McKnight Life

2010-01-21T04:48:00.000-08:00

Found out on Tuesday that my movie, "Trampoline" was one of the 3880 entries to SXSW that DID NOT get into the festival. So I that sux. We were really counting on that to be our festival. So I a bit bummed out by that. On a positive note, I started work on a hollywood independent that started production last week in Hopkins, "the Convincer". I am the propmaster on the job. Till next time.

This week

2010-01-15T07:43:00.000-08:00

This week I have applied to the LOS ANGELES film Festival, HOT DOCS and SILVERDOCS. I have the postage stamp strategy for the film. I need to keep pluggin away. Had a great old friend over last nite, Catherine. She's from New New York and she was in town with her little girl. It was so sweet to see them all. If your in New York sometime check out her band the Quavers,

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Quavers/56618357967

Looks like she is the closest I am getting to Sundance this year, as the quavers are performing there for Sam Greens new film on Utopia. So if youre in Utah, check them out.

oh yeah, wish me luck on the these submissions. Till next time.

2010-01-04T07:30:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I wish all of your dreams come true in 2010. Here are my pics for best Docs and Narrative films of the last decade.

Best Docs of the 00's

Iraq in Fragments

Trouble the Water

Darwin’s Nightmare

Our Daily Bread

Dig!

Sicko

War Tapes

World in Conflict

The Same River Twice

Grizzly Man

Honorable Mention

Romantico, Man on Wire, Fog of War, I am Trying to Break Your Heart, Fahrenheit 911, Tarnation, Inconvenient Truth, Capturing the Freidmans, Murderball, Stevie, My Architect, Super Size Me, Hijacking Catastrope, Unknown White Male, Dogtown and the Z-boys,Fearless Freaks, Bowling for Columbine and the Devil & Daniel Johnston .

Best Narrative Films of the 00's

Pans Laberninth

Me & You & Everyone We Know

Hunger

Dancer in the Dark

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

In Bruge

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

Amelie

Y’ Mama Tu Bein

Once

Honorable Mention

Mysterious Skin, Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Borat, Hurt Locker, Gosford Park, Spirited Away, United 93, 28 Days Later, Little Miss Sunshine.

What do you all think, what were your favs?

Day Six - Nicole Explains Her Process To A Group of Wayward Teenagers

2009-10-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

"Mostly, I do nothing. No, really. I don't do anything at all. Sometimes I just stare at the wall for hours."

2009-10-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

Contact: 2009 Minneapolis Underground Film Festival

Venue: MCAD, 2501 Stevens Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, 55404

Contact Person: Greg Yolen

Company Name: Minneapolis Underground Film Festival

Telephone Number 612-353-9993

MUFF2009 4190 Vinewood Lane North, #111/417, Plymouth, MN, 55442-1771

Email Address minneapolisuff@gmail.com

Web site address www.minneapolisundergroundfilmfestival.com

2009-10-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

Just had lunch with Dean Otto from the WAC at the Modern Cafe. I had the meatloaf sandwich with the mushroom soup, the food was a bit dry but pretty good. I hope he's into my film and can give me some thoughts and a good crit. This week, I have been sending the film out to festivals, BERLIN, FULL FRAME, SXSW. I'm crossing fingers! Did you hear that cinevegas was cancelled! What a bummer!!!!!!!

Day Five - Nicole Sees A Light At The End Of The Tunnel

2009-10-12T10:59:00.001-07:00

Props to Greg Yolen, director of the Minneapolis Underground Film Festival for supporting underground work and for deciding to screen my short "The Horses" at this year's festival. I made this film a few years ago and it has NEVER screened anywhere, despite my contention that it is my most sophisticated and haunting work. I had completely given up on the film until I got this precious email from Greg - "Congratulations! You're in the program!" The voice of God.

You can see a trailer for The Horses - as well as many other goodies - on the festival website:

www.minneapolisundergroundfilmfestival.com

Never been to an underground film festival? Thinking about it, but don't know what to wear? Here are a few guidelines to making it work for you:

1. Expect the unexpected. B-Movies, German Arthouse Noir, Experimental Home Video of a First Time Blow Job - it can happen. Be prepared.

2. Dress casual. Dress up. Wear your favorite steel-studded black satin corset with a feather boa and fedora. Don't wear anything at all. It's really up to you. As long as you don't block the screen with your traditional Native American headdress.

3. Ask the filmmakers questions. We don't bite. And we're used to hearing things like, "Was that a real crack pipe?" and "What was your childhood like?"

4. Enjoy the experience. You may not like everything you see - but we hope that at the very least, it inspires some interesting table conversations with the in-laws.

Day Three - Nicole Loses Her Mind at Post Office, Gets It Back at Liquor Store

2009-09-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

Is there a Palme D'Or for most festival submissions in one day? For most customs forms? For most addressing and return addressing and most writing "Non-Commercial. Non-Pornographic. For Cultural Purposes Only"? For most turns standing in the queue? For most listening to screaming children and most screaming patrons and most screaming postal workers and then some homeless man who felt left out? No. According to the Program Director at Cannes, there is not. But there is Johnny Walker Black.

Day Two - Nicole Arrives Home to Discover that her Screenplay has Written Itself

2009-09-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

It was quite a treat, finding it there on the dining room table, all neatly piled and ready to go. Only a week ago, I'd had half a mind to throw it out on the street, being such a free-loader and all. But after a series of heart-to-hearts (and full-on fighting) my screenplay took the hint, and wrote itself and presented itself to me as it should - one hundred twenty pages and perfect. I went about my daily rituals, brushing my hair, chatting with friends, hanging my suit to dry, and just as I was about to sit down to read my new fully-fledged screenplay - it evaporated! Just like that! Right into thin air. I said to myself, "Wow. I thought spontaneous combustion was just a myth."

New Film is mastered!

2009-09-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

It took all summer to fix the tweaks but my new film is really done on all fronts now. That said I am working on marketing it and sending it out to festivals. On the marketing front I am building a webpage using the company www.squarespace.com. I was putting together the "soundtrack" page today.

here is the copy from that.

"The movie's original soundtrack was composed by Richard Werbowenko. He composed nine original songs for Trampoline. Richard also teamed up with Minneapolis' music supervisor Jon Jon Scott (Black Corners) to bring in some of the Twin Cities most exciting and emerging local bands.These bands are RED PENS, ABY WOLF, MYSTERY PALACE, SOLID GOLD AND M.ANIFEST. Singer/ Guitarist PABLO was recorded during the filming of Trampoline and his song "Three Times if your Lucky" appears in the film. Composer Thomas Scott also created an orginal song to fill out this collection. To find out more about these bands and composers check out the links below."

check out the website so far and let me know your comments

www.trampolinethemovie.com

Hobnobbing with the McKnights

2009-09-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

The other night was the McKnight reception. There was a lot of shaking hands and some short speeches from the officials. The cool thing was were able to bring guests. My family came with me. It was really great to have my parents, wife and daughter there. They are eating some of the appetizers in that shot.
My folks aren't artists but come from the working middle class. They were pretty impressed to see me honored by the McKnight foundation. My wife was really proud of me, my kid was into the
brownies.

After we hobnobbed with the crowd, IFP had organized a dinner at Sanctuary with the other film/screening fellows. Here, I am forcing the others to pose for a really unartistic shot of all of us. Lu Lippold was there from IFP and did a great job of asking all the right questions and keeping us feel valued. btw, IFP is doing a killer job with this grant. She asked us all what things we would like to see improved with the fellowship year. I hope she prints our answers, maybe even in this blog? Anyway I am really proud to be one of your McKnight fellows. I have some exciting news about my next film, I'll share that nex time.

Till then Mark.........

Day One - Nicole Realizes She's Not the Only Screenwriter in the World

2009-09-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

Today I came to the awful realization that I am not, as I once believed, the only screenwriter in the world. In fact, the earth is crawling with them. They're difficult to spot at first, but luckily none of them can keep it a secret - just ask them what they've been up to lately - "Oh, you know, " they say, feigning humility, "just working on my feature script."

Bingo.

Welcome to McKnight Life!

2009-09-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

The 2009 IFP/McKnight Filmmaking and Screenwriting Fellows -- Mark Wojahn, Karen Frank, Nicole Brending, and Rolf Belgum -- have agreed to blog here about their fellowship year. Maybe they'll strike fabulous Hollywood deals, maybe they'll pay off their credit cards, or maybe nothing will happen at all. Follow this blog to find out!