Fusion Film Festival

Celebrating women in TV, Film & New Media

Documentary

Docs-in-the-Works dazzles and educates next generation of documentary filmmakers

By Jenny Levine.

Considered by many to be the most exciting part of the festival, this year’s Docs-in-the-Works competition was undoubtedly thrilling for those who attended. Trailers cut by undergraduate Film and TV major Thelma Boyiri and graduate students Caitlin Stickles and Giuliana Monteiro Pinheiro were pitched and presented in front of five captains of the documentary world representing HBO, Vice, and Chicken & Egg, with the promise of grant money and invaluable one-on-ones.

What went into each pitch? Tisch professor Sam Pollard workshopped with the three finalists to capture the heart of the film in a short 4-7 minute trailer. For some, their film was nearly complete, while others had ways to go. Each finalist was met with a unique challenge that brought them professional experience. Where Giuliana had previous experience pitching to a room full of 100 professionals, Caitlin was admittedly nervous but told the judges the advice that Sam had told her, “You got to be suave.”

After each screening and pitch, the judges went down in a line and gave their feedback –  a mixture of advice and questions about the direction each director wanted to take her film. After each judge’s feedback, the director tried to answer questions and accept the helpful feedback.

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Each filmmaker had strong subject matter: Thelma’s Sanctity of Sound explored live jazz performance in New York and Berlin, Caitlin investigated capital punishment through the trial and execution of Lisa Ann Coleman in Capital, and Giuliana’s Bento brought viewers to the small town in Brazil that was the site of one of the worst mining disasters in modern history.

While the judges deliberated, spectators were able to ask the finalists’ advice about how to construct a strong trailer and pitch as well as their plans for the future. “This is my future,” Caitlin said. The finalists admitted that the judges commentary was tough but constructive, as they were asked questions about the focus of the film or the marketability of the final product.

When the judges returned, vice-president of Documentary Films HBO Jackie Glover announced the winner: Bento by Giuliana Monteiro. The judges voiced their admiration for the creativity of the angle and the visual poetry Giuliana brought to her pitch.

Without a doubt, the crowd in Docs-in-the-Works wanted to learn. Many were taking notes during the judge’s commentary so they could prepare for when they pitch in the future. Maybe next year we’ll be watching them share their stories.

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Fusion Past & Present: Erin Sanger Post-Bombshell Win

With Fusion 2014 and the awarding of this year’s most excellent female-driven student work on the horizon, we can see that not much farther than that horizon are the success stories of Fusion winners past and present. One such winner, Erin Sanger, whose riveting smash Bombshell took home Best Undergraduate Film and Cinematography in 2013, has been successfully working on a documentary project since her win. After participating in Fusion and continuing to find success as a director, Sanger said nothing but good things when recalling her Fusion experience.

“The festival was great. All of the work was very strong and it was a good venue for me as an undergraduate student to see work that I wouldn’t normally see. One of the graduate level films that won last year remains one of my favorite student films ever. It was also nice to be exposed to the documentary work being done at NYU, which I was somewhat isolated from as a narrative filmmaker,” Sanger said.

Sanger’s short narrative film Bombshell struck an emotional chord with the judges as it portrayed a child’s view of conformity and hate without oversimplifying. As Sanger describes it, the film is about “a group of suburban kids who enact a hate crime over the Fourth of July and how the weight of their actions affect themselves and their relationships with one another.”

Sanger just wrapped production on a documentary of her own after witnessing the amazing passions of the filmmakers at Fusion’s Docs-In-The-Works competition. The doc follows a double-amputee EOD Specialist and his wife as they grapple with his injuries in their new life. Sanger described the harsh human element to directing a documentary as “an emotional but rewarding experience.”

Because of the positive experience she had as a contestant and winner and all of the opportunities and knowledge she received from her participation in Fusion, Sanger continues to uphold Fusion’s aim to promote a continued increase in job opportunities for women behind the camera. The Fusion legacy grows each year, 2014 officially bringing in more submissions than any before. As Sanger puts it herself, “It’s a wonderful platform for both students and alumni to showcase their work, to become informed through terrific panels, and to network with industry professionals. There’s no reason to not submit.”

By Elizabeth Groth