VERTIGO NEWSLETTER #31, February 2008



	Problems reading this newsletter? See http://www.vertigomagazine.co.uk/newsletter/February2008.htm VERTIGO NEWSLETTER #31, February 2008 Vertigo's newsletter features the latest on the magazine, what's new on the website plus exclusive competitions, events listings, links to resources and more. Subscribe or buy Vertigo magazine online / Go to the latest issue / Unsubscribe from this newsletter / Send us your information CONTENTS 1) *Vertigo News* – What is to be Done: The Ways We Live Now – the new issue of Vertigo is out now, ‘Profit Motive and the Whispering Wind’ screening for the new issue Launch 1) Vertigo News – What is to be Done: The Ways We Live Now – the new issue of Vertigo is out now, the February Online issue, a Vertigo commission features in Jarman documentary ‘Derek’ 2) Competition – Win a copy of ‘The Saragossa Manuscript’ or The TCM International Film Guide 2008 3) Events and screenings – Birds Eye View 2008, Viva! Spanish and Latin American Film Festival, States of Exchange, Belgrade International Film festival 4) Calls for submissions and Courses – Film London Audience Development fund, Insight masterclasses, Skip City D-Festival 5) Links - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - VERTIGO NEWS Vertigo commissioned piece features in Isaac Julien’s new film ‘Derek’ Vertigo is proud that one of our original pieces – a letter of remembrance written by Tilda Swinton to Derek Jarman a decade after his death – features as the main narration in ‘Derek’, Isaac Julien’s new biographical documentary on Jarman, released in conjunction with the Jarman exhibition and retrospective at the Serpentine Gallery. The piece, specially commissioned by Vertigo, was presented as an address by Tilda Swinton at a special event at the 2002 Edinburgh International Film Festival, and then published in the Spring 2003 issue (Volume 2 Issue 4). When ‘Derek’ was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, Tilda spoke eloquently of the reaction to the letter and its subsequent publication. She was besieged by letters, phone calls and emails from people who recognised its call for creativity against the dead hand of corporate bureaucracy. For the full text of the letter click here What Is To Be Done: The Ways We Live Now - Vertigo’s new Issue is out now Vertigo’s latest issue includes a wealth of interviews: Wim Wenders speaks about his legacy; Julio Medem on the upcoming film ‘Chaotic Ana’; new Romanian director Cristian Mingiu on ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’; veteran actress Liz Ullmann on working with working with Bergman and Julien Schnabel and Lou Reed on filming Reed’s ‘Berlin’; a look at the upcoming Birds Eye View and Polish Film Festivals; the controversial Thai Film Act; the Spielberg / Bergman connection; artists’ pages and much more. To subscribe or buy the new issue click here February On-line issue The current On-line issue, with exclusive articles, reviews and competitions can be accessed on the Vertigo website. Free to view for all users, this issue includes a report from the Trieste and Sundance Film Festivals; a look at Taiwanese director Tsai Ming Liang; early Russian cinema; a history of digital film projection and an update on GATS and the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity. To go to the current On –line issue click here Back issues of the On-line magazine can be accessed here 2 - COMPETITION Win a DVD copy of the new TCM International Film Guide 2008 First published in 1963, the International Film Guide enjoys an unrivalled reputation as the most authoritative and trusted source of information on world cinema. Now, with film channel TCM (Turner Classic Movies) acting as sponsors, Wallflower Press is relaunching this unique publication which has entertained and informed cinephiles across the globe for more than forty years. Written by expert local correspondents, this annual volume assesses the cinematic output of over 100 countries via specially commissioned critical reviews. Other features include coverage of five ‘Directors of the Year’ (Fatih Akin, Suzanne Bier, Guillermo del Toro, Paul Greengrass and Jia Zhangke), a detailed country focus on Germany, industry analysis on documentary and the growth of DVD production, and a comprehensive listing and description of all major international and smaller local film festivals from all over the world. For your chance to win a copy of The TCM International Film Guide 2008, email the answer to the following question, along with your full contact details, to vertigo@vertigomagazine.co.uk Fatih Akin has