Over the past few years, I've had the pleasure of attending a number of film festivals and conferences, some with a press pass blogging for The Independent, some as a filmmaker; and each time I watch films, attend panel discussions, and most importantly, speak to documentary filmmakers to learn about their creative practice and the realities of producing.

In her role as managing director of the Illinois Film Office, Betsy Steinberg spends a lot of time talking with filmmakers on both coasts and overseas. “In Chicago, and around the state, the abundance of looks is never-ending,” she says. “Every filmmaker says it is the most under-photgraphed place in the movies.”

Your film has all the elements of an underground hit: tears, laughter, intrigue, love, hate, betrayal… audiences will love it! But you spent your entire budget on production.

So the question remains: How can you effectively spread the word so that your film is viewed by as many people as possible, particularly when you lack adequate funding?

What Is Social Media?

Choosing The Independent's 10 to Watch is like trying to predict the future, or the stock market, or the weather in New England. The films on this list are in all stages of production and the filmmakers range from seasoned professionals to debut artists. So you might wonder how we named this particular group. How, exactly, does one go about predicting what 2010 has in store?

Editor's note: Below is just a sampling of Shechter's Sundance account. For the whole enchilada, visit her blog.

Hello from Sundance!

Pink slips and foreclosure notices. A few years ago, they seemed like some distant reality, something other people faced, people we didn’t know. Increasingly, though, the threat of job loss and foreclosure touches us all in some way. If we aren’t personally facing these issues, a family member, friend, or neighbor likely is.

Editor's Note: This collaborative reporting effort was led by Nikki Chase with help from Maddy Kadish and The Independent's associate editor, Cristina Sousa.

BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION

From New Hampshire’s “no filming permits” policy to Michigan’s 42 percent tax credit, states are fighting to stay competitive with low-cost international filming locations — and each other. For filmmakers, this means a slew of incentive programs that might make financing your next film a bit easier.

You may want to check out part one, which offers a festival overview with a focus on its narrative features.

In my first two installments of my Film Journal for The Independent, I wrote about the philosophy behind the $200,000 independent film. In this installment, I will talk about laying the groundwork to make our film at this budget, the period known as pre-production, and how the making of Losing Control reinforced the film's theme that faith is more valuable than proof.

Two-time Emmy Award winner June Cross has written, produced, or edited about a dozen documentaries in a career that spans more than three decades. She is also an associate professor of Journalism at Columbia University, where she teaches graduate-level courses in reporting and documentary film.

Christmas is less than two weeks away, and the clock is ticking loudly for Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada), who wants a health care bill before the holidays. As the Democrats have desperately tried to accelerate the legislation’s passage this month, there have been two main speed bumps: abortion and the public option.

If you’ve never been to Montréal, Québec you’re missing out. With cheap rent, creative industries, and multiculturalism seeping out all of its pores, this port city is crawling with artsy & cinematic characters from the très hip to the downright derelict, a cross between Brooklyn, New Orleans, Marseilles and maybe Istanbul.

This past weekend, while Washington, D.C. area residents were out enjoying the first snowfall of the season, members of the United States Senate were on Capitol Hill debating the health care bill.

Opportunities abound today for animators to contribute to film — both independent and mainstream — television, and games, but it is still a competitive field, and choosing the right animation program can mean the difference between pushing the animation envelope at studios such as Pixar and