DON’T MISS THESE PLANNED EVENTS AT THE 2016 FILM FESTIVAL:
INDIE FILM SCREENINGS (documentaries, animation, music videos, foreign, feature & short films)
PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS FOR FILMMAKERS, WRITERS & COMPOSERS
PRODUCTIVE NETWORKING PARTIES & EVENTS DAILY
CELEBRITY APPEARANCE & PHOTO-OPS
CELEBRITY KEYNOTE SPEAKER
PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS WITH THE PROS
Q&As WITH THE FILM DIRECTORS
AFTER-PARTIES EACH EVENING
GALA AWARDS CEREMONY & BANQUET RECEPTION!
>>> FESTIVAL TICKETS GO ON SALE SOON! <<<
Celebrity Appearance & Keynote Speaker
Moondance 2016
* V I C S A R I N *
A passionate and diverse filmmaker, Vic Sarin‘s career includes award-winning feature films, documentaries and television movies.
We are very proud to announce that the US premiere of Sarin’s feature documentary film, The Boy from Geita, will be screened at Moondance, along with his award-winning feature narrative film, A Shine of Rainbows. READ MORE!
Happy Independence Day to all of our American Moondancers!
SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:
“If you break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders fields.” ~ by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae
Each one of those 888,246 poppies represented a drop of blood from a brave man or woman who lost their lives in World War I. The Battle of the Somme was launched on July 1st, 1916, one hundred years ago today. The fighting was also in Holland, France, Belgium, Germany, Greece, the Balkans, at sea, and outside Europe, as well. Historical statistics relate that over one million men & women were killed or wounded, but how can we imagine the lost & maimed sons, husbands and brothers, mothers, wives & sisters? 400 British surgeons were also killed in the first few days of the Battle of the Somme – what a terrible loss of knowledge & healing skills, which could have helped so many others! ~ Excerpted & edited from Lady Carnarvon’s blog at Highclere Castle, UK (Downton Abbey)
The Moondance International Film Festival actively promotes, inspires & encourages non-violent conflict resolutions through film, television, radio, writing & music, and the coveted Columbine awards, with recognition of alternatives presented to international & local audiences and annual event attendees.
logo-kid.com
“I’m convinced of this: good done anywhere is good done everywhere.” ~ Maya Angelou
“Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakes,” ~ Carl Jung
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“Artists…notice the things that engage the mind’s private and idiosyncratic interior, that area where the life of the senses mingles with the life of the spirit…” ~Annie Dillard, from An American Childhood
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Robert Duvall & Mary Badham, Universal Pictures
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through, no matter what.” ~ Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, (Atticus to Scout)
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www.mommyish.com
“Don’t be discouraged by a failure. It can be a positive experience. Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success, inasmuch as every discovery of what is false leads us to seek earnestly after what is true, and every fresh experience points out some form of error which we shall afterwards carefully avoid.” ~ John Keats
“I choose…to live by choice, not by chance; to make changes, not excuses; to be motivated, not manipulated; to be useful, not used; to excel, not compete. I choose self-esteem, not self-pity. I choose to listen to my inner voice, not the random opinions of others. ~ Author Unknown
Please forward this news-blog to your creative artist colleagues!
Entries may be submitted by writers, filmmakers, directors, producers, editors, cinematographers, composers, actors or distributors.
Our festival attendees, over the years, and our filmmakers, writers & composers who have submitted great projects, in all genres and categories, have come fromArgentina,Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, Denmark, Dubai, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Madagascar, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tasmania, Tibet, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Republic, the UK, the US, Venezuela, and more!
Moondance now offers feedback & professional critiques on screenplays, stage plays, and TV pilots that are submitted for the 2016 competition, for only $50! Select the FEEDBACK option on the FilmFreeway entry form, or the Moondance entry form. Meet our professional reader, Jasmine Sahu, at: https://moondancefilmfestival.com/meetouradvisoryboard/
DON’T MISS THESE PLANNED EVENTS AT THE 2016 FILM FESTIVAL:
~September 4th & 5th, Boulder, Colorado, USA~
INDIE FILM SCREENINGS (documentaries, animation, music videos, foreign, feature & short films)
PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS FOR FILMMAKERS, WRITERS & COMPOSERS
PRODUCTIVE NETORKING PARTIES & EVENTS DAILY
CELEBRITY APPEARANCE & PHOTO-OPS
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS WITH THE PROS
Q&As WITH THE FILM DIRECTORS
AFTER-PARTIES EACH EVENING
GALA AWARDS CEREMONY & BANQUET RECEPTION!
Boulder’s famous Flatirons Peaks & Greenbelt, less than a mile from downtown!
WANT TO HELP OUT DURING THE 2016 FILM FESTIVAL?
See our list of volunteer opportunities & download the sign-up form HERE
Our dedicated volunteers help make this event so successful!
Volunteers can earn free tickets to films & workshops, based on volunteer hours
SUBSCRIBE NOW to the popular Moondance news-blog for info, updates, articles, creative inspiration, & announcements: www.moondancefilmfestival.com/blog
If you’ve already submitted your project to the 2016 competition,
& have subscribed to the news-blog, thanks a million!
Elizabeth English, founder & executive director of the Moondance International Festival, went above and beyond to help me on my screenwriting journey. She called, not only to tell me my script was a finalist, but also to give me detailed suggestions for revising both the script, title and the logline. Her generous support came at a crucial time and kept me going on a challenging project. When I asked her why she was helping me so much, with all she had to do, she answered, “Because your story needs to be told.” I am thrilled to say that my script, now called Scandalous, has been optioned by Painted Saint Entertainment. A big thanks to Elizabeth and Moondance! ~ Kate Danaher Parks, USA
Why don’t more film festivals recognize film scores and composers? You have the imagination to recognize film scores and composers at your festival, and this is amazing. Every touch you give to your festival, from the logo to the philosophy, is a gift to artists. And this is so rare to find something positive. Thank you, Elizabeth, for the chance you give me, but also and mostly for your sincerity and positive energy. ~ Anthony Cedric Vuagniaux, composer, Switzerland
BOULDER NEWS OF INTEREST
The Dalai Lama greets Tibetans waiting for his arrival in Boulder. His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrives at the St Julien Hotel in Boulder on Wednesday afternoon. Cliff Grassmick, Dailycamera.com Staff Photographer June 22, 2016
The Dalai Lama made his long-awaited appearance in Boulder at the University of Colorado, on June 23rd, 2016, as the Tibetan leader led two teachings at the university’s Coors Events Center in Boulder. A large crowd, many of whom were local Tibetans, greeted His Holiness when he arrived at the St. Julien Hotel in downtown Boulder on Wednesday, where the 17th annual Moondance International Film Festival will also take place in September.
The 80-year-old Tibetan leader, who is the 14th Dalai Lama, last visited Boulder in 1997. When CU opened the doors to the Coors Event Center for the first teaching, a long line had formed outside the arena with people from Boulder, and beyond, eager to see and hear the Dalai Lama teach. During a two-hour morning session, the spiritual leader spoke on “Eight Verses of Training the Mind” to members of the public. Then, in the afternoon, he spoke to CU students, employees and alumni about “Educating the Heart and Mind”. Altogether, some 18,000+ people heard the Dalai Lama speak.
SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
By New Yorker cartoonist, Isaac Littlejohn Eddy
“A pessimist is one who always finds difficulties in opportunities; an optimist is one who always finds opportunities in difficulties.” ~ Anonymous
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“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than anything else.” ~ Abraham Lincoln
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“Be courageous and bold. Make a difference. Stay true to your principles, but live passionately and well. Experience new things. Love and be loved.” ~ Author Unknown
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UNREAL SCENES IN MOVIES & TV!
(25 Things I don’t understand)
CAR CHASES: Why must they always, at some point, crash into trash cans or fruit & vegetable carts?
