ALL ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. DEBATES AND PANELS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF THE FLEDGLING FUND.
- The Guy Who Built The Influencing MachineFriday, Mar 2 / 12:30PM / Columbia Art League
Graphic designer Erik Buckham, who created the T/F 2012 poster, talks about his career influencing the masses by designing posters for David Fincher and Spike Jonze movies to Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, The Art of the Steal, Bombay Beach, and many more. This event is free and open to the public.
- From the Department of Recorded SoundFriday, Mar 2 / 2:30PM / Columbia Art League
Film music drives audience emotions, and individual scenes can be defined by a particular song or music cue. Essential as it is, film music is often under budgeted and misunderstood. This conversation with Music Supervisors Joe Rudge and Kate Urcioli will explore effective tactics for finding a film’s sound as well as the practical realities for licensing source material. This event is free and open to the public.
- Kids TodayFriday, Mar 2 / 4:00PM / Columbia Art League
T/F 2012 features some of the most unforgettable children in recent documentary memory. In a self-conscious world fueled by social media, how does one coax natural “performances” from subjects? These directors share stories and lessons learned. WIth Elizabeth Mims (Only the Young), Wojciech Staron (Argentinian Lesson), Omar Mullick (These Birds Walk), and the director of Secret Screening Purple. Moderated by Beadie Finzie.This event is free and open to the public.
- Poetic JournalismSaturday, Mar 3 / 10:30AM / Columbia Art League
Straightforward reportage packed with “just the facts, ma’am” has long dominated the world of documentary and television journalism. But more and more filmmakers are attacking reality with sideways blows, immersing us in strange worlds that can’t be reduced to broadcast convention. See how the new guard approaches “the news.” See how the new guard approaches “the news.” With Heidi Ewing (Detropia), Karim El Hakim (1/2 Revolution), and the director of Secret Screening Orange. Moderated by Emily Verellen. This event is free and open to the public.
- The New Cinematic NonfictionSaturday, Mar 3 / 12:30PM / Columbia Art League
It’s no secret that revolutionary new cameras have transformed the way documentaries are made, but there’s no substitute for a perceptive artist behind the lens. In True Vision award winner Victor Kossakovsky’s formulation, filmmakers who utilize instinct and intuition can “provide viewers with new impressions they never had before.” With Victor Kossakovsky (Vivan Las Antipodes), Kahlil Hudson (Low & Clear), Xun “Fish” Yu (Vanishing Spring Light), and the director of Secret Screening Blue. Moderated by Charlotte Cook. This event is free and open to the public.
- Editing Master Class with Pedro KosSaturday, Mar 3 / 2:30PM / Columbia Art League
Grab a cup of free Kaldi’s coffee at the Columbia Art League and sit down to learn a thing or three from one of the most skilled editors working in documentary film today, Pedro Kos (The Island President). From Aristotle’s Poetics to three pieces of saltwater taffy a day, Kos shares some of the fundamental steps to becoming a good editor. Malcolm Pullinger moderates. This event is free and open to the public.
- The Manic Pixie Dream Girl Subverted: Real Life Women in Documentary FilmSunday, Mar 4 / 10:30AM / Columbia Art League
The Manic Pixie Dream Girl, a term coined by critic Nathan Rabin, has become a too-common caricature in contemporary indie film. How do documentary filmmakers navigate these common tropes to deal with gender? With Lauren Greenfield (Queen of Versailles), Jason Tippet (Only the Young), Valerie Veatch (Me @ The Zoo) and the director of Secret Screening Gold. Moderated by The Onion’s Nathan “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” Rabin himself. This event is free and open to the public.
- Uncomfortable QuestionsSunday, Mar 4 / 12:30PM / Columbia Art League
It’s not easy for filmmakers to be simultaneously delicate and assertive in confronting interview subjects head-on. These fearless directors lead the way. With Rachel Leah Jones (Gypsy Davy), Lee Hirsch (Bully), and Bart Layton (The Imposter). Moderated by Julia Reichert. This event is free and open to the public.
- Firewalls & Firestorms: New Media in China and BeyondSunday, Mar 4 / 3:15PM / Columbia Art League
It’s a cat-and-mouse game as journalists and citizens alike bravely risk imprisonment and personal safety to circumvent censorship all over the world. Filmmakers take similar risks in bringing those stories to the screen. With Alison Klayman (Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry), Karim El Hakim (1/2 Revolution), and the director of Secret Screening Red. With a domestic intervention by Josh Fox (Gasland). Moderated by Jason Spingarn-Koff of The New York Times. Sponsored by the Lee Hills chair in Free-Press Studies at the Missouri School of Journalism. This event is free and open to the public.