{"id":2420,"date":"2019-01-04T15:52:40","date_gmt":"2019-01-04T15:52:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/?p=2420"},"modified":"2019-03-01T15:56:55","modified_gmt":"2019-03-01T15:56:55","slug":"trustworthy-curation-kentucker-audley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/trustworthy-curation-kentucker-audley\/","title":{"rendered":"Trustworthy Curation and Loving Movies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If anyone qualifies as a multi-hyphenate in today\u2019s independent film culture, it\u2019s Kentucker Audley. During my 11-year stint programming Maryland Film Festival, I got to know Kentucker as the director of such DIY feature films as the Memphis-set <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open Five<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (2010), as well as the star of Dustin Guy Defa\u2019s<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Bad Fever<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (2011) and Amy Seimetz\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sun Don\u2019t Shine<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (2012). More recently, he delivered an unforgettable lead performance in Charles Poekel\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Christmas, Again<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (2014), and with Vine star Albert Birney co-directed 2017\u2019s surreal melancholic comedy <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sylvio<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On top of all that, he edits hilarious viral <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/kentuckeraudley\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">video-essays<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and run his own merch line, <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.moviesbrand.com\/\">Movies Brand<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kentucker also runs <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/nobudge.com\/\"><b>NoBudge<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a content-curation site specializing in short work from new voices. Like a great film festival shorts section beamed into your home, NoBudge is one of the Internet\u2019s top showcases for independent work. The scope of its programming spans and defies genres; it\u2019s a place where the concept of film-as-art always feels honored.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/229392765?app_id=122963\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\" title=\"Welcome to NoBudge\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was a pleasure zooming in on this project; even after a decade of knowing Kentucker, I learned a lot, and found his incredibly thoughtful answers even more resonant than I anticipated. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>What was the genesis of NoBudge? What relationship did it have to your own experience as a filmmaker?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Around 2011, I started seeing all these new movies. They were good movies, but they were so small, they weren\u2019t registering with film festival programmers or distributors. I thought they deserved to be seen and appreciated, but there wasn\u2019t a channel that focused entirely on no-budget movies, and I thought there could be. It seemed important to present these films in a supportive way and give them context.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As far as the relationship to my own work: Early on, I felt a lot of frustration with how impossible it seemed to get people to watch or care about my films. The first couple times I got a good review, it was a thrilling feeling because someone had taken the time to think and write about my film, and they understood what I was going for. I wanted to pass along that feeling.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, before I was a filmmaker I was a film fan, and NoBudge is a natural extension of that \u2014 just loving these movies and wanting to talk about them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><em>How many films have you hosted over the years?<\/em> <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over 500. We used to post once a week, but now it\u2019s almost every day. Mostly shorts but some features. In the early days, we did more special limited screenings, like Alex Ross Perry\u2019s first film, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Impolex<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and David Lowery\u2019s first feature, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">St. Nick<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Nowadays, it\u2019s mostly shorts. There are so many great short films right now. I think they should be a bigger part of the conversation around indie movies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>What makes NoBudge distinct from other streaming sources?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We focus entirely on no-budget movies. We started with a lot of art-house experimental stuff and slow cinema, then expanded the range of our style \u2014 from absurd comedies, to heavy character studies, to strange animation. It\u2019s important to pay attention to these movies and to treat them seriously, because there\u2019s no filter involved \u2014 filmmakers don\u2019t have to convince rich people to give you money to make a no-budget film. You just make it, and it doesn\u2019t have to conform to any particular notion, and it doesn\u2019t have to necessarily make money.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Do all the films come from your call for entries; and if not, where else do you look for content?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most of the films come from open submissions. Sometimes I\u2019ll see a film at a festival, or on another site, but the majority are from people cold-submitting, and I love discovering something that I know nothing about.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>What are some of the films you see as emblematic of the NoBudge style? Who are the NoBudge success stories<\/b><\/em><em><b>?