Filmmaker of the Year Nominees


   Samuel Gonzalez Jr.  |  Los Angeles

   Brandon Dermer  |  Santa Monica

   Nate Wooldridge  |  San Diego

   Dalton J. Rooney  |  San Francisco

   Benjamin Parslow   |  Portland

   EFillF Productions  |  Denver

   Hi Def  |  Minneapolis

   Iliya Gegov  |  Chicago

   Sam Rappold   |  New York

   Meteor Tower  |  Philadelphia

   Nicole Beauchaine  |  Boston

   Cary Wolfe  |  Nashville

   Audio Brad  |  Austin

   Rianne Hill Soriano  |  Las Vegas

   

FILM: Chloe Lee

Vy Pham
Oct 15 |11:47

Magical realist filmmaker Chloe Lee will be screening one of her latest shorts at the next San Francisco RAW showcase on Thursday, October 21st at the Minna Gallery!

I've been painting, drawing etc. since I was in middle school, but I didn't become emerged in film until I got into college. I would say my art in general is surreal or fantasy oriented. Most of my films are in the genre of magical realism. I feel that since I can't make all my ideas and stories come true in real life, I might as well  have the impossible happen in my films! 

I'm also working on other side projects in what's left of free time after work. I am a video correspondent for the Santa Cruz Sentinel, the county newspaper, and edit wedding videos. Feel free to check out my work: www.chylee.com

- Chloe Lee

 

   

FILM: A Lost Love Story

Vy Pham
Oct 07 |15:32

Award-winning filmmaker Meg Pinsonneault of Thirsty Girl Films will be screening her latest short film titled "A Lost Love Story" at the next Los Angeles RAW showcase on Thursday, October 14th at the Elevate Lounge in Downtown. Be sure to RSVP to attend the premiere of this amazing stop motion film! 

Meg Pinsonneault is an award-winning, festival-screened director and screenwriter in Los Angeles, with two feature scripts currently optioned. She hails from rural Pennsylvania, via Emerson College in Boston, where she received degrees in both Film and Screenwriting. Meg is co-founder of the budding production company, Thirsty Girl Films, proud to premiere their short film, “A Lost Love Story,” with the RAW organization. Likewise, Thirsty Girl is currently in preproduction for their upcoming period piece, “Circus Girl,” written and directed by Meg Pinsonneault. She is also a staff writer and director for the sketch comedy website, brevityTV.com. Meg is experienced as an editor and videographer as well, specializing in music videos, documentaries, and stop motion animation.

Meg’s award-winning short documentary, “Faces of Tomorrow,” was an official selection of the 2009 Sacramento Film and Music Festival, won Best Documentary at the 2010 Octaedro Film Festival, and was nominated for a 2009 Maverick Movie Award. Meg is slated to travel with Faces of Tomorrow in January 2011, accompanied by photographer Sabina Padilla, to document the organization’s trip to the Philippines. Likewise, Meg created a stop motion claymation piece that won 3rd place in Moveon.org’s national contest, Obama in 30 Seconds. Over 4 million people voted for the finalists, and celebrities, like Ben Affleck and Mobi, voted for Meg’s entry.

Meg’s experience also includes production design and art direction, winning a 2008 Telly Award. She is an award-winning amateur photographer and published poet. She loves travelling, snowboarding, boating, music, history, and culture.

Visit the following links to learn more about her work: www.artworksbymeg.com; www.thirstygirlfilms.com; www.alostlovefilm.com 

   

FILM: "Sin Aliento" by Ashley Ruben

Vy Pham
Sep 07 |14:45

Be sure to catch the exclusive screening of filmmaker Ashley Ruben's short film "Sin Aliento" at the next showcase on Thursday, September 16th at the Elevate Lounge in Downtown Los Angeles! She talks to RAW about her creative career. 

Tell us about yourself and how you first got started in film.
I was born in raised in the San Fernando Valley. I went to UC Irvine and studied Criminology and Film Studies. I’ve been working in film for about four years now and try to constantly create as much as I can. When I’m not working, I enjoy traveling and being outdoors. I enjoy life and want to live everyday to it’s fullest.  I more or less fell into film. I went to college not really knowing what I wanted to do but knew what I was interested in. I’ve always loved film and decided to take a few classes in it when I was in my freshman year of school. I ended up loving everything about it and found the environment so welcoming that it was impossible for me to resist. I find that film is a truly unique way to change the world and I would love spend the rest of my life trying to do that.

Any other films you've produced?
I’ve worked on several films recently. Lately, I’ve been doing more and more music videos but I prefer to do narratives. I’m working with a few of my friends to develop a feature length film to be shot in the next few years. Ultimately, I want to try to make documentaries as well.

Tell us about the film you will be screening. 
The film I am screening is an adaptation of a scene in Jean Luc Godard’s 1960’s film Breathless. I am in love with this film and the relationship he created between his two characters. I changed it by setting it in modern day Los Angeles and switching the roles, questioning the gender roles of the characters in the short.

From where do you draw inspiration for your work?
I find inspiration in my everyday life and the people I know and love. I also am inspired by other’s work as well. The reason I am driven to create is because I am challenged by other’s work. When I see something that someone has made which makes me stop and go “wow” it drives me to go out there and try to wow others.

Do you engage in, or draw inspiration from, any other forms of art? 
I play the guitar and have for about ten years now. I wish I was better at it and think highly of people who are. Music really powers me through everything and ignites my creative process. I also love photography. I think you can learn more about a subject from a photograph than you can from a lot of other things because it freezes something in a moment. Film uses a lot of tools to tell a story but photography only uses one, the image. To be able to tell a whole story in a single frame is very commendable. 

When you are not filming, how do you like to spend your time? 
When I’m not working, I think about working! But really, I go to a lot of concerts, do yoga, and watch a lot of TV and movies.

All time favorite film?
I don’t really have a favorite film, I have a hundred favorite films. Somewhere in my top 10 you would definitely find Children of Men, City of God, The Edge of Heaven, The Battle of Algries, and Breathless. Ask me tomorrow though, it’ll probably be a little different.

Are there any filmmakers, past or present, who strongly inform and influence your work? 
My all time favorite filmmakers are the Coen Brothers, Alfonzo Curaon, Fatih Akin, Jean Luc Godard, Mark Duplass, and Spike Jonze. They all challenged conventions and created their own individual styles. When I watch their films, I’m inspired to go out and do what I love and want to do.

Why showcase with RAW? 
A good friend of mine told me about RAW and I think it’s a great program! I love how RAW brings together artists with such broad ranges. It helps expose people to all mediums of art and allows for people to learn new and exciting things from others.

Any current rising stars within the genre that you would recommend we look out for?
Right now is a crazy time for filmmakers. New camera technology is making it possible for people with very small budgets to make great looking films. There has also been a rise in the number of feature films being released made by women directors and new directors; it’s a changing time in the industry. I would just say to keep your eyes open; I have no idea what’s going to happen next.

   

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