After weeks of turmoil that culminated in the resignations of two staff members, the Sundance Film Festival has spoken publicly about the controversy caused by the film “Jihad Rehab.” Meg Smaker’s documentary about former Guantanamo Bay prisoners being held in a Saudi Arabian rehab facility has attracted controversy from the moment it was selected for Sundance. Criticisms of the film ranged from accusations that it did little to help offensive stereotypes about Muslim men to more serious charges that the documentary placed its subjects in danger.
IndieWire’s Eric Kohn summarized the film community’s grievances with the movie, writing “among the many problems with director Meg Smaker’s look at a Saudi Arabian institution designed to help former Guantanamo Bay prisoners reintegrate into society: There’s the title, which reinforces the most negative connotations of the term ‘jihad’; the positioning of the subjects as ominous Muslim stereotypes; and...
IndieWire’s Eric Kohn summarized the film community’s grievances with the movie, writing “among the many problems with director Meg Smaker’s look at a Saudi Arabian institution designed to help former Guantanamo Bay prisoners reintegrate into society: There’s the title, which reinforces the most negative connotations of the term ‘jihad’; the positioning of the subjects as ominous Muslim stereotypes; and...
- 2/19/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Two Sundance Institute employees have resigned in response to the hot-button documentary “Jihad Rehab” that played at last month’s Sundance Film Festival, a Sundance representative confirmed.
Brenda Coughlin, director of Impact, Engagement and Advocacy with the Sundance Institute, and Karim Ahmad, director of the Outreach & Inclusion Program, both resigned following the festival in the wake of criticism that “Jihad Rehab” is Islamophobic and promotes jingoism and other stereotypes. And some associated with the movie have sought to distance themselves from their involvement via social media.
As first reported by IndieWire, Coughlin and Ahmad were each tagged on an email sent to the festival’s directors in which a group of Muslim filmmakers voiced their concerns over the documentary. However, neither participated in a Zoom follow-up meeting that staffers had with the authors of the letter to address their concerns.
“We would like to extend our gratitude to both Brenda...
Brenda Coughlin, director of Impact, Engagement and Advocacy with the Sundance Institute, and Karim Ahmad, director of the Outreach & Inclusion Program, both resigned following the festival in the wake of criticism that “Jihad Rehab” is Islamophobic and promotes jingoism and other stereotypes. And some associated with the movie have sought to distance themselves from their involvement via social media.
As first reported by IndieWire, Coughlin and Ahmad were each tagged on an email sent to the festival’s directors in which a group of Muslim filmmakers voiced their concerns over the documentary. However, neither participated in a Zoom follow-up meeting that staffers had with the authors of the letter to address their concerns.
“We would like to extend our gratitude to both Brenda...
- 2/9/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Two senior staffers at the Sundance Institute have resigned from their positions in response to the decision to program the documentary “Jihad Rehab,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last month. Brenda Coughlin, director of Impact and Strategy, and Karim Ahmad, director of the Outreach & Inclusion Program, tendered their resignations last month. Both will continue to work at the Institute through February.
As IndieWire previously reported, in January a group of Muslim American filmmakers submitted a letter to Sundance voicing their concerns about the movie, which was part of the U.S. Documentary Competition. Coughlin and Ahmad were among the Sundance staffers copied on the email, along with festival director Tabitha Jackson and director of programming Kim Yutani, but neither Coughlin nor Ahmad participated in a follow-up meeting with the letter’s authors over Zoom.
In addition to taking issue with the movie’s title, which misappropriates the term...
As IndieWire previously reported, in January a group of Muslim American filmmakers submitted a letter to Sundance voicing their concerns about the movie, which was part of the U.S. Documentary Competition. Coughlin and Ahmad were among the Sundance staffers copied on the email, along with festival director Tabitha Jackson and director of programming Kim Yutani, but neither Coughlin nor Ahmad participated in a follow-up meeting with the letter’s authors over Zoom.
In addition to taking issue with the movie’s title, which misappropriates the term...
- 2/9/2022
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Sundance Institute has named the recipients of the inaugural Uprise Grant Fund and Arts Organization Grants, supporting Bipoc artists.
The Uprise Grant Fund specifically looks to uplift Bipoc artists, whose careers and creative development have been harmed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 38 U.S.-based artists selected for the grant are Yasmin Almanaseer, Fatimah Asghar, Hadeel Assali, Lena Chen, Edyka Chilomé, Dominic Colón, Min Ding, Mandolin Eisenberg, Ash Goh Hau, Leandro Fabrizi, Kayla Farrish, Brittany Franklin, Dickie Hearts, Armando Ibanez, Carlos Ibarra, Cashmere Jasmine, Henry Alexander Kelly, Patrick G. Lee, Sasha-Gay Lewis, Alika Maikau, Andre Muir, Marcos Nieves, San-San Onglatco, Naima Ramos-Chapman, Faye Ruiz, Jazmin Jones, Nyjia, Nova Scott-James, Michael Shayan, Wendi Sierra, Bryan Sih, Weng-San Sit, Josalynn Smith, Nay Tabarra, Nesaru Tchaas, Jingjing Tian, So Yun Um, Derrick Woods-Morrow, and Yuan Yuan.
80% of Uprise artist grantees work in traditional film disciplines; the other 20% work primarily in emerging media or theatre disciplines.
The Uprise Grant Fund specifically looks to uplift Bipoc artists, whose careers and creative development have been harmed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 38 U.S.-based artists selected for the grant are Yasmin Almanaseer, Fatimah Asghar, Hadeel Assali, Lena Chen, Edyka Chilomé, Dominic Colón, Min Ding, Mandolin Eisenberg, Ash Goh Hau, Leandro Fabrizi, Kayla Farrish, Brittany Franklin, Dickie Hearts, Armando Ibanez, Carlos Ibarra, Cashmere Jasmine, Henry Alexander Kelly, Patrick G. Lee, Sasha-Gay Lewis, Alika Maikau, Andre Muir, Marcos Nieves, San-San Onglatco, Naima Ramos-Chapman, Faye Ruiz, Jazmin Jones, Nyjia, Nova Scott-James, Michael Shayan, Wendi Sierra, Bryan Sih, Weng-San Sit, Josalynn Smith, Nay Tabarra, Nesaru Tchaas, Jingjing Tian, So Yun Um, Derrick Woods-Morrow, and Yuan Yuan.
80% of Uprise artist grantees work in traditional film disciplines; the other 20% work primarily in emerging media or theatre disciplines.
- 7/29/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The Sundance Institute on Wednesday announced the launch of two grant funds totaling $200,000 that will support up to 35 artists and arts organizations. The first, the Uprise Grant Fund, launches today and will support artists of color who have been impacted by the pandemic. The second, the Arts Organizations Grant, will see its applications launch later this spring.
“These funds intend to address the deeply disproportionate effects the pandemic and racial terror have had on artists of color. With Uprise, our goal is to provide unrestricted financial support to those artists at key moments in their career development with the sole aim of combating the erasure of these important voices from our culture and society” Karim Ahmad, director, outreach and inclusion, said in a statement.
The Uprise Grant Fund will support up to 25 emerging U.S.-based artists whose creative development has been impacted by the pandemic. The unrestricted fund was...
“These funds intend to address the deeply disproportionate effects the pandemic and racial terror have had on artists of color. With Uprise, our goal is to provide unrestricted financial support to those artists at key moments in their career development with the sole aim of combating the erasure of these important voices from our culture and society” Karim Ahmad, director, outreach and inclusion, said in a statement.
The Uprise Grant Fund will support up to 25 emerging U.S.-based artists whose creative development has been impacted by the pandemic. The unrestricted fund was...
