NOVEMBER 2008
Volume 17, Number 11
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
An interview with director Danny Boyle
PAGE 6
Director Alfredo De Villa on the making of Nothing Like The Holidays
PAGE 5
Courses & Workshops
PAGE 11
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Tony Bui
Alan Poul
Don Cheadle Peter Rice
Laura Dern Peter Schlessel
Sid Ganis
Jonathan Sehring
Rodrigo García
Mary Sweeney
Marcus Hu Laura Kim
Forest Whitaker
Preview Screening:
NOTHING LIKE THE HOLIDAYS
See page 5 for details
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in this issue...
FEATURES
DEPAR TMENT S
5
Interview: Nothing Like The Holidays
4
Event Highlights
Alfredo De Villa directs John Leguizamo
and Alfred Molina in a holiday drama about
a Chicago family with a secret.
10
Event Locations
6
Interview: Slumdog Millionaire
10
Thanks to our sponsors
Danny Boyle goes into the slums of India
for his next film, based on the novel Q & A
by Vikas Swarup.
11
Classes & Workshops
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Event Calendar
12
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Screenings, workshops, expert discussions and much more for filmmakers, film lovers, and film leaders alike.
4
eVent hiGhliGhts
1 Producer Ted Hope delivers the Keynote
address at Film Independent’s 2008 Filmmaker Forum on Saturday, September 27
at the DGA.
1
2
2 Academy Award®-winning film director and
producer Davis Guggenheim participates in
Film Independent’s 2008 Filmmaker Forum
documentary panel.
3 Writer/director/producer Stuart Townsend
attends the Film Independent screening of
Battle in Seattle at the Landmark Theater on
September 23, 2008.
4 (L-R) FIND’s Director of Talent Development,
Josh Welsh, producer Anne Clements,
Jim Young, recipient of FIND’s 2008 Sloan
Producers Grant, and Doron Weber of the
Sloan Foundation.
5 FIND Executive Director Dawn Hudson
moderates a debate entitled “Is the Sky
Really Falling for Independent Film?” with
panelists Richard Klubeck, Seth Willensen,
Steve Golin, Mary Sweeney, Ron Yerxa, and
Danny Rosett.
5
4
6 Actress Anne Hathaway speaks at the Film
Independent Q&A for the Los Angeles premiere of Rachel Getting Married at the WGA
Theatre on September 15, 2008.
7 Film Independent’s 2008 Filmmaker Forum
kicks off with a screening of The Brothers
Bloom featuring a Q&A with producer Ram
Bergman.
6
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3
(Left to right.) Director Alfredo De Villa, Freddie Rodriguez, and Alfred Molina discuss a scene on the set of Overture Films’ Nothing Like The Holidays.
INTER V IE W :
Alfredo De Villa
(Nothing Like The Holidays)
B Y : LOREN Z A M UNO Z
Director Alfredo De Villa’s critically acclaimed 2002 drama, Washington Heights, brought New York’s Dominican American culture to life. In his latest feature,
Nothing Like the Holidays, De Villa focuses on a tightly knit Puerto Rican family from Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. Nothing Like the Holidays,
which stars John Leguizamo, Alfred Molina and Debra Messing, was very personal to producer Robert Teitel, who ultimately decided to hire De Villa for the
job. Teitel, who produced Soul Food and Barbershop, wanted to bring the neighborhood where many of his family grew up, to the big screen. De Villa says
the film’s emotional pull about the need for families to stay together despite differences, was appealing, especially in today’s harsh economic times.
You were hired by Bob Teitel to
direct this film. How was it directing
a film you didn’t write?
When you assume the responsibility
of taking another person’s script, the
biggest thing is understanding what
is behind it, what are their intentions
in writing the story? At the same time
you bring your own vision to what
they are trying to say. In this case
when I read an earlier script I had an
immediate gut level sense of what
the script was really about. I had an
innate sense of the vision to the story
and how to make it personal and relatable and why it would make sense
for me as part of my work. Also, when
I read the script it just so happened
that it was something that I had been
thinking about for the last year.
What have
about?
you
been
thinking
Sometimes to keep the balance of
your family and community, you
have to give something up. It is the
opposite of what a lot of films say,
which is ‘you have to take what is
yours.’ This script said you have
to give up something important in
order to maintain the balance of your
family and re-center your world. It is
a film about family.
