The industry is always looking for great scripts! Come learn how to take those great ideas you’ve been living with forever and create a project that sells! The SAG Foundation in association with SAGindie invites you and a guest to join us at:

SCRIPT TO SCREEN – Developing and Producing Your Script

Tuesday, November 9th at 7 p.m.
The SAG Boardroom
360 Madison Ave. (entrance on 45th St.)

Industry guests include:
SUSAN SEIDELMAN – Director (Desperately Seeking Susan, Sex and the City (TV), Boynton Beach Club)
MICHAEL CLARK – Creative Executive – Big Beach Films (Jack Goes Boating, Away We Go)
JAMIN O’BRIEN – President of Production – Worldview Entertainment (Into the Blue, Handsome Harry, Just Like the Son)

Moderated by:
MICHAEL SLADEK – SAGIndie NY – Director / Producer, Plug Ugly Films (Con Artist, Devils Are Dreaming)

SAG members should log on to: www.sagfoundation.org and find the listing under UPCOMING EVENTS to make a reservation.
Non-SAG members may send an email to: freynold@sagfoundation.org. Please indicate if you are bringing a guest.

SEATING FOR THIS EVENT IS LIMITED, SO PLEASE DO NOT MAKE A RESERVATION UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN YOU CAN ATTEND.

If you have a reservation for this event and need to cancel it, please send a notification via email at least 24 hours in advance to:
nyconversations@sagfoundation.org.

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.

The Screen Actors Guild Foundation provides free events including movie screenings, and information of interest to our members via our ROLL FILM presentations and LIFERAFT seminars. However, the Foundation does not in any way endorse the films being screened in the ROLL FILM series, nor the services or suggestions offered by facilitators through our LIFERAFT series.

PLEASE NOTE: All events are purposely overbooked to ensure a full house. A reservation is not a guarantee of seating, which is provided on a first-come basis, and is subject to availability.

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Also, please share the following information with all your filmmaker friends:

SF2: SAG FOUNDATION SHORT FILM SHOWCASE.

The Screen Actors Guild Foundation is now accepting submissions for its next short film showcase which will be presented in late January 2011 in New York. The deadline for submissions for the next showcase is Wednesday, December 15th. Films received after this date will be placed into consideration for the May event.

ALL FILMS MUST BE PRODUCED UNDER A SAG CONTRACT.

Films must not be over fifteen minutes in length. We are open to all genres of cinematic expression, as long as it is not patently offensive. There is absolutely no cost involved in submitting the films, nor do we charge to attend the screening.

For more information please send an email, including a brief synopsis and the running time of your film to: shortsny@sagfoundation.org.

Some of my favorite quotes from Mr. Drake:

“Hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning. Once it does, it becomes the kind of thing that makes you grab your wife around the waist and dance a jig.”

“90% of your success is what you have in your briefcase. 10% of your success is how effective you are at influencing others to act on your behalf.”

“So, for all of you who want to ask me, “How do I get my movie financed?” Part of the answer is this: Forget about all the reasons not to do it. Forget about all the films that failed. Forget about all the films that didn’t get into Sundance, or got there, and didn’t get a distribution deal out of Sundance. Choose instead to focus on what has worked and learn from opening your eyes up to the marketplace around you.”

Read it all here: http://www.indiewire.com/article/test1

twitter.com/sagindie

ALL FILMS MUST BE PRODUCED UNDER A SAG CONTRACT.

Films must not be over fifteen minutes in length. We are open to all genres of cinematic expression, as long as it is not patently offensive. There is absolutely no cost involved in submitting the films, nor do we charge to attend the screening.

For more information please send an email, including a brief synopsis and the running time of your film to: shortsny@sagfoundation.org.

Best wishes,

SAGIndie

The TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund is awarding $140,000 in grants of $10,000 – $40,000 to narrative features at any stage from treatment to completed film. The Fund seeks narrative projects of all genres (except science fiction or fantasy) that creatively address the role of science and technology in everyday lives, or that depict the lives of  scientists, engineers, innovators and mathematician in new, but still accurate, ways.

Selected projects from eligible directors, screenwriters and producers will be highlighted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2011.  In addition to funding, TFI provides guidance, introductions and industry exposure to help move selected projects closer to completion.

Early Deadline: November 8, 2010
Final Deadline: December 8, 2010

Visit www.tribecafilminstitute.org for more information and to apply now!

The nation’s largest competitive multicultural film fest will convene in NYC Sept 15 – 19, 2010.

NEW YORK, NY (September 8, 2010) – The 14th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival, presented by BET Networks, is proud to announce Urbanworld Digital, an exciting addition to the festival that will be hosted by HBO® on September 15, 2010. This invite-only program will feature executives from Abrams Artists Agency, HBO, MTV Networks, NamcoBandai America, Screen Actors Guild, Writers Guild of America, East, and SAGindie, who will share their expertise in gaming, social media, new media contracts, and production. A collaboration between Jigsaw Global and the Urbanworld Foundation, Urbanworld Digital will serve as a primer for film professionals who want to learn more about digital media production and make new contacts on the tech side of the entertainment industry.

“We’re excited about our partnership with Jigsaw Global, which has allowed us to bring the digital aspect of the entertainment industry back to the festival in its own, unique programming track,” says Stacy Spikes, founder of Urbanworld. “HBO is the perfect host for Urbanworld Digital, because HBO continues to innovate in the worlds of film, TV, and digital media.”

The festival will continue September 16 – 19 at the AMC 34th St Theater in New York City. Unique programming features include BET Networks’ Inaugural TV Script Writing Competition, in which aspiring TV writers will have a chance to win $5,000, and the BET Networks with “My Black is Beautiful” Present: The Tasha Smith Actors Workshop, a two-day instructional seminar offering students the chance to hone their acting skills.

In addition to festival ambassador Kerry Washington, celebs such as Nia Long, Jamie Hector, Omari Hardwick, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Evan Ross, Kid Capri and Clint Dyer will be in attendance to support their respective films.  Spotlight films and programs at Urbanworld this year include:

• HBO’s Boardwalk Empire℠, a 1920s-era drama set in Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition (series premiere) from Terence Winter, Emmy® Award-winning writer of The Sopranos® and Academy® Award- winning director Martin Scorsese
• BET’s My Mic Sounds Nice, a documentary exploring the role of female rappers in hip-hop (directed by Ava DuVernay and featuring interviews by Missy Elliott, EVE, Trina, Rah Digga, MC Lyte, Yo Yo and more)
• One Night in Vegas, part of ESPN’s “30 for 30” documentary series, this film details the evening of 1996 when Tupac Shakur was shot (directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood; starring Mike Tyson)
• Kid Capri Presents: The Lionz Den, a short film about an underground rap battle in Harlem (directed by Kid Capri and Loaded Lux, starring Big Daddy Kane, KRS-One, and Rakim)
• Sus, a based-on-a-true-story drama centering on the controversial British “sus” laws and their inherent racism (directed by Robert Heath; starring Ralph Brown, Clint Dyer)
• Africa Rising, a documentary portraying the grassroots movement to end female genital mutilation (directed by Paula Heredia)

For the complete slate of films or ticket information, visit www.urbanworld.org. For more information on Urbanworld Digital, visit http://ow.ly/2x1gy.

About Urbanworld
The Urbanworld® Film Festival is the largest internationally competitive festival of its kind. The five-day festival includes features, documentaries, short films, as well as panel discussions, live staged screenplay readings, the celebrated Actor’s Spotlight, Actor’s Boot Camps, and introducing Urbanworld® Digital, a 1-day Conference during the festival focused on Digital and Social media.  Over the last thirteen years, Hollywood studios have consistently chosen Urbanworld® to premiere box office and award-winning hits.  Urbanworld® has also become home to some of today’s top brands who wish
to reach key influencers and social media leaders across the African American and Latino landscape.  The Urbanworld® Film Festival is an initiative of the Urbanworld® Foundation Inc., a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 by Stacy Spikes dedicated to redefining the multicultural roles in contemporary cinema, television and online by implementing programs and initiatives that support the development of the urban content creation community.  Gabrielle Glore serves as Executive Producer of the Urbanworld Film Festival, as well as ancillary Urbanworld Foundation endeavors.  For this year’s 2010 festival, BET Networks returns as the Presenting Sponsor.  HBO continues support as the Founding Sponsor.  Principal Sponsors include My Black Is Beautiful, Lens On Talent, and Ford.  Media Sponsors include Essence, Vibe, Uptown, BlackPlanet.com, TheUrbanDaily, KISS FM, HOT 97, and Jigsaw Global.  Benefactor Sponsors include AMC Theatres, Directors Guild of America – New York, and urbanAdserve. The festival website is www.urbanworld.org.

About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks – BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

When: Friday, August 27th, 8 p.m.
Where: The Downtown Independent Theater 251 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
Tickets: $25. Tickets are extremely limited this year, please go here to purchase: http://visionfest2010.eventbrite.com

The evening begins with the presentation of the NILSSON AWARD, curated and presented by the award’s namesake and inaugural recipient, ROB NILSSON. The award acknowledges and celebrates bold, direct, honest and aesthetically challenging filmmaking that is often unrecognized by the mainstream independent film community. This year’s Nilsson Award recipient is Armenian filmmaker Harutyun Khachatryan.

Next is the presentation of the VISION AWARD to an established filmmaker whose artistic ambition and consistent filmmaking excellence provides artistic inspiration to emerging filmmakers all around the world.  Past recipients include MIke Figgis, Terry Gilliam, Wim Wenders, Allison Anders, Alexander Payne, David O. Russell, Werner Herzog, Mark and Michael Polish, Kevin Smith, and visionary producer Ted Hope. This year’s Vision Award Recipient is Danish filmmaker NICOLAS WINDING REFN. The award will be presented by RYAN GOSLING. Known for the “Pusher” trilogy, Refn’s been making films for 15 years and his work is only now receiving the attention it deserves in this country. His work bares the signature of a true visionary – difficult to categorize, but singularly arresting, his films are not for the feint of heart – beautiful, often brutal and beyond compare.

This is all followed by a program of the best short films produced through Filmmakers Alliance in the previous year.The program is as follows:

Wait For Me by Dylan O’Brien and Holly Murdoch O’Brien
Native Time by Sean Morris
Beyond Silence by Vidyut Latay
Gonah Kardam Directed by Gabriela Tollman and Produced by Babak Shokrian
Aliens Vs. Predator Directed by Stephen Reedy and Produced by Megan Powers
David and Goliath by George Zaver
Quetzal Directed by Marc Levy and Produced by Amanda Sweikow

The evening finishes with a high-energy party on the rooftop of the Downtown Independent Theater and is catered by some of Los Angeles’ best restaurants.

Tickets are extremely limited this year, please go here to purchase: http://visionfest2010.eventbrite.com

NOTES:

EVENT WILL BE AT CAPACITY. PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY TO ENSURE SEATING. SEATS CANNOT BE GUARANTEED, NOR REFUNDS MADE IF YOU ARRIVE AFTER 7:45 P.M. ALLOW FOR PARKING. (instructions below).

Parking is not free. There are several parking structures near the theater. $9 parking is available right next door to the theater on the north side. However, $5 parking is available at the Los Angeles Times parking structure at 213 South Spring Street.

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

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 

Tickets can be purchased HERE.