AFM/AFI, Leeds Film Festival, Billboard's FutureSound Conference, Alpha Night on Broadway
AFM is the anticipated, annual film event that's not quite festival,
not quite conference, but mostly business opportunity - the business of
independent motion picture production and distribution - set oceanside
against Santa Monica beach. Generally, 8,000 industry leaders converge
in Santa Monica for eight days of deal-making, screenings, seminars,
networking and parties, right up till November 9. Participants come from
over 70 countries and include acquisition and development executives,
agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, festival directors,
financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, the world's press,
and all those who provide services to the motion picture industry.
Separate from the conference schedule, the AFM Industry Conversations
are interactive and informative discussions led by Hollywood thought
leaders, decision makers, trendsetters and experts, and are free to
anyone with an AFM Badge.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short
Films category of the annual Academy Awards. And AFI FEST holds the
FIAPF accreditation (FIAPF.org), assuring a high standard of quality and
reliability for the international film community. The festival opens
with the Clint Eastwood directed, 'J. Edgar', with Leonardo DiCaprio,
Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Josh Lucas and Judi Dench. Individual tickets
became available to the general public from October 27. Tickets will be
released the day before each screening at AFI.com and the day of each
screening at the AT&T Box Office at Hollywood & Highland Center.
The American Film Market (AFM) in Santa Monica, is the market partner
of AFI FEST.
Leeds International Film Festival will be held in
West Yorkshire through November 20. It primarily supports the work of
fresh talent in fiction and documentary filmmaking (both features and
shorts), and importantly, work from existing talent that has not
received some exposure yet in the UK. Every section of Leeds is
structured as a film festival in itself. Cherry Kino is the forum for
"wondermental" cinema at the festival. Cinema Versa is the home of
documentaries inspired by the underground festival aesthetic, running
two major themes: Music on Film and Underground Voices, incorporating
live special events and collaborations. Fanomenon is the genre section
of the film festival offering a mix of fantasy cinema experiences, light
and dark. To celebrate its fifth birthday, this year's Thought Bubble
festival programme will be extended over seven days taking place at
venues across the city. Thought Bubble 2011 will include free workshops
for all ages, a three day academic conference, talks and masterclasses
led by industry professionals, a giant free book crossing and giveaway,
and a programme of film and documentary screenings.
Canadian-born
composer Trevor Morris has earned multiple Emmy and Gemini Nominations
and Awards for his work on Showtime's The Tudors, The Borgias, and Starz
Entertainment's The Pillars of the Earth. For a November 8 evening
event in Los Angeles, he and the Grammy Museum's Executive Director, Bob
Santelli, discuss his career and the process of writing scores for
films and television. Along with the discussion, Morris will take
questions from the audience, instruct a live composing demonstration,
and audience members will be among the first to see clips from upcoming
3D action adventure feature, Immortals, which he has contributed to.
Every
November, the Lone Star Film Society presents the Lone Star
International Film Festival bringing top selections in cinema to the
City of Fort Worth. Along with celebrating emerging visions, the
festival also pays homage to the masters of the medium throughout five
days of screenings, panels, and parties. The focus of the 2011 Lone Star
International Film Festival, opening for a five day run starting
November 9, will be to examine new models of film distribution and
marketing with the objective of contributing to the creation of industry
best practices for filmmakers and other professionals working within
this transitioning environment. The LSIFF Feature Film Competition
Program focuses on new works from emerging talents made with modest
budgets. The LSFS rationalizes this as the best way to identify new
visions that are strong enough to see through barriers such as limited
resources.
The Sixth Annual HPA Awards Show Gala is held to
recognize the very best in Post Production, and will be held in Los
Angeles on November 10. The Hollywood Post Alliance®, also known as
HPA®, is the trade association serving the Southern California-based
professional community of businesses and individuals who provide
expertise, support, tools and the infrastructure for the creation and
finishing of motion pictures, television, commercials, digital media and
other dynamic media content. Cocktail attire is suggested for this
event, and a champagne and dessert reception immediately follows the
show.
