1st Annual Ruff Cutz Film Conference to Premier in Boston

The 1st Annual Ruff Cutz Indie Film Conference will be presented in Boston, Ma on Saturday and Sunday Feb 24 & 25, 2007. Ruff Cutz is not a standard film festival. The conference is programmed with screenings, exhibits, presentations, discussions, and a variety of networking and unique feedback opportunities. It also includes a gala red carpet event. The conference will be held at facilities graciously provided by sponsor The Boston-Brookline Holiday Inn, 1200 Beacon Street, Boston, AM.

What makes Ruff Cutz different? It is the first of its kind in New England. Film festivals will not accept films for screening until the filmmaker has a final cut (a finished product) prepared. Ruff Cutz allows filmmakers, amateur and professional, to present a "rough cut" of their film for audience and professional reaction and feedback. The rough cut of a film is one step in the film completion process which has all of the footage assembled in sequence, but does not have any fancy film editing or finalized music.

Showing a rough cut of a film in the Ruff Cutz type of showcase does not break any film festival rules. Conference founder Jamie Benti, who is also President and CEO of Image Icon Entertainment, decided to create Ruff Cutz to allow filmmakers this opportunity. The rough cut versions of films presented at this conference can be premiered as finished films at other festivals.

The 1st Annual Ruff Cutz Indie Conference is proof that dreams do come true. Especially if you treat dreams as opportunities - as Jamie Benti does - not as wispy, unattainable fantasies. You can throw a stick and hit a new film festival nearly anywhere today. But Ruff Cutz, modeled on a mid-west concoction called The Toofy Film Festival, makes the leap from film exclusivity to a welcoming fusion of film industry glitz, with new artists, access to industry pros, and film info of all kind within a networking/learning environment. The conference will make resources available to artists, professional and aspiring, that have previously been unavailable to that audience.

Entrepreneur Jamie Benti had the passion and confidence to put Ruff Cutz together,but he realized he couldn't do it alone. Recently, Benti took a moment from the hectic preparations to comment. "I knew I wanted to do something different [for fimmakers]," said Benti. "But I had no idea it would be so hard to put together." Enter Jeff Vollweiler and Ruff Cutz took shape. Vollweiler, of 4mation Entertainment, LLC is the Conference Director and a seasoned producer of industry events.

One of the featured key speakers this year is Patrick "Rick" Schmidt, the award-winning artist and animationm filmmaker of Blend Films. Schmidt is the author of "Feature Filmmaking at Used Car Prices". His most recent animation, "Puppet", premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Jeff Gordon is also a featured presenter. Gordon is the President and founder of Writer's Boot Camp. Gordon created Writer's Boot Camp for working and aspiring writers in the entertainment industry. Members get training, two free script evaluations a year and a host of other benefits.

Among expected conference attendees, besides movie lovers and filmmakers are producers, agents, investors and film distributors. The current buying frenzy at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah bodes well for the independent film community.

At the red carpet gala on Sunday, February 25, the red carpet will be rolled out for the evening session. Food and hor d'oeuvres will be offered. A fully stocked cash bar will also be available. Filmmaker exhibits and marquees stations will be spread out throughout the main ballroom for viewing. Officially selected Ruff Cutz films will begin at approimately 6:30pm in a separate media room and will continue throught the night followed by an award ceremony.

For more information, a complete schedule of events and ticket information visit the 1st Annual Ruff Cutz Indie Conference website. Or email Image Icon Entertainment.

Main sponsors for the event are Imagine Magazine, Writer's Boot Camp, Avid, Roxio, ProductionHub.com and The Boston-Brookline Holiday Inn. A complete list of affiliate sponsors is acknowledged on the Ruff Cutz website. Ruff Cutz would like to thank all of their sponsors and appreciate their participation.