NAB 2015, Tribeca Film Festival, Apps World Germany, Dada Saheb Phalke Film Fest, are highlights in April's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

New Orleans’ French Quarter Festival supports the local music community and only schedules local musicians regardless of the style of music they play. The Festival has over 20 stages featuring every genre from gospel to jazz, from funk to classical, from Cajun and Zydeco to brass bands. All music programming is free to the public. The community festival also features the ‘World’s Largest Jazz Brunch’ and festival food booths operated by some of New Orleans finer restaurants.

French Quarter Festival takes place throughout the historic French Quarter (Vieux Carre) neighborhood in New Orleans. Music stages are located at Jackson Square, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, Bourbon Street, Royal Street, Bienville Triangle, Preservation Hall, the French Market and other significant points throughout the French Quarter district. Music performances are made possible by the French Quarter Festival Musician Sponsors, American Federation of Musicians, New Orleans Local No. 174-496, the Music Performance Trust Fund, and over 100 entertainment sponsors.

From its April 9 start, French Quarter Festival features a number of special events highlighting the unique culture of the region. The French Market Traditional Jazz Stage and the Chevron Cajun-Zydeco Showcase will feature dancing and classes on April 10. Also on the same day, the story of New Orleans’ black carnival traditions: the Zulus, Indians, Baby Dolls, Skeletons and the men and women who carried on these traditions for over a century is part of a film festival. Operatic performances with musical accompaniment sponsored by the French Market happen at dusk.

The Festival has programmed the Pirates Alley Juried Art Show presented by the New Orleans Art Association on April 11. On the same day, French Quarter Festival and the NOLA Jitterbugs present free sessions in: 1920s Charleston, Swing, Cajun Jitterbug and Zydeco dance lessons. The final festival day, April 12, opens with the Pirates Alley Juried Art Show, followed later with panels on Louisiana Music. A Film Festival about French Quarter Festival is presented by Timecode:NOLA. French Quarter Festival closes with Dancing At Dusk.

Now in its 24th year, the Florida Film Festival in Maitland is an Oscar®-qualifying festival premiering independent, and international cinema. For ten days after the April 10 opening, 170 film screenings and special events give film lovers the opportunity to mingle with filmmakers and actors over hand-crafted cocktails and a food menu from Eden Bar inside the theater and other settings. The Opening Night Film screening and reception features "Welcome to Me" and “Submarine Sandwich.” The genre categories for the festival include: shorts, documentaries, features, international entries, spotlight selections, midnight screenings, family oriented programming, Florida themed films, music and retro channels, Tastemaker Picks.

There are scheduled discussions, and on April 15 a “Film In Florida” talk, sponsored by Orlando Film Commission will be an Everything You Need to Know Guide for filming in Florida, from locations, to incentives, and everything in between. This discussion event, which is free to the public, is followed by a mix-and-mingle with industry professionals and fellow filmmakers. An April 17 Filmmaker Forum is the festival’s annual exchange of ideas and know-how, and first hand accounts of trials and triumphs from the filmmaker’s themselves, moderated by Rollins College Professor Denise Cummings, Chair of the Department of Critical Media and Cultural Studies.

And Florida Film Festival is never short on parties and other networking events for their guests and even the public to be part of. Aside from the Opening Night Party there is a Whole Foods Market tasting on April 11 for guests to sample the spread of natural and organic tastes of Whole Foods Market. A Sunday Brunch Buffet prepared by Enzian’s chef is scheduled for April 12. A Block Party with live music for Festival ticket and pass holders provides free drinks and appetizers from select Winter Park Village restaurants. On April 13, the Monday Night Pitcher Show is a free screening for the public on the lawn. Other Pitcher Shows follow on April 15 and 16. The Florida Film Mixer is a post screening discussion as well as mix and mingle with industry professionals on April 15. An invitation only Industry Party at Taps Restaurant Bar and Lounge on April 17 serves craft and imported beers and wine and food.

The annual NAB Show serves the digital media and entertainment industries and is a showcase for next-generation tools to develop, manage and deliver content across all electronic/digital platforms. There will be a sizable array of program offerings from conference and exhibitor presenters. The activity areas served include, but are not limited to: broadcast, digital media, film, entertainment, telecom, post-production, education, houses of worship. New attractions set for 2015 will include Connected Media|IP, focusing on the consumer experience; the Drone Pavilion, featuring a fully enclosed “flying cage” for demonstrations; New Media Expo (NMX) hosting celebrity bloggers, podcasters and digital content creators; SPROCKIT, where market-ready startups present their new ideas; StudioXperience, a live studio using all the latest tools and so much more.

Within NAB’s Conference segment, the Media Finance and Investor Conference is produced in partnership with Noble Financial Capital Markets featuring discussions at the corporate CEO, CFO, and investor relations level around technology investments, economic outlook panel discussions around ad growth. NAB's exhibition/pavilion area - Futures Park - holds a showcase of advanced projects presented by NAB Labs. Expect demonstrations of high-tech media developments in progress, prototypes, and products not yet available for sale from academic, government, and commercial research laboratories in the United States and around the world. New Media Expo (NMX) features bloggers, podcasters, Web TV content creators and social media visionaries. The conference includes more than 100 educational sessions within new media exhibits and the popular Speed Networking sessions. The three-day Creative Masters Series program offers perspective from directors, show runners, creative crew, studio and network production executives as they share insights on: cinematography in post production, advancing story through sound, editor’s role in production, advances in animation, augmented reality and other areas.

SPROCKIT Pavilion at NAB showcases a collection of market-ready startups influencing transformation in the media and entertainment industry. Principals that run these innovative operations have been vetted by some of the industry’s leading media, entertainment and investment organizations to present at the NAB Show. A partial roll call of the companies taking part include, aioTV, a video platform that enables service providers and content owners to aggregate multiple sources of live, on-demand and freely available video content into a single, unified TV experience; Videogram, a tool that allows consumers to get a quick overview of an entire video's contents without watching the entire video from beginning to end; Bcast, a next generation social broadcasting network, platform and application that enables users to instantly broadcast live streaming videos at any time; Yottio, a real-time video screening and trafficking platform for media makers. NAB’s website is the best source to check for a full program guide to the NAB Convention.

The Seventh Annual TV and Film Finance Forum is a one-day conference set for April 14 focused on financial strategies and opportunities within the television and film business. This New York City forum is designed for chief investment officers, private equity and hedge fund managers, angel investors, high net worth individuals, private family office managers, and financial advisers who are interested in learning more about the TV and film business and networking with seasoned deal-makers in the industry. Additionally film and TV executives working on operational, financing, production and distribution strategies are also expected to attend.

Confirmed speakers for Seventh Annual TV and Film Finance Forum include financiers and producers of “Boyhood" and “Imitation Game" along with investors in companies such as Legendary Pictures, Lakeshore and ALCON. Topics to be addressed include: How Television Can Mine Bigger Data and Better Revenue, Generating Revenues on a Global Scale, Keynote on the Value of Original Content, Identifying and Monetizing the New Face of Television, Bridging the Gap Between Financiers and Producers, The Capital Stack Re-Defined, Keynote Conversation on Financing Award-Winning Films, Alternative Investment Views on Emerging Opportunities.

New York Festival's World's Best TV and Films competition honors programming in all lengths and forms from over 50 countries. This event happens in Las Vegas during the same time frame for NAB 2015. The program opens April 14 with Cocktail Reception and Red Carpet Interviews, then Awards presentation, closes with Champagne Reception. Hosted by Rose Anderson, Executive Director, New York Festivals International Television and Film Awards. Dress is business attire. April 15 is dedicated to the New York Festivals Creative Masters Session, South Hall LVCC. New York Festival's World's Best TV and Films competition honors programming in all lengths and forms from over 50 countries.

Dedicated to both the Television and Film industries, categories mirror today's global trends and encourage the next generation of story-tellers and talent: Animation, Comedy, Corporate, Drama, Documentary, Feature Films, Movie Trailers, Music Videos, News, Promos, Reality TV Drama, Sports, Telenovelas, Webisodes, Best Performance by an Actor/Actress, Special Event, Innovation, Technical Production Team, CSR, Best Screenplay, Video Art, and Best Host. There are also presentations for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Grand Awards, Broadcaster of the Year, Production Company of the Year, and United Nations winners.

The Tribeca Film Festival was founded to celebrate New York City as a major filmmaking center and to contribute to the long-term recovery of lower Manhattan. The Festival's program line-up includes a variety of independent films including documentaries, narrative features and shorts, as well as a program of family-friendly films. The Festival also features panel discussions with personalities in the entertainment world and a music lounge produced with ASCAP to showcase artists. This year’s festival running April 15-26 reveals an added emphasis for retrospective (and memorable) tributes. In just one such retrospective, TFF 2015 presents, The 80’s Strike Back at the Tribeca Film Festival: Broderick, Schwarzenegger and Rourke. The evenings program will revisit their iconic 80’s film accomplishments and have a look at their current projects -- all celebrating their world premieres at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. Another very hot ticket item at this year’s festival is expected to be “Sinatra at 100: Film and Music...”

