SUNDANCE Institute NonFiction Filmmaking Session: Philadelphia

Tinsel & Tine’s look at #SUNDANCEPHILADELPHIA 8/24/2019

By Le Anne Lindsay, Editor

Sundance Institute was back in Philly for another creative and energizing all day conference.  I attended the inaugural event – SUNDANCE INSTITUTE’S NEW FRONTIER DAY LAB back in 2017. They’ve done one or two other sessions here in Philly, I wasn’t able to attend.

This session was led by Rick Perez who oversees Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program.  The entire day was presented in collaboration with Philly’s own Scribe Video Center and PhillyCAM. All made possible by generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.  Which for me meant, we were fed Continental Breakfast, hearty Lunch and a delicious post conference Reception.  The event was held at the Suzanne Roberts Theater, home of The Philadelphia Theatre Company.

Women ruled the first half of the conference starting with…

Ramona S. Diaz – ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE NONFICTION FILMS this award-winning filmmaker’s work has screened and won awards at the Sundance Film Festival – including Motherland (2017 Special Jury Award). Ramona was also awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2016 and Breakthrough Filmmaker Award in 2017. Other films: Imelda and Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey were discussed in terms of her approach, funding, and how to get gold when interviewing a documentary subject.

 

 

 

Ramona was not only informative, but really funny presenting – most important take away – keep asking, be persistent!

The next presenter…

Toby Shimin – THE ART OF EDITING THE FEATURE DOCUMENTARY she has edited numerous films that have premiered at Sundance Film Festival, including How to Dance in Ohio (which won a Peabody Award) and Sundance Audience Award winning films Out of the Past, This is Home, and Buck.

 

 

 

Toby broke down how an editor shapes a film and the tricks of the trade which may seem manipulative at first, but then you realize it’s still truth, just laid out in a way that makes things more engaging.

the last presenter before breaking for lunch…

Sabrina Schmidt Gordon – THE ROLE OF THE CREATIVE PRODUCER this award-winning documentary filmmaker has produced and edited Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes which premiered at Sundance Film Festival, her latest film Quest, is a New York Times Critics’ Pick and Film Independent Spirit Award nominee, She also co-produced, directed and edited the Emmy-nominated BaddDD Sonia Sanchez, which won best film directed by a woman of color at the African Diaspora International Film Festival in 2018.

 

 

 

Sabrina gave us a better insight into the kinds of decision made by a producer that sometimes override the director for the greater good. And also, the importance of sometimes saying no to a project you may find of interest, but you don’t see any flexibility in the director.

 

After lunch catered by Philabundance, and filled with excited networking, we settled back into the auditorium for the second half of the conference, where the women came back for a panel on NAVIGATING THE FUNDING LANDSCAPE. They were joined by…

Ted Passon – an award-winning director and video artist who has won grants from JustFilms, the Ford Foundation, the IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund, The Bertha Doc Society and the San Francisco Film Society. Ted has also written, directed and developed over eight original children’s television series for Comcast.

 

 

 

Attendees were completely engaged for the entire conference, asking pertinent questions via the SLIDO app; however, during this panel session you could hear a pin drop, the audience was paying such strict attention because of course, this is the golden unicorn of filmmaking, how do you engage funders?  What compromises do you have to make to get investors for your film?  And all other money related questions.  The bottom line: it works differently for each film and filmmaker, there’s really no formula.

 

The final presenters were from Scribe and PhillyCAM as Sundance Institute’s main mission is to encourage more collaboration between those in attendance. Local artists and producers should get to know each other and work together, while also utilizing local resources.

To add to that conversation in my own small way, I interviewed a couple attendees during the reception to ask them what they took away from the days events…

 

 

 

Thank you to my “Take Away” participants: Joanna White-Oldham, Founder of jwomedia , Filmmaker David McDowell, Filmmaker/Animator Jonathan Howie, Cinematographer Rashad (sorry didn’t get last name) and Photo Journalist, aspiring Cinematographer Shantanu Saha.

 

Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program supports non-fiction filmmakers worldwide in the production of cinematic documentaries on contemporary themes. Established in 2002 with founding support from Open Society Foundations, the Program is a vibrant global resource for Independent Non-Fiction Storytelling.