My name is Michael Forsyth. I am a Hartville, South Carolina.-based writer and college professor with an MFA in film from New York University.

I attended my first Urban Mediamakers Film Festival in Atlanta the weekend of October 13, 2006. It was not only a fun and educational experience, for me it was truly a life-changing one. I went to the festival at the urging of my niece, an aspiring actress who's been suggesting for years now that I get back into film production. By the end of the conference, I was inspired enough by what I heard and saw, and by the people I encountered, to make a commitment to produce my own a feature film.

The all-day workshops on Friday and Saturday were packed with specific, useful information -- much of it detailing recent changes in the industry that make independent filmmaking on a shoestring budget much more feasible than it was just a few years back.

The two most helpful seminars I attended were on editing and distribution. At a workshop entitled Distribution for your Film: The Plan of Attack has Changed, I learned from acquisitions man Barrett Dungy of the distribution company Urban Home Entertainment about the key ingredients needed to make a film marketable. The brother made it clear he was very open to direct contact in the future from us - perhaps because just a few years back this industry insider was on the outside banging the door to get in, when he was struggling to find a market for Tyler Perry's first movie.

In another seminar -- Post Production: It's All About Your Editor -- director-editor Gabriel Hart spelled out the ins and outs of digital editing, recommending cameras, editing software and hardware; divulging tricks of the trade as well as giving us a heads up about costly mistakes to avoid (such as failing to sufficiently back up your project while editing and losing everything in a power failure -- ouch). This young brother was so helpful, it was a pleasure to see him later receive an award for best music video.

In between workshops, I caught as many screenings as I could. I was blown away by the high quality of the work as well as the range of subject matter - everything from an exploration of Japan's funky hip-hop subculture in Remixed in Japan to a comedy short titled Rent-a-White-Folk on a par with anything on Mad TV.

Between the screenings there were plenty of opportunities to network with attendees hanging out in the hall. What impressed me most was that these people were passing around business cards, not resumes. Almost every single person there was making things happen, not desperately hunting for someone to give them their "big break" in show business. Many of these young brothers and sisters had made more than one feature, others were in business for themselves producing music videos. All were eager to share their experiences and formulas for success.

The awards ceremony on Saturday night was a class affair. The after-party was a much-needed chance to blow off steam. The joint was packed wall-to-wall (so much so I hear the fire marshal had to called in!) and festival attendees showed they could shake their booties as well as shake-up the film industry.

At the producers' brunch Sunday morning at the elegant Renaissance Waverly, I had the chance to chat at length with UMFF founder Cheryle Reynolds. She was incredibly generous with her time, insights and information about her own upcoming projects.

Best of all, I even may have found an agent for my actress niece, the one who gave me a heads up about the festival in the first place. Among the many people I networked with was an up-and-coming agent - a brainy sister with a Ph.D. in chemistry -- who is hungry for new talent.

All in all, UMFF 2006 was a great opportunity to network, learn about the industry, and, most importantly, be inspired by the work of some very progressive young black folk. I'll definitely be back in 2007!