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A special “Congratulations!” (that is French) and “Bonne chance!” to those competing in the Director’s Fortnight category: Nina Yang Bongiovi, Anish Savjani, Mollye Asher, Angela C. Lee, Neil Kopp, and Chloe Zhao; and to Chris Stinson, Michael B. Clark, Marc Turtletaub, Ron Yerxa, and Ellen H Schwartz who are part of the In Competition lineup. FILM INDEPENDENT FELLOWS Director’s Fortnight (Feature) Neil Kopp, producer, Green Room Anish Savjani, producer, Green Room Mollye Asher, producer, Songs My Brothers Taught Me Angela Lee, producer, Songs My Brothers Taught Me Chloe Zhao, director/writer, Songs My Brothers Taught Me Critics’ Week Jason Berman, producer, Mediterranea Official Selection Gina Kwon, producer, Chronic Cinéfondation Carly Hugo, executive producer, Share...

It goes without saying that the China of 2019 is very different than the China of today, in early 2022. Two full years of the COVID-19 pandemic made sure of that. But the even greater transformation is the one that has been steadily occurring in the Asian megastate for the past 30 years, as the nation has continued to wrap its arms around late-stage capitalism as both juggernaut producer-exporter and consumer; and with this alteration of character, an alteration of daily life....

But now every interaction requires a degree of intentionality and formal structure, be it the Guess Who grids of Zoom or a masks-mandatory outdoor coffee date with participants safely spaced roughly the distance of one NHL regulation hockey stick. Luckily, we’re no strangers to coordinating quick, structured and most importantly impactful one-on-one meetings between members of our constituency. Just check out last week’s edition of Film Independent’s yearly Fast Track film financing market....

Having playfully rebranded as GuadaLAjara Film Fest four years ago, the three-day fall showcase has evolved to establish its own identity as a cultural hub between the film communities of Latin America and Los Angeles, providing a safe space for Latinx and BIPOC creators to connect and share their work–with style!–in Hollywood’s own backyard. This year offers not just a great film program but special conversations (Rodrigo Prieto! Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse!...

And sure, here at Film Independent we’re proud to tout each and every one of these laudatory stats and milestones. But nothing warms the ventricles of our (bleeding) hearts quite like seeing our talented, hard-working Members fill the ranks of our esteemed LA Film Festival writers, directors and producers. In fact, this year’s LA Film Festival lineup features a total of 36 individual Film Independent Members as writers, directors and producers repping a whopping 29 different projects—a testament to our film community’s creative spark and dogged execution....

But regardless of the scope or ambition of your project, it’s crucial to do your homework before setting out to use the City of Angels in your cinematic masterpiece. Enter Film L.A. Inc., the nonprofit group established by the City and County of Los Angeles to streamline the film permitting process and aide filmmakers in all things locations—from planning shoots, to maximizing production value and minimizing the negative impact of film crews on the surrounding community....

I first met producers Márcia Nunes and Elena Greenlee, when as part of our Producers Lab, they pitched their project Manos Sucias to a panel of experts at our Film Independent Forum in 2012. I was touched by the beautiful story that they were setting up to shoot, and impressed by their articulate presentation and knowledge of the culture and milieu in which the story takes place. That was particularly important to me since it takes place in a small fishing community in my native Colombia....

Narrative films constructed from purported raw documentary or incidental footage have existed in some form or another since the beginning of cinema. But it wasn’t until 1999’s backwoods spookfest The Blair Witch Project became a surprise cultural phenomenon that the format was truly codified with its own recognizable set of film grammar and clichés. Since then, found footage has become as ubiquitous a presence in 21st-century movie theaters at glowing cell phone screens and Sour Patch Kids, inevitably earning its fair share of enmity and detractors....

As a former Cahiers du Cinéma critic and proto-video essayist, Godard was reliably vocal about his thoughts, feelings and analysis of cinema—even if his statements were often as inscrutable and/or provocative as his increasingly experimental body of work, which includes 45 feature titles stretching from 1960’s Breathless to 2018’s The Image Book. Below, we’ve collected some of JLG’s choicest quotes, along with a few of the many great video essays that demonstrate how the filmmaker and his work continues to be a significant object of fascination and inspiration among moviemakers and film lovers across the world....

With the rise of foodie culture, there are more movies and television shows about the culinary arts than ever before. But perhaps none of them has as ardent a following as the sadly-canceled Hannibal, in which it’s not turkey or ham but the show’s characters who are on the menu. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we caught up with Hannibal food stylist Janice Poon to talk about her holiday traditions, Mads Mikkelsen’s eating habits and what might be on Hannibal’s table this holiday season....

Using the content of a 1977 sci-fi convention keynote speech by late author Philip K. Dick as its jumping-off point, Matrix is an exploration (and meditation) on the emerging concept of “Simulation Theory,” which posits that present-day reality as we are experiencing it now is, in fact, a highly detailed artificial simulation being maintained and operated by outside forces. An essayistic look at issues from technology dependence to media consumption, semiotics, philosophy and video game mechanics, A Glitch in the Matrix certainly gives the viewer plenty to ponder over....

Everything we do at Film Independent is compelled by that simple premise and three underlying beliefs: We believe that artist-driven storytelling is critically important to our culture. We believe that our film culture is enriched by the inclusion of voices from all parts of our society. And we believe our role is to help the untold stories be told and heard. Film Independent’s artist development and education programs help diverse and emerging artists make new work....

Among the film’s myriad accolades are over 17 awards and nominations for DP Emmanuel Lubezki’s stunning cinematography. Here, as the latest installment of our “Know Your Crew” series, we spoke to the Steadicam operator on the film, Chris Haarhoff, who talked about the Director–DP–Steadicam working relationship, recollected some of his favorite shots and answered all of our burning questions about the work of a Steadicam operator. “Most of the time, Steadicam operators spend their whole career walking backwards,” Haarhoff said....

Of course, in reality that announcement was one full awards cycle ago, back when the Past Lives, Earth Mamas and May Decembers of the world were but a flicker in eyes of industry plaudit prognosticators. But the story of #AD30 has only grown in the interim. Look no further than the program that started it all, Project Involve, which today announced the 27 new Fellows joining as part of its 2024 cohort—the 31st overall such cohort in a long line of inclusive, up-and-coming industry players....

When I was in third grade, my art teacher gave us an assignment in which we were to recreate a Monet painting. I chose Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge (1899), carefully matching the strokes of each lily and pad. Not to brag, but my teacher was so impressed she submitted the piece to our local county fair exhibit, for which I won 3rd place. While my career in painting ended there, this was probably the experience that inspired my enduring affection for comedic heist movies set in the art world—particularly ones in which forgery is involved....

We caught up with Film Independent Member and first-time feature director Gia Milani at the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where everyone was battling Tropical Storm Gabrielle. She’d just come from Toronto, where she took home the Grolsch Film Works Discovery Award for her film All The Wrong Reasons, an ensemble drama starring the late Cory Monteith playing a store manager whose wife is suffering from PTSD. Gia told us she’d been nervous about having to deal with the press’s questions about Monteith—it was one of his final roles—but she felt they handled it well and were respectful....

Behind every (fill in the blank) great/glorious/funny/scary/sad story told on film is an equally great/glorious/funny/scary (yes, probably sometimes) sad story: the one about how the whole thing went from being an idea in a brain (probably many years ago) to a big screen premiere at a big-time Festival. In this Film/Maker Q/A blog series, our LA Film Fest programmers interview our LA Film Fest filmmakers to discover the stories behind the story....

Sure, it may not be Twin Peaks or Night Vale. But for a city that actually, you know, exists, LA is pretty damn weird. And while LA’s weirdness isn’t always fun (just ask the miniature pinscher dangling from the clicking nib of a Griffith Park barn owl), the good news is that it so often is. For proof, you need look no further than the LA Film Festival, a perennial local purveyor the unusual, edifying and unexpected (returning soon, June 14-22—see below)....

Global Media Makes (GMM) is, of course, a cultural exchange program, supported through a partnership between Film Independent and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This year, GMM welcomed a diverse group of filmmakers from 15 countries in Asia and Africa. For many, it was their first time in LA and the United States. Five filmmakers from Bangladesh, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya and Nepal were selected to participate in the iPhone Collaborative Workshop, building community with one another while being paired with creative producers based in Los Angeles, who guided them through the exploration of the city and the filmmaking process, from development to post-production....

AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW Sepideh Director Berit Madsen’s first feature documentary is an inspiring portrait of a young Iranian woman’s fight for an education. 17-year-old Sepideh wants to study astronomy and become an astronaut. But her family fights her at every turn and does everything in their power to suppress her desires to study; Her uncle even threatens to kill her if she dishonors her family. Sepideh is an astonishing film with impressive access to its subjects and a powerful message about women’s rights that deserves to be heard....