unpublished blog posts

A friend once told me that my best stories were the ones I didn't blog about. Although I never published those stories, they are written. And it's almost a novel. Which could then be adapted into a screenplay. I just wonder if it's dramatic/comedic/cinematic/interesting enough to warrant that kind of effort/attention.

nice mention in the trades

Got a nice mention in the Hollywood Reporter, which named all the FIND Project:Involve fellows and their area of concentration, and Variety, which didn't.

i've been writing

I received some great news last month - I was named a Film Independent Project:Involve Screenwriting Fellow, Class of 2010. You probably already know Film Independent (FIND) as the fine folks who bring you the Independent Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, this is one of their talent development programs. From their website:

Project:Involve is Film Independent's signature diversity program, dedicated to increasing cultural diversity in the film industry by cultivating the careers of under-represented filmmakers. The program, which runs from October through June, selects filmmakers from culturally diverse backgrounds and filmmaking tracks. The Fellows are paired one-on-one with a mentor from the film industry. In addition to the mentorship, the Fellows also attend filmmaking workshops, community screenings, and receive career development assistance.

Since my orientation is scheduled for later today, I guess today is the first official day of my fellowship. Tomorrow, I meet and mingle with the rest of the FIND staff, the P:I Class of 2009, and my class at a reception. Friday, I'm doing this thing at Universal. Additionally, I've optioned a screenplay I'd like to produce and I'm waiting to hear whether I made it into the FIND Producers Lab. In addition to whatever mentorship FIND arranges, I'll resume weekly meetings with BigShot Producer (my producing mentor) starting next week. This may be the last you hear of me for a couple of months, but I am hoping that I'll blog more often and chronicle all the wackiness that will likely ensue.

remember, celebrate, act

"Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge, to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation."

-- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.