Picture Of The Day: Night Falling

The end of the day in Carroll Gardens.

Smith Street

Read More

Red Hook Film Festival, Now In Its Fourth Year, Showcases Brooklyn Talent

The 2010, Red Hook International Film And Video Festival

October 16th and 17th 

at The Brooklyn Waterfront Artist's Coalition's Screening Room, 

499 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York

 Click here for The Screening Schedule

As usual, all of the screenings are free and open to the public, 

with free popcorn and free Steve's Key Lime Pies 

The Red Hook International Film and Video Festival, now in its 4th year, will once again give young filmmakers an opportunity to screen their work right here in Brooklyn. This year's schedule is filled with unique short films, with a special emphasis on Brooklyn filmmakers.

Included in the lineup is Christine Kelly's the charming hand drawn animé "Huck On The Gowanus", which I posted on PMFA back in the spring.  (According to an email I received from the festival organizers, they first learned about the film on my website.) 

Also part of the festival is the wonderful "Va Fa Napoli Hipster", directed by Matt Weckel and my friends over at Blue Barn Pictures. The narrative tells the story of "an elderly man (who) exacts his revenge on the hipsters that plague his beloved Brooklyn."  I love the movie.

Bravo to Matt and to everyone at Blue Barn. 

s, 2010.

ShareThis

Read More

Of Blogfest 2010, Lemon Anderson, Spike Lee And The Changing Nature Of The Event

It was still daylight, when this blogger arrived at the Lyceum on 4th Avenue

for this year's Brooklyn Blogfest.

The wonderful old structure was an apt venue for the largest

gathering of bloggers in this borough.

Men in black were guarding the door.

Bodyguards? Bouncers? Secret Service?

Inside, chairs were already lined up in perfectly straight lines.

Young talent Sebastian Hodge and Teddy Ostrow were busy chalking the walls.

Actors Aaron Costa Ganis, Charlotte Maier and Natalie Paul

rehearsed their lines for "Blogs Alive" one last time.

As the doors opened at 7, the chairs quickly filled

with bloggers, readers, friends and press.

And so, Blogfest 2010 began.

Louise Crawford of Only The Blog Knows Brooklyn,

the event's founding director, welcomed all.

The actors performed adaptations from posts that appeared on local blogs,

including a segment from this post from Pardon Me For Asking.

Lemon Anderson performed his "Ode To Brooklyn"

Director Spike Lee spoke of Brooklyn, stoops, and his childhood home,

before taking questions.

And no, he is not moving back to Brooklyn any time soon.

Last but not least, Andrea Fumagalli of Blue Barn Pictures started the event off with his beautiful video homage to Brooklyn.

As in previous years, blogger Adrian Kinlock of Brit In Brooklyn, put a beautiful "Brooklyn Photo Bloggers" tribute together.

Borough President Marty Markowitz stopped by for a few minutes, but honestly, appearances by politicians at this event have always made me squirm. (Marty's Brooklyn cheerleading schtick makes me gag these days, especially because of his pro-Atlantic Yards stand and since he yelled at me openly once, when I asked him politely where he stood on the EPA Superfund designation for the Gowanus Canal. I took that to mean that, like Mayor Bloomberg, he was against it. Shame on him, I say.)

The nature of the Blogfest seems to be changing because of corporate sponsorship (this year's event was sponsored by Absolut Vodka and its new Brooklyn version created in collaboration with Spike Lee).

The fest has lost some of its edginess and grass-root feeling, which is unfortunate. It was the simplicity of the event that was so compelling. However, it is still a very nice gathering and a great opportunity to check in with other Brooklyn bloggers.

Thanks to Louise Crawford for all of her hard work organizing the event.

A lot of time and effort goes into putting together such a show.

And to all of my fellow bloggers out there, lets all lend Louise a hand in getting back that original grass-roots feeling of Blogfests pasts. If we all contribute, there will be no need for corporate sponsorship.

****UPDATE****

Marty Markowitz's Press Secretary Sends Response:

Click link:

Marty Markowitz's Press Secretary Writes To PMFA Regarding Blog Fest 2010 Post

Home PageShareThis

Read More

Sad, Sad News From The Blogging Community: The Passing Of Bob Guskind

Photo credit: Hugh Crawford

Robert Guskind 1958-2009

from Blue Barn Pictures, Inc.

