After making a splash at Sundance Film Festival this year, with two dramatic efforts from Sebastian Silva (Crystal Fairy and Magic Magic), Michael Cera is continuing to venture into new areas with the debut of his first directorial effort. Based on an original story by Bruce Jay Friedman, Cera’s 20-minute short Brazzaville Teen-Ager recently hit the web. Also starring Cera himself, the story follows his character as he faced with saving his dying father and to do so, he enlists the help of R&B singer Kelis.
One can see the full work below and we’ve also got an update that Cera will be heading to the 66th Cannes Film Festival, as the Directors Fortnight line-up has been revealed. Featuring the aforementioned Magic Magic (review here) as well as another Sundance hit with Jim Mickle‘s We Are What We Are (review here), the line-up also boasts new films from Alejandro Jodorowsky (including a documentary on his failed attempt at Dune), Lynne Ramsay and Ruairi Robinson‘s Liev Schreiber-led sci-fi film Last Day On Mars. Check it out below, following Cera’s short film, also starring Charles Grodin.
Features
The Congress, dir: Ari Folman
A Strange Course Of Events, dir: Raphael Nadjari
Apres La Nuit, dir: Basil Da Cunha
The Apaches, dir: Thierry De Peretti
Blue Ruin, dir: Jeremy Saulnier
La Danza De La Realidad, dir: Alejandro Jodorowsky
Jodorowsky’s Dune, dir: Frank Pavich
L’Escale, dir: Kaveh Bakhtiari
Henri, dir: Yolande Moreau
La Fille Du 14 Juillet, dir: Antonin Peretjako
Ilo Ilo, dir: Anthony Chen
Last Day On Mars, dir: Ruairi Robinson
Les Garçons Et Guillaume, A Table!, dir: Guillaume Gallienne
The Selfish Giant, dir: Clio Barnard
Magic Magic, dir: Sebastian Silva
On The Job, dir: Erik Matti
Tip Top, dir: Serge Bozon
Ugly, dir: Anurag Kashyap
Un Voyageur, dir: Marcel Ophuls
The Summer Of The Flying Fish, dir: Marcela Said
We Are What We Are, dir: Jim Mickle
Short Films
Gambozinos, dir: João Nicolau
Lágy Eső, dir: Dénes Nagy
Le Quepa Sur La Vilni!, dir: Yann Le Quellec
Man Kann Nicht Auf Einmal Alles Tun, Aber Man Kann Auf Einmal Alles Lassen, dir: Marie-Elsa Sgualdo
O Umbra De Nor, dir: Radu Jude
Pouco Mais De Um Mês, dir: André Novais Oliveira
Que Je Tombe Tout Le Temps, dir: Eduardo Williams
Solecito, dir: Oscar Ruiz Navia
Swimmer, dir: Lynne Ramsay
Cannes 2013 kicks off on May 15th.
What do you think of Cera’s debut? Are you impressed by the Directors’ Fortnight line-up?