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2007 Panels & Workshops

Sunday July 29th 10:00 AM – 11:30 - Old Woods Hole Fire Station

Blue Water, White Death – Coffee with the Panelists

Didn’t get a chance to ask your questions at the opening night screening?  We’ll here is your chance to have an intimate discussion over a cup of joe…Guests include: James Lipscomb, Peter Lake, Stuart Cody, Nick Caloyianis, Tom Chapin, Eugenie Clark, Greg Skomal and Jim Packer.

Sunday, July 29th - 2 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. - Old Woods Hole Fire Station

Panel Discussion: The future of long form documentary in the age of Internet video

The ecosystem that supports the funding, production, promotion, and distribution of long-form documentary film is changing in many ways. This panel discussion will explore how the long form documentary will be influenced, challenged, and transformed by video on the web, the funding climate, social networking, and changes in audience behavior.

Panelists

Annie Valva, Director - Research & Business Development, Interactive, WGBH
Les Blank, Documentary Filmmaker
Cynthia Close, Executive Director, Documentary Educational Resources

Moderator

David Tames, Filmmaker & Media Technologist, Kino-Eye.com

Bios

Annie Valva, Director of Research & Development for WGBH Interactive

Annie Valva has over 15 years experience in developing interactive media, including broadband applications, enhanced TV, Web sites, and CD-rom/ DVDs. As Vice President of Content and Technology Integration for Pearson Broadband in London, she oversaw the development and launch of broadband services to primary school children throughout the U.K. Annie spent six years as Director of Technology for WGBH Interactive where she both managed the interactive technology team and produced prototypes for emerging digital platforms. She has worked extensively with high tech companies in order to develop partnerships that showcase high quality content across multiple distribution platforms. Annie earned her Masters in Educational Technology from Harvard University and received her BA in Community Studies and Photojournalism at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Les Blank, Documentary Filmmaker

Les Blank (The Blues Accordin’ to Lightnin’ Hopkins, Burden of Dreams, All In This Tea) will be the 2007 Woods Hole Film Festival Filmmaker in Residence, joining a distinguished list of past fellows including Jon Jost (WHFF 2006) and Kidlat Tahimik (WHFF 2005).  Blank's first independent films began a series of intimate glimpses into the lives and music of passionate people who live at the periphery of American society.  Vincent Canby of the New York Times describes Les Blank as “a master of movies about the American Idiom...one of our most original filmmakers.”  Blank will screen his most recent film “All In This Tea” , made with Gina Leibrecht, on Sunday July 29th.  The film takes us across the world to some of the most remote regions of China in search of the best handmade teas in the world, guided by world-renowned tea expert David Lee Hoffman. Additionally Blank, who has made more than 30 films, 2 of which are in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, will give a master class, participate in panel discussions and informal festival networking events throughout the 8-day Festival.

Cynthia Close, Executive Director, Documentary Educational Resources

Since 1993 Cynthia Close has been the Executive Director of Documentary Educational Resources (DER), a Watertown Massachusetts based non-profit film and video production/distribution company founded in 1968. DER distributes over 700 titles worldwide. Cynthia serves on the Board of Directors of the Society for Visual Anthropology, and the Margaret Mead International Film and Video Festival. She is on the Advisory Board of Women In Film and Video New England, The Camden International Film Festival, ARTVISION, INC., and American Insight Inc. She currently is acting as fiscal sponsor for over 25 documentary projects in production. Cynthia teaches a course in Funding and Selling the Documentary at the Maine International Film and Television Workshops. She has been a guest lecturer at Boston University, Emerson College, Harvard University, Temple University, and the University of New Mexico Center for Documentary Film.  She holds a BFA and MFA from Boston University.
 
David Tamés, Filmmaker and Media Technologist, Kino-Eye.com

David is a producer, editor, director, cinematographer, and media technology consulant. He has worked in key creative roles on a wide range of independent film and new media projects including "Never Met Picasso," "The East Village," and "Remembering John Marshall," a short documentary about the late ethnographic filmmaker. David recently served as Project Manager launching MIT TechTV, a video sharing site for the MIT Community. He earned an MS in Media Arts and Sciences from the MIT Media Laboratory, studied filmmaking at City College of San Francisco, and holds a BA in Philosophy and a BS in Computer & Cognitive Sciences from the University of Florida. David has taught film production classes and often speaks at film festivals and industry events about new techniques, trends, and tools of interest to filmmakers. He blogs at kino-eye.com.

