When East meets West
An international co-operative effort between two of the top film
schools in the world - the University of Southern California (USC) in
Los Angeles and the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) in Prague,
Czech Republic. The thirty minute film was shot in Prague, and some
neighboring villages in the Czech Republic in the spring of 1999, with
post production picture editing following in Los Angeles. The film
score was arranged, composed and recorded by one of Slovakia's top
composer/conductors, Anton Popovic in Bratislava, Slovakia with the
help of Slovakia's National Orchestra ~ the Bratislava Chamber Orchestra.
Reaching Out
Melting Glass was developed over a two-year period in Los
Angeles. The film's director and producer from USC met with FAMU in
Prague to plan out the production.
The very nature of the film ~ from story, to cast and crew, was an
intermingling of the American and Central European cultures, providing
students from both schools a rare opportunity to work together on a truly
special film collaboration.
Now in completion, Melting Glass has shown in the First Look
Festival at the Directors Guild of America
and over twenty other film festivals.
Origins
Since Czechoslovakia's liberation from Russia in 1989, and Czech
Republic's split from Slovakia in 1993, there has been an influx of
Americans living in Prague - recent estimates of more than 50,000. A
unique time in history for Czechs and American's alike, reminiscent of
many artists' pilgrimage to Paris in the Twenties, Melting Glass
will have lasting social relevance by documenting this historical merging
of cultures through a unique contemporary drama.
Moving into the 21st Century, the state of global relationships in the
film community become more and more important, both in film as an art and
film in commerce. The growing number of feature film co-productions between
foreign communities reflect the importance of the international aspect of
film making in today's world. Melting Glass was conceived the University
of Southern California to create the possibility for Eastern and Western graduate
film students to work together on one project, exercising the growth of their
craft, preparing them for the professional environment of feature film making,
developing their artistic talents and craftsmanship, and aiding in the
advancement of film as an art form.
Film Festivals
First Look Festival - Directors Guild of America, Hollywood, California
Santa Monica MOXIE Int'l Film Festival - Santa Monica, California
Vancouver Island Int'l Film Festival - Victoria, Canada
Temecula Valley Int'l Film Festival - Temecula Valley, California
Big Bear Lake International Film Festival - Big Bear, California
Woodstock Film Festival - Woodstock, New York
AFFMA International Film Festival @ Raleigh Studios, Hollywood
Ashland Independent Film Festival - Ashland, Oregon
Kudzu Film Festival - Athens, Georgia
Los Angeles Int'l Short Film Festival - Los Angeles, California
Hope & Dreams Film Festival - Hope, New Jersey
Marco Island Film Festival - Marco Island, Florida
Portland Festival of World Cinema - Portland, Maine
FirstGlance LA - Burbank, California
Sarasota Film Festival - Sarasota, Florida
York Independent Film Festival - York, UK
Fargo Film Festival - Fargo, North Dakota
Westchester Film Festival - Westchester, New York
Kansas City Jubilee - Kansas City, Missouri
Dover Film Festival - Dover, New Jersey
Black Point Film Festival - Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Back East Picture Show - Hoboken, New Jersey
Atlanta Film & Video Festival - Atlanta, Georgia
Real To Reel Festival - King’s Mountain, North Carolina
Upcoming Film Festivals
Custom Shorts - American Cinemateque screening – Hollywood, California
Crested Butte Reel Fest - Crested Butte, Colorado
Rhode Island International Film Festival - Newport, Rhode Island
Great Lakes Independent Film Festival - Erie, Pennsylvania
International Festival of Cinema and Technology - Toronto, Canada
Festival Highlights
•Grand Jury Prize - Best of Festival, Vancouver Island International Film Festival
•Best Dramatic Short Film, Fargo Film Festival
•Best Cinematography, Back East Picture Show
•Nominated Best Dramatic Short & Flash Forward Award, Portland World Festival of Cinema
•Semi-Finalist, Angeles Awards
•Semi-Finalist, Student Academy Awards
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