The Papercookie Picture Company’s Kickstarter Campaign for an Indie Feature Film in Asheville and Mt. Airy

PRESENT, an independent feature film looking to shoot in Asheville and Mt. Airy, NC this October, is currently seeking fundraising through Kickstarter, the online crowd sourcing website. The film is written and to be directed by Joe Chang and produced by the Asheville-based Papercookie Picture Company. The film is looking to raise $3,950 through Kickstarter and only has until October 14th to do so. In exchange for “backing” the film, contributors can choose from many different gifts at different levels, including Handmade Postcards from the Cast, a copy of the finished film on DVD, or a download of the Original Score among other things.

Synopsis of the film:
Daniel Crane (Nesey Gallons) is a semi-famous performance artist traveling and touring around the country, entertaining small enthralled audiences in the living rooms of houses with his awkward and sometimes alienating acts. On Halloween weekend, he finds himself with a few days off in Asheville, NC, staying with his kid sister, Dorothy (Faith Callaway) who works as a waitress at an old mom and pop Diner.

When a couple leaves a book at the Diner, Dorothy and Daniel decide to revisit the small town where they grew up. Along with Dorothy’s roommate Cassie (Mariana Templin), they set out on a trip to Mount Airy, NC, discovering the things they once remembered are vanishing, and realizing things they’ve kept inside themselves since childhood never go away.

This will be Joe Chang’s second directorial feature. His first feature, the Asheville-made Neutral, is an award winning surrealist comedy that John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) praised as “beautifully written and bursting with sweet sympathy for its whimsical characters”. He also directed (and plays guitar with) local band Kovacs & the Polar Bear’s “Skeleton Crew” video, which won the Top Prize and Audience Award at the 2011 Music Video Asheville Festival.

Present will mark the feature film acting debuts of Faith Callaway, the adorable girl from the Skeleton Crew video, and Nesey Gallons, a musician and collaborator with the highly influential and cult Elephant 6 Music Collective.

The Papercookie Picture Company is a collection of former North Carolina School of the Arts Film School kids, who dropped out and have made a few features, including Grownups, Neutral, and Passenger Pigeons. These films have won awards and played in festivals throughout the world including South By Southwest, BAMcinemaFEST, Indie Grits, and the American Film Festival in Poland.

For more information on the film, please visit:

KICKSTARTER LINK:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/787461611/present-a-feature-film

OFFICIAL MOVIE WEBSITE:
www.ithappenedonehalloween.com

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Larry Keel’s “Sound Check” is on the Soundtrack for New Fly Fishing Film – CONNECT- by Confluence Films

This just in!!  The Larry Keel Experience has a sound track included in a new film by Confluence Films.  They do WORLD CLASS movies about fly fishing, really the absolute best in the industry and the Keels are excited to be part of this one! Far be it from Larry Keel and his fast-pickin, fishin master band to miss out on an opportunity to be involved in a FISH PORN project as cool as this! no lover of travel, nature, exciting settings and music can resist!!

For this latest project, Confluence Films used one of Larry Keel Experience’s instrumental’s “Sound Check” in the Alaska segment of the movie. This tune was written by Will Lee and performed by The Larry Keel Experience on their self-titled album. Find out more about Larry Keel at www.larrykeel.com

Click here to check out the new trailer for CONNECT.

Confluence Films brings you their biggest project yet! In 2008 they brought you DRIFT. In 2009 it was RISE Now their most ambitious project yet- CONNECT. 2 Years in the making. 6 International locations. 12 Anglers. 10 species. 1 Angry Croc. On DVD and Blue Ray November 4th 2001.

The film will premiere Saturday, October 8th, 2011 at the Ellen Theatre in Bozeman, MT. Sponsors for CONNECT include Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Hatch Reels and Simms Fishing Products.

You will have the chance to view the new movie “on the Big Screen” by attending one of the Screening events in Bozeman, MT (10/8 & 10/13)  —  Salt Lake City, UT (10/18)  —  Bend, OR (10/20)  —  Johannesburg, South Africa (11/25)

Check back to http://www.confluencefilms.tv/tour.php on a regular basis for more tour dates that will be added soon.

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Dreamspider Interviews with Jonathan Scales Fourchestra on Lingua Musica

New Lingua Musica Episode: Erin Scholze from Dreamspider Publicity talks with Jonathan Scales Fourchestra at The Musicians Workshop on Merrimon Ave. in Asheville, NC in July 2011. Daniel Judson filmed and edited this video which is copyright Luminescence LLC 2011 and may be used as long as proper credit is given.

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Jonathan Scales has been called a “…rising star of the steel drums…” by Traps Magazine and “The Real Deal” by Pan on the Net and as having “A Thelonius Monk-like attitude with a Mozart creativity that works.” Premier Steel Pan magazine, When Steel Talks states , “At the end of the day, Scales is going to be a major play in rewriting the books on steelpan music outside of the box.”

In this episode of Lingua Musica, Jonathan Scales discusses how he came about his style of Steel Pan. Also hear more about his new album, Character Farm & Other Short Stories, which is a 45-minute dive deeper into the compositionally-twisted work. There are nine original instrumental “stories” on the album which transport listeners from the primal Jam We Did to the lush Hallucinations of the Dream Chasers. The title track Character Farm brings the audience into a chilled, ‘worldly’ ride after the frantically emotional The Longest December. Guest appearance on the record include Jeff Coffin (of Dave Matthews Band / Bela Fleck & the Flecktones), Yonrico Scott and Kofi Burbridge (of Derek Trucks Band fame) and the dazzling work of fiddle virtuoso Casey Driessen.  Also, you will meet the cast of Characters that make up the Fourchestra: classically trained composer turned steel pan maestro and front man of the Fourchestra, Jonathan Scales, is heavily influenced by the complexity of banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck to the hustle of Jay-Z. Gritty blues guitarist, Duane Simpson, and fusion-chops bassist, Cody Wright, provide the harmonic support for Scales’ sound; while jazz/hip-hop drummer, Phill Bronson, drives the time-shifting, modern grooves. 

Scales, along with fimmaker Daniel Judson, produced an insightful Music Video for the song Muddy Vishnu; snippets of the music video are shown in the interview. Watching Muddy Vishnu is “almost like a Being John Malkovich set inside Scales’ own world of found rhythms, visions, colors, friends, inspirations and rare silence,” writes Asheville’s Mountain Xpress.

In this episode of Lingua Musica, Scales’s also talks about the album’s comic book-inspired images, designed by Gregory Keyzer, that tie together the musical fusion of his Fourchestra. “There’s a different illustration for every song,” Scales says in an interview with Robin Tolleson in Bold Life. “It’s cool because you can kind of put a visual image with each piece. The album is packaged like a book of short stories, but there’s an overlying theme. The sonic tapestry, mixed with the congruent artwork, really ties the whole thing together. The pictures help people make their judgments about what it’s about and how they feel about it. It’s not complete long form, but it’s closer.”

Character Farm, along with a glossy 19 x 13 poster depicting the custom designed comic book graphics illustrating each song are available at www.jonscales.com.

This video was brought to you by Lingua Musica: Where Music is the Universal Language…

www.jonscales.com

www.linguamusicalive.com

www.danieljudson.com

www.dreamspider.net

www.musiciansworkshop.com

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Kickstarter Campaign to finish the priduction of the social issue film “Mother’s Red Dress”

There is a Kickstarter Campaign running now through June 18th to finish the post-production of the film, Mother’s Red Dress.

The film experience is one of the few art forms that exist where people’s lives can be emotionally affected on a personal level. Films like the Academy Award nominated PRECIOUS show us a dark world but at the same time carry a message of hope that inspires.

Latino writer/director Edgar Michael Bravo and John Paul Rice formed No Restrictions Entertainment because they enjoy telling stories that are both entertaining and deal with social issues.

They are seeking funds to finish MOTHER’S RED DRESS a social issue feature film now in post-production.

The film deals directly with the effects of domestic violence, childhood abuse and mental illness – issues we feel are important to shed light on – for the positive change that can come from awareness and action in our communities.

The story is inspired by people they know and from their own personal experiences.

Their motivation to tell the story of MOTHER’S RED DRESS comes from an understanding that far too often abuse goes unreported for years and is kept secret either willfully or with a great measure of denial but when addressed and stopped, there is hope for the victims.

Watch the trailer below and visit: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/johnpaulrice/mothers-red-dress-a-social-issue-feature-film to donate and watch another short film about the campaign.

From the creators of ‘ONE HOUR FANTASY GIRL’, No Restrictions Entertainment presents Mother’s Red Dress:

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Music Video Asheville 2011 Winners and Playlist!

Music Video Asheville 2011 was produced by  FoAM (The Future of Asheville Music) and this year was sponsored by Music Allies as  part of HATCH. Echo Mountain Recording and the Media Arts Project were also major sponsors of this year’s event which was held at the Fine Arts Theatre in downtown. You can also check out a more complete playlist at http://www.youtube.com/user/Dreamspiderweb#grid/user/C47697E0230DC2DD.

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The night was a big success and with-out further ado the winners are:

Placing 1st, winning both the Best of MVA Music Allies Judges Choice Award AND the Crowd Favorite is Kovacs and the Polar Bear, “Skeleton Crew” directed by Joe Chang with the Paper Picture Company:

The Runner-Up for the Best of MVA Music Allies Judges award, winning a free day of studio time in Echo Mountain Recording, is Secret Agent 23 Skidoo with “Chase the Rain” directed by Daniel Judson:

The Crowd Favorite Runner-up is Jonathan Scales “Muddy Vishnu” directed by Daniel Judson:

The FOAM Core also chose three honorable mentions going to:

Jar-E “Plot” directed by Steven Tingle:

Stephanie’s Id “Documentary” directed by Paul Chelmis

Juan Holiday “Seal it Tight” directed by Kurt Mann:

Groundbreaking Mentor and Featured Artists for MVA 2011 is Ben Lovett.

Lovett showed three videos and spoke about the films that he has been making for his upcoming album debut, Highway Collection.  Viral video explosion of their first single, “Eye Of The Storm,” directed by Chris Alender with Soapbox Films, is a cinematic gem that has gobbled up a million views in 4 weeks on the web, and it’s follow-up, the foot-stomping, barn burner single, “Heart Attack,” directed by David Bragg with Flying Pig Studios.

Lovett also debuted their newest video “The Fear” directed by David Bruckner with Wasteland Pictures:

To see the playlist for Music Video Asheville 2011 visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/Dreamspiderweb#grid/user/C47697E0230DC2DD

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The HATCH Experience brings music panels & workshops to Asheville: April 14th to 17th

HATCH is a biannual four-day experience that energizes creative professionals and thought leaders who are serious about transforming their ideas and talents into bold action, while inspiring others to do the same.

During HATCH, local studios, galleries, theaters, concert halls, and other select locations throughout downtown Asheville host experiential exhibits, panels, workshops, and networking events. The energy of HATCH surrounds and engages you. HATCH is unique because attendees and sponsors are part of the creative process. Everyone attending has intimate access to influential industry professionals across a range of creative disciplines.

HATCH 2011 will bring over 70 top professionals from seven creative fields to Asheville to act as mentors in film, music, fashion, journalism, photography, architecture, and design & technology. The magic of HATCH comes to life when cross-disciplinary explorations lead to exposure within the creative community, expansion of ideas & actions, and evolution of creative visions.

HATCH is actively engaged in fulfilling the following core initiatives:
Spotlighting innovators and solutions for better living.

• Creating a potent network of thought leaders who can affect change
• Discussing how emerging technologies are affecting our planet
• Increasing academic innovation through furthering school/community collaborations

More about the Music Panels and Music Workshops is below and in more detail at the website. More information about the other creative fields represented (Film, Tech, Photo, etc) can be found at http://hatchexperience.com. You can purchase tickets to attend multiple HATCH panels, workshop and other events at the website: http://hatchexperience.com/tickets

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MUSIC: Vision // Music ReMIX

Hatch Music: Remix Everything

Join HATCH for ongoing collaborations with the music community and participate in spontaneous creation. There are several Music Panels and Workshops with discussions on how technology is changing our interactions with music.  Find out about more about the at http://hatchexperience.com/music/

GROUNDBREAKERS: Have Your Music Remixed

Hatch is seeking song submissions for bands for Hatch Remix.  Be selected as a Music Groundbreaker and work on a remix of your music with New York City’s DJ Nickodemus and producer Moreno Visini aka Zeb, the Spy From Cairo. Songs should be submitted by Saturday, April 8th and will be considered on quality and the vision that Nickodemus and Moreno Visini have on creating a final remix during HATCH. The winning band(s) will also have the opportunity to work alongside the remixers and will have full rights to release the remix for commercial or promotional purposes as long as they attribute HATCH, Nickodemus, Moreno Visini, Echo Mountain Studio and any engineers. All genres are encouraged to join. Upload Your Song Here

Schedule of Music events by day:

Wednesday, April 13th: 7 pm ~ Music Video Asheville ~ Fine Arts Theatre
A showcase highlighting the pairing of Asheville musicians and filmmakers

Thursday, April 14th: 5 pm – 7 pm ~ Music Conversation: What’s Working From Who’s Working Workshop ~ Echo Mountain Recording Studio (API)
Join Asheville-based musicians and industry pros for a discussion about making money making music. This is a great opportunity to network with your peers that are musicians, publicists, agents, club bookers and festivals reps and discuss making a living in the music industry.

Thursday, April 14th: 7 pm Doors, 8 pm Show ~ Ben Sollee Live In Concert with special guest ~ Lexington Ave Brewery (LAB) Backroom
Ben Sollee is a classically trained pop cellist who explores contemporary folk music in an urbanized world. He will release his new album entitled Inclusions on May 10th, 2011.* A limited number of tickets will be on sale soon for $20.

Friday, April 15th:  9pm – 12 am ~ Hatch Networking Party ~ TBA Venue
Join Hatch attendees, mentors and groundbreakers for a networking event and music performances from HATCH Participants.

Friday, April 15th: 1 pm ~ Panel: Music Remixed ~ Innovators Lounge (Jubilee Downstairs, 46 Wall St)
Everything is changing for music fans, musicians and the music business.   Remix and rethink your perceptions about music. Panelists will explore the changing landscape of music discovery, listening, creation and marketing.  Mentors featured on the panel include:

• Ben Sollee ~ Cellist, activist, songwriter, performer.
• Malcolm Campbell ~ Publisher, Spin Magazine.
• Molly Nagel ~ General Manager, Music Allies / former VP of Artist Development at Sugar Hill Records.
• DJ Nickodemus ~ Producer, remixer, label owner and NYC’s longest running dance music party promoter.
• Tor Hansen ~ Co-Owner: Redeye Distribution / Yep Roc Music Group.

Saturday, April 16th: 9pm – 12 am ~ HATCH Closing Party ~ On Broadway
Celebrate the spirit of HACTH with new friends, HATCH attendees, mentors and groundbreakers for a networking event and music performances.

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Acoustic Syndicate Mini-Documentary

This is a great Acoustic Syndicate mini-documentary that was filmed at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC by MPA Productions.

Folk-rock band, Acoustic Syndicate, is the product of Cleveland County’s McMurry clan and is known for their high-energy, positive sound. Guitarist Steve “Big Daddy” McMurry is joined by his cousins, Bryon McMurry on banjo and Fitz McMurry on drums. The three McMurrys also bring a trademark vocal trio that only a lifetime of singing together can deliver. They are backed on acoustic and electric bass by Asheville’s Jays Sanders‘ versatile playing that hinges between being the steadfast “rock” and expanding into adventurous improv. The guys have written some great new songs and have recently added (the Biscuit Burners) Billy Cardine‘s blistering dobro sounds to the mix.

