Banff Festival, North by Northeast, Bonnaroo Music and Arts, LA Film Fest, are highlights in June’s Global Media and Entertainment Industry

Fast & Furious 6 remained number one at the North American box office for the second week in a row and passed the $500 million mark within the same time.

 

The Producers Guild of America and host partner 20th Century Fox come together to present Produced By Conference 2013 in Century City. The two day event opening June 8 brings together producers and collaborators from film, television and new media. A short list of 2013 speakers slated for participation include: Mark Burnett, Jerry Bruckheimer, Tracey Edmonds, Reginald Hudlin, Stephanie Drachkovitch, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Gale Anne Hurd, Tom Cruise, Jon Avnet, Darlene Hunt, J.J. Abrams and others. Produced By Conference also offers an opportunity to join a Mentoring Roundtable where small groups of up to ten attendees get to ask questions to, and seek advice from, the mentor of their choice. Established producers are scheduled throughout the weekend that will be conducting the Roundtables. There is also the PGA Producers Showcase ProShow in which category winners are vying for a development deal, cash and prizes. The Producers Guild of America is the non-profit trade group that represents, protects and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team in film, television and new media.

The Banff World Media Festival in Alberta is a gathering of entertainment industry and digital media executives dedicated to media content production, broadcast and distribution within TV and digital media. From June 9-12 it conducts four streams of intensive, in-depth programming: BANFF TV, Kids and Animation, Non-Fiction and nextMEDIA. There will be an expanded return of the Co-Production, Co-Venture and Co-Financing Business Market, an international business hub for entertainment and digital media executives producing or commissioning co-productions and co-ventures. This year’s Co-Production, Co-Venture and Co-Financing Business Market will include: dedicated face-to-face meeting slots, insightful and impactful sessions, a detailed look at proven business models across all genres.

The ‘Face to Face with a Decision Maker’ series offers an opportunity for BANFF delegates to meet with international development executives from global networks, broadcasters, production companies, digital distribution platforms and advertisement and media buying agencies. Qualified participants get a chance to make an impression by pitching their new concepts and business models. One-on-one discussions are conducted over breakfasts, lunches and cocktails with key industry decision makers.

The Banff World Media Festival has announced that actor and comedian Will Arnett — currently starring in the NBC comedy ‘Up All Night’ opposite Christina Applegate and Maya Rudolph — will be presented the Canadian Award of Distinction at this year’s Festival. Will Arnett will accept the honor at the annual Rockie Awards Gala event that celebrates some of the top names in the film and television industry. The Award of Distinction is presented to a Canadian whose body of work exemplifies outstanding achievement in the entertainment industry. Past recipients include Paul Haggis, Howie Mandel, Eric McCormack and Martin Short. There is also the  Rockies Program Competitions — an awards program. Celebrating international television and digital media content, drawing over 1,000 entries from over 40 countries.

North by Northeast is celebrating its tenth year as a Toronto based festival for new music, film, interactive media and comedy, but the Film Festival side for music-related films is in its 13th year specializing in music-related films: features, documentaries, shorts, experimental films and animation. NXNE Music offers music and music-related ideas — all within a few km of each other. NXNE 2012 presented over 800 international, national and local acts at 50 official festival stages in downtown Toronto’s famous club district.

North by Northeast Festivals is focused upon emerging artists and major-label headliners, for musical filmmakers, and for digital interactive innovators bridging the gap between technology and the arts. It is made up of genre areas: NXNE Music, NXNE Film, and NXNE Interactive, features popular acts at intimate club venues, explores and develops common ground between the creative industries and the interactive world, showcases international headline performers at free outdoor concerts. NXNE runs seven days and nights closing June 16, and typically draws over 330,000 attendees.

