Sustaining a Career in Indie Film
In the constantly evolving landscape of independent film, sustaining a career can be a tricky process - from choosing the right projects and the right people to work with to ensuring your voice is heard above an ever increasing sea of other producers, directors etc. Join a discussion on navigating and meeting the challenges of working in the indie film industry and how each filmmaker has continued to have success at each step.
Presenters
Alex's award-winning debut feature, THE HOLE STORY, earned him a slot in Filmmaker Magazine's 25 new faces of independent film and a plastic key to a small city in Northern Minnesota. His subsequent feature-length films include WOODPECKER (SXSW 2008), TRUST US, THIS IS ALL MADE UP (SXSW 2009), RUBBERNECK (Tribeca Film Festival 2012) and RED FLAG (Los Angeles Film Festival 2012). As an actor, Alex currently plays the role of Ray Ploshansky in the HBO comedy series GIRLS, and has had leading roles in feature-length films that have shown at the Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Los Angeles, Tribeca and SXSW film festivals. Later this year, Alex will appear as Marty Green in the upcoming Coen Brothers film, INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS.
Bryan Poyser’s third feature, THE BOUNCEBACK, premieres at SXSW 2013. His last film, LOVERS OF HATE premiered in the US Dramatic Competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, was a John Cassavetes Award nominee at the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards, and was released by IFC Films. He was also nominated for FIND’s “Someone to Watch” Award for his feature, DEAR PILLOW. Bryan lives and works in Austin, Texas.
Craig’s debut feature GREAT WORLD OF SOUND, premiered at Sundance and SXSW in 2007. It was awarded the Breakthrough Director award at the 2008 Gotham Awards, and was nominated for Best First Film and Best Supporting Actor in the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards.
COMPLIANCE, his second film as a writer/director, premiered at Sundance 2012, won a Special Jury Prize at the Locarno International Film Festival, and The National Board of Review awarded Ann Dowd Best Supporting Actress for the film. Ann Dowd was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in the Independent Spirit Awards, and the Critic’s Choice awards.
In addition to directing, Craig is also a film producer and frequent collaborator with filmmaker David Gordon Green. Craig was a producer on Green’s Texas-based film PRINCE AVALANCHE, which premiered at Sundance 2013, was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Direction at the 2013 Berlinale, and is happily screening in it’s place of origin as part of this year’s SXSW Film Festival.
Kat’s award winning films have screened at Sundance, the Los Angeles Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, SXSW, Slamdance, Florida Film Festival, Houston Museum of Modern Art, Chicago International Children's Film Festival, The National Institutes of Health and on PBS. Her teen thriller screenplay Love Me was produced by Dolphin Entertainment and Anchor Bay Films. She's currently in development on the Sundance Creative Producing Lab participant, Hellion. Candler is a film Lecturer at the University of Texas.
Megan is an Independent Spirit Award nominated producer of narrative and documentary films. Her credits include HABIBI, SUNSHINE, THE FICKLE, and Bryan Poyser’s LOVERS OF HATE, which premiered in the US Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival and was distributed by IFC. Collaborators since 2005, Megan produced Poyser’s SXSW World Premiere comedy, THE BOUNCEBACK and is developing his next film, SAN MIGUEL.
Megan co-produced Heather Courtney’s Emmy and Film Independent Spirit award-winning documentary, WHERE SOLDIERS COME FROM. The film screened at numerous festivals worldwide and aired on PBS in a special Veteran’s Day presentation of the acclaimed series POV.
Megan received a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from The College of William and Mary and an MFA in Film Production from the University of Texas.
Monday, March 11
