NewEnglandFilm.com

Women in Film and Video New England (WIFV/NE) has a new executive director. Lisa Faircloth Carey stepped down in May but will remain on the board. The incoming executive director is Judy Blotnick, who has spent the last eight years as executive director for Hill House, a nonprofit community center for Beacon Hill. Blotnick does not have film experience, but says she hopes it will serve her well, "because I am not aware of what can’t be done."

"Tea Cakes and Cannolis" is a low-budget film now being shot in and around Boston’s North End. Writer and Director Francine Pellegrino welcomes any volunteer production assistants. Please call 781-446-0713.

INFACT, the national grassroots organization that works to inform people about the tobacco industry, is looking for a director for a new documentary. The film will investigate Philip Morris as the producer of both Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and Marlboro cigarettes. The projected film timeline is August 1999 through March 2000, and the budget is projected at $100,000 to $150,000. For further information, contact Karla Capers, INFACT by telephone at 617-742-4583, or by e-mail at karla.infact@juno.com.

The documentary production company Yesterday’s News aired the television premiere of their production "Visual Gifts: The Sculpture of George Greenamyer" on WGBH last month.  "Visual Gifts" tells the story of kinetic sculptor George Greenamyer, a Mass. College of Art professor who works from his Marshfield, Massachusetts studio creating public art for sites from Miami to Anchorage. Briefly tracing Greenamyer’s struggles to overcome severe learning disabilities as a child, the presentation focuses primarily on his development of a kinetic sculpture, "First in Flight", currently installed at the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. For more information, visit their web site at http://www.yesterdaysnews.org.

The Zeitgeist Gallery’s annual Wildlife Preserve Filmfest began on June 18. The festival is a celebration of diversity in a cultural community and involves many establishments in Cambridge’s Central Square area. A film will play each Friday night through September 17 at Carberry’s Bakery on Prospect Street. Three of the screenings include free ice cream from Toscanini’s. "The Warriors" plays on July 9; "A Clockwork Orange" plays on July 16, and "The Thief of Baghdad" plays on July 23. Screenings start at 9:00 p.m. For a complete list and other information, call 617-876-2182.

"The Wedding Band" is playing on July 2 and 3 at 11 p.m. at the Savoy Theatre in Montepelier, VT. Directed by Martin Guigui, the film was showcased at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January. "The Wedding Band," filmed on Lake Champlain in Vermont, is about a Jewish-Catholic wedding. The story features local stars Chad Hollister (Burlington, VT musician) and Barry Goudreau (late Boston guitarist), with Deborah (a.k.a. Debbie) Gibson and Dom DeLuise. For more information, contact the Savoy Theatre by calling 802-229-0598.

"The Picture Start Film Series" is a new venue for films where filmmakers can show their work outside of the competitive festival circuit. Gallery Agniel created the series to give independent filmmakers the opportunity to gain an audience and receive feedback from filmgoers and their peers. Gallery Agniel hopes the series will result in a supportive film community. The series began on June 30th with "Captive Audience" by Mike Gioscia and Kurt St. Thomas, and animated shorts by Ara Peterson. The second screening is on July 14 and will feature works by Sandra Gibson and Adam Gault. Dave Kleiler of Local Sightings, which helps filmmakers get their works made, sold and seen, will host the July 28th show. The August 5th show will screen new works in Super 8 by Danny Plotnick, a film by Eunice Kim, and a Michael Loncar film that features music from local band, Purple Ivy Shadows. For further information, contact Gallery Agniel, Tel: 401-272-1522.