2008 DigiSPAA Competition Seeking Entries

All aspiring filmmakers eager for the opportunity to win amazing prizes including $15,000 cash and $20,000 worth of post production sponsored by MOVIE NETWORK, plus a guaranteed screening on the MOVIE EXTRA channel and return trip to the prestigious Rotterdam Cinemart international feature film market, are encouraged to get the ball (and films) rolling!

Established as a filmmaking competition in 2005, DigiSPAA, is recognised as the leading showcase for low-budget filmmaking in Australia and New Zealand. It’s a celebration of making a feature film at all costs, or no costs while remembering it’s all about the story! Eligible films need to be feature length, with a running time of at least 70mins, independently funded, digitally produced and completed to advanced post-production stage no earlier than 31 August 2007.

DigiSPAA annually invites filmmakers to embrace digital film on a budget. It was created to encourage young people to experiment with a more accessible and cheaper form of filmmaking technology and to display and celebrate Australian filmmaking talent.

Applications close on Friday September 19, 2008. For full details, application form and guidelines go to http://www.spaa.org.au/

The Hollywood Film Festival Wants Screenwriting Entries

The Hollywood Film Festival, presented by STARZ, will mark its return on October 22, 2008, to the state-of-the-art ArcLight Theatres in Hollywood for a twelfth annual, weeklong series of screenings, seminars, competitions, awards and a special presentation of "Genre Cinema."

Together with Film Threat and Chris Gore, the festival announces the "Call for Entries" for this year's Hollywood Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Film Festival.

"Film festivals have always been very supportive of independents. Unfortunately, indie sci-fi, fantasy and horror genres often get left out of typical festival programs. How will we discover the next Peter Jackson if festivals do not support young filmmakers who create fantastic visions? I'm ecstatic to team up again with the Hollywood Film Festival to showcase cutting-edge new work from indie genre filmmakers. I'm proud that Film Threat's editor-in-chief Mark Bell as well as the Film Threat staff, will be involved in the selection process with the goal to feature the best of the next generation of filmmakers," said Film Threat founder Chris Gore.

The Hollywood Horror, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Festival will be featuring films from both emerging filmmakers and film masters and it will take place during the Hollywood Film Festival. For submissions and more information, please go to http://www.hollywoodfestival.com/

TOP 10 Films in 10 Classic Genres

The American Film Institute (AFI) tonight revealed the 10 greatest movies in 10 classic American film genres in AFI's 10 TOP 10, a three-hour special television event on the CBS Television Network. A jury of 1,500 film artists, critics and historians named the following films as the very best in the following genres: 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (Science Fiction), CITY LIGHTS (Romantic Comedy), THE GODFATHER (Gangster), LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (Epic), RAGING BULL (Sports), THE SEARCHERS (Western), SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (Animation), TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (Courtroom Drama), VERTIGO (Mystery) and THE WIZARD OF OZ (Fantasy).

AFI's 10 TOP 10 enlisted hosts for each genre including: Jessica Alba for Romantic Comedy; Sean Astin for Fantasy; Gabriel Byrne for Mystery; Kirk Douglas for Epic; Clint Eastwood for Westerns; Cuba Gooding, Jr. for Sports; Jennifer Love Hewitt for Animation; Quentin Tarantino for Gangster; Sigourney Weaver for Sci-Fi; and James Woods for Courtroom Drama.

"This year's celebration of the art form is ten times the fun for movie lovers," said AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale. "And another chapter in our mandate to drive audiences to discover and rediscover the classics of American film."

