Tinsel & Tine was invited to a ReelBlack Taste-Maker's preview screening of a new comedy, or rather Un-Romantic Comedy, called Exit Strategy , set to open Friday, February 10, 2012 in the Philadelphia area - AMC Cherry Hill and Franklin Mills.

The 21st New York Jewish Film Festival 2012 (NYJFF2012) New York Premiere of Dressing America: Tales from the Garment Center directed by Steven Fischler and Joel Sucher was held at the Walter Reade Theater, Monday, January 16, 1:00 PM. A special Q&A session immediately followed with director Steven Fischler and associate producer Phyllis A. Dillon moderated by independent curator Rachel Chanoff, New York Jewish Film Festival. Questions posed to director Steven Fischler and associate producer Phyllis Dillon by moderator Chanoff and the audience included: What were the challenges in making the film? What is the status of the industry today? What is happening to New York's garment center real estate?

Czech director based in Los Angeles, Ester Brym, has a new film in the works. After her multi-Award winning feature Butterflies that profiled the Internet celebrity, her 2nd feature is much more personal and visually stunning. Autumn of Route 66  documents ones journey through the history, the incredible experience of driving the first American highway, Mother of all roads, the Route 66.

Brym is currently in late post-production stage and raising finishing funds to complete the film. Anyone who donates to the project gets a film credit and other fun perks. Check the campaign and the trailer here: http://www.indiegogo.com/FundRoute6

http://youtu.be/HsEodQ5Lc3I

"Alex Johnson's STORM" is the story of a man and his dream, to bring his musical to stage. This documentary film leads through the show's making-of production in powerful pictures and with the captivating sound of the musical STORM; it allows a glimpse behind the scenes, and it shows the struggle of an individualist."

http://youtu.be/HsEodQ5Lc3I

"Alex Johnson's STORM" is the story of a man and his dream, to bring his musical to stage. This documentary film leads through the show's making-of production in powerful pictures and with the captivating sound of the musical STORM; it allows a glimpse behind the scenes, and it shows the struggle of an individualist."  

Generation "П" (GENERATION P, 2011) held its world premier this week at the 23rd Palm Springs International Film Festival, 2012.

We looked for a partner who loves movies, cherishes those great old ones and has an ear for contemporary tastes as well. We hope you'll like them too: Metropolis Books. From now on every time you look for a book and make a purchase at this cool online store, you will be supporting SEE FEST too. So, don't forget to mention our name!! Metropolis has suggested a few titles by authors from South East Europe for your reading pleasure:

APOCALYPTO

While bringing in the New Year in Mayan Mexico, how can I not think of this extraordinary film APOCALYPTO (2006) by Mel Gibson that gives cinematic verisimilitude a new meaning… Not only are they speaking ancient Yucatan Mayan!... but seriously, this film takes us hundreds of years back to pre-Columbian Meso-America. Gibson creates true cinema remarkably achieved, transporting us to this ancient world and its collective myth psychology.

In this arresting scene, hero Jaguar Paw (Rudy Younblood) is a myth in the making as he runs from invading Mayan barbarians intent on making sacrifices to their gods out of him and his clan. The head of the invaders -Zero Wolf- and his tribe follow Jaguar Paw on an unrelenting suspenseful chase through the Mexican jungles where he outruns them while incredibly coming face to face with snakes, venomous frogs, a massive waterfall and an irate pursuing female jaguar.

There isn't much going on this time of thr year. That is a good thing because it provides time to get existing projects finished or at least better organized. In addition, I'm working on two feature scripts and two short scripts.

Have a happy holiday and may 2012 exceed your wildest expectations.

Thank you for your support,

Jim Hawk

2012 EDITION - CALL FOR ENTRY. NO SUBMISSION FEE

The ArtDeco Film Festival has been set up in 2009 by a group of young filmmakers in order to provide a platform for those short films and documentaries that were not given any government, private investment, or any incentive from culture programs, contest  & etc. It's also for independent films (not produced by any powerful studio). The event takes place every year in São Paulo (Brazil). The Festival is looking new projects and aims to gather great ideas and new talents based on the mission of preserving the basic aspects of worldwide cinema language.

In keeping with the tradition of listening to a rather powerful woman just before you’re about to embark on what’s really important – or maybe you’ve already squashed Christmas lunch by the time your attention is perhaps swayed by a certain Elizabeth Windsor – its’ time we took note of another Christmas message – the one being brought to you by another powerful woman (Sheila Nortley) who is fast becoming a regular fixture on the urban independent film circuit. And before we hear from her, BUFF would like to thank all of this year’s guest bloggers who’ve graced these pages with their inspiring words including Anjela Lauren Smith, Wil Johnson and Kamara Bacchus – long may the passion continue. We leave you now with the December edition of the BUFF Blog, guest-written by Sheila Nortley…

Hi Any and Every Blog reader in the Zodiac,

The file embedded in this blog is a documentary I produced and it can be viewed at     http://vimeo.com/12008525  but please view it on "couch mode" which is just to the right of the title "the Long Journey Home."  It is the story of my daughter, Stephanie, who endured incest and sexual abuse at the hands of my ex-husband, which obviously was kept from me.  When she finally told me the truht at the age of eighteen, I went nuts and we gathered mounds of evidence, which included love letters, receipts from the abortion clinic, dirty clothing etc, and we sent his butt to jail.  After I entered film school and it was time to make a documentary, with Stephanie's cooperation, I was able to do it.  I was even able to include an interview with the perpetrator, which really sets this film apart.  Although it is short, it is very impacting and I hope you let me know how you feel about it.  

Hot Docs, the Toronto Documentary Film Festival, is focusing on SEE countries for the 2012 Festival, and the deadline is just a month away—Jan. 13, 2012. Filmmakers with documentaries from or about Albania, Austria, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cypress, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and Turkey should apply. Submit your docs (any topic, any length), postmarked by 1/13/12, to:

Come see the 2010 Croatian feature, “Mother of Asphalt” directed by Dalibor Matanić and starring Marija Škaričić, winner of the 2011 Golden FIPA Award from France’s Biarritz International Festival for this performance. (Two of her other performances, “Fraulein” in 2006 and “A Wonderful Night in Split” in 2004, were also awarded Best Actress Awards from the Sarajevo Film Festival.)

The story: It's almost Christmas time when Mare, recently laid off, leaves home after a row with her husband. She and her 7-year old son desperately seek shelter.... In stark contrast to the surrounding Christmas-time consumer bonanza, the young woman is left without money, friends, or even compassion. The only help comes from the lonely nighttime security guard at the glitzy mall...

You can probably remember many famous filmmakers stating that they make films for people and in an age where we have filmmaking saturation, how can you know if your film is worthy of an audience? You will doubtless feel its the best film ever made but only when its been screened in front of a ticket paying audience (who can demand their money back) will you know if your film has a market.

I would love to see more sites dedicated to spotting emerging talent, run by people who can judge impartially and feedback to the filmmaker if their "baby" is good, bad or ........ neds work!

What say you the people?

4th ArtDeco Film Festival
São Paulo - Brazil 

July 02-21, 2012

Submit your film online and free of charge at: http://www.exotiquefilmes.com.br/page_16.html

Visit our blog: http://festivalartdeco.blogspot.com 

DC Shorts showcases the largest audience-driven collection of short films in the USA.  Now in our 9th year, we expect hundreds of filmmakers and thousands of audience members mix, mingle and explore the world of short cinema.

DC Shorts is unique among film festivals, as we entries to read the feedback and scores from the judging panels — a point which impressed MovieMaker Magazine to name us as “one of 20 festivals worth an entry fee,” and “one of the leading film festivals” in the country — year after year!

The DC Shorts Film Festival (September 6-16, 2012) turns the spotlight on truly independent short films, created by new and established filmmakers in an era when the art of filmmaking is opening to all. We select films of every genre and niche for our competition screenings — with a special focus on films created by metropolitan Washington, DC-based directors and writers. After each screening, filmmakers have the opportunity to speak to the audience as part of a moderated panel.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/sunscreenpodcast  

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This is the trailer for the 19 minute film of ZOMBIE, based on the novella by famous American author Joyce Carol Oates. The film has won "Best Short Film (Horror)" "Best Supporting Actor" and "Best Short Dramatic Screenplay." It's been an official selection at 15 film festivals so far. The film tells the story of a Jeffrey Dahmer'esque serial killer.

 www.zombiethefilm.com

http://feeds.feedburner.com/sunscreenpodcast    

To subscribe right in iTunes, click here:

The Slovenian film IZLET (A TRIP, 2011) by writer/director Nejc Gazvoda held its world premier in Sarajevo this year at the 17th Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF). The film screened in competition and was nominated for Best Film. In only four months of touring festivals, the film has been nominated for Best Film in several festivals around the world and won the award for Best Feature Film at its national Slovene Film Festival by the Slovene Film Critics Association. It most recently traveled to the 52nd Thessaloniki Film Festival (TIFF) and screened in competition at Cinedays in Skopje, Macedonia. It is the first feature film for writer/director Nejc Gazvoda and likewise for producer Ales Pavlin of Perfo Productions.

film still from 'BEHOLD THE LAMB' (2011)

The Irish film BEHOLD THE LAMB (2011) by writer/director John McIlduff walked away with the Golden Alexander for Best Screenplay at the 2011 Thessaloniki Film Festival (TIFF). As director John McIlduff had already departed the festival, the film’s producer Kevin Jackson accepted the award for him and carried it with him all night with it clasped tightly to his chest.

I asked Leslie Streit about her film The Elly Glass Project http://www.ellyglass.com/.It's about Elly (recently deceased at age 95) who rescued her husband Henry from Buchenwald in 1939. In 1948 Henry became the architect of oneof the first solar houses in America.

me: Can you tell me a bit about The Elly Glass Project? What was your inspiration for telling this story?

Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s latest film ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA (2011) premiered in competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival where the film won Grand Prix. A Turkish and Bosnian co-production, the film screened to audiences at the 10th annual 'CINEDAYS' this week in Skopje, Macedonia from 10-20 November, 2011. 

OUATIA, REVIEW... 

LARS VON TRIER'S masterpiece, MELANCHOLIA (2011), which debuted in competition at Cannes this year, screened as part of the CINEDAYS indie movie madness of 70 films in 10 days in Skopje, Macedonia. 

MY MELANCHOLIA: A REVIEW

‘Melancholia’, dictionary description… “a mental condition and especially a manic-depressive condition characterized by extreme depression, bodily complaints, and often hallucinations and delusions”.

NEW SUBMISSION TO ÉCU

A pair of young women run for their lives amongst the decay of a fallen civilization. However, the question beckons, exactly what are you willing to do to survive?


Une paire de jeunes femmes courir pour leur vie au milieu de la désintégration d'une civilisation déchue. Cependant, la question fait signe, exactement ce que vous êtes prêts à faire pour survivre?

 photo still from 'THE FORGIVENESS OF BLOOD' (2011)