Project Resolution Provides RVA Filmmakers With Feedback, Support This Sunday At Gallery 5

by | Jun 19, 2014

This Sunday the 22nd, Project Resolution–a monthly event for filmmakers to show their work and get feedback from their audience–is back with a variety of short films by local filmmakers. It starts at 7PM at Gallery 5, and this month’s theme is Pizza!


This Sunday the 22nd, Project Resolution–a monthly event for filmmakers to show their work and get feedback from their audience–is back with a variety of short films by local filmmakers. It starts at 7PM at Gallery 5, and this month’s theme is Pizza!

Michele Lombardi and Drew Bolduc have been the co-runners and facilitators of the event for the past few months. Lombardi is a producer and does practical special effects. Lombardi’s production company, Ultra Fuchsia Film (formerly Buncom Media International), has recently completed the Richmond indie film Science Team, and is about to start production on a second feature. Lombardi says, “It will be a science fiction/action movie–working title Mudernaut.” Bolduc is the co-owner of Ultra Fuchsia Film, and the director of Science Team and The Taint. Bolduc is also an editor and producer and has worked on special effects for Return to Nuke ‘Em High Volumes 1 and 2.

The original Project Resolution started back in the early 2000’s. “A filmmaking group called Yellow House started the original Project Resolution. It was built as an open forum for filmmakers of every possible background to show their short films to an audience and get feedback on their work,” Lombardi said. As the original founders of Project Resolution began moving away from the city, the event lost steam and eventually went on hiatus. Recent action by Lombardi and Bolduc, led to its recent revival. “A few months ago, we got in contact with the former Yellow House crew and made the decision to revive P-Res. With the help of the Virginia Production Alliance, the word has started to spread, and people are coming together to express their love of filmmaking through the analysis and critique of their personal, professional and creative works.”

As far as any guidelines or rules that filmmakers have to follow, Lombardi says there are none. “The first thing to know about Project Resolution is that there are absolutely no limitations to the content that will be shown. Seriously, anything goes. A lot of people ask us, ‘well, what about my music video?” or, ‘the unfinished documentary for my job,’ or my favorite, ‘the last thing I did, that I hate and should never see the light of day.’ The answer is always BRING IT! Anything and everything is welcome.” The producers and attendees always come up with a new theme for the next month’s event, but adherence to the theme is not compulsory. “It serves as a prompt for people to come up with new content and show off their filmmaking skills,” Lombardi explains. “The only rules are that your film must be under 15 minutes and you have to stand up for a Q&A after your film is shown.”


Lombardi and Bolduc on the set of
Science Team

Lombardi and Bolduc saw a need for the revival of Project Resolution in order to provide a support network for local filmmakers that had been missing from the local scene. “I’ve never met a filmmaker who doesn’t have at least a split second of fear before their film is shown to an audience. They ask themselves, ‘Will the heart of my idea translate to a group of people? Will they understand? How will they react? Will they like it?’ Project Resolution is a celebration of this moment. It’s a chance to have these questions answered. It’s a continuous and reliable opportunity to learn, fail, and improve alongside a community of like-minded people.”

According to Lombardi, the anxiety that can be produced by the isolated process of filmmaking creates a crucial need for this sort of community. “The act of making a film is a very abstract process. An individual or a team of people piece together a series of images in order to reach a singular vision. No matter how much theory and planning a film is set up to achieve, the final product is a living entity that contains the drive and ambition of every single person who worked on it. It’s much larger than the original idea.”

The positive anecdotes related to Lombardi and Bolduc by participants in the original Project Resolution were a major inspiration for their revival of the project. “Their stories are often about how receiving genuine feedback and being able to productively critique other people’s work pushed them to make films that get stronger and better reactions from their audience,” Lombardi explained. “They talk about refining their craft and meeting interesting and talented people who would have otherwise never crossed their path. It’s something that I’ve wanted to be a part of from the moment that I first learned about it.”

Whether you’re an aspiring filmmaker or a seasoned veteran, you too should participate in Project Resolution. Showings are at Gallery 5 (200 W. Marshall St), on the second to last Sunday of every month promptly starting at 7:00PM. Admission is free, and anyone can submit. This month’s showing takes place on Sunday, June 22nd, and the theme is pizza! Come out and support this wonderful event that puts RVA filmmakers in the spotlight.

To find out more about Project Resolution visit facebook.com/projectres.

Marilyn Drew Necci

Marilyn Drew Necci

Former GayRVA editor-in-chief, RVA Magazine editor for print and web. Anxiety expert, proud trans woman, happily married.




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