INDEPENDENT FILM COMMUNITY NEWS – AUGUST 2012
* Presented by HBO® The New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) opens its 13th edition with FILLY BROWN, starring breakout actress Gina Rodriguez (GO FOR IT, OUR FAMILY WEDDING), and closes with LEMON, the raw story of three-time felon and one-time Tony Award-winner, spoken word artist Lemon Andersen. NYILFF kicks off on Monday, August 13th with a 15th anniversary presentation of SELENA at Cinema Under The Stars, a free outdoor screening presented by HBO® at St. Nicholas Park on St. Nicholas Avenue and 135th Street. Opening Night on Tuesday, August 14 through Closing Night on Saturday, August 18, panel discussions and other festival activities will take place at Chelsea Clearview Cinemas, 260 West 23rd Street, NYC 10011. The 2012 NYILFF Awards presentation will take place on Sunday, August 19. Information will be available online and at the Chelsea Clearview Cinemas box office. For more information: nylatinofilm.com.
* THE LIFE is a television series project that examines the state of child sex trafficking in the NYC area. The opening scene from the pilot episode is available at: www.youtube.com/thelifetvseries A new scene from the series will be available in August as the team looks to raise the budget, through crowd-funding site RocketHub, in order to finish shooting the pilot episode. Actor/activist Q’orianka Kilcher (Pocahontas in the 2005 film The New World, directed by Terrence Malick) has come on board as a producer of the project moving forward. For more information about THE LIFE, go to: www.thelifetvseries.com and www.twitter.com/thelifetvseries.
* Always wanted to be an animation voice talent!
Buttons is hosting a Bang-Zoom Voice Acting Workshop August 10.11,12!
Sign up today at http://www.adventuresinvoiceacting.com/workshops
for this exclusive one-on-one workshop! Limited enrollment! Just mention Buttons as where you heard about this exciting opportunity! See ya there! ~Rich Macar | Executive Producer, Buttons NY.
* Actor and former U.S. Marine, J.W. Cortes has filmed the first six weekly episodes of the new NBC Television action-packed competition series Stars Earn Stripes. The reality show makes its national premiere on Monday, August 13th with a special two-hour edition from 8 – 10 p.m. Stars Earn Stripes will then air Mondays at 9 p.m., with the series finale set for Monday, September 3rd from 8 – 10 p.m. For more information: http://youtu.be/-E-YGeCvdPE?hd=1
* “Lipstick Lies” will be screening at the Tribeca Grand Hotel at 60 Church Street in NYC on Aug. 11th at 7:00pm. For further information click here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/260270
* Brett Snyder announces that as of July 28th, they have 29 funders and $1,225. Who else wants to contribute to the amazing independent film scene in NYC? Let’s all support and donate now! Please click on the following link: http://www.indiegogo.com/Rickshaw?a=640865
* Director Francisco Lupini and Writer/Producer/Actress Paula Roman present their short film “BLACKOUT”, about Pepa, a Spanish spitfire hairdresser and aspiring mystery writer who must put her amateur detective skills to work in order to discover the true father of her unborn baby. The film is premiering at the NYC INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL on Monday, August 13th at 9 p.m. Trailer: http://vimeo.com/41439165 For tickets click here: http://www.nyciff.com/store/products/abingdon-theatre-august-13th-900-pm-package/
* Jose Casado announces his 10-minute ESPN Deportes E: 60 feature on Victor Cruz, the NY Giants star receiver. It airs Friday, August 3rd at 8 p.m., EDT. Here’s the link to the E: 60 page: http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/tv/programas/e60
* Jerico Pictures in association with Visiontrip Media have developed an exciting new prospective television series called Shadowglade which they are looking to license to networks, foreign and domestic. The script is 47 pages and is directed by Ezra Peace of Duel Pictures. It is centered around two supernatural detectives, one an ex-priest turned vampire the other a blue blood werewolf. It follows the the two and their supporting ensemble through their own personal conflicts as well as navigating the ever-changing supernatural climate as it relates to human existence. The show is a crossover buddy-cop/creature show: True Blood meets The Shield. It is procedurally correct with consultation of law enforcement but is more of a drama than anything else. It combines the aesthetics of a police procedural slash creature show focusing on the conflicts of the characters (think Being Human with bigger fangs). The writers have seasons worth of material already brewing so it has legs after the green light. And backstory for miles. On twitter: @Shadowglade_FL @EzraPeace On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OfficialShadowglade
* The next Katra Film Series takes place on Saturday, August 11th at 730pm. Please join us as we showcase another selection of short films by up-and-coming and established NYC-based Filmmakers and connect the film industry with hip music, fine cocktails and quality films! https://www.facebook.com/events/204592256335056/
* Interested in scholarships? The following information it’s worth reading. Don’t miss the deadlines! Thanks to Director/Producer Nicolas Entel for sharing these:
8/12 http://www.altercine.org/index_es.php
8/23 http://www.focusforwardfilms.com/
8/27 http://nalip.org/images/HBO-NALIP2012DocApp.pdf
9/7 http://www.itvs.org/funding/ddf
* The PaleyDocFest Pitch Contest, now in its ninth year, offers a $5,000 grant for an unfinished or work-in-progress documentary from an emerging filmmaker.
