EXTRA CREDIT: Volunteer for the Phoenix Film Festival

Can you believe it’s that time of year already?! The Phoenix Film Festival is looking for fun, energetic volunteers to make this year’s festival the best one yet! PFF 2012 will be held Thursday, March 29 – Thursday, April 5, 2012 at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 and will feature the finest in independent film from around the world, as well as celebrities, seminars, and parties all week long!

We have scheduled two (2) New Volunteer Orientations to go over the specifics of volunteering at the festival and answer any questions you might have. This will also be an opportunity for new volunteers to sign up for shifts.

Orientations will be held on Saturday, March 3rd and Saturday March 17th. Time and location are still TBD, so stay tuned for more information!

Volunteer positions are available in Ticketing, Merchandising, Theatre Operations, Seminars, Educational Outreach, Silent Auction and Events. This year we are even introducing a Floater position!

In exchange for a commitment of at least 24 hours, volunteers will receive a festival t-shirt and a full festival pass ($150 value, excludes the opening night screening). If you are unavailable to commit to 24 hours then we encourage you to attend the festival as a patron; however, we will be unable to accept your application to volunteer.

If interested in being a volunteer, please email volunteer@PhxFilm.com

EXTRA CREDIT FOR DV STUDENTS WHO VOLUNTEER. SEE YOUR INSTRUCTOR FOR DETAILS.

'Parallax'' and 'Covet' Selected for 2012 Phoenix Film Festival!

We've just gotten notification that two films created by our faculty, students, and alumni have been selected for the 2012 Phoenix Film Festival!

First up is Professor Paul DeNigris' Master's Thesis film, the Iraq War drama "Parallax." Shot in April, the film involved a massive crew of UAT Digital Video alumni and current students who volunteered to help Paul complete the requirements for his Master's Degree. The film tells the story of a wounded U.S. soldier who is cared for by an Iraqi civilian and his son, which forces the soldier to re-examine his own prejudices and undergo a life-changing shift in perspective. The genesis of the story came from a presentation at UAT Inservice by former Student Government President Alexander Snyder and UAT Student Services staff member Hiba al-Fatle about their own experiences during the Iraq War. The entire UAT community supported the production of the film in one way or another! "Parallax" will be part of the "Arizona Shorts" competition group at the festival.

Next is "Covet," an entry for the IFP/Phoenix 48 Hour Film Challenge last July which was co-produced by UAT Digital Video, Professor DeNigris' Locked Horns Productions, and Steve Wargo's SWAT HD (a frequent employer of UAT DV interns and a co-producer of "Parallax"). "Covet" won 4 awards in the 48 hour challenge and will now be part of the "Arizona Showcase" group of shorts at the festival!

'Melvin' - Sedona Film Festival Details

The 18th annual Sedona Film Festival has published its screening schedule. The festival runs from Feburary 18th to the 26th, 2012 among the beautiful red rocks of Sedona, Arizona.

UAT Digital Video's sci-fi comedy "Flight of the Melvin" will be screening twice as part of a family adventure program alongside the feature film The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone.

Tuesday February 21st | 9:30am | Prog 027
Sedona Performing Arts Center

Saturday February 25th | 9am | Prog 137
Sedona Rouge Theatre

Tickets can be purchased here. Hope to see you at the festival!

US Department of Education Video Challenge - $1500 Scholarship Prize!

From Challenge.gov:

The U.S. Department of Education challenges high school and college students to help get information to their peers about how much it costs to go to college. This challenge asks students to create short videos that will inform students and families of a new resource that makes it easier to calculate how much it might cost to go to a particular college. On October 29, 2011, all colleges and universities were required by law to provide a “net price calculator” on their websites. This is one of several Department initiatives to make the price of college more transparent and help students and families make informed decisions about investing in postsecondary education. “Net price” is a new and important piece of information about college costs; it helps students and families estimate what it would likely cost to attend a college after accounting for grants and scholarships that don’t need to be repaid. Unfortunately, too few people know what “net price” means, and where to find a college’s net price calculator on its website, or how to use net price – along with other information – when comparison shopping for higher education. Help us get the word out!

 Go to http://netpricecalc.challenge.gov/ for more info. Deadline is January 31st!

'Flight of the Melvin' - Official Selection, 2012 International Family Film Festival

Our sci-fi comedy "Flight of the Melvin" has been selected by yet another film festival! The 17th Annual International Family Film Festival runs March 21st thru 25th, 2012, at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California. We're excited to have "Melvin" fly again at a family-friendly event in the capital of the movie industry!

Phoenix Comicon Call for Entries

The 2012 Phoenix Comicon Film Festival call for entries has begun! This year we invite one and all to submit to the film festival and to the Phoenix Comicon Film Challenge.

For the Film Festival, Phoenix Comicon is looking for films in the following genres: Sci-Fi, Thriller/Horror, Fan Film, Animation, Pop Culture/Documentary, Comedy, Film Noir/Mystery, Comics/Anime/Gaming. For the Film Challenge, the task is to make a film that is 15 minutes or less in one of the following genres: Steampunk, Horror, Original Animation, Original Superhero/Supervillain and Star Trek.

You have from now until March 31st, 2012 to submit your film.

The rules for the Phoenix Comicon Film Festival are as follows:

1. Two (2) copies of the film(s) must be submitted in a DVD Region 1 playable format. 
2. All films entered should fall under at least one of the listed genres.
3. All submissions must be made by the filmmaker(s). No anonymous submissions will be accepted.
4. All foreign language films must have English subtitles.
5. All films will be pre-screened by Phoenix Comicon staff.
6. No submissions will be returned, therefore, do not send the only copy.
7. We are not responsible for any submissions lost or damaged in delivery.
8. Participants do not need to attend the convention or festival to be eligible.
9. Notice of selections will be announced on or before May 1st by email and posted on the Phoenix Comicon website.
10. The Phoenix Comicon is a family-friendly event and preference will be given to films appropriate for all-ages viewing. Submissions not suitable for all-ages will be considered for late night screenings.

For information about the Film Festival, please contact: filmfestival@phoenixcomicon.com
For information about the Film Challenge, please contact: filmchallenge@phoenixcomicon.com

To download the 2012 Phoenix Comicon Film Festival Entry Form, click here.

SIGGRAPH 2012 STUDENT VOLUNTEERS

SIGGRAPH 2012 STUDENT VOLUNTEERS
DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 13, 22:00 UTC/GMT. APPLY NOW!

Click here to visit the online application!

Are your students science? Are they art? Do they daydream of computations or calculate in creativity? If so, they will be right at home at SIGGRAPH 2012. Science and art will come together in one outstanding international conference to explore computer graphics and interactive techniques from both points of view, and THEY can be a part of it!

The SIGGRAPH 2012 Student Volunteer Program is a unique opportunity for students to meet people involved in all areas of the computer graphics industry while contributing to the overall success of the SIGGRAPH Conference. The industry's future leaders are encouraged to apply: students who demonstrate leadership, service, and a passion for computer graphics and interactive techniques.

As a Student Volunteer, students will go behind the scenes to help run an international event, which draws thousands of people who share a passion for advanced computer graphics technologies. The benefits of being a Student Volunteer extend beyond the free full admission conference pass to professional development and private Student Volunteer Special Sessions with top professionals who were once Student Volunteers themselves!

All of this is available to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students who are enrolled full time for at least one semester during the 2011-2012 academic year and are at least 18 years of age. Students can apply to volunteer for either 18 or 30 hours (approximately) during the conference. Volunteers who are willing to commit for at least 30 hours are eligible to apply for Travel Assistance Awards, which offer financial help for travel to and from the conference. The conference will run Sunday, 5 August through Thursday, 9 August, 2012 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. For more details on this wonderful opportunity, please check out: sv.siggraph.org

'Flight of the Melvin' Wins 2 L.A. Movie Awards

The 2012 Los Angeles Movie Awards has honored UAT Digital Video's short sci-fi comedy "Flight of the Melvin" with two awards in the Student Film category - "Award of Excellence" and "Best Editing." Congrats again to Team Melvin!

Production on RED SAND begins today!

After spending all last semester on pre-production, the DV Production Studio classes begin filming their latest sci-fi epic, "Red Sand," a fan film based on Bioware's MASS EFFECT series of games. Serving as a prequel to the game series,"Red Sand" tells the story of the discovery of ancient alien ruins on Mars, and the battle to control the technology contained inside. It's this technology which leads to the discovery of a "mass relay" orbiting Pluto - a gateway to the rest of our galaxy and beyond, opening the door for the rest of the MASS EFFECT storyline.

The cast of "Red Sand" includes Los Angeles-based actor Ayman Samman, who last worked with the DV crew on Professor Paul DeNigris' thesis film "Parallax," and Mark Meer, the actor who provides the voice of Commander Shepard in the MASS EFFECT game series. In "Red Sand," Meer plays an all-new character called Jon Grissom, a tough soldier charged with defending the alien ruins at all costs.

Once completed, "Red Sand" will be released to the web. Stay tuned for more info, photos, and a teaser trailer to come very soon!

'Melvin' to Screen at High Desert Shorts Film Festival

Welcome to 2012! Happy New Year to all our friends, fans, students, and alumni!

Good news came again over the holiday break for our short film "Flight of the Melvin" - this time from the 2012 High Desert Shorts International Film Festival.

The seventh annual event will be held over Memorial Day Weekend in Pahrump, Nevada (just an hour outside Las Vegas), and will feature a Youth Filmmaker Camp for grades 6 through 12 - perhaps including some future UAT DV students?