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| Director's Spotlight: John Sayles
In 1980, when big-budget Hollywood films had audiences lining up in droves, 30-year-old acclaimed novelist John Sayles directed, wrote, produced, and edited "The Return of the Secaucus Seven" (5th CIFF), a low-budget film which would mark the rise of American independent cinema. Rather than wowing audiences with special effects and superstar casts, he wrote cutting dialogue into socially important narratives. Ranging from troubled labor unions to dishonest baseball players to corrupt political figures, Sayles's films have never shied away from tough subjects, all while pushing the boundaries of classic genres. In doing so, he has remained committed to sharing the truth with audiences. Sayles, born in Schenectady, New York in 1950, attended Williams College in Massachusetts. While working in a Boston factory after he graduated, he wrote and published fiction in his free time. National Book Award nominee for his 1977 novel Union Dues, Sayles quickly garnered attention from Hollywood. Much like James Cameron and Martin Scorsese, he wrote screenplays for famed B-movie producer/director Roger Corman to get his start in the business. In the past 28 years, he has directed 16 films—including "Lianna" (7th CIFF) and "Men with Guns" (22nd CIFF)—and written the screenplays for over 30 films for both himself and other directors. In order to fund these independent projects, Sayles worked as a script doctor," editing problem scripts for other writers, and directed several music videos for Bruce Springsteen (including "Born in the USA" and "Glory Days"). In addition to countless other awards, two of Sayles's films, "Lone Star" (1992) and "Passion Fish" (1996), received Academy Award nominations for Best Screenplay. In 1997, "Secaucus Seven" was one of the 25 films chosen for preservation in the National Film Registry. Sayles is also one of the few American directors to shoot films in a foreign language. "Men with Guns," primarily in Spanish, earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 1999. Almost 27 years after his first visit to the Cleveland International Film Festival, we are proud to honor the life and work of John Sayles. Films screening The Brother From Another Planet Eight Men Out Lianna Passion Fish Return of the Secaucus Seven The Secret of Roan Irish 
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 American filmmaker John Sayles John Sayles Filmography Honeydripper (2007) Silver City (2004) Casa de los babys (2003) Sunshine State (2002) Bruce Springsteen: The Complete Video Anthology 1978-2000 (2001) Limbo (1999) Men with Guns (1997) Lone Star (1996) The Secret of Roan Irish (1994) Passion Fish (1992) City of Hope (1991) "Shannon's Deal" (1990) Bruce Springsteen: Video Anthology 1978-1988 (1989) Eight Men Out (1988) Matewan (1987) The Brother from Another Planet (1984) Baby It's You (1983) Lianna (1983) Return of the Seacaucus Seven (1980) |
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Someone to Watch Brillante Mendoza was born in 1960 in San Fernando, The Philippines. After studying advertising at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, he worked on several films as a production designer (billed as Dante Mendoza) in the 1980s. He is largely self-taught in filmmaking, having learned by observing different directors. He notes that his background in fine arts helped in how he deals with color. In 2005, he released “The Masseur” which earned him international acclaim. A prolific director, Mendoza has released six films in the past three years. Screening this year are: Foster Child Slingshot Summer Heat The Teacher
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 Filmmaker Brillante Mendoza |
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Helen Hood Scheer is an esteemed television producer whose previous work on documentaries
for HBO and A∓E Biography garnered her several awards at festivals worldwide, as well
as an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award. When she was searching for a way to segue into becoming
a director/producer, she caught the 2005 U.S. National Amateur Jump Rope Championships on TV
and was mesmerized by this hybrid of extreme sport and art form. The chance encounter inspired
her to create and direct "JUMP!" with Scott B.
Morgan. Her work on documentaries, including HBO’s "Naked World" (28th CIFF) about artist
Spencer Tunick and A&E's "Sam Phillips: The Man
Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll," provided the platform for the unique directorial style of
"JUMP!" Helen Hood Scheer earned a Highest
Honors BA in American Studies with a minor in History from UC Santa Cruz. Born and raised in
Venice, California, Helen is now developing new documentary films from a converted garage
that was once the home of her childhood playgroup.
Screening this year are: JUMP! Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll |
 Filmmaker Helen Hood Scheer |
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Cleveland Film Society. 2510 Market Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113-3434 216.623.3456 ©2008, Cleveland Film Society |
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