Add Steven Soderbergh and Clive Owen to the list of lauded artists slipping through the permeable membrane between the worlds of film and television. August 8 marks Soderbergh’s first foray into the box that likely will never again be known as the “boob tube,” as The Knick premieres on Cinemax. Last night, Soderbergh and Owen joined Film Independent and New York Times Film Club members for a Film Independent at LACMA screening of the season’s first episode....

“Film is, to me, just unimportant. But people are very important.” John Cassavetes said this. Emmy winner and two-time Academy Award nominated documentarian Lucy Walker (Waste Land, The Crash Reel) puts it another way: “The subject is most important—as well as how to approach it. The right equipment follows because that’s what you need.” Story is king, but a king cannot stand alone. Which is why choosing the right equipment can have a significant impact on how you construct your narrative....

Luckily, The LEGO Movie leaves viewers with the nostalgic feeling that the brand still is meant for everyone. And regardless of gender or age, you and your creations really are special. In a Q&A following last night’s Film Independent at LACMA screening, The LEGO Movie directors Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, expressed their devotion to the creativity the brand inspires. “Here’s this really amazing brand and we were scared of making a 90 minute commercial for LEGO, but this tool for creativity is really amazing” explained Christopher Miller....

Each of these films combined talent, cinematography, directing and so much more to make their worlds unforgettable. And sure, we know these films are all one-of–a-kind. But we don’t always know everything that went into making them. Of course that doesn’t mean we can’t try to find out. Here is your cheat sheet on each of the five films nominated for Best Feature, with links to key interviews wherein the filmmakers have discussed their approach to bringing these five very different stories to life:...

Such was the scenario presented by John Curran’s Chappaquiddick at Opening Night of the 2017 Film Independent Forum. In 107 minutes, the film deftly covers a week’s worth of emotional turmoil, crises of faith, philosophizing and legal wrangling in the life of Ted Kennedy—played in the film by Australian actor Jason Clarke. Even 48 years later, the story of the “Chappaquiddick Incident” is not an easy one to tell. Curran’s pensive, deliberate narrative sets up a portrait of young senator struggling with the weight of expectations on all sides, as various friends and advisors urge conflicting courses of action following the accidental drowning death of former Robert Kennedy campaign secretary Mary Jo Kopechne (Kate Mara)....

One Emmy nomination, 127 countries and 10 language-translations later, co-writer and co-star Jen Richards (I Am Cait, After Ellen) was still blown away by the success of the six-episode web series. The low-stakes project she envisioned making for $10,000 to share with friends has taken quite a turn. “It’s especially fulfilling to see it being played in Brazil—three-hundred trans women have been murdered in Brazil this year alone.” (You can watch the panel in its entirety below, or on our YouTube channel....

Mothers and Daughters When: May 6 Where: Theaters, iTunes Director: Paul Duddridge Starring: Susan Sarandon, Selma Blair, Courtney Cox Why We’re Excited: Mother’s Day is right around the corner and this first feature from Paul Duddridge is a celebration of the unique bond that exists between mothers and daughters. Selma Blair stars as Rigby Gray, a photographer who captures more with her camera than just images. Through the perspectives of her latest photo project, Rigby learns what being a mother is actually all about—whether she likes it or not....

These awards—and the unrestricted cash grants they represent, totaling a whopping $125,000—were given out on January 5, at Film Independent’s annual Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch in West Hollywood. And whether rubbing shoulders with fellow nominees, plotting future collaborations or just kicking off a fun party weekend with some high-calorie breakfast foods, the brunch is always a great place for filmmakers of every strive to celebrate their camaraderie and honor a few of their peers deserving of some special recognition....

Anyone who loves independent cinema can appreciate the fact that not all the movies we love are those that make us feel warm and fuzzy inside. In fact, the work celebrated by the Film Independent Spirit Awards often takes the form of dark and disturbing stories. Here are some of our favorite winners from years past that made us cringe, lose sleep or feel all sorts of weird. Blood Simple (1986) Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen Stars: M....

What does all this mean for directors? It’s one of the questions executive producer Alan Poul (executive producer/director, The Newsroom, Six Feet Under) plans to delve into when he moderates the final Film Independent Directors Close-Up panel, Television: Directing Outside of the Lines, tomorrow night with Miguel Arteta (director, Enlightened, American Horror Story); Carl Franklin (director, House of Cards, Homeland); Jeremy Podeswa (director, Boardwalk Empire, The Newsroom); Jill Soloway (writer/director, Transparent, Afternoon Delight) and Jessica Yu (director, Parenthood, Scandal)....

