I'm a Judge! - D.C. Shorts Film Festival & The Film Fund

/

Earlier this year I had the pleasure to serve as a judge for the D.C. Shorts Film Festival. I attended this festival in high school or college - I believe it was the first film festival I ever attended, when I already knew I wanted to be a filmmaker - so it’s cool to be associated with the festival now as a judge. And it was a really solid bunch of films - it was hard to score them.

This Fall, I’ll be serving as a judge for The Film Fund - filmmakers submit one sentence describing their short project and what they would do with the grant money if they receive it. I’m excited to see all the ideas that are submitted.

TO POST The Film Fund 2.png



BUT NOT FOR ME - Coming soon to FlixPremiere.com

/

The feature film I produced, But Not For Me, is getting a commercial release in the United States later this summer on the brand new digital platform, Flix Premiere.

Click the image below and then click "Remind Me" to sign up with your email to get a notification when But Not For Me becomes available for rent. 

MIDDLE GROUND - My new short film is now online!

/

My latest short film, Middle Ground, is now available online. Check it out and share it if you dig it!

"Making Your First Feature" Workshop @ NYU Production Lab

/

On March 30th, the team behind But Not For Me held a roundtable discussion at the NYU Production Lab about our experience making our first feature film. It was a detailed, intimate discussion with great questions from those in attendance. It feels good to share your knowledge and experience with your fellow filmmakers and aspirants. As Kevin Spacey has said, (I'm paraphrasing) when you achieve a certain amount of success, you have an obligation to send the elevator down to those coming up behind you. We're happy to help!

"A Warm Spell" wins big at Queens World Film Festival 2016

/

A Warm Spell, an Official Selection of the Queens World Film Festival and nominated for three awards - Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Narrative Short - won the big prize last night and was chosen as the best short film of the festival.

Big congrats to Toshimichi Saito, the writer/director, and the whole team!

(A Warm Spell, formerly Koharubiyori, is a short film I produced that we shot in Japan in February 2013). 

March is BNFM Month!

/

But Not For Me is an Official Selection of NewFilmmakers New York - with a Manhattan screening in March - and Queens World Film Festival (which is also playing the short film I produced, A Warm Spell!) - with a Queens screening in March. 

We're excited for both our Queens Premiere (where my production company, Impolite Company, is based) and our Manhattan Premiere. 

Don't worry Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, we haven't forgotten about you!


"House Rules" - Screencraft Production Fund Semi-Finalist

/

My short film script, House Rules, is a semi-finalist for the Screencraft Short Film Production Fund. It's one of approx. 200 semi-finalists culled from 1,100 submissions. Winners receives $5,000-$20,000 to make their films. 

Winners are announced next week - fingers crossed. Let's get this money and make this film!

https://screencraft.org/2015/10/26/short-film-production-fund-semifinalists-announced/



"This is my body, it's not yours" (Newsletter #15)

/

Check out my Summer 2015 Newsletter by clicking here!

I send 3-5 newsletters/emails per year, with updates about my work and a little more in-depth information. If you're interested in receiving these emails, sign up here: http://jasonstefaniak.com/contact/


"Middle Ground" is going to Europe!

/

My short film, Middle Ground, will have it's European Premiere at the Student International Film Festival (STIFF) in Rijeka, Croatia, in October. 

The film will screen at the Art Kino theater, which is run by the city and dedicated to exhibiting the best in classic and contemporary cinema. Look at how beautiful this theater is!

I'm excited!

"A Warm Spell" @ Raindance Film Festival

/

A Warm Spell, the short film I produced that's written/directed/edited by my good friend and frequent collaborator, Toshimichi Saito, will have it's UK Premiere at the Raindance Film Festival in October!

Congratulations, Toshi! I'm very excited for you. 

P.S. Toshi is killing it with this film

"But Not For Me" @ Capital City Black Film Festival

/

The feature film I produced, But Not For Me, will be playing the Capital City Black Film Festival in Austin, Texas, on Friday, August 14th, 2015.

But Not For Me is going to Texas!

If you're in Texas and want to see the film, check out the festival's website: http://www.capcitybff.com/

Otherwise, like the film's Facebook page for info on future screenings: https://www.facebook.com/ButNotForMeFilm

My friend Peter wrote a book - and I'm in it!

/

Sort of. I said this about the book, and he put it in the book ("award-winning" filmmaker attribution courtesy of Peter):

Peter's book The Happenstances at the Yellow County Community Swim and Racquet Club the Summer Before Last is on sale now in e-book form for ONLY $5.99. Support an up-and-coming, independent artist and buy his book here: www.TinyUrl.com/PetesEbook

Print version is coming June 21st! More info: http://peterlharmon.tumblr.com/

Big News - Hollywood Foreign Press Association Grant!

/

My short film, Middle Ground, has been awarded a Hollywood Foreign Press Association Fellows Fund grant. This is super exciting because I can definitely use the money to support the film and the HFPA is the organization that awards the Golden Globes each year.

What makes this even cooler is that the feature film I produced, But Not For Me, also won the same grant! It's been an encouraging week and I'm thankful for that.