The Brooklyn Film Festival
The Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF), is an International, competitive festival. BFF’s mission is to provide a public forum in Brooklyn in order to heighten public interest in films and the independent production of films. To draw worldwide attention to Brooklyn as a center for cinema. To encourage the rights of all Brooklyn residents to access and experience the power of independent filmmaking, and to promote artistic excellence and the creative freedom of artists without censure. BFF, inc. is a not-for-profit organization.
This is the 20 anniversary year for BFF and this milestone will be acknowledged at various points during the festival program. The Opening Night Preview is ‘Entanglement,’ Jason James, Director, Canada (Narrative Feature, 85 mins). Director Jason James will all attend the Opening Night screening and be available for the Q&A.
The Opening Night Party will follow at the Wythe Hotel beginning at 22:00 with complimentary drinks and appetizers served.
Other special events that BFF has planned include a KidsFilmFest for June 3, with a program tailored for children of all ages (films are rated “G”), consisting of numerous short animation, live-action and documentary films; a June 4 documentary screening of ‘Black and White Stripes: The Juventus Story,’ the story of Italy’s biggest football club and its relationship with the Agnelli family who has owned the team for nearly a century, narrated by F. Murray Abram; a June 8 Filmmakers Party hosted by G-Star and presented by Stella Artois, that will also combine an exclusive meet and greet for filmmakers and press; a June 10 Brooklyn Film Festival Exchange combining panel discussions, the annual pitch session, and networking during the happy hour; the free to attend, June 11 Awards Ceremony at Windmill Studios, that closes the Festival.
Organized by the same people who introduced the Williamsburg Brooklyn Film Festival and the Brooklyn International Film Festival, the 501(c )(3) Brooklyn Film Festival is an organization developed over 20 years and rebranded in 2010.
MIDEM
Since 1967, the annual MIDEM (acronym for Marché International du Disque et de l’Edition Musicale) is an international b2b event based in Cannes encompassing tradeshow, conferences, competitions, networking events and live 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 (#midem) opens June 6, the Palais des Festivals hosts the NRJ Music Awards.
The awards ceremony is organized by NRJ, a French multimedia conglomerate that owns multi-national music listening stations. This year’s music conferences explores the impact of music streaming on the music industry. While guiding the digital sector into areas of growth, music streaming has unfolded revenue generation on a global scale and foretells an era for the music industry of worldwide business development.
Annual MIDEM music industry events are generally focused on the core music business, the technology sector, brands and the agencies that represent them for music/brand campaigns. MIDEM provides a forum for business talks, visionary, political and legal discussions.
Top keynote speakers set for this year’s event will include: Hans Holger Albrecht, CEO, Deezer; Chris Taylor, Global President of Entertainment One Music; Martine Reicherts, Director-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture at European Commission; Mark Hoppus, co-founder of Punk Rock group Blink-182; Steve Bartels, CEO of Def Jam Recordings; Wyclef Jean, Ambassador at Midem Artist Accelerator; Mike Shinoda, vocals and producer of Linkin Park; Sarah Stennett, CEO and Co-Founder of First Access Entertainment; L.A. Reid, Chairman and CEO of Epic Records; Andy Ng, Vice President of Tencent Music Entertainment Group, and there are many others.
Beth Appleton, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, Warner Music Group (WMG), Simon Robson, President, Warner Music Asia, and Jonas Siljemark, President, Warner Music Nordics will deliver the keynote, Breaking China: How a European Pop Star Made it in Asia, while introducing Danish pop star Christopher to the stage who has found his success in China and helps underscore the WMG philosophy that success can come from anywhere and translate everywhere. Christopher and the WMG team tell the story of how he went from a local superstar in Denmark to topping the charts in China.
In one of the planned Visionary Talks, Oscar and Grammy-winning composer and songwriter, as well as President and Chairman of the Board of ASCAP, Paul Williams, shares his views on the value of music in the digital era. Then, there is a planned MIDEM Innovation Show revealing winners of the MIDEMLab, MIDEM Hack Day and MIDEM Marketing Competition. The Midem Marketing Competition In association with Marketing Week celebrates creativity and top achievement in music marketing and advertising.
