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October 2004

Documenting New England

Fri, 10/01/2004 - 00:00
Posted in
By April Gardner
A still from "Talking to the Wall."

Local filmmaker Steve Alves talks about making documentaries that make a difference to local communities.  His latest film about Wal-Mart "Talking to the Wall" screens this month at the Bellingham Better World Festival.

With experience on both coasts, Steven Alves has chosen a winning location for his production company, but the location may surprise you: it’s neither New York nor LA. Choosing to run Hometown Productions in Massachusetts, his latest documentary is winning rave reviews as it covers the battle between the little guy and big business. Alves shares his perspective and motives for making it in the industry.

AG: How did you choose filmmaking as a career?

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Industry News

Fri, 10/01/2004 - 00:00
Posted in
By Michele (LaMura) Meek
Laura Colella's film "Stay Until Tomorrow" will screen as part of the New England Film and Video Festival on October 7-11.

A report of news & happenings in the local industry for October 2004.

Email news to news@newenglandfilm.com. 

Production Updates

Cappa Productions and Miramax Films have begun pre-production on "The Departed" which is planned to be partially shot in Boston, Massachusetts. The film is scheduled for a release in 2006 and will star Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio.

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Making Good

Fri, 10/01/2004 - 00:00
Posted in
By Randy Steinberg
No Good Script founders (L to R)Tom Bean and Luke Poling.

Luke Poling and Tom Bean launch a new script coverage service to reverse the trend of "No Good Scripts."

Open any screenwriting magazine or visit the legion of film and screenwriting websites on the Internet and you will find myriad advertisements for script coverage services. What do they do? They assist novice and veteran screenwriters alike to sharpen their screenplays’ structure, characters, and dialogue. The catch: they can be expensive, and it’s hard to know which services are good and which are simply out to gouge earnest writers.

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Talk to Me: The Media Mentors Program

Fri, 10/01/2004 - 00:00
Posted in
By Ellen Mills
Top Row:

After benefiting from guidance in their own careers in media, Irena Fayngold and Jessica Gidal founded a program through WIFV/NE called "Media Mentors" to formalize the mentoring that occurs informally within the film/video community. As the application process for the second year begins, the founders tell NewEnglandFilm.com about the success of the first year and the value of the mentor/mentee relationship.

Good advice is welcome at any age, but in terms of one’s career the right advice at the right time can determine success. The "Media Mentors" program run by Women in Film and Video/New England (WIFV/NE) links media professionals with a more experienced person in their field who can give them specific information and advice. Irena Fayngold, a member of WIFV/NE, founded the program with Jessica Gidal last year. "I was asked to be on the board (of WIFV/NE) but I wasn’t able to make that time commitment, so I started thinking about what else I could do.

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Saks Appeal

Fri, 10/01/2004 - 00:00
Posted in
By Sara Faith Alterman
Eva Saks coming out of her shell.

Delightfully zany filmmaker Eva Saks has a word of advice for aspiring directors; write for ducks, but not for cows. The award-winning director discusses her vibrant shorts, the truth about working with children and animals, and the joys of writing/directing/independently producing shorts to air on "Sesame Street."

A creamy strawberry tart. Finger paint. Indo-Caribbean holiday festivities. Spaghetti. Tutus and toe shoes. A September 11th memorial.

Though independently colorful, playful, or poignant, these images don't seem to correlate with one another. In the hands of filmmaker Eva Saks, however, they are the ingredients of tender, nostalgic comedy, of powerful melancholy.

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