James Kenney

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Real Ideas Studio Announces Global Microgrants for Emerging Filmmakers

SAN JOSE, Calif. — February 3, 2009 — Thirty-two students in culturally-diverse teams created eight documentaries during the Slamdance Film Festival, which ran concurrent with this year’s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT. According to festival directors, the Real Ideas Studio screening was the largest at Slamdance, with standing-room-only attendance.

The Jury Prize winning film, entitled Lies on the Prize, was a mockumentary in which the team stole story ideas from their colleagues. Accepting the award, the director of the winning film, Akash Kingston, said, “This is my first time in the United States, I am from Dubai. It’s a really good feeling over here! It’s been a wonderful experience.” Of the screening, Saskia Wilson-Brown of Current TV said, “The films were fantastic... It was a really excellent screening, and it brought this local community into the festival, which is really a first for me. I’ve never seen that before.”

Subjects of other films ranged from an amputee snowboarder, to the search for a local mountain legend, to following a local Park City indie dog. To watch all the short documentary films, go to www.youtube.com/realideasstudio.

Of the Student Filmmaking Program, Mentor, Erik Adolphson, related, “It’s been a true networking gold mine for the students of Real Ideas Studio.” Student, Richard Fung, from Toronto, said, “Gaining this experience through Real Ideas Studio is a real positive for my career in the film industry.”

Real Ideas Studio is a global collaborative that mentors creative arts programs within culturally-diverse environments. The program has run filmmaking programs at the last three Cannes Film Festivals and announces a call for applications to its new Global Microgrants Program for Emerging Filmmakers. Each grant includes monetary support and professional mentorship to create meaningful films around the world, with a screening planned for Cannes 2009. To learn more applicants should visit www.realideasstudio.org.

The Student Filmmaking Program at Slamdance was sponsored by Adobe Systems, Inc., Intel Corporation and Vancouver Film School. Dell, Inc. provided Precision Workstations. Mentors and staff were from the California College of the Arts, Vancouver Film School, Original City Pictures, Adobe Systems, Inc., and past emerging talent of Real Ideas Studio.

© 2009 Real Ideas Studio, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.