been chosen as one of the guide’s five ‘Directors of the Year’. What is the title of his latest film? For more information go to Wallflower Press Win a DVD copy of the 1960’s Polish classic ‘The Saragossa Manuscript’ Previously unreleased in the UK, this 1960’s counter-culture classic film has been an inspiration to as diverse a group as David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Luis Bunuel and musician Jerry Garcia. Fully restored and with a new soundtrack, the film recently enjoyed an extended run at the BFI Southbank (read the Vertigo article from the December On line issue) And from the beginning of April, the full 180 minute film will be available in a DVD version from Mr Bongo. For your chance to win a copy of The Saragossa Manuscript, email the answer to the following question, along with your full contact details, to vertigo@vertigomagazine.co.uk In which Tzvetan Todorov essay is Potocki’s novel mentioned? For more information on Mr Bongo titles click here ‘The Saragossa Manuscript’ is available to order from MovieMail 3 - EVENTS AND SCREENINGS 2008 Birds Eye View Film Festival, 8th to 14th March, London Vertigo is proud to support the Bird Eye View Film Festival, the UK’s leading festival celebrating inspiring and innovative women film-makers from all around the world. The festival showcases the very best of women film-makers’ documentaries, feature-length films and shorts along with exclusive Q&A and discussion panels. In its fourth year, the event counts over 70 films such as Tata Amaral’s tale of struggling Brazilian back singers willing to make it in Sao Paulo’s outskirts, ‘Antonia’ (2006) and Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud’s moving and hilarious tale of exile and rebellion of a young Iranian girl during the Islamic Revolution ‘Persepolis’ (2007). One of the highlights of this 4th edition is the Comedy retrospective: Clowning Glories & Screwball Women; celebrating early cinema to the Hollywood Golden age of Comedy, this series of events gives fantastic insights on screen witty females icons who shone by their comic brilliance. The Opening Night Gala takes place at the BFI Southbank Thursday 6 March with Maureen Lipman’s introduction and Imogen Heap (Frou Frou) performing live piano accompaniment to early silent films. For full programme visit website Viva! 14th Spanish and Latin American Film festival, 6th to 16th March, Manchester, then on tour From small independent feature films and documentaries through to programmes of shorts and big Spanish blockbusters, Viva! traditionally welcomes the finest films and filmmakers to be part of the celebrations. 48 nominations for the 2008 Goya Awards amongst the films currently scheduled, together with a retrospective looking at the work of Argentinean producer Lita Stantic. Stantic will attend to reflect on her influence in keeping cinema alive during the political uncertainty of the 1970s and her integral role in the emergence of “New Argentine Cinema” in the late 1990s. The festival is based at Cornerhouse in Manchester and part of the programme will go on tour to cities throughout the UK.For more information and the full programme click here States of Exchange – Cuban Film programme, 28th February to 20th March, London To coincide with their current exhibition, States of Exchange, INIVA are hosting a programme of moving image work by Cuban artists whose work attempts to bridge the gap between official discourses and the realities of daily existence. Part One, explores the burgeoning use of video as an artistic medium and mode of political critique. Part Two looks at documentaries that play a pivotal role in re-casting official histories and defy the authority of a singular narrative. For more information and screening times click here 36th International Film Festival, Belgrade, 22nd February to 2nd March Belgrade International Film Festival launches on March 22 in Serbia. Founded by the Ministry of Culture of Serbia and The City of Hall of Belgrade, the festival aims to showcase a wide range of films from all around the world, as well as focussing on the cinema of “another” Europe. Already in its 36th edition, this event has become a dynamic platform to promote Eastern Europe films which still are singled out from European film markets. In addition international titles such as Eran Korlin’s ‘The Bands’Visit’, relating the misadventures of a Egyptian band stuck in no man’s land (2007) and Israel Cardenas and Laura Amelia Guzman’s ‘Cochochi’, a parabolic tale of two boys whose paths become separated while lost in the desert will be showcased during the festival. For more information click here A Conversation in Film : The London International Documentary Festival, 29th March to 5th April The London International Documentary Festival: A Conversation In Film will showcase groundbreaking documentaries in venues all around London for eight days from March 29th. The screenings will be complimented by talks and Q&As – including director Barbet Schroeder following the screening of his latest film Terror’s Advocate on Sunday 30 March. Featuring the terror’s advocate himself, Dr Jacques Verges, the film offers a fantastic insight on France’s most controversial lawyer, and the screening should be followed by spirited debate. For more information on the festival click here Japan Foundation Touring Programme, London, Bristol, Sheffield, Edinburgh and Belfast, 9th Feb to 22nd March With this season of six contemporary films, the Japan Foundation’s annual touring film programme offers a glimpse of the reality of existence in contemporary Japan. Almost half a century ago, during the second golden period of Japanese cinema, directors such as Yasujiro Ozu and Mikio Naruse, created some of the finest examples of a sub-genre of films that had been around since the 1920s: Shomin-geki. These were dramas about the everyday struggles and moral conflicts of the ordinary working people of Japan. Fifty years on and the potential for drama may not have changed but the situations have, with contemporary stories more interested in the concerns of the individual than common societal issues. For more information and screening dates click here 4 - CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS, APPLICATIONS AND COURSES Courses – New Producers Alliance Spring Courses 2008 The NPA have a variety of evening and full weekend courses upcoming this spring. Weekend courses include International Co-Production Training and Budget & Schedule for Feature Film weekends, plus two evening sessions – pre-Berlin and pre-Cannes – of Pitching Skills for Film-makers. For more information, dates and time, visit www.npa.org.uk Call for applications – Film London Audience Development Fund Film London has recently announced details of the latest Audience Development Fund to support film education and exhibition activity in the capital. The Fund aims to increase access and opportunities to moving image culture for everyone in London, with particular attention to issues of cultural diversity and equal opportunities. The Fund, which supports the capital’s film festivals and education projects, is divided into sized grants, Small and Medium, to provide both greater stability for established projects and encourage one-off and experimental cinema activity. The first deadline is next month, and there will be a second round of applications for the Small Grants of awards up to £3,000 later in the year. For more information click here Deadline for applications: 31st March, 2008 Courses – Insight Free Masterclasses, Q&As and New Courses Announced InSight have just announced their Spring programme of courses and events including a free Q&A with Tony Grisoni, a free week-long practical masterclass with Iran’s leading woman director Rakhshan Bani-Etemad in association with the British Film Institute, the School of Oriental and African Studies and the Iran Heritage Foundation, a week-long documentary workshop with internationally acclaimed documentary maker Mike Grigsby and an evening course in Directing Fiction with Asif Kapadia, award-winning director of ‘The Warrior’ and, most recently, ‘Far North’. For more details of these course, and others, visit http://www.insighteducation.org.uk or email info@insighteducation.org.uk Call for entries - Propeller Red Carpet «60 second Flix» Competition Propellor TV is inviting entries to the 60 second flix competition. For your chance to win one of three sets of Avid Xpress pro 5.7 software all you have to do is make a one minute film - a «60 Second Flix». All genres will be accepted including animation, and films must be no longer thatn 60 seconds, including credits. For more information and submission forms click here Deadline for enties: 14 March, 2008 Course - 2008 FDA Script Reading Training session Designed in partnership with the Film Distributors’ Association and now in its fourth successful year, this programme offers anyone working in the UK’s distribution industry (from CEO to PA level), the chance to unravel the art and business of reading scripts - absolutely free. For more information and to register go to the Scriptfactory website Call for submissions – 5th Skip City International D-Cinema Festival The Skip City International D-Cinema