Walking Wolf Productions will premiere their first film at Cinema Paradiso on Jul. 10 from 7-11 p.m. Please RSVP with number in your party and names by calling 786-597-6846 or at www.walkingwolfproductions.com.
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THE STONING OF SORAYA M. opens July 10.
Based on a true story. This is not in the Middle Ages. Stoning happens today...
I (Rachel Galvin) spoke with Shohreh Aghdashloo, lead actress in this film, and she told me her passionate dedication to getting this film made. Revealing the every day tragedies that do take place even today in some countries against women, countries like Ashdashloo's native home of Iran.

This is a film that many did not want to be filmed. They don't want it shown because they want to hide from the rest of the world their unjustices. Aghdashloo hopes that this project, about 10 years in the making, will show people the truth and cause a stir, at the very least pull at the heart strings, and make a difference in that corner of the world, in her homeland.

Agdashloo is beautiful inside and out. This Oscar® nominee has been seen in many films and on TV shows, including "House of Sand and Fog." The film also stars Jim Caviezel ("Deja Vu," "The Thin Red Line" and "The Passion of Christ.") and Mozhan Marnò, of "Charlie Wilson's Ward" as Soraya.

The film was the runner up for the Audience Award at the Toronto 2008 Film Festival, with "Slumdog Millionaire" taking first place.
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SAVE THE DATE: JUL. 12-- the first showing of "End of the Living" by Tommy Nelson. Stay tuned.
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Some new castings & jobs under CASTING/ JOBS!
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SAVE THE DATE: FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL AT CINEMA PARADISO --(JUL. 30- AUG. 2)
For full schedule and admission prices, visit www.fliff.com.
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WANT ONLINE DISTRIBUTION? Check out BigStar.TV.
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Local Color: George Gallo Follows His Heart
(My interview with the legendary director in his most personal project to date)-- Opened Jul. 3 in NY, opens Jul. 31 in LA--
By Rachel Galvin

For George Gallo, all the world is a canvas. As a screenwriter/ director/ producer, he is well-known for his Hollywood comedies, including "Bad Boys," "Wise Guys," "Midnight Run," "Double Take," "The Whole Ten Yards" and many others. But one of his most personal projects threw his friends off guard. “Local Color” is a nostalgic-filled film loosely based on Gallo’s life. It has already won several awards in the festival circuit, including Best Screenplay a few years ago at the Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival. Now, it is doing a limited theatrical release through Monterey Media (www.montereymedia.com) before going to DVD. Before Hollywood, Gallo was a landscape artist. “When the other kids were out playing baseball, I was up in my room painting,” admitted Gallo. “I love everything about art, the smell of the oil paint, everything. I couldn’t get enough of it; I still can’t.” Today, Gallo’s impressionistic landscape paintings are on display as Newman Galleries in Philadelphia, PA; George Stern Fine Arts in Carmel, CA; Lois Wagner in New York City, NY, Mountains Edge Fine Art in Santa Fe, NM and The Bluebird Gallery in Laguna Beach, CA. Told partly through narration, “Local Color” tells of a young artist, John Talia Jr. (Trevor Morgan), struggling to follow his dream of being an artist against the pressures of his father and society as a whole. He stumbles across a cantankerous artist, Nicoli Seroff (Armin Mueller-Stahl), who has turned his back on painting and life, and tenaciously attempts to persuade the old genius to offer his wisdom.
As the elder lashes out with cynicism, the novice comes back to soak up more. After a meeting of the minds, Seroff finds respect enough for John to consider him as a pupil and invites him to a second home in Pennsylvania, where he will teach him to paint for the summer. John learns to look at life through his own eyes, rather than duplicating others.

The film deals with redemption, but also with love. The beauty of this story, like a painting, lies in the shadings and in the light. “I wanted to tell the story in tableau like an artist with one good vantage point and live and die by that angle,” explained Gallo.

Gallo’s use of language is just as artistic. While both Seroff and Talia use colorful language, dotting it with fitting explicatives, the dialect overall has a romantic quality--intelligent and filled with double entendre. Characters become both realistic and symbolic at the same time. He uses the literary meaning of ‘local color’ while also inventing his own definition.

The making of the film has changed him for the better. “Standing on the set of what was supposed to be my old house that was dressed just as my parents had decorated it, seemed odd. Recreating it, I got choked up. I realized I have come such a long way—from a kid that had a dream to now making a movie with friends working for almost no money because I asked them to,” said Gallo, who had to fund the $5 million budget from his own efforts. “I made this movie about people I loved. Many are gone now and only live in memory and I get to make them immortal. There used to be morality in storytelling—a sense of life-affirming humanity. A lot of that seems to have vanished. I hope that people leave [the movie] with a deepened sense of joy and have learned something. Then I will have done my job,” he added.

