London Short Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, 2014 NAMM Show, 56th Grammy Awards, are highlights in January’s Global Media and Entertainment Industry

Irvine International Film Festival at Laguna Hills anticipates a festival running through January 16 where industry members can network and host a venue for the public to watch film and interact with film makers mostly through Q and A after the screenings. On January 11, “Karen Black: On Acting” will be a screening followed by a panel discussion with the director, Russell Brown that was given by the late actress who was an Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner. In 75 minutes, the in-depth interview from this very respected performer of her generation covers everything from perfecting regional accents to finding a character’s inner needs. There is a scheduled International Cinematographers Guild Panel Discussion on January 12, with the presentation of 10 short films honoring the best of ICGs emerging cinematographers.

Multi Emmy award-winning actor, Ed Asner, a former Mary Tyler Moore show regular and past president of SAG, is IIFF’s 2014 recipient of the festival’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” as an actor and will attend January 12 for a special screening and discussion. John G. Avildsen, Oscar winning Director of “Rocky” is the festival’s 2014 recipient of the “Lfetime Achievement Aard” as director and will be in person on January 16. Festivities begin with an Opening Night Party and concludes with an Award Show at which Oscar nominations will be announced.

The London Short Film Festival is now in its 11th year in the City of Westminster district. During the nearly two week run from January 10-19, screenings are run out of a number of independent cinemas and venues in the area showcasing short films and interactive events. There are special event sessions that are planned as well. On January 13, the British Council stages an event appealing to both filmmakers and those interested in developing a career in the festival sector. On January 14, TorinoFilmLab, an international organization supporting young talents from all over the world through training, development and funding activities, and with a principle focus on first and second feature films, makes a presentation. Following this, Cinema Jam conducts a panel discussion outlining three perspectives on how people working in the short film format can build a viable career. On January 15, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art conducts a session specifically designed for directors on how best to work with actors. On January 16, ThinkSync offers a music supervision session for selecting the right track for a short film. Later on, a panel of industry experts from London Film Academy and the Institute for International Film Financing present the most recent insider knowledge and tips on how to secure film funding.

Other London Short Film Festival special event screenings will include: a programme of inventive shorts made on a shoe-string budget on January 10, a comedy selection in association with the British Film Institute’s Future Film for younger audiences on January 11, the first of three documentary programmes in this year’s festival, screened January 12, an eclectic mix of animation, documentary and experimental footage offered in this year’s Music and Video program, January 13, the BFI’s Gothic season with a selection of disturbing and thought provoking shorts titled “The Gothic and the Grotesque” on January 14, and “Celluloid Traces” drawn together in a program of experimental work, on January 19. The London Short Film Festival is meant to be a mecca for the UK’s young creative talent combining independent shorts, plus live music, training, parties, art and fashion.

Celebrating its 30th year from Park City, The Sundance Film Festival showcases dramatic and documentary films from emerging and established artists, innovative short films, filmmaker forums and panels, live music performances and film composer events, while seeming to add to the program listing of events and activities year over year. In addition to discovering filmmaking’s newest talent through the Festival’s program of documentary, dramatic, and short films, Festivalgoers experience live music performances, panel discussions with leading filmmakers and industry figures, cutting-edge media installations, parties celebrating the Festival community, and more.

The 2014 Sundance Film Festival opens with screenings from the competition film line-up, as well as the opening of New Frontier. A planned fundraiser and kick-off for the 2014 Sundance Film Festival takes shape as an evening to celebrate independent artists and their work. This event includes cocktails with filmmakers, reserved seating at the Day One screening, dinner with artists and everything ending with a party at Legacy Lodge at Park City Mountain Resort. This year, Sundance Institute is honored to congratulate President and Founder Robert Redford on his Golden Globe Best Actor nomination for his role and performance in J.C. Chandor’s film ‘All Is Lost’. In addition, the Institue congratulates Julie Delpy on her nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her performance in Richard Linklater’s ‘Before Midnight’.

On the festival grounds, YouTube on Main Street will be hosting the filmmaking community to daily activity that include live Sundance Film Festival production, screenings, panels, happy hours, and much more. Canon U.S.A., Inc has planned a January 20 panel discussion and screening spotlighting the craft of cinematography in the field of Microcinema. Panelists will share valuable insights, anecdotes, and technical knowledge, as well as discuss their real-world experience with the Canon Cinema EOS line of professional digital cameras and lenses. To celebrate the U.S. premiere of Doug Aitken’s project, The Source (evolving), the artist, with art collector, Maurice Marciano, will discuss how ideas begin and the future of creativity in the 21st century. The January 18 talk is to be an exploration across creative disciplines — film, visual arts, music and architecture.

In April, Sundance offers its third Sundance London program, presenting a cross-section of films fresh from Sundance Film Festival – a mix of documentary and narrative features, made by first-time and established directors, and short films from around the globe. Sundance London is presented by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute, and AEG Europe. The closing night Awards Ceremony and Reception ends with the Awards Night Party at Basin Recreation Field House.

About 31 miles down the road (in a manner of speaking) from the Sundance Festival in Park City, Slamdance Film Festival has carried on its tradition serving as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging talent and nurturing new independent artists and their cinematic vision for 20 years now. For its 20th anniversary, January 17-23, Slamdance has planned Special Screenings, Beyond and Shorts programs, the premiere of the DIY documentary that follows the historical development of the Do-It-Yourself indie film movement. An expanded short film programs include 62 American and International productions including 24 World, five North American and eight U.S. Premieres. The 2014 Shorts showcase includes Narrative, Documentary, Animation, Anarchy and a new Experimental Program.

The Slamdance Screenwriting and Teleplay Competition is a mainstay of the festival. The competition consists of four categories: feature, short, horror, original teleplay/webisode. Awards are given to the top three scripts in each category. In addition to that, JuntoBox Films and Slamdance will present the new Grand Prize for the best feature length screenplay. MixBit.com, and The Slamdance Film Festival have joined forces to launch a new trailer contest that gives emerging Slamdance directors a chance to create their best trailer for the 2014 Slamdance Film Festival. To compete, filmmakers whose films have been accepted into the 2014 Slamdance Film Festival will agree to upload their trailers to MixBit.com, where Slamdance attendees and the MixBit community can remix the high quality clips and repurpose the trailers in new and creative ways. The competition goes live December 6th, 2013 at http://www.MixBit.com/Slamdance and will close January 3rd, 2014.

Slamdance counts among its alumni many notable writers and directors who first gained notice at the festival, including Christopher Nolan, Marc Forster, Jared Hess, Benh Zeitlin, Lynn Shelton and Lena Dunham. Oren Peli’s PARANORMAL ACTIVITY originally acquired from Slamdance went on to gross over $190 million at the Box Office. In 2013, more than half of the Slamdance competition features were picked up for VOD distribution. Each year significant cash and service prizes are awarded to all Sparky Award recipients. Slamdance offers selected feature and short films theatrical showings during the following year through the Slamdance On The Road program.

NAMM is the anticipated music products industry trade event of the year based in Anaheim, that features the latest innovations and gear from more than 1,400 exhibitors and nearly 4,500 brands from around the world. From January 23-26, visitors get a close-up of the latest Pro audio sound technology, training, skills refinement in the Hands-On Training (H.O.T.) Zone and a stage where you can see it in action, refine your skills and improve the quality of your productions and attend the NAMM TEC Awards. To get the party started, there will be the NAMM Pre-Show Block Party, starting at 17:30 on January 22. The night features live music from Bernie Williams and Gil Parris, plus networking, food trucks and a beer garden at the NAMM GoPro Stage on the Grand Plaza.

Reflecting on a trend of a strong growth trajectory and the Electronic Dance Music and club-music craze attached to it, over 300 brands will debut in the area of DJ-related gear at the 2014 NAMM Show. EDM grabs center stage every night of the NAMM Show on The Venue Stage presented by Pioneer DJ. Located between the arena and the Hilton, the Venue stage will play club music from 17:00-20:00 Thursday and Friday nights. On Saturday night, DJs sponsored by Monster Products take the stage.

This year’s NAMM experience will also include a group music-making experience at the show on three occasions: an “All-Industry Drum Circle” will be hosted by REMO Inc. on January 24; Conn-Selmer, Inc. will sponsor a “pBone Trombone Workshop” where elementary students with little to no music background can create a brass instrument musical experience, on January 26; the third annual Uke Circle with ukuleles provided by Kala Brand Music, is set for January 26.

The Grammy Awards are set for January 26 this year and will take place in Los Angeles. The show will be broadcast in high definition and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network from 20:00-23:30 (ET/PT). The show also will be carried on radio worldwide via Westwood One, and webcast online at GRAMMY.com and CBS.com, and on YouTube. The GRAMMYs are a peer-presented award honoring artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position. A GRAMMY is awarded by The Recording Academy’s voting membership to acknowledge this excellence in the recording arts and sciences. Two-time GRAMMY winner LL COOL J returns as host of this year’s GRAMMY Awards.

Some performers announced early for this 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards® telecast include: current GRAMMY® nominee Daft Punk; nominee Kendrick Lamar joined by nominees Imagine Dragons; nominees P!nk and Nate Ruess (of FUN.); and a special “GRAMMY Moment” featuring two-time GRAMMY winner Merle Haggard, three-time GRAMMY winner and 2014 Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Kris Kristofferson, seven-time GRAMMY winner Willie Nelson, and current nominee Blake Shelton. This will be Daft Punk’s first television performance since they last performed on the 50th GRAMMY Awards telecast in 2008. Merle Haggard will be performing on the GRAMMY stage for the first time, and this will be P!nk’s and Nate Ruess’ first time performing together on network television.

Kendrick Lamar has seven nominations: Best New Artist, Album Of The Year and Best Rap Album for Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, Best R&B Performance for “How Many Drinks?” (with Miguel), Best Rap Performance for “Swimming Pools (Drank),” Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “Now Or Never” (with Mary J. Blige), and Best Rap Song for “F***in’ Problems” (with Tauheed Epps, Aubrey Graham, Rakim Mayers and Noah Shebib). Two-time GRAMMY-winning group Daft Punk are up for four awards: Album of The Year and Best Dance/Electronica Album for Random Access Memories and Record of The Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Get Lucky” (with Pharrell Williams). Imagine Dragons, three-time GRAMMY winner P!nk, two-time GRAMMY winner Nate Ruess, and Blake Shelton each have two nods.

The 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich is executive producer, Louis J. Horvitz is director, and David Wild and Ken Ehrlich are the writers. Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. The Academy maintains a focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music will be a lasting part of this culture.

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 reflects the upcoming 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards. If the photo does not appear in this post please click this link to view it. In a look ahead into next month’s events, we have: MIDEM 2014, in Cannes; American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) hold their annual Outstanding Achievement Awards, in Hollywood; Westminister Media Forum: European media policy…, in London; European Film Market, in Berlin; The music industry – revenues, consolidation and the digital artist, in London; The American Model Awards, in Las Vegas; Country Radio Seminar, in Nashville.

NARM Music Biz Expo, Cannes Film Festival, Drama Desk Awards. Cine Gear Expo, are highlights in May’s Global Media and Entertainment Industry

Actor/director Vincent Bosco returns to Cannes Film Festival with ‘Comment te Dire’ accepted into the 2013 Short Film Corner.

This year MUSEXPO 2013 in Los Angeles will be preceded by the A&R EXPO on May 5 as well as the Global Sync and Brands Summit on May 8 drawing music professionals from film, TV, games, advertising and brands participating in face-to-face interaction with content owners from across the U.S. and global markets. Expo session days typically open with a networking breakfast and close with a wine tasting cocktail reception served with Hors D’Oeuvres. As the conference agenda unfolds, Viacom India will present opportunities for global music companies in Asia. MTV, EA Games, Cosmos Music Group, New Cap Radio, Capitol Studios will co-host social mixers. Evening artist showcases will begin at 20:00 at S.I.R. Studios in Hollywood.The origins of MUSEXPO stems from the roots of the intimate A&R Network (the predecessor to A&R Worldwide) networking dinners in Los Angeles, which first occurred back in 2001 and have since traveled to New York, Berlin and London. These exclusive dinners were organized by A&R Network and A&R Worldwide architect Sat Bisla with the purpose of bringing together friends and like-minded relationships from the global radio, A&R, film/TV music supervision, publishing, new media and artist management communities to engage in creative dialogue and establish fresh business relationships. It was the positive achievement of the networking dinners, creating a climate that attracted executives and artists to travel from over 30 countries across the world to participate, that led to the establishment of the four-day MUSEXPO.

Just across town, the NARM Music Biz Expo in Century City will host music professionals from brick and mortar as well as online music retailers, streaming services, wholesalers, distributors, record labels, mobile service and hardware providers, game and app developers, information technology companies, artists and artist managers, music educators and students and others, to participate in NARM and digitalmusic.org events. At the Expo which runs May 6-9, BMI Executives, John Coletta and Michael Drexler will be present to join discussion and share their knowledge on various panels. For more information on the panels. The National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) is a not-for-profit trade association that since 1958 has served the music and entertainment content delivery community in a variety of areas including networking, advocacy, information, education and promotion.

The British Independent Film Festival of London will showcase independent films from around the world with a focus on British talent. It also helps create exposure for its independent films selection by having multiple screenings of a film along with national press coverage. This two day event which opens May 11 is organized by the Film Festival Guild allowing it the advantage of links to festivals around the world. There are a number of awards up for grabs at the Festival, including the prestigious British Lion Award for Achievement in Film on a low budget. The Film Festival Guild provides showcases for short films, movies, animations, music videos and screenwriters. The Guild was started in 2006 and has now grown to manage five international film festivals, complete with awards ceremonies and industry appeal and importance.

The CLIO Awards ceremony that happens in New York City, May 15, is an international awards competition for advertising, design, interactive and communications. Award Presentations include: Grand CLIOs, Production Company of the Year, Advertiser of Year, Brand Icon Award, Honorary CLIOs, Lifetime Achievement Award, Hall of Fame, Agency of Year, Network of the Year and Adweek’s Project Isaac “Gravity” Award. The CLIO Awards honors work in a broad range of media types including, but not limited to: Content and Contact, Branded Entertainment and Content, Digital and Mobile, Direct, Engagement, Film, Print, Design, Audio, Public Relations, Out of Home, Innovative Media, Integrated Campaign. Musical artist will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas will be an Honorary Award Recipient. Fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger will make a special presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to legendary ad man, George Lois.

George Lois has been inducted into The Art Directors Hall of Fame, The One Club Creative Hall of Fame, with Lifetime Achievement Awards from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, The Herb Lubalin Award (Society of Publication Designers), as well as a subject of the Master Series at the School of Visual Arts. He was a contributing pioneer of the Creative Revolution in American Advertising, and among the dozens of advertising/markting innovations was creating the concept and prototype design for the New York supplement for the Herald Tribune (the forerunner of New York magazine); made a failing MTV a huge success with his “I Want My MTV” campaign.

George Lois is the author of George, Be Careful (Saturday Review Press, 1972), an autobiography; The Art of Advertising (Abrams, 1976), praised as “the bible of mass communications”; What’s the Big Idea? (Doubleday, 1991), used as a text book in college communications courses all over the world, and $ellebrity (Phaidon, 2003), a work dealing with his campaigns using celebrities in fresh and outrageous ways. Cocktails and Food will be served at the Pre-Reception and After-Party Dress Code: Cocktail Attire. The Winners Gallery will be open for public viewing from 10:00. Entry to the awards ceremony is through ticketing.

In existence since 1946, The Cannes International Film Festival — Le Festival International du Film de Cannes — is an annual invitation-only film festival which previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from around the world. The President of the Jury for the 2013 festival will be American film director Steven Spielberg. French actress Audrey Tautou, best known for the 2001 film Amelie, will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Special featured sections held during the festival include the Marché du Film, the Festival’s film market, structured to help meet the needs of film attending industry professionals.

Also at Cannes, the Producers Network assembles producers from around the world in a series of meetings and events created to stimulate international coproduction and project financing. Actor/director Vincent Bosco making his second visit and co-director Pierre Abadie will be screening ‘Comment te Dire’ at the Festival, accepted into the 2013 Short Film Corner. The work, recorded entirely in French and centering on a risky game of seduction will also be available throughout the Festival for viewing in the video library. Jerome Salle’s Zulu, starring Orlando Bloom and Forrest Whitaker, will close out the 66th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 26.

The Sundance Institute’s Film Music Program and BMI present the ComposersLab in Los Angeles, as a one-day version of the institute’s Summer Lab. The purpose of the Film Music Program is to connect composers and directors, giving them firsthand experience of the collaborative process of creating music for film. From 1998 the Film Music Program has held a summer Lab at the Sundance Resort in Utah for a selected group of film composers. The ComposersLab: L.A. is just a condensed version of the summer Composers Lab, with the goal of offering a new opportunity for aspiring and seasoned film composers to gain insight into the development of film music. The full-day program set for May 18 — led by Peter Golub, Director of the Sundance Institute Film Music program — will include presentations by Creative Advisors, Rolfe Kent, Clint Mansell, Thomas Newman, and Aaron Zigman, who will give examples of their work and discuss choices and strategies. In addition, Music Editors Adam Smalley and Scott Johnson will illustrate their collaborative process. BMI’s Doreen Ringer Ross, VP Film & TV Music, will moderate a mid-day industry panel, with panelists: Carter Armstrong, Senior VP for Music, Warner Brothers Pictures; Robert Messinger, Agent, First Artists; and music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas. Closes with a Cocktail Reception.

West African musician, Boubacar Kafando and band Zaama Nooma will have benefit engagements in West Africa and Europe during the month.

West African musician, Boubacar Kafando and his Kora-Griot band Zaama Nooma, take part in a special May 18 performance to benefit Le Centre Culturel Zounogo, of the village of Banembanto Sapone (27 km south of the capital of Burkina Faso: Ouagadougou). The objective of the center is to expose children of Burkina Faso to varieties of musical instruments, music lessons, dance, a children’s puppet show performed by children and an introduction to various life enhancing crafts. In 2007, Boubacar Kafando created Zaama Nooma: a collective of artists and artisans from France and Burkina Faso. The band then moves on to Paris for a May 24 engagement of Africa Night 2013, featuring a three Course West African Meal, performances by Zaama-Nooma and three other bands, a fashion show by Congolese designer Aurelie Lamini, dance performances by Compagnie DK-BEL and Rebman Wambaa. Proceeds go to support the youth Mission Trip to Gabon to participate in the Envision Culture in July.  Following this, Zaama Nooma will be in Montreuil to take part in the Conscience Festival, featuring Reggae concerts, May 25-26.

At the annual Drama Desk Awards, selected New York theater productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway compete against each other in the same category. Among the over two dozen award categories, 2013 nominees for Outstanding Play include: Annie Baker, ‘The Flick’, Christopher Durang, ‘Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike’, Joe Gilford, ‘Finks’, Richard Greenberg, ‘The Assembled Parties’, Amy Herzog, ‘Belleville’, Deanna Jent, ‘Falling’, Richard Nelson, ‘Sorry’. This year’s nominees for Outstanding Musical include: ‘A Christmas Story: The Musical’, ‘Giant’, ‘Hands on a Hardbody’, ‘Here Lies Love’, ‘Matilda’, ‘Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812’, ‘The Other Josh Cohen’. In addition to the usual category awards, each year, the Drama Desk votes special awards to recognize excellence and significant contributions to the theater. The official ceremony will be held May 19.

Formed in 1949 by a group of New York theater critics, editors, reporters, and publishers, the organization was created to educate the community on vital issues concerning the theater. In 1955, Drama Desk became the first major organization to honor Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway, with their Vernon Rice Awards, named for the late New York Post critic who had pioneered Off-Broadway coverage in the New York press. In holding to its original mission, the organization sponsors guest panel luncheons with theater professionals. Panels address topics of current interest covering the season on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway, with the aim of prompting informative and stimulating discussion. All of the Drama Desk officers and Nominating Committee members perform their various services for the organization on a voluntary basis. The Nominating Committee typically meets twice a month to discuss eligible shows members are responsible for seeing. They then nominate the productions on which the entire membership will vote.

Streaming Media East — and its counterpart Streaming Media West — explores what is taking place with all forms of online video business models and technology. At this year’s two-day New York City convention that opens May 21, keynote addresses will be given by Damon Phillips, VP, ESPN and Rob Gelick, SVP, GM, Digital Platforms, CBS Interactive. There will be eight scheduled “how-to” sessions, coverage of areas like: encoding, video-players, webcasting productions, and other topics, offering attendees step-by-step instructions on various technical aspects of the industry. These will be separate from other round-table events that will cover in part: Mobile Video Strategies, Using Social Media with Webcasting, Connected TV Platforms, Live Streaming Production, Encoding for Multiscreen Delivery. A Streaming Devices Pavilion will be set up in the exhibit hall where attendees can test drive today’s leading hardware devices and content platforms. Co-located with Streaming Media East, the fifth annual Content Delivery Summit, happening on May 20, bring together telecom carriers, service providers, content owners, and industry vendors for a detailed look at CDN platforms for the delivery of video and content acceleration. A networking reception closes out the first day of Streaming Media East.

