filmmaking

Paley Center and SnagFilms team to offer new outlet for doc filmmakers and enthusiasts

The Paley Center for Media, formerly called The Museum of Television & Radio, and SnagFilms announced today a first-of-its-kind collaboration between a leading cultural media institution and an Internet start-up to help documentary producers break down the barriers to reach fresh audiences for their films. Through a shared passion for expanding access to documentaries, the ….

2009 Newport Beach Film Fest call for submissions

The Newport Beach Film Festival will be celebrating its 10th anniversary with an action-packed line up of independent and studio films from around the globe. From premieres of contemporary cinema, to live fashion shows, and tastes of Newport Beach’s finest culinary creations, we are offering filmmakers the ultimate Festival experience.  The Festival features nightly special ….

Sistema launches film and TV production in St. Petersburg

Sistema, the largest public diversified corporation in Russia, recently announced the launch of film and TV production at Russian World Studio (RWS) in St Petersburg. RWS is a subsidiary of Sistema and one of the leading Russian film and TV production companies. The construction of the first phase of production facilities in St Petersburg was ….

Global cinema to compete in Middle East International Film Fest

Over 60 films from 32 countries around the world will take part in the Official Competition for this year’s Middle East International Film Festival, running October 10-19, 2008. This year’s festival will see 138 films screened from East to West, up from 80 films in MEIFF’s inaugural festival in 2007. This year’s Official Competition is ….

SnagFilms to premiere doc Haze simultaneously with Hamptons Film Festival

SnagFilms CEO Rick Allen recently announced that Haze, a documentary film introduced by Robin Wright Penn, will premiere simultaneously on SnagFilms and at the Hamptons International Film Festival. With its focus on the death of a young Colorado University fraternity pledge, Gordie Bailey, due to alcohol poisoning, Haze is a documentary that explores a range ….

The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration Blu-ray review

Paramount Pictures recently released a meticulous restoration of director Francis Ford Coppola’s Academy Award-winning classic films The Godfather Parts I through III, which was overseen by Coppola himself. The first two films have been fully restored, along with a newly remastered version of The Godfather Part III. All three films are currently available individually or in a five-DVD collection, as ….

National Geographic and Imagenation Abu Dhabi form joint venture to finance feature films

National Geographic Entertainment and Imagenation Abu Dhabi will commit $100 million for the production of 10 to 15 films over the next five years. The fund was announced today by Tim Kelly, president of National Geographic Global Media, and Edward Borgerding, CEO of Imagenation Abu Dhabi, a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media Company. ….

Nokia-sponsored web film collaboration hinting at future of grassroots filmmaking?

I was contacted a few days ago with a request that Film Fetish play a prominent role in a Nokia-sponsored, Spike Lee-helmed film premiere that’s taking place in a few weeks. WOM World a Nokia-sponsored blog that covers what’s being said online about Nokia devices and projects Nokia gets involved with. With my affinity towards ….

Transformers 2, Y: The Last Man and possibly Iron Man 2 to be partially shot with IMAX cameras

According to a report on Variety, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Y: The Last Man, are looking to shoot footage using IMAX cameras. Transformers director Michael Bay has already shot three scenes for the upcoming sequel with the 70mm IMAX camera, meaning those segments will not need to be enlarged, in order to be ….

Film L.A. to begin offering film permits online

On September 29, 2008, S.A.G.-affiliated Los Angeles-based nonprofit Film L.A., will introduce a state-of-the-art Online Permit System (OPS), which will revolutionize how permits to film on-location are applied for, coordinated and delivered. Permit seekers will be able to apply online for film permits, as well as: create and save templates for future applications; receive instant ….

Get a new MAC from Oliver Stone

The makers of the upcoming George W. Bush Biopic, filmmaker Oliver Stone and YouTube, have teamed up for a Film Mashup contest. It’s simple really. Just use the online tools over at Youtube to create a trailer mashup from W., with a maximum length of 10 minutes, and you could win The Ultimate Filmmaker Prize ….

Production company setting up shop in PA to produce comic-based features

Producer Jeffrey Erb and entrepreneur Robert Robinson Jr. are launching a production company called Framelight with options already in place for several properties, including Marvel’s Dr. Deth With Kip and Muffy from G.I. Joe author Larry Hama. The company plans to produce six to eight comic-based films during the next five years, according to a ….

Son of Rambow DVD review

Year: 2008 Son of Rambow takes place on a long English summer in the early 1980’s, as two young boys quixotically set forth in developing a short film project for submission into a BBC filmmakers’ competition. From the beginning, the film is the type of inspirational story that one would find in a Chris Van ….