The IVRPA (International VR Photography Association), a voluntary run, non-profit, international association of several hundred professionals world-wide who create and produce interactive, immersive images, begins its annual conference, this year, in Selfoss on June 10. On a rotating basis, the IVRPA organizes annually an International Panoramic Photography Conference. Previous conferences where held in Berkeley 2007 (USA), Albuquerque 2009 (USA), Tucson 2010 (USA), Palmela 2011 (Portugal) and NYC 2012 (New York, USA). The IVRPA is also a regular presence at Photokina since 2006. The conference program includes a full week of VR Photography Talks, workshops and scenic walks in Selfoss district.

Iceland 2013 Talks will cover a wide range of subjects from 360 degree panoramas to 360 degree video, from hardware to software, and examples of successful uses in the 360 degree panorama imaging field. Iceland 2013 Workshops will include a hands on tutorial from the gurus behind some of the established panorama creation software used in the industry. Iceland 2013 Scenic Walks include visits to the landscapes of Selfoss. The IVRPA is an international association of professionals who create and produce 360 degree interactive, immersive images, also called 360 degree panoramas. The conference runs through June 16.

“Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau” will be the June 12 Opening Night Premiere of the five day Maui Film Festival at Wailea. “Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau” examines the legacy of the fearless big wave surfer and first-ever North Shore lifeguard. The film is directed by Sam George and produced by TAUBLIEB Films and Paul Taublieb. Two-time Oscar nominee, Jessica Chastain will be the 2013 Maui Film Festival Nova Award recipient. Kirsten Dunst will receive the 2013 Maui Film Festival’s Pathfinder Award, honoring an actor or actress whose career choices are admired for its humanistic quality. Brie Larson will receive the 2013 Maui Film Festival’s Rising Star Award, which honors a young film artist for daring to dream big dreams and then delivering brilliant performances. Sapphire Circle VIP Patron Passes – which include VIP seating, meet-and-greet opportunities, receptions and other perks – are available through the Maui Economic Development Board, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the economic diversification of Maui County.

Created and produced by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival started out with a primary focus on jam bands and folk rock. It has since diversified but continues to pay tribute to its roots. The main attractions at the Manchester festival are the multiple stages of live music featuring a diverse array of musical styles including indie rock, world music, hip hop, jazz, americana, bluegrass, country music, folk, gospel, reggae, electronica, and other alternative music. The festival also features craftsmen and artisans selling various crafts, food and drink vendors, a comedy tent, silent disco, cinema tent, and ferris wheel. Available to the Bonnaroo public throughout the week are various activity tents. These tents become especially popular with  night crowds, hosting activities set up as The Silent Disco tent and several other club or bar-themed venues.

From the festival start on June 13, and the many musicians scheduled, a partial listing of Bonnaroo’s lineup includes: Mumford and Sons, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Earl Sweatshirt, Kendrick Lamar, Fatoumata Diawara, Comedy Bang! Bang! With Scott Aukerman and Reggie Watts, Solange, Improvised Shakespeare Company, Japandroids, Billy Idol, Wu-Tang Clan, The Sheepdogs, ZZ Top, He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister, R. Kelly, ASAP Rocky, Empire of the Sun, Dwight Yokam, DJ Logic, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Paul McCartney.

In 2013 the Festival will be offering special accommodation feature — “Roll Like A Rockstar”. Watch music from the exclusive MainStage viewing area, or relaxation area backstage in the hospitality tent. Visitors can party all weekend long till festival close on June 16 in multiple VIP lounges located on-site and with Open Bar and hospitality tents in multiple locations throughout the festival grounds in the Manchester area. And deluxe accommodations let VIPers sleep and relax in privacy while onboard a luxury, air-conditioned and fully stocked Rock ‘n’ Roll Tour Bus serving three gourmet meals a day specially prepared.

LA Film Fest Presented by Film Independent features signature programs that include the Filmmaker Retreat, outdoor screenings, intimate Coffee Talks and free community screenings. The Festival also screens short films created by high school students and has a special section devoted to music videos. An Opening Gala screening features the North American premiere of ‘I’m So Excited!’, directed by Pedro Almodovar, in Spanish with English subtitles. Closing Night will be the Nat Faxon, Jim Rash directed comedy, ‘The Way, Way Back’. A special pre-Festival screening of Zack Snyder’s ‘Man of Steel’, takes place June 12.

