What is the difference between editing a film versus editing television episodes? How do you efficiently cut while shooting and what are the benefits to doing so? How should you react when the director or producer gives you feedback that you may disagree with?

“Blissful ignorance of the system hurts more people in the long run.” If you are an emerging filmmaker who is not aware of the legalities involved in filmmaking, you should really consider hiring a lawyer. You may think you can’t afford a lawyer, but what you really cannot afford to do is remain in your ignorance.

Alex Familian is the editor for the horror film, Appendage, which follows the story of a young fashion designer who struggles with anxiety and self-doubt. The main character’s feelings eventually manifest into a gross, ferocious growth which sprouts from her body and yells mean, demeaning phrases at her.

Elaine McMillion Sheldon is a director and writer known for documentaries, such as the Netflix Original Documentaries, Heroin(e) and Recovery Boys. Her latest film, King Coal, premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. This “part fable, part documentary” is about the complex, coal culture in Central Appalachia.

While most of us are focused on the current WGA and SAG strikes, the DGA has some internal issues it is working on fixing. Currently, DGA members who have to take time off to care for their newborn children, are being penalized for it. These members are working to get the DGA to change their policies in order to have a more equitable and just industry.

How does one balance their wellbeing while also working 16 hours a day? How do you sift through 300 hours of documentary film footage in an efficient manner? What type of people skills and character traits are necessary if you are thinking of becoming an editor?

As of June 13, SAG joined the writers union and is now on strike. This is the first time, since 1960, that the WGA and SAG have been on strike against the AMPTP. So what is the strike about, why isn’t the DGA also on strike, and can we simultaneously support the strike while also continuing to work in film?

So you’re a beginner filmmaker who isn’t sure what path to take. Do you focus on commercials, television, documentaries, or feature films? Well, who says you have to pick just one lane and stick to it?

What can we, as independent filmmakers, learn from movie franchises with big legacies? How is AI affecting the careers of writers and actors? What is the best way to properly insure film equipment in the event it gets stolen?

What are the similarities and differences when it comes to working in film versus working in podcasting? What lessons can we take from filmmaking into the audio space, and vice versa?

So you have written a tv show that you want to sell, but how do you do it? How do you get people to become intrigued and vested in your idea? How much should you practice your pitch, and can you use gimmicks in the pitch meeting to grab attention?

The Bentonville Film Festival (BFF) was founded in 2015 by Academy Award–winning actress Geena Davis. The mission of the festival is to influence mainstream media to increase diversity and the presence of underrepresented groups in their content. We were honored to speak to two filmmakers who presented projects at the 2023 festival.

Sam Hargrave is an award winning stuntman and stunt coordinator, second unit director for films like Suicide Squad and Avengers:Endgame, and director of the film Extraction. His second feature film, Extraction 2, is available on Netflix, June 16.

Xavier Grobet is a cinematographer for movies and television shows. He is known for his work on films such as Focus and Nacho Libre and tv shows like The Watchmen and WeCrashed. Xavier is also the cinematographer for the Emmy-award winning show, The White Lotus, which is available for streaming on HBO Max.

Will artificial Intelligence end our jobs and the world as we know it, or is its “intelligence” limited? While many of us feel nervous for the impact it may have on our careers, A.I. is also opening up new opportunities to those who want to break into the industry.

Walé Oyéjidé is a director, writer, designer, photographer, musician, and lawyer who uses the power of storytelling to combat bias. His debut feature, Bravo, Burkina!, had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The film is about a Burkinabé boy who flees his village and migrates to Italy. When later disillusioned by heartbreak, and haunted by memories of home, he travels through time in hope of regaining all he has lost.

If you have ever been treated like garbage by others with power positions, we can relate. How do you respond to that type of treatment? Do you “kill them with kindness” or do you yell right back at them? Is there a way that we can train those in the industry to start being more conscious and kind?

When it comes to following your dream of breaking into the entertainment industry, you have to hustle in order to make that dream a reality. The question is, when does all that hustling become toxic to your well-being?

With the WGA being on its third week of strike, we can’t help but start to think about all the ways the industry is changing and what that looks like for us filmmakers. Will Hollywood still seek out our creative ideas, or will we be pushed to only making IP projects in order to market an existing idea? And how does this all affect brand new filmmakers who are struggling just to get their short films accepted into labs?