The Buzz - Media Bits and Pieces Written by Wendy R. Williams Opposite Photo Credit: Jose Vibar

Click here for the New York March/April 2013 Edition!

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May 4, 2013

Opening Weekend of the 17th Annual Rooftop Films 2013 Summer Series
Presented by AT&T

What:
The Opening Weekend of the Rooftop Films 17th Annual Summer Series presented by AT&T kicks off Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11 with some of the greatest new short films from all around the world and a special preview screening of Frances Ha, directed by Noah Baumbach and starring Greta Gerwig-both who will be in attendance.

When:
Friday, May 10th and Saturday, May 11th, 2013. Doors at 8:00 p.m.

Where:
Open Road Rooftop above New Design High School, 350 Grand Street, Lower East Side, New York, NY

Opening Weekend Show Details:

Friday, May 10, 2013
This is What We Mean by Short Films
Opening Night of Rooftop Films 17th Annual Summer Series will feature grand stories in little packages, with some of the greatest new short films from all around the world.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (350 Grand Street, LES)
Tickets & more info: http://rooftopfilms.com/2013/schedule/this-is-what-we-mean-by-short-films-4/

8:00pm: Doors Open
8:30pm: Live Music by Denitia and Sene
9:00pm: Short Films
11:30pm: After party sponsored by Red Stripe

The Films:
Azul (Remy Busson, Francis Canitrot, Aurelien Duhayon, Sebastien Iglessias, Maxence Martin, and Paul Monge | 9 min.)
A small group of cruise-ship revelers find themselves alone on a tropic island. Forced inland, their exploration reveals the mystery that lies at its heart...
The Captain (Nash Edgerton and Spencer Susser | 6 min.)
Nobody wakes up after a hard night and finds everything's just worked out, do they?
The Event (Julia Pott | 3 min.)
Love and a severed foot at the end of the world. Hand drawn pencil animation motion tracked to live action footage shot in Montauk
Gold Party (Nellie Kluz | 17 min.)
Gold is a commodity that thrives in uncertain economic climates, and rising gold prices have created a boom industry around precious metal scrap. There's a harvest every day as scrap dealers comb through excess metal from flusher times, buying up discarded gold to re-sell to refineries. Watching as these dealers buy and process gold, this documentary is a window into one small corner of a global economic market.
Junkyard (Hisko Hulsing | 18 min.)
A man is being robbed and stabbed by a junkie and in the last second before he dies, a youth friendship flashes before his eyes
Professor Soap - Spirit, Quest, Journey (Ryan Mauskopf | 5 min.)
You can call me Professor Soap. I have my doctorate in cool and I run my own private practice.
Slomo (Josh Izenberg | 16 min.)
A documentary about life-shifting, philosophy, and slow-motion rollerblading.
Until The Quiet Comes (Khalil Joseph | 4 min.)
A short film by Kahlil Joseph featuring music from the Flying Lotus album.
Weighting (Dustin Bowser and Brie Larson | 4 min.)
She wants to go. He wants her to stay. Neither gets exactly what they want.

***
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Frances Ha (Dir. Noah Baumbach)
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (350 Grand Street, LES)
Tickets & more info: http://rooftopfilms.com/2013/schedule/frances-ha/
8:00pm: Doors Open
8:30pm: Live Music
9:00pm: Film begins
10:45pm: Q&A with Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig.
11:30pm: After party sponsored by Red Stripe

The Film:
Frances Ha (Noah Baumbach | USA | 86min.)
Frances (Greta Gerwig) lives in New York, but she doesn't really have an apartment. Frances is an apprentice for a dance company, but she's not really a dancer. Frances has a best friend named Sophie, but they aren't really speaking anymore. Frances throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as their possible reality dwindles. Frances wants so much more than she has but lives her life with unaccountable joy and lightness. Frances Ha is a modern comic fable that explores New York, friendship, class, ambition, failure, and redemption.

***

Rooftop Films is a non-profit organization whose mission is to engage and inspire the diverse communities of New York City by showcasing the work of emerging filmmakers and musicians. In addition to our Summer Series – which takes place in unique outdoor venues every weekend throughout the summer – Rooftop provides grants to filmmakers, teaches media literacy and filmmaking to young people, rents equipment at low-cost to artists and non-profits, and produces new independent films. At Rooftop Films, we bring the underground outdoors. For more information and updates please visit our website at www.rooftopfilms.com.

