Rhode Island International Film Festival

Today is the first day of RIIFF and sadly I am not there. A few year back my first film 'moment' screened there and it was one of the best festivals I attended. I met some really great filmmakers that ended up becoming friends, went to some fun parties, shared conversation with the wonderful hosts and volunteers at the festival. As you can tell I am disappointed to not be going. Sigh.

However for those of you fine folks that happen to be in the area you can catch 'ninety-one' on Sunday August 15th at 12:30pm. We open the block and screen with two other films 'Micky Bader (Bathing Micky)' a short doc by Frida Kempff from Sweden/Denmark and a Feature doc called Holy Wars by Stephen Marshall from USA/Iran/Pakistan/UK. An eclectic group but one I am honored to be a part of as the two other filmmakers are very accomplished.

http://www.film-festival.org/index07A.htm

Enjoy the festival!


Other news:
I am doing my online for the new short 'Little Larry' tomorrow. We did our sound mix last Thursday. Sound mixes are curious things to me. You can literally drive yourself crazy. Every time you listen to the mix and see you film you hear something different.
In an attempt to learn more about the process I have been sitting in, when I can, on the SCORE: A Hockey Musical sound mix. It has been good to just sit, listen, learn and realize I am getting there and maybe it's not so different from what I understand. Phew. Of course SCORE has more bells and whistles to play with being a feature and all, so it is interesting to watch.
Another great part of my day tomorrow is being able to sit in a movie theater to watch SCORE and listen to the mix in a theater and hear the comments before Mike McGowan and the sound gang go back and make the final tweeks for the big screening to open TIFF.

Will report back in a few days...

PS - look at me - I finally got a link right! WooHoo

Indianapolis International Film Fest

So today was our first screening at Indy and sadly I was not there to share the film with an audience but I have heard a report back and it's all good news. Phew.

It is always hard to have your film screen and not be able to participate. There is nothing like the fear or thrill of watching an audience view your film. You hope that they react in to the right moments - laugh, cry, scream, gasp.

But alas this time I will have to be happy with hearing the reviews.

Till the next time.....and don't forget we are screening again at Indy on Thursday July 22nd at 3:15pm.

Thanks!
Jill

Part 2

http://www.nsi-canada.ca/more_lessons_from_canadian_filmmakers.aspx

Above is part 2 of the interview I did with a number of other filmmakers for Kelly Benz at NSI/Shorts Report.

Link to the right....

Check out the Facebook Fan page for fun new info about 'ninety-one'.

Hello - new post reading patient people!

Lots to update - most importantly we have been accepted into 2 not 1 but 2 new film festivals and they are good ones at that. Thank you programmers for seeing our film for it's true self.

July 20 and 22nd 'ninety-one' will screen at the 2010 Indianapolis International Film Festival. We are screening with a group of films under the shorts program 'The Kid Stays In The Picture'.

I was recently in Indianapolis for the Indy 500 (my friend Alex Tagliani qualified for the race in 6th position and finished the grueling race in 10th - congrats). While there I had the chance to meet Lisa Trifone the programmer for the festival and a very nice, film loving girl. She told me a little about the festival - we screen at a great venue, IMA - Indianapolis Museum of Art. Awesome. It's going to be fun. Those of you who know me, know I like car racing and have dabbled in that field through television. So I am hoping that some of my friends in the racing car industry might be able to come out for the screenings.

The second film festival we are screening at is the 2010 Flickers: Rhode Island International Film Festival. I don't have an exact date yet but it will be sometime in mid August. I screened at RIIFF with my first film 'moment'. It was one of the best festivals I attended during that film's festival run. It is well run, friendly, supportive and takes place in the beautiful town of Providence. I will look forward to going back.

