the paso digital wild west and music festival
for immediate release-all media
contact: benford standley
westmultimedia@gmail.com
323-850-8919
www.pasoroblesfilmfestival.com
nov. 4, 2009
back for more! now in their second year, the paso robles digital film festival opens nov. 20 through 24, featuring a special series of indy films and forums on the urgent issue of ‘kids-in-crisis and child-abuse’
(paso robles, ca)-returning to the public eye in san luis obispo county’s northern small-town ‘jewel’, paso robles, california, world-class promoter benford standley is bringing back his unique independent film-festival for a second-year run, nov. 20 through 24, for 2009. last year’s festival featured the famous and the almost-famous, including films and awards from actor-director clint eastwood, music from kevin bacon and his brother, oscar-winning film-editor joel cox, and a wide slate of fantastic independent films and film-makers. four days of films and music in 2008 featured panel-discussions on digital film-making, numerous screenings, and music from greats like ramblin’ jack elliott, johnny rivers, eagles songwriter jack tempchin, kevin bacon, kyle eastwood, and many others.
almost anywhere you go in america or around the world, new film-festivals are cropping up like colorful media carnivals in the forest of independent films from new film-makers seeking an audience. for standley, whose 40 year-career has included concerts with music legends like merle haggard, willy nelson (and his first worldwide internet live-music concert broadcast), and bob dylan, the pdff, or ‘paso digital wild-west film and music fest’, is a way to pull together the myriad ribbons and strings that comprise today’s ‘new-media’ and create a western-style rest-stop on the so-called information superhighway, with all of it’s early promise. thus of course the use of the term ‘digital film festival’, yet with a country-style feel from standley, a deep-south texan for most of his life.
for the festival’s second year, plans are for hours of ‘live’ internet ‘streaming video’ broadcasts, also for mobile-media such as cell-phones and ipods, or iphones (and also blackberries, palm-pilots, wireless, etc.). multi-platform social network outlets will include youtube, facebook, myspace, twitter, and more, with a broad-spectrum of coverage in these new media. prdff has also formed an alliance with b-side entertainment, and their audience of 4-million users, with a highly interactive film-programming and festival schedule service.
also like last year, the festival will offer numerous screenings of new feature films, short-films, documentaries, and other entry-categories, from all over the world, with 4 of these being world premiers. in typical p.t. barnum-fashion, standley is gathering a parade of music acts few similar festivals can boast of; friday and saturday will set the stage with a theme of ‘music in film’, with the music in media award going to the legendary producer joel diamond, and the likes of dave somerville, co-founding member of the world famous diamonds as mc for a doo-wop saturday with gary busey, chris montez, sonny curtis and special guests. friday music is with the jack tempchin band and special guests, and actor/activist/musician max gail, comedian charlie hill, steve miller guitarist kenny lewis, john andrew parks and more special guests. award winning magician rich ferguson will be appearing, like magic himself, throughout the festival. a special tribute to the ‘father of the electric-guitar’, les paul, is planned (paul was to have been part of the festival, but recently passed away).
from the world of film and media the likes of actor gary conway, academy of television arts and science board member conrad bachman, show business legend oscar arslania, award winning video director trey fanjoy, filmmakers chris felver, les blank, media entrepreneurs chris andrews, chuck banner, ben caswell, kathy kelly, dan jones, la sports talk-show host/film maker steve mason, and others, will join in. awards are planned for music-arts, digital arts, soundtracks, and of course the many film entries that will be screened for judges. fanjoy, who has worked on music-video projects for acts such as george strait, jimmy buffet, and miranda lambert, will receive a ‘spotlight award’, with many other honors. also planned are a digital-theater expo, and events at local wineries.
more details, time-dates-and-locations, tickets, and other information, are on the festival website at www.thepdff.com
but another very important part of the digital film fest this year, as the theme for sunday and monday, is a focus on ‘the state and fate of children’. the festival will screen some powerful new and past documentaries that show the suffrage of abused and neglected children and youth, and honor some great filmmakers, journalists, and producers who cover these urgent concerns on film, television and the internet.
festival producer standley is deeply dedicated to shedding light in the darkness for millions of homeless, runaway, and missing children, the abused, the autistic, and those who fall between the cracks, sadly, in historic numbers, here in the united states.
"in the spirit of ‘we are the world’, ‘farm aid’, and other great events where artists and creative people gather to help raise money and awareness for important causes, we shall ride that train,” he said. “film and media can help educate and bring about the awareness and understanding needed to help.”
among the guests who will ‘face the dragon’ of child-abuse in panel discussions and as speakers, will be:
ken kragen, a former paso robles resident, co-creator and executive producer of ‘we are the world’ and ‘hands across america’ for the homeless, will be honored with the festival’s humanitarian award, for his work in entertainment, and efforts to help so many in need with his beneficial projects.
mark lunsford will be a keynote speaker. he became a national spokesman and a true american hero to so many for his endless work for child safety after his 9 year-old daughter jessica was raped and murdered by a convicted sex-offender. the result of his work was jessica's law, which has been enacted by california and 39 states. another keynote speaker is erin runnion, the mother of kidnapped and murdered samantha runnion.
dr. lois lee, director of ‘children of the night’ in los angles, her associate, oscar and globe