Two-time Oscar winning film composer Gustavo Santaolalla leads a June 15 Master Class, “Music Scores That Move Us” where he will discuss the art of composing music for film. The Master Class is moderated by Elvis Mitchell, Curator, Film Independent at LACMA; Host, KCRW’s The Treatment and hosted by UCLA Latin American Institute and supported by BMI. For a scheduled June 16 seminar, Canon explores the technical aspects of making a film with their Cinema EOS technology. And this year’s Kodak Focus shines a spotlight on an acclaimed cinematographer who will discuss craft in an intimate conversation including screen clips from their body of work.

The Los Angeles Film Festival celebrates costume designers with a program that includes a panel discussion of iconic costume design, an exhibit of the work of artist Alex Prager and an outdoor screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (featuring costumes by acclaimed costume designer Edith Head), preceded by Alex Prager’s Hitchcock-inspired short film Despair. the program is sponsored by BBC.com and The Magnet Agency. The Los Angeles Film Festival is produced by Film Independent, a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization dedicated to promoting and supporting independent films and filmmakers. In addition to the Festival that runs June 13-23, Film Independent also produces the Spirit Awards.

The New York Television Festival at BAFTA will conduct a day of free panels, screenings and networking events focused on emerging trends, digital content and keys to breaking into the US marketplace, June 14 in London. There is a planned discussion examining recent trends and successes ranging from micro-episodes to full length episodic series. Attendees can gain first-hand insights from the platforms, producers and packagers that are driving the discussion and gain insight on how to find any story’s “perfect fit.” U.K.-based network executives and independent producers will be on-hand to provide insight on overcoming transatlantic challenges, adapting projects to find success overseas and some of the current trends to apply when producing for USA markets. Overall, the afternoon of seminars and mixers focuses on emerging trends, digital content and keys to breaking into the US marketplace. A pioneer of the “independent television” movement, the NYTF continually strives to construct new routes of development and talent identification, while to complement the traditional television development model.

Founded in 2000, the East End Film Festival presents a program of international premieres, industry masterclasses, free pop-up screenings and immersive live events. The EEFF’s mission is to discover, support, and exhibit pioneering work by global and local independent filmmakers, and to introduce viewers to innovative and challenging cinematic experiences. EEFF opens June 25 with the World Premiere of Journalist and filmmaker Mark Donne’s second feature, ‘THE UK GOLD’, that follows the dramatic battle of a vicar from a small parish in the London Borough of Hackney as he goes head to head with a mighty heavyweight while revealing its primary positioning as a tax-haven enclave. The festival closes on July 10 with the UK Premiere of ‘LOVELACE’, the biopic of Linda Lovelace, the  famous adult actress of the 1970s.

Included in the larger festival program, Cutting East Film Festival, from June 28-30, is a youth led program exploring current issues in East London such as stereotypes and identity. Programmed by the Cutting East steering group, a small team of young people who all live and study in East London, it encourages youth messages to be heard by everyone and invites people from different backgrounds to come together and celebrate youth achievement. Cutting East will bring together a program of features, shorts, documentaries, dramas, music, dance and poetry all in one weekend and one venue. Program Highlights including the London Premiere of NYC pop video feature GIRL WALK // ALL DAY (Jacob Krupnik, Director) and a special screening of the Tottenham-set high school teen comedy, IT’S A LOT (Femi Oyeniran, Darwood Grace, Directors).

