Submit your Thriller/Suspense Screenplay to the Festival Today: http://thrillersuspensefestival.com
Watch the best of APOCALYPSE Stories, Screenplays, and Short Film Moderation videos from the festival.
 COME TO SLEEPWATCH Audience FEEDBACK War, UK |
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Watch THRILLER/SUSPENSE Stories from the Writing and Film Festival:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HaH-7HJqsw&list=PL-0CVDAfvxiq66NCYK5WkUt3GK7f9e05-
Source: Testimonials
A unit production manager (UPM) is responsible for the administration of a feature film or TV production.
A line producer is a type of film producer that functions as the key manager during the daily operations of a feature film, television film or an episode of a TV show.
I was honored to sit down with a veteran in the industry who simply knows how to put all of the right pieces together to make a great film. He’s been credited on working as a Line Producer and/or Unit Production Manager on over 40 productions, which, anyone in the biz will tell you, are the toughest jobs in the Film/TV industry. The amazing part of that is that he sometimes does both jobs at once in a single production.
Matthew Toffolo: You’ve worked on over 50 productions in the last 35 years, do you have a film or two that you’re most…
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Now in it’s fourth year, L.A. Neo Noir Novel, Film and Script Festival has been hailed
by L.A. Weekly as the fest with “The World’s Sexiest, Darkest, Crime Short Films.”
Founder Carey Westbrook has helped many filmmakers find success in Hollywood,
including the Academy Award nominated producers of Blue Valentine and Men of Honor.
For more information about the 2016 season, visit:
http://www.lanneff.com
I recently sat down with Carey Westbrook to talk more about the festival:
Matthew Toffolo: What is your festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?
Carey Westbrook: We make filmmakers from writers. We fully produce short films based on screenplay / novel submissions and screen those shorts at our festival.
No other film / screenplay festival in the entire universe does that.
Matthew: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival?
Carey: You will be astounded by the greatest neo noir films from L.A. and around the world.
You will behold the world’s most spectacular neo noir writers’ visions coming to life on the silver screen.
You shall witness the incredible live burlesque dancer performances and finest L.A. cuisine L.A. has to offer.
Matthew: What are the qualifications for the selected films?
Carey: Be sexy, be dark, and be crime filled with a dash of film noir. The sexier, the darker, more criminal and film noir-ish you are, the better your chances of being in this festival. If your film can’t be all of those things, you better be one of those things very well.
Matthew: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?
Carey: Because celebrity films are getting circle jerked by everyone at the festival for their well known stars, celebrity producers, and overall big money campaigns. Politics stink up the festivals the way politics stink up politics. Not us. Our festival is funky, but not foul stench exclusionary Hollywood elite big wigs mucking up the joint funky.
Matthew: What motivates you and your team to do this festival?
Carey: Anger. Discontent. There was no L.A. Neo Noir Festival when we started…only film noir festivals…only an idol worship ritual of L.A.’s prehistoric white dead famous
cinematic hero carcasses. We love film noir. There would be no neo noir without film noir, but we are today’s independent cinematic guerillas yearning to tell our own sexy dark crime tales. This is our time. This is our town. This is L.A. Neo Noir.
Matthew: How has the festival changed since its inception?
Carey: We were originally L.A. Neo Noir Erotic Film Festival. People kept confusing erotic with porn. We realized we could bring sexy back stronger and reach broader audiences longer if we took the ‘erotic’ out and just focused on neo noir. Now we’ve brought scripts, novels, and monologues in, and we’re three times better for it.
Matthew: Where do you see the festival by 2020?
Carey: In L.A.’s Grammy Museum.
Matthew: What film have you seen the most times in your life?
Carey: Every three months since the age of 14 I have watched the classic film, Under The Cherry Moon.
Matthew: In one sentence, what makes a great film?
Carey: An ugly meek guy telling a hot greedy girl to buzz off.
Matthew: How is the film scene in your city?
Carey: Great, if your city is Canada. If it’s L.A., the scene is what’s it’s always been: unknown indie visionary no budget filmmakers making something out of nothing…the kind who are featured at the L.A. Neo Noir Novel, Film and Script Festival.
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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Fesival held in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.
