The Independent Film & Television Alliance today unveiled new details, as to the programming and speakers to be featured at this year’s American Film Market.
The AFM Sessions put on at the Loews Beach Hotel in Santa Monica as part of the 43rd edition of the industry’s only independently produced sales market will consist of 30+ panels bringing together over 100 speakers from November 2-5, including film industry thought leaders Howard Cohen (Roadside Attractions), Ashley Stern (Picture Perfect Federation), Martin Moszkowicz (Constantin Film), Jeff Annison (Legion M), Jeffrey Greenstein (Millennium Media) and George Hamilton (Protagonist Pictures). Programming highlights include:
Finance: Strategies for Today’s VOD Dominated World
Maxime Cottray, XYZ Films, Peter Graham, 120 dB Films (Principal), Deirdre Owens, Cast & Crew and Jeremy Kay, Screen International (Americas Editor).
Forecasting the Future for Independent Film
David Fannon, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment / Screen Media Ventures, Martin Moszkowicz, Constantin Film (President and Chairman), Ashley Stern, Picture Perfect Federation / Federation Entertainment of America (President) and Patrick Frater, Variety (Asia Editor).
Theatrical Marketplace Recovery for Independent Films
Howard Cohen, Roadside Attractions (Co-President & Co-Founder), Jeffrey Greenstein, Millennium Media (President), Scott Shooman, IFC Entertainment and Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, (International Features Editor).
Demystifying the Global VOD Landscape
Nick Isaak, Gravitas Ventures (VP of Sales), Peter Jarowey, Vertical Entertainment (Partner / CEO), Jason Pfardrescher, Well Go USA (EVP Digital Distribution), Kent Sanderson, Bleecker Street/ Decal and Stephanie Prange, Media Play News (Editor in Chief).
Inspiration is Everywhere: Accessing & Adapting Existing IP for the Screen
Margaret Boykin, Ubisoft Film & Television, Charles Hopkins, Concord Originals (Director of Development & Production) and James Vanderbilt, Project X Entertainment (Cco).
Independent Features with Big Profit Potential
Miranda Bailey, Cold Iron Pictures (CEO), Brian Beckmann, Arclight Films (CFO), George Hamilton, Protagonist Pictures (Cco), and Pip Ngo, XYZ Films (SVP of Sales & Acquisitions).
The Producer / Sales Agent Dynamic
Clay Epstein, Film Mode Entertainment (President), Delphine Perrier, Highland Film Group (COO), Mary Jane Skalski, Echo Lake Entertainment (President of Production / Producer), and Mimi Steinbaur, Radiant Films International (President & CEO).
The Innovators
Jeff Annison, Legion M (Co-Founder & President), Lindsey Ramey, Wattpad Webtoon Studios (Head of Global Film), Richard Botto, Stage 32 (Founder) and Alex Ferrari, Indie Film Hustle (Founder).
AFM’s programming will kick off the morning of November 2nd with the Finance Conference “The Risk Takers”, featuring Jason Cloth (Creative Wealth Media/Bron), Basil Iwanyk (Thunder Road Pictures), Laura Lewis (Rebelle Media), Milan Popelka (FilmNation), and Erich Schartzel (The Wall Street Journal), as previously announced.
Attendees will also be able to connect with Film Commissions, Government Agencies and Production Service Companies from more than 30 countries, who collectively are offering millions of dollars in production incentives, via AFM’s LocationEXPO. Exhibitors and LocationEXPO partners putting on presentations for participants include The Italian Trade Agency, The Polish Film Institute, The North Finland Film Commission and the Louisiana Office of Entertainment Industry Development.
This year’s installment of AFM will take place at the Loews Hotel and theatres throughout the city from November 1-6. More information on AFM’s current schedule and speakers, as well as its exhibitor list, can be found here and here, respectively. Check out the official poster for AFM 2022 above.
The AFM Sessions put on at the Loews Beach Hotel in Santa Monica as part of the 43rd edition of the industry’s only independently produced sales market will consist of 30+ panels bringing together over 100 speakers from November 2-5, including film industry thought leaders Howard Cohen (Roadside Attractions), Ashley Stern (Picture Perfect Federation), Martin Moszkowicz (Constantin Film), Jeff Annison (Legion M), Jeffrey Greenstein (Millennium Media) and George Hamilton (Protagonist Pictures). Programming highlights include:
Finance: Strategies for Today’s VOD Dominated World
Maxime Cottray, XYZ Films, Peter Graham, 120 dB Films (Principal), Deirdre Owens, Cast & Crew and Jeremy Kay, Screen International (Americas Editor).
Forecasting the Future for Independent Film
David Fannon, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment / Screen Media Ventures, Martin Moszkowicz, Constantin Film (President and Chairman), Ashley Stern, Picture Perfect Federation / Federation Entertainment of America (President) and Patrick Frater, Variety (Asia Editor).
Theatrical Marketplace Recovery for Independent Films
Howard Cohen, Roadside Attractions (Co-President & Co-Founder), Jeffrey Greenstein, Millennium Media (President), Scott Shooman, IFC Entertainment and Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, (International Features Editor).
