Watch The Official Trailer Of The Upcoming Hindi Movie Barfi! Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Ileana, which opened on Friday.
Barfi!, a Hinidi romantic comedy directed by Anurag Basu, is playing at the AMC Empire 25 off of Times Square at 234 W. 42nd Street.
The film examines this complex intersection of artistic practice and social activism as seen through the life and art of China's preeminent contemporary artist. From 2008 to 2010, Beijing-based journalist and filmmaker Alison Klayman gained unprecedented access to Ai Weiwei. Klayman documented Ai's artistic process in preparation for major museum exhibitions, his intimate exchanges with family members and his increasingly public clashes with the Chinese government. Klayman's detailed portrait of the artist provides a nuanced exploration of contemporary China and one of its most compelling public figures.
Website Launch Party and Fundraiser featuring Tony Award-winner MELBA MOORE and #1 R&B singer MELI'SA MORGAN
To celebrate the near-completion of Flow Affair, the new documentary to be released by Art From The Heart Films, the award-winning director Wolfgang Busch is hosting a Website Launch Party and fundraiser at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 23, 2010 at the LGBT Community Center, 208 West 13th Street, New York, NY. The suggested donation is $20.
Flow Affair explores the evolution of dance by showcasing the emergence of "Floguing" – a breakthrough in dance that has only now begun to show up at underground circuit parties and dance clubs, and in innovative dance choreography.
Save New York City from its leaders.
Do you think Michael Bloomberg can help us save
Vanishing New York ?
Vanishing New York is a documentary-in-progress about the luxury development that is changing our city, pricing out artists, small businesses and even the middle class. The film explores why this is happening now and at such a rapid pace. It is both an indictment of current city policies and the story of how people are fighting to stop these changes. If you would like to help us finish the film, go to www.vanishingny.org to see how you can make a tax-deductible donation.
The
Film
You
Must
See
This
Election
Year !
The Promise of New York is an award-winning documentary that follows the entertaining antics of three underdogs who try to unseat billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg during the 2005 mayoral election. Featuring: Michael Bloomberg, Ed Koch, Christopher Brodeur, Jessica Delfino, Seth Blum, Andy Horwitz, and Chris Riggs.
Upcoming Screening Dates:
* Tuesday Sept. 8, 8PM; Monkey Town; $10/$10 Minimum
58 N 3rd ST, Brooklyn, NY ; 718.384.1369
Reservations highly recommended. Click here for Tickets or Information.
* Friday Sept. 11 & Saturday Sept. 12, 9PM; Dixon Place; $10
161 Chrystie ST, New York, NY
(212) 219-0736; www.dixonplace.org
Click here for Sept. 11 Tickets.
Click here for Sept. 12 Tickets.
From the publicity materials :
"A blogger turned stand-up comic, an obsessive political gadfly and a high-school math teacher compete against each other and arch rival incumbent Michael Bloomberg for the post of New York City mayor. As these ordinary citizens take politics into their own hands, The Promise of New York explores the meaning of democracy and the identity of a city with hilarious irreverence and thought-provoking sensitivity."
Rare Dancing Performance by Voguing Legends
More than 10 years in the making, How Do I Look offers an intimate look inside the Balls. Downtown stars Kevin Aviance, Michael Musto and Patricia Field also dish about the scene. You'll also get the inside dirt on members of 'Houses' whose talents led them to work with superstars like Madonna, Queen Latifah, India, and fashion designer Thierry Mugler. Dancer and choreographer Jose Xtravaganza's tales of working with Madonna on the Vogue and Truth or Dare videos are especially priceless.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 from 6:00PM to 9:00PM. Special live performance by the House of Ninja begins at 6:30PM.
The screening will take place at the Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Auditorium of the JCC in Manhattan at 334 Amsterdam Avenue (at West 76th Street). Attendees must present photo ID to be admitted to the building. By Subway: 2, 3, or 9 to 72nd Street; by Bus: M7 or M11 to West 75th Street. Admission: Non-members, $10. OP or JCC Members, just $5.
2009 San Diego Black Film Festival
How Do I Look, the award-winning documentary about the gay Harlem Ballroom scene and the origins of the voguing dance style, will be screened on January 31 at the 2009 San Diego Black Film Festival. This notable selection continues the documentary’s trend in being programmed at ever-increasing numbers of straight and African-American film festivals.
How Do I Look has previous been selected by the 15th Annual African Diaspora Film Festival in New York, the 23rd Black International Cinema Film/Video Festival in Berlin, and the Tenth Anniversary Africa in the Picture Film Festival in Amsterdam.
Please visit the list of other official selections of the 2009 San Diego Black Film Festival for information about the best new films about the African American and African Diaspora experience.
Robert Urban answers our questions about contributing music to films
Robert Urban, a New York based musician and songwriter, who is also known for producing musical events and concerts, answered some of our questions about allowing filmmakers make use of his music in films.
Q. Thank you for agreeing to this interview. You have worked on several film projects. Tell me a little bit about that. You have contributed music to some films? Have you also done some music editing?
A. One upcoming film genre for which I’ve composed music for is gay horror flicks. “What is that?” you say? Well – is basically the same silly fun as straight horror flicks, except the cute dumb girl that goes down in the cellar alone when everyone in the audience knows there’s a psychokiller down there – is instead a cute dumb gay guy. I’ve created soundtracks for such gay slasher film fluff as Dead Guy, Das Haus, Zombies and Camp Daze.
I’ve also provided music for Michigan Pride’s documentary Pride Through the Years – 15 years of Pride Fests; the gay coming out film Paradise Attempted; and the gay-related Ticket to Freedom biopic about gay man who made the Woodstock Festival possible.
Q. When you first started working as a musician, did you think your music would end up being used in films?
A. Never in a million years! Though now I realize there was a reason that as a little kid, I was so glued to old flick reruns on the TV of King Kong, Shanghai Express and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I loved the soundtracks to golden age Hollywood films – I hummed them as a kid and I still do today.
Q. In 2005, you won a Stonewall Society Pride in the Arts Film Arts Award. What was that award for ?
A. That was for sound-editing – I believe was for one of more of the gay horror flicks. It may have been for How Do I Look. I actually can’t recall.
Q. As a musician, you get to compose your own music, write your own lyrics. What is the process like when you turn over the use and editing of your song over to a filmmaker?
A. It’s like I’m the surrogate mother whose been paid to have a baby – but has to turn the kid over to someone who’s gonna have their own way with it. It’s a cauldron of conflicting emotions and always drives me nuts. But over the years one gets used to it – knowing that one’s offspring is going to be cut up and used in all kinds of odd ways.
But sometimes the end result is tasteful and even surprising in a good way. There are also many instances where I watch a scene and can compose music specifically to match every move and emotion on the screen. That is very exciting and rewarding.
Q. Because How Do I Look was a community empowerment project, Wolfgang used a series of "work-in-progress" screenings in order to create transparency and to build a concensus of support among the Ballroom community and the LGBT community for his documentary. How unusual was it for a filmmaker to open up an "evolving" documentary to the input/feedback/criticism of a lot of people in the community?
A. Having been witness to the “work-in-progress” screenings, I can tell you it’s an EXTREMELY unusual thing to do – especially given the varying temperaments of the “stars” of the film, and how everyone has their own STRONG opinion on gay political correctness, etc. ( I call them the “outer-than-thou” crowd). But all-in-all, I believe everyone knew that this was a pure labor of love on Wolfgang’s part. It was very generous of Wolfgang to do this. I don’t know if I could have done it that way if it was my film.
Q. You have a working relationship with MTV/Logo. How helpful is it to have contacts in the industry to a musician or a filmmaker?
A. Actually, as a contributing writer to Logo’s arts and entertainment magazines, I endeavored at all times to be neutral when doing reviews, interviews and feature articles. I would turn down assignments if I otherwise was too professionally involved with the subject or subject matter.
In my life I’ve never been that into “schmoozing” for my musical career. That kind of thing is better left to agents and management types. I’ve been fortunate in that most of the film soundtrack work I’ve gotten is because someone simply heard my music and liked it.
Some gay writers write only positively about gay arts & culture. I found myself to be more critical, when my conscience dictated, of LGBT films, music, books, theater, television shows, etc than most gay media writers I know of. I think the gay establishment is now “established” enough to allow for some criticism from within its own ranks when criticism is merited.
Q. Do you have any advice for people who are interested in music and the use of music in filmmaking?
A. In these current times – when anyone with a computer can make music and films – and when there are an infinite number of musical acts out there – so many, in fact, that the music industry is imploding about us and no one is buying cds anymore – YOU GOTTA REALLY LUV DOING THIS!
The fine line to walk is actually the fine line of being able to be both an original singer/songwriter/composer of integrity and social conscience AND a successful commercial composer at the same time. The two are often not very friendly bedfellows.
In addition to his own 4 CDs (the album "godless" is available on Amazon.com), Robert Urban's work (especially as guitarist) can be heard on the recordings of many other musical artists. Mr. Urban is also an accompanist, session-musician, arranger/sound engineer and private music teacher. He supports the GLBT music community through producing/hosting Urban Productions BOLDLY Presents, the all-GLBT multi-artist live-in-concert music series (now in its 6th year). Robert is the author of a poetry collection Abominations and founder of Gay Guitarists Worldwide.
For the first part of our exclusive interview with the musician and songwriter, Robert Urban, please visit the Dance on the Runway blog.
*MISSING SISTER*
Sima Reablo
Sima Reablo, a resident of Queens, New York, has gone missing. Her sister believes a neighbor might be responsible.
Independent filmmaker Steven Arvanites is reportedly looking into this horror story.
Details are emerging that indicate that Miss Reablo was being watched, that someone was picking through her garbage for “treasures,” and, most disturbingly, that some some was creating a deadly fantasy life that had nothing to do with reality.
As with anything that happens outside of Manhattan, the compelling story of Miss Reablo, which is set in Queens, is yearning for attention.
Look for interest to develop among film festivals. If you hear anything about Miss Reablo's whereabouts, please keep us updated.
'After Stonewall' screening
Out Professionals recently organized a public screening of the landmark documentary, After Stonewall, which was followed by a presentation by documentary filmmaker, John Scagliotti.
Mr. Scagliotti is the award-winning gay filmmaker/journalist, who also created the PBS series In the Life. After Stonewall is narrated by Melissa Etheridge; the film is a fascinating look at women and men who helped shape what gay America looks like -- and how the world sees us.
Pictured below (left to right) are Mr. Scagliotti and the openly-gay filmmaker and activist Wolfgang Busch. The latter, who is also an Out Professionals member, is the film series coordinator for Out Professionals.
Out Professionals is the nation's leading gay and lesbian professional and social network. OP offers workshops, seminars, celebrity lectures, and informal socializing. For more information, please visit the official website for Out Professionals.
The 23rd Black International Cinema Film/Video Festival has recognized the documentary How Do I Look with an award in the category of "Best Film/Video on matters relating to the Black Experience/Marginalized People."
The Black International Cinema Film/Video Festival screens "cinema from Africa, the African Diaspora and other films from varied intercultural backgrounds or perspectives."
How Do I Look, directed by Wolfgang Busch, is about the creative and inspirational Ballroom community of New York City.
For more information about this film, please visit the offical site for www.HowDoILookNYC.org.
Live dance act opens screening of 'How Do I Look'
The NYC Gay Pride 2008 week screening of the documentary How Do I Look opened with a unique dance performance by the House of Ninja. The screening was held at the Anthology Film Archives, as part of its NewFilmmakers NY Screening Series.
The live mixed-media performance featured voguing and a special video tribute to the late Willi Ninja, choreographer, style coach, and founder of the House of Ninja.
The House of Ninja is a legendary house, which is part of the Harlem Ballroom community. The underground subculture of the house system promotes the use of dance, performance, fashion, and style to promote self achievement and accomplishment. Many pop culture trends found their beginnings at Harlem Balls. The documentary How Do I Look is about these balls.
Screening will coincide with NYC’s Gay Pride 2008
The award-winning documentary How Do I Look will be screened at the NewFilmmakers NY Screening Series at the Anthology Film Archives in New York on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 -- in the middle of New York City’s Gay Pride 2008. The evening is dedicated to gay and lesbian films.
How Do I Look, by the award-winning director Wolfgang Busch, continues to break new ground. The success of How Do I Look at gay and straight film festivals around the world is being recognized by the selection by the NewFilmmakers NY Film Festival. In making its selection, NewFilmmakers NY is also acknowledging the director and openly gay artistic and social activist Wolfgang Busch as one of the best new directors in the United States.
