Sunshine, lollipops, rainbows and…
The Death of Cinema (in Italy)
And In Other News
- @BFI has launched Film Nation UK, the body that shall deliver £26m worth of @BigLotteryFunds – will this be the start of a beautiful bounty for our young, aspiring filmmakers? Here’s hoping.
- @THR reports that the Film Distributors Association president David Puttnam has called for more flexible theatrical windows to keep the exhibition sector healthy. Knowing how difficult it can be for indie distributors to get their films on screens, this makes sense, no?
- With the impending closure of @TechnicolorCo’s film processing facility @PinewoodStudios, many were worried about the future of our 35mm and 16mm formats; but fear not old fashioned film lover, for Deluxe and i-dailies have come to the rescue (at least for the time being)!
- @Cineuropa covers the extraordinary events during the Istanbul Film Festival, where many prominent film people (including filmmaker Mike Newell) were caught in violent protests at the closure of the historic Emek Theatre. They may take our lives, but theyll never take– and so-on.
- @Screendaily brings us news of @TribecaFilms move into the UK distribution sector with a VOD deal for its festival titles. The tide-is-a-turning…
- The BFI is to celebrate Lars Von Trier. Particular interest must be in the talks surrounding his work – get beyond all the hoo-ha, I say.
- With Alternative Content drawing in the crowds … it is no surprise that the art world has turned to our beautiful silver screens to exhibit, and @BBCNews has a an excellent article on what it took to bring @Royalacademy and @The7thArts exquisite Manet Exhibition to the screens…
… Which begs the question, what else could be shown in cinemas to pull in those punters? #getiton
Events
- Cannes line-up announced (in case you hadnt heard :-S)… BIG.
- The self-proclaimed outlaws of cinema @ScreenBandita have created A Road Movie in Super 8 and Sound. If you are in Edinburgh or Glasgow this is, quite simply, unmissable.
- New independent film festival in Cork, spearheaded by @UnaFeely, @HanniganCork (a.k.a Mick Hannigan) and Ken Loach more details coming May 1st. Im excited!
- @LUXmovingimage once again has a round-up of all the must-go-to events in the world of Artists Moving Image. Find out more here.
Jobs
- The wonderful and vibrant Chapter Arts Centre of Cardiff (the UK’s most peaceful urban space), are looking for a Development Office to assist in their fundraising operations – you have to be awesome, obviously, but for more click here.
Submissions
- Consider yourself the next Philip French? Stop sniggering in the back there! Well, @edmfilmfest has confirmed the return of the Student Critics Jury. A brilliant initiative to support future film criticism, applications and further info can be found here.
- @VMShorts is Britains biggest short film competition and is now open for submissions. Need I say more? How about, 30,000 in prize money?
- The submission process is now open for Save Our Scripts mentioned a few weeks back as one to watch, this is an excellent opportunity to develop your project with expert producers and screenwriters.
- I dont think there is a more contemporary short film contest: Firefox is asking filmmakers to submit short films about the power of the web. Should lead to some interesting films, and the prizes are pretty great.
Training
- @Film_London are running Cultivate: Inspiring Future Audiences, a UK-wide programme that aims to provide the necessary skills to develop film education programmes in cinemas and festivals pertinent, no?
- Aged 18-25 and interested in/already are making documentaries? Well @FirstLightFund is working alongside The Grierson Trust to provide you with a wealth of invaluable info and experiences that will help you realise your aspirations. This really is a no-brainer.
- @sheffdocfest, in partnership with @SkillsetSSC, present a training and networking opportunity aimed exclusively at documentary-makers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; a workshop designed to arm you with the skills and inside knowledge needed to make sense of todays reality of fractured funding models and internet-connected audiences. sounds good to me!
Good Reads
- The passing of a legend: Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem pay tribute to Bigas Luna, director extraordinaire. I was tempted to use a screenshot from La teta y la luna for this blog’s header image, but thought better of it.
- Which is better for the Sisterhood, G.I. Joe: Retalliation or Oblivion? Both are terrible, obviously – but which is worse? @Ultraculture has the answer.
- @CreativeScots has a great interview with @PaulAWelsh, producer of Lore and Skeletons.
- Ever wanted to understand time travel in movies? Yes, well head-on-over here. SPOILER ALERT!
- Reality TV show that sends Joe Public to form the first human colony on Mars. Yep.