Three short films from the Advanced Studio in Video class at Niskayuna High School were selected (out of a total of 17) as finalists in the 1^st annual “Peoples Pixel Project” sponsored by the Lake George Arts Project.

Last fall, a call for video entries 3 to 5 minutes long was placed to anyone living within 75 miles of Lake George, NY. From these entries three awards were selected for each of 6 categories. Awards will be screened on Saturday, February 6, 2010, 7 pm at Rock Hill Bakehouse Cafe, 19 Exchange Street, Glens Falls.

The three finalists from Niskayuna High School that were selected from the dozens of short films submitted from around the region are: A Work in Progress, Roberry, and Talk to the Hand.

A Work in Progress, directed by Mark Stenson, Peter Koehler, and Ryan Nerney tells the tale of two teenage boys trying to come up with an idea for their next film.  The problem is they just can’t seem to get the character “right”.  The film evolves in a creative manner all while developing a story that’s “a work in progress”.  This film opened up Niskayuna High School’s “SHORT CUTS 8” film festival last June.

The production team that created the multi-award-winning stop-action short, Tom Lamanna’s Breakfast, now gives the northern region of the state to enjoy their latest project entitled, Roberry.  Roberry tells the story of a young man robbing his neighbor’s house for ingredients for a blueberry pie and the obstacles he encounters on his quest.  The film was directed and produced by James Belcastro and Matt Cioffi.  This film won the “Best Animation” prize at the Westport Youth Film Festival last spring as well as being screened at the CineYouth Festival in Chicago.

Chris Murphy’s film – Talk to the Hand – is the third entry from the NHS Advanced Video class to be selected as a finalist in this new festival.  Talk to the Hand is a still-frame animated short which features two friends and their unusual encounter with a new kid at school.  This film received the “Best Animation” award at the prestigious CineYouth Festival that is part of the Chicago International Film Festival.  Mr. Murphy’s film also received accolades for “Best Editing” and an “Honorable Mention” in the Narrative Comedy category at last spring’s Capital Region Media Arts Festival and was included in the juried Westport Youth Film Festival.

Tickets are $10. Seating is very limited, so buy tickets early – they are going fast!  To purchase tickets call LGAP: (518) 668-2616, or Rock Hill Bakehouse: (518) 615-0777.  All entries for P3 can be viewed at the Lake George Arts Project, 1 Amherst St, Lake George, NY, where a continuous loop will be on view during gallery hours throughout the month of February.  The award finalists will also be on view in the lobby of Aimee’s Dinner Theater from February 2^nd – 12^th.

For more information about the festival contact:

LAKE GEORGE ARTS PROJECT
1 Amherst Street
Lake George, NY 12845
(518) 668-2616
mail@lakegeorgearts.org

Best Fiction – Better Days – Corinne Bradley, Raw Art Works, Lynn, MA

Best Short Fiction – Dan and the Red Sea – Max Collins, Guilderland HS, Guilderland, NY

Best Documentary – In a Place Like This – Mobile Film School, Austin, TX

Best Short Documentary – Game Addiction – Crysta Machado, Jasmine Velez,
Academy for Careers in Television and Film, New York, NY

Best Video Diary – My Story – Tianny Marmolejos, Clinton Williams,
Raw Art Works, Lynn, MA

Best News Magazine – Sleepy Hollow Digital News – Sleepy Hollow High School,
Tarrytown, NY

Best News Magazine – Hearsay! – Calling the Shots, Bristol, England

Best Animation – Dog and Flea – SAF, Cakovec, Croatia

Best Animation – Bellies – Cameron Locks, Episcopal HS, Bellaire, TX

Best Stop-Motion Animation – By My Side – Samuel Ekren, Perpich Center for Arts
Education, Golden Valley, MN

Best Visual Arts – Start Motion – Nick Ljubicich, Byram Hills HS, Armonk, NY

Best Music Video – Freshman Love – Hayden Goldman, Episcopal High School,
Bellaire, TX

Best PSA – Never Again – Jessica Lee, Harvard Westlake School, N. Hollywood, CA

Best PSA – The Line – Coralee Trigger, Westlake HS, Austin, TX

Long PSA – Where I Come From – Tasana Hardy, Community TV Network, Chicago, IL

The Judges Award – Our Boat Is Our Address – Shiropa Puma, Dhaka, Bangladesh

The Audience Awards:

Dan and the Red Sea – Max Collins, Guilderland High School, Guilderland Center, NY
Four Red Shoes – Melissa Wilpers, Emma Willard School, Troy, NY
The Butter Battle Book – Juliana Barbera, The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, NY
An Easy Day – John Robb, Alex Wilson, New Paltz High School, New Paltz, NY

The tenth annual Reel Teens Festival will be held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Columbus Day Weekend October 8 -10, 2010. Applications for submission to the 2010 Reel Teens Festival can be found on our web site www.reelteens.org

Deadline for submission is June 30, 2010
For more information e-mail reelteens@webjogger.net
or call 845-246-1598.

• Write, shoot and edit a documentary using professional equipment and techniques
• Learn more about your community and its history
• Earn a stipend for up to five hours of work per week (up to $1,000)

If selected to participate, your job begins in October 2008 and ends in June 2009. This includes after-school and weekend hours. Squeaky Wheel provides the equipment and training, you provide the creativity.

This year, the theme of the Buffalo Youth Media Institute is Buffalo Green. Under the guidance of local historians and community activists, you’ll learn about nature in and around Buffalo, as well as the growth of local “green” efforts to revitalize our community. And you’ll get to work with professional filmmakers to make your own self-directed documentary based on your own research and interests.

Applications are available at Squeaky Wheel or on our website: www.squeaky.org

To apply you must:

• Complete the application form
• Write a letter detailing your interest in the project
• Get a letter of support from a teacher or counselor
• Make a copy of your last report card

The deadline for applications is Wednesday, October 1, 2008 (in-hand).

Send or deliver your applications to:

Squeaky Wheel / Buffalo Media Resources
Attn: BUFFALO YOUTH MEDIA INSTITUTE
71 2 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14202

For more information, call 884-7172 or email bymi.sw@gmail.com.

Check us out on MySpace!
www.myspace.com/youthmediainstitute

The BUFFALO YOUTH MEDIA INSTITUTE is made possible in part by a grant from the Baird Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Filmmakers will compete for top-notch prizes (professional HD video equipment, scholarships to professional film workshops, a mentorship with a high profile filmmaker, New York weekend getaways) and the opportunity to have their short film screened on a national television network.

One prize will also be awarded to the top film submitted by a New York college/university student who is named the Student Filmmaker of Distinction. A separate category, the Young Filmmaker of Distinction, recognizes filmmakers 14 to 18 years old. Judges for the competition include Tina Fey, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Doug Liman.

The contest opens on June 1; entries will be collected through July 15, and we will announce the winners in September.

The competition will be unveiled this week with a press event at George Eastman House in Rochester. We would like to invite students, teachers and local filmmakers to join us for the announcement. The event will take place on Thursday, May 29th at The George Eastman House. We’ll unveil the details of the competition to the public and the media – including a short video from judge Tina Fey. NY State regional film commissioners will be there; students can ask questions and be in the news photos. They’ll be the first to get all the details!

The event will begin at 2:00 pm; we are asking guests to arrive at 1:30 pm.  I have included the event details and an overview of the contest below.  Information on RSVPs is below. 
 
We’re eager to let as many students and aspiring filmmakers as possible know about the competition. I can be reached at 507.645.9525 or betsy.spethmann@cegny.com.

WHAT: Press conference officially launching the “I Love NY” Short Film Competition. Attendees include Dan Gundersen – Upstate Chairman of Empire State Development Corporation, Pat Kaufman – Executive Director of The Governor’s Office for Motion Picture and Television Development, Dr. Anthony Bannon – Director of The George Eastman House, and others.

WHEN: Thursday, May 29, 2:00 PM -Guests should arrive at 1:30 PM
 
WHERE: George Eastman House, Rochester, NY – Dryden Theater
Parking will be available on site

The eighth annual Reel Teens Festival will be held June 6-8, 2008.

The Festival celebrates the creative intelligence of young people by screening films and videos made by teenagers. This past year 623 entries were received, 42 from foreign countries with 78 finalists being screened over the 3 days of the festival which is held in the Village of Hunter, New York.

Deadline for submission is April 15, 2008. For more details about the festival and the application process, visit Reel Teens.