Chris and Nick share a few opinions on the "Rust" saga, Lena Waithe's Hillman Rising Voices Program, whether a should short cost $100K, and what Facebook's change to Meta means for Indie Creators.
About the Rising Voices Program
Hillman Grad and Indeed have collaborated to develop the Rising Voices program. The initiative aims to discover, invest in and share stories created by BIPOC filmmakers & storytellers around the power and meaning of work. The 2021 program awarded a $100K production budget for 10 short films which premiered at The Tribeca Festival in New York and created over 600 jobs.
How it works: The advisory team will identify 10 filmmakers who will be selected to participate in Rising Voices. A $100,000 production budget will be allocated to produce their stories, and each filmmaker will have access to mentorship and support from the advisory panel through members from Hillman Grad and Ventureland. The films will be produced by Hillman Grad in partnership with 271 Films. An additional COVID-19 safety fund will also be made available to the filmmakers.
Filmmaker Support: Following the conclusion of the program, Indeed will invest in marketing and distribution support for the finished films, along with a debut at The Tribeca Festival. Additionally, one or more filmmakers will be offered a filmmaker-in-residency position at Indeed to continue producing content with the brand.
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About the MAKE IT Podcast The MAKE IT podcast is a platform for the voice of independent filmmaker. We offer a variety of educational, aspirational, and entertaining content that promotes the success of creatives across the filmmaking community and the film industry. Our Conversations with filmmaking professionals are dedicated to sharing the advice, knowledge, and insights of experienced filmmakers while exploring what it truly means to be an independent creative in the highly competitive world of filmmaking. Each filmmaker conversation is backed by thoughtful research that allows us to uncover the raw, authentic truths behind each filmmaker's journey. Through our Indie Talks, we share our thoughts and perspectives on navigating independent film from the perspective of Advisory and Executive Producers. We discuss topics that are relevant to filmmakers across a wide spectrum of filmmaking perspectives, and we do our best to uncover hidden truths and new developments in the film industry. Our goal is to help filmmakers avoid the pitfalls and obstacles on the business side of film so that their filmmaking creativity can thrive. Our Industry Insights provide bite-sized actionable advice that filmmaking professionals and creatives of all kinds can use to keep their heads up as they continue their filmmaking journeys. With advice sourced from the filmmaking community, we build upon the wisdom of our filmmaking guests to provide our audience with truly aspirational and inspirational content. The Mistakes in the Making series gives our filmmaking friends an opportunity to speak directly to our filmmaking audience to share a specific lesson they've learned through a mistake they've made. We are firm believers that mistakes can be the gateway to success when we open our hearts and minds to learning from them, sharing them, and using them to Be Better.
Updated: Mar 19, 2022
In this episode, we have a conversation with Filmmaker and LGBTQ Advocate Alex Schmider. We talk about the impact of his Netflix film 'Disclosure' and Hulu film 'Changing the Game,' his work with GLAAD, Hollywood's mythicizing of LGBTQ people, how he funded his films, and how to create a more equitable film set.
Links:
About the MAKE IT Podcast The MAKE IT podcast is a platform for the voice of independent filmmaker. We offer a variety of educational, aspirational, and entertaining content that promotes the success of creatives across the filmmaking community and the film industry. Our Conversations with filmmaking professionals are dedicated to sharing the advice, knowledge, and insights of experienced filmmakers while exploring what it truly means to be an independent creative in the highly competitive world of filmmaking. Each filmmaker conversation is backed by thoughtful research that allows us to uncover the raw, authentic truths behind each filmmaker's journey. Through our Indie Talks, we share our thoughts and perspectives on navigating independent film from the perspective of Advisory and Executive Producers. We discuss topics that are relevant to filmmakers across a wide spectrum of filmmaking perspectives, and we do our best to uncover hidden truths and new developments in the film industry. Our goal is to help filmmakers avoid the pitfalls and obstacles on the business side of film so that their filmmaking creativity can thrive. Our Industry Insights provide bite-sized actionable advice that filmmaking professionals and creatives of all kinds can use to keep their heads up as they continue their filmmaking journeys. With advice sourced from the filmmaking community, we build upon the wisdom of our filmmaking guests to provide our audience with truly aspirational and inspirational content. The Mistakes in the Making series gives our filmmaking friends an opportunity to speak directly to our filmmaking audience to share a specific lesson they've learned through a mistake they've made. We are firm believers that mistakes can be the gateway to success when we open our hearts and minds to learning from them, sharing them, and using them to Be Better.
