The First Quarter Of The Year In The Life Of This Filmmaker

I knew it would come to this, and it may get worse, yet. It has gone from "A Day In The Life Of..." to "A Week..." to "A Month..." and now "The First Quarter Of The Year...". Sounds like some kind of business spreadsheet. But I've admitted it before and I'll admit it again, I'm a lousy blogger. At least in terms of consistency. I allow myself to become too distracted by other things. In fact, I've been told I have an addiction to distraction. Probably true. The upside to that is I have absolutely no other addictions or obsessions. Even drug addiction takes a single-mindedness of purpose that my addiction to distraction simply won't allow.

I was a sprinter in high school and it is an apt metaphor for the way I approach work and creativity. I do things in mad, insanely productive bursts of energy. But I spend most of the rest of the time avoiding those bursts, or, at least, distracting myself from the necessity for them. And it drives me crazy about myself. I'm the hare who envies the tortoise. I'm a genius-level procrastinator who believes nothing I do today will be as good as it will be tomorrow (while torturing myself with the knowledge that I'm totally bullshitting myself). Yes, tomorrow! That will be the day everything gets done! Ah, what an exciting, productive day tomorrow will be! Unfortunately, I simply wind up with a lot of unproductive todays and yesterdays. Well,...sorta...

I still manage, somehow, to get things done. A lot of things, actually. How do I do it? Well, that's not what this blog is about. But since I went there, I'll answer the question before I give my First Quarter Report. The key for me to getting things done is first and foremost accepting that I am indeed a procrastinator and distraction addict. To deny those things is to give them subconscious power rather than confine them to conscious power. I can deal with my conscious behavior but I'm helpless against my sub or unconscious behavior. My name is Jacques and I'm a distraction junkie. There, I've acknowledged it. It no longer it exists in my dark shadow free to do whatever it pleases. Now, the addiction must operate in the light of day.



The next step is to manage these impulses/behaviors. Sometimes, it takes just straight up willpower - the old 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration axiom. I don't want to write, or prepare that proposal or make that phone call. But I do it anyway. Or, when it comes to writing, I at least I sit my butt down in front of a computer for a set number of hours whether something comes or not. But I can't always tough it out. I don't like perspiring all the time. And, in fact, it sometimes creates an adverse reaction in me, making the next time I need to write (or whatever I MUST do) more difficult than ever.

So, I chart at my organic energy and rhythms - my "life patterns" (as dysfunctional as they may be) - and manipulate them to the advantage of productivity. Meaning, I know I am more productive in the morning (other people are the exact opposite - they get shit done in the middle of the night), so I wake up early. I am less productive in the middle of the day, so that's when I cut myself slack. I am very social in the evening/night, so that's when I plan stuff that involves other people. I keep my life/schedule fairly flexible so that when I'm in a productive burst or sprint, I can keep running and not have to stop. I know what fuels my creative energy - experiencing others' creative work - so I do that as often as possible. I know what kills my creative energy - excessive drinking - so I do that as little as possible (again, it's just the opposite for other peeps). I'm not saying I don't drink, I just avoid getting shit-faced on a regular basis.

Most importantly, perhaps, I know I am a distraction junkie, so I make sure the things I use to distract myself are productive in themselves. So, I make sure I am juggling many different - and different kinds - of projects. It doesn't help me to juggle several writing projects because writing is writing. And if I don't feel like writing, I won't write anything, period. So, I have writing projects and directorial projects and producing projects and Filmmakers Alliance projects and home repair projects and gardening projects and help-my-friends projects. I also exercise and pay my bills and wash the car and yadda, yadda. The key is not just that I create/pile-up all of these things. I mean, everybody has stuff to do. The key is how I arrange addressing them.

For instance, I know that I need to balance writing with physical activity. So, I work out after I write or do home repair or wash my car or walk my dog or wash my dog. I have to drink after I pay bills so I pay them in the evening and roll into a night of drinking/social activity. After a tough work out and hot shower, I usually have to nap, so I finish my work-outs in middle to late afternoon, when I otherwise normally experience a dip in energy. And I never pressure myself as to how long I do any one thing. As long as I START doing it. Usually, I will continue doing it for awhile before I get distracted. So, I bounce from this to that and that to this in a way that doesn't cause me stress, distress, guilt, tedium or any other corrosive emotional side effect. I use awareness of my issues to my benefit. To some degree, I purposely give into them - just as alcoholics use their addictive personalities to become addicted to sobriety and AA meetings instead of booze. Eventually, I get a lot of shit done.

