NewEnglandFilm.com

Happenings

The Connecticut Film Festival runs April 6–10 in Danbury. Highlights include an opening night fundraiser, panel discussions, and the Connecticut premiere of What If. Festival passes are available. Visit http://www.ctfilmfest.com/ for the full festival schedule and more details.

Celebrate the Boston Independent Film Festival April 27–May 4. Check out narrative and documentary features as well as short films. The opening night film is Being Elmo, closing night is Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop. Festival passes are available; films screen at several venues. Visit http://www.iffboston.org/ to learn more.

The Green Mountain Film Festival presents satellite screenings in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, April 1–3. Highlights include a High School Filmmakers Showcase, films about life in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, and a Springfield College student documentary. Ticket packages are available. Visit http://www.catamountarts.org/gmff.php to learn more.

The Foundation for West Africa hosts the premiere of Leh Wi Tok at Park Cinema in Cranston, Rhode Island, on April 7th, the latest documentary from a Rhode Island based filmmaking team who spent five weeks in Sierra Leone following radio pioneer Andrew Kromah’s efforts to grow community-based radio stations for the film. For more information, visit http://www.lehwitok.org/film/home.html.

Cape Cod’s Inn at the Oaks hosts the workshop “From Screenplay to Screen — What you need to know to be a successful screenwriter” April 15–17, presented by Harvard Square Scriptwriters director Scott Anderson. Cost is $495 for single occupancy, $400 for double; fee includes two nights stay at the inn, breakfast, wine and cheese reception, and an individual meeting with Anderson. Call (877) 255-1886 to register and read more at http://www.innattheoaks.com/workshop-events.html#From%20Screenplay%20to%20Screen.

Celebrate the Ivy Film Festival at Brown University April 18–24. The world’s largest student-run film festival will screen a variety of films. Visit http://www.ivyfilmfestival.com/ to learn more.

Maine hosts the Lewiston Auburn Film Festival on April 2nd. Over 70 films will screen at a variety of venues; festival passes are available. Go to http://www.lafilmfestival.org/ for more details.

Vinfen’s 4th Annual Moving Images Film Festival will be held April 16th at Boston Stuart’s Street Playhouse. The festival presents films by and about people with psychiatric and developmental disabilities. Screenings include Temple Grandin, When I’m Not Alone, and Unlisted: The Story of Schizophrenia. The festival is free and open to the public. Visit http://www.vinfen.org/news-events/film-festival/ to learn more.

Boston University’s Rubin-Frankel Gallery hosts “Israel from Within and from Without,” a video installation of 34 short films that explore Israeli culture. Filmmaker Dana Levy will speak April 6th from 6 to 7 pm; filmmaker Rinat Harel will speak April 14th from 6 to 7 pm. The exhibit runs through June 30th. Visit http://www.bu.edu/hillel/gallery/ to learn more.

Check out Connecticut’s Litchfield Hills Film Festival April 7–10. Screenings include Fake, John Muir in the New World, and Madness of War. The festival will take place at several venues. Visit http://www.hillsfilmfestival.org/ for more details.

Images Cinema in Williamstown, MA presents a Sandi DuBowski film series on April 7th. The film Trembling Before G-d screens at 6:30 pm, followed by a Q&A with director DuBowski at 8:00 pm. A Jihad for Love, produced by DuBowski, will screen at 9:00 pm. Learn more at http://www.imagescinema.org/events.

Harvard University hosts a screening of Valerie Weiss’s Losing Control on April 8th at 7:00 pm. Weiss is a graduate of Harvard Medical School; her feature film is a romantic comedy starring Miranda Kent and Reid Scott. For more details, visit http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/section/calendar/gazette-calendar/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D93227701.

Documentary Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman will be the keynote speaker for the sixth annual Roving Eye International Film Festival. The event, which takes place on Friday, April 15th at Roger Williams University (RWU), examines the mission of the U.S. Juvenile Court as seen through the lens of Wiseman’s landmark documentary, Juvenile Court. The programming will include a free public screening of his acclaimed film and culminate in a panel discussion and audience Q&A at 6:00 pm at the RWU Field House. For more information visit http://www.film-festival.org/RovingEye.php

The Woods Hole Film Festival is holding a weekend long workshop, “The Professional Actor’s Life,” from April 30th to May 1st at The Woods Hole Inn. The keynote speaker is Oscar-nominated actor Sam Waterson. The cost for the workshop is $250. To learn more or to sign up visit www.woodsholefilmfestival.org/2011/pages/the-actors-life-workshop-2011 or call (508) 495-3456.

