Best in Fest

How do you get your indie film made and distributed? Ilyssa Goodman says build your rolodex and know your market.  In this episode Leslie and Ilyssa talk about writing, production and casting to make your project sellable to studios and distributors.

More About Ilyssa:

Director, producer, writer and distribution strategist Ilyssa Goodman has worked with many of Hollywood’s top young and established stars, and with her latest film, “#FBF”, in which Goodman wrote and directed for Timur Berkmambetov’s, Bazelevs Productions, Goodman can now add Ashley Judd to her list.  #FBF which is currently in post was shot entirely during the covid stay-at-home order and presented Goodman with a unique opportunity to address creative challenges that enabled her to take filmmaking and visual storytelling to the next level. 

As an award-winning producer, Goodman is best known for the Warner Bros. hit franchise, “A Cinderella Story,” which just released “A Cinderella Story: Star Struck”, the franchise’s sixth film.  And as a screenwriter, Goodman just completed scripting “Popular in Theory”, a teen comedy in which she was hired to write for an alliance of producers that include Warner International and MarVista Entertainment.  Goodman is also scripting “The Island” for Tubi TV in which she’ll direct for the streamers June 2022 premiere.

In an effort to maintain greater control of her indie films, Goodman taps into her background as a distribution executive to insure that her productions meet the mandates of the marketplace as well as to have greater involvement in making sure that her films find the best distribution opportunities and deals possible.  As an indie filmmaker advocate, Goodman also lends her distribution expertise to other filmmakers as well.

In Goodman’s feature directorial debut, “The Standoff,” she is credited with inspiring stellar performances from her young cast as well as for using a single location for the entire film while juggling multiple storylines and keeping the film fluid.  “The Standoff” was released by Sony Pictures and premiered on Netflix. Goodman’s directing follow-up film, “Next Level”, a high-energy dance movie was released in 2019. Goodman’s first opportunity to direct came in the form of the successful “Say It With Skype” digital campaign and was followed by a spot for the national clothing brand Chico’s, which gained attention for using real women over forty as models.

Goodman has a number of features in development and controls IP rights to several high-profile true crime stories in which she is developing into series and television movies 

Joelle began her writing career as an advertising copywriter, creating award-winning campaigns for brands like In-N-Out Burger, Kleenex and Lexus. Since making the jump to screenwriting, she's written several romantic comedy and family telefilms including Hallmark Channel's Paris, Wine and Romance. Other films include Love on the Vines and Diagnosis Delicious, each of which aired on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, Win Lose or Love, and Change of Heart for PixLTV, as well as Reluctant Nanny which aired on the Lifetime Movie Network. She's currently writing a film for the Hallmark Channel's Countdown To Christmas. Joelle's theatrical features include Ninja Kid (for producer Warren Zide) and an animated musical feature in development with Studio Gale in Korea.

An experienced animation writer, Joelle's series credits include Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Ben 10: Omniverse, DC Super Hero Girls and LEGO Friends. She also created the adult animated series Superslackers for 420TV.

Joelle has also written comics for Blizzard, DC, Marvel, and Dynamite Entertainment. Graphic novels for IDW/Lion Forge Comics include reboots of the NBC classic shows Saved By the Bell and Punky Brewster. She has also written several video games.

Joelle graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a graduate of the Warner Bros. Sitcom Writers Workshop and Best Screenplay winner at the La Femme Film Festival.

From good sound design to proper formatting on deliverables, Leslie and her guest Megan Huggins from Gravitas dive deep on exactly what distributors are looking for in your film.

Megan Huggins is the acquisitions coordinator for Gravitas Ventures, the largest indie all rights distributor in North America. In her time with Gravitas she has negotiated hundreds of feature film deals across VOD, theatrical and worldwide distribution. Megan is a dual Australian/American citizen who worked in corporate psychology and as a registered nurse before pursuing her passion for filmmaking. She is a champion for independent film and for introducing unique stories to a broad audience. While she misses Sydney’s beaches and seafood, she is proud to be a part of the American independent film world. Megan holds an MFA in creative producing for film from Columbia University.