Now, granted, it is harder to do this if you are married or have kids or both. But it is only harder, not impossible. It simply takes folding these additional elements into your self-strategizing and negotiating a little understanding and support from your family (maybe this is the toughest part). But it can be done and, no matter how good of a procrastinator you are (there are none better than me) or how bad of a distraction junkie you are, you can create/get shit done! And for the rest of your life.....and then you die.



But before I die, I will continue to lead the filmmaker's life. And this first quarter of the year was a busy, transitional one. I did a lot of festival stuff - the Sundance thing in January then off to Berlin in February, both of which I already blogged about. I did Cinequest in March and just got back from the Ashland Independent Film Festival on Tuesday. What was I doing at all of these fests besides regretting that I haven't directed a film in 3 years? Well, I already answered that about Sundance and Berlin. As for the other two, however, I am on the Board of Advisors for the Ashland Independent Film Festival and was a juror for the short documentary section and was therefore invited up for all of the fun and to hand out the award. At Cinequest, I was a juror for the screenwriting competition and was also invited to play/participate. Both of these fests are fun, well-funded (although the organizers may argue that point), well-organized, well-programmed festivals with strong attendance and lots of local support. They are regional fests - not "industry fests" - and in most respects, truly what film festivals are all about. But they are also run by really considerate, smart, creative, lovely people and for me, going back every year is like visiting family. I also, of course, get the opportunity to meet filmmakers and spread the gospel of Filmmakers Alliance. And last but not least, I get to see new films.

I've started writing my new script in earnest - hopefully, my next directorial feature - but, as noted above, it's going slowly. I had written another feature I was excited to do, but then I got divorced. I wrote it expressly for my actress ex-wife and simply can't muster the emotional energy to do it right now - with her or anyone else - since making films with her was a romantic endeavor for me. Also, the money to make it dried up, so I took that as a sign that I simply have to move on. At least, for now.

In general, my creative energy has taken a big hit since the divorce, given that having a talented actress for a wife made it easy to use her as a muse. But I'm slowly starting to recover that energy a bit. I want to make a short, but have been struggling with which of the somewhat mediocre ideas I should pursue. Yes, I admit that the ideas are mediocre, but nothing better is striking me. And I think creativity feeds on itself, so it's best to always be doing something. As Sean Hood says "Creativity is not something you have, it's something you do". I'll look at it as a challenge to take one of these mediocre ideas to the next level through execution.

In the meantime, been juggling producing projects. I've been mostly absent on Kerry Prior's horror-buddy-comedy "The Revenant" since,...oh, I'd say...pre-production. But he handled things well through production with my producing partner Liam Finn's able support. And he's inching through post (lots of comp shots) very capably. I think it's going to be a strong film and do very well out in the world. I like to convince myself that I weigh in at key moments and for key issues. Self-delusion can be so pleasant sometimes, can't it? We're also narrowing in on funding for Babak Shokrian's "The Apology". In fact, I have a conference call with a potential German co-producer in about 15 minutes. Still marginally, involved with artist Lauren Bon's epic "Silver and Water" project for her Metabolic Studio - but more of a participant/consultant than as a producer. It's amazing to see the project slowly take shape and how her sculptor/artist's eye creates beautiful imagery and unexpectedly beautiful and meaningful juxtapositions of those images. Finally, still working on drumming up sales for my old first feature "The Dogwalker" - which just means doing a little internet promotion whenever I can.

My day to day filmmaking life is mostly taken up by Filmmakers Alliance - primarily preparations/planning for our online global launch and the Ultimate Filmmaker Competition, but tons of other stuff, too. Won't bore you with all of those details other than to say that keeping a community like FA vibrant demands a lot of,...well,...vibrancy. Meaning, we have to kick up a lot of dust and keep kicking it up day in and day out - screenings, labs, script reads, discussion forums, seminars, meetings, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah, scooby-do, scooby-do... I hate to sound so tired and cynical because I truly love all of this stuff. But they're all far more exciting to do than to talk about. Finally, there's absolutely nothing exciting about raising money (except when you get it), but it is also something I need to push forward every day. Got something on the horizon with a new investor prospect that will support both FA and individual projects. Can't talk about it now, of course, but I'll know more in a week. Don't worry, I'll keep you all posted.

In the meantime, gotta do this conference call about "The Apology". Then do more work on my script. Then scratch up some breakfast. Then have another conference call about the new FA website. Then exercise my dog. Then do more FA work. Then wash my car. Then work out. Then nap and/or make some work/fundraising phone calls. Then write some proposals and do some work promoting the Ultimate Filmmaker Competition. Then roll into the night before sleeping then starting all over again....Ah, the life....And I'm getting shit done before I die. That's important.....isn't it?

CALIFORNIA FILM & TELEVISION INCENTIVE PROGRAM

If you're a Cali filmmaker or thinking of shooting here in CA, you should check this out below. And if you aren't shooting here, you should check out the incentives in your own state/town/region/country/etc.

More info on incentives/resources for filming in CA can be found here: http://www.film.ca.gov/ProductionTools/Incentives.html

CALIFORNIA FILM & TELEVISION INCENTIVE PROGRAM

On February 20, 2009, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation creating tax credits for film and television productions as part of an economic stimulus provision in the new state budget. The California Film Commission is currently developing program guidelines and application procedures. Applications will be available on June 1, 2009. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis beginning on July 1, 2009.

How the Tax Credit Works

Qualified taxpayers are allowed a credit against income and/or sales and use taxes, based on qualified expenditures, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2011. Credits applied to income tax liability are not refundable. Only tax credits issued to an “independent film” may be transferred or sold to an unrelated party. Other qualified taxpayers may carryover tax credits for 5 years and transfer tax credits to an affiliate.

How much was allocated to the program?

• $100 million annually beginning fiscal year 2009/2010 through fiscal year 2013/2014
• $10 million of the annual funding shall be set aside for independent films
• Any unused funds carryover to the next fiscal year

How are the funds allocated?

Tax Credits will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, as long as funds are available within each fiscal year. On each day that applications are received, they will be selected at random via a daily lottery.
Each approved project will receive a credit allocation “reservation” pending the project’s continued eligibility and final documentation.
The final credit allocation will be the lesser of: 1) the estimated reservation amount or 2) an amount based on final qualified spend.

What Types of Productions Qualify for the Program?

To apply for the California Film and Television Incentive Program, a “qualified motion picture” must be one of the following:

(Eligible for 20% Tax Credit):

• Feature Films ($1 million minimum - $75 million maximum production budget)
• Movies of the week or miniseries ($500,000 minimum production budget)
• New television series licensed for original distribution on basic cable ($1 million minimum budget; one-half hour shows and other exclusions apply)

(Eligible for 25% Tax Credit):

• A television series, without regard to episode length, that filmed all of its prior seasons outside of California.
• An "independent film" ($1 million − $10 million budget that is produced by a company that is not publicly traded and that publicly traded companies do not own more than 25% of the producing company.)

A "qualified motion picture" must also meet the following conditions:

• 75% test (production days or total production budget) in California
• Application must be submitted at least 30 days prior to principal photography
• Once application is approved, principal photography must begin within 180 days and post production must be completed within 30 months

What expenditures qualify?

"Qualified expenditures" are amounts paid or incurred for the purchase or lease of tangible personal property and qualified wages for services performed in California.

The following costs are not qualified expenditures:

• Any costs incurred prior to application approval will not qualify for credits.
• Wages paid to writers, directors, music directors, music composers, music supervisors, producers and performers, other than background actors with no scripted lines.
• Expenses, including wages, related to new use, reuse, clip use, licensing, secondary markets, residual compensation or the creation of any ancillary produced including but not limited to, a soundtrack album, toy, game, trailer or teaser.
• Expenses related to acquisition, development, turnaround or any rights thereto; financing, overhead, marketing, promotion, or distribution of a qualified motion picture.
• State and Federal Income taxes.
• Audit expenses; Completion bond.

What types of productions are not eligible for the incentive program?

Commercials; music videos; TV pilots; news programs; current events or public affairs programs; talk shows; game shows; sporting events; ½ hour (airtime) episodic TV shows; awards shows; productions that solicit funds; reality programs; student films; industrial films; clip based programming where more than 50% of content is comprised of licensed footage; documentaries; variety programs; daytime dramas; strip shows; pornography.

Application Procedures

The California Film Commission is developing application procedures. Once established, applications will be accepted on a first come first served basis beginning on July 1, 2009 as long as funds are available within each fiscal year.

• The open application period will be announced by the CFC prior to each new fiscal year for the duration of the program.
• Applications will be accepted on a first come first served basis. This process will be run as a daily lottery each business day.
• Applications must be submitted at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to the start of principal photography.
• Applications that meet program criteria will be accepted and credits will be assigned (reserved) until the annual allocation is exhausted.
• Within 10 business days of receiving the requested supporting materials, the CFC will notify the applicant of accepted or rejected status. Credit will be assigned (reserved) to all accepted applicants until the annual allocation is exhausted.
• If the application meets the criteria and is approved, the production must begin principal photography no later than 180 days from approval date which is the date the allocation reservation letter is issued. (If the production does not begin filming prior to the 180 day deadline, the reservation of credits will be forfeited and the applicant will be placed back in the queue. There will be no guarantee that additional credits will be available once placed in the queue.)
• Once a qualified television series has been approved and accepted into the program, that series will be placed at the top of the queue for lottery numbering (based on order received) for each successive year in the life of that series whenever credits are assigned within a fiscal year.
• Once an application is accepted, the primary producer, UPM and production accountant or other appropriate personnel will be required to attend an orientation meeting with the CFC.

Swing For The Fences!

I hate sports metaphors because they are always so cliche. But this particular one - "swing for the fences" - was the one that came to mind when I read a script for a friend recently. For those of you who don't know (it's a big world, gang, and not everyone loves/knows sports), "swing for the fences" is a baseball phrase that means to try to hit the baseball as hard and far as you can, rather than just safely connecting with the ball.



The script I read reminded me of the thousands of scripts that safely try to connect with the ball. They are solid and well-crafted, but offer no distinctive voice or perspective - nor add anything new to the language of cinema. There's nothing that can't be found in these scripts that can't be found in a thousand other scripts. It makes me wonder why someone would apply their time, energy, talent and/or skill to such mediocrity.

Maybe because that's exactly what commercial Hollywood likes to make. However, they HATE to admit it. They like to believe they are making something fresh and exciting (and every once in awhile, important). So, when you hand them something mediocre, they immediately dismiss it as derivative, because indeed it is. Too many filmmakers use other films as their creative reference point, rather than other art forms and/or life experiences.

Commercial Hollywood would MUCH rather gobble up your wildly original screenplay, and then hire a bunch of overpaid hack rewriters to turn it into derivative drivel that they can call their very own. You see, it's not derivative work they hate, it's just YOUR derivative work they hate. They seem to be endlessly pleased with their own.

So, whether you want to play in the commercial Hollywood world or if you want to make truly original, meaningful films, you have to "swing for the fences" in your writing - or in the scripts you look to develop or direct. You have to have a script in hand that is original in a way that still speaks clear cinematic language, but with a unique and stunning syntax of its own. Then, you can collect the bucks while you sit back and watch commercial Hollywood desecrate it. Or, you may get lucky and become the next Charlie Kaufman - writing and making distinctive, but odd and overly-intellectualized quirks of cinematic art that "name" actors adore (and therefore help get his pictures made - until studios realize they don't make any money). Or you may get to realize your films as written, with all of its distinctive brilliance intact.

But exactly how do we "swing for the fences" in our scripts? Well, you need to be fluent in a couple of key things. First off, it's important to know where the fence is - you need to know the type of film/genre you are creating and it's particular language and history. How can you know if you are creating something original if you don't know what's come before? Just because it is seems to come from you - and no where else that you are conscious of - doesn't always make it original. Our aesthetics are informed by so many cultural influences, we have no idea how much of it is our own distinctive perspective and how much is the cultural zeitgeist (which is often simply the product of effective marketing). You need to truly have some tangible knowledge of the kind of film you are making - where it's been aesthetically and why it is there (why its particular "rules" exist), if you are going to move beyond those aesthetics or even subvert them.

Secondly, you need to understand your own aesthetic....or, even more importantly, your own deep impulses/obsessions/fantasies/dreams, etc. What are the kinds of things that seize hold of your mind? What are they when realized to the extreme? Can they be integrated into a "story"? What do you know about yourself that others don't? What excites you that doesn't seem to excite anybody else? What embarrasses you? These distinctive quirks - which may seem to alienate you from others - are exactly the things you need to find that extra bit of power to push the ball over the fence - meaning, to give your script the originality it needs to stand out amongst the thousands of others. You really need to dig around inside yourself for these treasures. Or, if you are capable of working intuitively, just "let go" and allow them to come out.

For example, when I was growing up, I was plagued by apocalyptic dreams/nightmares. And they would recur throughout my life in times of high stress (I don't have them often, anymore, thank goodness). A multitude of doomsday scenarios would play out in my sleep - always leaving me shaken when I awoke - and strangely embarrassed. Now those dreams are perfect fodder for my latest script and serves it on many levels - psychologically (for the main character - not me), visually and thematically. When I first conceived of the idea and began working on the treatment, I wasn't even consciously thinking of those dreams. I was just exploring a sort of existential angst and a contradictory attraction/fear of chaos that played out in my relationships. Those dreams just organically appeared in the development of the main character and, eventually, in the story.

You don't always have to know exactly what's going on inside of you. In fact, it is often better if you don't, so your work is not too "controlled", schematic or self-conscious. But if what is deep and distinctive about you is not spilling forth organically, you need to get down inside yourself and dig it out. You can try what I do, sometimes - to literally sit with a pad and pen (not a computer) and list all of the things you think are "weird" about yourself. List your darkest, most shameful thoughts/fantasies. List your obsessions and excesses. Your weird dreams. Your paranoid ideas. Your embarrassing moments. But don't just list the dark stuff, also list the things about yourself that you find distinctly charming or funny or sublimely ridiculous. And if none of that seems too "extreme" or unique, play them out in your head to some logical (or illogical) extreme - then write it down again. If you start to feel foolish about doing this, remind yourself that some of the stuff on that list will provide the power in your "swing". It will allow you to take a script you've written or otherwise control and push it to the next level. Remind yourself that your creative and/or professional life depends on your ability to do this.

