Burbank International Film Festival

“Tooning In” With Mark Kirkland

Ashley Ruskiewicz — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:18:23 +0000

Mark Kirkland says he had all his eggs in one
basket, but he seems to have thrown them into the right one. Mark has directed
more episodes of television’s longest running animated series, The Simpsons, than anyone. The Emmy
winning director began at CalArts studying animation, where he produced the
animated short, Animal Crackers. Mark then went on to work for Hanna
Barbera Studios as a layout artist. Following, he began his career with
FOX.
Mark occasionally delves into
the live action world. He wrote, directed, and co-produced a short film entitled
A Letter From Home, about an American G.I. who receives a heartfelt
letter from his wife during the Battle of the Bulge.

Mark is being honored at this year’s Burbank
International Film Festival as a Pioneer
in Animation.

To read the full article on Mark click here

Making Crowd funding As Fun As Crowd Surfing

Ashley Ruskiewicz — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 20:50:02 +0000

Writer/director/producer Kholi Hicks and Teresa Decher (actress/producer) joined forces to create AVERY & PETE: SUPERSEEDS. Think “Superbad with superpowers.” The team had a very successful Kickstarter campaign, which raised over $17,500. Currently in post-production, you can view the Superseeds trailer at: www.superseedsmovie.com

Kholi Hicks started as a cinematographer and is currently in pre-production on two feature films. continues to develop and hone his skill-set. while also remaining completely in touch with technologies, both of today and tomorrow, and workflows for production environments.

In addition to acting in independent projects (The Waiting List, In The Gray) and appearing in international Nike campaigns, Teresa Decher, has created and produced a number of short films. Superseeds was Teresa’s first feature-length movie. She continues to pursue both producing and acting, most recently cast in the upcoming web series “Red Scare”.

Teresa and Kholi will be on hand at The Burbank International Film Festival’s opening night, to discuss the success of their crowdfunding endeavors and to give filmmakers advice on how to “kickstart” their own projects.

A Lonely Place For Dying: Alive On the Festival Circuit

Ashley Ruskiewicz — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:21:57 +0000

Director Justin Eugene Evans has accomplished something many dream of in a fashion that producers long for. He produced a studio quality feature film for less than $200,000. The film was conceived from a stumbled on location. Evans was with his aunt when he found “Old Main,” an abandoned prison just outside of Santa Fe New Mexico. Evans says, “Once I knew the space I’d bring my laptop to the prison and sketch out a scene in the actual room for that scene. Sometimes I’d write a couple pages, sometimes I only had time to outline the scene before I was rushed out by a crusty ex-prison guard who looked like a cross between a 75 year old Elvis and an angry Johnny Cash.”

It sounds like the making of A Lonely Place for Dying might be just as exciting as the film. The film was in development for about ten months, where Evans storyboarded and collected authentic materials right down to Soviet flashlights and Thai vintage cigarettes. “We did everything a medium scale studio film would do, only with far less money and far fewer people.”

For the full article click here.

Celebrating Women In Film!

Ashley Ruskiewicz — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:30:46 +0000

Pedro Brenner’s Help Me Please!

Ashley Ruskiewicz — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 22:27:56 +0000

Help Me Please! is a delightfully dark indie film written, directed and produced
by the witty Pedro Brenner. Even at first glance, the film is painfully funny. A
vulnerable young man is pleasantly disturbed by a brawny good samaritan.

Matthew Klinger plays the perfect young man, while
Sean Bolger is everything you could want in Rocco’s character. It’s impossible
to know that something so dark could be so amusing until you have seen Help Me Please!

Full article: http://hollywoodbeginnings.blogspot.com/2011/09/help-me-please-delivers-humorous-side.html

Women’s Night 2011

Ashley Ruskiewicz — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 22:23:17 +0000

Awareness Awards

Ashley Ruskiewicz — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 03:30:13 +0000

BURBANK, CA The Burbank International Film Festival is pleased to announce a new annual award, the Awareness Award. Recognizing the unique opportunities within the film making community for participants to make positive contributions to literally millions of lives the Burbank International Film Festival has committed to honoring those people who have brought a measure of joy and hope to others through their work.

