Global Search for the New Original Harry Potter Jr.

Veteran producer Steve Waterman ("Alvin and the Chipmunks") is poised to begin work on a remake of the 1986 cult movie "Troll." Award-winning director John Buechler will return as the film's director.

"Twenty-two years following 'Troll's' original release I am thrilled to be recasting for the remake of this fantasy film," says Buechler. "I am particularly excited about casting for the film's original lead character Harry Potter Jr.," adds Buechler. The 1986 cult classic Potter was played by actor Noah Hathaway, now 40 years old.

"Today's Potter will appear to be 12 years of age," quotes Peter Davy the film's co-producer, who says the lead will be "snagged by a boy who is comfortable in the film's environment of a parallel world of magic, witches, wizards, fairies and trolls."

Hathaway will obviously not reprise his original role as Potter in the new film, but will be back as "Turok," the evil wizard who is Harry Potter's arch-nemesis in the feature film.

"What 12-year-old boy wouldn't want to play the role of Potter," says Davy, who anticipates overwhelming response to the search currently posted on SHARENOW.COM.

"We are delighted MoviePlus chose to use the SHARENOW.COM platform to cast," says Nigel Robertson, Chairman of Sharenow.com, a second generation social networking and file sharing website. "This platform perfectly demonstrates to the entertainment industry how one can build immediate awareness through the public's involvement at the outset of a project," adds Robertson.

"Troll" is set to start pre production this month and will shoot in Vancouver, Canada and Italy.

M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender

Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies have greenlit the live-action epic adventure "M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender," which will launch over the Independence Day weekend in 2010, opening on Friday, July 2, 2010.

Shyamalan, the visionary creator of the Oscar(R)-nominated "The Sixth Sense," "Signs" and the upcoming "The Happening," will direct and produce the epic action-adventure based on a script that he penned.

Based on the hugely successful Nickelodeon animated TV series, the live-action feature film is set in a world where human civilization is divided into four nations: Water, Earth, Air and Fire.

New Contest for Budding Film Makers

Creative with a camera? Got a bent for cinematography? Then the European Travel Commission (ETC) invites you to enter the "You and Europe" contest with a chance to win a trip for two to the world's most evocative film location: Europe.

Ever since the dawn of motion pictures, some of the best movies have been set in Europe, with its spectacular cultural landscapes and endless subjects. Here's a chance to unleash your inner Almodovar, Bergman, Fassbinder, Fellini, Truffaut or other legendary cineaste. Just be there, film your story and upload it at http://www.visiteurope.com/ for instant marquee billing. Your story will be available for all to see -- and if it's green-lighted by our panel of judges, you could win an all-expenses paid trip for two to the country of your choice, courtesy of NextTrip.com, one of the most exciting travel websites in cyberspace where visitors can watch European travel television shows, share their travel experiences and even book their next trip.

Every great film project needs great partners, and in addition to NextTrip.com, the ETC has brought in Compulsivetraveler.tv, a leading Web content provider. They know what it takes to capture compelling stories on video, and generously share some of their best pointers on making great travel videos, as well as several hot clips to bring your own creative juices to the boil.

"Europe has been and always will be a limitless source of inspiration for filmmakers," said ETC chairman Jean-Philippe Perol. "For Americans, too, there's no end to the romance and adventure they can find there. By giving them an opportunity to exercise their own creativity, we hope they will see Europe with new eyes, deepen their engagement with different European cultures -- and have a lot of fun to boot."

Your story can be touching, funny, romantic, sad -- whatever moves you about the culture you are experiencing. So brush up your storytelling skills by going to http://www.visiteurope.com/ to plan your trip, and pack your bags. The "You and Europe" contest will run to September 30, 2008.

The Mendocino Film Festival Presents Independent Films

Whether art imitates nature or the other way around, they go hand in hand at the Mendocino Film Festival. From May 29 through June 1, 2008, fine films and filmmakers converge on one of the most naturally blessed spots on earth, combining redwood forests and the Pacific Ocean with proximity to famous vineyards and an energetic arts and food scene. The area is known as the setting for films including East of Eden, Summer of '42, The Russians Are Coming, and Racing With the Moon, so it has a firm place in cinema legend. Now, Mendocino is making some film history of its own.

The Mendocino Film Festival presents independent films organized in three main categories: documentaries, narrative works, and shorts. There are also two special categories: Films for Our Future, featuring environmentally and spiritually themed films geared toward "changing the world, one film at a time," and Films on the Arts, focusing the lenses of world-class filmmakers on outstanding artists, dancers and musicians. An afternoon program of short films for children will be presented, as well as Shadow Puppet Theater, an interdisciplinary film and arts event program for all ages coordinated with the Mendocino Art Center and funded by the Community Foundation of Mendocino County.

The majority of films screened at the Mendocino Film Festival are represented by their directors. Because of the intimate venues and high number of attending filmmakers, there is ample opportunity to engage with screenwriters, directors, producers and celebrities from across the industry.

Now in its third year, the Mendocino Film Festival has garnered praise for the quality of its selections and its beautiful setting. Jim McCullough, San Francisco Film Commissioner, said, "The Mendocino Film Festival has an image which is small town and charming while being at the same time world class and progressive. I'm very proud to be a part of it." This year's festival is excited to have as Presenting Sponsors two visionary organizations: the Spiritual Cinema Circle (SpiritualCinemaCircle.com) and Earth Cinema Circle (EarthCinemaCircle.com). Both bring independent films of inspirational or environmental significance to an international audience through subscription DVD clubs, and are a perfect match for the themes of the Mendocino Film Festival. For more information, please call the Mendocino Film Festival at 707-937-0171, or visit its web site at http://www.mendocinofilmfestival.org/.

Inaugural Fragrance & Film Festival

In honor of the 36th Annual FIFI Awards, where each year the best of the new fragrances are honored, Vogue and The Fragrance Foundation present the first-ever Fragrance & Film Festival. This inaugural opportunity provides a chance for aspiring filmmakers nationwide to tell a story about one of the featured 2008 FIFI-nominated fragrances with a two- to three-minute short film.

Filmmakers are encouraged to highlight their love of fragrance, fashion and music by creating a short story film for any of these fragrances. The winner will receive $10,000, national exposure on ShopVogue.tv, and the first 5 filmmakers to upload a qualified film will win a $500 gift check.

While originality and creativity are encouraged, all participants are asked to express one or all of the emotions and adjectives evoked by each brand. These include flirty, fun and fascinating for Paris Hilton's Can Can; fresh, confident and sexy for Usher for Men and sexy, sensual and mysterious for Usher for Women.

Filmmakers can submit their films for consideration at www.fragranceandfilm.com by April 25, 2008. Winners will be chosen based on creativity and ability to express the brand identity of each featured fragrance. The competition will first be available for online rating by the general public. The four highest rated films will be reviewed by a panel of judges to determine the grand prize winner.

Judges include: director/producer Brett Ratner of "X-Men: The Last Stand" and the "Rush Hour" series; Doug Keeve, director of fashion documentaries "Seamless" and "Unzipped" and the yet-to-be-released, "Hotel Gramercy Park;" Chris Robinson, music video director for artists including Usher, Alicia Keyes, Joss Stone, and Nelly; and producer Lee Daniels of "Monster's Ball," "The Woodsman" and "Shadowboxer." Films should not contain any explicit content or present the fragrance in a negative manner. For detailed contest rules and guidelines visit http://www.fragranceandfilm.com/.

2008 Texas Film and Video Grants

Texas Filmmakers, a 501(c)(3) arts organization, is pleased to announce the return of the Texas Film & Video Grants (TFVG). Last year, Texas Filmmakers awarded cash and equipment grants to local and regional filmmakers. This year they hope to double the total awards and to facilitate an even broader spectrum of talent throughout the state. Texas Film & Video Grants is a program designed to provide financial assistance to independent and emerging media makers who live in the State of Texas. Assistance is provided to artists whose work shows potential, skill, and creativity. Awards are distributed on a per-project basis; up to a maximum of one thousand dollars ($1,000) per project.

To apply, simply visit http://www.texasfilmmakers.org/ and download this year’s grant application. Complete the application and submit to Texas Filmmakers by May 31st, 2008 to be considered. Winners will be notified by phone no later than June 28, 2008.

Texas Film & Video Grants is one of many services provided by Texas Filmmakers to emerging media makers.

New Video Contest Seeks Film-Makers Who Want to Be Peace-Makers

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has launched the 2008 Swackhamer Disarmament Video Contest.

The contest is hosted on YouTube at www.youtube.com/group/2008Swackhamer. The contest seeks short (2-3 minute) videos from people of all ages and all countries.

The topic is: "There are about 26,000 nuclear weapons in the world today. Use your creativity to make a short video about why US leadership is necessary to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons."

Cash prizes are awarded to the top three videos:

1st Prize: $1,000
2nd Prize: $750
3rd Prize: $250

The contest rules are posted on the Foundation's website, http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/programs/awards-&-contests/video-contest/2008/index.html.

All entries must be received by June 16, 2008. Winners will be announced on or before July 15, 2008.

Film stars call on senate to stop censorship and fix Bill C-10

Canadian film stars Wendy Crewson and Sarah Polley are calling on the Senate to stop censorship and amend Bill C-10. In its present form, the Bill gives the Minister of Heritage power to deny tax credits to any film or television production the Minister believes to be contrary to government public policy objectives.

"Canadians are tolerant, we celebrate our differences, and we do not demand conformity or uniformity. Artists firmly believe any measure that limits our freedom of expression, as Bill C-10 does, is both undemocratic and profoundly un-Canadian," said Wendy Crewson.

The proposed changes to the production certification process would create enormous instability in the film and television industry undermining the ability of many productions to secure private financing and get off the ground. This uncertainty would cost thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity, effectively crippling one of Canada's most important cultural sectors.

"Bill C-10 will cause a chill on production from the financing side. With this uncertainty, banks will be reluctant to provide financing to cover tax credits and they will shy away from any controversial or daring work if there is any risk to a key part of the overall financing structure. As the chamber of 'sober second thought,' we appeal to the Senators to strike the relevant provisions from the Bill," said Sarah Polley.

Ms. Polley and Ms. Crewson are appearing today before the Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce that is considering Bill C-10, amendments to the Income Tax Act.

Six-Time Emmy Winner Starts Program to Help Independent Filmmakers

The Independent Production Fund, a non-profit documentary production company headed by six-time Emmy award-winning Executive Producer Alvin H. Perlmutter, today announced that it would offer its unique brand of fiscal sponsorship to filmmakers in New York and nationwide. This special program commemorates its 20th anniversary producing landmark programs for public television.

"Without proper funding many important public interest films and documentaries never see the light of day. Fiscal sponsorship," said Alvin H. Perlmutter, "gives individuals and for-profit production companies an alternative to maxed out credit cards, personal loans, and the sale of rights typically required to finance independent films. IPF's non-profit status instead allows filmmakers access to foundation and government grants, providing them with stable funding and allowing them to keep ownership of their work."

The service, accessible at www.ipfmedia.org/fiscalsponsorship, is unique because IPF is the only public interest oriented documentary production company in NYC providing anything of its kind. It offers filmmakers comprehensive assistance - production support, fundraising consultation, financial management, online credit card donation processing and even executive producing (assisted by multiple Emmy award-winning producers) - fitting the needs of the most or the least experienced producer. "As independent producers we understand how difficult it is to secure funds and see assisting other filmmakers who also desire to educate, engage and challenge viewers as integral to our mission," said IPF Senior Producer Lisa Zbar.

While previously unavailable to the broader filmmaking community, IPF has been providing fiscal sponsorship by request for many years and has worked with important projects to secure millions of dollars in financing. One typical project IPF Fiscal Sponsorship made possible is a documentary by Peabody award-winning Riverside Films about the first doctors who traveled to Africa in the 1980s to fight the burgeoning AIDS epidemic there. Joe Dorman, head of Riverside Films, said of the sponsorship program, "IPF has been terrifically efficient, helpful, and easy to work with. I have enthusiastically recommended IPF to colleagues looking for a fiscal sponsor, and I will continue to do so."

Showcase Entertainment Acquires Rights to LAST TIME FOREVER

Showcase Entertainment has acquired worldwide distribution rights to feature film LAST TIME FOREVER.

LAST TIME FOREVER, a neo-noir thriller, concerns a small-time divorce lawyer who gets involved with an alluring married woman. Together, they conspire to defraud her rich husband of his fortune. The woman and her husband have a prenuptial agreement which stipulates that if he's unfaithful to her, and if she has proof, she'll be entitled to a huge divorce settlement. The woman and the lawyer scheme to set the husband up, enlisting another woman to seduce him and hiring a private investigator to document his infidelity. At first things seem to work out according to the couple's plan, but as the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that nothing is quite what it seems.

LAST TIME FOREVER, which recently had its world premiere at the Milan International Film Festival, marks Bonfanti's feature film directorial debut. He began writing screenplays after graduating from Harvard University with a degree in English and American Literature and Language. He has also written and directed several short films.

North American distribution rights to LAST TIME FOREVER are still available. All acquisitions inquiries should be directed to the producer's representative, Mark Litwak, at Mark Litwak & Associates, 433 N. Camden Drive, Suite 1010, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (310) 859-9595.