With some semblance to Austin’s SxSW, Music Matters Festival features emerging and established bands from Asia/Pacific region and the world, and sets up Festival’s location, Singapore as Asia Pacific’s regional hub for entertainment, digital media and technology. The platform, which contains a showcase of events termed “ALL THAT MATTERS” in music, entertainment, technology and media, produced by Branded Limited, features flagship events: Digital and Music Matters, Music Matters Live, Nokia Music Connects and Social Media Matters. Music Matters is co-located with Digital Matters, Music Matters Live/HP and YouTube FanFest powered by HP. From May 21 there are conferences, workshops, mentoring and networking including a citywide international music festival. In conjunction with YouTube, the live broadcast of the festival delivers a global audience of musical performances at Clarke Quay. Music Matters Live 2013 takes place from the 22-24th May, at several venues in and around Clarke Quay with the live stage at Central Fountain Square. Open to the public, the majority of performances have free entry and in conjunction with YouTube, will be streamed live. Located along the Singapore River, Clarke Quay sits on a historical commercial site dating back to the 19th Century, and within a climate controlled canopy lit by colored lighting.

Opening in London, the Connected TV Summit is focused on strategic challenges and opportunities presented by post-convergence TV, covering connected and hybrid broadcast broadband TV, second-screen and multi-screen TV. It is about the Connected TV marketplace covering the spectrum of online video delivered to a television screen. The conference agenda closely examines the emergence of the ‘Pay TV Lite’ market, where operators provide  flexible bundles and contracts without the need for satellite dishes, cable connections or set-top boxes. Amidst a fast evolving Connected TV market, the two day conference starting May 22 explores market opportunity for CE vendors, whether their televisions are now competing with tablets in kitchens and bedrooms, if there is a new opportunity for CE Connected TV devices at the hub of the SmartHome. There are also breakout sessions covering the next-generation user experience and looking at how Pay TV operators can harness apps within their own STB-based platforms. The Connected TV Summit is produced by the same team who deliver Videonet and the Future TV Advertising Forum.

Cine Gear Expo offers its audience an opportunity to meet with companies producing the latest tools and services for the industry, get on-site hands-on technical training, gain new skills, hear breaking industry news, network with peers and learn from industry leaders. The Cine Gear Expo 2013 Cinematography Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Haskell Wexler, ASC in recognition of the contributions he has made to advancing the art and craft of Cinematography. The Awards ceremony is part of the VIP Party at the Paramount Theater in Hollywood, May 30 — the Expo’s opening day. A Cine Gear Expo VIP Reception, where Indy, Student Shorts, and Feature Film Competition winners will be announced, takes place at the Paramount Theater and Paseo Grounds, May 31. The expo runs through June 2.

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 photo and graphic images of film director/actor Vincent Bosco’s latest entry into the Cannes Festival with ‘Comment te Dire’, in the Short Film Corner, and West African musician Boubacar Kafando and band Zaama Nooma have some benefit engagements lined up in the month. If the photo does not appear in this post please click this link to view it (http://actorschecklist.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/KhayalGrooveMaster.jpg). Looking ahead into the next month, be aware that: Mexico International Film Festival will be happening in Rosarito, Albuquerque Film & Media Experience will be happening in Albuquerque, Banff World Media Festival will be happening in Banff. North by Northeast Film Festival will be in Toronto, Maui Film Festival is in Paia, the Music+Sound Awards will be in Cannes.

2013 CES and Games Summit, Golden Globes, Sundance Festival, MIDEM, are highlights in January’s Global Media and Entertainment Industry

The long running singers showcase run by the showbiz team of Billy Shepard and Judi Jourdan continues on a new night, Tuesday, in its same spot, The Iguana, just around the corner from the studio that tapes the David Letterman show. Talented newcomers and experienced singers are all welcome. Just come in, sign up and sing. Sign-ins begin at 6:30 pm and usually end between 8:30 and 9 pm. A panist is resident or bring your background tracks or CDs. The pianist transposes instantly in any key for you. Open to the public, all ages and all styles are welcome. Selected singers/acts have a chance to be booked for an appearance in a weekly cabaret show run by Shepard & Jourdan. After their presentation, singers and performers will be able to meet with either Judi Jourdan or Billy Shepard to receive feedback, advice and future direction. Produced by the long-running showbiz team of Billy Shepard and Judi Jourdan who also produce a television show, “How to Succeed in Show Business By Really Trying”, shown on Time Warner Cable. There is no admission or cover charge for performer and guests, but there is a food/beverage minimum per person.

The Palm Springs International Film Festival assembles industry reps and executives from Los Angeles, film aficionados from across the country and filmmakers from around the world. The festival features filmmaker tributes, special presentations, nightly celebrations and special events and an annual Awards Gala  honoring performances of the past year. The Festival screens a selection of films submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the Best Foreign Language film category. Nearly 70 percent of the Festival audience travels to Palm Springs from out of town. This aspect of the Palm Springs International Film Festival adds a buzz factor dynamic helpful for generating word-of-mouth about the films that are screened. A Black Tie Awards Gala will include Cocktails, dinner, awards show and after party depending on the ticket level. The Festival will present Richard Gere with the Chairman’s Award and wrap up on January 14.

Running for over four decades the International Consumer Electronics Show is an annual trade show held in Las Vegas from January 8-11 focused on consumer technology. This year there will be several super session within the CES format. “Disruptive Technologies Impacting the Future of Games and Video” will be one such session and it will explore the various disruptive technologies on the horizon that will change gaming and video delivery and reshape the marketplace for products and services around games, images and on demand video. At one special event this year the Photo Imaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA) is bringing the 47th annual PMDA Awards Ceremony to CES. PMDA will honor six individuals for outstanding contributions to the imaging industry including their Person of the Year.

A focus on public policy will take root at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show during the Consumer Electronics Association’s Innovation Policy Summit with discussions from government officials including representatives from the U.S. Congress, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Google, Verizon, as well as the Chairman and all four Commissioners from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Just back from a vigorous lobbying effort on behalf of the Internet during the 2012  election campaign, Internet entrepreneurs from Reddit and other prominent companies will debut their new documentary, ‘Silicon Prairie: America’s New Internet Economy’. Following the screening filmmakers and Internet entrepreneurs will discuss why government and citizens alike should care about preserving (and developing) the Internet Economy in every city and every town in America.

The second annual Games Summit runs concurrently with the 2013 International CES, for one day on January 10. AFter opening remarks by Ned Sherman, CEO and Publisher, Digital Media Wire, the conference opens the agenda with ‘2013 Gaming Trends – Analyst and Expert Presentations’ with presentations that give an overview of the latest research that reflects and illustrates the current state of gaming and the directions in which the industry is heading. Throughout the conference, executives from the electronics industry, game publishers, game developers, advertising agencies, investment firms and social networks will discuss industry trends and share insights about the future of games and connected entertainment. Luxembourg-based Europe4StartUps, a non-profit organization, will be staging a contest through the Digital Media Wire community. The offer is part of the Europe4Startups campaign which over the next year will award grants to 12 digital media companies, two of which will be digital games companies selected from the DMW community. Recipients will receive a 12-month package, including premium cloud computing services and a suite of business, legal and marketing services.

The 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards will go live January 13 from Los Angeles with a live telecast airing over the NBC television network at 8 pm (EST). Originated in the 1940’s during World War II, the HFPA was originally comprised of a handful of LA based overseas journalists. Since those beginnings, the organization holds what is regarded as the third most watched awards show on television, the Golden Globe® Awards, which have enabled the organization to donate more than $12 million to entertainment related charities and scholarship programs. Actor, director and producer Jodie Foster will receive the Cecil B. de Mille for lifetime achievement at this year’s Awards. Chosen by the HFPA Board of Directors, the Cecil B. DeMille Award is given annually to the talented individuals who have made an impact on the world of entertainment. Morgan Freeman was handed the honor last year and previous honorees include Lucille Ball, Bette Davis, Walt Disney, Harrison Ford, Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Martin Scorsese, Frank Sinatra, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, among others. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler host the 70th Golden Globe Awards.

The annual Sundance Film Festival is set to open in Park City, organized and run by Sundance Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences. Originally founded by actor Robert Redford in the mountains of Sundance, Utah, the Institute seeks to discover, support, and inspire independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world. In addition to Park City, films will be screened in Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance. This year’s festival which runs January 17-27 will screen 115 feature-length films representing 32 countries — the majority includes projects from 51 first-time filmmakers, including 27 films that are in competition.

In addition to discovering filmmaking’s newest talents through Sundance Festival’s film screenings, Festivalgoers can experience live music performances, panel discussions such as “Tupac, Elvis, and Benjamin Button Walk into a Bar…” a discussion on the impact of digital characters on filmmaking, live performance, and intellectual property, a topic inspired by the “Digillusion” event when a digital version of Tupac Shakur did a surprise performance at Coachella and the crowd reaction to it. Festival goers can visit the Salt Lake City Café during the day to hear a range of songwriters and artists from across the musical spectrum take part in a program produced by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). The highly anticipated Steve Jobs biopic, jOBS, starring Ashton Kutcher, will close the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Similar to the Sundance Festival in certain regards, Slamdance also serves as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging independent artists and is dedicated to the nurturing and development of their vision. And it is also based in Park City, although festival runs dates will be January 18-24, ending some days before Sundance concludes. Now in its eighteenth year as a festival that runs simultaneous to the Sundance Film Festival, the Festival showcases films in every genre, on any topic from every country around the world. The festival program is selected completely from blind submissions and does not disqualify any films based on premiere status or date of completion. As always, the Slamdance Screenwriting and Teleplay Competition is aimed at discovering and supporting emerging writing talent. Every year the Festival shows a Special Screening program comprised of several independent feature films by established filmmakers. This Special Screening program is non-competitive and sometimes includes films made by Slamdance alumni.

The National Association of Music Merchants Show (NAMM) is a trade-only event in Anaheim that is not open to the general public because of its B2B orientation. It is held bi-annually and will be held January 24-27 during this winter session and again in July in Nashville. There is also a NAMM Russia in May. As The show brings together all facets of the music products industry, buyers attend looking to find new state-of-the-art products, and exhibitors can connect with customers that are their target audience. The open lobby will play host to an exclusive Member Center, digital media hub, new product showcases and more. NAMM U, the learning and education arm of the convention, starts with NAMM U Online, a full and varied library of videos, articles and interviews that supplement the popular live Breakfast Sessions and Idea Center Sessions at the NAMM Shows; Breakfast Sessions, with industry insiders sharing their thoughts, ideas, and strategies for doing business in today’s aggressive marketplace, happening every morning before the show floor opens; Idea Center Sessions, which are short, focused “How to” sessions that take place right on the show floor and start every 30 minutes.

