“Where is the hope?”
That was the question was posed last week at one of the world’s most prominent launch pads for nonfiction films in development — Hot Docs Pitch Forum — and it reflected the general mood in the room.
As 20 filmmaking teams pitched their projects to dozens of top decision-makers, funders, and broadcasters sitting around the long wooden table in the Gothic-designed Hart House at the University of Toronto, there was a particular excitement for new documentaries that were “fresh,” “optimistic” and “fun”—to use some of the words spoken publically over the two-day pitch-a-thon.
See MoreHow Hot Docs, North America’s Smartest Festival, Could Anoint an Oscar Winner
On the opposite end of the spectrum, you could see those same powerbrokers struggling over what to do with still essential, but tough issue-driven films having to do with post-revolutionary countries in the Middle East or the global refugee crisis.
That was the question was posed last week at one of the world’s most prominent launch pads for nonfiction films in development — Hot Docs Pitch Forum — and it reflected the general mood in the room.
As 20 filmmaking teams pitched their projects to dozens of top decision-makers, funders, and broadcasters sitting around the long wooden table in the Gothic-designed Hart House at the University of Toronto, there was a particular excitement for new documentaries that were “fresh,” “optimistic” and “fun”—to use some of the words spoken publically over the two-day pitch-a-thon.
See MoreHow Hot Docs, North America’s Smartest Festival, Could Anoint an Oscar Winner
On the opposite end of the spectrum, you could see those same powerbrokers struggling over what to do with still essential, but tough issue-driven films having to do with post-revolutionary countries in the Middle East or the global refugee crisis.
- 5/10/2017
- by Anthony Kaufman
- Indiewire
Director Pj Raval has for the last 7 years established himself as one of the premiere filmmakers focusing on the Lgbt community, and his most recent film "Before You Know It," is no exception. Attempting to demystify subject of aging sexuality, Raval focuses on three gay seniors, attempting to retain the sexuality of own of today's most ignored subjects. What it's about: Before You Know It captures the experiences of three gay seniors as they navigate the adventures, challenges and surprises of their “golden years.” Tell Us About Yourself: Named one of Out Magazine’s “Out 100 2010” and Filmmaker Magazine’s ”25 new faces of independent film 2006,” Pj Raval is an award-winning filmmaker whose credits include Trinidad (Winner, Best Documentary Cleveland International Film Festival 2009, Showtime, Logo), The Christeene video collection (SXSW), and Before You Know It (SXSW 2013 World Premiere). Raval is currently developing a feature fiction narrative with acclaimed...
- 3/7/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Founded by actor and director Robert Redford in 1981, the nonprofit organization Sundance Institute is not only recognized internationally for its annual film festival in Park City, Utah, but also for its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, film composers, playwrights and theatre artists. The organization has supported critically acclaimed film projects including Born into Brothels, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Angels in America and many more.
Eleven projects were selected for the Sundance Creative Producing Labs this year, held from July 30 - August 3. The selected producers receive creative and strategic support through the year as well as fellowships for direct funding of development and production. Two of the Fellows selected are in Austin, Texas -- producer Kelly Williams (Hellion, Cinema Six), former Austin Film Festival Program Director and Director of Programming of Forth Worth's Lone Star International Film Festival; and producer/director/cinematographer Pj Raval (Trouble the Water, Trinidad). Find out more after the jump.
Eleven projects were selected for the Sundance Creative Producing Labs this year, held from July 30 - August 3. The selected producers receive creative and strategic support through the year as well as fellowships for direct funding of development and production. Two of the Fellows selected are in Austin, Texas -- producer Kelly Williams (Hellion, Cinema Six), former Austin Film Festival Program Director and Director of Programming of Forth Worth's Lone Star International Film Festival; and producer/director/cinematographer Pj Raval (Trouble the Water, Trinidad). Find out more after the jump.
- 7/19/2012
- by Debbie Cerda
- Slackerwood
While not all films mentioned below are necessarily guaranteed future place among the Sundance Film Festival elite, it’s certainly a step in the right direction for the filmmakers and more importantly the producers backing the future of independent film. Among the eleven project participants below selected for the annual Creative Producing Labs and Creative Producing Summit (July 30 – August 3) in the Feature Film category we find such names as future superstars in Summer Shelton (she worked with Ramin Bahrani) and receives the first ever Bingham Ray Creative Producing Fellow, Tory Lenosky (worked as an assistant to Jay Van Hoy and Lars Knudsen) and Lucas Joaquin (second unit producer for Beasts of the Southern Wild). Here is the full press release below.
Feature Film Creative Producing Lab
The Feature Film Creative Producing Lab is a five-day Lab where narrative feature film producers work with an accomplished group of Creative Advisors to develop their creative instincts,...
Feature Film Creative Producing Lab
The Feature Film Creative Producing Lab is a five-day Lab where narrative feature film producers work with an accomplished group of Creative Advisors to develop their creative instincts,...
- 7/18/2012
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Filmmaker Pj Raval has been involved with a number of Film Independent programs, from participating in our Documentary Filmmaker Lab to serving as a juror for the Spirit Awards and screening his work at the Los Angeles Film Festival. His constant stream of work has not gone unnoticed (his projects have screened at Sundance, SXSW, and on Showtime), which is especially rewarding as he regularly works to feature communities not receiving the notice they may deserve and need.
Raval is currently in production on a feature documentary about Lgbtq senior and retiree communities and has less than one week to raise the funds needed to complete his film via USA Projects, a United States Artists program used to fundraise online. Read on to learn more about Raval’s trajectory through the world of independent filmmaking and what he hopes to achieve with his latest endeavor:
Tell us how you got your start in film.
Raval is currently in production on a feature documentary about Lgbtq senior and retiree communities and has less than one week to raise the funds needed to complete his film via USA Projects, a United States Artists program used to fundraise online. Read on to learn more about Raval’s trajectory through the world of independent filmmaking and what he hopes to achieve with his latest endeavor:
Tell us how you got your start in film.
- 5/22/2012
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent
At SXSW a panel titled “The Great Cinematography Shootout” gathered a group of directors and cinematographers to discuss independent film lensing in an age of proliferating formats and lower-cost, high-quality cameras, like the Canon 5D. The directors of photography were Jody Lee Lipes (Girls, Tiny Furniture, and also the director of Opus Jazz), James Laxton (Medicine for Melancholy, Leave Me Like You Found Me), Clay Lifford (Gayby, and also the director of such films as Wuss and Earthling), Pj Raval (Trouble the Water, Sunset Stories, and also the director of Trinidad); and filmmaker, editor and d.p. David Lowery (Pioneer, and, as d.p. Audrey the Trainwreck). Here, from the d.p.’s, are ten tips for those looking to shoot smart-looking films on a low budget.
1. Let the camera create the atmosphere. The small form factor of the Dslr “changes everything, including the mood on the set and the performances,...
1. Let the camera create the atmosphere. The small form factor of the Dslr “changes everything, including the mood on the set and the performances,...
- 3/14/2012
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Directors: Bob Ray, Spencer Parsons, Rusty Kelley, Berndt Mader, Amy Grappell, Karen Skloss, Duane Graves, Justin Meeks, Paul Gordon, Johnny Stranger, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Jay Duplass, John Bryant, Sam Wainwright Douglas, Ben Steinbauer, Elisabeth Sikes, Mike Dolan, Geoff Marslett, Bradley Beesley, Bob Byington, Clay Liford, Carlyn Hudson, Miguel Alvarez, Scott Meyers, Pj Raval, Chris Eska Writers: Bob Ray, Spencer Parsons, Rusty Kelley, Berndt Mader, Amy Grappell, Karen Skloss, Duane Graves, Justin Meeks, Paul Gordon, Johnny Stranger, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Jay Duplass, John Bryant, Sam Wainwright Douglas, Ben Steinbauer, Elisabeth Sikes, Mike Dolan, Geoff Marslett, Bradley Beesley, Bob Byington, Clay Liford, Carlyn Hudson, Miguel Alvarez, Scott Meyers, Pj Raval, Chris Eska Starring: Bob Ray, Chris Doubek, Maggie Lea, Hilah Johnson, Robert Lambert, Leslie Naugle, John Wesley Coleman, Kelli Bland, Justin Meeks, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers, Jen Tracy Duplass, Jay Duplass, Chris Trew, Sam Wainwright Douglas, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Luke Savisky,...
- 9/4/2011
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
In celebration of Slacker's 20th anniversary, local filmmakers are re-creating scenes from the Richard Linklater movie for Slacker 2011, a fundraising project benefitting the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund (Tfpf). As we await the August 31 premiere, we're chatting with some of the filmmakers participating in one or more of the short films that will comprise the project -- check out our interviews so far.
Today's interview is with Austin cinematographer and filmmaker Pj Raval. He's directed several short films as well as the feature documentary Trinidad, about the "sex-change capital of the world." His cinematography credits include local movies such as Room and Gretchen, as well as the Academy-Award nominated documentary Trouble the Water and Kyle Henry's Fourplay shorts.
Slackerwood: Which scene from the film did you re-shoot?
Pj Raval: The scene I directed is lovingly referred to as "Rantings" or Scene 22, which originally featured a young woman...
Today's interview is with Austin cinematographer and filmmaker Pj Raval. He's directed several short films as well as the feature documentary Trinidad, about the "sex-change capital of the world." His cinematography credits include local movies such as Room and Gretchen, as well as the Academy-Award nominated documentary Trouble the Water and Kyle Henry's Fourplay shorts.
Slackerwood: Which scene from the film did you re-shoot?
Pj Raval: The scene I directed is lovingly referred to as "Rantings" or Scene 22, which originally featured a young woman...
- 8/17/2011
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
Laura Gabbert, Scott Hamilton Kennedy, Caroline Libresco, Doug Pray, Heather Rae, Eddie Schmidt, Aj Schnack to Serve as Lab Mentors .
Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, has launched a new Documentary Lab, sponsored by Latino Public Broadcasting, with 14 filmmakers and 9 projects participating. Documentary Lab is an intensive seven-week program, with a main focus of assisting documentary filmmakers on their works-in-progress and providing creative feedback. All of the Film Independent Labs are designed to support strong, original voices develop their filmmaking careers in a nurturing, yet challenging creative environment. Documentary Lab Mentors include filmmakers Laura Gabbert (No Impact Man), Scott Hamilton Kennedy (The Garden), Doug Pray (Art & Copy), Aj Schnack (Convention),Sundance Film Festival Senior Programmer Caroline Libresco, and producers Heather Rae (Frozen River) and Eddie Schmidt (Troubadours). filmmakers Jen Arnold (A Small Act), Jeff Malmberg (Marwencol), Chicken & Egg.s Julie Benello,...
Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, has launched a new Documentary Lab, sponsored by Latino Public Broadcasting, with 14 filmmakers and 9 projects participating. Documentary Lab is an intensive seven-week program, with a main focus of assisting documentary filmmakers on their works-in-progress and providing creative feedback. All of the Film Independent Labs are designed to support strong, original voices develop their filmmaking careers in a nurturing, yet challenging creative environment. Documentary Lab Mentors include filmmakers Laura Gabbert (No Impact Man), Scott Hamilton Kennedy (The Garden), Doug Pray (Art & Copy), Aj Schnack (Convention),Sundance Film Festival Senior Programmer Caroline Libresco, and producers Heather Rae (Frozen River) and Eddie Schmidt (Troubadours). filmmakers Jen Arnold (A Small Act), Jeff Malmberg (Marwencol), Chicken & Egg.s Julie Benello,...
- 3/16/2011
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Time to catch up on Austin film news after the Labor Day weekend. Here's what we've got -- heavy on Fantastic Fest, but it's a little more than two weeks away at this point:
Fantastic Fest announced its shorts lineup for 2010. Amid the list of animated and genre shorts, I immediately noticed one from local filmmakers: Nathan and David Zellner are premiering Sasquatch Birth Journal 2 to the fest. I can't wait. If you know of any other local filmmakers whose shorts (or features) are playing the fest, please let us know in the comments.If you weren't lucky enough to get a film into Fantastic Fest, you've got another chance -- the fest hs opened up its 2010 bumper competition. Fifteen seconds, must contain the word "Fantastic," and must adhere to this year's theme: "Inappropriate." I'm a bit afraid of what we'll see. Someday I'm going to find the time and...
Fantastic Fest announced its shorts lineup for 2010. Amid the list of animated and genre shorts, I immediately noticed one from local filmmakers: Nathan and David Zellner are premiering Sasquatch Birth Journal 2 to the fest. I can't wait. If you know of any other local filmmakers whose shorts (or features) are playing the fest, please let us know in the comments.If you weren't lucky enough to get a film into Fantastic Fest, you've got another chance -- the fest hs opened up its 2010 bumper competition. Fifteen seconds, must contain the word "Fantastic," and must adhere to this year's theme: "Inappropriate." I'm a bit afraid of what we'll see. Someday I'm going to find the time and...
- 9/7/2010
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
Local filmmaker Kyle Henry, whose feature Room played Cannes in 2005, is preparing to shoot a short film called Tampa, the third in a series of four planned shorts called Fourplay. Actor/writer Carlos Trevino has written the script, and the director of photography will be Pj Raval (Trouble the Water, Trinidad).
Now all Tampa needs is a cast, and Vicky Boone is working on that -- an Austin casting director who made a very funny short film herself in 2005, Attack of the Bride Monster (which Raval also Dp'd). A message posted to the Austin Film Casting mailing list details the roles the production needs to fill. I've reposted all the info after the jump. The deadline for sending your picture and resume to Boone is today (Jan. 18), so if you think you're perfect for one of these characters, get cracking.
The Fourplay blog, which you must be 18 to read, calls...
Now all Tampa needs is a cast, and Vicky Boone is working on that -- an Austin casting director who made a very funny short film herself in 2005, Attack of the Bride Monster (which Raval also Dp'd). A message posted to the Austin Film Casting mailing list details the roles the production needs to fill. I've reposted all the info after the jump. The deadline for sending your picture and resume to Boone is today (Jan. 18), so if you think you're perfect for one of these characters, get cracking.
The Fourplay blog, which you must be 18 to read, calls...
- 1/18/2010
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
By Stephen Saito
Last year, "Young@Heart" caused ripples when it sold to Fox Searchlight to become the first distribution deal to emerge from the L.A. Film Festival, so perhaps it shouldn't have come as a surprise that the festival put documentaries front and center this year, even in a city where there's no shortage of name actors that most other festivals would deploy to lure audiences. Instead, one of the more anticipated star attractions in Los Angeles was a talk with HBO documentary czar Sheila Nevins, who participated in a wide-ranging conversation with L.A. Times columnist Patrick Goldstein about her career of mixing high class projects like the recent doc "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" with, well, "Heidi Fleiss: The Would-Be Madam of Crystal," which premiered at the festival hours after Nevins finished up. (The latest from "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato,...
Last year, "Young@Heart" caused ripples when it sold to Fox Searchlight to become the first distribution deal to emerge from the L.A. Film Festival, so perhaps it shouldn't have come as a surprise that the festival put documentaries front and center this year, even in a city where there's no shortage of name actors that most other festivals would deploy to lure audiences. Instead, one of the more anticipated star attractions in Los Angeles was a talk with HBO documentary czar Sheila Nevins, who participated in a wide-ranging conversation with L.A. Times columnist Patrick Goldstein about her career of mixing high class projects like the recent doc "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" with, well, "Heidi Fleiss: The Would-Be Madam of Crystal," which premiered at the festival hours after Nevins finished up. (The latest from "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato,...
- 7/2/2008
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
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