TFF 2015 has called on Tony Bennet, Lea DeLaria, Savion Glover and others to take part in “Sinatra at 100: Film and Music...” a centennial celebration honoring Frank Sinatra’s legendary music and film career. The program is set to screen two Sinatra classics — Some Came Running, and High Society — on April 24. But the centerpiece of the celebration happens on April 21, with an evening of film and music. After a new digital restoration of On The Town, from Warner Bros., the Sinatra family shares the spotlight and there are performances by legendary vocalist Tony Bennett, musician Brandon Flowers (The Killers), Rap artist, NE-Yo, comedian, actress and jazz musician Lea DeLaria (Orange is the New Black), dancer and choreographer Savion Glover, singer/songwriter Alice Smith, and bandleader/songwriter JC Hopkins and the 12-piece JC Hopkins Biggish Band.

In honor of GoodFellas' 25th Anniversary Celebration, the creators and cast members will reunite for a converstion after the Closing Night screening. Based on a true-life bestseller, GoodFellas follows Henry Hill and his friends as they climb up the mob ranks. A standout exploration of criminal life backed by a dynamic pop/rock oldies soundtrack, the film won accolades on its release and has been hailed by film critic circles as the best film of the decade. Now it has been remastered from the original camera negative, supervised by Martin Scorsese. Spend the closing weekend of the Festival (April 24) in amusement celebrating the 40th anniversary of the classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail with the legends themselves, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. To complete the celebration, select Pythons will introduce the premiere of a new documentary and retrospective screenings of their movie masterworks, all weekend long.

The COLCOA is committed to raising awareness of new French cinema in the U.S. and to showcasing them in the filmmaking capital -- Hollywood. Submissions in the mix include: comedies and dramas, box office hits in France and novelties, first features and films from established writer-directors, documentaries, animation features, short films, art house movies as well as mainstream films. Scheduled after the Academy Awards® and before the Cannes Film Festival, the eight day festival runs through April 28. Several features are presented at COLCOA for the first time in North America or in the U.S. COLCOA has reportedly made good selections a year before their commercial release in the U.S., placing the annual Hollywood event on the radar of U.S. film distributors. In 2008, an educational program was also launched to promote foreign films among young American audiences in association with E.L.M.A (European Languages and Movies in America). Thousands of high school students and 95 high schools in Los Angeles County have participated in the program since 2008. In 2010, a master class program was introduced for colleges, film schools and universities.

From Berlin, TV and Multi-screen Screen Apps conference at Apps World Germany will examine the ways in which the TV viewing experience is evolving and growing from the multitude of devices that have surfaced in the connected ecosystem. It will explore the different opportunities and challenges for content producers, operators, aggregators, developers and device manufacturers. The agenda for two days opening April 22 holds ten workshop tracks aside from exhibitions and networking and special events.

Workshop track, "TV and Multi-Screen, Defining the multi screen opportunities for the TV revolution," will have keynote speakers, Prof. Wolfram Winter, Executive Vice President Communications and Public Affairs, Sky Deutschland. The other keynote speaker is Matthias Buechs, Member of the Board of Management, RTL Interactive, Director Online, RTL Interactive GmBH. Following the keynotes, sessions in TV and Multi-Screen breakdown as follows: Industry Overview, Monetisation and T-Commerce, TV Everywhere, Multi-Platform Engagement. The Gaming workshop at Apps World will examine how developers can take advantage of the continued rise in mobile gaming. Sessions will examine the developer and design of gaming apps and the business side of launching these in the market.

Other Apps World highlights include: free to attend technical Developer Zone workshops focusing on a variety of platforms and insight for developers, free to attend Droidworld workshops – dealing with the key issues for Android developers, Free to attend exhibition, Multiple tracks covering the entire app ecosystem from marketers to operators and everything in-between, niche workshops exploring developing areas of the app industry such as TV apps and automotive apps.

Apps World Germany has formed partnerships with local meet-up groups in Berlin for this year’s event. The groups become a big meetup on the show floor and will include: Google Developer Group Berlin Android (GDG), betahaus, Geek Girls Carrotts Berlin, Silicon Valley Mindset, hub:raum, Bitcoin Startups Berlin, BeMyApp, Mobile Monday (MoMo), Web Devs HQ Berlin, UX Designers HQ Berlin, Freelancers HQ Berlin, The Functional Club.

The Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival was established to celebrate Indian cinema and honor the legacy of the late Shri Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, regarded as the father of Indian Cinema and fondly remembered as Dada Saheb Phalke by the film fraternity in international filmmaking circles. It is a not-to-profit, non-commercial, independent film festival, originally begun in 2011 in Noida (Delhi NCR) with a mission to celebrate the cinema and work of aspiring, young, independent and professional filmmakers. A primary objective of the festival is to mark the April 30 birth anniversary of the late Shri Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, regarded as the father of Indian Cinema and fondly remembered as Dada Saheb Phalke by the film fraternity in international filmmaking circles.

Film entries, which are international in scope, fill sections for feature films, short films, documentaries, animations, music videos and commercials. The festival awards the filmmakers in production, creative and performance categories. The festival will offer a Co-Production Meet: Film Market-15; Screenplay Incubation: Script Contest; Master Class on Short Films Marketing, Promotion, Distribution and Revenue Generation; Film Business Meet: Film Market-15; Master Class on Film Funding; 21 Days Animation Project: Short Animation Contest; 5 Shifts Film Project: Short Fimmaking Contest. Founded by the Educationexpo TV, an entertainment research and branding company and managed by Miniboxoffice, Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival-15 is open to filmmakers of all ages. Its intent is to find and cultivate talented future members of the entertainment 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/index.php/news-updates/monthly-event-calendar. 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 displays the Universal film franchise "Furious7" as it set box office records across the globe in its opening week. Also, Tribeca Film Festival will have a 100th anniversary celebration honoring the film and musical legacy of Frank Sinatra. If the photos do not appear in this post please visit the blog page to view it. Looking ahead into the next month be aware that: Streaming Media switches from West Coast to East Coast East and arrives in New York City as Streaming Media East, footageMarketplace London opens in London, New York Festivals International Advertising Awards has ceremonies in New York City, Casual Connect Asia 2015  produced by the Casual Games Association is set for Singapore, New York International Short Film Festival will be in New York City, Cine Gear Expo opens in Los Angeles, Seattle International Film Festival opens for a three week run in Seattle.

Mezzrow Joins Smalls, Independent Film Week, Kiev Media Week, Pop Montreal, are highlights in September's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

The fifth annual Burbank International Film Festival - in Burbank - has Opening Night Ceremony and featured film, film screenings, seminars and panels with industry participants, parties and special events that will lead up to a Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony on the final day of the Festival. Opening night will feature the world premiere of the documentary feature, “Elvis: That’s The Way It Is”. It is preceded by a short film program. Day by day, the festival programming breaks down along these lines: Wednesday opening, short film and documentary feature film screening; Thursday, comedy and new media; Friday, drama; Saturday, family programming, including student films, animated films, faith-based films, films by women; Saturday, Sci-fi, Fantasy and Horror; Sunday, Documentaries, Foreign Films and the September 7 Closing Night Awards Gala.

This year the festival screens the 1956 MGM Science Fiction classic Forbidden Planet as part of the festivals “History of Cinema” Program. This new educational program introduces classic studio films from a historical perspective to inspire young audiences into a deeper appreciation for the art of filmmaking. Forbidden Planet was entered into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 2013, being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The film features special effects which were nominated for an Academy Award, and features the first groundbreaking use of an entirely electronic musical score by Louis and Bebe Barron who will be posthumously honored with a Special Award for their music at the screening. Similarly, and in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the classic, “The Little Mermaid”, the festival is set to screen a special presentation of this animated classic courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.

The Closing Night Gala Dinner and Awards Show will not only acknowledge the award-winning filmmakers, but will honor industry icons and professionals that have shaped and defined the world of cinema today. The Closing Night Gala will be opened with a Media Red Carpet, Hosted Cocktail Reception, Semi-Formal Dinner, Festival Honoree Presentations, Awards Show and finishing with a cocktail reception Under-The-Stars. In the 1920's, Burbank began to flourish with both entertainment and aviation. Both industries came to Burbank because of its location and the available space. Today Burbank is a media and entertainment production destination, comprised of some of the best known studios and production houses including Warner Brothers, Disney, Universal Studios, ABC, NBC, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network to name a few.

Since 2001, the Nevada City Film Festival (NCFF) has brought independent cinema to the gold rush era town of Nevada City. The program presents four days of screenings, panels, comedy shows and live music. This year’s opening night feature is 'Creep', the directorial debut of Nevada County native Patrick Brice. Creep premiered at SXSW in Austin this past spring. The Director will be on hand for a Q&A following the film. Multimedia performance artist Miwa Matreyek - who has presented at Sundance - is scheduled to present two special performances of “This World Make Itself” and “Myth and Infrastructure” at the Festival during First Friday Art Walk in Nevada City. The artist combines animation with the art of movement, using a projection of her silhouette to interact with her creations.

Comedian Marc Maron from IFC series “Maron” and the podcast “WTF with Marc Maron” will headline NCFF’s Live Comedy Show. Maron has appeared on Louie, Letterman, Leno, Craig Ferguson, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Real Time with Bill Maher, John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up, and The Green Room. Maron’s podcast, 'WTF' with Marc Maron, premiered in September 2009. His IFC comedy series Maron is currently in its second season. In one of the planned NCFF workshops, Dave Kneebone, producer of such comedy shows as Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Drunk History, The Eric Andre Show and Nathan For You. Kneebone will discuss how to create a successful comedy series for both television and online on September 6. Another workshop for the same day explores "Storytelling With GoPro" which can be used to shoot time-lapse, still photos, and video for everything from extreme sports to mainstream movies. NCFF handles submissions through its website. Submissions for the next cycle reopen in December. The NCFF and it's non-profit the Magic Lantern Corporation are a community service organization located in Nevada City.

The operators of the Smalls Jazz Club are opening a new music venue dedicated to jazz piano. The new listening room and lounge, outfitted with a classic 1923 Steinway, will feature stellar jazz pianists. It will be a place for cultivated listeners to enjoy the relaxed social atmosphere of a jazz club and to have an intimate experience with the artists who are performing. Mezzrow is owned and operated by the folks from Smalls Jazz Club (next door at 183 west 10th street) – a musical environment run by musicians for musicians. The new venue takes its name from Milton “MEZZ” Mezzrow, (November 9, 1899 – August 5, 1972), born in Chicago to a poor Jewish immigrant family. In his early youth as a juvenile delinquent, he was in and out of reformatory schools and prisons where he was exposed to jazz and blues music. He began to play the clarinet and eventually became a ubiquitous figure on the Chicago jazz scene of the 1920’s. In the late thirties, he moved to New York City's Harlem community and continued to play as well as organize recording sessions with many great artists. Mezzrow opened on September 3 with Johnny O'Neal who continues there as a Monday night featured act.

Being practically next door to each other, Mezzrow and Smalls will likely operate in tandem, sharing and cooperating, and with patrons able to go back and forth between the two clubs. Although Mezzrow will start out with a tightly focused agenda as a listening room with  refined piano players in various duet configurations, Smalls has evolved a broad talent showcase and mentoring program over the years, anchored by a nightly jam session that invites visiting musicians, singers, dancers and poets to sit in on freewheeling improvisational sessions. It also works into its programming artist development sessions and events. On early Sunday afternoons there is a Vocal Masterclass with Marion Cowings, then, a Smalls Chamber Music Salon follows that. Wednesdays early evening, Tap Dancer Michela Marino Lerman hosts a formal Tap Dance Jam. There is a live video stream that lets you view the clubs nightly performances at Smalls (www.smallsjazzclub.com), free with a simple registration, there is an audio archive that will grant access to later listening of the club's performances through the same registration form and there is a Music Store making available for sale audio recordings from the Smalls Live Catalog, the Photo Catalog and collectible merchandise.

Sync Summit is a focused networking event where music supervisors, heads of music in visual and interactive media (TV, film, video games, advertising, the internet and mobile), label executives, publishers, music libraries, composers, artists, technologists, lawyers, accountants, brand managers and service providers gather for two days of discussion, networking and dealmaking. The Beverly Hills located event will focus on the ways and means used to find music, how music is used and paid for, what are the considerations in terms of publishing, payment, music discovery methods, branding, the process of acquisition and best practices for maximizing profitability, success and how rights holders and creators can best meet and do business with music supervisors and heads of music in visual and interactive media. Sync Summit also presents an event in Paris and it will happen next on April 9-10, 2015.

A panel on "Bandvertising (Artist X Sync) = AudienceRevenue²" on September 8, presents experts on branding, sync and promotion as they discuss the process by which artists build their presence in the 21st century. The Summit's final day, September 9, a panel examines "Changing Business Models of Music in Visual Media", spotlights the ways and models, new and old, that content owners, creators and music supervisors use for administration, discovery, asset management and deal negotiation, with particular attention paid to the best practices, services and tools that are most successful and more efficient. Bands and performers slated to perform at the two-day Summit include: Mayaeni, Pierce Driessen, Gary Calamar, Debbie Reifer, Tribazik, Smoove and Turrell Soundsystem, Dirty Vegas and others. A Sync Summit Hollywood Sync Competition is open to registered attendees and was started to give artists, composers and rights holders of all types opportunities to sync their original compositions or tracks to videos provided by the Sync Competition Jury.

NAB 2014 Radioshow opening in Indianapolis allows radio broadcasters and industry colleagues to come together to share knowledge, discover the latest innovations, network with industry colleagues and explore creative business strategies to help radio thrive in the digital age. There will be sessions in content segments targeted to sales managers, group executives, engineers, programming professionals, marketing professionals and others. The show, stretching from September 10-12, will also feature an exclusive vendor resource and networking destination - The Marketplace - and a number of sessions focused on: Sales and Marketing, Finance, Legislative/Regulatory Issues, Digital Media, Management, Programming. The Radio Advertising Bureau and National Association of Broadcasters have partnered to bring the show to the radio industry. At September 10 opening session, advertising notable Bob Hoffman offers insights during his keynote presentation, "The Golden Age of BS" during the opening session. Attendees will also learn about the current radio landscape and what the future holds for radio. Erica Farber, president and CEO of the Radio Advertising Bureau and Gordon H. Smith, president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters will make presentations and offer insights. On September 11, at the Leadership Breakfast, hear from radio's top executives as they identify challenges facing the industry, share their strategies for growth and explain their vision for radio's future. The Awards Dinner & Show will be held September 11 and will recognize stations and individuals for their excellence and performance in 21 categories.

DocMiami International Film Festival presents The Florida Documentary Film Festival, a new edition of DocMiami set up to bring the festival experience to different cities throughout Florida. This DocMiami event will be conducted from Boca Raton. The 2014 Florida Documentary Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing documentary filmmakers worldwide. From September 12-14 there are planned documentary screenings, expert panel workshops for filmmakers and the community to attend. The opening night cocktails and hors d'oeuvre celebration is paired to a screening of 'This Land is a Skeleton'.

Speakers lined up for DocMiami 2014 include: Melissa Mackenzie, Senior Vice President Worldwide Film Acquisitions and Creative Development, Maverick Entertainment Group Miami/Fort Lauderdale Area; Mariana Rodriguez, Anchor Acceso Total Show/Entertainment Reporter, NBC/Telemundo Miami; William Garcia, President, Playworld Pictures Hollywoord, Florida; Eloy Cepero, Cuban Music Historian and Writer and Television Host, Grandes Leyendas Musicales (Grand Music Legends) Coral Gables, Florida; Chief Nathaniel B. Styles, Jr., Executive Director, OsunMiamiACCAC/ Community Builders HDC. Tito Puente, Jr and his band will perform at the awards ceremony which includes cocktails and hor'dourves. The 2014 "el Rey" Tito Puente Contribution to the Arts Award recipient is esteemed drummer for Bon Jovi, Tico Torres.

Independent Film Week 2014 in New York City draws the international film and media community to New York City to seed new projects and their creators and support the future of storytelling. Independent Film Week combines the Filmmaker Conference, and the concurrently run Project Forum, showcases how media projects and creatives connect with collaborators and audiences to create works that are viewwed across multiple platforms and mediums. The Project Forum is part of Independent Film Week, which is comprised of selected projects in four sections: RBC’s Emerging Storytellers, Independent Filmmaker Labs, No Borders International Co-Production Market, and Spotlight on Documentaries. Oculus’ Director of Film and Media, Eugene Chung, will provide a Keynote address at the 2014 Filmmaker Conference.

Each day of the IFW conference, running September 14-18, guides filmmakers in the art, technology and business of independent filmmaking. The IFP organization championed the early work of pioneering independent filmmakers Charles Burnett, Todd Haynes, Mira Nair, Michael Moore, Joel and Ethan Cohen, Kevin Smith, Todd Solondz, and Wayne Wang. Recently, it has also played a role in launching the first films of many of today’s up and coming on the independent scene including Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild), Debra Granik, (Down to the Bone) Miranda July (Me, You and Everyone We Know), and Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (Half Nelson).

