Check out the following GIFs promoting the upcoming CollabFeature film, Train Station. The World Premiere of Train Station takes place on Friday, November 6, 2015 at the East Lansing Film Festival. Click HERE for more details and stay tuned for future screenings!
Featured Filmmaker: Juliane Block
The Featured Filmmaker Series gives you the chance to get to know CollabFeature filmmakers through a series of interviews that give an inside peek into the minds and lives of our collaborators.
Juliane Block is a Berlin-based director whose achievements include 2 feature films, more than 10 short films, music videos, commercials and travel documentaries. She has given lectures on different filmmaking subjects in various countries. Her work has been screened at festivals around the world and she participated in the Berlinale Talent Campus as film director in 2008. Her crowdfunding campaign ‘The Inner District’ won the Google sponsored Indiegogo competition ‘Gründergarage’ in 2012. Her feature screenplay ‘Foster’ was selected as one of the 25 finalists of the Screenplay Replay Contest in 2013.
1) Your background as a globe-trotting filmmaker makes you an ideal candidate as a world cinema voice like Wim Wenders. How has living and working in both Asia and Europe manifested in your works? Which of your films best illustrate "transnational culture", i.e. the convergence of East and West elements?
The biggest difference, I believe, distinguishing me from a German filmmaker who graduated through the common system (doing German film school and then moving on to government funded features or television) is the fact that those public funding doors are pretty hard for me to open. As a result however I am free in the choice of my subjects, and can pursue topics usually not done by German filmmakers: genre films and English language content for an international audience.
My work as a result has become more globalized through the influences of the different countries, best of all reflected in my last feature film "Kinks" which portrays the differences between the East and the West through two twin sisters - one of them looking white, the other one Indian.
2) You've been working in various genres but judging from your short-form filmography and your feature films in development, you appear to be geared towards action/crime, horror/thriller or science fiction. Can you tell us more about these projects and what appeals to you about genre cinema? Any thoughts about its commercial value in independent circles?
When I first got in touch with filmmaking it was through doing Zombie make-up on a home-made Zombie flick in 1999. I was always drawn to monsters or genre creatures. I devoured Sci-Fi and Fantasy books when I was a kid and even now I rather watch an Action blockbuster (if the reason for watching is mere time passing) than an Indie movie with a deep rooted theme and story.
Having said that the best films for me are the ones who have morally valid and solid underlying themes while telling an enticing story - then mixing it with pure entertainment. That's what pretty much all my future projects are about:
3 LIVES - a psychological thriller which deals with the topic of how people deal with their past - packaged in a survival thriller in the woods. FOSTER is an action Sci-Fi film about a young man who gets drawn into the organized crime circles in Hong Kong of the future, but ultimately tells the story of a man who grows up and forgives his parents.
Having shopped around my projects at the big film markets during the last year (AFM, EFM and Cannes) I can say that genre films are definitely a much easier sell internationally then drama or art-house.
3) As part of CollabFeature, what do you think sets you apart from the rest of the filmmakers on the roster? On the flip side, what do you have in common with them?
All of the filmmakers involved in CollabFeature combines a driving motivation to collaborate creatively, to get inspired by different cultures and create something unique. I am no different. If anything sets me apart from the rest, it might be the persistence to see it through to the end. With so many different voices the process of actually finishing something can be grueling at times, but luckily CollabFeature managed to gather a bunch of producers and directors who even stay active after years of involvement.
4) Over the years, short films have increased in accessibility thanks to a surge in mobile and Internet technology. Some people however opine that the advent in mobile technology could potentially result in a decrease in film quality and that over time films could lose their cinematic quality. As someone who has worked on a number of shorts, what is your opinion on this?
If you judge the quality of film in general by looking at all content produced and then rate it on average, maybe the quality of film did decline. But the amount of little indie gems to discover did increase as well by the increase of accessibility to filmmaking as such.
It is harder to find them in the massive amount of content available, true, and creates an environment of competitiveness - who markets his or her film best (not necessarily which film is the best.) But ultimately that's no change to earlier times, in which not the best filmmakers necessarily became the prominent directors of their time, but the ones who managed to beat all the odds in their way (being it the money you need to pay for film school e.g.)
The obstacles might have changed, but the opportunity to shine is there - today as it was decades ago.
5) Given the general decrease in attention span over the years, do you think short films are the way forward? Is it like films, but bite-sized and easily digestible?
The thrive of cinema today proves that there's still a need for feature films. And you could even argue that with TV being the new cinema - look at all the great series which came out over the last years - in some way the attention span increased. A couple of years ago I didn't imagine I would binge watch through a series, watching 4 or 5 episodes in one go.
I believe the internet as content platform enables us to watch without the restriction of a set time frame, as dictated by television for example. As a result new content forms emerged, like web series and previously less attractive formats, like short films, increased in popularity.
6) Based on your track record, you seem to be a bit of a festival junkie; which film festival do you never miss/have always wanted to visit or are aiming for?
