SAGIndie

Spend the weekend with Mark Cuban, Ted Turner, Laura Ziskin, Ridley Scott, Gale Anne Hurd, Bruce Cohen, Brian Grazer and over 100 of the industry’s greatest producers in film, tv and new media.

There will be extraordinary panels, one on one mentoring roundtables, workshops, exhibits and incomparable networking opportunities. Go HERE for a complete listing of speakers and sessions.

When: June 4-6, 2010
Where: 20th Century Fox
Price: SAG industry discount ($595)
Tickets available but going fast, so register now (code: SAG2010) at producedbyconference.com

It’s no secret that even though we have “Screen Actors Guild” in our name, we at SAGIndie are very much about the filmmaker. That’s not to say we’re not supportive of the professional actor, because we are. Very much so. We promote SAG low budget contracts in order to help actors get work. We LOVE professional actors.

]However, in order to get them work, we must connect with established and up-and-coming independent filmmakers. Producers, directors, writers, educators – basically anyone who needs to understand that just because you’re making a film on a shoestring, doesn’t mean you can’t hire a professional actor.

So, when we travel to festivals, we’re always looking for the ones that cater to the filmmaker. In general, we like to see that (A) filmmakers are attending and (B) they’re taken care of. Nothing makes us happier when a festival goes out of its way to make the attending filmmakers feel like royalty.

The Maryland Film Festival in Baltimore, which I recently attended, did exactly that. It was my first time in Baltimore and upon arriving downtown I was instantly enamored with the beautiful cityscape. By the time the opening night gala was getting underway, the festival HAD me. Minutes after checking in I ran into Festival Director, Jed Dietz, who was mingling with the crowd before the opening screening, treating everyone as a dear old friend. Then, when the actual screening commenced, they did something extremely fresh and unique– they screened a group of spectacular short films. Something I’ve rarely seen before. More surprising than that, they actually flew the short filmmakers out so they could attend.

It doesn’t stop there. The Maryland Film Fest also takes care of past participants. They invite alumni of the festival out to network and enjoy the great Baltimore weather. Many of whom had nothing but glowing things to say about the job Dietz and crew have been doing. Other highlights included the day-long industry panels, the historic Charles Theater as the primary venue, and special presentations from Baltimore greats Dan Deacon and John Waters.

Overall, it was a professionally run festival in an amazing part of the country. There was plenty to do and they treated the visiting filmmakers like family. Maryland Film Festival, you’ve captured our heart.

On June 6, 2010 Actor, writer, and film director Steve Buscemi will talk with Emmy Award-winning journalist and Co-Host of WNYC Radio and PRI’s The Takeaway, John Hockenberry, about creating unforgettable characters that ultimately drive a film’s narrative and impact. The afternoon will feature film clips from the actor’s career as well as brunch at an award-winning Brooklyn eatery.

It is our pleasure to extend an advance invitation to SAG and SAGIndie members. The event will be publicly announced this Friday May 14th, so please take advantage of this opportunity to secure seats to this intimate event.

Actor as Auteur Brunch To Benefit ISSUE Project Room
Presented in Collaboration With SAGIndie
Sunday, June 6, 12pm – 2pm
$125 Per Person ($95 tax-deductible, three-course brunch is included.)

SEATING IS LIMITED. BUY TICKETS
For more information please call 718-330-0313.

There are numerous iconic characters in film history, from The Little Tramp to Charles Foster Kane to Colonel Kurtz to Travis Bickle, all of them well drawn and directed. However, had Chaplin, Welles, Brando or DeNiro not played these roles would the film had the same powerful impact on our culture? Can a case be made for actor as auteur?

It is difficult to imagine Buscemi’s roles and their indelible effect on each film without his personal, stylized approach in bringing them to life. They emit essential energies striking a balance between deeply held neuroses and outward bombast. From lead roles in films like Fargo, Resevoir Dogs, Living in Oblivion, Trees Lounge, and Ghost World to supporting roles and cameos in films such as The Big Lebowski, and Barton Fink, his presence breathes life into every corner of a film. “Buscemi is a quiet tyrant of artistic fury who threatens to overrun every frame he’s in with the inner desperation he projects even in his most subtle performances,” says Hockenberry.

SAGIndie is a gentle and loving union between the hard working thespians of the world and the passionate filmmakers who buck the system. Since its formation in 1997, SAGIndie has been traveling to film festivals, trade shows and conventions spreading the word: Just because your film isn’t produced by a studio doesn’t mean you can’t use professional talent. www.SAGIndie.org

ISSUE Project Room, a registered 501(c)(3) organization, was established in 2003 by visionary artist Suzanne Fiol, and is a vibrant nexus for cutting-edge, multi-disciplinary arts in Brooklyn. ISSUE supports emerging and established experimental artists through more than 200 programs each year including music concerts, literary readings, films, videos, dance, visual and sound art, new media, critical theory lectures and discussions, site-specific work, commissions, educational workshops, master classes, and genre-defying interdisciplinary performances that challenge and expand conventional practices in art.  Support for ISSUE has been provided by CHORA, a project of the Metabolic Studio, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation led by Artist and Foundation Director Lauren Bon. CHORA aims to support the intangibles that precede creativity. www.ISSUEProjectRoom.org 

What event would open with Candis Cayne and Wilson Cruz dancing to Lady Gaga’s Telephone?

It was the 2010 GLAAD Media Awards and Cayne and Cruz hosted the colorful event. I was in attendance that evening, as SAGIndie is a sponsor of the GLAAD Awards. The event featured a pre-event cocktail party with a silent auction, where everything from a spa weekend, to wine baskets, to a new car was available for bids. This was followed by a live auction. At the live auction trips to London went quickly as did personal redecorating sessions with a top designer. The raised funds went to GLAAD to help the organization continue spreading its message of equality and peace.

During the awards show, GLEE took best comedic series and the cast, including Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Jane Lynch, and Kevin McHale were there to accept it. Outstanding film went to A Single Man and Outstanding Reality Program went to RuPaul’s Drag Race. The event had some serious moments, including a speech by Constance McMillen, the young teen whose high school cancelled prom after she asked to bring her girlfriend. She presented one of two special awards that evening.

The two special awards were handed out to honorees, Drew Barrymore and Wanda Sykes, who took home their awards for their success in entertainment, as well as their support and positive inclusive of the GLBT community in films, television and the media in general. The event ended with a spirited performance by American Idol winner Adam Lambert. Decked out in a leather studded jacket and blue streaked faux-hawk he performed a couple rock-heavy songs that got the audience on their feet. All in all, a successful evening.