Scene4 Magazine | Qué Pasa

2010 Women of African Descent Film Festival Call for Film Submissions

2009-11-12T07:07:43Z

The Women of African Descent Film Festival, co-presented with the Brooklyn Chapter of the Links Inc., seeks feature length and short films directed, written or produced by female filmmakers of African descent. The festival is now accepting submissions of narrative feature and short films, documentaries and animations for the festival, which will take place in May 2010 in Brooklyn, NY.Submissions can be registered through the festival's Withoutabox site, which also includes additional information about the event. To access the application form through Withoutabox please visit - https://www.withoutabox.com/login/6442. ABOUT THE FESTIVAL Formed in 1952, The Brooklyn Chapter of The Links, Inc., an organization of African American professional women, is dedicated to the support of educational, civic, and cultural activities in Brooklyn. A chapter of The Links, Inc., an international organization comprised of 276 chapters and over 11,000 members in 42 states, the District of Columbia, South Africa, the Bahamas and Germany, the Brooklyn Chapter works under the guidelines of the national body in providing services to its Brooklyn community in four mission areas: services to youth, health and wellness, the arts, and civic involvement. The foundation for all of the chapter's programs and services is rooted in the African American tradition of giving and volunteerism. Members share a deep sense of communal responsibility, and for the past 50 plus years have been committed to actively initiating and supporting educational, cultural, and civic programs, that positively impact the lives of people from Brooklyn's African American/Caribbean communities. To mark the milestone of its 50th Anniversary, and to continue its legacy of showcasing the talent and accomplishments of the African American arts and artists, the Brooklyn Chapter began co-sponsoring with Brooklyn Arts Council a film festival for women filmmakers. On May 18, 2002, the chosen films explored the impact of the positive linkages that women of African descent have to their families, friends, communities and the broader world. This tradition has continued annually since then and takes place at the Spike Lee Screening Room at the Brooklyn Campus of Long Island University in May of each year. GENERAL RULES Only films directed by, written by or produced by female filmmakers of African descent will be considered. Please do not submit if you do not fit this criteria. Submission must be made online. At the end of your submission process you will be asked to complete the online Terms of Submission Agreement form which you must sign in order to complete your submission. Any number of titles may be submitted by an entrant. A separate entry form must be submitted for each title. Separate DVDs must be submitted for each entry. Entries must be complete works no longer than 120 minutes in length. They must have been completed on or after January 1, 2007. Industrial or instructional works and those previously submitted to the Film Festival are not eligible. All films and videos in a language other than English must be subtitled in English for Festival presentation. All entrants must complete the online application form and mail or hand-deliver a DVD for jury screening. LABELING All tapes must be labeled with the following information: * Film Title, total running time, and category (narrative; experimental; documentary; animation.) * Shipper's name and telephone number. * Withoutbox tracking number. Entries may be disqualified if they are not properly labeled. PACKAGING Films and videotapes must be shipped in a padded envelope. RETURN OF ENTRIES Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you would like us to return your DVD. Be sure to indicate that you would like your preview screener returned; we will not do so unless you indicate for us to do so on your application form. JUDGING AND NOTIFICATION Judging will take place January - March 2010 by a jury of film industry professionals working in the New York metropolitan area.

LA Times Tags AmLT's New Show- "...intriguing!"

2009-10-09T21:05:57Z

Set in the 1980's at the height of the AIDS epidemic, an unlikely relationship creates a portrait of human weakness and strength, of passion and hope. DANNY is a young Gay man who is dying of AIDS. Abandoned, depressed, in pain, he spends his days sleeping and his self-destructive nights drinking and calling everyone he knows in a lonely, desperate effort to keep himself aware and alive. He is in the process of overusing his friends and family, and reduced to talking to long distance operators for companionship, when, one day, he receives a call from SANDRA. She is straight, narrow-viewed, homophobic, a suburban-type who has been traumatized when diagnosed HIV positive, a "gift" from her husband. Gripped by fear and loneliness and shame, she calls DANNY as part of an outreach program to help her cope. We see them both on stage at the same time, each in his/her respective room. What follows is a blizzard of telephone conversations that becomes a kiln in which an unusual and rich relationship is forged. Each is defiant while at the same time reaching out for nurture and healing. This unlikely duet creates a portrait of human weakness and strength, of passion and hope. The ending is surprisingly uplifting and sings with the curative power of reconciliation. The Los Angeles Times' David Ng calls American Latino Theatre's new production of Hello And... Goodbye! by Arthur Meiselman... "an intriguing time capsule look back at the AIDS Crisis." The AmLT production, with stylized in-the-round performances in both English and Spanish is directed by David Llauger-Meiselman, produced by Felipe Alejandro, with lighting by award-winning Mark Woods and Art Direction by Lawrence Smilgys. The show runs through October 31, 5:00pm and 8:00pm at Hollywood's famous 'The Lot', 1041 N. Formosa Ave, West Hollywood, CA. Tickets can be purchased online at the company's website: www.amlt.org or at the box office. Reduced discount tickets are available including special prices for Senior Citizens and Students. For more information and Group Sales, call: 323-850-2655.