Being based now in Berlin I'd love to premiere one of my feature one day at the Berlinale.
7) Of all digital platforms to upload your films to, which one do you think works best for you as a filmmaker?
That answer depends on the purpose of the upload. To present my work as part of my portfolio, the platform of choice is Vimeo. To reach the end consumer and promote, it's YouTube, and to earn money by self-distribution my favorites are currently VHX and Reelhouse.
Interview conducted by Tony Pietra.
Check out Juliane's: Website | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter | IMDB
Train Station premieres at East Lansing Film Festival on Nov 6!
CollabFeature is proud and thrilled to announce that our second international, collaborative feature film "Train Station" has been accepted and will have its World Premiere at the 18th annual East Lansing Film Festival! ELFF is the largest film festival in Michigan. ELFF takes place on the campus of Michigan State University. Over the last 18 years, the festival has screened nearly 2000 films and has hosted celebrity filmmakers and actors such as Oliver Stone, Michael Moore, and Bruce Campbell.
CollabFeature’s first film, "The Owner”, screened at ELFF in 2012.
Here is a breakdown on the "Train Station" related events at the East Lansing Film Festival:
"Train Station" will premiere on Friday, November 6th at 9:15pm in Wells Hall Theatre A (Altman) followed by a Q&A with filmmakers and actors. Tickets are $5 General Admission/$3 Student Price. Tickets CANNOT be purchased individually online, only at the Wells Hall Box Office which opens Friday, November 6th at 6pm.
Filmmakers Panel Discussion with CollabFeature's own Marty Shea will be Saturday, November 7th at 12pm in Wells Hall Theatre A (Altman). This event is FREE.
Only 1 Pass is being offered this year, the VIP Festival Pass for $200. This pass will get you into all films, the Hospitality Area, and the Festival Party. You may purchase your pass in advance, here: http://bit.ly/ELFFfestivalpass
For more information: http://elff.com
“Train Station” follows a single character played by 40 different actors from all over the world. When a mysterious train accident forces our character, known only as “Character in Brown”, to change his plans, he is confronted with a series of choices, some big, some small. Each decision he makes leads to a different scenario, each one filmed by a different director with a different cast.
Directed by 40 filmmakers from 25 different countries, "Train Station" is the second feature film by CollabFeature.
The East Lansing Film Festival (ELFF), the largest and second oldest film festival in Michigan, screens independent and foreign feature, documentary, short and students films from around the world. An important aspect of the film festival is the Lake Michigan Film Competition that awards films made in the states that surround Lake Michigan – Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.The ELFF was created in 1997 in cooperation with the City of East Lansing and Michigan State University. Since then, ELFF has been dedicated to bringing quality foreign and independent films to the state of Michigan in order to expose our audience to diverse cultures, ideas, and creative works.
CollabFeature Pitches Web Series at Film Week
IFP Screen Forward: 5 Tips on Pitching Web Series
by Scott Macaulay in Festivals & Events, Filmmaking, Financing From Filmmaker Magazine on Sep 21, 2015
Patrick O'Donnell pitching at IFP's Screen Forward Conference (Photo: Kelsey Doyle)
The on-stage pitch has become a staple of documentary film forums, like IDFA and CPH:DOX, and pitch panels long ago snuck into events like IFP’s Screen Forward Conference (previously the Filmmaker Conference). But the on-stage pitching of web series is something relatively new at these more film-oriented events. Befitting the IFP’s conference name change, three filmmakers storytellers took the stage Sunday at noon at the Bruno Walter Auditorium to impress a panel of web content professionals with their ideas of episodic tales to be streamed online.
But given the Wild West nature of web series, where buyers, monetization strategies and filmmaker goals are all in flux, was the format a useful one? Were the filmmakers on stage perfecting a performance they’d likely do somewhere down the line to actual buyers? Or was the panel’s aim more rhetorical, to enable a dialogue about how we should think and talk about web series?
My opinion at 12:45PM — a little of both. Whereas a filmmaker pitching a script in Hollywood to industry buyers will be sharing with those buyers a set of assumptions — the film will be between 90 and 120 minutes, will have a certain budget, etc. — those pitching web series will be defining both the format as well as the content of their proposed series. That’s just one of five takeaways from today’s panel.
1. Define the format. “In this format, there’s no standard,” said judge Adam Goldman, creator of the web series Whatever this is, in response to a pitch by filmmaker Marty Shea. Shea’s series is A Billion to One, an ambitious, collaborative project in which episodes feature different people who want to change the world. The pitch started off by making it seem like a game show, said judge Ingrid Jungermann (writer/director, F to 7th), but Shea responded by describing it as “somewhere between a corporate drama and a Dickensian story.” All the more need to spell out precisely what the show is, all the way down to details like the number and length of the episodes, said Goldman.
2. Use Comps. Also in response to Shea, Randi Kleiner, CEO of the episodic festival SeriesFest, said there is nothing wrong with using comparisons. The panel remarked that Shea’s series, which will have different central characters every week, could be compared in that way to the well known web series hit High Maintenance. Shea said he’d never have thought to make that comparison, but he could see it. “Don’t feel you need to have the original idea,” said Kleiner. “Everything is built off of something else.”
