“CHILD IN THE DARK” SELECTED FOR NALIP’S LATINO PRODUCERS ACADEMY

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:18:14 -0400

WOW! What an experience! As 1 of the 4 Director Fellows invited to NALIP’s 2009 Latino Producers Academy, I was generously provided with a professional crew and SAG actors (the supremely talented Mia Stallard, Gary Farmer, Benito Martinez and Kelly Ryan) to rehearse, shoot and edit a few scenes from CHILD IN THE DARK. The 11-day workshop was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, and I’m eternally grateful to NALIP for the investment in my project and in me as a director. Not only do I feel like I grew a great deal as a filmmaker from the experience, but I’m also much more aware, and consequently prepared, for the particular challenges I’ll be facing with this project in the actual production.

“CHILD IN THE DARK” SELECTED FOR NALIP’S LATINO WRITERS LAB

Sun, 31 May 2009 22:11:13 -0400

Exciting news! I’m proud to report that I was one of the few writers fortunate enough to have been selected for NALIP’s annual Latino Writers Lab!!!
The first half of the lab, which was held in Santa Fe and just concluded, was an amazing 5-day session comprised of lectures in the morning, smaller group sessions led by a mentor in the afternoon, and film screenings in the evening... - a great, film school-type experience that was a LOT of fun and very helpful... especially the extensive feedback I received from the great Miguel Tejada-Flores!!!
The second part of the Lab will be in September in Santa Monica... I’ll be putting in a lot of work over the summer on a new draft and looking forward to seeing some new friends again!

“CHILD IN THE DARK” SELECTED FOR HAMPTONS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SCREENWRITERS’ LAB

Mon, 6 Apr 2009 20:35:30 -0400

CHILD IN THE DARK was 1 of 4 screenplays chosen for the 2009 Hamptons International Film Festival Screenwriters’ Lab!!! - one of the best film-related experiences I’ve ever had... Not only were we treated like gold for the weekend, but the festival brought in some supremely talented folks for myself and the other screenwriters to work with. My two assigned mentors were Bill Collage and James Vanderbilt, and over the course of Saturday and Sunday, I ended up having two individual 3-hour sessions with each...
The feedback, ideas and advice that they had to offer during those sessions should be a huge help in further developing the script and getting me closer to production.... and for that I’m eternally grateful.

Many thanks to David Nugent, Beth Gilligan, Lauren Kinsler, Kim Brizzolara, Robert Kushner & Trevor Yoder, the Lab Mentors and the rest of the amazing Hamptons International Film Festival staff for a truly wonderful experience. Thank you!

For more information about the Hamptons International Film Festival click here.

IAN WINS CRAFT AWARD FOR EDITING WORK ON JON SANDEN’S “EXTROPY”

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:37:56 -0400

Jonathan Sanden’s “Extropy”, which I edited, will be screening as part of the upcoming 2009 NYU First Run Film Festival. It’s a truly exceptional short film that I’m proud to have worked on and grateful to see recognized by NYU with 6 Craft Awards in the following categories: Producing, Screenwriting, Editing, Sound Design, Original Score, and a Faculty Commendation for Excellence in Filmmaking!

Jon will be unveiling a brand new 35mm print for the premiere - 7:00PM on Friday, March 27th at the Cantor Film Center - so please come and check it out on the big screen! However, if you can’t make it, and aren’t able to hold out for a sure-to-come future festival screening, then please feel free to watch it right here.

ABOUT “EXTROPY”:
Philip Zephyr believes he has made a breakthrough in his field of gerontology; the study of human aging. Ambitious and impatient, he takes his stunning results to an eccentric and eager investor. Against the will of everyone around him, he enters into a potentially dangerous experimentation process to prove that his revolutionary age-defying gene therapy really works.

“CHILD IN THE DARK” SELECTED AS FINALIST IN HIGH FALLS SCRIPT COMPETITION

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 04:14:29 -0500

The screenplay for CHILD IN THE DARK has made it to the Finalist round in the 2009 Rochester High Falls International Film Festival Screenplay Competition.

ABOUT THE COMPETITION:
The winner will have their screenplay read by professional actors as a part of “Screenplay Live!” during the Rochester High Falls International Film Festival, May 13-18, 2009. The winner will also be presented with an award, and will be provided with travel and accommodations to the festival for the reading.

“CHILD IN THE DARK” SELECTED FOR ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL SCREENPLAY LAB

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 04:54:56 -0500

CHILD IN THE DARK was 1 of the 6 screenplays chosen for the 2008 Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Retreat - a truly great experience! Not only did I absolutely have a blast down there, as we were all treated like VIPs for the weekend, but more importantly, the workshop proved to be extremely helpful, as I received a lot of great notes and feedback that should definitely help me in making this next draft even more compelling. Particularly valuable were the two individual sessions I had with J.T. Petty and Morgan J. Freeman - each had different things to say about my script, but both provided a ton of insight on how to improve it in this next draft, as well as advice on moving forward with the project and with my career in general.

Many thanks to Gabe Wardell, Dan Krovich, Charles Judson, Paula Martinez, Elizabeth Hamilton, and the rest of the amazing Atlanta Film Festival staff for their generous hospitality and for putting together a fantastic weekend. Thank you!

For more information about the Atlanta Film Festival click here.

“CHILD IN THE DARK” SELECTED AS A FINALIST IN GOTHAM SCRIPT CONTEST

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 05:22:59 -0400

The screenplay for CHILD IN THE DARK has made it to the Finalist round in the 2008 Gotham Screen Film Festival Screenplay Competition.

ABOUT GOTHAM SCREEN:
Gotham Screen presents fresh voices and perspectives from local, national and international filmmakers. The mission of the festival is to create a positive industry and audience exposure for works that would otherwise not easily get seen, and give New Yorkers a chance to see fresh, undiscovered cinema from around the US, and the world.

“CHILD IN THE DARK” AWARDED PANASONIC FILMMAKER GRANT AT IFP’S 30TH ANNUAL INDEPENDENT FILM WEEK

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:47:11 -0400

Wow. What a week… From the bevy of pitch meetings that were arranged on my behalf with development execs and established indie producers, to the nightly screenings and networking parties with what seemed like the who’s who of Indiewood filmmaking in attendance, to the educational panels of the Filmmaker Conference discussing the current state of the biz, Independent Film Week was an even better experience than I had hoped for.

FIASCO’S “OH, YOU HORNY MONSTER” PREMIERES ON PITCHFORK

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:03:28 -0400

The music video for Fiasco’s instrumental “Oh, You Horny Monster”, which I edited, premiered on Pitchfork.tv today. Directed by the very talented Carlos Charlie Perez, the video consists solely of still images, features blood-drenched zombies and even includes a cameo by...

“CHILD IN THE DARK” WINS 2ND PLACE IN 10TH ANNUAL SCRIPTAPALOOZA SCREENPLAY COMPETITION

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:32:40 -0400

It’s official. I received a phone call today informing me that CHILD IN THE DARK has won 2nd place in the 2008 Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition !!! Scriptapalooza is one of the largest and most respected screenwriting competitions out there. They received a whopping 4,300 script submissions this year from writers all around the world working in every genre. As part of the prize for winning 2nd Place,

“CHILD IN THE DARK” SELECTED FOR IFP’S 30TH ANNUAL INDEPENDENT FILM WEEK PROJECT FORUM

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 06:40:49 -0400

Exciting news! CHILD IN THE DARK has been selected for the Emerging Narrative section in IFP’s 2008 Independent Film Week Project Forum. Independent Film Week (formerly the IFP Market) takes place from September 14 - 19 in New York City and consists of the Project Forum, the Independent Filmmaker Conference, special screenings, and nightly networking opportunities. The Emerging Narrative section is dedicated to writers and writer/directors seeking producers.....

“CHILD IN THE DARK” WINS “AWARD FOR CREATIVE EXCELLENCE” IN SLAMDANCE HORROR SCRIPT COMPETITION

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:45:14 -0500

CHILD IN THE DARK wins the “Award for Creative Excellence” in the 2008 Slamdance Film Festival Horror Screenplay Competition (600 horror script entries).

ABOUT THE SLAMDANCE HORROR SCREENPLAY COMPETITION:
Slamdance, Angel Baby Entertainment and Maverick Red are hungry for blood, so we're pitting the best horror screenplays against each other in a fight to the death.

“CHILD IN THE DARK” WINS 2ND PLACE IN RIIFF HORROR SCRIPT COMPETITION

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 06:55:13 -0500

The screenplay for CHILD IN THE DARK won 2nd place in the 2007 Rhode Island International Horror Film Festival Screenplay Competition.

ABOUT RIIFF:
Now in its twelfth year, the Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) has become a leading juried competition showcase for international independent filmmakers and their work. In 2007, RIIFF screened 320 titles in six days to large and appreciative crowds. The Festival had 5 sell-outs and is recognized within the industry as the largest

“CHILD IN THE DARK” PLACES 4TH IN 13TH ANNUAL SLAMDANCE SCRIPT COMPETITION

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 07:03:34 -0400

CHILD IN THE DARK won 4th place out of 2,200 entries in the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival Screenplay Competition (all genres).

ABOUT THE SLAMDANCE SCREENPLAY COMPETITION:
The 13th Annual Slamdance Screenplay Competition is dedicated to new writers. We accept screenplays in every genre, on any topic from every country around the world. Our intention is to bring attention to the most talented emerging screenwriters and introduce them to the industry. Slamdance winning screenplays acquired for production include Nicole Kassell and Stephen Fetcher's The Woodsman, Joshua Marston's Maria Full of Grace and current release Tim Boughn's Neo Ned.

“CHILD IN THE DARK” RECEIVES GLOWING COVERAGE FROM SLAMDANCE

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:13:40 -0400

About a month ago I entered the script for CHILD IN THE DARK in the Slamdance Film Festival Screenplay Competition and opted to also take advantage of their coverage service. Though I was expecting something more along the lines of hard-to-swallow constructive criticism, the coverage I received was extremely ENCOURAGING to say the least....so much so that I’ll share it after the jump...