This was originally published on the Shooting People Festival Focus blog.

I had the privilege of being on the Sterling Short Film Jury at SILVERDOCS, along with Angela Tucker and Bryan Stamp. The films were superb, Angela and Bryan were fantastic fellow jurors and Sky Sitney and the entire SILVERDOCS staff did a really impressive job this year. We awarded the shorts prize to 12 Notes Down by Andreas Koefoed, a beautiful and moving portrait of talent, music and adolescence. We also felt compelled to give an honorary mention to Michael Angus and Murray Fredericks for the cinematic Salt, which follows photographer Fredericks as he works on his lonely and awesome (I mean this in the literal sense) photos in the remote salt flats of Australia.

Other big winners were October Country by Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher (good friends and super-talented filmmakers) and Mugabe and the White African by Lucy Bailey and Andrew Thompson. Congrats to Luciano Blotta for winning a music documentary award for Riseup, a very accomplished and enjoyable film about contemporary reggae mucians in Jamaica that I really hope more people will get the chance to see. You can see the full list of winners here. Audience awards went to The Cove and 12 Notes Down.

Here are some photos from my adventures in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Albert Maysles is honored at the Guggenheim Symposium

Debbie Zimmerman, Simon Kilmurry and Danielle DiGiacomo

AJ Schnack shows how it’s done. King of Karaoke Michael Lerman is behind him.

Trish Dalton and Brendan Canty enjoy nuclear drinks

The audience sing along

The rocking short film jury at the awards ceremony: me, Angela Tucker, Bryan Stamp

Juror Margaret Brown flanked by October Country award-winners Donal Mosher and Michael Palmieri

Ion gets political with the ladeeeeeees…

…while Pamela Cohn shares a moment with Obama

Yoav Shamir opens a bottle of bubbly for us

Michael Palmieri, Sandi DuBowski and Donal Mosher show me their tonsils

I’m part of a Shooting People team teaching a workshop on how filmmakers can best use the web at the Frontline Club in London on Saturday, July 4th. The workshop will include case studies on films that have harnessed the power of the web, tips on using social media, and online strategy and resources for filmmakers. If you’re looking for help distributing and marketing your film online then Digital Bootcamp is for you! I’m working on some lovely slides for it right now.

I’m really thrilled that Shooting People is involved in so many fantastic events this month – from the Rooftop Films panels on Saturday June 13th to the Short Sighted event at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on Sunday June 21st. And now we are also doing a special screening of the powerful documentary Pray The Devil Back To Hell with producer (and all round amazing person) Abigail Disney in attendance. Please join us at DCTV on Thursday, June 25th – space is very limited so get tickets soon: http://www.dctvny.org/dctvpresents/praythedevil.html

Here’s the trailer:

We (Shooting People) have gotten together with Rooftop Films, Cinereach and IndiePix to bring you some really great filmmaking panels before the screening of Persona Non Grata at Rooftop Films this Saturday, June 13th. This is part of the Rooftop Films 4-day Panorama Weekend which runs from Wednesday to Saturday this week with fantastic films screening each night: www.rooftopfilms.com

Panel Schedule:

5:00-6:00pm

Message vs. Craft: The Art of Effective “Issue” Storytelling

When a filmmaker takes on a topic related to social justice or human rights it is often with the hope of influencing public opinion and inspiring action. To achieve that, a film must reach and engage the right audience, in the right numbers. It must also portray the human impact of the issue or problem persuasively. How does a “social issue” filmmaker balance the need to educate with the public’s desire to be entertained? How does he/she move past preaching to the choir and make a film that can become a catalyst for real change? This panel will provide advice on the above from documentary and fiction filmmakers including Justin Schein (No Impact Man), Fabio Wuytack (Persona Non Grata) and Paola Mendoza (Entre Nos), whose work successfully walks the issue/entertainment line. Leah Sapin of Arts Engine (which specializes in production and outreach for socially relevant films), and New York magazine film critic Bilge Ebiri will join the discussion, to be moderated by Lina Srivastava.

Panelists include: Lina Srivastava (consultant to non profit media companies working for social change) – moderator   Justin Schein (Co-director of No Impact Man) Fabio Wuytack (Director of Persona Non Grata) Bilge Ebiri  (film critic from New York magazine) Leah Sapin (Arts Engine) Paola Mendoza (Director of Entre Nos)

6:30-7:30pm

Filmmaking Strategy: Tips, Tools and Wisdom to Help You Make the Right Decisions For Your Film

Filmmakers have to be both artists and strategists to get their films made and seen and this is the case now more than ever as changes in funding and distribution force filmmakers to shoulder more of the crucial decisions on their own. This panel will help you learn how to be the best advocate for your film by asking all the tough questions that you will have to ask along the way. For example: How much work (and what work) do you need to achieve on your own before approaching a funder? And how can you tailor your pitch to communicate your vision to a foundation vs. an equity investor? What other funding options are there? How do you balance traditional outreach to festivals, sales agents, broadcasters, and distributors with the need to also create your own fan base? Which distribution deals do you accept? How do know when a deal is a good deal? How do you hope for the best but plan for the worst?

Panelists include: Adella Ladjevardi (Cinereach) Janet Brown (Cinetic) Liz Ogilvie (B-Side) Tia Lessin (Co-Director of Trouble the Water) Andy Bichlbaum (Co-Director of The Yes Men Fix The World) Simon Kilmurry (P.O.V.)

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: Saturday, June 13, 2009

Venue: On the roof of the Old American Can Factory Address: 232 3rd St. @ 3rd Ave. (Gowanus/ Park Slope, Brooklyn) Directions: F/G to Carroll St. or M/R to Union Ave.

Rain: In the event of rain the show will be held indoors at the same location

5:00PM: Panel discussion: “Message vs. Craft,” outside in courtyard

6:30PM: Panel discussion: “Filmmaking Strategy,” outside in courtyard

7:30PM – 9:00PM: Reception in courtyard including free sangria courtesy of Carlo Rossi

8:30PM: Live music presented by Sound Fix Records

9:00PM: Film

The film is the US premiere of Persona Non Grata, directed by Fabio Wuytack. Prosecuted as a rebel. Banned as a priest. Committed as an artist. Loved as a father. An inspiring documentary—co-funded by the Rooftop Filmmaker Fund—about the filmmaker’s father, Franz Wuytack, a radical left-wing Belgian missionary in the slums of Venezuela in the 1960s. With a new liberal movement sweeping Latin America, and people like Wuytack needing to continue the fight for social justice in the US and around the world, this film is crucially relevant today.

It’s going to be a wonderful night! Get tickets at www.rooftopfilms.com

My iPhone got wet in the rain in Toronto and subsequently died and I fell out of love a little. But then I got a new one and downloaded some photo apps and the love has returned. If people getting carried away with iPhone apps makes you come out in a rash look away now!

This is my kitchen sink using the Camera Bag Magazine Filter. I love the colors. It doesn’t look quite this atmospheric without the filter.

And this is my favorite, taken with the ShakeItPhoto app – it develops just like a Polaroid! And you can shake it like a Polaroid picture too! Lend me some sugar, I AM your neighbor!