Summary

Gabriella Orlando Bregman, inspired by John Cassavetes, is launching a Medium publication titled "The Auteur: An Independent Filmmakers Publication," while continuing post-production on her documentary "The Queer Case for Individual Rights," amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

Gabriella Orlando Bregman, a filmmaker and writer, is forging ahead with her creative projects despite the global disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. She plans to launch "The Auteur: An Independent Filmmakers Publication" on Medium, a platform that will also pay its contributing writers. Alongside this, she is working on a documentary that explores independent filmmaking, which remains relevant despite the current crisis. Bregman is also finalizing her documentary "The Queer Case for Individual Rights," which narrates her personal journey as an LGBTQ immigrant facing legal challenges in the US. Her work is deeply influenced by John Cassavetes, and she is committed to making her publication extremely inclusive, particularly for the LGBTQ community, women, and people of color. Additionally, Bregman is set to self-publish two books that delve into independent filmmaking and LGBTQ immigration policy, with a focus on personal identity and her own experiences.

Opinions

Bregman believes that filmmakers should also be writers, emphasizing the importance of written expression in the filmmaking community.
She acknowledges the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on her plans, necessitating a shift in focus and operations.
Bregman is determined to continue her creative endeavors, including film production and writing, despite health challenges and the current state of crisis in the film industry.
She is an advocate for the rights of legal entry immigrants and distinguishes their experiences from those of illegal entry immigrants, highlighting the complexities of the US immigration system.
Bregman's work, including her publication and documentaries, is intended to be highly inclusive, especially towards LGBTQ, female, and POC filmmakers.
She expresses a strong conviction in the right to self-ownership and the importance of rational thinking and long-term memory in human endeavors.

COVID-19 Update (The Auteur: An Independent Filmmakers Publication)

By Gabriella Orlando Bregman (medium.com/@gabriellabregman)

“When the storm rages and the shipwreck of the state threatens, we can do nothing more worthy than to sink the anchor of our peaceful studies into the ground of eternity.”

Johannes Kepler (1571–1630)

I had written the original (fairly brief) post at the very bottom of this new post as a sort of general update on my creative endeavors for 2020, two documentary film projects, two books of essays to be self-published, and plans for an online independent filmmaking publication, with ideas for a whole creative movement tied into it.

Then the Coronavirus broke out and became a global pandemic, and I will obviously have to alter some plans accordingly. As of late last night Los Angeles is officially on lockdown.

I will be on Facebook still but will post much less in general, outside of Coronavirus news and resources for mostly independent film industry purposes. But I will give very precise Updates on the direction of The Auteur and other creative projects periodically, as long as I’m alive anyway.

This could be considered a first Update.

First off, I had planned a brand new publication for independent filmmakers, The Auteur: An Independent Filmmakers Publication, to be run on Medium, where writers get paid. And I absolutely plan to go through with it!

When not actively making films, filmmakers should be writers.

And I just put together the basic idea for a new documentary, about independent filmmaking, and which even now would technically still be very doable but immediate focus in these very extreme times has obviously shifted away and filmmaking is now really in a state of crisis. However, the overal message of this film would not be less but only more important because of it.

Also, I’m continuing post-production on my original documentary ‘The Queer Case for Individual Rights’ through Bregman Films and have most everything I need for it right here in my creative office, (along with emergency basics,) that is most of the footage, editing programs and all necessary film and audio equipment to keep all of that going for now.

I’m still doing most everything myself, and am still so far mostly self-financed. And I am still and always greatly inspired by, and indebted to, John Cassavetes.

Other than this, I have help in everything from one creative business partner, Mario Luza, also greatly inspired by Cassavetes, and in fact my original creative business partner in producing a John Cassavetes Film Retrospective in Los Angeles back in 2001.

We are practicing social distancing from the world and each other the best we can, basically holed up in Hollywood, and as of the time of this writing both doing well, although my health in general has suffered somewhat because of several incidents last year, and this along with other circumstances could be of real disadvantage now.

Stay safe, humane and creative,

Gabriella Orlando Bregman

The Auteur: An Independent Filmmakers Publication

Recording Filmmaking Notes for Documentary ‘**The Queer Case for Individual Rights**’ and for Film Organization **The Auteur** **(2019)**

The post below was written just before the Coronavirus pandemic:

There will be less Facebook Posts from me after March, as I will focus more on my two new creative projects this year.

First there’s the Film Theory and Film Criticism publication ‘The Auteur: An Independent Filmmakers Publication’ on Medium, (paid work for writers who want to get involved with this.)

And secondly, a New Doc related to independent filmmaking, (which I can’t say anything more about at this point, except that it will be feature length.)

NOTE: The Auteur: An Independent Filmmakers Publication will focus primarily on independent filmmaking, and specifically dealing with personal identity, and will be extremely LGBTQ, Female & POC Inclusive.

I will post several articles, and an accompanying Film Manifesto, on Medium and Facebook detailing the plans for the publication and the concept of independent filmmaking tied to personal identity.

The Auteur: An Independent Filmmakers Publication will be run by the nonprofit film organization The Auteur.

I’m also still working on my first documentary, ‘The Queer Case for Individual Rights,’ (produced through Bregman Films,) which basically details my immigration journey as a Dutch film student, entering the US legally in 1992 on a student visa through enrollment in film school in Los Angeles, only to get stuck in legal limbo in a “broken” immigration system because of being LGBTQ during DOMA, meaning essentially being federally discriminated against by the US government under the US family immigration law.

The denial of federally recognized same-sex marriage in the US under DOMA, The Defense Of Marriage Act, Article 3, prevented family law based immigration sponsorship for bi-national LGBTQ couples until 2015.

(I hate to always differentiate between Legal Entry Immigrants, such as myself, and Illegal Entry Ones, but you truly do not want immigrant cases and asylum seeking cases mixed up with each other, not in the public consciousness, which happens all the time either way, but certainly not for legal purposes as they are handled quite differently under the US immigration system.)

Lastly, I’m also self-publishing two books in 2020 related to these two subject matters, that is independent filmmaking, (specifically focussing on personal identity,) and LGBTQ immigration policy, (both from a historical perspective and how it affected me personally.)

The books are titled ‘The Queer Case for Individual Rights & Other Essays’ and ‘Notes for a New Independent Film Movement’ and both will be published in 2020 under the name Gabriella Orlando Bregman.

The Auteur publication will run on medium.com/theauteur

The Auteur is being established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit film organization, and founded by Gabriella Orlando Bregman and Mario Luza (2020)

theauteur.org

Thank you for reading,

Gabriella Orlando Bregman

The Auteur: An Independent Filmmakers Publication

Brief Bio

John Cassavetes Film Retrospective **‘Gena and John: A Cassavetes Retrospective’ A Bregman Films Production (2001)**

John Cassavetes Film Retrospective **‘Gena and John: A Cassavetes Retrospective’ A Bregman Films Production (2001)** Left to Right: Peter Falk, Gena Rowlands, Seymour Cassel, Lelia Goldoni, Gabriella Bregman, Mario Luza

School Letter of Admission, **Film Program at Los Angeles City College, 1992**. Requirement for my 5-Year International Student Visa.

The theme of my all work could ultimately be summed up as the conviction in the right to self-ownership, of mind and body, and the fruits and labors thereof, based on our uniquely human capacity for rational thinking, enabled by our unique long-term memory.