DIGITAL AMNESTY Opens for Film Submissions

PAH Nation’s 2008 DIGITAL AMNESTY competition is open for submissions at http://www.pahnation.com/. PAH-FEST (Project Accessible Hollywood) is a free, new media festival that travels to cities throughout the US and abroad. People from all walks of life, ages 9 – 99, with stories to tell, are provided with digital equipment and a professional “helping hand” enabling them to create their own short digital film. PAH-FEST offers participants the opportunity to discover “the artist within us all,” and to provide entertaining, quality content to the general public. The finished work is posted on the www.pahnation.com online theatre, and reviewed by a panel of celebrity judges as well as by the public.

Founded by Christopher Coppola of the storied Hollywood family, and having directed movies himself, Christopher has one foot in the studio filmmaking system and the other on the frontier of new media storytelling. Christopher calls himself the “Pirate” of the Coppola family because his main goal is to “bridge the gap between Hollywood and the heartland,” believing that great productions – whether short films, cell phone art, or cell phone films – come from everyday people. He created PAH-FEST (Project Accessible Hollywood) to give voice to those individuals.

In modern society, where art created by the people has become waste, Digital Amnesty provides another chance for films to be seen and heard all over the world. From a Fisher Price toy camera to a more pro-sumer camera, great stories can be told with any digital tool. Whether the stories are dark or light, happy or sad, Digital Amnesty seeks stories that celebrate the human spirit and showcase themes about goodwill and connection among humans.

To submit, please visit www.pahnation.com. Films must be digitally shot and 7 minutes or less. Entry fee is only $7.77 and gives you a chance to win the 2008 PAH NATION Digital Amnesty Award with a cash prize of $777! Winner will be announced in October 2008 during PAH-FEST Hollywood.

George Westinghouse on Screen for First Time

George Westinghouse is considered America's greatest industrialist and the only man who would go up against Thomas Edison, and win.

His victory over Edison during the Battle of the Currents set the stage for the entire future of electric power. The Westinghouse air brake is considered one of the most important inventions in history and saved countless lives.

Writer, Director and Producer Mark Bussler has produced the first and only documentary film about George Westinghouse that brings this forgotten role model to the screen. (Information and trailer available at http://www.westinghousefilm.com/)

"Westinghouse" is a feature-length documentary that features rare and never before seen footage, industrial films and photos previously buried deep within the Westinghouse archives.

The film is currently available on DVD via preorder on Amazon.com and will be on sale at Internet retailers and retail stores nationwide on April 8th. Additionally, “Westinghouse” will premiere on screen at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Sunday, April 13, 2008 at 1 pm. A panel discussion will follow.

The Comedy Smalls 2008 Short Film Competition

Following last year's success, The Comedy Smalls (http://www.thesmalls.com/comedy) in collaboration with Paramount Comedy is back for a second year. The search is on for the best new comedy short films, and the organisers expect a high number of entries from all over the world.

The Comedy Smalls brings emerging comedy writers, directors and performers together with industry executives, providing a unique opportunity for the winner to get an original idea commissioned by Paramount Comedy. This is a chance for new talent to be discovered by the channel who helped launch some of the UK's best loved comedy talent including, Sasha Baron Cohen, Simon Pegg, Matt Lucas and David Walliams.

This year's theme is WORK and anyone can enter by submitting a short film of up to 5 minutes at www.thesmalls.com (http://www.thesmalls.com/). Call for entries start on April 4 and the deadline for entries is May 30, 2008. All shortlisted films will be screened on Paramount Comedy.

2008 Thin Line Film Fest Seeks Documentaries

Texas Filmmakers, a not-for-profit arts organization, is seeking entries for the 2008 Thin Line Film Fest held September 24th – 28th. Thin Line Film Fest is an international, documentary-inspired film festival embracing the fluid nature of the documentary and celebrating the films and filmmakers redefining the genre.

Submissions are accepted in two categories: Feature Documentary (over forty minutes), and Short Documentary (under forty minutes). The first deadline is April 28th with fees of $25.00 for feature documentaries and $20.00 for short documentaries. Other deadlines include: Regular – May 26th, Late – June 30th, and Extended – July 28th. Fees vary by submission date. To submit a film, visit the 2008 Thin Line Film Fest website at http://www.thinlinefilmfest.com/.

Three awards will be presented in each submission category: the Thin Line Best Documentary Award, the Euline Brock People’s Choice Award, and the Best Student Documentary Award.

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Toronto Urban Film Festival Seeks Submissions

ONESTOP Media Group (OMG) and its community art programming partner Art for Commuters (A4C) are proud to announce the 2nd annual Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF) call for submissions. TUFF is an 8-day public film festival that runs on ONESTOP's Digital Network in the Toronto Transit Commission, September 5 -12 2008 while the city hosts one of the largest film festivals in the world, Toronto International Film Festival.

