Burr spoke before the Waterfront announcement May 16 of three major independent films making their Midwest debuts at the festival: “Muscle Shoals” (2013, documentary), “Blackfish” (2013, documentary) and “V/H/S/2″ (2013, horror), all from Magnolia Pictures. They are among the over 70 independent film features and shorts yet to be announced coming to the festival.

Also coming to the festival, an estimated 16,000 fans and filmmakers.

In its first 14 years, Waterfront has made its home in Saugatuck, and made Lake Michigan an alternative coast for an indie film showcase.

But a lack of indoor screens, and a need to be closer to larger markets provoked the move south.

“There was a need for a change,” WFF publicist Patrick Revere wrote via email. “South Haven made sense for us because it’s four times the geographic size and population as our prior locale, and has fantastic infrastructure for our purposes, including established theaters and event space, solid transportation planning and a vibrant business and arts community.”

The three-screen Michigan Theatre will host festival films, as will performance venue Foundry Hall, South Haven Public School’s 550 seat Listiak Auditiorim, and other school venues. The opening night will be on South Beach, with live music, beer garden, food, celebrity guests and film screenings starting at sunset.Burr said the festival was investigating “a number of towns, lakeshore towns” to move to. Another big advantage for South Haven was its ability to bring in visitors from Grand Rapids to Chicago, he said.

“One of the determining factors was the access to the Chicago market,” he said. South Haven has long been a vacation spot for Chicagoans, so Burr is making sure the festival is being publicized in the Chicago market.

“I’m very excited. I was instrumental in lobbying to bring it to South Haven,” Burr said.

“We were very much drawn in by the enthusiasm of city officials and local leaders, and the city itself offers everything we’ve enjoyed in terms of a scenic waterfront location, the relaxed attitude, the walkable resort-like feel,” Revere wrote.

For more information, see waterfrontfilm.org.

Los Angeles, May 17, 2013 – Outfest – the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization promoting equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBT stories on the screen – announced today that Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s “C.O.G.,” the first film adaptation of David Sedaris’s work, has been selected as the Opening Night Gala of the 31st Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival on Thursday, July 11.  “C.O.G.” is written and directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, based on the short story by David Sedaris, and stars Jonathan Groff, Denis O’Hare, Corey Stoll, Dean Stockwell, Casey Wilson and Troian Bellisario.

Outfest will also present its 17th annual Achievement Award to writer/director Kimberly Peirce (“Boys Don’t Cry,” “Stop-Loss,” “Carrie”). The Achievement Award is Outfest’s highest honor and is presented in recognition of a body of work that has made a significant contribution to LGBT film and media. The Achievement Award will be presented to Peirce prior to the Opening Night Gala screening of “C.O.G.” on Thursday, July 11 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles.

“One of Outfest’s principal goals has been to celebrate the many voices of LGBT storytelling on film, and we couldn’t be more excited to honor Kimberly Peirce’s extraordinary filmmaking career while also heralding writer-director Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s stunning sophomore feature capturing David Serdaris’ hilarious tone. The mix promises to make this our most memorable Opening Night,” commented Kirsten Schaffer, Outfest Executive Director.

Outfest has previously given this award to John Waters, Jane Lynch, Bill Condon, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, Don Roos, Donna Deitch, Kenneth Anger, Gregg Araki, Todd Haynes, Jane Anderson, Christine Vachon, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, Gus Van Sant, Ian McKellen, John Schlesinger, and Strand Releasing.

The nation’s leading LGBT film festival, and the oldest film festival in the city of Los Angeles, will be held July 11 – 21, 2013.

The complete lineup for Outfest Los Angeles 2013 will be announced at the beginning of June.

The 2013 Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival is presented by HBO.  Grand Sponsors include Absolut and Ease Entertainment.  For more information about Outfest Los Angeles 2013 sponsorship, visit www.outfest/org/sponsor.

