Acting

Stage 32 is honored to premiere the 2nd Stage 32 Short Film Program at the 2017 Richmond Film Festival. This program was curated by the incredible industry executives(3 who won Oscars!) who judged our Annual Short Film Contest and features 6 amazing directors (from 4 countries) all with bright futures ahead. Once again, congratulations to all the filmmakers and the Stage 32 team congratulates you on the screening!  Stage 32 Short Film Program @ RIFF Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at 2:45PMByrd Thea...

When RB asked me to guest blog, tell a personal story and give some advice, I shuddered. So much wisdom has been written. From great essays that went viral like Frank Langella's The Demon Seesaw Actors Ride to Julia Cameron's bible The Artists Way, there's so much to say and nothing to say ... The same demons the divine Langella and Cameron speak of remind me that I am an actor, not a writer, and what if no one wants to read my words? But just like when I walk onto a stage, onto a set, into th...

Today is an exciting day here at Stage 32 - we want to congratulate our Stage 32 members, educators & executives who worked on 13 films (that we know of!) that are officially nominated for the 2017 Oscars!   CONGRATULATIONS TO STAGE 32 MEMBERS WHO HAVE FILM NOMINATIONS:   Toni Erdmann - Congratulations to Stage 32 member, producer Michel Merkt Elle (Best Actress) - Congratulations to Stage 32 member, producer Michel Merkt My Life as a Zucchini - Congratulations to Stage 32 members, pr...

When I was a little boy about eight or nine, I happened to be playing in front of the TV in our Chicago apartment one day, when an old black and white English movie came on. I knew nothing about acting, though I had once played a tree in a skit. But there was one actor on the screen who I could see was doing something remarkable. He was just different, unlike any of the other actors, though I couldn’t say how, but I could see that 'something' right there on the screen.   What he was doing, how...

As the leaders in online education for film creatives, we're extremely proud to introduce our 2017 Online Film Conference Series. Throughout the year, we'll be announcing events designed to give you timely, applicable information designed to help you succeed in 2017 and beyond. We kick it all off today with our 1st Annual Online Film Finance and Producing Conference!   No planes. No hotels. No expenses. No new wardrobe. No outrageous badge prices. Just you, your computer and you...

Last night was a very special one around these parts as our good friend Michel Merkt captured the Golden Globe for producing Best Foreign Film winner, Elle. As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, Michel has not only been a staunch supporter of all we do here at Stage 32, but he has worked with and mentored so many 32'ers through the years.   Michel was kind enough to invite me to the premiere of Elle at the Cannes film festival last year. To be invited to be part of his tribe during this...

I am extremely proud to announce that two members of our global community are nominated for a total of 4 Golden Globes this evening. First up, it’s my dear friend, Michel Merkt. Michel is an enormously accomplished producer who had 8 films at Cannes this year including 4 in competition. Tonight Michel has 3 nominations. In the Best Foreign Film category, Michel is nominated for producing both Paul Verhoeven’s terrific film, ELLE and Maren Ade’s international hit dramedy, TONI ERDMANN, which ha...

In late 2013 I had started working on the script of my short film In Loving Memory. I had already made my first independent short film Disarray in 2012 at the age of 22 and had been working in the business with my father. He was an acclaimed Bengali filmmaker, Anjan Das, who I assisted in his last 3 international award winning features Achin Pakhi, Bedeni and Banshiwala. I was an Associate Director in my dad's last film Ajana Batas.   My father, Anjan Das, critically acclaimed filmmaker &...

In my screenplay, "Neon Cactus", the lead character states while leading a corporate discussion regarding creativity that sometimes the most creative thing a person can do is nothing - meaning, give creative forces, the muses, the furies and the fates the space to work and a chance to do their thing.  About three months ago, I was doing a daily patrol of the goings on with Stage32 and reached out to a few new folks, including Rutger Oosterhoff, from Blaricum, Netherlands. Blaricum sounds like...

The subject line of the email read "I’m so sorry”. It was from one of the Emmy-winning producers I had been working with for several years on my award-wining true crime drama, CONFESSIONS. After multiple rewrites and the involvement of two notable directors, the latest option was expiring and the project had hit a wall. I had been here before – a rocket ride to the one-yard line and the brink of a “go picture” that suddenly gets stalled. October, 2013. I met Joe Burke over a drink, a friend...