Check out this amazingly helpful interactive map that FILM L.A. has on their website. You can enter any address and see if your shooting location is within the Thirty-Mile Zone (a.k.a the TMZ or Studio Zone).

Why is this important? Well, unions currently use the zone to determine rates and work rules for union workers. Good info to know if you’re making a film.

“Z,” which is written and directed by Jared and produced by Big Signature and Section 5 (Justine Bateman), stars Rob Buckley (One Tree Hill) as a slacker 20-something froyo worker taken hostage by a mysterious female bodyguard played be Alyson Weaver.

Created specifically to be released on the web, the short action-comedy is very funny, contains stellar production value, and is a lot of fun. For more info, visit the official site at www.ZisHere.com.

Watch it now:

Film Independent Directors Close-Up
Wednesdays, February 8 – March 7, 2012
The Landmark – West Los Angeles

Get your series pass before January 27 and save big.
Film Independent Directors Close-Up gives you access to go behind the scenes with prolific film directors and their collaborators.

Confirmed speakers (to date) include:

• Will Files (sound designer, The Tree of Life, Take Shelter)
• Phil Johnston (writer, Cedar Rapids)
• Jonathan Levine (director, 50/50, writer, The Wackness)
• Mike Mills (writer/director, Beginners, Thumbsucker)
• Jeff Nichols (writer/director, Take Shelter, Shotgun Stories)
• Will Reiser (writer, 50/50)

Space is limited. Register before January 27 and receive the 
special early registration rate of $99 (regular price $149).
 For more information, speaker updates and to buy your pass, go to:

https://my.filmindependent.org/dcu2012

10.) Reindeer Games: A guilty-pleasure holiday movie. Need I say more? There’s a bit of a convoluted plot mixed into this sensual thriller, but, honestly, who cares? Bundle up under the covers and check out the acting talents of Ben Affleck and Charlize Theron this holiday season.

9.) Die Hard 2: Christmas Eve + an airport + a blizzard + terrorists who have taken control of said airport’s communication system X Bruce Willis = an action-packed holiday film with lots of thrills and holiday spirit! Don’t forget the fight scenes on a moving airplane wing and, of course, an explosive, fiery finish to cap off this second enjoyable installment in the Die Hard series.

8.) Little Women: This movie (in all its many renditions) may not immediately come to mind as a holiday film, since it moves through all seasons. The 1994 version stars Winona Ryder, Gabriel Byrne, Kirsten Dunst, Claire Danes, and (don’t forget!) Christian Bale as the March sisters’ male counterpart. Director Gillian Armstrong makes sure to summon the holiday spirit with caroling, snow-filled Concord, Mass, and, of course, the life-changing frozen pond scene. Little Women’s themes of love and forgiveness will go along nicely with your cup of hot chocolate and holiday cheer.

7.) Hot Tub Time Machine: This ridiculous romp through snow, time, and space stars John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Clark Duke, and Craig Robinson. The film is exactly what it sounds like: a time machine at a ski resort sends a group of friends back to 1986 where they re-live a very important night in their lives. Hot Tub Time Machine is a great film to accompany a ski lodge trip, or to help you relive the 1980s in all its color-blocking glory.

6.) The Ref: If family dysfunction and the holidays grate on your nerves, then this comedy will really speak to you. Denis Leary stars as Gus, a petty burglar who takes a dysfunctional family hostage on Christmas Eve. Much to his chagrin, Gus is forced to mediate the family’s problems.  Kevin Spacey and Christine Baranski round out the dysfunctional family cast in this unexpected holiday film.

5.) Trading Places: Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy give thoroughly enjoyable performances in this comedy that garnered a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy. In case it’s been awhile: an upper class commodities broker and a street hustler have their fortunes reversed by billionaires who decide to have a little fun with a bet.

4.) Scrooged: Tired of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol? Granted, there may be no such thing as growing tired of A Christmas Carol; however, Scrooged puts a comedic spin on this classic tale, which makes this film a perfect addition to your holiday watch list. Bill Murray plays Francis Xavier “Frank” Cross, a soul-less television executive, who chose his career over love many years ago. Things get weird when Cross agrees to air a Christmas Eve broadcast of A Christmas Carol. Strangely, ghosts from his past start coming back to haunt him…

3.) Gremlins: We can point fingers as to who’s to blame, father Randall Peltzer for purchasing the little monster for his son as an ill-conceived Christmas present, or his son Billy Peltzer for breaking one of three simple rules while caring for the Mogwai. Either way, this black comedy is a classic creature feature and definitely an offbeat holiday classic.

2.) Edward Scissorhands: A friend of mine recently admitted to me that she has met resistance when trying to proclaim Edward Scissorhands as one of her favorite holiday movies. The film begins and ends during the holidays, and it is filled with whimsy and heart, two staples of the holiday season. Not only that, but it is a truly inventive film that demands a yearly re-watching.

