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Greetings!
This week, James asked me if I wanted to appear at the top of the newsletter. I was a bit shy at first but here we go!
I'm the assistant producer of the festival which keeps me busy most of the year. I am the main point of contact for all the filmmakers that have a film at the Festival. I am also helping Joe with the general organisation of the event. If you meet me a few weeks before or during the festival I might seem much more stressed than I am in reality.
When I am less busy after the festival, I also deal with the book keeping. And all year around, I eat biscuits. That's one of the things I am famous for at Raindance. Finally, I also have a fish here in our fish tank in the basement, but it is Rory that takes care of him most of the time.
If you have any enquiries regarding the festival, feel free to contact me on amelie@raindance.co.uk
Amelie Thille
Assistant Festival Producer
Raindance Film Festival
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Festival Submissions
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Festival submissions are open! Check out our brand new submissions page and enter your short, documentary or feature for the 18th Raindance Film Festival
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10 Things to check before you submit a script
When you submit a script you have one chance (per production company)
to get it right. Any mistakes, any problems and it will be rejected,
just like that. These companies receive literally thousands of scripts
and it just doesn't make sense for them to give you feedback and wait
for your next draft - if its not right, it gets binned and they move
onto the next one in their submissions pile. Make sure your script is as good as it can be, read the 10 things to check before submitting a script |
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TV Writer's Lab
This course looks at the essentials of story structure in television drama. It is designed to enable writers to develop a strong individual style, and within a
small group environment, formulate a coherent system for taking an
original idea and turning it into a strong first draft. Students bring a project to the class, which will be workshopped in the
group each session, from its intitial 'idea stage' to the writing of
individual scenes.
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Live!Ammunition!
We put together a panel of industry experts, producers, agents and executives. You put £5 in the hat and get 2 minutes to pitch your script. Whoever they judge the best takes the money home and just maybe, gets their film made. Confirmed panelists include the producer Michael Kuhn ('I Heart Huckabees', 'Severance', and 'The Duchess'), James Brown, Head of Acquisitions for Metrodome and Joe Utichi, in charge of Rotten Tomatoes UK.
What? Live!Ammunition!When?
Thursday 25 February 2010 - 18:30 ...
Where?
Apollo Cinema, 19 Lower Regent Street, London: map & directionsHow Much? £13 or FREE for MembersCall us on 0207 287 3833 or Book Online |
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Former Raindance newsletter writer Oscar Sharp is making short films these days (and using Raindance as a production office). His latest, 'Sign Language' is in competition for £10,000 in funding and Oscar needs YOUR votes.
Former Raindance volunteer and course-taker Ike Ong's feature length documentary, 'Twilight of the Longhouse', has won a third award in the USA, the Aloha Accolade Award for Excellence, in the Honolulu International Film Festival in Hawaii.
In other news the the cinelogic blog has taken pains to point out just how important the BIFAs are to the UK film industry and the BAFTAs.
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Blog of the Week
The Anonymous Production Assistant's blog is run by, well, you guessed it already I reckon. Anyway, it's a pretty amusing and insightful look at life inside the Hollywood studio system.
Things We Like
Lamebook is a site dedicated to all of Facebook's failures. From inappropriate comments by parents to woefully embarrassing pictures, it's got everything you need to kill a bit of time laughing at peoples idiocy.
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Raindance.tv
Watch Alex de Campi's comical music videos about romance, love, and the lack thereof: The Puppini Sisters' song ' Jilted' shows the extremes taken by a woman who has been cheated on by her boyfriend. Meanwhile, "Who needs love when there's Southern Comfort?" is Amanda Palmer's philosophy when it comes to relationships in her song, ' Leeds United' |
Review: Attack on Leningrad
' Attack On Leningrad' is the story of a British journalist who gets caught in a Russian city which is being laid to waste during World War Two. We think we know World War Two. Rarely, however, do we see dramatised stories about the Russian involvement. When we do, they aren't really told from a Russian perspective. You can bet such a thing would be unique, if not intriguing. |
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Working the Net
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This week in 'Working the Net' we have a call for a camera operator and a Raindance member exhibits their surrealist graphic art in St Pancras. We also announce the screenings of an award winning documentary on China, a launch party for Straight 8 and a call for entrants to the Aesthetica Short Film competition.
