A filmmaker that we're definitely excited about, and looking forward to seeing more from after his debut feature, Donoma, debuted here in NYC at the New Directors/New Films Festival in March.

Yes, Djinn Carrénard is one to watch as he embarks on his second film, Faire l’amour (or Making Love), which is currently shooting in France.

I'm hoping that we can arrange more stateside screenings of the understated and enthralling Donoma, as I don't believe it screened outside of the ND/NF Festival (it also screened at BAM in Brooklyn). But more audiences should see it.

The film was made for nothing… really, nothing, a story that we could say helped draw attention the the film.

Shot in 2009 on with a borrowed Sony camcorder and basic wireless microphones for dialogue, Donoma premiered at Cannes in 2010 as part of the Association for the Distribution of Independent Cinema (ACID) sidebar. There, it received a handful of festival invites and interest from several distribution companies, but a distribution deal didn't come.

And thus, frustrated and out of necessity, Carrénard decided to release the film independently, which included lots of pavement-pounding, as the filmmaker and crew toured with the film across France, in a bus emblazoned with a logo that read Donoma Guerrilla Tour.

The production and distribution of the film, leading up to the international awareness and acclaim it's received, is the type of story that should impress and inspire. It shows what's possible. 

And in the 30-minute conversation with Djinn below, you'll get intimate details on his process, the freewheeling nature of Donoma's production, and more. It's worth watching/listening to. Afterward, get out and shoot something 🙂