WWW March 2003
WORKS
OVERSERVED
Boston filmmaker Joe Gatto is preparing to shoot his first feature film, a comedy called OVERSERVED. IMAGINE is told it's an hilariously scathing look at restaurant life. Gatto says, "Think CLERKS meets 'Cheers' ". An Arlington native, he is very excited about the project. "It's a Boston film", he says, "from the cast to the crew, even the bands doing songs for the soundtrack are local."
Joe Gatto is even receiving help from a Boston production house, Film Services Inc. The firm donated lighting and grip so he could shoot a promo piece to raise money. The production will also be holding a fundraiser at the House of Blues in Cambridge, MA on Wednesday, March 12th. Five of Boston's hottest stand-up comediennes, all who appear in the film, and the local band, 3%, who also have a song on the soundtrack, will be performing at the fund raising evening.
Gatto will be showing a 10-minute clip of his film, "So people can get a real feel of what we're doing". Tickets are on sale at the House of Blues website. Tickets are $13.00. You can contact Joe Gatto at Gattofilm@hotmail.com.
Hollywood Returns to Boston for 2003
THE FOUR SEASONS & AMERICAN AIRLINES HOST THE "THE BIG FAT AWARDS GALA"
The "Big Fat Awards Gala," is coming to the Four Seasons on March 23 at 7 PM. It's a special opportunity to view the Academy Awards on the big screen via Channel 5 WCVB who will also be broadcasting their pre-Academy Awards Show live from this important gala event for Boston, including the chic cut-ins from the red carpet in LA. American Airlines will be jetting talent into Boston for the weekend. The proceeds will benefit The Massachusetts Film Bureau (a new non-profit organized to sustain moviemaking in Massachusetts) and Women in Film/Video New England.
The evening includes: A lovely dinner buffet, complimentary wine, beer and martini bar, celebrity guests, champagne toast, live auction (including a walk-on David P. Kelly's "Crossing Jordan" hit TV show) and a raffle.
Tickets are $150.00 per person and can be obtained by calling (617) 523-8388.
THE RACK HOSTS BOSTON'S 6th ANNUAL OFFICIAL ACADEMY AWARDS® EVENT TO BENEFIT THE ELLIE FUND
Hollywood is coming to Boston for the star-studded Oscar Night America Party®. Boston residents will once again have the opportunity to show off their finest and walk down the red carpet. On Sunday March 23rd at 6:00 PM, The Rack will host the 75th Annual Academy® Awards celebration to benefit The Ellie Fund. Mohegan Sun, AMC Theatres, Sam Adams and Channel 5 WCVB TV along with High Output Lighting, Godiva & Stacy's Pita Chips, present the event.
The Oscar Night America Party® is the only event of its kind in Boston. This year's theme, Escape Prohibition, will bring guests back to the "Roaring Twenties," complete with flapper girls, jazz music and magicians. Event producer Zvi Cole, of Zvi Marketing says, "This is our 6th year of bringing Hollywood to Boston by combining the excitement of the Academy Awards with an event to fight breast cancer. I think this year's event is really going to stand out, and I look forward to building upon that success."
The evening will feature martini and wine sampling, complimentary hors d'oeuvres, door prizes, live music, a raffle and silent auction. The 75th showing of The Academy Awards will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be viewed on The Rack's fourteen televisions and wide screen TV's. Dress is 20's style festive and creative.
To purchase tickets or for more information, visit The Ellie Fund website at www.elliefund.org. The Ellie Fund, founded in 1994, is a non-profit organization whose mission is to fight breast cancer by easing the effects on patients and their families. This will be the 5th Academy Awards benefit for The Ellie Fund.
THE FIFTH ANNUAL BOSTON IRISH FILM FESTIVAL
APRIL 24-29, 2003
The Boston Irish Film Festival (BIFF) has announced its fifth annual festival of Irish Cinema to be celebrated April 24-29.
The event showcases the very best of Ireland and the Irish on screen and features over thirty features, documentaries and shorts and fifteen international film and video makers. Guests include Terence Ryan, director of the opening night film PUCKOON (Thursday, April 24 at the Brattle Theatre), Milton-native Dan McCarthy, director of IRISH EYES (Friday, April 25 at the Harvard Film Archive), and acclaimed filmmaker Jim Sheridan (MY LEFT FOOT, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, BOXER) who will be present for the closing night presentation of his new film IN AMERICA (Tuesday, April 29 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre). Events and screenings will be held at the Brattle Theatre, the Harvard Film Archive, and the Coolidge Corner Theatre. For a full listing of events visit the web at www.irishfilmfestival.com or contact festival director Peter Flynn at 617.783.9241, X 16 (email: pflynn@bfvf.org).
Crimson Tech Hires Mike McCosh as Senior Programmer
Crimson Tech an integrator of audiovisual, networking and digital media solutions welcomes Mike McCosh as their new Senior Programmer. McCosh brings to Crimson an extensive background in automation and control systems, audio, video, computers, security system hardware, systems integration and user interfaces. He also has extensive experience in the design and integration of videoconferencing systems with particular attention to the desires of the end-user to have a comfortable environment that incorporates the proper selection of lighting and audio components. Attention to details surrounding sight and sound, stem from McCosh's ten-years experience as a professional photographer and amateur musician.
McCosh holds ICIA's CTS certification, AMX certification in design and advanced systems programming and is currently completing his Crestron Remote Control Systems certification program. He will be applying his many talents toward providing and implementing control systems with full functionality and versatility in an easy to use, interactive, touch screen panel. These control systems will be incorporated into the many unique projects being awarded to Crimson in the educational, medical and corporate markets. Visit the Crimson Tech website at www.crimsontech.com.
WRINKLES
FROM MEDIA BLITZ By John Molori:
Abbott Continues to Shape a New NESN in 2003
(Smoothing Wrinkles, PUB)
As the Red Sox begin their 2003 campaign, NESN, the team's regional and cable carrier, is also starting a new season. The network's Boston Globe Sports Plus show premieres Thursday, March 6th at 7 PM from The Place Sports Bar and Restaurant in Boston.
The program, hosted by Bob Lobel, will feature writers and athletes on a weekly basis. Each edition airs a half-hour before Thursday's Red Sox or Bruins pre- game show.
"The show will be very timely," says NESN VP of programming and operations Rick Abbott, "We'll decide on subject matter the day before each program."
Abbott welcomes ex-pitching stars Dennis Eckersley and Bob Tewksbury to
NESN's revamped Pre-game and Extra Innings programs alongside Bob Rodgers. Abbot states, "Both guys bring a unique perspective to the table. Tewksbury is full of knowledge like the nutty professor, while Eck brings 'Just win, baby' attitude to television."
In addition to his studio work, Tewksbury will also work five Portland Sea Dogs games and five Pawtucket Red Sox games with Rodgers.
Abbott hopes for some sharp commentary on the Extra Innings set this year, not an easy goal when your network is owned by the Red Sox.
"Our guys have to make sure that what they say is journalistically credible," he relates, "If they can back it up, we encourage them to comment on the team's successes and failures."
A NEW BOARD GAME: Lights…Camera…ACTION!
Relive your favorite movie moments. It's a new twist on the board game, a good wrinkle.
A new movie board game has hit the market from two Boston locals! It's unique as it puts you right into the scene so you can experience the best moments from your favorite movies.
The object of the game is to name the movie on each card. First, your team is given a quote. You get a second chance when the actor is revealed. Still stumped? You will be given the situation.
The creators like to call these cards movie moments, because they're not just trivia-they allow players to recreate the defining moments in a film and have an element of charades as teammates impersonate their favorite actors in their readings. The reminiscing that surrounds this game inspires players to rent movies they missed as well as their favorites.
