IRISH CINEMA… (In the Entertainment industry. History of Irish Cinema)

Lumières La Sortie de l'Usine Lumière à Lyon 1895 / Photo Credit: Brothers Lumiere - Irish Film Institute

IRISH CINEMA… (In the Entertainment industry. History of Irish Cinema)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

Irish Cinema

The story of Irish cinema begins much as the story of cinema elsewhere in Europe. As early as April 1896, four months after the Paris debut of the Lumière Cinematographe, moving pictures were being shown in Dublin city. Kevin Rockett records that over seven thousand people attended Lumière screenings during one week in October 1896. The first images of Ireland on film were made not long after by visiting Lumière cameramen.

Irish Film Institute

http://www.ifi.ie/downloads/history.pdf

The first cinema in Ireland, the Volta, was opened at 45 Mary Street, Dublin, in 1909 by the novelist James Joyce. Already known for fueling the country’s rich literary tradition, James Joyce, one of the country’s most influential writers, set up Ireland’s first official venue for showing films, Dublin’s Volta cinema, in 1909. While the Volta has since closed, today the Irish have the highest per-capita cinema attendance in the world, according to the most current international data, compiled by The Economist. Thirty-eight percent of residents aged 15 to 35 reported going to the movies at least once a month in 2010, and the year prior saw a total of 28.8 million visits to the movies, impressive for a population of just 4.5 million.

Cinema appreciation in Ireland can be traced back to the final years of the 19th Century, when eager Dubliners would gather in the city centre to watch silent films incorporated into variety shows. Around that time, the earliest known film footage shot in Ireland, of Dublin’s O’Connell Street in 1897, was recorded by a cameraman for the French inventors the Lumière brothers (who invented the device he was using just two years prior). He was the first of many foreign filmmakers to fall in love with the country.

In 1910, silent filmmaker Sidney Olcott, a Canadian-American of Irish descent, became the first Hollywood director to shoot an on-location movie when he travelled to County Kerry to make A Lad from Old Ireland. John Ford, the Irish-American filmmaker who holds the record for the most Academy Awards for directing (four), also made several movies about Ireland, starting with a 1935 adaptation of the Liam O’Flaherty novel The Informer. His best known Irish movie to date, though, is The Quiet Man, a 1952 Oscar-winning film shot in County Mayo about a retired Irish-American boxer, played by John Wayne, who returns to the Irish town he was born in.

Ardmore Studios was the first Irish studio, opening in 1958 in Bray, County Wicklow.

The Irish film industry has grown somewhat in recent year’s thanks partly to the promotion of the sector by Bord Scannán na hÉireann (Irish Film Board) and the introduction of heavy tax breaks. According to the Irish Audiovisual Content Production Sector Review carried out by the Irish Film Board and PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2008 this sector, has gone from 1,000 people employed six or seven years ago, to well over 6,000 people in that sector now and is valued at over €557.3 million and represents 0.3% of GDP.

According to an article in Variety magazine spotlighting Irish cinema, a decade ago Ireland had only two filmmakers anyone had heard of: Neil Jordan and Jim Sheridan. As of 2010, Ireland can boast more than a dozen directors and writers with significant and growing international reputations. Ireland is now achieving critical mass of filmmaking talent to match the kind of influence, disproportionate to its small size, which it has always enjoyed in the fields of literature and theatre. Following in the footsteps of Sheridan and Jordan comes a generation that includes such directors as Lenny Abrahamson, Conor McPherson, John Crowley, Martin McDonagh, John Carney, Kirsten Sheridan, Lance Daly, Paddy Breathnach and Damien O'Donnell and writers such as Mark O'Rowe, Enda Walsh and Mark O'Halloran.

Former Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen (2008–2010) said that “the film industry is the cornerstone of a smart and creative digital economy”. But as well as the concrete economic benefits that the Irish film industry brings in by way of cash investment from overseas and the associated VAT, PAYE and PRSI receipts, it has been noted that there are the soft benefits in terms of the development and projection of the Irish culture and the promotion of tourism.

While big-budget international productions keep crews working and are enormously valuable to the country, it is the indigenous industry that is at the heart of creating opportunity and giving skills and experience to Irish producers, directors, writers and crew, telling the stories that emerge from Irish-based talent. Some of the most successful Irish films include The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), Intermission (2003), Man About Dog (2004), Michael Collins (1996), Angela's Ashes (1999), The Commitments (1991), Once (2007) and Notorious (2017). Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie (2014) holds the record for the biggest gross on the opening day of an Irish film in Ireland. . Notorious (2017) on the other hand holds the record for highest grossing Irish documentary of all time.[citation needed]

In the past many films were censored or banned, owing largely to the influence of the Catholic Church with films including The Great Dictator (1940), A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Life of Brian (1979) being banned at various times, although virtually no cuts or bans have been issued in recent years, one as of August 2006. The Irish Film Censor's Office policy is that of personal choice for the viewer, considering his job to examine and classify films rather than censor them.

Ireland has a high rate of cinema admissions (the highest in Europe).

There are several cinema chains operating in Ireland. Among them are ODEON Cinemas (formerly UCI/Storm Cinemas), Omniplex, IMC Cinemas (Both Omniplex and IMC are owned by the Ward Anderson group), Cineworld, Vue and Movies@Cinemas.

Ireland as a location

The first fictional film shot in Ireland was Kalem Company's The Lad from Old Ireland (1910), which was also the first American film shot on location outside the United States. It was directed by Sidney Olcott, who returned the next year to shoot over a dozen films primarily in the small village of Beaufort, County Kerry. Olcott intended to start a permanent studio in Beaufort, but the outbreak of World War I prevented him from doing so.

The Irish government was one of the first in Europe to see the potential benefit to the exchequer of having a competitive tax incentive for investment in film and television, making use of a revised and improved version of its Section 481 tax incentive in 2015 which gives production companies a tax credit rate of 32% when making certain films. Other countries have recognized the success of Ireland’s incentive scheme and matched it or introduced a more competitive tax incentive. After a long lobbying process, significant improvements were introduced to the Section 481 relief for investment in film projects in 2009 to boost employment in the industry and help re-establish Ireland as an attractive global location for film and television production.

Kevin Moriarty, managing director of Ardmore Studios believes Ireland is an attractive film location as there is now recognition for the quality of the output of the Irish film industry and a perception that Ireland is a viable film destination.

Prominent films that have been filmed in Ireland include The Quiet Man (1952), The Lion in Winter (1968), The First Great Train Robbery (1979), Excalibur (1981), Braveheart (1995), Reign of Fire (2002), King Arthur (2004), The Guard (2011) and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).

Ireland has been home to several noteworthy producers of animated films in recent years. Sullivan Bluth Studios was opened in 1979 as Don Bluth Productions, with its primary location in Dublin, to produce animated films by director Don Bluth and producer Morris Sullivan. Some films produced at Sullivan Bluth's Irish studio include 1988's The Land Before Time, 1989's All Dogs Go to Heaven (co-produced with UK-based Goldcrest Films) and 1991's Rock-a-Doodle. Many of these films competed favorably with productions by Walt Disney Pictures at the time. However, following a number of box-office flops in the early to mid-1990s, including 1994's Thumbelina and A Troll in Central Park and 1995's The Pebble and the Penguin, the studio soon declared bankruptcy and was closed in 1995.

Today, Ireland has a number of animation studios that produce television and commercial animation, as well as feature films and co-productions. Cartoon Saloon, founded in 1999 by Paul Young and Tomm Moore, is among the most prolific. It has produced the award-winning TV series Skunk Fu! as well as a feature film, 2009's The Secret of Kells, animated primarily with Traditional paper and pencil hand drawn animation and detailing a fictitious account of the creation of the Book of Kells. The film was nominated at the 82nd Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature. Cartoon Saloon has more feature films in production, including Song of the Sea, released in 2014.

Recommended Books on Irish Cinema

Barton, Ruth, Irish National Cinema (Routledge, 2004)…

McIlroy, Brian, Shooting to Kill: Filmmaking and the Troubles in Northern Ireland

(Flicks, 1998)…

McLoone, Martin, Irish Film: The Emergence of a Contemporary Cinema (BFI, 2000)…

O’Brien, Harvey, the Real Ireland: The Evolution of Ireland in Documentary Film

(Manchester, 2004)…

Pettitt, Lance, Screening Ireland: Film and Television Representation (Manchester, 2000)…

Rockett, Kevin, Irish Film Censorship (Four Courts, 2004)…

Dr. Harvey O’Brien is the author of The Real Ireland: The Evolution of Ireland in Documentary Film (Manchester, 2004) and co-editor (with Ruth Barton) of Keeping it Real: Irish Film and Television (Wallflower, 2004). His articles have appeared in Cineaste, Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television, Irish Studies Review, Éire Ireland and Film and Film Culture, of which he is co-editor. He teaches film studies at the O’Kane Centre for Film Studies at University College Dublin, has lectured at the Harvard Film Archive, Boston College, and Universite de Bourgoine, and taught courses for New York University, the Irish Film Institute, Film Base, and the National College of Art and Design.

Sources, References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The Balance, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Media Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, Daily Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Career Trend, Producer's Code of Credits, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Entertainment Careers, Adhere Creative, In Deed, Glass Door, Pay Scale, Merriam-Webster, Job Monkey, Studio Binder, The Collective, Production Hub, The Producer's Business Handbook by John J. Lee Jr., The Culture Trip, Film Museum, CNN, Flynn, Arthur (2005). The Story of Irish Film, "Entertainment value". Irish Times, Rockett, Kevin; Luke Gibbons; John Hill (1987). Cinema and Ireland, "About the Irish Film Board". Irish Film Board, BBC, http://www.ifi.ie/downloads/history.pdf, Tony Deane, http://homepage.tinet.ie/~cinemax/irish_cinema.htm, Volta

https://www.volta.ie/#!/page/608/a-short-history-of-irish-cinema

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND BRUCE BISBEY MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, REGARDING THIS INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE COMPLETENESS, ACCURACY OR TIMELINESS OF THIS INFORMATION. YOUR USE OF THIS INFORMATION IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND RISK OF LOSS RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, WHETHER IN AN ACTION BASED UPON A STATUTE, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, RELATING TO THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION.

NAMIBIAN CINEMA… (In the Entertainment industry. History of Namibian Cinema)

Namibian Film Commission Image / Photo Credit: Namibian Film Commission - Gondwana Collection

NAMIBIAN CINEMA… (In the Entertainment industry. History of Namibian Cinema)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

Namibian Cinema

The Namib Desert and its dramatic sweeping landscapes provided the ideal scenery for the fourth installment of George Miller's dystopian tale -- as it has done for numerous other big-budget foreign films to be shot on Namibian soil.

Yet it's been far less fertile ground for home-grown film-makers who can lay claim to producing just one movie -- 2015's township drama, "Katutura" -- in Namibia's 25 years as a sovereign state.

The history of Namibian cinema started in 1919, when two colonial Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) applied for a license to build a native cinema in the Windhoek location in order to educate the ‘primitive natives’. The proposal was turned down because the administrator at that time felt that the natives were not yet ready (Gordon 1947),” he says in a historical overview on the local industry. Motion picture came to Namibia for the first time in the early 1920s when expeditions arrived. Most films made at that time in Namibia were “ethnographic films” about the San population. “During the apartheid era the South African colonial regime was actively involved in regulating the content of films, videos, television, theatre plays and publications. The same law was also implemented in Namibia, seeing that the then South African apartheid regime considered Namibia as part of South Africa. Since independence, a significant number of international features, television series and documentaries were produced in Namibia making use of the special landscapes, the constant good weather conditions and the good infrastructure, as well as the stable political situation,” he writes. In his opinion it seems that the local industry has failed to benefit from these increased activities, and transfer of skills.

Namibian Film Commission

The Namibia Film Commission (NFC) is a statutory body that was established by Act 6 of Parliament in 2000 to support, encourage and promote film productions as well as the development of the film industry in Namibia. Friendly and competent personnel is dedicated to manage any kind of inquiries and helps to put ideas into action. The NFC acts as a liaison between foreign and local production companies assisting in obtaining permits from government agencies such as work permits, permits for filming in National Parks or in obtaining security services. With regard to production service providers, who will supply local crews and technical services, location scouts, aviation services, catering, transport, accommodation or telecommunication, the Commission will provide the visiting producer with a list of experienced and reputable companies.

The NFC will assist filmmakers to obtain the following permits: (Forms available for download at the bottom of this page) Obligatory: Application form "Namibia Filming Permit Application Form Filming" Any commercial filming or photography in Namibia needs to direct a request to the NFC three weeks before arrival by completing an application form and fax it to the Commission. An administrative fee of N$ 500 is payable to the NFC. Application form for temporary work permit from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration. All foreign crews working in Namibia must have a valid temporary work permit to work on a film set in Namibia, even if it is for only one day.

Namibian Film Commission

http://www.nfc.na/filming-in-namibia/

Production Companies

Magic Touch Films

http://www.magictouchfilms.com/

Namib Film

http://namibfilms.com/

Endemic Productions

http://www.endemicproductions.com/

Thunderbolt Design & Post Production

http://www.thunderboldt.com/

Sources, References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The Balance, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Media Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, Daily Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Career Trend, Producer's Code of Credits, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Entertainment Careers, Adhere Creative, In Deed, Glass Door, Pay Scale, Merriam-Webster, Job Monkey, Studio Binder, The Collective, Production Hub, The Producer's Business Handbook by John J. Lee Jr., The Culture Trip, Film Museum, CNN, Namibian Film Commission, Magic Touch Films, Namib Film, New Era, Thunderbolt Design & Post Production, Endemic Productions,

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND BRUCE BISBEY MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, REGARDING THIS INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE COMPLETENESS, ACCURACY OR TIMELINESS OF THIS INFORMATION. YOUR USE OF THIS INFORMATION IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND RISK OF LOSS RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, WHETHER IN AN ACTION BASED UPON A STATUTE, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, RELATING TO THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION.

NORWEGIAN CINEMA… (In the Entertainment industry. Norwegian Cinema)

Song of Norway / Photo Credit: Tams Witmark

NORWEGIAN CINEMA… (In the Entertainment industry. Norwegian Cinema)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

Norwegian Cinema

Norway has had a notable cinema industry for some time.

The first productions

As country which gained its independence from Sweden in 1905, Norway joined the cinema industry a year after – at least it’s one of the versions. However, as little is certainly known about the first film in Norwegian cinema history, the two main versions tell that Hugo Hermansen produced the very first one in either 1906 or 1908. The name is also unknown because the film is lost and few documents remain, but two possible names reveal that it could’ve been called Dangers of a Fisherman’s Life or A Drama at Sea.

The first film produced domestically in Norway was a short about fishermen, Fiskerlivets farer, dating from 1907. The first feature was released in 1911, produced by Halfman Nobel Roede. In 1931 Tancred Ibsen, grandson of the playwright, presented Norway's first feature-length sound film, Den store barnedåpen ("The Great Christening"). Through the 1930s Ibsen "dominated" the nation's film industry, with Leif Sinding in second place. Ibsen produced conventional melodramas more or less on the model of Hollywood films.

During the lapse of those early days until World War II, Norwegian films were dominated by stories based on books, novels and outdoors scenarios, remarking the 30s decade, called as the Golden Age of Norwegian film with movies like The Great Christening (1931), the first spoken film.

When the World War II lashed in Norway, the filming industry was subject to Nazi censorship, as in many other countries under the Third Reich. Nonetheless, this period provided organization to the Norwegian film industry by establishing the first policies, laws, directorates and a fund.

The end of the war, as in many countries, offered freedom and new fresh ideas to the cinema in Norway, and it was then when the first female director emerged. Edith Carlmar turned into a legend of the cinema industry of her country thanks to her more than 10 films during 20 years from 1959. Besides her, an innovative carpenter, Ivo Caprino, ventured into filming as well by using puppets and became one of the pioneers of Norwegian animation.

During the 50s and until the 80s, Norwegian cinema industry saw different trends and one of the most successes in its history: the only country’s Oscar Award. In 1952, in the midst of a boom of documentary films, Thor Heyerdahl became an Academy Award winner for best documentary thanks to an expedition he filmed in one of his adventures in the Pacific in late 40s.

After a predominance of French style in the 60s, the 70s films dedicated mostly to social realism. Intentionally politicized and away from the idea of providing entertainment to the masses, directors like Oddvar Bull Tuhus were fond of giving their own, and sometimes crude perspective of their reality. Those years also saw the coming of feminism to the big screen with the Wives Trilogy by the pioneering female director is Anja Breien.

From the 80s to present day Norwegian cinema has looked to US aesthetics in order to gain the success enjoyed in the past after a massive loss of interest from the local public. Across these last 30 years, the subjects treated by Norwegian cinema have ranged from suspense to action to family dramas with sparks of Hollywood touches. Directors such as Hans Petter Moland director of Comrade Pedersen, Pål Sletaun and Erik Skjoldbjærg have gained international recognition and taken part in international film festivals with their films, subsequently getting to direct films in the US.

In the early 21st century a few Norwegian film directors have had the opportunity to go to Hollywood to direct various independent films. As of 2011, nearly 900 films had been produced in Norway, with a third of these being made in the last 15 years.

Western Norway Film Commission (WNFC) was the first regional film commission in Norway, established in 2003. The film commission provides free services to international film and TV productions considering filming in Western Norway. WNFC is supported by the counties of Møre og Romsdal, Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane. WNFC is a member of Association of Film Commissioners International, European Film Commission Network and Scandinavian Locations. WNFC has its offices in the city of Bergen.

Film Commission Norway

https://norwegianfilm.com

Film festivals

Bergen International Film Festival, Bergen…

Kosmorama – Trondheim International Film Festival, Trondheim…

Tromsø International Film Festival, Tromsø…

ØyaKino, Oslo…

Sources, References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The Balance, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Media Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, Daily Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Career Trend, Producer's Code of Credits, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Entertainment Careers, Adhere Creative, In Deed, Glass Door, Pay Scale, Merriam-Webster, Job Monkey, Studio Binder, The Collective, Production Hub, The Producer's Business Handbook by John J. Lee Jr., The Culture Trip, Film Museum, Nordic National Cinemas, Donald Dewey, "Edging Out of Darkness" Norway’s Long Struggle to Establish a Thriving Film Industry", Euro Channel

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND BRUCE BISBEY MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, REGARDING THIS INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE COMPLETENESS, ACCURACY OR TIMELINESS OF THIS INFORMATION. YOUR USE OF THIS INFORMATION IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND RISK OF LOSS RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, WHETHER IN AN ACTION BASED UPON A STATUTE, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, RELATING TO THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION.

EGYPTIAN CINEMA… (In the Entertainment industry. Egyptian Cinema)

Cartell Cinematographe Lumiere / Photo Credit: Visit Museum - Marcellin Auzolle

EGYPTIAN CINEMA… (In the Entertainment industry. Egyptian Cinema)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

Egyptian Cinema

History

The cinema of Egypt refers to the flourishing film industry based in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Since 1976, Cairo has held the annual Cairo International Film Festival, which has been accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations. There is also another festival held in Alexandria. Of the more than 4,000 short and feature-length films made in MENA region since 1908, more than three-quarters were Egyptian movies.

Beginnings

The earliest projections using a “Lumière” cinematograph in Egypt took place on the 15 November 1896, at the Toussoun Exchange in Alexandria, then in Cairo on 28th November, that is, less than one year after the first projection in Paris, on 28 December 1895. Egypt’s first “Lumière cinematograph” cinema opened its doors in Alexandria in 1897. By 1926 - that is, by the end of the silent cinema era - 86 cinemas were operating in Egypt. The family of Mohamed Ali had reigned in Egypt since 1805. Their reign ended with the “revolution” of the military in 1952 and the declaration of the Republic in 1953.

While a limited number of silent films were made in Egypt from 1896 (with 1927's Laila notable as the first full-length feature), Cairo's film industry became a regional force with the coming of sound. Between 1930 and 1936, various small studios produced at least 44 feature films. In 1936, Studio Misr, financed by industrialist Talaat Harb, emerged as the leading Egyptian equivalent to Hollywood's major studios, a role the company retained for three decades.

Historians disagree in determining the beginning of cinema in Egypt, there are those who said that beginning in 1896 with the first film watched in Egypt, while others thought that the beginning of cinema in the 20 June 1907 with a short documentary film about the visit of Khedive Abbas Hilmi II to the Institute of Mursi Abul-Abbas in Alexandria. In 1917, the director Mohamed Karim established a production company in Alexandria. The company produced two films: Dead Flowers and Honor the Bedouin, which were shown in the city of Alexandria in early 1918.

Since then, more than 4,000 films have been produced in Egypt, three quarters of the total Arab production. Egypt is the most productive country in the Middle East in the field of film production, and the one with the most developed media system.

Golden of Egyptian Cinema

The 1940s, 1950s and the 1960s are generally considered the golden age of Egyptian cinema. In the 1950s, Egypt's cinema industry was the world's third largest. As in the West, films responded to the popular imagination, with most falling into predictable genres (happy endings being the norm), and many actors making careers out of playing strongly typed parts. In the words of one critic, "If an Egyptian film intended for popular audiences lacked any of these prerequisites, it constituted a betrayal of the unwritten contract with the spectator, the results of which would manifest themselves in the box office."

In 1940, the entrepreneur and translator Anis Ebeid established "Anis Ebeid Films", as the first subtitling company in Egypt and the Middle East, bringing hundreds of American and World movies to Egypt. Later he entered the movie distribution business too.

Political changes in Egypt after the overthrow of King Farouk in 1952 initially had little effect on Egyptian film. The Nasser regime sought control over the industry only after turning to socialism in 1961. By 1966, the Egyptian film industry had been nationalized. As is the case regarding all matters during that period, diametrical opinions can be found about Cinema industry then. In the words of Ahmed Ramzi, a leading man of the era, "it went to the dogs". The "heavy government hand" that accompanied nationalization of Egyptian film "stifled innovative trends and sapped its dynamism". However, considering a rather modern moderate review like that given by Dubai International Film Festival, Most of the 44 Egyptian films featuring in the best 100 Arab films of all time were produced during that period. Notable titles included The Night of Counting the Years, Cairo Station and The Postman.

By the 1970s, Egyptian films struck a balance between politics and entertainment. Films such as 1972's Khalli Balak min Zouzou (Watch out for Zouzou), starring "the Cinderella of Arab cinema", Suad Husni, sought to balance politics and audience appeal. Zouzou integrated music, dance, and contemporary fashions into a story that balanced campus ferment with family melodrama.

Transitional period

The late 1970s and 1980s saw the Egyptian film industry in decline, with the rise of what came to be called "contractor movies". Actor Khaled El Sawy has described these as films "where there is no story, no acting and no production quality of any kind... basic formula movies that aimed at making a quick buck." The number of films produced also declined, from nearly 100 movies a year in the industry's prime to about a dozen in 1995. Throughout most of 1980, the West German filmmaker Teod Richter worked in Cairo filming what would become his last film, the 248 minute silent feature "Memory Through Tales Told".

This lasted until summer 1997, with "Ismailia Rayeh Gayy" (translation: Ismailia back and forth). The comedy shocked the cinema industry enjoying unparalleled success and providing large profits for the producers, introducing Mohammed Fouad (a famous singer) and Mohammed Henedy a rather unknown actor who then became the number one comedian star. Building on the success of that movie, several comedy films were released in the following years

Present

Since the 1990s, Egypt's cinema has gone in separate directions. Smaller art films attract some international attention but sparse attendance at home. Popular films, often broad comedies such as What A Lie!, and the extremely profitable works of comedian Mohamed Saad, battle to hold audiences either drawn to Western films or, increasingly, wary of the perceived immorality of film.

A few productions, such as 2003's Sahar el Layali (Sleepless Nights), intertwined stories of four bourgeois couples and 2006's Imarat Yacoubian (The Yacoubian Building) bridge this divide through their combination of high artistic quality and popular appeal.

In 2006, the film Awkat Faragh (Free Times) was released. A social commentary on the decline of Egyptian youth, the film was produced on a low-budget and with the attendant low production values. The film, however, became a success. Its controversial subject matter, namely, the sexual undertones in today's society, was seen as confirmation that the industry was beginning to take risks.

A major challenge facing Egyptian and international scholars, students and fans of Egyptian film is the lack of resources in terms of published works, preserved and available copies of the films themselves, and development in Egypt of state and private institutions dedicated to the study and preservation of film. The Egyptian National Film Centre (ENFC), which theoretically holds copies of all films made after 1961, is according to one Egyptian film researcher, "far from being a library, houses piles of rusty cans containing positive copies."

The year 2007, however, saw a considerable spike in the number of Egyptian films made. In 1997, the number of Egyptian feature-length films created was 16; 10 years later, that number had risen to 40. Box office records have also risen significantly, as Egyptian films earned around $50 million while American films, by comparison, earned $10 million.

Since 1976, Cairo has held the annual Cairo International Film Festival, which has been accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations. There is also another festival held in Alexandria.

Censorship in Egyptian Cinema

Cinema in Egypt today has all the modern amenities like the studios, all the amenities which are today needed but there is also censorship. Any film maker has to check the script they're shooting, have to agree with it, that there is nothing anti-Arab, Anti-Muslim. As showing any such anti thing in a film can lead to not just controversy but also a failed report from the censor board here which plays a crucial part in the Egyptian cinema today.

Today many film makers are going out of line to make films that are different and can even challenge the censor board here. One such latest film to have been made here is the "The Yacoubean Building”, which has been seen as a landmark in the history of cinema in Egypt. The film was made on the biggest ever budget and an all-star cast led by the revered actor Adel Imam and featuring popular actress, Youssra. The movie even covered some sensitive subjects that challenged the censors and religious conservatives, including homosexuality and terrorism.

Film makers are now struggling to come up with new and different subjects to keep audiences glued. But what is finally needed is a new generation of film-makers that are very strong, hungry and really want to do something about it.

Sources, References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The Balance, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Media Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, Daily Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Career Trend, Producer's Code of Credits, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Entertainment Careers, Adhere Creative, In Deed, Glass Door, Pay Scale, Merriam-Webster, Job Monkey, Studio Binder, The Collective, Production Hub, The Producer's Business Handbook by John J. Lee Jr., Andrew Grant, Thought Company, Ask Aladdin, The Culture Trip, Film Museum, Mike McKinley

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND BRUCE BISBEY MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, REGARDING THIS INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE COMPLETENESS, ACCURACY OR TIMELINESS OF THIS INFORMATION. YOUR USE OF THIS INFORMATION IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND RISK OF LOSS RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, WHETHER IN AN ACTION BASED UPON A STATUTE, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, RELATING TO THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION.

Cartell Cinematographe Lumiere / Photo Credit: Visit Museum - Marcellin Auzolle

MEXICAN CINEMA… (In the Entertainment industry. Mexican Cinema)

Open air screening at the Guadalajara International Film Festival / Photo Credit: Guadalajara Film Festival - Riverhelp

MEXICAN CINEMA… (In the Entertainment industry. Mexican Cinema)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

Mexican Cinema

History

The history of Mexican cinema goes back to the ending of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, when several enthusiasts of the new medium documented historical events – most particularly the Mexican Revolution – and produced some movies that have only recently been rediscovered. During the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, Mexico all but dominated the Latin American film industry.

It is an industry that has been growing over time, but has a long way to go before becoming what it should be.

The history of cinema started on December 28, 1895 at the Grand Café de Paris at 8:30 pm, when the Lumiere brothers offered their first exhibition of a film, featuring the movie "The arrival of the train." It was a hit, although at first it was frightening for viewers who had never seen anything like it. Many ran away from the screen believing that an on-screen train would run them over.

So it all started. The Lumieres never believed that film would become what it is today. At first, although they thought it was something people would find interesting, its success was unexpected. But from that day on, the film industry grew into what it is today.

However the history of each country’s film industry is different. Usually when you hear the word cinema, the thought of Hollywood comes to mind. But there is much to say of the industry in Mexico.

This art has grown over the years in Mexico, but still lacks support to even be compared to Hollywood. Mexico has enough talent to secure a major presence in the film world, but filmmaking in Mexico has still been a complicated process.

A few years ago, thanks to passing of Article 226 of the Mexican Constitution (in which private companies finance projects as a way of paying taxes), many films have received the funding they’ve sorely needed. But the problem is also one of distribution. Of the more than 100 films made per year in Mexico only a portion of them manage to be screened. This lag affects the industry in an important way.

The problem lies in the fact that film distributors and exhibitors show no interest in Mexican films, because they are more interested in foreign productions, which are believed to be more profitable. If Mexicans supported their own cinema, there would be a significant change within the national industry.

During the so-called Golden Age of Mexican cinema, the industry became the second largest in Mexico after oil. This period took place in 1940’ during the Second World War, when the United States dropped its presence on billboards around the world. This allowed greater numbers of Mexican films to be screened.

This is a clear sign that the key to success of cultural industries in general is not just in the scope of what is produced, but in the access to distribution. Although volume resulting from production remains on the rise, thanks to effective cultural policies, there is still a lack of policy that supports effective distribution and exhibition of national films.

The Guadalajara International Film Festival is the most prestigious Latin American film festival and is held annually In Guadalajara, Mexico. Mexico has twice won the highest honor at the Cannes Film Festival, having won the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film for Maria Candelaria in 1946 and the Palme d'Or in 1961 for Viridiana, more than any other Latin American nation.

Mexico City is the fourth largest film and television production center in North America, as well as the largest in Latin America.

Silent films (1896–1929)

The first "moving picture", according to sources by film historian Jim Mora, was viewed in 1895 using Thomas Edison's kinetoscope. A year later, the cinematographe projector was introduced by Auguste Lumière. Mexico's first queues appeared in cinemas in the capital to see international one-minute films such as The Card Players, Arrival of a Train, and The Magic Hat. The "silent film" industry in Mexico produced several movies; however, many of the films up to the 1920s have been lost and were not well documented.

The origins of early Mexican filmmaking is generally associated with Salvador Toscano Barragán. In 1898 Toscano made the country's first film with a plot, titled Don Juan Tenorio. During the Mexican Revolution, Toscano recorded several clips of the battles, which would become a full-length documentary in 1950, assembled by his daughter. Other short films were either created or influenced from French film-makers.

By 1906, 16 movie salons opened their doors to accommodate the popularity of cinema in Mexico City. Carpas, or tent shows, were popular beginning in 1911 where lower-class citizens would perform picaresque humor and theatrical plays, a place for training for aspiring actors. Politically affiliated films appearing in 1908, often deemed propagandistic by today's terms. Significant battles were filmed and broadcast during the Revolution which fueled Mexicans' excitement in cinema.

The popularity that cinema had experienced in the early 20th century continued to grow and by 1911 fourteen movie houses were erected over and above those of just the year prior. It was during this period that the documentary techniques were mastered as is evident in the Alva brother's production entitled Revolución orozquista (1912). The film was shot in the camps of the rebel and federal forces during the battle between General Huerta and the rebel leader Pascual Orozco.

However, despite the relative advancement of cinema during this period, the moralistic and paternalist ideology of Madero led to his campaign to save the lower classes from immorality through censorship. Hence, in late September and early October 1911, city council members appointed additional movie house inspectors, whose wages would be paid by the exhibitioners. Furthermore, the head of the Entertainment Commission, proposed the implementation of censorship; however, Victoriano Huerta's coup d'état in February 1913 prevented the move to legislate censorship.

Although Huerta's reign was brief, the cinema experienced significant changes within this period such as the further establishment of censorship and a shift away from documentary films to entertainment films. The Alva brothers' production of Aniversario del fallecimineto de la suegra de Enhart is indicative of the change in the aim of Mexican cinematographers.

In regards to censorship, the Huerta government imposed a moral and political decree of censorship in approximately June 1913. This decree was imposed a few days after convencionista soldiers shot at the screen during a viewing of El aguila y la serpiente. The decree stated that films that showed the following were prohibited: "views representing crimes, if they do not include punishment of the guilty parties, views which directly or indirectly insult an authority or person, morality or good manners, provoke a crime or offence, or in any way disturb the public order (Mora 70)."

As a result of the limitations placed on film content as well as the radicalization of the parties involved in the armed conflicts, cameramen and producers began to display their opinion through the films they produced. For instance, favoritism towards the Zapatistas was illustrated in the film Sangre Hermana (Sister Blood, 1914). Due to the sensational content of this film, it is evident that the producers had no interest in displaying the events in such a way that the audience could come to their own conclusions.

The cinematic productions of this period were reflective of the Italians style film d'art, which were fiction-based melodramas. The film La Luz (The Light, Ezequiel Carrasco, 1917, starring Emma Padilla) was the first film that attempted to adopt this style, even though it was viewed as a plagiarism of Piero Fosco's Il Fuoco. Paranaguá attributes the influence that the Italian had on the Mexican cinema with the similarities between the situations of both countries. Both countries were in a state of chaos and disorder – there was a war in Italy and a revolution in Mexico (Paranaguá 70). Once again censorship was re-established on October 1, 1919. Films which illustrated acts of immortality or induced sympathy for the criminal were prohibited.

In 1917, the former vaudeville star Mimí Derba, founded the Azteca Studios which realized notable films between 1917 and 1923. The most successful of these films was En defensa Propia (1921).

Government budget had to be trimmed as a result of the rebellion and cinematographic departments of the Ministry of Education and Agriculture were cut. By 1924, narrative films were at an all-time low since 1917.

During the 1920s very few movies were produced, given the political climate that was still very unsettled and the resurgence of the American film industry.

Notable Mexican movie stars moved to the United States. Stars like Ramón Novarro, Dolores del Río and Lupe Vélez, became principal stars of notable Hollywood films in the 1920s and 1930s. Other Mexican stars appeared in numerous movies which were merely Spanish-language versions of Hollywood movies.

The Golden Age (1930–1960)

In the 1930s, once peace and a degree of political stability were achieved, the film industry took off in Mexico and several movies still experimenting with the new medium were made. Hollywood's attempt at creating Spanish language films for Latin America failed mainly due to the combination of Hispanic actors from different ethnicities exhibiting various accents unfamiliar to the Mexican people. Early Mexican cinematographers were influenced and encouraged by Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein's visit to the country in 1930.

In 1931 the first Mexican talkie movie, an adaptation of the Federico Gamboa's novel Santa, directed by Antonio Moreno and starred by the Mexican-Hollywood star Lupita Tovar, was realized. Until Sergei Eisenstein's Que Viva Mexico (1931), Mexican audiences were exposed to popular melodramas, crude comedies, as well as Spanish-language versions of Hollywood movies.

Eisenstein's visit to Mexico inspired directors like Emilio Fernández and cameraman Gabriel Figueroa, and the number of Mexican-made films increased and improved. During the 1930s the Mexican film industry achieved considerable success with movies like La Mujer del Puerto (1934), Fred Zinnemann's Redes (1934), Janitzio (1934), Dos Monjes (1934), Allá en el Rancho Grande (1936), Vámonos con Pancho Villa (1936) from De Fuentes' Revolution Trilogy and La Zandunga.

During the 1940s the full potential of the industry developed. Actors and directors became popular icons and even figures with political influence on diverse spheres of Mexican life. The industry received a boost as a consequence of Hollywood redirecting its efforts towards propagandistic films and European countries focusing on World War II, which left an open field for other industries.

Mexico dominated the film market in Latin America for most of the 1940s without competition from the United States film industry. During World War II movie production in Mexico tripled. The fact that Argentina and Spain had fascist governments made the Mexican movie industry the world's largest producer of Spanish-language films in the 1940. Although the Mexican government was reactionary, it encouraged the production of films that would help articulate a true Mexican identity, in contrast to the view often seen in Hollywood movies.

The Golden Age of Mexican cinema took place during the 1940s and beyond. The most prominent actor during this period was Mario Moreno, better known as Cantinflas. The film Ahí está el detalle in 1940 made Cantinflas a household name and he became known as the "Mexican Charlie Chaplin”. His films were ubiquitous in Spain and Latin America and influenced many contemporary actors. Not until the appearance of "Tin-Tan" in the late 1940s did his popularity wane.

Mexican actresses also were a focus in Mexican cinema. Sara García was the "grandmother of Mexico". Her career began with silent films in 1910, moved to theatre, and ultimately the film that made her famous, No basta ser madre (It's Not Enough to be a Mother) in 1937. Dolores del Río, another dramatic actress, became well known after her Hollywood career in the 1930s and for her roles in a couple of films directed by Emilio Fernández.

María Félix (well known as "La Doña", was a big star after her role in the movie Doña Bárbara in 1943. She gained a higher popularity in European countries.

