41st & Central: The Untold Story of the L.A. Black Panthers - SCREENINGS

March 26 - April 1, 2010

The Pan African Film & Arts Festival Presents...
"41st & Central: The Untold Story of the L.A. Black Panthers"
In a Limited Engagement
Culver Plaza Theatres
9919 Washington Boulevard Los Angeles, CA
Showtimes:
Friday-Sunday
12 p.m. | 3 p.m. | 6 p.m. | 9 p.m.
Monday-Thursday
12 p.m. | 2:45 p.m. | 5:45 p.m.* | 8 p.m.
*No Q&A
Tickets: $10 Click here to purchase
Group Sales (20+): $8:50
For group sales, please email groupsales@paff.org

Doc Alliance Films: Free stream of The Restored Films by Jan Spata

From March 22 - April 11, Doc Alliance Films offers a free worldwide stream of three selected films from The Restored Films by the master of Czech documentary filmmaking, Jan Spata. The Restored Films was awarded by the Czech Film and Television Academy for The Best Audiovisual Enterprise of the year. Each of the films will be available for one week at www.docalliancefilms.com

St. Patrick's Land (1967), a travel essay on Ireland; at the time it was considered the best film made about the country. From March 22 - 28

Between Light and Darkness (1990), the photographs of Jindrich Streit and the lives of his subjects in the border region. From March 29 - April 4

The Greatest Wish (1964), a sociological probe into the actual values of young people under socialism. From April 5 - 11

Eighteen films by Jan Spata were digitally restored and transferred into HD format and are now available on four DVDs. A selection of five digitally restored films is also in theatrical distribution.
For more information about Jan Spata and the project, visit www.janspata.cz

DOC ALLIANCE FILMS: FREE STREAMING OF FILMS BY KHAVN DE LA CRUZ

Doc Alliance Films presents a series of 5 FILMS by Khavn De La Cruz, the outspoken, experimental Filipino filmmaker with a desire to explore and cross boundaries. Khavn De La Cruz has made 23 features and more than 70 short films, most of which have received prizes and screened at international film festivals.

Visit www.docalliancefilms.com to watch!

SQUATTERPUNK (79 min), available now

In the midst of the squalor they were born in, the impoverished Filipinos of Squatterpunk still find a will to live above the preconceived notions of suffering that accompany their state of life.

BAHAG KINGS (74 min), available now

A group of tribal leaders from the jungle search the city like a hard rock band. Or is it a rock group looking for the jungle? The filmmaker was arrested for the film, together with his half naked kings. Funny, unpolished, musical and (hence) also a little bit political.

RUGBY BOYS (7 min), online NOW FOR FREE!

The winning film at the Oberhausen short film festival, Rugby Boyz presents a disturbing and compressed portrait of life in a poor neighbourhood in a Philippine town, where among the shacks the only source of entertainment for children is karaoke, rugby, and sniffing paint thinner. A cruel irony on the hope these children bring.

CAN AND SLIPPER (2 min), for FREE STREAMING staring April 1

A boy from the slums plays football. His soccer ball is an empty can of Coke and his soccer shoes are a pair of flip-flops. A shocking message about the real world awaits you at the end.

OUR DAILY BREAD (3 min), for FREE STREAMING staring April 1

A short documentary on how one family lives out each day to earn their daily bread. How one man's trash is literally transformed into this family's treasure.

 

The Going Green Film Festival, a unique, first-of-its-kind film festival promoting environmental  awareness, green productions, will run April 2-4, 2010 at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills.
 
EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION will also be honored for "greening" 
every home.

Location Name:  Writers Guild Theater

Address: 135 S. Doheny Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90211

LA Shorts Fest CALL FOR ENTRIES
RegularDeadline - April 2, 2010
Final Deadline - May 14, 2010

14thannual LA Shorts Fest The largest short film festival in the world. Academyof Motion PicturesArts & Sciences accredited. In past years, 33 participants have earned Academy Award nominationsincluding 11 Oscar winning short films!The festival annually attracts more than 8,000 moviegoers, filmmakers and entertainment professionals looking for the hottest newtalent.

Submit online www.LAshortsFest.com

The Good Pitch at SilverDocs
Deadline: April 6th
We are excited to announce that we are taking the Good Pitch - our one-day live event bringing together foundations, NGOs, social entrepreneurs and broadcasters to maximize the impact of social-issue documentary - back to SILVERDOCS! Eight filmmaking teams will pitch their project and its associated outreach campaign on Wednesday, June 23, 2010.

Third World Newsreelpresents walk-in seminars on production topics you need - from production management, to new media production, sound recording and more. All classes are $20 ($10 for low income) unless otherwise noted. The workshops take place at Third World Newsreel.

