One of the most useful elements of SEE FEST is its Business Conference, headed last year by Honorary Chair Ron Yerxa (producer of Little Miss Sunshine and Cold Mountain, among others). The event last May gave filmmakers great insights into:   -- How to access and structure financing for international productions -- How to develop Hollywood and European financing for co-productions -- Local governmental incentives for filmmakers -- The role Hollywood-based Eas...

UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (TFT) 2011 Festival of New Creative Work will honor prominent entertainment industry leaders Stacey Snider, Lawrence Bender and Lisa Cholodenko during the week-long event; it was announced today by Teri Schwartz, Dean of UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.Stacey Snider will receive TFT’s prestigious Champion Spirit Award. Selected by TFT students, the award recipient is an industry professional who throughout their career has demonstrated gr...

14 FILMMAKERS & 9 PROJECTS SELECTED FOR FILM INDEPENDENT’S 2010 PRODUCERS LABFilm Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and Los Angeles Film Festival just wrapped its 10th annual Producers Lab earlier this week with 14 filmmakers and 9 projects participating. Sponsored by Technicolor and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the seven-week program took place in Los Angeles and was designed to help producers improve their craft, and move their current projects into...

 Wednesday, February 6----------While such mega-watt movie stars as Angelina Jolie, Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones steal much of the limelight in the media coverage of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the true heart of the event are the American indie and international films that the festival showcases. More than 70,000 visitors (a record number) came out for the mix of glamour and discovery in one of America's most beautiful festival venues. So, for the record, the winners of...

While such mega-watt movie stars as Angelina Jolie, Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones steal much of the limelight in the media coverage of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the true heart of the event are the American indie and international films that the festival showcases. More than 70,000 visitors (a record number) came out for the mix of glamour and discovery in one of America's most beautiful festival venues. So, for the record, the winners of this year's SBIFF include: The Pa...

The 23rd installment of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) presents its film line-up for 2008, featuring 215 films including 20 World Premieres, 22 U.S. Premieres and a rich selection of films representing 49 countries. The Festival takes place over 11 days beginning Thursday, January 24, through Sunday, February 3.“The Festival has continuously grown in stature,” commented SBIFF Director Roger Durling, “and this year’s film slate certainly reflects that. We’re ver...

17th Annual Gotham Awards Winners AnnouncedINTO THE WILD Named Best Feature; SICKO Named Best Documentary; JUNO’s Ellen Page named Breakthrough ActorNew York, NY (PRWEB) November 28, 2007 -- Kicking off the film awards season, IFP, the nation's largest membership organization of independent filmmakers, tonight announced the winners of the competitive awards at the 17th Annual Gotham Awards ceremony. Established in 1991, the Gotham Awards are one of the leading awards for independent films and ...

The VIFF’s 22nd Annual Film and Television Forum delivered boffo box office as this year’s showcase of award-winning speakers propelled figures to an incredible 30% increase over last year. Sold-out sessions included The Art of Creative Producing with PGA Producer of the Year Ron Yerxa (Little Miss Sunshine) and Mary Jane Skalski (Station Agent); Co-Venturing with the US featuring top execs from Regent Studios, Fox21tv, Lifetime TV, The N. and Insight Film Releasing; Robert Thirkell’s (Bri...

I wasn't able to attend the Finance Conference, but Kristina F. Jordan was and she sent in this:Firstly, it was held in the newly opened (only three weeks old) Landmark Theatres at Pico and Westwood, which significantly elevates the theatre going experience for indie audiences.  It looks good, it feels good, and there's a cool bar where we were hosted to tasty hor d'oeuvres and drinks by American Express during the lunch break and after conference reception.Secondly, given the chan...

Monday, February 12----The indie hit road comedy LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and the crime thriller THE DEPARTED were the big winners at the Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards, setting up a showdown between the two movies at the Oscars in two weeks. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, about a dysfunctional family that takes their young daughter across country to compete in a beauty pageant, won best original screenplay honors for Michael Arndt. In a moving acceptance speech, Arndt said he wrote LITTLE MISS SUNSHI...

Debuting its slate of local and international films, and welcoming filmmakers and stars to town, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival opened over the weekend to enthusiastic audiences. Sienna Miller, Guy Pearce, and director George Hickenlooper were lauded by a packed house at the Arlington Theatre on Thursday as “Factory Girl,” a film about 1960s “It Girl” Edie Sedgwick, who was born and tragically died in Santa Barbara. Also in attendance were Edie’s brother Jonathan Sedgwi...

The creative minds behind some of this year’s best big-budget and independent films will share their experiences and anecdotes with audiences during the panel series at the 22nd Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Creative challenges and successes will be unearthed during several panels over the two weekends of the SBIFF.The series kicks off at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 29, with “Directors on Directing,” which takes place on Saturday, January 27 at 11:00 a.m. Moderate...