Topanga Film Festival co-founders Sara Baur-Harding and Urs Baur today announced that the festival will showcase 6 to 10 feature films in 2010 in addition to its traditional fare of short films over the course of the event that kicks off on August 18 and runs through the 22nd.

“As we added the Suitable for All Screens competition to accomodate micro-short films and trans-media formats, we have the luxury of including feature-length films this year through our added festival day and by the willingness shown by many local venues to house or host independent feature films this year,” the Baurs said.

Selection of films and feature-length documentaries is subject to the same careful curation that the festival is known for with regard to its shorter format content.

Amanda L. Hafford, Business Development Executive Officer, Film, State of Louisiana

Members of the newly formed Topanga Film Institute pounded the pavement at the Santa Monica Civic Center last week at this year’s Association of Film Commissioners International Location Expo, a non-profit organization that represents 320 film commissions throughout the world over six continents whose goal is to educate film and media makers about locations and facilities in their respective countries and territories.

(L) Pam Glorioso, City of Bossier City Film Liaison, (R) Arlena Acree, City of Shreveport, Director of Film, Media and Entertainment

A parallel Topanga Film Institute missive was to gather information and production contacts as well as build awareness on the 6th annual Topanga Film Festival and to get word out on its on-line short film competition, Suitable for All Screens, that brings with it production services sufficient to create a feature film or feature-length documentary based on the winning “mod” – or module of content – that first makes it through a round of internet scrutiny to become one of the top 10 rated on-line videos from which a Jury Award will be selected. A cash prize will be awarded to the People’s Choice winner of the Suitable for All Screens Competition. There is no fee to compete and submissions will be accepted until July 14, 2010. The winner will be announced during the Topanga Film Festival, scheduled to run August 18-22, 2010.

In an effort to expand cultural exchange between its film and media makers, the institute reached out to representatives from Australia, Kenya, California, Puerto Rico, to entertainment software companies, production goods and services providers, completion bond and insurance providers and economic developers from the State of Louisiana and dozens of tax incentive-friendly states.

The Topanga Film Institute and festival send out a special thanks to Amanda L. Hafford, a business development executive with the State of Louisiana, who has committed to get word out on the Suitable for All Screens competition and to maintain an open exchange between film and media makers in Louisiana — known as Hollywood South — and content creators on the West Coast — a commitment echoed by film commissioners and others in New Orleans, Shreveport, Bossier City and Baton Rouge.

Swiss cultural affairs consul Christophe A. Vauthey, Dreamago co-founder Soula Saad, Topanga Film Institute founder Urs Baur

As the Topanga Film Institute prepares for its official launch later this spring, founder and inaugural board members have redoubled efforts to pull together a board of advisors from traditional and new media, from fine arts, music, dance and other creative sectors along with academicians, actors, directors, educators, philanthropists and others – to ensure institute members and sympathizers access to the most effective and eclectic base from which to draw support for their ideas and projects.

Although the institute is Topanga-based and reaches deep into the local entertainment community, it endeavors to reach out globally.

Institute founder Urs Baur today announced that Swiss Cultural Affairs Consul, Christophe A. Vauthey, has joined the Topanga Film Institute inaugural Board of Advisors who has pledged his support in furthering cultural exchange between Switzerland and local filmmakers.
Vauthey, a life-long film scholar and enthusiast, recently relocated to Los Angeles to assume his current position – one that was created specifically for him with a specific missive to reach out and create community through culture and arts – much aligned to the objectives of the Topanga Film Institute.

In his written acceptance, Vauthey said, “It was a real pleasure to share all these thoughts with you and to listen to all the great projects you have around the Topanga Film Institute and the Topanga Film Festival. I am very pleased to confirm you that I accept with great pleasure to join you in this great adventure.”

Baur, a Swiss native, said he looks forward to welcoming participants from Albania to Zimbabwe as part of the Topanga film and media-making community.

“It is not enough to have a handful of great ideas. It is the institute’s job to connect creators of film and other media with people who can help turn concepts into reality. There is such a wealth of talent on any given street or mountain top in Topanga and a world of opportunity that could come to and through this community. The challenge is in connecting the dots. It is our hope that the institute will provide the conduit through which a lot of fertile creativity will take seed,” Baur said.

The introduction between Vauthey and Baur was made by Topangan Soula Saad, also an inaugural member of the Topanga Film Institute board of advisors. Saad, a Franco-Lebanese filmmaker, is also one of co-founders of Swiss-based writers workshop, Dreamago.

Long-time Topanga Film Festival enthusiasts Michael Irby and Susan Matus met with festival co-founder Urs Baur today in support of the Topanga Film Institute to brainstorm ideas for an impending board of directors, board of advisers, creative alliances and angel-round funders.

Irby, an actor known for his depiction of the character Charles Grey in CBS’ “The Unit,” “Law Abiding Citizen” and Jon Avnet-directed “Pleading Guilty” was a juror at the 2009 iteration of the Topanga Film Festival.

Susan Matus, a writer/actor, who recently completed an anthology of short stories entitled “The Black Body,” said that she looks forward to the festival every year.

“That in times like these we all need a place to create our vision and the Topanga Film Institute brings that to life. It is a true vision for the future,” Matus said.