EEFF 2013 comes to a close with a Closing Night event at Netil House, featuring an EEFF shorts celebration and a World Premiere live score to Kieran Evan’s The Outer Edges by Underworld’s Karl Hyde. A biopic of 1970s adult film star Linda Lovelace is the Closing Night Gala screening, that includes a special “Let’s Keep It Short” celebration of the best short films from the EEFF 2013 program. Filmmakers, the EEFF team and special guests celebrate the EEFF’s best shorts during a cocktail sip on the roof terrace and the announcement of the Best UK Short Film Award for 2013. Continuing the festivities is Karl Hyde (Underworld) and Kieran Evan’s documentary exploring the Essex borderlands gets a very special live rendition. Accompanying this, the EEFF presents the World Premiere of the live soundtrack to the film from Hyde and collaborators Leo Abrahams and Peter Chilvers, who will be crafting a soundscape to match the film experience. The Closing Night Gala Party on the rooftop terrace with cinema, live music, immersive cinema, and cocktails and of all things East End carries on late into the night.

The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the “Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events” page at: http://www.actorschecklist.com/news.html. The events blog also shows links to pages that are translated into ten of the most widely used international languages read over the Internet other than English. This month’s picture placement highlights action stills from Universal Pictures block buster action franchise, Fast & Furious 6, starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson, directed by Justin Lin. If the photo does not appear in this post please click this link to view it. Looking ahead into the next month, be aware that: The Hidden Film Festivals Worldwide opens in London, Downtown Film Festival L.A. will be in Los Angeles, Ticket Summit will happen in Las Vegas, Fantasia Film Festival will happen in Montreal, Animation Block Party comes to Brooklyn, Melbourne International Film Festival opens in Melbourne.

James Bond Turns 50, also, American Film Market, Billboard FutureSound, Siggraph Asia, are highlights in November’s Global Media and Entertainment Industry

Bond through the years: (From left) Sean Connery as James Bond in “From Russia With Love” (1963). David Niven as James Bond in Bond spoof based loosely on Ian Flemming’s story, “Casino Royale” (1967). Roger Moore as James Bond in “The Spy Who Loved Me” (1977). George Lazenby as James Bond in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969). Timothy Dalton as James bond in “Licence to Kill” (1989). Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in “Golden Eye” (1995). Daniel Craig as James Bond in “Casino Royale.” (2006). Photo credits: United Artists; MGM; Sony

At 50: Bond… James Bond

In 1952, an English author, journalist and former naval intelligence officer named Ian Lancaster Fleming sat down at his Jamaican retreat which he was vacationing at and started to pen a story that would become ‘Casino Royale’, the first of 14 novels and short stories featuring the fictional commander in the Royal Naval Reserve and British secret agent of secret intelligence service MI6, James Bond. The resulting work was a success with three print runs to answer demand and marked the start of a series that has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Fleming also wrote the children’s story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang and two works of non-fiction and received acknowledgement from London based The Times as one of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945”. In 1954 CBS commissioned Ian Fleming to adapt his novel ‘Casino Royale’ into a one-hour television adventure as part of its Climax! series. The episode aired live in October 1954 and starred Barry Nelson as “Card Sense” James ‘Jimmy’ Bond and Peter Lorre as Le Chiffre.

The first Bond film (set in Jamaica, W.I.), ‘Dr No’, would be released in 1962 with Sean Connery (a Scotsman) setting the standard for the Bond character, and marking the start of one of the most successful franchises in movie making history. EON Productions has produced the majority of the Bond series. The 1967 Bond spoof, ‘Casino Royale’, starring David Niven and the 1983 ‘Never Say Never Again’, with Sean Connery in a return performance after leaving the series, were not made by EON who produce the official Bond movies. Barbara Broccoli, the daughter of the late Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, the producer who brought Bond to the screen in 1962, maintains active control along with half-brother, Michael Wilson, in the productions of all Bond films right up to Skyfall, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the franchise. Incidentally, David Niven was the only James Bond actor mentioned by name in the text of Fleming’s novels. In ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’, Bond visits an exclusive ski resort in Switzerland where he is told that David Niven is a frequent visitor and in ‘You Only Live Twice’, David Niven is referred to as the only real gentleman in Hollywood.

