Posts

Tomorrow night, Lozano, Chairez and Kinky bandmate Gil Cerezo will take the stage at LACMA’s Bing Theater for our fifth edition of Bring the Noise, lending Kinky’s signature blend of innovative Latin dance rock to by far Hughes’ most madcap and comedic exploration of American teenagerdom. “We’re big fans of John Hughes and big fans of ‘80s music and ‘80s culture,” said Chairez, taking time out from rehearsal to chat....

Last night Film Independent Members were treated to a free screening of Spirit Awards alum Alex Ross Perry’s new film, Listen Up Philip. Channeling the neurotic and idiosyncratic style of comedy from the 70’s, Philip features Schwartzman as an arrogant, selfish writer who can’t seem to maintain his romantic relationships, isn’t interested in promoting his latest book and has a nasty habit of saying whatever the hell he wants, whenever, to whomever....

But! What if you could simply wiggle your nose like Elizabeth Montgomery in Bewitched and make the troublesome elements encircling your holiday Horn of Plenty simply disappear? And, perhaps even replace these jerks with some more esteemed company? Company who might even be able to help your career? Well, Film Independent’s Producers at the Table series—happening online, November 29 through December 3, technically after Thanksgiving, but still—can’t promise any invocation of the dark arts or the ability to wish asshole relatives into the cornfield....

How did you first discover pastor Jay Reinke? I was interested in the story of what was happening in Williston, North Dakota–this Wild West frontier boomtown in modern-day 21st century America. I was reading The Williston Herald, which is a character in the film, and on their website Pastor Jay used to write a clergy column for the paper once a month. I read his column and he said, “let’s not fear the newcomer, let’s welcome him....

It’s a good day to die. Howe (and his career) is the subject of a new documentary, A Good Day to Die (Hoka Hey), which played out-of-competition as a special work-in-progress screening this past Sunday, June 7 at the 2016 LA Film Festival, followed by a conversation with director Harold Monfils, Maher Nasser, the Director of the UN’s Outreach Division, and Film Independent President Josh Welsh. The event was sponsored by the Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television....

Who could resist? Greedily, we tore the package open reveal not one but two of the most talented performers in all of comedy: Nick Kroll and John Mulaney. That’s right: acclaimed funnymen and all-around comedy auteurs Nick Kroll and John Mulaney with join forces to co-host the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which will air exclusively on IFC Saturday, February 25 at 2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET. “From film to television to Broadway, Nick Kroll and John Mulaney have been almost everywhere—and now their world domination will be complete,” quipped Film Independent President Josh Welsh of the new hosts....

As such, we’d like to welcome six new Film Independent Producing Lab Fellows to the enzyme club. Part of Film Independent’s Artist Development, the Producing Lab is an intensive program designed to help filmmakers develop their skills as creative, independent producers; determining strategies and action plans for bringing their feature film projects to life. “Creative Producers play such an integral role in the independent film landscape, but often remain unsung heroes in an exceedingly challenging industry,” says Jennifer Kushner, Film Independent’s Director of Artist Development....

Presented by Film Independent, Project Involve is an annual, intensive, nine-month program that offers a select class of up-and-coming filmmakers (across a variety of disciplines) from underrepresented communities the opportunity to hone their skills, develop creative partnerships and produce short films. For more information on how to apply for next year, click here. This year, Project Involve evaluated 350 candidates and selected just 30 young, diverse filmmakers to take part in the program....

Directing by its very nature is a collaborative game. Your success hinges on your ability to steer your creative dream team towards realizing your vision. So what happens when your main collaborator happens to be one of the world’s biggest pop superstars? How do you steer a force of nature? Three of the directors behind Beyoncé’s 2013 visual album gathered at the 2014 Los Angeles Film Festival earlier this summer alongside James Sabey, Head of Worldwide Marketing at Parkwood Entertainment (which released the record along with Columbia) to share their behind-the-scenes tales of working with Queen B on what started out as a secret project and would come to be her fifth consecutive number-one album, the fastest-selling album in iTunes history, and a massive worldwide hit, topping 3....

Coogler recalled his first film classes at Sacramento State and how, in order to make a short film, he had to take a series of pre-requisite courses. One of those was a ProTools class. “I couldn’t really understand why,” he said. “At that time ProTools was something I associated with music. Everybody that I grew up with that was trying to be a rapper—they used ProTools.” Coogler explained how he and his classmates worked with the movie Highlander, changing the sound to “make it their own....

