CINEUROPA

Glorious Exit in competition at Cinéma du Réel

The Cinéma du Réel Documentary Festival – whose 30th edition will be held in Paris and the surrounding region from March 7-18 – is set to screen Glorious Exit by Swiss director Kevin Merz (Amka Films Productions). The film is among the 28 titles selected in the international competition.

This impressive film is dedicated to Jarreth Merz, the actor of Swiss and Nigerian origin who lives in Los Angeles. Following the death of his father (a doctor in Lagos), he is morally obliged to fulfil his role as the elder son and organise a grandiose funeral, which leaves him bereft of all his money.
www.cineuropa.org

FILM LONDON

Mayor Joins with London’s Film and TV Industry to make London ‘Greenest’ Place to Film

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone and Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London, were today joined by Emma Thompson and Alistair McGowan to launch 'Green Screen London', a programme which will help film, TV and commercial producers to help to cut climate change emissions in the capit

http://www.filmlondon.org.uk/press_details.asp?NewsID=1314

Events Calendar : Microbudget Movie Making - A Debate: London

What is a microbudget feature and what steps should you take to get your film made?

Film London Microwave film-makers Ben Pugh (producer for Shifty), Steven Sheil and Lisa Trnovski (director and producer for Mum & Dad) will share their experiences of the Microwave scheme and illustrate their processes with extended clips.

When: 18 March, 6pm - 9.30pm
Where: The Old Cinema (University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW)
Booking: To reserve your place please call 020 7613 7696 or email
holly.hawkins@filmlondon.org.uk

Audience Development Fund

Film London awards Regional Investment Fund for England (RIFE) Lottery Funds on behalf of the UK Film Council. The Audience Development Fund aims to support education and audience development through;

• Projects that bring new audiences to film
  
  
• Projects that educate London audiences and develop a deeper understanding of cinema
  
  
• Projects that increase the range of cinema available to London audiences

http://www.filmlondon.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=815

14th Annual Brainwash Movie Festival

CALL FOR ENTRIES

FULLY JURIED

Submit your entries for the 14th Annual Brainwash Movie Festival in
Oakland, California.

Shorts are under 13 min., Features under 130 min.
Movies 13-59 min. are Shorts; 60-129 min. are Features.

"Early Bird" Special
Shorts $20, Features $50 by April 15th, 2008 (postmarked)

"On Time" Entries
Shorts $25, Features $65 by May 1st, 2008 (postmarked)

Late Entries
Shorts $35, Features $90 by May 10th, 2008 (postmarked)

RULES:

All entries must be transferred to VHS NTSC or Region 1 DVD for
preview.
No tapes will be returned unless you include $4.60 or whatever it costs
to priority mail your stuff back.
All accepted entries will be notified by mail - enclose your name and
address.
PLEASE NEVER SEND YOUR PARENTS' HOME MOVIES!

WHAT YOU GET:

Free Admission to the Festival Event.
We have a deal to send your movie, with your permission if yours is
selected, with our agent to major movie markets, such as Cannes and the
American Film Market.
Prizes! We would like to welcome our returning sponsor Jungle Software
to The Brainwash Movie Festival. We will be presenting Jungle software
Gorilla Standard to ALL 6 of our AWARD WINNERS this year, to help with
future movie productions! Find out more at
http://junglesoftware.com.

SHOWCOMOTION CHILDREN’S MEDIA CONFERENCE

2 - 4 JULY 2008  SHOWROOM CINEMA, SHEFFIELD UK


EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Conference organisers have announced that registration is now open for the
5th Showcomotion Children’s Media Conference which runs from Wednesday 2 to
Friday 4 July 2008 at the Showroom Cinema in Sheffield.

DELEGATES RATES
Delegates should visit the conference website at
www.showcomotionconference.com to
register online for the Early Bird rate of £160 +VAT (£188), which is almost
30% off the full conference rate.  The Early Bird is available until 31
March.

The following rates are available from 1st April:

Under 30s/ Self-funded/ Student Rate: £90 + VAT (£105.75) (Limited
availability)

PACT/ BAFTA/ Non-profit/ ELSPA/ LIMA/ BIMA Rate: £180 + VAT (£211.50)

Full Corporate Rate: £225 + VAT (£264.38)

This annual get together is now the most important event of its kind in the
kids’ media and entertainment calendar in the UK; up to 400 delegates from
children’s TV, film, radio, gaming and interactive are expected to converge
in Sheffield for sessions, masterclasses and keynotes.