AT&T is the proud presenting sponsor of the Rooftop Films 2013 Summer Series and the Rooftop Filmmakers' Fund AT&T Feature Film Grant

May 1, 2013

***DCTV TO BREAK GROUND ON NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART CINEMA IN LOWER MANHATTAN***

About the new cinema:

The new DCTV cinema will be a state-of-the-art fully interactive digital cinema, and the first “All documentary/All the time” Academy Award eligible cinema in New York City.

The cinema will be built on the first floor of one of the most beautiful buildings in New York City, the 1896 firehouse that houses DCTV. The cinema will feature world-class documentaries made by prestigious filmmakers from around the globe. The cinema is expected to attract 20,000 attendees in its first year and millions more online. It will be the premier presentation venue for documentary filmmakers and an important component of the New York City Arts community. This documentary-focused Cinema will be unique with top-of-the line digital 4K projection systems, and the capability to both broadcast live events and, at the same time, invite participants to the conversations via the internet from anywhere in the world.

Yearly, DCTV serves over 13,000 New York City media artists, disadvantaged youth, and residents each year. Our documentaries have earned two Academy Award nominations, 15 Emmy Awards, and are viewed by millions around the world. DCTV’s PRO-TV is the most honored youth media arts program in the country.

The cinema, expected to open in early 2015, will mean a significant expansion of DCTV’s public services to include theatrical distribution along with its already highly attended workshops, screenings, master classes and access to affordable equipment and studio rentals, making DCTV a central hub for documentary filmmakers.

About DCTV:

Founded in 1972 by husband and wife filmmakers Jon Alpert and Keiko Tsuno, DCTV has grown into one of the leading documentary film education and production centers in the country, providing resources for thousands of filmmakers and students, including equipment and facility rentals, screenings, master classes, post-production services and educational programs.

DCTV is a unique space where community screenings, master classes, youth programs and affordable production resources all occur side by side in the firehouse with the award-winning documentary work. DCTV’s film and television work has been recognized with 15 National Emmy Awards, three duPont-Columbia Awards, and two Academy Award Nominations, a Peabody Award, 6 New York Emmy Awards and many other accolades at film festivals and competitions around the world.

April 16, 2013

2013 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES THE NORA EPHRON PRIZE

Inaugural Annual Award Recognizing a Woman Writer or Director to be Presented at Women’s Filmmaker Brunch at the Tribeca Film Festival, April 25 by Jane Rosenthal and Sally Singer

The 12th annual Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by American Express, today announced the creation of a new award, the Nora Ephron Prize. The $25,000 award, supported by Vogue.com, will recognize a woman writer or director with a distinctive voice who embodies the spirit and vision of the legendary filmmaker and writer. The inaugural Prize will be presented at the annual Women’s Filmmaker Brunch at TFF on April 25 by TFF co-founder Jane Rosenthal and Sally Singer, creative digital director, Vogue. The Festival runs from April 17-28.

The Nora will be awarded annually to a woman filmmaker with a film making its North American, International or World Premiere at the Festival. This year, eight filmmakers are eligible:

Ø Laurie Collyer, Sunlight Jr.

Ø Steph Green, Run and Jump

Ø Jenee LaMarque, The Pretty One

Ø Meera Menon, Farah Goes Bang

Ø Mo Ogrodnik, Deep Powder

Ø Marina de Van, Dark Touch

Ø Jane Weinstock, The Moment

Ø Enid Zentelis, Bottled Up

“Nora Ephron's work influenced screenwriters, filmmakers and movie goers,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder, Tribeca Film Festival. “She was a great friend to the Festival since its inception, and I had the privilege to know her and be in absolute awe of her. She did it all brilliantly, with wit and wisdom that went straight to the heart, plus she cooked too. I am proud to honor her memory and continue her legacy with this award that I hope will inspire a new generation of women filmmakers and writers.”

About the Tribeca Film Festival:

The Tribeca Film Festival helps filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enabling the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York City as a major filmmaking center. It is well known for being a diverse international film festival that supports emerging and established directors.

Founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 following the attacks on the World Trade Center, to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of the lower Manhattan district through an annual celebration of film, music and culture, the Festival brings the industry and community together around storytelling.

The Tribeca Film Festival has screened more than 1,400 films from more than 80 countries since its first edition in 2002. Since inception, it has attracted an international audience of more than 4 million attendees and has generated an estimated $750 million in economic activity for New York City.

