A passel of great news!!

It's been a while, but I've got quite a bit of good news to share! First, the biggest news... When I feel that something is worth my time, I become dedicated to that thing. It doesn't replace any current passions, it tends to add to them. In this case, that thing would be the Viscera Organization, a non-profit based out of L.A. that works to support and encourage female genre filmmakers. Among their services is the Viscera Film Festival which has a carpet ceremony every July and then the current's year's selections go out on tour around the world. My film aftershock is one of the films in the library, as an official selection of the 2011 Carpet Ceremony and Tour.

I started working for them in April as the assistant to James Morgart, the guy who's in charge of the tour (his official title is now Director of Media and Distribution.) In July, after an offhand, but sincere, series of remarks, a lot of contemplation, and quite a bit of discussion, it was proposed that I take on a different task...that of the Director of Operations for the L.A. Carpet Ceremony. According to the list of duties, I'm essentially in charge of the weekend festivities for the Viscera Film Festival. It's a bit daunting, but I'm up for it!

Viscera is very important to me. For years, I've felt alone as a woman who directs horror films. On the rare occasion that I met other female filmmakers (before Viscera, that is) they tended to be snobbish and catty. I don't see the point in that kind of attitude. It's boring. And I expected the same treatment when I got to the carpet ceremony last year. While there are certainly those who think they're better than the rest of us (there always are), the majority of women I've met thanks to Viscera have been people I'm so happy to have met, some of whom I now call friends. I'm so happy and so honoured to be a part of something as meaningful as Viscera!

By the way, we're looking for volunteer staff members! If you want to help out an amazing film-oriented non-profit, head over to the contact page, look at the staff PDF and send us an email!



On the film side, Stella Buio has gotten its first two festival acceptances!! The lovely Miguel Rodriguez of the Horrible Imaginings Film Festival, who played my film JustUs last year, has accepted Stella Buio into their line-up and I've since learned that fellow Viscera staff member Maude Michaud's film Red and my soul-sister-in-horror Karen Lam's film The Stolen will also be playing there this year! This festival takes place November 10 and 11.

Stella Buio has also been accepted to the Buffalo Screams Horror Film Festival in Buffalo, New York! This festival takes place October 17-21.

But JustUs isn't dead...it was just accepted to the ShockerFest Horror Film Festival in Modesto, California! ShockerFest has morphed into a local access television film festival and JustUs will be screened on October 14 on KAZV-TV, channel 195 / broadcast channel 14.

And, finally...I GET TO SEE STEVIE NICKS IN CONCERT IN A FEW DAYS! That's not really career related, but whatever...

the STELLA BUIO trailer!

I finished cutting the trailer for Stella Buio the day before yesterday and posted it to YouTube, then decided to take yesterday, today, and probably tomorrow off from the post process. I wrote the film, I produced the film, I cast it, directed it, shot it, am doing any computer based visual effects I need to, I'm editing it, and I'm promoting it. It's a lot and I'm feeling a bit toasty, but that's what you do on no-to-low budget movies - length doesn't matter.

So, here it is! The trailer for Stella Buio! The film stars Chris Cline, Lance Flint, Laura D'Anieri, Shawn McBee, Melanie Robel, and Linnea Quigley.

STELLA BUIO Production Diary: 8 Days Until Principal Photography.

I’m sitting here, listening to my friend Miguel Rodriguez talk to Matthew Kelly about John Carpenter’s The Fog, when I realized with a start that it’s May 28. Counting on my fingers, we start filming Stella Buio in eight days. I’ve never had so much pre-production time on a film before, which you wouldn’t think would be true because I’m the producer, but it is true. When I “get excited and make something”, it’s usually a pretty quick process and that’s what I’m used to. When it comes to “proper” filmmaking, with the paperwork and professional actors and crew and all that, you really have to be a little more patient.

This script originally came about because my partner-in-crime, Chris Cline, said, “Hey, we should write a giallo together...” Giallo has turned into a catch-all phrase for 70s Italian horror cinema, but it really refers to gorgeous, lurid, pulp-y Italian murder mysteries like The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. I love gialli, don’t get me wrong, but my favourite films from that era in Italian filmmaking are films like City of the Living Dead, Black Sabbath, and Suspiria. When he brought this up, I went off and wrote the first draft of the script influenced by my likes, and let it sit for a minute, then I edited and sent him the second draft. Chris loved the second draft and said that he didn’t even want to touch it. I did a little more editing to it and then locked it.

It had to go onto the shelf, though, because at the time, I had a few other projects I needed to get to before I made Stella Buio (I wrote it a couple of years ago, while I was still working at the movie theatre), but when a short film fell through earlier this year, I pulled this out and said, “I am going to make this.”

And make it I will.

Firstly, I knew that I’d need some money. All of my stuff in the past has been very low budget because I had to pay for it out of pocket and my pockets are shallow. Film festival submissions are the most expensive thing for a low-budget indie filmmaker at $35 a pop (on average), but also, I’m not very good at lighting and I need someone to do special effects. And, I’d like to not have to design my poster art myself.  And there’s someone I really, really want to work with. So, I decided to start an IndieGoGo campaign so I could pay the people I’m bringing on board.

I chose IndieGoGo because I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be able to raise the full amount of my estimated budget ($10,000, but that, unlike quite a few productions I’ve seen that crowdfund their budgets and then come back looking for “finishing costs”, includes everything), but IndieGoGo lets you keep what you’ve earned. Like I say in every plea for help, every little bit helps. Kickstarter is great because it does instill more trust that the money will be used for what it’s intended, but if you don’t raise the full amount, you get nothing. I was (and am) making this film regardless so it truly is a matter of every little donation helping to make the film (you can donate here= http://igg.me/p/78472?a=55968 ).

As I said before, I’m not very good at lighting. I’m not afraid of admitting my limitations. Thankfully, I know someone who IS good at lighting. I’ve known Wheat for a few years now thanks to the wonderful Sage Hall. He does a lot of cinematography and is truly ace at sculpting and painting with light. I shoot my own stuff 

Effects. Normally, I have to rely on VFX more than I’m comfortable with because I LOVE practical effects so so so much. For this, I wanted and needed to dedicate as much money as I could to good, solid practical effects and the first name that came to mind was a friend I’ve had since I worked in his haunted houses in high school: Greg Baker. I knew he’d be able to get me what I needed and keep the cost down if it came to that (and it did).

Earlier this year, I was in L.A. while an exhibit was going on featuring a new friend I met in Vancouver, B.C.: Bonni Reid. What I saw literally blew my mind (of what was there, that piece is my favourite, but click here to explore her website.) As soon as I saw these pieces, I knew that I wanted to work with her. And when my shoot in February / March fell apart and I picked up Stella Buio, I knew THIS was the project to work on with her.

As for casting, the first person I cast was Chris Cline as the zombie. He knows exactly what I’m going for here. My friend Shawn McBee was second. Thirdly, I cast Linnea Quigley. In my genre, when you see a name like Linnea Quigley attached to a film, it’s usually a stunt to get people to pay attention. But let’s be honest...this is a short film. I’m not trying to sell anything on her name. Ever since I realized that I wanted (and could) make horror films, I’ve wanted to work with Linnea Quigley and I’m incredibly fortunate that she came on board.

I’ve known of Melanie Robel for a while now thanks to the wonders of Facebook, but Linnea was the one who recommended her to me and the rest of the cast trickled down from there. I’m really excited to work with all of them...in eight days! WOW!

STELLA BUIO full cast announced!

I've finalized my cast and now feel comfortable listing the full cast for my new short film, Stella Buio!

First, we have Lance Flint playing the character of Frederick, one of Julie's brothers.

Constant readers with long memories might remember the next two names from earlier Kimyoo Films productions. Chris Cline, who played the Priest in my film A Hammer Fell in Jerusalem: Anathema and A Hammer Fell in Jerusalem: and be at rest, will be playing the lead zombie, Philip. This script came about because he wanted to work on a giallo-style script with me and while this film isn't technically giallo, and he had little to do with the plot of this one, I still say he came up with the concept. Also, Shawn McBee, my cinematographer on Without/Within and a producer on Without/Within and A Hammer Fell in Jerusalem: Anathema, will be making his formal acting bow as Victor, Julie's other brother.

