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Moondance Film Festival: Your Stepping Stones to Success!

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2016 CALL-FOR-ENTRIES!

~ June 30th DEADLINE FOR LATE ENTRIES! ~

For your best chance to win, send in your entry RIGHT AWAY!

WWW.MOONDANCEFILMFESTIVAL.COM

See our Submission Categories HERE!

(Films, written works & music)

See our Awards Categories HERE!

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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/

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“Your festival looks great! I love your festival’s mission of celebrating bold and fearless work.” ~ James Raue, filmmaker, UK

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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
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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!

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Boulder’s famous Flatirons Peaks & Greenbelt, less than a mile from downtown!

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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

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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!

Check out the website for more info:

WEBSITE: www.moondancefilmfestival.com

EMAIL: [email protected]

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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.

Image by www.pxleyes.com

Image by www.pxleyes.com

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INSIDER TIPS

3 SIMPLE STEPS TO EFFECTIVE NETWORKING

by Melissa Cassera, Stage32.com blogger

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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!

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(VIRTUALLY) EVERYTHING STORY

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

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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 [email protected]

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HIKING IN NATURE

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!  

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CAN YOU SEE ME?

 

 “Can You See Me?” doc film, Lou Hamilton, director, UK

“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/

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MOONDANCE SUPPORTS & RECOMMENDS:

GIVE WHALES AND OTHER OCEAN LIFE SOME PEACE AND QUIET!

By Tatiana Schlossberg, New York Times, June 3, 2016

Wild Atlantic dolphins photo by Atmo, Bimini, http://www.WildQuest.com

Wild Atlantic dolphins photo by Atmo, Bimini, http://www.WildQuest.com

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 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

DOLPHINS BEACHED

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. The Ocean Noise Strategy Roadmap draft 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 the Colorado 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!

Antarctica & whale taile

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 use vegetarian and vegan options — of which there are many.

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 SPOTTED DOLPHINS OF THE BAHAMAS!

Video by Conch Salad TV

DOLPHINS SPOTTED BIMINI

Atlantic Spotted Dolphins, photo by http://picscompany.com

SWIM WITH WILD DOLPHINS OFF BIMINI!

The Best Place To Swim With Dolphins In The Wild

www.wildquest.com

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Thank you

Please forward this news-blog to your creative artist colleagues!

 QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

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CONTACT US!

EMAIL: [email protected]m

WEBSITE: www.moondancefilmfestival.com

BLOG: www.moondancefilmfestival.com/blog

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Moondance has always been, and continues to be, a “Green” event!

No trees or natural habitats were harmed in the creation of this news-blog!

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Moondance Marches On; Come Join Us!

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Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. ~ Henry Ford

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Thank you for your interest in the Moondance International Film Festival!

MOONDANCE 2016 CALL-FOR-ENTRIES:

Accepting submissions

January 1 through June 30, 2016

PLEASE VISIT THESE PAGES ON THE WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO:

LINK TO SUBMISSION CATEGORIES LIST

LINK TO AWARDS CATEGORIES LIST

LINK TO SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

LINK TO OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM

LINK TO AWARDS BENEFITS

LINK TO MOONDANCE SUCCESSES

LINK TO THE MOONDANCE MISSION STATEMENT

You may also submit your entry to Moondance

via Withoutabox or FilmFreeway:

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Lights, Camera, Action! The Moondance International Film Festival invites all talented US & International filmmakers, writers and music composers to submit their films, written works and film scores to our annual season, to take place in September, at our fabulous & memorable festival event location venue.

Moondance is known as the “American Cannes” of film festivals, and 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 attend this major film festival! 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, celebrities, and media, from around the world.

The secret to our international success and longevity can be directly attributed to upholding our founding principles, goals, values and mission. We continually strive to inspire talented filmmakers, writers, composers and audiences, locally and globally, for the benefit of the community and the world. Maintaining the Moondance reputation for top-quality indie films, professional workshops, and productive networking events, is always the first priority. Our valued sponsors, donors, supporters, friends of the Moondance, as well as our staff, volunteers, competition entrants, enthusiastic audiences and festival attendees, are an integral element of our long-term and continued success.

DON’T MISS THESE EVENTS AT THE 2016 FILM FESTIVAL:

  • INDIE FILM SCREENINGS (documentaries, animation, music videos, drone films, feature & short films)

  • PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS FOR FILMMAKERS, WRITERS & COMPOSERS
  • PRODUCTIVE NETORKING COCKTAIL PARTIES & EVENTS DAILY
  • CELEBRITY APPEARANCES & PHOTO-OPS

  • INDUSTRY KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
  • PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS WITH THE PROS

  • Q&As WITH THE FILM DIRECTORS

  • NETWORKING AFTER-PARTIES
 EACH EVENING
  • GALA AWARDS CEREMONY & RECEPTION!

EGG & SPROUT

People are the creators and the story-tellers. Not machinery, not conglomerates, but talented, inspiring, creative people. We want to put faces to all the stories you are telling in films, screenplays, short stories, music, and more! Plan to attend the 17th annual Moondance International Film Festival in September. We want to get to know you!

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TAKE A LOOK INSIDE THE MOONDANCE PHOTO ALBUM!

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Click on album image!

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INSIDER TIPS FOR ACTORS:

YOU CAN ACT ON CAMERA!