3. Make clear your personal connection to the material. If there was one piece of advice that spanned all three presentations, it was this one. A creator pitching a web series must explain “why you are the perfect person to pitch this idea,” said Josh Poole, Director of Development at Broadway Video’s Above Average. This was in response to a polished pitch by Patrick O’Donnell of a web series about a single thirtysomething woman who decides to travel cross country to visit an ex-boyfriend after finding an unlistened-to mixtape by him. O’Donnell’s pitch was well received, but when he responded to Poole by answering that he’s a musician who used to own a small label, has plenty of connections in the indie music world, and has thought a lot about the relationship between music and emotion, everyone told him he should have put this in his pitch. “A lot of times people think they have to have all this information in there,” said Jungermann, “but it’s really just about connecting.”
The panelists had similar comments to James Martin, whose web series Monica is about a loner high school girl who is suddenly revisited by her childhood imaginary friends — a purple monster, penguin, monkey, and rat — while in college. It wasn’t until his pitch was over and he was subjected to questions from the panel that he revealed his lifelong love of the work of Jim Henson and his participation in a puppet workshop. Those references immediately addressed production concerns as well as connected his own passions to the series. “We’ve hit upon a richer vein here,” said Goldman.
4. Be specific about your goal. Web series are everything these days from commercial endeavors to labors of love. Again, someone pitching a network series is targeting a specific commercial form. Not so with someone contemplating a web series. Said Goldman to O’Donnell, “What is your goal? Web work is not judged same as TV and film. Do you want to be picked up by TV network or just say, ‘This is something I made.’”
5. Know the span of your series. Martin gave a detailed pitch about his Monica, explaining his heroine’s high-school years, her various social issues, and her relationships with her imaginary friends. But the storyline contained in his pitch ended just as the series would begin; in other words, his pitch was all backstory. Poole pressed him to explain where the series would go and what actually would transpire during the first season. Similarly, in O’Donnell’s pitch, Klein asked the director what would happen after his heroine reaches L.A. and then in a second season. Summed up Goldman after Shea’s pitch, “I think stories are given meanings by your endings. Know your ending.”
Still after the panel, I couldn’t help but wonder just how formalized the market for web series pitches is. I bumped into Shea, who is currently a member of the IFP’s Made in New York Media Center, and asked him his experience out in the field. “The range of what a web series is is so undefined,” Shea admitted. Yet, he did have one meeting at Vimeo recently, he said, and he asked if he could pitch them a series. “They said, ‘Your best bet is to release something, get over 100,000 views, and then they’ll start paying attention to it and fund it. But, [we] do listen to pitches before distribution or before you go into production.’”
Shea concluded, “So, yes, I think it is possible. This kind of thing — [successfulyl pitching a web series] — can happen and does.”
Collaboration Film: A New Genre in Filmmaking
Republished from the blog Comicaditya, a Blog about Films, Poetry and Photography by Aditya Powar
I’ve worked on a feature film in which I’m a director of a small part of a story and then this story continues by another director in another part of the world. And when it all comes together, it is magic. The film has a life of its own. It is unique and despite the fact that the main character is changing after every few minutes we still feel it is the same film beautifully interwoven to tell one big story. This film is called TRAIN STATION. Its a project started by collabfeature.com. I believe this is the future of film making.
Imagine you write a feature film break it into parts and people from all over the world collaborate to make that film. And this is happening. CollabFeature has made a film called The Owner. In this film the main character of the film is a bag that travels all over the world and with the bag, we travel with these endearing characters to find out who is the owner of the bag. This film was directed my 25 directors. Their next project “Train Station” is directed by around 40 directors [I’m one of them].
Another great example of the same style of film making is a film produced by Ridley Scott – Life in a Day. It is a documentary shot all over the world to show the future generation our time in this world and remind them what it is like to be alive. A powerful film and I believe I should not call this a style of film but a new genre. Something like Collaboration Film or Collabfilm. Its a genre that has proven innovative and creative way of telling a story cinematically. This is also helping young directors like me to hone their skills as short filmmaker and yet be a part of bigger story of a feature film.
Through collaboration with actors, technicians, directors, producers, and artists from other field and above all from other parts of the world work together to make a unique story, a collective dream for the world to experience. Imagine the world making a film together to stop wars, unite people with differences or simply to tell a simple story about a relation between a girl and her pet. The ideas are limitless and the science and technology to make this a reality is already here. So what would you like to make as your Collabfilm?
CollabFeature has a New Home!
