Behind the Screens

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY | PANEL LIVE EVENT: Saturday, October 9, 10:30am | Smith Rafael Film Center | FREE

The film industry is always changing, but since Eadweard Muybridge ushered in the age of motion pictures with chronophotographic images of horses galloping at Leland Stanford’s Palo Alto farm, there has never been upheaval like we have experienced in the COVID era. On the bright side, theaters are open again and films are back in production. But moviegoers are still fearful in the face of pandemic surges. And with COVID came a move to erase or shorten theatrical windows in favor of streaming. What does that mean for veteran filmmakers and artists just beginning their careers? What does that portend for the future of theatrical exhibition and film festivals? At this critical juncture when the whole world seems to be in flux, we will discuss these and coming changes. Moderator Mark Fishkin hosts several industry veterans in conversation. Moderator: MARK FISHKIN | Invited guests: ARIANNA BOCCO, president, IFC Films | SID GANIS, producer, former president, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences | TED HOPE, producer, former head of production, Amazon Original Movies | J ULIE HUNTSINGER, co-director, Telluride Film Festival | TABITHA JACKSON, director, Sundance Film Festival

VARIETY’S 10 SCREENWRITERS TO WATCH | PANEL LIVE EVENT: Sunday, October 17, 11:00am PDT | Outdoor Art Club | FREE

Variety has honored “10 Screenwriters to Watch” for more than a decade, and once again MVFF will showcase the honorees. Whether reinventing big franchise action films or ensuring the inclusion of otherwise unheard voices, screenwriters lay the foundation for storytelling through film. With Variety spotlighting the brightest and most promising writers of the year, we’re thrilled for the occasion to discuss their work in an intimate setting—a great opportunity as much for aspiring filmmakers as for casual fans.

PARTICIPANTS: ZACH BAYLIN, King Richard | CAMILLA BLACKETT, Queen | AKELA COOPER, Malignant | JULIA COX, Nyad MIKEY DAY + STREETER SEIDELL, Home Alone | JEREMY O. HARRIS, Zola | JESSICA KNOLL, Luckiest Girl Alive STEVEN LEVINSON, Tick, Tick...Boom! | RON MAEL + RUSSELL MAEL, Annette | RANDY MCKINNON, The Starling

PANEL SPONSOR:

CFI EDUCATION PRESENTS: PAINT AND SIP—ANIMATION! | WORKSHOP LIVE EVENT: Sunday, October 17, 4:00pm PDT | Outdoor Art Club | $50/easel (Up to 3 people/easel) LIMITED CAPACITY. Children under 10 must be accomapnied by an adult.

Brian Scott, animator at Disney Studios, and his six-year-old daughter Lucy (an international spy-in-training) will lead kids, parents, and grandparents in a “paint and sip style” artmaking workshop. Join us for this family-friendly outdoor activity for safe, creative, and socially-distanced fun!

Behind the Screens Program Manager: SHAKIRA REFOS Get full details and updated panelist information for all Behind the Screens events at mvff.com

RADICAL ACTS OF FILMMAKING: CHANGING THE WAY MOVIES GET MADE | PANEL 90 min | PRE-RECORDED

Meet the filmmakers who are challenging industry standards by building new practices that change the moviemaking experience from what has historically been an extractive, exploitative process into a transformative one. This conversation highlights the innovative ways of opening up the creative process to welcome a multitude of perspectives during script development, casting, and production. Not only are the resulting films richer for it, but hiring, training, and mentoring folk from the communities these films are about allows a new cohort to access careers in the industry. Listen and learn as they share what they did to create ethical models and equitable sets, so that you can too. Three case studies will be featured, with two guest speakers from each film.

Guest Curators: CHARLIE HIDALGO, LUCY MUKERJEE

CFI EDUCATION PRESENTS: BLACK GIRLS FILM CAMP | SHOWCASE + PANEL 104 min | PRE-RECORDED

In the summer of 2021, The Urban Education Collaborative at UNC Charlotte, UNC Charlotte’s Film Studies Department, Women + Girls Research Alliance, and I AM not the MEdia, Inc. collaborated to host a four-week interactive virtual learning experience, the inaugural Keepin It REEL: Black Girls Film Camp, where a group of teens learned about the film industry and how to tell their own stories on film. Working with individual professional production teams, these talented young (all first-time) filmmakers produced a powerful—and empowering—collection of 10 short films that we are thrilled to share with MVFF audiences. In the one-hour panel discussion following the screening, Black Girls Film Camp participants and award-winning filmmakers will engage in a rich dialogue centering the experiences of Black girl voices in film. With a new and old school lens—from future Black girl filmmakers and industry veterans—the panel discusses topics ranging from Black girl invisibility to counter-storytelling and finding one’s voice in the field. Teen filmmakers will also share stories and inspiration behind their films created at this year’s Black Girls Film Camp. Guest Curator: JIMMEKA ANDERSON, Executive Director, I AM not the MEdia, Inc.

YOU POP ‘EM ‘CAUSE WE POP ‘EM LIKE ORVILLE REDENBACHER | ONE-MAN SHOW 15 min | PRE-RECORDED

Join comedian and film enthusiast Reginald Desjardins on a journey through his love for popcorn. Learn nearly everything there is to know about everyone’s favorite movie snack in this quick and clever history—from ancient times to Orville Redenbacher. Guest Curators: REGINALD DESJARDINS | HUGO FONSECA SUARE, Director of Photography & Producer ERIK RODRIGUEZ, Director, Producer