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Dear WIFMCO Members,

Do you like to plan ahead? Like to stick to a schedule and know what to expect? Well, we hear ya! WIFMCO has decided to designate the 3rd Wednesday of each month as WIFMCO Wednesday! Most of our big monthly events will now take place on the 3rd Wednesday, starting June 20th. And if the main event has to be scheduled on a different night—as will happen now and then—there will still be a networking event on that 3rd Wednesday just to keep things consistent!  So you can now set those calendars to repeat, and we’ll see you at WIFMCO Wednesdays!

June Networking Event


Wednesday June 20th 6:30 p.m.
1101 W Mineral Ave, Littleton, CO 80120
Free to Members AND Non-members!
Refreshments will be provided by WIFMCO.
RSVP: HERE

The new 2018-2019 board is up and running, and Women in Film and Media Colorado want to re-connect with the members old and new or still on the fence. The Member Forum will start with the board presenting their ideas for improving WIFMCO in the upcoming year. Following the floor will be open to members to discuss what they have enjoyed from WIFMCO, things they would like to see in the future, and any projects or opportunities they want other members to know about. Afterward, there will be time to engage individually with other members and committee chairs.

Member Spotlight

Roma Sur & Jessica McGaugh


WIFMCO is excited to introduce you to Roma Sur and Jessica McGaugh the winners of our 1st annual Film & Media Finishing Funds Grant. Roma and Jessica are taking home $1500 to use on their film: Pulse of the Mountains
 

Q: What is your field of focus?
Jessica: I consider myself an all-encompassing filmmaker. That means, I direct, shoot, edit and produce work. Some projects I will do one of those things, some projects I will do all of those things. I’ve worked in fiction and documentary and believe there is much value to doing both.

 Roma: A filmmaker and faculty member at the Film and Television program at the University of Colorado, Denver. She came to the US in 2000 and received her Master’s degree in Film and Video Production, with a focus on Screenwriting, at the University of Denver. She received the Harold Mendelssohn Graduate student award in 2003.  Her short documentary, Storytelling Today received the Boulder Community award. Her feature documentary, The Golden Hour won the Best Documentary Award at the Indian Film Festival of Houston, 2013, and was broadcast nationally on NDTV, India in 2015. She recently completed co-editing her feature documentary titled Changing Tides about a paraplegic swimmer reclaiming his life. Her current project Pulse of the Mountains is slated for release in fall 2018. She recently completed her feature screenplay titled The Rock Within which has been receiving strong reviews at contests. 

Q: Tell us about your journey thus far in your career? Did you study? If so, where or are you still in school?
Jessica: I received an MFA in film from Syracuse University. Following my MFA, I worked as an editor in New York before moving to Colorado. Since then, I have been producing independently and teaching film and TV at the University of Colorado Denver.
Roma: Before coming to the US I was a copywriter with advertising agencies. While writing and producing television spots for commercials I realized this is what I wanted to do. That was like a teaser. I wanted to do the real deal. I came to the US and got my Master’s in Film and Video production.

Q: What was your inspiration to get into this industry? Do you have any mentors you want to mention?

Jessica: My first passion was music. I have played music since I was a kid and took it very seriously throughout most of my life. However, when I studied at the University of Arizona as an undergraduate, I soon after found that film making was something I would like to pursue. It was an easy transition moving into this new medium and I think my musical background has made me a better filmmaker.
Roma: My mentor is Craig Volk at CU Denver. I learned a lot from him about dramatic writing and about teaching screenwriting. I am also inspired by local filmmaker Sean Jourdan who is a friend and mentor. He is always encouraging as a fellow filmmaker.

Q: Tell us about your favorite project you've worked on? Any takeaways?
Jessica:
My favorite project thus far was a documentary titled "The Golden Hour." My long-term film partner, Roma Sur and I shot the film in India in 2011. The month in India was an incredible adventure, but more than that an incredible learning experience. The production of that movie, all the way through its distribution was the greatest amount of problem-solving I've ever dealt with while working on a project. I grew enormously as a filmmaker and as a person throughout that experience.
Roma: My favorite project would be my first doc feature The Golden Hour. This was a project that I started from ground up. I heard the story on NPR radio, called the protagonist, and floated the idea of a documentary. Almost magically everything happened and the next thing we knew we were going to Boston to film him at Harvard Medical and then to India  in summer of 2011. I collaborated with Jessica McGaugh on this project, my longtime filmmaking partner. This film was featured on the NDTV website and received the Best Documentary award at the Indian Film Festival of Houston. There were many takeaways. But the biggest one was to be really mindful of how we allocate our time and budget. We learned many lessons along the way which we implemented in following projects. Spend wisely, but also have a buffer. The second day of our shoot, we busted one of the LED lights. We spent an entire day trying to locate an equipment rental place in New Delhi. That put an unexpected dent in our budget.

Q:  Any projects coming up?
Jessica: Currently I am in the middle of working as Director of Photography on a post-apocalyptic feature film titled "Feral." We are shooting sections of the film every summer for four years to allow for the child actor to age throughout the duration of the movie. As a DP, this type of movie is a dream to shoot. I get to play with shadows and texture, travel to run down places around Colorado and work with a great cast and crew. The final piece of the shoot will be summer 2019 followed by its release.

Roma: The immediate one would be Pulse of the Mountains. We hope to complete it by the end of this summer. The other project would be my feature screenplay – The Rock Within. It is loosely inspired by true events. My artist statement is to give voice to women and children related issues and narrate cross-cultural stories. I hope to initiate a dialogue on tabooed issues, like infertility through this film. I have started sending out the screenplay to contests and received strong positive feedback so far on the unique premise and an international target audience.

Q: What are your hopes for the film, television, and media scene in Colorado?
Jessica: To be perfectly honest, I would like to see the independent community grow big enough to support more narrative television and films.
Roma:  I think Colorado is already a fast-growing market for film, television and media. It’s growing reputation as a foodie destination made it the chosen location for Top chef’s season 15. Colorado produces a large amount of non-fiction content. It is the hub of post-production work for many of these big budget non-fiction shows.   Colorado Springs is already a coveted location, with the recent filming of the Netflix film ‘Our Souls at Night.’ And I see this as a growing phenomenon.

Q: Any advice/wisdom to fellow actors, filmmakers, writers etc?

Jessica: My advice to filmmakers is not to wait for their passion projects to happen on their own. I feel that you should just go out there and do it. If you don't know how to do something specific, there are many resources online and around Colorado. I’ve found that many film/tv/media people are friendly and willing to talk to you about production challenges.  Another thing that Roma and I are working on as filmmakers is finding and building our audience for each movie. Although this can feel like a full-time job and a massive undertaking on top of making the film, it is crucial in this day and age to keep connected through social media and get your work out there.
Roma: Hold on to your BIG vision. Have that in the horizon. But set short term achievable goals which will finally get you to that BIG vision.


 

Open Board Position

Interested? Please apply with your resume and summary of why you' d like to be on the board to info@wifmco.org

Open position:

Treasurer:
  • Manage all financial aspects of running the 501 (c)3 organization.
  • Attend monthly board meetings
Easy ways to help WIFMCO!


Drink Coffee!
 WIFMCO receives 25% back on retail purchases
and %5 on Wholesale orders. Currently Whole beans, fresh ground
, and Recyclable K-cups or Biodegradable  Pods for use with a Keurig are available.
Additional products will be added as they become available.
This is a Colorado company. Place your order and
 check out as a guest.  Just go to WIFMCO.roaringplanet.com


Buy on Amazon!
It's so easy to support Women in Film and Media Colorado at Amazon Smile!
Just set your Amazon acct to support WIFMCO!
 
Interesting Read from the Colorado Film Office

Filming in Denver- What you Need to Know

CLICK HERE
And the Winner is....
The WIFMCO/Athena Project Media Mashup is underway! Congratulations to our short script writer Laura Alsum and our podcast writer Suz Jordan.

These projects, along with a short play, will be produced this summer/ fall and then presented as part of the TedX Mile High Adventure Series at the end of November. In keeping with WIFMCO’s mission to unite, inspire and educate women filmmakers and their community, this project will mark the beginning of our mentorship program, so those interested in mentoring or being mentored on set please send a resume, bio and a link to examples of your work to me@kathryngould.com. Those interested in other cast and crew positions, or if you have questions, feel free to email as well.

 
Member Deals!
 
WIFMCO member Karen Hemmerle is offering members 20% discounts on her custom monologues and screenwriter coaching through the end of June, 2018.
Karen's monologues "A Love Story of Sorts" and "The 24-Hour Intimate Position" have been performed by Stories on Stage, and she's the screenwriter of the award-winning films "Dandy Kids" and "Broken Ties", as well as the soon-to-shoot feature film "The French American". Contact her at karenhemmerle@gmail.com.
 
Actors, stop auditioning with the same monologues your competition is using. Have a monologue written just for you, showing your talents to their fullest. Your monologues will never be sold to another actor. Two 1-minute contrasting monologues are regularly $100. WIFMCO members pay only $80. Additional monologues are priced individually for the discounted price of $40 each. Longer monologues are available, also at 20% off.
 
Screenwriters, sometimes you need someone to help you get back on track and keep you there. You need a coach for feedback, accountability, and all manner of questions from formatting to writing for a budget to "should I just give this up and get a real job like my mom wants me to do?" I'm here seven days a week to support and guide you, for one month or several. Regular monthly coaching is $300; WIFMCO members pay $240.
Actors Needed for 2nd annual WIFMCO Screenplay-contest Table Read!
Seeking actors to join us in this fun and professional table read event!

Date: Tentatively planned for 3rd Sunday in August with one meet and great/run through week prior.

“THE WRECK OF THE FROLIC”
An original screenplay based on historic events
 
LOGLINE:
Opposites attract when a Jewish pathologist pressured to bear a descendant meets an Irish artist mourning his wife. Together they explore the history of Mendocino County, the role of the heart and the existence of the soul.

If willing to read for us please send your head shot and resume with part you are interested in reading for to; Alicia Leeper at TheActorsStudy@gmail.com

PARAGRAPH SUMMARY:
New lovers escaping a spate of anti-Semitism in San Francisco, and head up the coast on their first and last getaway together. They tour lighthouses, discover a glass beach, watch whales, and learn the history of a shipwreck that led to the merging of two continents, the alteration of a coast, and their futures. A story of loss and hope, “The Wreck of the Frolic” reminds us that love is stronger than death and life has ways of perpetuating itself despite all odds.
 
THE WRECK OF THE FROLIC CAST:
 
MAIN CHARACTERS
• Dr. Ollie Levy: Brilliant and beautiful, mid-30s, Ollie’s a Type-A pathologist who’s all about science. The only child of a rabbi who’s the only child of a Schindler Jew, Ollie’s single and conflicted about having a baby to help her family’s lineage survive.  
 
• Walker Donovan: An artist-in-residence from Ireland, mid- to late-30s, a widower, a merry-maker with dark secrets, he falls in love-at-first-sight with Ollie, despite her rigid personality. THIS ROLE HAS BEEN FILLED with an awesome actor who wants to practice his Irish accent!
 
SECONDARY CHARACTERS
 
• Rabbi Jerzy Levy: Ollie’s father, a pious, recently retired rabbi recovering from a heart attack. He is the only child of a Schindler Jew: his mother, Ollie’s grandmother, and he wants his lineage to survive.
 
• Dr. Brian Jones: Ollie’s colleague, another pathologist, married with kids.
 
• Gwen Fulton: Ollie’s best friend, a black psychiatrist who’s in her final term of a high-risk pregnancy. Gwen also is Walker’s head doc which leads to doctor-patient confidentiality conflicts between the trio.
 
• Lyle Fulton: Gwen’s devoted husband, a genteel history professor, a black man eager to be a father and tortured that their baby is at-risk due to a condition more prevalent in African-Americans. Lyle introduces the political ramifications of the wreck of the Frolic because he teaches the history.
 
• Security Guard Hoff: A white supremacist with a sinister tattoo and a counter intuitive crush on Ollie. He’s armed. He dislikes long-haired Walker.
 
• Dr. Keith Langdon: A specialist Ollie visits to learn about in vitro fertilization, knowing she could choose a Jewish sperm donor.
 
• Tibetan man: In his import shop, he chants with his mala beads and entices Ollie to play a Himalayan singing bowl. He opens Ollie’s heart a bit, but also unnerves her with his incense and sacred stones and vibrations.
 
• Sea Captain: A local old salt with a ZZ Top beard and a retired mariner’s tales, he runs a hobbyist’s sea glass museum.
 
• Pomo docent: A Native American woman who’s an archeologist in tribal costume, she relates the tragic story of the wreck of the Frolic, the discovery of the redwood forests, and the displacement of her people. I originally wrote her as an old woman, but she could be any age. Maybe younger is more interesting.

 

Congrats to all involved in Scary Lucy!

We want to give a shout out to some of our members for the hugely successful premiere of the short film “Scary Lucy”. Former WIFMCO VP, Sheila Schroeder, wrote and produced the film as part of the Project DU F.I.L.M. program, which she founded in order to provide University of Denver students with an actual film set experience working alongside alumni professionals. The program has already proven to be a success, as several students from the first Project DU F.I.L.M. (“Happy F-ing Valentine’s Day”) moved up to professional positions on this project, including the Director, Marteene Diaz and Producer Oanh Le.
The evening included stand-up performances from the film’s stars, Christie Buchele and Janae Burris, a behind-the-scenes documentary, and a Q&A with the director and cast. It was standing-room only for the after party at The Hornet restaurant.

“Scary Lucy” has already been accepted into several film festivals, and the screenplay was awarded the Grand Prize in the Short Screenplay division of the American Movie Awards. Keep an eye out for your chance to see this hilarious film. Congratulations ladies!

Learn more at facebook.com/scarylucythemovie

   
                               
 
Copyright © *|2018|* *|Women in Film & Media CO |*, All rights reserved.
 *|June newsletter|*

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Phone: (720) 778-1738 

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