CollabFeature is extremely excited to call the Green Garage our new home! Once a 1920’s showroom for Model T’s, the Green Garage is three main things: a community of people dedicated to Detroit's sustainable future, a business enterprise, and a building located in Midtown Detroit. Co-founders Tom and Peggy Brennan purchased the building in 2008 and, with the help of over 200 wonderful individuals, completed a green, historic renovation over the next three years. Since opening in 2011, the Green Garage's principal work has been forming a diverse, supportive, and accountable co-working community and helping triple bottom line businesses (healthy for the environment, economics, and community) grow naturally. There couldn’t be a more perfect fit for CollabFeature and we are absolutely thrilled to be a part of the Green Garage family!
New CollabFeature Team Member
CollabFeature is excited to announce Brandy Joe Plambeck is joining our local team as new Project Manager!
Brandy Joe Plambeck is beyond ecstatic to be joining the CollabFeature family! Originally from Wyoming, Brandy Joe received a BA in Theatre from the University of Northern Colorado. Upon graduating, Brandy Joe traveled the country with a touring theatre company and not only learned the ins and outs of every aspect of theatrical production, but also met his husband, Sterling Heights native Joe Bailey. Soon the two moved out of their three suitcase touring situation and settled in a three bedroom house in Fabulous Ferndale and in 2007 formed The Ringwald Theatre with a few of their closest and most talented friends. Recently, Brandy Joe received a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Acting from The Hilberry Theatre at Wayne State and is excited to be starting this new, collaborative and amazing chapter with CollabFeature.
Train Station begins Festival Tour
CollabFeature’s second film, Train Station, has been submitted to festivals for its world premiere as its creators celebrate the film’s completion. With over 40 directors spread across cities in multiple countries encompassing 5 continents, most of the collaborating writer-directors have never met in person. Together, they wrote, produced and edited the feature film using CollabFeature’s unique web-based collaborative interface.
Train Station follows a character known only as “Brown” after he/she misses a train. From there, the directors take Brown on a fantastical journey and throughout it illustrate the infinite possibilities that exist when a single event interrupts a person’s timeline. Each decision Brown makes leads to a different scenario, each one told by a different director.
What’s most unique about the project aside from the fact that a record number of directors are working together to create one film is that the main character, only known as “Brown,” is played by over 40 actors and actresses.
Expect an announcement about Train Station's world premiere soon, as well as trailers and more.
Prior to Train Station, CollabFeature directors produced The Owner, a story of a misplaced backpack and its several temporary keepers throughout the world trying to find its rightful owner. The film premiered in 2012 and involved the collaboration of a Guinness World Record winning number of 25 directors. Train Station is set to break that record.
As Train Station enters the festival stage, CollabFeature is proud of the culmination of effort its 40 directors, hundreds of independent production crew members, and thousands of hours of creative input that went into the creation of the film.
Stay tuned for upcoming festival announcements and screening events in a city near you!
Production Begins in Tehran, Iran
Production Begins in Tehran, Iran By Hesam Dehghani
We started the pre-production on September 21st. Auditioning the actors, location scouting, securing them and applying for the shooting permissions were all completed by September 30th. We had 3 rehearsal sessions with the actors and 3 separate rehearsals for performing the song.
In this segment, we see 3 teenagers who are running from the police. We don’t know what crime they have committed until we hear that their only sin is working as underground musicians.
The shoot was done in 3 days, from October 5 to 7 and we worked in 5 different locations, including outdoors (street, alley, grocery) and indoors (chromakey studio and a house).
We started the work at 6:30am and since all scenes should be filmed during the daytime, we worked until around 6:00pm everyday.
I used professional crew members and also good equipment. We filmed it with Sony EX3, the same camera we used for filming our segment for CollabFeature’s previous project, Train Station.
In some cases we had only 1 or 2 takes and in some specific scenes, I had to shoot 17 takes until we get what we want. Like always, I had StoryBoards (rendered by computer software) for all shots and we filmed based on them.
Cast and Crew:
Writer: Sam Bosley Director: Hesam Dehghani DoP: Shahriyar Kavoosi Casting: Mehdi Aroom Camera Assistant: Mehdi Ajamloo Still Photographer: Salman Ebrahimi Cast: Darya Yasery, Farzad Fakhrizadeh, Kaveh Eydi, Mehdi Ebadati and Mehdi Aroom
Driving your way to Success in Hollywood
Driving your way to Success in Hollywood By Jules Koroleva
Los Angeles fascinates me. It is the land of endless freeways, tallest palm trees, and movie makers. You need to maintain a strong identity, live in the moment to be able to succeed in this city, and take the opportunities it offers so abundantly.
Since I came here first I’ve been thinking about what it is that makes the locals, wherever they come from, so independent, focused, goal oriented and creative. Eventually, this morning while driving to a rehearsal I had a revelation: it is driving - driving all the time to everywhere. It makes you more entrepreneurial. You stay your own self in your private space (your car), negotiate your way forward/to the left or right lane with others, see the end goal, yet totally embrace the now - you don’t want to make a turn now even if you know that the road curves just half a mile ahead. As for creativity, it comes from looking at the ocean or climbing a mountain.
