The Independent | Obsessed with independent film since 1978.

The Independent: obsessed with independent film since 1978

Tuesday 09th of February 2010

		10 to Watch in 2010... Plus Five Runners-Up They come from all walks of life, and each has a different story to tell. Some have found success, while others are just beginning their careers. And although their filmmaking reflects this diversity, they all have one major thing in common (other than being on this list): talent. Be sure to take notes as you read...you'll want to remember these filmmakers.
		How Funders are Like Crushes and Other Sundance Morsels Only filmmaker Therese Shechter equates raising money for her doc to speed-dating or counts eating potato skins as a personal victory. That's why we're happy she's back, sharing her blog with The Independent, about the always-crazy lines at Sundance 2010, which oddly dissipated by Wednesday.
		Economic Turmoil in Film The films in this story capture the cinematic landscape of a country coming to grips with severe economic turmoil. From a man who loses his job and becomes obsessed with beating an arcade game's high score, to contemplating how, exactly, we ended up in this monetary mess, The Independent's Teresa Bitler suggests films that put the current fiscal downfall into perspective.
		Facebook Exclusive Interviews with 10 to Watch in 2010 Bonjour! Join us for 10 days of celebrating film and 10 filmmakers to watch in the year to come. We've got daily updates on our site and exclusive interviews on Facebook from January 25th - February 3rd.
		Film-Friendly State: Shooting in Utah In the second installment of The Independent's new Film-Friendly States series, Angela Wu explores why, if you're an independent filmmaker, Utah offers much more than Sundance.
		Doc Highlights from the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma The Independent's Patrick Pearce offers take two of highlights from Montréal's Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, this time with a focus on docs. Last month he served up narrative features.
		Film Journal: The Importance of Pre-Production Filmmaker Valerie Weiss shares her experiences of financing, planning, and producing her first independent feature film Losing Control in this monthly film journal. In her third installment, Weiss writes about the trials and triumphs she experienced during pre-production.
		From Journalist to Documentarian – Five Tips for a Better Documentary Ever wonder how, exactly, some documentaries can successfully embrace and tell a story, all while engaging the audience? So do we. The Independent's Michael Grosse highlights five important techniques on how to effectively research and write a better documentary.
		Health Care Legislation: What’s The Hold Up? In the second installment of a new series about the United States' health care debate, The Independent examines the next step in the process, and why, exactly, legislation seems to be at an impasse.
		Under-the-radar Features from the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma The Independent's Patrick Pearce offers up an eclectic global sampling of indie features from Montréal's Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, a veteran fest that offers a bounty of stimulating films. In the forthcoming part two, he'll highlight docs.
		Health Care Reform: Getting Filmmakers Up to Speed You might be hard-pressed to find a more controversial, debated, constantly evolving topic than health care reform. In the first installment of a new series about the health care debate and how it might affect you, The Independent offers a summary of what's happened and happening on the Hill.
		10 Most Innovative Animation Programs The Independent scours the United States to find the 10 most innovative animation programs the country has to offer. The schools on this comprehensive list were picked based on reputation, creativity, and where their students find work after they earn their diplomas.
		Doc Doctor's Story Strategies: Is Narration a Storytelling Red Flag? Is voiceover a red flag for bad storytelling? Doc Doctor Fernanda Rossi enters the debate on whether or not narration can be a creative tool and explores the prejudices associated with the use of voiceovers, suggesting why documentary filmmakers may want to consider the device when crafting stories.
		Borat's Aftermath: A Romanian Town Seeks Damages Filmmaker Mercedes Stalenhoef thought she was filming a young woman with dreams of escaping her poor Romanian hometown for a better life. But then another film crew descended on Glod, Romania, to shoot scenes for Borat, forever changing the villagers' prospects and not necessarily for the better. The Independent's Randi Cecchine interviews Stalenhoef about the process of making and distributing her documentary, Carmen Meets Borat.
