A new post

A new blog post. Many new projects to come to finish this year and to start the new year which is right around the corner. Baby Aniya is doing good.. she is growing quickly and faster with each new day... too many things to describe but I should try and make an effort anyways.. before they are long forgotten and I am already freaking out about the age of her latest boyfriend...

Pilferer has been rejected from film festivals left and right. Happy Sauce has so far been rejected from one festival and I am waiting to hear from a number of major festivals that take place in the next few months of the new year. Honestly, I am not sure what kind of film gets into these festivals anymore.. at least none of my mine so far.

That is all for one night.. a modest return to the blogger of ole!

This is my angel, Aniya, 6 months old.

BLUE OWL FLICKS

Blue Owl Flicks Pours Maker's Mark Screening

Blue Owl and Maker's Mark team up to present the big-screen premiere of six internet indie films at Village East Cinema. These short films capture the essence of New York's cocktail culture and the spirit of independent filmmaking.

Blue Owl, Will Candis & Ed DuRante invite you and a guest

Monday, September 24, 2007

Village East Cinema
181 2nd Avenue (across the street from Blue Owl)


• RED CARPET ARRIVALS: 6:45 – 7:00PM

• SCREENING: 7PM

• AFTER PARTY AT BLUE OWL: 8PM - 10PM


Blue Owl Flicks Pours Maker's Mark
Bar Life - Six short films that started online make their big-screen debut as Blue Owl and Maker's Mark team up.


Blue Owl, www.blueowlnyc.com, one of New York's preeminent nightlife venues, is thrilled to announce the debut of the Blue Owl Film Series. The series features six short films, each less than five minutes long, that address the life of a bar - Blue Owl, circa 2007.

Brothers Ed and Paris DuRante, filmmakers, New Yorkers and Maker's Mark enthusiasts, decided to each make a short film incorporating their favorite libation and bar. They invited four friends to produce films under the following guidelines: the maximum budget was $100, each films had to be shot within a four-hour time constraint at Blue Owl, and creators were allowed only one day to edit. This was independent filmmaking at its finest – and most challenging.

The results of these six efforts will debut during a special evening that begins with a screening at The East Village Cinema, followed by an opening night party on location at Blue Owl.

In honor of the film series, Blue Owl will offer the Jules Winnfield cocktail, an ode to PULP FICTION, which is made with Maker's Mark Bourbon, French apricot liqueur, fresh lemon juice and dash of fresh orange juice with pulp. The Jules Winnfield is part of the much anticipated new fall cocktail menu that will debut from mixologist Charles Hardwick. The new menu will also feature the Rucker Gimlet made with lime vodka, pepper-infused apple liqueur and fresh lime juice, served in a Demerara sugar-rimmed glass.


About Blue Owl

In keeping with the zeitgeist of East Village nightlife, Blue Owl is a modern-day speakeasy featuring an extensive menu of classic cocktails and innovative creations. Owner J. Ashley Smith maintains a refined, spirited ambiance that captures the festive elegance of the Roaring Twenties. New York revelers return nightly for the live music and DJs.

Located downstairs at 196 Second Avenue (between 12th and 13th), Blue Owl offers top-shelf spirits, house-infused vodkas and an acclaimed specialty cocktail menu created by master mixologist Charles Hardwick, who made a name for himself at Mercer Kitchen and The Odeon.



Filmmaker Bios

Ed DuRante
Ed DuRante is a graduate of NYU's Graduate Film Program where he was awarded the Graduate/Professional Opportunity Fellowship, NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program where he received the ASCAP Foundation Yip Harburg Scholarship and Yale University. His work has been produced by Talking Drum Theatre Co., the Vineyard Theatre, Theatre for the New City and Playwrights Horizons where he was an original member of the Black Playwrights Unit. His play "Homeboys" is part of the literary anthology Patchwork of Dreams. He directed the webseries "Wire" for Eyestudio.Net. and has written, produced and directed several short films including "America", which was a Wasserman Award Finalist and the recipient of awards for Editing, Acting and Production Design. He taught lyric and playwriting at the Musical Theatre Writing Workshop at London's Theatre Royal Stratford East and he was awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship for Filmmaking. Presently, he is in post-production of the feature film "JAKE GETS PAID."

Paris DuRante
Paris DuRante is a graduate of Deerfield Academy and the United States Air Force Academy. He served for 10 years and reached the rank of Captain. He has appeared in the films "Not Again!, "2 Manhattans," "digger," "Man In Polyester Suit," "Jake Gets Paid," and in the webseries "Wire." He is best know as one of the murderous DuRante Brothers in Charlie Huston's novel "Caught Stealing." His collection of erotic haiku "Hard & Black" is the number one selling book of poetry in Finland.

Andre Morton
A Brooklyn native and former front man for New York based rock and roll band Ratchethead, Andre relocated to Oakland California in 2001. Andre then began to pursue his lifelong dream of making narrative films. In 2002 he received a STAND grant from San Francisco's Film Arts Foundation to produce the experimental film "America Remembers" - a critique of mainstream media post 9-11. Andre has worked as director and cinematographer on a variety of documentary and narrative films including PSA's for The American Cancer Society, and The Greater NY Hospital Association. He currently resides in Brooklyn.

Adria Petty
Adria Petty was born and raised in Los Angeles, but has been a New Yorker for 14 years. After college, she immersed herself in film production and worked for the award-winning directors Johnathan Demme, Penny Marshall and Johnathan Stack. Later, she attended the Graduate Film Program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. She directed many music videos as part of a directing team with Anna Gabriel. During their collaboration she became fascinated with new media and innovative ways to market and explore music. This inspired the creation of "low flame" the site-specific video installation, which exhibited at the P.S.1 Museum of Contemporary Art, a division of MOMA in New York City. She directed her first commercials for clients: Converse and Volkswagen. She developed a highly successful marketing campaign and series of videos for Regina Spektor. She has also made videos for Mat Kearney, The Veronicas, Kings of Leon, The Ditty Bops, StellaStarr*, Johnathan Rice, and The Crimea. Ms. Petty has art directed numerous album covers and printed materials for music artists. She was also commissioned to create tour visuals for legendary rock band The Who. The year 2006 brought Adria's first foray into feature filmmaking. She spent the year shooting a controversial feature length documentary about Paris Hilton and the culture of celebrity.

James Francis Richards
James Francis Richards has a BFA in Commercial Art and Illustration from St. John's University and a MFA in film production from New York University's Graduate Film Program. He has directed several short films one of which, Warm Tide, starring Quentin Chestnut and Gilbert Glenn Brown, tied for first in the short film competition at the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in Oakland in 1997 and was invited to screen at the first annual Martha's Flavor Fest in 1998. He has written for Blackfilm.com and co-created with Tish Benson the Poetry on Video series on the Urban Box Office. Currently he is on staff at the film department of New York University.

Rohan Sen
Rohan Sen is a writer/director/editor. He was awarded a scholarship to study physics, but after taking an undergrad Third World Film class at UCLA, he decided to be a film director. His films have screened at film festivals across the globe. His short film SHANTI won the BEST SHORT FILM PRIZE at the 2001 Doubletake Documentary Festival. He has also edited two feature films, HOW I KILLED A SAINT and JAKE GETS PAID. HAPPY SAUCE was shot and inspired by the events and emotions during the final months of his wife's pregnancy.

PILFERER rejected again

Pilferer was rejected from the 10 or Less Film Festival. I think that makes it 0-4 or 5.. need to keep sending it out... no further updates on Happy Sauce screening except the mad rush to get the film in the can. I should deliver tomorrow on schedule.

HAPPY SAUCE & BLUE OWL FLICKS TO SCREEN AT VILLAGE EAST THEATRES

Great news.. Maker's Mark has stepped forward and will be hosting the world premiere screening of HAPPY SAUCE and the other Blue Owl Flicks on Monday, September 24th at the Village East Theaters in Manhattan. More details to come as I learn more info, but it now means I really have to scramble to get Happy Sauce ready for the screening. The deadline is next Friday to submit the final cut of the film.

The coolest thing about having a baby

What's the coolest thing about having a baby? It really depends on whom you ask, but the best feeling in the world, for me, is whenever my little one grabs hold of one of my fingers with her tiny little hands. You would be suprised with her strength and intensity of the grab. She's been able to grab hold ever since she was a just a few days old, but each time, I can't help but thinking it's one of the greatest feelings in the world.

Back on track

So after much talk, I finally submitted Pilferer to 10 different film festivals... some take place later this year and many are early next year. It's time to play the waiting game and of course submit to more festivals as well. I am trying to target the cheaper film festivals, which means the entry fee is as little as possible.. I never submit if the entry fee is over $30 unless I think it is a high profile festival and my film has a really good shot at getting in. Generally, film festivals have early, regular, late, and super late deadlines.. the key is to enter as early as possible..

The goal is for Pilferer to get into a few film festivals and then through word of mouth get accepted to many many more festivals without having to pay any fees at all.. will keep everyone posted on that..

It is definitely time for a baby update, but that won't happen tonight.. hopefully in the next few days.

I am working 6 shifts a week to help bring the bread to the table and plan on finishing HAPPY SAUCE, that Blue Owl Flick in the coming weeks and begin sending that film to festivals as well. In terms of JAKE GETS PAID, Ed and I have agreed that I no longer have the time to see the film through beginning to end.. the solution is that he will edit and I will fine cut, polish, and help him make it to Sundance and beyond.

Looking out the window

Back from Vegas

So I am finally back from Vegas. It is so nice to be home!

I start working again on Wednesday so I have two days to settle and spend some good quality time with my wife and the little one. I also hope to send my short film Pilferer to some film festivals.

Here she is!

Here Aniya is between two and three weeks old..

Some thoughts about Las Vegas

Vegas is really a town for the rich. Unless you are willing to spend a couple hundred bucks gambling or 50-100 bucks on dinner every night, there really is not a whole lot to do. Sure you can check out every casino, but really unless you are gambling, what fun is there in that?

I found a place that has 1 & 3 dollar blackjack down the street from the hotel my work is putting me up in. It's time to drop a twenty and try to get lucky... Maybe I can walk away with ten bucks from the 3 dollar table- that would be a real accomplishment.

This is another test texting from the mobile phone