Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1530617
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 5 I 6 5 The fate of treasured object threatens to tear a family apart in Director Malcolm Washington's drama, The Piano Lesson. Based on the Prize-winning play by August Wilson, Washington's film follows the lives of the Charles family as they deal with themes of family legacy and more in a brewing battle over what to do with an heirloom piano. Washington discussed the making of the film during Q&As moderated by Directors David E. Talbert in Los Angeles and Kasi Lemmons in New York. During the Los Angeles conversation, he spoke about how his decision to shoot the film in sequence impacted his actors. "We got to shoot the movie in a way that's really rare now, which is in sequence. We start out on page one and shoot in order and wherever we got to at the end of today we start from tomorrow. So, if we took the story — today now, we're going left, we're supposed to go right — we can pick up from that place. It was so open and everybody just was present and not tied to their idea of what it was before they got into the room or what they might have done on stage before. It was about finding the thing every day and these little moments come up and we just chased them." Malcolm Washington discusses The Piano Lesson photo by Xxx Xxxxx photo by Elisa Haber photo by Ryan Jensen Photos: Director Malcolm Washington with moderators David E. Talbert in Los Angeles on November 9 and Kasi Lemmons in New York on November 24. Membership Screenings Q&As listed in alphabetical order by Director. See more detailed descriptions, additional photos & podcasts online at www.dga.org. DGA Screenings Q&As 2024 Urbanworld Film Festival Brunch photos by Ryan Jensen From November 13-17, the Urbanworld Film Festival returned to New York City for their 28th year. The festival was a hybrid of both live and virtual screenings showcasing narrative and documentary features, short films, music videos, and web originals. The DGA has been a sponsor of Urbanworld since 2000. As part of the Guild's outreach efforts aimed at independent filmmakers, the DGA hosted a luncheon on November 15 for Directors with entries in this year's festival. Filmmakers were welcomed by DGA Assistant Executive Director Mary Hatch, who gave a brief overview of the Guild's mission to protect the creative and economic rights of Directors and members of the directorial team. Hatch then introduced DGA Director-member Christine Swanson, who had two projects at the festival, her short film, Fannie and her feature Albany Road. Swanson spoke to the attendees about what it means to be a part of the DGA filmmaking community and the advantages of having the Guild behind you when filming. Urbanworld Head of Programming Karen McMullen also gave tips about how to make the most of the opportunities provided by the festival. Photos: 1. Urbanworld filmmakers and staff pose for a group photo with DGA members and staff following the 2024 DGA luncheon. 2. DGA Director-member Christine Swanson speaks about the advantages of DGA membership. 3. Urbanworld filmmakers chat with DGA Assistant Executive Director Mary Hatch. 2 3 1 See additional photos online at www.dga.org. Indie Directors Outreach Events