Being entrepreneurial in this city is an essential part of being an actor and a filmmaker. According to a leading LA acting coach, director, producer, Gary Grossman, who also starred in “Bachelor Party” alongside Tom Hanks, “Mr. Saturday Night”, “Leprechaun 4” and numerous TV shows, actors and all artists should embrace all their creative sides.
“Actors could benefit from learning about writing, directing, being a DP and producing. It makes for a whole artist,” says Gary.
Directing, writing and producing have certainly made me a better actor. I can easily put myself in the shoes of those behind the camera and deliver a better result. As a director I want actors to not only be well prepared and cooperative but also bring their unique perspective to the table. So when I am working on somebody else’s project, I am fully there, ready to take on any angle of the character I am given as well as finding the core of the character and bringing it to life.
Todd Kruger is a great example of a Hollywood filmmaker. Having started as a stand-up comedian, Todd discovered his passion for filmmaking. His award winning short film "Exposure" has been in 7 film festivals so far, with more to come. “For an actor or filmmaker there is no one way to make it in the film business. You simply have to make great work and hope that opportunities open up for you,” says Todd; “In the end, the cream always rises, you just have to remain persistent and always stay true to your art.”
Exploring your uniqueness is as important as being entrepreneurial. To not only survive but succeed in the competitive world of movie making, Gary Grossman advises to create your own niche - "something that makes you stand out from the rest of the pack".
Most successful actors and filmmakers constantly work on their craft and discovering their special talents. They are never done studying. They never know everything. Studying helps to bring out your strengths, passion, confidence, and discover something special about you that nobody else has to offer.
Embracing the challenge is challenging in itself but it is fun and that’s what life is about, at least in my view. Most talented budding actors and movie makers in Hollywood are ready to take on any project that interests them no matter how hard or impossible it seems. Todd Kruger says, “I enjoy making projects that scare me. The more scared I am, typically the harder and better the project is, and the more I'll grow as an artist.”
As always, there are choices in Hollywood: to focus on the hardships of getting into the industry and not so rosy unemployment statistics or to embrace the challenge and drive your way into the movies and let others think you are on the top by pure luck.
Jules Corolla
LinkedIn: http://lnkd.in/bvbYwB8
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OMyJules
Featured Filmmaker: Maria Paraskevopoulou
by Karl Liegis
Maria Paraskevopoulou entered my life in October 2003. We were sitting next to one another on our first day of “school” and were instructed by the lecturer to find out about the person next to us and then talk about them to the class. She was smart, funny, refreshingly honest, had a massive heart and wore stripy socks. All things I looked for in a friend.
Maria is the first director I ever met. I had met people who wanted to be directors, but she was one. Ok, we were at university studying, but she was there to hone her skills, not learn them from scratch. I on the other hand was all about supporting and enabling creativity in a production role, so it was natural that we would work on as many projects as we could together.
Maria was a huge part of my moving image education. She introduced me to many filmmakers, authors and musicians. We would finish uni, go to her flat, smoke a joint, listen to music, make some food, then watch films back to back or find music videos we liked and bounce ideas off one another. She introduced me to the work of Bergman, Tarkovsky, Kurasawa, Sartre, Ozu and Arkas. I was never competing with Maria, but I constantly strove to prove myself to her. Outside my family she was my biggest fan and my most honest critic. When she came back from studying in Canada she assumed we would be working together, but for me it was a surprise and an honor to be asked. She would direct and I would production manage. She gave me copies of all the educational documents she had been given in Canada and off we went.
When I look back at it now, our projects were always very professional set ups. We self financed the project, we shot on S16mm, we used a professional DP, we made deals, we held auditions, hired a composer, and had an actor travel to work with us. I still am very proud of ‘PR’. The film is brutal, sweet, exciting, brilliantly directed and has a dramatic impact. I saw the DP a few years later and he said it was still one of the things he was most proud of shooting.
When we graduated, Maria went back to Greece to work and I was fortunate enough to get running jobs in the UK. I visited her, she came back to the UK, but practical and personal situations saw us grow apart.
She is still one of the greatest directors I have ever worked with and if anyone reading this is looking for a director, or is considering producing Maria’s film, don’t hesitate. She is a talent who needs to be invested in and if she agrees to work with you, you will not regret it.
Featured Filmmaker: Dennis Corsi
by Trish Amanda Hubbard
I'm an actress in New York City. Currently, I am being directed by Dennis Corsi in a truly unique project called 'A Billion to One'. While this is probably one of my most favorite projects I've worked on with Dennis, it's just another adventure we've added to our six year friendship. For 'A Billion to One', Dennis and I had to create a character with a worthy reason for being bestowed a billion dollars. We came up with a character that I'm very proud of as it will help bring to light the importance of our needed awareness in regards to Mental Health in the United States.
I first met Dennis in college at Michigan State University where we had most of our acting classes together. Working diligently, while still going above and beyond, Dennis quickly became a peer that we all looked up to. It was when we took a devised theatre class together that our friendship and working partnership truly began. I saw Dennis' love for understanding the way others think, and truly wanting to use his art to better others. While seemingly being younger than most, he is most definitely mature and experienced beyond his age bracket.
