Toronto's 2010 ReelHeART International Film Festival (RHIFF)

Seattle-based non-profit Smiling Z Studios has been designated as the production team for the winner of Toronto’s 2010 ReelHeART International Film Festival (RHIFF) short screenplay competition. Imagine that – film work coming to Seattle from Canada?

Screenplays are being submitted to RHIFF from around the world with the intention that the film can be shot here in Western Washington – supporting local cast, crew and equipment rental houses while showcasing the talent and skills of our local filmmaking community to a global audience. We will select the winning script from a group of finalists and produce the film here in the Seattle area in February 2010. The final product will premiere in Toronto in June 2010 and will be submitted to other film festivals around the world.

We want to produce the best product we can. While we are receiving a portion of the entry fees from RHIFF, this will not cover the anticipated costs of production based on their projected number of entries. Our fundraising event brought in a bit on top of that. How can you help?

1. Donate through the Smiling Z Studios Web site (use the Donate button in the left column). If you donate it may shave a little off your USA income taxes too – we are a partner organization of 501c3 Shunpike.
2. Become a part of the project -  one challenge is that we won’t know what script we will be producing until early in January 2010. That means we’ll be looking for cast, crew, equipment, locations, costumes, props, food, insurance,  legal services, interns, maybe even a trained seal! If you’re in, respond to info@smilingz.org and mention how you would like to participate.
3. Help me get the word out – tell your friends about this cool project, especially your rich friends. I’ll be adding this to my blog so you can share it easily on facebook.
4. Suggest funding sources that might be interested in supporting this cross-border effort.

Thank you for your past support and camaraderie. One of the things I love about making films is the people you meet – their excitement and passion for storytelling, generous encouragement, and willingness to find solutions to even the gnarliest creative problems. I feel blessed to have this addiction and you in my life.

Happy Holidays!

Tom

Seatte's Non-profit Smiling Z Studios

I’m consolidating my blogs and other sites to make it easier for me to keep them current, and hopefully easier for you to find information about my work as a filmmaker, my production company and non-profit film studio.