Submitted by the Co-operative Group (with edits)

It started with 28 men in Rochdale in 1844. Now there are over a billion members of co-operatives worldwide - with combined turnover each year in the UK alone of £33bn. A new film from the British Youth Film Academy, funded by the Co-Operative Group will tell how it all began. Filmed in the Greater Manchester area as part of The Co-operative’s activities to highlight this year as the International Year of Co-operatives, the 52-minute feature tells the story of - and gains its working-title from - ‘The Rochdale Pioneers’ and their vision for a better social order which established the co-operative movement.

Actor John Henshaw plays the role of John Holt, one of the original members of The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers, in the film. Well known for roles in Early Doors, Born and Bred, Looking for Eric and Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal, John Henshaw said: “I am delighted to be involved with "The Rochdale Pioneers”. It’s a brilliant initiative, BYFA brings together talented people from all backgrounds and all levels of skill to work hard together to make film - it’s good fun, a pleasure to work on, I am really enjoying it. The application, dedication and professional standards is inspiring and, it bodes well for the British Film Industry that the wealth of talent out there is being supported, encouraged and nurtured by The Co-operative British Youth Film Academy.”

The new film is inspired by the 1944 film ‘Men of Rochdale’. It is funded by The Co-operative Group – the UK’s largest mutual business – and is being filmed and produced by The Co-operative's British Youth Film Academy. The co-directors of the new film, Adam Lee Hamilton and John Montegrande, along with its producer, Kevin Atkinson, worked together on the BYFA movie ‘Julius Caesar’ which was selected for the international Raindance Film Festival in London, October 2011. Kevin Atkinson, Operations Director of The Co-operative British Youth Film Academy and producer for the new film, commented: “Through the medium of film, we are bringing the spirit, heart and belief of the original pioneers to a brand new audience.”

The original 28 ‘Pioneers’ were all working men. After a year of trading (1845) membership had increased to 74 and total takings for the year reached £710. Soon the Pioneers’ fame spread overseas and today, there are one billion members of co-operatives worldwide and, in the UK alone combined sector turnover exceeds £33 Billion. Mark Robinson-Field, The Co-operative’s National Co-operative and Membership Manager, said: “Over 160 years-ago the original Rochdale pioneers set out the ideals which became the basis for the principles on which co-operatives around the world still operate to this day. 

“Now, with one billion members of co-operatives world-wide and a thriving co-operative sector enjoying international attention, we believed the time was right for this inspirational story to be re-told.” The film will be distributed internationally and plans are in place for it to be screened at the co-operative world festival and expo at Manchester Central in autumn 2012. To follow the progress of the film or for more information visit www.co-operative.coop/2012

submitted by Studio Beyond

Studio Beyond, the global online business platform for the entertainment industry,  is accepting submissions for its first "Notable Filmmaker" competition.

The winning trailers will be shown on our "Movie City" homepage as well as in our ‘Executive’s Online Screening Room’ where sales agents, distributors, film financiers, film festivals, producers have gathered to watch your movies.  

How to submit your work: Register for FREE on www.studiobeyond.net and then apply to the Talent Call opened by Studio Beyond by clicking on the red Alert once you enter your online studio office.

Contest ends 20th Dec, 2012 www.studiobeyond.net

The 7th annual SoCal Film Festival in Huntington Beach celebrates the art and culture of film Sept. 28-Oct. 2, 2011.  Check the website for details.  Filmmakers and Screenwriters, we will be accepting submissions for 2012 beginning in December. Visit us at: www.socalfilmfest.com.

The Media Business School (MBS) is delighted to announce the launch of calls for applications to participate in the IMBS – International Markets Business School, a new training initiative focusing on international sales and distribution for entertainment industry professionals from Europe and Latin America.

The deadline for applications will be the 26^th of September 2011.

The IMBS will take place from the 27-29^th of October in Sao Paulo, during the Sao Paulo International Film Festival.  This intensive, 3-day, project based course, is organised by the MBS in collaboration with Cinema do Brasil and Universidade Lusofona, with the support of MEDIA Mundus, the Ibermedia Programme, ICAA (Spanish Ministry of Culture) and the São Paulo International Film Festival.

From Poland With Shorts, which aims to promote the talent and diversity of young Polish cinema and filmmakers, comes to London’s Riverside Studios for four screenings between 17th and 18th September. The screenings will include short films of some of the most talented new directors in Poland alongside a restored version of Andrzej Munk’s classic film Eroica. 