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) supports the future of media makers by connecting artists with essential resources at all stages of development and distribution. Nurturing an independent storytelling community through its year-round programs is done through Independent Film Week, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gotham Independent Film Awards and the Made in NY Media Center by IFP, a new incubator space developed with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. From the Project Forum, media artists connect with financiers, executives, influencers and decision-makers in film, television, new media and cross-platform storytelling that can help them complete their latest works and connect with audiences.

IFP will place a spotlight on RBC’s Emerging Storytellers program for producers developing episodic content for digital platforms. This new Web Storytellers spotlight includes works from filmmakers Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behavior, HBO’s Girls), Calvin Reeder (The Rambler), and Gregory Bayne (Person of Interest) and others. The documentary selection includes new work from seasoned non-fiction directors such as Emmy winners Robert Bahar and Almudena Carracedo (Made in LA), Pamela Yates (Granito: How to Nail a Dictator), Ramona Diaz (Imelda; Don’t Stop Believin’) Gini Reticker (Pray the Devil Back to Hell) and others. IFP membership provides access to IFP events and resources and is easily handled via its online website.

Over five days in the city of Kiev, Kiev Media Week consists of a range of events for professionals of TV, movie, new media and other media industries that facilitates networking among colleagues in a formal and informal atmosphere (the organizers are planning a number of special entertaining events), to tie up beneficial contracting opportunities and to learn about current trends of the international media business. The planned LIONS Creativity Days is a range of activities organized by the official Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity Representatives in Ukraine. It is the professional section dedicated to advertising that will be held on final day, September 19. For the days agenda, eight advertising industry experts will be presenting the best cases of promotional execution in: Promo and Activations, Cyber, PR, Film and Film Craft, Branded content and Entertainment, Design, Media. There is also a planned VIP-party and TVC-screenings of the best of 2014 Cannes Lions in Film and Film Craft categories.

Kiev Media Week arranges the consolidation of different and separate industrial events in order to achieve synergy and create a unified communication platform for media professionals with varying interests from all around the world. Format Show is a conference with speeches of European experts of the format business and screening of the newest and most popular TV formats from across the globe - including the complete catalogue of Ukrainian TV formats, held on September 15. The Ukrainian Content Market 2014 Innovation, from September 16-18 sets up a Screening Room that gives content sellers a unique opportunity to present their projects to UCM 2014 buyers through a virtual online catalogue. The September 16 KIEV CoProduction Meetings is a regional content marketplace structured for pitching and promotion of TV projects in different formats that seek co-production, as well as facilitate the co-production market in the region by allowing the local Producers to cooperate with international TV projects.

PayTV in Ukraine-2014, a September 16 conference dedicated to current issues of the pay TV industry in Ukraine, will be organized by Telecommunications Chamber of Ukraine Association with the support of Ukrainian entertainment market leader — VOLIA company. The September 16 Film Business event will feature a Producers’ Workshop, Legal Workshop and Financial Workshop and allows the attendees to have direct conversation with the film industry professionals from different countries. A September 18 Television As Business session is planned as a meeting place for legends of Ukrainian television industry, Leading TV-brands managers, media experts and investors discuss current content, finances, management and new media technologies. The Kiev Media Week Opening Party is set for September 17.

Entering its 13th year of operation, POP Montreal International Music Festival is an annual not-for-profit curated cultural event that champions independence in the arts by presenting emerging artistic talents from around the world. It amounts to five days of concerts -- fielding over 400 bands in 40 venues, symposium discussions, artisan and visual art exhibitions, fashion shows, film screenings, and, a few all-night parties added in for good measure. Matthew Zapruder is the festival's 2014 Lit POP poetry judge. He is the author of several collections of poetry, including the recent release 'Sun Bear', (Copper Canyon/Anansi). A partial listing of artists scheduled to perform September 17-21 include: Calypso Rose & Kobo Town, Dot Wiggin Band, Grey Lands, Kid Congo Powers & The Pink Monkey Birds, Lydia Ainsworth, Mozart's Sister, Joachim Pastor, Sheryl Crow, Shonen Knife, The Gaslight Anthem, Zebulon, Suzanne Vega, Stranger Cole, others.

POP Montreal's programming is comprised of six separate event sections. Spring POP is a weekend-long event with live outdoor shows, with Kids POP activities and the Puces POP fair. POP Lafontaine is a free two-night concert series at a Theâtre in Parc Lafontaine. Espace POP is a non-profit community event space in the Mile-End neighborhood of Montreal, available for short-term rental. Puces POP which was born in 2004 brings together the assemblage of designers, crafters and artists that Montreal can fit into one marketplace. Today Puces POP is more than a fair, it has developed beyond the marketplace and organizes several year-round events, including the two day business seminar Lil’ Biz, the fashion gala and competition Fashion POP, the POP Up Shop Vintage POP sales, the Record Fair, and the design contest Design POP. Kids POP is the kid-focused segment of POP Montreal that happens every spring and fall, offering programming with the same quality and innovativeness as its older sibling, but suited to kids of all ages. As the visual arts component Art POP seeks to present and help facilitate new ideas and collaborations through exhibitions, site-specific installations, performances, screenings, and artist talks.

POP Montreal's Symposium program offers a range of the figures, ideas and forces at the heart of today's music world, focusing on the relationships between art, culture and creativity. The Symposium presents a series of conversations about pressing music-related issues. Each year, Film POP presents a variety of music-related film events, including important premieres, retrospective screenings, expanded cinema performances, live film scores, music videos and free family screenings at a variety of professional and unconventional spaces. POP Montreal accepts submissions every year between the month of November and May, either by mail or through Sonicbids. You can get all the info at the submission area of the website. POP Montreal also offers year-round concerts, activities and special events.

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 the opening of Mezzrow, a new jazz piano lounge by the owners of the Smalls Jazz Club in New York City and the POP Montreal Festival in Montreal. 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 12th Annual Hispanic Television Summit opens in New York City, Durango Songwriters Expo opens in Broomfield, PLASA London comes to London, MIA Animation Conference is in Miami, GameSoundCon will be in Los Angeles, the New York Television Festival opens in New York City.

NAB 2014 Show, French Quarter Festival, Supanova Pop Culture Expo, Tribeca Film Festival, are highlights in April's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

In 2003 Palm Beach International Film Festival became a "Competitive" Festival joining the ranks of other film events such as: Sundance, Cannes, Toronto and Venice. PBIFF screens features, documentaries and short films from the U.S. and around the world and will play host to filmmakers, producers, and actors to represent and discuss their films. Opening Night begins with 'Belle,' directed by Amma Asante, followed by a party at Bogart's Bar and Grille in Palm Beach Gardens. The film stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Emily Watson, Tom Felton, Sam Reid and Tom Wilkinson, and is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Mbatha-Raw).

Other film highlights during the festival include the acclaimed and festival favorites 'Ethel' (with Ethel Kennedy herself in attendance), 'Robot & Frank', 'Love Free Or Die' and the first of iconic author Judy Blume's novels to be brought to the big screen. The Palm Beach International Film Festival will continue to partner with independent theater owners, their bookers and distribution outlets from across the U.S. will be invited as  guests to screen films and meet filmmakers. The PBIFF is looking forward to fostering these relationships and helping our independent filmmakers get their projects seen by larger audiences.

The PBIFF has dedicated itself to making a difference in the lives of young people by helping to fulfill their dreams in the world of film. Proceeds generated each year go to the Palm Beach County Schools to provide new technologies for optimal learning in the form of grants and scholarships. On April 5 the festival will host, "Toast of the Town - A Tribute to Classic Hollywood at the Eau Palm Beach", a VIP level affair where guests will be sipping on the champagne featured in A Year in Champagne and enjoy special Tito’s Vodka Martinis while partying the night away with filmmakers and special guests. The festival ends its run April 10.

Now in its 23rd year, the Florida Film Festival in Maitland is an Oscar®-qualifying festival, premiering current, independent, and international cinema. Through ten days of presenting 170 films and various events, film lovers mingle with filmmakers and celebrities over hand-crafted cocktails and a locally-sourced menu. Opening Night Film, "The Trip to Italy", preceded by “Oh Sheep!” is followed by the Opening Night Party. Participating restaurants, bars, and brands include Cask and Larder, Coppola Fine Wines, The Courtesy, Etho’s Vegan Kitchen, Enzian and Eden Bar, Hyatt Grand Regency, K Restaurant, The Matador, Olea Grill, Sushi Pop, Smiling Bison, Tito’s Vodka, Troy and Sons, Whole Foods, and more.

Other Florida Film Festival parties and/or receptions include: April 5 on the lawn at Eden Bar for a farmers market, April 6 Sunday Brunch complete with buffet and a mimosa, free Tasting Reception during April 7 Italian Cinema Night with Italian treats presented between flicks, Whole Foods Market tasting reception of organic appetizers on April 8, April 9 Wednesday Night Pitcher Show on the lawn at Eden Bar serving cocktails and treats, an invite only Filmmaker Welcome Party hosted by Full Sail University serving complimentary bites and cocktails on April 10, April 11 Industry Party with complimentary beer and live music all night, Awards Bash with live DJ, cash bar, Celluloid Circus on April 12, Sunday Brunch with mimosas at Festival close on April 13.

