Please find below the latest press release from the Maine Film & Video
Association; we're gearing up for our upcoming season, and wanted to
let everyone know about what's been going on within the organization.

Thanks,
Will Fraser
The Maine Film & Video Association


Maine Film & Video Association Prepares for Summer

In developing its schedule for the upcoming summer season, the Maine
Film & Video Association (MFVA) is taking steps to better serve its
membership as well as non members in the Maine Production Community by
offering educational programs, lowering membership rates, and updating
the MFVA website in an effort to help facilitate communication among
Maine filmmakers.
Board President Chris Sweet says, "We're really moving forward. The
board is very excited about the programs we're lining up for the rest
of 2007. We're looking forward to working with the production
community for another great season."
This summer, the MFVA will host film and television production
seminars, most of which will be offered at no charge to association
members, with plans to continue the series well into 2008. The first
program will be held Thursday, June 7th, from 5 – 8pm at Portland's
SPACE Gallery, and will feature a panel to discuss the importance of
storytelling to the success of both documentary and narrative films.
To date, the MFVA has booked three top-flight Maine writer/producers:
Rush DeNooyer, Dana Rae Warren, and Andy Davis. Other panelists are
soon to be announced.
MFVA board member Allison Carroll Duffy, organizer of the
aforementioned meeting, feels confident that the upcoming series of
events will appeal to MFVA members, and hopefully to the production
community at large. "We've planned our upcoming meetings based
directly on the interests of the MFVA's growing membership. We really
hope that members, other folks involved in production, and anyone else
who is interested will come and check out what MFVA has to offer."
Richard Kane, chair of the Website Committee, adds, "Educational
programs and information exchange are two of the more important
functions a professional organization like the MFVA can facilitate.
We're on the path to becoming an organization of real service to the
industry, and we're looking for members to move into positions of
leadership, to guarantee continuous programming for our members."
After the departure last year of the MFVA's 4-year president, Mika
Lentz, the organization went through a restructuring that, in part,
resulted in a renewed commitment to its website. The group is now
maintaining a strong presence on the web, where it has seen a surge in
the amount of information flowing to its site. Recently, the MFVA has
tracked the progress of several Maine-based independent projects, and
has received a continuous stream of classifieds, festival postings,
and press releases, all from productions looking to connect with their
local film community. The ability to post for free on the MFVA's site
is something the group plans to continue to offer to its members.
"The website has been a great venue for Maine productions," says
MFVA's new Webmaster, Will Fraser. "It's created a network for people
all over the state. The recent interest has been terrific, and it
proves there is a hunger here for networking. We have a very active
and dedicated community."
In direct response to the growth in interest the MFVA has seen, it
has begun restructuring its membership rates. By reducing professional
rates to $25/year, student memberships to $10, and by offering
discounts for professional organizations, the MFVA is dedicating
itself to making it easier for people to communicate with other Maine
filmmakers.
"Probably the most valuable part of being in the MFVA is the
networking," says Kane. "You meet a lot of people with similar
interests and goals. People will say things like, `I really need an
editor on this project,' and then remember someone they met at an MFVA
meeting, or through the website. It can be a huge boost to one's career."
Dates for seminars beyond June, which will include those on the Maine
Film & TV Workshops, TV show hosting, and video distribution, will be
announced shortly. Until then, those interested in finding out more
about the MFVA may visit www.mainefilm.com, or contact Richard Kane at
kanelewis@....