Camera, Lighting, and Sound Workshop Recap

On Saturday, September 28th, Women in Cinema hosted the Fall 2013 Camera, Lighting and Sound Workshop at Picturebox Studios in Austin. This was definitely the most successful one yet! We had a completely full house with an awesome turnout of both UT students and a few people from the community. 

It wouldn't have been such a hit without our great group of instructors teaching the participants. Mariam Aziz, who is a current MFA Production candidate at UT Austin and Cinematographer, headed up the camera section. Curtis Henderson is finishing up his undergrad work at UT and also works as a Production Sound Recordist and in Post-Production Sound shared his knowledge and experience working in sound. And, Carmen Hilbert, a recent graduate from UT and current Gaffer/Grip, taught our lighting section and shared her experience working in professional G&E departments. 

This event was also co-sponsored by the University of Texas at Austin's Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. 

Thank you to everyone who came out and participated and a big thanks for everyone who continues to support us! 

If you missed out on this fun event, never fear! Be sure to come next semester!

Camera, Sound, Lighting Workshop

The last weekend in September marks the fall edition of the Women In Cinema Camera, Sound, and Lighting Workshop!  This workshop is a great opportunity for all to refresh their film knowledge and network with others participating in the workshop.  So how do you get in on all the fun?  Simply email utwomenincinema@gmail.com to reserve your spot at this event.

DETAILS

Saturday, September 28

10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

@ 701 Tillery St., Picturebox Studio

Facebook Event

Workshop costs $5 for Women In Cinema members and $15 for non-members.  Lunch provided at workshop.  If you need transportation to and from the workshop, please email to let us know.

PLEASE BRING:

-Gloves to handle lights (if you have them)

-Something to write notes on

-Do not wear open toed shoes

See you there!

2013 Women In Cinema SXSW Panel

With SXSW less than two weeks away, we know you're in a frenzy planning your schedule....and we're here to add another must-see event!  We had such a stellar time last year at our SX panel, we couldn't resist doing another one this year.  This year's SXSW Panel features five ladies who are kicking ass and taking names at film festivals this year and we can't wait to here them talk!

PANELISTS

Lola Bessis, Director/Screenwriter
Swim Little Fish Swim, Narrative Feature
SXSW Screening Times: March 11 @ 11:00am, March 12 @ 1:45pm, March 13 @ 9:00pm
Lola Bessis, 23, is a French screenwriter, director, producer and actress. After attending some of the most prestigious film schools – UCL (London), The New School and NYU (New York) – and working on several documentaries and TV shows, Lola co-wrote a multi-awarded short film, "Checkpoint", which was selected at more than 100 renowned festivals around the world. She has also directed several fiction and experimental short films. At only 21, Lola co-directed, produced, wrote and starred in her first feature film, "Swim Little Fish Swim", which will premiere at SXSW ‘13. In 2012, along with Ruben Amar, she founded her production company, Les Films de la Fusée. She’s currently developing two new feature scripts and a TV series. She lives between Paris and New York. 

Frances Bodomo, Director/Screenwriter
Boneshaker, Narrative Short
SXSW Screening Times: March 9 @ 11:15am, March 11 @ 2pm, March 13 @ 4:30pm
Frances Bodomo is a Ghanaian filmmaker based in New York City. She grew up in Ghana, Norway, California, and Hong Kong before moving to New York to study filmmaking. "Boneshaker" is her first film.

Lauren Wolkstein, Director/Screenwriter
Social Butterfly, Narrative Short
SXSW Screening Times: March 9 @ 1:45pm, March 11 @ 4:30pm, March 13 @ 1:45pm
Lauren Wolkstein received her MFA in directing from Columbia University. She was named one of the top emerging filmmakers by The Film Society of Lincoln Center. Her film, "Cigarette Candy", won Best Narrative Short at the 2010 SXSW Film Festival. Her last short film, "The Strange Ones", co-directed with Chris Radcliff, screened at SXSW in 2011.

Celia Rowlson-Hall, Director/Screenwriter
The Audition, Narrative Short
SXSW Screening Times: March 9 @ 11:15am, March 11 @ 2pm, March 13 @ 4:30pm
Si Nos Dejan, Narrative Short
SXSW Screening Times: March 9 @ 1:45pm, March 11 @ 4:30pm, March 13 @ 1:45pm
Celia Rowlson-Hall is a filmmaker, choreographer and Bessie Award winning performer.

Jillian Schlesinger, Director
Maidentrip, Documentary Feature
SXSW Screening Times: March 10 @ 1:45pm, March 12 @ 11:00am, March 13 @ 2:00pm, March 14 @ 1:30pm
Jillian Schlesinger is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker making her directorial debut with "Maidentrip" (World Premiere SXSW 2013). She has worked in various capacities on documentaries, including writing, story development, and archival research. She has also written, directed, and edited numerous on-air promotions for television networks, including AMC, Sundance Channel, and BBC America. Her work on Sundance Channel's Dysfunctional Family Thanksgiving earned a 2010 Promax BDA Award in the "Something for Nothing" category. Jillian grew up in Santa Cruz, CA and graduated from Brown University, where she studied dramatic writing and linguistic anthropology.

Julia Pott, Director, Animator

The Event, Animated Short

SXSW Screening Times: March 9 @ 11:00am, March 12 @ 4:15pm, March 13 @ 9:30pm
Julia Pott is a British animator and illustrator based in Brooklyn, New York. Following a BA in Animation and Illustration at Kingston University in 2007, Julia completed an MA in Animation at the Royal College of Art in 2011, where she completed ‘Howard’ and her award winning film ‘Belly’ which was officially selected for the Sundance Film Festival 2012 and over 60 other festivals worldwide. She has been named one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker Magazine, one of the Indie Film Breakouts of 2012 by Indiewire and is an an ADC Young Gun. Her clients include Bat for Lashes, Channel Four, Etsy, Hermes, J.Crew, MTV, and Toyota. She is represented globally by Hornet Inc.

Panel Moderator:
Kat Candler, Director/Screenwriter
Black Metal, Narrative Short
SXSW Screening Times: March 9 @ 11:15am, March 11 @ 2pm, March 13 @ 4:30pm
Kat Candler's award winning films have screened at Sundance, SXSW, Slamdance, San Francisco International Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festival and on PBS. She’s in development on two features, "Nikki is a Punk Rocker" and "Hellion". Candler is a film Lecturer at the University of Texas.

PANEL DETAILS
Wednesday, March 13
7:30 - 9:30 pm
CMB Studio 4D, UT Campus (Corner of Dean Keaton & Guadalupe)
Free admission and open to the public
Facebook Event

A Night of Member Screenings

Women In Cinema is shaking things up this month.  Instead of having our usual (awesome) panel, we will be hosting A Night of Member Screenings.  We're very excited for our lineup and you should be, too!  A Night of Member Screenings will showcase the WIC Fall 2012 Film Festival Scholarship winning films, a fine cut of the WIC summer production, and more short films created by WIC members.  This is a great opportunity to see what your fellow classmates have been up to and to meet other members.

PANEL DETAILS
Wednesday, February 27
Starts at 7:30 pm
CMA 3.120, Free Admission
Facebook Event

Screenwriting Panel Recap

We know it's already February and people are beginning to dream of sunny spring break plans (SXSW, anyone?) but we wanted to give a quick recap of our fantastic screenwriting panel. Is it just us, or do we need to find a larger room on campus?! THANK YOU to everyone who attended our screenwriting panel and for asking such great questions to our engaging and hilarious panelists.

We started off the evening with a very basic question for our panelists and received a variety of answers.  Don't ever think there's only path to get to where you want to go!

WIC - What did you go to school for and how did you get to today?  

• Owen - Owen started studying in communications, but that only lasted for a semester.  He graduated with a degree in English then received a MFA in fiction writing.  Currently, he works at the Austin-famous Alamo Drafthouse.  
• Matt - While studying at UT, Matt interned with Austin Film Festival and now runs the competition that he first interned for!
• Michelle - As a young girl, Michelle always considered herself a writer by creating puppet stories.  As she grew older, she realized filmmaking was developed out of her love for writing.
• Jill - Jill studied English at Columbia, but she really wanted to act (she admits that going to Columbia was to trick her parents into letting her live in New York City).  But she quickly found out that acting was a miserable experience.  She then became intrigued by what went on behind the camera.  She tried her hand at directing, but again, she found it miserable.  Her next adventure was in screenwriting and the rest is history.

As the evening progressed, the panelists talked about script rewrites, screenplay competitions, working in LA and with big studios, and how to break into the business.  Below are some of the key takeaways.

Advice for Rewrites

• Owen - Throws around ideas with his two partners until they all catch on to one idea.  They also utilize a beat sheet and are always aware of the three act structure. His best advice? “Hold on loosely to everything you write, don’t put your heart into it.  It’s easier. Cut it and put it in another document for a different project.”
• Jill - 99% of the scripts she reads fails to tell a story.  The scripts usually have a situation, not a story. She says “We get so attached to plot details we cannot see the greater picture and story.”

Common Mistakes

• Scripts try to do much! They try to be the director, they put in camera angles, or the script is put in a binder with a head shot.
• If you’re writing an original pilot, do not take forever to set up the story and situation.
• People do not know what story they’re telling.  Something that was the subplot accidentally becomes the plot. 
• If you don’t know what you’re ending is you won’t know where you’re going.
• Make sure every character has it’s own distinct voice, to the point that if you scribble out their name on the script, you know who was talking.

How to Break into the Business

• Owen - (on the Hollywood system) Make it your goddamn self.  It’s so much easier.  
• Matt - Keep going, write as much as you can.
• Michelle - Agrees with Owen.  She made Preacher's Daughter on her own and that was a risk that paid off. So don't be afraid to take risks.
• Jill - You don’t have to win a competition to get a lot out of it.  Make a short list of screenwriting competitions to apply to, and get your work out there. Also, if you want to be a serious screenwrititer, you should be reading scripts all the time.  Jill reads 50 scripts a year. (You can find free scripts at script-o-rama.com)

Owen, Matt, Michelle, and Jill, we can't thank you enough for sharing your time and thoughts with us!

Spring Edition: Camera, Sound, Lighting Workshop

The second weekend in February marks the spring edition of the Women In Cinema Camera, Sound, and Lighting Workshop.  This workshop is a great opportunity for all to refresh their film knowledge and network with others participating in the workshop.  So how do you get in on all the fun?  Simply email utwomenincinema@gmail.com to reserve your spot at this event.

DETAILS

Saturday, February 9th

10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

@ 701 Tillery St., Picturebox Studio

Facebook Event

Workshop costs $5 for Women In Cinema members and $15 for non-members.  Lunch provided at workshop.  If you need transportation to and from the workshop, please email to let us know.

PLEASE BRING:

-Gloves to handle lights (if you have them)

-Something to write notes on

-Do not wear open toed shoes

Can't wait to see all your lovely faces there!

Screenwriting Panel

Folks, it's that time of year again.  Classes have started back up, syllabi handed out, and students already back into study mode.  The start of the spring semester also marks the start of our monthly panels.  This month, we're happy to announce a fantastic screenwriting panel featuring some kick ass ladies and gents from the Austin area.  Check out the panelists' bios below and we hope to see you at our next meeting and panel on January 30th.


Screenwriting Panelists

JILL CHAMBERLAIN is the Founding Director of The Screenplay Workshop, Austin’s only dedicated screenwriting instruction program. As a screenwriting coach, story consultant and instructor, she’s helped hundreds of writers find the best trajectory for their story ideas and given them the tools they need to fully execute professional screenplays. Jill is also a professional screenwriter and script doctor whose work has been seen in theaters across the U.S. and on three continents. Jill studied in the MFA film program at Columbia University, where she also received her undergraduate degree in English.