Chris joins fellow filmmaker and Women In Film & Television (WIFT) board member Ava Leigh Stewart on a panel talk at the Knoxville Film Festival. We talk about Network Effect, the power of "Why," the state of Indie Film, and what filmmakers can do to attract investors.
About WIFT
Women In Film & Television International (WIFTI) is a global network comprised of nearly 40 Women in Film affiliated organizations worldwide representing more than 12,000 colleagues is dedicated to advancing professional development and achievement for women working in all areas of film, video, and other screen-based media.
About the Knoxville Film Festival
Executive Director Keith McDaniel founded the Secret City Film Festival in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in 2004 in celebration of the art of independent cinema. Nine years later, the festival was moved to Knoxville and rebranded as the Knoxville Film Festival. Held at Knoxville’s arthouse theatre, the Regal Downtown West Cinema 8, The Knoxville Film Festival has become the largest and most complete film festival in the region. Produced by award-winning filmmaker Keith McDaniel, KFF has been held at Knoxville's Arthouse theater, the Regal Downtown West Cinema 8. KFF has truly become the region's destination for independent cinema. In past years, KFF has had nearly 4,000 in attendance. They screen independent films, hold panel discussions and host two filmmaking competitions.
Links: Knoxville Film Festival Women in Film and TV Nashville KD Amond (filmmaker) Sarah Zanotti (filmmaker) Nashville Film Festival Faye (film) Southeastern International Film & Music Festival Scilla Andreen (IndieFlix CEO) The Wonder Years (tv series) Indie Flix Mr. Johnson’s Julius Caesar (short film) Kristopher Wente (actor) Bob Raines (TN Entertainment Commission) Whitney (documentary) Dick Gregory Emile Gallardo (writer) Lulu Wang (director) The Farewell (film) Kevin Christopher (lawyer) Michael Shannon (actor) Quentin Tarantino (writer) Another Version of You (film)
About the MAKE IT Podcast The MAKE IT podcast is a platform for the voice of independent filmmaker. We offer a variety of educational, aspirational, and entertaining content that promotes the success of creatives across the filmmaking community and the film industry. Our Conversations with filmmaking professionals are dedicated to sharing the advice, knowledge, and insights of experienced filmmakers while exploring what it truly means to be an independent creative in the highly competitive world of filmmaking. Each filmmaker conversation is backed by thoughtful research that allows us to uncover the raw, authentic truths behind each filmmaker's journey. Through our Indie Talks, we share our thoughts and perspectives on navigating independent film from the perspective of Advisory and Executive Producers. We discuss topics that are relevant to filmmakers across a wide spectrum of filmmaking perspectives, and we do our best to uncover hidden truths and new developments in the film industry. Our goal is to help filmmakers avoid the pitfalls and obstacles on the business side of film so that their filmmaking creativity can thrive. Our Industry Insights provide bite-sized actionable advice that filmmaking professionals and creatives of all kinds can use to keep their heads up as they continue their filmmaking journeys. With advice sourced from the filmmaking community, we build upon the wisdom of our filmmaking guests to provide our audience with truly aspirational and inspirational content. The Mistakes in the Making series gives our filmmaking friends an opportunity to speak directly to our filmmaking audience to share a specific lesson they've learned through a mistake they've made. We are firm believers that mistakes can be the gateway to success when we open our hearts and minds to learning from them, sharing them, and using them to Be Better.