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THE STARLING GIRL – A Review by Jenn Rohm

THE STARLING GIRL – A Review by Jenn Rohm

Shown at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival Laurel Parmet’s full-length debut, The Starling Girl, is now being released in theaters starting May 19, 2023.  It is a coming-of-age piece from inside a Christian Fundamentalist community.

Jem Starling (Eliza Scanlen) is 17 and to this point has followed the path laid out by her parents and her Church.  She is a good girl that wants to keep the peace and not have negative attention thrown her way.  Her mother, Heidi, (Wrenn Schmidt) says it is time for her to start courting.  In this community that means chaperoned and church events together, it is basically being pre-engaged.  Her father, Paul (Jimmi Simpson), is battling his own demons from his life before finding God, while his wife is insisting that everything is fine, and no one needs to know.  While there is drama at home, Owen Taylor (Lewis Pullman) has returned with his wife from a mission trip and is taking on the Youth Pastor role.  Jem used to have a bit of a crush on Owen and finds any reason she can to talk to him. 

The film does convey how isolated from the rest of the world this community is by using gorgeous camerawork that shows the beauty and peace of Kentucky.  Eliza, whom some may remember as Beth March in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, gives a strong performance with what she had to work with.  Sadly, this was not enough to save this movie.

I will admit films and books where women are treated as not having value by the men in their lives and teens are not provided information to understand their own thoughts puts me on edge.  Add in a mother, who for all but 60 seconds of the film doesn’t stand up for her child and I am out.  I still wanted to give this movie a fair shot.  However, with a slow-paced script that was not only full of predictability but is a bit too close to being a manual for how to take advantage of a 17-year-old girl, this movie has me regretting watching it.   

 

Director: Laurel Parmet

Written By: Laurel Parmet

Cast: Eliza Scanlen, Lewis Pullman, Jimmi Simpson

MPAA Rating: R for some sexuality

Genres: Drama

Selig Rating: 1 star

Runtime: 1hr. 56 min.

Release Date: May 19, 2023

Theaters: Angelika Film Center & Café – Dallas and Angelika Film Center & Café – Plano

Trailer: The Starling Girl Trailer

 

The Selig Rating Scale:

5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.

4 Stars – Good movie/show

3 Stars – OK movie/show

2 Stars – Well there was nothing else . . .

1 Star – Total waste of time.

FAST X – A Review by Jenn Rohm

FAST X – A Review by Jenn Rohm

One of the wonderful things about a movie is the ability to make anything and everything possible, it only needs to be imagined first.  The Fast and Furious franchise does like to push past boundaries and I always look forward to what they bring to us next.  Fast X did not let me down.

The movie starts with a bit of flashback to explain how Dante (Jason Momoa) begins his plans for vengeance against Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and all he considers family.  As the kick-off of the final three movies, we have the cast we expect to see Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Mia (Jordana Brewster), Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Ludacris), and Han (Sung Kang).  Newer additions Shaw (Jason Statham), Cipher (Charlize Theron), Queenie (Helen Mirren), and Jakob (John Cena) bring some delightful moments to the movie.  This is just the tip of the iceberg of the cast.    

I am a fan of the franchise.  That does not mean I don’t see areas for improvement or think everything is amazing in the movie.  The bits between Roman and Tej have gotten stale.  The addition of Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) was not enough to prevent the feeling of having seen this too many times before.  The theme of family remains strong and how pieces are being tied together is a nice lead-in to wrapping up the saga.  The script left a few things to be desired. 

With a runtime of 2 hours and 21 minutes, this movie is following the current trend of lots of action sequences and working to add more plot.  There was not much that I could see removing that would shorten the time and allow for a touch more closure.  Having unanswered questions to ensure that another film is coming and creating anticipation for the next two films is understandable.  There is a limit to how much should be left open, and this was more than I cared for. 

While I did enjoy action movies in the 80s, strong male characters tended to deliver their lines very straightforwardly and a bit deadpan, which didn’t allow for the audience to connect to them.  In F9 John Cena followed that formula.  While it did fit that Jakob needed to be a bit standoffish to his family, it was a disappointment to me.  I am not sure what changed for him, but I am glad it happened.  In Fast X Jakob has a personality and you can feel emotions from his performance.  It appears Cena is having more fun than he has with other film projects, and I am overjoyed about this.  This franchise needs its fans to connect and want to be part of the family. 

*Take away Jakob Toretto quote: “Only song lyrics, when you stub your toe or Cannon Cars”

Jason Mamoa as a “villain” took a moment to accept and the start of the movie added to my hesitation on this choice.  What he brings to the character adds so much to what I have seen in the action film genre up to now.  This is another actor that appears to be having fun with his role.  There is a scene where Dante is painting someone’s toenails.  His hair is in two poofy buns on top of his head and he is wearing a fluffy bathrobe.  While in close up you think this is a man who is secure in knowing who he is and does not care what anyone else thinks.  As the shoot widens and provides more information you realize how deep into the character Fast X goes.     

I am not sure why I find myself focusing on costuming in films of late.  I do have to give applause on the amount of detail in the wardrobe for Mamoa, down to small details such as hair ties and how his fingernails look.  It supports the level of development of the character and the dedication to the part by the actor.

With storylines being tied up it does help to have seen the prior films, but you can still enjoy and follow even if you haven’t.  It is enjoyable and with the weather being either rainy or hot it’s a great time to go to the movies.       

 

Director: Louis Leterrier

Written By: Justin Lin & Dan Mazeau

Cast: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jason Momoa, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, John Cena, Jason Statham, Sung Kang, Alan Ritchson, Daniela Melchior, Scott Eastwood, with Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Brie Larson, and Rita Moreno

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, language, and some suggestive material

Genres: Action Thriller

Selig Rating: 4 stars

Runtime: 2 hr. 21 min.

Release Date: May 19, 2023

Movie Site: Fast X Movie Site

Trailer: Fast X Final Trailer

 

The Selig Rating Scale:

5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.

4 Stars – Good movie/show

3 Stars – OK movie/show

2 Stars – Well there was nothing else . . .

1 Star – Total waste of time.

San Luis Obispo International Film Festival 2023 Announces Award Winners

Judd Hirsch SLO Film Fest 2023

 

The 2023 San Luis Obispo International Film Festival announced this year’s filmmaker award winners during ceremonies on Saturday and Sunday night, which concluded the popular film festival’s first weekend of in-person screenings and events. Winners of their jury awards included

Ellie Foumbi’s Our Father, the Devil (Best Narrative Feature) and Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb’s Butterfly in the Sky (Best Documentary Feature) led the jury awards. Audience Award winners were topped by Nardeep Khurmi’s Land of Gold, chosen as Best Narrative Feature, Jesse Rudoy’s Dusty and Stones, Best Documentary Feature, with Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry taking the Audience Best of Fest award.

