Donna Reed Festival class provides lucky break.
Nebraska native Jim Fields dreamed of being an independent filmmaker. In 1984, he went to film school in Chicago but quickly dropped out because it was too expensive. But 25 years later, he heard about a filmmaking class offered at the week-long Donna Reed Festival for the Performing Arts in smalltown Denison, Iowa.
The class was taught by Gary Graver, best known as Orson Welles' final cinematographer on Welles' epic film, The Other Side of the Wind. The film was released in 2018 and took 48 years to complete.
The two kept in contact after the festival ended. It was before the current wealth of YouTube videos so Fields found Graver to be a great resource. “I don't think I would've gotten into making indie movies,” said Fields, “if I hadn't attended those workshops with Gary Graver.”
Learn more about this Nebraska indie filmmaker.
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