Seattle Film Critics Association to Hold Inaugural Meeting

A Much Needed Addition to Our Film Industry

6/25/08: Seattle finally has something any city taking its film industry seriously should have - a film critics association. Founder Mike Caccioppoli was responsible for creating the Las Vegas Film Critics Society and told us "It's amazing that we don't have one especially as Seattle's reputation in the film world is expanding so rapidly."

The Seattle Seattle Film Critics Association will hold its first meeting this coming Friday, June 27 at 7pm at the Uptown Espresso at 2504 4th Ave., Belltown, (4th & Wall.). All welcome.

For further information, email Seattle Film Critics Association.

 

Congratulations to Local Producer/Actor Joe Rosati

6/14/08: New Empire Productions producer and actor, Joe Rosati, is having quite a year. At the close of last year Joe had two films, "Limbo" and "All About Haggarty", in the Tacoma Film Festival. Joe also acted as producer on Sarah Jane Road, which the pre-release trailer is a finalist in the Boomtown Film and Music Festival in Beaumont, Texas. This June features Joe in two more film festivals, but this time as an actor.

"Limbo" will be part of the Seattle True Independent Film Festival and will be screened June 15 th at 9:30 pm at the Central Cinema. Joe Rosati is also a featured actor in the film "Visioneers" which played at the Seattle International Film Festival June 12 and 14th. You can contact New Empire at info@newempire-productions.com.

 

Seattle Film Continues to Grow - "The Day My Parents Became Cool" Gets Go-Ahead

Film Starts Shooting in June

6/9/08: "The Day My Parents Became Cool" is scheduled to start shooting in Seattle this month. The film was written by Steve Edminston, a Seattle filmmaker who has written such award winning films as "The Spy and the Sparrow", "A Relative Thing" and "Farewell to Harry".

University of Oregon student Megan Joy will be playing the lead role and apparently she claims to be a champion ear-wiggler. We hope to keep you up to date on the progress of this film as they move towards completion.

 

Deadline Approaches for Seattle's "3-Week Intensive"

6/8/08: Stewart Stern, Oscar-winning writer of the cinema classic "Rebel Without a Cause" has found his cause. His mission, along with the four other instructors of Seattle’s TheFilmSchool, all active leaders in the film industry, is to elevate the art of storytelling in film.

The result is an intensive twice-yearly course, described by one former student as ‘a screenwriting boot-camp’ -- 12-hour days, 6 days a week for 3 weeks. Classes include Warren Etheredge's ‘Such a Character’, John Jacobsen's 'The Play’s the Thing’ and ‘Where’s the Structure’, Stern's own class 'The Personal Connection’, Writer/Director Rick Stevenson’s course, ‘The Storyteller’s Conservatory’ and finally actor Tom Skerrit's ' ‘On Your Feet’.

To learn more, visit www.thefilmschool.com. Deadline for the Summer Session is June 20th.

 

Billy Baldwin to Join Cast of Seattle Film

6/2/08: Actor Billy Baldwin has agreed to join "The Off Hours" cast in the role of Oliver, a single father and truck driver who passes through the diner and has a great effect on Francine, the waitress. He is currently starring in the role of Patrick darling on ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money" alongside Donald Sutherland and Peter Krause. The recruitment of Baldwin is a big coup for Megan Griffiths and Lacey Leavitt who describe themselves as thrilled.

See Prost Amerika's interview with "The Off Hours" Megan Griffiths and Lacey Leavitt here.

 

SIFF 2008 Opening Night

5/23/08: Amie Simon reports: "Although it’s true that the title 'Battle in Seattle' sounds like a monster truck rally (as noted by Andre Benjamin’s character in the film), I have to admit, it surprised me. I went into this screening prepared to hate what I assumed would be a melodramatic, over-acted, heavy-handed piece on the WTO riots – but what I saw was actually pretty good."

For the full story go to Amie's Siff Blog.

 

SIFF Media Screenings Herald Some Great Entertainment

5/17/08: Members of the Seattle film journalistic world have been preparing for SIFF by reviewing this year's offerings as fast as they can. There's a good section of local filmmakers represented in this year's collection with Deirdre Timmons making her debut as a director with "A Wink and A Smile", a documentary about ten local women who train to be burlesque dancers.

Lynn Shelton's work "My Effortless Brilliance" has made it through selection and as well as being set in Washington State, contains a clutch of local actors including Harvey Danger lead singer, Sean Nelson.

Prost Amerika has acquired the services of some high profile guest reviewers to bolster our own dedicated team and has set out to achieve 100 feature film reviews this festival. To see what's hot and what's not, please visit the SIFF 2008 Page.

So far Fatih Akin's "Edge of Heaven" has been the pick of the bunch but there is some other great material and we are adding more reviews daily. We are also sending out a Weekly Newsletter during SIFF to keep you informed of what we think is worth getting out the house for.

 

Sir Ben Kingsley Earns Golden Space Needle

5/14/08: The Hollywood Reporter announced that Sir Ben Kingsley will be honored with a 2008 Golden Space Needle award for acting during the Seattle International Film Festival. Kingsley will be presented the award on May 25 before the premiere of "Elegy," an upcoming Samuel Goldwyn release in which he stars, and he will also be feted at a tribute dinner. SIFF runs May 22-June 15.

 

"Cthulhu" Picked Up for Distribution

5/11/08: Seattle-based Dan Gildark's feature film "Cthulu" has been picked up by Regent Releasing for worldwide distribution. This will include a theatrical platform release in Seattle and Portland as well as pay-per-view showings on the Here! Channel. Regent, the company responsible for releasing films such as "Shelter" and "Gods and Monsters," primarily focus on horror and gay/lesbian films.

Read more about it on the Stranger's slog

 

"Shrek - The Musical" Says Hello Seattle!

Local girl, Keaton Whittaker cast as Young Fiona.

4/27/08: More than 1100 enthusiastic people gave up their Sunday afternoon to descend on Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theater. That is not remarkable in itself. They do some good stuff there but what was remarkable was that, they weren’t going to see a show. They poured into the theater to find out about a show that won’t even be here for four months.

Such is the power of Shrek – the Musical; destined to be the most welcome arrival in Seattle since Ichiro. The 5th Avenue Theatre hosted a Spotlight event to introduce its patrons and the press to Shrek. Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation, welcomed the crowd. He made no enemies at all by declaring the 5th Avenue to be “the most beautiful theater in the world.”

He left 5th Avenue Theatre’s own Producing Artistic Director, David Armstrong in charge and David introduced SHREK THE MUSICAL co-producers, Caro Newling and Bill Damaschke, where we learned about some of the early history of Shrek-the Movie. and Shrek the caricature. New Yorker cartoonist William Steig first drew the cartoon ogre for a children’s book in 1990. Damaschke said that the turning point in the movie's rise to greatness was when they attributed a Scottish accent to the ogre. Well no-one at Prost Amerika is going to disagree with that. (We might try the same some day.)

On the decision to launch the pre-Broadway show here, Damaschke talked of Seattle as having a ‘strong, smart sophisticated audience and a passion for new work.’ Since Hairspray launched here in 2001, Seattle and especially the 5th Avenue Theater have been in much demand by musicals. “The calls just keep coming in”, David Armstrong told us.

In the second segment, Armstrong was joined by the musical’s director Jason Moore and two of its creators, composer Jeanine Tesori and book writer and lyricist David Lindsay-Abaire. After the discussion, they treated us to a song from the musical in what can only be described as an unusual exclusive. For writers, it has to be said that Jeanine and David make decent singers! Their renditions of “Big Bright Beautiful World” and “I Could Get Used to This” provoked laughter not at their singing, but at some genuinely funny lines.

Later on, Christopher Sieber joined them on stage. Christopher will take the role of Lord Farquaad and performed one of the songs, “Daddy Was A Miner”. He was ably backed by some local singers including Kat Ramsburg who starred as Gooch in 'Mame' at the 5th.

All the actors will be cast in New York except the part of Young Fiona who will be cast in Seattle. It has just been announced that eleven-year-old Keaton Whittaker, has won the part.

Whittaker lives in Bothell, WA with her family and attends King’s Elementary School in Shoreline. She played the role of ‘Susan’ in The 5th Avenue Theatre’s production of White Christmas and appeared in the children’s ensemble of Whistle Down the Wind. She starred as ‘Scout’ in Intiman Theatre’s production of To Kill a Mockingbird and appeared as ‘the Narrator’ in Village Theatre’s Kidstage production of Aladdin.

The show begins on August 14th at the 5th Avenue and will run for 4 weeks of preview showings and then a further two weeks. Single tickets for SHREK THE MUSICAL go on sale on June 13. Tickets will be available over the phone by calling (206) 625-1900 (toll free 888-5TH-4TIX / 888-584-4849), online at www.5thavenue.org or in person at the box office in downtown Seattle. Season ticket packages including SHREK THE MUSICAL are available now.

 

"Outsourced" Big in Germany

4/25/08: Seattle's own "Outsourced" was in the German box office top 20 in April, and its popularity is still spreading as Cannes approaches. Stay tuned for more updates.

"Outsourced" will open in India in June!

See the "Outsourced" site for more details.

 

Seattle Film Crew Released in Niger Delta

4/16/08: Four members of a Seattle-based group filming "Sweet Crude", a documentary about oil production in the Níger Delta, who had been detained in the Niger Delta have been released.

Director Sandy Cioffi, Tammi Sims, Cliff Worsham and Sean Porter entered the country legally on April 5th, having notified authorities about their intentions to film and to make a visit to a library they had helped build.

Security forces fighting militants in the Niger Delta consider much of the vast wetland region a military zone and have barred outsiders from traveling there without express consent by authorities. Nigerian Brig. Gen. Wuyep Rintip said the group was seized Saturday for flouting the ban and were to be flown to the capital, Abuja.

Heather Ayres, a Seattle filmmaker and a close friend of Mr Porter told us "Hearts are overjoyed right now!"

 

Grand Illusion Cinema Celebrates Bette Davis Centennial

4/14/08: Hollywood legend Bette Davis is the subject of a tribute film series this month at the Grand Illusion: "Fasten Your Seat Belts: Bette Davis Turns 100." Screening daily through May 1 (and late-night on weekends through May 10), the series features seven of her iconic films, from her early years as a Warner Bros. contract player to her late-career revival in the horror genre.

Read the full Seattle Times story here, or visit the Grand Illusion website.

 

Washington State Screenplay Competition

4/14/08: The Northwest Screenwriters Guild and Northwest Film Forum have launched their 11th annual competition in search of regional talent. Screenplays must be one of the following: written by a Washington resident, 50 percent set in Washington, or filmable in Washington. Prizes include display ads in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter; a staged reading with a cast of Seattle actors; and one-year memberships in NWSG and NWFF.

Submission forms, rules and guidelines can be found at the NWFF website.

 

TheFilmSchool Now Accepting Applications

4/14/08: TheFilmSchool will be offering its Summer Session starting July 5, 2008. The 3-Week Intensive is TheFilmSchool's most popular program, teaching the principles and mechanisms of structure and character, as well as the fundamentals of storytelling, through seven distinct courses. Students in this program come from all walks of life and all levels of filmmaking to be a part of this unique program and to prepare for work in the film industry.

For more information see TheFilmSchool's website.

 

Seattle Polish Film Festival

4/14/08: The 16th Annual Seattle Polish Film Festival will be held from April 18th-27th at the Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at Seattle Center's McCaw Hall (SIFF Cinema). All films are in Polish with English subtitles, unless otherwise noted. A variety of Polish films will be shown, from commercial successes to independent ventures, and guests will include actors Tomasz Kot, Artur Żmijewski and Agnieszka Grochowska, and directors Dariusz Gajewski and Jacek Bromski.

For more information see the Seattle Polish Film Festival website.

 

Seattle in Top 10 Movie Cities

4/7/08: Seattle has been ranked seventh in MovieMaker Magazine's eighth annual countdown of the best places to live, work, and make movies. Factors included talent pool and production facilities, local enthusiasm, film festivals, and especially financial incentives for making film here.

Read the full Moviemaker article here.

 

WashingtonFilmWorks Legislative Update

4/7/08: WashingtonFilmWorks is pleased to announce that the state legislature unanimously passed SSB 6423. This bill goes far to improve upon the legislation passed in March 2006, and makes several changes to the current law. It allows the B&O tax credit to remain at a dollar for dollar amount, eliminates the $1 million per production cap, changes the investment requirement for TV commercials from $250,000 to $150,000, and modifies the governing board to staggered 4-year terms. Governor Gregoire signed the bill in Spokane on Thursday March 20 and the changes to the program will be implemented this June.

For more information visit the WshingtonFilmWorks website.

 

Seattle's Team Juicebox Wins First Round of International Documentary Challenge

4/7/08: "Ars Magna," a project by the local filmmakers of Team Juicebox, has won the first round of the International Documentary Challenge. Based around a local anagramist and baker in West Seattle, the documentary will be competing in the final round at the Hot Docs Toronto film festival in April.

For more information visit the International Documentary Challenge website.

 

NFFTY – a Successful and Welcome Addition to the Seattle Film Calendar

4/3/08: NFFTY 2008 wound up with a screening of the NFFTY Earth Award-winning "March Point". This remarkable film was made by three youngsters from the Swinomish reservation who learnt their filmmaking skills on the job. Originally the three teenagers, Cody Cayou, Nick Clark and Travis Tom, wanted to make a gangster film but soon the haunting presence of a spewing power station on land allegedly stolen from the Swinomish became their focus. The result was "March Point".

Over 70 films, 9 filmmaking panels, workshops and meet the filmmakers seminars later, the event is a more than welcome addition to Seattle’s already crowded film festival calendar. Co-promoter Todd Girouard estimates there are now more than 20 established film festivals in Seattle, and one of the goals is to bring them together for greater co-operation, especially in the fields of marketing and promotion.

That notwithstanding, the work begins for NFFTY 2009 as soon as the organizers have recovered from their sleep deprivation.

Full List of NFFTY 08 Festival Film Awards

Jury Awards:

Best Feature - Through and Away
Best Short - Father Time
Best Animation - Animal Instincts
Best Music Video - Two Angels
Best Experimental - Spaced Out
Best Documentary - Touching Sound

Audience Choice Awards:

Favorite Feature - Interception
Favorite Short - Soldiers of Necker
Favorite Documentary - Memorium
Favorite Very Young Filmmaker - One Light
Favorite High School Filmmaker - The End is Near
Favorite Music/Animation/Experimental - Touch the Stars

Plus: NFFTY Earth Award - March Point
Thomson Young Innovator of the Year - Animal Instincts

 

Seattle's "My Effortless Brilliance" Wins at SXSW

4/1/08: "My Effortless Brilliance" by Seattle-based filmmaker Lynn Shelton won in the narrative features competition at the SXSW Film Festival. The film was directed by Shelton and cowritten (and largely improvised) by her and the cast, including Basil Harris, Calvin Reeder, Jeanette Maus, and Sean Nelson.

Read the full Stranger story here.

 

Langston Hughes African American Film Festival

4/1/08: Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center will host its Fifth Annual African American Film Festival April 12-20, featuring a powerful lineup of documentaries, narratives, film shorts and animation. The festival includes a record number of entries from emerging and established filmmakers from around the world.

For more information see the Langston Hughes website.

 

NWFF Spring Gala April 26

3/30/08: The Northwest Film Forum is hosting its Annual Spring Gala, this year entitled "You Asked For It!" Become the sponsor of a fabulous night of celebration with the local film community on April 26, 2008. It is an incredible event that brings together filmmakers, talent, industry vendors, exhibitors, investors, production and post-production professionals.

For more information see the NWFF website

 

NFFTY Opening Night a Success

3/29/08: Over three hundred people descended on SIFF on March 28th for the opening night of the National Film Forum for Talented Youth. Sleep-deprived organiser Jesse Harris struggled to keep his eyes open and a big smile closed as months of effort and planning came to fruition in a way only he and co-promoter, Todd Girouard, could have dreamed of.

Enthusiastic filmmakers were joined by young film fans and a few curious adults to watch five films on screen chosen for the opening night. The following films were featured:

The Last Stand (Jason Zeldes, California)
Animal Instincts (Cameron Edser and Michael Richards, Australia)
Nice Touch (Kevin Vitz-Wong, Seattle)
Father Time (Erica Sterne, California)
Touching Sound (Shannalee Otanez, Utah)

The two South Australians also took the Thompson prize. Together they make up Guru Animations.

Afterwards the party moved to the nearby EMP, where the talented youths partied well past their bedtimes!

The festival continues through the weekend till Sunday 30th March.

 

"Meeting Resistance" at NWFF

3/16/08: Prost Amerika review - This documentary is a testimony to the hard work of Molly Bingham and Steve Connors. They travel to occupied Iraq and managed to gain the confidence of Iraqi resistance fighters who, we can assume, may have cause to be suspicious of Americans and English (Connors is from Sheffield). "Meeting Resistance" is a totally unforgettable experience for anyone who wants to see beyond the platitudes of normal news media.

Some will undoubtedly accuse them of making an anti-American movie, but it should never be forgotten that the role of a documentarian is to document.

Meeting such characters as the Fugitive, and the Fighter, the film allows us a new insight into just who we are encountering in Iraq and why. Finally, there is some simply outstanding operational footage which alone makes the film worth seeing.

 

Three-Minute Masterpiece Digital Film Contest

3/14/08: The Seattle Times and SIFF present the third annual Three-Minute Masterpiece competition. Just use your digital-video camera to make a film on any subject you like, as long as it's suitable for a family-newspaper audience. (No sex, violence or bad language, please.) It must be three minutes or less. Then upload it to YouTube. E-mail the link to talktous@seattletimes.com, and we'll add it to our YouTube playlist. Note that if you use music in your film, you must have permission! The contest winner will see their film shown at SIFF 2008. Deadline is April 18.

For more information see the Seattle Times website.

 

Special Guest Reviewer Kathy Fennessy on "La Chinoise" at NWFF

3/13/08: "La Chinoise" doesn't concern the Chinese—not directly, at any rate—but rather communism, revolution, and youthful naïveté. Jean-Pierre Léaud's Guillaume, a Brechtian actor, and his student friends have slogans for every occasion, from "A minority with the right ideas is not a minority" to the oft-quoted "It is necessary to confront vague ideas with clear images." Every few minutes, they paint new ones on the walls or scribble them on the blackboards that populate their borrowed flat (Godard's glowing red and blue intertitles also read like slogans).

The dialogue extends the theme when the revolutionaries offer conversational gambits like, "We must be different from our parents" and "Reactionaries are paper tigers." All the while, unidentified cameramen, such as Raoul Coutard, capture their every move. Guillaume's flatmates include part-time prostitute Yvonne (Juliet Berto from Jacques Rivette's Celine and Julie Go Boating and Out 1), Yvonne's engineer boyfriend, Henri (Andy Warhol look-alike Michel Semeniako), and Guillaume's girlfriend, Véronique (Godard's second wife, Anne Wiazemsky, best known for Robert Bresson's Au Hasard Balthazar).

It's hard to tell if this was Godard's intention, but except for Guillaume, they come across as brain-washed zombies during the first two "movements." It's not that politics—particularly revolutionary politics—are dull, it's that people who talk about nothing but politics are dull. The slogans and literary quotations are interesting, but these collegiates rarely speak their own words. They're mouthpieces for others.

Fortunately, that changes once philosopher/activist Francis Jeanson enters the scene. His train-set conversation with Véronique during the third movement al- lows her to speak for herself—and to defend her deadly intentions. The eeriest part about this sequence is that her justifications for wanting to, um, blow shit up echo the unrepentant ramblings of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.

But even at their most schematic—and "La Chinoise" is a distinct step in that direction—Godard's films are always worth seeing (and the key word here is seeing). His color-coded collage-like approach, in which classical music ming- les with comic book art, still looks fresh—and feels even more radical than the politics at hand.

While the characters in "La Chinoise" rave about Nicholas Ray, the film they occupy lacks the emotional complexity that makes Ray's movies sing. With "Contempt", Godard proves he can break hearts, too. That said, only "La Chinoise" features Claude Channes's Marxist-Leninist pop manifesto "Mao Mao." Everybody now: "Vietnam burns / and me I spurn Mao Mao / Johnson giggles / and me I wiggle Mao Mao..."

 

NFFTY 2008 Tickets on Sale; Full Schedule Announced

3/14/08: The National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) kicks off March 28. Three great days featuring 73 youth-made films from across the country, nine filmmaking panels, two concerts and much more! Grab your seat at Opening Night, Friday March 28: Gala Screening, Catered after-party and concert at EMP|SFM Sky Church featuring The Next Door Neighbors. Check out the full schedule and get your tickets online now.

For more information see the NFFTY website.

 

Seattle Filmmakers Compete in Documentary Challenge

3/6/08: Husband-wife team Rustin Thompson and Ann Hedreen will make a short nonfiction film for the International Documentary Challenge, which requires entrants to make their film in just 5 days! They plan to shoot in the Seattle area and will edit at their home-based studio. Thompson and Hedreen own White Noise Productions and are known for both long-form and short-form filmmaking. Recent full-length documentary films include "The Church on Dauphine Street", "Quick Brown Fox: An Alzheimer's Story", and "30 Frames a Second: The WTO in Seattle."

For more about the International Documentary Challenge see their website.

 

International Short Film Festival Calls for Entries

3/6/08: The 6th International Short Film Festival (Balchik, Bulgaria) is calling for submissions of short films in many categories. What started as a small student film festival has gradually become one of the most prestigious and recognized film festivals on the Balkans. The deadline for submitting films is April 15th, 2008.

See the International Short Film Festival website for more information and to submit your film.

 

Urban Film Series Calls for Films and More

3/6/08: The Next Generation Awareness Foundation is seeking films, participants, volunteers, sponsors and press for its 2008 Urban Film Series programs. The next deadline is April 1st for the "Urban Film & Discussion Series."

See the Urban Film Series website for more information and to submit your film.

 

11th Annual Irish Reels Film Festival at Seattle Center

3/6/08: The 11th Annual Irish Reels Film Festival will be held in Center House at the Seattle Center on Saturday and Sunday, March 15 & 16, from Noon until 5:30 PM each day, and admission is free. Now in its eleventh year, the Irish Reels Film Festival presents a wonderful collection of refreshing and exciting new works in Irish cinema. These screenings are a featured part of the Irish Week celebrations presented by the Irish Heritage Club.

See the Irish Reels website for more information.

 

Reel Youth Showcase & Benefit

3/6/08: Showcasing the best of youth filmmaking, West Seattle's Reel Youth Film Festival on March 15th is an insightful and entertaining series of shorts made by youth 19 years and under. The films are selected by a youth jury from this year's collection, featuring innovative new filmmakers from across Canada, the US, and beyond.

See the Reel Youth website for more information.

 

Prost Amerika and NWFF Present "Senator Obama Goes to Africa"

3/7/08: Award-winning filmmakers Bob Hercules and Keith Walker (Slamdance Festival Winner “Forgiving Dr. Mengele”) traveled with Senator Obama on his recent trip to the land of his ancestry, getting unique access to the man who may be our next President. Thousands of people turned out to greet him in Kisumu, an experience described as “completely overwhelming” by Michelle Obama. He also visited Darfur refugee camps and South Africa.

This stunning documentary has never before been shown cinematically. NWFF will be holding the world premiere showing on March 25.

 

2/18/08: Fifth Annual Post Alley Film Festival Feb 23rd

Women in Film Seattle presents the Fifth Annual Post Alley Film Festival, at the Market Theater, Post Alley, Pike Place Market. The festival features short films by both established and emerging filmmakers.

12:30 pm doors open: Introduction by Virginia Bogert, Curator, President Women in Film/Seattle

Featured films are:

1pm: Window, Victoria Livingstone; 5 O’Clock Escape (student film); Diggers, Cheryl Slean, Susan LaSalle and Mark Titus; Numb, Matt Daniels; The Girl Who Swallowed Bees, Paul McDermott; Justine Kerrigan; Badgered, Sharon Colman; Portrait #2 Trojan, Vanessa Renwick; Earthquake, James Brett and Charlotte Adkin.

2.15pm: Boxed In, Joy L. Reed; Family Reunion, Isold Uggadottir; Travel Queeries, Elliat Graney-Saucke; Look Sharp, Amy Gebhardt; Roberta Wells, Cat Handler and Nevie Owens.

4pm: Night Deposit, Monika Mitchell; Coldcalling, Johan Liedgren and Elizabeth Heile; Upheaval, Itamar Kubovy.

5.15pm: Bitch, Lilah Vandenburgh; The Quality of Mercy, Stephen Marro; Transgressions, Valerie Weiss; High Maintenance, Phillip Van; Anticipating Sarah, Seth Edelstein; Baiano, Elisabetta Bernardini; Auf Dem Feld, Phillipp Wolf; Pick Up, Manuel Schapira; Kom, Marianne O. Ulrichsen.

All films will be screened at the Market Theater at 1428 Post Alley

7:30 pm: Q&A with filmmakers Meet at the Alibi Room, Post Alley, Pike Place Market.

$18 General admission, $13 WIF, SIFF, NW Screenwriters Guild, & The FilmSchool. The proceeds will benefit Women in Film/Seattle and Pike Place Preschool. Tickets available at Brown Paper Tickets.

See the festival website for more details.

 

Youth Film Festival Comes to Seattle

2/16/08: The selection process for the 2nd Annual National Film Festival for Talented Youth is finally over. There will be 73 films; five full length feature films, 30 short films and 21 documentaries will be screened with the remainder being music videos, animation and experimental. Filmmakers of ages 12-21 are contributing and many are flying in from around the country, contributing to the local economy as well as the local film scene.

The Festival opens on March 28 with films at 5pm and an Opening Night gala at 7:30pm at SIFF Cinema, and there will be an after-party and concert at EMP. The centerpiece Film, Jonathan Ade's "Through and Away", will be shown on Saturday March 29 at 7:00pm. Other events include a Meet the Filmmakers Coffee at Pan Pacific Hotel Sunday 10:00am and the Closing Night Awards on Sunday at 7:00pm. John Jeffcoat, who made the hit film Outsourced, is among the judges.

The idea for the NFFTY started when an eight year old, Jesse Harris, held his first video camera and filmed his friend riding a bike up and down the street. That was Jesse's first movie. Nine years later at the age of 17, he wrote, directed and produced a feature length film called "Living Life". The film tells the story of a teenage boy battling cancer and how he changes other people’s lives in the process of reconciling himself to his illness. Despite profits from prior projects and donations from individuals and organizations, Jesse's only option for funding it was with money he had saved up for college. A hard choice, but it was his dream to make this film.

In 2004, at the age of 18, he partnered with FilmMates Entertainment for completion and distribution of "Living Life", becoming the youngest known American director to obtain multi-city theatrical release and distribution of a feature film. The film still plays on HBO in central Europe.

When the story became known by other young filmmakers from across the globe, they started emailing him, requesting that he watch their films and give them advice. One young filmmaker who caught his eye was Bellevue High School student Jocelyn, who shared his passion and frustration with the lack of funding and resources for young filmmakers.

"Sundance" For Young Filmmakers

The idea would not go away and Jesse, Jocelyn and Ballard High School graduate, Kyle Seago, formed The Talented Youth, a 501(c)(3) non profit organization. Jesse says, "Our first goal is NFFTY, the National Film Festival for Talented Youth. We want to make Seattle the Sundance for young filmmakers."

Jesse is a native Seattleite and says they chose Seattle because "it obviously has a great movie going audience and a very good sense of community. Although an LA resident for the past 3.5 years, I just wanted to have NFFTY be in Seattle. LA already has a thriving movie and film festival scenes, Seattle has a strong one, but I feel we can make it much stronger."

Prost Amerika is proud to support this festival and we will be posting more information and the full schedule nearer the time. Meanwhile please call or email Todd Girouard (206.428.3074 ext. 701 | todd@nffty.org) for further information or if you want to volunteer.

http://www.nffty.org/

 

"The Rape of Europa" at SIFF Cinema This Week

2/14/08: "The Rape of Europa" is a fascinating documentary about the fate of Europe's art and cultural treasures before, during and after World War II. A combination of archival footage and interviews are skillfully cobbled together to bring us images and eye witness accounts of the Nazis' attempt to both ethnically cleanse Europe's art, and agglomerate the remainder in their own hands.

Later on it follows those US Army specialists whose thankless task it was to try and persuade the army to make protecting Europe's culture a factor in planning their military attacks, especially in the Italian campaign. It is with the campaigns for Florence and Montecassino that "Rape of Europa" reaches a tension almost unheard of in a documentary.

There are some spine chilling moments and some real heroes. More of this type of stuff please SIFF.

 

New Film Series at EMP|SFM

2/12/08: EMP|SFM, in partnership with The Warren Report, presents a new film series, Exposed: Inside Film at EMP|SFM. The series includes new films, cult favorites and classic sci-fi and music films. Each screening is followed by a behind-the-scenes look through an interactive discussion with actors, directors or screenwriters associated with the film. The screenings and discussions are hosted by local film connoisseur Warren Etheredge or an EMP|SFM curator. There will be a film-themed happy hour before the screenings at Revolution Bar & Grill, with appetizer and drink specials from 5:30 to 7 pm. Admission is free to EMP|SFM members and The Warren Report members, and general admission is $5.

See the EMP|SFM website for more details.

 

WashingtonFilmWorks Fundraising Campaign

2/12/08: WashingtonFilmWorks has launched our 2008 fundraising campaign with a goal to raise $3.5M to incentivize film production statewide. Washington based businesses that contribute to the fund may receive a business and occupation (B&O) tax credit equal to the cash contribution. To find out more about how to contribute please visit our website or call at 206.264.0667.

 

Kathy Fennessy on "Eight Deadly Shots" (from NWFF's "Sisu Cinema: Nine From the Finnish New Wave")

2/11/08: "Inspired by a 1969 incident concerning Tauno Veikko Pasanen (with whom Niskanen consulted), Eight Deadly Shots examines the rigors of rural life from the inside out. It's one thing to live off the fat of the land; it's another when that land ceases to yield produce of any value, especially when there are no other options available."

