The 67th Venice Film Festival will premiere the anticipated new action film, Machete, conceived as an expansion of the faux Grindhouse trailer, directed by Robert Rodriguez with Ethan Maniquis. The International Jury for the Competition at the 67th Venice International Film Festival has been selected, with American director and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino as president. American Director Julie Taymor’s The Tempest has been chosen as the closing night film (Out of Competition) for the close of the festival, September 11.
Each year the Salento International Film Festival introduces filmmakers worldwide to the Salento area’s resources, while celebrating the history and future of the film industry. This year the guest country is Mexico, and to celebrate the bicentenary of Mexican independence from Spain (1810 – 2010), and the centenary of Mexican revolution (1910-2010), Salento International Film Festival under the guidance of the Mexican Embassy in Italy will dedicate ample resources to the Mexican culture represented by its folklore, music, and traditional food. A traditional Mexican Fiesta Party happens September 3 while the festival continues till September 12.
UNESCO, the UN Office for Partnerships, and Wheel Houz combine efforts on International Literacy Day, Wednesday, September 8, for the Symposium, “Literacy: An Essential Foundation for Development” to be moderated by CBS News Chief National Correspondent and author, Bryon Pitts. Speakers include Laura Bush, Honorary Ambassador for the UN Literacy Decade; Irina Bokova, Director-General, UNESCO; and Jacob Atem, Founder, Home at Southern Sudan Health Care and former “Lost Boy of Sudan.” and creations by iconic 1970s pop artist, Peter Max. Seating is limited and early registration is strongly recommended.
Popkomm 2010 International Music Business Market and Showcase, presents artists to an international audience of interested specialists from the world of media and music at concerts and showcases in more than seven clubs and venues. Exhibiting labels are in attendance to showcase their artists who perform in all musical genres. There are three activity areas to Popkomm: B2C and B2B marketplaces, conference and festival — the live music segment of Popkomm. In 2010, Popkomm is an integral part of the first “Berlin Music Week”. Popkomm takes place in the historical (and decommissioned) Airport Berlin – Tempelhof, the world’s largest integrated building complex when it was built in 1923, and often referred to as the “mother of all airports”. It is still regarded third largest building in the world after Peking Airport and the Pentagon. The New Music Award together with the Popkomm opening party will take place at Airport Berlin – Tempelhof (entrance hall) on September 7, and the festival carries on through September 10.
The Americana Music Association is a professional trade organization whose mission is to provide a forum for the advocacy of Americana music, host a yearly Americana Conference, publish the weekly Americana Airplay Chart, produce the annual Americana Awards Show, participate in other industry events that advocate and support this genre of music noted as an amalgam of roots musics formed by a confluence of sounds from folk, country, rhythm & blues, rock & roll, but popularly referred to as alternative country. That includes the annual Convention & Festival, running this year, September 8-11 in Nashvillle.
SCENEPR!, a career event organizer and networking hub for media entrepreneurs and professionals working in independent film, launches its first major social event for the month, September 9, SoHo, New York, geared to a crowd made up of musical artists, filmmakers, photographers, models, and other creatives, to enjoy ambient sounds, exchange business cards and ideas. Attenders are also encouraged to bring headshots, postcards and other promotional material for distribution. With an international call for entries, the group is beginning a new short film series with subjects of any genre, shot in HD, titled, Cinematique, the first screening set for September 15 in Astoria. Then, on September 29, SCENEPR! presents “The Main Event,” a recurring event series for men (and women) who want to learn how to maximize their time, better their health, augment their careers, improve their looks/style, networking, education, male bonding, professional enrichment, and for fun.
BMI will present its President’s Award to founding member of the Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am, at the 10th Annual Urban Awards ceremony. The BMI President’s Award is presented on unique occasions recognizing an individual who has distinctly and profoundly influenced the entertainment industry. This honor celebrates will.i.am’s work as an artist, producer, and humanitarian. This invitation-only event will also honor the world’s premier r&b, rap and hip-hop songwriters, producers and publishers of the past year’s top urban music, as well as crown the Urban Songwriter, Song and Publisher of the Year. The Awards will be hosted by Del R. Bryant, President & CEO of BMI, and Catherine Brewton, Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Atlanta.