Each day of the week TUFF features a different urban-themed program of 1-minute silent films on over 250 LCD screens on the TTC subway platforms. The Festival will entertain a commuter audience of over a million people a day.

TUFF is open to local, national and international submissions by video artists, filmmakers, animators and urbanites with cameras or video capable mobile devices. Artists are asked to submit 1-minute silent videos addressing one of the seven themes: Urban Encounters; Urban Fears; Urban Growth; Urban Imaginary; Urban Natural; Urban Secrets; Urban Travels.

Beginning September 5th, the public will be able to vote for their favourite film online or via text messaging. On the last day of the festival, 'the best of' as voted on by the public, will air. First, second, third place awards, as voted by a celebrity judge, and viewer's choice awards will be given out at the end of the festival at a special awards ceremony.

TUFF is programmed by a jury of notable Canadian filmmakers, video artists, curators and thinkers. Our 2008 guest jurors are Richard Fung Judy Gladstone, Michelle Jacques, Brenda Longfellow, Deirdre Logue, Jason St-Laurent and Robert Ouellette. It is free to submit; filmmakers retain rights; and receive an honorarium of $150 per selected film.

Website: http://www.torontourbanfilmfestival.com/

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Air Canada launches 2nd annual enRoute Student Film Festival

After a highly successful inaugural year, Air Canada is pleased to bring back the enRoute Student Film Festival, an annual showcase of Canada's newest film talent. Student filmmakers are invited to submit their work for a chance to be seen by an audience of 3 million passengers monthly.

Air Canada's enRoute Student Film Festival is free to enter; the deadline
is May 31, 2008. Entry information and application is available at
http://www.enroutefilm.com/.

EMO Films Acquires Best-Seller, Cage of Stars

EMO Films has acquired the rights to Jacquelyn Mitchard's acclaimed best-seller, "Cage of Stars." Mitchard, awarded the first Oprah Book Club distinction in 1996 for "The Deep End of the Ocean," is credited as a producer.

Story centers around young Veronica ("Ronnie") Swan, whose idyllic life in her Mormon community is shattered when her two younger sisters are brutally murdered by the schizophrenic Scott Early. As a remorseful Early is sentenced to a maximum security facility for the criminally mentally ill, his disability is increasingly tempered by medication and therapy. Guided by their faith, Ronnie's parents take the unusual steps to visit and ultimately forgive him, as their surviving daughter silently plots to drop her strict religious identity and exact her revenge upon his release…

EMO Films managing partners Joel Eisenberg (also co-founder of film financing network All Cities Media), Eugene Mandelcorn and Timothy Owens will Executive Produce. Upcoming projects for EMO Films include the biopic "Ghoulishly Yours, William M. Gaines," written by Eisenberg, to be directed by John Landis, and the Columbine-themed high school drama "April Showers"—written and directed by survivor Andrew Robinson.

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Sonscreen Film Festival Will Present Workshops April 10-12

The 2008 SONscreen Film Festival, which runs April 10-12, keeps the focus firmly on learning with workshops and panel discussions aimed at their core student demographic for the sixth annual run. SONscreen is an annual film festival sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America for Christian young adults and industry professionals who use or have an interest in creating outstanding film and video productions for outreach, social awareness, and uplifting creative entertainment. "It is important that student and first-time filmmakers know that we are interested in nurturing their growth by exposing them to specific areas within the film industry in an intense hands-on setting," explains Stacia Wright, Producer and Founder.

Three concurrent workshops will be presented in morning and afternoon sessions at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Friday, April 11. This year's line-up includes, "Low-Budget Films ... Big-budget Images" presented by renowned cinematographer James O'Keeffe, a 25-year veteran and University of Southern California adjunct professor with big-budget studio and low-budget independent films credits; "Incorporating Animation in Films", with Matthew Munn, Senior Animator for Sony Pictures Imageworks whose film credits include "I Am Legend", "Speed Racer", and "Open Season"; and "Scriptwriting", with Bryan Belknap, an author and scriptwriter who currently has two scripts in development.

The Saturday panel "Behind the Scenes: The Gospel in the Trenches of Hollywood", will examine the challenges and conflicts Christians face maintaining their faith working in the film industry. Panelists include Chris Ackerman, actor; Tamara Goodrich, actress and production assistant, Korey Scott Pollard, assistant director and producer; James Arnold Taylor, voice-over artist; and moderator Rik Swartzwelder, Filmmaker.

Website: http://www.sonscreen.com/

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