FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Melanie Bates, Film Independent
Tel: 323 556 9338 or mbates@filmindependent.org

Seanna Hore, Ginsberg/Libby
Tel: 323 645 6800 or seanna.hore@ginsberglibby.com

 
LOS ANGELES (October 3, 2019) — Today Film Independent, in partnership with KCRW and official host The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), announced keynotes, panels and Film Independent spotlight programming for The New Wave, a celebration of the spirit of change that is driving the transformation of art and culture to take place October 18–20. The New Wave is a free showcase that is open to the public, taking place at both the MOCA Grand Avenue and The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. Alma Har’el (Honey Boy, LoveTrue, Bombay Beach), film and music video director and founder of Free the Work, will deliver the Centerpiece Keynote and artist Hebru Brantley will deliver the Closing Keynote. Film Independent will spotlight its pillar Artist Development and Education programs, Project Involve and Global Media Makers, with showcases featuring work from Fellows in these programs and a conversation with South Asian auteur Anurag Kashyap (Gangs of Wasseypur, Sacred Games). Additional programming will be announced shortly, including the Opening Night Film and speaker, the full film screening program and the New Wave Actor list.

“The New Wave is an exciting new interdisciplinary showcase that provides a platform for artists and ideas that Film Independent, KCRW and MOCA want to celebrate; we’re bringing filmmakers, artists, community and industry leaders together to share their stories and visions of the present and the future; visions of inclusion, independence and innovation,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, Film Independent Artistic Director, “It’s going to be an inspiring weekend for the artists and the audiences.”
 

MUSEUMS

For the weekend of this new program partnership, MOCA will offer free admission to the general public to the museum’s galleries.
• MOCA Grand Avenue, Ahmanson Auditorium is located at 250 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012
• The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, Warehouse is located at 152 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012
 

KEYNOTES

Saturday, October 19, MOCA Grand Avenue, Ahmanson Auditorium – 7:00 pm

Centerpiece Keynote: Alma Har’el, Film Director and Founder of Free The Work
Alma Har’el (Honey Boy, LoveTrue, Bombay Beach), a film and music video director who has cemented herself as one of the most genre-bending filmmakers working today, delves into her role as founder of Free The Work, a curated talent discovery platform for women and under-represented creators. The keynote will be followed by a screening of Har’el’s latest film Honey Boy.

Honey Boy – dir. Alma Har’el; USA, Los Angeles Premiere
From a screenplay by Shia LaBeouf, based on his own experiences, award-winning filmmaker Alma Har’el brings to life a young actor’s stormy childhood and early adult years as he struggles to reconcile with his father through cinema and dreams.

Sunday, October 20, MOCA Geffen, Warehouse – 5:00 pm

Closing Keynote: Hebru Brantley (Artist)
Artist Hebru Brantley takes us on a tour of Nevermore Park, an immersive art experience opening in Chicago, Fall 2019, in partnership with MWM Universe (MWMu), and features the fictional hometown of Hebru’s iconic characters Flyboy and Lil Mama. This experience is the beginning phase of the larger Flyboy Universe franchise being developed by Hebru’s Angry Hero Productions and MWMu.

Brantley creates narrative driven work revolving around his conceptualized characters. Majorly influenced by the South Side of Chicago’s Afro Cobra movement in the 1960s and 70s, Brantley uses the lineage of mural and graffiti work as a frame to explore his inquiries. Recognized nationally for public works and solo shows in Chicago, Hebru Brantley has exhibited in London, San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles and New York, as well as Art Basel Switzerland, Art Basel Miami, Scope NYC and Frieze London. Brantley has collaborated with brands like Nike, Hublot and Adidas.
 

PANELS

Saturday, October 19, MOCA Geffen, Warehouse – 3:00 pm

Latinx Representation in Cinema
Highlighting the urgent conversation of the dearth of Latinx representation in American cinema and media while spotlighting the achievements of trailblazers, this panel will feature Dilcia Barrera (Film Programmer, Sundance Film Festival), Diane Guerrero (Actor; Orange Is the New Black, Doom Patrol), Cristina Ibarra (Writer/Director/Producer, The Infiltrators), Mónica Ramírez (Times Up Activist, Civil Rights Attorney, Author), Alexander Almogabar Zahn, (Vice President, Acquisitions & Production, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, Sony Pictures Entertainment) and will be moderated by Christine Davila (Director of Scripted at Warner Bros. Stage 13).