As in previous years, the Midem Artist Accelerator will engage managers, agents, labels, and publishers as they look to grow their artists’ profiles globally. There will be 11 selected upcoming international talents selected by an Artistic Committee. The 11 finalists will have the opportunity to play a live set at Midem and have their song featured on Midem’s communications, as well as on the official Midem 2017 vinyl compilation. Overall, the Midem Artist Accelerator 360 program features a range of curated networking opportunities, as well as learning and coaching sessions with leaders of the international music industry. Artists and managers interested in entering the 2018 Midem Artist Accelerator can do so by applying online and submitting the application found there.
Beyond the daytime conferences, exhibitions and events, Midem By Night offer three nights of live concerts amid the backdrop of the Majestic Hotel beach. The Midem Artist Accelerator (MAA), presented by SONY, remains the flagship of the live program, with 11 international finalists performing every night: British showcase “Music is Great” is a featured act for the June 6 Opening Night with Public Service Broadcasting, multi-instrumentalist Jake Isaac, and girl-band trio Dream Wife. After-parties trailing Midem By Night take place each night at l’Annex Beach, with DJ Sets from DJ Q, Lovra (Ministry Of Sound) and Alessandro Kraus.
Produced By Conference
Producers Guild of America opens the 9th annual Produced By Conference (#ProducedBy2017) from June 10-11 in Century City, an information forum organized by active and accomplished motion picture producers participating as speakers, moderators, and mentors, for the benefit of the industry. In 2017 speakers include Ava DuVernay, Damien Chazelle, Jordan Peele, Ted Sarandos, Oprah Winfrey, Ian Bryce, Sanjay Sharma, Carla Hacken, Lori McCreary, Shawn Levy, Daisuke Tsutsumi, David Glasser, Gary Lucchesi, Norman Lear, Tracey Edmonds, Joe Chianese among others. Produced By 2017 is chaired by PGA members Ian Bryce, Tracey Edmonds, Marshall Herskovitz, and Rachel Klein.
Designated speakers lead talks and mentoring sessions about current and evolving trends in production, distribution, finance, marketing, branding, and media strategy. This annual event reliably brings together working and esteemed producers and collaborators in film, television and new media to provide information and insight that can be helpful to the success of a current or future project. Everything is Hosted on the grounds of 20th Century Fox Studios.
Highlighted sessions from the planned seminar program include, Content is King: Meet the Buyers, Financing Your Film: How to Get Your Project Made Outside the Studio System, The Whole World is Watching: Producing For a Global Audience, To Cast or Not to Cast: Challenges and Solutions in Hiring Talent, Conversations With: Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay and Bruce Cohen, The Art and Craft of Pitching for Film and Television, New Opportunities in Non-fiction: Docs, Limited Series and Alternative Programming.
In addition, Produced By Conference will offer the Mentoring Roundtable sessions for attendees to ask questions to, and seek advice from, the mentor of their choice. Idea pitches will not be permitted at these sessions. Also, there will be the Producers Mashup, a newly implemented networking event giving attendees the chance to ask direct questions of a variety of veteran producers and development executives.
It will take place on the afternoon of June 11 and feature four distinct tracks – Feature Film, Scripted Television, Unscripted Television and Digital Media. The Producers Guild of America is the non-profit trade group (with offices on both coasts) that represents, protects and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team in film, television and new media.
71st Annual Tony Awards
The American Theatre Wing’s 71st Annual Tony Awards celebrates achievement on the Broadway stage and the world of theater, also drawing from the talent well of film, TV, and music, with notable showstopping talents coming out for an evening of tributes and performances. The Tony Awards will broadcast live in New York City at 20:00-23:00 ET/delayed PT, airing on CBS Television Network.
The public may also stream the Tony Awards live across platforms with the CBS All Access subscription service, or checking for availability in their area by visiting CBS.com/allaccess for details. The Tony Awards, which honors theater professionals for distinguished achievement on Broadway, has been broadcast on CBS since 1978.
The Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. The 2017 awards program will be hosted by actor Kevin Spacey. Tony’s All Access will provide complete coverage from website TonyAwards.com, including the Red Carpet, Press Room Cam, Acceptance Speeches, Creative Arts Awards, and more.
Nominees in the category for Best Play include, ‘A Doll’s House, Part 2,’ ‘Indecent,’ ‘Oslo,’ ‘Swest.’ Nominees in the category of Best Musical include, ‘Come From Away,’ ‘Dear Evan Hansen,’ ‘Goundhog Day The Musical,’ ‘Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.’ Nominees in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play include, Denis Arndt for ‘Heisenberg,’ Chris Cooper for ‘A Doll’s House, Part 2,’ Corey Hawkins for ‘John Guare’s Six Degrees of Separation,’ Kevin Kline for ‘Present Laughter,’ Jefferson Mays for ‘Oslo.’
