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JOIN MOONDANCERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!

by Elizabeth English

WHITE GATE W- HYDRANGEAS

C’mon in!

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REGULAR SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MAY 30

For your best chance to win, send in your entry early!

LATE SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JUNE 30

See our submission categories HERE!

Read our submission guidelines HERE!

Entry Form HERE!

Withoutabox for Moondance International Film Festival is now fully active for this season’s call for entries: www.withoutabox.com/login/1240.

Moondance International Film Festival dates:

September 7th & 8th,, 2015

Boulder, Colorado USA

Check out the website for more info:

WEBSITE: www.moondancefilmfestival.com

NEWS-BLOG: www.moondancefilmfestival.com/blog

EMAIL: [email protected]

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MOONDANCERS COME FROM AROUND THE WORLD!

Moondancers are part of an amazing worldwide community; a unique collaboration of multi-talented writers, film score composers, filmmakers and audiences. The Moondance mission is to entertain, inform, inspire, encourage and educate. We honor those artists who, through their creative work, actively increase awareness, provide multiple viewpoints, address complex social issues, and strengthen ties between international audiences At Moondance, you can come together with film audiences, filmmakers, writers, directors, producers, actors, agents, and composers to create new opportunities, develop tools for success and forge new alliances within the international film and entertainment industry.

FLAGS FOREIGN

In our continuing efforts to promote top-quality original filmmaking, writing and music composition by talented artists from around the world, the Moondance International Film Festival is very pleased to announce that our festival competitions have brought in great submissions, in all categories, from: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curaçao, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Korea, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tasmania, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Republic, the UK & US, Venezuela, and more!

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MOONDANCE RECOMMENDS: 

CINEMA FOR PEACE FOUNDATION

dove

The Cinema for Peace Foundation endeavors to promote worldwide peace and understanding through the support of cinematographic works, and to further develop the goals and activities established by the Cinema for Peace initiative and annual Gala.

 Film plays a significant role in highlighting inequality, injustice and inhumanity, as well as can offer a hope and vision for a better future. This being the primary reason why the Cinema for Peace Foundation works to provide an internationally recognizable and easily accessible platform for promoting human rights values, both in the first world and in afflicted countries.

The central mission of Cinema for Peace Foundation is to provide support through the funding, production and worldwide distribution and promotion of film projects, which focus on humanitarian and justice issues, such as the prevention of disease (e.g. AIDS), terrorism, ecocide, war, poverty and violation of human rights.

 Cinema for Peace Foundation supporters include: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Sean Penn, Dustin Hoffman, & Nicole Kidman, among others.

 Cinema for Peace aims to bring these humanitarian issues to public attention through the medium of film by partnering with the international film community as well as influential people in media, politics, business and society, to showcase cinematic works which emphasize the human condition and values. READ MORE:

GREEN FILM PLATFORM

SEA TURTLE

The Green Online Platform houses a distinctive green film library collection that highlights the latest environmental films that captivate our attention and raise awareness on urgent issues and push us to take action. These films focus on issues such as health of ecosystems, endangered species, wildlife conservation, diversity of species, preservation of habitat: seashores, forest, mountains, deserts, wetlands, soil management. We invite you to browse particular categories and find the most current films addressing these issues, as well as our international Green Film winners.

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VFT logo

VFT IMAGE

http://www.vftla.org

Veterans in Film & Television is a nonprofit networking organization that unites current and former members of the military working in the film and television industry. Created and operated by veterans, VFT makes it simple and easy for the film & television industry to connect with the veteran community working in it. It is a resource for the film/TV industry to find and hire veterans. It is also an organization for veterans who work, or aspire to work, in film/TV to interact with, support, and learn from each other.

By using the VFT veteran directory on the website, you can search for veterans who work, or are aspiring to work, in all areas of film & television and contact them directly through their personal VFT profile. Before any member is allowed to create a profile their service in the U.S. military has been verified so you know you are searching actual veterans. Vets who are actors, writers, technical consultants, gaffers, grips, students, etc. are all in the VFT directory. Best of all this service is FREE for both the user and the veteran!

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MOONDANCE SCREENWRITER ALERT!

InkTip.com, a long-time festival supporter, offers the unique opportunity for annual Moondance screenwriting winners to have their winning title, logline, synopsis & script posted on the InkTip.com website, AT NO COST, for literary agents, producers & directors to see! Submit your screenplay now: moondancefilmfestival.com

SEE WHY PRODUCERS MADE MORE THAN 30 MOVIES IN 2014 ALONE FROM SCRIPTS AND WRITERS FOUND ON INKTIP!

InkTipLogo

http://www.inktip.com/

(InkTip Magazine featuring several of InkTip’s more than 200 produced features.)

Producers Register Now (it’s free!):

Find scripts fast and easy!

Writers Register Now & List Your Scripts:

Sell your scripts! 

InkTip Magazine featuring several of InkTip’s more than 200 produced features!

