I'm Mortal Impact

Leaving a legacy is no small performance for those who once lived. I only when I got to university, read the L. Frank Baum novel, and saw the play, did I fully understand the nuance, metaphor, milieu and true marvel of The Wizard of Oz. As a child, not even Dorothy's sparkling ruby red kicks nor her lush vocal chops could hold my attention.

Safe in my metropolitan 'Kansas', I was not searching for a wizard. Nor did I require an escape from my place in this world. There was no place like my home. Full of glory and excitement, having two loving parents, tons of sisters and brothers, a house of love falling upon me each day, and occasionally a family pooch to keep me moving gaily forward.

Today, I learned Jerry Maren, the last surviving munchkin from The Wizard of Oz passed away. Maren will surely ease on down the road and find Hollywood immortality and beyond. On screen, he represented the Lollipop Guild and famously gifted Dorothy (Judy Garland) the large, red and white swirled lollipop just before she and her pup, Toto, headed onto the yellow brick road to self-discovery before encountering the Wizard.

Released in the cinematic landmark year of 1939 by MGM, The Wizard of Oz won two Oscars, both for music, Original Song and Original Score and remains a favorite all across the globe.

There remains and shall always be, that and those, never to be clicked away.

Blueprint to an Oscar

Recently I was asked if the wildly lauded and multi-Oscar nominated film 'Moonlight' reminded me of my first film 'Blueprint.'  With a ton of trepidation, I responded, "Yes."

Both 'Moonlight' and 'Blueprint' share and explore certain and similar narratives, aesthetic and imagery.  However, 'Moonlight' director, Barry Jenkins, original text writer, Tarell Alvin McCraney, and I share very different experiences warehoused in familiar human vessels.  At our most visual, we are African American.  We are men.  At our creative core, we have been reared, cultivated, educated, slain, and rendered invisible and uniquely marginalized, if our achievements are off of the sports grids.  With this, it makes my, and maybe Barry's and Tarell's' storytelling and view of our shared world very special and quite nuanced.

As a filmmaker, 'Blueprint, was deliberately inspired by two (2) things.  The first was the lack of images which unfolded my particular life scenario; and, secondly, Marlon Riggs' 'Tongues Untied', Kai Wai Wong's 'Happy Together,' Jenny Livingston's 'Paris Is Burning' and Spike Lee's 'Do the Right Thing.'  I intepret, output and share with the world via my art, language and expression based on all of my days before today, all the way down to the shores of my ancestors' original departure.

So as I cheer on the filmmakers of 'Moonlght' from Director to Grip, I know 'Blueprint' is apart of the DNA and path into the Oscar spotlight and gold standard.

Now Playing: Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You

The 11th annual Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You is set to unspool. New York's Museum of Modern Art’s (MoMA) Department of Film, in association with IFP, and Filmmaker magazine curates the best and unsung cinematic expression from the film festival circuit that have yet to be picked up for theatrical distribution.

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You has become an invaluable resource for cinephiles who seek to take in the newest emerging talent in American filmmaking on the big screen from visual film, video and digital artists to the freshest indie filmmakers.

This film series is dedicated to bringing New York audiences conversations around independent cinema and in-person engagement with filmmakers. The selected films are All This Panic, directed by Jenny Gage; Free in Deed (New York Premiere), directed by Jake Mahaffy; Hotel Dallas, directed by Sherng-Lee Huang and Livia Ungur; The Nine, directed by Katy Grannan; and The Pearl directed by Jessica Dimmock and Christopher LaMarca.

BFNPTNY takes place from December 16th - December 19th at MoMA. For more information on films, screening times, and filmmaker Q&As, visit:  MoMA.

Thee Awards Season, Again

It is that time of year once more, autumn leaves, pumpkins, turkeys, silver bells, Santa and red carpets. As a dedicated independent filmmaker, who can only deal with Hollywood in the 4th quarter when $100 million dollar film productions are set aside to unroll the $100 million marketing and PR campaigns as Hollywoodteurs unleash their best and most thoughtful film fare with dreams of Oscar gold on their minds, ostensibly ushering in Thee Awards Season. It is a very special time of year where celebriots seek vindication after a year of bombastic cinemaplex distraction.

