Wanted: Film Proposals By & About Pacific Islanders

Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) just announced the opening of its 15th annual Media Fund Open Call for proposals. Pacific Islander filmmakers are especially encouraged to submit proposals for public television projects at any stage of development.

More than $200,000 in funding will be awarded to projects that tell authentic, well-told stories about the Pacific and what it means to be a Pacific Islander. Several awards of up to $15,000 will go to projects in the R&D stage, while larger awards of up to $50,000 to those in the production and completion stages.

A review panel will look for proposals with a compelling story, concept or treatment; great storytelling; a good hook; an experienced production team; a reasonable, factual budget; and a solid sample video. The projects must be about the Pacific and the Pacific Islander experience.

Pacific Islanders and non-Pacific Islanders alike are eligible to apply. Applicants must be 18 and older and U.S. citizens or legal residents.

All applications must be received no later than Fri, July 13, 2007 @ 5:30pm.

>> Click here for more information, and to download an application.

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Features Galore in Hawaii

No greenscreen needed here--Stiller is opting for the real deal on Kauai for "Tropic Thunder"

There's been a lot of feature film news coming out of Hawaii lately...

Two huge productions are slated to start filming very soon: Ben Stiller-helmed "Tropic Thunder" starring Stiller himself, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Jay Baruchel, Owen Wilson, and Nick Nolte will shoot on Kauai, and "(Untitled Genre Project)" (ahem) is reportedly going to shoot somewhere in Hawaii.

On the B-list is Rigel Entertainment’s "Tyrannosaurus Azteca" filming at Oahu's Kualoa Ranch.

This fall, a Princess Ka'iulani biopic starring Q'orianka Kilcher ("The New World") will start shooting on Oahu.

A local indie feature will start shooting soon as well: Iolani grad and current USC film school student Ryan Ishii will helm his second feature, a hip hop-infused fantasy fable about war and family called "Ramona's Egatac." Ryan is casting from now till July 10th, so interested actors can email him at ryan.ishii@gmail.com.

>> Wilson and Nolte enlist in ‘Tropic Thunder’; more extras needed [Kauai Garden Island News, 6/21/07]

>> Indiana Jones on the Big Island [Hawaii Tribune-Herald, 6/21/07]

>> Movie about Princess Ka'iulani to start production in fall [Hnl Advertiser, 6/8/07]
>> 'Ramona' filmmaker puts out casting call [Hnl Advertiser, 6/27/07]

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Tax Credit Scandal Worries Louisiana Film Industry

LIFT threatened to take The Film Factory, its proposed $100M+ 300,000 s.f. studio/school facility, elsewhere if state officials did not speed up its tax credit claims

It's been a while since I wrote about film tax credits, but here's a doozy: last week, the FBI raided the offices of the Louisiana Institute of Film and Technology (LIFT), purportedly New Orleans' most prominent film production company ("Factory Girl" and "Bug" are among its recent films). Why? Apparently, LIFT head Malcolm Petal pressured state economic development officials to speed up the processing of his company's tax credit applications or else he'd take his proposed $100 million-plus film studio facility elsewhere.

The FBI raid may have been prompted by a whistleblower lawsuit filed in February against the state economic development department alleging that an official there gave LIFT favorable tax credit treatment in exchange for bribes and kickbacks.

These recent events are worrying Louisiana's film industry leaders. Since the state's first round of film tax credits took effect in 2003, $2 billion in production expenditures have been spent, putting the state at the #3 spot in level of production after California and New York. Could corruption and greed bring it all down?

>> FBI raids film offices as tax probe widens [New Orleans Times-Picayune, 6/2/07]
>> LIFT officials pressured state to speed tax credits [N.O. Times-Picayune, 6/4/07]
>> Are we dumping the baby with the bathwater? [N.O. Times-Picayune, 6/5/07]
>> FBI investigation in New Orleans worries local film industry leaders [The Shreveport Times, 6/5/07]

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Maui Film Office Presents Free Master Classes

The Maui Film Festival is coming up June 13-17, and the Maui Film Office's Benita Brazier is using the opportunity to offer FREE informative master classes to the public. The following film industry professionals will offer their expertise on producing, directing, composing, location scouting, VFX, and the studio system:

• Jon Kuyper - VP, Warner Premiere
• Monica Levinson - Exec Producer, "Borat"
• Betty Thomas - Director, "Private Parts," "Dr. Dolittle," "28 Days"
• Darius Shahmir - Director, "The Shimmering"
• Val Kim - Location Manager, "Pirates of the Caribbean 2 & 3"
• Richard Gibbs - Composer, "Step Into Liquid"
• Jeff Barnes - CEO, The Computer Cafe Group
• Will Kendall - Exec Producter, "Battlestar Galactica" Webisodes

The master classes, which are FREE and open to the public, will be held:

DATES: June 14-15

TIME: 2-5pm

PLACE: Lokelani III, Wailea Marriott

Click on the poster above for more details.