We’re biased, of course, and have been saying this nearly every episode this year, but this might truly be our best episode yet! We talk about the state of indie/NonDe film, making films on a shoestring budget, distribution platforms, film makers vs. film fans, and how it all ties back into the obsessive side of art in regards to birdwatching, wine, and filmmaking.
We’re joined by our first NonDe (non-dependent vs. independent) Filmmaker guest - first time filmmaker Avi Setton who recently completed his feature film THE BIG BREAK which is currently being submitted to festivals. Follow Avi’s own NonDe Uprising podcast as well as updates on his movie at The Big Break.
(Techhnically, C. C. Simmons of The Treatment was the first NonDe figure to guest on our show, but she hadn’t begun her first film production yet! You can listen to that one below:)
Wine and Movies: YOU HURT MY FEELINGS (2023) with Charlotte Simmons
Podcasting and independent writing ain’t easy, folks. If you love what we do here, become a subscriber! Just being part of our community means the world to us, and helps this Substack gain traction.
Avi wanted to talk to us about possibly the most NonDe movie yet made: LISTERS: A Glipse Into Extreme Birdwatching. The documentary made by two brothers with zero financing outside of their own equipment and savings and released ad-free for any and all on YouTube:
LISTERS recieved 1.5 million views its first month online. And now sits at almost 4 million six months in. It’s a movie about two brothers who decide to join the community of burdwatchers competing in a “Big Year”, where you try to spot as many birds as poissible in a single calendar year. The record at the time of filming was 751 birds.
In this episode, we discuss what “NonDe” filmmaking in, how LISTERS fits into that category, why its important for the movement, how distribution plays into it, also who the documentary is all about the fine line between passion and obsession. Whether we’re talking about Birdwatching, Filmmaking, or Wine, when art meets passion it can lead to an unhealthy competitive mindset that can suck all the joy out of the thing.
Help Us List Listers On Letterboxd!
Letterboxd, for those who do nt use it, is the premiere platform for logging and discussing movies, much like the Merlin app is all about logging birds.
It’s “feature films” only - no TV, though that may be added in the future - no music videos, no commericals, no “content” from Tiktok or YouTube, etc.
And that’s where LISTERS ran afoul of Letterboxd’s rules. Being a feature film documentary exclusively avilable on YouTube - but not funded by YouTube as a “YouTube Original” - it doesn’t count a “feature film” via the baseline rules, and so Letterboxd has continually rejected it’s addition to the database even though dozens of users (ourselves included) have tried!
This rule is understandable superficially, as naturally they don’t want “content” videos to be submitted. But this rule makes little sense when a “YouTube Original” would count. When someone could self-distribute their film on Amazon Prime and it would count. It basically only penalizes independent / non-dependent filmmakers wh do not want to list their film on AVOD (ad-supported) or SVOD (subscription-supported) platforms.
So we started a petition to try to convince the decision makers that LISTERS is the exception-to-their-rule that should be considered more seriously. If we’re truly going to be non-dependent on any given platform, we need platforms like Letterboxd to not enforce dependency, and allow users/film fans to help them spot and determine the worthy considerations.
PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION TO HELP US HELP LISTERS FANS!
Possibly the most heartening thing you can do in this modern world is make shit happen. As we learned with getting Substack to finally give us our “Film and TV” category, it’s entirely possible. But it takes a community.
You all are the best.
The Wines
E. Guigal Cote du Rhone Rouge 2022
Avi had to select his “Aha!” wine, or eureka wine, which is what we call that first wine that a person suddenly takes notice of and realizes “oh shit, I think I like this!”
And E. Guigal’s Cote du Rhone Rouge was Avi’s Aha! wine back in the day. And what better to pair with a docementary all about falling into lifelong obsession with a thing / hobby / activity. In Listers, it’s birdwatching. For all of us here reading a Subsatck like Vintertainment, it’s wine and movies.
What was your own Aha! wine? For the more filmic among us, what was your Aha! movie?
2017 FE Trimbach Pinot Noir Reserve from Alsace
Hailing from the region of Alsace which has a dedicated, fervent birdwatching community! Dallas let the place lead the way, matching the wine with a country that’s all about them birds. (We believe it’s storks in particular in Alsace.)
Known for thier Gewurtztraminers, Rieslings, Pinot Noirs and Pinot Gris, you don’t have to do Noir if you don’t want to, but Dallas found this Pinot smooth and velvety, only slightly tart, just like the movie.
2023 Planet Mouraz "Palhete" Nina (50/50 Red and Orange Wine)
OR
I had to pair a film about seeing as many birds as possible in a single year with a wine that’s all about co-fermenting as many grapes as possible in a single wine in a single year!
A “field blend” is when you pick a whole vineyard / “field” and make a single wine with all the grapes therein. And a “palhete” is the Portuguese term for when that includes both red and white grapes!
This Planet Mouraz “Nina” (named after the kitty in the picture, who is sadly no longeer with us, but her legacy lives on with this wine!) is a 50/50 blend of red and white grapes, over 20 different varieties, all crushed together and co-fermented together on the skins, so essentially a 50% red 50% orange wine. It’s chillable, and “crushable” (chuggable) and low in ABV (12.5%) so you can sip this freely through the whole 2 hour documentary.
The “Nina” is avilable in Portugal, other parts of Europe, and California, though you can also just search for a “field blend” or “palhete” wherever you’re located. Drinkk a wine that as much a potpourri of grapes as this doc is a potpourri of birds in exquisite HD nature shots.
