There will be a meeting of the Board of Directors of The Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 12 noon at Malco’s Studio on the Square Theater (Overton Square). The meeting is open to the public.

On Thursday May 20 at 7 p.m., the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art's Reel to Real Series features John Beifuss, film reviewer and reporter at The Commercial Appeal.

He will talk about his theory that 1932 was the best year for horror movies, ever – as evidenced by this screening of the controversial pre-code classic Island of Lost Souls. Not available on DVD and banned in England until 1958, the film stars Charles Laughton as an obsessed scientist seeking to accelerate Darwinian evolution by transforming men into animals in his jungle “House of Pain.” Sex, religion, race – it’s all here! With Kathleen Burke as “Lota the Panther Woman” and a fur-faced Bela Lugosi, who asks the question that decades later would inspire Devo: “Are we not men?”  Based on a novel by H.G. Wells.

Tickets: $6 members, $8 non-members. Free with VIP Film Pass. For more information or to purchase tickets call 901.544.6208. Go here for more info.

On Tuesday, FuelFilm: Memphis hosts a panel discussion on the pros and cons of investing in films.

Memphians Willy Bearden, documentary and feature filmmaker of "One Came Home," Ben Nearn from Cross Creek Pictures, Daniel Martin from Cinema Pacifica, Attorney and CPA Bruce Newman from Newman, DeCoster, and other local filmmakers will discuss the methods and madness of an investment in motion pictures.

Panelists will discuss what it takes to get a film funded. They will highlight some pitfalls and traps first time filmmakers fall into when signing contracts, and they’ll reference both local productions along with the most profitable films of all time.

This event is sponsored by Memphis and Shelby County Film and Television Commission/Memphis ED.

It's from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Playhouse on the Square Café, 66 South Cooper.

Register here: http://fuelfilm.eventbrite.com/

The Memphis Film Society is holding a mixer for local film people to network on Wednesday, May 26.

Local producer Ryan Watt will speak and take questions about filmmaking. Watt, co-founder of Paper Moon Films, has premiered works by Kentucker Audley and is developing "The Romance of Loneliness." Watt is also exec producer of "Daylight Fades" from Old School Pictures.

The free event is at 7 p.m. at Raffe's Deli and Beer Garden, 3358 Poplar.

For more info, go here or the society's Facebook site here.