Persuasion or 7 Years Bad Sex

2009-09-29T09:01:20Z

Jane Austen's last completed sentimental novel Persuasion gets an updated contemporary, staged reading treatment in this romantic musical-dance comedy entitled "Persuasion or 7 Years of Bad Sex" to be performed at the Jerry Orbach Theater in the Snapple Theater Center, Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 at 6:30 PM located at 210 West 50th & Broadway ( where The Fantasticks is doing its' run! ) The story begins....slacker and Middle Eastern studies major Rick Wentworth played by Dan Bogart, (Broadway/National Tour- Les Misérables, Regional-True West(Austin) Kennedy Theatre, The Ballad of Little Jo (Lawrence) Steppenwolf Theatre Company, www.danielbogart.com) who is beginning a sincere, romantic relationship with the smart, winning college freshman Anne Elliot played by Shauna Goodgold, (New York credits-The Last Starfighter (NYMF), Christmas Rappings (Judson Theatre), Opa! The Musical ( Young Sophia/ Eleni) Queens Theatre in the Park, Staged Readings-Beauty Queen, Open For Me, Avarice, Regional- Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel), Hello Dolly! (Minnie Faye), Tomorrow Morning (Kat, U.S. Premiere), Web Series-The Battery's Down, www.shaunagoodgold.com) when the shocking tragedy of 9/11 happens. Anne's best friend and substitute mother figure, Leni Russell, played by Robin Higginbotham, (New York credits- Off-Broadway premiere-Take It Easy, Equity Showcases- All Is Full of Love, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It all for You, Lincoln Center Series) persuades Anne to stop seeing Rick for several well-meaning reasons. Anne is reluctantly persuaded to part ways with Rick. Now 7 years later Anne and Rick are to meet again, in what only can be described as life's strange occurrences. Changes have certainly happened. Rick had left for Iraq a month after 9/11 and the two have not spoken since. Rick is no longer the lost, underachieving slacker. He works for the State Department in an impressive and powerful position. The whole package. Now the two must face each other and their private feelings in the most awkward of roles, as they reunite at the wedding of Leni and Chad played by Rick Wesley in this quirky romantic romp. Carl Danielsen's score blends current pop influences with a traditional musical theatre flavor. It is a gentle comedy in the style of Austen, humorous and touching. Please join the cast and creative team for a delightful glimpse of "Persuasion or 7 Years Bad Sex", NY staged reading, Tuesday, October, 6th, 2009 at 6:30 PM, Jerry Orbach Theater in the Snapple Theater Center 210 West 50th & Broadway, NYC. Ticket Price: $15.00 For Reservations please Call: 212-989-6706 or Email: reservations@MusicalMondays.org. Cash and check accepted at the Door. Contact: Integrity Publicity - Sheryl Mandel, ssshekkie@aol.com, 718-352-5976

The Devil Has A Sister at the Amsterdam Fringe Festival - September

2009-07-29T02:14:13Z

For the 2009 Amsterdam Fringe Festival this September, festival organizers have announced that the festival -- reaching across the globe -- will present Los Angeles' surrealist theatre and creator John Sinner's Theatre Revelation in the world premiere of Sinner's theatrical extravaganza The Devil Has A Sister at the Melkweg in Amsterdam for 4 performances on the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th of September 2009. Sinner's production will bring will be a "hallucinatory" mix of gothic drama, screwball comedy, horror, violence and music hall singing and dancing to the Melkweg stage. About John Sinner's productions, critics have written: "Tightly executed surrealism with a savage enthusiasm and great skill" (nytheatre.com). "John Sinner has been one of the prominent exponents of surrealistic theatre in Los Angeles . . . Sinner is the kind of playwright that goes for the throat. A compelling style that goes beyond theatre . . . ." (Review Plays.com) "GO! Recommended! Writer/Director John Sinner's stylish, darkly funny play is a flat-out kick! . . . Savage, strikingly ambitious and creative!" (LA WEEKLY) "Theatre Revelation has come up with a new type of stage offering that defies description, but reinforces the producer's name and intentions. . . . John Sinner breaks new theatrical ground!" (4Front Magazine). Sinner cites among his many influences his love of Edgar Allan Poe, George Cukor, Tennessee Williams, Reza Abdoh ( for whom Sinner worked in his early career in avant garde theatre in L.A. ), Luis Buñuel and Lucille Ball. John reveals, "As a gay artist, I'm drawn to exploring and telling stories about those who feel disenfranchised from having a seat at the table of our American heterosexual, homogenous culture. The artistic madness and the bravura that blossoms in the "fringes" of this kind of "theatre circuit" is the perfect genre for the provoking works I create for both the straight and gay communities- it's all about our emotional oneness and relating" "My work mixes the darkness with light, mayhem with musical numbers, laughter with the surreal. I like the idea of immediately when the audience members come in, it's almost as if they're Alice in Wonderland who has just gone down the rabbit hole. So when you enter the theatre, you're entering another world and you can't suddenly get your comfort or safety zone and nothing is going to be spoon-fed to you. Instead I prefer that you should suddenly be off-kilter. I like at one point making people laugh and at the next moment having them horrified by what they're seeing. Even having that laughter caught in their throat, like what did I just laugh at? What am I reacting to?... "I really think it's important to mix those messages so that they're not always expecting what's going to happen next or what their reactions should be next. It gives them, I'd like to think, more insight into themselves and into their culture." Selected Sinner's credit's include: Assistant Director to Rod Marriott on "5 One-Acts" by Joe Pintauro and Elise Thoron on "Charity's Children" by Tim Mason, Guest Playwright at the A.S.K. Theater Projects writers salon, ( LA's most prestigious theater-funding organization ), a Founding Member of the LATC Emerging Directors Lab and a National Tour and Company Member of Chamber Repertory Theatre, Associate Producer with A&F Productions, an award winning documentary film production company, who recently premiered "Why Be Good: Sexuality and Censorship in Pre-Code Film" at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and was the Executive Assistant to the Artistic Director, Bill Bushnell, at the former Los Angeles Theatre Center, was the Associate Director of Shakespeare Festival/LA and the Coordinating Producer of the Lannan Foundation's Reading Series with well-known award winning writers and poets. Onstage Sinner has played such varied roles as Lucky in "Waiting For Godot", Eddie in "Fool For Love", Teddy in "When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?", Saul in "As Is", Lucentio in "The Taming of the Shrew" and performed as well as written and directed his own "2 BY SINNER." Sinner is the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Theatre Revelation, a non-profit, 501 (c) (3), theatrical production company whose artistic mission is to create, nurture and produce new theatrical works that focus on the original, inventive and experimental. About the Amsterdam Fringe Festival, Sinner notes: "I'm honored that the Amsterdam Fringe festival invited my company to be part of their excitement and their American show pick" The Festival was introduced to Sinner's mix of fantasy, darkness and comedy at last summer's 2008 New York Fringe Festival presentation of a diptych Sinner's piece. Sinner had premiered two original works entitled "2 BY SINNER" chosen by the 2008 New York International Fringe Festival and recognized by NYTheatre.com announcing Sinner's production on their "HOTLIST" as the "3rd most popular 2008 New York International Fringe Fest show. Sinner receiving two Backstage West "Garland Theatre Excellence Award (s)" for his critically acclaimed play "Blood Is My Legacy! [A Theatrical Extravaganza of Pure Family Values ]" has captured Hollywood and New York theater critics attentive minds, taking notice of his very moving unusual style. "I hope the audiences at the Amsterdam Fringe will experience a real thrilling jolt from my newest endeavor The Devil Has A Sister. The company and I can't wait to meet and experience the works of the other creatives at this amazing festival- so we're packing our outlandish bag of tricks, costumes, sets and energies- maybe we'll even learn to speak Dutch!!!" Sheryl Mandel, Integrity Publicity: ssshekkie@aol.com - JasG@ca.rr.com +1-718-352-5976 & +1-323-496-7300

