Friday, February 26, 2010

Twin Rivers Media Festival Early Bird Deadline ends today--save 45% in fees!

TopFloorStudios.com, MapPartners.com and AshevilleCourtyard.com present the 16th annual Twin Rivers Media Festival May 24 - 26, 2010 at the Courtyard Gallery in the Historic Downtown Courtyard with International Restaurants in Asheville, NC

SAVE OVER 45% IN FEES by submitting by the end of the day, Feb 26th.

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE February 26, 2010 (postmarked)
Regular Deadline March 31, 2010 (postmarked)
Late Deadline April 30, 2010 (postmarked)
Last Deadline May 14, 2010 (postmarked)

Entry categories: Feature, Short, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short, Experimental, Silent Film, Horror, Animation, Music Video, Soundtrack, Audio Art, Screenwriting

The Twin Rivers Media Festival is open to filmmakers, writers and sound artists working in ALL GENRES, SUBJECTS AND FORMATS.

Web
http://www.TwinRiversMediaFestival.com

Withoutabox
https://www.withoutabox.com/login/2108

Paper Entry Form
http://www.twinriversmediafestival.com/brochure126.pdf

Articles about our Festival
http://www.boldlife.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A68
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Twin-Rivers-Media-Festival-is-Not-Your-Typical-Film-Festival&id=1157353
http://www.mountainx.com/movies/review/twin_rivers_media_festival_short_films
http://www.mountainx.com/movies/articles/twin_rivers_media_festival_2009
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/citizen_times/access/1709321891.html?FMT=ABS&date=May+01%2C+2008

__________________
Carlos Steward
Festival Director
Twin Rivers Media Festival
http://www.TwinRiversMediaFestival.com

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Tips for Keeping Your Baby Safe by using Organic Products


If you are a new parent you will quickly learn that newborn babies spend approximately 75% of their early days sleeping. This makes it extremely important to choose the correct mattress for the baby crib. The most important accessory you will need for an infant child is a durable, comfortable and environmentally safe crib mattresses. Babies are exposed to dozens of harmful chemicals even before being born, and in their first year they are exposed to PDDE's and phthalates from basic products designed for them, like bottles, clothing, toys and mattresses. Unfortunately many modern mattresses include artificial dyes, potentially hazardous chemicals and allergenic materials that can irritate a baby's skin and cause discomfort and restless sleep. Vinyl/PVC foam and polyurethane foam are two common materials in many crib mattresses that over time can begin to leak potentially harmful chemicals. To provide high quality comfort with eco-friendly materials give serious consideration to outfitting cribs with 100% organic mattresses.

What about these other baby products? The most common baby products that can be laden with chemicals are mattresses, clothing, drinking items, and toys. These often contain materials like plastic and cloth, which may contain a combination of PVC, phthalates, and fire-retardant chemicals, lurking in these seemingly innocuous baby items. Trying to understand the tags is confusing so often the most effective route is the natural or organic one. Organic baby mattresses and clothing, for example, are made with organic cotton or latex, without PVC, a plastic commonly softened with phthalates. Baby toys and utensils, are also manufactured by natural and organic baby product stores, and these are also often made from, organic cotton, unfinished wood, and natural dyes.

Several manufacturers produce outstanding organic crib mattresses, changing pads, sheets and waterproof covers, bottles, toys and other natural products for the home. One of the most trusted names in baby mattresses is the Savvy Rest Organic Crib Mattress. This is a latex mattress that offers benefits over conventional mattresses while your baby will enjoy superior comfort. All natural latex is non-toxic and 100% free of chemical additives. Latex is also naturally resistant to dust-mite infestation.

Parents choose organic Savvy Rest crib mattresses for several reasons. In addition to being durable and comfortable these mattresses, changing pads and sheets are certified 100% organic meaning no chemicals, dyes or allergenic materials are used in the manufacturing process. This is very important to many families who demand comfort and eco-friendly products for their young ones. The "green" movement is important by providing high quality organic crib mattresses and other baby products will give your baby a head start on living harmoniously with the world around him.

One excellent source for researching and buying environmentally friendly natural products for your baby is NestOrganics's online store. There you can find mattresses, clothing, toys and drinking vessels for your baby. As a benefit you will find organic mattresses and home items for yourself as well!

Tips for Marketing your Independent Film

So you shot your film, spent more months than you care to remember in the editing process and now you are ready to debut the final product. What do you do now to get your labor or love, out to audiences and hopefully to win awards for your efforts?

Here are the key things that matter for your future in to the world of independent film.



1. Alternative Cinemas

Independent films are being screened in many different kinds of venues in a trend which may sweep the world. Digital screens allow art galleries, bars, pizza houses and other non-traditional cinemas to show alternative content.

What does that mean for independent shorts, features and documentaries? Look for these non-traditional outlets and perhaps your film will end up being screened in a pub, with drinks, networking and distribution contacts.


2. Self Distribution

It used to be that self-distribution meant getting your beat up car with a bunch of fly posters, and hitting the road. Sometimes you might have an advance person leaflet the city, and when you arrived, you would do some local radio, screen your film at a local venue, collect the box office (minus the venue's share) sell T-shirts, posters, CD's, collect a few dollars and tank up the van and hit the road again.
It's all changing thanks to social networking websites, new digital opportunities, and the advantages offered by internet distribution.



3. Social Networking

If you don't have a Twitter, Plurk, and Facebook account, get them going now. Find friends with similar interests and professional in the film fields. Don’t hesitate to use social media as your way forward in terms of news, advertising and blatant self promotion.



4. Low Budget Filmmaking
Movies on the web don't need to be the same resolution as movies in cinemas. You can shoot films using lower priced cameras, or even an ultra cheap FLIP camera. Just make sure to save the film in it’s highest resolution so you can make a high quality DVD later.

Meanwhile submit your film to YouTube, Kewego, Motionbox, Truveo and others to promote your film with a trailer. Paramount Studios thinks that Low Budget has a huge future and has launched a low budget division. This is good news for independent filmmakers as more and more outlets become available.



5. Use Internet Optimization Techniques



One of the most important tool filmmakers have in marketing to a niche audience, on the internet, is the understanding and use of key word phrases, and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

The bad news is that SEO is a really time consuming excercise. The good news is that if you are good at it, or become adept at it, you will be able to promote your film on the first pages of Google and other search engines - and sell your film or your film idea.

Develop a blog, podcast or video cast and engage your audience with ideas and controversy. Join in the dialogues of other people’s blogs and forums and become an expert in your field, developing a following for your own efforts.



6. Promote at Film Festivals

Film distributors are increasingly using film festival screenings to promote new releases of films. Using the social nature of festivals to promote contacts, and by eventually getting into the larger festivals, independent filmmakers and distributors can leverage their marketing budgets to the maximum.

For filmmakers seeking distribution, starting the buzz about your film at film festivals is the best place to begin. It's the most direct and easiest way to attract distribution for a beginning filmmaker. There are now hundreds of smaller festivals to get your start in the circuit. A good strategy is to win at one of the smaller festivals so that your film gains credibility and has a better chance of being selected at a larger festival.

A great place to start your quest into the festival world is a festival like the Twin Rivers Media Festival, that accepts, short films and feature films in all genre, as well as scripts and audio projects. This festival is in it’s 16th year and likes the feature and award the works of previously unknown filmmakers. Once you get an award there you are listing in the IMDB database and you are on your way to film fame!