Saturday, October 19, MOCA Geffen, Warehouse – 5:00 pm

The Inclusion Diaspora: Intersectional Stories and Audiences
For many people, inclusion means being a member of multiple overlapping groups around culture, gender and ethnicity, as well as disability. This intersectionality can inform the story development process, and the marketing and promotion of content as we strive to reach and build global audiences for the ever-evolving entertainment industry. Panelists will include Tre’vell Anderson (Director of Culture and Entertainment at Out Magazine), Elsie Choi (Executive Director, Rideback TV Incubator), Susan Lewis (Senior Vice President, Starz), Damien S. Navarro (Executive Director, OUTFEST), Swati Shetty (Executive Vice President, International/Global Expansion, Imagine Entertainment), Shelby Stone (President of Production, Freedom Road Productions) and will be moderated by Jacqueline Lyanga (Artistic Director, Film Independent).
 

FILM INDEPENDENT PROGRAMS SPOTLIGHT

Saturday, October 19, MOCA Grand Avenue, Ahmanson Auditorium – 11:00 am

A New Wave of Emerging Filmmakers: 2019 Project Involve Shorts Premiere
Project Involve, now in its 26th year, fosters the careers of filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry. Past Project Involve Fellows include Lulu Wang (The Farewell), Justin Simien (Dear White People), and Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians). The 2019 Fellows are an inclusive group of 30 emerging writers, directors, producers, editors, cinematographers and executives. The Project Involve Shorts that were created in the program this year will screen as part of The New Wave as the culmination of the 2019 program.

The films in this year’s program are American Bodies, Black Boy Joy, La Gloria, Lonely Blue Night, Swim, and The Terrorist. There will be a Q&A with the Fellows after the screening.

Sunday, October 20, MOCA Grand Avenue, Ahmanson Auditorium – 3:00 pm

Global Media Makers (GMM): The New Wave of South Asian Cinema with Anurag Kashyap in Conversation
GMM is an innovative mentoring initiative and cultural exchange program designed to foster relationships between American and international filmmakers. The program is supported by a partnership between Film Independent and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Prolific global auteur Anurag Kashyap (Gangs of Wasseypur, Sacred Games) has directed, produced and co-produced more than 50 films. The event will begin with a conversation about Kashyap’s robust career that has ignited a new wave of South Asian Cinema.

A screening of award-winning short films by 2019 Global Media Makers Fellows will follow, in addition to a Q&A with the filmmakers from the following short films: Bebaak (dir. Shazia Iqbal, India), Jaaldegi, (dir. Rajesh Prasad Khatri, prod. Min Bahadur Bham, Nepal), Proof (dir. Nishtha Jain, India) and Roqaia (dir. Diana Saqib Jamal, Afghanistan; prod. Arifur Rahman, Bangladesh).
 

NEW WAVE ACTORS

Sunday, October 20

New Wave Actors Conversation
The New Wave Actors highlights a diverse group of talented actors, selected by Film Independent and SAGindie, who continue to deliver breakout performances and deserve industry recognition. The New Wave is a partnership between Film Independent and SAGindie, with additional support from Easterseals Disability Services. Past honorees include Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine Nine), Jay Ellis (Insecure), Dominique Fishback (The Hate U Give), Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Bumblebee), Leonardo Nam (Westworld) and Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place). This year’s actors will be announced next week.
 
 
Additional programming including film screenings, KCRW music programming and community events will be announced next week.

Tickets for the keynotes and panels will be available this Friday, October 4 for Film Independent, KCRW and MOCA Members and will be available to the general public the following week on Friday, October 11. For more information, visit filmindependent.org.

The New Wave is produced in partnership with KCRW and sponsored by official host, The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). Supporting Sponsors are Easterseals Disability Services, Hulu, LA County Department of Arts and Culture, National Endowment for the Arts, SAGindie, Warner Bros. and Writers Guild of America West.

PLEASE REFERENCE THE PROGRAM ADDENDUM FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS

About Film Independent

Film Independent is the nonprofit arts organization that champions creative independence in visual storytelling and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent’s Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff and constituents is comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a Member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional or a film lover.

In addition to producing the Spirit Awards, Film Independent produces Film Independent Presents, a year-round screening series for its members that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public.
Through annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent’s Artist Development program offers free labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year-round networking opportunities. Project Involve is Film Independent’s signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.

For more information or to become a Member, visit filmindependent.org.