At press time, noted director Bob Giraldi of bicoastal Giraldi Media, and the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York–an artists’ education institute for which he’s served on the faculty since 1968–were reaching out to advertising agency creatives to play participatory roles in the Out of Hand International Festival, an inaugural showcase and competition for innovative digital content created by students worldwide and intended for playback on a mobile, PDA or other handheld device.
Aspiring artists, designers, filmmakers and creative thinkers are invited to enter original content into competition using an online entry form by Dec. 31. A public screening and awards presentation is scheduled for March 19, 2009, in New York City.
The festival’s website–www.outofhandfestival.com–is designed to be a window into a competition of digital content, each entry being three minutes or less, created by students 17 or older. Visitors can view, rate and comment on submissions, and find inspiration for their own projects. The site features editorials and interviews with individuals on the leading edge of digital video and wireless technology. A grand prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the winner, along with other prizes to the runners-up, including a summer residency at SVA.
The main competition is open to those enrolled in a college, university or other degree-granting institution, regardless of major or concentration. Submissions will be considered by a distinguished jury of artists and media leaders for awards in the following categories: Design; Games; Art+Animation; Short Film; and Advertising.
Giraldi and SVA are reaching out to leading agency creatives on several fronts–for one, as possible jurors. Agency creatives are also being sought to be part of Fest-related webinairs which are being scheduled to help educate and inspire students. And ad shop creatives are being asked to enter content they think is new and innovative into the Inspiration section of the Out of Hand Festival website. This Inspiration section is being developed as a dynamic platform for agency artisans to show their work and convey their thoughts, ideas and observations about the present, past or more importantly the future of mobile technology and communication. Where is it going? What, in their dreams, will mobile communication do for them in the future? How do they use it now? What would they like it to do for them? (Work, an essay or anything that creatives deem relevant to the digital world can be submitted to Giraldi Media producer Patti Greaney at patti@giraldi.com.)
The Out of Hand International Festival grew out of discussions between SVA founder Silas H. Rhodes and Giraldi. The now since deceased Rhodes was a pioneer in recruiting creative professionals from advertising, publishing and the arts to join the faculty. He had approached Giraldi about launching a festival. Giraldi and longtime collaborator, media producer Greaney, devised a competition encouraging budding talent to explore the new frontier opened up by “the fourth screen” found on wireless devices like mobile phones and PDAs.
“Small screens are quickly emerging as a major means of communication and expression,” observed Giraldi.
“We wanted to create a festival of content in your hand. Think of it as bringing the festival with you.”
Justin Baldoni Sues Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds For $400M As “It Ends With Us” Fight Continues
"It Ends With Us" actor and director Justin Baldoni has sued his co-star Blake Lively and her husband, "Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds, for defamation on Thursday in the latest step in a bitter legal battle surrounding the dark romantic drama.
Baldoni's suit seeks at least $400 million for damages that include lost future income. The lawsuit from Baldoni and production company Wayfarer Studios, which also names publicist Leslie Sloane as a defendant, comes about two weeks after Lively sued Baldoni and several others tied to the film, alleging harassment and a coordinated campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set.
That lawsuit came the same day that Baldoni sued the New York Times for libel, alleging the paper worked with Lively to smear him.
The new lawsuit filed in federal court in New York says the plaintiffs did not want to file the suit, but that Lively "has unequivocally left them with no choice, not only to set the record straight in response to Lively's accusations, but also to put the spotlight on the parts of Hollywood that they have dedicated their careers to being the antithesis of."
An email seeking comment from Sloane, whose PR company represents both Lively and Reynolds, was not immediately answered.
The two actors are also both represented by agency WME, which dropped Baldoni as a client after Lively filed a legal complaint that was a precursor to her lawsuit and the Times published its story on the fight surrounding the film.
The surprise hit film based on the novel by Colleen Hoover has made major waves in Hollywood and led to discussions of the treatment of female actors both on sets and in media.
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