It was 13 years ago that the world watched in horror as Dan Wheldon, nicknamed “The Lionheart,” was killed in a crash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. But for Dan’s widow, Susie, and their two sons, Sebastian and Oliver, the implications of that crash are still reverberating today. And now, they are sharing their story with the world. On Tuesday, March 12 at 9 p.m. Et, Max will premiere “The Lionheart” – a documentary that follows a dual narrative: the incredible career of two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon, as well as the present-day lives of Susie, and sons Sebastian, and Oliver, as they process their father’s death the only way they know how: racing cars. You can watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Max.
How to Watch 'The Lionheart' When: Tuesday, March 12, 2024 Where: Max Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Max. Free 7-Day Trial$9.99+ / month Max...
How to Watch 'The Lionheart' When: Tuesday, March 12, 2024 Where: Max Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Max. Free 7-Day Trial$9.99+ / month Max...
- 3/12/2024
- by Thomas Waschenfelder
- The Streamable
Matthias Schoenaerts and Kate Winslet in ‘The Regime’ (Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO)
Max’s March 2024 streaming lineup includes the premiere of The Regime starring Oscar winner Kate Winslet as a paranoid chancellor with major control issues. The streaming service’s March slate also includes the debut of The Girls on the Bus starring Melissa Benoist, Carla Gugino, Natasha Behnam, and Christina Elmore as political journalists.
Documentaries A Revolution on Canvas and The Lionheart along with the comedy docuseries Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show will premiere in March 2024. And Wonka and Dream Scenario make their streaming debuts.
Series & Films Arriving On Max In March 2024
March 1
127 Hours (2010)
Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015)
Baby Mama (2008)
The Ballad of Lefty Brown (2017)
The Best Man Holiday (2013)
Bullet Head (2018)
Cabaret (1972)
Captain Fantastic (2016)
Deadpool (2016)
Dear White People (2014)
Dope (2015)
The Expendables (2010)
The Expendables 2 (2012)
The Expendables 3 (2014)
The Farewell (2019)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Fruitvale Station (2013)
Godzilla...
Max’s March 2024 streaming lineup includes the premiere of The Regime starring Oscar winner Kate Winslet as a paranoid chancellor with major control issues. The streaming service’s March slate also includes the debut of The Girls on the Bus starring Melissa Benoist, Carla Gugino, Natasha Behnam, and Christina Elmore as political journalists.
Documentaries A Revolution on Canvas and The Lionheart along with the comedy docuseries Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show will premiere in March 2024. And Wonka and Dream Scenario make their streaming debuts.
Series & Films Arriving On Max In March 2024
March 1
127 Hours (2010)
Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015)
Baby Mama (2008)
The Ballad of Lefty Brown (2017)
The Best Man Holiday (2013)
Bullet Head (2018)
Cabaret (1972)
Captain Fantastic (2016)
Deadpool (2016)
Dear White People (2014)
Dope (2015)
The Expendables (2010)
The Expendables 2 (2012)
The Expendables 3 (2014)
The Farewell (2019)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Fruitvale Station (2013)
Godzilla...
- 2/26/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced plans Wednesday for 52 world premieres and 78 U.S. premieres spanning a total of 43 countries throughout the 11-day event.
“At a time where there’s a dwindling of movie theater attendance, the role of film festivals has never been more important,” said Sbiff executive director Roger Durling. “At Sbiff, with the 38th edition, our marching orders are clear, to celebrate movies and to nurture and exalt the film community, the artists as well as the cinephiles. It’s a great slate with 43 countries represented.”
The festival starts Feb. 8 with the world premiere of “Miranda’s Victim” from director-producer Michelle Danner. The period piece is set in the year 1963 and documents the true story of Patricia “Trish” Weir (Abigal Breslin), who attempts to put her abuser behind bars after being kidnapped and sexually assaulted at 18 years old.
Director Chandler Levack’s “I Like Movies” will...
“At a time where there’s a dwindling of movie theater attendance, the role of film festivals has never been more important,” said Sbiff executive director Roger Durling. “At Sbiff, with the 38th edition, our marching orders are clear, to celebrate movies and to nurture and exalt the film community, the artists as well as the cinephiles. It’s a great slate with 43 countries represented.”
The festival starts Feb. 8 with the world premiere of “Miranda’s Victim” from director-producer Michelle Danner. The period piece is set in the year 1963 and documents the true story of Patricia “Trish” Weir (Abigal Breslin), who attempts to put her abuser behind bars after being kidnapped and sexually assaulted at 18 years old.
Director Chandler Levack’s “I Like Movies” will...
- 1/18/2023
- by Katie Reul
- Variety Film + TV
The 38th edition of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which will run Feb. 8-18, will open with Miranda’s Victim, one of 52 world premieres in this year’s lineup, and will close with the U.S. premiere of I Like Movies, one of 78 U.S. premieres, the fest announced Wednesday.
These are, of course, in addition to a slew of the career-retrospective tributes for which the fest is famous, which this year will celebrate the likes of Cate Blanchett, Brendan Fraser, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, as well as panels with breakthrough artists, artisans, directors, writers, producers, female creatives and international filmmakers.
The fest will also offer a variety of free educational programs, including Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies (for 4,000-plus fourth through sixth grade students from low-income schools throughout Santa Barbara County), which this year will feature a screening of Guillermo del Toro...
These are, of course, in addition to a slew of the career-retrospective tributes for which the fest is famous, which this year will celebrate the likes of Cate Blanchett, Brendan Fraser, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, as well as panels with breakthrough artists, artisans, directors, writers, producers, female creatives and international filmmakers.
The fest will also offer a variety of free educational programs, including Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies (for 4,000-plus fourth through sixth grade students from low-income schools throughout Santa Barbara County), which this year will feature a screening of Guillermo del Toro...
- 1/18/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Santa Barbara Film Festival To Open With Abigail Breslin Drama ‘Miranda’s Victim’ As Full Lineup Set
The Santa Barbara Film Festival has today unveiled the lineup for its 38th edition, taking place in-person from February 8-18.
The festival will open with the world premiere of the courtroom drama Miranda’s Victim, from director Michelle Danner. Pic tells the true story of Trish Weir (Abigail Breslin), who in 1963 was kidnapped and brutally raped by Ernesto Miranda. Committed to putting her assailant in prison, Trish’s life is destroyed by America’s legal system as she triggers a law that transforms the nation. Ryan Phillippe, Luke Wilson, Donald Sutherland, Mireille Enos, Andy Garcia and more also star.
Closing out Sbiff 2023 is the Chandler Levack-directed I Like Movies, which makes its U.S. premiere. The film starring Isaiah Lehtinen, Romina D’Ugo, Krista Bridges and Percy Hynes White follows the socially inept, 17-year-old cinephile Lawrence (Lehtinen) as he gets a job at a video store, there forming a complicated...
The festival will open with the world premiere of the courtroom drama Miranda’s Victim, from director Michelle Danner. Pic tells the true story of Trish Weir (Abigail Breslin), who in 1963 was kidnapped and brutally raped by Ernesto Miranda. Committed to putting her assailant in prison, Trish’s life is destroyed by America’s legal system as she triggers a law that transforms the nation. Ryan Phillippe, Luke Wilson, Donald Sutherland, Mireille Enos, Andy Garcia and more also star.
Closing out Sbiff 2023 is the Chandler Levack-directed I Like Movies, which makes its U.S. premiere. The film starring Isaiah Lehtinen, Romina D’Ugo, Krista Bridges and Percy Hynes White follows the socially inept, 17-year-old cinephile Lawrence (Lehtinen) as he gets a job at a video store, there forming a complicated...
- 1/18/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
A documentary collection of five “story behind the story” looks at compelling chapters from the world of sports doesn’t happen by accident. Particularly in a corner of the entertainment world driven by injecting drama into events in whatever sport happens to be on display, athletes are no stranger to the process of seeing how stories are written in real time.
So when the filmmaking duo of Maclain and Chapman Way set out to collect a handful of sports world reevaluations for the Netflix series “Untold,” they knew exactly what they were looking for in potential subjects. After an enlightening conversation with former tennis pro Mardy Fish — the main participant in “Breaking Point,” the volume’s last chapter — the Ways met with around 20 different former sports stars before honing in on the five that would come to make up “Untold.”
“We talked to a lot of athletes and looked at...
So when the filmmaking duo of Maclain and Chapman Way set out to collect a handful of sports world reevaluations for the Netflix series “Untold,” they knew exactly what they were looking for in potential subjects. After an enlightening conversation with former tennis pro Mardy Fish — the main participant in “Breaking Point,” the volume’s last chapter — the Ways met with around 20 different former sports stars before honing in on the five that would come to make up “Untold.”
“We talked to a lot of athletes and looked at...
- 9/8/2021
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
“Untold” is ostensibly about sports, but there’s a curious connector across the new Netflix documentary series. In each of the five episodes, as the best laid plans of teams and athletes begin to unravel, TV ends up a catalyzing factor. Partly, that’s the inevitable byproduct of fame: More notoriety leads to more eyeballs and all the swirling problems that increased attention can bring.
But the parade of nightly news reports and late-night talk show guest spots also illustrates what makes “Untold” such an enticing premise to be seen through a sports lens. As the title implies, the series examines specific chapters in a variety of sports, offering the people at the center the chance to share their feelings years (or in some cases decades) later.
Some of these have a true-crime tinge to them, as with installments covering a minor league hockey team caught up in a federal...
But the parade of nightly news reports and late-night talk show guest spots also illustrates what makes “Untold” such an enticing premise to be seen through a sports lens. As the title implies, the series examines specific chapters in a variety of sports, offering the people at the center the chance to share their feelings years (or in some cases decades) later.
Some of these have a true-crime tinge to them, as with installments covering a minor league hockey team caught up in a federal...
- 8/10/2021
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
1. “The Chair” Season 1 (available August 20)
Why Should I Watch: Sandra Oh! Do you need another reason beyond Sandra Oh? Of course not, but perhaps you’re curious to know how much of the “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Killing Eve” star you’ll be getting. “The Chair” consists of six, half-hour episodes, all of which star Oh as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the new Chair of the English department at a prestigious (fictional) university tarnished by scandal. A professor (Jay Duplass) has been accused of improper behavior, and the investigation is made all the more complicated by a) his well-liked status within the community, and b) his possible relationship with Dr. Kim. Has she been promoted to guide the university into a new era, or is she the scapegoat to help the old guard escape any blame for their current predicament?
