BEST SCREENPLAY AT TOFIFEST

'True Beauty' won Best Screenplay in the Short Film Competition at Tofifest in Poland, the festival with 'angry cinematography' as one of the judging criterias. Well, nobody's angry anymore. At least not until I get my next bank statement.

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OFFICIAL SELECTION AT 1 REEL FILM FESTIVAL

There's an advantage to making a 'short' short film: 'True Beauty' was accepted in the 1 Reel Film Festival, a part of Bumbershoot, Seattle's city-wide music and arts festival. They've been doing this Bumbershoot thing for 39 years now, and over 150,000 visitors swarm the city of Seattle over Labor Day weekend to see 'the best in music, film, comedy, spoken word, dance, theatre, performance and visual arts'. And now 'True Beauty'...

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HIGHS AND LOWS OF FESTIVALS

There was some great news yesterday: 'True Beauty' was accepted into the Action on Film Festival in Pasadena. Yay! Then it turns out the festival is at exactly the same time as LA Shorts Fest. Crap! Promised the good folks at LA Shorts that I wouldn't show the film anywhere in LA county prior to their screening. And so, sadly, we got pulled from Action on Film. But hey, in the end, it's a good problem to have...

TRUE BEAUTY IN THE CAPITAL

Finally some sense in Washington: 'True Beauty' was accepted into the DC Shorts Film Festival. One of the leading festivals in the nation, it takes place September 10-17, and I only hope it's not run by lobbyists and special interest groups like the rest of town. Unless there's one for ten-minute-long-quirky-romantic-comedies-shot-by-a-German-in-L.A.? If so, anybody got their number?

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BEST COMEDY SHORT IN RENO

Funny thing happened in Reno: 'True Beauty' won two awards. Best Comedy Short and Audience Choice for Best Comedy Short. I even got to shake hands with Michael Blake, Academy Award winning Screenwriter of 'Dances with Wolves'. He gave a great speech at the festival. I didn't. Well, he's got the golden statue at home. I've got a crystal star now on the fireplace. Small steps, small steps...

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TRUE BEAUTY RUNS WITH BULLS

Well, sort of. 'True Beauty' got accepted in this year's Pamplona International Film Festival in Spain. The festival takes place from October 5 through 10, three months after the running of the bulls. Unless this is how they decide who's gonna win the film festival. Better grab some running shoes. ¡Olé!

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TRUE BEAUTY GOES DUTCH

The M.C.M Filmfest (More Cult Movies) in Venlo, The Netherlands, has accepted 'True Beauty' to this year's festival. It's open air and looks like a hell-of-a-lot of fun. It starts July 3rd, and over the course of the next three Friday nights, the audience and the judges together decide who moves on to the next round. 'True Beauty' jumps in at the second or even third round. Pretty nifty.

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OFFICIAL SELECTION AT LA SHORTS FEST

Another big one. Really. 'True Beauty' got accepted into this year's LA Shorts Fest! It takes place July 23-31 at the Laemmle Sunset 5 Theaters, so it's practically playing in our living room. No more excuses from anybody! You know (Diana) who you are...

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OFFICIAL SELECTION AT SUPER SHORTS 2009

Keeping the United States Postal Service in business: The Super Shorts International Film Festival has shortlisted 'True Beauty' for this year's festival. It takes place in London, and man, sending a screening copy over there is hard on the pocket book. But who's complaining? The festival runs from July 7 through the 12th.

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BEST INDEPENDENT SHORT AT CINE GEAR

It's a true beauty (get it?): the best independent short at this year's Cine Gear Expo Filmseries is 'True Beauty This Night'. It was a good party last friday night (free beer! first prize! more beer!), but I didn't get to give a speech, much to the chagrin of my wife who loves to hear me mumble, stutter and finally, embarrassed by the attention, lurch off stage. Still awesome though...

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TRUE BEAUTY AT THE EDGE OF EUROPE

Can't go more west in Europe without hitting water: 'True Beauty' was accepted in this year's Porto7 International Short Film Festival in Portugal. It's taking place June 10... hang on, that's today. Through the 14th. They only told me about this yesterday. 'Oh, your film's playing'. Well, not that I'm complaining. Not even about the Portuguese way of spelling my production company's name: 'stick of zen' becomes 'Stink of Ben'. Priceless...

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OFFICIAL SELECTION AT PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL SHORTFEST

This is a big one: 'True Beauty' was accepted in this year's Palm Springs International Shortfest, running June 23-29. What's even better is that 'True Beauty' is playing on opening night, June 23, 6:30 pm at the Camelot Theaters . Anybody with me?

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OFFICIAL SELECTION IN INDIANAPOLIS

'True Beauty' was accepted in the Indianapolis International Film Festival, taking place July 15-25. Like the swine flu (only much healthier), 'True Beauty' slowly spreads from state to state...

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OFFICIAL SELECTION IN RENO

The Biggest Little City in the World has accepted 'True Beauty' to this year's Reno Film Festival, running June 17-21. My wife's happy. Her parents live in Reno so we're going. Roadtrip!

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TRUE BEAUTY IS LANDLOCKED

'True Beauty' was accepted into the 3rd Annual Landlocked Film Festival, running August 27-30. According to the website, Iowa City is "the only U.S. city holding the UNESCO City of Literature designation". Smart people is all I can say...

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BEST SHORT FILM IN MUSKEGON

I knew it. A film festival with a beergarden just screams 'sensible people'. 'True Beauty' won 'Best Short Film' in this year's Muskegon Film Festival. A heartfelt thanks to Michigan!

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OFFICIAL SELECTION AT CENTRAL FLORIDA FILM FESTIVAL

Did I mention that Florida rocks before? Well, it does. 'True Beauty' got accepted into the Central Florida Film Festival taking place September 4-6 in Ocoee (how the hell do you pronounce that?), Florida. The motto of Ocoee is 'The Center of Good Living'. Shoot. LA's pretty far from that...

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FINALIST AT THE FILMSERIES AT CINEGEAR EXPO

'True Beauty' has been selected to screen at the Film Series at Cinegear Expo. It is one of seven finalists that were selected "based on their illumination of the visual art forms in filmmaking, such as cinematography, art design, set and costume design..." So there, Jas, Diana and Maria. I expect to see you guys there.
The screening is on June 4th at Paramount Picture Studios.

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TRUE BEAUTY'S GOT VISION

'True Beauty' got accepted into this year's Visionfest. The other festival. So they say on their website: it brings "the best of domestic independent cinema to the forefront of the New York City "indie" scene, by showcasing original, unique works, and "bringing you tomorrow's visionaries today." Alright then. I'll sleep standing up tonight. The festival runs June 17-21 at the Tribeca Cinemas in New York City.

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OFFICIAL SELECTION AT TOFIFEST

Gotta love Eastern Europe: 'True Beauty' was accepted at the 7th International Film Festival Tofifest in Poland. The festival takes place in Toruń from June 26th through July 3rd, and according to their website it's the "Polish Sundance" and promotes "a thinking, young at heart, angry feature cinematography from all over the world". Angry Cinematography? Come to think of it, Jas seemed to have some issues on the set...

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TRUE BEAUTY IN THE PALACE

We're getting the royal treatment: 'True Beauty' was accepted into the 7th In the Palace International Short Film Festival in Bulgaria. It was chosen from among 4000 entries. Jeez, who watched all those? The festival takes place June 20-27 in Balchik, Bulgaria. Thank god the cold war's over.

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OFFICIAL SELECTION AT OXFORD FILM FESTIVAL

Sounds British, but it's not: Oxford International Film Festival has accepted 'True Beauty' for this year's festival, running July 23rd through the 26th. That's Oxford, Ohio. The Cincinnati Enquirer calls it "Sundance without snow...", and it was recently named one of the "Top 25 Festivals Worth the Fee" by MovieMaker magazine. I'll say...

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OFFICIAL SELECTION AT DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

30th is a charm: 'True Beauty' has been selected to screen at the 30th Durban International Film Festival in South Africa. Hey, another continent! That makes four. Now only missing Asia, South America and that hotbed of film production, Antarctica.
The festival takes place July 22nd through August 2nd, and I sure wish we had a travel budget.

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OFFICIAL SELECTION AT THE MUSKEGON FILM FESTIVAL

Who doesn't like Michigan? 'True Beauty' will screen at the Muskegon Film Festival, running May 30th and May 31st. Hell, that's in about two weeks. A pity I can't make it up there (or over there?): This year's festival includes a beergarden. A beergarden! That's how a festival is run...

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OFFICIAL SELECTION AT LIBERTAS FILM FESTIVAL

Europe is so cool: 'True Beauty' got accepted into the 5th Annual Libertas Film Festival in Dubrovnik. That's in Croatia, and looking at the past winners, they have a distinct slant towards... well, Croatian people. Anybody Croatian in the crew?

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FINALIST AT THE USA FILM FESTIVAL / DALLAS

Guess "True Beauty" was a finalist at the USA Film Festival this year. Didn't know. Nobody told me. Until today. Got a letter congratulating 'on being selected as a FINALIST in the 31st Annual National Short Film & Video Competition ... selected as one of approximately fifty finalists out of over 600 U.S. entries this year.' Sounds good to me. Got a nice plaque on the wall now. Thank you Dallas!

INVITATION TO THE JUST FOR LAUGHS FILM FESTIVAL

It seems the programming director of the 'Just For Laughs Film Festival' saw 'True Beauty' at the Brussels Short Film Festival and invited the film to the competition this year. How cool's that? He says it's the world's biggest comedy short film festival (who am I to doubt). It takes place between July 16th to the 26th in Montreal.

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OFFICIAL SELECTION AT STONY BROOK

'True Beauty' has been accepted into the 14th Annual Stony Brook Film Festival taking place July 23rd through August 1st. It's a festival near New York, and the east coast is fast becoming my favorite coast!

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OFFICIAL SELECTION IN CONNECTICUT

'True Beauty' got accepted into the Connecticut Film Festival, taking place June 2-7 in Danbury. In Connecticut. I didn't know George W. Bush was born in there. But hey, they like the film, so they're alright in my book.

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OFFICIAL SELECTION AT THE WASHOUGAL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

'True Beauty' has been accepted into the 2nd Annual Washougal International Film Festival. The festival runs August 12th-16th. Seems to me they're a great bunch of artists and filmmakers up there (of course), and their website is pretty kickass.

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