1. Intro
2. United Talent Agency (UTA) Agent Training Program
3. United Talent Agency (UTA) Scouting Talent via veoh.com
4. Crackle.com – Sony Scouting
5. Virtual Channel Network
6. Youtube project connect – journalism contest
7. Tubemogul
8. Google Video Adsense revenue
9. Personal Finance Primer
10. Creative Screenwriting Weekly Newsletter & quote
11. Fox Movie Channel television series "Life After Film School",
12. Women in Film
13. Girls Reeling It Together
14. Directors Guild (DGA)- Producer Training Plan - LA
15. San Diego Film Showcase on TV - So You Made A Movie - SD
16. Catch a flick with your favorite celeb for $25 - LA
17. AFI Director Series
18. Festival of Sacred Music - LA
19. Documentary Contest For Beck - SD
20. Los Angeles Final Cut Pro Users Group - LA
21. Digital Media Artists User Group – LA
22. Red Rock Micro
23. CastingTube is here to help you make videos
24. iReport Film Festival
25. Pangea Day
26. DesiYouth Magazine Models and Contributors Wanted
27. SDAFF Film Review Competition - SD
28. Diversity Jobs and Casting resources
29. DVDs For Troops
30. Hollywood Desperado – Social Film Networking
31. Filmixer.com – Social Film Networking
32. Inner-City Filmmakers
33. New independent film distributors
34. Videographers, editors, etc Needed to Save LA Public
Transportation – LA
35. HD Camera Shooter or Rental Wanted – LA / OC
36. Screenplay Readers Wanted to Write Coverage - LA
37. Show Your Films Free - LA
38. Job Board - Studio Daily
39. Member Updates
40. Articles

A. New Video Digital Aiming 1,600 New Films at iTunes, Other Platforms
B. Users can access pics' previews on phone
C. Rare and Unseen Short Films Find a Home on the McSweeney's Wholphin
DVD Label
D. Women in Film Foundation seeks film
E. First Person: IFC's Jonathan Sehring on Dramatic Change in the
Specialty Film Business
F. The $2,000 Film Festival Winner
G. Anime Gets Innovative on Youtube
H. New cameras have actors reloading
I. The Wonderful World of Marketing
J. Critics' Poll '07 "Secret Sunshine" Glows as Best Undistributed
Film; Critics Pick 250+ Un-Acquired Faves
+The Ten Best Undistributed Films of 2007
K. Short Film Superstars of 2007
L. Brief films are popular again, especially when the Oscar-nominated
ones screen together
M. YouTube teams with indie filmmakers
N. State of the Fest | Part one: Do festivals matter?
O. State of the Fest | Part two: Things gotta change
P. The internet could be a boon for Hollywood—but only if it can
conquer its fears
Q. Summit addresses film festival issues
R. Excellent Indie Articles & Excerpts
S. Promo tactics for the new indie world
T. Execs and talent weigh in on state of indie biz

_________________________________________________________________________

1. INTRO

Hello, Aloha, Hola, Ahola!

It's been a while again which is a good sign. I've been super busy
with film stuff and also ventured off to try and fix my finances
(which is the number one reason people get knocked out of the arts).
Check out the Personal Finance Primer section below (#9).

I've been wanting to write about this topic for quite some time now.
All too often, people are scared to do something because they don't
feel like they have enough training or experience. I've noticed this
especially when it comes to acting, camerawork, directing and writing.
Consider this situation, my brother while in residency, was running
down the hospital corridor with his hands inside a patient who just
had a heart-attack and was manually pumping his heart. Not doing
chest compressions, mind you, but the patient's torso was surgically
open and my brother's hands were inside pumping the actual heart.
Now, guess how many times he practiced that on a dummy. All the while
he was running.

Basically, what I'm saying is to not worry about the lack of training
and just do it. You'll learn so much more than sitting around
comtemplating it. I'm not negating the benefits of training, but do
it in conjunction with it. For a very inspiring movie about this,
check out Johnny Depp as the lead/title character in ED WOOD, directed
by Tim Burton.

So with that said, you can check out some of my recent projects:

HOT GUYS WHO COOK - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beNMMODc-PU
The reality "cooking" show I did for E Channel's subsidiary The Style
Network.


WESLIM – starring Roopashree Jeevaji. Matt Stedman & Pardeep Singh
helped out on set and written, directed, edited and
motion-graphics'ed by yours truly is a Fox News spoof.
http://tinyurl.com/weslim


THE SPANISH GUITAR HOUR - is an improv sketch comedy where Hash Patel
plays Banderas and I am playing Antonio.
http://www.TheSpanishGuitarHour.com


THE TRIDENT - the 4K Dalsa film with David Carradine in which I acted
and Harish Rao produced will screen at The San Diego Asian Film
Festival sometime between Oct 9-16, 2008. http://www.sdaff.org

http://www.funwithwarcrimes.com - a webisode I helped out with on the
marketing.



If you need marketing material (ACTOR DEMO REELS, WEBSITES, POSTCARDS,
BIZ CARDS, MOVIE TRAILERS, etc) please check out my site (still
updating it) to see if you'd like my services:
http://www.DesignAnu.com

Also, I have a home-built camera-stabilizer (steadicam) which I am
looking to rent out – either as an operator or by itself.


Tips of the week: Harddrives are like cars you don't want them to sit
on a shelf for months on end because the fluids will dry up.

Happy filmmaking!
Anup

www.Anup.net
_________________________________________________________________________

2. UNITED TALENT AGENCY (UTA) AGENT TRAINING PROGRAM

http://www.unitedtalent.com/training/index.html

_________________________________________________________________________

3. UNITED TALENT AGENCY SCOUTING TALENT

Via veoh.com – http://www.utaonline.net
_________________________________________________________________________

4. CRACKLE.com

This is the online scouting grounds for Sony Entertainment.

http://www.crackle.com
______________________________________

5. VIRTUAL CHANNEL NETWORK

The Virtual Channel Network is the network for the Entertainment
Industry created by the Entertainment Industry.

Presented by Breakdown Services in cooperation with the Hollywood
Reporter, our goal is to provide programming of interest to actors,
casting, talent representatives, directors, producers, and studio and
network executives.

Contact A'da Woolfolk at the Virtual Channel Network c/o Breakdown
Services at (310) 276-9166
"Real deal" – review of your acting reel or short film by Casting
Director & Agent

http://www.virtualchannelnetwork.com

_________________________________________________________________________

6. YOUTUBE PROJECT CONNECT – JOURNALISM CONTEST

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQn8pcZ64MI

_________________________________________________________________________

7. TUBEMOGUL

TubeMogul is a free service that provides a single point for deploying
uploads to the top video sharing sites, and powerful analytics on who,
what, and how videos are being viewed.

[Tubemogul is a great concept, but not quite there in execution.
Check out the difference between the same uncompressed 30MB file
uploaded to Veoh.com via tubemogul:

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v156284263R3NmXGT?rank=10&

and the same file uploaded directly to veoh.com

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v15631653hyYMPJd8?rank=8&

-Anup]

http://www.tubemogul.com/

_________________________________________________________________________

8. GOOGLE VIDEO ADSENSE REVENUE

Making some revenue from your videos:

http://adsense.blogspot.com/2007/10/introducing-video-units.html

_________________________________________________________________________

9. PERSONAL FINANCE PRIMER

FICO SCORE

http://www.Myfico.com - this is probably the most important thing you
gotta focus on – your FICO score. It determines whether or not you
will get killed by credit card interest rates etc. All factors that
can knock you out of the entertainment industry.

It ranges from 300 – 850. 300 is basically an `F' while 770 and above
is an `A'
The following determine your score:

Payment history - 35% (any late payments?)
Amounts owed - 30% (includes balance to available credit ratio)
Length of credit history - 15% (don't cancel your oldest cards, unless
it has annual fees)
New credit - 10% (every time you open up a card, your score goes down)
Types of credit used - 10% (credit card, auto loan, mortgage)


http://www.Mymoneyblog.com
Great tips on how to save and even make money.

Stock trading site for people starting out. Always consult with a
financial planner before starting. I am not one.

http://www.Sharebuilder.com
http://www.Zecco.com

http://finance.yahoo.com - excellent site with tons of learning tools
about finance (glossary, etc). Don't be overwhelmed by it.

http://www.fool.com - great personal finance advice.

_________________________________________________________________________

10. CREATIVE SCREENWRITING WEEKLY NEWSLETTER


"It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for
writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous."
– Robert Benchley

You can subscribe to the newsletter here:
csdaily@ creativescreenwriting.com
_________________________________________________________________________

11. FOX MOVIE CHANNEL TELEVISION SERIES "LIFE AFTER FILM SCHOOL",

where film students interview filmmakers. Please enter your
information in the following fields to be considered for an audition.

Show Format: Each episode three film students (from schools such as
USC, UCLA and AFI) interview a director, producer, writer or actor
from an upcoming Fox feature film release or Fox/ FX television show.
The interview is a mentoring session where the guests current Fox
project is used as a reference point for the conversation.

For more information and to see clips from the show, please visit:
http://www.foxmoviechannel.com/FMC-LAFS.html.

Requirements: You must be a current undergraduate or graduate level
film student, or have very recently graduated. You must live in the
Los Angeles area. You must be authorized to work in the United States.
Students receive a fee per episode.

http://www.foxmoviechannel.com/auditions/
_________________________________________________________________________

12. WOMEN IN FILM

Women In Film's purpose is to EMPOWER, promote and mentor women in the
entertainment and media industries.

http://www.wif.org/

_________________________________________________________________________

13. GIRLS REELING IT TOGETHER

known as G. R. I. T., is a director-driven organization of
professional female filmmakers committed to cultivating the diverse
female perspective in cinema, expanding the presence of female
directors, and building an audience for our work. Through ongoing
support, mentorship, structured critiques, and screenings, we provide
a forum for female directors to articulate their voices with excellence.

http://www.gritfilm.org/
_________________________________________________________________________


14. DIRECTORS GUILD (DGA)- PRODUCER TRAINING PLAN

Assistant Directors Training Program

The Assistant Directors Training Program was established in 1965 by
the Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and
Television Producers.
The purpose of this non-profit training program is to provide equal
access to men and women of diverse backgrounds to participate in an
industry sponsored training program that provides on-the-job training.
After the successful completion of training, graduates are eligible to
join the Directors Guild of America as a Second Assistant Director.

The application period for the 2009 program is officially underway.
Applications are currently available for download from our website and
must be postmarked no later than November 21, 2008.


For more information, please visit our website or call:
http://www.trainingplan.org 818.386.2545
_________________________________________________________________________

15. SAN DIEGO FILM SHOWCASE ON TV - SO YOU MADE A MOVIE

A showcase of short films and videos made by San Diegans from all
walks of life. Hosted by Charles Hand, this 30 minute show highlights
the passion and enthusiasm of the local filmmaking community and
creates a venue to share their work. Along with short films, SO YOU
MADE A MOVIE will occasionally mix in local film trivia, highlight the
local film festival scene and go on location visiting sets of films
currently in production.

