished principal photography and the film is in the proverbial “can.” I want to reiterate […]
#MiddleClassFilmmakers
November 2, 2015 by 1 Comment
It seems my Indiewire piece on “The 99 Percent…In Hollywood” struck a nerve [bit.ly/1XtxL9K]. I think that’s a good thing, both positive and negative responses alike. The point was to start a conversation and the conversation has begun. Most of the response out there has been positive and I can’t thank you enough for the support. […]
Me and Earl and the Dying World of Independent Film
September 28, 2015 by 2 Comments
When I first saw Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, I referred to the film as Me and Earl. The choice to shorten the title was a subconscious one, but it was still a choice, and the choice was to avoid the elephant in the room: that a girl is going to die in the movie […]
THE MICROBUDGET REVOLUTION
March 28, 2015 by 6 Comments
Did anyone notice that the movies nominated this year by The Independent Spirit Awards for Best Feature were the same movies nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for Best Feature, with the exception of one film, Love Is Strange? If the Academy Awards were created as a platform to showcase commercial […]
Why “Whiplash” Won an Oscar for Best Editing
March 6, 2015 by 14 Comments
whiplash (n): 1. the lash of a whip. 2. an abrupt snapping motion or change of direction resembling the lash of a whip. 3. a neck injury caused by a sudden jerking backward, forward, or both, of the head: “Whiplash resulted when their car was struck from behind.” Whiplash, written and directed by Damien Chazelle and edited […]
