SAGIndie

Nikki Finke has posted an insightful insider account of a very real possibility behind the embarrassing gross of Walden Media’s BANDSLAM. As I am very close with a handful of people who worked on the film, I have had to opportunity to see it twice in previews, and I can assure you, it’s smarter than your average cringe inducing, placating drivel that something like Disney churns out consistently. I have heard a lot about the advertising, about how it appeared to be another film compromised of the aforementioned descriptors.

Honestly, I haven’t even seen any advertising for Bandslam at all, but have heard enough about it to surmise that someone decided it was in the film’s best interest to go the lazy route and now we have a great film that never stood a chance; dressed it up in High School Musical clothes, when it should have been out in something closer to what SCHOOL OF ROCK was wearing.

Check out the Article HERE.

One of my favorite films from this past Sundance was a small, UK film, BRONSON. It stars TOM HARDY (RocknRolla, the yet to be released Inception) as a man who, after being sentenced to seven years for a minor burglary, ends up spending 30 years in solitary confinement. Based on an actual person and brilliantly executed by Nicolas Winding Refn, the film is funny, violent, and remarkably poignant.

It opens domestically on October 23. Watch the trailer HERE.

This past week I packed my bags for the North Woods of Michigan and Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival.  I had to select my tickets in advance so I went into the festival knowing I was seeing several documentaries including The Cove (winner of Sundance Audience Award,) Food Inc. (because so many people in LA are talking about it) and Burma VJ (I met the director at Sundance and absolutely adored him.)

With these films in mind, I packed my books for the accompanying plane ride, Julia Childs Memoir, “My Life in France” and Michael Pollen’s follow-up to the Omnivore’s Dilemma, “In Defense of Food.”  I also did some quick research to see what food stuffs were going on in Northern Michigan and was thrilled to find out there is a raging slow food and sustainable growing movement.

By the time I landed at Cherry Airport I was well into life at the Cordon Bleu with Julia. I would have given anything to find moules marinieres and a robust red wine to compliment this journey.  But instead having missed the opening night screening due to delayed flights, I walked over to the opening night party, an outdoor fest with at least a dozen food and wine sponsors sampling all their best fare, a blue grass band and about 200 patrons enjoying the warm Michigan night.  While I did not see Mr. Moore anywhere, I could definitely feel his hand in putting this all together.

The next morning was my first screening of the fest, The Cove. I knew it was going to be rough as I had read the reviews after Sundance.  Two hours later, I was devastated.  I can barely recount what I saw happening to dolphins and feel forever indebted to the supreme work the advocates against the abuses these beautiful creatures face.  I also don’t know if I can ever eat tuna, at least what I think is tuna.  Actually, just make that sushi or anything I don’t know comes from responsible sustainable wild fish farms again. In the past I have kept it in check, knowing about mercury levels and the over fishing of the worlds seas but this film drives it home and you just can’t turn a blind eye.

I was able to regroup, I spent a couple of chapters with Julia in the south of France, went to see “Everlasting Moments” a beautiful yet tragic Swedish film that premiered last year in Toronto, then walked over to dinner passing the outdoor projector they had set up next to the lake to screen Close Encounters of the Third Kind. We sat in The Cooks House garden, a perfect execution of a dream slow food inspired restaurant where the chef/owner who trained under Andre Rochat asked us if we were the table who had ordered the arugula as he picked it from the garden directly in front of us!

Little did I know I would go home that night to begin Michael Pollen’s book, “In Defense of Food” and realize how truly important that meal had been.  After breakfast and a couple chapters further along (as a solo traveler around the world, I tend to read at my meals) I loaded my suitcase in the rental car and headed to my final screenings of the festival, Food Inc. and Burma VJ.

Now, since one of my first internships helping to write the online outreach guide for MediathatMatters.org, I have been a true believer in films ability to act as a catalyst for social change.  After watching “Food Inc.” I don’t know how anyone could not drastically change almost every food choice they make.  Its nothing you haven’t heard whisperings of before, animals pumped with antibiotics and hormones that we intern consume and chickens that can’t walk because they are grown with extra large breasts as that is the meat consumer demand.  Somehow, we as a country and the world at large are making some tragic and deadly mistakes.

In a post film daze, I followed the crowd over to the local co-op that had sponsored the film.  Amazing that this little town in Northern Michigan has the best co-op I have ever seen (Brooklyn and Santa Monica included) where I found a completely locally and organically grown pesticide free vegetarian sandwich and eavesdropped on conversations around me of people deciding to plant their own gardens, commit to free range, grass fed, hormone free beef and give up soy products.

Michael Moore had done it again.  I’ve had the pleasure of clapping twice for more than half an hour for standing ovations at Cannes for the premieres of Fahrenheit 9/11 and Sicko, the audience overwhelmed at the power of the images and stories he had just told.  And here I was at the café in Traverse City, MI, figuring out how I was going to plant my garden, go to my farmers market, support restaurants like The Cooks House who are making informed, smart and political choices in the food they serve and give up sushi.

In essence, the third and most important standing ovation for Mr. Moore and his commitment to providing his audiences with such important food for thought.

For the last month, our friends over at indieWIRE have been keeping close tabs on the the lineup for the 34th Toronto International Film Festival. With at least 199 films announced, they predict that the final lineup is very close to being complete — especially considering the fact that last year’s program had 249 feature films.

Some of the films we’re excited about: The Road, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Jennifer’s Body, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, and A Serious Man.

Check out the article by Peter Knegt for more info on the films that have already been released.

Spend the weekend with an unprecedented gathering of over 100 A-List Producers at the PRODUCED BY CONFERENCE, hosted by the Producers Guild. SAG Members and friends of SAGIndie can take advantage of a discounted industry professional rate by choosing package “C” when registering.

Visit the Produced By Conference website or check out the one-sheet below for more details.

All the best,

SAGIndie

Hey Filmmakers!

Get your film produced and distributed by entering The Ultimate Filmmaker Competition presented by Filmmakers Alliance.

The winning entrant will have their feature film produced and distributed and will receive a minimum $200,000 cash grant along with resources for a total value of more than $500,000. The winning entrant will also have their film distributed on multiple platforms simultaneously – theatrical, cable and online – for maximum global exposure.

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE is MAY 19th so SUBMIT NOW.

All the best,

SAGIndie

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More about Filmmaker’s Alliance:

FILMMAKERS ALLIANCE is a community of film artists dedicated to the advancement of true independent film through community action. FA is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization.

FA provides a unique mutual support system through which members share time, energy, expertise, equipment and, most important, creative support for one another’s film projects from concept through distribution. We work together to restore humanity, authenticity, diversity, originality, intelligence, relevance, personal vision and emotional resonance to American Cinema.

Started in Los Angeles in 1993 as a collective answer to the practical needs of independent filmmakers, FA has evolved into a multi-layered support organization with an emphasis on aesthetic empowerment. Hundreds of films have been produced through FA and have screened in dozens of major festivals throughout the world.

In 2009, Filmmakers Alliance will launch the global online analogy to the support work we’ve been doing in Los Angeles. The site will include an expansive menu of project management and development tools, filmmaking resources, key databases, education and connectivity. Basically, it will be one-stop shopping for any filmmaking need that can be answered online.

Your entry ensures that you will be a charter member of this new, empowering, global filmmaking community.

For more on Filmmakers Alliance, click here. 

This is a week or so overdue, considering SXSW was a while ago, but I do feel obligated to report on what was a successful festival for SAGIndie and the Screen Actors Guild.

First and foremost, our main responsibility while attending Austin’s renowned Film, Interactive and Music fest is to get the word out about SAG’s low budget contracts. To do this, we traditionally participate as an exhibitor at SXSW’s convention portion of the fest.

In coordination with SAG’s iActor casting service, we co-hosted a booth that had to be one of the most popular in the convention hall. While other exhibitors boasted flashy displays and expensive giveaways, we went with a more simplistic approach by luring passersby with a game of skill. We brought handmade, magnetic toys called “Throwies”, developed by the Graffiti Research Lab. They’re basically a small LED light that’s connected to a magnet and a small battery. On one of the booth walls, we hung a large piece of sheet metal that participants would toss the Throwies at for a chance to win a spiffy SAGIndie hat or an iActor t-shirt.

Feedback from this simple (union made) game was phenomenal and even garnered a little press in the LA Weekly. Even if people couldn’t win a fancy prize, they still walked away with a complimentary LED light and over the course of the week, we would spot these bright contraptions all over the place – at bars, on street signs, taxi cabs, etc.

As is tradition, the team always hits up some excellent Austin restaurants. My favorite goes to Iron Works, a BBQ joint with exceptional brisket and sausage links.

When our time at the convention center was over, I tried to get out to see some local attractions — mainly, the huge colony of urban bats that live under the Congress Bridge. Unfortunately, mid-March is still a bit early for them to be back from the warmer south so I didn’t get to see the millions and millions of bats that come billowing out at dusk. I did get to see a few, but I’m considering this a major Bat Fail.

The best film I saw at the fest was one I missed at Sundance, SIN NOMBRE. A truly remarkable accomplishment for first-time director Cary Fukunaga. The film is now in limited release and is a must see for independent film lovers.

We also hit up a ton of parties and networking events — the best of all had to be ours, which was co-hosted by the WGA and held on the upstairs patio of Lenai.

This was a great trip on so many levels. I’m really looking forward to what we put together for next year.