Jan. 24/New Orleans: 40th IBA Sweepstakes Ceremony at NATPE, Ernest N. Morian Convention Center. Gene Herd (818) 789-1182; www.hrts-iba.org….
– Jan. 25-27/New Orleans: 37th Annual NATPE Program Conference & Exhibition. (310) 453-4440; www.natpe.org….
– Jan. 28/New York: The New York Festivals 1999 International TV & Cinema Advertising Awards. (914) 238-4481; www.nyfests.com….
– Jan. 28/1999 AME International Awards Show. (914) 238-4481; www.nyfests.com….
– Jan. 28/Vienna, Va.: Final deadline for entries to the 21st International Monitor Awards. Tracy Murley, (703) 319-0800; fax: (703) 319-1120….
– Jan. 29-Feb. 3/Key West, Fla.: ITS: The Association of Imaging Technology and Sound’s 13th Annual President’s Retreat at the Hilton Key West. Nancy Zern, (703) 319-0800; fax: (703) 319-1120; nancyzern@erols.com….
– February 4/Hoilywood: 9th Annual Music Video Production Association (MVPA) Awards call for entries.. Drea Clark or Shana Betz, (323) 469-9494….
– Feb. 9/Chicago: The 1999 Mobius Advertising Awards screenings and awards presentations at the Museum of Broadcast Communications and the Chicago Cultural Center. J.W. Anderson, (630) 834-7773; fax: (630) 834-5565; mobiusinfo@mobiusawards.com….
– Feb. 11/New York: The33rd Annual WorldFest Houston International Film Festival call for entries deadline. Kim Roseland, (713) 965-9955; fax: (713) 965-9960; worldfest@aol.com; www.worldfest.org….
– Feb. 11/Houston: The Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) call for entries deadline for the 2000 AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the American Television Commercials. (212) 475-2600; www.aicp.com/show….
– Feb. 24-25/New York: AAF Foundation 25 Most Promising Minority Students. Rebecca Martin, (202) 898-0089; rmartin@aaf.org….
– Feb. 24-March 5/San Jose, Calif.: Cinequest San Jose Film Festival; www.cinequest.org….
– Feb. 17-20/Palm Springs, Calif.: ITS Technology Retreat 2000 at the Hyatt Regency Suites. Nancy Zern (703) 319-0800; Fax: (703) 319-1120; nancyzern@erols.com.
– March 13-April 13/New York: School of Visual Arts’ "The Art of Production Design." (212) 592-2010; proffice@adm.schoolofvisualarts.edu….
– March 14-15/New Orleans: Kid Power Xchange’s eTeen Power: eTailing and Marketing Strategies to Reach Teens Conference. (800) 882-8684….
– March 21/New York: AAF Advertising Hall of Fame. Lisa Rubin, (202) 898-0089; lrubin@aaf.org….
– April 7/Hoilywood: 9th Annual Music Video Production Association (MVPA) Awards.. Drea Clark or Shana Betz, (323) 469-9494….
– April 7-16/Houston: The 33rd Annual WorldFest Houston International Film Festival. Kim Roseland, (713) 965-9955; fax: (713) 965-9960; worldfest@aol.com; www.worldfest.org….
– April 20-May 4/San Francisco: The 43rd San Francisco International Film Festival. Brian Gordon, (415) 929-5014; ggawards@sfiff.org….
– May 3-June 4/Hollywood: World Animation Celebration. (818) 575-9615; fax: (818) 575-9620; wacfestusa@aol.com; www.wacfest.com….
– June 14-15/Chicago: U.S. International Film and Video Festival at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Hotel. (630) 834-7773; fax: (630) 834-5565; www.filmfestawards.com….
– June 20-22/Las Vegas: AAF American Advertising Conference. Karen Cohn, (202) 898-0089; kcohn@aaf.org….
– July 14-16/North Hollywood: VES 2000: A Festival of Visual Effects. Addie Bua, (818) 708-3355; adgogirl@aol.com….
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More