Ilan Benjamin's Blog, page 2
July 9, 2014
The John Kearney Sandifer Memorial Cinema Scholarship
I am excited to announce that my first feature film has been awarded the John Kearney Sandifer Memorial Cinema Scholarship by USC’s School of Cinematic Arts! Below is the front page of the 118-pg. screenplay, a detective noir set in the Gaza Strip.
July 3, 2014
Producer’s Guild & Cadillac Make Your Mark Contest
“Passion is [the] immeasurable, indescribable factor that separates movie from movie. Passion moves freely across borders, speaks every language and flourishes in every culture. The movement of passion is the most gratifying satisfaction in any moviemaker’s life. This happens when you see and hear people all over the world share their laughter, their crying and their sudden gasps at identical screen moments.” –
This weekend, I had the pleasure and challenge of participating in the Producer’s Guild and Cadillac Make Your Mark short film contest. Given only 51 hours, we were expected to write, produce and complete a 2-5 minute film using a very specific set of requirements, incorporating the work of legendary producer . Famous for his independent production company in the Bay Area and literary oscar-winning adaptations such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Amadeus, Zaentz has been a hero of mine for years. So to write and produce something in his spirit was an opportunity I could not resist. I teamed up with Asher Genoot, producer of Poets, and an incredible team of dedicated cast and crew members to take on this challenge.
Shooting at a crew member’s cabin in Lake Arrowhead, we spent an entire night and day shooting. We then completed post-production here in Los Angeles and managed to submit the project with just 3 minutes to spare! Now, we wait to hear the results on July 29, 2014. Regardless of if we make it into the finalists, this experience was beyond exhilirating. It’s weekends like this that remind me why I love filmmaking so much. And I am beyond grateful to get to do what I love with people I love…even if it keeps us up for two nights straight!
As soon as we are able to share the film, we will. In the meantime, wish us luck!
Ilan Benjamin and the cast, Dani De La Fe, Alex Benjamin and Lisa Goodman
May 8, 2014
The First Film Festival
On Saturday night, I had the pleasure of attending the Walnut Creek International Short Film Festival. Poets, along with six other short films, was featured in the Northern California Filmmaker Showcase!
Ilan Benjamin (writer/director) and Adriana Ridings (editor/producer) at WCISFF.
It was an amazing experience watching my work project upon the same screen where I’ve watched some of my favorite movies, growing up. It looked and sounded so beautiful up there; moments like these are why I fell in love with filmmaking in the first place. I also had the privilege of standing beside a childhood friend and collaborator, Alex Mallonee whose black comedy, Mittens is Missing, had the audience roaring with twisted laughter. We connected with some other wonderful Bay Area filmmakers, like Kristin Tieche. Her film The Spinster, a kickass feminist psychological thriller, was the 2nd longest short (18 minutes) after Poets and an audience favorite.
The Q&A Following the Screening
Afterward, we had a chance to speak to the audience members in a short Q&A and then schmooze at a local restaurant. The response to Poets was incredibly enthusiastic, especially for the actors and . And just like that, the night ended as quickly as it began. What a personal and welcoming way to begin the film festival circuit. I can only hope to post again soon with more good news. For those who still haven’t seen Poets, stay tuned. This is just the beginning.
P.S. here’s a selfie from the movie theater!
March 25, 2014
March 17, 2014
Post Hoc – Poets
On Friday night, Poets premiered at the Orinda Theatre in the Bay Area. It took a long time to get from the page to the screen, to put together each piece of this ambitious short film, but watching it Friday night, in a nearly full theatre, with so much of the cast and crew present–was exhilarating and gratifying in ways there are not enough words to express. This film was a process. It was a labor of love. But most of all, it was a great collaboration. The cinematographer, the composer, the , each member of the unstoppable crew, the backers, many of whom attended the premiere–everyone who made Poets possible. There are too many to thank.
As many of you know, the DVD’s to the backers are in the mail, the first submissions to International Film Festivals have begun, and Poets is, in every sense of the word, complete. All that remains is the hope that I may share it with all of you and soon.