The Only Good Indian

2009-04-17T19:13:19Z

"The Only Good Indian", a new feature film directed by Kevin Willmott (CSA: Confederate States of America) and starring Wes Studi (Last of the Mohicans, Avatar), will be screening at the Indie Spirit Film Festival in Colorado Springs on April 16, is the opening night film at The Kansas City Filmmaker's Jubilee on April 22, and will screen at the Newport Beach Film Festival on April 26. THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival in January and screened at The Berlinale European Film Market in Berlin in February. PorchLight Home Entertainment (PHE) has acquired foreign sales rights to the film. The producers are represented by Steven C. Beer of Greenberg Traurig, LLP. THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN, written and produced by Thomas L. Carmody, also stars J. Kenneth Campbell (Bulworth, Yulee's Gold) and newcomer Winter Fox Frank. In the film, Wes Studi portrays an early 1900's Cherokee bounty hunter hired to return an escapee from an Indian boarding school. Winter Fox Frank plays the teenaged student who is trying to get back to his family on the Kickapoo of Kansas reservation and J. Kenneth Campbell plays a legendary "Indian fighter"-turned-sheriff who is after both of them. The cast also features Paul Butler (Reign Over Me), Thirza Defoe (Pow Wow Dreams), Laura Kirk (Lisa Picard is Famous, The Battle for Bunker Hill), Blake Robbins (Oz, The Office), Kevin Geer (American Gangster), Christopher Wheatley (Raising Jeffrey Dahmer), Scott Allegrucci (The Feud), Kip Niven (Magnum Force), Delanna Studi (Edge of America), Queen Bey (Ninth Street) and David Midthunder (Hidalgo). THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN was shot in various Kansas locations. Matthew Jacobson (CSA: Confederate States of America, Bukowski: Born Into This) and Jeremy Osbern (Air: A Musical) are the directors of photography. Thomas L. Carmody, Kevin Willmott, Matt Cullen, Greg Hurd, Rick Cowan and Scott Richardson are the producers. Wes Studi is executive producer. Hanay Geiogamah, J. T. O'Neal and Dan Wildcat are co-executive producers and Stan Herd is the co-producer. "We were delighted at the positive response THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN received at Sundance," said Kevin Willmott. "We look forward to giving audiences around the world an opportunity to enjoy the film." Ken DuBow, President of Worldwide Distribution for PorchLight Entertainment commented, "THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN is both a great western and a movie that blasts away with all guns blazing at the traditional 'good guys and bad guys' stereotypes. We are proud to be selling Kevin Willmott's film." Kevin Willmott wrote and directed the highly acclaimed independent feature CSA: Confederate States of America, which premiered at The Sundance Film Festival, and Ninth Street, which starred Martin Sheen and Isaac Hayes. He has written scripts for Oliver Stone, NBC, 20th Century Fox and Columbia Tri-Star. Willmott recently completed The Battle for Bunker Hill, a feature film starring James McDaniel (NYPD Blue), Saeed Jaffrey (Gandhi) and Laura Kirk ( www.bunkerhillthemovie.com ). Wes Studi's celebrated acting career includes lead roles in Geronimo: An American Legend, Dances With Wolves, Last of the Mohicans, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Into the West, Seraphim Falls, The New World, Edge of America and Mystery Men. Studi starred as Lt. Joe Leaphorn in a PBS television series based on novels by Tony Hillerman. His upcoming films include James Cameron's Avatar. More at www.TheOnlyGoodIndian.com.Contacts: Scott Richardson 785-865-3439 ScottRichardson@sunflower.com and Greg Hurd 785-331-8509 GregHurd@sunflower.com

Cinevative Uses 3D Animation to Boost Ticket Sales for 42nd St

2009-04-09T22:11:17Z

How does Goodspeed Musicals generate ticket sales for an exciting stage musical full of tapping chorus girls? They call Cinevative. Combining CG and live action, Cinevative has created another thrilling promotional television spot for Goodspeed Musicals's upcoming run of 42nd Street. The famed and familiar musical revolves around director Julian Marsh and his efforts to stage a spectacular musical in the midst of the Great Depression. With vivacious music by Harry Warren, romantic flings, and of course, a chorus line of dancing girls, 42nd Street lent itself well to the stylings of Cinevative's creative director, Mark Ciglar. Ciglar used 2D and 3D animation to bring the "bright lights, big city" feel of Broadway to the to the spot by multiplying two tap dancers, shot against green screen into a full chorus line. Goodspeed's Marketing Director Dan McMahon said "it was a stretch for my budget to move into the world of 3D animation, but the results have been well worth it." "It's this kind of creative production technology that allows us to produce a spot that generates increased ticket sales within a few weeks of pitching the concept," said Ciglar. "That's the real value for performance arts marketers." One of the most significant musical theatre companies in the United States, Goodspeed is a perfect example of how this kind of advertising is so effective in the world of performing arts. Cinevative shot the live action footage with the Panasonic AG-HVX200A outfitted with P2 cards. The 3D elements were rendered in Cinema 4D and composited in After Effects. Magic Bullet Suite was used to finish the stylized look of the period. Post production was completed on an 8-core Power Macs with AJA Kona cards. The spot will run throughout April 2009.

"THE QUESTION" the truth lies in the dance..... A MUST SEE SHOW!