Demystifying the Global VOD Landscape
Nick Isaak, Gravitas Ventures (VP of Sales), Peter Jarowey, Vertical Entertainment (Partner / CEO), Jason Pfardrescher, Well Go USA (EVP Digital Distribution), Kent Sanderson, Bleecker Street/ Decal and Stephanie Prange, Media Play News (Editor in Chief).
Inspiration is Everywhere: Accessing & Adapting Existing IP for the Screen
Margaret Boykin, Ubisoft Film & Television, Charles Hopkins, Concord Originals (Director of Development & Production) and James Vanderbilt, Project X Entertainment (Cco).
Independent Features with Big Profit Potential
Miranda Bailey, Cold Iron Pictures (CEO), Brian Beckmann, Arclight Films (CFO), George Hamilton, Protagonist Pictures (Cco), and Pip Ngo, XYZ Films (SVP of Sales & Acquisitions).
The Producer / Sales Agent Dynamic
Clay Epstein, Film Mode Entertainment (President), Delphine Perrier, Highland Film Group (COO), Mary Jane Skalski, Echo Lake Entertainment (President of Production / Producer), and Mimi Steinbaur, Radiant Films International (President & CEO).
The Innovators
Jeff Annison, Legion M (Co-Founder & President), Lindsey Ramey, Wattpad Webtoon Studios (Head of Global Film), Richard Botto, Stage 32 (Founder) and Alex Ferrari, Indie Film Hustle (Founder).
AFM’s programming will kick off the morning of November 2nd with the Finance Conference “The Risk Takers”, featuring Jason Cloth (Creative Wealth Media/Bron), Basil Iwanyk (Thunder Road Pictures), Laura Lewis (Rebelle Media), Milan Popelka (FilmNation), and Erich Schartzel (The Wall Street Journal), as previously announced.
Attendees will also be able to connect with Film Commissions, Government Agencies and Production Service Companies from more than 30 countries, who collectively are offering millions of dollars in production incentives, via AFM’s LocationEXPO. Exhibitors and LocationEXPO partners putting on presentations for participants include The Italian Trade Agency, The Polish Film Institute, The North Finland Film Commission and the Louisiana Office of Entertainment Industry Development.
This year’s installment of AFM will take place at the Loews Hotel and theatres throughout the city from November 1-6. More information on AFM’s current schedule and speakers, as well as its exhibitor list, can be found here and here, respectively. Check out the official poster for AFM 2022 above.
- 10/14/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Finance Conference runs November 2-5; AFM runs November 1-6.
Top executives from Constantin Film, Thunder Road, FilmNation, Millennium Media, and Protagonist Pictures will take part in 2022 AFM’s sessions, market heads said on Friday (October 14) as they also highlighted LocationEXPO.
The in-person 43rd edition of AFM in Santa Monica will host more than 30 sessions featuring more than 100 speakers from November 2-5 at the Loews Hotel. Market heads have brought the Finance Conference sessions back to the AFM hub after staging them at Fairmont Miramar for some years prior to the pandemic.
As previously announced, AFM programming will kick off with...
Top executives from Constantin Film, Thunder Road, FilmNation, Millennium Media, and Protagonist Pictures will take part in 2022 AFM’s sessions, market heads said on Friday (October 14) as they also highlighted LocationEXPO.
The in-person 43rd edition of AFM in Santa Monica will host more than 30 sessions featuring more than 100 speakers from November 2-5 at the Loews Hotel. Market heads have brought the Finance Conference sessions back to the AFM hub after staging them at Fairmont Miramar for some years prior to the pandemic.
As previously announced, AFM programming will kick off with...
- 10/14/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
When Mike Tristano is working on a film or television production, his guns never leave his line of sight. The armorer, who has lent his decades of weapons expertise to “The Purge” and hundreds of other productions, follows strict safety protocols on sets to ensure that the guns being used cannot harm the cast or crew he works with.
“The guns that we use on movie sets are only used for movies, not for target practice, plinking, or anything else,” Tristano told IndieWire in an interview. “Everything is always unloaded. It goes from our safes at the shop, to a truck, to the set. On the set, all the guns are open. The loading gate is open, the cylinder is set so it can be rotated and the ammo — and by that I mean blanks — are very visible. There’s a very visible difference between blanks and live rounds. Only...
“The guns that we use on movie sets are only used for movies, not for target practice, plinking, or anything else,” Tristano told IndieWire in an interview. “Everything is always unloaded. It goes from our safes at the shop, to a truck, to the set. On the set, all the guns are open. The loading gate is open, the cylinder is set so it can be rotated and the ammo — and by that I mean blanks — are very visible. There’s a very visible difference between blanks and live rounds. Only...
- 11/2/2021
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson is teaming up with filmmaker Sacha Gervasi (Anvil: The Story of Anvil!) to co-write a narrative screenplay about the now-cult rock concert Dickinson played during the height of the Siege of Sarajevo in 1994.
