PLEASE join me and Josh Welsh of Film Independent in celebrating JON M. CHU (director of "Crazy Rich Asians"); EFFIE T. BROWN (producer of "Real Women Have Curves," and "Dear White People"); CHARLES D. KING (founder and CEO of MACRO); and CHERIEN DABIS (director of "Amreeka," and supervising producer of "Empire) at a benefit dinner heralding the 25th anniversary of Project Involve on Saturday, September 22nd, at the home of Catharine and Jeffrey Soros in Los Angeles. This joyous occasion will herald the free nine-month intensive program offering thirty up-and-coming film professionals from under-represented communities the opportunity to hone their skills and gain industry access. You may support Project Involve through a donation of any size here, or join us on the Host Committee with guaranteed VIP seating and enjoyment.
The benefit will be held as part of Film Independent's 2018 LA Film Festival. I am chairing the event because I have been a long time supporter of its mission through the Roger and Chaz Ebert Foundation and I believe the work it does is more important than ever. Project Involve champions creative independence in visual storytelling and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision.
Past mentors who have participated in the program include Nina Yang Bongiovi ("Fruitvale Station," "Dope"); Ava DuVernay ("Selma"); Catherine Hardwicke ("Twilight"); Derek Cianfrance ("Blue Valentine," "The Place Beyond the Pines"); Destin Daniel Cretton ("Short Term 12"); Dan Gilroy ("Nightcrawler," "The Bourne Legacy"); Simon Kinberg ("X-Men: Apocalypse," "Fantastic Four"); Reed Morano, ASC ("Meadowland," "Vinyl"); Alexander Payne ("Sideways," "The Descendants"); Rodrigo Prieto ("The Wolf of Wall Street"); Justin Simien ("Dear White People"); Christine Vachon ("Carol," "Boys Don’t Cry") and Bradford Young, ASC ("A Most Violent Year," "Selma").
Here is a link to the Support Project Involve webpage: https://www.filmindependent .org/programs/project-involve/support/.
For more information on tickets to the 25th anniversary dinner, contact Jennifer Murby at jmurby@filmindependent.org.
For more information on how to apply to Project Involve, click here. You can celebrate the program by making a donation here.