INKTIP MAGAZINE COVER

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SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

WOLF HEAD

“We humans are the only kind of varmint who sets our own trap, baits it, and then steps in it.” ~ John Steinbeck

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doorknob

“When one door closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” ~ Helen Keller

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ALCAZAR CASTLE, SPAIN

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

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CHOCOLATES

“All that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about!” ~ Charles Kingsley

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2 KIDS ON PATH-B&W

The essence of loving-kindness is being able to offer happiness. You can be the sunshine for another person.” ~ How to Love: Legendary Zen Buddhist Teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, on Mastering the Art of “Interbeing

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PEOPLE LINED UP

“Within the global entertainment industry, film, television and stage actors are the public representatives of all people, and should come in all genders, sizes, colors, ethnic backgrounds, ages, and appearances; not just young, white, male, and physically attractive.” ~ EE

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

 QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

[email protected]

[email protected]

WEBSITE: www.moondancefilmfestival.com

NEWS-BLOG: www.moondancefilmfestival.com/blog

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MOONDANCE FILM FESTIVAL MID-APRIL NEWS!

“Narcissus”, James Waterhouse

“Narcissus”, James Waterhouse

MOONDANCE SPRING 2015 CALL-FOR-ENTRIES!

MIFF TEXT BANNER

  • REGULAR SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MAY 30*

For your best chance to win, send in your entry early!

  • LATE SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JUNE 30*
  • These deadlines are postmark or received via email attachment, NOT the date submitted by!

~See our submission categories HERE!

~Read our submission guidelines HERE!

~Entry Form HERE!

Withoutabox for Moondance International Film Festival is now fully active for this season’s call for entries: www.withoutabox.com/login/1240.

(Note: WAB charges the festival an 18% commission on all entry fees received! Please consider using the official Moondance entry form, instead!)

MOONDANCE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL DATES:

September 7th & 8 th, 2015

Hotel Boulderado

Boulder, Colorado USA

  • Check out the website for more info:

WEBSITE: www.moondancefilmfestival.com

NEWS-BLOG: www.moondancefilmfestival.com/blog

EMAIL: [email protected]

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  • MOONDANCE SCREENWRITER ALERT •

InkTip.com, a long-time festival supporter, offers the unique opportunity for all annual Moondance screenwriting winners to have their winning title, logline, synopsis & script posted on the InkTip.com website for literary agents, producers & directors to see! Submit your screenplay now: moondancefilmfestival.com

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BLUE VOICE LOGO

Imagine you have the ability to save the lives of 15,000 dolphins per year! Well, you do! Right now, you can help complete a shocking film exposé to pressure Peruvian legislators to put a stop to the slaughter of dolphins for shark bait. You can save these sentient, thinking, friendly dolphins from a dreadful fate. Please make a donation at our crowd-funding site to help us finish this film. We already have the footage documenting the slaughter. It is the key to stopping this needless brutality. As you know, crowd-funding depends on the involvement of many people.  So do thousands of dolphins.  So please pass this along to your animal -loving friends. We all have a unique opportunity to save thousands of dolphins.  Please help. We have a matching grant that enables you to double your donation. Please contribute and make this film a reality so these dolphins can lead free, safe lives in the ocean with their families. With your help, we can expose this tragedy worldwide.

Peruvian dolphins, photo by Mundo Azul

Peruvian dolphins, photo by Mundo Azul

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VIDEO VOLUNTEERS-logo

http://www.videovolunteers.org

What is Video Volunteers?

Our international community media organization equips women and men in underdeveloped areas with video journalism skills, enabling entire communities to expose underreported stories from their communities and take action to right the wrongs of poverty, injustice and inequality. We empower marginalized communities to produce stories, take action & devise solutions!

VIDEO VOLUNTEERS IMAGE

Video Volunteers is an international media organization empowering the voices of the world’s unheard communities. Its mission is to empower the world’s poorest citizens to right the wrongs they witness by becoming players in the global media revolution. Providing disadvantaged communities with the journalistic and creative skills they need, our models for locally-owned and managed media production teach people to articulate and share their perspectives on the issues that matter to them – on a local and a global scale. Sign-up for our Newsletter: Click Here!

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~ GIFTS FROM THE EARTH ~

Handcrafted & Custom-Designed Jewelry

Handcrafted & Custom-Designed Jewelry

http://terratokens.com

 “The beauty of the land around me inspires me in the creation of my art. Jewelry is not just an ornament or decoration but more of an expression of our personality. Jewelry is an extended expression of who we are and how we feel.  At times we want to be serious or elegant, subtle, sometimes playful or fun, and sometimes we want to express our essential uniqueness and desire to be different. All of my jewelry designs are created with the highest quality beads, pearls, gemstones and metals collected from around the world. I think of my jewelry as a collage of vintage style embellishments, creatures and stones, crystals and pearls, hand crafted lamp work & beads.” ~ Sage Ryen, designer

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SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

BIRCH TREES & MOSS

“Do not follow only where the path may lead. No, instead, go where there is no path, and leave a trail for others.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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cherry-trees-walkway_13297_600x450

“You know more of a road by having traveled it than by all the conjectures and descriptions in the world.” ~ William Hazlitt

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Photo collection  by Abraham Louis

Photo collection by Abraham Louis

“I see no borders, just horizons.” ~ Amelia Earhart

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Oak tree, natureofbrooklyn.wordpress.com

Oak tree, natureofbrooklyn.wordpress.com

“The secret of success is constancy of purpose.” Benjamin Disraeli

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ALI BOXING GLOVE RED

“To be a great champion, you must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are.” ~ Muhammad Ali

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OLD BOOKS

“Let us cherish the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, dream, write and create!” ~John Adams

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logo-kid.com

logo-kid.com

“A life without stories would be no life at all. And stories bind us together, do they not, one to another, to the animals, to the land, to the past and to the present?” ~ Alexander McCall Smith (edited excerpt) “In the Company of Cheerful Women”, The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series

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

 QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

[email protected]

[email protected]

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THE MOONDANCE INSIDER TIPS ON WRITING!