Nominees in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play include, Cate Blanchett for ‘The Present,’ Jennifer Ehle for ‘Oslo,’Sally Field for ‘The Glass Menagerie,’ Laura Linney for ‘Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes,’ Laurie Metcalf for ‘A Doll’s House, Part 2.’ Nominees in the category for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical include, Christian Borle for ‘Falsettos,’ Josh Groban for ‘Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,’ Andy Karl for ‘Groundhog Day The Musical,’ David Hyde Pierce for ‘Hello Dolly!’ Ben Platt for ‘Dear Evan Hansen.’
Nominees in the category for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical include, Denee Benton for ‘Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,’ Christine Ebersole for ‘War Paint,’ Patti LuPone for ‘War Paint,’ Bette Midler for ‘Hello, Dolly!’ Eva Noblezada for ‘Miss Saigon.’ A full listing of nominees can be obtained at: http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/nominees/index.html
For this 2017 Tony Award season Gareth Fry and Pete Malkin will receive a Special Tony Award for their outstanding Sound Design, and for their contribution to continually enhancing the live theatrical experience on ‘The Encounter.’ And based on the recommendation by the American Theatre Critics Association, the Dallas Theater Center in Dallas, Texas, will be the recipient of the 2017 Regional Theatre Tony Award. And two-time Tony Award winner and stage and screen icon James Earl Jones (known to many as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars series) will receive this year’s Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.
Drama Desk Awards
Foreshadowing the Tony Award evening, the Drama Desk Awards presented annually honors outstanding achievement by professional theater artists on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway. The Drama Desk Awards are voted on and bestowed by theater critics, journalists, editors, and publishers covering theater. Additionally, Drama Desk Awards, which are given in a number of categories, use a system to honor New York City theater productions with Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions competing against each other in the same category. The Nominating Committee generally meets twice a month to discuss the many eligible shows they are responsible for seeing. They then choose the productions for nomination on which the entire membership will vote. The Drama Desk Awards evening comprises the awards ceremony and the post-show reception with the winners and nominees for holders of the VIP Combo Ticket.
Monte-Carlo Television Festival
Monte-Carlo Television Festival (#FTV17) positions itself as an international fan festival where the fans of television shows can get up close and interact with television talent. The public and industry professionals can attend series launches, premier screenings, conferences, press activities, public events, VIP meetings and signing sessions in the same space. The Festival offers free entry and is open to the public, with incentives to upgrade to more privileges and greater access. Originally created by Prince Rainier III of Monaco, and now under the Honorary Presidency of Prince Albert II of Monaco, The Monte-Carlo Television Festival has, for more than half a century, presented television from around the world. The Festival, which runs June 16-20 this year, has also been inclined to bring out the talent associated with many of the most watched programs in the medium.
Sony Pictures Television Networks’ new thriller series ‘Absentia,’ starring Stana Katic (Castle) will open this year’s event. The screening of Absentia will follow the Opening Ceremony, during which H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, the Festival’s Honorary President, will officially open the 57th edition of the Festival.
A Sony Pictures Television Networks Original Series produced by Masha Productions, ten-part drama ‘Absentia’ makes its broadcast debut this fall on select Sony networks, including AXN. Behind the scenes” panel discussions with the talent of TV series will be open to attendees this year. Panelists will share unique insights with the audience, who will have the opportunity to ask select questions about the making of a series, production techniques, and special effects, plus the latest buzz from behind the scenes. Bonus sessions include meet & greets and selfies.
Monte-Carlo Television Festival
Visitors attending Monte-Carlo Television Festival can expect appearances to be made by international television talent: Shuk-Ming Wong (Mong Kok Riot: Hong Kong’s First Night in the Year of Monkey), Tarik Traidia (Toon), Oded Ruskin (Absentia), Gustaf Hammarsten (Midnattssol), Maria Feldman (Absentia), Oscar Arias (Without A Shot Fired), Abu Aun Lutfi (Battle For Mosul), Aude Thevenin (Scene De Menages), Hubert Besson (Plus Belle La Vie), Simon Abkarian (Kaboul Kitchen), Helen Mirren (Crystal Nymph), Ingrid Formanek (Midway: A Plastic Island), Michael Weatherly (Bull), Wilmer Valderrama (NCIS), Paula Patton (Somewhere Between), Anthony Anderson (BLACK-ISH), Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks), Omari Hardwick (POWER), Kelli Giddish (Law & Order), Reign Edwards (The Bold and the Beautiful), Yaya Dacosta (Chicago MED), Joan Collins (Dynasty), Ghazi Balkiz (Battle For Mosul), Pamela Anderson (Baywatch), Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (POWER), Malin Akerman (Billions).
