Posts Tagged 'Michael Tully'

MFF Alum Michael Tully presents PING PONG SUMMER at Stevenson University on Thursday 2/5!

Published February 3, 2015 Film Screening Closed
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Michael Tully

Michael Tully. Source: Getty Images.

We’re pleased to announce that MFF alum Michael Tully has been named Stevenson University Department of Film/Video’s Artist-in-Residence for Spring 2015!

Michael Tully grew up in Maryland and attended UMBC. All of Tully’s films have had their regional premiere at MFF, including his directorial debut COCAINE ANGEL (MFF 2006), SILVER JEW (MFF 2007), SEPTIEN (MFF 2011), and PING PONG SUMMER (MFF 2014).

Tully will be on the Stevenson campus Wednesday 2/4 – Friday 2/6 visiting classes and talking about his work. There will be a free screening of PING PONG SUMMER at the Stevenson University Soundstage on Thursday 2/5 at 7pm with a reception prior to the screening and a Q&A with Mr. Tully afterwards. Both the reception and the screening are free and open to the general public.

Click here for more information on the Stevenson University blog.

Save the Date: MFF 2014’s PING PONG SUMMER Returns to Baltimore 6/7 with Director Michael Tully!

Published May 17, 2014 Uncategorized Closed
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PING PONG SUMMER

PING PONG SUMMER

We’re pleased to announce that MFF 2014’s incredibly popular PING PONG SUMMER starring Susan Sarandon, Marcello Conte, John Hannah, Lea Thompson, Amy Sedaris, Robert Longstreet, Myles Massey and Judah Friedlander will return to Baltimore for two screenings on Saturday 6/7 at the Charles Theater at 1pm and 9pm. This film was a big hit at this year’s Sundance and SXSW festivals and was one of the biggest hits of MFF 2014 – in case you missed it at our festival this year or would like to see it again – here is your chance!

Director Michael Tully will be in town to introduce the film and do a Q & A after the 1pm and 9pm screenings, and will also be throwing out the first pitch at the Orioles game on Saturday 6/7 at Camden Yards!

SCREENING INFO:
PING PONG SUMMER
Saturday, June 7th
1pm and 9pm
The Charles Theater
1711 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD
Click here for more information on the Charles Theater website.

PING PONG SUMMER SYNOPSIS:
(from the MFF 2014 Program Book)
Ocean City, Maryland is not just any beach resort. It has a very specific feel – exuberant, raucously commercial, and totally unpretentious. In 1985, it must have meant everything to the young Michael Tully, because as he began to form his artistic vision as a filmmaker, he never forgot it. The place and time of this loving, often hilarious film are defined with the deep understanding and precision that is essential to great moviemaking. But, in the spirit of this time and place, Ping Pong Summer tells a story with a clear eye and zero pretension. There are beautiful and therefore unattainable girls and mentoring neighbors, but there are also racist bullies and clueless adults. Mostly, there are arcade games and ping pong, and lots of music.

All of this is seen through the 13 year old eyes of Radford “Rad” Miracle, effortlessly portrayed by newcomer Marcello Conte. Rad is hoping for some way to prove himself, and that’s where ping pong and hip hop come in. The cast is full of seasoned performers like Amy Sedaris, Susan Sarandon, Lea Thompson, and Robert Longstreet–who fit in as though they’ve been going “downy ocean” for years. And the music, the music! The perfect complement to a movie that feels as though it was actually made in 1985, the tunes will have you clicking your fingers and humming along.

Jed’s Sundance Update #2 – PING PONG SUMMER Triumphs!

Published January 20, 2014 Uncategorized Closed
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PING PONG SUMMER

PING PONG SUMMER

After years of development, MFF alum Michael Tully‘s ode to Ocean City and to growing up, PING PONG SUMMER, premiered at Sundance Saturday morning to a rousing response from a packed house. It was one of the earliest sell outs this year.
Michael Tully answers questions after his premiere screening.

Michael Tully answers questions after the PING PONG SUMMER screening.


I dropped by the party Saturday and I’m pretty sure it’s the first Sundance party to feature a ping pong tournament:
Michael Tully plays ping pong at PING PONG SUMMER party.

Michael Tully plays ping pong at PING PONG SUMMER party.


At the PING PONG SUMMER party, I ran into Johns Hopkins University students Abbey, Clare, and Josh. I’d met them when they attended JHU, in different classes, and came out with a group of film majors And JHU faculty member Linda DeLibero. All are entering the film business.
photo (5)
-Jed Dietz, MFF Director

MFF Director Jed Dietz Reports Back from Sundance 2014!

Published January 20, 2014 Uncategorized Closed
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sundance2014Maryland Film Festival Director Jed Dietz is onsite in Park City, UT at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival reporting back highlights from the ground. Stay tuned for updates on the MFF blog, and make sure to check out his live radio appearance with 88.1FM WYPR’s Tom Hall on Friday 1/24.

Jed’s Sundance Update #1
The important filmmaker community of Sundance displayed itself right away. Jack Gerbes from the Maryland Film Office and Hannah Byron from Baltimore’s Department of Business and Economic Development were on the plane with me from Baltimore to Park City. Once we landed, I ran into MFF alum Mike Tully (whose Ocean City-set film, PING PONG SUMMER, premieres here) at baggage claim, and then I ran into MFF alum Joe Swanberg in the grocery store. This morning I caught up with a group of Johns Hopkins University students who I’d met at previous Sundance festivals when they were here with faculty member Linda DeLibero. Over 20 MFF filmmaker alums with films are in attendance at this year’s festival.

