A Blurb on IFP by Yours Truly, Christa

At the request of IFP, I am going to be writing a few blog entries about this years Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto. As a member of the US Delegation, I am attending all events and will just be giving some insider info.

I am posting the article here, but you can check out this article and future ones at http://independentfilmmakerproject.blogspot.com/

IFP Member and U.S Delegate Christa Boarini Blogs Hot Docs

I guess depending on your level of experience in film festivals and your degree of success within the film industry, you view festivals quite differently. I, Christa Boarini, am a New York based filmmaker, working on my first feature length doc. Needless to say I am more of a buzz-following festival goer than one who is buzzed about. At least for now.

It is day 3 at Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival, here in Toronto. True, the real heavy industry stuff begins tomorrow, Monday, but even in these past three days there has been a lot of mingling, theatre-going, crying, laughing and badge-reading. Things may have been a bit slow here in the Filmmaker Internet Lounge/Sales Desk (the first couple of days offered only complementary water, while now there are tables decked out with coffee and gourmet local teas).

But now fellow Industry Pass holders wander in an out, having meetings, checking their email, having some coffee or trying to sort through the three or four thick textbooks of information that came in the goodie bags they give us at registration. We get a Program Guide, an Industry Guide, a guide of attending commissioning editors, etc etc etc. All great and useful information, but it takes a while to sort it all out.

Oh, and if you are coming to Hot Docs later next week, be sure to ask for a flexible badge holder. The others break.

In any case the festival so far is has proven to have nicely balanced programing, combining the heavier humanity-is-awful features with equally as compelling docs that leave you feeling happy to be human. For example, yesterday I watched Talhotblond, a cautionary film where a cyber love triangle of people who have never met ends in a 23 year old man's death. The young man's parents were there, they cried, we cried, it was wonderfully heartbreaking. I then walked over to the screening of Wasteland and my broken heart mended and soared to see a mixture of art and opportunity and good things happening for good people. You simply must see Wasteland and you will instantly understand why it has won the Audience Awards of basically all the film festivals it has been at.

Another great thing to take advantage of is a new program added to Hot Docs this year called "Ripping Reality: Essentials from Documentary's New Wave". This compilation of great documentaries made in recent years gives us the opportunity to see these wonderful films on the big screen. Whether you've seen the film a million times and it is the reason you decided to quit your job and go into documentary filmmaking, or if it is a movie you've heard of but never got around to seeing, Ripping Reality has so far been a great success.

So, between the regular film screenings, the Industry Only events, the parties, the Rendezvous meetings, the Documentary Forum, the International Co-Production day etc, I have had to make out meticulous schedules for every day, reminding me of what I am going to see, what meetings I have and what are the must-attend events of the day. So far it has been a great experience and I plan to take full advantage of it. By the time I get back to New York on May 10th I plan to be absolutely exhausted.

IFP Script to Screen Conference 2010!

Here for another year, the IFP Script to Screen Conference is here to address your needs!

March 20th & 21st

Directly connecting aspiring and working screenwriters, filmmakers and producers to the decision-makers of the film, television and new media business, the Conference features some of the most prolific industry innovators and iconic screenwriters in independent film today.

This is a really really great opportunity for all the screenwriters out there that dont know where to go next.

And it is not just for screenwriters! There are conferences about producing, developing and about the status of the media today. For anyone interested in making films, there are opportunities and seminars for you!

More information at http://conference.ifp.org/

Networking #3- Organizations with a lot of Acronyms

Ok, now you have your business cards and you’re going to some local film screenings or events. Now you can narrow down your venues and activities by involving yourself in film communities.

Film communities are any networks, clubs, venues or anything that is run with the sole purpose of uniting people that have film in common, as well as maybe other characteristics such as gender, location, race, style, level etc. These can all be a great resource since anything related to them can be sure to be film-related and all the people you meet through the communities will be somehow involved in film as well. Oh, they can also be a good tidbit for your resume!

In this article I am going to do an overview of a few big film communities in New York City, or national ones that can also be found in New York City. However, even if you are located elsewhere, most of these will have different branches in different states, so it is still worth looking them up.

Now, I am biased because I am an indie filmmaker as well, so I am going to begin my list with the communities that I am a part of.

IFP- Independent Film Project - www.ifp.org
IFP is a pretty all-encompassing community of independent filmmakers. It is the largest and oldest of these organizations in the country, having started out as a program in the 1979 New York Film Festival. It organizes numerous seminars, screenings, events, parties, and workshops all year round and has various opportunities for indie filmmakers to find funding, support, platforms and people. IFP has headquarters in several cities and boasts a website full of useful information. While the $100 a year membership fee might sound a bit steep, this is one club you don’t want to be left out of.