Following the screening, Film Independent at LACMA curator Elvis Mitchell sat down for a 30-minute conversation with Bourdain (who also wrote the episode), executive producer Sandy Zweig, producer/director Tom Vitale and directors of photography Zach Zamboni, Hunter Gross and Jeff Allen. SHAPING MONUMENTS, SHOOTING ANAMORPHIC The episode opens with an acoustic duet sung beautifully in Italian. The music sounds romantic and comforting… until subtitles appear to inform viewers that the song actually concerns a murder....

DON’T neglect to provide established actors a private space to dress and to prepare and to have peace and quiet. This place can be small, but it needs to exist, even on a no-budget shoot, or it can throw the whole day’s creative work out of kilter. DON’T assume that you can do a complicated “crowd scene” without having to control and place the extras. It is rare that you can accomplish something very intricate in a large group of people without the ability to manipulate at least some of the bodies around your lead players....

Although set in 1977, Film Independent at LACMA’s one-and-only artist-in-residence Jason Reitman gave Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 Boogie Nights an added bit of relevance by noting to the Live Read’s film-loving, and filmmaking, audience that “the movie is about the end of cinema and the rise of digital”. All told through the story of aspiring and uniquely gifted adult actor Eddie Adams, ne Dirk Diggler. With one of the largest casts the Live Read series has featured (10 actors, roles listed below), including three veterans, there was much to keep the audience’s attention, including a piqued interest in the surprise actor cast in the lead role of Diggler, Twilight star Taylor Lautner....

This week: Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. In this nonfiction feature, a team of divers, photographers and scientists set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world. CHASING CORAL Type: Documentary Feature Director: Jeff Orlowski Producers: Jeff Orlowski, Larissa Rhodes Budget: Undisclosed Financing: Private Equity/Individual Donations/Grants Production: 3½ years, 2013-2016 Shooting Format: RED Dragon, RED Epic, Sony FS7, Panasonic GH4, GoPro, Canon EOS-1D C, etc....

The reception was hosted by LA Film Festival Director of Programming Roya Rastegar and Creative Director Jennifer Cochis, who handed out awards for US Fiction, World Fiction, Documentary, LA Muse and Nightfall, as well as Short Fiction and Short Documentary. Audience Awards were also presented for Fiction Feature, Documentary Feature, Short Film and Web Series. The ceremony was sponsored by the Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television. “With all the talk about diversifying Hollywood, the LA Film Festival provides proof that talented filmmakers with new voices are out there, they just need a platform and that’s what we’re providing,” said LA Film Festival Director Stephanie Allain, who added, “One of the more satisfying aspects of this job is watching new directors blossom in the spotlight....

By Aaron Rubin / LA Film Fest Guest Blogger The LA Film Fest’s Spotlight on the Craft series of panels kicked off with the Canon-sponsored case study of Life of a King. The generous moderator, Canon Industry Advisor Naida Albright, shone a light on how the filmmakers were able to finally bring the inspirational true story of Eugene Brown to the screen after ten years of development. Boasting a full line-up of the primary creative team, the panel featured writer/director Jake Goldberger, producer Tatiana Kelly, cinematographer Mark Schwartzbard and editor Julia Garces....

Film, music and art from Africa converge at LACMA when the month-long celebration of West African cinema, Cameras d’ Afrique film series, kicks off tonight. The evening’s main attraction is a double feature of the work of Chadian Mahamet-Saleh Haroun, with a special in-person appearance of the writer/director who’s been called one of the “leading lights of African cinema” for a Q&A with Elvis Mitchell. The first film, Bye Bye Africa, is Haroun’s directorial debut, and the film that propelled him into the international spotlight....

Film Independent recently caught up with Applegate to discuss to talk about her relationship to performing comedy, the importance of studying your craft, stepping out of your comfort zone and her advice for young actors. Here’s the conversation: So who were some of your comedic influences? Oh wow. So many. Bennie Hill. The late Mary Tyler Moore. Bette Midler, definitely–The Divine Miss M. I love Peter Sellers and how hilarious he is [beyond] just physical comedy....

With over 20 years in the business, stunt coordinator and second unit director Darrin Prescott has worked on some of the most thrilling action films in recent memory — including Black Panther, Ford vs Ferrari and the John Wick franchise. His work on 2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum scored him a SAG award for Outstanding Stunt Ensemble. Getting his start in the business alongside fellow stunt performers-turned-filmmakers Chad Stahelski (John Wick) and David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2) on the Matrix films in the early 2000s, Prescott’s approach to action choreography always comes back to one simple rule: it must be motivated by story and character....

Okay, so maybe that’s a little extreme. But for aspiring series creators and showrunners, structuring a workable, potentially long-running television concept requires imagination and problem-solving on both the micro- and macro- levels–a mastery of tone, plot and characterization across variable interlocking units of temporal storytelling: scenes, dramatic acts, full episodes, multi-episode arcs and complete seasons. Enter the Film Independent Episodic Lab, the 7th edition of which is currently underway in Los Angeles....