International Screenwriters' Festival

Renowned fantasy writer and creator of the Discworld novels, Terry Pratchett,
together with director, Vadim Jean, Leon the Pig Farmer, will be joining the
Screenwriters' Festival in July to talk about their recent collaboration on 'The
Colour of Magic' for Sky, having both worked together on last year's Sky production
of 'The Hogfather'.  They have been added to the high profile line up of speakers at
this year's International Screenwriters' Festival to be held in Cheltenham, UK
during 1-3rd July 2008. The Festival's sponsors include South West Screen,
Cheltenham Council, Sky, UK Film Council, Skillset and C4.


With close to 1000 entries for the SWF's popular pitch scheme 'A Pitch in Time' in
association with 4Talent has now closed  for entries and the successful short list
will be made public on 17th march.

David Pearson. Producer at Arturi Films, and the festival's Director and founder
said that, " Once again we are impressed at the high standard of entries and we look
forward to a lively pitch session as the Festival. Interest in screenwriting and its
role in the value chain of film and TV making continue to be in the ascendency".

The festival's delegate tickets are on sale  this week and the first 50 sold will
have a discounted price of £300 for the packed three days of events (normal price
for three day pass £330). 

Previously announced speakers include Jane Tranter Controller of BBC Fiction, who
runs the BBC Drama group including BBC Films, together with Oscar winners Julian
Fellowes Young Victoria &  Gosford Park, Guillermo Del Toro 'Pan's Labyrinth' and
'Hellboy II', along with  Lucy Prebble 'Secret Diary Of A Call Girl', Deborah
Moggach 'Pride and Prejudice' ,Peter Kosminsky 'The Government Inspector' and
'Britz' , Laura Mackie Director Of Drama ITV. 

Kay Mellor 'The Chase', 'Fat Friends' and 'Band Of Gold' and a return of leading
psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud who will explore at how writers overcome the mental
challenges facing them to make great films.

      

The initial SWF 2008 programme will be available on line on the Festival website on
Friday 14th March 2008.

Sign up for regular emailed news bulletins to be reminded of speaker and programme
additions, how to book delegate passes, where to stay etc at

www.screenwritersfestival.com  

Images of Black Women

Images of Black Women(IBW) will hold its annual Emerging Filmmaker Award: short
film competition winners' showcasing eclectic and thought provoking topics such as
Darfur, Child Neglect & Afro hair. There will be a short preview of "Afro-Saxon" a
brand new feature from UK director Rachel Wang. As part of the Children's Corner
tradition, IBW will feature a richly entertaining children's programme. 

Films details: www.imagesofblackwomen.com

2008 TIBURON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Tiburon, CA – The 2008 Tiburon International Film Festival (TIFF) is set for March
13 – 21, 2008.  TIFF will be showcasing over 225 films from 94 countries. 
 
 The Opening Night Film & Gala is scheduled for March 13, 2008.  The Opening Night
Film of the 2008 Tiburon International Film Festival is Twins for President, a
comedy from Spain directed by Miguel Angel Calvo Buttini (starring Andoni Gracia,
Txema Blasco, María Galiana, Merce Llorens, Teresa Gimpera).  Twins for President
will be making its US Premiere that evening.  Miguel Angel Calvo Buttini will be
present for the screening and available after the film to answer questions.  The
film will be presented at the Playhouse Theater beginning at 7pm.

 
 The Opening Night Gala (March 13, 2008) is a formal event, which will be held at
the Corinthian Yacht Club, beginning at 8:30pm.  The evening will include
filmmakers, international cuisine and live entertainment.

 
 2008 Tributes & Films: The Great American Actor John Wayne, The Searchers (March
16, 2008 @ 4:45pm); Director, Bob Rafelson (One of the Kings of Independent
Films), Five East Pieces (March 14, 2008 @ 7:25pm); and The Great Comedy Director,
Blake Edwards, The Pink Panther Strikes Again (March 15, 2008 @ 5:00pm).  Members
of John Wayne’s Family, Bob Rafelson, and Blake Edwards will be present.
 
