A company that creates thought-provoking media for science and the arts.
LILLIAN enters Cleveland International Film Festival
A big congratulations to the short film LILLIAN, on which Andrey was Director of Cinematography and Hazuki was Assistant Camera, for entering Cleveland International Film Festival. A big shout out to producer/director Amanda Pennington for bringing together such a beautiful piece.
LILLIAN is a film inspired by 19th Century Pulitzer Prize winning poet, activist, feminist Edna St. Vincent Millay's Poem "What Lips My Lips Have Kissed". It is a memory piece, exploring the relationship between two women, taking place between 1940 and 1918. The film opens in 1940 with Lillian Manning (Tony Nominee Kathleen Chalfant) engaged in bittersweet reflection of a love lost—a reverie that began in 1918 as an innocent encounter between a younger Lillian (Amanda Pennington) and Frances Duthu (Toni Robison-May), and what unfolded into a sweet same sex romance bound by unsuppressed emotion.
We hope this film does well not only in CIFF but also in other festivals!
Annual Oscars Party
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This has become an annual Noka event now, but a bunch of filmmakers and film enthusiasts gathered to watch the Academy awards unfold. Yes of course, there was some cute betting involved. Why would you not spice up the night with a little bit of risk?
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This year, about 30 guests got together and all cast in their votes for Oscars 2013. Some voted for ARGO, some voted for Amour…votes were very diverse this year, which made the competition all the more interesting. When watched with good company, your missed predictions seem more forgivable. You turn around to the next person and ask, "You actually LIKED that movie?" Hear why, and you might be convinced. At the end of the day, it's all about discussing and enjoying film.
We want to thank everyone who trekked out to Brooklyn to join us for this fun night. We hope you had as much fun as we had. To all our guests and and also to those who couldn't make it this year—watch out for Oscars 2014!
A Happy New Year!
We would like to thank everyone who supported us, worked with us, and have been with us this last year. Noka is a small production company with big aspirations, and we cannot complete a single project without the help from the people around us. We are thankful to have met each and every one of you, and we hope the relationship is a long lasting one. Many wishes for a grand and prosperous 2013!
Last Statement
This fall, Andrey and Hazuki co-directed a very compelling film called LAST STATEMENT. It combines the chilling tales of actual inmates awaiting their executions on Death Row. Orla Wolf, German playwright, manufactured a spellbinding narrative that strings these first person accounts into one continuous story.
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Led by project director Juliane Block, a film director who resides in Berlin, this production was made possible by a series of co-directors from Germany, Canada, and USA. We represented New York. Other directors were: Juliane Block, Todd Felderstein, Rebecca Hu, Will McCord, Marty Shea, Bruno Simoes, Jacob Steiger, John Versical, and Ernest Worthing. We all had complete artistic control over our parts and collectively discussed how it should all come together–a truly collaborative effort. Currently in the last stages of post production, LAST STATEMENT will soon be competing in film festivals worldwide. To follow, please visit its facebook page.
The controversy of the death penalty is a complicated one. This film is not out to make a political statement, but prefers to provoke thought to the matter. These were real people, real lives. Who are we to judge?
"Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends."
-J.R.R. Tolkien
New York Burlesque Festival
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A few years back, we were hired to film the New York Burlesque Festival. It was a gig that started out of curiosity. Four nights of women (and men!) removing their clothes on stage, elegantly, artistically, comically…a weekend full of entertainment. The New York Burlesque Festival is an annual four day event that takes place in New York City each fall. The festival premiered in 2003 and was founded by Jen Gapay of Thirsty Girl Productions along with Angie Pontani, Tara Pontani and Helen Pontani of The World Famous Pontani Sisters. The festival features over 100 burlesque and variety performers from around the world, making it one of the largest international burlesque events in the world
For us, it's actually four nights of pretty hard labor. But despite the backaches, sore muscles, and strained optical nerves, we've been filming them every year ever since. Why? Because the Burlesque community consists of the nicest people we've ever met. Indeed it may not be the most refined crowd, but burlesque, in all its vulgar can also be seen as an act of bravery, empowerment, and transformation. Here, the key term is "acceptance". People of all ages, genders, sizes, and looks are loved.
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This year marks the 10th annual festival, and it was another four nights of glitter and glamour in Gotham, with over 120 eye-popping performances from the world's leading burlesque dancers. Happy Birthday NYBF!
Savage
This summer, Noka Productions took part in producing Wendy James' short film, Savage, a film that tells the story of a dangerous entanglement between an idealistic teacher and her troubled student.
For this film, Hazuki was Producer and Andrey was DP. We met a great bunch of wonderful cast and crew for this production. It was 6 days of intense filming, but we had great fun.
Wendy James is a multiethnic, multiracial writer/director whose aim is to make films which provoke a deeper understanding of the dynamics surrounding race, gender, and class in America, and how hierarchy stands in the way of a greater humanism. It is currently in post-production, and we look forward to seeing the final cut!
For more information about the film, please see their facebook page.