Hey everybody! Here are all the release forms for your films. They’re available in .pdf and .doc. Though the PDF versions work just fine, you may want to make some changes, as your name is probably not “CFC Filmmaker.” Also, please be sure to check your emails for the intro clip to place at the beginning of your films– to save bandwidth, it isn’t hosted here. Best of luck, everybody!

CFC Crew Deal Memo (doc)
CFC Crew Deal Memo (pdf)
CFC Talent Release (doc)
CFC Talent Release (pdf)
CFC Venue Release (doc)
CFC Venue Release (pdf)
CFC Collaboration Form (doc)
CFC Collaboration Form (pdf)

Hey! I forgot to tell you that this whole thing is being run by humans, not by a faceless corporation or a weird robot. Say hello to the CFC staff! Not only are we nice and stuff, but we’ll help you make your movies. Remember to enter the challenge so you can meet us all at orientation on April 9th. See you there!

Joe Gressis

Joe is a three time Emmy-nominated writer, editor, and producer. His most recent project, hit web series Oishi High School Battle, has earned over 16 million views and a Streamy nomination, making it among the top scripted series on the internet. Previous projects include A LITTLE HELP (Jenna Fisher, Chris O’Donnel) and horror feature V/H/S. In his spare time, Joe invented the CFC.
ROLE: Joe is a busy, important guy. Only bother Joe if you really, really gotta, like if you need his thumbprint to open a safe. Email peter@very-important.com and he’ll contact Joe.

Nichol Simmons

Nichol is a writer, director, and former head of AFI’s Screenwriting program. While there, she oversaw production of over 200 short films and evaluated over 1000 scripts. Films she has mentored have screened at Tribeca, Slamdance, and Comic-Con and won awards at Cannes and Palm Springs. She is currently working on her feature directorial debut JUMP.
ROLE: Like last year, Nichol will be offering free script consultations. Meet her at orientation, then schedule a phone or in-person meeting during the Challenge.

Peter Lundquist

Peter is a writer, producer, and surprisingly good cook. His writing has been published in Black Swan, Gangsters in Concrete, THREAD, Gauge, on SMOSH.com, and in book form by the Hampshire College Press. He is a co-producer on Joe’s web series Oishi High School Battle, and his current job is to know everything about the CFC. (Please test him on this frequently.)
ROLE: As the CFC’s coordinator, Peter will answer all questions regarding rules, production, deadlines, sponsorships, and anything else, up to and including his deepest secrets. Contact him at peter@very-important.com

Mark Wagner

Mark studied Film and Technology at UC Davis, where he produced numerous projects, including the inaugural TEDx Davis. With a knack for editing, Mark began his filmmaking career by cutting anything he could get his hands on. His persistence has landed him diverse editing positions, including animation, documentary, and news. He currently an editor at Very Important Productions.
ROLE: Mark will answer any and all questions about post-production. He will be available for free three-hour editing sessions throughout the fest. Contact him at mark@very-important.com with questions and editing requests.

Our founder Joe Gressis turned up on the Movie Geeks United podcast last week to talk about the CFC. Are you looking to learn more about us? Do you like soothing male voices? Do you wish we’d release a Joe Gressis bobblehead so you can carry him around with you everywhere you go? If even one of these things is true, you’ll want to listen to this interview. Here it is!

Exciting news! Andrew Wilson just climbed on board as our sixth and final judge. Who’s Andrew Wilson, you ask? Who ISN’T Andrew Wilson? He’s a manager and producer currently at Zero Gravity. Here’s his full bio:

Andrew Wilson

Andrew began his Hollywood career at Evolution Management, where he was instrumental in shepherding the ultra-successful horror franchise SAW to the big screen—he took the credit of Consigliere for the first film. During his 11-year stint at Evolution, Andrew began managing high profile clients such as horror/fantasy legend Clive Barker and filmmaker Darren Lynn Bousman, whose collective worldwide film grosses equal nearly half of a billion dollars. Wilson also developed, packaged and produced LOTTERY TICKET starring Ice Cube for Warner Brothers while at Evolution, before moving on to the next phase of his career. Andrew joined the already successful Zero Gravity team in Spring 2012 and continues to represent some of the most exciting writers and directors in the industry with an eye towards furthering his efforts as a producer under the Zero Gravity banner.

Welcome back to the CFC, Andrew! In case you forgot what SAW is, here’s a refresher:

Who said print media’s dead? Yesterday, Variety was hip enough to shout out the CFC (on page 2, no less). Check it out, and remember: space is limited, so enter now!

Don’t worry, filmmakers: this doesn’t mean we’re gonna slap a McDonald’s watermark on your movies. No, our sponsorships are less like the ones in NASCAR and more like the ones in the Hunger Games: lifelines thrown to our contestants to help them out when they’re stuck. Check out our confirmed sponsors so far, and how they’ll make your two weeks of filmmaking a breeze!

CAZT

Need actors? Cazt has them! Cazt is a casting facility in West Hollywood that maintains a contact database for thousands of LA actors. On April 12th & 13th, Cazt is FREE for all CFC participants. Just sign up for a time and tell us who you need, and they’ll bring actors to you!

Stray Angel

You don’t need to own a camera! Stray Angel is a camera and equipment rental house in Santa Monica. All CFC participants get a 15% discount on all rentals. They have also kindly donated one of our prizes: a free 2-day Canon 5D Mark III rental. 

Showbiz Software/Media Services

Making a movie takes planning. No one knows this better than Showbiz Software, the developers of the most widely-used preproduction software in the industry. In addition to hosting our orientation at the Showbiz Store & Cafe, Showbiz Software will be giving away seven copies of their Producer Pack of software as CFC prizes!

Very Important Productions

Need a central production office? How about a professional editing bay equipped with Final Cut and Avid? Our partner Very Important Productions will fling open its West Hollywood doors to CFC participants, keeping editing stations open to reservations for the duration of the challenge.

Illumination Dynamics

Movies don’t light themselves! That’s where Illumination Dynamics comes in. As the makers of some of the entertainment industry’s most popular lighting equipment, they want to make sure that when you see a movie, you can actually see the movie. ID is offering a $500 rental gift certificate as a CFC prize!

Createasphere

Post-production is hard. (That’s why editors make so much.) Don’t you wish you were really, really good at it? That’s what Createasphere is all about, and that’s why they’re donating two free passes to their Post-Production Master Class here in LA!

Stay tuned, folks: we have more on the way!

We’re proud to announce a new judge for the 2013 CFC. Please give a warm welcome to Peter Baxter, filmmaker and President of Slamdance! What’s Slamdance? Well, in their own words, “Slamdance is a showcase for raw and innovative filmmaking self governed – By Filmmakers, For Filmmakers. The year-round organization serves new and emerging artists, filmmakers and storytellers.” Here’s a video intro:

Peter Baxter is one of the leading lights of the indie film community, and we’re very excited to see what fresh insights he brings to this year’s CFC. Oh, and don’t forget: the deadline’s April 8th, so enter today!