Lastly, Laura D'Anieri will be playing Greta, the family matriarch (like I said in my announcement on the Stella Buio campaign page, I love that word...matriarch.)

They join the previously announced Melanie Robel as our lead protagonist Julie and Linnea Quigley as our lead antagonist, and title character, Stella Buio.

I'm so incredibly excited for this flick, you have no idea!

26 days!

A little bit about my new short film, Stella Buio.

I've started an IndieGoGo campaign for my new short film Stella Buio. It's a 70s Italian horror throwback about a medium who reconnects a family to their loved one quite literally as she brings him back from the dead to wreak havoc on them.

I didn't want to say too much about my cast just because I am superstitious about revealing names before I have their scenes in the can, but I feel like I can (and should) go ahead and post: I've cast my good friend Chris Cline as Philip, the deceased loved one. He played the Priest in my films A Hammer Fell in Jerusalem: Anathema and A Hammer Fell in Jerusalem: and be at rest. Shawn McBee, whom I've known since high school, will be one of Philip's family members. I've also cast Melanie Robel as the lead protagonist, Julie. She's an up and coming actress and came to me highly recommended; I'm so glad she agreed and I can't wait to work with her! Finally, the big news: legendary Scream Queen Linnea Quigley will be the title character, Stella Buio!

*Kermit flail*

Also joining me on this epic quest are Bonni Reid, who will be doing my poster art, Wheat, as my gaffer, and my brother Shawn Bowen will be handling the Fabio Frizzi-inspired score!

My film JustUs has been accepted to the Sarasota Film Festival!

Geez louise...I haven't posted since late last year! I wanted to start blogging more and maybe now is a good time to start as I have some cool news to share.

JustUs has been accepted to the Sarasota Film Festival!

As I said on my Tumblr (yeah, I have a Tumblr): If you're a filmmaker who doesn't live in New York City or Los Angeles, chances are that you know what it's like to have the hometown film festival reject your film. You could be accepted to every festival you applied to, but when the hometown rejects it, you feel like a pariah of some sort. I've sent my work to the Sarasota Film Festival three times now and apparently the third time is the charm because this year, JustUs has been accepted to the Sarasota Film Festival! They're not big on horror here, this is mainly a community for retirees, but the ones that make waves at Sundance and Toronto tend to make their way to this festival.

Now, I still feel like a pariah here because I work in horror and don't give a crap about being famous or most of the stuff that seems to drive our local "film industry." And some interactions I've already had about the festival leave me un-encouraged about staying here. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to live in L.A. either. I always have a great time when I'm there and I love (and miss) my L.A. family, but I don't think I could live there (and maintain what's left of my sanity.) And I haven't even gotten into how expensive it is to live there.

However, I live here right now and I'm going to continue to make the best of it, and complain about it as well, until I'm no longer a resident. :D

Okay, now, the reason I have a Tumblr: I originally wasn't going to get one. I mean, let's be realistic, I haven't been keeping up on this blog very well as it is. But, I was asked by the heads of Curio Media, Inc. to post relevant news to their Tumblr and I had to start learning somewhere, right? So I got one for myself. My prose work has never been particularly flowery unless I'm going for a certain effect -- I think this is due to the economy of words necessary to write screenplays -- and Tumblr isn't designed for long rambly posts so it fits me and my style; however, I will work on posting here more.

I've been interviewed by Dread Central's HorrorChick and Mangled Matters' Justin Hamelin recently. My interview with TheHorrorChick was for Dread Central's Indie Horror Month. And my interview with Justin Hamelin is for his Women in Horror blog.

Here's the teaser for JustUs:


I have a lot more to post, but I think this is good for now. :D

New short film!

I've been so busy that I haven't been able to post about anything, much less the fact that I was making a new short film! Those posts will be coming before I head back out to L.A. this weekend for the Viscera Film Festival where my short film aftershock will be playing alongside some of the best female directors in the genre!

AHHH!

So here's the teaser, I hope y'all enjoy!!

A new music video!

Hey all!

I know, I need to write up my trip to LA last weekend. Almost as soon as I got off the plane, I was practically consumed by projects. One of which was the music video to promote the DVD World Collision and I made of the original 1922 Nosferatu with their score (also a Hallowscreen-related piece.)

Without further ado, I present "Sine" by World Collision (if you want to watch it in high def, please watch the video here!):



I'm so busy with projects to pay the bills and projects to further my skills, a lot of which I can't talk about at the moment, but I'm still around! As soon as I can spill them thar beans, I'll tell you all fourth! (cuz, seriously, my mom would be first, then a mass text to family and friends, then Twitter...all about ease of communications. I almost wish I had a brain implant that would allow me to automatically upload my thoughts when I want to blog, but then this would be waaay too stream-of-consciousness and have a lot of random Python sketches...which ain't a bad thing.)

"Don't care if it's not the way you find the truth..."

Okay, so it’s been about a year since the Big Chain Theatre’s fateful decision to reject my application for Projection Manager and since the Sarasota Film Festival rejected A Hammer Fell in Jerusalem: Anathema. Around this point last year, I had refocused my energies toward my true career and I’d gotten a paying job working for the Sarasota Fringe Film Festival as an editor on not one but three documentaries. I say “paying” instead of “paid” because, well...they’re still working on paying me what I’m owed and since it’s been a year, I feel that I can mention it.

Anyway, in that year of refocusing, I’ve been to New York City, Alexandria, VA, Washington, D.C., New Orleans, LA, Los Angeles, CA, and Orlando, FL, with one or more of my films. Some of these festivals have been so kind as to nominate my work for awards and even give me two of them. It’s been fantastic, I’m not complaining at all, though the next sentence may seem to contradict that. The only problem for me with this past year is that I didn’t get to make any more films than the music video I did for World Collision. I was busy getting Kimyoo Films out there which is vital, but between traveling and doing the job of four people at the theatre, I couldn’t film anything. (yeah, yeah...I know.../whitewhine.)

Four isn’t an arbitrary number, by the way. While I was away on vacation and in New York for NewFilmmakers, I discovered later through emails that were fired back and forth that four people couldn’t pick up my slack. Technically, one of them shouldn’t have had to pitch in at all, but still...FOUR PEOPLE.

The relative dry spell in filming ended late last month when I shot a very short film which fits into my beloved A Hammer Fell in Jerusalem universe called “and be at rest.” It’s vague enough that it can stand on its own, but it is obviously a part of the universe as Chris Cline was kind enough to don the dog collar once more. After it has its premiere, I’ll be posting it on OpenFilm.com and of course, I’ll link to it here. I may already have a premiere lined up, but I always get too excited and ahead of myself and I want to wait for confirmation before I say anything for sure.

The main thing about doing this short was to help me get familiar with some new stuff I bought before I leap in to not one or two, but four more short films this year (I count music videos as shorts.) Chris Cline and I are teaming up to bring one of his scripts to life with him behind the camera. Chris is one of the best writers I know and he knows more about the genre than I do! Once his film is complete, I’m stepping back behind the camera for one of my shorts. After that, I have possibly two music videos for World Collision! There are two more projects on the horizon, but it’s too early to talk about those just yet. They’re moving forward, though, and that’s good!

Also on the horizon is a feature which will obviously be my first. I don’t want to say much more than that, but it’s very exciting!

I’m not your typical filmmaker. I didn't pick up my first camera until I was in middle school and didn't own my own equipment until a couple of years ago. I had four years of Booker High School of the Visual and Performing Arts and one semester of film classes at Manatee Community College (which has since turned into the State College of Florida.) I've always wanted to do this, though. And be an astronaut, but that's beside the point. I learn by doing. I’ll still be learning while I make movies sixty years down the line (I don’t plan on retiring, obviously.) There’s really no right or wrong way so long as you’re learning and putting out what’s in your heart.

BleedFest February 2011!

Elisabeth and Brenda Fies have posted the schedule for the February 6 edition of BleedFest! Not only are aftershock and "Essenger" considered winning shorts for being selected for the festival, but they're both up for an audience award at the event!

I'm so excited! My brother and I are going for the weekend. It's a loooong flight from Florida, but we might try to sneak in some touristy things, it being my first time in LA after all!

In other, more local, news, I'm working on pre-production for a micro-short, but that won't be shot until after I get back from LA. Still working on pre-production for a new music video for World Collision and two other short films!

I've also been working pretty intensely on the A Hammer Fell in Jerusalem novel. A full length novel is between 70,000 and 150,000 words and my current word count is just shy of 30,000 so I still have a ways to go to get there, but I have a lot to tell. It's interesting going from short fiction to novel length, realizing the strengths and weaknesses of both forms. It's not unlike going from writing short films to writing features though so far, I'd say that writing a feature length script is "easier" than writing a novel, though no writing is truly easy.

This has been an intensely creative and fulfilling first month to the new year and I know I can carry that energy throughout the remaining eleven!!

Help an Orlando-based filmmaker raise completion funds for his Super8 short!

Tim Anderson is a talented producer based out of the Orlando, Florida, area and he's looking for help raising completion funds for his shot on Super8 short film La Fleur de Mort. If you have a moment, please head to his Kickstarter website, watch the video and if you feel so compelled, contribute!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1267783718/la-fleur-de-mort-an-experimental-horror-film-0

KimyooFilms on OpenFilm!

One of the most common questions I get is "Are your films online?" and for a long time I replied no. They were still out on the festival circuit or I couldn't find a website that I liked that handled films in a way that made me feel comfortable. Then, I heard about this place called OpenFilm. They'll host features and shorts and it's built for filmmakers, not for vbloggers or machinimaniacs or anything that would normally wind up on YouTube. After BleedFest, I'll be putting "Essenger" and aftershock up, too, but for now, if you have an hour to spare, you can now go check out both Without / Within and A Hammer Fell in Jerusalem: Anathema online! Woohoo!!

Also, I've submitted A Hammer Fell in Jerusalem: Anathema to the Get It Made competition, a contest where the winner is given a bunch of dough to make a feature version of their short. If you have the time and the inclination, please create an account and vote for my film! Hell, go watch a bunch of the films and vote! It is free, after all. They say that 60% of the contest is based on viewer impressions so click on the stars (one for crappy, five for MINDBLOWINGLY AWESOME!) and vote honestly!

In closing: this year has been amazing and I feel so blessed. Next year, and the year after that, and the year after that and so on and so forth...they're only going to get better! Thank you all so much for sticking around through my long silences and then sudden bursts of tl;dr fangeekery! Be safe tonight and happy new year!!

More from the World Music and Independent Film Festival

I was interviewed recently by Laura Hartman of the World Music and Independent Film Festival where this past year, the music video I made for World Collision was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Alternative Rock Video. The interview can be found by clicking here.

I have something exciting to announce, too, that does tie in to my interview in a round about way. Hallowscreen was an amazing experience and I met some truly fantastic people because of it. Among those I met are Sage Hall and Jesse Kozel who made the short film Candy. They're making another short film next week and I've volunteered my services for pretty much whatever they need. It's been a long time since I was on someone else's set so I'm really looking forward to, well, everything! I volunteered to do whatever they need. I have no problem with going from the captain of the ship to being a deckhand. All positions are necessary and if I can help in anyway to make their dreams come true, then I'll be happy!

I believe in supporting the community, of helping each other when and if possible. I know that film is a business and that it's very competitive, but like they say in Second City: if the other guy looks good then everyone looks good. I heard that twice this week (once on the Ghostbusters commentary from Harold Ramis and once on a random interview with Bill Murray that was on TCM) and I really like that philosophy.

In other news, I finished the second draft of a new feature script the other day. This one is one I've been trying to write for years, but it just didn't want to come out. I'm very happy with it and want to start on the third draft, but I need to do this short film first since I plan on shooting it early next year. On that front, I re-started the storyboards last night. I was using a computer program to hand draw them (don't ask) and it was okay at first, but the program locked up on the fourth page and wouldn't let me erase or edit so I had to restart it. It's all good, I'm a terrible artist, but I think I prefer to be terrible on physical media anyway.

I may have more to announce soon, but I'll wait until I have confirmation. For now, keep screaming!