In 1943, the Mexican industry produced seventy films, the most for a Spanish speaking country. Two notable films released in 1943 by director Emilio Fernández were Flor silvestre (1942) and María Candelaria (1944), both films starring prestigious Hollywood actress Dolores del Río. The movies were triumphs for the director and for internationally acclaimed cinematographer, Gabriel Figueroa especially with María Candelaria winning the top prize at the Cannes Festival. Other celebrated Fernández films were La perla (1945), Enamorada (1946), the American-Mexican production The Fugitive (1947), directed with John Ford), Río Escondido (1947), La Malquerida (1949) and Pueblerina (1949).

In 1948 there was another "first" for Mexican cinema: The trilogy of Nosotros los pobres, Ustedes los ricos and Pepe el Toro, starring Mexican icons Pedro Infante and Evita Muñoz "Chachita" and directed by Ismael Rodríguez.

The only other comedian with the same level of popularity as Cantinflas was German Valdez "Tin-Tan". Tin-Tan played a pachuco character appearing with a zoot suit in his films. Unlike Cantinflas, Tin-Tan never played as a pelado, but as a Mexican-American. He employed pachuco slang in many of his movies and frequently used Spanglish, a dialect that many Mexican residents disdained.

In the middle of the 1940s, the Spanish director Juan Orol started the production of films with Cuban and Mexican dancers. This cinematographic genre was named "Rumberas film", and was very popular with the Latin American audiences. The stars of this exotic genre were María Antonieta Pons, Meche Barba, Ninón Sevilla, Amalia Aguilar and Rosa Carmina.

Other relevant films during these years include Espaldas mojadas (Wetbacks) by Alejandro Galindo, Aventurera a melodrama starred by Ninón Sevilla, Dos tipos de cuidado (1951), El Rebozo de Soledad (1952) and Los Olvidados (The Young and the Damned) (1950), a story about impoverished children in Mexico City directed by the Mexican of Spanish ascendant director Luis Buñuel, a very important figure in the course of the Mexican Cinema of the 1940s and 1950s. Some of the most important Buñuel's films in his Mexican period are Subida al cielo (1952), Él (1953), Ensayo de un crimen (1955) and Nazarín (1958).

The themes during those years, although mostly conventional comedies or dramas, touched all aspects of Mexican society, from the 19th century dictator Porfirio Díaz and his court, to love stories always tainted by drama.

1960s through 1980s

During the 1960s and 1970s many cult horror and action movies were produced with professional wrestler El Santo among others. Luis Buñuel released his last Mexican films: El ángel exterminador (1962) and Simón del desierto (1965).

In the late 1960s and early 1970s the work of notable Mexican young directors flourished: Arturo Ripstein (El castillo de la pureza–1972; El lugar sin límites–1977), Luis Alcoriza (Tarahumara–1965; Fé, Esperanza y Caridad–1973), Felipe Cazals (Las poquianchis–1976-; El Apando–1976), Jorge Fons (los cachorros–1973-; Rojo Amanecer -1989), Paul Leduc (Reed, Mexico insurgente -1972-; Frida, Naturaleza Viva), Alejandro Jodorowski (El topo– 1972-; Santa Sangre–1989), the Chilean Miguel Littin (Letters from Marusia–1976), Jaime Humberto Hermosillo (La pasión según Berenice–1972-; Doña Herlinda y su hijo–1984) and many others. His films represented Mexico in notable international film festivals. American directors as John Huston realized some Mexican-set English language films (i.e., Under the Volcano–1984).

What is now Videocine was established in 1979 as Televicine by Emilio Azcarraga Milmo, whose family founded Televisa, with which Videocine is co-owned. The company became the largest producer and distributor of theatrical movies in Mexico and remains such today. By the time of Videocine's establishment, it had become the norm for a Mexican movie to reach its largest post-theatrical audience through television carriage rights with any of the Televisa networks.

The 1961 film The Important Man (original title Animas Trujano) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1962. The 1965 film Always Further On won the FIPRESCI Prize at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival. The film was also selected as the Mexican entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 38th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. Some films nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Films of the time are the 1960 Macario, 1962 The Pearl of Tlayucan (original title Tlayucan), 1975 Letters from Marusia (original title Actas de Marusia).

Nuevo Cine Mexicano (New Mexican Cinema)

Mexican cinema suffered through the 1960s and 1970s, until government sponsorship of the industry and the creation of state supported film helped create Nuevo cine Mexicano (New Mexican Cinema) in the 1990s. The period spanning the 1990s to the present has been considered as the prime era of the (New Mexican Cinema).

Sources, References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The Balance, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Media Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, Daily Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Career Trend, Producer's Code of Credits, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Entertainment Careers, Adhere Creative, In Deed, Glass Door, Pay Scale, Merriam-Webster, Job Monkey, Studio Binder, The Collective, Production Hub, The Producer's Business Handbook by John J. Lee Jr., Andrew Grant, Thought Company, Mexico News Network, Americas Quarterly, Oxford Bibliographies, Daily News, The Culture Trip, Film Museum, Mike McKinley

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND BRUCE BISBEY MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, REGARDING THIS INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE COMPLETENESS, ACCURACY OR TIMELINESS OF THIS INFORMATION. YOUR USE OF THIS INFORMATION IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND RISK OF LOSS RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, WHETHER IN AN ACTION BASED UPON A STATUTE, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, RELATING TO THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION.