Film Financing

Money Issues: Funding an Independent Film

Nikki — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:44:05 -0500

Long before filmmakers begin production, they face the daunting task of scraping together enough money to get their film off the ground. Choosing the right method of funding relies on many factors, including the type and subject of the film, and the experience behind the cast and crew involved in the project.

Of Finance and Fantasy: The Aviatrix Takes on Funding in Texas

Nikki — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:47:58 -0500

“Making a movie is like moving a mountain,” says Toddy Burton, the Austin-based filmmaker behind The Aviatrix, a film about a girl struggling with cancer who finds an escape from her troubles by becoming The Aviatrix, a superhero who rockets through outerspace.

The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Film: "Soy Andina"

Nikki — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:28:32 -0500

About this column: Many filmmakers ponder in anguish, How do other people—celebrated people—do it? Am I taking too long to make this documentary? Does everybody spend as much money as I am spending, or am I spending too little? And when filmmakers share their lessons learned in interviews in the glossy trade magazines, their tales seem to follow the arc of otherworldy heroes rather than real documentary makers, i.e. human beings like you and me. So each month, the Doc Doctor will go out into the world (this real world) of filmmakers who are successful and find out how they made it. The "Anatomy of a Film Column" is a chance to learn from filmmakers' hits and misses in real life examples. —Fernanda Rossi, story consultant a.k.a. the Documentary Doctor

The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Film: "Sync or Swim"

Nikki — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Party Like a Doc Star

michele — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Filmmakers increasingly need to seek funds from as many sources as possible. A fundraising party may seem like a fun way to raise much-needed dough, but they are a lot of work. Still, securing the right host, making a personal connection to the guests, and laying the groundwork for future "asks" can have

Voices from Issues Past

khards — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0500

What happened at AIVF over the last 30 years?

AIVF: And What it Meant to Me

khards — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0500

I first became aware of AIVF when Martha Gever was editor of The Independent. I marveled at this national organization that put out each month a magazine chock full of weighty, intellectual and critical articles on film and video.

Making a documentary abroad

RossiF — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Dear Doc Doctor:
I’m planning to make a documentary abroad. Am I better off bringing my own crew or hiring there?

The BBC Bully

marla — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Nick Fraser’s career has been a constant battle between “what I will and won’t do for television,” says the 57-year-old series editor of the BBC’s international documentary showcase “Storyville.” A kind of documentary filmmaking godfather, Fraser is able to fund dozens of films each year, but he’s waged a war on media bias—whether that’s what he se

Diversity Initiatives

marla — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 00:00:00 -0600

The Sundance Film Festival hosted a record number of attendees this year. Up double from last year, 40,000 people came to watch or show films, participate in panel discussions, and network. Apart from the invariable increase in ticket sales and overall profit and general notability, the upsurge in festival-goers this year also yielded an increase in the people of color who attended, and twenty-five percent of the films in the festival were directed by filmmakers of color, another remarkable boost from last year.