Film Connection

A Long-Term Mentorship

Film Connection — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 18:59:57 +0000

Nick Durante graduated from Film Connection nearly eight years ago, and has since built an impressive career in film production, as well as, maintained his relationship with his mentor, Richard Brandes. I sat down with Nick to chat about his life, work, the industry, and the nature of the mentor/mentee relationship. As a little kid I loved movies! When I was old enough to understand what…

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Based on a True Story

Film Connection — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 16:17:59 +0000

Carole Rinn is a graduate of Film Connection, who recently completed her first feature length screenplay, Unfolding. The topical and hard hitting drama is based on her own experiences facing workplace harassment. I sat down with this up-and-comer to discuss life, writing, her script, and the program. During the pandemic I lost my job, but I’d been planning on attending the Toronto Film School…

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Loucura em Lisboa

Film Connection — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 01:04:09 +0000

Fernanda Leme is a Brazilian screenwriter and translator, currently living in Lisbon, Portugal, whose work deals with loss, memory, and mental illness. I let Fernanda take me on a tour of the forgotten and abandoned spaces in Lisbon, as we discussed memory, film, art, life, and the concept of madness. “Goddamn it,” I said, gazing enviously at the view of the passengers on the other side of our…

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Queen of Trash

Film Connection — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 15:33:53 +0000

Mantra Marie Bedross is a lifelong treasure hunter who, over the past four years, has channeled her obsession with stuff into a career in film as a prop master. Her work ethic, passion, and personal traumas have propelled her, at an astounding speed, into an insanely successful career— already having worked on several full budget features, including, Shortcomings, You Hurt My Feelings…

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Don’t Kill The Screenwriter

Film Connection — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 21:37:38 +0000

Mariannjely Marval is a recent Film Connection graduate who sold her first screenplay ever to the LifeTime network. I interviewed her about this success back in March, and decided to sit down with her again, post-premier of her debut film, Don’t Kill the Babysitter, to discuss both the movie and her plans for the future. I found out about the premiere just three days before…

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Character Driven Drama

Film Connection — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 13:00:57 +0000

Malik Deanes is a recent Film Connection graduate, who is set to head off to California to pitch his first script, a crime drama entitled, Lonely. I sat down with Malik to discuss his script, film, and the program. I love to write and to tell stories. I started writing music, but I’m from Chicago, and everybody you know makes music, and I wanted to stand out. I took a personality test…

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The Champagne Break

Film Connection — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 13:00:27 +0000

Garrett Nelson is famous throughout Europe as a performance artist, installation artist, and poet. His work has been lauded by art critics and showcased by some of the most prestigious galleries and museums in the world, including: Kunsthalle Basel, Kunsthalle Zürich, Arsenic Lausanne, MAMCO Genève, SALT Galata Istanbul, and Centre Culturelle Suisse Paris. Getting to Garrett Nelson these days is…

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A First Home Run

Film Connection — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 15:37:58 +0000

24-year old Film Connection graduate Gavin Checchi recently sent his premiere short, The Last Home Run, out into the film festival circuit. The poignant and emotionally vulnerable short has already made waves, garnering several awards, including The Award of Recognition in The Best Short Films Competition and The Audience Choice Award at YoFi. My dad turned me on to movies at a young age.

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A Vital Perspective

Film Connection — Fri, 19 May 2023 13:00:36 +0000

Since graduating the program in 2021, Mariannjely Marval has continued to work with her mentor, Richard Brandes. Their collaborative script, Devious Deeds, hit the market, was quickly optioned, and is soon to be released as a feature length film! I used to be an actress. Acting was what I thought I wanted to do, but [I realized screenwriting] is what I’m meant to do. I’ve found so much more…

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Honesty Over Truth

Film Connection — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 15:21:11 +0000

Andrew Cohn is an Emmy-winning filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Before transitioning to narrative film, Andrew spent ten years directing documentary films—including Medora, Night School, and Warriors of Liberty City. His first feature-length narrative film, The Last Shift, starring Richard Jenkins and Shane Paul McGhie, premiered at Sundance in 2020. I sat down with this critically acclaimed…

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