French/American comic festival next April

[serena]

As promised, here are the minutes from today's meeting. I apologize in advance for this enormous post!

1. PARTICIPATION
The main opportunity for participation in this festival (in addition to attending each day’s events) will be the forum on the final day (Saturday, April 24). It will last from morning to late afternoon and include:
a)   a discussion panel featuring French artists and publishers
b)   booths showcasing/selling the work of local and French artists
c)   possible collaborative live art performance?
d)   reading area?

The forum is a great opportunity for French artists, MICA students, and DC area artists to exchange ideas, share perspectives, and promote their work.

We discussed the possibility of teaming up local artists with visiting French artists to work on comic projects (possibly a contest). This would either be during the festival week or preceding the festival. These works would be published in a small anthology and distributed at the festival.

We are also hoping to involve local animators and showcase some short films. If you know anyone, please contact me.

All participation, including displaying and selling work, will be free.


2. WHO WILL BE THERE?
From France:
•   Ludovic Debeurne: Friday, April 16th (MICA): Grand opening & concert
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludovic_Debeurme
•   Antoine Dodé : Saturday, April 17th (AFDC) Workshop
http://www.antoinedode.com/bio/
•   Pascal Fioretto : Friday April 23rd (MICA+AFDC): Closing
Co rédacteur de la revue de Fluide Glacial
http://www.alliance-us.org/fr/Page.Culture.Lecture.Fioretto.aspx
•   Winshluss (not yet confirmed, but will definitely have an exhibition at the Alliance)
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winshluss
•   Guy Spielman (not yet confirmed)
http://explore.georgetown.edu/people/spielmag/
•   Nicolas Nemeri: Wednesday April 21st (MICA) (not yet confirmed)
http://www.nemiri.com/
•   Cyril Pedrosa : Thursday April 22nd (AFDC) (not yet confirmed)
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyril_Pedrosa

From DC:
•   Please let me know if you would like to be on this list!

From MICA:
•   Students in the Illustration and Experimental Animation departments

Publishers:
•   Carabas Revolution (Jérôme Martineau)
•   First Second (Mark Siegel)
•   AdHouse Books (Chris Pitzer)

Retail:
•   Big Planet Comics?
•   Phantom Comics?


3. PUBLICITY
We still need a name… please send me your ideas! Also, any help designing print and online advertisements would be wonderful. If you want to selflessly lend your sweat, tears, and blood to the advertising effort, please let me know. If you want to help but need to save your sweat, tears, and blood for other things, you can still assist us by getting the word out.

Print advertising:
•   postcards
•   brochures
•   posters

Online advertising:
•   official website
•   blog
•   forums
•   social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr

Other
•   word of mouth- tell your friends!

Contact: Serena Epstein
cinema@francedc.org

If you have any suggestions, ideas, or useful links, please email Evan:
etkeeling@yahoo.com

[Dembicki]

FYI, please e-mail your suggestions, contacts, etc. to Evan. He's collecting them and will provide one document so we're not burying Serena with e-mail and duplicate suggestions. Thanks!

[ETKeeling]

If people have recourses for Serena send them to me.
I want to get the info to her as soon as possible.

[serena]

Good news for all you creative types! We've decided to have a contest for the festival name, which means that those of you who are already thinking about this can now win prizes for it! Here are the details:


Think you have a way with words? Want to win exciting prizes? Love helping your favorite French organization?

The Alliance Française and Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) are co-sponsoring a French-American comics and animation festival this May. We are looking for a great name for this brand new festival and we need your help!

RULES:
The name should be short, catchy, and represent both French and American comics/animation. It should be something that is easily understood by American audiences. You may submit up to five names.

PRIZE:
The winner will receive:

• complimentary admission to the week-long festival (May 16-24)
• an autographed drawing from one of the festival's comic artists
• an Alliance Française t-shirt, mug, and tote bag
• a free family membership and group French class at the Alliance Française

DEADLINE: Email to cinema@francedc.org by Monday, February 1st

Brainstorm, send us your name(s), and we'll announce a winner at the end of the contest. Bonne chance et merci!

[ETKeeling]

Serena was wondering how many of us want to participate in the conference on the 24th. So if you are interested e-mail me so I can put together a head count for her.

[oletheros]

What conference on the 24th? Tell me that's not today!

[ETKeeling]

may 24th

[oletheros]

wait. did the dates change? i have the festival down for april 16-24, not may.

[ETKeeling]

Sorry I got confused.

It is on April 24th

[ETKeeling]

The Alliance Française is looking for ideas for the logo for the event. If anyone has any send me an e-mail.

[ETKeeling]

This is the list of local creators that sown interest in attending.

Evan Keeling
http://etkeeling.livejournal.com/

Julian Lytle
http://ants.julianlytle.com/

Jay Payne 
Troy Jeffrey
http://www.bamncan.com/

Andrew Cohen
http://howzitfunnies.blogspot.com/

Matt Rhodes
www.webcomicsnation.com/oletheros/op

John Grillo
http://logicalexplosion.blogspot.com/

Carolyn Belefski
http://www.curls-studio.com/curls/

Rusty Rowley and Jose Mochove
http://www.fullsanction.com/home.html

Michael Auger
http://www.arty4ever.com/

John K Snyder III
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_K._Snyder_III
http://www.comicvine.com/john-k-snyder-iii/26-2585/issues-cover/


If you want to be added to the list e-mail me and if you are on the list but have a change about your name or website e-mail me as well.

[ETKeeling]

I have just found out that the MICA professors that are setting up the event have decided that they want to focus on the French artists and don't want the local artists. So the event we were part of has been canceled.

I'm pretty angry at MICA right now and am trying to find out some more information.

E-mail me if you have any questions.

I will be posting more when I know more.

[Arty4ever]

Bummer. 
I wonder why the change of heart. 

[Dembicki]

What a shame.
What has the French embassy said about this? I thought they were funding at least part of the event?

[J.L. Grillo]

How strange... Well I'm still looking forward to the event, even though it appears we can't participate as exhibitors.

[ETKeeling]

The Alliance fought for us. But I think MICA has the last word since they are hosting.
I'm working on getting some answers from them.