Film Forum West Midlands

Sam Groves got in contact through the Ning Forum, calling for ‘short films of any length, any content and any style to be shown at Birmingham’s biggest Arts Festival, ArtFest in September. If you are interested in having your film shown, then I will need a copy of it as soon as possible. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch.’

You can contact Sam via,

email: sam.groves@hotmail.co.uk

phone: 07779 255 779

or mail films to: 129 Northfield Rd, Kings Norton, B’ham, B30 1EA

Include your contact details and any information that might be relevant to the film.

ThinkSync Films are making their final call for entries to its competition ahead of the deadline on 12th June.

ThinkSync have made a selection of music leading independent labels and publishers available for download. The competition rewards the most skilful and appropriate use of the music within a short film. It should not be seen as a ‘music video’ but encompass the qualities that distinguish the best in short film making.

There will be a £1000 cash prize for the winner plus other prizes such as equipment and time in post for other shortlisted film makers. All entrants will be offered a discount on membership to Shooting People. The screening will be held in conjunction with the 11th anniversary Rushes Soho Shorts Festival.

You can see 2008′s shortlist by clicking here.

 All press enquiries should be directed to Connie Farr at connie@thinksyncfilms.com.

Want to show your film on the big screen at Glastonbury Festival? You’ve got till Fri 29th May to get a DVD in. 

THE Glastonbury Festival will have 2 25m² screens back- to- back broadcasting a mix of short films, archive footage, gaming sessions, classic pop and highlights of the BBC’s coverage of the Festival from 10.00am to 3.00am every day.

With a total of 85 hours worth of programming time to fill we are inviting organisations from around the region to submit a selection of material that they would like to showcase to a potential audience of 177,000 people, including:

• Short films and animations (up to 8 minutes long).
• Documentaries (themes might include sport, sustainability, music, evolution, the natural world and landscape).
• Digital art works/installations.
• Archive footage (including footage of great sporting, musical and festival moments).

There are no specific themes or categories for the 2009 call, but we would ask you to bear in mind that:

• The screens will be programmed by a professional team in line with BBC guidelines (including a 9pm “watershed”), so we need to appeal to children and families as well as to an adult audience.
• Films will need to have a very immediate appeal to engage an audience that, for the most part, will be on the move between venues (for those familiar with the site, the screens will be immediately opposite what used to be the “Left Field” and adjacent to “the meeting point” – a very busy junction).
• The screens will be in full daylight for much of the time so fine detail may well be lost.

Format and details for submission:

• All proposed content should be submitted in DVD format.
• Send submissions to Cathy Gremin, South West Screen, St Bartholomews Court, Lewins Mead, Bristol, BS1 5BT
• For further information, or if you have any questions contact Cathy Gremin or Dan Obi
• Deadline Friday May 29th 2009

Download the application form here

Click here to go to the origaniser’s page

(via Animation Forum WM & Media Talent Bank’s Dave Allen)

Apologies for the short notice on this one.

Script is the regional development agency for dramatic writers in the West Midlands, offering advice, mentoring, workshops and training via industry-led partnerships.

Here’s some of their up-coming events.

Saturday 30th May, 10am-5pm

THINKING INSIDE THE BOX: DEVELOPING IDEAS FOR TELEVISION DRAMA

Venue: Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

With TV/Film Producer Claire Ingham

How do television drama ideas get started – and how do they make it from a scribbled one-liner to a fully-fledged proposal, treatment or series bible that will grab a commissioner’s attention?  This day-long workshop will look at how to find, create and develop ideas, how to present them, how much story to tell upfront – and how to think about satisfying the demands of different TV audiences.  The day will also include a review of the kinds of ideas commissioners are looking for now – and give an introduction to the key personnel at the major broadcasters.

£50 (£45 concession)
To book: Download a booking form from 
www.scriptonline.net/screen.html and send, together with your payment to: Script, 107 The Greenhouse, The Custard Factory, Gibb Street, Birmingham, B9 4AA

Claire Ingham is a producer and film and television script developer. She works on projects at all stages of development currently ranging from the adaptation treatment of Eoin Colfer’s bestselling novel 
The Wishlist to the final draft of Helen Cross’ original feature Stratford Road - to a number of original drama series and serials for the BBC and Channel 4. ________________________________________________________________________

Saturday 4th July, 10am-5pm

INDEPENDENCE DAY: WRITING FOR BRITISH FILM

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

Led by TV/Film Producer Claire Ingham, with Dan Lawson (Screen WM)

What kinds of feature films are currently being greenlit in the UK?  Who’s funding them, and how do you get your foot on the ladder as a new writer?  An overview of the films that have been made in the last few years: trends, funders, writing schemes; and how to gain access to development funding, commissioners and producers.

Cost: £50 (£45 concessions)
To Book:Download a booking form from www.scriptonline.net/screen.html and send, together with your payment to: Script, 107 The Greenhouse, The Custard Factory, Gibb Street, Birmingham, B9 4AA
_________________________________________________________________________

25 July 2009 (10am-5pm)

IMPACT: WRITING FOR THE SCREEN

With Producer, Claire Ingham and award-winining novelist and screenwriter, Helen Cross. 

