Graves also directed, with Justin Meeks, THE WILD MAN OF THE NAVIDAD, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2008 and was picked up for distribution by IFC.

Zombie Girl

Justin Johnson, Aaron Marshall and Erik Mauck’s ZOMBIE GIRL: THE MOVIE, a 2005 TFPF recipient, will screen for one week at LA’s Downtown Independent Movie Theater starting tonight to March 4. Both the filmmakers and the subject of the doc, Emily Hagins, will be on hand for the Q & A on the 26th & 27th (well, Emily will be piped in live via Skype). And, Emily’s film PATHOGEN, also a 2005 TFPF recipient will screen immediately following the film.

Definitely a cool event for anyone in LA. Here’s a link to a nice review from the LA Weekly!

Another in our on-going series of festival dispatches from those filmmakers who take advantage of our Texas Filmmakers’ Travel Grant, this time a day-by-day update from Amy Grappell, who took her 2009 TFPF-funded documentary short QUADRANGLE to Sundance this year, where it won an honorable mention. Amy then went straight to the Netherlands from Utah for the Rotterdam Film Festival.

From Amy…

Amy Grappell at Sundance

I had been to Sundance before but never as a director with a film in the festival. My film QUADRANGLE is a 20-minute short that was in competition.

Day 1

The experience began soon after landing in Park City while riding on the shuttle. An actor from another short film called RENEGADES broke the ice by asking me if I had any crackers in my purse. Soon after we were talking to the director from London and exchanging contact information as we drove through a blizzard. It was awesome. That night we went to the shorts premiere at the Egyptian where Robert Redford gave a talk about the importance of short films and Sundance’s commitment to make a place for films that don’t fit into a 5 -10 min or 1-hour slot, but are just as long as they should be. Most of the shorts were not that short (15- 30 min) and I felt lucky to be a part of this movement. Spike Jones’s long short I’M HERE was visually stunning but my favorite was called SEEDS OF THE FALL, by a Danish director named Patrick Eklund. Think Bergman with a funny bone.

Day 2

Team Quadrangle - from left, Ruth Fertig, editor Aaron Raff, Amy, producer Chris Krager

We had our Sundance premiere at 11am at the Racquet Club. I arrived early and did a sound check before the shorts directors had photos taken. I met local filmmaker Steve Mims’ daughter Elizabeth, who was the producer of a short in my program called THOMPSON. The house was full, nearly 700 people, and it was the first time I had seen my film projected in a theater of this size. It was amazing to see it with such a big audience - they were laughing and totally engaged. I was relieved and happy. We had struggled with the up-res and the sound and it looked and sounded great. I didn’t know my film was a comedy. The other films in my program were really strong and I felt lucky to be in the company of such talented directors. To name a few - DRUNK HISTORY (which won Best Short) with John C. Reilly and Crispin Glover and a drunk guy whose name I forgot. This film was hysterical and wonderfully executed. It was so great to laugh in a documentary showcase. Cynthia Wade’s film BORN SWEET was more on the serious side and an exquisite and heartbreaking depiction of a boy in Cambodia suffering from arsenic poisoning who becomes a karaoke star and helps other people in the fight against arsenic. We did the Q&A as a group and shared the experience.

Day 3

Went to Sundance headquarters at the Marriott to catch the bus to the director’s brunch at the Sundance Resort and serendipitously sat next to the director of MY PERESTROIKA. I had been hoping to meet her as I shot my last film in Ukraine during the fall of communism and had recently returned. The 1.5-hour bus ride each way was an amazing opportunity to connect with other directors. Lunch was the same because anywhere you went or sat down you would meet another director and learn about their film. I sat with the Duplass brothers. It was nice to have a taste of home close by. It was also a great honor to have Robert Redford speak about renewing Sundance’s mission and spirit and welcoming us to the Sundance family.

Day 4

Amy (with mic) at Shorts Q & A

We went to a panel on international film financing, a very confusing and important topic, given the state of film financing these days. There were very established producers and film companies both domestic and international on the panel discussing the state of things, which sounded pretty pessimistic. Later I went to our screening in Salt Lake and in the shuttle connected with the producer and editor of BORN SWEET and made fast friends. I was a little concerned about the screening given the nature of my film and what I heard about the town being conservative but the audience was enthusiastic and after the film someone’s grandma came up to me and thanked me for telling the truth about my family and their sexual experiment. “That takes courage,” she said, “Nobody does that.” I had discovered a new demographic. Then, off to the HBO Party where we had great food and I managed to hand off my screener to an HBO executive who I am now in contact with.

Day 5

I didn’t have time to see many films, so was excited to see THE IMPERIALISTS ARE STILL ALIVE!, an interesting film that looks at race and discrimination as it relates to the Middle East and was edited by my friend Michael Taylor. I was glad to take it in before my meeting with a new distribution company called Indieflix and another alternative on–line distribution company called Indie a Go-Go, all worth looking into. These are the off spring of this new world of non-exclusive self-driven distribution, which is in development.

Day 6

Amy receives Honorable Mention at Sundance Awards

Had lunch at Robert Redford’s restaurant Zoom with a producer who is interested in developing my doc into a feature narrative. Sat behind Harvey Weinstein who had declared independent film dead earlier in the day. We discussed that his model of it might be dying but it’s far from dead. Then we went to see Bryan Poyser’s funny and smart new film LOVERS OF HATE and reveled in our amazing community that we are so proud and lucky to be a part of. That night we went to the shorts reception and awards. The party was in a bowling alley and they projected stills from out films along the bank of lanes. It was visually stunning and fun to bowl to. We further bonded with the shorts film teams in our programs and met others. QUADRANGLE was announced as honorable mention first and I was overwhelmed and elated – the acknowledgement was really powerful and important and I was soon after joined by Cynthia Wade and from our program who also won honorable mention.

Day 7

I walked through a snowstorm to meet with the Sundance writers and director’s lab to talk about applying for the feature I am developing based on the group marriage story. Afterwards, the filmmaker press party was buzzing and I met a few film festival directors and got interviewed by a local network in Park City on a deck in the snow.

Amy with LOVERS OF HATE star Heather Kafka

Day 8

Winding down at the patrons circle reception, we had gourmet Asian cuisine and learned about the Lab’s indigenous program before heading off to the Austin Sundance party which was a little like coming home. So amazing to be in our community within the context of Sundance and we were so well represented at the festival. This was a gathering about fostering the work of our community and it was grounding and supportive. A great way to end our Sundance journey because the next day at 5am we left for Rotterdam Int. Film Fest.

Day 9

We arrived in Amsterdam at 8am jet-lagged and frazzled. Took a train to Rotterdam where we went to the film office – a huge industrial building with an image of a big tiger out front. The festival headquarters were quite large and took up the floors of this industrial building/complex, where they also had two theaters. We found our way to check in where we got purple bags and film listing books thick with descriptions of close to 1000 films, it was overwhelming. Unpacked a bit and set out to the shorts directors’ reception hosted by Oberhausen Film Fest which I learned is the biggest shorts film fest and market in Europe. Met some Bulgarian filmmakers and made our way to the shorts dinner where 250 shorts directors drank red wine and had a vegetarian feast. Projected images of 30’s musicals from Hollywood surrounded us as we sat with some intense filmmakers from Israel. The feel was international and more focused on art not industry - that was clear.

Day 10

Amy at Rotterdam

Dim Sum to start the day. Our premiere in Rotterdam was small in a cool art house movie theater where you can drink wine and eat in the lobby. The audience was small and the atmosphere really low key. The audience was serious and didn’t seem to get the humor of the film. It’s cultural, I realized. They had really evocative questions in the Q&A. Afterwards we went to the filmmaker’s cocktail hour where we met the directors of a film fest in Denmark.

Day 11

Had industry meetings set up by the festival with a woman from the Toronto Film Fest and a very knowledgeable woman who works for Withoutabox and adapts scripts. Went to the Vietnamese/Dutch doctor to see if I couldn’t get something to shake the Sundance cold. Met with some old friends from Amsterdam who attended my screening. The audience was bigger and more expressive. Went to filmmaker’s party after in a big disco. It was packed and smoky.

Day 12

Went to a film called CONTROL, which was self-indulgent and artsy in a bad way. Found myself longing for a romantic comedy. Met with an Austin producer, recently moved to New York, who was in Cinemart this year. We talked about my feature project and planned another meeting at SXSW. I learned more about the Cinemart program that helps filmmakers develop international projects & get co- production funds. Set up a meting with Cinemart. Big Chinese dinner. Good Asian food in Rotterdam.

Day 13

Saw a couple movies. They have press and industry screenings at IFFR that are easy to get in, no lines, no waiting, can come at the last minute. First Screening was VITAL SIGNS a very good French Canadian film in the competition. Later in the afternoon saw ALOMAR, a narrative film that seemed like a documentary, lyrical and visually arresting. Dropped letters and screeners in boxes for a few companies, producers and international film festivals. Had a meeting with Cinemart to talk about applying for my feature narrative for next year and met with the Binger Lab, a program that supports writer/directors to develop their scripts in residence in Amsterdam over a 5-month period. They seem interested.

Day 14

Went to the airport exhausted and inspired. Follow –up has been an ongoing process. I have learned so much from this festival journey; it has changed my career and my life.

…to keep tabs on Amy’s journey with the film, check out the QUADRANGLE website.

The Mar. 2nd invite starts at 8pm with a discussion between the above filmmakers and UT professor Paul Stekler, followed by a screening of the Independent Lens broadcast of Maitland’s THE EYES OF ME at 9pm. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet and hear from these incredibly talented filmmakers. Space is limited, so RSVP here!

The best thing about IDFA (the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam) was the audience.  Whether it was 10am Saturday morning or 11pm Sunday night, the screenings were packed full of jolly Dutch men and women.  It’s clear that IDFA, the largest documentary festival, and one of the best in the world, has been able to really energize the city of Amsterdam to support this yearly event.  I had a great time.  The staff was extremely friendly and well organized, and the screening venues were beautiful. I feel like at each individual festival, through interaction with filmmakers and audience members, I learn something new and valuable for my career and myself.  At IDFA it was a sense of gratitude for being able to see films that, in my opinion, are some of the best documentaries to have been made and that may never get screened in the U.S. or become widely available to the general public.  As the search for distribution for my film has been winding down, Ive been able to relax and actually participate in the festivals as an audience member, and it’s made me realize how many incredible films have recently been made.  Videocracy and The Edge of Dreaming particularly moved me.   Coming out of each screening, I felt a perfect mixture of inspiration and admiration for the films and the directors. And of course the timeless Winnebago Man film and crew were there to keep the positive energy and laughs flowing through the weekend.

Michel Scott (right) with WINNEBAGO MAN director Ben Steinbauer

Besides the festival, Amsterdam itself was quite an experience.  I was able to rent a bicycle and pedal around the city for a day, getting lost in all of it’s little side streets between the canals, visiting the Van Gogh museum and seeing a few random street magic shows.  Amsterdam is often viewed as one of the happiest cities in the world, and its proven on every smiling face you see.

I’m grateful to the Austin Film Society for providing a travel grant to help with the expenses of attending the festival.  I hope to return next year!

“For three years, Bryan has been a tireless advocate for hundreds of Texas filmmakers in his role as AFS Director of Artist Services,” said Rebecca Campbell, Executive Director of the Austin Film Society. “We are thrilled and gratified that he is getting his day in the sun.”

John Pierson, AFS Advisory Board member, University of Texas at Austin film professor and independent film distribution expert, said, “It goes without saying that being selected for Sundance gets harder and harder with the proliferation of independent features.  So it is quite an achievement that Bryan Poyser’s LOVERS OF HATE will premiere there.  But even more impressively - and like Richard Linklater and Robert Rodriguez before him - Bryan’s film has been slotted in the most prestigious section of all, the Dramatic Competition.  From Soderbergh, Tarantino and Kevin Smith two decades ago to SIN NOMBRE, HUMPDAY, and PRECIOUS just last year, this high profile program is where many of the industry’s top filmmakers have launched their careers.”

The Sundance Film Festival U.S. Dramatic and Documentary Competition films are available at www.sundance.org/festival.

Austin Film Society promotes the appreciation of film and supports creative filmmaking by screening rarely seen films, giving grants and other support to emerging filmmakers, and providing access and education about film to youth and the public. Through Austin Studios, which AFS opened in 2000 in partnership with the City of Austin, AFS helps attract film development and production to Austin and Texas. Gala film premieres and the annual Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards raise funds as well as awareness of the impact of film on economy and community. The Austin Film Society is ranked among the top film centers in the country and recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and Directors Guild of America.

For more information on Austin Film Society, visit www.austinfilm.org.

Check out the official website for HARMONY AND ME for a trailer and read about its other adventures on the festival circuit. Bob’s got some plans brewing for more local screenings, but if you can’t wait for that, you can also pick up a DVD straight from their website and see what all the fuss is about.

They’ve begun distributing films, too, like David Modigliani’s CRAWFORD and the Zach Galifianakis-starring VISIONEERS. Now, they’ve added to their slate Karpovsky’s “concert film” of a performance by the frankly mesmerizing long-form improvisation duo of TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi. The film premiered at SXSW earlier this year and has screened at festivals around the country since.

On their website, you can to find a screening of the film, host your own, pre-order the DVD and connect with all things TJ & Dave.

“Andrew Bujalski’s first feature film helped spawn the low-budget, socially networked, slice-of-life cinematic movement called Mumblecore. The name has already come unstuck, and the quality of the work is uneven, ranging from videotaped navel-gazing to genuine generational insight. But the model of filmmaking and distribution that Mumblecore represents is likely to prove especially durable in recessionary times.”

If you haven’t seen it, snag it on Amazon. Andrew’s newest film BEESWAX, which was shot in Austin, continues to roll around the country and the world. It’s already screened in Austin but you can join their mailing list through their website to find out when the new DVD comes out.