You attend our events, you’re already Facebook friends with us, you receive our newsletter. NOW, join Philadelphia’s hottest film community and become an official Member of Project Twenty1!
What does that mean?
Members receive:
-Discounted or free admission to most Project Twenty1 events through December 2010
-Discounted admission to many partner events throughout Philadelphia and New York.
-Discounts on film industry products and services like equipment, rentals, software and more! -Secret Member-only coupon codes for use on our website -Member-only raffles & giveways at live events -Member-only newsletters & advanced ticket sales/event notices -Priority Seating during P21Fest -1 free blast per membership on our Twitter & Susie Filmmaker Facebook account about your upcoming projects, cast and crew needs, or screening
As with any volunteer-run organization, members are the backbone of Project Twenty1. Thanks to our members, we can continue to provide inspiration, connections, exhibitions, and promotion that helps “starving artists” within the P21 community evolve their hobbies into successful film, animation, and arts careers.
If anybody you know attends Project Twenty1 events, this gift will save them time and money in 2010! Or become a member yourself! Get your Membership on our Store by Dec. 15th, and it will be mailed out to you by Holiday time.
After much anticipation, it’s finally here! In the summer of 2008, 30 Teams of filmmakers had 21 days to make films up to ten minutes long based on the Element “Light.” The films that came in blew us away! Since screening at our festival, these films have screened in over a dozen other festivals, TV networks, and screening series nationwide, including The Temecula Valley Film & Music Festival, The Bare Bones Script-2-Screen Film Festival, Collingswood TV, and The Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival.
Now, you can own “LIGHT” on a dual-layer DVD featuring over 4 hours of content! This disc includes all 30 original short films, plus director’s cuts and trailers! See what independent filmmakers can do with 3 weeks time and a spark of inspiration. Buy “Light” here!
This is a LIMITED-EDITION RELEASE of less than 100 copies! So those of you who keep asking about this, get your disc now or forever hold your peace. This DVD is only $20.00.
Support our humble film organization, and our filmmakers, and get yourself a copy! And then get 5 more for all your friends!
We also have NEW versions of our Volume 1 DVD: “21″. “21″ is NOT the casino film of the same name (ours was first!), but rather a DVD featuring all 17 short films created for Project Twenty1 based on our first year’s Element “21.” From shopping carts to lottery tickets to… well, fine, there is a blackjack game or two in there, see what 17 Teams of filmmakers from around the world did with three weeks and the number “21″! In addition to the films, this disc also contains director’s cuts, behind-the-scenes, trailers and documentaries about the making of one of the films, as well as Project Twenty1 itself.
For the completionist, VOLUME 1 and VOLUME 2 look great next to each other on the shelf. (Just saying.) And Volume 1 is yours for just $15. Buy it HERE!
P21Fest has wrapped, and it was another awesome year! Thanks so much to all who were in attendance! So many of our friends, members, in-kind sponsors, and supporters came out in droves from all over the world! We were, as always, humbled and thrilled by the crowds. For those who weren’t, we’ll fill you in on all the awesome stuff you missed so you know what to expect next year! (You can also download the program HERE by right-clicking and selecting “Save As”.)
2009 AWARD WINNERS
2009 was a fierce competition, with over 100 submissions to the Philadelphia Filmathon and 30 entries to the 21-Day Filmmaking Competition, but these films were chosen by our independent panel of judges (and audiences) as worthy of recognition.
Congratulations to all our 2009 filmmakers, and to all our supporters for making this year such a fantastic success!
Philadelphia Filmathon
Best Feature
The Distance Between the Apple and the Tree
dir. Bajir Cannon
Honorable Mentions
Fairview St.dir. Michael McCallumBoys of Summerville
dir. Brooks Benjamin
Best Short Film
The Ghost and Us
dir. Emily Carmichael
Honorable Mentions
Spare Time
Dir. Edmond Hawkins
Birth
Dir. Signe Baumane
21-Day Filmmaking Competition
Best Film
“Ghost Light” by Team Emerald Productions
Nominees
“Keystone Jackal” by Team Warrington Oaks Pictures
“Meat After School” by GTeam
Best Directing
“Ghost Light” by Team
Emerald Productions
Nominees
“Crimson Forest” by Team Yerwolves
“Spirit of Illusion” by Team Merg3d
Best Writing (exact tie)
“Keystone Jackal” by Team
Warrington Oaks Pictures
“TUMBLER: the boom” by Team Hard Boiled
Nominees
“Turn of Fate” by Team Stray Dog Films
Best Cinematography“Crimson Forest” by Team Yerwolves
Nominees“Meat After School” by GTeam“Turn of Fate” by Team Stray Dog Films
Best Acting“Keystone Jackal” by Team Warrington Oaks Pictures
Nominees“Ghost Light” by Team Emerald Productions
“Overcome” by Team 10 Mile
Best Editing
“Pattern: Response” by Team Synthetic Human
Nominees“Crimson Forest” by Team Yerwolves
“Meat After School” by GTeam
Best Sound Design (exact tie)“Pattern: Response” by Team Synthetic Human
“Meat After School” by GTeam
Nominees
“Crimson Forest”
by Team Yerwolves
Best Music
“TUMBLER: the echo” by Team With No Name
Nominees“Ghost Light” by Team Emerald Productions
“Otto” by Team Dragon Crest Productions
Best Animation“Otto” by Team Dragon Crest Productions
Nominees
“Yarrrg! A Pirate Movie” by Team Groggy Heads
“Meat After School” by GTeam
Best Special Effects
“Meat After School” by GTeam
Nominees
“Crimson Forest” by Team Yerwolves
“Pattern: Response” by Team Synthetic Human
Best Use of Element
“Turn of Fate” by Team Stray Dog Films
Nominees
“Eight Minutes” by Team Scumberland Productions
“Meat After School” by GTeam
Best Marketing
“Journal’s Paragon” by Team Justice Productions
Nominees“Meat After School” by GTeam
“Pattern: Response” by Team Synthetic Human
Audience Award: Red Screening
“Journal’s Paragon” by Team Justice Productions
Audience Award: Blue Screening
“Destiny” by Team PhilaGape
Audience Award: Green Screening
“Ghost Light” by Team Emerald Productions
2009 P21FEST WRAPUP
This year was our largest Festival to date. Project Twenty1 screened over 50 films this year, held 10 workshops, and 4 parties, in a 4-day run from October 1st-4th, based in the International House Philadelphia, and this including party venues all around University City: Marbar, Distrito, 12 Lounge, and The Ellen Powell Tiberino Museum. We could not have done it without the help and support of all of these venues, especially International House, who has been a proud supporter and fiscal sponsor of P21 since 2008, which makes donations to Project Twenty1 tax-deductible under their 501(c)3 umbrella.
