National Film Preservation Foundation

More than a source of entertainment, film is the most authentic eyewitness to our recent history. From the first silent shorts to war time news reels and avant-garde animation, much of our nation’s progress is recorded on thin sheets of acetate. Unfortunately, archivists have now seen that these films are deteriorating faster than they can save them. Recognizing the need for action, the U.S. Congress created the National Film Preservation Foundation (NFPF) to work with archivists to help reverse the effects of aging.The NFPF’s main goal is to “save American films not preserved by commercial interests,” says Annette Melville, director of the NFPF. Nine years after its creation, the foundation seems well on its way. “We have helped preserve more than 950 films and assisted archives in 38 states,” adds Melville. She attributes the Foundation’s success to its preservation grant program, awarded to individual nonprofit or public institutions and backed by the Library of Congress, and cooperative projects that enable several film archives to work together on a national scale.

Aside from the grants, however, the foundation “depends entirely on private contributions to support operations and special projects,” according to Melville. The NFPF regularly publishes compendiums of their projects, such as the award-winning 3-DVD set More Treasures from American Film Archives, 1894-1931, with net proceeds supporting the Foundation’s ongoing preservation projects. Through the efforts of the NFPF, we’re reminded of the long and storied history of film—and how viable it is today if we’d only take the time to sit down and watch.

For more information, visit www.filmpreservation.org.

September 25th, 2006 | Category: Association of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Film Forum

Multiplexes cater to the majority because mega-budget superhero films are guaranteed to gross more than a social commentary funded on a few thousand bucks. Both genres have their place in the world of film, but the latter has traditionally had a tougher time finding its audience. Luckily for then, New York City’s Film Forum opened in 1970—with 50 chairs, one projector and a dedication to independent film.Thirty-six years later, the theater’s heart is still in the right place. “We run one of the only screens in the United States devoted exclusively to festivals of classic films, director retrospectives, long-run revivals and restorations,” says Bruce Goldstein, Director of Repertory Programming. “We are able to take risks that commercial movie houses would not” says Film Forum director Karen Cooper.

The Forum’s detailed attention to programming is apparent in their upcoming series of premieres. For instance, the Forum will play host to the Soros/Sundance Documentary Fund: A 10th Anniversary Film Series for three days beginning October 26th. Not to be upstaged, new prints of classic films run throughout the year.

When asked to sum up the importance of the Film Forum in today’s movie scene, Cooper says, “We stretch the definition of ‘entertainment’ to include films that are politically- and socially-relevant.” With almost 5,000 members contributing to the Forum’s initiative, the countless new and restored prints of independent classics and should-be classics have finally found their audience.

For more information, visit www.filmforum.org.

September 25th, 2006 | Category: Exhibitor of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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New York City’s Central Park

When Harry Met Sally is one of many films that features New York’s Central Park.

Although it might not be as idyllic as the movies would have you believe, Manhattan’s Central Park has always served as the cinematic symbol of an oasis in the middle of a chaotic city.  Whether it’s Max Bialystock taking Leo Bloom for an afternoon stroll in the original The Producers or Woody Allen and Diane Keaton people-watching in Annie Hall, Central Park’s greenery has served as the backdrop for some of New York City’s most iconic movie moments.  Allen, the quintessential New Yorker, has featured the Park in most of his New-York based films including Crimes and Misdemeanors and, of course, Manhattan.The 843-acre stretch of land (that’s six percent of the city’s total acreage) has also shown up in modern classics such as Arthur, Ghostbusters, Hair and Marathon Man.  With a reservoir, hiking trails, bike paths and the luxurious Tavern on the Green restaurant, the Park offers a variety of settings for the New York-based moviemaker (though be careful to adhere to the guidelines set for filming here). Since 1908, more than 200 feature films have shot in Central Park, including:

The 25th Hour
Barefoot in the Park
Top Hat
The Manchurian Candidate (1960 and 2004)
When Harry Met Sally

For guidelines on making movies in New York’s Central Park, visit www.centralparknyc.org/media/file/FilmingGuidelines.pdf.

September 25th, 2006 | Category: Location of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Dito Montiel

Screenwriter/Director Dito Montiel with Robert Downey Jr. and Rosario Dawson on the set of A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. Photo by Walter Thomson.

