Stand-up is a high-wire act. One night you're king of the world, and four days later you're wondering if you ever had it. But that's the beauty of it-it keeps you honest.
If in our earliest issues we valorized filmmakers recklessly putting their production budgets on their credit cards, Robinson in a 2009 series on filmmakers and their second jobs preached the necessity of a good side hustle, convincing filmmakers such as Barry Jenkins, Tze Chun, Joe Swanberg and Liza Johnson to reveal the wage labor they undertook before their entertainment industry careers took off.
When "The Brutalist" stormed the festival circuit around this time last year, it seemed like something of a unicorn - as well as an almost impossible sell. Twelve months, 10 Oscar nominations, and one rapturous quasi-musical later, it feels like a new kind of recipe for success. How do you follow an epic historical drama about a traumatized European who sails to America and builds their own church? You make another one, of course.
It's always nice to be recognized. It feels like...wow, you have been able to stay employed for a lot of years. I think there is a threshold, and they give you an award if you're able to stick around long enough.
Chaz Ebert provides an insightful first-hand look at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, covering notable films, interviews, and the vibrant atmosphere surrounding this prestigious event.
