Category Archives: Arts and Culture

Robert Downey Jr. To Receive The Maltin Modern Master Award At 39th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival

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The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is honored to announce that cinema icon Robert Downey Jr. will receive the Maltin Modern Master Award, its highest accolade, at the 39th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Downey Jr. will receive the prestigious award on Friday, February 9, 2024.

The ceremony will include an in-person conversation between Downey and legendary film historian and critic Leonard Maltin, for whom the award is named. The duo will discuss Downey’s expansive five-decade acting career, his rise to becoming one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful actors to date, culminating in his recent searing, indelible performance as Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s staggering, global cinematic phenomenon, Oppenheimer.

Robert Downey Jr. is a two-time Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner who has amassed more than 110 acting credits over the course of his career, including the title character in the blockbuster Iron Man franchise, which launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reshaped the last 15 years of global cinema. He earned a Golden Globe Award for his lead performance in the action-adventure Sherlock Holmes, and two Academy Award nominations for Tropic Thunder, and his powerful portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough’s 1992 biopic Chaplin. Upcoming acting projects include Max’s TV adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Sympathizer, in which he plays an impressive four supporting roles, and the Paramount Pictures remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological thriller Vertigo.

“Robert Downey Jr. has staged one of the most spectacular second acts in show business history…and we in the audience are the beneficiaries. He commands the screen without any visible effort, which is perhaps the greatest feat of all,” said Leonard Maltin.
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Ryan Gosling To Receive SBIFF’s 16th Annual Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence In Film

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The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is honored to announce that Ryan Gosling will be receiving the 16th annual Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence in Film. Gosling’s incredible range as a performer can currently be seen in this year’s critically acclaimed cinematic standout, BARBIE. The prestigious award, which benefits Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s year-round educational programs, will be presented on Saturday, January 13, 2024 at a Black-Tie dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara. This marks the second time since the passing of screen legend Kirk Douglas that the honor will be awarded.

“Ryan Gosling has long been both a dramatic and comedic force in front of the camera. This year, thanks to his universally hailed, triumphant performance as Ken in BARBIE – a film that truly demanded the attention of critics and moviegoers around the world – he has become a true cinematic powerhouse,” stated Executive Director, Roger Durling.

Seen as one of the most exciting actors of this generation, Gosling is a two-time Academy Award nominee for his work in “Half Nelson” and “La La Land,” and a four-time Golden Globe nominee and one-time winner for his role as Sebastian in “La La Land.” Over the course of his decades-spanning career, Gosling has additionally garnered numerous accolades, including winning a Film Independent Spirit Award, a National Board of Review Award and more, as well as nominations from BAFTA and the Screen Actors Guild.
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The Union Solidarity Coalition (TUSC) Announces New York Edition Of Solidarity Night! Fundraising Event For TV And Film Crews

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The Union Solidarity Coalition (TUSC) announced plans today for the New York Edition of Solidarity Night!, an emergency fundraiser for Film & TV crew in partnership with MPTF and Free The Work. The night will feature performances by Ramy Youssef and Ilana Glazer, alongside special guests Ben Stiller and Jeremy O. Harris, surprise guests, dancing, a celebrity raffle, food & beverages. The event will be held in Brooklyn at an exclusive location on Friday, November 17th.

All proceeds from Solidarity Night! will go to MPTF, benefitting Film & TV crew members, support staff and PAs who were affected during the strikes. A host committee including Rose Byrne, Tom Holland, Zoe Kazan, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeremy Allen White, Cynthia Nixon, Abbi Jacobson, Daniel Radcliffe, Jenny Slate and many more will welcome one and all at a mixer to underscore TUSC’s mission of inter-union solidarity in the TV and film industry, creating a space for writers, directors, actors and crew to interact in a casual space where entertainment takes on a different meaning than just a Hollywood system in desperate need of reworking. Members of IATSE, LiUNA and the Teamsters can attend the event free of charge. Tickets are first come, first serve.

TUSC hosted The Los Angeles edition back in July, which was hosted by Paul Scheer, Andrea Savage, Zoe Lister-Jones, Natasha Lyonne and Patton Oswalt, a live performance by cult band Fishbone, DJ sets, exclusive tees by artist Brendan Donnelly and more. To date TUSC has raised over $1 million dollars. Their focus is to raise emergency funds for affected TV & Film Crews.

TUSC was founded by a group of writer-directors who were moved to support TV & Film crews suddenly out of work while the WGA and SAG-AFTRA negotiated with the AMPTP for fair deals. Over 200 members decided to take action and begin using their voices and networks to create a model for unity in action. They established a dedicated emergency fund at the Motion Picture & Television Fund, where social workers stand by to help crew who are facing economic hardships and mental health challenges. Free The Work is TUSC’s fiscal guardian, managing fundraising from events like SOLIDARITY NIGHT and celebrity auctions.

