Asia Television Forum, Bahamas International Film Fest, Art Basel Miami, Monaco International Film Fest, are highlights in December’s Global Media and Entertainment Industry

“A Portrait of America” curated by Ramses Granados continues its run at the Joy Wai Gallery in Chelsea, NYC.

The Joy Wai Gallery in New York City opens a group show curated by Ramses Granados presenting images of America in 2008 with works in various genres including: abstract, figurative, expressionistic, realistic, modern and photography. The opening reception for “A Portrait of America – Experience the 2008 Presidential Campaign in 2012”, took place at Angel Orensanz Foundation In Manhattan’s Lower East Side, hosted by television anchor and hostess, Sofia Samrad. After the opening reception the exhibition continues at the Joy Wai Gallery in Chelsea. Regardless of when the works were created they will serve as a retrospective of 2008 and particularly of a historic presidential campaign that marked a milestone in the country’s history. The Joy Wai Gallery is a basement art salon that presents contemporary art with a strong focus in fine art photography. With an educational program in the works — including guest lecturers drawn from artists, critics, curators and professors — the Gallery envisions itself as a platform for exchanges within the art community.

Asia Television Forum in Singapore is a content market organized by Reed Exhibitions Pte Limited to buy, sell, finance, distribute and co-produce across all entertainment platforms, with conference topics that will include: “Focus on Korean Format: Running Man”, “Format Distribution: The China Deal Marker”, “The Future of TV: The New TV Player”, “Focus On China’s Film Business”, “Future of TV: Going Global, Helping TV Shows Find Their Audience”, “Euro-Zone: How to Get Your Movie Made in Europe”, 360TV: Generating Revenue in the Digital Age”. The opening keynote delivered by Sanford Panitch, President Fox International Productions USA, addresses the topic: “Creativity Beyond Borders: Asia and the Global Market – What The Future Holds?”

ATF is held in conjunction with ScreenSingapore, to present trading possibilities through a seamless TV and Film market, conference, networking opportunities, and gala film premiere. Opening party by RSVP only at the Marina Bay Sands Skypark. A CBS Studios International Cocktail Party, by invitation only, is in Marina Bay Sands, Level 1, on December 5. A “Creative Malaysia Networking Luncheon” is scheduled for December 6 on Level 3 of the Sands. There will be an “International Emmy Award Showcase of the 2012 Nominated Programs From Asia” later that day in the Cassia Ballroom. A cocktail party follows at the Japan Pavilion. Still later, is a Closing Red Carpet Premiere, and Closing Party for Screensingapre, by RSVP only, at Golden Village. Last conference day, December 7, closes with Screensingapore Board Lunch (by invitation only) and “Singapre Hour” at the Singapore Pavilion.

The FlipsideTV Film Festival — an open genre, open form film festival and market — maintains the sole intention of giving independent producers, screenplay writers, and directors a means to get in front of buyers, distributors, agents, financiers and other industry professionals, as well as a film watching audience. The Huntington Beach located organization runs this online film festival twice yearly, with this year’s festival going to December 31. Movies play to an established subscriber base and are also exposed to potential acquisition and distribution agents. All official selections play to this audience for a one-month period and finalists are offered distribution and winners may get additional awards including theatrical exhibition to get the projects screened.

The Bahamas International Film Festival in Nassau is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the local community and International visitors with a varied presentation of films from around the world. In addition to offering films that might not otherwise be released theatrically in the Bahamas, BIFF schedules educational programs, and forums for exploring the future of cinema. Immediately following it’s ninth annual festival which runs through December 9, the Bahamas International Film Festival will travel to Eleuthera for a continuation of this year’s celebration to be known as The Best of the Fest Eleuthera. During its visit to Harbour Island and Governor’s Harbour, a full program of films and festivities will be offered for the enjoyment of visiting Filmmakers, guests and local residents. The schedule of events to be held December 10-14, includes Opening Night Film and Welcome Reception at Coral Sands Resort, daily film screening at Seagrapes, Harbour Island and the Globe Princess Theater in Governor’s Harbour, and Closing Night Film and Farewell Party at Tippy’s, hosted by Odyssey. An Opening Night Party will be at Carrousel Yacht, and Closing Night Gala Party at Ocean Club Estates, Paradise Island.

From December 6-9 at various venues about Miami Beach, more than 260 leading galleries from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa will take part in the 11th edition of Art Basel, showcasing works by more than 2,000 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Special exhibition sections feature young galleries, performance art, public art projects and video art. Angaelica, a non profit organization rooted in the arts and ecology, curates gallery events during Art Basel Miami, with these community events supporting and encouraging artists and filmmakers. Art Basel is an international contemporary art fair held each June in Basel, Switzerland. Similar to the Venice Biennale, it has been called “the Olympics of the art world”. Since 2002, a sister exhibition, Art Basel Miami has been held in the USA in Miami, Florida.

DocMiami International Film Festival is a Non-Profit 501c3 organization dedicated to providing a documentary film festival to promote the art form of up and coming documentary filmmakers and students’ from grades 6-12, at a local, national and international level. The festival, operating from North Miami Beach, format showcases three days of documentary filmmaking and three nights of music concerts, December 6-9. DocMiami’s music concerts benefit the non-profit, Brick by Brick for Tanzania. An Opening Night Cocktails and Dinner event feature the screening of ‘Concert’ by Richard Warren Rappaport. Festivities close with an Awards Gala featuring performances by: Tito Puente, Jr. (a member of the festival board), Kiki Sanchez and Eloy “Rali”.

Since its creation in 2003 the Angel Film Awards at Monaco International Film Festival – MIFF is held in the Principality of Monaco. It is a non-profit, independent film festival and art house event celebrating peace, love and movies. The Angel Film Awards team strives to help worthy productions gain the publicity and recognition they deserve with some AFA winners having gained distribution deals and secured financing through the festival. The Festival mandate stresses the importance of no gratuitous violence in film/entertainment, and also includes the submission of environmental, cultural and peace-promoting themes in films. The Festival’s emphasis is on promoting aesthetics in talent and filmmaker, and for films with a unique story. Red carpet screenings will take place at the new Art Novo Theatre and Press Lounge in the Novotel, Monte Carlo. Built on the site of the old Radio Monte Carlo building, the Monaco Gala premiere screening of ‘Dream Awake’, a feature drama (USA, 105 mins) will be followed by the Gala Evening Party with Red Carpet Champagne Reception at the Hermitage Hotel. The entire festival will be filmed for television broadcast.

The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the “Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events” page at: http://www.actorschecklist.com/news.html which now has pages translated into 10 of the most widely used international languages that can be accessed from the blog page. This month’s photo placement highlighted art exhibit opening at Lower East Side’s Angel Orensanz Foundation of “A Portrait of America” which continues its run at the Joy Wai Gallery in Chelsea, NYC. If the photo does not appear in this post please click this link (http://bit.ly/SyPjjX). Looking ahead into the next month that will open the new year of 2013, The Palm Springs International Film Festival will be based in the Coachella Valley at the base of Mt. San Jacinto. The Summer School (Australian summer) in Film making of the University of Melbourne’s Cinema Studies Program launches. TAP!2013, training conference in digital content creation, publishing, marketing and monetizing, will be in Orlando. The second annual Games Summit at 2013 International CES, produced by Digital Media Wire, is in Las Vegas. The Sundance Institute launches the annual Sundance Film Festival in Park City. The Florida Media Market (FMM) created to fortify the Media industry in South Florida opens in Miami.

