Category Archives: feature films – documentaries

International Spiritual Film Festival

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“Where people are now in terms of economic crisis… I think that’s when people look to film and to spirituality.” ~  Emilio Estevez 

Spirit, enlightenment, personal transformation, personal fulfillment have been the focus over the past few days on All Things Fulfilling. In keeping with that theme, today we will share some information about an event that is coming up in March, for those of you who enjoy independent films of the spiritual nature. 

The Center for Spiritual Living in Morristown, NJ will play host to Awaken! International Spirit Film Festival in March.  An world gathering of independent filmmakers, films about a variety subjects about our spiritual universe will be screened. Wonderful connections of like minded-people, will no doubt take place over this three day period and tickets can be purchased for individual movies. 

Stay informed for developing details about the event through this website. http://bit.ly/RWn4d2. Last year’s selection of films are posted on the site, and many of them can be obtained through www.imdb.com, The Internet Movie Database. At a later date, information will be posted about the films that will be shown in 2013 and the exact date of the event.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Film Friday: Books for Indie Filmmakers

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“A good library will never be too neat, or too dusty, because somebody will always be in it, taking books off the shelves and staying up late reading them.” ~Lemony Snicket 

The holiday buying season will soon be upon us. In order to give you a head start on gift ideas for family or friends who are interested in filmmaking as amateurs or professionals, today’s blog will be focused on books about the industry. 

The Independent lists a selection of thirty books, many independently published, on things such as: 

  • Visual effects in films
  • Directing Films
  • History of Film and Cinematography
  • Finding success and fulfillment as a filmmaker
  • Legal issues of the film industry
  • Acting
  • Techniques for photography and filming
  • Film Editing
  • Film Distribution 

To see the list of recommended books, please visit this link. http://bit.ly/VaeoQQ.

Help your favorite filmmaker or want-to-be filmmaker build his or her library and career by purchasing one or more of these books to give as gifts this holiday! You will be giving a gift that will contain valuable information to reference from year after year. 

See you on Monday, for more independent thoughts, words and views from www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Film Friday: Won’t Back Down

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“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.” ~ Chinese proverb

The film “Won’t Back Down” will be making its debut in movie theatres today, September 28th.  It is a movie that many parents will relate to because it is about doing the right thing for children by providing them with the best opportunity for education.

The story focuses on two parents, one of whom is a teacher, who are unhappy with their children’s inner city school and they face issues of how to “fix it.”

Evidently, this movie is raising eyebrows of the Teacher’s Union. Although controversial, I feel compelled to share this movie because the subject is so familiar to my family.

We went through a similar situation in rural Vermont back in the 1990s.  Our son was going to a tiny elementary school, 30 students, in danger of closing entirely due to budgetary constraints and not so great quality. The parents were unhappy with the public school system. Our town boldly voted to close down the public school, and re-open it as a “private school, with a public mission.” The transition was not an easy one; there were dissenters.

In the end, it seems the children are receiving a better and different kind of education. Moving into a unique school model grew the school, which now includes middle school grades. Parents from surrounding towns are able to send their students to it. According to everything I am reading, some fourteen years later, students are scoring well above state and national averages on standardized assessments.”

Look for “I Won’t Back Down” in your neighborhood theatres. To read more about this film,Click here for info & ordering.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Common Community Through Art and Culture

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“In art, the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can imagine.”  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have you ever noticed how artists flock together and build common community?

People find kinship in their writing, painting, poetry, music, filmmaking, knitting,the performing arts and so forth. You know how it goes. Everyone in the group speaks the same language. 

The Colorado Creative Industries has worked to identify communities where art contributes greatly to the overall culture,  enhancing the lives of local citizens and tourists.  

Telluride has been designated as a one of five prospective Creative Districts in Colorado. Forty-four towns and cities were under consideration. The goal of the Colorado Creative Industries is to bolster the artistic community by providing consulting and technical assistance and an $8,000 grant to help grow the community as an economic driver through art. 

During the winter, outstanding skiing is the impetus behind visiting this “box canyon” with stunning and dramatic scenery, but in summer it is all about art festivals. Each weekend from May to September people flock to the area for two film festivals, music concerts and gatherings of playwrite/screenwriters. There is also a Cajun weekend, chamber music, yoga and bike races,  and more. 

