New Channel Design

Check out our new design for OneWayTV our Youtube channel. This week's theme focuses on Uptown.



www.youtube.com/onewaytv

Miranda teaser

Here is the teaser for Kent Sutton's debut feature film Miranda:

Click to play

http://www.1wayoranother.net/

Over 3000 views!

As we celebrate the "removal" of the current Cookies & Cream teaser and prepare to replace it online with the official trailer for the movie, we are happy to report over 3000 views of the teaser on Youtube. Check it out here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQUsH2XG4QE




www.cookiesncreammovie.com

Free Film Festival Submissions List!

Ok. Here is a very valuable blog post. We know it. Its the official (latest updated) no fee film festival list. This is probably one of the most coveted lists for any low budget filmmaker, let alone those who are looking to save money on those ever piling costs of submission fees. Yet, the majority, not all, but the majority of filmmakers who want to find distributors, or self distribute feel they could really use that festival audience "theatrical push" for selling their DVDs and/or making sure the world is aware of their film.

So here goes. Keep in mind this list still is a work in progress. There seems to be several links for fests that are now either defunct or for other film "types." Nonetheless, lets give it a go.

"You made a good film. Now give it a good run."

The no-fee list.

15/15 Film Festival - short must be produced during the contest

AFI Dallas International Film Festival

African-American Film Marketplace

African Diaspora Film Festival

All Roads Film Festival

Full List HERE:

http://filmfestivalsecrets.com/extras/no-fee/

50 Cent Attacks Co-Star

Ok this is an old story but after listening to the Howard Stern Show interview that happened to come on with 50 Cent, Howard of course brought up this incident and I thought it was pretty humorous and thought I'd post about it here.

Now there is never a good reason to attack another actor at work (well some times maybe there could be), but this should be a good lesson to any actors about breaking the "rules" on set. Never get so comfortable that you bypass the producer, the director confront a co-star about his work, unless it is constructive and is about the work itself. Yes, learning your lines is in fact about work, but if an actor is not working out, that conversation should be for the director and that actor. Sometimes, a director is the only one on set that can make a certain actor respond anyway, so how about you let him do his job? If not, maybe the following could happen:



'Rapper 50 Cent attacked a co-star on the set of his new movie "Righteous Kill," according to reports.

The hip-hop star -- real name Curtis Jackson -- allegedly got into a "heated argument" with actor Frank John Hughes after he confronted Jackson about not knowing his lines.

The altercation reportedly was so fierce, production staff called for paramedic's assistance.
A source tells MediaTakeOut.com, "Frank tried to correct (50 Cent) and he got really upset. ... Before it was all over (50 Cent) had Frank on the ground pummeling him.

'The paramedics looked at Frank and he's OK. It's everyone else here that's still shaken up. ....'"

- 2007

http://www.sfgate.com/

DIY films are the New Negros???

Is Hollywood racist?

Hardly. Not a chance. Those days are over.



Yes, quality minority created films still dont get released at the same rate as "mainstream" films do, but there are plenty of facts that disprove this theory. Still, this is interesting to read, and maybe DIY films in general are the new oppressed group of artists. I'd be cool to get your thoughts on this.

Decide for yourself below, then make sure to check out A Black Man's Trilogy:

"United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc., 334 US 131 (1948) was the landmark antitrust case that was spurred by a class action suit by several independent filmmakers who accused the studio system of conspiring to shut out any independent voices from the marketplace of ideas in the film industry. As a result of this case, the majors were ordered to divest themselves of entities that allowed them to vertically integrate every aspect to film production, i.e., writing, casting, directing, production, distribution and exhibition. The court outlawed the practice of "block booking’ in which the studios compelled studio-owned exhibitors to book studio releases well in advance, forcing them to show lesser "B" quality films in exchange for the right to show the future "A" quality films. Writers, directors, actors were under exclusive contract with the studios, making highly impracticable for independents to present their films to the public. The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 had been made law in order to prevent anticompetitive practices, or monopolies that are designed or have the effect of restricting the free flow of ideas in the marketplace.



Fast forward 60 years. Why is this relevant to "Black Man’s Trilogy"? The same situation that made it necessary for DOJ to sue the studios in the 40’s, once again exists with studio ownership by mega conglomerates Viacon, Time Warner, and Sony. These mega-conglomerates own studios, exhibitors, distributors, television networks and retail video stores. They’ve swallowed up many former independents and independent filmmakers, while preventing access to known artists by independent filmmakers without agency representation. It’s vertical integration, 21st century version. Outlets like Amazon, Create Space and Blockbuster have become the few outlets available to independent filmmakers, particulartly those of color with multiculturally themed films. We see our theatrical-quality independent films languishing on Blockbuster Video shelves while inferior studio-produced films occupy theater screens. Quality films by filmmakers Rob Hardy and Will Packer and Craig Ross, Jr. to name only a few, go to video while films like "Soul Plane", "The Wash" and "Who’s Your Caddy" (a film produced by Tracey Edmonds, a black producer, who hired white filmmakers to inflict this insult), take up valuable theater screens. Spike Lee and Robert Townsend would have been unable to penetrate the studio conspiracy of exclusion had they come about in 2007 instead of in the 1980’s. What happened to the renaissance of Black cinema that was expected after their respective successful releases, "She’s Gotta Have It" and "Hollywood Shuffle"? African American independants have been and are still making films. Look for them buried in your local Blockbuster Video store shelves and on Amazon and Create Space."

