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Greetings,

please visit our website for future news about the LHAAFF. This blog will soon become inactive. The film festival is still going strong. We look forward to seeing you at the next screening!

http://www.langstonarts.org

Joséphine Baker: Black Diva in a White Man’s World (Germany, 2006; 45 min.)

Annette von Wangenheim, Director

A WDR (Westdeutschser Rundfunk) television production

The Langston Hughes African American Film Festival, in cooperation with the Seattle Art Museum Community Partnership

Program presents the Seattle premiere of Annette von Wangenheim's documentary. An examination of Baker's life and performance, both as a mirror of European colonial fantasies and as a symbol of the 20^th century's Black consciousness movement.

Tuesday, January 26 at 7:30 PM at the Seattle Art Museum, downtown Seattle, 1300 First Avenue. Admission: suggested donation of $5 at the door. A panel discussion with visual and performing artists will follow the screening.

This documentary focuses on Joséphine Baker's life and work from a black perspective and presents the artist both as a mirror of European colonial fantasies and as a symbol of the worldwide black consciousness movement of the 20th century. Pioneers of black dance, such as Geoffrey Holder, Arthur Mitchell, Carmen de Lavallade, Maurice Hines and Elsa Wolliaston, recall their stage appearances and encounters with Baker; biographers and historians comment on well-known and unknown footage and photographs. Clichés that have persisted to this day are deconstructed and the underlying facts are set in a new historical context. Joséphine Baker was the first black diva who thought and acted in global dimensions. She became a star in Europe and a world-wide symbol of peace and a better understanding among nations and different cultures.

The Langston Hughes African American Film Festival (LHAAFF) is an annual event presented by the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center in central Seattle. The LHAAFF presents films from independent filmmakers from around the world. The LHAAFF features panel discussions, screenplay readings, training workshops, matinée screenings for middle and high school youth and in-depth discussions with filmmakers, industry professionals and local community leaders.

The Underground Railroad, a project of the annual Langston Hughes African American Film Festival, is a fall - through -winter film and discussion series. Using the metaphor of a series of strategically located "Safe Houses" in Seattle neighborhoods, the Underground Railroad is a series of intimate screenings designed to build community across the aisle and across neighborhoods. Each Safe House along the trail brings forth a different provocative work about African American life, leading to 'freedom' at the annual Langston Hughes African American Film Festival in April. www.langstonblackfilmfest.org

Pressure Cooker Screens November 24 @ 7pm

Pressure Cooker Screens November 24 @ 7pm

Location: SOHO Coffee, corner of 20^th Avenue South and Yesler Way, Seattle's Central District

There's a force-of-nature behind the door to Room 325 at Frankford High School in Philadelphia. Her name is Wilma Stephenson and she teaches Culinary Arts. Infamously blunt, Mrs. Stephenson runs a "boot camp" at Frankford, disciplining her students into capable chefs and responsible students. Behind her tough-talking exterior is a teacher, who cares passionately about getting the best out of her students and making sure they receive the opportunities – including scholarships to top programs – that will help them escape the meager minimum-wage job opportunities of Northeast Philly.

Wilma Stephenson has taught at Frankford for 40 years, long before Culinary Arts became part of the school's curriculum. She can be cantankerous, and she knows it, but she will do anything for the students who get with the program and show true promise and the hunger to succeed. Those who fall short of her discipline will not be missed; many will drop out before the first week is over.

The documentary documents Mrs. Stephenson and those students committed enough to surrender themselves to her enlightened despotism through both semesters in Culinary Arts. By the end of the school year, 13 of her students will have made it through the gauntlet. These seniors aspire to scholarships that can enable them to escape the status quo of Northeast Philly and move on to a future of more opportunities. Mrs. Stephenson spells it out on the first day of school by telling the newcomers that 11 members of last year's class earned over $750,000 in scholarships, a staggering amount. At a school where over 40% of students don't even make it to their senior year, Ms. Stephenson's class stands in stark contrast. She offers these kids her version of the American Dream: You choose a realistic goal. You work hard. You work the system. You get out of Northeast Philly.

At the end of their school year, there is a one-day scholarship competition, where top Philadelphia chefs judge the students' skills and talent. But, in the end, the scholarships are even more dependent on the kids' capacity for sustained drive throughout their senior year. Can they endure the stressful challenges wrought by their home lives – having to hold minimum-wage jobs after school, and acting as surrogate parents to their siblings –
while still finding the motivation to wake up at 6AM to get to Mrs. Stephenson's class early enough to master their crepes and tournee potatoes…

Opportunities for Artists and Academics

Rooftop Films is accepting entries for the 2010 Rooftop Films Summer Series

Submit your movies! We are currently accepting submissions for the 2010 Rooftop Films Summer Series (www.rooftopfilms.com). Submit your films and videos now and participate in one of the most unforgettable, unique, filmmaker-friendly, independent film events in the world! You can submit directly to us by downloading the submission form (www.rooftopfilms.com/2010_submission_form.pdf) or you can submit via Without A Box (www.withoutabox.com/login/4671).

The 2010 Summer Series will run from May through September and will feature more than 200 daring new films, all screened outdoors, in front of big, loyal audiences in parks, on boats, and on rooftops overlooking the greatest city in the world. More than 25,000 people attended Rooftop screenings in 2009, making it one of the biggest festivals for underground films in the world. We show films of all genres, formats, and lengths, as long as they're daring, creative, and unique.

Deadlines:
Earlybird: $9 - December 5, 2009.
Regular: $15, ($10 for WAB members) - January 15, 2010.
Late: $20, ($15 for WAB) - February 15, 2010.
Without A Box Extended: $20 for WAB members - March 1, 2010

Plus, if you submit a work to Rooftop Films you automatically get 2 free tickets to any Rooftop Summer Series show (an $18 value).

You can mail any submissions to: Rooftop Films / PMB 401 / 285 Fifth Avenue / Brooklyn, NY 11215

If you have any questions regarding submissions, please email program director Dan Nuxoll at:
submit * at * rooftopfilms * dot * com.


Rooftop Films
Underground Movies Outdoors
718-417-7362
www.rooftopfilms.com

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*EUROPE MEETS AFRICA*:
Babylon launches its 2010 programme with a major new initiative linking filmmakers across continents

*BABYLON is now open for applications for 2010.

*BABYLON provides high-level, project-based training and mentorship for producer/writer-director teams seeking to broaden their access to the international film industry.

In a major new initiative funded by the European Union's MEDIA International and the Nigerian Film Corporation, European filmmakers will have the opportunity to work together with African colleagues on script and story development, production technique, and access to the international marketplace via BABYLON's network of industry consultants, funders, international sales agents and distributors.
The 2010 programme includes:

- a 5-day intensive development workshop for 14 selected projects (7 European, 7 African) during the International Film Festival Rotterdam (30th Jan- 4th Feb 2010); with script consultancy, one-on-one production and marketing analysis, screenings, case studies and networking forums;
- individual mentoring from Babylon experts during the script rewrite and preparation phase in February and March;

- a 5-day production lab based at the Nigerian Film Institute in Jos, (27th April- 2nd May 2010) which consolidates the script development of each project and gives filmmaking teams the opportunity to workshop scenes from their films or produce promotional short films based on their feature-film material; plus presentation of projects and their promotional material at the Zuma Film festival in Abuja (3rd-5th May 2010);

- Onward mentoring and promotion of all Babylon projects.

Visit www.babylon-film.eu now for details on how to apply.

Deadline for applications: 27th November 2009.

BABYLON INTERNATIONAL is led by BABYLON co-producers Script House (Berlin), Scenario Films (London) and Play Film (Paris) and is funded by the European Union's MEDIA International, the Nigerian Film Corporation and the Centre National du Cin?ma, Gabon, as well as by BABYLON's existing sponsors the British Council, the Goethe- Institut, Filmfonds Wien and Mira Media.


Goethe-Institut
Centre Culturel Allemand
Rue de Diourbel angle Piscine Olympique
Point E
B.P. 25862 - C.P. 12524
DAKAR, Senegal
http://www.goethe.de/dakar
T. +221 33 8698880
    Fax 8251371 

~ ~ ~

African Film Library Launched

M-Net launched the African Film Library in late September. The site has a feature films, shorts, and documentaries from the last 50 years and is available at http://www.africanfilmlibrary.com. It's in beta.
You can browse the site by a variety of factors or you can search by keyword. When I browsed for everything alphabetically I got 12 pages of results that could hold nine listings at a time, so I would guess something over 100 films are available here.

Click on the title and you'll get details about the film, including a synopsis, length, date it was produced, and language.

~ ~ ~

PACIFIC PIONEER FUND
http://www.pacificpioneerfund.com/info.html
---
Supports emerging documentary filmmakers and videographers
who live and work in California, Oregon, and Washington with
grants of $1,000 - $10,000. Filmmakers must demonstrate a
commitment to the art of making documentaries by several years
(but no more than 10) of practical film or video experience.
Deadline: December 15, 2009.

=====

INTERNATIONAL EMERGING DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKERS FELLOWSHIP
http://www.gwu.edu/doccenter
---
At the Documentary Center of The George Washington University
(May 26-July 8, 2010, Washington, DC). Intensive 6-week program
that will include 20 emerging documentary filmmakers from
across the globe. Fellows will work together in a collaborative
environment geared toward launching their work onto the world
stage. Applications are invited from countries around the world
where traditional infrastructure for the creation and
distribution of documentary does not currently exist. Fellows
will make 2 films, participate in round-table discussions with
notable U.S. filmmakers, and meet representatives from major
broadcast networks. Deadline December 4, 2009.

