Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA) is seeking filmmakers to submit short film and/or video to a national juried competition as part of the multidisciplinary environmental series, Material Afterlife.

The series will feature short films along with a visual arts exhibition, workshops, lectures and other events, all referencing waste and need in society, environmental cause and effect, and/or the ideas of consumption through a cyclic approach of material use. Submitted work should encourage conversation on the topics of environmental degradation, consumerism, personal value, and frugality, as well as celebrate the significance of recycling, sustainable methods, and thrift-store culture as medium and subject matter for artists and designers.

To download an entry form please visit http://uica.org, under Exhibitions/Apply for a Show.

(from Variety) Amid the global economic meltdown, Paris-based website Touscoprod.com has hit the blogosphere to help film directors and producers finance their films.

Launched in January, the website operates on a concept similar to that of MyMajorCompany.

Cybernauts can check out the website’s online  catalog of feature films, toons, docus and shorts and invest as little as $10 to become co-producers. Touscoprod then gives 80% of film’s profit to co-producers and keeps 20% for the company.

Run by founder Nicolas Bailly and content director Barbara Tonelli, the company has an eclectic lineup of arthouse films. These include Michel Piccoli-starrer “L’Insurge,” produced by Gallatee Films; “Sound of Noise,” co-produced by Wild Bunch ; and Lebanese drama “Chaque Jour est Une Fete,” co-produced by French shingle Cine-Sud Promotion.

“We can’t promise co-producers that they’ll get any returns on their investments since not every film makes a profit, but we never know,” said Bailly. “The phenomenon of ‘Welcome to the Sticks’ has shown us that local films can sometimes make a lot of money.”

A laffer set in Brittany, “Entre Nous Deux,” for instance, has been getting buzz among locals and the website has already collected E30,000 off of the e62,500 Touscoprod has said it would collect.

“For producers, the website is a source of a great marketing tool as users can create a real word-of-mouth buzz,” added Bailly.

With a $10 investment, users can get involved in the production of films and have access to confidential info, and create their own promo-reels.

“Just when it’s getting tougher and tougher for films d’auteurs to exist, Touscoprod is creating a link between cybernauts and films before they even come out,” explained Gallatee Films’ topper Nicolas Mauvernay.

In total, Toucoprod has 14 projects and 10 under wraps.

Best Buy is asking consumers to create branded videos through MOFILM U12 – a user generated movie contest hosted by Spike Lee. They are looking for short, creative films showcasing how technology holds great promise, is entertaining, connecting and fuels life passions. Spike Lee himself will be viewing the top videos so channel your inner-creative genius and get to work.

Up for grabs is a $10,000 Best Buy shopping spree, a trip to the Cannes Lions 2009 Advertising Festival and a day on the set of Spike Lee’s next production. A $5,000 and $3,500 Best Buy shopping spree will go to the second and third place winners respectively. Go to http://cannes.mofilm.com/bestbuy to view the full creative brief, download assets you can utilize such as the Best Buy logo pack, brand guidelines, images and videos, and upload your best submission.

Deadline is June 8 so there’s no time to spare.

Now in its 14th year, the ANGELUS STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL (ASFF) is among the largest and most prestigious international student film festivals. Taking place at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood, Angelus is ripe with opportunity for emerging artists.

Open to all film school and college-level students, ASFF grants over $25,000 USD in cash prizes each year. The Festival has been named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s “25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee,” and is known to attract a sizable industry crowd to its screenings.

Industry participation at Angelus is impressive, with producer Ralph Winter (X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE) headlining this year’s Live Action Jury. Past jurors have included the Director of Documentary Programming at HBO, among other prestigious jury members such as Vicky Jenson (SHREK, SHARKTALE), reps from New Line Cinema, Dreamworks SKG, Innovation Group, Disney, and more. Honorary Chairs have included Gary Oldman, James Caviezel, Sean Astin, Martin Sheen, and Lynn Redgrave.

Click here for more information.

One of the nation’s premier celebrations of the non-fiction genre. Highly regarded and influential, Hot Springs is an esteemed showcase of the work of new and established documentarians.

America’s oldest documentary festival, Hot Springs is a non-competitive event, honoring approximately 100 films each year alongside current non-fiction Academy Award nominees. This welcoming format allows for camaraderie among filmmakers – all of whom are individually acknowledged for their accomplishments. The media attention exhibiting filmmakers gain at Hot Springs alone is comprehensive.

Located in Arkansas’ beautiful Hot Springs National Park, the Festival draws in well over 22,000 movie lovers, filmmakers, and industry each year. Festival alumni include numerous accomplished documentarians such as Harry Thomason, Richard Kaplan, Albert Maysles, Ben Meade, and David Hausen. A testament to the Festival’s significance, James Earl Jones declares Hot Springs “one of the genre’s most important venues.”

Click here for more information.

ACEFEST focuses on the American filmmaker, celebrating their talent, vision, and significant contributions to the global film industry. In 2009, the Festival will also highlight select international films in its Global Showcase. With packed screenings and enthusiastic audiences, ACEFEST has grown tremendously in popularity among filmmakers and industry after just two editions, and has caught the attention of some of the largest media outlets in the world, including The New York Times, Post Standard, and NYC TV, which declares that ACEFEST is “the go-to event of the summer.”

Now in its third year, ACEFEST has already garnered a reputation for helping to take undiscovered indies to the next level. Some success stories include CRAWFORD, LIFELINES, SECOND SKIN, STALKING SANTA, and LITTLE CHENIER, among other films that have gained international distribution, national theatrical releases, and prominent media and industry attention.

Click here for more information.