Profiles

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).

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.

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 Independent goes behind the scenes of a start-up film festival in Northern Ireland as the director tries to revive independent filmmaking in the country. The Yellow Fever Independent Film Festival is the first independent festival in Northern Ireland, and founder and filmmaker George Clarke (view the trailer for his kung fu zombie film Battle of the Bone here) faces some large hurdles to get the festival up and running for its August debut. The Independent's Dante A. Ciampaglia discovers Clarke's motivations and hopes for YFIFF and how it can bring change to the indie-deprived nation.

Somewhat different than many filmmaking grants, the Roy W. Dean Film & Video Grants provide goods and services, rather than funding, with the goal of helping filmmakers not only complete their film, but gain connections within the independent filmmaking community. The Independent's Enette Ngoei talks with foundation founder, author, and producer Carole Dean to find out exactly what Roy W. Dean grants have to offer independent filmmakers.

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."

Five years ago Vanessa Domico saw a gap in the distribution of LGBT titles and decided it was time to pull up her sleeves. Using her expertise as a director of distribution, she founded Outcast Films, now one of the foremost LGBT distributors in the country, with critically acclaimed releases like their most recent film She's a Boy I Knew (view the trailer here). Outcast is more than a distributor -- under Domico's leadership it also focuses on education and activism on behalf of the LGBT community.

When the paparazzi cleared and the red carpet rolled away, filmmaker Cynthia Wade, winner of the 2008 Academy Award for "Best Documentary Short Subject", rolled up her sleeves and got back to work. The Oscar winner discusses with the Independent, what she's been working on since the statue, how she finds her compelling subjects and gives some advice for aspiring documentarians.

Even the great directors had to make their start somewhere, and that meant working on short films, applying for grants and filming out of their own pocket all to gain recognition in the film community. This month, The Independent acknowledges 10 filmmakers who have stood out among the crowd. Compiled from a list of suggestions made by critics, peers and organizations, these filmmakers all have projects coming out in 2009 and represent everything from animated shorts to feature-length narratives.

A one-stop update on independent film awards for 2008, including a roundup of winners from the Gotham Independent Film Awards, The Alliance of Women Film Journalists: The EDM Awards, Film Independent's Spirit Awards and a list of the nominees for The Cinema Eye Awards. Some standout films among the list include Courtney Hunt's Frozen River (view trailer here) and Carl Deal and Tia Lessin's Trouble the Water (view trailer here).