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Seeking a way to process both developments, Habte did what any young filmmaker would do—he began shooting. He found the perfect producer and editor in his longtime friend, Bethel, who was living and working between Mexico and France at the time. The resulting effort swiftly earned a spot in our most recent Documentary Lab here in LA, where Habte and Bethel were recipients of the Lab’s comprehensive battery of in-depth workshops, mentorship meetings, guest speaker events, networking sessions and instruction as to both the art and economics of nonfiction filmmaking....

Watching a Ramin Bahrani movie feels how I imagine it must to be a method actor preparing for a role. So immersive and tactile is his filmmaking that, by the end of Chop Shop—the film that won him the Someone to Watch Award at the 23rd Film Independent Spirit Awards in February of 2008 and also picked up nominations for Bahrani for Best Director and Michael Simmonds for Best Cinematography—I felt like, if dropped off in Queens with nothing to my name, I could probably earn some dough by buffing scratches out of cars, selling bootleg DVDs and, if desperate enough, snatching a purse or two....

STOCK FOOTAGE, FAIR USE AND MORE I’m self-aware enough to know that I have a somewhat over developed sense of fairness. I’m also aware that filmmaking—even documentary filmmaking—is first and foremost a business. And in business “what’s fair” often takes backseat to “what’s legal.” But sometimes the two do intersect. In this installment of The Doc Life, I’m going to dive into the world of stock footage and take a closer look at fair use, licensing and public domain....

In today’s Must-List, we wanted to take a look at our groundbreaking TV/streaming nominees and let you know what they’re about, what critics are saying, and–most importantly–where you can watch them. A TEACHER Category: Best New Scripted Series Nominees: Hannah Fidell (Creator, Executive Producer); Michael Costigan, Kate Mara, Louise Shore, Jason Bateman, Danny Brocklehurst (Executive Producers), Daniel Pipski (Co-Executive Producer) About: This limited drama series explores the sexual affair between a young teacher and her student....

Though the screens may be smaller, TV title sequences are often just as indelibly seared on viewers’ imaginations, worming their way into our subconscious by virtue of sheer repeat exposure. Think about it: you’ve probably seen your favorite movie (and by extension, its opening title sequence) only around 20 times or so. But you’ve probably seen hundreds of episodes of shows you might not even like that much, each one opening with the same repetitive, hypnotic jumble of old show clips, theme music and clockwork commercial cues....

Pop the cork on a bottle of Chianti. Today we are celebrating the news that the director behind one of our favorite cinema villains of all time will be joining us at the Los Angeles Film Festival. On Sunday, June 14, Academy Award winning director Jonathan Demme will be on hand to give us a special sneak peek at his much anticipated upcoming film Ricki and the Flash, written by Diablo Cody and starring Meryl Streep as an aging rock star with a lifetime of regrets....

Rossi’s work in Lowriders and elsewhere proves he’s the quintessential indie actor. Throughout his career, Rossi has gravitated toward roles that allow him to tell the “intimate” stories he wants. Back home in New York, Rossi has cultivated a community of likeminded “blue collar” collaborators he knows and trusts, working together with his team on a variety of creative ventures. This circle of trust helped Rossi to produce and star in Bad Hurt through his new production shingle Dos Dudes Pictures—an experience which also gave Rossi insight to why actors should also consider themselves filmmakers, the benefits of working within your inner circle and the utter importance of Film Festivals....

A Patch of Blue (1965) Director: Guy Green Starring: Sidney Poitier, Shelley Winters, Elizabeth Hartman Why We Love It: Elizabeth Kata’s novel is brought to the big screen in Guy Green’s moving drama, starring Elizabeth Hartman in her Oscar nominated role as Selina D’Arcey. The blind Selina escapes her abusive home life after meeting Sidney Poitier’s character, a man determined to teach her what it actually means to be happy; Selina has grown up in a tiny Los Angeles apartment with her grandfather and mother—a careless prostitute who accidentally caused Selina’s blindness at the age of five....

The Kenny Powers saga has finally come to a close with last night’s series finale of HBO’s Eastbound & Down. The show’s creator Jody Hill joined Film Independent at LACMA last night for a screening of both the pilot episode and the series finale, and he hinted that we might see more of Kenny Powers sometime in the future. Season 4 “is definitely the end… for now,” said Hill. He then suggested that the characters might be revisited in the future....

With the glut of independent films nowadays, it is essential that filmmakers consider foreign markets that may have an interest in American indies. Times are tough, the playing field is crowded, so exploring other territories is now considered a necessary. Film Independent recently hosted a financing how-to panel for those interested in foreign sales opportunities for American independent film. The featured panelists were Ildi Toth Davy, Senior Vice President of Sales and Acquisitions for Odin’s Eye Entertainment; and Ricky Margolis, Vice President of Future Films USA, with moderator, Adeline Monzier, the US representative of Unifrance Films....

