Ted Hope is one of the most respected voices in independent film. In 1990 he cofounded with James Schamus the production and sales powerhouse Good Machine. His 65-plus films includes many highlights and breakthroughs in independent cinema, including The Ice Storm, American Splendor, 21 Grams, Happiness, Martha Marcy May Marlene, and Adventureland. Known within the industry for having an extraordinary ability to recognize emerging talent, Hope has more than 20 first features to his credit, including those of Alan Ball, Todd Field, Michel Gondry, Hal Hartley, and Nicole Holofcener. As the creator, editor, and regular contributor to HopeForFilm.com blog, Hope provides a must-read forum for discussion and engagement about the critical issues filmmakers and artists face.
Anthony Kaufman is a highly respected film journalist who has covered independent cinema since 1997. He was one of the founding editors of Indiewire.com and continues to write about films and the film industry for a variety of publications, including Variety and The Village Voice, for which he wrote the July 1999 cover story on The Blair Witch Project. He has also been published in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, and Slate, among others.