Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Film Festival Call for Entries

Tomorrow, Thursday, June 30^th, is the deadline for early admission!

Entries postmarked by tomorrow receive a discount on your submission!

EMP’s Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival

Now Accepting Entries

SEATTLE— EMP Museum is now accepting entries for the 2012 Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival (SFFSFF).  The seventh-annual festival will screen 20 films at the renowned historic Cinerama Theatre in Seattle, Washington in early 2012.

EMP, in partnership with the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), is encouraging original and creative science fiction and fantasy film submissions 15 minutes or shorter in length for the festival. The festival will accept animated or live-action submissions in science fiction (examples: futuristic stories, space adventure, technological speculation, social experiments, utopia and dystopia) and fantasy (examples: sword and sorcery, folklore, urban fantasy, magic, mythic adventure). The festival will not accept horror submissions. To qualify, films must have been completed after January 2007.

ENTRY DETAILS:

Deadlines & Fees:  June 30, 2011 (early) - $20

          August 15, 2011 (final) - $30

          September 15, 2011 (late) - $50

Submissions:  All submissions are processed through Without a Box –   

                       www.withoutabox.com/login/4608

SFFSFF will bring together science fiction professionals in film, television, and literature to judge the top films in the festival. The jury will award Grand Prize, Second Place, Third Place, and the Douglas Trumbull Award for Best Special Effects. The audience will determine the Audience Favorite award during the festival.

For additional rules and regulations, visit empmuseum.org/filmfestival.

###

About the Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival

The Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival promotes and encourages an awareness, appreciation and understanding of the art of science fiction and fantasy cinema. Its mandate is to create a forum for creative artistry in science fiction and fantasy film and recognize the most outstanding short films produced.

ABOUT EMP | Museum of Music + Sci-Fi + Pop Culture

EMP is a non-profit organization dedicated to the exploration of creativity and innovation in music, science fiction, and popular culture. EMP combines interpretative, interactive exhibitions with state-of-the-art technologies, and educational programming to offer visitors of all ages a first-hand, multi-dimensional experience of the creative and artistic process.

EMP is housed in a 140,000 square foot Frank O. Gehry-designed building. This spectacular, prominently visible structure has the presence of a monumental sculpture set amid the backdrop of the Seattle Center.

EMP MUSEUM HOURS
Summer hours May 27, 2011 - September 5, 2011, 10:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m.

CONTACT INFO
325 5^th Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
206-770-2700, main line
206-770-2702, box office
1-877-EMP-SFM1, toll-freewww.empmuseum.org

SOCIAL MEDIA

facebook.com/EMPSFM

twitter.com/EMPSFM

youtube.com/empsfm

flickr.com/photos/empsfm/

EMP's Sci Fi and Fantasy Short Film Fest Accepting Entries

Posted on behalf of EMP/SFM:

EMP’s Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival Now Accepting Entries

SEATTLE— EMP Museum is now accepting entries for the 2012 Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival (SFFSFF).  The seventh-annual festival will screen 20 films at the renowned historic Cinerama Theatre in Seattle, Washington in early 2012.

EMP, in partnership with the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), is encouraging original and creative science fiction and fantasy film submissions 15 minutes or shorter in length for the festival. The festival will accept animated or live-action submissions in science fiction (examples: futuristic stories, space adventure, technological speculation, social experiments, utopia and dystopia) and fantasy (examples: sword and sorcery, folklore, urban fantasy, magic, mythic adventure). The festival will not accept horror submissions. To qualify, films must have been completed after January 2007.

ENTRY DETAILS:

Deadlines & Fees:  

• June 30, 2011 (early) - $20
• August 15, 2011 (final) - $30
• September 15, 2011 (late) - $50

Submissions:  All submissions are processed through Without a Box     

                       www.withoutabox.com/login/4608

SFFSFF will bring together science fiction professionals in film, television, and literature to judge the top films in the festival. The jury will award Grand Prize, Second Place, Third Place, and the Douglas Trumbull Award for Best Special Effects. The audience will determine the Audience Favorite award during the festival.

For additional rules and regulations, visit empmuseum.org/filmfestival.

About the Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival

The Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival promotes and encourages an awareness, appreciation and understanding of the art of science fiction and fantasy cinema. Its mandate is to create a forum for creative artistry in science fiction and fantasy film and recognize the most outstanding short films produced.

ABOUT EMP | Museum of Music + Sci-Fi + Pop Culture

EMP is a non-profit organization dedicated to the exploration of creativity and innovation in music, science fiction, and popular culture. EMP combines interpretative, interactive exhibitions with state-of-the-art technologies, and educational programming to offer visitors of all ages a first-hand, multi-dimensional experience of the creative and artistic process.

EMP is housed in a 140,000 square foot Frank O. Gehry-designed building. This spectacular, prominently visible structure has the presence of a monumental sculpture set amid the backdrop of the Seattle Center.

EMP MUSEUM HOURS
Summer hours May 27, 2011 - September 5, 2011, 10:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m.

CONTACT INFO
325 5^th Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
206-770-2700, main line
206-770-2702, box office
1-877-EMP-SFM1, toll-freewww.empmuseum.org

SOCIAL MEDIA

facebook.com/EMPSFM

twitter.com/EMPSFM

youtube.com/empsfm

flickr.com/photos/empsfm/

EMP Announces 2011 Sci-Fi Hall of Fame Inductions

EMP Announces the 2011 Science Fiction Hall of Fame Inductions

Reserve free tickets to ceremony starting May 23, 2011

SEATTLE—EMP is proud to announce the 2011 Science Fiction Hall of Fame Inductions. On Saturday, June 25, 2011 at 4:30 p.m., four science fiction luminaries will be inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. Those being honored this year are: Vincent Di Fate, Gardner Dozois, Harlan Ellison, and Jean ‘Moebius’ Giraud. The induction ceremony will be held in the JBL Theater at EMP. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is part of the annual Science Fiction Weekend which includes The Locus Awards Ceremony  and NW Media Arts writing workshops.

Tickets to the Science Fiction Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony are free and can be reserved starting Monday, May 23, 2011 by calling the EMP box office at 206-770-2702.

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame honors the lives, work and ongoing legacies of science fiction's greatest creators. Founded in 1996, the Hall of Fame was relocated from the Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to its permanent home at EMP in 2004. Hall of Fame nominations are submitted by EMP members. The final inductees are chosen by a panel of award-winning science fiction authors, artists, editors, publishers and film professionals.

BIOS

Vincent Di Fate

Vincent Di Fate has been one of the world’s leading science fiction and fantasy artists for more than 30 years. Throughout his prolific career he has created both imaginative and scientific paintings of space and futuristic technology for book covers and clients such as IBM, The Reader’s Digest, The National Geographic Society and NASA. His paintings are vivid and precise with strikingly elegant brushstrokes and their impact on the world of science fiction is unmistakable. Di Fate has been honored by the most prestigious awards in his field including the Frank R. Paul Award for Outstanding Achievement in Science Fiction Illustration, the Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist, the Skylark Award for Imaginative Fiction, The Lensman Award for Lifetime Contribution to the Science Fiction Field, and the Chesley Award from the Association of Science Fiction/Fantasy Artists for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.

Gardner Dozois

Gardner Dozois is best known for his work as the editor of Asimov’s Science Fiction from 1984 – 2004 and the annual Year’s Best Science Fiction anthologies from 1984 onward. He has a reputation as one of the foremost editors of science fiction and fantasy with a record 15 Hugo Awards for Best Editor, and is also a two-time Nebula Award-winning author. Throughout his career he collaborated with magazines such as Galaxy Science Fiction, If, Worlds of Fantasy, and Worlds of Tomorrow, has co-edited a series of themed anthologies with Jack Dann, and currently writes short fiction reviews for Locus while also continuing to edit the Year’s Best Science Fiction annual anthologies.

Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison is an acclaimed speculative fiction writer who has produced over 1,000 works including short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, and essays as well as literature, film, and television criticism. He has contributed to a number of popular television shows including The Outer Limits, Star Trek, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Twilight Zone, and Babylon 5. His collections of television criticism, The Glass Teat and The Other Glass Teat are highly regarded. Ellison’s writing is edgy and aggressive and his tone can be both humorous and dark. His large collection of awards includes 10 Hugo Awards, 3 Nebula Awards, 18 Locus Poll Awards, the Bradbury Award, 6 Bram Stoker Awards, The Edgar Allan Poe Award, and 2 Georges Méliès fantasy film awards.

Jean ‘Moebius’ Giraud

Jean ‘Moebius’ Giraud is an internationally-renowned comics artist originally from a suburb of Paris, France. Giraud began using the Moebius pseudonym in 1963 specifically for his fantasy and science fiction work which includes the L’Incal, The Airtight Garage, and Arzach series, as well as storyboards for films such as Les Maîtres du temps, released in English as Time Masters. Moebius has since become the name by which he is best known in the US, where he’s contributed production design for films such as Alien, Willow, The Abyss, and The Fifth Element. The style and tone of his artwork is very adaptive and through the course of his career has generally shifted from more realistic, as seen in his early Blueberry series, to more expressive and fantastical compositions.

ABOUT EMP Museum of Music + Sci-Fi + Pop Culture
EMP is a non-profit organization dedicated to the exploration of creativity and innovation in music, science fiction, and popular culture. EMP combines interpretative, interactive exhibitions with state-of-the-art technologies, and educational programming to offer visitors of all ages a first-hand, multi-dimensional experience of the creative and artistic process. EMP is housed in a 140,000 square foot Frank O. Gehry-designed building. This spectacular, prominently visible structure has the presence of a monumental sculpture set amid the backdrop of the Seattle Center.

