Freedom Film Society

Oftentimes it is only audiences in New York or Los Angeles that are fortunate enough to see any movie in limited release, leaving those who live outside the “big cities” no access to a plethora of well-made and original films. The Freedom Film Society (FFS) of Monmouth, New Jersey was formed with this problem in mind. “It is our goal to bring a little bit of that independent mindset to the Jersey Shore,” says FFS president Marc Leckstein.

Arguably the most intriguing and innovative idea to come out of the Freedom Film Society is Film Addicts Anonymous. The group meets once every month and is organized much like a book club, with a discussion group following the private screening of an otherwise inaccessible film. FSS brings intellectual, esoteric films to Monmouth and invites cinephiles from the area who might be starved for a little film-based conversation. It “allows participants the opportunity to screen ‘art’ films and then sit back after the fact and intelligently discuss with others what they have just seen,” Leckstein explains.

But this is only part of Freedom Film Society’s solution to reinvigorate film appreciation in the previously nicknamed “Dead Bank.” Run entirely by a dedicated team of volunteers, each year the society hosts the Red Bank International Film Festival in addition to the Emerging Filmmakers Series. The festival brings the arts community of Red Bank together every October to celebrate with the international film community. To encourage the up-and-coming talent, the Emerging Filmmakers Series offers the winner of local high school competitions a screening at the fest, as well as scholarship money to further pursue the art of moviemaking.

Entries for this Octoberâ€™s Red Bank International Film Festival are now being accepted. For more information on the festival and Freedom Film Society, visit www.rbiff.org.

SOUND OFF QUESTION: If there was a Film Addicts Anonymous in your area, would you attend? Which upcoming movies would you want to watch and discuss as part of such a group? Talk back in the comments section!

January 2nd, 2007 | Category: Association of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Academy of Film Arts

For the aspiring moviemaker with no time to spare, the Academy of Film Arts (AFA) is the ideal film school. In as few (or as many) as eight days, the AFA teaches students the basics of producing, directing and cinematography.

The school originated in 2005 as an aid to disadvantaged youths in the Los Angeles area. The young and innovative academy, according to president Monica Ortiz, was started to help the students â€œfocus on their dreams and give them real-life experience in making movies.â€ Two short years later the film school has achieved impressive growth. Expansion includes a campus in New York, a one-month course duration and new program that focuses on the ins and outs of movie sound.

Currently, two- and eight-day intensive courses are available for working professionals with limited vacation days. Ortiz describes them as â€œexhaustingâ€ yet â€œextremely rewarding.â€ Except how can a student learn in eight days, never mind two, what others spend years studying? Mostly, Ortiz credits the high instructor to student ratio, which allows each student â€œto receive the individual attention [he or she] need[s] in order to grow in [his or her] respective creative field.â€ Moreover, the Academy doesnâ€™t attempt to make its students hone in on a single moviemaking style. Instead, AFA builds the tools needed to discover this style over the course of their moviemaking careers. With this philosophy, the Academy of Film Arts understands that providing knowledge is the most important duty of any film schoolâ€”itâ€™s up to the student to make a career out of this knowledge.

For more information, visit www.academyoffilmarts.com.

SOUND OFF QUESTION: The Academy of Film Arts is expanding its range to include a one-month course for prospective moviemakers. Would you prefer to attend an eight-day intensive course, getting your hands dirty immediately, or a relatively relaxed month-long instruction? Talk back in the comments section!

January 2nd, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Todd Haynes

Todd Haynes directs Focus Films’ Far From Heaven - 2002 Photo: Abbot Genser

When it comes to making your name in the film business, it’s quality, not quality, that counts. Moviemaker Todd Haynes, born on this day in 1961, proves this statement with each subsequent project. Covering issues from discrimination to anorexia to environmental pollution, Haynes has tackled each of these difficult subjects with wit and depth in the critically acclaimed Douglas Sirk homage, Far From Heaven, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story and 1995’s Safe. Other titles by the Brown University grad include the British glam rock tale Velvet Goldmine (1998 Best Artistic Contribution, Cannes) and 1991 Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, Poison. In 2007 expect the release of I’m Not There, a Bob Dylan biopic that casts British thespians Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett, among others, in the role of the great folk hero.

Filmmaker Factoid: Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story depicts the singer’s anorexia and subsequent death entirely with girls’ fashion dolls. Richard Carpenter filed suit against Haynes, who had not received the rights to Carpenter’s music. Subsequently, distribution of the film has come to an indefinite halt.

January 2nd, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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