That said, there are obviously plenty of places for well-intentioned mediocrity because we see it in movies and on t.v. - ad nauseum. And if you continue to create well-intentioned mediocrity, you might possibly outlast the millions of other mediocrity-creators and forge a career for yourself doing mediocre t.v. and/or movies. But if you aspire to more than that, then you need to know where the fence is (by understanding the structure, language and history of your film type/genre), and give yourself the power to knock the ball over it (by exploiting your distinctive aesthetic/neuroses/charm). Then, step up to the plate and create a script that will leave them stunned, excited, angry, confused, offended, heart-broken, elated...and/or, in any other way, DEEPLY AFFECTED.

Only then can you truly forgive my bad sports cliche. And only then can you create work that really means something....most of all, to yourself.

Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) and European Film Market (EFM) 2009

What's an American low-budget indie filmmaker doing at the Berlinale/EFM without having a film at either, you ask? Well, looking for money, of course. But I found much, much more.


MY BLURRY ACCREDITATION CARD

A lot of the American indie films I'm exposed to through Filmmakers Alliance and at festivals are, for the most part, very...well,....American. Even many of the docs I see. These films are often so infused with a uniquely American sensibility - aesthetic, structure, pacing, cultural references, ideology, etc. - that I often fret about how they will play to a global audience. I truly want to make and support films that speak to a global audience - films that aren't purely genre/entertainment, but still speak the universal language of cinema and don't demand mastery of specific American culture/language/idioms/history.


A RELIC OF OLD COMMIE EAST BERLIN - THE GOOD OLD DAYS

I was lucky enough to be invited to help produce Babak Shokrian's next feature film "The Apology". Babak is an FA member whose first film, "America So Beautiful", played at the Berlinale in 2002 and I attended it with my then-wife Diane Gaidry, who was in the film. We all fell in love with Berlin, the festival and the global filmmaking community - which is very different than the American independent filmmaking community in some subtle, but key ways.

Most obviously is that fact that many global filmmakers are independent by design. Places like France, Germany and Sweden have big studios, but not nearly as many as the U.S. and not nearly as dominant globally. So, most filmmakers find financing through state-supported agencies - or, at least, some significant portion of their financing. And the focus for these agencies, more often than not, is on how the filmmaking process can enrich the economy AND the finished film can enrich the culture of the funding region. So, there's no focus on big stars and big box office. Yes, the potential of those things are exciting to the funding agencies, but not the focus - as they are in so much of U.S. financing strategies. Sounds lovely, doesn't it? And it is, but we must also keep in mind that those state-supported agencies are still limited channels of funding and, thus, highly competitive.


TYPICALLY CLEAN AND ALWAYS TIMELY GERMAN TRAIN/SUBWAY WITH MY BIG FOOT IN THE FOREGROUND

However, Babak's new film is an excellent candidate for state funding in Germany, as well as for one of the large regional funds available to filmmakers . Here's the synopsis for the film:

1992. FARZAD FOROUZAN, at one time Iran’s most celebrated showman, broadcasts anti-fundamentalist rhetoric from an underground radio station in Bonn, Germany, years after having fled the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Farzad’s glory has long since faded -- no longer is he meeting with the Queen of Iran, standing before cameras or beneath the bright lights of the stage. Instead, he sings in a small Iranian cabaret to make ends meet.

Vilified for his beliefs and homosexuality, he's burned the bridges that lead to his beloved motherland, but is introduced to a loyal ‘fan’ who promises to secure his return to Iran where millions of people supposedly await his return. “Khomeini is dead”, the fan proclaims, “Change is in the air”. Farzad falls prey to his own arrogance and longing - for his homeland and his ailing mother. He entertains the idea of actually going back to Iran even though there’s a FATWA on his life. However, he soon discovers that the fatwa would be lifted, allowing him to return safely...under one condition: He must give a public apology for his outspoken criticism of the regime - thus denouncing his passionately held beliefs.

The apology is clearly intended to humiliate Farzad and show Iranians all over the world the current regime has won the ideological battle between East and West. Although Farzad himself believes simply that love and not hate should be the guiding principles of his country and religion, those principles have not guided him quite so simply in his personal life. As the time draws near for Farzad to make a decision, each detail of his life informs that decision as he struggles to resolve the ideological and the personal - with the direction of his life...perhaps his life, itself, hanging in the balance.