- 3/10/2021
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Sundance Institute on Wednesday announced two new funds that will contribute $100,000 each to Black, Indigenous and artists of color and arts organizations, specifically those whose work has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new funds follow Sundance’s Respond and Reimagine Fund, which doled out $1 million to other Bipoc artists who were disproportionally affected by the pandemic.
The first new fund, The Uprise Grant Fund, launches Wednesday with an open application and is intended for artists in particular. $100,000 will be dedicated to 25 emerging, U.S.-based Bipoc artists whose creative development was impacted by the pandemic. The unrestricted fund was created by Sundance Outreach and Inclusion Program and will support personal livelihoods and creative projects.
The second fund, the Arts Organization Fund, specifically goes to other arts groups, with $100,000 being contributed to eight to 10 U.S.-based organizations led by Bipoc and who are working in film, theater or emerging media.
The new funds follow Sundance’s Respond and Reimagine Fund, which doled out $1 million to other Bipoc artists who were disproportionally affected by the pandemic.
The first new fund, The Uprise Grant Fund, launches Wednesday with an open application and is intended for artists in particular. $100,000 will be dedicated to 25 emerging, U.S.-based Bipoc artists whose creative development was impacted by the pandemic. The unrestricted fund was created by Sundance Outreach and Inclusion Program and will support personal livelihoods and creative projects.
The second fund, the Arts Organization Fund, specifically goes to other arts groups, with $100,000 being contributed to eight to 10 U.S.-based organizations led by Bipoc and who are working in film, theater or emerging media.
- 3/10/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
The funds will provide a total of $200,000 to black, indigenous and people of colour artists and groups.
The Sundance Institute has unveiled two new grant schemes aimed at Bipoc artists and organisations.
Under its Outreach and Inclusion Program, the Institute’s Uprise Grant Fund will provide $100,000 to support up to 25 emerging US-based Bipoc artists impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The funding will support “personal livelihoods and creative projects,” said Sundance, and the fund is already open for applications.
The Arts Organizations Grant, set to launch in the spring, will provide another $100,000 to eight to ten US-based Bipoc-led arts organisations working in film,...
The Sundance Institute has unveiled two new grant schemes aimed at Bipoc artists and organisations.
Under its Outreach and Inclusion Program, the Institute’s Uprise Grant Fund will provide $100,000 to support up to 25 emerging US-based Bipoc artists impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The funding will support “personal livelihoods and creative projects,” said Sundance, and the fund is already open for applications.
The Arts Organizations Grant, set to launch in the spring, will provide another $100,000 to eight to ten US-based Bipoc-led arts organisations working in film,...
- 3/10/2021
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
Programme offers funding, coaching and support to filmmakers from under-represented groups.
The Sundance Institute has revealed the eight filmmakers who will make up the third class of the Momentum Fellowship.
The Fellowship is the Institute’s full-year programme of creative and professional support for mid-career fiction and documentary writers and directors from under-represented communities.
The fellowships will provide unrestricted grant funding, industry mentorship, professional coaching, writing workshops, industry meetings in the spring of next year and bespoke year-round support from Sundance Institute staff.
The 2021 Fellows are: Cristina Costantini, whose documentary Mucho Mucho Amor premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and...
The Sundance Institute has revealed the eight filmmakers who will make up the third class of the Momentum Fellowship.
The Fellowship is the Institute’s full-year programme of creative and professional support for mid-career fiction and documentary writers and directors from under-represented communities.
The fellowships will provide unrestricted grant funding, industry mentorship, professional coaching, writing workshops, industry meetings in the spring of next year and bespoke year-round support from Sundance Institute staff.
The 2021 Fellows are: Cristina Costantini, whose documentary Mucho Mucho Amor premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and...
- 11/24/2020
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Sundance Institute has named the talented group of filmmakers that have been selected for the third class of Momentum Fellows.