While this year’s hybrid edition of the popular film festival winds down with encore screenings of the award winners concluding on Sunday, May 7, SLO Film Fest’s first weekend was another successful edition as the film festival continues to see its audience numbers grow each year from the pandemic all-virtual editions.

In addition, this year saw a huge turnout to its signature Surf Nite surfing movies presentation – which returned to the historic Fremont Theater for the first time in three years, the first presentation of its I WANT MY SLO MTV! night of music videos on the big screen combined with live performances on the Fremont Theater stage. King Vidor Award honoree, and two-time Academy Award winning production designer Rick Carter gave, what amounted to, a master class on filmmaking during his Conversation on Film with Turner Classic Movies’ Ben Mankiewicz, and Closing Night featured two-time Academy Award nominee and TV legend Judd Hirsch receiving SLO Film Fest’s Spotlight Award prior to the screening of the popular dramatic comedy I Mordecai, in which he stars in the title role. And there might have been a Back to the Future DeLorean parked outside the Fremont Theater on Filmmaker Awards night as well.

San Luis Obispo International Film Festival Director Skye McLennan, said, “During a year in which we brought back some SLO Film Fest favorites (being back at the Fremont with Surf Nite) and added some new highlights (I WANT MY SLO MTV!), we were thrilled to see audiences responding by coming back to the theaters in greater numbers to enjoy our films and meet our filmmakers and immerse themselves in cinema SLO Film fest style. As always, celebrating the work of our winning films and filmmakers is always the cherry on top of the whole thing.”

Additional winners in the George Sidney Independent Film Awards category included an Honorable Mention in the Narrative category for Katharina Woll’s Everybody Wants to be Loved, a Special Mention for Performance for Caroline Valencia in Land of Gold, and an Honorable Mention in the Documentary category for Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s The Grab. Best Narrative Short Film went to Bernard Badion’s The Van, Best Documentary Short Film went to Lauren Tyler Brimeyer and Jack Bushell’s Until the Rain Comes Back, Best Animated Short Film was Jan Gadermann Sebastian Gadow’s Laika and Nemo, and Robin Wang’s Wei-Lei was cited as Best Student Film.

Additional films anointed by the Audience members as their favorites of the film festival, included Portlynn Tagavi’s Out of Tune (Best Narrative Short Film), Russell Chadwick’s Good Boy (Best Documentary Short Film), Maria Juranic’s A Feast That Never Comes (Best Music Video), and Leonard Manzella’s Shoe Shine Caddy (Best Central Coast Film). Central Coast Filmmaker jury awards included Bradley Berman’s Jack Has a Plan (Best Feature Length Film), Eliot Peters’ Woodsman (Best Narrative Short Film), and Whale-Roads (Best Documentary Short Film), which was directed by Ethan Takekawa, Michael Lee, Meg Kievman, and Emma Holm-Olsen. The jury winners in the Music Video category were Jill Sachs and Angeline Armstrong’s Bones (Best Overall), and Kate Neville’s Ramon (Best SLO County).

The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival also continued its traditional support of the development of student filmmakers with SLO’s Filmmakers of Tomorrow Showcase. Award winners included Amira Kopeyeva’s Pistachio Ice Cream (Best High School Narrative Film), Jiayang Liu’s A Piece of Ranch (Best High School Documentary Film), and Extra Cheese (Best Middle School Film), directed by Benny Eldridge, Maggie Cross, Otto Nixon, and Phoebe Cross. Sean Kang’s Badminton Journey was named Best Elementary School Film, Coleman Howe’s Lost: A Backyard Adventure was named Best SLO County Film, and Eva Bounds’ Beth won Best International Film.

More information on the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival can be found at https://slofilmfest.org/.

 

The 2023 San Luis Obispo Film Festival Award Winners:

GEORGE SIDNEY INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS
OUR FATHER, THE DEVIL – Best Narrative Feature
Director: Ellie Foumbi

EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE LOVED – Narrative Feature Honorable Mention
Director: Katharina Woll

LAND OF GOLD – Narrative Feature Special Mention for Performance
Caroline Valencia

BUTTERFLY IN THE SKY – Best Documentary Feature
Directors: Bradford Thomason, Brett Whitcomb

THE GRAB – Documentary Feature Honorable Mention
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite

THE VAN – Best Narrative Short Film 
Director: Bernard Badion

UNTIL THE RAIN COMES BACK – Best Documentary Short Film
Directors: Lauren Tyler Brimeyer, Jack Bushell

LAIKA AND NEMO – Best Animated Short Film
Director: Jan Gadermann Sebastian Gadow

WEI-LEI – Best Student Film
Director: Robin Wang

AUDIENCE AWARDS 
BLACKBERRY – Best in Fest (Highest Score)
Director: Matt Johnson

LAND OF GOLD – Best Narrative Feature
Director: Nardeep Khurmi

DUSTY AND STONES – Best Documentary Feature
Director: Jesse Rudoy

OUT OF TUNE – Best Narrative Short Film
Director: Portlynn Tagavi

GOOD BOY – Best Documentary Short Film
Director: Russell Chadwick

A FEAST THAT NEVER COMES – Best Music Video
Director: Maria Juranic

SHOE SHINE CADDIE – Best Central Coast Film
Director: Leonard Manzella

CENTRAL COAST FILMMAKER AWARDS 
JACK HAS A PLAN – Best Feature Length Film
Director: Bradley Berman

WOODSMAN – Best Narrative Short Film
Director: Elliot Peters

WHALE-ROADS – Best Documentary Short Film
Director: Ethan Takekawa, Michael Lee, Meg Kievman, Emma Holm-Olsen

MUSIC VIDEOS 
BONES – Best Overall
Director: Jill Sachs, Angeline Armstrong

RAMON – Best SLO County
Director: Katie Neville

FILMMAKERS OF TOMORROW SHOWCASE 
PISTACHIO ICE CREAM – Best High School Narrative Film
Director: Amira Kopeyeva

A PIECE OF RANCH – Best High School Documentary Film
Director: Jiayang Liu

EXTRA CHEESE – Best Middle School Film
Director: Benny Eldridge, Maggie Cross, Otto Nixon, Phoebe Cross

BADMINTON JOURNEY – Best Elementary School Film
Director: Sean Kang

LOST: A BACKYARD ADVENTURE – Best SLO County Film
Director: Coleman Howe

BETH – Best International Film
Director: Eva Bounds

Austin’s Cine Las Americas 2023 Announces Films and Events for 25th Anniversary Edition in June

 

The Austin-based Cine Las Americas International Film Festival (CLAIFF) announced the film and events lineup for next month’s 25th Anniversary edition, featuring more in-theater screenings and programs than ever before, and filmmaker awards totaling $8K in cash prizes. Taking place June 7-11, CLAIFF opens with Eva Longoria’s film festival favorite, Flamin’ Hot, and will close with Claudia Sainte-Luce comedy Amor y matemáticas (Love and Mathematics).

Cine Las Americas is set to take place at AFS Cinema (6259 Middle Fiskville Rd.), Galaxy Theatre (6700 Middle Fiskville Rd.), and Austin PBS (Clayton Lane/Wilhelmina Delco Dr.), including two days of free-to-the-public screenings at Galaxy Theatre on Saturday, 6/10 and Sunday, 6/11.

Special events include an Opening Night Celebration at AFS Cinema, a Filmmaker Happy Hour The Brewtorium and Videos Musicales at Nepantia, USA, where the audience will get to move and groove and choose the best video of the night on Friday, June 9, a grand “Happy Birthday, Cine” celebration at PBS Austin on Saturday, June 10, and then a special Closing Night Gathering to toast 25 years of Cine Las Americas at Knomad Bar.

As it has for a quarter century, Cine Las Americas will serve as one of the primary showcases in the United States for films and videos from Latin America (North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean) and the Iberian Peninsula. The film festival celebrates films and videos made by or about Latinx in the U.S. or the rest of the world, with films and videos by or about indigenous groups of the Americas also featured. CLAIFF also features inclusiveness in the programming among the films representing over 15 countries throughout Ibero-America.

The film festival was recently awarded a substantial Thrive Grant, which supports and develops arts organizations and cultural institutions that are deeply rooted in and reflective of those key constituencies within the city of Austin.

This year’s CLAIFF competition slate features new voices in Latin cinema while the Showcase films feature works from established filmmakers representing over 24 nations, the largest number of countries ever represented in the film festival. For the first time in Cine Las Americas’ history, all films in the narrative competition are directed by women and 2 out of the 3 documentary competition films are directed by women. Another first taking place during this year’s edition is the fact that both the Opening and Closing night selections are directed by women.

Cine Las Americas Board of Directors President John Estrada, said, “In a city like Austin which is home to multiple nationally recognized film festivals, the fact that we are one of those pillars of film festival exhibition standing side-by-side with them as we celebrate 25 years of being a major platforming the states for films from Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula is truly something to celebrate.”

CLAIFF Lead Programmer Ernie Quiroz, added, “We are thrilled that this year’s 25th anniversary edition is all the more special due to it being such a thoroughly female filmmaker-dominated lineup. This year’s group of films also is incredibly exciting with a strong current of thrillers and illuminating documentaries running throughout it. Our audiences are in for several great nights at the movie theater!”

Opening Night will feature Eva Longoria’s Flamin’ Hot. The film, which returns to Austin after its successful debut earlier in the year at SXSW, is based on the inspiring true story of the Frito-Lay custodian who utilized his knowledge of his Mexican American heritage and community to thwart corporate saboteurs and turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into the iconic global pop culture phenomenon we all know and love. On Closing Night, Claudia Sainte-Luce comedy Amor y matemáticas (Love and Mathematics). A movie that looks at the attempt to regain something lost during your life while reinventing yourself, the Mexican comedy follows a former teenage star-turned suburbanite who, once was a member of a beloved boy band, but is now a less than satisfied middle-aged married man and father of an infant son. He’s all but laughed at by those to whom he pitches his ideas and music now, until a chance meeting with a neighbor who is a superfan of his old band might spark a chance for his dried-up career to flourish again.

CLAIFF Showcase films includes Ariel Escalante Meza’s Domingo y la niebla (Domingo and the Mist). The Costa Rica entry for the Academy Awards follows a widower who owns a piece of land which is coveted to build a new highway. After all his neighbors leave due to intimidation by thugs, he stays, knowing the land hides a special and mystical secret. Matías Bize’s thriller El Castigo (The Punishment) focuses on a couple’s crisis playing out in real time as they search for their missing 7-year-old son, who they had left by the side of the road near a forest as punishment. Teodora Ana Mihai’s thriller La Civil won the Un Certain Regard Prize of Courage at the Cannes Film Festival. The film traces the transformation of a housewife and mom into a vengeful militant as she deals with kidnappers in Northern Mexico who have taken her daughter. Marcelo Gomes’ Paloma centers on a farm worker and transgender woman who fights back against a local priest’s prejudice to fulfill her most cherished dream: a traditional wedding in a church with her boyfriend.

Among the narrative feature films in competition are Marie Clements’ drama Bones of Crows about a Cree code talker’s efforts to survive her traumatic past in Canada’s school system to continue her family’s fight against systemic starvation, racism, and sexual abuse; Clara Cullen’s Manuela, about a Latina nanny with a dubious history, finds an unlikely connection with the defiant two-year-old she’s hired to look after. When the child’s mother goes missing, Manuela is faced with an impossible decision. Lorena Padilla’s dramedy Martínez follows the title character, a man forced to retire after 40 years, who must train his goofball replacement under the eye of his office frenemy. Meanwhile, the death of a neighbor he barely knew throws his life into more upheaval and pushes him out of his long-held apathy.

Documentary feature-length films in competition are; Bernardo Ruiz’ El Equipo (The Team), about the unlikely meeting of legendary forensic scientist Clyde Snow and a group of Argentinean students during Argentina’s dictatorship that grew into a groundbreaking force in the global movement for truth and justice; Gisela Delgadillo’s Kenya delivers a raw and deeply affecting portrait of a trans woman and an insider’s view of the impact that violence has on the community, and how complex life is for them. The film begins shortly after Kenya witnesses her friend Paola being murdered by a client and follows her journey as she approaches her friend’s loved ones and then embarks on a lengthy battle for justice, backed up by her “sisters.” Miwene: Reclaiming the Amazon, directed by Keith Heyward, Jennifer Berglund, Gange Anita Yeti Enomenga, and Obe Beatriz Nenquimo Nihua, filmed over the course of 11 years, as a young Waorani woman living deep within the Amazon rainforest makes the transition from a quiet teenager into a confident young mother at a critical turning point for her culture and the rainforest itself.

Once again, CLAIFF will present the Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase, which shares stories of beautiful, haunting, and hopeful tales from the U.S.- Mexico border, Mexico, Taiwan, India, and the United States. Once again, the popular Emergencia celebration of young filmmakers on the rise and their variety of works will shine a light on films made by filmmakers 19 and under. This series of short films compliments the film festival’s ongoing mission of promoting cross-cultural understanding by expanding the regions of the country that are represented in this year’s programs, and foregrounding youth and educator voices in support of inclusive and culturally responsive educational opportunities for all. Cine Las Americas’ signature programming track, “Hecho en Tejas,” supported by HEB (one of the premiere sponsors for the film festival), which showcases local filmmaking talent with varied backgrounds via films and videos shot and/or produced in Texas, also returns with a series of inspired shorts. The presentation will take place at the Austin PBS studios with a reception and Red Carpet entrances on Saturday, June 10.

Cine Las Americas is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Department.

Early Bird Badges are available through May 17 for $90 (following that date, $125). For more information about Cine Las Americas, visit https://cinelasamericas.org/.

