Women Make Movies offers emerging and established filmmakers unique opportunities to advance their filmmaking business savvy and to find insight and inspiration among their accomplished peers.


OUR 2007 SPRING SERIES INCLUDED:
Directing the Documentary: A Master Class with Laura Poitras and a Case 
     Study of My Country, My Country, April 5
Re-Envisioning Your Rough Cut: Making the Most of Feedback, April 11
The Secrets of Successful Proposals, April 18 
Checks, Clearances and Contracts: A Legal A-Z, April 25
Web 2.0: Downloads and Digital Distribution for Filmmakers, May 2
Behind the Scenes: Public Television Funding, May 9
Director's Dialogue with Julia Kwan: A Case Study of Eve and the Fire Horse, May 17  
The Long Life of a Short, May 23

LOCATION AND DIRECTIONS
REGISTRATION
PRICING AND DISCOUNTS
MORE IS LESS…Check out our series passes for even more discounts!
VIEW PAST WORKSHOPS
 
 

Directing the Documentary: A Master Class with Laura Poitras and a Case Study of My Country, My Country
Co-Presented with New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT)
Thursday, April 5, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Venue: Sony Screening Room (550 Madison Ave, 7th floor, btw 55th and 56th St)
$50/40 WMM Filmmakers and Friends, NYWIFT members
 

Don’t miss award-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras’ case study of her Academy Award-nominated film My Country, My Country. Working and traveling alone, Laura spent 8 months in Iraq. This Master Class will relay her experiences making a film in a war zone, obtaining access to her subjects, and working as a one-person crew.

Laura will share tips on working solo and how to effectively take on a number of key roles in a project. She will also discuss verite filmmaking, and how to capture the important moments that translate into dramatic storytelling.

About the Film: My Country, My Country follows the story of Dr. Riyadh, an Iraqi doctor, father of six, and Sunni political candidate in Iraq's January 2005 elections. An outspoken critic of the U.S. occupation, Dr. Riyadh is equally passionate about building democracy in Iraq. Dramatically interwoven into the personal journey of Dr. Riyadh are the U.S. military, Australian private security contractors, and the United Nations officials who oversee the elections.

In addition to its Oscar nomination, the film has been released theatrically by Zeitgeist Films, broadcast nationally on PBS’ acclaimed non-fiction showcase P.O.V., and nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. Laura Poitras received a Peabody Award and Independent Spirit Award nomination for her 2003 documentary, Flag Wars (made with Linda Goode Bryant). Flag Wars, a cinema verite documentary that follows what happens in a black working-class neighborhood when gay white men move in, launched the 2003 season on P.O.V. Laura is currently in production on a documentary about men returning home after being released from Guantanamo Bay Prison.

Attendees are encouraged to view the film beforehand.

Re-Envisioning Your Rough Cut: Making the Most of Feedback
Co-Sponsored by IFP
Wednesday, April 11, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
$50/40 * Discounted Rate
This is a part of the Producer's Express Pass
 

You’ve spent months in the edit room, and you finally have a rough cut. Just a bit more tweaking and then submit to Sundance, right? Not so fast. By rushing your film to the finish line, you could be missing the opportunity to make the best film you can make. Having an outside perspective can make all the difference in the final film by clarifying: is your story structure clear? Does the pacing lag? Does the music enhance or distract?

A panel of filmmakers will share their experiences with Work-in-Progress screenings, including how they structured the event, who they invited, how they prepared themselves for outside opinions, sorted through the comments, and then successfully worked with the feedback they received. Panelists include narrative and doc makers Susan Korda (editor, Swimmers; creative collaborator, Trembling Before G-D), Annetta Marion (dir., Alaska) and Esther Robinson (dir.,
A Walk into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory).


