It's been a long time...

(copyright photo by Amy Peck)

A lot has happened since i posted my last update. Back in June I participated in a panel discussion for New York Women in Television and Film and Women Make Movies. The comprehensive, all-day seminar explored the diverse sources of funding available for independent film and video makers, including grants, television pre-sales and on-line communities. It was a great experience and I met a lot of really talented filmmakers. I also got some great ideas about fundraising from some of the incredibly talented filmmakers who participated in the event. After the panel I spoke at length with Women Make Movies founder Tracy Holder and coproducer of an American Masters biography of theater producer Joseph Papp. She raised $10,000 for her documentary by selling buttons. Needless to say I am now working with a very talented graphic designer who is helping me to design original merchandise to help fund my first feature documentary. More to come on that soon...

Just this month my fellow Profluence filmmakers received some excellent news regarding our first film Blind Faith: A Film About Seeing. The film won the honourable mention award at the 2010 Picture This Film Festival. The film will screen at the festival in Vancouver this February. This is our second award for the film, which won Best Soundtrack at the 2008 Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto. Blind Faith is actually available for viewing in it's entirety at Snag Films, an affiliate of IndieWIRE. Check it out here and please feel free to leave a comment and a rating! One of our subjects, Victorine Fludd, had her artwork featured in a recent exhibit at the University of California, Riverside and in a related Time Magazine article. You can view an online selection of some of the featured works from the exhibit here.

Finally, the photograph I included above was taken by a very talented photographer, Amy Peck, whom I met while filming at the United Nations. We were both there for the 15th Commemoration of the Rwanda Genocide. To date it was the most emotional shoot I have ever done. There were no dry eyes during the ceremony and many of the UN representatives broke down when addressing the crowd. UN Ambassador Susan Rice concluded her remarks by saying "We bow our heads to mark the memory of those who were slain. And we bow our heads to mark the sorrow of all who stood by."

Silent Auction Items still available...

There are still some great silent auction items available at www.inthesmallhours.com. You can snag a gift certificate to my favorite women's clothing store, a subscription to my favorite magazine or a facial from acclaimed wellness expert Wen C. Chen. Proceeds will go to fund two films that I am working on so you get a great gift and you are supporting a great cause.

I will be heading to Detroit at the end of the month to start production on another feature. This one is top secret for the moment. As soon as I have all the legal paperwork in order I will start blogging about that production so keep checking back for updates.

Silent Auction

Thank you all for making our benefit fundraiser at Sutra a huge success! We had a great turnout and thanks to DJ Witnes and Starr African Rum the party was also an enormous amount of fun. We still have some great silent auction items available at our website including gift certificates to Tango women's clothing store & D'Amicos Italian specialties and coffee, as well as Facials from renowned wellness expert Wen C.Chen and a one year subscription to my favorite magazine Wax Poetics.

Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival 2009

Profluence Productions received an email from the Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival today stating that they would like to consider Bend & Bow for their festival:

Greetings!
The 2009 Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival is now accepting submissions.
We read about the film Bend & Bow from the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival 2009 screening guide and we would like to consider it for the Mead Festival, which will take place in November.

Now in it's 33rd year, the Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival is the longest-running, premiere showcase for international documentaries in the United States, encompassing a broad spectrum of work, from indigenous community media to experimental nonfiction. The Festival is distinguished by its outstanding selection of titles, which tackle diverse and challenging subjects, representing a range of issues and perspectives, and by the forums for discussion with filmmakers and speakers.

The festival takes place November 12-15, 2009 at the Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Saturday April 18th 2009 Fundraiser Benefit at Sutra Lounge NYC

Come & support

a benefit fundraiser for the upcoming documentary

In the small hours

by Director Dana Bartle &
Executive Producer Delilah Rothenberg
Saturday
April 18th, 2009
9pm-4am
Sutra Lounge
16 1st Avenue NYC 10009

featuring DJ Witnes

silent auction gifts from Thom Browne, Il Buco, Tinto Fino, Mercat, Vosges Chocolates & much more

Complimentary cocktails provided by Starr African Rum.

postcard collage by patricia jo peacock-patriciajopeacock.com

view original artwork here

$25 at the door or buy advance tickets here

If you are not able to make the fundraiser please feel free to support us
by donating to the film directly at the website
www.inthesmallhours.com

In the small hours

Delilah and I will be throwing a fundraiser for our forthcoming film In the small hours on Saturday April 18, 2009 at Sutra Lounge, 16 First Avenue NYC. DJ Witnes will spin from 10-3am and we also have many great gifts that will be available for a silent auction including items from Thom Browne, Il Buco, Mercat, Tinto Fino, Vosges Haut Chocolat and many more. We are raising money to go to Rwanda in June with our subject and begin production. My wonderful friend Patti is creating a collage for the invitations and we will be auctioning off the original at the event. I will send out a formal invitation soon and you will be able to buy advance tickets to the event at the films website
In the small hours

BPeace After-Party Hosted by Hip-Hop Icons, Q-Tip & DJ Evil Dee!!!

This week, Q-Tip (Tribe Called Quest) agreed to host the BPeace fundraiser. Needless to say this new development bumped my cultural capital way up. I even got a shout out from IndieWIRE, the leading source on independent film.

Support Rwanda While Getting Down to Q-Tip & DJ Evil Dee

There’s a cool fundraiser going on this week some of my film friends (i.e. doc maker Dana Bartle, who also serves as the unofficial iW sommelier) are involved with that not only is to support developing businesses in Rwanda but also to help in fostering filmmaking about the efforts to create businesses and jobs for Rwandan women.

In other words, more jobs, less violence.

Here’s the invite and link to RSVP and make a donation.
www.bpeace.org/ypc

Honoring:
Jonathan Torgovnik of Foundation Rwanda
Featuring:
Rwandan Dance Performance by Claudine Mukamabano
Cameroon-Born Singer / Songwriter, Francis Jocky
Congolese & Cote d’Ivoirian Fashion Show
After-Party Hosted by Hip-Hop Icons, Q-Tip & DJ Evil Dee
Cocktail Reception with Non-Profit Partier, Dentist DJ
Starr African Cocktails, South African Wines & Kenyan Beer!!!

The Bpeace Rwanda program was founded in 2005, but now, with ethnic conflict reigniting on the western border, we need to create incentives to preserve peace. More jobs means less violence. This school will help make that mission a reality.

jamesisrael posted to Things To Do on February 23, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)

http://tinyurl.com/IndieWIRE-3-sDana

BPeace Extravaganza Feb 26th

As many of you know, I am currently in pre-production on my first documentary feature on a subject in Rwanda. I am partnering with my good friend Delilah Rothenberg from Business Council for Peace, an organization that helps women in post-conflict areas expand their businesses, create employment and build a peaceful future for their communities. Delilah traveled to Rwanda in 2005 to help launch the BPeace mentoring program for women entrepreneurs and came back inspired to organize her peers into the Young Professionals Committee. Through Delilah I became affiliated with BPeace and am now an official member of the Young Professionals Committee. The Committee is throwing its First Annual Extravaganza to raise funds to launch a beauty vocational school in Rwanda and I hope you can join us for a fantastic party and an even better cause!

Shadows of Guilt now playing online