AFI Alums Launch New YouTube Channel WIGS

There is some exciting new content from AFI Conservatory alums Jon Avnet (AFI Class of 1972) (BLACK SWAN, FRIED GREEN TOMATOES, RISKY BUSINESS and Rodrigo Garcia (AFI Class of 1986) (ALBERT NOBBS, IN TREATMENT, MOTHER AND CHILD) on YouTube. The two have joined forces to create and launch WIGS, an innovative digital channel producing high-end, original, scripted dramatic series and short films about the lives of women.

The channel is one of the first brand new high-end channels to come to YouTube, which advanced funds for the top series’ production and pledged $200 million to market them.

The digital channel’s premiere series, JAN is written and directed by Jon Avnet, and stars Caitlin Gerard, Virginia Madsen and Stephen Moyer. The series SERENA also launched, written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia and edited by Julie Janata (AFI Class of 1981). The web series stars Jennifer Garner and Alfred Molina.

Episodes of JAN and SERENA as well as Behind-The-Scenes content and additional trailers, are all available now at youtube.com/wigs.

23 May 1 Permalink

AFI Alumni Film NO

Congratulations to Daniel Dreifuss (AFI Class of 2007) and producer of NO, bought by Sony PIctures Classics at Cannes!

http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/sony-pictures-classics-goes-for-no/

22 May 1 Permalink

AFI Alumni Win Student Academy Awards

Congratulations to all the AFI Conservatory alums who worked on NANI and NARCOCORRIDO, announced as winners of the Student Academy Awards in the Narrative Category! Placement in each category will be announced at the Academy ceremony on June 9.

NANI
Producer: West McDowell
Director: Justin Tipping
Screenwriter: Justin Tipping/Josh Beirne-Golden
Cinematographer: Soren Hiorth
Editor:Linda Jildmam
Production Designer: Bonnie Bacevich

NARCOCORRIDO
Producer: Onye Anyanwu
Director: Ryan Prows
Cinematographer: Benjamin Kitchens
Editor: Jarod Shannon
Production Designer: Caliope Andreadis

http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/student-academy-award-winners-announced/#more-272618

15 May Permalink

Directing Workshop For Women - Showcase 2012

Congratulations to all of the filmmakers who screened their short films at the DGA on Tuesday May 8 as a part of the AFI Directing Workshop for Women! 

Extra congratulations are in order for Anika Poitier and her film BLACK IRISH, which won the Adrienne Shelly Award, Kit Pongetti and her film STAKEOUT, which won both the Jean Picker Firstenberg Award and a Nancy Malone Award, and to Wenhwa Ts’ao and her film TOWING, which also won a Nancy Malone Award.

10 May 1 Permalink

AFI Alumni Selected for the 2012-2014 ABC DGA Directing Program

Congratulations to AFI Conservatory and AFI Directing Workshop for Women alumni selected for the 2012-2014 ABC DGA Directing Program!

Amy French (AFI Directing Workshop For Women Class of 2010)

Karamu Kush (AFI Directing Class of 2010)

Lily Mariye (AFI Directing Workshop For Women Class of 1999)

Kimberly McCullough (AFI Directing Workshop For Women Class of 2010)

Velvet Andrews Smith (AFI Directing Workshop For Women Class of 2010)

Casey Stangl (AFI Directing Workshop For Women Class of 2007)

Jude Weng DWW (AFI Directing Workshop For Women Class of 1998)

The two-year professional Directing Program focuses on potential episodic directing opportunities on ABC series, and those selected participate become part of the ABC∙DGA directing talent pool.

5 April 7 Permalink

AFI Alum Gideon Raff Wins Peabody Award for HOMELAND

4 April 8 Permalink

News from the 33rd College Television Awards

AFI alum Steffen Schier (AFI Class of 2011) won 2nd place for Best Drama for producing the film BOSCO’S GUITAR. Other AFI Conservatory 2011 alumni affiliated with the film are Matt Handy (director), Kelly Rothberger (screenwriter), Dru Mungai (cinematography), Ruben Sebban (editor) and Kevin Houlihan (production designer). 

Justin Edwards (AFI Class of 2011), who produced and wrote COME BACK TO ME, won the award for Best Use of Music. 

AFI alum Julian Higgins (AFI Class of 2010, 38th Student Academy Award winner for THIEF, and last year’s 1st Place Drama winner at the College Television Awards) spoke Saturday night at the ceremony and announced he directed an episode of HOUSE, M.D. which aired this week Fox.

Congratulations to all our AFI Conservatory alumni for their recognition at this year’s College Television Awards!

4 April 7 Permalink

AFI Alumni Robert Richardson Wins Academy Award

27 February 7 Permalink

AFI Alumni Win WGA and Eddie Awards

Congratulations to AFI Alumni Gideon Raff (AFI Class of 2003) and Steven Rasch, A.C.E. (AFI Class of 1998) for their recent award winning work! Gideon Raff won a WGA Award in the new series category for HOMELAND and Steven Rasch won an A.C.E. Eddie Award for CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM: “Palestinian Chicken,” in the category of Best Edited Half-Hour Series for Television.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/wga-writers-guild-awards-winners-list-292639

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/19/idUS184255749320120219

21 February 3 Permalink

AFI Alumni Winners at Sundance 2012

Congratulations to AFI Alumni Kirby Dick of THE INVISIBLE WAR, the Sundance Audience Award winner for U.S. Documentary, and Tobias Datum & Linda Sena of SMASHED, U. S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing!

31 January 5 Permalink