A recurring theme for this year’s annual Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival, September 9-12, is “Other Places”, and about 90% of film selections are non-US productions, helping to fulfill the festival mission of promoting cross-cultural understanding through film. Opening night there’s a sunset cocktail reception with live music on the roof of the Mansion House Inn overlooking Vineyard Haven harbor. Friday and Saturday night feature post-screening parties with world music, prepared appetizers, and refreshing drinks provided by festival sponsors. Closing night will be on the deck of the Vineyard Haven Marina where Festivalgoers will hear live bluegrass by Ballyhoo, appetizers by Vineyard faves Blue Canoe restaurant, Net Result, and Il Tesoro of the Charlotte Inn along with libations from the fest sponsors.
During this year’s 35th Toronto International Film Festival, opening September 9-19, industry professionals host the “Meet With…” series of informal and intimate information sessions on pressing topics in today’s film industry. The sessions give insight into the fundamentals of the business and craft of filmmaking. Filmmakers’ Lounge, formerly the Match Club, is a new meeting space for Festival filmmakers and industry professionals, and the site for panels and industry sessions as well as a place to meet, work, dine, have a drink and talk films. Now in its seventh year, Talent Lab is presented by Canadian Initiatives during the Toronto International Film Festival and is an intensive four-day artistic development program that provides emerging talent with an opportunity to learn from established film artists.
The West Coast Documentary and Reality Conference in Santa Monica, September 13-15, brings together accomplished producers, directors, writers, network executives, agents and distributors for stimulating discussions, as well as networking opportunities. WESTDOC runs two areas of professional interest, designated as The Documentary Village and The Reality Village. Attendees and speakers are able to take full advantage of both of these arenas and to select seminars from any village they choose. The third day of the conference is entirely devoted to PitchFest, a live presentation for Documentary and Reality producers to pitch new concepts to network and development executives for potential acquisition in front of a live audience.
The Oldenburg Film Festival is a non-competitive film festival, and embraces an “open” format for what it screens. There is a cinema-trailer part to the festival that is usually popular highlight, stressing off-beat innovations and ideas to stimulate the festival audience. Another feature of the festival, which goes from September 15-19, “Speed Pitch,” is overseen by the Wirtschaftsförderung Oldenburg, which functions as an economic development zone, which is focusing on the promotion of creative businesses by creating networks between economic development agencies and creative entrepreneurs.
The Boston Film Festival opens September 17-23 this year. This year there will be a 35th Anniversary screening on Opening Weekend of Steven Spielberg’s legendary film Jaws, starring Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfus. The festival’s Closing Night film is a special sneak preview of Iron Cross, a thriller starring the late Roy Scheider as Joseph, a retired New York police officer and Holocaust survivor. Evening receptions are hosted by the region’s signature chefs and restaurants where filmmakers are able to network, and for the festival’s closing night, special events will feature the recording Group Ernie and The Automatics with a special performance by James Montgomery.
As the annual Independent Film Week and Filmmaker Conference gets underway in New York, September 19-23, the Project Forum offers a meetings-driven forum connecting filmmakers who have new narrative and documentary projects with industry executives interested in identifying projects with which to become involved with at the financing or distribution stage. Another new section, IFP Independent Filmmaker Labs, will introduce and support “under-the-radar” new talents — first-time feature directors who have little previous industry exposure and live outside the film hubs of New York and LA — providing them with the access, mentorship and tools necessary to ensure that their unique stories reach audiences. Opening each day at the Filmmaker Conference, a “Conversations With…” series sponsored by Kodak, features one-on-one, in-depth discussions with luminary writers, directors, executives and new-media experts about their experiences in the industry and where filmmaking is heading next.
Held annually each fall in New York City, the birthplace of modern television, and this year from September 20-25, the New York Television Festival brings all interested parties together to celebrate the medium and to help shape its future. NYTVF’s Independent Pilot Competition has put in place a pipeline allowing producers, writers, and directors to showcase their original TV pilots directly to the decision-makers of the industry. Along with the Independent Pilot Competition, the Festival presents parties, seminars, and other special events designed to honor television as an institution and as an art form. Launched in 2007, the TV Festival PassPort Program offers an opportunity for outstanding TV producers, writers, and directors to showcase their work on an international stage through an exchange program.
