Film Forum West Midlands

Any actors need to put a showreel together? Here’s an offer you might want to consider:

Get a great showreel shot and edited from scratch and get your acting career really going.

In this tough economic crisis we know how important promotion can be, so that’s why we’re still offering our showreel production service for just £200, all inclusive. It’s a great way to get your foot in the door.
SHOWREELS PAGE: http://www.rotundafilms.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/showreels.htm

We’ve got some great new locations and spectacular new scripts for our clients to give your showreel a real sense of style, glamour and professionalism.

DATES AVAILABLE

JUNE 28th, JULY 26th

Now in its second year, Virgin Media Shorts is the only short film competition to give British film makers the opportunity to have their work showcased to millions of people across the country through four mediums – on over 200 cinema screens, on TV, on mobile phones and online.

Last year, over 1500 filmmakers showed off their work through Virgin Media Shorts. The competition was judged by a celebrity panel including: Kevin Spacey, Gurinder Chadha (director of Bend it Like Beckham), Daniel Barber (Oscar-nominated short film maker), Stephen Mangan (star of Green Wing), James King (Radio 1’s film critic), Lenny Crooks (UK Film Council) and Sir Richard Branson (founder of the Virgin Group). 12 films were selected and had their work blown up onto 35mm and screened across 214 cinemas in the UK. One film was picked as an overall winner and received £15,000 production funding from Virgin media with a chance to apply for up to £15,000 from the UK Film Council’s New Cinema Fund.

Virgin Media are looking for films up to 2 minutes 20 seconds including credits. Your film must be uploaded online at www.virginmediashorts.co.uk

This year Virgin Media also have a Mobile Shorts Award for films shot on mobile phones. Films for this category can be up to 60 seconds including credits.

The judges will select the 12 best films from the main competition which will be screened on 214 cinema screens across the UK. Out of those 12 one film will be selected with a £15,000 prize from Virgin Media and the chance to apply to the UK Film Council for up to £15,000 funding. This is to shoot their next film which will be shown on Virgin Media platforms.

Virgin Media Shorts will also be awarding a prize for the best film submitted that has been shot on mobile phone format. This film will be distributed across Virgin Media platforms.

The final 12 films selected from the main competition are also eligible to take part in the People’s Choice award, voted for by members of the public online.

The winners from all three categories will be announced at a ceremony in central London on 22nd September 2009.

For further information on how to upload your film, terms and conditions and guidelines, go to: www.virginmediashorts.co.uk

Deadline: Midnight, 22nd June 2009

(via Screen WM)

Individual producers or production companies are invited to send a rough cut of their unfinished short film (up to 15 minutes in length) to Maya Vision International, along with a completed application form. The extended deadline for applications is 5pm, Tuesday 5th May 2009.

If you don’t have a rough cut by then, don’t worry as the Completion Fund has 2 calls per year, allowing up to 14 short films to be completed under the scheme each year. The first call of 2010 is scheduled to open later this year, but full details to follow in due course.

Please pass the news on to all your filmmaking friends. We’d love to receive a bumper crop of exciting new films and look forward to seeing your entries!

You are very welcome to call for more details, but please read the guidelines first. Full guidelines, forms and more information can be found at: http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/shortfilms

Contact: Tamsin Ranger at Maya Vision International Ltd, 3rd Floor, 6 Kinghorn St, London

EC1A 7HW tel: 0207 796 4842 or email: completionfund@mayavisionint.com

http://www.mayavisionint.com

(via Screen WM)

From Wednesday 6th May at 8pm, Filmrats will be hosting a multimedia evening of live music & short films being held once a month on a Wednesday evening at the Bristol Pear in Selly Oak. 

They are looking for filmmakers, Singer/Songwriters, Bands, Poets, Comedians and Performance Artists who would like to showcase their art to an appreciative audience. We accept all films and music videos and will play all submissions granted that the subject matter is not offensive.

Send your short films in DVD format to Filmrats, Flat 3, 889 Bristol Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham, B29 6ND and email any stills, posters, trailers and provide a brief synopsis and production credits.

Email: filmrats@hotmail.co.uk

Myspace page: www.myspace.com/filmrats 

Looks to be a very ecletic treat.

