Film Independent to present Spirit Awards tonight

Tune into the 23rd Annual Spirit Awards tonight on IFC at 5 pm or on AMC at 10 pm

Film Independent's Spirit Awards will be presenting its annual honors celebrating the best in independent films tonight. The awards recognize excellent in the independent film community.

"Film Independent is an open enrollment and non-profit membership organization that champions independent film and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds the audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry."

For more information about the nominees for tonight's Spirit Awards, please visit the official Film Independent website.

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New international screening announced for 'How Do I Look' documentary

'How Do I Look' selected for XXIII Black International Cinema Berlin-Warsaw 2008 Film Festival

How Do I Look has been selected by the screening committee of the upcoming XXIII. Black International Cinema Berlin/Warsaw 2008 film festival.

From May 8-12, 2008, the 23rd edition of the Black International Cinema film festival will be screening its selection of "cinema from Africa, the African Diaspora and other films from varied intercultural backgrounds or perspectives."

How Do I Look is about the creative and inspirational Ballroom community of New York City. Centered in Harlem, these modern-day ball competitions can be called the descendants of past drag balls, which trace their origin to the Harlem Renaissance. You know about the Ballroom community from Madonna's music video for "Vogue," from her successful documentary, "Truth or Dare," and from the movie, "Paris is Burning." The artistic mission of How Do I Look blends creativity and social awareness of the impact that art can have on the community:

"How Do I Look is a tool to showcase our talents, brings the Ballroom community together, gain artistic and human respect, provides hands on video production/post production training, improves the quality of life and sends HIV/AIDS awareness messages through the many we lost to AIDS and the ones living with HIV now."

And that artistic mission closely matches the artistic vision of the Black International Cinema film festival:

"The festival focuses on presenting works of an artistic, cultural or political nature coinciding with the general educational, social, artistic and economic interest of people from Africa, the African Diaspora and people with an interest in participating in intercultural communication and the resultant interfacing and sharing of educational, social, artistic and economic resources."

"Black International Cinema Berlin is a yearly interdisciplinary, intercultural film/video festival produced and directed by Fountainhead® Tanz Theatre / Cultural Zephyr e.V. and The Collegium - Forum & Television Program Berlin and screens cinema from Africa, the African Diaspora and other films from varied intercultural backgrounds or perspectives. The festival focuses on presenting cinematic works of an artistic, cultural or political nature coinciding with the shared values of people from Africa, the African Diaspora and people with an interest in intercultural communication and the interfacing and sharing of educational, social, artistic and economic resources."

For program and other information about this film festival, please visit the official Black International Cinema website.

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Black History Month screening of 'How Do I Look' documentary

More colleges and universities are programming the documentary How Do I Look as part of their on-campus, student life cultural offerings.

The Ithaca College Office of Media Relations issued a news release yesterday, announcing the latest college screening of How Do I Look.

The Out of the Closet and onto the Screen film series at Ithaca College will feature the 2006 documentary How Do I Look on Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m. in Textor 102. The showing, which is being held in observance of Black History Month, is free and open to the public.

Here is how the Out of the Closet and onto the Screen film series described How Do I Look:

How Do I Look is a follow up to the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning, which chronicled the African-American, Latino, and transgender drag ball community in New York City. Filmmaker and social activist Wolfgang Busch returned to the balls to show what has changed and what has remained the same, interviewing participants about their experiences with ball competitions and the challenges faced by the community. Among the issues the community confronts are persistent social misconception, drug use, sex work, acceptance of sexuality and gender, and HIV/AIDS. The film is an uplifting and life-affirming celebration of a New York City artistic tradition.

This film series is sponsored by the Ithaca College Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Education, Outreach, and Services. For more news about this particular screening at Ithaca College, please read the complete news release from the Office of Media Relations. Additional information is also available on Ithaca College's website about the Out of the Closet and onto the Screen film series.

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Chelsea Classics announces February 2008 film screening schedule

Chelsea Classics, the popular movie program at Clearview Cinemas in New York has released its monthly series of film screenings for February.

February 2008 Schedule for Chelsea Classics

Rosemary's Baby (1968). Playing Thursday, February 7th at 7:00pm & 9:30pm. Rosemary Woodhouse (portrayed by Mia Farrow), the young wife of a struggling actor (John Cassavetes), is thrilled to find out she's pregnant.

What's Up Doc? (1972). Playing Thursday, February 14th at 7:00pm & 9:30pm. This classic comedy caper from director Peter Bogdanovich
stars Hollywood heavyweights Barbra Streisand, Ryan O'Neal and Madeline Kahn.

