2024 Films and Events

** Cancelled ** Christy has been an actor, director, producer and author who has appeared in more than twenty films, including American Hustle, Joy, The Women, Ted 2, and The Forger. An active member of the Boston community and beyond, she is on the board of directors for the Associates of the Boston Public Library and co-chairs its Literary Lights committee. Her first novel, The Truth About Horses, published in August 2023, has earned significant praise in the literary world and admiration from the equestrian community. In 2021, Christy founded YouthINK, a nonprofit that connects passionate teenaged creators with leading industry creatives to provide a supportive, encouraging, and nurturing space for mentorship and artistic expression. Christy will talk about her journey and how she embraced change yet stayed in the creative sector.

Doug Blush is an award-winning director, producer, editor, writer and cinematographer whose work includes over 200 feature and television projects. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as well as the American Cinema Editors (ACE). Credits include, as Executive Producer, the Critic’s Choice and Peabody Award- winning MR SOUL! (2020), as well as a number of Academy Award- winning documentaries: THE ELEPHANT WHISPERERS (2023), PERIOD. END OF SENTENCE (2019), ICARUS (2018), and, as supervising editor, 20 FEET FROM STARDOM (2013). Current projects include co-directing the documentary film LOS LOBOS NATIVE SONS, now in production and due for a 2025 release. Doug will give and overview of his past and current work in film and give a sneak peak preview of several projects in production including trailers, sizzles and scenes.

John de Graaf began producing documentaries in 1977 and has directed over 40 films, 15 of which have received national primetime PBS broadcasts, including the 1997 hit, AFFLUENZA. He is the recipient of more than 100 regional, national and international film awards. His film Stewart Udall: The Politics of Beauty is screening in the Festival on Saturday, August 3, 2024.

Independent filmmakers and lovers of independent cinema are facing an increasingly-changing landscape. Narrative and documentary filmmakers, producers, casting directors and distribution experts share their perspectives on where independent film is, and where it's going.

Indie Filmmaking: Hobby and/or Career. As media and technology changes, the landscape of filmmaking continues to shift. With most art, there is a line between "Hobbyist" and "Professional", but that line is blurring. How do you define yourself as a filmmaker? What skills do you need to work as a professional in this sector of the economy? Does the label matter? We'll talk about transferable skills and what the landscape looks like with our guests. Join in!