About C.O.G

Recent college graduate David (Jonathan Groff, “Glee”) decides to get close to nature, and the working class, by spending a summer picking apples in Oregon with his friend Jennifer. Even after she blows him off, he charges ahead on a picaresque journey that will take him from orchard to processing plant to an arts and crafts workshop, guided along the way by an increasingly eccentric and motley bunch of mentors. Whether trying to interpret the possible flirtations of co-worker Curly (Corey Stoll, “House of Cards”) or resisting the religious hard-sell from Bible-thumping Jon (Denis O’Hare, “True Blood”), David finds himself on the most complicated path of all — figuring out who he is and what he wants. The first feature based on the writings of David Sedaris, C.O.G. captures the author’s stringently funny perspective and establishes writer-director Kyle Patrick Alvarez (making a triumphant follow-up to his acclaimed debut EASIER WITH PRACTICE) as a gifted young storyteller.

Kyle Patrick Alvarez is a 29-year-old, Los Angeles–based writer-director. C.O.G. is his second feature film, and premiered in competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. In 2010, his writing and directorial debut, EASIER WITH PRACTICE, won him the prestigious “Someone to Watch” Award at the Independent Spirit Awards while also being nominated for Best First Feature.

About Kimberly Peirce

Kimberly Peirce staked her place as a writer and director of singular vision and craft with her unflinching debut feature, BOYS DON’T CRY, which became one of the most acclaimed and talked about films of the year, earning numerous honors including the Best Actress Oscar and Golden Globe for the film’s star, Hilary Swank. Chloe Sevigny was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress and along with Swank won the Independent Spirit, National Board of Review, CFCA, BSFC, NSFC, Boston, Chicago and LA Critics Awards for acting.

The film received the Independent Spirit Award, the International Critics prizes for Best Film at the London and Stockholm film fests, the Satyajit Ray Award at the London Film Festival, and was named “Best American Feature” by Janet Maslin. Peirce won honors as Best Debut Director from the National Board of Review and Best New Filmmaker from the Boston Society of Film Critics.

The next film Peirce directed and co-wrote, STOP-LOSS, starred Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Abbie Cornish and Ryan Phillipe, and was a topical and emotionally penetrating drama inspired by real-life stories of American soldiers, including her own brother, fighting in Iraq and coming home.  Peirce was honored with the Hamilton Behind the Camera True-Grit as well as the Andrew Sarris Directing Awards.

For her latest film, Peirce was honored to direct a contemporary version of Stephen King’s classic horror tale, CARRIE. Starring Chloë Grace Moretz as an outcast teenager with telekinetic powers, and Julianne Moore as her domineering, religious mother, CARRIE will be released in the fall. The film also stars Judy Greer, Portia Doubleday, Alex Russell, Gabriella Wilde and introduces Ansel Elgort.

An advocate on a broad spectrum of social issues, Peirce received the People for the American Way, the GLAAD Media, the Lambda Legal Defense, and the Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project Awards for BOYS DON’T CRY. She was recently the featured speaker at Yale Transgender Awareness Week and the University of Iowa’s Pride Week.  In conjunction with STOP-LOSS, Peirce spoke before the National Press Club and along with Senator Frank Lautenberg (NJ) and Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH), before members of Congress on behalf of Soldiers and the Stop-Loss Compensation Act, which subsequently passed.

Peirce can be seen featured on the DVD and BLU RAY re-releases of THE GODFATHER TRILOGY, CHINATOWN and RAGING BULL as well in the documentary THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED.  She was featured along with Steven Soderbergh, the Duplass Brothers and James Mangold as part of the Directors Guild of America’s 75th Anniversary tribute to “GAME CHANGERS IN INDEPENDENT FILM.”

Peirce received her BA from the University of Chicago, her MFA from the Columbia University Graduate Film Program, and is a graduate of Sundance Institute’s Writing and Directing Film Labs.  She served on the 2011 Sundance Film Festival US Dramatic Jury. She is a member of the WGA, the Academy of Motion Pictures, and serves on the Directors Guild of America Independent Film Committee and the Academy Directors Branch Executive Committee.

