Top 10 Sites For Filmmakers

Greetings!

The first couple months of the year are by far the busiest, at least in determining the year's Summer and festival season releases. November's AFM saw a huge number of deals completed in January, and we've just returned from the Paris RDV screenings - which showcases the newest French films of the year as well as presenting the upcoming Berlin line-ups, followed by the Trieste Film Festival last week.

Sundance comes to a close on Saturday, with The Troll Hunter applauded by critics and Katie Holmes' The Son of No One reportedly prompting walkouts from studio executives.

We'll now be at Rotterdam and Berlin Film Festivals looking for new projects, films for the festival, and acquiring for our VOD channel RDTV. We'd love to hear from you if you have anything coming up.

Back in London, we're excited about the launch of our new Introduction Courses, covering casting, sound, editing VFX and SFX.

Xavier Rashid
Raindance Film Festival, Raindance.TV

In This Issue

10 Top Sites for Independent Filmmakers

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Max it shortlist announced

Pepsi 'MAX IT' Film Competition Judge's Shortlist Announced Today!

Pepsi Max challenged film makers to show them what 'MAX IT' meant to them and their mates.

We had tonnes of brilliant entries. Check out the Judge's Shortlist on the site here.

The Oscars 2011

The Oscar nominations were announced on Thursday. Learn to become a better screenwriter.
Read the Oscar Nominated Screenplays

Want to get some top talent? Here are the Oscar nominees along with details of their agents and publicists. Read Oscar's Who's Where

A couple of courses

Documentary Foundation Certificate

Documentaries are big business right now and with the equipment needed to shoot getting lighter, better and cheaper with each passing year, there has never been a better time to shoot your film.

In this 5 evening course you will learn the fundamentals of what makes a great documentary. Students projects will be discussed and workshopped in class.

What? Documentary Foundation Certificate
When? 5 Wednesday evenings, begins March 2
Where? St George's Church, WC1A 2HR
How Much? £165 + VAT
Members get a 15% discount

Call us on 0207 287 3833 or Book Online

Hands On Directing Part 1

Everyone wants to be a director. It's the most glamorous job in the film industry and this intensive, practical weekend course will bring you closer to it.

Hands On Directing teaches you the practicalities of working on a set every day. What to do and what you mustn't do. Every aspect of directing is covered, from how to get the best performances to shots and composition.

What? Hands On Directing
When? Saturday/Sunday 19/20 February
Where? St George's Church, WC1A 2HR
How Much? £249.95 + VAT
Members get a 15% discount

Call us on 0207 287 3833 or Book Online

Raindance News

Everyone is invited to Sound of Movement 2!

Wednesday, 2nd Feb, 7.30pm - 11pm

Ink Rooms, 14 Lavender Hill, Clapham, London

Free Entry

Combining film and live music, the evening will start with a screening of the short animation Night Music (accompanied by live music from composor Chris Knowles and narration from director Paul Jacques). You'll then have a chance, for one night only to hear an extended set from Chris Knowles and the Hotel Lazar Ballroom House Band.

Come and have a listen, a watch, a drink and then get inspired to write a film for the Night Music competition...

...Night Music Competition

Following the success of Night Music's various festival and TV appearances, Shoots & Leaves Films is running a competition supported by the Independent Film Trust which offers writers a rare opportunity to pitch their ideas for another story involving the infamous Dr. Bird and his fellow Night Music cast mates. Sound of Movement is the perfect opportunity for any budding writers to see the film and talk to the crew about submitting an Idea.

For more information go to our site.

MiShorts launches new 'Talent Studio Channel for Young Filmmakers

Talent Studio is a national filmmaking project for young people and MiShorts has just activated a channel on its site showcasing 15 of their latest films. Its special 'Youth' category contains an additional 135 titles for 13-19 year-olds - the world's largest online collection of youth-oriented shorts.

In addition to providing great entertainment, the films deal with important issues effecting young people today, such as internet dating, eating disorders, teen pregnancy, drugs and bullying.

Find out more about Talent Studio in MiShorts' latest newsletter

Veterans of the Psychic Wars

Wayne Gerard Trotman, who took one of our writing courses, has had his book 'Veterans of the Psychic Wars' published. You can get your copy here.

Working the Net

SCI-FI LONDON

The London International Festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film, or SCI-FI-LONDON is celebrating its 10th year with an eclectic programme of fantastic film for the capital, at the Apollo and the BFI.

Alongside film screenings are talks, panels and a 2-day event exploring the comic and graphic novel in science fiction. On the lighter side, try the sci-fi Easter Parade or the Royal Wedding all-nighter...

www.sci-fi-london.com

The Hotel Room

Hi There,

I would like your help in getting the word out about my next short film 'The Hotel Room'. I am Looking for funding in the region of £500. It isn't a lot but more than what I've got to spare. Raindance has tweeted about my previous work so hopefully you'll like this too. You can checkout my website at http://www.jamesgwall.com and I have setup a InideGoGo page where people can make donations at http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Hotel-Room

Thank you for your support.
James G. Wall
james.george.wall@googlemail.com

Enthusiastic Camera, Sound and Light operators or assistant directors wanted for Documentary

Enthusiastic camera, sound and light operators or assistant directors wanted to join me in making a documentary.

The subject is sport karate as practiced primarily in the UK. Those trained in karate would be an advantage but not essential and we already have some key personalities within the industry involved. This is a black belt production on a white belt budget.....If you would like to be involved please email John at jpp2@aol.com with a cv.

Calling for Eastern European Scriptwriters

I am a producer who has just graduated from the National Film and Television School and together with a director I am developing a script about a man in search of luck and money. We want to apply with it to the Film London Microwave scheme where the deadline is at the end of February.

We have an outline and a good idea of where we would like to take the story. The tone and genre would be somewhere between a drama comedy to a dark comedy and for this project I am specifically in search of a Eastern European writer who is London based.

You could be from Hungary, Lithuania or Poland, Russia is great, too, as long as you have experience writing shorts or have written a feature and would be keen to develop a feature length screenplay.

Please get in touch regarding further information. We would like to make it for the end of February deadline so work will start immediately.

Kind Regards,
Jelena Goldbach
Producer NFTS

Calling all Documentary Filmmakers

Calling any documentary makers working on projects relating to the forthcoming Royal Wedding.
We are a small company that has been working hard to create a product related to this event. The product celebrates British Style and we are targeting this towards overseas markets.
We are backed by the UKTI and we have been in contact with Buckingham Palace who have no objections to our product going ahead. We also have an exclusive launch lined up at Harrods (end March/beg April)
We are trying to get as much exposure as possible, not least as our product promotes British designers.
Open to ideas. Please get in touch if you feel this would add an interesting 'behind the scenes' angle. We are based in London (SW3).
Lucie Follett press@arklu.com 0207 376 4484

Elsewhere...

Artist to Entrepreneur
Starts Feb 23rd
This course covers everything from initial script idea through to marketing & distribution, from a business and creative perspective.

Documentary Production Certificate
Starts Feb 2nd
Learn how to fund, produce and distribute an independent documentary project, short or
feature-length.

Live!Ammunition! at the Berlinale

Raindance returns to the Berlinale, where we'll be putting on our world famous Live!Ammunition! pitching event on Saturday 12th February, 16:00-18:00

Put 5€ in the hat, pitch to our panel of industry experts and the winning pitch walks off with the money. Impress a development exec enough, and they might just ask for your script.

Live!Ammo! will be happening at the Homebase Lounge which you can find a map to here. The Homebase Lounge has been working with the Berlinale since 2004 and is a social venue, located in the heart of Berlin. They specialize in providing conference, reception, and party space for the tech- and social-media sector.

Short Film Project
Starts Today
Get together with a group of fellow-minded filmmakers and shoot a short film with Raindance!

The Director's Craft
Starts Feb 21st
Learn about the cinematic language over the course of 10 evenings

Raindance recommends...

Blog of the Week

From how to make great effects to following films through production, Film Riot explores the art of filmmaking in a way you've never seen.
Have a look here.

Things We Like
Kevin Smith's Sundance rant on why he's chosen to distribute 'Red State' himself. Read it here.

Riding the Alligator

'Riding the Alligator' is as interesting as its title would indicate. Acclaimed screenwriter, appropriately named 'Pen' Densham, takes a philosophical approach to the art of screenwriting, and refreshingly, makes no assumptions. From his point of view, much like in yoga, one must learn how to write in their own style and at their own pace. The result is an extremely personal and personable work which inspires through life examples and suggestions rather than an adherent list of 'rules' to follow. Densham delivers a down-to-earth and accessible guide to screenwriting, taking the reader on a truly unique 'ride.' Plus, anything that coins the terminology 'reverse orgasm' deserves a read.

Renounced

We've got a lot to renounce this week. Two films from the 2010 Raindance Film Festival are battling censorship and legal action.

'Slackistan' is banned from cinema release in Pakistan after censor's objections

Hammad Khan's independent film about westernised twenty-somethings in the Pakistani capital city of Islamabad, 'Slackistan', has generated a string of objections from Pakistani authorities, preventing its release in cinemas across the country.

The Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) have demanded that the filmmaker remove all dialogue references in the film to the Taliban and Osama Bin Laden, as well as any mention of Islamic beards and related religious attire.

The filmmaker Khan states, "The censor board's verdict is oppressive, arbitrary and steeped in denial about life outside their government offices.

Slackistan screened at Raindance to great success in 2010. Take a look at our review Here.

Melbourne Underground Film Festival director charged over 'L.A. Zombie'

Raindance is saddened to hear about the verdict against Richard Wolstencroft of the Melbourne Underground Film Festival and continue to offer our full support.

In November last year the Australian police raided the family home of the Director of the MUFF, over his screening of cult art-house filmmaker Bruce LaBruce's L.A. Zombie, which we also screened at the Raindance Film Festival in October.

We feel it is important that film festivals push the boundaries to make way for ground-breaking new works, and to tackle prejudices, and in this specific case, homophobia. The fact Mr Wolstencroft is being attacked on a personal level is very distressing, and we plea the filmmaking community to support his actions.