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
Live from New York
Capturing chaos required meticulous planning: "You're lighting every scene of the movie on day one — every light in the ceiling, every light on the stage, every practical lamp, every elevator button."
The "Blue Lagoon" ripoff that introduced Phoebe Cates to movie screens and spent years as a late night cable TV staple is back in print for the first time in 25 years.
"Journey Into Fear" was made at the height — and unfortunately, the end — of his most productive period as a studio filmmaker. It's been difficult to see, but a new Warner Archive Blu-ray rectifies that problem.
From a massive Criterion Collection retrospective to the pre-order of a first-ever "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" home release, here are eight physical media titles worth grabbing this month.
The screenwriter tells IndieWire about what he learned from one of his filmmaking heroes and what he hopes to give back.
A 4K UHD release of "Play Misty for Me" provides a timely opportunity to see where the director began and examine how much has changed (and stayed the same) over the course of 40 films.
Interview
Writer/director Alan Rudolph talks to IndieWire about the 25th-anniversary restoration of "Breakfast of Champions," a once-maligned comic treasure that feels more prescient and relevant than ever.
Film critic Carrie Rickey tells IndieWire about the iconic French New Wave director, the subject of Rickey's inspiring and compelling new biography "A Complicated Passion: The Life and Work of Agnès Varda."
Interview
Action movie master Andrew Davis tells IndieWire about his first novel, "Disturbing the Bones," and how he uses genre storytelling to address issues that matter.
Obituary
The two-time Oscar nominee was best known for his work on Leigh masterpieces like "Naked" and "Mr. Turner."
With plenty of terrifying picks for Halloween, here are eight physical media releases IndieWire recommends getting your hands on in October 2024.
Filmmaker Interview
Writer/director Parker Finn tells IndieWire how Bob Fosse and Olivia Rodrigo influenced the sequel to his 2022 horror hit.