Say you grew up in the working-class neighborhood of Astoria, Queens. You got kicked out of school for fighting and spent all of your time with your friends getting into trouble around the neighborhood. Some of your friends wound up in jail, on drugs or—worse—dead, while others encouraged you to take a different path. Twenty years later, you turned your story into a book which was turned into a movie that you also happened to direct. This is the story of Dito Montiel, whose A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (opening on September 29th) ended up nabbing the Best Director award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.In penning his first film, Montiel has managed the tricky feat of translating his story from page to screen in a way that is both artful and honest. Formerly the lead singer of the hardcore band Gutterboy, Montiel has crossed over into film with startling ease. With help from the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, he honed his script for Guide into a gritty coming-of-age story in the tradition of films like The Basketball Diaries and Raising Victor Vargas. With an impressive cast, which includes Robert Downey Jr., Dianne Wiest and Shia LaBeouf, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints brings Montiel’s story to life. While, for the time being, Montiel has no future film projects lined up, his lightning-fast rise to the top of the indie food chain is an inspiration to all aspiring moviemakers. Here’s hoping that Montiel’s screenwriting (and directing) career is more than just a flash in the pan.

For more information, visit www.firstlookstudios.com/guide

September 25th, 2006 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking

Students get hands-on experience at SFSDF.

The San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking is turning the idea of the traditional film school on its head. By throwing out the years of classroom lecturing, SFSDF has developed a truly cutting-edge curriculum for up-and-coming moviemakers. The Digital Filmmaking Intensive Program transforms students into small production teams, with each member expected to write, produce, direct and edit five films of his or her own while crewing on the others’ projects. Students explore every genre and all work is shot exclusively on HD equipment. “[SFSDF] students are prepared for the future,” says Shelby Stricklin, the school’s marketing director, “because they are learning how to make films using the latest tools and technologies."But that learning isn’t limited just to the classroom. Third Street Films, SFSDF’s own production company, places students within a crew of seasoned industry professionals to produce a feature film. Students rotate through at least two production departments, gaining experience in different roles while (perhaps most importantly) developing relationships with those in the movie industry. “Working on a real movie set is a vital aspect of learning to become a filmmaker,” according to Stricklin.

But only students who feel that moviemaking is vital to their existence need apply—as all this work is completed within a year (The school also offers a five-week Digital Filmmaking Workshop.) Additionally, the beautiful Bay Area, with its artistic history, is an ideal alternative home for the digital moviemaking scene. With drive, talent and a top-notch education, SFSDF believes its students will be the ones to transform San Francisco into the new “Digital Hollywood.”

For more information, visit www.sfdigifilm.com.

September 25th, 2006 | Category: Film School of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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AFI Fest

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Dates: November 1-12, 2006As the longest running film festival in L.A., the AFI Fest set the standard for all others that followed. American Film Institute partnered with FILMEX: Los Angeles Film Exposition in 1987 to create the yearly AFI Fest. At its peak, the festival was just one of several in the United States, but had the highest attendance of any similar event in the world. Twenty years later, it’s still influential and full of glitz and glamour, showcasing many of the year’s top films (like last year’s Oscar Winners Walk the Line and Tsotsi).

Thousands of movie lovers and Hollywood’s major players flock to the sleek ArcLight Cinema on Sunset Boulevard for the red-carpet galas, but, most importantly, to see the newest offerings from both the world’s biggest moviemakers and emerging artists. Opening night this year brings the world-premiere of Emilio Estevez’s Bobby, lead by the biggest all-star cast since, well, JFK. This year also marks the AFI Fest’s “China” anniversary, and the program promises to extend beyond film screenings to an exciting celebration of the fest’s finest moments and most priceless memories.

For more information on the AAFF, visit www.aafilmfest.org.

September 25th, 2006 | Category: Festival of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Kevin Macdonald

Director Kevin Macdonald and Forest Whitaker on the set of THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND Photo Credit: Neil Davidson.

It’s not always easy for documentarians to cross the bridge over to fiction, but it seems Kevin Macdonald has made the transition almost flawlessly. The Academy Award-winning director of One Day in September, which tells the story of the 1972 Munich Olympics, has set his sights on the charismatic and infamous former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin with the biopic The Last King of Scotland, opening September 27th.

With Forest Whitaker cast as Amin’s uncanny on-screen incarnation, The Last King of Scotland seems destined for Oscar nods, and although Whitaker is causing most of the buzz surrounding the film, Macdonald’s leadership is unquestionably the foundation of this compelling portrait. Drawing from the realism of his past documentary projects, Macdonald insisted on shooting the film in Uganda, saying: “I wanted to capture that different, more realistic image of Africa, which I think will surprise people. And once we arrived in Uganda, we were surrounded by history. Almost everyone we met had been deeply affected by the time of Idi Amin in some way. Being where it all happened made a massive difference.”

