Heat Up for Chilly December’s Entertainment and Media Events!

At Art Basel in Miami, international art galleries show work from masters of Modern and contemporary art as well as pieces by newly emerging artists. Paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photographs, films, and editioned works are displayed in the main exhibition hall, while designated artworks and performances become part of the landscape at nearby beaches, Collins Park and SoundScape Park. A number of events listed on the agenda are free to the public. Although most Art Basel events are conducted December 3-7, from December 2, de la Cruz Collection, a selection of works by artists re-defining Post War movements – New Abstraction, Figurative Realism, appropriation and process-based art – goes on exhibit through December 6. Also set for an early December 2 start, The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse, Fifteen Year Anniversary Exhibition, runs through December 7.

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Guitarist and singer, Toshikazu Maruno, has a new album Gratitude.

Every June, Art Basel marks the summer reunion of the international art world, hosted by the city of Basel. Outside the exhibition halls, the city of Basel’s cultural institutions – Fondation Beyeler, Kunstmuseum Basel, Kunsthalle Basel, Tinguely Museum, and Kunsthaus Baselland – offer museum exhibitions. Art Basel in Miami Beach has been adapted as the winter meeting place for the Art Basel international art world circuit. Miami’s leading private collections open their homes and warehouses to guests of Art Basel. Additionally, the museums of South Florida organize exhibitions

The public opening of Art Basel will feature a special evening program with live performances. This event is produced in collaboration with the Bass Museum of Art. A Crowdfunding Meet and Greet grants access to conversation panels with members of the Art Basel and Kickstarter teams and gives details about projects that have already come to life as a result of the crowdfunding drive. Salons, or informal presentations such as artist talks, panels, lectures and performances, with a wide range of speakers and topics from the international art world, are held every day of Art Basel.

Art Basel works with curators who present a selection of international artists and emerging talents. Art Basel maintains an international network with over twenty Global VIP Relations Managers covering five continents, who build and strengthen relationships year-round with art world luminaries, art collectors, business leaders and decision-makers. Connecting the international art community has been Art Basel’s goal since its beginning. In Hong Kong (March 15-17, 2015), Basel (June 18-21, 2015) and Miami Beach (December 4-7, 2014), each show is defined by its host city, with participating galleries showing artworks unique to the region, and parallel programming produced in collaboration with the region’s local institutions.

Watch this Art Basel clip:

International Music Festival Conference 2014 (IMFCON) produces a programs offering innovation, education, and an understanding of how music festivals play a crucial role in the music industry and foster growth in the arts. The Sixth Annual International Music Festival Conference in Austin opens December 7 with a SAG-AFTRA Opening Reception. Following an Orientation session as the first opening remarks, the agenda then presents: “It’s been a Hard Day’s Night! 2014 Recap-State of the Industry,” an insiders look at the festival industry and the forecast for 2015 and how to plan for it. This will be followed by session titled: “The Anatomy of A Festival.” Conference day one concludes with a Cocktail Reception Hosted by PublicVine and a FireChat After Party following that. The December 9 final day closing symposium will address: “Visual Arts: How art installations give festivals personality, identity, and longevity.” The Conference will close with a cocktail reception at the Texas Foyer.

CineAsia Hong Kong is a Pan-Asian Convention dedicated to the Cinema Exhibition and Distribution communities. It will feature screenings of upcoming Hollywood films, regional films, sponsored special events, informative seminars on cinema technology and developments and the CineAsia Trade Show for three days opening December 9. CineAsia brings together Asian cinema industry professionals, from cinema owners and suppliers to film buyers and distributors. As the sister event to ShowEast and CineEurope, CineAsia maintains similar standards of programming, seminars, special events and suppliers. CineAsia screens major Asian and Hollywood films and offers educational programs specifically geared toward the needs of the Asian cinema exhibition community.

Indonesian film producer and anti-piracy campaigner, Maya Barack-Evans will be honored with the CineAsia 2014 Asia-Pacific Copyright Educator (ACE) Award at a CineAsia Awards Ceremony on December 11. She is a key member of the Association of Indonesian Film Producers (APROFI) which comprises about 30 local filmmakers, aiming to improve the quality of the Indonesian film industry and to gain international recognition. On December 10 of the convention, cinema innovator, Timeplay, will give an interactive cinema demonstration and show how movie goers can use their smart phones and tablets to interact with and influence outcomes on the big screen. The platform enables cinemas, studios, advertisers and other partners to entertain, inform, and sell direct with movie goers before, after or instead of a movie. Following that, Sony Pictures Releasing International will make a 3D oriented product presentation and then host an evening reception after that.