Our winner of Best Marketing, Team Justice Productions, did an awesome series of podcasts documenting their 21-Day Filmmaking process, as well as the Festival itself. So if you missed any of it, be sure to check them out right here! Or, at youtube.com/jprodlcc
UPCOMING SCREENINGS & PROMOS
Although P21Fest is wrapped, our work is just beginning. We’ll be supporting our community of filmmakers, both from the Philadelphia Filmathon and the 21-Day Filmmaking Competition, by submitting the films in our library, on your behalf, to our partner festivals around the country, in an attempt to earn our artists as much exposure as possible.
For starters, just this past weekend, our 2008 winner Leon & The Wolf, screened to a packed theater as a part of the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, October 11th as a part of their shorts showcase “Dark”. PAAFF put on a great festival this year, and we look forward to working with them more closely in years to come.
Also, Project Twenty1 is co-sponsoring two screenings this year at FirstGlance Film Festivals in Philadelphia, PA, on Friday, October 23. First up at 7:45 pm, we are hosting the Filmathon film, “Chasing the White Dragon”, directed by Kathilynn Phillips, which is surrounded by some amazing shorts (tickets). And if you missed the winner of our 21-Day Filmmaking Competition, be sure to stay to check out the 10:45 screening of “Ghost Light,” by Team Emerald Productions, to be followed by the feature “Ice Grill USA” (tickets).
Our Award-winning films (and select other festival favorites) will be sent to dozens of other festivals in the coming months, so stay tuned for more information!
2010 and BEYOND
As you may or may not realize, 100% of Project Twenty1’s staff and executives are volunteers. As we move into 2010, we hope to be able to add to our community and support more artists through our network and festival, but we are at maximum capacity right now with the artists we do have, and our organization is growing too quickly for us to be able to run it on a purely volunteer basis. In 2009 alone, in addition to our existing programming, we have added 2 new screening series, networking events, educational workshops, artistic parties, and an internship program. The bottom line: WE NEED SUPPORT to keep providing the same level of quality programming and artist support that we’ve been offering to date.
The good news is: every single one of you can help!! How, you ask?
HELP US FIND A TITLE SPONSOR:We have the mission, we have the programming, and we have an amazing network of artists and loads of community support in a city ripe with film, animation, arts, and business opportunities.We also have the ability to get a sponsor’s name, logo, and branding in front of a large audience. We simply haven’t had time to search for sponsors on the level necessary to support our burgeoning organization. Finding a corporate sponsor who loves what we do and wants to affiliate themselves with us would help alleviate the financial strain on us and our artists, and allow us to continue in 2010 and beyond.
So we’re asking you, our community: do you know anybody who works at a medium-sized to large company, looking to attract consumers, or looking to market their brand to trendy, artistic, technologically-savvy individuals? We have the audience, and we’d love to talk with them about how they can get involved. Please, put them in touch with us. Simply email us, and help make the introduction. Note that we are not begging for free “handouts”. We will work for our sponsors, and we will provide to them the audience they need. We just need help getting our foot in the door. Anything you, our community, can do to help, would be immensely appreciated. Again, we may not be able to hold this kind of festival again without you!
CONTRIBUTE OR BECOME A MEMBER: Project Twenty1 runs year-round events, and partners with countless organizations, in and around the Greater Philadelphia region. BECOME A MEMBER on our website, and receive discounts and coupons off many Project Twenty1 events, and partner events throughout the region. As a Member, you will also receive first knowledge of upcoming events, and coupon codes for use on our website. We also highly value our members’ input, so by joining us, you will be able to help us drive the decisions and future of our organization.
Not able to attend our events but want to contribute anyway? MAKE A DONATION! All donations over $25 result in a membership for yourself or an individual of your choosing as well.
Thanks so much everybody for making 2009 such a tremendous success. We look forward to working with you to continue our programming in the future, and see you again at our next events!
Stephanie Yuhas, Executive Producer
Matt Conant, Artistic Director
Project Twenty1 Not Just A Film Festival www.ProjectTwenty1.com
We are so thrilled to have you all on board as we gear up for 2009’s big events and we have some BIG news for the procrastinators amongst you:
21-DAY COMPETITION ENTRIES REOPENED FOR 7 DAYS ONLY!
We’ve heard it all month, from filmmakers all over: “Is it too late to sign up? I just heard about it! How do I sign up as a Team?” So, due to overwhelming demand (and because we’re just so damn nice), we’re going to REOPEN the 2009 21-Day Filmmaking Competition for new Teams from July 24th-July 31st. Take advantage of it now or forever hold your peace!
For those of you who have signed up already, don’t worry, there’s reward for your punctuality. The Early Deadline was $100 back in March, the Late Deadline was $150… if you decide to join us now, we have to make it $175. It’s only fair to the Teams that were first on board! But we still want to give everybody a fair chance to participate, because trust us, and ask any of our prior years’ Participants… it’s the best $175 you’ll ever spend on a film. If you don’t believe us, check out the Prizes page, featuring over $1000 in software from Sony Creative Software and Pegasys, and the MASSIVE amount of marketing and free film festival submissions you will receive once your complete your project!
You will be showcasing your filmmaking skills up against competitors from all over the U.S. as well as the UK and Greece! Among them, last year’s winners for Best Film, Best Cinematography, Best Writing, Best Soundtrack, and Best Acting.
We promise nothing short of a great time, and at its best, perhaps an actual life-changing experience.
LAUNCH EVENT – AUGUST 1ST
It’s nearly here! After months of waiting, The 21-Day Filmmaking Competition 2009 is finally about to begin. The Teams are on the starting line, they’re just waiting for the gun to go off!
If you’re local, don’t miss the:
Project Twenty1 LaunchEvent & Networking Party Saturday, August 1st, 2 pm – 6 pm
North Bowl Lounge & Lanes
909 N. 2nd St (map)
Philadelphia, PA 19123 USA FREE, all ages welcomed! RSVP on EviteRSVP on Facebook
$3 Pabst Blue Ribbon
$1 of every PBR purchase goes back to Project Twenty1!
Come one, come all! Many attendees will be making a film in the three weeks that follow, so meet enough people, and you’re bound to end up working on at least one film this August, doing anything from acting to composing music to PA work. The Launch Event will conclude with the announcing of the 2009 Rules, followed by the reveal of this year’s “Secret Element” that all the 21-Day films must include. All the filmmakers will then set off to make their films, and they’ll be due back at North Bowl on August 22nd by 6:00pm.
21+ can enjoy CHEAP drink specials. Win hundreds of dollars in door prizes from Dymo! Want to know what to expect? Check out clips from last year’s Launch Event!
Not local? We’ve got you covered! Nicole Greene, our PR Coordinator (aka Susie Filmmaker on Facebook), and Ian Rose, our awesome video intern, will be helping us simulcast much of the event on ProjectTwenty1.com so that all Teams will be able to hear the reveal of the Secret Element simultaneously! We’ll also e-mail the Element to participating Teams as soon as we announce it, just in case not everybody is online at that exact second.
We would like to thank our sponsor Crystalline Studios for setting up the event simulcast.Not a Team but want to join one?Get on the forum and support our Teams from all over the world.
Special thanks to event sponsor North Bowl for hosting!
JULY 31ST – LAST CHANCE DEADLINE FOR PHILADELPHIA FILMATHON SUBMISSIONS
Entries have been flowing in for this year’s Philadelphia Filmathon, where our official Call for Entries has passed, BUT there’s always a last chance to get your film into the coolest festival in town. ONE SUBMISSION GOES A LONG WAY!Submit ANY project, short film, feature, animation, live-action, music video, whatever, to the 2009 Filmathon, and your film enters our library. This means when our Festival Partners come to us for content, we can send them your film, saving you time & money and possibly qualifying you for tons of awards and prizes indefinitely. In a nutshell, we will keep finding every possible angle to screen your film until you tell us to stop! Just consider us your non-exclusive agents.
The deadline for The Philadelphia Filmathon Call for Entries is as follows: July 31st:Last Chance Deadline: $75/$60 Filmathon
Remember, we love to promote you! But we can’t do that unless we have some of your work. So if you have something to show, send it to us! What are you waiting for?
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
The best way to get involved, for people in the Philadelphia region, is by coming out to our Launch Event August 1st and seeing what we’re all about!
But, for those of you outside our region:
Check out our Forum if you are a writer, actor, musician, or other artist looking to get involved in films, and hook up with our filmmakers who will be making films in August.
Apply to join our Internship Program. If you have Arts & Production, Marketing, Web or Administrative skills, we are now offering credits and accepting applications for the Fall 2009 semester. Check with your school! Not a student but interested? Contact us anyway! We work with professionals on all levels.
Contact us! We have a rapidly growing fan base, and as we branch out with new events, new venues, new Festival Partners, and new sponsors for 2009, we are open to collaboration with all types of creative and business organizations that can help us support our filmmakers and enhance our artistic community.
Donations keep our cameras rolling! We are an all-volunteer organization that functions on the support of our community. Please consider making a donation to ensure we can continue to hold screenings, networking events, seminars, and festivals for the foreseeable future.
STAY IN THE LOOP
Follow Project Twenty1 more easily than ever in 2009:
NewsTwenty1 on Facebook’s NetworkedBlogs app. News Twenty1 will allow you to feed our breaking news updates to your Twitter Home page, rather than having to always check our site.
Befriend Susie Filmmaker on Facebook. Susie is more than happy to answer all your questions about Project Twenty1 in 2009.
JUNE 30TH – LATE DEADLINE FOR 21-DAY COMPETITION SIGNUPS & PHILADELPHIA FILMATHON SUBMISSIONS
Team Signups to the 21-Day Filmmaking Competition are almost over! Procrastinators be warned, these are your final days for the Late Deadline, which is upon us on June 30th. Filmmaking this year takes place between August 1st and August 22nd. We won’t bore you guys with all the details here again, but if you want to make a film, get GUARANTEED theatrical screenings, (NEW!) prizes, and tons of free promotion for your beautiful new short, sign up before it’s too late!
Just this year, we’ve submitted 21-Day Films to nearly 2 dozen festivals nationwide, and our films have been selected to screen all around Philadelphia and as far as Sitka, Alaska (Alaska Film Festival) and Phoenix, Arizona (No Festival Required) through our Festival Partners.
The Late Deadline is the same for the Philadelphia Filmathon, where ONE SUBMISSION GOES A LONG WAY!Submit ANY project, short film, feature, animation, live-action, music video, whatever, to the 2009 Filmathon, and your film enters our library. This means when our Festival Partners come to us for content, we can send them to your film, saving you time & money and possibly qualifying you for tons of awards and prizes indefinitely! In a nutshell, we will keep finding every possible angle to screen your film until you tell us to stop! Just consider us your non-exclusive agents.
The deadlines for The Philadelphia Filmathon Call for Entries & 21-Day Team Signups are as follows:
June 30:LateDeadline: $150 Competiton/$50 Filmathon
Remember, we are here to promote you! But we can’t do that unless we have your work. So if you have something to show, send it to us! And if you don’t, create it and get it screened!
FESTIVAL WRAPUP
Project Twenty1 has had a busy couple of weeks! It all started on June 18th, where we hosted a booth at the Urban Suburban Film Festival, a new Partner Festival that took place on the perimeter of town (hence the name). Last Saturday’s Cupcake Bandit Film Festival has been postponed until July, thanks to Philadelphia’s never-ending supply of rain. Stay tuned to Cupcake Bandit’s website for all the details and schedule updates.
This week, we’ve been at the Philadelphia Film Market, who have been awesomely screening some 21-Day Films from 2008 between official “Film Market” slots. So if any of you get seemingly random calls from buyers, you know who to thank. So far, the Film Market has hosted wonderful panels on everything from digital distribution to Steadicam operation to what’s it like producing films in Philly.
Thursday kicked off the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, also operating in Northern Liberties section of Philly, and which is screening nearly 200 films this weekend. come on out, get some food, and check out our Launch Event venue, North Bowl, which is one of the screening venues for PIFF.
Though we’ve barely had a chance to sleep, we’re definitely excited to see all the film activity in the region!
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
Contact us! We have a rapidly growing fan base, and as we branch out with new events, new venues, new Festival Partners, and new sponsors for 2009, we are open to collaboration with all types of creative and business organizations that can help us support our filmmakers and enhance our artistic community.
Also, please remember, Project Twenty1 is an all-volunteer organization. Please consider making a donation to make sure we can continue to provide the same level of awesome screenings, networking events, seminars, and festivals in the future!
STAY IN THE LOOP
Follow Project Twenty1 more easily than ever in 2009:
Project Twenty1 on Facebook’s NetworkedBlogs app. News Twenty1 is currently the largest blog community in the Philadelphia network. Help us keep it that way: spread the word!
Befriend the Project Twenty1 Girls (Susie Filmmaker on Facebook). Susie is more than happy to answer all your questions about Project Twenty1 in 2009.
Project Twenty1 on YouTube, featuring our Channel Twenty1, with all 47 21-Day Films in our current library.
Project Twenty1 is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to networking artists from all disciplines through filmmaking. We are in search of a dependable webmaster with experience in DNN (Dot Net Nuke) or similar interfaces willing to dedicate 5 hours a week to our cause.
Job functions include:
-Routine Database Upgrades.
-Newsletter Support & Upgrade.
-DNN Forum upgrade.
-Possible flexible URL integration.
-Bonus if you know basic flash (fading clickable banners).
No graphic design skills necessary.
Project Twenty1 is fiscally sponsored through the International House Philadelphia, a 501(c)3 company.
Contact stephanie [[at]] projecttwenty1.com with your experience.
If you like the PA Film Industry, it’s up to YOU to save it!
Senate Republicans have introduced Senate Bill 850, an alternative to the governor’s budget proposal. This bill eliminates financial support to the state & regional film offices. The elimination of these offices signals a strong intention by the Senate Republicans to remove the film production tax credit program, thereby eradicating this emerging industry in Pennsylvania.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?
Those awesome folks at the Philadelphia Film Office will lose their jobs, so they won’t be able to help YOU get permits for your locations. They won’t be able to host independent film events to exhibit YOUR work. And they won’t be able to get the big budget features in town that employ YOU, in addition to thousands of other film professionals, carpenteres, electricians, etc.
This bill will be up for a vote this Wednesday, May 6th. We NEED you to call and e-mail the Senate Republican Leadership immediately to voice your OUTRAGE against SB 850.
E-mail is not enough! Politicians “count” phone calls more than e-mails. Leave a message at each one of these numbers - you don’t have to yell, but you need to be heard!
Senate Republican Leadership
President of the Senate
Joseph B. Scarnati III (R)
TELEPHONE: (717) 787-7084
(SB 850 Co-Sponsor)
Floor Leader (Majority)
Dominic Pileggi (R)
TELEPHONE: (717) 787-4712
(SB 850 Co-Sponsor- Represents parts of Chester and Delaware Counties)
Whip (Majority)
Jane Clare Orie(R)
TELEPHONE: (717) 787-6538
Caucus Chair (Majority)
Michael L. Waugh (R)
TELEPHONE: (717) 787-3817
Caucus Secretary (Majority)
Robert D. Robbins (R)
TELEPHONE: (717) 787-1322
Thank you to everybody who came out to our first-ever “Show Us Your Shorts” on January 31st. We packed around 200 people into Marbar to enjoy the food, films, and fun that come with any Project Twenty1 event. If you missed it, be sure to check out the pictures on our MySpace page and our Facebook group. So thank all of you for your support in making this another successful Philadelphia independent film event!
As follow up, we would like to proudly present:
SHOW US YOUR SHORTS #2 – MARCH 28th, 2009
Shorts on DVD (under 10 minutes!!!) will be screened on a first come, first-served basis. If you’re bringing a short to screen, you’ll want to get there a little early – doors open at 5:30. We’re starting this event earlier to add time for GLOW NETWORKING. March 28th is Earth Hour, meaning the city of Philadelphia will go dark at 8:30pm for an hour. But being environmentally-conscious doesn’t mean you have to stop your careers for an hour! $2 gets you a non-toxic glow stick so you can help save the environment AND be productive at the same time, as we host another post-screening networking mixer filled with filmmakers, animators, musicians, talent & industry professionals.
The top short film of the night will again win over $200 worth of prizes!
Saturday, March 28th
6:00pm – 8:30pm Screenings/Parties
8:30pm – 9:30pm Glow Networking
Marbar
200 S. 40th St. (40th & Walnut)
Philadelphia, PA 19104
All Ages welcome! However, viewer discretion is advised for potential R-Rated content. RSVP HERE to learn some tips & tricks to make a successful night out of Show Us Your Shorts!
In May, our New York followers can look forward to our first-ever NYC-area event as we host Show Us Your Shorts in a stylish Manhattan bar! More details to come…
THE PROJECT TWENTY1 2009 SCHEDULE
The 2009 Project Twenty1 Film Festival will take place Thursday-Sunday, October 1st-4th. This year’s Film Festival will once again include screenings for both the Philadelphia Filmathon, and the 21-Day Filmmaking Competition, as well as a slew of new workshops and events.
The 2009 Filmmaking Competition will host its Launch Event on Saturday, August 1st and the Drop Event will occur 21 days later, on Saturday, August 22nd. Expect more details on the Launch and Drop Events in the near future as we nail down details, but suffice it to say, they will be even more exciting experiences than last year’s!
Filmathon Call for Entries and Competition Team Signups will open online on March 28th.
BONUS: Teams that sign up in person for the Competition or submit to the October Filmathon at the Show Your Shorts on March 28th will receive a free gift!
The deadlines for Filmathon Call for Entries & 21-Day Filmmaking Competition are as follows:
April 30: Early Deadline: $100 Competition/$21 Filmathon May 31: Regular Deadline: $125 Compettion/$35 Filmathon June 30: LateDeadline: $150 Competiton/$50 Filmathon
Remember, Teams that enter the competition and films accepted into the Filmathon will receive FIVE FREE TICKETS to any festival screenings between October 1-4!
Stay tuned for more announcements on this year’s Prizes, Judges, and special events as we get closer! We have a lot planned for 2009.
MUSIC CONTEST WRAPPED!
Not Just A Film Festival, Project Twenty1 encompasses all the arts, just as film production itself does. In this vein, Project Twenty1 has just wrapped our first-ever Music Contest. We received dozens of entries from artists all over the country, from pop to rock to blues to hip-hop to easy-listening and everything in between. Our thanks go out to everybody who has submitted music to us!
Our judges are hard at work going through the many entries we received to see which piece or pieces might work best as themes for this year’s festival. Stay tuned, musicians, you will hear from us very soon!
We hope to have some more musical surprises in store for all of you soon as we expand our venues for 2009.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
Contact us! We have a rapidly growing fan base, and as we branch out with new events, new venues, and new sponsors for 2009, we are open to collaboration with all types of creative and business organizations that can help us support our filmmakers and enhance our artistic community.
STAY IN THE LOOP
Follow Project Twenty1 more easily than ever in 2009:
Project Twenty1 on Facebook’s new NetworkedBlogs app. Project Twenty1 is currently the largest blog community in the Philadelphia network. Help us keep it that way: spread the word!
Befriend the Project Twenty1 Girls (Susie Filmmaker on Facebook). She can answer all your questions about Project Twenty1 in 2009.
Happy New Year! We are starting 2009 off with a bang with….
“SHOW US YOUR SHORTS!” FREE FILM SCREENING, JAN. 31st
Project Twenty1 is excited to announce a new partnership with the FirstGlance Film Festival, Philadelphia’s longest-running independent film festival, in 2009. We are launching this partnership by co-hosting a joint screening, “Show Us Your Shorts!” January 31st.
Show off your short film (and short pants!) at this FREE open mic-style screening event, followed by a networking mixer filled with filmmakers, animators, musicians, talent & industry professionals. Films will be screened on a first come, first-served basis. If you’re bringing a film to screen, you’ll want to get there early!
The top short film of the night will win over $200 worth of prizes (and the most hilarious short pants of the night will also win something special!).
Saturday, January 31st
7:00pm – 9:00pm, followed by networking
Marbar
200 S. 40th St. (40th & Walnut)
Philadelphia, PA 19104
All Ages welcome to attend the screening, however, viewer discretion is advised for potential R-Rated content. $4 Smirnoff Mixers for 21+
This event is merely the beginning of a larger, multi-stage partnership being coordinated for 2009 and beyond. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements from FirstGlance and Project Twenty1 in the near future!
YEAR-ROUND EVENTS
Beyond simply holding our 4th annual festival in the fall, 2009 will see Project Twenty1 wherever there is arts, film and music as we expand our goal to promote the arts nationwide. We will be holding screenings, hosting networking events, and keeping you in the loop on the greatest parties and artistic and cultural events that Philadelphia has to offer.
We began this endeavor in December, as we welcomed some devoted Project Twenty1 followers (and welcomed some new friends!) at Fuzion for PANMA’s Holiday Event, and at the Green Warehouse for our Festival Coordinator Na’imah’s birthday bash.
In January, Project Twenty1 will be co-hosting film-related makeup seminars, hosted by Mary Kay representative Nicole Hollenbeck. These seminars will be FREE, but a portion of any donations, referral prizes, or purchases will benefit Project Twenty1, meaning you can learn Hollywood makeup secrets and support independent film all at the same time! Click here for more information on these events.
ATTENTION MUSICIANS!
So… Make music? Like movies? Send us your album, single, or EP for your chance to become the official rock (/rap/pop/electronica) stars of the 2009 Project Twenty1!
Project Twenty1 wants to hear your best stuff! We will be selecting one or more “Themes” to represent Project Twenty1’s 21-Day Competition and/or Philadelphia Filmathon in 2009. These may be played in our trailers, on our Official 2009 DVD, at our screenings, in promotional materials, and/or online in various capacities. It will mean a ton of exposure, both locally and nationally, to have your music as the theme song to an international film festival.
Deadline for submissions is February 15! The address is:
Project Twenty1
Attn: Music Dept.
1203 W. Elm St.
Norristown, PA 19401
Be sure to include some form of contact information! We will be contacting any artists whose work we think we might like to use in our festival and/or promotional materials. Good luck! THE 2009 PROJECT TWENTY1 TEAM
2009 is going to be all about interactivity: between filmmakers and musicians, producers and investors, between our Team and our audience. Count on the talented and driven staff of Project Twenty1 as your ticket to the best networking, best parties, and most worthwhile screenings across the city.
Check out our new, improved Who We Are page to see more about our amazing Staff, Interns, and Volunteers, some of whom are still with us from 2008, some of whom are brand new for 2009. We could not be where we are without the drive and dedication of these wonderful individuals. Beyond that, they’re all awesome and sexy and artistic and just as excited about film as you are, so come out to some of our events in 2009 and introduce yourselves to them!
STAY IN THE LOOP
Too much to digest all at once? Fortunately, you can follow Project Twenty1 and keep up to date on our events even more easily than ever now:-All new for 2009: Our Web Content Editor, Rudy Flesher, is handling the official Project Twenty1 Twitter account, and is Tweeting regularly about up-to-the minute developments. Follow us on Twitter and stay in the loop to be sure you don’t miss out!
-If you’re on Facebook, follow us even more easily using our new NetworkedBlogs app. And befriend the Project Twenty1 Girls (who go by Susie Filmmaker on Facebook) to keep in the loop in general about all things Project Twenty1 related.
-As always, there’s our MySpace page, which now contains our all-new Channel Twenty1 player, featuring all 47 films created for our 21-Day Filmmaking Competition in 2006 and 2008.
-We will be updating The ProjectTwenty1.com News pages regularly with film-related news from all around the region. Project Twenty1 will be your source in 2009 for the hottest independent film-related news in Philadelphia and beyond! Want to hear about all the best screenings, networking parties, casting calls, and lectures? Be sure you bookmark our News page and check it regularly!
Meanwhile, hope to see you at one of our events this month. Happy New Year from all of us at Project Twenty1!
Welcome to all our new participants, entrants into the Film-A-Thon, and new friends! It’s been an exciting summer, and as we enter the fall, The Project Twenty1 Film Festival is approaching fast. Tickets are now available for the Festival, October 4th and 5th, 2008. All festival screenings, as well as the Awards Ceremony, will take place at the newly-renovated 400-seat International House Theater, located at 3701 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia. For access to the industry parties and Sunday night’s Awards Ceremony, as well as ALL the screenings, be sure to get yourself a Day Pass or Festival Pass and make a weekend out of it! For a list of films that are screening, check out the Events Page.
This year’s Festival will include both The Philadelphia Film-A-Thon and the 21-Day Filmmaking Competition. This year, hundreds of films were submitted to the Film-A-Thon, and 30 films were created as part of the 21-Day Filmmaking Competition, and the best submissions to the Film-A-Thon, along with ALL of the Competition films that were completed for Project Twenty1, will be screened at the festival, and compete for Awards and Prizes.
21-Day Filmmaking Competition Films
The 21-Day Competition this year was bigger and better than ever, and we are thrilled to be presenting the World Premiere of 30 excellent short films, running the gamut from horror to comedy to experimental, all in three fantastic screenings on October 5th!
Starting on July 19th, 35 Teams of filmmakers from as far away as Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the UK, began making short films up to 10-minutes long, all with the same guidelines, and all in some way including this year’s Secret Element, “Light.” 30 of those Teams completed their films and animations, and 24 of those brought their films in by the Deadline. All 30 of the submitted films will screen on Sunday, October 30th, forming the Closing Night Screenings of the Project Twenty1 Film Festival.
Those 24 films that came in on time will be competing for various Prizes, including an offer to have the film distributed by Polychrome Pictures through Warner Bros. Worldwide Home Video, as well as copies of ToonBoom Storyboard software and the Project Twenty1 trophy.
Check out the Competition films, trailers, and more information on our filmmakers on the newly-revamped 21-Day Competition Page on our website to see screen shots, synopses, posters, trailers, and more information on the Teams themselves. And remember, there is also an Audience Award, which will be calculated based on the ballots from the film festival, so come on out, support our filmmakers and vote for your favorites. You might help get a talented Team of filmmakers some additional exposure this year!
The Philadelphia Film-A-Thon
It’s been a long road, but thanks to the work of our tireless, diligent screeners, we finally narrowed it down. It was not easy, as there were so many qualified films and we wish we could have screened more of them. But here we are, and we feel we have an excellent lineup this year! To see the list of films screening at this year’s Philadelphia Film-A-Thon segment of our Project Twenty1 Film Festival, check out our Schedule of Events. The Winner of “Best Feature” from the Film-A-Thon will be announced at the Awards Ceremony just prior to the Closing Night Party. The Prize? An offer to be the lead feature on the Compilation DVD being released by Polychrome Pictures through Warner Bros. Worldwide Home Video! Which film will it be? The field of contenders has already been greatly reduced to the films you see on our website, so come see them all October 4th and 5th, and stay for the thrilling results, to be announced Sunday night at 9:30pm.
After the Awards Ceremony, come hang out with all our filmmakers, judges, hosts, staff, along with dozens of producers, actors, musicians, and artists of all types at Marbar, located at 40th and Walnut Streets! Bring your business cards, DVDs, scripts, demo CDs, and any other materials you have tom promote yourselves, because it’s going to be one of your best chances all year to meet influential people and get the ball rolling on your next project. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find that perfect star you’ve been seeking, or that producer who wants to help fund your next project!
Project Twenty1 Partners with Slamdance Film Festival!
As many of you know, we are one of the only film festivals in the world to continue promoting our Competition films after they have screened at our festival. So, while our filmmakers were making their 21-Day films, we’ve been expanding our partnership with other festivals across the country to get our filmmakers as much exposure as possible. Our newest partner: The Slamdance Film Festival! We will be submitting, on our filmmakers’ behalf, the best films created for our Competition for consideration in their January ‘09 festival. Note that this is no guarantee of screening! But, when any of the films are chosen to screen by Slamdance or any other Festival Partner, we will be alerting the filmmakers in question. We are so committed to this idea that we have created a Festival Liaison position within Project Twenty1, and our staff will be starting work this week expanding our network worldwide.
Beyond Slamdance, Project Twenty1 has partnered with a half-dozen other festivals so far, with dozens of others in talks, to get these films as much exposure in as many markets as possible. Who knows? Maybe one of them is a perfect fit for Slamdance, or The Austin Underground Film Festival, or Hollyshorts. As filmmakers ourselves, we know how complicated and frustrating the festival submissions process can often be, so we’re taking some of the frustration off our filmmakers’ shoulders. After all, our Teams made their films for us, the least we can do is get them in front of as many eyeballs as possible. In 2006, some of our Competition films screened at The Big Bang Film Festival, Iris Film Festival, and Bucks County Film Festival, and a couple of them even won Awards elsewhere. If you are a 2008 Competition Team, and are planning to submit your film to other festivals after ours, check out our Festival Partners page to see the places your film may have already gone.
If you run a festival yourself, and are interested in partnering with us, please email our Festival Liaison at liaison@projecttwenty1.com.
More information and updates on our festival coming soon. But for now, you have less than 21 days to gear up… Project Twenty1 2008 is coming, so go check out our lineup of films, and reserve your tickets now for what is sure to be an awesome weekend!
Hello again to all our Teams! It’s been an exciting 16 days thus far on the 21-Day Filmmaking Competition, and though it isn’t quite at an end yet, we thought we’d bring you all up to date on the highlights, and let you know what to do before this Saturday’s due date and Drop Event!
The Main Event – Prizes!
We know most of you are in this for the spirit of competition, the thrill of filmmaking, and the promotion you get from being a part of this Competition. But all that is a given… that still doesn’t mean you aren’t thinking about the incentive to win!
Since the Launch Event, our Prize Package has solidified. As you probably know by now, the Winner of “Best Film” in our 21-Day Filmmaking Competition will be offered inclusion on this year’s compilation DVD, to be released commercially and internationally by Polychrome Pictures through Warner Bros. Worldwide Home Video. Considering most filmmakers spend months or years sending their films to festivals, setting up their own screenings, and pitching the project around to find a deal like this, we are thrilled to be able to offer this directly to our winners! For you filmmakers who want more information on this deal. For that, see our FAQ page or contact us directly. In addition to this deal, thanks to our friends at Toon Boom, Grand Prize Winners will also receive copies of Toon Boom Storyboard Pro, valued at $800, as well as the coveted Project Twenty1 2008 Trophy, and all the promotion, hype and networking contacts that will come with victory.
I hear what you’re saying: that’s all well and good for the winner, but what about the other awesome films that get turned in but miss the Grand Prize by one or two votes? Well, the Winners of the Categories “Best Writing” and “Best Directing” will receive copies of Toon Boom Storyboard, a $250 value, and winners of EVERY category will receive a suitable-for-framing Certificate to that extent. We are also beefing up our partnerships with various festivals around the country, and the individual category winners (who aren’t on the WB label by then) will still be promoted and sent to other festivals on the filmmakers’ behalf. Just this week, we have added HollyShorts and The Austin Underground Film Festival to our list of festival partners who will be receiving the “Best of” 2008 Competition screener, and we are speaking to the heads of a half-dozen other festivals right now to ensure these films get seen nationwide! We’ll send you all the list after the Competition, so you don’t accidentally submit your film twice.
Saturday, August 9th: WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
Remember: your films are due THIS SATURDAY, August 9th, by 9:00pm. What we need from you, in person or by mail: 1) YOUR FILM (DVD, miniDV, or DVCam, formatted for 4:3 aspect), 2) the CERTIFICATION FORM, and 3) the PROMOTIONAL FORM (click to download these forms). We will have a videographer interviewing the filmmakers and learning more about some of the films coming in and some of the stories that went into their creations. So come on out and bring as much of your Team as you want! We will be there from 6:30pm until 10:00pm. See you there!
If you are mailing us your films via USPS, keep in mind, many stations are NOT OPEN on Saturdays, or are only open until 12 or 2:00pm, and we need to see a postmark before we consider the film on time, so send it on Friday if you need to, to be sure. Our next suggestion would be find a FedEx Kinkos, which are frequently (but not always) open 24/7, and stand there and make the counterperson put it in the system while you’re there.
Send us your film, along with before the deadline of 9:00pm on Saturday, and as long as you’ve followed all the rules, your film will be officially eligible for Awards. We will contact those of you mailing us your films the instant they arrive. And for reference, here is our mailing address:
Project Twenty1
Attn: 21-Day Competition
1203 W. Elm St.
Norristown, PA 19401
FAQ: Rules & Categories
Before you send us your films, keep in mind the following: 1) The Secret Element, “Light,” MUST be somewhere in the film, even if it’s only implied or referred to offhandedly. BUT the better it is incorporated into the theme, story, or feel of the film, the better chance you have of winning it all! 2) The films MUST be, at their longest, 10:00 minutes EVEN. Any longer than that, and we cut it off at the knees! We’ve had several calls about this now, and we cannot make exceptions. You’ve got most of a week left, use it and edit, edit, edit until it works! We guarantee you can tell a successful story in under 10 minutes. If you need to expand it later for our festival screener, that is acceptable, but to be eligible for Awards and Prizes, you MUST meet the time requirements. Several people have asked us what the categories are they are competing in. While this probably exists somewhere on our website, we figured we may as well fill you in. The official categories are: Best Film, Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Acting, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Soundtrack, Best Effects, Best Use of Element, Best Marketing, and the much-sought-after Audience Award. Our independent panel of judges will be judging your films in all of these categories save two: the Audience Award, which as you might imagine, rests with those in the audience, and the award for Best Marketing, which will be chosen by us, the Project Twenty1 Staff, as we have sort of the catch-all perspective on how well you are connecting with people, and we also have the best view of how many people come to us asking about your film pre-festival. So, even AFTER the Drop Event, you are allowed to work on marketing, and we’ll be watching for your websites, posters, and innovative guerrilla marketing techniques. Just don’t do anything that can get you arrested.
Thank You!
For those Team Leaders who were unable to attend the Launch Event but will be attending the Project Twenty1 Film Festival in October, come to us to receive pick up your pass at the fest and use it for discounts around Philly while you’re in town that weekend! Also, make sure you check out the photos from the Launch Event to see what you missed (and if you have any photos, send them to us so we can put them up!) Also, make sure you pick up a copy of the Philadelphia Inquirer today and check out the Project Twenty1 Teams in action! Also check out our news page to hear clips from This Is Some Scene and G-Town Radio(clip coming soon), two stations that covered the festival this evening.
Good luck!! You have 5 days left. Make them count!
Your friends, as always,
Stephanie Yuhas, Matt Conant & Everyone at Project Twenty1 www.ProjectTwenty1.com
PROJECT TWENTY1 2010 MEMBERSHIPS
PROJECT TWENTY1 Presents: “LIGHT” (Vol. 2)
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