If you're like me, you often look at the list of filmmaker panels at film festivals and bemoan the fact that you just have to miss what might be a great conversation in order to go catch a movie. But what if there was a whole weekend of top rung film festival panels, with no movies to skip? This is exactly what Film Independent have put together with their annual Film Independent Forum that once again takes place this weekend at Los Angeles's Directors Guild of America.
You may have caught our similarly titled preview last year. And if you took our advice, you were privileged to take part in some of the most informative and inspiring panels that happen in the film industry. Many of these are even better than film festival panels - and the opportunities to meet new people are just as prevalent.
Here are 5 reasons to head on down to the DGA this weekend.
Opening Night Screening: Nightcrawler
The event always opens up with a screening of a yet-to-be released film and this year it's Dan Gilroy's amazingly intense Nightcrawler. In his Toronto review, Jason Gorber called it, "deeply philosophical while remaining both captivating and entertaining." It's a good one.
Tim League?!
Yes that's right. Good friend of ScreenAnarchy and everyone's favorite theater chain/distribution company/film festival founder Tim League will be delivering Sunday morning's keynote. This will quite literally be the first time we've seen Tim speaking to an audience without a beer in his hand.
Other notable speakers include Afternoon Delight director Jill Soloway, actor and E.P. of Rectify Ray McKinnon, and Forum fave/consultant Peter Broderick.
See the list of speakers here
A Focus on Genre
This year the Forum is putting an extra focus on genre cinema with a marquee panel they are calling: "A New Wave of Horror: Breakthrough Genre Directors. Moderated by Elvis Mitchel (hmm), the panelists include:
Ana Lily Amirpour (writer/director/producer, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night)
Leigh Janiak (writer/director, Honeymoon)
Daniel Noah (Co-President/Director of Development, SpectreVision; Producer/EP Cooties, The Boy, Open Windows, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night)
Adam Wingard (director, The Guest, V/H/S, You’re Next)
Here's the full description:
We conclude our tenth Forum with an eclectic mix of breakthrough horror directors and new voices of genre cinema who will engage in a free-wheeling, thought provoking conversation about fresh new narratives and genre bending filmmaking as a way to independence.
IndieLink & Lunch-Time Networking
This year's Forum continues the tradition of letting filmmakers book 10 minute slots with industry insiders (more info here). On top of that, the "Off-The-Record Networking Lunches" give attendees a chance to chat more informally with numerous filmmakers and professionals from all across the industry.
More Case Studies!
Hear right from the horse's mouth how your favorite indie film got made. This year's case studies include Short Term 12, Land Ho!, and Beneath the Harvest Sky.