Gravesend For Cinema and Whale

We have not had a very good weekend in Gravesend. On Saturday evening (21 Jan.) the Thames whale died on the river here and then last night our little old empty cinema was gutted by a fire!

It looks like its R.I.P. for our cinema campaign.

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Film With Frontiers

filmfrontiers.com distributes high quality short films from the Indie community, as recommended by some of the worlds leading film festivals. All the movies and content are distributed with the full permission of
copyright owners.

filmfrontiers is an easy to use, totally free website. Users can search for movies under a wide variety of topics, or simply browse and then download them, in DVD like quality, to their home PC over a broadband connection.

User feedback from the initial trials have shown that many viewers are keen to view high quality movies from the Indie community that are never shown on the TV, are generally not available on DVD and can only receive
limited showings with well known film festivals, which by their nature are localised and only run for a week or two.

Viewer feedback on the range of highly rated movies and festivals include:

· “Shrink” an engaging comedy with a star cast and a great twist

· The wonderful animation “The Zit” - a labour of love from over 70
professional Disney animators

· The highly rated short “Pol Pot's birthday”, which premiered at the
2004 Sundance Film Festival

· If you like classic British humour, then try the fantastically funny
“Arrow Man Sam”

And there are many, many more films, to choose, from comedies to drama to children’s documentaries, from the USA, Europe, Australia and Asia.

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More Films In London

Film London announced today a record-breaking 18% increase in filming in the capital, marking an upturn in London’s filming fortunes for the second successive year.

The figures, which include shooting for films, TV and commercials, are collated by each of London’s 33 boroughs, and again consolidate London’s place as the third busiest production centre in the world.

In 2005, the total number of shooting days in London was 12,655 compared to 10,683 in 2004. This brings the average number of crews shooting every day in the capital to 35.

The London Borough of Richmond saw the greatest rise in filming with an increase of 148% on 2004. Other boroughs to report a major boost include Haringey (130% increase); Wandsworth (55% increase); and Southwark (53% increase).

The ten most filmed-in boroughs for 2005 are:

1. Westminster – 2231 days

2. Corporation of London – 1051 days

3. Lambeth – 932 days

4. Camden – 891days

5. Southwark – 822 days

6. Wandsworth – 765 days

7. Tower Hamlets –716 days

8. Hackney – 670 days

9. Kensington & Chelsea – 624 days

10. Hammersmith & Fulham – 526 days

Adrian Wootton, Chief Executive of Film London said:

“I am delighted that London has seen an increase in filming for yet another year. These figures confirm the capital’s importance as a film-making centre and its position as a strong competitor in the international market.

“London’s strength lies in the variety of productions it supports from multi-million pound block-busters through to no-budget student films, while the capital’s unique mix of locations, studios, post-production facilities and world-class talent, provide an unrivalled asset to film-makers.

“These figures are a real endorsement for Film London which actively works to secure projects to film in the capital and make filming in London easier through initiatives such as the London Filming Partnership which launched last year. Together with the UK’s new film tax relief, the London film industry has a very positive outlook.”

Tim Owen, Assistant Director Event and Filming for Westminster City Council said: "We are delighted that Westminster is the destination of choice for film crews from around the world.

"Our special events and filming team works very hard to welcome crews and make it as easy as possible for films to be shot in the heart of London. There are many wonders that central London has to offer and we are keen to the show them to the world."

London welcomed a wide range of productions in 2005 from big-budget feature films such as the Da Vinci Code and V for Vendetta, to home-grown productions such as Anthony Minghella’s Breaking and Entering as well as many TV series such as Hustle, Miss Marple and Dr Who, and commercial shoots for companies including VW, Nike, Carlsberg and Marks & Spencer.

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THE MEDIA AGENCY OPENS FOR BUSINESS

With media the buzzword in industry and colleges alike it seems unbelievable that, until now, there have been few single recruitment agencies catering for the whole industry. Well, that is about to change with the launch of The Media Agency, a brand new recruitment service that spans the breadth of the business from sales and administration, through to television producers, engineers and script writers.

The Media Agency is the brainchild of entrepreneur Alison Beswick who has a background in both media and recruitment. Alison opened her own agency's door for business on 3rd January 2006 and within days had secured permanent contracts for talented candidates with PR agencies, publishers and television production companies in the Sussex area.

The Media Agency is designed to appeal to media employers who want exceptional personnel with the appropriate experience or understanding of the industry quickly and efficiently. The agency is targeting publishers, production companies, event organisers, PR agencies and new media companies to name a few.

Jenny Burgess, Executive Producer of Circle Multimedia Ltd (originating producer ITV Drama Series Wire in the Blood) quickly signed up as one of The Media Agency's first clients said, "I am delighted to come aboard as a client of the exciting new Media Agency, which is clearly going to be a truly dynamic new force in placing the brightest media talent with the right opportunities in an increasingly competitive market."

Alison said of her new service, "We are offering a cost effective solution for media companies initially in the South, to find both permanent and freelance staff who work in the vast spectrum of media. We are not looking to replace traditional agents, but rather to be a quick, easy solution to both permanent and freelance vacancies in a demanding industry that wants results on budget and on time."

Success has come quickly for the agency, with satisfied clients queuing up to recommend the service. Karen Davis, Managing Director of specialist beauty PR agency, Alchemy PR said "We approached The Media Agency to find us a high quality, experienced account manager and within days we had four excellent candidates to choose from. The quality was so high and we liked them so much that we appointed two, rather than the one we originally planned to take."

Candidates and employers alike are welcome to contact The Media Agency to find out more. Telephone Alison on 01903 882836 or e-mail her at themediaagency@hotmail.co.uk