Hong Kong joins in Meiwenti Global Short Film Contest

Hong Kong joined the Meiwenti independent film movement along with 13 other global cities. The Meiwwenti Global Short Film Conntest is a part of the Meiwenti Network and is designed to support independent film makers develop a supportive community and cultural exchange though film. 

Cities include

Buenos Aires   Bogota  Mexico DF   St. Louis     Los Angeles

Madrid         Paris   London      Moscow        Beijing

Guangzhou      Xi’an   Shanghai    Hong Kong

Contact your local promoter

Hong Kong is : hongkong@meiwentinetwork.com

madrid is    : Madrid@meiwentinetwork.com 

The same format for the other cities.

any confusion just contact: international@meiwentinetwork.com

and a helpful meiwenti associate will help you out.

Meiwenti announces global film contest

For complete information please visit:

http://www.meiwentinetwork.com/contest

Introduction
In the soon-to-be-infamous Meiwenti Global Film Contest, all entries have just one month to write, shoot and edit a short movie, is a natural progression from our very successful and popular Shanghai Short Film Contest. With this, we will be hoping to build similar communities of filmmakers and enthusiasts to the community that has emerged in Shanghai or to link existing communities around the world in one global contest. This will involve all cities hosting their own contests simultaneously and having their own Awards Ceremony.

Then, all the winning films will go forward to the global contest in Shanghai and compete for the prestigious Global Winner award. This global ceremony will be screened in your city where there will be a vast array of different styles on show from all over the world. There will be an added edge, as the film representing your beloved city fights for its pride.

Why the Meiwenti Global Film Contest is unique
There are thousands of short film contests and festivals in the world, what sets us apart is:

• We are the only contest whose aim is to create communities of independent film lovers around the world and use this global network for the international distribution of indie feature films
• Our business model is designed to benefit the indie filmmakers worldwide
• We want to involve everyone in filmmaking, not just film students and industry insiders
• The Meiwenti Network will support filmmakers in the production of films that have met the quality standards

Timeline

• Kick off: June 11th
  On this day, all the filmmakers who have signed up will meet up in a venue and the promoter will explain what are the requirements for the contest. The promoter will also email the requirements that same night for those filmmakers that can’t make it.
• Entries Deadline: July 8th
  Any movies submitted after can not be included in the contest, so it is very important that you mark this date and plan carefully so as not to run out of time.
• Local Ceremony: July 18th
  The local awards ceremonies will take place on July the 18th at a venue in your city with the 12 best films being screened and the winning films and actors being selected by a Jury of film industry professionals and the audience getting to vote for the ever-popular, "People’s Choice Award".
• Global Ceremony: August 1st
  All the winning films from each city being screened and a coveted Global Winner being chosen by a Jury of professional filmmakers from all over the world.

Award Categories
The voting will be carried out by a judging panel of film professionals in your city. The jurors (4 to 6) will grade the films according to the different technical aspects of filmmaking. In addition, the audience will be the Jury for one category, the always popular "People’s Choice Award".

• Winning Film
• 2nd Best Film
• 3rd Best Film
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• People’s Choice

Disclaimer
Meiwenti Productions has the right to show the films on its website or at one of its affiliated websites and to produce contest compilation DVDs.

Sign up
Email your local promoter to sign-up or to answer any questions you have.

If your city doesn't have a promoter, you can participate in the INTERNATIONAL contest, where all the orphan filmmakers will compete. 
For more info, please contact: international@meiwentinetwork.com 

Meiwenti mobile phone video contest

Shoot a short film .... best film wins a nifty Nokia E71 phone. 

Theme - Friends

less than 1 minute: no editing: 

You do not have to be in Shanghai or even China to participate. Global entries accepted.

send entries to : Mobile@meiwentinetwork.com

Best "clips" will be screened in Shanghai.

Have fun!

Meiwenti Productions introduces Meiwenti Network

Shanghai 3 May 2009 -- Meiwenti Productions has been making independent film and supporting the independent film community in Shanghai since 2005. Now Meiwenti launches the Meiwenti Network, www.meiwentinetwork.com, an alternative way to develop a grassroots film community supporting cultural exchange and artistic expression through film around the world. 

The Meiwenti team in action

Founder Juan Vargas refers to the Meiwenti Network as a revolution in the film industry. 

"You have photographer, writers, artists, painters and sculptors working independently but only in film do we refer to the film industry," says Vargas. "But technology changes from digital distribution to desktop PC editing and affordable cameras has opened new possibilities and the time is ripe for a film revolution."

Vargas envisions the Meiwenti Network as a potential global distribution channel among worldwide communities of film professionals, afficionados and movie lovers. He does not see it as competing with the existing movie industry. Rather this would be a new way of getting quality movies to an interested public. 

Vargas says there are many people around the world who want to see quality film that is different from the run of the mill Hollywood fare. And he does not think he is alone. 

Meiwenti Network is looking for Meiwenti Network Promoters worldwide.   For more information contact :      Richard@trombly.com

Time in USA with family

After living in China for 6 years, it is always nice to spend some time in the USA. Especially when my lovely kids are in the U.S. and I still live in Shanghai. I arrived home in Belchertown, Massachusetts on April 8 to freezing temperatures and chilling winds. Thankfully before I left I had some real spring weather and saw the cherry blossoms come out and heard the "peeper" tree frogs emerge and perform their spring serenade.

Speaking of serenades, my (former) sister-in-law Katerina Korolov lives with my kids currently and she has a lovely dulcet voice and is handy with a guitar, banjo and some other string instruments. 

Katerina Korolov plays guitar while singing a tune she composed

I guess that side of the family is responsible for the musical artisitry of my 14 year old Anastasia. Anastasia regaled me with her own musical skills. She has gone just a bit Goth on the fashion   but she is still primarily a sweet and lovely geek....

Anastasia Trombly provides musical accompaniment to her drama club musical play 

She is also playing musical accompaniment to the Belchetown middle school's drama club musical play.  I was honored that my teenager asked her director dad to help organize the show and assist the drama club teacher, Mrs. Edwards. It is an adaptation of the classic Peter Pan. Next stop: NeverLand....

Why is it almost all of Neverland's "lost boys" are girls?

My son was a delightful companion during the week of school vacation I shared with my kids. He is an active 11 year old boy. Always playing frisbee, hiking, biking, on the swing (or jumping from it) and swimming on the school swim team.

 Basil jumps off his swingset but is not as aerodynamic as Peter Pan

Took a nice day in Boston to visit the Boston Science Museum and saw the Omni-theater presentation Roving Mars about the Mars rover mission. We also visited Quincy Market in downtown Boston and the Boston Common.  

Richard and Basil Trombly hiking on Mt. Toby

Basil also accompanied my on a nice hike in Western Massachusetts on the fun climb up Mt. Toby to the summit. 

April 28 I parted with my sweet kids and boarded a plane ot China - 20 hours and a day lost over the international dateline later, I arrived in China.

 

Shanghai 2020 completes filming

19, April, 2009, Shanghai -- The Science Fiction action/adventure SHANGHAI 2020 wrapped filming today. The 20 minute short film is the brainchild or Meiwenti Productions founder Juan Vargas. This is a community film production using the resources of Meiwenti members and some creative but effective rundraising methods.

In a time when the entire economy is in a slowdown, Vargas and his Meiwenti Productions simply respond, "Meiwenti." This is Mandarin Chinese for "No Problem." That is the mindset that Vargas takes to film making.

The iconic  Shanghai 2020 "SWAT chicks" get ready for some action on set

The Meiwenti community approach to film making has allowed talented amateurs to connect with seasoned film professionals to rapidly produce quality film while providing essential cultural exchange between local Chinese and expatriate foreigners.

Even as this production wraps filming and prepares for postproduction by Meiwenti professionals, Vargas and Meiwenti are preparing for the next project. The independent feature film FATHER JOHN.

For more information please visit

www.meiwentiproductions.com

See more photos from the set of Shanghai 2020 at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?page=1&aid=244651&id=741605563

"Father John" feature film casting now

I am preparing for directing the feature film, FATHER JOHN. A unique an spellbinding spy thriller much more in the Hitchcock style than a Bond 007 or a "Jason Bourne" action story. This is an independent film but we have great equipment, are attracting expert crew and are assembling a great list of credited professional actors.

Director: Richard@trombly.com

casting director: "Lola" Le Guan casting@meiwentiproductions.com

line producer: Juan Vargas juan@meiwentiproductions.com

to learn how you can get involved in this unique feature film project....

SYNOPSIS -- "Father John"

He is the nicest spy you could ever meet in London… He has just been re-assigned to Shanghai. His whole world is about to be turned upside down! 

"Father" John is aptly named for his gentle ways and reputation for always getting critical intelligence and "confessions" from even the hardest of sources. His style is uniquely suited to London, from polite society to the mean streets. He has it all - the respect of his office, a covert love affair and prospects for promotion after successfully unveiling a terrorist plot. That is, until one of his sources ends up dead, his cover is blown and a contract is issued on his life so John is reassigned – to Shanghai.

 

Shanghai is modern and international with a bright and shiny skyline, but there is a dark underbelly beneath it all. John finds a complex web of relationships and intrigue that takes him deep into the dark “long tang” lanes and the labyrinthine Xikumens of the real Shanghai. He must learn in this new environment to recognize his enemies from allies in this unfamiliar environment.

 

He starts out on the wrong foot with all the Shanghai office and gets beaten by a gang on the Shanghai streets. It seems his only friend is a dubious Russian named Yuri who claims to be in the shipping industry. Things turn around when he befriends  the office assistant everyone calls Susie and he cares enough to learn her native Chinese name, Fei Yuying. John enlists her aid to help him learn the ropes in Shanghai. She helps him make connections and unravel the levels of international deceit and deception. She also shows him some of the real China and its culture that the other foreigners miss as they travel only in the restrictive expatriate circles. 

 

John begins to master the situation is Shanghai, but he finds he is up against the Russian mafia, Korean crime lords and the same terrorist organization that he faced in London. Will he be able to navigate these turbulent waters, bring down the terrorists and save London before they can carry out their contact on his life?

Visiting my kids, birthday party

I am about to wrap on the filming of Distance Runners, so after a quick trip to Hong Kong I will drop my stuff in Shanghai, pay my rent and pet my dogs, and desert them yet again. (a friend and a maid care for my dogs during my frequent travels)

One of my dogs, Xingxing ("star") 

The reason I am running to America without taking a break from running non-stop since preproduciton for Distance Runners is that I have not seen my kids in 4 months!!!!!!!! 

I visited my kids and my dad in the fall of 2008

But I get to go home and see them for 3 weeks while i work on the initial preproduction on the film Father John that I will be directing in May and June.

My daughter is having a birthday party for her 14th birthday. She is an amazing young lady. She is a programmer with Linux installed on her computer and is programming in PHP, Wordpress and a few other programming languages and she has some business clients. She is a lovely and beautiful young girl.... AND a self-professed "nerd" (like her dad), a devoted reader of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimon, and a devoted Dr. Who fan.

Anastasia has her own unique style.

 Oh yeah, she now plays electric violin in a garage band too. :-) 

Anastasia Trombly plays her (non-electric) violin last Christmas when i was in USA at Christmas

My son Basil is a creative young artist. He is an engineer at heart I think. He is always designing things like space stations and vehicles and when he was younger made amazing worlds in a wondrous land of Lego blocks. He is now 11 1/2 and eagerly awaiting the chance to spend Spring holidays hiking and boating with his dad. He is also quite a swimmer and a member of the "stingray" swim team at his school. 

Basil's 11th Birthday party

While I am excited to get on to my next film project in China, nothing is better than some time with the family, the kids that I love.

Distance Runners films in Kunming College

March 26, 2009, Kunming -- Distance Runners spent 3 days filming in various locations within the Kunming College of Science and Technology, Oxbridge College Campus. This served as hospital, therapist offices, training grounds and more.  

Andrew Edelson plays Dr. Alistair Crane the doctor and mentor that helps Li Shan overcome his injuries after a crippling accident. 

"Alistair"  shares his wisdom with "Li Shan" 

The charming "Xu Mei" (singer Li-Tong Hsu) played the role of a traditional Chinese medicine doctor skilled in accupuncture and Eastern philosophy. This doctor team brings about the physical and spiritual recovery of Li Shan. 

Of course there is always some fun on the movie set.

"What is the diagnosis, Doctor?"

"Dude, you are like sooooooo crippled - ha, ha, ha..."

After wrapping the Oxbridge Campus location, we started looking at filming the ultramarathon scenes. We had a day off while director Robert Vicencio visited key locations for filming the ultramarathon race featured in this film. 

Camer a operator He Yun uses the RED ONE camera on a Steadicam unit

Filming running scenes is difficult and a marathon is not about speed and fast-paced competition, so the challenge for the director is to keep up the excitement with great cinematography, fast-paced editing, and a gripping story. Obviously we needed to use vehicle shots, steadicam and lots and lots of extras to film a race.

Nearly finished shooting Distance Runners film in Kunming, China

April 3, 2009, Kunming -- 

The race phase of the Distance Runners film shooting schedule is finished after a long week of shooting. Even though this is not generally the rainy season in Yunnan, the weather was not always on our side. This is largely due to the week of rain induced by Kunming government "cloud seeding" to make it rain. 

While the scenes in the rain helped to give the feeling of a grueling and arduous race, it is no fun filming in the rain. And even in Yunnan, where the weather is temperate, the wind and rain can get pretty bone-chillingly cold. 

"Josh" and "Katsuro"  battle for the lead

The actors and the crew were relieved to have some sunny days to shoot in as well. There are some beautiful locations in Yunnan. We are fortunate to get a chance to shoot out in such a beautiful region of China.

"Josh" is an arrogant British runner who seeks victory at any cost

Director Robert Vicencio has combined his unique dramaturgical mastery and the amazing RED ONE camera to make the most of his vision with a dramatic road race traversing the rugged countryside of Yunnan while lead character "Li Shan" has flashbacks of insight into his troubled past.

Lead actor Shao Wen puts on the speed and passes another competitor

"This film is intented to portray a spiritual journey," says scriptwriter and associate producer Richard Trombly.  "As Li Shan travels through the 188 km endurance course, we see flashes of the past that led him to undertake such an extreme challenge."