Podcasts about Camden International Film Festival

Doc Talk goes inside the 20th Camden International Film Festival in Maine, speaking with Artistic Director Sean Flynn and filmmakers Petra Costa ('Apocalypse in the Tropics') and Elizabeth Lo ('Mistress Dispeller'). Camden has emerged as one of the most important all-documentary festivals in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I spoke to director, cinematographer, and my good friend Cécile Embleton (instagram) about her new film ⁠Mother Vera⁠, which is playing at the London Film Festival next month. This is a feature documentary about the life of a young orthodox nun from Belarus, I have seen it, and it is spectacular. Cécile and I discuss literature, her influences, and the challenges and joys of making arthouse cinema. It is also playing at Camden International Film Festival, in Camden, Maine, on Friday 13th September, 1pm @ Journey's End Cinema. Other films/shows we mentioned: Nomadland The Taste of Things Godland Silent Light Sátántangó The Turin Horse The Act of Killing Drive Only God Forgives The Neon Demon Too Old to Die Young Copenhagen Cowboy

“To be Black is the greatest fiction of my life. Yet I'm still bound to its myth.” The filmmaker and photographer RaMell Ross shares this excerpt from an artist statement in a conversation with Jason Fox, the editor of nonfiction journal World Records, in a new audio series called Trust Issues. Produced by World Records, the series explores how images can both bring us together and alienate us from each other. The first episode, featuring RaMell, focuses on the historical role of nonfiction cinema in teaching us to see, inhabit, and police race. How do documentaries both reflect and actively reshape the lived experiences of people of color? Last week, at the Camden International Film Festival in Maine, Devika moderated a panel discussion with Jason, RaMell, and Milisuthando Bongela (director of CIFF selection Milisuthando) expanding on some of the core ideas of the series—including the responsibilities of the maker, the critic, and the viewer in how nonfiction images construct and reinforce ideas of racial difference. Listen to the end for a surprise cameo from the filmmaker Kirsten Johnson! P.S.: This conversation was recorded live with an audience. Please excuse the occasionally spotty audio quality!

In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with first time director, Tamana Ayazi, about her film, “In Her Hands.” The film captures Afghanistan at a critical juncture: before, during, and after western forces leave, all through the eyes of the country's youngest female mayor, the tough-minded Zarfia Ghafari. The documentary won the Audience Award at the Camden International Film Festival in September 2022. It is the first non-fiction release from former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and daughter Chelsea Clinton's HiddenLight Productions.Official trailer https://www.netflix.com/title/81521475  or Trailer from Netflix In Her Hands@tamanaAyaziHiddenLight Productions

It is night in America. A young anteater is found dead by the side of a road in Brasilia, a boa constrictor wanders into the suburbs, and a maned wolf is found on a farm. The question is: are animals invading our cities, or rather are we occupying their habitat?IT IS NIGHT IN AMERICA (2022) by Ana Vaz is a spellbinding film that comes to the Camden International Film Festival wielding a strong energetic power that, no doubt, will transfix spectators and provoke reflection on the visible and subjective effects of colonialism. To hear Ana speak about her artistic process is as affecting as experiencing her work. Facilitating the exchange is Zaina Bseiso, a programmer at the Camden International Film Festival. 

Fall is upon us, and what better way to begin this new season than in the cozy atmosphere at the Camden International Film Festival in mid-coast Maine - a major documentary event in the United States. In anticipation for this year's festival, I caught up with Milton Guillén, Senior Programmer at CIFF to provide texture around this year's stellar line-up and how the program came together. We also discuss some of the talks and panels that will be on offer.The festival will take place from September 15th - 18th with an online edition available to stream for North American audiences until September 25th.Moderated by Christina Zachariades, Docs in OrbitTimecode: 00:00  - Intro, new programming team, and CIFF environment04:00 - Festival sections and environmental theme10:00 - Haptic cinema and Points North Forums 15:00 - HARELL COMPETITION FILMS19:27 - CINEMATIC VISION COMPETITION FILMS25:00 - BEST OF FESTS + SPOTLIGHT ON DIANA WEYERMANN32:00 - SHORTS

