Welcome to the
October 2008 Edition of
THE BAWIFT NEWS
The newsletter for
Bay Area Women in Film & Television (BAWIFT).
Read
on for more information about our exciting November Event featuring
celebrated artist/filmmaker Lynn Hershman Leeson. Check out our new
feature:
Members in the Spotlight
,
Discounts for Members to Workshops, a Q & A with local film
publicist & BAWIFT Member Karen Larsen, information about upcoming
BAWIFT Board Member Elections and much more...
We hope you enjoy this issue of the
BAWIFT NEWS
and
keep supporting your local chapter of Bay Area Women in Film &
Television (BAWIFT) so we can continue to build the organization and
provide you with more resources, networking and informational
opportunities and support for your own career in media!
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BAWIFT MEMBERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
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BAWIFT
Member, Barbara Murray of
Left Coast Productions
, has created the
exciting, new indie film review website "Your Indies are Showing"
www.yourindiesareshowing.com
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This site reviews independent films that can be found on-line and was recently featured in Bay Area's
TECH Now TV
on NBC - Click on the 6th story down.
About "Your Indies are Showing":
This
on-line site is attempting to help direct some of the Indies traffic to
good entertainment or at least warn you off the really bad indie
shorts, features and documentarys. Your Indies are Showing is an
on-line review show that reviews indie movies that can be found mostly
on-line.
If there is a hotly debated Indie that is in
commercial release, then the Your Indies are Showing co-hosts will also
take on that topic also. Your Indies are Showing uses a co-host format
and is taped at the fun and quirky Indies Cafe. The web site is also a
clearing house of information for film makers. The site list film
festivals both in the US and International. There is a reference page
of Indie Information. Starting in September the site will also feature
Indies reviews made by viewers. Your Indies are Showing will accept
submissions of reviews from reviewers and show the best ones on their
site. It's sort of like a video Yelp for Independent movies.
Read Press about yourindiesareshowing.com:
Forbes.com
IT Industry Today
Media Industry Today
TecTrends
Filmmaker Justine Jacob
Runners High
,
the documentary film & festival hit, produced and co-directed by
the former President of the Board of Directors of BAWIFT, Justine Jacob
premieres on KQED's TRULY CA Series in November on the following dates
& times:
RUNNERS HIGH
When teenagers from one of the toughest neighborhoods in the country --
Oakland, California -- sign up to train for a marathon, they begin the
journey of a lifetime.
Runners High
is an intimate, character driven documentary of struggle, courage, and hope.
During a season filled with conflict and possibility, these teens bare
their dreams, joys, tears, and fears. As several stumble under pressure
in emotionally charged moments, others realize the journey begins with
the power and commitment to accept responsibility for their own
futures.
Runners High
shows that no matter what happens next, one season of training to run 26.2 miles can change your life forever.
"
She (Justine) sought to distance it from other inspirational
documentaries on youth competitions such as 'Mad Hot Ballroom' and
'Spellbound' by telling a 'compelling character-driven story.' She's
done that, and makes us laugh and tear up while watching
.
-
Randy Meyer, A & E Film Critic,
Contra Costa Times
BAWIFT MEMBER and Actress/Producer Kari Wishingrad featured in several upcoming films!
Kari
has been cast as one of the leads in the feature film "Expect Murder"
- a thriller/drama directed by Akhtar Sheikh aka Anthony Verge of
Verge Films to begin shooting in October 2008. She also has been cast
in the short "The Italian Woman's Club" written and directed by Tony
Knott. Kari has teamed up with Command Z Productions to produce the
feature film "Pink Dress". More info on Kari can be found at:
www.kariwishingrad.net
Actress/Producer Kari Wishingrad
Want to be featured in the
"MEMBERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT" section
in future editions of the BAWIFT NEWS?
Please send:
-
your latest news, projects, & information to
info@bawift.org
-
include a jpg relevant to the news - your logo or photo (of at least 300 dpi).
-
Include your name, company & project and contact information.
-
You
must be a current BAWIFT Member to be included and we can't guarantee
that all of the submissions will be included - but we'll try!
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BAWIFT's October MEET THE FILMMAKERS EVENT: The Making of The Documentary Film
Going on 13
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BAWIFT
was proud to present, in association with the National Association of
Latino Filmmakers (NALIP), an in-depth conversation with filmmakers
Dawn Valadez and Kristy Guevara-Flanagan and their Editor Corey Ohama
on Wednesday, October 8th at the San Francisco School of Digital
Filmmaking.
The
packed room heard the inside scoop and challenges and triumphs over the
years it took to make this extraordinary documentary which premiered at
the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. The film follows 4 young girls over 4
years as they let go of childhood and negotiate the precarious moments
between being a little girl and becoming a woman.
BAWIFT had been host of one of several work-in-progress screenings of
GOING ON 13
a
few years ago. According to filmmaker Dawn Valadez: "We found the
insight and comments from our work-in-progress screenings, including
the one we had with BAWIFT extremeley helpful in the process,"
The Bay Area Premiere of
GOING
ON 13
was at the San Francisco International Documentary Festival this month.
For more information about the film or screenings visit:
www.goingon13.com
A packed room listens intently to the Fillmmakers and Editor of GOING ON 13 discuss the making of their film.
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Q&A with BAWIFT Member and Leading Bay Area
Indie Film Publicist
,
Karen Larsen
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Always festive publicist Karen Larsen (right) and Mill
Valley Film Festival Programmer & 2008 BAWIFT panelist Janis
Plotkin (left) at a local film festival (Photo by Susan Gerhard)
BAWIFT:
What
exactly is it that you do as the Principal/Founder of Karen Larsen
Associates for independent filmmakers, media organizations and film
festivals in the Bay Area?
K.L.:
I
do everything from consulting with an organization (a press list to
CinemaTech) and sharing of press lists with organizations or filmmakers
to doing publicity for festivals and opening films theatrically in
order to get as much publicity: TV, radio, print as we can for each job
and strategy for PR & marketing (if it is opening theatrical vs.
the festival circuit and theatrically) - I do all.
BAWIFT:
How long have you been in the Bay Area and where else have you lived
and worked? Have you always been in PR & Publicity and how did you
get into the field of publicity and PR for media and film?
K.L.
:
I
moved back here in 1970 from Santa Cruz and went to work at KQED on a
lot of shows as an Assistant Director and PA and I also was a single
mom so I worked part-time hours, did research and exhibits for places
like The Oakland Museum, worked on helping cast films, and had a
million freelance jobs. Eventually I worked on
Over Easy
on
KQED as the talent coordinator and got to know Judy Stone and Mel
Nobokov which is how I got to know so many filmmakers, work for film
festivals and major film distributors and studios who hired me to open
films theatrically in the Bay Area. I then became the publicist at the
San Francisco International Film Festival which was then a 4 month job
(Jan. thru April), then Mill Valley asked me to be their publicist,
Frameline hired me in their 10th year and The Jewish Film Festival and
Asian American Film Festival all hired me as well.
BAWIFT:
How have you seen the field of indie film and film festivals change over the years?
K.L.
The internet was a huge change - before the
Blair Witch Project
,
Sony used to ask me why I was letting someone be interviewed by an
internet-based publication - they didn't care about that - and then
they saw the success of
Blair Witch Project
and saw the power of the internet as a marketing tool. This week
filmmaker's Wayne Wang's new film:
Princess of Nebraska
is opening on YouTube's Screening Room- Wayne was conservative about
the on-line environment but even he has changed. Theatrical festival
screenings have changed (taking a cue from film festivals) - they've
learned that it works to have filmmakers and artists there to do
Q&A. Opening a film with Q&A's by directors/actors and
producers are packed screenings. Festivals are still important. The
Asian American Film Festival has an unusually supportive community and
audiences. I've noticed now that people go to Festivals because it's
an experience especially the Asian American, Jewish and Frameline Film
Festivals locally. I've noticed a strong cultural connection with
Asian/Jewish/Frameline and have literally heard people at the Jewish
Film Festival say it is "their synagogue." I've also spoken to folks
who come to every event at every festival and come out to these
Festivals, buy full passes and treat it like a vacation. That's
especially evident at Frameline which takes place during Gay Pride Week
and people come from all over the Country for the events around the
Week and to attend Frameline.
BAWIFT:
What would you recommend local filmmakers do in terms of marketing and
promotion to help position themselves and their work in the festival
circuit and beyond? And do you have any tips, dos and/or don'ts, etc.
K.L.:
Do find out who a Festival's publicist is and call them (not too often though) and in a very nice way offer to help like the
Going on 13
filmmakers (they email me once or twice or week and update me on what
they are doing themselves for marketing and PR and what screenings are
happening. They told me that they were doing the Panel Event this
month for BAWIFT). Do ask if the publicist has enough of your DVDs,
photos, and make sure they have your materials. Offer to send more
DVDs, press kits, photos. Tell them when you are available while at the
Festival - give a schedule and give helpful details. Offer to do more
and give more packets, postcards, posters, clips, info, DVDs, etc. so
the publicist doesn't have to keep getting or copying more. Know how
to make a press kit (and make sure your information is all email-able
and downloadable). What publicists generally don't like is when a
filmmaker calls over and over - especially if they are one film in a
big Festival and the publicist is representing that Festival which has
over 200 films. There just isn't enough time to focus so much on only
one film so know the appropriateness of your calls and questions!
BAWIFT:
What do you like most about the work that you do?
K.L.:
When connections get made - for example a young filmmaker named Arturo Perez made a film called
Where Have the Flowers Gone
about a 20 year old coming out to San Francisco in search of the 60's
culture and sensibility. He got my name from another local filmmaker
(Luke Wolbach
- Row Hard, No Excuses
Documentary). Arturo created his own press kit and already had some
internet presence but for a small fee, I offered to send an eblast on
his behalf. From that one e- blast he not only got a story in the
Chronicle but West Coast Live wanted him on the Show. He had done his
part and made a nice press kit. I love that - and he is so
appreciative.
BAWIFT:
What are the general fees or costs to work with you?
K.L.
:
I offer organizations, companies and people individual hours-long
consultations with complete press lists and a walk through and complete
analysis of the lists and what needs to be done for approximately
$500. I also offer $100 an hour consultations to individuals and
charge a small fee for just the use of my press lists.
BAWIFT:
Any favorite moments or people from your years in the industry and what's your favorite type of films?
K.L.
:
My favorite filmmaker is Wong Kar-Wei as his films are so romantic.
Unfortunately I haven't met him but I did have Tony Leung here on
interviews. I was really fond of the actress Amy Adams (
June Bug
)
as she was so lovely on interviews and recently I had Charile Kaufman
on interviews. He's shy and I was worried but he was really nice. I'm
also really fond of the director Errol Morris and have had him on
interviews about 4 times over the years - I admire his work greatly.
One of the highlights of my professional career was getting to go the
Academy Awards for the 1990 film
Berkeley in the Sixties
as I did the PR nationally & internationally for that film. The
filmmaker, Mark Kitchell, was nominated for an Academy Award for that
documentary and invited me to join him - unfortunately the film didn't
win that year but it was exciting to be at the Oscars with him.
For Film or Festival Publicity - contact Karen Larsen from Larsen Associates at (415) 957-1205 or by email at larsenassc@aol.com
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Bay
Area Women in Film & Television (BAWIFT) is growing, offering more
Member Benefits, expanding the Board of Directors and will soon be
launching a new website and name change so stay tuned for these
exciting developments.
If you are a woman in media in the Bay
Area and are not yet a Member of BAWIFT - we hope you'll consider
joining this resourceful and dynamic, like-minded community to not only
expand your own career opportunities but support your local Chapter of
Women in Film & Television.
Click here
to learn more about the benefits of BAWIFT Membership and we hope you'll join us on November 12th for our
Event
featuring an intimate conversation with artist/filmmaker/activist Lynn Hershman Leeson.
If
you aren't yet a Member and have yet to come to one of our events -
feel free to bring the $5 Coupon at the bottom of this Newsletter and
check out our November event for free!
ELECTION NEWS:
No not the National Presidential Race...but for the BAWIFT Board of
Directors! If you are a current BAWIFT Member, you will also be
contacted shortly regarding running for and voting for the 2009 Slate
of Board of Directors - so watch for news on upcoming elections.
Also - don't forget to join
Chicks-Chat
- it's BAWIFT's popular and widely used user group/forum with close to
900 registered women in media users - this is a valuable
resource/community for women in media in the Bay Area.
Sincerely,
The Board of Directors,
Bay Area Women in Film and Television
(BAWIFT)
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BAWIFT's November 12th Event:
The Films & Art of
Lynn Hershman Leeson
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Bay Area Women in Film & Television is proud to present
this rare and very special opportunity to engage with one
of the most innovative and talented women filmmakers working today!
CLICK HERE
TO REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT
REEL SUCCESS STORIES:
The Film and Art of Lynn Hershman Leeson
Lynn
Hershman Leeson has always been at the cutting edge. She is an amazing
artist who works in many media, including films, photography and
installations. She has produced over fifty major video works and
has been a pioneer in combining traditional film, new special effects and digital technologies. Some of her feature films are:
CONCEIVING ADA
,
TEKNOLUST
, and
STRANGE CULTURE
,
starring Academy Award winning
actress Tilda Swinton. Lynn's films have won dozens of awards at major
festivals in the USA and Europe. She has also had over 200 art
exhibitions in major museums and galleries throughout the world, and
her artwork is included in such collections as The Museum of Modern
Art, New York, The Seattle Art Museum, The D.G. Bank, Frankfurt, The
Hess Collection, and the Walker Art Center.
Her current project is a major work about the history of feminist art
and the long struggle that women have had to endure to show their art
and be recognized in the art world. We will be treated to sequences
from this new film, and clips from some of Lynn's other films, and
hear about her creative process and the driving forces that propel her work.
In addition to her films, Lynn has always simultaneously put a big part
of her creative energy into the art world. In Nov. she is
having three shows in the Bay Area: "The Art of Participation," which
opens at SF MOMA on Nov. 6, a show at the Paule Anglim Gallery in SF,
which also opens Nov. 6, and a show at the Hess Collection, in Napa,
which goes through November.
Her breakthrough work often uses overlapping genres that explore
questions of identity, presence, and the human body in relation to
technology. Four interviews Lynn created, were partially shot in the
virtual world of Second Life, intentionally subverting the distinction
between real and simulated life, and explore interwoven themes of
revolution, empowerment, technology and the remix. They examine how new
and mass media mechanisms have generated change and how cultural and
technological infrastructures have shaped the ability of individuals to
have social and political impact.
Click here
to learn more about this project.
EVENT DATE
: Wednesday, November 12, 2008
TIME:
7:00 p.m. Networking and light refreshments
7:20 - 9:00 p.m. Panel
9:00 - 9:30 Networking
LOCATION:
The San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking 2565 Third St., Suite #337, between 22nd & 23rd Streets, San Francisco.
Street parking is usually available.
ADMISSION
:
FREE for current BAWIFT Members, $5 general, $3 students with ID
(JOIN BAWIFT NOW AT
WWW.BAWIFT.ORG
AND COME TO ALL OUR EVENTS FOR FREE!)
REMINDER:
Unlike our special events, this month's meeting is for women only.
CLICK HERE
TO REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT
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CURRENT TV's
"A CHANCE AT SLAMDANCE" CONTEST
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To
kick off S
lamdance 2009, Current TV wants you to submit a short (3-10 minute)
documentary film. Make something fresh, new, authentic and exciting
about a topic that is relevant to you and your community
as well as
related to current events or new trends. Upload it to:
www.current.com/slamdance
before November 10th at 11:30PM.
CLICK HERE
FOR MORE DETAILS AND THE LICENSE TERMS.
THE PAYOFF:
* 5 curated films will show @ Slamdance 2009 in two theatrical screenings.
* 5 curated films will also screen in rotation at Slamdance Happy Hours.
* 1 representative from each film will receive a filmmaker pass for Slamdance '09
* 1 representative from each film will be provided opportunity for
sit-down lunch and/or conference call with Current TV creative exec
* Each film - with credits - will be listed in the Slamdance film catalogue
.
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San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking offering a big discount to BAWIFT Members for Documentary Filmmaking Workshop
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SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF DIGITAL FILMMAKING NOW ENROLLING FOR DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING WORKSHOP
The
SFSDF Digital Filmmaking Workshop is a five-week, hands-on class
introducing students to the art and craft of documentary filmmaking.
Explore
the language of cinema and the tools of digital filmmaking in an
immersive and supportive environment. Each workshop student writes,
produces, directs and edits their own short film and crews on
classmates' productions. Students learn fundamental digital filmmaking
skills using professional cameras, lighting, grip and sound equipment
on state-of-the-art sound stages and on-location. Students edit their
films using the latest Apple computers and Final Cut Pro HD. At the end
of each workshop, students premiere their films in front of family and
friends.
BAWIFT MEMBERS GET A $500 Discount
(that's about 15% off the cost of the entire workshop)!
Total Cost: $3,575 (-$500 BAWIFT discount) = $3,075
Click here
for more info or to register
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BAWIFT BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION NEWS
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ELECTION NEWS
No - not the National Presidential Race
but the
BAWIFT Board of Directors
Election
!
So now that you are all in an Election frame of mind this is to let all BAWIFT current, registered Members know that
we have an upcoming Board of Directors Election.
If
you are a current BAWIFT Member, you will be contacted shortly
with more information regarding voting for and/or running for the 2009 Slate of Board of
Directors.
If
you are interested in running for the Board of Directors of BAWIFT,
please submit your name, short bio and statement explaining why you
want to run as a Candidate for the BAWIFT Board of Directors and what
you can offer the organization. Please send this information to the
current President of the Board of Directors, Simone Nelson at
simone@bawift.org
by
December 15, 2008.
There
will be an official "Slate" of Candidates and current Board Members
that are interested in running for another term sent to all current
BAWIFT Members for voting purposes at the beginning of 2008 for the
2009-2010 Term.
We will also be listing this information on our website at
www.bawift.org
and on
Chicks-Chat
so stay tuned and please submit your information to be added to the Slate of potential Board Candidates.
Thank you and don't forget to vote for BOTH Elections!
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BAWIFT Co-Presents 2 films at 12th Annual Arab Film Festival
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mission each year is to offer inspiring films that illuminate Arab
lives and present authentic narratives, providing insights into the
beauty, talent, and diversity of Arab culture. In the process we
achieve another important goal - helping to rectify negative
stereotyping of Arabs in the American mainstream media. This year's
program includes films from Morocco, Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, United
Arab Emirates, Egypt, Palestine, France, Yemen, Iraq, Jordan, Syria,
and the United States. Reflecting on life's meaning, sense of place,
love and acceptance, these films help us realize that the Arab
experience is one aspect of the universal human experience.
BAWIFT is proud to co-present these two extraordinary documentary films this year:
33 Days
Director: Mai Masri
Documentary
2007 | Lebanon | 70 min.
10/22 7:00pm
Delancey Screening Room, San Francisco
10/26 7:00pm
Shattuck Cinemas, Berkeley
Filmed
during the summer of 2006, when Israel launched a 33-day attack on
Lebanon, this hard-hitting documentary follows four professional
Lebanese as they deal with the chaos caused by the war. We witness the
destruction and panic first hand, mostly from the vantage point of the
capitol, Beirut. Four Lebanese professionals, a journalist, a theater
director, a graphic designer turned relief worker, and a television
news director, take us through the harrowing experiences of daily life
during these 33 days. Mai Masri beautifully juxtaposes both the
personal and the professional aspects of these individuals as they
guide us through the uncertainty of their lives and their country.
Co-presented by Bay Area Women in Film and Television (BAWIFT)
The Way North:
Maghrebi Women in Marseille
Director: Shara K. Lange
Documentary
2007 | France | 58 min.
10/23 7:00pm
Alliance Francaise, San Francisco
10/25 2:00pm
Shattuck Cinemas, Berkeley
Fatima
Rhazi, the first Moroccan female sports photographer, emigrated to
Marseilles in 1980. Once believing that France would provide her with
absolute freedom and liberty, she soon realized the Maghrebi women in
France had many of the same challenges that they faced at home. She
founded the organization "Women From Here and Afar" and quickly became
the political and cultural support center for women coming from North
Africa to Marseille. In this intimate documentary, we get to know this
dynamic woman as well as the many remarkable ways in which she has
touched the lives of innumerable new female immigrants.
Co-presented by Bay Area Women in Film and Television (BAWIFT) and the Alliance Francaise
For more information and to purchase tickets to these and other films in the festival please visit:
www.aff.org
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SAVE THE DATE FOR BAWIFT's ANNUAL CO-ED HOLIDAY PARTY!
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Join us on Wednesday, December 10th for BAWIFT's Annual Holiday Party
featuring prizes, music, food, old friends, new friends and the Bay Area Media, Film and Television community!
Location TBA so stay tuned and
SAVE THE DATE of December 10th!
SOCIAL NETWORK WITH BAWIFT
If you haven't yet - don't forget to join JOIN BAWIFT'S
Facebook
and
Linkedin
Groups by clicking on the links above
and
social and professionally network with your members of the Bay Area
media and film community and your local chapter of Women in Film &
Television!
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On October 17 and 18th, BAWIFT partnered with the organizers of
THE CONVERSATION
- an exciting conference event at Berkeley's Pacific Film Archive.
BAWIFT
Members were offered a 15% partner discount to attend and many Members of the
Board and of the community were there to take part in this informative
event.
Pioneers
at the forefront of change in cinema, video, games, media and
technology came together to share ideas, insights, and innovations as
well as new tools, new distribution channels, and new rules for media.
How
is YouTube changing filmmaking? Will digital 3-D movie releases help
theaters survive? How are directors taking control of their own
marketing and
distribution strategies? What's the new relationship between movies and
videogames? THE CONVERSATION addressed these questions and more with
help from the audience of creative story-tellers and technological
innovators.
The Conversation was a gathering (definitely not a traditional
conference) intended to explore the new business and creative
opportunities emerging in
2008. The event was targeted to media-makers and technologists who want
to understand and help shape the future of the entertainment industry.
Speakers included indie filmmakers, distributors, funders, and
executives from Netflix, YouTube, DreamWorks Animation SKG, Comedy.com,
Industrial Light & Magic, Pixel Corps, JibJab Media, and Paradigm
Consulting.
For
more information about this event visit:
THE CONVERSATION.
Tiffany
Shlain (in photo below), local filmmaker and founder of The Webby
Awards and BAWIFT panelist/Member was one of THE CONVERSATION's
co-hosts and moderators.
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FUNDING OPPORTUNTIES
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THE HERBERT FILMMAKING GRANTS
As part of the Film Society's new Filmmaker
Services programs, launched in August 2008, they are happy to announce
that they will be making
$25,000 in grants available to films by Bay Area filmmakers.
The Herbert Filmmaking Grants will be awarded to deserving films
in various stages, from development and production through post
production and outreach. Awardees must be Filmmaker Pro members of the
San Francisco Film Society to be eligible.
The Call for Entries, with complete information on guidelines and
deadlines, will be published in mid-fall 2008. These grants are made
possible through the generosity of the Herbert Family. Visit:
www.ssfs.org
for more information.
THE CREATIVE WORK FUND
Creative Work Fund projects feature one or more artists
collaborating with nonprofit 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organizations. The Fund encourages the artists and
organizations to "come together" for the sake of this collaboration: An artist should not submit a request
to collaborate with an organization if he or she serves on its staff or board
of directors.
The Fund encourages artists to collaborate with nonprofit
organizations of all kinds.
In fall 2008, interested media and traditional artists and
collaborating organizations are invited to submit three-page letters of inquiry. A media or traditional arts project
may culminate in any form, but it must feature a lead artist with a strong
track record as a media artist or a traditional artist.
Organizations and artists
should jointly prepare and sign a letter of inquiry of no more than three pages
(including a brief, preliminary budget) and the
letter of inquiry cover
sheet
(a total of four pages). The lead artist also may include a professional resume of no more than
two pages.
Letters should be sent or
delivered to The Creative Work Fund, One Lombard Street, Suite 305, San
Francisco, CA 94111. T
hey must be
received
no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 3, 2008.
CLICK HERE
for more information and to learn how to apply.
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