Venue: The Artrix, Bromsgrove

Writing for the screen demands many of the skills a writer uses in creating short stories, novels, radio and theatre plays – but it also requires new ways of visualising and thinking about plots and characters. How difficult is it to make the transition from prose storytelling to writing for the screen – and what are the tricks of the trade?  Using a mixture of film clips, writing exercises and practical advice, this course will encourage writers to think visually about stories, characters, delivering information and developing a visual style. It will also include a session with award-winning novelist and dramatist, Helen Cross, whose book My Summer of Love became a BAFTA award-winning feature film – and whose first original screenplay, Stratford Road, is currently in development with Red Room Films and the UK Film Council.

To Book: Cost: £50 (£45 concessions)
Further info: Contact Script on 0121 224 7415 or info@scriptonline.net

http://www.scriptonline.net

Great looking event coming up via Screen WM:

04 June 2009 7:30 PM — 9:00 PM

Hyatt Regency Birmingham, 2 Bridge Street, Birmingham

What is a 360-degree idea?

Should all programme pitches have a multiplatform element to them? 

‘Pitching Multiplatform Ideas’ will demystify the process of how to pitch 360-degree concepts plus the do’s and don’ts of pitching. Hear the experiences of our panel on the pit-falls, success stories plus, what’s hot and what’s not in the cross-platform world.  Plus top tips on how to give a successful pitch under pressure.

Chair:
Alice Taylor: Commissioning Editor – Education, Channel 4

The Panel:
Martin Trickey, Commissioning Executive – Comedy and Comedy Entertainment, BBC
Lucy Willis, Executive Producer, Raw TV

Visit here to register for the free event.

It’s endearing to hear that ‘A Birmingham-based film-maker is bucking the trend of London-based production by making the most of the city’s talent and resources for his new film.’ Innevitably bringing attention to region is always going to be a good thing so here’s some more information from the Birmingham Post via Film Birmingham.

The collaborative effort is the first joint venture from Immense Productions – the partnership between Guardian columnist Guy Browning and Birmingham-based producer Steffan Aquarone.

The feel-good film, The Husband Obedience Trials, will be produced in Birmingham and filming will take place in Kingston Bagpuize near Oxford for five weeks in the summer. Mr Aquarone said: “Very few full-length films are genuinely regionally produced, so it is great to be a part of such a breaking project. There is no reason why all production should fall to London. In my work with the Producer’s Forum I encounter so much talent in the city and we have the equipment as well as the skills.

“Although we have a limited budget we are shooting on RED, a fantastically high-spec camera system. Birmingham has real potential to grow its success film sector over the next few years and we hope that the Husband Obedience Trials will play a big role in that.”

Mr Aquarone, 24, founded film production company Fullrange as a student at Warwick University and is also director of the Producers’ Forum, the networking body for the region’s screen industry. Fullrange will manage the production supported by a West Midlands film crew and project director Simon Dando and post-production will take place in Fullrange’s new offices in Fazeley Studios, Digbeth.

Read the rest here… (it’d be cheeky to pinch it all)

Apologies for copying and pasting, but here’s a very nourishing looking talk on marketing via Screen WM.

Screen WM and Channel 4 / 4iP in conjunction with Creative Networks invites you to:

Platform Alteration

Keynote by Lord David Puttnam CBE

Wednesday 10 June

6pm – 8pm The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome

Followed by a drinks and canapés reception

Media is moving fast, and new platforms for content distribution have arrived. But what does the changing digital landscape mean for content producers? Should content be influenced by creative ideas or platform choice, and how easy is it to succeed in this new environment?

Film Producer and Politician, Lord David Puttnam, will examine the importance of collaboration and encourage us to look beyond digital platforms as distribution mechanisms for traditional content, but explore the opportunities to engage users in entirely new ways by creating entertainment products that have strong social value.

Innovative and lively debate will be lead by our panel of experts, including a focus on the opportunities for collaboration with the games industry.

Places for this event are strictly limited. Please RSVP by Friday 29 May to secure your place.

Roots to Shoots is having it’s regular short film night on  Thurs 28th May 7pm.  Looks to be a good ‘un. Here’s what it’s organiser Richard Wood has to say about it:

Next Thursday its Roots to Shoots at Taylor Johns, each month the event is growing in numbers, with new and first time film makers exposing themselves in front of people. Have balls, or grow some and come along and screen your short. Or come along and watch some wierd and wonderful short films to make you think…What the??

Hosted at: 
Taylor Johns House, Coal Vaults, Canal Basin, Coventry, CV1 4LY

£3/ waged £2.50/unwaged student

Free +1 if you screen a film

First Half – Student and new film makers
If your a student and have a final end of year screener then bring it along (no more than 20 mins, and no porn) Other than that anything goes.

2nd Half – Pro and award winning shorts
 

Here’s their Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=51605771081

and MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/roots2shoots

It’s criminal we haven’t already plugged this screening/social event in Derby.  Five Lamps Films next film night is on Tuesday 26th May at The Old Bell, Derby at 8pm. 

If you’ve got a film, trailer, music video to show then send them to Five Lamps Films and they’ll plug ‘n’ play ‘em at their film night. All films are welcome, amature, professional, student!

Send films to: Five Lamp Films, Flat 3, 37 Duffield Road, Derby, DE1 3NQ

Here’s the Facebook Event Page.

You can also befriend and poke them at Facebook although they (slightly annoyingly) don’t have an actual group you can join.

www.fivelampsfilms.com

Birmingham-based animation/comedy trio Dice Productions are looking for a team to help them make a series of live-action comedy sketches. They need a camera operator and help with lighting and sound. For further details see their blog post here.

If you are interested, contact Ian, Louis and Tom at admin@diceproductions.co.uk

(via Dice Productions)