For an April 10 Florida Film Festival panel, female visionaries share their personal experiences and what it means to be a successful woman working in movies today. Panelists include Meira Blaustein, filmmaker/Executive Director of the Woodstock Film Festival; Kim Kalyka, Director of Exhibitor Relations at IFC Films; Debra McClutchy, VP of Home Entertainment Production and Creative at Oscilloscope Pictures; and producer Andrea Roa (Drinking Buddies), a 2014 Independent Spirit "Producer of the Year" award nominee. Anne Russell, Program Director of Film at Full Sail University, will moderate.

The Florida Film Festival hosts A Filmmaker Forum with new independent filmmakers every year and always sets aside one day (April 11 for this session) to form a Q&A with them. This exchange of ideas and know-how defines the festival's intellectual intentions. Rollins College Professor Denise Cummings, Chair of the Department of Critical Media and Cultural Studies, will moderate the exchange. Giancarlo Esposito will be in attendance for a post-film Q&A after the screening of a new digital restoration of Spike Lee's 'Do The Right Thing' in celebration of the film’s 25th anniversary. Mr. Esposito will take part in a post-film Q&A. Brooklyn-born actor and singer Paul Sorvino will be in attendance at the screening of Last I Heard on April 11, at 16:15 at Enzian.

Since 1992, Enzian has been the proud host of the Florida Film Festival. As part of its mission to entertain, inspire, educate, and connect the community through film, Enzian, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, community-supported arts organization, presents innovative and original cinematic programming not just during the Festival, but all year long.

The annual Las Vegas NAB Show is essentially an exposition serving the digital media and entertainment industries by focusing on video, audio and broadcast practices and technology. It is structured as a resource for next-generation tools to develop, manage and deliver content across all platforms and allows visitors to take part in an international community of content professionals. NAB President and CEO Gordon H. Smith will open the show with the State of the Broadcast Industry Address on April 7. Several hours later a Television Luncheon honors "Everybody Loves Raymond" as the Television inductee to the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

Among several NAB conferences planned, the "Creative Master Series - Storytelling for All Screens", happening April 7-9, features award-winning directors, show runners, creative crew, and studio and network production executives for an insiders' perspective on the craftsmanship of content. Key topics for this conference focus on advances in animation, game storytelling, advancing story through sound, web series best practices and more. The "Disruptive Media Conference - Profiting in Entertainment's New Landscape", held April 9-10, gathers broader-casters to discuss how new media as well as more traditional OTT technologies that are impacting business models for distribution and consumer engagement. Roy Sekoff, Huffington Post Media Group, will deliver the opening keynote for this conference.

Some of the workshops scheduled for this year's NAB include: 2nd Screen Sunday, an event showcasing the latest business opportunities, creative case studies and technology innovations related to the creation of supplementary, synchronized and social TV content. Digital Strategies Exchange for Radio (DSX4r) as a one-day program that focuses on the many new technologies affecting radio broadcasting today, and provides recommendations for non-technical managers on how to best leverage them to local radio's advantage. Introduction to Professional Wireless Communications, presented by the IEEE Communications Society, is a 6-hour course for professionals who seek to stay competitive in today's job market with up-to-date knowledge of technologies, products and services in the mobile telecommunications industry.

Special pavilions and gathering areas at the 2014 NAB start with the Futures Park, a showcase of advanced projects presented by NAB Labs. It has demonstrations of high-tech media developments in progress, prototypes, and products not yet available for sale from academic, government, and/or commercial research laboratories in the United States or even the international market. The StudioXperience™ is where anyone can see the latest technologies being showcased and utilized as part of a live broadcast studio. Connected Media World focuses on the connected consumer experience including IPTV, mobile, social and cloud technologies, devices and content. Arx@des locations include Central Hall, North Hall, South Lower Hall and South Upper Hall outfitted with relaxation dens outfitted with gaming tables, audio headsets, fun with paints, other activities plus prizes and other surprises.

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) advocates on behalf of America's free, local radio and television stations and broadcast networks before Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and the courts. Working on behalf of its radio and television membership, NAB provides members with advocacy efforts, legal expertise and timely communications and opportunities for career growth, professional development and networking with other broadcasters.

MUSEXPO happpens April 6-9, but it will be co-located with these other industry events: WorldWide Radio Sumit, Global Rock Summit. In Hollywood, MUSEXPO 2014 will be held following the 4th Annual Worldwide Radio Summit (April 2-4) and 1st Annual Global Rock Summit (April 4-5). This year’s MUSEXPO will also host the 5th Annual Global Synch and Consumer Brands Summit (April 9) which will bring together over 80 influential music supervisors from film, TV, games, advertising, retail and brands to meet with participating content creators and owners attending MUSEXPO from across the U.S. and global markets. In addition, the official Pepsi “Int’l Music Industry Awards” happens at the event on April 9. Songwriter Diane Warren, Founder and President at Realsongs, will be honored as MUSEXPO’s “International Music Person of the Year” with Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO, Universal Music Group presenting Warren with the coveted annual music industry award.

At MUSEXPO, CNN icon Larry King moderates the Global Keynote: The State of the Sonic Union, with panelists: Ian Rogers, CEO, Beats Music; Hartwig Masuch, CEO, BMG Rights Management; Frank Cooper III, Global Chief Marketing Officer Consumer Engagement, PepsiCo, Inc.; George Ergatoudis, Head of Music, BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra, Steve Schnur, Worldwide Head of Music, EA Games and Michael Chugg, Founder and Chairman, Chugg Entertainment. And in other activity Tracy McKnight, Tracy McKnight Entertainment, moderates a panel on Motion Picture Music: The Soundtracks & Trailers paneled by Howard Pear, Music Supervisor; Kaylin Frank, Walt Disney Studios, Lindsay Fellows, Theengine360.com; Rachel Levy, Universal Pictures; Richard Glasser, The Weinstein Co. and there will be a live performance by Ingrid Olava.

The origins of MUSEXPO stem from the roots of the intimate A&R Network (the predecessor to A&R Worldwide) networking dinners in Los Angeles, which first occurred back in 2001 and have since traveled to New York, Berlin and London. These exclusive dinners were organized by A&R Network and A&R Worldwide architect Sat Bisla with the purpose of bringing together friends and like-minded relationships from the global radio, A&R, film/TV music supervision, publishing, new media and artist management communities to engage in creative dialogue and establish fresh business relationships.

The 31st Annual French Quarter Festival will highlight New Orleans’ signature music, food, and culture in the historic neighborhood -- the French Quarter. From the 21 stages throughout the French Quarter, the festival celebrates local music and represents every indigenous genre from traditional and contemporary jazz to R&B, New Orleans funk, brass bands, Folk, Gospel, Latin, Zydeco, Classical, Cabaret, and international. Running April 10-14, French Quarter Festival will have many events and activities for the public to take part in -- and mostly all free.

Naturally a great deal of the festival is about music. But some very special and highlighted music events will include: the French Quarter Festival Second-Line Kickoff Parade led by The Original Pin Stripe Brass Band down Bourbon Street to Jackson Square on April 11, "Opera at Dusk" operatic performances with musical accompaniment on April 13, a Battle of the Bands with traditional jazz bands competing in a playoff on April 13, "Dancing at Dusk" with The Tomcats performing the sounds of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Count Basie and other favorites from the 30s, 40s, and 50s on April 13. 'Shout, Sister, Shout!' The Boswell Sisters of New Orleans -- an exhibition presented by The Historic New Orleans Collection, will trace one of the city’s most celebrated musical exports through memorabilia, photographs, radio scripts, notes from fans and peers, and listening stations. The exhibition continues past the festival run through October 26.

Jazz and New Orleans go together -- but so does food. And the French Quarter festival highlights this in its own unique way. The festival has scheduled the Rouses World Championship Crawfish Eating Contest for April 12, hosted by Rouses and the IFEA (International Federation of Eating) at Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint. The action (or eating) starts at noon. Throughout the festival, New Orleans' restaurants are invited to take part in and create the food and beverage offerings what is called “The World’s Largest Jazz Brunch” in Jackson Square, the Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint and Woldenberg Riverfront Park during festival weekend. Satchmo SummerFest (an upcoming event) hosts New Orleans restaurants, known as “Red Bean Alley”, with Louis Armstrong-inspired dishes and local cuisine.

