Media Days Gothenburg, SXSW 2013, FILMART, Film and TV Finance Summit, are highlights in March's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

The Miami International Film Festival presents world cinema from Cuba, Spain, Israel, Argentina, Brazil, United Kingdom, China and other regions of the world. MIFF typically presents 100 films from over 40 countries, including several international prizewinners, 11 World Premieres, five International Premieres, nine North American Premieres and 11 US Premieres. This year's festival puts a spotlight on China with screenings of films from mainland China and Hong Kong -- part of a three day International Symposium hosted by Miami Dade College’s Confucius Institute happening March 7-9. Headquartered in the heart of Miami Beach, the Festival has hosted accomplished filmmakers and talent, including Pedro Almodóvar, Abel Ferrara, Spike Lee, Andy Garcia, Alfonso Cuaron, Kate Hudson, Jonathan Demme, Liv Ullman, Luc Besson, and others.

The Festival offers accreditation for VeoMiami -- an area of the festival to discover, discuss, and develop the art and business of Ibero-American cinema. VeoMiami consists of a dedicated group of industry players, with access to Master Class Seminars, Industry/Filmmaker invite only events, catalogue and material distribution to attending delegates and concierge meeting set-up with other delegates, access to the online library of films available from March 1 - including VeoMiami Digital Market - and ending two weeks after the close of the Festival which is March 10. And especially suited to the Miami Beach area, there are nightly Happy Hours and networking opportunities. Celebrate the year's accomplishments at the Pyrat Awards Night Party, March 9. The gala evening will feature a wide variety of culinary delights, wine and spirits, and plenty of entertainment.

Future Shorts Festival in London is a quarterly global film festival uniting audiences across the world. Since November 2011, festival screenings have taken place in over 285 cities and 90 countries with a showcase of short films, often alongside live music, performance, DJs and art. From London to Tokyo, Cairo to Kabul, screenings have taken place across a network of music halls, cinemas, theatres, galleries, clubs, bars and warehouses. Every three months, Future Shorts HQ in London puts together a feature-length programme of selected classic, cult and award-winning short films from around the world. The festival programme lasting through March 29 is then made available to a global network of film enthusiasts, promoters, entrepreneurs and adventurers who book, organize and host local screening events.

The following are screenings in various (mostly) European cities: London, March 2; Barcelona and Vilanova, March 3; Brno and Latvia, March 7; Tampere, March 8; Baku, March 9; Bialystok, March 11; Zamora, March 14; Arcata, Bricko and Przemysl, March 15; Blackburn, March 20; Elblag, March 21; London, March 22; Lodz and Paris, March 24; Lublin, March 25; Tbilisi. Additionally, Future Shorts maintains a distribution arm offering a range of distribution services representing an extensive and varied catalogue of original and independent international films. Original content creation is undertaken drawing from a pool of available creative talent on the Future Shorts roster and strategic development and production with various broadcast partners, including: Arte/ZDF, Canal+, HBO, SBS Australia and SVT, YouTube, Babelgum, Sony Computer Entertainment, Samsung and others.

The two-day Meg expo, more formally known as Media Days Gothenburg, is focused on professionals dealing with the different technology related to media production and development. The Gothenburg based expo theme this year is "parallel realities" and the program opening March 7 reviews topics from popular music to satire, investigative journalism to interactive design. Meg13 starts out from five different seminar topics: Fiction, Fact, Trust, Market and Innovation. Together, they accentuate this year's theme: "Parallel realities". Keynote speakers in the parallel realities program include: Internet researcher Evgeny Morozov, born in Belarus, now living in the US, who gave a previous TED talk titled "Is the Internet what Orwell Feared?" Also, Sofia Svantesson, designer, innovator and founder of design bureau Ocean Observations is featured.

Another of the highlights of this year's program is the establishment and presentation of the newly instituted MegAward which will be given to a person or an organization that has achieved innovation in the media sector. The winning innovation may be of an administrative, technological, or organizational nature, in the fields of journalism or design. The MegAward will reward work demonstrating broad thoughtfulness and curiosity, regardless of whether the winner operates within the confines of traditional journalism or in the world of blogging, podcasts, advertising or technology development. It can be awarded to a Swedish or an international person or organization. The MegAward is an open nomination process. The Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre is one of the biggest hotels in Scandinavia joining the Gothia Towers and popular restaurants. It is also home to the largest office hotel in Scandinavia, the World Trade Center. A new tower and the extension is slated to be ready in the end of 2014.

Since 1987, SXSW (South By South West) in Austin has produced its well regarded Music and Media Conference and Festival. Although it is perceived as one seamless event week, emphasis will be given to Interactive, March 8-12; Film, March 8-16; Music, March 12-17. The event celebrates the organizations that define the ever-evolving relationship between media, technology, creators and consumers. A special highlight for SXSW this year will be its "Maker" movement in education with a Makerspace that will showcase a number of exhibits from makers, creators and DIYers, March 4-7.

New for 2013, SXSW Film introduces the "Come and Capture" Film Factory, that allows participants to explore and interact with the newest tools for capturing and creating moving images. Each day begins with panel discussions, workshops and demos, and leads up to the opportunity for registrants to tinker with featured products. Registrants can not only sample a range of filmmaking products but go out each day and capture their experiences of SXSW to then share the finished work with the SXSW community through SXSW’s online channels and on the official festival website. "Come and Capture" takes place from March 9-12 (advance badge registration needed) at the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel, Capital Ballroom.

Themed parties seem to dot the daily/hourly event schedule of the Expo, including: The Morning After party, Trade Show Block Party, SXSW Film Intermission Party presented by IMAX, Warner Bros. Television Group, BBC America Roadhouse, SXSW Film Late Night Saloon, @PBS Party featuring Peter Sagal, Berlin Calling, #VegasTech SXSW Party, New Zealand @ SXSW, SXSW Film + Interactive Fusion Party presented by Fandango, Music From Ireland / Full Irish Breakfast, The Aussie BBQ, and so many more not listed.

Online resource SXsocial (http://social.sxsw.com/auth/sxsw) is available to SXSW registrants to search for and message other conference attendees. Upload a photo and bio to establish a presence and connect with new colleagues and friends before during and after SXSW 2013. The 27th annual South By Southwest Closing Barbecue and Softball Tournament, the traditional closing social event of the SXSW week, happens on March 17 and is free for all SXSW Music and Platinum registrants.

CABSAT Broadcast Conference in Dubai is a trade platform for digital media and satellite sectors across the Middle East, Africa, and the Southern Asian region. There are two conference sessions that are free to attend: CABSAT Broadcast Conference and GVF MENASAT Summit. The CABSAT Academy brings together the two sides of the show into one expanded and multi-stream knowledge exchange platform held in centrally-located networking areas. The dedicated Broadcast and GVF organised Satellite Conference streams are complemented by Workshops and Vendor Presentations. New to the three-day conference for 2013 which opens March 12 is a dedicated ‘Africa in Focus’ trade visitors session, gathering key ICT decision makers from emerging African markets, and use of satellite communications earth station equipment that has been tested and approved in co-ordination with the industry-endorsed GVF Product Quality Framework.

The Atlanta Film Festival, now in its fourth decade, is one of the small number of Academy Award® qualifying festivals in the U.S. ATLFF365 presents a diverse slate of year-round offerings for film-lovers, filmmakers, and established and emerging industry professionals. Atlanta Film Festival 365 (ATLFF365) is a membership-based 501(c)(3) arts non-profit with a mission to lead the community in creative and cultural discovery through film/video display. Throughout the year, ATLFF365 offers a range of workshops on screenwriting, directing, production, getting into the film business and more.

This year's fest opens with MUD from writer/director Jeff Nichol's (Take Shelter). Debuting at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in competition for the Palme d'Or, and starring Matthew McConaughey, MUD has been likened as a film, echoing Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. Closing the fest will be THE SPECTACULAR NOW directed by Athen's native and 2008 ATLFF Screenplay Competition winner James Ponsoldt. Written by (500) DAYS OF SUMMER (ATLFF09) writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, and featuring performances from leads Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller, SPECTACULAR won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

The Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART) is an annual film market organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). A central objective of the FILMART convention is to promote Hong Kong as a regional hub for distribution and production of film, TV programs and entertainment-related products in Asia-Pacific while assisting cross-media, cross-businesses partnerships. The event is restricted to trade only. The four day event opens March 18 with the Entertainment Expo Hong Kong 2013 Kick-Off Ceremony on conference opening day. Later that day is the Taiwan Party hosted by the Taipei Film Commission. On day two, conference organizer, Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), presents "Opportunities in Asia: Book-to-Screen Projects in Today's Box-Office hits". Also on that day are Exhibitors' Organized Events, including the 6th Asia VFX and Digital Cinema Summit. Among the planned Digital Movie and Cinema Symposium events, the "Digital Movie and Cinema Symposium" is hosted  by 23 Magic Limited, he "6th Asia VFX and Digital Cinema Summit" is hosted by Digital Magic, "Shooting in Italy: High Quality, Low Budget" is hosted by Italian Trade Commission, "Promoting And Protecting The Screen Community In The Cloud Era" is hosted by Movie Producers & Distributors Associations of Hong Kong Limited, "Universe Entertainment 2013-2014 Production Line-up Presentation" is hosted by Universe Films Distribution Company Ltd.

Within the Greater Los Angeles area, two separately organized television industry summits will open the same day on March 21 for nearly concurrent runs. Variety and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation present the one-day The Universal Summit. The Summit will explore how to recognize new business opportunity and leverage it from changes and transformations to the industry caused by splintered audiences with choices between new web and mobile platforms. Leaders from the broadcast/cable channels, emerging original content hubs, TV service providers and technology partners will explore what it means to develop, market and distribute successful programming. Topic areas that will be examined include: State of the TV Business, The Worldwide TV Boom, Transformative TV: Next Generation Networks Turn Now, The Growing Power of Hispanic TV, TV that Makes a Difference – The Social Revolution, The New TV Everywhere: The Game-Changing Business of SVOD and Second Screen, Showrunners (perennially popular shows) SuperSession. The day ends with a Networking Reception.

Over two days, the International Film and TV Finance Summit organized by Bloomberg BNA addresses obtaining finance and tax incentives to get independent and studio films made, distributed and marketed in today’s market place. This will also include discussion on: Understand how to utilize new digital platforms for distributing media content into the home and onto hand held devices; Ways to generate financial support for films utilizing brand integration and product placement; Access to and information from the most senior players in the industry at the top of their professions; Presented case studies how medium to low budget films are made, financed and distributed; There will be an expanded session on the U.S. state, federal and international tax credits and incentives for film and TV production. Also a case study in financing an independent feature film, presented before conference close. There will be planned networking opportunities, as well as, Continental breakfasts, lunches, refreshment breaks.

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 55th Grammy Awards. If the photo does not appear in this post please click this link to view it. Looking ahead into the next month be aware that: NAB Show 2013, and all its offshoot programs, is in Las Vegas, Florida Film Festival is in Maitland, Bermuda International Film Festival opens in Hamilton, 5th Annual Film Finance Forum East in association with Variety comes to New York City, The Madrid International Film Festival comes to London, the Tribeca Film Festival will customarily be in downtown Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood, The Mexico International Film Festival opens in Rosarito.

Kulturborse Freiburg, Berlinale 2013, 55th Grammy Awards, Noise Pop Festival, are highlights in February's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

The European Spiritual Film Festival of Glasgow is a multi-venue, multi-partnership event which takes inspiration from and enhances the global image of Glasgow. Glasgow Music and Film Festival, in association with The Arches, celebrates innovation in music, film and the culture that unites them. GMFF features a series of one-off audio visual live events, complemented by a programme of music films at the festival. Back for its fourth GFF is festival guide, The CineSkinny. Published each day of the Festival by The Skinny’s skilled team of cinephiles, it is a definitive source for festival information listing, recommending the cinematic gems hidden within the Festival programme and the must-attend events happening all across the city till festival close on February 24. Artist Stephen Sutcliffe is this year’s winner of Glasgow Film Festival’s Margaret Tait Award. The award is supported by Creative Scotland and LUX and recognizes artists who are experimental, innovative and who work within film and moving image.

The International Kulturbörse Freiburg is not a festival, but a trade fair drawing in promoters, producers and experts from the event business to view approximately 170 live performances from theatre, varieté and gala, cabaret and comedy, jazz, pop and rock, world music, dance and performances, business-theatre and street theatre. It has been a meeting point for the culture and events industry followers for over 18 years now. Each year after a new jury is elected it then selects the performers entirely from the submitted applications. The International Kulturborse Freiburg is attended mainly by the following target groups: promoters, agents, experts in the event branch, producers, artists/groups as well as media representatives and those providing services for the cultural business. A new category at the 25th International Kulturbörse Freiburg which will run February 4-7 is the Newcomer Block. In addition to the winners of the Sprungbrett award and the Music award, the Freiburger Rampe, other young, creative artists will have the chance to perform in front of a large audience of experts from the events business. Attendance at IKF is mostly focused upon event agencies, agents, technical support and services in the event sector, but for anyone who wishes to attend the fair as a visitor there is no registration procedure. Tickets can be purchased on site or on the IKF website prior to the event. Staging area and headquarters for the event is the Hotel Stadt Freiburg.

At London's Event Production Show 2013, over 200 event industry suppliers will be showcasing the latest, innovative event products and services through February 6 to a gathering attending to meet new suppliers, network with colleagues, discover new technologies and gather information at the workshops and seminars. The production team for Dragons’ Den, a BBC television series that invites entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas to investors, has informed the organizers of the Event Production Show that they intend to visit this year’s show. The Event Production Show 2013 will be scheduling seminars and workshops on the key issues facing the industry. Glastonbury Festival impresario, Michael Eavis, will appear on the main stage to give an insight on life after Festival Republic along with details on an event that’s a cornerstone to the success of other festivals across the country. Live Nation COO, John Probyn, hosts Question Time. The panel this year includes: Colin Rodger, head of event management for DF Concerts, Martin Green, LOCOG’s head of ceremonies, John Farquhar-Smith, owner of Flux Events, Paul Ludford, recently appointed operations director for Glastonbury Festival, and Radio 1 DJ Rob da Bank, the man behind Bestival, Camp Bestival.

Typically, up to 400 films are shown every year as part of the Berlinale's public programme, the vast majority of which are world or European premieres. Films of every genre, length and format can be submitted for consideration to the annual Berlin based event. The Berlinale is divided into different sections, each with its own unique profile: big international movies in the Competition, independent and art-house productions in Panorama, movies specially for a young audience in the Generation section, German cinema productions in Perspektive Deutsches Kino, an in-depth look at films from “distant” countries and experimental forms in the Forum, as well as an investigation of diverse cinematic possibilities in the Berlinale Shorts. The programme is rounded off by a thematic Retrospective and a Homage, which focuses on the lifework of a great cinema personality. Both of these sections, which are curated by the Berlin Film Museum, aim to place contemporary cinema within a historical context. An integral part of the festival which opens February 7-17, The Berlinale Talent Campus, is a creative academy and networking platform that brings emerging talent and seasoned film professionals together and offers them a platform to refresh their views, discover new horizons, find fellow filmmaking collaborators and discuss new trends and developments in contemporary cinema and media. The Campus lasts for six days and offers a variety of different programme elements for actors, directors, cinematographers, distributors, editors, film critics, producers, production designers, screenwriters, sound designers and composers.

The 55th Grammy Awards are set to go live February 10 from Los Angeles. The GRAMMYs are a peer-presented award to honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position. A GRAMMY is awarded by The Recording Academy's voting membership to honor this excellence in the recording arts and sciences. The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will take place in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in high definition and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network from 8 pm (ET/PT). The show also will be carried on radio worldwide via Westwood One, and covered online at GRAMMY.com, CBS.com, and on YouTube. For updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook. The GRAMMY Foundation® will host "Play It Forward: A Celebration Of Music's Evolution And Influencers" — the 15th Annual GRAMMY Foundation Music Preservation Project — featuring live musical performances and archival footage from its preservation archives. The program set for February 7 in Beverly Hills will explore the history of legendary influencers in music and the invaluable contributions of those key players, the music they inspired and their impact on the American cultural landscape. The Awards open with Red-Carpet arrivals and closes with a reception. The 2013 ceremony will be hosted for the second time by rapper/actor LL Cool J.

The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival is dedicated to presenting and supporting Irish and international film. Held annually each February since 2003, the eleven day event opening February 14 showcases 130 feature films in conjunction with public interviews, industry workshops and masterclasses. Over 50 directors, actors and producers attend the festival to meet Irish filmmakers and audiences and discuss their work. The 2012 lineup included a special focus on Scandinavian Cinema, masterclasses with Marin Karmitz and Kenneth Lonergan and a special concert of the film music of Danny Elfman. In 2008 the festival inaugurated The Irish Talent Spotlight in order to profile exceptional new and established talent working in all areas of the Irish Film Industry. Ken Wardrop (Writer/Director), Margo Harkin (Producer), Tim Fleming (Director of Photography), Cartoon Saloon (Irish Animation Company) and Margeret Corkery (Writer/Director) have all been honored as part of this initiative. The Audience Award was won by the Indonesian action film 'The Raid'. In addition, the festival gives its annual Volta Awards for Career Achievement to key international figures in the film industry and in 2012, recipients included Al Pacino, Stellan Skarsgard and Marin Karmitz. Jameson Dublin International Film Festival will form a partnership with The Church Restaurant, Bar and Venue for the 2013 season. The Church venue will play host to entertainment each evening, as well as offering an opportunity to mingle with filmmakers, festival-goers and the JDIFF team.