DARK ROOMS: Why do the cops always investigate dark rooms or basements with flashlights, instead of just turning on the lights?
DOORWAYS: When someone runs away from a house or room, why does the remaining person stop at the doorway, calling the person’s name, and not go any farther out from the doorway?
TV NEWS: How is it possible that when someone needs to see something on the news, when they turn on the TV, it’s exactly what they wanted to see?
RAIN: Why does “rain” run right down the windows in a house or building? In reality, there are roof eaves & overhangs to stop rain from flowing down windows.
PURSES: Why don’t women ever carry a purse? How can they go out all day with no car or house keys, no cell phone, no billfold/money/credit cards, no ID, & etc.? Is it to make women seem helpless, instead of independent & in control, & in need of a man’s assistance?
PURSES II: Why is it that the only women who carry purses are either older women, bag ladies or prostitutes?
PARKING: Why do cars always park immediately in front of office buildings downtown, with no other cars parked nearby & no parking meters?
PARKING II: Why do people park their car 100 yards away from a house they are visiting or investigating, and then walk all the way, when there is a driveway right up to the place & plenty of parking closer?
SEX: Why, after a wild sex scene, does the man immediately get out of bed wearing undershorts?
SEX II: Why, after a wild sex scene, does the woman wrap the covers around herself, get up, and drag them off the bed, so the man can’t see her naked?
SHOWERS: Why are showerheads always on the middle of the ceiling in the shower, causing the bather to be almost drowned, & blinded by shampoo in his or her eyes?
SHOWERS II: Why, when a woman is in the shower, is there never a towel nearby, & she has to ask someone to bring her one? Doesn’t she know she’ll need to dry off?
DAILY NEEDS: Why do people in movies rarely eat, sleep or use the bathroom?
FEMALE COPS: Where do the handcuffs, guns, cell phones, flashlights & other gear come from, when needed, since they are always wearing skin-tight uniforms, with no bulky gear apparent?
CSI & FORENSICS: Why do the women techs in these movies & TV shows always wear tight, revealing clothes, high-heel shoes, long, painted fingernails, with their long hair hanging loose, and no safety glasses or face-masks? Wouldn’t they contaminate a crime scene like that?
DRIVING: Why don’t people wear seatbelts in movies or TV shows, unless they are a family with kids in the car?
COFFEE: Why don’t people ever put cream or sugar in their coffee, and steam doesn’t waft up from the cup? Does everyone in movies & on TV drink their coffee black & cold? Or is it because they’re really pouring cold Coca-Cola in those cups?
DANGER: Why do women always stand and stare at whatever dangerous happens, covering their mouths and screaming, waiting for the man to tell them to run away, or dragging them away, crying & protesting that they want to stand there (& be hurt or killed if not rescued)?
FIGHTING: Why don’t people being attacked use their hands or legs & feet to fight back? Why do they just stand there, arms hanging down, feet on the floor, being attacked & hit?
POLICE STATION: Why are there always two cops shoving three prostitutes through the back of the squad room in these scenes? Why are those three people always one fat, older blonde in a bad wig, one stumbling, stoned Latina & one tall African-American transvestite? (All 3 with big purses, BTW)
GUESTS: Why, when someone opens the door & sees a visitor they didn’t expect, do they always say, rudely, “What are you doing here?”
MORNING: Why, in a bedroom scene, when the alarm clock rings. Does the actor always fumble trying to shut it off, & knock the clock to the floor? Hasn’t he or she ever heard the alarm ring before now?
TV: Why aren’t there televisions in most living rooms? Don’t people watch TV?
COWBOY MOVIES: Why don’t the older people & elderly Indians ever need glasses, or do they all have perfect 20/20 vision, even when ancient?
Tigers have been hunted, killed, poached, and pushed out of their habitats by humans. We humans have contributed to the rapid decline of these beautiful big cats, and now only 3,200 tigers remain in the wild. It is our responsibility to protect what is left of the tigers and allow them to reclaim their place in the wild. Together we can do it! It starts with supporting the right organizations. That’s why Moondance supports the Wildlife Conservation Society, which has more boots on the ground protecting tigers than any other organization in the world.Will you join us?
The Gourma region of central Mali, Western Africa, is home to one of the very last herds of desert elephants. Mali’s special elephants are the remains of a population that makes the longest annual migration to find water and food of all elephants. But like other elephants in Africa, they’re disappearing at an alarming rate, due to global warming and extensive poaching, and Mali’s desert elephants could go extinct much sooner than others. Poachers killed more than 80 desert elephants in 2015, for their ivory tusks, with 16 more killed just since January this year. These very special elephants could be extinct in only three years unless the Malian government does more to protect them from poachers. Poachers have taken advantage of the political unrest and violence in the lawless north to step up their ivory trafficking. THE SITUATION IN MALI IS URGENT! If people like you take a stand on the elephants’ behalf, we have an opportunity to save this herd for future generations. Your message to the Environment Minister will help save Mali’s desert elephants.
Please forward this news-blog to your creative artist colleagues!
Entries may be submitted by writers, directors, producers, editors,
cinematographers, composers, actors or distributors.
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We have provided a way for you to submit via mail, our own online submission form above or through WAB or Film Freeway. If you prefer submission by mail please download form above and print out the form below and print out the 2016 MOONDANCE RELEASE FORM, clearly fill in the info required, and enclose a check or money order in US $ for the entry fee (regular: $50 to May 31st, extended: $75 to June 1st- 15th, late: $100 to June 16th – June 30th), plus your submission, and mail or courier it to: MOONDANCE FILM FESTIVAL – 970 9th STREET –BOULDER, CO 80302 USA
Moondance now offers feedback & professional critiques on screenplays, stage plays, and TV pilots that are submitted for the 2016 competition, for only $50! Select the FEEDBACK option on the FilmFreeway entry form, or the Moondance entry form. Meet our professional reader, Jasmine Sahu, at: https://moondancefilmfestival.com/meetouradvisoryboard/
“Your festival looks great! I love your festival’s mission of celebrating bold and fearless work.” ~ James Raue, filmmaker, UK
DON’T MISS THESE PLANNED EVENTS AT THE 2016 FILM FESTIVAL:
~September 4th & 5th, Boulder, Colorado, USA~
INDIE FILM SCREENINGS (documentaries, animation, music videos, foreign, feature & short films)
PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS FOR FILMMAKERS, WRITERS & COMPOSERS
PRODUCTIVE NETORKING PARTIES & EVENTS DAILY
CELEBRITY APPEARANCE & PHOTO-OPS
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS WITH THE PROS
Q&As WITH THE FILM DIRECTORS
AFTER-PARTIES EACH EVENING
GALA AWARDS CEREMONY & BANQUET RECEPTION!
Boulder has been named the official “TREE CITY USA” by the Arbor Day Foundation, for the 32nd year, and is often called The Emerald City, due to all the green trees and vistas of our town’s surrounding green open-spaces natural habitat!
Boulder’s famous Flatirons Peaks & Greenbelt, less than a mile from downtown!
WANT TO HELP OUT DURING THE 2016 FILM FESTIVAL?
See our list of volunteer opportunities & download the sign-up form HERE
Our dedicated volunteers help make this event so successful!
Volunteers can earn free tickets to films & workshops, based on volunteer hours
SUBSCRIBE NOW to the popular Moondance news-blog for info, updates, articles, creative inspiration, & announcements:www. moondancefilmfestival.com/blog
If you’ve already submitted your project to the 2016 competition, & have subscribed to the news-blog, thanks a million!
Our hearts go out to the families, friends, loved ones, the world LGBTQ community, the survivors, and the victims of the terrible, senseless tragedy in Orlando, Florida.