Master Class: Cliff Charles: The People's DP
Emmy nominated DP Cliff Charles, moves easily between shooting documentaries to features, commercials and music videos. He will talk and show clips from his work, including Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke and Chris Rock's Good Hair and more. *FREE*

All classes take place at:
Third World Newsreel
545 Eighth Avenue, 10th Flr
between 37th and 38th Streets
New York, NY
212 947-9277 x 15
Limited Seating. Register Now! Email: workshop@twn.org

Location Name:  Third World Newsreel

Address: 545 Eighth Avenue, 10th Flr, New York, NY

Contact:  workshop@twn.org

Rainforest Partnership is an Austin-based nonprofit that partners with communities in the Amazon to help them build their economies while protecting the rainforest. To help raise awareness about environmental issues, Rainforest Partnership is holding an international film contest. Participants will have one week to complete short films on an environmental topic to be released on the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day (April 22nd.). Participants must register on or before April 20th at which time, rules and guidelines of the event will be sent out to all participants. The films will be judged by Richard Linklater, Lisa McWilliams, Michel Scott, and Evan Smith, with the winning films publicly screened in Austin, TX on May 13th at Hot Mama's Espresso outside under their pavilions.

We're very excited about this event, and expect creative results that will combine filmmaking with an appreciation for the environment.

To learn more about Rainforest Partnership, the film challenge, or to register, please visit RainforestPartnership.org.

Eric Lyman
Rainforest Partnership
Eric@RainforestPartnership.org
RainforestPartnership.org

"When You're Strange" Opens on April 9 in Los Angeles at the Following Theaters:
Sunset 5 Theatre (8000 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood)
Playhouse 7 (673 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena)
Laemmle's Town Center 5 (17200 Ventura Boulevard, Encino)

The film is Rated R by the MPAA for some sexual content including references, nudity, drug material and language. The Running Time is 89 Minutes.

WHEN YOU'RE STRANGE - A FILM ABOUT THE DOORS, uncovers historic and previously unseen footage of the illustrious rock band and provides new insight into the revolutionary impact of its music and legacy. The film also features scenes from "HWY," Jim Morrison's unreleased film from 1969, which he starred in and made with a group of filmmaker friends. Directed by award-winning writer/director Tom DiCillo and narrated by Johnny Depp, the film is a riveting account of the band's history and the first feature documentary about them.

The film reveals an intimate perspective on the creative chemistry between drummer John Densmore, guitarist Robby Krieger, keyboardist Ray Manzarek and singer Jim Morrison -- four brilliant artists who made The Doors one of America's most iconic and influential rock bands. Using footage shot between the band's 1965 formation and Morrison's 1971 death, WHEN YOU'RE STRANGE follows the band from the corridors of UCLA's film school, where Manzarek and Morrison met, to the stages of sold-out arenas.

WHEN YOU'RE STRANGE captures the zeitgeist and upheaval of an era while providing insight into who The Doors were, what they became, and what they mean to our culture, especially today.

Produced by Wolf Films/Strange Pictures, in association with Rhino Entertainment, and released by Abramorama. Additional credits for WHEN YOU'RE STRANGE include producers Dick Wolf, John Beug, Jeff Jampol, and Peter Jankowski. The film is written and directed by Tom DiCillo ("Johnny Suede," "Living in Oblivion"). Narrated by Johnny Depp. More info here: whenyourestrangemovie.com

Rhino will also celebrate The Doors' legacy as one of America's most influential rock bands with the release of the film's soundtrack, which combines studio recordings and live performances with newly recorded readings of Morrison's poetry by Depp. WHEN YOU'RE STRANGE: SONGS FROM THE MOTION PICTURE will be released Tuesday, April 6.

The soundtrack contains several selections of Jim Morrison's poetry as read by Depp, 14 songs that survey The Doors' six landmark albums with original studio versions of classic tracks ("Touch Me," "The End," and "L.A. Woman") along with rare live performances from The Ed Sullivan Show ("Light My Fire"), Danish TV ("When The Music's Over"), and the Isle Of Wight Festival ("Break On Through [To The Other Side]"). The set also features interview clips with all four band members.‬

The Producers Guild of America is proud to announce its producing workshop, "The Power Of Diversity." This workshop will draw upon a wide range of seminars and perspectives designed to foster the development of diverse voices in Television Comedy, One Hour Drama, Reality Television Motion Pictures, Documentaries and Web series.

Up to ten (10) participants will be encouraged to explore, create and refine creative visions and stories that reflect our diverse culture.  Applicants may be emerging creative voices or those well-established in their careers.

This year's program will focus on participants' projects helping them move their work forward through seminars and master classes with some of the top professionals working in film, television, and non-traditional media supported by one-on-one mentoring work with a member of the Producers Guild.  Topics to be addressed include: story development, pitching, packaging, financing, marketing, and new media.  Every session will be tailored to our participating producers and their projects.

Workshop call for entries is now open and closes on April 9th 2010 at 5:00 pm.

Applicants will be notified by May 14th, 2010

Workshop sessions will take place between May 24th and July 31st.  If selected, participants must be available to attend the duration of the program.

Workshop sessions typically will be held weekday evenings from approximately 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. with a few sessions on Saturday mornings at The Producers Guild of America offices at 8530 Wilshire Blvd., Ste 450, Beverly Hills.

More info and application forms at the link below.

Contact:  PGA Producing Workshop
Producers Guild of America
8530 Wilshire Blvd. Ste 450
Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Countdown to MIPDoc is on! Registered buyers up 8% to date

It’s not too late to attend the 13th annual MIPDoc and join the 700 leading producers, distributors and commissioners of documentary and factual programmes. 
 
Last Chance to register your programmes 
Don’t miss the March 29 deadline for registering your programmes and the chance to feature in the MIPDoc Guide Supplement. 

Database now open 
In registering for MIPDoc you will gain access to the full details of fellow delegates. The database provides you with vital information about participating companies and can be used as a year-round industry reference tool.  

MIPDoc Online Screenings  
Discover the world’s largest on-line library consisting of 1,350 new, full length, documentary and factual programmes. Get a head start and plan your Cannes. You can now view online the list of programmes that will go live on 12 April 2010. Make the most of  MIPDoc and continue to screen free for 6 months after the event to catch up on missed screenings, share acquisition picks, add reviews…Sellers; obtain feedback and regular statistics on showcased programmes whilst reducing costs involved in shipping materials worldwide.

Access or subscribe to MIPDoc Online Screenings.

Jane Root to present the Keynote
Leading creative executive Jane Root, who transformed major networks on both sides of the Atlantic, will present the MIPDoc 2010 closing keynote address on Sunday 11 April 2010 after a full two-day programme of events.  Key focuses this year will include building co-production partnerships and finding financing opportunities, in addition to sessions on - “How to Pitch and Stand Out from the Crowd,” “What do Buyers Want?” and “Interactivity and Audience Engagement”.

Co-prod Challenge nominees revealed 
The 6th MIPDoc Co-Production Challenge has selected 6 innovative projects in the documentary world, to be pitched in front of an impressive panel of international broadcasters on Saturday, 10 April  from 16.15-17.45. The jury president is Nick Fraser, Commissioning Editor, “Storyville”, BBC. Click here to discover the 2010 projects.

Meet the commissioners, face to face 
An exclusive ten minutes with a major TV commissioner or buyer could make all the difference to your business this year. Sign up now for the MIPDoc Accelerator, taking place Sunday, 11 April where experts will listen to ten-minute pitches during a two-hour session.  

Register Now  
-Attend as a Seller and showcase your programmes: €1,295 (tax excluded). 
-Attend as a Buyer, find the best programmes and acquire them at MIPTV: €780 (tax excluded). 
See web site for full details and other packages.

Address: Cannes

Join IDA members, IDA staff & board members! Connect with the documentary community, share your projects, meet new friends, and build your professional network.

The Rooftop at The Standard, Downtown LA offers unmatched panoramic views of Downtown Los Angeles.

RSVP here.

Photos from Past IDA Mixers:

IDA Mixer March 2, 2010

IDA Mixer October 7, 2009

IDA Mixer August, 28, 2009

When:
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
6:00pm to 9:00pm

Light snacks will be served. Cash bar offerings include mojitos,
french pear martinis as well as all your favorite wines, beers & spirits.

Where:
The Standard, Downtown LA
550 South Flower St. at 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 892-8080

Driving directions to the Standard, Downtown LA can be found here:
http://www.standardhotels.com/los-angeles/location/

We do encourage carpooling or taking the Metro!

Metro Rail: (The greenest option)

The closest Metro rail stop to The Standard, Downtown LA is the 7th/Metro stop on the Red Line, 2 blocks from the hotel.

This map shows the proximity of The Standard, Downtown LA to the 7th/Metro station.

To find the closest Metro station to you, click here.

Event Parking:

Valet parking at The Standard, Downtown LA is $15.

Parking at Pershing Square is only $6.60/day, and a brief 4 block walk to The Standard, Downtown LA.
Pershing Square Address: 532 South Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Click here to create your own unique driving directions to Pershing Square.

No Cover

RSVP here.

Special thanks to:

 

Location Name:  The Standard, Downtown LA

Address: 550 South Flower St. at 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071

NO TOMORROW takes viewers inside a suspenseful death penalty trial and challenges their beliefs about capital punishment.

