FIRST PERSON | Jeremy Walker on Independent Film PR: "What I think publicity really is and also what it should not be"

Here's some of what I know: in the next seventy-two hours I will attend a TriBeCa Film Festival screening of Dan Myrick's smart, scary new movie "The Objective" with Sara Vilkomerson of The New York Observer as my date; the next morning the movers will arrive and remove about forty cardboard boxes, a few pieces of beloved furniture and the huge French "Mommie Dearest" poster; and the morning after that my partner Judd, our cat and I will board a California-bound Delta Airlines flight out of JFK. I am much less sure of everything else swimming in my head: hard facts are elusive and everything else is tinted with every stripe of emotion.
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First Person: Matt Dentler on Indie Film for the MySpace/YouTube/iPod Generation

Time Magazine wasn't just phoning it in when they decided to name "You" as their "Person of the Year" for 2006. We live in a media era where everything is "My" this, "You" that, and "i" something, where a simple "send" or "publish" button could reach millions. And, faster than you can say "thanks for the add," art has begun to fall in sync with this brand-new world. The inter-connectivity of artists from around the globe has not only led to new ways of consuming art but also new ways for art to be made.
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FIRST PERSON | John Pierson: An Open Letter to Michael Moore

There is no percentage in me, or anyone for that matter, criticizing you. And since you've effectively become America's conscience, it must be awfully hard to pause for a moment and examine your own. And I would never have become part of an attempt to make you do that if not for a classroom full of angry and disheartened college students. With the hugely entertaining and highly effective "SiCKO" opening nationwide today, you probably think that dredging up and examining bits and pieces of your storied past is nothing but a petty, narrow-minded distraction. Since your op/ed piece (your post-documentary coinage) on the healthcare industry is a fantastic polemic and your best filmmaking by far, I almost agree with you. Almost.
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FIRST PERSON | John Sinno: An open letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

[Editor's note: John Sinno is a producer of "Iraq in Fragments" by James Longley.] I had the great fortune of attending the 79th Academy Awards following my nomination as producer for a film in the Best Documentary Feature category. At the Awards ceremony, most categories featured an introduction that glorified the filmmakers' craft and the role it plays for the film audience and industry. But when comedian Jerry Seinfeld introduced the award for Best Documentary Feature, he began by referring to a documentary that features himself as a subject, then proceeded to poke fun at it by saying it won no awards and made no money. He then revealed his love of documentaries, as they have a very "real" quality, while making a comically sour face. This less-than-flattering beginning was followed by a lengthy digression that had nothing whatsoever to do with documentary films. The clincher, however, came when he wrapped up his introduction by calling all five nominated films "incredibly depressing!"
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FIRST PERSON | Jeff Lipsky on "Flannel Pajamas"-and the "Most Important Relationship" that Inspired It

[This is the latest in a regular series of "First Person" articles written by members of the film community. It is meant to showcase the opinions of our readers. indieWIRE readers interested in contributing a future "First Person" column should contact us by email: office AT indiewire DOT com. October Films and Lot 47 Films co-founder Jeff Lipsky shares with indieWIRE the personal inspirations for his latest directorial effort, "Flannel Pajamas," which opened in theaters this week.]
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