Hammad Zaidi

GOING BIONIC: DISTRIBUTING INDEPENDENT FILMS INTERNATIONALLY – “GIMME MY DAMN CREDIT!” Being a product of undergraduate and graduate film school, I’m well aware of the belief that producers were born to director’s assistants. Thankfully, the real world is nothing like …

Here’s more insight on Joplin. Thanks to Sidra Zaidi’s excellent research, the following information has been complied to help the healing process.These details are valid as of 4 PM, CST. I will of course, relay real-time updates as I compile them. Thank …

In a continued effort to keep everyone informed with the real time happens in Joplin, Mo., I’ve  secured the following interview.  My cousin, Sidra Zaidi, a Joplin native, recently interviewed her friend, Daniel Crawford, 22, regarding his experience with the recent …

GOING BIONIC: DISTRIBUTING INDEPENDENT FILMS INTERNATIONALLY – BANNED IN CANNES! The 64th annual Cannes Film Festival was rocked by a scandal this past week, which may change how film festivals deal with unpredictable directors.  Meanwhile, the 52nd annual Cannes Film Market showed …

Hi Everyone.  The following is an interview of Jacobo Ovideo, by Sidra Zaidi. Sidra interviewed Jacobo, her friend and Joplin resident, who was missing for 24 hours after the Joplin tornado.   Due to the lack of open phone lines in …

I’m sure there are thousands of local heroes in Joplin Missouri, pulling together to help one another through their current nightmare. That’s why I’m honored to have spoken to an impressive young man whose family is directly enhancing the lives …

I recently learned that my cousin Navid Zaidi, a doctor in Joplin, Missouri, just had his house torn to shreds in yesterday’s horrific tornado tragedy. What was once a sturdy and welcoming brick home that my wife Shahina and I …

GOING BIONIC: DISTRIBUTING INDEPENDENT FILMS INTERNATIONALLY – GOING BIONIC’S FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY! Welcome to Going Bionic’s first birthday party! That’s right, this column turns one year old this week (Wednesday, May 18th to be exact  – which is my nephew …

GOING BIONIC: DISTRIBUTING INDEPENDENT FILMS INTERNATIONALLY – DISTRIBUTING DOCUMENTARIES Unlike most genres in the film universe, documentaries have evolved tremendously over the past several decades. Gone are the days when the word “documentary” meant the film would educate its viewers …

GOING BIONIC: DISTRIBUTING INDEPENDENT FILMS INTERNATIONALLY – THE CANNES 2011 TO-DO LIST Since The Cannes Film Festival and the Cannes Film Market both start next Thursday, May 11, I thought today would be a great time to share some insight …

GOING BIONIC: DISTRIBUTING INDEPENDENT FILMS INTERNATIONALLY – THE ART OF PITCHING One of the most difficult crafts to master in the Hollywood universe is the art of the pitch. Like other challenging tasks, “pitching” is practiced by many, but is …

Greetings. I hope everyone had a wonderfully productive week. If not, I hope your week was at least less tragic than the week Greg Mortenson had. Greg is the author of “3 Cups of Tea,” who was caught lying about the facts …

GOING BIONIC: DISTRIBUTING INDEPENDENT FILMS INTERNATIONALLY – MPAA RATINGS INSULT THE KING! Believe it not, there are travesties in the world of entertainment greater than Pia Toscono getting kicked off of American Idol, and Tiger Woods continuing to solidify his …

GOING BIONIC: DISTRIBUTING INDEPENDENT FILMS INTERNATIONALLY – MIPTV 2011! On October 12, 2010, my article titled, “Indie Film Trends From MIPCOM 2010,” discussed the MIPTV television market in Cannes, France, as being haven for independent filmmakers. Six months later, MIPTV …

GOING BIONIC: DISTRIBUTING INDEPENDENT FILMS INTERNATIONALLY – BOMBS IN 3D! As the first quarter of 2011 comes to a grinding close, domestic motion picture ticket sales are down 20% from this time a year ago. Furthermore, 2011’s total box office …

GOING BIONIC: DISTRIBUTING INDEPENDENT FILMS INTERNATIONALLY – FILMART IN HONG KONG! The 15th annual FILMART, a major international film and television sales market in Hong Kong, is currently underway. I’ve attended FILMART several times with my company, Lonely Seal Releasing, so I’ve seen this …

GOING BIONIC: DISTRIBUTING INDEPENDENT FILMS INTERNATIONALLY – PANIC IN DETROIT! Oh, what a difference six and a half months make. Back on August 24, 2010, I crowned Michigan for having America’s best film tax credit, in my article “Tax Credits Rock.” …

GOING BIONIC: DISTRIBUTING INDEPENDENT FILMS INTERNATIONALLY – SXSW: THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FILM FESTIVAL TO THE FUTURE OF DISTRIBUTION South By Southwest (SXSW) is one of America’s finest and most creatively influential film festivals. Set in Austin, Texas, during spring break …

GOING BIONIC: DISTRIBUTING INDEPENDENT FILMS INTERNATIONALLY – LITTLE FILMS GETTING BIG OSCARS! One of the most refreshing elements of an otherwise pensive and bland Academy Awards show was that so many relatively small budgeted, non-mega star driven films won the …

GOING BIONIC: DISTRIBUTING INDEPENDENT FILMS INTERNATIONALLY – THE BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL & YOU! Over the weekend I accepted an invitation from Ferrari of North America to test-drive a brand new Ferrari “California.” With a professional race car driver in …