Tag: Lynn Shelton

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Truly Free Film

17 Reasons Why Chicks Actually Make Better Directors

By Jill Soloway (director of AFTERNOON DELIGHT)

1) We grew up playing dolls.

No one believes me, but honestly? Making a movie is closer to playing dolls than ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD. As children we sat on the floor, gave the dolls names, dressed them up in hot pants and pleather belts and gave voice to scenarios. And yes, we also smashed them together and made kissy sounds so they could make sweet, sweet, plastic love. I did that with Kathryn Hahn and Josh Radnor in my movie too!

2) We put on Thanksgiving

Women can make a space in their brain big enough to plan a seven-course dinner for thirty friends or a twenty-three day shoot for a crew of forty. Shopping list, shot list – they’re more or less the same thing.

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Truly Free Film

It Could Be Getting So Much Better All The Time #2: Keep Filmmaking Local

I got this comment from filmmaker and blogger Eric Escobar and felt it was right on.  When I started out there was much talk in indie circles about the regional film movement.  Traveling around film festivals and seeing movies from the community, that captures their authenticity, is a specific pleasure that can’t be duplicated.  HUMPDAY for Seattle, MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY for San Francisco.  This is a list that can and should and will be expanded.  Thanks Eric, for this comment — I just had to bump it to a post:

The suck of talent, hope and energy to the production centers of LA, NYC and Vancouver leads to boring filmmaking.

The promise of potential work on the assembly line of the filmmaking factory makes artists make bad movies in the hopes of proving their factory-worth.

Build incentives for filmmakers to stay local, like what the SFFS is starting to do in San Francisco with office space and direct cash grants.

Let the communities of actors, writers and filmmakers flourish, and have them artistically accountable to telling stories about who they are and where they’re from.

LA has ruined so many imaginations in the pursuit of a decent monthly check. And I really don’t want to see another movie about Brooklyn made by a filmmaker who moved there last week.

Ted adds: if you haven’t read Eric’s “Dear Indie Filmmaker” post, don’t delay!