Fri, Apr 25, 2014
Frank Darabont, writer and director of such classics as The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and The Mist, discusses adapting works by Stephen King and keeping his characters at the core of the story. Followed by Jeffrey DeChausse's short film, Anniversario, trailing a woman's visit to her two favorite hairdressers on the day of her 45th wedding anniversary for what becomes the most important makeover of their lives.
Sat, May 3, 2014
An iconic example of its genre, Alien's tension, pacing, and craftsmanship are deconstructed by veteran screenwriters John August and Ashley Miller. Accompanied by Jason Mann and Frieda Luk's mystical short film, Delicacy, following a culinary connoisseur and his loyal chef as they dangerously navigate into the unknown with hopes to obtain a rare treat.
Fri, May 9, 2014
House of Cards creator, Beau Willimon, discusses writing for Netflix, working with David Fincher, and delving into the psychology of narrative power struggles. Artiz Moreno's short film, Colera, follows with an ominous glimpse of a town that decides to take the law into their own hands, without considering the consequences.
Fri, May 16, 2014
Rian Johnson, Richard Kelly, and Roberto Orci, masters of weaving time travel into film, dissect the elements that make for a believable "operating system" when writing a comprehensible screenplay timeline. A Conversation About Cheating with my Time Traveling Future Self follows, with one man's attempt to better his life by traveling back in time to offer himself advice.
Fri, May 23, 2014
Callie Khouri reflects upon her experience working with Ridley Scott and writing the classic female-driven-buddy film, Thelma and Louise. Followed by Avram Dodson's short film, Pistachio Milk, a coming of age tale about a young suitor using only his wits and a bottle of pistachio milk to pursue his love interest.
Fri, May 30, 2014
The Clint Eastwood/David Peoples classic Unforgiven is deconstructed by Into the West's Kirk Ellis and Apaloosa's Robert Knott as they explore its gritty action, ambiguous morality, and the tried-and-true tropes of its genre. Christian Baker's short film, The Well, follows suit, trailing a young Civil War soldier stationed alone on the US/Mexico faced with nothing but his own demons.
Fri, Jun 13, 2014
Ray McKinnon, creator of the Sundance Channel's breakout hit, Rectify, details how to capture the personality of a culture through establishing strong characters, tone, and atmosphere. The short film Spanola Pepper Sauce Company follows, directed by McKinnon and written by Graham Gordy, suggesting there's more brewing in Spanola, AK than just its fine pepper sauce cooking.
Fri, Jun 27, 2014
Frank Pierson's Academy Award® winning Dog Day Afternoon elevates the classic crime genre through its exploration of textured characters and rationale. Screenwriters Robin Swicord (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Peter Craig (The Town) examine the story's masterful reveal of information and its surprising, but inevitable and honest conclusion.
Sat, Jul 12, 2014
Filmmaking legends Paul Thomas Anderson and Jonathan Demme pay tribute to Robert Downey Sr.'s cult classic Greaser's Palace, followed by an interview with Academy Award winning filmmaker Andrew Napier about his short film, Grandma's Not a Toaster, where a whiskey-guzzling mother-to-be aims to enlist her neurotic brother in attempt to thieve from their ailing grandmother's fortune. The short film plays after Napier's interview.