Female on the Beach (1955). Playing Thursday, February 21st at 7:00pm & 9:30pm. Lynn Markham (played by Joan Crawford) moves into a beach house the morning after former tenant Eloise Crandall mysteriously disappears over a cliff.

Queen of Outer Space (1958). Playing Thursday, February 28th at 7:00pm & 9:30pm. A space mission to Venus encounters a population of sexy women led by the evil Queen Yllana (played by Laurie Mitchell).

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'How Do I Look' to be screened in New York by NewFilmmakers series during Gay Pride Week

Screening set for 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25 at the Anthology Film Archives

NewFilmmakers NY has just announced its Spring 2008 schedule of independent film screenings. And the independent film How Do I Look, an award-winning documentary about the dancers, artists, models, and performers of the Harlem Ball community, has been selected to be screened at the Anthology Film Archives at 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, 2008.

The film series by NewFilmmakers NY gives new filmmakers the opportunity to screen their films directly to the public. NewFilmmakers features outstanding independent and foreign films, but each film plays only one night.

In the past, NewFilmmakers NY has featured compelling films such as Malcolm McLaren - Not For Sale, directed by Nancy Cohen and Andy Lee, which is about the Sex Pistol's organizer's campaign to become mayor of London, and My Brother's War, directed by Whitney Hamilton, which is loosely based on the director's novel, Firefly.

The Anthology Film Archives is located at 32 Second Ave (at Second Street), New York, NY 10003.

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The audience reacts with a yawn, a stretch, and a nap. And this is good?

A rarity amongst films: WebcamMurder.com deliberately aims to put you to sleep

WebcamMurder.com, a 2006 independent film written and directed by Sondra Lowell, is a comedy that was conceived with a noble purpose: to "get our rushed, compulsive, stressed-out 21st century culture to slow down a bit and experience the rest and cellular renewal that only sleeping through a movie can bring."

"As for the theme and message of my own first feature, it's to encourage fans and other viewers to get more sleep. By sleeping through my movie," said Ms. Lowell.

The film makes no pretense about its primary purpose: "That's why we don't want to stress you out with a lot of action. Or a plot. Or character arcs or any of that other stuff you learned in film school. That's our mission. To not disturb your sleep. "

To compliment her film, Ms. Lowell has written an e-book, How to Make a Movie That Puts the Audience to Sleep: A Home Study Course, and also writes a blog about WebcamMurder.com.

It's rare for a filmmaker to acknowledge that film lovers want to watch so many movies, but we live our lives with little down-time to actually enjoy a film, or with little down-time, period. Some of my favorite movies are directed with a soothing pace; not every film should be like Cloverfield. As it is, sometimes the only way I get to watch many of the movies I rent through Netflix is to watch them in parts. I'll watch them late at night, after a hurried day, until I feel drowsy. If I decide to watch a movie in parts, it will usually take two, sometimes three, sittings to watch it through completion. I think Ms. Lowell is on to something. Without having to go to the degree Ms. Lowell has embraced, maybe filmmakers should consider making films in two or three acts, with deliberate intermissions -- precise points where we can safely pause a movie if we only have 45 to 60 minutes at a time to watch a movie.

The redeeming social commentary in WebcamMurder.com about our conflicting work-life balance issues applies to us all. We have to find more serenity in our hectic lives.

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Clay Cane: NAACP Nominates 'Dirty Laundry' for Image Award

The writer Clay Cane wrote a blog entry today, celebrating the nomination of the independent film Dirty Laundry for an NAACP Image Award. Written and directed by Maurice Jamal, Dirty Laundry screened during an abbreviated run at a New York cinema before it was abruptly closed in a controversial decision by theatre management. Following its premature closing, Keith Boykin wrote a blog post that celebrated what was positive about Dirty Laundry. As the community deals with the aftermath of the stunted success of Mr. Jamal's film, it is reassuring that the NAACP acknowledges the contribution made by Dirty Laundry.

Here is a listing of the 2008 NAACP nominees for the best independent/foreign film category:

Outstanding Independent or Foreign Film

• “A Mighty Heart” (Paramount Vantage)

• “Dirty Laundry” (Codeblack Entertainment)

• “Honeydripper” (Emerging Pictures)

• “My Brother” (Codeblack Entertainment)

• “Persepolis” (Sony Pictures Classics)

"The NAACP Image Awards honors projects and individuals that promote diversity in the arts in television, recording, literature and motion pictures." The NAACP has published a press release listing the complete Image Award Nominees. The 39th NAACP Image Awards will be broadcast tape-delayed on Thursday, February 14 (8:00 – 10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

For more information about Dirty Laundry, please read the movie review published by The New York Times and the nomination announcement by GLAAD.

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