Risking their lives, Dickinson and his band Skunkworks were smuggled into the besieged city by the Un to play a concert for its beleaguered citizens amidst the chaos of war. The journey was captured in a 2016 documentary Scream for Me Sarajevo.
The Siege Of Sarajevo was the longest siege in modern history lasting 1,425 days and resulting in more than 11,000 killed, including 1,600 children. The city was decimated, infrastructure destroyed, and there was wide spread damage to many cultural institutions, government buildings, hospitals, and schools.
In 2019, the Sarajevo City Council granted Dickinson the title of “Honorary citizen of Sarajevo,” in remembrance of his visit and the band’s performance at the peak of the Bosnian war.
Risking their lives, Dickinson and his band Skunkworks were smuggled into the besieged city by the Un to play a concert for its beleaguered citizens amidst the chaos of war. The journey was captured in a 2016 documentary Scream for Me Sarajevo.
The Siege Of Sarajevo was the longest siege in modern history lasting 1,425 days and resulting in more than 11,000 killed, including 1,600 children. The city was decimated, infrastructure destroyed, and there was wide spread damage to many cultural institutions, government buildings, hospitals, and schools.
In 2019, the Sarajevo City Council granted Dickinson the title of “Honorary citizen of Sarajevo,” in remembrance of his visit and the band’s performance at the peak of the Bosnian war.
- 4/29/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
When Amazon made a unilateral decision in early February to stop accepting documentaries and short films via Prime Video Direct, the announcement also served as a quiet purge. Amazon also has been dropping long-running documentary titles from the service, with stakeholders receiving no warning or context for the decisions.
Filmmakers and distributors are aghast, but Amazon Prime Video Direct seems to be egalitarian in how it treats its partners. Whether you’re an individual filmmaker or an established specialty distributor, no one can ask an Amazon Prime Video Direct representative for more information; there’s no one to ask. All inquiries are submitted via trouble tickets, and everyone receives the same boilerplate response via their Amazon Prime Video direct dashboards: Unless otherwise indicated,” the message says, “removed titles (or titles not selected for licensing) may not be resubmitted or appealed.”
“The selections are so random, it feels like a machine...
Filmmakers and distributors are aghast, but Amazon Prime Video Direct seems to be egalitarian in how it treats its partners. Whether you’re an individual filmmaker or an established specialty distributor, no one can ask an Amazon Prime Video Direct representative for more information; there’s no one to ask. All inquiries are submitted via trouble tickets, and everyone receives the same boilerplate response via their Amazon Prime Video direct dashboards: Unless otherwise indicated,” the message says, “removed titles (or titles not selected for licensing) may not be resubmitted or appealed.”
“The selections are so random, it feels like a machine...
- 2/24/2021
- by Chris Lindahl and Dana Harris-Bridson
- Indiewire
Kip Moore puts a human face to the music venues in crisis in his new video for “Don’t Go Changing.” The country-rocker filmed the clip at the currently shuttered Nashville clubs the 5 Spot, the End, the Basement, Mercy Lounge, and Exit/In, the historic venue that served as a centerpiece to Robert Altman’s 1975 film Nashville.
Moore plays the role of interviewer in the video, sitting down with Exit/In owner Chris Cobb to get his unvarnished view on the state of the live music business. For Cobb — who,...
Moore plays the role of interviewer in the video, sitting down with Exit/In owner Chris Cobb to get his unvarnished view on the state of the live music business. For Cobb — who,...
- 10/30/2020
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Here’s the latest episode of the The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.
For those unfamiliar, with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors. They also shoot the breeze about their new films, The Dare, World of Darkness,...
For those unfamiliar, with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors. They also shoot the breeze about their new films, The Dare, World of Darkness,...
- 4/27/2020
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Tugg Inc., the 9-year-old do-it-yourself releasing platform, has gone out of business after a deal to sell the company fell through.
The company’s model provided for individuals to select a film, screening time and nearby theater and then spread the word. Tugg would reserve the theater, manage ticketing and ensure delivery of the film.
Pablo Gonzalez, the chief executive officer and co-founder, said in an open letter this week that Tugg had been working to be acquired by an entity that was a strategic partner to help Tugg survive as a company, but that would also allow Tugg to get caught up on all outstanding payables, and to continue to improve the quality of the service.
“We were blindsided to learn the deal died at the finish line this past Friday 1/24/20,” Gonzalez said. “Given that for the first time in that period, we knew we couldn’t meet our obligations to our team,...
The company’s model provided for individuals to select a film, screening time and nearby theater and then spread the word. Tugg would reserve the theater, manage ticketing and ensure delivery of the film.
Pablo Gonzalez, the chief executive officer and co-founder, said in an open letter this week that Tugg had been working to be acquired by an entity that was a strategic partner to help Tugg survive as a company, but that would also allow Tugg to get caught up on all outstanding payables, and to continue to improve the quality of the service.
“We were blindsided to learn the deal died at the finish line this past Friday 1/24/20,” Gonzalez said. “Given that for the first time in that period, we knew we couldn’t meet our obligations to our team,...
- 2/13/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
With the American Film Market less than a week away, the closure of do-it-yourself digital distributor Distribber remains a cautionary tale for the independent film world.
Bankruptcy specialist GlassRatner, which was hired in September to handle claims, recently notified creditors that it would take nine to 12 months before any refunds would be distributed.
Reports began emerging in September that Distribber and parent GoDigital Inc. had closed down without explanation. The website currently says, “At this time, Distribber is not accepting any new orders. For questions, contact support@distribber.com.”
Los Angeles-based Distribber was launched more than a decade ago as a means of allowing filmmakers to access digital distribution platforms and to monitor their earnings in exchange for an upfront flat fee. Filmmakers would keep 100% of all revenue generated.
GoDigital Inc. bought Distribber in 2015 for a low seven-figure price in cash and stock. At that point, Distribber was acting as a go-between for filmmakers,...
Bankruptcy specialist GlassRatner, which was hired in September to handle claims, recently notified creditors that it would take nine to 12 months before any refunds would be distributed.
Reports began emerging in September that Distribber and parent GoDigital Inc. had closed down without explanation. The website currently says, “At this time, Distribber is not accepting any new orders. For questions, contact support@distribber.com.”
Los Angeles-based Distribber was launched more than a decade ago as a means of allowing filmmakers to access digital distribution platforms and to monitor their earnings in exchange for an upfront flat fee. Filmmakers would keep 100% of all revenue generated.
GoDigital Inc. bought Distribber in 2015 for a low seven-figure price in cash and stock. At that point, Distribber was acting as a go-between for filmmakers,...
- 11/1/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Indie Filmmakers Waiting on Major Payments from iTunes and Amazon As Distribber Faces Financial Woes
Distribber, a service that acts as a middleman between independent filmmakers and streaming platforms, has tapped a firm that specializes in bankruptcy reorganization as clients say they’re owed thousands in royalty payments they worry they might never see.
Aggregators like Distribber receive filmmakers’ work and, for a fee, will encode and post it on multiple platforms for streaming, rental, or purchase, then collect the revenue and cut the checks. In theory, anyway.
In December, director Todd Jenkins used the service to send his horror comedy “Cherokee Creek” to iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, and Google Play. He went on to collect about $2,150 for the few days that remained in the final quarter of 2018. But he hasn’t received a dime for 2019 sales, he said.
Distribber, which recently stopped accepting new orders, kept its users abreast of sales though an online dashboard — they have no access to direct information from the sales platforms.
Aggregators like Distribber receive filmmakers’ work and, for a fee, will encode and post it on multiple platforms for streaming, rental, or purchase, then collect the revenue and cut the checks. In theory, anyway.
In December, director Todd Jenkins used the service to send his horror comedy “Cherokee Creek” to iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, and Google Play. He went on to collect about $2,150 for the few days that remained in the final quarter of 2018. But he hasn’t received a dime for 2019 sales, he said.
Distribber, which recently stopped accepting new orders, kept its users abreast of sales though an online dashboard — they have no access to direct information from the sales platforms.
- 10/5/2019
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
The independent film world has been rattled recently by the apparent closure of do-it-yourself digital distributor Distribber and its parent GoDigital Inc.
Los Angeles-based Distribber was launched more than a decade ago as a means of allowing filmmakers to access digital distribution platforms and to monitor their earnings in exchange for an upfront flat fee. Filmmakers would keep 100% of all revenue generated.
GoDigital Inc. bought Distribber in 2015 for a low seven-figure price in cash and stock. At that point, Distribber was acting as a go-between for filmmakers, charging a one-time fee of $1,595 for iTunes placement, then $150 per year for account access, collection and sales stats. Its titles included Tribeca Film Festival film “An Honest Liar,” James Colquhon’s “Food Matters” and Kimberly and Foster Gable’s “Thrive.”
Reports began emerging last month that the companies had closed down without explanation. The web site currently says, “At this time, Distribber is not accepting any new orders.
Los Angeles-based Distribber was launched more than a decade ago as a means of allowing filmmakers to access digital distribution platforms and to monitor their earnings in exchange for an upfront flat fee. Filmmakers would keep 100% of all revenue generated.
GoDigital Inc. bought Distribber in 2015 for a low seven-figure price in cash and stock. At that point, Distribber was acting as a go-between for filmmakers, charging a one-time fee of $1,595 for iTunes placement, then $150 per year for account access, collection and sales stats. Its titles included Tribeca Film Festival film “An Honest Liar,” James Colquhon’s “Food Matters” and Kimberly and Foster Gable’s “Thrive.”
Reports began emerging last month that the companies had closed down without explanation. The web site currently says, “At this time, Distribber is not accepting any new orders.
- 10/1/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
With the romantic new track “The Bones,” Maren Morris imagines the sturdy structure of a building as a metaphor for the makings of a solid relationship. But instead of being confined indoors surrounded by four walls and a roof, the song’s official video, directed by Alex Ferrari, captures Morris and her musician husband Ryan Hurd in intimate vacation footage, canoodling on a beach and taking in the scenery around them.