Why was making a film about
family relatable to you at this
point in time?
I’m a recent father and so all of those
things really spoke to me. When you
have kids you think about what it is
going to be like in 20 years for them.
I felt this movie dealt with that. Also,
with all the troubles facing the U.S.
right now, I think the film had interesting things to say about our society.
The best way to deal with troubles
is to come home and deal with each
other, with your family.
And yet, you have said you are not
particularly close to your family
back in Puebla, Mexico where you
grew up.
That is accurate, unfortunately. But
now I have my own family. When
I grew up, Puebla was a lot more
regional and backwards. The city
shut down between 2 and 4 in the
afternoon. It shut down over the
weekends. American movies came to
Puebla two or three years after they
opened in the U.S. It was a very different world than the one it is today.
I had a very strong and rich outward
family, my cousins and uncles and
a really strong identity of what our
family was. When I read this script, I
knew these characters I had been in
that situation.
In your first feature, Washington
Heights, you explore the Dominican
culture in New York City. In Nothing
like the Holidays you deal with the
Puerto Rican culture. Both films
feel very authentic. How were you
able to capture that authenticity?
I think this is something that I share
with Bob Teitel. He wanted to make
a mainstream film starring and about
“brown people.” That is our gamble.
Bob would say, “I want to make sure
the film feels relatable. I want few excuses for the mid-westerner not to
see this film.” That was his mission.
He wanted to put this in a very recognizable family situation. I took that to
heart. I also share with him the idea
that you play the emotions of a script
and the essential conflicts of a script
but that everything else is research.
We looked at 80 or 90 apartments in
Humboldt Park, we took photographs
of all the details. There was very little
information about the food in the
script. I brought in a food specialist
from the neighborhood to tell us exactly what the dishes were. In Mexico
and Puerto Rico, food is front and
center. I also really listened to Bob
and Freddy (Rodriguez) to make
sure it felt authentic.
Elaborate on how Star Wars and
Darth Vader changed your outlook
on life.
Yes. My mother took me to see it. It
was an incredible experience. What
moved me a lot was during the
sword fight when Darth reveals he
is Luke Skywalker’s father. I was not
conscious about story structure but
I responded to this as a child purely
on an emotional level. It was amazing
to me that things that had not been
revealed could suddenly be talked
about.
But what about that experience
made you want to be a filmmaker?
It was the sense that there could be
deep secrets that characters could be
allowed to explore. In hindsight I think
I was attracted to the craft of telling a
story to move millions of people. One
of those people was myself, a kid in
Mexico.
Continue reading our interview with
Alfredo De Villa at FilmIndependent.org
(click on “News”)
INTER V IE W :
Da n n y B o y l e
You have said that at page 20 of
Simon Beaufoy’s script, he had you.
What grabbed you about the story?
The best way to make a decision about
a film is not when you get to the end
because by then it’s ‘Shall I? Shant I?
And who could be cast? And will it get
a distributor? And blah, blah, blah.’ I
was absolutely sure that I wasn’t going to make a film about Who Wants
to be a Millionaire? but I was lost in
Simon’s script after 10-15 pages. All
my best decisions have been made at
the beginning like that.
What do you look for in a story?
It is very personal. It drives my American
agent mad. It’s not the conventional
ideas, like castability. This one was
( Sl u m d o g M i ll i o n a i r e )
very difficult
to cast. It’s a
freshness, a
vividness that
you feel. Like
‘Oh, I haven’t
seen that before.’
There
are things you
can do to a
narrative, but
it has to have
some pull for
you. You have to maintain that feeling
you get of being pulled in and then
bringing that to the audience. You just
know when you feel it. I genuinely felt
it 15-20 pages in. When it is simple
like that it’s great.
It sounds like you didn’t have too
many problems raising the money
to make the film…
I can raise about 6 million pounds
without a big star because I have had
a couple of successes. We were very
lucky to be able to do that. That gives
you the opportunity if you can keep a
lid on the expenditures and it allows
you to make the film pretty much in
the way you want to.
