This year’s Sundance Film Festival will see the inclusion of Outfest Outpost at Acura Festival Village.
The on-site and digital hub for queer films and artists selected at Sundance and Slamdance will also feature three panel discussions Jan. 21, presented by Acura and aimed at gathering LGBTQ filmmakers and performers.
“Since 1996, Outfest has shared a very special relationship with Sundance and the community of artists, industry and fans that descend on Park City every year,” said Damien S. Navarro, executive director of Outfest. “To have historical partners like Warner Bros. Discovery — a long-time supporter of the Outfest Queer Brunch —and new partners like Acura — returning for the second year, we are excited to bring the expansion of powerful programming that we began in 2020 to in-person and virtual audiences.”
The first panel, titled “The Road To Abundance: From Sundance and Outfest To the Oscars,” brings together Chester Algernal Gordon, producer of “The Inspection,...
The on-site and digital hub for queer films and artists selected at Sundance and Slamdance will also feature three panel discussions Jan. 21, presented by Acura and aimed at gathering LGBTQ filmmakers and performers.
“Since 1996, Outfest has shared a very special relationship with Sundance and the community of artists, industry and fans that descend on Park City every year,” said Damien S. Navarro, executive director of Outfest. “To have historical partners like Warner Bros. Discovery — a long-time supporter of the Outfest Queer Brunch —and new partners like Acura — returning for the second year, we are excited to bring the expansion of powerful programming that we began in 2020 to in-person and virtual audiences.”
The first panel, titled “The Road To Abundance: From Sundance and Outfest To the Oscars,” brings together Chester Algernal Gordon, producer of “The Inspection,...
- 1/18/2023
- by Katie Reul
- Variety Film + TV
The unexpected (and largely unspoken) challenges of parenthood are rawly probed in Holding Moses, a moving documentary short directed by Rivkah Beth Medow and Jen Rainin. The film follows Randi Rader (Medow is in an open marriage; Rader is her long-term partner), a queer, non-binary dancer and Broadway performer who undergoes a personal reckoning when her son Moses is born with a rare genetic disorder of the 22nd chromosome. Via pre-recorded monologue, Rader shares the difficult journey of digging herself out of a deep depression and learning to love her son unconditionally. The candidness of her emotional trajectory may at […]
The post “I Wanted to Protect Randi While Also Staying True to Her Experience”: Rivkah Beth Medow and Jen Rainin on Holding Moses first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Wanted to Protect Randi While Also Staying True to Her Experience”: Rivkah Beth Medow and Jen Rainin on Holding Moses first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/11/2023
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The unexpected (and largely unspoken) challenges of parenthood are rawly probed in Holding Moses, a moving documentary short directed by Rivkah Beth Medow and Jen Rainin. The film follows Randi Rader (Medow is in an open marriage; Rader is her long-term partner), a queer, non-binary dancer and Broadway performer who undergoes a personal reckoning when her son Moses is born with a rare genetic disorder of the 22nd chromosome. Via pre-recorded monologue, Rader shares the difficult journey of digging herself out of a deep depression and learning to love her son unconditionally. The candidness of her emotional trajectory may at […]
The post “I Wanted to Protect Randi While Also Staying True to Her Experience”: Rivkah Beth Medow and Jen Rainin on Holding Moses first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Wanted to Protect Randi While Also Staying True to Her Experience”: Rivkah Beth Medow and Jen Rainin on Holding Moses first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/11/2023
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages are Davis’ assessment of the current standings of the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any film or performance. Like any organization or body that votes, each individual category is fluid and subject to change. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Last Updated: Dec. 22, 2022
2023 Oscars Predictions: Best Documentary Short Image from “38 at the Garden”
Category Commentary: It’s an eclectic mixture of short films in the running for the documentary short race.
The New Yorker’s “Nuisance Bear” is among the most acclaimed, making multiple stops at festivals and picking up various trophies.
