Audition Strategies: an Actor’s Workshop from a Producer’s Perspective”, workshop held February 6 in New York, focuses on the philosophy that an actors presentational technique during the audition process is just as, if not more, important as their acting skills. Actors will go through each step of the audition process and learn fast, simple and effective ways to build a portfolio, confidence, and the chance to get the part. The art of independent film and mountain culture are at the core of the Mountain Film Festival taking place in Mammoth Lakes through February 26. This festival accepts films of all genres and especially encourages films with an emphasis on mountain culture, action sports, and environmental issues. On February 8, and in fact every Monday night, long-running showbiz duo Billy Shepard and Judi Jourdan host the Gotta Sing! Search for A Star Open Mic! in Manhattan’s Hells Kitchen Theatre District, just around the corner from the David Letterman show. Participants in the show are also considered for an appearance on the couple’s cable TV program, “How to Succeed in Show Business by Really Trying”, shown on Time Warner Cable every Tuesday. From February 8-9, documentary producers and filmmakers from the East Midlands and beyond are invited to take part in a documentary pitching and marketplace held in Nottingham, offering complete preparation for getting a factual project funded internationally, including at Doc/Fests Marketplace 2010 as well as other international markets. A Film Finance Summit in Santa Monica will cover the primary sources of financing content in the credit crunch for television and film — debt, equity, presales and soft money. An evening workshop led by entertainment attorney David Steinberg is on February 8 of the conference which runs through February 10.

At the Paley Center in Beverly Hills, BMI’s VP of New Media and Strategic Development, Richard Conlon, moderates a February 10 roundtable discussion, Content and Cash, examining content verticals: music, film, TV, games, cross-platform deal making and development, and leading into a two hour post-event reception featuring live performing talent. At the “Almost Famous Film Festival,” registered teams attend a pre-challenge party with food, drinks, social mixer, on February 12, where they will receive a theme, A Line of Dialogue and a Prop, and then have exactly 48 hours to write a script, find locations, gather their actors and actresses, shoot and edit their 1-5 minute film, and then turn it in before the 48 hour deadline. The Sixth Annual Orlando Latin American Film & Heritage Festival is a curated film and cultural celebration of award-winning films and documentaries, in addition to meet the film maker events, hands-on educational sessions and exhibits with artists, inspiring poetry and performances by musicians and dancers, all happening February 12-14 in Orlando. This year’s Berlinale Talent Campus, a summit for up-and-coming filmmakers taking place February 13-18 in Berlin, has a stated theme of “Cinema Needs Talent: Looking for the Right People.” Every year a selection of Berlinale Talent Campus events are recorded and uploaded and archived to the Talent Campus website. Attendants at this year’s 2010 Hollywood Post Alliance Tech Retreat, in Rancho Mirage, from February 16-19, can explore display technologies, video consumer marketplace, rights management, audio, games, psychophysics, digital projection technology, asset management, and other resources suited to businesses and individuals that provide expertise, support, tools and infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television, commercials, digital media and other dynamic media content. The Folk Alliance Music Conference is an annual event that draws together music industry professionals from throughout the world to share ideas, network, and celebrate traditional music and dance. It all occurs February 17-21 in Memphis along with special events, such as the Folk Music & Business Awards, Lifetime Achievement Awards, networking receptions, official Performance Alley and private showcase performances, and much more.