In this episode, we recap some of the films we encountered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival with special guest Milton Guillén - an award-winning filmmaker, faculty member at CalArts, and a programmer at the Camden International Film Festival.Films we discussed include:4:58 FIRE OF LOVE by Sara Dosa  9:12 ALL THAT BREATHES by Shaunak Sen15:53 WE MET IN VIRTUAL REALITY by Joe Hunting25:38 DOS ESTACIONES by Juan Pablo Gonzalez29:58  I DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE by Reid Davenport

In this episode Sam Adams, longtime Philadelphia City Paper writer and now Senior Editor at Slate.com joins me in the studio to discuss the changing role of the film/media critic, the 2017 Emmy Awards, and his recent trips to the Toronto International Film Festival and the Camden International Film Festival in Maine. Featured are some great soundtracks from the current “Golden Age” of television shows Master of None, I Love Dick, Fargo, Empire, This is Us and Broad City plus such classic opening TV themes from Rockford Files, Miami Vice and Peter Gunn.

Producer/Editor/Host: Amy Browne Our guests today are artist Robert Shetterly, the creator of the “Americans Who Tell the Truth” portrait series. His latest book is called Portraits of Racial Justice: Americans Who Tell the Truth, and filmmaker / documentarian Richard Kane, of Kane Lewis Productions. They have just released a new film called Truth Tellers, about Robert Shetterly's work. Cameo by co-producer Melody Lewis-Kane Tune in to hear some clips from the new film, which debuted at the recent Camden International Film Festival, as well as a discussion of Shetterly’s latest book. About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices and Maine Currents, she also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and the First Place 2017 Radio News Award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters. The post Maine Currents 10/5/21: “Truth Tellers” – the new Kane-Lewis film based on Americans Who Tell the Truth first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Editor/Host: Amy Browne Our guests today are artist Robert Shetterly, the creator of the “Americans Who Tell the Truth” portrait series. His latest book is called Portraits of Racial Justice: Americans Who Tell the Truth, and filmmaker / documentarian Richard Kane, of Kane Lewis Productions. They have just released a new film called Truth Tellers, about Robert Shetterly's work. Cameo by co-producer Melody Lewis-Kane Tune in to hear some clips from the new film, which debuted at the recent Camden International Film Festival, as well as a discussion of Shetterly’s latest book. About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices and Maine Currents, she also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and the First Place 2017 Radio News Award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters. The post Maine Currents 10/5/21: “Truth Tellers” – the new Kane-Lewis film based on Americans Who Tell the Truth first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

In this episode, we recap films from the Camden International Film Festival which just wrapped up over the past weekend. I sat with a dear friend of the podcast,  Bronte Stahl, a filmmaker and producer from Westerly RI who is a frequent attendee at CIFF and also part of the festival's screening committee. Bronte and I studied documentary in film school many moons ago at the  European master's program, DocNomads.  Since then has participated in a few fellowships and residencies including Points North Institute, Flaherty Seminar, UnionDocs, and Open City Assembly Lab. His short films have been screened at international film festivals including Rotterdam and DocLisboa. And his current projects are supported by Sundance and DocSociety, among others.We discuss several films from the Camden International Film Festival includingNORTH BY CURRENT by Angelo Madsen Minax EXPEDITION CONTENT by Ernst Karel and Veronika Kusumaryati TERRA FEMME by Courtney Stephens FAYA DAYI by Jessica BeshirSpirits and Rocks, an Azorean Myth by Aylin GokmenA NIGHT OF KNOWING NOTHING by Payal Kapadia ASCENSION by Jessica Kingdon 