HITCHCOCK + CROW

Insider Tips for Delivering a Great Performance, Every Time

By D. W. Brown 

Here’s another must-read title from Michael Wiese Productions. In this book, a companion piece to the author of the acclaimed book, You Can Act: A Complete Guide for Actors, states“…an actor and a camera have a special relationship and the conditions for recording a performance have their own unique challenges.” He fills this important and detailed book with 32 principles of Acting on Camera, An Actor’s Manifesto, and many other examples of the challenges a film actor may face during the shoot, and with well-thought out solutions and advice in this easy-to-follow book. It is an acting insider’s guide to getting the best performance from yourself, for the film’s director, as well as for the ultimate success of the film, and for your future career as an actor who can be trusted to be relied upon, no matter the character he or she plays, or the circumstances of a film production. READ MORE:

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WATCH THE VIDEO:

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~ History of the World in 2 Minutes ~

Hold on to your seat and don’t blink your eyes for a second!!  This is amazing. Seventeen year-old Joe Bush got a high school assignment to make a video reproduction. He chose history as a theme and tucked it all into a great 2 minute visual ride: http://marcbrecy.perso.neuf.fr/history.html

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MOONDANCE RECOMMENDS & SUPPORTS:

LOLITA DESERVES TO RETIRE IN PEACE AND DIGNITY!

ORCA LOLITA

Watch Ric O’Barry as he makes an impassioned plea to the owners of the Miami Seaquarium to allow Lolita, the solitary orca held in captivity for more than 46 years, to retire in peace and dignity. Photo credit: ScubaFilmFactory / VIMEO: https//vimeo.com/157166898

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Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project encompasses Ric’s work around the world as he saves dolphins from slaughter and exploitation. Visit DolphinProject.net for more details.

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OCEANIC PRESERVATION SOCIETY

SEA TURTLE & CORAL

The Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) is an Academy Award-winning team of filmmakers and activists, based in Boulder, Colorado, who are committed to sustainability and the preservation of our oceans and planet. OPS founder and director, Louie Psihoyos, takes us on a journey that illuminates the challenges facing species around the world. Join us in supporting Louie and his mission to save the planet.

WATCH THIS VIDEO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxi6ZdgqhOU

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PROTECT THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE GRIZZLY: STOP THE DE-LISTING!

GRIZ MOM & CUB

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has just released a proposal  to remove Endangered Species protections from grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone region. Grizzly bears are an essential piece of the American West, a wildlife icon that has been integral to the Yellowstone region for centuries. Each year, visitors spend millions in the region, hoping to catch a glimpse of a grizzly, this beautiful and powerful symbol of our wild heritage. And as an apex predator, their presence is crucial to the health of wildlife in the Greater Yellowstone region.

Thanks to Endangered Species protections, grizzly bears are making a remarkable recovery after being hunted to the brink of extinction — but they’re still vulnerable. The proposal to de-list the grizzly fails to preserve this progress — in fact,  it will reverse it. The bears’ naturally slow reproductive rate, loss of key food sources to climate change, and state plans to reduce numbers through methods like trophy hunts, all spell disaster. Get more details and take action HERE

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It’s critical that U.S. Fish and Wildlife gets this right, and this plan isn’t right. Speak out and demand a healthy future for Greater Yellowstone grizzlies today!

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IF OBAMA WASN’T “BLACK” BEFORE, HE IS NOW.

OBAMA & US FLAGartcreationforever.com

Article by Leonard Pitts, Jr.

Miami Herald, Feb. 29, 2016

Today’s column is for the benefit of one Dr. Benjamin Solomon Carson. He shouldn’t need what follows, but obviously does. No other conclusion is possible after his interview with Politico a few days ago.

The subject was Barack Obama and what the Republican presidential contender sees as the inferior quality of the president’s blackness. “He’s an ‘African’ American,” said Carson. “He was, you know, raised white. I mean, like most Americans, I was proud that we broke the color barrier when he was elected, but . . . he didn’t grow up like I grew up . . . ”

Want to know if you’re black? Try to rent a house in Miami. Try to hail a cab in Times Square. Try to win an Oscar in Hollywood. You’ll find out real quick. And there is something spectacularly absurd in the fact of Barack Obama being criticized as “not black” by a Republican.

Think about it: In the unlikely event he somehow managed to live the 47 years before his presidency without being insulted, bullied and oppressed by people who think they are white, Obama has sure made up for it since. Members of Carson’s party have called him “boy,” “uppity” and “ape” and have gone to extraordinary and unprecedented lengths to block him from doing . . . anything. So the good doctor can relax. If Obama wasn’t “black” before, he certainly is now. READ MORE:

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SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT TODAY:

“Amelia”, photo by SK

Amelia”, photo by SKV

Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement. ~ Golda Meir

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Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi

“The daring not only blaze new trails, the pave them for others.” ~ Source Unknown

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Candles-spiral

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of that candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. ~ Buddha

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Free hugs B&W

Love is the only force capable of transforming enemies into friends. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Image by pcwallart.com

It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves. ~ William Shakespeare

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Please forward this news-blog to your creative artist colleagues!

 QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

CONTACT US TYPEWRITER

EMAIL: [email protected]

WEBSITE: www.moondancefilmfestival.com

BLOG: www.moondancefilmfestival.com/blog

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No trees or natural habitats were harmed in the creation of this news-blog!

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