Women in Film & Video New England, ELEMENT Productions, and Chelsea City Creative are proud to announce the creation of the Director Trainee Shadowing Program. This program was created in an effort to connect emerging directors from the underrepresented filmmaker communities with local area production companies.

The Director Trainee Shadowing Program provides members of WIFVNE an opportunity to “shadow” a commercial director during the pre-production process as well as potentially join the director on set. Film/TV and Commercial shadow programs can be the entrance into major careers for many TV and film professionals. Directors often state that their early days were spent at an internship or in a similar role prior to moving into a more permanent spot on a film set or at a TV/Production/Commercial house. The goal of this program is twofold. Emerging directors will experience, in real time, the director’s creative process when pitching and delivering a video for an agency or brand. The program will also introduce the emerging director to production companies in an effort to break down the industry hesitancy around hiring an “unknown director.”

“Women in Film & Video New England strives to create opportunities in this industry for those who desire and are driven to be a part of it”, says Sharon Contillo, President of Women in Film & Video New England. “This program is a way to bring parity, open doors, enhance skills, build relationships and networks that might not otherwise happen or be possible for some. We are extremely thrilled and grateful to ELEMENT Productions and Chelsea City Creative for opening their doors, their minds, and their expertise to help foster development of the director role to New England creatives.”

“ELEMENT is excited to support this initiative to promote more women in a typically male-dominated role. We hope this will be an exciting opportunity for many up-and-coming directors,” says Kristen Kearns, Executive Producer, ELEMENT Productions.

“As an agency producer I was concerned about the lack of diversity within the director community,” says Devra Sari Zabot of Chelsea City Creative. “Simply requesting a production vendor to provide equitable available director lists for upcoming projects was not the solution. I am thrilled that WIFVNE is committed to building this program and I cannot think of a better launch partner than with the extraordinary producer Kristen Kearns at ELEMENT Productions. The trainees in this program will have access to the best-in-class director and production process.”

Applications for the program open on April 19th and close on May 15th. For more information and to apply, please visit WIFVNE’s website at https://wifvne.org/Directorshadow. Please email any questions to shadowing@wifvne.org with SUBJECT: Director Shadow Program.

About Women in Film and Video New England:

Women in Film & Video New England (WIFVNE) works to “Widen the Lens” for New England filmmakers by advancing female storytellers in their craft through networking, community, mentorship, and education.

WIFVNE is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to supporting the accomplishments of women working in the film, video and new media industries. We provide an educational forum for media professionals and a valuable network for exchange of ideas and resources. WIFVNE works to promote proactive images of women to the public and to empower all women in film and video to achieve their professional potential. Women in Film & Video New England is a member of Women in Film & Television–US (WIFT-US) and Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI). WIFT-US and WIFTI work towards bringing gender parity to the industry.

For additional information, please visit the WIFVNE website. Not a member? Sign up here.

About ELEMENT Productions:

ELEMENT Productions is a full-service video production and post company creating content for distribution across all media platforms and was founded by Executive Producer Eran Lobel. For over 20 years, ELEMENT’s collaborative team of award-winning producers, directors, and editors, as well as writers, designers, and strategists, have applied their passions to tell poignant stories. Stories brought to life in documentary films, original television programs (episodic and specials), broadcast commercials, web videos and social content. With a global network of creative professionals, ELEMENT provides best-in-breed, innovative solutions to its clients’ ever-evolving content needs.

For more information, please visit https://element.cc/

About Chelsea City Creative:

Devra Sari Zabot is a freelance producer with in-house agency experience at Hasbro, Puma and Aetna, A CVS Health Company and has a background in scripted TV development. She produces unique events under Chelsea City Creative including comedy shows, films series, music series and community initiatives.

For more information, please visit https://www.chelseacitystudio.com

Fiction Feature Filmmakers: Have a work-in-progress screenplay? Apply now for the Sundance 2023 Development Track to be considered for multiple programs, fellowships, and grants. Deadline: May 12, 2022. Learn more and apply now.

Rough Cut Retreat offers a one-of-a-kind mentorship experience. Launched in 2016, RCR unites nonfiction filmmakers and mentors in a creative, supportive, and engaged atmosphere. After months in an edit suite, filmmakers often lose perspective; this is a key moment for fresh eyes in a safe space – a focus group for filmmakers to diagnose what is and isn’t working with their film. When selecting projects, True/False and Catapult prioritize work that displays an ambitious, idiosyncratic approach to nonfiction storytelling. We especially encourage filmmakers and those who do not have established feedback networks to apply. Additionally, preference will be given to projects that have not already received significant institutional support. Chosen mentors are professionals who embody creativity and generosity of spirit. Call For Entries runs from March 14th through April 29th, 2022. Learn more and apply now. 

WIFVNE Members Gabrielle Rosson and Alyson Muzila and WIFVNE Board Member Rachel S. Thomas-Medwid representing their films at the opening night of the Massachusetts Independent Film Festival in Worcester, MA in April.

Gabrielle's film "Dessert" was a nominee for Best Massachusetts Short, Alyson's film "Scotch, Please" a nominee for Best New England Short, and Rachel's film "In the Company of Crows" a nominee for Best Genre Short.

MassIFF has shown films annually since 2011 in the Boston area and is now run by The Shawna E. Shea Memorial Foundation Inc. The nonprofit organization, founded by Skip Shea, supports artists, especially women in filmmaking, through financial assistance, collaborative fellowships, mentoring, and educational opportunities.

The 15th edition of Salem Film Fest, an all-documentary film festival that takes place each year on Boston's North Shore took place Thursday, March 24 - Sunday, April 3, 2022.  After a brief hiatus from the 2021 festival, the Mass Reality Check returned at SFF 2022 thanks to these industry sponsors: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), Women in Film and Video New England (WIFVNE),  Boris FX and Talamas.

And the winners are:

1. SHIFTING HEIGHTS by Eamon Laughlin, Boston College

2. NANCY by Carlo Ang, Emerson College

3. THE MOBILIZED GENERATION by Caroline Lidz, Northeastern

Photo: Joey Phoenix/Salem Film Fest

Reprinted by permission from the Boston 48 Hour Film Project and Scott Lebeda.  Scott is a WIFVNE member.  And WIFVNE is a proud supporter of the 48Hour Film Project in cities such as Boston, New Haven, and Providence. 

The 48 Hour Film Project recently spoke with Scott Lebeda, Camera Operator on the Academy Award Best Film “CODA”.  Scott is a filmmaker from the Boston area.  Since 2011, he has taken part in twenty 48 Hour Film Projects—mostly in Boston, but also in Providence and New Haven.  (Below:  cast and crew of CODA, photo by Seacia Pavao)

 

48: How did you get started with the 48 and what roles have you taken on?
Scott: The first one I did was in 2011 when I answered a Facebook post looking for crew.  I have mostly been Director of Photography, Directing and sound mixing on the 48hrs that I have been a part of. I tend to lean heavily towards DP on most although I have directed 3 and mixed one. I’ve also contributed as a writer on quite a few.

48: What was your favorite 48 you made?
Scott:  My favorite 48 was the one that we did in New Haven, “Past Poets Now”, back in 2014. We won New Haven that year and got to screen in Hollywood at Filmapalooza. I was Director of Photography on that one and like a lot of the 48s that we did over the years really had a fun time making that movie.

48:  What was the worst thing that happened during a 48?
Scott:  We had a director on one of the 48s we did in Rhode Island pass out from heat exhaustion. Outside of that nothing too terrible happened on the 48s we did. The most stressful part is always exporting to thumb drive while someone drove you into the city to submit the film.

48: You’ve been in the industry for a while, what is your primary job?
Scott:  I’ve been working in camera departments on films and television for the last 15 years. I started as an AC on reality TV and quickly changed over to 2nd AC for features. I bumped up to a Focus Puller for many years.  I now work primarily as a Camera Operator on feature films, but still do some commercial work here and there. I also do some consulting and teaching from time to time.

48: Tell us about being on the crew that made CODA.
Scott: Being a part of the Coda crew has been such an amazing experience. The filming of Coda was one of the best on set experiences of my career and everything since then has been awesome! I mean we won Best Picture at the Oscars! What’s better than that?
  I was one of 2 camera operators on the film Coda. Most movies that we do we have two cameras on the entire job, A and B camera, and on Coda I was the B Camera Operator. Our A Camera Operator was a very talented Steadicam Op named Alec Jarnagin.

48:  Did you have any idea the movie would be so popular?
Scott:  We always knew that Coda was something special while we were filming it. There were just so many aspects of this film that stood out. The cast was so incredible, they had this chemistry together that you don’t see that often. They really did feel like a family on set. Emilia Jones who played Ruby in the movie was amazing to watch work. She learned to sign for Coda, did all her own singing and is British so had to maintain the American teenager accent the whole time. There were times during filming that we all felt that we were getting to see the beginning of a legendary career! When I first read the script, I was really impressed with how beautiful the story was. Sian Heder really did an amazing job adapting the French movie that Coda was based on. Then on top of the cast and the amazing story there was all the crew that we got to make this movie with. People who I have been making movies with for the last 15 years here in New England and have been a part of building the amazing film community. My 2nd AC on Coda was a fellow 48hr Film Project Alum, Felix Giuffrida.

48: What advice do you have for people looking to get into the film/video industry?
Scott:  Get out there and make something. Take part in the 48hr Film Projects, make your own shorts, make your own music videos, commercials, etc. Just get out there and make something. Also, get on to features and work. Start as a Production Assistant and learn how to be on a set. Learn what each department does and then decide what department you want to end up in. Make sure to let those working in that department know you’re interested in working in their department. Try to get into specific departments as a PA and move your way up from there. If you spend a long time being an undecided PA then you’ll end up PA’ing for longer then you want to.

48: What were some of the things you found valuable in doing the 48 Hour Film Project?
Scott: Getting to know others who work in the film industry already is a very valuable part of the 48 Hour Film Project. I made a lot of strong connections and friends on the 48hr Film Projects that I did. I met Felix Giuffrida on a 48hr Film Project 10 years ago and now he and I work on features all the time together. He was my 2nd AC on Coda. Along with Felix there are several other crew that I met on 48hr Film Projects that I still work with professionally today. Those connections that I made during the 48hr Film Projects have been invaluable.

I was lucky enough to be able to go to film school and obtain a degree in Film and Television, but I know plenty of people that were not able to. A lot of them learned film by working on 48hrs and making connections with crews that had already established in the business. I cannot stress enough how valuable the 48hr Film Project is to up and coming filmmakers.

President Sharon Contillo and RI Co-Chair Hannah Eaton attended the 2022 Alliance for Community Media conference and trade show. The event was held in person March 31-April 1 at the Renaissance Providence Downtown Hotel in Providence, RI.

The Alliance for Community Media Northeast Region (ACM - NE) holds an annual conference and trade show each year targeting our members in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York.

Community media professionals, board members, and producers attend our event each year. This event provides a unique opportunity for exhibitors and sponsors to engage with those who seek products, services, and resources to assist them in their work; and to connect with current customers and identify new ones.

WIFVNE Shares:  WIFVNE member Scott Lebeda was one of the two camera operators on CODA, which won three Academy Awards including Best Picture. See Scott (center) on set in the picture below, and read the article from WCAI. 

Five WIFVNE members were part of the New England cast and crew for the shoot of the psychological horror film Penny, written and directed by WIFVNE Board Member Rachel S. Thomas-Medwid.

The three-day shoot took place in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, in September with Lynn Weissman as Director of Photography, Maddie Staszak as First AC, Alyson Muzila in the role of Mae (with her 8-year-old daughter, Ava, playing a young Penny), and Diana Vicol doing behind the scenes photography. 

Penny—about a hard-core female chef fighting off primitive impulses during a series of dates as memories of her mentally ill mother bleed into current-day life—is being released in March 2022.

Captions: 1) Rachel, Lynn, Maddie 2) Rachel, Lynn, Maddie, and Ava Muzila 3) Alyson Muzila and crew

Send WIFVNE your photos and on-set experiences with other WIFVNE members so we can share the news!  Email info@womeninfilmvideo.org

(h/t Film Industry Marketing Newsletter aka the WIFT Marketing Circle) 

Across the country, the film from Ukraine, The Guide (see trailer here) will be playing and raising money for the film industry in Ukraine, which by the way, was booming before the invasion. Check out links below to get involved, see the film if you are near one of the showings, and generally connect with what is happening in the industry in conjunction with current events. And, if you don’t have a showing near you, maybe you ask others in the area to set one up with you.

You never know who you might meet. You must get outside your own watering hole to expand the horizons wide enough that you create opportunities. And most important, you are helping at a time when there is such a need. - Christine Merser, Managing Partner, Blue Shoe Content

Read entire article here… LOS ANGELES, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On Friday, March 18, many leading U.S. movie exhibitors will begin to play Oles Sanin's acclaimed feature film THE GUIDE, subtitled, in their theaters with box-office proceeds to be donated to Ukrainian Relief Efforts. The film's director and producer, Sanin, is currently locked down in Kyiv, but has just provided a moving introduction now attached to the movie. It conveys the urgency of the situation and the need for assistance.

Ukraine has a rich history of filmmaking that reaches back more than a century. For much of that time, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, but in the last 30 years Ukraine's film industry has stood on its own. Indeed, before Russia's 2022 invasion, Ukraine was a vibrant center of film production.

In the 1930s, the Soviet regime pursued agricultural and other policies that led to the deaths of millions of Ukrainians. This "Terror Famine" represented a genocide aimed at Ukraine. In 2014; Ukrainian filmmakers produced and released THE GUIDE, a drama set in the 1930s depicting this Soviet oppression. The drama was selected as the Ukrainian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards. The film also won the Best Actor and Cinematography awards that year at the Odessa International Film Festival. In addition, Oles Sanin's film was nominated for the grand prize at both the Odessa and the Warsaw International Film Festival.

To support the effort, the Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition will be delivering the film by satellite, while PaperAirplane Media will provide the marketing assets and necessary support materials. Distribution will be handled by Falling Forward Films. All parties are working free of charge to ensure as much money as possible is delivered to the Ukrainian people.

Audiences are advised to find the closest theater in your city, BUY TICKETS

http://www.StandwithUkrainethroughfilm.com

or DONATE at

http://www.StandwithUkrainethroughfilm.org

(Not Rated-Some graphic wartime violence-127 Minutes)

Watch the Trailer

Media Contact

Amy Prenner, "Stand With Ukraine: The Guide", +1 (310) 709-1101, amy@theprennergroup.com

Jeremy Devine, "Stand With Ukraine: The Guide", jeremymdevine@gmail.com

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