The full-year program is a new collaboration with NBCUniversal that gives customized creative and professional support for mid-career writers and directors from underrepresented communities who are poised to take the next step in their careers in fiction and documentary filmmaking. This year’s fellows include Cristina Costantini, Natalie Erika James, Shalini Kantayya, Loira Limbal, Ekwa Msangi, Edson Oda, Jacqueline Olive and Angel Kristi Williams.
The fellowship includes unrestricted grant funding, industry mentorship, professional coaching offered by Renee Freedman & Company supported by The Harnisch Foundation, writing workshops and industry meetings in Spring 2021, and bespoke year-round support from Sundance Institute staff.
Additionally, the FilmTwo Fellowship has merged into the Momentum Fellowship, and NBCUniversal will provide an opportunity for select Momentum fellows working on fiction projects to participate in the Universal Directors Initiative.
The full-year program is a new collaboration with NBCUniversal that gives customized creative and professional support for mid-career writers and directors from underrepresented communities who are poised to take the next step in their careers in fiction and documentary filmmaking. This year’s fellows include Cristina Costantini, Natalie Erika James, Shalini Kantayya, Loira Limbal, Ekwa Msangi, Edson Oda, Jacqueline Olive and Angel Kristi Williams.
The fellowship includes unrestricted grant funding, industry mentorship, professional coaching offered by Renee Freedman & Company supported by The Harnisch Foundation, writing workshops and industry meetings in Spring 2021, and bespoke year-round support from Sundance Institute staff.
Additionally, the FilmTwo Fellowship has merged into the Momentum Fellowship, and NBCUniversal will provide an opportunity for select Momentum fellows working on fiction projects to participate in the Universal Directors Initiative.
- 11/23/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The Sundance Institute the finalists for the second edition of its Momentum Fellowship, a full-year program of customized creative and professional support for writers, directors, and producers from underrepresented communities who work in the fields of documentary, narrative features, and episodic content. The Institute also announced the recipients of its Launch Grant Fund, a new opportunity for emerging filmmakers from underrepresented communities launching their first feature film.
The 2020 Momentum Fellows are Andrew Ahn, Linda Yvette Chávez, Christina Choe, Deborah Esquenazi, Rodney Evans, Penny Lane, Avril Z. Speaks, and Malika Zouhali-Worrall. The 2020 Launch Grant Fund Recipients are Marion Hill, Meryam Joobeur, Anais Blondet Medina and Kase Peña.
The program evolved from the Women at Sundance Fellowship, and takes a more intersectional approach, applying to artists identifying as women, non-binary and/or transgender, artists of color, and artists with disabilities.
As part of the Momentum Fellowship, Sundance Institute has once again partnered...
The 2020 Momentum Fellows are Andrew Ahn, Linda Yvette Chávez, Christina Choe, Deborah Esquenazi, Rodney Evans, Penny Lane, Avril Z. Speaks, and Malika Zouhali-Worrall. The 2020 Launch Grant Fund Recipients are Marion Hill, Meryam Joobeur, Anais Blondet Medina and Kase Peña.
The program evolved from the Women at Sundance Fellowship, and takes a more intersectional approach, applying to artists identifying as women, non-binary and/or transgender, artists of color, and artists with disabilities.
As part of the Momentum Fellowship, Sundance Institute has once again partnered...
- 10/28/2019
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
When Brie Larson told the crowd at the Women in Film Los Angeles Crystal + Lucy Awards that the Sundance and Toronto film festivals planned to provide 20 percent of press credentials to “underrepresented journalists,” the news caught many in the film community off guard, but it shouldn’t have. The announcement came just days after a report by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative revealed that women wrote only 22.2 percent of 19,559 reviews of the 100 top-grossing films posted to Rotten Tomatoes.
While some critics called into question the scientific nature of a study that uses Rotten Tomatoes as its core resource, racial and gender imbalances continue to be a problem for the film industry, and the media is no exception.
Andréa Grau, Tiff’s vice president of public relations, said the festival’s efforts were a direct response to that growing realization. “We’ve been working on the idea of diversifying our media for a while now,...
While some critics called into question the scientific nature of a study that uses Rotten Tomatoes as its core resource, racial and gender imbalances continue to be a problem for the film industry, and the media is no exception.
Andréa Grau, Tiff’s vice president of public relations, said the festival’s efforts were a direct response to that growing realization. “We’ve been working on the idea of diversifying our media for a while now,...
- 6/14/2018
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Read More: Attention, Filmmakers: Here are 5 SXSW Panels You Don't Want to Miss Tomorrow at SXSW, Independent Television Service (Itvs) will announce the launch of Digital Open Call, a new funding initiative for independent film and media makers designed to develop and pilot independently-produced web series for production funding and distribution on public media's digital platforms and beyond. Proposals submitted may include web series in any genre, nonfiction or fiction, episodic or anthology in structure, and may even incorporate interactive or immersive elements, such as those found in the final season of the Itvs series Futurestates distributed last summer. "We have worked with indie film and media makers to develop and co-produce numerous web series," said Karim Ahmad, Senior Digital Content Strategist at Itvs. "And now the digital space has become the critical place to engage younger viewers and viewers of color. Itvs, as stewards of diversity in...
- 3/16/2015
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer, Morgan Spurlock, and comedian/actor Russell Brand are set to appear at next year’s South By Southwest confab, which today announced the first wave of 2015 Convergence speakers. The announcement of over 60 sessions includes panels in the growing SXsports program, TV, and Digital sidebars. The 2015 edition runs from March 13 – 22 in Austin, Texas – scroll down for the rundown:
A Curious Mind: The Inspiration for a Creative Life
Brian Grazer (Imagine Entertainment), Charles Fishman (The Big Thirst)
Russell Brand Interview with Brian Solis
Russell Brand (Comedian), Brian Solis (Altimeter Group)
SXsports
Athletes are Suddenly Funny: The Power of Comedy & Sports
Patrick Starzan (Funny or Die)
Battling Tradition to Re-Invent Youth Sports
Matt Farrell (USA Swimming), Kurt Kamperman (Us Tennis Association), Jeff Price (PGA of America)
Beyond the Bar Graph: Insights Over Info
Christopher Glode (Under Armour), Marybeth Thomson (MyFitnessPal)
The Business of Preparing Potential NFL Draftees
Jason...
A Curious Mind: The Inspiration for a Creative Life
Brian Grazer (Imagine Entertainment), Charles Fishman (The Big Thirst)
Russell Brand Interview with Brian Solis
Russell Brand (Comedian), Brian Solis (Altimeter Group)
SXsports
Athletes are Suddenly Funny: The Power of Comedy & Sports
Patrick Starzan (Funny or Die)
Battling Tradition to Re-Invent Youth Sports
Matt Farrell (USA Swimming), Kurt Kamperman (Us Tennis Association), Jeff Price (PGA of America)
Beyond the Bar Graph: Insights Over Info
Christopher Glode (Under Armour), Marybeth Thomson (MyFitnessPal)
The Business of Preparing Potential NFL Draftees
Jason...
- 10/16/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
Buzzfeed’s John Johnson among the line-up at Power to the Pixel’s Cross-Media Forum.
Power to the Pixel: The Cross-Media Forum (Oct 7-10) is to be headlined this year by John Johnson, co-founder of social news website Buzzfeed, who will speak publicly in the UK for the first time.
As keynote speaker, Johnson will share thoughts and experiences of media impact measurement that point to new ways of funding and creating new projects as well as engaging audiences.
It was revealed earlier this week that Buzzfeed is to launch a dedicated feature film arm after receiving $50m in investment from venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz.
BuzzFeed Motion Pictures will produce content ranging from six-second videos to episodic series and feature films, while Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained exec Michael Shamberg has been attached as an advisor.