Tribeca All Access Call For Submissions

Tribeca All Access (TAA) is a year round networking and career development program of the Tribeca Film Institute (TFI) that supports the work of filmmakers from traditionally under-represented communities within the industry by providing access to industry representatives looking for new projects in development. Approximately 20 qualified directors and screenwriters will be selected to participate in one-on-one meetings with key industry players in addition to networking and learning from dedicated panels and comprehensive workshops during the Tribeca Film Festival. Program alumni receive year-round support through TAA OnTrack, which includes educational panels and workshops; TFI hosted presentation screenings; promotional support for completed films; and the use of digital filmmaking and editing equipment.

Tribeca All Access is open to both mid-career and emerging narrative and documentary filmmakers. Applicants are required to apply with a completed feature-length screenplay, documentary proposal, or documentary work-in-progress and must have at least one screenwriter or director attached who qualifies. Projects may be of any subject matter, genre, or budget range suited for independent or major studio production.

The program is now a recognized talent pool within the industry and an unrivaled opportunity to advance your filmmaking career.

Apply Now! Deadline is Monday, December 14, 2009.

Visit www.tribecafilminstitute.org/taa/ for complete details and upcoming events.

Oct. 13 Underground Railroad Film & Discussion Series: October 2010

The Underground Railroad, a project of the annual Langston Hughes African American Film Festival, is a fall - through -winter film and discussion series. Using the metaphor of a series of strategically located “Safe Houses” in Seattle neighborhoods, the Underground Railroad is a series of intimate screenings designed to build community across the aisle and across neighborhoods. Each Safe House along the trail brings forth a different provocative work about African American life, leading to ‘freedom’ at the annual Langston Hughes African American Film Festival in April. We are pleased to attract diverse audiences every year. All are welcome.

Dates and locations for all screenings are not yet confirmed; please visit our website, www.langstonblackfilmfest.org or our blog, http://lhaaffbside.blogspot.com/, or call 206-326-1088 to listen to schedule updates.

October 13, 2009 at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center: MY FATHER THE LUO (USA/Kenya)
Tomasz Magierski, Dir

Suggested donation: $5/pay what you can

Synopsis: My Father the Luo is a film about finding one’s identity. The main character is Roma Ndolo, a young woman who grew up in Germany with parents from Poland and Kenya. She had always longed to find out more about her “African side” so she travels to her late father’s homeland. While there she recognizes the parallels between her own life and that of President Barack Obama. Each of their fathers were from the Luo tribe and Obama’s half sister is Roma’s family friend. This film was shot during the Democratic Convention in Denver 2008. Not surprisingly there is also historic footage of Senator Obama’s trip to Kenya in 2006.

Underground Railroad film & discussion series returns!

SEPTEMBER 16 SAFE HOUSE SCREENING: Two films featuring Afro-Ururguyan people and culture
Wednesday, September 16, 7:00 PM
Location: Central Cinema - $5.00 admission
1411 21st Avenue (21st Avenue & Union Street), Central Seattle

CANDOMBE
Directed by Rafael Deugenio
16 minutes.Spanish with English subtitles.

More than two hundred years ago, there was an influx into Uruguay of slaves from Africa whom, after being freed, continued to make up the poorest and most marginalized strata in society. Fernado Nunez, a Black man, a musician, and a maker of drums, sees himself as the heir to "Candombe", an important social and cultural legacy from his slave forefathers. The official history and culture of Uruguay, on the other hand, which has never acknowledged this contribution to the degree which it deserves, continues to marginalize expressions of Black culture. Fernando Nunez and his friends from the Barrio Sur back street quarter of Montevideo have decided to fight to keep these important cultural roots alive in the consciousness of the Uruguayan people.

followed by

A DIOS MOMO
Uruguay, 2005



Directed by Leonardo Ricagni. Starring Jorge Esmoris, Mathias Acuna, and Washington Luna.
100 minutes.Spanish with English subtitles.

Obdulio is an 11-year-old Afro-Uruguayan street boy who lives with his grandmother and sells newspapers for a living while he cannot read or write. Obdulio is not interested in going to school until he finds out that the night watchman of the newspaper's office is a charismatic magical "Maestro" who not only introduces him to the world of literacy but also teaches him the real meaning of life through the lyrics of the "Murgas" (Carnival Pierrots) during the mythical nights of the irreverent and provocative Uruguayan carnival.

With a poetic nod to Fellini, Leonardo Ricagni uses the carnival atmosphere to transport the viewer to a magical place where realism and surrealism live side by side in Uruguay—and what a wonderful place to be. With sweeping directorial vision and gorgeously shot with rich, vibrant colors, A DIOS MOMO achieves a rich visual and spiritual sensibility unparalleled today.

