The South by Southwest Film Festival takes place in Austin, Texas, every spring. The festival, which grew out of the SXSW Music Festival, one of the largest music festivals in the U.S., has become one of the world's premiere film festivals know for its selection of independent gems and up-and-coming first-time filmmakers. The festival screens about 150 - 200 of the best independent films produced during the previous year, as well as works from established directors who have inspired the latest generation of filmmakers.
Back to South by Southwest Film Festival Index
UP WITH ME-Greg Takoudes
Highlights:
When Francisco, a teenager from Harlem, is admitted to an upstate boarding school on scholarship, he is torn between his life at home, his loyal girlfriend and his jealous best friend, and the new environment. But as Francisco tries to leave his troubles in Harlem behind, his best friend puts his own life in danger as a loyalty test to Francisco. Francisco is then forced to become the one thing in boarding school that he resisted becoming in Harlem: a drug dealer. UP WITH ME was created as a collaboration between Greg and at-risk teenagers from Harlem. The screenplay is based on months-long writing workshops with the teenagers, who then starred in the movie, and when they weren't acting in scenes helped crew the set. This feature film was shot in the streets where they hang out and in the apartments where they live.
UP WITH ME was awarded the Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast in the Narrative Feature category at this year's festival.
Happenings:
Greg Takoudes is the director, producer, and co-writer of the feature film Up With Me. He is also a producer and the co-writer of The House of Satisfaction, a feature film currently in post-production. Greg's House screenplay is based on an earlier script that was staged at New York's Public Theater, starring Tony-award winning actor John Gallagher, Jr. Greg is also the producer on Rose Parade, written by Maeve McQuillan, a feature film in pre-production that was shortlisted for the 2008 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award, and accepted to the 2007 Berlinale Talent Campus.Prior to becoming an independent filmmaker, Greg worked for Ron Howard and Brian Grazer on the creative team at Imagine Entertainment in Los Angeles. There, Greg was involved with the development of movies such as Cinderella Man and A Beautiful Mind. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Senior Editor at Ecco/HarperCollins, and their son.
---
Stay tuned for interviews with Harmony Korine (MISTER LONELY, JULIEN DONEY-BOY), Jim Sturgess (21, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE), Brendan Sexton III (THE MARCONI BROS., WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE), Kevin Corrigan (THE TOE TACTIC, RSO, THE DEPARTED), Mark Webber (EXPLICIT ILLS, DEAR WENDY), Lou Taylor Pucci (EXPLICIT ILLLS, THUMBSUCKER), Greta Gerwig (YEAST, NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS, HANNAH ...
Greg Takoudes is the director, producer, and co-writer of the feature film Up With Me. He is also a producer and the co-writer of The House of Satisfaction, a feature film currently in post-production. Greg's House screenplay is based on an earlier script that was staged at New York's Public Theater, starring Tony-award winning actor John Gallagher, Jr. Greg is also the producer on Rose Parade, written by Maeve McQuillan, a feature film in pre-production that was shortlisted for the 2008 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award, and accepted to the 2007 Berlinale Talent Campus.Prior to becoming an independent filmmaker, Greg worked for Ron Howard and Brian Grazer on the creative team at Imagine Entertainment in Los Angeles. There, Greg was involved with the development of movies such as Cinderella Man and A Beautiful Mind. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Senior Editor at Ecco/HarperCollins, and their son.
---
Stay tuned for interviews with Harmony Korine (MISTER LONELY, JULIEN DONEY-BOY), Jim Sturgess (21, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE), Brendan Sexton III (THE MARCONI BROS., WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE), Kevin Corrigan (THE TOE TACTIC, RSO, THE DEPARTED), Mark Webber (EXPLICIT ILLS, DEAR WENDY), Lou Taylor Pucci (EXPLICIT ILLLS, THUMBSUCKER), Greta Gerwig (YEAST, NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS, HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS) and many, many more.
Also join us as we follows filmmaker Josh Weinstein at his first film festival with his first feature documentary, Flying On One Engine. We'll be with the young New Yorker as he navigates Austin, Texas, attempts to rally a posse around the film and, of course, take South by Southwest by storm. Will he survive the festival madness? Will he fill seats? Will he sell the film? FIND OUT HERE DAILY.
You need to upgrade your Flash Player. Click Here to download the latest version.
My Cart
