Cysfilm

Shots From the Blackout in San Diego

Here are a few photos from the black-out last night in San Diego. The only lights on were from back up generators and headlights. Never seen anything like it, was kinda fun really.

The Store is Open!

I’m happy to announce that the Bush League DVD is now available for home/private use and for institutional use. There’s also a Bush League T-shirt available!

This isn’t a sad-Africa film nor a commercial project, this is my attempt to build a bridge between my home and a distant place and people that I fell in love with and above all to reflect our uncanny similarities. I’m very happy to finally be able to share it.

International shipping is also available, just click the “shipping outside U.S.” tab on the check out page.

Cy

Bush League screening at Rutgers and INDENTURED news

Bush League will screen 7pm Friday October 14th at Rutger’s, New Brunswick (Voorhees Hall #105) in the “Best of” section of the NJIFF Fall edition. NJ + Bush League forever. Heart heart heart.

In other news, INDENTURED, my short film about labor abuse on US bases in Iraq screened last week at the US Pentagon during a workshop on human trafficking. Attorney Sam McCahon presented the film to Pentagon staff, which is amazing because this is truly who the film was made for – hence all the text in the film. I’m trying to guide them right to the bureaucratic waters though the problem is really one of human rights and decency.

Good Copy Bad Copy, free feature doc film

I just came across this Danish doc film about copyright, mashups, remix etc on blip TV and thought it was great. GirlTalk, Danger Mouse, Pirate Bay founders – they’re all there but what I was really looking for was something about the Nigerian film industry and distribution. Their model seems to be becoming THE model in some respects, esp for us small fries. The movie is a feature length and it’s free, the link:

God Copy Bad Copy

Twitter feeds about Malawi in anticipation of Aug 17th protests

I’m re-posting from Dr. Kim Yi Dionne’s blog:

For those interested in following events in Malawi associated with demonstrations against government slated to begin on August 17, here is a list of Twitter feeds from Malawi and the abroad:

• Journalist Agnes Mizere @amizere
• Writer Steve Sharra @stevesharra
• Editor of The Nyasa Times (tweeting in the diaspora) Thom Chiumia @thomchiumia
• Lecturer and blogger Jimmy Kainja @jkainja
• Online news agency Malawi Voice @malawivoice
• European expatriate researcher/writer in Malawi @Jacaranda146
• Journalist Pilirani Semu-Banda @Pilirani

Malawi: Widespread Protests

Malawians took to the streets en masse this week to protest poor governance, I’m following Dr. Kim Yi Dionne’s blog HERE for updates.

Bush League DVD design

I think this is the final design for the Bush League DVD cover. I think.

INDENTURED is now on-line

I was prompted to go ahead and put INDENTURED online after reading Sarah Stillman‘s piece The Invisible Army in the New Yorker magazine. From the article (June 6, 2011 edition):

The expansion of private-security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan is well known. But armed security personnel account for only about sixteen per cent of the over-all contracting force. The vast majority—more than sixty per cent of the total in Iraq—aren’t hired guns but hired hands. These workers, primarily from South Asia and Africa, often live in barbed-wire compounds on U.S. bases, eat at meagre chow halls [...] A large number are employed by fly-by-night subcontractors who are financed by the American taxpayer but who often operate outside the law.

It’s an important article that I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read.

Below is the film that I made on the same subject and sent to my representation over eighteen months ago (Rep Davis, Senators Feinstein and Boxer). I’m still waiting for a reply – any reply – from all three offices. Might be time to write some more letters.

If you or anyone you know has any suggestions on who to send this film to, either as a link or a DVD please write to me at cysfilm@gmail.com. The on-line version is linkable and embeddable – please don’t hesitate to share it, blog it or email it to your representation in D.C.

The film (10 min):

Bush League wins Best Doc Feature at 2011 NJIFF

Thanks to everyone who made it out to the NJIFF in New Brunswick last week. What a great trip. The screening went great, and the movie won. How bout that!

Lads discuss cinema after the screening.

A New Yorker hugs the filmmaker. The filmmaker wears a hat.

A community screening at Mrs Riley’s Public House in Califon NJ, first time anyone has eaten pop corn and watched a movie I made.

Irish Car Bombs were ordered after the screening. Followed by darts, slander and pork rolls.

We visited Jake’s (guy in the movie) 4th grade class in Camden. Hans gave a lesson on the ocean.

And Paul taught them to play the guitar.

That was a fun one.

Bush League will screen next at the Columbia Gorge Film Fest in Vancouver, Washington in mid August. More news to come.

Bush League at the New Jersey Int Film Fest

I’m happy to report that Bush League has been selected for this years New Jersey International Film Fest at Rutgers campus in New Brunswick. The movie starts at 7pm on June 17th. Come and see it!  Click here for more info on the films, times and directions to the NJIFF 2011.