Convention organizer, the Film Expo Group includes ShowEast, held in Florida; CineEurope, held in Barcelona; and CineAsia, held in Hong Kong. Parent company, the Prometheus Global Media Film Expo Group owns media publications and organizes entertainment industry events affecting the motion picture industry including Film Journal International, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek, Dick Clark Productions, the CLIO Awards, CineEurope, and ShowEast. Through these various media properties, Prometheus Global Media engages people and marketers by serving their needs in: music, media, entertainment.

Asia TV Forum and Market conducted in association with miptv and mipcom, Asia TV Forum and Market is an international entertainment content market and convention to buy, sell, finance, distribute and co-produce, across all platforms. It is where the industry meets Asia’s buying community, discovers the latest trends in Asia, showcases best in class innovation and champion and monetise the next generation of Asian content. It is organized by Reed Exhibitions Pte Limited and is held this year in Singapore City, December 9-12. The Asia Media Opening Keynote Speaker is James Wang Zhonglei, President, Huayi Brothers Media Corporation China. He will be followed by Ma Dong, Chief Content Officer Iqiyi, China. He will address, Digital China: The New Storyteller – Iqiyi.

This year ATF Animation Lab will introduce “Up-Close with Commissioners,” a two-day knowledge sharing session that will give attending delegates opportunities to glimpse into the programming plans of international animation studio commissioners, and what they will be looking for from 2016-2017. Overall, Animation Lab is a three-day closed door pitching event focused toward animation producers to pitch their animation projects and ideas to attending international broadcasters, commissioners and financers.

ATF will be held in conjunction with MIPACADEMY, Asia Television Awards, recognizing excellence in programming, production and performance; ScreenSingapore, an international content sellers and Asian buyers business arena to buy, sell, finance, distribute and co-produce, across the platforms; and Singapore International Film Festival, focused on showcasing international films and providing a global platform for the best of Singapore cinema. The MIPACADEMY event gathers format and factual producers from across the entertainment industry who want to learn directly from international format experts.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will conduct the second meeting on December 10 of its new The Entertainment, Arts and Media Committee – TEAM HOLLYWOOD. For current Hollywood Chamber members this is a complimentary member benefit. TEAM HOLLYWOOD’s mission is to promote the Hollywood brand with the intention of preserving Hollywood’s homegrown entertainment industries with a focus on film, broadcasting, commercials, television and performing arts. The Hollywood Chamber Committee additionally aims to cultivate new and emerging media so as to uphold Hollywood’s status as the entertainment capital of the world. TEAM HOLLYWOOD is co-chaired by Chamber members Susan Cabral-Ebert of IATSE Local 706 and Maricela Gomez of Paramount Pictures and meets quarterly. Chamber committees comprised of volunteer members are continuously working to improve Hollywod and shape its future. Through committee involvement, members have the opportunity to bring change in areas specific to their business and to make important business contacts. The Hollywood Chamber encourages all to take advantage of this membership benefit by participating in ongoing committees. This is a free event with limited seating. RSVP is essential.

The Midwest Clinic International Band, Orchestra and Music Conference provides attendees interested in music education with an array of clinics and exhibits, as well as access to well regarded music and teaching professionals. The Chicago located conference, continuing for four days through December 20, will also focus on industry trends and future topics in business and music education. A Conference highlight includes ensembles in performance, while showcasing anywhere from students to seasoned performers exhibiting their talents to a targeted audience with an interest in furthering music education. Each band and orchestra panel is specifically focused and offers attendees the most up-to-date music styles and education techniques. Particular features to this conference reinforce its focus on mentoring and development. Rehearsal labs provide observers an opportunity to watch and listen to conductors working with various types of ensembles in an open rehearsal setting.