The French Market Traditional Jazz Stage and the Chevron Cajun-Zydeco Showcase will feature dancing and classes in  Traditional Jazz, 1920s Charleston, Swing Dance, Cajun Jitterbug, and Zydeco. Classes are taught by professional dancers from NOLA Jitterbugs, DancingMan504, and Dance Quarter. The sessions will be held April 11-14 and are free and open to the public. Children and families are not left out of this festival, and some of their activities will include: Little Red School House 5K Race and Family Fest on April 12, Chevron Children’s Headquarters on the Riverfront Plaza at Audubon Plaza with face painting, nature activities on April 12, Children’s Museum Activities and Fun at the Hermann-Grima House on April 12, Little Red School House Family Fest on April 14. French Quarter Festivals, Inc. (FQFI), a 501©3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the Vieux Carré and the City of New Orleans through special events and activities that showcase the culture and heritage of New Orleans, annually produces three festivals: French Quarter Festival, Satchmo SummerFest, and Christmas New Orleans Style.

Supanova Pop Culture Expo is a fan convention focusing on the world's most popular science fiction and fantasy film and TV, comic books, anime, gaming and collectables. It is held annually in the Australian cities of Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast. One can think of Supanova as Comic-con, Australian style. Supanova Pop Culture Expo is where the public can come to meet the players and the creative talent that inspire their imaginary worlds of anime, comic-books, manga, sci-fi, tv shows, movies, gaming and cosplay (cos-tume role-play).

A sample of Supanova guest appearances include Lucy Lawless, also known as Universal’s combat worthy Warrior Princess, Xena, who is scheduled for Q&A, photo-op, autograph and VIP Party (April 12 only), from April 11-12. Keir Dullea, perhaps best known for the lead role in Stanley Kubrick’s epic science-fiction film, 2001: “A Space Odyssey” (1968), as the astronaut Dr. David Bowman, and who reprised the role for the sequel in “2010: The Year We Make Contact” (1984), will be available to meet fans for photo and autograph sessions each Saturday and Sunday during the festival run.

There are many other featured activities and events that make up the Expo's "Supa-Activities and Competitions" activities to participate in. Supanova Guest panels appear on stage at scheduled times over the weekend to talk directly to fans. Anime and cartoon screenings will be shown in the Anime Theatre. An anime themed game show, a fast-paced quiz show where two teams captained by "experts" will be conducted at various times and locations on Sunday of every Supanova. Newly devised Imagineer's Playground is an interactive demonstrations and ‘how to’ workshop on subjects ranging from Introduction to Airbrushing through to applying creature effect make-up and more. Anime Trivia has been brought back into the format with three rounds of questions ranging from Azumanga Daioh to Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei, from shoujo to shounen, from magic girls to mecha and more.

Supanova will have a Wacom Fan Art Competition giving visitors a chance to compete against other artists in the community, be crowned for the best artwork of the show and win a Wacom drawing tablet. The Australian Pinball League and Amusement Machine Distributors are teaming up with the Supanova Pop Culture Expo and Timezone Australia to offer the Timezone Supanova Pinball competition. There will also be Epic Gaming, the next level in authentic shooter gaming. Participants will be able to choose their teams and type of tagger as they battle it out over a custom made Inflatable battle field designed especially for the Supanova and slated this year only for Melbourne. Other SupaNova events in different parts of Australia will be happening besides Melbourne. Gold Coast 2014 is April 4-6, Sydney 2014 is June 13-15, Perth 2014 is June 20-22, Adelaide 2014 is November 21-23, Brisbane 2014 is November 28-30.

Founded in 2002 in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the resulting economic fallout in the Tribeca neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, the Tribeca Film Festival® celebrates New York City as a major filmmaking center. The Festival's program line-up includes a variety of independent films including documentaries, narrative features and shorts, as well as a program of family-friendly films. The Festival also features panel discussions with personalities in the entertainment world and a music lounge produced with ASCAP to showcase artists. At the Festival's Artists Awards program emerging and renowned artists celebrate filmmakers by providing original works of art that are given to the filmmakers' competition winners.

One of the most enduring movie musicals of all-time, 'Mary Poppins', starring Julie Andrews as the nanny with a magical touch and Dick Van Dyke in the role of handyman Bert, will be given a free screening at the Tribeca Drive-In Brookfield Place, April 17. Tribeca Film Institute® (TFI) will host the third annual TFI Interactive Day. The day-long meeting of the minds takes place on April 26 during Tribeca Innovation Week at the Tribeca Film Festival® (TFF) and is devoted to exploring the future of storytelling in an evolving digital landscape. TFI Interactive (TFIi) draws in content creators and innovators from multiple media for an all-day forum and “Interactive Playground,” a new addition that will connect participants with selections from their projects. Insights will be shared and there will be challenging assessments to contemporary storytelling paradigms during the interactive panels and presentations.

Additionally, TFI Interactive (TFIi) is part of the new Tribeca Innovation Week, which includes a series of panels, discussions, and events featuring creative and tech verticals sharing their insights. The week will expand on Tribeca’s tradition of connecting the creative and tech communities. Projects from several Tribeca Innovation Week events will be showcased at TFIi, including Storyscapes, a showcase of transmedia projects, as well as Tribeca Hacks , a two-day hackathon. presented with AT&T, that will focus on wearable technology.

The Tribeca Talks series is always an integral part of the festival. Topics up for discussion in this year's Tribeca Talks series include: Shooting The Film - An Exploration of Cinematography, Pen To Paper: Repercussions of Truth, Dolby Institute - The Art of Sound Design and Music, Directors Series: Lee Daniels, Pen To Paper: Adaptation and Creation, Directors Series: Ron Howard With Brian Williams, The Growth of Short Content. Another conference mainstay, the Tribeca Family Festival, will feature the annual Street Fair on April 26, from 10:00 to 18:00, on Greenwich Street from Chambers Street to Hubert Street, and at venues throughout the Tribeca neighborhood. Aside from the annual event, Tribeca is more than just the Tribeca Film Festival. With a distribution business -- Tribeca Film -- that releases more than 25 movies per year both in theaters and on nationwide VOD.

Education Expo TV (EET CRS) an Indian research and branding company was founded in the year 2010 with its main focus area in education. The company provides services of ratings, ranking, research and branding solution. The company also hosts a number of awards to recognize the best talent/companies working across India and operates India’s first online edutainment channel which connects school, colleges, universities, corporate and policy makers for sharing and understanding of knowledge. The Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival is a not-for-profit, independent film festival, established in 2011 in Noida (Delhi NCR) with a mission to celebrate the cinema and work of aspiring, young, independent and professional filmmakers.

Dada Saheb Phalke is important to the Indian film industry as it is launched each year on April 30 to mark the birthday of late Shri Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, who is regarded as a founding father of Indian Cinema and fondly remembered as Dada Saheb Phalke by the film fraternity in India and throughout the international community. The festival, managed by Miniboxoffice, has sections for feature films, short films, documentaries, animations, music videos and advertising films. Aside from the screening of films, the festival will feature a "Talent Meet" for the purpose of Producers interested in meeting Directors with potential feature film projects, Producers interested in meeting Writers with potential feature film screenplay, Directors interested in meeting Producers with my new film project, Actors interested in meeting Directors and Producers, Investors interested in meeting Producers/Distributors and any other accommodating connections and arrangements to facilitate film production.

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 the North American opening of Captain America, starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson,Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Robert Redford and Samuel L. Jackson. If the photo does not appear in this post please visit the blog page to view it. Looking ahead into the next month be aware that: the the American Movie Awards will be held in Las Vegas, Streaming Media East will be held in New York City, the 5th Annual International Film Finance Forum in association with Variety opens in Cannes, the Amsterdam Film Festival is set for the Netherlands, the Drama Desk Awards will be given in New York City, the Cannes Film Festival launches in Cannes.

Sonoma Film Fest, London Indie Film Fest, Coachella Music Festival, NAB 2012, Tribeca Film Fest, are highlights in April's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

Coachella Music Festival

The TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) global conferences, owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, was founded in 1984 to disseminate "ideas worth spreading". It has licensed a new initiative called TEDx - a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers form the program to foster substantive discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = an independently organized TED event. At the April 7 TEDxCoimbatore, in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, slated speakers include: Melinda Gates, Co-chair Bill-Melinda Gates Foundation, ranked #40 in Forbes magazine list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in 2008. Jayen Varma, Indian Slap Bass Guitarist, who has evolved his unique style by applying Tabla/Mridangam finger technique to his craft, and is completing the recording of a CD with his band Khayal Groove, is a featured participant as well.

The Sonoma International Film Festival is a celebration of independent filmmaking and the art of cinema, set against a backdrop of fine food, the  wines of Sonoma Valley and the visual appeal of Sonoma, California. In one of the special scheduled events, the festival opening April 11-15 hosts the U.S. premiere of 'Sir Billi', the first full-length animated feature produced entirely in Scotland. Retired film legend Sir Sean Connery (who served as executive producer) voices the title role in a story about a skateboarding grandfather and veterinarian trying to save the last beaver in Scotland with the help of his goat Gordon, voiced by Alan Cumming. Sir Billi will screen at the 1930s era Renaissance-style Sebastiani Theatre on April 13. In another special evening at the Sonoma Veteran's Memorial Building on April 14, American filmmaker John Waters presents his one-man "vaudeville" show, 'This Filthy World', that celebrates the film career and obsessional tastes of the writer William Burroughs, once called "The Pope of Trash."

NALIP is a national membership organization that addresses the professional needs of Latino/Latina independent film, television, documentary and media makers. As NALIP 2012 convention unfolds from Universal City, April 12-15, it will include panels and workshops for documentary and narrative filmmakers, feature film directors and aspiring reality TV writer/producers. This year, Robert Rodriguez is the Keynote Lunch Speaker and entertainment legend Rita Moreno is the NALIP Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. NALIP will host a Welcome Reception at Infusion Lounge on CityWalk on April 14. There is also the annual Achievement and Estela Awards Gala Ceremony. Actors can attend the Latino edition of Back Stage's Actorfest on April 12. This all-day event at the Wizards Theater on CityWalk includes workshops like "Breaking Into Hosting," "Demystifying the Audition Process" and "How to Create, Produce and Star in Your Own Webisodes."

Chicago International Movies and Music Festival brings together movies about music, movies for music, movies of music, and movies capturing music as it is made. The entries, coming from all countries and cultures and ranging from documentaries to fiction to concert films to shorts to music videos, have to be about music and/or use music in a creative, integral way. The live performances are inspired by film or feature visual accompaniment. CIMMfest, which runs April 12-15, will consist of four days of movie screenings, panel discussions, workshops, and other programs bringing together professionals and devotees from across the globe to entertain and educate. Premieres by new and established film and video directors, as well as retrospectives, classic films and videos that will screen during the day, and genre-bending musical performances to rule the night at participating venues around the great music town that is Chicago.

The London Independent Film Festival which happens April 12-23 is a festival focused on micro-budget and no-budget films in the UK. LIFF was started eight years ago when a group of first time UK directors looking for a new kind of festival experience, started one outside of the standard festival channels. Today, LIFF has expanded into a supportive system for new filmmakers, and has including a screenplay competition and filmmaker training workshops. LIFF hosts a full programme of workshops and seminars where new filmmakers can learn from experienced filmmakers. There is at least one lecture by a distinguished filmmaker, several panel discussions on such topics as fundraising and post-production marketing of independent films, and workshops run by working filmmakers on the nuts and bolts of the UK industry.

Organized by Goldenvoice, The Coachella Music Festival happens in the desert setting of the Coachella Valley over two consecutive weekends - April 13-15 and April 20-22. Coachella features many genres of music including rock, indie, Hip Hop and electronic music, and there is large sculptural art as well. The event has several stages/tents set-up throughout the camp grounds, each playing live music continuously. Festial maps are available online, on concert grounds and stores close by to serve as an activity guide. A partial listing of scheduled acts over the two weekends include: Black Keys, Swedish House Mafia, Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, Mazzy Star, Afrojack, Sky, M83, Jimmy Cliff, Tim Armstrong, Radiohead, Bon Iver, the Skins, David Guetta, Kaskade, Miike Snow, Jeff Mangum, Sebastian Ingrosso, Andrew Bird, Feist, fIREHOSE, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, SBTRKT, Manchester Orchestra, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg, At The Drive-In, Justice, Florence, Machine, AVICII, Beirut, the Weeknd, Calvin Harris, the Hives, DJ Shadow, Nero, Wild Flag, Modeselektor, Dada Life, Santigold, Doctor P. ZIA Record Exchange will be the Official Music Retailer and Artist/Band signing tent at this year’s Coachella. Venue gates open at 11 am each day. A portion collected from the passes benefits the City of Indio and other local charities.

Working on behalf of its radio and television membership, National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) provides members with advocacy efforts, legal expertise and timely communications and opportunities for career growth, professional development and networking with other broadcasters. This year the annual NAB Conention in Las Vegas holds its "Career Day" event April 18, giving an opportunity for media companies to network with experienced professionals, college students and entry-level job seekers interested in a career in the broadcast industry. New to the convention this year, which runs April 14-19, Content Market serves as the new spot for programming executives and media platforms surrounding digital distribution and monetization to meet and discuss collaboration opportunities. Content Theater, an attendee favorite every year as well as the Content Lounge is nearby for relaxing and networking. NAB Official Afterparties include: NAB Show Exhibitor Party on April 14 at TAO Nightclub at the Venetian; NAB Show Opening Party, April 16 at Marquee Nightclub; NAB Show Closing Party, April 19 at TAO Nightclub at the Venetian.

The 11th Annual Florida Music Festival will host more than 150 bands on 10 stages over three nights in its live music showcase. Each night, from April 18-21, a national headliner takes the mainstage at Wall Street Plaza in the center of Downtown Orlando. This year opens with The Dirty Heads. On the conference end, Warped Tour Founder Kevin Lyman is confirmed as this year's Keynote Interview. The 2012 Florida Music Festival and Conference is an experience in live music, film, visual arts and the cultural community. At the VIP level, parties include open bar and catering each night and there is a Brunch on April 21 before the conference seminars.

As the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival program unfolds from April 18-29, the program contains a variety of independent films including documentaries, narrative features and shorts, as well as a program of family-friendly films. The New York City Festival also features panel discussions with personalities in the entertainment world and a music lounge produced with ASCAP to showcase artists. Some of the free events open for the public to attend without charge includes: Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" on April 19; "Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper" hosted by Barnes and Noble Union Square, and others all happening April 20-24. Kids will have opportunities to participate in the Youth Soccer Showcase — with skills, drills, pointers and competitions supervised by professional coaches on April 21.

The Billboard Latin Music Conference and Awards, set to run April 23-26 in Miami will be of interest to the artists, and other music industry professionals keenly following the developments in the Latin music industry. A conference opening event on April 23 includes SAM Broadcaster In collaboration with Musical Rhythms Promotions, presenting “MAS Y MAS MÚSICA” Showcase to honor “El Caballo Mayor” Johnny Ventura on his 55 year musical career. There will be an after-party following this celebration at Club 90 Degrees. On the evening of April 24, there will be a Poolside Cocktail Reception, featuring La Salsa Vive/Salsa Lives, hosted by Nu Life Entertainment. In one conference session titled "Regional Mexican," the new generation of regional Mexican acts discuss genre trends, violence and marketing and promoting online. The conference culminates with the Billboard Latin Music Awards at BankUnited Center, honoring achievement from artists on today’s Latin Billboard charts.

In its primary function as a provider in games industry news, covering daily developments on their news site and producing the annual Games and Mobile Forum in New York City, Digital Media Wire will on April 24 begin hosting a special event in Los Angeles - LA Games Conference - focused on business, finance and creative developments in the games industry. Emphasis for the new endeavor includes mobile, online and console markets and the increasing intersection of Madison Avenue and Hollywood with the industry. Double Down Interactive President, Glenn Walcott is to be featured in a special case study session of IGT's $500 Million acquisition of the company with Davis Wright Tremaine LLP's Stuart Campbell. An official Expo After-Party at the Tropicana Bar by poolside is to be co-hosted by PayPal, Openbucks and Tagged.

The NYC Downtown Short Film Festival is a program of DMAC-Duo Multicultural Arts Center, a (501 c3) non-profit organization in New York City's East Village. The mission of DMAC is to create, promote and celebrate multicultural arts through theater, music, dance, art and film. The Festival goes from April 26 though May 7, overlapping with the earlier calendar start of Tribeca Film Festival, a time in New York City when New Yorkers and visitors are geared up to attend film festivals. The DMAC theater space has a rich and colorful history when it was previously known as The Astoria. Among other distinguishments, in the early 1970s Francis Ford Coppola rented the theater and shot the famous operetta scene from Godfather 2 on location.

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 read languages. A new initiative has begun to offer the news summary in various translated versions, viewable as a .pdf document and delivered via file sharing and content deliver network protocols, as well as other means. Gazing ahead into the next month, be aware that... American International Film Festival will be in Skokie. New York Festivals International Advertising Awards, honoring advertising in all media from over 70 countries, will be in New York City. The New York Los Angeles International Film Festival, a biannual event taking place in both cities only days apart screens in both cities. The Fifth Annual Film Production and Finance Summit will be in Los Angeles. And Streaming Media East 2012 comes to New York City. And don't forget that the News and Events and the site blog have translation tools to deliver page content in an array of translatable languages other than English.

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NAB 2011, Coachella, Tribeca Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, London Sci-Fi & Fatastic Film, are some Highlights in April's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

A one of a kind arts festival is underway at the New School for Social Research in New York City through April 8. The theme of the festival is "Noir", a cinematic style of shadowy expressiveness that had its heyday in the 1930s and 1940s, and how its influence has penetrated areas ranging from fashion design to fine art, graphic art to fiction. An exploration of the genre and its present day adaptations is done through a presentation of iconic films, hard-boiled storytelling, graphic art, and illustration.