The company, which generates more than 200 million monthly views, will look to work with Hollywood studios and distribute the content...
Power to the Pixel: The Cross-Media Forum (Oct 7-10) is to be headlined this year by John Johnson, co-founder of social news website Buzzfeed, who will speak publicly in the UK for the first time.
As keynote speaker, Johnson will share thoughts and experiences of media impact measurement that point to new ways of funding and creating new projects as well as engaging audiences.
It was revealed earlier this week that Buzzfeed is to launch a dedicated feature film arm after receiving $50m in investment from venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz.
BuzzFeed Motion Pictures will produce content ranging from six-second videos to episodic series and feature films, while Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained exec Michael Shamberg has been attached as an advisor.
The company, which generates more than 200 million monthly views, will look to work with Hollywood studios and distribute the content...
- 8/14/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Streaming service teams up with Reinventors for a six-part interactive web series.
Fandor and Reinventors have joined forces in the six-part interactive web series Reinvent Hollywood which seeks to address the future of film.
Episode 1 of the series launches today [May 28].
“Art, regardless of the medium, has always been advanced by the audience, creators and technology – far more than business or the market can,” said Fandor CEO Ted Hope. “Fandor’s mission is to help build the world’s film community through the advancement and preservation of film art and culture.”
Hope, along with a roundtable of industry experts, will host 90-minute episodes to be streamed live on Reinventors.net. Audiences are able to join the conversation for each episode via Google Hangout. Recordings of the episodes will be available on Fandor.com.
The topics to be addressed in the series are: The Form, The Artists, The Audience, The Business, The Festivals, Schools And Non-Profits...
Fandor and Reinventors have joined forces in the six-part interactive web series Reinvent Hollywood which seeks to address the future of film.
Episode 1 of the series launches today [May 28].
“Art, regardless of the medium, has always been advanced by the audience, creators and technology – far more than business or the market can,” said Fandor CEO Ted Hope. “Fandor’s mission is to help build the world’s film community through the advancement and preservation of film art and culture.”
Hope, along with a roundtable of industry experts, will host 90-minute episodes to be streamed live on Reinventors.net. Audiences are able to join the conversation for each episode via Google Hangout. Recordings of the episodes will be available on Fandor.com.
The topics to be addressed in the series are: The Form, The Artists, The Audience, The Business, The Festivals, Schools And Non-Profits...
- 5/28/2014
- ScreenDaily
1. Net Neutrality: Earlier today, the FCC launched a process to establish new net neutrality rules, sending out a proposal for public comment. Matt Mason, BitTorrent Chief Content Officer, writes about why Hollywood should defend an open Internet. Read his guest post here. 2. Storyworlds: "Every single story has the opportunity for some kind of narrative extension," writes Senior Digital Content Strategist for Itvs, Karim Ahmad, the creator and producer of "Futurestates," in his story about why filmmakers need a storyworld. Read Ahmad's story here. 3. Amazon: Amazon jumps into original children's programming with three new original series premiering this summer. Ben Travers writes about the news here. 4. "Blue Mountain State:" Now that its Kickstarter campaign officially wrapped earlier today, it's official: the third most funded film on Kickstarter -- and the highest funded non-celebrity film project is "Blue Mountain State," which has managed to raise $1.9M (surpassing...
- 5/15/2014
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
"Futurestates," the series of online digital shorts from Itvs (Independent Television Service) returned for its fifth and final season today. The eight new sci-fi stories take place in one immersive futuristic story world. Below Senior Digital Content Strategist for Itvs, Karim Ahmad, the creator and producer of "Futurestates," explains why filmmakers need a storyworld. Check out "Futurestates" here and read more about the series here. No one needs to tell you it's damn hard to launch a film. Even if you’ve never done it before, you probably know that it’s harder than ever to both garner support on the front end, and draw viewers on the back end. The way I see it, these are two sides of the same coin, and it boils down to community. How are you creating a community around your work, and how are you sustaining that community through continuous creative dialogue? We...