Are you interested in being a creator of animation? In this information packed episode Leslie and Marlene discuss, global development of Animation in Japan,  merchandising in Animation
Crossover content and trends in animation, the market for boys at specific ages, an animation market for girls, the difference between selling your show and producing your show, Web-comics and the new content creation platforms of Tapas and WebTune.

More About Marlene

Marlene Sharp is a creative and business-savvy entertainment multi-hyphenate who originally hails from New Orleans but is now a (San Fernando) Valley girl. Firmly ensconced in LA life, Marlene is top dawg at Pink Poodle Productions and Head of IP Strategy and Acquisitions for Rainshine Entertainment.

The first question to ask when you're preparing your pitch is, what do you want them to understand? Next is what's your hook, your personal story that will get and hold their attention. In this powerful episode, Devo Cutler-Rebenstein answers these questions as well as discussing how to get buyers to want to work with you, gap financing, digital marketing tools and more.

Devo Cutler-Rubenstein's passion for storytelling and artistic expression brought her to California Institute of the Arts where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television. While at Cal Arts she was selected to receive a grant from the Scottish Arts Council to attend Edinburgh Arts. Her documentary about this unique educational setting inspired her documentary film EDINBURGH ARTS, which aired in part on Grampian Television. Returning to Cal Arts, she had an opportunity to study with Alexander MacKenrick, where she wrote, produced and directed PEACOCK BLUES, a short film casting the as yet unknown Ed Harris and Annie Potts.

Upon graduation Devo launched her career in the entertainment industry at Twentieth Century Fox, rising quickly up the ranks in story development. She was Director of Story Department for Sir Lew Grade's Marble Arch productions at CBS Studios. She helped design a new story department as Director, Literary Affairs at Columbia Pictures TV, and not long after became VP of Marketing and Promotion for Connoisseur Video. Simultaneously, she began to develop projects for theater under her banner New Play Productions and then partnered with Mary Saxon to form Cutler-Saxon Productions, with an eye to leverage small theatre as a vehicle for larger budget television and feature film projects.

Currently as CEO and President of Noble House Entertainment, she continues to develop and produce multi-platform projects, in a career that has spanned over thirty years working within all aspects of the entertainment industry. She has developed over 500 projects under various production banners, including producing the feature film franchise THE SUBSTITUTE, for MGM, Live Entertainment and HBO, starring Tom Berenger and Treat Williams, respectively. Inspired by work she did with stand-up comedians coaching them on the development of one-person shows, she won a grant to co-produce and co-write with her husband, Scott Rubenstein (Star Trek: TNG, MacGyver, Night Court) the documentary NOT AFRAID TO LAUGH, about using comedy to heal cancer. The intimate documentary won The Communicator Award and was nominated for a Peabody Award, now archived in the Chicago Museum of Broadcasting for its "artistic excellence, social relevance and historical significance." As a narrative director, she helped out on another award-winning documentary, TELL ABOUT THE SOUTH, which aired on PBS; she helped cast and the documentary was shot entirely on locations in South Carolina and Virginia. Adapting a John Irving short story, she competed and won a grant from Chanticleer Films/The Discovery Program to write and direct a narrative short, which she co-wrote with her husband, Scott Rubenstein, who also exec produced; the short film starred Poppy Montgomery, Bill Forsythe and Tony Plana and won Best Film at Moondance Film Festival and aired on Showtime Television. A writer at her core, Devo continues to pursue a creative outlet as a published poet, short story writer, and as a member of the Writers' Guild of America, West. She has written and/or produced film and television projects for ABC, Columbia Pictures, FX, Showtime, MGM, Live Entertainment, Fries Entertainment, Interscope Entertainment, among others. Her desire to promote cultural diversity was acknowledged by a NALIP Screenwriting Fellowship, and in 2015, Devo fulfilled a lifelong dream and received a Master's in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences.

How do you transition from directing commercials to directing features? Are the structures similar? Are the skills transferable?  In this episode, Leslie talks with a young director named Justing Bertrand about the differences between directing in France and directing in the US, the Me Too movement, sexism in the French culture and film industry, Justine's process as a director and much more.

www.lafemme.org

Sometimes you just have to do it yourself ... as long as it's in conjunction with someone else.  In this episode, Leslie talks with Actress/Writer/Director Kathryne Isabelle Easton about developing her own horror franchise, her award winning short film Borrelia Borealis, how to navigate Hollywood as a woman and still stay true to your vision, pay inequity and much more.

