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https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/indiefilmnight/indie-film-nights-2nd-season?ref=live
The concept of IndieFilmNight (http://www.indiefilmnight.com)
is as simple as it is ingenious: To show a new independent film every week
(live broadcast at 8 pm EST, reruns all through the week), free for
everyone to see, and framed by an introduction by hosts Bill Page and Gwen
Gioia, plus a chat with the filmmakers and/or whoever they got hold
of ... The show was thought up by host Bill Page,
writer/star of indie feature All
Along, and Tim Qualls, owner of the studios where
the show is taped, and Positive Promotions. So, how did
you two dream up the concept of IndieFilmNight? BILL
PAGE: Well,
I wanted to do a show for true Indie Films (not Hollywood Indies) and Tim
had a studio and suggested we do it on the internet LIVE and make it
interactive. I believe the ultimate goal is to get on a national
syndicated TV show. TIM QUALLS: I
basically had an idea that I discussed with Dave Reinert (Daps) - I look for
niches in the market, ie. The Golf Show, the Racing Network,
music. I know that people will go to these sites if they are into
that particular niche. Daps and Bill belong to a film organization
so I set up a meeting with Bill, Daps, Ric, and myself to discuss the
concept of building a website for independent films. I
know it will attract all independent filmmakers (and their fans) to give
them an opportunity to showcase their talents and get their films
seen all over the world. Bill
brings his expertise of filmmaking and marketing of your films, he is a
great person to critique films and give helpful hints. Ric brings
great expertise of directing, camera work, and set continuity to the show
itself. Daps brings 22 years of directing, producing, and editing to the
project and he built and maintains our website. Tim Qualls has all the
production equipment and with this much expertise behind him - wouldn't
you start IndieFilmNight? How
easy/hard was it to put the concept into reality? BILL
PAGE: It
took a few months of discussions and getting the right team together to
make it happen. We are still working out the kinks. TIM
QUALLS:
After our first meeting we
set a shoot date and Bill, Ric, and Daps took it from there.
A question for Bill:
Before IndieFilmNight, you have made
the indie All Along,
which only fittingly was the first film shown on IndieFilmNight. We have
talked in length about the film elsewhere on this site [click
here], but what triggered the change from being an indie-filmmaker
to becoming a showrunner? BILL
PAGE: I
am still deeply committed to indie films and have been working on a few
projects since All Along, so I haven't given up on future filmmaking.
After going through the frustrations of trying to get my movie
DISTRIBUTION, I realized there are hundreds if not thousands of other
filmmakers like myself that would love a venue to screen their movie.
That is the main reason we decided to do IndieFilmNight - to give the low
budget filmmaker a venue to broadcast their movie.
A question for Tim: You
have a successful TV-career running Delaware 28 and Positive
Promotions. A few words about these two organisations, and what got
you into executive producing IndieFilmNight for the internet?
TIM
QUALLS: Delaware 28 is a Comcast access channel that we
don't run - we just buy time as independent producers. Positive
Promotions was started 22 years ago with one show and built up to
where we ran over 300 half-hours per week throughout the region.
Which are not just Channel 28 but also WMCN reaching over
3.2 million homes, CBS, Channel 22 in Cecil County, and Channel
21 in Dover. IndieFilmNight is co-hosted by Gwen Gioia, a familiar face from the
reality TV shows The Bachelor and Bachelor's Pad. How
did you get involved with IndieFilmNight?
GWEN GIOIA: Bill Page had called me one evening and said that
he thought of me as the perfect person for something new in the indie film
world. Of course my ears perked up and I was honored and flattered that he
thought of me. I love films, and the idea of IndieFilmNight and
helping to promote raw talent, and to provide a venue where people can go
to to share their interest and see a variety of indie films.
Bill Page and Gwen Gioia hosting
IndieFilmNight |
You
are mainly known from reality television. What can you tell us about your
involvement with the independent film world prior to IndieFilmNight,
and your love for indie films as such? GWEN GIOIA: You
did your homework! Yes, I am best known from reality-TV - The
Bachelor in 2002 and Bachelor Pad in 2010. I
personally have always loved theater, film, and the arts in general for as
long as I can remember. Bill and I were actually in an independent film
together titled 13th Grade, which is where we met. We stayed in
contact and I was there for the premiere of Bill's film
All Along.
We also shared an interest in our local hockey team - Bill was their #1
fan (seriously), and I was the host of all the home playoff games, so once
again we connected and stayed in touch.
Up to now, the
films shown on the program have been chosen by Bill Page. What
can you tell us about the choosing process, what are the standards you
have set for the movies you show? BILL
PAGE: The
standards are as follows: The filmmaker must own the rights to the movie
and have clearances from all performers, locations, and music.
We want the true Independents, not the $20 million "so-called"
independents. Currently, the selection process is pretty liberal,
but we realize as we get more films we will have to start making decisions
on what gets screened and what does not. Are
there certain things you flatly refuse to show on IndieFilmNight - apart from the illegal of course? BILL
PAGE: We
have not come across anything that we would absolutely say NO to, but
I am sure there are some things we wouldn't screen (but that is a rarity).
We don't want to be in the business of censorship. Where do indie
filmmakers have to turn to to get a spot on your show? BILL
PAGE: Just
go to the website www.IndieFilmNight.com
and click on SUBMIT A FILM. Once received, we will contact the
filmmaker(s) with the necessary paperwork to get the show on the air. The 64 Dollar
question is of course: What do indie filmmakers get out of their films
been shown on IndieFilmNight? BILL
PAGE: Currently,
the filmmakers will get the satisfaction of knowing that their movie can
be seen all across the world. I am convinced that filmmakers want
their movies to be seen by as many people as possible. In turn,
maybe a DISTRIBUTOR or other filmmaker may really like their movie which may
in turn lead to excitng opportunities for filmmakers. If this
happens with any of the films screened, we will surely let the viewers
know. Dave Reinert and
Ric Edevane mainly work behind the scenes on the show and make sure
everything goes smoothly. How did you get involved with IndieFilmNight, and what are your functions on the show? DAVE
REINERT: I work for a company here in Delaware called Positive
Promotions. We are a production company that mainly produces
infomercials and local magazine style news programs. Recently,
we kicked off www.Delaware28.com
as our web portal and our means to be able to stream live programming on
the internet.
For the past 16 years that i have worked here since graduating with a
degree in Film Theory, my boss, Tim Qualls (Executive Producer for IndieFilmNight),
has promised to give me my own time to promote my love, Independent Films.
But until now, there has never been a feasible and practical way to
accomplish it. But with the help from Bill and Ric, and the fellow
members of DIF (Delaware Independent Filmmakers), we were
finally able to come together with this idea and bring it to fruition.
We have a large group of filmmakers in this state that are willing to put
their time and effort into the art of the Independent Film.
My role here has been in the production of the program and of the website.
I work the control booth during the live stream, switching cameras,
maintaining audio, and controlling the live feed. I also built and
maintain everything on the website.
RIC EDEVANE: I'm
the Director of the show and one of the co-creators. Bill and Tim Qualls
came up with the idea and the 4 of us, Bill, Tim, Daps and myself worked
on creating the style and flow of the show.
Which
brings us to the show's schedule for the next few weeks:
Jan
5, 2011 - Film Camp
Jan 12, 2011 - Our first short film series: Wildest Dreams, Alistair
MacLean: Y'did Nefesh,
Rent's Due, Remember Me, One Big Happy Family
Jan 19, 2011 - How to become an Action Star in Ten Weeks
Jan 26, 2011 - TBA
Feb 2, 2011 - 9th & Bay
All
that said, here are the favourite movies of all the IndieFilmNight crew, both their respective favourite indie and their five alltime favourite films (indies, studio
pictures, whatever else):
BILL PAGE:
My favorite to date will be screened Jan 19 - How to Become an Action Star in Ten Weeks.
I also
love Homeland which screened in December.
All-time favorites: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,
The Graduate, Back to the Future, American History X, oh yeah I
forgot my very favorite
All Along.
TIM QUALLS:
My
favorite indie film
that
has not been shown yet
-
Tim Qualls
Does Big with IndieFilmNight (just started script).
My all time favorite films- Independence Day, Men In Black, Gone
With The Wind, Harry Potter (all of them), Star
Trek
(the movie).
GWEN GIOIA: There are so many indie film I love, but I like Countdown
to Zero, which is a Lawrence Bender film. It is a documentary that
focuses on real-life issues and is a real eye-opener about nuclear power
and how easy it is to obtain, make, and hence destroy the world. It is a
call to action.
On a lighter note, I am very excited to see Like Crazy at the 2011 Sundance
Film Festival in Park City Utah. It is a story about love, and I am
sometimes a hopeless romantic, so this is one I am looking forward to.
DAVE
REINERT: My favorite indie not shown on the show?
I'll tell you, I have not had a spare moment in the past 6 months to keep
up with my film watching. And it's been hard to find good films that
have not been released that you can view online. But I have seen a
few efforts from local filmmakers that deserve mentioning. In 200
Characters or Less is a fine little movie from DIF member Mauro
Giuffrida, that has to be the best indie to come out of Delaware so far.
I believe we are showing that in February or March.
All-time 5 fav's... tough question... Memento, any Coen Brothers-film
(although, I'd put Fargo or Blood Simple on top), Road to
Perdition, City of God, Amores Perros, Pulp Fiction...
sorry, top 6.
RIC
EDEVANE:
So far I think Homeland is my fave since we've started.
Top 5: Obviously Star Wars, Titanic, Usual Suspects,
Seven, Rear Window.
My favorite flop of all time is Albino Alligator. Should have
made at least $500,000, sheesh!
All that's left to add to this I guess is a nice closing
comment:
BILL
PAGE:
I
want to thank SearchMyTrash for supporting IndieFilmNight and I look
forward to a long lasting show dedicated for the true indie filmmakers out
there.
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