A year after the Election That Shocked The World, Donald Trump has permeated almost every ounce of popular culture — especially television. Just about everything on the small screen these days ends up being interpreted through a political lens. Even things that once weren’t politicized have now been thrust into that world.
That’s probably not surprising, given that the President of the United States is someone who has been obsessed with ratings, and winning an Emmy, over the years. He’s someone who spends all day consuming — and tweeting about — cable TV news, and often treats big announcements like he’s revealing the winner on “The Apprentice.” And that’s led to real-life storylines that would be dismissed as too outlandish or unbelievable if they were actually written on the page.
“This election happens and you have to reevaluate everything,” “Royal Pains” executive producer Michael Rauch said this summer...
That’s probably not surprising, given that the President of the United States is someone who has been obsessed with ratings, and winning an Emmy, over the years. He’s someone who spends all day consuming — and tweeting about — cable TV news, and often treats big announcements like he’s revealing the winner on “The Apprentice.” And that’s led to real-life storylines that would be dismissed as too outlandish or unbelievable if they were actually written on the page.
“This election happens and you have to reevaluate everything,” “Royal Pains” executive producer Michael Rauch said this summer...
- 11/8/2017
- by Ben Travers, Steve Greene, Liz Shannon Miller, Hanh Nguyen and Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
Kid Rock Takes New Fiancee to Meet Donald Trump at the White House — with Ted Nugent and Sarah Palin
Kid Rock and his new fiancée, Audrey Berry, have generally kept their relationship under the radar, but on Wednesday evening their appearance at the White House changed all that — bigly.
The duo visited President Donald Trump at his new Washington, D.C. home as guests of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, she wrote on her website. She also invited avowed Trump supporter Ted Nugent and his wife, Shemane, for the VIP White House dinner.
“President Trump’s invitation for dinner included bringing a couple of friends; it was the highest honor to have great Americans who are independent, hardworking, patriotic,...
The duo visited President Donald Trump at his new Washington, D.C. home as guests of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, she wrote on her website. She also invited avowed Trump supporter Ted Nugent and his wife, Shemane, for the VIP White House dinner.
“President Trump’s invitation for dinner included bringing a couple of friends; it was the highest honor to have great Americans who are independent, hardworking, patriotic,...
- 4/20/2017
- by Kathy Ehrich Dowd
- PEOPLE.com
The new version of “24” is running right now on Fox, but for a more intriguing take on the classic government conspiracy angle, it’s worth checking out “Ingobernable,” Netflix’s new political drama featuring Kate del Castillo.
As Emilia Urquiza, the First Lady of Mexico, del Castillo has to go on the run (literally, and in heels) following a series of dramatic events that make for a pulse-pounding pilot.
“This is a badass woman who’s fighting for the right things — even though she’s willing to do the wrong thing to do the right thing,” del Castillo told IndieWire about her character. Initially an established telenovela actress, del Castillo has branched out into film as well as English language television like “Weeds” and “Jane the Virgin” — in part because she was excited to expand her range beyond the type of characters she was asked to play.
Read More: ‘Ingobernable...
As Emilia Urquiza, the First Lady of Mexico, del Castillo has to go on the run (literally, and in heels) following a series of dramatic events that make for a pulse-pounding pilot.
“This is a badass woman who’s fighting for the right things — even though she’s willing to do the wrong thing to do the right thing,” del Castillo told IndieWire about her character. Initially an established telenovela actress, del Castillo has branched out into film as well as English language television like “Weeds” and “Jane the Virgin” — in part because she was excited to expand her range beyond the type of characters she was asked to play.
Read More: ‘Ingobernable...
- 4/3/2017
- by Liz Shannon Miller
- Indiewire
Filmmakers and stars have often taken a political stance by choosing which projects to make. But when the Academy Awards ceremony began in 1929 to honor the best in film, this created a more public way to demonstrate opinions about the state of the world, the government or a cause.
Read More: Meryl Streep Fires Back at Donald Trump in Blistering Speech: ‘We Have the Right to Live Our Lives’
Not everyone has taken this opportunity though, except for maybe wearing the odd ribbon to support awareness or using their attendance (or lack thereof) to show solidarity. Those blessed by winning a coveted statuette, however, can use their actual acceptance speech as a platform to speak out. Although the awards started being televised in 1953, it took until the 1970s until winners began to really take advantage of having a massive audience for their views. And at times, even the Academy itself got political.
Read More: Meryl Streep Fires Back at Donald Trump in Blistering Speech: ‘We Have the Right to Live Our Lives’
Not everyone has taken this opportunity though, except for maybe wearing the odd ribbon to support awareness or using their attendance (or lack thereof) to show solidarity. Those blessed by winning a coveted statuette, however, can use their actual acceptance speech as a platform to speak out. Although the awards started being televised in 1953, it took until the 1970s until winners began to really take advantage of having a massive audience for their views. And at times, even the Academy itself got political.
- 2/26/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Rebecca Clough Jan 20, 2017
As America gets its new President, we look at some excellent political drama films that may have slipped under your radar...
Political dramas can be entertaining, informative and even educational, opening up debates and offering new points of view. (When experiencing a year of tumultuous change like the one we’ve just had, they can also be a comforting reminder that, no matter what your situation, it could always be worse...) With the full whack of corruption, war, and conspiracy, here are 25 political dramas which deserve to be better known.
See related 25 underrated political thrillers 17 new TV shows to watch in 2017 Taboo episode 3 review The Girl On The Train review 25. The Marchers/La Marche (2013)
When teenager Mohamed (Tewfik Jallab) is shot by police, his friends want revenge, but he has a better idea: peaceful protest. Marching from Marseille to Paris, they band together with quite an assortment of characters along the way.
As America gets its new President, we look at some excellent political drama films that may have slipped under your radar...
Political dramas can be entertaining, informative and even educational, opening up debates and offering new points of view. (When experiencing a year of tumultuous change like the one we’ve just had, they can also be a comforting reminder that, no matter what your situation, it could always be worse...) With the full whack of corruption, war, and conspiracy, here are 25 political dramas which deserve to be better known.
See related 25 underrated political thrillers 17 new TV shows to watch in 2017 Taboo episode 3 review The Girl On The Train review 25. The Marchers/La Marche (2013)
When teenager Mohamed (Tewfik Jallab) is shot by police, his friends want revenge, but he has a better idea: peaceful protest. Marching from Marseille to Paris, they band together with quite an assortment of characters along the way.
- 12/22/2016
- Den of Geek
Director Zack Snyder is finally going to take a break from making DC films to focus on a passion project of his called The Last Photograph. He is set to direct this film before he gets to work on Justice League 2.
THR reports that Justice League 2 has been pushed back so that Ben Affleck's The Batman can be released before it. This will give Snyder the time he needs to make his other movie, which I imagine would be refreshing for him since he's been working on nothing but DC films since The Man of Steel.
Snyder started developing The Last Photograph in the mid-2000s, after he finished 300. The script for the film was written by Kurt Johnstad (300, 300: Rise of an Empire). The story "centers on a war correspondent in Afghanistan who is the only one to survive an attack on a group of Americans.
THR reports that Justice League 2 has been pushed back so that Ben Affleck's The Batman can be released before it. This will give Snyder the time he needs to make his other movie, which I imagine would be refreshing for him since he's been working on nothing but DC films since The Man of Steel.