About the screening
On Wednesday, June 25, 2008, How Do I Look will be screened at 10:45 pm at the Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue (at 2nd Street), New York, NY 10003. Schedule hotline: (212) 505-5181. Prior to the screening, Busch has organized a special 6 minute live performance by the House of Ninja, a famous group of dancers and one of the notable families within the Harlem Ball community. The dance troupe will honor Willi Ninja, the group’s former leader and a legend and icon in the New York City Night Life and the Harlem Ball communities, who passed away in 2006 from complications due to AIDS. How Do I Look (2006, 80 Minutes, Video) will be preceded by Julie Casper Roth’s Tokens (2007, 18 Minutes, Video).
Tickets cost $5.
The director Wolfgang Busch has created a short film using the technique of video feedback, and he has set his video to music by Traci Lords.
Someone on the Internet wrote about video feedback: "It is the repurposing of the most oppresivly used medium in the history of man for the purpose of triggering mass epiphany..." (See thread about video feedback art).
How do videographers create video feedback?
"Video feedback is created when a video camera is pointed at its own monitor, just like audio feedback is created when you put a microphone close to its own speaker" (See Dr. Tom's Video Feedback Gallery).
Tune into the 23rd Annual Spirit Awards tonight on IFC at 5 pm or on AMC at 10 pm
Film Independent's Spirit Awards will be presenting its annual honors celebrating the best in independent films tonight. The awards recognize excellent in the independent film community.
"Film Independent is an open enrollment and non-profit membership organization that champions independent film and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds the audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry."
For more information about the nominees for tonight's Spirit Awards, please visit the official Film Independent website.
'How Do I Look' selected for XXIII Black International Cinema Berlin-Warsaw 2008 Film Festival
How Do I Look has been selected by the screening committee of the upcoming XXIII. Black International Cinema Berlin/Warsaw 2008 film festival.
From May 8-12, 2008, the 23rd edition of the Black International Cinema film festival will be screening its selection of "cinema from Africa, the African Diaspora and other films from varied intercultural backgrounds or perspectives."
How Do I Look is about the creative and inspirational Ballroom community of New York City. Centered in Harlem, these modern-day ball competitions can be called the descendants of past drag balls, which trace their origin to the Harlem Renaissance. You know about the Ballroom community from Madonna's music video for "Vogue," from her successful documentary, "Truth or Dare," and from the movie, "Paris is Burning." The artistic mission of How Do I Look blends creativity and social awareness of the impact that art can have on the community:
"How Do I Look is a tool to showcase our talents, brings the Ballroom community together, gain artistic and human respect, provides hands on video production/post production training, improves the quality of life and sends HIV/AIDS awareness messages through the many we lost to AIDS and the ones living with HIV now."
And that artistic mission closely matches the artistic vision of the Black International Cinema film festival:
"The festival focuses on presenting works of an artistic, cultural or political nature coinciding with the general educational, social, artistic and economic interest of people from Africa, the African Diaspora and people with an interest in participating in intercultural communication and the resultant interfacing and sharing of educational, social, artistic and economic resources."
"Black International Cinema Berlin is a yearly interdisciplinary, intercultural film/video festival produced and directed by Fountainhead® Tanz Theatre / Cultural Zephyr e.V. and The Collegium - Forum & Television Program Berlin and screens cinema from Africa, the African Diaspora and other films from varied intercultural backgrounds or perspectives. The festival focuses on presenting cinematic works of an artistic, cultural or political nature coinciding with the shared values of people from Africa, the African Diaspora and people with an interest in intercultural communication and the interfacing and sharing of educational, social, artistic and economic resources."
For program and other information about this film festival, please visit the official Black International Cinema website.
More colleges and universities are programming the documentary How Do I Look as part of their on-campus, student life cultural offerings.
The Ithaca College Office of Media Relations issued a news release yesterday, announcing the latest college screening of How Do I Look.
The Out of the Closet and onto the Screen film series at Ithaca College will feature the 2006 documentary How Do I Look on Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m. in Textor 102. The showing, which is being held in observance of Black History Month, is free and open to the public.
Here is how the Out of the Closet and onto the Screen film series described How Do I Look:
How Do I Look is a follow up to the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning, which chronicled the African-American, Latino, and transgender drag ball community in New York City. Filmmaker and social activist Wolfgang Busch returned to the balls to show what has changed and what has remained the same, interviewing participants about their experiences with ball competitions and the challenges faced by the community. Among the issues the community confronts are persistent social misconception, drug use, sex work, acceptance of sexuality and gender, and HIV/AIDS. The film is an uplifting and life-affirming celebration of a New York City artistic tradition.
