indieBlog
SAGindie's online forum for independent cinema, film festivals, industry news, and general tomfoolery.
31st Annual GOTHAM AWARDS – Nominees
It's hard to believe another awards season is upon us, but time marches on, indie movies get released, and somebody has to recognize the best of the best. So our good friends at The Gotham (formerly IFP) are kicking off the annual tradition of giving trophies to great...
This Month’s Good Reads (September 2021)
Life is busy – you're getting ready for fall, browsing the new Black Film Archive, and doing a lot of research about the vaccine's effect on a rapper's cousin's friend's anatomy. It can be tough to stay up-to-date on the latest film industry news, profiles, analysis,...
RIP to a Baadasssss
The film industry is mourning the loss of a cinematic rule-breaker who epitomized the indie spirit, MELVIN VAN PEEBLES, who passed away on September 21. Born in 1932 in Chicago, Van Peebles served nearly four years in the U.S. Air Force before he began making short...
Filmmaker Interview: JONAH FEINGOLD, writer/director of DATING & NEW YORK
As a native New Yorker who watched When Harry Met Sally... on repeat, JONAH FEINGOLD was maybe destined to make a romantic comedy, even before he ventured west to attend USC Film School. While gaining behind-the-camera experience through a string of new media shorts,...
This Month’s Good Reads (August 2021)
Life is busy – you're getting worked up about trivia show hosts, learning which celebrities don't bathe, and cautiously going back to school amid virus surges and natural disasters. It can be tough to stay up-to-date on the latest film industry news, profiles,...
Filmmaker Interview: SIÂN HEDER, writer/director of CODA
Even before she premiered her feature debut film at Sundance, writer/director SIÂN HEDER had seen career success in many forms. That first feature, Tallulah, was picked up as a Netflix Original before it even hit the screen at Sundance 2016. Prior to that, Heder's...
This Month’s Good Reads (July 2021)
Life is busy – you're masking up again, half-watching the Olympics, spending billions to go to space, and studying the new COVID production protocols. It can be tough to stay up-to-date on the latest film industry news, profiles, analysis, and advice. That’s why we’ve...
Filmmaker Interview: ZOE LISTER-JONES and DARYL WEIN of HOW IT ENDS
Actors/filmmakers/spouses ZOE LISTER-JONES and DARYL WEIN did what a lot of people said they would do during the early lockdown days of the COVID pandemic: they got productive. Collaborators for over a decade (including the features Breaking Upwards, Lola Versus,...
This Month’s Good Reads (June 2021)
Life is busy – you're celebrating Pride, returning to theaters, dealing with debilitating heat. It can be tough to stay up-to-date on the latest film industry news, profiles, analysis, and advice. That’s why we’ve curated some essential reads you may have missed over...
Filmmaker Interview: JOSH RUBEN, director of WEREWOLVES WITHIN
If you watched any comedy on the internet from roughly 2003 to the present, you've likely encountered a JOSH RUBEN production. From his early online sketch group Dutch West to the Upright Citizens Brigade to being a founding member of CollegeHumor Originals, Ruben...
This Month’s Good Reads (May 2021)
Life is busy – you're unmasking, celebrating Memorial Day, and buying or selling a media company. It can be tough to stay up-to-date on the latest film industry news, profiles, analysis, and advice. That’s why we’ve curated some essential reads you may have missed...
Virtual Panel: WORKING THROUGH, PART 4 – Indie Film Financing, Sales, & Distribution
Panel Details Description: Productions have ramped back up, festivals are convening in-person once again, vaccines are rolling out, and life is seeming to go back to normal in this close-to-post-coronavirus world. But as an industry in constant evolution, what is the...
Filmmaker Interview: HISONNI JOHNSON, director/co-writer of TAKE OUT GIRL
"Write what you know" is an edict that has been passed down to aspiring screenwriters for decades. But even for writers taking inspiration from their own life, an outside perspective can take the project to the next level. That's what happened when filmmaker HISONNI...
FILM INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS CLOSE-UP 2021
SAGindie returned this year as a premier sponsor of the annual FILM INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS CLOSE-UP series. This year's virtual edition - tied to the 2021 Spirit Awards - took place from March 3 - April 21 and featured nominated filmmakers from an array of Spirits...
Filmmaker Interview: DAVID OYELOWO, director/producer/star of THE WATER MAN
As far as acting résumés go, they rarely get more impressive than the one belonging to DAVID OYELOWO. A Golden Globe, BAFTA, Emmy, and SAG Award-nominated actor - not to mention an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) - he has worked with some of...
This Month’s Good Reads (April 2021)
Life is busy – you're learning what NFTs are, mourning the ArcLight and Yahoo Answers, and finally, finally getting around to seeing some of the movies that have been winning awards. It can be tough to stay up-to-date on the latest film industry news, profiles,...
Filmmaker Interview: MAUREEN BHAROOCHA, director of GOLDEN ARM
Director MAUREEN BHAROOCHA spent three years as a segment director for Jimmy Kimmel Live, which - along with her shorts and sketches - might indicate a penchant for the comedy genre. But Bharoocha has avoided being pigeonholed, directing dramatic shorts, branded...
2021 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS – Winners & Nominees
The SPIRIT AWARDS did it again! (Handed out awards.) And SAGindie was there! (From our homes.) Melissa Villaseñor hosted the virtual show - which aired live on IFC - where Film Independent honored the best films, series, filmmakers, and performances of the past year....