MATT DY (Screenplay Competition Director at Austin Film Festival)
Matt attended the University of Texas at Austin and received a Bachelor of Science in Radio/TV/Film in 2005. During his time there, he served as the Co-Director for the University Filmmakers’ Alliance Film Conference and first worked for Austin Film Festival as an intern for the Screenplay Competition Department. After his internship, Matt continued working for AFF by helping evaluate First Round scripts as a reader for the Screenplay Competition and eventually was hired as the organization’s Office Manager. After two years in that position, he assumed the role of Screenplay Competition Director, where he helped facilitate over 4400 screenplay entries in 2010. This is his second year as the Director of the Competition. Matt has also written several short and feature screenplays and a stage play that was performed at FronteraFest in Austin.

MICHELLE MOWER (Writer/Director)
Michelle Mower received her B.A. degree in Radio/Television from the University in Houston in 2000. After graduation, Michelle went to work for an NBC affiliate as Associate Producer for the morning news program where her primary job was writing news copy. In 2003, Michelle left broadcast news to work for Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP), a non-profit media arts organization based in Houston. Her primary function as Program Coordinator was to organize SWAMP’s professional development workshops, youth programs, film screenings, monthly filmmakers salons and special events. Through her work with SWAMP, Michelle started Lights! Camera! Action! Summer Moviemaking Camp for teens and the annual Business of Film Conference, which takes place annually at Rice University. She has served on the boards of Texas Motion Picture Alliance (TXMPA), Women In Film and Television (WiFT) and currently sits on the advisory board for Houston Community College’s Department of Film and Audio Production. Michelle has written, produced and/or directed a number of short films and music videos, as well as two feature films. Her debut feature film The Preacher’s Daughter premiered on Lifetime Movie Network on August 31, 2012 and garnered the highest ratings of any movie on the network in 2012. Michelle’s next project is a yet-to-be titled suspense thriller which will begin production in April, 2013.

Writer and performer OWEN EGERTON is one of the talents behind the award-winning The Sinus Show and Master Pancake Theater at the Alamo Drafthouse Theatre. Egerton has written screenplays for Fox, Warner Brothers, and Disney studios. The screenplay Bobbie Sue, which he co-wrote with his partners Russell Sharman and Chris Mass, was honored on the 2008 Blacklist before being purchased by Warner Brothers. Voted Best Local Author of 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012 by The Austin Chronicle, Egerton is also the author of the novel The Book of Harold, which is currently in development as a television series with Warner Bros. Television. His new novel, Everyone Says That at the End of the World will be released this April.


PANEL DETAILS
Wednesday, January 30
WIC Meeting: 7 - 7:30 pm
Screenwriting Panel: 7:30 - 8:30 pm
CMA 3.120, Free Admission
Facebook Event

Art Department Panel

Are you as excited as we are for the final WIC panel of the fall semester?  The Art Department Panel features three wonderful ladies from the Austin community who have years of experience working in the film industry.

Kari Perkins is an accomplished costume designer who is passionate about high quality design and uses a Zen-like approach for creating believable characters. With a history rich in design for the stage, Kari made her film design debut with Dazed and Confused in 1993 and has continued to work with director Richard Linklater over the years on productions such as Fast Food Nation in 2006, A Scanner Darkly in 2006 and Bernie in 2010.  Kari’s costume design can be seen in the film Mud, directed by Jeff Nichols, which was nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.  She has also been featured on the DIY network, Southern Living, Tribeza, and Rare Magazines as well as a podcast on Spoiler Alert Radio. Visit her website at www.kariperkins.com.

Yvonne Boudreaux is a production designer for film, dance, and theater.  She has served as art director on Machete, The Legend of Hell’s Gate, and Puncture and has production designed Dance with the One and Harmony & Me.  She has also worked as a set designer on Laika’s new stop motion animation Paranorman that premiered in August of this year.  Her dance installation projects in which she preformed as the set designer and producer, Shape of White (2009), Portrait(2007), and Wrapped (2005) were selected for the David Mark Cohen New Works Festival in Austin, Texas.  She has served as a set designer for various theatrical productions in Austin and Fort Worth such as Nocturne, Mart/Sade and The Idiot.

Yvonne received a Masters in Theatrical Design from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelors of Architecture from Louisiana State University.  She has taught design and architecture at University of Louisiana in Lafayette.  She is currently working as art director on ABC Family’s The Lying Game and producing a documentary about her family’s connection with the assassination of Louisiana's Senator Huey P Long.