“When the bones are good, the rest don’t matter/Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter,...
“When the bones are good, the rest don’t matter/Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter,...
- 8/15/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Hulu has thrown its own hat in the anthology-series-ring with its new sci-fi series ‘Dimension 404.” A mashup of sorts between the “Twilight Zone” and “Black Mirror” — with a dash of snark — “Dimension 404” looks to deliver a fun, sci-fi experience and it’s even narrated by Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill.
Of course, every good onscreen sci-fi story needs a good score to set the tone, and “Dimension 404” has just that thanks to composer Cris Velasco.
“A good friend of mine, Alex Ferrari, has a company called Numb Robot that happened to be doing the color correction on this series. Alex is also a director, and I’ve scored three of his films. He mentioned my name to the producer of “D404″ and said they should look me up if they were still looking for a composer,” he told IndieWire of his initial involvement with the series.
“Weeks later,...
Of course, every good onscreen sci-fi story needs a good score to set the tone, and “Dimension 404” has just that thanks to composer Cris Velasco.
“A good friend of mine, Alex Ferrari, has a company called Numb Robot that happened to be doing the color correction on this series. Alex is also a director, and I’ve scored three of his films. He mentioned my name to the producer of “D404″ and said they should look me up if they were still looking for a composer,” he told IndieWire of his initial involvement with the series.
“Weeks later,...
- 4/4/2017
- by Juan Diaz
- Indiewire
San Diego’s Comic-Con International is the biggest event in the world devoted to genre pop culture. While the big Hollywood movies get the most mainstream press, there’s also a large, lesser known and promoted Independent Film Festival devoted to genre short films tucked away within the overall convention.
The Cci-iff, as it’s acronymed, runs completely concurrently with the convention with programming running from morning to night that includes films devoted to comic book-inspired movies, horror movies, sci-fi flicks, comedies and documentaries. There are also several panels on filmmaking sandwiched in between the on-screen entertainment.
The fest also gives out awards. This year’s juror panel includes filmmakers Steven-Charles Jaffee and Kyle Newman, plus entertainment journalist Borys Kit.
Programming blocks are broken up by genre and the full film lineup below gives the exact starting time of each short film. There’s also one feature film screening this year,...
The Cci-iff, as it’s acronymed, runs completely concurrently with the convention with programming running from morning to night that includes films devoted to comic book-inspired movies, horror movies, sci-fi flicks, comedies and documentaries. There are also several panels on filmmaking sandwiched in between the on-screen entertainment.
The fest also gives out awards. This year’s juror panel includes filmmakers Steven-Charles Jaffee and Kyle Newman, plus entertainment journalist Borys Kit.
Programming blocks are broken up by genre and the full film lineup below gives the exact starting time of each short film. There’s also one feature film screening this year,...
- 7/10/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 2011 PollyGrind Film Festival recently wrapped up in Las Vegas, and the madman behind the scenes, Chad Clinton Freeman, checked in with Dread Central to share with us exclusively the winners of this year's fest.
Reveling in everything from arthouse to grindhouse to everything in between, PollyGrind has quickly made a name for itself as one of the up-and-coming premiere genre fests out there due to the success of each year of programming. This year's big winners (and flicks that will no doubt go on to find audiences soon) include the highly controversial The Bunny Game, The Super, Dear God No!, The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol and Ratline.
"I was very happy with the quantity of quality films and the diversity I was able to program this year," Freeman said. "Being able to world premiere films like Mondo Sexxxx: The Terry Kobrah Story and The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol,...
Reveling in everything from arthouse to grindhouse to everything in between, PollyGrind has quickly made a name for itself as one of the up-and-coming premiere genre fests out there due to the success of each year of programming. This year's big winners (and flicks that will no doubt go on to find audiences soon) include the highly controversial The Bunny Game, The Super, Dear God No!, The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol and Ratline.
"I was very happy with the quantity of quality films and the diversity I was able to program this year," Freeman said. "Being able to world premiere films like Mondo Sexxxx: The Terry Kobrah Story and The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol,...
- 10/27/2011
- by thehorrorchick
- DreadCentral.com
The 2nd annual PollyGrind assaults Las Vegas during an epic length film festival that runs Oct. 8-17 at Theatre 7 with enough sleaze and violence to make Sin City residents feel right at home.
Actually, the fest does open up on the 7th with a concert at Neon Venus with local acts like Monster Zero, Creepersin and many more.
However, the film portion of the fest opens on the 8th with Stuart Simpson‘s acclaimed Australian gorefest El Monstro Del Mar!, one of the best Russ Meyer/Roger Corman mash-ups with a Down Under twist. Read the Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film review of this gem here.
Other Bad Lit favorites in the lineup are Drew Bolduc and Dan Nelson‘s The Taint, which is still completely grossing out audiences on the festival circuit, and The Uh-Oh Show, the splatter-filled horror comedy by the Godfather of Gore himself Herschell Gordon Lewis.