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American Film Market, the annual, anticipated film event that’s not quite festival, not quite conference, but mostly business opportunity — the business of independent motion picture production and distribution — set oceanside against Santa Monica beach. Generally 8,000 industry professionals converge in Santa Monica for the deal-making, screenings, seminars, networking and parties that continue through November 7. Participants come from over 70 countries and include acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, festival directors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, the world’s press all those who provide services to the motion picture industry. Separate from the conference schedule, the AFM Industry Conversations are interactive and informative discussions led by Hollywood thought leaders, decision makers, trendsetters and experts, and are free to anyone with an AFM Badge. This year AFM and AFI FEST that normally runs concurrent to AFM in Hollywood will join forces and introduce a new AFI FEST screening program. Three AFI FEST films seeking international sales representation will be screened at AFM on Tuesday, November 6. A total of 27 films screening at AFI FEST will also be represented at this year’s AFM. AFM is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance®, the global trade association of the independent motion picture and television industry and the voice and advocate for the Independents worldwide.

The Hollywood based American Film Institute Festival holds a well regarded FIAPF accreditation assuring a high standard for the films it screens in its festival. ‘Hitchcock’, with Academy Award® winner Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock, Academy Award® winner Helen Mirren as his wife, Alma Reville, Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, Jessica Biel as Vera Miles and James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins, will have its World Premiere on the Opening Night Gala of AFI FEST 2012. Tickets will be released the day before each screening at AFI.com and the day of each screening at the AT&T Box Office at Hollywood and Highland Center. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards. The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is the official host hotel where you can find the Cinema Lounge, Audi Sky Lounge, Media Center and other various reception/event spaces. The Festival closes November 8.

Starz Denver Film Festival showcases more than 200 new films from around the world with over 175 international filmmakers, directors, actors and other film artists participating. The annual celebration of film running through November 11 provides a prominent showcase for world cinema, a platform for international film artists, and promotes dialogue between participating filmmakers and the public. Panels slated for discussion include: “The Talent You Don’t See”, “Women + Film”, “Zombie Town Hall Meeting”. During the Argonaut Wine and Film Series, seven films have been specially paired with wines from the respective countries of production and tastings will either precede or follow the screenings. Another festival special event, Animation Station, will feature an Animation Station Competition at Open Media Foundation, Animation Station workshop, and Animation Station Screening.

Leeds International Film Festival, founded in 1987 and hosted in the main city of the UK’s Yorkshire region, features programme sections including: the competitions of the Official Selection; Fanomenon, the UK’s largest genre event; Short Film City; documentary strand Cinema Versa; Cherry Kino for artist film and video; and the Thought Bubble Comic Convention. LIFF is organised by Leeds Film, part of Leeds City Council, a local authority in the Yorkshire region of the UK. There are a number of free films and events at this year’s festival which runs until November 18, including ‘Unchosen Presents Ghosts’ with Nick Broomfield and The Golem + Live Organ Accompaniment.

Createasphere’s Entertainment Technology Expo in Burbank is a two-day gathering beginning November 7 for content creator professionals involved in production, post and delivery. Co-located with the Entertainment Technology Expo is Gear Alley where attendees can get to handle the production gear and participate in shoulder-to-shoulder demonstrations with active professionals. On the second day of ETE is the Post Production Master Class. This is an session focused on the trends, technologies, and the business of post production. Soon to be announced, Createasphere will launch the DPW Lab at the Entertainment Technology Expo 2012 featuring cutting edge digital process workflow. In one special Gear Alley session, attendees an handle and improve their technique with floating, camera boom, crane and jib shots during an info seminar led by Eddie Barber,  Emmy Award-winner and cameraman with an extensive list of music video credits that include Michael Jackson, Madonna and the Beach Boys, among others.

