News Watch
News from Karin Kwiatkowski:
We weren’t able to make it to the awards ceremony in Houston yesterday, but Abby checked the posting of Worldfest award winners today. In our respective categories, Abby won Gold for Snapshot, and I won Silver for Robin Hood of the Bayous. I chatted this morning with Hunter Todd (founder of Worldfest Houston). He commented that the awards are very competitive, hard to win, judged by industry professionals, and that people in the industry will take notice of the winners. Abby checked our IMDB pages afterward and saw that just today viewings of Snapshot have jumped 126%; viewings of Robin Hood of the Bayous have jumped 85% and are still climbing. It looks like our YouTube trailer viewings are up also, but I don’t have a percentage for that. On the Worldfest Houston spreadsheet of winners (pasted below), submissions came from all over the U.S., as well as Canada, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Germany, Australia, Malta, France, Taiwan, South Africa, Hungary, Russia, Japan, India, Ireland, Oman, Brazil, Hong Kong, Korea, Poland, Switzerland, Finland. And Cottonwood, Arizona. Woohoo!
Follow the Stopwatch Gang!
From: Karin Kwiatkowski
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:38:47 -0700
To: “Reinhart, Bryan”
Subject: I’m too excited too sleep!
I’m too excited to sleep! We just found out Associated Press picked up the Prescott Daily Courier article about our Stopwatch Gang project today. From AP, it’s now been picked up by USA Today, IndiaTimes, & 54+ other news & TV sources. I’ve been watching it pop up on various online sources including all the Phoenix news stations (online), a bunch of Fox stations, news sources in Mesa, Yuma, Tucson, the AZ Republic, AZ Sun, Flagstaff Today, also in San Antonio, Austin & Beaumont, TX, 5 newspapers in Connecticut, Albany, NY, a prison news site, a Delaware site, & oddities like SoccerNews, CollegeBasketball.msg, news-spider.com . Abby was most excited about the IndiaTimes because they were linked to the Mumbai Times & meant international coverage. Now all we need are donations to our IndieGoGo site! Fingers crossed!!
Karin
Check out the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Sedona Monthly-The Movie Issue
You can also find an article on former student, M. L. Lincoln’s latest project -Â Lines Across the Sand. Page 8
Academy Award Nominated Up in the Air Screened at SFS Film Festival
Congratulations to SFS adjunct-faculty Dan Dubiecki. As producer of Up in the Air nomination for an Oscar is a good thing! Additionally, Daniel Dubiecki, has been an Academy Award Nominated Producer of the feature films Thank you for Smoking, Juno, Jennifer’s Body and Chloe.
“I have been a fan and supporter of SFS since I first visited when it opened ten years ago. I loved how fast the students were able to get their hands on equipment,†Dubiecki remembers, “the full immersion program reminds me of the films classes Zaki and I had together, but, it took us years to learn what these students are learning in a 9 month program.”
Director of Drowning River Taking the Next Step
While enjoying great success with her short documentary, Drowning River, alumni ML Lincoln is now directing her feature length documentary, Lines Across the Sand. The project is in post-production and will be completed in 2011. The film takes a personal look at the real “Monkey Wrench Gang”. Edward Abbey’s fictional novel is based on these real characters and inspired by their resistance of the assault on the southwest landscape by modern development.
Learn more about the characters in the film.
Now Offering a Minor in Filmmaking!
Northern Arizona University sending students to Sedona Film School to complete requirements for a new Minor in Independent Filmmaking.
A Decade of Supporting Independent Filmmakers
SFS Shorts FIlm Festival and Independent Film School celebrating 10 years
Arizona Daily Sun Article
Filmmaking is a Great Career
Wall Street Journal wraps up article taking notice of the respected film school, the Sedona Film School.
Wall Street Journal
Great Film Reviews in MicroFilmmaker Magazine for SFS Alumni!
Best of Show Short Film for November
Emily Warren’s thesis film, Luck, received the best kind of film critique by MicroFilmmaker Magazine’s Monika DeLeeuw-Taylor. Congratulations to the cast and crew and especially to Warren for her courageous story telling and for trusting her vision as a director.Here is the link for the full story.
Emily Warren-
“After graduating from film school I wanted to get to work. I called different production companies asking if they could use an intern and now I’m interning with Veritas Pictures. They do films, commercials, music videos, T.V, etc. I’m helping with production tasks… script breakdowns, budgets, schedules, location scouting, auditions, make-up, props, etc. I don’t sleep much, but that’s OK with me! Looking forward to being on the set. The DP is using film and Red One cameras. Currently, we are getting started on pre-production for a project. Learning so much and meeting a lot of people.”
Best of Show for September
Kyle Gehring’s thesis film, Inquisition, has been doing well on the festival circuit. It won the Star Award at the Indie Gathering, which was named one of the top 25 film festivals by Movie Maker Magazine and it was nominated for Best Student Picture at the 2009 Maverick Movie Awards. Inquisition also played to a completely sold out theater at the Tacoma Film Festival.
Inquisition received a glowing review in September’s issue of MicroFilmmaker Magazine, receiving a 9.1 out of 10. Congratulation to the cast and crew and to Gehring for keeping his vision alive from the script, through the lens, to the screen.Here’s the link to the review.
Kyle Gehring-
“Since Inquistion, I was hired to re-write a script and I have been approached to direct a Western. The best result of the MicroFilmmaker review was when a small studio contacted me with the proposal of turning Inquisition into a feature.”
Gehring and Warren were dedicated to supporting each others thesis films through the entire process- nice to see them both getting some recognition and work!
Latest Update
“Inquisition” received the Award of Merit from the Accolade Competition in CA, another top 25 festival.
Maverick Movie Awards, Emilee Edwards was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Inquisition” as Chief Minister Zacrietche.
Congratulations to the Class of 2010!
Getting through the first semester at ZGI is intense, full of challenges and solutions. Now scripts for their thesis films are being written and rewritten. More than 30 students are preparing to produce their thesis films over the next few months, committed to applying what they learned while attending the film school and adding their own personal flare. Everyone is looking forward to your success!
SFS Shorts Film Festival Delivered!
SFS Shorts Film Festival was the hot ticket Memorial Day weekend in 2009. With a sold out opening gala and more than 700 people coming through to watch the student films, Yavapai College’s Sedona Center for Arts & Technology was buzzing with excitement.
This year will be even hotter as the film school celebrates 10 years of getting it in the can! Save the date, don’t miss out on one of the best film festival buzzes. The class of 2010 will premiere their thesis films to a fresh audience. We look forward to giving you all the details! From here the filmmakers will submit their shorts to film festivals around the world and at home, to the Sedona International Film Festival. Cheers to another successful class of filmmakers, making the Northern Arizona community proud.
SFS Filmmaker’s Documentary Selected to Screen in Flagstaff
SFS Alumni Jamie Taucher’s thesis film recently screened at the Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival.
Taucher’s short documentary, Sea of Change addresses the critical issues of over fishing and sheds light on the power of local action, promoting sustainability in a Mexican village.
Taucher made her mark with the film when she received the Women in Film & General Motors: Acceleration Grant for Emerging Filmmakers. She was also invited to share her film and contribute to a panel discussion sponsored by The Aspen Institute and National Geographic Magazine. There is a wealth of great information about the forum, The Future of Our Shared Environment Today, on their website, Aspen Environment Forum.
Lullabye Hit the Film Festival Circuit!
After sweeping awards at the SFS Shorts Film Festival last May, graduate Travis Suhr went on to submit to other film festivals. His thesis short was also an Official Selection of Big Bear Lake International Film festival and the Next Generation Film Festival in Sacramento, California were Suhr was nominated Best Director. “We had a great screening, met a ton of new contacts, and had a lot of cool reviews from the audience. It was great to be nominate.”
-Travis Suhr, SFS alumni.
He also enjoyed an invitation to screen at the Sedona International Film Festival. “Returning to Sedona to see my film screen to a packed audience at a film festival of this caliber was an honor.”
“Reality Checkâ€- There is a lot of responsibility for existence.
Also an Official Selection at the 2009 Sedona International Film Festival, the feature length documentary explores the varied and unpredictable world of human nature. Anthropologists, authors, clergy, and the average Joe discuss their perceptions of reality. From coping to escapism, the many different ways in which people view the world can reveal not only the uniqueness of human beings as individuals but the commonalities as well.
Congratulations to cast crew and the students of the Advanced Class of 2008 that worked on the project. Cheers to the Director Bryan Reinhart, Producer Jeremy Hawkes, Micah Johnson Special Effects and Zirque Bonner Sound Designer- for completing the project in time for the screening.
Narrative Elements Create Imaginative Commentary
Weaving interviews with narrative elements, Reality Check provides an interesting commentary on the shifting perspective of reality over time.
Morgan Wise, Gil Berry, Kathleen Cameron, Rand Schwenke
Actors portrayed a real family in different time periods.
ZGI participates in National Conoco TV Commercial
On location at the film school, Production company, Director’z, Inc. out of Dallas, Texas, chose SFS for one of their Northern Arizona locations. The panoramic scenery and amazing facility made for a perfect location. Additionally, SFS staff provided assistance during the shoot.
Oscar’s Student Academy Awards!
SFS alumni Toby Eck’s and Alexandre Padilla’s thesis short films were regional finalists considered to receive a Student Academy Award this year! Region two consists of 42 states and hundreds of films were submitted. Congratulations!
The fact that both films were winners of the SFS Shorts Film Festival Audience Choice Award makes a statement. Sedona’s audience knows exceptional value on the screen when they see it.
One of seven finalists in the region, Toby Eck’s short documentary features an interview with Gihan Sadat, the widow of assassinated Egyptian President, Anwar el-Sadat.
Ana Mish Fahim
A bi-racial young man explores the cultural misconceptions of his Middle Eastern heritage. Filmmaker Mustafa Eck travels to Egypt in hopes of capturing the average Middle Eastern attitude toward various current events.
Alexandre Padilla’s narrative short film, “The Devil’s Chair” takes a personal look at capitol punishment and brings attention to the cause and effect of abuse.
Congratulations Suki DeJong
All Apologies
Winner Best Documentary, Public Service:
Delray Beach Film Festival
Winner of the SFS Shorts Film Festival Awards for:
Best Picture in the Documentary Category
Best Screenwriting
