EmazingLights-iHeartRaves, the world’s largest rave retailer, is opening its first Northern California store in Milpitas, kicking off with a grand opening event on Friday, April 5, 2013.  The store will feature EmazingLights glove sets, light sticks, poi, orbits, and iHeartRaves dance apparel to inspire creativity at electronic music events, and beyond.  The company is also known for championing the dynamic new Gloving dance movement by organizing weekly, monthly and annual Gloving events.  For the Milpitas store grand opening event, regular store hours will be extended until 10:00pm; and the festivities will feature a Gloving 101 Workshop (6:00-7:00pm), Gloving teams in attendance from around California, and the first ever Northern California Friday Night Lights Gloving community social event (7:00-10:00pm).  All are welcome.  The grand opening event is FREE!  Read the rest of this entry »

Dance Camera West (DCW), recognized internationally for its annual presentation and celebration of dance on screen, announces its 11th annual Dance Camera West Dance Media Film Festival.  This year’s festival takes place at high profile Los Angeles venues including LACMA and The Hammer Museum, from Thursday, June 28 to Saturday, June 30, 2012.  The festival will feature 20 films in four screenings over three days representing work from Italy, France, the UK, Canada, Sweden, France and the US.  Please visit DCW’s website for continuous updates at www.dancecamerawest.org.

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The Artivist Collective presents its 8th annual Artivist Film Festival August 18, 19, 20, 2011 at the historic Egyptian Theatre in the heart of Hollywood, California.  This year the closing night awards ceremony will take place on Saturday, August 20th from 6:00 to 10:00PM.  Highlights include the Artivist Awards given to ten films and Artivist Award Honoree Kristen Bell, known for her film (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Burlesque, etc.) and television work (Heroes, Veronica Mars, etc.), as well as her philanthropy (Alzheimer’s Association, Invisible Children, PETA, SCPA, etc.).  Actress Rachel Bilson will present the award to Bell.  Also on hand will be Master of Ceremonies Dan Nainan and presenters Persia White and Marco Antonio Regil.  The closing night ceremonies are complimentary to the press and public (as is the entire festival) but seats are limited and must be reserved in advance.

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Dance Camera West (DCW), recognized internationally for its annual presentation and celebration of dance on screen, announces its 10th Anniversary Dance Media Film Festival & Conference.  This year’s festival, entitled Dance Media: An Active Spectrum, which will also include a conference component, takes place at several venues around Los Angeles from Thursday, June 16 to Sunday, June 19, 2011. In addition to a full program of provocative screenings, this year’s special anniversary event will also include a unique series of educational events, guest speakers, and networking opportunities for the international dance media community.  DCW once again partners with the city’s most prominent venues to offer this year’s screenings, installations, and panel discussions with visiting international artists.

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Breakdance Project Uganda reaches youth in the slums of Kisenyi, Uganda (photo credit: Nabil Elderkin)

Award-winning film Bouncing Cats, the inspiring documentary of one man’s attempt to create a better life for the children of Uganda through hip hop, is on the festival circuit making its way around North America along with limited sneak peek screenings and benefit events.  Narrated by Common and featuring interviews with Will.I.Am, and K’Naan, the story follows the legendary Crazy Legs of the Rock Steady Crew and b-boy Abramz, the founder of Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU), on a journey to unify, empower and inspire youth in the war torn region that has been called one of the worst places on earth to be a child.*  The film, by director Nabil Elderkin, recently won “Best Documentary Feature Film” at the Urbanworld Film Festival in New York, “Outstanding Achievement in Documentary Filmmaking” at the Newport Beach Film Festival, and “Audience Favorite Award” at Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival.

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Award-winning film Bouncing Cats is the inspiring documentary of one man’s attempt to create a better life for the children of Uganda through the unlikely tools of hip hop and breakdance. Narrated by Common and featuring interviews with Will.I.Am, and K’Naan, the story follows the legendary Crazy Legs of the Rock Steady Crew and b-boy Abramz, the founder of Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU), on a journey to unify, empower and inspire youth in the war torn country that has been called one of the worst places on earth to be a child.  Poverty, disease, and a brutal, mindless war in the region have divided families, displaced millions and led to the abduction and mutilation of tens of thousands of children resulting in the deterioration of identity and culture. Read the rest of this entry »

Congo in Harlem 2 is the second annual series of Congo-related films and events at the Maysles Cinema in Harlem. This year’s program runs from Friday, October 8 – Saturday, October 23, 2010 and showcases a wide range of films by Congolese and international directors, representing the most important issues facing the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) today. Most screenings will be followed by panel discussions, special events, musical performances, and receptions. Congo in Harlem 2 will provide audiences with more than the traditional movie-going experience – it will offer opportunities to celebrate Congolese culture, learn about the ongoing humanitarian crisis, engage in dialogue, and get involved. Read the rest of this entry »

image from "North Horizon" by Thomas Freundlich and Valterri Raekallio

Dance Camera West (DCW), recognized internationally for its month-long presentation and celebration of dance on screen, announces the programming for its ninth annual Dance Media Film Festival screening at venues throughout Southern California in June 2010.  Dance on screen, or “screendance,” is a unique cinematic experience that focuses on the intersection of cinematography and choreography.  The festival includes this as well as all forms of dance media.  “The hybrid screendance medium is diverse, encompassing a broad range of cinematic styles, exhibition formats, and subject matters traversing global perspectives,” says Dance Camera West founder and director, Lynette Kessler… Read the rest of this entry »

Award winning filmmaker Jon Reiss is set to release his new book Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing for the Digital Era on March 15, 2010. The book is a primer for filmmaking in the digital era covering distribution of all types of media content – feature films, shorts, webisodes, transmedia, vblogs, etc., and is the first to address the new distribution and marketing landscape facing filmmakers today.
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"Eyes Nose Mouth" - photo credit: Noemie Lafrance

Dance Camera West (DCW), recognized internationally for its month-long presentation and celebration of dance on screen, announces its Ninth Annual Dance Media Film Festival screening at venues throughout Southern California in June 2010. Dance on screen, or screendance, is a unique cinematic experience that focuses on the intersection of cinematography and choreography. The festival includes screendance as well as all forms of dance media. “The hybrid screendance medium is diverse, encompassing a broad range of cinematography styles, exhibition formats, and subject matter traversing global perspectives,” says Dance Camera West founder and director, Lynette Kessler… Read the rest of this entry »