VIDEO: Ian Albinson Celebrates the Title Designs of Saul Bass

If you need a little inspiration, look no further than the iconic title designs of Saul Bass, who was responsible for titles for some of the 20th Century’s most famous and recognizable films, including North by Northwest, Vertigo, West Side Story, and even Goodfellas and Casino. This video, edited by Ian Albinson, was created to celebrate the release of Jennifer Bass and Pat Kirkman’s Saul Bass: A Life in Film & Design. It’s hard to imagine these films with any other design.

Ger: To Be Separate

We recently had the pleasure of meeting Ger Duany. Ger is one of the Lost Boys of Sudan who became a child soldier separated from his family when he was 10. He endured the life of a refugee at camps in Ethiopia and Kenya and, after a tremendous amount of unimaginable struggle and hardship, was brought to the United States at age 14. He now lives in New York City where he is an actor and model.

Award-winning Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu and Ger are ready to share his story. The documentary, Ger: To Be Separate, traces Ger’s path from childhood through his July 2011 return to South Sudan to search for his family and celebrate the country’s independence.

If you’ve not yet supported a Kickstarter campaign, then what better place to start? Join us in support of this film.

To hear a bit from Ger and appreciate the man behind this effort, here is an excellent interview on MukamiTV.

PictureStart Awards in NYC

The rooftop crowd enjoys the sunset prior to the film screening at XVILast night, stated attended the 15th Annual PictureStart Awards in NYC, held at XVI Lounge’s gorgeous midtown rooftop lounge. The PictureStart Film Festival (formerly known as the NYC Home Film Festival) “seeks to showcase short films of quality”. Filmakers from any genre were invited to apply for inclusion in the festival, which spanned two nights, Sunday June 5th & Monday June 6th. A lively artistic crowd was treated to an eclectic mix of fourteen short films, created by filmmakers from all over the world.

For information about next year’s festival, visit: www.picturestartfilmfestival.com

STATED at the Oscars

Join stated as we live-blog the 83rd Annual Academy Awards.  
Watch this space throughout the awards!

8:00PM - Are you watching the red carpet coverage? Try as we do to dismiss the focus on what everyone’s wearing, it’s hard to ignore the style on display. Tim Gunn spoke with co-host Anne Hathaway and Valentino, whose “archival” gown she was wearing from 1981.

8:02PM - Nominee Natalie Portman is definitely showing…  And looks beautiful.

8:08PM - Colin Firth seems to be the favorite for Best Actor. What do you think?

8:14PM - Gwyneth Paltrow says she’d like to sing a duet with Jay-Z…

8:27PM - Almost time…

8:30PM - Intro… Alec Baldwin can do no wrong. Remember when we didn’t think so?

Click to read more ...

Museum of the Moving Image Reopens

After three years of renovations, the Museum of the Moving Image reopened this weekend at its gorgeously refreshed facility next to New York City’s famed Kaufman Astoria Studios in Astoria, Queens. The opening kicked off a variety of ongoing special events, including screenings of restored classics such as Stanley Kubrick’s 2001, newly acclaimed films such as The King’s Speech (including a talkback with its cast and creators), and the new exhibitions “Behind the Screen,” “Real Virtuality,” and “Dolls vs. Dictators.”

Movie lovers will find more than enough here to make the short trek from Manhattan well worth it.

Visit www.movingimage.us for hours and more info.