MusiCares Tribute, NAACP Image Awards, Grammy Awards, GSMA Mobile World Congress, 81st Academy Awards, Noise Pop Film Fest, Highlight February Media and Entertainment Industry Networking Events
Blues musicians from around the world will compete for cash, prizes,
and industry recognition, performing in 18 venues along Beale Street,
as The Blues Foundation presents the 25th Annual International Blues
Challenge in Memphis, running through February 7. In Directors
Close-Up: Conversations on the Art of Filmmaking, a series running
through March 11 in Los Angeles, indie directors and their
collaborators explore specific aspects of their craft, and allow you to
ask questions, examine their work, and get a rare insight into the
creative process. For nine days during the Berlinale, also known as the
Berlin International Film Festival, film professionals have the
opportunity to get informed about the latest productions and
developments in the global film scene, for an event that has come to be
known as The European Film Market, running February 5-15. The 17th
Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival opens this year’s festival,
running February 5-16 in Los Angeles, with the acclaimed South African
drama “Jerusalema” directed by Ralph Zinman, hosted by 2009 PAFF
Celebrity Host Blair Underwood. Musical artist support group,
MusiCares, will present the Person of the Year Tribute To Neil Diamond,
February 6 in Los Angeles. The Urban Individualists (helene_ruizartist@yahoo.com),
a multicultural network of collaborating individualists, presents an
exhibit, "Space and Time" that contemplates the subtle and apparent
aspects and perspectives of connections and disconnections of time and
space, opening with a gallery reception on February 7 and continuing
through February 21, in New York's East Village.
The “Guru of
Rom-Com” and author of the screenwriting textbook, 'Writing the
Romantic Comedy', Billy Mernit shares secrets about writing for this
genre learned during his tenure in the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program,
and his background as a writer, lyricist and script consultant, when he
sits in at a February 7 Alameda Writers Group meeting in Glendale. The
Writers Guild of America, hosts its annual Writers Guild Awards,
February 7 in Los Angeles. Jimmy Kimmel will host the 51st Grammy
Awards, February 8 in Los Angeles, which will be broadcast in HDTV and
5.1 Surround Sound on the CBS Television Network from 8-11:30 pm
(ET/PT), as well as on grammy.com and cbs.com. The NAACP Image Awards,
held in Los Angeles, February 12, is the nation's premier event
celebrating the outstanding achievements and performances of people of
color in the arts (motion picture, television, recording, and
literature), as well as those individuals or groups who promote social
justice through their creative endeavors. The GSMA Mobile World
Congress, February 16-19 in Barcelona, combines the world's largest
exhibition for the mobile industry with a viable congress that brings
together prominent leaders and personalities from mobile operators and
equipment vendors, as well as Internet and entertainment professionals.
Director John Reiss ('Bomb It') shares his experience and insights
regarding self distribution, passing along his acquired wisdom about
the tools and tips of how to self distribute a film and get it seen by
the widest possible audience, when he speaks at a Film Independent
workshop on February 17 in Los Angeles.
The Folk Alliance Music
Conference conducts special events, such as the Folk Music &
Business Awards, Lifetime Achievement Awards, networking receptions,
official Performance Alley and private showcase performances, feature
shows and more when it meets February 18-22 in Memphis. The 2009 United
States Super 8 Film and Digital Video Festival encourages any genre
(animation, documentary, experimental, fiction, personal, etc.), but
the work must have predominantly originated on Super 8mm/8mm film or
Digital video or 8mm video formats. All works will be screened by a
panel of judges who will award over $4000 in prizes when the festival
meets for three days, opening February 20 in New Brunswick. The 81st
Academy Awards take place February 22 at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre,
hosted by actor Hugh Jackman, with Laurence Mark and Bill Condon
producing. Participate in the Academy Awards festivities by attending
one of 52 official Oscar viewing parties across the country. The Noise
Pop Film Festival, February 24 through March 1 in San Francisco,
focuses on films that embrace and reflect independent music and
culture. Most screenings include Q&A's with the filmmakers. 2009's
program includes "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison" and "Agile Mobile
Hostile: A Year with Andre Williams." Noise Pop is pleased to unveil
plans for Noise Pop 2009’s opening night party featuring a special live
performance by Deerhunter.
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.
Video and podcast versions of this news summary are also available at
popular video sites around the Web like MySpace, YouTube, Daily Motion,
as well as on The Actor's Checklist podcast blog at actorschecklist.com/loudblog, a great place to get your iPhone, ipod or Apple TV download from. The Free Home Video Showcase at http://www.actorschecklist.com/video
now serves as an archive for all past video presentations. This month
on video you will again see an interesting array of performing artists
from the indie sector on video, including Used Bookstore (www.myspace.com/usedbookstoredocumentary),
an American mockumentary film series produced by Dogma Digital in
association with Rise in Might Studios. "Hip-Hopumentary" film about
the Los Angeles underground rap music movement, PrimalRap (www.primalrap.com). Australian dance music artist duo, Groove State (www.groovestate.com),
performing the Get Sexy, bikini fiesta vocal mix, music video from the
new Pop Glam album, distributed by Play Lab Records. The Actor's
Checklist now lets you check the latest musical artists song releases on Apple's iTunes, updated on an hourly basis.