Opportunity for putting together a treatment for a Channel 4 documentary. Here’s Gaylan’s words:

I am writing a proposal for ‘Cutting Edge’ on Channel 4. I am looking for someone (ideally a producer) who can help me on writing a GOOD treatment. The film will look at the hidden horror side of immigrant children’s life in order to ascertain what immigrant children think about British society in the future. My deadline is 20th April

If you’re interested contact Gaylan at gaylan.n@hotmail.com

The Victoria had a really nice atmosphere last time so we thought we’d go there again. Film Forum WM’s next meet-up is on Tuesday 28 April, starting at 6pm at The Victoria pub (behind the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham, B1 1BN, see map). 

http://thevictoriabirmingham.co.uk/

As a special bonus, you can stay for the Vic’s alternative Film and Music quiz, which starts between 8pm and 8:30pm!

You can get to the event page here:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=64424731129
See you there!

***DISCLAIMER***
The quiz isn’t organised by us, so if it’s on, it’s on, if it isn’t, it isn’t. We also take no responsibility if you don’t win on the night

Online video site Clipstar.com, boasting winning heat prizes of $10,000 and an overall prize of $1,000,000, wil be back online in the summer.

It will be relaunched almost a year after it first closed down (possibly due to the falibility of it’s voting system) with a whole new design to improve the experience and to give more rounded exposure for it’s different categories.

Definitely worth keeping your eyes peeled for it.

http://www.clipstar.com/

Anyone interested in help with pitching and commissioning should check out this RTS Futures event at the Electric Cinema in Birmingham on Thursday 23 April. Tickets are £5 with a complimentary drink afterwards. Here’s what they say:

Ever wondered how programmes get commissioned?
How hard can it be to pitch your idea to a panel of experts in TV?

Please join us afterwards for a complimentary drink

How To Pitch will discuss the most toe-curling pitches – from freezing up, to ideas that are just plain ridiculous, and hear the experiences of our panel on the pitfalls of pitching programme ideas. This session will demystify the process of how a programme idea ends up on our screens and provide you with a comprehensive guide of what’s hot and what’s not in TV today. Plus top tips on how to give a successful pitch under pressure.

Chair:
Johannah Dyer: Chief Executive, Hotbed Media

The Panel:

Aysha Rafaele: Deputy Commissioning Editor Documentaries, Channel 4

Jonnie Turpie: Digital Media Director, Maverick Television

Catherine Elliot-Kemp: Creative Director, Isis Media

Details

6.30 p.m. Doors open, 6.00 p.m. Thursday, 23 April 2009. The Electric Cinema, 47-49 Station Street, Birmingham, B5 4DY (Nearest train station: Birmingham New Street)

Places are not confirmed until payment is received. Refunds are not available for this event. For queries about booking tickets please contact Sophie Goodwin by email sgoodwin@rts.org.uk or phone 020 7822 2828.

New Skillset Funds available for indy filmmakers.  Have you worked on shorts or features… have your films been screened at festivals? For the first time film freelancers can book onto DV Talent’s two day Z1 course and take advantage of the 70% discount.  

Taking place over 2 days in North London the course will give you a firm foundation to be a confident DV self-shooter. 

70% SKILLSET SUBSIDY – Z1 SHOOTING & DIRECTING FOR FILMMAKERS |  9th/10th  May 2009 – SKILLSET FILM FUND SUBSIDIZED BEGINNERS + INTERMEDIATE | AVAILABILITY |  £195 + VAT (Rate Card Price: £650)

Book online at www.dvtalent.co.uk Or call for more information on 0207 267 3826 

via Film Birmingham

Local Shorts Film Club’s last screening of the current season is coming up and looks well worth going along.

…Put the next Local Shorts Film Club in your diaries, it will be the last one of our current season, with no further dates confirmed at this stage!!  Come on down to the Library Theatre on Wed 29th of April, bar from 6pm, films after 7pm. We have just managed to get Tony Jopia as our guest speaker, having shown 2 of his very early films previously, he has now moved up a few steps, is busy in TV-land and his current ‘Spooked’ pilot is well worth a visit to: http://spookedfilms.com/spookedseries.html . His co-producer and writer Steve Bishop will also be there for the Q &A! Also, please don’t leave it to the last minute to enter your films this time (as usually), because we are on holiday just prior to the film club -  we intend to finalise the programme just after Easter, so please send us your web-links or DVDs now!!

via Film Birmingham