THREE REASONS TO ATTEND THE PUSH FESTIVALThe 9th Annual PuSh International Performing Arts Festival kicked off on Monday, January 14, 2013 at the opening gala. Leading into 20 days of great performances, here are my three reasons why you should attend PuSh: Entertaining, Impact, Unexpected. The three reasons are not exclusive and shows very well may encompass all three elements but I wanted to break them down a bit.
http://www.productionheads.com/2013/01/1908/HOLLYWOOD NORTH: CONTINUUM FINDS FUTURE IN THE U.S.Showcase's futuristic hit Continuum arrived in the U.S. on Syfy this week and the future of the made-in-B.C. series is looking bright.
http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/television/Hollywood+North+Continuum+finds+future/7835704/story.htmlTHE FIGHT TO SALVAGE BC'S FILM INDUSTRYIn a donated office on a studio lot in North Vancouver where there are currently zero productions shooting, a group of unemployed film workers are working on their own big production: a town hall meeting planned for Tuesday night, to discuss the dire situation in the B.C. production community.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/the-fight-to-salvage-bcs-film-industry/article7555156/B.C. MOVIE BUSINESS FEELING SQUEEZE
The B.C. government is working on ways to hold onto movie, TV and video game production, as Hollywood shifts work to other provinces and countries that give attract them with generous subsidies and tax breaks. But that won't involve matching generous tax credits offered by Ontario and Quebec, said Bill Bennett, B.C.'s minister of community, sport and cultural development.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/business/186856292.htmlBRANDING CAMPAIGN NEEDED TO BOOST B.C.'S CREATIVE SECTOR, SAYS REPORT
A new report by a Simon Fraser University professor says a strategic branding plan would give a much-needed boost to the creative sector in B.C. The report says the sector employs 85,000 people and contributes $4 billion annually to the economy, and that per-capita spending on culture in B.C. is among the lowest of the provinces and that there has been a lack of statistical studies of the sector at the provincial level.
http://www.straight.com/arts/340891/branding-campaign-needed-boost-bcs-creative-sector-says-reportOSCAR NOMINATION SURPRISES LANGLEY-BORN FILMMAKER
Langley-born filmmaker Leslie Knott says when she first travelled to Afghanistan to help open a radio station run by women in 2005, she never imagined the trip would one day lead to an Oscar nomination.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/01/10/bc-lesley-knott-oscar-nomination.htmlWHY ACTORS ACT AGAINST THEIR BEST INTERESTWe all, at various detours of our journeys, pull ourselves into these destructive weigh-stations of negative reflection. Yet when that nagging inner-voice routes its phantom calling to our cranium, we sometimes have the tendency to wallow in the false comfort of empty self-pity. There is no substance within the wretched thoughts to offering the soul healthy nourishment.
http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/why-actors-act-against-their-best-interest/WALDORF HOTEL CAN BE SAVED, COUNCILLOR SAYSThe City of Vancouver will consider using all of its powers to keep the Waldorf Hotel alive, says Vancouver City Councillor Heather Deal. In an interview on CBC Radio One's On the Coast, Deal said the City will look at land-use and zoning restrictions as ways of preserving the iconic hotel.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/01/14/bc-waldorf-heather-deal.htmlCREATE NOW, CRITIQUE LATER
When addressing the life of the creative person in Hollywood-a writer, actor, director, etc.-there is wisdom in taking the "long view" regarding one's career. In other words, to remember that the ups and downs will smooth out over the years, and that a consistent, long-term commitment to artistic growth and the development of craft is what provides the ultimate satisfaction. However, real creativity only occurs in the here-and-now.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hollywood-the-couch/201301/create-now-critique-later 
