November 2002

The hottest week of the year in New York City coincided with the Third Annual New York International Latino Film Festival, July 30–August 4.

The hottest week of the year in New York City coincided with the Third Annual New York International Latino Film Festival, July 30–August 4. As the temperature never dipped below eighty degrees (even at night), fifty films divided into four categories (domestic features, documentaries, shorts, and international features) unspooled at two well air-conditioned venues on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Although Milwaukee will eternally be known for beer, cheese hats, and the infamous Laverne and Shirley, the unique city is also home to a thriving and supportive art scene. The film and video community in Milwaukee has enjoyed an increasingly active past couple of years. Legend has it there was a hot film scene here in the eighties, and as the cyclical nature of history can attest, a resurgence of strong, active, and respected work is emerging from the present community.

When you begin reading a book, it is a given that if you start on page one and read each successive page you will eventually get to the end of the story. The same goes for watching a film or a play. We sit. We watch. We leave. From childhood we are trained that there is a known route that will get us to the end of stories. Presented in these formats, stories are easy to navigate through. The only thing hindering our voyage is our mind; are we paying attention or are we sleeping?

The word on the street is that the New York-based Urbanworld Film Festival is a black film festival, but inside the theaters it becomes clear that Urbanworld is a showcase for a diverse group of minority filmmakers.

The word on the street is that the New York-based Urbanworld Film Festival is a black film festival, but inside the theaters it becomes clear that Urbanworld is a showcase for a diverse group of minority filmmakers. From the pulsating hip hop beat of the Clipse’s Lord Willin’ in the opening trailer to the broad range of the sixty films screened, Urbanworld’s niche as a premiere minority festival is undeniable. But their attempt at a balancing between Hollywood and the independent world is a little shaky.

Before shooting a film or video, long form or short form, narrative or documentary, before beginning development, fundraising, or even casting, there is one thing every filmmaker should have, a budget. It is a crucial part of every production. It’s one of the few constants in every type of filmmaking. It’s the thing that almost every other decision hangs on. The ever elusive, ever-changing budget.

There are many ways to finance a film. In some cases, financiers want to get involved because the material has touched them in a certain way. Other times, they’re intrigued because they always wanted to work with the director or an actor. Then there are people with money and want to get into movies. The hardest part, of course, is finding the people with the deep pockets. Sometimes it takes months, sometimes years, but that’s the rush of the moviemaking process.