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LAST CHANCE TO BE HEARD – TAKE OUR JOBS

SURVEY 

 

Did you work on any of these productions?

These are a few of the dozens of incentive
feature films and commercials that were made in Washington thanks to the state
film incentive. (See the survey for the complete list of 2012 projects).

Washington Filmworks has created more than
5,000 jobs and it’s our goal to create even more. Washington residents who
work in the film industry are urged to take our first annual job
survey for cast and crew. This is your last chance to participate in
this important survey of the Washington Film Industry. Whether you’ve worked on
dozens of incentive projects or none of them, your voice is so important. This
survey is intended to track the work you did in 2012 (January 1
through December 31).

Our goals are to:

  •  – Better understand how film professionals create
    their careers
  •  – Better understand how film contributes to the
    larger economy
  •  – Grow more opportunities for film workers across
    the state

Our survey will close Monday, April 1st. You can find it here.

 

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INCENTIVE FILM TOUCHY FEELY ACQUIRED BY

 

MAGNOLIA PICTURES 

Magnolia Pictures picked up the world distribution rights to Lynn Shelton’s newest film,Touchy Feely. The Washington incentive film shot in Seattle in 2012 and stars Rosemarie DeWitt, Josh Pais, Ellen Page, Scoot McNairy, Allison Janney, and Ron Livingston. The feature premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. More than sixty Washington cast and crew members collectively worked more than ten thousand hours to bring this feature to life. Congratulations to all!

 

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INCENTIVE FILM 21 & OVER IN THEATERS

  

Washington incentive film 21 & Over was released in theaters March 1. The comedy was written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, writers of the smash hit The Hangover. The production filmed in Seattle in 2011 and heavily featured the University of Washington campus, as well as several area neighborhoods. Congratulations to the more than one hundred Washington cast and crew members who worked on 21 & Over.

 

 

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INCENTIVE FILM EDEN OPENS IN NEW YORK 

Megan Griffiths’ film, Eden, is based on a true story and puts a spotlight on the world of sex trafficking. Following an award-winning festival run, the feature opened in theaters in New York this month. Eden filmed in diverse landscapes around the state, including Seattle, Lake Moses, and Ellensburg. The desert of Eastern Washington doubled for the Southwest; landscapes surprised critics and audiences alike, who were astonished to learn that the film was actually shot in the Pacific Northwest. Eden is distributed by Phase 4 films, and is scheduled to hit theaters next in Los Angeles and will screen May 3 to 15 at SIFF Cinema in Seattle. Eden will release on VOD on April 20thand on DVD on June 11th, 2013.

Plus watch for upcoming news on Griffiths’ latest incentive film, Lucky Them, which recently wrapped filming in Washington.

 

 

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NORTHWEST HEADS SOUTHWEST

 

South by Southwest, the massive annual music, film and interactive festival in Austin, Texas, wrapped on March 17. A delegation from Washington was in attendance to network and talk to filmmakers about what Washington State has to offer production. Washington Filmworks, Warren Etheredge, and KCTS joined forces with the Washington Wine Commission and Trace of the W Seattle, to host several filmmaker dinners and cocktail receptions during the fest. The dinners, prepared by Trace Chef de Cuisine, Steven Ariel, and his team, showcased the best of Washington wines and food. 

 
Washington Filmworks Executive Director, Amy Lillard, continued to explore the intersection of technology and storytelling by attending panels and events at the festival. Lillard took several meetings with creative entrepreneurs about evolving business models in the industry. The crowd from Washington also made time to celebrate the success of Seattle filmmaker, Dayna Hanson, and her collaborators. Hanson’s feature film, Improvement Club, was in the narrative feature competition at the festival this year.

 

 

 

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FIRST INNOVATION LAB PROJECT BEGINS

PRODUCTION

In late 2012, Washington Filmworks committed funding assistance to five projects helmed by emerging Washington filmmakers through the inaugural Film Cycle of the Filmworks Innovation Lab. Tony Fulgham’sBox Walk is the first of those projects to go into production. The short film is a coming-of-age story set in rural Eastern Washington, that spans almost two decades. A quiet thirteen-year-old and his rough and silent stepfather track down a wounded deer. The lessons learned in those dark woods aren’t fully realized until seventeen years later, when the teenager, now a grown man, pays a visit to his stepfather.

This March the short film shot for five days, bringing production into more remote areas of Washington, including Moses Lake, Soap Lake, Mazama, Winthrop and Cle Elum. To learn more about their progresscheck out the film’s Facebook Page. Washington Filmworks couldn’t be more thrilled for Tony and the cast and crew of Box Walk.

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INNOVATION CYCLE OF LAB DRAWS 25 APPLICANTS

In the coming months Washington Filmworks will work with 25 applicants as part of the Innovation Cycle of our Filmworks Innovation Lab. This cycle of the program was designed to invest in our local creative community by encouraging the development of original storytelling that capitalizes on new forms of production and technology. The Washington Filmworks Board of Directors may allocate up to $175,000 towards the Innovation Cycle of the Lab. The process is juried and only the most qualified projects will receive funding assistance. The Lab offers a return of between 1 to 30 percent of eligible in-state spending on motion picture production and decisions on the level of funding assistance are determined by the merit of the project. WF is excited to work with all applicants through this process. Watch for funding assistance announcements in late May.

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IT’S FMI HAPPY HOUR TIME!

    

Film + Music + Interactive Happy Hourreturns tomorrow, March 27, with special guest Steve Edmiston. Crowdfunding has become the new favorite financing strategy for smaller initiatives, resulting in a win or lose situation. The consequences of a failed crowdfunding initiative can leave a mark on your work, but the strategist who knows how to play the system can come out on top. Steve Edmiston, a local business and entertainment attorney with Invicta Law Group, as well as independent screenwriter and producer, owner and producer of EKE Pictures, and owner of Storybox Studios, will speak about how to rig the crowdfunding system to win big. Join us for tips and strategies drawn from his experience, as well as a recent academic study of 47,000 crowdfunding projects by Ethan Mollick of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. The monthly Happy Hour is a meet-up for leaders in film, music, and interactive industries to make meaningful business connections. Please mark your calendars and join others in this great networking event at Spitfire in Belltown.