…But then Warner Independent, which
put up part of the money and was your
U.S. distributor, imploded. Did you fear
at any point that your movie would fall
between the cracks?
We had finished editing when we
heard that Warner Independent was
not going to be producing films anymore. That gave us a big problem.
It looked like we were dead in the
water in North America only eight
weeks ago. But fortunately the guys
at Warner Independent showed it to
Peter Rice at Searchlight and they
had really enjoyed it. So they sold it to
Fox Searchlight. But Warner wanted
to keep a piece of it. We are lucky we
didn’t fall between the cracks. The film
is about an underdog, a guy who has
all stacked against him and he comes
out of it ok. And that is what happened
with our film too.
Other than children playing the leads,
do Millions and Slumdog Millionaire
have any themes in common?
I guess they do really. When you do
interviews you realize things about the
film that you were not thinking about
consciously. There is a theme in both
films about a life-changing bag of
money. The main characters are not
motivated by money, but the way it
Danny Boyle thinks his first movie, the 1996 hit, Trainspotting, was his best. Twelve years later, after
directing half a dozen movies, he says he is simply trying to replicate the sense of freshness that he
felt as a novice on his first low-budget feature. With Slumdog Millionaire, he might as well have been a
first time director—in India. Set against the backdrop of a slum metropolis in India, Slumdog Millionaire,
is the story of an impoverished Indian teen that becomes a contestant on the Indian equivalent of
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? But it is not the money that matters to the young man, played by Dev
Patel—it’s capturing the attention of a girl he loves who religiously watches the show. In the process,
he discovers what really matters in life. Boyle says his stay in India changed some of his perceptions
and he learned to accept life as it is. He also grew an appreciation for the pageantry and drama of
India’s Bollywood films.
NOVEMBER 2008
B Y : LOREN Z A M UNO Z
changes their life is pivotal.
Do you think your movies have any
commonality in themes or ideas?
In terms of things that might link them
together, I do try to do something different. I happen to believe that your
first film is your best film because
you don’t really know what you are
doing, everything is new. You are
always trying to get back to that freshness but you can’t of course. There
is something wonderful about that
state. I am always trying to throw myself into something where I start from
scratch. You have to make it up as you
go along. You cannot go there with a
plan. As Woody Allen said, that is what
makes God laugh, having a plan. It’s
true in India, if you want to find order or
symmetry or pattern you can forget it.
What was it like to film in Dharavi, a
city with two million inhabitants?
It’s a city within a city. But it’s a slum
city. It’s weird, we have a kind of
pejorative sense of what a slum is. We
in the west think, poor housing and
poverty and dirt. But it’s a very proud
place. It’s an amazing community of
people. People live and work in it. It
has its own social infrastructure albeit
very basic. It is an amazingly resilient
place and people make the best of
what they’ve got. Some of the people
there said to me, ‘please don’t show
us as being poor and pitiful.’ The film
tries to be respectful of that.
Did this give you a new appreciation
of Indian culture?
Before I went I knew very little about
the place. It is an amazing place. I
mean, a billion people live there! You
have to learn from it. You can’t go and
try to sort it out. The extremes of their
lives are extraordinary. Especially right
now because it is a Tiger economy
but there is also extreme poverty. I
think in our world, the western world,
we insulate ourselves against those
extremes. There you feel the full blast.
It is invigorating. There is a saying, ‘nobody starves in India’ and it’s true. They
do find a harmony—which under the
circumstances is extraordinary. If you
take to it, India will always be with you.
film, indie film, which is very good.
There is a huge range of talent in India.
The middle class there is very ambitious, their taste is partly for Bollywood
movies but also for Hollywood big action and romantic movies…It will be interesting to see how much they protect
of their song and dance tradition 15-20
years from now.
You list Loveleen Tandan as a codirector, in what way did she support
you?
She was the casting director. She was
there with me everyday because this
movie was all about casting. I realized
I needed her to be on the set everyday particularly with the child actors.
It was very helpful to have someone
to check in with, to tell me ‘no that is
wrong.’ Sometimes you do need that
so that it feels as accurate as possible. It seemed only fair to give her the
credit.
What is next for you?
Are you a fan of Bollywood films?
