What would you do if you were granted a wish to transform the nature of film discovery and viewing? Filmmaker Jehane Noujaim (Control Room) was when she was awarded the TED prize at the group’s annual conference in 2006. Her wish was to create a day in which the world came together through film, and now, after two years of hard work, her wish — Pangea Day — has come to fruition. On Saturday, May 10, 24 short films selected from over 2,500 international submissions will be the centerpiece of a broadcast and exhibition program that traverses continents and mediums. Cairo, Los Angeles, Kigali, London, Mumbai, Rio and many more cities (and countries) will all be linked and for Pangea’s day-long programming of films, music, and speaking events. In the U.S., Pangea Day will be broadcast on CurrentTV, and speakers include everyone from Queen Noor to Cameron Diaz. Pangea’s goals are simple and big — the event bills itself as a “global campfire,” and is predicated on the belief that storytelling is able to point out commonalities between peoples and cultures, thereby contributing to global understanding and peace. Of course, “world peace” has been the stock wish of every Miss America winner, but the Pangea Day organizers are well-connected, extremely aware of emerging media trends throughout the world, and the power of technology to organize and shape our consciousness. I’ll have an interview with Noujaim up on the blog in the next day, so check it out for more on the event.

Best,

Scott Macaulay
Editor

HOLLYWOOD CHINESE
Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Arthur Dong (License to Kill) examines the legacy of Chinese actors, writers and directors in the Hollywood film industry for his latest project. From the first Chinese-American film produced (1916's The Curse of Quon Gwon) to the mainstream success of directors like Wayne Wang, Justin Lin and Ang Lee, Dong finds an impressive list of interviewees to discuss the hard evolution for the Chinese in mainstream film, from the stereotype of opium dealers in films in the early 1900s to the “yellow face” era, where white actors played Chinese, to the Hollywood breakthroughs of directors like Lee, who won a Best Director Oscar for Brokeback Mountain.

BELLA
Winner of the People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival in 2006 followed by an impressive festival circuit run, Mexican director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde's moving debut feature follows the events that occur during one day in New York City to a former soccer star turned Mexican restaurant cook (Eduardo Verástegui) and a fired waitress (Tammy Blanchard), who recently learned she's pregnant, while at the same time spotlighting the Mexican culture in America. read more

To read more posts on our favorite upcoming DVDs, click here.

This week on the blog, Scott Macaulay looks at a pair of current obscenity prosecutions, rummages through the rumor mill to find the latest news on Picturehouse and highlights the roundtable The Hollywood Reporter did on the economics of independent production, while Brandon Harris posts last week's competition winners at the Tribeca Film Festival (pictured left).

To read more posts from our blog, click here.

CALL FOR ENTRIES EXTENDED

Emerging Narrative deadline is EXTENDED to May 15.

Be a part of IFP’s 30 year legacy. Submit your project today to the “Project Forum” of Independent Film Week (Sept. 14 – 19), formerly known as the IFP Market. The Project Forum is comprised of three sections for new works in development: Emerging Narrative (writers, directors seeking producers), No Borders (producers with partial financing) & Spotlight on Documentaries (filmmakers in production or post). Approximately 150 projects are invited to New York City to take more than 2000 pitch meetings and network with over 1000 industry professionals annually.

* Please note - if selected, participation is FREE. IFP membership required prior submission.

Click here to submit your project.

NICK BROOMFIELD, BATTLE FOR HADITHA
By Nick Dawson

Nick Broomfield continues to blend fact and fiction in his latest project, Battle for Haditha, about the 2005 killing of 24 Iraqi civilians by U.S. soldiers. With a cast made up of ex-Marines and Iraqis, Broomfield’s film examines the events surrounding the killings from the perspective of Iraqi insurgents, Iraqi civilians and the U.S. Marines. It effectively utilizes a naturalistic, documentary style in presenting a balanced account of the massacre which humanizes the actions of each faction in an attempt to understand why these tragic deaths took place. read more

MAY
Hamptons International Film Festival
Submission Deadline: May 10 (Early), June 25 (Final)
Festival Dates: Oct. 15-19

Squaw Valley Screenwriting Program
Submission Deadline: EXTENDED to May 10
Workshop Dates: Aug. 2-9

Rhode Island International Film Festival
Submission Deadline: May 15
Festival Dates: Aug. 5-10.

Chicago Underground Film Festival
Submission Deadline: May 15, July 15 (Final)
Festival Dates: Oct. 29-Nov. 2

Plam Springs International Film Festival
Submission Deadline: May 23 (Final)
Festival Dates: Aug 21-27

Urbanworld Film Festival
Submission Deadline: May 31
Festival Dates: Sept. 10-14

Find more festival deadlines here.