1.) Die Hard: The original Die Hard takes the number one spot, hands down, as it is one of my favorite movies. Don’t let the lack of snow fool you, this movie is one-hundred-percent holiday film. The movie begins simply enough: New York cop John McClane lands in LA to visit his estranged wife and their two children for Christmas. He meets up with his wife at her work holiday party, an event taking place at the Nakatomi Plaza, an LA sky scraper.  His strained meeting with his wife, as well as the holiday celebration, is interrupted when Hans Gruber and his armed cohorts take the party-goers hostage. Alan Rickman plays Gruber over a decade before he took on the role of Harry Potter’s Severus Snape, and Rickman gives a wonderfully memorable performance as Die Hard’s ruthless and conniving villain. Gruber portrays himself to police as a terrorist, but things are not as they seem. He has his entire plan mapped out, step-by-step, and he is far ahead of the police. In fact, the only thorn in his side is the one party-goer who managed to slip away and who is now taking out his men, one-by-one. Die Hard is a smart, classic action movie with holiday spirit and a lot of heart.  I say it’s a must-see holiday movie!

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In addition to her duties at SAGIndie, Ellen Tremiti is also a Contributor for Fanboy Comics, an independent comic book publishing company based in Los Angeles, CA. For more interviews, blogs, and reviews by Ellen and the FBC staff, check out the Fanboy Comics website at FanboyComics.net or sign up for the e-newsletter, The Fanboy Scoop, by emailing subscribe@fanboycomics.net.

SAGIndie was very pleased to sponsor a screening of the indie film, THE DISH & THE SPOON at the 2011 AFI Fest. After the screening, writer/director Alison Bagnall participated in a Q&A.

You guys! Because I know a good time when I see one, I spent the beginning of the month in Tennessee at Indie Memphis. Also because someone finally recognized my genius and put me on a jury with Adam Donaghey and Chris Parnell.

On the flight to Memphis, I sat next to another festival juror, the criminally underrated Daniel Waters (and I’m not just calling him that because I happen to know that he googles “Daniel Waters, underrated”). Let me say that again: I sat next to the man who wrote Heathers. I was close enough to touch him! (I didn’t though, cause I wasn’t reared that way. Don’t worry, you guys, I played it cool.)

Upon my arrival I realized how much Indie Memphis does for the filmmakers (they let the jury tag along). My days there were a blur of movies and receptions and tours and panels and southern food and more movies and parties. It was like summer camp! And all with a free shuttle! (You’d be surprised to know how many festivals have expected attendees to figure out how to get back and forth from screenings that are 10-20 miles from the festival host hotel without going broke.)  This fest is really great to the filmmakers that attend, and that must be the word on the street, because the city was crawling with them. And because I am trying to be a person of use to society, I had a chance to do a SAGIndie workshop with quite a few of said filmmakers. It was really heartening to have the turn out I did. (Are you guys, like, “I can’t figure out which part of this story is supposed to be interesting”(?) OK! Enough sincerity!)

How about this: Indie Memphis was insane! Seriously, you have one white wine spritzer* and the next thing you know you’re wearing a horse mask sitting in a converted airstream trailer sitting in between two men you just went with to what may or may not have been a rave (?), one of whom wrote Heathers, and listen, the night is not even close to being over.**

On the final night, after our last deliberation, Adam and I walked back to the Playhouse on the Square with Chris to go watch his panel, which was super entertaining as I’m sure you can imagine. During the Q&A, I raised my hand and asked “Out of the two others serving on the Hometowner Jury with you, which one is your favorite?” That drew a  gasp from the crowd and a polite politician-y answer from Chris, who claimed he liked me and Adam equally, which we all know can’t be true. I have so much going for me, like awesome hair and a million pictures of my dog dressed up like Dracula! Adam? All he has is his own movie theater and a million producing credits.

After the panel was the awards ceremony, where the Hometowner Jury was pleased to award best Hometowner Feature to Morgan Jon Fox’s documentary This is What Love In Action Looks Like and Best Hometowner Short to Ryan Parker and G.B. Shannon’s Fresh Skweezed (which also won the Hometowner Audience Award). After the awards ceremony was the after party***, and after the party was the hotel lobby. And after that? Well, I guess I had to come home some time.

THE END

*Alright, it wasn’t a spritzer I was drinking!
**Actually, this sounds a lot like my Tuesday nights.
***At Ernestine and Hazels.

Cast your vote to determine the winners of the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards.

Filmmakers, film lovers and industry professionals who join the Film Independent community by December 6, 2011 are eligible to participate in the voting process for the 2012 Spirit Awards and will be entered for the chance to win two tickets to the awards ceremony.

Contact Film Independent at 310.432.1264 or by visiting my.filmindependent.org

Video from a panel we did at New York Film Festival last month on casting and working with actors in low budget indies.

SAGIndie’s Michael Sladek moderated and panelists included Famke Janssen, Bruce Weiss, Jay Van Hoy, Paul Schnee, Mary Clay Boland, and Craig Zobel.

I was first introduced to The Hammer, previously titled Hamill, at AFI Fest 2010, where the film took the Audience Award. I met some of the crew and cast at an AFI reception honoring their win, and I was instantly struck by the passion the filmmakers and actors had for this film. The Hammer is a family-friendly, based-on-a-true-story, underdog-sports-story, and it opened last Thursday in limited theatrical release.

The Hammer tells the story of Matt Hamill, the first deaf wrestler to win a National Collegiate Wrestling Championship. We follow his life, from toddler-hood to adulthood, from childhood bullying to first romances to collegiate pressures, and we see the world through his perspective. As a result, both hearing audience members, as well as members of the deaf community, can enjoy this film together, without any special arrangements. The Hammer was made to be accessible to both audiences, and this decision, coupled with inventive sound editing, made viewing this film that much more of an authentic, immersive, and enjoyable experience.

The superb cast, including deaf actors Russell Harvard (There Will Be Blood), Michael Anthony Spady (Cold Case, Sympathy for Delicious), and Shoshannah Stern (Weeds, Cold Case, Lie to Me), fill this movie with palpable emotion. I also came to learn that Stern, as a deaf actress, is redefining the definition of leading lady, as she has been cast in roles written for hearing actresses over her hearing colleagues. In summation, The Hammer not only tells an underdog sports story, but it opens up a mainstream audience to a set of rising stars and to a community not often put in the spotlight. It is clear that filmmakers Eben Kostbar and Joseph McKelheer put much thought and heart into this movie. 

The Hammer is best suited for an audience looking for an enjoyable and heartfelt film the whole family can enjoy. It can be found in select theaters this weekend!

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In addition to her duties at SAGIndie, Ellen Tremiti is also a Contributor for Fanboy Comics, an independent comic book publishing company based in Los Angeles, CA. For more interviews, blogs, and reviews by Ellen and the FBC staff, check out the Fanboy Comics website at FanboyComics.net or sign up for the e-newsletter, The Fanboy Scoop, by emailing subscribe@fanboycomics.net.

Every once in a while, an opportunity arises that you cannot resist. Riding camels in Egypt, giant wave surfing in Australia, nude sunbathing during Thailand’s monsoon season. Well, I’ve done none of these things, but I still got to do something pretty cool.

This year at the 20^th annual Raindance Film Festival in London, UK, SAGIndie was invited to share our knowledge on independent filmmaking and new media content.  I assumed it was the Queen herself, asking for me. I’m sure she went through “channels”.

Actually, our introduction came to Raindance in the best possible way; through filmmakers who liked our message.  Back in March we were at SXSW Film/Interactive/Music Festival.  There, SXSW had a section called SX-UK where they had a group of UK filmmakers doing business, meeting people, and generally trying to convince us that we don’t pronounce aluminum or centrifugal correctly.  Well, we quickly set them straight on that.  But it turns out that the folks from “across the pond” are also interested in filmmaking.  Too bad they do it so poorly… (Wait, what? They don’t do it poorly? Long history of filmmaking? What the heck is the King’s Speech?!)

Despite their obvious shortcomings (why can’t they speak English?) we met quite a few filmmakers who seemed cool. Several of them mentioned this great festival for indie filmmaking that takes place in October in London. Turns out, they were more than just talk, they actually mentioned me to the festival director, Elliot Grove and we met each other while in Cannes. One thing led to another and off I went to London.

The festival was very cool. Over the course of 12 days, Raindance showed movies, (opening with the much talked about ANOTHER EARTH), held panels, and threw some groovy parties (suddenly, I feel all Austin Powers). I was on s panel about creating a web series. While the internet is worldwide, it seems that the US of A is leading the pack in creating stories for it. Raindance wanted us to share the wisdom we’ve acquired over the years.

You all should know that, as a rule, I try not to acquire anything– not wisdom or anything else that might make my luggage heavier and harder to get through customs. But, as it turned out, I was able to share a bit about how web series are getting better, more prolific, and attracting really talented people to be a part of them. It seemed like a good time was had by all.

I also made a jump and visited a group of filmmakers in Dublin, Ireland. I had padded the trip by two days so I could roam around a little. Just as I was deciding between visiting Oxford or Canterbury for a little educational ME time, I got an email asking me if I’d come to Dublin and talk with a group of filmmakers, actors and even guild members (producer’s guild and directors). How could I pass that up?  Plus, their offices were mere blocks from the Jameson Irish Whiskey Distillery – if you like that kind of thing – which I do NOT (unless you have photographic evidence). So, I met a great group of professionals and students in filmmaking.

Clearly, I’m not the shyest person on the planet and I try to make friends wherever I go (except YOU Minnesota. Haven’t forgotten how you snowed on me in SEPTEMBER!!). But I can happily say that I met the nicest, warmest people on my trip. We had dinner, we talked film, we talked politics, we talked Princes (Will AND Harry), and I just generally felt welcomed in by our counterparts “over there”.  I would happily go back tomorrow, IF the dollar were just a little bit stronger.

Now, could someone please tell me how many pounds a STONE is? WHY CAN’T THEY JUST TALK AMERICAN?!