Film Independent is now accepting submissions until August 4, 2014 for our quarterly 2014 Canon Filmmaker Award. Four times a year, we select one filmmaker to receive a Canon Cinema EOS package loaned to the recipient. Only Film Independent Fellows, Los Angeles Film Festival alumni and Spirit Awards nominees and winners are eligible. Click here for complete eligibility details and to apply. Last quarter’s winner was filmmaker Emily Ting with her feature debut It’s Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong....

It was a rare treat as the scripts typically chosen for Live Reads are classics from decades past, so the actors who originated the roles, as Jason quipped “are usually dead by now.” At the end of the performance, all five original cast members leapt to their feet to give a standing O to the Live Read cast: Rainn Wilson (Walter), Mae Whitman (Jesse), Paul Rust (Walt Jr.), Annie Mumolo (Skyler), Ellie Kemper (Marie) and Chi McBride (Hank)....

But instead of simply basking in the warm neon glow of rapturous critical praise, LAIKA has taken upon itself to develop the next generation of animation talent, partnering with Film Independent’s signature diversity program Project Involve to launch the LAIKA Animation Fellowship. The fellowship will provide a $10,000 grant to one young animator participating in next year’s Project Involve program. But heads up! The deadline to apply is tomorrow, Friday, August 19—the same day Kubo hits theaters....

BLACK AND MISSING When You Can Watch: Now Where You Can Watch: HBO Max Creators: Geeta Gandbhir, Soledad O’Brien Why We’re Excited: Shining a spotlight on the Black and Missing Foundation’s efforts to bring more attention to Black missing persons cases, the HBO Max four-part docuseries follows sisters-in-law and founders Derrica and Natalie Wilson, in their uphill battle to counter the media and law enforcement’s general lack of coverage of missing persons of color....

This week: Local actors from JonBenet Ramsey’s hometown offer multiple perspectives on her 1996 murder as they vie to play roles in a dramatization of the case, in this unique docudrama hybrid from director Kitty Green. CASTING JONBENET Director: Kitty Green Producers: Kitty Green, Scott Macaulay, James Schamus Budget: Under $1 million Financing: Grants/Private Equity Production: August 2015-August 2016 Shooting Format: Black Magic Production Camera; ARRI Alexa Mini Screening Format: DCP World Premiere: Sundance 2017 Distributor: Netflix Website: https://www....

If you had asked me in 2015 “Where do you see yourself three years from now?” what would I have said? I’d have said: I’ll probably wake up in my railroad apartment (my “Diamond on Diamond Street”) and stroll down to my favorite place in Greenpoint, Brooklyn—McGolrick Park—to write to you about how I’ve been trying to sustain myself as an independent film producer by occasionally line-producing and making schedules and budgets while raising money for features, praying to book a commercial or three....

Fresh off of winning the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Award Producers Award, Dear Producer spoke with Mollye Asher, who most recently produced Carlo Mirabella-Davis’ Swallow which premiered at Tribeca 2019 and Chloé Zhao’s The Rider, which premiered in the 2017 Cannes Directors Fortnight, winning its top prize. A classically trained vocalist, Mollye speaks with Dear Producer about the beauty of working with non-actors, her love of solving difficult production challenges, and how growing up in a family with strong political views has driven her to tell stories with social impact....

The French-Canadian filmmaker’s latest project is already a hot contender for awards season with Warner Bros’ $165 million epic sci-fi drama Dune, starring Timotheé Chalamet, Zendaya and other A-list heavyweights including Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem and Jason Momoa. After 35 days of theatrical release, the film has just crossed the $370 million mark at the worldwide box office (including $100 million domestically) and has been green-lit for a sequel....

BLONDE When You Can Watch: Now Where You Can Watch: Netflix Director: Andrew Dominik Cast: Ana de Armas, Lily Fisher, Julianne Nicholson, Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale Why We’re Excited: “I guess you’re supposed to get used to it. But I can’t face doing another scene with Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn doesn’t exist. Marilyn Monroe only exists on the screen.” The second feature adaptation based on Joyce Carol Oates’ 2000 novel, writer-director Andrew Dominik’s rendition of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe’s storied life stars Cuban-Spanish actress Ana de Armas (No Time to Die, Knives Out)....

LOVE LIES BLEEDING When You Can Watch: Now Where You Can Watch: Theaters (Limited) Director: Rose Glass Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone, Dave Franco, Ed Harris Why We’re Excited: Billed variously as a lesbian revenge story and a psychological thriller set in the 1980s Las Vegas, filmmaker Rose Glass’s second feature (after 2019’s Saint Maud) premiered at Sundance in January. Desperate to find a way out of her desolate existence, frantic gym manager Lou (Film Independent favorite Kristen Stewart) falls in love with seductive female bodybuilder, Jackie (O’Brian)....