You’re thinking of making a film which you’re sure can become a huge hit! But you realise you have no idea how to get your film in front of audiences (who aren’t made up of your family and friends)! Enter the sales agent – the person who will work with you to promote and build the visibility of your film to get your film sold to distributors. In this presentation, participants will learn about the key roles of the sales agent; why the film festival circuit is so important for independent films; as well as the essential promotional materials you should be thinking about to shore up your film’s chances of finding distribution.

logistics

date: Sun 25 September, 2022
time: 10.30am–12.00pm
location: NALIS (AV Room)
rsvp: pre-registration required. Sign up here!
tickets: TT$150. Tickets must be bought in advance and are available here.
facilitator: Michaelangelo Masangkay

Advance tickets are available at ttfilmfestival.com and can also be purchased via bank transfer or in person (cash, credit card or linx) at our FILMCO office, located at 22 Jerningham Ave. 

FILMCO members, filmmakers with a film in the Festival and students with a valid photo ID, can receive a 50% discount on workshops and masterclasses! Please email Nyola at festival@filmco.org for information on payment options and to receive your discount code.

about Michaelangelo Masangkay

Michaelangelo Masangkay is a respected filmmaker, producer, director (at the Toronto Film School), and gifted drone pilot, with 15 years in the independent film industry. His vast industry knowledge and extensive global network enables him to seize opportunities for clients across Canada, the US and beyond.

As narrative filmmakers we are called to tell engaging and relatable stories. How do we get inspired by our own stories and find, not only the courage but also the commitment to see them through? How do we relay indigenous stories in a way that explore universal themes whilst remaining true to our roots? It’s important for us to recognise that our Caribbean identity, experience and history are strengths which can be used to our advantage to stand out globally. Award-winning Dominican director, José María Cabral, has proven successful in creating compelling films from his uniquely Caribbean perspective.

This two-part masterclass is an opportunity to learn from Cabral’s route to staying true to the Caribbean while also deconstructing his process as a filmmaker. From how we should go about writing a script to working with actors and having them remain authentically Caribbean in their portrayals, to post-production, this is the chance to gain invaluable insight into how he’s able to bring his visions to life – choosing appropriate stories; film financing; techniques on working with a limited budget; editing; marketing; distribution; and festivals. His feature film, ‘Perejil’, which is in competition at ttff/22, will be a case study.

logistics

dates: Thursday 22 + Friday 23 September, 2022
time: 12.30pm–2.00pm
location: NALIS (Seminar Room 2)
rsvp: pre-registration required. Sign up here!
tickets: TT$300. Tickets will cover the cost of the two sessions. They are available here.
facilitator: José María Cabral

Advance tickets are available at ttfilmfestival.com and can also be purchased via bank transfer or in person (cash, credit card or linx) at our FILMCO office, located at 22 Jerningham Ave. 

FILMCO members, filmmakers with a film in the Festival and students with a valid photo ID, can receive a 50% discount on workshops and masterclasses! Please email Nyola at festival@filmco.org for information on payment options and to receive your discount code.

about José María Cabral

José María Cabral is a Dominican film director, screenwriter and producer. He  started making films when he was 16 years old, giving private screenings of his work to family and friends at local movie theatres. One of his short films, ‘Excexos’, got national distribution. His first feature film, ‘Jaque Mate’ (2011), was screened at a number of film festivals and selected as the Dominican entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards. ‘Arrobá’, ‘Despertar’ and ‘Detective Willy’ followed. Cabral premiered ‘Carpinteros’, a film about the realities and relationships of prisoners in Dominican jails, at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. He also represented the Dominican Republic’s Oscar submission with his following film ‘The Projectionist’ (2019).

Documentaries on historical figures create space for us to pay homage to those that paved the way for social change. Filmmaker Shola Lynch believes, as James Baldwin said, “History is not the past. It is the present.”  Lynch has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 2016 and a Peabody, Emmy Award and Image Award winning filmmaker. While she has been working in film since 1997, she is best known for her independent documentaries on, and in-depth interviews with, the academic and activist, Angela Davis, and the visionary politician with Caribbean roots, Shirley Chisholm. Lynch is a master at relaying history in a meaningful, inspiring, and captivating way. Guided by her personal philosophy, she showcases her passion and brings stories told through the eyes of the people, the women, that lived them. 

In this masterclass, Lynch will take participants through a process of deconstructing how she tells stories in her films. Also to be explored: her research process; her storytelling inspiration; finding the courage to stay with a project over many years; exploring all sides of a story and embracing controversy. She will also share insights into building a twenty-five year long career in the film business as a director.

logistics

date: Tuesday 27 September, 2022
times: 10.30am–12.00pm + 12.30–2.00pm
location: NALIS (Seminar Room 2)
rsvp: pre-registration required. Sign up here!
tickets: TT$300. Tickets will cover the cost of the two sessions. They are available here.
facilitator: Shola Lynch

Advance tickets are available at ttfilmfestival.com and can also be purchased via bank transfer or in person (cash, credit card or linx) at our FILMCO office, located at 22 Jerningham Ave. 