While appearing timid at some times in the rehearsal room or on set, Dennis has mastered the art of speaking up exactly when a voice of reason needs to be heard. Even then, at the time when artists can be the most defensive about their work, Dennis just has this honest way of giving feedback that brings out the best in everyone. His editing eye is impeccable, and I wish to the high heavens I could have his managing skills. He filmed and edited his own reel, which can be seen here (and it's fabulous): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jK2CvdtzY8. Dennis has a unique humor in that whenever it does pop out, it's perfectly timed and enjoyed by all. Or at least in my case, he really does have an amazing ability of making me laugh when I need it the most. I'm proud of his reel, as I believe it showcases his impeccable detail, humor and unique artistic touch. All of these things and more, are not only what make him one of the best filmmakers out there, but also makes him one of the most exciting artists to see work from.
In going to school with him, I have had the pleasure of watching Dennis go through the acting program, the film program, and the directing program; excelling in each one to become the filmmaker he is today. When he sat me down to brainstorm ideas and talk about A Billion to One, I couldn't contain my excitement because I now know that whatever project I work with Dennis on, will always be a truly amazing experience. I learn from his work everyday, and I see many others do the same. I can't wait to see what he has in store for the future, because in my opinion he of all people deserves it the most. Good Luck my love!
"The Owner" now Available Worldwide
After the US iTunes release last month, "The Owner" is now available for purchase and rental Worldwide with subtitles in English, Spanish, German and French. Rental and purchase is through Reelhouse: https://www.reelhouse.org/collabfeature/the-owner
Along with the film, Reelhouse includes two bonus videos about the making of the movie and its score.
$2.99 for rental
$5.99 for purchase
Last Statement Now on Cinema Zero for Limited Time
Last Statement Now on Cinema Zero for Limited Time by Todd Felderstein
Last Statement. a CollabFeature short film, is now available to watch on Cinema Zero for a limited time! July 24-30.
Watch Film: http://www.cinema-zero.com/p/current-film.html
In a conversation on Cinema Zero, Tom Wilton sat down via cyberspace to discuss the creation of an international collaborative short film now streaming online. Deviating from the traditional stage play adaptation, Last Statement delivers the factual chilling final thoughts once uttered by convicted felons moments before their court ordered demises. In a thirty minute filmed collaborative narrative directed by eleven different filmmakers scattered across the globe, this international production combines fictitious scenarios with the actual prose in a powerful narrative while attempting to remain objective.
Watch the conversation here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNzm4f79hnY
As an independent film, each segment was financed independently by the production team assigned to their specific statement. Once produced and edited, the sequences were then sent to Juliane Block in Berlin, Germany where she assembled each scene into a cohesive story. The one deviation from Orla Wolfe’s original stage play was the addition of what is now known as the “Barbecue Sequence”, which I wrote. As an ongoing storyline that takes place during a Fourth of July backyard party with seemingly innocuous guests, each is challenged with a scenario that takes them out of their comfort zone. The underlying question remains: is there a tipping point where everyday frustrations have the power to push the everyman over the edge?
Two years transpired from inspiration until delivery of this production. Writing the screenplay, amassing collaborators, assigning sequences, coordinating production and, of course, managing the editorial process was no easy task. Juliane oversaw the entire process.
One of Last Statement's directors, Marty Shea, the co-founder of CollabFeature, an international team of filmmakers that today creates global collaborative productions, instituted this filmmaking process by recognizing the changing landscape of independent productions. Looking to resource talent across the globe, by tasking multiple filmmakers with separate scenes in one cohesive story, offers an assortment of benefits from production value to a variation on the storytelling paradigm. This process has also granted another of CollabFeature's productions a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most directors on a single feature film.
While the most productive distribution model of a short film these days seems to be the internet, Last Statement continues to amass an audience through its growing popularity. With a expanding festival interest, the objective is for this very unique production to reach the widest audience possible while creating conversations around a topic that is as important as life itself.
Contributing filmmakers on the Google Hangout:
Juliane Block & Orla Wolfe, Marty Shea, Rebecca Hu, Ernest Worthing, Todd Felderstein
"The Owner" Available on iTunes
The Owner is now available on iTunes in the US, Canada and the UK! It is a big step for CollabFeature to have the first CollabFeature film on iTunes, along with other online platforms and Cable VOD. We are excited to bring our award-wiinning, Guiness Record-breaking film to a wider audience and to open up further distribution options for current and future CollabFeature filmmakers.
The Owner can be purchased on iTunes for $12.99 in HD and $9.99 in SD or digitally rented (4.99 HD/3.99 SD):
https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/the-owner/id860922309
It is also available on Video on Demand from:
Cannes Film Festival - Business with Pleasure
By Jules Koroleva Sipping Provence rose with ice at a Croisette cafe I'm looking back at my very first Cannes Festival experience which Diana Krasovska kindly asked me to share with the publication. I love South of France generally. Now I love it even more at this particular time of the year - Festival time. This is where you can combine business and pleasure, have meetings in temporary beach offices and enjoy the numerous parties after a long day of talking to industry professionals, attending seminars, and watching movies.
