Locarno Film Festival, TheGameCon, Sarajevo Film Festival, Event Production Forum Mexico, are highlights in August's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

Geographically located at the multi-cultural crossroads of three European regions, (Italy, Germany and France), Locarno makes a suitable staging area for new films from all around the world. These international credentials play strongly within Locarno’s festival programming. For industry professionals Locarno is an opportunity in the global festival calendar, from August 5-15, to take part in an industry meeting-place, to unveil the new arrivals from a scrutinized selection of world premières, to take the pulse of new trends, and explore new stories coming to life in contemporary cinema. Then, there are a number of useful film industry sessions that are planned for the Locarno International Film Festival program. Here are some of the significant event areas following next. Step In, in its fourth year, is an interdisciplinary exchange platform in which international professionals discuss and develop new, promising strategies for distribution, exhibition and sales of film projects. First Look showcases each year a number of films in post-production by emerging talents from a different country in Asia, Africa, Latin America or South-East Europe. This year’s First Look is dedicated to Israel. Industry Days are organized in collaboration with festival partners, Europa International, Europa Distribution, Europa Cinemas and FERA as well as with the associate Festival Scope. The Open Doors Co-production Lab initiative aims to assist its selected participants to find completion support for their projects by offering training and pairing them with potential co-production partners, supported by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Working closely with the Open Doors as well as with the Artistic Direction, the Industry Office aims to build bridges between the different sections and initiatives of the festival. The mission of the Industry Office of the Festival del film Locarno is to facilitate networking among world film industry professionals attending the event. The Industry Office was set up to support producers and agents presenting films at the Festival by connecting them with sales and distribution professionals. As a means of promoting and encouraging contacts between industry attendees, the 63rd Festival saw the introduction of Industry Days which seeks to play an active role in the support of auteur films. Whether launching a new project or extending and optimizing existing services and initiatives, the goal of Locarno’s Industry Office is to support sales agents, distributors, producers and exhibitors in their respective tasks ranging from the conception to the release of independent art-house cinema. Scheduled this year for August 8-10, Industry Days will present a program of Industry Screenings (including films made available at the Digital Library) and different initiatives and events. During Industry Days (August 8–10) the Industry Office organizes Industry Screenings to support and encourage film sales. Only films selected for one of the competitions or the Piazza Grande are eligible and access to Industry Screenings is reserved to those with an industry accreditation. TheGameCon™ is a gaming convention — set within the tropically inclined climate of Galveston Island, Texas — that the entire families can take part in. Two days of activities that begin on August 8 include sessions on Game Development, Family Oriented Gaming, Social Media HowTo, Player versus Player (PVP) competitions, a large game arcade, Minecraft™ Building Contests, exhibitors, musical entertainment and more. Winners from each area receive valuable prizes. Autograph sessions and casual interactions with notable social media personalities are noteworthy features of this event. It is worthwhile to note that Galveston alone has a rich history and is worthy of exploration while at TheGameCon™. TheGameCon™ will feature several Gaming Contests, including, a Minecraft™ Building Contest, a Gaming Arcade, Console Island, a Big Screen Viewing room, a lounge with bean bag chairs, autograph sessions, The Parent Zone, Table Top Gaming area, exhibitors, merchandise, Help Desk and a General Session Area with sound and lighting setup. Requested fan art will be featured, submitted tweets, and documented experiences at the convention, projected on the big screens during opening ceremonies for all to see. TheGameCon™ will host informative sessions and forums on information about: Video Production How To, Building a Social Network, Gaming for Charity, Starting Game Development, Running a successful YouTube channel, Gaming and family values and more. About 50 miles southeast of Houston and within the Galveston city limits, Galveston Island is a barrier island on the Texas Gulf Coast, 32 miles long and two-and-a-half miles wide. There are beaches, family attractions, historic architecture, outdoor adventure, shopping, dining and cruising. HollyShorts Film Festival in Hollywood is an organization devoted to showcasing short films from around the globe, advancing the careers of filmmakers through screenings, networking events, and diverse panels and forums. The HollyShorts Film festival showcases the top short films produced 30 minutes or less. The Opening Night After Party, featuring DJ AmRo, will be held at OHM. Nightly networking events and parties continue on a nightly basis, including an Awards Ceremony and Closing Night Party. Indie film producer One Big Mop’s production of “I’ll Be Home Soon” is in the Official Selection for HollyShorts Film Festival 2015. Filmmakers looking to make a submission to the organization’s ongoing monthly screenings, follow the link at: www.withoutabox.com/login/12899 HollyShorts Informative panel sessions form a substantial segment of the festival program. Here is a partial listing of conference panels produced by Method Studios in chronological sequence: 11th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival Panel Conference, August 14. “Begging, Borrowing, and Bartering, the Secrets to Producing on a Micro-Budget,” August 15. Narrative Challenges In The New VR and Spherical Worlds, August 15. Continuing Your Creativity Into Feature Films – How to Make a Successful Transition, August 16. Film Funding from the Pros, August 16. Film Festival Directors reveal - What does it really take to get your movie into the fest?, August 16. Forging a Future for Female Filmmakers: How to Collaborate, Cross Promote and Build a Community, August 18. Finding Your Audience: Optimizing for Digital Distribution presented by Daily Motion, August 19. Making Money by Going Direct to Your Audience: 2015 and beyond presented by Zype, August 20. The festival closes August 22. The Sarajevo Film Festival is an international film festival with a special focus on the region of South-East Europe (Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey), revealing the films, talent and future projects from the region. In a territory of more than 140 million inhabitants, Sarajevo Film Festival serves as a common platform for film businesses from all over the region, helping set standards in festival organization, film promotion and presentation in South-East Europe. The festival’s credentials are bolstered by its regional programming, an international film industry segment, an educational and networking platform for young filmmakers, film authors and media representatives alongside a patron audience, and ceremonial tributes attended by some of the global industry’s renowned talents. Running August 14-22, the Sarajevo Film Festival program will be broken down into at least 17 sections. The "In Focus” program is a selection from established filmmakers to debutants that are not competing for Sarajevo Film Festival’s awards. ”Kinoscope” screens selections from around the globe, both narrative and documentary, excluding the territories which compose the festival’s competition strand. “Operation Kino,” sponsored by MEDIA Mundus, Transilvania, Sofia, Istanbul and Sarajevo Film Festival, focuses on accessing wider audiences for theatrical distribution and presenting over the course of the year a part of their programming to audiences in other towns in their countries. "Laško Summer Nights" programming happens outdoors under the starry night sky, with a complete range of Laško products and a planned picnic. The TeenArena Program, “TeenAction” offers teenagers from Bosnia and Herzegovina the chance for creative expression by making short films on a topic close to their age. By participating in the TeenAction competition, teenagers have the opportunity to win one of the sponsors’ awards and within the TeenAction Meets Punk Cinema program show their creations to the TeenArena audience during the Festival. Special festival tributes include an Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award given to Academy Award®-winning actor Benicio Del Toro for his contribution to the art of film. The actor will present Fernando León de Aranoa’s drama “A Perfect Day,” in which he has a starring role and which recently premiered in Directors’ Fortnight at the 68th Cannes Film Festival. The film will be screened as a part of the Open Air Program where Del Toro will be present to receive the award. Furthermore, he will also hold a master class for the participants of Talents Sarajevo, a networking and training platform for emerging film professionals from Southeast Europe and Southern Caucasus founded in 2007. And in another festival ceremony, Sarajevo Film Festival will pay tribute to Philippine director Brillante Mendoza, whose career in media began in advertising as a production designer, and was age 45 when he first directed a feature film. In Mexico City, Event Production Forum Mexico opens with two days dedicated to conferencing, but with other related event days extending its calendar of activities. This event showcases products like audio, lighting, video based services, catering services, food and other products and services that serve the field aligned with media and advertising industries. It is also where experts in event organization and production get together and offer to attending visitors a variety of vendors and training programs focused on providing tools adopted to the trends for their events. Exhibitors will showcase audio, lighting, video based services, catering services, food and other product/services. Before the convention opening date there will be an international arrival of Hosted Buyers from August 23-24. On the evening of August 24 Event Production Forum hosts the official Welcome Party for invited guests. Notable highlights for this 2015 Event Production Forum Mexico. At the start of the official conference open will be a breakfast for the Conference Hosted Buyers set for August 25. A planned lunch break related to the OCV Activation Yucatan event will feature tasting of Yucatecan snacks and beverages of the region. Other program highlights include Turning Back Stage Service, a Puebla gastronomic show: Sampling of traditional poblano dishes, signing autographs and taking pictures with Gustavo Munguia and Tony Balardi, also featuring DJ Agave on turntables. The events final day, August 27, will be dedicated to Inician FAM Trips with departures from the City from Mexico. From Los Angeles, GRAMMY-winning composer, producer, arranger and guitarist Nile Rodgers will be saluted as a BMI Icon at the 2015 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards ceremony set for August 28. This invitation-only event will also honor the world’s premier songwriters, producers and publishers of the most-performed r&b/hip-hop songs of the previous year, and R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter, Producer, Publisher of the Year and Social Star award winner. According to BMI Atlanta Chapter, Vice President, Writer-Publisher Relations, Catherine Brewton, “The BMI Icon Award is given to an individual for their ability to connect people through song and defy musical expectations.” Rodgers, a leader of the band CHIC and perennial hit maker, was selected as this year’s BMI Icon recipient for his catalog and defining influence on popular music.

The BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards will also celebrate the songwriters, producers and publishers of the most-performed R&B/Hip-Hop songs of the past year, as well as the crowning of the R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter, Producer, Publisher of the Year and Social Star award winner. BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill and Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Atlanta, Catherine Brewton will share the evening’s hosting duties. Operating on a non-profit organization, BMI was founded in 1939 by forward-thinkers who wanted to represent songwriters in emerging genres like jazz, blues and country, and protect and see them compensated for the public performances of their music. 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. If you like this report and other content found on The Actor's Checklist, please like the Facebook page at this link. This month's photo placement displays Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, which had an opening week North American box office of $56 million, the Locarno International Film Festival, also, GRAMMY-winning composer, producer, arranger and guitarist Nile Rodgers who will be saluted as a BMI Icon on August 28. If the photos do not appear in this post please visit the blog page to view it. Looking ahead into the next month, heading into the slower summer period, be aware that: comic and sci-fi convention, Metacon 2015, opens in Minneapolis, The Storyteller's Festival & Conference, a.k.a. Portland Film Festival comes to Portland, The 42nd Telluride Film Festival opens in Telluride, Kiev Media Week opens in Kiev, the 72nd Venice International Film Festival opens on Venice Lido, Americana Music Festival and Conference is in Nashville, Showbiz Entertainment Arts Expo will be in Johannesburg, Long Beach Indie Film Media and Music Conference and Expo comes to Long Beach.

