IVLP Documentary Showcases European Visitors' Experience of America

Cultural Vistas is proud to announce the release of Connecting Cultures, Impacting Lives: The IVLP Experience, a short documentary showcasing a behind-the-scenes look at the U.S. Department of State's premier professional exchange program.

The film follows a group of 13 emerging leaders representing 12 countries across Europe that participated in an International Visitor Leadership Program project during the summer of 2014 focused on advancing youth leadership and engagement.

The group traveled to the United States for a five-city, 22-day tour on which they experienced America firsthand – meeting with youth experts and those engaged in youth-focused projects from the public and private sectors in Washington, D.C., New York City, Concord, New Hampshire, Austin, Texas and Seattle, Washington.

Connecting Cultures, Impacting Lives showcases all that makes the International Visitor Leadership Program, which celebrates its 75^th anniversary in 2015, a unique and unrivaled professional exchange experience.

WATCH at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-4-tQlWLNg




Through IVLP projects, visitors have the opportunity to see Americans as Americans themselves – through professional meetings, cultural activities, and the very personal experience of sharing a meal and evening of home hospitality with an American family.

Since 1940, more than 200,000 visitors have interacted with Americans through this program, including 35 current and 300 former Chiefs of State or Heads of Government, who proudly call themselves IVLP alumni.

Speaking about the important role IVLP holds in U.S. public diplomacy efforts, Rick Ruth, Senior Advisor, Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs at the U.S. State Department, said, "This is where Americans engage the world.  Where we tell our story.  Where we talk about who we are."

Alberto Soler Soto of Spain, one of the 13 young and emerging European leaders who took part in this project, provided one of the most important reflections on the impact of exchange programs like the IVLP: "I'm very thankful for this opportunity. I learned a lot. I lived a lot. I felt a lot. This really changed me. I feel like I am a better version of myself."

Connecting Cultures, Impacting Lives was shot, produced and directed by Kate Hoof.

Countries Represented in this Project
Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine

Post-Project Reflections
Meet Alberto, Anna, and Jitka: three young leaders from Spain, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic who visited the United States as part of this project. Cultural Vistas caught up with each of these participants following their IVLP experience to learn about the program's impact.

WATCH at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veK2tlawkqU




About Cultural Vistas
A nonprofit organization, Cultural Vistas annually serves more than 5,000 students, professionals, and emerging leaders through career-focused international internships, educational study tours, language immersion and cultural exchange programs in the United States and around the world. As one of seven National Program Agencies, Cultural Vistas works in close cooperation with the U.S. Department of State and the Global Ties U.S. network to administer, design, and implement IVLP programs that directly support and advance U.S. foreign policy goals.  Learn more at culturalvistas.org.

Follow @CulturalVistas on Twitter

Garden State Film Festival Honors James Wilder

The 13^thAnnual Garden State Film Festival will be held in Atlantic City, March 19-22, 2015.  The four-day event closes with an awards dinner at which several honors will be bestowed for achievement in filmmaking. James Wilder will receive the Independent Spirit Award at the Sunday, March 22nd dinner to be held at the Claridge Hotel, the newly refurbished beachfront venue on the historic Boardwalk. Last year’s recipient was actress Laura Dern.

“James Wilder embodies the independent spirit not just for his roles on film and television, but also for his passion for artistic creation,” states Diane Raver, Executive Director of the festival.  “We are delighted that James is attending the festival with his film ‘Three Holes, Two Brads and a Smoking Gun’ (now titled “3 Holes and a Smoking Gun”).His starring performance is outstanding and the film is terrific,” she adds. Wilder plays an ex-Hollywood screenwriter turned teacher in a battle of wits with a devious student.

Raised in the bohemian enclave of Sausalito, Wilder attended an all-boys advanced learning institute.  At the age of 14, he was living in Paris, regaling audiences with his one-man show at such legendary venues as the Moulin Rouge and Lido, and later on Broadway. Wilder nabbed a role in the Broadway hit “Sugar Babies” while studying at the famed NY Actors Studio. His breakout role was as the troubled addict son of Ed Asner in the ABC Circle Theater presentation “Cracked Up.” Coincidentally, Mr. Asner will also be honored at the 2015 festival where a documentary about him, “My Friend Ed,” is premiering on Saturday, March 21^st.

