Film

Young Ali: those were the days title design process

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seen below are some of the iterating on young ali: those were the days title designs. both the english and farsi versions where done first by hand by artist martin nilchian.

he went back to his graf roots to blend between our aesthetic & story considerations. you can see some designs really signal an authentic early 90’s socal graffiti style. in the end, we chose a design that had just enough flavor of that style, without it dominating, and showing transformation of time in the details.

the persian version had additional challenges that had us consulting some experts in the language to seek a proper translation.

WHALE HD-Remaster is Now Available on Apple TV

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hi, its a good day to pick up our 2018 HD-Remaster of the 2010 film WHALE now on Apple TV.

some words about the picture below:

"WHALE is beautiful in ways I never expected. Lyrical and delightfully lo-fi" -Lucas Mcnelly -Filmmaker (Blanc de Blanc)

"A debut well worth catching.... the film, especially in its quieter moments, has a dream-like quality that rewards the viewer with its insight into just trying to be able to juggle life's hardship with an innate desire to just enjoy life" -Sam Ippolto Pittsurgh Examiner

"An exquisitely handmade exploration of holding onto one's spirit in this world....sublime imagery finds transcendence in the ordinary...WHALE manages to feel timeless, yet particularly relevant for this moment in history- a crystallization of the widespread longing for something beyond what modern society has to offer us all" -- Steve Bagatourian Writer IFC's American Gun

"WHALE is what Truffaut called the cinema of the future.... It has talent and ambition to spare; Motlagh knows exactly what he wants and he knows how to get it. He's not afraid to be personal, to be slightly obscure and elliptical, to use the freedom that independence gives him. whale is definitely worth seeing and considering for filmgoers and filmmakers alike." -Tom Russell- Turtleneck Films

"Pulsing with a restlessness of purpose and Vision" - Alejandro Adams -- Braintrustdv

"The acting/non-acting is so flawless Whale appears to be a blend between documentary footage and a foreign/art house project....I can very comfortably say that Whale is one of the most exciting & well made indie films I've seen in a while...creating an interesting/reflective image of ethnic & economic diversity in America." -Sujewa Ekanayake -- DIY Filmmaker Blog

"Writer/Director Amir is a fresh cinematic voice from the west coast. Distinctly schooled in technique yet has a unique approach to aesthetic over narrative. The film was more of a poem then a traditional story and I love that!" -Ryan Balas- One Way Community

"First, let me start off by saying that Whale, written and directed by Amir Motlagh, is a visual masterpiece. It is shot and edited in my favorite style of dynamic camerawork done with an amazing flare for composition and coverage, and immediately draws you in.......Yes, I love Whale. I love it because the characters and dialogue are more natural than 99% of Hollywood movies made. I love it because the scene between Cameron and his ex is one of the best and most realistic scenes I've seen in a long time." - Reid Gershbein -- Royal Baronial Theatre (#2wkfilm)

"An unassuming, soulful debut feature..."I was quite taken by Whale...Motlagh's eye for composition (I knew I was in good hands from the film's very first shot) and ability to flirt with indie film clichés without becoming entrapped by them mark him as a director to watch.." - Andy Horbal

jurying the final year of the 24fps international short film festival....

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what’s the ol’ sayin, “all good things come to an end”

looks about right…

though i’m stoked to be on the jury for the final year of 24FPS International Short Film Festivals. this is one of the first fests to showcase my work and one of the finest short film festivals in the world.

24fps final year Jury

Three Worlds is evergreen part 2

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What I’ve always found amazing about Amir Motlagh’s films is how he deals with connection in a disconnected world.....As Saam navigates his life and relationships, we as viewers are challenged to consider what is art, what is artifice, and what we think our world really is - Jamie Toth

I was sent this earlier and since it came recommended, i read it. Truth is, I don’t read attentively what people write about my work because good or bad, my creative pursuit wants to remain untethered to opinion, & its wave-like aftermaths.

But, when i get the impression that a connection was made, I get curious. And in this piece, that connection was made.

The Three Worlds piece by Jamie Toth can be read here or here.

still from Three Worlds

the changing faces of WHALE

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i remember when ye (kanye w) iterated on a finished piece of work. maybe it was the life of pablo, can’t recall exactly but the timeline was full of mr west being lauded as the first artist to treat work as iterative, instead of absolute, like software (SaaS).

this came mostly from the VC techo-sphere, a top down propaganda arm that related everything to “software eating the world”.

of course, this was not the first case of this. it might have been the most public version, because of the sheer reach & influence of Mr Ye, but artists have iterated on finished works since cave paintings.

it’s of course a very different thing when said item is all digital. it’s much more difficult after you shipped out a million CD’s/DVDs but we are living in a different era altogether, where we leave no trace but 1/0’s behind.

my version of this iteration process occurred in 2009. i had finally finished my first feature film, WHALE, and released the work on DVD. this was a painstaking ordeal and had taken several years to finally get to the point of release. i felt somewhat relieved.

but, nearly right after we started both selling and sending out screeners, I couldn’t get rid of an itch, in fact I couldn’t sleep. i felt i had given up on the edit too soon, and knew that something was missing but i couldn’t work out the problem & i didn’t have the energy to face it (also, the tech issues at the time, with my PowerPC G5 giving up and project files being corrupted was part of this defeat).

in this fog of insomnia, on one of those nights i was taking nyquil just to fall asleep,i had a dream, and this dream was a direct solution to the problem, sound and visual. so, i went back to the edit room and came back several months later. now, it felt truly finished and i could sleep soundly again.

the other thing that’s changed over the years has been the keyart of the film, with the most recent refresh done by artist/designer Ali Sabet for the HD-re-release that went live in 2019 . this HD version of the film also has one or two tiny changes (i had to fire up a PowerPC mac running final cut pro 5 and this was a whole nightmare and another story). so, this new streaming version is in fact the finished version of the film, a v2.44 version as it stands.

below is some of the art over the years, including the rare OG DVD design.

WHALE keyart redesign done with the help of artist/designer Ali Sabet for HD re-release - 2019

WHALE DVD coverart for current in circulation DVD’s - 2010

WHALE original DVD front cover design for released, but scrapped version of the film - 2009

WHALE original DVD back cover design for released, but scrapped version of the film - 2009

A quick way to find some of my work on Tubi to stream for free

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For the time being, I have four features available on the free streaming platform Tubi.

Just click to find WHALE, THREE WORLDS, MAN, & RAINBOW SEASON on this consolidated page.

I’m only slightly annoyed that some of my title cover art has been altered, but we move on….

film cover art on Tubi with slight modifications, lol

Amir Motlagh films now available on the streaming platform Tubi

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Just a quick update I was alerted about a few days ago. Four of my feature works are now available on the US Streaming Platform Tubi, including THREE WORLDS (2018), MAN (2018), WHALE (2010) & RAINBOW SEASON (2019). Like most of these distro services, it is time-bound.

I believe Tubi is North America only, but, VPN, maybe….i dunno?

Cheers & enjoy the beautiful day my friend….

(ﾉ>ω<)ﾉ :｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆ (ｏ・_・)ノ”(ノ_<、) // Mage Prince Kaomoji

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Several things coming out this month, or early next month. “Young Ali” score is finished. New Mirs collab single is on the way. And this, the first April listing!

Description:

Mage Prince Kaomoji carries the world on his shoulders. For the moment, the Prince has forgotten to breathe, to take things slowly. Perhaps it's puppy love, perhaps it's something else. Breath little Prince, breath. Tomorrow, a new day, a new adventure awaits.

We were all little mages; we were born with curiosity and adventure in our hearts. And we are all here to heal, to help & to soar. Help the little Prince carry the weight.

(ﾉ>ω<)ﾉ :｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆ (ｏ・_・)ノ”(ノ_<、) // Mage Prince Kaomoji
edition 1/1
.4Ξ

new work on the OpenSea, web2 web2.5 web3, film update with doxxed title, proof of life, what is time, mirs wakes, etc...

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It feels strange with the current world background to go on about living as if we are distanced from exceedingly unnecessary human suffering. But we are cocooned in our bubbles. If you’ve had any experience with war, you realize very clearly that the whole is affected, regardless of the degrees of separation.

In my own case, I have to go about my work, my thoughts & my attention the same as it was. Consciousness is an arrow.

Recent tings:

Here is a proof of life pic in web2.5. Not my current PFP on socials, but nevertheless, I breathe. With all this excessive talk of the transition to web3, there are more similarities to the past decade than most want to admit, yet, a new base layer of influentials has made a mark. With the soon insurgency of legacy media, safe to say things will look even more similar.

i exist, a pfp

In this fully doxxed web2.5 version of me, I get to talk about my new feature film in post-production. I can finally release the title, a proper doxxing if you will - "Young Ali: those were the days". Hopefully, we can finish the post by the end of Q2. I cannot be certain the film will release this year, but I would like that. Post-production at this stage is being handled in Chicago, and I am proud of our team, and what we have been able to create.

I recently released three works on OpenSea in my first collection which essentially conclude all my March drops. I have yet to transition to my other mediums, but I suppose I will in time. Cinema in particular is full of friction and doesn’t make the best transition over. But, we will hammer in the peg. We are working.

______

March OpenSea Drops:

the wind will carry us, creature
edition 1/3
.24Ξ

Description:

in my youth, some of my favorite memories involved long cross-country trips with my father. this desire for the empty road, the expansive middle continued into adulthood.

little ape boi, dream (part 1)
edition 1/1
1.5Ξ

Description for both part 1 and part 2:

we are all little ape bois trying to find our way home. this little ape boi has yet to awaken. help him on his journey through the dreamscape on this starry night.

little ape boi, dream (part 2)
edition 1/1
1.5Ξ

Awakening:

Last but not least, Mirs has awakened for this new szn. New release imminent.