Monte-Carlo Television Festival and Eurodata TV Worldwide routinely combine to recognize and honor scripted programs who deliver the highest ratings worldwide through the International TV Audience Awards. This year’s Awards will reward the programs that gathered the highest number of viewers worldwide in 2016 across five continents in three categories: “Drama TV Series,” “Comedy TV Series,” and “Telenovelas / Soap Operas.” The Festival concludes June 20 with the winners revealed and honored during the 57th Golden Nymph Awards Ceremony. Started by Médiamétrie, Eurodata TV Worldwide analyses and distributes programming and audience information, based on its partnership with the national institutes operating people meter systems throughout the world.
Despite the Festival’s free attendance policy, Monte-Carlo offers to its patrons the #OMG57 card that grants special privileges like fast lane autograph signing sessions, private meetings between fans and VIP, specially reserved spaces for the scheduled public projections, reservation priority for public events of the festival. Additionally, a VIP pass will be made available that will grant a VIP Welcome on the Red Carpet, Cocktail receptions and After Parties in the presence of Festival VIPs, seating for the Opening Ceremony, in the presence of H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco, premiere screening of a TV series, in the presence of actors and producers, a planned After Party set in the Casino de Monte-Carlo in the presence of all Festival VIPs. For the entire week of the Festival, signing sessions will be organized with resident actors.
Global Media Forum
Global Media Forum (#dw_gmf) in Bonn aims to establish a platform for exchange and dialogue on the challenges of globalization in which media plays a central role. This international forum is organized by Deutsche Welle and its partners and draws media representatives, high-profile experts of inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations, politicians, artists, entrepreneurs and scientists from around the world.
These leaders come from the fields of journalism, digital media, politics, culture, business, development, academia, and civil society to spend three days opening on June 19 developing solutions and fostering ideas on media trends, foreign policy and their impact on global development.
The GMF is dedicated to looking at various topics from the fields of foreign policy, future of the media and freedom of expression as well as sustainable development and creative industries and their relation to each annual focus theme. Each year, conference organizers select a relevant special focus theme from a particular area of interest. The theme for 2017 will be “Identity and Diversity.” In holding with the 2017 theme, conference topics that form this year’s program are, Artificial intelligence and journalism, Ostracism, demarcation and autonomy, Populism – a threat to values, Post-truth politics and our future, African satire draws attention. Hannes Sjoblad, a founder of Swedish biohacker association, BioNyfiken, an association that works on implant projects that aim to help develop new generations of implants with wider capabilities that make everyday activities easier and simpler, is a highlighted speaker at this year’s conference.
The organizer of Global Media Forum, German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle, sees itself providing in-depth, reliable news and information while promoting exchange and understanding between the world’s cultures and people. With headquarters in Bonn and main studio in Berlin, DW has developed regional television lineups in English, German, Spanish, and Arabic, with radio and online content available in 30 different languages.
DW’s television lineup offers news, features, and documentaries covering everything from business, science and politics to arts, culture and sports. An educational arm offers media professionals a broad range of training and consulting services. DW Akademie also provides cross-media traineeships, a bilingual master’s degree, as well as media training for executives.
The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the “Calendar of Global Media and Showbiz Industry Social Networking Events” page. If you like this report and other content found on The Actor’s Checklist, like the Facebook page at this link. India/France fusion band, Trinaad (formerly The Khayal Groove), is using crowdfunding to produce their next album. Learn more and become a supporter (with benefits). Visit their crowdfunding page here. With July and summer season in full swing, the events calendar falls off somewhat. But here are important events to be mindful of. AT&T SHAPE: A Tech and Entertainment Expo comes to Burbank, Latin Alternative Music Conference will be given in New York City, Comic-Con International returns to San Diego, London Film and Comic Con will be in London, Expo Cine Video Television will be in Mexico City, Mediatech Africa will be in Johannesburg.