Melbourne International Film Festival, HollyShorts Film Fest, MTV VMAs, Telluride Film Festival, are highlights in August's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

Started in 1991 by Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell as a farewell tour for his band, Chicago's Lollapalooza is an anticipated annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. Responsible for introducing and popularizing some of the big musical names, this year's lineup will include: Gramatik, Fitz and the Tantrums, The Airborne Toxic Event, Delta Rae, Interpol, Nas, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Shy Girls, Jagwar Ma, J. Roddy Walston & The Business, Outkast, Lorde, Kate Nash, Arctic Monkeys, Wildcati Wildcati, Vic Mensa, Bombay Bicycle Club, Childish Gambino, Lykke Li, Jhene Aiko, NoNoNo, Skrillex, Jenny Lewis, Kings of Leon, Kausea, Into It. Over It., Manchester Orchestra, The Kooks, Eminem.

In addition, added attractions and accommodations at Lollapalooza will include: Red Bull Sound Select at redbullsoundselect.com to win tickets for Lollapalooza and it’s Aftershows, the SpinMedia Soundwave Stage, the RAV4 Pop Art Photo Booth, the Toyota Hybrid House Party, and again this year the F.Y.E. Autograph Tent for each day’s schedule of artist autograph sessions. The Autograph Tent can also direct visitors to where they can pick up the latest CDs, DVDs and Vinyl discs pertaining to their favorite Lollapalooza acts. The Kidzapalooza stage lineup, programmed for children, will include: School of Rock Allstars, Play Date, Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could and others.

Kidzapalooza -- hosted by Lifeway Kefir -- is a festival within a festival but set up primarily for the kids. Located in its own enclosed area of Grant Park, Kidzapalooza opens at 11:00 and closes at 17:00 each day of the three day Fest closing August 3 and offers parents and kids the opportunity to catch family-friendly music onstage plus various activities including music creation, arts and crafts and more. Other youth activities will include Drum Zone, with Rhythm Revolution using a variety of drums; a Hip Hop workshop led by Q Brothers teaching kids how to scratch, beat box and rhyme; a Rock Star Video Karaoke, where kids can stand in front of a green screen and sing to the camera; a glam squad makeover provided by Just Kidding which can then lead to a photo posting on the cover of a souvenir Lollapalooza cover of Just Kidding Chicago magazine; the Happiness Club Dance Party, which will conduct freeze dance games to “soul train” lines.

The founders of Melbourne International Film Festival have guided it to champion Australian cinema by showcasing local talent and offering targeted industry programs: an investment fund, a financing market and a development program for emerging directors, selections of new international cinema, retrospectives and tributes, discoveries in cinematic language, stimulating discussion and debate through various activities including public panels, guest Q&As, "In Conversation" events and an international short film competition. Established in 1952, the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is one of the world’s oldest film festivals. MIFF has evolved festival activities to include a selection of industry and filmmaker focused programs to complement its core film screening program.

MIFF’s Opening Night Gala Screening, 'Predestination',  is the story of a time traveling temporal agent - played by Ethan Hawke - on the trail of a terrorist, with a Red Carpet, screening and official after party. MIFF hosts a Talking Pictures program, presented by Australia's National Screen Arts and Broadcast school, and designed for discussing, questioning and debating all things cinematic with the festival's filmmakers and personalities. There will be a MIFF Centrepiece Gala event on August 9, 'Cut Snake', a crime drama set in mid-70s suburban Australia from Matchbox Pictures and co-financed film by the MIFF Premiere Fund. This world premiere screening is followed by an official after party.

Taking steps toward future filmmaker development, MIFF's Accelerator program is a four-day educational and inspirational skills development program for up-and-coming directors with short films that are screening at MIFF; MIFF 37ºSouth Market, a four-day film financing market for producers with market-ready projects pitching to potential international and local co-financing partners; MIFF Premiere Fund, MIFF’s own investment and loan fund, providing essential financing support for local feature-length films. In 2013 MIFF presented 23 world premieres six of which were Premiere Fund films. Submissions to the Melbourne International Film Festival are handled via Withoutabox or directly through MIFF. Applications for Melbourne International Film Festival 2015 will open in October 2014.

Since most galas and parties are restrictive to attendees younger than 18 years of age, the Next Gen program on August 10 is open to families with younger viewers to be part of. The red-carpet world premiere screening of 'Paper Planes', a family film from writer/director Robert Connolly will have a post screening cast/crew celebration with complimentary snacks and drinks, as well as fun children’s games and entertainment. MIFF 2014 closes the festival run with the August 17 Australian premiere of Matthew Saville's cop drama, 'Felony', with a cast that includes native Aussie actors Joel Edgerton, Jai Courtney, Melissa George and British actor Tom Wilkinson. Following the screening are official Closing Night festivities followed by an afterparty featuring drinks and dancing accompanied by a live DJ.

The Americana Music Association and Lincoln Center will present Americanafest NYC, a music and film experience happening during Lincoln Center's annual free Summer music program, Out of Doors, now in its 44th season. Americanafest NYC will present concerts by a range of artists drawing from the considerable repertoire of Folk, Bluegrass, Country, Gospel, Blues, Jazz, Rock and R&B. There will also be film screenings, a related photo exhibition by Music Maker Relief Foundation and a symposium exploring the elders and their legacies. All events are free with no tickets required. Most events take place on Lincoln Center’s Plazas between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues, from West 62 Street to West 65 Street.

On August 8, The Campbell Brothers present, A Sacred Steel Love Supreme, a 50th anniversary celebration of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme commissioned by Lincoln Center Out of Doors, featuring visuals by Brock Monroe, Joshua Light Show collaborator. On August 10, a symposium, Heroes of American Roots: From the Historic Films Archives, is introduced by Joe Lauro. Following the symposium in Damrosch Park Bandshell, a Music Maker Blues Revue happens featuring Dom Flemons, Beverly “Guitar” Watkins, Ironing Board Sam, on a program with other artists presented in association with the Music Maker Relief Foundation. The Americana Music Association is a professional non-profit trade organization whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American Roots Music around the world. The Association produces events throughout the year including the annual Americana Music Festival and Conference.

HollyShorts Film Festival annually showcases short films produced in 30-minutes or less, webisodes, music videos, documentaries. It is regarded as a place where indie filmmakers can meet up with industry players. It has a monthly screening series and submissions to it are accepted at this link (http://www.withoutabox.com/login/12899). There is a screenplay contest as well. This year's HSFF will include screenings, daily networking events, panels, and seminars every day for the festival's duration. A short list of festival alumni includes James Caan, Paul Haggis, David Lynch, Josh Brolin, Jessica Biel, David Arquette, Jane Lynch, Neil LaBute, Eli Roth, Ben Lyons, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Kirsten Dunst, Matthew Modine and others.

HSFF awards prizes in a wide variety of categories, including $40,000 in post production services from Company 3 for Best Short, Best Director, Best Music Video, Best Commercial, and Best Cinematography. There's also a $10,000 Best VFX prize courtesy of Method Studios, a Future Filmmaker Award courtesy of Panavision, $10,000 camera packages courtesy of Martini Crew Booking for Best Student and Best Female Director. Last year's overall fest winner received an all expense paid trip to New Zealand courtesy of Starnow. Offering over $100,000 in production and post-production prizes, as well as a scholarship of up to $40,000 sponsored by Latino Art Beat for the inaugural Youth Category winner, HSFF is poised to help launch talented filmmakers to new heights and to invest in the creation of new projects.

Michael Feinstein, Conductor at the Pasadena POPS’ will lead a selection of celebrity vocalists in an August 16 Hooray for Hollywood concert, presented in partnership with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in L.A. area of Arcadia. Vocalists Maureen McGovern, Debby Boone and Kevin Earley will make special guest appearances singing such iconic songs as “The Way You Look Tonight,” “The Sound of Music,” “The Man That Got Away,” “Stormy Weather,” “Blues in the Night,” “You Light Up My Life” and “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe,” and tunes from movie musical Mary Poppins, The Magnificent Seven, Funny Girl and a symphonic arrangement of Pharrell Williams’s 2014 Oscar-nominated song “Happy” from Despicable Me 2, created especially for the Pasadena POPS.

Four of ASCAP’s top film composers and lyricists will also be featured: Alan Bergman (“Windmills of Your Mind,” with Marilyn Bergman and co-written with Michel Legrand, 1968 Oscar winner from The Thomas Crown Affair), Michael Giacchino (music from Up, winner of the 2010 Oscar for best original score), Bruce Broughton (music from Silverado, 1986 Oscar nominee for best original score) and Paul Williams (“Evergreen,” co-written with Barbra Streisand, 1976 Oscar winner from A Star Is Born). Hooray for Hollywood is part of ASCAP’s ongoing, year-long 100th birthday celebration. ASCAP crossed the anniversary milestone in February 2014 and is celebrating the centennial with a new book, a commissioned short film, and an innovative website featuring a timeline of ASCAP's rich history. There are also planned celebratory and educational events planned, including a Library of Congress exhibit in Washington DC, reviewing ASCAP's history advocating for music creators’ rights.

Rain or shine, MusicfestNW is Portland's two-day, two-stage festival of live music, entirely outdoors, with access to both stages, food, beverages, art and more. All ages are welcome. Some of the artists/bands slated for performances include: Modern Kin, Shy Girls, Run The Jewels, Thundercat, Man Man, Ema, Phantogram, Spoon and others. Hellion Gallery and 'The Tall Trees of Portland' author, Matt Wagner, have combined talents with MusicfestNW to create an art pavilion for the festival. A Spotlight on art featured in The Tall Trees of Portland pavilion are new pieces from Portland-based fine artists created in conjunction with MusicfestNW. Fine artists will also create alternative album covers for featured bands and a live painting event will take place where painters will use a temporary wall to paint a mural over the two days of the festival.

Fine artists include Morgaine Faye, Blaine Fontana, Zach Johnsen, Maryanna Hoggatt, Jon Macnair, Lauren Gonsalves, Amy Ruppel, Cole Gerst, Jen Lobo, Jennifer Parks, Martin Ontiveros, Brin Levinson, Joe Shea, Keith Carter, Stella Im Hultberg, and Brett Superstar. A 3-D installation by AJ Fosik and Zach Johnsen welcoming festival attendees into the arts pavilion will be in place. Night shows and After Parties will happen at venues such as Dr. Martens Parking Lot - which will host the opening night party on August 15, Bunk Bar, "Red Bull Sound Select Presents" at Star Theater, "Pitchfork Nightcap Series Presented by Jim Beam" at Doug Fir, which will also be the site of the August 17 closing party hosted by Mail Chimp.

The 2014 MTV Video Music Awards will broadcast live over the MTV network from Inglewood on August 24. Beyonce, Eminem and newcomer Iggy Azalea lead the nominations for major categories. Ariana Grande - with a number one hit and an anticipated album on the way - announced during her Total Ariana Live MTV special that she will perform her single 'Break Free' in her first appearance on the VMA main stage. Usher will return to the VMA stage. Beyoncé leads the field with eight nominations, followed by Eminem and Iggy Azalea with seven apiece. Kanye West scored one nomination in the Best Hip Hop category for 'Black Skinhead.' British crooner Sam Smith has been nominated for Artist to Watch for 'Stay With Me.' His competition includes 5 Seconds of Summer ('She Looks So Perfect'), Charli XCX ('Boom Clap'), Schoolboy Q ('Man of the Year') and Fifth Harmony ('Miss Movin On'). The top Moonman award - Video of the Year - will be a battle between Beyoncé's 'Drunk In Love,' Azalea's 'Fancy,' Pharrell Williams' 'Happy,' Sia's 'Chandelier' and Miley Cyrus' 'Wrecking Ball.' Beyoncé is also up for Best Female Video for 'Partition' and Best Collaboration for her work with hubby Jay Z on 'Drunk in Love.' The MTV Video Music Awards will air live on MTV on August 24 at 21:00 PST.

Each Labor Day weekend, the mountain village of Telluride hosts the Telluride Film Festival, this year marking the 40th anniversary. The noncompetitive Telluride Film Festival will feature more than 50 programs screened in ten venues. The most popular films, according to passholder demand, are repeated throughout the weekend. Passholders are automatically admitted to the social gatherings, and in the theatres they are seated before any individual ticket purchasers. Each year, Telluride recruits a different film enthusiast to act as a Guest Director. And in what has become a Telluride tradition, three distinguished artists will be honored with a silver medallion, one presented each night of the Festival which runs through September 1.

As this is Telluride's 40th anniversary year there will be special events and festivities celebrating this milestone. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honors Telluride with a “40th Anniversary Exhibition” from the Academy’s Telluride Film Festival Collection. It holds a companion exhibit, “Alternate Telluride,” clips highlighting Telluride Film Festival’s history from the Academy Film Archive and other events. An August 29 story night event titled, “From the Sidelines to the Playing Field: An Evening of Stories on Risking Failure for Fealty" will encourage members of the audience to tell a story that involves a high stakes struggle for the devotion to art. There is also the 40th anniversary screenings at the Abel Gance Open Air Cinema.

There is the "Conversations" and "Tributes" series at Telluride. There is a scheduled Conversation with actress Lupita Nyong'o on August 31, a conversation with Director Alfonso Cuarón on September 1, a Conversation with 'Blue Is The Warmest Color' actors Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos, and Jérémie Laheurte on September 2, a Conversation with actor/Director Ralph Fiennes on September 1. In one of three tributes, Telluride Film Festival Tributee Robert Reford shares his thoughts on sustaining a career, from August 29-30. Other Tributes are to T Bone Burnett and the Coen Brothers on August 31. A tribute to Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof is on September 1. The Telluride Film Festival is not just a film show. It is tributes to historical luminaries who have been beacons for the film industry.

