<ro>City Staging Film Fest
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The City of Alexandria will host its first International Film Festival at the Patent and Trademark Office Auditorium, and other City locations from Sept. 27 through Sept. 30. The Alexandria Commission for the Arts, in partnership with the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities is sponsoring the festival.
Patti North-Rudin, International Festival Coordinator, said the inspiration for the festival was two-fold. She said the City Council had been exploring options for a cultural arts festival; at the same time, the commission was searching for a way to bring digital media and film into the well-established visual arts scene in Alexandria.
North-Rudin said since the call went out for entries, she's already heard from several filmmakers based in the city.
The Commission is seeking entries for the festival showcasing shorts, features and documentaries of all genres. Films produced in all languages are eligible for entry, and non-English speaking films will be subtitled. Deadline to submit a film entry is July 20. To obtain a submission form, visit www.alexandriacommissionforthearts.org.
The festival will also feature a youth program component providing a programmatic contrast with an "Alexandria: My Hometown" student competition. All junior filmmakers, 18 and younger, are invited to enter. The City of Alexandria Public Schools will organize students from the Mount Vernon Community and the Samuel W. Tucker Elementary Schools to produce films for the competition. Winning films will be shown as part of the Festival.
Festival coordinators expect to not only bring a new, cutting edge, first class event to the City, but will also promote cross-cultural exchanges among the City’s richly diverse population.
For additional information, call Patti North-Rudin, International Festival Coordinator at 703-838-5095, extension 307 or by email at patti.north-rudin@alexandriava.gov.
<ro>The Alex Awards
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The deadline is nearly here for submissions in the 2007 Alex Awards competition. This "Call to Artists" by the Alexandria Commission for the Arts asks for submissions of up to five art pieces; artists, who must work or live in the City of Alexandria, will be compensated $500 for each work chosen. Proposals are due by Wednesday, June 20.
Applications must include 8-10 slides or digital images representative of artist’s work; and two copies of drawing, slides, or digital images of each proposed work of art, and one page description including Artist’s concept, proposed materials, size of piece and resume. Call the Alexandria Commission for the Arts office at 703-838-6348 or visit www.alexandriacommissionforthearts.org for more information and submission details.
The Alex Awards recognizes individuals, organizations, schools and businesses who have made exceptional contributions to the cultural life in the City of Alexandria. Annually, the Awards are given in the following categories: Excellence in an Artistic Discipline, Excellence in Service to the Arts, Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education, an Innovative Partnerships between Businesses and the Arts.