HOW TO THINK LIKE A PUBLICIST There are two ways to publicize your film: you can hire a publicist, or you can do it yourself. Either way, it’s best to be prepared and on top of it, because publicity is all about capturing moments in the life of your film—and the payoff can be substantial. As independent publicist Annie Jeeves put it for Film Independent Members at a Tuesday night Education seminar held August 22: “[Great publicity] makes you much more attractive to a potential distributor....

Over the holiday weekend Film Independent members were invited to attend a free Film Independent at LACMA screening of the animated feature film The Croods in 3D. The crowd was treated to a post screening Q&A with co-writers/directors Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco and star Nicolas Cage. The Croods is a film about a fanciful prehistoric world and a cave dwelling family’s life being disrupted by earthquakes that leave their land and home crumbling around them....

Following Friday Night’s raucous kickoff screening of Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart in Hollywood, Ganatra’s in-depth creative keynote officially welcomed attendees to the Forum’s spiffy new digs at the new LMU campuses in Playa Vista, smack in the heart of LA’s “Silicon Beach.” Ganatra—whose credits include 1999’s Chutney Popcorn and the upcoming Mindy Kaling vehicle Late Night, plus more episodes of episodic TV than you can shake an overstuffed DVR at (including episodes of Girls, Transparent and Dear White People)—was joined onstage by one of her self-professed biggest fans: actor, influencer and YouTube creator Lilly Singh, soon to be a late night host herself, taking over Carson Daly’s longtime slot on NBC....

Unfolding over one dense, edifying weekend each year at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles, the Film Independent Forum offers a bevy of advice and hard-fought wisdom from top voices in the film industry—featuring exclusive filmmaker panels, case studies, intimate discussions and one-of-a-kind networking opportunities designed to help independent filmmakers make, sell, distribute and market their dream projects. So take a couple days off from tweaking the flaxen mop on top of that utterly terrifying Donald Trump Halloween costume and come join the fun....

Wu-Tang clan founding member RZA was nine years old when he first saw The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. “In New York City we had Channel 5, three o’clock movies. Back when the Wu-Tang started we didn’t have DVDs,” he revealed to Elvis Mitchell, amidst laughter. As the invited guest for the Q&A that followed the Film Independent at LACMA 35mm screening of the now-classic 1978 kung fu film, RZA spoke reverentially of the film he watched repeatedly, memorizing the audio cues that ultimately became the foundations for the Wu-Tang Clan’s first album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)....

For this month’s column, I’ll be sharing some sage advice from someone who knows a thing or two—or a hundred—about documentary distribution: Tim Horsburgh, Director of Communications and Distribution at Kartemquin Films. Kartemquin, of course, is the Chicago-based production company behind such recent nonfiction hits as the Film Independent Spirit Award nominated (and Documenary Lab supported) titles Minding the Gap, Abacus: Small Enough to Jail and The Trials of Muhammed Ali....

Good news: there’s still plenty of stuff to watch. 2018 was yet another banner year for episodic storytelling on the small screen, from offbeat series on obscure cable channels to big-name prestige projects on behemoth streamers like Netflix and Hulu. And this shifting landscape has also changed the game for filmmakers, proving there’s more than one way—and more than one place—to tell your story. So as we into what we hope will be a relaxing winter break, here are five of our favorite new (eg, first season) streamers of 2018....

Laura Colella If there’s anyone who knows how to get the most production bang for the least bucks, it’s Laura Colella. The Film Independent Member shot Breakfast with Curtis on what she calls, “the micro-est budget possible.” The principle locations were her back yard and her neighbor’s back yard, and her actors were her housemates and her neighbors. “I would schedule shorter shoots so I wouldn’t have to feed people. I didn’t even give them water....

When Gina Prince-Bythewood was on location in North Carolina, away from her home and family on a shoot, her husband called to say that her youngest son was missing her so much that he was having imaginary conversations with her. “It killed me,” Prince-Bythewood said. When it came time to write my next script, one of the first sentences I wrote was ‘Exterior. Los Angeles—Night.’” Director-screenwriter Prince-Bythewood (Beyond the Lights) is one of the ten filmmakers featured in a new PSA, Stay in LA, produced by Film Independent with the support of American Airlines....

For proof, look no further than the 12 films selected for our LA Muse section at this year’s LA Film Festival. Designed specifically to honor the Festival’s civic namesake, LA Muse is a special competition category spotlighting a dozen quintessentially “LA” films. Narrative features and documentaries are both included, ranging from inspirational character studies to tense mysteries to uproarious comedic fare. And their portrait of the city is just as wide-ranging, traveling from the beaches of Santa Monica to the streets of Skid Row....