AFI's 10 TOP 10 honorees are:

ANIMATION

1 SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS 1937
2 PINOCCHIO 1940
3 BAMBI 1942
4 THE LION KING 1994
5 FANTASIA 1940
6 TOY STORY 1995
7 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 1991
8 SHREK 2001
9 CINDERELLA 1950
10 FINDING NEMO 2003

FANTASY

1 THE WIZARD OF OZ 1939
2 THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING 2001
3 IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE 1946
4 KING KONG 1933
5 MIRACLE ON 34th STREET 1947
6 FIELD OF DREAMS 1989
7 HARVEY 1950
8 GROUNDHOG DAY 1993
9 THE THIEF OF BAGDAD 1924
10 BIG 1988

GANGSTER

1 THE GODFATHER 1972
2 GOODFELLAS 1990
3 THE GODFATHER PART II 1974
4 WHITE HEAT 1949
5 BONNIE AND CLYDE 1967
6 SCARFACE: THE SHAME OF A NATION 1932
7 PULP FICTION 1994
8 THE PUBLIC ENEMY 1931
9 LITTLE CAESAR 1930
10 SCARFACE 1983

SCIENCE FICTION

1 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY 1968
2 STAR WARS: EPISODE IV - A NEW HOPE 1977
3 E.T. - THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL 1982
4 A CLOCKWORK ORANGE 1971
5 THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL 1951
6 BLADE RUNNER 1982
7 ALIEN 1979
8 TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY 1991
9 INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS 1956
10 BACK TO THE FUTURE 1985

WESTERN

1 THE SEARCHERS 1956
2 HIGH NOON 1952
3 SHANE 1953
4 UNFORGIVEN 1992
5 RED RIVER 1948
6 THE WILD BUNCH 1969
7 BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID 1969
8 McCABE & MRS. MILLER 1971
9 STAGECOACH 1939
10 CAT BALLOU 1965

SPORTS

1 RAGING BULL 1980
2 ROCKY 1976
3 THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES 1942
4 HOOSIERS 1986
5 BULL DURHAM 1988
6 THE HUSTLER 1961
7 CADDYSHACK 1980
8 BREAKING AWAY 1979
9 NATIONAL VELVET 1944
10 JERRY MAGUIRE 1996

MYSTERY

1 VERTIGO 1958
2 CHINATOWN 1974
3 REAR WINDOW 1954
4 LAURA 1944
5 THE THIRD MAN 1949
6 THE MALTESE FALCON 1941
7 NORTH BY NORTHWEST 1959
8 BLUE VELVET 1986
9 DIAL M FOR MURDER 1954
10 THE USUAL SUSPECTS 1995

ROMANTIC COMEDY

1 CITY LIGHTS 1931
2 ANNIE HALL 1977
3 IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT 1934
4 ROMAN HOLIDAY 1953
5 THE PHILADELPHIA STORY 1940
6 WHEN HARRY MET SALLY ... 1989
7 ADAM'S RIB 1949
8 MOONSTRUCK 1987
9 HAROLD AND MAUDE 1971
10 SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE 1993

COURTROOM DRAMA

1 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD 1962
2 12 ANGRY MEN 1957
3 KRAMER VS. KRAMER 1979
4 THE VERDICT 1982
5 A FEW GOOD MEN 1992
6 WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION 1957
7 ANATOMY OF A MURDER 1959
8 IN COLD BLOOD 1967
9 A CRY IN THE DARK 1988
10 JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG 1961

EPIC

1 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA 1962
2 BEN-HUR 1959
3 SCHINDLER'S LIST 1993
4 GONE WITH THE WIND 1939
5 SPARTACUS 1960
6 TITANIC 1997
7 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT 1930
8 SAVING PRIVATE RYAN 1998
9 REDS 1981
10 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 1956

Interesting facts about the list include:

-- The earliest entry on the list is THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (Fantasy) from 1924; with the most recent being FINDING NEMO (Animated) from 2003.

-- Alfred Hitchcock is the most represented director with 4 films; Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick follow with 3 entries each.

-- James Stewart is the most represented actor with 6 entries; Tom Hanks is next with 4; Warren Beatty, Robert De Niro, Gene Hackman, James Earl Jones, Paul Newman, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino and John Wayne all have 3 films each.

-- Diane Keaton is the most represented actress with 4 films on the list; Grace Kelly and Talia Shire each have 3 entries.

To compile the final list, AFI distributed a ballot with 500 nominated movies (50 per genre) to a jury of over 1,500 leaders from the creative community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers), critics and historians.

Film Contest Gives Entrants the Chance to Win a Vespa

Fila's second "How Do You Fila?" contest was launched on June 6th with an exciting new look and marketing campaign that Fila believes will resonate with a young, hip demographic. In addition to creating a new contest format and offering relevant prizes, Fila is utilizing the Complex Magazine Media Network, e-blasts and banner advertisements to promote the latest "How Do You Fila" contest.

Visitors to http://www.howdoyoufila.com/ can enter the contest by uploading photos of themselves in their favorite Fila gear and a caption that describes "how they Fila" for each photo. During the initial round, visitors can also vote once daily for their favorite entrant based on how well the entrant's photo album meets certain judging criteria. Weekly finalists will be determined by public vote, receive a music player/internet browser/cell phone or gift certificate, and be eligible to participate in the final round of the contest in which Fila will pick its top 4 favorites. Two Grand Prize Winners will be determined by Fila and win their choice of a Vespa LX 50 Scooter or $3299 in cash, and two First Place Winners will be determined by Fila and win a $1000 shopping spree on fila.com. The Vespa LX 50 Scooters are being provided by Vespa USA.

International Film & TV Finance Summit - East Coast Edition

Gas up your tank, put your helmet on and rev your engine! The Film & TV finance market is jolting turbo speed ahead - are you prepared to keep up the pace? Here's the opportunity to accelerate your speed at Atlas' 2008 New York International Film & TV Finance Summit on September 23rd & 24th at the Regency Hotel in New York City. Opportunities and more financing options are opening up to meet the needs of independent film makers, independent mini-majors, TV and Cable networks as well as major production studios.

Highlights of the conference include how cable TV networks develop, finance and market documentary shorts and features, ways to access and structure film financing from hedge funds and other institutional finance sources for a single film or a portfolio of films, using digital and internet platforms for distributing media content into the home, how to improve financing opportunities by attaching the right talent to a project, strategies on how to tap into private equity and "high net-worth" individuals, as well as how to do an international co-production by a case study.

Independent producers, network and studio executives, commercial investment bankers, film finance professionals and legal and tax accounting advisors together will examine complex issues that arise in financing TV and film production by sharing technical knowledge and past experiences. If you're in the TV and film industry, you can't afford to miss this summit.

To register for this event view http://www.atlas-sfi.com/film/ for more information call 914.946.4010.

Columbia Pictures to Develop My Fair Lady With CBS Films

Columbia Pictures has entered into an agreement with CBS Films to create a new motion picture of the Lerner and Loewe classic musical My Fair Lady, to be produced by Duncan Kenworthy and Cameron Mackintosh. CBS Films will be actively involved in the development of the new film.

The new film will use the original songs of the much-loved Broadway show, and will not alter its 1912 setting, but Kenworthy and Mackintosh intend where possible to shoot the film on location in the original London settings of Covent Garden, Drury Lane, Tottenham Court Road, Wimpole Street, and Ascot racecourse. The filmmaking team will also look to adapt Alan Jay Lerner's book more fully for the screen by drawing additional material from Pygmalion - - George Bernard Shaw's play that served as the source material for the musical -- in order to dramatize as believably as possible for present-day audiences the emotional highs and lows of Eliza Doolittle as she undergoes the ultimate makeover, transforming under the tutelage of Professor Henry Higgins from a Cockney flower girl to a lady.

Duncan Kenworthy has produced three of the most successful British films of all time: Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Love Actually, all three written by Richard Curtis. Together, they grossed nearly $900 million at the worldwide box office.

Tribeca Film Institute Launches One-Stop Resource for Film and Video Content

Tribeca Film Institute has launched Reframe, an innovative project which will help individual filmmakers, broadcasters, distributors, public media organizations, archives, libraries and other media owners digitize, market and sell their classic and hard-to-find films and video content using the Internet. The Reframe website, http://www.reframecollection.org/, goes live today and will be a one-stop location and an important resource for filmmakers and distributors wanting to bring films to educators, film scholars and the general public; it will be a destination for scholars, artists, teachers and film enthusiasts to easily search for and locate content. Reframe is working with CreateSpace and is created with major support from the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Many filmmakers, distributors and archives can't afford the high conversion cost to the digital format, and have been reluctant to invest in digitizing "niche" content. Reframe converts all content to high-quality digital files; Works in video formats will be digitized for free, and film formats will be digitized "at-cost." In a unique arrangement, Reframe returns a digital copy to the rights-holder for free, and allows them to make their content available to others in a nonexclusive arrangement. Reframe then makes these works available for sale to the public, sold at prices based on the suggested retail price set by the rights-holder. All content is made available for sale on DVD on Demand at Amazon.com as well as digital download to own or rent through Amazon's Unbox service.

Reframe's website is designed to become a community hub that will collect content from numerous sources of independent and alternative media, and allow users to find content in new ways. As more works become digitized, and video proliferates on the internet, Reframe will be a trusted source to help guide quality content. Reframe will help end users find the best films through a combination of expert and user generated curation and specialized search functions as well as by combining the best features of social networking, recommendations from friends and colleagues, good cataloguing, and other methods to help find the best films online.

In its first year, Reframe plans to have more than 10,000 titles available, including classic public television films and videos, documentaries, independent features, shorts, foreign films and vanguard cinema.

Hollywood Filmmakers Contribute to a New Film Blog

New website http://www.filmindustrybloggers.com/ draws together professionals working throughout the film and television Industry to blog weekly about their experiences in making film, television, commercials and music videos.

Have you ever wondered what all those people listed in the movie credits or at the end of a hit TV show actually do? How they got their foot in the door? And what they experience on a day to day basis while making a film or television series? Film Industry Bloggers takes you behind the scenes and into the daily lives of the working professionals who bring entertainment to our screens.

Launching with over 20 Film Blogs, including top Hollywood Storyboard Artist Warren Drummond ('The Bourne Identity', 'Evan Almighty' and John Singleton's new movie 'The A-Team'), Production Assistant Brandie Posey ('Deal or No Deal', 'House M.D'.) and Brian Trenchard-Smith (credited by Quentin Tarrantino as his 'favorite obscure director' and helmer of over 40 movies and 200 television episodes), the site plans to host over 60 movie maker professionals by September 2008 -- covering all aspects of the motion picture industry.

The website is the brain child of Film Director Richard Janes and Documentary Filmmaker Amy Janes. During the resent WGA writer's strike, the husband and wife team hosted Sunday brunches at their Hollywood home. "We opened our doors to friends, and as it developed, friends of friends, who were affected by the strike," comments Richard. "It was a place for people to talk to each other and get the impressing gloom, felt across Hollywood, off their chests. It was also a time for people to share interesting and funny stories about their jobs, their struggles to get movies and TV pilots off the ground, and discuss the pros and cons of film school."

The founders see the Film Blog Community as a way of opening up the mysticism of Hollywood and movie making. But they also see it as a way to unite a bruised community. "With film divisions such as Warner Independent and Picturehouse closing their doors and massive employers such as New Line axing many of its 600 staff, not to mention the impending strike by actors union SAG, there are many film professions who are nervous about the future," comments Amy. "We see Film Industry Bloggers as somewhere motion picture professionals can go to hear supporting stories of the highs and lows and a gentle reminder that they are not alone."

A minimum of four new film blogs are added daily including The Casting Director, The Actor, The Screenwriter, The Production Assistant, The Reality TV Producer, The Australian Filmmaker, The Documentary Producer, The Script Analyst, The Music Supervisor and even The Production Coordinator from hit TV show 'The Simpsons'. More bloggers are expected to be added weekly.

New Interactive Online Video Showcase

The 2008 Creative World Awards (CWA) has launched a new online interactive video series debuting this week entitled, "The Business of Storytelling." In this special online video showcase, participants can view insider tips from several leading Hollywood executives, writers, directors and producers. These experts offer informative perspectives on the creative process of screenwriting as well as the business side of the filmmaking industry. Each week the Creative World Awards' website will showcase a unique set of interviews from experts offering their practical advice to up and coming writers and filmmakers.

Creative World Awards is an annual international screenwriting competition. Entries are now open and run through late July 2008.

Website: http://www.creativeworldawards.com/

Gotham Screen 2nd Annual Film Festival and Screenplay Contest

Join them in their second year for two days of screenings at Tribeca Cinemas in downtown Manhattan, with an eclectic selection of international and American feature films, shorts and documentaries.

Tickets and passes will go on sale in early October. Entries for feature films, shorts and documentaries, as well as screenplays are now being accepted at http://www.gothamscreen.com/.

Set up by a group of Gotham based producers and productions companies, the Gotham Screen screenplay contest is specifically targeted at up and coming writers who don't have agency or management representation yet but would otherwise have the talent and craft to make it in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

The contest comes new this year with a $2,500 cash prize for the winning screenplay, and excerpts from selected entries will be preformed live at a staged reading. Gotham Screen hopes to find writers who are serious about their craft and ready to work with producers in further developing their screenplays and stories.

Key Dates
August 31st – Early Entry Deadline
September 15th – Regular Entry Deadline
October 31st – 2nd Annual Gotham Screen Film Festival in NYC

Entry Fees

Early Deadline (08/31/08):
- Shorts (under 35 minutes): US$25 / $20 discounted (withoutabox)
- Features (55 minutes and over): US$40 / $35 discounted wab
- Screenplays: US$ 35 / $30 discounted wab

Official Deadline (09/15/08)
– Shorts (under 35 minutes): US$35 / $30 discounted wab
- Features (55 minutes and over): US$45 / $40 discounted wab
- Screenplays: US$ 40 / $35 discounted wab

Festival Dates: Friday, October 31, 2008 - Saturday, November 1, 2008
Location: Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick Street (at Laight), New York, NY 10013

New York Surf Film Festival

The inaugural year of the New York Surf Film Festival will be held at Tribeca Cinemas on September 26th-28th, 2008. Located in lower Manhattan, Tribeca Cinemas is an arthouse rental theater in operation since 2004.

The theater hosts between 12-15 film festivals annually including Tribeca Film Festival, Brazilian Film Festival and the NYC Horror Film Festival. In addition, Tribeca Cinemas hosts a variety of private tastemaker screenings and events throughout the year.

The submissions deadline is less than one month away, closing June 25th, 2008. The New York Surf Film Competition is open to independently produced feature-length and short films in the surf genre. In order to be considered for the Festival's Film Competition for U.S and International films, submitted films must have been completed after January 1, 2003.

The running time for features must be greater than 30 minutes. Short films under 30 minutes in length are eligible for participation in the Shorts Program. The submission form and complete information regarding eligibility and entry rules for the 2008 New York Surf Film Festival are available on the New York Surf Film Festival website at www.NYSurfFilm.com.

Student Film Contest in Honor of 25th Anniversary of Hospice Program

In honor of its 25th anniversary of providing compassionate and supportive end-of-life care, Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY) matched student filmmakers with hospice patients in the VNSNY Living History Project: Independent Short Film Contest. The competition challenged New York film students to create VNSNY Hospice patient portraits representing memories of lives well lived. The public can view these films and vote for their favorite by clicking on the VNSNY link at http://www.independentfeatures.com/ until June 30.

The five finalists that receive the most votes will have their films screened at the Independent Features Film Festival (IFFF) at Tribeca Cinemas in New York City from July 25 – 27. The winning film chosen from the five finalists will be selected by a panel of judges and announced during the IFFF film festival on July 27. The grand prize winner will receive $10,000 towards his or her education.

Eligible schools include: Columbia University, Brooklyn College, Staten Island College, Hunter College, City College of New York, the New York Film Academy and New York University.

Online Short Script Competition

Filmaka.com is a trusted platform that has come up with exclusive opportunities for filmmakers/scriptwriters to grow and evolve in skills, talents and values. They will pick 15 of the best script pitches and give them $1500 (USD) each to make their film! Then 5 of those filmmakers will win $5000.

Submit a 3 minute script to Filmaka.com's SAB Miller competition and you could win $1500 to fund your production PLUS $5000 in prize money. The only requirement is that the script reflect the theme. That's it - no product placement necessary. Just a fun idea that celebrates life. For scripts that are not selected as winners, all rights revert back to you and you can do what you like with them

You can read the whole competition description at: http://www.filmaka.com/competition.php?page=current

2008 Breakthrough Awards Honor Abbie Cornish and Mia Wasikowska

Los Angeles-based Australians in Film (AiF) is holding its fourth annual Breakthrough Awards to honor up-and-coming Australian actresses Abbie Cornish (Stop Loss) and Mia Wasikowska (In Treatment) on June 5, 2008, it was announced today by Susie Dobson, president of AiF. As part of the organization's program to support emerging talent from Australia, Dobson also announced that AiF has established the Heath Ledger Scholarship Fund which will be presented annually to a young Australia-based actor to help them pursue their dream in Hollywood. The first Scholarship recipient to receive a financial contribution from AiF will be announced in 2009.

The Heath Ledger Scholarship is named in honor of Ledger who was an Ambassador for AiF before his untimely death in January 2008 and has the full support of the Heath Ledger family.

The Breakthrough Awards' exclusive invitation-only evening will again be held poolside at the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills and will be attended by 150 of Hollywood's elite. The Master of Ceremonies will be Showtime Australia’s award-winning, Hollywood-based entertainment correspondent, Andrew Warne.

Each of the 2008 Breakthrough Award recipients will be presented with AiF's Golden Boomerang award as an acknowledgment of their achievements as Australia’s brightest young talents emerging in Hollywood.

Abbie Cornish was first recognized in the U.S. for her award-winning starring role in the independent Australian film Somersault (2004) with Sam Worthington followed by Candy (2006) opposite Heath Ledger. Most recently Cornish was seen in Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth: the Golden Age with Cate Blanchett, Kimberly Peirce's Stop Loss opposite Ryan Philippe and will soon be seen in Jane Campion’s upcoming Bright Star.

Mia Wasikowska first appeared in the Australian hit television series All Saints before appearing as a regular in the HBO psychotherapist drama In Treatment with Gabriel Byrne. Wasikowska will soon be seen in Edward Zwick’s Defiance alongside Daniel Craig, Liev Shreiber and Jamie Bell and is currently filming Mira Nair's Amelia with Hilary Swank and Richard Gere.

Make Your Movie This Summer

San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking (SFSDF) is offering a unique filmmaking opportunity with its limited-seat, intensive filmmaking workshop experience, Super Summer Digital Filmmaking Workshop.

During this six-week, hands-on workshop, students learn the fundamentals of filmmaking while making their own short fiction or documentary film in a supportive, collaborative environment.

"Write, produce, direct, shoot and edit. It is your film from start to finish. Not only do you produce your own work, you crew on your classmate's productions which gives you a more complete understanding of the craft of filmmaking," said SFSDF Director of Education and co-owner, Stephen Kopels.

Students use professional, industry-standard equipment including Sony HD cameras, Arriflex lighting, and Sennheiser audio throughout the course. Films are edited on leading-edge Apple computers using powerful Final Cut Pro HD software.

"When you make a film from scratch – with your ideas and your hands – you get a true glimpse inside the larger filmmaking process. You may be amazed at what you learn," said school CEO, Jeremiah Birnbaum.

The Super Summer Workshop begins on June 23, 2008 with a final sign-up day of June 13.

SFSDF offers filmmaking, film acting and screenwriting courses and workshops throughout the year. The school's flagship, yearlong filmmaking program has both a spring and fall start.

Visit http://www.sfdigifilm.com/ for more information.

The Internet is Hollywood’s New Frontier

Suite101.com, a general-interest online magazine with over 8 million monthly visitors, features Robin Cowie as Suite101.com Celebrity Writer.

In three Web-exclusive articles Cowie invites Hollywood to get with the times:

"Broadcast TV used to be the lifeblood of studios. It had the most concentrated, dependable audience and advertisers paid premiums to reach it. But this model is failing. People don't watch the 6pm news anymore. They read a blog or an email or their Google or Yahoo home page to get the news."

Full article text is available on Suite101.com:

Internet Replaces TV for Film Ads
The New Breed of Film Producers
How the Internet Changes Hollywood

"Robin Cowie is the best combination of renaissance man and dynamic innovator," according to Suite101's Film & Television Editor, Cindy McGlynn. "The wildly successful ‘Blair Witch Project' may be the most famous feather in his cap, but it's one of many. He's a new media guru, a successful author, a filmmaker and a Webpreneur. We're excited to peek inside his world for an insider's look at the Hollywood machine and learn about breaking into the quickly-evolving film industry."

Suite101 features a new Celebrity Writer every month with an original article on "burning questions" in their field and an interview offering candid advice to freelance writers.

About Robin Cowie

Robin Cowie is an internet entrepreneur, filmmaker, television producer and the president of World Wide Brands Inc. His latest film project, "Altered" received awards from the Producers Guild of America, the Independent Feature Project; and the Cannes Film Festival. He has also spoken at the eBay Live! national convention for the past 4 years.

Hollywood Sign Lends Its Luster to Plymouth Rock Studios

The birth of a new industry in Massachusetts - film and television production - brings with it the iconic Hollywood sign in a licensing deal brokered by Plymouth Rock Studios.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has licensed Plymouth Rock Studios to be able to use the historic Hollywood Sign image to promote their studio. The uniquely staged hillside lettering that comprises "Hollywood" will be merged with "East" to complete a new imprimatur for New England. The sign, one of the most iconic symbols in global entertainment brings together two Chambers of Commerce, Hollywood's and Plymouth's.

Plymouth Rock Studios is a development project based in Plymouth, staffed by Hollywood veterans. The studio will build the first LEED-certified production campus in the world.

The CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Leron Gubler, announced today that the Chamber has concluded a long term license agreement with the Hollywood veterans at Plymouth Rock Studios.

"We are delighted to be working with our sister chamber and Plymouth Rock Studios. We know they will take great care in using the Hollywood Sign image to promote the studio," says Gubler.

Denis Hanks, Executive Director of the Plymouth Area Chamber says, "With a world class, user-friendly studio complex including sound stages, offices, theatres being built in the Plymouth area, Plymouth really will become Hollywood East. Massachusetts will be on the cutting edge of the future of entertainment."

The licensing agreement for the Hollywood sign was the inspiration of Earl Lestz, President of the Studio Group for Plymouth Rock Studios. Mr. Lestz is the former President of Paramount Picture's Studio Group, a position he held for 21 years, and still serves as the Vice Chairman for the Hollywood Trust and serves on the Board of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

"This is a great deal as two places I love - Hollywood and Plymouth - both end up winners," says Mr. Lestz. The arrangement includes an annual fee for licensing and a revenue sharing model on merchandizing.

"We have been approached by a number of entities over the years, but the idea that this pact is being made with Earl Lestz who has done so much positive work for the Hollywood community seems to make perfect sense," says Leron Gubler.

Amateur and Independent Film Writers Collaborate Together Online

Amateur and independent filmmakers, writers, actors and film buffs from around the nation can develop short films together, thanks to a new interactive online destination. Rootclip, located at http://www.rootclip.com/ , encourages site visitors to create customized short film storylines.

Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Michael Moore says, "When I first heard the idea of Rootclip I was very impressed. It's the ideal venue for established and up-and-coming filmmakers to interact and express their creative talents on the world stage. We've entered a new era of filmmaking and I believe that our next great generation of filmmakers might be inspired by places like Rootclip."

To engage site visitors, Rootclip holds contests for filmmakers. The first Rootclip.com competition, entitled "Good Luck," runs from April 28 to July 7. The winner and a guest will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the Traverse City Film Festival in Traverse City, Mich. from August 1-3, where they will meet with Michael Moore and screen the completed short film in front of a live audience.