Festivals & Events
Festivals & Events
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The Cannes Marche and the Independent Agency-Led Virtual Market Rethink Film Sales Amidst the Pandemic
Two virtual markets will run side by side next week, marking an unprecedented moment within the film industry. In efforts to reunite global sales forces and together inject a much needed burst of energy into the industry’s current state of play, the Cannes Marche and the new independent agency-led virtual market will begin their events Monday June 22, with the Cannes event ending on Saturday June 27 and the latter on Sunday June 28. When speaking to a number of distributors and sales agents, it seems it’s full speed ahead in terms of lining up meetings and screenings. Almost as […]
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“This Whole Movement is about Performance”: Daniel Lombroso on his Alt-Right Doc White Noise
White Noise, the first feature-length documentary from The Atlantic, often plays more like it was sprung from the mind of Christopher Guest. Director Daniel Lombroso, who’s traveled throughout the world to shoot award-winning shorts for the magazine’s website, exploring everything from Russian espionage to Israeli settlements, now trains his lens on the alt-right — specifically on three of its biggest stars. There’s Lauren Southern, who seems to be crafting herself into a sort of Ann Coulter for the YouTube generation. Also conspiracy theorist and sex blogger Mike Cernovich, who eventually dispenses with fascist ideology in favor of the more lucrative […]
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Firelight Media’s Beyond Resilience Series: A Real-Time Resource for POC Filmmakers
When the coronavirus descended on the U.S., Firelight Media, like every other organization, quickly shifted its activities online. The Harlem-based nonprofit has been supporting nonfiction filmmakers of color since 2008, helping move hundreds of films forward through its Documentary Lab and other programs, and it functioned as a production company for another decade before that. Thus when the pandemic stopped film production and real-world gatherings the Firelight team responded quickly with a range of new programs, a service made all the more critical by COVID-19’s disproportionate affect on the Black population. Then, of course, came the murder of George Floyd […]
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Five Docs to Stream at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2020 Virtual Edition
This year’s Human Rights Watch Film Festival, streaming nationwide from June 11-20, is chock-full of impressive cinematic gems that delve into a wide variety of important topics woefully underrepresented onscreen. Beginning with opening night’s Belly of the Beast, the latest from Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Erika Cohn (The Judge), which shines a light on the involuntary sterilizations running rampant in our US federal prison system, the fest continues to express its commitment to strong films by and about women. Most notably there’s Juliana Fanjul’s harrowing Radio Silence — which trails longtime journalist Carmen Artesegui in her dangerous fight to […]
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Spring 2020 SFFILM Westridge Grant Winners Announced
SFFILM, in partnership with the Westridge Foundation, announced the five narrative feature projects that will share $100,000 in funding via the SFFILM Westridge Grants. One of the only grants devoted to supporting narrative filmmakers in the development and screenwriting stage, the grants are awarded twice annually to U.S. filmmakers “whose stories take place primarily in the United States and focus on the significant social issues and questions of our time.” In addition to the cash grants, recipients are given support through the SFFILM Makers program along with a support and counsel from SFFILM, the Westridge Foundation and a dedicated mentor. […]
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IFP Stands with Black Lives Matter
Independent Filmmaker Project, which is Filmmaker‘s publisher, issued yesterday the following statement: IFP stands with Black Lives Matter and we believe Black Lives Matter. As a collective team, we recognize that we can play an even greater role in supporting and amplifying the voices of Black storytellers in film and media arts. We are taking actionable steps towards developing internal leadership, staffing, outreach and programming as part of our commitment. This will be accomplished by strengthening our present partnerships and seeking new partnerships with a focus on collaborations, mentorship and education for Black storytellers. With leadership comes accountability and we […]
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Sentient.Art.Film’s ’90s Asian American Cinema Series “My Sight is Lined with Visions” Continues
Sentient.Art.Film’s series “My Sight is Lined with Visions,” which began on May 29 and continues through June 7, highlights 1990s Asian American independent cinema. As the series continues, the second of two Q&As will take place tonight at 7 EST. From Sentient.Art.Film: Each of the films invites audiences to encounter the diversity, formal experimentation, and personally political tradition of Asian American cinematic visions. My Sight is Lined with Visions will feature a series of live online Q&As with the directors. All programs are accompanied by newly commissioned short essays by a new generation of Asian American writers and curators, with […]
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Hot Docs 2020: Doc-Makers Discuss the Newly Virtual Deal Maker and Distribution Rendezvous Programs
Hot Docs was one of the first of the Spring, 2020 film festivals to forge ahead through the pandemic chaos and reemerge on the online side as a more streamlined event. North America’s largest doc fest took the hybrid approach of postponing public screenings while providing a Hot Docs at Home streaming option to those social distancing in Canada. It also transferred its conference and market to the digital realm. Hot Docs also expanded its industry running dates to a whopping full month (April 30-May 31) of online accessibility, uploading everything from the “Why Art Matters in a Time of […]
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Hot Docs 2020: Decision Makers Discuss the Newly Virtual Edition of the Forum, Deal Maker and Distribution Rendezvous
Hot Docs was one of the first of the Spring, 2020 film festivals to forge ahead through the pandemic chaos and reemerge on the online side as a more streamlined event. North America’s largest doc fest took the hybrid approach of postponing public screenings while providing a Hot Docs at Home streaming option to those social distancing in Canada. It also transferred its conference and market to the digital realm. Hot Docs also expanded its industry running dates to a whopping full month (April 30-May 31) of online accessibility, uploading everything from the “Why Art Matters in a Time of […]
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“The Most Important Thing in an Image is the Feeling That What You’re Seeing is Completely True — Like an Accident….”: Bruno Santamaría on his Hot Docs Digital-Debuting Things We Dare Not Do
Executive produced by Charlotte Cook, and making its debut at this year’s (virtual) Hot Docs, Bruno Santamaría’s Things We Dare Not Do is a stunning look at the small Mexican town of Roblito through the eyes of its deeply impoverished, yet happy-go-lucky, youngsters. Serving as mother hen to the carefree kids, for whom random violence seems no more noteworthy than water delivery day or a taco snack, is 16-year-old Ñoño. Though the vivacious teen’s exploration of his own gender identity forms the basis of the film’s title, Things We Dare Not Do is no mere coming out saga. It’s a […]
