Editor

Film Independent [FIND] announced today that Ted Hope will deliver the keynote address for the fourth-annual Filmmaker Forum, which will be held September 26-28 at the Directors Guild of America, Los Angeles. Film Independent’s Filmmaker Forum is a widely attended event, giving attendees access to some of the most innovative names in indie filmmaking, as well as the most useful information available on how to get your movie made, bought, sold, and marketed in today’s changing marketplace.

“Ted’s insight into the film community is vast and unique,” said Dawn Hudson, Executive Director of Film Independent. “He is both a filmmaker and an advocate for the independent community who continues to break down barriers in cinema.”
“Independent Film has always represented the most innovative, bold, and truthful aspects of our film culture,” said Forum Keynote, Ted Hope. “As the film industry undergoes a paradigm shift, we can count on the ‘indies’ to lead the way. Far from the ‘sky is falling,’ Film Independent’s Filmmaker Forum will help show the thousand phoenix rising that will carry us into the new era.”
This year’s Filmmaker Forum kicks off at 7:00 pm on Friday, September 26, with a sneak preview of Summit Entertainment’s The Brothers Bloom at the Directors Guild of America. Written and directed by Rian Johnson, The Brothers Bloom are Bloom (Academy Award® winner Adrien Brody) and Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) -- the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust, intrigue and the most complex literary-inspired setups imaginable. Now they’ve decided to take on one last job – showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress named Penelope (Academy Award® winner Rachel Weisz) the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world – from New Jersey to Greece to Russia and Prague – in pursuit of priceless artifacts wanted by some of their most unsavory competitors.
An upbeat adventure featuring a renowned cast, this film is a whirlwind of action, intrigue, and romance with such scene-stealing supporting characters as Bang Bang (Academy Award® nominee Rinko Kikuchi), Diamond Dog (Maximilian Schell), and The Curator (Robbie Coltrane). The film will be released in North America on October 3.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with producer Ram Bergman and other members of the creative team. The Q&A will be followed by a reception in the DGA atrium.
From 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28, an intensive line-up of panel discussions will take place at the Directors Guild of America.
Topics include Finding the Financial Sweet Spot; What’s Up Doc?; The Micro Budget Film As A Calling Card; New Tools for Audience Building; The Cost of Cutting Corners: Production Do’s and Dont’s; Keeping Your Documentary on Track; Is The Sky Really Falling For Independent Film?; Filmmakers Off-the-Record: Selling Your Movie; Filmmakers Off-the-Record: Rethinking Distribution; Your Audience Awaits; The International Marketplace for American Indies; See Your Distribution Future: A Presentation and Interactive Workshop; and The Festival Circuit 2008: A Year In Review and Looking Ahead.
This year’s Forum will also feature a new documentary track, with special sessions devoted to the current documentary marketplace, the future of documentary film, budgeting a documentary, and more.

Simultaneous to the panel discussions, the Forum offers valuable daily networking opportunities for attendees to meet peers and industry leaders. Representatives from film commissions, film festivals, film markets, sales agents, and distributors will be available in the lobby each afternoon for informal discussions with Forum participants. Additionally, there will be opportunities on both days for Forum attendees to sit down for intimate, off-the-record talks over lunch with prominent indie film figures, as well as afternoon breaks to mingle with guest speakers and conference participants.
The Forum concludes on Sunday evening at 6:00 pm with the announcement of Film Independent’s Sloan Producers Grant Award – which carries an unrestricted cash price of $25,000 – and a cocktail reception at the DGA. The grant is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which seeks to create and develop new scripts and films about science and technology and to see them into commercial production with national and international distribution. The first-ever Sloan Producers Grant was awarded to Monique Caulfield in 2007 for her film Basmati Blues.
Past Forum panelists include Richard Klubeck (United Talent Agency); Linda Lichter (Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler, and Goodman); Rena Ronson (William Morris Independent); John Sloss (Cinetic Media); Stephanie Allain (Producer, Hustle and Flow); Gina Kwon (Producer, Me and You and Everyone We Know); Rebecca Yeldham (Producer, The Kite Runner); Michael London (Producer, Sideways); Ted Sarandos (Chief Content Officer, Netflix); Howard Cohen (Roadside Attractions); and Nancy Utley (COO, Fox Searchlight).
Conference passes are $300 for Film Independent members and $350 for non-members. For more information about this year’s Filmmaker Forum or to purchase a pass, visit FilmIndependent.org or call 310.432.1222.