Snyder started developing The Last Photograph in the mid-2000s, after he finished 300. The script for the film was written by Kurt Johnstad (300, 300: Rise of an Empire). The story "centers on a war correspondent in Afghanistan who is the only one to survive an attack on a group of Americans.
- 12/9/2016
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
They were married for over four years in the ’80s. But on Friday night, Madonna told Sean Penn — and a crowd full of celebrities — that she still loves him and would marry him again … for the right price.
The 58-year-old singer hosted a charity gala on Friday night at Art Basel in Miami, where she raised more than $7.5 million for the African nation of Malawi, the Associated Press reported.
Wearing a short, black, gold, and silver-patterned long-sleeve dress, Madonna auctioned off rare photographs, tour memorabilia, and pieces from her own art collection, the AP reported — for a star-studded audience that included Penn,...
The 58-year-old singer hosted a charity gala on Friday night at Art Basel in Miami, where she raised more than $7.5 million for the African nation of Malawi, the Associated Press reported.
Wearing a short, black, gold, and silver-patterned long-sleeve dress, Madonna auctioned off rare photographs, tour memorabilia, and pieces from her own art collection, the AP reported — for a star-studded audience that included Penn,...
- 12/3/2016
- by Dave Quinn
- PEOPLE.com
It came as no surprise in October that Michael Moore’s secret documentary “Michael Moore in Trumpland” was a pro-Hillary Clinton film urging Americans to vote for the democratic presidential nominee on November 8. Moore has been one of the most vocal and politically active filmmakers of his generation, if not the most active, and he felt that too much of the election conversation was dominated by negativity.
Read More: Michael Moore’s Plan to Show ‘TrumpLand’ to ‘Millions of People’ Before the Election
“I just thought, I’m going to do something here and give people positive reasons to think about voting for her,” Moore said at the film’s premiere in New York on October 18. “What the country doesn’t need is to be told that Trump is crazy, dangerous, a psychopath and sociopath. He has written and produced that movie, and it appears daily.”
While most filmmakers...
Read More: Michael Moore’s Plan to Show ‘TrumpLand’ to ‘Millions of People’ Before the Election
“I just thought, I’m going to do something here and give people positive reasons to think about voting for her,” Moore said at the film’s premiere in New York on October 18. “What the country doesn’t need is to be told that Trump is crazy, dangerous, a psychopath and sociopath. He has written and produced that movie, and it appears daily.”
While most filmmakers...
- 11/4/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
One week after Sean Penn's bombshell interview with Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán was published on Rolling Stone's website, the Oscar-winning actor sat down with Charlie Rose for an in-depth interview about his big scoop for Sunday's 60 Minutes. On Friday, Penn, 55, had said that he felt that his interview was a "failure" because it didn't bring attention to what he said was the real issue at hand, the War on Drugs. On Sunday's episode, the actor expanded on that reasoning and said that he felt that Americans demonize Guzmán too much. " I think that there's - to over-demonize any human...
- 1/18/2016
- by Maria Mercedes Lara, @maria_mercedes
- PEOPLE.com
Mexican actress Kate del Castillo has garnered headlines over the weekend for being named as an asset in Rolling Stone and Sean Penn's bombshell interview with then-on-the-run Mexican drug kingpin "El Chapo." El Chapo, whose name is Joaquín Guzmán Loera, was finally recaptured on Friday, nearly seven months after escaping a high-security prison outside Mexico City. Penn secretly interviewed the criminal in person this past October. The 33 actress was crucial in brokering the interview, Penn said in the story he wrote for Rolling Stone, as she been in contact with Guzmán for several years. The cartel head wanted...
- 1/10/2016
- by Lindsay Kimble
- PEOPLE.com
Mexican actress Kate del Castillo has garnered headlines over the weekend for being named as an asset in Rolling Stone and Sean Penn's bombshell interview with then-on-the-run Mexican drug kingpin "El Chapo." El Chapo, whose name is Joaquín Guzmán Loera, was finally recaptured on Friday, nearly seven months after escaping a high-security prison outside Mexico City. Penn secretly interviewed the criminal in person this past October. The 33 actress was crucial in brokering the interview, Penn said in the story he wrote for Rolling Stone, as she been in contact with Guzmán for several years. The cartel head wanted...
- 1/10/2016
- by Lindsay Kimble
- PEOPLE.com
If you're like us and value your sleep, you probably nodded off into your Ambien dreamland before the party started on post-prime time TV. Don't worry; we've got you covered. Here's the best of what happened last night on late night.
Billy Joel was on "The Tonight Show" and, of course, The Piano Man sat at the piano to sing us a song. Jimmy Fallon jumped right in and they sang the Rolling Stones's "Beast of Burden" together. Fallon's Mick Jagger impression is still on point. Of course, Jimmy wouldn't be Jimmy if he didn't ham it up, and he went Full Jagger and got the audience to join in.
However, topping that is this impromptu performance of "The Longest Time" from Billy, Jimmy, Billy's band, and actor J.K. Simmons -- this was just during a commercial break as they shot some local promos:
Speaking of J.K. Simmons, the multi-talented...
Billy Joel was on "The Tonight Show" and, of course, The Piano Man sat at the piano to sing us a song. Jimmy Fallon jumped right in and they sang the Rolling Stones's "Beast of Burden" together. Fallon's Mick Jagger impression is still on point. Of course, Jimmy wouldn't be Jimmy if he didn't ham it up, and he went Full Jagger and got the audience to join in.
However, topping that is this impromptu performance of "The Longest Time" from Billy, Jimmy, Billy's band, and actor J.K. Simmons -- this was just during a commercial break as they shot some local promos:
Speaking of J.K. Simmons, the multi-talented...
- 1/7/2016
- by Gina Carbone
- Moviefone
Academy Award winner Sean Penn got his professional start in television back in 1974, playing “Kid” in two episodes of Little House On The Prairie. Four decades later, he is set to return to the small screen – this time playing the seventh President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, in American Lion. Planned as a six hour HBO miniseries, the project is an adaptation of American Lion: Andrew Jackson In The White House by Jon Meacham, with additional research material sourced from a biography by Robert V. Remini.
Scripted by Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard (Narcos), the adaptation will take the form of a miniseries so as to encompass greater swathes of the life of Andrew Jackson, who was a deeply controversial figure. Born in 1767, Jackson worked as a courier during the American Revolutionary War in his early teens, and was orphaned by the age of 14. He grew to be a lawyer,...
Scripted by Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard (Narcos), the adaptation will take the form of a miniseries so as to encompass greater swathes of the life of Andrew Jackson, who was a deeply controversial figure. Born in 1767, Jackson worked as a courier during the American Revolutionary War in his early teens, and was orphaned by the age of 14. He grew to be a lawyer,...
- 12/18/2015
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
The leonine Sean Penn will play President Andrew Jackson for the HBO mini-series American Lion, written by Narcos creators Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard, reports the Wrap. The six-hour series will be based on Jon Meacham's biography of the same title, and begin with Jackson's orphaning during the Revolutionary War to his eventual ascendance to the presidency in 1828. HBO has a good run with mini-series based on famous biographies: John Adams starring Paul Giamatti made history winning the most Emmys ever (13!) for a mini-series. And there's a lot to mine from Jackson's life, too: He notably fought the British and the Spanish, and continued a war against the Native Americans that many consider tantamount to genocide. But maybe the most pressing question is whether the series cover his torrid marriage to Rachel Donelson Robards, which was the subject of the Charlton Heston film The President's Lady. Yes, there will be blood,...
