Mississippi Valley Blues Society Features Blues Guitarist

In Conjunction with East West Riverfest

As a participant in the East West Riverfest, a Quad Cities celebration of arts, culture, and heritage, The Mississippi Valley Blues Society will be presenting blues guitarist/singer/songwriter Debbie Davies at The Muddy Waters, 1708 State Street, Bettendorf, IA, on Friday, September 7. The show will start at 9:00 p.m. with doors opening at 7:00 p.m. Admission is $12 for members of the Mississippi Valley Blues Society or $15 for non-members (membership applications will be available at the door). Coupons for $5 off the cost of admission will be available at the East West Riverfest Opening Ceremony held from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the RiverCenter, 136 East 3^rd Street, Davenport, IA 52801.

In her amazing career Davies has received 10 nominations for Blues Music Awards, and in 1997 and 2010 won the award for Best Contemporary Female Blues Artist. She has been the featured guitarist in several female based bands including Maggie Mayall and the Cadillacs (led by John Mayall's wife) and Fingers Taylor and the Ladyfinger Revue (who opened for Jimmy Buffett during his 1991 tour). Besides her solo work, Davies is best known for her work with Albert Collins as a member of his band, the Icebreakers. Over the years she has collaborated with several well known artists such as Tommy Shannon & Chris Layton (a.k.a. rhythm section for Double Trouble), Coco Montoya, Jay Geils, and Duke Robillard.

This performance will be Davies'  debut of her new CD, After The Fall, which was released on M.C. Records on July 17. After The Fall is her 11th solo recording and is an all-original affair with Davies writing or co-writing six of the 11 songs. The year 2010 held some traumatic life experiences for Davies, and as she began to heal, she started writing and putting many of her experiences and feelings into songs. The result is 2012's After The Fall.

This performance is being presented by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society in conjunction with the East West Riverfest and is made possible by the Riverboat Development Authority.

For more information on events presented by the The Mississippi Valley Blues Society visit: www.mvbs.org; or email mvbs@mvbs.org.

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see it where it's meant to be seen!

WHAT: The Bourne Legacy

WHEN: Friday, August 24 - TBD

WHERE: Putnam Museum's National Geographic Giant Screen Theater

COST: $11/adults; $10/seniors/student/military; and $8/youth ages 3-12.

 DAVENPORT - The narrative architect behind the Bourne film series, Tony Gilroy, takes the helm in the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise that has earned almost $1 billion at the global box office: The Bourne Legacy.

The writer/director expands the Bourne universe created by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us to a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films. For The Bourne Legacy, Renner joins fellow series newcomers Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Oscar Isaac, while franchise veterans Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn reprise their roles.

DES MOINES, IA (08/18/2012)(readMedia)-- Three talented Sprout division acts (ages 2-12) have been selected to perform in the Championship round in Bill Riley's 53rd annual Iowa State Fair Talent Search. Each act will perform in exhibition on Sunday, August 19, but will no longer be competing.

The names, ages, hometowns and routines of the acts are:

Emma Destigter, 9, Moville, and Taylor Knaack, 10, Correctionville, Tap Dance

Ada Lund, 4, Corning, Dance

Alissa Marie Girsch, 12, Davenport, Vocal Solo

Bill Riley, Jr. is once again hosting the competition. Two Sprout acts will be crowned champions every day of the semi-finals. The six winning acts will perform in the talent-packed championship set for Sunday, August 19, at 1:30 p.m. on the Anne and Bill Riley Stage sponsored by Pepsi.

Each of the six Sprout Champions will receive a prize of $250 after the Championship Show. More than $15,000 will be awarded to the Senior and Sprout divisions combined.

"Nothing Compares" to the 2012 Iowa State Fair, August 9-19. The Fairgrounds are located at East 30th and East University Avenue, just 10 minutes east of downtown Des Moines, and are open 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. each day of the Fair. Exhibit hours may vary. For more information, call 800/545-FAIR or visit iowastatefair.org.