Though production company Fox Searchlight gambled a bit in choosing a relative newcomer to head the film, it’s clear that Macdonald has proven his worth as a moviemaker who can steer a risky and controversial production towards near-guaranteed success—regardless of genre.

For more information, visit http://www2.foxsearchlight.com/thelastkingofscotland.

September 24th, 2006 | Category: Moviemaker of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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La Mala Educación (Bad Education)

Pedro Almodóvar’s La Mala Educación (Bad Education) finished shooting in 2003.  The film, which stars Gael García Bernal as the transvestite Ángel/Juan/Zahara, opened the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. The film won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film. It was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Film.

Film Factoid: It took Almodóvar over 10 years to create the story structure for La Mala Educación, the ending of which was only resolved during editing.

September 22nd, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Bill Murray (56)

Born today in 1950 in Wilmette, Illinois. Nominated for an Academy Award (Best Actor for Sophia Coppola’s Lost in Translation). Also nominated for a Golden Globe for his work in Ghostbusters (dir. Ivan Reitman) and Rushmore (dir. Wes Anderson) and took home the award for Best Actor in 2004 for Lost In Translation. Murray was nominated for an Emmy twice, and won once in 1977 for his work on Saturday Night Live. Other classic work includes Caddyshack (dir. Harold Ramis), Stripes (dir. Ivan Reitman), Groundhog Day (dir. Harold Ramis) The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (dir. Wes Anderson) and Broken Flowers (dir. Jim Jarmusch)

Filmstar Factoid: Murray was bitten twice by his rodent “costar” during the filming of Groundhog Day.

September 21st, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Festival de Cannes

Now regarded as the crème de la crème event for international film premieres, the Festival de Cannes first opened on this day in 1946. Although the festival was meant to launch September 1^st, 1939, it was shut down after one screening (William Dieterle’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame), when Germany invaded Poland and France declared war. The festival was again shut down due to political turmoil in May 1968 when the student revolution led to a national strike. Auteurs Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard clung to the curtain across the stage of Palais de Festivals to prevent films from being screened and show support for the protestors.

September 20th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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A Streetcar Named Desire

Elia Kazan’s A Streetcar Named Desire opened in the United States this day in 1951.  Nominated for 12 Academy Awards, the film walked away with four, including Best Actress for Vivien Leigh. Streetcar catapulted a young Marlon Brando into the limelight for his star-making turn as Stanley Kowalski.

Trivia: The movie’s most famous line, “Stella! Hey, Stella!” was voted as the #45 movie quote by the American Film Institute (out of 100).

September 17th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Greta Garbo

Born 1905, Stockholm, Sweden. Died April 15, 1990. Nominated for four Best Actress Academy Awards: in 1930 for the title role in Anna Christie (dir. Clarence Brown) and for Madame Rita Cavallini in Romance (dir. Clarence Brown), in 1938 for Marguerite Gautier in Camille (dir. George Cukor), and in 1940 for the title role in Ninotchka (dir. Ernst Lubitsch). Other classic works include Torrent (dir. Vicente Blasco Ibáñez), Flesh and the Devil (dir. Clarence Brown), Grand Hotel (dir.Edmund Goudling), Anna Karenina (dir. Clarence Brown), and A Woman of Affairs (dir. Clarence Brown).

Filmstar Factoid: Though she is one of the most famous actresses in moviemaking history, Garbo’s film career ended with the poorly received comedy, “Two-Faced Woman.” Only one year after receiving her fourth Best Actress nomination, Garbo retired from film at the age of 36.

September 16th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Oliver Stone (60)

Born 1946 in New York City. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards with three wins (Best Adapted Screenplay in 1979 for Midnight Express (dir. Alan Parker), Best Director in 1987 for Platoon, and another Best Director in 1990 for Born on the Fourth of July). Most notable projects include: World Trade Center, Nixon, Natural Born Killers, JFK, Talk Radio and Salvador.

