NEWS
That’s a Wrap on BEASTS
Apologies for the months-long blog silence. We were deep in the bayou, shooting the feature film tentatively titled “Beasts of the Southern Wild”… We began shooting on April 20th, and we’re wrapping up TODAY in New Orleans! The whole thing has been an amazing experience–exhausting, exhilirating, terrifying, inspiring… and totally insane. Much more to come, soon, as we transition out of the Bathtub and back to Reality. Thanks for sticking with us.
New Feature Film Officially Greenlit; Beast Mode Officially Activated
Court 13 Universe! Big big news to report! Perhaps the biggest since our inception!
Our new feature film, formerly titled “BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD,” on which we’ve been working and yammering about in the blog the last year and a half, is officially greenlit! THIS WHOLE THING’S REALLY GOING TO HAPPEN!
Through a partnership with our insanely generous friends, New York-based non-profit Cinereach, Court 13’s latest project is all set to start filming April 28th. Our budget’s approved, our crew is assembled, and we’ve hit the ground running.
A mighty brigade of 50 has settled way down the bayou, in Montegut, LA, with our headquarters at its epicenter: a former gas station / 18 wheeler garage turned production office / Art Dept shop. The whole operation was recently featured in two articles in the local newspaper — check them out here, and here.
But words do not do justice to the vibe on the ground here; the sense of community and common purpose in our group is overwhelming. I’ll let the slideshow give you an idea.
Blog posts may become increasingly infrequent as we jam through the rest of pre-production and charge through our 7 week shoot, but every possible effort will be made to update you, loyal Court 13er. Stay hungry.
From the Kingdom to the Colonies, Tintori Holds Court
Happy Mardi Gras, very late! The vibe here in Nola was as euphoric as a Tracey Porter interception. We hope your gris gris was greasy and you got your bead on like a chief.
February has been a cross-continental month for Ray Tintori. First, he broke free of New Orleans for Mr. Jefferson’s Academy in the Appalachians, the University of my home commonwealth, Virginia. Yes, the Court now has scholastic cred: Prof. Tintori was on campus to serve as pedagogue for a one-week crash course in filmmaking for UVA undergrads. Wahoo-wa! You can get the full story here.
A few weeks later, Ray traversed the Atlantic to be on hand for the Court 13 Retrospective at the Glasgow Film Festival, entitled THIS IS NOT A BOAT: The Improbable Story of Court 13, which featured the long awaited United Kingdom premiere of “Glory at Sea.”
A mere seven year career thus far and already we get a retrospective? Are we the John Cazale of indie film? Do the Scots think we’re all going to die suddenly of bone cancer? Either way, we’re very humbled, and appreciate kind words like these:
GLORY AT SEA is the collective’s most ambitious project; the culmination of trial and error, several unwanted breaks due to funding issues, five month’s work and the generosity of a ruined city. It is evidence that Court 13 have a vision, and while many would stumble at the first impossible hurdle, this collective have a way of achieving their goals.This perseverance is more than simply a means to an end – it is the ethos of the Court… Just as Werner Herzog famously dragged a real ship over a mountain to create FITZCARRALDO (1982), the actions of Court 13 echo the actions of their characters in GLORY AT SEA, adding layers of meaning and strength to this already powerful and resonant short.
Also the culmination of trial and error: on-site blogger Paul Gallagher finally caught up with Ray after the retrospective to talk the future of the Court; you can read that post here.
Now Ray is back in Saints-land, where we win football games with our hands and not our feet. WHO DAT!
New Video for A Sunny Day in Glasgow’s “So Bloody, So Tight”
Last December we welcomed to town Philly pop-gaze band A Sunny Day in Glasgow, who were wanted for several Federal Acts of Indecency committed in the Mormon states. They had fled to Court 13 headquarters in New Orleans, thinking for some reason it was a sovereign state. To help keep their exposure low, they enlisted the help of Mistress of Disguise Z Behl, who, with her team of talented bohemians, helped the group blend into their environment. During the ensuing 3-day bender, their antics were surreptitiously filmed by C13 puppies Josh Penn and Bob Weisz, with the help of half-man-half-camera Jake Springfield. Despite much negotiation with the FBI about exchanging the footage for a Greek-shipping-magnate level of fortunes, Bob and Josh decided to release it to the masses as a music video. Unfortunately the band felt the video would raise their national exposure back up to dangerous levels, and thus they are currently hiding under the floorboards of a schooner on its way to Venezuela. But here it is anyway!
A high res version can also be seen at http://court13.com/sunnyday.mov
Any donations toward Sunny Day’s cause, or to Court 13 in order to make up for the billions lost in the FBI deal, would be much appreciated.