Frank Chi’s “38 at the Garden,” looking at the cultural impact of...
Last Updated: Dec. 22, 2022
2023 Oscars Predictions: Best Documentary Short Image from “38 at the Garden”
Category Commentary: It’s an eclectic mixture of short films in the running for the documentary short race.
The New Yorker’s “Nuisance Bear” is among the most acclaimed, making multiple stops at festivals and picking up various trophies.
Frank Chi’s “38 at the Garden,” looking at the cultural impact of...
- 12/22/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Outfest has announced the award winners of its 2021 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival.
The nation’s leading LGBTQ festival ran from August 13th to August 22nd, holding its closing night at the iconic Orpheum Theatre, with Vivian Kleiman’s No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics claiming the Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize, and Brielle Brilliant’s Firstness winning the U.S. Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize.
For the first time ever, Outfest collaborated with IMDb in choosing Audience Award winners, selecting them based on IMDb ratings. Among other prizes and recognition, eligible Outfest Los Angeles winners received a one-year membership to IMDbPro.
The winners of the Grand Jury Prizes for Best U.S. Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short, and Best International Narrative Short all received a $2000 cash prize awarded in partnership with Entertainment Partners.
Also of note is the fact that the U.S. and International Narrative...
The nation’s leading LGBTQ festival ran from August 13th to August 22nd, holding its closing night at the iconic Orpheum Theatre, with Vivian Kleiman’s No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics claiming the Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize, and Brielle Brilliant’s Firstness winning the U.S. Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize.
For the first time ever, Outfest collaborated with IMDb in choosing Audience Award winners, selecting them based on IMDb ratings. Among other prizes and recognition, eligible Outfest Los Angeles winners received a one-year membership to IMDbPro.
The winners of the Grand Jury Prizes for Best U.S. Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short, and Best International Narrative Short all received a $2000 cash prize awarded in partnership with Entertainment Partners.
Also of note is the fact that the U.S. and International Narrative...
- 8/24/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated with trailer: Hulu is continuing its documentary push. The streamer has landed the U.S. rights to Homeroom, a feature doc from Peter Nicks and exec produced by Ryan Coogler. Watch the first trailer above and see the key art below.
Homeroom, which was an official selection at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, is the final chapter in a trilogy of films examining the relationship between health care, criminal justice, and education in Oakland, CA over the past decade.
Nicks previously directed 2012’s The Waiting Room, set in a public hospital, and 2017’s The Force, which covers the troubled Oakland Police Department, both of which will also be streaming on Hulu.
The film follows Oakland High School’s class of 2020 as they confront an unprecedented year. Anxiety over test scores and college applications gives way to uncertainty springing from a rapidly developing pandemic. Efforts to eliminate the school...
Homeroom, which was an official selection at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, is the final chapter in a trilogy of films examining the relationship between health care, criminal justice, and education in Oakland, CA over the past decade.
Nicks previously directed 2012’s The Waiting Room, set in a public hospital, and 2017’s The Force, which covers the troubled Oakland Police Department, both of which will also be streaming on Hulu.
The film follows Oakland High School’s class of 2020 as they confront an unprecedented year. Anxiety over test scores and college applications gives way to uncertainty springing from a rapidly developing pandemic. Efforts to eliminate the school...
- 7/20/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Ahead of the Curve
In 1990, a 23-year-old named Frances “Franco” Stevens applied for multiple credit cards. When she was approved, she withdrew as much cash as she could from them, and used the money to launch Deneuve, one of the first lesbian magazines in the United States. In a fiction feature-length film, this moment would arrive halfway through the running time, the percussion in the score would tense as we saw an actor convey the fear and hopefulness of someone attempting something bold and risky. A mellow piano would probably announce that this is “the” make or break moment for our heroine. – Jose S. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Bad Tales (D’Innocenzo Brothers)
Amid the litany of horrors the biting little film Bad Tales presents,...
Ahead of the Curve
In 1990, a 23-year-old named Frances “Franco” Stevens applied for multiple credit cards. When she was approved, she withdrew as much cash as she could from them, and used the money to launch Deneuve, one of the first lesbian magazines in the United States. In a fiction feature-length film, this moment would arrive halfway through the running time, the percussion in the score would tense as we saw an actor convey the fear and hopefulness of someone attempting something bold and risky. A mellow piano would probably announce that this is “the” make or break moment for our heroine. – Jose S. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Bad Tales (D’Innocenzo Brothers)
Amid the litany of horrors the biting little film Bad Tales presents,...
- 6/4/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The staggering story behind Curve and its founder Franco Stevens is chronicled by her wife, Jen Rainin, in a doting yet energised documentary
This fervently supportive documentary about the iconic lesbian magazine Curve and its founder-publisher Frances “Franco” Stevens is directed by Stevens’s wife, Jen Rainin, and it’s both energised and hindered by her preaching-to-the-choir approach. Stevens was a San Francisco woman who in the 1980s got married young, came out as lesbian, was shunned by her family and briefly became homeless. In 1990, she launched what was then called Deneuve magazine by maxing out a handful of brand new credit cards, betting everything at the horse races – and winning big.
It’s a staggering story, virtually the American dream in action, especially as Deneuve went from strength to strength, with celebrity interviews, national ads and rocketing circulation. Stevens had the courage and vision to put the word “lesbian” on the cover,...
This fervently supportive documentary about the iconic lesbian magazine Curve and its founder-publisher Frances “Franco” Stevens is directed by Stevens’s wife, Jen Rainin, and it’s both energised and hindered by her preaching-to-the-choir approach. Stevens was a San Francisco woman who in the 1980s got married young, came out as lesbian, was shunned by her family and briefly became homeless. In 1990, she launched what was then called Deneuve magazine by maxing out a handful of brand new credit cards, betting everything at the horse races – and winning big.
It’s a staggering story, virtually the American dream in action, especially as Deneuve went from strength to strength, with celebrity interviews, national ads and rocketing circulation. Stevens had the courage and vision to put the word “lesbian” on the cover,...
- 6/2/2021
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
In 1990, a 23-year-old named Frances “Franco” Stevens applied for multiple credit cards. When she was approved, she withdrew as much cash as she could from them, and used the money to launch Deneuve, one of the first lesbian magazines in the United States.
In a fiction feature-length film, this moment would arrive halfway through the running time, the percussion in the score would tense as we saw an actor convey the fear and hopefulness of someone attempting something bold and risky. A mellow piano would probably announce that this is “the” make or break moment for our heroine.
A few scenes later, a thump in the score music would be heard as an eager Franco arrived at her Po box hoping to find dozens of subscriptions and discover it was completely empty.
Violins would swell when seconds later, an unassuming mailman called out to her and announced her Po box...
In a fiction feature-length film, this moment would arrive halfway through the running time, the percussion in the score would tense as we saw an actor convey the fear and hopefulness of someone attempting something bold and risky. A mellow piano would probably announce that this is “the” make or break moment for our heroine.
A few scenes later, a thump in the score music would be heard as an eager Franco arrived at her Po box hoping to find dozens of subscriptions and discover it was completely empty.
Violins would swell when seconds later, an unassuming mailman called out to her and announced her Po box...
- 5/31/2021
- by Jose Solís
- The Film Stage
"Just the power of seeing... me." Wolfe Video has released an official trailer for an indie documentary called Ahead of the Curve, opening at the IFC Center in NYC starting this week. The doc is a fascinating inside look at Curve magazine, "the best-selling lesbian magazine ever published." From its start in 1990, Curve magazine was a "visionary and unapologetic celebration of lesbian life from cover to cover." Confronted with their possible demise in 2019, director Jen Rainin and Curve founder Franco Stevens explore questions of lesbian visibility, legacy, intersectionality & current day issues through interviews with many contemporary LGBTQ+ tastemakers and activists, plus "celesbians" including Melissa Etheridge, Jewelle Gomez, Denice Frohman, Kate Kendell, and Lea DeLaria. It also features rich archival footage recounting the formation of a lesbian cultural institution. It's praised in reviews as an "accomplished, resonant and deeply moving" film. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for the documentary Ahead of the Curve,...
- 5/24/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
HBO released a trailer for the upcoming two-part documentary “The Crime of the Century,” which premieres on May 10.
Written and directed by Alex Gibney, the film exposes the billions of dollars gained and thousands of lives lost due to the opioid crisis. It reveals the secrets behind Big Pharma, political operatives and government regulations that enabled over-production, reckless distribution and abuse of synthetic opiates.
Gibney served as a producer alongside Sarah Dowland and Svetlana Zill. Stacey Offman, Richard Perello, Todd Hoffman, and Aaron Fishman, senior Tina Nguyen, Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller served as executive producers.
Also in today’s TV news roundup…
First Looks
Netflix released a trailer for “The Upshaws,” which premieres on May 12. Created by Regina Hicks and Wanda Sykes, the series follows the head of a Black working-class family in Indianapolis struggling to step up and take care of his family without a blueprint for success.
Written and directed by Alex Gibney, the film exposes the billions of dollars gained and thousands of lives lost due to the opioid crisis. It reveals the secrets behind Big Pharma, political operatives and government regulations that enabled over-production, reckless distribution and abuse of synthetic opiates.
Gibney served as a producer alongside Sarah Dowland and Svetlana Zill. Stacey Offman, Richard Perello, Todd Hoffman, and Aaron Fishman, senior Tina Nguyen, Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller served as executive producers.
Also in today’s TV news roundup…
First Looks
Netflix released a trailer for “The Upshaws,” which premieres on May 12. Created by Regina Hicks and Wanda Sykes, the series follows the head of a Black working-class family in Indianapolis struggling to step up and take care of his family without a blueprint for success.
- 4/20/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
Outfest Los Angeles is going virtual this year and they have unveiled their stacked lineup for the 11-day festival which kicks off August 20.
The LGBTQ film fest fest will include over 160 films with 35 world premieres, 10 North American premieres and 4 U.S. premieres to Los Angeles for 2020. The fest will live on http://www.outfestla2020.com and there will also be “Outfest LA Under the Stars”, a drive-in experience will take place at the stunning Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, where for two extended weekends the Festival will be hosting a series of drive-in screenings across six-nights on two lots, including both kick-off and closing events. The drive-in screenings will start with the Sundance pic The Nowhere Inn starring musicians Annie Clark and Carrie Brownstein. Other screenings will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
Over 70% of films at Outfest LA directed by female, trans, and Poc filmmakers. The Breakthrough Centerpiece will be...
The LGBTQ film fest fest will include over 160 films with 35 world premieres, 10 North American premieres and 4 U.S. premieres to Los Angeles for 2020. The fest will live on http://www.outfestla2020.com and there will also be “Outfest LA Under the Stars”, a drive-in experience will take place at the stunning Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, where for two extended weekends the Festival will be hosting a series of drive-in screenings across six-nights on two lots, including both kick-off and closing events. The drive-in screenings will start with the Sundance pic The Nowhere Inn starring musicians Annie Clark and Carrie Brownstein. Other screenings will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
Over 70% of films at Outfest LA directed by female, trans, and Poc filmmakers. The Breakthrough Centerpiece will be...
- 8/11/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
"As we became more visible, we also became a target." The first official trailer has just debuted for an indie documentary titled Ahead of the Curve, premiering at the Frameline Film Festival taking place online later this month. From its start in 1990, Curve magazine (their website) was a visionary and unapologetic celebration of lesbian life from cover to cover. Facing the magazine’s possible demise in 2019, director Jen Rainin and Curve founder Franco Stevens explore current questions of lesbian visibility and legacy through interviews with contemporary LGBTQ+ individuals. The doc film looks to be not only a celebration of this magazine and all those linked to it, but a celebration of lesbian culture and all of its amazingness. "Ahead of the Curve is a new feature documentary about the extraordinary woman who started Curve magazine, and by doing so helped accelerate the political and social evolution of the nation." Check out the first look below.
- 6/22/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Twelve world premieres among line-up.
Frameline has announced the full programme for the virtual Frameline44 Pride Showcase that runs from June 25-28 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of San Francisco Pride.
Presented in partnership with the Castro Theatre, the four-day event features 12 world premieres, one international premiere, three North American Premieres, and two Us premieres.
The roster includes Jessica Swale’s Summerland starring Gemma Arterton, who will participate in a live Q&a following the film; Thom Fitzgerald’s valentine to San Francisco Stage Mother, which will include a live Q&a with Jacki Weaver, Mya Taylor, and Jackie Beat...
Frameline has announced the full programme for the virtual Frameline44 Pride Showcase that runs from June 25-28 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of San Francisco Pride.
Presented in partnership with the Castro Theatre, the four-day event features 12 world premieres, one international premiere, three North American Premieres, and two Us premieres.
The roster includes Jessica Swale’s Summerland starring Gemma Arterton, who will participate in a live Q&a following the film; Thom Fitzgerald’s valentine to San Francisco Stage Mother, which will include a live Q&a with Jacki Weaver, Mya Taylor, and Jackie Beat...
- 6/12/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
The San Francisco Film Society has announced the inaugural recipients of its Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellowships, a brand new suite of services designed to support female writer/directors working on their second or third narrative feature through a combination of financial backing, innovative programs and events, mentorship services, industry connections and a growing community of fellow filmmakers. Supported by the Kenneth Rainin Foundation and facilitated by Filmmaker360, the Film Society's filmmaker services department, these fellowships provide direct assistance to an under-served group of storytellers and help to build sustainable careers for women filmmakers all over the world.
Participants in the Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellowship must be working on a second or third English-language narrative feature screenplay. They must have had a previous film premiere at a major international festival and priority is given to women working in the genres of science fiction, comedy, action, thriller and horror, which are traditionally under-represented for women filmmakers.
"We're thrilled to be kicking off this new initiative with such talented individuals, and to help bridge the support gap we have seen for many women in finding the resources they need, especially on their second or third feature film projects," said Michele Turnure-Salleo, director of Filmmaker360. "It's also very satisfying to support kick-ass women making edgy sci-fi, horror and comedies, and we hope this initiative contributes to leveling the playing field in those areas. Like our Sffs Producers Initiative, this program focuses on backing people rather than individual projects, and we are committed to helping these amazing folks realize their creative visions."
In 2013 and 2014, academic institutions such as the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California and the Center for Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State produced substantive reports on the state of women in the film industry, revealing startling statistics that point to drastic gender inequality. The latter group, for example, reports that in 2013, women accounted for just 6% of directors, 10% of writers, 15% of executive producers, 17% of editors and 3% of cinematographers. Additionally, women were found more likely to be working on romantic comedies, dramas or documentaries than the top-grossing genres of animation, sci-fi, action and horror.
"We all benefit from a more accurate and diverse portrayal of society on film," said Jennifer Rainin, CEO of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. "As more than 50% of the population, it's imperative that women have opportunities to share their stories on screen and that we see female characters valued as much as males, yet there's a lack of progress on these issues and little funding for female filmmakers working in narrative. Recognizing this gap, we've created the Women Filmmaker Fellowships as a way to build a critical mass of female filmmakers enjoying sustainable and thriving careers. I hope it inspires other film organizations and philanthropists to join us in building out this initiative, and to replicate this model."
Designed to grow organically over time to include additional programs and events, the Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellowship is currently seeking additional funding partners. For more information, visit sffs.org/filmmaker360
2015 Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellows
Nikole Beckwith
Nikole Beckwith is from Newburyport, Massachusetts. Her plays have been developed and performed with the Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Clubbed Thumb, Here Arts Center, Colt Coeur, Lesser America, 3Ld and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater among others. Her newest play Untitled Matriarch Play (or Seven Sisters) was written at the National Theatre of London's Studio and premiered in rep at the Royal Court under the direction of Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone. Also a pen and ink artist, Beckwith's comics have been featured on NPR, Wnyc, the Huffington Post and the Hairpin, among others. Her first film "Stockholm, Pennsylvania" (2012 Nicholl Fellowship, 2012 Black List, 2013 Sundance Screenwriters Lab), which was adapted from her stage play of the same name, premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival in the Us Dramatic Competition. She lives in Brooklyn.
Jennifer Phang
Jennifer Phang's sophomore feature "Advantageous" won the Us Dramatic Competition Special Jury Prize in Collaborative Vision at Sundance 2015. The film will play at the San Francisco International Film Festival and Bam Cinemafest, and is expected to see a release in June. Her award-winning debut feature "Half-Life" premiered in 2008 at the Tokyo International and Sundance film festivals. It screened at SXSW and was distributed by Sundance Channel. She was invited to Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab and was awarded a Sffs FilmHouse Residency and Sundance Institute Feature Film Grants in support of "Advantageous." Phang was originally commissioned to create "Advantageous" as a short film for the Itvs Futurestates Program. A Berkeley-born daughter of a Chinese-Malaysian father and Vietnamese mother, Phang graduated from the Mfa directing program at the American Film Institute.
Stewart Thorndike
Stewart Thorndike is a writer/director from Tacoma, Washington. She makes female-driven genre films and her first film, "Lyle," was hailed as a "lesbian Rosemary's Baby " after its premiere at Outfest, where star Gaby Hoffmann won the Grand Jury Award for Best Actress. Thorndike attended Nyu's graduate film program and her thesis short film, "Tess and Nana," premiered at SXSW. Stewart's next film, "The Stay," is about a group of women at a hotel who are told to do bad things by a haunted Ted Talk, with Chloe Sevigny attached to star in the 2015 production. She is currently developing her second horror feature, "Daughter," about a love triangle between a single mother, her troubled teenage daughter and the witch who moves in next door. Thorndike plans to shoot "Daughter" in 2016.
Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellowships will take place from April to October each year, overlapping with the Film Society's previously announced Producers Fellowship programs and the San Francisco International Film Festival (April 23 - May 7). Program support includes:
* A $25,000 - $40,000 cash grant, which must be used for living expenses. Individual amounts depend on place of residence and estimated travel costs to participate in Bay Area fellowship components.
* Placement in FilmHouse Residency program and access to all FilmHouse programs and activities.
* One-on-one consultation with film industry experts from the Bay Area and beyond regarding casting, financing, budgeting, legal issues, distribution and other relevant topics.
* Weekly one-on-one consultation services provided by Filmmaker360 staff, with feedback on screenplays, verbal pitch strategies and written materials such as synopsis and treatment.
* Presentations and networking opportunities with Bay Area narrative filmmakers.
* Expenses covered for one 3-day networking trip with a Filmmaker360 staff member from San Francisco to Los Angeles, for meetings with established industry professionals.
Filmmaker360 has a strong track record for supporting innovative work by female writer/directors. Four out of six of the projects that received funding in the most recent round of Sffs / Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants-the Film Society's flagship grant program which has disbursed more than $2.8 million since its inception-were written and directed by women. Additionally, four films supported by Sffs grants, residencies and fiscal sponsorship had their world premieres at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival:
-Jennifer Phang's "Advantageous"
-Jenni Olson's "The Royal Road"
-Chloé Zhao's "Songs My Brothers Taught Me"
-Kris Swanberg's "Unexpected."
For information about all Filmmaker360 support services, visit sffs.org/filmmaker360 .
Participants in the Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellowship must be working on a second or third English-language narrative feature screenplay. They must have had a previous film premiere at a major international festival and priority is given to women working in the genres of science fiction, comedy, action, thriller and horror, which are traditionally under-represented for women filmmakers.
"We're thrilled to be kicking off this new initiative with such talented individuals, and to help bridge the support gap we have seen for many women in finding the resources they need, especially on their second or third feature film projects," said Michele Turnure-Salleo, director of Filmmaker360. "It's also very satisfying to support kick-ass women making edgy sci-fi, horror and comedies, and we hope this initiative contributes to leveling the playing field in those areas. Like our Sffs Producers Initiative, this program focuses on backing people rather than individual projects, and we are committed to helping these amazing folks realize their creative visions."
In 2013 and 2014, academic institutions such as the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California and the Center for Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State produced substantive reports on the state of women in the film industry, revealing startling statistics that point to drastic gender inequality. The latter group, for example, reports that in 2013, women accounted for just 6% of directors, 10% of writers, 15% of executive producers, 17% of editors and 3% of cinematographers. Additionally, women were found more likely to be working on romantic comedies, dramas or documentaries than the top-grossing genres of animation, sci-fi, action and horror.
"We all benefit from a more accurate and diverse portrayal of society on film," said Jennifer Rainin, CEO of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. "As more than 50% of the population, it's imperative that women have opportunities to share their stories on screen and that we see female characters valued as much as males, yet there's a lack of progress on these issues and little funding for female filmmakers working in narrative. Recognizing this gap, we've created the Women Filmmaker Fellowships as a way to build a critical mass of female filmmakers enjoying sustainable and thriving careers. I hope it inspires other film organizations and philanthropists to join us in building out this initiative, and to replicate this model."
Designed to grow organically over time to include additional programs and events, the Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellowship is currently seeking additional funding partners. For more information, visit sffs.org/filmmaker360
2015 Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellows
Nikole Beckwith
Nikole Beckwith is from Newburyport, Massachusetts. Her plays have been developed and performed with the Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Clubbed Thumb, Here Arts Center, Colt Coeur, Lesser America, 3Ld and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater among others. Her newest play Untitled Matriarch Play (or Seven Sisters) was written at the National Theatre of London's Studio and premiered in rep at the Royal Court under the direction of Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone. Also a pen and ink artist, Beckwith's comics have been featured on NPR, Wnyc, the Huffington Post and the Hairpin, among others. Her first film "Stockholm, Pennsylvania" (2012 Nicholl Fellowship, 2012 Black List, 2013 Sundance Screenwriters Lab), which was adapted from her stage play of the same name, premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival in the Us Dramatic Competition. She lives in Brooklyn.
Jennifer Phang
Jennifer Phang's sophomore feature "Advantageous" won the Us Dramatic Competition Special Jury Prize in Collaborative Vision at Sundance 2015. The film will play at the San Francisco International Film Festival and Bam Cinemafest, and is expected to see a release in June. Her award-winning debut feature "Half-Life" premiered in 2008 at the Tokyo International and Sundance film festivals. It screened at SXSW and was distributed by Sundance Channel. She was invited to Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab and was awarded a Sffs FilmHouse Residency and Sundance Institute Feature Film Grants in support of "Advantageous." Phang was originally commissioned to create "Advantageous" as a short film for the Itvs Futurestates Program. A Berkeley-born daughter of a Chinese-Malaysian father and Vietnamese mother, Phang graduated from the Mfa directing program at the American Film Institute.