SUBMIT YOUR FILMS! Are you a San Diego filmmaker? Send us your films,
videos, animations, flash animations and documentaries. Here's your
opportunity to have your work telecast in HD to over 300,000 homes in
San Diego. We prefer films that are 2 to 8 minutes in length but we
accept longer films, too. Go to


http://www.SoYouMadeAMovie.com to submission information.
http://www.myspace.com/soyoumadeamovie
_________________________________________________________________________

16. CATCH A FLICK WITH YOUR FAVORITE CELEB FOR $25

Sit beside Steve Martin for a screening of "The Jerk," share a theater
with Mike Myers for a showing of "Austin Powers: International Man of
Mystery" or squirm in your seat alongside Jodie Foster during "The
Silence of the Lambs"

These stars along with Dustin Hoffman, Cameron Diaz, Denzel
Washington, Annette Bening, Jim Carrey, Shirley MacLaine, Rita Moreno
and Keanu Reeves will share some of their most famous films with their
fans next month at "Target Presents AFI Night at the Movies."

The one-night-only event is set to take over the ArcLight theater in
Hollywood on Oct. 1, the American Film Institute announced Wednesday.
The idea is to bring filmmakers and fans together to celebrate
American movies, said AFI chief Bob Gazzale.

"It is a fireworks show of American film," he said, "and AFI's honor
to celebrate the artists and their contributions to the rich cultural
legacy of our nation."

Tickets are $25 and will be available beginning Sept. 17.

The complete list of stars and films:

_ Connery, "The Man Who Would Be King.
_ Bening, "American Beauty."
_ Carrey, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."
_ Diaz, "There's Something About Mary."
_ Foster, "The Silence of the Lambs."
_ Hoffman, "Tootsie."
_ MacLaine, "The Apartment."
_ Martin, "The Jerk."
_ Moreno, "West Side Story."
_ Myers, "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery."
_ Reeves, "The Matrix."
_ Washington, "Glory."

http://www.AFI.com

_________________________________________________________________________

17. AFI DIRECTOR SERIES

Also Check out the AFI director's series:
https://www.arclightcinemas.com/ArcLight/faces/SpecialProgramming.jsp;jsessionid\
=492AC2391CBE08967643B8BB4F43F642.node5?eventCode=AFI&pageInfo=Home-Page

or

http://tinyurl.com/3pbjy6

_________________________________________________________________________

18. FESTIVAL OF SACRED MUSIC

Sept 13 –28, 2008

1000 Artists, 41 Events, 16 Days

A largely volunteer effort, based on the intention to utilize the arts
festival model to build genuine community cooperation and
understanding, the World Festival of Sacred Music is presented by
Foundation for World Arts and UCLA Center for Intercultural
Performance and EarthWays Foundation.

Subscribe: info@...

The World Festival of Sacred Music (Sept 13-28, 2008) invites you to
participate as an Artist / Group, Venue or Producer in what New York
Times has called "one of the planet's biggest and most intriguing
world music Festivals".
Join us if you are:
· An Artist/group and wish to present your music or dance in
new ways to new audiences.
· A Venue and wish to open your doors to people from all over
the city. You can present individual artist/groups or a shared program
or create unique programs that present two or more music traditions.
We welcome the inclusion of sacred spaces , natural sites , arts
spaces , cultural centers or professional theaters

· An Organization and wish to partner with other faith based,
civic or community organizations to create a special event that speaks
to interfaith, intercultural message of the festival.

· A Producer or presenter with visions of how an event can be
curated, organized and produced.
· A Director of a Youth ensemble who wishes to present your
choir or dance group in the Festival's Emerging Voices Youth project.

· A Volunteer who is looking for a project that is unique and
that can use your personal talents.

We are excited about the possibility of working with you on this our
fourth Festival. Our efforts will generate enormous public attention
and have a positive impact on our city. Please forward this letter to
others who may be interested in joining us in this conversation.

Judy Mitoma
Director, World Festival of Sacred Music- Los Angeles
www.festivalofsacredmusic.org

Director, UCLA Center for Intercultural Performance
Professor, Dept of World Arts & Cultures
http://www.wac.ucla.edu/cip

http://www.festivalofsacredmusic.org
_________________________________________________________________________

19. DOCUMENTARY CONTEST FOR BECK


You know Street Scene is next weekend and we need some help. One of
our favorite Street Scene artists, Beck, has given us permission to
video an hour-long documentary of him at Street Scene. It's a chance
for us to show our audience how involved a major festival like Street
Scene is. Frankly, we don't have time to record this documentary.
We're going to be busy as we broadcast live, interview artists and
bring you the Street Scene experience.

So, with that said, we want an Insider to be in charge of this
documentary. We'll give you a Flip Mino Video Camcorder plus some
backstage access at Street Scene. You'll be able to shoot Beck's stage
set-up, maybe talk to his crew, film Beck's takeover of FM 94/9 and
even a few songs of his performance all on your Flip Mino. In essence,
you'll create a "Beck-Umentary" for us.

Being our "Beck-Umentarist" should be a lot of fun, so we want to make
sure someone who's a big Beck fan and will appreciate the experience
is given this opportunity. If you're interested, click the link below
and answer some Beck-related trivia questions. We'll select one winner
from everyone who answers all of the questions correctly. Send us your
answers by midnight Monday, September 15, 2008.

Sincerely,

Owen - FM 94/9 Promotions
http://www.fm949sd.com/winstuff/WINsiders-BeckUmentary.cfm

_________________________________________________________________________

20. LOS ANGELES FINAL CUT PRO USERS GROUP

Excellent free resource – meets once a month in Hollywood.

Join mailing list and get more info:

http://lafcpug.org/

_________________________________________________________________________

21. DIGITAL MEDIA ARTISTS USER GROUP

Los Angeles (DMA/LA) is an association for professionals creating
imagery for video, film, and other media using desktop tools.

***Next Meeting***
Tuesday, September 16 (two weeks from today)

Gallery Theater at Barnsdall Art Park
------- 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. -------
------Cover charge: FREE

Every quarter (more or less), we reserve time for you to show of your
most recent projects and reels. Time to show us your stuff! Please
limit the length to about 3 minutes or under. Best formats are DVD,
VHS, and SVHS; we can also play back miniDV, DVCAM, and accommodate a
computer connection or play back your QuickTime movie. Be prepared to
talk about what you show, and bring a card or slip of paper with your
contact information so we can include it in the meeting summary. Hand
your reels to Warren Heaton or another one of our hosts before the
meeting or during the break to get into the queue.

More info:
http://www.dmala.org/
_________________________________________________________________________

22. RED ROCK MICRO

Get 35mm-like shallow depth of field on your camcorder for about $2K.

Its competitors are Brevis, Letus, P+S Technics and a few more.

http://www.redrockmicro.com
_________________________________________________________________________

23. CASTINGTUBE IS HERE TO HELP YOU MAKE VIDEOS

One of the best ways to gain subscribers and been scene on sites like
youtube is to create Collab videos with other online creators.

But when you're starting out finding people to send you video clips
can be hard. So CastingTube is here to help you!

It real simple you send us a video casting call (and/or text blurb)
with the details of the video you want to cast.

We will put that video up on a dozen+ popular video hosting sites and
more (including youtube, Myspace, Live Video and a lot more).

Then you get your clips and it's all FREE!

all we ask is that you add our animation loop to the end of your final
video collab to help spread the word.

http://www.youtube.com/castingtube

by youtuber extraordinaire

http://www.samproof.tv - has nearly 3 million youtube views for his
videos.
_________________________________________________________________________

24. IREPORT FILM FESTIVAL

US residents: Enter the iReport Film Festival for a chance to win a
new videocamera and a trip to the 2009 inauguration. iReport's online
festival of short films is looking for shorts from the US campaign
trail -- so make a film about an issue or a candidate; a local
campaign or a grassroots political organization; or any related topic
that moves you. Deadline is October 12. See the iReport Film Festival
blog for full details and entry form, and to watch hundreds of other
short films.

http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=42599

_________________________________________________________________________

25. PANGEA DAY
taps the power of film to strengthen tolerance and compassion while
uniting millions of people to build a better future.

In a world where people are often divided by borders, difference, and
conflict, it's easy to lose sight of what we all have in common.
Pangea Day seeks to overcome that — to help people see themselves in
others — through the power of film.


http://www.pangeaday.org/

_________________________________________________________________________

26. DESIYOUTH MAGAZINE MODELS AND CONTRIBUTORS WANTED

Calling South Asian Male and Female Models, 16 to 25 yrs, for our next
photoshoot taking place on Aug 16th & 17th. All those interested
please send us your contact information along with a couple of
pictures of yourself to community@...

"Do you love writing? Perhaps, taking pictures? Or maybe, even
modelling? How about gossips on film and glamour, Umm...fashion and
beauty? Sports? Community events?

Okay, give up....YOU tell us!

DYM is looking for contributors - please write to
contributions@..."

http://desiyouthmag.com/models.html

_________________________________________________________________________

27. SDAFF FILM REVIEW COMPETITION - SD

Love Watching Movies? Students, Enter Our Film Review Competition
If you love watching movies and can give your opinion about them, this
competition is for you! We are seeking college and high school
candidates for our annual Student Film Review Competition, in
partnership with The San Diego Union-Tribune and the Asian American
Journalists Association of San Diego.

The winning review will be published in The San Diego Union-Tribune
during the week of the 9th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival,
October 9-16, 2008. The winning student receives a $500 scholarship,
an All-Festival Pass to the festival, and two complimentary seats at
the SDAFF Gala Awards Dinner, Saturday, October 11.

http://sdaff2008.blogspot.com/

_________________________________________________________________________

28. DIVERSITY JOBS AND CASTING RESOURCES

A listing of internships, mentorships, scholarships and placement agencies
By ANDREW BARKER


INTERNSHIPS AND MENTORSHIPS

NBC
Details: Writers initiative funds one minority staff writer position
for each NBC primetime scripted series. NBC's talent program promotes
on-camera diversity with pilot-season casting internships.
Contact: http://www.nbcjobs.com

CBS
Details: Directing and writing initiatives pair aspirants with studio
mentors, who provide feedback on participants' work.
Contact: http://www.cbscorporation.com/diversity

FOX
Details: Coordinates programs with local high schools and offers
company-wide internships for college students.
Contact: http://www.fox.com/diversity

ABC/Walt Disney Studios
Details: Writing fellowship offers yearlong, full-time salaried posts.
Up to 15 fellows are selected per year to work in the feature film and
television areas of ABC Entertainment and Walt Disney Studios. Similar
programs for directors and producers also available.
Contact: http://abctalentdevelopment.com

DGA
Details: Assignment program seeks to engage at least 10 seasoned
female and minority directors. Selected helmers are assigned at least
one episode of an ABC series, with no restriction on future employment.
Contact: Regina Render (310) 289-2036

PGA
Details: Workshop pairs producers with pro mentors to create an
original project (TV comedy, one-hour dramatic program or motion
picture) and realize it through seminars on pitching, development,
marketing and packaging.
Contact: Joe Chambers (310) 358-9020

WGA
Details: In conjunction with Columbia U., org hosts intensive 10-week
program for screenwriters from Harlem community. Participants attend
workshops, mentoring sessions and master classes taught by renowned
writers.
Contact: http://www.wgae.org/diversity

SCHOLARSHIPS

Emma Bowen Foundation
Details: Sponsors five-year scholarship program, beginning junior year
of high school and extending until college graduation. Participants
work with industry mentors during summer breaks, developing skills and
making contacts. Provides an hourly wage, plus tuition assistance and
other compensation.
Contact: emmabowenfoundation.com

PLACEMENT AGENCIES

Workplace Hollywood
Details: Nonprofit org works with studios and corporate sponsors to
find paid internships and jobs spanning nearly all fields of the industry.
Contact: http://www.workplacehollywood.org

Inroads
Details: Corporate-focused agency places high-performing minority
students (college freshmen and sophomores) in two- to four-year
internships.
Contact: http://www.inroads.org

Hollywood Cinema Production Resources
Details: Offers free below-the-line vocational training for ages 15-25.
Contact: http://www.hollywoodcpr.org

Y.E.S. to Jobs
Details: Finds paid studio internships for college and high school
students.
Contact: http://www.yestojobs.org

Film Independent (FIND)
Details: Project:Involve offers mentorship, training, workshops and
job placement through one-on-one contact with industry professionals.
Contact: http://www.filmindependent.org/ index.php/talent_development

Streetlights Production Assistant Program
Details: Provides six weeks of classroom and location production
assistant training for low-income students. Ongoing mentorship and
career counseling continues after the program.
Contact: http://www.streetlights.org

This listing is partial and does not represent all orgs advocating
diversity.

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=features2006&content=jump&jump=story&dep\
t=jobs&nav=Fjobs&articleid=VR1117941218
or

http://tinyurl.com/36lcud


_________________________________________________________________________

29. DVDS FOR TROOPS

My Friend & I are sending old or unwanted DVD's to the US troops and
I'm hoping those of that can will help.
we appreciate any and all except NO PORN. Thanks for letting me
blanket all of you and if you can help great
if not maybe you know someone who can. Thanks very much.
mark berry

Update.

As of Wed. July 18, there have been 81 movies sent/given to me.
81, DVD Movies !!
I'm sending you all this email in the hopes that we, you keep this going.
Please, if you have not already sent any, if you can, what ever you
can, if you have sent me one or two or 50,
Thank You.
Please forward this to all your friends and ask them to forward it
again to all of there's.
These movies will be passed out to any soldier, no matter what branch
or rank.
With each shipment I will be letting my friend know who sent these,
your first name will be included and any message you would like.
Again,
Thanks,

send to...
Spike
1011 N. Coronado St.
Los Angeles, CA.
90026

or

Mark Berry
2800 West Victory Blvd
Burbank, CA 91505

[Mark Berry is the lead in the film I'm directing – great guy; not
some strangers who's gonna take your dvds and sell `em back to you on
ebay. :)
-Anup]
_________________________________________________________________________

30. HOLLYWOODDESPERADOTV.COM – SOCIAL NETWORKING

An interactive career-networking site made up of a diverse group of
Indie Artists from the worlds of Film, Television, Music and
Entertainment.

HollywoodDesperadoTV.com combines the professional networking of
"Myspace," the job-listings found on "Craigslist" and the
video-sharing of "Youtube" into one site! This revolutionary site is
specifically designed for Hollywood's creative community. It utilizes
interactive media to expand EVERYONE's opportunities to promote their
talents in the Entertainment industry. Now, you can connect with other
industry professionals, as well as create new work opportunities
through HollywoodDesperadoTV.com

Are you an actor, singer, comedian, writer, director or producer?
This is your network to tell all of Hollywood who you are, what you do
and that you are ready to be on set!

http://www.HollywoodDesperadoTV.com
_________________________________________________________________________

31. FILMIXER.com – Social Networking

Welcome to the Internet's newest and slickest social network for film
and media makers in motion picture, television, gaming and new media.

http://www.filmixer.com

Courtesy of Raj Suri - http://www.myspace.com/rajsuri

_________________________________________________________________________

INNER-CITY FILMMAKERS
needs volunteers to provide inspiration, education, training and
mentoring for capable inner-city youth who are dedicated to reaching
their potential.

http://www.innercityfilmmakers.com/volunteering/guests.html

_________________________________________________________________________

33. NEW INDEPENDENT FILM DISTRIBUTORS

Companies recently join domestic release biz
By ANTHONY D'ALESSANDRO

'The Pink Conspiracy'
'The Pink Conspiracy'
More Articles:
How to keep indie film budgets in check
Digital distribution's impact hard to pin down
Execs and talent weigh in on state of indie biz
CINEMA EPOCH
HQ: Los Angeles
Topper: Gregory Hatanaka
Backstory: Production and distrib company created by Hatanaka in the
vein of '70s label New World, Cinema Epoch finds a home for a slew of
imports and Asian indie fare ("Asian Stories," starring James Kyson
Lee of NBC's "Heroes").
Upcoming: "The Pink Conspiracy" (Sept. 19), "The Palimpsest" (Nov.)

MITROPOULOS
HQ: Beverly Hills
Topper: M.J. Peckos
Backstory: A 25-year marketing and distrib vet, Peckos, who formerly
headed distrib Tartan USA, is handling a mix of mainly foreign pics
that span all demos, from Argentina's senior romance "Elsa and Fred"
(grossed $159,000) to horror maestro Dario Argento's "Mother of Tears"
($60,000).
Upcoming: "Ballast" (Oct. 1), "La Zona" (Q4), "Desert Within"(2009)

NEOCLASSIC
HQ: Vancouver, with regional offices in London and Culver City
Topper: Irwin Olian, CEO and chairman
Backstory: Few boutique U.S. indie distribs have overseas offices,
making Neoclassic unique. Its first crop of English-language releases
are from Canada, Australia and the U.K.
Upcoming: "Surviving Crooked Lake," "The Black Balloon," "St. Trinian's"

OSCILLOSCOPE PICTURES
HQ: New York
Toppers: Adam Yauch, David Fenkel, Dan Berger
Backstory: Beastie Boys member Yauch spun an indie film company out of
his Oscilloscope recording studio with the help of former ThinkFilm
execs Fenkel and Berger. With a focus on unique niche fare, label made
its first pickup at Cannes with water crisis docu "Flow." Distrib's
first release, Yauch's docu "Gunnin' for That No. 1 Spot," about 24
high school basketball prodigies, bowed in June, grossing $51,000.
Upcoming: "Flow: For Love of Water" (Sept. 12), "Frontrunners" (Oct.
15), "Wendy and Lucy" (Dec. 10)

PEACE ARCH
HQ: Toronto, N.Y., L.A.
Toppers: Gerry Noble, CEO; John Flock, prexy/ COO; Mara Di Pasquale, CFO
Backstory: Over the last year, this Canadian media company, which has
home entertainment and TV (Showtime hit "The Tudors") units, launched
a theatrical distribution side. It released "Chapter 27" via
Vitagraph, but handled another Sundance title "Delirious" solo. To
date, distrib has cumed some $200,000 domestically.
Upcoming: "JCVD," "Winged Creatures"

VIVENDI
HQ: Universal City
Toppers: Tom O'Malley, prexy; Mike Doban, evp, distribution
Backstory: A unit of Universal Music Group and previously focused on
homevid for four years, Vivendi announced its intentions to get into
the theatrical biz in March. It made key hires to ramp up, and is
sending acquisitions exec Yolanda Macias to shop titles in Toronto.
Upcoming: "An American Carol" (Oct. 3), "New York, I Love You" (Q1)


http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991753.html?categoryid=3235&cs=1
_________________________________________________________________________

34. VIDEOGRAPHERS, SOUNDPERSONS, EDITORS TO SAVE LOS ANGELES PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION

Hey there,

We are looking for VIDEOGRAPHERS, SOUNDPERSONS, EDITORS - needed by
September 30th.
" TO SAVE LOS ANGELES PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION"
We are looking for 5 small crews (camera and sound person or all self
contained) to shoot for one day to report the needs of the 5 LA
communities for such transportation. The city council members have
each said that if each doesn't get benefits for its own community
first, then they will vote against any measure to improve LA's public
transportation and the half a cent sales tax and we will all lose. We
want to get the message out for them to work together. You need to
have access to your own equipment (DVcams) and Final Cut Pro. And we
need to shoot before September 30. THIS IS A NON-PAY JOB for a TRULY
IMPORTANT CAUSE. Contact Professor Jeremy Kagan - ainsof18@ gmail.com
Thanks for thinking of this and passing the word on.

Best,
Jeremy Kagan
ainsof18@ gmail.com
_________________________________________________________________________

35. HD CAMERA SHOOTER OR RENTAL WANTED

Hello... checking to see if anyone knows good camera people w/ own or
rentable HD cameras who
could shoot in Orange County for 1 day, Sept. 27.
If you can refer 1 or 2 people to me, that would be great.
They would be video taping the speakers at a trade show and then 1
camera person would stay to video a host interviewing the vendors who
are running the numerous booths.
Someone w/online access to their reels and preferably with some
industrial experience.
Most likely the footage would be edited somewhere else, like Dallas, TX.
Thanks for any referrals you might have.

[reply to this message if you are interested in this project.
-Anup]
_________________________________________________________________________

36. SCREENPLAY READERS WANTED TO WRITE COVERAGE

In cooperation with a Hollywood agent, ScreenPlayLab is nurturing intern
screenplay readers. If you're a writer, this is an opportunity to see
what other writers are submitting to agents, to learn what type of
material is attractive to agents and why.

[They also need actors for staged-readings, I did one for them and had
a good time.
-Anup]

http://www.screenplaylab.com
_________________________________________________________________________

37. SHOW YOUR FILMS FREE!

Monday's, we offer the opportunity to screen
Your work at no charge and Expose your film that
You produced, directed, wrote or acted.

Half price well drinks and discounted
Martinis, Mojitos, wine and beer.

The Bungalow Club
323.964.9494
7174 Melrose Ave
http://www.thebungalowclub.com
_________________________________________________________________________

38. JOB BOARD - STUDIO DAILY

Post production jobs.

http://jobs.studiodaily.com
_________________________________________________________________________


39. MEMBER UPDATES

------------------------------

ADAM RUDDER

my company's new website is now live. Please take a quick look :)
http://www.sdhdmediagroup.com/

We specialize in high definition video work (commercials, viral
videos, PSA's, webisodes, marketing/training videos, music videos
etc). Please take a gander at the site and check out some of our
demos and other services we provide.

And if you happen to know of any individuals, companies or
organizations who would be interested in working with us (especially
any business or organization looking to streamline their marketing
with an affordable on-line commercial) please let me know. Would be
greatly appreciative of any leads :)

Thanks all,

Adam
adam@ sdhdmediagroup.com

------------------------------

DAEG FAERCH

Daeg is on a roll from the lead role in Rob Zombie's Halloween to Will
Smith's Hancock.
http://www.myspace.com/daegfaerch

------------------------------

DORIT GENAZZANI – L.A.-based make up artist

I do make up for movies as well.
You can view my updated website, the link is below.
Best regards,
DORIT
310-871 8477

http://www.MAKEUPBYDORIT.com

------------------------------

GAURAV

Greetings everyone! Many of you have already heard but for those who
have not, I am now pleased to announce the release of two of my
original songs for sale:

*Kab Se*

*Saari Dishayen /featuring Abhilash Patel on Guitar/*

Both of these tracks can be purchased on a number of sites including
Amazon MP3, iTunes (starting in August 2008), Rhapsody, Napster, and
eMusic. If you like what you hear then please spread the word!

