The inaugural Cindependent Film Festival at the Woodward Theater took over Main Street in OTR for three days straight from August 23 to August 25. Several filmmakers from around the globe came to see what an independent festival in Southwest Ohio was cooking up.
Read MoreC. Jacqueline Wood is an important part of the Cincinnati film community. Her work supports not only independent film and filmmakers, but also the audience who’s looking for a different moviegoing experience. She wanted to build a space that would honor the hard work of the filmmaker and to combine it with wide-ranging programming that needed a home. And she’s done just that with the Mini Microcinema in Over-the-Rhine – whether it’s an abstract experimental film, a classic masterpiece, or even an award-winning kid’s cartoon, you can see them all, for free, in a friendly space with the best in sound and picture quality.
Read MoreWe met college senior Sarah Durham for a drink to chat about what it takes to be a student actress and filmmaker, what it’s like going to school in Cincinnati, and finding balance. As we settled in at the corner of the bar, Sarah’s smile was contagious in the unusually quiet speakeasy.
Read MoreThe first thing you notice about Audrey is her glowing smile as she enters the Rohs Street Cafe on a bustling summer weekday. She is almost effervescent with her energy as we move to a space outside for the interview. With her easygoing nature, she wouldn’t strike the average person as being a driven powerhouse of creativity who has returned to Cincinnati from an ambitious journey throughout the country. But she is, and we’re lucky to have her back as she gears up to showcase her directorial debut with “Too Like the Lightning” during the Cindependent Film Festival this month.
Read MoreBright and early on a warm, Saturday morning, I walked across the uneven, cobblestone parking lot at Longworth Hall, just past downtown Cincinnati. As the impressive brick building towered in front of me, I entered the bright lobby to meet an impeccably dressed, beaming Laura VonHolle, director of operations for Heyman Talent.
Read MoreLana Read was the name… As we let the conversation roll, she shared her lens on topics ranging from the perfect story arc to the community building potential of local film to balancing leadership and femininity.
Read MoreOn a sunny spring evening, I walked through aisles of brightly colored international candies, hundreds of varieties of wine, and an array of flower-shaped cheeses to find Hannah Blair sitting at a table near the coffee shop inside Jungle Jim’s International Market. After swapping stories of the peculiar displays we’d each passed on the way in, we grabbed a seat and chatted about small town life, filmmaking, and what it means to “make your work.”
Read MoreWith glasses, long dark hair with bangs, and a red lip, filmmaker Jen Day was serving up some serious “New Girl” vibes when we met her at Nation Kitchen & Bar earlier this summer. We found a corner near the front windows, and with our photographer Heather’s encouragement, I tried a whiskey Moscow Mule for the first time – it was love at first sip. We nestled in with our drinks, took in Nation’s inviting atmosphere, and got right down to the nitty-gritty of being a woman in the city and what it means to tell unique stories through film.
Read More“So the who, what, where, when, why is it’s a three-day film festival at the Woodward Theater, August 23, 24, 25. It’s being designed to attract filmmakers, as well as community members. It’s really important to connect storytellers in and outside of the industry. It’s no different than sitting next to somebody watching a movie and then turning to them and being like, ‘Oh my god. Did you just see that, too?’ You get to talk to storytellers, and that’s all connected through the human experience and the human perspective.”
Read MoreOn an oddly warm day in March, we ventured out to a little corner pub in Madisonville to meet Allyson West. Little did I know that she’d immediately become one of my favorite people: an unapologetic, authentic, instant friend who makes you feel like you could walk up to her on the street and pour out your heart and soul. We met the fiery filmmaker, actress, and founder of the brand new Cindependent Film Festival at her favorite neighborhood haunt, The Bramble Patch.
Read MoreThe organizers of the inaugural Cindependent Film Festival joined forces with Women of Cincy on July 4 at Washington Park to celebrate the rad party that will be the event's inaugural edition, August 23-25 at the Woodward Theater.
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