This year, 2016, showed promise for the likes of 'The Birth of a Nation,' however, in a bit of irony, as the nation elected its first outright racist, homophobic, xenophobic, misogynist, and so many of anti-human behavior traits, US President, a long overdue cinematic unfolding of the true story of American hero, Nat Turner, a man seeking full ownership of his body and person, the film was marred in reckless scandal, while the most unpopular 60,000,000+ Americans elected a completely unqualified verbal brut to the highest office in our land and the world.

Of course, there are no guarantees in the Oscar votership of Hollywood nor with the attitudes or behavior of the American public; however, unpredictability seems always to be omnipresent throughout the land. While films like 'Moonlight,' 'Loving,' 'Fences,' 'Manchester by the Sea,' 'La La Land' and 'Lion,' are certain to make Hollywood feel great again with nuanced, if familiar, storytelling and narratives, the red carpet and epic award season is the ultimate Hollywood escape.  

Once upon a filmmaking, there was a time in the not so distant past, where I eagerly awaited Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Film, Sundance Film Festival Audience Winners, Festival de Cannes Official Selections, and the IFC Gotham Independent Film Awards.

This morning, the 2016 Gotham Awards nominees were announced. For many insiders, journalists, filmmakers and Academy voting members, today signals the advent of awards season and the red carpet parade. Each year the list of names, production companies and distributors become more recognizable and achingly familiar, leading to the inquiry: Where is the independence? What is independent film?

While posing the rhetorical threat, I will offer some of this year's roster of nominations: Paramount Pictures, Amazon Studios, Roadside Attractions, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics, Annette Benning, Natalie Portman and Jeff Bridges. There is nothing particularly independent about said nomenclature and as a producer of independent film, the evolution from indie to Hollywood is to change or evolve the studio system from a closed narrative to an inclusive movie production arena where all stories are told. It is also to emerge from meager budgeted innovative cinema production to fully secured productions capable of being articulated to larger audiences.

With that said, I congratulate the 2016 Gotham Awards nominees, and look forward to not fully knowing any of the winners.

Making the Circuit. Flickeria's latest film Juliens's Bed has been accepted into the prestigious Thessaloniki Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival.

Known for its highly selected programming, TGLIFF always delivers a provocative slate of stand-out international cinema gems which veers entertainment into the fresh voices shaping the future of cinema and well beyond. Thessaloniki provides emerging filmmakers a platform to showcase their talent and vision while unfolding story narratives addressing issues in human rights, political, environmental and global issues without being didactic or pedantic.

Although our French-American-Arabic collaboration, Julien's Bed, screening has been pushed back until 2017. Flickeria is proud to be included into such an important world film festival and among those designing the future.

Flickeria is proud to announce our latest film Julien's Bed is now an Official Selection of the Hong Kong Arthouse Film Festival.

Get Into the Directors' Chair

Warner Bros. Pictures launches yet another Emerging Film Directors' Workshop to incubate your cinematic talent.

While we struggling and slightly starving filmmakers, video artists and digital content creators welcome the thought of a salary, noted million dollar mentor and access to Warner Bros. Pictures, selecting only five (5) potential emerging film directors out of a spool that must be limitless and daunting casting. Might I suggest Hollywoodteurs (yes, I coined this term), attend emerging and diverified film festivals, scan YouTube, peruse Vimeo, access Artist-in-Residence participants, and scour emerging filmmaker websites to court and woo potential and innovative filmmakers whose filmatic flourishes catches a fancy suit's eye driven from the creator's unique vision and sui generis voice.

For us, emerging filmmakers, of course, we must apply, what else is there for an emerging artist in a land where Kim Kardashian and Donald Trump are the zenith of popularity alongside of 'Deadpool?' However, consider this, as you gather up your documentation, tweak your essay, update your bio, and link your samples to apply and spend days, weeks, months waiting for word from WB:

• Brainstorm an Idea or Story
• Research the Idea
• Write a Script
• Get a Producer
• Set a Budget - $0.00 is a budget in the indie film world
• Cast
• Assemble a Crew - in 2016 a Producer and a Director can equate a Film Crew
• Schedule a Shoot
• Grab a Camera (Mobile Device, Ipad, Laptop, HD, Film, Video) 
• Shoot
• Edit
• Screen the Finish Project (Online, Home, Film Festivals)

In the end, the most important thing is to repeat this process and to be innovative, original and place something new, and if not new, because we all know this is the ultimate challenge, at least something that is fresh and feels new and inspires other emerging talents -- even a man in a $5,000 made-to-measure suit to launch.

AS OUR NATION celebrates Black History Month, Flickeria wants to acknowledge the pioneers of African American Cinema. 'Pioneers of African-American Cinema' is a Kickstarter funded project curated by Charles Musser and Jacqueline Stewart, executive produced by Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky), and produced by Bret Wood for Kino Lorber.

From the 1920s and into the 1940s, there is yet another unsung chapter of African American history and American cinema history, known as the “race film.” Race films were funded, written, produced, directed, distributed, and often exhibited by people of color throughout the nation in convention theaters as well as churches, halls, fields, and anyplace these cinema innovators could pitch a screen and attract an audience.

While previously circulated in poor quality 16mm prints, these newly restored versions (The Blood of Jesus, Birthright, Within Our Gates, Dirty Gertie from Harlem, U.S.A.) allow audiences to witness the legacies and brilliance of filmmakers Oscar Micheaux, Spencer Williams, and other African American cineastes with an engaged eye and fresh perspective onto the process and this important legacy to Hollywood, the nation, the African American community, and indeed, the world.

PIONEERS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN CINEMA series is now unspooling at Film Forum.

The 2016 Oscar Nominations Are. . . .

THE 2016 OSCAR NOMINATIONS have been announced. The current members of the Academy has brought forth a listing the is pretty much the same and reflective as the very first list of cinema professionals from the year 1929.

Greenlight is a blog dedicated to presenting opportunities to the diversification of filmmakers and cinema. Greenlight shares information on fellowships, grants, and filmmaker residencies to showcase a broad range of films with a wide range of genre and storytelling.

When filmmakers of all classification can greenlight their own productions and share engaging stories, innovative camera operation, dynamic cinematography and a wide range of cast and crew members who bring their vision into fruition, only then will the academy evolve to an Oscar list of nominations that captures the essence and culture of the American landscape rather the economic and marketing strategies of Hollywood.

When that Oscar nomination list appears, Greenlight will gladly provide you with a link. Until then. . . . .STAY TUNED.

GET BLACK LISTED

BUBBLES, a screenplay about Michael Jackson's life with his infamous chimpanzee, Bubbles, 
tops the 2015 The Black List.

TBL recognizes the year’s most liked unproduced screenplays as voted on by film executives. Coming in first place with 44 votes is Isaac Adamson’s script (Bubbles), which follows Michael Jackson’s life through the eyes and via the voice of his adopted chimpanzee and friend, Bubbles. The agency is CAA, agent is Joe Mann and management is Lee Stobby Entertainment.

Founded by Franklin Leonard, and now in its 11th year as a full-on moneymaking operation. The Black List originally started out as a film industry development executive survey and has grown into a boutique list to serve and integrate innovative, imagination and independent screenplay writers/filmmakers seeking to penetrate the glass perimeter of Hollywood top agents, managers and executives who posses the power to greenlight a production with access to marquee talent, studio backing, financing, film festival positioning, onto the big screen and placed on award ballots. This year's list had 250 screenplays, with 81 scripts making the final 2015 list.

Since its beginning, over 225 Black List screenplays have been made into feature films earning nearly $20billion at the worldwide box office, 171 Academy Awards nominations and have won 35, including Best Pictures for Slumdog Millionaire, The King's Speech, and Argo, and seven (7) of the last twelve (12) screenwriting Oscars.  GET ON THE BLACK LIST.

SONY PICTURES needs you.  In the ever demanding world, expansion of digital technology and cultural relativism, the Hollywood suits who have never spent a moment of their lives not looking at their reflection on television, greeting cards, in Pre-Raphaelite art, movies. museums, galleries, magazines, global advertisements, cured in stained glass -- and of course the Executive Offices of every single organization across the entire USA, where the privilege of maintaining 400 years of self imaging is coming to a crescendo within the fluidity and access of the World Wide Web.

