The 7th Annual Taos Talking Picture Festival showcases over 150 new independent films and videos, including features, documentaries, videos and shorts. Highlights include tributes, Hispanic and Native American programs, panel discussions, workshops and demonstrations focusing on the state of media. The Taos Land Grant Award gives 5 acres of land to be awarded to a filmmaker with a narrative, documentary or experimental film or video, 70 minutes or longer, which takes a fresh approach to storytelling and/or the cinematic medium. The town of Taos was originally established as an artists' colony.

The fifth annual KC Filmmakers Jubilee is a celebration of independent filmmaking. All experimental and animation entries must be 30 minutes or less. A US$1000 prize will be awarded in each category.

SKYY Vodka has partnered with the American Cinematheque to launch the SKYY Short Film Awards, to celebrate excellence and vision in the short film format. Short films may be entered into four categories: fiction, non-fiction, animation and a special themed category for films that contain a "cocktail moment." The competition is open to anyone 21 years and older and there is no fee to enter. The SKYY Short Film Awards Grand Prize will be $5,000 to the winner of each category. Other prizes include an all-expenses-paid trip to Hollywood for the Awards Ceremony, a full-page advertisement in DAILY VARIETY that will feature the four award-winning shorts, an airing of the winning shorts on the Sundance Channel and the chance for each filmmaker to meet with an agent or manager. The winners will be determined by a jury comprised of: Barbara Smith, executive director of the American Cinematheque; Trevor Groth, head of the Sundance Film Festival Short Film Section; Graham Fuller, film writer-at-large of INTERVIEW MAGAZINE; Anne Thompson, West Coast editor of PREMIERE MAGAZINE; Doug Liman, director (SWINGERS, GO); Luis Mandoki, director (WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN); and Maurice Kanbar, founder of SKYY Vodka.

I-CON is a science-fiction, fantasy and comics show. The anime program will feature dubbing workshops, guest speakers and panel discussions. This event is a student run festival and one of the largest in the northeast United States.

Frames 2001 is the first global convention on the business of entertainment in India. The two-day event will bring together artists and producers from around the world. The convention will feature discussions, meetings, seminars, interactive workshops, screenings and previews. Last year's festival featured an in depth study entitled, "Indian Entertainment: Strategy and Vision."

The Newport Beach Film Festival will spotlight films from around the world including features, shorts, documentaries and animation that will compete for a series of awards including the Jury Award, Audience Award and Director's Award. In addition to film screenings, the festival will host several premiere galas, an industry seminar series, yacht parties and question and answer sessions with filmmakers. This year the festival will screen Shoji Kawamori's ESCAFLOWNE THE MOVIE: A GIRL IN GAIA, which follows the adventures of a young high-school student who travels to a strange world in a struggle over a legendary suit of dragon armor. The film will be presented in Japanese with English subtitles, courtesy of Bandai Entertainment.

The 14th Dallas Video Festival highlights films and videos from around the world and also brings attention to artists working in Texas. Over 250 films and videos are screened at the event to over 8,000 attendees. This year's Kovacs Award for innovation in TV will be presented to Mike Judge, the creator of KING OF THE HILL and BEAVIS & BUTT-HEAD. This year's festival will feature a showcase of innovations in computer graphics. The Video Association of Dallas is organizing the event.

The Inaugural Durango Film Festival is a new festival dedicated to showcasing independent film work in various mediums. The festival will feature several receptions, screenings and educational events. Winners will be determined by the festival's jury. The mission of this new festival is to entertain and educate the community, and to encourage and empower artists, through a competitive showcase of diverse and provocative independent feature films, documentaries, shorts and new media works.

The Santa Clarita International Film Festival is dedicated to promoting socially responsible films and screenplays that are suitable for general audiences and express a fundamental respect for the positive values of life. The categories include animation, mixed media and student work. The individual film categories are feature film, telefilm, short feature, short telefilm or student short. The event features screenings, panel discussions and seminars.

Entertainment Graphics Organization 2001 (EGO 2001) is an entertainment industry event that will discuss the future of digital animation and filmmaking. EGO 2001 will present speakers from around the globe talking about the hot topics and technologies in the industry. Last year's event featured Scott Ross, the executive producer of TITANIC. EGO is organized by Pentamedia Graphics, one of the world's largest multimedia companies.