The Fall Film Festival season has begun! And to kick things off, we invited Milton Guillén, a programmer from the Camden International Film Festival, to take us through the 17th edition of the festival lineup, featuring over 70 documentary films (features and shorts). In this episode, Milton provides a peek into how the program came together and adds texture to some of the films in the different sections. This year, the festival will take place both physically (September 16 - 19th) as well as virtually. An online edition of the program will be available to stream for North American audiences from September 16 - 26th. It's a truly excellent curation of films and for folks who are unable to attend in person, please do consider streaming via their online platform as it is a wonderful way to support a festival that has long had a tremendous impact on advancing the documentary film genre.FILMS DISCUSSED INCLUDE:SPIRITS AND ROCKS AN AZOREAN MYTH by Aylin GökmenMOTORCYCLIST'S HAPPINESS WON'T FIT INTO HIS SUIT by Gabriel HerreraDATURA'S AUBADE by Jean-Jacques Martinod and Bretta C. Walker A NIGHT OF KNOWING NOTHING by Payal KapadiaFAYA DAYI by Jessica BeshirOSTROV - LOST ISLAND by Svetlana Rodina and Laurent Stoop PROCESSION by Robert GreenMAGALUF GHOST TOWN by Miguel Ángel BlancaNORTH BY CURRENT by Angelo Madsen MinaxLAST DAYS AT SEA by Venice AtienzaROOTS by Tea LukačTERRA FEMME by Courtney Stephensand others! We covered a lot of ground! https://pointsnorthinstitute.org/ciff/ABOUT MILTON GUILLÉNMilton Guillén is an award-winning Nicaraguan filmmaker and programmer whose work centers on the cinematic intersections of de-colonial ethnographic research and affect. Milton's films have screened globally at CPH: DOX, Hot Docs, DOK Leipzig, Rooftop Films, and more. In 2017, his debut feature, The Maribor Uprisings, co-directed with Maple Razsa, received the Society for Visual Anthropology's Best Feature Award. Milton recently received support from the Tribeca Film Institute and ITVS for his project, On the Move. He also was named a North Star fellow at the Points North Institute, a MediaMaker Fellow at Bay Area Video Coalition, a Kartemquin Diverse Voices in Documentary, and is the recipient of several international artists' residencies and grants.

This week we're honored to have Daniel Quintanilla and Jessamine Irwin on our show. They are the filmmakers behind Le Carrefour (The Intersection). Jesse will talk to them about them about what inspired them to create this film and their backgrounds. If you listen to this show you'll want to see this important documentary. Here's the film's description, “Cécile reconnects with the French of her childhood thanks to recently arrived Franco-African immigrants, like Tresor, seeking asylum in Cécile's hometown of Lewiston, Maine. Cecile's Franco roots tie her to the thousands of French-Canadians who came before her to power the local mills, and who suffered from decades of discrimination and oppression. As history repeats itself, Cécile and Trésor develop a close friendship that helps Cécile finally find her pride in being Franco-American.” Film's Website https://lecarrefourfilm.com/ Support the Film - https://www.gofundme.com/f/2ukpv-film-fundraiser-le-carrefour Trailer - https://vimeo.com/567610579 Get an in-person ticket to see Le Carrefour - https://pointsnorthinstitute.org/films/the-intersection-le-carrefour/?parent=/ciff/films/?_ Get a virtual Ticket to see Le Carrefour - https://watch.eventive.org/camdeniff/play/61278ca1461d29002911f8fd/611a9cf1a26c240fba48e59d TV5Monde Maine Heritage Film Grant to ‘Le Carrefour'- https://frenchculture.org/film-tv-and-new-media/12930-tv5monde-maine-heritage-film-grant Documentary ‘Le Carrefour/The Intersection' to premiere at Camden International Film Festival - Documentary 'Le Carrefour/The Intersection' to premiere at Camden International Film Festival (bangordailynews.com) Documentary film connects two French cultures: Le Carrefour-The Intersection - http://francoamerican.bdnblogs.com/2021/07/22/franco-american-news-and-culture/documentary-film-connects-two-french-cultures-le-carrefour-the-intersection Don't forget to check out our Patreon for extra bonus content and a way to support the show - https://www.patreon.com/fclpodcast​​​ You can get your own FCL Face Mask, check out our merch on Teespring – https://www.teespring.com/fclpodcast​

On todays episode of the Frame & Reference Podcast Kenny talks with cinematographer Jack Schurman about the Jake Hoot and Kelly Clarkson music video “I Would’ve Loved You.” Jake has DP'd a few shows including “Unnatural Selection” and “QB1: Beyond the Lights.” Jakes other work includes the TV documentary “MARS: Inside SpaceX” and “Wild Home”, a film for which he was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Brooklyn Film Festival and won the Audience Award at the Camden International Film Festival. Enjoy the episode! Watch the music video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZpG1DefuzI Frame & Reference is supported by Filmtools and ProVideo Coalition. Filmtools is the West Coasts leading supplier of film equipment. From cameras and lights to grip and expendables, Filmtools has you covered for all your film gear needs. Check out Filmtools.com for more. ProVideo Coalition is a top news and reviews site focusing on all things production and post. Check out ProVideoCoalition.com for the latest news coming out of the industry.

