“Universal Studios Hollywood(SM) and Rob Zombie are partnering to recognize the nation’s top short-form filmmaking horror genre talent with the “Halloween Horror Nights – Rob Zombie Film Competition,” offering filmmakers an opportunity to have their scariest short film judged by a panel led by the multi-media horror auteur, rewarded with a premiere showing on Chiller TV, a posting on SyFy.com, a $1,000 cash prize and a trip for two to the opening night of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood.”

Read the rest of this article from New Music Reviews.

Rutger Hauer challenges filmmakers around the world to show him ”things you people wouldn’t believe”, and he will personally award the winners during the Festival’s Gala Award evening.

Read the rest of this article from News Blaze.

DETROIT WINDSOR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Saturday, June 26, 2010, 2:00—3:30 p.m.
Wayne State University, State Hall, Room 224

You are invited to a free panel discussion on “The Secrets of Guerilla Filmmaking” as part of the Detroit Windsor International Film Festival Tech Fair.   This panel will take place on Saturday, June 16, 2010, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Wayne State University’s State Hall, Room 224 (5143 Cass Avenue, Detroit, MI 48202).

You must register for this panel at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/719684596
There is no cover charge or fee to attend this event.

“The Secrets of Guerilla Filmmaking” will be hosted by Connie Mangilin, producer of the forthcoming war short, “The Wars of Other Men,” “The Message,” (an invitation-only international shootout entry), “A Little Knowledge” (Best Film at the Detroit 2009 48 Hour Film Project), the “InZer0” series and feature film, and producer of various other short films.  Mangilin is also the curator of the Mitten Movie Project (a monthly film festival showcasing only independent films), and co-producer and co-host of the Mitten Movie Show, a public access television show.

Mangilin will give a presentation on the secrets, tricks, and lessons learned from making guerilla films.  This will be followed by a round table panel discussion on guerilla filmmaking from a select group of directors and producers.  To end the forum, a Q & A session will be conducted with the audience.

On the panel are the following filmmakers:

•    HOST — Connie Mangilin (The Wars of Other Men, The Message, A Little Knowledge, InZer0)
•    Keith Jefferies (Pink Slip, Felix Graves, Naked Angel, Raised Alone)
•    Sultan Sharrief (Bilal’s Stand – 2010 Sundance Official Selection, The Spiral Project)
•    Carrie LeZotte (Regional Roots:  The Birth and Evolution of Detroit and its People, 72, Small Beautiful Hands, One of Us)
•    Mike Madigan (4 Pictures, Danyelle, Dealbreaker, New Directions, Cadence)
•    TBA

In “The Secrets of Guerilla Filmmaking” panel, the filmmakers will cover the following topics:

•    Why make a guerilla film
•    How to shoot your film on an extremely tight or nonexistent budget (or how to make the most with what you have)
•    How not to burn bridges
•    How to keep your “A-Team” crew over various projects
•    How to recruit (and where to find) new crew
•    When to pull permits and get location releases versus when to steal shots
•    What to implement from Hollywood productions versus what is a waste of time and money
•    Where (and how) to secure food donations
•    How to secure locations without fees
•    Where to find actors
•    When to use SAG actors
•    Where to find free or inexpensive props/set dressing

Space is limited.  To register for this forum, go to http://www.eventbrite.com/event/719684596
(This panel discussion sold out when it was given at the 2009 Ferndale Film Festival.  So please register if you’re coming!)

For more information on the Detroit Windsor International Film Festival, go to www.dwiff.org

This summer the Soho House Group will launch the Electric Shorts film competition, supported by Mercedes-Benz and in association with Empire Magazine. Electric Shorts will give both unknown and established filmmakers the opportunity to have their work championed by a group of film and media experts, plus the chance to win £5,000 to make a film which will be screened at the world famous Electric Cinema.

