"Moonfishing" Wins Audience Award!

We just got great news that David Michael Friend's "Moonfishing" won the Short Film Audience Award at Newport Beach Film Festival! Congratulations to David on his award. Well done!

For more on "Moonfishing" visit the official website at:

http://www.moonfishing.com/

Newport Beach Film Festival

What a great celebration of puppet films! We screened nine Handmade Puppet Dreams, with four filmmakers in attendance - David Michael Friend (Moonfishing), Scotty Shoemaker (Harker), myself Sam K. Hale (Yamasong) and Kevin McTurk (Narrative of Victor Karloch). Other filmmaker's shorts included Matty Sidle, Paul Andrejco, Genevieve Anderson, Steve Johnson, Frankie Cordero and Lyon Hill. Afterward, we were treated to the new documentary "Puppet", which shows filmmaker David Soll's outsider's look into the work of Dan Hurlin and Co. as they develop the show "Disfarmer". Very intriguing and revealing as to the hurdles, challenges, and longing for respect in live puppet theater. I highly recommend it.

Newport Beach Film Festival!

I'm here at Newport Beach Film Festival with filmmakers David Michael Friend and Scott Shoemaker. Gearing up for our screenings at 1pm today! David will be premiering his new amazing and charming film "Moonfishing" about a character who has to fish for moonlight to restore light to his village. We will also be joined by Kevin McTurk who will be giving us a teaser of his new Victorian ghost story puppet film "Narrative of Victor Karloch"! Shall be a wonderful day of puppet short films!

National Puppetry Festival Cabaret Grants

Thinking of going to the National Puppetry Festival in Atlanta, GA this year?  Want to participate in the Puppet Cabaret?  According to Beau Brown, the Cabaret curator, the deadline for submissions has been extended to April 14th.

The Puppet Slam Network is offering $300.00 Travel Grants (one per Slam) to help get some of your amazing works to the Cabaret. Use these forms to submit your work for the Cabaret:

• This is the form to use if you are a Puppet Slam artist.

• This is the form to use if you curate a Puppet Slam and would like to nominate an artist. 

Please feel free to contact Beau Brown with any questions you might have.

How Can a Puppet Slam Network Best Help You?

In preparing for our Puppet Slam Network Presentation at the Puppetry and Postdramatic Performance Conference this week, I was looking over the answers to our annual Puppet Slam Survey where we asked the question:

How can a Puppet Slam Network could best help you?

Many of the slam organizers mentioned touring slam acts as a way the Puppet Slam Network could help, and I am delighted to say that we will be offering a travel grant to qualified performers who are interested in performing in the PofA Cabaret this year with the deadline extended to Friday, April 14th. Details and Submission forms can be found at the PofA website. Please contact Beau Brown at beau.brown@gmail.com with Submissions.

My presentation Slamposium: The New American Vaudeville and the Puppet Slam Network will be held on Friday, April 1st at DRMU Room 228 at the University of Connecticut (Storrs). Thanks everyone for your input and well thought out answers. Please email me and let me know if you plan on attending the conference and the Puppet Slam Network presentation at puppetslam@mac.com

Best, Marsian

How can a Puppet Slam Network could best help you? 
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Muppets tribute by local Florida artists!

Members of the Ibex family were excited to receive an invitation to a Muppets-themed group art exhibit planned by Orlando-area locals Benjamin Sawinski and Tracy Brown.

The event will be at the funky Metrowest location Achille's Art Cafe on Saturday, April 16th.  Here's a taste of what to expect (by Vaughn Belak, one of the more than 13 contributing artists):

You can visit the Facebook event site for more information.

Puppet Slam circuit around NYC!

Puppet Slam Network SLAM ALERT!

There are several puppet slams occurring just a few hours away from one another over the course of one week.  It's great to see slam curators coordinating to create circuits like this so that performers can travel short distances to share their craft with each other as well as new audiences.  Check it out:

• May 20th, 2011 Blood From A Turnip (Providence)  
• May 21st, 2011 Puppet Showplace Slam  (Brookline, MA)  
• May 25th, 2011  PUNCH (NYC)  
• May 27th & 28th, 2011 Puppet Playlist (NYC)

Hey, we're so helpful, we even mapped all the theaters for you:

View Larger Map

If you are arranging, performing at, or just curious about Puppet Slams, you should sign up for the Puppet Slam Network email list.  Every month you'll get an update about what Puppet Slams are happening, when, and where!

If you host (or are planning to host) a Puppet Slam, you can contact PuppetSlam@Mac.com to have your event added to the Puppet Slam Network's database.  To learn more about the Puppet Slam Network, go to the Puppet Slam Network homepage!