Festival Launches Speed Auditions. Three year old Dungog, the youngest but increasingly popular newcomer on the Australian film festival circuit, is fast becoming a favourite of industry, public and locals in this rural community three and a half hours from Sydney. This is winemaking, farming and mining country – ensuring spirits are well lubricated, bodies well-fed and, due to distance between venues, well-exercised. Sponsorship by the state (New South Wales) mining council ensures that open...

DUNGOG FILM  FESTIVAL(DFF) Done Cannes, Berlin, Venice and Sundance. Now Dun-gog. Festival Launches Speed Auditions. Three year old Dungog, the youngest but increasingly popular newcomer on the Australian film festival circuit, is fast becoming a favourite of industry, public and locals in this rural community three and a half hours from Sydney.  This is winemaking, farming and mining country – ensuring spirits are well lubricated, bodies well-fed and, due to distance between venues, well...

Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced today that esteemed Newsweek film critic David Ansen is joining the organization as Artistic Director of the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival.   Senior Programmer Doug Jones has been promoted to Associate Director of Programming for the Los Angeles Film Festival. "As a consummate movie lover, David is one of the finest critics thinking, watching, and writin...

 Peter Rodger introduced his film Oh My God at the Mill Valley Film Festival.   "I was challenged to make this film because I was frustrated by the childish schoolyard mentality that permeates our world...People blowing up buildings while saying ‘God is Good.'" Rodger's film consists of him travelling around the world with a camera asking people the question: "What is God?" The film gives us many, many different answers from all kinds of people.    "God is ever...

Many documentaries today address activist issues. Often after seeing such movies,audiences will ask, "What can we do?" Sunday October 18, closing day of the Mill Valley Film Festival, a panel called: Active Cinema: Strategies for Change addressed how to best inspire audiences to action. How do we help audiences connect the dots between the experience of watching the film and doing something? How can we inspire activism? The panelists discussed. "You can't just show them the film and leave," s...

  Many documentaries today address activist issues.  Often after seeing such movies, audiences will ask, "What can we do?" Sunday October 18, closing day of the Mill Valley Film Festival, a panel called: Active Cinema: Strategies for Change addressed how to best inspire audiences to action.  How do we help audiences connect the dots between the experience of watching the film and doing something? How can we inspire activism?  The panelists discussed. "You can't just show...

..............WELCOME TO OUR NEWSLETTER N° 437: October 21, 2009 Follow this LINK if you cannot read the newsletter properly Contact the Editor of the site, Advertise on the sites. You can find us at twitter.com/fest21 and find Bruno Chatelin on facebook Add your fest21.com RSS to your blogs! How to use FestivalExpress our new online submis...

I got to sit down with Zoe Elton, Director of Programming at The Mill Valley Film Festival 3 days before the close of this year's fest. She's been with the Festival since it's inception 32 years ago, when she sort of fell into the position at random. Previously she worked in England as a theatre director and writer. Check out our conversation below to see what she has to say about the video art community in the 80s, how documentary has changed, it feeling like a "vintage year" for film, and o...

I got to sit down with Zoe Elton, Director of Programming at The Mill Valley Film Festival 3 days before the close of this year's fest.  She's been with the Festival since it's inception 32 years ago, when she sort of fell into the position at random.  Previously she worked in England as a theatre director and writer.  Check out our conversation below to see what she has to say about the video art community in the 80s, how documentary has changed, it feeling like a "vintage year" fo...

I am opened to a new world after seeing Michel Orion Scott's The Horse Boy- currently playing at the Mill Valley Film Festival. Thus far in my life I have not been closely touched by autism, and I didn't know much about it previous to watching. Doctors' interviews sprinkled throughout the movie help give an insight into understanding the cryptic disease. The Horse Boy tells the true story of the Isaacson family. The film begins four years after Mother Kristin and father Rupert have given bi...

 I am opened to a new world after seeing Michel Orion Scott's The Horse Boy- currently playing at the Mill Valley Film Festival.  Thus far in my life I have not been closely touched by autism, and I didn't know much about it previous to watching.  Doctors' interviews sprinkled throughout the movie help give an insight into understanding the cryptic disease.   The Horse Boy tells the true story of the Isaacson family.  The film begins four years after ...

The 12th Annual Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films & Short Film Market (ShortFest) has announced it will be held from August 24 – 30, 2006 at the Camelot Theatres with widely respected film curator (and 2006 PSIFF Programming Manager) Anita Monga as the Director of Short Film Programming this year. The early entry deadline for ShortFest is April 15, 2006. Student entry fee is $30 and non-student entry fee is $40. Commenting on this year’s upcoming event, Festival Director ...

Mill Valley Film Festival closed its 28th year with screenings of more than 200 films from over 50 countries on Sunday, October 16. Always an exciting Festival component, more than 175 filmmakers and actors from around the globe made the trip to Mill Valley to share their filmmaking experiences with the audiences. “We had an exceptional slate of US and world cinema, tributes, spotlights, music events, parties and receptions for film lovers of all ages,” notes Founder/Director Mark Fishkin. �...

For 28 years, Mill Valley Film Festival has been presenting the best in American Independent and International feature films, hard-hitting documentaries, cutting edge video, delightful children’s fare and tributes to celluloid luminaries. This year is no exception. With more than 150 slated films and videos from around the globe, the Mill Valley Film Festival unspools October 6-16.“The 28th Festival is filled with extraordinary independent films from 55 countries around the world as well as ...

For 28 years, Mill Valley Film Festival has been presenting the best in American Independent and International feature films, hard-hitting documentaries, cutting edge video, delightful children’s fare and tributes to celluloid luminaries. This year is no exception. With more than 150 slated films and videos from around the globe, the Mill Valley Film Festival unspools October 6-16 at the CinéArts @ Sequoia, 25 Throckmorton Avenue in Mill Valley; 142 Throckmorton Theatre, 142 Throckmorton Aven...

Our First Film FestivalAs I sit here at my desk with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, I try to organize my thoughts on what has been one “Whirlwind” of a weekend. It has been unlike any I have ever had.After countless rejection letters, our short film “The Queen of Spades” had finally been accepted into a film festival. The festival is called the “6th Annual California Independent Film Festival located in Livermore Valley’s Wine Country. I must admit, I had never been to Livermore’s...

The Mill Valley Film Festival wrapped up here this week and as in years past the films themselves were the focus. Outside of New York, the Bay Area is one of the top markets for independent and foreign films, in part because the populace is diverse and highly educated. The Mill Valley festival draws more filmmakers and producers than celebrity-struck fans, which is just fine for the people showing the films -- they'd rather see word of mouth race through the industry, so they can get distributio...