Please join us for a screening of this new documentary by Roger Weisberg and Vanessa Roth.

2010 Kansas City FilmFest - Friday, April 16 at 9:45pm, AMC Mainstreet Theatre, AMC 3, 1400 Main St, Kansas City, MO.
Ticket available at http://kcjubilee.org/festival

2010 Arizona International Film Festival - Saturday, April 17 at 3:00pm followed by a debate about capital punishment featuring local experts, Crossroads Festival Cinema, 4811 East Grant Tucson, AZ, and Friday April 23 at 2:00pm, The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress Street, Tucson, AZ
Ticket information available at http://www.filmfestivalarizona.com/ ph.520-882-0204

2010 Atlanta Film Festival - Wednesday, April 21 at 7:15pm and Thursday, April 22 at 12:05pm, Landmark Midtown Art Cinema, 931 Monroe Drive, Atlanta, GA
Tickets available at http://atlantafilmfestival.com/content/view/461/204/ or by calling 404-352-4225.

Saturday, April 17, 2010 in Los Angeles
The Standard, Downtown LA
9:30 - 10AM: Registration/Networking
10AM - 5PM: Workshop

Part of the 2010 Doc U Seminar series.

Looking for funding while maintaining a career as a media maker can be a competitive, elusive and overwhelming proposition. Nationally recognized consultant MORRIE WARSHAWSKI presents his popular full-day workshop full of patented street-savvy, in-the-trenches advice on how to get grants and donations for noncommercial independent film and video projects. Warshawski provides practical advice based on real experience to get filmmakers focused and effective at getting money for their projects.

The workshop completely demystifies the world of donations and grants by providing an introduction to all the basic principles of successful fundraising including:

• Ways to approach individuals for donations (houseparties, direct mail, etc.);
• How to get money from foundations and corporations;
• The role of the Internet and social networking tools;
• Designing your project to make it attractive to funders;
• Getting yourself together and dopting the proper mindset;
• Laying the groundwork for and conducting research;
• Creating the perfect written grant proposal.
• The art of asking and pitching.

Warshawski's class includes exercises, lecture, video clip examples, and an extensive handout packet full of information and references on fundraising. A must for the beginning, emerging or experienced filmmaker who has any qualms about fundraising.

MORRIE WARSHAWSKI, noted writer and media consultant, is the former Executive Director of Bay Area Video Coalition and The Media Project, Inc. His clients over the last 30 years include the American Film Institute, National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, MacArthur Foundation, WGBH-TV, President's Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and many others. Warshawski has served on numerous grant panels, has written over 500 proposals, and is the author of THE FUNDRAISING HOUSEPARTY, and SHAKING THE MONEY TREE: THE ART OF GETTING GRANTS AND DONATIONS FOR FILM AND VIDEO (now in its 3rd edition). You can find Warshawski and an audio clip on fundraising houseparties at his website - www.warshawski.com - or follow him on Twitter (MorrieW).

QUOTES:

"I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your AFI workshop. It really clarified and supported my thinking on grant writing and fundraising in general. It was nice to sit down for a day and just have all the steps outlined and discussed logically!"
- Rusty E. Frank, Los Angeles

"Your seminar is really amazing and so incredibly full of such useful information. We funders ought to have a preliminary requirement that applicants attend your workshop before submitting their proposals."
- Mary Smith, National Endowment for the Arts

"Packed with good info; good speaker; receptive to questions; obviously very experienced."
- Boston Participant

"Your presentation was just terrific. I am truly impressed with the wealth of information, articulately and logically presented in just a few hours time."
- Bill Goetz, Portland, OR

"I took your SHAKING THE MONEY TREE class at AIVF in New York about 3 years ago, and I'm happy to report that my documentary is not only finished, but aired as part of a Father's Day Special on Cinemax this year. I know of at least one other student in that class whose film is now complete and was picked up by HBO. Your class was very instrumental in getting the first grants and donations. So thank you !!"
- Cynthia Syrett, NYC

"A note of thanks to Morrie for his Shaking the Money Tree workshops. After attending one last year, I finally got the guts to approach my first private funder -- someone wealthy who had funded a doc I'd worked on previously (one in which I was hired as co-producer in post, well after she'd funded it)."

"Using the chutzpah and the tools I gained in the workshop and from the book, I wrote her a heartfelt letter. She immediately called, and wrote a check soon thereafter. With a serious donation now in hand, I felt "legit" and then wrote a different heartfelt letter to 100 friends asking for tax-free donations. I got a 20% return, with amounts ranging from $25 to $1000+. A real lifesaver to the project."
- Danielle Beverly

"Thank you for your excellent workshops in NYC this weekend. It's always good, especially for an old hand like me, to be reminded of what it takes and to be inspired anew. I especially need that now as I'm working independently, on a film, and not for a performing arts organization and need to be prepared to get money from individuals. The Zen tools you worked through with us are tremendous. Thank you, sincerely.
- Sharon Levy, Dovetail Productions, Inc, New York

Watch video clips from the Doc U seminars with Cara Mertes and R.J. Cutler.

IDA members: $85
Non-members: $110

Join IDA now! For discounted admission prices and more!

 

BREAKFAST AND LUNCH

Complimentary Continental Breakfast will be served inside the workshop. Lunch is on your own. Lunch is available in The Restaurant at The Standard, Downtown LA, a California brasserie that serves New American cuisine. You can sit inside the vibrant yellow diner style restaurant, as well as on the outdoor patio adjacent to a flaming water fountain. Alternately dine poolside on The Rooftop at The Standard, Downtown LA, which offers an unmatched panoramic views of Downtown Los Angeles.

Links to the menus: 
http://www.standardhotels.com/los-angeles/restaurants-bars/24-7-restaurant/lunch/

http://www.standardhotels.com/los-angeles/restaurants-bars/rooftop-bar/mini-menu/

PARKING

1. Parking in the lot adjacent to The Standard, Downtown LA is $15/day.
2. Parking at Pershing Square is only $6.60/day, and a brief 4 block walk to The Standard, Downtown LA.
   • Pershing Square Address: 532 South Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013
     Click here to create your own unique driving directions to Pershing Square.

METRO RAIL (The greenest option)

The closest Metro rail stop to The Standard, Downtown LA is the 7th/Metro stop on the Red Line, 2 blocks from the hotel.

This map shows the proximity of The Standard, Downtown LA to the 7th/Metro station.

To find the closest Metro station to you, click here.

Doc U is the International Documentary Association's branded, yearly seminar series produced to enlighten and enliven our documentary community.

Special thanks to:

 

 

Location Name:  The Standard, Downtown LA

Address: 550 South Flower St., Los Angeles, CA 90071

SUNDANCE INSTITUTE PRESENTS SING FASTER: THE STAGEHANDS' RING CYCLE AS PART OF RING FESTIVAL LA

Free Screening Saturday, April 17 at 7:00 pm at the Hammer Museum

Followed by Q&A with Award-Winning Filmmaker Jon Else
Los Angeles, CA- Sundance Institute will host a free screening of director Jon Else's documentary film Sing Faster: The Stagehands' Ring Cyclethis Saturday, April 17 at 7 pm at the Hammer Museum (10899 Wilshire Blvd at Westwood in Los Angeles) as part of the LA Opera's historic Ring Festival LA, taking place from April 15 through June 30, 2010. As one of the Ring Festival LA cultural partners, Sundance Institute will be hosting the screening of this acclaimed documentary followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Jon Else.
Sundance Institute presentsSing Faster: The Stagehands' Ring Cycle
Saturday, April 17 at 7:00pm
Hammer Museum, Billy Wilder Theater (10899 Wilshire Blvd); Los Angeles, CA 90024; 310.443.7000
Free Screening
Followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Jon Else
This program is free and open to the public. Tickets are required, and are available at the Billy Wilder Theater Box Office one hour prior to start time. Reservations not accepted. Parking is available under the museum for $3 after 6:00 p.m. Visit http://hammer.ucla.edu

LA Opera has joined forces with Sundance Institute and other Los Angeles cultural and educational institutions to stage the first significant citywide cultural festival since the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival. Ring Festival LA will showcase a wide variety of exhibitions, symposia, museum shows, conferences, and special events. All of these events will be thematically related to the first-ever presentation in Los Angeles of Richard Wagner's famed four-opera drama, Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung).

Sing Faster: The Stagehands' Ring Cyclepremiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1999 and won the coveted Filmmaker Trophy. In this award-winning documentary acclaimed filmmaker John Else goes back stage at the San Francisco Opera's production of Wagner's Ring Cycle to show this rare event from the point of view of union stagehands. Electrifying time-lapse photography of the onstage action is juxtaposed with the epic drama happening behind the scenes as stagehands hoist giant mechanical dragons, move thousand-pound sets, catch up on some baseball, knit sweaters and play a fierce game of poker. Sing Fasteroffers a unique and wry perspective on Wagner's outlandish operatic spectacle. (David Courier, Senior Programmer, Sundance Film Festival).

Jon Else produced and directedThe Day After Trinity: J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb(1980),Yosemite: The Fate of Heaven(1989),A Job at Ford'sfor the PBS seriesThe Great Depression(1992),Cadillac Desert:Water and the Transformation Of Nature (1997),Sing Faster: The Stagehands' Ring Cycle (2000), Open Outcry(2001). He was series producer and cinematographer forEyes On The Prize: America's Civil Rights Years(1987), produced and directedWonders Are Many: The Making of Doctor Atomic(2005),and photographedInside GuantanamoandAfghanistan: Hell Of A Nation. He is a MacArthur Fellow and directs the documentary program at the UCB Graduate School Of Journalism, Berkeley.

The eighth edition of IFFLA will take place April 20-25, 2010 at ArcLight Hollywood, a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Los Angeles. Tickets went on sale on April 2, 2010.

See a full film guide here.

See a full event list here.

Find out all you need to know about the fest here.

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) is nonprofit organization devoted to a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing films, supporting emerging filmmakers, recognizing the leadership of entertainment industry performers and business executives, and promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora.

Each year the Festival is held at the Arclight Hollywood and features a rich mix of film programs designed to build and support the growing interest in the Indian entertainment industry. This includes programming that cultivates an audience for Indian films while supporting filmmakers of Indian descent in career development as they navigate the larger studio system in Hollywood. IFFLA's creative and business programs include the newly launched IFFLA Film Fund that helps emerging filmmakers realize their feature-length narrative and non-narrative film projects, the Industry Leadership Awards created to recognize the achievements of industry executives who have contributed considerably towards the entertainment and media industry in India, the One-on-One program where industry professionals from major and independent production and distribution companies are invited to participate in meetings with the participating filmmakers, and the seminars day hosted by the Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

Location Name:  ArcLight Hollywood,

Address: 6360 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028

In his previous documentary, the internationally acclaimed 51 BIRCH STREET, Doug Block looked at his parents' seemingly ordinary marriage and uncovered a universal story about an archetypal, post-WWII, suburban family. THE KIDS GROW UP is a follow-up and companion piece in which Block turns his lens on his family once more, this time from his own vantage point as a parent, to tell a larger story about fathers and daughters, marriage and modern-day parenting.

Lucy Block is the filmmaker's only child and, from the moment of her birth, Doug has documented much of her life - and their relationship - on camera. Fluidly moving back and forth in time over the course of the film, we see Lucy transform from precocious child to serious and self-possessed young woman literally before our eyes. We also observe the eternal father-daughter struggle of control versus independence play out through the camera with great warmth and humor.

Told from Block's engaging first-person perspective, THE KIDS GROW UP is a rarity among documentaries. Sons and daughters frequently make films about their parents (including Block himself). This time a parent is making a film largely about his child. And since Lucy is among the first generation of children that grew up with digital camcorders, it may be the most in-depth, longitudinal portrait of a little girl growing into adulthood ever captured on film.

But just as Lucy is but one member of a family, her story is only the central focus of a larger one about the joys and angst of parenting and the aging of the baby boomer generation. As Doug Block struggles, often less than gracefully, with letting go of his daughter, a very personal experience once again takes on a universal dimension. And in the end, THE KIDS GROW UP is not just Lucy's coming of age story but very much her father's as well.

Location Name:  IFC Center

Address: 323 Sixth Ave. @ 3rd St., New York, NY

Nonviolent protests gave way to military brutality during a September 2007 revolution against the Burmese military junta. Buddhist monks, students and ordinary citizens were inspired to march, and in some cases die, for the rights they had been denied for so long. Oscar® nominated Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed Country documents these dramatic days and premieres Tuesday at 9:30PM. Watch the trailer now at HBO.com.

"Long Days Working Hard: Long Beach During World War II," the renowned documentary commissioned by the Long Beach Memorial Heritage Association and produced by Cal State Long Beach's David Kelly (an Irvine resident), will air on KOCE (PBS) April 20 at 10 p.m. The documentary follows the historical trends that resulted in Long Beach becoming one of the country's top wartime cities for industrial development, jobs and economic activity. For purchasing information, go to the website www.ccpe.csulb.edu/amp or call (562) 985-4352.

 

A Cinematheque Favorite Returns in Stunning 70MM to Celebrate Earth Day, With Filmmakers In Person!

Thursday, April 22 - 7:30 PM, Aero Theatre
Earth Day 70mm Print!
BARAKA, 1992, Magidson Films, 96 min. Inspired by the Sufi word meaning "breath of life," BARAKA is a mind-expanding, spiritual journey around the globe -- shot in 24 countries on five continents -- from director-cinematographer Ron Fricke (who photographed the earlier KOYAANISQATSI) and producer Mark Magidson (the Imax film CHRONOS). Filmed entirely without dialogue in a stunning cascade of crystalline, time-lapse 70mm images, BARAKA is quite simply breathtaking. Discussion following with producer Mark Magidson and director Ron Fricke (schedule permitting).

Location Name:  American Cinematheque at the Lloyd E. Rigler Egyptian Theatre

Address: 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028

ShowBiz Expo Los Angeles - April 24-25, 2010 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall B, 1201 S Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90015. Show hours are 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. daily.

About ShowBiz Expo: ShowBiz Expo is a five-star event that brings everyone in show business together under one roof. Whether you are a producer, studio executive, director, musician, filmmaker, performer, designer, writer, stage manager, or anyone else involved in film, stage, fashion, live events, and concerts this event is for you. The Expo includes a wide range of networking opportunities including the Exhibit Hall, Workshops/Seminars, Designers' Showcase, Focus Groups, Round Table Discussions, Film Festival, Headshot Displays for casting, live auditions for performers, Movie Reel Showcase, Original Music Showcase, and much more.
Exhibit floor passes that include admission to the ShowBiz Expo Film Festival are free with advance online registration. Conference Panels and Workshops are $15-20 each. Charges may apply for other events. For information on exhibiting at or attending ShowBiz Expo, visit www.showbizexpo.com or call 212-404-2345.

EARTH DAY EVENT

This weekend Earth Day events will take place around the world.
In Los Angeles, a special screening will take place of an environmental documentary that the United Nations has selected as the
Climate Change Film of the Year:
'The Antarctica Challenge: A Global Warning'

"Far superior to An Inconvenient Truth", The Gate Magazine (Canada)
"One of the most important documentaries of our times." Mediapeers (Germany)
"An extraordinary documentary," Dr. Malcolm Wilson, Nobel Peace Prize, 2007

WHAT: The Beverly Hills HD Film Festival
WHEN: Saturday, April 24, 6:30 PM
WHERE: The Wilshire Screening Room, 8670 Wilshire Blvd, #112, Beverly Hills, CA 90211.
WHO: Filmmaker Mark Terry will be in attendance
INFO: Email: mark@polarcapproductions.com (416) 480-1996
TICKETS: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/93007
WEBSITE: http://www.theantarcticachallenge.comGreetings

Ever wish you had a lawyer in your back pocket to answer all those questions about contracts, copyright, clearance, incorporating, and other nagging legal issues that keep coming up?

This month at Video Symphony’s Pizza & Post you can finally get some answers from our special guest David Pierce, Attorney at Law.

Tuesday April 27th 7-9pm
Video Symphpny
266 E. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank

RSVP at http://pizzaandpostapril.eventbrite.com

David Albert Pierce is Managing Member of PIERCE LAW GROUP LLP. David predominately represents independent film and television production companies, including some of the most respected companies in Hollywood. David’s production counsel practice is diverse and includes representation and counseling in the areas of entertainment law; employment & labor law issues in the film & TV industry; intellectual property; internet/new media law; securities law/film finance, clearance & rights issues, as well as matters concerning crisis management on the set.

David is a frequent lecturer on the legal issues confronting the entertainment industry, and has served as an adjunct professor at UCLA Extension on “Organizing, Financing and Running A Start-Up Entertainment Production Company” for the past 10 years. David is also a frequent lecturer at film festivals around the country. He is a regular columnist for MovieMaker Magazine and is the author of several entertainment law articles.

He is a member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association’s Entertainment Law Section, the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Industries, the Beverly Hills Bar Association Barristers Committee For The Arts, the Independent Feature Project/West, and the American Film Institute. David is the former Chairman of the Beverly Hills Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Law section, and is a member of the Labor & Employment Law sections of the American Bar Association, and the California Bar Association.

Location Name:  Video Symphpny

Address: 266 E. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA

Contact:  http://pizzaandpostapril.eventbrite.com

Mormons can be movie lovers too. The problem is that their religious leaders strongly discourage R-rated content. As one Mormon prophet explained, "The mind through which this filth passes is never the same afterwards." In order to better serve their Mormon clientele, enterprising video stores in Utah started to offer "clean" versions of popular titles like The Matrix and Titanic. Using digital editing software, self-appointed censors removed nudity, gratuitous violence and profanity, then mass duplicated the clean versions for DVD rental. Soon the idea took off, and multiple franchises sought to capitalize on brands like Clean Flicks and Flick's Club. For a brief spell, it seemed like the perfect business.

Unfortunately, no one consulted the copyright holders. Hollywood figures such as Steven Soderbergh, Curtis Hanson and Michael Mann became vocal opponents of having their work re-edited. As quickly as the clean movement blossomed, it started to unravel, with legal threats from Hollywood, accusations among rivals and even a sex scandal in the backroom of a clean video store.

In Cleanflix, directors Andrew James and Joshua Ligairi chronicle the rise and fall of the clean movement. Having grown up in the Mormon community, the duo gained close access to the main players that outsiders might never have achieved. The controversy over cleaning films raises further questions: Who gets to set cultural standards? Does what we watch affect how we behave?

The film gives a broader context for understanding the Mormon institution (known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) by talking to its adherents and those who have dropped out, most notably the playwright and filmmaker Neil LaBute, known for the dark themes in scripts like In the Company of Men and Bash.

As events unfold, one thing becomes clear: in movies, you can skip over the parts you don't like. But in real life, you can't.

Director: Andrew James and Joshua Ligairi
Running time: 85 minutes
Release date: 2009
April 27, 2010 8:00 pm

Location Name:  IFC Center

Address: 323 Sixth Ave. @ 3rd St., New York, NY

This Week on Independent Lens

GARBAGE DREAMS
Tuesday, April 27 at 10 PM
(check local listings)

Welcome to the world's largest garbage village located on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. The Zaballeen (Arabic for "garbage people") recycle 80 percent of the trash they collect -- far more than other recycling initiatives. But now multinational corporations threaten their livelihood. Follow three teenage boys, born into the business, who are forced to make choices that will impact the survival of their community.

5th Annual SEE Fest 2010 Opens April 29th at the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles

Watch a full trailer about event.

Mark your calendars and get ready for the weekend of films that explore the cultural diversity of Southeast Europe.

Festival passes are on sale make sure you reserve your seats: go here.

Transitland to premiere at SEEFest 2010. The widest-spanning presentation of video art from Central and Eastern Europe will have its official North American premiere at SEEFest.

Transitland curator from Berlin, Kathy Rae Huffman will attend SEE Fest and conduct two day special presentations for Los Angeles area youth.

NEW! SEEFest Announces Youth Program. The 2010 SEE Fest Youth Program is a new initiative of the festival to further expand the educational programming and include students from public schools in greater Los Angeles.

Location Name:  Goethe-Institut Los Angeles

Address: 5750 Wilshire Boulevard #100, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Independent Exposure 2010 is the 14th annual showcase for contemporary, progressive, artistic, and culturally relevant short films and videos by some of the most compelling artists and filmmakers from around the globe.

To date, Independent Exposure has featured over 1,000 artists and filmmakers and been presented hundreds of times in 44 countries including Palestine, Antarctica, and at base camp on Mt. Everest.

Independent Exposure invites you to your submit short video, film, and digital-media submissions of 15 minutes or less.

Independent Exposure is seeking narrative, artistic, humorous, dramatic, animation, documentary, experimental, alternative, avant-garde, ambient, music videos, and underground works of all genres, formats, and styles.

Participants of all nationalities are welcome to submit their works by April 30, 2010. Entrance fee is $5 USD.

Prizes include Panasonic AG-HSC1U 1/4" 3-CCD High Definition Video Camera and Selected works from the MicrocinemaDVD.com Catalog.

For full program information, rules, selection criteria, prizes, and how to submit please visit www.independentexposure.com

Since 2005, Independent Exposure has teamed up with a partner to curate the screening programs and select prize winners and a "best-of" selection. Recent partners include Addictive TV, Hal Hartley, and Asthmatic Kitty Records. This year we are pleased to partner with Academy Award-Nominated Animator Bill Plympton.

"From the earliest screenings of Independent Exposure, animated film and video have played a central role in our program," says founder Patrick Kwiatkowski. "Bill Plympton is going to attract world class animators and we are very excited about our program this year."

Bill Plympton, best known for his 1987 Academy Award-nominated short Your Face, joins Microcinema to curate and judge this year's Independent Exposure.

In addition to two Academy Award-nominations, Plympton's illustrations and cartoons have been published in The New York Times and weekly newspaper The Village Voice, as well as in the magazines Vogue, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Penthouse, and National Lampoon. His political cartoon strip Plympton, which began in 1975 in the Soho Weekly News, eventually was syndicated and appeared in over 20 newspapers. His distinctive style is easily recognized.

Microcinema's first activity was producing Independent Exposure. From our activities in presenting this program a film distribution business was born.

Microcinema International is now a leading specialty distributor of the moving image arts. Microcinema International specializes in the acquisition, exhibition, and distribution of independently produced works of an artistic and socially-relevant nature. Microcinema's mission is to seek out, curate, exhibit, promote, and distribute compelling works to a broad audience via existing and emerging mediums. Through Microcinema's own DVD label Blackchair Collection and Microcinema International DVD, a unique and diverse catalogue of international DVD titles are distributed into retail, wholesale, online, and institutional sales channels worldwide.