Industry News

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Reminder

"The Festival of the Bazaar and the Insane," a Local Sightings collection of mostly locally produced offbeat shorts, will run on September 3 as part of a double bill with "Rocky and Bullwinkle" cartoons at Carberry's Bakery and Coffee House in Central Square, Cambridge, MA. The show starts at 9:00 p.m. For further information, contact Local Sightings by calling (617) 975-3361.

Films & Videos in Production

Anvil Studios, a production company located in Reading, MA, has started its latest and biggest venture to date: Horror Haven, the world's first all-horror TV Channel. The channel's programming will include movies, the honoring of horror TV hosts past and present, and original programming. Horror Haven will soon begin its 13-week test run on Cablevision. For four hours each week, the channel will show two movies, several short pieces, and host segments. Anvil hopes to have Horror Haven up and running by the end of the year. For a sneak peek, visit the Horror Haven web site at http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Cinema/6537/horhaven.html. Visitors are encouraged to fill out the survey to help boost the demographics.

A director is needed for "Davis Square," a quirky sitcom about Somerville, MA, and how it affects the lives of four housemates whose only connection to each other is their Davis Square apartment. Set in and around Somerville, "Davis Square" reflects the ethnic, economic, and cultural diversity of the area. Currently, three episodes are slated for production during September and October. "Davis Square" will be produced at Somerville Cable Access Television for distribution to public access stations around the country. The ultimate goal is for a network to pick up the series. "Davis Square" is written and produced by Somerville writer and filmmaker Anita Weiner. Most recently, Weiner was a co-writer/producer/director of "Hey, There's Free Food in the Conference Room," a sketch comedy revue about the corporate world. The position does not pay, although there is a possibility of future compensation. For further information, please write to Anita Weiner at anita.weiner@frm.com or 60 Raymond Avenue, 2nd Floor, Somerville, MA 02144; or call (617) 392-8881.

David Mamet ("Wag the Dog," "The Winslow Boy") will begin filming his first comedy in Manchester and Dedham, MA, on September 21. The Mamet-written "State and Maine" tells the story of a Hollywood cast and crew who arrive to shoot a movie in rural New England. Cast includes Alec Baldwin, Sarah Jessica Parker, William H. Macy, Rebecca Pidgeon, Charles Durning, and Patti LuPone. Filming will run for at least four weeks.

"What Lies Beneath," a Robert Zemeckis thriller starring Michelle Pfeiffer, began shooting in Vermont at the end of August and will continue through September.

Saint Aire Productions has announced its production "Crimes Past" a suspenseful and dramatic love story starring Joshua Leonard of "The Blair Witch Project." The film is currently in development by award-winning producer Dolly Hall ("All Over Me" "High Art" "54"), in association with Christy Scott-Cashman and writer/director Andrew D. Cooke who will make his feature film directorial debut. "Crimes Past" tells the story of a young mother who must come to terms with her boyfriend’s mysterious death and, in turn, the guilt or innocence of his best friend, a man for whom she has deep, conflicted feelings. Principal photography will begin in early November along the southern Rhode Island coast. A reception and investment information briefing will be held on September 16, 1999 for all interested parties. For an invitation to meet the filmmakers and to learn more about this investment opportunity please contact: Christy Scott-Cashman at (617) 547-1576.

A Universal Studios picture, with director Penny Marshall and actress Drew Barrymore, is in development in Massachusetts. Filming for "Riding in Cars with Boys" starts in January.

Construction crews are building a set in Gloucester, MA, for "The Perfect Storm," a Warner Brothers production based on the Sebastian Junger best-seller, a true story of fishermen lost at sea during a devastating storm in 1991. Filming will run for three weeks beginning on September 8. Stars include George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.

Screenings

Four area documentary filmmakers and their projects were selected for the IFP's 21st Independent Feature Film Market (IFFM), which will be held September 17-24 at the Angelika Film Center in New York City. The selected projects include Alice Bouvrie's "Iditarod: A Far Distant Place," Andrew Rice's "From Ashes," Adam Schatten's "Compassionate Use," and Tracy Heather Strain's "Sweet Dreams: The Doughnut Movie." The IFFM's goal is to create an atmosphere conducive to business. For that reason, the IFFM has cut the number of projects to be featured in half from last year; only 50 will be featured. The IFFM is sponsored by the Independent Feature Project. Check out their site at http://www.ifp.org.

Filmmaker Adam Schatten, whose "Compassionate Use" will be screened at the IFFM in September, is seeking assistance to complete the film. "Compassionate Use" is a work-in-progress about the struggle of AIDS activists mounting a call for action in minority communities and pushing for global access to AIDS therapies. If you are interested in this project, please contact Adam Schatten, FlyPaper Films, at (617) 983-3705 or at adams@tiac.net.

In June, thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Cornucopia Films completed production on "Testament." Lauren Ivy Chiong wrote and directed the film, which explores the changing relationships between religious-zealot mothers and their daughters as the girls approach adolescence. "Testament" will premiere on the festival circuit in the spring of 2000 and will be distributed on the Internet. For more information on the film or to get on the mailing list, please contact Cornucopia Films at (617) 666-6486 or at cornucopiafilms@hotmail.com.

Women in Film & Video New England's (WIFVNE) Kick-Off Party is scheduled for September 16, at which five-minute works-in-progress will be shown. Please contact the WIFVNE office for further details at (617) 924-9494 or at info@womeninfilmvideo.org, or visit the web site at http://www.womeninfilmvideo.org. WIFVE recently established a contact in Trinidad when executive director Judy Blotnick and filmmaker Laurel Chiten met with Penelope Beckles, an attorney from Trinidad who has a particular interest in women working in film in the US. Beckles is involved with many professional women's organizations in Trinidad and is working on behalf of women in her country who are underrepresented in many fields, including filmmaking.

Calls for Entries

The Independent Television Service (ITVS) invites proposals for half-hour and one-hour single public television shows shot in small-format DV (DVCam, DVCPro, or MiniDV), edited digitally, and with budgets up to $125,000 (for a one-hour program). ITVS seeks new productions or works-in-progress which will bring new audiences to public television and expand civic participation by bringing new voices into the public discourse. Proposals for shows in any style or genre will be accepted. DV '99 guidelines and application forms are available online at the ITVS website, http://www.itvs.org, or in the ITVS publication "Buzzwords." Producers may call (415) 356-8383, ext. 301, to receive a copy. The deadline for applications is October 15. ITVS' ongoing funding initiative, Open Call, continues on a semiannual basis, with the next round of applications due September 15.

WGBH-TV is now accepting entries for its April broadcast film festival, "Viewpoint." Deadline for submissions is December 3. New England filmmakers particularly are encouraged to submit. Films selected will receive an acquisition fee from WGBH. For further information, check out the "Viewpoint" web site at http://www.wgbh.org/viewpoint, or contact Chad Davis at Chad_Davis@wgbh.org, or by calling (617) 300-2647.

Other News

Live music returns to the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, MA, this month. Co-presented by the Middle East Nightclub, Bill Janovitz/Those Bastard Souls/Graeme Downes will perform on September 16, and Rachel's will perform on the 17th. The Brattle has also extended the run of the restored print of "Yellow Submarine" through September 12.

The Harvard Film Archive will begin screenings again on September 16, after a summer break.  Check out their web site at http://www.harvardfilmarchive.org for details...