Set amidst the unparalleled beauty of the Sonoma Valley wine country, the annual Sonoma International Film Festival welcomes filmmakers and film lovers to a sun-drenched, luxurious extended weekend in mid-April, pairing great food, fine wine and more than 130 new independent films from around the world.
They also have something called the Media Arts Program and since 2002, the Sonoma International Film Festival and its members have continually supported it.
This student program opens doorways to creativity in the digital arts through filmmaking classes, animation, scriptwriting, film theory, and – most of all – storytelling.
Each year, hundreds of students are introduced to the process of filmmaking, producing dozens of acclaimed student shorts, many of which can be seen at the “Student Works” showcase of films during the annual Sonoma International Film Festival.
Peter Hansen, Film Program Teacher and Youth Program Director, says:
“I have former students graduating film school, traveling internationally, working on music videos, documentaries, and interning or working at studios like Pixar Animation Studio. Generous grants totaling over $300,000 have been given to these programs.”
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