 

2023 Cine Las Americas Official Selections

 

OPENING NIGHT SELECTION

Flamin’ Hot
Director: Eva Longoria
Country: United States; Running Time: 99 min
Flamin’ Hot is the inspiring true story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia) who as a Frito-Lay janitor disrupted the food industry by channeling his Mexican American heritage to turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos from a snack into an iconic global pop culture phenomenon.

CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION

Amor y matemáticas (Love and Mathematics)
Director: Claudia Sainte-Luce
Country: Mexico; Running Time: 85 min
Having known fame as a former boy band member, Billy now lives a monotonous existence as a married man in a suburban Mexican city. Yet, an encounter with an ex-fan will make him confront his life decisions.

SHOWCASE: NARRATIVE FEATURES

Chile ‘76
Director: Manuela Martelli
Countries: Chile/Argentina/Qatar; Running Time: 95 min
Chile, 1976. Carmen heads off to her beach house. When the family priest asks her to take care of a young man he is sheltering in secret, Carmen steps onto unexplored territories, away from the quiet life she is used to.

Domingo y la niebla (Domingo and the Mist)
Director: Ariel Escalante Meza
Countries: Costa Rica/Qatar; Running Time: 92 min
In the tropical mountains of Costa Rica, widower Domingo owns a piece of land which is coveted to build a new highway. When the contractors send in thugs to intimidate the community, the neighbors leave one by one, but Domingo refuses to give in, especially as the land hides a special and mystical secret.

El Castigo (The Punishment)
Director: Matías Bize
Countries: Chile/Argentina; Running Time: 85 min
Ana is driving, her face serious and angry. Mateo, her husband, asks her to turn around, returning to the place in the forest where they have left their 7-year-old son. It’s only been two minutes, but he’s gone.

Finde
Director: Nano Garay Santaló
Country: Argentina; Running Time: 85 min
Agos and Santi are stressed due to the pandemic and decide to rent a country house for a weekend. Upon arrival, the hosts inform them they will remain in the house and will treat them like a five-star hotel would do, but they’re hiding other intentions.

Girasoles silvestres (Wild Flowers)
Director: Jaime Rosales
Country: Spain; Running Time: 107 min
Julia, age 22 and mother of two children, falls in love with Óscar. They start an intense and tortuous relationship full of ups and downs. Soon, Julia begins to doubt Óscar’s suitability as a male role model for her children. A violent incident will lead Julia to leave Óscar and look for a better future.

La civil
Director: Teodora Ana Mihai
Countries: Mexico/Belgium/Romania; Running Time: 145 min
Cielo’s teenage daughter, Laura, is kidnapped in Northern Mexico. Despite paying several ransoms, Laura is not returned. When the authorities offer no support in the search, Cielo takes matters into her own hands and transforms from housewife into vengeful militant.

La hija de todas las rabias (Daughter of Rage)
Director: Laura Baumeister
Countries: Nicaragua/Mexico/Netherlands/Germany/France/Norway; Running Time: 87 min
Nicaragua, today. 11-year-old Maria lives with her mother Lilibeth at the edge of a garbage dump. Their future depends on selling a litter of purebred puppies to a local thug. When the deal falls through, Lilibeth must go to the city and drops Maria off at a recycling center where she must stay and work. But days pass and she doesn’t return. Maria feels lost, bewildered, and angry. One night, Maria meets Tadeo, an imaginative new friend who is determined to help her to reunite with her mother.

La jauría
Director: Andrés Ramírez Pulido
Countries: Colombia/France; Running Time: 86 min
Eliú, a country boy, is incarcerated in an experimental young offenders institution, deep in the heart of the Colombian tropical forest, for a crime he committed with his friend El Mono. Every day, the teenagers perform hard manual labour and endure intense group therapy, under the menacing gaze of the camp guard Godoy. One day, El Mono is transferred to the same center and with him comes the past that Eliú is trying to escape.

Land of Gold
Director: Nardeep Khurmi
Country: United States; Running Time: 105 min
When Kiran Singh (Nardeep Khurmi), a 1st Gen Punjabi-American truck driver and expectant father, hears pounding coming from inside his truck’s trailer, he finds Elena (Caroline Valencia), a young Mexican American girl stowed away onboard. Kiran’s already tumultuous life takes a drastic turn as he seeks to reunite her with her family. As the pair ride across the changing American landscape, Kiran faces what it means to be a father while Elena learns how to trust again. They connect through family, dreams of the future, and a healthy debate over God’s existence, all while the ghosts of the past, racially charged encounters, and the threat of I.C.E. linger over their journey.

No quiero ser polvo (I Don’t Want to be Dust)
Director: Iván Löwenberg
Countries: Mexico/Argentina; Running Time: 85 min
Bego decided to decline her life plans to attend to household duties. She lives bored and afraid of being inconsequential, but this may change when the meditation group she attends announces a great cataclysm: 3 days of darkness.

Nuestros días más felices (Our Happiest Days)
Director: Sol Berruezo Pichon-Rivière
Country: Argentina; Running Time: 100 min
Agatha (74) and Leonidas (36) maintain an absorbing mother-son relationship: Agatha never fell in love again and Leonidas does not dare to build a life outside the doors of the family home. One day, Agatha suddenly wakes up in the body of a little girl: as herself, but at the age of seven. The only possible solution after having cut off all ties with the outside world for fear of giving explanations, will be to call Elisa (38), Agatha’s eldest daughter, who despite having become independent a long time ago, will return to the family home to repair wounds that remain open.

Paloma
Director: Marcelo Gomes
Countries: Brazil/Portugal; Running Time: 104 min
On a hot summer day, Paloma decides to fulfill her most cherished dream: a traditional wedding in a church with her boyfriend Zé. She is a devoted mother, a hard-working farmhand in a papaya plantation and has been saving to afford the celebration. The priest’s refusal to marry her and Zé will force Paloma to confront the rural society. She suffers violence, betrayal, prejudice, and injustice but nothing shakes the faith and determination of this transgender woman.

SHOWCASE – DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

The Illusion of Abundance
Directors: Erika Gonzalez Ramirez, Matthieu Lietaert
Countries: Colombia/Honduras/Peru/Belgium/Brazil/Germany/Indigenous; Running Time: 60 min
Three Latin American women share a common goal: Carolina, Bertha and Maxima are leading today’s environmental fight against modern conquistadors. Whereas governments and corporations, trapped in a global race towards unlimited growth, need to get the cheapest raw materials, these three women tell us a story of tireless courage: how to keep fighting to protect nature when your life is at risk? When police repression, corporate harassment, injuries or even death threats are part of your daily routine?

NARRATIVE FEATURES – COMPETITION

Bones of Crows
Director: Marie Clements
Country: Canada; Running Time: 129 min
Removed from their family home and forced into Canada’s residential school system, Cree musical prodigy Aline and her siblings are plunged into a struggle for survival. Bones of Crows is Aline’s journey from child to matriarch, a moving multi-generational epic of resilience, survival, and the pursuit of justice.

Manuela
Director: Clara Cullen
Countries: Argentina/United States; Running Time: 90 min
Manuela, a Latin American immigrant, walks through the empty streets of Los Angeles, scouring the area for work. Manuela arrives at a job interview at a large house in an affluent neighborhood. She’s greeted by a cold businesswoman looking for a nanny for her daughter, Alma. After getting the job, Manuela meets Alma, who is initially resistant to her. Alma’s mother, Ellen, is never around. She occasionally talks to them through the security camera. While Ellen is gone on a business trip, Manuela, and Alma swim in the pool, clean the house, and form a maternal bond. The days go by, and they still haven’t heard from Ellen. Manuela takes on more and more of a motherly role, even wearing Ellen’s clothes. One day, she learns that her entire world as she knows it has just changed and she must make a huge decision.

Martínez
Director: Lorena Padilla
Country: Mexico; Running Time: 93 min
Martinez, a lonely accountant who really prizes his daily monotony, is pushed by his hierarchy to retire. While his life stability is threatened, his neighbor, a woman of his age, is found dead in her home after several days. Although he has never met her, her death will make him realize that his life is still ahead of him.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES – COMPETITION

El Equipo (The Team)
Director: Bernardo Ruiz
Countries: Argentina/Mexico/United States; Running Time: 81 min
In 1984, an unlikely meeting between Dr. Clyde Snow, a legendary American forensic scientist, and a group of Argentine students would ultimately change the course of forensic science and human rights forever.

Kenya
Director: Gisela Delgadillo
Country: Mexico; Running Time: 90 min
After witnessing the murder of her friend, Kenya, a trans woman and sex worker, embarks on a path of struggle and search for justice that leads her to face the fear and pain of seeing herself reflected in that tragic ending.

Miwene: Reclaiming the Amazon
Directors: Keith Heyward, Jennifer Berglund, Gange Anita Yeti Enomenga, Obe Beatriz Nenquimo Nihua
Country: Ecuador; Running Time: 106 min
Steeped in the long oral tradition of Waorani storytelling, Gange Yeti shares her own coming-of-age story as a young Waorani woman living deep within the Amazon rainforest. Following Gange and her community for over 11 years, the film captures her transition from a quiet teenager into a confident young mother at a critical turning point for her culture and rainforest. As the granddaughter of one of the last Waorani elders who lived in complete isolation before outside contact, Gange is determined to capture her grandmother’s unique experience while she still can – balancing school, motherhood, and tradition along the way.

NARRATIVE SHORTS – COMPETITION

La Torta
Director: Carlos Novella
Country: Venezuela; Running Time: 19 min
A confectioner prepares the cake for a party to which she hopes to be invited.

Llueven las flores, los piratas y el tesoro de la bruja
Director: Faustino Alanís
Country: Mexico; Running Time: 17 min
Cat, Pin and Matchstick, three children who live in a tenement, spend their days imagining a fantastic world to escape the violence and monsters that haunt them.

Naquele Dia Escuro
Director: Daniel Guarda
Country: Brazil; Running Time: 30 min
Fabio is a young trans man mourning the end of a love affair. Louise is ill and away from her family. Amid a polarized and bigoted society, he is her caregiver while she becomes his rock. Now they have each other to learn to say goodbye.

Una Eva Más
Director: Daniela Hernández
Countries: Chile/Venezuela; Running Time: 21 min
Eva migrates to Santiago chasing the dream of being an actress, and among all the prospects of the city, she will need more than luck to make it.

Votamos
Director: Santiago Requejo
Country: Spain; Running Time: 13 min
What begins as an ordinary board in a traditional apartment building to vote on the renewal of the elevator, turns into an unexpected debate about the limits of pacific coexistence.

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS – COMPETITION

El Ojo Comienza En La Mano (The Eye Begins in the Hand)
Director: Yehuda Sharim
Country: United States; Running Time: 16 min
El Ojo Comienza En La Mano is a tribute to campesino histories in rural CA through the artwork of an artist largely absent from critical conversations on Chicanx art, Ruben A. Sanchez, as well as an unsentimental reckoning with the fate of many cultural workers that struggle between paying rent and/or creative endeavors.

Imelda Is Not Alone
Director: Paula Heredia
Countries: El Salvador/United States; Running Time: 30 min
Imelda, an abused teenager, faces decades in prison after being accused of having an abortion. Her only hope for freedom is a citizen’s movement that dares to defend women who are persecuted under El Salvador’s total ban on abortion.

Pemón
Director: Brandon Pestano
Countries: UK/Brazil; Running Time: 15 min
Driven from his ancestral home, Juvencio Gómez fights to keep his culture, language, and stories alive.

Tres Almas en Busca de un Abrazo (Three Souls in Search of an Embrace)
Directors: Tom Donohue, Greg Shaya
Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min
Three handicapped dancers train to compete in one of the most exclusive venues, the World Tango Championship in Buenos Aires.

Who She Is
Directors: Jordan Dresser, Sophie Barksdale
Country: USA; Running Time: 38 min
Say my name and I will live forever…. Sheila. Lela. These are the women hidden within the statistics of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic. Meet them. See them. Say their names. They are “Who She Is”.

HECHO EN TEJAS SHORTS

A Life in Technicolor
Director: Alex Ramirez
Country: United States; Running Time: 19 min

El Gato Feo
Director: Daniel Fabelo
Country: United States; Running Time: 15 min

La Cosecha
Director: Samuel Díaz Fernández
Country: United States; Running Time: 13 min

**In Tow
Director: Sharon Arteaga
Country: United States; Running Time: 21 min
**-NOT IN COMPETITION

Raúl R Salinas and the poetry of liberation: un trip
Director: Anne Lewis, Laura Varela
Country: United States; Running Time: 25 min

Sin lágrimas para llorar
Director: Luis Fernando Puente
Country: United States; Running Time: 13 min

7TH ANNUAL FEMME FRONTERA SHOWCASE LINE-UP

Barter
Directors: Ziba Karamali, Emad Arad
A short about a family whose fundamental relationships have been replaced with a chain of anomalous ones. A film that, despite most of the well-known Iranian shorts and features, not only talks about Iran but also about a subject that involves every society.

Blue Veil
Director: Shireen Alihaji
In the wake of 9/11 and after losing her mother, Amina, a Muslim teenager, struggles with the gaze of Islamophobia from surveillance to the 24-hour news cycle until she discovers and begins sampling her mother’s record collection.

Homesick     
Director: Valeria Contreras
Homesick is a modern-day tale of two star-crossed lovers, separated by a global pandemic and the U.S.-Mexico Border. This film focuses on the love and bond that unites people and communities across borders—and the heartbreak that exists when that unity is broken.

La Bi-Vencia 
Directors: Mariana Gongora-Reyes, Analaura Cardenas
Drawing on images from a non-existent border between Santa Elena, Chihuahua, and Big Bend National Park in Texas. La Bi-vencia explores the reunion of a ghost town next to the Rio Grande that was abandoned after 9/11.

Lioness
Director: Molly E. Smith
Barricaded in a motel room, a mother’s determination and primal instincts kick in to protect her child’s innocence.

Mommyland
Director: Aijian Chen
A young woman wakes up to find herself lying on a small glowing island, an amusement park called Mommyland, exploring various rides such as a roller coaster, carousel, and distorted mirrors, which all remind her of her fears and anxieties about pregnancy.

Seeds
Directors: Morningstar Angeline, Ajuawak Kapashesit
Without parents to guide them, Loretta and Raven reflect on the love their parents modeled and the grief of their loss. While one finds catharsis in their mother’s old VHS camera the other struggles with a potential pregnancy.

Shipping Them 
Director: Ryan Rox
A non-binary day-dreamer pines for the life of the girl next door, but soon finds out the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

PANORAMA SHORTS

Little Red Drone
Director: Michael Kirchoff
Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min
A lonely boy discovers that true friendship can be found in the most unexpected places

Alejandro Jimenez: The Ground I Stand On
Directors: Raúl Paz Pastrana, Alan Domínguez
Country: USA; Running Time: 12 min
The Ground I Stand On is a lyrical and meditative documentary short that explores the work and creative process of Alejandro Jiménez – Mexico’s 2021 Slam Poetry champion, whose life experience as a U.S. immigrant farmworker has shaped his unique vision of the power of poetry and its connection to a collective past.

Metal Belt
Director: Blackhorse Lowe
Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min
Peyote Western set in 1860’s New Mexico territory. Metal Belt recounts a story about the native slave trade in the southwest and one Navajo woman’s fight for freedom and her spiritual journey home.

Paralelos
Director: Paula Scalona
Country: Mexico; Running Time: 14 min
Gloria and Erick tell us the story of their life, a life that despite being full of obstacles and limitations, has led them to the top, reaching their goals and fulfilling their dreams. Paralelos is the untold story of what it means to be a Paralympian.

Art as Means of Breath
Director: Celi Mitidieri
Country: United States; Running Time: 6 min
The community leader and artist Yoleidy Rosario-Hernandez explores the connections between art and ancestry in the journey to find themselves.

John Leguizamo Live at Rikers
Director: Elena Francesca Engel
Country: USA; Running Time: 26min
John Leguizamo visits Rikers Island Correctional Facility to perform his one-man Broadway show Ghetto Klown for an audience of over 400 inmates. Following his performance, Leguizamo holds group discussions with justice-involved young men awaiting trial or sentencing. By sharing his personal journey of adversity and self-awareness, he encourages them to reflect openly and honestly about their own lives. This short documentary interweaves excerpts from Leguizamo’s performance and those discussions, bringing attention to the serious challenges and human side of incarceration.

EMERGENCIA – ALL AGES

Alexei Sinyavin – Speedcuber
Director: Aaron Anidjar
Country: United States; Running Time: 5 min

Better Late Than Never
Director: Estevan Evaristo Garcia
Country: United States; Running Time: 2 min

Don’t Froget
Director: Mariana McKenzie
Country: United States; Running Time: 1 min

Entre Faros No Hay Competidores (No Competition Between Lighthouses)
Director: Cira Garza
Country: United States; Running Time: 3 min

Game Night
Director: Cadence Grace Barreda
Country: United States; Running Time: 3 min

Prosperity of Tomorrow
Director: Diego Rodriguez
Country: United States; Running Time: 7 min

Spiral
Director: Isabella Wren Tealey
Country: United States; Running Time: 18 min

EMERGENCIA – 14+

Fototaxia
Director: Juan Castro
Country: Spain; Running Time: 5 min

Towerfall
Director: Bjorgvin Arnarson
Country: United States; Running Time: 9 min

THE STARLING GIRL – Interviews with Writer Director Laurel Parmet and Actors Eliza Scanlen, Lewis Pullman and Jimmi Simpson

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The Starling Girl is in select theaters today, May 12th.  Writer/Director Laurel Parmet and Stars Eliza Scanlen, Lewis Pullman and Jimmi Simpson joined our Gadi Elkon to talk about the feature film.

Greenwich Entertainment Acquires Award-Winning Documentary HERE. IS. BETTER

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Greenwich Entertainment announced today the acquisition of North American theatrical and TVOD distribution rights to HERE. IS. BETTER, the award-winning documentary film with unprecedented access inside therapy sessions of men and women Veterans battling posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The film premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival and has gone on to pick up accolades across the country on the festival circuit.

Greenwich will release the film in theaters on June 23, 2023, with a VOD release to follow on all major platforms timed to National PTSD Awareness Day on June 27, 2023.

Dominic Patten of Deadline Hollywood called the documentary: “One of the most moving films I have seen in years, documentary or otherwise.”

A soldier’s story is always personal, but never more than in HERE. IS. BETTER. This powerful feature length documentary offers a uniquely hopeful and impactful perspective on a rising mental health crisis in America. Every year, nearly 13 million adults suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the U.S. alone. Veterans are up to three times more likely to have PTSD than civilians.

HERE. IS. BETTER. follows four of these Veterans, each with diverse backgrounds and service experience, as they undergo the most clinically effective, evidence-based trauma psychotherapies for PTSD. Individuals featured in the film include former presidential hopeful Jason Kander, who shocked many when he left the Kansas City mayoral race in 2018 to seek treatment; a Vietnam War Veteran still haunted by events that occurred over 50 years ago; and the voices of so often overlooked women Veterans, all seeking the keys to unlock their places of hurt and pain.

With unprecedented access to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, HERE. IS. BETTER. interweaves these inspiring stories of men and women Veterans overcoming the debilitating effects of PTSD with treatments that can work, bringing hope to millions.

“The struggles of four former US military service members haunted by traumatic memories, years and sometimes decades after the events, becomes a dramatic, cathartic and hopeful story in the hands of Jack Youngelson and his team as we see the Vets gradually respond to the surprisingly efficacious treatments that have only recently begun to provide relief from PTSD with vast implications for not just Veterans of past and future wars but anyone suffering from the psychological aftermath of trauma,” suggests Greenwich co-president Edward Arentz.

HERE. IS. BETTER. is directed by Emmy Award-winner Jack Youngelson, produced by Emmy Award-winner Sian Edwards-Beal and David Beal of Green Hummingbird Entertainment, and co-produced by Chloe Hall. The film is edited by Karen K. H. Sim with cinematography by Daniel Carter. It features a score composed by David Baron and Jeremiah Fraites of the GRAMMY-nominated band The Lumineers, an original song by Josin, and an original end credit song by David Kushner and Wesley Schultz of The Lumineers.

 

BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER – A Review by Jenn Rohm

BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER – A Review by Jenn Rohm

In 2018 Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen came together to celebrate friendship and show that there is life, adventure, and laughter at age 65 and after.  Five years have passed, and we now have the second film Book Club: The Next Chapter.  The film starts during the pandemic with learning to use Zoom and Amazon delivering their next book to read.  Mini updates are provided to catch the audience up with where they are when they finally get to be in the same room at the same time again.  Carol (Steenburgen) had been cleaning and found an old journal about the group’s planned trip to Italy.  At that time Diane (Keaton) found out she was pregnant, and the group never took the trip.  The group decides now is the time to go.

The movie is very predictable, and the script didn’t allow for the strength of talent this cast could give.  Bergen has a few lines that come close to what I was expecting from this project.  That said the movie is cute and there were moments that had me giggling and others where laughter did take place.  I appreciated the pacing and the beautiful scenery of Italy.    

I would like to take a moment and talk about costuming.  There were no stereotypical elastic waist pants, floral house coats, or orthotics that I saw on the main cast.  Vivian (Fonda) was in current custom-tailored fashion and even when handed a Bride sash and tiny veil looked very refined and fashion-forward.  Carol (Steenburgen) was boho-chic with modern cut floral dresses that were figure flattering.  Sharon (Bergen) stayed true to her legal job power suits and post-retirement in slacks and button-down shirts in solids.  Diane (Keaton. Yes, her name and character name are the same) had her signature style of turtleneck or neck scarf, vests, wide-leg pants, and even a polka dot skirt.  This was accomplished by the talented Stefano De Nardis taking a turn from current standards and having the majority of the wardrobe made specifically for this film.  In an e-mail interview (with Leanne Delap) DeNardis wrote:

 “To me, ‘age appropriate’ means being able to have a personal style and let it out through clothing,” he said. “I believe more in ‘personality appropriate,’ than ‘age appropriate.’”  He continued on to advise, “So anything goes, even if it’s daring, as long as it respects the (not always simple to handle, after a certain age) features of the wearer.”

I am pleased to have another strong female cast movie that is filled with friendship and being honest even when the person needing to hear, doesn’t want to hear.  I do wonder if there had been less script and more your charter is here and needs to end you here what this cast would have delivered.

 

Director: Bill Holderman

Written By: Bill Holderman, Erin Simms

Cast: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen

MPAA Rating: PG – 13 for some strong language and suggestive material

Genres: Comedy

Selig Rating: 3 stars

Runtime: 1h 47m

Release Date: May 12, 2023

Trailer: Book Club: The Next Chapter Official Trailer

 

The Selig Rating Scale:

5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.

4 Stars – Good movie/show

3 Stars – OK movie/show

2 Stars – Well there was nothing else …

1 Star – Total waste of time.

SIFF Acquires Seattle Cinerama Theater

 

SIFF announced this evening its acquisition of the Seattle Cinerama Theater from the estate of Paul G. Allen. The announcement was made by SIFF Executive Director Tom Mara during the Opening Night celebration of the 49th Annual Seattle International Film Festival, which runs through May 21. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

“We are honored to take on stewardship of this historic theater. It’s a film venue adored by the community and speaks to the critical role SIFF plays in bringing the power and art of film to diverse audiences across our region,” said Mara. “So many of us have experienced the magic of this theater, and we are excited to carry on the vision and impact that Paul Allen started so many years ago.”

The venue first opened in 1963 to great fanfare but went into disrepair and by the late 1990s was in danger of being demolished. Investor and philanthropist Paul G. Allen purchased and restored the theater, creating an unmatched destination for blockbuster movies, independent film, and a variety of film festivals and events. The venue closed in 2020 and remained shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pursuant to Allen’s wishes, the Seattle Cinerama Theater was earmarked to be sold with all estate proceeds dedicated to philanthropy.

“We are so pleased about SIFF’s acquisition of the theater,” said Jody Allen, executor of the Allen Estate. “They are the ideal mission-driven organization to now shepherd this very special place, bring more film and movie lovers to downtown Seattle, and steward the venue and its role in our community for years to come.”

SIFF is Seattle’s leading year-round film organization that brings the best in international and independent film to the area with the Seattle International Film Festival, SIFF Cinema, and SIFF Education. The Festival will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024. SIFF has a long history of acquiring historic Seattle theaters including the Uptown Theater, which they reopened in 2011 as SIFF Cinema Uptown, and the historic Egyptian Theater in Capitol Hill, acquired in 2014 as SIFF Cinema Egyptian.

SIFF will reopen the theater later this year under a new name. It will become the fourth venue run by the nonprofit organization, alongside SIFF Film Center at Seattle Center, SIFF Cinema Uptown, and SIFF Cinema Egyptian—all of which offer experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world.

“We are grateful for the leadership of our board, and especially David and Linda Cornfield, who helped make this acquisition possible for SIFF. Our tireless board and generous donors continue to be stalwart supporters of SIFF and the entire Seattle film community,” Mara added.

Later this year, SIFF plans to launch a capital campaign to leverage community investment in the organization’s long-term mission, programs, reach and impact across the region.

More info at siff.net/cinerama.

BORN FREE: BIRTH IN AMERICA Streaming for Free this Mother’s Day

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Semi Retired Films in co-production with Digital Harvest Media has announced that their documentary BORN FREE: BIRTH IN AMERICA, investigating women’s birthing rights in the United States, will be released on streaming platforms for free on Mother’s Day.  The debut feature documentary from director Paula James-Martinez takes a deep dive into what it is like to have a baby in modern day America and asks the difficult questions to unlock why it is the most dangerous and most expensive nation in the developed world to give birth in.

Inspired by James-Martinez’s own childbirth experience, the documentary features a host of experts and maternal health advocates including Christy Turlington, equitable maternal outcomes expert Chanel Porchia-Albert, Charles Johnson, whose own wife died in childbirth, Senator Tammy Duckworth and Senator Joe Kennedy, amongst others, who discuss the impact of current medical system standards and ultimate failure for those who experience traumatic pregnancies.

Director Paula James-Martinez said, “Born Free is really a film asking the question, “why are things going so wrong?” If we look at having the worst maternal mortality rate in the US since 1965, it is an indication of the state of both women’s health and how we are caring for mothers. It’s showing pretty clearly that we are in crisis mode. Born Free aims to educate women and birthing people about the problems we are facing, but also ways in which to find solutions. Birth and motherhood certainly aren’t easy, but having a child is an act of hope, and I’m adamant that we can’t accept so many awful stories as the norm.“

BORN FREE: BIRTH IN AMERICA sheds light on the maternal health crises facing America and also led to the founding of the non-profit organization The Mother Lovers, which focuses on educating people to achieve healthier and safer birthing outcomes.

The United States is the only nation in the developed world with a rising maternal mortality rate. From 2019 to 2023, The number of maternal deaths per 100,000 births in the United States of America has increased by 40%. Today the U.S. has a maternal mortality rate of 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, the highest level since 1965.

Previously Fashion Director of Refinery 29, the world’s largest online women’s publication and with a background in fashion publishing as an editor for some of Europe’s most respected luxury style magazines, James-Martinez shot her first film in locations across the United States with an all-female crew.

The Mother’s Day AVOD streaming release for free across all platforms will allow even larger audiences to access the film, providing more women, mothers and families with knowledge about the current state of maternal health and giving them the tools to understand their right to the best possible care.

Created with support from The Mother Lovers and produced by Moon Cookie Media, BORN FREE: BIRTH IN AMERICA is directed by Paula James-Martinez and written by Paula James-Martinez and Steph Zenee Perez. Producers are Paula James-Martinez, Rebecca Dayan, Steph Zenee Perez and Lianne Turner, with Maritza Cayo co-producing.  The film is executive produced by Sara Ojjeh, Anthony James-Martinez, Vanessa Hope, Robert C. Profusek and Claire Olshan. Director of Photography is Seannie Bryan and the editor is Steph Zenee Perez. Art direction and visual effects are by Iskra Tirado Karadzhova and Chanel Porchia-Albert is Associate Producer.  Margot serves as the film’s composer with Johanna Cranitch as music supervisor and composer.

 

The film will be distributed by Rock Salt Releasing and made available for free on the following platforms: Tubi, Roku, Amazon’s Freevee, Plex, Local Now, Xumo, and Fawesome.

Louisiana Food & Wine Festival Announces Talent and Presenting Sponsor

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The inaugural Louisiana Food & Wine Festival, announced today Rouses Markets is the festival’s presenting sponsor, with Visit Lake Charles as hosting sponsor, September 14 – 17, 2023. The festival is a showcase of culinary, beverage, and music that highlights Louisiana’s unique culture and heritage, celebrity guest chefs, local chefs, celebrity winemakers/proprietors, artisans, farmers, musicians, authors, local craft spirits and beers, along with renowned wine, spirits, and beer brands from around the world. The festival offers a wide variety of events for all tastebuds and budgets, from wine dinners and tasting events, to intimate master classes.

The festival’s guest celebrity chefs included to date include: John Currence, City Grocery Restaurant Group, Oxford, MS; Edgar “Dook” Chase, Chapter IV, New Orleans, LA; Meg Bickford, Commander’s Palace, New Orleans, LA; Ryan Hacker, Brennan’s New Orleans, LA; Amanda Cusey, The Terrace, Lake Charles, LA, David Rose, TV Personality, Chef & Author, with additional talent announced soon.

Louisiana Food & Wine Festival Early Bird discount tickets expire on May 31, 2023 for its signature events. The United Way of Southwest Louisiana has been chosen as the festival’s Official Charity Partner, with a portion of the festival’s ticket proceeds, along with 100% of the proceeds from a silent auction on Saturday, September 16 at the Main Event, going directly to the United Way of Southwest Louisiana.

Schedule of Events

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
“Louisiana’s Celebrity Chef Wine Dinner” 6:00 pm Reception, 7:00 pm Dinner
Presented by Louisiana Seafood, SOWELA and Taste of the South magazine.
Location: SOWELA Culinary, Gaming and Hospitality Center
3841 Sen. J. Bennett Johnston Ave, Lake Charles, LA 70615

A gourmet food lover’s experience with a six-course dinner, featuring a host of Louisiana’s most celebrated chefs including: John Currence, City Grocery Restaurant Group, Oxford, MS; Edgar “Dook” Chase, Chapter IV, New Orleans, LA; Meg Bickford, Commander’s Palace, New Orleans, LA; Ryan Hacker, Brennan’s New Orleans, LA; Amanda Cusey, The Terrace, Lake Charles, LA and additional celebrity guests to be confirmed. Each course will be expertly paired with a wine from the vast portfolio from official festival winery partner, Jackson Family Wines. The dinner will also feature Jackson Family Wines Master Wine Educators, including a Master Sommelier/Master of Wine and national wine brand ambassadors.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
“Master Classes” 11:00 am – 4:00 pm, Presented by SOWELA
Location: SOWELA Culinary, Gaming and Hospitality Center
3841 Sen. J. Bennett Johnston Ave, Lake Charles, LA 70615

A series of interactive and intimate sessions with guest celebrity chefs, cookbook authors, beverage experts, tastemakers, artisans and more – classes to be announced soon.

“Fire on the Lake” 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, Bord du Lac Park, Lake Charles, LA,
Presented by Rouses Markets
Location: 1111 Bord du Lac Drive, Lake Charles, LA 70601

A quintessential Louisiana faire la fête and a live fire cooking extravaganza with a variety of meats, Louisiana Seafood and more – highlighted by some of the south’s most celebrated Pitmasters, celebrity guest chefs, local chefs and grill masters. Enjoy unlimited food and wine, beer, and spirits tastings with a souvenir glass, along with Zydeco from Horace Trahan & the Ossun Express, along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Charles.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
“Grand Tasting” 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Bord du Lac Park, Lake Charles, LA
Presented by Rouses Markets
Location: 1111 Bord du Lac Drive, Lake Charles, LA 70601

A fun afternoon of culinary and beverage tastings, with live music in the beautiful surroundings of the Bord du Lac Park. Tickets are all-inclusive for food and beverage tastings, including a souvenir glass for unlimited beverage tastings from hundreds of wines, beer and spirits exhibitors, Silent Auction, Rouses Markets Cooking Demonstration Stage, Louisiana Craft Brews Alley, presented by the Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild, Best Taste Awards, presented by Rouses and Acadiana Profile magazine, a “Taste of Louisiana Alley” presented by Explore Louisiana, Louisiana Seafood and Louisiana Cookin’ magazine with samplings from some of Louisiana’s best chefs from around the entire state.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
“Sunday Jazz Brunch” 11 am – 1:00 pm seating; 1 pm – 3:00 pm seating
Presented by Coffee:30/Southlake Theater
Location: 4720 Nelson Rd, suite 110, Lake Charles, LA 70605

This lively festival finale event, the Sunday Jazz Brunch will be one like no other, with an all-inclusive priced ticket featuring unlimited beverage tastings with a souvenir glass, live music, a lavish brunch with carving stations, Coffee:30 signature coffee drinks and beignet station, salad bars, Louisiana Seafood stations, made-to-order omelet stations, variety of desserts and more. A variety of the festival’s official beverage partners will participate with an impressive Bloody Mary Bar, Mimosas, sparkling wines, sprits, wine, beer and more.

SEPTEMBER 11 – 17
“Festival Happenings Week”

A variety of tastings, dinners and events taking place in partner restaurants, bars and more throughout Lake Charles during the week of the festival will be announced in July 2023.

The Louisiana Food & Wine Festival takes place September 14 – 17, 2023 with culinary, wine, beer and spirit tasting experiences. The most up to date festival information is available on the website, Louisiana Food & Wine Festival and the festival’s social media channels Facebook and Instagram.