The movie moments range from classics to current hits. Also, there is a warning on the box as some R-rated quotes contain four-letter words.
Lights…Camera…ACTION! is the first product from Georgie Games, named after George, their freakishly overgrown yet lovable beagle. (We thought Georgie would be a cat, but beagles have many redeeming qualities. PUB.)
You can find Lights…Camera…ACTION! at CinemaSmith (Brookline), Coolidge Corner Theatre (Brookline), Movieworks (Brookline), and Your Move Games (Somerville). You can also visit www.lcagame.com.
WRAPS
Black Maria Film and Video Festival at the MFA
The MFA Film Program is delighted to present the Black Maria Film and Video Festival on Thursday, March 27, at 5:30 pm. This free program of 11 experimental short films was put together by The Thomas Edison-Black Maria Film-Video Festival, a nationally recognized, Academy Award qualifying festival for shorts with a 22 year history of commitment to adventuresome and non-traditional independent film. These 11 films were selected for first prize by a jury, which included Bo Smith, Head of Film and Video at the MFA.
Since 1981, this annual nationally touring festival has been exhibiting adventurous film by free-spirited and visionary independent directors from around the world. Co-presented by the Museum School, this event is made possible by the Lowell Institute. Introduced by a representative of the festival.
The presentations are: PINK SOCKS by Leighton Pierce (4 min., video), GOLDEN GUMS by Matt Wolf (13 min., video) BURN by Reynold Reynolds and Patrick Jolley (10 min.). SEASONS… by Stan Brakhage with Phil Solomon (15 min.), AFTERLIFE by Karen Aqua (4 min., video), KINETIC SANDWICH by Eric Dyer (3 min., video), STATE OF THE UNION by Bryan Boyce (2 min., video), DREAMSCAPES by Sean McBride (5 min., video), THE PENGUINS AND THE MICE by Tim Szetela (4 min.), 1:1 by Richard Reeves (Canada, 2 min.), LIFE LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS by Tiffany Shalin (14 min., video). A CONSERVATIION WITH HARRIS by Sheila Sofian (6 min.).
WIFV/NE member Liane Brandon has been named this month's honoree by CineWomen of New York
Liane Brandon is being recognized as a pioneer woman filmmaker who paved the way for our contemporary filmmakers.
In conjunction with this recognition, her classic film ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE was featured at Anthology Film Archives in New York on February 19th.
Brandon was one of the first independent women filmmakers to emerge from Boston in the late 1960's. She is a co-founder of New Day Films, the nationally known cooperative that has pioneered in the distribution of films and videos about women and social change. She is also a Professor at the University of Massachusetts and the Director of UMass Educational Television. Her films have won numerous national and international awards.
ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE, her 1971 film about a teenager's humorous collision with sex-role stereotypes was one of the most popular films of the early Women's Movement. It was one of the first to explore the external pressures and the subtler, internal pressures a girl faces in finding her identity. The heroine is a bright high school girl who is told she can be anything she wants to be, but is repeatedly stymied by social expectations and mass media stereotypes. When initially released, the film was presented at the First International Festival of Women's Films in New York and Paris, received a Blue Ribbon at the American Film Festival, won numerous other awards, and was featured at the Museum of Modern Art and Whitney Museum of American Art
Her other films which include: BETTY TELLS HER STORY, ONCE UPON A CHOICE, and HOW TO PREVENT A NUCLEAR WAR have been featured on Home Box Office, The Learning Channel, USA Cable and Cinemax. They have been presented at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Modern Art and the Chicago Art Institute. BETTY TELLS HER STORY was nominated for inclusion in the National Film Registry and was featured at the Library of Congress' Mary Pickford Theater in Washington, D.C. in 1999.
Liane is the recipient of the Boston Society of Film Critics Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Boston University. She has served as a juror for the Emmy Awards, the Student Academy Awards and as an education consultant for WGBH -TV.
