We'll miss you Richard Wright

Sad news:  Richard Wright, founding member and keyboard player of one of the greatest rock groups of all time --Pink Floyd, died Monday at the age of 65 after a short battle with cancer. Read story here. Thanks for the amazing music, and thanks for the memories. Shine on...

Bank Advice

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 504.48 points yesterday. This was the largest single-day drop since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, as Wall Street firm Lehman Brothers, the nation's fourth largest investment bank, filed for bankruptcy amid worries about the health of other key financial institutions.  I received an email from my bank with some valuable advice that I wanted to share: 

"While we don’t have an crystal ball, we do expect the economy to remain fragile through 2009. The best course of action for our Customers is to be disciplined: avoid splurging; identify and cut out unnecessary expenses and save for what's essential; and hedge against those tough times. We can all benefit by developing good spending habits: confront and cut up credit cards; use your home as a savings vehicle - not as an ATM; and establish and contribute regularly to an IRA or 401(k)."

Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes. I'm afraid it's time for goodbye again.

Thanks for the lyrics Billy Joel.  Yesterday Matt left to go shoot his next film in Salt Lake City. I'll be heading there in a few weeks to join him.  I have to say, being apart these days is so much easier than years ago. iChat and webcams make a world of difference. But certainly nothing will ever come close to that feeling of actually losing yourself in someone's eyes.  Until then my dear husband, I'll meet you at the waterfall...

Book Signing with Neil Kaplan

Come have a glass of wine and meet my friend Neil Kaplan who will be signing copies of his brand new comic book "I, OF THE WOLF" (which he created and co-wrote) today at 2pm in Burbank. This comic is a re-envisioning of the Wolf/Man myth and the special preview edition issue is now available. Also signing with Neil is his artist J. Zoe Frasure, and guest artist (cover and dream sequence) JK Woodward (of Fallen Angel, Crazy Mary & CSI comic fame). The comic is $3.00 and all 3 will sign!

WHEN: Sunday September 14, 2008 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
WHERE: Dark Delicacies, 4213 W.Burbank, Burbank, CA 91505

Maybe God's A Woman Too

Every time I watch Peter Bogdanovitch's THE THING CALLED LOVE (1993) I have to say I love it even more!  This film represents to me everything that I could want in a movie.  The story, the reveal of the story (long, skillful takes with great blocking, and no band-aid coverage), the music, the acting, the relationships, the characters, the pace, the tone, the journey, the heart.  It's the story of a group of young songwriters in Nashville trying to make it in the music business. This was River Phoenix's last film and he is simply brilliant.  It's also one of Sandra Bullock's earlier film, and she is a riot as Linda Lue Linden.   Dermot Mulroney rips your heart out with an honesty that's rare, and of course Samantha Mathis as the lead is a character I think most young people can relate to, no matter what dream it is that you are following. This blog entry's title is an homage to the very sweet and moving final song in the film. I just adore this piece.

Kids Talk Politics

My talented filmmaker friend Ken Sheetz recently directed and produced a nonpartisan show called "Kids Talk Politics", which is featured in this great spread in the LA Times. Congrats Ken!

9/11 (TM)

This may be a bit over-the-top at times, yet very good points, none-the-less. Especially beginning at 2:50 (1/3 into the clip). The ending rocks.

Kudos to American Express

Congratulations American Express. You Rock! Yesterday I received an email announcing the 25 projects that American Express has chosen for the finals in the Members Project, which awards $2.5 million to 5 projects that will make a positive difference in the world. I noticed that the nominee in second place with over 6000 votes was NOT chosen to make the finals. Weird huh?? Since I'm coincidentally doing a ton of "contest research" right now, I was very curious about this.  I did a google search to see if I could find out anything. Check this out! That entry made it to second place by being "goon-rushed" by the "Something Awful" forums. You may recall that this is the same group of people who "goon-rushed" the Ideablob contest, causing POTA to lose the $20 grant in June! (Something Awful has been disqualified from other contests for playing unfairly, cheating, "proxy" voting, etc.)  Interesting...  

Presenting the Top 25 Member Projects:
$25 Infant Incubator
6,000 Girls' Scholarships in the Developing World
Advancing Education in Rural Cambodia
Alzheimer's Disease: Early Detection Matters
ASHA - The Livelihood Programme for millions
End Human Trafficking:Sustainable Livelihoods
Feeding 1 Million Children Daily
Help 100,000 children thrive in the classroom!
Help Women and Children Survivors of War Rebuild
Helping Poor Mayans to Help Themselves
Jharkhand Tribal Project
Kids for Sight: Ending childhood blindness - India
Loans That Change Lives
Marine Conservation & Awareness- Pacific Solo Row
Mobile Pediatric Orthopaedic Education
My Little Waiting Room
New, Affordable Treatments with Existing Drugs
Project Brain Child
Protect Cocos Island - World Heritage Site
Rebuilding New Orleans Green
Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children
Solar Powered Africa-LED Lanterns Lighting the Way
Stop the traffic! (human trafficking)
The 3G Project
Using the Power of Soccer to Fight AIDS in Africa

Support your favorite project. American Express will fund the winning projects with $2.5 million:
$1,500,000 for the winning project
$500,000 for the second place project
$300,000 for the third place project
$100,000 each for the two remaining finalists

Vote for your favorite cause here:  membersproject.com

MORBID CURIOSITY at Flyway Film Festival

Hi friends! Come see my short film MORBID CURIOSITY at the Flyway Film Festival in Pepin, Wisconsin on October 12th at 3pm.  Flyway marks the 26th film festival for this short film, as well as the Wisconsin Premiere! Located approximately 90 minutes southeast from downtown Minneapolis on the banks of a wide spot on the Mississippi River, Pepin, Wisconsin has become home to many artists, artisans and craftspeople. 

Jenn Mahoney at the Ford Theater

Check out POTA co-founder Jenn Mahoney (who is also an Emmy-award winning singer) as she performs at the Ford Amphitheater tonight as part of The Celtic Divas. This six member group sings lovely ballads with haunting harmonies. There will also be Irish step dancers and a traditional pipes and drums marching band in full uniform. It promises to be a full night of music, song and dance for the whole family to enjoy! For Ticket info click here.

SAG Poll Is Not a Secret Ballot

Okay, I just received my SAG postcard in the mail, and need to amend this post.  Based on the email I received this morning, I expected the postcard claimed our votes would be anonymous.  FYI: the postcard clearly states that there is a unique barcode associated with your postcard.  That being said, the content of the email is still relevant.  It states: the postcard "poll" you have recently received as a SAG member is NOT a secret ballot." Any vote will be recorded BY NAME and the list of who voted for and against the AMPTP contract proposal will be available to current SAG staff and leadership. For more detailed information go to: http://blog.sagwatch.net/SAG_poll, and for the latest news and member discussions on SAG contract negotiations, feel free to visit this nonpartisan site at:  http://blog.sagwatch.net

Rock Me Sexy Jesus

We finally saw HAMLET 2 this past weekend. I'd been dying to see it ever since Sundance, when I heard there were some similarities between it and ODD BRODSKY.  It was true! There are indeed some wacky similarities! But the two movies are still entirely different.  It would be fun to talk to the writers to see how they got their ideas, and compare notes.  Although I can't say I loved the movie, I did love the two ending musical numbers, which included a song called "Rock me sexy Jesus" (see above photo). The music and choreography were AMAZING!!  I would love to hire these composers for one of my projects. Wowza!  But Tracey, I think you might owe me a drink...

I Spy Another Baer

We actually heard back from the lawyers yesterday.  I was shocked by the speedy reply.  After what happened in June (I was injured, submitted evidence, and never received any explanation) part of me expected to be ignored again. Of course, none of our questions were answered satisfactorily, but at least they responded.  It's the start. Not sure if I can write about the next steps here, but I'll certainly write whatever I can legally. Personally I'm not worried about "showing my cards"on my blog because I'm not playing any games. It's very cut and dry. The thing I find the most intriguing is that one of the lawyers is named Baer!  I've never met anyone else (besides immediate family) with my last name before.  And now, of all times, here he is. I would normally be very excited about this.  I'm going to look on the family tree to see if he's there.  It's not a completed tree, but how amazing (and sad) that would be?   

A New Beginning

For the first time in quite awhile, I feel really GOOD. I feel happy. I feel centered.  It's that feeling that comes when you take action and stand up for what's right, instead of being a marshmallow. And Matt's home from his scout in 4 hours. Yay!

New Information

Dear Friends,
Thanks SO MUCH to every person who voted, sent out a newsletter, posted a blog, forwarded emails to friends, posted on facebook, myspace, twitter, dig. Thanks to all our AMAZING team captains, members of the POTA facebook group, Hamptons Table, Dances With Films, The Valley Film Festival, Tribe Hollywood, Support Independent Film, Filmmaker's Alliance, Hollywood Mixer, Hollywood East TV, OurFilmSpace, Filmmakers Help, Friends on Netfix, OLS and to every other organization who helped.

I write this with a heavy heart. I'm really sorry to have gotten your hopes up again for nothing. Apparently in July, Ideablob partnered with an organization called Teach For America (TFA). It it now our understanding (according to the first place finalist's facebook voting page) that if any TFA Alum wins the Ideablob competition, TFA (on organization with over 20,000 Alum & Corps) will receive a gift of $5,000 from Ideablob. Needless to say, the finalists in both first place (leading by a potentially record-breaking number of votes) and second place are TFA Alums. All week POTA has been in third place -leader of all the non-TFA finalists by more than twice the votes.

Had we known that only certain finalists (excluding us) would receive a financial incentive to motivate vote-getting, we would not have entered the contest again.  And to make matters more difficult for us, it also appears that the finalist in first place (the one with the extremely high number of votes) was directly employed by TFA as "Director of Recruitment" until recently.  

I'm sorry to have gotten your hopes up another time. I honestly thought we had a great shot this time.  It's been a strange sort of parallel rallying for votes with the National Democratic Convention going on this week.  I really identified with hearing Obama speak of how it used to be that if a person worked hard for something, they would be rewarded, but America has changed.  

 

I  can't imagine that any two people could have worked harder than Jenn and I did, as we spent most of the past three months --beginning before June 1st--working full-time hours on this grant contest. For the heck of it I was going to count the actual number of individual emails. PMs, IMs forum listings, bulletins, phone calls, and the like I sent to people (not to mention all the thank-you's every time someone wrote to say they voted) which I believe may be well into the thousands. But I realized that would make me even more depressed, and I've spent waaayyyyy too much time on this already.  Needless to say, we are extremely disappointed, as I know you are. 

THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of your support.  Please know that we will still do whatever we can to move forward with POTA. It just may take longer than we would have liked.  I hope that one day soon our goal of creating a wide-reaching, highly accessible, free funding program for filmmakers and artists will finally become a reality.  

With love and Gratitude,
Cindy

POTA on Blog Talk Radio

Come join Jenn and me tonight at 4:30pmPT/7:30ET for a 1-hour voting podcast-a-thon with your host Russ Ramos on Blog Talk Radio. You'll be able to call in with your questions about POTA, and cast a vote to help create a free funding program for filmmakers and artists!  The call-in number is: (347) 215-7760.

Rock the Vote for Free Indie Film Funding

Reminder: We made it to the FINALS to win a $20,000 grant, and the last round of voting is taking place RIGHT NOW! To win, we need the most votes before Sunday night, August 31st at 9pm (PT).

