workshop

Mon 27, Tues 28 Sept, 1.00pm-3.00pm (est)
location: online via Zoom
tickets: TT$300/ US$45, click here to register; early registration required

Being an entrepreneurial filmmaker is tough. When it comes to raising funds for a micro- or low-budget short or feature, creatives use multiple different methods but most aren’t exactly sure of the best way to get their film made while sustaining a career in the industry. Our facilitator, Pip Piper, has extensive experience as a professional indie filmmaker. He has come up with innovative ways to create and execute films of substance; and has continued to do so throughout the years. This two-part workshop will explore the key components every entrepreneurial filmmaker needs to create a sustainable, professional life. It will look at building positive working partnerships and networks locally, regionally, and in time, internationally; and how to develop highly creative projects that have a clear path to an audience. This workshop is intended to be informative and interactive.

Click here to buy your ticket.

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facilitator: Pip Piper

Pip Piper has been making films professionally for the past 20+ years. He has produced and/or directed six feature-length films and worked with the likes of Tim Sanders (“Lord of the Rings”, “Whale Rider”) and two-time BAFTA winner Michael Clifford. He has made films in numerous countries around the globe. He co-founded innovative media charity OSBD (One Small Barking Dog) which he continues to direct and also helped set up and run Blue Hippo Media, an internationally award-winning film company. He is passionate about creating and crafting stories that have heart and impact, and helping to develop the next generation of emerging filmmakers, especially around documentary film.

masterclass

Wed 22, Thurs 23, Fri 24 Sept, 1.00pm-2.30pm (est)
location: online via Zoom
tickets: TT$900/ US$133, click here to register; early registration required
brought to you with the support of FilmTT

Directing is an art, one that requires many skills. How does one direct and craft an enduring narrative, as a Caribbean filmmaker? An authentic Caribbean story that explores universal themes can be impactful to a global audience, but what is the most efficient way to tell it? Having a clear vision of the film you want to make, confidence in your voice as a storyteller and a thorough understanding of universal themes that will resonate with global audiences are all vital to telling a memorable story. 

In this three-part masterclass, Dominican José María Cabral, director of “Jaque Mate” (“Checkmate”) and “Carpinteros” (“Woodpeckers”), will take participants through the art and process of directing, from the perspective of a Caribbean storyteller working in the Caribbean space. He will delve into topics such as knowing your voice and how to develop your style as a director; understanding the stories you want to tell; evaluating a script; production design; cinematography; using the resources you have; collaborating with your team; and working with actors.

*Eligibility: participants must be practising filmmakers of narrative films (note: this is not an introductory course).
**Payment plans are available for this masterclass.

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José María Cabral

José María Cabral is a Dominican film director, screenwriter, and producer. Cabral started making films when he was 16 years old, hosting private screenings of short films to family and friends in local movie theatres, with one of them, “Excexos”, securing national distribution in 2008. His first feature film, “Jaque Mate” (2011), was screened at several film festivals and selected as the Dominican entry for Best Foreign Language Film for the 85th Academy Awards but did not make the shortlist. “Arrobá” and “Despertar” followed in 2013 and 2014, also making it onto the festival circuit. In 2015, he released “Detective Willy”, a comedy/adventure film, and in 2017 premiered his film, “Carpinteros” – about the realities and relationships of prisoners in Dominican jails – at the Sundance Film Festival. His following film, “The Projectionist”, was his country’s Oscar submission in 2019. “Isla de Plástico”, his first documentary, also premiered in 2019. Cabral is currently in post-production on his latest film, “Parsley”.

Fri 24 Sept, 1.00pm-3.00pm (est)
location: online via Zoom
tickets: free of charge; early registration required
presented in partnership with the US Embassy, Port of Spain

Filmmakers tend to spend most of their time focusing on “film as a visual medium” but it’s just as important to remember that a powerful score can help to inspire the emotions that the creator wants their audience to experience. Incorporating this layer of storytelling into a film ultimately results in a more impactful outcome. In this open forum, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions of veteran composer, Miriam Cutler. This is intended to be an introductory, general overview of the process of creating meaningful stories through music.

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miriam cutler

Three-time Emmy-nominated composer Miriam Cutler is passionate about documentaries. Her career has encompassed work for HBO, CNN, PBS, Sundance, Emmy and Oscar-nominated films such as “Flannery”, “Dilemma of Desire”, “Not Carol”, “RBG”, “Love Gilda”, “The Hunting Ground”, “American Promise”, “Lost in La Mancha”, “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib” and many others films. 

Cutler is a lab advisor for the Sundance Documentary Composer Lab, and a doc juror for Sundance, AFI, Spirit and the IDA Awards. She is a consultant who has led workshops for CNN, the International Documentary Association, Concordia and Global Media Makers. Cutler has presented workshops in Iceland, Vienna, Spain, Tbilisi/Georgia, Malaysia, Germany and at various universities, including USC, UCLA, Chapman College and Loyola Marymount. She is part of the Motion Picture Academy documentary branch and an executive committee member. She has served on the boards of the Society of Composers and Lyricists and is the co-founder of the Alliance for Women Film Composers.