Article courtesty of Suzanne Gamboa, AP
PBS has hired a Hispanic documentarian to assist filmmaker Ken Burns with his upcoming World War II series, which had drawn complaints for failing to include the contributions of Hispanics.
Hector Galan, a film and television producer from Austin, Texas, will be brought in to assist Burns with the 14-hour series, which has already been produced and is scheduled for release in September.
Burns and PBS President Paula Kerger announced Galan's hiring during a private meeting at a Washington hotel Tuesday with members of various Hispanic groups, members of Congress and other public television officials. Galan also attended the meeting.
Darting into an elevator afterward, Burns said: "I feel like we listened, had a fair exchange and are moving to a win-win, positive solution to the problem."
"It's fantastic," said Galan, who produced the 1996 series "Chicano! History of The Mexican American Civil Rights Movement" for PBS.
Galan said he viewed the series over the weekend. There were images of Hispanics, he said, but no discussion of their role in the war or how the war affected their place in American society.
Hispanic groups protested that oversight, and asked that the film and educational materials be redone to add the stories of Hispanic veterans. PBS agreed to some of the requests last week.
About half a million Hispanics are believed to have fought in the war and 15 were Medal of Honor winners.
Burns' series, made over six years, tells the story of the war through people from four communities - Waterbury, Conn.; Mobile, Ala.; Sacramento, Calif.; and Luverne, Minn. The film's co-producer is Lynn Novick.
Galan said he is putting aside work on another film on Latin rhythms to work with Burns. He described himself as a World War II buff whose father served in the war as a member of the Army Corps of Engineers.
On the Net: Galan Inc.: http://www.galaninc.com/site/
Florentine Films: http://www.florentinefilms.com/
As a reminder, the Imagen Foundation is still accepting Call for Entries for the 22nd annual Imagen Awards. Entries must have aired or have been released theatrically in a major market or film festival from May 1, 2006-April 30, 2007.
The entry period will close on Friday May 4th, 2007. The Call for Entry and the official entry form can be downloaded from the Imagen web site at www.imagen.org. Nominees will be announced in June.
This year's winners will honored at the 22nd annual awards ceremony which will be held July 28, 2007 at The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California.
For ticket and sponsorship information, please contact The Imagen Foundation at (626) 791-8140 or by email: info@imagen.org
Fidel Castro’s daughter Alina Fernandez, CNN commentator and radio personality, will speak on her views about Fidel Castro’s recent public re-emergence and the future of a post-Fidel Cuba.
( See http://news.softpedia.com/news/CNN-Hires-Fidel-Castro-039-s-Daughter-as-Contributor-31929.shtml ) ( See http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0413/p10s01-woam.html)
Ms. Fernandez will be in Austin Texas doing research for a book she’s writing regarding Austin resident Carlos Lavernia; a Cuban exile wrongfully convicted, labeled the “Barton Creek Rapist” and sentenced to 99 years in prison.
After serving 20 years in prison, and with the involvement of local investigators and Barry Schek’s Innocence Project, Mr. Lavernia was ultimately exonerated through DNA evidence. See http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A230443
Saturday April 28th
5-6:30 pm
Restaurant Cuba Libre
409 Colorado St
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 472-2822
The event is co-sponsored by The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (“NALIP”) Austin chapter, and Floppy King Productions LLC. (“FK”).
For theatres please visit: www.TheOtherConquest.com
The epic Mexican film The Other Conquest (La Otra Conquista) is a boldly imaginative and deeply affecting story of faith and courage written and directed by Salvador Carrasco and produced by Alvaro Domingo. Legendary tenor Plácido Domingo is executive producer and is featured on the soundtrack singing an aria composed especially for the movie. Heading the picture’s international cast are Damián Delgado (Men with Guns), Elpidia Carrillo (Tortilla Heaven), José Carlos Rodríguez and Iñaki Aierra.
 Set in the 1520s, The Other Conquest tells Mexico’s oldest story in a new way. The film depicts the struggle of the Aztec Emperor’s son to preserve his people’s religious and cultural identity in the wake of the invasion of his land by Spanish conquerors and clergymen. Catholic priests began spreading the gospel to the local “heathens” while the Spanish soldiers pillaged the Mexican countryside. Though the region was regarded as one of the most advanced societies in the Western Hemisphere at the time of the Europeans’ arrival, the land, the people and its culture were soon shattered. As such, the film deals with the two forms of conquest – physical and spiritual – that are inherent to colonization, but even more importantly, it tells the story of the natives’ creative resistance against all odds in their will to survive with dignity and pride. The film delves into the religious, sexual and political conflicts that arise whenever civilizations clash, which gives the picture a powerful historical dimension and its present-day relevance.
“Dazzling…stupendous…daring. An extravagant spectacle.”
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
"Not since 'Schindler's List' and 'Braveheart' has a film spoken so eloquently to the triumph of the human spirit."
Juan Rodriguez-Flores, La Opinion
"Highly Recommended! Vividly imagined, elegantly paced mystery play beyond period exoticism to a bona fide illumination of social, and sacred, history."