Mermaid figurehead by Jan Reichard

Mermaid figurehead by Jan Reichard

MOONDANCE 2015 CALL-FOR-ENTRIES!

MIFF TEXT BANNER

REGULAR SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MAY 30*

For your best chance to win, send in your entry early!

LATE SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JUNE 30*

 *These deadlines are postmark or received digitally, or via email attachment, NOT the date submitted by!

 See our submission categories HERE!

Read our submission guidelines HERE!

Entry Form HERE!

 Withoutabox for Moondance International Film Festival is now fully active for this season’s call for entries: www.withoutabox.com/login/1240

Moondance International Film Festival dates:

September 7th & 8th, 2015

(US Labor Day Holiday)

Hotel Boulderado, Boulder, Colorado USA

 Check out the website for more info:

WEBSITE: www.moondancefilmfestival.com

NEWS-BLOG: www.moondancefilmfestival.com/blog

EMAIL: [email protected]

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, composers and the world of top-quality filmed entertainment.

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“The Moondance International Film Festival is well known for offering the best venue to raise awareness of social issues through films and showcasing talented international independent social impact filmmakers’ works to audiences. We believe that your organization has a very good potential to share this important message to our global audiences who love social impact films as well as support social and environmental change.” ~ Michelle Lam, Founder of www.Visiomi.com a WebTV on-demand startup that focuses on streaming independent films, music, TV shows and sports.

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MOONDANCE INSIDER TIPS:

 WRITERS: WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW!

By Elizabeth English

typewriter

“A good writer needs to know what it’s like, and “it” can be just about anything. We have far too many writers today who have never ridden a horse, or fired a gun, or sharpened a knife, or fought with their fists, or been shot at. And so on and so on.” ~ Gene Wolfe, science fiction & fantasy writer, interview in a Barnes & Noble book review.

“Write what you know” is the vital, traditional message for all fiction and non-fiction writers, screenwriters, television writers, playwrights and journalists. You need to know the details, the visuals, the emotions, the reactions to events, and the totality of the experience, in order to write coherently about a subject, and action, a character and his or her dialog, and for your reader, or audience to relate to the story, the character and the action.

If you don’t know much, or very little, about a subject, do deep research, learn about it from others, ask an expert, read about it online or in books, go experience it yourself, pay attention as you go through your daily life, listen and look, remember what you’ve seen, heard, learned and experienced, then use it in your writing. It’s a vital element of your “job” as a writer. You would never be hired by any company if you didn’t know anything about the job and had no experience in the work required!

Expand your knowledge and your experiences beyond television, movies, even books, your home or workplace, neighborhood, town or state, or country, your computer, your smart-phone, Google, Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube & so on. Go on out there and see the world, watch and listen to other people, experience other events than the usual. Learn to tango, ride a horse, go to a rodeo, learn to cook a foreign dish, give a themed party, go for a long hike in the woods, join a political group, plant an organic garden, take a train ride, go hiking in the woods, attend a concert or stageplay.

Build a snow sculpture or sand castle, surf the waves, swim with wild dolphins, visit with the elderly in a nursing home, practice yoga, learn to meditate, shop at a farmer’s market, volunteer to work with an environmental group or peace activists, go SCUBA-diving, attend a lecture, get involved in a political campaign, go to a museum or an art gallery, study improv acting, travel to a foreign country, play hide-and-seek with a child, listen to teenagers to learn their lingo, sit in on an Al-Anon meeting, volunteer at a hospital, sign on as an extra in a local indie film shoot, pick apples from a tree, chat with some homeless folks, go on an archaeological expedition, and, above all, pay close attention to the people and the real world around you, and remember and use your past, discover your roots. Don’t just rely on movies, TV, social media and the Internet for your writing ideas…that’s not necessarily real life!

DIRECTOR'S CHAIR

Screenwriters absolutely need to know how movies are made, what goes into the project, the budget considerations, and how and why scripts are selected by agents, investors, producers, directors and actors. When deciding upon a location for your story, consider how that location or those locations will affect the success of the film. You also need to know what story, style and subject matter different potential clients want to see. A script is merely a story, a blueprint for a film. Imagine an architect designing a building properly, if he or she knows nothing at all about what the client wants, the details, the budget, and how the blueprint is ultimately selected by the client, is paid for and built by the contractors!

To learn how and why a script is selected and made into a movie, a TV show, or a stageplay, you can volunteer to work as an intern at a production company. Read scripts that have been rejected or won at film festivals and competitions, rejected or successfully produced by a production company or studio, and pay attention to why they work or don’t work. You can audition for a part in a film, television or theatrical show, even as an extra, or apply for work on the crew. Direct your own short film. Take note of all the credits at the end of successful films to see how very many people work on a film (and need to be paid!). Attend professional workshops and seminars on writing and filmmaking. Networking & making valuable connections is another very important method of learning about the film business from all aspects, and for getting your work and talents noticed.