In this episode, we feature a conversation with filmmaker Hannah Jayanti about her speculative documentary film, TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES.Set in the small desert town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, the film takes place in the shadow of the world's first commercial Spaceport. Subtly set in a near future when space travel has begun, the film follows five residents in the town. Combining documentary, archival, experimental virtual reality worlds and an improvised score by Bill Frisell, TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES is a lyrical meditation on progress, history, and how we navigate a sense of loss within ourselves and a changing world.Aylin Gökmen moderates the conversation. Gökmen is a Swiss-Turkish filmmaker whose short documentary films also combine the real with the imagined.

About the episode:    Ben Fowlie is the executive director of Points North Institute, and the founder of the Camden International Film Festival. He is a co-founder and co-programmer of The DocYard, an award-winning screening series in Cambridge, Massachusetts and has served on juries at the Silverdocs Film Festival, Hot Docs Festival, Dokufest Kosovo, IFFBoston and IFP's Gotham Awards. Ben is currently the nominee's chair for the Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking, and a member of their industry advisory board and nominating committee. He serves on the Maine Film Commission and is an adjunct instructor at Unity College's Center for Environmental Arts and Humanities.   In the episode:        1:54 – When Stephen King's film Thinner was shot in Camden, Ben had the chance to gain an understanding of what it takes to make a film from the crew members. 3:25 – Ben explains that while attending Emerson College, he was not as interested in moving out to Los Angeles and working in Hollywood because he had more of an interest in documentaries and a sense of community, which lead him to create the Camden International Film Festival. 8:28 – Ben shares that you need to have a deep understanding of what you are trying to do before trying to attract an audience or create a community. 13:11 – Ben talks about how the Camden International Film Festival has grown by focusing on the experience. 18:03 – Nancy and Ben talk about how Maine inspires creativity. 21:19 – Ben shares the story of how the Camden International Film Festival built their network as a form of promotion for the festival. 29:58 – Ben talks about Recovery in Maine, which is part of Points North Impact, which brings national conversations to communities with a Maine perspective.   38:36 – Ben shares how to connect with him or learn more about Points North Institute and the Camden International Film Festival. Quote: “It really comes down to a tangible experience you can have with somebody. I do believe that the social platforms that exist are great to share information, but to really engage with somebody, it has to be experiential. It has to be an interaction and cinema is magic in that sense.” – Ben Fowlie, Founder and Executive & Artistic Director at Points North Institute   Links:          Camden International Film Festival: www.camdenfilmfest.org Points North Institute: https://pointsnorthinstitute.org/ Point's North Impact Recovery In Maine Cabin Fever Film Fest   Activate the PR Maven® Flash Briefing on your Alexa Device. Join the PR Maven® Facebook group page.   Looking to connect:           Email: ben@pointsnorthinstitute.org

This episode is sponsored by the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Film program. The filmmaker Ian Cheney is a recent alumni. He has directed a number of documentaries including "The Search for General Tso", "Blue Space", "Picture Character", "The Most Unknown" which is on Netflix, and the upcoming "13 Ways" which I caught up with at the Camden International Film Festival.

Brian Newman is founder of Sub-genre, the leading consultancy on connecting brands and filmmakers with audiences. A hugely respected veteran of the US Independent Film industry, Brian was previously CEO of the Tribeca Film Institute and serves on the advisory board of the Camden International Film Festival. In this episode, we discuss brand funding and discover how Brian is working with major brands like Patagonia and Stripe to successfully invest in feature films. We also talk about how filmmakers can succeed in the age of super abundance and how to get noticed in the Attention Economy - and Brian reveals the most common mistake he sees being made by filmmakers. This episode was recorded live at this year's Bogotá Audiovisual Market www.bogotamarket.com.

The director of a new documentary (currently in theaters) "Friedkin Uncut", Francesco Zippel is the guest in the first segment; the second segment includes the core team behind the Camden International Film Festival, artistic director Ben Fowlie and senior programmer Samara Grace Chadwick, which runs September 12th through the 15th.

Brian Newman talks about producing independent films, transitioning to working with brands on distribution strategy for branded content films, how to be diversified as a producer and how basic analytics can help a film release. Brian Newman is the founder of Sub-Genre. He consults on content development, financing, distribution and marketing to help connect brands and filmmakers with audiences. Clients include: Patagonia, REI, Keen, Yeti Coolers, New York Times, Sonos, Sundance, Vulcan Productions and Zero Point Zero. Brian is also the producer of the upcoming The Ground Between Us, The Outside Story, and Love & Taxes. He also served as executive producer of Shored Up, The Invisible World and Remittance. Brian has served as CEO of the Tribeca Film Institute, president of Renew Media (known for the Rockefeller Fellowships) and executive director of IMAGE Film & Video (producers of the Atlanta Film Festival). Brian serves on the advisory board of the Camden International Film Festival. He was born in North Carolina and has an MA in Film Studies from Emory University. Brian is a frequent keynote speaker on branded content and the future of film and new media. He is known as a serial entrepreneur and leader in the film industry, having led: the merger of Renew Media and the Tribeca Film Institute, combining two nonprofits into a leading media center, the launch of the Reframe Project to digitize and make accessible thousands of “stuck on the shelf” films, the start-up, Flicklist, an app to help people find the best films to watch, and development of the Sundance Institute’s Transparency Project, an effort to aggregate and make available the financial data on hundreds of indie films. He has served on the boards of Grantmakers in Film & Electronic Media (GFEM, now Media Impact Funders, as Vice Chair and Treasurer); Muse Film & Television, Rooftop Films (Chair) and IndieCollect (Co-Founding Board Member). --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/americanfilmmaker/support

On the heels of the day’s graduate program information session, join us for our annual colloquium featuring alumni of CMS, discussing their lives from MIT to their careers today. Nick Seaver, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Tufts University and a 2010 graduate of Comparative Media Studies, is an anthropologist of technology, whose research focuses on the circulation, reproduction, and interpretation of sound. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine. His dissertation research examined the development of algorithmic music recommendation, and at CMS, he wrote a thesis on the history of the player piano. Colleen Kaman is a user experience strategist at IBM Interactive Experience, skilled in storytelling, user research, learning design, and persuasive technologies. Her expertise is in developing products, services, and campaigns that help users make better decisions and accomplish tasks more effectively and efficiently. Sean Flynn is the Program Director for the Points North Institute, a Maine-based organization supporting nonfiction storytellers through artist development initiatives and, most prominently, the Camden International Film Festival and Points North Forum. He received his master’s degree in Comparative Media Studies in 2015 and worked as a researcher at the MIT Open Documentary Lab. Sean began his filmmaking career as a producer and cinematographer working on two feature-length documentaries, both of which had their premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and aired on national television.

With this episode, Encountering Silence features our first conversation with a special guest — Patrick Shen, the director of the luminous and thought-provoking documentary film In Pursuit of Silence, which he describes as "a meditative exploration of our relationship with silence and the impact of noise on our lives." Incidentally, the three hosts of Encountering Silence first met each other through Maggie Ross as a result of her being interviewed for this film, so it's fair to say that the film is the raison d'être for this podcast. I'm just not that interested in making films anymore that add more to the noise. I'm interested in making films that point to this realm beyond the words, beyond the imagery. — Patrick Shen Patrick shares with us how he came to be inspired to create his movie, the unlikely role that heavy metal music played in his early life (helping push him to an appreciation of silence!), to the "existential curiosity" that propelled his creativity as a filmmaker. Our conversation explores the relationship between silence and death, the tension between the spirituality of the creative search and the work the creative process itself; how his relationship with silence is changing the way he works, and much more. We all get this idea that silence is this magical sort of space, this magical material; and we want it to be infused in our daily life, we want it to be infused with every breath that we take and every moment of our day, and so I've become really fascinated with this idea of work evolving from that place, rather than the work imitating or being a representation of that engagement. — Patrick Shen Patrick Shen's award-winning films, including Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality, The Philosopher Kings, and La Source, have been screened at over a hundred and twenty film festivals across the globe and broadcast in over twenty-five territories. He was the recipient of the 2009 Emerging Cinematic Vision Award from Camden International Film Festival. Since 2012 Patrick has been lecturing and teaching filmmaking workshops all over the globe as a film envoy for the U.S. State Department and the USC School of Cinematic Arts for their American Film Showcase. His latest film In Pursuit of Silence premiered to sold-out audiences in November 2015 at the Copenhagen International Film Festival. A companion book to the film, Notes from Silence, will be released in February 2018. Find Patrick Shen online at www.patrickshen.com or www.transcendentalmedia.com.   A lot of us when we step into silence, at least initially, find our narratives or identity stripped away, and it's a lot like a little death of sorts, and it's terrifying. — Patrick Shen Some of the resources and authors we mention in this episode: Patrick Shen, dir., Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality Patrick Shen, dir., The Philosopher Kings Patrick Shen, dir.,  La Source Patrick Shen, dir., In Pursuit of Silence Philip Gröning, dir., Into Great Silence John Cage, Silence: Lectures and Writings Nathaniel Dorsky, Devotional Cinema Megadeath, Greatest Hits Metallica, Metallica Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death Kathleen Dowling Singh, The Grace in Dying Patrick Shen and Cassidy Hall, Notes from Silence Max Picard, The World of Silence Catherine Doherty, Poustinia Henry David Thoreau, Walden and Other Writings Monica Furlong, Contemplating Now Rumi, The Essential Rumi Maggie Ross, Writing the Icon of the Heart Pico Iyer, The Art of Stillness Episode 7: Creating in Silence: A Conversation with Patrick Shen Hosted by: Cassidy Hall

With this episode, Encountering Silence features our first conversation with a special guest — Patrick Shen, the director of the luminous and thought-provoking documentary film In Pursuit of Silence, which he describes as "a meditative exploration of our relationship with silence and the impact of noise on our lives." Incidentally, the three hosts of Encountering Silence first met each other through Maggie Ross as a result of her being interviewed for this film, so it's fair to say that the film is the raison d'être for this podcast. I'm just not that interested in making films anymore that add more to the noise. I'm interested in making films that point to this realm beyond the words, beyond the imagery. — Patrick Shen Patrick shares with us how he came to be inspired to create his movie, the unlikely role that heavy metal music played in his early life (helping push him to an appreciation of silence!), to the "existential curiosity" that propelled his creativity as a filmmaker. Our conversation explores the relationship between silence and death, the tension between the spirituality of the creative search and the work the creative process itself; how his relationship with silence is changing the way he works, and much more. We all get this idea that silence is this magical sort of space, this magical material; and we want it to be infused in our daily life, we want it to be infused with every breath that we take and every moment of our day, and so I've become really fascinated with this idea of work evolving from that place, rather than the work imitating or being a representation of that engagement. — Patrick Shen Patrick Shen's award-winning films, including Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality, The Philosopher Kings, and La Source, have been screened at over a hundred and twenty film festivals across the globe and broadcast in over twenty-five territories. He was the recipient of the 2009 Emerging Cinematic Vision Award from Camden International Film Festival. Since 2012 Patrick has been lecturing and teaching filmmaking workshops all over the globe as a film envoy for the U.S. State Department and the USC School of Cinematic Arts for their American Film Showcase. His latest film In Pursuit of Silence premiered to sold-out audiences in November 2015 at the Copenhagen International Film Festival. A companion book to the film, Notes from Silence, will be released in February 2018. Find Patrick Shen online at www.patrickshen.com or www.transcendentalmedia.com.   A lot of us when we step into silence, at least initially, find our narratives or identity stripped away, and it's a lot like a little death of sorts, and it's terrifying. — Patrick Shen Some of the resources and authors we mention in this episode: Patrick Shen, dir., Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality Patrick Shen, dir., The Philosopher Kings Patrick Shen, dir.,  La Source Patrick Shen, dir., In Pursuit of Silence Philip Gröning, dir., Into Great Silence John Cage, Silence: Lectures and Writings Nathaniel Dorsky, Devotional Cinema Megadeath, Greatest Hits Metallica, Metallica Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death Kathleen Dowling Singh, The Grace in Dying Patrick Shen and Cassidy Hall, Notes from Silence Max Picard, The World of Silence Catherine Doherty, Poustinia Henry David Thoreau, Walden and Other Writings Monica Furlong, Contemplating Now Rumi, The Essential Rumi Maggie Ross, Writing the Icon of the Heart Pico Iyer, The Art of Stillness Episode 7: Creating in Silence: A Conversation with Patrick Shen Hosted by: Cassidy Hall With: Carl McColman and Kevin Johnson Guest: Patrick Shen Date Recorded: January 12, 2018 IN PURSUIT OF SILENCE Trailer from Cinema Guild on Vimeo.