Stewart Thorndike
Stewart Thorndike is a writer/director from Tacoma, Washington. She makes female-driven genre films and her first film, "Lyle," was hailed as a "lesbian Rosemary's Baby " after its premiere at Outfest, where star Gaby Hoffmann won the Grand Jury Award for Best Actress. Thorndike attended Nyu's graduate film program and her thesis short film, "Tess and Nana," premiered at SXSW. Stewart's next film, "The Stay," is about a group of women at a hotel who are told to do bad things by a haunted Ted Talk, with Chloe Sevigny attached to star in the 2015 production. She is currently developing her second horror feature, "Daughter," about a love triangle between a single mother, her troubled teenage daughter and the witch who moves in next door. Thorndike plans to shoot "Daughter" in 2016.
Sffs Women Filmmaker Fellowships will take place from April to October each year, overlapping with the Film Society's previously announced Producers Fellowship programs and the San Francisco International Film Festival (April 23 - May 7). Program support includes:
* A $25,000 - $40,000 cash grant, which must be used for living expenses. Individual amounts depend on place of residence and estimated travel costs to participate in Bay Area fellowship components.
* Placement in FilmHouse Residency program and access to all FilmHouse programs and activities.
* One-on-one consultation with film industry experts from the Bay Area and beyond regarding casting, financing, budgeting, legal issues, distribution and other relevant topics.
* Weekly one-on-one consultation services provided by Filmmaker360 staff, with feedback on screenplays, verbal pitch strategies and written materials such as synopsis and treatment.
* Presentations and networking opportunities with Bay Area narrative filmmakers.
* Expenses covered for one 3-day networking trip with a Filmmaker360 staff member from San Francisco to Los Angeles, for meetings with established industry professionals.
Filmmaker360 has a strong track record for supporting innovative work by female writer/directors. Four out of six of the projects that received funding in the most recent round of Sffs / Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants-the Film Society's flagship grant program which has disbursed more than $2.8 million since its inception-were written and directed by women. Additionally, four films supported by Sffs grants, residencies and fiscal sponsorship had their world premieres at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival:
-Jennifer Phang's "Advantageous"
-Jenni Olson's "The Royal Road"
-Chloé Zhao's "Songs My Brothers Taught Me"
-Kris Swanberg's "Unexpected."
For information about all Filmmaker360 support services, visit sffs.org/filmmaker360 .
- 4/23/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The San Francisco Film Society has announced $425,000 in grants spread over nine projects, made in partnership with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. The grants have gone to Peter Nicks ("The Waiting Room"), Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita y Mari") and Ira Sachs ("Keep the Lights On") among others. The panelists who reviewed the finalists’ submissions are Santhosh Daniel, creative consultant; filmmaker Lisa Fruchtman; Sffs Executive Director Ted Hope (who recently announced his impending departure); Jennifer Rainin, president of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation; and Michele Turnure-Salleo, director of Filmmaker360. Descriptions of the projects, with the size of each grant, supplied by the Sffs are below: Doctor — Musa Syeed, director/producer/writer; Nicholas Bruckman, coproducer $35,000 for screenwriting Salim, a disgraced young doctor from India, will do anything to rebuild his former life. But when he starts practicing medicine illegally in New York, he's drawn into a medical...
- 10/31/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Six projects have been awarded a total of $300,000 from The San Francisco Film Society and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants. The twice-annual grants are given to narrative feature projects with social justice themes that will have a significant professional or economic impact on the Bay Area's local community of filmmakers. Grants given between 2009 and 2013 will total $2.5 million. (Two-time grantwinner "Beasts of the Southern Wild" from director Behn Zeitlin, is pictured above; the film was a big winner at Sundance and is heading to Cannes.) The six projects were chosen by a panel of Blye Faust, producer; Finn Taylor, writer/director; Jennifer Rainin, president, Kenneth Rainin Foundation; Margi English, Sffs director of development; and Michele Turnure-Salleo, Sffs director of Filmmaker360 (from which the winners will also receive support). Recipients of the Spring 2012 Sffs/Krf Filmmaking Grants are listed below: Ryan Coogler ...
- 5/3/2012
- by Sophia Savage
- Indiewire
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