Barry Levinson’s found-footage chiller The Bay, which played at Toronto and New York Film Festivals last year, is available to buy on DVD tomorrow, March 5, but you can get your hands on it for free thanks to our friends at Lionsgate. Here’s a quick rundown of the film: Two million fish washed ashore. One thousand blackbirds dropped from the sky. On July 4, 2009 a deadly menace swept through the quaint seaside town of Claridge, Maryland, but the harrowing story of what happened that Independence Day has never been told – until now. The authorities believed they had buried […]
by Nick Dawson on Mar 4, 2013Ah, there’s nothing quite like the smell of pitches in the morning. This past Saturday, the IFP kicked off its annual Script to Screen Conference with five brave writers pitching their scripts to a panel of producers and agents. Although all the panelists agreed that it was useful for writers to compare their projects to other films (a practice known as “using comps”) Peter Van Steemburg, the Director of Acquisitions at Magnolia Pictures, warned against using obvious ones such as “Juno or Napoleon Dynamite,” recommending that if you are pitching something that’s a lot like another movie, you should […]
by Mary Anderson Casavant on Mar 7, 2011It’s not too late to attend the IFP’s Script to Screen Conference, which takes place this Saturday at 92Y Tribeca in New York City. Highlights include conversations with writer-director Barry Levinson (Rain Man) and Black Swan screenwriter Mark Heyman; a Pitch Workshop in which five emerging screenwriters will pitch their screenplays to a panel of experts (including sales agents, Magnolia Pictures’ head of acquisitions, and a producer from Glass Eye Pix); a case-study with the team from Sundance hit Martha Marcy May Marlene moderated by Ted Hope; a live reading of two IFP alumni screenplays for dialogue analysis with independent […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Mar 2, 2011The IFP announced today the lineup for this year’s Script to Screen Conference. Taking place March 5, the event will take place at 92Y Tribeca in New York City. This year’s keynotes include Barry Levinson and Black Swan screenwriter Mark Heyman. There will also be a discussion on new platforms for writers with Onion News Network head writer Carol Kolb, a conversation with producer Ted Hope and the filmmakers behind Sundance hit Martha Marcy May Marlene talk about creative teamwork. To learn more about the conference and how to get tickets go to http://www.ifp.org/script-to-screen-conference/ Read the press release on Script […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Feb 22, 2011In celebration of its 15th anniversary, The Nantucket Film Festival (NFF) is expanding its program to include more special guests and events. This year, NFF will present an All-Star Comedy Roundtable presented and moderated by Ben Stiller and featuring Sarah Silverman and Zach Galifianakis. Its annual Screenwriting Tribute will honor a trinity of Academy Award winning writers, including Barry Levinson (Diner), Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3), and Davis Guggenheim (Waiting for “Superman”). And the fest will screen Toy Story 3 for it’s opening night. See full list of films below. For passes and more detailed information, please visit: www.nantucketfilmfestival.org. Ticket […]
by Jaimie Stettin on May 19, 2010In making an independent movie, you go into it understanding that you have certain limitations and therefore you have to find ways to compensate and not sacrifice content or the essence of what you are attempting to do. What Just Happened? was shot on a very lean 33-day schedule, and there were more than 80 locations. I shoot fast so it wasn’t a problem, but where I actually found myself constrained in terms of dollars was in the editing room when we were choosing the music for the film. There’s a good amount of source music, and you find yourself […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Jan 16, 2008