Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee and Melvin Van Peebles honored by 350th Harlem Anniversary Celebrations / Black Documentary Collective (BDC) Film Festival on October 13th.

This 6-day film festival tribute to the late Harlem-born activist and documentarian, St. Clair Bourne, will showcase Bourne‘s work, the Black Documentary Collective and other historic documentary and narrative films celebrating the African Diaspora. Among the expected films: “Buck And The Preacher”, “Uptight”, “Classified X”, “Making Do The Right Thing”, “Marcus Garvey: Look For Me In The Whirlwind”, “Statues Hardly Ever Smile”, “Then I‘ll Be Free To Travel Home”, “Daughters Of The Wind”, “The Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela”, “I Remember Harlem”, and many others. The festival runs from Wednesday, October 8th through Monday, October 13th at Maysles Institute (343 Malcolm X Blvd - at 127th St - Harlem), Medgar Evers College (1650 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn) and the Harlem AMC/Magic Theatres (Frederick Douglass Blvd at 124th St). It is one of the key events in the ongoing celebration of Harlem‘s 350th Anniversary. The October 10th through 13th screenings are free and open to the general public. On October 8th and 9th there will be a suggested donation at the door.

Mr. Belafonte, Miss Dee and Mr. Van Peebles are all making time in their busy schedules to participate in this festival out of respect for each other‘s and St. Clair Bourne‘s life-long commitment to documenting and presenting the African Diasporic experience with honesty, accuracy and integrity. The fact that the festival helps celebrate Harlem‘s 350th Anniversary was an added bonus. The Festival opens with Director Bill Miles‘ 1980 classic “I Remember Harlem” on Wednesday evening October 8th at the Maysles Institute. It closes on Monday evening October 13th at the Harlem AMC / Magic Theatres where Mr. Belafonte will receive the Outstanding Humanitarian Award, Miss Dee will be awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in Film and Theatre, Mr. Van Peebles will receive the Independent Cinema Pioneer Award and the late St. Clair Bourne‘s Sister Judith Bourne will accept an award on his behalf for his lifetime of work dedicated to visually documenting and presenting the African Diasporic Experience. A special Closing Reception follows at Londel‘s Restaurant on Strivers Row in Harlem.

There will be two Festival Panel Discussions: Sunday October 12th at Noon (Maysles Institute) “Impact of St. Clair Bourne‘s Life and Work.” Moderator: Michelle Materre, with panelists Pearl Bowser, Bill Greaves, Jacquie Jones, and Bobby Shepherd. On Monday, October 13th, also at Noon (Harlem Magic / AMC Theatres): “Pioneers who changed the Hollywood Stereotypes: The New York - Hollywood Connection.” Moderated by Gil Noble, panelists include Woodie King Jr., Douglas Turner Ward, and Clyde Taylor.

Sponsors of the 350th Harlem Anniversary Celebrations are the Harlem Preservation Foundation (HPF), Neighborhood Artists, Inc. (NA,Inc.) and EVT Educational Productions, Inc. WNYC Radio is a Media Partner. Film Festival collaborators are the Maysles Institute, Medgar Evers College Film & Culture Series, Harlem AMC/Magic Theatres, the Harlem Partnership Project (HPP) and Londel‘s Restaurant.

Screening venues and times, panel discussions, and awards presentations are available at: www.myspace.com/harlemthennowandforever, and www.harlemthennowandforever.org

From what we understand, Samuel George, Andrew’s translator, and another man who was detained with him are returning to the State Security Service (SSS) tomorrow.  We hope that they will be fully cleared then.  International journalism relies on the work of such trusted friends as Samuel, and we ask you to check in tomorrow to learn of their status.  If there’s more we need to do to help them, we will be the first to let you know.

And after Andrew has had a few moments to recover from this experience, check back here to learn more about his experiences in detention and the broader issues of press freedom in Nigeria, Africa, and elsewhere, as well as to see excerpts of his upcoming film, Delta Boys.

About the film he is making:

Delta Boys by Andrew Berends is an unprecedented intimate look at the daily lives, culture, hardships and mindset of the young rebel men who have taken up arms on the brutal Niger Delta. Their stated goal – to localize control of Nigeria’s oil, to secure reparations for environmental destruction caused by foreign oil companies, and to obtain amnesty for themselves.

And documentary filmmaker and friend Andrew Berends has been detained in Nigeria where he has been filming. For those who don’t know Andy, he won the IDA’s Courage Under Fire award for two films he made in Iraq, Blood of My Brother and When Adnan Comes Home. He is no stranger to the danger he knew he was getting into, but we are all worried about him. His friends have rallied and garnered significant media coverage, so hopefully that will be enough to secure his ability to leave the country unharmed. More>>

…Images of poverty are stark, evocative, powerful, and persistent.

But these pictures are only part of the reality. They focus on the problem – without offering a solution. Obscured by these despairing images of poverty, there exist people, entrepreneurs, role models, who are changing their personal stories and the lives of their families, neighbors, villages, and countries. These ordinary women and men are seizing opportunity, starting businesses, and are making a difference locally and globally.

Cinéma Prospérité, a film competition sponsored by the Social Equity Venture Fund, strives to change the dialogue by infusing the world’s imagination with new imagery, imagery that focuses on the solution. We invite you to take an active role in reshaping how people view other parts of the world, and even their own backyard. More on the competition>>

Northwest Film Forum in Seattle seeks an Executive Director to pilot the thriving, growing non-profit film arts organization. The Executive Director takes the lead in shaping the vision of the organization, oversees all of Northwest Film Forum’s operations, spearheads development and fundraising efforts for the organization, and is the chief advocate of the organization’s mission to its members, its stakeholders, to the community at large, and to the cinema community world-wide.

Overview of Northwest Film Forum:
Northwest Film Forum is a Seattle-based non-profit organization operating innovative and award-winning film exhibition, production, and education programs year-round. Noted Seattle arts critic Regina Hackett has called Northwest Film Forum “the dominant one-stop shop for the city’s cultural life.”

Annually, Northwest Film Forum supports over 600 filmmakers, aids in the production of nearly 80 original works, exhibits more than 200 separate film programs, and offers more than 60 workshops. The organization’s facilities include two cinemas that are open 360 nights a year (120-seat and 50-seat, equipped for 35mm, 16mm, Super-8, and digital projection and live theatre), workshop space, editing rooms, and filmmaker offices. Northwest Film Forum’s operating budget has grown over 35% in the last three years and is currently over $600,000. The organization now operates with a staff of nine… More than 80 volunteers support almost every aspect of the organization. The organization currently has nearly 1000 members.

Read more about the job and NFF>>

Media Lab Studios, an independent film studio focusing on web and on-air content development and financing, is offering development deals to the brightest and best filmmakers out there.

Media Lab Studios development executives will periodically call for pitches — in the form of either video submissions and/or written descriptions — in any number of genres, topics, and themes. The mission is to identify and finance great content by great new filmmakers, such as yourself.

Media Lab Studios also offers a multi-platform distribution network, leveraging the IFC channel, IFC.com, Media Lab, IFC Free (On Demand) and a host of TV network and web affiliates. More>>

There are currently two contests for cash, a web series and a documentary, and another to win a trip to AFI Fest in November (a great festival!). Maybe the fate of the industry lies in shorts?

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

In FLYING: CONFESSIONS OF A FREE WOMAN, Jennifer Fox lays bare her own life to penetrate what it means to be a free woman today. In six episodes, Fox travels around the world to understand how she fits into the greater female experience.

But the first six episodes are only one woman’s experience.

FLYING doesn’t tell every story.
We want your unique perspective!
Tell us your story!
Show us your life, your friends, your world…
Create your “7th Episode” in the intimate style of FLYING.

All those brave enough to share their story will receive a free DVD copy of FLYING!

The winning 7th Episode will be featured on the FLYING website and have the opportunity to be broadcast on the Sundance Channel website. The 7th Episode may also screen theatrically with FLYING: CONFESSIONS OF A FREE WOMAN and appear as an extra feature on the Deluxe DVD Edition of the film!

The runner up will receive $250. Honorable mention winners will receive $100. All prizewinners will be featured on the FLYING website. Read the details after the jump.

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO: We are looking for a short, finished project that explores the issues important to you.

• Your film should be a 3 to 15 minute documentary about your life.
• Use FLYING as your inspiration. Try our new technique “PASSING THE CAMERA.”
• To view samples of “pass the camera” or the FLYING trailer, visit the FLYING website.
• Once you’ve created your 7th Episode, upload your film for submission:

Go to the FLYING website to submit

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and fill out the submission form. In bio please state that this is a 7TH EPISODE SUBMISSION.

All entries must be submitted no later than April 30th.

Haven’t seen FLYING but still want to get involved? Sign up for a House Party and see the first two episodes of the film with your friends at home! Or, check out the film’s theatrical schedule to see when FLYING will be in a town near you!