University of Texas MFA alum Caroline Karlen has worked as a Costume Designer and Production Designer on numerous feature films (GRETCHEN, THE HAPPY POET, LOVERS OF HATE, FOUR PLAY, SATURDAY MORNING MASSACRE, THE BOUNCEBACK) and music videos (Arcade Fire, Herman Dune). She has worked on print and commercial ad campaigns for clients such as General Electric, Comcast, and PGI. In addition, she has served as Associate Producer for THE HAPPY POET and THANK YOU A LOT, and as a Segment Producer for SLACKER (2011 remake).

PANEL DETAILS

Monday, November 5

WIC Meeting 7:30-8 pm

Art Department Panel 8-9:30pm

CMA 3.120, Free Admission

Facebook Event

The Lying Game

Simply put, Yvonne Boudreaux is bad ass lady. Holding an Bachelors in Architecture from Louisiana State University and a Masters in Theatrical Design from The University of Texas, Yvonne was well prepared for her current position as art director for the hit ABC Family show The Lying Game. While she is the first to admit that each day at work presents a new set of challenges, it's very clear that Yvonne has greatly impacted the artistic vision of The Lying Game by providing a strong female voice among the primarily male crew.  Filmed at Austin Studios, Yvonne gave Women In Cinema members an exclusive art department tour and shared some of her best kept secrets. Of course, we won't reveal all of them, you'll have to come to the Women In Cinema Art Department Panel on November 5th to find out all her tips and secrets.

Secret #1 - Always give the DP space and options when creating sets - no one likes using the same camera angles over and over.

Secret #2 - Its expensive and difficult to create your own hospital scene. If you can, try to film at a real hospital. The set decoration and hospital equipment can get expensive very quickly.

Secret #3 - Simple, frosted windows/doors are a big no. It's obvious that you are trying to cover up whatever is behind the door. Yvonne's advice: Be more creative! Use ridged glass for windows or a blurred glass that has a pattern on it, then tie that pattern to the interior of the room.

House Interior, The Lying Game

Yvonne explaining how certain windows can move to avoid seeing a camera reflection.

Can you tell where this hallway ends?  Looks can be deceiving!

Group photo FTW

Thank you so much to Yvonne for giving us a fabulous tour of The Lying Game art department & and for all the words of wisdom.  If you missed out on this field trip, don't worry, Yvonne is one our panelists for November's Art Department Panel!  More details to follow in the next few days.

Producing Panel

This month's Producing Panel features distinguished Austinite TV & Film Producers Rakeda Ervin, Caroline Connor, and Megan Gilbride.  These bad ass ladies will share their experiences and knowledge with us next week at our monthly panel.  Get to know our panelists below:

Rakeda L. Ervin has more than ten years of experience as a producer and director.  Her credits are with networks like A&E, NBC and MTV. She's worked on series like, VH1 Behind the Music, My First BET Awards, Shipping Wars and E! True Hollywood Story.  In addition, Rakeda has produced and directed short films and award winning independent documentaries. She is the first director to chronicle the politics of Generation X, through her documentary, X= A Generation Evolved.  Currently, Rakeda teaches video production with the Liberal Arts & Science Academy in Austin.


Caroline Connor has worked in the entertainment industry for the last  8 years.  She recently produced Chu and Blossom, which stars Alan Cumming, Mercedes Ruehl and Annie Potts.  She also co-produced LUV, which hits the theaters in November and Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best which is currently in theaters and on VOD through Oscilloscope. The films premiered, respectively, at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. She is in post-production on Pictures of Superheroes, which she Executive Produced. She has also served as Travel Coordinator on the films Stop Loss and Friday the 13th, and Production Coordinator for various films including Machete, Puncture,  Beneath The Darkness, and Seven Days in Utopia.

Megan Gilbride is an Independent Spirit Award nominated producer of narrative and documentary films.  She produced Bryan Poyser’s LOVERS OF HATE, which premiered in the US Dramatic Competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and was distributed by IFC.  A critical darling praised by the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and San Francisco Chronicle, LA Weekly’s Karina Longworth described the film as “the most exciting American indie I’ve seen in a while.”  