The Secrets of Successful Proposals
Co-Sponsored by CineWomen, NY
Wednesday, April 18, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
$50/40 * Discounted Rate

Checks, Clearances and Contracts: A Legal A-Z
Co-Sponsored by IFP
Wednesday April 25, 6:30 – 9:00
$50/40 * Discounted Rate
This is a part of the Producer's Express Pass

 
Web 2.0: Downloads and Digital Distribution for Filmmakers
Co-Sponsored by DCTV and Third World Newsreel
Wednesday, May 2, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
$50/40 * Discounted Rate

The internet is revolutionizing the way films are seen, promoted, shared and discussed. Explore what life can be like for your film beyond film festivals and one-off screenings, and re-think the possibilities for reaching new audiences. Panelists Rick Bolton (filmfresh.com), Vanessa Arteaga (jaman.com), and Katy Chevigny (Arts Engine; producer, Deadline) will discuss new ways to utilize the internet to reach a global online community. Topics include: digital rights management, format options (download, DVD, etc.), choosing the best portal or website for your film, user-driven content, online marketing to niche audiences, and tools for outreach and community development. Moderated by WMM Executive Director, Debra Zimmerman.


Behind the Scenes: Public Television Funding
Co-Sponsored by DCTV and Third World Newsreel
Wednesday, May 9, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
$50/40 * Discounted Rate
This is a part of the Producer's Express Pass
 

ITVS and the minority consortia of CPB/PBS are major funding sources for independents. Don’t miss this panel discussion with filmmakers who have gotten their films made through funds from the Independent Television Service, National Black Programming Consortium, and Center for Asian American Media—but not without careful negotiation of their contracts. Byron Hurt (Beyond Beats & Rhymes, Sundance Film Festival premiere, recently broadcast on Independent Lens) and Linda Hattendorf (The Cats of Mirikitani, Tribeca Film Festival premiere; recently theatrically released) will share the pros and cons of these partnerships, including: how they got through the submission process and got to “Yes,” negotiated the contracts, and worked with these funders from production through distribution. Get tips from these filmmakers on how to put forth a strong application and what issues to be aware of before signing on the dotted line. Moderated by producer/consultant, Heidi Reinberg (co-producer, ITVS-funded Absolutely Safe).

Director's Dialogue with Julia Kwan: A Case Study of Eve and the Fire Horse
Co-Sponsored by Asian CineVision (ACV)
Thursday, May 17th, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
$50/40 WMM Filmmakers and Friends, ACV members
Rate includes one complimentary ticket to see Eve and the Fire Horse at MoMA on May 18th or 19th!
This is a part of the Director's Express Pass

Join us for a conversation on directing the independent feature film—from refining the script, casting and working with actors, envisioning the story with your cinematographer, to crafting the final film in the edit room. Director Julia Kwan will share her experiences in a peer dialogue with director Georgia Lee (Red Doors, which won the Best Narrative Feature Award at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival) about making her debut feature, Eve and the Fire Horse.

Clips from the film will be shown, followed by Julia’s elaboration on how she crafted those scenes and got the film to final cut. This workshop is valuable not only for fiction filmmakers, but for documentarians who want to integrate narrative sequences into their films, as well as re-think how they communicate with their subjects.

Rate includes one complimentary ticket to see Eve and the Fire Horse at MoMA on May 18th or 19th!

About the Film: Eve is a precocious nine year-old girl with a wild imagination growing up in a traditional Chinese immigrant family in Vancouver where Confucian doctrines, superstitious obsessions and divine visions abound. When Buddhism and Catholicism are thrown into the mix, life for Eve and her 11-year-old prim and authoritative sister escalates into a fantasia of catastrophe, sainthood and cultural confusion.

Eve and the Fire Horse won a Special Jury Prize in World Cinema at Sundance 2006, and was nominated for five Genie (Canadian Oscars) Awards. The screenplay was awarded the Charles Israel Screenwriting Prize by the Writers Guild of Canada. Julia’s prior short, Three Sisters on Moon Lake premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2002 where it received an Audience Award, and later had its U.S. debut at Sundance.