– Shaz Bennett AFI Fest 2005

Presented in celebration of the Seattle International Latino Film Festival, September 24-27, 2009.
The Seattle International Latino Film Festival aims to exhibit films that recognize the richness and diversity of Spanish speaking communities worldwide. The broad range of Latino cultural expression cannot be minimized to stereotypes.

.........................................

Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center Special Events

Summer Youth Musical

Bobos

Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center

104 - 17th Avenue South, Seattle

17th Avenue South & Yesler Way - Metro bus #27

Date: August 17 - 23

Quincy Jones, legendary composer arranger, says "...Bobos is the future of musical theatre." This urban opera deals with the tough choices facing youth in the streets of Seattle. Forty-Eight (48) youth fill this ensemble with vibrancy and difficult choices under peer pressure. Call 206-684-4758 for information.

The Langston Hughes African American Film Festival is pleased to co-sponsor the August 2009 Seattle Art Museum Remix event!

Celebrate Summer at the Olympic Sculpture Park! Join SAM on Friday, August 7, for a unique late-night mashup of art, music, dancing, spoken word and after-dark tours in a social atmosphere. Highlights will include a sunset performance by poet Roberto Ascalon and musician Paul Rucker, DJ sets by Colby b and DJ Freddy King of Pants, live music performances curated by Decibel, and a comics drawing rally with Friends of the Nib.

Tickets: SAM members $5, nonmembers $10, students $8. Purchase tickets at any of SAM's three sites, over the phone by calling the SAM Box Office at 206.654.3121, or at the door the night of the event. This event is open to guests age 18 and over only, and the first 100 guests at the door get in FREE.

Date: 8/7/2009

Time: 8 pm–midnight

Location: Olympic Sculpture Park The night's activities include: A special collaborative sunset performance by poet Roberto Ascalon and musician Paul Rucker beside Alexander Calder's Eagle at 8:30 pm. A stage of internationally renowned recording artists curated by the Decibel Festival in the PACCAR Pavilion, including Rena Jones (Portland) at 9 pm, Filastine (Barcelona) and DJ Collage (Seattle) at 10 pm, and Lusine (Seattle) at 11 pm. The stage will also feature interactive projections from some of Seattle’s most respected digital video artists. Tours of the park after dark with the Strangers: Bethany Jean Clement, Jen Graves, Charles Mudede, Jonah Spangenthal-Lee and Lindy West. A comics drawing rally with Friends of the Nib in the Alvord Art Lab all night. DJ Freddy King of Pants mashing up mixes and DJ Colby b spinning her stellar set in the park beginning at 8 pm. Innovative street moves by the Breakdancing Ninja Clan on the PACCAR Pavilion's south terrace.

SAM is proud to have Pacific Northwest Ballet Backstage Pass, Canoe Social Club, Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas, Decibel Festival, EMP|SFM, Girl Power Hour, Great City, Langston Hughes African American Film Festival, Northwest African American Fine Arts Association, NW NOMA -- National Organization of Minority Architects, Out for Sustainability, Sustainable Belltown, Sustainable Seattle and Three Dollar Bill Cinema as our August SAM Remix cohosts.

Artists - opportunities (Seattle)

Opportunities

Individual Artist Funding:

Seattle's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs
Accepting applications for 2010 CityArtists Projects
DEADLINE: 11 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009
http://www.seattle.gov/arts/funding/individual.asp

The CityArtists Projects program provides funding for artists to develop and present their work. 2010 Eligible Disciplines include Literary (except play scripts), Media Arts and Visual Arts. Traditional/Ethnic and Multi-disciplinary projects are always welcome, so long as a primary art form is one of the eligible disciplines listed.

Awards ranging up to $10,000 support new works, works-in-progress or finished works, and all projects include a public presentation. We encourage a broad range of artistic and cultural expression that reflects Seattle's diversity.

In the last round of funding, CityArtists awarded $225,000 to 39 artists. Thirty of the 39 artist projects funded are first-time recipients, representing 77 percent of the awards. The awards range from $1,500 to $10,000, with an average award of $5,769.

*************************************************

Preserving Arts Jobs Funding:

DEADLINE: 11 p.m., Monday, Aug. 10, 2009
http://www.seattle.gov/arts/funding/arts_jobs.asp

Seattle's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs will distribute to eligible Seattle arts organizations $250,000 in one-time federal funding to preserve jobs in the nonprofit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn.

Eligibility
Seattle-based nonprofit arts and cultural organizations that are current recipients of the Office's 2009-2010 Civic Partners organizational support program are eligible to apply for funds to support staff salaries or fees for contract jobs which have been reduced, eliminated or are currently threatened. 4Culture (www.4culture.org) has additional funding for King County organizations outside of Seattle.