Screenplays pile

Most importantly, keep writing and experiencing as many aspects of life as you can! Write in different genres to expand your knowledge and talents. Are you a writer of drama? Write a great comedy! Romance writer? Write a scary mystery or an action story. Sci-fi writer? Write a contemporary romance or drama. Have at least 3 to 5 completed, edited and polished screenplays to show. Create fabulous loglines and one-page synopses for all of them. And get a good agent or manager.

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MOONDANCE NEWS:

Catori Crawford, 2014 Moondance Best Actor Award

Catori Crawford, 2014 Moondance Best Actor Award

CHECK OUT THE NEW WEB-PAGE ABOUT OUR MANY

ENDORSEMENTS & TESTIMONIALS FROM MOONDANCERS

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WELCOME OUR NEW MOONDANCE WEBSTER:

NORM STRASSNER!

Norm Strassner

Norm Strassner

Norm is very enthusiastic about developing the Moondance website and actively supports the festival’s mission & goals.  Strassner Web & Video creates websites and produces professional videos, since opening in 1999.  Owner Norm Strassner spent nearly two decades in the Hollywood television production community as a Directors Guild member and editor for popular TV shows such as Entertainment Tonight and Real People, as well as for CBS, NBC and Paramount Pictures, among others.  Norm uses his programming talents to create a very successful line of broadcast-quality video editing systems, Strassner Editing Systems.  He now applies all these skills to producing “Moving Pictures, Compelling Stories and Dynamic Websites”.  Check out his portfolio of websites and videos, along with client testimonials, at www.strassner.com

STRASSNER LOGO 2

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MOONDANCE RECOMMENDS:

Dr. Linda Seger

Dr. Linda Seger

Linda Seger created the script consulting profession in 1981 and is considered one of the foremost script consultants and screenplay coaches in the world today.

She is the most prolific author on the subject of screenwriting with 9 books and is known world-wide as one of the best experts in the field of award-winning screenwriting. Linda has consulted on over 100 produced feature films, television shows, and stage plays, and her clients have won numerous awards, including Academy Awards, awards from numerous film festivals, as well as having major box-office hits. She has lectured on screenwriting in 33 countries on all 6 continents, her books on screenwriting are best-sellers, and she is a regular and very popular Moondance Film Festival workshop presenter, consultant & supporter.

Linda’s clients include writers, directors, producers, executives and production companies, in film, television, and theater. They range from beginners to Academy Award winners such as Peter Jackson and William Kelley. One of her clients, Ray Bradbury, called her technique, “a light to see by.” To discuss a script project, seminar or keynote speaking opportunity, please contact Linda. To read more about Linda’s popular, best-selling screenwriting books and her background, please click here.

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agnès films

~ a community of women filmmakers ~

Sophia Coppola

Sophia Coppola

 http://agnesfilms.com

Agnesfilms.com is named in honor of Agnès Varda, the French filmmaker who has been making women-centered fiction films and documentaries for over 50 years. Varda, in spite of the high quality of her work, remains an obscure figure to mainstream audiences around the world. This is not surprising, since the film industry is not always supportive of women who want to work behind — as opposed to in front of — the camera. In an effort to provide support to emerging and established women filmmakers, our site aims to do the following:

  • Foster a community of women filmmakers, scholars, instructors who teach film and filmmaking, and film lovers who support each other. 
  • Shed light on the work of talented and committed women filmmakers working today.
  • Help women not trained in cinematic techniques be able to tell stories in this powerful medium.

Consider becoming a member (it’s free) and visit our contribution guidelines to learn about ways in which you can get involved with agnès films.

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SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

PUZZLE PIECES

“Prejudices are rarely overcome by arguments and wars; not being founded in reason, they cannot be destroyed by logic.” ~ Tryon Edwards

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BABY ELEPHANT RUNNING

“Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.” ~ Demosthenes

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BEACH FOOTSTEPS

“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” ~ John F. Kennedy

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"Analia", Paraguay, photo by Britt Newell

“Analia”, Paraguay, photo by Britt Newell

“For man(kind), as for flower and beast and bird, the supreme triumph is to be most vividly, most perfectly alive.” ~ D. H. Lawrence

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DANDELION PUFF

“Few are those whose contribution to humanity — be it art, or music, or literature, or some other enchantment — fills the heart with uncontainable gratitude for their very existence, be it intellectually, creatively, spiritually, of paying compassionate attention, or making a supreme art of bearing witness to our world. “ ~ Maria Popova, Brain Pickings blog http://www.brainpickings.org

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MIFF WAVY FILM IMAGE BANNERPlease forward this news-blog to your creative artist colleagues!

 QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

[email protected]

WEBSITE: www.moondancefilmfestival.com

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MOONDANCE: MARCH CALL-FOR-ENTRIES!


crocus

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MOONDANCE 2015 CALL-FOR-ENTRIES! 

  • REGULAR SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MAY 30*
  • For your best chance to win, send in your entry early!
  • LATE SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JUNE 30*

 See our submission categories HERE!

Read our submission guidelines HERE!

Entry Form HERE!