So, the film shoots in Germany, has a modest budget, can use an all-
German crew and a nearly all-German cast. It's unique, but based on a true story and character. So, off we went to the Berlinale/EFM to look for money. It was me, Producer Elizabeth Stanley and Babak.


BABAK AND ELIZABETH STANLEY NEXT TO A PIECE OF THE BERLIN WALL
(IT WAS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF IT COMING DOWN)

The best, most effective strategy for attending any event, for any purpose, is to do a lot of preparation in advance. Even if you are just going to the festival to have a good time and see films, you should do all of the pre-fest work of obtaining a list of the films, getting passes/tickets, securing travel and lodging, finding out what other events/parties are taking place and soliciting invitations, finding out who else is going or who you might know there who can add to the experience, etc., etc. This is all done well in advance of actually showing up. Yes, there's a ton of stuff you can do on the fly, but it's much harder and you risk being shut out of a lot of things. Of course, this is especially true of larger festivals like Sundance and the Berlinale/EFM, where there is soooo much going on, but still a lot of competition to get into all of these things.


OPENING NIGHT AT THE BERLINALE - BIG, CROWDED, SWANKY FUN

Elizabeth is a smart, diligent and determined worker who has built up a lot of contacts over the years and was able to secure some good meetings for us prior to heading over there. As usual, I was able to get us some party invitations through friends Peter Belsito and Sydney Levine of Film Finders, who know a ton of people and never miss the Berlinale/EFM. In fact, they own a nice apartment in Berlin and we had dinner with them there one night. Party invitations are always important because that is where a lot of connections/introductions get made and even where serious business sometimes gets done. But you have to know which parties to go to and whom to contact to solicit invitations. For that, you need to talk to people who have been there before you. Just keep in mind that nearly every film premiering there has a party and nearly every film council from around the world has a reception. Then there are "company" parties and other little dinners and get-togethers.


THE ROCKIN' SHORT FILM PARTY AT HOME BASE - WHICH IS RUN BY THE VERY SMART AND VERY COOL SIMON CHAPPUZEAU

Hotels (and short term apartment rentals) are relatively inexpensive especially in the former East Berlin in neighborhoods like Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg. I stayed with my friend, Christine (pronounced like Christina) Knauff whom I've known for years (and met through a friend in L.A.) and who has a large, lovely flat in Prenzlauer Berg that she shares with her very sweet boyfriend, Thomas.

If you can demonstrate industry credentials, you can get a limited pass to the Berlinale/EFM for 100 Euros (about $130 at the time) - which you order online at the Berlinale website a few weeks in advance. This allows you to go to select screenings at the Berlinale and entrance to certain events and parties. It's the best ticket in town. It also allows you to walk into the Market. The festival screenings are all over town in some great theaters, but the screening hub is the Cinemaxx multi-plex located in the center of Berlin, Potsdamer Platz - where the wall used to be, but is now a very modern, developed area. It's also where the festival headquarters are located as well as the Berlin Palast (the big palace for many of the bigger films and premieres). The EFM is located inside something called the Martin-Gropius building a relatively short walk from the Cinemaxx. However, Berlin can be cold as hell during that time of year (early February) and, when it is, that walk can feel like its miles long.

The Market is a big hall overrun with temp offices representing the major film companies and state-run film councils from all around the world. Notably, there is no U.S. presence. And no U.S. party. Probably because there is no U.S. film council or governmental Arts agency at all. Anyway, it's not unlike AFM, only it doesn't feel nearly as cheesy and doesn't cost you an arm and leg just to walk through it. If you haven't set up meetings previously, you can go around to the various film councils/companies and try to set up meetings. But you better have done your research so that you have something interesting to pitch and a good reason for them to meet you.


THE FANCY GERMAN FILMS SUITE AT THE EFM

So there's the set-up. Now, here's what happened: Meetings. Meetings. And, oh, did I mention...meetings. That was followed by parties and more parties, but they still felt like meetings. The Opening Night party was fancy and very fun and well-stocked with great food and booze and lots of German film bigshots. We had fun making American asses out of ourselves. The EFM and film council parties are typically swankier, but the film premiere parties are more fun. And sadly, we didn't see a single film. Not one. I feel so ashamed.


BABAK AND CHRISTIAN AT THE PANORAMA PARTY

But we were there to work and work we did. We met with lots of companies, mostly German, to talk about co-producing "The Apology". The way it works is, if you want to get German state funding, you need to partner with a German production company. They will have relationships with the funders (ideally, anyway) help manage the production and see to it that you meet the criteria for funding...if they respond to your project. Every one we met with responded very positively. But none has signed on the dotted line, yet. But our follow-up work is just beginning. This is a long process. But I'm learning a lot about international financing which I will share in a later blog.