My short film 1 Soul 2 TimeZones was selected in the Short Corner which is pretty good for the first film done on almost no budget within a week. It is now been submitted to other festivals I'd also love to attend. Apart from presenting the film, my aim was to find co-production partners for my feature film The Sandplay. It is a romantic drama set partly in Russia, my home country. The story of a girl forced to look for happiness within herself rather then externally, evolves around the Sandplay psychotherapy sessions, a method established by Carl G Jung. I wrote it and was blessed to have Sam Boseley, the award winning UK writer and Billion To One lead writer, editing it.
Of course, I also used my time in Cannes to spread the word about Billion To One - our fascinating project that I have total faith in.
Apart from hard work I got to see a few movie premieres:
- In the name of my daughter by Andre Techine featuring always amazing Catherine Deneuve. Though I am more into romantic tear-jerkers or comedies I absolutely loved the movie. Brilliantly directed, it takes us to beautiful locations of South France, deeply explores psychology of relationships.
- One Day, Two Nights by the Dardenne brothers, starring Marion Cotillard and Fabrizio Rongione. It made me feel like I was present in the house of the characters, which is I guess the whole idea of this very close to real life movie. The mother of the family is fluctuating from stressed to depressed throughout the movie because of being about to lose a job and betrayed by some of her colleagues. I was trying hard to connect with the characters but I didn’t manage. Instead I kept wondering why she couldn’t just start looking for a new job in the very beginning of the film. She did in the very end! The actors were wonderful though.
- Queen and Country by John Boorman starring Callum Turner screened as a part of Directors' Fortnight selection. Insight into the military life, humorous in a British way and full of romance. I wish it didn't end. I missed Grace of Monaco which I wanted to see most in spite of bad and really bad reviews, which I don't particularly trust especially in cases concerning royal families' stories. Well, I've ordered a DVD!
Anyway, I'll leave the movie reviews to professionals like Peter Bradshaw, the Guardian film critic, who was one if the judges giving a speech at Palm Dog, an extravagant addition to all the standard awards. My dog Bobik enjoyed attending. He has never had that many pictures of him taken in his 7 months life. 
The highlight of my Festival was meeting my CollabFeature colleagues from Paris - Ingrid Franchi, a filmmaker and an actress, Yoann Sover acting as Billy and Etienne Gaudillere acting as Antoinne in the series. Two teenage girls asked Yoann for an autograph and a photo while we were having coffee which was very sweet!
Now I'll be working on maintaining the precious contacts I got and see where my 2 weeks of Cannes take me professionally this year.
www.1soul2timezones.com www.omyjules.wordpress.com Twitter @oMyJules
Photos by Rob Aft
Featured Filmmaker: Ingrid Franchi
By Etienne Gaudilliere
I have not known Ingrid for a very long time - less than two years - but I can already share experiences about working with her. I have played in two of Ingrid's short movies, and we are currently working together on A Billion to One. I would say that Ingrid is both an energy-filled director and a natural group leader. She is deeply interested in stories that reflect our world in various ways, from documentary to suspenseful fiction. She also has a strong humor, which is a important from my point of view. She gathered around herself a great, young and skillful technical team - really.
I am always surprised about the trust she has in me, and how she opens the door to artists she barely knows in order to work together. Her working team is always open to new talents, allowing everyone who has great ideas to join her. That gave me a lot of confidence, to be honest.I would say that today I am very happy of what I have shared with Ingrid, but even more excited about what is coming, including of course A Billion To One, an adventure I wouldn't be in without her.I would like so much to share with you the brainstorming sessions we have together about creating the story. There are moments of joy, laughter and excitement that could make movies by themselves! This being both a message for you to know her through my eyes, and a "thank you" from me to her.
For more on Ingrid, visit:
Website : www.ingridfranchi.com
Twitter : https://twitter.com/IngridFranchi
Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ingrid-Franchi/572760882837673?fref=ts
"The Owner" Release on Cable VOD
THE OWNER will be released on cable VOD on April 16th. It will run for 90 days and then be followed by a wide release on iTunes (global), XBox, Playstation, Vudu, Google Play, YouTube Movie Rentals (global), Amazon, and MGo on June 10th. Filmed by 25 filmmakers on 5 continents, “The Owner” follows the adventures of an old backpack that is passed from character to character around the world. As the journey progresses, we learn details about the mysterious man to whom the bag belongs. The story, written collaboratively over the internet, brings together a variety of cultures, languages, and film styles into a singular narrative plot.
The film premiered in 2012, but was recently signed with "Indie Rights", a digital distributor that is pushing the film to cable VOD and online platforms.
Sam Boseley's Screenplay a Finalist in the Nashville Film Festival
by Dennis Corsi Sam Boseley, one of the writers for A Billion to One, is a finalist in the Nashville Film Festival. He entered his screenplay in the Comedy Pilot competition, and is one of three finalists in his category. The title of his series is "Cherub Court' and the entered episode is titled "I smite you."