- 12/17/2015
- by E. Alex Jung
- Vulture
I have been visiting Cuba since 2000 when I went there to perfect my Spanish. My Spanish is still far from perfect but I have grown to love Cuba. Since I went there to learn and happened upon the Havana Film Festival which is held this year December 3rd to 13th, I have returned to the Festival every year and have found a world of great talent which increasingly is raring to get out into the world.
Ivan Giroud is a part of that Festival world and actually is now its most important part (aside from the films and filmmakers that is). Starting from zero, he is now considered one of the most qualified specialists in Latin American Cinema.
Read on to see who he is and how he sees Cuban and Latin American Cinema.
How did you get into film?
I was born in Havana in 1957.
I have loved cinema since I was very young. However I did not study film as there was no cinema school in Cuba until 1986.
I had a general education and graduated in Civil
Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Havana in 1981.
I am self-taught in film – what’s that called?
You are an autodidact.
Yes, an autodidact.
In the 70s, Cuba had the best cinema in the world and the best posters as well. These posters remained the finest posters in the world throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s.
Yes, they are silk-screened and on display and for sale. I myself treasure the poster of one o my favorite fims, “Suite Habana” by Fernando Pérez .
In my last year working as a civil engineer I contacted Icaic seeking employment. In 1981 friends in film, like Daisy Granados, the star of “Cecilia” gave me work on her film. I met her husband, Pastor Vega, a filmmaker who was also the first Director of the Festival from 1979 to 1990, a post he took after finishing “Portrait of Teresa” Pastor said ‘Come work with me’ and so in 1988 I entered the industry at the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (Icaic), as a senior specialist and organizer of Cuban and Latin American cinema destined for Europe and North America. The job was like a programming job.
The International Festival of the New Latin American Film in Havana (aka Havana Film Festival) had sections for auteurs, socialist countries, American films and docs. It had the best films, was the preeminent film festival for Latin American cinema and was the only market where all of Latin America gathered to consider the films. It still remains a gathering place for the cineastes throughout Latin America and includes a well-respected coterie of the pioneers of Latin American cinema who created the films that best defined Latin America Cinema in the 60s and then were silenced by the dictatorships which prevailed until the 90s….like Raúl Ruiz, Aldo Francia, Patricio Guzmán and Miguel Littin from Chile, Glauber Rocha, Nelson Pereira dos Santos from Brazil Fernando Solanas and Octavio Getino from Argentina.
At the time of the Soviet collapse in 1991 (known in Cuba as “The Special Period”), I entered the Directorate of the Festival and Vega left and returned to filmmaking. There were other Directors, and in 1994 I became the Director. Alfredo Guevera, the public face of the festival for many years came back to Cuba and became President; we worked together from 1994 to 2010, my first term as the Festival Director.
The Special Period was very, very difficult, the worst of times for everyone and for all Latin American cinema. Brazilian cinema nearly disappeared. The state film organization Embrafilme had been producing 800 films a year and that disappeared for a long time.
Argentina declined in the 90s. Mexico remained active but also declined in the quality of its films. When I began as Director, Cuba was very poor, both economically and creatively. But there was also a generational change and I learned that every decline gives birth to a new generation and new creativity, and so it was.
Schools of films began training new talent. Eictv, the International Film School, funded by Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Nobel Prize money opened its doors in 1987. New schools opened in Argentina and Brazil as well. The Havana Film Festival stood as a testimony to this growing generation as it showed the first works and shorts of the likes of Trapero and others in whom you could see new Latam talent developing.
The Havana Film Festival catalogs are a history of cinema as it was the biggest programmer of films. It still gives the best view of Latam cinema today. It is still important as it gives a full picture of Latam cinema and the people in Latam cinema. Eictv is producing the most interesting film makers in the world. For 37 years the Festival was the best, though today there are not many Latam fests. This one was different. You could get to know the whole cineaste community. It never lost a generation; the older members still make movies and the festival helps them to be seen and known.
In 2010 I went to Madrid where I spent five years. In 2002 I began working on a Dictionary of Iberoamerican Cinema. This 1,000 page book was finished in 2008. From 2008 to 2010 I was the director of the festival from Spain. I also ran an arthouse theater in Madrid, the Sala Berlanga, named after a very important Spanish director a little younger than Bunuel.
In 2012 I wanted to return to Cuba where I worked on the Cuban Dictionary of Film. In April Guevera died and Icaic pulled me back to be President and Director.
Since May 2013 I have been Director of the Casa del Festival and President of the International Festival of New Cinema in Havana.
What about the filmmaker Pavel Giroud? Is he your brother?
No, he’s my nephew. He came into the business a different way, through design. He began producing music clips and then went to Eictv. From a painter he evolved into a moviemaker. He has made three films. His newest, “El Acompañante” (“The Companion”) won the best project award at San Sebastian’s 2nd Europe-Latin America Co-production Forum in 2013.
This is Giroud’s third solo film after “The Silly Age” and “Omerta”. The producers: Luis Pacheco’s Jaguar Films is Panama’s best-known production/services company. The Cuban producer is Lia Rodriguez who also runs the industry section of the Havana Film Festival. It is also produced by the Cuba/ Panama-based Arete Audiovisual, Panama’s Jaguar Films, Venezuela’s Trampolin Impulso Creativo and France’s Tu Vas Voir (Edgard Tenembaum) who produced Walter Salles’ “The Motorcycle Diaries”.
Set in 1988 Cuba, “The Companion” is about a friendship between a disgraced boxer forced to serve as a warden – in Cuban government jingo-speak, a “companion” – for an HIV victim.
What is different about the current state of your festival?
Now there are many Latin American Film Festivals, but ours was and still is different because it allows you to know the whole cineaste community. We never lost a generation. The older generation still is making movies and the younger generation is very present. The Festival helps make them known.
What about the new developments between USA and Cuba?
That is the most asked question today.
We have always had U.S. films and U.S. citizens have always visited in cultural exchanges. We’ve had Gregory Peck, Jack Lemmon in the earliest years. We’ve invited Arthur Penn, Sean Penn, John Sayles, the Coen Brothers. Danny Glover and Benecio del Toro are frequent visitors. Annette Benning and Koch Hawk of the Academy were guests. We were always well connected to the U.S. independents so that is nothing new.
The change is that It will be easier for Americans to visit and to learn.
When I went to Cuba the first time, I was actually surprised to see so many Afro-Cubans. For some reason I assumed USA was the only nation with former slaves. I should have realized the Spanish also traded in slaves but only when I was in Cuba did I “get” it. Now I see the world so differently.
In Cuba black and white races mixed and the mixture (the mulatto) is what is a Cuban today. U.S. has segregation by and large. Latinos live together, Asian, African-Americans are all separated and that creates a totally different mentality.
I am very interested in African Diaspora films and Cuba has a lot. I have always enjoyed the documentaries. You can’t see them anywhere else.