The screenings include Three for the Taking (Trójka do wzięcia) -a moving film about a 16-year-old girl whose life is changed when she discovers that her mother has a terminal illness - from the Oscar nominated director Bartek Konopka, Echo, a troubling story of two young boys who recreate an unspeakable crime for the police, and Out Of Reach (Poza zasiegiem) a documentary which won the Golden Dragon for Best Film in 2010 at the prestigious Krakow Film Festival. 

To celebrate Netribution are giving two sets of tickets for the screenings (1 pair for the 17th and one pair for the 18th) alongside two DVD copies of Passenger directed by Andrezj Munk courtesy of Second Run DVD, the premiere DVD company specialising in the release of important and award-winning films from all around the world. Passenger has been called 'one of the most audacious fictions ever made about the Holocaust'. Director Munk died in a car crash, aged just 39, in the middle of filming. His friend, Witold Lesiewicz, and his colleagues decided to complete the film to what they believed were Munk's intentions and assembled it using the existing footage, Munk's still photographs and a voice-over narration. Finally released in 1964, the film won main awards at Cannes and Venice and has been described by those who have seen it as an unfinished masterpiece. Unseen for far too long, this is the first-ever DVD release of this unique film anywhere in the world.

To win tweet the following @Netribution:

Win tickets for FROM POLAND WITH SHORTS and Andrezj Munk's PASSENGER on DVD. Go to http://bit.ly/mWNptA and RT this to win!

Winners will be notified on Thursday evening

The screenings take place at the Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, London on Saturday 17th September and Sunday 18th September. 

From the British Film Institute:

We're excited to announce the line-up for this year's BFI London Film Festival, which will showcase 204 feature films and 110 shorts over 16 days.

In addition to our previously announced opening and closing night films, Fernando Meirelles' 360 and Terence Davies'  The Deep Blue Sea [pictured left, starring Rachel Weisz and Tom Hiddleston], Gala highlights include George Clooney's The Ides of March, Alexander Payne's The Descendants, Lynne Ramsay's We Need to Talk About Kevin and David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method. This year's Archive Gala title is the BFI National Archive's restoration of Miles Mander's The First Born with a new score by Stephen Horne.

 

 

Lancaster Children's Film Festival (LancsCFF) is issuing a call for entries for the upcoming 2012 festival, to take place from February 15th – 18th 2012.

Screenings will take place at the Dukes Cinema and various other venues around Lancaster.

For entry form and requirements go to: http://www.lancasterchildrensfilmfestival.co.uk/?page_id=34

Categories include:

· Live Action Feature: Any live action children’s or family feature (40mins+)

· Animation: Animated films with a run time of 40-120 mins suitable for child or family viewing

· Shorts: Any film under 40 mins. in length suitable for child or family viewing

· Child Filmmakers: Any films directed by persons of 16 years of age and under

Awards Categories:

· Audience Choice Award

· Young People’s Best of Fest Award: Chosen by young people aged 11 – 16

· Children’s Best of Fest Award: Chosen by Children’s Jury aged 8 -11

Submission Deadlines:

Early deadline December 1st 2011

Final deadline December 14th 2011

All submissions by DVD only.

from Berserk Films

UK short film, SAILCLOTH by Elfar Adalsteins and starring John Hurt has been awarded the highest accolade at the 15th Annual Rhode Island International Film Festival - the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short. As a result of winning at Rhode Island the film automatically qualifies for consideration for an Oscar® by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences™.

'Sailcloth by Elfar Adalsteins is a brilliant and poignant work that touches at the core of the human experience. Brilliantly acted and expertly realized, leaves little doubt that a new creative voice in world cinema has burst upon the scene.' George T. Marshall, Chair of RIIFF Jury.

This year RIIFF received a record 4,537 submissions from filmmakers representing more than 60 countries worldwide. Sailcloth’s writer and director Elfar Adalsteins was on hand to receive the prize at the festival; which also marked the film’s World Premiere:

‘It is an absolute privilege to receive this award at Rhode Island – we couldn’t ask for a better platform to launch our film. It was a true honour to partake in a festival that really puts the interests of filmmakers first.’

The film tells the story of an elderly widower (played by John Hurt) who veils his disappearance from a nursing home to embark on one final journey on his beloved sailboat. Filmed on location in beautiful village of St Mawes in Cornwall, John Hurt was drawn to the project after reading Elfar Adalsteins’ script and was quick to spot his potential: 

'I read the script, I liked the idea and I met Elfar and it was quite obvious that he was a player and that cemented it for me.'

The 17-minute short is completely non-dialogue and the Oscar-nominated actor usually famed for his dramatic speaking roles relished the chance to take on such a part:

'The spoken word is not essential in film - it can be useful but it's wonderful if it is not necessary.'

Volkswagen says it wants to be the most eco-friendly car manufacturer in the world. But it’s spending millions trying to stop laws to make cars more efficient and cut climate change emissions. On September 17, Greenpeace is launching an international film competition. We need your help to expose the real VW – the one behind the billboards.

You’ll have two weeks from the launch date to make a one minute film on the competition brief. That brief is secret for now, but we promise you it’s going to make you want to fuse your creativity with your conscience.

For more information and to sign up for the competition brief, visit http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/filmcompetition.

The best films will be screened at a special event at the Curzon Soho in London (and you’ll be invited along). They’ll be seen by thousands of people around the world and be a key part of our climate campaign.

We have a prestigious panel of judges, and if your film is the winner you will be awarded a £5,000 budget to make Greenpeace’s next campaign movie.

Join us for the special launch event: 10am on Saturday 17 September at the Curzon Soho when we make public the competition brief (although you don't need to attend to enter).

As well as helping the countless small businesses and shops who've lost stock and suffered damage, buying digital downloads from any of the indie companies who've lost all their stock in the huge depot fire in Enfield would be a nice thing to do. It might mean the difference for some between surviving or closing as they try to manage cashflow in the weeks or months it will take for the insurance to come thru, when many are already struggling. If you know of other companies, please let me know - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Below are the links to the main websites for each distributor I could find - they should of course also be available thru normal channels (LoveFilm, Amazon, iTunes, etc). Bear in mind if you're ordering DVDs there will probably a good wait for delivery - even better perhaps is if you say in the notes with your order that you are in no rush - and to preferably buy a download/stream.

Update 1 -  Brendan Connelly at Bleeding Cool is also building a good list - worth checking as it has direct links to specific titles that can be downloaded/streamed

Update 2 - Network DVD have taken their shop offline and promise it back within a few weeks. I'm not sure if this because of legal requirements to ship within 28 days of order, or if it will cause problems with their system. Either way perhaps a sign that it might be best not to buy DVDs from distributors before they've had a chance to either take off their shop or publish a statement.

Update 3 - Artificial Eye and Human Film also confirmed. The Bleeding Cool list has lots more direct links and other distributors. 

Arrow - ArrowFilms.co.uk to buy DVDs

Artificial Eye - lost their entire 300-title stock.

BFI - has lost 120,000 units with lots to chose from. Get on DVD or preferably online at Jaman, BlinkBox or LoveFilm or get a membership to download films and more.

Dogwoof - distributor of social documentaries lost 50,000 units. dogwoof.com/itunes for iTunes, for DVD club (worth joining), Pop-up Cinema to organise a screening and Dogwoof.tv for streaming

Guerilla Films - tireless supporter of British indies has lost 60,000 units. Guerilla-Films.com to buy DVDs

Human Film - producers of Aahlam and Son of Babylon

Kaledoscope - can't currently find a direct link to buy, but they will be on sites like amazon.co.uk

Metrodome - DVDs available to buy in subsites under Critical Acclaim, Epic Asia, Horror, Action/Thriller and War as well as normal download platforms.

Network DVD - lost all their stock and are not taking online orders until things are back to normal in 'a few weeks'. You can follow them on Twitter and Facebook for updates.

Pecadillo Pictures - lost 50-60,000 units. PeccaPics.com to get DVDs and iTunes links from their Facebook page.

Revolver - Revolver DVD/Blue Ray here, LoveFilm, BlinkBox and iTunes links here.

Urbanized Film - aka Gary Hutwist, director of Helvetica and Objectified. You can buy Helvetica here, Objectified here, and in the US get tickets to the new film Urbanized here.

Meanwhile there were over 150 independent record labels using PIAS distribution - including Domino, XL, One Little Indian and Warp whose stock has been destroyed, leaving companies 'devestated'. There's a list here - http://thequietus.com/articles/06729-help-riot-struck-pias-buy-mp3s