2009-03-06T23:04:01Z

Flicker House Productions, headed by Brian Purcell, in association with the Ricardo Montalban Foundation will present "THE QUESTION", an Indie Rock Ballet based upon J.T. Horenstein's experience while serving on a jury for a first degree murder trial. It is a full length, story-driven theatre piece, entirely danced to a progressive, independent rock score. Horenstein is the director and choreographer of this dynamic, entirely original idea, leading twenty-six dancers through this dark journey of murder and intrigue. "THE QUESTION" Plays for two weeks only: March 9th, 11th, 12th, 16th (Gala Evening), 18th, and 19th at 8 PM, at the historic Ricardo Montalban Theatre, the West Coast home of Nike Sportswear, 1615 North Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90028. Please Call Tel: 323- 962-7000 ext.19 for your reservations and information. Tickets are $30 except for the March 16th- Gala Evening where tickets are $50. Nike Sportswear is the venue sponsor,The Edge Performing Arts Center, and the RM Theater Foundation are sponsoring the production as well, and all proceeds will go to The Dance Fund, a Scholarship Program at The Edge Performing Arts Center that thoroughly prepares dancers for careers in commercial and concert dance. Creative Team: Director/Choreographer J.T. Horenstein (www.jthorenstein.com) just finished starring in the new feature film FAME as Bill the jazz dance teacher opposite Bebe Neuwirth, to be released this September. His performing credits include numerous Broadway productions: GREASE with Rosie O'Donnell, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, and THE WHO'S TOMMY. J.T has performed/choreographed Liza Minelli's "GENTLY WORLD TOUR". He has choreographed for THE MEGAN MULLALLY SHOW, SUDDENLY SUSAN with Tony Bennett, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, and MAD TV. He was director/ choreographer for MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE's "The Ghost of You" and currently is choreographing the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating for Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, and Ice Dancers Sasha Cohen and Evan Lysacek. Producer Brian Purcell is the president of Flicker House Productions. (www.flickerhouseproductions.com). His most recent stage project was the critically acclaimed production of THE WHO'S TOMMY which ran at the Montalban Theater in 2008. He produced CHESS THE MUSICAL, and AN EVENING WITH STEPHEN SONDHEIM and ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER. Film and Television producing credits range from the Trailer for the film CHEAP to the award-winning short film FLY (www.flythemovie.com). He has numerous stellar directing/performing credits as well. Denise Leitner: Co-Choreographer studied at Royal Ballet School in London. Movement Consultant for Sony and Columbia Pictures. Worked Bjork, Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson. Her company, Dancer's Voice critically acclaimed by Los Angeles Times. Choreography for National ice skating Champions and Olympic Medallists Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto. Faculty member at Edge Performing Arts Center. Cast Members: Kevin Stea as Chris:(Dance Captain/Dancer/ Asst. Choreographer: Madonna's 1990 Blond Ambition Tour, documentary Truth or Dare. Danced/asst. choreography: Michael Jackson, Prince, Ricky Martin, Janet Jackson, George Michael, David Bowie, Celine Dion, Macy Gray, Pussycat Dolls. Jennifer Hamilton* as Ellen: Associate choreographer for upcoming film FAME and the 81st Academy Awards. Feature films include all three Austin Powers movies, Spiderman 3, Rush Hour 3, and Little Miss Sunshine. Anthony Marciona as Maitre ': Broadway credits: GYPSY, ZORBA, GEORGY, TOMMY, STARLIGHT EXPRESS. Asst. Choreographer on film AMERICAN CAROL. Donyelle Jones as High Priestess: Finalist- "So You Think You Can Dance" from the Hit Television show- Season 2. Ensemble: Julius Rubio, Melissa Emrico, D. Valentine, Bill Prudich (Founder EDGE P.A.C.), Laura Fremont* , Carin Noland, Joelle Martinec*, Demian Boergadine*, Ambrose R. III, Kyle Hill*, Lauren Johansen "LJ",Emmie Nagata, Audrey Douglas*, KC Monnie*, Aundrea Fant*, Charlie Williams*, Chandrae Roettig*, Julie Schmid*, Melissa Jackson*, Casey Johansen*, Lexi Contursi*, Marko Germar, Derrick Schrader and Colleen Craig * Edge Performing Arts Center Scholarship Alumni / Edge Faculty Performers dance to the music of Inara George, Jamie Callum, Yoav, Sean Hayes, Sigor Ros, The Faint, Feist, Deathcab For Cutie, and Korn featuring Amy Lee. Set designer is Stephen Gifford, Jared A. Sayeg designed the lights. Kelly Allen serves as associate producer and assistant director/choreographer. THE QUESTION-"The decision is made. The stage is bare. Lights fall dim. The future is now the past. It all began with one little question..." Ticket reservation Tel: 323.962.7000 - ext 19. Box Office Hours Monday - Saturday 11am - 2pm Help fulfill a young talents dream. Visit www.dancethequestion.com for further information or Sheryl Mandel at ssshekkie@aol.com.

2009 North Texas Irish Festival

2009-03-03T16:27:14Z

27th Annual Festival Celebrates "Building For A Better Future" March 6-7-8 at Fair Park Dallas. The 2009 North Texas Irish Festival, (NTIF) recognizes the influence of the Irish helping build America, past, present, and in the future at its 27th annual festival, March 6, 7, and 8 at Fair Park. The NTIF will also continue to stress the need for a "Green" eco-friendly way of living by working with several corporate sponsors featuring products and services designed to protect and preserve the environment. The annual North Texas Irish Festival, presented by the Southwest Celtic Music Association, (SCMA), is one of the largest Celtic cultural events in the nation and will open its 2009 event beginning Friday night. The NTIF features many of the top Irish musicians and dancers in the world and a number of cultural presentations on eight stages at Fair Park. Again, in 2009 the NTIF will open its festival on Friday night, March 6th, at 6 PM with full festival activities, including performances by national and regional musicians. The festivities will continue throughout the weekend, including Saturday, March 7 through Sunday, March 8, and feature some of the very finest in Irish and other Celtic entertainment including world famous bands, award-winning dancers, enchanting storytellers, and educational workshops. The festival will also offer a variety of delicious Irish and international food and drink, cultural crafts, and ethnic vendors. More details are posted on the website at www.ntif.org . Public information: 972-943-4616 Les Marcott

