Mark Romanek, Scott Frank, Michael Elliot, and Adriene Bowles Among Program Mentors & Guest Speakers -Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, has selected 33 filmmakers for its annual diversity mentorship program, Project:Involve. The signature program is dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry. Writer/directors M...

          As further commitment to expanding audiences for independent films, Sundance Institute today announced a collaboration with YouTube to make available for rent three world-premiere films from the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.  Beginning today, films will be spotlighted on the YouTube homepage, after which they will also be available until January 31 at YouTube Movies.  Two audience favorites from the 2009 Festival will also be ...

Tha awards of the 29th Hawaii International Film Festival went to:Halekulani Award for Best Narrative FilmEmpire of Silver (directed by Yao Shuhua)Halekulani Award for Best Documentary FilmPetition (directed by Zhao Liang)PUMA Emerging Filmmaker AwardChildren of Invention (directed by Tze Chun)NETPAC AwardCastaway On The Moon (directed by Hey-Jun Lee)Maverick AwardMaggie Q, Warrior and the WolfVision in Film AwardDamon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse, LOSTMahalo Nui Loa AwardJack Bender & Jean Higgins, ...

With a festival which prides itself as being “fiercely independent”, the Woodstock Film Festival, which concludes today, is committed to the discovery of new talents, both behind and in front of the screen. With budgets that are tight in the extreme, more often that not, the actors used are new to the screen and unknown to the public (I included myself in this). However, when a performance of great depth or realism is given by someone you do not know, my tendency is to pay very close attenti...

Filmmakers, industry mavens, film critics and local film buffs gathered last evening at the historic Backstage Productions Arts and Entertainment Complex in Kingston, NY for the awards ceremonies of the 10th edition of the Woodstock Film Festival. The film event closes today, celebrating 10 years of exceptional independent film, panels, concerts, events and parties, with the best of the best in the indie film world.Emceed by actor/director Giancarlo Esposito, the WFF Awards ceremony guests, pres...

  DON'T LET ME DROWN (Cruz Angeles, USA) Filmmakers, industry mavens, film critics and local film buffs gathered last evening at the historic Backstage Productions Arts and Entertainment Complex in Kingston, NY for the awards ceremonies of the 10th edition of the Woodstock Film Festival. The film event closes today, celebrating 10 years of exceptional independent film, panels, concerts, events and parties, with the best of the best in the indie film world. Emceed by actor/dire...

  CHILDREN OF INVENTION    With a festival which prides itself as being “fiercely independent”, the Woodstock Film Festival, which concludes today, is committed to the discovery of new talents, both behind and in front of the screen. With budgets that are tight in the extreme, more often that not, the actors used are new to the screen and unknown to the public (I included myself in this). However, when a performance of great depth or realism is given by someone you do not know, my tende...

The 32nd Annual 2009 Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF ‘09) sponsored by Toyota, the official vehicle sponsor will be held in select theaters in New York, July 23 - 26, 2009. The festival founded in 1978 by Asia Cinevision with Asia Society, is the first and longest running international independent festival in the country that supports emerging and established directors of Asian and Asian American descent. AAIFF annually showcase film, video, and music to enrich New York's Asi...

By Maria Esteves - July 6, 2009 The 32nd Annual 2009 Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF ‘09) sponsored by Toyota, the official vehicle sponsor will be held in select theaters in New York, July 23 - 26, 2009. The festival founded in 1978 by Asia Cinevision, is the first and longest running international independent festival in the country that supports emerging and established directors of Asian and Asian American descent. AAIFF annually showcase film, video, and music to enr...

2009 NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALJune 3 – 7, 2009The 2009 NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL announced its Jury; Student & Audience Award winners at an event on Sunday, June 7 in the Filmmaker Lounge at the fest headquarters at Empire Tea & Coffee in Newport.The awards ceremony was kicked off and introduced by Executive Director Jennifer Maizel along with Artistic Director Tom Hall and Programmers Holly Herrick and Andrea van Bueren. The 2009 Newport International Film Festival Narrat...

The 2009 NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL will take place June 3-7 in beautiful Newport, Rhode Island. This year’s Festival will present five days and nights of screenings of over 90 U.S. and international feature, documentary and short films; Rhode Island focus, narrative, documentary and audience award competitions; filmmaker panels; events; a free screening in beautiful Ballard Park; the presentation of the prestigious Claiborne Pell Award; and those fabulous Newport parties. There wil...

Actor Joe Pantoliano discusses his new documentary effort ‘No Kidding, Me Too’, which will celebrate a premiere at this year’s Sarasota Film Festival (SFF)…PLUS…a conversation with several filmmakers whose new works are featured in this year’s SFF program including Robert Kenner (Food Inc), Darius Marder (Loot), Tze Chun (Children of Invention), Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo), Jim Granato (D-Tour), and Jody Lee Lipes (Brock Enright). only at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/moviegee...

The 11th Sarasota Film Festival presented its awards at the Filmmaker Tribute event held at the Sarasota Opera House on Saturday evening, April 4. Actor Stanley Tucci served as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening and introduced the presentations. SFF Board President, Mark P. Famiglio, made introductory remarks before Tucci introduced the competition winners.The Sarasota Film Festival, in partnership with the companies Film Movement and First Run Features, presented our very first feature ...

The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express, the founding sponsor of the Festival, along with the Tribeca Film Institute today announced the selected projects for Tribeca All Access (TAA). TAA is designed to help foster and nurture relationships between film industry executives and filmmakers from traditionally underrepresented communities; the program is made possible by Bloomberg. Celebrating its sixth year, Tribeca All Access will present 27 new projects during the six-day event...

The 11th Annual Regal Entertainment Group SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL will get underway on Friday evening March 27, 2009 and run through Sunday, April 5, 2009. The Festival will be presented at Sarasota’s Hollywood 20 Cinemas with Opening Night at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, Closing Night Tribute at the Sarasota Opera House, screenings and conversations at the Historic Asolo, and other area venues. This year’s Festival will present over 160 narrative, documentary and short films from t...