Ever wonder how they do it? The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival offers a series of workshops and panel discussions this weekend aimed at showing how filmmakers perfect their craft.
Today, start your day with “Hollywood Dreams,” a discussion about the challenges of acting and directing in Hollywood.
The panel discussion features Oscar-nominated actor James Cromwell and indie director Henry Jaglom, as well as “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” star Melissa Joan Hart, who directed the short film “Mute.”
It starts at 10 a.m. at the Oddfellows Hall, 520 Dana Street in San Luis Obispo.
Next at the Oddfellows Hall is “Meet the Filmmakers,” a panel discussion about the trials and thrills independent cinema. The talk, which features many of the filmmakers involved in this year’s festival, starts at 12:30 p.m.
“Behind the Scenes with CafeFX,” 3 p.m. at the Oddfellows Hall, highlights Santa Maria special effects firm CafeFX, which handles visual effects for some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.
On Sunday, Hollywood screenwriters Gregg Rosen, Brian Sawyer and David Garrett share their tips for writing a marketable script.
Garrett is the co-writer of such hits as “Deuce Bigalow: American Gigolo,” “First Pet” and “Corky Romano.” Rosen and Sawyer have collaborated on a number of television and film projects.
That workshop goes from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the San Luis Obispo City/County Library, 995 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo.
All workshops and panel discussions are $15 or $10 for students and film society members. For more information, call 543-3456 or visit http://www.slofilmfest.org.
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