Bonus Reason: Amanda Peet! No, the “Brockmire” and “Togetherness” star isn’t...
Why Should I Watch: Sandra Oh! Do you need another reason beyond Sandra Oh? Of course not, but perhaps you’re curious to know how much of the “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Killing Eve” star you’ll be getting. “The Chair” consists of six, half-hour episodes, all of which star Oh as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the new Chair of the English department at a prestigious (fictional) university tarnished by scandal. A professor (Jay Duplass) has been accused of improper behavior, and the investigation is made all the more complicated by a) his well-liked status within the community, and b) his possible relationship with Dr. Kim. Has she been promoted to guide the university into a new era, or is she the scapegoat to help the old guard escape any blame for their current predicament?
Bonus Reason: Amanda Peet! No, the “Brockmire” and “Togetherness” star isn’t...
- 8/1/2021
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
FX released a teaser for “American Horror Story: Double Feature,” premiering on Aug. 25 at 10 p.m.
The 10th installment of “American Horror Story,” which will be available the next day on FX on Hulu, will begin with “Part 1: Red Tide” and “Part 2: Death Valley.” In the teaser, worlds collide as aliens and sharp-toothed humanoids French kiss.
The series is created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, who executive produce alongside Alexis Martin Woodall, John J. Gray and Manny Coto.
Watch the trailer below.
Also in today’s TV news roundup:
Dates
Amazon Prime Video announced that the fourth and final season of “Goliath” will premiere on Sept. 24. In the final season, Billy (Bob Thornton), returns to his Big Law roots after Patty (Nina Arianda) takes a job at a prestigious firm in San Francisco. As their partnership is put to the test, they attempt to take down the opioid industry.
The 10th installment of “American Horror Story,” which will be available the next day on FX on Hulu, will begin with “Part 1: Red Tide” and “Part 2: Death Valley.” In the teaser, worlds collide as aliens and sharp-toothed humanoids French kiss.
The series is created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, who executive produce alongside Alexis Martin Woodall, John J. Gray and Manny Coto.
Watch the trailer below.
Also in today’s TV news roundup:
Dates
Amazon Prime Video announced that the fourth and final season of “Goliath” will premiere on Sept. 24. In the final season, Billy (Bob Thornton), returns to his Big Law roots after Patty (Nina Arianda) takes a job at a prestigious firm in San Francisco. As their partnership is put to the test, they attempt to take down the opioid industry.
- 7/27/2021
- by Jennifer Yuma and Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix is preparing to tell the untold stories in the world of sports with their upcoming docuseries, titled appropriately enough, “Untold.” The trailer below gives a sneak peek at the five feature-length episodes, two of which are helmed by “Wild Wild Country” directors Chapman and Maclein Way (who also executive produce the full series).
The synopsis, per Netflix:
Premiering weekly, each film kicks off at a pivotal moment — the big fight, the Olympics, the playoffs — and then delves deep into what happened beyond the headlines, as told by those who lived it, to reveal the grit, resilience, heartbreak, triumph, violence, comedy, and pathos beneath the sweat.
Whether it’s the famous “Malice at the Palace” Pacers-Pistons brawl finally being unraveled by those who were on the inside, Olympian Caitlyn Jenner reflecting on her journey to winning gold, boxer Christy Martin in the fight of her life outside the ring, professional...
The synopsis, per Netflix:
Premiering weekly, each film kicks off at a pivotal moment — the big fight, the Olympics, the playoffs — and then delves deep into what happened beyond the headlines, as told by those who lived it, to reveal the grit, resilience, heartbreak, triumph, violence, comedy, and pathos beneath the sweat.
Whether it’s the famous “Malice at the Palace” Pacers-Pistons brawl finally being unraveled by those who were on the inside, Olympian Caitlyn Jenner reflecting on her journey to winning gold, boxer Christy Martin in the fight of her life outside the ring, professional...
- 7/27/2021
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Bridget Stokes is set to direct and co-executive produce Apple’s new live-action kids series Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show, from Jack McBrayer (30 Rock), Angela C. Santomero (Blue’s Clues), 9 Story Media Group (Blue’s Clues & You!), Oscar-nominated Brown Bag Films (Doc McStuffins) and Jax Media.
Co-created by McBrayer, who also stars, and Santomero, Hello Jack! invites preschoolers into a world where a little act of kindness can change the world. Alongside special guest stars, McBrayer inspires kids to solve problems with kindness and heart. The series showcases stories where acts of kindness are shown through “The Three C’s” – caring, connecting and cascading – from one person to another. The series also features original songs from the Grammy Award-winning band, Ok Go.
Hello Jack! The Kindness Show was given a straight-to-series order by Apple last month. McBrayer and Santomero executive produce with Wendy Harris and Vince Commisso. Guy Toubes...
Co-created by McBrayer, who also stars, and Santomero, Hello Jack! invites preschoolers into a world where a little act of kindness can change the world. Alongside special guest stars, McBrayer inspires kids to solve problems with kindness and heart. The series showcases stories where acts of kindness are shown through “The Three C’s” – caring, connecting and cascading – from one person to another. The series also features original songs from the Grammy Award-winning band, Ok Go.
Hello Jack! The Kindness Show was given a straight-to-series order by Apple last month. McBrayer and Santomero executive produce with Wendy Harris and Vince Commisso. Guy Toubes...
- 6/15/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
In the age of wokeness and empathic inclusivity, Rachel Dolezal might be one of the most tone deaf people in America. In 2015, she became infamous when it was revealed that Dolezal—the then-President of the NAACP chapter in Spokane, Washington—was not African American and had lied about being Black. Dolezal had appropriated Blackness, and lied about hate crimes perpetrated against her. Afterward, she doubled down on the idea that she was Black and misguidedly leaned into the idea that she was “transracial.” So when it was announced the controversial figure would be the subject a new Netflix documentary— “The Rachel Divide,” directed by Laura Brownson— the idea was met with outrage fierce backlash.
- 4/27/2018
- by Valerie Complex
- The Playlist
It's perhaps not surprising that a documentary about controversial figure Rachel Dolezal, the former NAACP head revealed in 2015 to be a white woman pretending to be a black woman, would generate a lively debate full of provocative questions.
And that's exactly what happened when the Netflix film about Dolezal, titled <em>The Rachel Divide</em>, had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Laura Brownson directed and co-wrote the doc about Dolezal (now named Nkechi Amare Diallo).
The film explores Dolezal's past and shows what happened after she made headlines and how she's rebuilt her life....
And that's exactly what happened when the Netflix film about Dolezal, titled <em>The Rachel Divide</em>, had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Laura Brownson directed and co-wrote the doc about Dolezal (now named Nkechi Amare Diallo).
The film explores Dolezal's past and shows what happened after she made headlines and how she's rebuilt her life....
- 4/25/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Rachel Dolezal doesn’t get it. In Laura Brownson’s intimate documentary, “The Rachel Divide,” the controversial figure gets another platform to tell her life story as a “transracial” civil rights activist unable to come to terms with the impact of her lies. While the film inspires the kind of empathy that’s so often missing in works that chronicle people ravaged by social media mobs and a vicious news cycle, “The Rachel Divide” lets Dolezal continue to dictate the experience through her own perspective, and even hard-hitting words from a handful of sharp critics are drowned out by Dolezal’s unflagging resistance to facing up to her misdeeds.
At one point in the film, a talking head muses about the various open questions still remaining about Dolezal, coming to the conclusion that two disparate facts about her can both be true at the same time, which eventually emerges as...
At one point in the film, a talking head muses about the various open questions still remaining about Dolezal, coming to the conclusion that two disparate facts about her can both be true at the same time, which eventually emerges as...
- 4/25/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
It's perhaps not surprising that a documentary about controversial figure Rachel Dolezal, the former NAACP head revealed in 2015 to be a white woman pretending to be a black woman, would generate a lively debate full of provocative questions.
And that's exactly what happened when the Netflix film about Dolezal, titled The Rachel Divide, had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Laura Brownson directed and co-wrote the doc about Dolezal (now named Nkechi Amare Diallo).
The film explores Dolezal's past and shows what happened after she made headlines and how she's rebuilt her life. In doing so,...
And that's exactly what happened when the Netflix film about Dolezal, titled The Rachel Divide, had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Laura Brownson directed and co-wrote the doc about Dolezal (now named Nkechi Amare Diallo).
The film explores Dolezal's past and shows what happened after she made headlines and how she's rebuilt her life. In doing so,...
- 4/25/2018
- by Zoe Haylock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Documentary filmmaker Laura Brownson has chosen to make a film about Rachel Dolezal, the former president of an NAACP chapter in Spokane, Washington, who was outed as white and formerly blonde-haired by a news reporter in 2015. The vague title that Brownson has chosen is “The Rachel Divide,” which would suggest that there might be something to debate in Dolezal’s story. This most certainly is not the case.
Dolezal wears her hair in elaborate dreadlocks most of the time in this film (which premieres April 27 on Netflix) and sometimes sports a curly wig. Her hairdos are so over-the-top that they look like they were meant to attract attention, and attention is clearly something that Dolezal craves, whatever she might say to the contrary. She refuses to give up her hairdos, which have become her trademark. What we are dealing with here seems to be a pathology where Dolezal is seeking negative attention and abuse. If she doesn’t get that negative attention or abuse, Dolezal is not above fabricating it.
“Who’s the gatekeeper for blackness?” Dolezal asks at one point, in her thin, nagging, disembodied voice. We see her raising her two teenaged male sons, who have to deal with the trouble she brings wherever they go. And when the expected sob story of her past finally emerges, it proves to be just as thin as her speaking voice.
Watch Video: Rachel Dolezal Ripped by Son in Trailer for New Netflix Doc: 'I Resent Some of Her Choices'
Dolezal was raised by white parents who were very religious and who favored her older brother. Dolezal’s parents adopted four other children, all of whom were African-American, and they lived in a very white area of Montana. Dolezal’s adopted sister Esther is the only family member we see much of in the film. (Her parents are only seen via interviews from television news sources.) Esther shows us scars from beatings she claims to have gotten from her adoptive parents, and she says that she was sexually abused by Dolezal’s older brother. Esther brought a court case against this brother that Dolezal herself was participating in, but this fell apart after Dolezal was exposed in 2015.
If Brownson was so set upon making a film about Dolezal, surely she should have pressed more into this family history and pressed Dolezal herself about it. We do see Dolezal attacked and pressed throughout this movie, but by journalists, college students, and former colleagues at the NAACP, and their verbal attacks are increasingly scathing and un-answerable.
Also Read: Rachel Dolezal Slammed for 'Coolest Prince on the Planet' Sweatshirt After H&M Gaffe
Dolezal desperately tries to align herself with absurd terms like “trans racial” in order to try to find some way of making her way of life acceptable, but she always comes up short, and it is impossible to have any sympathy for her because she is so transparently a manipulator and a guilt-tripper. Dolezal gives herself away particularly here in the moment when she says that the negative response she got in the wake of her public outing made her think of her abusive parents.
It seems clear that Dolezal is seeking condemnation, and that she likely wanted to be exposed because only that would give her the twisted form of attention she is seeking. But all of this is a subject only for a psychologist, and it’s not even a particularly interesting subject. Dolezal’s story has nothing to do with race or racial perceptions beyond the racial performance element in her self-presentation that calls up all kinds of ugly memories of white entertainers performing in blackface.
The mark of a successful documentary, and a worthy subject for a documentary, is how much it can make us think about and consider various issues and various complications. There is nothing complicated about Rachel Dolezal’s story. It turns out to be small and far too specific to have any bearing on anything beyond the sickness of one highly unpleasant and repellent individual.
Watch Video: Rachel Dolezal Blames 'White Media' for Her Troubles
So why did Brownson choose to extend Dolezal’s 15 minutes of fame with this movie rather than celebrate or tell the story of an actual living African-American woman? The answer is that Dolezal is basically outrage clickbait in human form, and so Brownson is using Dolezal’s negative attention seeking to get attention for herself as a filmmaker. Nothing beyond that has been accomplished here.
Brownson winds things up with a montage of photos from Dolezal’s youth where we can see that as a teenager she dressed up several times in Asian garb, and so she seems to have had an Asian period as well. Whatever other racial identities Dolezal decides to try out in the future will hopefully be performed in obscurity.
Read original story ‘The Rachel Divide’ Film Review: Rachel Dolezal Doc Is Non-Illuminating Clickbait At TheWrap...
Dolezal wears her hair in elaborate dreadlocks most of the time in this film (which premieres April 27 on Netflix) and sometimes sports a curly wig. Her hairdos are so over-the-top that they look like they were meant to attract attention, and attention is clearly something that Dolezal craves, whatever she might say to the contrary. She refuses to give up her hairdos, which have become her trademark. What we are dealing with here seems to be a pathology where Dolezal is seeking negative attention and abuse. If she doesn’t get that negative attention or abuse, Dolezal is not above fabricating it.
“Who’s the gatekeeper for blackness?” Dolezal asks at one point, in her thin, nagging, disembodied voice. We see her raising her two teenaged male sons, who have to deal with the trouble she brings wherever they go. And when the expected sob story of her past finally emerges, it proves to be just as thin as her speaking voice.
Watch Video: Rachel Dolezal Ripped by Son in Trailer for New Netflix Doc: 'I Resent Some of Her Choices'
Dolezal was raised by white parents who were very religious and who favored her older brother. Dolezal’s parents adopted four other children, all of whom were African-American, and they lived in a very white area of Montana. Dolezal’s adopted sister Esther is the only family member we see much of in the film. (Her parents are only seen via interviews from television news sources.) Esther shows us scars from beatings she claims to have gotten from her adoptive parents, and she says that she was sexually abused by Dolezal’s older brother. Esther brought a court case against this brother that Dolezal herself was participating in, but this fell apart after Dolezal was exposed in 2015.
If Brownson was so set upon making a film about Dolezal, surely she should have pressed more into this family history and pressed Dolezal herself about it. We do see Dolezal attacked and pressed throughout this movie, but by journalists, college students, and former colleagues at the NAACP, and their verbal attacks are increasingly scathing and un-answerable.
Also Read: Rachel Dolezal Slammed for 'Coolest Prince on the Planet' Sweatshirt After H&M Gaffe
Dolezal desperately tries to align herself with absurd terms like “trans racial” in order to try to find some way of making her way of life acceptable, but she always comes up short, and it is impossible to have any sympathy for her because she is so transparently a manipulator and a guilt-tripper. Dolezal gives herself away particularly here in the moment when she says that the negative response she got in the wake of her public outing made her think of her abusive parents.
It seems clear that Dolezal is seeking condemnation, and that she likely wanted to be exposed because only that would give her the twisted form of attention she is seeking. But all of this is a subject only for a psychologist, and it’s not even a particularly interesting subject. Dolezal’s story has nothing to do with race or racial perceptions beyond the racial performance element in her self-presentation that calls up all kinds of ugly memories of white entertainers performing in blackface.
The mark of a successful documentary, and a worthy subject for a documentary, is how much it can make us think about and consider various issues and various complications. There is nothing complicated about Rachel Dolezal’s story. It turns out to be small and far too specific to have any bearing on anything beyond the sickness of one highly unpleasant and repellent individual.
Watch Video: Rachel Dolezal Blames 'White Media' for Her Troubles
So why did Brownson choose to extend Dolezal’s 15 minutes of fame with this movie rather than celebrate or tell the story of an actual living African-American woman? The answer is that Dolezal is basically outrage clickbait in human form, and so Brownson is using Dolezal’s negative attention seeking to get attention for herself as a filmmaker. Nothing beyond that has been accomplished here.
Brownson winds things up with a montage of photos from Dolezal’s youth where we can see that as a teenager she dressed up several times in Asian garb, and so she seems to have had an Asian period as well. Whatever other racial identities Dolezal decides to try out in the future will hopefully be performed in obscurity.
Read original story ‘The Rachel Divide’ Film Review: Rachel Dolezal Doc Is Non-Illuminating Clickbait At TheWrap...
- 4/24/2018
- by Dan Callahan
- The Wrap
After working for years as president of the Spokane, Wash., chapter of the NAACP, Rachel Dolezal made national headlines in 2015 when it was revealed that she was a white woman — a designation she staunchly rejected, saying she identified as black. Laura Brownson’s intimate and canny “The Rachel Divide” picks up with Dolezal shortly after that tumultuous moment and charts her uneasy process of self-definition in the searing media spotlight. The portrait it paints is sure to confound and infuriate in equal measure. Far from simply a snapshot of a discussion about race, Brownson’s documentary is a riveting account of self-sabotage, misplaced priorities, and obstinacy run amok. Following its premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, it should be a big draw on Netflix.
The film’s title refers far more to Dolezal’s internal struggle than to the debate surrounding her, since virtually everyone featured in Brownson’s doc,...
The film’s title refers far more to Dolezal’s internal struggle than to the debate surrounding her, since virtually everyone featured in Brownson’s doc,...
- 4/24/2018
- by Nick Schager
- Variety Film + TV
Frank Wuterich, Sandra Bland and Rachel Dolezal captured the attention of the country for weeks, sometimes months, only to eventually be eclipsed by fresher faces in the news.
But documentary filmmakers couldn’t forget their stories – or those of other news makers. So they decided to investigate further, peeling back the proverbial onion on stories that had once been under a short-term microscope. The result is seven documentaries at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival that explore the truths, the lies and the aftermath of stories we thought that we knew.
Michael Epstein got the idea to make “House Two” 12 years ago when he read about the 2005 Haditha, Iraq, massacre, where U.S. Marines killed 24 unarmed Iraqi men, women, and children — some of them at close range inside a small bedroom.
“I began working on this film when the massacre was a part of media diet,” Epstein says. “I thought I...
But documentary filmmakers couldn’t forget their stories – or those of other news makers. So they decided to investigate further, peeling back the proverbial onion on stories that had once been under a short-term microscope. The result is seven documentaries at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival that explore the truths, the lies and the aftermath of stories we thought that we knew.
Michael Epstein got the idea to make “House Two” 12 years ago when he read about the 2005 Haditha, Iraq, massacre, where U.S. Marines killed 24 unarmed Iraqi men, women, and children — some of them at close range inside a small bedroom.
“I began working on this film when the massacre was a part of media diet,” Epstein says. “I thought I...
- 4/18/2018
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Documentaries are hotter than ever, but their production and distribution is in constant flux. In 2017, major companies were shelling out huge dollars to acquire documentaries, dramatically shifting the scales for the budgets and value of nonfiction. Then everything changed at Sundance 2018, when contrary to expectations, Netflix and Amazon deescalated the marketplace they had super-sized a year before.
At the Park City festival, Netflix acquired a single doc, “Shirkers”; Amazon hasn’t acquired a completed documentary since Matthew Heineman’s “City of Ghosts” from 2017. “It’s like night and day,” said one documentary producer. While Amazon’s strategy remains unclear, Netflix has refocused its resources on producing documentaries in-house.
Both companies declined to comment for this article. But it’s clear that their recent absence from the market has had impact — deals have taken longer to close and the price-tags have been reduced.
“We’re having to educate producers and financiers...
At the Park City festival, Netflix acquired a single doc, “Shirkers”; Amazon hasn’t acquired a completed documentary since Matthew Heineman’s “City of Ghosts” from 2017. “It’s like night and day,” said one documentary producer. While Amazon’s strategy remains unclear, Netflix has refocused its resources on producing documentaries in-house.
Both companies declined to comment for this article. But it’s clear that their recent absence from the market has had impact — deals have taken longer to close and the price-tags have been reduced.
“We’re having to educate producers and financiers...
