YEAR END REVIEW

It’s the end of a busy year—and we hope you’ll take a moment to look back with us as we do a brief year in review—and have a sneak peek at the year ahead. During 2006, CID entered its 25th anniversary year…and we plan to celebrate that accomplishment in the coming months as we head into 2007. Keep checking back for news.

Two projects produced in association with CID will be broadcast in January on the PBS series Independent Lens- TWISTED (Laurel Chiten, producer) and A FISH STORY (Tim Gallagher & Courtney Hayes, producers). Judith Helfand and Dan Golds’ new documentary EVERYTHING’S COOL (formerly titled “Melting Planet”), will have its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Congratulations to everyone at Toxic Comedy Pictures! If you attended the filmmakers workshop in July, you had a chance to help filmmakers Anita Clearfield, Shoshanna Hoose and Geoffrey Leighton as they worked through the editing of their film THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW (the working title was “Lethal Means”) – you can see how they utilized your comments by attending the films premiere on Sunday January 7, 2007 in Maine.

If you missed the June national public television broadcasts of WOODY GUTHRIE: AIN’T GOT NO HOME (Peter Frumkin , producer) and SMITTEN (Nancy Kelly, producer) you can check their web sites to see when they might be broadcast again in your area or released on dvd.

We are currently providing fiscal and advisory services for 66 active documentary projects which have received some (or all they need) funding, and an additional 9 projects that are currently in development. Of the projects with funding, 31 are with producers in Massachusetts, an additional 7 from Rhode Island, Vermont and Maine. The remainder are from other parts of the country, with most in New York or California. We are working with our producers to get all of the projects listed up on the new Alliance for Independent Motion Media (AIMM) web site. Please visit the filmmography section of the AIMM web site and set the search for CID films to review the listings to date. If you’d like to help make these films come to a screen near to you—please give generously through our online donation button in the sidebar.


FILMMAKERS WORKSHOP
The monthly workshops continue to attract between 40-70 attendees each month (depending on the topic of the workshop). Here’s a round-up of the past six months: In May 06 we hosted students from area film programs and their professors to share their work and to meet industry professionals. In June, John Kusiak, the composer for Errol Morris and other filmmakers offered tips on how to collaborate with a composer to create a great film score for films. In July we screened a rough cut of “There Ought to be a Law” (which will have its premiere in Maine in January 07). In October we featured a lighting workshop to help filmmakers make the most from a small lighting kit with special help from Rule Broadcast Systems. In November, blogging gurus Steve Garfield and Ravi Jain offered instruction on how to become a blogger and utilize video on the web. In January 07, we will kickoff the new year with a rough cut screening of Amy Geller & Gerald Peary’s FOR THE LOVE OF MOVIES. Please join us at one of our upcoming workshops in 07—and if you’ve got an idea for a workshop you’d like to see happen—PLEASE leave a comment below or send us an email. We very much welcome your ideas! These workshops are made possible through the generosity of many people. We would especially like to thank Julie Mallozzi, Tracy Heather Strain and Megan Gelstein for the many hours that they have contributed to organizing the workshops. The Bernard Toale Gallery has provided us with a beautiful space in which to meet (and has helped us with lugging more chairs up and down stairs than we can count! Thank you!) Shannon Bradley designed our terrific logo-thank you! Rule Broadcast has provided technical support as well as the expertise of their staff. Rule rules! Thank you, John! A very important portion of each workshop is the time that’s spent networking and relaxing together over refreshments. We greatly appreciate the contribution of Harpoon Brewery each month—our favorite beer! (Root beer too!)These workshops just couldn't happen at all without the support of the LEF Foundation.


CID/KOPKIND FILMMAKERS CAMP
CID collaborated with Kopkind this past August to bring 11 filmmakers up to Vermont for a week of “radical relaxation”. The filmmakers who attended came from all around the country (though several were from Massachusetts) and shared a highly memorable week of intense discussion, film viewing, sharing , swimming, paper making , hiking and eating great food. We roughly followed the format that Kopkind has based their prior camp sessions for writers on…though we changed it somewhat to allow our morning sessions of each day to cover some specific information (such as having guest speakers from archival footage houses, a representative from First Run Features to speak about distribution and Lisa Simmons to talk about issues around diversity). We were thrilled with our first attempt at this workshop—and are beginning planning for summer camp 07. Check out the photos from our week at camp--and watch this blog for an upcoming post on that week in review. Watch for details on how to join us there next summer!

ADVOCACY
In addition to the work that we do with the producers on their projects, CID has been an active founding partner in two important new Massachusetts organizations- the Alliance for Independent Motion Media (AIMM) and the Massaachusetts Production Coaltion (MPC). AIMM is a network of several Boston area non-profits who are all committed to making it easier for independent producers to make their work and get it seen. The MPC is a membership organization of producers, businesses, non-profits—just about everyone-who work in the Massachusetts motion media industry. These two organizations have been working closely together to make Massachusetts a great place to make media…please take a few moments to read the year end report on the AIMM blog for a complete review of what has been done to date, what the plans are for the coming year, and how you can get involved.

