NewEnglandFilm.com

This Month

It’s December. Parties and the pursuit of award nominations have begun and theaters are packed with quality viewing.

First on your list? The NewEnglandFilm.com party in honor of the newly re-designed site takes place on December 10th, 7:30-10:30 pm at Lir Irish Pub & Restaurant located at 903 Boylston Street in Boston. Please RSVP if you’d like to join us. And, join our group on Facebook!

Mark Lund’s short film First World screened last month at the New England Fan Experience. Lund, a figure skating expert and television personality, said that five producers are reviewing the project in the hopes of expanding it into a feature. He’ll be keeping us posted.

Applications for 2009 Mass Cultural Council Artist Fellowships will be accepted through December 5th. See the guidelines.

The Rhode Island Film Collaborative will host a “Black and White” party and fundraiser on December 6th at Kay Studios in East Providence. Kerri Costa, who helped plan the event, wrote, “The theme celebrates more than just decoration and dress – it’s a call back to the black and white films that paved the way for modern cinema.” Tickets available at www.rifcfilms.com.

If you’re looking to secure income, you may want to hear what fundraising expert Morrie Warshawski has to say. On December 6th, he leads “Jumpstarting Your Career: A Career Development Workshop” during the day and “The Fundraising Houseparty” in the evening. On December 7th he leads “Shaking the Money Tree: How to Get Grants and Donations for Your Film/Video Project.” Workshops will be held at 93 Border Street in West Newton. Contact Susi Walsh at Center for Independent Documentary (susi@documentaries.org) for details.

James C. Ferguson and fellow Emerson alums screen their feature film, Happy Holidays, at Improv Boston in Cambridge on December 7th at 9 pm. Ferguson describes it as a movie that “talks a lot.” Three characters in their 30s who reunite in New England over the holidays do most of the talking. Happy Holidays also has NY and LA screenings planned. DVD release is pending.

If theaters are your thing, you may already know that the Coolidge Corner Theatre is celebrating its 75th anniversary throughout 2009. To provide a backdrop on its history, including ties to the Federal Theatre Project, Susan Quinn will discuss her book Furious Improvisation: How the WPA and a Cast of Thousands Made High Art out of Desperate Times, and screen film clips related to the story. The event takes place on December 8th at 7 pm.

Julie Arvedon, casting director and director of marketing at Boston Casting, will teach “Breaking Into the Business,” a seminar on how to launch an acting career in New England on December 10th from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. To register, call 617-787-7400 visit www.mediaperformanceinstitute.com.

‘Everything you need to know about applying to the LEF Moving Image Fund,’ will take place Wednesday, December 10th, 6:30-9 pm at 93 Border Street in West Newton. The workshop is free but RSVP is required.

The 100 Second Film Festival is accepting submissions through December 15th.

CineMental presents: The Godfather of Disco plus live DJ/mixing demo by djs tba at the Brattle Theater on December 17th at 9pm.

The Rhode Island Film Office announced that a town hall meeting for film & TV production is scheduled for the evening of January 7, 2009. Details are forthcoming.

Upcoming Workshops & Festival and Fellowship Deadlines

Through the Jane Morrison Memorial Film Fund, up to two $1,000-$2,000 grants will be awarded to filmmakers interested in obtaining further instruction in filmmaking by attending a workshop, conference, or film festival. Maine residents will receive preference, but the award is not restricted to residents of Maine. The application deadline is January 15, 2009. For complete guidelines, please visit www.mainecf.org.

David Tames, one of NewEnglandFilm.com’s go-to tech experts, is teaching a documentary video bootcamp at MassArt from January 12-16, 2009. For more info, click here.

The Rhode Island International Film Festival announced an early deadline of January 15, 2009. For details and to download an application, visit http://www.film-festival.org/enterafilm2.php.

Want help developing a film festival application strategy? FilmDance will be held on January 17, 2009 at Kay Studios in East Providence, from 10 am to 4 pm. The Film Community’s executive director, Eleyne Austen Sharp, wrote that ‘FilmDance is a unique opportunity to learn from the experts exactly which festivals to include on your ‘dance’ card and which ones to ignore.’ The seminar features panel discussions on marketing, fundraising, networking and submission issues. To register for FilmDance, call 401-294-4922 or visit The Film Community’s website at www.thefilmcommunity.org.

The Boston International Women’s Day Film Festival is seeking films that explore national and international women’s issues. The submission deadline is January 30, 2009.

Wheaton College in Norton, MA is accepting applications for a visiting artist in residence to teach two film-related course, one per semester, for the fall and spring semester of 2009-2010. They are especially interested in artists and professors who can provide students with specialized interdisciplinary connections in filmmaking and other fields of study. Learn more at www.myspace.com/wheatonfilm. Applications due February 1, 2009.

Submissions are open for the 11th Annual Provincetown International Film Festival until February 16, 2009. For more information visit www.ptownfilmfest.org.

Filmmakers Collaborative wants your input on the next Making Media Now Conference, which will be held at Bentley College in Waltham, MA on June 5th 2009. Click here to tell conference planners what topics you’d like covered next year.

Dave McLaughlin’s Boston-inspired feature film On Broadway is now available on Amazon Video on Demand and via CreateSpace DVD on Demand. Check out what this unique kind of distribution is all about.

Waterville, ME has been selected to be one of the six communities to host the American Film Institute’s Project 20/20, an international initiative that enables independent U.S. and international filmmakers to share their films, and enhance cultural exchange and understanding. For more information, visit www.afi.com.