Twin Rivers Media Festival Opens May 17th at the Flood Fine Arts Center

Production Still From:  A Family Dinner- Short Drama by Peter Davenport, Williamstown, MA

Asheville, NC.   The 20th Twin Rivers Media Film Festival opens Friday May 17^th  through 19th,  and continues with a multi-media performance on May 23^rd by Daniel Ouellette & The Shobijinand then ends with the Feature Film Winner May 24^th  at the Phil Mechanics Building at 109 Roberts St at the Courtyard Gallery and Flood Fine Arts Center.  These screenings offer the community a chance to view outstanding films from around the world, enjoy good food and drink, and mingle with special guest filmmakers all in one weekend. All events are free and open to the public.

The 20th  annual festival has more than 50 selections that include world premier feature films, shorts drama, documentary and animated films that will screen in the  Flood Fine Arts Center Library and the Courtyard Gallery both at the Phil Mechanics Building in the River Arts District of Asheville.

The Courtyard Gallery and the Mechanical Eye of Hendersonville  organizes the festival, and has brought independent filmmaking to the area for the past 20 years.

Cynthia Potter coordinator of the TRMF, said “this festival is a great way to bring the community together.  While the majority of the submissions are from International filmmakers, there are more Western North Carolina entries this year than in any previous years. There's also opportunities to meet some local and national filmmakers," she said.

A local short film called “Over Home” featuring WNC musicians will be screened with a live performance from some of its talent and Asheville filmmaker LisAnna will be presenting her short film “Orphan.”

The wide range of short drama and feature films vary from some set on the streets of India, Moscow, Mexico City or Tokyo, to one smuggled out of Iran. The US entries provide dramatic looks at injustice against the Japanese Americans during World War II, and range from comic to tragic looks at society’s misfits and dysfunctional families. The award winning short film this year is Mousse, a comic look at robbery and justice.

Documentary films range from films examining a massacre in Afghanistan to dancing in the Appalachian Mountains. The Animation and Experimental film categories are

especially well represented with the inclusion of Mechanical Eye as sponsors for the event, bringing a wider selection of experimental filmmakers to Asheville this year.

"This year's festival is bigger and more prestigious with films coming from every corner of the world and the US, and although we all have different objectives, this is a good place for independents to get feedback and learn about filmmaking," Ms. Potter said.

  The Flood Fine Arts Center Library and the Courtyard Gallery are the venue for the festival, which include the screenings,  food and wine, and live music. The opening night films are the winner of short drama and La Jettee from France.

“The winning feature film will screen on May 24th,” states Ms. Potter, “this is a chance for Asheville audiences to view world premiers that will be distributed in theaters later this year.

All screenings are free and open to the public but a donation is suggested. The

Twin Rivers Film Festival Schedule is:

Friday, May 17th--7:30 p.m. -  Kick Off  with:

La Jettee, France and  Mousse, by John Hellberg, Stockholm, Sweden

Saturday: May 18^th—Courtyard Gallery and Flood Fine Arts Center Library

10am to 12n  Documentary Films,

1pm to 5pm Short Drama Winners

6pm to 8pm Animation and Experimental Winners, Courtyard Gallery

Sunday May 19th: Courtyard Gallery and Flood Fine Arts Center Library

1pm-4pm: Short Drama Winners

5pm to 7pm: Animation Winners

Thursday  May 23^rd, Multimedia Installation and Presentation—Courtyard Gallery

 8pm —Daniel Ouellette & The Shobijin

Friday May24th-Feature Film Winner—Courtyard Gallery, 8pm

All screenings are free an open to the public at the Phil Mechanics Building at 109 Roberts St. in the River Arts District of Asheville. Call 828-273-3332  or see www.twinriversmediafestival.com for more information.

For More info: Contact, Carlos Steward, 828-273-3332

carlos@ashevillecourtyard.com

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

The Twin Rivers Media Festival

The Twin Rivers Media Festival is the first weekend in May every year in Asheville, NC. All proceeds from the festival, after promotional and other expenses, go back to the film makers and media artists. Next year is Twin Rivers Media Festival's 15th season. If you love independent film-mark your calendar now!

The festivals judges begin selecting films in March and April and continue right through the festival's official dates, during the first weekend in May, where the finalists are screened in two hour intervals throughout the weekend. The independent media festival typically draws around 150 viewers at each screening or so, for a total of over a thousand or so visitors overall. “The Twin Rivers audience really appreciates the media arts, and this festival gives them a chance to see stuff that might not otherwise be available. We get entries from all across Europe and Asia, as well as all over the Americas, and it’s some of the best in the world,” says Carlos Steward, the festivals founder and driving force.