Collaborators since 2005, Megan produced Poyser’s short film, THE FICKLE, for the USA Network’s 2011 Character Project and is currently producing his romantic comedy feature, THE BOUNCEBACK.

Megan produced the documentary feature SUNSHINE which debuted on PBS’s Independent Lens in May 2010 and is currently playing educational venues as a means of expanding public discourse on teen pregnancy, adoption, abortion, and single-parenting in today’s society.  She associate produced Steve Collins’ GRETCHEN, winner of the Best Narrative Feature Award at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, and Susan Youssef’s HABIBI, the story of star-crossed lovers in the Gaza strip, which was shot in Ramallah, Palestine.  The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2011, debuted in North America at the Toronto Film Festival and won four awards, including best picture and best actress at the Dubai International Film Festival.

Megan co-produced Heather Courtney’s Sundance Documentary Fund grantee and ITVS-funded feature, WHERE SOLDIERS COME FROM which won the Best Editing prize at the SXSW Film Festival and the Nokia Truer Than Fiction award at this year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards.  The film screened at the LA Film Festival, Silverdocs, Full Frame, BAM Cinemafest, Rooftop Films, and on Capitol Hill as sponsored by the Chief of Staff of the National Guard, General Craig McKinley, and Senator Carl Levin.  The story of three National Guardsmen from small-town Michigan who travel to Afghanistan and back, WHERE SOLDIERS COME FROM aired on PBS in a special Veteran’s Day presentation of the acclaimed series POV and was nominated for a 2012 Emmy Award.

Megan received a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from The College of William and Mary and an MFA in Film Production from the University of Texas.

EVENT DETAILS
Monday, October 8
Women In Cinema Meeting 7:30-8 pm
Producing Panel 8-9:30 pm
CMA 3.120, Free Admission
Facebook Event

Women In Cinema Workshop Recap

Thanks to everyone who came to the Camera, Lighting, and Sound Workshop this Saturday at Picturebox studio.  We hope you found each session hands on, informative, and fun.  This workshop could not have been successful without our pro session leaders Renée Stairs (Sound), Roshan Murthy (Camera), and Britta Lundin (Lighting)!

Renée giving the low down on lav mics

Audio wiz, Renée Stairs, took us through the basics of production sound.  We learned about XLR cables, different types of cord connectors, the best way to grab audio for a live concert, and the always tough-and-awkward job of correctly wrapping up an XLR cable.  It takes practice y’all, it takes practice.

UT Student Yamel testing out the HMC150

In the camera department, UT RTF graduate student Roshan Murthy covered the basics of a Panasonic HMC150, a camera that UT students can check out on campus.  Although sometimes confusing, we learned how shutter speed and aperture and frames per second all relate to each other.  If there’s one thing to take away from this session, it’s to always white balance the camera yourself.  If you don’t, you will be crushed when looking at your footage in post.  So don’t forget to bring white paper on your shoot, it’s important!

Setting up a Fresnel 650 Light

The lighting session, taught by UT RTF graduate student Britta Lundin, talked through the basic characteristics of lights: Intensity, Temperature, and Hard vs Soft.  Using still shots from The Third Man, When Harry Met Sally, and Mad Men (if you haven’t ever watched this, you seriously must start immediately), we recreated the lighting from each scene.  One important thing to remember: you must pay attention to not only what you are lighting, but the shadows you are creating.

Thank you again to our session leaders and good luck with your future projects & thesis films! Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our next meeting and panel on October 8th.  More details to follow.  Also, if you’re not already part of our facebook group, do it now here.  You should probably also follow us on Twitter at @womenincinema.

Casting & Directing Actors Panel

Fall Semester is finally here and Women In Cinema will start off the year with a Casting & Directing Actors Panel.  And who is on this lovely panel, you ask?  Some of Austin's most accomplished and knowledgeable ladies.