 Special Programs: Hal Hickel, Academy Award winning visual effects animator, will
have a Special Presentation on the Pirates of the Caribbean series, and how the
visual effects create a new and illusion world for the audiences.  There will also
be two Special Panel Discussions on the topics of “Film, Politics and Culture: How
Films Shape Political Beliefs” and “New Technologies for Acquisition and
Distribution.”
 
 2008 Spotlight: Spotlight on Brazilian Cinema will present 10 Brazilian films.
 
 Film Genres: Feature, Documentary, Short, Animation, Experimental
 Film Programs: Marin Filmmakers (a collection of films from Marin County’s finest
filmmakers), Sports, Music Video, Children, and Seniors
 

Ticket Information: Online: www.TiburonFilmFestival.com or by phone: 415.789.8854 

Human Rights Watch International Film Festival

12-21 March 2008
The Ritzy, Clapham Picture House, Gate Cinema, Greenwich Picturehouse,
Renoir, ICA

(London – 5 February 2008) - The 12th Human Rights Watch International Film
Festival, which takes place in six London cinemas from 12 to 21 March,
offers a powerful line-up of films that challenge and inform our world view.
Whether it’s the untold story of US female soldiers in direct ground combat
in Iraq in Lioness, Ariel Dorfman looking back to Pinochet’s bloody coup in
Chile in A Promise to the Dead, American artist Steve Kurtz facing 20 years
in prison for having test tubes in his apartment in Strange Culture; or the
extraordinary interviews with 14 survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in
White Light / Black Rain, this year’s festival covers a lot of ground.

For more information visit: www.hrw.org/iff

16th ALTER-NATIVE International Short Film Festival

The 16th ALTER-NATIVE International Short Film Festival will be held from 5 to 9th
of November 2008 in Tirgu Mures (Romania). The ALTER-NATIVE is one of the oldest and
the most important Romanian film festival presenting experimental, documentary,
animated and short fiction films.

The festival has no participation fee. Films submitted to the festival are to be
completed after January 1. 2006, not exceeding 30 minutes. An international jury
will present one major award (independent of category). The other prizes are yearly
changing.

The deadline for film submissions is 12 of September 2008.

Near the competition the festival include complementary programs like: future films,
the price wining films of the similar festivals, university students films,
video-installation exhibition, concerts, meetings and round table conversations for
the cinematographers, critics, spectators and the representing of media.

More detailed information you will find at www.madisz.ro

Highlights-Birds Eye View

Unrelated + Q&A with Director and Producer, hosted by Jonathan Romney (Independent on Sunday)- ICA CINEMA 1: 11 March 6.15PM

A continental-style gem following 40-something Anna as she arrives at friend Verena’s Tuscan villa. After a humiliating episode Anna fears she is condemned to a life on the periphery.

For more info see: http://birds-eye-view.co.uk/2008/unrelated.htm

Expired +Q&A with Director, hosted by journalist, writer and broadcaster Sarfraz Manzoor. ICA CINEMA 1: 13 March 8.30PM Repeated ICA CINEMA 2: 14 March 6.15PM

*UK premiere*

Claire (Samantha Morton) is an unimposing, sweet-tempered meter maid whose sheltered existence with her stroke-afflicted mother is jolted when she meets Jay (Jason Patric), a troubled fellow parking officer.

For more info: http://birds-eye-view.co.uk/2008/expired.htm

XXY + Q&A with actors Ines Efron and Martin Piroyanski, hosted by Dave Calhoun - film editor, Time Out. ICA CINEMA 1:12 March 9PM

A young hermaphrodite child and her friend explore their sexuality and differences with open-mindedness, while her parents battle against society’s prejudice.

For info see: http://birds-eye-view.co.uk/2008/xxy.htm

GENERAL MOTORS drives your stories competition with FILMAKA

General Motors Corporation, the world's largest automobile
manufacturer, wants your pitches for shows that can feature some of
their new vehicles.  They are not looking for a traditional
commercial, but instead for an engrossing story in which a GM vehicle
plays a memorable part. Viewers should connect with characters, and
through them with the vehicles they drive.  Find the emotions that
will make viewers remember your film whenever they see these vehicles.
Think the Pontiac Firebird "Screaming Chicken" in Smokey & The
Bandit.  Think the original Knight Rider Trans-Am.  Think the Camaro
as Bumblebee in last summer's blockbuster Transformers. They are
extensions of the characters, or characters themselves.