Tickets for the 2013 Festival:

Tickets can be purchased online at www.tribecafilm.com/festival, or by telephone at (646) 502-5296 or toll free at (866) 941-FEST (3378). Tickets for the Festival are $16.00 for evening and weekend screenings, and $8.00 for all late-night and weekday matinee screenings.

Single tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online, by telephone, or at one of the Ticket Outlets, with locations at Tribeca Cinemas at 54 Varick Street, Clearview Cinemas Chelsea at 260 W. 23rd Street, and AMC Loews Village 7 at 66 3rd Avenue. The 2013 Festival will continue offering ticket discounts for evening and weekend screenings for students, seniors and select downtown Manhattan residents. Discounted tickets are available at Ticket Outlet locations only. Additional information and further details on the Festival can be found at www.tribecafilm.com.

About the 2013 Festival Sponsors

As Founding Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, American Express is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of filmmaking, bringing business and energy to New York City and offering Cardmembers and festivalgoers the opportunity to enjoy the best of storytelling through film.

The Tribeca Film Festival is pleased to announce the return of its Signature Sponsors: Accenture, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Bloomberg, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Gin, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), Brookfield, Cadillac, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, ESPN, GE FOCUS FORWARD (in partnership with cinelan), Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Heineken, JetBlue, Magnum® Ice Cream, NBC 4 New York, NCM Media Networks, The New York Times, and OppenheimerFunds. The Festival is also honored to welcome the following new Signature Sponsors: AT&T, IWC Schaffhausen, PepsiCo, and Sony Electronics.

April 13, 2013

The True Legacy of Lazaro Arbos

Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation, had the following reaction to the departure of Lazaro Arbos from American Idol Season 12:

“Bravo, Lazaro, Bravo!!

“Since his televised audition on American Idol, Lazaro Arbos has captivated us with both his singing and his stuttering. At first, many people, including the American Idol judges, could not understand how such a beautiful singer could struggle so mightily with saying such simple things: his own name, where is he is from, and what song he will sing, for example. To those who stutter, however, it is a very familiar experience.

“At the Stuttering Foundation, Lazaro’s time on American Idol gave us the daily opportunity to educate people about singing and stuttering – for which we are most grateful. We made the most of it.

“For us, on January 17, 2013, a star was born. Lazaro spoke to the entire stuttering community when interviewed by the American Idol producers. We wanted to hear him speak as much as we wanted to hear him sing. We wanted him to get that golden ticket to Hollywood, and we – the three million people in the U.S. who stutter – collectively cheered when he did.

“In Hollywood, we watched Lazaro brave his turn at the microphone, whether to sing or to speak. What courage; what strength. American Idol, after all, is one of the most-watched shows on American television – and its hot lights, sometimes-snarky judges, packed audience and zillions of viewers can easily intimidate the most fluent speaker and the most talented singer. Not Lazaro.

“To the stuttering community, from day one, he was already a winner and the outpouring we continue to receive via telephone, text, email and Facebook is tremendous. We made it a priority to cover his progress and to wish him well on our Facebook page. Our friends became Lazaro fans, and vice versa.

“Lazaro made the prestigious and all-important American Idol Top 10. He will tour with the other finalists after the program crowns its champion, and experience the daily joy of hearing the screams of his fans. He will visit countless venues, sing lots of songs and give an endless number of interviews about his time on American Idol. He will have every opportunity to pursue his dream of being a performer and a recording artist.

“But more importantly, Lazaro will have a wonderful opportunity to be an ambassador for the stuttering community. Those who stutter have the great fortune of seeing a strong young man succeed. They have the opportunity to watch him work on his fluency on national television, on the news and in concert.

“It is important to understand that Lazaro’s fluency is a work in progress, and just like 68 million people worldwide, Lazaro lives his life one syllable at a time.

“Because of his time on American Idol, and his success as a singer, we will all have the chance to root for Lazaro, and to listen to him every time he steps up to a microphone – whether to sing or to talk. That is the true legacy of Lazaro Arbos.”

Foundation Spokesperson Jane Fraser?
Jane Fraser is president of The Stuttering Foundation and co-author of If Your Child Stutters: A Guide for Parents, 8th edition. She is also vice president of the Action for Stammering Children, Michael Palin Centre, London.

