NewEnglandFilm.com

Happenings

Celebrate Maine’s Lewiston Auburn Film Festival April 4-7. Highlights include a gala dinner, awards show, and student film competition. Films screen at a few different venues. For more information, click here.

Award-winning actor and author Alan Alda will speak at Southern Connecticut State University on May 3rd at 7:00 pm. The event is the 15th annual Mary and Louis Fusco Distinguished Lecture, with a reception to follow. For more details and to purchase tickets, click here.

The White River Indie Films Festival runs April 26–28 in Vermont. Festival passes are available. The festival will include a discussion of “Transmedia: the Future of Storytelling Across Platforms.” Learn more here.

Stop, collaborate, and listen: check out Rock & Reel in Providence, Rhode Island April 4-7. Musicians and filmmakers will be paired and given the weekend to create a narrative music video, with screenings the following week. For more details and to sign up, visit rockandreel.org.

The New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival runs April 4–14 throughout the state. The festival kicks off with a special event in Manchester on April 4th. For festival updates and more information, click here.

Images Cinema in Williamstown, Massachusetts celebrates fifteen years with several special events this month. As part of its goal to reach 500 memberships, the theatre is also offering special deals for new members and renewals. To learn more, visit imagescinema.org.

Celebrate the Independent Film Festival Boston April 24–30. The festival opens with The Spectacular Now and closes with In a World… Visit iffboston.org for more information.

Check out the Connecticut Student Film Festival on April 26th at the Palace Theater in Waterbury. For more details about the event, visit the festival’s Facebook page.

Providence, Rhode Island’s Cable Car Cinema hosts a screening of the film Leviathan on April 10th at 7:00 pm. In the documentary, filmmakers Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel follow a fishing vessel’s journey off the coast of Massachusetts. Learn more here.

Mingle at the Farmington Valley Film Commission’s CT Film Networking Mixer on April 18th from 5:30 to 8:00 pm. The event will be held at the Maple Tree Cafe (781 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury); admission is $10. For more information, click here.

Check out the second Springfield Community Festival on April 22nd from 2:00 to 5:00 pm at the Bing Arts Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. The festival includes film, music, and books. To learn more, click here.

Filmmakers Collaborative will host their annual Making Media Now on May 3 at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Conference session highlights include: finding and mining new forms and opportunities; achieving financial and social impact success; and a spirited real-world, “Art of the Pitch,” featuring live producer pitches and industry expert analysis. Making Media Now also includes an exhibition hall with film and media industry resources and businesses, one-on-one consultations with experts, a networking lunch, open mic opportunities, and an end-of-day cocktail reception. To learn more, visit their website.

Industry Buzz

Boston filmmaker Albert M. Chan has been nominated for a 2013 National Association of Social Workers Media Award for Best Feature Film for The Commitment. The film, directed by and co-starring Chan, tells the story of a gay couple and the pregnant woman who chooses them to adopt her child. Read more about the film here and check out our NewEnglandFilm.com article about the film.

Boston filmmaker David Sutherland’s two-part series Kind Hearted Woman airs on PBS’s Frontline April 1st and 2nd. The documentary follows single mother Robin Charboneau and her life on North Dakota’s Spirit Lake Reservation. For more information, visit PBS and check out our NewEnglandFilm.com article about the series.

The third annual Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship has been awarded to Jim Hession. Hession has worked in post-production for several years and recently served as co-editor of the documentary Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present. The fellowship was established after Schmeer’s death in 2010. To learn more about Hession and the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship, visit karenschmeer.com.

The New Hampshire Production Coalition will hold their spring meeting on April 17th at Plymouth State University. For more details, click here.

David O. Russell has been shooting his new film in Massachusetts over the past few weeks. The film stars Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, and Bradley Cooper. Read more from The Boston Globe.

Opportunities

The Arlington International Film Festival is now accepting submissions for their event this fall. The festival includes several categories, and high school filmmakers are encouraged to submit short films. The deadline is April 15th. Learn more at aiffest.org.

Submit your film to the KahBang Festival this month. Late deadline is April 15th; Withoutabox extended deadline is May 15th. Click aiffest.org to learn more.

The Roxbury International Film Festival is open for submissions. Early bird deadline is April 12th; regular is April 26th; late is May 10th. For guidelines and more information on how to submit, visit roxburyfilmfestival.org.