Industry Buzz

The inaugural Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship was awarded to Erin Casper at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas on March 15th. The recently created fellowship honors Schmeer, a Boston editor who died early last year. Read more at http://www.karenschmeer.com/.

Some royal, fantastic news for Rhode Island: director Wes Anderson will shoot his new film Moonrise Kingdom around the state this spring. The film’s cast includes Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, Ed Norton, and Frances McDormand.

Sarah Jessica Parker has been spotted in Boston recently filming the upcoming feature I Don’t Know How She Does It; read more at http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/more_names/blog/2011/03/sarah_jessica_parker_filming_a.html. Also in Massachusetts is Kevin James, who will film Here Comes the Boom around Quincy this spring.

Rhode Island’s Eagle Peak Media debuts their documentary Behind the Hedgerow: Eileen Slocum and the Meaning of Newport Society on WSBE/Rhode Island PBS April 6th at 8:00 pm. The film was the opening night selection at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. Read more at http://www.behindthehedgerow.com/.

Award-winning actor (and Emerson College alum) Henry Winkler dropped by his alma mater this week to teach a master class to sophomores in Associate Professor Scott LaFeber’s Musical Theatre class. Winkler is in Boston until June shooting his latest film, a romantic and buddy comedy titled Here Comes the Boom with Kevin James and Salma Hayek. According to the report, ‘He listened to and then advised the students on their monologues and vocal performances. Following words of advice and encouragement, he also gave each student a big hug.’ For the full story, visit the Emerson College website.

NewEnglandFilm.com Founder and Publisher Michele Meek, actor Dan Butler, filmmaker John O’Brien and reporter Eva Sollberger judged the Green Mountain Film Festival’s 48 Hour Film Slam in March. The winning team took home a check for $1781 (courtesy of the Doran Family Foundation). For more info, watch a behind-the-scenes report or see the Film Slam website.

Opportunities

Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s Whaleback Environmental Film & Art Festival is now accepting submissions for next month’s event. Filmmakers are encouraged to submit films that address an environmental theme. Submission deadline is April 15th. Visit http://www.whaleback.org/submissions.htm for rules and application form.

Site Projects, Inc. of New Haven, CT is currently accepting entries for this spring’s film shorts festival. Filmmakers are encouraged to submit original short films that relate to or interact with Felice Varini’s installation “Square with four circles” in downtown New Haven’s Temple Plaza. Submit films in Professional/Amateur, Student, or Young Filmmaker categories by April 15th. Prizes will be awarded. For more details, visit http://www.siteprojects.org/SitesCameraAction/.

It’s your last chance to enter the Nantucket Film Festival! Extended deadline is April 4th. Visit http://www.nantucketfilmfestival.org/ for submission fees and to download an application.

The Roxbury International Film Festival is currently accepting submissions. Films must be produced, directed, and/or written by or about people of color, with some preference given to past or current residents of New England. Submission deadline is May 15th. Visit http://roxburyfilmfestival.org/ to learn more.

The New Hampshire High School Short Film Festival is now accepting entries for this June’s festival through April 22nd. Read more and download a submission form at http://www.nh.gov/film/hsfest/submit.htm.

Bangor, Maine’s Kahbang Film Festival is currently accepting entries for this August’s festival. Categories include “Gen-Next,” “LMFAO,” and “MaineStream.” Regular deadline is April 8th, late is May 8th, and extended is June 8th. Check out http://www.kahbang.com/film/submit-your-film to learn more.

Connecticut’s Farmington Valley Film Commission is currently accepting student submissions for the Farmington Valley Promotional Ad Video Contest. Middle and high school students are encouraged to create a 30–90 second that promotes Farmington Valley. Several prizes will be awarded. The deadline is April 22nd. Visit http://www.farmingtonvalleyfilm.org/ to learn more and download a submission form.

The Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival is now accepting short film entries for this September’s event. Fiction, live action, animation, and documentary short films under 15 minutes completed after July 1, 2010 are eligible for submission. The deadline to submit is July 15th. Read more at http://www.mvfilmfest.com/.