NewEnglandFilm.com

What’s Happening

On Thursday evening, November 2nd, many of the states top film and commercials producers, technicians, and talent will convene at the Boston University Photonics Center to get the latest on the MA Film Office, Massachusetts Production Coalition Initiatives, and our state’s comprehensive Production Tax Incentives program. To attend, go to the public Evite URL: www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/joe@crewstar.com/MPCEVITE.

Alice Bouvrie’s documentary Prison Pups, about four inmates who raise and train puppies for the handicapped and hearing impaired, screens at the MFA Boston on November 4 and at Studio Cinema in Belmont on November 13. For more information, visit www.mineralkingproductions.com.

The New England premiere of Frank the Barber by Jeff Palmer screens on November 18th at 6 pm as part of artstream Film Festival.  For more information, visit www.artstreamstudios.com or www.frankthebarber.com.

The Rhode Island International Film Festival’s annual fall fundraiser features regional players in the film industry and celebrates Rhode Island filmmaking on November 30th.  Already scheduled to appear are Michael Corrente, director/producer; Steven Feinberg, director of the RI Film & TV office; Curt Columbus, Artistic Director of Trinity Repertory Company; Scott Levine, unit publicist based in Providence (Underdog and Dan in Real Life) among others. For more details, visit http://www.film-festival.org/Benefit.Event.php.

The New Hampshire-based production company Either/Or Films announced that its first project, The Sensation of Sight, will have its North American premiere at the 29th Starz Denver International Film Festival (SDIFF) on Friday, November 10th with a second screening on Saturday, November 11th. Starring Academy Award nominee David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck), the film will be in competition for a number of awards during the festival, which runs from November 9–19th. Strathairn will be in attendance, and will participate in Q&A sessions with Wiederspahn after both screenings. For more information, visit www.eitherorfilms.com.

The 18th annual Boston Jewish Film Festival holds its Opening Gala Celebration on October 30.  The event features a gala dinner and a a screening of Toots, about saloonkeeper and New Yorks’ golden years iconToots Shor, who with abundant charm and a talent for friendship, tcounted Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Gleason, and Frank Sinatra among his close friends. For more information, visit www.bjff.org/.

What’s Happened

Christopher Ryan’s Criminal Mass (interviewed in last month’s issue of NewEnglandFilm.com) won 3rd place at the Boston Bike Film Festival last month.  First place went to It’s Like Riding a Bike by Andrew Reese Hoffman and 2nd place to POVme by Dr. Matthew Schneps.  For more information visit http://www.bostonbikefilmfest.org/.

Winners of the 2006 RI Screenplay Competition were announced including Grand Prize to Slidin’ Home by Jodi L. Johnson and First Prize to A Muse Named Stephen King by Jenn Dlugos. For more information about the Screenplay Competition, visit the RIIFF web site at www.rifilmfest.org. 

Filmmaker Eleanor Lanahan became the eighth recipient of Vermont’s Goldstone Award for her film The Naked Hitchhiker at a ceremony as part of the Vermont International Film Festival in Burlington. For all the award winners, visit http://www.vtiff.org/awards.html.

What Will  Happen

Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Grants Awards have increased this year from $5,000 to $7,000.  Deadline for this year’s awards is December 8. For guidelines and an application, visit http://www.massculturalcouncil.org/applications/agapp.html.

The Walt Disney Pictures romantic comedy Dan in Real Life starring Steve Carrell and Juliette Binoche will continue principal photography in locations throughout Rhode Island, including Jamestown, Middletown, East Greenwich, Newport and Providence. Production is expected to continue until December 22, 2006.  For more information, visit the Rhode Island Film & TV Office website at www.film.ri.gov.

The Coolidge Corner Theatre is thrilled to announce that the 2007 Coolidge Award will honor film editing, presented this coming April to film editor extraordinaire Thelma Schoonmaker.  For more information, visit www.coolidge.org.