Thanks to all my family and friends that have supported and believed
in me so far. Special thanks to Ganga Hettiarachchi for designing
amazing album art for these releases.

Get your copies today at
Rhapsody <http://www.rhapsody.com/gauravvenkateswar>
| Amazon
<http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field\
-keywords=venkateswar&x=0&y=0>
| iTunes (coming soon)

Visit my web site at http://www.gvtunes.com

------------------------------

GRETA VALENTI

Greta is the lead in the new BUCKCHERRY music video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qplBVqPhbBY

New video for her band Fuji Minx
http://www.myspace.com/fujiminx

------------------------------

HAMID DAUDANI

Congratulations to hamid Daudani. He has been producing plays in
Hindi/Urdu in San Diego for 15 years.

More info: daudanih@ yahoo.com
------------------------------

HARI KUMAR – SOUND DESIGNER

Hi

Sharing some good news

My film(I did the Sound Design) Mohua Memoirs- by Vinod
Raja(Director/DOP) of Grassroots Media won the Best Film Award in the
Cinema of Resistance section at the Signs 2007 International Video
film festival in Trivandum,India

News of the Festival


http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/27/stories/2007102763330300.htm

MOHUA MEMOIRS

The Film is documenting and showcasing the saga of resistance and
silent struggle of the tribal people, who inhabit the interiors
eastern parts of the India, whose land has been wrongfully grabbed by
the MNC s(with the help of administration) in the name of mining and
development leading to the gradual loss of the life and lifestyle and
an entire civilization

The film has been shot over 2 years by the team in difficult terrain
and living with the people and being a part of their movement

This film has been shot on the DV format with Panasonic camera
regards

Hari

Production sound mixer/Sound designer

------------------------------

LAK RANA

Desi OC is still rocking and rolling! Here's episode 7 fresh out of
the cutting room. I've also posted episode 6 because I forgot if I
sent an email out for that or not. And as always, you can always find
the episodes on Youtube yourself if you missed one. Thanks again for
all your support...if you weren't watching this stuff, we'd shoot
ourselves...no seriously we would........still not kidding.

Lak Rana also guest starred on NBC's "Medium" recently.

Episode 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3mbGZtPsl4

Episode 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKRtBIdcYZo&feature=related

------------------------------

MELINDA AUGUSTINA
Actress, Author, Producer
MTA Management: Jason Byer 310-922-6821

"...especially hilarious..." Backstage West
RESUME & Reels: http://resumes.actorsaccess.com/MelindaAugustina
BLOG: http://threefifty.wordpress.com
2008 Festivals: Santa Barbara Film Festival / Dam Short Film Festival/
Beloitt Int'l Film Fest
2007 Awards: Audience Award-Dances With Films / People's Choice-Taos
Shortz Film Fest / Best Picture-West Virginia Filmmakers

------------------------------

NAUSHEEN DADABHOY

Cinematographer
American Film Institute '08
http://www.DadabhoyFilms.com


------------------------------

NAVEEN SINGH

The short film 27,000 DAYS won at the following festivals in addition
to be accepted to nearly 3 dozen festivals including Rotterdam and
Rhode Island.

South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival
Chicago International Film Festival
Canada International Film Festival
USA Film Festival
Firstlook Film Festival
New Orleans Film Festival
Next Frame Touring Film Festival

More info:
http://27000daysfilm.com/

------------------------------

RAHUL CHATTERJEE

Directed http://www.TheSpanishGuitarHour.com as well as The Adventures
of Supercool Suresh (also starring Hash Patel):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmSMlQ3z0as


------------------------------

SHARAT RAJU

We are excited to announce that the Divided We Fall Campaign begins
this week! 70 cities across the United States will hold screenings of
the film Divided We Fall this month in a national grassroots movement
to create deep community dialogue about race, religion, and renewal
during the seven-year anniversary of September 11, 2001.

Watch the film. Join the dialogue. Spread the word. Find the
screening nearest you: http://dwf-film.com/tour

Valarie Kaur and Sharat Raju
Filmmakers
Divided We Fall
http://www.dwf-film.com

------------------------------

TARA DONOVAN

Check out 2 videos from a series of PSA's I wrote on FunnyorDie. com
about the California hands-free cell phone law

http://www. funnyordie. com/videos/63bc11d46d
http://www. funnyordie. com/videos/f5803bd085

And Tell your friends!!!

She was also in a production of MACBETH at the Next Stage in Hollywood
recently.

http://www.TaraDonovan.com

------------------------------

TREVOR GRACIANO

Trevor's Money Tree is a winner at the EMMY'S for Best Advanced
Media-Student Production.

He is also available for any of the following productions needs:
actor/editor/videographer/motion graphics artist/filmmaker

http://www.myspace.com/trevorcloyes

------------------------------

ROOPASHREE JEEVAJI

Booked an National All-State Commercial. Also, check her out in
"Weslim" & "TheIndiaStreet.com" at:

http://www.Roopa.net
http://www.myspace.com/jeevaji

_________________________________________________________________________

ARTICLES

A. New Video Digital Aiming 1,600 New Films at iTunes, Other Platforms
by Eric Kohn

Digital distribution keeps gaining momentum. While there are currently
about 700 movies available for download on iTunes, including a number
of independent movies and documentaries, that number will soon grow.
New Video Digital confirmed this week that it has secured a whopping
1,600 titles for Apple's online store and other outlets. The
independent video aggregator said that it has acquired the rights to
over 5,000 hours of independent film and television content, with
plans to double that number by the end of this year. The company will
push that content out to iTunes and other online platforms in the
coming months on a non-exclusive basis.

The films currently available on iTunes via New Video include a
mixture of narratives and documentaries, with relatively popular
releases, such as "Super Size Me" and "Jim Henson's Labyrinth and The
Dark Crystal,"

Read full article here:
http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/iw/20080815/121883859200.html

------------------------------

B. USERS CAN ACCESS PICS' PREVIEWS ON PHONE
Shochiku, Dogado Dial Up Deal
By Mark Schillling

TOKYO – Shochiku and cellp hone contents provider Dogado have linked
to offer previews of Shochiku DVDs to cell phone users.

By reading the two-dimensional bar code on the DVD package with their
cell phones, users will be able to access the pic's story and preview.

The aim is to boost DVD rentals and sales, particularly of foreign
pics that have not been theatrically released in Japan, by giving
customers a better idea of what they are getting.

The first Shochiku pic to offer this service is helming-scribe duo
Luis Piedrahita and Rodrigo Sopena's "Fermat's Room," a Spanish
mystery/thriller that will be released on DVD on Sept. 29.

Launched in April 2006, Dogado is jointly owned by Shochiku and the
Mitsui trading house. Shochiku has a 51% stake. The company offers
toon, pic, comic and other contents to cell phone and PC users

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990583.html?categoryid=1009&cs=1

------------------------------

C. Rare and Unseen Short Films Find a Home on the McSweeney's Wholphin
DVD Label
by Kim Adelman

Spike Jonze's portrait of 1999-era Al Gore, Alexander Payne's student
film, and a four-minute piece directed by Steven Soderbergh simply
titled "Building No. 7," these are just a few of the shorts to be
found on Wholphin, a DVD series created by Brent Hoff and Dave Eggers
of McSweeney's. With the fifth issue scheduled to be released in
January 2008, Wholphin programmers are holding the first ever Los
Angeles live screening on November 27, 2007. In addition to reviving
Chris Waitt's "Heavy Metal Jr." from Issue No. 4 and previewing shorts
off the upcoming Issue No. 5, the event promises to be a grand
celebration of the McSweeney's imprint named after the offspring of a
whale and a dolphin.

Editor Brent Hoff laughs with delight when asked about the confounding
Wholphin moniker. "Yeah, I know. Can't pronounce it, can't spell it,
and no one knows what it means." When pressed if the namesake
whale-dolphin hybrid actually exists, Hoff deadpans, "I never joke
about sc ience."

To Hoff and co-founder Dave Eggers, the name makes perfect sense.
"Dave and I are putting out cinematic wholphins," declares Hoff. Or as
the website officially states, "Wholphin is a new quarterly DVD
magazine from McSweeney's, lovingly encoded with unique and ponderable
films designed to make you feel the way we felt when we learned that
dolphins and whales sometimes, you know, do it."

Launched in Winter 2006, the first Wholphin DVD was bundled with
McSweeney's and The Believer. Within a lineup of thirteen short
pieces, highlights included Spike Jonze's never publicly screened "Al
Gore Documentary" and a four-minute piece written by Miranda July and
directed by Miguel Arteta entitled "Are You the Favorite Person of
Anybody?"

Issue No. 2 followed in Spring 2006. In addition to showcasing an
unaired TV pilot featuring Zach Galifianakis directed by Bob Odenkirk
("The Pity Card") and Oscar winner Jessica Yu's five-minute cult
classic "Sour Death Balls," the DVD also featured what has become a
signature element for Wholphin - a foreign sitcom translated by comedy
writers. "It all started with a Turkish version of 'The Jeffersons'
arriving in the mail," recalls editor Hoff. A taste of this foreign
delight resulted in Wholphin putting the Japanese "Bewitched"
reimagined by the Daily Show writers on Issue No. 2 and the Russian
"Married...with Children" rescripted with Putin propaganda on No. 4.
"We're trying to get the Brazilian 'Mork & Mindy' for a future issue,"
enthuses Hoff.

There are no themes uniting the soon-to-be-five Wholphin DVDs. "We
dislike themes," sneers Hoff. "Themes are about the theme-makers
proving they are smart and creative." A scene from Taika Waititi's
"Two Cars, One Night." Image courtesy of Wholphin.

Instead, editor Hoff selects material with the overall mandate of
establishing a trust with viewers, who are encouraged to subscribe to
the DVD series ($50 for four issues.) "We carefully curate based only
on what we think is amazing," clarifies Hoff. "Trust that there will
be something in each issue that will befuddle you, interest you, and
make you mad at the same time."

Hoff delineates a few other topics that regularly show up on the
Wholphin rosters. "We always try to find a film that investigates
something scientific in an artistic way. You'll also find on each DVD
a weighty documentary about a compelling issue. Our last issue had an
excerpt from Lynn Hershman Leeson's 'Strange Culture.'" Leeson's
documentary-essay details the government's case against artist Steve
Kurtz, whose artwork led to FBI charges of bioterrorism.

As with all products produced by McSweeney's, each Wholphin DVD is
beautifully designed. Each issue contains a forty-page booklet
featuring an introduction from editor Brent Hoff, extensive liner
notes, Q & A's with the filmmakers, and full color photos. The DVDs
can be purchased wherever McSweeney's or The Believer are sold, or via
the website.

The Wholphin website also contains information for filmmakers
interested in submitting their work for future issues. "We're always
looking for new films," encourages Hoff. "We love seeing all sort of
things."

The Los Angeles sneak peek of Issue No. 5 will take place Tuesday,
November 27, 2007, at 8PM at the Silent Movie Theatre, 611 N. Fairfax
Avenue, Los Angeles, California.

Among the films to be previewed: "Piece by Piece," a fifteen minute
doc about the Rubik's Cube resurgence that previously played SXSW in
2007, and a Wholphin original entitled "Drunk Bees." Additionally, two
films from Issue No. 4 will screen: the 2005 Academy Award-nominated
"Two Cars, One Night" by New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi and
"Heavy Metal Jr.," Chris Waitt's delightful documentary also about a
Scottish pre-teen metal band struggling to rebel against their
overly-supportive parents.

