Archive of Past News Items
Our old News...plus other Oklahoma & regional news items that were brought to our attention. Keep in mind these are OLD, here for historic reference. Enjoy!
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Posted March 2, 2001:
Affleck, Damon Give 'Green Light' to Unknown Writer
Fri Mar 2 17:30:14 2001 GMT
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two of Hollywood's top young stars, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, gave their own version of a film studio "green light" to unknown writer-director Pete Jones on Thursday, naming him the winner of a $1 million filmmaking contest.
Jones' victory provided the climax to a series of events this week, including a Hollywood-style movie premiere on Monday, as the top stars promoted the "Project Greenlight" screenwriting contest they have been conducting on the Web through the site they co-own, Liveplanet.com.
The contest began last autumn and more than 7,300 screenplays were entered [incl. several Oklahomans -- Editor]. In the past few months, the field was narrowed down to Jones' "Stolen Summer," about two young boys trying to understand death, differences in religions and what it takes to get into heaven.
Jones now goes on to make his movie with a $1 million budget and the two stars as executive producers. Miramax Films will distribute the movie, which begins production next week, and Miramax's television division is making a documentary of the process that will air on HBO in early 2002.
"When they told me I won, I didn't have any emotion left," Jones said in a conference call with reporters. "When it actually happens, it's not like you expect it."
The week's events included a showing at a velvet-roped premiere in Hollywood of one scene that he and nine semifinalists shot from their scripts, several parties and a spotlight on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
Jones said he had kicked around Los Angeles for about three years, looking for any break that would get his foot in the door in the notoriously tough motion picture business, but he had so far been unable to make any headway.
Before taking his stab at Hollywood celebrity, the 31-year-old had been living in Chicago and working as an insurance salesman. In Los Angeles, he was supported by his wife, Jenny, a teacher, and "a lot of debt."
"Really, this is the first time I've had a chance to get anything out," he said. "I've never even gotten as far as (film) development hell, and if I had, well, that would have been heaven."
BREAKING DOWN TRADITIONAL BARRIERS
Damon, Affleck and their Liveplanet.com business partner Chris Moore, who is also a movie producer, said they started the contest as a way to break down traditional barriers to moviemaking in Hollywood, where the phrase, "It's not what you know, but who you know," takes on added meaning.
"We've always had a problem with the gatekeeper system," Damon said. "We ran into that with 'Good Will Hunting.' Miramax was the only place that said they'd do it, and we tried everywhere."
The two actors struggled to make a career for themselves before penning the screenplay for "Good Will Hunting." Miramax ended up making the movie with them as stars, and it became one of 1997's big hits. It made them instant celebrities and earned them an Oscar for best original screenplay.
"Pete's script ... it was emblematic of the kind of things we were looking for with this contest," Affleck said. "In addition to a wonderful heartfelt story about real people, it wasn't derivative. It wasn't Hollywood in any way."
The two actors said they hoped the widely publicized contest would bring even more scripts to a second "Project Greenlight" contest they plan to hold. They hope to get more female writers and a greater diversity of voices in the next round.
"We're convinced that there are writers out there who really deserve to be working, deserve to be in this business," Damon said.
People can learn about the contest at http://www.projectgreenlight.com.
Copyright © 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
Posted March 1, 2001:
Zemeckis bows digital center at USC
Thu Mar 1 08:06:10 2001 GMT
By Dade Hayes
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Three of Hollywood's top directors, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and obert Zemeckis, will venture to downtown Los Angeles Thursday for the opening of the Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts at USC.
The 35,000-square-foot site at the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television is billed at the first fully digital facility at any U.S. film school. Its arrival, following a three-year construction phase, comes as some traditionalists -- including Spielberg, who has in the past eschewed digital filmmaking -- are fretting about future generations ignoring traditional techniques.
Zemeckis downplayed industry cynicism, asserting that the center's opening signals the maturation of digital technologies.
"These guys are the same ones who have been saying that LPs sound better than CDs," Zemeckis told Daily Variety. "You can argue that until you're blue in the face, but I don't know anyone who's still buying vinyl.
"Film as we have traditionally thought of is going to be different. But the continuum is man's desire to tell stories around the campfire. The only thing that keeps changing is the campfire."
The Zemeckis center, located across from the Shrine Auditorium, houses an array of non-linear production and post-production equipment, production stages, a 50-seat screening room and the USC student-run television station, Trojan Vision.
It boasts an expansive digital editing lab with 60 Avid Xpress DV systems. The new Xpress system features a high-performance IBM IntelliStation M-Pro workstation with Avid video editing software and digital distribution options for publishing to the Internet, CD and DVD.
Avid is one of more than a dozen companies that donated gear to the center. Several Hollywood luminaries also made contributions.
Lucas, like Zemeckis a USC alumnus, gave funds for the Akira Kurosawa digital soundstage, as well as a CGI/advanced media classroom. Spielberg helped fund both a digital studio honoring Stanley Kubrick and an additional CGI/advanced media classroom.
Reuters/Variety
Copyright © 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
Posted Feb 6, 2001:
Promote your business services at Bare Bones Int'l Film Festival in April 2001
As expected, the Bare Bones Festival is BIGGER and BADDER in its second year, so it's a good opportunity to expose your business services to an eclectic crowd from around the globe.
According to Festival Director and OTFC Member Shiron Ray, the 2nd Annual Bare Bones International Film Festival 2001 (organized by Darkwood Films of Muskogee) has received movie entries from around the world representing such diverse locales as Australia, Maryland, Spain, Florida, England, Utah, Texas, Switzerland, California, Canada, New York, Indiana, Colorado, New Jersey, Illinois, New Zealand, New Mexico, Arizona and of course Oklahoma.
Plus there are nationally known filmmakers/authors in attendance from Washington and California. And, by the way, late entries are still being accepted as of early February. Visit our EVENTS page for details.
Anyway, the festival will be held April 20-22, 2001 in Muskogee, Oklahoma with its main venue on the Northeastern State University (NSU) Muskogee Campus.
Here lies your opportunity to market your product, service and/or company to the world... Let them know who you are, what you do, and how they can benefit from knowing you...thus increasing the chance that more independent film production companies will shoot their films in Oklahoma, knowing that they will have access to qualified assistance!
Shiron wants you to consider these promotional options:
1) Place an advertisement in the 2001 Souvenir Program Book. Combine photos, bios, services or product offerings...whatever format you prefer. Each attendee will receive one as well as all entrants and other selected producers and film associations. (They didn't print one last year.) Additionally, your website will be linked to the main festival site. Darkwood organizers will decide on final size of book according to the number of ads placed. The sizes listed here are the minimum and they will not increase your price for a tabloid size publication:
Half Page = $110, vert or horiz
Quarter Page = $75, vert or horiz
2) Set up an exhibit booth Friday through Sunday at the main festival venue on the NSU campus. Darkwood will have tables of various sizes, which will be assigned on a first come basis. You provide your own drapes and signage, they will have electrical outlets. (No food booths.) They will have a limited number of exhibitors and no duplicates so that you can gain maximum
exposure. April 20-22, 2001 Set up 8:00AM, Close up 8PM.
Partial weekend = $75
(These are truly Bare Bones prices!)
3) Submit promotional items for the "Okie Welcome Bag". This can include anything that will fit in a bag, such as writing pads, key chains, ink pens, visors, etc. with your company name on it or attached to it.
If interested in any of these opportunities, please respond to Shiron before the publishing deadline of February 28, 2001. (Payment options: www.Paypal.com, check, or credit card.) Shiron can be reached at 918-686-7729 or you can leave her a toll-free voicemail 1-888-560-6683 #1014 (a 24-hour message center.)
Reminder: Most of the filmmakers, screenwriters and producers who will be in attendance have never been to Oklahoma before, therefore Darkwood requests your support in mixing and mingling both during the festival and for After Parties.
Festival VOLUNTEERS are also needed. Again, see our EVENTS page for more.
Posted Feb 5, 2001:
DGA Director seeks extras for Norman shoot
DGA director in Tulsa seeks extras for Panavision Super 16mm film shoot in Norman on OU campus Saturday, Feb. 17th. [Not Feb 10th as previously published.] Call time: 6:00 AM.
Requirements: White males, 18-25. Clothing: Khaki pants, white dress shirt and dark sport coat. (shooting in black and white so color of coat is of no concern)
For details email the director at pppfilms@hotmail.com.
Posted Jan 29, 2001:
Tourism officials order end to mock lynching at OK state park
by AP Wire Service, 1/28/01
WATONGA, Okla. (AP) -- The state Tourism Department has put out the word to the actors in one western heritage show: No more hanging 'em high.
For the past six years, a member of the GhostRiders stunt company of Tulsa has undergone a mock hanging during the Bitter Creek Frontier Daze at Roman Nose State Park.
But Patric Johnstone, GhostRiders' co-director [and OTFC Member --ed.], said he received an e-mail last week from park officials telling him that members could no longer depict the lynching.
Johnstone said he was told the change resulted from complaints in 1999. He questioned why the group was allowed to perform in 2000.
"We have been pushing for an explanation," he said. "We were just asking for a clear policy, and there is none."
Tourism Department representatives saw the show in 1999 and observed several upset parents and children, officials said. They then talked to park officials about the mock hanging.
When the show was allowed to continue in 2000, department officials went to Tourism Executive Director Jane Jayroe, who decided after consultation with the Oklahoma Historical Society to stop the hanging stunt.
"I just think there are some things that are particularly gruesome and inappropriate," Jayroe said. "We feel like there is a certain expectation that whatever you find there will be healthy family entertainment."
She said the mock hanging continued for so many years probably because Roman Nose officials and visitors never brought it to the department's attention.
The Bitter Creek festival, held in February, features historic re-enactments and displays on topics such as homesteaders, chuck wagons, the U.S. Calvary and Cheyenne Indian camps.
The GhostRiders do not portray an actual event when they perform the lynching. It is meant to reflect a general type of punishment used on the frontier, Johnstone said.
According to the historical society, the form of vigilante justice the GhostRiders display was rare.
Jayroe said that while the department does have a policy regarding safety for the parks, it does not have a written policy concerning portrayals such as the hanging stunt.
Officials will revisit the policy so they can be more up front about expectations, she said.
Jayroe said the GhostRiders are invited to attend and perform other historic aspects at the event Feb. 17 and 18. But Johnstone said he believes the organization's tradition with the park is coming to an end.
"We will probably still be at this event, but we will probably be saying our goodbyes."
Copyright © 2000, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
Posted Jan 19, 2001:
Fox Searchlight Pictures Launches Fox Searchlab
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Fox Searchlight Pictures has created a new digital production unit, Fox Searchlab, it was announced today. The unit will provide equipment, financing and mentoring to emerging filmmakers.
Fox Searchlab will select 40 candidates over the course of a year. Each filmmaker will be given complete creative freedom to create a digital short film with a view to broadcasting on Fox Searchlight's Web site and The Fox Movie Channel. The candidates will be given first look deals.
The first group of filmmakers chosen to participate in Searchlab are David Brooks, Charlie Call, David Daniels, Kevin Kerslake, Joaquin Perea, Dan Loflin, Howard Shur, Simeon Soffer and Joannie Wread.
Peter Rice, President, Fox Searchlight Pictures commented, "Searchlight is proud of its heritage in working with first time directors like Kimberly Peirce, Tamara Jenkins, Peter Cattaneo, Mark Romanek and Jonathan Glazer. Searchlab is an expansion of this search for exciting new cinematic voices."
Fox Searchlab will educate and nurture its candidates through its mentoring program, which will include lectures and technical tutorials. Lectures will be hosted by directors, educators and filmmakers such as Steven Soderbergh, Baz Luhrmann, Geoffrey Rush, Mark Isham, Ron Bass, Andy Nelson and David Rubin.
The Lecture series will be filmed on digital cameras by the candidates and shared with the filmmaking community on the Searchlight Web site.
Searchlab members will have full discretion to pick their own material and production crews.
Fox Searchlab selects filmmaker candidates from disparate backgrounds and experience levels: from short and low budget filmmakers, novelists and comedians to established commercial and video directors.
Potential filmmaker candidates can apply by mailing a sample of their work, a compelling reason or a resume to:
Susan O'Leary, Director
Fox Searchlab
10201 W. Pico Blvd
Building 667 - Suite 5
LA, CA 90035
Information is also available at FoxSearchlight.com.
Fox Searchlight Pictures is a unit of Fox Filmed Entertainment, a unit of Fox Entertainment Group.
SOURCE Fox Searchlight Pictures
Copyright © 2000 PRNewsWire. All rights reserved.
Jan 17, 2001:
Overseas Filmgroup Changes Name to First Look Media to Reflect New Commercial Production and Internet Divisions
NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 2001--
- Common Stock to Trade Under New Symbol: FRST Effective January 17 -
Overseas Filmgroup, Inc. (OTC BB: OSFG) announced that it has been renamed First Look Media, Inc. (www.firstlookmedia.com) to reflect the expanded scope of its operations beyond the Company's core focus on the acquisition, financing, packaging and distribution of INDEPENDENTLY PRODUCED FEATURE FILMS.
Effective January 17, 2001, First Look Media's stock symbol will be changed to FRST. The symbol of the Company's outstanding warrants will also change - to FRSTW.
First Look Media, Inc. is now the corporate name for five operating divisions, consisting of Overseas Filmgroup, First Look Pictures, First Look Home Entertainment and two new divisions, First Look Artists (commercial production) and First Look Internet (Internet content development and production).
First Look Media is headed by Chris Cooney, Co-Chairman and CEO; Robbie Little, Co-Chairman and President; and Bill Lischak, COO and CFO.
Last year, Overseas Filmgroup secured a total of $57 million in new funding including an equity investment by Rosemary Street Productions, LLC, the investment vehicle of New York-based commercial production and studio facilities company, EUE Screen Gems Ltd., and a new revolving line of credit with Chase Manhattan Bank. The cash infusion and available borrowing capacity, combined with the depth of expertise of an expanded management team, forms the platform for First Look Media's expansion plans.
"First Look Media is uniquely positioned to exploit many segments of the entertainment market, including several areas that are new to the Company," said Cooney. "Our significantly enhanced capital base will facilitate our continued involvement with quality filmed entertainment as well to leverage our expertise by expanding into additional complementary businesses such as commercial and Internet content production."
Added Little, "Leveraging the experience and creative and industry relationships we have built over 21 years, we are very excited to expand our core business into new areas that reflect the growing scope of the media and entertainment industry. We are pursuing these new market opportunities with the same combination of experience, creativity and financial discipline that are essential to long-term success as an independent."
First Look Media's five divisions are:
Overseas Filmgroup, headed by Liz Mackiewicz and Brian O'Shea, continues the leading role that Overseas Filmgroup has played in the worldwide licensing of acclaimed independent films for over two decades. The upcoming slate
includes
Before Night Falls (directed by Julian Schnabel and starring Javier
Bardem, Andrea di Stefano, Olivier Martinez, Johnny Depp and Sean Penn);
Quicksand (starring Michael Caine and Michael Keaton);
My Kingdom (directed by Don Boyd and starring Richard Harris and Lynn Redgrave);
Cheri (adapted from the novel by Colette and starring Jessica Lange);
Skins (directed by Chris Eyre and starring Eric Schweig and Graham Greene);
Ed Gein (based on the true life story of serial killer Ed Gein);
Proximity (starring Rob Lowe and James Coburn); and
Greenfingers (starring Clive Owen, Helen Mirren and David Kelly).
Previous films include Titus (directed by Julie Taymor and
starring Academy Award-winners Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange);
Waking Ned Devine (which grossed over $25 million at the U.S. box office);
and The Prophecy (which starred Christopher Walken and grossed over $17
million in at the U.S. box office).
First Look Pictures, led by MJ Peckos, is the U.S. theatrical distribution arm of First Look Media. First Look Pictures currently has in release
Me & Isaac Newton (directed by Michael Apted and produced by Clear Blue Sky
Productions),
Ratcatcher (directed by Lynne Ramsay), and
The Opportunists (starring Christopher Walken).
First Look Pictures next releases are
A Question of Faith (directed by Tim Disney),
Chopper (directed by Andrew Dominik),
Bread & Tulips (directed by Silvio Soldini),
Bark (starring Lisa Kudrow, Hank Azaria and Vincent D'Onofrio), and
Skins (directed by Chris Eyre).
Previous films include A Map of the World (starring Academy
Award-nominees Sigourney Weaver and Julianne Moore, and produced by
Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall), Antonia's Line (Academy
Award-winner for Best Foreign Language Film of 1995), Mrs. Dalloway
(starring Vanessa Redgrave), and The Secret of Roan Inish (directed by John
Sayles).
First Look Home Entertainment is quickly establishing itself as one of the premier independent distributors of home video and DVD under the leadership of Bill Bromiley. The current home video release schedule includes
Lover's Prayer (starring Kirsten Dunst, Nick Stahl and Academy Award-nominee Julie Walters),
Relative Values (starring Julie Andrews, William Baldwin, Jeanne
Tripplehorn and Colin Firth),
Full Disclosure (starring Fred Ward, Christopher Plummer, Virginia Madsen and Penelope Ann Miller),
The Wedding Party (starring Academy Award-nominee and Golden Globe-winner Cate Blanchett, Richard Roxburgh, and Frances O'Connor II),
Just One Time (starring Joelle Carter, Jennifer Esposito and Guillermo Diaz),
Bongwater (starring Luke Wilson, Alicia Witt, Jamie Kennedy, Jack Black, Andy Dick, and Brittany Murphy),
Chopper (starring Eric Bana), and
Bread and Tulips.
The division has previously released
Quiet Days in Hollywood (starring Academy
Award-winning actress Hilary Swank), The Designated Mourner (featuring
legendary director Mike Nichols in his highly acclaimed on-screen acting debut),
and Alegria (a film co-financed with the world famous Cirque du Soleil, and
featuring the Cirque's acrobats). First Look Home Entertainment plans to
release 20 new titles a year through the rental market. These titles are also
available via a sell-through catalogue.
First Look Artists, led by Randy Lippert, is the commercial production division of First Look Media. First Look Artists has enlisted the talents of an elite group of feature film directors, artists, actresses and producers to meet the commercial advertising industry's increasing demand for talent. Artists include Julie Taymor (The Lion King, Titus), Joan Chen (Autumn In New York, Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl), Julian Schnabel (Basquiat, Before Night Falls), Lisa Krueger (Manny & Lo, Committed), Darren Keith (Fashion Photographer), and Marleen Gorris (Antonia's Line, Mrs. Dalloway, Luhzin Defence).
First Look Internet, also headed by Randy Lippert, marks the Company's initiative into Internet entertainment. The division is currently developing high quality Internet sitcom shows that exploit the interactivity of the Internet and broadband technology to create exciting new entertainment forms. First Look Internet is linking forces with multimedia service provider, Electronic Global Broadcasting System (EGBS), to launch an online entertainment venture. The initial offering will be an episodic, live-action comedy about an Internet start-up, premiering later this year. Acclaimed commercials director Jeffery Cooney will direct the pilot webisodes. First Look and EGBS plan to produce a number of highly interactive shows where viewers can choose to follow the story lines of different characters, read their email and hear their thoughts. Each show will release 30 to 60 minutes of content a week, in three to eight minute pieces.
First Look Media, Inc. (formerly Overseas Filmgroup, Inc.) is a diversified entertainment company focused on worldwide independent film distribution, theatrical and video releases, commercial production and Internet content.
Copyright © 2000 Business Wire. All rights reserved.
Jan 2-12, 2001: OKCCC 'Screenplay' Class for NON-Screenwriters
...Fun, informative, UNIQUE, and only two weeks long!We've been informed of a two-week intersession class in January at OKC Community College called 'Screenplay.' Class instructor Rick Allen Lippert describes the class as geared toward production people who want to learn more about interpreting scripts so as to help them achieve their goals as sound recordists, gaffers, shooters, etc.
As of 12/19/00 there are still six seats available for this class.
Class will read excerpts from screenplays and watch those same scenes to see how the pages were turned into film. They'll also study screenplay format, and each student will write a 10:00 script. Guest lecturers include Gray Frederickson, Fritz Kiersch, and Kevin Meyer.
Class will meet Tuesday-Friday, Jan. 2-5 and Monday-Friday, Jan.8-12, from 6-10pm each night.
Instructor Rick Lippert is a writer and producer of industrial videos under production company name Lippert Media. He has 25 years' production experience in all areas behind the camera and 15 years in front of the camera. His first screenplay, Shooting Politicians, won the best Master's thesis at UCO this spring and was just given an Honorable Mention in the Writer's Digest 200 competition.
If interested, e-mail Rick Lippert at rick@lippertmedia.com.
Jan 2001:
Indie Slate Seeking Oklahoma Content for Film Mag
...Send them your press releases, photos, and information about your projects!
Indie Slate Magazine Editor Maureen Herzog contacted us with a request for articles, stories and even press releases about the events, activities and production in the film/video and digital entertainment community in OK. Indie Slate is the only magazine dedicated to southwestern U.S. film and video production.
The magazine's "Reel Life" section is predominantly composed of submissions from moviemakers themselves (in first or third person) or someone close to a given production. Items in the "Short Take" section are primarily derived from press releases or tidbits passed to the mag by reliable sources.
"Something that a seasoned vet perceives as gratuitous knowledge," Maureen writes us, "may be of great help to others not so experienced or may be grounds for great editorial debate -- e.g., DV vs. film!"
Maureen and her husband Dave try to cover as much as they can in person, but because the magazine's nine-state coverage area is spread out they often solicit material from contributing writers for festivals, conferences, special screenings and/or appearances, speaking engagements, seminars, etc. -- anything that may be of interest or inspiring to those already in the business or those looking to get ahead in the business.
Maureen notes that one of Indie Slate's missions is to help keep filmmakers from "reinventing the wheel." So even though technical articles, book reviews and interviews with individuals of significant accomplishment are of interest, such submissions may require a more planned approach in terms of the questions to pose, verification of facts, etc.
In any case, the Herzogs are very open to ideas and suggestions, and they would certainly like to have more content about the OK scene in the magazine.
You can link to Indie Slate Magazine in the "Do-It-Yourself Resources & Mags" section of our LINKS page.
Dec 2000: TV Segment Producers Needed
...Looking for filmmakers, directors, and students!An e-mail from new TV production company Zoomculture has been forwarded to OTFC. Exciting stuff! Here it is:
"Hi, my name is Charis Johnson. I am a production executive with a new, unique television production company in NC called Zoomculture. We are currently looking for talented filmmakers, directors and/or film students from all over the country to create and produce segments for our new television shows which will air on national cable networks such as MTV, ESPN2, Lifetime, etc. It's a great opportunity to get your work on network television. If your pieces are selected for one of our shows, you will be paid and receive director credit. We need good, quality segments on a regular basis and it's a great way to make some freelance money.
"This website will give you an overview of our company: www.zoomculture.com/asp/about.asp.
"This is the instructional website for one of our shows, Undiscovered Genius, which will explain the template for the pieces we're looking for that program: www.zoomculture.com/undiscoveredgenius.
"We also have two other shows in production, Hip-Hop Nation (a variety show featuring different facets of hip-hop culture) and Playground Earth (an extreme sports show.) If you're interested in producing segments for either of these shows, please email me at CFJohnson7@aol.com for more information.
"Look forward to working with you....be sure to tell all your friends about us!"
Signed,
Charis F.
Johnson
Dec. 2000...
OKC Art Museum Film Program now underwrites "Filmscapes" Radio Show
...Oklahoma's only show devoted to film scores!
The OKC Art Museum Film Program led by OTFC Member Brian Hearn, is the new underwriter of the Filmscapes program hosted by Barbara Hendrickson on Oklahoma City radio station KCSC/KBCW-FM.
Filmscapes is a one-hour program devoted to film music, from the golden age to the present. Each week is based on a central theme and features both widely recognized and lesser known music. "It's intriguing that film music can both be a complement to the images on the screen, and stand on its own in the concert hall," says Hendrickson.
Tune in to Filmscapes Friday nights at 7pm or Saturday at 9pm on 90.1 FM in OKC.
Dec 31, 2000, is Extended Deadline for Bare Bones Festival Entries
You could be "Auteur of the Year"!
The 2nd Annual Bare Bones International Film Festival is looking for the "Auteur of the Year" during this Independent Festival showcasing Movies and Screenplays budgeted for less than one million dollars. The festival offers an intimate venue, educational seminars and collaborations between actors, screenwriters and filmmakers.
Located in the small town of Muskogee, Oklahoma, on the spacious campus of Northeastern State University (NSU) Muskogee Campus, the festival runs April 18-22, 2001.
Sponsored by Darkwood Film Arts Institute and chaired by OTFC Member Shiron Ray, this festival brings together a Junior Film Venue (movies and stories by youth and for youth) and a Senior Film Venue (movies and stories by entrants age 55 and older, and/or projects that appeal to an older audience.) There will be something for the entire family. Features, shorts, animation, documentaries, experimental formats and all genres are accepted.
Special guest presenters coming to Bare Bones 2001 include: USC Professor of Screenwriting Richard Krevolin and "Feature Filmmaking at Used Car Prices" author/filmmaker Rick Schmidt.
Movie buffs, moviemakers, screenwriters, actors and movie producers will all find the Bare Bones International Film Festival to showcase quality independent projects.
Behind the Scenes Videos, Music Videos, Movie Posters, Actor Monologues and Staged Screenplay Readings are just a few of the auxiliary features of the Bare Bones International Film Festival 2001.
Deadline for entries of films and screenplays is now December 31, and late entries will be accepted through January 31, 2001.
For ENTRY FORMS and more information online, see Shiron Ray's link in the 'Film Education' section of our Online PRO DIRECTORY or visit the 'Member Links' of our LINKS page. Her toll-free voicemail is 1-888-560-6683 #1014.
See the winners of Bare Bones 2000 at barebonesfilmfestival.bizland.com. (FYI: OTFC also has some items about Bare Bones 2000 elsewhere on this 'News' page.)
Thru Nov. 2000: OK Cast & Crew Call
...for period piece to be shot in Ardmore!DGA director in Oklahoma currently accepting headshots for upcoming production of a powerful true story set in Ardmore, OK. Seeking three Hispanic male actors, preferably fluent in Spanish with dark hair and tan skin. Age ranges are between early 20's to mid-20's.
Also looking for production assistants!
Story: True story about two Mexican college students who were shot and killed by Ardmore police officers in 1931. Made international news when it was discovered that one of the boys was the son of the president of Mexico.
If interested, please e-mail pics to pppfilms@hotmail.com or mail headshots to 3P Productions, 12948 North 131st East Avenue, Collinsville, OK 74021.
Note: This is a short film to be shot on location in Ardmore, OK. Meals and housing will be provided for one-weekend shoot. No pay for crew. Great experience.
Nov. 2000: "Savage Sideshow" New Online Short Film Festival
...AtomFilms and Leonardo DiCaprio's Birken Interactive Studio Now Accepting Short Submissions from Filmmakers and Animators!LOS ANGELES--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Sept. 26, 2000-- Birken Interactive Studio today announced its partnership with AtomFilms to host and produce an online short film festival -- The Savage Sideshow.
The festival's goal is to level the playing field for filmmakers and increase awareness worldwide for short form entertainment. Savage Sideshow will launch in November as a spotlight on www.atomfilms.com. Submission information is available now at www.savagesideshow.atomfilms.com.
Filmmakers are invited to submit their films for review by a team of judges with expertise in the entertainment industry -- from actors and agents to producers and directors. Savage Sideshow will offer visitors the opportunity to interact in a made-for-Internet film festival. Winners will receive cash prizes, equipment and meetings with entertainment industry professionals.
"Birken Studios and Leonardo DiCaprio share Atom's vision that many, many talented artists are waiting outside of the traditional entertainment industry for access to an audience," said Heather Redman, AtomFilms' senior vice president of strategy and development. "This partnership will give artists both direct access to an audience and, through Birken and DiCaprio, a powerful advocate and voice inside of Hollywood. The commitment of Birken and DiCaprio to bringing down the barriers to new talent is tremendously exciting."
"For over a year, AtomFilms has brought short films beyond Europe where moviegoers have long enjoyed this form of entertainment," said Alexis Magagni-Seely, Birken's senior vice president of business development. "When searching for a partner to produce Savage Sideshow, AtomFilms was the obvious choice because of its success in bringing next-generation entertainment to life on the Web."
Novice and experienced filmmakers alike are asked to submit their short works for consideration in one of four Savage Sideshow categories: narrative, documentary, animation and alternative. To encourage the new revolution in digital filmmaking, entrants may submit films in 1/2" tape or digital video.
More details on submissions are available at www.savagesideshow.atomfilms.com.
Birken Interactive Studio is an online entertainment company established by actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio. Birken has launched DiCaprio's official Web site www.leonardodicaprio.com and a virtual 3-D art gallery which exhibits works from the world of underground art.
AtomFilms is a leading next generation entertainment company focused on redefining the way entertainment is created, distributed, marketed and consumed. AtomFilms has the largest catalog of award-winning animation and live-action entertainment available. A loyal supporter of independent filmmakers and animators, AtomFilms has built a platform for artists seeking worldwide distribution. AtomFilms markets and distributes high-quality short form entertainment to more than 80 partners and to audience's worldwide, with significant presence on major Internet sites, broadband services, television, airlines, home entertainment companies and more recently, handheld and wireless devices. A popular Web destination that is ranked among Media Metrix's top twenty entertainment sites, the two time Webby Award winner in Film and Broadband, AtomFilms was recently selected as the "Forbes Magazine Favorite" short film Web site. AtomFilms was also sited as one of the top ten most trafficked movie-related sites by Entertainment Weekly, and was rated "Best of the Web" for online entertainment by U.S. News & World Report. An independent company founded in 1998, AtomFilms has offices in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York and London. More information about AtomFilms can be found on the Internet at www.atomfilms.com.
Copyright © 2000 Business Wire. All rights reserved.
OTFC Member to be Featured on NPR Sept. 8, 2000
...Dr. Peter Rollins airs with Martin Sheen & Gerald Rafshoon!
OSU Regents Professor Peter C. Rollins, Department of English, will speak on THE PRESIDENCY IN FILM AND TELEVISION on National Public Radio on Friday, 8 September. Rollins is a current OTFC member and served on OTFC's Board of Directors 1998-2000.
Others in the eight-minute segment are Martin Sheen (President Josiah Bartlet of the NBC series, WEST WING) and Gerald Rafshoon (Hollywood analyst and presidential media advisor.) Segments from selected presidential films will embellish the discussions. Host is Pat Dowell of NPR.
KOSU-FM of Oklahoma State University will broadcast the segment at 5:40am and 7:40am on Friday. (KOSU is 91.7 FM and can be received in Oklahoma City and in Tulsa.) KOSU also broadcasts via the Internet. Tulsa University's NPR affiliate (KWGS 89.5 FM) will air the 7:40am segment.
This story emerges from a conference on THE PRESIDENCY IN FILM AND TELEVISION hosted by Dr. Rollins and his national journal FILM & HISTORY. Full details are available at the journal's web site listed on our LINKS page or by clicking h-net.msu.edu/~filmhis.
Dr. Rollins notes the door is still open for papers and proposals until 15 September. The conference is scheduled for the Westlake Hyatt near the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, 10-12 November, 2000. Questions? Ask Peter Rollins at RollinsPC@aol.com.
OTFC Member Casts National TV Episode
...Shiron Ray shines with Marshall Thomas Associates!
In August 2000, a production company from Eugene, Oregon, contacted OTFC member Shiron Ray (of Darkwood Motion Picture Studios in Muskogee) about casting for a TV re-enactment drama called STATE POLICE.
"They were looking for 7 African-American actors," notes Shrion, "and were told that there were NO BLACK ACTORS in Oklahoma."
Fortunately, Shiron was able to fulfill their contract under the auspices of Darkwood's newly launched independent talent agency, Marshall Thomas Associates. This agency focuses on casting and promotion of film actors and will also accept some literary clients.
On Monday, August 28, Shiron brought several actors together in OKC for the shoot, including Tulsans Justin Lampkins, John W. Jones, and Wendy-Tricia Anthony; Broken Arrowan Robin Harrison; Frederick Thompson from Okmulgee; and OKC-area actors Michael Cooper, Stream Spencer, and John Spencer. And, of course, Shiron and her husband Oscar Ray were also cast.
This particular segment of STATE POLICE was based on a real ID fraud case that actually occurred in Oklahoma City. The actors got to shoot with the real officers who made the bust. "The whole day was a blast," says Shiron.
The second day of shooting also was based on a fraud case involving an Anglo computer nerd. Marshall Thomas Associates was able to cast that story, also.
The air date of the episode has not been announced.
The Marshall Thomas Agency is located next door to Darkwood Motion Picture Studios in the Shadowwood Mall, 401 W. Broadway, Suite 309, Muskogee, OK 74401. Phone 1-888-560-6683 #1014. See Darkwood's Bare Bones Film Festival website on our LINKS page.
Air Force Academy Welcomes OK Filmmaker/Author Truman Smith
He's da man who knows all about da Wrong Stuff!
Photo © by Bob Westmoreland
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At that time there was no United States Air Force Academy. So now, 56 years later, it came to pass that (retired) Lt. Colonel Truman Smith, author of "The Wrong Stuff"--a book which is required reading at the Air Force Academy--was invited to lecture the cadets at the Academy on October 25, 2000.
It was a rewarding experience for everyone: the cadets, the staff of the Academy History Department, as well as "The Old Colonel" himself.
The main thrust of Smith's lectures was the same as the premise of his book: it is important to learn from our mistakes, "like the cat that sat on a hot stove."
Strategic bombing was a theory that had to be proven by the 8th Air Force in World War Two. And while the theory was finally proved, there were more fatalities in the 8th Air Force than any other American military force. Their losses were greater in less than three years than all U.S. services fatalities in 15 years of the Vietnam War.
An example of the Wrong Stuff was the dropping of bombs on a target from above it. "Everyone over the target and in harm's way had to have thought that there had to be a better way," notes Smith. "Eventually, the better way was learned and demonstrated in Desert Storm and the bombing of Yugoslavia."
Smith's appearance at the Academy seemed to benefit both the cadets and the "Old Warrior." As one student told her instructor, "No disrespect meant for our instructors, but he (Colonel Smith) is the genuine article. He has actually been in combat!"
Smith was also respectful of the cadets and their instructors in learning how things have changed. One instructor, an experienced fighter pilot, told him that the U.S. can no longer put up an air armada of 2,000 airplanes over Europe, as was done in 1944, because we don't have that many planes in the entire Air Force. "We have mechanics working their hearts out day and night salvaging parts from other old planes to try and keep them flying," the instructor reported. "Some planes are 60 years old and they try to update them with technology. It's like putting a CD or GPS (factory equipped parts) into a 1940 automobile. And the mechanics, living on food stamps, make more working on the weekends at a fast-food [restaurant] than they earn all week serving in the Air Force."
Politics were avoided, but displeasure was evident in the Commander in Chief's use of military resources--with no provisions for replacements. And as far as any feeling of war-mongering, the general consensus was in agreement with George Washington's advice: "To prevent war is to be prepared for war."
Truman Smith was pleased that Cadet Rory Peterson, a freshman at the Academy, was able to attend one of the lectures, because Truman had presented Rory his Academy acceptance certificate at the Ponca City High School Awards Assembly last spring. It was a brief encounter, since both of their schedules were very tight.
Colonel Mark Wells, Ph.D. and author of "Courage and Air Warfare," is the Academy's Director of Military History. He hosted a luncheon and asked Smith--who is known as "Smitty" in "The Wrong Stuff"--to speak to his staff. It was there that Colonel Wells honored Smitty by presenting him a statuette of the Academy's mascot, a Falcon with two young falconets.
Truman Smith's reaction to his visit at the Academy was that he was greatly impressed by the cadets and inspired by the teaching staff. And when thanked by cadets for his generation's contributions to their own, Smith in turn thanked the cadets for what they will do for the next generation, as well as his older generation.
Editor's Note: Truman Smith was producer of an award-winning B/W short entitled "The Ball" and has been working for several years to get his latest feature "Red, White, and Black" in the can. He has spoken to OTFC membership gatherings on several occasions throughout the years. See our ABOUT OTFC page to link to additional photos.
Now thru Oct 31, 2000: Grants for Filmmakers
...via a National Non-Profit Corporation!Houston's Ancestral Films informs us that Creative Capital, a national nonprofit organization, is offering up to $20,000 on a competitive basis to independent artists working in Media and Visual arts.
Application deadline to apply is October 31, 2000. For application and guidelines, visit creative-capital.org, or phone 212-598-9900.
If you're in the Houston area and would like an application form, contact Ancestral Films at 713-527-9548.
OTFC Elects New Officers for 2000-2002
...and introduces new film/video production program!
OTFC held its 10th Annual Membership Business Meeting at Royal Dragon Restaurant in Tulsa Friday 8/25/00, electing new officers for 2000-2002 and generating some good buzz with its introduction of an emphasis on members-only film/video production opportunities.
New officers introduced by Nominating Committee and elected by ballot are:
President...graphic designer Robert Brewer of
Tulsa Community College
Vice President...a/v engineer Joe Turner of Makitso Productions
Secretary...crew intern Ravi Papineni of Tulsa
Treasurer...screenwriter Pat Quisenberry of Tulsa
Board...actress/producer Darla Enlow of Tulsa
Board...producer Harvey Shell of Brigantine Productions
Board...fest director Barbara VanHanken of ReelFest (Crested Butte, CO)
Former president Paul Hiller of Tulsa will serve on Executive Committee as Immediate Past President, which is not an elected position.
The third season of OKFilm was introduced, with handouts detailing upcoming screening dates and guest speakers. The new site of OKFilm will be Aaronson Auditorium (@ Tulsa Central Library) for the foreseeable future. OKFilm Indie 2001 details can be found at our OKFILM INDIE2001 page.
A NEW members-only film/video production program is being initiated this year, which has brought some former members back to OTFC. Still in development, this program was introduced at our meeting by Allena Brackin and Rhonda Donica and could include ongoing production of scenes, shorts, PSA's--OR, in Rhonda's case, a full-length Vietnam Era documentary! You name it, it could be part of this program! Exclusive for members to learn and collaborate and produce together, this program will tap into skills and services from across the membership. Again, OTFC's administrative role is still being determined, but the possibilites and excitement are plentiful!
With OKFilm Indie 2001 and our NEW members-only production efforts, it's going to be a FUN and PRODUCTIVE year! Are you a member yet? Click HERE if not!
August 15: Darkwood's 'Bare Bones' Festival gets national coverage
...Great job for a first-time international festival in Muskogee!In the Kodak section of FILMMAKER MAGAZINE's latest issue, the spotlight on indie films includes a familiar title--namely, "Auditions," which was screened at the Bare Bones International Film Festival in March 2000, hosted by Darkwood Motion Picture Studio in Muskogee. AND, the editors gave Bare Bones a plug as one of the nation's smaller-than-Sundance venues!
And now this month's INDIE SLATE MAGAZINE has Bare Bones Film Festival on the cover and a recap of winners and photos inside. Indie Slate is a regional publication for midwestern states.
Festival Director Shiron Ray is a member of OTFC!
Of course, next year's BARE BONES INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL is scheduled during Muskogee's Azalea Festival, April 18-22, 2001. Darkwood has added two new categories: a JUNIOR FILM FEST (ages 10-25) and a SENIOR FILM FEST (ages 55+.) Visit their new website for updates and entry forms atwww.barebonesfilmfestival2001.homepage.com.
July-Dec. 2000: Blockbuster.com announces $100,000 indie film award competition
...and a distribution deal!Calling all filmmakers...aspiring Spielbergs and Tarantinos...got your eye on the prize? And a groundbreaking film just waiting to be discovered? Then the BLOCKBUSTER® Independent Filmmaker Award is looking for you!
Win $100,000 and a distribution deal!
One indie filmmaker will win $100,000 and a distribution contract for the best English language full-length feature film entered in the Independent Filmmaker Award Contest. The winning movie will be seen across the U.S. and available in thousands of BLOCKBUSTER stores, with a potential audience of millions of BLOCKBUSTER members!
FYI: Blockbuster is familiar with Oklahoma indie films. Christopher and Linda Lewis (United Entertaiment) pioneered direct-to-video productions with "Blood Cult" in the early 80's---the first ever direct-to-video movie--followed by several more successful releases. Then Carl Bartholomew of Tulsa produced "Cole Justice" a few years later (on film stock) and mailed a copy to Blockbuster's president, who was so impressed with the film he instructed Blockbuster outlets all over the country to sell it--even though it had never had a theatrical release. (More on Carl here and here.) So....make Oklahoma proud!
Submission period is July 1- December 31, 2000. See blockbuster.com for details, requirements, mailing address, and all that stuff.
Internet shorts get Oscar runs via AMC screenings
June 22, 2000 5:59 AM EDTby Reuters/Variety
NEW YORK (Variety) - Movie theater chain AMC Entertainment and Internet film portal iFilm are teaming up to circumvent a ruling that denies Oscar eligibility to short films made for the Internet.
The partnership, announced Wednesday, follows a recent ruling by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences that films must be screened theatrically prior to Internet distribution in order to be eligible for an Oscar.
The jointly produced iFilm+AMC Series will bow next month in Los Angeles, screening several short films to ticket buyers in a program totaling 40-55 minutes. The partners will screen the program twice daily for three days.
IFilm will handle all marketing, distribution and print production costs, while AMC will set aside theater space.
``This is about helping filmmakers get a shot at winning the Oscar,'' said iFilm co-founder and CEO Kevin Wendle.
Submissions from iFilm's 24 dot-com ``preferred partners'' will be encouraged as part of the program. Partners include AlwaysI, Cinema Pop, Eveo, FilmFilm, Film Roman, Film World, Heavy, Honkworm, Icebox, Like Television, Nibblebox, Oddcast, PlanetOut, PitchTV, ReelShort, Romp, RSUB, Shockwave, Sputnik7, StudioNext, UrbanEntertainment, WebSiteStory, Wirebreak and Z.
Seattle-based AtomFilms has not yet pacted with the company, signaling that the Netcaster must still find a way for its own slate of short films to get around the Academy's ruling.
Reuters/Variety
© Reuters
Ltd. All rights reserved.
Oscar says no to Internet films
June 16, 2000 3:40 AM EDTBy Jill Feiwell
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Bad news for movies like "Mission: Imp" and "Frying Private Fryan." They will not be eligible for Oscar consideration because they were shown on the Internet first.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, which administers the Oscars, issued a ruling Thursday nixing any film shown on the Internet before theatrical exhibition. The new ruling underlines the Academy's rule that "films which receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release will not be eligible for Academy Awards in any category."
The bylaws will now read, "This includes broadcast and cable television, as well as homevideo marketing and Internet transmission."
Academy executive director Bruce Davis told Daily Variety, "The board just wants to make it crystal clear, so that in the rush to embrace new technologies, a legitimate theatrical motion picture doesn't inadvertently jeopardize its eligibility."
In another change for next year's 73rd annual Oscar kudocast, foreign-language films that are submitted, but not nominated, in one year, will now be eligible the following year in other categories -- acting, writing, editing, etc. -- if the picture is released in L. A. County that year.
The reason for the change is "Run Lola Run," explained John Pavlik, the Academy's director of communications.
"The film was submitted by Germany for the 71st Academy Awards, yet it had not yet opened in L.A. It was released here in 1999 and was not able to resubmit."
Many thought the frenetic crime drama could have been a contender in several Oscar categories.
"Under these new rules, the committee is giving excellent films as many chances as they can," said Pavlik.
Reuters/Variety
© Reuters
Ltd. All rights reserved
OTFC Members Benefit from recent Bare Bones Film Festival by getting NATIONWIDE EXPOSURE!
FESTIVAL SCOPE
The (first annual)
Bare Bones International Film Festival was a rousing success March 24-26!
Filmmakers and screenwriters from Philadelphia, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los
Angeles, Oklahoma City, New York, Boston, and Oregon (to name a few) converged
on Muskogee at the invitation of Darkwood Motion Picture Company to share
and discuss their competitive works with the public.
AWARDS REVIEW
Festival director (and OTFC member) Shiron Ray emceed the "Oklahoma Spirit of Independent Film" opening ceremonies Friday,
March 24. After a brief period of fellowship and networking amongst attendees,
Ms. Ray introduced as guest speaker the mayor of Muskogee, followed by keynote speaker
Oklahoma Film Commissioner Dino Lalli.
Several film submissions were shown, and in between Ms. Ray issued Trailblazer Awards to deserving filmmakers, screenwriters, and Oklahoma honorees, including Oklahoma Territory Film Council.
The award certificate sports an Indian headdress and classic horned cattle skull. It reads, "Bare Bones Trailblazer Award: Education, Inspiration, Leadership" and is signed by Oscar Ray and OTFC member Shiron Ray of Darkwood. OTFC President Paul Hiller and President Emeritus Peggy Char accepted the award on behalf of the Film Council.
Other honorees included actor/instructor Clu Gulager, film champion Lt. Governor Mary Fallin, Native American Talent & Casting Agency Director Orville Baldridge, filmmaker Ian Skorodin, and filmmaker Oscar Marcieux.
The rest of the weekend was chock full of screenings, auditions, stage readings, interviews, networking, and FOOD.
MEMBER EXPOSURE
OTFC members enjoyed 50% discount admission to attend the festival, and several participated in stage readings and film/commercial auditions while there. Also, Planet Earth Filmworks of Tulsa was on hand conducting interviews to compile a documentary about the Oklahoma indie filmmaking scene. OTFC President
Hiller was one of the interviewees. "It had been a long day so I was a
bit fatigued," he says. "But with good editing they hopefully can make
me sound reasonably alert, and OTFC will have a good name for itself in
the finished documentary."
OTFC was the only exhibitor present in the festival commons. As such, we garnered a lot of attention as we showcased member listings in the PRO DIRECTORY and SCRIPTS pages of our website. We also built our mailing list, signed up some new out-of-state members, and generally networked on YOUR behalf, spreading the word about what OTFC and our members can offer filmmakers!
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU?
Well, most of these visiting filmmakers signed on to OTFC's mailing list and now know
about our website, so the word is spreading. One East Coast indie filmmaker
made the observation that he could see himself shooting his next work here
in Oklahoma. Of course, indie filmmakers tend to use the people they KNOW,
so those OTFC'ers who attended the festival now have an edge. After
all, networking and collaboration is where it's at!
So if you have not provided your credits and/or photo for your online Pro Directory listing, NOW would be a good time.
NEXT YEAR
Darkwood is already planning next year's Bare Bones International Film Festival in a new and expanded format. Visit the 'Film Education' section of our PRO DIRECTORY and/or the 'Member Links'
section of our LINKS page to get in touch with Shiron Ray about how you can be involved in Bare Bones 2001!
"Cafe Purgatory" Premiere Raises $$ for Charity!
...with about 300 people in attendance!The Oklahoma premiere of digital feature Cafe Purgatory was a huge success. Sponsored by Oklahoma Territory Film Council, the gala event attracted roughly 300 patrons and raised $368 for charity.
OSU-Tulsa North Hall Auditorium hosted the capacity crowd of actors, crew, friends, family, and interested onlookers Tuesday Feb. 29. The audience enjoyed refreshments, music, and fresh popcorn in the lobby, plus an info table set up by OTFC.
Film Council officers Robert Brewer and Harvey Shell, who both happened to work on the movie, welcomed all attendees and introduced director Leo Evans and producer/screenwriter John Wooley. After a few words, they wasted no time in giving the instruction for the movie to roll. A little Q&A was held afterward with interested audience members.
Cafe Purgatory is the introspective story of several recently deceased folks who find themselves at the station between earthly life and the afterlife. It centers somewhat on the theme of redemption, and even Elvis shows up to offer a few moody but helpful tunes. Winner of a "Crowd Pleaser Award" at the 1999 Fort Worth Film Festival, Cafe Purgatory has proven a crowd-pleaser in Tulsa, too!
Only $1 admission was charged, with funds distributed to two charities selected by John Wooley: Planned Parenthood of Tulsa and Goodland Presbyterian Home in Hugo. Some attendees paid with $5 and $10 bills and said, "Keep the change." Concession proceeds went to OTFC treasury.
This event represents the second movie premiere hosted by OTFC this season. The first was Rattlesnake Gold last fall, a feature shot by film council member Sean Lorton in OKC that is participating in our "Indie 2000" finale June 4.
Leo Evans will return with Cafe Purgatory on April 2 to close out the second season of OKFilm Series. He will show the film again (in parts or in whole) and discuss its making in much greater detail. Though this presentation will be open to the film & video public FREE, OTFC members will also get to visit with Evans one-on-one at a post-reception. See our OKFILM INDIE page for more detail.