Industry News | Local Industry

Industry News – May 2013

1 May , 2013  

Written by Casey Stirling | Posted by:

As temperatures start to warm up, so do the film events in New England! Check out the news for local films, upcoming festivals, and filmmaker opportunities. To submit news, e-mail news@newenglandfilm.com.

Happenings

The Berkshire International Film Festival runs in Great Barrington and Pittsfield, Massachusetts May 30th to June 2nd. Screenings include Before Midnight, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, and After Tiller. For tickets and a full festival schedule, visit biffma.com.

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.

Sail on over to the Whaleback Environmental Film & Festival on May 9th and 11th in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Opening night will include a double feature and discussion of small farms at the Portsmouth Public Library. Learn more at the festivalwebsite.

Check out the Boston LGBT Film Festival May 2–12. Highlights include events at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Museum of Fine Arts, and Brattle Theatre, as well as the Director’s Award for Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black. Read more here.

The New England Film & Music Festival hosts a preview screening on May 11th at Capitol Community College in Hartford, Connecticut. Audience votes will help determine the films shown at this September’s festival. For more information, click here.

The 16th Annual Do It Your Damn Self!! National Youth Film Festival runs May 14–18 in Cambridge and Boston. The festival celebrates young filmmakers. Visit the website for more information.

Visit the Providence College Annual Student Film Festival on May 2nd at 6:00 pm. The festival will be held at the Angell Blackfriars Theatre in the Smith Center for the Arts. Admission is free. Learn more here.

Filmmakers Collaborative will host their annual Making Media Now on May 3 at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. To learn more, visit their website.

Industry Buzz

Vermont College of Fine Arts has appointed Brandon Cole as a faculty member of its new film school. Cole has worked as a screenwriter and playwright for many years. His screenwriting credits include Illuminata and Mac. Read more about the film school and its faculty on their website or in our interview with chair Laura Colella.

MovieMaker Magazine recently included several New England film festivals on its list of “Top 50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.” The article names the New Hampshire Film Festival, Provincetown International Film Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival, and the Woods Hole Film Festival. Check out the complete list here.

New Hampshire filmmaker Alfred Thomas Catalfo is the Grand Prize Winner of the Rhode Island International Film Festival screenplay competition. The screenplay is a feature film titled Betrayed. He will receive his award at the festival this August. To learn more about Catalfo, visit his website.

Check out trailers for two upcoming films shot in New England: Universal has released the trailer for the upcoming feature R.I.P.D., which was shot in Massachusetts and stars Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges. Check out the trailer here. Also out is the trailer for The Way Way Back, shot in Massachusetts and starring Steve Carell; view the trailer here.

Opportunities

Women in Film & Video New England (WIFVNE) has announced its call for entries for the Eleventh Annual Screenwriting Competition sponsored by Inktip, Final Draft, Script Chix and Lesley University. The WIFVNE Screenwriting Competition promotes the work of female screenwriters and supports the creation of multi-dimensional leading film roles for women. The competition opened on April 2nd, 2013. The early bird discount ends on April 23rd and the final extended deadline is on June 4th, 2013. Scripts must be
submitted online via Withoutabox.com.

Last chance to submit your film to the KahBang Festival! Withoutabox extended deadline is May 15th. Click aiffest.org to learn more.

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