 Withoutabox for Moondance International Film Festival is now fully active for this season’s call for entries: www.withoutabox.com/login/1240

Moondance International Film Festival planned dates:

September 20, 21, 22,, 2015

 • Check out the website for more info:

 WEBSITE: www.moondancefilmfestival.com

NEWS-BLOG: www.moondancefilmfestival.com/blog

EMAIL: [email protected]

The Moondance International Film Festival is much more than an annual film festival! It is a unique community, a supportive, productive, and creative year-round collaboration between independent filmmakers and movie audiences, between writers, composers and the world of top-quality filmed entertainment.

MARTIN LUTHER

Martin Luther (1483-1546) famously said (way, way before computers, cameras & the Internet were in use), “If you want to change the world, pick up a pen and write.”  And that’s exactly what we want to accomplish at the Moondance! We hope to change the world by inspiring universal stories and themes. Our ultimate goal is to connect talented writers, filmmakers & composers with industry insiders who can make dreams a reality.

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NEWS FOR WOMEN FILMMAKERS, WRITERS & PRODUCERS:

“Thelma & Louise” inspires film contest!

THELMA & LOUISE

  • Filmmakers have a chance to create a sequel to or a short film inspired by “Thelma & Louise,” which stars Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon and is turning 25 this year. Sponsored by the Utah Film Commission and Zions Bank, winners will receive $5,000 and a screening at the next Sundance Film Festival Women’s Leadership Celebration. The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
  • Brit Marling of Sundance TV’s “Babylon” believes female writers are helping turn the tide for women in Hollywood. “Watching Kristen Wiig and Lena Dunham and a lot of women take the reins and be like, ‘I’m not finding the characters that I need. I’m just going to sit down and write them,'” is bringing about the shift, Marling said while speaking on a panel at the Sundance Film Festival.

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MOONDANCERS WRITE TO US:

 “Moondance Is unique. It seems to vivify good things to everyone who comes into contact with it.  I simply mean its encouragement and open arms to creativity, across the globe, dazzles me with its generosity, chutzpah and reach. The award I won does indeed open doors! The Manhattan Theatre Club in New York, and the Geffen Theatre in L.A. both asked for submissions.  I am sure it was paid attention to because of your name and the festival’s impact.” ~ Gino Matteo, writer, Moondance 2014 winner for “Nellie”

“I’ve entered screenplays in your festival three or four times and it has been a blast!! Thanks for all the work you do to make it a rich experience.” ~ Jack Vendargriff, screenwriter

“Moondance is a personal first choice of mine, since your festival is so intimate and has such a great reputation for quality!” ~ Marlane Barnes, filmmaker

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MOONDANCE RECOMMENDS:

Downton Abbey

For all you “Downton Abbey” fans, here’s a clever, wry & fun spoof on the show, played by many of the regular cast members:

https://vimeo.com/115023404

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Paperman_disney-shorthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah976u_3BXc

“Watch this Oscar® award-winning short animation video, Disney’s Paperman.  It’s a 5-minute masterpiece with a powerful theme that offers the choice: Push papers or let our dreams take flight.” ~ Michael Maurer, writer-producer.com 

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SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

ROSES ON FENCE copy

“It is by believing in roses that one brings them to blossom.” ~ French Proverb

 

BUDDHA & LOTUS

“To one in whom love dwells, the whole world is but one family.” ~ Buddha

 

3-1 RUSTY TRUCK IN FIELD

“Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.” ~ Sydney Harris

 

Two GREEK chairs

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” ~ Winston Churchill

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

  QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

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WEBSITE: www.moondancefilmfestival.com

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MOONDANCE MOONDANCE NEWS + INSIDER TIPS ON WINNING FILM TRAILERS!

GOAT ART Chinese-New-Year-2015-Goat-Design-620x620

新 年 乐

Wishing you a very happy, healthy, and productive Chinese Lunar New Year of the Goat! February 19, 2015. Chinese Zodiac signs… lucky people born under the sign of the goat are elegant, charming, artistic, gentle, gifted, peace–loving, kind-hearted, honest, compassionate, and are fond of nature!

MOONDANCE 2015 CALL-FOR-ENTRIES!

2-MOONDANCE LOGO LITTERBOX

REGULAR DEADLINE: MAY 30 *

For your best chance to win, send in your entry early!

LATE DEADLINE: JUNE 30 *

* These deadlines are postmark or received via email attachment, NOT the date submitted by!

See our submission categories HERE!

Read our submission guidelines HERE!

Official Moondance Entry Form HERE!

OR:

Withoutabox : www.withoutabox.com/login/1240

Moondance International Film Festival planned dates:

September 20, 21, 22,, 2015

The Dairy Center for the Arts / Boedecker Theater

2590 Walnut Street

Boulder, Colorado 80302 USA

MIFF WAVY FILM IMAGE BANNER

Check out the website for more info:

WEBSITE: www.moondancefilmfestival.com

NEWS-BLOG: www.moondancefilmfestival.com/blog

EMAIL: [email protected]

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BILLBOARD

MOONDANCE SPOT IN BILLBOARD MAGAZINE: 

Listen to 2015 Moondance film score winner,

Rahman Altin, for the award-winning feature film from Turkey, “The Butterfly’s Dream”

 

MOONDANCE INSIDER TIPS:

MAKING A GREAT PROMOTIONAL FILM TRAILER:

TRAILER GREEN (1)

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  • Do you want to have a really good 2-3-minute trailer to send to producers, studios, and/or film festival competitions, for your website & in social media ?
  • Haven’t quite finished post on your film yet, but want to promote it now and/or solicit funding for your film?

