36th cleveland international film festival :: march 22 - april 1, 2012
Special Programs
Be Carried Away by Filmmaking
A Series of Interactive Panel Discussions with Visiting Filmmakers from the 36th CIFF

Cleveland State University’s School of Communication, in conjunction with the Cleveland International Film Festival, is proud to host this two-day event featuring visiting filmmakers whose works are being shown at the Festival and members of the Cleveland State University faculty discussing the art, craft, and business of moving image production. The panels give Festival-goers, students, and all who are interested in the art of cinema an opportunity to meet the filmmakers, hear them talk about their films, and ask questions about their work or moviemaking in general.
  FilmForums



Saturday, March 31

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Carried Away by Stories - From Idea to Screen

Filmmaking is an extremely complex process, and the purpose of this panel is to provide an overview of how any work begins as an idea, is next realized in the written form of a script or treatment, and then must be translated into the real world by a producer, director, and production crew. We will also discuss the post-production process and the biggest challenge of all: getting the film seen.

Panelists
Genevieve Bailey, I Am Eleven
Neil Berkeley, Beauty is Embarrassing
Andre Hules, The Maiden Danced to Death
Eric Kissack, Missed Connections
Sheldon Larry, Leave It on the Floor
Jim Stark, The Pier


Moderator
Evan Lieberman



1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Carried Away by Visions of the Homeland - Filmmakers of the African Diaspora

This panel has been constituted in recognition of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences® grant to the CIFF through their Focus on Filmmakers program, which this year is dedicated to supporting the work of filmmakers of the African Diaspora. The panel will look at how the African, African-American, Afro European, and Black Canadian experience is fueling an explosion of Black cinema worldwide, affecting the stories contemporary writers, directors, and producers are choosing to tell and the creative ways in which they are telling them. Another focus of the panel will be the new opportunities available to filmmakers of the African Diaspora as a result of technological innovation and the emergence of alternative models of production, distribution, and exhibition. This panel will be presented with the cooperation of CSU’s Department of Modern Languages.

Panelists
Ava DuVernay, I Will Follow
Eliaichi Kimaro, A Lot Like You
Michael King, The Rescuers
Terence Nance, An Oversimplification of Her Beauty


Moderator
Eric Siler



3:00 PM – 4:30 PM    NOTE: New Date and Time
Carried Away Briefly– Short Film - Production and Distribution
The explosion in film production inspired by the digital revolution has been even more notable in the realm of the short film than in feature length work. This panel will examine the ways in which the short represents a distinct form of filmmaking, from the range of stories that can be told to the different production approaches that make this type of film more accessible for beginning filmmakers with limited resources. We will also explore the avenues available for short film distribution and exhibition.

Panelists
Shawn Christenson, Curfew
Christina Grozik, Dark Before Dawn
Joseph Jurecki, Remarkable
Regine Richards, Some Things are Worse Than Being Gay
V.W. Scheich, Wallenda


Moderator
James Denny
  Sunday, April 1

12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Carried Away to the Audience - Documentary Distribution and Exhibition

Contemporary documentarists have an unprecedented number of options for the distribution and exhibition of their work. At the same time, audiences for documentary content have become specialized and often fragmented. This panel will address the opportunities and challenges inherent in the process of getting documentaries out to their audiences. Panelists will discuss their own experiences in distribution and exhibition of their documentary work, including the role of film festivals such as the Cleveland International Film Festival.

Panelists
Xan Aranda, Andrew Bird: Fever Year/Kartemquin Films
Joshua Green, I Want My Name Back/Emerging Pictures
Ryan Levey, Vagrant Films Releasing & Publicity
Andrew Rodgers, River Run Film Festival
Karina Rotenstein, Independent Producer/Film Programming Consultant (and past Programmer, Hot Docs)


Moderator
Michael Rand



2:00 PM – 3:30 PM   NOTE: New Date and Time
Carried Away with the Real–Documentary Production
The range of documentary content and production styles has expanded greatly in recent decades, corresponding to an increased availability of inexpensive and portable equipment for filming/videography. This panel will clarify the wide range of options for contemporary documentary production in terms of selection of topic and focus, budgeting, production technique choices, and editing. Panelists will discuss how they approach the scripting, planning, and execution of documentary production, as well as how their decisions are affected by such factors as societal and economic climate, unforeseen shifts in focus during the production process, and desired audience responses.

Panelists
Bryan Hopkins, Dirty Energy
Kristi Jacobson, Finding North
Stephen Kessler, Paul Williams Still Alive
Martin Mudry, Where Dreams Don't Fade
Geoff Yaw, King Me


Moderator
Kim Neuendorf


All panels are free and open to the public and will be held at:
Cleveland State University's School of Communication
MU107 Auditorium, Music and Communication Building
2001 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115


Parking is available on the streets around the Music and Communication Building and in lot “CG” behind the building, at E.19th Street and Chester Avenue. For further information and updates, check www.clevelandfilm.org/filmmakerpanels or contact the CSU organizers, Dr. Evan Lieberman (216.687.4637; e.a.lieberman@csuohio.edu) and Dr. Kim Neuendorf (216.687.3994; k.neuendorf@comcast.net).