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The films of Doron Max Hagay come to mind. He\u2019s probably made fifteen shorts over the last three or four years, and they\u2019re all great. He has this specific style, a blend of absurdity and sincerity that\u2019s like magic to me. Other filmmakers like Erin Vassilopoulos and Lauren Rothery are also emblematic \u2014 they\u2019re quietly creating these oddly beautiful visions with great atmospheres and characters. They\u2019ve stayed under-the-radar for the most part, possibly because they aren\u2019t screaming about how great they are, but they\u2019re making vital work. Naima Ramos-Chapman is another one making compelling work. Her film <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And Nothing Happened<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a powerful magical-realist take on the aftermath of a sexual assault, and she\u2019s since done a lot of work on the new HBO show <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Random Acts of Flyness<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our lineup this month is especially good: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Agua Viva<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Alexa Lim Haas is a beautiful animated short about a lonely Chinese manicurist in Miami. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kim Bush\u2019s Abduction<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a funny little Southern mystery about two sisters trying to reach their mom on the phone.<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/nobudge.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2427 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-31-at-10.16.49-AM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1005\" height=\"741\" srcset=\"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-31-at-10.16.49-AM.png 1005w, http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-31-at-10.16.49-AM-200x147.png 200w, http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-31-at-10.16.49-AM-300x221.png 300w, http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-31-at-10.16.49-AM-768x566.png 768w, http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-31-at-10.16.49-AM-860x634.png 860w, http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-31-at-10.16.49-AM-680x501.png 680w, http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-31-at-10.16.49-AM-400x295.png 400w, http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-31-at-10.16.49-AM-50x37.png 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1005px) 100vw, 1005px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><b>How important is curation?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s incredibly important. We need responsible curators in our culture at every level, not just in film and art. But most of what we consider curation nowadays is algorithm-based, and I think that\u2019s the wrong approach. Art and film curation in particular should not be optimized to appeal to the biggest audience, or to get the biggest reaction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ninety percent of the time I go to Netflix, I don\u2019t end up watching anything because they\u2019re obviously just going by the numbers and pushing the same content to everyone. It\u2019s not a trusted relationship, and I think it damages our culture more than people realize. Curation should involve a long-term relationship and building of trust between two parties, not just giving somebody something that\u2019s easy to react to.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>What social responsibilities do gatekeepers in the arts have? Has your understanding of diversity and representation changed over the years?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since white men have historically held most of the power, it\u2019s heavily on our shoulders to give up some of that power, or to boost the signal of underheard voices. There\u2019s a huge responsibility there for programmers to seek out positive or complex portrayals of disenfranchised peoples. Discrimination has a lot to do with the way movies and TV have represented people of color and non-heteronormative sexuality, and that needs to be rectified. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My understanding of the issues has deepened in the last couple of years, but this is a lifelong pursuit, not just some trendy issue. Everyone needs to realize the extent of the problem, the struggles of people of color, the LGBT community, and women, because these are issues that we need to come to terms with in our society for the long term.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NoBudge is not a political or activist site, and our vibe is often pretty light, but it\u2019s still important to exist in the real world. It shouldn\u2019t just be this thoughtless entertainment or escapism.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2431\" src=\"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/movies_iso.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"252\" height=\"96\" srcset=\"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/movies_iso.jpg 252w, http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/movies_iso-200x76.jpg 200w, http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/movies_iso-50x19.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can find more about Kentucker Audley on his <\/span><\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kentuckeraudley.com\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">official site<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, explore NoBudge <\/span><\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/nobudge.com\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, shop Movies Brand <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.moviesbrand.com\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and keep up with the latest from <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KentuckerAudley\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">him<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (as well as <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/moviesbrand\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Movies Brand<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and, of course, <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NoBudge\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NoBudge<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) on that cacophonous hellscape Twitter.com.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An interview with filmmaker, entrepreneur, actor, and founder of NoBudge.com, Kentucker Audley.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":2422,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[98,91],"tags":[92,100,96,97,94,95,99,93],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2420"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2420"}],"version-history":[{"count":45,"href":"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2673,"href":"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2420\/revisions\/2673"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/endcrawl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}