Brendon McQueen, Reach Film Fellow 08/09

Congratulations to Brendon McQueen 08/09 Reach Film Fellow whose film Skip Rocks will screen at the 2009 Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival , taking place September 18th-20th in Sun Valley, Idaho.

This year will be the 5^th Annual Sun Valley Spiritual Festival, whose mission is to “present films that explore spiritual traditions from around the world, as well as films that cherish the human spirit.” Brendon’s film certainly falls under this category, chronicling an elderly woman at the onset of Alzheimer’s sharing a childhood memory with her granddaughter. View the trailer here.

Passes to the festival can be purchased for $80 and the price for individual screenings is just $8. You can buy tickets here.

CINEREACH PRESENTS REACH OUT 2009 AWARD
TO REACH FILM FELLOWS BRENDON MCQUEEN AND DANIELLE RUSSELL

Cinereach Screens and Celebrates Short Films
Created by 2009 Reach Film Fellows

www.cinereach.org

NEW YORK, NY, April 7, 2009 - Cinereach presented filmmakers Brendon McQueen and Danielle Russell with its first-ever Reach Out Award at last night’s screening and reception celebrating the culmination of its annual Reach Film Fellowship, which is now in its second year. Cinereach was founded in 2006 by a group of young filmmakers, philanthropists and entrepreneurs with the goal of championing socially relevant films.

McQueen and Russell each received a $2,500 grant they can use to cover costs related to finishing and distribution of their Reach Film Fellowship films.

McQueen worked with mentor and acclaimed director So Yong Kim (Treeless Mountain) on his film, Skip Rocks, which weaves a moving tale of intergenerational alienation and connectedness between a 12-year-old girl, and a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Russell, a recent graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design student, worked with mentor Renee Bishop, a Savannah-based, Emmy-winning producer, on Bridging the Gap, a documentary in which she challenges her parents, aunt and uncle to open up about their participation in a historic civil rights march, hoping to inspire the younger generation to continue the legacy of social action.

Last night’s event was the conclusion of the intensive six-month Reach Film Fellowship program in which McQueen, Russell and two other fledgling filmmakers – Jules Monteyne and Dena Greenbaum, – were paired with mentors and advisors who helped them take their short films from script or treatment through completion. In addition to Kim and Bishop, this year’s mentors were Jeremy Kipp Walker (Half Nelson) and Nicole Kassell (The Woodsman).

All four fellows received a grant of $5,000 at the start of the program, in addition to donated materials and services from sponsors like Kodak, Postworks and Showbiz Software. The fellows also participated in a series of workshops led by advisors such as Academy Award-nominated director Ellen Kuras (The Betrayal: Nerakhoon), producer Susan Leber (Down to the Bone), documentary director Edet Belzberg (Children Underground), screenwriter Afia Nathanial, an acclaimed independent filmmaker from Pakistan, and writer/director/actor Paola Mendoza (Still Standing).

Reflecting the effectiveness of the Reach Film Fellowship program, So the Wind Won’t Blow it All Away, the film directed by 2007/8 Fellow Annie Waldman, was selected to screen at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival among other honors. The other 2007/8 filmmakers have been recognized for their films and subsequent projects at festivals and other venues as well.

“It’s been incredibly rewarding to watch this year’s fellows grow and evolve,” said Cinereach founder Philipp Engelhorn. “At a challenging time like this, it’s more important than ever that we nurture and support filmmakers who dare to tackle difficult issues in an original, entertaining way. They need opportunities to practice their craft and real exposure to the film industry.”

The two additional 2009 Reach Film Fellows are:

• Jules Monteyne (Fiction) – A recent New York University graduate, Monteyne made the film I Go to War With Everything That Doesn’t Make Sense in a Bathtub. His film enters the troubled mind of a young boy at the onset of severe mental illness. The boy’s troubles are further complicated by the adults who misinterpret his delusions.

• Dena Greenbaum (Fiction) – A junior at New York University, Greenbaum made Blues. Her film tells the story of two boys, a religious Jew and African American, who develop a unique friendship during the 1991 riots of Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

About Cinereach
Cinereach was created in 2006 by a group of young filmmakers, philanthropists and entrepreneurs with the goal of championing socially relevant films. Its three key areas, Grants & Awards, Productions, and The Reach Film Fellowship facilitate the creation of films that challenge, excite innovate, offer new perspectives and inspire action. Cinereach has awarded more than $1.6 million in grants and achievement awards since its inception. Past recipients include: The Betrayal (Nerakhoon), a 2009 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary; A Jihad for Love, the acclaimed documentary exploring the complex global intersections of Islam and homosexuality; and Hometown Bagdad, the recipient of four 2008 Webby Awards. Through The Reach Film Fellowship, a program in its second year, Cinereach supports talented young filmmakers creating meaningful short films with artistic merit. Cinereach Productions’ first in-house documentary, The Road Ahead: The First Green Long March, was an official selection of the Hamptons, Queens (Best International Documentary Film), and Cleveland International film festivals and has screened in connection with leading environmental organizations and at the Asia Society in New York.

