“Breaking In” – PopUp Anthology Promotes NJ Filmmakers

New Writer alert! Read all about PopUp Anthology, written and interviewed by Michel E. Fromm.

In this day and age where every film that graces the silver screen is an epic blockbuster or remake (or both), it is refreshing and crucial to also take the time to see films that are certainly smaller in scale, budget, and production value, but are bigger in heart, done by passionate writers, directors, and performers looking to show off their passion to as many audiences as possible. The famed French filmmaker, Claude Chabrol, once said, “You make a film to distract people, to interest them, perhaps to make them think, perhaps to help them be a little less naive, a little better than they were.”  And that is exactly what PopUp Anthology’s seeks to accomplish.

PopUp Anthology is an organization created to promote local films and to encourage audiences to support local storytelling. They screen in unique settings [across New Jersey] to create interactivity with the community environment.

Coming up on Friday, September 16, PopUp Anthology is partnering with the Trenton Film Society to present ‘PopUp Shorts – Volume 7’ at the Mill Hill Playhouse in Trenton.

The six films being screened offer a spectrum of voices and perspectives:

• Paco is an experimental comedy by Philadelphia-based filmmaker Catalina Jordan Alvarez
• I Can’t Breathe, a music video by Trenton native Rihki Kennebrew
• The Jokes on You, a documentary by Adrian Colon, an up-and-coming comedian from Hamilton, NJ
• Trending, a comedy series trailer by writer/director/actor and Morris County resident Rosalie Tenseth
• One Love, a music video produced by Trenton filmmaker Jeff Stewart.
• Another Time, a short narrative directed by Philadelphia-based film and theater artist Amy Frear

Tickets are $10, and can be purchased online here, or at the door.
For information on PopUp Anthology, including screening dates, and how to submit your own work, visit www.popupanthology.com. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @PopUpAnthology.

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I had the chance to ask PopUp Anthology founding members Katherine E. Clark and Annie Bradford a few questions about their love of the craft, and the story behind the organization:

NJIB: When did you contract the “artsy bug”? What made you realize that this is what I want to be doing the rest of my life?
Annie: I’ve always loved telling stories. Period. There’s nothing else I’ve ever felt quite as good at. I love how they connect people of all backgrounds together. It’s a very special industry to be a part of.
Katherine: I love challenges. Film is the ultimate challenge because it involves everything: every subject, every discipline, every art form, in one medium. You could argue that it doesn’t involve something like biology. But I spent an entire summer researching the biological makeup of jellyfish for the project I’m working on now. That’s exciting to me.

Can you tell us some of your highlights in film and any other artistic endeavors prior to PopUp?
Annie: I got my BFA in acting, and loved doing that, but when I lived in NYC I didn’t find it fulfilling. That’s when I wrote and directed my first play in NYC and realized I didn’t want to be doing theatre. It’s crazy, but true, because it steered me towards my passion for filmmaking–which is what I really wanted to be doing. Three years later, I’ve made two films, screened at national festivals, and started a filmmaking organization. It’s been a long transition process, but rewarding in so many ways.
Katherine: I received MFA film directing in 2014. While I was in school, I loved working on set whether or not it was my own project, and I also worked as a festival programmer. I wanted to keep up with all of those aspects of filmmaking. I started art directing to stay on set and keep up the momentum. I worked on a feature that went to SXSW and got distribution. After I moved to New Jersey from Chicago, I worked on one of Annie’s films, which is how we met. Now I’m working on a feature.

Now let’s talk about PopUp Anthology. How did it come about? What is the inspiration behind it?
We had both moved to New Jersey from big cities, and felt a huge void in the film community out here. So we decided to change that. We had both made films that we wanted to show and didn’t want to wait for a festival to give us the green light. So PopUp came from a desire to share our own films, create a place for local filmmakers to showcase their work, and connect with the community.

Can you tell us about the collaborative process. Who are you working with to bring this idea to life.

We collaborate with local filmmakers and local businesses. In the beginning, we were cold calling filmmakers because we didn’t know anyone, so they had to trust us and trust that the organization would continue growing. We also collaborate with local businesses, which keeps us active within our community. We’ve held screenings at Trenton Social, The Studio in New Hope, Flemington DIY, Studio 210 in Rahway, and so on. It’s really dependent on them to bring the idea to life, because if we don’t have a screening location we can’t have a screening at all. They have to be invested in what we’re doing just as much as the filmmakers. It’s truly a collaborative process on the local level.

How did you raise the money to put this together and keep it going? Are you crowdsourcing or do you have a super-secret backer?
We are crowdsourcing from our savings accounts and our day jobs! But really, it’s all very manageable. We’ve been business savvy and a lot of local businesses enjoy our program and offer us reasonable rates. We also form partnerships with arts organizations and that helps build our audience. We cater our own events; Trader Joe’s has gotten to know us pretty well over the last few months.

Time to Promote Yourselves. What’s next? Where can we learn more about what you are working on?
In September, we’re partnering with Trenton Film Society for a uniquely curated program. Then, we’re expanding! Annie is moving to Austin, so she will start PopUp Anthology Southwest and Katherine will be here to keep up PopUp Anthology East Coast. In October, we’re looking to have a permanent home (in the works) with ArtWorks Trenton where we’ll be hosting screenings once a month.

Annie is finishing editing her next short film, Stepsisters, and you can check out the rest of her work on www.aretestandardfilms.com.
Katherine is working on her feature, Pololia, a Pacific-based magical realist film. It went to Creative Lab Hawaii this year to workshop the script. You can learn more about the project and donate up to $5,000 as many times as you’d like on www.dangerouspersonproductions.com.
What advice can you give any artists trying to break into their respective industry?
Katherine: Don’t wait for things to happen, and don’t wait for approval from someone else. You’ll always be your own best advocate.
Annie: Let all the times you hear “no” motivate you to create your own path to success.