The Plymouth Independent Film Festival is going to make you an offer you can't refuse.
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A scene from JOHNNY SLADE'S GREATEST HITS featured at a fund raiser for the Plymouth
Independent Film Festival on March 19th at East Bay Grille in Plymouth, MA. Photo courtesy
of PIFF |
On Sunday, March 19th, the Plymouth Independent Film Festival (PIFF) '06 and the East Bay Grille are proud to present the 2006 Movie Premiere of indie fave JOHNNY SLADE’S GREATEST HITS starring John Fiore. Cocktails at 6 followed by dinner, movie, and "meet & greet" reception with John and his special guests, including Sopranos actor Frank Santorelli.
Fiore appeared as Gigi Cestone in The Sopranos, Vinnie Salemo on The Guiding Light, Hendricks in All My Children, Detective Tony Profaci for nine seasons on Law & Order and Albert in NYPD Blue. Fiore also appeared as Jake in the movie MYSTIC PIZZA and Kinky in MEET THE PARENTS. He has appeared in over 200 television commercials.
Fiore is the Executive Producer and Writer of "Killer comedy" JOHNNY SLADE’S GREATEST HITS the story of a "struggling lounge singer, a Dean Martin wannabe, whose luck changes when he lands a gig at a hot new club. As his popularity rises, Johnny begins to draw a strange correlation between the songs he is asked to perform and the morning newspaper crime reports."
Come. Eat. Drink. Watch this funny film with a “Soprano” without the trip to Jersey.
The event benefits the PIFF. Tickets for dinner and the movie are $50/person.
Corporate Gold Circle tables of 10, $75/ person, include complimentary champagne, photographs, t-shirts and thank you in the press. $15 Movie screening and reception only (no dinner seating). Limited Seating.
Tickets available at Not Simply Beads, Village Landing, or by phone. For more information: Email
lisa@plyfilmfest.org
or call at 508 801-2530, Visit www.plyfilmfest.org
for more information.
New Hampshire Film Financing
Panel Discussion
The New Hampshire Film and Television Office will host a panel discussion entitled “Film Financing: Donations vs. Investments,” on Monday March 27, 2006 at 5 PM at the State Library in Concord. This workshop will focus on differentiating between contributed and invested income for film projects and determining when to pursue one over the other. Featured panelists will include Buss McLaughlin of either/or films, Bill Rogers of Coruway Film Institute and Marc Dole of Hatchling Studios. The discussion is free and open to all. Please RSVP to film@nh.gov or call 603 271-2220 if you plan to attend.
SMPTE’s “Moving the Moving Image” A Moving Experience!
SMPTE’s “Moving the Moving Image” A Moving Experience!
SMPTE’s last meeting on February 16th at High Output in Canton, MA included Brian Heller showing clips from his TV and motion picture work, the work he is famous for, aerial cinematography. If you remember the bumpers for the NBC hit primetime show “Providence” or seen the opening to the David Letterman show, you know he captures vibrant and poetic images (See IMAGINE cover stories May ’05 and May ’00).
To enhance the experience, a helicopter used for aerial cinematography landed on the High Output tarmac. Not any helicopter, a Bell Jet Ranger III chopper flown in by Brian Heller’s cohort Mike Peavey, the picture perfect fly boy, well into middle age, but forever young. The aircraft itself only weighs some two thousand pounds. Where the rear seat would go, is a Tyler Gyro Stabilized camera mount fitted with an ARRI 35mm camera. It's Heller's weapon of choice. Although it can only shoot for four minutes (or ten minutes with the largest magazine), the results are worth the frequent reloads.
SMPTE members wheeled it onto the meeting for a demonstration on how it’s done, then according to The Camera Company’s Marty Feldman, “we all pushed it back out into the parking lot and it took off.”
The meeting also featured an excellent Glidecam demonstration by John Correira, one the few union Steadicam/Glidecam operators based here in New England. He showed how the rig works, what it takes to get the shots, as well as some examples of his TV, film, and commercial work. It takes training, physical prowess, experience and determination to master this art of capturing film and video. By necessity, Correira, like most Steadicam operators, is a rather rugged, sturdy young fellow.