2009 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS for Scene: Brooklyn

2008-11-21T20:50:07Z

SCENE: BROOKLYN Independent Film and Media Arts April 30 - May 6, 2009 Scene: Brooklyn will feature several exciting events in the spring of 2009 to be presented at the newly redesigned Galapagos Art Space in Dumbo and the Spike Lee Screening Room at LIU. * "Spotlight on Brooklyn," two programs of independent films made by Brooklyn-based filmmakers and/or filmed in the borough * an industry panel with film and media arts professionals discussing current issues and trends * the Eighth Annual Women of African Descent Film festival * a perennially popular screenwriting workshop given by award winning screenwriter, Ella Thier 2009 CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS Please read the Submission Guidelines at http://www.brooklynartscouncil.org/documents/1087 before applying. Spotlight on Brooklyn We are accepting animation, documentary, experimental and narrative films in short and feature lengths by independent filmmakers who live or work in Brooklyn, as well as films that are principally made in Brooklyn and/or films that are about Brooklyn. APPLY NOW at https://www.withoutabox.com/login/1015. 8th Annual Women of African Descent Film Festival. We are accepting films by youth, college and independent filmmakers in animation, documentary, experimental and narrative categories, in short and feature lengths, by women filmmakers of African descent - local, national and international (including screenwriters, directors and producers). APPLY NOW at https://www.withoutabox.com/login/6442 . Cash and other prizes for outstanding film submissions will be awarded. Online application deadline: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 Late deadline: Tuesday, January 6, 2009 ABOUT BAC'S FILM AND MEDIA ARTS PROGRAMMING BAC's re-invigorated and re-named film program, continues the Council's 43-year tradition of supporting independent filmmakers and presenting free media arts programming to the public. Formally the Brooklyn Arts Council International Film Festival, Scene: Brooklyn features screenings of films by and about our borough and its residents; the Woman of African Descent Film Festival, which is presented every year in partnership with the Brooklyn Chapter of the Links; professional development services, like our annual screenwriting workshop; and lecture/discussions with industry professionals and prominent filmmakers. We are proud of our tradition of supporting film and filmmakers. Among the many talented directors we are fortunate to have worked with is Spike Lee, whose first film, Joe's Bed Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983), was made in part with BAC support. More recently, director Ryan Fleck, best known for Half Nelson (2006), showed Struggle in our 2002 Festival.

Heiresses on Terraces

2008-11-13T07:19:48Z

Lisa Cooley is pleased to present Alan Reid's first solo exhibition with the gallery, Heiresses on Terraces. The exhibition opens with a reception for the artist on Saturday, November 22 from 6 until 8 pm and continues through Sunday, December 28, 2008. Reid's new paintings, delicately rendered in colored pencil, depict a seemingly affluent and predominately female cast. His elegant, attenuated figures revel in the moment, dignified despite preposterous circumstances leopard-bitten, floating mid-air, or festooned with underwear. In addition, disjunctive formal conceits mirror the protagonists befogged psychology observe missing heads, horse bridal leads, preposterous proportions, flattened perspective and occasionally ham-fisted rendering. The paintings are fabulous as well as ridiculous: they laugh as they tell. Witness European aristocracy summer in Marrakesh, placated lovers lounge in trashed hotel rooms, weary fashionistas absorbed in ennui, and more than one woman leaving the house wearing improbable equestrian tack. Reid is a narrative painter with conflicted interests He is both a viewer and an instigator, conjuring and enjoying scenes rich with yearning, absurd psychological logic and love-of-life insouciance. Suffused with the aura of Serge Gainsbourg, Helmut Newton, Fellini, Godard, Antonioni, Klossowski, Ian Flemming, Michael Caine these images put male libido at the wheel, and under examination. Reid simultaneously fleshes-out and attacks this driving force, setting desire up for a pratfall. One frequently observes a knowing, ludicrous descent from the exalted to the commonplace an anticlimax. Note this in "The Credits," an absurd rethinking of Cinematic performance annotation set, props, and an actor adrift in the frame. These paintings undermine the idea of weight as a metaphor for seriousness. The exhibitions title implies as much the words heiress and terrace both pun on being in the air. Reid suggests that lightness can not only convey us towards more reflective, weighty conversation, but also, that lightness can assuage the weight of seriousness and its myriad anxieties. Alan Reid lives and works in New York. He attended Maryland Institute College of Art, the University of North Texas and Yale. He received the Edith Brattell Stockell Award at Yale and the Kimbrough Award from the Dallas Museum of Art. The gallery is located at 34 Orchard Street between Hester and Canal in the Lower East Side of New York City. The closest subway is the East Broadway stop of the F line. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday, from 11 am to 6 pm. For more information or images, please email the gallery at frontdesk@lisa-cooley.com or call 212-680-0564.

Opening and Artist Reception for Ray McSavaney Retrospective Exhibition

2008-10-14T20:16:43Z

Terra Galleria presents "Viewpoint: Thirty Five Years of Landscape Photography," a retrospective exhibition of works by photographer Ray McSavaney. All are welcome. Date: Saturday, November 1, 2008, 5 to 9 PM. Location: Terra Galleria Artworks BERGAMOT STATION. 2525 Michigan Avenue, T-1B. Santa Monica, CA 90404 (310)-453-5104, www.TGartworks.com, info@TGartworks.com Gallery Hours: Tues to Sat, 11AM to 6PM & by appointment. "Viewpoint: Thirty Five Years of Landscape Photography" is an exhibition that offers a rare opportunity to view images from several of McSavaney's photographic projects, many of which are on display for the first time. Besides the exquisite natural and urban landscapes for which he is renowned, the exhibit showcases a series of striking portraits of people he just happened to pull off the street of Los Angeles, and a series of floral studies. The exhibition opens on November 1 and will run through December 24. Please join us to celebrate the highlights of Ray McSavaney's work at the artist reception on November 1st, 5pm-9pm. For a preview of the exhibit, visit http://www.tgartworks.com/mcsavaney.