Exactly a year ago today, Gowanus Lounge Blogger Bob Guskind passed away. His voice and his site is still very much missed here in Brooklyn, never more so than in this last week.

You see, Bob was passionate about the Gowanus Canal and would have been incredibly pleased by the recent news that the Environmental Protection Agency was placing the extremely polluted waterway on its list of Superfund sites.
Bob, I am sure, would have been elated by the announcement.
His outspokenness on the subject inspired many in the community to fight for a clean canal.
I know he inspired me.
I am sorry I did not get to celebrate this victory with him.
Here is to you, Bob!

The Carroll Gardens Coalition For Respectful Development (C.O.R.D.) just published a lovely tribute by Phil dePaolo . Please check t out here.

Related Reading:

Sad, Sad News From The Blogging Community: The Passing Of Bob Guskind

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

Read More

Don't Forget About Red Hook's 3rd Annual Film Festival This Week-End

The 3rd Annual Red Hook Film Festival

****REMINDER***

As part of their film line-up, the organizers of the 3rd Annual Red Hook Film Festival are including Blue Barn Pictures's film on fellow blogger and friend Bob Guskind. Also included is the incredibly poignant "Lavender Lake: Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal" documentary.

The 2009, Red Hook International Film And Video Festival screenings

will take place on October 3rd & 4th at

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artist's Coalition's Screening Room,

499 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York

Click here for Directions and Travel options to the Festival

At 1:00 p.m.	On The Gowanus
	Robert Guskind: 1958-2009 Directed by Blue Barn Pictures Documentary, 2009, color, 6:30 minutes A tribute to Robert Guskind - aka "Brooklyn's Blogfather" - who for many years published The Gowanus Lounge, a local news website that offered unique coverage of Brooklyn's many neighborhoods. This year's Red Hook Film Festival is dedicated to Robert Guskind, to The Gowanus Lounge, and to local storytelling.
	Lavender Lake: Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal Directed by Alison Prete Documentary, 1999, color, 53 minutes A 10th anniversary screening of this classic Brooklyn documentary, which chronicles the gritty details of the decades-long struggle to clean up the Gowanus Canal. This film remains especially relevant today, as the Gowanus neighborhood faces a potential Superfund designation. What has changed on the canal - and what remains the same - in the ten years since this fascinating documentary was completed?

Full Schedule Here

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

Read More

3rd Annual Red Hook Film Festival To Honor Blogger Bob Guskind

What a great tribute. The 3rd Annual Red Hook Film Festival is paying homage to my fellow blogger and friend Bob Guskind, who died unexpectedly this spring and who left a huge hole in the Brooklyn blog world.

As part of their film line-up, the organizers are including Blue Barn Pictures's film on Bob, Also included is the incredibly poignant "Lavender Lake: Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal" documentary.
Bob cared deeply about the dangerously toxic waterway. On many a day, I sit at my computer and think of Bob and what he would have thought of the EPA's willingness to step in to clean the area. He would have been all over that story, I can assure you. His voice is still missed in these parts!

The 3rd Annual Red Hook Film Festival

has just announced its schedule of films!

The Red Hook Film Festival will take place on October 3rd and 4th at the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition screening room at 499 Van Brunt Street. Our screenings begin at 1pm on Saturday Oct. 3rd, with the tribute film "Robert Guskind: 1958-2009" by Blue Barn Pictures, followed by a special 10th anniversary screening of the seminal Brooklyn documentary "Lavender Lake: Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal" directed by Alison Prete. This year, our festival is "dedicated to Robert Guskind, to The Gowanus Lounge, and to local storytelling."

The rest of the weekend will feature short film gems from neighborhoods around Brooklyn, including pieces about a Bushwick tailor, rooftop farms in Greenpoint, the Atlantic Yards boondoggle, Coney Island's lost roller coaster, Williamsburg industry, and a whole program of films about Red Hook!

Our screening schedule can be seen online at www.redhookfilmfest.com and at www.myspace.com/redhookfilmfestival

We hope that you and your readers can make it to the festival!

Best -

The Red Hook Film Festival

Festival Founder and Chair: Daniel Durning
Festival Managers: David Spritzler & Aaron Sugiura
Festival Advisor: Nathan Kensinger
Festival Programmers: Daniel Maldonado, Meghan O'Hara, Joe Pacheco

web: www.redhookfilmfest.com
myspace: www.myspace.com/redhookfilmfestival
facebook: www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=165019430983

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

Read More

Blue Barn Pictures Captures The Creation Of Water Street Mural In Dumbo

Photo by Max Kelly

You have to take a moment to watch this video. My friends at Blue Barn Pictures filmed artists Craig Anthony Miller,Cam, Demon 202, Tron, John Breiner and One 9 of the 303 Collective during four days, as they were painting an incredible mural on Water Street down in Dumbo. Then, they compressed the footage into a one minute video. The effect is amazing.

Mural on Water Street from Blue Barn Pictures, Inc. on Vimeo.

If you feel inspired by the video, you may want to take part in Blue Barn's

HD Documentary Field Production A 3-Day Hands-On Intensive Course

While most courses are limited to teaching basic fundamentals, this course equips you with the knowledge and hands-on skills to go out with confidence and create your own documentary pieces.

The course begins with classroom work that prepares you to handle a variety of situations in the field, focusing on HD workflow, Lighting Techniques, Audio, Basic Editing in Final Cut Pro, Interview Techniques, Creative Style, and Professional Etiquette.

Students go out and direct, shoot, and edit their own 60-second documentaries in a real-life setting using the latest Canon HD cameras and Final Cut Pro for a public showing on the final day of the course.

This Canon sponsored course is taught by production company professionals in a small class size, and normally costs $1000, but special discounts are offered to IFP members at $650 per student.


Course Dates: Friday, June 19th - Sunday, June 21st

For more information or to sign up for the course please contact:

Blue Barn Pictures, Inc. phone 718.852.1403 email training@bluebarnpictures.com

Or visit our website at: www.bluebarnpictures.com/home/training



For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

Read More

Three Bloggers, Three Directors, Three Videos From Brooklyn Blogfest 2009

At last week's Blogfest 2009, three videos, featuring three Brooklyn blogger, were shown during the event. Besides illustrating how individual and personal blogs can be, the three short features had one thing in common: they were directed by three different directors, all of Blue Barn Pictures, a production company in DUMBO.
One of the videos was directed by my own son Max Kelly , an intern at Blue Barn. It was his directoral debut and I was rather touched that he would choose me and Pardon Me For Asking as his subject. (Don't tell him, but it was the best Mother's Day present ever.)
The second video was directed by Juanjo Martinez and features my friend Carolina's blog Un trocito de El Palo en Brooklyn.
The third featured the incredibly inspirational blog Why Not Me and was directed by Sharon Dowdell.

Thanks Blue Barn Pictures, for allowing me to post them right here and read their blog, The Barn, for more.



For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

Read More

HD Documentary Field Production Course in DUMBO

Dear Reader,
Our friends at Blue Barn Pictures are offering a three day documentary field production course in DUMBO from Friday, May 22nd - Sunday, May 24th. This sounds as though it will be a great opportunity for anyone interested in film making.

HD Documentary Field Production Course

While most courses are limited to teaching basic fundamentals, this course equips you with the knowledge and hands-on skills to go out with confidence and create your own documentary pieces.

The course begins with classroom work that prepares you to handle a variety of situations in the field, focusing on HD workflow, Lighting Techniques, Audio, Basic Editing in Final Cut Pro, Interview Techniques, Creative Style, and Professional Etiquette.

Students go out and direct, shoot, and edit their own 60-second documentaries in a real-life setting using the latest Canon HD cameras and Final Cut Pro for a public showing on the final day of the course.

This Canon sponsored course is taught by production company professionals in a small class size, and normally costs $1000, but special discounts are offered to IFP members at $650 per student.

All major credit cards are accepted.

Course Dates: Friday May 22 - Sunday May 24

For more information visit:
http://www.bluebarnpictures.com/home/training

To sign up for the course, contact us at:
Blue Barn Pictures, Inc.
(718) 852 1403
training@bluebarnpictures.com

Sponsored By:
Canon, Independent Feature Project, Audio Technica and Photoflex

Read More