Code Black When: June 20 Where: Theaters Director: Ryan McGarry Starring: Danny Cheng, Andrew Eads, Jamie Eng Why We’re Excited: Wider audiences will now have a chance to experience the winner of Best Documentary at last year’s Los Angeles Film Festival. Physician and first time-filmmaker Ryan McGarry takes us inside the intense and chaotic environment of an inner-city ER described as “the hurt locker of medicine.” Obvious Child When: June 6 Where: Theaters Director: Gillian Robespierre Starring: Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffmann Why We’re Excited: It’s not every day you get to see an abortion-themed romantic comedy....

For the former, there’s always our Episodic Lab. But for the latter, there’s the Film Independent Episodic Directing Intensive–where in just three whirlwind days, a diverse cross-section of veteran directors, showrunners, actors, executives and cinematographers provide a heavy-duty brain dump to six up-and-coming filmmakers, sharing their experiences and knowledge of the episodic directing landscape. We’ll teach you how to do everything, except order lunch! A select list of Industry participants includes Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Johnson Cheng, Gloria Fan, Georgina Gonzalez, Liz Kelly, Shari Page, Jeremy Podeswa, Alysia Reiner, Beth Schacter, Nancy Schreiber, ASC, Yira Vilaro, Rina Varughese, and Daniel Willis....

As much a pure love letter to cinema as any syrup-y Oscars montage, each episode of Now! finds Hader and Armisen (who co-created the series along with fellow SNL vet Seth Meyers and director Rhys Thomas) donning a variety of grotesque guises to parody a specific classic of nonfiction filmmaking. To fully appreciate Now! requires a familiarity not only with the pitch and rhythm of contemporary comedy, but also at least some in-depth knowledge about the canon of great documentary films and filmmakers....

To those of you who went to Sundance—welcome back to real life! (And for those of you whose flights to the East Coast were canceled…good luck.) We asked some of our staff and Fellows who braved the cold in Park City to recap some of their best of the fest, and this is what they told us! Which films made the biggest impression on you? What Happened, Miss Simone?; Tig; The Overnight; Dope — Stephanie Allain / Los Angeles Film Festival Director 99 Homes, 3 1/2 Minutes, The Tribe, The Stanford Prison Experiment — Eric Lin / Film Independent Fellow, Directing Lab, Fast Track, Grants & Awards / Cinematographer, I Smile Back I only saw seven films....

Filmmakers and developers are both creative people, but they speak different languages. What happens when you put both minds in the same room over the weekend in a film tech hackathon? Creative combustion, collaboration, and some truly awesome project ideas—new ways to discover stories, connect with collaborators and fans and experience the world. Film Independent teamed up with CreatorUp at the recent Film Independent Forum and we issued a challenge to four teams of creative minds: invent an app that will help filmmakers connect directly with their audience and that could have the potential to change the world....

As we’ve seen continue to unfold—dramatically, unexpectedly, inevitably—suppressed traumas are always destined to surface at unpredictable times, in unpredictable ways. These time-delayed expressions of trauma can be as macro-sized as the global protests against police violence and racial injustice currently radiating out from Minneapolis across the world, or as personal and private as a the sudden onset of a debilitating panic attack triggered by an unfriendly face in an intimate space....

There are formative moments that shape us as filmmakers. In my case, attending Werner Herzog’s Rogue Film School was fundamental to developing my vision and philosophy. After that, I was able to take the leap into writing and directing my first feature film. By the time I wrote my second feature, I applied to Film Independent’s Screenwriting Lab. Luckily, I made it through the interview process and a couple of weeks later, I was selected as one of the writers in the program....

It’s not often that an inanimate (or is it?) children’s toy becomes the breakout star of a hit movie franchise, but it wasn’t long before The Conuring’s pigtailed poltergeist took center stage, freaking us out but good in 2014’s terrifyingly titular Annabelle. Naturally, the film was a massive box office success, setting the terrifying stage for this year’s Annabelle: Creation—directed by LA Film Festival alum David F. Sandberg (Lights Out)....

The danger of this fairy tale is that it feeds the other seductive notion that naturally talented writers are able to write and sell great scripts pretty much right out of the gate, perhaps even win an Academy Award, just like it happened for (fill in some Diablo Cody-type name here). Being able to write a first-ever script good enough to sell and get made is a great story. But we have to keep in mind that the folks in Hollywood are staunch believers in never letting the facts get in the way of a good story....

For film fans, the early months of each year can be a dispiriting time. Luckily the universe demands balance in all things, which is undoubtedly why this desolate stretch of calendar real estate has been gobbled up by awards season, giving movie lovers a place to put their frustrated energies in the lull between serious-minded dramatic fare and Technicolor superhero sagas. I personally love awards season, and I’m not alone....

Mo’ platforms, mo’ problems. Okay, that wasn’t quite Biggie’s intent, but the sentiment definitely applies. Along with exciting opportunities for independent filmmakers, the explosion of VOD platforms has also brought a host of complexities and conundrums. Here are the top quotes on the ever-shifting VOD marketplace from this week’s AFM Conference. “Your digital strategy has to be as important as your script.” David White, Founder & CEO, IndieReign “Today, VOD has leveled the playing field....

One of the best things about being invited into the Film Independent family through our artist development programs is having the chance to learn from the cream of the crop. Some of the most successful directors, producers and screenwriters in the business come into our offices to talk with the Fellows in our Labs about what it’s really like out there. They share the stories of their own ups, downs—and way, way downs—in the business, as well as offering advice on everything from how to win over your crew on set to how to cure writers’ block....

For nearly a decade, Jill James has provided financial guidance to self-funded business Founder/CEOs and entrepreneurs as a strategy and operations consultant specializing in purpose-driven creative ventures. And recently, she’s been lending her talents to Film Independent Artist Development Fellows, working with Fi’s Imaginar and Amplifier programs to advise our cohorts on the knotty process of establishing their creative efforts as properly recognized (and rewarded!) business entity. We recently spoke to James about the difference between filmmakers and most “normal” entrepreneurs, the importance of bifurcating your financial identity, collaborating with Film Independent and more....

Why do we have the emotional associations with certain musical elements that we do? For decades film composers have relied on specific combinations of instruments to represent different moods. When you hear a high melody played in a major key, you immediately think of adventure or heroism. Picture any John Williams fanfare—like Indiana Jones, Superman or the Olympics theme. Meanwhile, the bouncing woodwind phrases ubiquitous in comedy films likely fills you with an immediate sense of farce....

At last month’s Film Independent Forum, industry experts offered their insights at the event’s annual Marketing and Distribution Clinic. This year’s panelists included Submarine Entertainment cofounder Josh Braun, Array Director of Marketing Mercedes Cooper, Film Independent’s own Alia Quart Khan and indie film marketing-and-distribution strategist Missy Laney. Filmmaker, author and film consultant Jon Reiss served as moderator. Representing Array—filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s innovative distribution collective—Cooper collaborates with filmmakers to form ties with outside communities, surmising that it’s important to forge a loyal audience that will support filmmakers throughout their entire career, not just their first feature....

“I still can’t look at a broom without crying.” N.C. Heikin’s second feature documentary, Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story, will make its world premiere at the festival in the documentary competition. The film tells the inspiring story of music legend Frank Morgan, a jazz saxophonist who struggled with addiction, spent decades in prison, and then, upon his release, made an incredible comeback. The film features interviews with a wide array of people who knew Morgan, and is framed by a tribute concert in San Quentin....

Last year, in order to avoid transmitting coronavirus via a series of scrambled egg platters and carafes of mimosa, these awards were handed out virtually. Such is the case again this year—though the 2022 Spirit Awards ceremony itself is due to return to its home on the Santa Monica beach on March 6. Thus the “hybrid model” our tortured lede presently alluded to. This morning, the first three awards of #SpiritAwards season were bestowed....

May is for Members! This week only: 10% off General Membership. This month, we’re celebrating our Membership experience for filmmakers and film lovers all over the globe. All month-long you can enjoy an array of special discounts on Membership. This week, you can join and save 10% on all levels of General Membership. Join or renew today! Growing up in the wake of the Iranian Cultural Revolution of the early 1980s, nonfiction filmmaker and Film Independent Member Nazanin Nematollahi quickly came to realize her ambitions placed her at odds with her country’s rapidly diminishing protections for both women and artists....

ALL ABOUT EVE v. INGRID GOES WEST 2017 will go down in history as a year that pushed forward the equality of women across all industries—from the Women’s March to #MeToo and #TimesUp. As we look forward to a new era of empowerment of women, it’s interesting to sit back and enjoy the progress depicted in films like Thelma and Louise, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and the recent Girls Trip and Lady Bird; heart-warming films that explore dynamic female characters and strong, genuine female bonds....

Most of the cast admitted they had never seen Wes Craven’s original Scream, and some of them didn’t even realize they were auditioning for the horror franchise until they got the part. Connor Weil, who plays the handsome jock boyfriend lead, confessed that he is terrified of horror films. “It’s bad for my health to watch scary movies—I won’t sleep for a week.” Paglia talked about the shift from big to small screen....