Project Runway Meets Oedipus Rex

2008-10-13T19:04:05Z

New Greek Tragedy Based On Fragments Of Lost Plays Opens in Los Angeles October 26, 2008. An Elizabethan/Mycenaen/Kabuki fantasy filled with wit, humor and emotion on one of the great lost plays of Antiquity. Peter Wing Healey, dancer, actor, writer, choreographer, director, known for his portrayal of female characters, will be featured in his new play, THYESTES' FEAST, based on fragments of lost Greek plays set in a high fashion version of the culture of ancient Mycenae. Mr. Wing Healey is known especially for the role of Mrs. Stahlbaum in Mark Morris's ballet "The Hard Nut" as seen on Great Performances on PBS and on Ovation TV. Octavio Roca of the San Francisco Chronicle called Wing Healey, "a cross between the dance goddess Isadora and the late movie star Divine." Says Wing Healey. "I stumbled on the fact that Euripides, Aeschylus and Sophocles had all written trilogies on the subject. But all their full plays are lost. However, enough pieces of the original plot have survived to recreate the story." Mr. Wing Healey decided to write his own version of the play. "Of course, there is shrapnel; fragments of whatever was in my brain: a recipe for chicken stew, a bit of Levi-Strauss, some Game Theory, old Hollywood movies, the situation in this country, etc. etc.." However, myth lovers of every stripe may rest assured that the play contains a faithful account of the original story. SYNOPSIS: Atreus is king. His wife Aerope betrays him, becoming lovers with, and giving the throne, which is in her power to give, to his younger brother Thyestes. Thyestes, generous, benevolent ruler, beloved of the people, is ousted when his predilection for seducing the young virgins of the court comes to light. He and Aerope are exiled in the forest for ten years. When they return the people are anxious to forgive and reinstate them. Atreus must think of a way to get rid of them. He murders Thyestes' two sons and has them cooked into a stew. Aerope takes poison and dies. When Thyestes eats he is doomed to perpetual banishment. He calls down a curse on the House of Atreus. When the Sun sees what Atreus has done She retreats, furious, plunging the Earth into darkness. The Golden Ram and The Sun will be played by former New York City Ballet dancer, Bridgette Trahan. Atreus will be played by Michael Serrato, recently of the Groundlings and Big Gay Sketch Show produced by Rosie O'Donnell, alternating with Clint Steinhauser, a member of Rachel Rosenthal's Fauve Conspiracy. Mr. Wing Healey will play the tormented Queen Aerope. The Facts: What: Thyestes' Feast, written and directed by Peter Wing Healey, co- directed by Russell Ellison, Costumes by Karolyn Kiisel, sets by Tanya Kovaleski When: Saturdays at 8, Sundays at 7, Opens Sunday, October 26 and runs through November 30, 2008 Where: Whitmore-Lindley Theater Center, North Hollywood 11006 Magnolia near corner of Magnolia and Vineland Running Time: 2 hours plus 15 minute intermission, light refreshments available Parking: Free, street Price: $20 at the door or $22.50 if charged in advance Tickets: charge or reserve at 323 960 7745 or www.plays411.com/feast. Web: www.mesopotamianopera.org. COMPANY HISTORY: Peter Wing Healey, performer, librettist, choreographer, director and founder of The Mesopotamian Opera Company, Inc., whose original operas have been presented in New York at P.S. 122, The Judson Church, The Vineyard Theater, The Middle Collegiate Church, The R.A.P.P. Arts Center, H.E.R.E., The Greenwich House and Alice Tully Hall, LATC, Highways and The Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock in northeast Los Angeles. Mr. Wing Healey has lived and worked in Los Angeles since 1996. He has a long association with The Mark Morris Dance Group both as a performer and as rehearsal director. He worked as a soloist in The Hard Nut, as rehearsal director on The White Oak Project with Mikhail Baryshnikov and has been balletmaster on the John Adams/Peter Sellars opera Nixon in China. In Los Angeles he has danced original works at The Getty Center, 2100 Square Feet, U.C.L.A., L.A.T.C. and Highways. He has received support for his work from American Opera Projects, TWEED Productions, The Gilman Foundation, The Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, The Department of Cultural Affairs of the city of Los Angeles, The Jim and Elaine Marcus Foundation and The Noah Wyle Foundation. 1n 2006 he received the coveted James Irvine Foundation New Connections Grant of $25,000 for his urbanist opera, The Tree. Rounding out the cast will be Pat Lach, a veteran Los Angeles actress, Nathalie Broizat also of Fauve Conspiracy, Bruce Andersen of The Invisible Theater, David Anthony Hernandez, Robert Long, and Michael Griffith. For Television, Radio, & Press Interviews, & REVIEWER RESERVATIONS Contact: INTEGRITY PUBLICITY L.A.: Robert Axelrod (213) 483-1449 N.Y.: Sheryl Mandel (718) 352-5976