The Hollywood Post Alliance Tech Retreat is a gathering in the Palm Springs area of industry-engineering, technical, and creative talent, as well as strategic business leaders focused on technology, from all aspects of digital-cinema, post-production, film, television, video, and related technologies that attend from February 18-22 for the exchange of information. Most conference days begin with a Roundtable Breakfast. HPA is the trade association serving the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide expertise, support, tools and the infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television, commercials, digital media and other dynamic media content. After a full day of conference sessions, relax at the spa, play a round of golf, or swim in one of seven pools. Tennis enthusiasts have access to the pro hard surface courts and there is Badminton too. Available dining choices reflect the tastes and trends of restaurants from around the world. At the close of the last conference day - which begins with a Roundtable Breakfast before going into a half day Tech Retreat Conference - guests may decide to stay and enjoy the Hyatt Indian Wells or return home.

This year on February 20 and 21, Digital Media Wire combines Digital Music Forum East and West into one combined event titled DMW Music. It will be a gathering of music and digital media leaders assembled in Downtown New York City to socialize, share ideas, do deals and learn about new technologies and services. Rio Caraeff, CEO and President of VEVO and David Israelite, CEO and President of the National Music Publishers’ Association will join the “View from the Top” panel on February 20. Also on February 20, BMI’s Executive Director, Business Development New Media and Strategic Development, Michael Drexler, will be a participant on the panel, “Digital Copyrights – Broken System?” Spotify, YouTube/Google, Pandora, and Clear Channel will open their office doors to DMW Music guests for the inaugural Music-Tech Crawl on February 21. The format is similar to a bar crawl but with music tech companies instead of taverns. Guests will spend around 45 minutes at each office before moving on to the next stop. An Awards dinner is planned for February 20.

The Noise Pop Film Festival in San Francisco screens any kind of film or video narrative feature, documentary, short, animation, experimental or music video, that explores a connection to music, either in its subject matter, the talent behind or in front of the camera, or with an exceptionally prominent soundtrack. Submissions include feature-length documentaries or features that have music or musicians as the subject matter. This year Noise Pop has partnered with the Sketchfest comedy festival to present comedy and music shows. Promoting independent culture, past Noise Pop screenings include a secret sneak preview of "The Fearless Freaks" Flaming Lips documentary, "X: The Unheard Music," "Directions: Death Cab for Cutie," "The extraordinary Ordinary life of Jose Gonzalez," "This is Noise Pop," "Look at What the Light did now" Feist documentary, and "Neon Bible" with a live original score by Oranger - Theremin and all.

For two weeks leading up to Noise Pop, from February 14 to February 24, Noise Pop will take over 1772 Market Street and create a multi-dimensional experience, with music, entertainment and culinary events. This space will serve as a central hub for Noise Pop as it gears up for its 2013 festival which runs February 26 to March 3. The Noise Pop Film Series runs concurrent with the music festival at various theaters throughout San Francisco co-curated by SCORED to celebrate sound and music in films -- all focusing on music. Noise Pop Culture Club returns for a third year celebrating the creative process of visionary artists in the music, film, art, design, food and technology communities. It stimulates the discussion of new ideas and collaborations and is mostly about inspiration and the DIY indie spirit. A Noise Pop Happy Hour happens nearly every day throughout the festival.

With a February 26 opening celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2013, CineKink is a film festival and screening series that celebrates and explores a wide diversity of sexuality, and encourages the positive depiction of sexuality in film and television, most visibly through this annual film festival, CineKink NYC, and subsequent touring series. Featuring a specially-selected program of films and videos that explore and celebrate a wide diversity of sexuality, the programming offers selections drawn from both Hollywood and beyond, explicit or not, with works ranging from documentary to drama, camp comedy, hot pornography, artsy experimental, mildly spicy, quite explicit and everything in between. In addition to screenings, the annual festival also includes a short film competition, audience choice awards, presentations, parties and a gala kick-off fundraiser, all followed by a national screening tour. The program culminates March 3 with Awards and AfterGlow Play Party.

Starting its seventh year, the Editors Retreat organized by Future Media Concepts has become an annual gathering where highly experienced TV, video and film editors come together in an intensive, interactive environment to network, exchange ideas, share tips and have fun. For five days and four nights running February 27 to March 3 in Rivera Cancun, the Editors Retreat offers advanced sessions on post, visual and audio techniques and features valuable insight into emerging trends and technologies. Keynote attendees have included such names as Alan Heim, Sally Menke, Geoffrey Richman, Dan Lebental and Jay Rabinowitz. Time on this year's session agenda will be devoted to discussing the creativity, craft and business practices of successful editors. At the close of the February 28 session there will be a seventh annual Pizza and Poker tournament with a chance to win prizes. At the close of the March 1 session will be a "Out in the Cancun Scene" group evening of fun, a night of food, music and dancing.

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 55th Grammy Awards. If the photo does not appear in this post please click this link to view it. Looking ahead into the next month be aware that: Miami International Film Festival will be in Miami, Chicago Underground Film Festival will be held in Chicago, Vancouver Women in Film Festival will be in Vancouver, The SXSW Trade Show will be in Austin, International Film & TV Finance Summit will be given in Los Angeles, Records and CD Fair will be in Gent.

2013 CES and Games Summit, Golden Globes, Sundance Festival, MIDEM, are highlights in January's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

The long running singers showcase run by the showbiz team of Billy Shepard and Judi Jourdan continues on a new night, Tuesday, in its same spot, The Iguana, just around the corner from the studio that tapes the David Letterman show. Talented newcomers and experienced singers are all welcome. Just come in, sign up and sing. Sign-ins begin at 6:30 pm and usually end between 8:30 and 9 pm. A panist is resident or bring your background tracks or CDs. The pianist transposes instantly in any key for you. Open to the public, all ages and all styles are welcome. Selected singers/acts have a chance to be booked for an appearance in a weekly cabaret show run by Shepard & Jourdan. After their presentation, singers and performers will be able to meet with either Judi Jourdan or Billy Shepard to receive feedback, advice and future direction. Produced by the long-running showbiz team of Billy Shepard and Judi Jourdan who also produce a television show, "How to Succeed in Show Business By Really Trying", shown on Time Warner Cable. There is no admission or cover charge for performer and guests, but there is a food/beverage minimum per person.

The Palm Springs International Film Festival assembles industry reps and executives from Los Angeles, film aficionados from across the country and filmmakers from around the world. The festival features filmmaker tributes, special presentations, nightly celebrations and special events and an annual Awards Gala  honoring performances of the past year. The Festival screens a selection of films submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the Best Foreign Language film category. Nearly 70 percent of the Festival audience travels to Palm Springs from out of town. This aspect of the Palm Springs International Film Festival adds a buzz factor dynamic helpful for generating word-of-mouth about the films that are screened. A Black Tie Awards Gala will include Cocktails, dinner, awards show and after party depending on the ticket level. The Festival will present Richard Gere with the Chairman’s Award and wrap up on January 14.

Running for over four decades the International Consumer Electronics Show is an annual trade show held in Las Vegas from January 8-11 focused on consumer technology. This year there will be several super session within the CES format. "Disruptive Technologies Impacting the Future of Games and Video" will be one such session and it will explore the various disruptive technologies on the horizon that will change gaming and video delivery and reshape the marketplace for products and services around games, images and on demand video. At one special event this year the Photo Imaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA) is bringing the 47th annual PMDA Awards Ceremony to CES. PMDA will honor six individuals for outstanding contributions to the imaging industry including their Person of the Year.

A focus on public policy will take root at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show during the Consumer Electronics Association’s Innovation Policy Summit with discussions from government officials including representatives from the U.S. Congress, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Google, Verizon, as well as the Chairman and all four Commissioners from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Just back from a vigorous lobbying effort on behalf of the Internet during the 2012  election campaign, Internet entrepreneurs from Reddit and other prominent companies will debut their new documentary, 'Silicon Prairie: America's New Internet Economy'. Following the screening filmmakers and Internet entrepreneurs will discuss why government and citizens alike should care about preserving (and developing) the Internet Economy in every city and every town in America.

The second annual Games Summit runs concurrently with the 2013 International CES, for one day on January 10. AFter opening remarks by Ned Sherman, CEO and Publisher, Digital Media Wire, the conference opens the agenda with '2013 Gaming Trends - Analyst and Expert Presentations' with presentations that give an overview of the latest research that reflects and illustrates the current state of gaming and the directions in which the industry is heading. Throughout the conference, executives from the electronics industry, game publishers, game developers, advertising agencies, investment firms and social networks will discuss industry trends and share insights about the future of games and connected entertainment. Luxembourg-based Europe4StartUps, a non-profit organization, will be staging a contest through the Digital Media Wire community. The offer is part of the Europe4Startups campaign which over the next year will award grants to 12 digital media companies, two of which will be digital games companies selected from the DMW community. Recipients will receive a 12-month package, including premium cloud computing services and a suite of business, legal and marketing services.