I hadn’t seen many. I saw a lot more
when I was there. When you are there
it’s easier to get into them. You feel how
much they mean to the audiences. But
Indians do have a tradition of straight
I don’t know. I’ve got to go out to dinner tonight. I go to America next week
to promote the movie, but that is it. I
am not one of those guys who has a
slew of projects backed up. I tend to
do one thing at a time.
Parachute
New Boy
Kate Wakes
Chief
The Black Balloon
Milk
30
29
23
22
16
15
9
8
2
1
Introduction to
Scheduling & Budgeting
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
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The Landmark–West Los Angeles
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M O N D AY
NO V E M B ER
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at AFM: Getting Your
Film Seen
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Le Merigot
25
CINEMA LOUNGE 7:30 pm
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IndieLink: Composers,
Directors and Producers
7:30 pm
Film Independent office
18
Consult This: Actors:
The Blueprint to a
Great Audition
7:30 pm
Film Independent office
11
Film Independent office
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T U E S D AY
28
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F R I D AY
Go to FilmIndependent.org for more information
Become a Film Independent member
and you will be eligible to vote for the
2009 Spirit Award winners.
FILM INDEPENDENT OFFICE CLOSED
NOVEMBER 27 – 28
FOR THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
27
PREVIEW SCREENING:
Nothing Like The Holidays
7:30 pm
The Landmark – West Los Angeles
20
13
PREVIEW SCREENING:
Slumdog Millionaire
8:00 pm
The Landmark – West Los Angeles
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T H U R S D AY
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Membership Orientation
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W E D N E S D AY
Organizational Partners:
film independent
PREVIEW SCREENING:7:30 pm The Black Balloon
Membership Orientation 6:00 pm
PREVIEW SCREENING: 8:00 pm
Slumdog Millionaire
Directed by Danny Boyle. Co Directed (India)
by Loveleen Tandan. Screenplay by Simon
Beaufoy, based on the novel Q&A by Vikas
Swarup. Produced by Christian Colson.
Starring Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal,
Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan.
NOTE LATE START TIME
6
Where: Film Independent office.
Price: Free and open to the general public.
Reservations: Not required.
We’ll cover the organization’s events,
policies, and resources. It’s also a great way
to meet fellow filmmakers and film lovers.
5
Sponsored by
Where: The Landmark – West Los Angeles
Price: Free for Film Independent members and
one guest
Reservations: Not required–first come, first
served. Check-in will open at 5:00 pm.
Q&A with Elissa Down and Rhys Wakefield
When Thomas and his family move to a new
home and he has to start at a new school, all
he wants is to fit in. When his pregnant mother
has to take things easy, his father Simon puts
him in charge of his autistic older brother
Charlie. Thomas, with the help of his new
girlfriend Jackie faces his biggest challenge
yet. Charlie’s unusual antics take Thomas on
an emotional journey that causes his pent-up
frustrations about his brother to pour out - in a
story that is funny, confronting, and ultimately
heart-warming. 97 minutes; a NeoClassics
Films release.
Directed and co-written by Elissa Down.
Written by Jimmy the Exploder. Produced
by Tristram Miall. Starring Toni Collete, Rhys
Wakefield, Gemma Ward, Luke Ford, Erik
Thomson.
3
PREVIEW SCREENING:3:00 pm Milk
Sponsored by
Where: Pacific Design Center
Price: Free for Film Independent members and
one guest
Reservations: Not required–first come, first
served. Check-in will open at 2:30 pm.
Q&A with writer Dustin Lance Black
In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San
Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming
the first openly gay man to be voted into
major public office in America. His victory
was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged
coalitions across the political spectrum. From
senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk
changed the very nature of what it means to
be a fighter for human rights and became,
before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for
all Americans. 98 minutes; a Focus Features
release.
Directed by Gus Van Sant. Written by Dustin
Lance Black. Produced by Dan Jinks and
Bruce Cohen. Starring Sean Penn, Emile
Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna
9
Sponsored by
Where: The Landmark – West Los Angeles
Price: Free for Film Independent members and
one guest.
Reservations: Not required–first come, first
served. Check-in will open at 6:00 pm.