Tuesday, July 31 - 2 P.M. to 3:30 P.M - The Old Woods Hole Fire Station

Panel Discussion:  Delivering Video via the Internet:  Challenges and Opportunities

The panel will explore the opportunities and challenges that delivering videos on the web presents to filmmakers. The explosion of viral video on sites like YouTube, quality network programming served by Brightcove and Joost, and the popularity of episodic shows on blip.tv are all part of a tectonic shift in the media distribution landscape. It used to be that production and distribution were the critical barriers faced by filmmakers in reaching their audience. Today audience attention is the scarce resource. This lively panel discussion among industry experts will be of interest to producers, directors, writers, communications specialists, and entrepreneurs alike as we explore the tremendous opportunities, as well as possible pitfalls, of delivering video on the web.

Panelists

Mike Hudack, Co-Founder and CEO, blip.tv
Sean Fitzroy, Filmmaker & Product Specialist, Brightcove
Kevin Anderton, Filmmaker, Midnight Chimes Productions

Moderator

David Tames, Filmmaker & Media Technologist, Kino-Eye.com

Bios

Mike Hudack, CEO and founder, blip.tv

Mike is the CEO and founder of blip.tv and is responsible for the company’s overall business strategy, focusing in particular on community relations along with syndication, distribution and advertising partnerships. Prior to blip.tv, Mike worked as a developer and administrator for the National Hockey League and managed the team responsible for one of the biggest IT projects in the history of the league: consolidating and re-developing the NHL's internal additionally, applications, which serve hundreds of employees using dozens of technologies. Additionally, he also coordinated the development of NHL.com’s real time statistics. Mike has spoken at numerous industry forums as an expert on blogging and video journalism.

Sean Fitzroy, Product Specialist, Brightcove 

Sean is a filmmaker, video editor, and technology consultant with experience developing and using cutting-edge new media tools. Along with Vikki Merriman he won the 2003 Boston 48 Hour Film Project competition with "Pie in the Sky," a short  mockumentary short about a dot-com that tries to start an automated online pizza delivery service. He also teaches as a member of the Interactive Media Design faculty at The New England Institute of Art, where he designed the curriculum for the baccalaureate concentration in Digital Video. Sean earned a BS in Media Production from Florida State University. Currently, Sean is working on several film projects, as well as helping to build the future of Internet TV at Brightcove.  

Kevin Anderton, Filmmaker,  Midnight Chimes Productions

Kevin is an award winning short comedy creator from Boston whose work has been featured at film festivals, on the internet, on broadcast television, and on video phones worldwide.  He holds an MFA in communications from Boston University and has worked on projects including David Breashears’ "Kilimanjaro: To The Roof of Africa" and "The Good Son."  Aside from creating over 60 short comedies since 2002, Kevin has 3 feature scripts and 100 short scripts, some of which have been considered by Saturday Night Live or licensed to local independent filmmakers. His shorts have been viewed on the Internet over 11 million times in 2007 and he recently signed a deal with Sony Pictures to provide exclusive content for their distribution network.

David Tamés, Filmmaker and Media Technologist, Kino-Eye.com

See bio above.

Wednesday, August 1st - 4 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. - The Old Woods Hole Fire Station

Seminar:  Media Literacy in the 21st Century 

This seminar introduces media makers to the process of critically analyzing popular media including broadcast television, film, and internet video. Much of the media we consume reinforces stereotypes, distorts the news, and distracts from the critical issues of the day. By learning how to look at the media we consume as well as make critically, we can develop an enhanced awareness of how the messages delivered through media influence ourselves, others, and the society we live in.  We can harness media to make positive contributors to society, challenge cynicism and apathy, and serve as agents of social change.

Presenters

John Herman, Multimedia Artist,  johnherman.org
Anna van Someren, Media Producer, MIT Comparative Media Studies
David Tames, Filmmaker & Media Technologist, Kino-Eye.com

Bios

Anna van Someren, Media Producer, MIT Comparative Media Studies 

Anna is a media producer for MIT's Comparative Media Studies New Media Literacies Project (NML), funded by the MacArthur Foundation's Digital Learning Initiative. NML is developing a conceptual curricular framework, website, and methodology comprised of new models for helping youth achieve digital media literacy for the 21st century. Anna's role is to lead the production and development of cutting-edge practices and materials, and to implement new approaches for combining old and new media. Prior to working at MIT, Anna developed new media curriculum, taught multimedia production, worked as the creative offline editor at Pisces Productions and has shown her experimental shorts in festivals internationally. She received her BA magna cum laude in Art & Art History from Colgate University, and her MFA in Film & Video from Massachusetts College of Art.

John Herman, Multimedia Artist, johnherman.org

John Herman is an artist with a strong interest in collaborative work. His projects are not limited to a specific medium, he's a comedian, cartoonist, filmmaker, music producer, teacher, show host, director,voice performer, writer,  and a few other assorted things. Recent projects include a collaboration with NH Public Radio aimed at empowering citizens to share their opinions about the presidential primary through new media. Also he attracted twenty-five  musicians from around the world to collaborate secretly in a band called The Man Who Was Thursday. He is currently in pre-production on a serial web series, a stage show based on the Atoms, Motion, and the Void podcast, and a music video for the Italian pop band Turnpike Glow. EveryTuesday night, he performs improv comedy with Stranger Than Fiction. He also teaches media literacy at the high school level. John holds a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's degree in Secondary Education, both from the University Of New Hampshire.

David Tamés, Filmmaker and Media Technologist, Kino-Eye.com

See bio above.

Thursday, August 2 - 2:00 PM - Old Woods Hole Fire Station

Master Class - Documentary filmmaking - with Les Blank

Les will talk about his film making, interspersed with clips from many of the films and stories of experiences during the production. Discussion will include how the projects originated and developed, fund-raising, shooting, editing and distribution. He will also have DVDs, posters and Tee shirts for sale.

Cost

$100 - to register, please click here.

Thursday, August 2 - 4:00 PM - Old Woods Hole Fire Station

Panel and Reception - Cities Without Walls (cWOW)

Veteran short form filmmaker, video maven and web diva Mica Scalin returns to Woods Hole to speak about her experience helping to coordinate the 1800Frames Festival at the burdgeoning cWOW space in New Jersey.

For more information on the 1800Frames Exhibit please download the PDF here.

Reception to follow immediately after the presentation at the Thought Balloon Media studio courtesy of GoldmanArts.

Friday, August 3rd - 2:00 PM  - Old Woods Hole Fire Station 

"What do you Actually do When you Direct? The Stages of a Film Director's Work"
Master Class in Film Directing with Award-Winning Filmmaker Sam Weisman

SAM WEISMAN worked for ten years as an actor before making the transition to directing. He has earned directorial credits in film, television, and theatre. They include the feature films GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE (which received a British Academy Award nomination for Best Children's Movie), THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS (starring Steve Martin, Goldie Hawn, and John Cleese), BYE-BYE LOVE, D2: THE MIGHTY DUCKS, and DICKIE ROBERTS (starring David Spade, produced by Adam Sandler). Sam Weisman will talk about the process of film directing; a process that synthesizes both artistic and management skill sets, as well as a willingness to improvise.

Cost

$100 - to register, please click here.

Saturday, August 4th - 2 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. - Old Woods Hole Fire Station

Panel Discussion:  Survival Strategies for Independent Producers

This panel considers the producer's role in a successful narrative or documentary film and provides an opportunity for particiapants to ask a talented group of producers questions about funding projects, distribution, choosing talent and crew, working with directors, new challenges and opportunities in a changing distribution landscape, etc.

