Shooting People is partnering with Rooftop Films, Cinereach and IndiePix to stage two great panels as part of Rooftop Films' four day Panorama Weekend which starts tomorrow, Wednesday the 10th, and goes through Saturday the 13th. To see what's screening each evening, visit the Rooftop site.
The panels will take place back to back on Saturday evening on the roof of the Old American Can Factory in Gowanus / Park Slope, Brooklyn. From 5:00 - 6:00 p.m., there will be a panel called "Message vs. Craft: The Art of Effective 'Issue' Storytelling" moderated by Lina Srivastava. Srivastava will talk with Justin Schein, co-director of No Impact Man, Fabio Wuytack, director of Persona Non Grata (which will be shown that same evening at 9:00 p.m., its US premiere), Bilge Ebiri, film critic at New York Magazine, Leah Sapin of Arts Engine and Paola Mendoza, co-director of Entre Nos, about taking on topics related to social justice or human rights in hopes of influencing public opinion and inspiring action. They will discuss how a "social issue" filmmaker has to balance the need to educate with the imperative to entertain.
At 6:30, there will be another panel discussion called "Filmmaking Strategy: Tips, Tools and Wisdom to Help You Make the Right Decisions for Your Film." This group will discuss how to learn to be the best advocate for your own project by pondering questions such as: How much work (and what work, specifically) do you need to achieve on your own before approaching a funder? How can you tailor your pitch to communicate your vision to a foundation versus an equity investor? What other funding options are there? How do you balance traditional outreach to festivals, sales agents, broadcasters and distributors with the need to also create your own fan base? Which distribution deals do you accept? How do you know when a deal is a good one? The panelists are Adeila Ladjevardi of Cinereach, Janet Brown of Cinetic, Liz Ogilvie of B-Side, Tia Lessin, co-director of Trouble the Water, Andy Bichlbaum, co-director of The Yes Men Fix the World, and Simon Kilmurry, executive director of PBS' P.O.V. series. Should be enlightening.
To order tickets ($9) for the evening's program which includes the two panel discussions, a courtyard reception with free-flowing sangria, live music presented by Sound Fix Records and the above-mentioned film screening, click here. If it rains, which it's been doing a lot of lately, everything will be held indoors at the same location.
Thanks for posting this Pamela - it's going to be a great event! I'm excited about the panels AND the free sangria AND the screening of Persona Non Grata. Hope to see lots of documentary folk there!
Posted by: Ingrid Kopp | June 11, 2009 at 05:08 PM