Eve will be shown at the Museum of Modern Art on May 18 and 19 as part the Asian Cinevisions film series, organized by the Museum of Modern Art and Asian CineVision, a monthly showcase of independent Asian and Asian American films. WMM Filmmakers and Friends receive discounted rates on tickets. For more information, visit www.asiancinevision.org.

The Long Life of a Short: Approaches in Distribution
Co-Sponsored by Chica Luna Productions and Third World Newsreel
Wednesday, May 23, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
$50/40 * Discounted Rate

Come hear how this panel of filmmakers have successfully distributed their short films to enthusiastic audiences through an array of approaches—from the festival circuit, broadcast opportunities and home video/DVD sales, to grassroots collaborations with organizations. Get tips on how to extend the life of your short—and your visibility as a filmmaker as a result. Panelists include narrative maker Joyce Draganosky (The Science of Love; Extreme Mom), and doc makers Emily Kunstler (Getting Through to the President) and Gayle Kirshenbaum (A Dog’s Life: A Dogamentary; My Nose); Moderated by producer/director Sonia Malfa (Sweat'in; La Sangre Llama).

Location and Directions

All workshops (EXCEPT for the Documentary Master Class with Laura Poitras on April 5) take place at:
 
Women Make Movies, Conference Room
462 Broadway, 5th Floor, between Broome and Grand in SoHo
Tel: 212.925.0606
 
Subways: Q/N/R/W, 6, J/M/Z to Canal Street; W/R to Prince Street

Registration

Advance registration is required for all WMM events. Registering online via this page is the easiest. You can also print this page and mail with personal or company check, or cash to:
 
Women Make Movies Workshops Registration
462 Broadway, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10013

You can also leave your name, contact information, and Visa or Mastercard number with expiration date by calling our Registration Hotline: 212.925.0606 x322

Pricing and Discounts

Discounted rates (*) are available to WMM Filmmakers and Friends.

WMM Filmmakers are those in our Production Assistance Program or whose work we distribute. WMM Friends are individuals who donate at least $50 per year to the organization. To become a WMM Friend, click here: http://www.wmm.com/about/support_wmm.shtml

Students with valid student IDs also qualify for the Filmmakers and Friends rate.

Discounted rates (*) are also available to members of Asian CineVision, Chica Luna Productions, CineWomen NY, DCTV, IFP, NYWIFT, Shooting People and Third World Newsreel.



Refund Policy

No refunds will be given for any registrations. If you are unsure that you will be able to make the workshop, you can pay at the door via cash (exact change), check (made payable to Women Make Movies) or Visa/Mastercard, or sign up online the day of the Workshop. Please note, however, that there is no guarantee that seats will be available Day-Of or at the door. If you are unable to make the workshop but notify us up to 24 hours prior to the actual workshop date, you may receive a credit for another workshop within one year. Workshops may be cancelled by WMM due to insufficient enrollment. All instructors are subject to change.

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More is Less: It’s Cheaper By the Pass!

Complete WMM Workshop Series Pass:
All 8 Workshops for $350/275 (discounted rate)*
 

Producers Express Pass:
All 3 Workshops for $125/100 (discounted rate)*  
Re-Envisioning Your Rough Cut: Making the Most of Feedback
      4/11, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Checks, Clearances and Contracts: A Legal A-Z
     4/25, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Behind the Scenes: Public Television Funding
     5/9, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
 

Directors Express Pass:
Both Workshops for $90/70 (discounted rate)*
Directing the Documentary: A Master Class with Laura Poitras and a Case
     Study of My Country, My Country
     4/5, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Directing the Feature Film: A Conversation with Julia Kwan and a Case Study
     of Eve and the Fire Horse
     5/17, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
 

All Workshops listed under Express Passes may be purchased individually. See above descriptions to register.


View Past Workshops
Fall 2011
Spring 2011
Fall 2010
Spring 2010
Fall 2009
Spring 2009
Fall 2008
Spring 2008
Winter 2008
Spring 2007
Fall 2006
Spring 2006
Fall 2005
Spring 2005
Fall 2004

Return to current workshops