Finally, we want to thank all of the Center for Independent Documentary board of trustees for their continued commitment: Tony Logalbo, Marion Burke, Vince Canzoneri, Martin Alpert and Leslie Hitch. Your dedication to CID over many years has been awesome! We would also very much like to thank our funders for their support. The Massaachusetts Cultural Council and the LEF Foundation continue to provide CID with important funding critical to our day to day operations. We are very grateful.

We wish you all our very best wishes for the holidays and a very Happy New Year.
Susi Walsh & Fred Simon

Holiday quandary?....Could Be Worse!

Stumped on what to get that difficult person on your list? Having the holiday blues yourself? Here's the answer to all your problems....put a smile on your and someone else's face with the break out singing and dancing of Zack Stratis' fanciful and fantastic family in the dvd release of "Could Be Worse". This film was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival--and is GUARANTEED to put a smile on your face. Try it. You'll like it. Here's the trailer for a preview....




Buy it now for only $14.99 at the
Could Be Worse web site and help launch Zack into his next
endeavor! Be a part of making "musical-reality" the next big thing in Hollywood...or maybe in your neighborhood!

Need something more serious for that community activist on your list? Consider another independent documentary...check out the films at the Alliance for Independent Motion Media web site...buy one on dvd...or, make a donation to help bring a film to completion (check the sidebar for information on how to make a contribution).

Filmmakers out there with docs to sell for the holidays--post a comment below with information about your film and how to buy it...

THE POWDER AND THE GLORY Finishes Production

This note just in from producer Ann Carol Grossman:

The Powder and the Glory (Arnie Reisman and Ann Carol Grossman, producers) is now in post-production, with a rough cut expected in January. Shooting finished up with a flourish. For our last two shoots, our camera took in the cosmetics department at Macy's and watched as makeup artist extraordinaire David Nicholas reinvented our model's face in the styles of 5 decades of the 20th century. Videographer Boyd Estus' lighting and sense of color contributed to the stylish looks. We're working with the fabulous folks at Fablevision to create several animated sequences, and our composer, Corey Allen, has just finished his studio sessions and is editing the music. While editing proceeds, we continue the challenge of raising the rest of our funds.

For more information about THE POWDER AND THE GLORY visit the CID/AIMM website listing for the project. Photos by Liane Brandon

Boston Media Makers Meeting

At the November 15 Filmmakers Workshop, we had the pleasure of learning all about video blogging and putting your video up on the web from vlogging pioneers Steve Garfield and Ravi Jain. In case you missed that event, you can read about it at NEFilm.com. To follow up on that workshop--I'm learning blogging myself (see, you're reading it! Its not that hard!) and decided to go to the next Boston Media Makers group meeting.

On Sunday, December 2nd, Boston Media Makers finished off their first year of meetings by celebrating with a Ravi Jain inspired "wiki-kake" at Sweet Finnish in Jamaica Plain. It was my first time attending one of these meetings- and a lot of information to take in. I was glad there was cake.

There were a lot of toys out around the table--lots of computers and related gear and a lot of video was shot...none of it with a traditional video camera--all with digital still cameras yesterday. For those of you who are working with grassroots organizing communities with your documentaries--this is the medium for you! There is great opportunity to use video blogging as part of your outreach campaign strategies--and to consider forms of streaming video distribtuion on the web. It's easy, engaging, and uses all the strenghts of the internet for viral marketing and community building.

At yesterdays meeting, Sean Fitzroy made a presentation on Brightcove. For those of you who are considering an internet release of your documentary, you will want to take a look at the business model that Brightcove offers (check out their website for more information). Also, if you are an independent who is doing such a release, it would be useful if you could share your expereinces with others.

Group member Joe Cascio put together a brief video from yesterdays meeting....

I hope it inspires you to come to the next meeting!

On building A filmmaking community

There are great things stirring in the film and video community in Boston. A new sense of purpose and excitement--a sense of community and a willingness to take a chance that the community might indeed bring about change for the good of us all.

Change and growth are evident everywhere-- whether you look at the employment figures for folks in the film and video industry (yes folks, they are going UP for a change), or you look at the skyline in Boston as you come in on the Pike from the West (yes, the new WGBH building is almost DONE!).

Three weeks ago the Massachusetts Production Coaltion (MPC) hosted an event to explain the new tax incentives here in Massachusetts. As an added bonus, the new acting head of the Massachusetts Sports and Entertainment Commission- Richard Krezwick, came and gave us all a brief update on the status of the new film commission.

The members of the Alliance for Independent Motion Media continue to offer a variety of programs designed to bring the community together as well as provide access to professional development opportunities for all of the independent filmmaking comunity. Check out the website and sign up for the mailing list ...