Festivals - Fantasia 2020 : Clapboard jungle

By Mulder, 08 august 2020

So, you want to make a movie? The tools are getting easier and easier to acquire, but finding financing and distributing a feature film are bigger challenges than ever. These are the perilous waters that independent filmmakers like Justin McConnell have been navigating since the early 2000s, and which he explores in this documentary shot over a period of several years. Beginning with his childhood inspirations and aspirations, and continuing into adulthood while working in the industry, McConnell presents a guided tour of the complex world of financing, production and distribution. Following the completion of his 2011 thriller, The Collapsed , he has struggled to develop more ambitious projects such as Tripped, The Eternal of Mark of Kane, a process in which he meets his collaborators and potential guardian angels, as well as numerous genre actors and filmmakers who offer reflections on their art and the challenges of bringing their vision to the big screen.

Clapboard Jungle is an unvarnished chronicle, with Justin McConnell not hesitating to show his disappointments and moments of doubt during the long and arduous journey of film production. There are also moments of triumph, such as when his horror film Lifechanger (Fantasia 2018) finds itself in front of the cameras. Through his own experiences, McConnell smears observations from a wide range of actors, from the great masters (Guillermo del Toro, George A. Romero, Tom Holland, Mick Garris), rebels (Larry Cohen, Larry Fessenden, Frank Henenlotter, Buddy Giovinazzo), veteran actors (Dick Miller, Barbara Crampton, Sid Haig, Michael Biehn) and independent sensations (Gigi Saul Guerrero, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, Jenn Wexler, Mike Mendez, Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer). Their lyrics will fascinate fans and enlighten aspiring filmmakers looking for role models. And not only those who want to scare the audience...

Clapboard Jungle discusses topics that apply to all types of filmmaking, such as finding the right collaborators, the importance of festivals and the role of critics. It is also a documentary in which Fantasia plays an important role, with visits to the Frontiers festival and market, and appearances by many familiar faces. So for anyone who's bored with the Fantasia experience this year,

Synopsis :
Following five years in the life and career of an independent filmmaker, supported by dozens of interviews, posing one question: how does an indie filmmaker survive in the current film business?

Clapboard jungle
Directed by Justin McConnell
Produced by Justin McConnell, Darryl Shaw
Starring Michael Biehn, Larry Cohen, Barbara Crampton, Guillermo Del Toro, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Frank Henenlotter, George A. Romero, Tom Savini, Paul Schrader, Richard Stanley
Music by Sean Motley
Edited by : Kevin Burke, Justin McConnell
Running time : 98mns

(Source :  Fantasia 2020 officia website)