About Outfest Los Angeles
Eleven days of world-class films, discussions and parties, Outfest Los Angeles ranks among the world’s leading events for LGBT cinema. Presenting nearly 150 new and classic short and feature films from around the world, panels featuring notable figures from all facets of the film industry and other special programs, Outfest Los Angeles shares our stories, pays tribute to legendary screen careers, unites our community and inspires new generations of filmmakers and filmgoers. Directors, producers, actors and writers from every corner of the globe converge upon the Directors Guild of America, the Ford Amphitheatre, the historic Orpheum Theatre and other Los Angeles locations to share their work and their knowledge with an audience of over 40,000.

About Outfest

Founded by UCLA students in 1982, Outfest is the leading organization that promotes equality by creating, sharing and protecting LGBT stories on the screen. Outfest builds community by connecting diverse populations to discover, discuss and celebrate stories of LGBT lives. Over the past three decades, Outfest has showcased thousands of films from around the world to audiences of nearly a million, educated and mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers and protected more than 20,000 LGBT films and videos.

Source and more information …

When we announced our Coolest Festival call for entries in April, we had no idea the response we’d receive. We expected to be wading through hundreds of submissions. Instead, you the readers, literally deluged us with thousands of nominations.

Because of that overwhelming response, we’ve decided to rethink our approach to the Coolest Festivals list altogether. In years past, we’ve published a list of the 25 Coolest Festivals—all chosen by the MovieMaker editors. This year, though, we’re handing over the Coolest Festivals list to you: Our moviemaking, movie-watching readers.

What’s more, we’re drastically expanding the categories. After combing through the initial data, we realized that there are a number of discreet categories (e.g. horror, comedy, environmental, LGBT, etc.) that shouldn’t necessarily be competing with dissimilar fests for the designation of Coolest Festival. The Chatanooga Comedy Film Festival isn’t vying for the same demographic as the Witchita Horror Festival of Film—so why should they be judged by the same criteria?

Therefore, for the 2013 edition of MovieMaker‘s Coolest Film Festivals list we’re accepting nominations in 15 separate categories! Ranging from the general to the specific, we’ve done our best to represent the full gamut of places you can submit your film.

Since most festivals still fall into the “general” category (Toronto, Cannes, Sundance, SXSW, San Francisco, etc.), we will be ranking the top 25, non-genre film festivals separately. For the content-specific fests (horror, comedy, LGBT, sports, student, etc.) we’ll be ranking the top five festivals in each category.

For the next month, we’re opening the nominations process back up to our readers. Whether you’re a moviemaker, a festival director, or simply a film lover, let us know about your favorite film festival by submitting your nomination using the form below. After we’ve collected all the nominations, you the readers will then help us pick the winners in each category during a vote off during July and August (more info on that, soon).

Winners in all 15 categories will receive a special laurel from MovieMaker, commemorating the win. The 24 runners-up in the general category, and the 4 runners-up in each of the sub-categories, will receive a badge designating them a “MovieMaker Coolest Film Festival.”

Let the voting begin!  Click here for more information and to vote …

Don Cheto is an animated web series based on a popular Spanish language variety show called El Show de Don Cheto.

Series One is another web series animating graphic novels and comics, including Chakra: The Invincible and 18 Days.

Original Bethlehem is a documentary project featuring a new discovery in the country of Israel.

Founded in 1979, The Michigan Film Office‘s mission is to promote growth of Michigan’s film industry. It offers incentives for those who choose to produce their film, television, or digital media projects in Michigan.

Click here for more information …

tax credit

“Jobs  and economic development should be this legislature’s top  priority,”  said Boscola, who chairs the Senate Democratic Policy  Committee. “When  we help businesses expand, hire more workers and  invest in our economy,  many of our funding and budget challenges will  take care of themselves.  This is why I will continue to fight for  economic development programs with proven track records.  The state’s  film tax credit is a glowing example of one of these programs.”

The  tax credit program, which provides a 25 percent tax credit to  film  company’s qualifying expenditures, has helped Pennsylvania’s film  office  attract major motion picture and television projects. This  effort has  directly generated over 18,000 jobs and $739 million dollars  in wages.

“The legislature needs to focus on putting our state’s resources  where we can garner the greatest return,” House Policy Committee  Democratic Chair,  Mike Sturla said. “Pennsylvania’s Film Tax Credit  generates a host of  indirect investments in communities across the  commonwealth, and we need  to ensure the tax credit remains competitive  with other states.”

Since its inception in 2004, the program has helped spur nearly $2  billion in economic activity in Pennsylvania.  Currently,  it has an  annual operating budget of approximately $60 million.  However, the  program is allowed to provide multi-year credits using  funds from  future fiscal years.

To be approved for a tax credit, projects must spend 60 percent of their budget in Pennsylvania.

Democrats claim the  film tax credit program could accomplish even  more if state government  were willing to expand the amount of available  credit dollars and make a  multi-year commitment to the program.

Pennsylvania  film industry advocates who testified discussed the  impact of the film  industry in Pennsylvania and what it could mean to  the state’s job  creation and economic development if the film tax  credit program was  expanded.

“In  a nation that has seen one of the most serious economic  downturns in  history and with rampant unemployment and almost daily  news of closing  businesses; the film industry in Pennsylvania is one of  the few growth  industries,” Dawn Kezzer, director of the Pittsburgh  Film Office said.  “When  the film industry has proven for six years  that Pennsylvania is one of  their first choices for film production, we  need to respond with a  resounding yes.  The biggest way of doing that  is to  eliminate the cap on the film tax credit and bring an immediate  influx  of hundreds of millions of dollars a year into the state.”

Union  officials representing actors, performers and broadcasters in   Pennsylvania and the surrounding regions discussed the impact on jobs   and revenue for actors, companies and other industries that support the   film productions in the state.

“In  2012, approximately 350 SAG/AFTRA actors worked on a production  with a  film tax credit in Pennsylvania and were paid wages at or around  $4  million, doubling the earnings of actors in 2008,” Stephen  Leshinski, Philadelphia region executive director of SAG/AFTRA said.   “Creating  a competitive tax incentive program in Pennsylvania without  the  damaging impact of unrealistic limits and caps will be good not  only for  our members, but for Pennsylvania as well.”

Leshinski  added that due to television and film productions – such  as the current  David O. Russell film and the “Hatfields & McCoys”  television pilot  – passing on Pennsylvania due to lack of tax credits,  approximately  200-300 actors, from those two productions alone, are out  of a job.

Source …

By Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Fake snow fell on the Capitol steps and an Oregon senator got a Hollywood-style makeover Thursday as film crews trouped to Salem in a bid to persuade state lawmakers to bump up spending to lure filmmakers.

The new law will allow production companies to be reimbursed:

- 20 percent on payroll taxes for wages paid to out-of-state workers

- 25 percent for in state residents

- 30 percent on the taxes spent at local businesses

The production needs to spend over $1 million to take advantage of these incentives

Read more here!

In a three-piece suit with slightly rumpled hair, Cage guest-starred in the Senate Finance Committee meeting as Sen. Aaron Ford, D-Las Vegas, urged his colleagues to pass the film tax legislation.

The Las Vegas resident who won an Academy Award in 1996 for “Leaving Las Vegas” also spent time advocating for film tax credits in private meetings with Gov. Brian Sandoval and lawmakers.

“Nevada is an untapped resource in terms of its natural beauty and, frankly also its style and culture,” Cage told The Associated Press. “There’s a magic in Nevada that applies to filmmaking in an excellent way.”

Despite the allure of filming in Nevada, the failure of lawmakers to include some sort of incentive for the film industry has resulted in lost revenue as the state continues to pull out of a recession, Ford said.