This film series is sponsored by the Ithaca College Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Education, Outreach, and Services. For more news about this particular screening at Ithaca College, please read the complete news release from the Office of Media Relations. Additional information is also available on Ithaca College's website about the Out of the Closet and onto the Screen film series.
Chelsea Classics, the popular movie program at Clearview Cinemas in New York has released its monthly series of film screenings for February.
February 2008 Schedule for Chelsea Classics
Rosemary's Baby (1968). Playing Thursday, February 7th at 7:00pm & 9:30pm. Rosemary Woodhouse (portrayed by Mia Farrow), the young wife of a struggling actor (John Cassavetes), is thrilled to find out she's pregnant.
What's Up Doc? (1972). Playing Thursday, February 14th at 7:00pm & 9:30pm. This classic comedy caper from director Peter Bogdanovich
stars Hollywood heavyweights Barbra Streisand, Ryan O'Neal and Madeline Kahn.
Female on the Beach (1955). Playing Thursday, February 21st at 7:00pm & 9:30pm. Lynn Markham (played by Joan Crawford) moves into a beach house the morning after former tenant Eloise Crandall mysteriously disappears over a cliff.
Queen of Outer Space (1958). Playing Thursday, February 28th at 7:00pm & 9:30pm. A space mission to Venus encounters a population of sexy women led by the evil Queen Yllana (played by Laurie Mitchell).
Screening set for 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25 at the Anthology Film Archives
NewFilmmakers NY has just announced its Spring 2008 schedule of independent film screenings. And the independent film How Do I Look, an award-winning documentary about the dancers, artists, models, and performers of the Harlem Ball community, has been selected to be screened at the Anthology Film Archives at 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, 2008.
The film series by NewFilmmakers NY gives new filmmakers the opportunity to screen their films directly to the public. NewFilmmakers features outstanding independent and foreign films, but each film plays only one night.
In the past, NewFilmmakers NY has featured compelling films such as Malcolm McLaren - Not For Sale, directed by Nancy Cohen and Andy Lee, which is about the Sex Pistol's organizer's campaign to become mayor of London, and My Brother's War, directed by Whitney Hamilton, which is loosely based on the director's novel, Firefly.
The Anthology Film Archives is located at 32 Second Ave (at Second Street), New York, NY 10003.
A rarity amongst films: WebcamMurder.com deliberately aims to put you to sleep
WebcamMurder.com, a 2006 independent film written and directed by Sondra Lowell, is a comedy that was conceived with a noble purpose: to "get our rushed, compulsive, stressed-out 21st century culture to slow down a bit and experience the rest and cellular renewal that only sleeping through a movie can bring."
"As for the theme and message of my own first feature, it's to encourage fans and other viewers to get more sleep. By sleeping through my movie," said Ms. Lowell.
The film makes no pretense about its primary purpose: "That's why we don't want to stress you out with a lot of action. Or a plot. Or character arcs or any of that other stuff you learned in film school. That's our mission. To not disturb your sleep. "
To compliment her film, Ms. Lowell has written an e-book, How to Make a Movie That Puts the Audience to Sleep: A Home Study Course, and also writes a blog about WebcamMurder.com.
It's rare for a filmmaker to acknowledge that film lovers want to watch so many movies, but we live our lives with little down-time to actually enjoy a film, or with little down-time, period. Some of my favorite movies are directed with a soothing pace; not every film should be like Cloverfield. As it is, sometimes the only way I get to watch many of the movies I rent through Netflix is to watch them in parts. I'll watch them late at night, after a hurried day, until I feel drowsy. If I decide to watch a movie in parts, it will usually take two, sometimes three, sittings to watch it through completion. I think Ms. Lowell is on to something. Without having to go to the degree Ms. Lowell has embraced, maybe filmmakers should consider making films in two or three acts, with deliberate intermissions -- precise points where we can safely pause a movie if we only have 45 to 60 minutes at a time to watch a movie.
The redeeming social commentary in WebcamMurder.com about our conflicting work-life balance issues applies to us all. We have to find more serenity in our hectic lives.
Initially, the content of this blog was prepared to provide information about the documentary, How Do I Look
As this blog has developed, it is branching out to promote other movies, film festivals, and film series. If you would like more information about this website, or to request that your blog be added to our blogroll, please send an e-mail to Louis Flores. Thank you for visiting this blog.
