Local film stars support aspiring young filmmakers

in the North East

A group of budding young filmmakers from the North East had the experience of a lifetime yesterday when they attended a workshop with professionals from film and advertising industries to learn some ‘tricks of the trade’.

The workshops were conducted as part of the Futures in Motion film competition run by First Light, the UK Film Council’s youth initiative, in conjunction with The National Lottery, and which aims to showcase the creativity of young people across the region.

Part of Newcastle’s Centre for Life was transformed into a film set for the day with cameras and props, and local film star Peter Flannery, scriptwriter for films including Funny Bones and The One and Only, as well as BAFTA winning Newcastle television program Our Friends in the North dropped by to lend his support and share his experiences. Multiple Oscar® winning director Ridley Scott, who is responsible classic films such Alien and Gladiator, and who grew up in South Shields, has also lent his support to what he calls a “great initiative”.

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i-blink

Coventry’s film festival is about to go International and will be scouring Europe for fresh new writing talent

The former blink film festival is going to be i-blink and to celebrate; the organisers have created a wonderful opportunity for budding film-makers to get their films made.

i-blink 2007 is to give young film makers from all over Europe the chance to have their scripts made into 10-minute films and the best 10 scripts submitted will be made into films and screened at the festival next January.

The innovative international scriptwriting competition is a key part of the film festival and is open budding directors, screenwriters and producers living or working in Europe.

Pete Woodbridge, one of the organisers of the i-blink film festival and a lecturer at Coventry University, said:

“We want the i-blink festival to become one of the fixtures and fittings of the international film festival scene and by launching the scriptwriting competition with the prize of having the script made into a film is a way of getting the film-makers to take notice.

“Coventry is a city a reputation for excellence in so many areas and an international film festival is the next logical step.

“We are looking for scripts about any subject of about 10 minutes in duration. There is no age limit and it’s open to everyone.”

Scripts are now being accepted and short-listed screenwriters will be identified later in the year. Film production will take place over the summer to produce the final 10 films by the end of November 2006.

The films will have their debut screening at the i-blink film festival which will form part of the internationally renowned MeCCSA and AMPE* conference which Coventry is hosting in 2007.

Pete Woodbridge added:

“Who knows, we could discover some rare talent who could go on to become the next Spielberg, Hitchcock or Lean. It is a wonderful opportunity for someone to see their work come to life and I hope it will fire peoples’ imagination.”

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IAFT ONE-YEAR IMMERSION PROGRAM GAINING MOMENTUM

2nd Session Continues To Attract Aspiring Filmmakers From Philippines and Around The Globe

CEBU, PHILIPPINES (April 27, 2006) – Upon successful completion of its inaugural session, the International Academy of Film and Television’s (IAFT) One-Year Immersion program rolls into its next batch of classes poised for another great session.

In addition to an influx of promising new students from as far the United Kingdom, the IAFT proudly announces the addition of three esteemed new mentors:

* Mark Gary, has worked as both director and Director of Photography for television commercials, with corporate clients such as Sprite, Wrigley, Sara Lee and Unilever;
* Roberto Minervini, Italian-born filmmaker and photographer who gained international recognition in 2001 for the experimental short film To Be A Woman; and
* Fred Straughen, who has worked in television production for over 20 years with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as well as throughout Asia and Indonesia.

These new members will join highly regarded resident mentors Timothy Doolen and Fritz Kohle. Doolen has provided valuable instruction to students through IAFT’s short-term workshops and its first session.

Even with the stellar line-up of film industry veterans, unique beachside campus and state-of-the-art facilities, the cost of the One-Year Immersion Program will remain comparatively low at US$8,000 for international students and US$5,000 for local Filipino students.

The admissions department of IAFT notes that, given these favorable factors, there is an increasing amount of enquiries about the program from countries as far away as Australia and the United States.

To encourage budding filmmakers, IAFT has previously established a Scholarship Fund for students who wish to attend its courses. The Fund comprises three assistance programs: one need-based award, CineLikha Young Filmmaker Scholarship, and two merit-based awards, IAFT Lumière Fellowship and Emergent Artists Award.

Awards will be granted based on student’s annual income (for the need-based award) or prior creative history and demonstrated potential (for merit-based awards). For the second session, the Emergent Artists Award was granted to Filipino Joe Siclot, a Fine Arts graduate who demonstrated exceptional talent and would like to further his creative pursuits in the realm of filmmaking.


“We look forward to offering aspiring filmmakers from all corners of the world the opportunity to practice their craft at a world-class media facility,” says Kacy Andrews, CEO of Bigfoot Entertainment, the fully-integrated parent company of IAFT. “For many students, it’s their first exposure to the rigors and rewards of a career in the entertainment industry.”

The One-Year Immersion program, which consists of five 9-week courses, includes courses on cinematography, editing, directing, screenwriting, producing, filmmaking, sound design and other electives. Students will also get to work closely with the faculty members to for their final project which can be part of their professional reel.

IAFT accepts a new student intake every two months so subsequent terms will begin on June 5, August 14 and October 23. Housing is available for students at the 68-room Casablanca Gardens, which is a two-minute walk on campus.

For more information, please call +63-32-342-8889 or 1-866-300-7207 (toll-free from U.S.). Alternatively, you can visit www.filmschool.ph

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SHOOTLIVE TO CAPTURE CRIMINALS IN 11 SECONDS

Worldwide launch of revolutionary new technology at International Police Expo Conference 2006

ShootLive, www.shootlive.com a patent pending photography delivery process developed by the world renowned photography agency EMPICS, is to be unveiled for the first time at the International Police Expo Conference 2006 in Birmingham on 9 – 11 May.

ShootLive enables police photographers to take high resolution pictures in real-time and then send the images to a central hub over a wireless internet connection within 11 seconds of the camera click.