Tickets are still available.

[Kim Adelman is the author of "The Ultimate Filmmaker's Guide to Short
Films."]
http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/iw/20071120/119559236600.html

------------------------------

D. Women in Film Foundation seeks films
Org accepting submissions for fund
By ANNE THOMPSON

The Women in Film Foundation will accept submissions for its Film
Finishing Fund between Dec. 1 and Feb. 8.

Now in its 23rd year, the Finishing Fund seeks innovative and advanced
narrative, documentary, educational, animated and experimental films.

"Freeheld," which recently made the Oscar shortlist of 15 documentary
features, is an example of the sort of film that might not have been
made without Finishing Fund backing.

Other pics supported by the fund include 2007 Tribeca fest award
winner "A Walk Into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory,"
2006 Sundance special jury prize winner "American Blackout," 2004 Emmy
winner "Be Good, Smile Pretty," 1998 Oscar winner "Regret to Inform,"
1994 Emmy winner "Animated Woman" and 1994 Oscar winner "Maya Lin: A
Strong, Clear Vision."

Since the inception of the fund in 1985, the foundation has awarded
more than $1.6 million in cash and in-kind services to 170 films.
Unrestricted cash awards range from $1,500 to $5,000, with the number
of grants to indie filmmakers and nonprofits ranging from five to 10
each year. Eligibility is limited to projects for which principal
photography and a rough cut have been completed at the time of
application.

Anyone can apply from anywhere in the world, but foreign-language
projects must be subtitled and student projects are not eligible.

Filmmakers must send three NTSC Region 1 DVD copies of their rough cut
with their supporting materials. Applications and guidelines are
available at Wif.org.

In-kind grants for post-production services such as online editing,
sound mixing, color correction and closed captioning are available in
several cities, including Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C.

------------------------------

E. FIRST PERSON: IFC'S JONATHAN SEHRING ON DRAMATIC CHANGE IN THE
SPECIALTY FILM BUSINESS
by Jonathan Sehring

EDITORS NOTE: Struck by IFC Entertainment president Jonathan Sehring's
remarks while accepting his award at IFP's Gotham Awards in New York
last week, indieWIRE invited Sehring to share his written remarks with
our readers as a First Person piece. At one point for emphasis, while
praising the pictures coming from the studio's specialty divisions,
Sehring singled out Miramax president Daniel Battsek, nothing that
however good the films coming from companies like Miramax are, they
not independent films. He also encouraged the industry to embrace
changes in film distribution, such as IFC's First Take day-and-date
initiation. After the speech, an informal poll showed that attendees
were supportive of Sehring's remarks, even as a few groused that the
comments were merely to trumpet his own company.

Included below are Jonathan Sehrings remark's, as written, for 2007
the Gotham Awards:

"The specialized film business, the true specialized film business,
not the studio specialty business, is undergoing a dramatic change.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with studios making high
end specialty films -- many are great -- but it has in turn made
traditional theatrical distribution for movies without stars, movies
shot digitally, movies in a foreign language, documentaries and too
many other movies going without the means to reach an audience.

Many of my colleagues in the film community complain that there are
too many movies -- the music business doesn't complain that there are
too many songs, the publishing business doesn't complain that there
are too many books, the television business doesn't complain that
there are too many shows, artists don't complain that there are too
many paintings -- yet our business complains that there are too many
movies. I can assure everyone that independent filmmakers are not
going to stop making movies -- they all have stories to tell -- it is
up to the distribution community to be creative and help filmmakers
find a way to reach their audiences. The model for film distribution
hasn't changed dramatically since the business launched almost a
century ago, seemingly everything else in the movie business has.

When IFC launched its Day and Date distribution strategy we did so
because we saw so many great movies going without distribution. World
class filmmakers were not reaching an audience in this country. When
works from masters like Wim Wenders, Hou Hsiao hsien, Ken Loach, Alain
Resnais, Lars von Trier and Gus van Sant are going without
distribution and great new works from current and emerging filmmakers
like Larry Fessenden, Julia Loktev and Christian Mungiu, just to name
a few, are available through our Day and Date model, it becomes
readily apparent that what was the staple of the independent film
business 2-3 years ago is no longer the independent film business today.

I don't think this is a bad thing. In fact it is a good thing. Through
our Day and Date theatrical/VOD initiative these filmmakers are
reaching a wider audience in a much more economic fashion. Ultimately,
their movies will be seen by more people and [their film's] make more
money than ever before. Isn't that what everyone wants?

Additionally, film lovers around the country are now being given the
opportunity to see specialized movies the same day as audiences in New
York and Los Angeles, and contrary to the fears of some it hasn't hurt
the box office for these films. Rather it has helped. Our partners in
the cable industry heavily cross promote the fact that these movies
are in theatrical release, both creating awareness for the films as
well as reaching new audiences. Ken Loach and Shane Meadows have both
enjoyed their most successful theatrical releases through our Day and
Date program. Traditional theatrical distribution isn't dead, but film
distributors large and small are competing with more and more
entertainment options on a daily basis. The digital revolution is now.
More efficient economic models for distribution are working. The true
independent film business should embrace these changes and figure out
how to improve upon them. Sticking to old models and traditional
theatrical distri bution is like using a Sony Walkman instead of an iPod –

I don't think it is coincidence that Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner were
honored here last year touting their Day and Date strategy, or that
IFC Entertainment is being honored this year. Our business is changing
and it is changing for the better. The New York independent film
[community] has always been ahead of the curve, not just in innovative
filmmaking but also innovation in exhibition and distribution. I
assure you, everyone at IFC is still focused on the mission we set out
when we launched our network a decade ago, growing and expanding the
audience for independent film. I would like to thank the IFP again for
this recognition and I am proud and lucky to be part of this
community. Thank you.

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/iw/20071202/119664944400.html

------------------------------


F. THE $2,000 FILM FESTIVAL WINNER

A movie about two siblings facing a nightmare daily commute bags yet
another unlikely filmmaking prize.

By FilmStew Staff, FilmStew.com

It was made in 2005 with novice actors for the paltry sum of $2,000
and begun touring Filipino schools last fall. But it is what The Road
to Kalimugtong ( a.k.a. Ang Daan Patungong Kalimugtong ) has done on
the film festival circuit in 2007 that ranks as truly remarkable.

Following victories on the home front at the Golden Screen Awards in
March (Best Motion Picture, Independent-Digital) and the Gawad Urian
Awards in September (Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best
Production Design), Kalimugtong has picked up a Best Director prize at
the 2007 San Sebastian Film Festival and a Best Feature award at
Venezuela's just completed Festival of Cinema of Towns of the South.

Thanks to that last bit of attention, the film now has its first
foreign distribution deal. Director Ramon Mez de Guzman tells Filipino
site Inquirer.net that Venezuela's Amazonia Distributor Films has
acquired TV and video rights for Latin America.

Part of the reason for the film's success is that it is narrated – and
shot from the point of view of – the sister and brother lead
characters (played by Analyn Bangsi-il and Rhenuel Ordono), who must
make an arduous daily trek through the mountains to reach the
classroom. The pair's more innocent views of things like a
schoolteacher who has repeatedly failed her Board exams and the
thievery of an older brother bathe the showcased northern region of
Benguet in a poetic context at odds with the harsh realities of daily
life.

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/fs/20071128/119629485100.html

------------------------------


G. ANIME GETS INNOVATIVE ON YOUTUBE

Japanese co. launches new channel to raise money
By MARK SCHILLING
TOKYO -- Toon house Anime Innovation Tokyo launched what it is calling
the Anime Innovation Channel on YouTube on Monday.

It is uploading clips of toons to raise investment coin. The first AIT
projects to get exposure on the channel are surreal youth drama
"Cencoroll," the animal adventure "Love Rollercoaster," the sci-fi
fantasy "Coluboccoro" and the kiddie fantasy "Pooky's." Among the
second group of toons skedded for webcast is the romantic fantasy
"Taropicana."

Pilots -- approximately half-hour toons -- have already been completed
for "Love Rollercoaster" and "Pooky's." Also, helmer Kenji Itoso is
prepping a full-length version of his pilot film of "Coluboccoro,"
which was finished in June.

With the aim of discovering talented new animators with commercial
potential, AIT calls for project submissions at regular intervals,
supports the making of pilot toons for selected projects, using
limited liability partnerships to finance production. AIT then
distribs the pilots in various media, including DVDs, mobile phone
services and, now, the Anime Innovation Channel.

Pilots that attract investment coin can then be made into TV toon
shows or feature-length pics, with the investors, including the
original creators, sharing the revenues. AIT is calling for
submissions for its seventh group of projects, with the deadline on
Dec. 21.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117976955.html?categoryid=19&cs=1

------------------------------

H. NEW CAMERAS HAVE ACTORS RELOADING
High-def revolutionizes the craft of actors, director
By DAVID S. COHEN

'Grindhouse'
Marley Shelton found that shoot the 'Planet Terror' segment of
'Grindhouse' for helmer Robert Rodriguz meant 'As as actor, I had to
get over myself. I joked that it's cheaper than therapy, because you
have go to let go to be effective.'

'Flyboys'
Tony Bill and James Franco on the set of 'Flyboys'
It's not often that actors find their craft upended by movie technology.

After all, though styles have changed, actors have been a constant
since the beginning of movies.

True, the film camera itself revolutionized acting, forcing thesps to
shrink the big gestures (and at first, silence the big voices) of
19th-century legit. Then came sound, which brought voices back, but
now amplified and more intimate than ever.

The most recent revolution in acting was the Method, which made film
acting more naturalistic. That was more than 50 years ago, and it came
from the stage, not from any shift in filmmaking tools.

But as helmers, including actor-directors such as Mel Gibson and Tony
Bill, are switching to digital capture, the word is filtering back
that actors and directors may finally be getting another revolution.

"My conversion to the church of digital is due to the nontechnical
side of digital," says Bill, who used the Panavision Genesis to shoot
"Flyboys." "I think the way digital changes and can permanently change
the way actors act and directors direct is absolutely irreplaceable.

"For 100 years of acting on film, actors have had to cope with several
technical limitations. First of all, they had to rehearse the scene
before they shoot it. Then, once shooting begins, they have to act
between reloads.

"Third, they have to act when the camera is running, not when it's not
running. They're always aware there's film running through the camera,
which is a tremendous burden for an actor, whether they know it or not.

"Digital removes those constraints. There's no such thing as
rehearsal. You can shoot anything you want. You don't have to say
'cut.' You don't have to say 'action.'

"This is going to change the way films are made, the way directors
relate to actors, and the way actors relate to the camera. I think
this will change acting as much as the Method changed acting."

Gibson, who shot "Apocalypto" with a cast of inexperienced performers
-- some acting for the first time -- says that being able to shoot
nearly an hour at a time with the Panavision Genesis helped with the
performances.

Gibson could jump out from behind the camera, get in among his actors
and direct them with the camera rolling continuously. "You could rev
them up until they hit the level you wanted," he says.

"You have this continuity of energy. They're sort of driving on
through. It allows you to have a longer, harder crack at it."

He adds: "It just gives you a little more room to experiment, to
explore, to talk, and you're not burning this precious stock that's
very expensive and runs out. It would have been a tragedy to burn all
that film talking to them."