What little I did experience of the festival seemed fantastic, as always. It is a HUGE festival with numerous different sections and sidebars, but always impeccably organized (very German). Our hostess of sorts, Ela Gurmen, who runs Guest Services for the Panorama section of the festival, was lovely and gracious and hooked us up with all kinds of fun. We met her back in 2002 when we first came to the fest. Sadly, I saw very little of Berlin, but saw much of it on previous trips. It's really a fun, beautiful, exciting city. And easy for American-types (non-multi-lingual) like me to communicate as so many Germans speak some level of English. The food is, well, German. But some of the more ethnic neighborhoods have amazing food. And the range of choices seems to get better every year.


AMERICAN FANTASY/CONSUMERISM SPREADING THE EARTH - NOTE THE ARTICLE TITLES OF THIS MAGAZINE - IF THIS WERE ENGLISH IT WOULD BE HOW I FEEL WHEN I'M IN L.A.

If you want to go to an amazing festival, hook into the Global filmmaking community, learn about international film financing and have a generally awesome time in a great (but very cold) European city, then I suggest you start planning now to attend Berlinale/EFM 2010. Buy your plane tickets early for the best price, get lodging early, do your research to set up meetings (if appropriate), secure party invites and/or visit great Berlin tourist spots. Get your accreditation (pass) early, get a movie schedule and pick films and finally, find out who else will be there to share the fun. You can count me in.

Park City/Sundance/Slamdance 2009

I meant to write and upload my blog several times WHILE I was in Park City, but was always too busy experiencing it to take the time to comment on it. I would certainly suck as a Twitterer. So, here I am in the Amsterdam airport on my way to Berlin with an hour and a half to kill before my flight. Finally I am getting around to blogging about Park City 2009. And what do I have to say?....Not much.

Not because it wasn't a wonderful time. It was, indeed. Maybe BECAUSE it was a wonderful time. I've been to Park City/Sundance/Slamdance/Other Dances so many times, it's like clockwork for us. When and how to get a place to stay, to get tickets, to get party invites, etc., are all practiced exercises about which there was, thankfully, little drama. I actually wrote a little Sundance handbook a few years ago for filmmakers who had films in the fest (I had "Transaction" in 2006). But it's a helpful guide for anybody heading up for the fest. If you want a copy, just send me a note with your return email and I'll send it off to you.

We drove up again, as usual, because we have an outreach table in the Sundance Filmmaker Lodge every year and have to haul all of our stuff for it. The drive from LA is about 12 hours with leisurely stops (particularly in Vegas), and really easy with 3 people. It was me, Executive Director Amanda Sweikow and filmmaker P.J. Letofsky, who's self-distributing his film "Polly's Global Walk", the doc he made about his sister walking around the world to raise money for cancer research.

We only went 5 days this time and only saw 4 movies. And sadly, didn't get over to Slamdance at all (making the title of this blog misleading). Between having that Outreach table, knowing a lot of the programmers and filmmakers and hanging with people who all had Sundance passes,....that fest consumed us. In general, the economic crunch was clearly felt - which was a minus and a plus. The smaller crowd might have hurt the fests in terms of attendance and sponsorship, but it made it much more pleasant for us attendees. There was still plenty of people (and plenty of the right people) in attendance, but you could walk Main St. unmolested. And although many of the parties were cut back or cut out completely, it eliminated a lot of the clubby, party crowd that clogs the streets every year and doesn't give two shits about film. Swag culture was way dialed back, too (I didn't even see any of those ridiculously upscale swag boutiques), which no one missed except the celebrities and hanger-ons who get all of that gaudy stuff. And finally, getting tickets to films (if you didn't purchase a package) was not only possible, it was fairly easy.

My two favorite Sundance parties each year are the Shorts Party and the World Cinema Party. I missed the World Cinema Party, having left before it took place, but had a good time, as usual at the Shorts Party. Adobe used to sponsor it somewhat lavishly, but they had to cut back last year and didn't sponsor at all this year. Nonetheless, the party didn't suffer one bit. Short filmmakers are an eager, passionate lot - unaffected by the anxiety that swirls around the feature filmmakers who must use the Sundance opportunity to desperately work for a sale or launch themselves in some way. Short filmmakers are just happy to be there and it shows in their attitude.


