Ask questions, see behind the scenes of your favorite movies, hear directly from the best indie directors and their collaborators as they explore specific aspects of their craft.  Whether you are a filmmaker or a film lover, this six-week series will give you insight about the creative process and inspire you to make the best film you can.

Wednesday, February 20:
The Independent Spirit: A Directors Roundtable

7:30 pm, The LANDMARK - WEST LA (map it)

Risk takers, mavericks, visionaries… Join us as the 2008 Spirit Award nominees discuss their films, their careers, and the way in which they have been able to balance their artistic integrity with the demands of the marketplace. Through their experiences we will begin exploring a director’s creative vision.

Tamara Jenkins (The Savages, Slums of Beverly Hills)
Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You For Smoking)
Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Before Night Falls)

Wednesday, February 27:
the storytellers: writers and directors

7:30 pm, The LANDMARK - WEST LA (map it)

It all starts with a good story. Writers, directors, and writer/directors discuss their craft and role as storytellers, while they explore the ways in which they collaborate to successfully bring the script from the page to the screen. 

Scott Frank (The Lookout, Minority Report)
Zach Helm (Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, Stranger Than Fiction)
Callie Khouri (Mad Money, Thelma & Louise)
Diana Ossana (Brokeback Mountain)

Wednesday, March 5:
the Actors: getting great performances

7:30 pm, The LANDMARK - WEST LA (map it)

What's behind a great performance? In this interactive session actor and Oscar® winning short film director Ray McKinnon (Deadwood, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) and his casting director discuss the ways they collaborate to achieve unforgettable film moments.

Ray McKinnon (Actor/Director, Chrystal, The Accountant)
Molly Parker (Actor, Hollywoodland, Deadwood)
Jeremy Renner (Actor, The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, Dahmer)

Wednesday, March 12:
the Creative Team: executing the vision

7:30 pm, The LANDMARK - WEST LA (map it)

The director’s vision comes to life through the collaboration with a very talented and skilled creative team. A director and members of his/her team explain the process of creating the world of a film. From the initial stages of research to the execution on the set, they explain the choices they make to achieve the look of a film through cinematography, production design, and editing.

Spike Jonze (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) and his creative team:

Lance Acord, cinematographer

KK Barrett, production designer

Eric Zumbrunnen, editor

Wednesday, March 19:
Music and Sound Design

7:30 pm, The LANDMARK - WEST LA(map it)

The soundtrack is essential to the emotional reality of a film. A director and his/her sound team reveal the power of sound, taking us through the process of designing and creating the soundtrack of a film.

Wednesday, march 26:
a different kind of fiction? documentary roundtable

7:30 pm, The LANDMARK - WEST LA (map it)

Documentary film: Is it reality unfolding on the screen or a narrative carefully manipulated to bring a point of view across? The documentary as a form of storytelling has been around as long as film itself, but during recent years it has experienced a major renaissance. As the popularity of the genre increases, the many questions and challenges that have accompanied the documentarian for years are becoming more public. Where do documentarians draw the line between being true to their subjects and creating a compelling story? This roundtable discussion brings together a diverse group of accomplished documentary filmmakers to discuss the ethical, philosophical, and practical aspects of their craft.

Lisa Leeman (co-director, Who Needs Sleep?), moderator
Joan Churchill (Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer)
Stacy Peralta (Dogtown and Z-Boys)
Haskell Wexler (Who Needs Sleep?)
Jessica Yu (In The Realms of the Unreal)
Marina Zenovich (Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired)