Over the weekend, a report emerged via Page Six that “Wonder Woman” and “Justice League” star Gal Gadot was refusing to sign on for the much-hyped — and already-announced — sequel to Patty Jenkins’ smash hit if embattled producer Brett Ratner and his RatPac Entertainment were still attached to the production. At the time, a source reportedly told Page Six, “Brett made a lot of money from the success of ‘Wonder Woman,’ thanks to his company having helped finance the first movie. Now Gadot is saying she won’t sign for the sequel unless Warner Bros. buys Brett out [of his financing deal] and gets rid of him.”
Gadot’s apparent distaste for Ratner is well-documented. Prior to the recent publication of allegations of sexual harassment and abuse against the filmmaker and producer, Gadot notably canceled an appearance at a dinner where she was scheduled to present him an award. Yet the details surrounding Ratner’s...
Gadot’s apparent distaste for Ratner is well-documented. Prior to the recent publication of allegations of sexual harassment and abuse against the filmmaker and producer, Gadot notably canceled an appearance at a dinner where she was scheduled to present him an award. Yet the details surrounding Ratner’s...
- 11/15/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are calling for gun control.
In a revealing new Billboard cover story, the Nashville power couple were moved to discuss the topic following the shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas in October.
“Look, I’m a bird hunter — I love to wing-shoot,” McGraw, 50, told the music magazine. “However, there is some common sense that’s necessary when it comes to gun control. They want to make it about the Second Amendment every time it’s brought up. It’s not about the Second Amendment.”
McGraw and Hill, also 50, had several friends at the festival in Las Vegas,...
In a revealing new Billboard cover story, the Nashville power couple were moved to discuss the topic following the shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas in October.
“Look, I’m a bird hunter — I love to wing-shoot,” McGraw, 50, told the music magazine. “However, there is some common sense that’s necessary when it comes to gun control. They want to make it about the Second Amendment every time it’s brought up. It’s not about the Second Amendment.”
McGraw and Hill, also 50, had several friends at the festival in Las Vegas,...
- 11/9/2017
- by Jeff Nelson
- PEOPLE.com
Are you ready to get sliced?
Chance the Rapper is getting into the acting game with his role in the upcoming horror comedy Slice, and the first real teaser trailer is here just in time for Halloween.
Production company A24, which has been behind some of the most mind-bending horror and experimental films in recent years, dropped a primarily animated trailer, and it looks amazing even in its simplicity,
While the trailer doesn't give us a lot to go on in terms of plot, it does give us a passing glimpse at Chance and some of his co-stars -- who include Atlanta and Deadpool 2 star Zazie Beetz, The League's Paul Scheer, and Stranger Things actor Joe Keery.
More: Your Alternative Halloween Viewing Guide: Hidden Horror Gems to Make Movie Night Frighteningly Fun
Chance first teased his involvement in the project a year ago with an incredibly brief clip showing him sitting on a moped, which he captioned...
Chance the Rapper is getting into the acting game with his role in the upcoming horror comedy Slice, and the first real teaser trailer is here just in time for Halloween.
Production company A24, which has been behind some of the most mind-bending horror and experimental films in recent years, dropped a primarily animated trailer, and it looks amazing even in its simplicity,
While the trailer doesn't give us a lot to go on in terms of plot, it does give us a passing glimpse at Chance and some of his co-stars -- who include Atlanta and Deadpool 2 star Zazie Beetz, The League's Paul Scheer, and Stranger Things actor Joe Keery.
More: Your Alternative Halloween Viewing Guide: Hidden Horror Gems to Make Movie Night Frighteningly Fun
Chance first teased his involvement in the project a year ago with an incredibly brief clip showing him sitting on a moped, which he captioned...
- 11/1/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Chance the Rapper finally got his GRAMMYs -- but honestly, his daughter stole the whole show!
On Thursday, the Coloring Book rapper shared videos to Twitter of him finally receiving his three awards from the 2017 show -- for Best Rap Album, Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance -- in the mail, while his little girl couldn't help but give him a big bear hug for every one.
If you haven't had your heart sufficiently warmed in a while, this will absolutely do the trick:
More: Chance the Rapper Donates $1 Million to Chicago Public Schools: 'This Check Is a Call to Action'
There is nothing sweeter than this!
It's good to see the 24-year-old rapper finally got his statues, too. He mentioned in a new song on The Late Show Starring Stephen Colbert in September that he was still waiting for the hardware.
More: Chance the Rapper Was Everyone's Best Friend at the 2017 GRAMMYs -- See the...
On Thursday, the Coloring Book rapper shared videos to Twitter of him finally receiving his three awards from the 2017 show -- for Best Rap Album, Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance -- in the mail, while his little girl couldn't help but give him a big bear hug for every one.
If you haven't had your heart sufficiently warmed in a while, this will absolutely do the trick:
More: Chance the Rapper Donates $1 Million to Chicago Public Schools: 'This Check Is a Call to Action'
There is nothing sweeter than this!
It's good to see the 24-year-old rapper finally got his statues, too. He mentioned in a new song on The Late Show Starring Stephen Colbert in September that he was still waiting for the hardware.
More: Chance the Rapper Was Everyone's Best Friend at the 2017 GRAMMYs -- See the...
- 10/20/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Chance the Rapper fans are in for a treat!
The 24-year-old singer took to Twitter on Friday to share a press release that he penned himself, offering free movie tickets at two movie theaters in Chicago to see the Reginald Hudlin directed drama,Marshall.
“Chance the Rapper press release. For Immediate Release,” the press release begins. “I bought all the tickets all day to go see Marshall at the movie theatre on 87th and the one on Roosevelt.”
“Go see Marshall today for free,” the message continues. “Come to the one at 3. It’s Lit. I don’t usually write my own press releases.”
Related: Chance the Rapper Donates $1 Million to Chicago Public Schools: 'This Check Is a Call to Action'
Fans quickly took to Twitter to respond with sweet and hilarious notes of appreciation.
"What did we do to deserve you?” wrote one fan, while another hilariously gushed at his kind gesture, saying, “Honestly feel like...
The 24-year-old singer took to Twitter on Friday to share a press release that he penned himself, offering free movie tickets at two movie theaters in Chicago to see the Reginald Hudlin directed drama,Marshall.
“Chance the Rapper press release. For Immediate Release,” the press release begins. “I bought all the tickets all day to go see Marshall at the movie theatre on 87th and the one on Roosevelt.”
“Go see Marshall today for free,” the message continues. “Come to the one at 3. It’s Lit. I don’t usually write my own press releases.”
Related: Chance the Rapper Donates $1 Million to Chicago Public Schools: 'This Check Is a Call to Action'
Fans quickly took to Twitter to respond with sweet and hilarious notes of appreciation.
"What did we do to deserve you?” wrote one fan, while another hilariously gushed at his kind gesture, saying, “Honestly feel like...
- 10/13/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
The girlfriend of gunman Stephen Paddock claims she had no warning about his planned shooting spree at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Marilou Danley said– via her lawyer – Wednesday that the man who fatally killed 58 people, was not the man she knew.
“I knew Stephen Paddock as a kind, caring, quiet man. I loved him and hoped for a quiet future together with him,” the 62-year-old said in a statement read by her lawyer, who described her as “a mother and a grandmother.”
“He never said anything to me or took any action that I was...
Marilou Danley said– via her lawyer – Wednesday that the man who fatally killed 58 people, was not the man she knew.
“I knew Stephen Paddock as a kind, caring, quiet man. I loved him and hoped for a quiet future together with him,” the 62-year-old said in a statement read by her lawyer, who described her as “a mother and a grandmother.”
“He never said anything to me or took any action that I was...
- 10/4/2017
- by Karen Mizoguchi
- PEOPLE.com
More than 90 people were hospitalized Friday during a concert featuring Chance the Rapper in Connecticut, officials said.
A large number of people hospitalized were underage attendees experiencing "severe intoxication," Hartford Deputy Chief Brian Foley said Saturday.
Watch: Chance the Rapper Gets the Bet Awards Crowd on Its Feet After Surprise Introduction from Michelle Obama
Foley said officers made 50 underage drinking referrals Friday at Hot 93.7′s Hot Jam concert at Xfinity Theatre. Most of those charged were issued a summons to appear in court. Several other arrests were made throughout the evening.
In a series of three tweets, Foley posted video of attendees tailgating, repeating the message: "Did you drop your teen off at the concert tonight. This is what it looks like. & Hpd is enforcing underage drinking in the lots."
The crowd was apparently made up of people in their late teens and early 20s. Foley said tailgating, partying and excessive alcohol consumption was "extremely prevalent."
(This...
A large number of people hospitalized were underage attendees experiencing "severe intoxication," Hartford Deputy Chief Brian Foley said Saturday.
Watch: Chance the Rapper Gets the Bet Awards Crowd on Its Feet After Surprise Introduction from Michelle Obama
Foley said officers made 50 underage drinking referrals Friday at Hot 93.7′s Hot Jam concert at Xfinity Theatre. Most of those charged were issued a summons to appear in court. Several other arrests were made throughout the evening.
In a series of three tweets, Foley posted video of attendees tailgating, repeating the message: "Did you drop your teen off at the concert tonight. This is what it looks like. & Hpd is enforcing underage drinking in the lots."
The crowd was apparently made up of people in their late teens and early 20s. Foley said tailgating, partying and excessive alcohol consumption was "extremely prevalent."
(This...
- 7/22/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
When Teen Vogue began covering the current administration with pieces like Lauren Duca’s op-ed “Donald Trump Is Gaslighting America,” media observers were shocked that a teen magazine would make such a gutsy political statement. But Teen Vogue editors knew something that those pundits didn’t: The younger generation could care about fashion, pop culture, dating and current events.
That’s why Freeform’s “The Bold Type” couldn’t have come at a better time. The show offers up its own take on the classic fashion magazine-meets-feminism genre made popular in films like “The Devil Wears Prada” and TV shows like “Just Shoot Me” and “Ugly Betty.” Sure, it’s glossy, youthful, and wildly unrealistic about what it’s like to work in journalism and publishing, but it’s still ultimately a rom-com, and therefore subject to those fantasy trappings.
Read MoreSummer TV Preview: 20 New and Returning Dramas That You...
That’s why Freeform’s “The Bold Type” couldn’t have come at a better time. The show offers up its own take on the classic fashion magazine-meets-feminism genre made popular in films like “The Devil Wears Prada” and TV shows like “Just Shoot Me” and “Ugly Betty.” Sure, it’s glossy, youthful, and wildly unrealistic about what it’s like to work in journalism and publishing, but it’s still ultimately a rom-com, and therefore subject to those fantasy trappings.
Read MoreSummer TV Preview: 20 New and Returning Dramas That You...
- 7/20/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Quinceañeras are about to take on a whole new meaning. Fifteen teenagers, ages 15 and 16, are coming together to protest the Senate Bill 4 (SB4), which is being considered a “ban on Sanctuary cities.” And this isn’t your regular protest as the young women participating will be dressed in bright, puffy quinceañera dresses.
The event, hosted by the Latino non-profit Jolt, will take place on July 19 at the Capitol Steps in Austin, Texas. The protestors will be taking turns to recite their stance against SB4 and they will also perform a choreographed dance together, which is a tradition at the coming-of-age celebration.
The event, hosted by the Latino non-profit Jolt, will take place on July 19 at the Capitol Steps in Austin, Texas. The protestors will be taking turns to recite their stance against SB4 and they will also perform a choreographed dance together, which is a tradition at the coming-of-age celebration.
- 7/19/2017
- by Thatiana Diaz
- PEOPLE.com
On Friday, National Gun Violence Awareness Day, thousands of people from across the country are expected to all don the same bold hue as part of the third annual Wear Orange campaign honoring victims of gun violence and spotlighting gun safety.
Among the participants will be Academy Award-winning actress Julianne Moore.
The eye-catching movement, Moore tells People, asks people “to send a message to end gun violence.”
Wear Orange started in 2015, two years after 15-year-old high school honor student and drum majorette Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed on Jan. 29, 2013, in Chicago — just one week after she performed with her...
Among the participants will be Academy Award-winning actress Julianne Moore.
The eye-catching movement, Moore tells People, asks people “to send a message to end gun violence.”
Wear Orange started in 2015, two years after 15-year-old high school honor student and drum majorette Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed on Jan. 29, 2013, in Chicago — just one week after she performed with her...
- 6/2/2017
- by KC Baker
- PEOPLE.com
In this week’s issue of People, Academy Award-winning actress Julianne Moore talks to staff writer Kc Baker about participating in the Wear Orange campaign, which takes place annually on June 2, National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Moore, 56, also opens up about what inspired her to take action to promote gun safety:
When the Sandy Hook shooting happened on Dec. 14, 2012, my daughter was 10 and was coming to work with me on a movie set. I asked hair, makeup, crew and other actors, “Please don’t mention this to her.” I was going to wait to tell her with her dad. But...
When the Sandy Hook shooting happened on Dec. 14, 2012, my daughter was 10 and was coming to work with me on a movie set. I asked hair, makeup, crew and other actors, “Please don’t mention this to her.” I was going to wait to tell her with her dad. But...
- 6/1/2017
- by KC Baker
- PEOPLE.com
LeBron James is hoping that his experience with racism will be a lesson to others.
An official with the Lapd confirms to Et that the N-word was spray-painted across the gate of James' private home on Wednesday morning. During a press conference ahead of the NBA Finals in Oakland, California, on Wednesday, the basketball player opened up about the incident, revealing that he hopes it "sheds a light" on the ongoing existence of racism in America.
Related: NBA Stars Deliver Powerful Call to Action Against Racial Injustice and Gun Violence in America: 'Enough Is Enough'
"My family is safe. At the end of the day, they're safe, and that's the most important [thing]. But it just goes to show that racism will always be a part of the world, a part of America, and you know, hate in America, especially for African Americans, is living every day," James said. "And even though that is concealed mostly at the...
An official with the Lapd confirms to Et that the N-word was spray-painted across the gate of James' private home on Wednesday morning. During a press conference ahead of the NBA Finals in Oakland, California, on Wednesday, the basketball player opened up about the incident, revealing that he hopes it "sheds a light" on the ongoing existence of racism in America.
Related: NBA Stars Deliver Powerful Call to Action Against Racial Injustice and Gun Violence in America: 'Enough Is Enough'
"My family is safe. At the end of the day, they're safe, and that's the most important [thing]. But it just goes to show that racism will always be a part of the world, a part of America, and you know, hate in America, especially for African Americans, is living every day," James said. "And even though that is concealed mostly at the...
- 5/31/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
On a quiet spring morning in 2007, stay-at-home mom Lori Haas was shopping with her minister in Richmond, Virginia, when her phone began ringing — and would not stop.
It was an Emt who said Haas’ 19-year-old daughter, Emily, a sophomore at Virginia Tech, had been shot twice in the head during a shooting rampage on the bucolic campus.
When her daughter got on the phone, “She said, ‘Hi mommy. I’ve been shot,’ ” Haas, 59, tells People.
Trembling, she listened as the Emt got back on the line. They told her that two bullets had grazed Emily’s skull but that she...
It was an Emt who said Haas’ 19-year-old daughter, Emily, a sophomore at Virginia Tech, had been shot twice in the head during a shooting rampage on the bucolic campus.
When her daughter got on the phone, “She said, ‘Hi mommy. I’ve been shot,’ ” Haas, 59, tells People.
Trembling, she listened as the Emt got back on the line. They told her that two bullets had grazed Emily’s skull but that she...
- 4/14/2017
- by KC Baker
- PEOPLE.com
The portraits of survivors in Kathy Shorr‘s new photography book, Shot: 101 Survivors of Gun Violence in America, make one hard-hitting point: gun violence is everywhere.
“When you have a gun pointed at you, you’re completely helpless and at their mercy. That feeling is probably one of the most terrible things that a human being can feel,” Shorr tells People.
She knows from personal experience: About a decade ago, she and her then-toddler daughter were the victims of an armed robbery.
They weren’t hurt, but the frightening encounter as well as her time as teacher in inner city...
“When you have a gun pointed at you, you’re completely helpless and at their mercy. That feeling is probably one of the most terrible things that a human being can feel,” Shorr tells People.
She knows from personal experience: About a decade ago, she and her then-toddler daughter were the victims of an armed robbery.
They weren’t hurt, but the frightening encounter as well as her time as teacher in inner city...
- 4/7/2017
- by Sam Gillette
- PEOPLE.com
Ronny Ahmed will never forget the moment in 2014 when a gunman emerged suddenly and shot him while he was studying for finals at Florida State University.
“First bullet went through, hit my spine at my T-10, bounced off my spine, hit my liver — and then that one instantly paralyzed me,” he says in the third installment of We Are All Newtown, a three-part web series that People is exclusively debuting this week.
In the same webisode, an NRA gun safety instructor says he thinks a trained shooter like himself might have helped prevent the tragedy on Nov. 20, 2014, when a gunman...
“First bullet went through, hit my spine at my T-10, bounced off my spine, hit my liver — and then that one instantly paralyzed me,” he says in the third installment of We Are All Newtown, a three-part web series that People is exclusively debuting this week.
In the same webisode, an NRA gun safety instructor says he thinks a trained shooter like himself might have helped prevent the tragedy on Nov. 20, 2014, when a gunman...
- 3/31/2017
- by KC Baker
- PEOPLE.com
The bullet that is still lodged in Javier Nava’s body is a constant reminder of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, in Orlando, Florida, that stole the lives of four of his friends and killed 45 others.
The long scar on Nava’s abdomen is another remnant of that day.
“For me, it’s just hard to see my body with a big scar,” he says in the second installment of We Are All Newtown, a three-part web series that People is exclusively debuting this week.
“At the same time,” Nava says in the episode, “I’m pretty sure that any one...
The long scar on Nava’s abdomen is another remnant of that day.
“For me, it’s just hard to see my body with a big scar,” he says in the second installment of We Are All Newtown, a three-part web series that People is exclusively debuting this week.
“At the same time,” Nava says in the episode, “I’m pretty sure that any one...
- 3/30/2017
- by KC Baker
- PEOPLE.com
Six weeks after the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012 killed 26 people, including 20 first-graders, in Newtown, Connecticut, filmmaker Kim A. Snyder traveled to the shattered town.
She spent the next three and a half years in a community still reeling from the carnage.
The result? The documentary Newtown, premiering on PBS on April 3, which weaves together intimate and emotionally raw interviews of parents, teachers, first responders and others with never-before-seen footage.
“After the cameras leave, the community is left to carry on with the trauma and the heartache of the worst devastation imaginable,” producer Maria Cuomo Cole tells People.
She says their...
She spent the next three and a half years in a community still reeling from the carnage.
The result? The documentary Newtown, premiering on PBS on April 3, which weaves together intimate and emotionally raw interviews of parents, teachers, first responders and others with never-before-seen footage.
“After the cameras leave, the community is left to carry on with the trauma and the heartache of the worst devastation imaginable,” producer Maria Cuomo Cole tells People.
She says their...
- 3/29/2017
- by KC Baker
- PEOPLE.com
This week, Washington, D.C., made headlines as the city’s Metropolitan Police Department recently began tweeting out missing-person reports — with an alarming number of them for young black women and Latinas.
Though officials have insisted that the numbers reflect only the fact that the department recently started using social media to help close cases, many have voiced concern that the numbers reflect a much larger problem in how commonly people of color go missing, both in the nation’s capital and around the country, as well as over serious gaps in media coverage of these cases as opposed to those about white people.
Though officials have insisted that the numbers reflect only the fact that the department recently started using social media to help close cases, many have voiced concern that the numbers reflect a much larger problem in how commonly people of color go missing, both in the nation’s capital and around the country, as well as over serious gaps in media coverage of these cases as opposed to those about white people.
- 3/25/2017
- by Jen Juneau
- PEOPLE.com
Pulse Shooting Survivor Angel Colon on Finding Forgiveness: ‘I Forgive Him … But I Can Never Forget’
Angel Colon lay bleeding on the floor of Orlando’s Pulse nightclub. He’d been shot six times, and as the gunman drew closer, shooting at fallen bodies to make sure they were dead, Colon couldn’t move.
But he survived the June 12, 2016, attack thanks to a police officer dragged him to safety. Now, more than eight months after the deadliest mass shooting in American history killed 49 people and injured 53 others, the 26-year-old Colon is moving forward as a survivor.
In order to do so, he says, he has forgiven the shooter, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, who was fatally shot by police that night.
But he survived the June 12, 2016, attack thanks to a police officer dragged him to safety. Now, more than eight months after the deadliest mass shooting in American history killed 49 people and injured 53 others, the 26-year-old Colon is moving forward as a survivor.
In order to do so, he says, he has forgiven the shooter, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, who was fatally shot by police that night.
- 2/24/2017
- by Steve Helling
- PEOPLE.com
Angel Colon has always been a positive person. A Zumba instructor in Orlando, the 26-year-old says he always shared a message of “love, hope and positivity.”
But Colon’s life changed forever on June 12, 2016 when gunman Omar Mateen entered the Pulse nightclub. By the time his rampage was over, he’d killed 49 people and injured 53 more.
Colon, 26, was shot six times, in the leg, hips and hand. Mateen aimed for his head, but missed. “I thought I was going to die,” Colon tells People in its latest issue.
After three surgeries and months of rehab, Colon is on the mend...
But Colon’s life changed forever on June 12, 2016 when gunman Omar Mateen entered the Pulse nightclub. By the time his rampage was over, he’d killed 49 people and injured 53 more.
Colon, 26, was shot six times, in the leg, hips and hand. Mateen aimed for his head, but missed. “I thought I was going to die,” Colon tells People in its latest issue.
After three surgeries and months of rehab, Colon is on the mend...
- 2/23/2017
- by Steve Helling
- PEOPLE.com
Pulse Shooting Survivor Angel Colon’s Crusade: ‘I Was Shot by a Man Who Never Should Have Had a Gun’
On June 12, 2016, Angel Colon was having a carefree weekend out with some friends in Orlando, Florida, when he found himself plunged into a nightmare.
Early that Sunday, gunman Omar Mateen burst into the Pulse nightclub. By the time his rampage was over, he’d killed 49 people and injured 53 more.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in American history.
Colon, 26, was shot six times. He has since gone through three surgeries and months of rehab. A former Zumba instructor, Colon was used to being in top physical shape; now he’s in the midst of a long healing process.
While he was in the hospital,...
Early that Sunday, gunman Omar Mateen burst into the Pulse nightclub. By the time his rampage was over, he’d killed 49 people and injured 53 more.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in American history.
Colon, 26, was shot six times. He has since gone through three surgeries and months of rehab. A former Zumba instructor, Colon was used to being in top physical shape; now he’s in the midst of a long healing process.
While he was in the hospital,...
- 2/22/2017
- by Steve Helling
- PEOPLE.com
We're back this week with another Reader Submission. As he eluded to in last week's column, UnBoxing Jon had more to say about Robert Downey Jr. and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So here it is!
Call To Action: Don't let Jonny boy hog all the glory! Here at Lrm, we're now reserving a slot on Mondays dedicated exclusively to Reader Submissions. If you've got a piece you'd love to share with the world, e-mail it to Mario@LRMOnline.com. I'll work on it with you, and if we can get it into shape, it'll be published right here on Lrm. Like the tagline says: "For Fanboys, By Fanboys!"
Bring'em on!
Is Robert Downey Jr. The Villain Of The McU?
by UnBoxing Jon
By this time next year, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be almost a decade old. That will mean 17 films, nine TV/Netflix series, and one bizarrely arranged...
Call To Action: Don't let Jonny boy hog all the glory! Here at Lrm, we're now reserving a slot on Mondays dedicated exclusively to Reader Submissions. If you've got a piece you'd love to share with the world, e-mail it to Mario@LRMOnline.com. I'll work on it with you, and if we can get it into shape, it'll be published right here on Lrm. Like the tagline says: "For Fanboys, By Fanboys!"
Bring'em on!
Is Robert Downey Jr. The Villain Of The McU?
by UnBoxing Jon
By this time next year, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be almost a decade old. That will mean 17 films, nine TV/Netflix series, and one bizarrely arranged...
- 1/9/2017
- by Mario-Francisco Robles
- LRMonline.com
(Photo Courtesy of The Culture Concept)
Two weeks ago, I published a column titled "Lucasfilm Has Turned The Star Wars Galaxy Into The Marvel Universe." In that piece, I touched on a few key ways in which The House That Lucas Built was borrowing heavily from Marvel's model for the McU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Today one of our readers, UnBoxing Jon, is back with another Reader Submission where he takes that idea another step farther.
Call To Action: Don't let Jonny boy hog all the glory! Here at Lrm, we're now reserving a slot on Mondays dedicated exclusively to Reader Submissions. If you've got a piece you'd love to share with the world, e-mail it to Mario@LRMOnline.com. I'll work on it with you, and if we can get it into shape, it'll be published right here on Lrm. Like the tagline says: "For Fanboys, By Fanboys!"
Bring'em on!
Two weeks ago, I published a column titled "Lucasfilm Has Turned The Star Wars Galaxy Into The Marvel Universe." In that piece, I touched on a few key ways in which The House That Lucas Built was borrowing heavily from Marvel's model for the McU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Today one of our readers, UnBoxing Jon, is back with another Reader Submission where he takes that idea another step farther.
Call To Action: Don't let Jonny boy hog all the glory! Here at Lrm, we're now reserving a slot on Mondays dedicated exclusively to Reader Submissions. If you've got a piece you'd love to share with the world, e-mail it to Mario@LRMOnline.com. I'll work on it with you, and if we can get it into shape, it'll be published right here on Lrm. Like the tagline says: "For Fanboys, By Fanboys!"
Bring'em on!
- 1/2/2017
- by Mario-Francisco Robles
- LRMonline.com
Finally! Jon Stewart’s Two Cents on the Election — And Why Liberals Need to Rethink Trump Supporters
As the nation remains divided after Donald Trump’s unexpected election victory, a voice that was mostly quiet during this year’s volatile election cycle has spoken out and offered liberals a different perspective on Trump supporters.
Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart, who stepped down from his post in the summer of 2015 not long after Trump launched his candidacy, reflected on the election in an interview with CBS This Morning‘s Charlie Rose on Thursday, and suggested that liberals’ tendency to dismiss all Trump voters as racist or Islamophobic is hypocritical.
“I thought Donald Trump disqualified himself at numerous points.
Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart, who stepped down from his post in the summer of 2015 not long after Trump launched his candidacy, reflected on the election in an interview with CBS This Morning‘s Charlie Rose on Thursday, and suggested that liberals’ tendency to dismiss all Trump voters as racist or Islamophobic is hypocritical.
“I thought Donald Trump disqualified himself at numerous points.
- 11/17/2016
- by Tierney McAfee
- PEOPLE.com
People editorial director Jess Cagle was honored with the Brady Center’s annual “Bear Award” for his commitment to gun control advocacy Tuesday night.
The Brady Center is a nonprofit organization aimed at dramatically reducing gun related deaths and injuries in America. Best known for working to pass the Brady Law in 1993, which mandated federal background checks on firearm purchasers in the United States, and for its 2001 merger with the Million Mom March, the Brady Center hopes to cut American gun deaths in half by 2025. Currently, the organization is working to close loopholes by extending background checks to gun shows and internet sales.
The Brady Center is a nonprofit organization aimed at dramatically reducing gun related deaths and injuries in America. Best known for working to pass the Brady Law in 1993, which mandated federal background checks on firearm purchasers in the United States, and for its 2001 merger with the Million Mom March, the Brady Center hopes to cut American gun deaths in half by 2025. Currently, the organization is working to close loopholes by extending background checks to gun shows and internet sales.
- 11/17/2016
- by m34miller
- PEOPLE.com
Fresh off the acclaim from Louis C.K.’s daring limited series “Horace and Pete,” Steve Buscemi has lined up a new gig with one of the most exciting directors working today. The actor is set to star in “Lean on Pete,” an adaptation of the 2010 Willy Vlautin novel that is being written and directed by Andrew Haigh. The movie has been a passion project for the director, who has earned acclaim thanks to films like “Weekend” and “45 Years.” Deadline first reported the casting.
Read More: Why ’45 Years’ Filmmaker Andrew Haigh Never Tires of The Past
The story revolves around 15-year-old teenager Charley as he embarks on a perilous journey in search of his long lost aunt, with his only companion being a stolen racehorse named Lean on Pete. The movie has been described as a passion project for Haigh, whose industry pull has no doubt increased in the months since...
Read More: Why ’45 Years’ Filmmaker Andrew Haigh Never Tires of The Past
The story revolves around 15-year-old teenager Charley as he embarks on a perilous journey in search of his long lost aunt, with his only companion being a stolen racehorse named Lean on Pete. The movie has been described as a passion project for Haigh, whose industry pull has no doubt increased in the months since...
- 7/7/2016
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Hannah Hart is leading by example when it comes to combating gun violence. "Gun violence is a really important issue to me because I have this radical belief that every life matters," the YouTube star told People backstage at VidCon 2016 on Thursday. In the days following the mass shooting in Orlando earlier in June, Hart posted a call-to-action video on her YouTube page and made it a priority to list every state in this country that is still willing to sell "military grade firearms" to people on the no-fly list. "I was amazed, amazed, amazed by how many people felt...
- 6/24/2016
- by Nicole Sands
- PEOPLE.com
Hannah Hart is leading by example when it comes to combating gun violence. "Gun violence is a really important issue to me because I have this radical belief that every life matters," the YouTube star told People backstage at VidCon 2016 on Thursday. In the days following the mass shooting in Orlando earlier in June, Hart posted a call-to-action video on her YouTube page and made it a priority to list every state in this country that is still willing to sell "military grade firearms" to people on the no-fly list. "I was amazed, amazed, amazed by how many people felt...
- 6/24/2016
- by Nicole Sands
- PEOPLE.com
Amy Schumer is putting the U.S. Senate on blast after it failed to pass a series of gun control measures this week. "I am sickened by the cowardice of these people who are supposed to lead us," Schumer told Politico. "Their dedication seems to be only to dollar signs for their own pockets. In November, we will remember who stood with the gun lobby, rather than their constituents, as we mourned for Orlando." The Senate rejected four new gun control proposals on Monday, juts one week after the mass shooting in Orlando that claimed 49 lives. Schumer became an ardent...
- 6/22/2016
- by Michael Miller @write_miller
- PEOPLE.com
Amy Schumer is putting the U.S. Senate on blast after it failed to pass a series of gun control measures this week. "I am sickened by the cowardice of these people who are supposed to lead us," Schumer told Politico. "Their dedication seems to be only to dollar signs for their own pockets. In November, we will remember who stood with the gun lobby, rather than their constituents, as we mourned for Orlando." The Senate rejected four new gun control proposals on Monday, juts one week after the mass shooting in Orlando that claimed 49 lives. Schumer became an ardent...
- 6/22/2016
- by Michael Miller @write_miller
- PEOPLE.com
Two Uber passengers are sharing their stories of the moments they spent with the man accused of killing six people and injuring two more in a shooting spree around Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Saturday. When Matt Mellen ordered an Uber on Saturday, he found himself in the car of 45-year-old Jason Dalton, the man accused in the deadly spree, he told Wwmt. Mellen said he climbed in to Dalton's Chevy Hhr on Saturday afternoon, just hours before the shooting spree, according to Wwmt. He said Dalton acted strange the entire time, initially introducing himself with a different name than the one listed on his Uber profile.
- 2/22/2016
- by Char Adams, @CiCiAdams_
- PEOPLE.com
Two Uber passengers are sharing their stories of the moments they spent with the man accused of killing six people and injuring two more in a shooting spree around Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Saturday. When Matt Mellen ordered an Uber on Saturday, he found himself in the car of 45-year-old Jason Dalton, the man accused in the deadly spree, he told Wwmt. Mellen said he climbed in to Dalton's Chevy Hhr on Saturday afternoon, just hours before the shooting spree, according to Wwmt. He said Dalton acted strange the entire time, initially introducing himself with a different name than the one listed on his Uber profile.
- 2/22/2016
- by Char Adams, @CiCiAdams_
- PEOPLE.com
A new year, a new contest… Yay!
In this comedy-adventure, A Walk In The Woods, celebrated travel writer Bill Bryson (Academy Award® winner Robert Redford) challenges himself to hike the Appalachian Trail—2,200 miles of America’s most unspoiled, spectacular and rugged countryside from Georgia to Maine—instead of retiring to enjoy his loving and beautiful wife (Academy Award® winner Emma Thompson) and their large and happy family. In celebration of the film coming out on Digital HD, On Demand, DVD and Blu-ray on December 29th, Wamg is giving away copies of Bill Bryson’s book A Walk In The Woods. Check out below for rules on how to enter.
The peace and tranquility Bill (Redford) hopes to find, though, is anything but, once he agrees to being accompanied by the only person he can find willing to join him on the trek—his long-lost and former friend, Stephen Katz (Academy...
In this comedy-adventure, A Walk In The Woods, celebrated travel writer Bill Bryson (Academy Award® winner Robert Redford) challenges himself to hike the Appalachian Trail—2,200 miles of America’s most unspoiled, spectacular and rugged countryside from Georgia to Maine—instead of retiring to enjoy his loving and beautiful wife (Academy Award® winner Emma Thompson) and their large and happy family. In celebration of the film coming out on Digital HD, On Demand, DVD and Blu-ray on December 29th, Wamg is giving away copies of Bill Bryson’s book A Walk In The Woods. Check out below for rules on how to enter.
The peace and tranquility Bill (Redford) hopes to find, though, is anything but, once he agrees to being accompanied by the only person he can find willing to join him on the trek—his long-lost and former friend, Stephen Katz (Academy...
- 1/4/2016
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
"A Walk in the Woods"
Robert Redford (Bill Bryson) and Nick Nolte (Stephen Katz) take a hike on the Appalachian Trail in "A Walk in the Woods," which is out on Blu-ray, DVD, VOD, and everything else on December 29. Some of the Blu-ray/DVD bonus features include a featurette on the film's music; the lead actors, director Ken Kwapis, and producers Chip Diggins and Bill Holderman talking about filming on The Appalachian Trail; outtakes; and "Robert Redford's Call to Action PSA," with the legend sharing why it's important to preserve The Appalachian Trail.
"Perfect Guy"
Sanaa Lathan's Leah Vaughn recovers from a painful breakup by jumping into a rebound relationship with a charming stranger (Michael Ealy). When her ex (Morris Chestnut) returns,...
New on DVD and Blu-ray
"A Walk in the Woods"
Robert Redford (Bill Bryson) and Nick Nolte (Stephen Katz) take a hike on the Appalachian Trail in "A Walk in the Woods," which is out on Blu-ray, DVD, VOD, and everything else on December 29. Some of the Blu-ray/DVD bonus features include a featurette on the film's music; the lead actors, director Ken Kwapis, and producers Chip Diggins and Bill Holderman talking about filming on The Appalachian Trail; outtakes; and "Robert Redford's Call to Action PSA," with the legend sharing why it's important to preserve The Appalachian Trail.
"Perfect Guy"
Sanaa Lathan's Leah Vaughn recovers from a painful breakup by jumping into a rebound relationship with a charming stranger (Michael Ealy). When her ex (Morris Chestnut) returns,...
- 12/28/2015
- by Gina Carbone
- Moviefone
Celebrities are speaking out against gun violence.
Jennifer Aniston, Amy Schumer, Sofia Vergara and Julianne Moore have joined President Obama in a PSA called 'We Can End Gun Violence' following the San Bernardino shooting last week that killed 14 and injured 21.
Also joining them in the powerful video are Kevin Bacon, Michael J. Fox, Olivia Munn, Sarah Silverman, Nathan Lane and Debra Messing.
The PSA also has a site where you are encouraged to add your voice to the video.
Since the mass shootings in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, People reposted our Call to Action on Gun Violence that was published in our Oct.
Jennifer Aniston, Amy Schumer, Sofia Vergara and Julianne Moore have joined President Obama in a PSA called 'We Can End Gun Violence' following the San Bernardino shooting last week that killed 14 and injured 21.
Also joining them in the powerful video are Kevin Bacon, Michael J. Fox, Olivia Munn, Sarah Silverman, Nathan Lane and Debra Messing.
The PSA also has a site where you are encouraged to add your voice to the video.
Since the mass shootings in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, People reposted our Call to Action on Gun Violence that was published in our Oct.
- 12/10/2015
- by George Stark, @GeorgeStark_
- People.com - TV Watch
The gorgeous Parineeti Chopra, who has always been vocal about everything, has been now chosen as the brand ambassador of the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign. This initiative is aimed at promoting the survival, protection, education and empowerment of the girl child. In order to ensure the active participation of the private sector in the initiative, the state has even signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (Mou) with the Confederation of Indian Industries (Cii) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (Ficci). Richard R. Verma (U.S. Ambassador to India) said, "I would like to congratulate Haryana Chief Minister Mahohar Lal for initiating today's Call to Action to save and educate the daughters of the state. Haryana's efforts to promote the health, education, and development of women and girls are worthy of recognition. The United States is eager to partner with India and Haryana in support of 'Beti Bachao,...
- 7/23/2015
- by Bollywood Hungama News Network
- BollywoodHungama
The latest Hollywood disaster epic has pushed cybersecurity and piracy issues to the top of the entertainment industry’s agenda.
The massive cybersecurity attack (or is it terrorism?) is a powerful call to action for the industry’s leadership to develop strategic initiatives against a common foe. The breach — the second to rock Hollywood in the past six months — has forced us to focus as never before on effective methods to mitigate the risks posed to our most valuable resources: our people and our intellectual property.
In the face of these extraordinary, headline-grabbing circumstances, now is the time to come...
The massive cybersecurity attack (or is it terrorism?) is a powerful call to action for the industry’s leadership to develop strategic initiatives against a common foe. The breach — the second to rock Hollywood in the past six months — has forced us to focus as never before on effective methods to mitigate the risks posed to our most valuable resources: our people and our intellectual property.
In the face of these extraordinary, headline-grabbing circumstances, now is the time to come...
- 12/19/2014
- by Nil Shah
- The Wrap
Title – Evergreen: The Road to Legalizaton Director – Riley Morton and Nils Cowan Running time: 86 minutes, Not Rated Available on DVD 09.15.14 Special Features: Short Film – the Future of Legialization; Q&A with Drug Policy Alliance Director Ethan Nadelmann; Extended Interviews; Call to Action Resource Guide A documentary on the 502 Initiative , the law that will permit the growing, sale and use of cannabis in the state of Washington. There are many that oppose the law, but those whom are hoping for it to pass say it will bring forth revenue and eliminate criminalization. The Good: This documentary was well informed and promoted a good defense in [ Read More ]
The post Evergreen: The Road to Legalizaton DVD Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Evergreen: The Road to Legalizaton DVD Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 9/15/2014
- by juliana
- ShockYa
The 30th Annual Boston Film Festival has unveiled the program of movies that will be featured during this year’s lineup. The festival, which will run September 24-28, 2014 and screen all films in Theatre 1 at the Revere Hotel Boston Common, will feature four world premiers and 32 movies. This year’s program will spotlight the alarming environmental global crisis throughout its five days of events. The closing day/night program on September 28 will showcase a “Call to Action on the Environment.” The program will feature the world premieres of ‘Zemene,’ ‘Breaking Free: The Shale Rock Revolution’ and the Boston debut of ‘Slingshot.’ The closing day/night program will emphasize the growing [ Read More ]
The post 30th Annual Boston Film Festival Spotlights Environmental Crisis appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post 30th Annual Boston Film Festival Spotlights Environmental Crisis appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 9/15/2014
- by Karen Benardello
- ShockYa
From the documentary series, Something to Talk About on Audience Network on Direct TV, Shored Up premiered on October 24th.
Approximately one year later, the country remembers those who have and those who are still suffering from last year¹s Hurricane Sandy.
Shored Up is an Urgent Call to Action in the Face of Accelerating Sea-Level Rise, Presenting the Devastation of Hurricane Sandy as a Window Into the Future. Set in Long Beach Island, NJ and the Outer Banks of Nc, the film explores the political conflicts and personal stakes of communities along the shore. Shored Up talks to scientists, politicians, residents and a wide range of experts to expose major shortcomings in coastal management and the immediate need for change. Filmed over three years and culminating in the impact of Hurricane Sandy, it becomes an eerie foretelling of the storm¹s devastation and a witness to its dramatic aftermath. Shored Up is a look at what happens when we ignore the realities of geology in our drive to inhabit and profit from our coastlines.
Listen to insightful discussions on coastal management from a Professor of Coastal Geomorphology from Rutgers University, Coastal Engineers, the Mayor of Harvey Cedars, Lbi, NJ, the former mayor of Beach Haven, Lbi, NJ, a Professor from the Center for the Study of Coastal and Marine Biology from Eastern Carolina University, a surf journalist, politicians and residents.
Learn from the past to protect our future.
For information on theatrical screenings of the film visit Here...
Approximately one year later, the country remembers those who have and those who are still suffering from last year¹s Hurricane Sandy.
Shored Up is an Urgent Call to Action in the Face of Accelerating Sea-Level Rise, Presenting the Devastation of Hurricane Sandy as a Window Into the Future. Set in Long Beach Island, NJ and the Outer Banks of Nc, the film explores the political conflicts and personal stakes of communities along the shore. Shored Up talks to scientists, politicians, residents and a wide range of experts to expose major shortcomings in coastal management and the immediate need for change. Filmed over three years and culminating in the impact of Hurricane Sandy, it becomes an eerie foretelling of the storm¹s devastation and a witness to its dramatic aftermath. Shored Up is a look at what happens when we ignore the realities of geology in our drive to inhabit and profit from our coastlines.
Listen to insightful discussions on coastal management from a Professor of Coastal Geomorphology from Rutgers University, Coastal Engineers, the Mayor of Harvey Cedars, Lbi, NJ, the former mayor of Beach Haven, Lbi, NJ, a Professor from the Center for the Study of Coastal and Marine Biology from Eastern Carolina University, a surf journalist, politicians and residents.
Learn from the past to protect our future.
For information on theatrical screenings of the film visit Here...
- 10/29/2013
- by Sharon Abella
- Sydney's Buzz
Exactly 50 years after Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, President Barack Obama spoke from the Lincoln Memorial steps to honor the half-century anniversary. King's family, including his precious 5-year-old granddaughter, Yolanda, were on hand as bells rang at 3 p.m. to mark the historical moment. In his speech, Obama reflected on the civil rights movement, progress, and where America stands. "To dismiss the magnitude of this progress, to suggest as some sometimes do that little has changed, that dishonors the courage and the sacrifice of those who paid the price to march in those years," he said. Recalling the influence and victories of Mlk, Obama added: "We rightly and best remember Dr. King's soaring oratory that day, how he gave mighty voice to the quiet hopes of millions, how he offered a salvation path for oppressed and oppressors alike. His words belong to the ages,...
- 8/29/2013
- by Laura Marie Meyers
- Popsugar.com
To honor the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington For Jobs and Freedom, people have marched from Capitol Hill to the Lincoln Memorial for special celebrations in Washington DC. On Aug. 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his unforgettable "I Have a Dream" speech at the iconic civil rights demonstration. During today's Let Freedom Ring Commemoration and Call to Action event, President Barack Obama spoke at the same time that Mlk Jr. spoke 50 years ago, and there was an impressive list of additional speakers that included former President Bill Clinton, former President Jimmy Carter, and Oprah Winfrey. Jamie Foxx also addressed the crowds, while Leann Rimes performed "Amazing Grace." Take a look at all the action in Washington DC! View Slideshow ›...
- 8/28/2013
- by Laura Marie Meyers
- Popsugar.com
Close to 100 New York-based Latino film & media arts professionals attended the New York Latino Film Summit on Friday evening, June 21, evening and all day Saturday June 22, at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, to engage in an open dialogue concerning the current and future state of U.S. Latinos in multimedia. By reevaluating and adopting comprehensive strategies that address critical issues, their professional insight and dedication proved to be an invaluable response to build a community to serve us all.
The purported trillion dollar purchasing power of Latinos in the United States bestowing a tremendous power as consumers of media has not yet increased the number of Latino cultural producers in this country. There are not yet enough Latino film directors, screenwriters, critical writers, programmers, and funders to create a consistent flow of product to a developed audience looking for a “Latino” film experience.
Simultaneously, independent filmmaking in Latin America is reaching new heights. The amount of projects coming out of the region continues to increase and the films are receiving international acclaim at top tier film festivals. So, what is going on?
The Summit culminated with a number of concrete initiatives, action points that to be implemented to advocate for a greater understanding of Latino cultural and geographical diversity, the richesse of stories, and a determination not to be defined and limited by labels.
Multimedia makers
The word Multimedia is used to include advertising, television, feature films, webisodes, and even literature, comic books, cartoons, animation and any other sort of media, new or old.
Beginning with Friday evening’s introduction and kick-off, a freely associated discussion of the meaning of “Latino” began a stimulating give-and-take amongst the participants aimed at pinpointing the solutions to the obstacles that stand in the way of creating meaningful and innovative Latino media content and a vibrant U.S.-based Latino film community.
The roundtables on the following day attempted to tackle such questions as:
Who has access to a film career? How can we democratize access to filmmaking? What stories are we telling? Are we limiting the stories Latinos can tell? Who is documenting our cinema? How are film festivals programming our films? How can we create more critical content on Latino films and filmmakers?
The spirit of the meeting reminded me of that of the Art House Convergence (now in its 6th year) or even of the founding of Ifp East and West so many years ago. The enthusiasm and intelligence shared among all the participants energized all of us.
What follows are my notes and sometimes my own thoughts as a well organized process took place to cull out the five major issues needed in order to develop further a strong, vibrant Latino multimedia community.
New York Latino Film Summit: Changing Our Paradigms
Day 1: Friday, June 21, 6pm – 8pm
Summer Solstice today marks a new beginning.
Today, what defines Latinidad exceeds the traditional categories imposed on the Latino identity. The opening session asked participants to question how we define ourselves, how we are defined by others, who validates our authenticity, and what it means to appropriate the label.
The Amphitheater at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center was filled to capacity. The audience of writers, actors, directors, producers, festival programmers, executives, and interested individuals bandied about the words heritage, language, community, diversity, the need to identify while still being “American”, the need not to identify to maintain one’s own unique individuality, the understanding among selves, the diversity among selves, even the Jewish part of Latino spoke up. Junot Diaz, (Omg! My idol! If you have not yet read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, then run to your nearest bookstore or go to Amazon now and order it! Its depiction of the Dominican Republic under Trujillo and the hero’s journey well deserves its Pulitzer and Booker Prizes!) standing in the back of the amphitheater, spoke of the need to identify in Latino solidarity, in spite of all the differences, in order to be heard by the rest of the world. Latino is a general strategic identity. The outside world recognizes it. It in no way negates all the other identities each one of us carries within us.
Other ideas coming out of the discussion:
• Latino serves as a bridge to filmmaking. It does not follow the Hollywood model at all.
• There is a duality of Latino: one’s own self-perception and others’ view of Latino.
• How can we rethink the Latino identity to rebuild the old into a new system?
• How to increase the Latino without appearing un-American?
• How do we move forward?
• There is a lack of community, even in the community.
Day 2: Saturday, June 22, 10:30am - 8pm
On rising this morning—at 4am, -- I am excited, anticipating today, and thinking about last night, I came up with my own thoughts and feelings on the issue. I bring the Pov of an outsider, and a “Latino manquee”, so to speak, as a once Spanish Jew who, when expelled from Spain in 1492, did not go to the New World, but instead went over the Pyrenees, “with nothing but the clothes on our back”, to France whence we were invited to the Duchy of Lithuania, and where we spent the next 400 years becoming “Ashkenazic” Jews. Speaking as an outsider I would define Latino as “everyone originating some generations ago (more or less with Hispanic last names) in the New World in areas not first colonized by the Anglos, French, or Germans, but by the Spanish and Portuguese, and not totally indigenous”
Access and Accessibility 10:30am - 12pm
Who has access to a film career?
By teaching reading and writing via filmmaking as storytelling to the young, both in school and out of school, we will raise the next generation of filmmakers and multimedia makers. Literacy began and still begins with pictures. Every child knows about moving pictures and wants to make him/her self part of them. Our form of alienation today is that we see ourselves as actors in stories not our own or we retreat into realities we create for ourselves, thinking that they are our private domain. We need to share the stories to become “real” to ourselves and to the rest of the world. Silence is not golden; it’s suicide.
Today access comes with the simplest digital toy: a mobile phone, iPad or simple point and shoot camera. Anyone can make a film.
How can the audience get access to the work of Latino media makers?
By creating a Latino circuit of festivals, distributors and exhibitors who share information, marketing ideas, existing materials, prints and advertising, dubbed and subtitled soundtracks, press coverage and tools for community outreach.Creating a sustainable circuit of branding festivals with films or for films, distribution, exhibition, press.Placing product in movies, at events, in advertising...Corona beer, Chilean and Argentinian wine, Dominos Pizza, Contadina, Coca Cola, Univision, Televisa, Panama hats, Galapagos conservation, Easter Islands tourism, Earthquakes preparedness, quinoa...
Funding and Training: Is needed not only for filmmaking, but for also distribution and international licensing and sales. The discussion created a list of options, under the headings of challenges.
Public Funding
What are the strengths: PBS, Itvs, Ford Foundation, Nea, Latino Public Broadcasting grant money one does not have to pay back and they bestow a seal of approval upon the project.
What are the challenges: They are restricted by the fiscal year, by who has access, and by their lack of lack of outreach into the communities.
Private Funding
· Global film initiative
· Wealthy individuals
· Equity funds
Training and networks of solidarity training
Class and access, formal schooling vs. other forms of training.
Professional networking
Distribution
Strengths:
· Can raise monies
· Access
· Money
· The deal
· Legitimizes
Challenges:
· Expensive
· Lack of screens
· Only 3% of films get into theaters
· 1% of programming in theaters is split among U.S. indies, docs and features and foreign language films.
· Lack of organizational cohesiveness
· Highly trend given.
. I think the model of Affrm (for African American theatrical film distribution via the African American film festivals) plus using Emerging Pictures to reach non-theatrical venues in museums, libraries and other 4walled spaces, plus art house theaters would be viable especially if there were a “body of work” rather than just a single film.
· Non-theatrical circuit needs an organizational strategy of the Latino film community.
· Additional revenue streams, audience development, greater visibility are needed.
· Shorts have great interest at universities.
· Parity of funding, exposure on tv, etc, If Latino is 13% , then funding, distribution, and training should be 13%.
And not parenthetically, 50% of that should go to Latinas (gender parity).
Storytelling and Narratives
What stories are we telling? Are we pushing the envelope? Are we limited by our own narratives? Are we limiting the stories Latinos versus Latin Americans can tell?
• Latin American films have greater interest in Europe than Latino stories. And they are very different from each other.
• What about this oft cited “universality of stories? Question the formulas which labs and classes provide. Learn the rules and then bend them, like learning the dance steps, beats and rhythms in order to create new variations of the themes which are, nevertheless, universal.
• Alex Rivera, filmmaker who did Sleep Dealer noted that he changed genre to tell a typical border-crossing story and made it science fiction.
• Film is a collaborative art, there is a need for people to read scripts, Proofing your scripts! Have someone else proof them!
• There seems to be a lack of creativity in scripts. Self doubt creates a lack of creativity.
• There is a need for mentoring, for a salon and for workshops for scriptwriting particularly for Latino screenwriting labs and social networking, a workshop where each person gets 10 minutes to try out his\her project.
There is a lack of critical writing about Latino films. The only consistent writing is LatinoBuzz, Chicana from Chicago, about.com, NBC Latino, Huffington Post.
There is a lack of government funding of films except for the ever dwindling Nea. However, discussions are now underway with the government regarding using Kickstarter, Indiegogo and other crowdfunding platforms to accept investments as well as gifts.
Validation and Audience Development
Who is validating our cinema? Who is documenting our cinema? How are we programming our films and directors? How can we create more critical content on the films and filmmakers? How do we engage audiences in a more effective way?
There is a lack of knowledge of U.S.-Latino films.
The closest thing to a catalog of U.S.-Latino films was created by Lava.
Latin American Video Archives (Lava) opened in the late 80s and closed in 2006 for lack of funding. It contained 3,000 tapes. It created a database, and was set to go online as a searchable database of Latin American and Latino cinema. Listing over 9,000 titles produced by and about Latin Americans and Latinos, it became a distributor for the educational and consumer markets and for film festivals. The physical archive still exists as does the database on a hard disk drive.
FilmFinders (the company I founded in 1988) also tracked U.S.-Latino, Latino and every other film in the international film market from 1988 to 2009, totaling 60,000 titles with details including rights sold.
Latino film festivals also have databases of films and of participants from the public as well as publicists for Latino films. Those festival databases and those festivals’ skills in outreach could be used throughout the year if they would see the value in this for their own festivals.
Out of this comes the idea to create a central database with critical information.
The educational and non-theatrical market is an unknown market. Finding the academic department where the film belongs is somewhat complicated. A film could show on campus and bring in $3,000. A school or university could also buy the film on dvd for $300. The trick is in finding the proper professor to pitch, preferably one who would bring in the filmmaker as well to speak of the experience. Moreover, professors will write about the film too and so the life of the film can continue to be a vital part of the study program or the body of literature cited in the course of study. The professors might be in Latin American studies, anthropology, political science, or any other departments at a university or college.
An example in academia of interest in Latino film which might be useful in going forward in educational distribution is the Film Festival Research Network (Ffrn). Kansas based member Tamara L. Falicov, Associate Professor/Department Chair of the Department of Film and Media Studies at the
University of Kansas was quoted in a LatinoBuzz blog dealing with Latino production from the Spanish point of view. She can be reached at tfalicov [at] Ku.edu, 785-864-1353
Plenary Session Wrap Up
1st session:
Felipe Tewes, HBO Latino, reiterated Junot Diaz's advice to embrace general identity for strategic purposes without diluting individual identities.
Action
Create community and spaces for cross-pollination.Create a monthly salon for sharing...Create a resource directory/database.Create a film collaborative.Create a cinema club.
2nd Session: Storytelling
Lack of mentorship and developmentCreate an umbrella encompassing a salon, with biweekly or monthly script reading.Create a Latino fund.Create Facebook Page...or Linked InCreate co-production event.
3rd Session: Distribution and funding bodies are broken.
Look at models of Emerging Pictures, Affrm, and create a festival-distribution-exhibitor circuit
Look at educational distribution and other forms of non-theatrical distribution to universities, colleges, libraries, special interest groups.
4th Session: Validation
Lack of knowledge of U.S. -Latino films
Lack of critical writing
LobbyingArchivingMicro cinemaNetworkingWriting networking...cinema tropical and Latino buzzLatino film history/information
In one year this group meeting will reconvene to see what has developed. Meanwhile, here are the points of action with volunteers committing to work on them. I am on the database committee.
Call to Action
For those of you who were not able to attend, the participants of the last session signed up for the action groups, If you would like to sign up, please email and name which group(s) you choose to join. Send your email to: newyorklatinofilmsummit [At] gmail.com.
The committees are:
- Organizing Committee. The group in charge of general coordination and communication, as well as planning future Summit events.
- Information Committee. The group that will coordinate databases and communication in social media, as well as creating fluid networks of information inside and outside the group.
- Salons. This group will organize Professional events (please choose one from below)
a) Screenwriters
b) Producers
c) Work-in-progress screenings
d) Non-Theatrical/ Educational Distribution
- Workshops. Organizing specific workshops for the professional advancement of the group.
- Mentorships. Creating mentorship programs both for the members of the group, as well as for younger generations.
- Lobby/Advocacy/Activism. Creating strategies for the advancement and visibility of the professional and social causes of the group.
- Microcinema/Cine-Club. Creating a on-going cine-club with the hopes of documenting and presenting the history of Latino Cinema in the U.S., and serving as a curatorial platform for the exhibition of Latino works.
The summit organizing committee consists of: Andrea Betanzos (Assistant Director, Cinema Tropical), Carlos A. Gutiérrez (Co-founder and Director, Cinema Tropical), Paula Heredia (director/editor, Heredia Pictures), and Lucila Moctezuma (Production Assistance Program Manager, Women Make Movies.
The purported trillion dollar purchasing power of Latinos in the United States bestowing a tremendous power as consumers of media has not yet increased the number of Latino cultural producers in this country. There are not yet enough Latino film directors, screenwriters, critical writers, programmers, and funders to create a consistent flow of product to a developed audience looking for a “Latino” film experience.
Simultaneously, independent filmmaking in Latin America is reaching new heights. The amount of projects coming out of the region continues to increase and the films are receiving international acclaim at top tier film festivals. So, what is going on?
The Summit culminated with a number of concrete initiatives, action points that to be implemented to advocate for a greater understanding of Latino cultural and geographical diversity, the richesse of stories, and a determination not to be defined and limited by labels.
Multimedia makers
The word Multimedia is used to include advertising, television, feature films, webisodes, and even literature, comic books, cartoons, animation and any other sort of media, new or old.
Beginning with Friday evening’s introduction and kick-off, a freely associated discussion of the meaning of “Latino” began a stimulating give-and-take amongst the participants aimed at pinpointing the solutions to the obstacles that stand in the way of creating meaningful and innovative Latino media content and a vibrant U.S.-based Latino film community.
The roundtables on the following day attempted to tackle such questions as:
Who has access to a film career? How can we democratize access to filmmaking? What stories are we telling? Are we limiting the stories Latinos can tell? Who is documenting our cinema? How are film festivals programming our films? How can we create more critical content on Latino films and filmmakers?
The spirit of the meeting reminded me of that of the Art House Convergence (now in its 6th year) or even of the founding of Ifp East and West so many years ago. The enthusiasm and intelligence shared among all the participants energized all of us.
What follows are my notes and sometimes my own thoughts as a well organized process took place to cull out the five major issues needed in order to develop further a strong, vibrant Latino multimedia community.
New York Latino Film Summit: Changing Our Paradigms
Day 1: Friday, June 21, 6pm – 8pm
Summer Solstice today marks a new beginning.
Today, what defines Latinidad exceeds the traditional categories imposed on the Latino identity. The opening session asked participants to question how we define ourselves, how we are defined by others, who validates our authenticity, and what it means to appropriate the label.
The Amphitheater at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center was filled to capacity. The audience of writers, actors, directors, producers, festival programmers, executives, and interested individuals bandied about the words heritage, language, community, diversity, the need to identify while still being “American”, the need not to identify to maintain one’s own unique individuality, the understanding among selves, the diversity among selves, even the Jewish part of Latino spoke up. Junot Diaz, (Omg! My idol! If you have not yet read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, then run to your nearest bookstore or go to Amazon now and order it! Its depiction of the Dominican Republic under Trujillo and the hero’s journey well deserves its Pulitzer and Booker Prizes!) standing in the back of the amphitheater, spoke of the need to identify in Latino solidarity, in spite of all the differences, in order to be heard by the rest of the world. Latino is a general strategic identity. The outside world recognizes it. It in no way negates all the other identities each one of us carries within us.
Other ideas coming out of the discussion:
• Latino serves as a bridge to filmmaking. It does not follow the Hollywood model at all.
• There is a duality of Latino: one’s own self-perception and others’ view of Latino.
• How can we rethink the Latino identity to rebuild the old into a new system?
• How to increase the Latino without appearing un-American?
• How do we move forward?
• There is a lack of community, even in the community.
Day 2: Saturday, June 22, 10:30am - 8pm
On rising this morning—at 4am, -- I am excited, anticipating today, and thinking about last night, I came up with my own thoughts and feelings on the issue. I bring the Pov of an outsider, and a “Latino manquee”, so to speak, as a once Spanish Jew who, when expelled from Spain in 1492, did not go to the New World, but instead went over the Pyrenees, “with nothing but the clothes on our back”, to France whence we were invited to the Duchy of Lithuania, and where we spent the next 400 years becoming “Ashkenazic” Jews. Speaking as an outsider I would define Latino as “everyone originating some generations ago (more or less with Hispanic last names) in the New World in areas not first colonized by the Anglos, French, or Germans, but by the Spanish and Portuguese, and not totally indigenous”
Access and Accessibility 10:30am - 12pm
Who has access to a film career?
By teaching reading and writing via filmmaking as storytelling to the young, both in school and out of school, we will raise the next generation of filmmakers and multimedia makers. Literacy began and still begins with pictures. Every child knows about moving pictures and wants to make him/her self part of them. Our form of alienation today is that we see ourselves as actors in stories not our own or we retreat into realities we create for ourselves, thinking that they are our private domain. We need to share the stories to become “real” to ourselves and to the rest of the world. Silence is not golden; it’s suicide.
Today access comes with the simplest digital toy: a mobile phone, iPad or simple point and shoot camera. Anyone can make a film.
How can the audience get access to the work of Latino media makers?
By creating a Latino circuit of festivals, distributors and exhibitors who share information, marketing ideas, existing materials, prints and advertising, dubbed and subtitled soundtracks, press coverage and tools for community outreach.Creating a sustainable circuit of branding festivals with films or for films, distribution, exhibition, press.Placing product in movies, at events, in advertising...Corona beer, Chilean and Argentinian wine, Dominos Pizza, Contadina, Coca Cola, Univision, Televisa, Panama hats, Galapagos conservation, Easter Islands tourism, Earthquakes preparedness, quinoa...
Funding and Training: Is needed not only for filmmaking, but for also distribution and international licensing and sales. The discussion created a list of options, under the headings of challenges.
Public Funding
What are the strengths: PBS, Itvs, Ford Foundation, Nea, Latino Public Broadcasting grant money one does not have to pay back and they bestow a seal of approval upon the project.
What are the challenges: They are restricted by the fiscal year, by who has access, and by their lack of lack of outreach into the communities.
Private Funding
· Global film initiative
· Wealthy individuals
· Equity funds
Training and networks of solidarity training
Class and access, formal schooling vs. other forms of training.
Professional networking
Distribution
Strengths:
· Can raise monies
· Access
· Money
· The deal
· Legitimizes
Challenges:
· Expensive
· Lack of screens
· Only 3% of films get into theaters
· 1% of programming in theaters is split among U.S. indies, docs and features and foreign language films.
· Lack of organizational cohesiveness
· Highly trend given.
. I think the model of Affrm (for African American theatrical film distribution via the African American film festivals) plus using Emerging Pictures to reach non-theatrical venues in museums, libraries and other 4walled spaces, plus art house theaters would be viable especially if there were a “body of work” rather than just a single film.
· Non-theatrical circuit needs an organizational strategy of the Latino film community.
· Additional revenue streams, audience development, greater visibility are needed.
· Shorts have great interest at universities.
· Parity of funding, exposure on tv, etc, If Latino is 13% , then funding, distribution, and training should be 13%.
And not parenthetically, 50% of that should go to Latinas (gender parity).
Storytelling and Narratives
What stories are we telling? Are we pushing the envelope? Are we limited by our own narratives? Are we limiting the stories Latinos versus Latin Americans can tell?
• Latin American films have greater interest in Europe than Latino stories. And they are very different from each other.
• What about this oft cited “universality of stories? Question the formulas which labs and classes provide. Learn the rules and then bend them, like learning the dance steps, beats and rhythms in order to create new variations of the themes which are, nevertheless, universal.
• Alex Rivera, filmmaker who did Sleep Dealer noted that he changed genre to tell a typical border-crossing story and made it science fiction.
• Film is a collaborative art, there is a need for people to read scripts, Proofing your scripts! Have someone else proof them!
• There seems to be a lack of creativity in scripts. Self doubt creates a lack of creativity.
• There is a need for mentoring, for a salon and for workshops for scriptwriting particularly for Latino screenwriting labs and social networking, a workshop where each person gets 10 minutes to try out his\her project.
There is a lack of critical writing about Latino films. The only consistent writing is LatinoBuzz, Chicana from Chicago, about.com, NBC Latino, Huffington Post.
There is a lack of government funding of films except for the ever dwindling Nea. However, discussions are now underway with the government regarding using Kickstarter, Indiegogo and other crowdfunding platforms to accept investments as well as gifts.
Validation and Audience Development
Who is validating our cinema? Who is documenting our cinema? How are we programming our films and directors? How can we create more critical content on the films and filmmakers? How do we engage audiences in a more effective way?
There is a lack of knowledge of U.S.-Latino films.
The closest thing to a catalog of U.S.-Latino films was created by Lava.
Latin American Video Archives (Lava) opened in the late 80s and closed in 2006 for lack of funding. It contained 3,000 tapes. It created a database, and was set to go online as a searchable database of Latin American and Latino cinema. Listing over 9,000 titles produced by and about Latin Americans and Latinos, it became a distributor for the educational and consumer markets and for film festivals. The physical archive still exists as does the database on a hard disk drive.
FilmFinders (the company I founded in 1988) also tracked U.S.-Latino, Latino and every other film in the international film market from 1988 to 2009, totaling 60,000 titles with details including rights sold.
Latino film festivals also have databases of films and of participants from the public as well as publicists for Latino films. Those festival databases and those festivals’ skills in outreach could be used throughout the year if they would see the value in this for their own festivals.
Out of this comes the idea to create a central database with critical information.
The educational and non-theatrical market is an unknown market. Finding the academic department where the film belongs is somewhat complicated. A film could show on campus and bring in $3,000. A school or university could also buy the film on dvd for $300. The trick is in finding the proper professor to pitch, preferably one who would bring in the filmmaker as well to speak of the experience. Moreover, professors will write about the film too and so the life of the film can continue to be a vital part of the study program or the body of literature cited in the course of study. The professors might be in Latin American studies, anthropology, political science, or any other departments at a university or college.
An example in academia of interest in Latino film which might be useful in going forward in educational distribution is the Film Festival Research Network (Ffrn). Kansas based member Tamara L. Falicov, Associate Professor/Department Chair of the Department of Film and Media Studies at the
University of Kansas was quoted in a LatinoBuzz blog dealing with Latino production from the Spanish point of view. She can be reached at tfalicov [at] Ku.edu, 785-864-1353
Plenary Session Wrap Up
1st session:
Felipe Tewes, HBO Latino, reiterated Junot Diaz's advice to embrace general identity for strategic purposes without diluting individual identities.
Action
Create community and spaces for cross-pollination.Create a monthly salon for sharing...Create a resource directory/database.Create a film collaborative.Create a cinema club.
2nd Session: Storytelling
Lack of mentorship and developmentCreate an umbrella encompassing a salon, with biweekly or monthly script reading.Create a Latino fund.Create Facebook Page...or Linked InCreate co-production event.
3rd Session: Distribution and funding bodies are broken.
Look at models of Emerging Pictures, Affrm, and create a festival-distribution-exhibitor circuit
Look at educational distribution and other forms of non-theatrical distribution to universities, colleges, libraries, special interest groups.
4th Session: Validation
Lack of knowledge of U.S. -Latino films
Lack of critical writing
LobbyingArchivingMicro cinemaNetworkingWriting networking...cinema tropical and Latino buzzLatino film history/information
In one year this group meeting will reconvene to see what has developed. Meanwhile, here are the points of action with volunteers committing to work on them. I am on the database committee.
Call to Action
For those of you who were not able to attend, the participants of the last session signed up for the action groups, If you would like to sign up, please email and name which group(s) you choose to join. Send your email to: newyorklatinofilmsummit [At] gmail.com.
The committees are:
- Organizing Committee. The group in charge of general coordination and communication, as well as planning future Summit events.
- Information Committee. The group that will coordinate databases and communication in social media, as well as creating fluid networks of information inside and outside the group.
- Salons. This group will organize Professional events (please choose one from below)
a) Screenwriters
b) Producers
c) Work-in-progress screenings
d) Non-Theatrical/ Educational Distribution
- Workshops. Organizing specific workshops for the professional advancement of the group.
- Mentorships. Creating mentorship programs both for the members of the group, as well as for younger generations.
- Lobby/Advocacy/Activism. Creating strategies for the advancement and visibility of the professional and social causes of the group.
- Microcinema/Cine-Club. Creating a on-going cine-club with the hopes of documenting and presenting the history of Latino Cinema in the U.S., and serving as a curatorial platform for the exhibition of Latino works.
The summit organizing committee consists of: Andrea Betanzos (Assistant Director, Cinema Tropical), Carlos A. Gutiérrez (Co-founder and Director, Cinema Tropical), Paula Heredia (director/editor, Heredia Pictures), and Lucila Moctezuma (Production Assistance Program Manager, Women Make Movies.
- 7/5/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Chennai, Feb 8: Bollywood actors and goodwill ambassadors of Unicef Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Sharmila Tagore pledged to work for children's survival and development.
A three-minute audiovisual (Av) of the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) released here Friday featured Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Sharmila Tagore emphasising on the need to give every child a chance to live and reduce the mortality rate.
It also reiterated the need for better health facilities and nutrition for children under the age of five.
The Av was released as part of "Call to Action for Child Survival and Development", a three-day summit,.
A three-minute audiovisual (Av) of the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) released here Friday featured Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Sharmila Tagore emphasising on the need to give every child a chance to live and reduce the mortality rate.
It also reiterated the need for better health facilities and nutrition for children under the age of five.
The Av was released as part of "Call to Action for Child Survival and Development", a three-day summit,.
- 2/8/2013
- by Anita Agarwal
- RealBollywood.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.