Q&A with Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy,
Freida Pinto and Dev Patel
Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal
Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums
of Mumbai, who is about to experience the
biggest day of his life. With the whole nation
watching, he is just one question away from
winning a staggering 20 million rupees on
India’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? 120
minutes; a Fox Searchlight Pictures release.
Introduction to Scheduling
& Budgeting
Kate Wakes: Directed and written by Jasmine
Kosovic; produced by Adrienne Gruben
and Nancy Leopardi. A man. A woman. A
conference room. Two cell phones. Sometimes
connection is just a ring tone away. 17 minutes
Chief: Directed and written by Brett Wagner;
produced by Dana Hankins and Brett Wagner.
After the tragic death of his daughter a Samoan
Chief is pulled back to the life he left behind.
21 minutes
7:30 pm
This month’s line-up of socializing and great
short films includes:
Cinema Lounge
Where: Film Independent office
Price: Free to members and their guests
Reservations: Required–call 310.432.1222 or
email Reservations@FilmIndependent.org
See page 11 for more information.
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Where: Film Independent office
Price: $180 for Film Independent members;
$250 for non-members
Reservations: Required–call 310.432.1222 or
email Reservations@FilmIndependent.org
See page 11 for more information.
18
IndieLink Composers,
Directors and Producers 7:30 pm
15,16
7:30 pm
Where: Film Independent office
Price: Free to members and their guests
Reservations: Required–call 310.432.1222 or
email Reservations@FilmIndependent.org
See page 11 for more information.
Consult This:
Actors: The Blueprint to a Great Audition Where: Le Merigot
Price: $35 per person. For ticket information,
visit AmericanFilmMarket.com
See page 11 for more information.
11
Film
Independent panel at AFM:
Getting Your Film Seen 11:00 am
PREVIEW SCREENING: 7:30 pm
Nothing Like The Holidays
Sponsored by
Where: The Landmark – West Los Angeles
Price: Free for Film Independent members and
one guest.
Reservations: Not required–first come, first
served. Check-in will open at 5:00 pm.
Q&A with Alfredo De Villa and Freddy Rodriguez
It’s Christmastime and the far-flung members
of the Rodriguez family are converging at their
parents’ home in Chicago to celebrate the
season and rejoice in their youngest brother’s
safe return from combat overseas. For Jesse,
coming home has rekindled feelings for an old
flame. His older sister Roxanna, a struggling
actress, has been chasing her Hollywood
dreams for years with little to show for it. And
eldest brother Mauricio brings home a highpowered executive wife who would rather raise
capital than a child. 97 minutes; an Overture
Films release.
Directed by Alfredo De Villa
Written by Alison Swan and Rick Najera
Produced by Robert Teitel and George
Tillman, Jr. Starring John Leguizamo, Debra
Messing, Freddy Rodriguez, Vanessa Ferlito,
Jay Hernandez, Alfred Molina, Luis Guzman,
Melonie Diaz, Elizabeth Pena.
20
Sponsored by
Where: Whiskey Blue Bar at W Los Angeles
– Westwood
Price: Free for Film Independent members and
their guests.
Reservations: Not required–first come, first
served.
New Boy: Directed and written by Steph Green;
produced by Tamara Anghie. Being a student is
never easy: as seen through the eyes of a nineyear-old African boy. 11 minutes
Filmmakers will be on hand for a Q&A after
the screening.
Parachute: Directed by Lucas Fleischer and
Paul Grellong; written by Lucas Fleischer;
produced by Paul Grellong and Matthew
Goldberg. A precocious young boy strikes
up an unlikely friendship with a checked out
slacker in his thirties. 12 minutes
FILM INDEPENDENT Filmmakers. Film Leaders. Film Lovers. Membership is open to all and is only $95 for more than 120 free screenings, 250 hours of film education, Spirit Awards voting
privileges, members-only events, and much more annually! Join today at FilmIndependent.org. For events that require reservations, call 310.432.1222 or email Reservations@FilmIndependent.org.
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Thanks to our sponsors
Organizational Partners
locations
Film Independent
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Free parking for Film Independent
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Los Angeles
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Westwood Boulevard, West L.A
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or Pico Blvd.
Le Merigot
1740 Ocean Ave
Santa Monica
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8687 Melrose Avenue, West
Hollywood, CA 90069
Free parking available.
Whiskey Blue Bar at
W Los Angeles - Westwood
930 Hilgard Avenue, West Los Angeles
$10 valet parking, $5 with purchase
WE’RE GOING
GREEN!
New FIND E-Magazine
Starting December, the FIND
magazine will go green to
eliminate waste and increase
efficiency for our members.
Every month an electronic
version of the magazine will
be included in our email blast,
one week prior to the following
month. We’ll still have the same
great interviews with filmmakers
and detailed updates on our
events and services—only a
whole lot quicker!
Plus, Select SpecialEdition Issues of FIND
Magazine will be printed and
mailed to members to highlight
key annual programs.
If you miss an issue or would like
to revisit a previous copy, just
visit FilmIndependent.org, where
we have electronic issues dating
back to March 2008.
Leadership Partners
Acura, AMC, American Airlines, Biolage Professional Haircare,
ELLE, Heineken, Los Angeles Times, Netflix, American Express
OPENSM, Piaget, Pop Secret, Target
Executive Partners
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Canon U.S.A., Inc., City of Los Angeles
Cultural Affairs Dept. (CAD), Directors Guild of America, Disney
Channel, Focus Features, Fox Searchlight Pictures, G.H. Mumm,
HBO, IndieVest, Inc., The James Irvine Foundation, Lucasfilm,
Melrose MAC, Miramax, Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs, Overture Films,
Paramount Pictures, SAGIndie/Screen Actors Guild, Stella Artois,
Stolichnaya Vodka, Technicolor, Time Warner Entertainment Group,
Writers Guild of America, west
Senior Partners
Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Arts and
Sciences, Argyros Foundation, Creative Artist Agency, Daily Variety,
Dreyer’s Dibs, Endgame Entertainment, HBO Documentary Films,
Hollywood Foreign Press Association, International Creative
Management, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Loeb & Loeb LLP, Los
Angeles County Arts Commission, Maryland Film Office, Movie
Plus, New York Times, The New Yorker, Schreck Rose Dapello
Adams & Hurwitz LLP, Sony Pictures Classics, Sony Pictures
Worldwide Acquisitions Group, Sundance Channel, Technicolor,
THINKfilm, Vanity Fair, Variety, William Morris Agency, The
Weinstein Company
Partners
2929 Productions, Avid Technology, Inc., Barbara Boyle, Bold
Films, Clear Channel Radio, DLP Cinema, DirecTV, Dreamworks
Studios, EMI Music Publishing, Entertainment Strategies Group
LLC, Entertainment Weekly, Film Finances, Florida Governor’s Office
of Film & Entertainment, Greenberg Glusker, IAG Research, ICM,
Lionsgate Entertainment, Magnolia, Miramax, Mississippi Film Office,
Motorola, Movado, Nancy Seltzer & Associates, National Endowment
for the Arts (NEA), NBC Universal, Ovation TV, Panavision, PEOPLE
magazine, People En Español, People StyleWatch, RKO Pictures,
Roadside Attractions, Starz Entertainment, United Talent Agency,
Vivendi Visual Entertainment, Washington Mutual
Junior Partners
Adobe, Ambush Entertainment, Shelly Bennecke, BMI, Bright
Idea Entertainment, Capital Markets Advisors, Dattner Dispoto
and Associates, Deluxe, Elysian Entertainment, Fotokem Film
and Video, Fugu Films, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Seltz, P.C., Giant
Robot, Gracie Films, Greenberg Traurig, Hollywood Backlot,
Innovative Artist, Hoy, Jim Jacks, Liberation Entertainment,
Metromix, Odd Lot Entertainment, Ole Madrid, Guy Michael Ruffin, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Johnny Sneed, Fernando Sulichin,
Surpin & Mayerson, LLP, Moviola, Universal Studios, Volume One
Entertainment, Xenon Pictures
To view our list of Corporate members and learn more
about the benefits of sponsoring Film Independent,
visit FilmIndependent.org and click on “Partners”.
