THE SPARROW FILM PROJECT Officially Announces Its Expanded Partnership With Kaufman Astoria Studios, Kaufman Arts District And YOUTOOCANWOO
THE SPARROW FILM PROJECT, is proud to announce their 10th year anniversary film assignment, expanded partnership with Kaufman Astoria Studio's Kaufman Art District (KAD), along with a creative partnership with music production company, YOUTOOCANWOO. The announcement was made today by Artistic Director Michael Freeland and Technical Director Sal Milazzo of The Sparrow Film Project, and Lea Wülferth & Zach Abramson of YouTooCanWoo.
NEW YORK, Oct. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The SPARROW FILM PROJECT is made possible with major sponsorship from Kaufman Astoria Studios and is presented in partnership with the Kaufman Arts District (KAD), which creates, supports and presents public arts installations and events in the Astoria community The Sparrow Film Project will culminate with an awards ceremony and gala on Thursday, December 6th at the Museum of the Moving Image, a co-founder of the KAD with Kaufman Astoria Studios and Queens Council on the Arts.
The Sparrow Film Project's unique theme and assignment was announced during the SFP 2018 Filmmakers Sign-up, which welcomed a record-breaking 104 teams.
The Sparrow Film Project 10th year anniversary theme is Sound and Vision, and centers around perspective and inspiration. What is art? What makes art, art? What does art mean to the individual and how does it uniquely affect each one of us? For the first portion of the assignment, each team was randomly assigned a work of art (painting, sculpture, photograph, etc.) Each art piece is meant to be interpreted and inspire the story of the film.
For the second portion of the assignment. YouTooCanWoo, a Brooklyn-based music and audio production company, has generously curated 100 pieces of music from their library for participants in The Sparrow Film Project to use in their films, allowing the filmmaking teams to set a tone for their stories.
This year, the filmmaking teams are challenged to create a 3-minute film juxtaposing two mediums (Art and Music), to explore how sound and vision inform their creation.
For the prompt, YouTooCanWoo curated a selection of diverse music tracks from its original music library, capturing everything from modern cinematic ambient soundscapes to grungy rock, to east coast hip hop, blockbuster orchestral pieces, dramatic electronic tracks, and eccentric selections.
Zach Abramson, composer/producer and partner at Brooklyn-based music and audio company YouTooCanWoo, is happy to see two of his creative communities combine forces: "As a longtime Astoria resident I'm thrilled to become a bigger part of this growing community of creators, and happy to see how the Sparrow Film Project has expanded their reach beyond the neighborhood. I can't wait to meet all the participants and hear what they can do with our music."
Michael Freeland and Sal Milazzo, Artistic Director and Technical Producer of The Sparrow Film Project says, "SFP has been looking to make a music-oriented assignment for years. We are excited that YouTooCanWoo has helped us achieve this in such a thoughtful and unique way."
The SPARROW FILM PROJECT is an annual short-film competition that challenges first-time and established filmmakers to create three-minute films in three weeks. For each edition, filmmakers are guided by a unique set of criteria based on a new theme, and each team draws a random assignment from a hat. Since its' inception, The Sparrow Film Project has championed films that display a high-degree of craft and ingenuity, while imbued with wonder and whimsy.
THE SPARROW FILM PROJECT was initially conceived in 2008 by Founder and Chief Creative Officer Evangelos Roumeliotis, an artist and entrepreneur with deep roots in the Astoria, Queens community. In its' humble beginnings, a theme would be drawn from a hat, and filmmakers were tasked with creating a three-minute film, with awards ceremonies held every three months. Shorts were screened and nominees were handed awards at the Sparrow Tavern and later, another local bar, Hell Gate Social. The Sparrow Film Project was started in 2008, in over 5 years, SFP has grown to over 500 submissions, highlighting provocative, experimental, groundbreaking films, both local and international in scope.
The Key Dates for The Sparrow Film Project 10th Year anniversary are as follows:
The Sparrow Film Project Mixer: Monday Aug. 27, 2018 at The Sparrow Tavern, Astoria Queens
The Sparrow Film Project Filmmakers Sign up: Sunday, Sept 9, 2018 at Let Love Inn, Astoria Queens - Registration from 7pm to 10pm. Drawing and film assignment starts at 10pm.
The Sparrow Film Project Filmmakers Turn-in: Sunday, Sept 30, 2018 at Sparrow Tavern Astoria Queens
The Sparrow Film Project 2018 Screenings: Saturday Dec 1st, 2018, at Museum of the Moving Image
The Sparrow Film Project 2018 Bar Crawl: Sunday Dec 2nd- Multiple locations TBD
The Sparrow Film Project Awards Ceremony and Gala: Thurs. Dec 6th, Museum of the Moving Image
As in previous years, The Sparrow Film Project supporting sponsors include B&H Photo & Video and Radeberger Pilsner.
For More Information, visit The Sparrow Film Project:
Website: https://sparrowfilmproject.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sparrowfilmproject/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FilmSparrow
IG: https://www.instagram.com/thesparrowfilmproject
For More Information, visit YOUTOOCANWOO:
Website: http://www.youtoocanwoo.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/youtoocanwoo/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Youtoocanwoo/
Instagram: @youtoocanwoo
Twitter: @youtoocanwoo
About Founder and Chief Creative Officer Evangelos Roumeliotis: Evangelos is an entrepreneur with a passion for creative expression. Evangelos first established Tupelo (Bar) in 1999 which was an early prototype for the contemporary, community-minded local pub. Evangelos later went on to open various establishments in Queens and Brooklyn. He now owns The Sparrow Tavern (which was featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives), Mar's, a restaurant which continually tops NYC's best of lists, and The LetLove Inn, a music venue which also tops NYC's best of lists. Evangelos started the Sparrow Film Project in 2008. With deep roots in the Astoria, Queens community ,Evangelos continues to be one of the largest supporters of the local creative community in Astoria, Queens.
About Artistic Director Michael Freeland: Michael's previous producer film credits include American Bomber, Dead Light Glory, The Shoulder (which premiered this year at the Queens Film festival), and In Between, which premiered at the 2018 Cannes Short Film Corner. Michael's theatre credits include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Hugging the Shoulder, the feature length play that the aforementioned film, The Shoulder, was based. He was also an Associate Producer for two theatre companies, Hudson Warehouse and Wide-Eyed Productions, for their 2007 and 2008 seasons. Michael attended school at The University of Southern Mississippi and graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, as well as receiving his B.S. from The New School University.
About Technical Director Sal Milazzo: Sal has been an event planner in Astoria, Queens since 2008. One of his greatest successes is The Great Astoria Gut-Off, a yearly weight loss competition, inspiring a healthy lifestyle for the community. Sal joined The Sparrow Film Project Committee in 2013, and helped usher the Gala and Awards Ceremony from the local bars, to the Museum of the Moving Image. He is excited to still be participating for the 10-year anniversary.
Zach Abramson composes music for games, film and other media. He contributed music for the AAA open-world action game Just Cause 3 (2015) and is currently creating the score for its upcoming sequel Just Cause 4. He is a partner at music and audio production company YouTooCanWoo. http://www.zachabramson.com
About Kaufman Astoria Studios:
Kaufman Astoria Studios (KAS) has established itself as one of the largest and most sophisticated production centers in New York and on the East Coast. Our versatility and emphasis on service has made KAS the studio of choice for countless productions. AS is at the center of a bustling creative environment where shooting, pre- and post-production take place around the clock. We offer producers, directors and other industry professionals over 500,000 square feet of sound stages, production office and service space. Our recently opened backlot space—the only outdoor stage facility in New York— is complete with a Hollywood-style gate designed by David Rockwell. With demand for studio space at an all-time high, KAS is the quintessential film studio for all productions in the New York area.
Built in 1920, Kaufman Astoria Studios was the original home of Paramount Pictures, and over 100 silent films were made on its sound stages. Today, top Hollywood film, television, and digital on-demand series are made at the studio, including the Netflix hit Orange is the New Black, Showtime's Nurse Jackie, Amazon's Alpha House, Starz's Flesh and Bone, the NBC pilot State of Affairs, and Sesame Street, which has filmed at Kaufman Astoria Studios since 1992.
About the Museum of the Moving Image:
Museum of the Moving Image is the country's only museum dedicated to the art, history, technique, and technology of the moving image in all its forms. The Museum is a one-of-a-kind destination for audiences of all ages and interests, from connoisseurs of classic cinema to children and families to avid gamers.
Embracing a wide range of subjects, from nineteenth century optical toys to the latest in digital art, the Museum explores every phase of the production, promotion, and exhibition of moving images. It offers an engaging, highly interactive core exhibition, programs of contemporary and classic films from around the world, discussions with leading figures in film and television, a unique collection, inspiring educational programs for learners of all ages, stimulating changing exhibitions, and groundbreaking online projects.
About YouTooCanWoo:
YouTooCanWoo is an artist-owned music and audio production company with a stunning studio space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We create music and full-service audio packages for film (screened at Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW Film Festival and more), advertising (including Apple, Google, Mercedes), and branding campaigns (e.g. for Spotify, MTV, NBCUniversal) through our production studio, and release music on our record label. http://www.youtoocanwoo.com
About the Kaufman Arts District:
The Kaufman Arts District, anchored by the historic Kaufman Astoria Studios, is home to a community of unique cultural institutions that support emerging artists. Founded by KAS, Museum of the Moving Image and Queens Council on the Arts, KAD spans 24+ blocks and serves to advocate for and promote arts in our neighborhood. KAD is Queen's first cultural district.
For interview requests, please contact: Lisa James, LMJ Public Relations, [email protected]
SOURCE The Sparrow Film Project
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