WILLiFEST™ Readies For September 2010 Debut: Submissions Open For New York’s Newest Arts Fest

(I-Newswire) March 4, 2010 - Willifest Inc. today announced the launch of “WILLiFEST™,” a Brooklyn-based arts festival established to provide a creative platform for today’s emerging artists, and issued a Call For Entries to producers of films, screenplays and music. Submissions can now be made through the festival’s website, WILLiFEST.com, and through partner portals Withoutabox.com and Sonicbids.com.

The film component of WILLiFEST™, the Williamsburg International Film Festival™, will take place from September 23-26, 2010 throughout Brooklyn’s increasingly popular Williamsburg section. It is under the direction of an award-winning independent film team led by WILLiFEST™ co-founder Michael Helman, a veteran producer, director and technologist.

“WILLiFEST™ will give artists in all disciplines the opportunity to enhance their careers by exposing their film and music to a powerful audience, gaining crucial media exposure and strengthening industry relationships,” said Helman. The festival will also incorporate an educational component, he said, by partnering with leading New York City film programs and offering panels and lectures by working industry professionals.

Knitting Factory Entertainment (KFE), a creative producer, manager and distributor of universal music content, film/TV and theatrical events, is overseeing the music component of WILLiFEST™, which will include free and pay concerts over the course of the festival.

“We are committed to the success of WILLiFEST™,” said CEO/President Morgan Margolis. “This event takes the core philosophy on which Knitting Factory was created, namely providing a contemporary venue for live entertainment and a platform for today’s rising artists, and expands upon it with a broader range of material and a bigger arena. More than just the talented individuals feeding today’s music and art scene, it puts the spotlight on Brooklyn itself, recognizing the growing significance of the borough, and in particular Williamsburg, to the New York metro area’s cultural offerings.”

Festival Co-Founder Robin Adams added that The Moth (www.themoth.org), a New York City-based nonprofit organization that conducts live storytelling events, will produce one of its StorySLAMs at WILLiFEST™, giving interested participants time on stage to present stories around a common theme. Other components of WILLiFEST™ include photo exhibits by the nation’s premier jazz and rock-n-roll photographers, and a WILLiFEST™ Pavilion in which sponsors and exhibitors will showcase new technologies and products and filmmakers will be able to promote their work and interface with show attendees and members of the media.

Sponsorship, exhibitor opportunities and media partnerships are available. For details on these opportunities, specific event schedules, featured artists and other information, visit www.willifest.com or contact Michael Helman at (212) 744-2845 or inquiries@willifest.com.

WILLiFEST and Williamsburg International Film Festival are trademarks of Willifest Inc. All other trademarks are those of their respective owners.
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About WILLiFEST:
Scheduled for its debut in September 2010, WILLiFEST™ (willifest.com) is an annual art, film and music festival event based in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, N.Y. Co-Founded by veteran filmmaker Michael Helman and film/TV/music producer Robin Adams, the four-day event was established to provide a creative platform for today’s emerging artists and a multimedia entertainment experience for the public, and to acknowledge the diverse cultural offerings of New York City’s most populous borough.

About Knitting Factory Entertainment:
The Knitting Factory (knittingfactory.com) was founded in 1987 and over the years has grown into Knitting Factory Entertainment (KFE), which operates music venues in Brooklyn, Hollywood, Boise and Spokane, has a touring division, Knitting Factory Presents, that produces national and international events, and a record company, Knitting Factory Records, that along with partner Partisan Records manages current artists and recorded music catalogues and releases content in all formats. In addition, the company’s High Adventure Management subsidiary handles the careers of emerging and critically acclaimed recording artists both in the United States and overseas.

Company Contact Information
WILLiFEST
Michael Helman
P.O. Box 20412
New York, NY 10021
10021
Phone : 212.744.2845