TRUE BEAUTY AND THE FROGS

I highly recommend making a short film if you want to learn about geography. 'True Beauty' was accepted into the Off-Courts Trouville Festival in, well, Trouville-Sur-Mer in France. It's quiet beautiful there and looking at this picture, I think I might have been there on one of the countless trips to France with our father when we were young:

And again I ask: where's the travel budget? Seriously...

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TRUE BEAUTY AT THE BEACH

Huntington Beach that is. The SoCal Film Fest has accepted 'True Beauty' in this year's edition, taking place September 14-23. Pretty sure we've covered every region in Los Angeles by now. Except Compton maybe...

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OFFICIAL SELECTION IN STRASBOURG

Europe's coming through, again. 'True Beauty' just got accepted into the Strasbourg International Film Festival, running August 28 through September 6. Kinda like a home-coming. When I grew up in Germany it wasn't too far from Strasbourg. Our father, a francophile for no apparent reason (thought he spoke French perfectly, but I think the natives just smiled and nodded to make him go away) dragged us every summer vacation to France. France, France, France. Up and down. Left and Right. Every battlefield of WWI and the sequel. Maybe that's why the French were not that keen on the old man. The short of the story is that I've been to Strasbourg before. And now I'm kinda going back. Thought that was neat.

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GERMANY! FINALLY...

Had my doubts about that fatherland of mine. Felt like I wasn't good enough to play in my own home. But here comes Halle, to save the day: 'True Beauty' was accepted into the Shortmoves International Short Film Festival, taking place in Halle, Germany, September 18-19. Na also. Geht doch!

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or, if you're adventurous (or German)

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BEST AMERICAN SPECTRUM SHORT IN INDIANAPOLIS

'True Beauty' won 'Best American Spectrum Short Film' (guess it's a fancy way of saying Best American Short Film; I admit, it does sound cooler; long parenthetical, sorry) at the Indianapolis International Film Festival last weekend! Not much more to say but KICKASS!

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DUSTIN SEAVEY NOMINATED FOR BEST ACTOR

If you've seen the film, you know he deserves it: Dustin has been nominated for Best Actor at the Feel Good Film Festival. Of course he couldn't have done it without me, directing him. So where's my nomination? Huh? But seriously, it's good to see his work recognized. Awards Ceremony is Sunday, August 9th. Cross your fingers...

OFFICIAL SELECTION AT FIRSTGLANCE

FirstGlance Film Fest Philadelphia has selected 'True Beauty' to screen in this year's festival, taking place in, you guessed it, Philadelphia, October 22-25. I'm so feeling the brotherly love...

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TRUE BEAUTY FEELS GOOD ON OPENING NIGHT

Not only has 'True Beauty' been accepted into this year's Feel Good Film Festival, but we're playing opening night on August 7th at the Egyptian. They're taking the 'Feel Good' very serious at this festival: There's a vodka reception right before the screening, so I'm expecting happy drunk people (I'll be one of them), then a fight, teary declarations of love, and all ending in a big group hug. I'm so there...

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OFFICIAL SELECTION AT SAUSALITO FILM FESTIVAL

Possibly the prettiest town in America (according to me; no, I haven't seen all the pretty towns in America, but this is my blog) has accepted 'True Beauty' in this year's festival. The Sausalito Film Festival runs August 21st - 23rd and shows 'films that speak to our naturally rebellious nature, our creative soul, our passion for cultural understanding'. And now, thanks to 'True Beauty', also to our inner bonehead...

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TRUE BEAUTY GETTING ITS KICKS...

... in the 8th Annual Route 66 Film Festival. It takes place September 19-20 in Springfield, Illinois, and is on the list of 25 Festivals worth the fee in Moviemaker Magazine. I couldn't agree more.

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OFFICIAL SELECTION AT PORT TOWNSEND FILM FESTIVAL

The Pacific-Northwest, long declared by my wife to be her favorite region, is making a strong case for becoming mine: after Washougal and the Bumbershoot festival in Seattle, Port Townsend decided to accept 'True Beauty' in their 10th Annual Film Festival. There don't seem to be that many people in Port Townsend (8,334 at the 2000 census), so the population-to-True-Beauty-This-Night-exposure ratio might turn out to be rather high!

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FILE THAT UNDER WHAT THE &$@#?

Didn't really expect that: 'True Beauty' won 1st Prize at the Indie Gathering in the category Suspense / Thriller. (record scratch) What? Really. I can prove it too: http://www.theindiegathering.com/2009winners.htm.
I mean I'm not complaining. I'll take it! Suspense it is! I'm thrilled...

SPECIAL JURY MENTION IN THE PALACE

Hope 'Special' means good and not... well, special: 'True Beauty' got a Special Jury Mention at the 7th In The Palace Short Film Festival. Can't buy anything for that, but I can brag about it. Like I'm doing here.

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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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