Filmmaker Spotlight

Nadine Patterson

'I am a filmmaker who teaches and occasionally curates film programs. So I am always in the process of learning.' Nadine studied acting and directing at Franklin & Marshall college where she earned a BA in Drama, then she focused on documentary and educational video at West Chester University and earned a Master's of Science. After grad school she wanted to sharpen her storytelling skills even more and she signed up for a screenwriting course with the late Toni Cade Bambara at Scribe Video Center. She has been affiliated with Scribe as a student, facilitator and instructor ever since. After 15 years of working in documentary and educational television, at WYBE Public TV and the School District of Philadelphia, she decided to go back to school and pursue a career as a feature film director. She attended the London Film School from 2003 to 2005 and worked on 16mm and 35mm films as a director, editor, screenwriter and producer. 'I curated the schools master class and film society for one year and I had the opportunity to meet filmmakers I respected like Mike Leigh, Taki Fujimoto, Terrence Davies, and Jack Cardiff. There is nothing like meeting people who influenced contemporary cinema, and offer alternative visions of filmmaking.' Nadine Patterson is an award winning independent producer/director with the following credits: I Used to Teach English, Winner Gold Apple Award 1994 National Educational Film/Video Festival, Oakland, CA; Anna Russell Jones: Praisesong for a Pioneering Spirit, Best Documentary 1993 African American Women in the Arts Film/Video Competition, Chicago, IL; Moving with the Dreaming, Prized Pieces award from the National Black Programming Consortium in 1997; Todo El Mundo Dance! selected for the 2001-2002 Council on Foundations Film and Video Festival. Other notable works include: Shizue, screened at the Museum of Modern Art in 1991; and Release shown at the Constellation Change Dance Film Festival of London in 2006. Most recently she worked as a video news editor for CBS3 in Philadelphia. Nadine is also part of the mother-daughter producing team of Harmony Image Productions (http://hipcinema.wordpress.com). With Marlene G. Patterson, she has done several award winning documentaries including Anna Russell Jones: Praisesong for a Pioneering Spirit and Moving with the Dreaming. They are currently developing Nadine's family drama screenplay Touching Bass. 'The film is about importance of knowing your family heritage. Imagine a grand mother, a son and a grand daughter who all love and play the bass. The film travels through various historical periods, using music, from the 1940's to the present. And it highlights the important role Philadelphia has played in the development of America’s classical music- Jazz.' 'What makes this project unique is that the music drives the story and the film. I am collaborating with bassist/composer Warren Oree on the soundtrack. You can hear the music and visualize the film, plus you can purchase the CD and help finance the film. As an independent it's all about finding new ways to fulfill the vision.' You can see preview clips of the film at http://www.youtube.com/hipcinema and purchase the soundtrack for Touching Bass at http://cdbaby.com/cd/arpeggiojazzensemble2. Photo: Cast & Crew Members from Touching Bass Shoot January 2008. From left to right: Producer Marlene G. Patterson, Joslyn Duncan Ladson, Kat Robertson, Pete Tramo, Kelli Gillyard, Chris Fasolino, Sia Kpakiwa, Johnnie Hobbs Jr., Nadine Patterson, Gail Lloyd, Kristine Muller Kennedy, Ben Smallwood, Diedra Hicks, Delores Hicks, Reba Smallwood, Annlouise Gooder Brown, (kneeling) Kamila Ahmad, and Carlton Jones. Photo by Boone Nguyen. http://www.youtube.com/hipcinema