Kentucky Film Lab Gets Grant from The Academy

First off did you know about the Kentucky Film Lab? You better not cause I'm going to be agitated if you were holding on me and not telling me about yet another cool IdeaFest initiative. You weren't holding out on me? Good, now we can both congratulate the Kentucky Film Lab for getting a grant from the fine folks that bring us the Oscars every year.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has awarded a $5,000 grant to the Kentucky Film Lab (KFL), to support KFL's 2008 Filmmaker's Studio.

The grant from the Los Angeles-based Academy, best known for its Oscars, comes as the non-profit KFL is gearing up for its fifth Filmmaker Studio in Louisville this fall.

"It's great news that the Academy recognizes the importance of our mission - supporting cinematic arts in the region," said KFL co-director Brad Riddell.

"This will pay long-term dividends for filmmaking in Kentucky," said Arthur Rouse, KFL managing director. KFL studio participants have gone on to direct their own films, form writers' groups, and work on feature-film crews.

The KFL Filmmaker's Studio is a rigorous three-day educational seminar covering the fundamentals of filmmaking, from script to screen. It includes hands-on production training, individual script analysis, and a series of speakers working today in film and television.

I love the idea of this project. Film has been on my mind a lot lately what with Allison Anders recent visit, the premier of Winding Road and all the great stuff the Louisville Film Society has bee ndoing.