NOVEMBER 2008
11
C L A SSES
&
W ORKSHO P S
Film Independent panel at AFM: Getting
Your Film Seen
Don’t be on the outside looking in. Your film can be
seen by a wide audience without any involvement of the
big studios. Indie filmmakers have found a lot of new
ways to get their films out there without tapping into the
traditional distribution methods. Come hear the latest
innovations in the wonderful world of monetizing your
film. The landscape may be changing, but filmmakers
who know how to navigate the terrain can enjoy a large
measure of success on their own. Panelists include
Peter Broderick of Paradigm Consulting, Jim Browne of
Argot Pictures, producer Jody Savin (Bottle Shock), and
John Sloss of Cinetic Media. Moderated by attorney
Michael C. Donaldon, Donaldson and Callif.
When: November 11, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Where: Le Merigot, Santa Monica
Price: $35 per person. For ticket information, visit
AmericanFilmMarket.com
Consult This:
Actors: The Blueprint to a Great Audition
Improve your auditioning skills. Acting instructors
Sal Landi and Elizabeth Greer will breakdown the
audition process and provide you with the tools you
need to be as in control as possible while remaining
as free as possible to do your best work. This is a
new program for all our actor members!
When: Tuesday, November 11, 7:30 pm
Where: Film Independent office
Price: Free to members and their guests
Reservations: Required–call 310.432.1222 or email
reservations@filmindependent.org.
Introduction to Scheduling & Budgeting
Film Independent is offering a special opportunity for our
members to learn how to budget and schedule their projects using the EP Scheduling and Budgeting Software.
Taught by Film Independent’s very own Todd Flinchum,
this intensive, all-weekend course will give a great
overview of how to schedule and budget a project using
the software. On November 15, we will focus on scheduling. Topics
covered include: breaking down a screenplay; arranging information; working the “day out of days”; creating
strip boards; customizing forms; making a schedule;
and creating reports. The next day, November 16, learn
how to budget a project. Topics will include: the use of
contractuals; the major elements of each department
(personnel, tools, and materials); sub-groups; and the
use of fringe benefits. We strongly advise that you bring a computer with the
software loaded, however the class is also useful for
those who want to learn to schedule and budget manually. Demo software is available for download from EP’s
website at www.entertainmentpartners.com. Light refreshments will be served both days.
Price: $180 for Film Independent members; $250 for
non-members
Reservations: Required–call 310.432.1222 or email
reservations@filmindependent.org.
IndieLink Composers, Directors
and Producers
Composers get to play their work for Directors and
Producers looking for musical options for their films. If
you are a director or producer this is the venue to find
your score. Participating composers will be selected
after completing the IndieLink form. Following will be a
special holiday kick-off networking reception. Don’t miss
out - this event only happens once a year!
When: Tuesday, November 18, 7:30 pm
Where: Film Independent office
Price: Free to members and their guests
Reservations: Required–call 310.432.1222 or email
reservations@filmindependent.org.
For reservations, call 310.432.1222 or email
Reservations@FilmIndependent.org. More details and
updates can always be found at FilmIndependent.org.
Entertainment Partners presents EP Budgeting
and EP Scheduling software – academic pricing
discounts available to workshop attendees. Please
contact Paul Cowling at Film Independent for more
information 310.432.1200.
When: Saturday, November 15 & Sunday,
November 16, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Where: Film Independent office
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: 2009 DIRECTORS LAB
Chris Russo (2008 Directors Lab) working
with camera operator Bob Odessa while
shooting her scenes for the Directors Lab.
Film Independent is now accepting submissions for its 2009 Directors Lab. A maximum of ten directors will be chosen for this
intensive program designed to help directors working in independent film improve their craft. The primary focus of the Lab is on
learning to work with actors and the rehearsal process. Under the guidance of the lab instructor, Directors Lab Fellows select
short scenes from their script to workshop. Additionally, Fellows go through a mini-production, learning how to break down a
script into a shot list, collaborate with cinematographers, and construct a scene in the editing process. Film Independent provides the Lab participants with camera and sound packages to shoot their scenes.
A secondary goal of the program is to help advance the careers of the Lab Fellows by introducing them to film professionals who
can advise them on both the craft and business of directing. Lab Fellows have one-on-one meetings with established directors and
other industry professionals who act as advisors on the participant’s projects.