If you’re a screenwriter, producer, actor, film director, etc. then you need to have a “network.” What is a “network,” exactly? It’s the web of relationships that allows you to do the work you love and get paid for it. Michelangelo, Shakespeare, Tolkien and Lewis all understood the value of building a strong professional network. Their careers wouldn’t have flourished in the same way if they’d locked themselves away in their offices, never attending parties, never introducing themselves to influential figures of the day, never forming friendships. They understood that nobody works “alone.” Everyone needs a tribe. It’s up to you to build your tribe, work your connections, and use your storytelling skills to create an online presence that says, “I’m somebody you definitely want to know.” READ MORE:
MOONDANCE BLOG EDITOR’S NOTE:
Attend important film festivals, like Moondance, for productive networking opportunities!
The response to (Virtually) Everything Story has been INCREDIBLE! Thanks to everyone who has written, sharing how much value they have gotten out of watching the free interviews in the Future of Storytelling Library! These the absolute TOP names in the industry sharing CUTTING EDGE information, which is going to put you years ahead of your competition. This is what storytelling is going to look like in the future! ~ Ken Lee,Michael Wiese Books
Here’s just some of what’s going to be happening & when…
Wednesday, June 15th
John Truby ~ Novels: The Number One Screenwriting Strategy Today: Why Being a Novelist is Your Ticket to Hollywood Success
Michael Hauge ~ Crafting Transformative Characters: Taking Your Characters From Identity to Essence
Friday, June 17th
Jen Grisanti ~ Writing A TV Pilot That Sells: Setting Up The Structure
Carole Kirschner ~ The Unwritten Rules of Hollywood: What They Don’t Teach You in Film School
Sunday, June 19th
Pamela Jaye Smith ~ Creating Our Next Mythologies
Thursday, June 23rd
Michael Jorgensen ~ Power Narrative: the Secrets of Documentary Storytelling
Friday, June 24th
Chris Vogler ~ E-Motion Pictures: How to Channel the Power of Emotions in the Body
“YES, I WANT TO REGISTER FOR (VIRTUALLY) EVERYTHING STORY!” CLICK HERE
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT TODAY
LIFE’S LITTLE LEAPS: THE NEW “NO”!
Learn how to banish toxic ‘people-pleasing’ from your life
By Lou Hamilton
A kid who brings an apple to the teacher has a mission. Get the teacher to like him or her and mark his or her grades higher. The manipulation is obvious and we scorn such tactics. And yet as we grow older many of us adopt such people pleasing poses. Not me, you say. But have you ever wanted to avoid conflict or tried to second-guess other people’s behaviours or reactions? Do you have a tendency to give up on your own desires and thoughts in deference to others? Does imagining that someone will get angry change the course of your actions? Is disapproval unbearable?
The trouble is people start to expect it when you hand out ‘yes’ like free candy. Like a drug addict you have to give more and more away to receive less and less appreciation. And the anger, resentment and bitterness grows like a fire-ball in your throat. Nice You on the outside is a thin veneer to the seething pit of snakes spitting venom on the quiet. People-pleasing depletes your energy and your reserves. You begin to feel that you have nothing left to give, but still people keep taking, because you let them.
So you decide enough’s enough. You take a stand. You start to say No. You start to value your time, your space and your self-worth. And what do you gain with your New No? You gain self-respect. You gain time. You gain rest and energy. You gain the ability to say yes to the things that you want to say yes to. You gain self-confidence. You gain the right to be direct and authentic. You gain space to breathe. You gain power over your own destiny. You gain inner strength. You will open the flood gates for your creativity, and when you do that your life will start to flow.
Lou Hamilton is a Creative Coach & she will help you get over your people-pleasing tendencies, so that you can get on with living the life you want. Email for a free consultation Lou@createlab.co.uk
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The benefits of nature-walking, picnicking, hiking, climbing trees, observing wildlife, wildflowers and natural environments, seeing spectacular vistas, running and being out on your own in Nature or with friends or family works in subtle, ways. Such activities help maintain body, mind and spirit, and give a sense of belonging, of being grounded and one with the Earth. It is of huge benefit, enjoyed in no other way, and so, we need to do all we can ensure that these open spaces and unspoiled, native areas will be there for future generations to enjoy, too!
CAN YOU SEE ME?
“Can You See Me?” short documentary film, Lou Hamilton, director, UK
Take a look at this poignant & thought-provoking 10-minute short film by multiple-award-winning Moondance filmmaker, Lou Hamilton, UK (scroll down to 3rd one shown): Can You See Me? 100 West End stars transform London’s Trafalgar Square into a Flashmob aimed at raising awareness about child sex trafficking at:https://createlabproductions.com/films-2/
MOONDANCE SUPPORTS & RECOMMENDS:
GIVE WHALES AND OTHER OCEAN LIFE SOME PEACE AND QUIET!
By Tatiana Schlossberg, New York Times, June 3, 2016
The ocean is loud: Ship propellers, sonar, oil and gas drilling and other industrial work make sounds, even if, like the proverbial tree falling in the forest, no one can hear it. But marine animals can, and all that noise has been shown to interfere with their behavior, since many of them, from whales to invertebrates, use sound for all kinds of activities, including to communicate, to find food or each other, to avoid predators and to migrate.
And while the ocean was never a quiet place — full of natural rumblings, clickings and chatterings — the problem has grown worse over the last 100 years or so, and significantly increased over the last 50 years in some places, much of it from commercial shipping, according to theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
This whale and dolphin stranding was proven to be the direct result of sonar abuse.
So the agency, which manages and protects marine life in United States waters, released on Wednesday a draft for a strategy to reduce the effects of ocean noise, and invited public comment. TheOcean Noise Strategy Roadmapdraft is an early step in a 10-year plan to quiet the oceans and reduce some of the harmful effects on aquatic species. The public comment period will end July 1, and a more concrete plan will be put in place in the coming months.READ MORE:
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NO OCEAN, NO US!
By Kristen Krumhardt, Guest Opinion, Daily Camera, June 8, 2016
Ph.D. candidate in environmental studies at CU Boulder
Have you thanked the ocean lately? In celebration of World Ocean Day (June 8), I want to remind everyone that, as distant as the ocean may seem, it sustains us and we impact it. Not only does the ocean provide one billion people with protein everyday (90 % of those who live in developing countries and have no alternatives), but also microscopic plants living in the ocean provide more than half of the oxygen we breathe. The ocean contains tremendous biodiversity, both valuable and beautiful. Coral reef ecosystems are especially diverse, providing millions with food, medicine, storm protection, as well as revenue from tourism. The neurological, psychological, and emotional changes that occur when we are near water are scientifically documented.
“We have an enormous impact on the ocean, not only through the physical connection of our watersheds, but also through the interconnectedness of Earth’s ecological systems as a whole,” says Vicki Nichols Goldstein, founder of theColorado Ocean Coalition. Her motto is, “You don’t have to see the ocean to protect it,” Indeed, runoff from our cities & farms goes directly into streams, rivers, and, ultimately, to the ocean.
Not only are we connected to the ocean via rivers and streams, but also through the atmosphere. We can add “climate change modulator” to the list of services the ocean provides, as it absorbs both heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Thanks to the ocean, the world is cooler than it would otherwise be, given the amount of excess carbon we humans have pumped into the sky through the burning of fossil fuels. As the Global Ocean Commission frames it: “no ocean, no us.”READ MORE:(Excerpt & edit by EE)
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DEFEND THE (SMALL, BUT) MIGHTY KRILL!
Krill are the bees of the seas. Small creatures that play a giant role in our web of life. Without krill, the future would be bleak for Antarctica’s penguins, seals, and whales. But the fish oil industry has it out for krill. They are sucking up krill by the millions from Antarctica’s Southern Ocean, with some nations planning to expand their operations by seven-fold.
