The first annual KidzFlix Children’s International Film Festival is making its debut in May 2010. KidzFlix is currently seeking entries for this new and exciting film festival. Submissions must be suitable for children’s ages 6-18. Categories for film and video submissions are:  features, shorts, live-action, animation, documentaries and child-produced (6-14) productions. The deadline is April 1, 2010. For more information on how to enter, visit www.kidzflix.org.

The KidzFlix Children’s International Film Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to support and promote quality independent children’s cinema. This competitive and juried festival will feature a treasure of films from live-action and animated features to shorts, documentaries and child-produced works. Fairfield County gained the reputation of a well known artist’s colony and cultural center. Through the KidzFlix Children’s International Film Festival, we will preserve old roots and encourage spirited new growth in the culture and community we cherish.

Direct Before You Shoot:  Storyboarding for Film and Television
Live webinar with David Russell   -   April 24-25, 2010

Learn how to design powerful and dynamic film imagery that connects with its intended audiences, utilizing techniques painstakingly developed by cinematic masters. This two-day on-line Master Class is an expert analysis of visual planning and directing through the process of storyboarding.  It is designed for professionals and students in the areas of film and animation directing, storyboarding, pre-visualization and editing. It offers a practical set of techniques that can strengthen each filmmaker’s storytelling ability. 

The lecturer, David Russell, is an authority on the subject of visual storytelling.  In close collaboration with celebrated directors including George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Tim Burton and Peter Weir, he has created key sequences for over 100 film and television productions, including Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, The Color Purple, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Thin Red Line, Moulin Rouge, Master and Commander, and the upcoming Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. 

The Master Class is structured to include exercises, and offers a Certificate of Completion to the participants.  For more details about the event and the lecturer, you may visit our website

www.directbeforeyoushoot.com  

Contact us for special student and group discounts.  

webinardr@yahoo.com 

CHS Otaku Fest is a one day anime convention held at Centennial High School (4300 Centennial Lane) in Ellicott City, Maryland. Its designed to be a gathering ,celebration and promotion (for fans, by fans) of all thing related to Japanese animation, manga, and East Asian culture. The event will go from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on April 24, 2010. Activities will include a dealer's room, discussion panels, anime screenings, artist's alley, video game tournament, an AMV contest, a masquerade and much more. For more information visit chs-otakufest.com.

Reed Exhibitions has announced the launch of Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), which will take place April 16-18, 2010 at McCormick Place in downtown Chicago.

As for C2E2, show organizers are planning a major launch. "We are aiming big," said Lance Fensterman, who is VP and Show Manager for NYCC and who will also be overseeing C2E2. "We plan to apply everything we have learned in launching and building New York Comic Con to our Chicago event and we intend for it to be a major attraction right out the gate. Of course, this not only means providing a customer friendly atmosphere but also providing dynamic programming that boasts top talent from across the pop culture spectrum, including artists, creators and celebrities from Hollywood, TV, comics, books, video games, toys, anime, manga and all other applicable aspects of the popular arts. But, most importantly, we will also seek to make adjustments so that our show reflects the essence of Chicago. This will be critically important. The city itself will form an important part of our identity."

All filmmakers, anywhere, are invited to submit your short or feature film -- drama, comedy, documentary, animation or experimental work. It must have been completed since January 1, 2008.

EARLY DEADLINE DATE: August 15, 2009 (Other deadlines: 10/1/2009, 11/15/2009. and 12/01/2009)

ENTRY FEES: Vary by short or feature and increase with each new deadline date

Go to our website -- kcjubilee.org -- for complete details, entry form, and pay fee online. You may also submit through WAB.

Check out our special CinemaJAZZ division if you have made a work (short or feature) inspired by JAZZ

Send your screener (DVD-region 1), check, entry form to: KC Jubilee, 4826 W. 77th Terrace, Prairie Village, KS 66208-4321

Kansas City FilmFest is scheduled for April 14-18, 2010 at the all digital AMC Mainstreet. Visiting filmmakers and jurors will be announced soon.

If you have any questions - call 913-649-0244 or email: kcjub@kcjubilee.org.

The Oscars reward the previous year’s greatest cinema achievements as determined by some of the world’s most accomplished motion picture artists and professionals. The Academy’s roughly 6,000 members vote for the Oscars using secret ballots, which are tabulated by the international auditing firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers. The auditors maintain absolute secrecy until the moment the show’s presenters open the envelopes and reveal the winners on live television.

And the Oscar Goes To...

Awards are presented for outstanding individual or collective efforts in up to 25 categories. Members select winners from as many as five nominees in each category, which are determined by members of the relevant Academy branch. (For instance, only film editors may nominate for the Achievement in Film Editing award.) The only exceptions are the Best Picture category, for which nominees are selected by the entire membership, and the Best Foreign Language films, which are nominated by a committee of members drawn from all branches.

In addition to the regular annual awards conferred by the membership, the Board of Governors is empowered to bestow Scientific and Technical Awards, Honorary Awards, Special Achievement Awards and other honors. Learn more about all the awards here.

Broadcast rights to the annual Oscar telecast provide the majority of the revenue for the organization’s rich and varied year-round activities.

Each year the Sundance Film Festival selects 200 films for exhibition from more than 9,000 submissions. More than 50,000 people attend screenings in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah. In addition to discovering filmmaking's newest talent through the Festival's program of documentary, dramatic, and short films, Festivalgoers experience live music performances, panel discussions with leading filmmakers and industry figures, cutting-edge media installations, parties celebrating the Festival community, and more.

 

The 2010 Slamdance Film Festival will be held January 21-28, 2010, headquartered at the Treasure Mountain Inn - 255 Main Street, Park City, Utah.

As the preeminent festival whose sole mission is to nurture, support and showcase truly independent works, Slamdance has established a unique reputation for premiering new films by first-time writers and directors working within the creative confines of limited budgets.  Slamdance’s goal is to strengthen its year-round efforts in support of these artists and to leverage its name and reputation for the further development of other Slamdance media components.

As a year-round organization, Slamdance serves as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging talent and is dedicated to the nurturing and development of new independent artists and their cinematic vision.

Started in 1995 by a group of independent artists, the Slamdance Film Festival continues to be organized and programmed exclusively by filmmakers, for filmmakers.  This is just one of many elements that make Slamdance a pioneering standout among its festival counterparts. Slamdance lacks much of the red tape and bureaucracy that can convolute the process that independent creators come to festivals for in the first place – a chance to show their work. At Slamdance, the link between artist and festival – and, subsequently, artist and industry – is a direct and cohesive one. Slamdance alumni are recruited to serve as programmers, so first-timers are represented and assisted by Slamdance veterans.  It’s what put Slamdance on the festival map to begin with, and what’s made it the viable, big-time contender it is today.

With its renowned film festival as its core, Slamdance has expanded its ventures to include the popular Slamdance.com website, writing competitions for features, shorts, teleplays and horror scripts; the Anarchy Online Short Film Competition; and a $99 Special short film production project.

Renowned as Sydney¹s first beachside cinema, Flickerfest kicks off the summer cinema season outdoors under the stars at Bondi Beach, screening the best short films from Australia and the world in a unique and relaxed summer environment. After our Sydney festival Flickerfest tours to 23 venues around Australia. Our Academy ® accredited short film competition and special showcases celebrate the latest in cutting edge shorts from around the world. Welcome to our world of shorts!

Flickerfest began as a small local festival at the Balmain High School in 1991. Over the last 17 years it has grown to become Australia's only competitive International Short Film Festival with entries coming from filmmakers across the globe.

Flickerfest is considered in International circles as the leading Australian competitive short film festival and increasingly filmmakers view it as one of the main festivals on the world circuit. To maintain this high standard each year the festival director visits festivals around the world seeking new films most of which have not been seen in Australia.

In 2003 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science elected to recognise Flickererfest as a qualifying festival for the Best Short film and Best Animation categories of the Academy Awards ®

The honour of Academy Award ® accreditation will guarantee Flickerfest's international profile for many years to come, whilst also ensuring greater opportunities for our Australian short film makers internationally.

Flickerfest's national tour has become a very important part of the festival and started in 1995. The tour takes the main competitive programmes and some Special sessions to many regional and metropolitan areas, which rarely have an opportunity to view this collection of the best of the world's short films. The difference between Flickerfest and other film festivals is that Flickerfest is acknowledged as a quality arts event. Each year we screen Academy Award nominated films plus many other internationally award-winning films.

Directors, production designers, storyboard artists, character designers, animators, modelers, illustrators, 3D artists, voice talents, painters, vfx artists, sculptors, designers, writers, recruiters, students and top talent industry professionals from CTN and animation fans and students for ages 16 and up will converge on Burbank for professional exhibits, demonstrations, expert panels and speakers, portfolio consultations, networking receptions, master workshops, business symposiums, one-on-one personal consultations, pitch sessions, recruiting opportunities, contests, reunions, celebrity signings, animation film characters and fun.

WIA members get a discount: for a one day pass: Registration is usually $70 and current, active WIA members can register for $55. For a three day pass: Registration is usually $200 and current, active WIA members can register for $150.

To get your discount, go to registration and select the "professional" ticket and enter code WIAX09. Register now: at http://www.regonline.com/ctnanimationexpo2009.