Past Lab Instructors include Allison Anders (Gas Food Lodging, Things Behind the Sun), Anthony Drazan
(Hurlyburly), Rodrigo García (Passengers, Nine Lives), Keith Gordon (The Singing Detective, Waking the Dead), Vondie Curtis Hall
(Gridlock’d, Waist Deep), Charles Herman-Wurmfeld (Kissing Jessica Stein, Legally Blonde), Nicole Holofcener (Friends With Money, Lovely
and Amazing), Jeremy Podeswa (Fugitive Pieces The Five Senses), and Andrew Wagner (Starting Out In The Evening).
2009 Directors Lab, February 2–March 30, 7:00 pm (Every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday)
Deadline: November 3, 2008 (postmarked)
$55 Film Independent members
$75 Non-members
For an application visit www.FilmIndependent.org
Sponsored by
12
f i lm
indep endent
Ta l e n t
D e v e l o pm e n t
f e llo w s
At Film Independent, several of our programs—the Filmmaker Labs, Project:Involve (P:I), Fast Track, and the Spirit Awards filmmaker grants—
were established with the goal of helping filmmakers develop their talent and get their projects made. We’ve brought these programs together
under one umbrella: the Film Independent Talent Development Program. Participants are recognized as “Film Independent Fellows” and become
members of Film Independent. Here’s the latest on what some of our Fellows are up to.
FELLO W S NE W S
2009 Film Independent Fellows — Project:Involve
Congratulations to the filmmakers selected for the 2008-2009 cycle of Project:Involve - Film Independent’s
diversity program focusing on mentorship, education, and career development.
Romulo Alejandro
Director
Esteban Arguello
Director
Husam Asi
Writer/Director
Marissa Jo Cerar
Writer
Peter Chen
Writer/Director
Barney Cheng
Director
Jarrett Conaway
Writer/Director
Nekisa Cooper
Producer
MichaelDempster
Writer/Director
John Estrada
Producer
Cindy Fang
Producer
Luis Ivan Garcia
Writer/Director
Jenn Garrison
Director
Josephine GreenYang
Writer/Director
Daniel Herman
Cinematographer
Rikki Jarrett
Producer
Mako Kamitsuna
Editor
Kenneth Kokka
Writer/Director
Kuang Lee
Writer/Director
Melissa Lee
Producer
Wendy Lee
Writer/Director
S.J. Main
Producer
Vanessa Marin
Documentarian
Mariscela Mendez
Cinematographer
Adriana Montenegro
Citlali Moreno
Producer
Graciela Muraida
Producer
Salvador Paniagua
Writer/Director
Anupama Pradhan
Writer/Director
George Reyes
Documentarian
David Rodriguez
Estrada
Writer/Director
Helen Sam
Producer
Redelia Shaw
Producer
Laura Somers
Writer/Director
Sarah Takahashi
Cinematographer
Jay Visit
Cinematographer
Jeff Warden
Director
Meredyth Wilson
Writer/Director
Eugene Yang
Writer/Director
Seung Hyun Yoo
Editor
Director
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LEWIS BRISBOIS
BISGAARD & SMITH LLP
Entertainment Legal Services
Let LBBS Fulfill All of Your Legal Needs from
Entity Formation Through Distribution Including:
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The Spirit Awards nominees will be announced on Tuesday, December 2, 2008.
Be the first to find out this year’s nominees by logging on to SpiritAwards.com.
Seeking volunteers and interns for the pre-production
and production of the 2009 event.
To Volunteer or Intern with us, you need to:
• Submit the Volunteer/Intern application
form found at SpiritAwards.com
• Application must be received by
December 8, 2008
• Attend one Volunteer Orientation meeting
on Wednesday, December 10, or
Thursday, December 11
• Be available ALL DAY on February
20th and 21st
BE A PART OF THE SHOW!
Sign up NOW to volunteer at SpiritAwards.com
IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR.
In the unpredictable climate of the entertainment business, one
thing remains certain: Every year Film Independent’s Spirit Awards
celebrates the very best in independent film and only members
decide the winners.
Join or Renew your Film Independent membership by
December 15, 2008 to be eligible to vote.
As an added bonus you’ll get instantly entered into a raffle to win a
ticket to the 2009 Film Independent’s Spirit Awards!
JOIN US AT WWW.FilmIndependent.org
Enter Promo Code: SA09TIX
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