You’d think super-food krill would be safe from human interference in the frigid, distant waters around Antarctica. But the most biologically-productive section of the Southern Ocean has seen an 80% drop in krill, likely owing to climate change & the krill industry’s increased catch making a rebound even less likely. Fish oil supplements are surging in popularity. They’ve also contributed to the collapse of forage fish like herring and anchovies in some regions.
The most sustainable option for our oceans & the survival of marine life is to usevegetarian and vegan options— of which there are many.
Moondance now offers feedback & professional critiques on screenplays, stage plays, and TV pilots that are submitted for the 2016 competition, for only $50! Select the FEEDBACK option on the FilmFreeway entry form, or the Moondance entry form. Meet our professional reader, Jasmine Sahu, at: https://moondancefilmfestival.com/meetouradvisoryboard/
Jasmine Sahu
The Moondance International Film Festival, featuring its distinct cinematic visions and bold film selections, has distinguished itself around the world as much more than an annual film festival! The Moondance is a unique community, a supportive, productive, and creative year-round collaboration between independent filmmakers and movie audiences, between writers, music composers and the world of top-quality filmed entertainment.
DON’T MISS THESE PLANNED EVENTS AT THE 2016 FILM FESTIVAL:
~September 4th & 5th, Boulder, Colorado, USA~
INDIE FILM SCREENINGS (documentaries, animation, music videos, foreign, feature & short films)
PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS FOR FILMMAKERS, WRITERS & COMPOSERS
PRODUCTIVE NETORKING PARTIES & EVENTS DAILY
CELEBRITY APPEARANCE & PHOTO-OPS
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS WITH THE PROS
Q&As WITH THE FILM DIRECTORS
AFTER-PARTIES EACH EVENING
GALA AWARDS CEREMONY & BANQUET RECEPTION!
SUBSCRIBE to the popular Moondance news-blog for info, updates, articles, creative inspiration, & announcements:
You must be great. Your first script must be great in order to sell. Why? Because it has two challenges that it must meet. First, it must be better than the mass of other submissions from first-timers. Luckily, this may not be so difficult if you do a good job. Second, your work must be strong enough to shoulder its way through the ranks of established writers to find a place in the production budget. If the producer or agent who has just read it doesn’t want to give you a contract to purchase the piece, then your work, as it stands at that moment, simply isn’t good enough. In the end, you have to wow them. Anything less leads to a failure.
You must understand this. There is no middle ground, for there are only two types of scripts. A work is either: 1. Great-and-wonderful and anyone who reads it wants to buy it, or 2. Not good enough and it gets rejected. It sounds like a near impossible task, but time and time again, I have seen new writers embrace what is necessary to succeed. So I know it is inside each one of you to make your script great.READ MORE:
Monarch butterfly mural in Minneapolis, Minn., by Roger Peet and Barry Newman
• Just as nature inspires art, art inspires actions to defend wild places and the wild creatures that live in them. With this in mind, the Center for Biological Diversity is launching an Endangered Species Mural Project, teaming up with local artists to bring endangered wildlife onto the streets through art in cities and towns around the country. Spearheaded by Portland artist Roger Peet, the mural project will feature wildlife species that are special to their regions, promoting an affinity for the natural world and the diverse species that help define it.
• “Everywhere on Earth is unique, with qualities that distinguish it from other places both near and far. One of those qualities is the biodiversity of a place — the plants and animals that call it home and may not be found anywhere else. Those species embody an area’s natural history and contribute to what makes it irreplaceable. They also have something to say about the future, as many are in danger of going extinct. And when we lose species, the places and lives we live become poorer and shallower places as a result. To help bring these species into the light, we decided to paint them on the walls.
Mountain caribou mural in Sandpoint, Idaho, by Mazatl & Joy Mallari
“The goal of this project is to create murals in towns and cities around the United States that focus on endangered species, fostering connections between people and the other forms of life that surround them. Whether that’s a fish in a river, a butterfly flitting from plant to plant, or a caribou chewing lichen off a tree trunk, we’re bringing together artists and communities to create big, bold images that will become part of the neighborhoods where they’re created, making it a little easier for people to care about the native species struggling to survive in their midst.” ~ Roger Peet
Arctic grayling mural by Roger Peet in Butte, Montana
“Good or bad, each of life’s events is a steppingstone to a greater tomorrow.” ~ Juanita Foster
Boulder has been named the official “TREE CITY USA” by the Arbor Day Foundation, for the 32nd year, and is often called The Emerald City, due to all the green trees and vistas of our town’s surrounding green open-spaces & natural riparian habitat!
Boulder Creek
MOONDANCE SUPPORTS & RECOMMENDS:
DRILLING FOR OIL OFF OUR COASTS PUTS US ALL AT RISK
When Shell Oil dumped nearly 90,000 gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico a few weeks ago, it was just the latest in a long line of reminders of what happens when we allow Big Oil to drill for oil off our coasts. Everywhere you look, oil companies are spilling crude wherever they operate. Meanwhile, month after month and year after year, we’re experiencing record high temperatures, which will bring the devastating impacts of climate disruption to our doorsteps, no matter where we live.
Scientists are warning us that up to 80 % of fossil fuel reserves must be kept in the ground, unburned, to prevent the worst effects of climate disruption, so ending offshore drilling is critical to protecting current and future generations. And given the greater difficulty of cleaning crude oil from coastal ecosystems — and the serious harm that pollution causes — ending risky offshore drilling is a no-brainer.
If you agree it’s time to move beyond dirty fuels, and keep them safely in the ground, take action today to make sure we start by putting an end to dangerous offshore drilling!
We all know the problems caused by dirty energy: Air and water pollution undermine our quality of life. Yet we have the solution. Clean energy saves money, creates good-paying jobs, and protects our health and climate.
Scientists have just announced that 93% of the Reef is now ‘bleaching’ due to warming waters – a direct result of carbon pollution from mining and burning fossil fuels. And coal is the most polluting of them all. Together, we can bring an end to dirty coal. The evidence is black and white. Coal pollution destroys the things we love. So we will build a world without it. Clean air and water, free from coal pollution. Protected natural wonders and a thriving Reef. Clean politics, free from fossil-fuelled corruption. And a fair deal for the coal workers who deserve a just transition.
That’s why we’re building an unstoppable wave of global citizens who are willing to stand up for a world that puts people first, instead of coal. Now the world has promised to move on from toxic energy – and it’s up to us to hold leaders to their word.Will you take the next step with me and join the Coal Free movement?
Please forward this news-blog to your creative artist colleagues!
“I am a first time film-maker, and I have just completed a very passionate piece about alcoholism and recovery. To be accepted to the Moondance International Film Festival would be amazing, because your mission statement is hands down the most positive and encouraging message I have seen. Not only that, but as someone who spent 8 years in Colorado, I would be honored to bring my inspiring film back to the state I love so much.” ~ Ryan Slattery
“In recent years, I’ve been inspired by the number of women who have spoken up about gender discrimination in the industry, and I’m very excited and grateful that Moondance exists to champion women’s voices. Thank you for providing a forum for diverse filmmakers! There’s been a lot of great work lately by women’s activists to make our storytelling more diverse. Because nearly 60% of women 15-50 are mothers, we believe that parenting should be a part of the conversation.” ~ Mathilde Dratwa www.momsinfilm.org
INSIDER TIP:
MAKING A GREAT PROMOTIONAL TRAILER
By Elizabeth English
Do you want to have a really good 2-3-minute trailer to send to producers, studios, film festival competitions, for your website & in social media ? Haven’t quite finished post on your film yet, but want to promote it now? How about making a trailer for your screenplay to help sell it, or to promote donations on a crowd-funding website for film production?
Great trailers are in a special class of their own; little polished gems that showcase your film, and make people want to see more! But film trailers can be more difficult to make really well than the entire film, itself. It can be more time-consuming, judicious editing must be a main concern, you have to tell the main story, theme & concept quickly, harder scene decisions need to be made, and you need to sell your film in three to five minutes, max!
Can you tell the main story, introduce the lead characters, show the main conflict, and give the viewer a visual, memorable impression in under three to five minutes? And, remember, you need to hook the viewer in the first few seconds! You probably don’t even have a full 5 minutes to do the job, unless the first 30-60 seconds are fantastic.READ MORE!
Academy Award-winning actor Geena Davis says she genuinely expected the incredible success of “Thelma & Louise” 25 years ago to bring about real change for women in film. However, reflecting on the media’s reaction at the time, Davis said: “I totally believed it. As time wore on, I realized — so every few years a movie comes out starring women and does great. … Twenty-five years later, it’s astounding to realize that things have not changed in any way.” READ MORE:
MOONDANCE SUPPORTS & RECOMMENDS:
Medical aid where it is needed most. Independent. Neutral. Impartial.
At its core, the purpose of our humanitarian action is to save the lives and ease the suffering of people caught in acute crises, thereby restoring their ability to rebuild their lives and communities. In the countries where Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) works, one or more of the following crises is occurring or has occurred: In conflict zones, MSF does not take sides. We provide medical care based on needs alone. With more than 40 years experience, MSF are experts in rolling out emergency disaster response.
A large part of our work focuses on providing care to people caught in hidden emergencies. We work around the world to help provide people fleeing their homes with the medical care they need. In many places, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is able to have an impact beyond its immediate activities, reaching populations or pioneering the use of practices in ways that have far-reaching and lasting consequences.
CAN CITIZENS SUE THE GOVERNMENT OVER CLIMATE CHANGE?
May 23, 2016
To protect the world they will inherit, youth advocates have begun suing the government for more aggressive action on climate change. Their arguments are often unconventional, but some suits are making progress. In Oregon, a judge allowed a lawsuit filed on behalf of 21 teenagers and children to proceed against the federal government, and in Massachusetts, youth advocates and nonprofits successfully sued the state for not living up to its 2008 restrictions on greenhouse gases.
“No issue is more important than the threat to the planet posed by climate change. The courts must ensure that the government takes essential action to prevent it as much as possible. The public trust doctrine requires that the government protect the nation’s natural resources; the failure to control carbon emissions imperils those resources in a truly unprecedented way. Ocean acidification, melting icecaps and ice sheets, biodiversity loss and extreme weather events — caused in part by man-made carbon emissions — all impact essential public resources that United States officials have a duty to protect for the sake of successive generations.” ~ Erwin Chemerinsky
“Young people worldwide have decided to stop waiting for the “adults” to look past personal political interests and immediate financial arrangements and address climate change. And the litigation they pursue could influence better policy. More broadly, we are seeing citizens take up the fight of climate justice, which frames climate change and pollution as an ethical and societal issue, as opposed to purely environmental. Environmental degradation is a social injustice because it almost always falls more heavily on marginalized groups across the globe — the young, poor, racial and ethnic minorities and indigenous communities. The good news is that groups unfairly disadvantaged through environmental degradation are fighting back. ~ Carlton Mark Waterhouse
“Litigation has always been an essential tool for solving social problems. And the science behind this social problem is clear: We must transition to 100 percent renewable energy and virtually eliminate greenhouse emissions in just a few decades to avert horrific harm to the planet’s most vulnerable people and our very web of life. Groundbreaking legal action is, and will be, especially crucial in combating climate change. That’s why lawsuits brought by young people to force more ambitious action are so important.” ~ Kassie Siegel
SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:
“”There are many things worth living for; there are very few things worth dying for, but there is nothing worth killing for.” ~ Tom Robbins
The Moondance International Film Festival, featuring its distinct cinematic visions and bold film selections, has distinguished itself around the world as much more than an annual film festival! The Moondance is a unique community, a supportive, productive, and creative year-round collaboration between independent filmmakers and movie audiences, between writers, music composers and the world of top-quality filmed entertainment.
The 4-star St Julien Hotel & Spa is within walking distance of more than 200 shops and 80 restaurants, just steps from the historic Pearl Street Mall, the beautiful University of Colorado campus, miles of hiking and biking trails nearby, and the winding, tree-lined Boulder Creek path, plus a the fabulous views of the magnificent foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
DON’T MISS THESE PLANNED EVENTS AT THE 2016 FILM FESTIVAL:
INDIE FILM SCREENINGS (documentaries, animation, music videos, foreign, feature & short films)
PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS FOR FILMMAKERS, WRITERS & COMPOSERS
PRODUCTIVE NETORKING PARTIES & EVENTS DAILY
CELEBRITY APPEARANCE & PHOTO-OPS
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS WITH THE PROS
Q&As WITH THE FILM DIRECTORS
AFTER-PARTIES EACH EVENING
GALA AWARDS CEREMONY & BANQUET RECEPTION!
SUBSCRIBE NOW to the popular Moondance news-blog for info, updates, articles,creative inspiration, & announcements:www. moondancefilmfestival.com/blog
If you’ve already submitted your project to the 2016 competition, & have subscribed to the news-blog, thanks a million!
Top-quality Indie film screenings (documentaries, animation, music videos, drone films, feature & short films); professional workshops for filmmakers, writers & composers; productive networking cocktail parties & events daily; celebrity appearances & photo-ops; private consultations with the pros; industry keynote speakers; Q&As with the film directors; after-parties each evening; gala awards ceremony & reception, and more!
MOONDANCERS WRITE US:
“I consider Moondance one of the best festivals in the USA, and it will be a pleasure for me to submit my film, hoping to be considered and making it to the final selection. I think it is important to give voice to the people who don’t have one. I want to share this story with as many people I can, and I hope we could have a window at your prestigious festival.” ~ Giulio Poidomani (Italy)
“It is an honor to submit for your consideration The Lipiński. Director Nate Townsend has for many years had a fruitful relationship with Moondance, having won in 2013 with the short film “The Painter”. Having attended in the past, we are aware of the incredible experience offered to filmmakers. We appreciate the opportunities that Moondance has provided us in the past. An acceptance to Moondance would be a wonderful honor and an exciting new chapter in an already wonderful relationship.” ~ John Hayden, producer (USA)
“I’m really keen on participating in your fabulous festival, as an independent female filmmaker from Iran. I am truly proud of my culture and history but as the matter of fact, almost all filmmakers from my hometown are faced with adverse conditions, especially, in terms of submitting their artworks to international festivals. All things considered, I believe that Iranian filmmakers do incredible work, despite all these limitations, and your prestigious film festival is a promising window for filmmakers.” ~ Tahereh (Iran)
MOONDANCE SUPPORTS & RECOMMENDS:
FAUNA & FLORA INTERNATIONAL‘s work spans across the globe, with over 140 projects in over 40 countries, mostly in the developing world. We proudly stand up for biodiversity and aim to show just how relevant it is to all of those who share the planet.
OUR VISION: A sustainable future for the planet, where biodiversity is effectively conserved by the people who live closest to it, supported by the global community.
OUR MISSION: To act to conserve threatened species and ecosystems worldwide, choosing solutions that are sustainable, based on sound science and take into account human needs.
Photo credit: www.neenicreations.com
Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is making a real difference to the planet’s biodiversity. By finding where we are needed most and forming successful partnerships, we have managed to save some of the world’s most beautiful, fascinating and threatened wildlife and ecosystems. In total FFI is directly influencing the conservation of over 13.5 million hectares of important conservation lands and sea. Our support for habitat protection around the world is helping to create safe havens where biodiversity can flourish.Here are some key success stories:
Lions have long been considered the kings of the jungle — but their reign may be coming to an end. The population of African lions is less than HALF of what it was just 30 years ago, and their populations have been wiped out across much of Africa. Experts say that unless something changes, African lions could be extinct in the wild by 2050. We can’t stand idly by while poachers drive lions into extinction. But if we don’t take action, soon there will be none left. Sign Your Name: Demand an end to lion poaching and help protect this species from extinction >>The public outcry over lion deaths is growing. With your help, we can & will send a message to poachers around the world that their actions come with severe consequences.
