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Where Soldiers Come From

13 Jan 2012, admin

Award-nominated documentary WHERE SOLDIERS COME FROM by Heather Courtney gets it’s screening date!

Presented by Texas Independent Film Network (TIFN), co-sponsored by SWAMP

Monday, January 30th

Sundance Cinemas (map)

Time 7:30

Buy TIX

From a snowy small town in Northern Michigan to the mountains of Afghanistan and back, Where Soldiers Come From follows the four-year journey of childhood friends, forever changed by a faraway war.

A documentary about growing up, Where Soldiers Come From is an intimate look at the young men who fight our wars and the families and town they come from. Returning to her hometown, Director Heather Courtney gains extraordinary access following these young men as they grow and change from teenagers stuck in their town, to 23-year-old veterans facing the struggles of returning home.

Filmmaker to attend Q&A after screening.

Watch trailer:

Where Soldiers Come From – New HD Trailer from Heather Courtney on Vimeo.

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Announcing January Workshop!

6 Jan 2012, admin

Back by popular demand, John Cones returns to extend his 2011 Business of Film Conference lecture on investing in independent films. Find out how to approach investors, what to bring, what they are interested in, and how to best promote your project.  You won’t want to miss this!

For more info, click here.

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Sundance for Terence Nance!

6 Jan 2012, admin

Congratulations to SWAMP Emerging Filmmaker recipient Terence Nance’s “whimsical blend of live action and animation” feature film AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF HER BEAUTY was accepted to Sundance Film Festival’s 2012 New Frontier section!  Terence and his production team have a Kickstarter campaign going to help raise funds for post and the trip to Sundance for the world premiere.  See trailer here.

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HFCS Awards SWAMP’s Mary Lampe!

6 Jan 2012, admin

SWAMP’s Executive Director Mary Lampe received a Special Achievement Award in Cinema for her work from the Houston Film Critics Society.  Also awarded for the first time was the Texas Independent Film Award which went to PUNCTURE.  Among the other nominees for this inaugural award designed specifically to highlight Texas film were SWAMP member films  STICK ‘EM UP! (Alex Luster) and THE GREAT AMERICAN MOON ROCK CAPER (Wes Linnenbank).  Only films majorly financed and filmed in Texas are eligible. A special Lifetime Achievement Award for Jeff Bridges and a Humanitarian Award for Joanne King Herring were also handed out during Saturday’s ceremony at MFAH.  Congratulations to all the nominees and award winners for the Best Films in 2011!

Something about Mary…

MARY M. LAMPE, Executive Director

Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP)

For 13 years, Mary Lampe has served as Executive Director of Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP), a 35-year-old nonprofit media arts organization that supports the creation and appreciation of independent film. Throughout her tenure, she has developed innumerable educational programs and film programs for youth and adults. In addition, she has served on festival juries and panels as well as on grant committees for city, state and national funders.

She is most proud of  her efforts to provide direct support to talented filmmakers, resulting in the production of 27 short films through the Walt Disney ABC Television Talent Development Grant program and the eight month Emerging Filmmakers Fellowship Program, a bi-cultural collaboration with the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.

Also, Mary has assisted experienced filmmakers in raising over $1.6 million through SWAMP’s Sponsored Projects program, which provides a nonprofit umbrella for non-commercial documentary films. Through her efforts, she has helped both emerging and experienced filmmakers combined to raise over $2.5 million for their film projects.

Mary Lampe was elected an at-large member of the founding board of the Texas Motion Picture Alliance (TXMPA), a statewide nonprofit organization which serves as a legislative advocate for professionals working in the film, video, interactive, and digital media production industries. She also served as the chair of the founding committee of the Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS), sponsors of the new Cinema Arts Festival Houston, and continues to serve on the HCAS board.

Mary is the Co-Executive Producer of THE TERRITORY, SWAMP’s international short film showcase series, broadcast on Texas PBS stations for 34 seasons. She was recently asked to curate a program of American short films for the 2012 Tour de Film in St. Petersburg, Russia.