I’m so happy to blog about this week’s ‘FaceBook Friend of the Week’ – Miss Drea Burke
FaceBook Friend of The Week – Drea Burck, Attorney, Actress, Dancer and Cat Lover…
I’ve already got a smile on my face because I absolutely love this gal.
In 2007, ReelHeART International Film Festival introduced a Feature Screenplay Competition and in 2008 I met Drea, a stage actress who wowed me with her audition.
She was cast in the German situated, political screenplay “The Other Side Of The Wall”, by Mary Townsend as well as the sci-fi contagion screenplay “Scavengers” by Diana Kemp Jones.
Just a caution: This blog, is a little more personal than I usually write. Except of course for “My 9/11 Story” blog, which you all enjoyed. (Thank you by the way…)
It was a success right off the bat. After a few months of ‘reading rounds’ and scoring screenplays from around the world, we short listed about 8 scripts and sent them to our agent of record who chose the Top 3 scripts. Two of the top three scripts our agent chose were by the same writer! Mr. Joe Acton from Washington State.
As part of their prize, each of the Top 3 Feature Screenplay Winners receives a rehearsed cast-to-type Live Read in front of a festival audience. We were the only festival to do this at the time.
We started auditions in April and that year we saw close to 200 actors. Some are still alumni to this day and act every season for us.
But one actor came to the audition that was really different. He was quirky, tall and slim with these super expressive eyes and an unusual voice. He spoke with high and low tones in the same sentence. – Really fun on the ears.
On May 14th of this year I read something interesting on Toronto’s ‘Mistress of Indie‘ filmmaker Ingrid Veninger’s Facebook Page. It said (in part):
” alright, so i am thinking something and i wonder if it will catch fire. you know about THE ROYAL release of ‘i am a good person/i am a bad person’ STARTING JUNE 14th with special screenings of ONLY and MODRA. well, i was thinking that i would put all revenue towards a $1000 FEATURE FILMMAKING CHALLENGE. ** ALL HYPOTHETICAL ** JUST getting feelers. WOULD THERE BE INTEREST IN THIS? The key: No film could cost more than $1,000.”
by Shannonn Kelly 06:10AM, EST, September 08, 2011
Last night, Entourage‘s Adrian Grenier was the special guest at a charity event for War Child at The Bowery billed as a pre-TIFF event.
I had tickets to see Stone Temple Pilots tonight, but I couldn’t get back in time for the “official” Day 1 of the 36th Annual Toronto International Film Festival and the last time for the next 10 days I’ll have any real sleep and keep any prior commitments. Parties, people, films and blogging is what I’ll be doing during TIFF.
Iko Uwais fights Dreadlocks and Drug Dealers in Gareth Evans film "The Raid"
My first film of the 10 days will be the Midnight Madness opener from Indonesia, The Raid, directed by Welsh born director, Gareth Huw Evans. The Raid is a martial-arts action flick about a SWAT team’s attempted raid to take down drug king-pin Tama in a sketchy apartment block inhabited by dreadlocked criminals and crazy-ass drug dealers.
Since our inception in 2004, ReelHeART has worked proudly and in a proactive manner to be the web-savvy film festival people love that connects and collaborates with the worldwide Independent film community.
Normally I don’t talk about Entrants submitting their films or screenplays to ReelHeART, but today I will.
We’ve had amazing entries all season long and especially over the last 10 days because we’re coming close to our final deadline. Famous A-listers through to D-listers and beyond. As well, we welcome back a few Alumni. Continue reading “ReelHeART ‘Waves In’ A New Filmmaking Hero”
Saturday June 20th 2009. Advance tickets sales (cash only) one day only. We will be located at Hit & Misses, 860 Bloor Street West from 1 PM to 8 PM. Giveaways every Hour, meet Filmmakers, win Tickets, T-Shirts & More…