Jim Hemphill
Jim Hemphill is a filmmaker, film historian, and Ridley Scott disciple whose writing on film has appeared in Film Comment, American Cinematographer, Variety, Filmmaker Magazine, and many other outlets. After receiving his B.F.A. from Columbia College in Chicago and his graduate degree from the film school at USC, Jim began his career by writing and directing the micro-budget horror movie “Bad Reputation,” which had international distribution from Warner Bros. and Twentieth-Century Fox. He is also the writer-director of the award-winning romantic dramedy “The Trouble with the Truth” and has been a screenwriter for hire on several movies that he may or may not take responsibility for depending on his mood. His movies have screened at the Sundance Film Festival, American Cinematheque, Facets Multimedia, Alamo Drafthouse, and other festivals and art houses, and he is the author of “The Art and Craft of Directing TV: Conversations With Episodic Television Directors.” He has worked as a researcher for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and regularly moderates Q&As at Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly Cinema and the Egyptian and Aero Theatres in Los Angeles. His audio commentaries can be heard on Blu-rays and DVDs from the British Film Institute, Kino Lorber, Shout! Factory and other labels, and he was one of the original hosts of the American Cinematographer podcast. He now co-hosts IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast and is a features writer for the site specializing in filmmaking craft. He hopes to someday own his own 70mm print of “Boogie Nights.”
Latest by Jim Hemphill
Allison and Tiffany Anders, the programmers behind L.A.'s beloved music and film festival, give their picks for can't-miss movies and discuss the fest's first-ever virtual component.
Filmmaker Toolkit Podcast
Director Karyn Kusama talks about casting Michelle Rodriguez in her first role and why it was important that her debut film be beautiful in spite of its rough world.
Craft Considerations
Director Jonathan Nolan, composer Ramin Djawadi, and cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh tell IndieWire how they achieved both the intimate and the epic on the Prime Video series.
One of the most beloved annual film series in Los Angeles will make its Manhattan debut at the historic Paris Theater this June.
Craft Considerations
Inside building the post-apocalyptic world of Prime Video's drama with production design, VFX, and prosthetics.
"It's the end of the version where we're not breaking the fourth wall."
Visual effects supervisor Stephen Rosenbaum tells IndieWire about recreating some of World War II's most heroic and harrowing moments, and an exclusive video gives a look at his team's epic work.
Filmmaker Toolkit Podcast
The showrunner and director of "True Detective: Night Country" tells IndieWire about making the series her own without losing sight of its philosophical core.
The Correct Opinion
Peter Bogdanovich's fifth film is usually thought of as the movie that broke his winning streak, but it's the culmination of his greatness.
Filmmaker interview
Director Renny Harlin, the suspense master behind "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4" and "Deep Blue Sea," tells IndieWire how he achieves his frightening effects.
Craft Considerations
Star Tom Hiddleston, directors / executive producers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, and production designer Kasra Farahani seized new opportunities to bring fresh depth to the series.
Interview
Martin Scorsese and archivists from the Library of Congress, UCLA, MOMA, and elsewhere tell Indiewire why it's important not to leave film behind in the digital age.
