This opportunity from the Philanthropy News Digest..

Cinereach is a not-for-profit film production company and foundation that supports fiction and nonfiction filmmakers from all over the world through grants and awards, the Reach Film Fellowship, an internal productions department, and partnerships with the Sundance Institute and other organizations.

Through its grants program, Cinereach supports feature-length nonfiction and fiction films that are at the intersection of engaging storytelling, visual artistry, and vital subject matter. Cinereach seeks to support films that utilize cinematic artistry and storytelling to provide insight and spark dialogue,challenge prejudice and advance human rights, discover humanity and hope, and foster global community.

Through its grants program, Cinereach supports feature-length nonfiction and fiction films that are at the intersection of engaging storytelling, visual artistry, and vital subject matter. Cinereach seeks to support films that utilize cinematic artistry and storytelling to provide insight and spark dialogue,challenge prejudice and advance human rights, discover humanity and hope, and foster global community.

Cinereach does not award multiyear grants, grants for capital or endowment campaigns, or individual scholarships for study or travel. Cinereach is not currently accepting applications for organizational support or to support a project's outreach or distribution activities.

In order to receive support from Cinereach, a prospective grantee must be a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization or be fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization.

There are two grant cycles per year (summer and winter). Within each cycle, between five and fifteen projects are selected to receive support.

Cinereach requires all prospective applicants to submit an initial letter of inquiry, and will consider full proposals only by invitation. The LOI deadline for the Summer 2011 grants cycle is June 1, 2011.

Visit the Cinereach Web site for complete program guidelines, application procedures, and the online LOI form.

I'd like to think that if my daughter had survived, she'd be a hell of a lot like Tara Cardinal (Delivery, Legend of the Red Reaper), one of The Independent Critic's favorite up-and-coming actresses. 

Cardinal, the voice and face of The Independent Critic's Compassion Archive, is an extraordinary young woman who has it all - brains, beauty and one big ass heart.

It's Cardinal's heart that is front and center again as she heads up a slew (or should I say "slay?") of Hollywood celebs from household names to horror and indie all-stars united to raise funds for Japan Relief. The event will take place on Thursday, April 7th from 7-10pm at Dark Delicacies, 4213 W. Burbank Boulevard in Burbank, California.

Cardinal has already lined up a haunted house full of celebs for this incredible evening. Come by and pick up a photograph or autograph from the following:

Join concerned celebrities in an effort to support the relief efforts in Japan.
Come by, grab a photo or an autograph from:

• Lance Henriksen (Alien Series, The Witches of Oz, Gemini Rising)
• James Duval (Donnie Darko, Gone in 60 Seconds, Spreading Darkness)
• Stephen Kramer Glickman (Big Time Rush, The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It)
• Sean Hood (Conan the Barbarian 2011, Hercules 2011)
• Daniel Knauf (Spartacus Blood & Sand, Carnivàle) ++ just confirmed
• Rileah Vanderbilt - Schedule permitting (Hatchet 2, Frozen, Sexy Nightmare Slayers)

Additional Special Celeb Guests: Elissa Dowling, Kevin Tenney, Camden Toy, Brett Wagner, Adam Weisman, Erik Preston and Josh Eisenstadt.

In addition to Dark Delicacies' sponsorship, the evening is sponsored by Bleedfest Film Festival (It happens monthly!) and FanGirlTastic.com.

There's a reason that Tara Cardinal is the voice and face of The Compassion Archive, and it's not just because it gives me a reason to talk to a really beautiful woman on a regular basis. Here at The Independent Critic, we celebrate those artists who give back to the community and Tara Cardinal is, indeed, one of the queens of compassion.

Join Cardinal and all the fantastic artists at this very special Japan Relief benefit. Check back at this listing for regular updates on your favorite cinematic celebs giving their time to make a difference in the world!

Quadruple Academy Award^® Winner  To Open On 1,000 Screens, Will Be Only Version In Theatres

 

 

 

New York, NY, March 24, 2011 – The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that THE KING’S SPEECH PG-13, the family-friendly version of its Academy Award-winning historical drama about King George VI, will open on 1,000 screens nationwide on April 1, and will be the only version available in theatres.  One of the year's most celebrated, successful and beloved films, THE KING'S SPEECH was honored at the 83rd Academy Awards^® with Oscars^® for Best Picture, to producers Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin; Best Director, to helmer Tom Hooper; Best Actor, to star Colin Firth; and Best Original Screenplay, to screenwriter David Seidler.  The announcement was made by TWC's President of Theatrical Distribution and Home Entertainment Eric Lomis.

  Said Lomis, "We are thankful to the MPAA for their wisdom and swift action in approving the release of THE KING'S SPEECH PG-13 release.  The action enables those to whom it speaks most directly - young  people who are troubled by stuttering, bullying and similar trials -- to see it."

  The emotional impact of stuttering that was illuminated by THE KING'S SPEECH continues to be a topic of conversation with the recent statements by Vice President Joseph Biden about his own struggles with stammering.  The release of THE KING'S SPEECH PG-13 offers families nationwide access to a positive story about stuttering and overcoming obstacles and social stigmas.

Ford Foundation Announces Social Issue Film Funding Initiative

The Ford Foundation has announced the launch of JustFilms, a five-year, $50 million initiative to help find and support a new generation of filmmakers whose works address urgent social issues.