Beginning in the late 1980s, Wilder made a splash on the small screen in a number of popular series, including “Equal Justice,” “Melrose Place” and “Models Inc.,” and found success in film as well. He starred in “The Coriolis Effect,” which won The Grand Prize in its category at the Venice Film Festival. It was his scorching depiction of serial killer Carl Isaacs in the acclaimed Miramax film “Murder One” that thrust him into the limelight. Having spent an entire day with the prisoner at Atlanta’s Reedsville State Penitentiary, Wilder embodied the dark and sinister psyche of a deranged murderer with chilling acuity.Or as the New York Times wrote:“James Wilder, as Carl Isaacs, is a thoroughly malevolent character, one in whom evil rather than insanity seems to prevail.”

A true renaissance man, Wilder balances his work as an actor with a passion for visual art, architecture and design. Untrained as an architect or interior designer, Wilder’s keen eye and distinct vision has transformed a dozen empty lots throughout California into panoramic living art.  The homes he built in his exclusive Hollywood Hills neighborhood have evolved into a loosely structured artist’s retreat. Wilder has experimented with sculpture, and creates apparel and jewelry approaching his various endeavors with equal enthusiasm and expertise.

"Larger Than Life" To Open for Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees at Webster Hall in NYC

Boy Band Tribute Group Larger Than Life will be opening for Jeff Timmons at historic Webster Hall February 26.

Larger Than Life to Open for Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees

Larger Than Life opens up for Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees in NYC!

Thursday, Feb 26, 2015 8:00 PM EST (7:00 PM Doors)

Webster Hall, New York, NY

Tickets are $20

Larger Than Life brings the Ultimate Boyband Tribute to Webster Hall as they open for Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees!

The evening will be full of surprises and crazy fun.

Jeff Timmons is the founding member of the internationally acclaimed, multi-platinum, Grammy Nominated selling group 98 Degrees, The group produced mega-hits such as "The Hardest Thing", "I do", "Because of You", and the number one hit single featuring Mariah Carey called, "Thank God I Found You."

Larger Than Life-The Ultimate Boyband tribute, brings an interactive show like no other, full of costumes, dancing, and your favorite songs. The show is produced in part by actor Edvin Ortega, who has been featured in such shows as Blue Bloods, The Following and Orange Is The New Black. NYC Pop Princess Carrie Lane will be joining the boys for a few fun surprises. An exclusive guest list only after party will be held at Noel Ashman's NYC hotspot The Leonora for select VIP Guests.

Raleigh Video Production Company Wins a Prestigious Pixie Award for Video Production

Blueforest Studios, an integrated video production company in Raleigh, NC, has won a prestigious Pixie Award for the video it produced for VIF’s Global Gateway program. It was singled out with a Gold Award for exceptional animation.

Emily Kohler, Blueforest Illustrator, shared her vision of the purpose of animation in the firm’s videos:

We've found that animation gives us more options for getting to the heart of a message. When we have a lot of content to fit into one clip, animation allows us to distill the message and communicate it to the audience in a simple, effective, and memorable way.

The nationally respected Pixie Award has been honoring outstanding work in motion graphics, animation, and visual effects for 6 years, helping innovative professionals achieve recognition. Videos submitted for competition were judged in accordance to high standards by industry professionals. Greg Koohran, Managing Director of the Pixie Awards, commented:

The Pixie Awards help set a standard for outstanding craft in the industry. [...] The goal is to help the highly innovative people who create pixel magic achieve the recognition they deserve.

Here's the award winning video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-l7-JBC3-Y




About Blueforest Studios

Blueforest Studios is an integrated video production firm located in Raleigh, NC that serves the mid-atlantic region and beyond. Typically their video materials are made using the RED camera that delivers high-quality 4K and UltraHD footage. They place an emphasis on storytelling to connect with their audiences through high-end animation and live-action videos. For more information, please visit Blueforest’s website http://www.blueforeststudios.com

About VIF International Education

VIF International Education builds global education programs that prepare students for success in an interconnected world. For more than 25 years, educators have leveraged VIF’s professional development and curriculum, language acquisition and cultural exchange programs to generate engaging learning environments. As a proud B Corp, VIF strives to support teachers, school leaders and districts in the endeavor of developing globally competent citizens through turnkey international education programs and resources. For more information, please visit VIF’s website http://www.vifprogram.com/.

Latina Actress Makes Directorial Debut At Filmomaniac Showcase

Latina Actress Lisann Valentin only recently ventured into the world of acting, yet she has already worked with Sundance featured filmmakers and Golden Globe winners. Her success in front of the camera sparked an interest to tell her own stories, which led the actress to write Our Quiet Night, marking her directorial debut.