With that knowledge and reality, Sony Pictures will pay you and provide you with an opportunity for them to save themselves under the guise of business appropriation in the form of fellow.  If you aspire to be a creative executive in the pale arena of Hollywood, Sony Pictures is offering a paid fellowship for one (1) year in their Development & Production Departments where you can provide them with something they do not have: access, talent, and knowledge to all things out-of-their-boxes.

For sure, this is an opportunity, a foot in the door; however, Sony Pictures' Human Resources Department and Talent Recruitment Office have the resources to recruit and hire viable candidates for careers beyond a one (1) year commitment.  So read and take note of the not so fine print: "Strong consideration will be given to candidates from communities traditionally underrepresented in film and television."

Willing candidates may take advantage of Sony Pictures here.

GOT THE GREENLIGHT.  Hollywood sources are saying “Straight Outta Compton” director, F. Gary Gray, is a near lock-in to helm "Fast and Furious 8,” the latest installment in the bankable action thriller franchise.

Via social media, Vin Diesel, the star and producer of “Furious” posted a photo of himself with Gray hinting that the director was set to take the reins of Universal’s nearly unstoppable global motion-picture series.  If truly given greenlight, Gray, will take over from James Wan, who directed “Furious 7.” Other "F&F" franchise directors are Justin Lin, who helmed installments three through six.  The first film 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious,” was directed by Rob Cohen, while John Singleton directed its first sequel, “2 Fast, 2 Furious.”

The Hollywood rumor mill has also churned out, "FF8" will also feature Paul Walker's brother Cody as Jack O'Conner.  Production is set to begin in spring of 2016 with pre-production to start next in November.  The release date is set for April 2017.

BE BRAVE, BOLD and you will change our world. The Brave New Fellows Program is seeking passionate, driven, and creative people who use visual storytelling to re-image, reconstruct and advance our world.

The Brave New Fellows Program envisions a world where visual storytellers from all backgrounds have a voice and a place to create impactful media. BNFP needs you. Reports, statistics, think tanks, demographics and Hollywood movie release after movie release continue to display the dearth disparities and complete lack of opportunities for cross-cultural innovation, imaginative ideas, fresh storytelling and originality.

Part of BNFP's mission is to break down the systemic barriers that limit opportunities for people of color and people from marginalized communities by empowering fellows with tools and training to become stronger activists and versatile advocates for social justice all while making film, networking and developing your voice.

As a fellow, you will champion social justice, inspire media, empower themselves, motivate corporation, engage community and truly make a difference through civic participation. If this sounds like you, learn more at: bravenewfilms.org.

Hues Pay-Off

Hollywood has been given a black eye as "Straight Outta Compton' collects over $110 million at the boxoffice in less than two weeks becoming the unsung hero of summer 2015.

The making of and getting 'Straight Outta Compton' into cinemaplexes around the United States is reminiscent of 1976.  Last week, TVOne's brilliant docu-series 'Usung Hollywood' presented the back story on the groundbreaking film 'Car Wash.'  Today 'Car Wash' is a cult classic film throughout the American landscape; however, as the story goes, Hollywood suits at the time, 1976, claimed not know how to market the film, unfold the story, cast the actors, edit the final film or deal with the movie. "It's a black film!, Hollywood players declared.

At Cannes, the Jury wanted to award 'Car Wash' its highest honor, the Palme d'Or; however, the two American jurors strictly forbid this.  In retaliation and fully recognizing its importance and true value, the other jurors created two special awards for 'Car Wash' recognizing its importance to international cinema, when the Americans were reluctantly to see the bigger picture and the future of global filmmaking.

It is unfortunate Hollywoodteurs continue do not want to understand, see, proper and create a rich legacy from inclusive cinema.  Like 'Car Wash,' through 'Straight Outta Compton' Hollywood has another opportunity to change, update, and modernize the rules of its way too exclusive game.

 The 53rd cinematic curation of the New York Film Festival has been announced.  This year's stellar array of international movie flickery highlights the best in world cinema, featuring films from celebrated filmmakers and emerging talent over 17-days in Manhattan.

Unspooling begins on September 25th with director Robert Zemeckis' The Walk and wraps on October 11th with actor Don Cheadle's directorial debut, Miles Ahead, about iconic musician, Miles Davis. NYFF/53 offers 26 film gems including the World Premieres of Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, starring Tom Hanks in the Cold War story of the 1962 exchange of a U-2 pilot for a Soviet agent and Laura Israel’s Don’t Blink – Robert Frank, a documentary portrait of the great photographer and filmmaker.

For the first time, New York audiences will get to view Cannes 2015 Best Director Hou Hsiao-hsien’s The Assassin and Todd Haynes’s Carol, starring Rooney Mara.  Other notables filmmakers returning to NYFF with new works include documentarian, Michael Moore, with Where To Invade Next, which takes a hard and surprising look at the state of our nation from a fresh perspective; NYFF mainstay Hong Sangsoo, who will present his latest masterwork, Right Now, Wrong Then, about the relationship between a middle-aged art-film director and a fledgling artist; and French director Arnaud Desplechin, who is back with the funny and heartrending story of young love My Golden Days, starring Mathieu Amalric and newcomers Quentin Dolmaire and Lou Roy-Lecollinet.

Director and Selection Committee Chair of the New York Dilm Festival, Kent Jones says, “I could talk about the geographical range of the films in the selection, the mix of artistic sensibilities. . .but the only thing that really matters is how uniformly beautiful and vital each of these movies are.”

Tickets are on sale now.

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COME summer, emerging indie filmmakers and roving film festival circuiteurs eagerly await Filmmaker Magazine's highly coveted and completely subjective "25 New Faces of Independent Film" list of up-and-coming independent filmmakers.

Twenty-fifteen's holy scroll includes not only directors, but talent in all areas of filmmaking, including actors, cinematographers, animators, writers and more.  As their art reflects their life and the world around them, this year's "25 New Faces" use their vision, voice and camera to tackle current news and sensitive subjects of our day, from poverty and homelessness, to race and police violence - and, of course, the multi ring circus of politics.

Get familiar and keep an eye on this fresh and exciting crop of cinema professionals.  Chances are you will be hearing from them soon.

BILLION DOLLAR GRAB

PIONEERING independent film company, Miramax, founded by publicity hounds, Harvey and Bob Weinstein in 1979, is apparently up for sale, again.  Miramax, which owns the rights to hundreds of Hollywood films including "Pulp Fiction" and "The English Patient," is exploring its profiteering options. 

The Santa Monica based company is currently held by an investor group including Qatar Holding and investment firm Colony Capital, which purchased the company from Disney in 2010 for $660 million.

While the company is best known for both its Oscar seeking trickery and its extensive cash cow film library, Miramax has recently started to distribute new movies ("Mr. Holmes") and also ventured into TV production with a Spanish/Latin market oriented series based on Robert Rodriguez's film "From Dusk Till Dawn."   Insiders say, the pricetag is in the billion dollar neighborhood.  OF COURSE.

  SEE independent film at its finest and most original. The 7th annual curation of BAMcinemaFest is here.  Each year, BCF presents the New York premiere of this season's soon to be talked about, influential and innovative indie cinema fair.

DON'T miss out.  Read all about the films, meet the filmmakers, see trailers and get your tickets at WWW.BAM.ORG.

New Hire

YOU WANT THIS JOB?  Disney CFO, James Rasulo, will leave on June 30th. Rasulo, whose contract expired in January 2015, made $16.2 million in the fiscal year that ended in September 2014, says Disney via its latest proxy. In March 2015, Rasulo sold $12 million worth of his Disney stock.

RASULO joined Disney in 1986 as Director, Strategic Planning and Development following stints at Chase Manhattan Bank and Marriott Corp. He recently was key to the acquisition of Maker Studios and was pivotal in the acquisition of Lucasfilm.  He was involved with the expansion of Disney’s California Adventure, the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, and the initial development of the new Shanghai Disney Resort during his tenure at Disney Parks and Resorts.

CONTACT your headhunter.  The Walt Disney Company says it will name a new CFO “at a later date.”