Filmmakers Residency / Incubator Week 2 Recap
The 2021 Filmmakers Residency / Incubator with White Feather Farm Foundation is now past its two-week mark! Participating filmmakers Maba Ba, Set Hernandez Rongkilyo, Brooke Swaney and Eunice Lau powered through a busy schedule filled with individual meetings with the residency’s Artistic Director Alex Smith, guest mentor sessions, group dinners and nature hikes.
Julie Anderson presenting GOD IS THE BIGGER ELVIS to the residents.
Pam and Paco host a lively dinner party for the crew.
Last Wednesday, program mentor Julie Anderson stopped by the house to present a screening of the Academy Award-nominated short documentary GOD IS THE BIGGER ELVIS, which she produced. The film follows the real life story of Hollywood starlet Dolores Hart, who chose to leave her burgeoning acting career behind to take the vows and become a nun.
"Supporting diverse young voices is probably one of the most important issues that has come out of this year of isolation,” said Julie. "This residency is providing an important source of empowerment at a time when these types of creators need it the most."
The following night Eunice Lau held a special showcase of her film ACCEPT THE CALL, which screened at the 2019 Woodstock Film Festival before being released on PBS Independent Lens. The feature-length documentary centers on the relationship between a Somali immigrant named Yusuf Abdurahman and his 19-year-old son Zacharia who was arrested by the FBI after attempting to join the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria. Eunice also shared the sizzle reels for two of her upcoming projects, including one she is currently working on at the residency.
On Friday, program mentors and filmmaking duo Pamela Yates and Paco de Onís invited the residents over for dinner at their Upstate New York home. Making the most of the warmer weather, everyone alternated between the dining table and the porch, chatting away into the evening.
"It’s so invigorating listening to and engaging with these cinema artists,” said Pam. "I love mentoring, but I am also learning from and sparking with these brilliant filmmakers."
The residents with producer Blair Breard (center).
The next day WFF Advisory Board member and longtime friend of the film festival Blair Breard stopped by the residency house for a guest mentor session that included a screening of Alice Wu’s THE HALF OF IT. Blair spoke about her experience working on the critically-acclaimed Netflix teen drama, giving the residents valuable producing tips taken from her multi-decade career in the business.
The filmmakers topped off the weekend by meeting one-on-one with the residency’s Artistic Consultant at Large Sabine Hoffman, who offered input and critique on their respective projects, followed by a screening and conversation about her editing process for Julie Taymor’s THE GLORIAS.