Online Filmmaking Panels
at the 2022 Arizona International Film Festival
SHOOTING ON NAVAJO LAND: The Making of Canyon Del Muerto
This panel will discuss the four year journey of the making of the film, Canyon Del Muerto, through the challenges and triumphs of production, including navigating the Covid pandemic and telling a true story that honors the legacy of the Morris Family, the Navajo people, and the legacy of America's earliest civilization. Panelists include President Jonathan Nez, Rosanna Jumbo-Fitch and John Tsosie of the Navajo Nation, producers Coerte and John Voorhees, and executive producers Linda LaVia and Lauren Selig. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbTGeXRsGQQ
INDIGENOUS VOICES
Sponsored by the Made in Hawai’i Film Festival.
Indigenous filmmakers from Hawai’i and the US Southwest will share their production experiences as writers, directors and producers on a variety of film genres. They will be invited to offer their views on the importance of indigenous creatives telling their own stories, address issues related to incoming productions filming on indigenous lands, and the increasing opportunities within the #OwnVoices movement in story-driven media.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfVZmIXu1vU
CINE SONORA
Building Cultural Bridges through Cinema
This bicultural panel examines the work of independent filmmakers on both sides of the border, finding common stories and sharing experiences. We bring together a diverse group to find ways to work together as writers, directors, producers, and cinematographers in our shared territory here in the borderlands. Voices from the panel will include Native perspectives, women’s voices, documentarian stories, and much more. The panel will end with a lively Q & A session.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4yGVOZxnp0
WHAT DO FILM COMMISSIONERS DO?
Many people, both inside and outside the industry, do not know what film commissioners do. We have the distinct pleasure of being able to chat with four film officers; Peter Catalanotte, Director of Film Tucson; Matthew Earl Jones, Director of Film & Digital Media for the State of Arizona; and Freddy Cabral, Film Commissioner for the State of Sonora, Mexico. Panelists will share with us strategic goals of their offices, recent productions they have assisted, strengths and, yes, weaknesses, of their production jurisdictions, and what and how filmmakers should approach them for support.
https://youtu.be/HrRgDidycFU
WHAT’S UP, DOCS!
Hear what challenges are overcome and insights gained in the production of documentaries that touch the displacement of Indigenous people and the devastation of the environment; the bond that four women have between their dogs and the world of sled-dog racing; the lasting legacy that Jewish pioneers left in the American West; and who gets to decide when we die? Moderated by award-winning filmmaker, Juliana Piccillo of Celluloid Bordello, probing questions about the documentary process, funding and distribution will be discussed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_DcKvG4NYE
8000 FT UP - Made In Arizona
Shot entirely on Mt Lemmon, director Alan Williams will share with us the making of this Hitchcockian thriller, with the purposeful goal of promoting and using cast and crew from Tucson, and to make a quality feature with very little money. Alan will be joined by Avai d’Amico, producer and cinematographer; Hamdija Ajanovic, composer; and Bryn Booth, lead actress. You will leave this session with a much better understanding of independent film production.
https://youtu.be/XqsRWqo3eVg
THE BRITS ARE COMING!
This year, the Festival received a record number of exciting new films from the United Kingdom. This panel will explore why British indie filmmaking is flourishing and discuss how filmmakers navigate their funding, production and distribution avenues. Panelists will include Kirsty Bell (A Bird Flew In), Edward Morris (How to Stop a Recurring Dream) and Martha Tilston (The Tape).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n224YDEmshg
THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF FILMING IN ARIZONA
A practical guide as to what it takes to film your next movie in Arizona. No punches will be pulled—we will look at the good, the bad, and yes, also the ugly in terms of Arizona’s strengths and weaknesses. Panelists include Margarita Potts, an award winning hair and makeup artist; Erin Benzenhoefer, producer, director and editor; Genevieve Anderson, award winning short and feature film director; Bobby “RS” Francis, an award winning producer, cinematographer and editor; and Elisa Cota-Francis, President of Independent Film Arizona and award winning producer, editor, and sound mixer. Presented by the IFA
https://youtu.be/heGMjODHA4w
A CONVERSATION WITH PANAVISION:
Join Panavision representatives in a discussion that touches on formats, workflows, the artistry and technology of Panavision optics, and how the company’s tools and services empower filmmakers to bring their unique images to life on screen. Aaron Saffa, head of Panavision's New Filmmaker Program, will talk about the grant program for camera and post. Paul Geffre, an executive with Light Iron Post, will share a brief overview of Light Iron and what to think about when going into post. Lens Guru, Guy McVicker, will offer a high level overview of Optics, and how to work with Panavision.
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vq5RAjKeTXiwlaMiG7o5Kg
PAINTING WITH LIGHT
A Cinematographer’s Perspective
The Arizona International Film Festival has partnered with Panavision, the world’s leading supplier of cameras and lenses for professional motion picture production, to present a camera package valued at $60,000 to the winner of the Best US Narrative Cinematography for a Feature Film. This panel will include some of the finalists for this prestigious award and will discuss the variety of cinematographic challenges presented in shooting their features, their vision for the film, and their selection of technical resources to meet these situations. And the winner is …https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-zHBAShl5o