Follow Friday: Lodge Love
The other day we shared via twitter that we have a new logo - more delightful work from the creative minds over at Lodge Design. When they unveiled the latest to us, our director Lisa summed it up pretty well with an "Ohmygawd, you guys are my favorite."
We wanted to take a moment (longer than 140 characters) to bring the Follow Friday tradition from twitter to our blog. If you aren't already aware of Lodge, get to it. Follow them on twitter & the facebook.
They've been serving up craftiness on everything from our website to Indy Film Fest posters with a special knack for delight and wonderment.
Lodge, here's our love letter to you. You make our hearts go boom. Thanks for making us look good. Again. 
So far, we've been getting great feedback on the logo from far and wide. Thanks for sharing this insightful comment, Tim:
We'll have more to unveil later this year, as Lodge is digging into the look for the 2011 festival. For now, we're focusing on the task of updating all of our properties with the new logo. Why isn't there a find-and-replace function for that?!
And the Nominations are In!
Awards season can be such an exciting time. Know what makes it even better? When a film we screened at the Indy Film Fest snags a nomination. Huge congrats to GOD OF LOVE, Indy Film Fest's 2010 Best Short Film, for being nominated in the category Best Short Film, Live Action in the 83rd Annual Academy Awards®.
If you're not planning a trip to the red carpet, why not spend movies' biggest night with Indy Film Fest? Join us for our annual Academy Awards® Viewing Party - watch the show, talk best dressed and bid on a grand assortment of items in our silent auction.
Sunday, February 27 from 6:30 p - 11 p
45 Degrees | 765 Massachusetts Avenue
Put on your favorite cocktail party number and come out for the red carpet treatment. We'll have complimentary appetizers and drink specials, plus swag bags and door prizes for a few luck party-goers. What's even better? Entry is free, so save your moolah for the silent auction.
Meet us at 45 Degrees? RSVP on Facebook.
Before you arrive, check out the full list of nominations and cast your ballot here. What do you think? Are any of your favorites missing? Any big surprises for you?
The Waive
There are a couple things you can count on in life - you know, death and taxes?
Turns out, there's something entirely reliable in a film festival's submission process, too: the request for a fee waiver.
Because we see them come through almost daily, I wanted to take a minute to acknowledge the waiver requests and offer a bit of insight to filmmakers on our approach to them (and, if you're not a filmmaker, maybe give you an idea of the inside workings of a festival).
Have Movie Will Travel :: Roving Cinema is Back
ROVING CINEMA is back. This time, it's Sergio Leone's classic spaghetti western THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY. And what better place to experience this western original than in Indy's premiere home for western art, the Eiteljorg. In this 1966 flick, Clint Eastwood stars as a gunslinger competing for buried treasure.
Please join us February 17, 2011
Eiteljorg, White River State Park
500 Washington Ave.
Doors open 6p | Show 7p
We are thrilled to partnering with the Eiteljorg and their young professional group, Agave. Started in 2006, the group plans events, raises funds, recruits new members and fosters relations with local community partners. Ticket admission may be applied to an Agave membership purchased on the evening of the event.
We'll have the drinks (cash bar), movie candy and complimentary popcorn from our friends at Yelp. In the first Roving Cinema at Sun King, it was BYOC, (bring your own chair), but this time, we'll even have the seats. All you've got to do is get your tickets here for $8. Tickets will be available at the door, but be forewarned. The inaugural Roving Cinema sold out - we recommend buying ahead of time.
p.s. We're still seeking your input on the future of Roving Cinema. Have an idea for an upcoming event? Tell us here.
About Roving Cinema:
Sure, there's something about the smell of popcorn at the theater, the big comfy seats and towering screen. But what if we brought you movies in venues perfect for the film? We're calling it Roving Cinema, and we'll be featuring movies all over the city, pairing stories with scenes right in your own backyard.
Roving Ideas
We are very close to finalizing plans for the first Roving Cinema in 2011 and we can't wait to announce it! We can say it will be on the evening of February 17, so mark your calendars and stay tuned here for more info very soon.
In the meantime, we wanted to give you a chance to weigh in on where the cinema should rove. Roving Cinema screens movies where they should be. For the inaugural event, Indy Film Fest screened Strange Brew, a cult classic flick set in a brewery, at Sun King in downtown Indianapolis. Our friends from Yelp provided complimentary popcorn, we had Bazbeaux pizza for sale and we packed the brewery with a sold out show.
To say the least, we had a blast, and now tentatively plan to hold 9 to 10 of these events in 2011. We have a few ideas and partnerships up our sleeve, but we want to hear your suggestions for movies matched with a unique location. Have a creative idea to share? Please tell us what you want to see and where!
p.s. Sign up for our emails here and be the first to know about the February Roving Cinema!
#lessambitiousmovies Meme
If you're a twitter type (and if you are, you should be following @IndyFilmFest, right?) then you may have noticed a movie-related meme take over your feed last night.
In twitter, you can add a phrase with a # mark in front and no spaces, like #indyfilmfest for example. Twitter turns it into a link connecting all other tweets using that same hashtag.
Last night someone started #lessambitiousmovies, a meme where people craft variations on movies titles to make them, well, less ambitious. For example:
OR
Fun, right? We just like that it gets people talking about our favorite subject. So, go ahead. Add your #lessambitiousmovies in the comments here, or join in the fun on twitter.
Another Social Network?
Just when I thought I couldn't join another social network, along comes iCheckMovies. Readers have Goodreads, knitters have Ravelry, so why not a niche site for movie lovers?
This all started because Lisa, our fearless director, said she attempts to log all of the movies she watches each year, but loses track sometime mid-February. One of our volunteers suggested she try iCheckMovies, and I couldn't resist.
iCheckMovies lets you (no surprise here) place a check mark by movies you've seen, browse award winners and top movie lists and syncs with IMDB. You can also create your own watchlist of films you'd like to see. I am hoping this function will save me from those "Now, what was that movie I wanted to see again?" moments.
We'll see how long I can keep up tracking my 2011 flicks. So far, I've watched three - Sherlock Holmes, Blade Runner and Shutter Island. Now, if only iCheckMovies would sync with Netflix, keeping track would be quite a bit easier.
What other movie sites do you love? Please do tell.
Festival Internships Now Available!
If one half of getting the festival off the ground is getting the films in, the other half is building our team of dedicated volunteers and interns to help make the whole thing happen.
We're excited to announce the availability of several internships for the 2011 Festival season, and hope you'll take a minute to apply. While these are all listed as internships, each role is open to any dedicated volunteer with the time, interest and skill set right for the job.
Available positions include (click on each to open a PDF description):
- PR/Press Coordinator
- Print Traffic Coordinator
- Filmmaker & Guest Travel Coordinator
- Ticketing/Box Office Manager
- Festival Theater Manager
- Partner Relationship & Group Sales Coordinator
- Education Program Coordinator
Not sure which role is right for you? If you have an interest in working for the festival but aren't sure which role you'd like to engage in, please still forward your resume and cover letter to us at volunteer AT indyfilmfest DOT org. We have countless opportunities, including creating filmmaker gift bags, managing our annual surveys and working in our projection booths, and we'd love to have your help in any one of these ways!
5 Reasons to Submit your Film to the Indy Film Fest
We're in the middle of our search for the best independent and international films out there to feature at the 2011 Indianapolis International Film Festival in July. It's 10 days that bring to Indianapolis all the compelling and entertaining cinema that otherwise might not make it to the screen in the Circle City.
While our early deadline has passed (and we're seeing some great films come our way!), maybe you're not convinced yet - maybe you're not sure about sending your film our way for consideration. Allow me to offer a few thoughts (five, actually) on why we'd love it if you did.