We Like ‘Em Short was started in 2009 as a very small local festival featuring local and American filmmakers. Since 2012, it started to showcase more international films and has seen it’s share of award winning shorts and hosted talented directors including Chel White, Doug Lussenhop, Benjamin Morgan and Joanna Priestly in recent editions of this four day festival. WLES is centrally located at the historic Eltrym Theater, in downtown Baker City, Oregon. All shorts are screened on Theater 1’s giant screen through a Christie Digital Projector.
I recently sat down with Brian Vegter to talk more about the festival:
Matthew Toffolo: What is your festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?
Brian Vegter:We Like ‘Em Short showcases animation and comedies from around the world with workshops and presentations from some of the best known directors and animators working in short form in the Northwest. We provide funding to the local high school’s Film Arts Club and have brought filmmakers into work with them during the festival and the school year. Because of our format of 20 minutes or less, the films we screen will only be on the festival circuit or the internet. By screening them at WLES we are providing filmmakers the chance to have their work on the big screen, in front of an audience, and share all the creativity that went into the projects.
Matthew: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival?
Over the four days of the festival, attendees can see over 50 short films from around the world by award winning directors and emerging filmmakers alike. Special presentations and workshops from directors and animators. Nightly live music at multiple locations that you can walk to from the home base of the historic Eltrym Theater. All in the breath taking Baker Valley nestled between the Elkhorn and Wallowa Mountains.
Matthew: What are the qualifications for the selected films?
Brian: We consider all animated films of any genre or style under 20 minutes in length and for live action films they must be comedies. Our selection committee looks for great story telling as the main strength of each selection. Production value is very important as is our desire to showcase up and coming talent.
Matthew: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?
Brian: We watch everything that gets submitted to WLES and base our decision on the quality of the directors storytelling. In 2012 we had a film submitted by director Charles Roseberry who promised he’d come to the festival if we accepted his film called “The Bell”. It wasn’t my favorite film we had received that year by a long shot, but we receive funding from the county’s lodging tax fund and so they want us to bring in as many people from out of town as possible, so we included his film.
When Roseberry showed up, he had a crew with him doing a documentary about the selection process that films went through and it became pretty clear he was making a film about how to get a film like his into festivals. While he wouldn’t admit that, in front of the audience, I could tell by the extra big smile on his face during the Q&A after we screened “The Bell” I had caught him. So it’s true that in some cases because of funding, decisions about art can be influenced. Just ask Chuck.
Another thing that helps some filmmakers with the selection process is the relationship they develop with festival directors. If we’ve seen great work from someone in the past I’ll contact them to see what they are up to near the end of our submission period and possibly add it to our schedule. One because I like their work and because they’ve developed a following with our audiences.
Matthew: What motivates you and your team to do this festival?
Brian: We’re motivated to showcase unique short films in our rural community in Eastern Oregon because it adds something different to the arts scene here. We have many working visual artists here and the festival came about after a monthly art film series known as Thursday Art Night began in 2008. Every month on the last Thursday, films about artists and the arts have been the focus and WLES grew out of that. We wanted to give local filmmakers a chance to be part of that event and it’s grown into the festival we do now.
Matthew: How has the festival changed since its inception?
Brian: Since 2009 we’ve gone from a festival that lasted one night with only 13 films, all local, to a festival that receives submissions from all over the world. We’ve had as many as 180 submissions in one year since we started accepting films through FilmFreeway and WAB online.
We’ve added workshops, special guest screenings and live music to the festival as well. WLES is now a multi-day event with up to seven screenings through out four days.
Matthew: Where do you see the festival by 2020?
Brian: I see us celebrating our 12th anniversary. Cake will be served. More seriously, the growth of our workshops and to see more filmmakers make the trip to WLES where they can connect with other talented people. We have become a resource to production crews that come to the region and I’d hope we can continue that as well.
Matthew: What film have you seen the most times in your life?
Brian: Blade Runner and Twelve Monkeys are the two films I’ve seen the most.
Matthew: In one sentence, what makes a great film?
Brian: The use of beautiful and dynamic images to tell the story.
Matthew: How is the film scene in your city?
Brian: The history of Baker County films includes the cult classic “Paint Your Wagon” staring Clint Eastwood and more recently “Light of Mine” by director Brett Eichenberger and the TV show “Ghost Mine” was filmed here as well. It’s a fantastic well preserved historic place to film and has been on Rand McNally’s list of America’s Most Beautiful Small Towns. The film production community is small and so most productions bring in their entire crew with them.
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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.
The VBASFF Celebrates new genre films from local and emerging filmmakers. The fest has horror (lots!!!) noir, superheroes, dark comedy, gore, naughtiness and so much more!
I recently sat down with David Aboussafy to talk more about the festival:
Matthew Toffolo: What is the Badass Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?
David Aboussafy: The Badass Festival breaks down walls, and champions the best in new extreme cinema. Our festival provides emerging and extreme filmmakers a venue to screen their films and to connect with fans, other filmmakers, industry, media, funders and distributors, bringing attention and audiences to compelling original work in style and content. Badass 2015 was a completely sold out showcase of new extreme film with a focus on emerging filmmakers. One Badass 2015 short film El Gigante subsequently went on to win numerous awards around the world and, along with another Badass 2015 short, The Promise/ AlphaMem, are being developed into feature films. Another Badass 2015 film, Swingers Anonymous went on to Cannes and a fully funded feature film for the film’s director. Fans and investors who engaged with filmmakers at Badass 2015 and have helped fund filmmakers’ current projects. In addition, some currently active filmmaking teams met and formed at Badass 2015.
The Second Annual Vancouver Badass Film Festival (Badass 2016), continues to celebrates the new, the different, the shocking, the memorable and upsetting in style and content. Why extreme cinema? We champion unsettling films because they don’t pander to us – their style and subject matter challenge us. To embrace them is to engage something worth hanging onto. The different, the disturbing, can establish their own authority. While the audience for truly bold filmmaking might start small, the extreme may be what endures while the run of the mill are forgotten. Badass films also of course have a premium on straight up attention-grabbing fun and visceral excitement.
The Vancouver Badass Film Festival philosophy is one of breaking down barriers between fans and filmmakers, and between filmmakers, collaborators, funders and distributors. Badass 2016 will have a significantly expanded program including the premieres of select features and shorts programs split into local and international sections with juried awards and a gala. Badass 2016 will include Luchagore Productions new film Madre de Dios, Gautier Casaneuve’s House of VHS from France, Izzy Lee’s Innsmouth and Postpartum from the US. Evening feature premiere’s include Mexico’s Atroz from writer/director Lex Ortega, and Canada’s The Evil in Us from writer/director Jason William Lee and Sandcastle Productions.
Matthew: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival?
David: To paraphrase a tagline from one of our favorite Vancouver theatres, they would get a festival experience they can’t download, and one that is much more entertaining and interactive than the usual staid film festival. They will get exposure to a diverse range of great, compelling new films in a carnival-like atmosphere thick with enthusiastic fans, as well as accessible filmmakers and genre film performers. Badass 2016 is hosted by hugely entertaining and unique performers who themselves alone would be well worth the price of admission. Tristan Risk, Samantha Mack and Mister Nickel are the festival MCs, ringleading events such as a twisted Oscar-style awards gala, gonzo film discussions, red carpet photos, post screening Q & As, and some awesome surprises. Special guests speakers include Director Gigi Saul Guerrero and key cast and crew from The Evil in Us, as well as some high profile speakers were are not able to announce in advance. Badass 2016 home VIFF/Vancity Theatre is also fully licensed and you can bring alcoholic drinks with you to your seat.
Matthew: What are the qualifications for the selected films?
David: Badass films are new films produced or released in 2015 or later, that meet our definition of extreme or unsafe cinema (which can encompass the avant-garde as well as genres such as horror, noir, SF/fantasy, and wild action); in short, exciting films that are highly original in content and/or style (preferably both), from anywhere in the world. No boring-to-look-at, safe, sappy rom-coms or earnest predictable dramas, please.
Matthew: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?
David: Yes, certainly at both a funding and large festival level, the traditional funding agencies in Canada have long favoured a type of very safe, predictable film making (often from the same filmmakers). As a result, the big festivals they sponsor and fill with their films tend to be rather dull and uninspiring. This conservatism and caution also typifies most films funded and produced in the vertically integrated and risk-aversive studio system. Even the older independent film festivals have been trending toward safer and safer content, leaving more extreme new films out in the cold, and geniuses like the Soska sisters and Gigi Saul Guerrero on the outside looking in.
Matthew: What motivates you and your team to do this festival?
David: The Badass festival was formed to fill the gap left by the traditional festivals, and to meet the needs of new, original extreme filmmakers, which includes giving them and their fans a place to party their asses off together in a celebratory environment. We want to create a festival that supports, encourages and showcases the most exciting new films and filmmakers. In addition, we want to provide fans of such films and performers a truly exciting and engaging festival experience. In the crowdfunding era, fan engagement can be funder engagement, and we at Badass are also motivated to foster innovation and collaboration between filmmakers, producers, fans, funders and distributors.
Matthew: How has the festival changed since its inception?
David: In our first year, the Vancouver Badass Film Festival was a short film festival. In this our second year, we have grown to include, feature film premieres, new sponsors and events, and have greatly expanded our short film program.
Matthew: Where do you see the festival by 2020?
David: We at Badass are big fans of the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, a multi-week genre film festival with a lively distribution and co-production market. We have set a very ambitious goal of eventually developing Badass into something like that. However, it’s still relatively early days for us; in the next four years we would like to continue to grow with respect to programming, sponsors, and fan and filmmaker engagement, with a longer and even more engaging festival. By 2020, if that sales and distribution method is still viable, we would like to host an international genre film and co-production market to coincide with the festival. Additionally, we would also like the Vancouver Badass Film Festival to be on the vanguard of new approaches as funding, production, distribution and sales models continue to rapidly change.
Matthew: What film have you seen the most times in your life?
David: As a child, I saw Star Wars many, many times. This past year, I have seen Mad Max: Fury Road three times in the theatre, and I would see it again right now.
Matthew: In one sentence, what makes a great film?
David: A great film is one you can’t look away from, shows you something new, and one that you can’t forget.
Matthew: How is the film scene in your city?
David: Vancouver is home of the third largest television and film industry in North America, with a multitude of experienced professional crew and an abundance of acting talent. Vancouver is also the home of a very vibrant independent and genre film community, with many active gifted filmmakers, as well as supportive venues such as the Rio Theatre, and the VIFF/Vancity Theatre.
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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.
DEADLINE Jan 31st: 1st CHAPTER/FULL NOVEL Festival.
http://www.novelwritingfestival.com/
Get your story performed at the Writing Festival. FULL FEEDBACK on all entries.
Novels Showcased in 2015:
45 Novels Performed
9 Novels Made into a Movie
Plus, 12 Poems Made into a Movie
Get FULL FEEDBACK on either the 1st chapter or entire novel book from our committee of Professional Writers, and Writing Consultants. Get your novel performed by a professional actor at the festival.
NEW OPTION: Or, just submit for an actor performance reading transcript of your novel (any 5 pages of your book). Great way to promote the sales of your book if you’re already published. (see examples on the video playlist below)
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Deadline: FEATURE Screenplay Festival – Get FULL FEEDBACK. Get script performed by professional actors
http://www.wildsound.ca/screenplaycontest.html
Watch WINNING Screenplay Readings – Watch videos of past winners performed by professional actors
http://www.wildsoundfestival.com/feature_script_readings.html
READ 100s of testimonials from past…
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Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: http://www.wildsound.ca
STAGE FRIGHT, 1950
Classic Movie Review
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Starring Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich
Review by Steven Painter
SYNOPSIS:
Eve Gill (Jane Wyman), an aspiring young actress, shelters a fellow acting student, Jonathan Cooper (Richard Todd), from the police. He is suspected of murdering the husband of his mistress, Charlotte Inwood (Marlene Dietrich), a famous singer. Jonathan claims that he became implicated when he tried to help Charlotte destroy the evidence. Eve’s eccentric father, Commodore Gill (Alastair Sim), agrees to hide Jonathan in his house while she proves his innocence. To do this, Eve becomes Charlotte’s temporary maid. Eve’s Father devises a plan to force Charlotte to confess in front of the inspector investigating the case, Wilfred Smith (Michael Wilding). When the plan doesn’t work, Eve tries blackmailing Charlotte into a confession while the police listen outside her dressing room. Charlotte agrees to pay, but insists that Jonathan is the real killer.
REVIEW:
For most directors, making a good movie is something to be proud of. When your name is Alfred Hitchcock, making a good movie is considered mediocre. Stage Fright (1950) is an example of a good, solid movie that would be a highlight for many directors. That is not the case with Hitchcock. The movie is rarely mentioned as one of his best and does not compare with his other masterworks of the 50s.
It isn’t that Stage Fright is bad. It has a little of everything. A big star in Marlene Dietrich. A hit song as Miss Dietrich gives a wonderful rendition of Cole Porter’s “I’m the Laziest Gal in Town.” There is a good story filled with romance, suspense and comedy. The story even has an original twist to it. But for me, there are better Hitchcock movies. The highlights really come at the beginning and the end.
In a bold and controversial move, Hitchcock begins the movie with a flashback. Starting with a flashback is not bold or controversial as a lot of Hollywood movies have done that. What is different about this one is that the flashback is untrue. This ruffled a few feathers with critics and audiences. Hitchcock even admitted later that he probably should not have included the false flashback. A few people, including myself, thought the inclusion of a fake flashback was brilliant.
People tend to assume that flashbacks are true for some reason. Perhaps it is because what we are being shown can never be confirmed since it happened before the time of the story we are watching. It also seems like there would be no point in deceiving the audience through a false flashback. Although in this case, the use could be justified.
Jane Wyman plays Eve, an aspiring actress. Her boyfriend, Jonathan, played by Richard Todd, happens to have the hots for the more established Charlotte (Marlene Dietrich). The movie opens with Jonathan explaining to Eve that Charlotte’s husband has been murdered and he needs her help to get away from the police as he is the prime suspect. In flashback, he explains to her how he is innocent. We later learn that this is not true and that he in fact did murder Charlotte’s husband. So the flashback is justifiable because it comes from the mind of a psychopathic killer.
Eve believes Jonathan though and agrees to infiltrate Charlotte’s house in order to figure out how she murdered her husband. Eve does this in the guise of the maid’s cousin. Eve gets rid of the maid by paying her off and saying that she needs to get access to Charlotte in order to write a newspaper story. With Eve being so many different things to so many different people, it is funny watching her try to keep it all together. A farce has broken out in the middle of a murder mystery. This might be one of the reasons why I personally dislike the movie. Hitchcock was no Billy Wilder or Howard Hawks when it came to comedy.
The middle of the movie is filled with comedy and mystery as Eve tries not to be exposed as just an actor, while trying to find out how Charlotte killed her husband. A romantic plot is even introduced as Eve begins to fall for police Inspector Wilfred Smith. This is all very nice, but nothing special.
Also, Free logline submissions. The Writing Festival network averages over 95,000 unique visitors a day.
Great way to get your story out: http://www.wildsound.ca/logline.html
Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival:http://www.wildsound.ca
Watch recent Writing Festival Videos. At least 15 winning videos a month:http://www.wildsoundfestival.com
Submit your Fan Fiction Screenplay to the Festival: http://fanfictionfestival.com
Read Interview with Star Wars Storyboard Artist Kurt Van der Basch
ATTACK OF THE CLONES, 2002
Movie Reviews
Directed by George Lucas
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Samuel L. Jackson, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels
Review by Andrew Kosarko
SYNOPSIS:
In the second installment of the Star Wars series, EPISODE II–ATTACK OF THE CLONES, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is now a teenage Jedi apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). Together they must protect Senator Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) from a militant group of political activists that is trying to assassinate her. This group is led by the evil Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). Among other troubles, Anakin faces some hard choices as he begins to fall for Padme, knowing this love is forbidden by the Jedi knights’ creed. In addition, Anakin begins to show his rebellious attraction to the dark side–which…
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Deadline for Television Pilot/Spec Screenplay Festival: http://tvfestival.org/
Watch the 3 TV Screenplay Winners for January 2016:
TV PILOT – LACIE BIDWELL
Written by Jameel Khan
SYNOPSIS:
LACIE BIDWELL is about a girl who’s father created a zombie virus that killed thousands. It’s twelve years later and she’s in college and still has to deal with being the daughter of one of the most hated men in the world.
CAST LIST:
NARRATOR – Sean Ballantyne
LACIE – Elizabeth Owens Skidmore
CHALMERS – Nick Baillie
HOPE – Maya Woloszyn
JEFF/BEN – Jovan Kocic
DAVID/OMAR – Christopher Huron
SAITO – Mandy May Cheetham
TV PILOT – LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
Written by Debi Calabro
SYNOPSIS:
Life in the Fast Lane is about three very different families and how their involvement in the sport of horse racing brings them together.
CAST LIST:
NARRATOR – Sean Ballantyne
JESSIE – Maya Woloszyn
SAL – Christopher…
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Festival Reviews 