Of course, our favorite among these snowblind wretches are our own Film Independent Fellows proudly debuting their new works at the festival. And by “Fellows” here we of course mean filmmakers who have been directly supported by Film Independent’s Lab Programs, Project Involve, Fast Track and Fiscal Sponsorship programs, as well as Emerging Filmmaker Award winners and grant recipients. Below, please find the 27 Film Independent Fellows with projects—across all programming categories—currently scrapping over Ubers on the slippery sidewalks of Park City’s historic Main Street....

Do you miss going to the movies? We certainly do. And at this point our umpteenth week under COVID-19 safer-at-home orders, we even miss some of the more obnoxious. Oh what we wouldn’t give these days for the texting teens and sticky floors. Pre-show trailers programs that last longer than an entire episode of Law & Order: SUV? Bring ‘em on! Fact is, we miss everything about going the movies—and can’t wait to go back....

CREATIVE BURNOUT One of the scariest things I’ve ever experienced as a professional writer, one who depends on my creativity to make a living, is a loss of interest. Sure, we all know being creative is work. We have to put the time in, whether we feel like doing whatever it is we do (writing, acting, directing, editing, etc.) or not. But what about when you keep putting in the time, only to feel completely lackluster and unengaged?...

We already know that the 2021 Spirit Awards will take place Saturday, April 24, 2021. And rest assured, we’re figuring out the rest of the details and will have more to share soon. But at least one part of the 2021 Spirit Awards is up on rails and ready to move fast—the nominations process. That’s right: submissions for the 2021 Spirit Awards are now open—and for the first time ever, TV series are eligible!...

Obviously, a lot has changed. Doctors now operate (and “operate”) inside highly specialized areas of individual expertise, with cutting-edge techniques and technologies at their disposal. And filmmakers? Well, we would-be auteurs have plenty of fancy tools at our disposal to help us through every stage of production and promotion. But it’s up to us to educate ourselves about how to use these tools not just to make individual projects, but also build sustainable careers....

There was no shortage of metaphors—running the gamut from funny to poetic—when Alfonso Cuarón kicked off Film Independent’s 2014 Directors Close-Up last night. Less than three weeks before the Oscars, where his latest, Gravity, is nominated for a whopping 10 awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, Cuarón sat down with writer/director John August to share insights into his ground-breaking work and reveal the truth about how those breathtakingly endless takes come into being....

“BE BLACK!” No one could accuse acclaimed director John Singleton of mincing words. Discussing race and film with Film Independent at LACMA curator Elvis Mitchell as part of yesterday’s Diversity Speaks series, Singleton unfurled on stage the bold and resolute style and fierce confidence that for 20 years has been so evident in his groundbreaking films. “Don’t be afraid to be black!” Singleton exhorted. “That’s what makes you special.” “What we do as creative people always is innovative—and cinema should be no different....

In other words, Socrates embodies everything we value around here; that sense of “diversity, inclusion and uniqueness of vision” we’re always talking about. A compact, intimate coming-of-age tale with elements of social drama, the film follows the titular Socrates (Spirit Awards Best Male Lead nominee Christian Malheiros)—an orphaned young man from urban São Paulo—on a journey of person and sexual self-discovery following his mother’s death. The result is a deeply compelling, authentically personal story that deserves to be seen....

“10 Questions with LA Film Fest Filmmaker Spotlights” is a series of posts to help you get to know our Festival filmmakers and their films just a little bit better. In this installment, we bring you the director of another music-themed film, All Together Now‘s Alexander Mirecki. Alexander Mirecki FILM: All Together Now / Narrative Competition Alexander Mirecki’s ambitious “concert in the woods” movie finds two dozen characters–some more dazed and confused than others–descending on a tree-lined shack for one night of revelry scored by four bands: Manicorn, Night Control, Pedestrian Deposit and Nice Face....

Exciting news! Film Independent Fellow Sheldon Candis is nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Video with a Social Message, for the video he directed of J. Cole’s “Crooked Smile.” “I really don’t see it as a music video… I call it a ‘musical mini-movie,” said Candis of his transition from narrative features to making a music video. The story was one of the most important aspects of the project to both Candis and J....