My film, Skip Rocks, had enormously positive feedback at the preview — with many notable industry folks providing not only praise, but incredibly insightful comments on how to better our films for our audience.

Apart from the great individual comments, Ingrid Kopp from Shooting People and Leah Sapin and Felix Endara from Arts Engine provided useful information on audience building and outreach.

Later, we were lucky enough to sit down with Josh Blum from Washington Square films who shared his knowledge of the changing industry and, along with Jeremy Kipp Walker and Paola Mendoza, provided what can only be called a passionate purview on film and filmmaking. I will never forget having had the opportunity to sit at a table full of such creative, caring, and excited people talking film.

Reva also spent a few hours with me after the workshop going over some of the comments I received and suggesting how I might implement them. We are very grateful for the thoughtfulness and energy Cinereach has put into our films.

Many thanks to the other attendees, your time and consideration are invaluable. Thanks to everyone involved!!

Since getting our color corrected film back from Postworks NY – Skip Rocks’ post production has been both a learning experience and as creative an endeavor as I’ve ever been involved with… There’s a saying that goes, “you have to kill your babies” when editing, especially when the film maker is editing, but after doing so, the film becomes what it should have been from the onset. We’re so excited to get preview feedback from Cinereach, the advisors and the other fellows next week… we hope they like what we’ve put together.

Postworks NY Supervised Transfer

So observes on the set of Skip Rocks

Sometimes film students have the impression that the budget of a film will dictate its quality. This is not the case. I believe the most important thing a director must do is to figure out the heart of the story. Once this can be communicated to the cast and crew, the film is on its way. When there is passion and it’s clear, then everyone on the production will support whatever decision the director makes. If the film’s budget requires scenes to be cut, then the director can evaluate what scenes can go or be modified without sacrificing the heart of the story.

Brendon and So confer privately on the set of Skip Rocks

I feel lucky that I had the chance to visit Brendon on his set. I saw that he was thinking on his feet and working well with his crew. It remains to be seen how the film will be composed at the editing stage. I am excited for him.

Skip Rocks web page

The website offers cast and crew info, press links, a sponsor page, a tax-deductible link for fund raising, and soon enough, pictures from filming.

Check us out if you get a chance and feel free to join our facebook group for important updates on screenings, trailers, press, etc.

Brendon McQueen and So Yong Kim

Brendon McQueen with DP Lindsay Mann

So Yong Kim stood by and made some helpful suggestions on lighting setups, the coverage of scenes, and more. She commented that she was pleased to see Brendon and Lindsay (his DP) working so well together and staying calm under pressure.

Brendon McQueen at Cinereach HQ

Steve Garfinkle from Kodak shared his expertise on film stock, followed by a meeting with producers Jeremy Kipp Walker and Susan Leber who shared the importance of working with what you’ve got, mastering the economy of story telling and thorough pre-production; followed by an eye opening sit down with Director Edet Belzberg who stressed the significance of emotional trajectory; followed by a devastatingly funny and educational dinner with DP Ellen Kuras whose veteran status among today’s film makers is legendary. Followed by, Followed by, Followed by – it has been dizzying with all of the crucial information swirling about.

I liken it to a couple years of film school bundled into a couple days! Afia Nathanial’s script workshop was as insightful as it was fun! Getting a fresh perspective on our scripts has meant all of the difference as we begin plowing through pre-production. I meet with Paola Mendoza this week and can’t wait to hear about directing actors – especially children as this process is a concern of mine – having never done it before on such a well funded or well supported project. I can’t wait to meet my adviser So Yong Kim – I have a thousand questions for her. 

It should also be mentioned that the fellowship has not only provided top tier industry advisers, but has also been hard at work providing press, software, and endless moral support. I’d like to take a moment and sincerely thank all of the Cinereach staff, for without their hard work and dedication, none of this would have been possible. 

I anticipate the next couple of weeks being a labor of love as my team and I figure out pre-production. I recently locked locations up in Westchester (see the pictures here).
and look forward to casting over the next 10 days or so.

I’d like to welcome DP Lindsay Mann, AD Ben Goldman and Producer Victoria Katz on board!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!