Quotable: “Many films are forgotten and deserve to be, but others glom onto the DNA or the consciousness in some way and they remain and they help shape the collective conscience…That’s not to say films shouldn’t be fun and entertaining and filled with all kinds of riddles and codes either. A message is not necessarily delivered Western Union-style. A message is inherent in the canvas that you paint.” (MovieMaker, March/April 1995)

September 15th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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CineWomen

Some days, it seems like women are virtually nonexistent in the moviemaking world. Aside from a handful of standout directors like Mira Nair, Sofia Coppola and Julie Taymor, the mainstream film scene is dominated by men; however, CineWomen is helping to reverse this trend. With branches in Los Angeles and New York, CineWomen promotes and supports female moviemakers from all walks of life.CineWomen’s goal is to support “the advancement of women, their goals and their visions in a noncompetitive environment,” and the group has found many innovative ways to do just that. From monthly screenings to networking mixers, CineWomen proves that the female moviemaking community is thriving. In addition to these events, the bicoastal group also provides screenplay readings, workshops, Q&As and—for the L.A. set—the opportunity to use CineWomen’s 501(c)3 status to fundraise and secure grants from various foundations and individuals. With a host of creative ideas and enthusiastic participants, CineWomen is an example of indie networking at its finest. Thanks to organizations like CineWomen, the silver screen is making room for all the brilliant artists who just happen to have an extra chromosome.

For more information, visit www.cinewomen.org.

September 15th, 2006 | Category: Association of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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iklipz

If you’re worried that online exhibition means that your film will wind up lost amid the clutter of lip-synching teenagers and videos of Junior’s high school graduation, fret no longer. Founded by some of the industry’s finest, including former Paramount Classics co-founder David Dinerstein and Paramount President of Marketing Arthur Cohen, iklipz has emerged as a blessed alternative for moviemakers who want to get their work seen, but don’t want to battle the crowds on the festival circuit. “I started iklipz because I have always loved independent film,” says Cohen, the company’s CEO. “My professional background was of course in the studio system, but I share a passion for indie filmmaking and wanted to create a unique community in which everyone could share in this style of moviemaking by reaching the widest possible audience.”The concept is simple: Merging the accessibility of YouTube and the sleeker format of iFilm, iklipz provides moviemakers with a forum to display their work, free of charge. The site is geared toward the indie community and has developed a board of moviemaking elite, including THINKFilm’s Mark Urman, the Gersh Agency’s Arianna Bocco and recent MovieMaker cover boy Edward Burns. In addition to user-uploaded flicks, iklipz also screens hand-selected, hard-to-find “industry” films like Eric Byler’s Charlotte Sometimes. “I think iklipz is another sort of festival,” explains Cohen. “We can supplement or complement a festival because it is the filmmaker’s choice to post his work. Often, we are able to show great pieces that might have already traveled the festival circuit which can now call iklipz a home for the future.”

One thing is clear: Iklipz is riding the wave of the moviemaking future. For more information, visit www.iklipz.com.

September 15th, 2006 | Category: Exhibitor of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Echo Park

L.A.’s Echo Park neighborhood was featured in the Sundance hit Quinceañera

Los Angeles, CaliforniaNestled in the Hollywood Hills, Echo Park’s relationship with the moviemaking world stretches back to the first incarnation of the now iconic LA film industry. Featured in Brian De Palma’s The Black Dahlia, Echo Park was home to some of the first studios, including that of slapstick director-producer Mack Sennett. Over the years, the neighborhood has served as the backdrop for such famous flicks as Chinatown and L.A. Confidential, capturing the gritty side of the City of Angels that is easily forgotten amid all the glamour. Echo Park has been home to every ethnic group from Filipinos to Ukrainians, and the now primarily Latino neighborhood is celebrated in the Sundance smash hit, Quinceañera, by local moviemakers Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland.

Echo Park also makes an appearance in:
The Fast and the Furious (2001)
Training Day (2001)
I Am Sam (2001)
Dead Again (1991)

September 15th, 2006 | Category: Location of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Paul Haggis

Don Cheadle and writer-director Paul Haggis on the set of Crash. Photo credit: Jim Sheldon

Unless they’ve been living under a rock, every aspiring screenwriter should recognize Paul Haggis’ name. He is the first person in the history of the Academy Awards to have scribed two back-to-back Best Picture winners: Crash (which he also directed) and Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby.Born in Ontario, Canada, Haggis relocated to Los Angeles at the age of 22 and quickly found work writing for some of the most popular television series of the 1970s and ‘80s, including “The Love Boat,” “Diff’rent Strokes” and “Who’s the Boss.” While Haggis found success in TV, particularly as the creator of the improbably popular “Walker: Texas Ranger” series, the big screen is where Haggis’ talent has truly shone.

Over the next several months, Haggis has a slew of impressive projects lined up, from Flags of Our Fathers (his second collaboration with Clint Eastwood) to The Last Kiss, which opens on September 15th. An American recasting of the 2001 Italian film L’Ultimo baccio, The Last Kiss stars Zach Braff as a young man who begins to question his relationship with a long-term girlfriend when he is faced with the reality of embracing adulthood. Several of Haggis’ other upcoming high-profile flicks include Honeymoon with Harry (which he is also slated to direct) and the new Bond episode, Casino Royale, which tells the story of the secret agent’s (Daniel Craig) first 007 mission.

In a few short years Haggis has risen from the small screen to become a king of the big one, and it doesn’t seem that his star will be fading any time soon.

September 15th, 2006 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Palm Beach Film School

Students get hands-on training by making their own movies at the Palm Beach Film School

Los Angeles may be the first place that comes to mind when you think “sun-drenched indie film scene,” but The Palm Beach Film School offers eight- and 16-week programs that take students through every step of the moviemaking process. Designed specifically for beginners, Palm Beach’s curriculum, which is taught by local indie moviemakers such as Sound instructor Larry de Carmine (Malcolm X, Clockers), covers writing, directing, cinematography, lighting, sound and editing. By requiring that students understand the process from start to finish, the Palm Beach Film School produces graduates who are prepared to jump into their specific fields of interest, whether it’s directing, producing or writing, with a well-rounded body of knowledge.School director Jim York cites the school’s “hands-on, learn-by-doing” training program as the key to its success. Palm Beach students graduate from the school with their own digital shorts on DVD, ready to submit to distributors or festivals. Students assist with each other’s projects, learning the ins and outs of creating a film from a variety of different angles. As an added bonus, York adds, “The learning doesn’t end once you graduate. Graduates are allowed to use the school’s equipment and facilities for approved future films. Best of all, the school offers many unique tropical locations for shooting.” Sun, sand and a superb educational opportunity? A film student couldn’t ask for much than that.

For more information, visit www.palmbeachfilmschool.com.

September 15th, 2006 | Category: Film School of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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James Burke

James Burke. Credit: George Kraychyk

Though he may be new to the director’s chair, James Burke is no stranger to the art of creating subtle and thought-provoking entertainment. With his company, Entitled Entertainment, Burke produced the philosophical drama, 13 Conversations About One Thing (2001), in which Alan Arkin and Matthew McConaughey lead an all-star cast. In addition to his work in the movie world, Burke also co-produced the Tony Award-winning revival of Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night. Now, Burke’s first feature film, Aurora Borealis, is making waves and snatching up awards at film festivals around the country.

Aurora Borealis tells the story of Duncan (Joshua Jackson), a drifting twentysomething who gets a job as a handyman in his ailing grandfather’s (Donald Sutherland) apartment building, only to fall in love with the man’s in-home aide (Juliette Lewis). The film, which opens in limited release on September 15th, has already swept up Audience Choice Awards at the River Run and Jackson Hole Film Festivals, as well as both Best Film and Best Actor nods at the Fort Lauderdale Festival. Critics are praising Burke and screenwriter Brent Boyd for creating an effecting, small-town drama that evades the typical heavy-handed plot twists of similar films.

For the moment, Burke has no future projects announced, but considering his success wearing both the producer and director hats, we hope he’ll keep providing us with satisfying and smart indie dramas for years to come.

September 14th, 2006 | Category: Moviemaker of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Victoria Independent Film and Video Festival

Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Festival Dates: February 2-11, 2007
Deadline: September 1, 2006 (Early), October 1, 2006 (Regular)

You might expect most movie enthusiasts to head west in the winter months—toward the festival Mecca of Park City, Utah. But more and more movie lovers are venturing to British Columbia instead, for the Victoria Independent Film and Video Festival. “We like to keep it fresh every year with new events and places to see and be seen,” says Kathy Kay, director of VIFVF. “This year, guests and VIPs will have exclusive access to our new music lounge, which will feature international up-and-coming musicians.

While the festival has grown in the last 13 years, VIFVF has never lost that personal touch (dinner at Kay’s home for all the visiting moviemakers is one of the highlights of the event). The festival is also doing its part to help participating moviemakers on the distribution end: “On the industry level we’re expanding our pitch conference by bringing in more international buyers, so that one-on-one face time will double for attendees,” says Kay. “They don’t call us ‘the home of the boutique schmooze’ for nothing!”

For more information, visit: www.vifvf.com.

September 8th, 2006 | Category: Festival of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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