5 days of celebrating contemporary photography in Brooklyn’s DUMBO district starts up this week May 12th. Promising an array of exhibitions in almost every gallery in DUMBO as well as a whole program of talks and panels. Let the picture taking and talking commence!

See full schedule and get your tickets here

After 12 days of film screenings, venue crises and trying to figure out who has YOUR VIP tickets, you would figure I would be sick of the word FILM or FESTIVAL. NOPE.

Art By Chance ultra short film festival is back for it’s second year and I am happy to announce two special US screening.

May 11th Cinema Speakeasy hosts ART BY CHANCE at ECHO PARK FILM CENTER in LA.

Art By Chance: Tuesday May 11 at 7:30p
On May 11, we’re hosting a special presentation of about forty 30-second silent art films, also at the Echo Park Film Center.

The program is part of the Art By Chance Ultra Short Film Festival- and the coolest thing about this screening is that we’re asking you to bring noisemakers and instruments: Pots and pans, toy trumpets, drums, whistles, a kazoo, your dog’s favorite squeeze toy, or your grandmother’s Stradivarius.

We’re going to compose music for the films collectively, on the spot, on the fly, with no prior knowledge of film composing, musicianship, or foley for that matter.

Can we do it? Come find out.

Art By Chance NY Screening with Live Soundtrack Performances: May 23rd 7p-10p at Angels & Kings

Performances by Anthology Strings, Clay Franklin, DJ Chad North and Special Guest

Art By Chance films will  be leaving the cinemas and headed to the streets May 7 to June 4th. For more info on where to see films and our special screenings in NY and LA visit us at www.artbychance.org

Once again the Apple Store along with Indiewire host an array of FREE filmmaker events as part of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Be sure to get there early (1 hr), you don’t need a ticket but seats and standing room fill up fast!

The Future of Filmmaking: Where Is It and Where Is It Going?A panel of acclaimed producers discuss the state of filmmaking today and where it’s headed tomorrow. Panelists include Karin Chien (winner, 2010 Piaget Producers Award), Lisa Cortes (producer of the Oscar-nominatedPrecious), Mynette Louie (producer of the award-winning film Children of Invention), Jason Kliot (leading producer of indie films), Jay Van Hoy (producer of Old Joy andTreeless Mountain), and Mary Jane Skalski (producer of Mysterious Skin, The Visitor, and Dare).Friday, April 23, 5:00 p.m.

Director Bryan Goluboff and Actors Ezra Miller and Zoë KravitzThe talented writer-director discusses his new teen comedy, Beware the Gonzo. The film stars Ezra Miller as Eddie “Gonzo” Gilman, who is kicked off his school paper by editor Gavin Riley (Jesse McCartney). Bent on revenge, Gonzo starts his own underground newspaper with surprising results.Friday, April 23, 6:30 p.m.

Emily and Sarah KunstlerThe sisters discuss William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe — their powerful documentary about the life of their father, the late radical civil rights lawyer William Kunstler. The film recounts the historic causes Kunstler fought for, revealing a man who risked public outrage and the safety of his family to promote justice for all.Tuesday, April 27, 6:30 p.m.

The Directors ofFreakonomicsJoin Eugene Jarecki, Morgan Spurlock, Seth Gordon, Alex Gibney, Heidi Ewing, and Rachel Grady as they discuss their documentary film collaboration, Freakonomics, in which they each interpret a different chapter of the best-selling book by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.Friday, April 30, 6:00 p.m.

Jean-Pierre JeunetThe French auteur behindDelicatessen and Amélie discusses his latest film,Micmacs. The story follows Bazil (Dany Boon, Joyeux Noël), raised as an orphan, who now has a bullet lodged in his brain from a previous mishap. Gentle-natured and kind, he exacts a revenge plot against the giant weapons manufacturers responsible for his accident. It’s a whimsical David and Goliath story, reminiscent of Buster Keaton.Friday, April 30, 7:30 p.m.

FOR A FULL LIST OF SPECIAL TRIBECA EVENTS AT THE APPLE STORE CLICK HERE

For the second year in a row, I have been involved with Art By Chance, an ultra short film festival that screens short films on digital signs around the world. While these short films will be playing here and there, I organize the official New York screening of the films which includes a unique music element…

Art By Chance is currently seeking musicians to participate in the second annual Art By Chance Screening & Music Scoring party in New York on May 23rd.

Art By Chance is an ultra short film festival that screens short film on digital signs around the world. Part of the idea behind Art By Chance is to bring film to the public in an unexpected way, in an unexpected place, while also acting as an alternative means of short film distribution.

As part of our celebration of this year international festival we are inviting music makers of all kinds to create impromptu scores of the films live.

If interested in performing, please submit a sample of your work to stacey.burgay@anbean.org by April 16th.

For more information on Art By Chance visit us www.artbychance.org

THE 2010 ART  BY CHANCE “TIME” THEMED FILMS WILL BE ARRIVING TO A CITY NEAR YOU MAY - JUNE. If you would like to help bring the world’s largest public art event to your city, email us!

Most of my fondest childhood memories tend to include The Muppets. I used to LOVE to sing-along to the movies and watch all the “behind the scenes” clips on TV.  Before bed each night, I would listen to the Muppet Show record and even slept on Muppets sheets. Actually I still have them, I won’t let my mom throw them out.

