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Aside from the /Filmcast, the Seattle-based Chen is also the prolific creator of numerous multi-media projects, ranging from YouTube movie reviews to the feature film The Primary Instinct to hosting several /Film spin-off programs devoted to shows like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad. We recently spoke to Chen over the phone about the /Filmcast’s longevity, the difficulties of having famous friends and the current state of podcasting and what he sees as the future of film discussion (hint: it’s video)....

If you’ve seen a recent performance of Stanton’s, it was probably in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return as Carl, the Showtime revival series’ kindhearted, plainspoken trailer park manager. The part was just the latest instance of Stanton’s career-long ability to project cracked, craggy decency in the midst of difficult metaphysical circumstances. Here, as elsewhere, Stanton’s humanity wasn’t uncomplicated. It was flawed and frail, optimism hard-won after a lifetime drenched in cowboy vice....

Lim was joined by a diverse group of acclaimed scribes to share their thoughts on a variety of topics, from getting started in the industry, to accountability, to the writers’ process and creative control. The panel was moderated by Film Independent Associate Director of Film Education Paul Cowling and also included Nicole Holofcener (The Land of Steady Habits, Enough Said), Scott Neustadter (The Disaster Artist, 500 Days of Summer) and Steven Rogers (I, Tonya, Kate & Leopold)....

And you might want to consider these insights from expert script supervisor, Sarah Horton, whose credits over a 12-year career include Mutt & Stuff, Aftermath, Behaving Badly, and Liza On Demand. Continuity and consistency are crucial for the development of your project. Your movie simply has to make sense. Script supervising—and filmmaking in general—is all about helping to answer these questions: “How are you getting into a scene?” and “How are you getting out of a scene?...

LA-based writer/director Kyle Patrick Alvarez is no stranger to adapting short stories into successful feature films. His writing and directorial debut film, Easier with Practice was adapted from an article by Davy Rothbart, who is best known for his work with This American Life. Easier with Practice earned Alvarez the prestigious Someone to Watch Award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards in 2010. His latest film C.O.G., which is released tomorrow in select cities, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year and is the first narrative feature adaptation of a David Sedaris story....

Interviews are a central component to practically every documentary. Whether watching a cavalcade of experts offering well-educated opinions on a particular subject matter, or marveling as an eclectic cast of characters share their POV about a famous friend or family member, one thing is certain: on the other end of the camera is a documentary filmmaker doing his or her best to elicit a torrent of candid responses to their interview questions....

2017: THE YEAR IN DOC The New Year is finally here. But! Before we bid 2017 farewell for good I’m taking some time to re-consider all the great documentary films I’ve watched over the past 12 months. For whatever else may have gone wrong (and there was plenty), 2017 was a truly inspired year for nonfiction filmmaking, as exciting new voices continued to emerge and doc legends turned in some of their best work ever....

On Thursday, April 24 at 8:00 p.m., the iconic director will show up with a hand-picked cast to LACMA’s Bing Theater for a world premiere reading of the unmade script that’s been causing a ruckus since January, when Tarantino pulled the plug on the picture immediately upon learning that the script had been leaked by someone connected to the small circle of actors he’d circulated it to. “I like the fact that people like my shit, and that they go out of their way to find it and read it,” an outraged Tarantino told Deadline Hollywood....

And regardless of your political opinions, which candidate you voted for or your current level of surprise, disappointment, denial or elation, it’s fair to say that 2020 taught us all a lot about the American political system. And hopefully, the unprecedented level of engagement that 2020 boasted continues as voters of all demographics continue impose their will on government and keep holding their representatives accountable—we all want and need to know more....

But not quite yet—there are prizes to be given out first. Handed out June 22 at a mid-morning brunch on the Festival Lawn hosted by LA Film Festival Director Jennifer Cochis, the awards brunch celebrated jury prize honorees from the Festival’s U.S. Fiction, World Fiction, Documentary, Nightfall and LA Muse categories. Audience Awards were also presented for Fiction Feature, Documentary Feature, Short Film and Web Series. As 2017 Spirit of Independence award recipient Miguel Arteta said, quoting his late father, “A lo hecho, pecho....

Following on the acrylic-splattered heels of such past Festival poster artists as Ed Ruscha, Noah Davis and Carolyn Castaño, Yamamoto’s design is yet another in long tradition eye-catching images meant to capture the uniqueness and diversity of both the Festival and Los Angeles itself. “I’m thrilled to have Yoskay Yamamoto as this year’s Festival artist,” said Jennifer Cochis, LA Film Festival Director. “I immediately fell in love with his work and was drawn in by its dreamy, story-like qualities....

Portlandia will soon begin production on its eighth and final season. But before Armisen and Brownstein jet back to Stumptown to begin wrapping up their epic send-up of 21st-century hipster culture they’ve come to share a look back at some of their favorite moments from the show’s long, critically-acclaimed run, as well as share a few hints about what may be in store for viewers in Season Eight. Now… I could just share a handful of tasty quotes, revelations and comments from the two BFFs, sometime musicians and comedic masterminds....

Nearly every filmmaker begins their career by making short films. Some even continue making them throughout their career. Many of these shorts only ever play the festival circuit and can be hard to see, but this year’s crop of Spirit Awards nominees and winners has inspired us to dig deep and put together this very special playlist of snackable, auteur-driven content now streaming online for free. In all cases, it’s incredible to see how the style of these filmmakers still shines through, even in these nascent and/or abbreviated forms....

The launch of our new website caps off an extensive rebranding process, which Film Independent began more than a year and a half ago in collaboration with the design firm Pentagram (read more about Pentagram’s involvement here.) But refreshing our visual identity was only the first step in a lengthy effort to unify all of Film Independent’s programs and events into one cohesive brand—and in this case, online destination. The new site offers greater ease of use, information gathering and navigation....

Aline Brosh McKenna, the witty screenwriter behind The Devil Wears Prada, 27 Dresses and We Bought a Zoo, was one of the panelists at the recent Film Independent Writers Salon hosted on April 15. This event was organized to create a space for writers to provide advice and insight into their craft. McKenna shared with us her influences, writing challenges and her cure for writer’s block. What screenwriter has most influenced you and how?...

So, I invited her to lead a one-evening workshop in the Film Independent Directing Lab. In Scheckel’s beautiful Hollywood space, surrounded by her art show, Feel This–large scale photographs of performers in states of raw feeling, what I experienced was nothing short of profound: professional intimacy, presence, unbridled creativity! To experience The Technique, as she calls it, one must also experience the persona that is Joan Scheckel. She’s intense, demanding, and at times theatrical....

Kicks premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival and has steadily been making the festival rounds, including an appearance at our very own LA Film Festival. But even if you missed it in June, Angelinos will have another chance to catch the movie Thursday, September 1 for free at LACMA’s Bing Theater—click here for more info, including ticket reservations. The evening will also include a post-screening Q&A with Tipping and actor C....

Nearly a week later, those of us on staff who were lucky enough to actually work on the Festival are still walking around in a somnambulistic daze, struggling to wake up from a vivid, nine-day-long lucid dream—the Festival can’t really be over, can it? But it is, as they say: all good things… So forgive us for trying to hold on to that warm-and-fuzzy #LAFilmFestival feeling, even as the memories are already evaporating from our long term memory banks like spilled spilt beads Peroni beer rapidly evaporating from the molded-plastic armrests of a Culver Studios Adirondack chair in the warm Westside sun....

The event was part of the Festival’s Launch section, which puts the spotlight on storytelling in digital media, and it was split into two parts: first, a screening of seven short films dealing with the Black Lives Matter movement in the form of documentary, satire, drama and honest conversations about black identity. The second half of the event was a panel moderated by Acham and featuring actor Tony Okungbowa, author Tananarive Due and activists Ashley Yates and Damon Turner....

Make ‘em LAFF is a talent search designed to discover content creators of color and underrepresented voices who specialize in comedy. The Los Angeles Film Festival and Funny Or Die invite artists and comedians to submit short videos (less than five minutes) that showcase your diverse, unique and authentic comedic voices. Short films, webisodes, animation, stop motion and music videos are welcome. The top 25 top videos will be announced and streamed on the Funny Or Die website on May 15....