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 less than three minutes.

Can you tell the main story, introduce the lead characters, show the main conflict, and give the viewer a visual, memorable impression OF THE STORY & CHARACTERS in three minutes? And, remember, you need to hook the viewer in the first few seconds! You probably don’t even have a full 3 minutes to do the job, unless the first 30-60 seconds are fantastic.

You need to know how to turn your great story into a great 2-3-minute (or less) trailer. There is and always has been only one real secret to success in the entertainment industry. Tell a great story. Period. And you need to figure out how to tell that fabulous story in only two to three minutes or less! READ MORE HERE!

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www.inktip.com 

How to Showcase Your Scripts:

Every other month, InkTip Magazine is sent to nearly 15,000 producers and reps. They avidly look through it to find good scripts and writers and then contact writers through the site to option or purchase their scripts, or represent them.

That means nearly 15,000 producers, agents and managers will get your titles & loglines on their desks and in their inboxes!

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MOONDANCE RECOMMENDS 

LUCE LOGO

The Jim Luce Foundation which helps all sorts of human causes.

This year the focus is on human trafficking:

See http://www.lucefoundation.org/

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

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

The needs of the world are vast, but so too are our many resources. One of humanity’s most valuable resources is young global leadership impacting positive social change, which this foundation endeavors to support. The Luce and Dudley families have had a long and historical commitment to youth, education, and social improvement in the United States and around the world. I aspire to continue this family tradition through the grants, awards, and publications of The James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation – playing a role, however humble, in bettering humanity. My goal is uplifting the worst of humanity while celebrating the best of humanity – especially the arts.  Support our efforts here.

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“FIRING THE EMPEROR’S KILN”

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Meet Le Le & David Burns, of Shanghai, China, film director/producers, and winners of a best short documentary film at Moondance 2014. Come follow their journey as they make this important film about an especially interesting piece of Chinese heritage, Beijing’s Forbidden City’s “Golden Bricks”, a 2015 documentary film about this endangered craft of ancient Chinese cultural heritage, still in use today. Please visit their CineCrowd page to support them to produce this important film project, in exchange for some exciting rewards, and make a vital step toward preserving one of China’s most fascinating crafts on film, before it is lost forever…

See More:

THE LYNDON TECHNIQUE

amy-lyndon

Attention film & TV actors:

Amy Lyndon is Hollywood’s premiere Booking Coach and creator of the revolutionary “The Lyndon Technique: The 15 Guideline Map To Booking.” Amy Lyndon currently has 38 Network Series Regulars, and an Emmy Winner – all trained in The Lyndon Technique. She was also voted one of the Best Cold Reading Teachers in Los Angeles – Backstage Magazine for 4 Years! a Multi-Award-winning Filmmaker, Director, Actor and International Booking Coach for close to 20 years, Lyndon is at the top of her game.

The Lyndon Technique proves to be a practical & successful approach to auditioning and booking the acting job, on the first take. Lyndon’s Technique has literally helped 1000’s of Actors around the globe learn what it takes to get into the 1% ratio of working actors and run a successful business.

Amy Lyndon

http://thelyndontechnique.com

Office: 818-760-8501

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SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

 JULY-BIRD STRETCH

“However difficult life can seem to be, there is always something you can do and succeed at.” ~ Stephen Hawking

 J.EARTH“On Spaceship Earth, there are no passengers; all of us are members of the crew. We have moved into an age in which everybody’s activities affect everyone else.” ~ Marshall McLuhan
SAILING SHIP-HIGH SEAS“Take a moment to ask yourself if you’re on track with you. Now is the time to take responsibility for your own life and to love yourself enough to take the action required. Take responsibility for what you are doing. You are the captain of your own ship. You can do it for you.” ~ Amy Lyndon, acting coach, The Lyndon Technique

Illustration by Maurice Sendak from “Open House for Butterflies” by Ruth Krauss.

Illustration by Maurice Sendak from “Open House for Butterflies” by Ruth Krauss.

“Failure is not the only punishment for laziness; there are also the successes of others to consider.” ~ Jules Renard

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 www.moondancefilmfestival.com/e-zine-articles/

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Dear Moondancer,

Moondance provides a substantive and transformative alternative to all those sound bites, and the distortions spun out by the corporate media. Our films, written works and music reinforce our belief that for those talented artists, audiences, and for many of you, Moondance International Film Festival, with our mandate for integrity, the highest quality, and our mission, is an essential part of a creative, progressive future.

Please let other colleagues and friends know about Moondance, via your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Stage 32, and other social media accounts.

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

Questions or Comments?

[email protected]

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

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HOW TO GET AN AGENT!

HOW • TO • GET • AN • AGENT

What Agents Want (and Don’t Want) to See

By Elizabeth English*

First, call or write to literary agents who are listed as being willing to look at unsolicited screenplays. Do not send a script unless you are invited to do so!

