CINEMA EYE AWARDS
The inaugural Cinema Eye Awards, conceived by documentary programmer Thom Powers and documentary filmmaker A.J.Schnack, and sponsored by distributor Indiepix, was held Tuesday March 18th at the IFC Center in NYC, much to the delight of the NY documentary film community and nominated documentary filmmakers who were thrilled to be recognized by their peers. Nine awards were presented during the reception, which was emceed by Powers and Schnack, with some help from Danielle DiGiacomo of Indiepix. Award presenters included Woodstock Film Festival frequent guests Barbara Kopple (2007 Maverick Award recipient), Alex Gibney, Julie Goldman (Cactus Three) and Molly Thompson of A&E Indie Films.

Award recipients included Hudson Valley & WFF alumni Brett Morgen with Chicago 10 (Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design and Animation), Woodstocker Doug Abel (Outstanding Achievement in Editing for Manda Bala –Send A Bullet) and WFF alumni Jennifer Venditti for Billy the Kid (Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature). For a list of all the winners, visit www.cinemaeyeawards.com/awards/winners.html

The fabulous trophies were created by Woodstock craftsman-extraordinaire Steve Heller of Fabulous Furniture in Boiceville, NY. Heller has been fabricating the Woodstock Film Festival Maverick awards since 2001.

The after party at the trendy night club Kiss & Fly, NYC was a fun filled event, where many including WFF executive director Meira Blaustein were seen having a good time. WFF alumni included Molly Thompson (A&E Indie Films, American Teen), Hugo Perez (Neither Memory Nor Magic), Rachel Grady (Jesus Cap, The Boys of Baraka) , Francisco Bello (Salim Baba), Brett Morgen (Chicago 10), Barbara Kopple (Shut Up & Sing, My Generation).

LOCAL PRODUCTION NEWS
I AM A CAMERA by Daniel Blaustein Rejto

Local Academy Award winning documentarian Leon Gast recently began work on his new project tentatively titled I AM A CAMERA. The film briefly describes the history of photography before arriving at its subject: the superstar paparazzo Ron Galella whose photography techniques revolutionized the business of photographing celebrities. According to Gast, Galella “sneaked around and invaded and bribed and hid like a thief” nearly every day to capture his now-famous pictures of Jackie Onassis, Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson to name a few. Though our nation has become accustomed to the idea of paparazzi chasing a star’s limo to snap a photo for US Magazine, the concept was rather shocking in the 50’s when Galella entered his profession. In fact, celebrities were so outraged by Ron’s antics that they often lashed out at him; Galella once received a broken jaw from Brando for seeking a photo without the star’s sunglasses on. The daring paparazzo later took to wearing a football helmet while photographing Brando.
Looking beyond the life of Galella, the film also explores the aspects of our culture that make the job of a paparazzo necessary for our entertainment. Ron Galella, armed solely with a camera, may have destroyed the idea of privacy for celebrities, but he “could not have succeeded,” Anthony Haden-Guest reminds us, “if the public did not crave his product… He stood for our desire to see not celebrities alone, but to see ourselves as well.”

The majority of the project is being worked on in this area. Not only is Gast, who lives in Woodstock, directing the film, but he is also editing it with several locals in his studio. Further showing his devotion to the community, Gast has been sending his footage to be digitized at Ellenbogen in Kingston. The film will likely be finished by early 2009.

MUSIC NEWS

B-52s
Welcome to Funplex, the first record of the 21st century from the B-52s. "It’s loud, sexy rock and roll, with the beat pumped up to hot pink," says guitarist Keith Strickland. Eleven fresh new songs, crafted by the groundbreaking band that put Athens, GA on the musical map in the late ’70s, and conquered the world with its savvy hooks, unconventional approach to music-making and original style. “Funplex sounds like us, updated," adds Fred Schneider. "It’s the B-52s now – or fifteen years from now."

Recording took place in two locations, first at the Clubhouse in Rhinebeck, NY, followed by John Keane Studio in Athens, GA. Working at the latter venue, in particular, enhanced the good vibes that surrounded the making of the record. "It felt like coming full circle," says Kate Pierson. The studio was literally just a few blocks from the site of the house where the band played its first show, at a party on Valentine’s Day, 1977. "We were tapping back into that wellspring of creativity," she continues. "It was like the spirit of when we started. My voice teacher used to say tension is the enemy of all art, and being in Athens melted away any tension. It’s so easygoing there."

Tour kicks off Mar 28 2008 in British Columbia with a performance at Purchase, NY on April 11 being closest until June 3 Radio City show. For more info, visit www.myspace.com/theb52s

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THE FELICE BROTHERS
New album review from Muruch–a 100% legal entertainment blog focusing on album reviews. Buy it on

The Felice Brothers music is a burning tumbleweed rolling through a ghost town. The brothers recorded part of their self-titled album in an old chicken coop and others in an abandoned train under bridge. Their songs are full of haunting beauty, wild tales, and eerie anachronism. This is one of those rare albums - like Big Iron World or To Hell Or Barbados - that made me stop and just stand by the stereo in awe the first time it played. The Felice Brothers are Simone, Ian, and James Felice and a boy named Christmas. Simone is also author of the novella Goodbye Amelia. Their album was released earlier this week by Team Love Records, a label that is gratefully branching out from mundane "indie" rock into much more adventurous musical endeavors.