Read full piece HERE:


http://amapedia.amazon.com/view/A+Black+Man



- Princeton

Getting Your "Acting Team" to Work Together

Here is a great article from SWNewsHerald for actors. See below:

Getting An Actor, Manager and Agent To All Work Together

By BRENT MATHER SWAN

"First let me preface my remarks: I am not a lawyer and all my comments are from my experience as a SAG Talent Agent, from what I know of entertainment law and practices. Some of the information is fact and some is informed opinion.

To answer this question let me first define each role. I’ll skip to the agent first:

A Theatrical Talent Agent (booking agent) takes bookings for entertainment industry jobs; primarily union affiliated productions. Their primary job is to receive casting calls for the actor and to make sure the actor gets the information they need to arrive at their auditions. Additionally, it is the agent’s privilege to facilitate the signing of union contracts between the production company and actor or independent lawyer or on the actor’s behalf. By law talent agents are bound to a 10% commission on a union job. Strictly speaking, it is not their job to solicit work for, or to educate their clients or to develop an actor’s career. Agent's cannot produce productions and are not supposed to manage their clients. Agents will bend those rules if their client is making a significant amount of money for them. "

See full article HERE:

http://www.swnewsherald.com/online_contentcrf/2006/06/062606crf_aae_movies_actmgragent.php

2009 Casting Call List

Actor Wanted For Short Videos-NY - (non union)

Role # 1 - Johnny Angel
Seeking 1 talent(s) for this role
Johnny Angel - which is based on a real life hypnotist who spent years .. dragging alcoholics out of the AA (Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings) and didfree interventions with them ..
Searchable talent specs: Gender: Male Age: from 18 to 35

Role # 2 - Angelique
Seeking 1 talent(s) for this role
Angelique .. received several gigs of paying work because of her appearance in that video .....
Searchable talent specs: Gender: Female Age: from 18 to 35

Actress/actor wantedWe only need one more actress ..Serious people PLEASE ONLY ...If you get a gig .. and they're paying ...like we arebelow ... do yourself a favor and show up ...

Go here to Submit:

http://www.casting-call.us/display_casting4.php?casting_id=401184&s=

Casting Real African American-NJ

Project Type
Commercials

Location
West New York, NJ

Non-union

Rate/Pay
$800.00 per event

Release Date
02-23-09

Audition Date

Submission Deadline
03-25-09

Casting Category
Commercials - Non-SAG

Market(s)
New York City, NY>Philadelphia, PA

Casting Real African American People for a National Print Advertisement. If you have an apartment/home/brownstone with a stoop please mention in submission. An additional $800 location fee will apply. ONLY people who meet the specs will be considered. Please read specs
Submit HERE:

http://www.casting-call.us/display_casting4.php?casting_id=402760&s=

Joe Swanberg interview

Here is a new interview with Joe Swanberg about Alexander the Last, etc.




www.joeswanberg.com

Congrats to Lynn Shelton!

Lynn Shelton wins Independent Spirit Award as "Someone to Watch."

Here is the complete list of last nights winners:

Best FeatureThe WrestlerProducers: Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin
Best DirectorThomas McCarthy, The Visitor
Best First FeatureSynecdoche, New YorkDirector: Charlie KaufmanProducers: Anthony Bregman, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Sidney Kimmel
John Cassavetes Award (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000)In Search of a Midnight KissWriter/Director: Alex HoldridgeProducers: Seth Caplan and Scoot McNairy
Best First ScreenplayDustin Lance Black, Milk
Best ScreenplayWoody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Female LeadMelissa Leo, Frozen River
Best Male LeadMickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Best Supporting FemalePenelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Supporting MaleJames Franco, Milk
Best CinematographyMaryse Alberti, The Wrestler
Best DocumentaryMan on WireDirector: James Marsh
Best Foreign FilmThe Class (France)Director: Laurent Cantet
Robert Altman Award (Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast)Synecdoche, New YorkDirector: Charlie KaufmanCasting Director: Jeanne McCarthyEnsemble Cast: Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Williams
Someone to Watch AwardLynn Shelton, My Effortless Brilliance
Truer Than Fiction AwardMargaret Brown, The Order of Myths
Producers AwardHeather Rae, Frozen River and Ibid

Here is a snippet from a really excited letter we got from Lynn Shelton right before she would make what would become "My Effortless Brilliance." This is from an earlier post:

"yes yes yes! i am in the midst of my own love affair with this "movement" but i came at it from a slightly different angle.

i made experimental shorts and docs for a decade totally DIY and then was invited to write and direct my first feature a couple of years ago by "the film company" a seattle-based nonprofit film studio. that film was called "WE GO WAY BACK" and won the top prizes at Slamdance 06. it was an amazing experience, my first time on a real set with a real crew (i'd been editing narrative work for years but had always been isolated from the production phase) and i loved every minute of it and learned tons. but i was fantasizing almost immediately about what a more performance-centered filmmaking strategy might look like because the traditional paradigm for making movies is so hard on actors, it seemed to me, especially if you weren't working with seasoned pros."

See full letter here:

http://onewaytv.blogspot.com/2008/11/turkey-day-with-lynn-shelton.html

One Hour 2 Live promo

Here's the official poster for the film version of the play One Hour 2 Live directed by Marco Esquivel, and written by Reverend Princeton Holt Sr. It was designed by the great J. Lynn Menzel.

The DVD design is below, and also here is a repost of the One Hour 2 Live music video (the original one somehow got deleted) featuring talented hip hop artist VillaNova. Also make sure you add the new One Hour 2 Live Myspace page to your friends, and stay tuned for the DVD release coming by mid March!

One Hour 2 Live Music Video

www.myspace.com/1hour2live

www.myspace.com/villanova1019

Rosemary's Garden Album Drops March 31st!

Our good friends Rosemary's Garden is proud to announce it's arrival on March 31st on Overit Records New York and also to let you know that you can purchase it for download on that day from all the major online music retailors including Itunes,Amazon,MP3,Napster, etc etc. We'd love for all you lovely folks to buy it the week it comes out to help our first weeks charted sales and make us look really super cool in the eyes of the world! Be the first in your neighborhood to have the new CD from Rosemary's Garden!

Rosemary's Garden's wonderful music is featured in both of our feature films Cookies and Cream and Uptown. We love this band and this incredible album (La musique du Jardin). They simply rock!

Stop by and check out some more of their music here:

www.myspace.com/rosemarysgarden

Links to the films:

http://www.cookiesncreammovie.com/

www.myspace.com/uptownfilm

More Angelobell.com Love

Here is proof how a great comment can lead someone directly to your blog and possibly make them a follower of it. In response to this interesting article Ryan forwarded me from indieWIRE about why Geoff Gilmore might have left Sundance ( full post here: http://www.indiewire.com/article/fest_shuffle_what_does_it_mean/), here is Angelo Bell's insightful, dead-on, and encouraging response:

hollywoodcity says on February 20, 2009 at 5:24pm

"If we don’t watch out, Amazon will be the biggest digital distributor of indie films. Setup your film on CreateSpace, sell it on Amazon.com, which automatically gets you on IMDB, and with a few button-clicks, stream it via Amazon’s Unbox. I don’t see how changing film festivals will impact what Geoff Gilmore has to “deal with” regarding indies. We’ve known the system was flawed for some time. Best option if for filmmakers to learn as much about distribution options as they had to learn when they decided to make a film. And I disagree with the Sundance Sales Rep, yes, you CAN blog your way to success, if you reign in your concept of success."

Angelo Bell - http://www.angelobell.com/

You're on our radar too now, Mr. Bell.

Is Facebook Shady?

Well, you decide. Check out this post, I discovered, at this really cool new blog I found (and will add to our blog list). See below:



Facebook Pisses-off Members



Facebook changed its terms of service to include a statement giving it infinite rights to uploaded content with no further renumeration. The change sparked a onslaught of boos and hisses from current members using Twitter. (see below)

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23facebookTOS


Later I understand that Facebook then decided to ask its members what they wanted in a TOS agreement. The quick backtrack proved two things.

Facebook wants your content
Facebook was trying to pull a fast one over on its membership.



Full post here:

http://www.angelobell.com/

Spirit Award Predictions

Here are some cool picks by indieWire for the "Oscars of Indie Film" (the last "legit" award show so far) the Indie Spirit Awards. We'll definitely be watching this year (both Barry Jenkins and Lynn Shelton will be there as nominees, of course). This is a really entertaining, and in some cases, a really insightful and cool award show (nominees' budgets in the past include several that we made for 100k on down to 3 grand), for those that dont only limit their knowledge and appreciation of movies only to the two extremes of the industry - Hollywood, or ultra low budget DIY. Sometimes, that medium ground (features made for less than 5 million and over 100k) actually has work that is exciting, creative and very well-made. Take a look below:

"indieWIRE conducted a poll of some our writers, bloggers and friends, asking the two questions this year’s Film Independent’s Spirit Awards: Who will win, and who should win? In thirteen categories, our insiders suggested who might take home an award Saturday afternoon in Santa Monica.

If they’re correct, look for a major split among the total tallies of winners. “The Wrestler” is apparently set to take home best picture and best actor trophies, “Rachel Getting Married” best director and best first screenplay, and “Synecdoche, New York” best first feature and best screenplay."

Read the full prediction list here:


http://www.indiewire.com/article/spirit_awards_09_who_will_win_and_who_should_win/

Separate but equal.

Here's the trailer for Kris Swanberg's film "It was great, but I was ready to come home".


Trailer - It was great, but I was ready to come home. from David Lowery on Vimeo.

First, I want to say, I think the title lends itself to the quips, jibs, jabs, and even cleverly titled compliments that the blogger community will certainly exploit while talking about the film. I think that's both brilliant and brave on Kris's part, while at the same time, not surprising because of how the indie film blog community and indie film community are so connected. Our ideas are beginning to blend.

I know there is a lot of blog-rama (blog drama?) about the legitimacy of Kris's film being in competition at this years SXSW festival. A lot bloggers are crying out Incest, but I think it's important (although difficult) to separate Kris from her last name, and try to examine her as a new filmmaker. And frankly, I think a film festival should remain loyal to its community and the same for its filmmakers. I also think that bloggers should start focusing on the films, not the high school mama drama. Lets not be caddy, lets be supportive!
We had a lengthy debate about this topic, the other night. Some people believe that Kris should not premiere at SXSW, so that her work can be examined as something separate from the accused clique, but at the same time, she may have a responsibility or at least sense of loyalty to a festival that has been so supportive of her husband and community of filmmakers. I think this is an important debate because we aren't debating about the legitimacy of a filmmaker or fest, but whats best for their work and future projects. We all believe she deserves a fair chance to make good work, and why shouldn't we?
I've heard the film was really good, and I think the trailer looks really beautiful. I'm very interested in seeing it, and dissecting her style (form and performance) and drawing conclusions based on comparisons to the filmmaker community that her work was born from. I can assume she drew inspiration from her community but I think that she has stepped out of the mold a bit, by taking a film out of a hip apartment and into South America. Ultimately, we won't be able to completely separate her film from the name attached to it, but I look forward to it being a part of a group of films that I have followed, love and respect. I think it's safe to say, im likely going to be a big fan of IT WAS GREAT, BUT I WAS READY TO COME HOME, because of the community that it comes from, and I look forward to being challenged by the film and ultimately becoming a fan of the film, because its a great work by a new filmmaker. I think she deserves that.

-RYAN BALAS

A Sexy Teaser

Here is a cool new teaser from the SEXY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, created by Filmmaker Jason Turley (Welcome Stranger) is a week long event to be held each September in Melbourne with the winning films travelling to Perth in October then London, Paris, New York AND San Francisco in November.

For public screenings email: sexyfilmfest@hotmail.com

www.myspace.com/sexyfilmfest




http://www.sexyfilmfest.com/

An Ackley/Balas/Holt Meeting

Brian, Ryan and Princeton had a much needed and delightful meeting last night at Moonstruck on 2nd Ave - the same spot we met after Sujewa Ekanayake's Indie Film Blogger Road Trip premiere. We traded sacks and bags of DVDs of our features Uptown, Cookies & Cream, and Carter, for submission to the Australian screenings at the Sexy International Film Festival (its cheaper to ship the 3 films overseas at the same time) as well as several mailings to other film fests, and awaiting reviewers, writers, etc. Its all apart of the process.

Brian is finished with his final cut of Uptown, and we cant wait to watch it (probably tonight). We are also planning a double feature, private cast/crew screening of Carter and Uptown, which will hopefully take place on, or right before March 1st, to celebrate and kick off the early festival DVD release of all 3 features.

Also exchanged was the full quicktime file for Cookies & Cream, so that Brian can cut the official trailer (he volunteered). Look for that within the next week.

More to come!

The Blog Wars - continued

Things are heating up over at the Sujewa Ekanayake's and Michael Tully's blog over the premiere of Indie Film Blogger Road Trip. Tully's opinion is warranted (as are all), and so is Sujewa's couragious response (or counter-punch). Nonetheless, people are talking, and the film is further promoted. Congrats to Sujewa for defending himself.

www.diyfilmmaker.blogspot.com

http://blogs.indiewire.com/tully/archives/indie_film_blogger_road_trip_a_lesson_in_ddiy_cinema/

IFBRT World Premiere

We attended Sujewa Ekanayake's world premiere of his new documentary Indie Film Blogger Road Trip last night and had a great time. The film is about a blogger (Ekanayake) who travels to several U.S. East Coast cities in the Summer of 2008 and discusses the thriving world of indie film journalism on the web, related Internet writings & other matters relevant to the indie film community with over a dozen bloggers who write about indie film and or media professionals who rely on indie film blogs to accomplish their daily work.

The film overall was informative, and I found myself literally taking notes of some of the film bloggers names who from their interviews, sounded like good people to read and to possibly send copies of our films to for review. An interview can be considered a successful one, if the viewer or listener takes notes from what he or she perceives about the subject's tastes, etc, and furthermore, seeks out that subject to initiate a discussion - or in our case, even solicit a review about a film or two in our growing catalog.

Self serving? Well yeah, thats the point. Bloggers are self serving too - and as we saw in IFBRT, get the same rush out of their reader hit count as actors seeing themselves on screen for the first time, or that filmmakers get when their film is projected in a dark theatre before an audience. I also found it refreshing to see the personal side of some of these people - to be able to put faces to the writing, and get an overall sense of what drives them to write.

Far too much has already been made of the film's shortcomings, so I will leave links below, should you feel the need for your dosage of mostly negative feedback. But what we found about the film, was not only a new and daring (and some might say unsuccessful) way to make a documentary film - which is essentially to make it a conversation as opposed to talking heads giving you information - was that it took us behind the scenes of some of the lives and thoughts of our favorite bloggers. That in itself, is an achievement.

We also had a great time hanging out afterwards at a nearby diner over cantaloupe and french fries (though not in that group), and talk film business, criticism, and art with writer and professor Chuck Tryon (which was my first time meeting him), and our friend Susan Buice (from Four Eyed Monsters) her boyfriend Josh, and with Sujewa Ekanayake, the filmmaker himself.

If you want you can check out the more unfavorable reviews, as well as Sujewa's gracious response to all of the criticism at his blog, here are some links:

http://chutry.wordherders.net/wp/

http://blog.spout.com/2009/02/18/indie-film-blogger-road-trip-review/

http://www.diyfilmmaker.blogspot.com/

Stay tuned here and below for more about the next screening near you!

http://indiefilmbloggersmovie.blogspot.com/

Michael Knowles - True DIY Maverick

Another maverick NYC, Digital DIY filmmaker is Michael Knowles. We first became aware of Michael after his DIY feature film release, the claustrophobic Room 314 which the New York Times called "an actors dream." He had an extensive (I mean extensive) festival run, while apparently self distributing his DVDs - a practice he has continued on to the next project. Room 314 has been on my Netflix Queue and I should be able to finally see it by next week.

His second feature, is not yet on Netflix (I'm still waiting), but was done in '07, in the same city, also about relationships, and also with some of the same actors (a practice we really dig) as his previous feature. The film is called One Night, and asks the question, "How much can one night change your life?" We hope to soon see. Both trailers are below, and make sure to go to Michael's Website at the bottom to read all about him and his works. Actors, take notice!






http://www.michaelknowles.com/

Need Smoother DV Camera Shots?

Similar to the "camera on a wheel" invention by filmmaker Mike Figgis, DIY Filmmaker Michael Knowles invented the Atlas Support System for digital film cameras.

The Atlas Support and Stabilization System is a simple, affordable camera stabilization system that will allow you to shoot for longer periods of time and obtain smoother shots than you could ever imagine!






http://www.atlascamerasupport.com/

Angry Princess Cookies and Cream Review

Here is a review of Cookies & Cream by The Angry Princess from http://www.thisissomescene.com/

"An attractive dark haired woman Carmen is walking home from what seems like college classes and is trying to mind her own business when three guys in a van pull up and start filming and talking to her. At first she ignores them but they are persistent stating they are making a documentary for school on human behavior and they needed a certain amount of people interviewed to pass.

They convince her to talk to them and she climbs cautiously inside the van and sits next to a guy. In today’s world, I don’t know if I could be persuaded to get in with them, I watch and review to many horror films to just trust someone enough to get in the car. Well here it has nothing to do with school, the point of this ride is she is offered cash to go down on the guy back there."

Read Full Piece HERE:

http://thisissomescene.com/?p=680

www.cookiesncreammovie.com

Making 25th Hour

Throwback Sundays (ok we know we are a day late) presents a recap on a brilliant piece of filmmaking. This week, our focus is on Spike Lee's (underappreciated in my opinion) 25th Hour. For fans of the film or even those that have seen it, this may be an interesting interview on Charlie Rose of Spike and his lead actor in the film, the great Edward Norton. The interview itself is about 35 minutes long, but somehow I still wasn't able to abort early.

Enjoy!

Uptown and Carter in Indie Slate Magazine

Uptown and Carter are officially in the latest edition of IndieSlate Magazine. The films are both listed in the "wrapped" section and include info about the film, its synopsis, etc. The magazine is now on the east coast, in Barnes & Nobles, Borders, etc. Its edition #56. Check it out!

www.carterthemovie.com

www.myspace.com/uptownfilm

Cookies & Cream's Naama Kates in Thriller

To avenge their mother’s death, a pair of twins must kill their father before he can become immortal.

Nothing Sacred reveals a mythic world of magic thriving in our midst. It is the world all around us, the one we choose not to see.

Blue and Delilah are a pair of twins prophesied to avenge their mother’s murder by killing their father, a dark sorcerer named Chambers. To find their father, the twins must journey across the globe, hunting down their horrifying legions of brothers and sisters.


But time is running out on fate. Always a step ahead of his children, Chambers scours the earth, uncovering the ancient secrets that will allow him to cheat destiny and achieve immortality. If Chambers succeeds, no one will be able to stop him.

In this timeless tale of monsters, gods, and a man who would be both, nothing is for certain and the truth is never clear.

See the trailer at their site and stay tuned to their site for release info:


http://www.nothingsacredmovie.com/

Cookies on IMDB

Cookies & Cream is now on IMDB.com. There are still more credits that should be in soon.

Here is the link:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1374855/

"What Happened to Your Fingers?"

Actors. I love 'em. I really do.

Yesterday we started production on another feature film. The writer/director is actually a first timer - after working as a production assistant on our first dialogue recorded short film Phish, Kent Sutton from Staten Island must have caught the film bug. As a constant, theatre-trained actor, Kent was cast on only a short notice as Mike, the van driver in Cookies & Cream. It was during this time that Kent was quietly writing his first short film, called Miranda.

Kent has since decided to turn Miranda into a feature, and after observing his work with actors in the short's auditions recently (no one can communicate with actors better than a director that acts), I was instantly intrigued, and decided to add Miranda to the list of 10 features we will launch later this year.

Yesterday, we shot on location at Essex County College in their public library. We weren't allowed to shut down the location (especially during mid-term season), but we were given a nice sized corner of the library in which to shoot our scene. It went off without a hitch. Kent, as to be expected, had a huge case of the first-timer gitters (as we all have had at one time). After a couple of false starts, Kent was good to go - throwing in unexpected choices for the actors to try (sometimes without warning the other actor what would happen). The results were exhilarating. I immediately stop thinking like a producer every time one of these zen-like moments takes place, and when you are watching a tense scene unfold with talented actors behind the wheel, you are no longer thinking about just "making your day." It becomes about taking your place in the creation of something that could end up exciting. Miranda has easily one of the best casts I have ever worked with on set. The lead, as well as Kent Sutton (and Chris Riquinha from Uptown) are veterans of the Groundworks Theatre Group in New York City.

Miranda, so far, is about a woman who hides an abusive relationship from everyone around her - her family, her friends, and even other men that are interested in her. As a feature, I'm curious myself to see where the story will take us. Our plan is to shoot exactly three scenes, give Kent and his editor Neal the footage to view and analyze, maybe even construct some sort of trailer/teaser, thus giving Kent some steam and creative energy in which to take his short from short to feature length script.

We kept a small, skeleton crew yesterday (that was the condition given us by the library), in order to vanish into the library atmosphere and not look like we were shooting a movie. Our small cast-crew consisted of our very own Cassandra Riddick as DP, Kent Sutton the director, Maria Guzman (Miranda), One Way's latest repository actor Derek McAllister (Arthur), and New Jersey based actor Tim Parham (Jamie) - a long time friend of mine. I was on as producer as well as boom operator! It was a blast, even though my arms are still sore from our Olympian-heavy boom pole and shotgun mic.

There was also a very funny moment (well it wasn't until I started letting go of my professionalism). There is a line in the scene where Jamie eludes to an injury on Miranda, and she passes it off as just a basketball accident, when in all actuality it is probably a result of her abuse at the hands of her fiance' Arthur. I took it upon myself to comment about how funny the line was, and risked destroying all the concentration that Kent had worked hard establishing with his actors. I thought the line was funny, everytime I heard it. "What happened to your fingers?" I lost it. Luckily, the cast are so professional, they never even blew one take (although on the side the producer is turning his head away about to burst). If I wasn't the producer, I would have immediately been fired.

Another reason this project intrigued me was the cast. You have a great cast, you have a movie. All of the actors yesterday are awesome, focused, and perform at higher-than-average levels of concentration. Maria Guzman as Miranda is the backbone of the film, who the story is about. Maria is going to be a joy to work with, I can already tell. Very focused, but also very fun and doesnt take herself too seriously. Always a great attribute on set. She even took behind the scenes pictures (posted here) without us remembering to ask someone to do so. Also Tim Tarham looks as though working with him will be a pleasure, just as I imagined - I saw Tim's work years ago in a play and Im so thrilled he stayed in the New York area so I could get a chance to work with him. And finally, Derek (from Cookies & Cream and Uptown), was amazing. Several times he scared the shit out of me when in character as the abusive fiance.' At one point, I didnt know whether to say "good job" or drop the boom and run.

Stay tuned for more on this project, as there should probably be a trailer or teaser up within the next month or so.

For now, check out the very talented (and expressive with her eyes) lead actress, Maria Guzman in a 16mm short film she did a little while back called The Longing.

- Princeton

http://www.1wayoranother.net/

Cookies teaser at Pulpmovies.com

We were surprised to find the teaser for Cookies & Cream at Pulp Movies along with the film's synopsis listed. We are expecting a review for the film later, but were pleasantly surprised to find the teaser and the film's info already posted. Check it out it, and their kick-ass site and blog HERE:

http://www.pulpmovies.com/trailers/cookies-cream

http://www.cookiesncreammovie.com/

One Way Naked Release

We want to officially announce the triple DVD release of the Naked Series of Cookies & Cream, Uptown, and Carter on March 1st, 2009! The Naked Series consists of the festival versions of the 3 features, no extras, no fluff, just the films. Make sure to stay tuned here and at http://www.1wayoranother.net/ where the DVD will be available.

http://www.cookiesncreammovie.com/

http://www.carterthemovie.com/

www.myspace.com/uptownfilm

Crystal Glass Cosmetics

Crystal Glass, One Way or Another Productions' director of Make Up, Hair, and Wardrobe, has a beautiful new make up line that was exclusively used in the production of Cookies & Cream called Crystal Glass Cosmetics. Her line is for all faces, all ethnicities, and is surprisingly affordable.

Crystal is an imaginative makeup artist, hairstylist, and stylist who is driven by an incredible passion for self-expression through art. Her works are often noted for their unique style, elegance, and technique. She has developed an innovative style that blends makeup with precision creating a flawless yet natural look. Her use of color and strong lines make her work an excellent choice for a wide range of projects and purposes. She is accomplished in using traditional methods as well as modern technique. Her makeup artistry has been featured in magazines, catalogs, film, television and fashion events. Her images have also appeared in book publications and photo exhibits. Although she loves to express her vision through art, she is also adept at creating commercial works and readily communicates the vision of her clientele. Partnering with Princeton Holt CEO of One Way Or Another Productions as Director of Makeup/Hair/Wardrobe, Crystal overseas all visual aspects of the productions, creating characters' looks in collaboration with our actors when necessary.

Crystal Glass is a self-taught artist. Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, she took to art as soon as she was able to hold a crayon. Throughout her childhood, she developed an appreciation for her majestic surroundings. Years of artistic expression made it clear that her life would be centered upon her passion for art. After high school, she attended New Jersey City University where she majored in theatre arts/film, graduating with a BA degree. She is now a professional artist full-time.

Check out her line HERE:

www.crystalglasscosmetics.com

Humpday

Here is a great piece from Short End Magazine on our friend Lynn Shelton's new film Humpday.





Written by Justin Barber

At this year's much quieter, much warmer Sundance Film Festival, filmmakers Lynn Shelton, Ben Kasulke and Nat Sanders made a habit of closing out a number of bars with a celebratory “Humpdance.” It was always a needed moment of levity, considering that no joke, the last couple months of have been kind of a downer. The election got us all riled up into an hourly news-checking frenzy just in time for the media to scrutinize the knuckles of every Wall Street sucker punch. We residents of Bummer City needed at the festival a good laugh. To the rescue was the film made by these three celebrators, a film thats intelligence transcends the question that drives it: “Are you man enough to bone a dude?”

That’s an accurate if simplistic way to dive into the Magnolia-acquired Humpday, which premiered to a packed, boisterous house at the Eccles Theater. Her third feature, replete with performances by state-of-the-art, painstakingly researched and assembled improv machines Mark Duplass (Baghead), Josh Leonard (The BlairWitch Project) and newcomer Alycia Delmore, Shelton's work is a layered study of self-definition/delusion, relationships and masculinity.


“It’s about the reunion of two old college buddies, Ben and Andrew, who haven’t seen each other for years. Somehow, within 24 hours of being in each other’s company again, they manage to box themselves into a mutual dare to have sex with each other on film. For an “art project”. Which wouldn’t be so radical or weird except for the fact that Ben’s married, and both guys are about as straight as straight can be.


"The film’s about fear of conformity; of not living up to your own image of yourself; about long-term romantic relationships; about a certain kind of male friendship between two guys who adore each other but who also bring out the most absurdly competitive aspects in each other.”

-Lynn Shelton, Spout.com 1/16/09

Read full piece HERE:




http://shortendmagazine.com/content/view/623/65/

Oh My, I'm Fly!

Check out our good friends at OHMYIMFLY's new t-shirt line! I'm grabbing a couple of these for the summer.

Go by and grab yourself some cool items now, while they are still at the exclusive discount price.

http://www.ohmyimfly.com/

Greta Gerwig "crosses over."

Here is a wonderful little, comprehensive note from our friend, the great, always on top of things, Karina Longworth.




Noah Baumbach + Greta Gerwig = The Future
By Karina Longworth

The news that Greta Gerwig will star opposite Ben Stiller in Noah Baumbach’s upcoming Focus Features-financed Greenberg would seem to represent just the latest landmark in an evolution.

As polemicists rush to reject mumblecore as an ill-defined concept and Joe Swanberg as an auteur, Noah Baumbach is borrowing both the Nights and Weekends director as a cameraman and Swanberg’s frequent ingenue as a star.

Read the full piece HERE:

http://blog.spout.com/2009/02/10/noah-baumbach-greta-gerwig/#comments

The Importance Of Film Festivals To Documentaries

Here is another interesting take on the documentary world and film festival exposure as it relates to this sometimes obscure genre. Here is some of it below:

The Importance Of Film Festivals To Documentaries
David Holbrooke

This column is a bit of a hustle to get you to come to the Tribeca Film Festival to see the World Premiere of our documentary, Hard As Nails. You see hustling is in the job description for filmmakers.

In my past life as a TV news producer, I worked hard but had a steady job, making good money. Now, as a filmmaker, I make less money, I always have to hustle and for the most part, I love it.

The actual production work I do now is pretty much the same. In both TV news and documentaries, you research, shoot, and then edit your footage into something watchable. But then the similarity ends.

With television, whatever I worked on, was going to be funded and seen. By contrast, getting a film off the ground takes a leap of faith and a lot of good fortune (if not, a personal one).
When I finished a TV piece, it was done. As a particularly talented colleague at the Today Show used to say after handing over her latest masterwork, "There it goes, off into the ether." When I finish editing a film, the work is far from over, as I now have to find an audience.

And that's where film festivals come in. Theoretically, the idea is that distributors and broadcasters will come to a festival, see your film and then get it out to a larger audience. But the reality is that a majority of the films in festivals are like my first films, worthwhile but largely un-commercial.

I made four odd and esoteric short docs on topics like the relationship between nature and man, images of God in the 21st century and so on. (Check them out at www.originalthinkers.com) I am very proud of them, but being shorts, the marketplace was limited. Yet I happily hustled them around the country because being in a dark theater with an audience watching, engaging and most of all reacting to my work, was amazing and completely unlike making television.

I think film festivals are also essential because of the discussions after the screenings. For me it was: American Splendor's crew, cast and subjects at Sundance; a heated argument about Israel after the documentary, Arna's Children at Tribeca; or our own experience with a film I produced called Live from Shiva's Dance Floor.

Read full article HERE, where you can also find a link to his interesting blog:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-holbrooke/the-importance-of-film-fe_b_44829.html

Road Warriors

Interesting article, I first discovered at Sujewa's blog (diyfilmmaker.blogspot.com)

It's time for the indie filmmakers to follow the path of the the indie rockers that we use for the soundtracks in our films. HIT THE ROAD, SCREEN THE FILMS. 

Personally, the idea of spending weeks at a time in different cities, crossing the usa, showing cool movies, seems like a dream job...and its possible!  My friends in bands, have been doing it for years and most of them who stuck with it, are making a living from it. Why not do it with our films? Read about a Portland filmmaker who said no to waiting and hit the road running...driving.

READ THIS:

http://www.citypaper.com/film/story.asp?id=16233

New Swanberg Film!

Kris Swanberg has made a film, and shot it in Costa Rica, no less.
Her debut feature (as a director) is titled "It was great, but I was ready to come home" and will premier in competition (narrative feature) at this years SXSW film fest. Congrats to Kris!
We love the title! And are looking forward to the film.

You may know Kris's work as co-director and star of the web series Young American Bodies (www.youngamericanbodies.com) co produced by IFC and Nerve.com.
She also played a supporting lead in Joe Swanberg's (her husband) Kissing on the Mouth.
She also directed the short doc "Bath Water"( I believed you can watch this on her myspace page); and the honest sex doc series "Boys and Girls" on nerve.com

We are promised their will be a trailer up for her new film, SOON! SOON! SOON!
So keep an eye out for that.

ABOUT THE FILM---

It Was Great, But I Was Ready to Come Home
Director: Kris Swanberg. Writer: Kris Swanberg, Jade Healy, David Lowery, Ben Kasulke
A woman tries to get over her recent breakup by backpacking in Costa Rica with her best friend, and through traveling together, the two women realize they may be on separate trips. Cast: Kris Swanberg, Jade Healy

For more about the director:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris_Williams

Making Four Dead Batteries

I'm surprised I was never arrested for the online stalking of the director of Four Dead Batteries, Hiram Martinez. For at least a year and a half, I have been actively searching for this guy everywhere - social networking sites, articles with any info on he or his company, his ex girlfriend's profile search (just kidding), anything possible or necessary, I tried it. Nothing. Even the film's site is now defunct.

All I wanted to ever ask was how his experience was with projecting (sometimes darkly lit) dv film theatrically, on his 20-plus award winning festival tour. Finally I found one of the lead actors (who also was a producer on the film), to answer all of my boring technical questions, as well as to humbly accept my praise for a wonderful, well-made DIY feature film.

I am also very proud to have this video of the making of the film. If the cops are reading, I never found him. I haven't done anything illegal, I just wanted so desperately to get some technical questions answered. Accept the following video as a peace-offering:

Four Dead Batteries - Making of Four Dead Batteries Movies & TV SPIKE.com

Get your copy of the DVD here:

http://www.amazon.com/

- Princeton

Cookies mention on Spout.com

I forgot to post this mention from our friend Sujewa Ekanayake's interview from Spout.com that he did soon shortly after he saw Cookies and SIFF. Here it is:

Blogger/Filmmaker Sujewa Ekanayake: The Media Diet

By Brandon Harris

For two and a half years Sujewa Ekanayake has provided the indie film world with one of its funniest and most arresting blogs, DIY Filmmaker Sujewa, where the thirty-four year old Washington D.C. based Sri Lankan offers an insightful glance into the world of the independent filmmaker outside of the New York-LA indie axis. His newest film, Indie Film Blogger Road Trip, brings him into the homes and working spaces of 14 film bloggers and is perhaps the first extended meditation on the impact, limitations and peculiarities of the film blogosphere to date. We caught up with him this week to discuss the charms of Battlestar Galactica, where Kevin Smith went wrong and finding his long lost copy of Tom Wait’s “Rain Dogs”.

What films or television shows have you seen recently?

Battlestar Galactica, Sarah Silverman show, The Office, Cookies & Cream, 30 Rock, Zack & Miri Make A Porno - off the top of my head that’s some stuff I’ve seen recently, been watching.

Which ones stuck with you and why?

All the ones have been entertaining in one way or another. Battlestar Galactica deserves special mention because they took an old TV show & totally brought it up do date - & used it to deal with some current issues we are thinking about - religiously motivated war, who or what exactly is a person/human rights issues, cycles of violence, genocide, disappearing of gender & ethnic barriers in some professions & some sectors of society in general. Also, Zack & Miri was OK - generally I liked it, but the movie did not flow smoothly for me - several other Kevin Smith movies I liked because they seemed plausible, naturalistic in their pacing (I think that’s what I mean) - Clerks, Chasing Amy, even Clerks II - even with that movie’s fantastic elements. Zack & Miri did not feel real or Kevin Smith-y somehow - maybe it’s because it featured two well known actors - I mean super famous actors, but hopefully Smith will have a lot of success with it.

Read full piece here:

http://blog.spout.com/2008/11/25/bloggerfilmmaker-sujewa-ekanayake-the-media-diet/

Great performances

Throwback Sundays highlights some of the past 20 years' greatest performances. This week features clips from:

Johnny Depp - Pirates of the Caribbean
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Jack Nicholson - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Al Pacino - Dog Day Afternoon