A few weeks ago, my friend Scott (of Fishsuit) sent a simple request--mention his way-cool film Festival, Stockstock, on the blog, please, if I was so inclined. Which of course I was. When I went to post it, however, my pretty white computer sputtered, coughed, hacked up a few loogies and died. The death coincided with a new Office update that was downloading automatically...a mere coincidence? I leave it to you to decide. At any rate, since that dismal day she has started up slowly, if at all, and her will to work waxes and wanes along with the moon. I'm using the husband's smaller, sleeker version for work, and coming to grips with the fact that in the near future I may have to buy a new computer and reload all of my music to iTunes, AGAIN. Argh.

Anyway, here is the info about Stockstock, though unfortunately the deadline is only a few days away.

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We're looking for entries for the Stockstock Film Festival -- we provide the footage, you take it from there. It looks like you and your readers might have some fun with it -- it's free to participate, and at the very least it's a fun exercise in digital film editing.

Here's the hook: Stockstock producers compile a film reel of stock film footage that they've collected from the Prelinger Archives. Festival entrants download the reel and create a 2-minute digital film using that footage. You can add audio or graphics, design new treatments, cut it up, tell a story -- basically, you are encouraged to abuse the reel as much as you can. The one catch is that you can only use the footage provided -- you can't introduce any other footage. Amateur and experienced filmmakers alike have participated in the festival in the past, but Stockstock producers are hoping to expand their entrants and audience this year, what with the easy accessibility of broadband.

The film reel is now available for download from stockstock.org, and entries are due Feb. 11. Go to the Web site for more information: http://www.stockstock.org