The 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards will go live January 13 from Los Angeles with a live telecast airing over the NBC television network at 8 pm (EST). Originated in the 1940’s during World War II, the HFPA was originally comprised of a handful of LA based overseas journalists. Since those beginnings, the organization holds what is regarded as the third most watched awards show on television, the Golden Globe® Awards, which have enabled the organization to donate more than $12 million to entertainment related charities and scholarship programs. Actor, director and producer Jodie Foster will receive the Cecil B. de Mille for lifetime achievement at this year's Awards. Chosen by the HFPA Board of Directors, the Cecil B. DeMille Award is given annually to the talented individuals who have made an impact on the world of entertainment. Morgan Freeman was handed the honor last year and previous honorees include Lucille Ball, Bette Davis, Walt Disney, Harrison Ford, Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Martin Scorsese, Frank Sinatra, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, among others. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler host the 70th Golden Globe Awards.

The annual Sundance Film Festival is set to open in Park City, organized and run by Sundance Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences. Originally founded by actor Robert Redford in the mountains of Sundance, Utah, the Institute seeks to discover, support, and inspire independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world. In addition to Park City, films will be screened in Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance. This year's festival which runs January 17-27 will screen 115 feature-length films representing 32 countries -- the majority includes projects from 51 first-time filmmakers, including 27 films that are in competition.

In addition to discovering filmmaking's newest talents through Sundance Festival's film screenings, Festivalgoers can experience live music performances, panel discussions such as "Tupac, Elvis, and Benjamin Button Walk into a Bar..." a discussion on the impact of digital characters on filmmaking, live performance, and intellectual property, a topic inspired by the "Digillusion" event when a digital version of Tupac Shakur did a surprise performance at Coachella and the crowd reaction to it. Festival goers can visit the Salt Lake City Café during the day to hear a range of songwriters and artists from across the musical spectrum take part in a program produced by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). The highly anticipated Steve Jobs biopic, jOBS, starring Ashton Kutcher, will close the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Similar to the Sundance Festival in certain regards, Slamdance also serves as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging independent artists and is dedicated to the nurturing and development of their vision. And it is also based in Park City, although festival runs dates will be January 18-24, ending some days before Sundance concludes. Now in its eighteenth year as a festival that runs simultaneous to the Sundance Film Festival, the Festival showcases films in every genre, on any topic from every country around the world. The festival program is selected completely from blind submissions and does not disqualify any films based on premiere status or date of completion. As always, the Slamdance Screenwriting and Teleplay Competition is aimed at discovering and supporting emerging writing talent. Every year the Festival shows a Special Screening program comprised of several independent feature films by established filmmakers. This Special Screening program is non-competitive and sometimes includes films made by Slamdance alumni.

The National Association of Music Merchants Show (NAMM) is a trade-only event in Anaheim that is not open to the general public because of its B2B orientation. It is held bi-annually and will be held January 24-27 during this winter session and again in July in Nashville. There is also a NAMM Russia in May. As The show brings together all facets of the music products industry, buyers attend looking to find new state-of-the-art products, and exhibitors can connect with customers that are their target audience. The open lobby will play host to an exclusive Member Center, digital media hub, new product showcases and more. NAMM U, the learning and education arm of the convention, starts with NAMM U Online, a full and varied library of videos, articles and interviews that supplement the popular live Breakfast Sessions and Idea Center Sessions at the NAMM Shows; Breakfast Sessions, with industry insiders sharing their thoughts, ideas, and strategies for doing business in today's aggressive marketplace, happening every morning before the show floor opens; Idea Center Sessions, which are short, focused "How to" sessions that take place right on the show floor and start every 30 minutes.

Since 1967, the annual MIDEM - acronym for Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale - has been an international B2B event in, Cannes Cedex, encompassing tradeshow, conferences, competitions, networking events, performances, as well as a platform for showcasing new artists, musical trends and music-related products and conferences educating about the music industry and new revenue streams. Since 2000, the night before MIDEM opens, the Palais des Festivals hosts the NRJ Music Awards. The awards ceremony is organised by NRJ, a French multimedia conglomerate that owns France's most popular music station. This year, MIDEM's Innovation Factory Zone is dedicated to discovering the latest cutting edge technologies through live demo sessions, training and mentoring with international experts. Music Pitch Sessions at MIDEM's Brand Central division will have thousands of music professionals present to track and find new music relevant for their upcoming projects. Reed MIDEM is the owner and organizer of the annual MIDEM conference.

Broadcast Engineering Society-BES Expo is a Conference and Exhibition (BES Expo) on Terrestrial and Satellite Broadcasting which will be held in New Delhi on January 29-31. The theme for the 2013 Expo will be convergence and new broadcasting technologies. It is focused on manufacturers, dealers, distributors and suppliers of products, equipment, systems and services related to terrestrial and satellite broadcasting for radio, TV, studio and post-production. Equipment and technology which can be displayed in the expo includes, but is not limited to: cable, video, audio, multimedia, broadband, networking, automation, Video Streaming, Graphics and Animation, production and post production, archiving. A three-day conference on the theme "Convergence and New Broadcasting Technologies" happens at the same time as the exhibition in Hall 12. The Broadcast Engineering Society, headquartered in New Delhi and with 10 local chapters across India, was established in 1987 and is a founding member of the Engineering Council of India, New Delhi. The Society is affiliated with the Society of Broadcast Engineers and it has a friendship agreement with the Society of Cable Television Engineers and National Association of Broadcasters in North America.

The Florida Media Market (FMM) was created to be an outlet for South Florida independent Filmmakers to meet with executives producers, production companies, distributors, TV Networks and Stations, that are actively seeking content either by producing, co-producing or purchasing. FMM is also designed to serve as a meeting place where new filmmakers can gain valuable insight from industry veterans and established companies. To that end FMM has created both an annual market, and an online platform for buyers and sellers of film, documentary, television, and new media content to gather in order to teach, learn, inspire and do business together.

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 pages translated into 10 of the most widely used international languages that can be accessed from the blog page. This month's photo placement highlights the MIDEM music convention in Cannes, France. If the photo does not appear in this post please click this link to view it. Looking ahead into the next month be aware that: the European Spiritual Film Festival will be in Glasgow, The Event Production Show 2013 will be held in London, The Berlinale Festival will take place in Berlin, a combined Digital Music Forum East and West - forming DMW Music - comes to New York City, The Editors Retreat for TV, video and film editors will be given in Riviera Cancun.

Asia Television Forum, Bahamas International Film Fest, Art Basel Miami, Monaco International Film Fest, are highlights in December's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

The Joy Wai Gallery in New York City opens a group show curated by Ramses Granados presenting images of America in 2008 with works in various genres including: abstract, figurative, expressionistic, realistic, modern and photography. The opening reception for "A Portrait of America - Experience the 2008 Presidential Campaign in 2012", took place at Angel Orensanz Foundation In Manhattan's Lower East Side, hosted by television anchor and hostess, Sofia Samrad. After the opening reception the exhibition continues at the Joy Wai Gallery in Chelsea. Regardless of when the works were created they will serve as a retrospective of 2008 and particularly of a historic presidential campaign that marked a milestone in the country's history. The Joy Wai Gallery is a basement art salon that presents contemporary art with a strong focus in fine art photography. With an educational program in the works -- including guest lecturers drawn from artists, critics, curators and professors -- the Gallery envisions itself as a platform for exchanges within the art community.

Asia Television Forum in Singapore is a content market organized by Reed Exhibitions Pte Limited to buy, sell, finance, distribute and co-produce across all entertainment platforms, with conference topics that will include: "Focus on Korean Format: Running Man", "Format Distribution: The China Deal Marker", "The Future of TV: The New TV Player", "Focus On China's Film Business", "Future of TV: Going Global, Helping TV Shows Find Their Audience", "Euro-Zone: How to Get Your Movie Made in Europe", 360TV: Generating Revenue in the Digital Age". The opening keynote delivered by Sanford Panitch, President Fox International Productions USA, addresses the topic: "Creativity Beyond Borders: Asia and the Global Market - What The Future Holds?"

ATF is held in conjunction with ScreenSingapore, to present trading possibilities through a seamless TV and Film market, conference, networking opportunities, and gala film premiere. Opening party by RSVP only at the Marina Bay Sands Skypark. A CBS Studios International Cocktail Party, by invitation only, is in Marina Bay Sands, Level 1, on December 5. A "Creative Malaysia Networking Luncheon" is scheduled for December 6 on Level 3 of the Sands. There will be an "International Emmy Award Showcase of the 2012 Nominated Programs From Asia" later that day in the Cassia Ballroom. A cocktail party follows at the Japan Pavilion. Still later, is a Closing Red Carpet Premiere, and Closing Party for Screensingapre, by RSVP only, at Golden Village. Last conference day, December 7, closes with Screensingapore Board Lunch (by invitation only) and "Singapre Hour" at the Singapore Pavilion.

The FlipsideTV Film Festival -- an open genre, open form film festival and market -- maintains the sole intention of giving independent producers, screenplay writers, and directors a means to get in front of buyers, distributors, agents, financiers and other industry professionals, as well as a film watching audience. The Huntington Beach located organization runs this online film festival twice yearly, with this year's festival going to December 31. Movies play to an established subscriber base and are also exposed to potential acquisition and distribution agents. All official selections play to this audience for a one-month period and finalists are offered distribution and winners may get additional awards including theatrical exhibition to get the projects screened.

The Bahamas International Film Festival in Nassau is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the local community and International visitors with a varied presentation of films from around the world. In addition to offering films that might not otherwise be released theatrically in the Bahamas, BIFF schedules educational programs, and forums for exploring the future of cinema. Immediately following it's ninth annual festival which runs through December 9, the Bahamas International Film Festival will travel to Eleuthera for a continuation of this year's celebration to be known as The Best of the Fest Eleuthera. During its visit to Harbour Island and Governor’s Harbour, a full program of films and festivities will be offered for the enjoyment of visiting Filmmakers, guests and local residents. The schedule of events to be held December 10-14, includes Opening Night Film and Welcome Reception at Coral Sands Resort, daily film screening at Seagrapes, Harbour Island and the Globe Princess Theater in Governor’s Harbour, and Closing Night Film and Farewell Party at Tippy's, hosted by Odyssey. An Opening Night Party will be at Carrousel Yacht, and Closing Night Gala Party at Ocean Club Estates, Paradise Island.

From December 6-9 at various venues about Miami Beach, more than 260 leading galleries from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa will take part in the 11th edition of Art Basel, showcasing works by more than 2,000 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Special exhibition sections feature young galleries, performance art, public art projects and video art. Angaelica, a non profit organization rooted in the arts and ecology, curates gallery events during Art Basel Miami, with these community events supporting and encouraging artists and filmmakers. Art Basel is an international contemporary art fair held each June in Basel, Switzerland. Similar to the Venice Biennale, it has been called "the Olympics of the art world". Since 2002, a sister exhibition, Art Basel Miami has been held in the USA in Miami, Florida.

DocMiami International Film Festival is a Non-Profit 501c3 organization dedicated to providing a documentary film festival to promote the art form of up and coming documentary filmmakers and students’ from grades 6-12, at a local, national and international level. The festival, operating from North Miami Beach, format showcases three days of documentary filmmaking and three nights of music concerts, December 6-9. DocMiami’s music concerts benefit the non-profit, Brick by Brick for Tanzania. An Opening Night Cocktails and Dinner event feature the screening of 'Concert' by Richard Warren Rappaport. Festivities close with an Awards Gala featuring performances by: Tito Puente, Jr. (a member of the festival board), Kiki Sanchez and Eloy "Rali".

Since its creation in 2003 the Angel Film Awards at Monaco International Film Festival - MIFF is held in the Principality of Monaco. It is a non-profit, independent film festival and art house event celebrating peace, love and movies. The Angel Film Awards team strives to help worthy productions gain the publicity and recognition they deserve with some AFA winners having gained distribution deals and secured financing through the festival. The Festival mandate stresses the importance of no gratuitous violence in film/entertainment, and also includes the submission of environmental, cultural and peace-promoting themes in films. The Festival's emphasis is on promoting aesthetics in talent and filmmaker, and for films with a unique story. Red carpet screenings will take place at the new Art Novo Theatre and Press Lounge in the Novotel, Monte Carlo. Built on the site of the old Radio Monte Carlo building, the Monaco Gala premiere screening of 'Dream Awake', a feature drama (USA, 105 mins) will be followed by the Gala Evening Party with Red Carpet Champagne Reception at the Hermitage Hotel. The entire festival will be filmed for television broadcast.

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 pages translated into 10 of the most widely used international languages that can be accessed from the blog page. This month's photo placement highlighted art exhibit opening at Lower East Side's Angel Orensanz Foundation of "A Portrait of America" which continues its run at the Joy Wai Gallery in Chelsea, NYC. If the photo does not appear in this post please click this link (http://bit.ly/SyPjjX). Looking ahead into the next month that will open the new year of 2013, The Palm Springs International Film Festival will be based in the Coachella Valley at the base of Mt. San Jacinto. The Summer School (Australian summer) in Film making of the University of Melbourne's Cinema Studies Program launches. TAP!2013, training conference in digital content creation, publishing, marketing and monetizing, will be in Orlando. The second annual Games Summit at 2013 International CES, produced by Digital Media Wire, is in Las Vegas. The Sundance Institute launches the annual Sundance Film Festival in Park City. The Florida Media Market (FMM) created to fortify the Media industry in South Florida opens in Miami.

James Bond Turns 50, also, American Film Market, Billboard FutureSound, Siggraph Asia, are highlights in November's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

  


At 50: Bond... James Bond


In 1952, an English author, journalist and former naval intelligence officer named Ian Lancaster Fleming sat down at his Jamaican retreat which he was vacationing at and started to pen a story that would become 'Casino Royale', the first of 14 novels and short stories featuring the fictional commander in the Royal Naval Reserve and British secret agent of secret intelligence service MI6, James Bond. The resulting work was a success with three print runs to answer demand and marked the start of a series that has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Fleming also wrote the children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang and two works of non-fiction and received acknowledgement from London based The Times as one of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945". In 1954 CBS commissioned Ian Fleming to adapt his novel 'Casino Royale' into a one-hour television adventure as part of its Climax! series. The episode aired live in October 1954 and starred Barry Nelson as "Card Sense" James 'Jimmy' Bond and Peter Lorre as Le Chiffre.

The first Bond film (set in Jamaica, W.I.), 'Dr No', would be released in 1962 with Sean Connery (a Scotsman) setting the standard for the Bond character, and marking the start of one of the most successful franchises in movie making history. EON Productions has produced the majority of the Bond series. The 1967 Bond spoof, 'Casino Royale', starring David Niven and the 1983 'Never Say Never Again', with Sean Connery in a return performance after leaving the series, were not made by EON who produce the official Bond movies. Barbara Broccoli, the daughter of the late Albert "Cubby" Broccoli, the producer who brought Bond to the screen in 1962, maintains active control along with half-brother, Michael Wilson, in the productions of all Bond films right up to Skyfall, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the franchise. Incidentally, David Niven was the only James Bond actor mentioned by name in the text of Fleming's novels. In 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', Bond visits an exclusive ski resort in Switzerland where he is told that David Niven is a frequent visitor and in 'You Only Live Twice', David Niven is referred to as the only real gentleman in Hollywood.

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American Film Market, the annual, anticipated film event that's not quite festival, not quite conference, but mostly business opportunity -- the business of independent motion picture production and distribution -- set oceanside against Santa Monica beach. Generally 8,000 industry professionals converge in Santa Monica for the deal-making, screenings, seminars, networking and parties that continue through November 7. Participants come from over 70 countries and include acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, festival directors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, the world's press all those who provide services to the motion picture industry. Separate from the conference schedule, the AFM Industry Conversations are interactive and informative discussions led by Hollywood thought leaders, decision makers, trendsetters and experts, and are free to anyone with an AFM Badge. This year AFM and AFI FEST that normally runs concurrent to AFM in Hollywood will join forces and introduce a new AFI FEST screening program. Three AFI FEST films seeking international sales representation will be screened at AFM on Tuesday, November 6. A total of 27 films screening at AFI FEST will also be represented at this year’s AFM. AFM is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance®, the global trade association of the independent motion picture and television industry and the voice and advocate for the Independents worldwide.

The Hollywood based American Film Institute Festival holds a well regarded FIAPF accreditation assuring a high standard for the films it screens in its festival. 'Hitchcock', with Academy Award® winner Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock, Academy Award® winner Helen Mirren as his wife, Alma Reville, Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, Jessica Biel as Vera Miles and James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins, will have its World Premiere on the Opening Night Gala of AFI FEST 2012. Tickets will be released the day before each screening at AFI.com and the day of each screening at the AT&T Box Office at Hollywood and Highland Center. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards. The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is the official host hotel where you can find the Cinema Lounge, Audi Sky Lounge, Media Center and other various reception/event spaces. The Festival closes November 8.

