FROM HERE TO AWESOME

Festival Kicks Off

This past weekend FHTA festival showcase films started selling in various outlets. Over the coming weeks more outlets will be added. For full details on where to find the festival films on DVD, download or stream visit From Here to Awesome.

DIY DAYS is the educational side of FHTA. Similar to how film festivals have panel discussions, FHTA has a series of live events taking place in LA, SF, Boston, NYC and London. The events consist of keynotes, panel discussions, case studies and workshops. The first DIY DAYS event took place this past weekend in LA and over 300 people showed up for the day’s events.

A number of presentations where made from various parts of the world. Here’s one by filmmaker Brett Gaylor from Montreal discussing his latest project entitled Basement Tapes. For more on Brett click here

To see more visit www.diydays.com

Tags: , diy days, festival, fhta, panels

Showcase is annouced

We’re pleased to announce the From Here to Awesome 2008 Showcase. Special thanks to all who submitted to the fest and big thanks to all the volunteers who have helped to make the fest possible. We’re going to be making some exciting announcements in the coming weeks. In the meantime we’ve just re-launched www.fromheretoawesome.com with all the showcase films. The films will hit outlets on July 26th which is also the kick off to the fest and the date for DIY DAYS LA.

Variety covered the fest today - From Here to Awesome: Alternative Film Fest

Amid a tough economic climate for indie films, Lance Weiler, a guru of the open-source DIY indie film movement, is launching on July 26 a new-model open-source film fest, From Here to Awesome.

Melding social networking and viral Web marketing, the “discovery and distribution festival” showcases twelve micro-budgeted features selected from 115 submissions via a complex online process…

…From Here to Awesome and sponsor Current TV are also staging a series of live events called DIY Days in Los Angeles, Boston, New York, San Francisco and London where Weiler and other DIY filmmakers including Arin Crumley (Four Eyed Monsters) and M dot Strange (We Are the Strange) will discuss new models of funding, production, distribution and sustainability.

Read More

Festival Update

A quick update:

DIY DAYS
The site for the DIY DAYS events is now live. www.diydays.com stop by and check it out. If you live in LA or SF all the details are set. We’ll be at Under Spring on July 26th in LA and at the 111 Minna Gallery on August 17th in SF.

LINE UP
Next week the showcase will be announced and we’re very excited to share the full lineup. The audience taking control of the programming has resulted in the selection of a diverse group of films from various parts of the world.

IN THE PRESS
FHTA gets some coverage: Digital Content Producer Magazine has a feature article about FHTA in its June issue on newsstands now. Click here to read the online version.

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
Since FHTA is an open source project we are in search of folks who would be willing to help with the festival and the live events. So far the project has people pitching in from various parts of the world.

Here’s what we could use:
If you live in LA or SF we are in search of people to lend a hand with setup, shooting, and recording of the DIY DAYS

Do you have some time to help us spread the word about the festival and live events? We’re in need of some online support to help get the word out.

Always looking for the help in the following areas:
Legal (are you a lawyer or firm willing to provide some time to the festival and filmmakers)
Tech (can you code and do you love film? We are looking for those willing to share their skills)