Festival Calendar
Film calendar
Click the image to download and preview the 2009 NewFest film calendar.
Workshop and Panels calendar
Click the image to see our workshop and panels at a glance!
Featured Workshop
FRIDAY, JUNE 5
“How Not to Make a Short Film: Secrets from a Sundance Programmer”
with Roberta Marie Munroe
11:00am
In an exclusive appearance, Roberta Munroe arrives at NewFest to speak about her craft, both in filmmaking and programming, in an insightful and entertaining lecture that is a must-see event for all filmmakers, students, curators and cinephiles. Topics covered will range from script development to distribution and funding to how to avoid the 100 most overused film clichés. Join us as Munroe dispels the mystery of making short films versus features, guides us through the madness of production for both narrative and documentary, from funding and casting to festival and distribution strategies and reveals insider secrets to help get your film out there!
Roberta Munroe is a former Sundance programmer.
Click here for the full description of this event.
Panels
SATURDAY, JUNE 6
Panel #1: State of the Movement
1pm – 2:00pm
Co-Sponsored by IN THE LIFE
As the City of New York and the LGBT community commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall riots this month, we gather leaders of our movement to discuss how we measure the success of our community and where we go from here.
Moderated by Katherine Linton
Panelists to be announced.
SATURDAY, JUNE 6
Panel #2: NewDraft Reading
3pm – 4:30pm
Finalists for the 2009 NewDraft screenplay writing contest will each read an excerpt from their screenplay. Catch the start of something special. Who will be the next winner?
SUNDAY, JUNE 7
PANEL #3: The Working Actors Survival Guide
1pm – 2pm
Co-Sponsored by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG)
We know that everyone dreams of acting someday. But what does it REALLY take to make a living as an actor these days? What are the tools an actor needs to make their way in the world? Come join our panel of working actors as they share with us their survival tips, tricks, routines and resources that keep them going.
Moderated by Adam Moore from SAG
Ash Christian
Steve Hayes
Heather Matarazzo
Kevin Scullin
More panelists to be announced
SUNDAY, JUNE 7
Panel #4: Director’s Roundtable
3pm – 4pm
NewFest’s most popular panel returns this year with a bang. Come listen to the directors of some of this year’s most provocative and thoughtful films talk about their own experiences as they were struggling to get their films made. What obstacles did these filmmakers have to overcome to get to where they are today? And, most importantly, what advise can they give other up-and-coming directors?
Moderator – Eugene Hernandez, indieWIRE
John Greyson – Director, FIG TREES
David Kittridge – Director, PORNOGRAPHY
Kimberly Reed – Director, PRODIGAL SONS
Tiona – Director, black.womyn
John G. Young – Director, RIVERS WASH OVER ME
MONDAY, JUNE 8
Panel #5: DIY Marketing and Outreach
3pm – 4pm
Co-Sponsored by IFP
Once we’re done making your film your job becomes selling the film so that others can go see it and creating outreach to attract the right audience. These are the challenges some of our experts will help you understand in the critically important panel.
Moderator: Milton Tabbot, IFP
Thomas Allen Harris – Producer, Director (12 Disciples of Nelson Mandela, Through a Lens)
Dasha Snyder – Producer, Director (The D Word)
Orly Ravid – New American Vision
More panelists to be announced.
MONDAY, JUNE 8
PANEL #6 Producer’s Roundtable
4:30pm – 5:30pm
Come to the discussion that every year produces some “golden nuggets” with the outstanding producers of this year’s festival films. There is no guidebook to producing a film, which is why this panel is always engaging and dynamic. Come join us as these maverick producers tell us about how they “did it” and what they have learned from their experiences.
Matt Dentler — Producer, TRINIDAD
Nicole Opper — Producer, OFF & RUNNING