Starz Denver Film Festival showcases more than 200 new films from around the world with over 175 international filmmakers, directors, actors and other film artists participating. The annual celebration of film running through November 11 provides a prominent showcase for world cinema, a platform for international film artists, and promotes dialogue between participating filmmakers and the public. Panels slated for discussion include: "The Talent You Don't See", "Women + Film", "Zombie Town Hall Meeting". During the Argonaut Wine and Film Series, seven films have been specially paired with wines from the respective countries of production and tastings will either precede or follow the screenings. Another festival special event, Animation Station, will feature an Animation Station Competition at Open Media Foundation, Animation Station workshop, and Animation Station Screening.

Leeds International Film Festival, founded in 1987 and hosted in the main city of the UK’s Yorkshire region, features programme sections including: the competitions of the Official Selection; Fanomenon, the UK's largest genre event; Short Film City; documentary strand Cinema Versa; Cherry Kino for artist film and video; and the Thought Bubble Comic Convention. LIFF is organised by Leeds Film, part of Leeds City Council, a local authority in the Yorkshire region of the UK. There are a number of free films and events at this year's festival which runs until November 18, including 'Unchosen Presents Ghosts' with Nick Broomfield and The Golem + Live Organ Accompaniment.

Createasphere's Entertainment Technology Expo in Burbank is a two-day gathering beginning November 7 for content creator professionals involved in production, post and delivery. Co-located with the Entertainment Technology Expo is Gear Alley where attendees can get to handle the production gear and participate in shoulder-to-shoulder demonstrations with active professionals. On the second day of ETE is the Post Production Master Class. This is an session focused on the trends, technologies, and the business of post production. Soon to be announced, Createasphere will launch the DPW Lab at the Entertainment Technology Expo 2012 featuring cutting edge digital process workflow. In one special Gear Alley session, attendees an handle and improve their technique with floating, camera boom, crane and jib shots during an info seminar led by Eddie Barber,  Emmy Award-winner and cameraman with an extensive list of music video credits that include Michael Jackson, Madonna and the Beach Boys, among others.

Salon De La Photo is an international exhibition of photography in Paris put together by La Compagnie Du Nouvel Art De Vivre, a subsidiary of Comexposium. On display from November 8-12 will be the latest technological innovations, from cameras to printers to digital imaging techniques. It offers a range of demonstrations, hands-on workshops, classes, film sessions and public discussions. One particular interactive experience, “Grandes Rencontres du Salon de la Photo”, gives visitors the opportunity to meet photography professionals in an event that will be organized and broadcast by Photographie.com. Salon de la Photo will also be an innovative trade show and conference for creative professionals looking to update or enhance their studio and location equipment, pick up new tips and techniques, network with industry mentors and imaging gurus. Salon de la Photo will be giving the ZOOM awards for the third year running where ten photo magazines editors each choose their favourite up-and-coming professional photographer (French or living in France) who has real but as yet unrecognized talent and whose work deserves to be brought to the attention of the general public.

This year at the Oaxaca FilmFest in Oaxaca, independent filmmakers and screenwriters from each continent will be competing for six original hand crafted Agave Statues created by international artist Alejandro Santiago. The categories include: Screen Writing Competition Award, Audience Choice Award, Best Documentary Short Film, Best Narrative Short Film, Best Documentary Feature Film, Best Narrative Feature Film. And of course Oaxaca FilmFest will honor Excellence in Cinema, including: acting, editing, musical score, directing, and Mexican film. There will be a three day "Pitch It" event that includes two workshops on how to properly pitch a film script to industry professionals followed by the opportunity to pitch to and interact with industry executives from various regions around the globe in real time via live video streaming. "Meet the Directors", a part of the festival format since its start, will be in La Choperia, a local bar, on a night when a handful of directors screen their short films and lead a discussion on the making their film. There will be a late night "Insominia" midnight outdoor screening overlooking the city of Oaxaca. Cocktails and After Parties are scheduled for every day of the festival which goes November 8-17, and are included on a schedule at this link.

Opening November 14-25, Brisbane International Film Festival in Fortitude Valley take place at what is for them the beginning of the Australian summer, as well as for anyone else in that region of the world. BIFF is a showcase for International cinema while also serving as a platform for local Australian and Queensland productions. The Opening Night film will be British crime drama 'The Sweeney' followed with a gala after party on the Barracks bridge. Closing night film is Tolstoy’s classic tale of obsessive love, 'Anna Karenina' (Keira Knightley), from Universal Pictures, then followed by the Closing Night Gala.

In San Francisco, the Billboard FutureSound Conference's format includes a series of 15-minute presentations from digital music thought leaders outlining their visions for both existing and future opportunities in the music industry. Fred Wilson, Principal, Union Square Ventures, delivers the conference Keynote along the intersecting lines of music, digital and social trends and investments. Don Was, President of Blue Note Records, delivers a Keynote Q&A shares his insights on how apps can function as a music format, and other issues related to the intersection of music, tech and fans as it relates to music distribution and artists development. New at this year's two-day conference starting on November 15 is the Innovators Showcase competition where digital music startups get the opportunity to pitch a company or product to a panel of judges on stage during the conference. Eligible startups must be pre-revenue, with a working demo or prototype to present that is directed at the music industry —- be that fans, artists, or insiders. Cocktail receptions close the evenings for both days of the conference.

Bath Film Festival was originally established in 1991, in Bath, by members of the Bath Film Society and the three cinemas in the city at the time. An expanding program over the years now includes workshops for festival goers, live music accompaniments to silent cinema, open-air cinema. On November 21 screenwriter Bob Baker, who has been writing scripts for over 40 years from television dramas to children's programs, gives advice on writing for film and television and talks in detail about his screenwriting while showing clips. On November 23, BAFTA-winning, and Oscar-nominated producer, Stephen Woolley, shares insights from his 30 year career. Bath Film Festival in conjunction with the Internet Movie Database – IMDb – have instituted two new film awards in 2012, IMDb New Filmmaker Award aims to discover new directorial talent and the IMDb Script to Screen Award. On the evening of November 25, Screen Award winner titled Pussy Cat, by Simon Wharf, will get its world premiere, and five finalists and the winner of the £1,000 prize of the New Filmmaker Award will also be screened. The festival in its entirety runs from November 15-25.

According to festival organizers, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography selects films according to their visual, aesthetic and technical values. The Bydgoszcz based Festival strives to be a forum not only for presentation but also for further development of international moviemaking. Apart from the Main Competition the Festival also contains other events such as Student Etudes Competition, Documentary Films Competition, Music Videos Competition, Feature Debutes Competition, Plus Camerimage Market, Plus Camerimage Forum, Polish Films Competition, special screenings and premieres, various reviews, retrospectives, meetings and accompanying events such as art exhibitions and music performances. During the Festival, which has its run November 24 to December 1, the gymnasium of the University of Economy is turned into a functioning film studio, where  filmmakers lead film workshops for accredited guests of the festival. This 20th edition of the festival will present Latvian Cinema Review, a program that will provide festival participants with a selection of films displaying the variety and the value of Latvian cinema. Latvian Cinema Review will not only be a chance to learn more about the country's history, mentality, and current situation, but also explore the Latvian sense of humor and the unique atmosphere of Latvia's cinema.

Siggraph Asia 2012 happening in Singapore November 28 through December 1 is put on by The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), an educational and scientific society uniting the world's computing educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field's challenges. The convention's trade exhibition will offer participants from hardware and software vendors to studios and educational institutions a platform to market their products and services to computer graphics and interactive techniques professionals and enthusiasts. This year the conference will introduce a new program – "Technical Briefs". Other featured events include Art Gallery, Computer Animation Festival, courses, Emerging Technologies, Symposium on Apps, and Technical Papers. The Symposium on Apps program aims to cover the development, technology, and marketing of mobile applications, and this year's program will put more emphasis on graphics and replace "motion tracking" with categories like hardware, games, augmented reality, location-based services, animation, and social networking.

"Birds of a Feather" events are proposed by SIGGRAPH Asia 2012 attendees and are informal presentations, discussions, and demonstrations for people who share interests, goals, technologies, environments, or backgrounds. These events will be free of charge, related to computer graphics or interactive techniques, and open to all SIGGRAPH Asia 2012 conference attendees. Blender, the free/open source 3D creation software developed by a worldwide community of 3D artists and developers, holds a November 30 session for users (open to Siggraph attendees) of Blender to showcase their work, ranging from technology demos to animation and VFX for film. The official SIGGRAPH Asia 2012 Networking Reception will be at |MAX Atria Foyer, Level 1, on November 29. Stroll through the Art Gallery and Emerging Technologies demonstrations with live entertaining music in the background. A standing dinner buffet including a free flow of refreshments will be provided. Wine and beer will be available as well.

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 pages translated into 10 of the most widely used international languages that can be accessed from the blog page. This month's photo composite celebrates the 50 years since the world's best known secret agent -- James Bond -- came unto the cinematic screen as Agent 007. If the composite does not appear in this post please click this link. Looking ahead into the next month, be aware that December will be a slow month with most activities reserved for holiday celebration, but there will still be... Burleighfest in Perth, All Things Hollywood; International Festival opens in Burbank, Future of Film Summit in Los Angeles, European Conference on Visual Media Production opens in London, The Bahamas International Film Festival opens in Nassau, DocMiami International Film Festival will be in Miami, the International fest of experimental film and digital art will be in Bratislava, NewFilmmakers New York comes to New York City.

NYFA guest article on actor training, also, MIPCOM, Ghent Fest, CMJ Music Marathon, NYTVF, are highlights in October's Global Media and Entertainment Industry

Training for Now: What Degree of Acting School is Right for You?

By Glenn Kalison, Chair of Acting for Film Program, New York Film Academy

Ultimately, people come wired with different degrees of natural talent. This is true in every pursuit, from anything involving math or science to the arts, athletics and everything in between. This certainly is true of performers, be they actors, dancers, singers, comics or musicians. Natural talent is only a part of what’s required to be a success.

For everyone who likes to cite Bryan Cranston (the talented multi-Emmy winner for his work in Breaking Bad), who holds an associate degree in political science, we should also consider how many others devoted their life to studying drama. Meryl Streep studied as an undergraduate as Vassar College and earned her masters in fine arts degree from the Yale School of Drama. Talent provides a good foundation, but education doesn’t hurt.

On a practical business point, the actor who has invested years of his or her life to training may be more attractive to managers, agents, and casting professionals at the very beginning. On the resume, solid training represents a commitment. This is a meaningful signal to send in a field such as acting, which has a very high attrition rate. If industry professionals are considering a new relationship with an entry-level actor, they will want to know that you are not going anywhere. Additionally, there is a confidence associated with those individuals who are trained to perform to the technical and artistic needs of productions. This does not replace the importance of talent, but may increase the number of opportunities to apply that talent.

Of course, not everyone has the time or wherewithal to follow Meryl Streep’s path. The programs at the New York Film Academy (http://www.nyfa.edu/) range from one week acting school workshops through summer camps, one-year conservatory, associate (two-year), bachelor (eight-semester) and masters (eight-semester) degree programs.

It might seem attractive to take several years off from life to get another degree, but that may not be realistic for many people. But a concentrated one-week intensive program can be a smart way for a working person to spend a week off from a regular job. This program (offered at the school’s Manhattan, Los Angeles, Orlando, Harvard/Boston, Queensland/Australia, Florence/Italy and Paris/France campuses) is completely immersive, including an intensive introduction to relaxation (tension alleviation), “method” (acting truthfully), scene study (dramatic beats, needs of the characters), movement (expression without words), voice (as it reveals character) and acting for the camera. A single week of training has its limitations, of course, but anyone who takes it emerges far more skilled than before.

A summer camp is another means by which younger people – teens and kids – get a taste for acting and consider where they might focus their career aspirations. In a similar vein for adults, 4-, 8- and 12-week acting and comedy programs provide technical training for the skills required of actors. Longer programs convey an understanding of film craft, the language and grammar of filmmaking. The actor is far preferred by directors if he or she understands shot language, screen direction, camera movement, eye lines and lighting.

In a multi-year degree program, the student is clearly committed to this profession and what it takes to be a solid performer on stage and screen. The course of study includes literature (vocabulary, history and industry writing trends), production, kinesthetic expression (the expression of movement, the voice and gestures), synthesis (becoming a unique artistic product) and business (the practical nature of identifying one’s marketing niche and the creation of a business plan to meet career objectives).

Some training beats no training. Training is available for different level performers, time commitments and locations so all students of performance, young and not so young, should be able to find something from which they can benefit.

Glenn Kalison received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California at Irvine and has since worked as an actor, director and producer on films that include Clutter (with Carol Kane and Natasha Lyonne), The Good Shepherd (with Matt Damon and John Turturro) and Mystery Team (with Aubry Plaza and Donald Glover), a Sundance Film Festival selection; and on television productions that include Law and Order: SVU, Law and Order: CI, Lights Out, As the World Turns; and many off-Broadway and regional stage productions. He is Chair, Acting for Film Program at the New York Film Academy.

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MIPCOM at Cannes is the yearly anticipated film, TV and digital market for co-producing, buying, selling, financing and distributing entertainment content. It provides the people involved in the TV, film, digital and audiovisual content, production and distribution industry a market and networking forum to discover future trends and trade content rights on a global level. Increasingly present are new media players such as Facebook, and MIPWORLD is the event's online matchmaking community used before, during and after the main event in Cannes. MIPJunior, a two-day screening and conference event for kids' TV and multiplatform content, normally is held right before the MIPCOM event which this year runs October 8-11. This year, Canada will be in the MIPCOM spotlight, as the festival collaborates with Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund (CMF) to present Canada Country of Honour, an immersive celebration of the best of Canadian TV, film and digital entertainment.

MIPCOM schedules a special workshop addressed to creators and producers to learn more on how to launch and grow a channel on YouTube, web broadcasting powerhouse, with more than 4 billion video views per day, on October 11. The MIPCOM 2012 World Premiere TV Screening of new period drama, 'The Americans', will have gala screening and MIPCOM's red carpet Opening Night Party on Octobern 8, attended by the series' leading couple actress Keri Russell and Welsh actor Matthew Rhys. BBC Worldwide is bringing actors Matthew Macfadyen, Jerome Flynn and Adam Rothenberg to Cannes to present the British period crime drama produced by Tiger Aspect and Lookout Point, 'Ripper Street'. Palme d'Or and Oscar-winning writer/director Jane Campion will be at MIPCOM to present her new series, Top of the Lake, executive produced by See-Saw Films and internationally distributed by BBC Worldwide.

The Ghent Film Festival in the province of East Flanders was first established in 1974 as a student's film festival, but has since evolved into a broader film event with its focus on film music. As this year's nearly month-long festival gets underway October 9 the opening gala screening will be melodramatic love tale: 'The Broken Circle Breakdown' directed by Felix van Groeningen. Every year along with screenings the festival organises film music concerts providing composers of film scores a showcase of their own. And each year since 2001 the best soundtrack composers are honoured with the World Soundtrack Awards. In addition to the screenings, the Ghent Film Festival also organises film-related exhibitions. For instance, the Stanley Kubrick exhibition, which was previously shown in Berlin, Melbourne and Frankfurt-am-Main, was brought to Ghent before other world cities such as Rome, Paris and London.

On October 18, the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the very first James Bond film and the Belgium release of the new James Bond film 'Skyfall', Ghent Film Festival presents "007 in Concert: Flemish Talents Sing James Bond". This program of famous Bond songs will performed with Flemish artists and the Brussels Philharmonic, conducted by Dirk Brossé. Guest artists will share their personal interpretation of legendary Bond songs including pop and rock artists like Natalia, Koen Wauters and Eva Jacobs, Jasper Steverlinck, Noémie Wolfs (Hooverphonic), Pieter Embrechts, Lady Linn, Barbara Dex, Marie Daulne (Zap Mama), Lola (AKS) and Stryrofoam who are confirmed for attendance and other to be added. Another 007 themed concert is scheduled for October 21.

The music of award-winning composer James Newton Howard will be celebrated in concert at the Ghent's 12th World Soundtrack Awards on October 20. Howard -- who has received eight Oscar® nominations -- most recently scored the blockbuster film 'The Hunger Games' and other credits include 'King Kong', 'The Sixth Sense', 'The Fugitive' and 'Pretty Woman'. VIP tickets are available for most all special concerts. In the "Artists On Film" festival showcase, October 10, Director Dheeraj Akoilkar examines the fruitful artistic collaborations between Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman in 2012 documentary 'Liv & Ingmar' before, during and after their romantic connection. The official closing program is "Passion" an erotic thriller in the tradition of ‘Dressed To Kill’ and ‘Basic Instinct’ directed by Brian De Palma.

At a time when all players in the TV and entertainment ecosystem face numerous challenges in keeping pace with quick paced technological innovation, introduction and adoption of new devices, platforms and evolving consumer demands, the Social TV ecosystem drives “what’s on”, and PayTV services are increasingly virtualized and seamless across multiple connected devices. That's where the Sixth Annual TVNext 2012 Conference in Santa Clara brings together the hundreds of media, technology and entertainment companies starting to chart a course for the Future of TV and Multi-Platform Entertainment Services and Platforms. The two-day convention starting October 10 has an agenda format that offers resources to help key decision-makers adapt their products, services and content to most effectively follow the paradigm shift happening right now. Jesse Redniss, Senior Vice President Digital - USA Network, delivers the conference keynote: "The Perfect Pixel – Portable, Shareable, Social". The Diffusion Group will lead a pre-conference workshop on October 9 titled: "TV's Great Migration" which looks into how the existing TV experience is migrating online, new OTT services, how broadcast and VOD TV services are adapting to the connected world and how they are transitioning online with TV.

The Tyrolean Independent Film Festival set to open for a run from October 12-15 curates quality films that are between art house and Hollywood block buster movies. It selects entertaining movies that have the potential to reach a great international audience. The Metropol Kino -- which will house most of the screenings -- is a movie theater with a long tradition that is situated at the Riverwalk near the old town of Innsbruck in the heart of the European Alps -- the alpine-urban city of Innsbruck. The Festival will screen films in cinema halls 3 and 4, as well as in the lobby. All festival parties start at 10 pm, or after the last screenings.

The Visual Effects Society (VES) is an organization representing visual effects practitioners including artists, technologists, model makers, educators, studio leaders, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and producers in all areas of entertainment from film, television and commercials to music videos and games. Comprised of a diverse group of more than 2,500 members in 29 countries, the VES strives to enrich and educate its own members and members of the entertainment community at large through a various domestic and international events, screenings and programs. Their upcoming VES Summit in Marina del Rey on October 13 will be used to examines the intersection between creative content and the business bottom line emphasizing how social media impacts decision making on all levels. Back by popular demand are the Breakfast Round Tables. Albert Cheng, EVP and Chief Product Officer, Digital Media, Disney/ABC Television Group, follows George Whitesides, CEO and President, Virgin Galactic at the morning speaker sessions. The Visual Effects Society (VES) as a non-profit professional, honorary society is dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences, and uses of visual effects and to improving the welfare of its members by providing professional enrichment and education, fostering community, and promoting industry recognition. The Summit closes with a cocktail and mixer reception for all to attend.

Now in its 32nd year, CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival functions as a platform for the discovery of new music with showcases that are held in over 80 venues throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. In addition to keynote speakers and an exhibition area with a live performance stage running October 16-20, it features dozens of panels covering topics of universal importance to the music industry. Attendees have access to over 80 panels, seminars, Q&As, nighttime parties, meet and greets, mixers, special events and exclusive areas like the Exhibitors’ Loft and Artist Lounge. In conjunction with CMJ’s commitment to educating as well as entertaining, registrants can sign up to have one-on-one sessions with professionals in a variety of capacities across the music world for insight and advice on thriving in the industry. On opening day a panel with Elias Roman, CEO and Co-Founder of Songza, Sami Valkonen, Esq., Head of International Music Licensing, Google Play, Larry Kanusher, Esq., Greenberg Traurig, Matthew DeFilippis, Vice President New Media and Technology, ASCAP discuss some of the open issues facing streaming media, including copyright and licensing concerns, and later that day in another panel, Mark Piibe, Esq., Executive Vice President, Global Business Development, EMI Music, Tyler Lenane, Esq., Senior Vice President and General Counsel, MOG, Gene Rhough, Esq., Independent Media Consultant, Larry Miller, Managing Partner, Miller and Company address financing innovation in entertainment.

With an emphasis on learning, talent assessment and job placement, the MIA Animation Conference and Festival conference at Miami Beach that focuses on Computer Animation, Gaming, Visual Effects and Motion Graphics, Film, Web Design and Visual Arts. It will offer master classes along with software demos and multiple panels focusing on new technologies. There will be a job fair onsite bringing employers from major animation and gaming studios, Post-Houses, TV Networks, to interview and hire students onsite. Interested applicants should check job postings on the Job Fair Page (http://www.miaanimation.com/Job%20Fair.htm) on a regular basis. The Festival will be holding a Pitching Contest onsite, and all content creators are encouraged to submit their projects for consideration. The top submissions in both categories will be invited to pitch their ideas in person to a panel of animation industry experts and professionals. The top pitch overall will be set up with three meetings with relevant buyers and/or talent representatives, enabling a start to getting the pitch sold. For planned competitive event, "Animation Wars," four competing teams of computer graphics artists will be chosen to participate in the competition to be held at Miami International University of Art & Design. The competition starts at 12 pm on October 19 and ends at 12 pm on October 20 -- a day before the conference officially begins and a day before it ends. During this time the four teams will compete against each other to create the best animation sequence through creative use of technology to tell a story, based on a theme to be revealed at the day of the competition.

Each year the New York Television Festival showcases the work of artists around the world bringing its audiences the creations of independently produced television. The NYTVF has hosted these independent initiatives leading to opportunities for guaranteed development deals with a number of networks, studios and brands including FOX, ION Media, Microsoft's Bing, Sony Pictures Television, Lifetime and Procter & Gamble Productions. In addition to those stand-alone initiatives, Independent Pilot Competition partners have included FX, IFC, MTV, USA and FOX Television Studios. Festival artists have also gone on to sell Festival-premiered content and  projects to a number of outlets including NBC, Sundance, A&E, Versus, IFC, Comedy Central, truTV and Spike. The Festival which opens October 22-27 this year in downtown Tribeca is supported by William Morris Endeavor (WME), Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and the United Talent Agency (UTA).

In West Hollywood the Hollywood Billboard/Hollywood Reporter Film and TV Music Conference will address the connection to, and music’s role in, film and television amid an assemblage of composers, directors, key studio, network, record label and publishing professionals, VIPs from the advertising, gaming and commercial fields as well as music supervisors in the business. Five-time Grammy Award winner Christina Aguilera headlines the conference with the Keynote address. Aguilera will discuss her musical journey -- beginning with "The Mickey Mouse Club," up to her present stint as a coach on NBC's "The Voice." -- an upcoming album, and the role television has played and continues to play in her life and career. Then there will be a Keynote Q&A with Epic Records Chairman, "X Factor" judge and three time Grammy winner Antonio "L.A." Reid who will discuss his career as a producer, songwriter and label executive at Epic. Other conference highlights will include a Q&A with two-time Academy Award winner Gustavo Santaolalla who will talk about his award-winning work on 'Brokeback Mountain,' 'Motorcycle Diaries' and 'Babel,' as well as his latest score, 'On the Road,' and a panel session titled Breaking Bad: Storytelling Through Music Supervision and Composing where the creator of the hit series on AMC, Vince Gilligan, will discuss the increasing importance of music on the show with composer Dave Porter and music supervisor Thomas Golubic. Evening one (October 24) ends with a cocktail reception and the closing night on October 25 finishes with a Billboard/The Hollywood Reporter Conference Closing Party hosted by John Anderson and PJ Bloom at VANGUARD located at 6021 Hollywood Boulevard.

Casual Connect is produced by the Casual Games Association and is an industry event for the casual games industry -- which are largely played on digital and/or mobile devices. Casual Connect brings together the experts of the casual gaming field to further the casual games industry through networking and learning and convention events held in both North America, Asia and Europe. On day one of the conference, Paul Thelen, Founder and CEO, Big Fish Games delivers a talk on "Making Money with Games – What's Real Today". Casual games are often found on a variety of platforms including personal computers, video game consoles, mobile phones and handheld devises. Because of their ease of distribution, varied monetization methods and mass appeal, casual games are distributed in a wide variety of locations including retail stores, major online portals such as Yahoo! and MSN, social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, and specialty online retailers such as Big Fish Games and GameHouse.

Aside from the conference and other learning agendas, Casual Connect will feature an Innovation Showcase that will take place near the entrance to Elite and Azure hall, and will showcase new entries such as: Botanicula, a point'n'click exploration game created by the makers of award-winning Machinarium, studio Amanita Design and Czech band DVA; Mad Acorn, a music rhythm game that gets you to pay attention to and interact with the rhythm; Nihilumbra, a videogame that panders to the existential dread within the player and that utilizes five different colors which give the player various abilities to change the physics of the world. Just one of the official Casual Connect parties to be announced is the Big Fish Games Presents Disco Stars! at venue D*Lux. The theme of the party for this year is 80's Disco. Check the convention agenda for more engagements which are sure to come.

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. A special guest article sidebar from New York Film Academy weighs in on selecting the right program for actor training By Glenn Kalison, Chair of Acting for Film Program, NYFA. This month's photo composite heralds the upcoming Bond, 007 flick 'Skyfall', the 23rd adventure and the 50th anniversary of the series, opening in UK Cinemas October 26 and in US theaters November 9. Looking ahead into the next month, be aware that... American Film Market will run along the beach in Santa Monica, AFI Fest opens in Hollywood, the ALTER-NATIVE International Short Film Festival opens in Mures, the Oaxaca FilmFest will be in Oaxaca, Brisbane International Film Festival will be in Brisbane, Content and Communication World will be in New York City, The Billboard FutureSound Conference will be in San Francisco.