With 400-500 entries coming in from some of the best independent media artists working all over the world, Twin Rivers focuses on substance instead of glitz, and strives to be more eclectic than the typical film festival. In addition to featuring some of the best independent documentaries, short drama and feature films being made anywhere in the world today, The Twin Rivers Media Festival also offers categories for artists working in CD multimedia, audio media, commercials, internet media and websites. There are even special categories such as “Made on a Mac,” or for projects that deal with outdoor, conservation or environmental themes.

Over the years, Twin Rivers and its predecessors have become extremely popular with independent artists on the West Coast and in film schools. A majority of the US entries come from California, followed by film schools such as NYU and Florida State, then the Southwest. Accomplished professional artists will often be invited to talk about their work and teach workshops. Among students and local budding artists, education is a major draw to the festival. Film makers and other media artist can network, talk about projects and exchange ideas in a supportive setting.

Stewards love of the media arts goes far beyond just film, and he wanted to make his festival more inclusive and open to any media arts. “These art forms are so similar and inter-related,” observes Steward, “ I wanted to do more for independent artists creating amazing work in media besides film.” In the early 80’s, Stewards vision was realized, and a media festival in upstate New York was born. Since then, he has been involved in festivals in states across the country, and most recently has settled in Asheville, North Carolina, where the Twin Rivers Media Arts Festival continues to grow and expand. “Asheville has an amazing community who are very supportive of independent media,” says Steward, “It allows great exposure for artists from the U.S. and other parts of the world.”

As a film student at Florida State University and a documentary film maker in Mexico and Central and South America, Steward learned first hand how difficult it is to get independent film to audiences. “Underground media festivals are a great way to get things shown that normally would not be seen by a very wide audience. That’s where the idea for creating my own film festival began, and this current incarnation here in Asheville is the best so far. ”

Asheville offers other advantages, in that although the festival celebrates art from all around the globe, the entire event is organized and produced with local talent. Film judges belong to and are credentialed by MAP (the Media Arts Project) of Western North Carolina. Judges for audio and screenwriting come from various professional studios in and around Asheville. Steward believes Asheville to be the perfect community to produce a grassroots media arts festival. “I have been all over the world, and Asheville has one of the most amazing pools of local talent I have ever seen,” notes Steward. He tries to involve as many local artists as possible to ensure that the festival has a true community feel and has many art forms represented.

With 102 World Premiers and 8 North American premiers, the Twin Rivers Media Festival provides some of the best independent screenings to be found anywhere. Jamie Hester, a fan of the festival and regular at The Courtyard Gallery’s Friday night “World Cinema” series commented on some of his favorite entries from last year: “I really enjoyed ‘Fix’ by Tao Ruspoli, and ‘Karearea’ by Sandy Crichton was amazing.” Jarrett Leone, a Twin Rivers volunteer noted, “I liked ‘Camp Woz,’ by Jarrad Kritzstein, and not just because of the name. I also really loved ‘Ancestor Eyes’ by Kalani Queypo, the Native American film maker from California.”

The Twin Rivers Media Festival is not your typical film festival. This amazing showcase of some of the brightest international media artists manages to deliver world class talent without being the least bit pretentious. No Hollywood starlets walking down red carpets into fancy screening venues here. At The Courtyard Gallery, home of The Twin Rivers Media Festival, you are more likely to find yourself in a cozy chair or couch surrounded by one of the most diverse collections of work by local and international visual artists, or sit out in the courtyard itself and enjoy the secluded outdoor screening area.

There are a multitude of reasons artists choose to enter Twin Rivers. Many are interested in the highly popular film categories such as feature film, documentary or short drama. This gives competitive film makers a chance to see how their project stacks up against 100-200 entries from some of the worlds best. Other categories are less competitive than other festivals, and draws entrants who may feel they have a better chance to garner rewards for their work. The top placing winners receive a unique hand-made trophy or plaque made by Mexican artist Cynlos.

Although Twin Rivers is a Labor of Love, and consumes most of Steward’s time from March to early May, he believes it's well worth it. "Getting a really outstanding entry from an unknown film maker just blows everyone away. This year, one of these was ‘Rabia’ a student film by Muhammad Ali Hasan, about a young Islamic women that straps explosives around her waist and then shows her previous life in flashbacks. It is an amazing little film. Film makers and media artists need audiences to appreciate the enormous work that goes into their projects. Some of these projects are labors of love that can take a decade to make. Being able to bring these products to an appreciative audience is really a wonderful thing to see.”