For the Independently Minded Filmmaker:

Film Independent's Directors Close-Up Series kicks off on February 4th, 2009 at The Landmark theater in West Los Angeles, with guest panelist Ben Burtt, the sound designer for the upcoming Star Trek film, as well hit films - WALL-E, E.T., and the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies.

This year's panels will cover the following topics:

February 4th - Music and Sound Design - The soundtrack of a film is essential to the emotional reality of a film. A director and his/her sound team reveal the power of sound, taking us through the process of designing and creating the soundtrack of a film. Ben Burtt (Sound Designer, Star Trek, WALL-E) will be this evening's guest.

February 11th - The Director's Vision and the Creative Team - From the initial stages of research to the execution on set, director Catherine Hardwicke and her creative team explain how they achieve the look of a film through cinematography, production design, and editing. Panelists include Elliot Davis (Director of Photography, Twilight, Lords of Dogtown), Chris Gorak (Production Designer, Lords of Dogtown), and Nancy Richardson (Editor, Twilight, Lords of Dogtown).

February 18th - The Independent Spirit: A Directors Roundtable - 2009 Spirit Award nominees discuss their films, their careers, and the way in which they have been able to balance their artistic integrity with the demands of the marketplace. Panelists include Courtney Hunt (Writer/Director Frozen River), Lance Hammer (Writer/Director Ballast), and additional directors to be announced.

February 25th - Writing and Directing - Through the work of directors who write and direct their material, or write for other directors, this panel explores the writing process and the writer/director collaboration. Panelists include Jonathan Levine (Writer/Director The Wackness), Howard Rodman (Writer, Savage Grace), Reggie Rock Bythewood (Writer, Notorious) and Gina Prince-Bythewood (Writer/Director The Secret Life of Bees)

March 4th - Casting and Directing Actors - Hear from every different point of view on whatís behind a great performance, as actors, a casting director, and director Rodrigo GarcÌa discuss the ways in which they collaborate. Reception following to be hosted by SAGIndie.

March 11th - New Visions, New Media - Explore how new technologies are allowing filmmakers to expand their palettes and take charge of production, not only to make their films, but how to get them to an audience.

All panels will take place in Theater 8 at The Landmark - West Los Angeles (10850 West Pico Boulevard at Westwood Boulevard) on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. - between February 4 - March 11, 2009. Each panel will be followed by a reception.

To purchase a pass for the 2009 Directors Close-Up or individual tickets, please phone Film Independentís reservation line at 310.432.1222 or send an email to Reservations@FilmIndependent.org. Ticket prices are $180 for a series pass and $35 per session for Film Independent members, and $280 for a series pass and $50 per session for the general public.

Starting today until February 2, 2009, the purchase of a series pass will also include one free guest ticket to a panel of your choice.

For more information about this yearís Directors Close-Up or to register, please visit www.FilmIndependent.org/directorseries