“My goal is to tell stories about the struggles and strength of Latinas especially when it comes to family.  The first example of that strength came from my Puerto Rican mother and that’s what sparked the idea for this film,” says Valentin.

The short film tells the story of a young  mom  who desperately  tries  to  hold  on  to cultural tradition and during a turn of events, she wonders whether  her  grasp  is  too  tight. “The story is set during the holidays, but it's really a story about faith and love,” says Valentin, “which seems fitting given that it will be shown the day after Valentine’s Day.”

Filmomaniac is a screening and networking event on the Lower East Side of New York City that showcases quality short films while providing a network of support from within the entertainment industry.  “To have my film shown to a community of emerging and award-winning filmmakers is a phenomenal feeling,” says the first-time director.

Our Quiet Night will be shown in conjunction with six short films, as part of the sophomore launch of Filmomaniac on Sunday, February 15^th at 7:00pm, at Subject L.E.S. (http://www.subject-les.com) 188 Suffolk Street, New York, New York 10002. Admission is free (https://www.facebook.com/events/1591838637714650/).

Valentin admits that, “it takes a certain level of courage to be able to tell such personal stories, but the reward of impacting others through storytelling certainly outweighs the risk.”

For more on Our Quiet Night visit: http://ourquietnight.tumblr.com/

To learn more about Filmomaniac, visit https://www.facebook.com/filmomaniac.

To learn more about Valentin’s work as an actor, visit her website at: http://www.LisannValentin.com

The Redwood Massare Horror Film screening at Winter Film Awards 2015

THE REDWOOD MASSACRE' has been officially selected & screening at the Winter Film Awards 2015 on February 27th at 8pm. (block 3)

Cinema screenings will be held at the Blue Diamond Theatre.  You can purchase tickets to the film screening through the Winter Film Awards website (Friday 27th February 2015 at 8pm - Block 3)

We need to drum up as many horror fans as possible to fill up our screening!

Film Trailer:  http://youtu.be/6jpAupgX7BE

Synopsis:

For five adventurous friends, visiting the legendary murder site of the Redwood farm has all the hallmarks of being an exciting and thrilling camping weekend away.

A popular site for revelers and party goers, each year on the exact date of the famous local family massacre, people from around the country head out to the site to have fun and scare each other.

Events take a bloody turn for the worse when the innocent campers discover the Redwood myth is in fact a horrible bloody reality, which turns the unsuspecting victims into prey for a mysterious axe wielding maniac that has remained dormant for 20 years.

Company - Clear Focus Movies Ltd
Directed By - David Ryan Keith
Produced By - Lorraine Keith
Starring - Lisa Cameron - Mark Wood - Lisa Livingstone - Rebecca Wilkie - Adam Coutts - Ben Selway - Lee Hutcheon

Publicity stills available here - https://www.flickr.com/photos/theredwoodmassacre/

isovideo Launches Cinema Quality Low Framerate Conversion/Temporal Retiming Service using Award-Winning Viarte

isovideo announces the launch of their Viarte-based cinema quality low frame rate conversion and temporal retiming services for the media entertainment industry. Viarte was one of five winners of the prestigious Game-Changer Awards by the IABM/NAB 2013. A Feature length documentary film “Finding the Gold Within” has already used Viarte frame rate conversion services (converting from 1980x1080p29.97 to 1080p23.976) for its World Premier last October.

High quality low frame rate-conversion and content retiming have always been amongst the most difficult tasks to do well, fast, and at a reasonable cost. Until recently, 24p to 25p frame rate-conversion has always been performed by changing video playback speed, and adjusting audio accordingly. Content retiming has been commonly done with expensive software or hardware.

Digital media trends are moving fast towards online distribution. Films are usually shot and edited at one frame rate, such as 24p or 30p in North America. They may need to be converted to other low frame-rates such as 24p for theater release, and 30p or 25p for US/European streaming. Such conversion is often done poorly, introducing noticeable conversion related motion artifacts, such as visible ghosting and motion judder on camera pans, “edge-boiling” effects, breakup, etc.

isovideo's low frame-rate conversion/temporal retiming services use their proprietary, state-of-the-art GPU-accelerated Viarte frame rate conversion technology. Its principal features include:

  i) Breakthrough quality low frame-rate conversion (between 23.976p, 25p, 29.97p), and any rate to any other rate up/down conversion (from 23.976 to 120p, including 48p).

  ii) Precise temporal conversion by up to +/-10% allows material to fit a time slot, and without introducing visible artifacts or judder due to frame dropping/duplication. The audio tempo is correspondingly changed with the video. The input sources can be any of progressive, interlaced, 3:2-pulldown, or mixed.

