Great Lakes Independent Film Festival accomplishes their mission by showcasing new independent films and by awarding outstanding filmmakers. The film festival has showcased over 250 films over the past 4 years including numerous films that have been aired on HBO, PBS, and the Sundance channel, and with "The Collector of Bedford Street" nominated for an Academy Award.

They have also been host to such special guests as actor/director/producer Dirk Benedict; writer Erick Rodgers; director/producer Harri James; producer Otto Felix; award winning, best selling mystery author Jamian Snow; actor/writer/producer Bill Hinzman; director Lloyd Kaufman; actor Gunnar Hansen; actor/ director Mark Borchardt; director John Hancock; actress Debbie Rochon; producer/director Bobby Logan and having presented Keith Carradine with a special award for artistic excellence, the Great Lakes Independent Film Festival continues to seek out the best and brightest of independent film and film makers.

Over the course of 10 days and 11 nights, the public is invited to Westwood Village to take advantage of Los Angeles Film Festival world premieres, including independent films and major studio releases, tribute screenings, free outdoor movies, celebrity-filled Red Carpets, VIP parties and more. Drawing a diverse audience of more than 60,000 attendees, the festival offers interactive programming, family-friendly events, and more than 75 features and 60 short film screenings from around the world. This year George Lucas will serve as the guest director and will create a special sidebar program of films for the festival, a selection of movies that have inspired his work. In addition, the festival retreat will be hosted at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California. Film Independent's Los Angeles Film Festival is presented by the LOS ANGELES TIMES and is supported by Premier Sponsors-In Style, Target, Pop Secret and Intel; and by Principal Sponsor-Eastman Kodak Co. Special support provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. American Airlines is the Official Airline Partner and WireImage is the Official Photography Agency of Film Independent. Screenings and events will be held in Westwood at: Royce Hall, James Bridges Theater and Melnitz Hall on the UCLA campus and at the Geffen Playhouse, Mann Village Theatre, Landmark Regent Theatre, Italian Cultural Institute, Mann Festival Theater, Mann National Theater, Hammer Museum and the Majestic Crest Theater. Festival screening schedules and programming information will be announced Thursday, June 1. Passes are now on sale. For more information, call 1-866-FilmFest or visit www.lafilmfest.com.

The 2006 Media Summit New York is a leading international conference for media, entertainment and technology leaders. The Media Summit is presented by The McGraw-Hill Companies, co-sponsored by BUSINESSWEEK and Standard & Poor's and produced by Digital Hollywood. The event will occur at McGraw-Hill's headquarters, 1221 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan. Now in its third year, the Media Summit unites 1,000 plus top minds for two days of spirited discussion on the topic "Global Media + Technology Innovation = Communications Revolution." Two keynote speakers will be Brian L. Roberts, chairman/ceo, Comcast Corp.; and Ivan Seidenberg, chairman/ceo of Verizon Communications Inc. More than 150 panelists will participate, representing a myriad of industries including print and broadcast media; advertising and marketing; broadband, cable and wireless; news and entertainment; technology; and finance. The cost to register per attendee is $785 prior to the event or $875 at the door. Companies or individuals interested in participating can visit www.media-summit.com/ for more information.

The New York City Horror Film Festival is America

The 2006 Newport Beach Film Festival will showcase more than 350 films from around the world, offering an ambitious and international selection of features, shorts, documentaries and animation. This year Pendulum

After the success of the fourth edition, the Roma Independent Film Festival

San Diego Asian Film Festival 2006 will once again be showcasing animated short films produced by Asians in a 90-minute all-animation program. All forms of animation (traditional, claymation, stop-motion, flash, CGI, etc) will be accepted for consideration. Films by all animators pertaining to Asian issues and themes will also be considered. Only VHS & DVD preview formats are accepted and the formats for exhibition are Beta and 35mm. For more submission guidelines and entryform, please surf to www.SDAFF.org. A Best Animated Short Film Award will be awarded with prizes to be determined. The year 2006 will be SDAFF's 7th year of celebrating the best in Asian Cinema in sunny San Diego. The goal is to provide Asian filmmakers an outlet to showcase their work in "America's Finest City," while fostering support for the independent film community. Last year, SDAFF screened over 130 films in 8 days with many industry celebrities in attendance. The all-animation program was a resounding success with over 20 animated shorts in the official selection with the poignant

The 2006 Script Pimp Screenwriting Competition allows fledgling writers the chance to break into the industry. The 2006 Script Pimp Screenwriting Competition is an international competition open to all original, English-written feature film screenplays that have yet to be produced, optioned or sold. For the 4th consecutive year, Script Pimp will host the 2006 Script Pimp Awards Party at the Hollywood Improv. More than 20 companies have already reserved their tickets to meet the writers of Script Pimp's twenty best in 2006. Industry: email pro@scriptpimp.com to make reservations. For more information, visit www.scriptpimp.com.

The 2006 Spiritual Cinema Festival-at-Sea will be a week of film, community, beauty, creativity and fun. The festival, taking place on the Holland America Cruise ship, the M/S Oosterdam, will feature 25 hours of screenings and Q&A discussions with filmmakers and special guests over a seven-day cruise through the Mexican Riviera.

The Spiritual Cinema Festival-at-Sea is a floating festival that celebrates films that inspire and take us on a magical journey through the limitless depths of our own hearts and souls.

Registration for our 2006 Spiritual Cinema Festival-at-Sea is now open. Visit www.spiritualcinemafestival.com for more details.

The Stony Brook Film Festival is a filmmaker-friendly, well-attended festival, which takes place at a 1000+ seat theatre with a 40-foot wide screen. It features independent features and shorts in competition; premieres, special screenings, filmmaker panels and receptions. The event is held at Staller Center for the Arts on the campus of Stony Brook University. For more information, visit www.stonybrookfilmfestival.com.