There is even a Compassion Festival held in Telluride, which I was not aware of until I picked up some tourist literature. This event brings in academia from different parts of the country who lecture on the benefits that compassion brings to overall health, well-being and stress reduction. Cultural differences in compassion is also part of the discussion. It is held in collaboration between the Telluride Institute http://bit.ly/U87yzg and Stanford University’s Center for Compassion & Altruism Research & Education (CCARE). Interesting! Please visit this link to read more about it.http://bit.ly/QVb8Kn

Congratulations, Telluride! When I was in the area recently I was impressed with your charming Victorian homes, art galleries, retail spaces, historic hotels, the amazing scenery and the emcompassing flavor of the artistic community. It was fun visiting. I’ll be back!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Gem Stone Village Discovered

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“I’m also looking for gems that the average reader might have missed.” ~ Terry Windling

“My, oh, my, isn’t it gorgeous?” I said to my husband and son, as we drove into Ouray, Colorado on Saturday. “Didn’t I tell you, Mom?” my son said “that’s why I said you have to come see it.”

Ouray, nestled between high, high peaks in the San Juan Mountains is called “Switzerland of America©.” The “alpine-like” village is a gem. Outstanding ice climbing and summer rock climbing and the healing hot springs are just a few reasons that this little town is so busy with tourist activity.

On Saturday morning the center of town was the starting place for the Imogene Pass half marathon. Fifteen hundred runners faced a challenging course that climbed from altitudes of 7,700 elevation to 13,000, over an unpaved mountain pass from Ouray to Telluride.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the relief and pride I felt as my saw my son cross the finish line after running seventeen grueling miles. It takes guts and grit to tackle it. He did well for himself, finishing 14th in his age group. But, he said many of his competitors were “seniors who looked older than the mountains and really put him and the younger people to shame.” I noticed that as I watched.

Ouray has so much going for it! Well cared for Victorian buildings, art galleries and quaint little shops, the Ouray Hot Springs, and charming bed and breakfasts, historic hotels.

It was second Saturday Art Walk, and we made the rounds. We stopped into Buckskin Booksellers. They have a large and outstanding collection of books of regional interest on Colorado, Western history and of geological subjects such as mineralogy, mining, fossils, rock hounding and the like.

I also noticed some outstanding art books scattered in different retail establishments throughout town. You could not help but notice them because some were like tomes – oversized, beautifully crafted, filled with magnificent images. I spied John Fielder’s Ranches of Colorado http://www.johnfielder.com and books on the Art of Howard Terpning. 

Many notable movies were filmed in Ouray County. My son Marc’s interest in visiting Ouray was more than just to run in a footrace. As a filmmaker, he was interested in seeing the settings of these movies:

Our visit to Ouray was a perfect stop along the way of a fun and fulfilling weekend. I’d like to return some day to further explore this area. It is located near where four states – Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah come together. There is a lot more to see such as Twin Peak Falls, and more to do than I ever realized.  For more information, visit this website http://www.ouraycolorado.com/.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Screening Half the Sky

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“No woman is required to build the world by destroying herself.”        ~Rabbi Sofer

Economic empowerment, education and good healthcare for women are solutions that make a difference between opportunity and oppression. The film , Half the Sky: Turning Opression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, is an adaptation of the book by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. It  focuses on six celebrity activists and their work to rebuild lives after a women’s integrity and self-esteem has been taken away by violence and brutality. Click for info & ordering Half the Sky

On Wednesday, September 12th at 6:30 pm Half the Sky will be screened at the Bud Werner Memorial Library in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The film is  part of the Women & Girls Lead program for Independent Lens through PBS. It will be followed by a discussion of the issues that are highlighted in this movie. Anyone is invited to join in the screening and the dialogue afterward.

 

This film is being sponsored by the Bud Werner Memorial Library, the Yampa Valley University Women and Tasaru Girls School Fund, a non-profit that works to help educate Masai girls and women.

If you do not live in the vicinity of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, you will still have a chance to see it. It will be broadcast on October 1st and 2nd, 2012 on PBS channels. Look for the air times in your local TV program schedule.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Film about Nature and Wild Horses

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“…and God took a handful of southerly wind, blew his breath over it and created the horse.” ~ Bedouin legend

Once again, it is Film Friday. Today we will put the spotlight on another award-winning documentary that has been aired on PBS.

The independent film, Wild Horses in the Winds of Change, by Sky Dancer Productions challenges us to think about nature and the treatment of wildlife, particularly wild horses. Horse lovers who know equines intimately say these sensitive creatures teach mankind about their own humanity, yet there are some people who place little value on the bond between these animals and people.Click for more information and ordering the film

What responsibility does man have to protect the wild species of horses as part of the natural world around us? Should we change our thoughts and actions towards horses who roam the earth in freedom?

A prestigious premiere opening at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood indicates that the Wild Horses in Winds of Change was worthy of drawing a good audience and had appealing elements on many levels.

Essentially this film is a plea to all inhabitants of the earth to protect wild horses from obliteration. Filmmaker, photojournalist, screenwriter and film director Mara LeGrand, PhD’s brings insight to this film from her career in holistic health.

Wild Horses in the Winds of Change is now available on DVD and can be ordered through this site. http://bit.ly/aEEsva.

Equine enthusiasts are encouraged to see this film and speak out against what many see as atrocities that are being committed against wild horses.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime – Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected
www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

A Fulfilling Look Back

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“Feeling a part of that community is my greatest reward.” ~ Paul Parker

As I write this final blog post for the year 2011, I am taking stock of many of the exciting things that have transpired over the past year within the independent industry and in my corner of the publishing universe.

 The independent publishing industry is gaining momentum here and everywhere. In June, I formed a networking group for independent publishers in Routt County. Six months later, I am happy to report She Writes Steamboat is an affiliate member of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. We are over 30 “independents” strong, here in Steamboat. A healthy interest group, ranging from want-to-bes to newly-published to experienced publishers who are looking for support. All wish to be successful in their writing efforts and in selling their quality books. Many have new projects in the works and are exploring e-book publishing, too. Just yesterday, at our monthly SHe Writes Steamboat meeting, a bright and ambitious 16 yr old high school girl joined us. She has already published and is selling her first e-book. 

My downloadable webinar, “On the Fast Track: The Independent Publishing Industry” is now available, thanks to the Colorado Independent Publishing Association. This 18 minute presentation is offered at the reasonable price of $10. CIPA’s mission is to provide affordable opportunity for education about the industry. I am onboard with that idea, too! tp://bit.ly/oIkV2g. 

Over the past year, I have been a contributing writer for the Steamboat Today Newspaper (The Steamboat Pilot). Interviewing and featuring the work of artists in different fields – painters, an actress/producer, independent filmmakers, writers and more on this blog site, has been fun. I am thrilled and grateful for all the opportunities I have had this year. It has been so rewarding to build relationships with blog readers, too. Thank you for visiting this site!  

Over 750 blogs have been published on All Things Fulfilling. The blogs are searchable by category and I invite you to peruse the many topics that have been covered. I will return to this post right after the New Year. In the meantime, I will be planning for the upcoming year and working on something that is very near and dear to my heart – my own book!  Merry Christmas to all. I hope you had a fulfilling year, too!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Things that Serve Writers and Filmmakers

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“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did.”  – Mark Twain

New and improved digital publishing software and digital filmmaking software for editing and post production is appearing on the scene.  In this world of producing digital content for all kinds of screens, there is a growing need. 

Perhaps you are a budding writer or independent filmmaker who has made a resolution to invest in stepping things up a notch by purchasing professional software for digital publishing or for creating films or video in  2012. Choices can be confusing and many when it comes to picking the best software. 

Adobe has a website that may be useful in fulfilling your need for knowledge about which way to turn. Their full range of software is suitable for individual and enterprise solutions. Investment in professional software means the ability to create high quality, professional results. 

Adobe Digital Publishing Suite has solutions for those who wish to create content that will captivate viewers and readers on mobile devices. The publishing suite is all encompassing software and it includes individual programs such as:

  • Photoshop
  • InDesign
  • Flash
  • Premiere
  • After Effects
  • Dreamweavers
  • Illlustrator 

Along with the need for software may come a need for education on how to use it, too! There are certified instructors who can lead you through the effective use of these products. They have the experience and the know-how. To help you explore the right product for your needs and to find out how to locate a certified instructor, please visit this link, http://adobe.ly/r0ONyr. 

Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC does not endorse any one software program. This information is offered to fulfill a need for independent publishing help. By using your favorite search engine, look for digital publishing software. The choices are varied. Be wise! Research before you buy. 

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

 

Collaboration Strengthens the Indies

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“Individually, we are one drop. Together we are an ocean. ~ Ryunosuke Satoro 

Independent publishers in Steamboat and the surrounding Routt County have good reason to celebrate this month. Our meet-up group, SHe Writes Steamboat has grown to include 29 members. We are fulfilling networking opportunity for independent publishers and fostering independent publishing success. Some members are first time publishers, others have several titles under their belt and many are working on new books. The group has been in existence since June 2011. 

Last weekend we made a collaborative appearance at Holiday in the Rockies. This event was organized by the Steamboat Art Council. http://bit.ly/uJFXs7.   SHe Writes Steamboat is also pleased to announce that our individual member’s publications are being considered by book clubs affiliated with the Bud Werner Library for reading in 2012. 

If you are an independent publisher, male or female, in Routt County or in the surrounding counties looking for a meet-up group of this type, we invite you to join us at our monthly meetings. We meet every third Tuesday of the month from 4pm to 5:30pm. For more information on the group and where we meet, go to the SHe Writes Steamboat Facebook page and send us a message you would like to be included in this group. Here is the link http://on.fb.me/oOWKWm. You can also contact me, Sue Leonard of Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC, through SheWritesSteamboat@gmail.com. 

We look forward to learning more about you as an author, independent publisher and as a contributing member of this collaborative group!