Irby and Matus said they look forward to an expanded involvement in the Topanga Film Festival — as well as its on-line film competition, Suitable for All Screens — and to participating on a year-round basis with the institute.

Joseph and Amedee said they have secured the bulk of funding needed to construct a multi-faceted entertainment complex that will include a state-of-the-art production facility dedicated to “broader-casting” and multimedia. The duo plans to revitalize multiple city blocks along St. Bernard Avenue, blighted by Hurricane Katrina to provide a live event facility similar to the Decatur Street-based House of Blues.

“Our live event venue and entertainment complex is in the heart of the Treme, where New Orleans music lives, breathes, reproduces and continues its legacy of greatness,” Amedee said.

“We are enthused about forging a relationship with the Topanga Film Institute in fostering cultural and creative exchange. We have a lot of raw talent here in the Treme and in greater New Orleans and new avenues of outreach are always welcome, particularly if they come with reciprocity, like that which we expect through the Topanga Film Festival and institute,” Joseph said.

Joseph said that he is excited about the prospect of New Orleans Public School students, charter school students and the broad spectrum of high school and college students in the region participating in the Suitable for All Screens competition. Amedee and Joseph said they also look forward providing educational and production opportunities to New Orleans youth through their studio and in alliance with the Topanga Film Festival and similarly disposed festivals throughout the world.

Suzanne Lezotte, Panavision’s Director of Public Relations, who arranged for the sponsorship said, “Even in these challenging economic times we are committed to the furtherance of our outreach to new filmmakers and are happy to work again with the Topanga Film Festival.”

The Panavision Gold II 35mm camera package consists of:

- Panaflex Gold II camera body with long and short eyepieces
- Color video tap with monitor
- Three 1000-ft. magazines and four 500-ft. magazines
- Full set of accessories including matte box, handheld aks and more
- Super speed lenses including 14mm, 17mm, 20mm, 24mm, 29mm, 35mm, 40mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm and 150mm
- Zoom lens 10-1 Cooke
- Panahead gearhead
- Sachtler fluid head
- Standard as well as baby tripods with spreader
- Hi hat and low hat
- 20 filters
- 3 lead acid batteries
- belt batteries

The Panaflex Elaine 16mm camera package is similar, however, commensurate to a 16mm package.

Reynolds, who appeared in Garbage Warrior, an award-winning documentary on the New Mexico-based movement committed to the propagation of ecologically sound, self-sufficient, off-the-grid communities, led by architect Michael Reynolds and directed by Oliver Hodge — brings This Action, directed by Paul America, to the Suitable for All Screens competition.

Their short entitled This is Action currently leads all other entries with an overall 4.75 rating out of 5.0 possible points, in the Suitable for All Screenings competition. This module of programming is a sequel to the documentary and a promotional segment of a proposed web series.

Architect Reynolds’ and his followers have coined their art as Earthship Biotecture — the building of eco-friendly experimental structures, made of recycled materials.

Earthship n. 1. passive solar home made of natural and recycled materials 2. thermal mass construction for temperature stabilization. 3. renewable energy & integrated water systems make the Earthship an off-grid home with little to no utility bills.

Biotecture n. 1. the profession of designing buildings and environments with consideration for their sustainability. 2. A combination of biology and architecture.

Suitable For All Screens competition starts March 1, 2010

As the Topanga Film Festival readies itself for the March 1, 2010 submission trigger date for its Suitable For All Screens competition, word is clearly already out on the street already.  To answer this weekend’s aggregation of voice and emails, here is a FAQ.

If you have additional questions, please click here and someone will reply to your inquiry within 24 hours, otherwise, a full set of competition rules, an application and upload mechanism will be on-line shortly.

Is the Suitable For All Screens competition open to professional or student filmmakers?

Both

Is there an entry fee associated with the competition?

No

What is modular programing and how do I know if my project qualifies?

Your short film (or documentary) qualifies if the mod (module, segment) you are submitting is a smaller body of work of a larger project.  For example, the mod you submit may depict a profile of a character, issue or subplot.  It need not be linear in context.  It can be a random excerpt, or, it may be a logical sequence (i.e., an episode of a series, a prequel, sequel).  It cannot be longer than 20 minutes and must exceed 1 minute in length.

Is it okay if my short has screened at other festivals?

Yes

Where and how do I submit?

All submissions are on-line only.  That means that you will need to complete and electronic form and then upload your short (or documentary) as indicated in the upload area of the site.  Work on our Suitable For All Screens screening room is presently enjoying finishing touches and will be available to process your submissions by February 15, 2010.  You are welcome to process your submission after this date, however, in fairness to all other participants, videos will not screen until 12:01a.m. on March 1, 2010.  You may click here to access this area of our web site.

What exactly does the winner get?

The jury selected winner will receive a combination of goods, services and money sufficient to fund the larger project that is derived from the competing short film (or documentary).

How do you win?

The jury prize will be awarded to one of the top 10-rated shorts (or documentaries) as first rated by a populist internet vote. You are encouraged to submit early, share the link to your submission with friends and family via social utility and then encourage your friends, family and coworkers to vote for you.

The People’s Choice award winner will enjoy a screening during the festival and the opportunity to have his or her short (or documentary) become part of the Topanga Film Festival tour that will travel globally throughout the year.