Wanda the Wonderful

We came across Wanda the Wonderful a few months back, and it looks like production wrapped back in January (wandamovieblog.blogspot.com). Now we've only got to wait and see the final product. And if the trailer is any indication, it should be amazing:



From the official movie site:

"Wanda the Wonderful is a feature-length documentary film about an adventurous and volatile Wild West sharpshooter. Born in 1900 in the Chickasaw Indian Territory, Wanda grew up to be a rebel, a woman who toted guns and wore pants at a time when skirts were the norm. She traveled the world as “Wanda Savage,” entertaining audiences both large and small with her sharpshooting act. Along the way, she bore seven children by four different men, performed as a stuntwoman and actress in Hollywood, and was temporarily the Madame of a brothel, The Ritz. It was at The Ritz that she met her fourth and final husband, a sheep rancher named Carl Hampton. Wanda and Carl were going to live happily ever after, and did so for some time. But then Wanda's volatile temper got the best of her and during a heated argument she shot Carl in the shoulder.

Filmmaker Carolyn Macartney never met her grandmother Wanda but she was always intrigued by the stories she heard about her growing up, taboo subject though she was. Inspired by her mythic legacy, Carolyn will now uncover the true story of Wanda, a magnetic, restless and fallible character. In addition to exploring Wanda’s adventurous life and tempestuous love affairs, the film examines the sacrifices that all individuals of extreme talent and temperament make - and their consequences. Wanda was a woman who followed her passions - at whatever cost, and actually lived the Wild West"

Latest Entries

We're fast approaching the midway point in this year's Wyoming Short Film Contest. For a look at the latest entries, check the players below. And remember that if you want a shot at this year's $25,000 prize, you've got an April 15 deadline to contend with. Submit an entry and vote on your favorites at the official contest site.

FIFI Signed by Governor Mead

Posted for posterity, the signing of our Film Industry Financial Incentive legislation.

Also of note: Governor Mead just couldn't get behind the wimpy-sounding FIFI bill. Now informally called the John Wayne bill, the Duke himself shows up around 0:57.

FIFI SIGNING.mov

"Wink Inc., Now Expanding" Part 2

Not long ago, we ran a blog post titled "Wink Inc., Now Expanding." Today we're pleased to report that Wink Inc. has officially expanded. Here's the official press release:

For Immediate Release - February 2011

WINK INC. EXPANDS TO DENVER, CO

Wink Inc. and The Public Works have realized a dream…a dream of expansion that has finally come to fruition. We at Wink Inc. were looking to expand to the Denver market, and The Public Works from Evergreen, Colorado, was the perfect partner to make it a reality. After purchasing the vacant building at 621 Kalamath, the work had not even begun. We had the vision…we had the building…now it was time to make it all come together.

Click here for the full release.

Wyoming Film Incentives Extended

Wyoming Governor Matt Mead signed a five-year extension of the Film Industry Financial Incentive (FIFI) program into law this morning at a ceremony in the state capitol. It will continue the cash rebate incentives for production companies of up to 15 percent on dollars spent in Wyoming during a film shoot. “We are pleased that the legislature and the Governor support the on-going growth of this industry in Wyoming. With our efforts at production workforce development and the continuation of the incentive program, Wyoming can attract filmmakers and get added visibility of our scenic state,” said Michell Howard, Film Office Manager.

For more information about the FIFI program go to: www.filmwyoming.com and click on the incentives tab.

Casting Call of the Wild

Call of the Wild: Generation Next in Wyoming will make its premiere debut on the Sportsman Channel in 2012. This cutting edge program will feature all of the natural wonders that Wyoming has to offer through the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, while introducing ‘Generation Next’ to a life in the outdoors. Through interesting personal insights from kids selected to participate, the series will motivate participants and viewers alike to get out and experience the wonders of the wild with family and friends so that they will become the next generation of sportsmen.

To find out more, visit the official site here.

Young adults age 14 and older can apply here.

Spotlight On: Lance Madzey

Lance Madzey is a teacher at Natrona County High School. More specifically he's a film teacher, and he's been turning out Wyoming filmmakers for more than a decade. And as the man responsible for the 13th Annual Wyoming High School Short Film Festival, you better believe that that's a LOT of future Spielbergs. You can see at least one of his student's work up at the Wyoming Short Film Contest (embedded below) and we at the Film Office are hoping for more.

A filmmaker in his own right, Madzey is responsible for more than 40 short films, as well as the feature length horror film "Stanley." Here's the official site for "Stanley," as well as a great article from the Casper premiere on Trib.com. You can even check out the trailer here.

CASTING CALL

Looking for real-life Ranch Girls!

Screaming Flea Productions is looking for attractive women (18-25) who are currently working on ranches and play a large role in the daily operations of the ranch.

Please contact Christina Kindwall (206) 251-9243 or email christina@sfpseattle.com

These positions are paid.

After a bit of an email exchange with Screaming Flea, the Film Office got a few specifics about the project. To quote our contact:

"This would be for a documentary series...about young women who are in the process of taking on more of the responsibilities, or are being groomed to eventually take over all of the responsibilities of running a family business - especially a businesses that is considered to be in a “man’s world” like a Rough Stock company, Outfitter, or Ranch. This program is intended to provide positive exposure for these industries and the families of the girls that we decide to tape with."

