MIFFF Debuts the Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2009

Subject: MIFFF Debuts the Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival
Seattle Genre Film Festival To Open This September

Seattle, March 31, 2009 - The Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival(MIFFF), a three day international showcase of animation, fantasy, horror, and science fiction cinema, is pleased to announce its inaugural launch September 18-20th, 2009 at the SIFF Cinema at McCaw Hall in Seattle, Washington USA.

As a genre film festival in Seattle, MIFFF(www.mifff.org) is a unique entity. The Seattle Metropolitan Area is home to one of the largest film attending populations in the country. MIFFF is a venue that gives a voice to genre film fans through a wide spectrum of films and related programming.

Festival Co-Founder and current President Gabe de los Angeles sees a great opportunity for MIFFF: "We are thrilled to give Seattle and the Pacific Northwest audience something special in the film festival community, a showcase of international genre cinema. It's incredible that we're going to be able to host on this event on the historic grounds of Seattle Center".

The first annual MIFFF plans to screen a variety of animation, fantasy, horror, and science fiction films over three days. The festival will include feature length films, short films, and genre specific documentaries. In addition to the film screenings, MIFFF plans to have panel discussions, Q & A's with filmmakers, and after parties.

Eric Morgret, Festival Director of Programming and Co-Founder, comments: "There are genre films produced every year that are not shown in mainstream movie theaters. Many international genre films remain unseen or get very limited exposure in this part of the country. For three nights MIFFF will bring a strong slate of these titles to audiences here in Seattle. MIFFF wants to present films of the imagination the best way they can be: on a large screen with fantastic sound, and in front of an audience full of energy."

Isaac Alexander, Festival Director of Publicity and Co-Founder, comments: "Seattle has a great history of supporting genre films with Poltergeist, The Empire Strikes Back, & Return of the Jedi having had their World or American premieres in the city. Also Seattle has a diverse local genre fandom community, as well as it hosts the Science Fiction Museum & Hall of Fame. We will be able to promote this city and offer a venue to gather and celebrate this unique form of entertainment, and join film festivals of the fantastic across the globe in celebrating this form of cinema."

Attendees, Press and Industry Members are encouraged to join our event on other social media websites.

Blogspot
Facebook
Film Community
Myspace
Twitter

For more information about the MIFFF, including organizers' bios, film profiles, film submissions, and ticketing details, please visit the festival website at: www.mifff.org

ABOUT MIFFF
The First Annual Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival runs September 18 through 20th, 2009. The complete Festival schedule will be announced in August. Tickets will be made available online as well as in designated ticket venues. For more information on the Festival, including descriptions of films and events, please visit www.mifff.org. Members of the press can find and download more information, including press kits, photos, press releases, and full film descriptions in the press section of the website.

MIFFF produces the Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival, the premier Pacific Northwest weekend long event devoted towards independent and international genre film making. The event was created to offer exposure to films that traditionally are overlooked by the festival circuit from genres including animation, fantasy, horror, and science fiction. The festival will feature an amazing selection of fantastic cinema from around the globe – with the possibility of artists presenting the works themselves. U.S. and world premieres will play alongside global festival favorites and select retrospective titles.

MIFFF is registered as a Washington State non-profit. MIFFF's mission is to create experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary genre movies from across the globe.

The statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. The Organization cautions readers of this press release that a number of important factors could cause MIFFF’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation, product delays, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, vendors and third-party developers, international economic and political conditions. The Organization may change its intention, belief or expectation, at any time and without notice, based upon any changes in such factors, in the Organization’s assumptions or otherwise. The Organizations undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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Upcoming Events: April 2009 & Beyond

*****
Stargate SG-1 Atlantis Convention: April 2-5th, 2009 - Burnaby, BC Canada
Website: http://www.creationent.com/cal/sgvan.htm

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Washington State Science & Engineering Fair: April 3-4th, 2009 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.wssef.org/

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Emerald City Comic Con: April 4-5th, 2009 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/

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Norwescon: April 9-12th, 2009 - SeaTac, Washington
Website: http://www.norwescon.org/

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Sakura-Con: April 10-12th, 2009 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.sakuracon.org/

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Calgary Underground Film Festival: April 14-19th, 2009 - Calgary, Alberta Canada
Website: http://calgaryundergroundfilm.org/

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IPMS Seattle Spring Model Show: April 19th, 2009 - Renton, Washington
Website: http://www.ipms-seattle.org/Springshow/

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Just A Game Con: April 18-19th, 2009 - Corvallis, Oregon
Website: http://home.centurytel.net/GOMC/JAGC.htm

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Stumptown Comics Fest: April 18-19th, 2009 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.stumptowncomics.com/

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Supertrain: April 18-19th, 2009 - Calgary, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.supertrain.ca/

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Grindhouse Film Festival: April 22nd-23rd, 2009 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.grindhousefilmfest.com/

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Deep Red International Festival of Fantastic Film: April 24th-25th, 2009 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://deepredfilmfest.com

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Rose City Paranormal Conference: April 24th-26th, 2009 - Mount Hood, Oregon
Website: http://rosecityparanormalconference.bravehost.com/

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Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo: April 25th-26th, 2009 - Calgary, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.calgaryexpo.com/

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Washington Cultural Congress: April 27-29th, 2009 - Leavenworth, Washington
Website: http://wsaa.qwestoffice.net/congress.htm

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RenFair: May 2nd-3rd, 2009 - Moscow, ID
Website: http://www.moscowrenfair.org/

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A Festival For May: May 3rd-4th, 2009 - Carnation, WA
Website: http://www.camlann.org/may_fest.htm

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Pop Culture Fair: May 3rd, 2009 - Edmonton, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.popculturefair.com/

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Deep Red International Festival of Fantastic Film: May 8-9th, 2009 - Seattle, WA
Website: http://deepredfilmfest.com

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LOGIN Conference: May 11-14th, 2009 - Seattle, WA
Website: http://www.2009.loginconference.com/

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Game Developers Conference Canada: May 12th-13th, 2009 - Vancouver, BC Canada
Website: http://www.gdc-canada.com/

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All Fur Fun: May 15-17th, 2009 - Spokane Valley, WA
Website: http://www.allfurfun.com/

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Otafest: May 15-17th, 2009 - Calgary, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.otafest.com

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UFO Fest: May 15-16th, 2009 - McMinnville, Oregon
Website: http://www.mcmenamins.com/ufofest07/index.html

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Zompire: May 15-17th, 2009 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.zompire.com/

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Enfilade!: May 22-24th, 2009 - Olympia, WA
Website: http://www.nhmgs.org/conventions.html#enfilade

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Miscon May 22-25th, 2009, Missoula, Montana
Website: http://www.miscon.org/

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SubVERSION Anime Festival: May 24th, 2009 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.dreamlandjapan.com/events/

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Computer Graphics International May 26th-29th, 2009 - Victoria, BC Canada
Website: http://www.cgi09.org/

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Spokane Comicon May 30th, 2009, Spokane, Washington
Website: http://www.spokanecomicon.com/

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Western Canada Regionals Model Contest May 30th, 2009 - Calgary, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.mikegrantdesign.com/WCR/index.html

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Crypticon: June 5th-7th, 2009 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.crypticon.com

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ConComCon 16: June 5th-7th, 2009 - Surrey, BC Canada
Website: http://swoc.org/ccubed/

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Astronomi-con: June 6th-7th, 2009 - Vancouver, BC Canada
Website: http://www.astronomi-con.com/

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Anime Evolution: June 12th-14th, 2009 - Vancouver, BC Canada
Website: http://www.animeevolution.com/

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Northwest Pinball Expo: June 12th-14th, 2009 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.nwpinballshow.com/

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PAIZOCON: June 12th-14th, 2009 - Bellevue, Washington
Website: http://paizo.com/store/paizo/paizocon

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VulCON16/Galaxyfest 2009: June 12th-14th, 2009 - Vulcan, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.vulcantourism.com/vulcon-galaxyfest.html

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Northwest Renaissance Festival: June 13th - July 19th, 2009 - Nine Mile Falls, Washington
Website: http://www.nwrf.net/

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IPMS North Olympic Peninsula Model Show: June 20th, 2009 - Port Townsend, Washington
Website: http://www.nopms.net/

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Clarion West: June 21st-31st, 2009 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.clarionwest.org/

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Summer School In Forks: A Twilight Symposium: June 25th-28th, 2009 - Forks, Washington
Website: http://www.litfanevents.org/summerinforks/index.html

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Go Play Northwest: June 26th-28th, 2009 - Fremont, Washington
Website: http://goplaynw.wetpaint.com/?t=anon

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Fairy Congress: June 26th-28th, 2009 - Twisp, Washington
Website: http://www.fairycongress.com/

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G^2: June 27th, 2009 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.g2pdx.com/

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Final Fantasy Concerts: July 9th-11th, 2009 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.seattlesymphony.org/symphony/buy/single/production.aspx?id=8150&src=t&dateid=8150

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BC Renaissance Festival: July 17th-19th, 2009 - Fort Langley, British Columbia Canada
Website: http://www.bcrenfest.com/

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Casual Connect: July 21st-23rd, 2009 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://seattle.casualconnect.org/

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Summer Faire: July 18th - August 23rd, 2009 - Carnation, Washington
Website: http://www.camlann.org/summer_festivals.htm

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Portland Zine Symposium: July 24th-26th, 2009, Portland, Oregon
Website: http://pdxzines.com/

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CybCon: July 25th, 2009, Tacoma, Washington
Website: http://www.ggaub.com/tf/cybcon2k9.html

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SpoCon: July 31st - August 2nd, 2009, Spokane, Washington
Website: http://www.spocon.us

