Chicago International Film Festival, New York Television Festival, PhotoPlus International, Jazz CD Review: The Journey, are highlights in October's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

PLASA London opens its international entertainment technology show for the event, entertainment and installation technology industries, showcasing technology and gear to an audience of pro audio, lighting and stage technology users. More specifically, PLASA London showcases new audio, video, lighting, stage engineering and systems integration technology, which generally finds its way into live events, concerts, tours, theatre productions, corporate events, venue installations, nightclubs and leisure attractions. During the show, parties, awards ceremonies and parallel events are ongoing, setting up an environment to cultivate relationships between manufacturers, distributors, rental houses, dealers and end-users. The programming at PLASA London also features well regarded and fully comprehensive seminar and workshop sessions which are open to all attendees. PLASA London is owned and organized by PLASA, an international trade association for entertainment technologies. In addition to PLASA London, which runs through October 8, PLASA Events organises a series of networking events for regional entertainment technology communities. PLASA Focus began in 2009 in Leeds in the North of England, and is now touring the US and Europe.

The 137th AES Convention is gearing up to take place October 9-12 in the revitalized L.A. Live district. Returning to Los Angeles after a nearly 12 years absence, the AES Convention will draw out audio professionals with opportunities to hear from audio industry figures while also taking in the latest research and technology information through informative papers, tutorials, workshops and special events. Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy® (GRAMMY), will deliver a keynote address on how the Academy and its P&E Wing take on the challenges and opportunities currently facing recording professionals. There are many areas comprising AES workshops and special events that are planned. AES will debut their new “Raw Tracks” series as part of this year’s Recording and Production Track. The new series features producers and engineers discussing and deconstructing the classic recordings from some of music’s well regarded artists.

Highlights of the AES Convention include the Project Studio Expo, created in partnership with Sound On Sound to bring the latest techniques, tools, and experts together for professional training on topics ranging from acoustics in small spaces to microphone placement, mixing, and mastering. A Live Sound Expo will offer advice for the attending live sound engineers, bringing professionals with many years of experience to the stage to inform the attendees. A "Sound for Picture Track" focuses on the new frontiers of immersive sound and object-based mixing. A planned off-site Tech Tour will feature a hands-on demonstration and Master Classes on Auro3D Immersive Sound Mixing conducted at The Dub Stage in Burbank by Marti Humphrey and Chris Jacobson. There will also be the "Project Studio Expo" in association with leading recording technology publication 'Sound On Sound', geared toward sharpening skills of the home recordists. At a planned GRAMMY SoundTable event on October 11, five cross-genre hit-makers will debate the who, what, when, where, and why of songs that have stamped a resilient impression in music archives.

2014 marks the 50th Anniversary Chicago International Film Festival. Cinema/Chicago, the organizer of the Chicago International Film Festival, is a year-round cultural and educational non-profit organization dedicated to promoting better communication between people of diverse cultures through the art of film and the moving image. The films are all Chicago premieres and many are world or U.S. premieres. As its October 9 Opening Night film, the festival has selected “Miss Julie,” directed by veteran actress - and Ingmar Bergman collaborator - Liv Ullmann and starring Golden Globe®-award winning actors Jessica Chastain, Colin Farrell and Samantha Morton. The red carpet event starts at 18:00. Director Liv Ullmann is scheduled to attend.

There are panels and special events lined up for Chicago International Film Festival 2014. An October 14 New Directors panel, "National Identity In The Global Marketplace", where assembled filmmakers from a cross-section of world cinema discuss the ways in which artists can create films that raise common ground sensibilities, the differences that make each culture unique, and finesse an approach toward cross border storytelling. "What Is An Independent Film?" on October 19, traces the path of filmmaking both the U.S. and abroad, since the rise of the studio system at the turn of the century, and how the integrity of independent film has been affected by the unprecedented level of access granted by present day filmmaking technologies. October 23 Closing Night celebration includes film screening - EFWILDP - and after-party to follow. 

Cinema/Chicago, the presenting organization of the Chicago International Film Festival, is a year-round non-profit cultural and educational organization dedicated to promoting better communication between people of diverse cultures through the art of film and the moving image. This year the Festival presents Spotlight Scandinavia, the fourth year of the World Cinema Spotlight Program. This year’s program highlights the range of contemporary cinematic cultures across the five Nordic countries. In addition to the Chicago International Film Festival, Cinema/Chicago presents year-round public and educational programs including the Education Outreach Program, Member Screenings, the Chicago International Television Competition (April), CineYouth (May), International Screenings Program (May-September), and INTERCOM (October). Proceeds from the Chicago International Film Festival support these important initiatives.

TV:Xperience is a UX convention from the TV Connect series looking at how multiscreen is influencing the evolution of the user experience and changing the central business models around the connected tv eco-system. This is a central issue for telcos, cablecos, broadcasters and content producers looking to monetize the second screen experience. This New York City event will be building on last year’s annual, flagship TV Connect show held in London. The series is part of a global brand with regional shows in Middle East/North Africa, Eurasia, Asia and Latin America. TV:Xperience forms a tangent of the TV Connect brand, but looking more closely into the adoption of the user experience. Along with an examination of how the innovation around multiscreen content has influenced the evolving user experience, the show will place focus on new developments in User Interface (UI) and the rise in the role of content security and payment platforms to act as effective monetization models.

In more detail, agenda topics will include: Understanding the evolution of the Consumer Experience, Offering the Consumer a Unique Multiscreen Experience, Establishing Strong T Commerce and Micropayment Platforms, Analyzing the role of Big Data on an Evolving UX, Taking Multiscreen consumer relationships to the next level of engagement, Monetizing the Multiplatform Pay TV Environment, Creating End to End Multiplatform Solutions, Understanding the Role of DRM in the new UX Engaging the user in a non linear environment, Assessing how data analytics is Impacting on the future of content, Evolution of Non Linear Content and its impact on the User Experience. TV:Xperience runs for three days through October 15.

Over five days opening October 15, NYC Independent Film Festival showcases independent filmmaker, documentaries, short and feature-length films, music videos, and animation. The festival will screen narratives, documentaries, short films, super shorts, animation shorts and music videos. The festival will showcase all genres of narratives from comedy to drama and from thrillers to love stories. NYC Indie Film Festival honors the Best in Category which includes Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary, Best Short Documentary, Best Short Narrative, Best Super Short, Best Music Video, as well as Best Director and Best Screenplay. Bob McAndrew who served in talent development capacities at Paramount, 20th Century Fox and as an independent, leads a discussion about "On Camera Acting" on October 15.

New York Independent Film Festival is talent centric in its focus, offering talks and workshops on various aspects of developing industry skills and capabilities. Attend and meet the experts on Distribution and hear what they have to say about the future of distribution during a session taking place on October 16. On October 17, Improv Nation Training Center leads a session to develop the skills necessary used to create an improv scene by focusing on the who, what, where, when and why of the scene. Also on October 17, a workshop designed to introduce directors to a step by step method of guiding and inspiring actors towards achieving specific results in their performances through the use of active language, and following that a meeting and discussion about acting with actors and actresses behind the films of the NYC Indie Film Festival.

The New York Television Festival was founded in 2005 as the TV industry’s festival for independent television creation and artist recognition. A pioneer of the “independent television” movement, the Festival maintains initiatives of development and talent identification. While maintaining a different stance to the traditional television development model, The NYTVF works in partnership with networks, studios, brands and agencies to deliver its projects and to showcase promising talent. Many activities on the NYTVF schedule are free to the public, but admission is based on seating availability. Aside from daily panels, IPC Screenings and other events, there are scheduled happy hours and cocktail parties nightly for the run of the festival (October 20-25) for NYTVF Connect Industry Pass holders. The Connect Industry Pass will provide top tier artists and entertainment executives access and opportunities that maximize Festival participation, providing them with the tools to network, build relationships and collaborate on projects.

Quite importantly, the NYTVF exists as a year-round development incubator, providing independent artists with multiple opportunities to create, share and showcase their best and most promising ideas. Each year the NYTVF offers creators opportunities to showcase their original pilots and web series through the annual Independent Pilot Competition and stand-alone sponsored initiatives. The Independent Pilot Competition (IPC) is the NYTVF’s flagship, annual competition, accepting independently-produced, original television pilots and web series from around the globe. Official Selections from the IPC will screen in competition during the annual New York Television Festival each fall. IPC Official Selections are eligible for the competition's category and individual achievement awards as well as development deals from Festival Development Partners.

Throughout the year, the NYTVF collaborates with networks, studios, and brands to provide exclusive submission opportunities for indie creators to develop projects with industry partners. These sponsored initiatives allow creators to tailor their original projects exclusively with a particular partner in mind. In each case, the partner will guarantee a deal for at least one project selected. Projects selected as finalists or semi-finalists in sponsored initiatives will also be named as Official Selections in the New York Television Festival. The winning project will enter into an option deal with the corresponding network and the remaining finalists and/or semi-finalists will be eligible for NYTVF Festival Development Deals once the period of exclusivity with the original initiative sponsor has ended. In addition, all creators with finalists or semi-finalists projects in sponsored initiatives will be named Official Artists and are eligible for the benefits of NYTVF Connect.

PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo is a photography and imaging show happening in New York City and attended by professional photographers and enthusiasts. PhotoPlus Expo is organized by Photo District News (PDN), a monthly magazine for the professional photographer. At the expo, thousands of new products and services from exhibitors, including Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Epson will be on display. Over 90 educational seminars and intimate hands-on labs will be on the schedule to choose from. In "A Day Without News", a keynote panel discussion, David Friend Vanity Fair's Editor of Creative Development, Santiago Lyon Director of Photography at AP, and photojournalists Lynsey Addario, Ron Haviv, and Antonio Bolfo reveals first hand insights about how the increase in targeting of journalists at global conflict zones affects each panelist, their colleagues and the changing role of journalists overall.

PhotoPlus Expo conference seminars are held every day - October 29 through November 1 - are divided into nine program tracks: lighting, weddings and events, genres, social media/marketing, business, portraiture, filmmaking, post-production, steps. There will be a Master Class session limited to 25 participants covering Lighting/Posing, Portraiture, Editorial, Post-Production, Audio for Filmmaking, Business/Marketing, and more. A two-day Intensive Filmmaking Class, limited to 20 participants is offered. Over the two day session participants work with instructor Joe Switzer to capture, direct and produce the action and activities of the PhotoPlus Expo. The University will be a hands-on, interactive series of classes, suited for emerging photographers to learn from working professional photographers how to strengthen shooting and posing techniques as well as lighting techniques. ShootNYC @ PhotoPlus will be an informative three day event held in conjunction with the PhotoPlus Expo. It will conduct free seminars.

Jazz CD Review: Considering that 'The Journey' is a debut album (released July 2013), Ezra Brown's opening shot comes across with veteran instincts about the kind of music resonating throughout our mass media culture and more than just a hunch about what people like listening to in our music ecosystem. It seems that the various tracks could have their own adaption into the various industries of the professional and commercial (retail) music worlds... e.g., television and film soundtracks, commercial advertising jingles, wedding celebrations, and of course just quality, audiophile level listening music. The smooth texture of notes blown from his tenor saxophone form jazzy, soulful melodies, but with a rhythm that could have you rock side to side (or forward and back). As alluded to previously, this album and the individual singles on it (in the viewpoint of this reviewer) figure into a range of possible adoptions in the music ecosystem. 'Flower Pot' is certainly a danceable tune and 'New Joint' could be too. 'Slow Joint' puts me in mind of a wedding anthem, particularly after a newly wed couple at their reception has just been toasted and then takes to the floor for the first dance.

The funky 'Cookout', another danceable tune, is one of my favorites. I imagine it being used as a track for an urban family TV sitcom -- think Sanford and Son from the 1970s. 'Her' seems to have a more somber tone and one could see it adapted to such appropriate occasions. 'New Jesse Song' is a film score waiting for placement. I could go on about EZra Brown's debut album, who at the time of this writing is taking his music across the globe with stops in regions like South America, Europe and the Far East, but its now up to you to form your own opinions. 'The Journey' is available now on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, CD Baby. And Ezra Brown, of course, maintains a Facebook Like page. This will be a great exercise for anyone purchasing Ezra Brown's masterful work to attempt to figure out where in the professional/commercial/casual listening music spectrum do these musical pieces fit into. Your adventure awaits you!

