Southern Screen is hosting four intensive masterclasses taking Louisiana filmmakers through essential steps in the major phases of filmmaking: Story Development/Directing, Producing, Finance/Fundraising, and Distribution. The masterclasses are made possible through a partnership with the Louisiana Department of Economic Development and the Office of Entertainment Industry Development. Support for Southern Screen’s dedication to mentoring, education, and workforce development is funded by Louisiana’s Entertainment Development Fund.
Classes begin this Saturday, Aug 17 with Story Development and Directing with Tamar Halpern taking students through the process of script to screen, looking at things from the Director’s POV, discussing script breakdowns, shot lists, ways to identify and fix story problems, as well as how to best amplify the script tonally and structurally through visual choices. Halpern has written and directed 12 features, most recently female-driven thrillers for A&E. In 2022, she sold a series to HBOMax based on her adaptation of the YA book Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus. She recently adapted the novel Some of Tim’s Stories by S.E. Hinton (The Outsiders, Rumble Fish) and is attached to direct in 2025. Halpern also teaches writing and directing at Chapman University.
Saturday, Aug 24, Film Producing with Amy Mitchell-Smith will explore the role of a producer from a holistic perspective, focusing on key phases of bringing a concept to completion: story development, financing, pre-production, production, post-production, sales and distribution. Mitchell-Smith has worked with acclaimed filmmakers including Quentin Tarantino, Anthony Minghella, Lasse Hallstrom, Wes Craven, Robert Rodriguez and Rob Marshall. Production highlights include Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 1 & 2, Pitch Perfect, True Blood, Battle: Los Angeles and Battleship. She has developed and produced films airing on Showtime, BET, Amazon Prime, and Netflix.
Saturday, September 7, Film Finance and Fundraising with Drew Waters. Waters’ production company, Argentum has produced over a dozen feature films, short films, documentaries and television series including Dead of Night, The Final Run, and Festival of Trees. He has led film funding and financing training sessions for multiple outlets and organizations including the Georgia Film Commission, Cherokee Film Commission, Georgia Entertainment and the Georgia Film Academy. He has also helped to educate those on the investment side such as hedge funds, private investors, financial analysts and bankers about the various risks, opportunities and approaches to film financing.
Saturday, September 14, Film Distribution with Erin Berthea worked in Los Angeles for nearly 7 years as a Sales Agent for independent films. As such, she developed key relationships with major and boutique distributors including Lionsgate, Sony, Fox, eOne, Hallmark, Lifetime, UPtv, and more. Berthea’s work coordinating domestic and worldwide distribution deals for independent producers led her to discover many of the pitfalls faced, particularly by smaller productions, when it comes to finding the right distribution partner and producing sellable content.
Students will also have the opportunity to apply for one-on-one mentoring with each teacher and a chance to pitch their project at Southern Screen Festival – November 21-24.
For more information and how to register for the masterclasses please visit southernscreen.org/masterclasses24
About Southern Screen
Southern Screen is a multi-disciplinary arts organization that supports and celebrates creative professionals and their work. The festival provides a platform for emerging and innovative storytellers of all types to showcase their craft and share their creativity. We feature film screenings, live music, creative writing, podcasts, community and industry workshops, networking mixers, parties and more. Our mission is to move beyond traditional film and music festivals and expose our guests and our community to the endless possibilities of art and entertainment.
Southern Screen Festival – November 21-24