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.