Festival is designed to discover and reward the next generation of digital filmmakers. With up to USD $150,000 in cash awards available through its international and domestic competitions, the D-Cinema Festival seeks to discover new talent and contribute to the development of the digital film industry.The festival is currently accepting submissions for features (International) and shorts (Domestic Japanese) length works that have been shot and edited digitally, which can be screened in a digital format. The festival is held in Skip City, Japan in July 2008. For more information and submission forms click here Deadline for submissions: 10 March, 2008 Call for submissions – Birmingham ArtsFest ArtsFest is the country’s largest free arts festival and it will return onthe 12th -14th September 2008. This annual event celebrates the wealth ofcreative talent in Birmingham and the West Midlands, and is a chance forartists to promote themselves to the media and audience alike. ArtsFest2008 will focus on a theme of fire and light. Entries are required from a cross section of artforms – music, dance, drama, spoken word, comedy, visual arts and crafts, film and fashion!Anyone can enter including individuals or groups, amateurs orprofessionals, however they must currently live, work, study, or be showingwork in Birmingham and the West Midlands region in the 12 months following the festival. For more information click here Deadline for submissions: 28 March, 2008 Call for submissions – The Whole World Tank.tv is inviting submissions to its forthcoming show, The Whole World (1 January – 1 March 2008), curated by Ian White. The Whole World is a programme of artists’ film and video and an interactive online exhibition. Both a formal device and a political strategy, film and video that deploys a list as part of its structure often does so with political intent: to subvert hierarchies, to undermine rationalism or to reveal contradiction. In short, The Whole World attempts to wrestle back the initiative. To submit your work and more details visit www.tank.tv Deadline for submissions: 1 March, 2008 Call for submissions – The BFM Movie Channel Launching in spring 2008, the BFM Movie Channel will be the world’s first dedicated black world film channel on demand, committed to delivering compelling cinema from over 3 continents. The BFM Movie Channel looks for film features, documentaries and shorts that represent a world of untold stories. You can register now at www.bfmmoviechannel.com for a sneak preview of the teaser channel and watch the exclusive selection of films for free. You can add your film to the BFM growing selection of black cinema classics, the latest independent movies from Europe, the USA as well as home grown UK talent, compelling African cinema & the best quality Nollywood titles which are all available to buy and download. For more information about the deadline and to register online click here Call for submissions – ThinkSync Films launch 2008 Thinksync Films launches its competition for independent film makers for the third year running bringing together independent film makers with independent record labels and publishers. Entrants to the competition submit short films which incorporate one or more tracks downloadable free of charge from Thinksync Films’ website, but only the music supplied by Thinksync Films is permitted to feature in the short. The competition rewards the most skilful and appropriate use of the music within the film. For full details of the competition, previous years winners, selected tracks on offer along with rules and regulations, please visit www.thinksyncfilms.com Deadline for submissions: 6 June, 2008 LINKS THE INDEPENDENT FILM PARLIAMENT FOURDOCS LUX ARTISTS' FILM AND VIDEO EVENT LISTINGS SHOOTINGPEOPLE CALENDAR FOR UK-WIDE FILM SCREENINGS AND EVENTS INDEPENDENT CINEMA OFFICE FUTURE SHORTS: SHORT FILM NETWORK AUDIO DESCRIBED AND SUBTITLED CINEMA LISTINGS NEW PRODUCERS ALLIANCE: TRAINING/EVENTS/SCREENINGS/ADVICE DOCSPACE: DOCUMENTARY SCREENINGS NETWORK DFG DOCS: BRITISH DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING RESOURCE SIDF: FREE NEWSLETTER AND FESTIVAL INFORMATION SCRIPTFACTORY: SCRIPTWRITING EVENTS AND NETWORK IFP: THE USA'S INDEPENDENT FILMMAKER NETWORK BBC FILM NETWORK: NEW BRITISH FILMS ONLINE RHIZOME: GLOBAL NEW MEDIA ART COMMUNITY ARTIST'S MOVING IMAGE NETWORK BIRDS EYE VIEW: WOMEN FILMMAKERS FILM STREET: FOR YOUNG CINEMA LOVERS ROXY BAR & SCREEN UK FILM FORUM VERSO BOOKS ARTANGEL ICA Subscribe or buy Vertigo magazine online / Go to the latest issue / Unsubscribe from this newsletter / Send us your information