FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Melanie Bates, Film Independent
Tel: 323 556 9338 or mbates@filmindependent.org

Seanna Hore, Ginsberg/Libby
Tel: 323 645 6800 or seanna.hore@ginsberglibby.com

LOS ANGELES (October 3, 2019) — Today Film Independent, in partnership with KCRW and official host The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), announced that Annie Silverstein’s Bull will be the Opening Night Film of The New Wave, Film Independent’s new fall showcase of films and conversations. The Opening Conversation will be with Steven Canals, co-Creator and Executive Producer of the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated and Peabody Award-winning FX drama series POSE. Also unveiled today is The New Wave Actors list: Asante Blackk (When They See Us), Olivia Cheng (Warrior), Dawn-Lyen Gardner (Queen Sugar), Lauren “Lolo” Spencer (Give Me Liberty) and Huma Qureshi (Leila) will be featured in conversation. The all women directed feature film program includes HIKARI’s 37 Seconds, Carol Dysinger’s Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you’re a girl) and Shahad Ameen’s Scales. The New Wave is a celebration of the spirit of change driving the transformation of art and culture to take place October 18–20. The showcase is free and open to the public, taking place at both MOCA Grand Avenue and The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA.

“The New Wave is a showcase of films from all over the world and in our first year of this new program, all of the feature films are directed by women,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, Artistic Director, Film Independent, “We didn’t set out to only select women directors but as we went through the programming process to curate this showcase, these are the filmmakers whose innovative and bold work embodied the spirit of The New Wave; and then we have the brilliant director and founder of Free the Work, Alma Har’el delivering the Centerpiece Keynote.”

Previously announced, Alma Har’el (Honey Boy, LoveTrue, Bombay Beach), film and music video director and founder of Free the Work, will deliver the Centerpiece Keynote and artist Hebru Brantley will deliver the Closing Keynote. Film Independent will spotlight its pillar artist development and education programs Project Involve and Global Media Makers with showcases featuring work from Fellows in these programs and a conversation with South Asian auteur Anurag Kashyap (Gangs of Wasseypur, Sacred Games).
 

FILM PROGRAMMING

Opening Night Film: Bull – dir. Annie Silverstein; USA, US Premiere
After trashing her neighbor’s house in a fit of youthful defiance, Kris is forced to help Abe who scrapes by on the Texas rodeo circuit. Together, Kris and Abe forge an unexpected connection, helping each other see new possibilities and hope for the future. Bull, premiered in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival (2019) and received several awards at the Deauville Film Festival including Grand Jury Prize.

37 Seconds – dir. HIKARI; Japan, Los Angeles Premiere
YUMA (23), a naive, yet talented comic book artist is forced to ghostwrite for her best friend in order to hide her cerebral palsy from an unsympathetic culture. Answering a want ad for an erotic comic magazine leads Yuma on an unexpected course of sexual discovery in direct conflict with her protective, yet overbearing mother. 37 Seconds premiered at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival and received several awards including the Panorama Audience Award. Writer/Director HIKARI is a Film Independent Fellow.

Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you’re a girl) – dir. Carol Designer; US/UK, Los Angeles Premiere
In Afghanistan, an organization called Skateistan recruits youth and teaches them to read, write – and skateboard – in Kabul. Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you’re a girl) had its world premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, where it garnered a jury award.

Scales – dir. Shared Ameen; UAE/Iraq/KSA, North American Premiere
Set in a dystopian landscape, Scales is the story of a young girl who stands alone against her family and overturns the village tradition of sacrificing the female children. Scales premiered at the Critics’ Week at the Venice International Film Festival

Closing Night Film: Secret Screening
 

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM PROGRAM

Edgecombe – dir. Crystal Kayiza, USA
Enforcement Hours – dir. Paloma Martinez, USA
Ghosts of Sugar Land – dir. Bassam Tariq, USA
Sound of Waves – dir. Vanessa Ishel Ortega, Mexico
St. Louis Superman – dir. Smriti Mundhra, Sami Khan, USA
Sweetheart Dancers – dir. Ben-Alex Dupris, USA

There will be a Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening.
 

OPENING CONVERSATION

Friday, October 19, MOCA Geffen, Warehouse

Steven Canals in Conversation
Hailing from The Bronx, Steven Canals is the co-Creator and Executive Producer of the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated and Peabody Award-winning FX drama series POSE. He made his TV directorial debut with the eighth episode of the second season titled “Revelations.” The series recently finished its second season on FX and will return for a third season. Steven co-created the series with Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. Variety magazine named Steven a “TV Writer to Watch in 2018.”
 

NEW WAVE ACTORS

Sunday, October 20, MOCA Geffen, Warehouse – 11:00 am
New Wave Actors Conversation
Asante Blackk (When They See Us), Olivia Cheng (Warrior), Dawn-Lyen Gardner (Queen Sugar), Lauren “Lolo” Spencer (Give Me Liberty) and Huma Qureshi (Leila) will be honored at the second New Wave Conversation. The New Wave Actors highlights a diverse group of talented actors, selected by Film Independent and SAGindie who continue to deliver breakout performances and deserve industry recognition. The New Wave is a partnership between Film Independent and SAGindie, with additional support from Easterseals Disability Services and SAG-AFTRA.
 

KCRW MUSIC PROGRAMMING

KCRW comes to the Aileen Getty Plaza Saturday night from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, featuring food trucks, tasty libations and DJ sets from KCRW’s own Aaron Byrd and Novena Carmel.
 

YOUTH AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Las Fotos Project
Las Fotos Project’s mission is to elevate the voices of teenage girls from communities of color. Through the lens of photography, students capture moments that inspire them and others to critically examine the world around them and to become agents of change; channeling their creativity for the benefit of themselves, their community and future careers. Las Fotos Project’s youth photographers will be covering The New Wave – follow them at @lasfotosproject.

Saturday, October 19, MOCA Geffen, Aileen Getty Plaza

LA Girls Skate Sesh Tutorial
LA Girls Skate Sesh (@lagirlsskatesesh) is an intersectional group of female skaters of all ages and abilities that skateboard together. The screening of the film Learning to Skate in a Warzone (if you’re a girl) will be followed by a free skateboarding tutorial led by LA Girls Skate Sesh in the Aileen Getty Plaza.

Saturday, October 19, MOCA Geffen, Aileen Getty Plaza

Girls Make Beats DJ Set
Girls Make Beats works with girls ages 8-17 and hosts educational seminars, summer camps, industry panels and networking events. GMB helps girls further their careers as music producers, DJs, audio engineers by providing courses on industry-leading hardware and software and by offering internships at recording studios and collaborations within the music industry. Girls Make Beats will DJ following the screening of film Learning to Skate in a Warzone (if you’re a girl).

Saturday, October 19, MOCA Geffen, Aileen Getty Plaza

Self Help Graphics & Art’s Barrio Mobile Art Studio (BMAS)
BMAS’ mission is to nurture emerging artists and make art accessible to the vast demographic that is Los Angeles, while also expanding our audiences and community beyond the East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights communities. BMAS was founded as a program that works towards equity and social justice through art. BMAS will live print one-of-a-kind New Wave tote bags just for our attendees.

Saturday, October 19, MOCA Geffen, Warehouse

KCRW and Locatora Radio Podcasting Workshop
KCRW teams up with Locatora Radio to host an interactive podcasting 101 workshop on how to make a show from scratch using your own unique voice. Mala and Diosa will walk you through their podcast creation and the creative steps they took to build their community-driven brand and Instagram presence. You’ll walk away feeling empowered to use your natural talents and tap into local resources to turn them into media.

Locatora Radio is an indie, do-it-yourself podcast co-hosted and co-produced by Mala and Diosa, two Latinas from L.A. that are committed to archiving and celebrating the brilliance of womxn of color through podcasting, film-making, educational workshops and live events. All ages are welcome.
 
 
Tickets for the keynotes and panels will be available this Friday, October 4 for Film Independent, KCRW and MOCA Members and will be available to the general public the following week on Friday, October 11. For more information, visit filmindependent.org.

The New Wave is produced by Film Independent, in partnership with KCRW and sponsored by official host, The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). Supporting Sponsors are Easterseals Disability Services, Hulu, LA County Department of Arts and Culture, National Endowment for the Arts, Netflix, SAG-AFTRA, SAGindie, Warner Bros. and Writers Guild of America West.

PLEASE REFERENCE THE PROGRAM ADDENDUM FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS

About Film Independent

Film Independent is the nonprofit arts organization that champions creative independence in visual storytelling and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent’s Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff and constituents is comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a Member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional or a film lover.

In addition to producing the Spirit Awards, Film Independent produces Film Independent Presents, a year-round screening series for its members that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public.
Through annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent’s Artist Development program offers free labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year-round networking opportunities. Project Involve is Film Independent’s signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.

For more information or to become a Member, visit filmindependent.org.