The Paley Center for Media is using this contest to choose five finalists who will pitch their unfinished films to a panel of experts and producers in front of an audience. The PaleyDocFest Pitch Workshop will take place on Saturday, October 20th in New York during the Paley Center’s 13th annual Documentary Festival.
To qualify for the contest, one must be an emerging filmmaker with two or less credits for directing a feature-length documentary, whether released or unreleased, and a U.S. citizen or legal resident. You must be able to travel to New York City AT YOUR OWN EXPENSE for the October 20, 2012 pitch workshop. Early deadline is August 1, 2012. http://www.paleycenter.org/paleydocfest2012-call-for-entries-pitch-workshop-contest
* UNSPOKEN is an annual human rights forum that combines film, art, music, and a conference into one festival. Held in Utica, NY, in October of each year, this multi-faceted forum seeks not only to give a voice to human rights violations from around the globe. The festival also offers practical solutions in order to shape a better tomorrow and give hope to the future. They are seeking both short and feature length films, documentary or fiction, exposing human rights violations from around the globe. Extended deadline for submission is August 1, 2012. http://www.iamunspoken.com/
* The Crown Heights Film Festival (CHFF) brings exceptional local and international film to a wide audience in the heart of Brooklyn. CHFF showcases a selection of feature length, short narratives, animations, documentaries, cross-disciplinary and children’s films. The Sunday Matinee features films made by or for children. The festival has quickly grown to become one of Brooklyn’s favorite cultural events and includes Q&A sessions with filmmakers, live pre-show music performances, and closing festivities. CHFF will present a “Best of Festival” Award selected from all of the films showcased, as well as “Festival Favorite” awards for each category. Deadline for submission is August 10, 2012. http://www.crownheightsfilms.org/
* The Friars Club announces The Friars Club Comedy Film Festival, which is being organized by a collection of filmmakers, film critics and industry professionals who share a passion for comedy in film. The 2012 festival will present feature films, documentaries and shorts from around the world, as well as panel discussions with leading film industry professionals. The Board of Advisors for the festival includes Danny Aiello, Chris Albers, Michael Barker, Chuck Barris, Joy Behar, Richard Belzer, Tom Bernard, Marty Bregman, Lorenzo Carcaterra, Gil Cates, Dick Cavett, Dominic Chianese, Tom Fontana, Robert Ben Garant, Judy Gold, Anita Jaffe, Victor Kubicek, Lisa Lampanelli, Nathan Lane, Thomas Lennon, Samm Levine, Jerry Lewis, Susan Lucci, Michael Lynne, Mace Neufeld, Rick Newman, Vincent Pastore, Joe Piscopo, Paul Provenza, Al Roker, Freddie Roman, Rory Rosegarten, Jeffrey Ross, Stewie Stone and Alan Zweibel. Extended deadline for submission is August 10, 2012. http://www.friarsclub.com/filmfestival/
* Bernardo Ruiz is having 2 screenings of his latest film, “Reportero.” The documentary follows a veteran reporter and his colleagues at Zeta, a Tijuana-based independent newsweekly, as a series of disappearances and heinous acts against journalists have taken place since December 2006, after President Felipe Calderón came to power. http://www.reporteroproject.com Aug 15, 5:30pm Reportero screening at Portland Public Library Portland, Maine
Aug 25, 2:00pm Reportero screening at Ephrata Public Library Ephrata, Pennsylvania
* The Big Apple Film Festival, presented by the Big Apple Film Society, takes place at the Tribeca Cinema. The BAFF, named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s top “25 Film Festivals Worth The Entry Fee” and top “25 Coolest Film Fesivals”, is dedicated to showcasing and promoting the highest quality films from the New York City independent film community, as well as other films from across the country and around the world. The festival is also proud to honor a variety of New York City based filmmakers, writers, actors and artists who have played an influential role in the growth of independent filmmaking in the Big Apple. Regular deadline for submission is August 1, 2012. http://www.bigapplefilmfestival.com/
* The second annual Brownfish Short Film Festival NYC will be held in New York City November 2 – 4, 2012. Brownfish is dedicated to helping filmmakers get their films seen, distributed and develop their career paths by showcasing short films under 20 minutes. Films will be competing for cash awards in the comedy, drama, documentary and animation categories. This year’s festival will debut the BSFFNYC Short Screenplay Competition. Short screenplays 15 pages and under will have staged readings and compete for cash awards in the categories of Comedy and Drama.
Along with film screenings and staged readings, seminars and workshops with industry professionals will provide emerging filmmakers and screenwriters with the information and advice needed to take their careers to the next level. Late Deadline for submission is August 1, 2012
For more information, visit us at: www.brownfish.com
* Downbeach Film Festival is a cultural event for residents of and visitors to the communities of Margate, Ventnor and Longport, Atlantic City, Ocean City and beyond. The festival will promote new films, both of a general theme and a specific theme chosen each year. The event will also create a forum to exhibit such new films, and honor the art form of moviemaking in panel discussions, honoring filmmakers, screenwriters and actors. Regular deadline for submission is August 1, 2012. http://www.downbeachfilmfestival.org/
By: Orlando E. Pascal
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