NYWIFT- New York Women in Film And Television - www.nywift.org NYWIFT is NOT a women-only club. That would not only be stupid, it would be illegal. Instead, it is a non-profit dedicated to supporting and helping women filmmakers in a male-dominated industry. Male members are very welcome, as the mission of NYWIFT is not to have women replace men in the industry but coexist with them. This organization has a very tight-knit community, despite its thousands of members, and a strong drive to help fellow members out. Mixers and events are planned constantly to encourage its members to meet each other and work together. The quality of memberships is kept in check by an application process. Those interested in joining must send in resumes and references in the film industry. Membership is divided in two tiers- regular members who are established professionals who have been in the industry 4 years or more, and Next Wave, where budding filmmakers can take advantage of all membership benefits with the additional support provided to help them succeed.

NALIP- National Association of Latino Independent Producers - www.nalip.org
This is an organization designed to bring together and support Latino filmmakers all across the country. While smaller in size and not as event-prolific as the previous two I have mentioned before, this organization still provides some very good resources and networking events. The smaller size of the organization makes the events more intimate and full of familiar faces.

Okay, those are the three I belong to. Between all three, I pay about $210 to stay a member every year, which for someone in my position is quite steep. However, I can honestly say I have gotten more than my money’s worth out of them. Notice that I belong to one large organization, the IFP, one that is specific to my gender and location, NYWIFT, and one that caters to my ethnicity, NALIP. Right now I am going to list a few other organizations you might want to consider, but keep this in mind- there are countless organizations of various sizes.

It’s like a college scholarship search: if you’re Gay, Native American, Jewish, a Veteran or whatever, there is probably a film organization that was made with that specific group of people in mind. And if you’re none of the above, then join the big ones and look into other more specific organizations.

DCTV- Downtown Community Television Center - www.dctvny.org
Housed in the little red firehouse, DCTV is a member-based organization which boasts workshop after workshop after workshop. With a long list of events and seminars, DCTV also provides rentals, screening series, and a special section of resources dedicated to teenage and young filmmakers!



DV Republic
DvRepublic.org is organized and hosted by BFF (aka Black Filmmaker Foundation)
DVRepublic.org exist as a self-validating, self-supporting online community of "citizens" who monitor the intersection of media, technology, and social justice. As informed citizens, we engage in active online discussion in the "public square" of the DV Republic liberated zone.

AAWIC- African American Women in Cinema- www.aawic.org
AAWIC’s title is pretty self-explanatory. With the mission to help the integration of black women in the film industry and to create a better understating of this community, AAWIC provides events and resources for African-American female filmmakers.


NBPC- National Black Programming Consortium- www.nbpc.tv
This is not a membership based organization but more of a distributor of black films that commissions and acquires films made by black filmmakers and about the black community. It can be a great thing to know about and does have very good resources.


DFA- Dance Films Association, Inc. - www.dancefilmsassn.org
Another one of these niche organization, DFA is a member-based organization that seeks to encourage and promote excellence in dance in film and TV. Its efforts include programs screenings and funding, and relies on the support of various big names in the arts, such as Film Society of Lincoln Center and the New York Public Library.

NYFVC- New York Film/Video Council- www.nyfvc.org
While not as active than IFP and not as cool a website as NBPC, NYFVC is a great organization that provides monthly events in New York City. Like NALIp, by being smaller it provides a real sense of community in its members and a comfortable environment in which to meet fellow filmmakers. It’s yearly dues are reasonable and the events are frequent.


DocuClub - www.docuclub.org
The only one here without an acronym, DocuClub is a non-competitive community in which documnentarians can pitch and screen their works-in-progress and get help and feedback from the club’s members. Networking ain’t bad either.

This is the list I came up with. However, wherever you are and whoever you are there are organizations out there that you can rely on. Most of them have membership fees. To make these fees worth it, or even make it worth your time to go to any event, you have to be proactive.

Being a member alone is not going to make connections for you, you have to take advantage of the opportunities these organizations can facilitate for you, but you have to participate, ask questions, contribute opinions and hand out cards.

IFP's Script to Screen Conference is Back in Effect!

IFP’s Script to Screen Conference is returning after a five-year sabbatical to address the new landscape and opportunities facing content creators working across platforms in film, television and new technologies. Directly connecting aspiring and working screenwriters, filmmakers and producers to the decision-makers of the film, television and new media business, the Conference features some of the most prolific industry innovators and iconic screenwriters in independent film today.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Keynote Focus Feature CEO James Schamus and “30 Rock’s” Jerry Kupfer
• Master classes with filmmaker Lee Daniels (2009 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner Push: Based on the Novel By Sapphire) and producer
• Scott Franklin (The Wrestler)
• Panels with:
• Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden (Sugar, Half Nelson),
• Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo)
• Kelly Masterson (Before The Devil Knows Your Dead)
• Producer Ted Hope and more!”

March 7 & 8

New York Film Academy 100 East 17th Street, New York, NY

Click Here to Purchase Pass