November 2000

Having at times in my life, produced panel discussions for film festivals, juried, been a board member, acted in one of the films or just went, I must say Toronto is the most organized, friendliest and favorite of mine.  Here's a few photos from the road...

"In Jest" was written and performed by the teenage participants in the 1998 Fledgling Film Screenwriting Workshop, so you would of course expect it to have more than its fair share of sophomoric humor -- juvenile attempts at sexual appeal, multiple crude incidents involving cows, and the like. And "In Jest" doesn’t let us down in this regard. Nor does its story, featuring a grab-bag of teens in a small Vermont town, overwhelm us with drama. Far from it. There is a rather lackadaisical attitude toward plot; the movie read more...

[Editor’s Note: In an effort to shed light on New England grant sources, Nefilm will begin to highlight foundations, grants, and fellowships that have been instrumental in supporting the production independent films in our region. We hope these profiles will inspire our readers/filmmakers to apply for funding and keep the creativity flowing.]

Northampton is a charming rural city situated in western Massachusetts near New York, Boston and the Berkshires. It is a growing center for the arts and entertainment, hosting museums, theatres, crafts shops, galleries, Emily Dickinson’s home, and, from November 1st to November 5th, the Northampton Film Festival.

Like revenge, horror is a dish better served cold. In Brad Anderson’s latest film, "Session 9," there is nary a scream queen or slasher in site. Instead, the film resonates with the nuance of showing less instead of more. "Session 9" is a psychological horror film that is more chilling than anything that could be portrayed with buckets of blood.

Since 1976, independent filmmakers have relied on the Boston Film/Video Foundation (BF/VF) for the comprehensive collection of resources and services they need to get their films made. Now, BF/VF has launched "Rough Cuts," a screening series which aims to provide Boston-area filmmakers a forum to present and receive feedback on their films as works-in-progress. The program is creative fuel for the artists whose films are part of the presentations, as well as for those who come to "Rough Cuts" to read more...

Gaffers! Camera! Action!

Perhaps you believed, erroneously, that a gaffer was an elderly man. To enlighten you, a gaffer is the head of a film production’s electrical department. A gaffer’s role varies depending on the size of a production and its individuals. For example, if a film has a large budget, a gaffer oversees the light supply, and a grip modifies it.

For over 20 years, Robbie Leppzer has been making independent documentary films about regular people taking on greater social forces in a struggle towards positive social change. Working both locally and abroad, Leppzer’s work builds bridges between varying perspectives and cultures, and his studies of grassroots activism show that individuals can make a difference against national or corporate powers. As an alternative to mainstream media, he hopes these images will teach his audiences about meaningful social transformation, bringing every read more...

Steffen Pierce is a producer, writer-director, cinematographer and editor whose most recent film, "Marrakech Inshallah," is the second of two films he and his brother, Christian Pierce, have made on location in Morocco. He currently works as the Assistant Curator at the Harvard Film Archive where he manages a growing collection of African cinema.  Pierce took some time to talk with NewEnglandFilm.com after his return from the 2000 Independent Feature Project Market where his film was featured. read more...

Tell a kid he’s going to spend two weeks in August deconstructing media and you’ll probably get a puzzled look, if not an outright groan. But tell her she gets to make her own movie too and watch her jump.

Every year, scores of American children head to summer camp. Last summer, 26 kids in Colchester, Vermont spent two weeks at Club Media--day camp that combines hands-on production techniques with classroom teaching about media literacy.