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.

Bonnaroo Music Festival, 65th Tony Awards, Banff World Television Festival, JazzAscona 2011, are some Highlights in June's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

A Meeting of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) will happen during the World Copyright Summit in Brussels, June 7-8. The occasion is an international and cross-industry event addressing the future of the creative community and the entertainment business in the digital economy. Some of the slated agenda addresses: legislation and dissemination of intellectual property and creative content, creation, licensing, usage, collective management, the value of creative works, the future of authors' rights, the role of creators and their collective management organizations.

Sheffield's DocFest is a documentary film industry event hosting an industry session program and marketplace, pitching opportunities, discussion panels and filmmaker masterclasses, as well as an assortment of documentary films from across the globe. In attendance are expected to be members of the British documentary industry, including documentary and factual producers, directors, buyers, commissioners and distributors. Competitions will be organized at Sheffield Doc/Fest, which runs from June 8-12, with most pitches participating. And on a less serious note, Sheffield Doc/Fest is thought to be the only film festival in the world with its own roller disco rink, open for a June 9 party with complimentary vodka supplied by Zorokowich.

Opening June 9, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is a four-day, multi-stage campsite extravaganza that pulls in performers from rock and roll, as well as artists in diverse styles such as jazz, Americana, hip-hop, electronica, and any other contemporary music form. In addition to dozens of onstage performances, the festival's 100-acre entertainment village situated in Manchester pulsates continuously with attractions and activities including a classic arcade, on-site cinema, silent disco, comedy club, theater performers, a beer festival, and a music technology village. This year will also see the return of the Bonnaroo Comedy Theatre, as well as the Silent Disco, a wireless dance party where hot dance beat sounds are broadcast directly to your stereo headset. The festival site is actually a 700-acre farm which is about 60 miles southeast of Nashville and northwest of Chattanooga.

Aruba International Film Festival's mission is to connect with, and convey to the international film community, awareness for the island's culture by showcasing regional filmmakers and productions. In 2010 over 45 films from 18 countries were screened and the festival was covered by over 40 international media outlets with numerous special programs, parties and live events. Rapper, actor and business mogul Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson will be attending the Second Annual Aruba International Film Festival in Santa Cruz, June 10-16, for the red carpet premiere of his latest feature film "Things Fall Apart."

Tailored for professionals in the systems integration, audiovisual, and information communications industries, InfoComm 2011 showcases the latest technologies for audio, video, display, projection, lighting and staging, digital signage, conferencing, digital content creation, networking, signal distribution and much more. The Orlando based show which runs from June 11-17 also offers  educational seminars, workshops and labs taught by experts with a focus on technology, trends and best practices in the industry.

The 65th Tony Awards will be held in New York City, June 12, and telecast live for 3-hours over the CBS television network beginning at 8 pm Eastern Time. Neil Patrick Harris will host this year's awards which will be conducted from the Beacon Theater. A short list of presenters/performers includes: Daniel Radcliffe, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock, Alec Baldwin, Samuel L. Jackson, Kelsey Grammer, Viola Davis, Vanessa Redgrave, James Earl Jones, Harry Connick Jr., Christie Brinkley, to name a few. The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

The Banff World Television Festival launches once again, June 12-15, against the usual setting of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta. The Banff Program Competition looks to honor the best programming across all areas of entertainment, including digital media, drama,and documentary. The Festival combines an international program competition, the Banff World Media Awards, with a comprehensive conference agenda, including four streams of intensive, in-depth programming: BANFF TV, Kids & Animation, Non-Fiction and nextMEDIA. And once again, facilitated networking opportunities include — but don't end at — pre-booked one-on-one meetings with Program Executives, Media Buyers, and Ad Agencies.

The 2011 Maui Film Festival launches June 15 for a four day run at the  Wailea.resort area. There is an opening night reception and Twilight Reception at "Capische?" in Hotel Wailea; Other festival highlights include: Private VIP Party at MALA Wailea at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort and Spa; Saturday Filmmakers Brunch at Longhi's at The Shops at Wailea; Filmmakers Panels and Festival Tributes; Taste of Wailea at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy at the Wailea Gold & Emerald Golf Course; Starry Night MoonDance at Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe; Taste of Chocolate at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea; Starry Night MoonDance at Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe; Cosmic Closing Night Poolside Party. As always, befitting its location, the festival offers one-on-one or small group private Maui surf lessons and adventures.

On June 16 in New York City, BMI notable Allen Toussaint is among the inductees into the 42nd Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. BMI songwriting icons, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, will receive the Johnny Mercer Award, and Toronto rap artist, Drake, will receive the 2011 Hal David Starlight Award. Also slated for induction this year are Leon Russell, John Bettis, Garth Brooks, Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly.

Now in its 17th year, the Los Angeles Film Festival, from June 16-26, is an offering of Film Independent, a non-profit, membership film organization that champions independent film and supports a community of artists. The Festival is a qualifying festival in all categories for Film Independent Spirit Awards, as well as for the Narrative and Animated Short Film categories of the Academy Awards. The Festival works with Fast Track, a program of Film Independent that is designed to help filmmakers move their current projects — narrative as well as documentary — into production. Fast Track's film financing market connects to financiers, production companies, and other industry professionals. In planned event, "The Art of Translation: A Conversation with Julie Taymor", the award-winning director shares behind the scenes clips while conversing about taking material from different sources and translating them for the stage and the screen.

An evening of fine food, wine and spirits in the Calabasas Commons will be laid out for the 5th Annual Calabasas - Malibu Wine & Food Festival on June 18. This includes a special tasting of wines, beers, spirits, food demonstrations and, above all, food to eat, all while helping raise money for the Children's Tumor Foundation, and local charities. Event organizer Talents Connection (909-218-6002) seeks Interns and volunteers to help out with various aspects of the event. Volunteers can take part in a festive event with networking potential. Festival administration is also hosting a Video Contest for the public to take part in to produce a 30 second video promoting the 2011 Festival. Email Festival admin at: sales@valleywinefestival.com for more criteria on entering a video.

More than 24,000 entries from all over the world are showcased and judged at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, running June 19-25. Reportedly, over 8,000 delegates from 90 countries attend the seven days of workshops, exhibitions, screenings, master classes and high-end seminars given by industry leaders. Working in partnership with The Brand Union, Lambie-Nairn, Getty Images and Clear Channel, the CannesAlso exhibition will be held outside of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes during Festival week. The exhibition will focus on photography and will be exhibited in the form of The Big Book.

Opening June 20 in Silver Spring, Silverdocs encompasses a seven-day international film festival and five-day concurrent conference that promotes documentary film as a leading art form, supports the work of independent filmmakers and fosters an atmosphere for public dialogue and civic engagement around the issues and ideas explored in the films. Celebrating the art and business of documentary storytelling, the Conference connects media professionals with over 35 panels and workshops. The conference's Silver Sessions are small-group meetings with development, programming and acquisition executives, program officers from funding agencies, theatrical, DVD and international broadcast distributors; digital media innovators, marketing and PR consultants, producers' representatives, legal advisers and industry visionaries.

The Creole Sweet Tease burlesque will be performed this year for the first time at JazzAscona, in the jazz club tent, after midnight. There exist different interpretations of burlesque. JazzAscona will present an exclusive show that is currently reaping success in New Orleans in which jazz is, of course, a key element. The show will be accompanied by young soloists of the Creole Synocopators that features vocalist Jayna Morgan, among others. Tenor saxophonist Ezra Brown (eZrabrown.com) is the face of this year's JazzAscona official poster, and will spend most of the summer in Europe touring with Hip Hop AfroBeat band, BLITZ the Ambassador, to many Western European cities going into August. He takes a brief break from the BLITZ tour and joins Roy Bennett, Gordon Edwards and others forming Just Another Band (JAB) in Locarno.JAB is a festival favorite that, in its past performances at JazzAscona, has been among the most appreciated by the audiences there. JazzAsconia Festival runs June 23 through July 3.

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 which now has a language translation button to convert page contents into most widely used languages. A look ahead into July event dates will help you prepare for:  LA Shorts Fest, in Hollywood, How To Publish You e-Book, in Jacksonville, Casual Connect Seattle 2011, in Seattle, 2011 New York International Latino Film Festival, in New York City to provide just a small sample of upcoming events in advance. Also to alert viewers, a site revamp and redesign of The Actor's Checklist is close at hand, with new interactive features, tools and resources to aid members, so please stay tuned.