VOTE ASAP (before August 31st): If you voted in the first round, it will take less than 10 seconds to vote again! Just follow this link, and click the GREEN "vote" button, and then enter your logon info. If you are not registered, it will ask you to register first.

Here's the link: http://ideablob.com/ideas/2890

What will this grant money be used for: To create a revolutionary, new, non-profit company called "Patron of the Arts" (POTA for short), which is going to create free grants for filmmakers to fund their films. Once we are up and running, this will be a program that any filmmaker or artist may apply for. This grant will fund the startup of this company.

Rest in Peace Kathryn

I hate the internet. I just found out in an email that Kathryn Skatula, (the actress who played Sam's mom in PURGATORY HOUSE) passed away. Now I'm not blaming the internet for the news, but how can such important news come in such a cold way. Maybe I should be grateful. Maybe it it were not for the internet I would never have known of Kathryn's passing. I guess I just feel very very sad. This was unexpected. Kathryn was such a lovely soul. She helped me feel like the work we were doing really made a difference in the world. (This photo is of Kathryn at our Los Angeles premiere of PURGATORY HOUSE). I'm glad she did the Q&A and will forever be remembered in our "making of" DVD. Rest in peace Kathryn.

Voting Starts Today

Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who voted in the first round. Thanks to YOUR amazing support we made it to the FINALS to win a $20,000 grant (again!) The last round of voting takes place NOW! To win, we need the most votes before Sunday night, August 31st at 9pm (PT). PLEASE VOTE ASAP (before August 31st): If you voted in the first round, it will take less than 10 seconds to vote again! Here's the link: http://ideablob.com/ideas/2890

The Magic of Life

My little neice or nephew is coming in November.  Isn't this picture amazing?!  This ultrasound was taken in July, and yet we can already see it's little face... Wild, huh? I think the baby looks like ME!  Just kidding. I'm much taller.

Filmmakers on Netflix

Come join the group Filmmakers on Netflix, and lets talk about upcoming festival screenings, our movie releases, marketing and production. Let's share stories and tips. And let's build a great online networking community of support.

AUDIE & THE WOLF

Last night Katrina and I attended the World Premiere of my producer/actor friend Christo's lastest movie AUDIE & THE WOLF at the Downtown Film Festival, at the beautiful, historic Los Angeles Theater.  (I actually auditioned for this, but didn't get the part.) I had seen a private "work in progress" screening back in December, but now seeing it all finished and on the big screen was so much fun! AUDIE plays really well with an audience. Congratulations everyone!!!

AMPTP / SAG Negotiations Update

The national negotiating committee met today for an update regarding informal meetings and discussions with the industry, and to discuss SAG’s options and next steps.

Expired Contract Still in Effect
The expired TV/Theatrical contract remains in effect. Actors should continue auditioning and accepting employment under the expired agreement. If you or your agent have any questions, please call the national contract department at (323) 549-6818. 

Signed SAG Guaranteed Completion Contracts (GCC) over 600
To date, 658 projects have been signed by non-AMPTP producers (AMPTP producers are not eligible to sign GCCs). The GCC agreements incorporate the terms of the current SAG theatrical agreement, and terms of any agreement reached by SAG and the AMPTP retroactively, thus allowing companies not affiliated with the AMPTP to begin motion pictures without the fear of interruption by a work stoppage. The total number of SAG covered feature films in 2007, not including ultra low budget and student films, was 1,296. Using that number as a baseline, over half the potential number of films this year have the green light to continue shooting to completion under SAG GCC agreements, no matter what happens in contract negotiations. Remember, these are not waivers, but actual contracts.

August 15 AMPTP Deadline
The AMPTP has stated that SAG must ratify the AMPTP’s June 30 proposal by August 15 for the deal to be retroactive, threatening not to agree to apply economic improvements in the new TV/Theatrical contract when the deal is done, retroactively to July 1, 2008.  

Alexander Supertramp

Matt and I went camping at Jackson Lake near Wrightwood, CA, and then hiked to the nearby Big Horn Mine, at Vincent Gulch.  I felt like we were in the movie INTO THE WILD at times.  In our adventures we met a hippie couple camping nearby and shared spirits with them by a crackling, evening fire.  He was a roadie from England and she looked just like Catherine Keener.  After we called it a night and went back to our respective tents, we set the alarm for 2am.  The meteor shower was romantic.  We saw about 15 shooting stars over the course of an hour.  In the morning we set off on our hike to the mine. We expected it to be an "easy" hike, but it was pretty dog-on tough!  Hiking in the middle of the day with no shade, at a high altitude, on rock, going uphill made me very dehydrated.  I've gotta say, this was one of the most beautiful hikes I've ever been on, with views of Mt. Baldy, desolate vistas and ending at the abandoned mine shaft. We had lunch at the Grizzly Cafe', and then a Birthday lobster dinner at Delmonico's. I feel very grateful.

Shooting Stars on my Birthday

Matt and I are headed off on a little 2-day camping trip to watch the Perseids Meteor Shower, which just so happens to be best visible at 2am on the very morning of my birthday!
(August 12th) The meteor shower happens around the same time every year and can be viewed anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere.

If you want to see the meteors, go somewhere away from city lights (if possible). Bring a sleeping bag or lawn chair, kick back and watch the skies. Try to look in the direction that the sky is darkest. You will probably see a meteor about once a minute on average (fewer if your sky is light polluted). The meteors will be visible for a few days before and after the peak viewing time, so keep an eye out.

Brain Surgery

I just received shocking news from my friend Deborah Chester, (who is a brilliant rock'n'roll photographer). As I write this my jaw has fallen to the ground, and tears are in my eyes. Her beautiful daughter Jaimie, (see photo) who is an undergraduate at UC Berkley was diagnosed with "acquired hydrocephalus", and is having brain surgery on Wednesday! In order to pay the costs which her insurance will not cover, Deborah is selling copies of her amazing coffee table book Everyone I shot is Dead at wholesale. Please read Deborah's blog, and support her by praying for her daughter, and buying one of her books, if you can. She will not take handouts, but if you like her photography, now is the time to buy it. This really makes me remember how precious life is. My heart goes out to you Deborah...

About Deborah's Book: In the new coffee-table book Everybody I Shot Is Dead, Canadian photographer/author Deborah Chesher pays tribute to forty-eight musicians she shot in Vancouver and Los Angeles between 1974 and 1979, who have since passed away. With access to the world of rock’n’roll that most can only dream of, she not only captured amazing images of these legendary performers, but also personal memories and captivating behind-the-scenes stories. Chesher’s collection of over four hundred of her never-before-seen iconic photographs is accompanied by biographies and her personal reflections of a time when music was the magic that drove a generation.

We Made it to the Finals!

Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who voted in the August grant competition. Thanks to everyone's support we are up to win the $20,000 grant (Again!) The last round of voting will take place August 22-31, and we'll need your vote one final time. More details to come soon!  

Earthquake Drill

I just learned that within the next decade Los Angeles is expected to have a 7.9 - 8.1 Earthquake. In preparation the city is organizing the largest Earthquake drill in the world. It will take place in November. They want to teach us how to prepare for taking care of ourselves for up to 4 days if we have no access to outside help. Here's a link with info: http://www.shakeout.org/about.html Check it out, and click on the "register" link to participate. Please forward this link to loved ones who reside in Southern Cali.

Your Birthday

Learn about your birthday here.
Just enter the date of your birth. Very fun.

DWF 2008 Wraps

I was a judge for this year's Dances With Films Festival.  Here is April Wade (left) winner of the "Audience Award" for her feature film JUNCTION at Dances with Films.  The Grand Jury prize for "Best Feature" went to RIGGED.  The Honorable mention went to ONE DAY LIKE RAIN.  All of the films were amazing!