While the history of documentary film is riddled with truly gifted storytellers, the genre has also historically attracted more than its share of dilettantes–folks with the time, money, access and curiosity to make happen the kinds of projects that most folks could only dream of.

And so we present to you the trailer for “Side by Side,” the new doc from Keanu Reeves, which finds the actor discussing the art of movies with the likes of James Cameron, Christopher Nolan, and Martin Scorsese.

The film seems to focus on the fight between digital and film, a battle that has heated up over the past decade, thanks in large part to the advent of 3D technology. For all the great memories we have of watching film, it’s amusing that this conversation continues to rage on.

As Cameron notes, you can shoot 3D on film, which immediate puts it at a huge commercial disadvantage. But more importantly, the rise in digital technology has “democratized” film-making, as George Lucas says. Before digital cameras came along, making movies was the realm of people with power and money who had to learn how to operate heavy and onerous machines.

Now any jerk artist with a vision and a few thousand bucks can make a movie. Whenever an artistic medium develops a new level of technology that a) makes more money and b) lowers the barrier to entry, the battle has been lost. We say this as someone who still buys vinyl, but has 50 gigs of music on a hard drive at home.

“Side By Side” premieres next month at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Side by Side Official Trailer (2012) from Company Films on Vimeo.

Keanu Reeves will be among the many industryites taking part in the Berlinale’s educational Talent Campus this year.

Reeves produced Chris Kenneally’s documentary “Side by Side,” screening in the Berlinale Special sidebar, which examines the impact of digital cinema. In it, Reeves interviews David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Christopher Nolan, Steven Soderbergh, Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron.

At a special Talent Campus panel, Reeves will discuss the art of interviewing and onscreen conversation with director and film critic Mark Cousins, whose own doc series, “The Story of Film — An Odyssey,” unspools in Berlinale Special.

Some 150 experts will attend the 10th Talent Campus, lecturing, mentoring and meeting the 350 filmmakers participating in the program, which runs Feb. 11-16.

The future of filmmaking is one of this year’s main themes. Taking part in Building Narrative Worlds: Digital Design for Cinema will be production designers Alex McDowell (“Minority Report”), Uli Hanisch (“Cloud Atlas”), Habib Zargarpour (“The Bourne Identity”) and visual artist Thomas Demand, who will discuss the possibilities of creating new digital worlds and alternate universes and their influence on storytelling.

Also taking part in diverse discussions will be filmmakers Timo Vuorensola, director of Panorama screener “Iron Sky,” Brillante Mendoza, whose “Captive” unspools in Competition, and Tony Gatlif, director of fellow Panorama screener “Indignados.”

The Berlinale runs Feb. 9-19.

Chinese cinema circles have been abuzz this week with reports that Hollywood superstar Keanu Reeves has been scouring the region looking for a female lead for his next film.

The production – tentatively titled ‘Man of Tai Chi’ – will be the American’s first go at directing, and he has backing to the tune of RMB200 million yuan (RM99.4 million) from both the Village Roadshow corporation and the China Film Group, the country’s most powerful studio.

According to reports in Chinese media, Reeves is calling on the help of noted martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-ping (‘The Matrix’, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’) to help out with the action scenes in the movie and he has been most recently seen chatting to Hong Kong-based star Josie Ho, most recently seen in a small role in the Steven Soderbergh-directed thriller ‘Contagion’.

It is expected that the production will start shooting in February next year, taking in locations in China, Hong Kong and Macau.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com

Other actors taking part include Michael Pitt, Vincent Piazza and Ben Kingsley as Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta and De Niro’s characters in Goodfellas, Emily Blunt as Ellen Burstyn in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and Christina Hendricks and Jack Huston as Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz in Gangs of New York.

The magazine shoot was held to celebrate Scorsese’s groundbreaking movie career, coinciding with the release of his new biopic, George Harrison: Living in the Material World. (Source)

The Hollywood heartthrob apparently liked Ziyi’s performance in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and her ability to speak English clearly gives her the edge over Zhou Xun.

Seeing as there will be Kung Fu action in the flick, Ziyi who is more athletic than the 45-year-old Gong Li would also be another obvious choice.

As Reeves’ directorial debut, the Mandarin-English-language film will feature Reeves himself as the villain and Tiger Chen, a cast member of “The Matrix”, as the other leading actor.

Reeves, who is one-quarter Chinese, will fly to Beijing next month to prepare for the film. He will reportedly have a tight schedule of learning taichi, karate and boxing.

Source: Yahoo News

Under the Influence is a TV movie about an alcoholic, Andy Griffith plays the head of an outwardly respectable New England family. Griffith drinks heavily, but the rest of the family sweeps his addiction under the rug. When Griffith lands in the hospital, he must come to grips with his illness–and the rest of the family must stop lying to each other and to themselves. Under the Influence is remarkable not only for the intelligent, unsensational handling of its subject, must also for Andy Griffith’s convincing portrayal of a New Englander.

You can see the screencaptures here: Under the Influence Screencaptures

Ode to Happiness is a grown-up’s picture book. Featuring artwork by artist Alexandra Grant and text by actor Keanu Reeves, this thoughtfully crafted artist’s book serves as a meditation on making the best of a bad situation. In the tradition of a classic “hurtin’ song,” the text externalizes what is typically an internal monologue, a spontaneous, melancholy incantation of near-hopelessness—and in so doing, subtly pokes fun at it. The images—beautifully realized in somber inky washes of black on white—reflect the dark and light, the pathos and humor of the text. Neither entirely earnest nor wholly ironic, the book is ultimately completed by the reader, who brings his or her own experience to its interpretation.
Ode to Happiness is a testament to collaboration. Arising from the authors’ friendship and facilitated behind-the-scenes by Janey Bergam, the book was created through a process of exchange, as a gift each collaborator gave the other. Completing the collaboration was Gerhard Steidl, the legendary German printer and publisher who precisely translated the original artwork into book form and brought elegance and simplicity to its binding and packaging.
Intended as a reminder to take oneself only so seriously, Ode to Happiness is both a meditation and a gentle tease about how we cope with life’s sorrows.

Keanu explains why a book at an intreview given to guardian.co.uk.

Image: © Alexandra Grant

Spärhusen, a musical series about “the almost great band of Sweden” from writer-producer-star Illeana Douglas; co-created and co-starring Rob Mailhouse and Todd Spahr; and also co-starring Wallace Langham and Keanu Reeves, making his web series debut.

Screencaptures of this comedical gem can be found here: Online: Easy to Assemble – Meet the Spärhusen

You can find more videos of Spärhusen here: www.mydamnchannel.com
And the fantastic online show Easy to Assemble can be located here: www.easytoassembleseries.com