  In addition, optional multiple tempo change adjustment values can be   defined and localized by time and duration, allowing some regions to be   preserved, and others squashed or extended.

  iii) Sophisticated, accurate, simulated motion-blur capability effectively reduces judder on playback, when downconverting from 48, 50, 60, 120 frames/sec to lower rates such as 24, 25, 30, 48; or from 30p to 24p/25p, especially for panning shoots.

  iv) Repeated input frames are detected and dropped for smoother motion, while preserving audio/video delay.

In addition to low-frame rate conversion/temporal retiming services, isovideo also offers:

  v) GPU-accelerated, highest quality, edge sharpening up/down-scaling/aspect ratio conversion.

  vi) Superior GPU motion-compensated 100% vertical resolution deinterlacing/inverse telecine with no visible flicker.

  vii) Breakthrough GPU noise-reduction technology, achieving up to 12 db noise reduction, while reducing flicker and preserving details and edges.

Low frame-rate conversion/retiming can be combined with other types of services to meet a wide variety of tasks facing the media professional. For example, frame-rate conversion, combined with noise reduction and upscaling to UHD provides a quality level similar to original UHD sources.

“isovideo's conversion services offer a unique combination of highest processing quality, fastest turn-around due to an extremely efficient pipelined architecture and scalability, and affordability and peace of mind, as all content is always encrypted for security,”  said Keith Slavin, CTO, isovideo LLC.

To find out more about our Viarte conversion services, please visit isovideo and follow @isovideo on Twitter and our new youtube channel.

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About isovideo:

isovideo is an innovative start-up company in the digital media technology and servicing industry. They specialize in file-based, GPU accelerated, video processing (including frame-rate conversion, deinterlacing, inverse telecine, scaling, de-noise, transcoding, etc.) services and server systems for the TV and entertainment industry. isovideo offers the best quality and fastest turn-around multi-format content transformation, including SD/HD to HD/UHD remastering services, and cinema quality low frame-rate conversion and temporal retiming services.

Exciting New Project from Earlina Gilford-Weaver And Her Talented Cast

This New Christian Drama Real Life Show, comprised of testimonies that people would say are "REAL TALK". They're right from the gift of God and deal with issues in our day-to-day lives, but till now, we’ve only heard or read about. There are very few real live drama ministry shows that actually minister to our daily lives. This program will offer listeners a daily dosage of ideas, issues, analysis and information targeted to the troubled and broken-hearted audience in a broken-hearted world. Our entertainment ministry is positioned as a forum where all points of views are welcome regardless of race, politics, and religion. Instead of the traditional divisive nature, this ministry production offers listeners perspective on the reality of a bondage state of mind and division in our world that we still live in today. You will find the Christian drama ministry provides relevant, probing and educational entertainment that appeals to all, but also successfully presents the key factors that we need today, such as healing, deliverance, forgiveness, unity, hope & Love.

A new Internet and TV Ministry Drama Series Sitcom Show from the anointed Writer, Author, Director, Earlina Gilford-Weaver, presenting a Non-Fiction Christian show that will follow the complicated dynamics secrets behind the veil of the real life day to day living in Christians & Non-Christian families that only stay in the closets until the door gets opened and the bones are as clear as day in a mirror we are ashamed to look in. These are stories that we would say could only be a Lifetime Movie and in some families we often think could never happen to us when hearing of other peoples secrets and bones hidden in their closets, being exposed. We live thinking that such secrets and deceit would never come knocking at our doors. In these families the deceit and lies and dysfunction, when the truth comes out, will either destroy them or they will find the real power of forgiveness they were taught, preach and teach about. When all is exposed, who can you really trust when you realize that the word of God is real!  And to know that none of us are perfect, whether we are Christians or Non Christians, we all have day to day struggles.  One day the veil needs to be removed, the struggles uncovered and the mirror needs to be looked at. The bone will come out of the closets.

For more info on how to support this upcoming project visit our website at:

http://www.shekinahglorydrama.com

Nazo Bravo Raises Cultural Awareness Through Film And Hip Hop

Los Angeles native Nazo Bravo is preparing a new mixtape and documentary called “Armenian American”. In 2014, Nazo visited Armenia for the first time, stating “I went out there to solidify my brand in my homeland, and got to work with rappers who rap in Armenian and Russian. It’s amazing how global Hip Hop is now. I also got to see the neighborhood where my family comes from, and that just blew my mind. I feel like this documentary is something any first or second generation American can relate to, no matter where you come from”.