This year there is a great documentary, “They are We" (“Ellos son nosotros”). It is anthropological about the Cuban town Matanza. Matanza has some of the best music in Cuba. It investigates their African roots in Sierra Leone and identifies ancestors and where they were from. Determined to find the exact origin of songs coming from there, the Australian filmmaker - researcher spent two years showing images throughout the region in Sierra Leonie until he confirmed that the Cubans were singing songs similar to the language of an ethnic group made extinct because of the slave trade.
I’ll send you the BBC article. (Read it here)
Thank you Ivan for this hour of your time. I am so happy to have finally connected with you after seeing you for so many years in Havana and in Toronto (where you stay with Helga Stephenson, the subject of an earlier post: Read it here )
More on Ivan:
Ivan has provided advice to other Latin American film festivals and has collaborated on research projects and screenplays, as well as in the production of theater and classical music. In 2008 he was invited to speak at the seminar Contributions of Latin American cinema to world cinema in the first American Film Congress held in Mexico City in the Congress book stories presented in common 40 years / 50 movies of Latin American cinema, of which he is one of its editors.
He was a visiting professor of the Master in Management of the Film Industry Carlos III University courses in 2010, 2011 and 2012. He is one of four directors of the Dictionary of Latin American Cinema; with Carlos F. Heredero, Eduardo Rodríguez Merchán, Benard da Costa and João project Sgae of Spain, consisting of 10 volumes and 16 thousand entries. Between 2008 and 2012 he was Director of audiovisual programming and Berlanga Room Buñuel Institute Foundation Author of Spain, a period in which he was international adviser Icaic.
Ivan Giroud is a part of that Festival world and actually is now its most important part (aside from the films and filmmakers that is). Starting from zero, he is now considered one of the most qualified specialists in Latin American Cinema.
Read on to see who he is and how he sees Cuban and Latin American Cinema.
How did you get into film?
I was born in Havana in 1957.
I have loved cinema since I was very young. However I did not study film as there was no cinema school in Cuba until 1986.
I had a general education and graduated in Civil
Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Havana in 1981.
I am self-taught in film – what’s that called?
You are an autodidact.
Yes, an autodidact.
In the 70s, Cuba had the best cinema in the world and the best posters as well. These posters remained the finest posters in the world throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s.
Yes, they are silk-screened and on display and for sale. I myself treasure the poster of one o my favorite fims, “Suite Habana” by Fernando Pérez .
In my last year working as a civil engineer I contacted Icaic seeking employment. In 1981 friends in film, like Daisy Granados, the star of “Cecilia” gave me work on her film. I met her husband, Pastor Vega, a filmmaker who was also the first Director of the Festival from 1979 to 1990, a post he took after finishing “Portrait of Teresa” Pastor said ‘Come work with me’ and so in 1988 I entered the industry at the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (Icaic), as a senior specialist and organizer of Cuban and Latin American cinema destined for Europe and North America. The job was like a programming job.
The International Festival of the New Latin American Film in Havana (aka Havana Film Festival) had sections for auteurs, socialist countries, American films and docs. It had the best films, was the preeminent film festival for Latin American cinema and was the only market where all of Latin America gathered to consider the films. It still remains a gathering place for the cineastes throughout Latin America and includes a well-respected coterie of the pioneers of Latin American cinema who created the films that best defined Latin America Cinema in the 60s and then were silenced by the dictatorships which prevailed until the 90s….like Raúl Ruiz, Aldo Francia, Patricio Guzmán and Miguel Littin from Chile, Glauber Rocha, Nelson Pereira dos Santos from Brazil Fernando Solanas and Octavio Getino from Argentina.
At the time of the Soviet collapse in 1991 (known in Cuba as “The Special Period”), I entered the Directorate of the Festival and Vega left and returned to filmmaking. There were other Directors, and in 1994 I became the Director. Alfredo Guevera, the public face of the festival for many years came back to Cuba and became President; we worked together from 1994 to 2010, my first term as the Festival Director.
The Special Period was very, very difficult, the worst of times for everyone and for all Latin American cinema. Brazilian cinema nearly disappeared. The state film organization Embrafilme had been producing 800 films a year and that disappeared for a long time.
Argentina declined in the 90s. Mexico remained active but also declined in the quality of its films. When I began as Director, Cuba was very poor, both economically and creatively. But there was also a generational change and I learned that every decline gives birth to a new generation and new creativity, and so it was.
Schools of films began training new talent. Eictv, the International Film School, funded by Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Nobel Prize money opened its doors in 1987. New schools opened in Argentina and Brazil as well. The Havana Film Festival stood as a testimony to this growing generation as it showed the first works and shorts of the likes of Trapero and others in whom you could see new Latam talent developing.
The Havana Film Festival catalogs are a history of cinema as it was the biggest programmer of films. It still gives the best view of Latam cinema today. It is still important as it gives a full picture of Latam cinema and the people in Latam cinema. Eictv is producing the most interesting film makers in the world. For 37 years the Festival was the best, though today there are not many Latam fests. This one was different. You could get to know the whole cineaste community. It never lost a generation; the older members still make movies and the festival helps them to be seen and known.
In 2010 I went to Madrid where I spent five years. In 2002 I began working on a Dictionary of Iberoamerican Cinema. This 1,000 page book was finished in 2008. From 2008 to 2010 I was the director of the festival from Spain. I also ran an arthouse theater in Madrid, the Sala Berlanga, named after a very important Spanish director a little younger than Bunuel.
In 2012 I wanted to return to Cuba where I worked on the Cuban Dictionary of Film. In April Guevera died and Icaic pulled me back to be President and Director.
Since May 2013 I have been Director of the Casa del Festival and President of the International Festival of New Cinema in Havana.
What about the filmmaker Pavel Giroud? Is he your brother?
No, he’s my nephew. He came into the business a different way, through design. He began producing music clips and then went to Eictv. From a painter he evolved into a moviemaker. He has made three films. His newest, “El Acompañante” (“The Companion”) won the best project award at San Sebastian’s 2nd Europe-Latin America Co-production Forum in 2013.
This is Giroud’s third solo film after “The Silly Age” and “Omerta”. The producers: Luis Pacheco’s Jaguar Films is Panama’s best-known production/services company. The Cuban producer is Lia Rodriguez who also runs the industry section of the Havana Film Festival. It is also produced by the Cuba/ Panama-based Arete Audiovisual, Panama’s Jaguar Films, Venezuela’s Trampolin Impulso Creativo and France’s Tu Vas Voir (Edgard Tenembaum) who produced Walter Salles’ “The Motorcycle Diaries”.
Set in 1988 Cuba, “The Companion” is about a friendship between a disgraced boxer forced to serve as a warden – in Cuban government jingo-speak, a “companion” – for an HIV victim.
What is different about the current state of your festival?
Now there are many Latin American Film Festivals, but ours was and still is different because it allows you to know the whole cineaste community. We never lost a generation. The older generation still is making movies and the younger generation is very present. The Festival helps make them known.
What about the new developments between USA and Cuba?
That is the most asked question today.
We have always had U.S. films and U.S. citizens have always visited in cultural exchanges. We’ve had Gregory Peck, Jack Lemmon in the earliest years. We’ve invited Arthur Penn, Sean Penn, John Sayles, the Coen Brothers. Danny Glover and Benecio del Toro are frequent visitors. Annette Benning and Koch Hawk of the Academy were guests. We were always well connected to the U.S. independents so that is nothing new.
The change is that It will be easier for Americans to visit and to learn.