Actually, the fest does open up on the 7th with a concert at Neon Venus with local acts like Monster Zero, Creepersin and many more.
However, the film portion of the fest opens on the 8th with Stuart Simpson‘s acclaimed Australian gorefest El Monstro Del Mar!, one of the best Russ Meyer/Roger Corman mash-ups with a Down Under twist. Read the Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film review of this gem here.
Other Bad Lit favorites in the lineup are Drew Bolduc and Dan Nelson‘s The Taint, which is still completely grossing out audiences on the festival circuit, and The Uh-Oh Show, the splatter-filled horror comedy by the Godfather of Gore himself Herschell Gordon Lewis.
- 10/6/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
We recently told you about the upcoming PollyGrind Film Festival, one of the premiere grindhouse film festivals, that's set to celebrate all-things B-Movie style in Las Vegas this October. The madman behind the festival, Chad Clinton Freeman, announced today this year's PollyGrind line-up and it looks pretty sweet!
And not only is PollyGrind celebrating films, the fest is also celebrating several indie music acts slated to perform during the fest, a Zombiepalooza celebration and a whole lot more! Read on for all the details for the Second Annual PollyGrind Film Festival!
From the Press Release:
It's been called "the key festival for indie cult filmmakers to land distribution deals." Its founder and programmer has been called the "new champion of unabashed B-movie sleaze." Those praises might seem a bit outlandish, but with the official announcement of the PollyGrind Film Festival's schedule, it's easy to see where they come from.
Chad Clinton Freeman...
And not only is PollyGrind celebrating films, the fest is also celebrating several indie music acts slated to perform during the fest, a Zombiepalooza celebration and a whole lot more! Read on for all the details for the Second Annual PollyGrind Film Festival!
From the Press Release:
It's been called "the key festival for indie cult filmmakers to land distribution deals." Its founder and programmer has been called the "new champion of unabashed B-movie sleaze." Those praises might seem a bit outlandish, but with the official announcement of the PollyGrind Film Festival's schedule, it's easy to see where they come from.
Chad Clinton Freeman...
- 9/2/2011
- by thehorrorchick
- DreadCentral.com
San Diego’s annual Comic-Con is mostly known for its major media spectacles, displays and panel discussions by major mainstream Hollywood studios and distributors. Lesser known is the Independent Film Festival that is hosted by and runs concurrently with the larger convention on July 21-24.
The film festival runs in a large meeting room at the Marriott Marquis Hotel and Marina, located right next door to the convention center. Each day kicks off with a “Film School” panel discussion at 10:00 a.m., then packs the late morning, all afternoon and night with independent films from all over the world.
Screenings are blocked by genre, such as Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi, Horror, Animation and Documentary. There’s also an awards presentation on the 24th, with repeat screenings of the winning films.
One of the highlights of this year’s Cci-iff is the screening of Waylon Bacon‘s fantastic and disturbing short film Help Wanted,...
The film festival runs in a large meeting room at the Marriott Marquis Hotel and Marina, located right next door to the convention center. Each day kicks off with a “Film School” panel discussion at 10:00 a.m., then packs the late morning, all afternoon and night with independent films from all over the world.
Screenings are blocked by genre, such as Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi, Horror, Animation and Documentary. There’s also an awards presentation on the 24th, with repeat screenings of the winning films.
One of the highlights of this year’s Cci-iff is the screening of Waylon Bacon‘s fantastic and disturbing short film Help Wanted,...
- 6/28/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: I celebrate all levels of trailers and hopefully this column will satisfactorily give you a baseline of what beta wave I’m operating on, because what better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? Some of the best authors will tell you that writing a short story is a lot harder than writing a long one, that you have to weigh every sentence. What better medium to see how this theory plays itself out beyond that than with movie trailers? Love Life Trailer A few weeks ago I talked about a trailer called New Kids Turbo. I received a good amount of e-mail letting me...
- 12/4/2010
- by Christopher Stipp
- Slash Film
Don't fill up your Halloween dance card just yet. Filmmaker Alex Bram is presenting some of the most promising new voices in horror at the second annual Carnival of Darkness Film Festival. Filled with haunting and disturbing short films from across the world, the fest takes place at La Film School on Thursday, October 28th.
This is more than just a screening of a bunch of films. It is a surreal experience. "Invocation", a live electric cello performance by Tina Guo, will kick things off at 7:30 pm. Arriving fans will travel through a twisted art gallery and lobby filled with horror collectibles, DVD's, posters, music, t-shirts and comics relating to the genre. The horror shorts film screening will begin at 8:00 pm, followed by a filmmakers panel and awards ceremony.
Who's on the filmmakers panel? A pretty impressive lot: Director Paul Solet (Grace), Writer/Producer Jeffrey Reddick (Final Destination...
This is more than just a screening of a bunch of films. It is a surreal experience. "Invocation", a live electric cello performance by Tina Guo, will kick things off at 7:30 pm. Arriving fans will travel through a twisted art gallery and lobby filled with horror collectibles, DVD's, posters, music, t-shirts and comics relating to the genre. The horror shorts film screening will begin at 8:00 pm, followed by a filmmakers panel and awards ceremony.
Who's on the filmmakers panel? A pretty impressive lot: Director Paul Solet (Grace), Writer/Producer Jeffrey Reddick (Final Destination...
- 10/23/2010
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Director/writer: Alex Ferrari.
The Red Princess Blues is a short film from The Enigma Factory, which is approximately ten minutes long. The short is meant as a promotional piece for a larger production and starring are Richard Tyson (The Fear Chamber), Tabithat Morella ("Two and a Half Men"), Rachel Grant (The Tournament) and narrator Robert Forster. Visually stunning, mature, and creating excitement through action sequences, the Red Princess Blues is like watching a darkly written fairy tale. To move towards a feature length film soon, this is a film to watch simply for the visual appeal.
The film begins along the lines of a "Little Red Riding Hood" story, where a young girl encounters a much larger and more worldly wolf in the form of a travelling carnie. Corrupted with shots of Bourbon and tales of sexual expectations, Little Red Riding Hood aka Zoe (Morella) gets bitten quickly. However,...
The Red Princess Blues is a short film from The Enigma Factory, which is approximately ten minutes long. The short is meant as a promotional piece for a larger production and starring are Richard Tyson (The Fear Chamber), Tabithat Morella ("Two and a Half Men"), Rachel Grant (The Tournament) and narrator Robert Forster. Visually stunning, mature, and creating excitement through action sequences, the Red Princess Blues is like watching a darkly written fairy tale. To move towards a feature length film soon, this is a film to watch simply for the visual appeal.
The film begins along the lines of a "Little Red Riding Hood" story, where a young girl encounters a much larger and more worldly wolf in the form of a travelling carnie. Corrupted with shots of Bourbon and tales of sexual expectations, Little Red Riding Hood aka Zoe (Morella) gets bitten quickly. However,...
- 9/28/2010
- by 28DaysLaterAnalysis@gmail.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Fan-made films arguably make up the bulk of the short film collective. Thanks to the Internet thousands of fans and filmmakers have turned their cameras onto their favourite fictions from films, games and comics. Because of their success it is inevitable that FilmShaft on Short Film will feature numerous fan films in the coming months and this month we have our pick from the Call of Duty and Half-Life franchises before finally wrapping up with a new intellectual property from award winning independent short film director Alex Ferrari.
Hit the navigation below to continue with this month’s roundup:...
Hit the navigation below to continue with this month’s roundup:...
- 9/27/2010
- by Michael Brooks
- FilmShaft.com
Alex Ferrari is an and coming director who doesn’t seem to get a break no matter how hard he tries. I don’t know whats worse, fighting to get a feature film made or ending up having a feature film made and then buried on the dvd shelves like what happened to the genius film Toby Wilkins did called Splinter. Alex [...]...
- 9/25/2010
- by Michael
- MoviesOnline.ca
Mike Rollo has just started a new series on old theaters in Saskatchewan. I’m very excited about this, especially based on his first profile of the Majestic Theatre in Biggar, Saskatchewan. Also starting a new blogging series is animator Patrick Smith of Scribble Junkies. He’s teaching “Animation 101″ online and, again, has an excellent first post about sacks of flour. (Sounds like I’m joking, but I’m not.) Plus, one excellent and one horrendous Bakshi movie poster. Smith’s blogging partner Bill Plympton has a horrifying story of when self-distribution goes awry. (At least it all worked out in the end.) P.S. Words of advice: When starting a filmmaking competition, be sure to remember that your email is working. Dolphins, space whales and Stan Vanderbeek, oh my! Andrea Grover on the collision of science, sea creatures, space and the universe. Film Studies for Free has compiled a...
- 9/19/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Rpb PosterThere is a horror film from director Alex Ferrari coming your way, exclusively through an iPhone application. The name of the film is Red Princess Blues and the film has a well known cast including the eclectic actor Richard Tyson (The Fear Chamber), the versatile Rachel Grant and Academy Award Nominee Robert Forster. Red Princess Bride is a short film and the foundation for a feature film, according to Ferrari. The first clip for this compact horror piece is full of body slams, a coerced teenage girl, and a "rock-n-roll carney" named Rimo. Take advantage of the preview and order the film on your iPhone inside.
The synopsis for Red Princess Bride:
"In this twisted modern day fairy tale, Zoe, a young teenage girl, is lured into an after hours carnival tent by the sleazy rock-n-roll carney Rimo. She then gets more than she bargained for. It is up to the mysterious Princess,...
The synopsis for Red Princess Bride:
"In this twisted modern day fairy tale, Zoe, a young teenage girl, is lured into an after hours carnival tent by the sleazy rock-n-roll carney Rimo. She then gets more than she bargained for. It is up to the mysterious Princess,...
- 9/18/2010
- by 28DaysLaterAnalysis@gmail.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Tucson and Phoenix: Prepare to be rocked, shocked and defiled. Blasting its way into its third — and biggest — year on Sept. 18-25, the Arizona Underground Film Festival is a cacophonous concoction of angry transsexuals, bumbling hit men, slacker superheroes, living dolls, aliens, dead hookers, adventure-seeking blondes and other crazies.