Sounds like a solid opportunity to us!

CIFF to screen Wyoming Film Office contest winner

As if you needed more reasons to enter the Wyoming Short Film Contest! It looks like our friends at the Cheyenne International Film Festival have decided to supplement the $25,000 Grand Prize with an all-access festival pass and a night at the Plains Hotel. Here's the original post from the CIFF blog:

"The Cheyenne International Film Festival (CIFF) is pleased to announce that it will screen the winner of the Wyoming Film Office 2011 Short Film Contest winner. The exact date and time will be revealed April 14th.

The CIFF takes place in Downtown Cheyenne, Wyoming and screens at the Historic Atlas Theatre.

The contest winner will be awarded a CIFF All-Access pass and one nights lodging at the historic Plains Hotel, which is the official CIFF headquarters.

The official program will be released April 14 at a reception at the Link Gallery 124 E. Lincolnway, but the short film contest winner won’t be announced until May 16.

CIFF 2010 consisted of seven programs and 35 movies from around the world. The Wyoming Showcase features films made in Wyoming or have story lines set in Wyoming."

The Contestants So Far

The first batch of entries in the 2011 Wyoming Short Film Contest are in. Feel free to watch them here, but don't forget to head over to the contest site to rate them. Remember that only the 10 best-rated entries go on to the judging round and a chance at the $25,000 Grand Prize.

Wyoming Filmmaker Keeps Rolling

By Christina Schmidt

"Love. I just absolutely love doing this," said Casper independent filmmaker Dennis Hayden Rollins, about why he makes films. "I just feel like this is where everything in my life has culminated. I get to meet so many interesting people and I guess it’s me using my passion to showcase other people’s passions."

Although Rollins works on a variety of projects, Wyoming residents may be most familiar with his work on the Wyoming Portraits series on Wyoming Public Television. The series features eclectic stories about Wyoming's people and places and has covered diverse topics from dog sledding and music festivals, to falconry and even a feature on a fellow Casper filmmaker.

"I approached Wyoming Public Television with this idea I had of wandering around the state and finding interesting places and people and things and doing vignettes on them," said Rollins. "Kind of like the old ‘On the Road’ with Charles Kuralt. That was what I was looking at, but to expand it a little bit. We try to keep it a little bit offbeat."

Rollins just completed the third season of the series, which will rerun locally on KCWC Wyoming PBS in coming weeks. He’ll have another season of portraits coming out later in 2011, despite the fact that the series has no financial sponsor. The economic downturn has resulted in the lack of a sponsor for the past two years, leaving Rollins and his team working without pay.

"We had some sponsorship in the first season, and since then we’ve been approaching people, but the economy hasn’t been conducive to folks wanting to finance something like this," he said. "But unlike most people who do things in film or TV where they get an idea and then go raise the money and bring the idea to fruition, I’m not going to sit around and wait for the money. I love doing this and I hope that by continuing to do it and hopefully do a good job of it, that it will lead to someone taking the initiative and saying ‘This is something that’s good for Wyoming and we need to support it financially.’ And I do think the show is good for Wyoming...."

For the full article, visit the Casper Journal.

Winning Filmmaker Takes On Pine Beetle

When filmmaker David Gonzales won the 2008 Wyoming Short Film Contest, he had to decide how to spend his prize money. He knew it would go towards his next production, but what would that be? "I'm always mulling over the next film project," says Gonzales. "I started immediately daydreaming about feature narrative films, sprawling documentaries, all sorts of things. Gradually, my thoughts became a little more realistic." And now, in 2010, his project is completed. Introducing "Seeing Red: TreeFight's First Year."

Seeing Red: TreeFight's First Year from TheSnaz DotCom on Vimeo.

From our perspective here in the Film Office, this project could not be a bigger success story. Not only did Gonzales put together an engaging, entertaining documentary; he started an important movement. With the Pine Beetle decimating large areas of front range forest, Gonzales's work with non-toxic, pheromone based repellent is playing a critical roll in the fight against deforestation. And as an added bonus, Tree Fight attracts eco-tourists.

According to the official Tree Fight website, "By deploying 40 pouches per acre, we’ll be creating a “cloud” of the non-toxic pheremone to repel the beetles." And when you consider how many acres there are in the Yellowstone ecosystem, you'll begin to realize exactly how many eco-tourism dollars tree fighting can attract. A great film and a great cause. Congratulations once again to David Gonzales, the original winner of the Wyoming Short Film Contest.

"Absaroka" Wins Best Western Short

Filmmaker Patrick Mignano (second from left) continues to find success. The winner of the 2010 Wyoming Short Film Contest has gone on to win
Best Short - Western/Historical Category at the 2011 Trail Dance Film Festival in Duncan Oklahoma over the weekend. And it was the same film, Absaroka, that gave him the prize.

Here's a quick synopsis of the winning short: "While heading into town after months in a line shack, weary cowpunchers Howard Prescott and Lucius Blackledge come upon an ambushed wagon on a Wyoming prairie. With the nearest aid days away, Howard and Lucius must make a decision; one that is likely to change their lives forever.'Absaroka', set in the Wyoming Territory in 1881 is a short film in the classic style of the Western Genre."

You can watch Absaroka in full at the Wyoming Film Office website.