Since 1967, the annual MIDEM – acronym for Marché International du Disque et de l’Edition Musicale – has been an international B2B event in, Cannes Cedex, encompassing tradeshow, conferences, competitions, networking events, performances, as well as a platform for showcasing new artists, musical trends and music-related products and conferences educating about the music industry and new revenue streams. Since 2000, the night before MIDEM opens, the Palais des Festivals hosts the NRJ Music Awards. The awards ceremony is organised by NRJ, a French multimedia conglomerate that owns France’s most popular music station. This year, MIDEM’s Innovation Factory Zone is dedicated to discovering the latest cutting edge technologies through live demo sessions, training and mentoring with international experts. Music Pitch Sessions at MIDEM’s Brand Central division will have thousands of music professionals present to track and find new music relevant for their upcoming projects. Reed MIDEM is the owner and organizer of the annual MIDEM conference.

Broadcast Engineering Society-BES Expo is a Conference and Exhibition (BES Expo) on Terrestrial and Satellite Broadcasting which will be held in New Delhi on January 29-31. The theme for the 2013 Expo will be convergence and new broadcasting technologies. It is focused on manufacturers, dealers, distributors and suppliers of products, equipment, systems and services related to terrestrial and satellite broadcasting for radio, TV, studio and post-production. Equipment and technology which can be displayed in the expo includes, but is not limited to: cable, video, audio, multimedia, broadband, networking, automation, Video Streaming, Graphics and Animation, production and post production, archiving. A three-day conference on the theme “Convergence and New Broadcasting Technologies” happens at the same time as the exhibition in Hall 12. The Broadcast Engineering Society, headquartered in New Delhi and with 10 local chapters across India, was established in 1987 and is a founding member of the Engineering Council of India, New Delhi. The Society is affiliated with the Society of Broadcast Engineers and it has a friendship agreement with the Society of Cable Television Engineers and National Association of Broadcasters in North America.

The Florida Media Market (FMM) was created to be an outlet for South Florida independent Filmmakers to meet with executives producers, production companies, distributors, TV Networks and Stations, that are actively seeking content either by producing, co-producing or purchasing. FMM is also designed to serve as a meeting place where new filmmakers can gain valuable insight from industry veterans and established companies. To that end FMM has created both an annual market, and an online platform for buyers and sellers of film, documentary, television, and new media content to gather in order to teach, learn, inspire and do business together.

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 placement highlights the MIDEM music convention in Cannes, France. 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 European Spiritual Film Festival will be in Glasgow, The Event Production Show 2013 will be held in London, The Berlinale Festival will take place in Berlin, a combined Digital Music Forum East and West – forming DMW Music – comes to New York City, The Editors Retreat for TV, video and film editors will be given in Riviera Cancun.

Golden Globe Awards, NAMM Show, Sundance Festival, NATPE, MIDEM, are highlights in January’s Global Media and Entertainment Industry

The Palm Springs International Film Festival, held in the Coachella Valley at the base of Mt. San Jacinto in Southern California, screens a majority of the official international submissions to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Best Foreign Language Film. While screening over 200 films from more than 60 countries to an audience of over 120,000, the programming also includes a large selection of short films. The festival which runs until January 16, also features cultural events, filmmaker tributes, industry seminars and an annual black-tie gala award presentation. One of the planned Black Tie Awards Galas happens January 7 with cocktails, dinner and awards show.

Mega artist, Lando Van Herzog of Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, conveys his support for the OCCUPY movement by producing a new music video, 'Egomania'.

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the trade association promoting growth in the $190 billion USA consumer electronics industry. CEA owns and produces the International CES, the annual consumer technology trade show taking place in Las Vegas. This year, from January 10-13, more than 2,500 exhibitors are expected to travel to Vegas to show off their latest innovations in 30 product categories and the content that supports them. CES is not open to the general public, so to attend, you must be affiliated professionally with the CE industry. Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer delivers a keynote address the day before the official opening, at The Venetian, Palazzo Ballroom. This year, mobile apps producers will have two minutes to demo their app, and an applause-o-meter will measure audience enthusiasm to determine the winners at the planned Mobile Apps Showdown. And try not to miss the parties (http://mashbash.eventbrite.com/) at 1OAK Nightclub during CES to celebrate the best of digital, and experience a potent night of networking, dancing and more in “Mashable style”. The Official CES Closing Party happens at The Venetian, TAO Nightclub.

Music rights organization BMI will salute gospel leaders Kirk Franklin and Pastor Hezekiah Walker at its 13th Annual Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards Luncheon taking place January 13 in Nashville. The invitation-only event will honor Kirk Franklin, the best-selling contemporary gospel artist in SoundScan history, and Pastor Hezekiah Walker, a Grammy-winner and leader of the Love Fellowship Choir. Then in a follow-up to the luncheon, gospel music’s Stellar Awards show, honoring gospel music artists, writers, and industry professionals for their contributions to the Gospel Music Industry goes live January 14. The Chicago-based Central City Productions, Inc. (CCP) produces the Stellar Gospel Music Awards, and a national air date is set for March 5, 7 pm EST, over the Gospel Music Channel.