Angela Rawna is best known for her role on NBC's Emmy award-winning drama Friday Night Lights.  Angela played Regina Howard, a drug addict mom of East Dillon’s star quarterback Vince Howard (Michael B. Jordan).  Angela prepared for her meaty series recur role by checking herself into Austin Recovery, an alcohol and drug addiction treatment center in Austin, TX where the series was shot. Angela’s compelling performance on Friday Night Lights grabbed the attention of the producers of the hit show Private Practice. Angela also landed a recur role on Parenthood also on NBC as therapist, Dr. Schecter. Angela recently teamed up again with Austin director Richard Linklater to film, Boyhood, a feature film where Angela plays opposite Patricia Arquette as her best friend.  Boyhood is a 12-year project about the actual “growing up” of a child and witnessing the changes of both him and his parents (Arquette and Ethan Hawk) as it is literally filmed each year.  Boyhood will be released in 2015.  Additionally, Angela has co-starred with Keanu Reeves in the Warner Brother’s sci-fi thriller, A Scanner Darkly now on DVD. Angela just completed filming a personal project, All from the Same Dust, a dramatic and suspenseful story that takes an unwavering look at racism at a time in our history when an African American has become the 44th President of the United States. Angela executive produced and co-stars in the film.

Kat Candler's award winning films have screened at Sundance, Los Angeles Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, SXSW, Slamdance, Florida Film Festival, Houston Museum of Modern Art, Chicago International Children's Film Festival, The National Institutes of Health and on PBS. Her teen thriller screenplay Love Me produced by Dolphin Entertainment and Anchor Bay Films will be released in 2013. She's currently in development on two feature films: the IFP Emerging Narrative participant, Nikki is a Punk Rocker and the Sundance Creative Producing Lab participant, Hellion. Candler is a film Lecturer at the University of Texas.

Beth Sepko is an Emmy award-winning casting director with 20 years expertise in the industry, now specializing in the casting of television series and feature films. Based in Texas, Beth has over 50 feature films under her belt and consistently works with local director Robert Rodriguez (Machete, Machete Kills, Predators, Grindhouse, Shorts, Sin City, and all 4 Spy Kids movies), Richard Linklater (Bernie, Fast Food Nation, A Scanner Darkly,his on-going 12 year project Boyhood and new hulu series Up to Speed), Mike Judge (Idiocracy, Office Space) and Tim McCanlies (Secondhand Lions, The Two Bobs, When Angels Sing). In the last few years, Beth has been casting several television series including the continuation of Dallas, The Lying Game, Friday Night Lights, The Good Guys, Chase, Lone Star as well as pilots for GCB and My Generation. In 2007 Ms. Sepko was honored with the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Casting of Drama Series for the first season of Friday Night Lights and received nominations in 2008, 2009, and 2010 for consecutive seasons. Also in 2010, Beth received an additional Emmy nomination for the casting of the HBO film Temple Grandin.

Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Heather Kafka was living above her mom’s hair salon, rollerskating the neighborhood, and acting in local theatre when she booked a job as an extra in a Coca-Cola commercial and earned $200.  She bought an Atari 2600 and began planning an acting career. She was six years old.  After high school, Heather moved to Los Angeles, graduated from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and worked odd jobs from waitressing at the Hard Rock Café to cigarette girl at local clubs. But Austin always called her home. She would spend the next 20 years moving back and forth, torn between her love of home and her drive for a career in acting.  Over this time her resume grew.  She played “Chloe” on MTV’s first scripted series Austin Stories, guest starred on CSI, CSI N.Y., E.R., and House.  She played Dr. Emily Dawson on the Emmy awarded Huff and turned in a memorable comedic performance on the Wilson Brothers project, The Wendell Baker Story. But it was her role as demented sister to Leatherface in the 2003 remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre that pushed her farther.   In 2008, she found herself staring in fellow Austinite Bryan Poyser’s Lovers of Hate.  Most recently, she has worked on Spencer Parson's Saturday Morning Massacre, the Zellner Brothers Kid Thing, David Lowery's Ain't Them Bodies Saints, Geoff Marslett's Loves Her Gun, Yen Tan's Pit Stop, Bob Byington's Audition and Kat Candler's Black Metal.


The Casting & Directing Actors Panel is set for Monday, September 10th.  The Women In Cinema meeting is scheduled from 7:30-8:00 pm and the Panel will run from 8:00-9:30 pm.  For more panel details click here.