Sifting for diamonds

For actors, that additional experimentation means an entirely new way
of working, says thesp Marley Shelton.

Shelton appears in both parts of "Grindhouse": Robert Rodriguez's
"Planet Terror" was shot digitally, while Quentin Tarantino's "Death
Proof" was shot on film.

With film, says Shelton, "there's a beginning, middle and an end
between 'action' and 'cut.' As an actor, one is trained to listen for
cues such as 'roll sound' and slate, and you use that moment to
prepare and go on a journey as your character for a few minutes or
seconds. You use that time to suspend disbelief for yourself. In that
10 seconds, you're sort of going into a zone."

But, Shelton says, when shooting digital, the freedom to keep rolling
means "you're sort of sifting for diamonds. It's great in that you can
probe deeper in certain moments, but it's less conducive to riding the
impulses your character is having chronologically."

Rodriguez would gather the cast and crew around the monitor, show them
the playback and give notes.

Tarantino, by contrast, took a more old-school approach, watching with
the naked eye and not even using playback.

"At that point," Shelton says, "I was so used to Robert's style that
it was disconcerting to have (Tarantino) standing next to the
camera."Another difference, Shelton notes, is that digital "dailies"
include much more of what goes on on the set than do film dailies,
which only include what happens between "action" and "cut."

"Whoever is watching the dailies can see the entire process, the good,
the bad and the ugly," Shelton says. "You really have to be able to
let go of your ego in high-def."

Not all of Shelton's fellow thesps were comfortable with the
informality of digital, and Shelton predicts casting and the chemistry
between actor and director will become even more important.

"With some actors, directors are going to get a lot more by creating
this loose, low-pressure environment, while with other actors, they're
going to get more by having a formality and a kind of a method to the
madness.

"For myself, I don't know where I fall -- I guess I fall somewhere in
between.

"Maybe that's what I enjoyed, too: the sheer challenge of manipulating
yourself to thrive in both. Because why not? It's just a different
skill set."

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117962957.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1

------------------------------

I. THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF MARKETING

I love it when recent undergrads (or grads) tell me that they want a
career in marketing in the entertainment industry… with little thought
to what that means. I usually shoot right back, "…well, what aspect
of marketing?" Typically, I receive a blank stare….

Marketing has multiple faces, especially in larger companies like
studios. Marketing has various sub-departments that specialize in
each aspect of the function:

· Creative Advertising – graphics, copy, images. The creative
group crafts the look and feel for the marketing campaign.

· Marketing Research – data, statistics, ratings, focus groups.
This is the analytical side; they provide target audience statistics
to the creative group, media buying group and promotions group in
order to aim at the advertising and marketing campaign best.

· Media Relations – buyers of advertising, locally and
nationally, on TV, billboards, magazines, etc.

· Publicity – spin, spin, spin, on a local and national level.
These folks create buzz in whatever way, shape and form about the
movie or TV show – some may even call them "professional liars.'
Publicists also work with the media on press junkets (round-robin
interviews w. the talent, director, producer, etc.) Lots of energy in
this world!

· Promotions – third-party deals to promote a movie or TV show.
Think toys, fast food, retail, etc. A lot of these people come out
of the consumer products world.

· Public Relations – sometimes another name for publicity and
sometimes really corporate communications – the group that responds to
the press, issues press releases, takes questions from the press, etc.
Backgrounds in speech writing and journalism often required.

Companies often have a consumer products group with divisions such as
Home Entertainment or Licensing. Marketing tends to have similar
background; however, the product is more tangible, easier to define.
It's often hard for consumer products marketers to make the switch
over to a creative group where you are marketing an image or look and
feel vs. a product.

I hope this was insightful to those of you that are future marketers –
be prepared to start in one of these niche areas and grow from there…
the overall strategy and direction typically happens at the very top
by people that started in one specialty once upon a time.

http://weblogs.variety.com/breaking_in/

------------------------------

J. CRITICS' POLL '07 | "Secret Sunshine" Glows as Best Undistributed
Film; Critics Pick 250+ Un-Acquired Faves

by Anthony Kaufman (December 19, 2007)

What is it about Korean auteurs that have critics salivating and
distributors running for the exits? Last year, Hong Sang-soo's "Woman
on the Beach" topped indieWIRE's best undistributed films list for
2007. This year, Hong compatriot Lee Chang-dong's "Secret Sunshine"
was far-and-way the winner of the honor. Thirty-four of the 106
critics surveyed in the 2007 indieWIRE Critics' Poll put the film on
their list as one of the best undistributed films of the year. But, of
course, it's an accolade that cuts both ways: Call it a back-handed
compliment, as Caveh Zahedi once did upon receiving his award for
"Best Film Not Playing at Theater Near You," or a paean for the sorry
state of art-house film distribution.

Or look on the brighter side: Think of it as a stopover on the way to
a limited 2008 release and a deal with a small DVD label. (At least
that's what happened to "Woman on the Beach"; the movie was acquired
by New Yorker Films and will be distributed, starting at New York
City's Film Forum on Jan. 9)

The complete list of more than 250 films that received at least one
vote in the indieWIRE Critics Poll will be published at indieWIRE.com
tomorrow (Thursday, December 19th), when the votes for all categories
are unveiled (including best film, director, first film, performance,
supporting performance, screenplay, documentary, and cinematography).

Ever since L.A. Weekly and Variety critic Scott Foundas caught "Secret
Sunshine" in advance of its 2007 Cannes Film Festival premiere,
calling it a "secular hymn to the small triumphs and cavernous
tragedies of the everyday" and singling out lead actress Jeon Do-yeon
as a "revelation," expectations were high for director Lee's
big-screen return after his brief stint as South Korea's culture
minister. At Cannes, the film didn't disappoint; indeed, Jeon went
onto capture the Best Actress prize.

Following his heralded three features, "Green Fish" (1997),
"Peppermint Candy" (2000) and "Oasis" (2002) - the latter of which is
the only to see U.S. theaters - "Secret Sunshine" marks the apotheosis
of Lee's brief, but forceful filmmaking career. As one of the most
sophisticated leading lights of Korea's New Wave, Lee has emerged as
an extraordinary director of actors and a master of the tragic,
without the sentimentality that undermines Korea's more commercial
product. Critic Michael Atkinson once called "Oasis" "a daring
heartbreaker," which could be said for all of his work.

If "Secret Sunshine" should be lucky enough to find theatrical
exhibition in 2008 (a complete Lee retrospective is already set for
the Los Angeles County Museum of Art), many of this year's
undistributed films will not be so fortunate.

While Jia Zhang-ke's Venice winner "Still Life" (which placed #2 in
last year's undistributed poll) will also be released in January 2008
by New Yorker Films, his follow-up "Useless" (#2 in this year's poll
with 20 votes) will have a tougher time: Jia's "Dong," the first in a
trilogy of films about artists that continues with "Useless," remains
without distribution. Though explicitly a documentary about China's
clothing industry, "Useless" is much more, as described by Chris
Wisniewski in Reverse Shot: "something beautiful, expansive, and
deeply philosophical."

It should be noted that an equal number of critics listed Mexican
maverick Carlos Reygadas' "Silent Light" on their ballots, but that
film has been acquired by Tartan Films, thereby disqualifying it from
our poll. But according to a Tartan spokesperson, the company has "not
set a release date" and is "not close to setting a date at this time,"
which doesn't augur well for the film's theatrical fate. Laura Dunn's
poetic documentary "The Unforeseen" also appeared on many ballots, but
the film was picked up by Cinema Guild and will be released in
February. Same for Guy Maddin's latest dreamy auto-portrait "My
Winnipeg," which was acquired by IFC Films -- one of the few bigger
companies to take on these much beloved, yet esoteric films.

Abel Ferrara's "Go Go Tales" (7 votes) on the other hand, doesn't have
an announced distribution deal, but rumors suggest that IFC will
acquire it. But for now, it's still technically available, as is Nick
Broomfield's Iraq docu-drama "Battle for Haditha" (6 votes).

As with last year's undistributed list, foreign-language festival
pictures dominate, with old-vet Eric Rohmer's fable "The Romance of
Astree and Celadon" and Spanish newcomer Jose Luis Guerin's "In the
City of Sylvia" tying for third place with 14 votes. Bela Tarr's "The
Man from London" (11 votes) and Roy Andersson's "You, the Living" (8
votes) scored high on the list.

Other films in the top ten are welcome surprises. Coming in strong
(also with 11 votes), Boston-based filmmaker John Gianvito's 58-minute
"Profit motive and the whispering wind" was one of the few American
films to rank well. Described by Michael Sicinski in Cinema Scope,
"Profit motive" is a "lean, poetic and rigorous" experimental
landscape documentary about the history of the American Left. The only
other U.S. pictures in the top 25 titles were Ferrera's "Go Go Tales"
(an Italian co-production), Ronald Bronstein's "Frownland" (each with
7 votes), which won this year's Gotham Award for "Best Film Not
Playing at a Theater Near You" and described by Amy Taubin as a
"mesmerizing piece of New York miserabilism," and Chris Smith's "The
Pool" (4 votes), the "American Movie" director's recent sojourn in
Indian neorealist filmmaking, which this writer called "immensely
resonant" and "well-crafted" after its Sundance Film Festival premiere
in January.

Playing largely under the radar in Cannes' Directors Fortnight
program, Serge Bozon's "La France" (9 votes) has garnered a number of
impassioned fans, though is largely unknown outside the festival
circuit. "A WWI musical (think Beach Boys, not Michel Legrand) with
more than a few surprises," wrote Andrea Picard, "'La France' is by
far one of the boldest films of late ... beguiling audiences around
the world."

And what about the other over 250 feature films on the list, from
highly touted Cannes premieres like Ulrich Seidl's "Import Export" (5
votes) and Wang Bing's "He Fengming: A Chinese Memoir" (4 votes) all
the way down to the obscure Japanese comedy "Tachigui: The Amazing
Lives of the Fast Food Grifters" (2 votes)? If they don't get the
chance to beguile the world in theaters, maybe, at the very least,
they'll find their way to audiences via digital download.

The Ten Best Undistributed Films of 2007

1. "Secret Sunshine," directed by Lee Chang-dong (34 votes)

2. "Useless," directed by Jia Zhang-ke (20 votes)

3. "The Romance of Astree and Celadon," directed by Eric Rohmer and
"In the City of Sylvia," directed by Jose Luis Guerin (14 votes)

"Profit motive and the whispering wind," directed by John Gianvito and
"The Man From London," directed by Bela Tarr (11 votes)

"La France," directed by Serge Bozon (9 votes)

"You, the Living," directed by Roy Andersson (8 votes)

"Frownland," directed by Ronald Bronstein and "Go Go Tales," directed
by Abel Ferrara (7 votes)

"Battle for Haditha," directed by Nick Broomfield (6 votes)

EDITORS NOTE: The complete results in the 2007 indieWIRE Critics Poll
will be published at indieWIRE.com tomorrow (Thursday, December 19th),
including results for best film, director, first film, performance,
supporting performance, screenplay, documentary, and cinematography.