Hollywood Black Film Festival, CineVegas Film Festival, CMA Music Festival, City of New York Music Festival, Bluegrass Masters Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festival, Hollywood and Games Summit, are Featured Highlights For June Media and Entertainment Industry Career Networking Events

The Webby Awards will honor website innovation and creativity in categories that include Art, Games, Lifestyle, Movie and Film, Music, NetArt and more, during a festival and awards ceremony from June 3-5 in New York. You can browse three floors of exhibitors that provide the essential tools for advancing careers, and actually audition at casting calls, model and talent searches, during the one day only Entertainment Industry Expo on June 3 in New York. The Hollywood Black Film Festival taking place June 5-10 in Beverly Hills, will feature narrative and documentary features, short and student films, music videos and animation in its competitive program, a separate Storyteller Competition for screenwriters, and nightly parties to attend, including the HBFF White Party at Royale on Wilshire. At CineVegas Film Festival in Las Vegas, June 6-16, Jerry Weintraub, producer of Ocean’s Thirteen, will be honored with the Vanguard Producer Award, and joined by his all-star cast from the movie, during opening night festivities which will benefit the aid group, International Rescue Committee for Not On Our Watch, an organization whose campaign is to support Darfur humanitarian relief efforts.

At “Country Music’s Biggest Party,” better known as the CMA Music Festival, running June 7-19, the Fan Fair Exhibit Hall at the Nashville Convention Center, gives four-day attendees the opportunity to meet some of their favorite country music entertainment personalities. Opening the Maui Film Festival in Kahului, June 13-17, a twilight reception theme titled “Taste of the Islands” ends with an after-party at Cosmic Comedy Club. At the In The City of New York Music Festival curated by Manchester-based In The City, in conjunction with AEG Live, panels happen at day, and at least six of the UK’s hottest new bands perform at night followed by after-show events throughout downtown Manhattan. The Bluegrass Masters Film Festival is part of the ROMP music festival, June 21-23, in Owensboro, and features world premier screenings of the International Bluegrass Music Museum’s ‘Video Oral History Project’ films – film documentaries of the lives and musical contributions of bluegrass music’s First Generation.

At the many showcase events during the Los Angeles Film Festival starting on June 21, a June 28 session titled “Actors Who Call Cut,” explores the creative opportunities and challenges actors face when stepping behind the camera to direct. Cinema Expo 2007 running June 25-28 in Amsterdam previews important upcoming cinema releases for the European market while offering a trade show of motion picture industry products, services and concession items, while running in conjunction the Cinema Expo International award presentation. At the Second Annual Hollywood and Games Summit, June 26 & 27 in Los Angeles, business and creative visionaries from both industries address synchronized production, who and how to pitch to the other side. Clive Barker, writer-director of Hellraiser and other films delivers the keynote address. For the Web Video Summit Spring ’07, on June 27-28 in San Jose, one theme that will be pointedly addressed is how new and old media can learn from each other – how net productions can find opportunities in Tinseltown, and what changes “old pros” need to make to succeed in this new web arena.

The above events are just a sampling of what is listed. Most of the reported events above have a submission process for indie and/or performing artists to take part in. Complete details are on the “Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events” page at http://www.actorschecklist.com/news.html/. Video and podcast versions of this news summary are now available at most popular sites around the Web like YouTube and the Apple iTunes store podcast category, as well as on The Actor’s Checklist at http://actorschecklist.com/loudblog/. This month on video you will see trailers and video clips of Scottish pop rock band Spotty Dog (http://www.myspace.com/spottydoggmusic; http://www.spottydogg.com/), now giving away (http://www.mydatabus.com/public/spottydogg1/SpottyDoggFREECDSingle.rar) copies of their debut single “High Heels”; from acoustic guitarist and comedian, Larry Martinelli (http://www.larrymartinelli.com/; http://www.myspace.com/larrymartinelli); Currently showcased in Australia’s “most sick and twisted short movies,” Trasharama A Go-Go, Australian Premiere entry, “Chicks From Hell” from Director Christos Mouroukis (http://www.myspace.com/christos98); United Kingdom based film Director Serdar Ferit (http://www.myspace.com/serdarferit; http://www.serdarferit.com/) featuring “Elevator Music”, a MyMovie MashUp (http://www.myspace.com/mymoviemashup) short film Entry.