When I went to Cuba the first time, I was actually surprised to see so many Afro-Cubans. For some reason I assumed USA was the only nation with former slaves. I should have realized the Spanish also traded in slaves but only when I was in Cuba did I “get” it. Now I see the world so differently.
In Cuba black and white races mixed and the mixture (the mulatto) is what is a Cuban today. U.S. has segregation by and large. Latinos live together, Asian, African-Americans are all separated and that creates a totally different mentality.
I am very interested in African Diaspora films and Cuba has a lot. I have always enjoyed the documentaries. You can’t see them anywhere else.
This year there is a great documentary, “They are We" (“Ellos son nosotros”). It is anthropological about the Cuban town Matanza. Matanza has some of the best music in Cuba. It investigates their African roots in Sierra Leone and identifies ancestors and where they were from. Determined to find the exact origin of songs coming from there, the Australian filmmaker - researcher spent two years showing images throughout the region in Sierra Leonie until he confirmed that the Cubans were singing songs similar to the language of an ethnic group made extinct because of the slave trade.
I’ll send you the BBC article. (Read it here)
Thank you Ivan for this hour of your time. I am so happy to have finally connected with you after seeing you for so many years in Havana and in Toronto (where you stay with Helga Stephenson, the subject of an earlier post: Read it here )
More on Ivan:
Ivan has provided advice to other Latin American film festivals and has collaborated on research projects and screenplays, as well as in the production of theater and classical music. In 2008 he was invited to speak at the seminar Contributions of Latin American cinema to world cinema in the first American Film Congress held in Mexico City in the Congress book stories presented in common 40 years / 50 movies of Latin American cinema, of which he is one of its editors.
He was a visiting professor of the Master in Management of the Film Industry Carlos III University courses in 2010, 2011 and 2012. He is one of four directors of the Dictionary of Latin American Cinema; with Carlos F. Heredero, Eduardo Rodríguez Merchán, Benard da Costa and João project Sgae of Spain, consisting of 10 volumes and 16 thousand entries. Between 2008 and 2012 he was Director of audiovisual programming and Berlanga Room Buñuel Institute Foundation Author of Spain, a period in which he was international adviser Icaic.
- 11/19/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
By Alex Simon
2015 will most likely go down as the year that the once-taboo became respectable, with both gay marriage and marijuana finding legal and public acceptance nationwide. While the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in all fifty states, the marijuana initiative is having an appropriately slower, but steady climb into legality. That said, we thought we’d take a look at some of cinema’s greatest proponents of the stoner lifestyle, before it all becomes downright conventional.
10. Jeff Spicoli—Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Sean Penn not only became a star with his turn as surfer/stoner Jeff Spicoli in the 1980s’ most iconic teen movie, he established how the stoners of the ‘80s differed from their predecessors: while the rebels of the ‘60s and ‘70s viewed their use of cannabis as a symbol of rebellion, and preferred it to alcohol and the other symbols of their parents’ generation and its decadence,...
2015 will most likely go down as the year that the once-taboo became respectable, with both gay marriage and marijuana finding legal and public acceptance nationwide. While the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in all fifty states, the marijuana initiative is having an appropriately slower, but steady climb into legality. That said, we thought we’d take a look at some of cinema’s greatest proponents of the stoner lifestyle, before it all becomes downright conventional.
10. Jeff Spicoli—Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Sean Penn not only became a star with his turn as surfer/stoner Jeff Spicoli in the 1980s’ most iconic teen movie, he established how the stoners of the ‘80s differed from their predecessors: while the rebels of the ‘60s and ‘70s viewed their use of cannabis as a symbol of rebellion, and preferred it to alcohol and the other symbols of their parents’ generation and its decadence,...
- 7/9/2015
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Now that we’ve come out of the Cannes ether, we can examine several of the names glaringly absent from the lineup that may potentially premiere on the Lido this fall. With controversial moves finding Garrel, Gomes, and Desplechin playing the Quinzaine, while Naomi Kawase and Apichatpong Weerasethakul got slotted in Un Certain Regard, we’re aggravated and pleased about some of this shifting around, but all in all, the main competition this year didn’t end up feeling like many programming risks were taken.
First off, to the general surprise of all, German director Maren Ade and British director Terence Davies were absent from the line-up, both with new highly anticipated titles (Toni Erdmann and Sunset Song respectively). Thierry Fremaux, arguably, tried to mix things up a bit with the Main Competition this year, inviting two female directors (Sacre Bleu!), including Valerie Donzelli and repeat offender Maiwenn (both titles...
First off, to the general surprise of all, German director Maren Ade and British director Terence Davies were absent from the line-up, both with new highly anticipated titles (Toni Erdmann and Sunset Song respectively). Thierry Fremaux, arguably, tried to mix things up a bit with the Main Competition this year, inviting two female directors (Sacre Bleu!), including Valerie Donzelli and repeat offender Maiwenn (both titles...
- 6/15/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Kristen Stewart, 'Camp X-Ray' star, to join cast of 'Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk' Kristen Stewart to join 'Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk' movie After putting away her Bella Swan wig and red (formerly brown) contact lenses, Kristen Stewart has been making a number of interesting career choices. Here are three examples: Stewart was a U.S. soldier who befriends an inmate (Peyman Moaadi) at the American Gulag, Guantanamo, in Peter Sattler's little-seen (at least in theaters) Camp X-Ray. She was one of Best Actress Oscar winner Julianne Moore's daughters in Wash Westmoreland and the recently deceased Richard Glatzer's Alzheimer's drama Still Alice. She was the personal assistant to troubled, aging actress Juliette Binoche in Olivier Assayas' Clouds of Sils Maria, which earned her a history-making Best Supporting Actress César. (Stewart became the first American actress to take home the French Academy Award.
- 4/4/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Attention, white people: Why do you keep going where you're not wanted? At first blush, Out of the Dark falls easily into the category of horror films in which white people -- usually Americans -- trespass into unknown territories, leading the natives to exact a terrible vengeance upon them. Sarah (Julia Stiles) and Paul (Scott Speedman) move to Colombia, South America with their young daughter Hannah (Pixie Davies). Sarah is meant to become manager of a large paper mill owned by her father, Jordan Harriman (Stephen Rea). The factory is the town's largest employer, and Jordan is proud of his accomplishments to benefit the local populace. Early signs point to trouble in paradise, however. The movie's prelude is filled with dark omens from decades past...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 2/26/2015
- Screen Anarchy
Moviegoers can finally enjoy a film with a genuine hero who served his country and fought in a righteous war
The New England Patriots spent this past weekend earning a spot in the Super Bowl. But many more patriots went to the movies and propelled “American Sniper” to a record-setting January box office weekend.
In doing so, they officially declared war against the likes of Michael Moore, Seth Rogen and so many liberal, peace loving, pot-smoking A-listers and Hollywood suits who, since the 1970s, have had an ambivalent, if not disdainful relationship with war movies in general, and American patriotism in particular.
The New England Patriots spent this past weekend earning a spot in the Super Bowl. But many more patriots went to the movies and propelled “American Sniper” to a record-setting January box office weekend.
In doing so, they officially declared war against the likes of Michael Moore, Seth Rogen and so many liberal, peace loving, pot-smoking A-listers and Hollywood suits who, since the 1970s, have had an ambivalent, if not disdainful relationship with war movies in general, and American patriotism in particular.
