Guerrilla Filmmaking

SUNDANCE ANNOUNCES GUERRILLA SECTION FOR THE 2010 FILM FESTIVAL (Hurry up submission are open until september 25th)

Via sundance.org

The 2010 Sundance Film Festival will feature NEXT, a new section featuring six to eight films selected for their innovative and original work in low- and no-budget filmmaking.

September 02, 2009

PARK CITY – The 2010 Sundance Film Festival will feature NEXT, a new section featuring six to eight films selected for their innovative and original work in low- and no-budget filmmaking. Festival Director John Cooper made the announcement today, citing the desire to discover and promote filmmakers forging new ways to tell their stories, limited by resources but uninhibited by creativity. Presented by the non-profit Sundance Institute, the 2010 Sundance Film Festival will take place January 21 – 31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

A new aesthetic enlisting low-and no-budget filmmaking techniques has been on the rise. With NEXT, Festival programmers hope to provide a platform for these filmmakers to connect to audiences, industry and press while at the same time inviting the artists to be a part of an ever-evolving community of filmmakers working outside the system. Festival staffers refer to the new section with the symbol < = > which literally translates to "less than equals greater than".

A JOURNEY INSIDE A JOURNEY: Exclusive interview with Sarah Fisher, director of documentary "Meditate and Destroy"

Buddhist Filmmaker Sarah Fisher shared her journey of four years to finish Meditate and Destroy about the journey of author of Dharma Punx, Noah Levine whom after a self-destructive adolescence of criminal activity and substance abuse, now teaches the path of Buddhism. A documentary about punk rock, spirituality and inner rebellion.

After reading Noah's book Dharma Punx, she felt that she needed to tell that story, so she contacted him to explore the possibility of doing a documentary about him, his response was "I've a book release party next Friday, bring your camera".

Sarah talks about her struggle as a guerrilla filmmaker and how sometimes you need to have a tough resolve, proving yourself again and again, about her DIY distribution strategy, about her disappointment in the festivals and the new ways of distribution.

Listen the interview right here.

If you want to learn about future screenings or simply support the film (They still need to clear the music rights, and that cost money), there are different ways, you can pick your favorite, through their website, facebook group, myspace page, follow them through twitter

You're broke and can help? not a problem if you go to Meditate and Destroy profile in Our Stage and become a fan of the film, they'll receive $4 and you will receive a free pass to see the movie during the month of September! Learn how to do this properly.

YOU ARE A GUERRILLA FILMMAKER! you just need to realize it

The Balloon Project: Berlin from Disposable Film Festival on Vimeo.

Do you have a cellphone that takes video? Do you own a point and shoot camera? How many concerts had you taped with your camera or your phone without permission? You see? you were stealing shots, you are a Guerrilla Filmmaker, specifically a Disposable Filmmaker

In 2006, Julio Rojas, one of the most prolific Chilean screenwriters, created the movement Film and Run, basically  life is your set:  you take a script, any device that can record video, a few actors and regular citizens (non-actors) as supporting characters, of course, without them knowing it... Imagine the concept of a candid camera but applied to narrative films.

Creativity, Uniqueness, Vision, Voice and very Low Budget

Reading the post from established screenwriter John August about his experience loosing his virginity, as a Director with the film The Nines: Sundance, The Nines, and the death of independent film make me smile, it was not a traumatic experience, maybe because since a few months ago my mindset as a screenwriter has been changing , or migrating to a territory called Guerrilla Filmmaking.

After reading John's post, I was more than convinced that maybe Independent Filmmaking is in a crisis, but Guerrilla Filmmaking (which is independent too) is not! Actually this is a perfect moment to do it...