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Contact
Wendy Levy
415-558-2170
wendy [at] bavc.org
WITH $450,000 INVESTMENT FROM THE MACARTHUR FOUNDATION, BAVC LAUNCHES THE PRODUCERS INSTITUTE FOR NEW TECHNOLOGIES
San Francisco, CA -- The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has awarded the Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) a grant of $450,000 over two years to fund the Producers Institute for New Media Technologies, a program that will help public broadcasters and independent producers develop socially relevant media projects for emerging digital media platforms.
“We are very excited to bring together the independent filmmaking community, the digital industry, and future-thinking foundation support,” said Ken Ikeda, Executive Director. “As media technology changes so do audience viewing habits. The independent media field must be responsive and adopt cross-platform and mobile media platforms in order to remain relevant.”
A national Call for Entries for the Institute will be announced at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Through the Institute, eight production teams of up to 3 people each will be selected to come to BAVC’s San Francisco facility for ten days. Producers will participate in high-level industry roundtables, intense one-on-one project development with technical mentors, new media storytelling workshops, and hands-on prototyping of their ideas. The participants will be adapting and developing award-winning film and video content for delivery using interactive formats, including video game applications, interactive, web-based experiences, mobile streaming, multi-user communities, and new educational software. They may choose a range of delivery strategies, including cell phones, other hand-held devices, set-tops, Internet, portable software and more.
“The Producer’s Institute intends to provide a first-of-its kind incubator for independent filmmakers in new media technologies, and a unique opportunity for industry to greenlight innovative content for these new distribution models,” says Wendy Levy, BAVC’s Director of Media Arts and Education, who will oversee the Institute. The Institute will take place June 1 – 10, 2007 at BAVC in San Francisco. Applications will be available online beginning January 15th, with a February 15th deadline to apply. Institute participants will be notified by March 1st.
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The Bay Area Video Coalition (www.bavc.org) is the nation's largest noncommercial media arts center dedicated to providing access to media, education, and technology. BAVC is a production facility, an affordable training center, a pioneer in technology-based workforce development, and a critical resource for independent mediamakers. Since its inception in 1976, over 15,000 media projects have been produced in our facilities, over 35,000 mediamakers have been trained in the latest media techniques, and over 300 websites and videos have been produced for nonprofit organizations.
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (www.macfound.org) is a private, independent grant making institution dedicated to helping groups and individuals foster lasting improvement in the human condition. Through the support it provides, the Foundation fosters the development of knowledge, nurtures individual creativity, strengthens institutions, helps improve public policy, and provides information to the public, primarily through support for public interest media.
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