Submit a detailed written synopsis of a film 3 to 5 minutes in length,
with 4 or 5 more episode ideas intended to total around 30 minutes of
original content. Include in your story one of the GM car models noted
below. Each episode should be able to live on its own and together
they should make a coherent half-hour story. Include in your
submission any other ideas you might have about production or how
these webisodes might utilize new technology or interactivity when
distributed. Be sure to bring your own aesthetic and stylization to
your proposal. You can upload storyboards and other visuals with your
proposal – as long as it's all in PDF format.

  www.filmaka.com/

2nd Annual International Film Festival Summit Europe

Film & Festivals supports the 2nd IFFS.

April 15-16, 2008

The Cumberland Hotel London

www.iffseurope.com

The 2nd Annual IFFS Europe is the largest dedicated gathering of the European film festival community, which provides a platform for the community to explore ways to collaborate and promote the advancement of the film festival industry. This is the exclusive meeting place for industry professionals, vendors and those committed to the film festival and entertainment industry to dialogue with their peers, share insights and gain knowledge that will help grow film festivals and keep the industry thriving.

This year's IFFS Europe, taking place April 15-16, 2008, at The Cumberland Hotel in London, will have industry leaders discussing the latest trends in funding and sponsorship, programming, operations and management, publicity and public relations, acquisition and distribution, technology solutions, long-term planning and sustainable growth, and executive management.

Event Contact:
Chad Reott
+1-330-294-0094
Chad@michaelbass.com

Sheffield Doc/Fest opens its films submissions

Sheffield Doc/Fest opens its films submissions
on Monday March 10.


Documentary films from established or debut filmmakers, television and film
school productions, and films of any style or subject are accepted for
consideration into 2008¹s official programme and/or into Doc/Fest¹s
digitized Videotheque.
Films can also be entered into the Grierson:Sheffield Innovation or Green
Award and films accepted into the official programme may also be nominated
for the Grierson:Sheffield Youth Jury award.
In 2007 over 1000 entries were received from all over the UK and the world.
Filmmakers should check out the festival website for complete rules and
regulations and to enter their film using the on-line form.
www.sheffdocfest.com <http://www.sheffdocfest.com>
Submissions close on June 30.
For any questions email our new film programmer Hussain Currimbhoy at
hussain@sidf.co.uk 

SHORT FILM COMPETITION

Africa in Motion festival launches new short film
competition for emerging African filmmakers
across the continent

The Africa in Motion film festival (AiM), which takes place annually in
October at Edinburgh Filmhouse, is officially inviting African filmmakers
to submit short films for a new AiM  competition. In order to target the
competition specifically towards young and emerging African talent,
filmmakers who enter a film for consideration must not have completed a
feature-length film previously. Films entered must have been completed in
2005 or after, and must be no longer than 30 minutes.

The competition winner will be selected from a shortlist of films and will
be announced at an awards ceremony at the third successive Africa in
Motion festival in October 2008. The winner will have the opportunity for
their film to be screened at AiM 2008 as well as the chance to win a
significant cash prize. A selection of other short films specially
commended by our competition jury will also be screened as part of a short
film showcase at AiM 2008.

The AiM 2008 Short Film Competition will be judged by a jury panel
consisting of local film specialists and established African filmmakers;
still to be confirmed.

The deadline for competition submissions is 31 May 2008, and following
from this a shortlist of films will be selected by an AiM viewing
committee. The shortlist will be announced in July 2008. These films will
then be viewed by all jury panel members, who will make a collective
decision as to the prizewinners, based on a point scoring system that will
take into account the relative merits of each of the shortlisted films.

Please see www.africa-in-motion.org.uk/call.html for full submission
guidelines and to download an entry form. For any further enquiries,
please contact AiM festival director Lizelle Bisschoff at:
submissions@africa-in-motion.org.uk.