How to find listed agents:

  • The Hollywood Creative Directory’s Agent/Management directory
  • Writers Digest
  • Writers Guild of America (East & West)

Guidelines for getting an agent:

  1. Write killer titles, loglines and one-sheet synopses for the all the scripts you want to submit to agents.
  1. Write up a one-sheet document with titles and loglines of all your completed screenplays. You may be asked to send these before sending in a screenplay.
  1. Presentation of script: be sure to have a plain cardstock cover, front and back; a title page with all your contact info; three-hole punch white paper; two solid-brass brads in the top and bottom hole.
  1. “Attachments”, in the form of actors, director, producer, and most importantly: money, to your project, will always help get almost any agent interested. Mention this, if applicable, in your cover letter. These days, however, most agents only want to see submissions as attachments via email. Be sure to have a great cover letter with your contact info and with the script attachment.
  1. Have more than one screenplay completed. At least three of your best screenplays need to be ready to go, when and if requested.
  1. In your initial phone call or e-mail, try to find out what genre of story that agent is looking for, at the moment. Agents generally know exactly what the buyers want to see, and will usually only request those genres. But needs change all the time, and at a moment’s notice, so let them know what you have, even if they’re not looking for that at the time of your call.
  1. Story: This is the first thing agents look at, when considering whether to read your script or not. Unique story, well-told.
  1. Writing ability and style. Everything depends on this.
  1. Dialog: your ability to write good, memorable and believable dialog is paramount.
  1. Format and structure: in submitting your work to an agent, you should be sure the script is in proper format and structure. There are many books and online articles on these vital subjects. Edit every word of the script with a fine-toothed comb, and correct all spelling, punctuation and syntax errors.
  1. Budget: yes, a screenwriter needs to know about this. Many buyers are looking for specific subjects with very specific production budgets. Currently, a low-budget feature film will be $10-20 million, for example. If your script requires action scenes and/or CGI graphics, double that figure.
  1. If you know The Business at all, make the agent aware of this, so he or she will know you are a professional.
  1. Let the prospective agent know you are open to re-writes and edits of your scripts. You will almost always be asked to do re-writes, sometimes “on spec”, so prepare yourself mentally and be agreeable to it.
  1. Be willing and able to pitch your screenplay to production companies and studios, with the agent, in person. If you live far from L.A., let the agent know you can arrange to go there for pitching appointments.
  1. Be friendly and easy-going, yet professional and self-confident. Hollywood, even though it’s a “snake-pit” at times, is run on connections and contacts. If they don’t like you, and don’t feel they can work with you, you don’t have a chance there.
  1. Be honest! Never, ever hype yourself or your script unless the information is absolutely provable. If you’ve won a contest with your script, let them know. And if you’ve been submitting your scripts around to everybody for years, and they ask, tell the truth. Production companies and studios keep lists of what has been submitted, and you don’t want to embarrass your new agent!

How to get “discovered”:

  • com is a good website to post your scripts on, to be seen by many agents, producers, and development company executives)
  • If you live in or near Los Angeles, attend parties and other events where Hollywood types will be.
  • Enter film festival competitions, and win!

What should an Agent do for you?

  • Send out your loglines and one sheet synopses, and scripts to Development Executives at production companies and studios
  • Give suggestions on potential edits and re-writes that may be needed to sell the script
  • Set up pitch sessions for you at production companies and studios
  • Get the best deal he or she can for you, above schedule of WGA minimums.
  • Encourage and inspire you to create new material and projects.

What agents DO NOT want to see:

  • A script sent to them “cold”, with no phone call, e-mail or letter first
  • A script that is too long (over 130 pages), or too short (under 90 pages)
  • A script that is bound incorrectly (no brads, no cover, no title page)
  • A script that is not formatted correctly & has grammatical and/or spelling errors
  • A cover letter that is more than one page long
  • A script that is mostly descriptions of people and locations, like a novel
  • A script with unrealistic or stilted/boring dialog
  • A script with more than 100 scenes (each scene costs money)
  • A script with a prospective production budget over that what is requested
  • A script that is not in the genre requested
  • A writer who calls or e-mails sooner than 2 weeks after the agent received the script
  • A writer who is unwilling to consider re-writes and edits
  • A script that has any typos, misspellings or poor syntax
  • A script without conflict in the plot and story-line
  • A script without interesting, memorable characters
SUGGESTED READING & RESOURCES:

RELEVANT E-ZINE ARTICLES BY ELIZABETH ENGLISH

BOOKS

  • Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434
  • Linda Seger’s How to Make a Good Screenplay Great
  • Linda Seger’s How to Make a Good Screenwriter Great
  • David Howard’s A Writer’s Guide to the Craft and Elements of a Screenplay

Books & Magazines:

  • Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434
  • Linda Seger’s How to Make a Good Screenplay Great
  • Linda Seger’s How to Make a Good Screenwriter Great
  • David Howard’s A Writer’s Guide to the Craft and Elements of a Screenplay
  • Creative Screenwriting
  • Scr(i)pt Magazine

MAGAZINES

  • Creative Screenwriting
  • Scr(i)pt Magazine

 WEBSITES

  • www.absolutewrite.com/
  • www.americanfilmfoundation.com
  • www.asascreenwriters.com
  • www.craftyscreenwriting.com
  • www.davetrottier.com
  • www.fadeinmag.com/
  • www.hollywoodnetwork.com
  • www.inktip.com
  • www.mermaid7seas.com
  • www.moviebytes.com
  • www.mwp.com/books/writing
  • www.ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/wcmartell/
  • www.screenplay.com/
  • www.screenstyle.com
  • www.ScreenTalk.biz
  • www.screenwriterstore.co.uk
  • www.ScreenwritersUtopia.com
  • www.ScriptForSale.com
  • www.scriptsales.com/DoneDLinks.htm
  • www.thestorycoach.com
  • www.wga.org
  • www.wordplayer.com
  • www.writersstore.com
  • writerswrite.com/screenwriting

WORKSHOPS

SCREENWRITING CONTESTS

Contact Elizabeth English at: [email protected], with GET AN AGENT in the subject line. 