The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards will take place in Beverly Hills with a live telecast airing on NBC starting at 5 pm (WST). Founded in the 1940’s during World War II, parent organization HFPA was originally comprised of a handful of Los Angeles based overseas journalists. Each year, the organization holds what has become the third most watched awards show on television, the Golden Globe® Awards, which has enabled the organization to donate more than $12 million to entertainment related charities and scholarship programs. Actor Morgan Freeman is set to receive this year’s Cecil B. DeMille Award. This year’s awards ceremony is hosted again by British comedian Ricky Gervais.

Graphation Film Into Comics Festival is a Los Angeles festival built around short films that can then be made into graphic novels and comic books. Winning films and scripts will be taken and passed off to the Graphation stable of artists, a group made up of both established professionals and talented amateurs, and comic books will be created of those films. Graphation Film Productions already has several short projects in the works, both animated and live action, and is also hosting a free monthly movie night at Hive Gallery where the festival will be held from January 15-17

The New York City located Ticket Summit® is a conference and trade show focused on the ticketing and live entertainment industry. The three-day event which begins January 18 features a trade show, industry seminars, and networking opportunities for industry professionals. There will be a special Networking Cocktail Party on the evening of opening conference day, and “After Dark” events are slated as well.

The twice yearly held NAMM show (at least in the USA) serves buyers looking to find new state-of-the-art music products, and the exhibitors that are given an opportunity to connect with customers that comprise their target audience. Taking place in Anaheim, January 19-22, attendees benefit from sessions like, ”Doing Business in a New Key: Recreational and Community Music Making” at the RMM Coalition Meeting on January 20. Learning sessions also reveal techniques on how to drive more participation during in store activities, connect with community music activities and become the music-making hub in your community. NAMM 2012 will also host the 2nd Annual NAMM YP Gutterball (bowling) Invitational. Activities include drinks, food and bowling while networking with attending peers and industry mentors. Concerts and live performances happen every day of the festival schedule.

Annual Sundance Film Festival opens its season January 19-29 in Park City. Organizer and festival owner, Sundance Institute, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences for film. Originally founded by actor Robert Redford in the mountains of Sundance, Utah, the Institute seeks to discover, support, and inspire independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work through the annual festival and other cultural programs it runs. Again this year the Festival presents the Sundance ASCAP Music Café, a showcase for live performances by emerging and established artists, including solo acts and major bands.

Competing head on with Sundance as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging independent artists, Slamdance Film Festival happens at just about the same time (dates are January 20-26) and in the same vicinity as Sundance Festival. The festival accepts films in every genre and any topic from every country around the world. But unlike Sundance, Slamdance will show far fewer feature films while showing about the same number of shorts. The organization now consists of the Film Festival, Screenplay and Teleplay Competition and Slamdance Studios.

Opening its first year at a new Miami Beach venue after operating from the west coast for many years, the annual National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) Conference and Market is the much anticipated program market serving the worldwide television community. For anyone that will buy, sell, develop, finance, advertise, market or license content, implement technology, exploit rights, or leverage media assets, this annual conference and exhibition taking place January 23-25 is a forum offering solutions and guidance. The “Content First” segment of the conference happens for all three days of the conference, and helps define the focus of NATPE as the destination for buyers and sellers to meet and do business. The NATPE 2012 Kick-off Party is a day before the official conference start, on January 22, but cocktail parties usually end every day of the busy conference schedule including the 9th Annual Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award gathering on the conference’s second day.

At the Driven Music Conference in Hollywood, January 27-29, AP Magazine and AP Tour CEO and Founder, Mike Shea, along with major label A&R and producers, are Featured to take part in a planned panel. Anyone planning to attend can sign-up with the Recording Academy, Florida Chapter, on January 28 at the informational booth. Chapter staff will mingle with the conference attendees to provide membership and other information about The Recording Academy. The VIP Meet and Greet Friday Kick Off Party will include featured panelists and conference sponsors. Showcase performances by selected artists happen January 27-28, and are open and free to conference attendees as well as the general public.

As this year’s MIDEM opens in Cannes on January 28, Music Pitch Sessions are an opportunity for anyone to present their tracks before music supervisors from worldwide advertising agencies searching for tunes to place in their projects. midemlab showcases the latest digital innovations that help music executives, artists, and brands to engage and monetise audiences. The showcase is the result of finalists of the startups and app developers competition. The second MIDEM hack day assembles 30 developers from around the globe who are given 48 hours to conceptualize, collaborate, and build a new generation of applications. This year MIDEM attendees can attend three nights of live performances featuring established performers and up-and-coming artists at the first-ever MIDEM festival. A classical music night will be held January 30, organized by MIDEM in partnership with the project management agency Harrison Parrott. The conference closes January 31.

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 a language translation button to convert page contents into most widely used languages. In this month’s story page photo is Germany’s mega-artist, Lando Van Herzog (www.lando-van-herzog.com), who conveys his support for the Occupy Wall Street movement through a new music video, ‘Egomania’. And in a look ahead into February event dates, there is the Editor’s Retreat, in Austin, the Victoria Film Festival, in British Columbia, a Marketing Your Books Workshop, in Jacksonville, Big Easy International Film and Music Festival, in Arcadia, Amelia Island Film Festival, on Fernandina Beach, just to run through some dates to give you something to look forward to. And don’t forget that the News and Events and the site blog have translation tools to deliver page content in an array of translatable languages other than English.