I admire Jim Henson immensely; for his creativity, passion and commitment to his craft and company. I remember one time I was at MGM Studios in FL and saw Jim Henson in the cafeteria, I was too shy to go up to him. A few weeks later he passed away.  Where am I going with this short trip down memory lane?

The Jim Henson Company presents a wonderful treat for adults like me that still have a big thing for Muppets.

photo from official website.

STUFFED AND UNSTRUNG: It’s The Muppets. Off-Broadway. Improvised. For Adults. Produced by Henson Alternative, a division of the company that specifically creates adult-themed content. This show promises to provide laughs with a show that’s sure to be different every night of the week!

It’s The Muppets, meets Avenue Q, meets Upright Citizen Brigade. I AM SOLD.

Stuffed and Unstrung is now playing at the Union Square Theater in NYC NOW!

Get your tickets here!

p.s. It appears as if all the Muppets involved are new, so you don’t have to worry about  ruining your images of Kermi and Miss Piggy.

Take 1: Brooklyn Vegan pre-SXSW showcase at The Knitting Factory (Brooklyn) on March 15th

BrooklynVegan.com are throwing a pre-SXSW party on March 15 at the Knitting Factory with some of their favorite bands…all on their way to Austin for the festival: Let’s Wrestle, Casiokids, The Wave Pictures, Banjo or Freakout and WhoMadeWho (DJ only).

Take 2: New Directors, New Films starts March 24th to April 4th.

You really can’t go wrong with NDNF, close your eyes and just point anywhere on their program and you will see something good.

Take 3: Who needs the Salt Lick anyway? There are plenty of good BBQ places here in NYC (Daisy Mays, Blue Smoke, Bone Lick, Rub BBQ)

and then call me in the morning.

THE AWESOME FOUNDATION!

So if you spent anytime with me, in person or virtually (blog, twitter, facebook) you know that I kind of TALK A LOT about MY IDEAS, MY PROJECTS, MY WORK, MY LACK OF WORK and MY LACK OF MONEY to fund my ideas and pay for my apartment at the same time.  I know I’m not the only one in this boat, so I’ve started to research, resources, grants, organizations and even continuing education classes.  The Internet can be a bit overwheleming at times. Where to go? Where to start? What is actually helpful? So I thought I would start testing out things and reporting on my results. Perhaps if I find something that is useful to me, it will also be useful to you. If I find out an organization is NOT helpful I will also be sure to report that as well.

First thing I am going to do is apply for a grant to the AWESOME FOUNDATION

What is THE AWESOME FOUNDATION and what is AWESOME?

“Awesomeness is often overlooked by mainstream culture, which tends to rehash the same broadly appealing but mediocre creations. Thankfully, there is the web.

Awesomeness is more the product of a creator’s passion than the prospect of audience or profit. Awesome creations are novel and non-obvious, evoking surprise and delight. Invariably, something about them perfectly reflects the essence of the medium, moment, or method of creation. Awesomeness challenges and inspires”

Do you walk around your neighborhood and find yourself nostalgic for that old favorite  bar, restaurant, coffee shop or  venue where you saw _______ band or ______ comedian for the first time. I do. Do you often wonder what your Grandpa or Grandma would say of that same neighborhood? I do.

Gallery Bar, another venue that doubles as an art gallery by day, lounge by night, unveils Sampling and Revisions: The L.E.S. deframed. This exhibit curated by Zoe Lukow opens tonight, March 3rd till March 24th and commemorates the neighborhood history through photographs of then and now.

Gallery Bar is located at 120 Orchard Street, north of Delancey.

I apologize as I totally dropped the ball. Only writing about pancakes for the month of February is shameful, unless of course I was a food critic blogger.

What’s going on this week in NYC? Tons of cool stuff!

Friday Feb. 26th

Wonderland: A Tim Burton Ball - dress up in your favorite character and learn to dance!

Dumbo Art Center: Pop Up Art Sale - Help support them and some wonderfully talent artists while also adding something to your wall. Art prices start at $50 a pop.

On Saturday 27th

The Music Hall of Williamsburg is screening UNPROTECTED, a series of 2 minute films by members of The FilmShop. For more information click here

Bike Buddy & Bike Tweetup in Brooklyn.

On Sunday Feb 28th

NYC Food Crawl Presents:  The February Pork Bun Crawl, Manhattan

Don’t forget to stop by City Bakery for the last day of the Hot Chocolate Festival! Sunday is their FINALE!!!!

What’s going on this week in Stacey Land? I was interviewed by The Film Talk two weeks ago, along with my counter part in Istanul but the interview was kind of cut out of the show and replaced with a really great promotion of Art By Chance. I guess we have to work on our audio interviewee presence…

Anyway, BIG THANKS to Jett Loe and Gareth Higgins for graciously giving our festival props on their show. If you are unfamiliar with The Film Talk and their podcasts head over to their website and hear intelligent conversations / arguments on the latest film releases.

Submissions for ART BY CHANCE are open till March 24th. Plenty of time to make a 30 second “TIME” themed film.

In other news, this Thursday at 8pm, I’ll be hosting a screening/fundraiser of  Poto Mitan, a documentary exploring the roles of Haitian women in the global economy. All proceeds go towards Partners in Health an organization that has been working on the ground in Haiti for 20 years.