SUNDANCE1-Stanley NelsonI’m one day and five films in. The picture to the right is of Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Stanley Nelson, (JONESTOWN, FREEDOM RIDERS) doing Q & A after a screening of his great documentary FREEDOM SUMMER about the organizing efforts during the summer of 1964 to enfranchise African American voters in Mississippi.

Stanley Nelson’s film FREEDOM RIDERS, about the courageous band of civil rights activists called Freedom Riders who in 1961 challenged segregation laws in the American South, played at our 2010 film festival.

-Jed Dietz, MFF Director

Sundance: A Gathering of the Tribe

Published January 27, 2012 Uncategorized 1 Comment
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Sightings from Sundance 2012: a festivalgoer looking for tickets.

In addition to being an invaluable marketing tool for independent (and not-so-independent) film and also new products of all sorts (cars, Brita filters, coconut water, et al), Sundance is also a gathering of the tribe, like any convention. Few examples:

I ran in to SXSW‘s head, Janet Pierson, while re-filling my water bottle at the Library Center Theater. She’s been to MFF a couple of times and it’s always fun catching up with her. She introduced me to Sarah Green, a terrific producer whose work I’ve admired (TREE OF LIFE, TAKE SHELTER, Mamet’s works, etc. ) but had never met.

Walking into a screening, I noticed an MFF bag and saw it was on Marcus Hu‘s shoulder, the head of Strand Releasing, one of the great art house distributors. He introduced me to Carl Spence, Artistic Director of the Seattle International Film Festival, a wonderful 25-day extravaganza that contends with Toronto for title of Biggest Film Festival in North America.

At another screening, I sat next to filmmaker Michael Tully (director of SEPTIEN) and a few seats down from writer/director Lynn Shelton (director of YOUR SISTER’S SISTER and Sundance jury this year), both MFF alums, and then, coming out of DETROPIA I hear a woman introduce herself to one of the film’s directors, MFF Board member Rachel Grady, and it is Laura Bennett, the new Artistic Director of the Chesapeake Film Festival in Easton whom I’d never met despite some emailing .

I drop by the temporary WireImage studio to see its CEO, and Baltimore native, Jeff Vespa, and run in to Mark Duplass who is an MFF alum and is in two movies here and produced several. Oscar-nominated Laura Poitras was at the screening of Eugene Jarecki‘s new film about the disastrous drug war, THE HOUSE I LIVE IN,  (he did WHY WE FIGHT and last year’s fascinating documentary on Ronald Reagan) and the new film features excellent interviews with David Simon. Well, you get the picture.

-Jed Dietz, Thursday 1/26

JUST ANNOUNCED! FIRST FILMMAKERS TAKING CHARGE CONFERENCE!

Published April 23, 2010 1 Closed
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Friday, May 7, 2010, 9am – 5pm

The Maryland Film Festival is pleased to announce a new filmmaker-focused event to take place the first full day of MFF 2010, May 7, in the Filmmaker Tent Village. This intimate conference is a daylong set of case study roundtables and networking opportunities focused on identifying methods to connect audiences and filmmakers in an increasingly overpopulated (and tech-savvy) market. More personal and interactive than big festival panels, attendees will receive a thorough understanding of how to navigate and take charge of the current climate of film distribution and promotion.

Sponsored by MFF Board member Stephanie Carter, and using funding from a two -year Warhol Foundation grant, the day long event will bring visiting and local filmmakers & aficionados together with a variety of distributors, critics, and exhibitors in a spirit of mutual support and cooperation that the festival was founded upon.

Passes for FILMMAKERS TAKING CHARGE are on sale today!
Call (410)752-8083 or visit our website to order!

General Admission: $75
Students/Creative Alliance Members: $50
MFF Filmmakers: Free

$25 off all passes before April 30th!

Scholarships & Group Rates are also available – Contact Kate Ewald at (410)752-8083 or kate@mdfilmfest.com to apply.

————

GUESTS – More TBA:

Aaron Katz (Director, Dance Party, USA, Quiet City)
Andrew O’Hehir (Salon.com)
Benny Safdie (Director, Daddy Longlegs)
Casey Rae-Hunter (Communications Director, Future of Music Coalition)
Christopher Horton (Head of Acquisitions, Cinetic Rights Management/ FilmBuff)
Ed Sanchez (Director/Writer, The Blair Witch Project)

Ira Deutchman (President/CEO, Emerging Pictures)
Janet Pierson (Head, SXSW Film Festival)
Jason Foster (Head, We Are Free Records; Manager, Beach House, Yeasayer, & Ponytail)
Joe Swanberg (Director, LOL, Hannah Takes the Stairs, Nights and Weekends)
Josh Safdie (Director, Daddy Longlegs)
Lena Dunham (Director, Tiny Furniture)

Linas Phillips (Director, Bass Ackwards)

Dan Geva (Filmmaker-in-Residence, MICA)

Noit Geva (Filmmaker-in-Residence, MICA)

Michael Tully (Writer – IndieWire, Hammer to Nail)
Ruby Lerner (President, Creative Capital)
Scott Kirsner (Author, Journalist)
Scott Macaulay (Editor, Filmmaker Magazine)
Tom Cunha (Mammoth, Movieline)

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