Here is a link to an audio archive from the show at the Orange Peel in Asheville over Thanksgiving weekend: http://www.archive.org/details/as2010-11-27.at853.flac16.

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JAMerica filming at Donna the Buffalo’s show at Water Street in Rochester on Feb 11th!

Photo by Jim Gavenus

You may notice some people filming the Feb 11th Donna the Buffalo show at Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, NY. The band is being included in an exciting project called JAMerica which includes a book as well as a documentary film chronicling the emergence, rise, future, etc. of the jam band and festival scene.

The book portion will be written by Peter Conners (www.peterconners.com) who is author of Growing Up Dead: The Hallucinated Confessions of a Teenage Deadhead (Da Capo Press, 2009) and White Hand Society: The Psychedelic Partnership of Timothy Leary & Allen Ginsberg (City Lights, 2010). JAMerica will be published by Da Capo Press in fall 2013.

Conners is also working with filmmaker Denver Miller (www.denvermillerfilms.com) to turn JAMerica into a documentary film featuring interviews and live footage from festivals and shows. In addition to interviewing the band and filming the Feb 11th show, Conners and Miller will be conducting some spontaneous interviews with audience members at the show. This is your chance to share your love of DTB with the world!

Special thanks to David Gans for introducing us to Peter and Denver!

Here’s a video of DTB from the last time they played Water Street:

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Toubab Krewe’s Connection to Bob & The Moog Legacy

Photo by Jon Leidel

Really excited that The Bob Moog Foundation has officially released the Moog/ Toubab Krewe Documentary. It is an amazing film, and received the award for “Best Documentary” at Music Video Asheville last winter. My dearly departed friend Margaret Lauzon took a  lead role in making this film happen along with Flying Pig Studio’s David Bragg; it was the last film the she worked on before she passed; and it is fantastic. Here is what the Moog Foundation has to say about the film:

Toubab Krewe’s One-of-a-Kind Connection to Bob Moog through the Network of Creativity

“They are such damn good musicians that I just wish I could dance with Ileana to their music” ~ Bob Moog speaking about Toubab Krewe in the month before his passing

On August 21, 2005, Bob Moog succumbed to an aggressive brain tumor. His passing touched legions of people around the world. In the month prior to his passing, Bob discovered the music of Toubab Krewe, an new, local african/rock fusion band who was, at the time, managed by Bob’s longtime friend Steven Heller. One sleepless night Bob listened to the band’s new self-titled CD over and over again, and was deeply moved by the quality of the musicianship. This beautiful video, which features Drew Heller, guitarist for Toubab Krewe and Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director of the Bob Moog Foundation, explores Bob’s connection to the band and the reach of the Moog Legacy as it has touched Toubab Krewe and as it is manifested in the Bob Moog Foundation.

We owe a huge thanks to many people who helped make this video a reality. The video was shot in the studio of world-class Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville, North Carolina. The owner, Steve Wilmans and their manager, Jessica Tomasin, continue to be a wonderfully supportive to the Foundation’s mission. The exceptional filmmaking team that donated their services to make this video a possibility was a collaboration between David Bragg of Flying Pig Studio (located within Echo Mountain Recording) and the late Margaret Lauzon of Studio South, among other local talents.

Music photographer phenom Jon Leidel documented the making of the video. Visit the original post of this on the Moog Foundations website to see them: http://moogfoundation.org/2010/voices-toubab-krewes-connection-to-bob-the-moog-legacy/

The dedication at the end of the film has brought tears to me: “Dedicated to Margaret Lauzon (1975-2010). Whose passion & dedication to local music was the driving force for bringing this video and many others to life. Her legacy will continue to connect lives and inspire creativity” ♥ Love.

Bob Moog will live forever in the music that he has inspired across this world. Asheville just got a little taste of that in the hugely successful Moogfest this past Halloween weekend in Asheville.

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Mad Tea Party’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Ghoul Video!

Title track off of the new EP, Rock ‘n’ Roll Ghoul, by Mad Tea Party (Krekel & Ami), produced by Greg Cartwright.

Thanks to the Asheville Zombies!

http://www.themadteaparty.com

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