New York’s Harlem Community Hosts Film Festival September 8-11

By actorschecklist

New York’s Harlem community hosts a film festival through September 11 that showcases features, documentaries, shorts, youth films and animated works from around the world. Other events include night life, panel discussions, the Brownstone Awards and the Renaissance Awards gala. In addition to showcasing films from around the world, the Festival also features the Harlem Spotlight, which highlights films produced or directed by Harlem residents, films shot in Harlem, or films about Harlem and its history.

A Miami Hitmakers Panel set for September 8, has been structured to help educate the up and coming music community in Miami. Panelists will discuss topics such as their background, the state of the music industry today, advice for aspiring producers, songwriters, artists and executives, and other related areas. They will also participate in a Q&A with the audience near the end. ASCAP’s Vice President of Rhythm & Soul Membership, Nicole George, will moderate the panel. Attendance requires an RSVP that will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis. To RSVP, please contact Michael Wells at mwellsATascap(dot)com. This panel is free and open to the public.

The Sydney Underground Film Festival seeks filmmakers that veer from the norm. The festival, held in Marrickville, Sydney and running September 8-10, seeks to support filmmakers who operate outside established film industry infrastructures, by providing a platform for exhibition, exposure and critical discussion. The festival program’s selection screens independent, experimental, art-house, provocative and daring films from around the world. There will be a fifth birthday celebration at the Opening NIght film and party with fun films, a special live performance, DJs, complimentary food and beverages including organic wine, organic beer, and freshly baked pizza onsite.

In 1997, Malibu Film Foundation was founded by writer/producer/director, David Katz, to produce the Malibu Film Festival. The Malibu Film Festival is set to make a run this year from September 9-15 in the renowned beachfront community that is its home. With a focus on new filmmakers, Malibu Film Festival screens films in all genres, on any topic, from every country around the world. The mission is to showcase the most talented emerging filmmakers, bringing attention to their work to the film industry. A Tory Burch Fashion Show will be presented during the festival run, and there will be a Closing Night Awards Party.

The Temecula Valley International Film & Music Festival is open to US and International films in five categories: full length features, shorts, documentaries, animation and student films. The music competition component of TVIFF is designed to showcase the music vision and artistry of musicians representing all genres of music – from rock to pop, jazz to R&B, Folk to Hip Hop, Country to Latin, Reggae, etc. The festival starts September 14 with an Opening Night red carpet welcome of 300 filmmakers and music artists’ participants, followed by nightly filmmaker/musician receptions, capped by a Black Tie Awards Gala to close on September 18. Independent record producer Jason Brawner leads the workshop, “Pitch It, Pitch It Good!” where he conducts one-on-one mentoring sessions, and JDS Actors Studio conducts a workshop that focuses on the Audition process for Actors at every level. The two-day MusicFest, Friday and Saturday, is free to the public.

In a combined effort, ASCAP and GRAMMY U present a September 15 networking mixer in San Antonio geared to college students and featuring food, drinks, and a panel presented by ASCAP titled: “The Importance of Music In Film and Television 101”. Students can network with fellow college students, Recording Academy Texas Chapter Board members, and start the school year with GRAMMY U. Panelists include: Jeff Jernigan, ASCAP Associate Director of Film and TV Music, Yocel Alonso, Entertainment Attorney, Janet Vasquez, San Antonio Film Commission, Rick Garcia, ASCAP Film Songwriter, Brian Black, Music Supervisor, Veronica R. Hernandez, NALIP, Carl Thiel, Music Producer/Composer/Film Scorer.

Taking place during the 33rd annual Independent Film Week (formerly IFP Market), IFP’s five-day Filmmaker Conference: The Future of Film is now in its new home in New York City at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s new facility. New this year, are in-depth master classes on topics ranging from financing the narrative feature to audience building and outreach. Created in 1979, IFP is one the nation’s oldest organizations of independent filmmakers and during this time has supported the production of 7,000 films and provided resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers through programs and guidance that include: Independent Film Week, Independent Filmmaker Labs, Industry Connects, Fiscal Sponsorship, the Independent Film Conference and many others. IFP also publishes Filmmaker magazine.

The New York Television Festival (NYTVF), founded in 2005 as the face of the “independent television” movement, has been striving ever since to provide artists with needed access to decision makers, innovative paths of program development, and opportunities to showcase their work. The NYTVF’s Independent Pilot Competition has established a pipeline allowing producers, writers, and directors to showcase their original TV pilots directly to decision-makers of the industry. For the first time, an international group of writers, directors, and producers, selected from a grassroots search, will be given the opportunity to showcase pilot programs directly to network and cable executives in a forum. There will be a cocktail party welcoming the 2011 Official Artists and celebrating the opening of the Independent Pilot Competition on September 20, and on September 21 join the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment for a party celebrating the City’s thriving television production community, both events in the Varick Room at Tribeca Cinema.

Unicomm in association with Variety will host the LA Mobile Entertainment Summit in Hollywood, September 20-21, which is all about connecting the ecosystem among digital assets, original content and mobile platforms to reach consumers in today’s multi-screen environment. It will bring forth some of the top minds in mobile technology, interactive media and entertainment to examine how content and rapidly evolving technology is dramatically changing the entertainment marketplace. The two-day conference includes keynotes, one-on-one interviews, panels, technology demonstrations, a networking luncheon and evening cocktail reception as well as table top displays and interactive showcases. It will run concurrent with the 3D Entertainment and 3D Gaming Summits operating from the same space.

POP Montreal International Music Festival, running September 21-25, is an annual not-for-profit curated cultural event championing the international music scene vital to indie oriented communities of musicians and artists, fans, curators, critics, and record labels. The festival includes symposium discussions, artisan and visual art exhibitions, fashion shows, film screenings, and nightly parties. The Festival is designated by these sections: Pop Montreal, ArtPop, FilmPop, KidsPop, PucesPop, Symposium. In a slated “Music Supervision Workshop” Jon Bartlett (Megaphono/Kelp Records), Andrea von Foerster (Firestarter Music), Michael Hill and Russell Ziecker (Lionsgate Entertainment) analyze the process to create new soundtracks to a 30-second film clip.

Across the Canadian divide in Ottawa, The Canadian Film Institute (CFI) rolls out the Ottawa International Animation Festival from September 21-25. The CFI is focused on promoting and presenting regular public programmes of contemporary, historical, and international cinema in the National Capital region. During the week of the Festival, there are 92 screenings and 46 professional development events at six venues across downtown Ottawa. In addition to the main Festival – the OIAF runs a number of outreach events and activities such as: free NFB workshops for families and teens, the Adobe Toon Apprentice Pass, Animation Celebration (a free screening for elementary classes), Toon Apprentice high school lecture series, and more. Aside from nightly parties, the festival also has the annual picnic located in Strathcona Park, Ottawa’s picturesque green spot on the Rideau River.

The Fantastic Film and Arcade Game Fest, happening in Austin, September 22-29, was created to offer exposure to genre films in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action, which can be overlooked by the traditional festival circuit. The Festival strives to offer acquisition and media and exhibition opportunities for undistributed films as well as to spotlight upcoming genre theatrical releases and repertory genre classics. The Fantastic Arcade will showcase a curated selection of brand new independent games as well as a larger sampling of important independent games from the last couple of years. The festival will also make available special badges for access to: the arcade open for game play and tournaments, Fantastic Arcade happy hour and tournament finals, Fantastic Arcade VIP Party. Festival venue The Alamo Drafthouse was named the best cinema in America by Entertainment Weekly and features food and drink served to your seat without any disruption of the movie experience.

The mission of the upcoming Coney Island Film Festival is to raise funds for the non-profit arts organization Coney Island USA while presenting an engaging program of films including “made in Coney Island” productions. The September 23 opening night celebrations pay tribute to Coney Island’s renowned carnival history with live performances by sideshow freaks, sword swallowers, fire eaters and stars of the New York City burlesque scene. Coney Island’s amusement parks and aquarium are scheduled to be open weather permitting. The festival runs through September 25.

Miami’s DocMiami International Film Festival will kick off with Opening Night Cocktails and a Screening on Thursday at Romano’s Macaroni Grill. The festival officially opens September 23-25. In some of the speaker sessions, Funding and Development of Your Document, will be addressed by former 20th Century Fox Scriptwriter, Alyn Darnay; and Brenda Nieborsky, VP Operations for Openfilm.com is a featured speaker on the topic of On-Line Distribution. Speaker Ece Karayalcin, Filmmaker/ Professor at the Department of Film and Television, School of Entertainment and Design Technologies, takes on issues of Legalities, Footage & Music Rights. Performing artists including Javier Batiz “The Godfather of Mexican Blues” and Tito Puente, Jr. contribute their talents in scheduled concerts for the benefit of the children of Tanzania at DocMiami 2011.

The annual conference for the film, video, and digital media industry known as Cine Gear NY, includes: exhibits, premiere and master class seminars, film series competition and finalist screenings, 3D symposium and technology salon, content conference, new product announcements, demonstrations, VIP awards ceremony, special events and more. The conference which runs in New York City, September 24-25, offers artists and technicians the opportunity to discover the latest technology and techniques, get hands-on training, gain knowledge and skills from industry leaders, obtain the newest equipment, hear breaking industry news and network with peers and industry leaders.

The Annual CULTURE&CULTURES Intercultural International Film Festival (C&CIIFF), staged in Lempaut Tarn and opening September 29 until October 2, is created by the non-profit association “Culture&Cultures” and presents a selection of international films, both documentary and fiction, with a platform committed to intercultural exchange and dialogue. After each screening, the audience will vote for their favorite film and the Director of either the fiction or the documentary film which obtains the highest votes will be the winner of the 1000 Euros prize.

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 which now has a language translation button to convert page contents into most widely used languages. A look ahead into October event dates will help you prepare for: Billboard & The Hollywood Reporter Film & TV and Music Conference, in Los Angeles, Durango Songwriters Expo, in Boulder, the New Orleans Horror Film Festival, in Theodore, New York City ShowBiz Expo, in New York City, 2011 Content & Communications World, in New York City, to provide just a small sample of upcoming events in advance. Also to alert viewers, a site revamp and redesign of The Actor’s Checklist is close at hand, with new interactive features, tools and resources to aid members, so please stay tuned.