As some of you may have picked up from my web link, I work at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts creating educational videos for our websites. We have an artist exchange program through the state department that brings foreign artists to town for a week to meet local like minded artists. Usually it's performing artists - last time was modern dancers from India. Well, in September we're getting documentary filmmakers from Kazakhstan.

So the program coordinator has come to me asking what kinds of things to do with them while they're here. We'll be setting up formal meetings, but one of the things the Indian dancers said they really enjoyed was opportunities to meet informally with other dancers. I thought a DVInfo happy hour somewhere in town would be a good way to do that for this group. But before I promise anything to the coordinator I figured I'd see if people would be interested. We don't have firm dates yet, but sometime in the middle of the month. Generally speaking, does that sound interesting to people?

And if anyone has ideas of things we should do with them I’ll happily add it to my brainstorming list. And if you happen to be doing any non-fiction shooting in September and wouldn’t mind a half dozen people watching for an afternoon contact me directly.

I'm confused, are we drinking or talking?

I was thinking talking over beers.

Well let me know when you have the ABC's hammered out, if we can do it, we will. We go up to D.C. as sortof a mini vacation every once in a while. I'd love to get a hotel room facing sunup and shoot it over the capital.

Sounds extremely interesting. Count me in as interested in the opportunity as well as any other events that may be taking place. Tell me more. Need some help?

Tim

let me know when if i'm in DC that week (happens alot) I'm in.

I live 20 minutes from DC, would love to meet filmmakers from other countries, though I'm not doing documentaries. Have you posted anything in the DC Film Salon group?

I'm not actually part of the DC Film Salon. I'm figuring on posting to Women in Film and ITVA, but wanted a bit more of an idea of what we're doing first.

DVi folks are always so tolerant of "I'm not sure what I'm doing yet" sorts of post it seemed safe to start here.

Women in Film is a great resource, and you don't have to be female to participate. They recently sponsored a get together of the area film comminsioners (Virginia, Maryland and DC) with some interesting talks. Thats where I found out about the sales tax break film companies can get in VA, and that DC has become a favorite spot for British based production companies.

Maryland offers money and rebates for productions with budgets over 500K meant for national distribution. The entire pot is usually spent in about .02 seconds after the fiscal year kicks in.:)