Screenwriting

From animation and shorts, to Web series, narrative features and documentaries, The Independent's 10 to Watch list brings you filmmakers from all backgrounds and genres, each of whom has one very important thing in common: Crazy-big talent.

We'll be announcing our annual list of 10 of the most talented filmmakers we think you should keep your eye on by posting exclusive content daily on our Facebook page.

Part fan interview, part experimental essay, David Pierotti ruminates on the many forms his alter-ego, a character in Kate Christensen's novel, The Epicure's Lament, could take as Christensen adapts her novel into a screenplay.

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.

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.

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.

Director Joseph Cashiola sits down for coffee with The Independent's Jennifer Sheffield and hashes out the details behind the making of his first feature-length film, A Thing as Big as the Ocean (view the trailer here), now in post-production and ready to hit up festivals in 2009. Cashiola discusses working with his brother, shooting on the road, and the difference between independent filmmakers and "beginner-level professionals."

The Independent's Jericho Parms sifts through the multitude of programs for aspiring screenwriters and boils down the essentials so you can find the best fit to help you achieve your screenwriting goal, whether that be having as many finished screenplays by the end of the program as possible, or walking away with an education that not only helps you put your ideas on paper, but helps prepare you to sell your ideas to the people who can get them up on the big screen.

Up-and-coming Austrialian screenwriting duo, Armstrong & Krause, talk to the Independent about brainstorming horror films and their new film, Acolytes (see trailer), which screened at the Toronto Film Festival in September.

As the Writers Guild of America Strike seems to be finally nearing its end after three months, The Independent offers this concluding segment in its screenplay series. You can also read the other strike screenplays, written by Rufus Chaffee, Dorothy Blyskal, Dane Young and Randy Steinberg. (Photo source: Salomedusa.)