Join Film Fatales on Friday October 23rd 2pm PT for a discussion of Low Budget Filmmaking with Diana Peralta (De Lo Mio), Julia Kots (Inez & Doug & Kira), Mariette Monpierre (Elza), Madoka Raine (Happy 40th), and Maria Mealla (Bring Me an Avocado) as they chronicle their individual experiences, navigating the world of microbudget filmmaking.
In this webinar, we will explore the unique trials of writing, financing, casting, crewing, planning, shooting, post-production, and distribution strategies for feature films made on minimal budgets. Learn how each of these filmmakers found creative ways to overcome challenges specific to low-budget filmmaking. This event is open to the public and will be accessible with live captioning.
If you missed the event, no worries! You can catch up on past events and watch HERE
Diana Peralta is a director, writer, and producer. Her debut feature film, De Lo Mio, had its world premiere as the closing night film of BAMcinemaFest in June 2019 and will premiere on HBO in November 2020. The film was awarded "Best Narrative Feature" at IndieMemphis Film Festival and "Best Film" at RiverRun International Film Festival. Diana was featured in Filmmaker Magazine's "25 New Faces of Independent Film" in 2019. Her work as a producer on the short documentary La Feria Concreta was screened as part of the Dominican Republic's first pavilion installation at the 2014 Venice Biennale of Architecture.
Julia Kots' first narrative feature film, Inez & Doug & Kira, is distributed by 1091 Pictures. Her award-winning films have screened on PBS and in dozens of festivals worldwide, including Slamdance, Cinequest, Woodstock, Hamptons, Edmonton, and Chicago International. She has received awards and grants such as NYFA Made In NY, IFP Audience Choice Award, Coca Cola Refreshing Filmmakers Grant, New Line Cinema Grant, Milos Forman Fund, ASCAP Scoring Grant, AMPAS Foundation Grant, as well as a residency from The MacDowell Colony. She is a refugee from the former Soviet Union and holds an MFA from Columbia University Film.
Madoka Raine's first feature film script Play in 2003 was a finalist for the Sundance Feature Film Program. Her first short film Jumping In, for which she wore all four hats, as writer, director, producer, and actor, debuted at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival - Short Film Corner. Her second film (again she wore all four hats) was Happy 40th, a narrative feature which had its world premiere at the 2015 Seattle International Film Festival. It garnered audience awards and writing awards throughout the festival circuit, and won reviews in Variety, IndieWire, and AmFmMagazine. She secured film distribution for Happy 40th through Global Genesis Group and a soundtrack distribution through The Orchard. Her next short film, Jed's Day, premiered at the 2016 Bend Film Festival. She is currently editing her short film Day 57.
Mariette Monpierre was born on Guadeloupe island, grew up in Paris and lives in New York. She has a Masters from the Sorbonne University and Smith College. She began her career @ BBDO NY producing commercials for Pepsi, Visa, Pizza Hut and FedEx. Her first feature narrative Elza (Le Bonheur d'Elza) was the NY Times Critics' Pick when released in theaters and won several awards internationally. Elza is streaming now on KinoNow Black voices and Black stories. Between 2 Shores, an immigrant story documentary film, aired on PBS/AfroPop series last January. Mariette completed her first TV series pilot Caribbean Girl NYC for Flow Network and France Television. Her latest documentary Towards Mecca on Muslims in the West Indies is currently airing on France Televisions Network and is having a successful run in the festival circuit.
Maria Mealla was conjured in the Andes Mountains of Bolivia. She spent her forming years traveling back and forth between Bolivia and the United States, crafting her writing and directing skills for the stage. Mealla attended St. Edward's University in Austin, TX where she received a BA in Theater Arts before moving to the Bay Area where she ventured into independent filmmaking through work trade by collaborating with other filmmakers. Mealla's short and episodic content has been showcased at festivals across the country and platforms including WhoHaHa, and The Muff Society. She has spent the last five years working as a commercial producer and director at agencies across the Bay Area. Her award-winning feature debut Bring me an Avocado is now streaming on Amazon Prime.