This year the fest is screening 30 feature films, some of which are making their U.S. and even world debuts. The opening night film is the U.S. premiere of the German hit man comedy Snowman’s Land, directed by Tomasz Thomson,while closing the fest is the controversial and violent A Serbian Film by Srdjan Spasojevic, which you have to be over-18 to get into.
Don’t worry, there’s plenty of homebrewed films as well, such as Dead Hooker in a Trunk by Jen Soska & Sylvia Soska; Nude Nuns With Big Guns by Joseph Guzman; 1,001 Ways to Enjoy the...
This year the fest is screening 30 feature films, some of which are making their U.S. and even world debuts. The opening night film is the U.S. premiere of the German hit man comedy Snowman’s Land, directed by Tomasz Thomson,while closing the fest is the controversial and violent A Serbian Film by Srdjan Spasojevic, which you have to be over-18 to get into.
Don’t worry, there’s plenty of homebrewed films as well, such as Dead Hooker in a Trunk by Jen Soska & Sylvia Soska; Nude Nuns With Big Guns by Joseph Guzman; 1,001 Ways to Enjoy the...
- 9/13/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
In what may very well be a first, or at least a second or third, director Alex Ferrari is bringing the action straight to the people, releasing his new live action short Red Princess Blues, plus an impressive array of bonus features, as an app in the iTunes store. Basically, for ninety nine cents you get the full eleven minute short plus a full slate of DVD style bonus features to see how Ferrari and co pulled this off on a tiny budget while he gets, hopefully, some attention and a bit of money back to help mount the feature version of the story.
We first came across Ferrari a good number of years ago thanks to his previous short film Broken, a hard edged action thriller pulled off with remarkable style on an even more remarkable shoestring budget. Since Broken, Ferrari has been working hard to get this one...
We first came across Ferrari a good number of years ago thanks to his previous short film Broken, a hard edged action thriller pulled off with remarkable style on an even more remarkable shoestring budget. Since Broken, Ferrari has been working hard to get this one...
- 8/6/2010
- Screen Anarchy
El Mayimbe here...About two years ago, we premiered a hot animated short film Red Princess Blues from filmmaker Alex Ferrari.It was the prequel to the feature that Alex hoped to get off the ground. I thought it was pretty cool.I kept in touch with Alex since then and gave him the advice that he should make a live action short of the film or even shoot his opening sequence to entice investors.Well guess what?He took my advice literally and did just that!Below is the trailer for the 11 minute short film/opening of Red Princess Blues!The short premieres tonight at the Hollyshorts Film Festival at the DGA theater here in Hollywood. Of course I will be in attendance. In this twisted modern day fairy tale Zoe, a young teenage girl, is lured into an after hours carnival tent by the sleazy rock n roll carnie Rimo,...
- 8/5/2010
- LRMonline.com
Yes, fellow shamblers, yet another video installment of Alex Ferrari's short film series Zombie Marriage Counseling is ready for you to take a bite out of!
Dig the video below!
Zombie Marriage Counseling: My Ex-wife Stinks!
- Uncle Creepy
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Help others to cope with "living" in the Dread Central forums!
Dig the video below!
Zombie Marriage Counseling: My Ex-wife Stinks!
- Uncle Creepy
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Help others to cope with "living" in the Dread Central forums!
- 5/22/2009
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Yes, fellow flesh eaters, yet another video installment of Alex Ferrari's short film anthology Zombie Marriage Counseling is ready for you to sink your teeth into.
Dig the video below!
Zombie Marriage Counseling: I Don't Eat Guys
- Uncle Creepy
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Help others to cope in the Dread Central forums!
Dig the video below!
Zombie Marriage Counseling: I Don't Eat Guys
- Uncle Creepy
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Help others to cope in the Dread Central forums!
- 5/11/2009
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Having played a zombie for Romero, I've come to really get to know the trials and tribulations of the undead lifestyle in the most intimate of ways. It's not easy and every now and again ... we need a little help!
Check out Alex Ferrari's short below and you'll see what I mean!
Zombie Marriage Counseling: I'm A Lesbian
- Uncle Creepy
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Help others to cope in the Dread Central forums!
Check out Alex Ferrari's short below and you'll see what I mean!
Zombie Marriage Counseling: I'm A Lesbian
- Uncle Creepy
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Help others to cope in the Dread Central forums!
- 4/27/2009
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Dead Wood brings the word quality back into no-budget indie horror filmmaking! There is alot of no budget filmmaking going on and for the most part it tends to look like no budget filmmaking. Unless of course your Alex Ferrari who did Broken and made it look like Sin City or in this case now if your the group who did Dead Wood the new horror thriller. Shot on zero budget the films trailer and poster certainly look top notch all things considered. The poster is below and the trailer can be watched here Four friends head out of the city for a weekend camping trip. When a mysterious girl appears...
- 3/31/2009
- MoviesOnline.ca
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