Independent Film Week Final Documentary Deadline Approaching

Spotlight on Documentaries of IFP’s Independent Film Week is for U.S. filmmakers in production or post-production seeking financing partners, broadcast/distribution, and festival invitations and is one of the most desirable forums in North America for buyers to vet new US docs prior to public exposure. Sixty doc projects are presented to accredited industry professionals from the US and abroad during four days of one-on-one pitch meetings, pitch presentation screenings, festival programmer roundtables and social events.  Participation is free of charge for the projects selected. Recent alums of the Spotlight on Documentaries include Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman’s Academy Award nominated If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (Oscilloscope Pictures, P.O.V. ), Lauren Greenfield’s The Queen of Versailles (Magnolia Pictures, Bravo); Bess Kargman’s First Position (Sundance Selects); Marie Losier’s The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye (Adopt Films), Rebecca Richman Cohen’s War Don Don (HBO Documentary Films) and Lynn True and Nelson Walker’s Summer Pasture (Independent Lens).  (Deadline: Friday, May 25th) For more info and to apply, click here.

Geena Davis talks about gender imbalance in films

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal's Rebecca Blumenstein in reference to the "Unlocking the Full Potential of Women in the U.S. Economy" report, Geena Davis talks about the female/male imbalance in media, noting that "every sector of society has stalled out at about 17% or 18% women," Davis said. Asked why that percentage has become comfort level for people: "My theory is all we have ever seen since media was created that there has been a huge imbalance in male and female representation. You learn to what you are exposed to," she said.

 

First Feature on Hollywood Legend Mary Pickford to Go Into Production Next Year

It's always good news when a woman whose contributions to our culture have receded from contemporary knowledge gets brought back into mainstream culture.

Producers Julie Pacino and Jennifer DeLia through their company Poverty Row Entertainment are going to put Mary Pickford back front and center.  They have acquired the rights to the biography Pickford: The Woman Who Made Hollywood by Eileen Whitfield and are hoping to get it in front of the camera in 2013.  She is a very important woman in Hollywood history, was one of the founders of the Academy and of United Artists.  Jennifer DeLia will direct the film.  She recently directed Billy Bates which had a special screening at the Tribeca Film Festival. Here are some thoughts from the producers as to why they want to make this movie. (Article by Melissa Silverstein. Published by Women and Hollywood)

Read more here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/first-feature-on-hollywood-legend-mary-pickford-to-go-into-production-next-year

The Status of Women's Film Festivals

One of the reasons I went to Colgone to the International Frauen Film Festival was to be a part of a dialogue on the status of women's films festivals.  The festival invited Skadi Loist a researcher from the Media and Communications Studies Department at the University of Hamburg who has done research on film festivals throughout the world.  She is also the co-founder of the Film Festival Research Network

She started off the conversation with a presentation: Social Change?! The status of Women’s Film Festivals today. (Article by Melissa Silverstein. Published by Women and Hollywood)

Read more here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/the-status-of-womens-film-festivals#



10 Tips for Navigating Digital Distribution

Orly Ravid, founder and co-executive director of The Film Collaborative, shares ten tips that all filmmakers should know about the tricky world of getting your film "out there."

1. CARVE OUT DIY DIGITAL

Distributors and Foreign Sales companies alike often want ALL RIGHTS, including ALL DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS.

No matter what, CARVE OUT the ability to do DIY Digital Distribution yourself with services such as: EggUp, Distrify, Dynamo Player, and/or TopSpin, off your own site, off your Facebook page, and also directly to platforms.

Platforms and services can Geo-Filter and eliminate conflict with any territories where the film has been sold to a traditional distributor and often a distributor will not mind that a filmmaker sells directly to his/her fans as well. (Article by Orly Ravid. Published by http://www.tribecafilm.com)

Read more here:
http://bit.ly/IrWuYz