I will keep you posted. Until then, a quote from the late Jack McCarthy, a teacher, a friend and a beloved poet:
“Have you ever in your life been asked to do
anything more important than memorize
the present subjunctive of the verb to be?”
Writer/Director Ilan Benjamin, Star Alex Benjamin and Editor/2nd AC Adriana Ridings
February 27, 2014
The Poets Premiere and Trailer
I am incredibly excited to announce that Poets will premiere at the Orinda Theatre on March 14, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. and you are all invited!
Here is the trailer:
There are not enough thank you’s in the world to adequately express my gratitude to everyone who made this film possible. We begin the submission process to film festivals all around the world following the premiere. And we will, of course, keep you posted. See you on Friday, March 14!
January 26, 2014
The Official Poets Poster
Here is the official poster for Poets! On March 14, 2014 we’ll be premiering at Orinda Theatre in the Bay Area! Stay tuned for the trailer, coming soon.
November 16, 2013
Poets – Post-Production
Friends,
I am very excited to announce that there is a first cut of Poets. Thanks to the hard work of our editor, Michael Francisco, the thousands of puzzle pieces that spurred Poets into being have finally been fit together, realized and fashioned into a film–a real film!
It is at once exhilarating and exhausting to watch the first cut. I feel acutely aware more than ever of every dollar, effort and minute spent to make this fever dream of mine a reality. There are no words to express the gratitude to every person who made this possible–the kickstarter backers, the executive producers, the bay area talent that lined up to lend this film some authenticity, the extras that showed up, each member of the truly incredible crew and of course, the cast: Alex & Fernanda–who, as I watch the first cut, make me positively swoon each time they kiss–to every one of you, thank you.
We still have a great deal of work to do! Further editing, sound, color & score–all remain to be done. But, watching the first cut of Poets feels important–feels worthy of an update to all those who ask, “So what’s the deal with Poets?”
The deal is this: Poets is real. It is happening. And you will all get to see it soon!!!!
Stay tuned for further updates.
Best,
Ilan
July 22, 2013
Meet Arthur and Elle
Friends,
We are very excited to announce that after months of auditions, both in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, Poets has finally found its lead actor and actress. Meet Arthur and Elle.
Arthur – ALEX BENJAMIN
Alex Benjamin was born the youngest of five in Stockton, California. As a child, Alex was influenced by the superheros he admired, joining Tae Kwon Do at the age of five. As he matured, Alex studied other martial arts styles such as Kuk Sool Won, a Korean system incorporating weapons training as well as mental and physical development.
Alex’s active imagination and devotion to martial arts propelled him into the entertainment realm, where he began writing and producing collaborative martial arts-based projects in the Bay Area. Alex’s practice allowed him to translate his skills to film and channel his creative energy into visual form. Alex currently resides in Los Angeles where he enjoys sharing his practice with others through acting and martial arts choreography.
Alex Benjamin on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1794514/
Elle – FERNANDA ROHD
Fernanda was born and raised in Mexico City, in a neighborhood called Coyoacan. Since she was a little girl, she would come back from the theater and act out whichever movie or play she had seen. When she was 6 years-old, she auditioned along with hundreds of kids to become part of the first generation of the CEA, an acting school for kids created by Televisa, the largest mass multimedia company in the Spanish-speaking world. Since then, she’s performed roles in several Mexican soap operas and TV shows produced by Televisa.
In 2011, she moved to LA to study at the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute where she completed the 2-year Conservatory Program.
Fernanda Rohd on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0736015/
May 30, 2013
…and we’re FUNDED!
Great news! Thanks to an incredible amount of generosity from backers all over the world, our short film Poets has been funded on Kickstarter and will go into production this August! But the campaign is not over yet–spread the word! Every penny counts. The more cashola we can raise, the higher we can drive the production value of our film! Thank you all for your support.
To learn more about the project and about the writer/director Ilan Benjamin, read this recent interview on Will Newhart’s new online project Those Artsy Kids:
