Filming and talking to Bruce Hornsby on the 2012 Jam Cruise, he mentions to me the work he was doing with Spike Lee. Here is more on that topic for those interested.

Spike Lee is in his fifteenth year of being a professor of film at his alma mater, NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he is also the artistic director. He is a third-generation Morehouse man, Class of ’79. Red Hook Summer is the latest installment in his ongoing chronicles of Brooklyn—She’s Gotta Have It (1986), Do the Right Thing (1989), Crooklyn (1994), Clockers (1995), and He Got Game (1998).

Red Hook Summer:
When his mom deposits him at the Red Hook housing project in Brooklyn to spend the summer with the grandfather he’s never met, young Flik may as well have landed on Mars. Fresh from his cushy life in Atlanta, he’s bored and friendless, and his strict grandfather, Enoch, a firebrand preacher, is bent on getting him to accept Jesus Christ as his personal savior. Only Chazz, the feisty girl from church, provides a diversion from the drudgery. As hot summer simmers and Sunday mornings brim with Enoch’s operatic sermons, things turn anything but dull as people’s conflicting agendas collide.

Playfully ironic, heightened, yet grounded, Spike Lee’s bold new movie returns him to his roots, where lovable, larger-than-life characters form the tinderbox of a tight-knit community. A story about the coexistence of altruism and corruption, Red Hook Summer toys with expectations, seducing us with the promise of moral and spiritual transcendence. Spike is back in the ’hood. – C.L.

Hollywood comes Home to Northern Virginia (Centreville)
Article by Centreville Patch

More pictures on Facebook!!

Photo credit: Joe Carabeo

Photo credit: Joe Carabeo

Photo credit: Centreville Patch

Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Gemma Ward… awesome….

We are a “Pirates of the Caribbean” film series fan in my household… and now we have another reason to watch it.

Congrats to actress, Van Vander Pluym and her current stunt work on Pirates 4! A few of us DCFCPUG members got to work with Vanessa over the summer on the feature film, “At the Top of the Pyramid”!

Keep up the good work, Vanessa and I’ll be sure to keep the lines of communication open since one day you might stop in to visit us at the DCFCPUG!    

We will be watching you on True Blood, Pirates , etc

For more on Vannessa’s work, go to her site at: Vanessa Vander Pluym

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Rodney Mitchell
President and Apple Ambassador
Washington DC Metro Final Cut Pro Users Group

http://www.dcfcpug.org

For all members and guests who MISSED the May DCFCPUG event… you missed a treat!!!

However, we have the teaser now posted to share with the world on DCFCPUG and YouTube!

Teaser trailer for “Runway Racers,” an action documentary about the secretive and glamorous sport of airport runway racing. It was a privilege to be on the ArrowTen crew for this event. Looking forward to seeing the DVD come out soon.

Produced by ArrowTen Media and ExoticsRally.com.

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Enjoy….
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom…..

Rodney Mitchell
DC Final Cut Pro User Group Leader

If you have an interest in participating in a local screening of this film, send an email to rodney@dcfcpug.org.
If enough people are interested, this should be a fun activity to celebrate this legend in our own personal way.

Rodney – DCFCPUG

More info at DCIFF.

Official selection for 2010 – Final Schedule

One of the feature films DCFCPUG had an interest in is screening at the festival (Ghosts Don’t Exist) (Run time: 100 minutes).

Congrats to 19W for being selected to the festival this year!

A popular ghost hunter losing faith in what he believes is about to retire, but decides to take one last case when a potential client guarantees he’ll provide the proof he’s been looking for. Upon arriving at the home, the client announces that he will make good on the promise by contacting them himself from the beyond — then shoots himself in front of them.

Cast and Crew:
Director/Screenwriter/Producer:  Eric Espejo

Cast:
Devon Burt
Frederick Cowie
Josh Davidson
Phillip Roebuck

Cinematographer: Kunitaro Ohi
Music Director: James Sale

The Washington DC 48 Hour Film Project

Returning in 2010

The 48 Hour Film Project will return to DC from April 30th to May 2nd, 2010. Filmmakers from all over the DC area will compete to see who can make the best short film in only 48 hours. The winning film will go up against films from around the world for the title “Best 48 Hour Film of 2010″.

Sign up for the DC mailing list and we will inform you when more information is available.

DC 48HFP Links

• Sign up for the DC mailing list
• Join a DC team
• Email Mark Ruppert, DC Producer of the 48HFP
• Watch films from DC using our Film Catalogue and 48.tv
• See what’s playing on 48.tv

Let the fun begin….

VIRGINIA FESTIVALS AND SCREENINGS

Virginia and the capital region have a thriving film community which is exemplified by the number and variety of film festivals and screening opportunities held throughout the state. From the newest films to the golden age of Hollywood, all aspects of the industry can be seen and experienced.

These are a few of the Festivals and screening series that take place in Virginia each year. Please check the Virginia Film Office website,www.film.virginia.org for up-to-date details on these and other film-related events in Virginia.

48-Hour Film Project: Summer in Richmond and Hampton Roads. Teams of filmmakers create original short films in two days which are shown at a screening. Best films are selected for a national competition.

Arthouse Film Festival: October in Richmond. Showcasing short films by Virginia’s best filmmakers.

Bicycle Film Festival: July in Richmond.  A festival that celebrates the bicycle through music, art, and film. Now in its ninth year the festival is held in 39 cities worldwide.
ChinaFest: February in Richmond. Films and cultural activities to explore themes of diversity, humanity, and cross-cultural human understanding.

DC Independent Film Festival: March in Washington, DC. A wide array of independent films, including some by local filmmakers. Festival includes films, discussions with filmmakers, and seminars. Submissions are accepted.

The Final Cut Showcase: October in Charlottesville (at UVA). A non-competitive exhibition of films made by students that currently attend or have previously attended the University of Virginia.

Flicker: All year – Richmond. A bi-monthly screening in Richmond of shorts by local filmmakers. Other film related events throughout the year.
French Film Festival: March in Richmond. The newest French films presented by their award-winning actors and directors.  Sponsored by VCU and University of Richmond.

James River Film Festival: April in Richmond. This festival features ground-breaking work by independent media artists, workshops, screenings, seminars, and a juried competition each year.

Mid-Atlantic Black Film Festival:  October in Hampton Roads. An annual juried competition and showcase for independent filmmakers from all over the world presented by the Crispus Attucks Cultural Center. Short and student film competitions, premieres, international cinema, tributes, and educational workshops facilitated by leading figures in the film industry.
Naro Cinema: All-year in Norfolk. Numerous screenings of unusual films, including the “First Look Film Series,” a Sunday morning series featuring an advance screening of the latest offering from a roster of prominent independent, foreign, and up-and-coming filmmakers.

The Northern Virginia Film Festival: In October, a festival for young filmmakers who wish to develop their skills and showcase their talents.

Project Resolution: Monthly screenings of interesting and unusual short and longer films in at the Firehouse Theatre in Richmond, produced by Yellow House. Audience interaction with the filmmaker, unpredictable films, and free popcorn.
Rappahannock Independent Film Festival: September in Fredericksburg. An annual event dedicated to promoting excellence in independent filmmaking.

Redemptive Film Festival: October in Virginia Beach. An international festival that provides a forum for filmmakers to showcase their work on themes that depict the redemptive purposes of God.

Rosebud Film and Video Festival: Summer- Dates to be announced, in Arlington. Founded to promote the rich and diverse independent film and video community in Virginia, DC, and Maryland.

Slapsticon: July in Arlington. A four-day, international film festival dedicated to classic motion picture comedy! Film lovers from around the world are invited to attend screenings of rare shorts and selected feature-length comedies.

Veneration Film Festival: February in Newport News. Explores redemptive themes through film in order to promote the art of storytelling, provide exposure and education for aspiring filmmakers, and build community on the Virginia Peninsula.

Virginia Festival of Jewish Film: A festival of Jewish cinema held annually in Norfolk in January.

Virginia Film Festival: Fall in Charlottesville. An eclectic mix of films, with discussions by filmmakers and experts. Year-round screenings of new and unusual films.

Virginia Independent Film Festival: Early Spring in Richmond. This festival features the finalists in the Virginia Film Competition in three categories: Feature films, shorts, and documentaries, and is sponsored by the Virginia Film Office.

Williamsburg Film Festival: March in Williamsburg. A festival honoring the Golden Age of Hollywood

Sunday, March 7, 2010
6 pm: Doors Open and enjoy beer, wine and food
8 pm: Live HD Broadcast

Benefiting The Paramount Theater and The Virginia Film Festival

The excitement and glamour of Hollywood are coming to Charlottesville on Oscar Night.  Wear your best ” Hollywood-inspired” attire and come experience the thrills and surprises of the 82nd Academy Awards® on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at Charlottesville’s own Oscar Night America party.

Benefiting The Paramount Theater and The Virginia Film Festival, Charlottesville’s Oscar Night celebration will be held at The Paramount Theater.  Doors will open at 6 pm, wine, beer, and food is from 6-8 pm, and the live HD broadcast starts at 8 pm.

The Charlottesville event is one of 51 parties officially sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that will be held across the country on Oscar Night.

“We are honored and thrilled to have the Virginia Film Festival and The Paramount Theater chosen as one of only 51 venues nationwide officially sanctioned to broadcast Hollywood’s biggest night!  Oscar Night generates excitement all over the world, and with the Academy’s help, our guests will feel like they are on the A-list,” says Jody Kielbasa, Virginia Film Festival Director.

The audience will watch the Academy Awards telecast live in HD on large screens courtesy of ABC16, the Charlottesville affiliate of the ABC Television Network, which broadcasts the Academy Awards presentation.  This is the 17th year that the Academy and ABC have cooperated with local charities to support official Oscar Night viewing parties throughout the country.  This year marks the first year that Charlottesville’s party has been sanctioned by the Academy.

“I can’t think of a grander night to be watching TV at the Paramount, live in HD, on the largest screen in Central Virginia,” says Mary Beth Aungier, General Manager of The Paramount Theater.

“Oscar Night America parties give communities across the country the opportunity to both share in the excitement of Oscar Night and support worthy causes,” said Academy Executive Director Bruce Davis.  “The Academy is very proud that our worldwide television event can benefit so many charities on a local level.”

Official Oscar Night parties last year raised more than $3 million in 52 cities.  All money raised stays in the local community.

The Academy will provide party guests in Charlottesville the same official program distributed to guests at the Oscar’s presentation at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood.

Charlottesville guests may feel like stars themselves as they walk the red carpet into the Theater and sample tastes from some of Charlottesville’s top restaurants including The Melting Pot, Bonefish Grill, Maya, Escafe, and Topeka’s Steak House.  There will also be a raffle that evening with items from merchants such as Belk, Gearharts Fine Chocolates, and The Inn At Court Square.

Tickets are General Admission and $25.  Tickets include admission to the broadcast with emcees Dan Schutte and Tiffani Sargent (Newsplex News Anchors); food, beer and wine; the official program; coffee, popcorn and soda.

Tickets will be on sale to Paramount Supporters Tuesday, 2/2, and go on sale to the General Public on Friday, 2/5.

To purchase:

• click here
• call 434-979-1333
• come to the Box Office, 215 East Main Street in Charlottesville (10 am – 2 pm)

More info: