We should probably include some sort of prank or joke in this introductory paragraph, right? It being April Fools’ Day and all. But we’re all a little too mature for that, aren’t we? Anyway, here are some of the week’s most urgent entertainment news stories.

Oprah Winfrey to Fully Fund Hundreds of Microbudget Indie Films (via Newsweek)

Walt Disney Studios Files for Bankruptcy After Failure of Star Wars and Marvel films (via Variety)

Leonardo DiCaprio Returns His Oscar, Feels He Had More Swag Without It (via AOL)

Okay okay, sorry we had to. Here’s the real deal:
 

This Week’s Good Reads (Week of March 28, 2016)

Is There a Market for Shorts That Debut at Film Festivals? (via Chris O’Falt for Indiewire)
So you made a short and got into a festival. But how about making some money?

New Hollywood Economy: Pay-for-Play Auditions for Actors Gain Dominance
(via Gary Baum for The Hollywood Reporter)
How certain acting “workshops” are exploiting performers and dodging the law.

IFP Film Week Moves to Brooklyn (via Scott Macaulay for Filmmaker Magazine)
Indie filmmakers can now yell “Brooklyn in the house” and mean it.

I’m A Christian And I Hate Christian Movies (via Alissa Wilkinson for Thrillist)
Loving Jesus doesn’t mean you have to love the movies about Jesus.

No Home Video: On Women-Directed Films (via Tina Hassannia for Movie Mezzanine)
The trouble finding female-directed movies with substantial home media releases.

 

In case you were ignoring us (aka blatant self-promotion)

Filmmaker Interview: John Suits and Gabriel Cowan of Pandemic
Hear how the indie producing team created a zombie apocalypse on a budget.

SAGindie’s April Movie Picks
A lot to choose from this month. We did our best.

 

New Releases

Movies from our April Movie Picks out this week:

 

A video worth watching

We’ve hit peak lens flare (via Vox)

 
How ’bout you? Read anything good this week?

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If you’re an independent filmmaker or know of an independent film-related topic we should write about, email blogadmin@sagindie.org for consideration.

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