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/iw/20071219/119809167500.html

------------------------------

K. SHORT FILM SUPERSTARS OF 2007
by Kim Adelman

2007 has been a very good year for short film viewers. Not only did
the festival circuit deliver another amazing crop of winning films,
every exhibition format offered up something remarkable to watch. Two
hundred movie theaters nationwide unspooled Paris-themed shorts
directed by the Coen Brothers and other A-list directors. Network
television debuted a short filmmaking competition during prime time.
iTunes allowed almost half a million people to download a Wes Anderson
mini-movie for free. And 35 million viewers clicked on Funnyordie.com
to see Will Ferrell get upstaged by a two-year old. For those who may
have missed these shorts the first time around, here is a round up of
the superstars of the past twelve months.

On the Festival Circuit

"Everything Will Be Ok" - Animator Don Hertzfeldt is officially
working at the top of his game. His previous Academy Award nomination
for "Rejected" (2000) served notice that Hertzfeldt was a force to
reckon with. Then his latest 17-minute opus was given the grand jury
award for best short film at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Those
who haven't had the privilege to see Hertzeldt's amazing animated saga
of one man's questionable health and welfare can order the DVD from
the filmmaker's website, www.bitterfilms.com.

"Freeheld" - The fact that Cynthia Wade's short is 38 minutes long and
yet still managed to get such festival play in 2007 is a testament to
how gripping a documentary about love, death, and a grassroots fight
for justice can be. This look at a plainspoken New Jersey policewoman
dying of cancer who wants her same-sex partner to receive her pension
benefits is captivating from first moment to last. Having racked up
prizes all along the festival circuit, the doc is currently on the
short list for Academy Award consideration. Let's hope we see Ms. Wade
in 2008 accepting a trophy on Oscar night.

"Tanghi Argentini" - This Belgium delight from director Guido Thys
continues to win praise from both juries and audiences at festivals
worldwide. Having first called attention to itself at Clermont-Ferrand
with a one-two punch of Audience Award and Best Comedy, the story of a
mild-mannered office worker who wants to learn how to dance dominated
shortfests all year long. Many will be shocked if "Tanghi Argentini"
isn't one of the names read when the Academy reveals its live action
short nominations next month.

In Commercial Theaters

"Paris, Je T'aime" - While all-star short films anthologies aren't a
new concept (remember 1989's "New York Stories," which marked Sofia
Coppola's screenwriting debut?), this feature released in 200 theaters
across America this past summer boasts so many big name helmers that
audiences flocked to see if the final result was worthy of their
talents. With each director tackling a specific location, this
valentine to the City of Love showcases the talent of Gurinder Chadha
("Quais de Seine"), the Coen Brothers ("Tuileries"), Wes Craven
("Pere-Lachaise"), Alfonso Cuaron ("Parc Monceau"), Christopher Doyle
("Porte de Choisy"), Alexander Payne ("14th arrondissement"), Tom
Tykwer ("Faubourg Saint-Denis"), and Gus Van Sant ("Le Marais").
Arguably, Payne's and Tykwer's pieces shine the brightest. "Paris, Je
T'aime" is now available on DVD.

On iTunes

"Hotel Chevalier" - A prequel to "The Darjeeling Limited," this 13
minute short staring Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman debuted in
late September as a free download on iTunes. Over 400,000 fans took
advantage of the limited-time opportunity to own an original Wes
Anderson short. Fox Searchlight then added the buzz-generating short
to the feature during its domestic theatrical run.

On Television

"On the Lot" - What singing is to "American Idol," short filmmaking
was to "On the Lot." Executive produced by Mark Burnett and Steven
Spielberg, this competition reality series debuted in May on FOX.
12,000 people submitted films for consideration, but Will Bigham
walked away the winner, earning a million-dollar movie deal with
Dreamworks. While the mainstream press focused on the series' dismal
ratings, the fact that short filmmaking was given prime time exposure
is nothing short of a miracle.

On DVD

"Pixar Short Films Collection" - Released in November, this collection
of Pixar's greatest hits is a must-have. Containing 13 shorts
including popular and Academy favorites such as "Luxo Jr.," "Geri's
Game," "For the Birds," and "Lifted," the fact that this DVD is
labeled "Volume 1" raises high expectations for what "Volume 2" will
contain.

On the Internet

"The Landlord" - If you haven't heard of this Internet sensation, you
must be living under a rock. This confrontation between a crazy-haired
Will Ferrell and his 2 year-old "landlady" Pearl (daughter of Adam
McKay and niece of Jeremy Piven) has been featured in such mainstream
publications as People Magazine. Ferrell and McKay launched their
Funny or Die website in April, and its signature film remains
unstoppably popular to this day.

Looking Ahead to 2008

Who will the superstars of next year be? It's always a mistake to make
predictions too early in the game. But smart money's on "Welcome" to
make the list next year. The latest offering of Glamour Magazine's
highly successful Reel Moment short film program, this Kirsten
Dunst-directed short stars Winona Ryder and is scheduled to make its
festival debut at Sundance next month.

[Kim Adelman is the author of "The Ultimate Filmmakers Guide to Short
Films"]

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/iw/20071218/119803126500.html

------------------------------

L. BRIEF FILMS ARE POPULAR AGAIN, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE OSCAR-NOMINATED
ONES SCREEN TOGETHER

Short shrift no longer

By Sam Adams

THANKS to a new generation of viewers more conversant with YouTube
than with appointment television, the short subject seems to be making
a comeback. "Hotel Chevalier," Wes Anderson's 13-minute prequel to
"The Darjeeling Limited," was added to the feature's theatrical prints
after it racked up nearly 500,000 iTunes downloads. Cable channels
such as IFC and Sundance regularly feature shorts in their
programming. And the Cannes Film Festival has seen a mini-revival of
the omnibus film, with "Paris, Je t'aime" and "Chacun son Cinema"
allowing the Coen brothers, Alexander Payne and Gus Vant Sant to hone
their short-film chops.

But perhaps the most dramatic example of the medium's resurgent
popularity is the success of the Oscar Shorts program, which compiles
the nominated live-action and animated films into two feature-length
shows. Released via a partnership between the London-based Shorts
International and Magnolia Pictures, the program has grown
exponentially in the three years of its existence. In 2006, the Oscar
Shorts programs were released in five theaters nationwide. This year,
according to Tom Quinn, Magnolia's senior vice president of
acquisitions, they expect to open in upward of 70 theaters on Friday.


"We always joke that our odds are way better than any distributor out
there," Quinn says. "Two awards guaranteed. If you wanted to rig the
system, this is the way to do it."

For short films, any kind of theatrical exposure is critical, but the
value of a cinematic roll-out, coupled with the Oscar endorsement, is
off the charts.

"It actually makes a big difference," says Marcy Page, who has
produced four nominated shorts for the National Film Board of Canada,
including this year's "Madame Tutli-Putli." "It's surprising how much,
even in Canada, they defer to the academy to give the stamp of approval."

A week after the theatrical release -- the series opens in Los Angeles
Friday -- the Oscar-nominated shorts will be available individually on
iTunes at a cost of $1.99. Carter Pilcher of Shorts International says
comedies and animation sell reliably, as do the eventual winners. When
a film is both, like last year's winner, "West Bank Story," sales can
surpass 50,000.

Like everyone else, Quinn and Pilcher are in the dark as to the
program's content until the nominations are announced, which means
they have a little over three weeks to acquire the rights for all 10
films and procure the necessary materials. "You're buying 10 movies in
such a short amount of time that you have to be extraordinarily
flexible and creative," Quinn says.

Although this year's crop is devoid of American nominees, past years
have required Quinn and Pilcher to negotiate with such corporate
titans as Disney and Pixar, who licensed their films for theatrical
release but withheld them from the eventual DVD.

In addition to giving audiences an edge in their Oscar pools, the
shorts packages expose them to a wide range of styles and talents in a
brief span of time. This year, the live-action entries range from the
tart Belgian comedy of "Tanghi Argentini" to the tear-jerking drama of
"At Night," set in a Danish cancer ward. Animation viewers will be
treated to "Madame Tutli-Putli," an unnerving stop-motion nightmare
set on a moving train, and the supple whimsy of "I Met the Walrus,"
which sets squiggly line drawings to an audio interview of John Lennon
conducted by a 14-year-old Canadian boy.

John Canemaker, who won an Oscar in 2006 for his animated short "The
Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation," says that having an
outlet for short film is particularly important for animators. "I
always feel that the short form is one of the best forms, if not the
best form, for animation, because it's such a concentrated, potent
medium," he says. "I think short is best."

For live-action filmmakers as well as animators, short film offers an
opportunity to experiment as well as a potential stepping stone to
feature films. Before writing and directing "In Bruges," Martin
McDonagh won an Oscar for his live-action short "Six Shooter," and
Sean Ellis expanded his nominated short "Cashback" into a feature
(which, naturally, was distributed by Magnolia).

"It's easier to find funding for a short film if the script is good,"
says "Tanghi Argentini" director Guy Thys. "But if you get money from
the government, it's not enough to make the whole picture, so you need
to find more. And then that is more difficult when you make a short,
because no one is interested."

Given larger shifts in popular culture, though, that all might be
about to change. "If you're young, under 25, short films are much more
in your consciousness as a viable entertainment form," says Pilcher.
"If you're over 40, maybe you know somebody who made a short film
once, and you know that your parents watched short films before the
features. But for somebody under 20, they watch short films all the time."

http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/cl-ca-shorts10feb10,0,5896920.story

------------------------------

M. YOUTUBE TEAMS WITH INDIE FILMMAKERS
Internet giant opens virtual screening room
By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Google Inc.'s YouTube is setting up a virtual screening room to bring
the work of independent filmmakers to a global audience.

Struggling filmmakers already use YouTube to kick-start viral
marketing campaigns. The new feature, which debuts Wednesday, gives
them an easy-to-find home - and makes them partners in drawing new ad
revenue.

"Hopefully as they see thousands of people watching their films, it's
going to be a very eye-opening experience," said Sara Pollack,
YouTube's film and animation manager.

The screening room will highlight four new films a week, picked by a
YouTube editorial panel.

Submissions are welcomed. The panel also will scour film festivals and
work with partners such as the Sundance Channel to identify prospects.

Among the first eight titles to be showcased are "Love and War," a
stop-motion puppet movie by a Swedish director; the Oscar-nominated
short "I Met The Walrus," about an interview with John Lennon; and
"Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody?" by performance artist
Miranda July.

Filmmakers can choose to have a "Buy Now" button attached to their
work for sales of DVDs or digital copies. They will also collect a
majority share of ad revenue generated from views of their work.

YouTube said people whose clips regularly attract a million viewers
can make several thousand dollars a month.

The bigger prize can be exposure.

When YouTube featured the nine-minute short "Spider" by Nash Edgerton
in February, it became the fifth-best selling short on iTunes, Pollack
said.

The creators of the full-length feature "Four Eyed Monsters," Susan
Buice and Arin Crumley, got their break when more than a million
YouTube views helped land them a TV and DVD distribution deal, she said.

