Real Life Vs. Reel Life
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Intimate conversations on the art of directing WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7 Real Life vs. Reel Life Sponsored by #DCU2018 SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7 Lady Bird: Adolescence, Angst and Acting Nominated for four Film Independent Spirit Awards, Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird is one of 2017’s most resonant and personal indie film hits, not least of all because of its keenly-observed performances that strike a finely calibrated balance between humor and humanity. Writer/director Greta Gerwig is joined by some of her creative collaborators to discuss the process of bringing the critically acclaimed coming-of- age dramedy to life on the big screen. Greta Gerwig (writer/director, Lady Bird) April Napier (costume designer, Lady Bird, The Cell) Jordan Rodrigues (actor, Lady Bird, Dance Academy) Marielle Scott (actor, Lady Bird, 30 Miles from Nowhere) Moderated by Jay Duplass (director, Jeff, Who Lives at Home, Baghead, actor, Transparent, The Mindy Project) WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 Storytellers: Writers and Directors It all starts with a good story. Writers and writer/directors discuss their craft and role as storytellers, while they explore the ways in which they collaborate to successfully take the script from the page to the screen. Mike White (writer, Beatriz at Dinner, School of Rock, writer/director Brad’s Status) David Branson Smith (writer, Ingrid Goes West) Moderated by Jennifer Cochis (director, LA Film Festival) WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 A Wrinkle in Time: Creating the Visual Language of a Film Acclaimed filmmaker Ava DuVernay and members of her creative team take us behind the scenes of her upcoming adaptation of Madeline L’Engle’s iconic young adult sci-fi novel A Wrinkle in Time to explore creative collaboration, world building and the art of translating classic literature in to modern moviemaking. Ava DuVernay (director, A Wrinkle in Time, Selma) Spencer Avarice (editor, A Wrinkle in Time, Selma) Ramin Djawadi (composer, A Wrinkle in Time, Game of Thrones) John Paul “JP” Jones (prop master, A Wrinkle in Time, Logan) Kimberly Kimble (lead hair stylist, A Wrinkle in Time, Dreamgirls) Richard McBride (visual effects supervisor, A Wrinkle in Time, The Revenant) Tobias Schliessler (director of photography, A Wrinkle in Time, Beauty and the Beast) Alison Taylor (location manager, A Wrinkle in Time, Straight Outta Compton) Moderated by Robin Swicord (writer/director, Wakefield; writer, Memoirs of a Geisha, Little Women) Each night will conclude with a hosted reception in the wine bar WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 The Independent Spirit: A Directors Roundtable Risk-takers. Visionaries. Rebels. Join a select group of this year’s amazing Spirit Award- nominated filmmakers as they discuss their films, career trajectories and how they manage to balance their artistic integrity with the demands of the marketplace. Sean Baker (co-writer/director, The Florida Project) Josh & Benny Safdie (writer/directors, Good Time) Chloé Zhao (writer/director, The Rider) Moderated by Josh Welsh (president, Film Independent) WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7 Real Life vs. Reel Life The creative minds behind some of 2017’s best IRL-inspired productions discuss the challenges and rewards of telling stories based on real life; from recreating actual historical events, to using non-actors to play fictional versions of themselves, to telling reality-adjacent tales rooted in autobiography. Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris (directors, Battle of the Sexes, Little Miss Sunshine) Craig Gillespie (director, I, Tonya, Lars and the Real Girl) Angela Robinson (director, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, Herbie Fully Loaded) Moderated by Larry Karaszewski (writer, The People vs. OJ Simpson, Ed Wood) . Kimberly Peirce (director, Six, Stop-Loss, Boys Don’t Cry) Each night will conclude with a hosted reception in the wine bar DGA_IndieTiWest_FullPageSXSW.indd 2 9/27/17 11:00 AM PANELIST BIOS Larry Karaszewski (Moderator) Larry Karaszewski with his writing/directing/producing partner Scott Alexander are best known for writing unusual true stories. They created the hit television miniseries The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story for which they won the Golden Globe, the Emmy, the PGA and WGA Awards. They also won the Golden Globe and WGA Award for the film The People vs Larry Flynt. Other movies include the Oscar winning Ed Wood (WGA nomination), Big Eyes (Independent Spirit nomination), Auto Focus and Man on the Moon. The team has been inducted into the Final Draft Screenwriting Hall of Fame. Larry is currently a Governor for writers branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. His humorous commentaries on cult films can be found at TrailersFromHell.com Kimberly Peirce (Moderator) Kimberly Ane Peirce staked her place as a director of singular vision and craft with her unflinching debut feature Boys Don’t Cry which earned numerous honors including the Best Actress nomination for Chloe Sevigny and Oscar for the film’s star, Hilary Swank. She co-wrote and directed Stop-Loss starring Channing Tatum, inspired by real-life stories of American soldiers, including her own brother coming home from Iraq, and Carrie starring Julianne Moore, and introducing Ansel Elgort to the big screen. She has directed American Crime, Halt and Catch Fire, Manhattan, I Love Dick, Six and Dear White People and is an executive producer on the upcoming Impact (A&E). She is next directing film This is Jane for Amazon Studios followed by Mr. Right. She is a Governor of the Academy of Motion Pictures Director's Branch, a Board Member of the DGA, and a member of the WGA. Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton made their feature film directorial debut with the critical and commercial hit, Little Miss Sunshine, which was nominated for four Academy Awards® including Best Picture. Their latest film Battle of the Sexes, starring Emma Stone and Steve Carell, centers around the infamous 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. The married team began their careers by directing the ground breaking MTV music documentary show, The Cutting Edge. They’ve directed award-winning videos and documentaries for numerous artists, and have won two Grammy Awards, and nine MTV Music Video Awards. They also directed episodes of the legendary sketch comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David for HBO. They co-founded Bob Industries, a commercial production company, where they have directed television ads for Apple, AT&T, VW, Sony Playstation, Gap, Target, Ikea, the NBA and ESPN, among many others. Craig Gillespie Recognized for his sharp, offbeat comedy and ability to inspire honest performances, Australian Craig Gillespie is a critically acclaimed feature, TV, and commercial director. Walking a tightrope between the comedic and the mundane, Gillespie brings a unique tonality to his projects across all filmed media. Craig’s features have grossed over $205 million at the box office, and have included collaborations with Ryan Gosling, Colin Farrell, Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Jon Hamm, Toni Collette, and Margot Robbie. Gillespie’s most recent feature, I Tonya, chronicles disgraced competitive figure skater Tonya Harding's rise and fall at the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, when she plotted to dash another Olympic hopeful’s dreams. The dark comedy premiered at the 2017 Toronto Film Festival and went on to earn 25 major award nominations, including two Golden Globe nods for Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, and Best Actress for Margot Robbie’s performance as Tonya Harding, and one Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe win for Allison Janney’s portrayal of Tonya’s mom. In addition to SAG and BAFTA wins for Janney, Critics’ Choice Awards for Robbie and Janney, and other noms, including one from the WGA for Best Original Screenplay, the film heads to the Oscars with three nominations, one for Robbie, another for Janney and a third for Best Editing. In 2016, Gillespie directed The Finest Hours. Based on Casey Sherman and Michael J. Tougias’ book detailing a Coast Guard rescue in 1952, the film stars Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger, John Ortiz, and Eric Bana. In 2014, Gillespie helmed Disney’s Million Dollar Arm, which features Jon Hamm as sports agent that recruits talented Indian cricket players to play Major League Ball. In 2011, Craig directed a remake of Fright Night, the 1985 cult comedy-horror classic. WGA Award-winning writer Marti Noxon’s rendition stars Anton Yelchin and Colin Farrell, and earned high praise from discriminating cult followers and critics alike. Craig Gillespie made his foray into feature directing with the critically acclaimed Lars and the Real Girl, starring Oscar-nominee, Ryan Gosling. Hailed by the LA Times as an “implausible feat of sustained imagination,” and the Wall Street Journal as “an almost perfect movie with flawless performances,” Nancy Oliver’s screenplay was nominated for an Oscar, while Gillespie’s film won numerous critics’ awards and festival prizes. Gillespie served as producer and director of the Showtime series, The United States of Tara, directing the pilot episode that helped actress Toni Collette earn an Emmy and a Golden Globe. Penned by Oscar- winning Juno scribe, Diablo Cody, the show bears Gillespie’s unmistakable stamp of dancing on the boundary between comedy and drama, while maintaining a clear directorial presence. For his strong and singular body of commercial work, Gillespie has been honored with some of the most prestigious accolades, including many awards from the Clios, LIAA, D&AD, One Shows, Effies, Addys, statues in Cannes, the DGA award, and an Emmy. Angela Robinson Angela Robinson is a celebrated filmmaker who explores and exposes the breadth and complexity of humanity in an extensive body of work across both film and television. Filtering her storytelling through the multi-faceted prism of identity, Robinson uses the power of her unique voice to intelligently and empathetically bring compelling, intersectional stories—specifically those of women, people of color, and LGBTQ individuals—to the mainstream in a way that is entertaining, emotional, and thought-provoking.