The same goes for institutions and organizations. Which is just a fancy way of saying that all this year we’re incredibly excited to be celebrating the 25th anniversary of Project Involve, Film Independent’s signature diversity and mentorship program. Each year, PI invites 30+ up-and-coming filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds to attend an intensive nine-month program designed to help hone their creative skills and better navigate the film industry. Each year, PI Fellows collaborate to produce a series of brand new short films....

That sound you hear this Sunday night will be millions of Americans heaving a collective sigh of sorrow and grief. Whether we will be distraught or elated over the way the brilliant Vince Gilligan chooses to close the book on his loved and loathed characters, remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure: all bad things will have come to an end. As the Film Independent contingent of Breaking Bad-iacs steeled ourselves for the inevitable Monday morning mourning, we took a quick poll on what we’d find a satisfying final fate for Walter White....

Although Orlowski began by saying the film contained “quite a bit of sadness” Chasing Coral instills far more hope in viewers than one would expect, given the subject matter. The director wanted to create this document chronicling human civilization’s dependence on the environmental stability. “For me, this story is so much bigger than coral reefs,” Orlowski said. “It’s about how human civilization continues on this planet as we move forward....

All Mistakes Buried When: Now Playing Where: Theaters, VOD Director: Tim McCann Starring: Sam Trammell, Vanessa Ferlito Why We’re Excited: The desperation and despair that accompanies addiction are explored in the latest dark drama from Film Independent Spirit Award nominee Tim McCann. Since being nominated for the Someone to Watch award in 1996, McCann has championed the craft of indie filmmaking. The film was a passion project for all involved, including True Blood alum Sam Trammell, who has received rave reviews for his performance as a struggling addict attempting to save his fragile marriage....

IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967) Director: Norman Jewison Starring: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Lee Grant Why We Love It: Norman Jewison’s classic Oscar-winning drama took home five golden statues at the 1967 ceremony, including Best Actor for Rod Steiger and Best Picture. The legendary Sidney Poitier plays vacationing detective Virgil Tibbs, a man famed for being one of the best investigators in the business. Before making his way back home to Philadelphia out of the sweltering Mississippi heat, Tibbs crosses paths with Detective Gillespie (Steiger), who asks for his expertise in a murder investigation....

Here at Film Independent, 2020 was a year of trial, error and ultimately incredible growth. While struggling—like many organizations and individuals—to stay afloat this year as lockdowns and bad news took their psychological and economic tolls, Film Independent was nevertheless able to reach a wider swath of filmmakers and film lovers than ever before, taking our wares exclusive online and communing with Members and Fellows all over the nation and the world....

So really, that vague anxiousness you may be feeling is just misplaced anticipation. Hopefully, then, today will be some small relief as we continue the slow-burn striptease easing us into full-fledged Festival season. Why? Because we’re debuting one key bit of anatomy you’ll soon be seeing everywhere: the piercing eyes and colorful starscape of artist Alia Penner’s official 2018 LA Film Festival poster—coming soon to a street pole banner near you!...

Finding the right locations for your movie can be one of the trickiest aspects of producing a film. So much of your budget depends on what is possible and can be accommodated (capacity, loading gear, electric, windows, noise, parking, etc.) in each location where you shoot. So we consulted location manager Kristin Dewey (In a World…, Celeste & Jesse Forever) to get her tips for filmmakers on working with location managers and location scouts to get the best bang for your low-budget buck....

It’s fair to say that the medium has come a long way—with serialized, small-screen storytelling largely serving as the first-choice destination for creators looking to tell sophisticated, multi-dimensional narratives covering a wide range of experiences and perspectives. TV isn’t even really TV anymore, either, with countless digital streaming platforms, broadcast networks and social media originals all vying for precious, precious eyeballs and engagement. For aspiring creators, it can all be a little overwhelming....

Sooner or later, we were going to have to face it. The first Sunday evening without a brand new Breaking Bad is count-the-hours close and all we can do is cope. Like us, you’ve probably been ruminating on cherished moments, favorite scenes and the emotional highs, lows—and super lows—we endured as the addictive series drew to a close. What better way to combat Sunday night blues this weekend than to check out the indie film work of directors Jim McKay, Bronwen Hughes and Rian Johnson, who were at the helm of three of Breaking Bad’s most iconic episodes....