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Christopher Nolan to Be Honored with Inaugural Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award at 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s Opening Night Gala

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The nonprofit Sundance Institute today unveiled details for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s fundraiser, Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire® which will take place on January 18, 2024 at the DeJoria Center in Utah. Kicking off the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival, the evening will honor trailblazing and breakout storytellers, as well as celebrate 40 years of Sundance’s commitment to elevating independent storytelling. Christopher Nolan will be honored with the first-ever Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award. Celine Song and Maite Alberdi — both of whom premiered films Past Lives and The Eternal Memory, respectively, at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival — will each receive the annual Vanguard Award Presented by Acura.

The annual opening night gala enables the nonprofit to raise critical funds to support independent artists year-round through labs, grants, and public programming that nurture artists globally. The 2024 event is made possible with the generous support of Chase Sapphire. The upcoming Sundance Film Festival will take place January 18–28, 2024 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as online from January 25–28.

“As we step into the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival, it is a distinct honor to recognize Christopher Nolan, a prodigious artist whose singular talent and remarkable body of work have made him one of the most respected filmmakers of our time. We are looking forward to spotlighting the unique voices of both Celine and Maite, storytellers we have been supporting and deeply believe in. All three of these storytellers represent Sundance’s values,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “From the Festival to our year-round programs, it is artists that have and always will be at the very core of what we do. We look forward to our guests joining us at the Opening Night Gala and, in turn, enabling us to continue championing independent storytellers and their art that adds great value to our culture.”
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Gravitas Ventures Sets Release Of Documentary “Sorry We’re Closed”

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Gravitas Ventures has set the release of its documentary “Sorry We’re Closed” on demand on August 8th.

Do”Sorry We’re Closed” takes a look into the personal trauma, mental health, and livelihood of some of the best chefs during the hardest time of their careers.

In the summer of 2020, when restaurants are doubly hit hard by Covid-19 and the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, Chef Elizabeth Falkner sets out across the country to check in with her renowned chef and restaurateur colleagues to find out how they are coping with the impossible task of keeping their doors open.The film explores how chefs pivoted, trying to stay afloat through new take-out menus and pop-up grocery stores.

Innovations abounded and yet the cracks in the system loomed large. What if all of our ‘go-to’ places were gone? What if we were permanently told, “Sorry, We’re Closed”?

The documentary is executive produced by Raymond Esposito with subjects featured Chef Elizabeth, Dominique Crenn, Nancy Silverton, Ann Kim, Gerald Sombright, Maneet Chauhan, and many more chefs from around the nation.

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Post-SDCC: EU AI Act Voice Amendment Proposal Submitted by NAVA and UVA

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United Voice Artists (UVA) and The National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA) have submitted an amendment proposal to the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), seeking to safeguard the rights and interests of voice actors in the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and voice technology.

United Voice Artists (EU Transparency register ID: 810100650765-18) is a global coalition of 35 voice acting guilds, associations and unions in Europe (France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Poland, Netherlands) together with Switzerland, the United States, Turkey, Canada, Africa, Asia and Latin America representing more than 20,500 artists that have united to ensure that the use of artificial intelligence in the creative and media industry does not harm artistic heritage and human creativity and to preserve artist’s rights in relation to the use of AI, in particular in the dubbing and voice-over industry.

The UVA acknowledges the efforts of the European legislators in designing the AI Act as the first European legislation for the regulation of certain use cases of AI. However, to ensure that the AI Act does not lead to the extinction of human creativity in the entertainment industry through synthetic and cloning AI techniques and the exploitation of artists and their work by infringing their rights, both from a privacy/publicity data protection and an intellectual property rights protection perspective, we have identified the following key areas that should be urgently addressed in the upcoming trilogue negotiations:

Prohibition to create or expand audio/vocal databases
Extension of transparency requirements
Introduction of unfair contract practices unilaterally imposed by generative AI providers

United Voice Artists and The National Association of Voice Actors call upon policymakers and stakeholders within the European Union to carefully consider the proposed amendment, recognizing its potential to elevate the voice acting community while setting a global standard for AI legislation that respects artistic integrity and the rights of creators.

You can read the proposal here >>.

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Art Directors Guild Represents at Comic-Con 2023 with Three Panels, Portfolio Reviews and a Booth

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art directors comicconThe Art Directors Guild, IATSE Local 800 (#ADG800) will have a big presence at next week’s Comic-Con with three panels at the San Diego Convention Center, a booth on the floor and special awards to be handed out at the Masquerade.

ADG 800 will kick-off the weekend with two Friday panels. The first panel features Women of the Hollywood Art Department in Room 9 on Friday, July 21 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. These panelists are responsible for dreaming, designing and drawing some of the most memorable and immersive environments for film and TV. They include Amelia Brooke (Everything Everywhere All At Once, Westworld), Danelle Davenport (Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The Little Mermaid), Kelly Rae Hemenway (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Bullet Train), Rupali Ingle (Star Trek: Picard, Abbott Elementary), and Daniela Medeiros (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Thor: Ragnarok). Kate Weddle (Yellowstone, WandaVision) will moderate. Panelists will be available for autograph signing at Table# AA02 in the Sails Pavilion from 12:30 to 1:30 PM.

The artisans who created the look for the epic conclusion to the Guardians trilogy take over the same room, same day, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM with a panel titled Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 – The Art Department. From the grandeur of spaceships to a villain’s geometric fortress, swimming through an endless planet of anatomy, or reconstructing a celestial body, this is the team that transported the cast, crew, and audience into these fantastic worlds. Panelists include IATSE Local 829 Production Designer Beth Mickle (The Suicide Squad, Drive), and IATSE Local 800/Art Directors Guild members: David Scott (Spider Man: No Way Home, Avengers: Infinity War), Art Director Lorin Flemming (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Justice League), Graphic Designer Kelly Rae Hemenway (Bullet Train, Batman vs Superman), and Set Designer Tim Croshaw (Loki, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2). Moderated by Samantha Avila (Spiderman: No Way Home, Our Flag Means Death). Panelists will be available for autograph signing at Table# AA02 in the Sails Pavilion from 3:30 to 4:30 PM.
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Art Directors Guild at Comic-Con 2023

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Dynamite has announced an exciting panel for this year’s San Diego Comic Con, as creators and fans celebrate 50 fantastic years of Red Sonja! In addition to a retrospective discussion on the character’s legacy and past, her future will be looked to with new comics, novels, as well as an exclusive teaser trailer debut for her upcoming blockbuster Millennium Media film starring Matilda Lutz.

The panel will be held on Friday, July 21 from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM local San Diego time in room 5AB.

Red Sonja, LLC president, executive editor, and a producer of the coming film Luke Lieberman will serve as panel moderator, joined by franchise contributors Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Amy Chu, Dan Panosian, producer Mark Canton, and other guests.

The beloved She-Devil With a Sword’s story began in comics in 1973, and now 50 years later she remains the greatest sword-and-sorcery female heroine of them all! She’s hacked and slashed her way into the hearts of fantasy and comics fans all around the world. An incredible range of writers and artists have taken on her stories in her native comics medium, including the likes of Roy Thomas, Frank Thorne, Gail Simone, Mirka Andolfo, Mike Carey, Michael Avon Oeming, Jim Zub, Louise Simonson, Mark Russell, Alex Ross, Mel Rubi, and countless more.
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Janelle Monáe Returns To The Stage For ‘The Age Of Pleasure’ North American Tour

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Today, critically acclaimed and award winning singer and actress Janelle Monáe announced her Age of Pleasure Tour across North America. Produced by Live Nation, the 26-city tour kicks off on August 30 at WAMU Theater in Seattle, WA, making stops in Atlanta, Chicago, Toronto, Kansas City, New York City, Brooklyn, and more before wrapping up in Inglewood, CA at YouTube Theater on October 18.

Monáe’s highly anticipated new album, The Age of Pleasure, will be releasing June 9th via Atlantic Records featuring her latest scintillating new single, “Lipstick Lover,” available now via Wondaland Arts Society/Atlantic Records. An official emotion picture, directed by Janelle Monáe and Alan Ferguson – Watch here.

Her tour promises to light up your body, soul and all of your senses with an unforgettable performance featuring songs off her latest album and classic hits from her discography.

Tickets will be available starting with Verizon presales (details below) beginning Thursday, June 1 at 10 AM Local. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Wednesday, June 7 at 10 AM Local on Ticketmaster.com.

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“Queenmaker: The Making Of An It Girl” Sets Release On Hulu

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Queenmaker-The-Making-Of-An-It-Girl--On-HuluIn the height of heiress-era NYC, an anonymous blogger infiltrated Manhattan’s elite, brings socialite celebrity to new heights. When the website creator was unmasked, the mastermind was not the one anybody expected.

The documentary follows the early aughts ushered in a golden era for the New York social set, a generation of rich young women desperate to recreate the success of Paris Hilton and Tinsley Mortimer, keener than ever to show off their fortunes and one-up each other on nightly red carpets.

On the surface, “Queenmaker: The Making Of An It Girl” is a fun, nostalgic romp through the mid-2000s pop culture that dominated mainstream media and laid foundation for current reality TV and the influences of the social media generation.

“Queenmaker: The Making Of An It Girl” premieres May 17, only on Hulu.

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