Panelists

Dorothy Aufiero, Producer
Page Ostrow, President, Ostrow and Company
Sam Weisman, Producer, Director
Tracy Heather Strain, Producer

Moderator

Jon Goldman, Producer and Digital Renaissance Man, Thought Balloon Media  

Bios

Dorothy Aufiero

Dorothy Aufiero has a wide range of television and feature film experience spanning 20 years, and is currently producing The Fighter, based on the life stories of boxing brothers Dicky Eklund and Irish Micky Ward, with Mandeville Films for Paramount Pictures.  Aufiero is also producing an original thriller, Depravity penned by Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone to name a few.  Previously, Aufiero was one of the co-founders of Scout and with her former partners David Collins and Michael Williams, built one of the most successful production companies on the east coast – creators of Queer Eye For The Straight Guy and Knock First.  Aufiero produced such films as: Brad Anderson’s Session 9; Errol Morris’ Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Lutcher, Jr; and held key production roles in such studio films as: David Mamet’s Spartan and State and Main; Brad Silberling’s Lemony Snickets: A Series of Unfortunate Events; Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting; and Michael Corrente’s Outside Providence. She graduated from Emerson College with a BFA in Drama. 

Sam Weisman

Sam Weisman worked for ten years as an actor before making the transition to directing. He has earned directorial credits in film, television, and theatre. They include the feature films GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE (which received a British Academy Award nomination for Best Children's Movie), THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS (starring Steve Martin, Goldie Hawn, and John Cleese), BYE-BYE LOVE, D2: THE MIGHTY DUCKS, and DICKIE ROBERTS (starring David Spade, produced by Adam Sandler). 

Page B. Ostrow

Page is a veteran entertainment industry executive who has arranged financing and or negotiated distribution for over 150 feature films and numerous documentaries working initially on behalf of numerous international distributors until 2000 when inspired by a vision to protect the interests of independent filmmakers, she shifted the company focus to representing films and projects on behalf of filmmakers and producers requiring distribution and financing. Some of the films represented are "Stolen Childhoods" Meryl Streep, "Juvies"- Mark Wahlberg on HBO, "The Bros" Lions Gate "Drugging of Our Children" Michael Moore, "Make It Funky" Sony Pictures to name a few.

Tracy Heather Strain

Tracy produced and directed "Building the Alaska Highway," for the PBS series AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, which received the highest ratings of the series' 2004-2005 season. Her other PBS credits include producer, director and writer for “The Story We Tell" in California Newsreel's three-part RACE: THE POWER OF AN ILLUSION and for “Bright Like a Sun” and “The Dream Keepers” in Blackside’s six-part I'LL MAKE ME A WORLD: A CENTURY OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTS, which won a George Foster Peabody Award among other honors. She also has numerous other PBS credits. Tracy is a member of Filmmakers Collaborative, and serves as a co-manager of Filmmakers Workshop, a monthly professional development salon held at the Bernard Toale Gallery. Tracy was a American Studies major at Wellesley College and a Technology, Innovation and Education concentrator at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. A principal of the South End-based production companies Yellow Jersey Films, Inc. and The Film Posse, LLC with her husband filmmaker Randall MacLowry, Tracy is actively fundraising for her feature-length documentary about A RAISIN IN THE SUN playwright Lorraine Hansberry.

Jon Goldman - thoughtballoonmedia.com

Called a "digital renaissance man" by the Boston Globe, Jon Goldman is a media artist specializing in art and technology.  He recently produced for Al Jazeera International’s People and Power show a segment on the efforts of a Louisiana chemist to fight for environmental justice in the post Katrina gulf Coast. Jon currently runs his studio, THOUGHT BALLOON MEDIA, which serves as a laboratory for the development and exhibition of new work. He received a MS in Visual Studies from MIT's Center for Advanced Visual Studies and a BS in Theater at Connecticut College and has won many awards including an InterArts grant from the NEA and Rockefeller Foundation for his computer-controlled interactivity with inflatable sculpture. Jon is on the Board of the Woods Hole Film Festival and lives in Woods Hole.

Saturday August 4th 11:00 AM – Redfield Auditorium - $20

Making a Good Living as a Filmmaker – An In Depth Workshop with Animator Bill Plympton

Oscar nominated filmmaker Bill Plympton will talk about his career as an independent animator who makes “a good living” creating independent films by way of showing some of his classic shorts, music videos and clips from his brand new feature, "Idiots and Angels". Additionally, Bill will give a drawing demonstration and talk about how other filmmakers can make a living creating short films.

   © 2007 Woods Hole Film Festival. All Rights Reserved.