Gallo's advice to new artists is to follow their heart. “Play your hand, you’ll never know where it will take you.” -------------------------------------------------------------
"Turkles" event brings in good crowd

Director Frank Eberling stands with "Turkles" actor Todd Vittum (I.S. member) and his friend, Peter--MORE PICS BELOW

I.S. member Todd Vittum has been cast as the foreman in "Turkles," which will be shot here locally.

What is "Turkles?"
The full-length feature is about a group of 8th graders who monitor loggerhead turtle activity in the summer and join forces to solve the mystery of who is poaching turtle eggs.

Who is Frank Eberling?
Frank Eberling has done over 3000 film and television productions here locally throughout the years and has won multiple Telly Awards, as well as an Emmy. Look for an extensive interview soon.

What was the Kick-Off Party like?
The kick off party was held under the Jupiter Bridge, which turned out to be an effective move given the rain. Crowds of mostly parents and children streamed in along with filmmakers and actors to partake in hot dogs and hamburgers while watching the kids perform Broadway hits or do some dance moves. There was also a book sale, bake sale and other products. Eberling seems to hope the event will not only raise excitement about the movie, but also raise some funds, always hard to come by in this economy.

It ended up being a fun-filled day for the whole family and an introduction the the "Turkles" cast and crew.

Actors/ I.S. members: Joe, Vanessa Rolfe and Michael Haney (who also is an acting teacher. www.palmbeachactingschool.com)

Todd Vittum and Ken La Kier (actor, salesman, poet/ writer)
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ACTOR KARL MALDEN DIES AT AGE 97

Photo: AP

Known for films like "Streetcar Named Desire" and "How the West Was Won," Malden has died at the age of 97. Many remember a more recent appearance on the popular award-winning TV show "The West Wing."
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Michael Jackson's cinematic legacy

The gloved one, whose music and life has been a part of the lives of billions of people around the world, has died at the age of 50. It is speculated that drug-use may have been behind the premature passing. Currently, a second autopsy is being asked for by the Jackson family.

Besides his music, Jackson was also a movie maker in his own right. One look at videos like "Thriller" reveals that. He is a visual performer. From his concert moonwalking to his slouched-shoulder zombie stomping, his movements have inspired decades of artists of all sorts.

He was the first to do long-form videos in the way "Thriller" and "Bad" were performed. They were more of a movie than a music video, complete with storyline.

As an actor, he was seen in films like "The Wiz," "Captain EO," "Miss Cast Away," the short horror film "Ghosts" and as the voice of Leon Kompowsky in The Simpsons under a pseudonym. He also made a cameo in "Men in Black II." He has worked with directors like Stanley Lumet, Francis Ford Coppola, John Landis and George Lucas.
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SAVE THE DATE: July 12 will be a special screening of films done at the Palm beach Film School. Details will follow. Tommy Nelson's (I.S. member) "End of the Living" short horror film will be one of the films!
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PBFS offers financing for classes

The Palm Beach Film School has partnered with Jena Mae, an educational financing company, and is pleased to announced the Educational Credit Access Program for Future Filmmakers. This new program allows students to finance their tuition with a down payment and affordable monthly payments regardless of their past credit history.

Some time ago, you contacted the Palm Beach Film School about your interest in filmmaking. You were accepted to our school but for some reason were unable to get started. Hopefully, our new ECAP program will help you.

Educational Credit Access Program for Future Filmmakers
The ECAP is available to all students regardless of their credit history. However, a minimum down payment of $1000 and a co-signer are required.
Payments (a larger down payment will reduce the monthly payments)

● 6 months at 6% $761.48
● 12 months at 8% $390.58
● 18 months at 10% $269.66
● 24 months at 12% $211.36

If you are interested in learning to take your creative film ideas from concept to reality, call me today at 561-242-9190 or email me at filmschool@aol.com to find out the details.

The next day class begins June 22, 2009 (Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00AM to 2:00PM for 7 weeks).
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Need acting classes? www.palmbeachactingschool-- Michael Haney, an I.S. member!
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INCENTIVE APPLICATIONS!
New applications and guidelines for the 2009-2010 Florida Film and Entertainment Industry Financial Incentive program are available online at www.filminflorida.com.

The Governor’s Office of Film and Entertainment will start accepting applications on Jun. 15 and begin certifying productions no earlier than Jul. 1. Application packets must be complete before they can be considered. They will be accepted via all methods of delivery, however, only electronic files of 10 megs or less can be accepted via e-mail.

For more information, call 877-FLA-FILM or the LA office at 818.508.7772. Please Note: The Governor’s Office of Film and Entertainment is only accepting FY 2009/2010 applications with a principal photography date within 180 days of the initial application.
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HORROR SCREENPLAY CONTEST
The creators of www.ScreenplayContests.com and Executive Producer, Michael David Jensen present the 2009 Horror Screenplay Contest.

The mission of the Horror Screenplay Contest - www.HorrorScreenplayContest.com is to further promote the horror genre in screenplay form. The contest is open to all writers, 18 years and older. The contest is limited to the first 600 entries and the submission deadline is July 20, 2009. Writers may also submit their material online.

The 2009 Horror Screenplay Contest is sponsored by: Brain Damage Films, Gorilla Software, www.ScreenplayContests.com, www.TopFilmFestivals.com, Cherub Productions, www.KillerPumpkins.com, Palace of Horror, The Haunted Studio and Instock Costumes.

www.HorrorScreenplayContest.com
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DELRAY BEACH FILM FESTIVAL WRAPS
After a fun-filled week of films, parties and seminars, DBFF wrapped.

Director Alex Marquez stands with cast members Frank Licari and I.S. founder Rachel Galvin, as well as DBFF founder Michael Posner and the director of the short film "Makeup."

I.S. member Alex Marquez won Best Florida Film with his feature film "Film Contest?" which showed closing night at the Crest Theater to a great response.

The cast of "Elixir" posed in front of the Crest Theater one year after their film being shown here.

Dave Clark, who played Boton -- the lead in "Elixir," stands with Rachel Galvin (who played the sexiest reporter in the galaxy, Magalada Hoopalong) and Todd Vittum, who played the Captain

Director Alyn Darnay talks extensively about the making of his two films, shown at the Crest Theater May 24

On the same night, I.S. member Alyn Darnay showed two of his short films: "Smooth Operator" and "Art of Roadkill." The grindhouse feel and tongue and cheek humor intrinsic in these pieces won over the audience for these dark comedies.

I.S. member Heath McKnight also showed his ever-popular feature "9:04 a.m."
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CHECK THIS OUT! I.S. member Heath McKnight interviewed Graeme Nattresss, who just joined the RED team. Click the link to read it now: http://blogs.digitalmediaonlineinc.com/TechUniverse/entry/578
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I.S. member Shayne Leighton releases sneak peek of webseries "Incubus"
--------------------------------------------------- All About the Pitch: Experts Talk at PBIFF By Rachel Galvin

Meredith Scott Lynn (Actor/ Producer/ Director), James Cromwell (Actor), Pascal Borno (Producer -- Arclight Productions), Stephen Polk (Producer -- Providence Productions)

So you've written a script or have an idea and now want to sell it to a studio. You have a lot of preparation in front of you.
Receiving stacks of proposals daily, experts at the "Pitch" seminar held at FAU this morning (Apr. 26) for PBIFF have heard it all. Ideas, it seems are a dime a dozen.

Stating that 95 percent of films in development never get sold, they offered some tips on making the pitch in a dog-eat-dog world of the film biz. They added that even great stories that turned into huge films took a long time to get made. "Million Dollar Baby"-- 8 years, "Forrest Gump" -- 10 years!

Making something saleable is the bottom line and taking the first step toward getting a production company or studio to even hear your idea begins with the pitch.

Keep it Short: The premise is simple: think catch phrase rather than essay. Keep it short, marry two familiar notions together into a two sentence pitch. That may be all the time you have:

"It's Mafia meets Harry Met Sally."
"It's Die Hard set in the future."
"It's Airplane! meets Titanic"

Make it Quick: Give them familiarity in quick sound bites they can digest quickly. Remember: Most studio heads are clock watchers and two-minutes may be your limit.

If you get a chance to elaborate, make sure you can. Prepare a five minute speel, a 15 minute speel, etc. Make sure you can answer the questions they may ask.

Stack the Deck: The more "stacked" you can make your presentation, the better. "We've got Tom Hanks" is great! But even if you have local actors, you may have another in. Perhaps you have Doritos looking to possibly back you. Maybe you already have locations picked out.

Actor/ Producer/ Director Meredith Scott Lynn suggested that "Have the money, the script, an attachment, then come see us and we'll talk" is what many pitchees might hear, saying that the more you have in place and the less work that the studio needs to do, the better it is. During a more lengthy pitch, Lynn recommends "peppering your pitch with information about the characters because they are already thinking about who is going to be in this."

Stephen Polk of Providence Productions said, "You have to cut to the chase, have your one sheet ready... have persistence and passion ..."

Actor James Cromwell has tried to pitch several projects, but has found it to be not so easy even with his clout, categorizing the studio-world as "a club" and saying that in Hollywood "the thinner it is, the easier it is to sell." He suggests defining your audience and practicing your pitch.

Shoot Something: Lynn added that shooting something -- a pilot, for example, is a great idea because then you have something to show to solidify the concept; this is particularly important for the writer who may not have the finesse and chutzpah to master the art of the pitch.

Mastering the Art of the Pitch: One writer in the audience voiced her concern about the pitching process, stating that writers are a sensitive bunch and that pitching seems more like a separate art form. To that, acting Lynn suggested she take an acting class to feel more confident and be able to speak in front of others. Acting Coach Joan Ellis, recently relocated from New York, offered to help.

Director Alec Asten gets sliced up by the experts as he dissects his pitch and plot, but the process is fruitful

Pitching Practice: Director of "The Curse of Micah Rood" (Showing 7 p.m. at Cobb Theatres in Palm Beach Downtown at the Gardens), Alec Asten acted the guinea pig by pitching his project. The panel really put him on the spot, asking him to continually tighten his concept while pointing out the parts that did strike them and get their attention. He is using his film as a springboard to a larger project. Besides an intriguing, straight-to-the-point and descriptive title, he also used the prop of bringing in an apple. This alluded to his currently showing film about the spooky legend of tainted fruit and bloody guilt. Visit www.pbifilmfest.org to read more. IN SUMMARY *Formulate a two-sentence (3 minute) "elevator speech" pitch *Be brief! *Create an effective one-sheet (an informational sheet on your film that is easy to read quickly on one sheet of paper and has your contact info!) *Know your own plot/ characters *know your audience (not "it's for everybody") *Either shoot a pilot or have something already in place (locations, actors, money, etc.) *Know who you are pitching to and what they are looking for!

I.S. Founder Rachel Galvin with actor James Cromwell on Apr. 26 at FAU.

I.S. contributor John Delia stands with actor James Cromwell on Apr. 26. -----------------------------------------------------------------
PBIFF (Held Apr. 24-27)

Tim Ware, actor in "American Violet" (see below) stands with his wife, Dee (on left) and his co-star Nicole Beharie's grandmother who attended the screening at the Sunrise Cinemas in Boca Raton on Apr. 24.

I.S. founder Rachel Galvin stands with restaurateur Burt Rapoport and his wife Robin in his restaurant Opus 5 at the after gala party Apr. 24.

The Glamour Girls! These posh princesses descended on Palm Beach at the after-gala party at the sophisticated Opus 5 to cause a commotion. The award-winning Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo and actor/ producer/ director Meredith Scott Lynn were part of the group and I.S. Founder Rachel Galvin had the privilege to meet them. Aghadashloo, who has been in films like "House of Sand & Fog," will be in a gripping and important film called "The Stoning of Soraya M. to be released in Los Angeles and New York at the end of June.

I.S. Founder Rachel Galvin with Exec. Dir of PBIFF Randi Emerman and Charles Martin Smith, director of opening night film "Stone of Destiny."

Filmmakers are here at PBIFF from around the world descending on the Palm Beach County area. Films abound and special seminars are being held. This is a great way to network! Celebs like James Cromwell have even decided to visit. He is receiving an award this year. For more information, visit www.pbiff.org.
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New film studio to open in Davie in 2009
LINK: www.atlanticfilmstudios.com/pressreleases.htm
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Distribution company seeks films! Submit shorts and features (with one-sheet) to:
ITN Distribution
Atten: Acquisitions
505 E. Windmill Lane Suite 1B-102
Las Vegas, Nevada 89123

www.itndistribution.com
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99 cent movies? Yes, you can go to the movies for only 99 cents on Tuesdays at the Deerfield Cinemas 5, 2205 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach, FL 33442. Regular days, movies are approximately $3-$4! Special showings may be more. --------------------------------------------------

Sound stage opens in Wellington, location of the Day Job No Pay Players

Owner/ local actor Steve Daron has already filmed a pilot in the space and is starting an improv/ skit group called Day Job No Pay Players. This group will include I.S. founder Rachel Galvin as well as local actors Jim Slattery, Justin Sims and possibly even comedian Todd C. Vittum, among others. The group is looking for more females to participate.

For more information about the players or to ask about being cast or writing for the group or for info. on the sound stage (which comes complete with lighting and camera equip. as well as a full green screen), contact Steve at FirstEdgeFilms@yahoo.com. www.firstedgefilms.com.
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Want another outlet for your movies? Try UVU. It's free. http://uvu.channel2.org
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NEWLY IMPROVED PB. COUNTY FILM & TV WEBSITE: www.pbfilm.com.
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GET A GRANT! 877.FLA.FILM FOR INFO. --------------------------
"LAST LULLABY" BEHIND THE SCENES I.S. Member Jeffrey Goodman directed this picture. He was here in Florida for FLIFF in addition to other festivals.

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Need to buy a movie for yourself or a loved one? Click below and be directed to a special Amazon page that has various films on demand. It may take a second to load. -----------------------

WANT TO LEARN TO BE A DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER? Try University of Florida. They have a two-year master's program which deals with the ethics of non-fiction filmmaking and documentary history. Award-winning films and filmmakers have come from this alma mater. gwu.edu/docucenter/institute2