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Screening and Discussion: Half the Picture

December 4, 2018, 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Location School of Communication and Media - Presentation Hall, Room 1040
SponsorThe Film Institute at Montclair StateCostFreePosted InFilm Forum at Montclair State
seriesFilms and Filmmakers
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Presented as part of the Films and Filmmakers Series with Prof. Roberta Friedman in partnership with New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) a special screening and panel discussion of the acclaimed documentary "Half the Picture" with director Amy Adrion, Laura Belsey, Debra Kampmeier and Jennica Carmona, moderated by Susan Skoog.

Half the Picture celebrates the groundbreaking work of female film directors and investigates the systemic discrimination that has, for decades, denied opportunities to far too many women in Hollywood. 

Please reserve your seat for this important screening and discussion of Half the Picture


Moderator: Susan Skoog

Susan Skoog wrote, produced, and directed the feature film Whatever, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1998. The film went on to screen at numerous festivals throughout the world and was released theatrically by Sony Pictures Classics. Susan has written, produced, and directed programming for VH1, TNT, TCM, AMC, FX, MTV, Fuse and others, and has written screenplays for Warner Brothers, HBO and MTV Films. Her award-winning digital series “Breeding Grounds” is currently screening at film festivals across the country. Susan is also a full-time faculty member at Montclair State University’s School of Communication and Media teaching in the BFA Filmmaking Program and also serves as the Director of Programming for the Film Institute at Montclair State

Panelists:

Amy Adrion 

Amy Adrion is a director and writer whose work has screened at the Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca and Los Angeles Film Festivals, been broadcast on PBS and MTV, and won numerous awards including a Directors Guild of America (DGA) Student Film Award and the Impact Award at the Sarasota Film Festival / Through Women’s Eyes Film Festival. HALF THE PICTURE, Amy’s debut feature, had its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018 and celebrates the groundbreaking work of women film and TV directors. HALF THE PICTURE won the #WhatNext Award at the Sundance Film Festival: London, the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Lighthouse Film Festival and was nominated for the Chicken & Egg Award at the SXSW Film Festival.

Laura Belsey

Laura Belsey has directed across several genres – including and episodic television, commercials, documentaries, and short films. She has recently directed episodes of GENIUS: PICASSO, QUEEN OF THE SOUTH, PREACHER, INSTINCT, BULL, NEW AMSTERDAM, ARROW, CRIMINAL MINDS, NCIS NEW ORLEANS, STITCHERS, BEYOND BORDERS, UNFORGETTABLE and LAW & ORDER SVU. Prior to directing television, Laura helmed hundreds of commercials and has won numerous international awards, including a Cannes Gold Lion. Her photography series “A Year in the Life of a Puddle” was exhibited at the Sheen Art Center in New York City in January and February 2016. Born in New Orleans and raised in Switzerland, Laura was a professional actor in her teens, and then came to New York to study film at NYU.

Deborah Kampmeier

Deborah Kampmeier is an award winning filmmaker. Her first feature Virgin, starring Elisabeth Moss and Robin Wright was nominated for two 2004 Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Actress for Elisabeth Moss and the John Cassavetes Award for the best feature made for under $500K. Her second feature Hounddog , starring Dakota Fanning was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Deborah’s third feature, SPLit, won Best of Show at the 2016 Female Eye Film Festival and was nominated for the Independent Vision Best Film at the 2016 Sarasota Film Festival. Deborah has just wrapped production on her fourth feature TAPE, starring Isabelle Fuhrman. 

Jennica Carmona

Jennica Carmona is a New York City based Puerto Rican film maker and activist. Born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico and raised in Rochester, NY she is a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. She is a member of New York Women in Film and Television, Film Fatales and Moms in Film. From 2008-2009, Jennica worked with director Lee Daniels on the Academy Award winning film, ‘Precious”, where she gained hands on experience with filmmaking and production. She later went on to write, direct and produce her first feature film, “Mille and the Lords”. The film was the recipient of several film festival awards (Best Director, Newark International Film Festival, Best Director, The People’s Film Festival, and Excellence in Filmmaking Award, Rincon International Film Festival) and it was sold to HBO/Cinemax shortly after its release. Her script was also a recipient of the 2013 Brooklyn Arts Council Community Arts Grant. Jennica has studied with notable filmmakers/writers Amy Fox, Ela Their, and Adrienne Weiss. She currently has two feature projects in development, “Sugarcoated” and “Going Towards the Fire” - the Brenda Berkman Story”.