Tim and I also attended several panel discussions at the festival, which left a similar impression: nothing new to say, and what was said had little application to the careers of the filmmakers who attended. The panelists spoke as if they were attending a business retreat. The audience consisted largely of artists, few of whom had made films with any real knowledge of or affinity for the business of filmmaking. This is an interesting time for indie filmmakers. Some will adapt to the vast array of possibilities offered by the internet and successfully market their films to the diffuse audience that surfs around, looking for interesting content. Others will continue to make films in the hope that they get into theaters, and find an audience the old fashioned way.

The party scene was interesting, and somewhat borderless at Sundance. Paris Hilton was totally stalking us. First we saw her at the MySpace java hut. Later that same day we walked down the same block, and I jokingly said, "Hey--maybe we'll see Paris Hilton again." We did. She marched by like some kind of peroxide dust devil, hangers-on swirling about her. A day or two later, we were trying to figure out how to get into the party for Matt Servitto's film, Big Fan. On our third attempt, we were at a back stairway where a security guard repelled us with the admonishment that this was a "private party." Just then, a waifish blonde girl pranced up the stairs, entirely alone. I turned to Tim and said, "Hey, was that...?" Yes, it was Paris. Also marching around on the streets looking fabulous: Andie MacDowell, Mark Harmon, Wesley Snipes.

Greenberg Traurig, Steven Beer's law firm, and Cypress Films co-hosted a party for the Slamdance film, Zombie Girl, the Movie. The film is a charming doc about Emily Hagins, a (then) 12-year-old girl who decides she wants to make her very own Zombie film. Chaos and mayhem ensue! In the film, that is--the party was rather civilized, thanks to endless bottles of Stella Artois and spiffy matching logo glasses. The hermetically sealed gas fireplace added just the right touch of "Yes, you are here, and the time is now."

That's all for now, kids. For those interested in the great missing short film, City of Dreams, a cut should be available on YouTube soon. As for Harrison Bergeron, there will be news on that front soon as well. Really! Until then, browse below for the usual stuff.

Joseph Pierson

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Whittier, Alaska is nestled on the shore of Prince William Sound, one hour south of Anchorage. But, the incredibly picturesque setting belies just how odd Whittier is, even by Alaska’s standards. The only way in and out of Whittier is a single lane one-way tunnel that changes direction every half hour. The tunnel closes at 10 PM each night, locking everyone in for the night. No exceptions. Of the 200 people that live year-round in Whittier, 180 of them live in a single 14-story apartment building. Winter starts in early October and rages on for seven months of near-total darkness and an average 9 feet of snow at -20 F with winds gusting up to 80 MPH. Most residents of the Tower don’t venture outside until the 2-story high snow drifts have dissipated in the spring. So, what happens when you have 180 people cooped up in an apartment building in the middle of nowhere for seven months? Prisoners of Whittier will be an in-depth look at the town and its residents over the course of a year. We will start in spring, when the seasonal workers and cruise ship passengers turn Whittier into a bustling tourist town. As the days get shorter and the population dwindles to the hardy few that call Whittier their full time residence, we will join them inside the Tower for the longest winter imaginable. Whittier was founded by the US Military during the Cold War, when it mattered what was happening on the frozen Soviet tundra across the Bering Straights. The Military only lasted about ten years in Whittier; the shell of their installation is now a hulking grey ruin on Whittier’s abbreviated skyline. Since the Military’s departure, Whittier has been home to a handful of fishermen, railroad workers and a few people who service and work on the cruise ships that regularly depart from its shores. Few of the tourists that leave from Whittier ever set foot in the town; most arrive on a bus from Anchorage and are whisked into the climate-controlled bowels of their ship. Narrated by the iconoclastic Reindeer Lady and a few other equally entertaining residents, Prisoners of Whittier promises to be a refreshing look at one of America’s oddest communities. With a basement full of frozen food, a police precinct, and a supermarket and pharmacy that are accessible via underground tunnels, some residents never bother changing out of their pajamas. Welcome to Whittier. Enjoy your stay. Please visit our website for more information

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We will soon be announcing the development of our first Broadway Musical. We will also shortly post a link to YouTube, where you will find our first music video, a cover of "A Certain Romance" by Artic Monkeys. In the meantime, please click on the links below to read about the projects featured in our business plan for the financing of three feature films. A full description of each of the films can be found on our DEVELOPMENT PAGE, or a click on any one of the three film titles below will take you there.

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We are also pleased to announce that MovieMaker Magazine published a series of three articles written by Joseph Pierson and his colleague and friend, Bruno Coppola, containing much practical advice for filmmakers, based on their experiences on the film festival circuit, as follows:

"A FILM FESTIVAL PRIMER"
Page 100 of the Festival Beat section of the Summer 2006 issue (No. 64, Volume 13)

"FILM FESTIVAL FAQ"
Page 88 of the Exhibition & Promotion section of the 2007 Guide to Making Movies (No. 65, Volume 13)

"A FILM FESTIVAL PRIMER, Part II"
Page 92 of the Festival Beat section of the Fall 2006 issue (No. 66, Volume 13)
If the above file takes a long time to load, it's because it has lots of spiffy graphics.

Not a subscriber to MovieMaker? We highly recommend it! Click on the MovieMaker logo above for more information.

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Where I can rent or buy EvenHand?
Where I can rent or buy A Child's Christmas in Wales?
Where I can rent or buy Cherry?
What about Harrison Bergeron???

Three of our past films are now available on DVD for the first time:

JULIAN PO
was released on DVD by Warner Home Video in January 2007

Click here to shop on Amazon.com or visit our Julian Po page for more information and to view stills, reviews and a synopsis of the film.

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A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES
was released on DVD by Hen's Tooth Video on November 1, 2005.

To order a copy, please follow this link to Amazon.com or compare prices on Movies Unlimited, DVD Planet, DeepDiscountDVD,  Barnes&Noble.com, and DVD Empire. The DVD can also be ordered by phone from Movies Unlimited at (800) 668-4344. Hats off to Alliance Atlantis and Hen's Tooth for finally bringing A Child's Christmas in Wales to DVD!

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By happy coincidence,

CHERRY
was released on DVD by Ventura Distribution on November 15, 2005.

To order a copy, please follow this link to Amazon.com or compare prices on Buy Innovations, DVD Empire, DeepDiscountDVD, Overstock.com, and Movies Unlimited. The DVD can also be ordered by phone from Movies Unlimited at (800) 668-4344. Thanks to Showcase Films and Ventura for bringing Cherry to DVD!

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Tim Bohn and Sarah Bloom on the set of City of Dreams

City of Dreams is a short film starring Tim Bohn and Sarah Bloom, written and directed by Joseph Pierson. The film will be posted on YouTube soon! Some of Lovisa and Charlie's lovely still photographs from the film are now posted on the site along with a brief production journal. Please click on the link above.

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The EvenHand DVD

Here's some information on where you can find EvenHand on DVD and VHS:

Hollywood Video is stocking the film, as are a number of smaller chains and mom & pop stores. Blockbuster offers it on their website, but they are not stocking it in their stores. It is, however, widely available at many other retailers online. Here are some links: