Tisch School of the Arts Asia

Live Cinema, Improvisation and Media Design Futures

Date: Friday, 25 September, 2009
Time: 4:15 pm
Venue: Classroom 1, 4th floor

Morgan Barnard's Bio:

Morgan Barnard is a new media designer and lecturer currently living and working in Wellington New Zealand. Throughout the years Morgan has worked as a music video director, documentary filmmaker, video artist, and editor. His current projects range from interactive installations to live cinema as well as creating custom hardware and software for video performance.

We are currently featuring several short films from Tisch Asia film students on our Video Showcase page.

Tan Shijie's A Bright, Bright Afternoon

Featured are:

Tan Shijie's A Bright, Bright Afternoon
Stephanie Bousley's Shot
Eugene Koh's Solidity

Visit the Video Showcase here

Winners of the 61st Emmy Awards, held at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles last night, had its share of New York University Tisch School of the Arts alumni. The winners are:

CREATIVE EMMY AWARD WINNERS
Outstanding Art Direction for Variety, Music or Nonfiction Programming 2008 MTV Video Music Awards • MTV
Star Theodos Kahn '99/'02 (BFA/MFA, Design)

Outstanding Art Direction For A Multi-Camera Series
How I Met Your Mother • ShelterIsland • Not A Father's Day • CBS • 20th Century Fox Television
Stephan G. Olson '87 (MFA, Design), Production Designer

Outstanding Art Direction For A Miniseries Or Movie
Grey Gardens • HBO • Specialty Films and Locomotive in association with HBO Films
Kalina Ivanov '83/'89 (BFA/MFA, F&TV/Design), Production Designer

Outstanding Single‐Camera Picture Editing For A Miniseries Or A Movie
Taking Chance • HBO • Motion Picture Corporation of American and Civil Dawn Pictures in association with HBO Films
Brian A. Kates '94 (BFA, F&TV), Editor

Outstanding Short Form Picture Editing
Stand Up To Cancer • ABC/CBS/NBC • Laura Ziskin Productions & Seligman Entertainment Inc.
Andy Grieve '00 (BFA, F&TV), Editor

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special
Generation Kill • The Cradle Of Civilization • HBO • Company Pictures and Blown Deadline Productions in association with HBO Films
Jennifer Ralston, MPSE '95 (BFA, F&TV), Supervising ADR Editor

Outstanding Cinematography For Nonfiction Programming
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations • Laos • Travel Channel • Zero Point Zero Production, Inc.
Todd Liebler '85 (BFA, F&TV), Camera

Outstanding Writing For Nonfiction Programming
Roman Polanski: Wanted And Desired • HBO • Milwood Pictures, Graceful Pictures, BBC, Antidote Films in association with HBO Documentary Films and ThinkFilm
Joe Bini '86 (BFA, F&TV), Writer

Outstanding Reality Program
Intervention • A&E • Produced by GRB Entertainment for A&E Network
Jeff Grogan '96 (BFA, DDW), Supervising Producer

PRIMETIME EMMY AWARD WINNERS
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
30 Rock • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal
Media Studios
Alec Baldwin ’94 (BFA, Drama)
Jack Donaghy

Photo courtesy of The New York Times.

Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart • Comedy Central • Central Productions, LLC
Steve Bodow ’95 (MPS, ITP)
Head Writer

David Javerbaum ’95 (MFA, MTW)
Writer

Elliott Kalan ’03 (BFA, DDW)
Writer

Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart • Comedy Central • Central Productions, LLC
David Javerbaum ’95 (MFA, MTW)
Writer

Tisch Asia Board of Director Dean Mary Schmidt Campbell has been named a member of President Obama's Arts Committee.

From The New York Times' Art Beat

President Obama has announced three new members to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the committee said on Wednesday. The three new appointees are George Stevens Jr., the founding chief executive of the American Film Institute and producer of the Kennedy Center Honors; Margo Lion, the theater producer whose Broadway credits include “Hairspray,” “Angels in America” and “Jelly’s Last Jam”; and Mary Schmidt Campbell, the chairwoman of the New York State Council on the Arts and dean of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Mr. Stevens and Ms. Lion will serve as co-chairs of the committee, which works with federal cultural agencies and in the private and public sectors to further the White House’s cultural objectives, and Ms. Campbell will serve as vice chairwoman. The appointments are effective immediately.

Read more about Dean Campbell

Date: 18th September 2009
Time: 2:45 pm
Venue: Classroom 1

Aaron Kim will give a talk about financing new ideas and charitable projects.

Kairos Capital, a hedge fund based in Singapore, supports philanthropic and charitable projects. Aaron Kim, Director of Kairos Capital, is willing to offer a lump sum of SGD 2000 as a reward for a team of 2 or 3 ANDA students who will create a short animation about how socially responsible financial projects can help those in need.

Production will take place during the fall with a final deadline in January 2010.

More about Kairos Capital:

http://www.kairos-capital.com/
http://www.totalalternatives.com/pdf/AIN092908.pdf

Aaron Kim's Bio can be found here.

Tisch Asia Cinematography faculty Bobby Bukoskwi’s work wins prize for Oren Moverman’s The Messenger.

Congratulations to Bobby and Oren!

From the AFP:

DEAUVILLE, France — The top prize at the 35th Deauville American Film Festival in France was Sunday awarded to "The Messenger", a movie directed by Oren Moverman about a soldier back from the Iraq war.

Judges gave the Grand Prize to the film which tells the tale of Sergeant Will Montgomery (played by Ben Foster), who is given a tough new job at home after coming back from the frontline.

On his return to the United States, the soldier is handed the task of breaking the news to families when their relatives are killed in combat.

The film revolves around the difficult relationship between Montgomery and the officer who is in charge of training him.

This year's festival in the Channel resort closed Sunday with the awards ceremony where the jury, chaired by "Amelie" director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, selected "The Messenger" from 11 feature-length films.

The festival aims to boost the fortunes of independent American cinema and most of the films shortlisted fell into this category.

"The Messenger", the first film directed by Moverman who was previously known as a screenwriter, also won the international critics' prize at Deauville.

The awards, which attract tens of thousands of film lovers each year, were this year attended by Hollywood stars Meryl Streep, Harrison Ford and Robin Wright Penn.

Date: 18th September 2009
Time: 3:30PM - 4:30PM
Venue: Classroom 1

Presentation Summary:

Interactive 3D is gradually becoming a new communication medium with 3D lifelike experiences. After a short introduction of 3DVIA applications, Dassault Systemes, and a quick live demonstration, we will go through the most typical examples of applications that can be developed with these platforms and see how they are revolutionizing gaming, architecture, city planning, product design, education, and medicine.

Joseph de Bonnafos Bio:

After his graduation from The University of Tokyo with a Master of Science in Distributed Computing, Joseph de Bonnafos, joined the world leader 3D software company Dassault Systemes (www.3ds.com) in 2004 in Tokyo. From 2004 to 2006, his role was to provide pre-sales consulting on ENOVIA product line (data management systems) in Japan. In late 2006, he moved to Singapore and became in charge of developing the business of 3DVIA product line (related to life-like experience) over South Asia-Pacific region.

We look forward to meeting you there.

Tisch Asia Instructor Todd Solondz' latest film Life During Wartime won Best Screenplay at the 66t Venice International Film Festival.

Congratulations Todd!

Below is a full list of the winners:

Venezia 66
- Golden Lion for best film: Lebanon by Samuel MAOZ (Israel, France, Germany)
- Silver Lion for best director: Shirin NESHAT for the film Zanan Bedone Mardan (Women Without Men) (Germany, Austria, France)
- Special Jury Prize: Soul Kitchen by Fatih AKIN (Germany)
- Coppa Volpi for Best Actor: Colin FIRTH in the film A Single Man by Tom FORD (USA)
- Coppa Volpi for Best Actress: Ksenia RAPPOPORT in the film La doppia ora by Giuseppe CAPOTONDI (Italy)
- “Marcello Mastroianni” Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress: Jasmine TRINCAin the film Il grande sogno by Michele PLACIDO (Italy)
- "Osella" for Best Technical Contribution: Sylvie OLIVÉ for the film Mr. Nobody by Jaco VAN DORMAEL (France)
- "Osella" for Best Screenplay: Todd SOLONDZ for the film Life During Wartime by Todd SOLONDZ (USA)


Orizzonti
- Orizzonti Prize to Engkwentro by Pepe Diokno (Philippines)
- Orizzonti Prize for Best documentary to 1428 by DU Haibin (China)
- Special Mention to Aadmi ki aurat aur anya kahaniya (The Man’s Woman and Other Stories) by Amit Dutta (India)


Controcampo Italiano
Controcampo Italiano Prize to: Cosmonauta by Susanna NICCHIARELLI (Italy)
Kodak will offer to the awarded director 40,000 euros in negative film stock - 35 or 16mm, chosen by the winner - to shoot a new feature film.
- Special Mention: Negli occhi by Daniele ANZELLOTTI and Francesco DEL GROSSO (Italy)

