Penn alum and Forest Gump Hollywood producer Wendy Finerman talks “breaking into the boys club, thriving in a cutthroad business and banking some of the biggest movies in history” with Marie Claire
After having been selected to be a part of the prestigious AFI Directing Workshop for Women, director and Penn alum Rachel Goldberg created NEIGHBORS, a short film that has been getting lots of attention at many of the great film festivals across the country.
NEIGHBORS celebrates the beauty of unlikely friendships. When Maggie, a quirky shut-in meets her feisty new neighbor, Lamay, a transgendered woman in an abusive relationship, the two begin a strange friendship that allows them both to break free.
Rachel tells us, “This story speaks to me because I believe in the transformative power of relationships. Whether a story is about a transgendered woman desperate for love, or a woman suffering from agoraphobia who struggles to visit her dying mother, I am compelled by their feelings of solitude and their desire to connect. Often the most beautiful stories are those that highlight people living on the outskirts of society, who wonder if there is a place for them, but who ultimately discover that someone very different from themselves can have the most profound impact on their lives. This has always been true in my own life, and I am thrilled to be able to share this story with you.”
More about the film here
After co-writing, producing and directing the horror film (now cult classic) Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (trailer above), Scott Glosserman (C’99, Friars) is trying to raise money through kickstarter for the prequel to the film entitled Before the Mask
Per Scott,
“We need to raise $450,000 by August 9th. As of today we are 15% of the way there, having raised just over $70,000. I’m pulling out all stops. I’m releasing never-berfore-seen footage, scenes, and stills at milestones along the way. Our fans have been tremendous about spreading the word, but we aren’t going to meet our goal without some help from the fans. The item I want to stress the most, however, is our Supporter’s Edition DVD that’s limited (signed and numbered) only to the amount of people who pre-order it. The DVD is going to include an actual frame(s) of the film, itself. I intend to cut it up and share it with everyone who pre-ordered, because it belongs to everyone, after all.”
Lend your support here
More alumni you should know about here