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Hollywood Director Offers Tips for Hopeful Writers, Actors, Cameramen

From the box-office smash "The Avengers" to the summer hit "Madagascar 3" reigniting the 3-D craze, movie lovers are more enthralled than ever with film magic, and many fantasize about becoming a part of it. Their annual Westward migration from every film and acting and writing school in the country is as active as ever as they seek their chance to wield the Hollywood wand.

In such a competitive and crowded circus tent, how can a person ensure they catch that elusive trapeze?

Here are five tips from film director Guy Magar, picked up over 30 years making movies and TV shows and teaching through Action/Cut Filmmaking Seminars, the educational course he founded. Magar is also the author of the new Hollywood memoir and love story, Kiss Me Quick Before I Shoot, about his years in Hollywood which is a must-read for all who love movies (www.kissmequickbeforeishoot.com).

· Find out if you really love it. "The movie business demands passion and dedication; the work is difficult and exhausting, the journey fraught with disappointments and financial stress," he says. "So you better find out if this is truly something you want and you're ready to sacrifice whatever it takes." The best place to do that is at a film school or a university filmmaking program. "This is where I fell in love with the cinema and forged my commitment to the craft," he says.

· Find out if you're any good at it. When you discover that less than 5 percent of the 125,000 actors in the Screen Actors Guild ever make a livable wage in any one year, the reality check about how competitive this business is can be quite intimidating, Magar says. So it's not enough to love it - you have to have an aptitude for the craft if you want a chance at bat. "You better be one of the very best directors or writers or cameramen or actors wherever you're studying and developing your work, so you can gain the self-confidence to throw your talent in a very crowded ring," he says.

· Get your showreel ready! No one is going to hire you unless they can see what you can do. For a director, you better have an award-winning "wow" short. If you're a writer, have some dazzling, unique screenplays. Actors need a great reel with diverse scenes showing range from comedy to drama. Cameraman? You need a reel that sizzles with cinematic visuals. Don't come to Los Angeles without a reel. It shows who you are, what you can do ? and why you're worth paying to do it.

· Networking! Networking! Networking! "The movie business is first and foremost a people business," Magar says. "Regardless of your talent, you better be good at schmoozing and an extrovert at heart." It's all about who you know, who can introduce you to whom, who likes you, who is willing to help you move forward, he says. If you're a great networker, you have a better chance at a career than if you're talented with no social skills. Introverts do not apply!

· Enjoy your journey or the dream will be a nightmare. Don't put off having a life until you "get there," he says. The big secret is to enjoy the journey and to have a life in the industry, regardless of the amount of work and accolades that may or may not come your way. You must commit to making a fulfilling life for yourself if you're to find happiness in Tinseltown. Family, friends and a soulmate are as important and fulfilling as career gains. "They will sustain you in much deeper emotional ways than winning a spot on a softer toilet paper commercial," he says.

Magar says his career in Hollywood was an exciting, gratifying one. "Between the words 'action' and 'cut', I get to make my magic ... my visual storytelling," he says. "I fell in love with making movies and have continued loving it for more than 100 production credits in my career."

"If you share that passion to make film, have a terrific sense of humor to balance the obstacles, and can manage the five tips above, then welcome to Hollywood. Break a leg!"

About Guy Magar

Film and TV director/writer/producer Guy Magar has worked for more than 30 years in the motion picture industry. He recently published his Hollywood memoir, "Kiss Me Quick Before I Shoot: A Filmmaker's Journey into the Lights of Hollywood and True Love." His TV credits include "La Femme Nikita," "The A-Team," "Dark Avenger" and "Blue Thunder." His feature films include "Lookin' Italian," "Stepfather 3," "Children of the Corn: Revelation," and the cult thriller "Retribution," to be rereleased on DVD for its 25th anniversary this summer 2012. Magar has taught and inspired thousands of students through his Action/Cut Filmmaking Seminar, and his Action/Cut Short Film Competition is designed to discover and encourage new talent annually. He is a popular public speaker who inspires young filmmakers.