A Unique Expression of Freedom II

2008-10-09T17:45:18Z

Francisco Simoes Souren Mousavi's exhibition 'A Unique Expression of Freedom II' featuring a selection of work from Francisco, runs frun 21st - 31st October 2008 at the Flawless Gallery 105 New Bond Street London and is open daily from 10am -6pm; free entry. private viewing sessions can be arranged in advance. For further information visit www.fineartpromotions.com or email info@fineartpromotions.com or telephone Julie Badrick on 079 412 712 44. Francisco Simões will be exhibiting in support of Women Rights in Iranian Souren Mousavi's forthcoming exhibition - A Unique Expression of Freedom II Carving with a Chisel or a Magic wand? "But...these marbles are my poetry..." were the words of David Mourão Ferreira, one of the greatest poets of our times while, with tears in his eyes he walked through Francisco Simões' studio. 'I still remember exactly how small the experience made me feel when I first stepped into the same magic place - it was just before an exhibition and the studio was filled with an abundance of sculptures. I was with the artist who politely stepped aside in order to make me feel at ease, but his efforts were in vain - I wasn't comfortable! ''Why?'', I asked myself? Why do I feel overwhelmed, invaded - it is just stone I said to myself, I've been in quarries... but no, it wasn't just stone. Something else was perturbing me. I was intimidated. Overcoming this initial feeling I started to look more closely at one of the sculptures near me - a dark piece of extremely polished marble. It was the figure of a lady, a straight torso looking forward, looking lost. As I circled her I forgot my reflection on the shining surface and now I could see her form. Then my eyes met hers - she was not stone anymore. Her eyes spoke to me. She wasn't lost, she wasn't just staring or gazing into the infinite; she was looking for me. She was alive. For a few moments while our eyes met she told me about herself. She made me feel alive'. I was shocked and suddenly understood the amazing effect these sculptures possessed. I spent a lot of time studying each of the sculptures in the studio, really watching them one by one made me realize they were all alive. All asking to be seen, to be heard. They cannot move but they do have personality. I'm not sure if they can feel, but I could definitely feel them. At that moment, and one at a time, they started speaking to me. I could understand them. They felt restricted in such a small place, each one of them embodying the Whole Essence of a Woman. It was far too much for a single room, an overwhelming concert of emotions. Someone once said about these sculptures that they are stones that breathe. He was absolutely right. They don't only breath; they make you feel your own breath. But where does this enchantment comes from? How are these wonderful sculptures created? These were my thoughts as I walked out of the studio. I had to find out all about the process'. Apart from the intellectual challenge, the process of creation always includes modeling. First in clay and then in plaster, the artist materializes his ideas and perfects it before commencing with the stone itself. Then comes the moment to choose the suitable marble block. Before starting to carve the marble, the artist has to decide how to use the patterns embedded in the stone in order to create the desired effect. After the intellectual creation, the carving phase separates the ordinary from the excellent. After many hours of watching the artist undertaking these processes - I still find myself asking ''Was it a chisel, or a magic wand that he is using?'' Francisco Simões at work is almost choreographic. The violence of the carving is often interrupted by interludes of deep serenity of focused observation. He severely hits the stone with a hammer and then majestically observes in a quietude amplified by the hammering noise. Always excited, he moves graciously around heavy marble blocks. Breaking, smashing stone with his chisel fired up with a hammer. It is violent work, both physically and intellectually. His work completely consumes him. His ideas drain from his mind, but his body relays the execution. He sweats, he smashes his own fingers, his back is sore at the end of each day. It is a long hard process that one can only appreciate on the completion of a sculpture. Would you imagine this when you see the fine delicacy of these timeless pieces? Highly technical, yet somehow brutal. This extremely intense process implied in the creation of a sculpture is probably what allows the conceptual idea behind the creative effort to live beyond the stone, turning marble into sculptures that by breathing take our breath away. The coherence behind Francisco's long career is threefold: he pursues Beauty; he honours Women; always with Perfectionism. He releases women imprisoned in stone. He frees them from the rock allowing them to be seen, and more, he gives them a heart. Just take a good look at them, watch, and they'll speak to you as they've spoken to me. Each sculpture is a live representation, a tribute to Woman's greatness. Women are the beginning of life, they are Mothers, Sisters, Lovers - Women give Life. Francisco Simões' work is a testament to all women. This is the reason for their presence alongside Souren Mousavi' work. They believe in the same values of freedom, which both artists explore through the female figure. As David Mourão-Ferreira said, Francisco's sculptures are poetry. Francisco 'writes' in stone what poets write on paper. Poets are in fact a great inspiration to Francisco and that gave birth to yet another public commission. The twenty most prolific Portuguese poets of the twentieth century are represented by sculptures in a 60 hectare park just outside Lisbon. Three meter plus height marble statues can be enjoyed in a public park devoted to poetry. Francisco was born in Portugal in 1946 and his first exhibition was held in 1969. Since then he has never stopped working or exhibiting. Apart from sculpture and drawings, he has done many book covers and some illustrations too. He very recently started to do some experiments with ceramics as well. He has been a teacher and he advises the Portuguese government for cultural, educational end artistic matters. Francisco Simões is represented in London by Nausicaa Fine Arts. The handcraft nature of the sculptures means small production and the uniqueness of the pieces. This is the first time Simoes has exhibited publicly in London. "It is with great pleasure that I accept the invitation of showing my work along with Souren Mousavi's, a live witness to the immoral brtality of todays disrespect for Human Rights. Mousavi's work mirrors the intensity of captivity, of the cruelty that in some parts of the world still persists today. Although still young, Mousavi's work is already full of intensity, emotion and bravery which as a teacher I always encouraged my students to follow. Mousavi's determination is to take her far, but mostly represents hope. It is a strong message, one that brings colour to darkness. As Mousavi's, my work highlights the Human Condition of Women. Their beauty, their fragility and their enourmous strength. I acknowledge her efforts in highlighting the defense of Human Rights, and as a man who also paid with jail the fight for Freedom I couldn't but support this initiative."