“Nevada should be a top destination for films, but unfortunately we are letting other states pass us by,” the freshman lawmaker told the committee.

The proposal would allow filmmakers to apply for up to $6 million in tax credits per production. If approved, the filmmaker could then sell that tax credit to another Nevada business to use as a discount on their taxes.

Each year, up to $35 million in tax credits could be distributed. Despite the lost tax revenue, supporters said the effort would boost the overall economy.

Cage said the lack of incentives is keeping him and other filmmakers from making more large-scale productions in the state.

“I have four scripts right now that could be shot in the state of Nevada,” Cage told lawmakers. He added that other directors are “tired of filming in other states. They want to show something new.”

The states filmed in American movies become the world’s picture of the United States, and states are being chosen now based on where the incentives are, said Cage.

“I want to request we make our beautiful state the new America to the international community,” Cage said.

But not everyone is singing praises of the bill. Some say the grandiose economic projections are really a fantasy that will end up costing the state.

“The tax credits are now coming under scrutiny in other states,” said Carole Vilardo of the Nevada Taxpayers’ Association.

News, weather, political advertisements, sporting events and other live shows would not qualify for the tax credits, but Vilardo said video games and mobile apps would be part of the law. Films would need to spend at least $500,000 in direct expenses and production costs to be eligible.

Vilardo said lawmakers may not be considering all the potential effects of the bill, which has the support of Assembly leadership and more than half the Senate.

“I got the feeling it’s like a steamroller and it’s going to pass,” Vilardo said.

The committee took no action on SB165

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-05-08/nicolas-cage-supports-nevada-film-tax-credit-bill

The senator was Ginny Burdick, a Democrat from Portland who also is the co-chairwoman of the joint committee reviewing tax credits. How did she get chosen for the makeover by Celina Rubin?

“Just luck,” Burdick said with a laugh. “They could have chosen someone else.”

The tax credit for film and video production was renewed by lawmakers two years ago, but at only $6 million. Gov. John Kitzhaber has proposed in his budget to expand the amount to $12 million; House Bill 2267 is pending in the joint committee.

Rubin, who lives in Portland, said she hopes the bill passes “so I can feed my kid, pay my rent and my bills.”

Rubin has done some work in connection with “Grimm,” the NBC series filmed in Portland. But she said she gets much of her makeup work from commercial production for advertising from such companies as Nike and Columbia Sportswear.

“They bring a lot of revenue into the state in addition to film production,” she said. “This bill will bring more economic growth for everybody.”

Kitzhaber was scheduled to speak at a rally in support of his proposal this afternoon on the Capitol steps. The backdrop for the rally will be a set from “Grimm.”

pwong@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6745 or twitter.com/capitolwong

Source: http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20130502/UPDATE/130502010/Oregon-film-lobbying-involves-makeover-senator?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CNews%7Cp

Read More Here …

Reblogged from Onstage & Backstage:

Toni Attell and Carl Gottlieb are the authors of The Little Blue Book for Filmmakers.  Enjoy an excerpt of their book below, provided by IndieWire.

The source of most drama outside of the script is the actors, and anywhere they congregate may be a hotbed of intrigue, gossip, and disinformation. This is also true of anyone who talks to actors, so view the makeup, hairdressing, wardrobe, and transportation departments as minefields.

Read more… 578 more words

Mary O’Leary has spent almost three decades in daytime television serials.  She has garnered four Daytime Emmy Awards for producing General Hospital and several nominations for her work on Guiding Light, Another World and One Life To Live. She is currently a producer for The Young and the Restless, which just celebrated its’ 40th Anniversary. Last year she worked on Nickelodeon’s Hollywood Heights, an Americanization of the Mexican telenovela Alcanzar una Estrella (Reach for A  Star.) The 80-episode series aired five nights a week throughout the summer. Her roots are in live theatrical production. Mary worked in regional and Off-Broadway theaters.  She personally developed, nurtured and marketed a series of one-man shows with actor, Jonathan Frid,  best known for his portrayal of Barnabas Collins on the gothic daytime television serial, Dark Shadows.