LA Weekly
“A work without precedent in the history of Mexican cinema!”
Jorge Ayala Blanco, Mexico's foremost film critic, in his best-selling book, "The Fugacity of Mexican Cinema"
NALIP members and guests are cordially invited to a FREE SCREENING of The Other Conquest in the following cities:
Las Vegas, Nevada
Monday, April 23, 2007
7:30 p.m.
Boulder Station Theatre
4111 Boulder Hwy
Las Vegas, NV 89121
Fresno, California
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
7:30 p.m.
UA Clovis Towne Center
2301 Villa Ave
Clovis CA 93612
Los Angeles, California
Friday. April 27, 2007
7:30 p.m.
LA Film School
6363 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90028
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
7:30 p.m.
De Vargas Cinema
562 N. Guadalupe
Santa Fe, NM 87501
San Antonio, Texas
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
7:30pm
Regal Fiesta Cinema
12631 Vance Jackson
San Antonio, Texas
To RSVP email: Nubia Flores at info@gsemg.com
Please list the city and screening of your choice.
The 10th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival will take place April 19 through April 26 IN Austin, Texas. Festival passes are now available for purchase at www.cinelasmaericas.org.
 Opening night is Thursday, April 19, with a screening of Francisco Vargas Quevedo’s award winning drama EL VIOLIN (Mexico, 2006) at the historic Paramount Theater in downtown Austin. EL VIOLIN won the Knight Grand Jury Prize for Ibero-American Cinema at the Miami International Film Festival in 2007, where it was called “a perfect film, perfectly realized.” The film also won three Ariel awards in Mexico in 2007, as well as the prize for best actor (Prix d'Interprétation Masculine Un Certain Regard) at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.
“In the past few years,” says Festival Director Eugenio del Bosque, “Cine Las Americas has been working towards making Austin a destination for Latin American and indigenous films and filmmakers. Austin offers unique benefits to the film industry, including diverse audiences, government support that hopefully will soon include more incentives for more films to be made in town, and a well-nurtured population of industry professionals and film buffs. Austin is already on the map, and our objective is to keep building support so we can generate business opportunities at the event while supporting artistic excellence through our program.”
“Provocative and inspiring are two words that describe this year’s festival program,” says Director of Programming Jacqueline Rush Rivera. “We are honored to have many filmmakers and industry professionals in attendance this year. Audiences can expect to enjoy new cinema, fun special events and a close connection with the international filmmaking community.”
The eight-day festival will feature competitive categories for Narrative Features, Documentary Features, Narrative Shorts, Documentary Shorts, and Youth Films, Local and National Premiers, the Emergencia Youth Film Day, special guests, Q&A sessions and special events.
In 2007 Cine Las Americas introduces New Visions/Works in Progress, a special section of the program designed to present quality work by filmmakers who are looking for production or completion funds.
This year’s program will include new films from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Germany, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Spain, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the United States with a strong representation of Ibero-American, Afro-Latino and indigenous cultures. In addition to the Paramount Theater, films will also screen at The Regal Metropolitan 14, The Alamo Drafthouse South, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum IMAX theater, the George Washington Carver Museum, and the Hideout Theater.
The 10th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival is honored to have the City of Austin and American Airlines as premiere sponsors. This project is funded in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.
For details regarding this years Cine Las Americas film festival please visit www.cinelasamericas.org.
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE ON MONDAY, APRIL 30!
The DC Shorts Film Festival (http://dcshorts.com) is accepting submissions for the 2007 competition -- this year on September 13 - 20.
There are FOUR CATEGORIES for competition:
-- HD Shorts presented by Discovery HD network -- win a $500 cash prize and a chance at having your film air on their network!
-- Canadian Shorts for films created by Canadian filmmakers, screened at the Embassy of Canada
-- General Shorts -- films in every genre compete for cash awards and great prizes!
-- The Short Film Screenwriting competition sponsored by Final Draft. FInalists will have their work performed in front of a live audience, and the winner will receive $3,000 to complete their film!
Rules and submission guidelines are on the web site http://dcshorts.com . Submissions are being accepted through April 30 -- and discounts are available for students and Withoutabox members.
DC Shorts turns the spotlight on truly independent short films from all over the globe, created by new and established filmmakers in an era when the art of filmmaking is opening to all. We select films from every genre for our competition screenings -- with a special focus on films created by metropolitan Washington, DC-based directors and writers. After each screening, filmmakers have the opportunity to speak to the audience as part of a moderated panel.
 Now in its 3rd year, Voz Latina is the definitive Hispanic marketing conference hosted by Adweek's Marketing y Medios, Adweek, Brandweek and Mediaweek in conjunction with the Billboard Latin Music Awards. Voz Latina provides the information you need to reach the growing Hispanic population through powerful and significant entertainment, retail, mobile and online marketing strategies.