LA Playwright Sinner Living with MS Captures FringeNYC

2008-07-20T21:33:23Z

Theatre Revelation Presents 2 by Sinner: Unburthen (To My Soul's Delight!) & If Water Were Present It Would Be Called Drowning premieres at FringeNYC 2008!!! New York, NY,July 14, 2008 -- Theatre Revelation is proud to present "2 by Sinner: Unburthen (To My Soul's Delight!) & If Water Were Present It Would Be Called Drowning" as part of the 11th annual New York International Fringe Festival - Fringe NYC. This is Theatre Revelation's first time performing in New York and the world premiere of both works being performed together, will be playing at The Connelly Theatre 220 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10009 on Friday, August, 08, 2008 at 5:00- 6:00 PM, Tuesday, August, 12, 2008 at 7:00 - 8:00PM, Saturday, August, 16, 2008 at 10:0011:00PM, Tuesday, August, 19, 2008 at 3:00 - 4:00PM and Saturday, August, 23 at 5:00- 6:00PM.Tickets are $15 and can purchased at www.FringeNYC.org . Sinner describes he works as "A two-actor diptych that is a modern take on Adam and Eve, trapped in various forms of a deteriorating Garden of Eden. First presented as Brother and Sister (after all, Eve was "created" from Adam's rib; doesn't that make them related?) in stylized white face, part gothic kabuki, part slapstick vaudeville, living in their own isolated apocalyptic playground, the siblings play, bicker, sing and dance as frantically as they can to ward off their own psychological endgame. The second piece explores the couple as Husband and Wife, with the wife's subconscious attempts to liberate herself from the classic "Doll's House" Syndrome. She short circuits before us while delivering a monologue, sharing her fantastical sexual yearnings and interior life while disconcerting voice-overs and music cues bombard her as her husband snores." The show is written and directed by Los Angeles native John Sinner, who is the Producing Artistic Director of Theatre Revelation. ReviewPlays.com wrote in April 2006 - "John Sinner has been one of the prominent exponents of surrealistic theatre in Los Angeles... Sinner is the kind of playwright that goes for the throat-" John is a gay artist living with multiple sclerosis, who has had work performed at REDCAT at Disney Hall, amongst others. Both works star Los Angeles Bay area native Betsy Moore and John Sinner, in the modern Eve and Adam roles. Matt Richter, the former Tech Director at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica is the Lighting and Sound Designer. Theatre Revelation is a non-profit, 501 (c)(3) theatrical production company whose artistic mission is to create, nurture and produce new theatrical works that focus on the original, inventive and experimental, in order to reveal and illuminate our human existence within the community and world at large. For Ticket info: 212.279.4488 For more info please visit: www.fringenyc.org, www.TheatreRevelation.com, www.myspace.com/johnsinnerny For Media Interviews for John Sinner Contact : Sheryl Mandel Integrity Publicity New York, NY 718-352-5976 - ssshekkie@aol.com , www.myspace.com/integritypr.

Nature Interrupted

2008-07-13T17:33:51Z

The Chelsea Art Museum, Home of the Miotte Foundation, is proud to present Nature Interrupted. The urgent and imperative message to restore health to the environment must be conveyed in every possible form of media and communication, and more so in art, for it is one of the most powerful languages humans have ever created. Even in prehistoric times, peoples sought to transform the environment, through their cave paintings, megaliths and stone circles--seeking ways to connect with the force of nature. From those early beginnings, artists have been profoundly influenced by the images, colors, patterns, structures and systems of nature around them. At various times of turbulent change in our history, such as in Hellenistic Greece, medieval Japan, and Europe at the time of the great political and industrial revolutions, new art forms have emerged in order to address the changing relationship between nature and society. From the turn of the new millennium, world concern over environmental issues such as pollution and global warming, species depletion, new genetic technologies, sustainability and global pandemics has increased. Artists, in turn, are responding by answering collective cultural needs and developing active and practical roles in environmental and social issues. In this exhibition, Nature Interrupted, eleven artists show very diverse aspects of their concern. They may focus on a rare species in danger of extinction, such as the eagle in Osmo Rauhala's captivating video images, or the preservation of trees threatened by decease, as in Joan Backes's paintings of tree bark, which could, in the future, become a points of reference to a species no longer in existence. Another metaphor is Katie Holten's artificial tree made of refuse such as recycled cardboard, wire, newspaper, and black tape. The emblem of a tree in distress is a perfect symbol for the environmental crisis we are experiencing. Anya Gallaccio's installation Like We Never Met (2003) includes a series of doors with flowers pressed behind glass. Over the course of the exhibition, the flowers blacken and decay, highlighting the opposition between the instability of the natural materials and the permanence of the cast objects. Dannielle Tegeder's drawings depict a certain geometric growth as in the constructions of ants' colonies or mole hills - it is up to the viewer's imagination to decide whether Tegeder's "city" is above or under the ground. Soazic Guezennec transfers the African jungle to a suburban surrounding, embellishing it with colorful billboard images resembling a tree house, giraffe or field of orchids. Soazic Guezennec's installation shows a tent, an umbrella and a mosquito net painted with Africa's tropical flora and fauna, yet covered with holes and rips and no longer useful and protective. These objects are a metaphor for environmental problems such as dirty water, acid rains and pollution that destroy Africa's natural environment. Alexis Rockman in his series of paintings "American Icons" shows an apocalyptic vision of American national monuments such as the U.S. Capitol and Mount Rushmore. Even such bastions of frivolity and greed as Hollywood suffer the same leveling fate when it comes to the status-blind and whimsical response of our planet. Equally the drawings in Helen Brough's series "Cataclysmic Hypotheses" generate imaginary visions of iconic contemporary architecture that will eventually become ruins. These drawings serve as a translation of vague unconscious dreams of catastrophes mixed with the haunting recollections of disasters seen in film, television, newspapers or on the web. The installation by Jade Townsend prompts us to reconsider our current vision of an "ideal" and "successful" life - in the wake of increasingly common violent natural disasters that can instantly obliterate all we have striven to achieve in a lifetime. Jon Brumit focuses on corn as an evolving instrument for litigation and intellectual property issues. By way of critique of the current corporate influence over food production, his sound installation using recycled plastic bags and counterfeit corn resembles sonic architecture and violent instruments more than anything remotely edible. Chus Garcia-Fraile in her photographs and videos inserts escalators and other examples of modern technology into pristine jungles and landscapes - a vision that is disturbing and enchanting at the same time. Is that the future of nature - will it be saved or destroyed by modern technology? Artists in the show: Joan Backes (USA), Jon Brumit (USA), Helen Brough (England), Anya Gallaccio (England), Chus Garcia-Fraile (Spain), Katie Holten (Ireland), Soazic Guezennec (France), Osmo Rauhala (Finland), Alexis Rockman (USA), Dannielle Tegeder (USA), Jade Townsend (USA). Image: Anya Gallaccio, Like We've Never Met, 2003. Found mahoghany glazed doors two parts each. 231.5 x 68.5 cm. Courtesy Lehman Maupin Gallery. The Chelsea Art Museum 556 West 22nd Street (at Eleventh Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Tue-Sat 11am-6pm, Thurs 11am-8pm www.chelseaartmuseum.org Contact: Nicollette Ramirez 212.255.0719 x108 nicollette@chelseaartmuseum.org