For 2011 The Burbank International Film Festival Awareness Award goes to Sam Mettler creator of the hit TV show “Intervention” on the A&E television network. The award also goes to Candy Finnigan an interventionist on the show that helps families work through their issues and problems. Candy specializes in counseling female addicts, particularly addicted mothers.

Since its inception “Intervention” an untold but clearly vast number of individuals have been given the chance to live a sober life and improve their personal relationships. This year the Burbank International Film Festival is honored and pleased to grant the Awareness Award to Sam Mettler and Candy Finnigan for bringing light to darkness and hope to the troubled.

Details about the Burbank International Film Festival are available at www.burbankfilmfestival.org. For the television show “Intervention” further information is available at: http://www.aetv.com/intervention/index.jsp

MEDIA CONTACT for the Burbank Film Festival

Ron Irwin

Email: drcommunicator@gmail.com

Tel: 310-908-0889

Ken Mora: The Art Of Production

Ashley Ruskiewicz — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 02:50:05 +0000

Ken Mora found his way into film the only practical way people find themselves in this business- unconventionally. After a series of lay-offs, Ken found his way back to school. A professor at Santa Monica College inspired Ken to head to USC’s school of fine art, where he flourished. Ken started his very own production company, Belle Fe Films, in order to produce his own work with his own vision. Ken’s latest title is that of Executive Producer on the documentary, Adventures in Plymptoons, which chronicles the work of Oscar nominated animator Bill Plympton. Last year Ken became a member of the Board of Directors for the Burbank Film Festival, and has become a vehicle for making the festival a place where great animators throughout the world submit their work.

Read more about Ken Mora here: http://exm.nr/j5sgSW

Burbank Film Festival, Flappers Comedy Club and Celebrities to Honor Purple Heart Recipient PFC T.J. Adams

Ashley Ruskiewicz — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 21:45:12 +0000

BURBANK, CA August 14, 2011 from 9:00 pm to 11:00pm the Burbank Film Festival is hosting its 5^th in a series of comedy film presentations at Flappers Comedy Club, located at the corner of First Street and Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank, CA. In addition to one or more star comedians festival celebrity judges on hand shall be: Larry Hankin (Seinfeld, Married with Children); Lisa K. Wyatt (The Suite Life on Deck, Legally Blonde); and, Siena Irwin (The Drew Carey Show, The Brave and the Bold). But the true star of the evening is local son and former Burroughs High School student and football player T.J. Adams home on medical leave after having had his carotid artery sliced open by shrapnel from a rocker propelled grenade while engaged in a fire fight in Afghanistan. He barely survived this life threatening wound but many of his comrades did not survive that day. It is those men T.J. is most anxious to honor. Flappers Comedy Club and Burbank International Film Festival have joined to make this wish come true.

“We are privileged and honored to be able to salute not only this brave soldier but his many friends who did not survive that bloody attack two months ago now. We sincerely hope that the community shows its support by coming out for this very special event.” Said Adrian Iniguez CEO of the Burbank International Film Festival.

Admission is only $12.00 and tickets may be purchased at the door on the evening of the show. Information and reservations are available by calling Flappers at 818-845-9721. Further information is also available on the film festival website at: www.burbankfilmfestival.org.

Media Contact:

Ron Irwin

Tel: 310-908-0889 email: drcommunicator@gmail.com

We Are Heroes to Rock Burbank Film Fest

Ashley Ruskiewicz — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:34:19 +0000

Winners of America’s Best Dance Crew “We Are Heroes” will be at the Women in Film Thursday night September 15th. To find out how to attend visit: http://www.burbankfilmfestival.org

Read more about how the girls got involved with the festival here:

http://www.examiner.com/entertainment-industry-in-los-angeles/we-are-heroes-to-rock-burbank-film-fest