The New Independant Filmmaker Live Event Series
We’d like to invite you to an exciting new series of live events in collaboration with Ted Hope and Hope for Film.
This 5-part live webinar series will dive deep into the new independent world.
What is the Series about?
The series will start with Christine Vachon where she will speak to the director/producer collaboration to be bold with limited resources.
We then have two case studies - Crystal Moselle & Derrick Harden’s with their SXSW film, The Black Sea. And Josh Mond’s Canne film It Doesn’t Matter.
Next is Ross Katz who will speak to the many misconceptions that exist when working with a low budget.
And finally, we will wrap with Ted Hope who will provide a roadmap to distribution and licensing these films in a way that will strengthen your career as a filmmaker.
Ted Hope interview…
We recorded an interview with Ted about the series.
Do yourself a favor and listen to this 24-minute interview, as filmmakers ourselves, it really is inspiring - https://theindustry.co/p/ted-hope-webinar-interview-2024
But here is a quote from the interview that explains why it’s important.
“The micro-budget (500k or less) side of American independent film has always been a vital adjunct to independent film. But as we’ve had the rise of the global streaming platforms, and the pivot into that as a dominant piece of the equation, we’ve also witnessed the way that the global international independent have also been essentially repressed. In that the foreign sales has been hit very hard…As we see the traditional indie driven by foreign sales go away how do bold filmmakers stay prolific?
I think there are lots of things that can be done to build a more diverse cinema ecosystem. And a big part of that is moving from “indepenant film” to “non-dependant film.” I use that as a distinction because what we call independant has always being fully dependant on licencing of the mainstream users, [And therefore] following the path of the status-quo.”
Now before you think…”micro-budget” no thanks!
Here are 3 filmmakers who went on to bigger things after shooting films like these.
Chloe Zhao with her feature Songs My Brothers Taught Me ($100K) premiered at Sundance in 2015, and she went on to win best picture for Nomadland (2020).
Sean Baker shot Tangerine for $100K. It premiered at Sundance in 2015, and he went on to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes for Anora (2024).
And the Safdie Brother who made Heaven Knows What for less than $500K went on to direct A24’s Good Time with Robert Pattinson & Uncut Gems with Adam Sandler.
5 Part Webinar Series Details
Dates:
10/30 Christine Vachon: Be Bold Or Go Home - Producer/Director relationship
11/6 Crystal Moselle & Derrick Harden: The Black Sea: “Life Is All Improv”
11/13 Ross Katz: Your Micro Or Modestly Budgeted Film Does Not Mean You Are Limited To Found Footage Or Shaky Cam
11/20 Josh Mond: Throw Out Your Rule Book And Listen To Your Heart
11/26 Ted Hope: Plan Your Release Before You Write Your Script
Times: 6-8 EST
Location: Zoom.
You can purchase the full series here:
https://secure.theindustry.co/new-indie-full-webinar-series-2024/
Or…
You can purchase single webinars below.
Special Bonus Offer
If you purchase the full 5-part series you will also receive:
A 20% Discount on the full series.
And a 50% discount on annual subscriptions to The Industry & Hope for Film.
Please note: discounts are only available until 10/29.
Speaker Bios
Christine Vachon
Christine Vachon is the co-founder of Killer Films and one of the most prolific independent film producers of all time. Vachon has produced all of Todd Haynes's films, including Far From Heaven (2002), I’m Not There (2007), Carol (2015), and May December (2023). Last year, she garnered an Academy Award Nomination for Best Picture for Past Lives, and this year, she produced A24’s A Different Man and EP’d Oscar favorite The Brutalist.
https://secure.theindustry.co/new-indie-vachon-2024/
Crystal Moselle & Derrick B. Harden
Crystal Moselle is the director of The Wolfpack (2015), which won Sundance’s U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize. Her follow-up film Skate Kitchen (2018) also premiered at Sundance, which she later adapted for her HBO series Betty. Her latest film, The Black Sea, premiered at SXSW and is being released by Metrograph.
Derrick Hardin is the co-director and star of The Black Sea, having previously collaborated with Moselle as an actor in her HBO series Betty (2021).
https://secure.theindustry.co/new-indie-moselle-hardin-2024/
Ross Katz
Ross Katz got his start as a grip in Reservoir Dogs. He went on to produce Todd Field’s first film, In the Bedroom, Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, and Marie Antoinette (2006). He recently produced Down Low (2023), starring Zachary Quinto.
https://secure.theindustry.co/new-indie-katz-2024/
Josh Mond
Josh Mond is the co-founder of the production company Border Line Films (Martha Marcy May Marlene). Mond’s directorial debut, James White (2015), won the NEXT Audience Award at Sundance and starred Christopher Abbott and Cynthia Nixon. He has spent the last six years directing It Doesn’t Matter (2024) which premiered at Cannes and stars Christopher Abbott.
https://secure.theindustry.co/new-indie-mond-2024/
Ted Hope
Ted Hope started as an indie producer in New York with Ang Lee’s Pushing Hands (1991) and went on to become Amazon Studios Head of Motion Picture Development, Production, and Acquisitions from 2015-2020, overseeing Manchester by the Sea, You Were Never Really Here and Cold War (and many more).
https://secure.theindustry.co/new-indie-hope-2024/
John Cooper - How to Get into Sundance
Everyone wants to get into Sundance for a reason…
From A-listers through to fresh-faced film grads, Sundance is one of those festivals that can make a career overnight—and we’ve seen this happen many times.
In fact, the filmmakers behind the last three Oscar winners for Best Picture (Oppenheimer, Coda, Everything Everywhere All At Once ) all got their break at Sundance.
But how do you get selected?
For these reasons, The Industry in collaboration with former Sundance director John Cooper would like to invite you to a live workshop about How to Get into Sundance.
The workshop will cover:
What is Sundance looking for with submission
How to standout out from among all the submission
And what makes a GREAT submission.
Plus a lot of inside information from inside the Sundance selection room we cannot say in public.
Who is John Cooper?
There is no one better placed to understand what is needed for selection to Sundance than John Cooper.
John Cooper has worked at Sundance for over three decades.
He started in 1989 - 1991 as a programmer
Associate Director of Programming (2000 - 2002)
Director of Programming (2002 - 2009)
Director of Sundance (2009-2020)
He currently serves as Sundance’s Emeritus Director
In his time at the festival he started the short-film program, giving directors like Wes Anderson and Damien Chazelle, their first industry exposure. He also created a section called Next, dedicated to micro-budget films which launched Sean Baker’s (Dir: Anora) career.
In this workshop, John will walk us through what it takes to stand out in a hyper-competitive festival environment like Sundance, what will make or break your submission, must-haves and what most submissions get wrong.
With this workshop will allow you to hear firsthand from the inside of Sundance so that you will have the best chance possible to get your projects selected at Sundance.
Who is this for?
Whether you are fresh out of film school, or an industry veteran, whether you are going to submit this year, or maybe at some point in the future, this workshop will give you what you need to know to submit the best possible project you can.
Sundance Workshop Details
Date: 26th September 2024
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm EST
Location: Zoom
Price: $97; $47 annual paid subscribers; Free for Founding Member subscribers.
https://theindustry.co/john-cooper-sundance-2024
The replay is available here for Founding Members-
https://theindustry.co/p/001-how-to-get-into-sundance
If you are not a Founding Member you can sign up here - https://theindustry.co/subscribe
When you become a Founding Member you get free tickets to all our live events and the replays, as well as 12 months of full access to the newsletter.
Ted Hope - How to Pitch Your Screenplay to a Producer
The Industry in collaboration with Ted Hope would like to invite you to a live workshop about how to pitch your screenplay or projects to top producers.
Ted Hope started as an indie producer in New York with Ang Lee’s Pushing Hands (1991) and went on to become Amazon Studios Head of Motion Picture Development, Production and Acquisitions from 2015-2020, overseeing Manchester by the Sea, You Were Never Really Here and Cold War (and many more).
Ted’s eye for directorial talent has helped launch the film careers of Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Brokeback Mountain), James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad), Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), and Todd Field (Tár, Little Children). He has had three films win the Sundance Grand Jury Prize and has a deep love for cinema.
In this workshop, Ted Hope will present his vision for the future of filmmaking and take participants through what it takes to get noticed in today’s landscape, what is needed to get producers excited about your project, and how you can take advantage of the current indie film landscape.
The workshop will allow you to hear firsthand from a legendary film producer and former studio executive about exactly what you need to get your project greenlit.
Spots are limited and will sell out quickly!
Secure your place today.
Live Workshop Details
Date: Wednesday, August 28th
Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST
Location: Zoom
Price: $97; $47 annual paid subscribers; Free for Founding Member subscribers.
https://theindustry.co/ted-hope-2024
Ross Brother - How to Win a Deal with Mubi
The Industry in collaboration with Mubi would like to invite you to a live workshop with the Ross Brothers on how they secured finance and distribution for their latest film, Gasoline Rainbow.
The film played at SXSW and the Venice International Film Festival earlier in the year and became a New York Times critic pick. But importantly this is the first (as far as we know) project that Mubi fully backed.
In this workshop the Ross Brothers will present how they were able to get their latest film, Gasoline Rainbow greenlit with a distribution deal with the streaming platform Mubi.
Workshop Details
Date: 07/25/2024
Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST
Location: Zoom
Price: $97; $47 annual paid subscribers; Free for Founding Member subscribers.
https://theindustry.co/ross-bros-2024-event/