Celebrating its 10th Anniversary April 6-9, the 2011 Florida Music Festival & Conference showcases live music, film and visual arts within the cultural community of downtown Orlando, The keynote interview for this year's conference features Melvin Benn of Festival Republic on creating a successful live music event or festival. In an April 9 panel, Aaron Ford, Grooveshark, Alex Ewen, Media/Label, David McKenna, Bonded Records/Film, Jeffrey Hanson, Silent Majority Group, and David Beame, Beame & Mencher, LLP, discuss "The Business of Music." All conference speakers will be available to all performing artists and registered music companies or aspiring music industry students to network with, post conference and throughout the weekend.

Now in its 28th year, the 2011 French Quarter Festival highlights New Orleans’ signature music, food, and culture within the historic neighborhood. French Quarter Festival was first produced in 1984 as a way to bring residents back to the Quarter. Today, 18 stages throughout the festival celebrate local music and represent every genre from traditional and contemporary jazz to R & B, New Orleans funk, brass bands, folk, gospel, latin, zydeco, classical and international. In other festival attractions, New Orleans' restaurants, create the “World’s Largest Jazz Brunch” in Jackson Square, the Old U.S. Mint and Woldenberg Riverfront Park during festival weekend; Satchmo SummerFest hosts ‘Red Bean Alley’ with Satchmo inspired dishes and local cuisine. Only local restaurants are invited to participate in these festivals. French Quarter Festival runs April 7-10.

Palm Beach Women's International Film Festival, April 7-10, premieres as a new women’s film event in Florida, attracting women filmmakers and visitors from around the world. A festival highlight includes the US Premiere of "Finding Kind", a documentary about the “mean girl” phenomenon, which has been covered extensively in national media lately. The film will screen on Sunday, April 10 at Muvico in Cityplace, followed by a panel on school bullying from leading area experts including the School District of Palm Beach County and the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida.

Hollywood based FirstGlance Film Fest accepts all genres and screens feature length, feature documentaries, short narratives, shorts too (under 10 minutes), mini-docs, student shorts, graduate student shorts, music videos, animation and webisode pilots. Filmmakers of both short and feature films taking part in the festival are offered theatrical distribution through the festival's new relationship with a Las Vegas theatre chain and distributor offering PPV and VOD after the theatrical run. During the festival's run of April 8-10, After Parties will allow filmmakers to mix and mingle and hold informal Q & A with fellow filmmakers and audience members.

Over 85 years ago, Thomas Meighan was a famous hollywood silent movie star of the twenties. In 1919, he hit stardom in one of his best known films at the time, "The Miracle Man", but unfortunately due to film deterioration it has disintegrated into small fragments over time. Thomas Meighan dreamed of making New Port Richey the Hollywood of the South. The Thomas Meighan Project will premiere the first film festival in the New Port Richey area, April 9-17, by showcasing film, video and animation shorts as a tribute to Meighan’s vision. Today, Meighan’s most recognizable role is in the film, "Male and Female", directed by one of Hollywood’s legendary directors, Cecile B. Demille. The Thomas Meighan Project in association with the Richey Suncoast Theater will present the return of the "2011 Black Maria Film Festival."

The Delray Beach Film Festival has become the Downtown Boca Film Festival (DBFF) based in Boca Raton, yet remains a non-profit 501 (c-3) organization dedicated to providing the local community and international visitors with a diverse presentation of films from around the world. This year festival screenings are from April 9-17 and include a program of student shorts and Xtreme sports video. In addition to offering films that might not otherwise be released theatrically in the USA, DBFF provides a unique cultural experience with events like Casino Night in Old Hollywood, benefitting Planet Hope, set for opening night, the Reel to Runway fashion show on April 11, as well as educational programs and forums for exploring the future of cinema.

NAB 2011, the annual digital media industry event held in Las Vegas, this year from April 9-14, is typically attended by media, entertainment and communications professionals focused on the next generation of video and audio content across multiple platforms — television, radios and computers to phones, the big screen. In sessions planned for April 12, Gordon H. Smith, President and CEO, National Association of Broadcasters, presents the "State of the Broadcast Industry Address", and Leslie Moonves, President and CEO of CBS, sits down with Gordon Smith to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing broadcasters and the broadcast medium today. The NAB Education Foundation in partnership with the Broadcast Education Association and Pinkslipmixers.com hosts its annual spring Career Day during the NAB Show. Academy Award-Winning film director James Cameron will keynote the NAB Show.

The London Independent Film Festival will be held this year from April 14-25. It is committed to the independent filmmaker by giving special attention to films by first and second time directors, film produced with budgets under £100,000, and quality films that, for whatever reason, are unlikely to receive distribution through other channels.

Coachella, the anticipated annual music festival, April 15-17, set in the California Desert features many genres of music including alternative rock, indie, and electronic music. The event has several stages/tents set-up throughout the (camping) grounds, each playing live music continuously. From April 16–18 of the 2010 festival, Coachella drew a reported over 75,000 spectators each day. The festival also features interesting installation art and sculptures. Most of the pieces are interactive, and provide entertainment and eye candy for attendees walking throughout the Polo grounds. 2011 will introduce a new high security wristband that must always be worn and will be scanned at various checkpoints and upon entry to camping and festival grounds.

The Tribeca Film Festival in New York happens April 20 through May 1. As in past years, the Festival incorporates into its format the ESPN Sports Film Festival. Also in years past, the 2011 Family Festival Street Fair repeats again, this year on April 30 from 10 am to 6 pm. "The Union," Cameron Crowe's new documentary, chronicling the musical collaboration between Elton John and Leon Russell, opens the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. And in the Tribeca Talks series, "After the Movie" post-screening dialogue with filmmakers, will be mixed with free events like "Industry", that reviews issues that matter to today's filmmakers such as the future of film distribution, stretching a production budget, how visual style affects genre, the challenges of documentary, and more. Established in 2003 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, Tribeca Enterprises currently operates a network of branded entertainment businesses including the Tribeca Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival International, Tribeca Cinemas and Tribeca Film, a distribution initiative.

The 54th San Francisco International Film Festival opens at the Castro Theatre April 21 for a screening of "Beginners", and then shifts to the after party to enjoy culinary delights from local restaurants, sophisticated cocktails as well as dancing. The Festival’s Midnight Awards on April 23 have been created to honor a dynamic young American actor and actress entering the prime of their careers — the ceremony is crafted as a late night awards ceremony and cocktail reception featuring food and drinks, DJ entertainment, film clips and remarks by special guests. The April 28 Film Society Awards Night is an anticipated black-tie gala event benefitting SFFS Youth Education fund. The evening honors this year’s directing, acting and screenwriting award recipients with peer tributes and career highlights, and features a special tribute to George Gund III. The "Centerpiece" of this year’s Festival is an event that features an edgy new film by an emerging director, followed by a chic lounge party at the CLIFT’s Velvet Room, featuring cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and the latest beats. On closing night, May 5, mix and mingle with a movie-loving crowd at The Factory. Dance to music inspired by the Closing Night film and feast on hors d’oeuvres and cocktails.

At London's ninth International Festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film, there is the regular film programming of shorts, features, documentaries and world premieres, then there will be a featured series of talks, such as special-effects masterclasses, and debates on genre literature, film and TV. The festival, running April 23 - May 2, will also expand their ‘Science Fact’ stream with demonstrations, lectures and debate - under the banner SCI-FI-LONDON: LAB. A regular fixture at the Festival, the all-nighters offer three very different programmes of movies that run from around midnight until sunrise: an anime programme taking releases right to the big screen rather than DVD; the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 program; a themed programme of either sci-fi or horror classics. All attendees are given goody bags, ice-cream, a ample supply of caffeine (Red Bull, coffee and tea) throughout the night and breakfast at daybreak.

At ASCAP's "I Create Music" Expo, there will be panels for all three days and live musical events each evening. To kick things off, there will be a pre-EXPO Networking event on Wednesday night, April 27. Lindsey Buckingham will be presented with the ASCAP Golden Note Award. Immediately following the presentation, Buckingham will be interviewed by Sara Bareilles focusing on his career as a songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, member of Fleetwood Mac and a solo artist. Marco Beltrami and Wes Craven, Scream 4, will discuss their collaboration in influencing the modern horror genre experience. And new this year, panelists in the film and TV industry lead a "Film & TV Scoring Feedback" session in which pre-submitted attendees' composition and/or scores are played and analyzed constructively.

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 April event dates will help you prepare for: the Florida Music Festival and Conference, in Orlando, Tribeca Film Festival, in New York; National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 2011, in Las Vegas, London Independent Film Festival, in London, the San Francisco International Film Festival, in San Francisco, to list only a few upcoming events in advance. Past videos from the monthly video news summary are archived on the Free Home Video Showcase at http://www.actorschecklist.com/video.