More about Kathryne:

Kathryne Isabelle Easton attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City after studying theater for many years as a child in Syracuse, NY. She moved to Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking soon after graduating, and quickly found that the game of Hollywood is a very grating one unless you are creating some of your own material and getting your voice out there. She started a production company, Abhorrent Behavior, and directed, wrote, produced and starred in many shorts, music videos, and several web series before directing her first feature: a romantic drama, “Borrelia Borealis” in 2020. She secured a distribution deal through Freestyle Media and it releases on VOD platforms January 18th, 2022. In 2021, she directed her second feature, a gritty LA noir thriller, “Valleyheart,” and is currently is post production. She has worked steadily as an actress in LA over the years as well as selling scripts as a writer and placing on the Academy Nicholl quarter finals list two times. She has trended on the Blcklist with high scores as well as making it to the semis for Final Draft Big Break and second round at Austin. She directed Key Question for Legendary Digital Studios at the Alpha network, starring Marisha Ray, and she is currently writing a soon-to-be horror film franchise, “Sacred Feminine.” She resides in Los Angeles, enjoys a myriad of caffeinated beverages, and is currently looking for representation for her multi-hyphenate career. 

What is it like to find love during a Worldwide pandemic? In this episode Leslie talks to the co-creators of the award winning web series "Love in 2020" about what it takes to create and film during Covid 19.

Eirinn Disbrow
I am an LA based director and editor who is passionate about telling women's stories. Credits include working in editorial on Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters (Sony), Jonathan Levine’s Snatched (FOX) and Long Shot (Lionsgate) as well as David Fincher’s Videosyncrasy (HBO). I edited the series My Dead Ex which premiered at SXSW in 2018 and I'm currently working in editorial on Borderlands (Lionsgate). I previously directed the comedy sketch Racist Baby (streaming on Who Haha), My Life Worked Out (featured on Funny or Die) and most recently the award winning web series Love in 2020, a pandemic rom com that I hope makes people laugh and feel less alone.

Anna Jaller (actress/producer)

Anna is an actress & producer. Hailing from MD, Anna studied theater at Muhlenberg College. Upon graduating she moved to NYC and studied with veteran acting coach Anthony Abeson. Less than a year after moving to LA she fulfilled her dream of being yelled at by Ari Gold as she made her big screen debut as Dana’s Assistant in the Entourage movie. Anna was seen most recently opposite Janelle Monae in Homecoming (Amazon) and will be featured in a new sitcom coming this Winter to NBC. Her work has been featured on WhoHaHa and on the homepage of Funny or Die. Other credits include Speechless (ABC), Failosophy (MTV), and Amateurs (pilot). Anna is a graduate of the Upright Citizens Brigade training program and has performed as a member of the sketch comedy group TMI. Her producing credits include: Please Come With Me (Indie Rights), Liam Reeves (dir. Sara Lindsey), and My Life Worked Out (Funny or Die). She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and FilmmakeHers.

 Social media: @annajaller

Christina Garofalo Bonifacio

Christina Garofalo Bonifacio is an L.A.-based author, journalist, and screenwriter. She wrote and produced the six-episode Rom-Com web series Love in 2020, which won Best Web Series at LA Femme International Film Festival. Christina is the author of the book When Dogs Heal: Powerful Stories of People Living with HIV and the Dogs That Saved Them (March 2021, Lerner Publishing). In its first year, the book was covered by NBC, them., BuzzFeed Daily, and The AIDS Memorial. Her writing has been featured in Robb Report, Afar, Huffington Post, Paste, Resident, ShermansTravel, and Jetsetter. 

In this very special episode Leslie brings you just a sample of the filmmakers that were featured at this year's LaFemme Film Festival.  There was such a wonderful representation of fantastic  projects driven by passionate women to choose from that we had to share them with you. 

Kathleen Rowell wanted to be a novelist and ended up writing a  huge film (none other than the Outsiders) as her first feature. How did this happen? In this episode, Leslie and Bridget dive into the reality of being a working Scriptwriter in Hollywood. There are some great tips in this episode.