(BEFORE YOU ENTER, PLEASE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE RULES AND TERMS LOCATED UNDER THE DETAILS SECTION)

TO PARTICIPATE:

-Write a 400 word pitch themed on “Desire”
-Go to <http://tlnt.at/ajMMWC>http://tlnt.at/ajMMWC
-Log in to your Talenthouse profile and click the ‘Participate’ button
-Submit your pitch in PDF format

–
Stephen Bishop
Talenthouse

eMail: stephen@talenthouse.com
Cell: +1 (408) 726-7751

“A decade ago, Ogden was still warming to the idea of being a Sundance Film Festival satellite site.

This year, locals marked their 13th anniversary of supporting Sundance. And the number of screenings has also increased. Back in 2000, Ogden got five feature films. This year, Sundance gave us 14.

We also welcome back the Foursite Film Festival in June for its seventh year, and last fall we celebrated the 10th annual Gangrene Film Festival in Layton. This year, the festivities fall on Sept. 3 at the Kenley Centennial Amphitheater.

A decade has made a major difference on the local film festival scene.

“I think we started out with about 20 people, at our first official festival,” said Craig Nybo, Gangrene programmer and co-founder. “Last year, we saw about 1,300 people.”

“In the past several years I’ve had the opportunity to participate in and listen to a lot of conversations about the shifting role of film festivals, particularly as those shifts apply to mid to high level independent festivals. There are a number of conflicting opinions on the role of film festivals – from ‘they’re useless and will die’ to ‘they are the future of theatrical’.

In truth, all theorizing aside, nobody knows the role film festivals will take over the course of the next few years because nobody know how time-based media will evolve. I do, nonetheless, believe that they can retain their relevance… if they adapt.”

Read the rest of this article from Work Book Project.

“If you are one of those people who went to film school and still cannot understand why they did not teach you how to get a job in the film industry, then I suggest that you stop complaining, gather up all the creative, hard working film production people you know, make yourself an independent film and enter it in some film festivals.

If you win an award at a prominent film festival your life may change very dramatically for the better. Even a small award at a small film festival will more than likely set you on the path to having a career in the film industry.”

Read the rest of this article from Art Skirt.

“Facets and the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (CICFF) are in search for several teens, ages 13-17, to serve as Facets Film Ambassadors and travel abroad as international film festival youth delegates.

Selected participants will be chosen to attend a film festival in Italy, Canada, India or Korea to jury films, attend filmmaking workshops, and produce a short film. The film festivals include the Giffoni International Film Festival in Giffoni, Italy, Seoul International Youth Filmmaking Camp in Seoul, Korea, Carrousel International Film Festival in Rimouski, Quebec, Canada, and the Golden Elephant Film Festival in Hyderabad, India.”

Read the rest of this article form Chicagoist.

“Since the birth of the moving picture, film has played an important role in the way people experience culture worldwide. This is apparent at the 400 film festivals which take place around the globe each year. These events give talented artists a venue to promote their work in front of a qualified, interested audience.

Like any dynamic art form, film is forever changing. New digital media have placed unknown independent artists on the same playing field as their more established, commercially-backed counterparts. Moreover, as access to cyberspace has become more universal, reaching the right audience has never been so easy.’

Read the rest of this article from Best Social Media Marketing Tips.

“I recently attended the IFFS Summit in Las Vegas, where I spoke about new online strategies for film festivals. The IFFS is kinda like a trade org (but less official) for film fests around the world, and the Summit I attended was exclusively US fests (they have another summit in Europe). I’ve also recently joined the advisory board, as the founder asked me to join and help contribute thoughts on the changes needed in the festival world.

I met some great people at the conference, and I was impressed with much of what I heard – festival directors were thinking a lot about the future of the business and how they fit. This wasn’t surprising – most festival people want their fests to be vibrant participants in the future of the field, much as they’ve been key parts of the past.”

Read the rest of this article from Spring Board Media.

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking
How to Work (and Survive) in the
Film and Television Industry
by Peter D. Marshall