Sabaah Folayan is an activist and storyteller who illuminates the humanity, resilience and beauty in the struggle of communities as they mobilize and fight for justice. She merged her dedication to human rights and a newfound passion for film with Whose Streets?, a feature documentary chronicling the experience of Ferguson community members after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. Sabaah and her co-director Damon Davis are premiering Whose Streets? at Sundance 2017, but this episode’s conversation took place in October of 2015, when Sabaah was still in the depths of production and stepped away to pitch the film at Camden International Film Festival’s Points North Forum in Maine. We talk with Sabaah about moving to Ferguson, working to understand the complexities of the situation amongst a sea of sensational headlines, the unique education she had between living off the land in Hawaii and living in divergent Los Angeles neighborhoods, and the forever valuable lesson she learned as a basketball player, “Everything you do is practice for the next time you do it.” The music in this episode is off Velvet and Bone, a new album by a past MusicMaker, Stag Hare.

In the emerging field of virtual reality filmmaking, there are still lots of basic questions about how best to tell a story in VR, which projects even make a worthwhile story in 360, and what conventions from traditional filmmaking that we need to throw right out the window to help pave the way for this medium. On this episode, I speak with some smart people who have been grappling with these questions and made some amazing projects—Ben C. Solomon, video journalist and filmmaker for The New York Times, and Carla Borras, Director of Digital Video at PBS’s long-running documentary series, Frontline. We are joined by Sean Flynn, Program Director of the Points North Institute who invited both Borras and Solomon to the Camden International Film Festival where we spoke, and curated its interactive storytelling lineup. Our guests share their stories and advice from the 360-degree trenches. For more, check out the podcast post at nofimschool.com

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco, and Emily Buder answer one of our most pressing Ask No Film School questions: what the hell is the difference between an agent and a manager? We also discuss Emmy and TIFF wins (and subsequent toppling of patriarchies), give an overview of last week’s incredible Camden International Film Festival, reveal a new indie filmmaker initiative that may change commercial directing forever, and say goodbye to director Curtis Hanson. Charles Haine joins us to reveal new gear, including Panasonic’s mirrorless GH5 and GoPro’s first drone. As always, the show brings more news you can use about gear, upcoming grant and festival deadlines, this week’s indie film releases, and other notable things you might have missed while you were busy making films. You can see all the links from this episode in this week’s podcast post at nofilmschool.com. Post: http://nofilmschool.com/2016/09/indie-film-weekly-092116-podcast

Maine is a hot spot for artists of every possible persuasion. Motion picture makers (and actors) are the latest in a long line of creative individuals who call our state home. Get the update on Maine’s own Camden International Film Festival from founder Ben Fowlie, Managing Director Caroline von Kuhn and and get a glimpse into the acting life with nationally acclaimed actress/producer Caitlin Fitzgerald. https://www.themainemag.com/radio/2013/09/motion-pictures-106/

What does it mean to feed ourselves--and others? How do we transform the abundance that is around us into sources of nourishment, whether physical, mental, emotional or spiritual? This week we discuss ways to nurture ourselves, and those around us, through food, photography, film and community connections. Guests this week include:  Nutrition and holistic wellness coach Kirsten Scarcelli,  Ben Fowlie of the Camden International Film Festival, Jonathan Laurence of The REEL project, and Dr. Rick Small from the Good Shepherd Food Bank. https://www.themainemag.com/radio/2011/11/abundance-10/