B-Side Teams Up With IFC

B-Side Entertainment in Austin recently announced a partnership with IFC to provide distribution for hidden festival gems.
As Variety says, "With roughly 15,000 films screening at some 2,000 fests each year, few pics ever emerge from the clutter, let alone find theatrical distribution."
Those statistics amaze me, which means it's slim pickings for filmmakers looking to get a leg up. More reason to support B-Side in the efforts to get these lesser-known films out in the marketplace!

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117971707.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2564

TXMPA Board Election Results

From the Texas Motion Picture Alliance ...

On Saturday, June 30, over 150 members of the Texas Motion Picture Alliance (TXMPA) met at St. Edward’s University in Austin for their Annual Meeting. Presiding over the meeting was Hector Garcia, the first president elected to the newly-chartered industry organization. Garcia recognized and celebrated the Alliance’s role, and industry-wide cooperation in attaining the passage of the historical Moving Image Industry Incentive Program.

"The incentive was the result of a collaborative effort between our cohesive, statewide Alliance, our lobbyists HillCo Partners, and key allies like Senator Bob Deuell, Representative Dawnna Dukes, Comptroller Susan Combs, and Governor Perry and the staff at the Texas Film Commission," said Garcia. "This meeting allows us a moment to reflect on our achievement and to prepare for growing our voice in the industry and at the Capitol."

The meeting included an election process to replace and reseat board members with expiring terms, creating the 2007-2008 Board of Directors. Elected were: J. R. Flournoy, At-Large; David Friedman, Dallas Regional Representative; Hector Garcia, At-Large; Rodney Gibbs, At-Large; Jeff Horny, At-Large; Drew Mayer-Oakes, Film Commission Representative; Tony Miglini, Producers Representative; Sharon Murphy, At-Large; Heather Page, Austin Regional Representative; Clark Richards, At-Large; and Nikki Young, San Antonio Regional Representative. Continuing Board Members are Steve Belsky, Labor/Crew Representative; Chelse Benham, South Texas Representative; Jacob

Cena, El Paso Representative; Marten Davies, At-Large; Linda Dowell, Labor/Talent Representative; Camille McNamara, Pan Handle Representative; Cynthia Neely, Houston Regional Representative; Dave Peacock, Texas Association of Film/Tape Professionals Representative; Meredith Stephens, At-Large; Don Stokes, At-Large.

Following the Annual Meeting, the new Board of Directors held its first meeting where it elected officers of the Board. Meredith Stephens was elected president, Drew Mayer-Oakes was elected vice president, Camille McNamara was elected secretary, and Marten Davies was elected treasurer. Stephens commented, "Today was an incredible day for this membership. We had the opportunity to thank and salute our outgoing board members for the huge sacrifice of time and dedication they gave for which this entire industry is indebted. Through their efforts, we achieved legislation that is paramount to our livelihood. We now have our new Board composed and inspired to foster our mission of continuing our growth and success as the industry’s voice in Texas. I am honored and humbled to be elected as president and look forward to working with the Board of Directors and membership toward that end."

TXMPA State Meeting, June 30th, Austin

TXMPA Annual Membership Meeting & Election
Sponsored by
School of Management and Business
St. Edward's University

Saturday, June 30, 2007
10:00 AM until 2:00 PM (Approximate)
The Ragsdale Center at
St. Edward’s University
3001 South Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas 78704
512-448-8400
(Directions below)

Dear TXMPA Members,

Come to the annual meeting in Austin! The Texas Motion Picture Alliance is meeting for the first time as an association in a statewide meeting and we need you to attend.

If you are feeling like the work is done and there’s no reason to gather, you could not be farther from the truth. We are just getting started and we need everyone involved.

Come find out what needs to happen between now and the next legislative session only 18 months away. Come elect your representatives to the board. Make your vote count by being present for the election.

Prior to the Austin Annual Meeting, there are Regional Meetings in Austin (June 18), Houston (June 19), Dallas (June 26) and San Antonio (June 28). Watch for more details at www.txmpa.org.

At some of the regional meetings, there will be discussions regarding the election of the Regional Representatives. In accordance with our By Laws, Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio’s Regional Reps are being chosen this year. Keep in mind, the actual vote will occur in Austin during the Annual Meeting, so it is important you come to Austin to cast your vote. Our By Laws do not have proxy voting for the membership.

Please remember, this is a membership meeting. If you are not yet a member, visit our Web site (www.txmpa.org) and join. It’s free. If you are not receiving this directly from our site (i.e., if this was forwarded to you or you received it from a list serve), you may not be a member. Please join today.

Our meeting should end at approximately 2 PM. The new board will then convene and choose its President.

I have decided not to run for the Presidency again but I do want to re-run for an At-Large Seat on the board so I can continue my involvement with TXMPA. This has been a tremendous year and I have enjoyed your support. Leading this organization during its first year was an enormous privilege and the memories will last a lifetime. Thank you for all your work, your energy, your enthusiasm, and your input. Together we made a difference.

See you in Austin!

Hector Garcia
President

Directions:

The Ragsdale Center is on the campus of St. Edwards University in Austin. The TXMPA meeting will be held in Jones Auditorium (located on the west side, ground floor of the Ragsdale Center).

1. Link to St. Edwards University www.stedwards.edu/map/maps.htm

2. Link to campus map www.stedwards.edu/map/campmap.htm

From Southbound I-35 take the Woodward St. exit.
From Northbound I-35 exit Ben White and remain on the access road until you reach Woodward St.
Head west and in a short distance you will see the campus on the right. There are two entrances from Woodward, the first is Theatre Pass and the second is Andre Drive. Turn right at Andre Drive, park and walk across to the Ragsdale Center.

From Mopac/Ben White
From southbound Mopac exit Loop 360 and stay on it when it changes to
Hwy 71 East. Exit So. Congress Ave. Turn left onto Congress and right on Woodward. Turn left into campus at Andre Drive, park and walk across to the Ragsdale Center.

TXMPA ANNOUNCES AUSTIN REGIONAL MEETING FOR MONDAY, JUNE 18

Attention Screen Door folk, listen up!

(Austin, TX) - The Austin region of the Texas Motion Picture Alliance announced today it will hold its next meeting Monday, June 18, at Mother Egan's Irish Pub, 715 West Sixth Street. At the meeting, attendees will choose a new Austin regional representative and discuss two at-large seats from the Austin region and the group's on-going structure.

Current representative Rebecca Campbell, executive director of the Austin Film Society, will attend with alternate Janet Pierson and Texas Film Commissioner Bob Hudgins.

The meeting will begin promptly at 7 p.m. To RSVP, email austintxmpa@mac.com.

TXMPA last week celebrated the passage of HB 1634, which included $22 million in funding for film incentives grants. On Monday, May 28, the Speaker of the House and the Lt. Governor signed the bill, and this Thursday, June 7, Governor Rick Perry is expected to sign the bill at a ceremony at Austin Studios, 1901 E. 51st Street, beginning at 10 a.m.

TXMPA is also celebrating its exciting and productive first year. Last June, the TXMPA formed at a statewide meeting in Austin with an elected board that includes a representative for each of seven regions throughout the state: Amarillo/Panhandle, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso/West Texas, Houston, Rio Grande Valley/Brownsville and San Antonio.

Its next annual meeting to elect new board and discuss the upcoming year will be held Saturday, June 30, at 10 a.m. See the TXMPA Web site, www.txmpa.org, for details. Location TBA.

In preparation for the next legislative session in 2009, there is still a great amount of work to be accomplished. TXMPA will assist in marketing the new incentives program, monitoring the results of these grants and embarking on an Economic Impact Study.

About the Texas Motion Picture Alliance:
The Texas Motion Picture Alliance (TXMPA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization founded in Austin on June 16, 2006 to become the advocate for the film, video, interactive, and digital media production industries in the Lone Star State. The Alliance is committed to building a strong community of industry professionals. It is charged towards creating competitive economic incentives to present to the state legislature in the upcoming session. TXMPA also is committed to educating the general public about our businesses and how we impact their lives through the hundreds of millions of dollars our productions pump into the economy.

SDF and SVT - Our new home

Screen Door is thrilled to present our first shorts program at our new home, The Salvage Vanguard Theater. When SVT opens its doors in June, Austin will instantly have a new focal point for cutting edge theater, film and music.
SVT's programming will include music on Tuesday nights, theater Thursday through Sunday, and Screen Door will be programming Wednesday night film nights!
Our first such event will take place on Wednesday, June 13th, and the program contains 8 amazing short films, collected from film festivals far and wide.

TXMPA Legislative Agenda

Here's the latest from the board of the Tx Motion Picture Alliance.
This is the specific info that we've all been waiting for, so dig in!
And don't forget to become a member by signing up at:
http://www.txmpa. org

Legislative Agenda for the 80th Legislature

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

TXMPA supports legislation that will provide competitive economic
incentives for the film, video, interactive, and video game
industry. TXMPA opposes legislation
that increases the cost of doing business in Texas for the film,
video, interactive, and video game industry.

SUPPORT

• Support funding of the Texas Film Incentive Program passed, but
not funded, in 2005 (formerly SB 1142).

• Support increased funding of the Texas Film Incentive Program to
make the wage-only based incentive program more competitive.

• Support the provision in the Texas Film Incentive Program allowing
a larger grant to be allocated to underused areas of the state.

• Support legislation modifying the Texas Film Incentive program to
increase the grant amount per project.

• Support legislation modifying the Texas Film Incentive program
language to eliminate the "national or multi-state" restriction for
qualifying commercial productions.

• Support legislation modifying the Texas Film Incentive program to
include video game production.

• Support legislation modifying the Texas Film Incentive program to
include video production, including but not limited to documentary,
industrial, corporate, and educational video production.

• Support legislation modifying the Texas Film Incentive program to
allocate a percentage of the program's funds to specific production
categories: X to feature films, X to television productions, X to
video game production, and
X to commercial and video production.

• Support legislation modifying the Texas Film Incentive program to
allow film or television production projects with a budget of $1
million or more to qualify for a grant.

• Support legislation modifying the Texas Film Incentive program to
allow commercial and video production projects with a budget of
$300,000 or more to qualify for a grant.

• Support legislation modifying the Texas Film Incentive program to
allow video game projects with a budget of $2 million or more to
qualify for a grant.

• Support legislation that would create an expanded incentive
program that would provide a cash rebate to qualifying production
companies equal to 10% of "in-State" expenditures (dollars paid to
Texas vendors and Texas
workers).

• Support legislation that would require 25% of in-State
expenditures to be in Texas wages to qualify for an expanded
incentive program.

• Support legislation that would require a film or television
production or series to spend a minimum of $100,000 in wages to
qualify for an expanded incentive program.

• Support legislation that would require a video game production to
spend a minimum of $500,000 in wages to qualify for an expanded
incentive program.

• Support legislation that would require a commercial, documentary,
industrial, corporate or educational production or series to spend a
minimum of $50,000 in wages to qualify for an expanded incentive
program.

• Support legislation that would permit production companies to use
State owned facilities for location shooting free of charge.

• Support legislation that would permit qualified production
companies to receive a State hotel/motel occupancy tax exemption for
occupying a hotel/motel room for three nights or longer.

• Support legislation that would exempt production companies from
the State vehicle use tax when a vehicle is rented for a qualified
production.

• Support legislation that would provide professional development
for existing workers and assist graduates of Texas colleges and
universities in entering and receiving training in production
related professions.


OPPOSE

• Oppose legislation creating new unfunded mandates.

• Oppose legislation that would change the production industry's
current manufacturing industry tax status.

Austin's Mike Akel nominated for an Independent Spirit Award!

http://spiritawardsonifc.bside.com/?_view=_home

Be sure to visit the Independent Spirit Award's website (above) and vote for Mike Akel's excellent film.
Congratulations to Mike and the whole cast and crew of "Chalk"

USA 2006 | Run time: 85 min. | Director: Mike Akel
Four educators muddle through another year at a typical American high school in this mockumentary comedy. Mr. Lowery (Troy Schremmer), Mr. Stroope (Chris Mass), and Coach Webb (Janelle Schremmer) are three teachers doling out knowledge at a high school in Austin, TX. Mr. Lowery is new to teaching, and has to deal with his own inexperience as well as a decided lack of enthusiasm for history among his students; it doesn't help Lowery that the kids quickly learn how to push his buttons. Mr. Stroope has been on the faculty for three years, and is zealously campaigning for the honor of "Teacher of the Year." Stroope has enlisted his students to help him win the prize, even though they seem less than impressed with his academic abilities. Coach Webb teaches Girl's Gym, and despite her short hair and severe manner, she frequently and enthusiastically insists that she's heterosexual. Webb also insists on following the school's regulations to the letter, and has unusual ideas about how to make Gym seem hip and fun for her charges. Meanwhile, Mrs. Reddell (Shannon Haragan) has recently been promoted from the teaching staff to her new position as assistant principal, which has put a tremendous strain on her friendship with her colleagues, especially Webb. Chalk received the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Independent Film Festival of Boston.