Andrew Bujalski is an American filmmaker who has played architect – however unintentionally – to mumblecore, a mode of filmmaking that has a continually expanding influence on American independent cinema. This can be found in Funny Ha Ha (2002) and Mutual Appreciation (2003), while still undergirding Beeswax (2009). Computer Chess (2013), his most ambitious film yet, was shot almost entirely on Sony black and white, video tube cameras from the late 1960s and won the Alfred Sloan prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
We brought Andrew to Toronto to screen prints of his first two features. Before Andrew caught his flight home, we had the chance to collaborate on a salon-like interview, where different personalities talked about film alongside Andrew’s anecdotes. It was a suitable conclusion to two days of films about friends, conversations and alcohol, which we were happy to share with Andrew during his first visit to Toronto. This interview was conducted in February of 2014.
This interview was first published in January of 2015.