Interested? Take a look at our listings
Got an ad you want to place? Send it in free if you're a Raindance Member
N.B. We're having a few problems with the website so if the listings aren't up-to-date please check back later
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Toronto
1) Reel Injun Celebrate the unprecedented involvement of Aboriginal Peoples and the rich diversity of Canadian Cinema and support 'Reel Injun' in the weekends to come! 'Reel Injun' is a loving look at cinema through the eyes of the people who appeared in its very first flickering images and have survived to tell their stories their own way. We hope you will support this film for its crucial opening weekend, February 19th, 2010. 'Reel Injun' opens at the AMC in Toronto and at Cinemark Tinseltown in Vancouver. Check local listings for screening times. 2) Boozin' N' Schmoozin - Toronto - Free Event Bring your business cards and get networking! Rover's Pub, 570 Bloor Street West, at Bathurst, Toronto Tuesday February 7pm 3) Writer's Foundation CertificateGet tooled up and get that kick in the proverbial butt and get that great idea for a movie out of your head onto paper. 5 Wednesday nights starting March 3rd Just $199.95 + GST for all five weeks. |
New York
1) Boozin' N' Schmoozin'Meet indepednent filmmakers. Bring your business cards and network. See if you can find a co-conspirtor/collaborator. Monday March 8th Rattle 'N' Hum, 14 E 33rd St between 5th and Madison 2) The 2 Day Film School Dov Simens brings his world famous 2 Day Film School to New York on the weekend of February 3) Antichrist Screening at the IFC center
323 Sixth Avenue at West Third Street
Lars Von Trier's new chilling tale of a
grieving couple that retreats to their cabin in the woods, hoping to repair
their broken hearts and troubled marriage. But nature takes its course and
things go from bad to worse. One
of Cannes most scandalous works of the year.
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What our friends are up to
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Mugabe and the White African
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The BIFA winning and BAFTA nominates Mugabe and the White African has had to push it's DVD release back due to further demand from cinemas. Cineworld have picked it up for about 13 cinemas for various dates and they've insisted upon the 16 week time period. The Empire, West End, Leicester Square has also just booked it for its seventh week. More 4 will coordinate the TV broadcast to coincide with the DVD release on May 3rd.
Obviously we think you should go and see it.
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Haiti Screening
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We are reaching out to the film industry to support us with a charity screening which we are organising to raise money for Haiti. The event will be hosted by Mica Paris and Jenni Falconer with a meet and greet reception from Martine McCutcheon, Cerys Matthews, Charlie Brooks, Status Quo, Duran Duran, Boy George, Tazmin Outhwaite and Calum Best. We also have support in the form of personal product donation from Sienna Miller and Ridley Scott. There are only 50 seats left and it is at the exclusive luxury Electric Cinema in Notting Hill.
As the column inches fade, the survivors of last month's earthquake in Haiti are still living hand-to-mouth, still displaced, and still mourning their loved ones - they must not be forgotten. The charity screening of 'Ghosts of Cite Soleil' - a documentary on Haiti, produced by, and starring Wyclef Jean aims to address this. A 'raw, painful documentary' [The Observer], the film takes a gritty look at the reality of life in the slums of Port Au Prince, Haiti's capital.
The screening will take place at 2pm on 26th February at The Electric Cinema in Notting Hill. The screening will be followed by a Q & A, hosted by a Film Critic, with discussions from an Aid Specialist, who has over 10 years of experience in humanitarian crisis zones, and a British Documentary Maker.
Visit our website to purchase tickets/make a donation
For more information on Action Against Hunger in Haiti please visit action against hunger
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The Raindance Festival Team
Suzanne Ballantyne
James Burbidge
Frederica Byron
Julian Chapelle
Elliot Grove
Katie Kilmartin
Rory O'Donnell
Joe Pearshouse
Chris Presswell
Xavier Rashid
Amelie Thille
Chris Thomas
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