On November 12th, 2013 the Sundance Institute held a one-day finance forum in Los Angeles with their allied partners of the Women in Films Initiative to give accomplished female writers, directors, and producers an overview of current film financing models. Through extensive panels on what investors search for in today’s market, case-studies on film financing successes, and training on how to garner confidence while raising money for a film, Sundance and WIF sought to challenge what they uncovered in their startling 2012 case study. The study, authored by Dr. Stacy L. Smith, analyzed over 30,000 data points over 11 years and concluded that independent narrative films rely almost entirely on a male-operated structure, female-helmed projects are perceived to lack commercial viability, and women are often viewed as lacking conviction when requesting film financing. The forum set out whole-heartedly to challenge these findings and the reflections and speeches given at the event by Ciaravalli and Green show the great strides female filmmakers are making in producing their own films and festivals at an early level.
Misha Green directed three well-received short films during her time at NYU Tisch and won the Fusion Film Festival competition for her short screenplay In Between Days. Misha went on the produce In Between Days as a digital short for Nylon Magazine, sign with CAA, and write and produce for multiple hit television series, including “Sons of Anarchy” and “Heroes.” Misha is currently working on adapting Colleen Curran’s “Whores on the Hill” as her directorial debut.
Lauren Ciaravalli graduated from Tisch just last year and was one of the co-directors of the Fusion Film Festival as well as a winner for her Sight & Sound film, Mrs. Sheridan, her short screenplay, Tryouts, and her TV pilot script, The Hilltop. She recently created and sold the dramedy web-series Max + Max for PetParents TV and completed her second short film, Dream Date. Lauren now lives in Los Angeles as she begins her career in scripted television as an assistant at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.
As a strong leader and participant in the festival, Lauren presented the mission and methods of Fusion to celebrate both the accomplishments of women in the film industry and foster collaboration of the sexes before the forum. Lauren thanked many of the female industry mavens in the room, particularly those from our mentors at the Nantucket Film Festival for supporting the growth of Fusion in our efforts to honor everything the Women in Films Initiative stands for.
By Danielle Massie