Our next meeting is at the Kroc Center as usual at 7pm.

Our guest speakers will show portions of their full length DVD movie,”Medicine Man,” and explain the story behind it. This film was done with only 7 people involved, (5 actor/performers and two technical people, who shot the film in only two days.) This also includes the script writer, director, and producer! It has always amazed me when a movie’s credits roll at the end of a film, … and it goes on forever. The total budget for this movie was $1000.00 and we were under half of that, including a few films for distribution.

Presenters Suzanne and Merle: We have been married partners for 53 years, sharing food and fortune, and as we’ve traveled on through life, Brother, whatever’s been our goal, We’ve kept our eye upon the doughnut, and not upon the hole! Ha, ha! We have our own small stage theatre in La Porte, where we have produced live performances of many types. These are new, live, and often interactive expressions of writers from around the country, poets, actors, singers, musicians, comedians, etc. Advertising, promotion, and the business end has been our downfall through the years. We can produce, … but not promote.

This free and open to the public presentation will take place immediately following our regular monthly Mid America Filmmakers meeting which begins at 7:00 p.m. You are welcome to join us for both.

Our next meeting is at the Kroc Center as usual. Video producer David Stillson will be doing a Making Movie Magic presentation about audio post-production for independent films.

This event kicks off a great week of films and workshops with the MAF sponsored River Bend Film Fest April 3-6 in South Bend.  More at www.riverbendfilmfest.org

South Bend, Indiana –The 5th Annual River Bend Film Festival will be held April 3 – 6, 2013 at three different venues in South Bend. The four-day event is sponsored by Mid America Filmmakers and Downtown South Bend, and is made possible by an Indiana Arts grant. Over fifty local, national and international independent films in a wide variety of genres will be shown throughout the festival.

The kick-off screening is Wednesday, April 3 from 7 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. at Merriman’s Playhouse at 1211 Mishawaka Ave. South Bend, IN 46615 with short films and concluding with Refuge: Stories of the Selfhelp Home, a documentary revealing the origins of a resourceful community that over generations has brought together more than 1,000 Central European Jewish refugees and Holocaust survivors under one roof.

The Thursday night screening is 7 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. in room 1001 in Weikamp Hall at Indiana University South Bend and sponsored by the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts.  See some exciting work by the college’s New Media students, plus a variety of shorts and the feature Shot By Shot – The Magic of Moviemaking, the captivating story of a student filmmaker at Boston’s Emerson College who is working laboriously on his thesis project – a short dramatic motion picture.

The main festival takes place at the lower level of the Century Center on Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6.  It opens Friday night from 7 p.m. – 10:30 p.m., starting with an introduction by keynote speakers, Hollywood producers John Baldecchi and Kathleen Haase, who have worked on films such as Conan, The Mexican, Detroit Rock City, and Affliction. Following a wide variety of short films, the evening showcases the locally produced Everglades of the North, which explores the diverse ecology, illustrates the astonishing history, and unveils the controversial saga of the Grand Kankakee Marsh.

Saturday’s daytime events run from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. where two simultaneous screening rooms assure there is always something amazing to be seen.  This year the festival presents Kids Shorts at 10 a.m. with films by and for children, followed by a puppet presentation by the incredible Roz Puppets. Indianapolis filmmaker Kate Chaplin will present her feature Ingenue and lead a morning workshop on women in filmmaking. IU South Bend New Media students will also have a display of video art and Mid America Filmmakers is hosting movie swag give-aways throughout the weekend.

During Saturday morning and afternoon, festival-goers will have the opportunity to learn more about filmmaking, fundraising, make-up effects, and puppetry.  Baldecchi and Haase, along with several other filmmakers, will be part of a Producers Panel and answer questions regarding their experiences in regional and Hollywood productions.

Saturday night’s program is 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. and begins with our awards ceremony, with presentations for best films and screenplays. This is followed by the feature Odd Thomas starring Willem Dafoe and Anton Yelchin with a Q&A with Baldecchi who produced it. The evening concludes with an array of excellent short films.

Wednesday (7 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.)  – $10 regular, $8 student/senior (Limited ticket, purchase ahead online)
Thursday (7 p.m. – 10:30  p.m.) – $5 regular/student/senior
Friday (7 p.m. – 10:30  p.m.)  – $10 regular, $8 student/senior
Saturday (9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) – $5 regular, $4 student/senior
Saturday (12:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.) – $10 regular, $8 student/senior
Saturday (7 p.m. – 11 p.m.) – $10 regular, $8 student/senior
Saturday Day Pass (9 a.m. – 11 p.m.) – $20 regular, $18 student/senior
Weekend Pass (Friday 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.) – $30 regular, $25 student/senior
Saturday Morning Family Pass (9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) – $20 (families up to 6 members)

For detailed information regarding the festival schedule, listings and description of films, workshops, and purchasing tickets please visit the website at www.riverbendfilmfest.org.