Salon De La Photo is an international exhibition of photography in Paris put together by La Compagnie Du Nouvel Art De Vivre, a subsidiary of Comexposium. Credit: lesalondelaphoto.com

Salon De La Photo is an international exhibition of photography in Paris put together by La Compagnie Du Nouvel Art De Vivre, a subsidiary of Comexposium. On display from November 8-12 will be the latest technological innovations, from cameras to printers to digital imaging techniques. It offers a range of demonstrations, hands-on workshops, classes, film sessions and public discussions. One particular interactive experience, “Grandes Rencontres du Salon de la Photo”, gives visitors the opportunity to meet photography professionals in an event that will be organized and broadcast by Photographie.com. Salon de la Photo will also be an innovative trade show and conference for creative professionals looking to update or enhance their studio and location equipment, pick up new tips and techniques, network with industry mentors and imaging gurus. Salon de la Photo will be giving the ZOOM awards for the third year running where ten photo magazines editors each choose their favourite up-and-coming professional photographer (French or living in France) who has real but as yet unrecognized talent and whose work deserves to be brought to the attention of the general public.

This year at the Oaxaca FilmFest in Oaxaca, independent filmmakers and screenwriters from each continent will be competing for six original hand crafted Agave Statues created by international artist Alejandro Santiago. The categories include: Screen Writing Competition Award, Audience Choice Award, Best Documentary Short Film, Best Narrative Short Film, Best Documentary Feature Film, Best Narrative Feature Film. And of course Oaxaca FilmFest will honor Excellence in Cinema, including: acting, editing, musical score, directing, and Mexican film. There will be a three day “Pitch It” event that includes two workshops on how to properly pitch a film script to industry professionals followed by the opportunity to pitch to and interact with industry executives from various regions around the globe in real time via live video streaming. “Meet the Directors”, a part of the festival format since its start, will be in La Choperia, a local bar, on a night when a handful of directors screen their short films and lead a discussion on the making their film. There will be a late night “Insominia” midnight outdoor screening overlooking the city of Oaxaca. Cocktails and After Parties are scheduled for every day of the festival which goes November 8-17, and are included on a schedule at this link.

Opening November 14-25, Brisbane International Film Festival in Fortitude Valley take place at what is for them the beginning of the Australian summer, as well as for anyone else in that region of the world. BIFF is a showcase for International cinema while also serving as a platform for local Australian and Queensland productions. The Opening Night film will be British crime drama ‘The Sweeney’ followed with a gala after party on the Barracks bridge. Closing night film is Tolstoy’s classic tale of obsessive love, ‘Anna Karenina’ (Keira Knightley), from Universal Pictures, then followed by the Closing Night Gala.

In San Francisco, the Billboard FutureSound Conference’s format includes a series of 15-minute presentations from digital music thought leaders outlining their visions for both existing and future opportunities in the music industry. Fred Wilson, Principal, Union Square Ventures, delivers the conference Keynote along the intersecting lines of music, digital and social trends and investments. Don Was, President of Blue Note Records, delivers a Keynote Q&A shares his insights on how apps can function as a music format, and other issues related to the intersection of music, tech and fans as it relates to music distribution and artists development. New at this year’s two-day conference starting on November 15 is the Innovators Showcase competition where digital music startups get the opportunity to pitch a company or product to a panel of judges on stage during the conference. Eligible startups must be pre-revenue, with a working demo or prototype to present that is directed at the music industry —- be that fans, artists, or insiders. Cocktail receptions close the evenings for both days of the conference.

Bath Film Festival was originally established in 1991, in Bath, by members of the Bath Film Society and the three cinemas in the city at the time. An expanding program over the years now includes workshops for festival goers, live music accompaniments to silent cinema, open-air cinema. On November 21 screenwriter Bob Baker, who has been writing scripts for over 40 years from television dramas to children’s programs, gives advice on writing for film and television and talks in detail about his screenwriting while showing clips. On November 23, BAFTA-winning, and Oscar-nominated producer, Stephen Woolley, shares insights from his 30 year career. Bath Film Festival in conjunction with the Internet Movie Database – IMDb – have instituted two new film awards in 2012, IMDb New Filmmaker Award aims to discover new directorial talent and the IMDb Script to Screen Award. On the evening of November 25, Screen Award winner titled Pussy Cat, by Simon Wharf, will get its world premiere, and five finalists and the winner of the £1,000 prize of the New Filmmaker Award will also be screened. The festival in its entirety runs from November 15-25.

According to festival organizers, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography selects films according to their visual, aesthetic and technical values. The Bydgoszcz based Festival strives to be a forum not only for presentation but also for further development of international moviemaking. Apart from the Main Competition the Festival also contains other events such as Student Etudes Competition, Documentary Films Competition, Music Videos Competition, Feature Debutes Competition, Plus Camerimage Market, Plus Camerimage Forum, Polish Films Competition, special screenings and premieres, various reviews, retrospectives, meetings and accompanying events such as art exhibitions and music performances. During the Festival, which has its run November 24 to December 1, the gymnasium of the University of Economy is turned into a functioning film studio, where  filmmakers lead film workshops for accredited guests of the festival. This 20th edition of the festival will present Latvian Cinema Review, a program that will provide festival participants with a selection of films displaying the variety and the value of Latvian cinema. Latvian Cinema Review will not only be a chance to learn more about the country’s history, mentality, and current situation, but also explore the Latvian sense of humor and the unique atmosphere of Latvia’s cinema.

Siggraph Asia 2012 happening in Singapore November 28 through December 1 is put on by The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), an educational and scientific society uniting the world’s computing educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field’s challenges. The convention’s trade exhibition will offer participants from hardware and software vendors to studios and educational institutions a platform to market their products and services to computer graphics and interactive techniques professionals and enthusiasts. This year the conference will introduce a new program – “Technical Briefs”. Other featured events include Art Gallery, Computer Animation Festival, courses, Emerging Technologies, Symposium on Apps, and Technical Papers. The Symposium on Apps program aims to cover the development, technology, and marketing of mobile applications, and this year’s program will put more emphasis on graphics and replace “motion tracking” with categories like hardware, games, augmented reality, location-based services, animation, and social networking.

“Birds of a Feather” events are proposed by SIGGRAPH Asia 2012 attendees and are informal presentations, discussions, and demonstrations for people who share interests, goals, technologies, environments, or backgrounds. These events will be free of charge, related to computer graphics or interactive techniques, and open to all SIGGRAPH Asia 2012 conference attendees. Blender, the free/open source 3D creation software developed by a worldwide community of 3D artists and developers, holds a November 30 session for users (open to Siggraph attendees) of Blender to showcase their work, ranging from technology demos to animation and VFX for film. The official SIGGRAPH Asia 2012 Networking Reception will be at |MAX Atria Foyer, Level 1, on November 29. Stroll through the Art Gallery and Emerging Technologies demonstrations with live entertaining music in the background. A standing dinner buffet including a free flow of refreshments will be provided. Wine and beer will be available as well.

The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the “Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events” page at: http://www.actorschecklist.com/news.html which now has pages translated into 10 of the most widely used international languages that can be accessed from the blog page. This month’s photo composite celebrates the 50 years since the world’s best known secret agent — James Bond — came unto the cinematic screen as Agent 007. If the composite does not appear in this post please click this link. Looking ahead into the next month, be aware that December will be a slow month with most activities reserved for holiday celebration, but there will still be… Burleighfest in Perth, All Things Hollywood; International Festival opens in Burbank, Future of Film Summit in Los Angeles, European Conference on Visual Media Production opens in London, The Bahamas International Film Festival opens in Nassau, DocMiami International Film Festival will be in Miami, the International fest of experimental film and digital art will be in Bratislava, NewFilmmakers New York comes to New York City.