Hello From Sundance!

 Anne and I are wrapping up a wonderful weekend at the first Sundance Catalyst Weekend at the resort. We were truly honored to be invited by the institute to this amazing event. I certainly hope it's not our last.

It is 2 1/2 days of intense panels and discussions on everything from financing to distribution and everything in between. It is such a unique setting to meet new and upcoming filmmakers who have gone through the Sundance Labs or have had films at the festival previously.

We are very excited to tell you that we have partnered up on a few of these fantastic projects.

2 of which I can divulge. CAMPUS ASSAULTS is a documentary that bears witness to the personal testimony of students, administrators, and faculty that deal with the everyday trauma of rape and sexual assaults on college campuses across the nation (300,000 yearly.) Directed by the very talented academy award winning team of Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering (The Invisible War.) The second is an untitled documentary on INDIAN POINT. This will scare the hell out of you New Yorkers. And rightly so.

This doc talks about the aging Indian Point nuclear power plant located 30 miles North of Manhattan. Ivy Meeropol is directing. Ivy has unprecedented access to the inner workings of the plant and its employees. She works with the Emmy award winning producer Julie Goldman of Motto pictures. This female powerhouse duo is a hoot!! I so look forward to working with them.

I would like to thank the Sundance institute for this opportunity to meet and network with such a talented diverse group of people who now we call family!  I can't wait to see my new family in January in Park City. In the meantime... Let's make a movie.

Shout out!! Jason Berman, Keri Putnam, Caroline Libresco, Molly O'Brien. You Rock!

Sundance Catalyst Weekend - Inspiring & Supportive

The inaugural Sundance Catalyst Weekend event was as inspiring and supportive as all the artist-driven events we've come to expect from the Sundance Institute! The difference for me however was that I felt we as investing producers were included in that Artist at the Table model! The primary intention on SCW was to put director/writer/creative producer teams in the same room with potential investors and industry advisers.  It was also intended to demystify the process of funding a project and creating an atmosphere whereby "artists" could see that savvy, knowledgeable investors can work as team members and not just as a check writer with no input.  We as investing producers have long sought this recognition and support and were just thrilled to be invited to be among the 20 investors (of wide ranging experience) included in this first (of many we hope!) Catalyst Weekends! 

Highlights of the weekend were getting the opportunity to speak one-on-one (or two) with film makers whose work we have long admired, and to get the opportunity to become attached to these specially curated projects (most from the Sundance Labs) that have been vetted to a very high standard by the Sundance team.  AND to have the opportunity to speak with and hang out with each and every member of that team and learn exactly what it is they do! This just never happens during the Festival itself because everyone is so slammed!

I look forward to seeing everyone back in Sundance in January and I invite you to stay tuned for progress reports regarding two of our acquired Sundance projects: Indian Point and Campus Assault! We are thrilled to be a part of both.  When confirmation on the others is forthcoming, we will share those as well!

Girl Most Likely opens world-wide

Most Likely to be President, Most Likely to be a Gucci Model, Most Likely to Cure Cancer

…..unfortunately, Kristen Wiig’s character, Imogene, in our newest film to hit theaters’, “Girl Most Likely” didn’t quite make the cut. L A failed playwright, Imogene, fakes a suicide after a break-up with her boyfriend and is forced to return home to New Jersey with her unconventional mother (Annette Bening), her wacky boyfriend (Matt Dillon), Imogene’s reclusive brother (Christopher Fitzgerald), and her mother’s most recent hunky boarder (Darren Criss.) I believe that everyone at one time or another has either had to move home for a short time or have had the fear of having to do so. This movie makes your realize that it’s never as bad as it seems and home may in fact be where the heart is (as trite as that may sound.) Sometimes doing what you hate ends up being exactly what you needed. This film will pluck a string for every emotion so prepare yourself and get excited! It hit 353 theaters this past weekend so check your local listings, grab your gal or guy, an oversized bucket of popcorn that is sure to make you ill afterwards ;) and enjoy!!    

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