- 4/17/2018
- by Anthony Kaufman
- Indiewire
Now in its seventeenth year, New York City’s own Tribeca Film Festival kicks off every spring with a wide variety of programming, from an ever-expanding Vr installation to an enviable television lineup, but the bulk of the annual festival’s programming is movies. This year’s festival offers up plenty of familiar faces with new projects alongside newcomers. While Tribeca’s documentaries tend to be its high point, there are plenty of narratives features worth checking out this year as well. We’ve culled this list from a program that consists of 96 titles.
This year’s Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 18 – 29. Check out some of our must-see picks below.
“Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda”
One of the most influential, prolific, and flat-out enjoyable composers of the last 30 years, Ryuichi Sakamoto exploded onto the scene by writing unforgettable scores for films like “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” and “The Last Emperor,...
This year’s Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 18 – 29. Check out some of our must-see picks below.
“Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda”
One of the most influential, prolific, and flat-out enjoyable composers of the last 30 years, Ryuichi Sakamoto exploded onto the scene by writing unforgettable scores for films like “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” and “The Last Emperor,...
- 4/16/2018
- by Kate Erbland, Eric Kohn, David Ehrlich, Jude Dry and Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
The International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival (Iprhff) kicks off Wednesday Nov. 13th in Nueva York City celebrating the best in Boricua filmmaking. Opening with crowd-pleaser El Clown, Iprhff started just 3 years ago to pay tribute to the legacy of Puerto Ricans, they have a steady roster of films showcasing “pioneering, historically significant films and documentaries, contemporary shorts and features, and other innovative films”. This years spokesperson is no other Rockaway Beach native, Lauren Velez (Dexter). While the festival is still in its young stages and some of these films have been in release (and some shot years ago) it's still a treat for those yet to discover them. LatinoBuzz picked out some of our faves.
Babygirl, (81 minutes)
Director: Macdara Vallely
Producer: Alan Maher, R. Paul Miller, Felix Werner, Kathrin Werner
Set in the Bronx, Babygirl is a bitter-sweet drama about teenager Lena who, since she can remember, has watched her mom Lucy squander her life on a series of deadbeat men. When Victor, her mom’s latest boy toy, starts hitting on her Lena sets up an elaborate honey-trap, hoping to show her mom what a scumbag the guy really is. But the plan backfires. Trapped in a twisted love-triangle between Victor and her mom, Lena finally realizes that the only way out is to stand up and finally confront some difficult home truths. Baby girl premiered at last years Tribeca where lead actress Yainis Ynoa was greatly acclaimed but oddly enough the film didn't get the festival attention it deserved, it did get a limited release.
Trailer
El Clown , (105 minutes)
Director: Pedro Adorno, Emilio Rodriguez
Producer: Emilio Rodriguez
El Clown, Emilio Rodriguez and Pedro Adorno’s tale of a circus clown’s rise to stardom as a pitchman, tracks the erosion of creativity through corporate branding with a healthy dose of absurdism. Pic’s sly portrait of the artist as a conflicted clown is rich in the meticulous craftsmanship it celebrates, its consummate slapstick deflating any overwrought Pagliacci operatics or facile art-vs.-commerce preciousness. Intelligent crowd-pleaser reps a rousing triumph for the burgeoning Puerto Rican film industry and, with savvy handling, could conjure a niche for itself under the indie big top. —Variety
Trailer
Lemon , (85 minutes)
Director: Laura Brownson, Beth Levinson
Producer: Dan Cogan, Stan Lathan, Russell Simmons
Three-time felon. One-time Tony award winner. Lemon Andersen is a pioneering poet whose words speak for a generation. But Lemon has landed back in the ‘hood, living in the projects with thirteen family members and desperate for a way out. So he turns to the only thing he has left, his pen and his past. In this intricately crafted documentary, Lemon follows one man’s harrowing journey to bring his life story to the stage while battling the demons from his past.
Trailer
Read our interview with Lemon Andersen Here
Machetero , (99 minutes)
Director: Vagabond Beaumont
Producer: Vagabond Beaumont
Post 9/11 definitions, ideas and notions of terrorism are challenged in this highly controversial and experimental film. Machetero is an allegorical narrative that follows French journalist Jean Dumont played by Isaach de Bankolé (The Keeper, Ghost Dog, Coffee and Cigarettes, Mandalay) to a New York prison where he interviews Pedro Taino a so called “Puerto Rican Terrorist” played by Not4Prophet (lead singer of the Puerto Punk band Ricanstruction). Pedro is a self-described Machetero fighting to free Puerto Rico from the yoke of United States colonialism. He is obsessed with freedom, freedom for his country, his people and for himself. Jean questions Pedro about his decisions to use violence as a means to achieve that freedom. As Jean and Pedro speak, another story unfolds. A ghetto youth played by Kelvin Fernandez (in his first starring role) grows up in the ghetto streets and crosses paths with Pedro. Pedro sees potential in the ghetto youth and reawakens a revolutionary spirit instilled in from childhood by a mentor in Puerto Rico.
Trailer
Read our interview with Vagabond Beaumont Here
For their roster and schedule check them out Here
Written by Juan Caceres. LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook.
Babygirl, (81 minutes)
Director: Macdara Vallely
Producer: Alan Maher, R. Paul Miller, Felix Werner, Kathrin Werner
Set in the Bronx, Babygirl is a bitter-sweet drama about teenager Lena who, since she can remember, has watched her mom Lucy squander her life on a series of deadbeat men. When Victor, her mom’s latest boy toy, starts hitting on her Lena sets up an elaborate honey-trap, hoping to show her mom what a scumbag the guy really is. But the plan backfires. Trapped in a twisted love-triangle between Victor and her mom, Lena finally realizes that the only way out is to stand up and finally confront some difficult home truths. Baby girl premiered at last years Tribeca where lead actress Yainis Ynoa was greatly acclaimed but oddly enough the film didn't get the festival attention it deserved, it did get a limited release.
Trailer
El Clown , (105 minutes)
Director: Pedro Adorno, Emilio Rodriguez
Producer: Emilio Rodriguez
El Clown, Emilio Rodriguez and Pedro Adorno’s tale of a circus clown’s rise to stardom as a pitchman, tracks the erosion of creativity through corporate branding with a healthy dose of absurdism. Pic’s sly portrait of the artist as a conflicted clown is rich in the meticulous craftsmanship it celebrates, its consummate slapstick deflating any overwrought Pagliacci operatics or facile art-vs.-commerce preciousness. Intelligent crowd-pleaser reps a rousing triumph for the burgeoning Puerto Rican film industry and, with savvy handling, could conjure a niche for itself under the indie big top. —Variety
Trailer
Lemon , (85 minutes)
Director: Laura Brownson, Beth Levinson
Producer: Dan Cogan, Stan Lathan, Russell Simmons
Three-time felon. One-time Tony award winner. Lemon Andersen is a pioneering poet whose words speak for a generation. But Lemon has landed back in the ‘hood, living in the projects with thirteen family members and desperate for a way out. So he turns to the only thing he has left, his pen and his past. In this intricately crafted documentary, Lemon follows one man’s harrowing journey to bring his life story to the stage while battling the demons from his past.
Trailer
Read our interview with Lemon Andersen Here
Machetero , (99 minutes)
Director: Vagabond Beaumont
Producer: Vagabond Beaumont
Post 9/11 definitions, ideas and notions of terrorism are challenged in this highly controversial and experimental film. Machetero is an allegorical narrative that follows French journalist Jean Dumont played by Isaach de Bankolé (The Keeper, Ghost Dog, Coffee and Cigarettes, Mandalay) to a New York prison where he interviews Pedro Taino a so called “Puerto Rican Terrorist” played by Not4Prophet (lead singer of the Puerto Punk band Ricanstruction). Pedro is a self-described Machetero fighting to free Puerto Rico from the yoke of United States colonialism. He is obsessed with freedom, freedom for his country, his people and for himself. Jean questions Pedro about his decisions to use violence as a means to achieve that freedom. As Jean and Pedro speak, another story unfolds. A ghetto youth played by Kelvin Fernandez (in his first starring role) grows up in the ghetto streets and crosses paths with Pedro. Pedro sees potential in the ghetto youth and reawakens a revolutionary spirit instilled in from childhood by a mentor in Puerto Rico.
Trailer
Read our interview with Vagabond Beaumont Here
For their roster and schedule check them out Here
Written by Juan Caceres. LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook.
- 11/13/2013
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
This year started off with a Bang (with a capital 'B') for Latino film festivals. Although Latino representation at Miami is a given, it wasn't as obvious at Sundance as in previous years and is a ghost town at Tribeca leaving SXSW, as always, to pick up the slack for the “mainstream” festivals. But, it was the Latino film festivals that really pushed the rainbow of Latino cinema upon the festival landscape. San Diego Latino (Sdlff) had, in my opinion, its strongest lineup in many years. They celebrated their 20th anniversary by showcasing classics that Sdlff had screened over the years, giving the audience a chance to fall in love with them on the big screen all over again. CineFestival in Tejas, who has always played by the beat of their own drum, dropped the mic on everyone by announcing the Latino Writers Project Lab, a collaboration with Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, which will give filmmakers telling 'American Latino' stories a venue to have their projects mentored. Next up we have three diverse festivals with the Chicago Latino Film Festival celebrating its 29th year, Cine Las Americas in Austin, TX who very much embody their local community with an 'Hecho en Texas' and Youth specific programs, and then there's a new kid on the block in Philly, the Filadelfia Latin American Film Festival. In only its 2nd year, they have put together a two day event to bring Latino films to an underserved vibrant city. LatinoBuzz painstakingly selected our personal top picks that we think are a “must-see.” But don't just take our word for it, check out their websites for full listings and see for yourself how fly Latino cinema really is!
Chicago Latino Film Festival
The Precocious and Brief Life of Sabina Rivas (La Vida Precoz y Breve de Sabina Rivas) – Mexico
Dir. Luis Mandoki
Honduran teenager Sabina Rivas intends to get to the United States, harboring dreams of becoming a famous singer and distancing herself from her former young lover, Jovany, now a vicious gang member.
The Wild Ones (Los niños salvajes) – Spain
Dir. Patricia Ferreira
Alex, Oky and Gabi are three angry, misunderstood teens from Barcelona who have to deal with parents who have completely forgotten that they too were once teens; parents who, on most occasions, blame their children for their unfulfilled dreams. The trio has dreams and ambitions of their own and they love to test the limits imposed by society. But push comes to shove and Oky commits an unforgivable act that will leave many in shock in this thoughtful and sober drama.
Nevertheless (Y Sin Embargo) - Cuba
Dir. Rudy Mora
Lapatun is late for his math exam at a music school; to justify his tardiness he invents a wild story about having seen a UFO and spoken with its crew. The school is turned upside down by Lapatun’s claims; with some students demanding his expulsion and some teachers questioning the role creativity plays in a child’s education.
Cine Las Americas
Dust (Polvo) – Guatemala
Dir. Julio Hernández Cordón
In a small Guatemalan village where many were "disappeared" during the country's civil war, a troubled young man struggles with the memory of his murdered father — and the nearby presence of the man who turned his father in.
From Tuesday To Sunday (De Jueves A Domingo) – Chile
Dir. Dominga Sotomayor
Two children travel with their parents from Santiago Chile to the north of Chile for a family holiday. The landscape's loneliness and the car's confinement help bring out the couple's troubles and the children learn that this might turn out to be their father's farewell and their last family vacation.
Delusions of Grandeur – USA
Dir. Iris Almaraz, Gustavo Ramos
In the mid-1990s a medicated grungy girl stopped taking her medication (Prozac), crossed over a rainbow, and became a woman in a crazy, wonderful place called San Francisco. Lulu, Rocio, and Illusion are struggling with the sexuality and gender roles that we all play. It is said that there is someone for everyone, and the heroines in this story put that theory to the test in a city with a history of love at its core - but will they respect themselves in the morning?
Filadelfia Latin American Film Festival
Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos) – Chile
Dir. Andres Wood
Violeta Went To Heaven tells the story of the iconic Chilean singer and folklorist Violeta Parra, tracing her evolution from impoverished child to international sensation and Chile's national hero, while capturing the swirling intensity of her inner contradictions, fallibilities, and passions.
Lemon – USA
Dir. Laura Brownson, Beth Levison
Three-time felon. One-time Tony award winner. Lemon Andersen is a pioneering poet whose words speak for a generation. But Lemon has landed back in the 'hood, living in the projects with thirteen family members and desperate for a way out. So he turns to the only thing he has left, his pen and his past
7 Boxes (7 Cajas) – Paraguay
Dir. Juan Carlos Maneglia, Tana Schémbor
Víctor receives an unusual proposal, to carry 7 boxes of unknown content through the Market Number 4 but things get complicated along the way.
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook.
Chicago Latino Film Festival
The Precocious and Brief Life of Sabina Rivas (La Vida Precoz y Breve de Sabina Rivas) – Mexico
Dir. Luis Mandoki
Honduran teenager Sabina Rivas intends to get to the United States, harboring dreams of becoming a famous singer and distancing herself from her former young lover, Jovany, now a vicious gang member.
The Wild Ones (Los niños salvajes) – Spain
Dir. Patricia Ferreira
Alex, Oky and Gabi are three angry, misunderstood teens from Barcelona who have to deal with parents who have completely forgotten that they too were once teens; parents who, on most occasions, blame their children for their unfulfilled dreams. The trio has dreams and ambitions of their own and they love to test the limits imposed by society. But push comes to shove and Oky commits an unforgivable act that will leave many in shock in this thoughtful and sober drama.
Nevertheless (Y Sin Embargo) - Cuba
Dir. Rudy Mora
Lapatun is late for his math exam at a music school; to justify his tardiness he invents a wild story about having seen a UFO and spoken with its crew. The school is turned upside down by Lapatun’s claims; with some students demanding his expulsion and some teachers questioning the role creativity plays in a child’s education.
Cine Las Americas
Dust (Polvo) – Guatemala
Dir. Julio Hernández Cordón
In a small Guatemalan village where many were "disappeared" during the country's civil war, a troubled young man struggles with the memory of his murdered father — and the nearby presence of the man who turned his father in.
From Tuesday To Sunday (De Jueves A Domingo) – Chile
Dir. Dominga Sotomayor
Two children travel with their parents from Santiago Chile to the north of Chile for a family holiday. The landscape's loneliness and the car's confinement help bring out the couple's troubles and the children learn that this might turn out to be their father's farewell and their last family vacation.
Delusions of Grandeur – USA
Dir. Iris Almaraz, Gustavo Ramos
In the mid-1990s a medicated grungy girl stopped taking her medication (Prozac), crossed over a rainbow, and became a woman in a crazy, wonderful place called San Francisco. Lulu, Rocio, and Illusion are struggling with the sexuality and gender roles that we all play. It is said that there is someone for everyone, and the heroines in this story put that theory to the test in a city with a history of love at its core - but will they respect themselves in the morning?
Filadelfia Latin American Film Festival
Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos) – Chile
Dir. Andres Wood
Violeta Went To Heaven tells the story of the iconic Chilean singer and folklorist Violeta Parra, tracing her evolution from impoverished child to international sensation and Chile's national hero, while capturing the swirling intensity of her inner contradictions, fallibilities, and passions.
Lemon – USA
Dir. Laura Brownson, Beth Levison
Three-time felon. One-time Tony award winner. Lemon Andersen is a pioneering poet whose words speak for a generation. But Lemon has landed back in the 'hood, living in the projects with thirteen family members and desperate for a way out. So he turns to the only thing he has left, his pen and his past
7 Boxes (7 Cajas) – Paraguay
Dir. Juan Carlos Maneglia, Tana Schémbor
Víctor receives an unusual proposal, to carry 7 boxes of unknown content through the Market Number 4 but things get complicated along the way.
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook.
- 4/17/2013
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
Sit down, Lemon Andersen ‘got a story to tell. He grew up in Brooklyn by the ten crack commandments. After both parents succumbing to Aids through their addictions, he took the improbable journey from Rikers to reading his first poem at El Puente Community Center to Broadway earning himself a Tony Award. Or as Lemon simply puts it, he took those lemons and made “the best goddamn lemonade!” He is now the subject of a documentary called ‘Lemon’ by Laura Brownson & Beth Levison which chronicles the journey of his one man play ‘County of Kings; the Beautiful Struggle’ which recently closed the HBO New York International Latino Film Festival and will air on PBS on October 19th as part of Voces, a four part Latino documentary series in celebration of Hispanic Heritage month.
LatinoBuzz: When you think of riding the train, standing room only on a winter day, hoodie and goose down North Face on in Brooklyn—what song pops into your head?
Lemon:“It’s all about the mood I’m in and the scene I’m writing. ‘Cause work controls my life, writing controls my life, performing controls my life. So I don’t listen to any music that’s not an influence on what I’m working on that day. Music is a big influence in my work and sometimes drives the energy of where I want to go. It depends on what character I’m working on because all of my characters are musically driven as far as their language and their style. So it really depends on the day and what character I’m working on. One day I may be listening to Wu-Tang and another day I’m listening to A$AP Rocky, matter of fact I was listening to him on the train yesterday. Right now listening to A$AP Rocky cause I’m writing about some pretty motherfuckers from Harlem”.
LatinoBuzz: Author from any time in history, from any place whose swag should have had them born in the County of Kings in 1975?
Lemon:“I would definitely have to say William Shakespeare, he should have been born in Brooklyn in 1975 because I would have loved to see Shakespeare’s poetic portrayal of that generation and that world. He’s a big inspiration on my writing about that world and on my style. Shakespeare all day man, that’s the Og. I mean, I would pick Sophocles or any one of those guys, but Shakespeare is my kind of writer cause its all poetry. Basically for me Shakespeare is the greatest storyteller ever in the world, ever, period, hands down there is no one better than him and I challenge any motherfucker to question it. Even if they say he wasn’t the one who wrote it, I’m talking about the work not the man; I don’t know that fool, I know his work”.
LatinoBuzz: If St. Cecilia, patron saint of poets, was from Flatbush Ave. What would she be wearing and how would you holler at her?
Lemon:“I live by the code kill them with kindness, blood everywhere, for me it’s always about being the nicest kind of guy. What she would be wearing is something that is independent to her personality. On some hip-hop tip but no brand names totally indie hip designers. Something that really reflects her personality. That’s how I would start the conversation, I would notice something that she’s wearing and comment on it, something like I know the brand or “I’ve seen that in Paris,” and that will strike a chord with her and we’ll talk”.
LatinoBuzz: Three time felon, Tony award winner, one man show and now subject of a documentary film—any regrets to your journey?
Lemon:“I don’t know, I think that if I had any regrets that would cancel out the great people that I have in my life. All the tough stuff that I’ve gone through that I don’t wish on no one else has brought a beautiful community to me. The only thing I regret is the pain that I had to endure because pain sucks, the feeling of pain sucks, I don’t give a fuck when people say “more pain, more gain” no one wants to feel pain”.
LatinoBuzz: What do you tell your children about your parents?
Lemon:“You know, I talk to my kids about my mother’s energy and how she would have loved them. I talk about how kind and polite my father was. So that they have some kind of remembrance that even though my parents died from their addictions and so that they know they were genuine in how they were. That’s what I try to do. I try not to give too many details, though they are not old enough to ask me for details yet”.
LatinoBuzz: What would you rather? Drink wine with Pablo Neruda. Play ‘Cee-lo’ with Langston Hughes, Slap Box with Charles Bukowski or Slow Dance with Sonia Sanchez?
Lemon:“Would be slap boxing with Charles Bukowski cause he tried to protect Langston Hughes cause he owes me on the dice game and Sonia Sanchez is sitting there laughing her ass off with Pablo Neruda sipping wine. I would slap box with Bukowski and I’ll know that he’ll try to go for his. Bukowski stands out for more than anyone, although I love Langston Hughes and I love Sonia, and Pablo Neruda is the most beautiful loving poet of them all. I’m too rambunctious and so Charles Bukowski fits the bill. I would turn those guys down any day to even just have coconut water with Bukowski. So that’s my dude, he rolls big with me, in my work, so yeah I’d slap box with him all day, right on the corner”.
LatinoBuzz: What ritual sends you to your creative realm?