"Farmer Pasí (Niskanen, looking every inch the Bressonian anti-hero) lives with his wife (Tarja-Tuulikki Tarsala) and children in the isolated mountain village of Konginkangas. There's plenty of love to go around, but times are tight. To supplement their meager income, Pasí distills liquor. It's stronger than the stuff the government provides. So, after a hard day's work, he gets together with his buddies, brews up a batch, sells a few bottles, and drinks himself into oblivion."

Read the full review here.

 

Screenwriters Salon at 911 Media Arts Center

2/10/08: Screenwriters Salon: Art + Commerce; Wednesday, February 13, 2008. What makes a story idea both personal and commercial? In screenwriting, finding a balance between art and commerce is important. If you want to get your film made and be proud of what you've created in regional filmmaking centers like the NW, there is often a stigma attached to creating a filmthat is commercial. This salon will explore the balance of creating a commercially-viable script that is also creative and artistic. Panelists include Michael Caldwell and Geof Miller. This event will be held at the 911 Media Arts Center screening room, located at 402 9th Avenue North, in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle. Contact lacey@ifpseattle.org for more information.

 

WashingtonFilmWorks Update

2/8/08: WashingtonFilmWorks is currently working with lobbyist Jim Hedrick to pass legislation that strengthens the production tax incentive program. Legislation has been introduced in the House (HB 2872) and Senate (SB 6423) and aims to...

• Allow the B&O tax credit to remain at dollar for dollar (the credit is currently scheduled to decrease to 90% in 2008)
• Increase the statewide program cap from $3.5M to $10M
• Eliminate the $1M cap per production
• Change the spending threshold for commercials from $250,000 to $150,000
• Stagger 4-year terms of each Board member

The bill is scheduled for a hearing in front of the Senate Committee on Ways & Means. We don't want this bill to be amended in committee and we need your help to make this happen!

Please contact your legislator--write to them, e-mail them or call! Explain how this industry impacts your life and tell your story. This is a short session (which is over March 13) so do not delay and reach out to your legislators today. Who is your representative? Visit www.leg.wa.gov.

This announcement was copied from the Washington Film Works Blog site.

 

Prost Amerika Co-Presents "Eden" at SIFF Cinema

2/6/08: Prost Amerika is proud to co-present Michael Hoffman's "Eden" along with SIFF Cinema and Slow Foods Seattle. Winner of Audience Awards at the Rotterdam Film Festival and the Port Townsend Film Festival, Eden is a toothsome confection about chef Gregor, a big man with big appetites. Gregor's passion is his food—an astonishing assortment of culinary delights he creates at his exclusive restaurant. His love is waitress Eden, who is in a stagnant marriage, and is the sole support of her daughter Leonie who has Downs Syndrome. How Gregor's passion for his work and his love for Eden interact is the heart of the story. And though things may not work out in a storybook fashion befitting the Black Forest setting, they do lead to a satisfying and richly deserved ending. The food in the film was created by Michelin-starred chef Frank Oehler, who dubs his food "Cucina Erotica". This lusty film illuminates the accuracy of the term. Starring Josef Ostendorf and Charlotte Roche.

Eden plays at SIFF Cinema February 22-28. See the SIFF event page for more information or to purchase tickets.

 

Seattle Jewish Film Festival April 3-13

2/2/08: The 13th annual Seattle Jewish Film Festival will have its "Bar Mitzvah" starting April 3rd and will feature "coming of age" films to celebrate. The festival ranks among the top five of its kind in the country, is the largest Jewish event in the Pacific Northwest and a mainstay of the Seattle arts and entertainment scene.

See the festival website for more details.

 

Grants Available for Seattle Artists

2/2/08: Funding up to $10,000 is available for Seattle artists in the visual and literary arts, film, media arts and screenwriting through CityArtists Projects. The program, funded by the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, encourages development of art and the expression of Seattle's diversity. For artists interested in applying, an information session will be held on Feb 4th 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle.

Applications and guidelines are available at www.seattle.gov/arts. Application deadline is March 17.

 

Seattle Women in Film DVD Release Party - a great success

1/26/08: Over 200 people gathered at 911 Media to celebrate the launch of the Seattle Women in Film DVD. Most of the contributing directors attended and the event was complemented by burlesque, music and food.

There was a general feeling among the filmmakers that great progress has been made in Seattle and it ranks now as one of the best places to be a filmmaker of either gender, but especially for women.

Sue Corcoran, Director of von Piglet Productions, whose film “Circus of Infinity” features on the DVD, said: “It’s great to be in such great company. This town has got better for people to be able to reach out to each other. Seattle is a really great place to be a filmmaker. I really know so many people and they are so supportive of local work. It’s come a long way.” Sue arrived in Seattle from Chicago 13 years ago and is the director of the feature length film “Gory Gory Hallelujah”. Ann Coppel, who made “I Am Ann” for the DVD, commented that there is a difficult challenge for female directors but that a ‘great effort had been made by all’ to get the DVD out and promote the work being done by women in Seattle.

Many of the contributors have already carried the banner for Seattle film overseas. Cheryl Slean’s “Diggers”, winner of the 2005 IFP Seattle Spotlight Award, opened in India the night of the launch and Sue’s “Gory Gory Hallelujah” already has international DVD release. Closer to home, Lynn Shelton’s second narrative feature, "My Effortless Brilliance", will premiere in competition at the SXSW Film Festival in March 2008. She told Prost Amerika “The DVD is an illustration of how wonderful a place Seattle is. I didn’t really realize how many incredibly talented film makers there are in Seattle and what an incredible place this is for film in general and women in particular.”

There is significant German interest too. Laurie Hicks contribution “Love Inc.” is made in German, and Women in Film Seattle President Virginia Bogert is a German speaker. Her film “Tootie Pie” kicks off the DVD. Britta Johnson, maker of “But Soft”, paid tribute to the musicians of Seattle and to the Northwest Film Forum, one of our favorite organizations.. “NWFF is very good for providing opportunities for film makers and this is a good place to be if you want to make music video due to the number and quality of the musicians here.”

Finally, don’t forget to look out for Meredith Binder’s “Alistair MacLean: Y'did Nefesh” – a satire based on a man who has to change religion to marry the love of his life. Meredith’s short “Rent’s Due” appears on the DVD but she is very excited about the launch of her latest feature. When it appears, you can be sure you’ll read about it on Prost Amerika.

Prost Amerika had the pleasure of meeting many of the directors and we hope to be profiling some of their work through the coming months on this page.

Artists featured on the new DVD:

Virginia Bogert…Tootie Pie (13:15)
Cheryl Slean…Diggers (13:33)
Megan Griffiths and Celia Beasley…Proscenium (1:14)
Heather Ayres…Lipstick Men (5:45)
Sue Corcoran…Circus of Infinity (11:42)
Lynn Shelton…Moral Centralia (4:38)
Dayna Hanson…Diesel Engine (6:54)
Salise Hughes…Tidal Wave (1:35)
Sarah Jane Lapp…Chronicles of an Asthmatic Stripper (5:06)
Ann Coppel…I Am Ann (6:01)
Laura Jean Cronin…Free Parking (9:00)
Christy Elton…Portrait of a Portrait (2:05)
Karn Junkinsmith…Bus Stop (8:27)
Wilson Diehl…How To Go On A Man Date (7:48)
Meredith Binder…Rent’s Due (8:56)
Britta Johnson…But Soft (1:51)
SJ Chiro…Little Red Riding Hood (10:41)
Maureen Whiting…Bear Go Home (3:40)
Steph Kese…The Pact (2:43)
Laurie Hicks…Love Inc. (7:04)
Jennifer Maas…Laptop Story (7:58)

Plus trailers for Deirdre Timmons’ A Wink and A Smile and Lynn Shelton’s My Effortless Brilliance, and TV spots by Sarah Jane Lapp.

 

International Student Film Festival Calls for Submissions

1/23/08: The International Student Film Festival is accepting submissions for the 2008 competition. Deadline for submissions is March 31, 2008. ISFF is celebrating its 6th year as the global authority for student filmmakers. Filmmakers can be any age to participate but they have to have been a student when the film/video was produced.

See the festival website for more information and to submit your film.

 

NWFF Announces 2008 Participants in "Signature Shorts" program

1/23/08: Northwest Film Forum is proud to announce the artists commissioned for it Signature Shorts 2008 short film program. Washington State filmmakers Sarah Jane Lapp and Natt Thangvijit will each be producing a short film to be finished on 35mm film. The completed movies will be screened regularly at NWFF and independent cinemas in Washington State following their premiere at NWFF’s Local Sightings Film Festival in fall of 2008.

Signature Shorts is a program at Northwest Film Forum that commissions two short films, from one to three minutes in length, by two regional filmmakers. The content of the films are at the discretion of the artists and vary from animation to live action. NWFF finishes the movies as 35mm prints so they can be shown in commercial theaters at no charge to the venue. The Signature Shorts program began in 2005, and to date has commissioned films by Stefan Gruber, Britta Johnson, Matt McCormick, and Wes Kim.

TheFilmSchool Accepting Applications

1/23/08: TheFilmSchool is currently accepting applications for the upcoming spring semester. Located in Seattle, TheFilmSchool provides high level courses taught by Hollywood insiders who want to help you bring your story to life by elevating the art of cinematic storytelling through intensive training in screenwriting and directing. Application deadline for spring semester (March 8-29, 2008) is February 8th.

See the TheFilmSchool website for more information.

 

Northwest Movies at Sundance

1/23/08: The Sundance Film Festival will showcase three movies from directors with Northwest connections. Former Seattleite Sara St. Onge's short film "The Funeral," is about a young woman in her 30s confronting her own mortality. Northwest native Calvin Reeder's filmed-in-Washington short "The Rambler," is about a traveling guitarist, and Carlos Brooks' feature-length "Quid Pro Quo," about a paraplegic reporter. "Quid Pro Quo" was partially shot in the La Conner tulip fields; it will be screened as part of Sundance's Spectrum series - a noncompetitive category designed to introduce new and creative voices in film.

Read the full Seattle Times story.

 

Sean Axmaker

Great and Good Nominate "No Country for Old Men" as Seattle's Film of the Year

1/21/08: Prost Amerika's favorite (other) film critic Sean Axmaker (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, MSN) calls them a small but disorganized group of Seattle film critics. We prefer to call them 'the Great and the Good' of the Seattle film critic world. Anyway, the point is that they had their annual powwow last week to look over the best of the film world in 2007.

The esteemed group including Sean himself, Jim Emerson (Scanners Blog), Kathy Fennessy (SIFFBlog), Richard T. Jameson (former editor of Film Comment), Dave McCoy (MSN), Kathleen Murphy, Jeff Shannon (Seattle Times), Tom Tangney (KIRO AM), and two who mailed in their views Andy Wright (The Stranger) and Robert Horton (Everett Herald, KUOW, Film Comment) were in little doubt that the Coen brothers' crime thriller "No Country for Old Men" was deserving of their plaudits.

Topping the poll with 87 points and being voted the best by an incredible 8 out of the ten, it pushed "There Will Be Blood" into a distant second place. Sarah Polley's "Away From Her" was the third film to finish top of anyone's list with friend of Prost Amerika, Kathy Fennessy, being the nominating critic.

You can read Sean's blog of the event and the breakdown of each judge's votes at Sean Axmaker's Page.

Results:

1) No Country for Old Men (87 points, 9 lists, 8 “Best Film” picks)

2=) There Will Be Blood (39 points, 5 lists, 1 “Best Film” pick)
- Zodiac (39 points, 6 lists)

4) The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (27 points, 5 lists)

5) Away From Here (26 points, 4 lists, I “Best Film” pick)

6) Into the Wild (25 points, 4 lists)

7) Once (23 ½ points, 5 lists)

8.) I’m Not There (21 points, 3 lists)

9) Inland Empire (19 points, 3 lists)

10) Grindhouse (18 ½ points, 3 lists)

11) 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (17 points, 2 lists)

12) Margot at the Wedding (16 points, 3 lists)

No other films appeared on more than two lists. The top films that appeared on two lists follow:

Eastern Promises and Superbad (12 pts), 12:08 East of Bucharest (11 pts), Exiled (9 ½ pts), Breach, The King of Kong, Atonement (8 pts). The Wind that Shakes the Barley and Lust, Caution placed highly on a single list apiece for 8 pts./p>

 

Dances With Films 2008 Seeks Submissions

1/11/08: The Dances With Films Film Festival is dedicated to finding films the Hollywood industry hasn't seen and giving them much needed exposure, publicity and opportunity. All films submitted cannot have any known directors, actors, producers, or monies from known sources. Past winners include great talents such as Will Schaeffer and Mark Olsen (2004), creators of HBO's Big Love series and Dan Harris (1999), writer of X2 and Superman Returns. Submission deadline is April 28.

See the festival website for more information and to submit your film.

 

Zombiebot Film Festival at Norwescon

1/11/08: The Zombiebot Film Festival showcases the experience of watching movies that take you away from the real world. Horror films that drag you kicking and screaming into a dark alley or the deep woods, science fiction that blasts off into a future that could be, or fantasy that surrounds you in magic both white and black. The festival will take place March 20th-22nd at Norwescon. All Northwest Filmmakers can submit features and shorts for free.

See the Zombiebot website for more information.

 

2008 Fernie Mountain Film Festival Seeks Submissions

1/11/08: The Fernie Mountain Film Festival in Fernie BC is a weekend of short and feature films that spark awareness of mountain cultures, fragile environments and the passion and perseverance of global explorers. A wide range of topics are covered so that adventure sports, mountain cultures, and environmental topics are highlighted. The Fernie Mountain Festival will be accepting submissions until January 31st.

See the festival website for more information and to submit your film.

 

Last Chance to Submit to Ivy Film Festival

1/11/08: The Ivy Festival at Brown University is the world's largest student film festival, and is open to film and screenplay submissions from university-level filmmakers worldwide. The final deadline for submissions is January 15th. The festival has a $2,000 grand prize, a panel of celebrity judges, and great networking opportunities as well as many great student-made films, and runs April 14th-20th.

See the festival website for more information and to submit your film.

 

NWFF Commissions New Score for "The Adventures of Prince Achmed"

1/9/08: Northwest Film Forum and the Children's Film Festival Seattle have commissioned Seattle area musicians Miles and Karina (Nova Devonie and David Keenan) to compose a new score for the German animated classic “The Adventures of Prince Achmed”. The 1926 German film, from female director Lotte Reiniger, is the oldest extant feature-length animated film, and was created using kaleidoscopic silhouette-animation techniques. It is both a vital part of film history and a breathtaking work of art. Created in 1926 by a 23-year old German teacher and animator named Lotte Reiniger, the film is a mélange of stories from The Arabian Nights, including the tale of an Arabian prince, an evil sorcerer, a flying horse and a captured princess. The film is made of nearly 300,000 camera shots, a meticulous triumph of imagination and animation. The performances at Northwest Film Forum will take place January 25 at 8 pm (opening night film) January 27 at 1 pm, January 31 at 8 pm, and February 3 at 1 pm.

 

Alexis Ferris
Photo © Stefanie Arneson

Alexis Ferris Blogs on Prost Amerika on her way to the ISA Awards - Follow Seattle Film's Standard Bearer on her way to Santa Monica

1/4/08: Prost Amerika recently caught up with Alexis Ferris, Seattle's own finalist in the prestigious Independent Spirit Awards. As a producer, she was the brains behind Police Beat, Cthulhu and Zoo, and it is in that role that she has been nominated for the 11th annual ISA Producers Award. ISA honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The winners will be announced on February 23rd (the day before the Oscars), and we asked Alexis how she first heard about the nomination and whether it had changed her life.

"I was first contacted by Film Independent at the beginning of November telling me I had been shortlisted to 15 (out of approximately 60 names that had been submitted by industry people all around the country). I was asked to submit copies of Police Beat, Cthulhu and a producer's statement for consideration for the final three. Then, I was to wait until Nov. 27 for the official announcement to find out if I had made the final three. A couple weeks later, I received a call from one of the judges telling me I had been selected as a finalist. I actually thought he was talking about the short list and told him, 'Yes, I know I've made the 15 finals'.

"Really Very Proud"

Once he clarified that it was the final three, I was ecstatic. But I couldn't tell anyone until Nov. 27. Though I did make a few calls to close friends and family but it really didn't sink in until the official announcement and I received not only many warm congratulations from people here in Seattle, but my friends and colleagues in LA. My life hasn't changed except that when Michael Seiwerath said that I was chosen out of all the producers in the entire country that made me really very proud."

Alexis faces stiff competition as other nominees include Neil Kopp who produced Old Joy and Paranoid Park, which has also been nominated in the Feature and Director (Gus Van Sant) Categories, and Anne Clements (Ping Pong Playa and Quinceañera).

The Awards ceremony itself will be broadcast live from Santa Monica on the IFC Channel on February 23rd at 2pm. Alexis has agreed to exclusively share her thoughts with Prost Amerika on a regular basis as the big day for her draws closer. "I hope it will be interesting to the readers! I am trying not to think about it too much because I may make myself crazy. What is strange to think about is that here is this huge event in my life and it's currently two months away. But then it is weeks, then days, then hours, then minutes, then seconds. So there is a lot of life to live until that second occurs."

As the success of John Jeffcoat's Outsourced moved us to say in 2007 that "The Seattle Film Industry lives and John is its leader", it looks like where John was "Miss Seattle Film" in 2007, Alexis will be our city's cinematic beauty queen in 2008.

 

Seattle Lawyer Produces First Movie

1/4/08: Seattleite Brandon Scott Schmid, a corporate attorney with a passion for filmmaking, has just completed Taos, his first cinematic feature. Taos tells the story of a young professional who recovers a lost sense of place and purpose when faced with the unexpected loss of his father and an accidental breakdown in the northern New Mexican desert. Taos was filmed on location in Taos, New Mexico and Seattle, Washington.

See the film website for more information.

 

NWFF Showcases Local Documentary Winner

12/21/07: The 2007 International Documentary Challenge grand prize winner "Portraits of Hope" by Jon Ward will be shown at NWFF on January 14, along with four other Washington State entries: "Thin Places" by Mary Dombowski, "TC3: Urban Camping at its Finest" by Dan Pinkard, "Jet City Rollergirls" by Jef Faulkner & Amy Enser, and "Mona" by Kathy Kiefer.

 

Seattle Children's Film Festival 2008 Seeking Children's Jury

12/21/07: Seattle Children's Film Festival is looking for ten young jury members aged 8-12 to pick their favorite live and animated films, and award prizes to international filmmakers. The Children's Jury will attend screenings throughout the Festival, and announce prizewinners at the Festival's closing ceremony on February 3.

See the festival website for more details.

 

"Outsourced" on DVD

12/21/07: After a successful national release, widespread festival acclaim, rave reviews, and winning multiple awards including SIFF's Golden Space Needle and Prost Amerika's own Best Film Proskar award, Seattle's own "Outsourced" is available on DVD in time for the holidays!

See the Outsourced site for more details and to order your copy.

 

Native Experience in Film Festival 2008

12/21/07: This one-day festival on January 19th is presented by the Skagit County Historical Museum and features a screening of the award winning film "Expiration Date", as well as short films created by Swinomish tribe members. The festival will also have panel discussions with actors, producers and directors.

See the Native Experience in Film website for more details.

 

SIFF In Variety's Top 50 Film Festivals

12/15/07: According to Variety "Few film fests are as integral to their home communities as Seattle. The numbers alone tell an impressive story: more than 400 films (with some 200 of them features) screening across 25 days. While not a major industry outing, the Northwest regional film fan base provides enough of a draw to pull in more than 200 filmmakers and industry professionals. Is it the coffee? The region's abundance of high-tech coin? The sidetrips to clubs in search of new bands? Whatever the reason, SIFF has become in its 33 years one of America's most important city festivals, and locals can't get enough of this event's nearly entire month of edgy, smart film programming."

Read the full Variety article.

 

Seattle Sister City French Film Event

12/15/07: On Thursday December 20, the Seattle-Nantes Sister City Association will be hosting a festive holiday film night. Come enjoy Yves Robert's highly acclaimed film "My Mother's Castle" and French pastries from some of Seattle's best bakeries! The event starts at 7:00 pm on Thursday, December 20 at West Seattle High School (3000 California Avenue SW, Free parking). The evening is free, thanks to a generous grant from Humanities Washington, but donations are always appreciated.

See the Seattle-Nantes website for more details.

 

Seattle Film "The Off Hours" Casts Alicia Silverstone, Gets Magazine Cover

12/9/07: Alicia Silverstone, best known for "Clueless" and "Batman and Robin", has been cast as Francine, a diner waitress trying to escape from the confines of her small town life. Production Designer Joy Andrews also recently joined the team. "The Off Hours" is also on the cover of this month's Seattle Woman magazine, with a fantastic article and two-page photo spread of the four producers.

See the film website for more details.

 

Grants for Artists Projects 2008 Applications Available

12/9/07: Individual artists who reside in Washington State are encouraged to apply to the 2008 Grants for Artist Projects (GAP) Program. Artist Trust's GAP Program provides support for individual artist projects by awarding up to $1,500 for projects including (but not limited to) the development, completion or presentation of new work.

See the GAP website for more details.

 

NWFF Announces New Start-to-Finish Film "Rainbow"

12/9/07: Scheduled to begin development in late spring 2008, Rainbow is the first feature film by Seattle artist Dayna Hanson. A modern-day musical, Rainbow centers on a gifted 16-year-old whose naivete is her only defense against the demise of her fractured family. Rainbow is being commissioned by NWFF through the Start-to-Finish program, which funds the film, provides in-kind services, and aids in every aspect of the production. As with previous projects, Hanson will create Rainbow through an improvisational process with a tight group of collaborators.

See the NWFF website for more details.

 

Seattle Film "Diggers" in Semi-Finals at NOW Film Festival

12/9/07: The NOW Film Festival adds a new semi-finalist every week, and the choice for December 5th is Seattle's own "Diggers", a short film about two gravediggers contenplating life. The NOW Film Festival is an online festival, which is accepting applications for short films through March 2 2008 (late deadline).

See the NOW Film Festival website for more details and to enter.

 

Seattle Filmmakers Team Juicebox Win National Film Competition

12/9/07: Seattle's own Team Juicebox won this year's 48 Hour Film Project Fall Shootout with their film, "Lethal Cotillion", which beat out entries from 26 other cities across the US. "Lethal Cotillion" will play at Cannes, and Team Juicebox will go on to participate in the Panasonic HD Filmmaker Showdown.

See the 48 Hour Film Project website for more details.

 

Berlin Film Festival Boosts Short Films

12/9/07: Short films will be gaining increased significance at the upcoming Berlin International Film Festival. As of 2008, all screeners in the Berlinale Shorts section will be presented as world premieres.

Read the full Variety story.

 

"My Time with Betty" Claims IFP Award

12/5/07: The IFP's 5th Annual Spotlight Awards were held recently. Seattle couple Heather Ayres and Ixaac Paul Ackley claimed first place with their film 'My Time with Betty'. The prize will give them the resources to take their short screenplay to the next stage. They have added New York indie producer Annie Flocco to the team and Heather is slated to direct.

Heather told Prost Amerika "My Time With Betty is an intense, character-driven exploration of captivity, the chase for freedom, and truth versus illusion. It's about Betty, a woman wrongly imprisoned in a mental asylum, who finds she is being sent back to isolation. It explores issues of trust and desperation. I'm interested in probing human emotion, capturing intimacy, and choosing authenticity. The award allows me to make the film (on film) with less compromise."

The IFP/Seattle Spotlight Award grants one Seattle-based filmmaker comprehensive production resources to complete one 16-minute (or less) short film. Past award winners include John Helde, whose excellent documentary Made in China appeared at SIFF 2007, with Hello, starring Eric Stoltz (Pulp Fiction); Dan Brown's animated Pierre, which won the Golden Space Needle Award at SIFF 2007; Cheryl Slean's "Diggers," starring Phil Davis and Marie Matiko; and the soon to be completed Dry Rain, starring James Le Gros and Nathan Gamble (Babel) from filmmaker Matthew Clark.

Heather directed "Lipstick Men" in 2004 (a SIFF Fly film), which played at numerous film festivals and co-wrote with Ixaac the award-winning short film "Anybuddy Home?" in 2005. She was selected for 911 Media Art Center's New Voices Documentary Program, in partnership with KCTS, The Public Network in 2002 and created "Sharing the Sheets." Additionally, her production credits include television shows, including "The Meaning of Food" (2004), shorts, and feature films, including "Boy Culture" (2006)."

She added that "Winning a grant like this really changes the potential for a film’s success. Not only do we have access to a 35mm camera package and professional post services, but we also have access to a casting agent and some legal fees covered. It takes everything a big step up."

We wish her well and will keep you up to date with her progress as the project progresses.

 

2008 Crossroads Film Festival Calls for Entries

12/1/07: The 9th Annual Crossroads Film Festival in Jackson Mississippi is accepting submissions through January 20, 2008. The festival runs from April 3-6 2008, and will feature filmmakers from Mississippi and around the world in the categories of Feature Film, Short, Documentary, Experimental, Foreign, Student, Music Video and Animation. Also featured are filmmakers Q & A, panel discussions, After Parties each night by regional and national recording artists, filmmaker & acting workshops, Saturday night Awards Party, and much more.

See the Crossroads Film Festival website for details and to enter.

 

Seattleite Alexis Ferris Nominated for Independent Spirit Award

12/1/07: Alexis Ferris, the producer of "Police Beat", "Chuthlu" and "Zoo", has been nominated for the Producers Award at this year's Independent Spirit Awards. The 11th annual Producers Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films.

See the full list of nominees here.

 

"A Letter to Bill Gates" on TV in the US

11/29/07: The German movie filmed in Seattle last summer and starring Katharina Böhm is known as "A Letter To Bill Gates" in English. However, to our German readers it will go by the name "Das 100 Millionen Dollar Date". It receives its first German language airing in Germany on SAT1 on December 4th and the same day in the USA on Dish International channel ProSiebenSat1Welt. Rogers Cable will also carry it in Canada on the ProSiebenSat1Welt channel.

 

911's On Screen Magazine Presents First Annual "Music in Film" Finalist Screenings at SIFF

11/28/07: 911 Media Arts Center and On Screen Magazine have chosen twelve "Music in Film" contestants to screen their films at the SIFF cinema. Contestants were to create a film of no more than seven minutes based on the theme of "Communication Breakdown", and were required to have an original score for their film to promote relationships between filmmakers and composers. In addition they were required to have one character in the film be a musician. Come support local film and music at the SIFF cinema on Saturday.

See full details here.

 

NWFF Launches New Filmmaker's Callboard

11/22/07: The Northwest Film Forum has launched a new Callboard for local film and video productions. The Callboard is intended for use by filmmakers, grips, gaffers, screenwriters, editors, actors, graphic designers, sound recordists, composers, musicians, set builders, volunteers, enthusiasts -- in short, anyone who's interested in helping films get made in Seattle. You can post on the Callboard to find what you need for your film, respond to other' postings, or search the Callboard for news and opportunities.

Read more about it here.

 

Iowa City Documentary Film Festival Seeking Entries

11/22/07: The Iowa City Documentary Film Festival is an annual festival committed to engaging an Iowa audience with the world at large through films that explore the boundaries of documentary and non-fiction filmmaking. The festival showcases independent, high-quality short (under 30 minutes) nonfiction film and video from around the world. Submissions are now being accepted for the 2008 festival that will be held April 3-5.

See the Iowa City Documentary Film Festival website for details and to enter.

 

Writer's Strike Halts Films

11/22/07: Two Hollywood films, Sony’s Ron Howard-directed "Angels & Demons" and United Artists’ Oliver Stone-directed drama "Pinkville", have been put on hold due to the writer's strike. Other studio films could also be at risk, as production dates approach for films that don't yet have final script approval.

Read the full Variety story.

 

Wisconsin Film Festival Calls for Entries

11/16/07: The tenth annual Wisconsin Film Festival is set for April 3-6 2008, and will feature new American independent dramatic and documentary films, world cinema, animation, experimental, restorations and revivals, all in the heart of downtown Madison. The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2007.

See the Wisconsin Film Festival website for details and to enter.

 

Top 10 Film Lines

11/12/07: Terminator's "I'll be back" was the most-quoted movie line according to a new survey by myfilms.com. Other favorites included "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." (Gone With the Wind), "May the force be with you." (Star Wars) and "Do you feel lucky, punk?" (Dirty Harry). The report also asked people which films they would most like to star in.

Read the full BBC News story.

 

NFFTY 2008 Seeking Film Entries

11/9/07: The National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) is calling for film submissions for their 2008 film festival, to be held March 28-30 2008 and showcasing work by talented young filmmakers (21 and under) from across the country. Entry deadline is December 10.

See the NFFTY website for details and to enter.

 

Grant Application Workshop at Artist Trust

11/9/07: Artist Trust is holding a series of local workshops on how to successfully apply for grants, with tips on preparing a strong grant application. These workshops are designed for artists working in all disciplines including film. You'll also learn how to get informed about the array of grant possibilities available to Washington State artists. Workshops will be held in Seattle and Bainbridge Island as well as other locations around the state.

See the Artist trust website for more details and a full list of workshops.

 

Pedro Costa Retrospective Comes to NWFF

11/5/07: From December 3-12, Northwest Film Forum presents a retrospective of six feature films and three shorts from critically acclaimed, yet domestically underappreciated, Portuguese director Pedro Costa. Since his first feature THE BLOOD in 1989, Costa’s work has been championed by astute critics and savored by an increasing numbers of cinephiles around the world. "Still Lives: The Films of Pedro Costa" offers the opportunity to become acquainted with the work of a director considered by many to be on the cutting edge of modern cinema.

 

LA Film Festival Calls for 2008 Entries

11/2/07: The 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival (June 19-29) is accepting applications as of November 1, for feature films, short films and music videos completed after January 1, 2007. The final entry deadline for short films and music videos is February 18, while the final deadline for feature-length (50 minutes or more) narrative and documentary films is March 3; discounted entry fees are available for early submission.

See the LA Film Festival website for more details, and an entry form.

 

Seattle Screenwriters Win in Austin

11/2/07: Seattle writers Geof Miller and Troy Hunter took the top prize for sci-fi screenplay for "Keys to the Kingdom" in the Austin Film Festival 2007 Screenplay/Teleplay Competition, carrying on the tradition of Seattleite Brian McDonald's 2006 win for "Graverobbers".

See the full list of winners here.

 

Olympia Film Festival 2007

11/2/07: The 2007 Olympia Film Festival is underway, celebrating its 24th year with many local and national films as well as workshops and events. The Opening Night Gala on November 2 featured Seattle's own phenomenon "Outsourced", with screenwriter George Wing and Principal Actor Matt Smith in attendance. The festival runs through November 10.

For more information and a full schedule of events, see the festival website.

 

SIFF's New Chief Marketing Officer Speaks To Prost Amerika

10/31/07: David Heurtel is the new Chief Marketing Officer of SIFF Group, and brings an extensive background in Seattle and the entertainment industry to the position. He recently spoke with Prost Amerika about SIFF, his past work at the Seattle Center and in Quebec, and his dedication to film in Seattle.

Read the interview here.

 

Wednesday Night Classics at Metro Cinemas

10/26/07: The Metro Classics program presents classic films by Werner Herzog, Terrence Malick and Howard Hawk, Wednesday evenings October 24 through December 19. Up next is "Nosferatu the Vampyre" on October 31.

See the full schedule here.

 

Extras Wanted for "Zombies of Mass Destruction"

10/26/07: The full-length movie "Zombies of Mass Destruction", currently filming in Port Gamble on the Kitsap Peninsula, is calling for extras! There are parts for both adults and children, everything from zombie bikers and cheerleaders to the fleeing townspeople.

See the Seattle PI blog for more information and a full filming schedule.

 

Seattle Premiere of "Banished: American Ethnic Cleansings"

10/25/07: "Banished: American Ethnic Cleansings" will have its Seattle premiere on Friday November 2 at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center, as part of the acclaimed Underground Railroad Film Series. Director Marco Williams will be there.

See full event details here.

 

Winners of 2007 NWFF Local Sightings Festival

10/19/07: The 10th annual NWFF Local Sightings Film Festival is over, and the winners have been announced! "All My Love", directed by Brian Short, has won best feature and "Fortune Hunters", directed by Thom Harp, has won best short film.

Read more about the NWFF competition here.

 

Women in Hollywood Speak Out

10/19/07: A round-table conversation among 10 of the most powerful women in Hollywood appeared in Salon magazine recently, raising a number of issues. Why are women becoming more successful behind the scenes at the same time that fewer movies feature women in lead roles? Where are the female moviegoers, and how can they make their voice heard in Hollywood? What sacrifices do female directors, producers, editors and writers make to be successful?

Read the Salon story here.

 

Aidan Quinn Cast in "The Off Hours"

10/19/07: Seattle film "The Off Hours" has cast actor Aidan Quinn ("Legends of the Fall", "Benny and Joon") to play the role of Stu, the alcoholic diner owner struggling to reconnect with his teenage daughter. Aidan was recently nominated for an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Henry Dawes in the HBO film "Wounded Knee".

"The Off Hours" is still looking for local actors to fill a variety of supporting roles.

For more information see the film website.

 

Washington Composers Forum Calls for Original Film Music

10/19/07: Washington Composers Forum is seeking recordings of original music, to be accompanied by video created by local filmmakers. The chosen recordings will be presented with video in two concerts in Seattle. Submission deadline is October 30th.

Visit the Washington Composers Forum website.

 

Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival Underway

10/17/07: According to the Seattle P.I., The Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival's has reached a higher level of sophistication in its 12th year, with more sponsors and big-name guests. The festival directors have worked hard to integrate mainstream and outlaw, and create a new air of respectability while retaining the the original punk edge.

Read the P.I. story here.

 

"Outsourced" on TV!

10/12/07: Award-winning Seattle comedy "Outsourced" has been contracted for an NBC pilot episode, which will be written by writer/director John Jeffcoat and George Wing of "50 First Dates", and directed by Ken Kwapis ("The Office"). Jeffcoat and "Outsourced" producer David Skinner of ShadowCatcher Entertainment will be among the executive producers.

At the "Outsourced" launch party Prost Amerika heard that the TV show would have a similar theme to the movie, but not the same characters.

Read the full Variety article.

 

NWFF Local Sightings Film Festival 2007

10/05/07: The Northwest Film Forum Big Local Sightings Festival opened October 4th with a party at their 12th Avenue headquarters. Almost 200 people attended and were treated to workshops, go-go dancers (all done in a non-exploitative way of course), music and some very decent refreshments.

Prior to the party, the festival opened with Seattle filmmakers Ann Hedreen and Rustin Thompson's "The Church on Dauphine Street - A Katrina Story". Other highlights include "All My Love", "Metropole", "Norman Waiting", "Made in China", "The Bitter Ash" and "Acts of Imagination". The festival closes on October 11th when they present the highly acclaimed "The Brand upon The Brain" at the Cinerama with narrator Guy Maddin attending. Narrator Karen Black will attend the showing the previous night.

NWFF's 10th Annual Local Sightings Festival runs from October 4 to 11, and is the premiere showcase of Northwest filmmaking. The festival features new and archival Northwest films, prizes, filmmaker parties, and a national film industry jury looking for new Northwest work.

Read more about the festival itself.

 

Nature Consortium Looking for Young Filmmakers for New Documentary

10/4/07: The Nature Consortium is seeking young filmmakers ages 14-18 to help make a short documentary film on the subject of Seattle's dwindling forests, funded by a grant through the City of Seattle. Current high-school students with an interest in environmental issues and filmmaking are invited to contact Carey Christie, Creative Producer, to learn more about the project and how to get involved.

For more details visit the Nature Consortium's website.

 

New Short Film Contest from 911 Media Arts

10/4/07: 911 Media Arts' On Screen Magazine announces a short film competition focusing on "Music in Film". All entries must be shot in Washington State, include original music and have a character who is a musician. The grand prize is a screening at SIFF. Deadline is November 9.

You can find full contest details here.

 

Senator Lisa Brown Speaks To Prost Amerika About Film In Washington State

10/3/07: Washington State Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, (D-Spokane), was the prime sponsor of the bill which created Washington Film Works (WFW), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping filmmakers bring their vision to both small and big screens. Senator Brown spoke with Prost Amerika about Washington Film Works and her love of film.

Read the interview here.

SIFF Announces New Chief Marketing Officer

9/27/07: The Seattle International Film Festival Group is proud to announce the appointment of David Heurtel as Chief Marketing Officer. In this role, Heurtel will oversee the Development, Communications, and Membership departments for SIFF Group. Huertel has extensive experience in communications, public relations and public affairs including serving as Deputy Director of Seattle Center (he is credited with bringing SIFF Cinema and the VERA Project to the Seattle Center), and as communications advisor to the Office of the Premier of Quebec.

"This is an exciting and transformative time at SIFF. I'm eager to help the organization move forward in creating and realizing its long-term strategic goals," Heurtel says about his new position at SIFF.

Read the full story here.

NEW: Read Prost Amerika's interview with David Heurtel.

 

Media Inc Announces New Blog and Job Lines

9/27/07: Media Inc. has launched a new Northwest Production Index blog as a resource for the regional film and video industry. The blog aims to enhance communication among industry professionals and create a greater sense of community, by allowing members of the local production community to send in contributions and comment on posted content.

Media Inc. has also opened free job lines on the Northwest Production Index site, and invites both prospective employers and employees to post job-related information online, absolutely free of charge.

For more information on any of these programs visit the Northwest Index Website.

 

"Outsourced" Out There!

9/27/07: The Seattle film "Outsourced" made its theater debut last night at the Majestic Bay Theatre in Ballard. Star Ayesha Dharkar was resplendent in her sari, and members of the ShadowCatcher team were in attendance. A delighted but humble David Skinner, Executive Producer of ShadowCatcher, said it was a great day for independent cinema, in light of their decision to do the distribution themselves.

Skinner also decried the feeling in Hollywood that without an established star, a film couldn't make it. Well, this film will make it, and if Ayesha Dharkar cannot be considered a 'star' in the United States yet, she surely soon will be. Raised in India, she spent holidays with her mother's family in Scotland (her mother, poet, painter and filmmaker Imtiaz Dharkar, emigrated to the Glasgow suburb of Newton Mearns as a toddler), and has inherited her mother's artistic drive and Scottish work ethic.

In a short Q&A, Director John Jeffcoat paid tribute to the people of India. Co-writer George Wing, ShadowCatcher Produce Tom Gorai and BC Smith who did the music were also in attendance, along with local actor Matt Smith who plays his boss Dave, the face of corporate insensitivity.

 

Seattle Film Institute Open House

9/27/07: The Seattle Film Institute is having an open house for their fall classes on Saturday October 6, 11am to 1pm. It's a chance to tour the facilities, meet the faculty, and get all your questions answered. The Seattle Film Institute offers full and part-time classes in Filmmaking, Screenwriting, Film History, Documentary Filmmaking, and Digital Video.

 

Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival 2007

9/27/07: The 2007 Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival opens October 12 with "The Walker," starring Woody Harrelson and written and directed by Paul Schrader, followed by an opening night gala at the Naval Reserve Building. The festival runs through October 21 with over 150 films.

See the full schedule and festival guide here.

 

"Outsourced" Gets Theater Release

9/19/07: Golden Space Needle and PROSKAR winner Outsourced will soon be available in a cinema near you if you live on the west coast, or in New York or Austin. John Jeffcoat’s highly acclaimed comedy has deservedly broken through to the theaters with its Seattle Premiere at the Majestic Bay Theater in Ballard on September 26th, moving to HUB Auditorium, UW the next day for a special Seattle showing, before returning to the Majestic the following day for a full run.

The big splash comes on the 28th, when Outsourced debuts in Tacoma, Bellevue, Portland, Eugene, San Francisco, Austin and New York City, expanding to Los Angeles, Berkeley, San Jose, Palo Alto, and West Hills (LA) on October 5.

John Jeffcoat told Prost Amerika “I think the story resonates with people because it showcases the humor that comes with a clash of cultures, while showing how transformative an experience that can be.”

Full details of movie screening times and locations can be found here.

In further good news for the team at Shadow Catcher, the film is set for general DVD release on November 1st.

 

Thinkfilm Wins "Battle in Seattle"

9/13/07: Thinkfilm has acquired all U.S. rights for "Battle in Seattle". The film had its world premiere September 8th at the Toronto International Film Festival, and marks Stuart Townsend's directorial debut. "Battle in Seattle" starts Charlize Theron and is set amid the protests and riots that surrounded the World Trade Organization's 1999 meeting in Seattle.

Read the full story here.

 

"The Off Hours" Casting in Seattle

9/13/07: Seattle film "The Off Hours" will be holding local casting sessions beginning Sept 27th. The filmmakers are casting a variety of roles including male and female supporting roles from teenage to 20-something to 40s and older.

For more information see the film website.

 

Seattle Artist Corina Brown at NY Film and Video Festival

9/13/07: The paintings of Seattle artist Corina Brown will be featured at the opening day of the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival (NYIIFV) in Hollywood, and displayed at the VIP party that evening. Brown also works as a graphic designer at KOMO Television's. NYIIFF runs from September 27th to October 4th.

See the NYIIFV site for more information.

 

Video Isle Honored in Mayor's Awards

9/11/07: Prost Amerika was delighted to see its favorite source of movie entertainment, Video Isle, collect an award at the Mayor's Small Business Awards 2007. Craig Wilson, a devoted community volunteer, set up this independent video rental store on Queen Anne to be an integral part of the community. He is now involved with local business groups and Queen Anne Little League teams.

He is said to go out of his way to the be part of the community and they return the favour by going out of theirs to use Video Isle.

Prost Amerika owns up to some bias here as its base lies just seconds from the Video Isle Fremont store and we are regular customers there.

Video Isle Website

 

SIFF 2008 - Call for Entries

9/6/07: The Seattle International Film Festival is seeking features, documentaries, short films and animation for its 34th annual festival. With over 550 screenings in 25 days, and audiences of over 160,000, SIFF is the largest film festival in the United States and a great way to get your film noticed. Early submission deadline is December 1, 2007. SIFF 2008 will run from May 22 to June 15, 2008.

See the SIFF 2008 page for more details, or to submit your film.

 

Port Townsend Film Festival Honors Elliott Gould

9/6/07: Actor Elliott Gould will be the main honoree at this year's Port Townsend Film Festival, which runs Sept 28-30. 28 features and 40 shorts will be shown during the three-day festival, including a rare print of one of Gould's early films.

Read the full story here.

 

40th Anniversary of the Summer of Love Film Festival

9/6/07: Now showing at the Grand Illusion, this retrospective features rare and unusual period films from archivist Dennis Nyback's personal collection. The program varies each night; see the Grand Illusion website for details.

 

"We Go Way Back" premieres in Seattle

9/6/07: Lynn Shelton's Slamdance Film Festival Grand Jury Prizewinning film, "We Go Way Back", will have its World Theatrical Premiere on September 15th at the Varsity Theatre in Seattle. The film is distributed by Cyan Pictures.

 

New Alternative Distribution Program Launches in Seattle

9/6/07: Truly Indie, a new film distribution company founded by Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner, offers filmmakers a third alternative to big distributors or self- distribution. For an upfront fee, Truly Indie will place a film in Landmark Theatres across the country for a guaranteed one-week run. Seattle is one of the five major markets covered by Truly Indie, which also handles advertising and marketing.

Read the full story here.

 

Fremont Outdoor Cinema 2007

8/17/07: It's the 15th season of the Fremont Outdoor Cinema, and this year's schedule includes games, contests and pre-show entertainment courtesy of Wing-It Productions, plus a costume contest at every movie. Located at North 35th and Phinney Ave N; bring your own seating. Hotdogs, popcorn and other snacks available.

See the Fremont Outdoor Cinema website for details.

 

"King of Kong" Opens at Varsity

8/17/07: Seattle-based "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" opens at the Varsity Theatre this Friday. The film follows the rivalry of Seattle native Steve Wiebe and reigning champ Billy Mitchell as they compete for the world record in the Donkey Kong arcade game.

 

The Stranger Genius Awards for 2007

8/10/07: The arts staff of the Stranger honors their Genius Award winners with a $5,000 check and a cake with "You Are a Genius" on the frosting - a sweet reward all round. Each year Seattle artists are chosen in literature, visual art, film and theater, with an additional award going to an arts organization. This year's winners are filmmaker Linas Phillips, visual artist Alex Schweder, poet Heather McHugh, actor Amy Thone and the Strawberry Theatre Workshop.

Read the full story here.

 

Is Directing Still a Man's World?

8/10/07: Female directors are making more films than ever, and moving far outside the "traditional" female realm of romantic comedies, with subjects as diverse as the women themselves. Yet overall the statistics for female directors remain poor, and the struggle for equality and recognition continues.

As the Seattle PI reports, women still face society and industry bias.

 

"The Off Hours" In Casting With Lina Todd

8/10/07: New York casting director Lina Todd has begun work on casting "The Off Hours", a Seattle independent film written and directed by Megan Griffiths. Lina's previous work includes "You Can Count on Me" (Mark Ruffalo, Laura Linney and Matthew Broderick), the upcoming Jennifer Lynch film "Surveillance" (Bill Pullman, Julia Ormond and Cheri Oteri) and Jodie Foster's directorial debut "Little Man Tate" (Jodie Foster, Harry Connick Jr., David Hyde Pierce and Dianne Wiest).

See the film website here.

 

UW Extension Screenwriting Program Accepting Applications

8/10/07: The UW Extension Screenwriting certificate program is now accepting applications for the 2007-08 program that begins this October. The co-instructors for the program are Mark Handley and Mary Elder -- both professional screenwriters who will share with students practical information about the craft and business of writing for the screen.

Visit the program's website for more information and to apply online.

 

Zombies Invade Auburn!

8/3/07: Local filmmakers Paul Cranefield, Scott Kragelund and Erik Van Sant have taken over the streets and taverns of Auburn with a 45-minute independent horror film "The Book of Zombie". Auburn locals are becoming familiar with the sight of zombie hordes singing karaoke and harassing churchgoers as the filming runs every weekend through this fall.

Read the full story here.

 

Werner Herzog to be Feature of New Seattle Film

7/27/07: Linas Phillips walked from Seattle to Los Angeles to meet his hero, director, Werner Herzog ("Aguirre: The Wrath of God," "Rescue Dawn").

The result is "Walking to Werner". There are echoes of Herzog's own walk from Munich to Paris in 1974, the purpose of which was also to meet a mentor, in his case, the film historian Lotte Eisner.

See the film website here.

 

New Self-Distribution Network for Independent Film Makers

7/27/07: First it was CDs. Now the CD Baby concept has been extended to film. Independent filmmakers now have direct access to Super D, Netflix, CinemaNow, and Amazon CustomFlix as well as a popular online channel to indie fans for DVD sales. This represents a range of distribution opportunities that typically require representation by a professional sales agent.

For the full story and further details, go to http://www.filmbaby.com.

 

Seattle Film Makers Make For a Very Difficult to Report Story!

7/27/07: We should just come straight out with it. Robinson Devor and Charles Mudede's new film is about the man who had sex with a horse. There, we said it. We'll let the Montreal Mirror take it up from here:

If you're not already severely traumatised, you can read Matthew Hays' full story here.  If we get ten complaints, we promise to remove this article!

 

Film Meets Music as SIFF Turn Projector towards Mozart

7/25/07: When SIFF Cinema at McCaw Hall opened earlier this year, skeptical cinephiles wondered how the new venue would fare as a year-round offshoot of the Seattle International Film Festival. Would the programming be savvy? Would the venue live up to its hype?

Read Jeff Shannon's full Seattle Times story on SIFF's new adventure.

 

WashingtonFilmWorks Funds German Movie in Seattle

7/25/07: WashingtonFilmWorks recently approved a German Movie of the Week called “A Letter to Bill Gates” for funding assistance, and they are scheduled to go into production at the end of the month. The film stars Swiss-born Katharina Böhm and is described as "...a heartfelt story of a child who attempts to reconcile the loss of his father by taking a journey to Seattle to meet Bill Gates".

Böhm is better known for her television work in Germany and received a Nomination for a Golden Lion as Best Actress in the series Die Unzertrennlichen (The Inseparables) in 1997. Her new project has already been compared to "Sleepless in Seattle" for its use of iconic locales such as South Lake Union and Seattle City Hall. It is scheduled to air in Germany later this year.

For more information visit WashingtonFilmWorks.

 

West Seattle Film Festival

7/20/07: From the West Seattle Herald (Rebekah Schilperoort):

Read the full story here.

 

Making a Movie in 48 Hours

7/20/07: If you see teams of people with cameras and scripts scrambling around Seattle this weekend, don't be alarmed. The 48 Hour Film Project is back!

See the King 5 Report for more details.

 

Insurance Waivers Incentive for Small Film Makers

7/20/07: In a landmark decision, the Mayor's Office of Film has decided to waive the insurance requirements for filmmakers who meet certain criteria.

The criteria are:

• The film is a low budget production ($10,000 or less).
• Up to 5 people including cast & crew.
• 1 camera only, handheld or w/tripod.
• No light set-up, no generators, no wires or cables.
• No traffic or pedestrian control.

For further information see the 2007 Film Permit Manual on the Seattle Mayor's Office of Film and Music Site

 

Sony Website to Offer Video by Aspiring Filmmakers

7/20/07: Sony is trying to edge into Internet videos with a website called Crackle that will feature short segments by aspiring filmmakers, many of whom Sony paid for their productions. Crackle offers prizes for the best offerings, such as a pitch meeting with execs at Sony's Columbia pictures.

Read what Salon has to say.

 

Talking with James Keblas, Director of the Seattle Mayor's Office of Film and Music

7/13/07: James Keblas, author of the state film tax incentive bill and Director of the City of Seattle Mayor's Office of Film and Music, talks with the Puget Sound Business Journal about Seattle's place in the world's film and music scene and his own favorite local talent.

Read the full article here (subscription required).

 

Deborah Person, Managing Director of SIFF Speaks to, and about, PROST AMERIKA!

Prost Amerika was recently privileged to interview SIFF Managing Director Deborah Person. Among the topics covered were attendances, SIFF and the City of Seattle, and the importance of the volunteers. She also pa