Corto Cortissimo (Prizes awarded on 10th September 2009)
- Corto Cortissimo Lion for Best Short Film to Eersgeborene (First Born) by Etienne Kallos (South Africa, USA)
- Venice Nomination to the European Film Awards 2009 to Sinner by Meni Philip (Israel)
- Special Mention to Felicità by Salomé Aleksi (Georgia)


“Luigi De Laurentiis” Award for a Debut Film
- Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film to Engkwentro by Pepe DIOKNO (Philippines) - ORIZZONTI
as well as a prize of 100,000 USD, donated by Filmauro, to be divided equally between director and producer

Persol 3-D Award for the Best 3-D Stereoscopic Film of the Year (Prize awarded on 11th September 2009)
- Persol 3-D Award: The Hole by Joe Dante (USA)

Jaeger-Le Coultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award
to Sylvester Stallone

A number of Southeast Asian films will screen at the Toronto International Film Festival, which begins today and runs until September 19th. Above is a still from Letter to Uncle Boonmee, an experimental work by world cinema favorite Apichatpong Weerasethakul from Thailand.

These films include:

Adrift (Choi Voi) - Bui Thac Chuyen

At the End of Daybreak - Ho Yuhang

If I Knew What You Said - Dinig Sana Kita

Independencia - Raya Martin

Karaoke - Chris Chong Chan Fui

A Letter to Uncle Boonmee - Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Lumphini 2552 - Tomonari Nishikawa

Nymph (Nang Mai) - Pen-ek Ratanaruang

Ong Bak 2: The Beginning - Tony Jaa, Panna Rittikrai

Phantoms of Nabua - Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Sawasdee Bangkok (Wisit Sasanatieng) - Aditya Assarat, Kongdej Jaturanrasamee, Pen-ek Ratanaruang

Tisch Asia's own Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour will be participating in the 2009 Kyoto Filmmakers Lab from September 27 - October 1, 2009.

Emmanuel will get the chance to work with 30 other international filmmakers to participate in workshops about the Japanese film industry presented by local filmmakers. In addition, the participants of the program get to work together as a production team to produce 5 minute short films on the Jidaigeki lots of Toei/Shochiku studios.

Congratulations Emmanuel!

Read more about the Kyoto Filmmakers Lab.

Oliver Stone, Artistic Director of Tisch School of the Arts Asia, had his new documentary South of the Border premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Monday. In the audience was Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

Read the article on variety.com.

“Games and the City - Large-Screen Games and Virtual Cities” is a virtual panel discussion organized by Tisch School of the Arts Asia Animation and Digital Arts program and the 3rd IMC (Interactive Multimedia Culture) Exposition in NYC, with panelists talking via video conference between Singapore and New York, on 12 September at 9:30 pm. The panel in Singapore includes Jean-Marc Gauthier, Tisch Asia, Emil Polyak, Tisch Asia, Hugues Ricour, Electronic Arts, and, in New York, Eric Zimmerman, Founder, Gamelab, author, “Rules of Play”, Colleen Macklin, Dept of Communications Design and Technology, Parsons, Chris Romero, Worldwide Biggies (MMOs).

The event is open to everyone. Please RSVP to Theeba Rani if you plan to join us for the meal organized before the panel discussion.

IMC Exposition Overview

The 3rd IMC (Interactive Multimedia Culture) Exposition invites to New York City some of the world's leading new media artists, designers, and research institutions - those passionate about the urban screens and mobile technologies that are shaping the future of Digital Out-of-Home media.

The 3rd IMC Exposition explores how our relationships to our cities and to each other are being completely transformed by new media. Focusing on cutting-edge interactive billboards, video art, immersive environments, video games, 3D maps, and mobile technology, the exposition will feature media art and innovative technologies, many of which can be controlled by the audience via body movement, voice, and cell phone. All of these works encourage creativity, enhance communication, and increasingly blur the lines between virtual/real.

The IMC Exposition is at The StudioIMC Lab and Gallery (7th Floor, 95 Morton Street, New York), opening on Thursday, September 10th at 6PM and running through Monday, September 14th.

Anthony Lawrence will give a talk at Tisch Asia and a presentation/workshop about stop motion techniques on September 11, 2009 at 3:30 pm. A 90 minute presentation/workshop about stop motion techniques will take place before the talk starting at 2:00 pm.

Please RSVP for the workshop and/or for the talk by emailing Theeba Rani.

Anthony Lawrence, award-winning animation director, is one of Australia’s foremost stop motion practitioners. Born in Melbourne in 1960, he developed a passion for filmmaking during his teens. In the early 80’s he completed a Bachelor of Education majoring in Media at Melbourne College of Advanced Education, and then began specializing in stop motion animation. In the mid 80’s he created a self funded, half hour puppet animation called HAPPY HATCHDAY TO PLASMO which was purchased for broadcast nationally by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He followed this up with a 13 x 5 minute puppet animation series called PLASMO, which has been shown in 24 countries, and which utilized a wide range of in-camera special effects techniques as well as incorporating computer generated imagery. As the creator, writer, director, co-producer, and one of the animators, Anthony developed a strong sense of the overall animation process. His 2002 film LOOKING FOR HORSES won several awards and received a special distinction at Annecy for “direction and quality of emotion”. In 2008 he worked as one of six animators on Adam Elliot’s feature, MARY AND MAX, co-winner of Annecy 2009 ”Cristal du long métrage”. Although advertising is often the bread and butter for animators, and Anthony has directed a handful of them, his primary goal for animation has always been the creation of original and engaging characters designed for high quality television series production. To this end he continues to develop series concepts as vehicles for new characters he has created including the furthering of his PLASMO concept.

The New York Times has a great feature on Oliver Stone, Tisch School of the Arts Asia's Artistic Director, in which he discusses the impetus behind his upcoming sequel to Wall Street.

Read the article and check out a great video interview of him here.

Tisch alumni and Tisch Asia instructor Todd Solondz' Life During Wartime is screening at the Telluride Film Festival this weekend. It's already garnering rave reviews:

From The Auteurists:

"In revisiting his darkly comic 1998 ensembler Happiness, Todd Solondz may have made his best film with Life During Wartime," proposes Todd McCarthy in Variety. "The distinctive, boundary-pushing writer-director has had the eccentric inspiration to resurrect the same central characters a decade later, but using entirely different actors. Winning result, which reels off one riveting scene after another, stands as both a unique sort-of sequel and a film that requires no prior reference points; it's entirely satisfying either way, though even richer if you recall the antecedent."

Read More

Read Todd McCarthy's Variety Review of Life During Wartime

Several productions of plays by Tisch Asia Dramatic Writing student Dean Lundquist will be performed at a host of international theater festivals in the coming months. Dean is a first year student in the MFA Dramatic Writing program at Tisch Asia (Class of 2011). You can find out more information about Dean by visiting his website. Below are a list of his upcoming productions:

I CAN TELL YOUR HANDBAG IS FAKE
Three women with identical designer handbags board a train only to discover a genuine common fantasy.
/Short+Sweet Singapore Festival/, Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore - June - July 2009
/The 34th Annual Samuel French Off Off Broadway Festival/, Playwrights Horizons, New York, NY July 2009
/Short+Sweet Brisbane Festival/, Brisbane, Australia - September 2009
/Ten x 10/, SOACT, Wagga Wagga, Australia - September 2009

FINGER FOOD
A fork and spoon fear for their future in a world increasingly dominated by finger food.
/If the Shorts Fit II/, Curtain Call Theatre, Braintree, MA - June 2009
/Summer Shorts 2009/, Playwrights Round Table, Orlando, FL - August 2009
/One Act Series XVI/, The Renaissance Guild, San Antonio, TX - October 2009

GIFTED
A mother desperately wants her only son to attend a school for the gifted, but the school psychologist tries to teach her that every child is a gift.
/The Singapore Writers Festival/, The Arts House, Singapore - November 2009

FAITH IN THE SUPER BOWL
An expectant couple debates the future of their unborn child's religious beliefs. She puts her faith in the Lord. He puts his faith in the NFL and a mystical bowl of breakfast cereal.
/Future Ten 6/, Future Tenant, Pittsburgh, PA - November 2009

Still from We, the real people of Singapore, 2009 / 16min / Ghazi Alqudcy

Singapore – 18 August 2009 – The 5th Singapore Short Film Festival, Singapore’s only international short film festival, returns from 13 – 21 September as an annual film festival. Featuring over 120 short films from all over the world including films from Belgium, France, Sweden, Australia, Russia, Spain and Singapore, the festival offers a spread of award-winning films that are as wide and varied as there are genres in film.

The international short films segment runs from 13 – 18 Sept with in-competition short films and curated programmes. The curated programmes explore dreamy Korean School Days, past animated French Animations to gritty US Documentaries, whimsical Italian Shorts and amazing encounters with shorts from the Encounters Film Festival. While the in-competition short film screenings showcases a more international selection of Midnight Cinema, Animations, Black Comedy, Dysfunctional Relationships and a variety of themes. At the in-competition short film screenings, audiences will vote for their favorite international and local short films and the top three from each category will be given a Voice Award. Many of the in-competition films are award-winners, including short films that have participated at the world’s most celebrated film festivals such as Cannes, Sundance, Berlin, Toronto and Singapore film festivals.