Lemon:“Lately its been getting up in the morning and allowing my kind of madness to grow. By that I mean that I have to allow myself to wake up before I start writing. I wake up I talk to one of my closest friends. I talk to my management team and I get their energy boiling. I get the blood boiling. I get angry, I get hungry, and I go at it, and I don’t stop ‘til I go to bed at night. So I have to get the blood boiling is just not coffee. It has to be that I’m in conversation with people in the morning before the work start because people drive me. Through out the day I listen to music I go to local cafes I hang out with the Mexicans behind the bar let them know that I love and that I’m holding them down, real talk, and that’s my every day”.
LatinoBuzz: If you and Biggie played Hooky—what’s the day like?
Lemon: “Wow, if me and Biggie played hooky I think we’d be sitting at home, that’s the only time I would go back to smoking weed, because I know I’ll be smoking with Biggie. I don’t smoke weed but for Biggie and Bob Marley. I would smoke with him and we would be watching Midnight Express and Brubaker and I would be telling him, “you see these movies that’s why I’m writing ‘Toast’, that’s why I write scripts and not raps.”
LatinoBuzz: Line of poetry or a lyric you wish you wrote?
Lemon:“I never sleep cause sleep is the cousin of death.”—Nas, “NY State of Mind”
LatinoBuzz: What will people say about Lemon when it’s all said and done?
Lemon:“That he believed in a generation not based on race but on class and style, and they had a great story tell and he told it”.
For info on The documentary and screening times visit: http://www.lemonthemovie.com or show Lemon some love at: http://twitter.com/lemonandersen
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights emerging and established Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on twitter.
LatinoBuzz: When you think of riding the train, standing room only on a winter day, hoodie and goose down North Face on in Brooklyn—what song pops into your head?
Lemon:“It’s all about the mood I’m in and the scene I’m writing. ‘Cause work controls my life, writing controls my life, performing controls my life. So I don’t listen to any music that’s not an influence on what I’m working on that day. Music is a big influence in my work and sometimes drives the energy of where I want to go. It depends on what character I’m working on because all of my characters are musically driven as far as their language and their style. So it really depends on the day and what character I’m working on. One day I may be listening to Wu-Tang and another day I’m listening to A$AP Rocky, matter of fact I was listening to him on the train yesterday. Right now listening to A$AP Rocky cause I’m writing about some pretty motherfuckers from Harlem”.
LatinoBuzz: Author from any time in history, from any place whose swag should have had them born in the County of Kings in 1975?
Lemon:“I would definitely have to say William Shakespeare, he should have been born in Brooklyn in 1975 because I would have loved to see Shakespeare’s poetic portrayal of that generation and that world. He’s a big inspiration on my writing about that world and on my style. Shakespeare all day man, that’s the Og. I mean, I would pick Sophocles or any one of those guys, but Shakespeare is my kind of writer cause its all poetry. Basically for me Shakespeare is the greatest storyteller ever in the world, ever, period, hands down there is no one better than him and I challenge any motherfucker to question it. Even if they say he wasn’t the one who wrote it, I’m talking about the work not the man; I don’t know that fool, I know his work”.
LatinoBuzz: If St. Cecilia, patron saint of poets, was from Flatbush Ave. What would she be wearing and how would you holler at her?
Lemon:“I live by the code kill them with kindness, blood everywhere, for me it’s always about being the nicest kind of guy. What she would be wearing is something that is independent to her personality. On some hip-hop tip but no brand names totally indie hip designers. Something that really reflects her personality. That’s how I would start the conversation, I would notice something that she’s wearing and comment on it, something like I know the brand or “I’ve seen that in Paris,” and that will strike a chord with her and we’ll talk”.
LatinoBuzz: Three time felon, Tony award winner, one man show and now subject of a documentary film—any regrets to your journey?
Lemon:“I don’t know, I think that if I had any regrets that would cancel out the great people that I have in my life. All the tough stuff that I’ve gone through that I don’t wish on no one else has brought a beautiful community to me. The only thing I regret is the pain that I had to endure because pain sucks, the feeling of pain sucks, I don’t give a fuck when people say “more pain, more gain” no one wants to feel pain”.
LatinoBuzz: What do you tell your children about your parents?
Lemon:“You know, I talk to my kids about my mother’s energy and how she would have loved them. I talk about how kind and polite my father was. So that they have some kind of remembrance that even though my parents died from their addictions and so that they know they were genuine in how they were. That’s what I try to do. I try not to give too many details, though they are not old enough to ask me for details yet”.
LatinoBuzz: What would you rather? Drink wine with Pablo Neruda. Play ‘Cee-lo’ with Langston Hughes, Slap Box with Charles Bukowski or Slow Dance with Sonia Sanchez?
Lemon:“Would be slap boxing with Charles Bukowski cause he tried to protect Langston Hughes cause he owes me on the dice game and Sonia Sanchez is sitting there laughing her ass off with Pablo Neruda sipping wine. I would slap box with Bukowski and I’ll know that he’ll try to go for his. Bukowski stands out for more than anyone, although I love Langston Hughes and I love Sonia, and Pablo Neruda is the most beautiful loving poet of them all. I’m too rambunctious and so Charles Bukowski fits the bill. I would turn those guys down any day to even just have coconut water with Bukowski. So that’s my dude, he rolls big with me, in my work, so yeah I’d slap box with him all day, right on the corner”.
LatinoBuzz: What ritual sends you to your creative realm?
Lemon:“Lately its been getting up in the morning and allowing my kind of madness to grow. By that I mean that I have to allow myself to wake up before I start writing. I wake up I talk to one of my closest friends. I talk to my management team and I get their energy boiling. I get the blood boiling. I get angry, I get hungry, and I go at it, and I don’t stop ‘til I go to bed at night. So I have to get the blood boiling is just not coffee. It has to be that I’m in conversation with people in the morning before the work start because people drive me. Through out the day I listen to music I go to local cafes I hang out with the Mexicans behind the bar let them know that I love and that I’m holding them down, real talk, and that’s my every day”.
LatinoBuzz: If you and Biggie played Hooky—what’s the day like?
Lemon: “Wow, if me and Biggie played hooky I think we’d be sitting at home, that’s the only time I would go back to smoking weed, because I know I’ll be smoking with Biggie. I don’t smoke weed but for Biggie and Bob Marley. I would smoke with him and we would be watching Midnight Express and Brubaker and I would be telling him, “you see these movies that’s why I’m writing ‘Toast’, that’s why I write scripts and not raps.”
LatinoBuzz: Line of poetry or a lyric you wish you wrote?
Lemon:“I never sleep cause sleep is the cousin of death.”—Nas, “NY State of Mind”
LatinoBuzz: What will people say about Lemon when it’s all said and done?
Lemon:“That he believed in a generation not based on race but on class and style, and they had a great story tell and he told it”.
For info on The documentary and screening times visit: http://www.lemonthemovie.com or show Lemon some love at: http://twitter.com/lemonandersen
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights emerging and established Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on twitter.
- 10/3/2012
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
Just a few days ago, The New York Times highlighted English-language television’s failure to attract Latino audiences in an article called “ NetworksStruggle toAppealtoHispanics”. As the fastest growing demographic whose purchasing power exceeds $1 trillion, it’s no surprise that, “...they desperately want to appeal to the more than 50 million Latinos in the United States...” What is hard to believe, though, is that they still haven’t figured out how to do it. It’s really not that difficult. We want to see true-to-life characters that reflect the diverse experience of Latinos, not stereotypes.
In response to the Nyt article Esther Cepeda, NBC Latino Contributor, says it well, “...give the maids, bad boys and victimized immigrants a rest. Yes, those are real-life characters, but there’s no reason why art can’t imitate a diversity of life...How about casting Latinos as up-and-coming-politicians, overachieving college students, folksy-vegan-all-organic environmental activists, or the overscheduled suburban soccer mom-slash-superstar mommy blogger?” I would totally watch that show!
Maybe the execs should take advice from people like Cepeda. Better yet, they should hire people like Cepeda! But, instead of hiring bilingual and bicultural Latinos and Latinas to write, produce, and direct TV shows, American television executives run focus groups, spend money on market research, and scratch their heads--dumbfounded and unable to solve the conundrum. Meanwhile, other organizations have it figured out.
Year after year--the New York International Latino Film Festival packs Manhattan theaters with bilingual, bicultural Latino moviegoers. The very same demographic that TV execs and movie studios are clamoring to attract but fail to. Why is it that the entertainment industry’s most sought after group of consumers attends this festival by the tens of thousands? Because, the stories they see are diverse, complicated, new, different, multilingual, and reflect their own experiences. Television and studio executives might benefit from coming to the festival and taking some notes. These are the true-to-life kind of stories Latinos want to see on their T.V. and movie screens (and on their computer screens too.)
Documentaries at the New York International Latino Film Festival
Buscando A Larisa (Looking for Larisa)
U.S. Premiere/ 79 Minutes/ Mexico
Director: Andrés Pardo
Screening at 4:50 Pm | Wed, Aug 15 | Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
One day filmmaker Andrés Pardo stumbles across 2,000 feet of Super 8 footage at a flea market in Mexico City. Home movies shot during the 1970s, at their center is a lovely young blond-haired girl, Larisa. Teaming up with a photographer friend, Pardo decides to track down Larisa. He takes his search to Facebook, the internet, and the press.
Tickets: http://nylatinoff.festivalgenius.com/2012/films/buscandoalarisalookingforlarisa_andrspardo_nylatinoff2012
El MÉDico: The CubatÓN Story
New York Premiere/ 85 Minutes/ Cuba-Sweden
Director: Daniel Fridell
Screening at 7:00 Pm | Wed, Aug 15 | Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
High up in the Sierra Maestra mountains, where Castro’s revolution began, “El Médico,” a doctor and musician, serves the cause. When a Swedish music producer sees “El Médico” as the next big thing, Communist ideals collide with capitalist dreams. Should “El Médico,” listen to his mother and serve his community as a doctor or take advice from his producer and make “sexy ringtones”?
Tickets: http://nylatinoff.festivalgenius.com/2012/films/elmdicothecubatnstory_danielfridell_nylatinoff2012
Esperando A Los Bitles (Waiting for the Beatles)
New York Premiere/ 92 Minutes/ Mexico
Directors: Diego Graue & Raymundo Marmolejo
Screening at 6:30 Pm | Fri, Aug 17 | Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
Beatlemania is alive and well…in Mexico, where a fervent following pays continuous tribute to the groundbreaking Liverpool quartet. Fans compete in cover band competitions, obsessively collect memorabilia, and bemoan the fact that ‘Los Bitles’ never performed in Mexico. This hilarious and touching documentary shows that the genius of the Beatles transcends decades, continents, language and culture.
Tickets: http://nylatinoff.festivalgenius.com/2012/films/esperandoalosbitleswaitingforthebeatles_diegograue_nylatinoff2012
Hija (Daughter)
U.S. Premiere/ 84 Minutes/ Chile
Director: María Paz González
Screening at 2:30 Pm | Sat, Aug 18 | Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
Filmmaker María Paz González and her mother journey across Chile in a Volkswagen Beetle, searching for long-lost family members. María's mother, who was adopted, knows little of her personal history and goes in search of a sister she has never met. María hopes to connect with her father, a man she knows little about.
Tickets: http://nylatinoff.festivalgenius.com/2012/films/hijadaughter_marapazgonzlez_nylatinoff2012
Closing Night Film + After Party
Lemon
88 Minutes/ U.S.A.
Directors: Laura Brownson, Beth Levison
Screening at 6:30 Pm & 7:00 Pm | Sat, Aug 18 | Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
Three-time felon, one-time Tony Award winner, Lemon Andersen is an acclaimed poet who broke out on Broadway in Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam. But Lemon has landed back in the projects and is desperate for a way out. He turns to the only things he has left, his pen and his story. This beautifully crafted film follows his efforts to stage a comeback at the Public Theater as he battles demons from his past.
Tickets: http://nylatinoff.festivalgenius.com/2012/films/lemon_laurabrownson_nylatinoff2012
The New York International Latino Film Festival runs through August 19th at the Chelsea Clearview Cinemas.
NyilffWebSite
FindNyilffonFacebook
FollowNyilffonTwitter
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature onSydneysBuzzthat highlights emerging and established Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow@LatinoBuzzon twitter.
In response to the Nyt article Esther Cepeda, NBC Latino Contributor, says it well, “...give the maids, bad boys and victimized immigrants a rest. Yes, those are real-life characters, but there’s no reason why art can’t imitate a diversity of life...How about casting Latinos as up-and-coming-politicians, overachieving college students, folksy-vegan-all-organic environmental activists, or the overscheduled suburban soccer mom-slash-superstar mommy blogger?” I would totally watch that show!
Maybe the execs should take advice from people like Cepeda. Better yet, they should hire people like Cepeda! But, instead of hiring bilingual and bicultural Latinos and Latinas to write, produce, and direct TV shows, American television executives run focus groups, spend money on market research, and scratch their heads--dumbfounded and unable to solve the conundrum. Meanwhile, other organizations have it figured out.
Year after year--the New York International Latino Film Festival packs Manhattan theaters with bilingual, bicultural Latino moviegoers. The very same demographic that TV execs and movie studios are clamoring to attract but fail to. Why is it that the entertainment industry’s most sought after group of consumers attends this festival by the tens of thousands? Because, the stories they see are diverse, complicated, new, different, multilingual, and reflect their own experiences. Television and studio executives might benefit from coming to the festival and taking some notes. These are the true-to-life kind of stories Latinos want to see on their T.V. and movie screens (and on their computer screens too.)
Documentaries at the New York International Latino Film Festival
Buscando A Larisa (Looking for Larisa)
U.S. Premiere/ 79 Minutes/ Mexico
Director: Andrés Pardo
Screening at 4:50 Pm | Wed, Aug 15 | Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
One day filmmaker Andrés Pardo stumbles across 2,000 feet of Super 8 footage at a flea market in Mexico City. Home movies shot during the 1970s, at their center is a lovely young blond-haired girl, Larisa. Teaming up with a photographer friend, Pardo decides to track down Larisa. He takes his search to Facebook, the internet, and the press.
Tickets: http://nylatinoff.festivalgenius.com/2012/films/buscandoalarisalookingforlarisa_andrspardo_nylatinoff2012
El MÉDico: The CubatÓN Story
New York Premiere/ 85 Minutes/ Cuba-Sweden
Director: Daniel Fridell
Screening at 7:00 Pm | Wed, Aug 15 | Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
High up in the Sierra Maestra mountains, where Castro’s revolution began, “El Médico,” a doctor and musician, serves the cause. When a Swedish music producer sees “El Médico” as the next big thing, Communist ideals collide with capitalist dreams. Should “El Médico,” listen to his mother and serve his community as a doctor or take advice from his producer and make “sexy ringtones”?
Tickets: http://nylatinoff.festivalgenius.com/2012/films/elmdicothecubatnstory_danielfridell_nylatinoff2012
Esperando A Los Bitles (Waiting for the Beatles)
New York Premiere/ 92 Minutes/ Mexico
Directors: Diego Graue & Raymundo Marmolejo
Screening at 6:30 Pm | Fri, Aug 17 | Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
Beatlemania is alive and well…in Mexico, where a fervent following pays continuous tribute to the groundbreaking Liverpool quartet. Fans compete in cover band competitions, obsessively collect memorabilia, and bemoan the fact that ‘Los Bitles’ never performed in Mexico. This hilarious and touching documentary shows that the genius of the Beatles transcends decades, continents, language and culture.
Tickets: http://nylatinoff.festivalgenius.com/2012/films/esperandoalosbitleswaitingforthebeatles_diegograue_nylatinoff2012
Hija (Daughter)
U.S. Premiere/ 84 Minutes/ Chile
Director: María Paz González
Screening at 2:30 Pm | Sat, Aug 18 | Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
Filmmaker María Paz González and her mother journey across Chile in a Volkswagen Beetle, searching for long-lost family members. María's mother, who was adopted, knows little of her personal history and goes in search of a sister she has never met. María hopes to connect with her father, a man she knows little about.
Tickets: http://nylatinoff.festivalgenius.com/2012/films/hijadaughter_marapazgonzlez_nylatinoff2012
Closing Night Film + After Party
Lemon
88 Minutes/ U.S.A.
Directors: Laura Brownson, Beth Levison
Screening at 6:30 Pm & 7:00 Pm | Sat, Aug 18 | Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
Three-time felon, one-time Tony Award winner, Lemon Andersen is an acclaimed poet who broke out on Broadway in Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam. But Lemon has landed back in the projects and is desperate for a way out. He turns to the only things he has left, his pen and his story. This beautifully crafted film follows his efforts to stage a comeback at the Public Theater as he battles demons from his past.
Tickets: http://nylatinoff.festivalgenius.com/2012/films/lemon_laurabrownson_nylatinoff2012
The New York International Latino Film Festival runs through August 19th at the Chelsea Clearview Cinemas.
NyilffWebSite
FindNyilffonFacebook
FollowNyilffonTwitter
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature onSydneysBuzzthat highlights emerging and established Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow@LatinoBuzzon twitter.
- 8/15/2012
- by Vanessa Erazo
- Sydney's Buzz
Cinema Libre Studio has acquired all North American rights, minus broadcast, to the documentary “Lemon,” directed and produced by Laura Brownson and Beth Levison. “Lemon” will next screen August 18 as the closing-night film of the New York International Latino Film Festival, followed by DVD and VOD releases October 16 and a broadcast premiere on the PBS series “Voces” October 19 for Hispanic Heritage Month. Executive produced by Russell Simmons, Stan Lathan and Dan Cogan of Impact Partners, “Lemon” takes a look at the life of New York poet and playwright Lemon Andersen, who left a life in prison to find his voice through poetry and win a Tony award. The film had its premiere at the Zurich International Film Festival and subsequently screened at the Doc NYC Festival, where it won a special jury prize. Spike Lee, Kanye West, Mos Def and Talib Kweli make appearances in the film. Cinema Libre’s Philippe Diaz and Richard.
- 8/14/2012
- by Jay A. Fernandez
- Indiewire
The New York International Latino Film Festival (Nyilff),the premier Latino film festival in the country, opens its 13th edition with Filly Brown, starring breakout actress Gina Rodriguez (Go For It, Our Family Wedding), and closes with Lemon, the raw story of three-time felon and one-time Tony Award-winner, spoken word artist Lemon Andersen.
The festival kicks off on Monday, August 13 with a 15th anniversary presentation of Selena at Cinema Under The Stars, a free outdoor screening at St. Nicholas Park in uptown Manhattan.
Special Events include a World Premiere exclusive screening of The Girl Is In Trouble, attended by stars Wilmer Valderrama and Columbus Short, and will include a Q&A. The heartwarming Elliott Loves, winner of the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Audience Award for Best Picture, will headline the festival’s Dominican Night.
The New York International Latino Film Festival runs August 13 - 19, with most screenings taking place at Chelsea Clearview Cinemas. Schedule information and tickets will be available online and at the Chelsea Clearview Cinemas box office beginning July 27, 2012.
Opening Night – Co-Presented by Latina Magazine
Tuesday, August 14 – 7 pm – Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
Filly Brown (New York Premiere)
Directors: Youssef Delara, Michael D. Olmos
Writer: Youssef Delara
Cast: Gina Rodriguez, Jenni Rivera, Edward James Olmos, Chrissie Fit, Lou Diamond Phillips
Maria Jose “Majo” Tonorio is a tough La street poet who spits from the heart.
Dominican Night – Presented by Heineken.
Sponsored by HBO® and the Dominican American Professional Alliance
Thursday, August 16 – 7 pm – Columbia University Medical Center Alumni Auditorium
Elliott Loves (New York Premiere) (Isa:tla Releasing) Writer/Director: Gary Terracino
Cast: Elena Goode, Tillman Norsworthy and Robin de Jesus
Two stages of a Dominican-American’s life: first as a boy trying to bond with his young mother, and then a 21-year-old looking for love in New York City.
Closing Night – Presented by Pepsi
Saturday, August 18 – 7 pm – Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
Lemon (Isa:The Film Sales Company) Directors: Laura Brownson, Beth Levison
Written and Performed by: Lemon Andersen
A feature-length documentary film depicting Lemon Andersen’s struggle to free his family from poverty and pain as he exposes his most shocking secrets on the NY Stage.
World Premiere Exclusive Presentation
Saturday, August 18 – 8:45 pm – Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
The Girl Is In Trouble
Director: Julius Onah
Co-Written by: Julius Onah and Mayuran Tiruchelvam
Cast: Columbus Short, Wilmer Valderrama, Alicja Bachleda and Jesse Spencer
From executive producer Spike Lee comes the thriller “The Girl Is In Trouble,” a Lower East Side bartender becomes entangled in a murder mystery involving a desperate woman, a missing drug dealer and the scion of a powerful investment firm.
2012 Film Program
Nyilff will present domestic and international features, documentaries and shorts in competition, plus On The Edge, a showcase of non-traditional film genres and Nyilff Spectrum, which highlights global urban films, not limited to the Latino perspective.
Domestic Features
186 Dollars To Freedom
Delusions Of Grandeur
Love, Concord
Mariachi Gringo
Sunset Stories
Tony Tango
Under My Nails
International Features
180 Segundos (180 Seconds) (Colombia)
A Novela Das 8 (Prime Time Soap) (Brazil)
El Rumor De Las Piedras (The Rumble of the Stones) (Venezuela)
Jaque Mate (Check Mate) (Dominican Republic)
La ÚLtima Isla (The Last Island) (Spain)
La Mujer De IVÁN (Ivan’s Woman) (Chile)
La Lucha De Ana (Ana’s Struggle) (Dominican Republic)
La Brujula La Lleva El Muerto (The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man) (Mexico)
Sangre De Familia (Family Blood) (Mexico)
Una Noche (Cuba)
ZoolÓGico (Zoo) (Chile)
Documentaries
Buscando A Larisa (Looking for Larisa) (Mexico)
El MÉDico: The CubatÓN Story (Cuba/Sweden)
Esperando A Los Bitles (Waiting For The Beatles) (Mexico)
Hija (Daughter) (Chile)
Spectrum
Wolf
On The Edge
El Hoyo Del Diablo (The Devil’s Hole) (Dominican Republic)
Los Chidos (Mexico)
Shorts Program 1: Something In The Way She Moves
A Journey To Homeland
La Playa
Pescadora
Gabi
Salome
Shorts Program 2: The Catchers In The Rye
Botes Al Amanecer
Fireworks
Jesus Loves Youssef
Flutter
How Jimmy Got Leverage
La Mirada Perdida
Quinha
Leyenda
Shorts Program 3: Use Your Illusion
The Lepidoctor
The Magicians
The Shooting Star Salesman
Otto And The Electric Eel
The Life & Freaky Times Of Uncle Luke
The Trainee
Cargols
Shorts Program 4: Check Yo Self
Desert Road Kill
DetrÁS Del Espejo
Maddoggin'
Divergence
Hour Glass
October 31St
Shorts Program 5: The Anatomy of Melancholy
After Ever After Or Numbers On A Napkin
La Boda
Primavera
Fallen Comrade
Mentiroso
TrÓPico ExÓTico
Reinaldo Arenas
About Nyilff
Launched in 1999, the New York International Latino Film Festival is now the premier Urban Latino film event in the country. The Nyilff’s mission is to showcase the works of the hottest emerging Latino filmmaking talent in the U.S. and Latin America, offer expansive images of the Latino experience, and celebrate the diversity and spirit of the Latino community. Calixto Chinchilla and Elizabeth Gardner head up the festival staff, acting as Co-Executive Directors. The programming team is made up of Juan Caceres, Director of Programming, and Vanessa Erazo, Documentary Programming Manager.
FindNyilffonFacebook
FollowNyilffonTwitter
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature onSydneysBuzzthat highlights emerging and established Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow@LatinoBuzzon twitter.
The festival kicks off on Monday, August 13 with a 15th anniversary presentation of Selena at Cinema Under The Stars, a free outdoor screening at St. Nicholas Park in uptown Manhattan.
Special Events include a World Premiere exclusive screening of The Girl Is In Trouble, attended by stars Wilmer Valderrama and Columbus Short, and will include a Q&A. The heartwarming Elliott Loves, winner of the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Audience Award for Best Picture, will headline the festival’s Dominican Night.
The New York International Latino Film Festival runs August 13 - 19, with most screenings taking place at Chelsea Clearview Cinemas. Schedule information and tickets will be available online and at the Chelsea Clearview Cinemas box office beginning July 27, 2012.
Opening Night – Co-Presented by Latina Magazine
Tuesday, August 14 – 7 pm – Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
Filly Brown (New York Premiere)
Directors: Youssef Delara, Michael D. Olmos
Writer: Youssef Delara
Cast: Gina Rodriguez, Jenni Rivera, Edward James Olmos, Chrissie Fit, Lou Diamond Phillips
Maria Jose “Majo” Tonorio is a tough La street poet who spits from the heart.
Dominican Night – Presented by Heineken.
Sponsored by HBO® and the Dominican American Professional Alliance
Thursday, August 16 – 7 pm – Columbia University Medical Center Alumni Auditorium
Elliott Loves (New York Premiere) (Isa:tla Releasing) Writer/Director: Gary Terracino
Cast: Elena Goode, Tillman Norsworthy and Robin de Jesus
Two stages of a Dominican-American’s life: first as a boy trying to bond with his young mother, and then a 21-year-old looking for love in New York City.
Closing Night – Presented by Pepsi
Saturday, August 18 – 7 pm – Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
Lemon (Isa:The Film Sales Company) Directors: Laura Brownson, Beth Levison
Written and Performed by: Lemon Andersen
A feature-length documentary film depicting Lemon Andersen’s struggle to free his family from poverty and pain as he exposes his most shocking secrets on the NY Stage.
World Premiere Exclusive Presentation
Saturday, August 18 – 8:45 pm – Chelsea Clearview Cinemas
The Girl Is In Trouble
Director: Julius Onah
Co-Written by: Julius Onah and Mayuran Tiruchelvam
Cast: Columbus Short, Wilmer Valderrama, Alicja Bachleda and Jesse Spencer
From executive producer Spike Lee comes the thriller “The Girl Is In Trouble,” a Lower East Side bartender becomes entangled in a murder mystery involving a desperate woman, a missing drug dealer and the scion of a powerful investment firm.
2012 Film Program
Nyilff will present domestic and international features, documentaries and shorts in competition, plus On The Edge, a showcase of non-traditional film genres and Nyilff Spectrum, which highlights global urban films, not limited to the Latino perspective.
Domestic Features
186 Dollars To Freedom
Delusions Of Grandeur
Love, Concord
Mariachi Gringo
Sunset Stories
Tony Tango
Under My Nails
International Features
180 Segundos (180 Seconds) (Colombia)
A Novela Das 8 (Prime Time Soap) (Brazil)
El Rumor De Las Piedras (The Rumble of the Stones) (Venezuela)
Jaque Mate (Check Mate) (Dominican Republic)
La ÚLtima Isla (The Last Island) (Spain)
La Mujer De IVÁN (Ivan’s Woman) (Chile)
La Lucha De Ana (Ana’s Struggle) (Dominican Republic)
La Brujula La Lleva El Muerto (The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man) (Mexico)
Sangre De Familia (Family Blood) (Mexico)
Una Noche (Cuba)
ZoolÓGico (Zoo) (Chile)
Documentaries
Buscando A Larisa (Looking for Larisa) (Mexico)
El MÉDico: The CubatÓN Story (Cuba/Sweden)
Esperando A Los Bitles (Waiting For The Beatles) (Mexico)
Hija (Daughter) (Chile)
Spectrum
Wolf
On The Edge
El Hoyo Del Diablo (The Devil’s Hole) (Dominican Republic)
Los Chidos (Mexico)
Shorts Program 1: Something In The Way She Moves
A Journey To Homeland
La Playa
Pescadora
Gabi
Salome
Shorts Program 2: The Catchers In The Rye
Botes Al Amanecer
Fireworks
Jesus Loves Youssef
Flutter
How Jimmy Got Leverage
La Mirada Perdida
Quinha
Leyenda
Shorts Program 3: Use Your Illusion
The Lepidoctor
The Magicians
The Shooting Star Salesman
Otto And The Electric Eel
The Life & Freaky Times Of Uncle Luke
The Trainee
Cargols
Shorts Program 4: Check Yo Self
Desert Road Kill
DetrÁS Del Espejo
Maddoggin'
Divergence
Hour Glass
October 31St
Shorts Program 5: The Anatomy of Melancholy
After Ever After Or Numbers On A Napkin
La Boda
Primavera
Fallen Comrade
Mentiroso
TrÓPico ExÓTico
Reinaldo Arenas
About Nyilff
Launched in 1999, the New York International Latino Film Festival is now the premier Urban Latino film event in the country. The Nyilff’s mission is to showcase the works of the hottest emerging Latino filmmaking talent in the U.S. and Latin America, offer expansive images of the Latino experience, and celebrate the diversity and spirit of the Latino community. Calixto Chinchilla and Elizabeth Gardner head up the festival staff, acting as Co-Executive Directors. The programming team is made up of Juan Caceres, Director of Programming, and Vanessa Erazo, Documentary Programming Manager.
FindNyilffonFacebook
FollowNyilffonTwitter
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature onSydneysBuzzthat highlights emerging and established Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow@LatinoBuzzon twitter.
- 7/29/2012
- by Vanessa Erazo
- Sydney's Buzz
Title: Lemon Director: Laura Brownson, Beth Levinson What happens when your star has fallen? Stardom can be a blessing and I feel most people would relish the moment of getting recognition for their work, monetary compensation for said work and most importantly, being the best of the best. But when all of that goes away, what do you have left? In the new documentary, “Lemon” examines that very question. And following the subject Lemon Andersen, the three things he has left is family, ambition and talent. In the early 2000s, Lemon Andersen was one of the breakout stars of Russell Simmons’ “Def Poetry Jam”. A TV series that highlighted the...
- 11/3/2011
- by Rudie Obias
- ShockYa
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