Sixth Annual Sonscreen Film Festival Taps Top Industry Professionals to Present Workshops

James O'Keeffe, Matthew Munn, and Bryan Belknap Presenters at Faith-based Festival in Simi Valley, CA, April 10-12, 2008

Silver Spring, MD (PRWEB) March 28, 2008 -- The 2008 SONscreen Film Festival, which runs April 10-12, keeps the focus firmly on learning with workshops and panel discussions aimed at their core student demographic for the sixth annual run. SONscreen is an annual film festival sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America for Christian young adults and industry professionals who use or have an interest in creating outstanding film and video productions for outreach, social awareness, and uplifting creative entertainment. "It is important that student and first-time filmmakers know that we are interested in nurturing their growth by exposing them to specific areas within the film industry in an intense hands-on setting," explains Stacia Wright, Producer and Founder.

Three concurrent workshops will be presented in morning and afternoon sessions at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Friday, April 11. This year's line-up includes, "Low-Budget Films ... Big-budget Images" presented by renowned cinematographer James O'Keeffe, a 25-year veteran and University of Southern California adjunct professor with big-budget studio and low-budget independent films credits; "Incorporating Animation in Films", with Matthew Munn, Senior Animator for Sony Pictures Imageworks whose film credits include "I Am Legend", "Speed Racer", and "Open Season"; and "Scriptwriting", with Bryan Belknap, an author and scriptwriter who currently has two scripts in development.

The Saturday panel "Behind the Scenes: The Gospel in the Trenches of Hollywood", will examine the challenges and conflicts Christians face maintaining their faith working in the film industry. Panelists include Chris Ackerman, actor; Tamara Goodrich, actress and production assistant, Korey Scott Pollard, assistant director and producer; James Arnold Taylor, voice-over artist; and moderator Rik Swartzwelder, Filmmaker.

The Adventist Media Center, www.AMPstudios.com, a state-of-the-art production facility located in Simi Valley, California is the host and permanent home of the SONscreen Film Festival. The facility houses, full-service studios and high-end production stages featuring control rooms, satellite uplink/downlink, cameras, lighting and grip equipment as well as production suites.

For more information about SONscreen Festival, passes, and information or to volunteer, visit www.sonscreen.com or email april@rushingmedia.com or call toll free 866-766-3146.

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