Independent Film Week , which will take place September 14-19th in New York, is a national program connecting projects with financiers, producers and programmers before they’re completed and on the festival circuit. More than 1,000 industry professionals attend the IFP for pitch meetings, speed dating meetings, screenings, and social events. Each year approximately 200 projects are invited to participate and take one-on-one meetings with potential financing partners or co-producers.

The IFP Market will help you connect with financiers and producers, network with festival programmers, and meet distributors, broadcasters and sales agents.

The three categories offered are Emerging Narrative - for writers and writer/directors seeking producers, No Borders International Co-Production Market - for veteran producers with partial financing seeking additional partners, and Spotlight on Documentaries - for filmmakers in production, post, or with a completed film seeking financing partners, distribution theatrical & broadcast), and festival invitations.

Awards given include a $5,000 prize for Artistic Merit for an Emerging Narrative Screenplay, a $10,000 prize for Best Socially Conscious Documentary presented by The Fledgling Fund, and an additional $10,000 prize for Emerging Latino Documentarian, also presented by The Fledgling Fund.

The fee to submit for IFP is $60, if you are selected your participation fee is complementary! The final deadline is May 15th for Narrative Screenplay and May 23rd for Documentary Work in Progress and No Borders Domestic Screenplay. Please visit THE IFP WEBSITE for details.

Acceptance includes full registration to the concurrently run 5-day Filmmaker Conference.

Questions can be sent via email to: FilmmakerReg@ifp.org or you can call (212)465-8200, ext. 222.

Norman Music Festival Draws 13,000 to Downtown Norman

Norman made history as a crowd of more than 13,000 walked the streets of Downtown Norman Saturday, April 26, at the first annual Norman Music Festival.

The line-up of bands included both local and international including headliners The Polyphonic Spree, The Octopus Project, British Sea Power, and a reunion of the popular, Norman-based Chainsaw Kittens. The stages and streets rocked from noon until well after sunset on this monumental day.

For more information on the festical CLICK HERE

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Centennial Dollars Bring Life to Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum

On Wednesday, April 30, The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum held a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony in celebration of the completion of the Oklahoma Centennial Grant Project.

Only eleven years after the first induction concert, The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame has honored and inducted more than 45 individuals or groups and produced more than 20 concerts. Nine years later the museum officially opened in December 2006 after partial renovations to their new home in the Frisco Depot. By August of 2007 the Hall received word they were granted the $100,000 Centennial grant they had applied for. This grant provided much needed funds to upgrade the Frisco Depot and exhibit space for future special events and exhibits.

Because of the thoughtful generosity of the Oklahoma Centennial Commemoration Commission, the City of Muskogee, and private donors, over $144,000 was contributed to this project. This has made it possible for the Frisco Depot to host year round music concerts and events drawing music lovers from around the globe, and wow visitors with the awesome history of Oklahoma music and those like Roy Clark, Ronnie Dunn, Vince Gill, Hinder, Toby Keith, Carrie Underwood and others who have written, sang or played songs that bring our own memories to life.

For more information about the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame CLICK HERE

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Trail Dance Film Festival worth its Fee

The May Issue of Movie Maker Magazine features Trail Dance Film Festival as a “Fest worth the Fee” (Movie Maker Magazine, “Film Fest Edition” May 2008, p. 125). Highlighting the fact that Trail Dance not only provides a scholarship for young filmmakers but they also present a DVD for festival winners that is available for rental at 254 Hastings entertainment locations.

Congratulations to Trail Dance Film Festival for their continued success in promoting and helping develop the independent film industry.

For more information about this great Oklahoma “Fest worth a Fee” CLICK HERE

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Momentum Tulsa: Art Doesn't Stand Still 2008

The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition is looking for Oklahoma artists age 30 and younger to exhibit their work in a fun and exciting atmosphere featuring interactive art and live bands. Performance artists, filmmakers, 2D and 3D artists are encouraged to submit up to three entries.

For full prospectus CLICKING HERE

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Tulsa World features article on iROK Radio’s Davit Souders

The Sunday, April 27th edition of the Tulsa World featured an article on Davit Souders, Program Director/Host for iROK Radio, the voice of Oklahoma music. With over sixty episodes behind them and over 100,000 subscribers to the weekly podcast, iROK Radio really is “Rockin’ the Plains” as their catchphrase states.

The article, written by Jennifer Chancellor, goes in depth on Davit’s very cool history with Cain’s Ballrooom, the Tulsa scene and historic concerts that he has helped organize and promote in Oklahoma. To read the full article, click here: website

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EVENTFUL and DFEST launch 'Battle of the Fans' COMPETITION FOR a musician to play on the main stage

Eventful and Diversafest (Dfest) announce that musicians nationwide can register for the competition to compete to perform on the main festival stage at Dfest. Now in its seventh consecutive year, Dfest has become known as the most comprehensive music conference and festival in the Midwest, with this year's two-day event taking place from July 25-26, 2008 in Tulsa, Okla. As musicians register for the competition, fans across the country can "Demand" which artist they want to perform by using Eventful's Demand service. Eventful Demand enables fans to influence where their favorite artists perform by creating grassroots campaigns to "Demand" the artists to come to their town.

This year, Dfest will allow fans to demand their favorite artist from a list of artists participating in the "Battle of the Fans" competition. Fans and musicians can log on to: http://eventful.com/dfest or http://www.dfest.com to participate.

For more information, please CLICK HERE

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Hollywood Comes to Oklahoma! – Oklahoma Film Institute

Oklahoma City Community College is bringing Hollywood to the plains beginning July 7th as they host the first-ever Oklahoma Film Institute.

Led by Academy Award-winning film producer Gray Frederickson (The Godfather), OFI will use OCCC’s state-of-the-art digital equipment to offer a once in a lifetime opportunity for those interested in learning the Hollywood filmmaking process.

“There is really no type of experience like this to be found in the southwestern United States,” Frederickson said. “Those who enroll in OFI will learn all facets involved in making a movie, from concept to final cut.”

OFI will offer training from pre-production to final editing and give participants a chance to be various integral roles on the movie-making process.

Enrollment is limited and participants can choose to enroll in one week of training or receive a discount for all three.

For more information about the Oklahoma Film Institute, call 405-682-7847 or CLICKHERE.

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