The Oaxaca International Independent Film and Video
Festival is an official cultural event of the city of Oaxaca de Juarez,
happening November 12-19. Quality film submissions of any length are
welcome from all genres from anywhere in the world. A strong emphasis of
the Oaxaca International Independent Film and Video Festival is to
contribute to the economic and creative vitality of the city of Oaxaca
and expand the audience for independent film. Opening night after party
at Bar Txalaparta, and closing night after party at Bar Desestresse.
Billboard's
FutureSound conference will bring together musical artists,
entrepreneurs, investors and meaningful rights-holders for focused
conversations about next-generation opportunities in music over two days
in San Francisco from November 17. These ideas will be presented and
discussed on-site to produce a Billboard publication cover story
detailing best practices and ideas. During a scheduled Friday panel,
Steve Jang, Founder/CEO, SoundTracking, Ryan Sarver, Head of Platform,
Twitter, take part in a panel moderated by Joe Marchese, SVP Marketing
& Digital, FUSE, on "Twitter and The Socialization of Music". In
addition to the conference, Billboard will also be featuring
installations of next generation platforms and music products to create a
backdrop for the day's discussions.
Established and recognized
magazine on the film circuit, Independent Film Quarterly presents its
Film & New Media Festival in New York City, November 17-24. The
festival provides a platform where filmmakers can showcase their work
(features, shorts, new media, animation, music videos and
documentaries), increase opportunities for producers and maximize
potential for distribution, press and industry recognition. The Festival
will exhibit a selection of short- and long-form works that exhibit
strong personal visions combined with the high standards of artistic
merit and technical achievement consistent with, and reflective of
Independent Film Quarterly.
At the Music In Media Industry
Professionals Mixer running from November 18-19, attendees can get up
close and personal with top industry movers and shakers who will be on
hand to connect and meet Hollywood Music In Media (HMMA) artists and
members. The Hollywood based event officially known as MIMIpro™,
features groovin' music, tasty appetizers and a full bar that will be
used to create an ambiance for networking while award winners, industry
luminaries and personalities deliver candid and revealing interviews
live in the hotel's mid-century styled lounge. All HMMA members, guests,
friends and awards attendees are welcome to this complimentary two day
experience. Live broadcast is carried via www.stageit.com both nights
beginning at 8 pm PST. A post event celebration follows.
Held
during the official proclamation of "Animation Week" in Burbank, the CTN
animation eXpo which runs three days starting on November 20, is an
assemblage of presentations, workshops, screenings, networking,
recruiting, to mutually benefit the animation artist, games, education,
film and video communities and the individuals in those communities. In
one planned conference panel, "The Media is the Message!", panel
participants explore the topic of developing content in new media such
as web-based, iPad apps, PDA oriented content, streaming content,
multi-platform content linked with gaming, apps, feature films and more.
Since its inception in 2004 The Creative Talent Network® stands as the
organized community for the top creators of both traditional and digital
animated films, and hosts of the CTN animation eXpo.
Our Gang
Productions joins with Rho Psi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity, and the producers of the Broadway play, Stick Fly, for one
night, November 20, to divert a portion of the evening's box office into
a fundraiser for the Rho Psi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity, leading up to a 2012 Historic Black college and university
tour and College Boot Camp that underprivileged urban youth will take
part in. The evening begins with a pre-reception at B. Smith's
Restaurant on Restaurant Row of Hell's Kitchen, then onto the Broadway
play, Stick Fly, followed by a Q&A panel discussion moderated by Dion Michael Ashman
of Get Ready for Primetime Radio. Stick Fly is written by Lydia R.
Diamond, directed by Kenny Leon, and executive produced by Grammy
winner, Alicia Keys, who composed an original score for the production.
The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the "Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events"
page at http://www.actorschecklist.com/news.html which now has a
language translation button to convert page contents into most widely
used languages. In a look ahead into December event dates, there is the
anticipated Bahamas International Film Festival in Nassau & Paradise
Island, the 2011 International Film Festival Summit in Las Vegas,
Monaco International Film Festival in Monte Carlo, the Metropolitan Film
Festival of New York in New York City, and Queer Fruits Film Festival
in Lismore, to give a small sample of the upcoming events in the month
ahead. Also to alert viewers, a site revamp and redesign of The Actor's Checklist is close at hand, with new interactive features, tools and resources to aid members, so please stay tuned.