Woodstock resident Jesse Alk recently premiered his debut documentary film PARIAH DOG at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, where it was awarded Best Feature. Jesse was among a strong contingent of Hudson Valley Filmmakers represented at the festival, including Filmmakers Peter Nelson and Sally Roy, who brought their feature, THE POLLINATORS to Big Sky. With filmmakers representing Accord, Kingston and Woodstock, the Mid Hudson Valley contingent at Big Sky helped to illustrate the vibrant regional documentary filmmaker community.
PARIAH DOG focuses on several eccentric street dog caretakers in Kolkata, India. Shot over three years, the film paints a kaleidoscopic picture of the city of Kolkata, seen through the prism of four outsiders and the dogs they love. An artistically shot creative documentary, PARIAH DOG gains intimate access to the lives of its subjects, as they care for the street dogs around them, and struggle to find their place in this crowded megacity.
Color correction for the film was done with Chad Smith at Massive Clouds in Kingston. “It was literally the most pleasant part of making PARIAH DOG,” said Alk. “Chad’s excellent taste and consummate professionalism brought a level of polish to the film beyond what I could not have anticipated. As a first time filmmaker, I was incredibly grateful that Chad was willing to talk me through the process and dedicate himself to this smaller project with as much seriousness as he brings to larger films. The coloring of the film has repeatedly, and rightly, been singled out for praise by other filmmakers.”
“I met with Jesse to talk about working together at the beginning of the edit,” recalls Chad Smith. “At that time he only had a short trailer edited. There was such a strong visual sense, so much texture and interesting characters that I was taken in right away. Even though he is a first time filmmaker, Jesse has a great eye, attention to detail and brings deep knowledge of cinema history. Jesse attended the color sessions and provided positive feedback during the process. This made for a very collaborative and supportive experience. The end result is an exceptional looking film. I could not be happier for his wonderful win at Big Sky”
Stay tuned for more news about local production, and post-production.