Well, Shoot

Dang! A small piece of my past has evaporated. The Assocation of Independent Video and Filmmakers is now defunct (and has been for about a year). A truly independently-spirited organization, it gave me another peek into the world of filmmaking (after NYU film school) and gave me the momentary desire to be a documentarist (which career is on hold for a while).

I remember working there as a student, filing things, answering the phones, waiting for the sweet sound of NPR's All Things Considered (which meant I only had an hour left to go). The offices, on lower Broadway, were cramped and cluttered and oh so homey. I remember a girl named Rain or Raiine or Rainne who had cool hair, and Ethan who was very serious but whom I liked a lot... at least one Elizabeth (so sweet and smart and cool) and Larry the head of it all. Sigh.

I remember one project was calling a bunch of documentary makers for some (legitimate) reason and I remember being so thrilled to speak with Barbara Kopple that I nearly couldn't speak. I myself wound up with a sound-recording gig with a woman I barely remember (Carol something) who dragged my sorry ass to Albany for a shoot and never paid me. Oh well. AIVF published a cool quarterly (I believe) that was the perfect print corollary to the hard-bitten world of independent filmmaking. It was called The Independent.

So... Save The Independent. I know I'll try to help.