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 at: http://www.actorschecklist.com/news.html. The events blog also shows links to pages that are translated into ten of the most widely used international languages read over the Internet other than English. This month's photo placement highlights MTVs Video Music Awards set for mid-August in Inglewood and Marvel's space adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy. If the photo does not appear in this post please visit the blog page to view it. Looking ahead into the next month that begins the fall season, be aware that: The Burbank International Film Festival opens in Burbank, Austin International SHORT Film Festival comes to Austin, The NAB Radio Show comes to Indianapolis, Americana Music Festival and Conference will be in Nashville. Independent Film Week opens in New York City, Kiev Media Week is scheduled to open in Kiev, Ottawa International Animation Festival opens in Ontario, International Trade Fair for Cine Equipment and Technology comes to Munich.

TransVergence Summit, HollyShorts festival, Beijing International Radio, TV and Film, Social Media Brazil, are highlights in August's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

Chicago's Black Harvest International Festival of Film and Video specializes in presenting new work by independent filmmakers from Chicago and around the world. This year’s festival includes sixteen feature films and thirty shorts. Approximately 40 percent of the films were produced in the Chicago area or involve artists or subjects particular to the region. As always, the festival features, where possible, personal appearances by filmmakers to engage in audience discussion. There are special events and parties too. At the festival’s opening night on August 5, when Golden Globe-winning, In one planned special event, Emmy-nominated actress and playwright Regina Taylor will be handed this year’s Deloris Jordan Award for Excellence in Community Leadership.

In another Black Harvest International engagement, NBC 5’s LeeAnn Trotter MCs the program, "A Black Harvest Feast", which includes Chicago filmmaker Evan Allen-Gessesse introducing his short film 'Eric's Haircut'. Other festival special events are special advance screenings of 'Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, a profile of Kevin Clash, the African American Muppeteer who brings the beloved character Elmo to life; and VIVA RIVA!, an action, neo-noir thriller from the Congo. And for those working to get a film into production, on August 14, there will be a panel discussion "How to Get a Movie Made" -- a free DIY workshop covering every aspect of production for the aspiring independent filmmaker. The festival closes September 1.

The universal adaptation of multiple platforms and devices has fragmented audiences and forced content creators and marketers to find new ways of storytelling, branding and fan engagement. The TransVergence Summit in Hollywood, August 7-8, is a conference for content creators, branders and technologists to expand their transmedia knowledge in order to engage audiences across multiple platforms. At the featured Story Hackathon event of the Summit, the session will be a real-time, 24-hour competition during which five teams of four partners work to develop a cohesive narrative across multiple platforms. Open to writers, designers, filmmakers, developers and more, teams will design a cohesive narrative spanning three or more technological platforms and execute a single one. Informative sessions will cover vital areas such as: transmedia, immersive media, publishing, branded content, second screen, storyworlds, over-the-top television. Co-located with the Summit is the very first West Coast Story Hackathon as well as the Start-Up Salon.

8 Sided Films is an active film and webisode production company, based in North Hollywood, focused primarily on the sci-fi genre. The company is presently in production of a full length feature film under writer/director Tennyson E. Stead titled, 'Quantum Theory', the story of Chelsea and Roe, two brilliant, snarky women of science, who develop a prototype with the power to alter reality... until it's snatched from under them by L.D.I., a ruthless and powerful defense contractor.

The cast of the 'Quantum Theory' film project has been screening a promotional webseries showcasing the relationships and humor between the production's cast members entitled "SASSxACCELERATION". SASSxACCELERATION is a mocumentary college podcast in which future mad scientists Chelsea Barrington and Gertude Monroe debate and debunk the science of pop culture and modern mythology. The final episode will premiere live on geek web broadcast 1337

Lounge Live, on August 15 at url: http://www.1337loungelive.com starting time 18:00. 'Quantum Theory' stars Tybee Diskin and Danielle K. Jones join writer/director Tennyson E. Stead on the live internet broadcast 1337LoungeLive, to answer questions from hosts Jennifer Zhang, Xander Denke and the web audience after the performance.

The pubic is invited to take a role in adding critical commentary to the development of 'Quantum Theory' on the 8 Sided Forum at this link. Get Quantum Theory updates and other 8 Sided Projects and find out more about the film on the Forum page at this link. Another ongoing project for 8 Sided Films is 'Man and 'Machine', concerning a professor at an overlooked Southern California university who sacrifices his future and his freedom to create a true artificial intelligence.

With a focus on short film produced 30 minutes of less, the ninth annual HollyShorts festival will feature more than 300 short films in competition. International and local next-generation filmmakers will file into Hollywood, August 15-22, for screenings, galas, world premieres, panels and networking events. This year, the HollyShorts Film Festival will open with a feature film. Festival alumni David Rodriguez’s dramedy, 'Last I Heard', will have its Los Angeles premiere on opening day. HollyShorts is awarding two all-expense paid international trips for this year’s winning filmmakers. The overall Best Short Film top prize winner of HollyShorts will win two complimentary tickets to visit Wellington, New Zealand courtesy of festival sponsor StarNow. While in New Zealand, the winner will get to present their film at a local film festival and meet local industry professionals, along with $1K NZD spending cash.

For the second year, HollyShorts is indulging in a competition with NociCinema's NociCortinFestival 2013, another short film festival of the Southern-Italian region of Puglia, at the heel of the Italian peninsula. Hollyshorts will choose a selection of works from among the films submitted to NociCortin festival to be screened in August at the Ninth Annual HollyShorts Film Festival, and among these films, one will receive the Special HollyShorts Grand Jury Choice Award. The director of the winning film from NociCortin festival will be flown out to Los Angeles to present their film to the American public. HollyShorts Film Festival will include: an opening night ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre (formerly known as Grauman’s), fest screenings, filmmaker Q&A’s, industry panels, and private receptions happening in venues throughout Hollywood during the entire week of the celebration.

Pensacola Para Con convention will interest fans of science fiction, fantasy, horror, costuming, comics, renaissance, gaming, anime, indie films, paranormal. It is a multi-genre convention for toys, comics, horror movies, original arts, collectibles MMA, wrestling, but will offer something for everyone, including: anime, manga, film, art, comics, sci fi, gaming, celebrities, and more. There will be celebrity meet and greet, discussion panels, screenings, demonstrations, workshops, and contests. This year's convention, running August 17-19, will help raise funds for American Cancer Society - Making Strides against Breast Cancer. Among special attractions people are encouraged to attend are: investigations at the Pensacola Victorian Inn and Gray House, Seville Quarter Zombies, Geeks and Freaks Masquerade Ball.

Some of the film veteran guests scheduled to appear at Pensacola Para Con include: Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), Richard Epcar (Animation Voice Actor), Cindy Morgan (CADDYSHACK and TRON), Jason Faunt (Power Rangers and Resident Evil 6), Ari Lehman Jason: (Friday the 13th), Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes, The Devil's Rejects, Star Trek), Theodus Crane (AMC’s The Walking Dead), and many more.

Broadcast & Cable is a trade fair covering television, radio and telecommunications engineering of Latin America. The Sao Paulo event is directed at professionals, entrepreneurs and executives in the production and distribution of multimedia electronic content market, including open and subscription TV, radio, internet, industry, production and telecommunications.

Running August 20-22, Broadcast and Cable will have a focus on advance technologies and applications used in production, distribution, testing and operation of TV, internet, radio and other multimedia/transmedia electronics. SET 2013 Congress will run concurrent to Broadcast and Cable in the Exhibition Center. It is organized and promoted by the Brazilian Society of Television Engineering – SET. SET Congress organizes lectures, talk shows, tutorials and debates with leading professionals in the market, who will be discussing scenarios and highlighting trends, new launchings and the latest developments.

Beijing International Radio, TV and Film Equipment Exhibition is an international trade show -- summit, awards show, exhibition expo -- that will run for five days starting August 20 in Beijing, showcasing products and services related to radio, film and television industry. In October 2007, BIRTV was endorsed by International Association of Broadcasting Manufacturers (IABM). BIRTV's focus is on content while highlighting the latest developments and technical innovation inspired by the international media community. Highlighted technology trends that will be specially showcased or demoed during the conference/exhibition include: Ultra HD (4K/8K), OTT, Mobile Media and Pro Audio, trends reflecting how traditional broadcasting reinvents itself. Related activities such as BIRTV Summit, BIRTV Awards, BIRTV Science and Technology Development Forum (STDF), China Digital Film and Video Editing Awards etc. will also offer new insights.

The BIRTV Summit opens with a Summit Report by President of CCTV Hu Zhanfan. Chief Engineer of CRI, Wang Lian, will address the topic of "Smart Media Network" afterward. After an afternoon break, Sun Jian, Vice President of CTVIT, tackles the topic "The Road of Global Production and Broadcast". In other talks for the remainder of the afternoon the topic of "The New Developments of Full-media Integration Production and Operation" will be presented by Zhang Dayong, of China Digital Video (Beijing) Limited. And Bannai Tatsushi, Development Department Minister of Panasonic Corp. touts the "Panasonic Technology Development Direction and New Product Application". John Ive, Director of Business Development and Technology - IABM, closes the Summit addressing "The Broadcast and Media Industry Business Outlook". To promote a better understanding of BIRTV as well as the China broadcasting industry, BIRTV conducts Group Tour projects for visitors from outside China. This will include, but is not limited to: a visit to CCTV or BTV, the BIRTV2013 Welcome Dinner, a visit to a movie and TV production base, a City Tour excursion, attending the Beijing Opera.

The International Film Awards Berlin -- the ifab -- was founded as a non-profit organization dedicated to the creation, distribution, preservation and support of independent cinema created by mostly unknown filmmakers. The awards presentation gives out several awards, including Best Lead Actress and Actor ifab Awards, Best Director ifab Award and the Grand Prize: the Brandenburg Gate Award. Festival venue, The Sputnik, is an arthouse movie theatre located in Kreuzberg, one of Berlins artistic districts. Kreuzberg has emerged from its history as one of the poorest quarters in Berlin in the late 1970s, to one of Berlin's cultural centers in the middle of the now unified city. Presently, Kreuzberg is one of the trendy districts of Berlin, known for its lively art scene, cafés, bars and restaurants and a bustling nightlife.

Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) will recognize siblings Bryan “Birdman” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams of Cash Money Records as Icons at the 2013 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, at a New York City ceremony on August 22. The  event, formerly known as the BMI Urban Awards, celebrates the songwriters, producers and publishers of the most-performed r&b/hip-hop songs of the previous year. The BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards will include an all-star musical tribute to this year's Icons, as well as the presentation of the Social Star Award and R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter, Producer and Publisher of the Year crystals. BMI’s President and CEO Del Bryant and Catherine Brewton will share the evening’s hosting duties with recording artist Ray J. Together, the Williams brothers have overseen the extension of the Cash Money brand beyond music: Cash Money Content, a book publishing division distributed by Atria/Simon and Schuster that has released three New York Times best sellers and will be releasing a new book authored by the Reverend Al Sharpton this fall.

The Cash Money enterprise they founded continues to nurture young talent into internationally recognizable standouts: Young Money Entertainment – the joint venture with Lil Wayne – has steered the rise of recording artists Drake, Nicki Minaj and Tyga. In 2012, Cash Money celebrated the sale of 500 million songs worldwide, a feat made possible by its top-tier artists and focused leadership. This invitation-only event will also honor the world’s premier songwriters, producers and publishers of the most-performed r&b/hip-hop songs of the previous year, as well as the presentation of the Social Star Award, and R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter, Producer and Publisher of the Year.

With a focus on social networking, Social Media Brazil aims to bring together key people to its Sao Paulo location to discuss and debate various aspects of social media and its cutting edge implementation. For 2013, the August 24 expo will be divided into two rooms -- one will be dedicated on lectures related to national and international issues and the other room will be based on interviews and discussions. The one-day conference agenda provides opportunities for learning, networking and some fun through numerous discussions and interactive sessions. The many aspects and utilization of social media will be discussed and debated by professionals and enthusiasts from different parts of the world.

Expo organizer, Media Education of Sao Paulo, has an industry focus in digital marketing. The events this company organizes are accompanied by an international roster of well regarded experts and leaders. Social Media Brazil, Social Media Week Sao Paulo and Search Labs are some of the numerous events that Media Education has organized. Dealing with Facebook Marketing Garage SP, Yahoo Hack Day, Social Media Week SP, Search Labs, Social Media Brazil and New Insights, Media Education seeks to apply as much innovation to develop new approaches to its marketing and media strategies.

The Internationale Tanzmesse is a biennial discussion forum, festival and marketplace for communicating and networking in the field of contemporary dance. At the Tanzmesse, international dance companies and artists present their work live on stage and choreographers, dancers, agencies, presenters and cultural institutions network and present their work in a marketplace. The internationale tanzmesse NRW also hosts numerous international gatherings and meetings. The Tanzmesse is a project of the Gesellschaft für Zeitgenössischen Tanz, based in Cologne. The original aim of the Tanzmesse was to create a platform for dance companies from North-Rhine Westphalia where they could introduce and present choreographic work from the region to a larger regional audience as well as to the professional dance world.

The Tanzmesse's goal has always been to form a presentation around performance and discussion. The companies could perform their works as well as talk about their projects in a marketplace environment. In 1997, the second Tanzmesse in Essen expanded the marketplace to include international companies and organizations to become a “World Market of Dance Regions”. As an opportunity for all the professionals and individuals who are totally consumed with all aspects of dance, the event which will run August 27-30 has been structured by the organizers to provide owners of dance companies and cultural organizations with a platform through which they can gain visibility for their projects.

This year Telluride Film Festival will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary as it opens its annual festival August 29 running through September 2. To commemorate this occasion an additional day has been added to the usual four-day Festival, making room for a five-day stretch of special programming and festivities. Telluride Film Festival, along with the Town of Telluride, has revealed it is preparing a new venue in time for the 40th Anniversary celebration. The Werner Herzog Theatre will be situated in Telluride's Town Park Pavilion and become the Festival's most technologically advanced theatre accommodating 650 pass holders.

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 at: http://www.actorschecklist.com/news.html. The events blog also shows links to pages that are translated into ten of the most widely used international languages read over the Internet other than English. This month's picture placement highlights The Internationale Tanzmesse dance festival in Dusseldorf and upcoming webcasts and other events of 8 Sided Film Productions related to its feature film production of 'Quantum Theory'. If the photo does not appear in this post please click this link to view it. In a preview of next month's events, be aware that: AniMazing Spotlight Animation Shorts Festival comes to Burbank, which will also be the setting for the separately run Burbank International Film Festival. The Toronto Film Festival opens in Toronto. International Broadcasting Convention 2013 Conference comes to Amsterdam. Digital Media Wire will host both the NY Games Conference and the Future of Television conferences in New York City. The Oaxaca FilmFest 2013 opens in Oaxaca. Digital Video Expo opens in Los Angeles. The Film Society of Lincoln Center will present the New York Film Festival in New York City.