"They ended up doing really, really well, ironically by putting their
film online for free," Pollack said.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987741.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

------------------------------

N. STATE OF THE FEST | PART ONE: DO FESTIVALS MATTER?

http://www.variety.com/blog/1390000339/post/1980031998.html

------------------------------

O. STATE OF THE FEST | PART TWO: THINGS GOTTA CHANGE

http://www.variety.com/blog/1390000339/post/50032005.html

------------------------------

P. THE INTERNET COULD BE A BOON FOR HOLLYWOOD—BUT ONLY IF IT CAN
CONQUER ITS FEARS

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10723360

------------------------------

R. SUMMIT ADDRESSES FILM FESTIVAL ISSUES
Event centers on the future of festivals
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117976987.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2562

------------------------------

S. EXCELLENT INDIE ARTICLES & EXCERPTS

Bullet-point topics may change soon, so check out this link quickly:
http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=hottopic&id=independents
Excepts taken from articles


• See the 50 top-grossing pics that played in fewer than 1,000 theaters.
• View the top theater averages for indies and specialty arms.
• Niche films' glut check
• 'Ballast' braves self-distribution

• Day-and-date's one-two punch

"Low-budget filmmaker Caveh Zahedi, for example, received no money
upfront for his feature "I Am a Sex Addict" but recently received a
mid-five-figure check. "The day-and-date thing made the difference
between the film being commercially viable and not," he says.

Even so, Zahedi and others admit that the current day-and-date deals
still aren't lucrative enough to pay back their film's investors.
Producer Jeffrey Levy-Hinte says Larry Fessenden's IFC release "The
Last Winter," which grossed a paltry $33,000 theatrically, will likely
net $200,000 from IFC's day-and-date deal. "The investors are still
going to lose 95% of their investment," Levy-Hinte says, though he
admits that he's "reasonably happy" with the way things turned out. By
comparison, he never saw overages from his traditionally released 2003
modest hits "Laurel Canyon" and "Thirteen."

"It's absolutely pathetic and unsustainable, the whole scenario of
making and selling movies," continues Levy-Hinte, who has vowed to
exit the business. "If you can make a movie for $200,000, then all of
these things are very interesting. But if you make a movie for $2
million, then I don't think any of them are interesting."

• New independent film distributors

• Digital distribution's impact hard to pin down
"In June, the dominant market player, Apple's iTunes store, said it
was delivering 50,000 movie downloads a day, but that's been about the
only hard data released indicating this emerging medium's reach.

None of the other established film portals -- Amazon's Unbox, Netflix,
Movielink, CinemaNow, Hulu, Juiced, Jaman, just to name a few -- will
release figures as to how many downloads they're delivering or how
much money any of their titles are making. It's likely that everyone
else is delivering just a tiny fraction of iTunes' volume.

Matt Dentler, who heads up Gotham sales shop Cinetic's new Digital
Rights Management unit, just finalized a deal to provide pics to
iTunes. "There are so many films from so many filmmakers," he says,
"they feel it's best to do business with a company like ours."

• Four online destinations for indie films
• Marketers get budget-conscious
A lack of money really teaches you to focus.

That often means going directly to the moviegoer.

Participant, which focuses on social-action-driven projects, has
learned over the years that reaching out to potential audiences
generates discussion, which can turn into positive word of mouth once
the film eventually rolls into theaters.

That's involved hosting screenings at colleges and churches or
reaching out to nonprofit organizations, with filmmakers on hand to
discuss the projects afterward. It's also recently included hitting up
potential fans at gatherings like Comic-Con in San Diego.

For Blowtorch Entertainment, it's solely targeting 18- to 24-year-olds
through college screenings, online and mobile content.

"In the specialty world, we need all the positive spin around a movie
we can get," says Peter Adee, prexy of worldwide theatrical marketing,
distribution and new media at Overture Films. "That's called word of
mouth. That means people love it and tell people, and more people show
up."

Building that positive word of mouth takes time, however, with
distribs often screening films as early as six months before their
release.

"Getting people to talk about it means screening it early," Adee adds.

Lakeshore Entertainment has used YouTube in the past, but in a
different way. It enlisted some of the producers of the most popular
videos on the site to create original shorts that could promote the
thriller "Pathology," starring Milo Ventimiglia.

The skits, using the film's stars, wound up generating 1.5 million hits.

"The whole idea for me is to embrace the celebrities within the social
networks," says Robert Burke, VP of worldwide marketing for Lakeshore
Entertainment. "We want to find out who's hot and popular and get them
organically involved with the film so it doesn't look like you're
advertising to people."

Participant, which helps distribbers market films by launching social
action campaigns around them, enlisted 25 groups like Amnesty Intl.,
Human Rights Watch, American Civil Liberties Union and American Bar
Assnto use the film's message about immigration policies as a
promotional tool for their organizations.

"These organizations are looking for a vehicle in which they can
express something important to them," Berk says. "The film becomes the
vehicle."

One area of growth will also be mobile devices, such as video-capable
cell phones like the iPhone.

• Promo tactics for the new indie world (see article below)
• Specialty consulting pays off
• Rethinking independent film financing
• How to keep indie film budgets in check

• Film sellers adapt strategies for tough climate
Voltage also is making content available in different formats. Dean
Devlin-produced crime thriller "Blank Slate," for example, comes as a
90-minute movie and as 20 five-minute webisodes as well as 20
two-minute interstitials, says Chartier, "so that buyers can sell the
same film on TV, video, Internet and phones."

• Equity players enter risky film sector
• Mezzanine financiers target indie films
• Indie org IFP gets ready to 'Howl'
• Change brings new energy to IFP
• IFP market: Timeline
• IFP: Looking Back


------------------------------

S. PROMO TACTICS FOR THE NEW INDIE WORLD
Marketers using new media to spread word

Courting bloggers with early visits to a film's set may have become de
rigueur these days, but it's just one of the myriad ways marketing
mavens are putting a new spin on old promo methods.

REACH OUT TO NONPROFITS

HOW: The leaders of nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations are
enlisted to make their members aware of a film that jibes with their
group's mission. It allows them to be affiliated with a movie that
furthers their cause while generating positive word of mouth for the film.

FILMS: Participant has an entire department dedicated to outreach, and
has engaged nonprofits on films such as "An Inconvenient Truth," "The
Kite Runner" and "The Visitor."

MAKE ONLINE FRIENDS

HOW: A distrib sets up a profile on sites like MySpace, Facebook or
Bebo and rewards "friends" who sign up with updates on the film's
release, information on the production, videos and other content.
Those friends then tell their other friends to go see the movie. At
least, that's the goal.

FILMS: Because it takes only a few clicks of a button, every distrib's
going the social networking route.

POST A SOUNDTRACK

HOW: A distributor digitally posts a film's soundtrack for download on
iTunes or other online music service, or has its filmmakers and talent
compile their favorite playlists.

FILMS: The quirky soundtrack for "Juno" became so popular on Apple's
iTunes that Fox Searchlight released a follow-up that was available on
the music service only. The tracks lured potential audiences to buy
movie tickets.

CREATE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL

HOW: A distrib can create a special channel for video content on
YouTube in the name of a film, showing trailers, extended clips, even
interviews with filmmakers and talent. But the channel still must be
tubthumped, or it could get lost among the millions of videos on the site.

FILMS: United Artists generated some heat around "Lions for Lambs"
with an online channel and offered a contest that encouraged people to
record and upload a 90-second video of themselves talking about the
social issue they care about.

ROPE IN PROMO PARTERS

HOW: A promotional pact is inked with a major retailer or consumer
brand that puts ads for the films in front of audiences a distrib
might not have been able to buy its way into. Extra marketing muscle
is added to the pic's ad dollars.

FILMS: Picturehouse's soccer drama "Gracie" was touted on Gatorade
packaging and in grocery stores, while "The Women" will be backed by a
major push by Unilever's Dove brand and "Kit Kittredge: An American
Girl" had a built-in partner. Starbucks promoted Paramount Vantage's
"Arctic Tale" in its venues, and Samsung pushed "Into the Wild" in a
range of ads.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991719.html?categoryid=3235&cs=1


------------------------------

T. EXECS AND TALENT WEIGH IN ON STATE OF INDIE BIZ


WHAT WENT WRONG IN THE PAST INDIE CYCLE?

"Studios came into this business and used the one-in-a-million film as
the basis of their business plan."

-- Bingham Ray, prexy, creative affairs, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment

"Growth in the studios' specialized divisions created a major studio
approach to independent pictures, which does not work. People went to
film festivals, bought films and tried to blow them up into
blockbusters, which only happens once in a blue moon. A lot of the
independent pictures have not done that badly, but do not justify all
of the marketing and other unnecessary costs involved."

-- Sam Goldwyn Jr., chairman & CEO, Samuel Goldwyn Co.

"I think that this summer was very reflective of the industry as a
whole. Audiences want to see good movies: 'The Dark Knight,'
'Ironman,' 'Tropic Thunder' -- these are all great movies. The studios
are luring great independent directors and actors into studio movies.
Jon Favreau, Christopher Nolan, who got their start helming
independent pictures, and great indie actor Robert Downey Jr., all
were involved in this year's biggest blockbusters. The indie industry
has always had great talent, and it's good to see the studios tapping
into that."

-- Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman, the Weinstein Co.

"Money."

-- Mark and Michael Polish, filmmakers, "Twin Falls Idaho" (1999),
"Manure" (2009), "Stay Cool" (2009)

Where's the hope in the new indie universe?

"To paraphrase Dickens (who may even have been wiser than Mark Gill),
'It is the best of times, it is the worst of times ...' "

-- Mark Urman, prexy, ThinkFilm

"The business has become fractionalized. This has to do with the
constantly changing viewing habits of the audience; it has to do with
the influence of the Internet. But it's really an age where anything
can happen and there are many models of distribution for an
independent film."

-- Michael Barker, co-prexy, Sony Pictures Classics
More than one option

"With Blu-ray getting critical mass, I think you're going to see a
reinvigoration. No one has figured out a way to make money off the
Internet, but that's going to happen, and it'll keep us even."

-- Chris McGurk, CEO, Overture Films

"As the studios, hedge funds and deep-pocketed dabblers beat the
retreat from the indie film space, I am hopeful that new streams of
support will emerge that not only help grow the culture but rebuild
the unique supports that art film requires."

-- Ted Hope, producer, "Adventureland" (2009)

"Money."

-- Mark and Michael Polish, filmmakers, "Stay Cool" (2009)

What would it take to bring the indie biz back?

"If I knew the answer, I'd be acting on it. Or selling it. Maybe
what's needed here is a time machine."

-- helmer Kevin Smith, "Clerks" (1994), "Zack and Miri Make a Porno"
(2008)

"We would love to see, both as moviegoers and as people who work in
the sector, a new explosion of creativity and talent. That's what I
think the sector needs most."

-- Peter Rice, prexy, Fox Searchlight

"We need one sort of platform to start making money to replace the
losses that have been sustained by theatrical and DVD markets. Nobody
knows which it is going to be -- Internet, cable, VOD -- or when it
will happen. That's why the business is at an impasse right now.

-- Wouter Barendrecht, co-head, Fortissimo Films

"I don't think that the business ever went away. What we have to
remember is that for every 'hit' there are hundreds of other
incredible movies that are worth a second look, even if they don't
break through the weekend top 10 box office list. This year, I loved
'The Visitor,' and 'Mongol,' and would consider them huge successes.
When it comes to quality, this year is no different than any other:
The best films are the ones that make you feel and think. ... I think
both the studios and the independents have accomplished that this year."

-- Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman, the Weinstein Co.

"Money."

-- Mark and Michael Polish, filmmakers, "Stay Cool" (2009)

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991872.html?categoryid=3235&cs=1