 

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2013 Audience Favorites!

Uncategorized by Elizabeth English

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FEATURE NARRATIVE FILM

afishstoryA FISH STORY

Feature film, directed by Matt Birman, written & produced by Sam Roberts (USA & CANADA). After his sudden and tragic death, a devoted father’s search for heaven brings him back to his distraught family and his isolated lakeside wilderness fishing camp, for a few precious days, in the body of a wanted man.

dovidmeyerDOVID MEYER

Feature film, directed by Moshe Paul Mones (USA).  A proper British family advertises for a Mary Poppins-type of au pair for their children, but a 14 year-old Hasidic Israeli boy, an orphan from Jerusalem, shows up, to rattle the household’s lives in many miraculous ways.

SHORT NARRATIVE FILM

myshoesSABBAT EL AÏD (MY SHOES)

Short film, directed by Anis Lassoud (Tunisia). In a small countryside village, Ahmed is a 9 year old boy with a passion for running. Under the influence and with the help of Ba Zdig, the village idiot, he dreams of becoming an Olympic Champion. He not only runs for that reason, but also because he needs it, it is his vocation, for the simple pleasure of it and to attain a passionate weightlessness.

thepainterTHE PAINTER

Short film, directed by Nate Townsend (USA). Obsessed by events that changed his life decades ago, an amateur artist finally returns to the farm where it all began. One man’s journey in search of redemption, closure, and peace.

pumziPUMZI

Short film, directed by Wanuri Kahiu, (Kenya). Pumzi is a sci-fi film set in a futuristic Africa, 35 years after World War III, “The Water War.” The outside world is deemed extinct, and leaving one’s indoor community has been outlawed. Asha, who lives and works as a museum curator in one such community, risks it all for her belief that a greener life exists on the outside. An Africa First film.

FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILM

wewerequietWE WERE QUIET ONCE

Feature documentary film, directed by Laura Beachy, Ryan Balton, & Cory Sage (USA).  Somerset, Pennsylvania, was a picture-perfect small, rural  farming town, where life embodied a quiet, pleasant innocence. That is, until September 11, 2001, when United Flight 93 crashed in Somerset’s sheltered countryside, claiming 40 innocent lives, and forever changing the people on the ground.

firstolympicsFIRST: THE OFFICIAL FILM OF THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES

Feature documentary film, directed by Caroline Rowland (UK). In the summer of 2012, the most talented young athletes from around the world responded to the call to compete in the London Olympic Games.

BAGHDAD DIARY

Feature documentary, directed by: Joseph Consentino & Sandra Consentino (USA). Beginning in March 2003, Iraqi taxi-driver Fadil Kadom’s video diary includes his family’s preparations for war, the days of bombs and missiles, and Baghdad’s ultimate fall. NBC News cameraman, Craig White, embedded with the US Army, brings the war into focus, live – from combat to the disintegration of Iraqi civil society.

SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM

doyourememberwhenDO YOU REMEMBER WHERE YOU WERE WHEN…

Short documentary film, directed by Matthew Alexander Levy (USA). Artfully edited to include archival images we will all recognize, “Do You Remember Where You Were When” is a film, by a talented young New York City filmmaker, about television’s unrecognized impact on creating a mythical and pervasive collective memory for us all.

ANIMATION FILM

thediverTHE DIVER

Animation film, directed by Damon Mohl (USA). The strange and poignant life of a plastic toy diver, as he lives out his days in remarkable landscapes and circumstances: thrown by a boy into a pond to sink or swim with fishes, left and forgotten in a dark toy box with other discarded toys, in this amazingly beautiful and yet familiar world. A startling realization sets in, on a deeper level, as we start to realize that this story may parallel some aspects of one’s own life.

ellaELLA (She)

Animation film, directed by Juan Montes de Oca, 19 minutes, (SPAIN). In Palma de Mallorca, through the eyes of a 5 year-old innocent kid, a lovely and moving story unfolds of life’s coincidences, miseries and joys, as the boy learns about an old man’s stories of his ill-fated life in New York, and his long-lost love.

MUSIC VIDEO

WAYS TO GO

Music video, directed by David Cho & Evan Urman (USA). A wild, fantastic  musical day in the boring life of a fictional Kim Jeng-un, as a young boy, and his only good day, ever.

DAWN

Music video, directed by Nick Dimitriadis (UK). An artist seeks inspiration for his next project, in this fabulous cinematic storytelling adventure. With his incredible adventures into the realm of the impossible and surreal, his quest will take him to some rather unusual places…

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