Oscar Winning Director Of 2005

Traverse City film fest brings a world of views to Michigan

During our month of bouncing around Michigan last summer, we entered Traverse City to discover signs advertising its sixth annual film festival. Despite our coming in late, we managed to get tickets for five movies and stayed several days. As at our own True/False Film Fest, we were shown great films one is not likely to find in most cities’ mainstream theaters.

This year, the Traverse City Film Festival will run from July 26 through 31. The film schedule will be released July 8, and online ticket sales will start at 6 p.m. July 16.

Michael Moore, the Academy Award-winning director of “Bowling for Columbine” and “Capitalism: A Love Story,” started the city’s film festival in 2005 to bring national and international films to this remote area of northern Michigan. Remote and picturesque Traverse City is quickly becoming one of the most renowned independent film festivals in the country.

We were particularly impressed with Moore and the various directors, producers, writers and actors who met with audiences after the films. Moore, as usual, appeared in a country-boy outfit with a baseball cap on his head.

The films come from every continent except Antarctica. Last year, the festival featured 135 screenings of 80 films and 40 shorts from more than 25 countries. The festival also included five free industry film panels and six free outdoor movies on the bay.

Our favorite movie was “Viva Cuba,” a story of a girl and a boy around the age of 12 who are strongly attached to each other and make a trip across Cuba to persuade the girl’s father to refuse to sign a statement allowing her mother to take her to America.

They lie, steal and hide, always just ahead of the army trying to find them to return them home. Moore introduced us to the director-producer who filmed the picture for $40,000 using his grandmother, brother and assorted relatives in the film. Despite what sounds like amateurs in leading roles, it was very professional. It has won more awards than any other film made in Cuba, including an award at Cannes for best picture about or using children as main characters.

As Wayne continues to teach a human sexuality course, he was particularly interested in “Google Baby,” an Israeli film about the surrogate baby business. Two gay men in Britain had a surrogate baby at a high cost using an American woman as the surrogate. Because women in India will carry a baby to term so much cheaper, the two men set up a service that cost only $5,000 to $6,000 for a childless couple to have a baby. The price would be enough for an Indian woman to buy a house.

Virgin Media Short Film Competition - Film Chronicles | Film ...

 

Virgin Media Shorts, the UK’s biggest short film competition, is back with a bang for its 4th year .

Whether you’re a Shane Meadows in the making or a Ridley Scott on the rise, we think every raw talent needs a break.

Virgin Media Shorts gives 12 up and coming film makers the chance to show their work on 35mm in cinemas nationwide for a whole year, across the Picture House network and independent cinemas. Plus, the lucky winner of our Grand Prize lands up to £30,000 to make their next film, along with some expert mentoring from the UK’s leading film body, the British Film Institute.

Here’s the full list of what’s up for grabs in 2011:

12 film makers have their work shown in cinemas nationwide for a whole year One lucky winner gets up to £30,000 to make their next film with money and works with the BFI who will executively produce their film One People’s Choice winner takes home thousands of pounds’ worth of new film equipment Plus, we reward the university, college or school with the most entrants with loads of shiny new kit

Whether you love messing about on your Mac or you have access to all the latest film making gear, Virgin Media Shorts is open to everyone. All you need is a brilliant idea, executed well.

Our winners don’t just get their work seen by millions, they turn industry heads, too. 2009 winner, Luke Snellin, won a BAFTA nomination for his Virgin Media Shorts winning entry Mixtape . John, Paul and Mat join a few familiar Shorts faces, including movie critic James King and director of Edinburgh Film Festival James Mulligan . The panel will watch all 12 shortlisted films, so not only will finalists see their work in cinemas, they’ll get it watched by a whole host of movie industry experts.

 

The deadline for entries is 12pm on 7 July.

http://virginmediashorts.co.