EMP MUSEUM HOURSWinter hours September 7, 2010 - May 26, 2011, 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Summer hours May 27, 2011 - September 5, 2011, 10:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m.

CONTACT INFO
325 5^th Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
206-770-2700, main line
206-770-2702, box office
1-877-EMP-SFM1, toll-free
www.empmuseum.org

SOCIAL MEDIA

facebook.com/EMPSFM

twitter.com/EMPSFM

youtube.com/empsfm

flickr.com/photos/empsfm/

Stars and Schedule Announced for Battlestar Galactica: The Exhibition

Battlestar Galatica: The Exhibition
World Premiere Weekend
Oct. 22-24, 2010
EMP|SFM
Seattle, Washington USA

New traveling exhibition opening weekend to feature BSG stars, three full-size spaceships, costumes and props from the original and re-imagined series plus VIP preview and panels

SEATTLE, WA—Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum (EMP|SFM) is proud to announce the Opening Weekend schedule for Battlestar Galactica: The Exhibition during the weekend of October 22-24, 2010. Organized by EMP|SFM and in partnership with Universal Cable Productions and Syfy, Battlestar Galactica’s Opening Weekend will feature a star-studded VIP preview including Edward James Olmos (Admiral William Adama), Michael Hogan (Colonel Saul Tigh), Tahmoh Penikett (Karl ‘Helo’ Agathon), Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek (2004) and Apollo (1978)), Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh) and executive producers Ronald D. Moore, and Glen Larson. Additional events include panel discussions with cast and producers of both Battlestar Galactica series, live taiko drumming performances, and other activities. The exhibition boasts three stunning, full-size prop spaceships, iconic costumes, new exhibition films, music and props from the original and re-imagined series. Media tours and VIP preview take place on Friday, October 22, 2010. Exhibition opens to the public on Saturday, October 23, 2010.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES at EMP|SFM

Friday, October 22, 2010

11:00a.m.-1:00p.m. Battlestar Galactica Celebrity Media Tours*

5:30p.m.- 6:00p.m. Celebrity Red Carpet*

7:00p.m.-8:30p.m. VIP Exhibition Preview*

*Featuring Battlestar Galactica producers and cast: Edward

James Olmos, Richard Hatch, Michael Hogan, Tahmoh

Penikett, Kate Vernon, Ronald D. Moore, Glen Larson

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Noon-1:30p.m. BSG: The Birth of a Legend

Go behind the scenes of the 1978 series with tales from the original Colonial Fleet and invention of an empire. EMP|SFM curator Brooks Peck interviews Battlestar Galactica creator/producer Glen Larson and actor Richard Hatch (Apollo).

2:30p.m.- 4:00p.m. Sex, Blood and Cylons: The Re-imagination of Battlestar Galactica

In 2004, Battlestar Galactica returned to television, taking the sci-fi world by storm. EMP|SFM curator Brooks Peck leads a discussion with Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore and principal cast members Edward James Olmos, Michael Hogan, Tahmoh Penikett and Kate Vernon.

“This exhibition is the first of its kind for Battlestar Galactica,” says Brooks Peck, curator of the exhibition. “We dig deep into both the original and new series; explore the complex characters and storylines; and offer a unique presentation of props, interactive stations and educational programs that deliver the drama and adventure directly to our visitors.”

"Over its four season run on Syfy, Battlestar Galactica became an iconic series that not only entertained, but fulfilled the promise of all great science fiction. It provoked us into examining our world and ourselves through its politically-charged, socially-relevant, religious and technological themes," said Mark Stern, Executive Vice President, Original Programming, Syfy, and Co-head, Original Content, Universal Cable Productions. "It is an honor for us to partner with EMP|SFM in this one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience BSG in an up-close and personal way."

Battlestar Galactica Vipers Dock at the EMP/SFM

Earlier this week, employees of the EMP/SFM in Seattle carefully moved in a full-scale Viper Mark VII into the museum for the upcoming Battlestar Galactica: The Exhibition. It joined the other full-scale Viper and Cylon spaceships as well as other memorabilia and props from the television series. The exhibit will run from October 23rd, 2010 through March 4th, 2012.

Reserve free tickets to Science Fiction Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony starting May 10

Reposted on behalf of EMP/SFM:

EMP|SFM Announces the 2010 Science Fiction Hall of Fame Inductions

Reserve free tickets to ceremony starting May 10

SEATTLE—Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum is proud to announce the 2010 Science Fiction Hall of Fame Inductions. On Saturday, June 26, 2010 at 4:30 p.m., four science fiction luminaries will be inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. Those being honored this year are: Octavia E. Butler, Richard Matheson, Douglas Trumbull and Roger Zelazny. The induction ceremony will be held in the JBL Theater at EMP|SFM. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is part of the annual Science Fiction Weekend which includes The Locus Awards and NW Media Arts writing workshops.

Tickets to the Science Fiction Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony are free and can be reserved starting May 10 by calling the EMP|SFM box office at 206-770-2702.

As part of the induction, the inductees will be featured in laser-etched images on the translucent, glowing Hall of Fame display. The 2010 inductees’ images will be revealed in the Science Fiction Hall of Fame Saturday, June 27 at 5:30 p.m. in the second level of the science fiction galleries at EMP|SFM. This will be an opportunity for museum guests to take photos of the inductees and their families.
 
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame honors the lives, work and ongoing legacies of science fiction's greatest creators. Founded in 1996, the Hall of Fame was relocated from the Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to its permanent home at EMP|SFM in 2004. Hall of Fame nominations are submitted by EMP|SFM members. The final inductees are chosen by a panel of award-winning science fiction authors, artists, editors, publishers and film professionals.


BIOS
Octavia E. Butler
1947 - 2006
American author
Octavia E. Butler merged science fiction with themes of gender, race and other social issues. An introspective child, she began writing at the age of 10 to escape self-described “loneliness and boredom,” and her first novel, Patternmaster (1976), is ostensibly a reworking of one of her childhood stories. It became part of the five-book Patternist series, which explores topics of biology, power and enslavement. Butler’s most renowned novel, Kindred (1979), is also a modern exploration of slavery that she described as “grim fantasy” rather than science fiction. She won her first Nebula and Hugo awards for the novelette Bloodchild (1984), and would later earn such honors as the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Grant and the PEN American Center lifetime achievement award. Butler is notable for being a female African American writer of science fiction—a rarity—but mainly she’s notable as one of the most eminent science fiction writers overall.
 
Richard Matheson
1926 -
American author, screenwriter
Richard Matheson is among the most prolific and quietly recognizable authors of science fiction short stories, novels and screenplays. His first short story, “Born of Man and Woman,” was published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1950. Although written as a simple tale of terror, the tale was lauded as a great work of science fiction, earning Matheson immediate fame. Matheson transitioned to TV and film writing in the late 1960s, adapting a number of his stories and novels for the screen. Among his most notable film adaptations are his first novel I Am Legend (1954; filmed originally as The Omega Man, 1971), and The Shrinking Man (1956; filmed as The Incredible Shrinking Man, 1957) for which he earned a Hugo award. Matheson’s publications and film work often explore themes of human existence facing alternate reality and incorporate the paranormal, terror, survival and ardor.
 
Douglas Trumbull
1942 -
American visual effects artist and director
Douglas Trumbull has forged a multi-faceted career as an innovative master of special effects, a visionary filmmaker, and an entrepreneur. Born in Los Angeles, Trumbull began his career as a technical illustrator for Graphic Films, a small animation and graphic arts studio that produced documentary films for NASA and the Air Force. His work on the Graphic Films feature Journey Beyond the Stars caught the attention of director Stanley Kubrick and resulted in Trumbull’s hire as special effects supervisor on Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film utilized Trumbull’s own process of slit-scan photography to obtain the more abstract sequences. This groundbreaking technique contributed to the film’s critical acclaim and established Trumbull as one of the top names in motion picture special effects. Trumbull continued to impart his special effects talents on such landmark science fiction films as Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), and Blade Runner (1982), each one earning him an Academy Award nomination.
 
Roger Zelazny
1937 - 1995
American author
Roger Zelazny was one of the foremost writers of science fiction’s New Wave movement, authoring short stories and novels packed with both psychological and mythological structures. After earning his B.A. in English at Western Reserve University, Zelazny continued with graduate studies at Columbia University, specializing in Elizabethan and Jacobean drama. It was only after earning his M.A. in 1962 that Zelazny took serious steps towards writing professionally when he penned the short story “Passion Play” (Amazing Stories, 1962) followed by “Horseman!” (Fantastic, 1962). Zelazny continued to prosper in short fiction. Among his best-known works are “A Rose for Ecclesiastes” (1969), This Immortal (1966), and Lord of Light (1967), the latter two novels earning him Hugo awards. During the course of his career, Zelazny received six Hugo awards and three Nebula awards.


HOURS
Winter hours through May 27, 2010, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Summer hours May 28-September 6, 2010, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

TICKETS
$15 for adults; $12 for youth (ages 5-17), students, military and seniors; free for members and children under 5

CONTACT INFO
325 5th Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
206-770-2700, main line
206-770-2702, box office
1-877-EMP-SFM1, toll-free
www.empsfm.org

ABOUT EMP|SFM
Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum (EMP|SFM) is dedicated to the exploration of creativity and innovation in popular music and the thought-provoking ideas and experiences of science fiction.

ABOUT THE EMP|SFM BUILDING
Since EMP opened in 2000 and SFM in 2004, EMP|SFM has welcomed more than 4.5 million visitors through its doors. From its museum planning stages in 1998 through 2009, EMP|SFM has been a key economic driver among Seattle nonprofit arts and culture organizations, with combined EMP|SFM institutional expenditures and EMP|SFM audience-member spending resulting in $651 million dollars of local economic impact. EMP|SFM is housed in a 140,000 square foot Frank O. Gehry-designed building. This spectacular, prominently visible structure has the presence of a monumental sculpture set amid the backdrop of the Seattle Center.

Project London

A new independently filmed and produced film "Project London" has released a new trailer. The genre film news site Quiet Earth has posted an article providing a background on the film and the status of it. What's significant about this film is that it is based out of Bothel, Washington, while the film is set with Seattle as one of the main locales. 


Project London: Multiply Teaser from Phil McCoy on Vimeo.


Project London: Unleashed! from Phil McCoy on Vimeo.

Gregory Frost Reading & Signing on 4/20

Gregory Frost Reading and Signing
Monday, April 20th, 2008 • 7:00 p.m.
What: Gregory Frost Reading as part of the NW MediaArts Fantastic Fiction Salons
Where: Richard Hugo House Cabaret • 1634 11th Avenue, Seattle, WA
When: 7:00 PM

$5 suggested donation

SNW Media Arts and the University Book Store invite you to join us each month as we present critically acclaimed writers from across the US whose work showcases the finest of speculative literature. Please join us on April 20th for a reading and conversation with author Gregory Frost as he reads in Seattle for the first time. Greg is also teaching a terrific one-day writing workshopon April 19th and there are still a few openings. See our website for details.

Gregory Frost is a writer of fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers. He has been a finalist for every major award in the SF and fantasy genres. His latest work is the fantasy duology, ShadowbridgeLord Tophet, from Del Rey. Booklist gave it a starred review. The Fantasy Book Critic called it “one of the few must-read fantasies of the year.” and

His previous novel was the historical thriller, Fitcher’s Brides, a re-imagining of the fairy tale of Bluebeard that was a finalist for both the World Fantasy and International Horror Guild Awards for Best Novel. Publishers Weekly called his short story collection, Attack of the Jazz Giants and Other Stories, “one of the best fantasy collections of the year.” He directs the fiction workshop at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, PA.

The Fantastic Fiction Salon series is co-sponsored by NW MediaArts, Richard Hugo House, and the University Book Store, who will be on site to sell books.

For more information about our workshop series and salons go to:
nwmediaarts.com or email events@nwmediaarts.com

Location:The Black Hole in the basement

IMAX 3D. Monsters vs. Aliens: An IMAX 3D Experience at PSC

Check out this latest announcement from the Pacfic Science Center:

Our next special engagement IMAX film is wild! When a meteorite from outer space hits a young California girl named Susan Murphy and turns her into a giant monster, she is taken to a secret government compound where she meets a ragtag group of monsters also rounded up over the years. As a last resort, the motley crew of monsters is called into action to combat aliens and save the world from imminent destruction! Get ready for an incredible story on the biggest screen in town in stunning IMAX 3D. Monsters vs. Aliens: An IMAX 3D Experience opens this weekend.

You can get tickets here!

Local Patrol web-comic

Web-comic “Local Patrol” is on-line, on the net and out there to bring you fun tales of tomorrow. Join Captain Hell as she leads an odd ball crew of misfits including the rustic, word twisting chief mechanic Moe, the prosthetic trouble magnet Zed and the multi-personalitied alien Gra as they somewhat defend Sol System, the back water planetary system containing Earth in the boring part of the Milkyway Galaxy. A new episode is published every day at localpatrolcomic.com with the continuing adventures of Ship #12 the lamest named ship of the Local Patrol fleet.

Alien Trespass, Sci-Fi books, and Victorian Corsets!

Just a quick note to point out two new posts in the NWSFS Google Group that may be of interest to many of you.

• Movie Screening: ALIEN TRESPASS - Monday, March 16, 7:00 PM, Science Fiction Museum
• Notices: Sci-Fi books at the Peninsula Library in Gig Harbor, WA, and Victorian Corset Class in Ritzville, WA

Have fun! :-)

News of Jeff Carlson's short story "Long Eyes"

The good folks at Starship Sofa (www.starshipsofa.com) have just released a free podcast of Jeff Carlson's short story "Long Eyes," narrated by the cool, poised British voice of Amy Sturgis. "Long Eyes" was originally published in the FAST FORWARD 2 anthology, which is currently shortlisted for the Philip K. Dick Award.

Interestingly, Carlson is also on the PKD shortlist for his latest novel, PLAGUE WAR. He will also be part of the programming at Norwescon in Seattle this April. Readers can find free fiction, videos, blog, and a mind-croggling sci fi trivia contest at Carlson's web site at www.jverse.com

From ‘Star Trek’ fan to sci-fi filmmaker

The Tacoma New Tribune has a story today about a Tacoma area Star Trek fan has grown up to be a science fiction film maker.

Outlander screening at EMP|SFM

Exposed: Inside Film - Outlander with special guest writer/director Howard McCain

Presented in partnership with The Warren Report

Don’t miss February’s Exposed: Inside Film featuring the new science-fiction/action adventure film Outlander, followed by an in-depth conversation with writer/director Howard McCain. In Outlander, it’s 509 AD, and a mysterious space ship crashes into majestic Fjords of ancient Norway. From the wreckage of this craft emerge two bitter enemies: an unstoppable, terrifying creature known as The Moorwen, and a man from another world, Kainan. As the deadly creature proceeds to lay waist to the Viking world, Kainan is forced to join forces with them in order to kill the Moorwen before it destroy them all.

Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report will host the evening and conduct the interview with Mr. McCain following the screening.

Following in the footsteps of his childhood filmmaking heroes James Cameron, The Wachowski Brothers and Ridley Scott, Howard McCain is making his big-budget directing debut with Outlander. Staring Jim Caviezel, John Hurt and Ron Pearlman, the film is being distributed by the Weinstein Company and scheduled for release in early 2009. A graduate of New York University, Howard’s short films Truman and Los Pollos won best short film at the Sundance Film Festival and at the Student Emmy Awards. Howard has directed television movies for Showtime, HBO, and the Disney Channel. As a writer, he and his partner Dirk Blackman wrote Underworld 3, and recently sold the action/adventure pitch, Amazon. The writing team has also been hired by Lion’s Gate to write the script for the new Conan reboot.

With the Exposed: Inside Film series, EMP|SFM screens cult favorites and classic sci-fi films in the state-of-the art JBL Theater. Each screening is followed by a behind-the-scenes look through an interactive discussion with local filmmakers and experts in the subject matter, or with actors, directors or screenwriters associated with the film. Discussions are recorded for posterity and added to our archive of oral histories. Conversations are also available online as podcasts.

Date: Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Time: 7:00 pm

Ticket Info:
Free to EMP|SFM and The Warren Report members; $5 general public, 206.770.2702 or 1.877.EMP.SFM1.
Reserved seats unclaimed 10 minutes prior to the event are subject to be released to the wait list.

Venue:
JBL Theater
325 5th Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109

Exposed: Inside Film– Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

EMP|SFM Presents: Tuesday, December 16 – Exposed: Inside Film– Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

Enjoy the weirdest Christmas movie ever made: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. This FREE evening of creepy aliens, kidnapped Earth children, celebrity Santa Claus and Christmas cheer also features an awesome intro by Jet City Improv.

Jet City Improv's popular re-dubbing show, Twisted Flicks, will make an appearance as Seattle's best improv comedians redub the opening credits and beginning scenes. Twisted Flicks features all new dialogue, sound effects and a musical soundtrack performed live as you watch the movie roll on the big screen. Plus, come dressed as an alien or Santa Claus (or both at once!) and be entered in a drawing for a free EMP|SFM membership.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, first released in 1964, is lovingly considered one of the worst films ever made. The story involves several Martians who decide to steal Santa Claus for themselves.

Time: 7 p.m.
Venue: EMP|SFM, 325 5th Avenue North
Tickets: Free and open to the public; reservations are recommended. Reserved seats unclaimed 10 minutes prior to the event are subject to be released to the wait list. Films and conversations are candid; some material may not be suitable for all ages.
Information: Call 206-770-2702 or 1-877-EMP-SFM1
Web site: http://www.empsfm.org/

December MFR

Join us on Wednesday December 3rd at 7:00pm at Crossroads Mall for tasty treats from around the world that won't put too much of a bite on your budget!

Something to suit every taste – from the most adventurous to the more conventional. Eateries at the Public market include: Ai Sushi, Boba Express, Bulgogi Korean BBQ, Burney Brothers BBQ, Crossroads Café, Dragon's Wok, Ebru Mediterranean Grill, indi bite Indian Grill, O'Char Thai, Papaya Vietnamese, Papazzi Pizzeria, Piroshky, Piroshky, Tanpopo Japanese, Thyme for Soup, Torero's Taqueria & Cantina, Ziti Pasta Italiano

Let's meet near the tables close to the the Daily Planet news (magazine rack near 1/2 price books and cold stones).

No RSVPs are required as it is open seating, but if you send us an email it will give us an idea on how many tables we should find near one another. (You can access the original posting with the contact email address by clicking here)

Crossroads Mall Food Court
15600 NE 8TH Street,
Bellevue, WA 98008
http://www.crossroadsbellevue.com

From 405 (North or South)
Take the NE 8th Street exit (13B) heading EAST.
Drive approximately 3 miles to 156th Ave. NE. Turn LEFT ONTO 156th Ave. NE
Turn RIGHT into one of the next 4 driveways to Crossroads parking lot.

From SR 520 (Evergreen Floating Bridge)
Take the 148th Ave NE Exit Southbound. (Pass Sears on the left, Fred
Meyer on the right)
Go to NE 8th Street and turn LEFT (east).
Go to 156th Ave. NE and turn LEFT (north).
Turn RIGHT into one of the next 4 driveways to Crossroads parking lot.

From 1-90
Take the Northbound exit at 148th Ave. S.E. (Bellevue College exit)
Continue on 148th Ave. (north) to NE 8th Street and turn RIGHT.
Drive up the hill (east) to the light at 156th Ave. NE and turn LEFT.
Turn RIGHT into one of the next 4 driveways to Crossroads parking lot.

ANNEX THEATRE OPENS 22nd SEASON WITH THE MOON IS A DEAD WORLD

ANNEX THEATRE OPENS 22nd SEASON WITH "THE MOON IS A DEAD WORLD" by Mike Daisey

DIRECTED BY: Christopher Comte
RUN DATES: Opening Night, Friday, October 17, 2008, through November 15, 2008.
CURTAIN: 8:00 p.m. all performances
VENUE: Annex Theatre, 1100 E Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98122
PRICING: $12, $7 for seniors & military, $5 for students (with ID)
PWYC PERFORMANCE: Friday, October 24 and Saturday, October 25.
WEBSITE & TICKET INFORMATION: http://www.annextheatre.org
HIGH-RES PRESS PHOTOS: http://www.annextheatre.org/shows/moon_world/press_photos/
PRESS CONTACT: Alex Harris (206) 919-3484, alex.harris@annextheatre.org

*****
(Seattle, WA) Annex Theatre Company begins its 22nd season of production with the world premiere of The Moon is a Dead World written by Mike Daisey and directed by Christopher Comte. The Moon is a Dead World opens on Friday, October 17, 2008, 8:00 p.m. curtain, and runs through November 15, 2008 at Annex Theatre located at 1100 East Pike Street, on Seattle’s Capitol Hill.

This first play by acclaimed monologuist Mike Daisey weaves a vision of the brutal history of the Soviet space program with an unbelievable premise: a dead cosmonaut is called back down to Earth on a radio wave when Americans in a remote Arctic base hear the beating of his dying heart. A dark and hilarious fairy tale set against the Cold War, it asks what we risk in the struggle between will and humanity, and what it means to love beyond death itself. Playwright Mike Daisey has been called “the master storyteller” and “one of the finest solo performers of his generation” by the New York Times for his groundbreaking monologues which weave together autobiography, gonzo journalism, and unscripted performance to tell hilarious and heartbreaking stories that cut to the bone, exposing secret histories and unexpected connections.

His monologues, fourteen and counting, include the controversial How Theater Failed America, the six-hour epic Great Men of Genius, the unrepeatable series All Stories Are Fiction, and the international sensation 21 Dog Years. Over the past decade he has performed his unique extemporaneous monologues at venues such as the Public Theater, American Repertory Theatre, the Spoleto Festival, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, the Cherry Lane Theatre, Yale Repertory Theater, the Noorderzon Festival, the T:BA Festival, Performance Space 122, and many more. He’s been a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman, a commentator for PRI’s Studio 360 and NPR’s Day To Day, a contributor to WIRED, Slate and Salon, a web contributor to Vanity Fair and Radar Magazine, and his work has been heard on the BBC, NPR, and the National Lampoon Comedy Hour. His first film, Layover, is being distributed by Lars von Trier’s company Zentropa, and he stars in the Lawrence Krauser feature Horrible Child. His first book, 21 Dog Years: A Cubedweller’s Tale, was published by the Free Press and he is working on a second book, Great Men of Genius, adapted from his monologues about genius and megalomania in the lives of Bertolt Brecht, P.T. Barnum, Nikola Tesla, and L. Ron Hubbard. He has been the recipient of the Bay Area Critics Circle Award, two Seattle Times Footlight Awards, and a MacDowell Fellowship. He lives in New York City with his director and collaborator, Jean-Michele Gregory.

The Moon Is A Dead World is his first play. Director Christopher Comte is a 23-year veteran of the Pacific Northwest theatre community and has held a wide range of positions within the industry including acting, directing, producing, stage managing, sound and properties design, marketing and publicity, and administrative. As a performer he has worked with The 5th Avenue, Village, and Bathhouse Theatres, Spokane Interplayers, Boomer Classics, ArtsWest, Theater Schmeater, and Annex Theatre, among many others. Directing assignments include productions for Bricolage, Theater Schmeater, Theatre Babylon, The Mystery Café, and Snoqualmie Falls Theatre. He currently serves as Membership Director for the Seattle local of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), as Site Coordinator for the Kevin Hadley Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program for Performing Artists, and as Facilities Manager for Annex Theatre. The Moon is a Dead World features the talent of Jack Hamblin, Pamala Mijatov, Zachariah Robinson, and Clayton Weller. Meaghan Darling is the Stage Manager. Annex Theatre wishes to acknowledge the generous contributions of 4 Culture, Flintridge Foundation, Microsoft Corporation, The Seattle Foundation, The Boeing Company, ActiveMac, and the Mayor's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs for their support of this production.

*****
ABOUT ANNEX THEATRE: The company members of Annex Theatre, a democratic collective, continue their 22nd season by dedicating themselves to "creating bold new work in an environment of improbability, resourcefulness and risk." Since Annex opened in its former home on 4th Avenue, the theater has produced hundreds of world and Northwest premieres,including new plays by Stranger Genius Award winners Chris Jeffries and Paul Mullin; dozens of local playwrights, including Jeff Resta, Kelleen Conway Blanchard, Keri Healey, Scot Augustson, John Kaufmann, Elizabeth Heffron, Heidi Heimarck, and Suzanne Maynard; and nationally recognized playwrights such as Erik Ehn, Naomi Iizuka, Glen Berger, Anne Washburn, Jeffrey Jones, and Nicky Silver. Former Annex company members ("alumni") can be found throughout the Seattle arts scene (including former Artistic Director of the Empty Space Allison Narver, Executive Director of Town Hall Weir Harman, Development Director for Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra Josef Krebs, and Education Director of Seattle Repertory Theatre Andrea Allen) and in local and national film (directors SJ Chiro, Garrett Bennett, and Mike Shapiro; actors Jillian Armenante and Paul Giamatti). In addition to new plays, Annex produces radical reinterpretations of classic scripts, ensemble-generated performances, and non-linear wild-ass spectacles, as well as our monthly late-night variety show Spin the Bottle, now entering its 12th year. Annex has just finished its first year at its new home at 11th & Pike in Capitol Hill. Annex Theatre's Artistic Director is Bret Fetzer

Wednesday, October 15 – Exposed: Inside Film with composer Bear McCreary at EMP|SFM

Sorry about not posting this sooner. A notice on one of the email lists reminded me about this upcoming event ~ Jim

Wednesday, October 15 – Exposed: Inside Film with composer Bear McCreary at EMP|SFM

Enjoy an evening with Bear McCreary, the popular composer for the re-imagined series of Battlestar Galactica, as well as Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. McCreary will be showing clips from these series and discussing how his scores enrich the characters and plotlines of the shows. Warren Etheredge will host the evening.

Revolution Bar & Grill is pleased to offer a film-themed happy hour before the screening. Stop by the restaurant to mingle and take advantage of appetizer and drink specials from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Time: Happy Hour: 5:30 p.m. - Screening: 7 p.m.

Venue: EMP|SFM, 325 5th Avenue North

Tickets: Free to EMP|SFM and The Warren Report members; $5 general public. Reserved seats unclaimed 10 minutes prior to the event are subject to be released to the wait list.

Information: Call 206-770-2702 or 1-877-EMP-SFM1

Pure Speculation in Edmonton

Pure Speculation Festival
October 18th-19th, 2008
Hazeldean Community Hall
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
http://www.purespec.org

Pure Speculation Festival is Edmonton's one and only sci-fi and fantasy festival! Each year we bring Edmonton's geeks the very best of what they love the most. Panels, demonstrations, readings, games: we have it all!

Registration:
Prices at the door are as follows:
Weekend Pass: $15.00
Saturday Pass:$10.00
Sunday Pass: $10.00
Costume Shindig only: $10.00

Guests:
Robert J. Sawyer - Author Guest of Honour
Monte Cook - Gaming Guest of Honour
Herman Lau - Artist Guest of Honour
Diane Walton - Managing Editor, On Spec
Robin S. Carson - Editor, On Spec
Tracy Cooper-Posey - Writer
Barb Galler-Smith - Author
Thomas Wharton - Writer
Minister Faust - Author
Stephanie Chan - Broadsword Comics
Minister Faust - Author
Steven Sadowski - Marvel/DC
Dean Welsh - Marvel Comics
Alina Pete - Creator, Weregeek!
Brian Hades - Owner, EDGE Publishing
Jennifer Hepler - Writer, BioWare Corp
Ty Templeton - Artist/Writer
Steve Rolston - Artist, Queen & Country
Sharon Wildwind - Writer/Nurse
Susan MacGregor - Writer

First and foremost, Pure Speculation is a sci-fi and fantasy festival, run by geeks for geeks. We aren't a corporate entity taking advantage of geek chic to make a quick buck. We are as passionate about this hobby as you are, and our planning team runs the gamut of geekdom, from literature, film and art, to gaming and computers. So we know what you want to see, because hey: we want to see it too!

Our goal is to bring you the best events, guests, and shows we can, year after year. And that is really the key. We plan to be running this festival for a very long time, and we plan our yearly event with longevity in mind.

A Cylon Toaster?

OK, this is the weirdest thing I have seen in a while, a video demonstrating a Cylon Toaster!

I actually enjoyed the preceeding commercial more :-)