The initiative will invest $10 million a year over the next five years to support and expand the community of filmmakers and mediamakers around the world who are focused on creating documentaries with "passion and purpose" but who often lack funding to realize their visions or reach audiences. JustFilms will build on the foundation's longtime support for documentaries and will leverage the foundation's global network of ten regional offices to identify and help fund new talent from around the world and strengthen emerging communities of documentary filmmakers.

The initiative will pursue three distinct funding paths: partnerships with major organizations such as the Sundance Institute, Independent Television Service, the Tribeca Film Institute, and others; collaboration with other Ford Foundation grantmaking programs where the introduction of documentary film could help draw attention to an issue or advance a movement; and an ongoing open-application process to help the program stay attuned to fresh ideas and stories wherever they may emerge.

Approximately one-third of JustFilms support will be dedicated to finding projects through the open-application process. Applications should include a brief description of the project and creative approach, the primary purpose of the film, the current stage of the project, and whether any other funds have been raised for the film.

Visit the Ford Foundation Web site for complete information on the JustFilms program and for details on the foundation's grant application process.

RIO ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM TO BE RELEASED APRIL 5^th ON FOX MUSIC/INTERSCOPE

 

3D ANIMATED MOTION PICTURE EVENT, RIO , FROM 20^th CENTURY FOX AND BLUE SKY STUDIOS, OPENS APRIL 15^th

 

Soundtrack album highlights include:

• “Hot Wings (I Wanna Party),” new duet by will.i.am and Jamie Foxx

• “Telling the World” by Taio Cruz

“Mas Que Nada (2011 Rio Version)” by Sergio Mendes

• plus tracks from Bebel Gilberto, Carlinhos Brown, and more!

 

           

( New York , NY )  An all-star musical cast led by multi-platinum artist will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas, Jamie Foxx, Bebel Gilberto, Taio Cruz, Ester Dean, Siedah Garrett, Jemaine Clement (of Flight of the Conchords), and Brazilian sensation Carlinhos Brown, along with film composer John Powell join together under the guidance of Brazilian music legend and executive music producer, Sergio Mendes, for the original motion picture soundtrack of RIO, a 3D animated motion picture event from 20^th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios, opening April 15^th.  The soundtrack album will arrive in stores April 5^th on Fox Music/Interscope Records.

 

From the makers of the hit ICE AGE series comes RIO , a comedy adventure about taking a walk on the wild side.  Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) is a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, living a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda (Leslie Mann) in the small town of Moose Lake , Minnesota .  Blu and Linda think he’s the last of his kind, but when they learn about another Macaw who lives in Rio de Janeiro , they head to the faraway and exotic land to find Jewel (Anne Hathaway), Blu’s female counterpart.  Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by a group of bungling animal smugglers.  With the help of street smart Jewel, and a group of wise-cracking and smooth-talking city birds, Blu escapes.  Now, with his new friends by his side, Blu will have to find the courage to learn to fly, thwart the kidnappers who are hot on their trail, and return to Linda, the best friend a bird ever had.

 

Leading the musical contributions is “Hot Wings (I Wanna Party),” an original song by will.i.am (as the redheaded bird, Pedro) that he sings with his ‘sidekick’ Jamie Foxx (as the yellow canary, Nico).  R&B/Pop star Taio Cruz contributes a new, original song, “Telling the World”, that captures the heart of the film.  Sergio Mendes adds a brand new recording of his classic bossa nova hit with Brasil ’66, “Mas Que Nada.”  Mendes, who also serves as executive music producer of RIO , brought in Carlinhos Brown to further shape the film’s music and sound.  The album is the latest in Fox Music’s deep catalog of distinguished soundtracks, responsible for over 60 million units in worldwide sales.

           

In addition to Eisenberg, Hathaway, Mann, will.i.am, and Jamie Foxx, characters in RIO are also voiced by Jemaine Clement, Tracy Morgan, George Lopez, Rodrigo Santoro, and Jane Lynch.  RIO was directed by Carlos Saldanha, whose box office hits include Ice Age (2002), Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009).

 

RIO: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK – full track listing:

 

1.  Real In Rio– The Rio Singers
2.  Let Me Take You To Rio (Blu's Arrival) – Ester Dean & Carlinhos Brown

3.  Mas Que Nada (2011 Rio Version) – Sergio Mendes featuring Gracinha Leporace

4.  Hot Wings (I Wanna Party) – will.i.am & Jamie Foxx

5.  Pretty Bird – Jemaine Clement

6.  Fly Love – Jamie Foxx

7.  Telling The World – Taio Cruz

8.  Funky Monkey –Siedah Garrett, Carlinhos Brown, Mikael Mutti, and Davi Vieira

9.  Let Me Take You To Rio (Remix) – Ester Dean featuring Ivete Sangalo

10.  Balanco Carioca – Mikael Mutti

11.  Sapo Cai – Carlinhos Brown & Mikael Mutti

12.  Samba De Orly – Bebel Gilberto

13.   Valsa Carioca – Sergio Mendes

Digital version includes bonus

 

Click the link to view the first two minutes of RIO here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ81_Q0lYAM&feature=relmfu