To register and view the complete agenda go to: www.marketingtohispanics.com
Registration is $699 through April 25th. On-site registration is $799. Register 3 people and the 4th attends FREE! As an added benefit, all attendees will receive a complimentary ticket to the Billboard Latin Music Awards and VIP parties.
If you have questions, please call 646-654-7254 or email conferences@nielsen.com
 Latino Theater Company presents "THREAT CONDITION: YELLOW," a selection of our favorite sketches including those NEVER BEFORE SEEN IN LOS ANGELES! See:
* Those Darn Filipino Farmworkers!
* Make America Better (M.A.B.) Vs. Make America Brown (M.A.B.)!
* Yo Yo Ma's cousin…Yo MAMA!
* and more!
As part of the LATC Cultural Reconstruction Series
April 12-28, 2007
(3 WEEK LIMITED RUN!)
Thursday, Fridays 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm
LOS ANGELES THEATRE CENTER
514 S. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(downtown between 5th & 6th)
HOW MUCH: $20 General, $15 students/seniors
INFO/RESERVATIONS: 213-489-3281
Downtown Los Angeles is undergoing a renaissance with many trendy hot spots popping up. Join 18mmw and be trendy! But beware: The conditions for DANGEROUS humor are ELEVATED and there is a SIGNIFICANT RISK of LAUGHTER!
NOTE: LATC is being renovated! You must enter at rear of LATC (follow the signs) Enter from the parking lot on the north west corner of 6th and main (entrance to lot on 6th street)
 Nelson Ivan Morales, a NALIP member directed the play EL Monte Calvo. This is an antiwar play that uses humor to make people reflect about the war and its consequences.
Opening Night: April 20th, 2007 / 7:30 p.m.
The play will run for two weeks at Meztli Theatre/Gallery
556 W. 18th Street
Chicago
The Grey Woman
a film by A. Sayeeda Clarke
Screening @ Lincoln Center, accompanied by a live orchestra!
April 20th & 21st - 8pm
The Show Listing: http://www.filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/gstoonstunes07.html
Buy Tickets Online: http://www.filmlinc.com/buytickets.htm
Box Office
Walter Reade Theater
165 West 65th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam
Plaza Level, NYC
212 496 3809
Golden Silents: Toons, Tunes and Trikfilms
April 20 & 21: 8:00 pm
Admission: $15 for the public; $10 for members, students with a current ID and children (ages 6-12) accompanied by an adult.
Our tenth collaborative showcase of silent films produced, scored and performed by NYU students. From an animated Picasso-esque painting in revolt to films dealing with homophobia, the atomic bomb, and dream fantasia, the tenth Toons, Tunes and Trikfilms series highlights the sweeping creativity developing right here in New York.
A collaborative presentation of the Film Society of Lincoln Center and New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and Steinhardt School of Education, this two-evening event showcases 17 silent films––animated and live-action––produced by students from Tisch’s Undergraduate Animation Program and the Graduate Division of the Kanbar Institute of Film and Television. Onstage, students from Steinhardt’s Instrumental Performance Program will play original scores by faculty and student composers in the Film Scoring Program of Steinhardt’s Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions, as well as songs by students in the Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.
Join artistic directors and NYU professors John Canemaker and Ron Sadoff for this unique collaboration, part of the Film Society’s year-round Golden Silents program, introducing 17 young and adventurous talents.
2007 Submission Requirements:
* Films must have been completed after Jan, 1, 2006
* All non-English films must have English sub-titles.
* Films must be SUBMITTED on DVD or ½” VHS tape (NTSC or PAL).
* Works-in-progress will be considered, provided they will be completed prior to the festival
* Preview DVD/videotapes should be labeled with the title, running-time, screening format and contact information (name, address email and phone number).
* Publicity stills - If your film is selected we will ask you to email us a still image.
* All films selected for the Festival grant LA Shorts Fest the rights to use DVD/videotapesand press materials from the film for promotional purposes.
* LA Shorts Fest is permitted to retain DVD/videotape copies of each film selected as part of our festival library and for media educational use.
Deadlines:
* Films must be received by the following deadline dates:
• Early Bird Savings Deadline - March 26, 2007
• Regular Deadline - April 25, 2007
• Final Extended Deadline - May 26, 2007
Entry form and information available on the official website.
Submission Deadline: April 27, 2007
June 12-15, 2007
New York City
Realize the full potential of your work PRIOR to industry exposure and entry into the festival circuit!
· Four days of feedback, advice and individual attention for your project from leading technical, creative & post-production advisors.
· Lead by independent producers Scott Macaulay, Forensic Films (Raising Victor Vargas, Gummo, Saving Face) and Gretchen McGowan, HDNet Films (The Architect, Coffee & Cigarettes, Series 7: The Contenders)
· Open to all first-time, narrative feature filmmakers at the rough cut/rough assembly phase, prior to festival submission.
IFP's Commitment to Diversity
IFP seeks to ensure that at least 50% of projects have an inclusive range of races, genders, sexual orientations, ethnicities and physical abilities in key creative positions.
Log onto www.ifp.org/labs for application and more information.
|