Opening in Port of Spain September 22 and running through October 2, the trinidad + tobago film festival presented by FLOW and supported by Trinidad and Tobago Film Company, mounts an exhibition of films made in the Caribbean region, including Latin American countries in the Caribbean Basin, Caribbean people of the Diaspora, and international filmmakers that reflect Caribbean culture and way of life both in the Caribbean and the Diaspora. Also, continuing the ttff’s heritage initiative, that started last year with a focus on the cinema of India, the Festival is this year focusing on African cinema. Also, this year the ttff will present, in association with the Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brasil, a showcase of Brazilian cinema with Daniela Thomas who will be hosting a mini-retrospective of her work. During her slated time, she will be leading a workshop on directing feature length films with screenings of her work at Studio Film Club.
The Film Society of Lincoln Center opens the 48th New York Film Festival September 24, running it through October 10, in New York City. The Festival includes main slate program selections along with special events, panel discussions, the experimental film showcase, Views from the Avant-Garde, and more. The Film Society of Lincoln Center was founded in 1969 to celebrate American and international cinema, to recognize and support new filmmakers, and to enhance awareness, accessibility and understanding of the art among a broad and diverse film going audience. One NYFF special event will be, Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff, screening with A Matter of Life and Death and Dracula (George Melford, Director) the 1931 Spanish-language version of the classic tale freshly accompanied by an eerie live solo guitar performance by guitarist, composer, and Grammy-nominated songwriter Gary Lucas.
Opening in Nashville September 27 and running into October 3, International Bluegrass Music Association Week, the annual business conference for the bluegrass music industry with artist showcases, an exhibit hall totaling more than 100 booths, professional development seminars, member constituency meetings, one-on-one networking, and more. From October 1-3, certain highlighted activities will be, Fan Fest, an indoor music festival featuring performances by some of the industry’s top acts, a Masters Workshop Stage, a Roots & Branches Stage, exhibit hall, and scores of jam sessions. This year’s International Bluegrass Music Awards Show happens on September 30 of the event week. The After Hours presentations are part of the overall event, but are hosted by individual groups and organizations, and are ticketed and do require conference registration or a music pass to attend or take part in.
Organizers for the Pop Montreal International Music Festival claim to have an open interpretation of what pop music is, and so it admits a wide range of artists and genres. So as the program opens September 29, its FilmPop category will showcase, Dark Night Of The Soul is a music and visual art project put together by Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse and a host of guest vocalists with a collection of original David Lynch photography, who’s imagery is wholly inspired by and based on the music providing a visual narrative to the record. Then, aside from the music, Lil Biz, a small business conference for artists, designers and the self-employed, offers four workshops that are completely free. Puces Pop Record Fair, will be a two day Record Fair in the Mile End featuring volumes of record collectors, instrument repairs and international and local indie record labels. This event runs along side Puces POP, Montreal’s largest do-it-yourself festival where over one hundred local and international artists, crafters, and indie record labels come to sell their wares.
The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the “Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events” page which will now have a language translation button to convert its contents into any chosen language. The companion video news summary can be found on the podcast blog as well as on the most popular video sharing sites. Last month the video news summary featured Grey Duck Production’s ‘The Telephone Game’, Matt Oakey of Toronto based music and film producers, Padded Cell Productions with ‘Little Noise’, Indian Slap Bass master out of Kerala, India, Jayen Varma, Parisian film director Vince Bosco with latest work, ‘Beyond Love’, Pop Rock band out of São Paulo, MegaRex. Follow the posting of the news summary on Twitter. Streaming video can now be played directly into your Real Media Player, and your Windows Media Player. Past video from the monthly video news summary is archived on the Free Home Video Showcase which now serves as an archive for all past video presentations but without the audio news narration.
Tags: director julie taymor, folklore music, grindhouse trailer, international film festival, international literacy day, literacy decade, mexican independence from spain, mexican revolution 1910, venice film festival, venice international film festival