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 the Chicago International Film Festival and SoulMuzik Saxophonist, EZra Brown (www.ezrabrown.com), for which there is a review of his debut album, 'The Journey'. 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 World Animation and VFX Summit returns to the California Yacht Club in Marina Del Rey, the American Film Market (AFM) begins a day earlier than last year in Santa Monica, Casual Connect Eastern Europe 2014 opens in Belgrade, AFI Fest 2014 will be in Hollywood, International Film Festival of Wales will be in Newport and Cardiff, The 15th Annual Latin Grammy Awards comes to Las Vegas.

Ticket Summit, Cable Convention 2012, Fantasia Film Festival, Casual Connect Seattle, are highlights in July's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

 The Joy Wai Gallery (www.joywaigallery.com) in New York City has opened the exhibition -- Pepe Vives - new paintings. Pepe Vives has worked primarily as a painter and presently  has devoted himself to pictorial transformation of printed imagery: photographs, newspapers, and magazines. In his early years Vives registered at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Carlos, Valencia, in 1973. In this school that had changed little since it initially functioned as an artist’s workshop during the Renaissance, he received training in traditional techniques of painting and sculpture which had been maintained there for centuries. In his first year at the Escuela Superior, Vives was accepted as a novice in the Order of the Jesuits. In the 1984, Vives left the Jesuits and moved to New York City, where his work was strongly influenced by the aesthetic and social milieu of the East Village art scene. Currently Pepe Vives still lives and works in the Lower East Side of New York City. In its ongoing role to serve the arts community and be a platform for cultural exchange Joy Wai Gallery will launch an educational program with leading guest lecturers, artists, critics, curators, professors on the subject of contemporary art and photography. The exhibition runs through August 10.

The London Film and Comic Con is focused on fans and collectors. Through the show's online forum the public has an opportunity to ask questions of the festival's guest stars and exchange views about the guests with like-minded fans. On the actual exhibit floor in London will be an array of costumes which visitors can examine. These are genuine props from film and television classics. There are several planned photo sessions with some of the guest artists attending London Film and Comic Con. Most guest talks running throughout the weekend are free to attend, but since they are free, seating is limited so seating tickets must be obtained in advance. Special viewing and interactive exhibits will include: Anime Zone, Artists Alley, Cosplay Zone, Video Game Zone, Collectormania, Massive Events, Montage Moments, Autographica. London Film and Comic Con closes on July 8.

A rather unusual conference venue will take place at sea aboard a Carnival Cruise Line. The Sun Camera Action Conference and Workshop will be a conference, workshop and video training session onboard a Miami to Bahamas cruise ship, the Carnival Imagination. Conference guests can learn all about creating authentic travel, film and general interest videos. During the four-day Miami to Bahamas return trip, Phil Goora, a digital film teacher and creator/writer of THE MOMENT TV Show, will be the lead instructor teaching attendees how to create travel videos and/or amateur films. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss and apply a number of film basics such as shot selection, shot techniques, editing and exporting the video. During the cruise which sails July 7-11 there will be scheduled times for one-on-one time with the instructor and/or his assistant and there will be a number of classes where the theory will be taught. Guests can venture out on their own while in the Bahamas or join the instructor and his assistants on their exploration of the island.

Ticket Summit® is a conference and trade show for the ticketing and live entertainment industry opening July 11 through 13, in a city known for entertainment -- Las Vegas. This three-day event features industry seminars, a concurrent trade show, and networking opportunities for industry professionals. The conference and trade show will have sessions on Web 2.0, mobile, online technologies, and strategic partnerships and ticket bundling among other relevant industry topics. Mike Lorenc, head of ticketing and live events for Google, will present a workshop titled 'Hang out with Google!' in which he will demonstrate Google’s advertising and social media technology.  "After Dark" networking and cocktail party events include a Networking Cocktail Party on July 11, private events arranged by invite only on July 12, the Closing Gala at The Bank casino on July 13.

As the Kauai Music Festival gets underway July 11-14 in Lihue, the focus will be on the art and craft of songwriting and to learn songwriting and/or refine skills through interaction with the professional songwriters that will be in attendance. Attendees can gain feedback from one-on-one meetings, small group sessions, workshops, panel discussions, open mic activities, as well as submit their music to be heard and critiqued. All attendees are welcome to join any or all of the workshops that will include: Composing for TV and Film - Demystifying the Process, led by Adam Zelkind, Melody, Melody, Melody - A Hands-On MasterClass, led by Jason Blume, What Works and What Doesn't When Negotiating Your Licensing Deal, led by Dondi Bastone and Bill Meyer, Lessons from the Ukulele Underground, led by Aldrine Guerrero as well as other topics. An Open Mic and Wrap Party close out the festival taking place in Shutter's Lounge.

The San Francisco Frozen Film Festival brings independent filmmakers and musicians to the San Francisco Bay Area from around the globe from July 12-15 to form a collection of independent films and bands. Included in the festival are nights of live music concerts, short films, animation, global features, long and short documentaries, skate films, music documentaries, and music videos. The Frozen Music Festival will run the same weekend as the film festival, showcasing music acts that complement the Film Festival's movies drawn from contributors to the "Music Video" section of the Film Festival. The music festival will showcase acts from a wide selection of music genres - from pop to punk, hip hop to funk, cowboys to singer-songwriters.

The Long Island Film/TV Foundation and the Nassau County Film Commission opens the annual Long Island International Film Expo July 12 starting with an opening night party that is by invitation only. Several panels are held during the first weekend of the Film Expo -- usually consisting of a distribution panel, a scriptwriting panel, legal music panel and a filmmaker panel and breakfast. There will be a Wine and Cheese Reception for Technical Awards at the Filmmakers Lounge, directly West of the Bellmore Movies on July 13. A Breakfast with the Filmmakers - Panel on "The Good, the Bad, and the Horror Stories" follows the next morning. Winners of the Long Island International Film Expo are chosen by a combination of audience ballot and judging committee which are then honored at the Long Island International Film Expo Closing Night Party and Awards Ceremony. Special awards (acting and supporting roles) will be given out during the closing party on July 19 at the Filmmakers Lounge directly west of the Bellmore Movies.

The Japan Cable TV Committee launches this first event related to "Cable Convention 2012" from July 18-19. "Cable Tech Show 2012" will be originated as an  exhibition-seminar of cable technologies. Special attention is on competition in this era of consolidation between broadcast/communication, and wired/wireless communication. In Japan's first year of complete digital broadcasting using the ISDB standard, the latest solutions and hardware will be introduced at "Cable Tech Show 2012" with the expectation that the CATV infrastructure will be popularized and developed. In unison with "Cable Convention 2012" the exhibition aims to contribute to the development of cable technologies which support the growth of the cable industry. The location of the event, Tokyo Dome City is an total entertainment complex located in the heart of Tokyo. It consists of Tokyo Dome, a sports complex, a newly built Meets Port - LaQua, a spa complex, and an amusement park with a variety of attractions and facilities including the Tokyo Panic Cruise - a ride-type four-dimensional attraction - and Tokyo Dome City's signature event, the Hero Action Show.

Although it is mostly a fantasy/action/horror festival, Fantasia has  embraced films that can have a unique identity, including: dramas, eccentric comedies, provocative documentaries, experimental works, musicals, even atypical children’s films. Within the feature film lineup, Montréal's Fantasia Film Festival will present the international premiere of Kern Saxton’s anticipated crime thriller Sushi Girl, featuring Mark Hamill (Star Wars) in the sinister lead. Hosting the Fantasia launch will be Mark Hamill, Tony Todd, Michael Biehn and Kern Saxton – with additional guests to be announced. The gala Sushi Girl screening will take place two days after the Festival opening on the night of July 21. Fantasia will present the world premiere launch of travelling art show: "If They Came From Within: An Alternative History of Canadian Horror Movies, curated by Rue Morgue magazine Editor-In-Chief Dave Alexander who has assembled some of Canada and Quebec’s most celebrated genre filmmakers with some of the country’s best designers and illustrators to create a gallery of poster art. The Festival closes August 7.

Opening July 21 for two days in London's Wimbledon district, Wimbledon Shorts Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing new work in film and video from around the world -- whether the film is narrative driven, animated or experimental. Films must be less than 15 minutes in duration including title sequences and credits. Wimbledon Shorts is a presentation of the Wimbledon Film Club. The WFC is an independent, non-political, not-for-profit organisation, which is a registered charity run by volunteers. The WFC is also an award-winning member of the British Federation of Film Societies. Both the Wimbledon Shorts Film Festival and Competition organisers and judges are involved on a voluntary basis. The festival venue - Polka Theatre - is dedicated to producing and presenting theatre works for young audiences.

Cinema India Expo is a Mumbai based trade show and conference for digital cinema. From July 23-24, exhibitors will demonstrate 3-D cinema and production, digital cinema equipment and technology, booth and projection equipment, lighting and signage, displays, distribution, technology, sound, speakers and amplifiers, Walls, panels and screens, digital cameras and workflow. Visitors typically include Film Buyers, Distributors, major manufacturers, technical experts, Directors, Directors of Photography, Cinematographers, cinema content creators, studio and production executives, theatre operations executives. A principal element of the show over the years has featured a Master Class by a Film Guru sponsored by Kodak and the American Society of Cinematographers. The event will be supported by the  Indian cinema fraternity including the Multiplex Association of India, Cinema Owners and the Exhibitors Association. Cinema India along with the Scrabble Entertainment Ltd. with their Digital Initiative-transforming the cinemascape of India into DCI compliant technology.

The annual Casual Connect Seattle is the place to learn more about the Casual Games industry that entertains 300 million people each month and are typically played on a personal computer online in web browsers, though they now are starting to become popular on game consoles and mobile phones as well. In 2009 the world wide connected casual games industry had revenues in excess of $3.0 billion on mobile. The 2012 International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Summit will be conducted close by at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel from July 23-24, covering topics including: writing, leadership, entrepreneurship, advocacy, quality assurance and monetization. The Innovation Showcase is an “art-gallery” style exhibition displaying ten games selected for their unique appeal. In the hope to inspire its visitors to come up with great games ideas, Casual Games invites visitors to come and play these select games for Web and iOS platform at the Innovation Showcase. At Casual Connect events there usually are no shortage of networking functions to mix and mingle at. This year GameChangeHers Reception on July 23 celebrates the contribution of women to the industry. The Pre-Funk and Badge Pickup, provides a loungy party with beer, wine and light snacks as attendees pick up their conference badge on July 23. Mingle with Tapjoy! on July 24 is another drinkers party featuring the bar menu, beer/wine. GREE brings you The Garage! on July 24 features music, billards, bowling, beer/wine/cocktails/light food. Mingle with Ruby Seven Studios on July 25 is another cocktail sip with bar menu, beer/wine. The Infamous WildTangent Party! on July 25, featuring gambling, drinks and the "unexpected".

The VII International Conference on Communication, Film and Media Sciences in Paris, July 27-29, aims to bring together academic scientists, leading engineers, industry researchers and scholar students to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects of Communication, Film and Media Sciences, and discuss the practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted. The International Conference on Communication, Film and Media Sciences aims to bring together academic scientists, leading engineers, industry researchers and scholar students to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects of Communication, Film and Media Sciences, and discuss the practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted. The Conference offers the opportunity to build relationships with universities, schools, companies and experts from all around the world.

The Midsummer Musical Retreat Society is a 501(c)3 designated non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote the performance of ensemble music by amateur and professional musicians and organizes its annual adult music camp which will happen this year in Walla Walla from July 30 to August 5. MMR provides a non-competitive curriculum for adult singers and instrumentalists. The week-long festival workshop includes orchestra, band, string orchestra, chorus, jazz big band, Recorders and Early Music, chamber ensembles and electives in a “Retreat” atmosphere the curriculum is conducted in. Workshops in Rhythm, Sight Singing, History of Rock ‘n’ Roll, and The Composers’ Showcase features works composed by campers and performed by the faculty. And MMR campers enjoy the Opening Faculty Presentation, Line Dancing, informal performance opportunities, ad hoc chamber music, Skit Night and Jazz Big Band Extravaganza, the Fermata Bar (a pre-dinner social hour), group singalongs, Wine Tasting, nightly hospitality suite, the Faculty Recital, and the Festival Banquet. Many events are organized by campers.

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 international languages. This month's photo composite is the remake of The Amazing Spider-Man which opened in North American theaters over the July 4 holiday starring Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Gazing ahead into the next month, be aware that... the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) will be in Melbourne, Malibu International Film Festival will be in Santa Monica, The White Sands International Film Festival will be in Las Cruces, Meisner Program Part 1 will be in Orlando, Photo Image Brazil opens in Sao Paulo.