Filmmaking grants

A few times per year, No Film School releases a list of grants for movies. Here is your summer guide to grants. It's a nifty but not comprehensive list of grants available for filmmakers. Some grants are for documentary films and others for narratives. Look closely at the list of requirements for submission and the deadlines! 

http://nofilmschool.com/2016/05/massive-list-summer-2016-grants-all-filmmakers-should-know-about

Vicky Jeudy is back in "Orange is the New Black"

The trailer for season 4 of "Orange is the New Black" just dropped and we spot Haitian-American actress Vicky Jeudy reprising the role of Janae Watson, one of the inmates at Litchfield Penitentiary. We previously profiles Vicky a couple of years ago here . I loved OITNB seasons 1 and 2 but lost interest at season 3. Everything was over the top and a tad unrealistic for me. I'm hopeful that season 4 goes back to the basics of what made the OITNB successful! Catch the trailer here 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6O9rfoz0f8&ebc=ANyPxKqym9uWQ0kN7qqd9GyMDx08QcOE8Dmx3ncY9PfI8I_SuYMnvrAOmEr655Ps7W94XbEADgAA3g1au8CBBXVjdJ_GOhi97w&app=desktop

Going to ABFF?

Going to the American Black Film Festival in Miami? Be sure to catch actor Jimmy Jean-Louis in the film "Everything But a Man". Directed by Nnegest Likké, "Everything But a Man" also stars Monica Calhoub (The Best Man) and Camille Winbush (The Bernie Mac Show). 

'Everything But a Man' tells the tale of 

"A successful career woman [who] has a life-changing romance with a mysterious man from another culture, whose radical lifestyle differences challenge her perspective on love, relationships and what it means to be a “strong” woman." (Via IMDB). Jimmy is listed as a producer on the film as well. 

Check out ABFF.com for info on time slots and screening locations! 

Joberde Metellus is back on tv tonight!

Haitian-American actor Joberde Metellus will grace the small screen again tonight on an episode of 'Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders'. In tonight's episode the agents search for a woman whose child vanished in Haiti. The episode is titled 'Paper Orphans' ( a reference to victims of child trafficking) and is set in Haiti. Joberde plays a Haitian character named Osse. The episode was shot right here in Los Angeles and I helped with some of the translation as well! TV Guide describes the 'Paper Orphans' episode as follows:

"The IRT heads to Haiti on the Season 1 finale after Abby Wagner, the young daughter of an American family visiting the country, gets kidnapped."

CRIMINAL MINDS: BEYOND BORDERS airs Wednesday, May 25 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS.

Be sure to catch the episode and sound off!

OITNB: Vicky Jeudy is back!

The trailer for season 4 of "Orange is the New Black" just dropped and we spot Haitian-American actress Vicky Jeudy reprising the role of Janae Watson, one of the inmates at Litchfield Penitentiary.

We profiled Vicky almost 2 years ago in an entry titled INTRODUCING VICKY JEUDY. Check it out in the archives HERE.
 
 I loved OITNB seasons 1 and 2 but lost interest at season 3. Everything was over the top and a tad unrealistic for me. I'm hopeful that season 4 goes back to the basics of what made OITNB successful! Watch the season 4 trailer below!

Amazon's free writing tool

Here's a FREE tool to help you properly format your script. Formatting is of the utmost importance. I was sent a script once that was formatted like a novel. The writer was French and was not aware of the American screenwriting format. The script was difficult for me to read because I'd become accustomed to the US standard. I read it anyway as a courtesy but the vast majority of producers won't bother. Y'ap pansé ou pa konn sa ou ap fè, épi yo tou ba'w vag. I've used CELTX in the past which is a free tool as well. Final draft is the most used platform but it does cost some "greenback". So another free platform is always welcome! Check it out.

http://writerscircle.com/amazon-storywriter/

A film about the Haitian-American experience in Miami needs your support!

Haitian-American Filmmaker RACHEL BENJAMIN is set to shoot her first feature this summer! Titled "According to Diana", the film is about a first generation Haitian-American woman navigating the Miami scene as she struggles to fit in. Per Benjamin's GoFundMe campaign description:

 

"'According To Diana' is about a 1st generation Haitian American woman, named Diana, who reluctantly moves to sunny Miami, Florida when she loses her apartment in New York and has to stay with her ultra conservative Haitian family.  In the midst of her new environment, Diana struggles to blend in and starts a relationship with a doctor doing his residency from Montreal Canada.  Things get murky and confusing, until an asthma attack brings everything back into a much clearer view. It's about Diana trying to navigate through life and various relationships with not so great results."

Check out the GOFUNDME campaign HERE----> https://www.gofundme.com/232nhd8c 

The film is in pre-production and is set to shoot this summer in Florida. I had the pleasure of participating in a table read for the film in Florida about a year ago and I absolutely enjoyed the script! Donate to the campaign to help this film come to life and be sure to LIKE the ACCORDING TO DIANA FACEBOOK PAGE

According To Diana teaser from Rachel Benjamin on Vimeo.

The Art of Editing

Movies are made in post! Ok, maybe not entirely but ou konn panse ou fe yon fim epi le li edite, li se yon fim diferan. Surprise! That's why your editor (both picture and sound) is the most important person on your crew. And if you edit your own projects, bravo! Though personally, I prefer having someone else edit because sometimes an editor will see things that I had not thought of. Things that I shot for the movie as a director but fail to see as an editor. I love the documentary titled: 'The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing". Wendy Apple directs and Kathy Bates narrates this doc style project that illustrates perfectly the role and importance of an editor in the filmmaking process. A great editor who understands storytelling, pacing, cadence etc can make or break your film. If you are a filmmaker or a content creator of any sort, this is a MUST WATCH.

Joberde Metellus guest stars on "NCIS: Los Angeles"!

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Be sure to catch actor Joberde Metellus on the season finale of "NCIS: Los Angeles"! I've never watched the Los Angeles version but IMDB describes it as follows: "The Naval Criminal Investigation Service's Office of Special Projects takes on the undercover work and the hard to crack cases in LA. Key agents are G. Callen and Sam Hanna, streets kids risen through the ranks".  

Screenshot of Joberde on "NCIS: Los Angeles"

Starring Chris O'Donnell (NCIS Special Agent G. Callen) and LL COOL J (NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna), tonight's episode is titled 'Talion" and is said to involve Sam's son in some sort of danger from an extremist group. The finale airs at 10pm (EST) on CBS.

Jerry Lamothe's "Taking Chance" to screen at the Uptown Short Film Festival

Director Jerry Lamothe ("Amour Infinity", "The Tombs", "Saints and Sinners") is having a busy year. Fresh off the premiere of his episodes of the mega church tv show "Saint and Sinners", Lamothe announces that his film "Taking Chance" will screen at the inaugural Uptown Short Film Festival in New York from May 12th to May 15th.

 

According to IMDB's synopsis, "Chance, a young aspiring artist from Brooklyn, wants nothing more but to achieve his dreams of making it big. He looks forward to creating music that speaks to a loving and peaceful world. However, in today's' society, such ambitions can prove difficult especially in a community where the mantra 'do or die' still has a strong hold on those around him. With the state of social media and a culture that follows your every move, Chance faces overwhelming pressure from his alpha brother and peers alike, about dealing with a recurring dilemma in school. Will Chance stand his ground or will he succumb to this ever changing world?"

 

Jamie Hector ("The Wire") served as executive producer with Ally Robe as writer. Stay tuned for exact dates and times of the film's screening. 

Frantz Casseus to appear in "Living with Funny"!

Comedian Frantz Casseus will appear in Oxygen's latest original program titled "Living with Funny". The show will feature the likes of Marlon Wayans, Micheal Blackson, Brandon T. Jackson, Deray Davis and many more! 

 

"Living with Funny" is a docu-series exploring the lives of comedians and their significant others. Of note is Deray Davis' "three-lationship" with his two girlfriends! The show began on April 12th and Casseus' episodes start airing on Tuesday May 3rd at 9pm (EST). Set your DVRs! 

"Pélé: Birth of a Legend" Bande d'Annonce

Pou jan nou renmen Pélé, real name Edson Arantes do Nascimento. Bon, non misyé Edson, ou kwè'l pa Ayisien?

Blagues a part, here's the trailer for "Pélé: Birth of a Legend" a film about this legendary soccer player turned politician, from his humble beginnings in São Paulo to his rise as an international icon. The trailer looks exciting and I, for one, can't wait for the movie! Peep the trailer below!

Festival fim

If you manage or direct a Black Film Festival, Shadow and Act wants to hear from you. By now you've heard that Indiewire was sold and the network of Indiewire websites, including Shadow and Act, have to fend for themselves. While we await the verdict on S&A's new direction, Tambay wants to put together a comprehensive list of Black film festivals around the world. So, festival fim Jakmel, Okap, Potoprens, New York, tout koté ala ronbadé, voyé enfomasyon ou bay Shadow and Act rapido présto. Men lenk pou plis détay. 

http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/calling-all-black-film-festival-directors-for-an-upcoming-s-a-database-20160404

"An Untamed State" movie announced

I read Roxane Gay's "An Untamed State" about a year ago. It was a difficult read. Without giving away the entire plot, "An Untamed State" recounts the nightmare of an affluent Haitian-American woman kidnapped in Haiti and the days she spends being tortured and raped repeatedly to the point that her reproductive organs have to be surgically repaired. It ends on a positive note but I do fear how Haitians and Black folks in general will be represented in this film. For one, in the novel, all the ruthless "bad guys" (down to the victim's own father) are Black folks (Haitians) and the knights in shining armor who nurse her back to wholeness are White. 

I am happy to see Gina Prince-Bythewood in the director's chair for this project and am elated to see her team up with Gugu Mbatha-Raw again. Both are phenomenal. I'm a big fan of Roxane Gay as well. "Bad Feminist" is one of my favorite pieces of literature. "An Untamed State" is more about the protagonist's grit and unflinching resolve and less about Haitians and Haiti. Still, it left me reeling for a number of reasons. Read it for yourself before the movie is shot and released. Let me know what you think. 

Dokiman Enpòtan

If you're a producer, you know the importance of paperwork in the filmmaking business! Kidonk, fòk tout bagay a lékri pou pa gen problem pi dévan. Lagè avèti pa tiyé kokobé. Here is a link with all kinds of great documents and contracts that you can use as a template for your project, from call sheets to budgets and location agreements. Get into it!

Check it out  HERE