Award amounts
Organizations with 2008 budgets less than $150,000 are eligible for $5,000. Organizations with 2008 budgets greater than $150,000 are eligible for $15,000.

Timeline:
A review panel will meet in mid-August, and applicants will be informed of the funding decisions by the end of August. Funding will support salary or contract expenses incurred between Oct. 1, 2009 and Aug. 31. 2010.

Arts, culture, & academic opportunities

4CULTURE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE CONDUCTIVE GARBOIL GRANT (July 27 - Seattle only)

CALL FOR ARTISTS

New annual award celebrates innovative artists with a connection to Pioneer Square neighborhood and community

(King County, WA) – The Estate of Su Job, 4Culture and Artist Trust are delighted to announce a Call for Applications for the 2009 Conductive Garboil grant. This new annual, non-restricted award of $3,000 is open to Seattle artists who have a connection to the Pioneer Square neighborhood. The grant acknowledges artists who have "Demonstrated a profound ability to challenge the limits of conductive creative discourse and its effects on our society, pushing the creative act beyond the accepted limits, definitions, or purposes of art while engaging audiences outside the aesthetic industrial complex."

Applications are due July 27, 2009. The call and application may be found on the 4Culture website at: www.4culture.org/publicart/calls/default.asp

Details may be found at www.garboil.org

Artist Trust is a not-for-profit organization whose sole mission is to support and encourage individual artists working in all disciplines in order to enrich community life throughout Washington State. Learn more at www.artisttrust.org

CFP: Wasafiri New Writing Prize (deadline: 31 July 2009 - international)

Wasafiri New Writing Prize -- opportunity to be published in this international magazine and win £300. The deadline has been specially extended to 31st July 2009. Further details can be found at:

http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/pdf/rwas_writing_prizel.pdf

National Endowment for the Humanities (August 26, 2009 and January 13, 2010 - United States)

The Division of Public Programs at the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities funds radio, television, and digital projects in the humanities that are intended for public audiences. New application guidelines are now posted on the NEH Web site (www.neh.gov) for America's Media Makers: Development and Production grants. The next two deadlines are August 26, 2009, and January 13, 2010. Program officers in the Division of Public Programs are available to assist you, whether it is to discuss project ideas or to read a draft proposal. Please call the NEH Division of Public Programs (202-606-8269) or contact a program officer directly. Below are the names and contact information for the Division's program officers: Barbara Bays, 202-606-8290, bbays@neh.gov Jeff Hardwick, 202-606-8287, jhardwick@neh.gov Clay Lewis, 202-606-8288, clewis@neh.gov David Martz, 202-606-8297, dmartz@neh.gov John Meredith, 202-606-8218, jmeredith@neh.gov Karen Mittelman, 202-606-8631, kmittelman@neh.gov Kathleen Mulvaney, 202-606-8270, kmulvaney@neh.gov Danielle Shapiro, 202-606-8241, dshapiro@neh.gov Michael Shirley, 202-606-8293, mshirley@neh.gov David Weinstein, 202-606-8304, dweinstein@neh.gov Thank you.

Public Programs National Endowment for the Humanities Room 426 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20506 202/606-8269 Email: publicpgms@neh.gov Visit the website at http://neh.gov

2010 OAH ERIK BARNOUW AWARD (December 1, 2009 – Canada, United States)

The Erik Barnouw Award, first given in 1983, honors the late Erik Barnouw, Columbia University, a historian of the mass media. One or two awards are given annually in recognition of outstanding programming on network or cable television, or in documentary film, concerned with American history, the study of American history, and/or the promotion of history.

The winning film or video program will be screened and the award will be presented at the 2010 annual meeting of the OAH in Washington, DC, April 7-10. Only films and video programs released January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009 are eligible for entry. Films and videos selected as "honorable mention" will be shown at the annual meeting, along with the Barnouw winner, as part of the OAH Screening History film series.

One copy of each entry must be received by each committee member and the OAH by December 1, 2009. No late submissions will be accepted. One copy of each entry, clearly labeled "2010 Erik Barnouw Award Entry," must be mailed directly to:

Elspeth H. Brown (Committee Chair)
CSUS/Munk Centre
University of Toronto
1 Devonshire Place
Toronto, ON M5S 3K7
Canada

Lary May
88 Arthur Avenue SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
[Affiliation: University of Minnesota]

Gerald E. Shenk
Until November 1, 2009
Social & Behavioral Sciences
California State University, Monterey Bay
Seaside, CA 93955
After November 1, 2009, films must be sent to Professor Shenk in the Philippines. Address will be available at a later date.