- 1/23/2015
- by Thane Rosenbaum
- The Wrap
GLAAD has joined the many critics of TLC’s “My Husband’s Not Gay.”
“This show is downright irresponsible. No one can change who they love, and, more importantly, no one should have to,” GLAAD President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement issued to TheWrap. “By investing in this dangerous programming, TLC is putting countless young Lgbt people in harm’s way.”
Also Read: TLC to Air ‘My Husband’s Not Gay’ Special in January (Exclusive Video)
As TheWrap previously reported, the TLC special follows four married men living in Salt Lake City, Utah, who don’t identify themselves as homosexual,...
“This show is downright irresponsible. No one can change who they love, and, more importantly, no one should have to,” GLAAD President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement issued to TheWrap. “By investing in this dangerous programming, TLC is putting countless young Lgbt people in harm’s way.”
Also Read: TLC to Air ‘My Husband’s Not Gay’ Special in January (Exclusive Video)
As TheWrap previously reported, the TLC special follows four married men living in Salt Lake City, Utah, who don’t identify themselves as homosexual,...
- 1/6/2015
- by Itay Hod
- The Wrap
"Hey, Hillz! Nice meeting you. Lemme write you a song when you run for president!" That's basically how Katy Perry followed up her meeting with Hillary Clinton at a book signing last Friday. And Clinton seemed down with it, oddly enough. .@katyperry Well that's not a Hard Choice. You already did! Keep letting us hear you Roar.— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 22, 2014 But before you say that a Hillary Clinton-Katy Perry team-up seems a little out of left field, know that the Ready for Hillary Super Pac already used "Roar" in a promotional video earlier this year. "Eye of the tiger?...
- 7/6/2014
- by Drew Mackie
- PEOPLE.com
Over a dozen celebrities and Cumulus Media have come together to help the innovative, Ohio-based Veterans Matter program kick off a campaign on Memorial Day to help house as many of the 57,000 homeless veterans as soon as possible. “Thousands of veterans are homeless and living on the streets of our nation tonight. Streets where they are being beaten, robbed, even killed. Let’s take care of our own,” says Ice-t of the Veterans Matter campaign to house veterans. The program’s growing roster of support includes: Darius Rucker Darryl Worley Dusty Hill Emerson Drive Heart Ice-t Jennifer Nettles John Fogerty John Mellencamp Kid Rock Kix Brooks Mitch Albom Natalie Stovall+The Drive Stevie Nicks Each has voiced public services announcements now airing on Cumulus Media properties nationwide urging all Americans to help our nation’s homeless veterans get housed. Text “Vets” to 41444 and click through to donate any amount on their credit card.
- 5/25/2014
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
Pharrell gets gifted with a giant hat from Ellen DeGeneres - People Kylie Jenner slams "insulting" plastic surgery rumors - Us Weekly Stars react to Stephen Colbert's Late Show news - Et Emma Stone gets a spicy surprise - HuffPost Celebrity Who is Katherine Heigl suing for $6 million? - Lainey Gossip So this is how Alex Pettyfer celebrated his birthday - BuzzFeed Go behind the scenes on One Direction's latest commercial - Gossip Girl Dave Grohl reminisces about his late bandmate, Kurt Cobain - Hollywood Reporter Kris Jenner won't be posing for Playboy after all - Dlisted Tons of Americans are naming their daughters Khaleesi - Jezebel Sean Penn will direct his girlfriend, Charlize Theron - Vulture Source: Getty / Bryan Bedder...
- 4/10/2014
- by Brittney Stephens
- Popsugar.com
By Mark Pinkert
Contributor
* * *
This is the third article in a three-part series.
Though many Academy Award Best Picture nominees contain—or are predominantly about—sex and relationships, very few have been about sex issues in law and politics. In recent years there has been Milk (2008), the biopic of Harvey Milk, a California politician and gay rights activist, and otherwise not much else. Even in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the AIDS epidemic was a hot button issue, few films of this genre made it to the Best Picture ticket (remember, Philadelphia was snubbed from the category in 1993). Sexual issues topics, though, have been more popular within the documentary medium: there was Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989), which won for Best Documentary, and which was the first AIDS-related film to win an Oscar, the The Times of Harvey Milk (1984), which also won Best Documentary, and How to Survive a Plague...
Contributor
* * *
This is the third article in a three-part series.
Though many Academy Award Best Picture nominees contain—or are predominantly about—sex and relationships, very few have been about sex issues in law and politics. In recent years there has been Milk (2008), the biopic of Harvey Milk, a California politician and gay rights activist, and otherwise not much else. Even in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the AIDS epidemic was a hot button issue, few films of this genre made it to the Best Picture ticket (remember, Philadelphia was snubbed from the category in 1993). Sexual issues topics, though, have been more popular within the documentary medium: there was Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989), which won for Best Documentary, and which was the first AIDS-related film to win an Oscar, the The Times of Harvey Milk (1984), which also won Best Documentary, and How to Survive a Plague...
- 12/11/2013
- by Mark Pinkert
- Scott Feinberg
War is hell, for sure, but war can make for undeniably brilliant movie-making. Here, the Guardian and Observer's critics pick the ten best
• Top 10 action movies
• Top 10 comedy movies
• Top 10 horror movies
• Top 10 sci-fi movies
• Top 10 crime movies
• Top 10 arthouse movies
• Top 10 family movies
10. Where Eagles Dare
As the second world war thriller became bogged down during the mid-60s in plodding epics like Operation Crossbow and The Heroes of Telemark, someone was needed to reintroduce a little sang-froid, some post-Le Carré espionage, and for heaven's sake, some proper macho thrills into the genre. Alistair Maclean stepped up, writing the screenplay and the novel of Where Eagles Dare simultaneously, and Brian G Hutton summoned up a better than usual cast headed by Richard Burton (Major Jonathan Smith), a still fresh-faced Clint Eastwood (Lieutenant Morris Schaffer), and the late Mary Ure (Mary Elison).
Parachuted into the German Alps, they have one...
• Top 10 action movies
• Top 10 comedy movies
• Top 10 horror movies
• Top 10 sci-fi movies
• Top 10 crime movies
• Top 10 arthouse movies
• Top 10 family movies
10. Where Eagles Dare
As the second world war thriller became bogged down during the mid-60s in plodding epics like Operation Crossbow and The Heroes of Telemark, someone was needed to reintroduce a little sang-froid, some post-Le Carré espionage, and for heaven's sake, some proper macho thrills into the genre. Alistair Maclean stepped up, writing the screenplay and the novel of Where Eagles Dare simultaneously, and Brian G Hutton summoned up a better than usual cast headed by Richard Burton (Major Jonathan Smith), a still fresh-faced Clint Eastwood (Lieutenant Morris Schaffer), and the late Mary Ure (Mary Elison).
Parachuted into the German Alps, they have one...
- 10/29/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
The castles. The cars. The out-there acting. The 108-day marriage to Lisa Marie Presley. Nicolas Cage has a reputation for excess – but we've got him all wrong, he says
To start with, the thing most often said of Nicolas Cage: he is weird-looking, with constituent parts that don't promise to add up to a movie star. His hair, like cultivated grassland, is lush at the top and sparse at the root. There is something puppety about his face. And, of course, there are his eyes, which, like the Woody Allen joke – "You have the most eyes I've ever seen on any person" – qualify him to play both romantic leads and psychopaths. At 49, Cage overturns every industry standard, and there's no denying it: the result is transfixing. "Have a blueberry muffin," he says in that agonised drawl, and flashes a goofy grin.
We are in a hotel in Mobile, Alabama,...
To start with, the thing most often said of Nicolas Cage: he is weird-looking, with constituent parts that don't promise to add up to a movie star. His hair, like cultivated grassland, is lush at the top and sparse at the root. There is something puppety about his face. And, of course, there are his eyes, which, like the Woody Allen joke – "You have the most eyes I've ever seen on any person" – qualify him to play both romantic leads and psychopaths. At 49, Cage overturns every industry standard, and there's no denying it: the result is transfixing. "Have a blueberry muffin," he says in that agonised drawl, and flashes a goofy grin.
We are in a hotel in Mobile, Alabama,...
- 7/20/2013
- by Emma Brockes
- The Guardian - Film News
The American Pavilion founder Julie Sisk is proud that the American Pavilion will be plastic-bottle free. AmPav's Premiere Sponsor SodaStream is joining the Presenting Sponsors American Express and The Peninsula Hotel Group at Cannes Film Festival 2013.
To create a plastic bottle free environment, a range of freshly-made SodaStream flavored drinks will be available complimentary to guests; re-usable eco-friendly bottles will be re-filled for free with either still, sparkling or flavored drinks. A selection of SodaStream cocktails will also be served from the SodaStream SodaBar, an exciting new design aspect of the updated Pavilion for the 25th anniversary celebrations. “One Billion bottles and cans are trashed every day, the majority ending up in landfills, parks or oceans. What better place than the beautiful beachside location of Cannes to share with the international film industry that people have a choice; that with SodaStream they are empowered to enjoy great-tasting soda without the hazardous waste.”“We are thrilled to partner with The American Pavilion to help them with their first ever event without the trash from bottles and cans,” commented SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum.
Ampav founder Julie Sisk also stated: “It makes so much sense for us to partner with SodaStream as The Pavilion was the first entity in Cannes to implement recycling, trucking our recyclables to Marseille every other day. We continue to be as green as possible and conscious of the impact we have on the fragile Cannes environment.”
SodaStream is the world leader in home soda making, where consumers turn tap or filtered water into a mouth-watering array of carbonated beverages without the wasteful bottles. SodaStream’s involvement with Ampav this year allows the Pavilion to be truly free of cans and plastic bottles. This symbolic move means taking over a long-standing sponsorship by Coca-Cola; SodaStream will host the bar at the American Pavilion as the exclusive soft drink and water provider, offering a far better-for-the-planet and better-for-you experience for visitors.
Founded 25 years ago by industry maven Julie Sisk, The American Pavilion is a place where North American film industry professionals gather to share ideas and network during Cannes Film Festival, the largest and most prestigious film festival in the world. Initially created to provide a convenient single meeting space for all the North American film professionals in town, The Pavilion has grown to become the essential hub for the industry off The Croisette, offering membership for professionals, provocative and insightful programming, immersive student programs, Emerging Filmmaker Showcases, and more. Luminaries that have supported The Pavilion over the years include: filmmakers Ron Howard, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Wong Kar Wai, Spike Lee, Billy Bob Thornton, and stars Tommy Lee Jones, Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, James Franco, Michelle Williams, Jessica Chastain, Robert Duvall, and Matt Lauer amongst many others. About SodastreamSodaStream International Ltd. is the world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of home beverage carbonation systems, which enable consumers to easily transform ordinary tap water instantly into carbonated soft drinks and sparkling water. Soda makers offer a highly differentiated and innovative solution to consumers of bottled and canned carbonated soft drinks and sparkling water. Our products are environmentally friendly, cost effective, promote health and wellness, and are customizable and fun to use. In addition, our products offer convenience by eliminating the need to carry bottles home from the supermarket, to store bottles at home or to regularly dispose of empty bottles. Our products are available at more than 60,000 retail stores in 45 countries around the world, including almost 15,000 retail stores in the United States. In February 2013, SodaStream was ranked 23rd globally in Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies. The company has also been recognized as one of the UK’s most influential and highly regarded brands in the 2012/2013 CoolBrands® list. SodaStream is a Nasdaq listed company: Nasdaq: Soda About The American PavilionCelebrating its 25th year bringing professionals and emerging filmmakers together, The American Pavilion is the center of activity for the American film community at the Cannes International Film Festival. Since its debut at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival, The Pavilion has served as a hospitality and communications hub for the thousands of Americans attending the Cannes Film Festival and Marché, providing an impressive array of facilities and services, including membership for the international film community, provocative and insightful programming, the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase, immersive student programs, and more. For its corporate sponsors, scores of American participants, and hundreds of exhibitors and office holders, The American Pavilion accommodates the need for information, orientation and recreation, providing both a dynamic business environment and an opportunity to relax in comfortable surroundings for the duration of the Festival. With a panoramic view of the Bay of Cannes and just a few steps from the Palais des Festivals, where all the major Festival films are premiered, The American Pavilion is now a permanent fixture on the Cannes landscape, proving to be the perfect place to transact business, share ideas and effectively reach the thousands of affluent international travelers who attend the Festival every year. For more information, visit www.ampav.com.
To create a plastic bottle free environment, a range of freshly-made SodaStream flavored drinks will be available complimentary to guests; re-usable eco-friendly bottles will be re-filled for free with either still, sparkling or flavored drinks. A selection of SodaStream cocktails will also be served from the SodaStream SodaBar, an exciting new design aspect of the updated Pavilion for the 25th anniversary celebrations. “One Billion bottles and cans are trashed every day, the majority ending up in landfills, parks or oceans. What better place than the beautiful beachside location of Cannes to share with the international film industry that people have a choice; that with SodaStream they are empowered to enjoy great-tasting soda without the hazardous waste.”“We are thrilled to partner with The American Pavilion to help them with their first ever event without the trash from bottles and cans,” commented SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum.
Ampav founder Julie Sisk also stated: “It makes so much sense for us to partner with SodaStream as The Pavilion was the first entity in Cannes to implement recycling, trucking our recyclables to Marseille every other day. We continue to be as green as possible and conscious of the impact we have on the fragile Cannes environment.”
SodaStream is the world leader in home soda making, where consumers turn tap or filtered water into a mouth-watering array of carbonated beverages without the wasteful bottles. SodaStream’s involvement with Ampav this year allows the Pavilion to be truly free of cans and plastic bottles. This symbolic move means taking over a long-standing sponsorship by Coca-Cola; SodaStream will host the bar at the American Pavilion as the exclusive soft drink and water provider, offering a far better-for-the-planet and better-for-you experience for visitors.
Founded 25 years ago by industry maven Julie Sisk, The American Pavilion is a place where North American film industry professionals gather to share ideas and network during Cannes Film Festival, the largest and most prestigious film festival in the world. Initially created to provide a convenient single meeting space for all the North American film professionals in town, The Pavilion has grown to become the essential hub for the industry off The Croisette, offering membership for professionals, provocative and insightful programming, immersive student programs, Emerging Filmmaker Showcases, and more. Luminaries that have supported The Pavilion over the years include: filmmakers Ron Howard, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Wong Kar Wai, Spike Lee, Billy Bob Thornton, and stars Tommy Lee Jones, Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, James Franco, Michelle Williams, Jessica Chastain, Robert Duvall, and Matt Lauer amongst many others. About SodastreamSodaStream International Ltd. is the world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of home beverage carbonation systems, which enable consumers to easily transform ordinary tap water instantly into carbonated soft drinks and sparkling water. Soda makers offer a highly differentiated and innovative solution to consumers of bottled and canned carbonated soft drinks and sparkling water. Our products are environmentally friendly, cost effective, promote health and wellness, and are customizable and fun to use. In addition, our products offer convenience by eliminating the need to carry bottles home from the supermarket, to store bottles at home or to regularly dispose of empty bottles. Our products are available at more than 60,000 retail stores in 45 countries around the world, including almost 15,000 retail stores in the United States. In February 2013, SodaStream was ranked 23rd globally in Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies. The company has also been recognized as one of the UK’s most influential and highly regarded brands in the 2012/2013 CoolBrands® list. SodaStream is a Nasdaq listed company: Nasdaq: Soda About The American PavilionCelebrating its 25th year bringing professionals and emerging filmmakers together, The American Pavilion is the center of activity for the American film community at the Cannes International Film Festival. Since its debut at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival, The Pavilion has served as a hospitality and communications hub for the thousands of Americans attending the Cannes Film Festival and Marché, providing an impressive array of facilities and services, including membership for the international film community, provocative and insightful programming, the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase, immersive student programs, and more. For its corporate sponsors, scores of American participants, and hundreds of exhibitors and office holders, The American Pavilion accommodates the need for information, orientation and recreation, providing both a dynamic business environment and an opportunity to relax in comfortable surroundings for the duration of the Festival. With a panoramic view of the Bay of Cannes and just a few steps from the Palais des Festivals, where all the major Festival films are premiered, The American Pavilion is now a permanent fixture on the Cannes landscape, proving to be the perfect place to transact business, share ideas and effectively reach the thousands of affluent international travelers who attend the Festival every year. For more information, visit www.ampav.com.
- 5/10/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Name: Lincoln
Release date: Nov. 16, 2012
DVD release date: March 2013
Run time: 2 hour, 30 mins.
Box office: Opening wide weekend: $21.0 million; Total domestic box office: $173.6 million
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90 percent
Lincoln movie math: Amistad + Mr. Smith Goes to Washington + The West Wing + (Downfall – Hitler)
Tweetable description: In the final days of the Civil War, Abe Lincoln marshals all his political skills to pass the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery forever.
What Owen said: “Lincoln brilliantly dramatizes the delicacy of politics, along with the raw brutality of it. All that’s pushing the amendment forward is Abe Lincoln’s will, his ability to do...
Release date: Nov. 16, 2012
DVD release date: March 2013
Run time: 2 hour, 30 mins.
Box office: Opening wide weekend: $21.0 million; Total domestic box office: $173.6 million
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90 percent
Lincoln movie math: Amistad + Mr. Smith Goes to Washington + The West Wing + (Downfall – Hitler)
Tweetable description: In the final days of the Civil War, Abe Lincoln marshals all his political skills to pass the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery forever.
What Owen said: “Lincoln brilliantly dramatizes the delicacy of politics, along with the raw brutality of it. All that’s pushing the amendment forward is Abe Lincoln’s will, his ability to do...
- 2/13/2013
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW.com - PopWatch
On December 14, 2012, a young man named Adam Lanza broke into a primary school and fatally shot 26 people in the small village of Sandy Hook, Connecticut. Twenty of them were children, aged 6 or 7. On that day, no matter where I went or what I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about the tragedy of that event, the inhumanity of it. Evidently, I wasn’t the only one.
Ann Coulter, the incendiary pundit and bellicose mouthpiece for America’s most radical right wing, said this on her Twitter account, just hours after the tragedy in Connecticut: “Only one policy has ever been shown to deter mass murder: concealed-carry laws”.
Amongst many things, what she said got me thinking about gun violence in Canada. Earlier this year in Toronto, where I live, a gunman shot and killed two men at the Eaton Centre shopping mall, injuring five innocent bystander in the process. In...
Ann Coulter, the incendiary pundit and bellicose mouthpiece for America’s most radical right wing, said this on her Twitter account, just hours after the tragedy in Connecticut: “Only one policy has ever been shown to deter mass murder: concealed-carry laws”.
Amongst many things, what she said got me thinking about gun violence in Canada. Earlier this year in Toronto, where I live, a gunman shot and killed two men at the Eaton Centre shopping mall, injuring five innocent bystander in the process. In...
- 12/28/2012
- by Justin Li
- SoundOnSight
Kid Rock isn't one to hold a grudge. The performer and Mitt Romney supporter was gracious in defeat when he ran into Barack Obama, whose reelection bid Rock vehemently opposed.
"It always stinks to lose at anything in life," Rock told CNN. "But the beautiful thing about it, you know, is that I love this country and I think both men do, so you cross your fingers and try to move forward and hope for the best. You respect the office of the president of the United States, and the great thing is that in four years, we'll see what happens. It's tough to stand up for something you believe in, especially in my business. It's very easy to alienate a lot of fans and people, but if you don't stand for something you stand for nothing."
Rock also said Obama greeted him with a smile, joking that he was "still here.
"It always stinks to lose at anything in life," Rock told CNN. "But the beautiful thing about it, you know, is that I love this country and I think both men do, so you cross your fingers and try to move forward and hope for the best. You respect the office of the president of the United States, and the great thing is that in four years, we'll see what happens. It's tough to stand up for something you believe in, especially in my business. It's very easy to alienate a lot of fans and people, but if you don't stand for something you stand for nothing."
Rock also said Obama greeted him with a smile, joking that he was "still here.
- 12/3/2012
- by Kia Makarechi
- Huffington Post
Washington -- Baseball great Hank Aaron is a Barack Obama guy. Golf legend Jack Nicklaus is in Mitt Romney's camp.
From athletes and astronauts to singers and Hollywood stars, a growing line of celebrities is turning up at fancy dinners and rallies to build support and get out the vote for Obama or Romney, the president's Republican challenger.
Obama has entertainers like Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry, George Clooney, Beyonce and Jay-z.
Romney's supporters include Clint Eastwood, musicians Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood and comedian Dennis Miller. Often the Democratic ticket attracts younger and glitzier stars.
Both campaigns have spent huge amounts of time and effort making sure their rallies feature opening acts that reinforce a campaign message, whether it's the economy, health care, veterans or some other issue.
Nicklaus, who now designs golf courses, teed up Romney at a campaign event near Columbus, Ohio.
The golfer said he's had...
From athletes and astronauts to singers and Hollywood stars, a growing line of celebrities is turning up at fancy dinners and rallies to build support and get out the vote for Obama or Romney, the president's Republican challenger.
Obama has entertainers like Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry, George Clooney, Beyonce and Jay-z.
Romney's supporters include Clint Eastwood, musicians Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood and comedian Dennis Miller. Often the Democratic ticket attracts younger and glitzier stars.
Both campaigns have spent huge amounts of time and effort making sure their rallies feature opening acts that reinforce a campaign message, whether it's the economy, health care, veterans or some other issue.
Nicklaus, who now designs golf courses, teed up Romney at a campaign event near Columbus, Ohio.
The golfer said he's had...
- 10/26/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
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