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SUMMER FILM INTENSIVE PROGRAM FOR TEENS CONCLUDES AFTER A WEEK OF WORKSHOPS, FILMMAKING, AND FUN Woodstock Film Festival's Summer Film Intensive Program for Teens drew to a close on July 3, after an eventful week of workshops, filmmaking, learning, and fun. The program, which was made possible thanks to a federal judiciary grant secured on behalf of the Woodstock Film Festival by Congressman Maurice Hinchey was designed for at-risk teens. A dozen students were given the chance to learn skills in the creative art of filmmaking and visual storytelling. Teens were selected for the program based on their diverse backgrounds in conjunction with the Center for Creative Education, which hosted the workshop in Kingston, NY. "We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to present the Summer Filmmaking Workshop for youth in Kingston and work with the Center for Creative Education as well as with the Indie Lab Program, all of whom are as committed to education as we are," Meira Blaustein, Co-Founder and Executive Director of WFF said. In addition to the program's head teacher, Indie Lab's Ivy Roberts, the Summer Film Intensive's staff was composed of a variety of esteemed members from the filmmaking community, including Anezka Sebek, a filmmaking teacher from The New School; Peter Wetzler, a film composer and teacher; Zachary Sklar, an Academy Award nominated screenwriter (JFK); Gospel Hill director Giancarlo Esposito (best known for his role as Buggin Out in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing); and the Woodstock Film Festival's own Michael Burke and Jeff Kantor. Using what they'd learned in the program's various filmmaking workshops, each group of students pooled their creative talents and went about the daunting task of writing, directing, acting in, filming, and editing a short film. "The Festival brought in a stellar group of advisors, technicians, and creatives who really listened to the students and offered gentle, patient guidance," video engineer and WFF technical director Jeff Kantor said, "This program might not be a training ground for future Fellinis, but the lessons learnt are universal, and there might just be a seed planted that cannot be ignored for one or two very lucky and special young people." The teens will have the privilege of having their films debut on the big screen during the Youth Initiative program at this year's Woodstock Film Festival (October 1-5). ). Guest teachers and workshop staff will be on hand along with the students at that time. For more info, click here. |
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NOT SO SILENT AUCTION HITS A GRAND SLAM WITH YANKEE TICKETS Want to see the Yankees play one last time before they leave the historic house that Ruth built? Here's your chance! The Woodstock Film Festival has received a donation of 4 Yankee tickets to be auctioned off on our website as part of our Not So Silent Auction. The tickets are for the August 29th Yankees vs. Blue Jays game at 7:05 p.m.; the seat location will be Loge Box Row D 1/4. Don't strike out on this great opportunity! The closing date for bidding will be August 15th, so get out there and bid before it's too late! To find out more and to place your bids, click here. Other great items include a vintage Party Out Of Bounds poster from The B-52's. |
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ADVERTISE WITH THE WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL Want to get the word out about your business or organization? What better way to do so than by placing an ad in WFF's 9th Annual Commemorative Program! This program will be the only official Woodstock Film Festival program with advertising opportunities. Advertisements in the program are generally reserved for sponsors, but right now we are offering a limited number of ads to non-sponsors on a first-come, first-serve basis. Your ad will be seen by thousands in print and hundreds of thousands online during the 9th Annual Woodstock Film Festival this October 1-5. But act quickly! Spaces are filling up, and our August advertising deadline is fast approaching! To place an ad in our 9th Annual Commemorative Program, click here or e-mail us at ads@woodstockfilmfestival.com Looking for a different way to support the 2008 Woodstock Film Festival? Click on the links to learn more about supporting us through: Auction Contributions, Web Advertising, Sponsorship, Private Contributions, and Foundation Support. |
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THE REFLECTING POOL Jarek Kupsc, winner of Best Feature narrative at the 2001 WFF for Recoil, is world premiering his latest film The Reflecting Pool in NYC. The new investigative movie drama marks its New York City premiere at the Pioneer Theater on Friday, July 11. This is the first time a dramatic feature film questioning the events of 9/11 will see an extended theatrical run in the United States. The movie will play twice nightly July 11-16 and July 18 with filmmakers Jarek Kupsc, Jodie Baltazar, and Joseph Culp in attendance for a question-and-answer after each show. The Reflecting Pool follows an investigation by a skeptical Russian-American journalist who teams up with the father of a 9/11 victim to fact check the official version of the tragedy as documented in the 9/11 Commission Report. As they examine evidence and interview key eyewitnesses, the official story begins to crumble. The Reflecting Pool is the first investigative drama to present this issue in the spirit of such films as All the President's Men and JFK. The Reflecting Pool is an intense, sobering analysis of the most controversial tragedy of our time -- a thought-provoking study of a search for truth and the profound consequences of not looking for it any further than the nightly news. The film stars Jarek Kupsc as the Russian-American journalist and features an appearance by Kingston's Jillian Fisher. For additional info, visit www.reflectingpoolfilm.com |
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FIRST RUN FEATURES ACQUIRES MOVING MIDWAY "First Run Features has announced the acquisition of film critic Godfrey Cheshire's Moving Midway, and will release the film in New York on September 12, 2008, followed by wider openings in the South and around the country in the fall," independent film source, indieWIRE, reports. The documentary, Cheshire's directorial debut, made its New York premiere as an Official Selection of last year's Woodstock Film Festival. In his stunning debut, Cheshire delves deep into his personal history and a sensitive part of American history. The film tells the story of Midway Plantation, a property in Chesire's family since 1848. In light of "big box urbanization," Cheshire's cousin Charlie, now owner of the property, plans to move the house to a more rural location. But there is more to a plantation than just the -iconic house. As graveyards, ghosts and concealed family lines are dug up and put on display, Moving Midway presents a thoughtful and intelligent discussion on traditional Southern values. To visit Moving Midway's official website, click here. |
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Dog the Bounty Hunter is returning with a brand new season beginning Wednesday, July 16 at 9PM ET/PT on A&E TV. Season 5 picks up where the last season left off - with Duane "Dog" Chapman and his posse capturing fugitives week to week in adrenaline fueled hunts from Hawaii to Colorado. In on the action and adrenaline was Saugerties based cameraman and former WFF employee Jeff Economy, who previously worked on A&E shows including 48 Hours and Flip This House. When reached for a comment, Economy was rushing to a meeting and could only respond, "Woof!" |
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WOODSTOCK AUTHOR LARRY BEINHART'S SALVATION BOULEVARD TO BE ADAPTED FOR SCREEN BY MANDALAY Local author, Larry Beinhart, is set to have another one of his books adapted for screen. Variety reported recently that Mandalay Independent Pictures has acquired screen rights to Beinhart's upcoming mystery novel, Salvation Boulevard. In 1997, screenwriters Hilary Henkin and David Mamet successfully adapted Beinhart's American Hero into the Academy Award®-nominated screenplay, Wag the Dog Pulitzer Prize winning Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page writes of Beinhart's latest work: "Larry Beinhart’s Salvation Boulevard pulls off one of the toughest tricks in modern literature: a sharp, high-energy whodunit that will disturb you with how closely it is based on real life. Meet Carl the detective, a 'Christian working for a Jewish lawyer who’s working for an Islamic kid to find out who really killed the atheist' college professor. Along the way he confronts a tangled thicket of troubling questions about war, religion, terrorist cells, the Rapture, the ACLU, a Mexican drug cartel, university endowment funds, enhanced interrogation techniques and whether it is a good idea to expect the worst in people so you won’t be disappointed." For the full Variety article, click here |
