Thanks to veteran judge: Neil Curry, and his group

Neil Curry

As judging for the 2014 competition nears completion, we want to give a thank-you to one of Filmfest’s long-standing and extraordinarily talented judges, Neil Curry of South Africa.
Neil had been busy making a documentary about a new Biosphere Reserve established in the Klein Karoo area of South Africa, where he lives. The Reserve was set up primarily to promote the conservation of the unique vegetation and the animals of the area while, at the same time, protecting and restoring the water catchments that have been damaged. Neil donated the film to the Reserve to help promote its message to farmers and landowners, as well as to municipalities and school groups, to encourage them to participate in the initiative. Check out another popular work by Neil Curry: http://documentarystorm.com/the-elephant-the-emperor-and-the-butterfly-tree/

On Curry's judging team were:

Jane Green, who manages a Contract Nature Reserve with her husband; she has degrees in Ecology (animal behavior) and Conservation Biology and spent several years doing research at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

Peet Joubert, an Environmental Consultant who was a member of the information staff of the National Parks Board, ending up as Park Manager at Knysna National Park. He has been an active filmmaker – especially on underwater topics – for 25 years.

Briette Barry, who has a degree in Home Economics and is also an accountant and has run her own guest house for more than 20 years. She is an excellent and sensitive photographer.

 

Tribute to Memorial Day holiday

In honor of Memorial Day weekend in the U.S., we invite you to visit our 1975 Best of Festival winner, "Pressure Point," a U.S. Navy Recruiting Command film produced by John J. Hennessy Motion Pictures. It was shot at Aviation Officer Candidate School, NAS Pensacola, and featured a real Marine drill instructor, David Penn. Penn, who went on to become a Lieutenant Colonel, is now retired. You can find "Pressure Point" at http://www.military.com/video/forces/navy/pressure-point-old-school-navy-recruiting/662045755001/

Introducing our judges

Berger

Welcome Jason Berger, founder and executive producer at Kids At Play production house in Los Angeles, as a judge for the 2014 US International Film & Video Festival.Jason began producing in Boulder, Colo., where he founded Fat Third Entertainment. He graduated from the University of Colorado—Boulder in 2002 and moved to LA. He worked at Red Skies (now Asylum) Entertainment and in 2008 founded Kids At Play digital production shop that boasts a core team of 15.

Corporate entries take the lead for 2014

With more than a dozen countries already represented by entrants in the 2014 US International Film & Video Festival, Corporate has taken the lead in having the most entries.

This speaks well to the economy, we believe.....or maybe those entrants are just the early birds.
There's still plenty of room for more of you to send in your best creative efforts. Remember, the deadline is March 1.

Also remember you can promote your work to be considered for the One World Award for a production that fosters world understanding.

Which Browser Do You Favor?

One of the offbeat observations that comes from following a competition from its open to finish is a look at which web browsers are most often used to visit our website. The top one was Chrome, followed closely by Firefox and then Internet Explorer.

Check out the 2014 competition, especially One World Award

Get those entries readied for the 2014 US International Film & Video Festival Competition, now underway. Check out the guidelines at www.filmfestawards.com. 

Pay special attention to One World Award under Awards: Here is an opportunity to have your entry considered for this special award given by the International Quorum of Motion Picture Producers to a production that fosters global understanding. 

The 2013 winner was "Counterfeit Culture," a production that revealed the world of counterfeit products from pharmaceuticals to foods, toys, electronic goods, car parts and microchips. The documentary was created by Tell Tale Productions, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 

Tourism Film Event in Vienna honors Filmfest winner

Lee Gluckman at CIFFT awards

"Definitely Dubai," a Certificate winner in US International Film & Video Festival, on Nov. 8 won the Grand Prix award as the Best Tourism Film from CIFFT (Comité International des Festivals du Film Touristique).

The production was by Eclipse Film Production and the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) from the United Arab Emirates.

Lee Gluckman, chairman of US International Film & Video Festival, is president of CIFFT and participated in the awards ceremony in Vienna. For a full list of winners, see www.cifft.com