Correira explained how important it is to balance the camera on the rig. “You've got to balance the camera just right. Correira said, “When everything is set up perfectly it takes only four fingers to operate and manipulate the camera. In fact, the fewer fingers on the camera, the better!"
SMPTE’s next meeting is March 28 at UMASS Boston. Topic: Shooting and
Editing HD. For more information visit www.smpte.ne.org
International Women’s Film Festival
March 4-April 7 at the Remis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The MFA Film Program presents an 11 program International Women's Film Festival. The series of new films from around the world by and about women began with a 5-show engagement of Ellen Spiro and Karen Bernstein’s provocative documentary TROOP 1500: GIRL SCOUTS BEYOND BARS on March 4. Director Ellen Spiro and troop leader Julia Cuba were present at the March 4 screening.
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| BLOSSOMS OF FIRE by Maureen Gosling and Ellen Osborne is a dazzling, whirlwind dance of
a film celebrating the extraordinary lives of the Isthmus Zapotecs of southern Oaxaca, Mexico,
whose strong work ethic and fierce independent streak has resulted not only in powerful women
but also in the region's progressive politics. Photo courtesy of the MFA. |
The festival includes BORDER CAFÉ, a single woman fighting with all her might to take control and make a place for herself in a man’s world—in this case a small Iranian border café; IN THE BATTLE FIELDS, a sincere and magnificently moving coming-of-age film is set in Beirut in 1983; THE SAMANTHA PROJECT, a documentary essay of meditation on historical amnesia, nostalgia, and the manufacturing and dismantling of political enemies; INNOCENCE, boldly original, and altogether uncanny, this film set in a girls’ school situated deep in a forest; and BLOSSOMS OF FIRE, this dazzling, whirlwind dance of a film celebrates the extraordinary lives of the Isthmus Zapotecs of southern Oaxaca, Mexico.
Tickets are $8 for MFA members, seniors, and students; $9 for general admission.
For more information visit www.mfa.org
and click on Film.
Woodstock Film Festival
Call for Entries
The WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL (Oct 11-15, 2006) is currently accepting submissions in all categories. Entry fees range from $25-$55. To apply online, and for details, visit
www.woodstockfilmfestival.com
Boston Jewish Film Festival
Call for Entries
The 18th annual Boston Jewish Film Festival (BJFF) will be November 1-12, 2006.
BJFF screens films and videos that highlight the Jewish experience; explore Jewish culture/heritage/history; or are of particular interest to the Jewish community. BJFF presents narrative, documentary, animated and experimental works. BJFF does not screen works in progress. Films submitted must be available for presentation in 35mm, Beta SP or DVD. Works can be of any length. The early deadline is May 1 with a $15.00 entry fee. The late deadline is May 22 with a $25.00 entry fee. Please note there is no entry fee for international entries. Films must have been completed after January 2004, and should be Massachusetts premieres.
Entry forms available on our website at www.bjff.org. For more information email
programming@bjff.org
B Roll Films’ “Art 617” Forced Off Air
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| B Roll Films, producers of "Art 617" programs, seen regularly on BNN-TV, has been forced of the air in its regular time slot for containing "potentially offensive" material. Image courtesy of B Roll Films. |
Greg O’Shea of B Roll Films, who produces Boston's only regular coverage of the arts on television, believes his program “Art 617” is being censored by Boston Neighborhood Network Television (BNN-TV). The current episode of "Art 617" was forced off the air in its regular Tuesday 7pm and Wednesday noon time slots with charges of being "possibly offensive." This has been done without previous viewing by BNN staff or airing of the segment covering the November exhibit of photography, painting and sculpture called "Nudes," which was curated by Rob Clifford of the south end's Clifford/Smith Gallery. “Art 617” is 30-minutes of local art and music every month.
A review of the BNN Guidelines for Definition of "Potentially Offensive" content, which is listed on its website, leaves O’Shea wondering what exactly could be aired from BNN and about First Amendment Rights for viewers
in Boston.
Greg O’Shea told IMAGINE, “We at B Roll Films believe the community of Boston is being denied it's constitutionally protected freedom of expression and access to information. We believe that the BNN Guidelines, while well intended, trample on basic rights afforded all US citizens by the Bill of Rights and upheld by the Supreme Court.”
B Roll Films has circulated a request via email to industry participants saying, “We would appreciate it if you would support your First Amendment rights by supporting us in our effort to air our coverage of the arts in Boston to the people of Boston. Please contact BNN…”
“Art 617” is produced by Ken Kinna and Greg O'Shea. For more information about this matter, please contact B Roll Films at
info@brollfilms.com
or visit them at http://www.brollfilms.com
Boston’s Chlotrudis Society Honors Character Actor Maury Chaykin at Annual Indie Ceremony.
On Sunday March 19th, the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film will honor the prolific and well-regarded character actor, Maury Chaykin, during its 12th Annual Chlotrudis Awards ceremony at the historic Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square. Mr. Chaykin will be in attendance to accept his special award from Chlotrudis, to honor his long and varied career, and to celebrate his achievements in the field so far. The show begins at 5 pm, and tickets are $20 ($15 for members).
The year’s slate of nominees is diverse and wide-ranging; 36 films received nominations, representing 10 different languages and 17 countries. CAPOTE led all films, coming away with 5 nods, including Best Actor for Philip Seymour Hoffman’s acclaimed portrayal. Nipping at CAPOTE’s heels with 4 nominations each is Wong Kar Wai’s 2046, and three of the most talked-about American ‘indie’ films of the year, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, ME & YOU & EVERYONE WE KNOW, and THE SQUID AND THE WHALE. Among other multiple nominees are Asian films such as TONY TAKITANI and 3-IRON, and two French films with a strong showing in the acting categories, KINGS AND QUEEN and LOOK AT ME.
The quintessential ‘hey, it’s that guy!’ journeyman actor, Maury Chaykin has had over 130 roles across four decades and two mediums, film and television. Brooklyn-born and a SUNY-Buffalo graduate, Mr. Chaykin has become one of Canada’s acting treasures since moving to Toronto over 30 years ago. A recipient of multiple Canadian award nominations, he has won a Genie (film) for his lead performance in WHALE MUSIC, and a Gemini (TV) for his guest appearance in the series “La Femme Nikita.”
Among the many films Mr. Chaykin has made his mark in are Oscar winners DANCES WITH WOLVES, MY COUSIN VINNY and BEING JULIA; Diane Keaton’s underappreciated directorial debut UNSTRUNG HEROES; WILBY WONDERFUL and OWNING MAHOWNY with past Chlotrudis winners Daniel MacIvor and Philip Seymour Hoffman, respectively; and THE SWEET HEREAFTER and WHERE THE TRUTH LIES, two of several of his with director Atom Egoyan. As for television, Mr. Chaykin has played Nero Wolfe, and spun cameo gold in such classic series as “Entourage,” “Due South,” “Tracey Takes On,” and “CSI.”.
The Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film is a Boston-based non-profit group that encourages discussion and teaches people to view film actively and experience the world through independent film. Visit the group’s website, http://www.chlotrudis.org for more information on this year’s list of Chlotrudis Award nominees.
LIVE FREE OR DIE To Premiere
at SXSW
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| Andy Robin directs Michael Rapaport in a scene from LIVE FREE OR DIE.The movie was filmed in New Hampshire and is premiering at SXSW this month. Photo courtesy of the New Hampshire Film Office. |
LIVE FREE OR DIE, a comedy written and directed by former “Seinfeld” scribes Andy Robin and Gregg Kavet, will be making its world premiere at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas on March 11, 2006. The film, starring Aaron Stanford, Paul Schneider, Zooey Deschanel and Michael Rapaport is an offbeat comedy about a would-be criminal who is struggling to escape the dreariness of his northern New Hampshire hometown. He finds himself in trouble when he teams
up with a dim-witted high school friend and attempts to prove his chops as a local outlaw.
LIVE FREE OR DIE was filmed in and around Claremont, NH in November of 2004 and July 2005. Claremont native Nick Koloski (now a member of the state’s film commission) worked as the film’s location manager and will be attending the premiere.
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