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JULIA INDICHOVA'S THE FERTILE FEMALE Julia Indichova's most recent book, The Fertile Female "The Fertile Female Author, activist, wife, and mother, Julia Indichova resides in Woodstock, where she also works as director of the Fertile Heart™ Learning Center. Her memoir, Inconceivable (Doubleday 2001), was praised by Library Journal for being "an important consumer health resource...the first such book written from the patient's point of view." Her work has been featured on such programs as Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and most recently on NPR's 51% and in such publications as People Magazine, Chicago Parent, and The San Francisco Chronicle. |
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ROSENDALE STREET FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND The Rosendale Street Festival will take place this coming weekend, July 19th (noon-10 pm) and 20th (noon-6 pm) on Main Street in Rosendale, NY. The two-day festival is sure to draw a huge crowd with five stages and over fifty bands scheduled to perform. Several performers who have played at the Woodstock Film Festival will be featured at this year’s festival, including Joey Eppard, Uncle Funk, Mechanical Bull, Sabor Con Color, Alexis P Suter and Bret Mosley. For the full line-up and schedule of performances, click here. Folk, Rock, Hard Rock, Alternative Rock, Progressive Rock, R&B, Country, Swing, Vocal, Jazz, and Latin, the Rosendale Street Festival is sure to have something for people of all musical tastes. All of the festival’s performers have donated their performances, so that the festival can remain a free event. To learn more, check out the festival’s website. |
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GATHERING OF THE VIBES The 12th Annual Gathering of the Vibes (GOTV) will be taking place July 31-August 3 at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT. The four-day music, camping, and arts festival, which originally started out as a birthday tribute to Jerry Garcia in 1996, boasts a line-up of Grateful Dead offshoots as well as several other higher-profile bands. You don’t have to be a deadhead to appreciate the festival, which features Funk, Bluegrass, Rock, Jam Band, Jazz, Reggae, R&B, and Folk music. This year’s festival will feature such performers as Phil Lesh and Friends, The Black Crowes, Taj Mahal Trio, The Neville Brothers, and Zappa Plays Zappa. The Master of Ceremonies will be “activist clown” and Woodstock 69’ “Chief of Please,” Wavy Gravy. WFF’s own Jackie Eaton is serving as the Vibes’ Location & Production Manager this year. To learn more about Gathering of the Vibes or to order tickets, visit their website. |
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BMI sponsors many music panels at film festivals and markets throughout the U.S. each year. These panels are designed to promote greater understanding within the filmmaking community about the aesthetic and business aspects of music in film as well as provide an opportunity for composers, songwriters and filmmakers to learn more about each other's role. Since 2000, BMI's music presence at the Woodstock Film Festival has consistently helped to forge new filmmaker-music industry relationships, which have proven to be mutually beneficial. "Woodstock and film and music are just a natural fit," says BMI's Doreen Ringer Ross, who has been instrumental in creating a platform at film festivals for the independent film and creative music communities to interact in a positive and insightful forum. "If you think about the history of this place and the reputation that it has. It's so cool that this festival exists. I love coming here!" BMI is an American performing right organization that represents approximately 375,000 songwriters, composers and publishers in all genres of music. With a repertoire of more than 6.5 million musical works from around the world, and $839 million in performing right collections for its 2007 fiscal year, the non-profit-making corporation collects license fees from businesses that use music, including radio, broadcast and cable television, the Internet and restaurants, and then distributes those fees as royalties to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents. BMI’s list of affiliated songwriters and composers is unsurpassed and includes such legendary and diverse artists as David Bowie, John Lennon,Willie Nelson, Carlos Santana, Donovan, John Sebastian, Peter Gabriel, Dave Brubeck, Sir Elton John, Chuck Berry, Leadbelly,Little Richard, Crosby Stills and Nash, Lou Reed, Moby, the Bee Gees, Antonio Carlos Jobim and the Beach Boys, as well as celebrated film and television composers John Williams, Thomas Newman, Danny Elfman, Mike Post, W.G. Snuffy Walden, John Barry, Harry Gregson-Williams, Trevor Rabin, Alexandre Desplat, Gustavo Santaolalla and Terence Blanchard. |
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