MBN, Monte Bubbles Network

Television executive Ross Levinsohn addressed a tech conference near San Jose, Calif.

"Look, we're buying everything," the president of Fox Interactive Media bluntly told a group of executives from 32 ambitious Web startups, including a few from Canada who made the trip to Silicon Valley.

They were there to hear first-hand about the Internet strategy being aggressively pursued by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., one of the world's biggest media conglomerates and the owner of the Fox network. The company has amassed a war chest of several billion dollars to spend on Internet acquisitions, and other major players are now being pulled into the fray.

News Corp. had already made one acquisition that morning, Mr. Levinsohn told the conference -- and it was far from done shopping. Glancing out at the audience, the Fox executive admitted he didn't even know which tech startups were there, "but I bet you we'll buy five companies in this room."

While News Corp. is the most brash of the world's big media companies pursuing on-line strategies -- mostly through acquisitions -- it is not alone. Five years after the tech bubble burst, old-media businesses are rushing back to the Web, planting their flags on-line as the Internet eats away at newspaper and television audiences.

It's a cognitive shift for the media sector that's only starting to register with many companies. Up until a few years ago, even Mr. Murdoch, arguably one of the most powerful people in media, swore off the Internet. "He didn't feel it was ready," Todd Chanko, a media analyst at Jupiter Research, said in an interview. Now he's leading the charge.

The model is different this time around. Media companies are hunting for so-called sticky sites that have little to do with news content or programming, but offer enough gimmicks, such as photo publishing, music broadcasting or community networking. They want sites that keep people surfing longer and exposed to more advertising.

With the dollar value of Internet ads expected to nearly triple by the end of the decade, rising to more than $25-billion (U.S.), international media giants such as News Corp., Viacom Inc. and NBC Universal have started buying websites by the armload to boost their ad revenue. No longer willing to compete against the Internet for viewers, they are simply going where the audiences, particularly the younger ones, have gone.

News Corp. started the frenzy last summer when it took a $580-million gamble on Myspace.com, a popular social networking site used mostly by surfers aged 14 to 29.

At the time, the deal looked exorbitantly expensive. Although MySpace is a cult hit among people who use it to post photos, music, blogs and connect with friends, it was making less than $5-million a quarter. But the deal came with something News Corp. couldn't easily manufacture: an audience of 46.2 million monthly visitors, proving the Internet can draw crowds similar to the most popular TV shows.

A string of other Web deals have followed over the past year that could make MySpace look like a bargain, including a move by News Corp. to buy IGN, a video gamers' site, for $650-million. New York Times Co. purchased About.com, a clearinghouse of on-line advice sites for $410-million, while Viacom, the owner of MTV and Paramount, bought several Web properties, including NeoPets, a popular children's site, for $160-million.

The latest big-ticket transaction came this week when NBC Universal paid $600-million to buy iVillage, a website directed at women. Like its competitors, NBC acknowledged it needs to look beyond its traditional TV operations, and its own in-house Web sites, if it hopes to build an audience for advertisers. As News Corp. has done, networks are now treading into areas of the Internet where they haven't gone before, including social networking sites such as MySpace, simply because they draw a crowd.

We believe this is a rallying cry -- a rallying event -- for all of NBC Universal from a digital perspective," Beth Comstock, president of the network's digital media unit, said on a conference call after the iVillage transaction. The community-style website draws 29 million visitors a month, linking users with experts and each other on issues such as parenting, dieting and careers. It's the same audience NBC targets with its long-running Today Show. "It gives us scale and it creates the kind of growth engine that we expect for our digital efforts," Ms. Comstock said.

While media companies in Canada and Europe have been increasing their investments in on-line operations, the biggest gambles are being taken by the U.S. networks through deals such as News Corp.'s MySpace acquisition.

The amount each company is paying based on their monthly viewership is perhaps more telling of the boom-time atmosphere. The iVillage deal is costing NBC more than $20 for each user it attracts in a month; Viacom shelled out $19.50 for every monthly NeoPets visitor, while the MySpace deal cost News Corp. $12.53 per user. At $40.80, News Corp.'s IGN acquisition is easily the costliest of them all.

"A lot of these companies are rushing back to the Internet," Safa Rashtchy, an analyst with Piper Jaffray & Co. in Los Angeles, said in an interview. "We're certainly not seeing anything like the valuations during the dot-com boom. They're not outrageous, but they tend to be at the high end and could not easily be justified on a stand-alone basis."

What media companies say they are buying today is something the Internet didn't have five years ago: stickiness. It refers to how much time people linger on a website. Today's sites are built around engaging communities of people so that they'll spend an hour there, rather than 10 minutes, which was the old model. The longer a company can hold their attention, the more ad revenue they draw.

Interactive websites that allow people to post their own content and connect with other users are the prize most companies seek. And, unlike the Internet of several years ago, social networking sites, such as MySpace, are viral in nature -- increasing their audience numbers themselves as users link to each other. Traditional Web properties must be marketed heavily, as a newspaper or TV program would.

"While you couldn't justify half a billion dollars for MySpace, given its revenue, the strategic value that News Corp. could benefit from is very valuable," Mr. Rashtchy said. "So, the Internet is becoming an important testing ground for media companies."

Deep pockets are driving up the price of each deal. News Corp. has another $2-billion earmarked for Web acquisitions, in addition to the $1.3-billion it has spent in the past year. The company was one of several that also expressed interest in iVillage. Interestingly, NBC Universal was an original investor in iVillage until the network sold off its stake and abandoned much of its broader Internet strategy in 2002. At the time, iVillage plunged to a penny stock that any of the companies could have acquired for much less than the $8.50 a share NBC paid this week to get it back.

Other hot properties for Internet expansion are photo- and video-sharing sites that can be easily grafted on to existing Web operations and provide a service that draws users back.

"It's caused quite a stir," said Albert Lai, 27, the CEO of a Toronto-based Web startup who was in San Jose last week to hear Mr. Levinsohn detail News Corp.'s Web shopping spree.

Mr. Lai's company, Bubbleshare, develops technology for storing and sharing digital photos. It has little to do with the traditional idea of old-media companies on the Web, but he may soon find himself in the crosshairs of an acquisition binge from companies like News Corp. branching out on-line.

The last time Web properties were this hot, Mr. Lai became a millionaire at the age of 20 when he sold an earlier startup that focused on tech news near the top of the bubble. Today, the Internet is a very different place, he says. Companies are buying communities of users, not digital content. But when it comes to the commotion caused by Mr. Levinsohn's comments last week, the mood is eerily familiar.

"There is a massive shift in consumer media consumption to the Web," Mr. Lai said from Silicon Valley. "And it's become a very destructive force for traditional media."

The world's biggest newspaper companies and television networks have started stocking up on websites in the past year that draw big audiences in an effort to tap into the same on-line communities that are sapping the advertising revenue from their old-media assets.

NBC Universal buys iVillage. The top women's-oriented site on the Internet, with 28.9 million unique visitors in January. Advertisers can reach one of the largest on-line communities of women with specific products.

$600-million (U.S.)

News Corp. buys MySpace.

The fastest-growing social networking site on the Web, with 46.2 million unique users in January. Audiences for social networking sites grow exponentially as users link to each other.

$580-million (U.S.)

News Corp. buys IGN. A gaming and entertainment site geared to younger men, with 15.9 million unique users in January. A thinly sliced community of users with specific tastes that advertisers can target

$650-million (U.S.)

Viacom, owner of MTV and Paramount, buys Neopets. A children's entertainment and community site. The site lets children adopt a virtual pet, which keeps them returning regularly.

$160-million (U.S.)

Viacom buys iFilm.An interactive media site where audiences track the film industry and post their own videos. A targeted community that interacts with the site, sharing and posting content, spending more time there.

$50-million (U.S.) estimated.

Viacom buys GameTrailers. Similar to the IGN deal, Viacom taps into a specific community of surfers. 1.4 million unique visitors in January.An audience of younger males with disposable cash that marketers can reach.

Undisclosed by MTV.

The New York Times Co. buys About.com. A clearing house of on-line advice sites with an audience of 60.7 million unique users in January. A huge web community covering all demographics.

$410-million (U.S.)

Nickelodeon, the children's division of Viacom, buys GoCityKids.A community site with a loyal audience of children and families, estimated at roughly one million visitors.Rather than build an audience itself, Nickelodeon decided to buy one.

Undisclosed

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will launch the third part of its successful screening series “Great To Be Nominated” on Monday, April 10. The 19-week series will once again showcase the Best Picture nominees, this time from 1958 to 1976, that accumulated the most Academy Award® nominations in all categories in a particular year, but did not ultimately win the Oscar® for Best Picture. “Great To Be Nominated, Part Three,” will screen a different film each Monday evening, plus one Tuesday night, at 7:30 p.m., in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

The third installment of “Great To Be Nominated” will kick off with “The Defiant Ones” (1958), a breakthrough film in Hollywood’s portrayal of race relations. The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards and took home the Oscars for Cinematography – Black-and-White (Sam Leavitt) and Writing (Story and Screenplay – written directly for the screen) (Nedrick Young* and Harold Jacob Smith). “The Defiant Ones” also was honored with four nominations in the acting categories: Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier, both for Lead Actor, and Theodore Bikel and Cara Williams for Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively. Stanley Kramer was nominated in both the Directing and Best Motion Picture categories and Frederic Knudtson was nominated for Film Editing.

Curtis, Bikel and Williams will participate in a panel discussion following the screening.

The series will continue through August 28, when Part Three concludes. “Great To Be Nominated” will go on hiatus until Spring 2007, picking up where this installment of the series ends.

Other elements from each year, such as short subjects, behind-the-scenes footage, trailers and music, will be incorporated into each evening’s program.

The complete screening schedule for Part Three is as follows:The Tuesday, June 20 screening is necessary because both “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and “Bonnie and Clyde” were honored with 10 nominations and two Academy Awards in 1967. Screenings will not be held on May 29 or July 3 as the Academy will be closed in observance of Memorial Day and Independence Day, respectively.

Passes for “Great To Be Nominated, Part Three” are available at a cost of $30 for film buffs wishing to see the series in its entirety. A $5 discount is available for those people who wish to renew their passes from Parts One and/or Two of the series. Tickets for each individual screening may be purchased at a cost of $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid I.D. They may be purchased by mail, in person at the Academy during regular business hours or, pending availability, the night of the screening when the doors open at 6:30 p.m. Curtain time for all features is 7:30 p.m. and pre-show elements will begin at 7 p.m. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call 310-247-3000, ext. 111.

* Upon request of his widow and upon recommendation of the Writers Branch Executive Committee, the Board of Governors voted on June 22, 1993, to restore the name of Nedrick Young to the nominations and award presented to Nathan E. Douglas, Mr. Young’s pseudonym during the blacklisting

DoD Identifies Army Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died west of Asadabad, Afghanistan, on March 12, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during combat operations. Killed were: Staff Sgt. Joseph, R. Ray, 29, of Asheville, N.C. Ray was assigned to the Army Reserve's 391st Engineer Battalion, Asheville, N.C. Sgt. Kevin D. Akins, 29, of Burnsville, N.C. Akins was assigned to the Army Reserve's 391st Engineer Battalion, Asheville, N.C. Sgt. Anton J. Hiett, 25, of Mount Airy, N.C. Hiett was assigned to the Army Reserve's 391st Engineer Battalion, Greenville, S.C. Spc. Joshua L. Hill, 24, of Fairmount, Ind. Hill was assigned to the Army Reserve's 391st Engineer Battalion, Asheville, N.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sgt. Bryan A. Lewis, 32, of Bunkie, La., died north of Rustamiyah, Iraq, on March 13, when an improvised device detonated near his HMMWV during a convoy operations. Lewis was assigned to the 519th Military Police Battalion, 49th Military Police Brigade, Fort Polk La

 A Task Force Band of Brothers soldier
from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, was shot and killed
while manning an observation post in Samarra yesterday, and Defense
Department officials have identified some recent war casualties.

The soldier's name is being withheld pending notification of family.

The interactive Digital Signage Pavilion provides attendees with the opportunity to view the latest technologies and products, in addition to hands on experimentation. Exhibitors include progressive companies such as ActiveLight (pavilion sponsor), Avocent, Canopus Corporation, Chyron Corporation/ChyTV Group, Graphic Systems, Inc., Electrosonic Media Networks, and Enseo Inc. This superior line up will highlight digital signage solutions for various market segments including entertainment, advertising, and security.

Digital Signage goes far beyond traditional display technology in that information, delivery, networks, marketing, and entertainment must all come together in a comprehensive solution. Many clients are unfamiliar with this notion, driving systems integrators to offer their services on the basis of concept sales rather than a system sale. No one can accurately foresee how big this market will become, however, I expect the interest, demand and need for digital signage knowledge and education will continue to grow.

It’s clear now that Digital Signage is the single most significant new application for the professional AV Industry. While ActiveLight believed this three years ago, NSCA took a big risk in partnering with us on the Digital Signage pavilion in 2004,” says Brad Gleeson, President and COO, ActiveLight, “We’re excited to return as sponsors again in 2006 and proud that NSCA has made this a focal point of the Systems Integration Expo again this year.

In order to expand knowledge and understanding of new digital signage products, applications and trends, the 2006 Systems Integration Expo will also offer educational courses and seminars including:

-Digital Signage 101 for Creative Designers and Content Managers
-Digital Signage 101 for IT and Network Operations Managers
-Digital Signage: The Exploding New Market
-Digital Signage Design: Maximizing your Network

Los Angeles Premiere of EDMOND, starring William H. Macy in a David Mamet-penned screenplay, and THE GREAT NEW WONDERFUL, a new 9-11 Drama starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, set for Opening Night and Centerpiece Gala Programs

Rob Nilsson To Be Honored With ‘Spirit of Silver Lake’ Filmmaker Award

Special film series tackle wide-ranging issues from the state of organized labor in the U.S. to an emerging urban environmental movement.

Foreign series spotlight Armenian and Croatian Cinemas and Asian cult films, including the first Los Angeles retrospective of Japanese master filmmaker Nobuo Nakagawa

THE MERGING OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AND FILMMAKING EXPLORED IN MP4-FEST SERIES THAT INCLUDES FIRST LOS ANGELES SCREENING OF MACHINIMA

PLUS Sally Field, k.d. lang, John Doe, Bobcat Goldthwait, Goran Visnjic and the Honorable Eric Garcetti, President of the Los Angeles City Council.

Under the direction of Kate Marciniak, Roger M. Mayer and Greg Ptacek, the sixth edition of Los Angeles’ leading independent film and video festival is being held for the first time during the Spring. The festival will present over the course of nine days more than 70 narrative and documentary features and 135 shorts films, including 85 Los Angeles, U.S. and world premieres.

Scheduled for Opening Night, March 23rd, is the Los Angeles premiere of “Edmond,” a First Independent Pictures release, starring William H. Macy and directed by Stuart Gordon with a screenplay by David Mamet. Using downtown Los Angeles as a backdrop, the story revolves around a bland business executive whose midlife crisis quickly devolves into a freefall that he mistakes for freedom. In Mamet fashion, the screenplay explores race, class and social issues in the context of a personal story. The film co-stars Joe Mantegna, Julia Stiles, Rebecca Pidgeon, Bokeem Woodbine, Bai Ling, Denise Richards, Mena Suvari, Dule Hill and Debi Mazar.

“The Great New Wonderful,” starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, Edie Falco, Tony Shalhoub, Olympia Dukakis, Judy Greer, Will Arnett and directed by Danny Leiner, will be presented during the festival’s Centerpiece Gala, Saturday, March 25th. Making its first official Los Angeles festival screening, the First Independent Pictures release encompasses five darkly comic and deeply human stories woven against the backdrop of an anxious, post-9/11 New York City.

Independent film iconoclast Rob Nilsson will be honored by the festival with the Spirit of Silver Lake Filmmaker Award for career excellence in independent cinema. Former poet, artist and Peace Corps volunteer, Nilsson made his feature film debut with the highly acclaimed “Northern Lights” (1979), a docudrama he co-directed with John Hanson that won the Best First Film Award at Cannes that year. The program will present three narrative features by Nilsson: “Signal 7” (1986), the first feature ever shot on video, transferred to film and released theatrically – a precursor to today’s digital film revolution; “Stroke” (2000), a personal favorite of the director; and “Need” (2005), a Los Angeles premiere, which documents the fragile lives of four prostitutes in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district.

Also being honored with the Spirit of Silver Lake Artist-of-the-Year Award is Bad Otis Link - filmmaker, painter, sculptor and musician. Beginning as graphic artist, he designed band logos, album covers, posters and merchandise. His trademark style helped to define the early 80s punk scene. In the early 90s, he gained national notoriety with the design and publication of the “True Life Murders” trading card series, which prompted outraged lawmakers in several states to ban the sales of his work. Today, his primary focus is filmmaking, including his latest, the 45-minute “The Sugar On Top,” a throwback to New York Lower East Side cinema, infused with modern gutter techniques such as green screen and DV video technology. Link’s art, both disturbing and humorous, defines the artist as unflinching, antagonistic, self-effacing, reckless and utterly sublime.

Other highlights of the festival’s feature film line-up include the world premiere of the Cinema Libre release “Giuliani Time,” a documentary by Kevin Keating that surgically removes the carefully constructed post-9/11 image of former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, mentioned frequently as a leading candidate for the 2008 presidential race; the Los Angeles premiere of director Kevin Dobson’s “The Virgin of Juarez,” starring Minnie Driver and Esai Morales, a drama-fantasy using the real-life mysterious killings of young women along the Tex-Mex border to explore race and religious stereotypes; and the Los Angeles premiere of director Philip Chidel’s “Subject Two,” fresh from its debut at Sundance, a haunting psychological thriller that updates the classic Frankenstein tale.

The festival will present 135 short films - 49 world premieres - including five shorts programs at the ArcLight. Highlights include the 2006 Oscar-winning short documentary, “A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin” by filmmakers Corinne Marrinan and Eric Simonson and “The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello,” by Anthony Lucas, nominated for a 2006 Best Animated Short Oscar.

SPECIAL FILM PROGRAMMING

A hallmark of Silver Lake Film Festival over the years has been its special programming. The festival this year explores a wide range of social and political topics through the presentation of related films and panel discussions:

State of the Union – The first-ever film festival program sponsored by the AFL- CIO, this program, curated by festival co-director Kate Marciniak, examines the transitional state that organized labor finds itself in the U.S. through a series of films, including “Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class”, “Taking the Heat: The First Women Firefighters of New York City,” and “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price.” On Friday, March 24th, two-time Oscar-winning actress Sally Field will make a special appearance at the program’s screening of “Norma Rae,” the 1979 feature film for which she won her first Best Actress Academy Award. Later that evening, Field will appear on a panel discussion, “The Power of Film to Promote Social Change,” along with Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry; Rick Jacobs, co-founder with Robert Greenwald of Brave New Films, which produced and released “Wal-Mart”; State Senator Gloria Romero, author of legislation addressing women’s equality, Wal-Mart and international trafficking of sex workers; John Connelly, president of AFTRA; Chancee Martorell, a member of the Los Angeles Central Area Planning Commission and a policy advisor to former Department of Labor Secretary Robert Reich, and Stacy Taylor, past president of SIRENS, the organization of Los Angeles women firefighters.

· Green Films – Executive curated by Eric Garcetti, president, Los Angeles City Council, the program addresses what role environmentalism should play, given that the majority of the world’s population now lives in urban areas. Topics of ecological devastation on a global scale and the destruction of homeland of indigenous people are explored in a series of documentaries, including “Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action,” “Trespassing” and “Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea,” as well as “In the Footprint of the City,” about Los Angeles’ hidden history as one of the nation’s leading agricultural capitals. Two films, “Greener Buildings, Bluer Skies” and “Building Green,” report on how innovative architects are using state-of-the-art techniques to build both eco-friendly commercial and residential buildings. Garcetti will be joined in a panel discussion addressing the urban ecological movement on the evening of Tuesday, March 28th, by Bernadette Del Chiaro, director of Environment California’s Clean Energy Program; Jennifer Wolch, dean of USC’s Center for Sustainable Cities; Gail Goldberg, director, Los Angeles City Planning Department; Peter Barsuk, architect, Gensler, and member of the U.S. Green Building Council, and Jim Jackson, producer-writer-director of “Greener Buildings, Bluer Skies.” Program curators are David Andrusia and Kathleen McCafferty.

· ReelPolitik – Sponsored by the new National Center for the Preservation of Democracy (NCPD), located in downtown Los Angeles, the program documents a new wave of filmmakers not afraid to use the power of cinema to not only inform but often to elicit action. Call it agitprop or activist filmmaking, the trend crosses the spectrum of politics and filmmaking styles. In a bit of classical agitprop, Tim Robbins’ “Embedded Live!” employs satirical humor at the expense of the neocon establishment. “Bringing Down a Dictator” demonstrates that traditional democratic ideals, as well those on the Left, can benefit from celluloid propaganda. “Granito de Arena” and “The Fence” show a POV not normally seen or read in the U.S. media about the much heralded NAFTA agreement between the U.S. and Mexico, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The series kicks off on Friday, March 24th at the NCPD with the world premiere screening of “Giuliani Time.” The program is curated by Carolyn Schroeder.

In addition, the festival continues its tradition of paying homage to the community’s unique role in the development of American cinema with its Silent Film Heritage program:

· Take Two – A Second Look at Silent Film Superstar Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle – The silent actor-director-writer-producer Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle is best known today for the misfortune that befell him. In 1921 at the height of his stardom, he was accused – wrongly! – of raping a film bit player named Virginia Rappe in a San Francisco hotel room. Though later completely exonerated of the crime, Arbuckle’s career was ruined as the Hearst publishing empire fanned the flames of public outrage in what many film historians say was the first great movie celebrity scandal. In the quality and quantity of his films, Arbuckle ranks with the greatest comedic talents of the Silent Era along with Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton, all of whom worked at one time at Mack Sennett’s Keystone (as in Kops) Film Company in Silver Lake (the neighborhood in Los Angeles adjacent to Hollywood). The program will present a selection of Arbuckle’s most celebrated films as an actor in the prime of his career, as well as a post-scandal film that he directed when, with the help of friends, he began a new chapter in Hollywood under the nom de plume of William Goodrich. Free to the public, the program will be held at the historic Vista Theatre and will be introduced by Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge. The program is sponsored by Council District 4 and Mackinac Media.

FOREIGN FILM SERIES

This year’s foreign film programming showcases the work of cinematic cultures whose histories rival that of the U.S. From Asian cinema’s constant reinvention of itself, to the re-emergence of the Armenian and Croatian film industries, the films in these series offer
a distinct departure from traditional Hollywood filmmaking with its sugar-coating of daily life, blockbuster budgets and forced action.

· Fusion Asian Cinema: The new generation of Asian cult films blurs the lines of national borders and incorporates universal themes and images that make them more accessible to an American audience. The program includes nine features, eight documentaries and five short films from nine countries – from commercial blockbusters to the artistically offbeat. The last day of the series, Sunday, March 26th, is devoted to documentaries that tackle anti-establishment issues, including the Los Angeles premiere of “Night Scene,” about one of the biggest taboos in contemporary China: male street prostitutes. A highlight is the first-ever Los Angeles retrospective of Nubuo Nakagawa, the acclaimed master of Japanese horror films whose work has influenced several generations of Asian and American filmmakers. The series is curated by Erika Kao-Haley and sponsored by The Japan Foundation, the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy and the Korean Cultural Center.

· Beyond The Diaspora: Armenian Films From Around The World: Eastside Los Angeles’ large Armenian ethnic population inspired this original program of “diaspora films” by filmmakers of Armenian descent who were born, work or live outside their homeland. Filmmakers in the series hail from France, the Ukraine, Canada and the U.S. and have produced a crop of films as diverse as “The Night Is Bright,” a drama about a scientist working with deaf, dumb and blind children; “Right To Exit,” the first documentary about Jack Kevorkian since a Michigan court convicted him of murder for his doctor-assisted suicides, and “Worm,” filmed in one continuous half-hour steadicam shot, about three Armenian friends, who as ushers in their best friend’s wedding, struggle to find the meaning of love. Is there a sensibility to filmmakers of Armenian descent that crosses borders as well as time? Let the audience decide. Series curated by Nora Armani.

· New Croatian Films: The cinema of Croatia, the Central European country formerly part of Yugoslavia, dates back to 1896 when the first motion picture was shown there. U.S. filmmakers in the 1980s knew the nation as the best place to film Europe on a bargain, a place with gorgeous Old World settings and skilled film industry craftsmen. Today, in a newly liberated homeland. Croatian filmmakers address the complexity of life in an internationally integrated culture, while still reflecting the realism of central European style and expression. Curator Ziggy Mrkich, director of the Dubrovnik International Film Festival, has created a program of six films that share the depiction of life and emotion, including the epic ode to Croatian history “Long Dark Night,” starring Goran Visnjic, the star of TV’s “E.R.,” and the heart-warming entanglement of a Chinese grandchild’s presence that clouds and confuses a small conservative community in “Sorry For Kung Fu.” The series is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia and the Consulate General of the Republic of Croatia. Los Angeles.

CELEBRITY GUEST CURATORS

New to the festival this year is a series of programs guest curated by some of our favorite film and musical artists:

· John Doe – We asked the leader of legendary punk bank X, what’s your favorite film? He didn’t hesitate in answering “Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia” (1974). If you haven’t experienced Sam Peckinpah’s oddball cult masterpiece – with a tour-de-force performance by character-actor icon Warren Oates – then Mr. Doe will be there to tell you why you should.

· k.d. lang – Singer-songwriter k.d. lang once dabbled in music film scoring on a film that over the years has developed into a cult classic, “Even Cowgirls Get The Blues” (1993). Directed by Gus Van Sant, based on the book by Tom Robbins with a screenplay by Van Sant and Robbins, the film starred two young Hollywood players about to break out, Uma Thurman and Keanu Reeves. Look for k.d. to be joined by several surprise guests for the after-screening Q&A with the audience.

· Bobcat Goldthwait – The explosive comedian recently made a splash at Sundance with his soon-to-be-released feature “Stay,” about a girl, her dog and their, uh, relationship. When we asked Mr. Goldthwait to guest curate a film for the festival, he chose his own cult classic “Shakes the Clown” (1992), reviewed by the august Boston Globe as the “Citizen Kane’ of alcoholic clown movies.”

SPECIAL EVENTS

From its inception, Silver Lake Film Festival has belied its name by presenting a wide range of arts programming beyond film screenings. This year the festival launches a new program, MP4-Fest, which celebrates and explores a whole new type of “interpersonal filmmaking,” or shorts designed for handheld devices, which utilize MP4 technology. Our MusicFest, a series of live musical performances, returns with a vengeance, and FringeFest, our community-based film and arts programming, takes a fresh new approach with a focus on ecology.

· MP4-Fest – The program is the first organized look in Los Angeles at the work by contemporary artists making motion pictures exclusively for, or reliant upon, cutting-edge new media such as Sony Playstations, iPods and a number of other small gadgets. The program also encompasses work created in new media such as 3-D Modeling software and Flash. Facets of MP4-Fest will be available online, on flat-screens at the festival Cinema Lounge at the ArcLight Cinemas, at a theatrical screening at the Arclight Cinemas, and at LACE Gallery in Hollywood.

MP4-Fest consists of three keynote programs:

o Machinima!: The first-ever showcase in Los Angeles of works blending videogame technology and narrative content. Sponsored by Machinima.com and Machinima.org.

o Technologized Bodies/Embodied Technologies: A curated program showing a series of artist-created short films dealing with the themes of the body’s relation to technology.

o Open Architecture: An exhibition of programming media and computer applications re-adopted and reinvented for creative usage. Sponsored by LACE Gallery.

MP4-Fest is curated by Saskia Wilson-Brown and Dave Burns.

· MusicFest – Originally inspired by some of the bands featured in the festival’s annual music documentary series, MusicFest has developed into its own independent program. Participating venues this year include Boardner’s, the Key Club, Little Radio and Little Pedro’s. Confirmed to play are Bloody Royals, The Art of Flying, Artichoke and No Age. Check the festival website for the complete musical line-up. MusicFest is under the direction of festival co-director Roger M. Mayer and festival manager Chris Dunn.

· FringeFest – This year’s festival-within-a-festival has two keynote programs:

o Sustainable Environments: The program calls attention to community-based sustainable programs that address quality-of-life urban-eco issues through a public bike ride. Inspired by organizations such as Critical Mass and Midnight Riders, riders visit destinations at nighttime throughout Silver Lake and Hollywood, including outdoor film screenings of community-created short films about alternative transportation and corporate vs. handmade technology, as well as community gardens, forgotten spaces and local watering holes. The bike ride will be simulcast on the website.

o FamilyFest – In collaboration with Silver Lake Community Church, FringeFest presents an evening of short films that the whole family can enjoy, including films by local independent filmmakers and film students from John Marshall High School.

FringeFest is curated by Joan Valencia.

Festival Information

Tickets to Silver Lake Film Festival screenings and related programs are $11 at the ArcLight Cinemas and $10 at all other venues, unless otherwise designated. Advance tickets to screenings and additional information about the festival, including addresses of venues and screening times, are available at the festival website at www.silverlakefilmfestival.org.

About Silver Lake Film Festival
Silver Lake Film Festival, a community-based nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization, was created to provide a showcase for independent films in the film capital of the world. In addition to the annual festival, the organization hosts Silver Lake Shorts, a monthly program of short films by local area filmmakers and other film, arts and educational programming throughout the year.

About Adelphia

Adelphia Communications Corporation (OTC: ADELQ) is the fifth-largest cable television company in the country. Adelphia serves customers in 31 states and Puerto Rico, and offers analog and digital video services, high-speed Internet access and other advanced services over its broadband networks.

About LA.com
LA.com is a modern online city guide to Los Angeles. Updated daily with news
on nightlife, dining, shopping and events, LA.com keeps users up-to-the-minute with useful info and tips for navigating the city.