Songs like the harmonica bruised "Little Ann," "Wonderful Life," and the whisper soft steel "Goddamn You, Jim" creep in with a fuzzy distance akin to Grant Lee Buffalo's Mighty Joe Moon and the swaying cabaret dancer lament "Ruby Mae" might be mistaken for The Decemberists, but these songs are settled with a thicker layer of dust and grit.

I don't know if Bob Dylan would ever consider collaborating with Tiger Lillies, but if he did it might sound something like "Greatest Show On Earth," "Helen Fry," "Frankie's Gun!" or "Love Me Tenderly.""Greatest Show On Earth" and "Helen Fry" are particular fantastic, and earn The Felice Brothers a spot in my demented circus genre. The former song slinks in with serpentine Dapper Dan piano and leering ringmaster narration before bursting into a Civil War era freak show of brass, voices, and hand claps. And the latter is the quintessential blend of the brothers' mountain folklore and carnival macabre.

"Frankie's Gun!" and "Love Me Tenderly" keep the claps, rousing group vocals, and clamorous instrumentation, but drop the sideshow act in favor of whiskey drenched cowboy fare that Dylan and Springsteen prolly wish they'd written. I could say the same for tavern anthem "Whiskey In My Whiskey", but the gruff vocals and deeper swagger are more like Tom Waits or the murder ballads of Nick Cave.

There really aren't enough synonyms for awesome. (a Muruch review)

BOOKNOOK

Bread Alone's Daniel Leader recently returned from Africa where he was teaching untrained bakers in various settings, to make high quality whole grain breads as part of the South African Whole Grain Bread Project. The aim of the organization is to establish community-based microbakeries to produce fresh, high quality, whole grain bread to improve the nutrition of health-compromised and malnourished adults and children. The bread will help satisfy the dietary needs of malnourished HIV/AIDS positive individuals who need to improve their health in order to allow retroviral drugs to work effectively. In addition to the health objectives, the baking initiative has been designed as a small business/ social development project that will encourage income generation opportunities for South Africans living with HIV/AIDS. The project will produce a trademarked grain and flour mix which will be milled from South African wheat, whole grains and seeds, and then blended with vitamins and folic acid. For more info visit www.sawgbp.org

Upon his return, Leader released Panini Express with Lauren Chattman. The hard cover conntains easy recipes for 70 deliciously different sandwiches you can make using your panini press. Panini Express does not confine itself only to authentic Italian Panini recipes, but instead will explore a world of flavors (like the Catskill Cubano with ham, turkey, Swiss, and a hoisin-lime dressing). In addition to the sandwich recipes, there are recipes for four homemade breads if you want your sandwiches completely from scratch, as well as for mayonnaises, spreads, and other tasty sandwich slathers to up the flavor quotient.

CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

The WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL (Oct 1-5, 2008) is currently accepting submissions in all categories. Maverick Awards are presented for Best Feature, Best Documentary, Best Short Documentary, Best Short Film, Best Student Film, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Animation. Cash, prizes and/or services are given out in each category. Audience Awards are presented for Best Feature and Best Documentary. Award sponsors have included Lowel-Light, Apple Computers, Final Draft, Post Factory, A&E Indie Films, Docurama, Kodak, Baseline, Markertek, and others.

Industry participants have included Steve Buscemi, Peter Saraf (Big Beach Films), Jonathan Sehring (IFC), Ted Sarandos (Netflix), Bob Berney (Picturehouse), Eamonn Bowles (Magnolia Pictures), Mark Urman (THINKfilm), Bingham Ray (Kimmel Entertainmen), James Schamus (Focus Features), Fisher Stevens (Greenstreet Productions), John Sloss (Cinetic Media), Ira Deutchman (Emerging Pictures), Ron Mann (Films We Like), John Pierson (Grainy Pictures), John Anderson, Ryan Werner (IFC), Tom Quinn (Magnolia Pictures), Christine Vachon (Killer Films), Andrew Hurwitz, Ira Schreck, Mira Nair, Todd Haynes, Woody Harrelson, Tim Robbins, Marcia Gay Harden, Lili Taylor, D.A. Pennebaker, Albert Maysles, Barbara Kopple, Leon Gast, Liz Garbus, Brett Morgen, Thelma Adams, Robert Downey, Zachary Sklar, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, Ethan Hawke, Matt Dillon, Rosie Perez and many others.

To apply online, and for details, visit ENTRY FORM

SPONSOR NEWS
The Woodstock Film Festival has received a grant from the M&T Charitable Foundation, which believes that its responsibility as a corporate citizen is to add value to the communities in which it operates. As part of that philosophy, the Bank contributes to nonprofit organizations that focus on improving the quality of life for its customers, its employees and its community. M&T Bank believes that strengthening community institutions leads to increased economic opportunity for individuals and a healthier overall business climate.

M&T Bank has built their business on a tradition of reliability, accuracy and responsiveness to the needs of their customers. They believe strongly in taking an active role in the communities they serve and have a long history of civic and charitable support, including the leadership and volunteer efforts of their employees. Their focus on investing in state-of-the-art technology in order to provide high-quality banking services has been strongly endorsed by thier customers and has most importantly, allowed them to grow without sacrificing their commitment to personal service. M&T Bank pledges to work hard to earn your trust and your business. At M&T, you'll find that they are committed to understanding what's important to you, so they can provide the best solutions for all your financial needs.