Nazo is known for his song and music video HyePower (“Hye” translates to “Armenian”), influenced by Kendrick Lamar’s HiiiPower after the two had a meeting where Kendrick shared some great advice for Nazo as an artist. In the same way Kendrick touches on important African American figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Nazo raps about Armenian figures like Hrant Dink, a journalist who was assassinated in Turkey in 2007 for speaking out about the Armenian Genocide.

Nazo will premiere the documentary as an episodic web-series on February 11th via his YouTube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/NazoBravo, and will release a song from each week's episode via his Soundcloudhttps://soundcloud.com/NazoBravo. The series will conclude with a remake of HyePower titled “Power Of The Hye”, with the music video filmed entirely in Armenia. The mixtape will also feature Ras Kass and several Armenian artists both from the U.S. and overseas. Nazo has also mentioned he is preparing his new single with E-40, which will be released independently of the Armenian American project. To follow Nazo on Twitter visit @NazoBravo https://twitter.com/NazoBravo.

About Nazo Bravo

Nazo Bravo is an American rapper and actor of Armenian descent from Los Angeles, California. He is known for his mixtape #Focusss hosted by Power 106's DJ Carisma, featuring collaborations with Problem and Kurupt and the single “Focus”, which was featured on AllHipHop.com. He has also been featured on popular Bay Area Hip hop website Thizzler.com for his collaboration with The Jacka and established his own record label Mighty Hye Records. Nazo recently stated that he has a “ton of new music” that he is preparing to release, including collaborations with E-40, Jonn Hart, Ras Kass, and others. As an actor, he is known for his appearance on TNT's television series Southland alongside Lucy Liu, and the film 4 Minutes (produced by Ray Liotta and Stephen Cyrus Sepher). He has also received soundtrack placements on the documentary Tattoo Nation with Sick Jacken of The Psycho Realm and B-Real of Cypress Hill, as well as the film Betrayal (starring Eric Roberts). For up to the minute information, visit www.nazobravo.com or like, follow and subscribe via all social media at @NazoBravo.

Tripping Through Pop Culture New Book by Sam Maronie

Tripping Through Pop-Culture is the latest book by entertainment writer and pop-culture historian Sam Maronie.  This volume chronicles the author’s adventures in the world of television, movies, science-fiction and comic-books.

Tripping Through Pop-Culture presents Maronie’s up-close encounters with a galaxy of famous stars including Bob Hope, Lynda Carter, Martha Raye and Vincent Price. His coverage of early comicons showcases Sam’s exclusive photographs of  iconic comics creators like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Will Eisner, among many others.

A featured chapter recounts Maronie’s time in make-up on the set of 1973’s Battle for the Planet of the Apes, where he appeared alongside stars Roddy McDowall and Paul Williams. His intergalactic encounters with other science-fiction celebrities include Star Trek’s William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols as well as stars from the beloved  Lost  In Space TV series, notably the dastardly Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris).

Sam Maronie has been an entertainment reporter for over four decades.  At 17 he began writing about film and pop-culture for such publications asSeventeen Magazine, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Starlog Magazine and many others.

Maronie’s pop-culture blog is Sam Maronie’s Entertainment Funhouse. He is a sought-after speaker on such subjects as movies, comics and science-fiction. Sam is considered an authority on classic horror films and comic-book history.  His personal research archive boasts a collection of over 50,000 vintage film and TV photos.

Tripping Through Pop-Culture is now available on Amazon in both printed and digital editions.  For further information about  Tripping Through Pop-Culture or Sam Maronie, please contact the author directly at Maronie Creative Services LLC, sam@sammaronie.com.

Winter Film Awards Teams Up with VideoBlocks + GraphicStock + Audioblocks #WFA2015

Winter Film Awards is proud to continue our partnership withVideoBlocks / GraphicStock and AudioBlocksfor our 4th Annual Indie Film Festival!  Two winning filmmakers will each receive a special one-year unlimited download membership to all three services!

The 4th Annual WINTER FILM AWARDS Independent Film Festival (http://winterfilmawards.com/2015-winter-film-awards-indie-film-festival-wfa2015/) runs Feb 25-28 2015 with 3 days of screenings, networking events and after-parties. The event offers something for everyone, highlighting the dynamic range of storytelling the independent filmmaking community has to offer. Among the 75 films selected is a diverse mix of documentaries, shorts, features, animation, music videos and horror films from all over the world!

Welcome to VideoBlocks (www.videoblocks.com), GraphicStock (www.graphicstock.com)  and AudioBlocks (www.audioblocks.com) —the only place where you can download unlimited media for a low annual rate!

ABOUT VIDEOBLOCKS
Our first and flagship product. VideoBlocks.com is the only subscription-based site that provides members with unlimited downloads of stock video, After Effects templates, motion backgrounds, and more.  With 100,000 clips and counting, we provide unparalleled value to our customers, saving our typical customer thousands of dollars each year compared to expensive marketplace alternatives.

ABOUT GRAPHICSTOCK
Launched in 2013, GraphicStock.com takes our unique subscription model and applies it to the web and graphic design world.  With over 250,000 graphics, vectors, icons, images, infographics and more, the site provides unparalleled selection and is truly a frontend designer’s best friend.

ABOUT AUDIOBLOCKS
The newest member to the family, AudioBlocks.com launched in spring of 2014 and brings over 100,000 music tracks, sound effects, and loops into our content library.  AudioBlocks features a design overhaul as well as a totally reimagined content discovery process specifically built for music.  You can search for the perfect track based on mood, genre, instruments, tempo, and duration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phXcwgReQIU




ABOUT WINTER FILM AWARDS
Winter Film Awards (WFA) is a volunteer-run and operated celebration of the diversity of local and international film-making. Our Mission is to recognize excellence in cinema and to promote learning and artistic expression for people at all stages of their artistic careers with a focus on nurturing emerging filmmakers and helping them gain recognition and contacts to break into this difficult industry. We pride ourselves on our diverse collection of Festival selections, allowing our audience to enjoy films they normally wouldn’t think to seek out. WFA is a minority- and women-owned registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Follow the Camera - Short Film Release

 Marauder Film, a film development studio specializing in producing and launching feature film projects, released the short film titled Follow the Camera on February 1st. The short film can be viewed here: www.immutechrobotics.com. Marauder Film is proud to announce it has also been featured in February’s issue of American Cinematographer Magazine.

Follow the Camera uses a compelling combination of “found footage” alongside modern cinematography and state-of-the-art VFX to illustrate a near-future San Francisco under attack.

Director Bastiaan Koch explains: “We need a forward-thinking, intellectual story coupled with the VFXploitation fun of blockbuster movies. One that doesn’t shy away from harrowing realism.”

Follow the Camera explores our acceptance of artificial intelligence and exposes the ever encroaching role of mass data collection and begs the question; which responsibilities are we willing to relinquish and at what cost? Set in near-future San Francisco where autonomous domestic humanoid robots - or Domestic Droids (DDs) - are commonplace, criminal prosecutor, Elisabeth Adelman, discovers a plot for the worst act of terrorism known to the West Coast. Adelman is compelled to find the culprit behind the attack.

Follow the Camera was written and directed by Koch with assistance from Howard Gertler (Producer of Academy Award-nominated How to Survive a Plague), and made possible through the LucasFilm Employee Feature Program that supports up-and-coming in-house talent.

Production for a Follow the Camera full feature is planned for 2015 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Marauder Film is actively seeking collaboration.

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ABOUT MARAUDER FILM

Marauder Film is a trans-media development studio specializing in world-building, producing and launching feature film projects. Marauder places particular emphasis on marrying story with stunning digital visual effects while achieving high-end production value.

Marauder Film was founded in 2011 by Director Bastiaan Koch, the visual effects wizard behind characters such as; Bumblebee and Galvatron in the Transformers movies, Gipsy Danger in Pacific Rim, and Iron Man in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Originally from the Netherlands, Koch has been a member of Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light and Magic in San Francisco for over seven years.

Koch and Marauder's team of writers and digital artists thrive by integrating art with technology, using innovative software with a streamlined pipeline, enabling collaboration with larger film studios while never losing sight of their mission – to entertain, to capture, to enthrall.

Koch co-wrote and produced The 3rd Letter which won Hollyshorts in 2012, and was nominated for best feature screenplay at the Beverly Hills Film Festival in 2012. His most recent project Follow the Camera was selected by the LucasFilm Employee Feature Program helmed by Jennifer Coronado, a program that supports up-and-coming in-house talent.