Last week I had a fellow filmmaker Kellie Anne Benz approach me to be a part of an article she was writing for her regular column on the NSI (National Screen Institute) website and for the newsletter. Kellie writes about short filmmaking and has a blog called The Shorts Report along with her NSI column. Today she sent me the link to Part One of the article. I will post the link to this article and the festivals but you will be find them one the right side of the blog if the links don't work in this post.
(I know, I know I have to figure this linking stuff out....)

http://www.indyfilmfest.org/index.php

http://www.film-festival.org/index07A.htm

http://www.nsi-canada.ca/lessons_from_5_canadian_filmmakers.aspx

The final bit of good news.....some of you many know that I have been working on my third short film 'Little Larry'. We have been in a holding pattern going on 3 months all because I have been searching high and low for the perfect song. We, I had the perfect song but it was one that was WAY too expensive! So in lieu of that song, I and a team of great people helped me look. We either tried to compose something or searched everywhere for an already existing song that fit the bill. Well the search is over!! We now have a song that isn't going to break the bank and works wonderfully. Yippee! I am so ready and excited to be finishing this comedy film up.


Till next time - Jill

And finally.....

Here are my two last pics from NBFF.
They are from the great cocktail party that was thrown on the last day of the festival around sunset at the Mayor's house over looking the marina. In fact all the photos of the my filmmakers friends (below) were also taken at the party. One is taken from the inside looking out over the party and the other is the view we saw just out through the windows. A beautiful night and a really nice way to connect with people and end the festival.

So a couple last things....stay tuned to this spot for some exciting news very soon.

And for some great new now so you don't have to wait the women's cancer PSA music video I directed (see link on the right) reached 11,000 hits on YouTube today - Yay!

Thanks everyone!

Fellow NBFF Filmmakers

Many a good conversation was had with these fine folks as well as films shared. That is definitely one of the best perks of attending a festivals - meeting other filmmakers!


Lilli Birdsell (Once Upon a Crime) and Nicolas Simonin (Derailed (Eric))


Kelly Strodl (NBFF's social media girl) and Josh Pomer (The Westsiders)


David Orr (Refresh)

Filmmakers Lounge at NBFF

Here is the local hangout for the attending filmmakers and press. It was a really nice set up. You could grab a snack, chat with the friendly staff, meet and mingle with filmmakers, maybe convince somebody from the press to come to your screening or better yet give your film a plug. They also had a really great set up where if you couldn't make it to screening you could watch almost any film that was being shown at the festival on 7 individual screens they had set up.

I need a tutorial...

Ok...so I am once again long over due on my update from Newport.
The photos I just uploaded in previous post represent two ends of my journey - Hollywoodland to Newport....

I just want to report right now that my photo uploading skills require some assistance - as you might have been able to tell from the title of this post. I need to figure out how to make an album and post it....help!

.....So, I stayed with friends Stef and Mike in Hollywoodland (hence the sign photo - which was taken with my favorite app toy camera) they have the sweetest bungalow. PAUSE for a little Hollywood trivia - cause what good filmmaking blog doesn't have trivia - America Ferrera lived in their bungalow before they moved in. Anyway I would make the trek down to Newport Beach for the festival. On the day of the screening Stef came with me which was great to have her there.

LA / Newport Beach Film Festival

Boots Video

Ok....I still owe you a final wrap up of Newport but in the meantime...
I directed a video for women's cancers about two months ago and we have just launched it on YouTube. It is a viral music video set to 'These Boots Are Made For Walking' and it's meant to inspire and get people motivated to walk, donate and pass on. So please do!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuOwXiEm_K4

If for some reason you can't click on this link I will post it to the right of this page in my links section.

Keep walking.......

World Premiere - Woo Hoo!

So....it has come and gone and it was great!! Yesterday afternoon to an audience of about 70 people we screened 'ninety-one'. We screened in front of the feature film Drawing with Chalk (about following your dreams no matter the age), a nice pairing.
The Q & A went well - we talked about drawing from personal experiences to make our films, the hardest part of filmmaking, our backgrounds and intentions. I will post a YouTube link soon. After I had a number of people come up to me to express how moved they were by the film and how much they enjoyed it. It was a great feeling to have complete strangers come and search me out to tell me what the film meant to them. In fact today I got an email from a fellow filmmaker David Orr whose film Refresh also screened at NBFF - he said that he was still thinking about the film and it's images today. Nice.

Tomorrow is the last day of the festival...will post a wrap up. Until then...

Thanks for all the support everyone!!
xo

Made It!!

I finally made it - Phew! After a hellish day of travel starting at 5:15am east coast time I made it to Newport Beach at 8:45pm west coast time - the rest you can just imagine.

I met Leslie Feibleman and Dennis Baker two if the very fine programmers here at the festival. Met a few filmmakers and FINALLY met Frank Kelly. He is the brains behind '140' the doc that had it's very popular screening on the 23rd and film that I am proud to say I am a part of. Also got to hook up with Elliot Kotek a co=producer of 'ninety-one' and editor of Moving Pictures Magazine and most importantly good friend...it had been a while TIFF last year so all in all off to a great start.

I will be twittering through out the festival and posting some pics when I can so check out the link to twitter on this page to the right.

Made to my friends Stef and Mike's house at 2am....they are super great for hosting me and I am very lucky to have such a great place to stay.

Anyway....today is the big day!! Screening at 3pm....wish me/us luck - will report back soon!!

Till then..............

Newport Beach Here I Come!!

So...very early this morning I hopped a plane for Washington DC - a short little pit stop on my way to Newport Beach for the festival.

We are celebrating not only my Uncles Big Birthday and a good excuse for a family reunion with all my relatives from the other side of the pond but we are also celebrating the article I wrote about 'ninety-one'. Today on the Moving Pictures Magazine website they published an article I was asked to write about my film and the experience of making it and films in general.

There is a link to the right hand side of the page under blog archives.

And with that I am off to take a little nap so I am ready for the craziness that is about to begin!!

A Shout Out!

Our first media mention.....yay!

http://theshortsreport.blogspot.com/

Kellie is a filmmaker, writer, blogger (the shorts report) and member of the NSI team.
She is based in Vancouver and has her finger on the pulse of the short world, especially when it come to Canadians. Thanks Kellie.

Newport Beach has officially received the film - good. Elliot has received the ninety-one buttons. He says they look great!! Phew.
I have been emailing press etc...like a banshee trying to get people to take notice of our film at Newport and give a mention. It has worked a little so far - keep 'em coming.

I am still looking for the right song for my new short Little Larry as we have a Wolfmother song in the edit right now that is perfect but way too rich for our blood unless someone wanted to be very kind and help us out. Until that happens - we/I am looking....

Tonight will be fun....screening the PSA for women's cancers to all those who were in it and worked on it. I am looking forward to showing them what a great job they did and how wonderful it turned out. We will soon be sending it out into the viral universe. Keep watching your inbox.

Ok....so off to try and get some more ink for ninety-one - wish me luck!

Press Kit Done!!

Here we go, the poster. Nice huh?!
I have finally gotten the press kit done, the 'ninety-one' buttons have arrived in LA for Elliot to give out before I get there. The film has been sent off and NBFF will be able to make sure all is in order....we are on our way people!! Now to make sure we have bums in seats....

YouTube......

Just posted the 'ninety-one' trailer to YouTube....check it out!!
Look to the right of this page and click on the link to the trailer in the links section.

Time for a quick one...

Hey.
So many things have been spinning these days in a great way! I am almost finished making and gathering the promo stuff for 'ninety-one'....posters, postcards, pins, a fan page. I will put a link to the fan page here. And the cherry - a trailer - it will be posted here as well...
So a very quick update....gotta run, finish the press kit and ship off the film to Newport today.
Back soon.........
Jill

WOOO HOOO!!!

Finally some GREAT news....'Ninety-one' has been accepted into it's first festival. We will be premiering at the Newport Beach Film Festival in California. It is in it's 11th year and runs April 22nd to the 29th. I am really excited to be screening at this festival because my friend, collaborator and co-producer of this film, Elliot V. Kotek has been a guest speaker at this festival on a number of occasions. He speaks very highly of Newport and this year he is helping them program a spotlight on Australia - his native country.

NBFF will be a unique experience as in a way both Elliot and I will have two films screening there - 'Ninety-one' and the documentry'140'. We both contributed a segment to '140' (you will find a link to the 140 film blog on this site) a film that was conceived by filmmaker Frank Kelly which gathered 140 filmmakers from around the world through twitter - to film 140 seconds at the same time on the same day. I have yet to see the film but from what I am told it is quiet emotional so I can't wait. It's gonna be one hell of a festival!!

Other good things have been happening....I have locked picture on my new short (which Elliot wrote) 'Little Larry'. I am heading in to do the color correct on Tuesday....then finish up the music and sound mix. The response so far from vetting has been very positive so I am looking forward to sharing the finished film with everyone.

I wrapped up shooting 'Score: A Hockey Musical'....shadowing Mike was great and the film was a blast to work on!! The whole entire cast and crew are so excited to see the finished product. I am going to continue my shadowing - head into the edit etc...Look out for it coming to a theater near you in October.

The book option that Avi and I were working on fell through which is really disappointing as I know I could have (we could have) made a really great film. However it was not to be so we are back looking and I am back writing. I have been thinking a lot about this one idea and am going to start writing this week!

I shot a PSA for The Princess Margaret's Weekend Walk to End Women's Cancers the weekend before we wrapped Score. It is a music video (kind of a Glee like number minus the big production value but with a lot of heart) set to "These Boots Are Made For Walking". We are going viral with it in the next couple of weeks. It was a ton of fun to shoot and very inspirational. The people I have met on this project really make you think about how lucky you are and remind you that you have to live each moment. I am excited to see where we can take this and to raise a ton of awareness not just for women's cancers but cancer in general. I am sure these days you would be hard pressed to find someone who has not been touched by this disease.

So them mammoth long over due update....till the next one....and one of the days I will figure out how to upload an album of photos and post 'em. Stay tuned.

Look Who's back......

Well, well, well.....it has been far too long. I have felt kinda stuck as I unfortunately don't have much new to report on 'ninety-one'. However I have now decided - to heck with it - I will just talk in general about my projects and leave it all under the same banner. I did start this blog for 'ninety-one' but to also share my thoughts and experiences of film-making.

So....here is the update.

I am still submitting 'ninety-one' - the response from all who have seen the film has been wonderful and I know that once we get that first festival things will take off from there...so come on!

The 'day job' got in the way a little....Copper (tune in ABC/Global in March). That did not put a damper on progress - I shot a new short called 'Little Larry'. I am just editing with Kyle right now. It was written by a friend of mine Elliot Kotek whom I met at the Bahamas International Film Festival when 'moment' was screening there. Elliot is a multi-talented guy - writer, artist, actor....really there is nothing he can't do. He has recently renewed his post at Moving Pictures Magazine as Editor-at-Large and has a website/blog called NoA - The Nation Of Artists -http://social.thenationofartists.com/. My plug for Elliot.

'Little Larry' is a comedy of sorts. The main character Larry was originally a boy but in my version - with a little effort - I convinced Elliot to let me turn Larry into a girl. Her name though has remained Larry. Kyle and I are now sending out the cut to a select group of people for vetting. We will be waiting patiently to hear back...

Even better news is that I have hooked up with a new producer. Tired of doing it a lot of it myself. Although I have had invaluable help on my films to date I needed to find someone to help me kick it up a notch and take it to the next level. So I have teamed up with Avi Federgreen. Avi has worked his way up through the industry to finally land on top if the indie producer pile in Canada. He had three films at TIFF this year - Leslie My Name Is Evil, High Life (I saw it last weekend as it opened in limited release - a must see!) and Hungry Hills. So Avi and I are looking for projects and are in the process of optioning a novel so we can make my first feature film together! I have told him that by September 2012 I want to have made a feature....I (we) am doing my best to make that happen!

Last but not least....I am shadowing Mike McGowan on his new film 'Score: A Hockey Musical'. We go to camera in a week and at that point I will be taking on the script supervising duties as well as shadowing. We have been in prep for the last 3 weeks and it has been a crazy ride - locations, casting, singing - the list goes on. I am having fun and learning some interesting things. I excited to start shooting. Avi is producing with Mike. I worked with Mike a few years back on his very sweet film 'Saint Ralph'. He is a great filmmaker and a really nice person.

I am also working on setting up an official Staggerdwheel website. So you will finally be able to find all info pertaining to my projects in one place. Yes - I am moving into the world of grown-up presentation.

Best get back to wrapping up this edit session.

Later.