GOOD BUDDY AND PRODUCER ROGER MAYER ("BIG RIVER MAN") AND SUNDANCE PROGRAMMER KIM YUTANI AT THE SUNDANCE SHORTS PARTY

Unfortunately, since we only saw 4 movies, that part of the experience was rather hit and miss. I loved "Hump Day". It's a true Indie Film, although it is certainly not cinema art (Indie films, unfortunately, rarely are). It is unabashed entertainment, but in the best sense of that idea. First of all, it's very funny and full of playful tension. But it is also very smart, touching on a lot of broader ideas and themes without ever slowing down the comedic or narrative energy. I'm pretty sure it got picked up and will hit theaters sometime within the next year...or two, or whatever strange timetable these distributors follow. So, I won't say more about it. I hate spoiler alerts.

We saw a Documentary Shorts program that was quite good, but disappointing in light of the fact that it was the ONLY doc shorts program. It had two sort of informational pieces (one would have sufficed, especially since they were preaching to the converted) and a 40 minute doc on the late actor John Cazale (whose work I love and who more than deserved this well-made love letter) that was produced and/or commissioned by HBO and will be seen by millions (and therefore, in my opinion, does not need this platform where it takes up 40 minutes of the only doc program). But I'm kind of quibbling because I was indeed happy to see it. Finally, the program had a gross-out doc on a body modification freak who chops off his toes and fingers. There is indeed much to be explored in such extreme "art", but this piece, for me, was simply voyeuristic and nauseatingly fetishistic. Again, though, I'm quibbling because it was nonetheless interesting to know a guy like that exists.

The other two films "Lulu and Jimi" (stylish and fun/funny, but very slight and familiar) and "The Anarchist's Wife" (handsome and dull - earnest and predictable) don't compel me to mention anything more about them.


FA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AMANDA SWEIKOW AND ME AT THE OUTREACH TABLE IN THE FILMMAKER LODGE

I skipped the panels even though the much-admired Ted Hope anchored one of them. There was still a lot of talk at Sundance about his keynote speech in September and, in general, about the fate of indie films (the topic of his panel). There's a lot of enthusiasm for self-distribution and, finally, some widespread agreement that the old distribution paradigms for indies is almost completely dead (there were definitely still some "sales" this year at Park City) and never really had much of a life for most indie films. We'll see what the future holds for indies. Only time will tell. That's why I skipped the panel. Although I appreciate their comments and insights on the business as it is, I don't want to hear any "experts" - no matter how much I admire them - reporting back from their personal crystal balls. The story will play out however it plays out and we'll all flow with it all in whatever way is necessary.

So that was it for 2009. Yes, there were fun details about the parties and gossip about this or that person and all kinds of other crap I could fill this blog with. But the bottom line is that Park City/Sundance/Slamdance/etc. - for all its excesses - is still the place to be for filmmakers of any stripe. It is an awesome filmmaking convention. Truly that's what it is. There's definitely festivals and kind of a market, but there's so much other stuff represented by every strata of filmmaking society that it ultimately is nothing less than a wild, ten-day filmmaking convention. You'll find nearly every person you need to meet or re-connect with there and you can learn/accomplish any number of filmmaking goals. Oh, and there's always good films. Say what you want about the commercialization of Sundance, but in the end, it's all about the films. And there are always good ones to see.

Our goals were to connect with a few potential investors and organizational partners, to launch our Ultimate Filmmaker Competition, watch some films and go to some parties. We were victorious! And we had a blast in the process of being victorious....


ON THE ROAD HOME FROM PARK CITY (YES, THAT'S MY AIR FRESHENER HANGING FROM THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND, YES, IT SAYS WHAT YOU THINK IT SAYS)

On my way to the Berlinale

Off to another fest, this time in Berlin. Been there before. It's a great one. There's also a European Film Market. Going to find $$$ for a terrific feature I'm helping to produce that takes place in Germany (but could shoot lots of places).

I know I owe a bunch of blogs. Got 'em all roughed out and will polish them off on the plane - there and back. It includes my Sundance adventures as well as Berlin. Thanks for being patient.

Send me a note if you're in Berlin and want to hang out.

In L.A.? Free Event on Technology and the Movies, February 19th

Scott Kirsner of the cool blog CinemaTech (http://cinematech.blogspot.com) will be partnering with USC to put together an evening event on Thursday, February 19th. It's being jointly organized by the Stevens Institute for Innovation, the Annenberg School for Communication, and the Entertainment Technology Center.

It's being called "Innovation in Hollywood: Past Present & Future," and it happens 3 days before the 2009 Oscars, on the USC campus. Scott will be giving a quick overview of Hollywood's tech history, and then moderating a panel of modern-day innovators. It's free -- but you do have to RSVP. Come on by and/or spread the word to folks in LA who might want to join us.

See ya there!

Two more suggested blogs not on the list....

These additional blogs came highly recommended from a mysterious source,....but they look pretty damn good.

http://prepshootpost.blogspot.com/

http://prolost.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!