The Midwest Clinic is structured for educational purposes exclusively, and among other goals, to disseminate to school music teachers, directors and supervisors and others interested in music education, information to assist in their professional work for the betterment of music education. An important goal of The Midwest Clinic sessions is for audience members to gain insight and develop practical educational framework skills they can use at home with their own ensembles. New music reading sessions provide a glimpse of new music publications available for each type of ensemble. Attendees have the advantage of listening to professional musicians as they introduce new works and perform a portion of each piece for a live audience. Each session presents a variety of styles, composers, and publishers. There will be a December 18 College Night for students and teachers looking for a music degree program among eighty colleges, universities and branches of the United States Military planning to send representatives.

Starting from December 26 in Gachibowli district of Hyderabad, more than 6,000 dancers from different parts of Andhra Pradesh, other states within India, the US, Canada, UK, Russia, Dubai, Mauritius, Malaysia and Singapore and a few other countries are expected to take part in the International Kuchipudi Dance Convention. The International Kuchipudi Dance Convention showcases interactive sessions where technical aspects of the dance form will be discussed and dance performances by the dancers of various participating countries will showcase their talent. The highlight of the conference will be a group recital in which thousands of dancers from all over the world will dance to a few selected pieces. A video has been prepared which contains all the dance pieces which will be performed on the final day is viewable online. The dancers, with the help of their respective teachers will have to learn the dance pieces, practice and perform as per the instructions given in the video. Parent organizer, SiliconAndhra organization, based in San Jose, California, has been doing several vital cultural programs over the last 12 years to protect and perpetuate the Telugu language, literature, tradition and culture. Apart from Projects, SiliconAndhra conducts five major events in each calendar year, timed to correspond to important dates in the Indian calendar. Other areas of involvement other than Kuchipudi Dance Convention include, Manabadi initiative to teach Teiugu to children born and brought up outside Andhra Pradesh, publishing the “Sujanaranjani” magazine to spread ‘Telugudanam’ (telugu culture) around the world, ‘Global Internet Forum For Telugu (GIFT)’ initiative with the goal to bring together the technology and language.

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The latest Hobbit release, The Battle of the Five Armies, Peter Jackson, Director, opens in North American theaters in midDecember

The World Wide Music Contest is a global competition conducted over the web, and open to bands and solo artists without a current recording or performance contract. A public voting system engaging the sites daily visitors urges them to select their favorite artists. The competition is primarily conducted through the organization’s web portal. New bands, solo artists and singers compete for a grand cash prize in Euros, mastering services, instrument accessories and promotion services. The contest is still open to submissions and is free to enter until December 31, 2014. The overall first prize will be assigned to a band or artist indicated by the public vote and then confirmed by the contest’s judging panel. Toshikazu Maruno of Kagoshima Prefecture is contesting for top placement in the World Wide Music Contest 2014 but competition is fierce. With his guitar, he performs songs of love, hope and life’s daily struggles in the Rock, Pop and Acoustic range. In January 1998, he released an album, “In The Name Of Love.” In the summer of 2011, he released another album “KIZUNA.” Toshikazu’s most recent album to date is “Gratitude,” released in 2014. The voting in World Wide Music Contest remains tightly contested, but Toshikazu Maruno is determined to win new fans and maintain his edge With his two songs entered: “Your Happiness Is My Happiness” and “This Is My Life,” Enthusiastic fans are permitted to vote up to two times in a 24 hour period. Be sure to keep checking the MySpace or Facebook page for Toshikazu Maruno for upcoming concert tour dates he will have in the new year of 2015.

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. 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 includes the CD cover with acoustic pop musician and singer Toshikazu Maruno, his new album “Gratitude,” and a contestant in the World Wide Music Contest, and movie stills from latest Hobbit release, “Battle of the Five Armies.” If the photo does not appear in this post please visit the blog page to view it. Beginning the new year in January 2015, there are a full calendar of events now that the holidays are past. The global content marketplace known as NATPE opens in Miami, Annie Awards will make presentations in Los Angeles, the annual AFCI Locations Show comes to Century City, the Mountain High Music Festival opens in Crested Butte, the much anticipated Sundance Film Festival returns to Park City, Best Of Events International happens for a period of two days in Dortmund, Advanced Film Industry Expo is in Tokyo.

Seasons greetings to all and all the best for the holiday period from The Actor’s Checklist.