Festivals

'Creedmoria', a film by first-time writer/director Alicia Slimmer, made its SoCal premier at the Dances With Films Festival. It chronicles the efforts of sweet-sixteen Candy Cahill, played by Stef Dawson, to come of age in one of the most dysfunctional families in movie history. As I watched the film, I hoped, for Slimmer’s sake, that this movie wasn’t too autobiographical. It turns out that it was.

'Before the shooting, people were asking me all the time in which studio I would be filming, assuming that most of the film would be shot in front of green screens. The reality is very different. Out of the 30 days of shooting, we shot only one day in a green screen studio.'

The LA Film Festival 'Opening Night' world premiere was Screenwriting 101 in 90 minutes. Filmmakers did everything right in this film, which stars Topher Grace as a failed Broadway star.

I just hope to raise the bar in terms of how people respond to independent film, in particular black independent film.

In Hollywood parlance, a “period piece” is a script or film that takes place in the past. 'Girl Flu', a film written and directed by Dorie Barton, gave a new meaning to that phrase. It's a film about firsts. Without a doubt, it is the only film you'll ever call charming, funny and heartwarming that has menstruation as its focus.

Every day I went to work wanting to make this the best film that it could possibly be.

I was making bad action films in Asia. Not that I don’t love Asia. I do. That was the best part of it, seeing other countries.

Bridgend is hauntingly beautiful and at the same time like a nature built prison.

How would you feel if a bribe that you took ended in people's deaths?

What I saw at the second half of this year's festival.