“If you’re not happy every morning when you get up, leave for work, or start to work at home, if you’re not enthusiastic about doing that, you’re not going to be successful.” ~ Ronald M. Kendall
“All manner of lessons were learned on the front porch. When the front porches disappeared, so did the stories and the wisdom with them.” ~ Philip Gulley
Top-quality Indie film screenings (documentaries, animation, music videos, drone films, feature & short films); professional workshops for filmmakers, writers & composers; productive networking cocktail parties & events daily; celebrity appearances & photo-ops; private consultations with the pros; industry keynote speakers; Q&As with the film directors; after-parties each evening; gala awards ceremony & reception, and more!
“Flatirons-Moonset”, view from Boulder, Colorado / Photo by Charles Pfeil www.ArrowPhotos.com
The Moondance International Film Festival, featuring its distinct cinematic visions and bold film selections, has distinguished itself around the world as much more than an annual film festival! The Moondance is a unique community, a supportive, productive, and creative year-round collaboration between independent filmmakers and movie audiences, between writers, music composers and the world of top-quality filmed entertainment.
THE MOONDANCE MISSION:
Through top-quality indie films, writings and music, the Moondance International Film Festival promotes non-violent conflict resolution and inspires equality for women and girls, as well as encouraging awareness and action to resolve vital environmental issues and global humanitarian crises. We honor filmmakers, writers & composers who actively increase awareness, provide multiple viewpoints and address complex social issues.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE to the popular Moondance news-blog for info, updates, articles, creative inspiration, & announcements:
If you’ve already submitted your project to the 2016 competition, & have subscribed to the news-blog, thanks a million!
2016 MOONDANCE VENUE ANNOUNCEMENT: Moondance 2016 will be held in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. We look forward to meeting new friends & colleagues, as well as seeing old friends again, as we celebrate the 17th annual Moondance International Film Festival, on Sunday & Monday, September 4th & 5th. Our fabulous event venue & host hotel, where we’ll be screening our films, holding workshops, as well as the awards ceremony & gala reception, is the luxurious 4-star St. Julien Hotel & Spa, located right in the heart of Boulder’s historic downtown.
The luxurious 4-star St Julien Hotel & Spa is within walking distance of more than 200 shops and 80 restaurants, and just steps from the historic Pearl Street Mall, the beautiful University of Colorado campus, miles of hiking and biking trails nearby, the winding, tree-lined Boulder Creek path, and fabulous views of the foothills of the magnificent Rocky Mountains!
The Ice House Cover, with a Lincoln stamp from 1869, Photo credit: Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries Inc., via Associated Press“Consider the lowly postage stamp: its usefulness consists of the ability to stick to one thing until it gets there.” ~ Josh Billings
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Photo credit: Dominique Browning
“When will our consciences to grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than create it?” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
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“Strength in numbers is the delight of the timid. The valiant in spirit, however, glory in fighting alone.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
MOONDANCE SUPPORTS & RECOMMENDS:
Last Chance to Protect Yellowstone’s Grizzlies!
Thanks to vigorous conservation efforts, grizzly bears are once again part of Yellowstone National Park’s identity. But efforts to stabilize the region’s grizzly population have been jeopardized by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to strip Endangered Species protections from Greater Yellowstone’s grizzlies. Management would be handed over to the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho — all three of which plan to start trophy hunts of grizzlies, while denying them access to prime, biologically suitable habitat on public lands.
Anti-wildlife interests are using our National Defense bill to pass provisions that would dismantle protections for imperiled wildlife, despite the fact that these measures have absolutely nothing to do with national defense! This is a grossly inappropriate action by members of Congress who are completely preoccupied with pushing special interest agendas, no matter the cost. Have they no shame?
To state the obvious, these provisions don’t belong in a National Defense bill and both the Department of Defense and the White House oppose them!
Congress is grossly overstepping its bounds by advancing political agendas at the expense of imperiled species. We knew the 114th Congress would be anti-wildlife, and it has exceeded our fears with more than 100 attacks on the Endangered Species Act. This newest attack is just another blatant example of Congress substituting politics for science.Help keep anti-wildlife politics out of our National Defense bill!
Thank you for your interest in the Moondance International Film Festival!
Please forward this news-blog to your creative artist colleagues!
DON’T MISS THESE EXCITING EVENTS AT OUR 17th ANNUAL FILM FESTIVAL:
Top-quality Indie film screenings (documentaries, animation, music videos, drone films, feature & short films); professional workshops for filmmakers, writers & composers; productive networking cocktail parties & events daily; celebrity appearances & photo-ops; private consultations with the pros; industry keynote speakers; Q&As with the film directors; after-parties each evening; gala awards ceremony & reception, and more!
Lights, Camera, Action!The Moondance International Film Festival cordially invites all talented US & International filmmakers, writers and music composers to submit their films, written works and original music to our 17th annual competition.
“Flatirons-Moonset”, view from Boulder, Colorado / Photo by Charles Pfeil www.ArrowPhotos.com
ANNOUNCEMENT: We appreciate their warm welcome, but due to unforeseen circumstances, Moondance 2016 will not be held in Montreal, Canada. The film festival will be held, once again, in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. We look forward to meeting new friends & colleagues, as well as seeing old friends again, as we celebrate the 17th annual Moondance International Film Festival in September!
“Happy Moondance Winners”
Moondance features the very best of indie films, music & writing by talented artists from around the world, Plan now to participate in this unique competition and film festival! For the last 16 years, the annual Moondance International Film Festival has showcased many hundreds of top-quality award-winning indie films, and hosted filmmakers, writers, composers, actors, industry professionals and the media, from around the world.TAKE A LOOK INSIDE THE MOONDANCE PHOTO ALBUM!
INSIDER TIPS:
ON CREATIVITY
Excerpted from “One Hundred Names for Love” by Diane Ackerman
“What we airily label creativity typically blends so many features: risk-taking, perseverance, problem-solving, openness to experience, the need to share one’s inner universe, empathy, detailed mastery of a craft, resourcefulness, disciplined spontaneity, a mind of large general knowledge and strength that can be drawn to a particular, ample joy when surprised, the useful application of obsession, the innocent wonder of a child available to a learned adult, passion, a flexible grasp on reality, mysticism, a reaction against the status quo and preference for unique creations,
Revving up the brain doesn’t necessarily spur creative thinking. Vigilant calm works better. After all, the secret to good improvisation isn’t choosing the first thing that comes to mind, but the best thing. That means generating different possibilities, rotating mental images, juggling, rearranging, testing how each lurks in the mind, before settling on a solution.”
THE FIELD OF DREAMS: PLOT & STORYLINE
By Elizabeth English
“What we need is a story that starts with an earthquake and works its way up to a big climax.” ~ Sam Goldwyn
As in a farmer’s field, to reap a bountiful harvest, one must first plow the field and then sow the proper seeds for the harvest you desire. Your work as a writer is to plow, or plot, your story and seed it well with your characters, dialog and a well-defined, definitive storyline.
Action and conflict are vital elements in a successful, cinematic screenplay or story, as are subtext and back-story. Developing your characters and story arc are like abundant sunshine and rain; nourishment to benefit your harvest or script. First, select an interesting subject for your story! A subject that is of interest to a wide-ranging audience, and will be the kind of project many different types of readers and producers will select for a film production. A unique story, well-told is what gets selected and what wins.
What is story? What is plot? While story and plot might seem, at first, to be synonymous, in fact they are two different elements entirely. A plot is a narrative of events, with the emphasis on causality. Example: the plot of Taxi Driver might be summed up as, “Travis, an unstable and paranoid Vietnam vet, takes a job as a taxi driver, unsuccessfully tries to meet women, attempts to assassinate a presidential candidate, and finally fixates on saving a teenaged prostitute, killing her pimp and ironically becoming a kind of hero in the process,” The story might be, “Travis, an alienated young man, looks for and fails to find human connection in the urban jungle, where he finally explodes in a burst of violence.” The plot it what happens. The story in a script for a movie is why it happens, and how. A storyline is the development of characters and the unfolding of events within the plot.
As you can see from the example above, plot is almost always more complicated and long-winded than story. Plot is nothing more than the logical progression of events that is used to tell the story. Story is what the movie is about, and how it develops.
The storyline of a screenplay, book, film, or stageplay is its story and the way in which it develops the plot. A plot is always thought out in advance where B follows A, leading to some tension or climax. A storyline, which can be developed during the writing, doesn’t need to have any real tension. You could have a storyline of your day-to-day activities sitting in an office, but there’s no real plot to it. A story is a series of events recorded in their chronological order. A plot is a series of events deliberately arranged so as to reveal their dramatic, thematic, and emotional significance.
New Yorker magazine cartoon, by Isaac Littlejohn Eddy
A plot is a causal sequence of events, the “why” for the things that happen in the story. A narrative thread, or plot thread, refers to particular elements and techniques of writing to center the story in the action or experience of characters, rather than to simply relate a matter in narration. A story is a form and structure, used judicially, to tell about events, and cause the reader or film viewer to be interested – to want to know what will happen next or where it all is leading. A “storyline” is a series of events that occur through time; a “plot” is the telling of these events in ways that create reader interest.
Story is the chronological sequence of events, and plot is the causal and logical structure, which connects those events. While a narrative film’s plot is composed of events that happen, one after the other after the other, leading to a climax, its story is the essence of cause and effect. A successful screenplay is not composed of just the events, but includes the mood, the tone, and the theme. They’re both equally important, and you can’t have one without the other.
World leaders came together — on Earth Day – April 22, to officially sign a bold new plan to address the threat of global climate change, and recognizing the shared responsibility to take action on climate change, one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced, at UN headquarters in New York, where it’s expected to shatter the current record for the most countries signing an international accord in a single day. But this isn’t just a commitment for our leaders — we all have a role to play, and the time to act is now. The signing ceremony was an historic event — but what will it really mean for our planet at the grass roots?Click here to find out what’s next (and how you can help!):
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ADVICE FROM A TREE:
By Ilan Shamir
Stand tall and proud, sink your roots deeply into the earth, reflect the light of a greater source, think long-term, go out on a limb, remember and honor your place among all living beings, embrace with joy the changing seasons…
For each yields its own abundance: the energy and birth of Spring, the growth and contentment of Summer, the wisdom to let go of leaves in the Fall, the rest and quiet renewal of Winter…
Feel the wind and the sun, and delight in their presence, look up at the moon that shines down upon you, and the mystery of the stars at night, seek nourishment from the good things in life …
Be content with the simple pleasures: Earth, fresh air, sunlight & rain, your natural beauty; drink plenty of water, let your limbs sway and dance in the breezes, be flexible, remember your roots, and enjoy the view!
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT TODAY
Cornwall Path by the Sea, photo credit: Michael Weise
“Failure is only a postponed success, as long as one has courage, confidence, persistence and ambition. The habit of persistence is the habit of victory.” Edited from a quote byHerbert Kaufman
This news-blog is in honor of my mother, Leni, who won the Moondance Pioneer Award for her work as a child star in silent film, with Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Tom Mix & others. She passed away on April 17, in Boulder, at 101 years-old. ~ Elizabeth
* LENORE B. “LENI” CLUBB
Leni was born in Elkhart, IN, to Bernard English & Ethel Giffin. Brother: David English, Grandfather: famed diagnostician James Plasters English. Married Roland Chesbrough 1940 D: 1974, one daughter, Elizabeth (Chesbrough) English, of Boulder, CO. Married Roy D. Clubb 1947, D: 1976. Three grandchildren, Ari, Nicholas & Christopher, of NY, four great-grandchildren, Sophia, Dimitri, Angelina & Jasmine. Leni was a child star in the silent film era, with Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton & Tom Mix, “Our Gang” comedies, a cameo role in “Lorna Doone”, and her own matinee series, “Strongheart”. Her partner of 50 years, Hallie Cash, died in 2007. Leni was a published poet, archaeologist, pine-needle basket weaver, sculptor & watercolorist, atlatl expert & founder of the World Atlatl Assoc., Girl Scout leader in Fairbanks, Alaska, & was the only female ever inducted into the prestigious Order of the Arrow, at Philmont Scout Ranch, NM, for her work with the Boy Scouts of America, and was a life-long world traveler. She passed away in Boulder, CO, April 17, 2016, “raging at the dying of the light”, at the age of 101+, with her daughter at her side. A memorial service date to be announced.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE
MOONDANCE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Please forward this news-blog to your creative artist colleagues!
You may also submit your entry to Moondance via Withoutabox or FilmFreeway:
DON’T MISS THESE EXCITING EVENTS AT THE 2016 FILM FESTIVAL:
Top-quality Indie film screenings (documentaries, animation, music videos, drone films, feature & short films); professional workshops for filmmakers, writers & composers; productive networking cocktail parties & events daily; celebrity appearances & photo-ops; private consultations with the pros; industry keynote speakers; Q&As with the film directors; after-parties each evening; gala awards ceremony & reception, and more.
SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT TODAY:
“Charlie”, photo by C. Anastasiadis
“Know yourself. Don’t accept your dog’s non-judgmental admiration of you as conclusive evidence that you are simply wonderful.” ~ Ann Landers
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“Let your hook always be cast in the stream where you expect a fish.” ~ Ovid
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“Magic is believing in yourself. If you can do that, you can make anything happen.” ~ Goethe
ENVIRONMENTAL ALERTS
INDONESIA’S ORANGUTANS SUFFER AS FIRES RAGE
Excerpts from an article by: Joe Cochrane • April 5, 2016 • The New York Times
Photo by Kemal Jufri
The blazes in the Indonesian regions of Borneo and Sumatra are an annual occurrence, when farmers clear land by burning it, often for palm oil plantations. The blazes have recently destroyed more than 10,000 square miles of forests, blanketing large parts of Southeast Asia in a toxic haze for weeks, sickening hundreds of thousands of people and, according to the World Bank, causing $16 billion in economic losses.
Multinational palm oil companies, giant pulp and paper businesses, the huge plantations that sell to them, local farmers and even day laborers all contribute to the problem. While it is against Indonesian law to clear plantations by burning, enforcement is lax.
The fires also killed at least nine orangutans, the endangered apes native to the rain forests of Borneo and Sumatra. More than 100, trapped by the loss of habitat or found wandering near villages, had to be relocated. Seven orphans, including five infants, were rescued and taken to rehabilitation centers here. The suffering of the wildlife is part of a larger story of corporate expansion in a developing economy crashing into environmental issues in an era of climate change.
CLIMATE-RELATED DEATH OF CORAL AROUND WORLD
Excerpts from an article By Michelle Innis, April 9, 2016, New York Times
Photo credit XL Catlin Seaview Survey
SYDNEY, Australia — Reports of damaged or dying coral reefs around the world have become a major concern. Reefs that take centuries to form can be destroyed in weeks. The damage off Kiritimati is part of a mass bleaching of coral reefs around the world, only the third on record and possibly the worst ever. Scientists believe that heat stress from multiple weather events including the latest, severe El Niño, compounded by climate change has threatened more than a third of Earth’s coral reefs. Many may never recover.
Coral reefs are the crucial incubators of the ocean’s ecosystem, providing food and shelter to a quarter of all marine species, and they support fish stocks that feed more than one billion people. They are made up of millions of tiny animals, called polyps, that form symbiotic relationships with algae, which in turn capture sunlight and carbon dioxide to make sugars that feed the polyps. In Indonesia, fish supported by the reefs provide the primary source of protein. Rising temperatures due to climate change have pushed corals beyond their tolerance levels.
FUN FACTS: THE BAGEL LEGEND
It is said that, in 1683, a Jewish baker in Vienna, Austria, was looking for a way to thank the king of Poland for having protected his compatriots from the invading Turks. He created a small bread in the form of a stirrup (‘beugel’, in Austrian German), which pleasantly reminded the king, who loved riding, of his favorite hobby.
Adopted by the Polish, bagels became the official gifts offered to new mothers upon the birth of a child. They are even mentioned in the civil registers of communities of that era. Bagels were also used as nutritious teething rings that babies could easily chew and manipulate.
When bagels arrived in Russia, they were given the name “bubliki” They were sold at market stands and on city streets. Because of their circular form, they were said to bring happiness, and were believed to have magical powers. There even seems to have been songs about bagels! “The Bagels’ Bagel Book” by Marilyn and Tom Bagel
Thank you for your interest in the Moondance International Film Festival!
Please forward this news-blog to your creative artist colleagues!
The beautiful, historic city of Montréal, Canada, has welcomed Moondance to make its home there, and all are cordially invited to attend this very special 3-day weekend cultural event, September 23, 24, & 25.
Montréal, c’est si bon! This French-speaking city is considered the cultural capital of Canada, is a cosmopolitan celebration of Québécois style, and one of the world’s top waterfront cities. Canada’s most diverse metropolis, Montréal, is an historic city that favors classic style and elegance.
The second largest city in Canada, Montréal, was named North America’s leading host city for international events. French is the city’s official language, and Montréal is considered to be the historic heart of French Canada. The city is on the Island of Montréal. The port of Montréal, (the largest inland port on Earth), lies at one end of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, the river gateway that stretches from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
DON’T MISS THESE EVENTS AT THE 2016 FILM FESTIVAL:
Top-quality Indie film screenings (documentaries, animation, music videos, drone films, feature & short films); professional workshops for filmmakers, writers & composers; productive networking cocktail parties & events daily; celebrity appearances & photo-ops; private consultations with the pros; industry keynote speakers; Q&As with the film directors; after-parties each evening; gala awards ceremony & reception, and more!
Our Valued Sponsors :
XII Tribes Entertainment • Red Carpet International • 7Seas Productions • LGMA • BMW CANBEC Official Festival Car • NARAT official Festival Travel Agency
Here are just some examples of the delicious French cuisine you can enjoy during the 2016 Moondance in Montreal: escargots, croque monsieur, pot au feu, bouillabaisse, quiches, vichyssoise, croissants, cassoulet, crème brulèe, ratatouille, coq au vin, mousse au chocolat, profiteroles, and more!
You may also submit your entry to Moondance via Withoutabox or FilmFreeway:
Have Short Films About Colorado?
COLORADO REVEALED VIDEO CONTEST
Sponsored by The Colorado Film Office and The Audience Awards
We are accepting 1-minute videos about what makes Colorado great and giving away a share of $15,000, commemorative Hateful 8 film strips and the opportunity for films to reach a new, global audience. There is no submission fee. Here is the link to the contest for more information. Here is an article about the contest.
Our thoughts and prayers are with those who grieve for those lost & injured in Brussels.
Nos pensées et nos prières vont à tous qui pleurent pour les disparus et blessés à Bruxelles.
Onze gedachten en gebed zijn met een ieder die rouwt voor de verloren en gewonden in Brussel.
Through top-quality indie films, writings and music, the Moondance International Film Festival promotes non-violent conflict resolution and equality for women and girls, as well as encouraging awareness and action to resolve vital environmental issues and humanitarian crises.
Festival Founder, Executive Director & Creative Director
MICHEL ZGARKA
2016 Festival Executive Producer
GEORGES LECLERE
2016 Festival Executive Producer – USA/ International
ALAN ROGERS
2016 Festival Executive Producer – Sponsorships
YSÉ BRISSON
2016 Festival European Executive Producer
We look forward to meeting you in Montreal!
A MOONDANCER WRITES US:
“Bravo pour aller en Canada. How did this move happen?–that must be quite a story. We plan to submit a new feature doc soon. BTW — Walking in Two Worlds will air on PBS nationally on Earth Day! We’re excited & pleased. Salut et avec beaucoup d’esprit!” ~ Bo Boudart & Aline
MOONDANCE RECOMMENDS & SUPPORTS:
WOMEN EMPOWERING WOMEN
Around the world, women hold the key to overcoming poverty and making change happen for themselves. The potential of women to transform their lives is unlimited – if they are given the opportunity to shine. This is what drives us forward and powers our passion for a more just and equal world. Our mission toward achieving our vision is to inspire and connect women, to harness their skills, creativity and influence, thereby becoming catalysts of change in order to transform the challenges and injustices faced by the most disempowered women and girls in the world. We believe that empowered women and girls can make a positive difference not only to their own lives, but also those of the wider community.
After a meeting with Nelson Mandela in 2003, “I was shocked and appalled by the fact that so few people seemed to be aware of what was happening, let alone taking effective action. As a woman and mother, I resolved to contribute to supporting the cause and amplifying the virtually silent voice of women and children. It was a life-changing experience, and I became resolved to do whatever I could to make a difference. The concept of The Circle came from the notion of women supporting, connecting and inspiring each other to become advocates and change agents, through our passion, skills and ideas.” ~ Annie Lennox
Together, as contributors to the global women’s movement, we bring attention to important issues, amplifying the voices of vulnerable women. Working with respected partners, we seek out and support impactful projects, such as through its partnership with Oxfam, The Circle, founded by Annie Lennox, one of the most successful female British artists in pop music history, and highly respected political and social activist, has funded the creation of community protection groups within 28 communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and to raise awareness about International Women’s Day, we were involved in supporting a short film directed by Sam Taylor-Wood(Fifty Shades of Grey) and featuring actors Daniel Craig & Judi Dench. The film has been viewed over 2 million times on YouTube. We support a broad range of projects that help women to become independent and confident – able to stand up for their rights, and influence change. We need volunteers to support the work of our members, and help us to grow and reach more women who are want to turn their lives around.READ MORE:
The African Wildlife Foundation, together with the people of Africa, works to ensure the wildlife and wild lands of Africa will endure forever.
In Africa, deforestation and climate change give real cause for concern. The African continent is anticipated to experience more than its fair share of climate change’s negative impacts. From extreme weather patterns to losses in crop productivity to an overall decrease in the quality of life for both the people and wildlife that call Africa “home,” the effects of a changing climate are only continuing to accelerate. Deforestation throughout Africa is also troubling—while the continent is home to 17% of the world’s forests, it is losing them at four times the rate of the global average. A key component of AWF’s climate change mitigation efforts are Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation projects. Your financial support will help us end poaching and wildlife trafficking. Your partnership is vital to our mission to protect Africa’s most precious – and imperiled – creatures.READ MORE:
SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT TODAY:
CHOOSE…
“…to live by choice, not by chance; to make improvements, not excuses; to be motivated, not manipulated; to be useful, not used; to excel, not compete. Choose self-esteem, not self-pity. Choose to listen to your inner voice, not the random opinions of others.” ~ Author Unknown
“Without passion, one is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the strike of the iron before it can give forth its spark.” ~ Henri F. Amiel
Thank you for your interest in the Moondance International Film Festival!
Please forward this news-blog to your creative artist colleagues!
May 23, 2016
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