In all categories, there were 1, 511 entries. There are 76 finalists in all, but only 2 other finalists in Sam's category.
The Nashville Film Festival is in its 45th Year and is officially one of the top 5 American Film Festivals. This year's festival will take place April 17-26. The Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Competition is unique among thousands of screenwriting competitions in the U.S. because it offers more categories for short screenplays than any other competition and is the only fest with a category for Young Screenwriters.
When asked what his screenplay is about, Sam described, "Banished to earth by the Grand High Judge for misusing his powers, Cupid must satisfy the Cherub Court by match-making couples without the use of his Golden bow and arrows. Only when somebody genuinely falls in love with him, can he return to the Cherub Kingdom. This task is made all the more difficult when, with each match-up, he jumps into the body of a different person in a different part of the world."
Sam goes on the explain, "This screenplay would be the Quantum Leap of the 21st Century. This would pull in the older viewers who fondly remember QL, and also give the younger generation an innovative show to watch."
Wishing Sam luck!
Featured Filmmaker: Rosa Smith
By Sophie Williams Rosa Smith is an up-coming, wonderful actress and filmmaker, born under the name of Laura Elizabeth Smith but using Rosa as her professional identify. When she approached me to write this article, I jumped at the chance. She is both my cousin and one of my closet friends, a kind and passionate young woman who has helped me out of many tricky situations and given me lots of useful advice over the years. Her dedication to her career goals is an inspiration to both others and me, one of her most recent achievements being becoming one of the youngest members of CollabFeature. Rosa is currently juggling working on the CollabFeature project: A Billion to One, studying for her degree and setting up her own theatre company, which explores putting the first silent films onto the stage.
She has always been a fiercely determined person, forever telling people that she will become a successful actress (not wants to be, or might become one, because she has always said that if you will something to happen and completely believe in it, then it will come true). When I asked her what made her first want to get into acting she blurted out with no hesitation: "I wanted to change the world! Well, at least make it a better place... The first moment I knew I wanted to act was when I went to watch this one action film, in the cinema, when I was little. I remember feeling like I could achieve anything when I left the cinema, like I was a super hero, and I wanted to act so I could give others that feeling."
Recently she has further developed on her acting goals and has started to venture into the world of filmmaking and directing through the project A Billion to One and by arranging and directing a performance for the Camden Fringe. I inquired about what has triggered this new interest: "I’ve always wanted to be in the creative process as much as possible because I’ve watched pieces and thought about what I’d do different. Creating your own work also allows you to create your own characters, which gives me the opportunity to create a character exactly how I want them. A Billion to One has been a creative platform for me to do that."
Alongside acting and filmmaking, Rosa has a wide and varied range of hobbies which include: drawing, dancing, fashion, modeling, writing, swimming and cooking. She turns popular film characters into cartoons and also incorporates her artist skills into her character creation. "I often make props for my acting projects and I create drawings of scenes and characters I play. It helps me to visualize the character."
She is particularly interested in the film and TV industries and this is the path she wishes her career to take. I asked her who her role models were: "I have so many role models. I love Zooey Deschanel because she is quirky." She looked around in concentration, considering which of the many she has to talk about. "Recently Elizabeth Banks has become an inspiration to me for her portrayal of Effie in The Hunger Games, as she is exactly how I imagined Effie to be when reading the books… I love Tim Burton, and his style of dark comedy. It is great because he makes light of dark topics. One of my goals is to play a character in a Tim Burton film. Everyone who knows me thinks that this is my destiny as apparently I look like Helena Bonham Carter," she added with a chuckle.
As well as being a member of CollabFeature, Rosa is also studying for an acting degree at Arts University Bournemouth in the south of England. When asked how she is finding her studies she smiled and nervously giggled, "Good, it’s challenging, so challenging. You have to be tough to take the criticism." She had her trademark awkwardness as she said this but then quickly added with a cheerful tone of voice, "but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’ve met some amazing people and learnt so much too." I then moved on to question her about her plans for the future by asking her where she sees herself in 10 years’ time. A sparkle came into her eye as I quizzed her on this. "I’d love to be living in LA, and acting in films over there and maybe even have my own TV show. I know that sounds very cliché and 'wanna be actor like’ but I’ve always been extremely interested in and drawn to America, and their film industry… but to be honest I’m not picky where I am as long as I become a successful actress. I also see myself owning a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes and hopefully in ten years’ time I might look like an adult," she said laughing, referring to the many people that tell her she looks younger than her age.
She isn’t your stereotypical idea of an actress, being shy and quiet but also extremely smart and funny, often making witty remarks. She also has a big heart, a quality which she brings into her characters to make them loveable. As a person I’ve always found Rosa to be kind and loyal. Once you are her friend she will do anything for you. So keep your eye out for this up-coming, talented actress and filmmaker as she takes the world by storm!