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Five Days Left To See "Hoodwinked" Creator Cory Edwards at Steep Discount

ATLANTA, Ga. — Only five days are left for local film and gaming aficionados to see Hoodwinked creator Cory Edwards at the Georgia BigPictureCon at a drastic discount.

Edwards recently signed on to be one of the Keynote Speakers at the 2013 BigPictureCon, which takes place at Westwood College in midtown Atlanta Oct 13-14.  

“We’re excited to have Cory join us,” said Nancy Howard, the conference Executive Director.  “I’ve heard him speak before and look forward to including him because he is so committed to giving back and sharing his experiences with emerging filmmakers.”

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Edwards’ career in film began long before Hoodwinked. As a child using a "Super 8" camera, Edwards shot everything from superhero comedies to adventure serials, complete with storyboards, miniatures, animation, and pyrotechnics. Every class project from grade school to college, Edwards would make a film or video project, sometimes winning national contests. He interned at an animation studio in Ohio while in college and after graduation, directed music videos and commercials for a Tulsa production company. 

After founding Blue Yonder Films in 1995 and acting in his brother's feature debut Chillicothe, Cory and his brother Todd pitched a Red Riding Hood crime story to a private investor. And so Hoodwinked, made totally outside of the studio system for a tenth the cost, was born. To make the film, Edwards worked with Glenn Close, Anne Hathaway, Chazz Palminteri, and Jim Belushi. He voiced the coffee-addicted squirrel "Twitchy" himself and wrote two songs for the soundtrack. Produced by moguls Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the film has since grossed over $150 million worldwide and spawned a sequel, Hoodwinked Too: Hood vs. Evil.

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Those interested in seeing Edwards or any of the other conference speakers to learn more about film, animation, and technology have until Sept. 30 to get an all-access pass to the Georgia BigPictureCon (GABPC) for an amazing price of just $49 from BigPictureCon.com. After October 1st, late pricing will take effect.

 

The conference, which began in 2005, is intended to connect students with professionals and industry representatives to keep them working in Georgia. The GABPC also serves as a resource for emerging filmmakers to learn about opportunities available in the state. Compared to neighboring states, Georgia has much more to offer, including experienced production companies and post-production houses, trained crews, and skilled actors. In recent years, the state has provided tax credits and other incentives to encourage independent and studio film production to come here.

“The experience I gained at the GABPC helped me hone my ambition, get a taste for independent filmmaking in Atlanta, and pick up pointers on pitching, networking, and collaborating – skills which I use every day in my career in the film industry,” said Brad Tucker, who graduated with an MFA in Directing for Film and Television from the American Film Institute in 2011 and won Best Picture at the Sycamore Film Festival for his thesis film “On The Outside.” 

The conference will begin with a keynote session on Sunday, Oct. 13 and will end with the closing keynote where Edwards will be featured, and a closing reception Monday, Oct. 14. In between, there will be educational sessions, workshops, and panel discussions on topics such as visual effects design, the role of a producer, digital content creation for mobile devices, and the latest trends in digital entertainment. Those with more experience will be able to attend the master tracks, which consist of longer, more advanced workshops.

Though the conference will be taking place at Westwood College, the Hilton Garden Inn will be the host hotel, with a special rate of $149 per night for conference guests who use the promo code “GBPC.” For detailed information about the conference including rates, schedule, sessions, and speakers , visit BigPictureCon.com.

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The GABPC is produced annually by the Big Picture Film & Video Foundation, a Georgia non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established to educate, support, and utilize students and industry newcomers in the “big picture” of the Georgia film and video production community. The foundation and the GABPC were founded by Atlanta-based Producer Nancy B. Howard. For more information, please visit BigPictureCon.com.

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