Prominent Entertainment and Film Events Scheduled This Month

Right up until January 17, this year’s Palm Springs International Film Festival will feature a new program highlighting African Cinema as well as films selected to compete for the FIPRESCI Award, New Voices/New Visions Award, and John Schlesinger Awards.

The Festival will screen 40 of the 65 official submissions to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Best Foreign Language Film, and will host it’s own Black Tie Awards Gala at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer will deliver a pre-show keynote address at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show, January 6-9 in Las Vegas. Digital Hollywood sessions at this years CES tackle issues of content anytime, anywhere, on screens of any size, and how new platforms are refreshing approaches for reaching target audiences.

On January 6, attend the Media Money Makers reception, co-sponsored by the Scripps Networks, home of HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Travel Channel and Great American Country. The International CES is produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), a trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry, and made up of more than 2,000 corporate members.

The Actors Checklist logo
Cool Fire Technology, LLC

In 2003 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science elected to recognize Flickererfest as a qualifying festival for the Best Short film and Best Animation categories of the Academy Awards. It is also a BAFTA recognized film festival. This year in customary style the festival is conducted mostly outdoors in the Bondi Beach district, January 7-16. Flickerfest’s national tour that started in 1995 is also an important part to the festival. The tour takes the main competitive programmes and some special sessions to many regional and metropolitan areas which rarely have an opportunity to view such a collection of the best of the world’s short films. Each year the festival director visits festivals around the world seeking new films most of which have not been seen in Australia. There is an opening night screening and party, and a closing night awards ceremony and party.

The 2011 NEA Jazz Masters Awards Ceremony and Concert on January 11 in New York, will honor Hubert Laws, Flutist, David Liebman, Saxophonist, Flutist, Composer, Johnny Mandel, Composer, Arranger, Trumpeter, Trombonist, Orrin Keepnews, jazz producer, and five members of the Marsalis family. Following the ceremony will be the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and special guests performing.

The anticipated annual NAMM music products trade show joining all facets of the music products industry to reveal new musical instruments, products, and ideas to help music products retailers, manufacturers and musicians become more successful, is set for January 13-16 in Anaheim. The NAMM Show features NAMM U sessions, H.O.T. Zone sessions and the NAMM Foundation’s “Learning Lounge” events throughout each day. This year in workshops, the NAMM Foundation’s “Learning Lounge” offers an array of workshops and sessions exploring music, teaching formats and technology presented by NAMM partners.

BMI will honor Gospel music artists Commissioned, and Pastor Shirley Caesar at their 12th Annual Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards Luncheon. The event in Nashville will be held one day before the 26th Annual Stellar Awards, hosted by ten-time Stellar Award and three-time Grammy award-winning Donnie McClurkin, and taped before a live audience on January 15, and is scheduled for broadcast on the Gospel Music Channel (GMC). The invitation only event will welcome Gospel music’s premier songwriters, recording artists, executives and Gospel music legends.

In gallery exhibition “Musik Abstract,” featured artists include: Ernest Hodnett, Ana Marie Paredes, Ro Rozario, Clifton “Gus” Dickens, Khalid Thompson, Lloyd Chaser and Helene Ruiz (The Urban Individualists). Surreal, Abstract Expressionism and free improvisation are some of the elements that will be conveyed through multi-media artworks. This exhibit will be an arrangement of musical forms of color, lines, shapes and creative independence celebrating color and form that will make for a rhythmic sense of story and feeling and a concept of music through the visual arts. Curated by Helene Ruiz of the Urban Individualists in collaboration with Windmere Gallery, Mechanicsville, the exhibition opens with a reception January 15 and runs through February 12.

Bock Fest features German Bocks and many more winter beers from all over the world showcased in a competitive winter beer event in Los Angeles. The January 15 event boasts the winter beer championship with judges from all around the world to crown a winner. The judging panel includes Food Network’s the Tailgate Guy, Jay DiEugenio, FOX reality TV show, Joe Millionaire’s Melissa “MoJo” Hunter, beer experts, master brewers, brewery owners, and ordinary beer lovers. Event organizer Talents Connection is seeking individuals to volunteer while also taking part in the fun and activities as well. Interested parties should phone asap, or send email to: talentsconnection(AT)yahoo.com with “Bockfest” in the subject line. Proceeds are donated to local charities.

Known worldwide for its glittering Golden Globe Awards ceremony held every January and its multi-million dollar donations to charity, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Golden Globe Awards have enabled the non-profit organization to donate more than $10.5 million in the past fifteen years to entertainment-related charities. This seasons 68th Annual Golden Globes Awards on January 16 will recognize achievements in 25 categories; 14 in motion pictures and 11 in television. Dick Clark Productions has produced the Golden Globes ceremony since 1983. The Awards will have a live telecast airing on NBC at 8 pm (EST).

Tromso International Film Festival is a popular film festival for the local audiences and at the same time is an important meeting point for the Norwegian and international film industry. The Outdoor Cinema Tromso International Film Festival is set in the dark polar nights, which give’s TIFF the unique possibility to screen films outdoor. The outdoor cinema is located at the main square in the heart of Tromso. The program, from January 18-23, includes a selection of shorts and documentaries from films from the North, along with screenings and other events. Silence & Noise is a series of silent film concerts during three of the festival nights in January. The chosen films are early German horror classics accompanied to live music by bands prominent on the Norwegian underground music scene.

Sundance Film Festival opens this year in Park City for a run lasting January 20-30. In addition to discovering filmmaking’s newest talent through the Festival’s program of documentary, dramatic, and short films, Festivalgoers experience live music performances, panel discussions with leading filmmakers and industry figures, cutting-edge media installations, parties celebrating the Festival community, and more. Opening Sundance, An Artist at the Table, is an intimate evening to celebrate independent artists and their work, and will feature a cocktail reception with filmmakers prior to the film screening, dinner and conversations with Sundance Institute artists following film screening, and live entertainment.

The annual international music event, MIDEM, and MidemNet, bring together the music industry’s influencers and decision makers from across the globe to Cannes from January 22-26. MidemNet provides insightful analysis into the mobile and digital music markets. Together, they form a place to license and discover music, find solutions, make deals, keep abreast of industry trends and to meet the people that could transform a business. MidemTalent Global Artist Development, presented by MIDEM and Sonicbids, features artists from across the globe selected to participate in Midem Talent 2011, drawing in agents, labels, distributors, promoters, managers and other music professionals all searching for the new talent, new music and new business.

The annual NATPE Conference & Exhibition is an American program market serving the worldwide television community for those that buy, sell, develop, finance, advertise, market or license content; implement technology; exploit rights; or leverage media assets. Conference agendas, which run January 24-26, focus on the nature of the global marketplace, concentrating on formats, co-productions, new business models, trans-media trends, and how the ad world is responding to new opportunities for content involvement both here and abroad. In its new Miami surroundings, the conference day starts up with “Coffee With…” sessions out by the pool and evenings conclude connecting at the Bleau Bar.

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 any chosen language. A look ahead into February’s event dates will help you prepare for the Spokane International Film Festival on February 3; Berlinale International Film Festival on February 10; the Editors Retreat 2011 on February 16 to name a few. The latest Video News Summary presentation now running showcases the talents of: AMSTELLARDAM’s teaser for The Lonely Sound, Gilli Moon’s album release of, The Stillness, pre-feature trailer for dark docudrama, Nitrate, GuerrillaMonster Films’ Grindhouse flick, Cigarette Girl. Past videos from the monthly video news summary are archived on the Free Home Video Showcase. Happy New Year to all our readers from The Actor’s Checklist!