		Exhibitor FAQ: Enzian Theater At the Enzian Theater in Maitland, Florida, you can cozy up to the screen with a glass of wine or cold bottle of beer. But adult beverages alone do not keep the crowds happy. According to programming director Matthew Curtis, it's the quality of films. "They trust what we put on the screen," he told The Independent. Curtis gives the inside scoop on how filmmakers should approach Enzian with their latest projects.
		Film Journal: Philosophies for Financing Your Film Filmmaker Valerie Weiss shares her experiences of financing, making, and marketing her first independent feature film Losing Control in this monthly film journal. In this installment, she writes about how she raised financing – a topic that is likely on every independent filmmaker’s mind.
		Erin Trahan Named Interim Executive Director of Independent Media Publications As of October 15th, Managing Editor Erin Trahan will be serving as the Interim Executive Director of Independent Media Productions (IMP), the nonprofit organization that oversees publication of www.independent-magazine.org. We welcome your feedback and support of The Independent as we look ahead.
		30 Quintessential Books for Independent Filmmakers Ever wonder what, exactly, independent filmmakers – both aspiring and established – should be reading? Look no further than The Independent's 30 Quintessential Books for Independent Filmmakers. Here, we list the top must-owns, including Independent Feature Film Production, The Filmmaker's Handbook, Sidney Lumet's Making Movies, and From Reel to Deal.
		Capturing Controversy: A Look at Activist Filmmaking "It’s understanding the difference between an issue, and what will really provide the elements of a film," said Nettie Wild a social documentary filmmaker and director of Bevel Up: Drugs, Users and Outreach Nursing (view the trailer here), which screened at HotDocs in 2008. Independent writer, Jericho Parms, talks to Wild as well as director Francine Cavanaugh (view the trailer for her latest film On Coal River here), co-founder of Mountain Eye Media, about the elements that make a good activist film, and the effect social media can have on society.
		Exhibitor FAQ: Olympia Film Society The Independent's Exhibitor FAQ series provides resources and advice on how to get your film onto the big screen. In this installment, the Olympia Film Society is featured; Helen Thornton, the Society's film programmer, discusses the Society, its film festival, and how independent filmmakers can get their work shown at the theater.
		Film-Friendly State: Shooting in Michigan There is no doubt that the war of the tax credits can have an impact on your bottom line. And with states competing to get the best incentives on the books, it’s a buyer’s market. So how can filmmakers choose the right destination? A new series from The Independent assesses some of the top locations for independents in the United States.
		Sustaining Big Projects through Small Gigs Corporate television commercials are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Instead, businesses both big and small are turning to documercials, commercials shot like documentaries, to more sincerely convey their message via the Internet. Like it or not, this trend is opening up doors for independent filmmakers — both financially and professionally.
		Film Journal: The Making of an Independent Feature In The Independent's new series Film Journal: The Making of an Independent Feature, filmmaker Valerie Weiss will share her experiences of financing, making, and marketing her first independent feature film Losing Control. Here, she discusses her inspiration for making the film and her method of fundraising.
		No-Fee Film Festivals Whether you’re a new or a seasoned filmmaker, festivals provide a supportive and constructive atmosphere to show your work. Considering the abysmal state of the current economy, The Independent decided to compile this list of film festivals that do not charge a submission fee. The list here offers a mixture of long-standing and relatively new, no-fee film festivals.
		Exhibitor FAQ: Amherst Theatre The Independent launches its new series of Exhibitor FAQs to provide resources and advice on how to get your film onto the big screen. Following in the tradition of the distributor and funder Q&As, the Exhibitor FAQ will feature a different theatre, museum or other screening venue with tips on how to approach the theatre, market your film, and find an audience for your film. This month, The Independent talks with Phillip Freedenberg, general manager of the Amherst Theatre in Buffalo, NY.
		Three Approaches to Marketing an Independent Film Completing a film is a Herculean task—especially for independent filmmakers. So it’s tempting to feel that once the film is in the can and ready to be shown, the hard work is over. But getting a film ready to be seen is only half the battle; one of the biggest filmmaking challenges still lies ahead: marketing your movie. This month, The Independent takes a look at three filmmakers who took different approaches to marketing their films: Gadi Harel, co-director of Deadgirl (view the trailer here); Sterlin Harjo, director of Barking Water (view the trailer here); and Bill Daniel, director of Who is Bozo Texino?(view the trailer here).
		Doc Doctor's Story Strategies: Should You Put Yourself in Your Documentary? Doc Doctor Fernanda Rossi explores whether or not putting yourself as a character or narrator in your documentary film will solve structure problems. Using her expertise as a story consultant for over 300 documentaries, scripts and fundraising trailers, Fernanda discusses whether your presence will make or break your film, by showing you when it works and when there may be a better solution.
		How To Get a Hollywood Star for Your Independent Film Filmmaker, Shana Feste opens up to The Independent about the journey that led her to make her first film The Greatest, how she got an all-star cast, and how it took 10 steps backward for her to take a giant leap forward. The film, which stars Susan Sarandon and Pierce Brosnan, screened in the dramatic competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival (view the premiere of the film here).
		Production Insurance for Filmmakers: Understanding the Basics Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or an up-and-coming independent filmmaker, it’s essential to research and understand the intricacies of obtaining insurance. Whether it is for a one-day shoot or an extensive project, there is an abundance of companies out there that will provide insurance packages. Unlike purchasing car insurance, buying film insurance isn’t limited to one type of coverage. Everything from the equipment to the film stock itself can have an insurance policy, which the filmmaker may or may not decide is necessary. Fortunately, after careful consideration, The Independent has narrowed it down to the main insurance policies that every filmmaker, regardless of budget, should look into.
		Digging In: An Interview with Eugene Rosow and Bill Benenson of "Dirt! The Movie" Eugene Rosow and Bill Benenson sit down with The Independent's Emily Cataneo to discuss how they were able to transform an environmental science book into a funny, socially relevant and award-winning documentary film. Based on William Logan's book Dirt, the Ecstatic Skin of the Earth Rosow and Benenson sought to create something that would make a difference without sacrificing art and entertainment, and they did just that, going on to win the audience award for the best green documentary at Sundance this year. See the trailer for Dirt! The Movie here.
		How Filmmakers Can Beat the Recession The Independent's Sean Jones investigates some innovative and useful ideas to help cash-strapped filmmakers survive through difficult times. From free distribution for films to virtual tip jars, The Independent examines the different ways that filmmakers can put their creativity to use for financial survival during the recession.
		Distributor FAQ: Udy Epstein of Seventh Art Releasing In June 1999, The Independent asked Seventh Art Releasing where the company would be in ten years (read the original interview here). They answered, “Still open for business doing films we like.” And Seventh Art has done just that. And though there have been some changes, Epstein insists that despite the technological and economic turmoil of the past ten years, the company’s original vision has stayed the same. Exactly a decade after the last interview, The Independent’s Emily Cataneo sits down with co-founder Udy Epstein to find out what those changes are.
		The Write Way: An Interview with Pamela Cuming and Lee Ross of "Downloading Nancy" After a film finds success, the industry usually lauds the miraculous execution of the director and the cast. Yet, often ignored are those who actually crafted the story: the writers. The Independent’s, Joi R. Wheatley, taps into the ingenious minds of Pamela Cuming and Lee Ross who wrote the dark, intense, drama Downloading Nancy, which was recently screened at the Seattle International Film Festival. The film, starring Maria Bellow and Jason Patric, follows a middle-aged wife who orders a man she met on the Internet to kill her so she can escape from her unhappy life (view the trailer here). Cuming and Lee discuss how the idea became a script, why it’s important to produce and direct your own projects, and what’s next for this writing duo.