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Fragapalooza: August 6th-8th, 2009 - Edmonton, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.fragapalooza.com/

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Animethon: August 7th-9th, 2009 - Edmonton, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.asapa.ca

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Dragonflight: August 7th-9th, 2009 - Bellevue, Washington
Website: http://www.dragonflight.org

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Fandemonium: August 7th-9th, 2009 - Boise, Idaho
Website: http://www.fandemonium.org/

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Innocente Seraphim: August 8th-9th, 2009 - Bellevue, Washington
Website: http://www.innocenteseraphim.com

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Gnomedex 9: August 20th-22nd, 2009 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.gnomedex.com/

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Con: Version: August 30th, 2009 - Calgary, AB Canada
Website: http://www.con-version.org/

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Salute to Supernatural: August 28th-30th, 2009 - Vancouver, BC Canada
Website: http://www.creationent.com/cal/supernatural_van.htm

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Yaoifest: August 30th, 2009 - Calgary, AB Canada
Website: http://www.yaoifest.com/

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PAX Prime: September 4th-6th, 2009 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.pennyarcadeexpo.com/

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ValhallaCon: September 4th-6th, 2009 - Bellingham, Washington
Website: http://valhallacon.com/

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Kumoricon: September 5th-7th, 2009 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.kumoricon.org/

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Fall Con: September 18th-20th, 2009 - Calgary, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.fallcon.com/

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Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival(MIFFF): September 18th-20th, 2009 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.mifff.org

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Rain Furrest: September 18th-20th, 2009 - Sea-Tac, Washington
Website: http://www.rainfurrest.org

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OHMS/Evergreen Air & Space Museum Model Contest: September 19th, 2009 - McMinnville, Oregon
Website: http://www.geocities.com/oregonshow/

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Portland Pirate Festival: September 19th-20th, 2009 - St. Johns, Oregon
Website: http://www.portlandpiratefestival.com/

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Shrewfaire: September 19th-20th, 2009 - Kings Valley, Oregon
Website: http://www.shrewfaire.com/

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Retro Gaming Expo: September 20th, 2009 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://retrogamingexpo.com/

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Foolscap: September 25th-27th, 2009 - Redmond, Washington
Website: http://www.foolscapcon.org/

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BrickCon: October 1st-4th, 2009 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.brickcon.org/

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H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival & CthulhuCon: October 2-4th, 2009 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://hplfilmfestival.com/

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VCON: October 2-4th, 2009 - Surrey, BC Canada
Website: http://www.vcon.ca/

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Tactical Solutions: October 9th-11th, 2009 - Spokane Valley, Washington
Website: http://tactical-solutions-gaming.tripod.com/

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Tri-City Independent Fan Film Festival: October 17th, 2009 - Pasco, Washington
Website: http://natmansblog.blogspot.com/

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Steam-Con: October 23rd-25th, 2009 - Sea-Tac, Washington
Website: http://www.steam-con.com/

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Aki Con: November 6th-8th, 2009 - Everett, Washington
Website: http://www.akicon.org/

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Portland Comic Book Show: November 15th, 2009 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.portlandcomicbookshow.com/

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Orycon: November 15th, 2009 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.orycon.org/orycon31/

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ConQuest NW: January 15th-17th, 2010 - Sea-Tac, Washington
Website: http://www.conquestnw.com/

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RustyCon: January 15th-17th, 2010 - Sea-Tac, Washington
Website: http://www.rustycon.com

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Salute To Twilight Convention: January 15th-17th, 2010 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.creationent.com/cal/twilight_wa.htm

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Emerald City ComiCon: March 13th-14th, 2010 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/

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Norwescon: April 1st-4th, 2010 - Sea-Tac Washington
Website: http://www.norwescon.org

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Sakura-Con: April 2nd-4th, 2010 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.sakuracon.org

*****
Platform International Animation Festival: June 29th-July 3rd, 2010 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.platformfestival.com

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Kumoricon: September 4th-6th, 2010 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.kumoricon.org/

New Media BC announces line up for Vancouver Digital Week 2009

New Media BC announced its second annual Vancouver Digital Week will be held May 11-14, 2009 at the brand new Vancouver Exhibition and Convention Centre. Partner events include the Game Developers Conference (GDC) Canada, marking the first time the famed gamers meet up has come to Canada; Cossette West’s Convergence Conference, a digital marketing and social media gathering; and nextMEDIA’s first Vancouver event. New Media BC will present its own Vancouver International Partnering Forum and its People’s Choice PopVox Awards during Vancouver Digital Week.

“British Columbia is a global leader in digital media”, says Kenton Low, President of New Media BC. “Vancouver Digital Week is a partnership of top notch events focusing on digital media that brings attention to the world class talent and companies we have here in BC.”

Presented by New Media BC, Vancouver Digital Week supporters include Telefilm Canada and British Columbia Film. New Media BC is a federally incorporated not-for-profit full service association. New Media BC’s membership is comprised of businesses, educational organizations, government agencies, and individuals whose core products and services include interactive design and marketing, digital entertainment, animation, visual effects, digital learning initiatives and social media applications.

Just A Game Con News

Just a Game Con 2009 will be held at Benton County Fairgrounds in Corvallis
OR on April 18th and 19th.

Here are the links. Please note this is only a partial schedule, I am
updating as more info gets to me.

We are always looking for more variety of games and GMs, so don't be shy
about suggesting something just because you didn't see it on last year's
schedule.

http://home.centurytel.net/GOMC/JAGC.htm

http://home.centurytel.net/GOMC/JaGCSch.htm

If you are interested in Hosting/GMing/ Running (Pick your preference) a game
at JaGC, contact me at gergle@proaxis.com

I will post this reminder one more time (next month just before the Con) to
all (gawd, there's so many) these email lists, but let's discuss (if we need
to) at WVGS@yahoogroups.com to cut down on crossposting.

Thanks!
Gergle

Edmonton Collectible Toy & Comic Show Panels

The Edmonton Collectible Toy and Comic Show is proud to announce the inclusion of four exciting Collecting Panels to the day's programming! We're proud that our show attracts expert collectors from across North America and to be able to offer specialized panels that are normally reserved for larger conventions in the US.

The panels will take place in Salon 3, which is located just one floor down from Hall A and will begin at noon. Seating will be limited so we encourage people to arrive early for the panels they wish to see. The panel schedule is as follows:

Noon - 12:45pm: GI Joe!
With Mark Bellomo
Mark Bellomo, author of The Ultimate Guide to 3 3/4" GI Joe will discuss the 3 3/4" GI Joe toyline, it's remarkable history and design. Be sure to catch this panel as the material shown here has not been seen before and will only be shown at two other conventions in North America this year!

1pm - 1:45pm: Girls Love Toys Too!
With Alyssa Loney, Karlee Wilson and Jennifer Crebas
Alyssa Loney, Karlee Wilson, and Jennifer Crebas have assembled some of the finest "girl toy" collections around. Join the girls as they take you through tours of their See Wees, My Little Pony, Pete's Dragon, Pullip and Dal doll collections and discuss a wide variety of toy lines that might appeal to collectors of the fairer sex.

3pm - 3:45pm: Collecting Comics 101
With Jay Bardyla
Jay Bardyla is the owner of Happy Harbor Comics; Canada's Best Comic Store and throughout his years of experience as both a comic collector and shop owner he's gained some keen insight on buying, collecting, and investing in comics and is here to give the skinny on the do's and don'ts of all three.

4pm - 5:30pm: Star Wars Collecting: The Best of Celebration
With Gus Lopez, Chris Georgoulias, Ron Salvatore
Three of the founding members of The Star Wars Collectors Archive will be on hand to give a presentation covering the best of their talks at Lucasfilm's past Celebration conventions. Topics include Star Wars Collecting 101, Collecting in the Large, Recycled and Hilarious Star Wars Collectibles and Star Wars Props!

The Edmonton Collectible Toy and Comic Show
http://www.edtoyshow.com
Sunday, March 29th, 2009
10am - 6pm
Shaw Conference Centre
9797 Jasper Ave.
Admission $8
Kids Under 12 Free!

The Edmonton Collectible Toy and Comic Show would not be possible without the support of the following:
-Global Edmonton - our exclusive television sponsor! Watch Heroes Mondays at 8pm!
-Happy Harbor Comics - visit their 3 locations or online at http://www.happyharborcomics.com
-Quikcard - providers of innovative heath care solutions!
http://www.quikcard.com
-Lucky Strike Custom Tattoo - hands down one of the best tattoo shops in Alberta!
http://www.luckystriketattoo.ca/
-Coney Island Candy - coming soon to a Whyte Ave near you!
-The Bear 100.3 FM - Edmonton's best rock!
http://www.thebearrocks.com/
-Zot Media - The free postcard network!
http://www.zotmedia.com/

ValhallaCon 2009

Come to ValhallaCon!

We are proud to announce that our Guest of Honor will be Nancy Kress!

Yay! We have a date and venue. September 4th–6th, 2009. That's Friday through Sunday of Labor Day weekend. It wil be held at the lovely Bellingham Airport Hampton Inn. That's at 3985 Bennett Drive, Bellingham, WA, 98225, 360-676-7700. The room rate for the event will be $89/night.

ValhallaCon is the successor to VikingCon, the Bellingham SF/F convention. Like its predecessor, ValhallaCon will take place in Bellingham, Washington.

McMENAMINS 10th ANNUAL UFO FESTIVAL

McMENAMINS 10th ANNUAL UFO FESTIVAL
Friday and Saturday, May 15 & 16, 2009
Hotel Oregon · McMinnville, OR
www.ufofest.com

Has it been ten years already?

In celebration of our 10th anniversary, we’ll kick things off on Friday evening with a presentation by Kathleen Marden and Stanton Friedman, co-authors of Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience. The True Story of the World's First Documented Alien Abduction (2007). Marden is the niece of the Hills, who were the focus of one of the most well-known alien abductions in UFO history. Marden also served 10 years on the MUFON Board of Directors as the Director of Field Investigator Training. Stanton Friedman is an internationally recognized UFO expert who has published more than 80 UFO-related papers, appeared on hundreds of radio and television programs and provided written testimony to Congressional hearings.

The following Saturday morning, gather to hear about an amazing UFO sighting that brothers Kris and Marc Bales experienced during a camping trip in Northern Idaho in 2000. These eyewitnesses will relate exactly what they saw and heard in the sky that night!

And on Saturday afternoon, we are honored to host keynote speaker Linda Moulton Howe, reporter/editor for Earthfiles.comLinda M Howe and investigative reporter for “Coast to Coast AM with George Noory” and “Dreamland Online” with Whitley Strieber. Howe will give a fascination presentation on one family’s eyewitness account of a 1974 military encounter with a UFO in Albuquerque, NM.

We hope to see you in McMinnville! Buy your event tickets online – it’s $10 for each ticketed event; $15 for two events; or just $25 for all three ticketed events!

Go to ufofest.com for the full line-up of fun events, including live music by Gavin Wahl-Stephens and others, the wacky UFO parade, costume ball and much more – most events are free and open to guests of all ages (unless noted), so bring the whole family along!

P.S. If you’d like to be removed from our UFO Festival mailing list, please email removeufolist@mcmenamins.com.

Jaime Hernandez & Stan Sakai @ Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery

Jaime Hernandez and Stan Sakai

Original art by two masters of the medium.
Opening reception and book signing Saturday, April 4, 6:00 to 9:00 PM
Exhibition continues through May 6, 2009
More details TBA; times subject to change

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
1201 South Vale Street (at Airport Way S.)
Seattle, WA 98108
www.fantagraphics.com/bookstore

Location description:
Located in the heart of the Georgetown district
Exit 162 of I-5 (just south of Seattle, bus route 131)
Hours: 11:30 AM - 8:00 PM Daily, Sunday until 5:00
206.658.0110

Twitter Regional Events List

The Cascadia region loves technology. So, too, do the regional organizations that have signed on to the latest big thing in social media 2.0 -- Twitter.

Here's a working list of some of the regional entities broadcasting 140-character updates on the popular site. If you haven't yet joined Twitter, you might want to just to keep up with -- or "follow" -- these event feeds. This list was inspired by this article that lists fan events in North America.

If you know of other fandom event feeds in the region, please contact us with the information. Updated 23 September, 2010.

AkiCon - http://twitter.com/akicon
Ani Ida Con http://twitter.com/aniidacon
Anime Evolution - http://twitter.com/animeevolution
Anime Oasis - http://twitter.com/AnimeOasis
Anime Okanagan - http://twitter.com/AnimeOkanagan
Animethon - http://twitter.com/Animethon
BrickCon - http://twitter.com/nwbrickcon
Brick Fest - http://twitter.com/brickfestpdx
Calgary Expo - http://twitter.com/calgaryexpo
Calgary Underground Film Festival - http://twitter.com/filmforcalgary
Canadian Games Conference http://twitter.com/cdngamesconf
Canadian Video Game Awards http://twitter.com/CVAwards
Crypticon - http://twitter.com/crypticon
dEdmonton - http://twitter.com/dEdmonton
Dragonflight - http://twitter.com/dragonflight
Emerald City ComiCon - http://twitter.com/emeraldcitycon/
Fandemonium - http://twitter.com/Fandemonium
FanFair Fest - http://twitter.com/fanfairfest
Field of Screams http://twitter.com/fieldofscreams
Foolscap - http://twitter.com/foolscapcon
GameStorm - http://twitter.com/gamestormcon
Geek Girl Con - http://twitter.com/geekgirlcon
GottaCon - http://twitter.com/GottaCon
GnomeDex - http://twitter.com/gnomedex
H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival - http://twitter.com/dailylurker
Innocente Seraphim - http://twitter.com/innosera
Jet City Comic Show - http://twitter.com/jetcityshow
KeiKon - http://twitter.com/keikon
Kumoricon - http://twitter.com/kumoricon
LOGIN Conference - http://twitter.com/LOGINConference
MIFFF - http://twitter.com/mifff
Norwescon - http://twitter.com/norwescon
NW Pinball Show - http://twitter.com/nwpinballshow
Otafest - http://twitter.com/otafest
Orycon - http://twitter.com/orycon
Penny Arcade Expo(PAX) - http://twitter.com/official_pax
RainFurrest - http://twitter.com/RainFurrest
Retro Gaming Expo - http://twitter.com/RetroGamingExpo
Rose City ComiCon http://twitter.com/RoseCityComicon
RustyCon - http://twitter.com/RustyCon
Sakura-Con - http://twitter.com/sakuracon
Seattle Bookfest - http://twitter.com/seattlebookfest
Seattle Geek Week http://twitter.com/SeattleGeekWeek
Seattle International Film Festival http://twitter.com/siffnews
Seattle True Independent Film Festival http://twitter.com/STIFFestival
Social Media NW - http://twitter.com/SocialMediaNW
SPARK ANIMATION & SPARK FX - http://twitter.com/vansig
Spokane Comicon - http://twitter.com/spokanecomicon
SteamCon - http://twitter.com/Steamcon
Stumptown Comics Fest - http://twitter.com/stumptowncomics
TEDxPortland - http://twitter.com/TEDxPortland
TEDxRainier - http://twitter.com/TEDxRainier
TEDxSeattle - http://twitter.com/TEDxSEA
TEDxTacoma - http://twitter.com/TEDxTacoma
TEDxVancouver - http://twitter.com/TEDxVan
Vancouver Digital Week - http://twitter.com/VanDigWeek
Victoria Comic Convention - http://twitter.com/vicComicCon
Victoria Steam Expo http://twitter.com/vicsteamexpo
VCON - http://twitter.com/vcon
Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire http://twitter.com/WMRenFaire
Wordstock - http://twitter.com/wordstockfest
ZOMBCON - http://twitter.com/ZOMBCON

New Guests At The Edmonton Collectible Toy and Comic Show!

Legendary comic artist Joe Rubinstein will be at the Edmonton Collectible Toy and Comic Show to meet fans, sign comics, sketch your favourite characters and take commission orders. Joe has been working in the comic industry since 1975 and has inked every major artist, character and book for every major company throughout his near 35 years in the business! We're proud to have such a legend in the industry at the Edmonton Collectible Toy and Comic Show!

We're also pleased to annouce that in conjunction with the Edmonton Collectible Toy & Comic Show, the home-grown documentary on geek culture 'Pegwarmers' will make it's Edmonton premiere on Saturday, March 28th, 3:00 PM at the Stanley A. Milner Library Theatre in Downtown Edmonton.

This will be an all-ages, free screening for everyone involved in the documentary, including members (as well as friends and family) of the '501st', 'The Knights of the Northern Realm', 'EGOR', 'KAG Kanada', 'Edmontoooine' and pretty much everyone else involved in the documentary. Plus there will be a few door prizes, as well as a Q&A segment with director Jason Hoehn after the screening and after hours entertainment provided by Brock Skywalker!

For more information, be sure to check out the official Pegwarmers Facebook page!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2378774010

The Edmonton Collectible Toy and Comic Show
www.edtoyshow.com
Sunday, March 29th, 2009
10am - 6pm
Shaw Conference Centre
9797 Jasper Ave.
Admission $8
Kids Under 12 Free!

Brought to you in part by:
-Global Edmonton - our exclusive television sponsor! Watch Heroes Mondays at 8pm!
-Happy Harbor Comics - visit their 3 locations or online at http://www.happyharborcomics.com
-Quikcard - providers of innovative heath care solutions!
http://www.quikcard.com
-Lucky Strike Custom Tattoo - hands down one of the best tattoo shops in Alberta!
http://www.luckystriketattoo.ca/
-Coney Island Candy - coming soon to a Whyte Ave near you!
-The Bear 100.3 FM - Edmonton's best rock!
http://www.thebearrocks.com/
-Zot Media - The free postcard network!
http://www.zotmedia.com/

The Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe is the official host hotel of the Edmonton Collectible Toy and Comic Show!

Sakura-Con 2009 announces final nine guests of honor

Seattle, WA 3-5-2009- Sakura-Con has finished up it's guest announcements with final big bang. 5 new Japanese guests and 4 new American guests round out an impressive line up of over 30 guests and performers.

Sakura-Con's newest guest announcements include:

Sasaki Nozomu is a prolific voice actor know for over 100 roles. Anime fans may know him best for his work in Yu-Yu Hakusho (Yusuke Urameshi), Akira (Tetsuo Shima), Monster (Johan Liebert), Samurai X-Trust and Betrayal (Enishi Yukishiro), Death Note (Mellow), and many, many more.

Yashitoshi ABe is back for his second Sakura-Con by popular demand. ABe is a talented Japanese graphic artist who works predominantly in anime and manga. He is known for a slightly edgier style of art. He first gained fame in his work on the avant-garde anime Serial Experiments Lain. He is also responsible for the concept and character design for the series NieA under 7 as well as Texhnolyze. He is the creator of Haibane Renmei.

Koichi Ohata is the creator of the classic manga M.D. Geist- as well as an accomplished artist, director and mechanical designer. Koichi Ohata is a veteran of the anime industry who has designed for classics like Gunbuster and Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack.

Hideo Okamoto is a mecha designer known for work on such shows as Transformers, Zoids. Ginga Senpu Buraigaa, Ginga Reppu Bakushingaa, Ginga Shippuu Sasuraigaa, Zeta Gundam, Double Zeta Gundam, Samurai Warriors (armor designer), Majinden Wataru, Momotaro Densetsu, and Metarudaa. In the early 90's his work took him into special effects in movies and TV for titles such as Yamato Takeru, Gadzilla vs. Destroyer (baby Godzilla & Destroyer designer), Mothra Movie Series (Mothra Designer) and in TV Kamen Tenshi Rosetta (Character Designer, Planner/Creator), Sennen Ookuku Bunny Knights (Character Designer, Planner/Creator), Bee Fighter Kabuto (Villian Designer).

Myuji is Sakura-Con's final musical guest announcement. Myuji debuted at 16 as a musician, releasing many songs, such as "Over the view", "Normal" and "Bone". He is known as the singer of "eX dream", the theme song of X, the animated TV series originated by CLAMP. Additionally Myuji has been in the spotlight as an actor. One of his many appearances was in a live action film called Pinch Runner in which he worked with Morning Musume.

Roland Kelts is the author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S, published in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Kelts is also a Lecturer at the University of Tokyo and Sacred Heart University of Tokyo, an editor of the New York-based literary journal, A Public Space and a columnist for The Daily Yomiuri. He is a graduate of Columbia University and Oberlin College and has taught at New York University and Barnard College. He lives in both New York and Tokyo.

Greg Dean has been writing and illustrating his online comic, "Real Life" since late 1999. Real Life is a popular semi-autobiographical comic about the author and his friends.

Sakura-Con is pleased to welcome back the creators of Penny Arcade. Penny Arcade is a webcomic written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. It is among the most popular webcomics currently online. Equal parts comics and commentary, Penny Arcade features Tycho and Gabe, the alter egos of creators Mike and Jerry.

Sakura-Con is the first and largest Pacific Northwest convention devoted to Japanese animation (anime), comics (manga), gaming and traditional Japanese culture. It is the destination event for an expected attendance of over 15,000 fans, industry leaders, celebrities, and artists.

ANCEA is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about popular and traditional Japanese media. Sakura-Con is ANCEA's main realization of that mission.

Emerald City ComiCon 2009 - Update 07

Can't believe it's been over a month since our last update, so much to talk about so let's cut the small talk and make this happen!

EXCLUSIVES!

We've announced our three show exclusives, they are:

1 - Monsters & Dames Charity Artbook - A full-color 48-page hardcover artbook featuring original contributions from many of our guests.
2 - Hellboy and the Troll Print by Mike Mignola - Featuring Mignola's famous creation Hellboy at one of Seattle's well known landmarks.
3 - Iron Man at Gasworks Park Print by Tim Sale - The Invincible Iron Man at Seattle's famous Gasworks Park!

For complete details, and for other non-ECCC created show exclusives, check http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/exclusives.php

MEDIA GUESTS!

A couple of great actors from Battlestar Galactica will be appearing at the show, TAHMOH PENIKETT ('Helo' and also 'Paul Ballard' on Dollhouse) and AARON DOUGLAS ('Chief Galen Tyrol')

You can view all the Media Guests at: http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/mediaguests.php

COMIC GUESTS!

Adding to our already unweildly list of comic creators, we're pretty thrilled to have a bunch of first-timers at the show like MARJORIE LIU (NYX), SONIA OBACK (Uncanny X-Men), MICHAEL ALAN NELSON (Fall of Cthulhu), PAUL HORNSCHEMEIER (Omega: The Unknown), LEONARD KIRK (Capt. Britain & MI-13), SHANE GLINES (Catwoman: Selina's Big Score) and DENNIS CALERO (X-Men: Noir)

Additionally, we have a ton of returning guests such as BRIAN HURTT (The Damned), MATTHEW CLARK (Superman/Batman) , SAL ABBINANTI (Atomika), BILL SCHELLY (Alter Ego), MATTHEW SOUTHWORTH (Stumptown), STEFANO GAUDIANO (Daredevil), DEXTER VINES (Wolverine: Old Man Logan), GEORGES JEANTY (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer), JUSTIN "Moritat" NORMAN (Elephantmen) , MARK SABLE (Supergirl), ANGUS OBLONG (The Oblongs), DAVID MACK (Kabuki) DAVE MCCAIG (The Batman), NATHAN FAIRBAIRN (X-Men: Kingbreaker) , JEN VAN METER (Black Lightning: Year 1), BRIAN HABERLIN (Marvels: Eye of the Camera), MARK DOS SANTOS (Cthulhu Tales), PHILIP TAN (Final Crisis: Revelations) , TONE RODRIGUEZ (1001 Arabian Nights), GREG THOMPSON (Sinbad: Rogue of Mars), ROBBI RODRIGUEZ (Stephen Colbert's Tek Jansen) and GREG RUCKA (Whiteout)

Complete guest list can be found here: http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/guests.php

ODDS & ENDS!

DC Comics will be exhibiting at Emerald City for the first time ever, make sure to swing by and pick up a cool Wonder Woman tiara while supplies last!

Remember that pre-ordering tickets saves you $5 from at-the-door prices: http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/tickets.php

CGC and The HERO Initiative have teamed up to offer something special for ECCC attendees. Any HERO member that shows a membership card will receive a 10% discount off their CGC grading order. Not a member? Just sign up at the HERO booth and you will be eligible to receive the discount and benefit a worthy cause!

That's everything, look for another update soon as we're at less than a month to go now!

See ya' soon,

Jim Demonakos
Emerald City ComiCon

GameStorm 11 is a Month Away!

Who: Gamestorm 11
What: 4 days of games, panels, dealers, and more
When: March 26 - 29, 2009
Where: Hilton Vancouver Washington
Website: http://www.gamestorm.org/

Memberships
The $40 pre-registration price has been extended through March 19th. Register now to get access to our sign-up system, which lets you build a schedule in advance of the convention. After March 19th, memberships will only be available at the door, at a cost of $45 -- which is still a great price for 4 days of fun!

Guests of Honor
RPG Guests of Honor will be Rob Heinsoo, lead designer for D&D 4th Edition, and Andy Collins, Manager of D&D development and editing.
On the Board Gaming side, we'll have Andy and Kristin Looney, founders of Looney Labs. They're the folks who created Fluxx, Chrononauts, Icehouse, and numerous other great games.
For the first time this year, we'll also have an Artist Guest of Honor, Rob Alexander.

Gaming
At GameStorm you can play in almost every kind of game: RPGA and other Living campaigns, Board Games old and new, Miniatures, Role Playing Games, and Live Action Role Playing. New this year will be console gaming! Some events are tournaments with prizes; others introduce new games or give you an opportunity to play an old favorite with new friends. The famous GameStorm library will be available with hundreds of games for you to check out.

Those of you who enjoyed last year's very successful Indie Hurricane will be happy to know that it's going to be back with its spotlight on independent small press RPGs. The GameStorm Game Lab will allow players to meet designers and participate in playtests. For more information, contact

Registration
How do you get in on this gaming extravaganza? It's easy to use our online registration at <http://www.gamestorm.org/index.php?page=7> and pay with PayPal or a credit card, or send a check by US Mail (see the web page for a form).
Please note that we have a new child policy, which applies to anyone under the age of 18. It can be found at <http://www.gamestorm.org/index.php?page=19>.

FORUM
If you would like to discuss GameStorm with fellow attendees, check out the forum on our website. You can let us know what games you'd like to see offered, find out about other area events, or chat about any gaming-related topic.

EVENT SIGN-UPS
A great benefit we have for those who pre-register is access to our pre-convention signup to play system. You can select the games you want to participate in on our website and sign up for them online. Online sign-ups are pre-printed and have first priority on the game sign-up sheets! Stay tuned for an announcement on this list when the site opens for signups.

T-SHIRTS
This year's shirt will feature the beautiful artwork of our Artist Guest of Honor, Rob Alexander. Shirts pre-ordered through the web site will cost less that those purchased at the con, and quantities available there will be limited, so order in advance to be sure you can get your size. The web store will be online soon; keep an eye out for it. Limited quantities of last year's shirts are also available for only $10.

Location & Hotel
GameStorm takes place this year at the Hilton Vancouver Washington, just across the river from Portland off Interstate 5. We recommend getting a hotel room because GameStorm is a 24 hour convention and the only thing better than gaming into the early hours of the morning is being able to walk directly from the gaming table to your bed!

Rooms are $106 per night plus tax for one bed, or $116 for two beds. For reservations, we recommend that you go to and follow the link to the hotel's reservation system, or you can call 360-993-4500. Be sure to tell them you are with GameStorm.

Running Games
As a fan-run, non-profit convention, we rely on our members to run the games everyone plays. It's easy and fun, plus you can earn the ever-popular GameStorm bucks! If you'd like to run an event, you can find details on how to submit it at <http://www.gamestorm.org/index.php?page=3>.

Special Events
We're planning a first-ever "swap meet" on Saturday, from 4-6 PM. Bring your used games, minis, books, etc (nothing shrink-wrapped, please) and see what other gamers have to offer.

We're also going to hold a food drive this year, to benefit the Share House Vancouver. Bring your canned or non-perishable foods to Hospitality and get raffle tickets for a chance to win a beautiful quilt made by Con Mom Ann Stansbury.

Find Out More
If you want to know more about GameStorm please visit our web site at www.GameStorm.org. If you still have questions contact the convention chair at chair@gamestorm.org or call 503-GAMESTORM (503-426-3786) 8 AM - 10 PM Pacific Time.