The independent-film and screenwriting competition, which was founded with the purpose of providing funding, distribution, exposure, and other resources to indie filmmakers, is off to its most successful start yet. This year, we've assembled a panel of judges that range from Boston-area film professionals to Hollywood writers and actors, and the panel is still growing. Here's a rundown of judges who are participating in this year's event:
Judges:International Short-Film Competition From left to right: Stephen Root (actor: Dodgeball, actor: Office Space); Keiko Agena (actress: Gilmore Girls, actress: Kim Possible); Cirroc Lofton (actor: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, actor: The Hoop Life); Sayed Badreya (filmmaker: AmericanEast, actor: The Insider); Ty Burr (author, critic for The Boston Globe), and our very own Safa Sadeghpour -- more judges coming soon!
Judges: International Spoof-Writing Competition From left to right: Siu Ta (actress: Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, filmmaker: Kata Practice); Jane Bussmann (writer: South Park, writer: So Graham Norton), and Toddy Walters (actress/musician: South Park, actress: South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut) -- more judges coming soon!
This year, the BMPAs are giving away 1,000s of dollars in cash and prizes, including a distribution agreement, the opportunity to have your script produced, and other assorted prizes from Cineaste Magazine, Showreel Magazine, and MovieMaker Magazine.
To learn more about the Boston Motion Picture Awards, please visit www.BostonAwards.com.
To apply using Withoutabox.com, simply click the link below:
I just thought I would give you a heads up about our 16th annual Woods Hole Film Festival which is shaping up to be a very exciting program of screenings, panels, master classes, exhibitions, parties, even our GREEN SCREEN and first annual GREEN EXPO. We have Les Blank coming from Berkeley, California bringing his new film ALL IN THIS TEA, about David Lee Hoffmann, a tea importer who in his obsessive attempts to acquire some of the rarest teas in the world re-introduces China to it's own ancient tea culture. As our FILMMAKER-IN-RESIDENCE, Les will bring a great spirit of true independence and will offer a very dynamic Master Class and showing films like GARLIC IS AS GOOD AS TEN MOTHERS, a profile of Alice Waters of Chez Pannise fame, BURDEN OF DREAMS, a film chronicling Werner Herzog's making of FITZCARRALDO and possibly other films. Les's appearance continues our mission to honor great independent filmmakers. In the past few years we have hosted RICKY LEACOCK ( Paris) , KIDLAT TAHIMIK,( The Philippines), ART C. SMITH ( ANWR, Alaska).
It is a wonderful place to be immersed in the craft of filmmaking both its past and its very vital future. With the help of people like David Tames, we are putting together a series of panel discussions which will concentrate on the future of long form Documentary in the Age of Internet Video, a producer's roundtable-llike panel featuring hollywood director Sam Weisman and documentary filmmakers from WGBH as well as others. We are building on what we started several years ago with a new program that looks at the role that new technologies and the convergence of media have had on the distribution and making of films. In the last six months alone, the blossoming of internet video has so intensified, that it mandates a continuing of this fascinating discussion by practioners in the field.
Of course we have films, animations, features, documentaries,even experimental video art. We will be bringing New Jersey's largest and oldest alternative gallery's (CITY WITHOUT WALLS cwow.org) 1800 Frames exhibit which explores the work of about thirty artists working in a 60 second format ( Hence the "1800 frames"). A reception for the artists and a viewing of some of these powerful and humorous videos will be screened at my new studio, THOUGHT BALLOON STUDIO ( 12 sidney street, Woods Hole).
There will be parties as well, and in a setting of our little historic village known for its powerhouse of science, oceanography, marine biology and abundant arts. It is ONE WEEK ( July 28-August 4th--satuday to saturday); ONE VILLAGE; and ONE BOATLOAD OF FILMS!
You can also go to itunes and hear the podcast interview I did with Les, discussing his new work... Look up Woods Hole Film Festival on itunes TODAY!
So, I decided to start a blog for the Boston Motion Picture Awards for two reasons: first, I have delusions of grandeur, so I'm just assuming that people are going to want to read this. (Okay, fine, I'm actually very insecure, but I'm hoping for at least one reader.) Second, this blog gives me the opportunity to make certain information available to the Beanywood community before we release it to the general public.
So, what are the Boston Motion Picture Awards, you ask? Well, even if you didn't ask, I'm going to tell you:
In 2003, my brother Seth and I attended our first film festival, the Boston International. At the opening-night party, we met filmmakers from all across the country. We figured this would be our big chance to make valuable connections and to ask industry experts some important questions.
We did, in fact, make some great connections, but when it came to those important questions, we found that despite the many years of experience that a lot of these filmmakers had, they all seemed to ask each other the same questions we were going to ask -- namely the following one:
"So...how did you get your funding?"
After this bucket of cold water in the face, Seth and I decided to create a film-related project that would help indie filmmakers raise money. The result was the Boston Motion Picture Awards, a film competition that provides up-and-coming film students and professionals with money, exposure, distribution, and other resources.
One of the most important aspects of the BMPAs, as far as I'm concerned, is that it's designed to benefit the entrants first and us second. As a matter of fact, in the first two years of the competition, we gave away thousands of dollars (and thousands of dollars worth of prizes) to the competition's winners, and just managed to break even. In other words, Seth and I haven't taken any money for ourselves. Does this make us stupid? Perhaps. Does this make us selfless humanitarians? Let's not get carried away. After all, we're still hoping for the BMPAs to become successful enough that Seth and I can be compensated for the time we put into the project every year.
So, here are some basic facts about this year's Boston Motion Picture Awards:
1st Place: $1,000 + $500 for every 250 entries in this category; DVD distribution opportunity; free subscriptions to Cineaste Magazine, Showreel Magazine, and MovieMaker Magazine; a prize TBD from Final Draft; a BMPA trophy; a BMPA award certificate; a web page dedicated to your film on the BMPA web site; a review of your film for use in your press kits and other publicity materials
International Spoof-Writing Competition:
1st Place: the opportunity to have your script made into a short film; a free subscription to Showreel Magazine; a prize TBD from Final Draft; a BMPA trophy; a BMPA award certificate; a web page dedicated to you on the BMPA web site
So, there you have it. I'll be posting more information soon. In the mean time, if you have any questions, please feel free to let me know by messaging me. You can also try telepathy, but that service is currently in beta testing, so I can't guarantee positive results.
Several of the Beanywood members have participated this past weekend in the 48 hr Film Project. The full of screenings are below. My work will screen at the Kendall Sq Cinema this Wed in the block that starts at 9:15pm . These always sell out in advance so best bet is get a ticket at Moviefone 333 3456 . For those that don't know , this an annual worldwide event in which teams have to make a film up to 7 minutes long in 48 hours using an assigned genre, line of dialog , and prop. It is also a competition for awards. Some are fantastic and some are horrendous as one would expect for a project conceived, shot , edited and scored in 48 hrs. Each screened block is about 2hrs or so. All the filmmakers and actors show up of course so it becomes a pretty strong networking event too. Click on read more to get more details on where, which teams are presenting, and at what times...
The 3rd Annual 