The WIF Speaker Series presents guest speakers ranging from actors and directors to producers and public relations executives.  These popular events allow the attendees to enjoy a lively discussion and interact with our special guests while enjoying hors d’oeuvres after a busy work day. This is a great opportunity to network and make new contacts with others in the industry.

TICKETS: WIF Members $20 / Guild Members $30 / Non-members $50
RSVP BY PHONE: 323-935-2211
(Reserved tickets must be purchased in advance by phone to guarantee a seat.  Seating is limited.)
All Tickets are non-refundable.

PARKING: Exterior lot validated; (Above 3rd Street, next to Farmers Market)  *Interior lot out-of-pocket  CLICK HERE FOR MAP

Dean Norris, known as Hank Schrader in AMC’s series, “Breaking Bad,” tweeted pictures and blurbs in support of the cause.

Norris, who’s in town filming the upcoming TV series “Under the Dome,” tweeted “NC film incentive rally! Downtown Wilmington,” followed by a tweet that read, “Film = jobs,” including a picture of himself at the event.

Area leaders and supporters at the rally say the film industry provides Wilmington with jobs and revenue, and they will continue to fight for the industry.

http://www.wwaytv3.com/2013/04/22/breaking-bad-under-the-dome-actor-shows-support-for-film-incentives-wilmington

Reblogged from SLO International Film Festival:

• 
• 
• 

After another successful year, the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is planning to hire a new Festival Director to share my current management responsibilities. I will take on the Artistic and Marketing Director duties, while a new Festival Director will oversee the day-to-day administrative and fundraising duties. Both jobs will be part-time.

I was originally hired as the Artistic Director in 2005 and took over as Festival Director in April 2006.

Read more… 250 more words

LET’S CREATE LA.

TAKE 5 SECONDS TO IMPROVE THE CULTURAL VITALITY OF LOS ANGELES.

Vote here to make it happen.

LA STAGE Alliance is currently in the running to receive a $100,000 grant to strengthen the arts and culture infrastructure of Greater Los Angeles. Our project would not be a one-off event, but rather the launch of a systemic change to raise the floor for the entire community, through a region-wide arts giving initiative and an invigorated pipeline of new engaged and equipped board members.

BUT… only if we’re one of the highest-rated proposals of the submitted applications will the Goldhirsh Foundation consider us for the grant.

Every vote counts. If you’ve already voted for one of the other extraordinary submissions, thank you for sharing our link with your friends and colleagues.

All we need from you is two seconds of your time. Just click “VOTE.” It’s that simple.

VOTE

Thank you for your continued support of LA STAGE Alliance. We’re honored to continue to serve you.

Let’s Create LA!

Terence McFarland
CEO, LA STAGE Alliance

 

LA STAGE Alliance, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization empowering artists and engaging audiences since 1975, is dedicated to building awareness, appreciation and support for the performing arts in Greater Los Angeles strengthening the sector through audience engagement, community building, collaborative marketing, professional development and advocacy.

Washington, DC – On Wednesday, April 10, the President released his FY2014 budget proposal. Due in February, the budget arrived two months later than normal and after both the House and Senate have released their own budgets. Below are highlights from the budget proposal as well as additional updates for the performing arts field.

Nonprofits Defend Charitable Giving Incentives

As budget debates once gain ramp up, the White House and Congress continue to consider imposing limits on charitable giving incentives. The President’s FY14 budget request once again includes a 28% cap on the rate of tax deductibility for charitable donations, and House and Senate budget and tax policy committees are weighing a range of potential limitations, primarily as cost-saving measures. National nonprofits are calling on Washington’s policy makers to take the charitable deduction off the revenue table once and for all. Reducing incentives to give would shrink the resources available to support community needs. Learn more about this important policy area.

http://theperformingartsalliance.org/site/TellAFriend?msgId=3861.0&devId=6001

Reblogged from La Danse Macabre: