How exactly does this work?
It all starts with Indiewire editors selecting their top picks for Project of the Day. Then it’s all in your hands, folks. Projects of the Day advance on into the running for Project of the Week. Winners from that round receive a “phone consultation with a representative from SnagFilms” and proceed to Project of the Month. The film with the most votes wins a “phone consultation with a representative from Tribeca Film Institute”.
Huge congrats to the 11 filmmakers selected for Sundance’s Feature Film Creative Producing Fellowship! Ever thought about applying? [Sundance Institute]
“Call managers, not agents” and other tips on casting micro-budget movies. [Indiewire]
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Since premiering at Tribeca, “A Case of You” has been acquired by IFC Films.
This week’s guest post is from Kristie Yeung, a fellow Ithaca grad based in NYC and one of the coolest kids I know on Twitter (@ktotheyeung).
For as much as we’re surrounded by it, there hasn’t been a lot of entertainment focused on the topic of social media. Sure, actors and musicians use social media to promote their works and themselves. Sure, we use social media to follow our favorite celebrities and find out the latest on upcoming projects. Sure, there has been the occasional song or sitcom episode that mentions Facebook or Twitter. But I haven’t come across anything that is permeated with social media to the extent that we are.
“Every time a woman makes a film, it is a political act, in my view, whether we mean it to be or not.”
– Ava DuVernay, Director (I WILL FOLLOW, MIDDLE OF NOWHERE)
Nokia Music Short Film Competition
“To grasp this exciting opportunity, filmmakers need to simply upload a short video trailer (15 to 30 secs) visualizing the underground music scene in their chosen city. If you’d like to get involved, think of this trailer as an audition, which showcases your concept. Nokia, in association with Sundance London (2013), is looking for creative ideas that really push the boundaries of the camera and the possibilities of mobile filmmaking. We are open to all styles and approaches, just make sure you clearly describe what you intend to create.
Remember back in the day when indie filmmakers was mortgaging their homes, maxing out credit cards and borrowing money from every person they’d met in life just to get films made? Yeah, that’s not cool anymore, especially to producers. So what’s a director to do?
Film festivals partnering with cable TV? Yes, you heard right. But how? Recently I’ve seen a few filmmakers that I follow Twitter alerting folks to short films airing this month on HBO:
If you have HBO then check @don_con‘s #SLEEP & @talibahlnewman‘s #BustedOnBrighamLane on HBO OnDemand. #CinemaStereo
— LenoxAveSeries (@LenoxAveSeries) February 20, 2013
It was the tweet heard ’round Twitter on Valentine’s Day and in case you missed it–
We made all our movies free on @hulu through the weekend. Enjoy. ❤ ow.ly/hIUOP
— Criterion Collection (@Criterion) February 14, 2013
This cinematic love freebie expires on Monday, Feb. 18th. An eclectic collection that ranges from HOOP DREAMS to ERASERHEAD is just a click away HERE. If you can’t possibly watch everything in one weekend, the collection is always available with a Hulu Plus subscription.
15th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival
Regular Deadline: February 15th
“The 15th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival, will take place August 23-25, 2013 in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, welcoming some 10,000 filmgoers to the city’s coolest venues for more than 200 films in just three short days. Submit your film today and be a part of one of Time magazine’s “Top Ten Film Festivals for the Rest of Us”. The 2013 Festival will feature an expanded Life and Liberty Civil and Human Rights Sidebar to recognize and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing and Birmingham’s place in the American civil rights story. If your film deals with a civil or human rights issue we encourage you to submit in our “Civil and Human Rights” category.”
website: http://sidewalkfest.com/submit-a-film/
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“Write and write until you just can’t write anymore.”
– Lawrence Kasdan, Screenwriter (STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK,)
“The most honest form of filmmaking is to make a film for yourself.”
– Peter Jackson, Director (THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY)
“I’m drawn to filmmaking that can transport me. Film can immerse you, put you there.”
– Kathryn Bigelow, Director (HURT LOCKER, ZERO DARK THIRTY)
Short Film Competition Hosted by Actress Octavia Spencer (THE HELP, SMASHED, FRUITVALE) on her Facebook Fan Page
Deadline: February 10th
From Octavia’s Facebook page: “Here’s the deal: If you’ve shot a short and it’s just sitting around your hard drive, post a link to it here on my page before Feb. 10th. Film can be from anywhere in the world as long as it’s subtitled, and can be any genre. It can NOT exceed 20 mins in length. YOU MAY ONLY POST YOUR FILM ONCE! Though you may enter multiple films. The Winner will receive: CANON EOS 60D, Platinum 6000 Digital Tripod and $1000.
“A message I’ve been telling myself: the cinema is very conservative, and unless you have a story that satisfies you, that is within the unchallenging zone, but you love it, you can’t do it as cinema. Otherwise, you go do it for television, which is more daring now.”
– Jane Campion, Director (TOP OF THE LAKE, Premieres Program)
“I have all the creative freedom of someone making a home movie, but I get to do it on a larger scale. It’s the best.”
– Robert Rodriguez, Director (EL MARIACHI, From the Collection Screening)
I still can’t believe the biggest film kid meetup of the year is almost half over. Things are still very much happening during Sundance’s B Week (the 10 days are often referred to as A Week and B Week by attendees who aren’t staying the whole festival). If you’re an indie film lover like me, but couldn’t make it up to Park City this year, have no fear. The festival has done a great job of providing event content of all sorts available anywhere with an internet signal. Enjoy!
Option 1: Livestreams
At Sundance, no indie film lover is left out. At almost every film screening, panel and music performance I’ve attended, I’ve always seen a staff member behind a camera recording the experience. One of my favorites was definitely EL MARIACHI From The Collection Screening Q&A with director Robert Rodriguez.
“I don’t know any filmmaker who embrace the term mumblecore. By grouping us all together, it’s kind of unfair, like grouping all films that cost $8 million and have a written script and 35 mm film are all the same. At the same time, the usefulness, I recognize – it brought attention to small films that no one would have paid attention to.”
– Lynn Shelton, Director (TOUCHY FEELY, U.S. Dramatic Competition)
Pretty much everyday, I have to pinch myself. A year ago when I was blogging on my iPod Touch in a hotel lobby about my first trip to Utah to volunteer at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, I never imagined I’d be back in Park City for a second round of this amazing cinematic summer (winter?) camp. This time I’m working as paid staff so my schedule is a little more scaled towards work than play. I still want to share this experience with all those that can’t be here. Excuse the post full of tweets, but I know I won’t be able to tackle full reviews and reflections during this chaos. Hopefully for those not following me or the blog on Twitter, I can at least provide the highlights of my time here so far.
So beautiful seeing volunteers meet & trade schedules so they can see films togethers while waiting in line. #festfriends #sundance
— Christina L Bryant (@Christina8ryant) January 18, 2013
WHO IS DAYANI CRISTAL? beautiful powerful doc about one migrant & at the same time anyone who’s risked everything for Amer. dream. #sundance
— Christina L Bryant (@Christina8ryant) January 18, 2013
Indies Unchained! 