Organization of American Historians
PO Box 5457 (111 North Bryan Avenue)
Bloomington, IN 47407-5457

Call For Entries – Award New Media Foundation Liedts-Meesen (November 1, 2009 - Belgium)

Update III

Zebrastraat

Zebrastraat 32/001
9000 Gent
Belgium
Phone: 0032/(0)477/7898098
Contact: Isolde De Buck
award@zebrastraat.be

www.zebrastraat.be
At the occasion of the Update III exhibition that is organised as a Biennial event at the Zebrastraat Gent, the Liedts-Meesen Foundation will award for the second time, a work by a living artist distinguishing himself or herself in the field of digital art. This award will consist of a cash purse and a showcase in the Update IV to be held in 2012.

Entry forms and guidelines available at http:// www.zebrastraat.be
http://www.zebrastraat.be/kunst_3_91.html

Deadline November 1 2009- Final Deadline

The upcoming exhibition, Update III (in 2010), will be held in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou in Paris, under the artistic direction of the exhibition's commissioner Christine Van Assche.
At the same time, the 10 works selected for the Liedts-Meesen Foundation award will be exhibited and integrated into the publication accompanying the exhibition.

Update's mission
Update's mission is to expand the scope of contemporary artistic creations and traditional media with works dedicated to employing contemporary and new technologies in an original and intelligent way: treatment of sounds and light, use of new media, application of innovative evolutions in communications, telecommunications and broadcasting, centred on the world of information, communication, and computers and interaction.
These descriptions are in no way restrictive and should be interpreted in a broader meaning

General guidelines for entry in the competition
The aim of the competition is to present works in accordance with Update's objectives. The submitted work can have been previously exhibited, but the jury reserves the right to choose creations that are proven to be practically realisable within the possibilities of the Liedts-Meesen Foundation, keeping in mind that the works will be displayed during the exhibition.

Calendar and conditions of the competition
The choice of the 10 projects selected by the jury will be rendered public at the occasion of the Lineart Art Salon (Ghent) from the 4th to the 8th December, 2009.
Those projects that have been retained will then be installed in order to be exhibited alongside of the Update III exhibition from March to June 2010 and published in the exhibition catalog. The basic equipment is available to be used by the selected artists; specific and special equipment must be provided for, and lent by the artists for the duration of the exhibition.
During the Update exhibition, one of the nominees will be chosen for the prize award given by the Liedts-Meesen Foundation. A people's choice award is also foreseen.

Eligibility and submission details
This international competition is open to all age groups and to all nationalities. English is the working language. Deliverables: A general portfolio of the artist including a CV and a detailed description of the work submitted, accompanied by visual material is demanded. The material must be provided either in an uploadable format or must be easy to reproduce as the jury's decision will be primarily based on the visual documentation. Submissions are to be sent to Foundation Liedts-Meesen, Concours Nouveaux Médias, Zebrastraat 32/001, 9000 Gent, Belgium.

The Jury
The jury will be composed of ten members:

o Peter Weibel (Director of ZKM Karlsruhe)
o Jean-Marie Dallet (Professor and Commissioner of Update I)
o Philippe Van Cauteren (Director of SMAK Gent)
o Francoise Meesen (Fondation Liedts-Meesen)
o Dirk De Wit (Director of IBK-IAK)
o Stef Van Bellingen (Consultant for Zebrastraat-artistic leader VZW Warp)
o Christine Van Assche (Curator New Medias Nouveaux Medias Centre Pompidou-Paris)
o Art Yan (Organiser of the exhibition E-Arts Festival, Shangai)
o Nick Ervinck (artist), winner of the Update II public award 2008
o Julien Maire (artist), winner of the Update II jury's award 2008

Prize
For 2010, a 5000 euro cash award is foreseen by the Liedts-Meesen Foundation. This indivisible cash award will be allocated to a work and to its creator.
Moreover, the jury reserves the right to award an honourable mention to an artist.
The Liedts-Meesen Foundation and the jury reserve the right to not award a prize and to transfer it to the next exhibition.

Partnership-in-Scholarship Grants launched to support collaborative projects between African American Historic Places and college/university scholars (September 30, 2009 – United States)

Thanks to funding from the Ford Foundation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation will be launching Partnership-in-Scholarship Grants to support collaborative projects between African American Historic Places and college/university scholars. This year, four grants of $15,000 each (no match required) will be awarded in fall 2009 to projects that help sustain current or attract new audiences at historic sites or enhance the interpretation of challenging topics at historic sites. Eligible projects include: * improving public access to African American historical and cultural resources at historic places, * strengthening teaching and education at colleges and universities through historic places, * promoting research and original scholarship of a significant theme related to African American history and culture to support joint public programs, * providing opportunities for lifelong learning through a collaborative program, * strengthening each institution's humanities programming in order to preserve, enhance, or enjoy significant African American historic places. Guidelines for the Partnership-in-Scholarship Grants are available online or through the NTHP Regional Office near you. National Trust Historic Sites and elementary and secondary schools are not eligible to apply. Deadlines for applications is September 30, 2009; applications will be available in July.

Max A. van Balgooy Director of Interpretation and Education National Trust for Historic Preservation 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 Email: max_vanbalgooy@nthp.org Visit the website at http://historicsites.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/partnership-in-scholarship-grant-program-announced/

FLORIDA CONFERENCE OF HISTORIANS WAKULLA SPRINGS, FLORIDA FEBRUARY 18-20 2010 AFRICAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN THE SOUTH SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION (SIS) on MEDIA ARTS AND CULTURE (December 18, 2009 - Florida, USA) The Florida Conference of Historian Special Interest Section on Media Arts and Culture wishes to encourage scholarship aimed at African-American experience in the United States. The FCH-Media Arts and Culture SIS wishes to encourage scholars examining African-American agency and autonomy since Reconstruction in the South. Key to our concerns are scholars investigating community, family, and organizations that sought to further African-American inclusion in U.S. society. We welcome interdisciplinary submissions on or concerning African-American history, culture, literature, theory, and media to the FCH annual meeting. The Media Arts and Culture SIS encourages graduate students, undergraduates, and independent scholars who wish to participate. All conference invitees are eligible for review for inclusion in the FCH refereed published proceedings. 1. Paper title and abstract/proposal (300-500 words) 2. Brief vita or biography (one page max) 3. Complete personal information: name, department, academic affiliation, mailing address, and e-mail address. Worthwhile topics include (but are not limited to): African-Americans and Gender since Reconstruction African-Americans and Nationalism since Reconstruction Religion and the African-American Experience since Reconstruction African-Americans and the Media since Reconstruction African-American Townships in Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Georgia since Reconstruction African-American Literature since Reconstruction African-American and Frontier Mythos Abstracts and panel proposal should be sent to Emily Russell:erussell@rollins.edu Deadline for submission is December 18th

Emily Russell Co-coordinator, Special Interest Section on Media Arts and Culture for Florida Conference of Historians Email: erussell@rollins.edu

Opportunities & Events

Reel Queer (deadline June 30 - Seattle, WA)

A video production and media literacy training course for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transexual, Queer, Questioning and Allied teens of all genders.

[hosted by Reel Grrls - reelgrrls.org]

This summer, Reel Grrls is hosting our very first Queer-focused video production and media literacy training course for LGBTQA-identified youth ages 13-19.

In this four-day course, participants will:
*learn the basics of video production and visual storytelling.
*enhance their understanding of queer-based media literacy
*work in a safe environment with queer, media-professionals
*use professional camera and editing equipment
*create a short video that will be screened at the 2009 Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival!

As a program for queer youth, we honor the following principles:
· We value the power of video as a means to create personal and social change
· We value efforts that actively expand opportunities for LGBTQ youth.
· We value positive approaches to fighting homophobia
· We value integrity, honesty and respect
· We value appropriate sharing of resources, cooperation and collaboration
· We value using our collective voice to further our mission
· We value diversity

If these principles speak to you as well, join us! We're looking for:
-LGBTQA participants - all genders aged 13-19
-LGBTQA mentors - all genders
-supporters!

DATES AND TIMES FOR REEL QUEER:
July: 20, 22, 27, and 29th! 10am-4pm

Applications are available now at: reelgrrls.org/programs - we have 16 spaces available and will be accepting participants on a first-come first-served basis. Application deadline: June 30th.

Please contact us for more information!

Downtown Community Television Center / PRO-TV Professional Youth Media Training (Event on July 7 -- New York, NY)
MEDIA FELLOWS 2009 FINAL SCREENING
TUESDAY, JULY 7, 6PM, DCTV

Please join us Tuesday, July 7th as we celebrate the accomplishments of the Media Fellows Class of 2009 in the screening of their final works in the PRO-TV program. We will be screening their autobiographical pieces as their culminating works of art in the "Reflections of Me" series. The program will begin at 6PM on the first floor of DCTV.

To RSVP, please contact Chinisha Scott at 646-484-4642 or chinisha@dctvny.org.

What is PRO-TV (http://www.protvny.org/abouttheprogram.html)

PRO-TV is the most successful youth media arts training program in the nation. Offering free training to the youth of New York City since 1978, PRO-TV provides positive creative outlets for young people to address the issues affecting their lives and their communities. Students are paired with top teaching artists who guide them through a rich curriculum of media arts training using state-of-the-art equipment. In programs ranging from one day to three years in duration, students have the opportunity to:

• The Program
• Staff / Instructors
• Students
• DCTV
• Funders

• Practice the art of storytelling using design, lighting, sound and image

• Attend seminars on media literacy and the history of media arts

• View and deconstruct films in roundtable discussions

• Master cameras, audio equipment, and digital editing systems

Awards & Recognition

PRO-TV wins more awards than any similar program in the nation. Students frequently participate in film festivals and events worldwide. Recent film festivals and awards include:

• Student Emmy® Awards

• Sundance Film Festival: Special Jury Prize

• Tribeca Film Festival

• San Francisco International Film Festival

• The Los Angeles International Film Festival

• The American Black Film Festival

• Women in the Director’s Chair Festival

• Hot Springs International Film Festival

Almost 100% of PRO-TV Media Fellowship students go on to attend college and/or gain employment in the media industry. PRO-TV provides support throughout the college application process, and each year PRO-TV students are awarded numerous acceptances and scholarships. Recent grads are currently enrolled at schools as diverse as:

• NYU/Tisch School of the Arts – Lewis Rudin City Scholarship; University Scholars Program; New York Times Full Scholarship

• Claflin University – Emma Bowen Foundation Scholarship

• Kingsboro Community College – Future Latino Filmmakers Scholarship

• And many more, including Penn State University, Syracuse University, Emerson College, Ithaca College, Pace University, and SUNY/CUNY colleges.

PRO-TV students can put the technical skills they learn to use in internships with major media companies. Recent internship sites include NBC, The New York Times, and NY International Latino Film Festival.

Academic Opportunities


Call for papers: Issues in Critical Investigation (deadline June 30)

Issues in Critical Investigation: The African Diaspora (ICI), a new initiative devoted to critical thinking and writing about the African Diaspora and the pursuit of a cross-generational dialogue on issues related to it -- http://www.vanderbilt.edu/ICI/ -- is pleased to announce our inaugural 2009 competition for the two best unpublished, single-authored manuscripts or manuscripts of linked essays. The winners of the two prizes—the Anna Julia Cooper Prize in the Humanities and the Ida B. Wells Prize in the Social Sciences—will each receive $3,000 and the option for a book contract with Vanderbilt University Press. Each manuscript must be written by an untenured professor on the general topic of the global African Diaspora and produced in any field of the Humanities and the Social Sciences.

Manuscripts will be read and closely evaluated by senior professors in the relevant fields, and the winners announced each spring. In the fall, an annual symposium will be convened at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. during which winners and finalists will present seminars on their topics.

Possible topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• African, African-American or African-Canadian studies
• Anthropology
• Atlantic African slave trade
• Black European studies
• Black popular culture
• Caribbean studies
• Cinema and film studies
• Economics
• Education
• Ethics
• Latin-American studies
• Media
• Philosophy
• Religion
• War and peace

All submissions must be emailed to ici@vanderbilt.edu, between June 1 - 30, 2009, with the subject line “Submission.” Do NOT send full manuscripts at this time. Please include the following:

-cover letter
-CV
-proposal with a prospectus and book outline

Candidates will be notified by July 15 if they are invited to submit a full manuscript. All submissions must be exclusive submissions to ICI for the duration of the contest.

For information contact:

Hortense J. Spillers, executive director
Brenna Hansen, program coordinator
Vanderbilt University
Station B # 351654
2301 Vanderbilt Place
Nashville, TN 37235
ici@vanderbilt.edu
615-322-3421
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/ICI/

CFP: Wasafiri New Writing Prize (deadline: 31 June 2009)

Wasafiri New Writing Prize -- opportunity to be published in this international magazine and win £300. The deadline has been specially extended to 31st July 2009. Further details can be found at:

http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/pdf/rwas_writing_prizel.pdf



ARTS

The James & Janie Washington Foundation is happy to have two new Artists in Residence. Esther Ervin and Romson Bustillo are starting their residencies at the same time.

Esther Ervin is a dedicated working artist who

currently uses the gourd as her primary sculptural

medium. She has recently finished an Artist in Residency and the Pathways Scholarship at Pratt Fine Arts Center, where she has learned to work with metals. Her aesthetic is grounded in the use of multiple media.

Ms. Ervin has a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from

California State University at Long Beach and a

Bachelors Degree (BS) in Biology from the University of

California at Irvine.

Her work in the local arts community includes

being curator at Festival Sundiata Art Exhibits and serving as an On Site Evaluator for 4Culture. She was the curator for the Art Gallery at South Seattle Community College for four years.

Romson Bustillo returns to the foundation after nearly a year of travel in Central American and Spain. He will be working with the Foundation staff to develop a Youth Workshop in printmaking and Social Awareness.

Romson Regarde Bustillo was born on the island of Mindanao in Cagayan de Oro City, the Philippines. He moved to the US when he was a young boy. He grew up in Columbia City in the south part of Seattle.

His work is represented in private and public collections nationally and internationally, including ArtCol Trust, the Washington State Art Commission, and the Wing Luke Asian Museum. He has been an artist in residence and instructor for Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle, the Seattle Art Museum, and an NEA supported Artist in Residence for the Tacoma Art Museum.