International Movie Conference Was A 2016 Highlight

Looking back on the highlights of 2016, attending the American Film Market (AFM) and Conference in Los Angeles this fall was definitely one of them.

View From The Top - A bird's-eye view from inside
the Loews Hotel during the conference.

The week-long, annual conference helps independent movies reach audiences who will appreciate them. The event also helps filmmakers connect with producers and network other filmmakers who can help them get their projects off the ground.

This was my first time attending AFM, which was held during the first week of November, and it was a really cool experience. My purpose in attending the conference was to make contacts and generate buzz about the documentary I made and plan to release in 2017, "Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring." (Click here for more information about "Lady Wrestler.")

Throughout AFM, film and television distribution companies from around the world set up shop in suites at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica. Prior to the start of the conference, independent filmmakers and producers can make appointments with the distribution companies and then meet face to face at the Loews and other locations in the immediate vicinity.

The overall goal is for filmmakers and producers to secure funding for movies they're trying to get made and/or strike deals to distribute movies they've already made.

During the conference, I attended a couple of very interesting panel discussions with industry leaders. In one panel discussion, African-American filmmaker Tina Mabry spoke about how making her acclaimed 2009 independent film "Mississippi Damned" eventually led to her being recruited by "Selma" director Ava DuVernay to direct episodes of "Queen Sugar" on Oprah's OWN cable channel. 

During the same panel discussion, "Dallas Buyers Club" producer Cassian Elwes shared how he raised the money for that Oscar-nominated indie movie in an astounding three days. To read the in-depth article in which he describes the process, click here. 

AFM also functions as a film festival, with screenings taking place at Santa Monica's AMC theater. I caught one very interesting Irish movie about two young men who become unlikely friends while attending boarding school. 

A fringe benefit of the conference is hitting the
beach and soaking up the California sun.

An added plus of the AFM is that it takes place in a beautiful area of L.A. near Venice Beach and the Pacific Ocean. One of the coolest experiences I had was attending a reception on the Santa Monica Piers, hobnobbing with other filmmakers from all over the world as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

Industry types networked against the backdrop
of this beautiful beach setting.

Throughout the conference, I met people from all walks of life - from an African-American filmmaker from Pam Grier's hometown of Denver, Colo., to a producer from Tokyo, Japan. I would recommend attending the AFM, not only for anyone interested in making and distributing movies, but for those who simply love the art of cinema. For more information, visit Americanfilmmarket.com.

My Top 10 'Non-Holiday' Holiday Playlist

This is that time of year when you can't avoid Christmas music. Some radio stations switch their entire format to holiday songs starting in mid-November. And it's nearly impossible to enter any store without hearing seasonal classics - some of which generate warm memories, while others are so overplayed they make you want to scream and pull out every hair on your head.

There are several songs that always remind me of Christmas, no matter the time of year. The following is my top 10 list of my favorite "non-holiday" holiday songs - tunes that weren't specifically recorded as Christmas music, but have that seasonal feel to them:

"Diamonds and Pearls" by Prince - This song from Prince's 1991 album of the same name was, appropriately, released during Thanksgiving week of that year (according to Wikipedia). The lyrics are representative of the holiday spirit: "If I gave you diamonds and pearls/would you be a happy boy or a girl?/If I could I would give you the world/But all I can do is just offer you my love."

This song easily could have been used in a Christmas commercial for a high-end jeweler, if Prince hadn't been so opposed to his music being used for advertising. Even the instrumentation on this heartfelt ballad sounds like it could have been the background music for a Christmas tune.

"Diamonds and Pearls," like all of Prince's music, has taken on a special significance since his untimely death on April 21.

"Peace and Joy" by The E Family and Earth, Wind & Fire - Since I'm a lifelong Prince fan, it's no surprise that a song by one of his closest collaborators - Sheila E. - made this list. Judging from the title, "Peace and Joy" could absolutely be a Christmas song. But it's actually a funky tune about world harmony from the 2011 album "Now & Forever" by Sheila E. and her equally awesome percussionist father Pete and brothers Juan and Peter Michael, with a special guest appearance by EWF. 

While "Peace and Joy" wasn't officially released as a single, the lyrics' sentiments calling for global harmony make it ideal to include on a playlist for a holiday party.

"Oh People" by Patti LaBelle - The legendary R&B diva released this song six months before Christmas in June of 1986, but it definitely captures the spirt of the holiday season. The lyrics are all about world peace and people coming together as one - a message that seems even more relevant 30 years later with all the division and conflict in America and the world at large.

"Love Makes Things Happen" by Pebbles and Babyface - This smooth duet by R&B star Perri "Pebbles" Reid and superstar musician/producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds was released in November of the first year of the last decade of the 20th century. It makes perfect sense that this beautiful ballad came out during 1990's holiday season, since it's all about finding love in unexpected places, and the power of love to transform lives.

"That's What Love Is For" by Amy Grant - No surprise that this number one '91 pop hit sounds like a Christmas song, since Grant was a superstar Christian recording artist before she crossed over to the secular world.

"River" by Herbie Hancock and Corrine Bailey Rae - I'm not sure if the title song to Hancock's Grammy-winning 2007 tribute to Joni Mitchell qualifies as a Christmas song since it mentions the holiday in the lyrics. But it's certainly more forlorn and introspective than most holiday tunes.

"The Gift of Love" by Bette Midler - This ballad from Midler's smash '90 album "Some People's Lives" is yet another song that technically isn't a Christmas song. But, like Prince's "Diamonds and Pearls," this sentimental tune sounds like it could be the background music for a jewelry commercial that runs during the holiday season or Valentine's Day.

As an interesting aside, in researching this blog post, I discovered that "The Gift of Love" was co-written by Susanna Hoffs, lead singer of The Bangles.

"Celebrate Me Home" by Kenny Loggins - This 1977 soft-rock hit could be the theme song for the millions of people who travel great distances to see family and friends during the holidays. I must admit that I didn't think of this one on my own, since jazz star Dave Koz used this song for years as the finale for his annual Christmas tour.  

"Seasons Change" by Exposé - This '87 pop ballad by female trio Exposé is definitely not a Christmas song. But the melancholy lyrics convey how many of us feel this time of year, when we reflect on friends and loved ones who have passed away and relationships that came to an end like the changing seasons. 

"The Closing of the Year" by Wendy and Lisa - I'm topping off this list with yet another nod to Prince  and his peeps. Anyone who has seen "Purple Rain" knows that Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman were two of Prince's closest musical confidantes during the height of his commercial success in the '80s.

Wendy and Lisa's "The Closing of the Year" is sort of a Christmas song, since it actually refers to the holiday in the lyrics. However, the song did not appear on a Christmas album, but rather the soundtrack to the 1992 Robin Williams movie "Toys." 

Featuring a guest appearance by pop star Seal, "The Closing of the Year" is one of the most beautiful Christmas songs I've ever heard. Wendy croons lead vocals in an angelic voice that sounds like she should be the soloist for a celestial choir. 

Like much of Wendy and Lisa's post-Prince music, this song is extremely underrated. This tune is a little-known gem that should be as ubiquitous on radio station holiday playlists and retail store Muzak as anything by Mariah Carey or Celine Dion.

Lincoln Theatre Helping Artists Reach Their Full Potential

Me and my fellow Lincoln Theatre Artist Incubation Program graduates.

I'm honored to be a graduate of the 2016 Lincoln Theatre Artist Incubation Program.  Now in its third year, the program helps artists from all different genres in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio, to hone our creativity and learn about the business side of show business.

Me and my fellow graduates celebrated with a Dec. 8 ceremony in the Lincoln Theatre's ballroom. Larry James, president of the Lincoln Theatre Association Board, and Greater Columbus Arts Council President and CEO Tom Katzenmeyer gave inspiring "commencement" speeches, encouraging us artists to keep pursuing our dreams. 

Over the course of the year-long incubation program, a subject-matter expert presented on a particular topic during each monthly session. Topics included:

Maximizing production value (ensuring your production is of the highest quality, even with limited resources).

Insurance (such as purchasing single-event insurance coverage to make sure all performers and equipment are covered in case any mishap occurs during a concert, play or other performance).

Copyright and trademark law (making sure your own work is protected and ensuring that you don't infringe on anyone else's copyrighted material).

Grants (how to identify individuals and organizations who support the arts and tailor your application to their criteria).

One of the most helpful sessions  was conducted by Lincoln Theatre General Manager Suzan Bradford, who is also artistic director of the Thiossane West African Dance Institute. Suzan walked us through how to accurately value our services so that we are compensated accordingly. 

The program also included Mentor Talks with working artists such as drummer Reggie Jackson, who has toured and recorded with major artists in all musical genres and performed at festivals around the world.  Reggie offered advice on how to build a career and establish mutually beneficial relationships in the entertainment industry, and stressed the importance of being professional, showing up on time and constantly perfecting your skills. 

I will apply what I learned from the Lincoln Theatre Artist Incubation Program in every facet of my work. Completing the program was like earning an advanced degree, and being armed with this knowledge is invaluable.