The most exciting adventure on the horizon is that I will be attending the annual conference of American Library Association in Anaheim, California from June 27-July 2. I am representing the newly launched Reframe Collection – www.reframecollection.org – which is a venture from the collaboration of Renew Media and the Tribeca Film Institute to enable educators and film buffs to explore and obtain films from a variety of sources at the same time. I truly believe this new project will do wonders to not only bring out some wonderful content that could have been forgotten but to also make it easier for people to obtain materials on a variety of subjects without going through an insane amount of websites. You can read more about the venture in this recent New York Times article:

Films With Limited Release Find a Home on the Web
By MICHAEL CIEPLY
The Tribeca Film Institute is joining Amazon.com to create a digital marketplace for films and videos that have been unavailable through conventional retail and Web outlets.

I will be also be attending the National Media Market again this year, which runs September 22-26, bringing independent films to educators from across the country.

As for current screenings of the films that I work with:

Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy is screening at the annual meeting of the Society of Disability Studies today, June 19, 2008. I will be there to represent the film. Read more about it by visiting http://dianaandkathy.com

Freedom Machines will be playing at the Assistive Technology Cluster Conference July 29-31 in Texas. You can find out more about the film by visiting www.freedommachines.com

I’ve been slowly starting to help out with a brand new disability inclusion film as well called The Key of G, which shows how a group of artists in San Francisco take care of a young man with disabilities so that he can maintain an independent life outside of an institution. You can read about the film by going to www.lateral-films.com

Future speaking event:

I am co-producing a panel discussion with NYWIFT (New York Women in Film and Television) that will discuss how filmmakers can produce accessible, marketable DVDs. The event is to take place September 18, 2008 and fellow panelists will include filmmaker Alice Elliott, a representative from Have, Inc. - the authoring company of her new DVD, and a representative from an agency that creates disability accessibility features for media. More details will be revealed as I have them.

Filmmaking Projects

I am also going ahead with my own film projects. I’ve started to request and gather headshots for a short video I intend to shoot towards the end of year, written by my brilliant friend/colleague Nadine Graham. It’s called In the Family Way and focuses on familial expectations.

The documentary series I’ve been developing on alternative medicinal routes is still in the works and I will begin to travel and film doctors and educational institutions this summer. Many people have thrown some fantastic ideas for coverage my way, and for that I’m very grateful.

I hope that the summer is treating you all well, and as usual, if you think information in this newsletter is useful to anyone, please feel free to pass it on. If you wish to be taken off this list, please let me know that as well.

Thank you for your support of independent films.