- 5/15/2014
- by Karim Ahmad
- Indiewire
"Futurestates," the series of online digital shorts from Itvs (Independent Television Service) returns for its fifth and final season next Wednesday, May 14. The eight new sci-fi stories take place in one immersive futuristic story world. The narrative will begin on Twitter at @FuturestatesTV, where the enigmatic Dr. Evelyn Malik has traveled back in time with a message: she wants you to help her change the future. This year's series of eight stories debuts online to stream for free only at futurestates.tv. "This isn't just a reboot of Futurestates, but a reboot of the entire web series genre," said Series Producer Karim Ahmad, also the Senior Digital Content Strategist at Itvs. "I've long felt that the new opportunity with web series is to really unleash the user experience potential of the web to tell a nonlinear story in serialized form that is guided by the user. Our upcoming and final...
- 5/8/2014
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
There's an embarrassment of riches at this year's SXSW, especially if, like us, you geek out on anything having to do with interactive filmmaking and immersive storytelling. Given the festival's deep roots in both the film and tech communities, it only makes sense that SXSW would excel when it comes to events that bring film and tech together. The events highlighted below aren't quite tech and they aren't quite film -- they offer an exciting look at the changing narrative forms emerging courtesy of new technologies. Here are 10 you won't want to miss (in chronological order, with edited descriptions courtesy of SXSW): 1. New Narratives: Building an Interactive Storyworld Who: Aina Abiodun, Founder, Storycode; Karim Ahmad, Sr. Digital Content Strategist, Itvs, Mike Knowlton, partner, Murmur, Ted Hope, CEO of Fandor What: Itvs, Murmur, Storycode & Ted Hope will discuss the emerging genre of interactive narrative film, next-gen web series, and how creating.
- 3/6/2014
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
Itvs announced today that Futurestates, the acclaimed online series of genre-bending science fiction short films returns for a fourth season of forward-thinking, no-holds-barred explorations into the future of American society. Seven filmmakers envision the world at a crossroads, where discrimination, environmental catastrophe, visitors from the future, and even other worlds test the bonds of humanity. This year's series of seven shorts will debut online with a new film every Wednesday from April 24 - June 5, 2013. From Itvs "From gender identity to illegal immigration, from cyber attacks to internet privacy issues to alternative energy, this year's films bring forward under-represented perspectives on the most controversial social and political topics in the headlines today," said Karim Ahmad,...
- 4/16/2013
- by April Neale
- Monsters and Critics
The seventh annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles will offer two separate panels focusing on Indian entertainment and filmmaking through the lens of the business community at CAA's Ray Kurtzman Theater in Century City on April 24.
Topics will be "Producing Indian Content for the Indian and International Market," with panelists Ashok Amritraj of Hyde Park Entertainment, Fox Searchlight's Jill Gwen, actor-producer Anil Kapoor and LDisney's Jason Reed, and "Film Financing: Co-productions and Alternatives," with panelists Karim Ahmad of Independent Television Service, Phat Phish's Sanjay Bhattacharjee, National Film Development Corporation's Nina Gupta and Split Image Pictures' Govind Menon.
In other news, Iffla has added to its lineup a screening of Big Pictures' dramatic thriller "Sikandar," written and directed by Piyush Jha.
Topics will be "Producing Indian Content for the Indian and International Market," with panelists Ashok Amritraj of Hyde Park Entertainment, Fox Searchlight's Jill Gwen, actor-producer Anil Kapoor and LDisney's Jason Reed, and "Film Financing: Co-productions and Alternatives," with panelists Karim Ahmad of Independent Television Service, Phat Phish's Sanjay Bhattacharjee, National Film Development Corporation's Nina Gupta and Split Image Pictures' Govind Menon.
In other news, Iffla has added to its lineup a screening of Big Pictures' dramatic thriller "Sikandar," written and directed by Piyush Jha.
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