FILMCO members, filmmakers with a film in the Festival and students with a valid photo ID, can receive a 50% discount on workshops and masterclasses! Please email Nyola at festival@filmco.org for information on payment options and to receive your discount code.

about Shola Lynch

Shola Lynch is an award-winning American filmmaker best known for the feature documentary ‘Free Angela and all political prisoners’ and the Peabody Award-winning documentary ‘Chisholm ’72: Unbought and unbossed’. Her independent film body of work and her other collaborative projects feed her passion to bring history alive with captivating stories of people, places, and events. Since 2013 she has also served as the curator of the Moving Image & Recorded Sound division of the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. In 2016, Shola became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  Shola is currently finishing a documentary about the American sprinter, cultural icon and still World Record holder, Flo Jo. She will also helm the Apple Original film, ‘Number One on the call sheet’, which will celebrate Black achievement in the film industry, and explore what it takes for Black actresses to find success in Hollywood. Shola believes deeply in the value of preserving history and its power in storytelling. 

masterclass

Tues 28 Sept, 3.00pm-4.30pm (est)
location: online via Zoom
tickets: free of charge; early registration required
presented in partnership with the US Embassy, Port of Spain

As any independent filmmaker knows, endless time and effort are dedicated to the pre-production, production and post-production stages of any film project. However, a crucial stage of the process which is often overlooked is designing your film festival strategy.

In this masterclass, producer Kathleen McInnis will explain the importance of planning your festival strategy from the script development stages of a project. She will give participants insight into the international festival circuit and explain how filmmakers can strategically use festivals to achieve their goals, even in this pandemic landscape. Out of the projects selected to participate, two will be chosen as case studies. 

This is a free masterclass, open to both documentary and narrative filmmakers. Email us at admin@filmco.org to submit your work and book your place. Deadline for applications is Friday 4 September.

See Kathleen’s bio in the Ask the Veterans section.

*Eligibility: must be a practising filmmaker of either documentary or narrative films (note: this is not an introductory course). **Pre-requisite requirements: participants must submit a logline and synopsis or treatment for a current film project in development, production or post-production.

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facilitator: Kathleen McInnis

McInnis uses her 30 years of experience in festival programming, film publicity and producing to help world cinema filmmakers merge their creative and business development. As a strategic publicist, Kathleen represents world cinema films premiering at TIFF, Cannes, Berlin, Sundance, Hot Docs and Tribeca film festivals. As a creative producer, McInnis curates the SIFF New Works In Progress Forum, bringing together filmmakers, industry mentors and audiences at critical creative junctions. Her recent films as co-producer include “Retablo” (2019 BAFTA and Film Independent Spirit Award-nominee; Peru’s official Oscar submission), and the Swedish feature documentary-in-production, “Broadcast”. 

McInnis’s tenure at the Palm Springs International ShortFest & Short Film Market allowed for both discovery and support of the hundreds of international filmmakers attending the festival each year. She left the festival in 2014 as festival director. While creating the first international shorts programme at TIFF, McInnis built strategic platforms to bridge the gap between short film-makers and industry decision makers.

masterclass

Sat 25, Sun 26 Sept, 1.00–3.00 p.m. (est)
location: online via Zoom
tickets: free of charge
presented in partnership with the US Embassy, Port of Spain

While film is often considered “a visual medium”, an audience’s emotional connection to the world and story of the film can be deeply enriched by a well-executed film score and soundtrack. Understanding just how music can make an impact on audiences is an essential part of creating a memorable film.

In this two-part masterclass, composer Miriam Cutler will guide participants through the process of creating meaningful stories through music, by referencing video/film material submitted by selected participants. Filmmakers and composers will submit 1–2 minute clips of their own work, to use as case studies for discussion and learning. 

This is a free masterclass, open to both documentary and narrative filmmakers and television producers. Email us at admin@filmco.org to submit your work and book your place in both sessions. Deadline for application is Friday 4 September.

*Eligibility: participants must be practising filmmakers or composers for documentary or narrative films and television (note: this is not an introductory course).**Pre-requisite requirements: participants must submit 1–2 minute video clips of their own edited or composed work in film or television.

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facilitator: 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.

masterclass

Sat 25 Sept, 1.00pm-3.30pm (est)
location: online via Zoom
tickets: TT$400/ US$59, click here to register; early registration required
brought to you with the support of FilmTT

Non-fiction filmmakers know that the documentary is often made in the editing room. Documentary editors are one of the key members of the non-fiction filmmaking team and are regarded as co-auteurs of many films, sometimes sharing credit with the director. With an abundance of visual and audio material, how does an editor go about constructing a documentary that will lead to a strong and memorable film? In this two-part masterclass on documentary editing, renowned film editor, Carla Gutierrez – whose films include “RBG”, “Pray Away” and “When Two Worlds Collide” – will discuss creative approaches to documentary editing. She will explore the subject of structure, which can be challenging for filmmakers working in the documentary genre, as well as other key elements of documentary storytelling.

*Eligibility: participants must be practising filmmakers or editors of documentary films (note: this is not an introductory course).
Click here to buy your ticket.

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Carla Gutierrez

Carla Gutierrez is an Emmy- and ACE Eddie-nominated documentary editor. She cut the Oscar-nominated film “RBG”, about the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her fight for gender equality. “RBG” premiered at Sundance and was released theatrically worldwide. It won the National Board of Review Award for Best Documentary, the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Political Documentary, and a DuPont-Columbia Award. Carla also edited the Oscar-nominated film “La Corona” (HBO) and the Emmy nominated documentaries “Reportero” (POV), “Kingdom of Shadows” (SXSW Premiere, POV) and “Farewell Ferris Wheels” (America Reframed). Carla recently edited the feature documentary “Pray Away”, which tells the story of the “pray the gay away” or ex-gay movement, for Multitude Films. She has been a creative advisor for the Sundance Edit Lab and a mentor for the Firelight Producers’ Lab, The Karen Schmeer Diversity Program and the Tribeca Film Fellows program. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures and the American Cinema Editors.

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”.