About the Stuttering Foundation?
Malcolm Fraser, a successful businessman and stutterer, went on to establish and endow the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation in 1947. The Stuttering Foundation provides a toll-free helpline, 800-992-9392, and free online resources on its Website, www.StutteringHelp.org, including services, referrals and support to people who stutter and their families, as well as support for research into the causes of stuttering. Please visit us at www.StutteringHelp.org.

March 29, 2013

The Flea Theater’s
THE VANDAL by Hamish Linklater
Comes to TV
Filming for Thirteen WNET on March 29

“Linklater demonstrates a Conor McPherson–esque way with spinning stories and a remarkable, all-too-rare willingness to take risks.” -- Entertainment Weekly

The Flea is proud to announce that Thirteen WNET will be filming the critically acclaimed production of THE VANDAL on March 29. A broadcast date has not been slated. Written by actor Hamish Linklater (School for Lies, Twelfth Night, Recent Tragic Events & The Busy World is Hushed, and TV’s The New Adventures of Old Christine), The Vandal runs through March 31. It is directed by Flea Artistic Director Jim Simpson starring Zach Grenier, Deidre O’Connell, and Noah Robbins

THE VANDAL is set on a freezing night in Kingston, New York. A woman meets a boy at a bus stop. A play about how we live and the stories we tell ourselves when we’re haunted by the people we’ve loved and lost.

The design team features David M. Barber (Set Designer), Brian Aldous (Lighting Designer), Claudia Brown (Costume Designer), Brandon Wolcott (Sound Designer) and James McSweeney (Props Master).

Hamish Linklater has worked as an actor in theater/TV/film. NY theater credits include School for Lies at C.S.C. (Lortel, OCC noms, Obie Award), Merchant of Venice, Winter's Tale, Twelfth Night (Drama Desk nom) at the Delacorte, Recent Tragic Events & The Busy World is Hushed (Drama League nom) at Playwrights Horizons, Good Thing at the New Group, and most recently, Seminar at the Golden Theater. He co-wrote the TV pilot The Prince of Motor City for ABC. Other plays include The Portal and The United Kingdom which have been read and workshopped at The Flea, New York Stage & Film, Williamstown, MTC, and The Echo Theatre in Los Angeles. He is perhaps best known for his role opposite Julia Louis Dreyfus on The New Adventures of Old Christine.

Deirdre O’Connell is a 2010 Obie and Drama Desk-winner for Circle Mirror Transformation. This distinguished New York stage actress was seen recently in Magic/Bird on Broadway. Her long list of theater credits also include: In the Wake (Los Angeles Ovation Award, The Richard Seff Actor's Equity Award, Lucille Lortell Nomination, Public Theatre and Center Theater Group), Thinner Than Water (Labyrinth), The Poor Itch (The Public); Rag and Bone (Rattlestick Theatre); Jo Pyretown (Keen Company); Manic Flight Reaction and Spatter Patter (both at Playwrights Horizons); Cave Dweller (NYTW); Big Dance Theater's Antigone; Two Headed (Women’s Project); In The Blood (The Public); Fugue (Cherry Lane); Mud (Signature Theatre); ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore (The Public); Love and Anger (Drama Desk nom., NYTW); The Geography of Luck, Three Ways Home, Stars in the Morning (Dramalogue Award, Los Angeles Critics Award), Etta Jenks (Dramalogue Award, all at LA Theatre Center); The Front Page (Lincoln Center); and A Lie of the Mind (Promenade Theatre). Films include: Synecdoche, What Happens in Vegas, Imaginary Heroes, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Secondhand Lions, Fearless, The Quitter (upcoming) and Pastime (Nominated for Independent Spirit Award—Best Supporting Actress). TV includes many guest stars and movies for TV as well as series regular roles on L.A. Doctors and Second Noah.

Zach Grenier can currently be seen playing David Lee, head of Family Law, on the hit CBS show The Good Wife. In recent seasons in New York, he has appeared at the Atlantic Theater Company in John Patrick Shanley's Storefront Church and Moira Buffini's Gabriel; at the Roundabout Theatre Company in Man and Boy and A Man for All Seasons. He was nominated for a Tony Award® for his portrayal of Beethoven in Moisés Kaufman’s 33 Variations, starring Jane Fonda. Earlier in his career in New York, he appeared in the experimental plays of Richard Foreman, Jeffrey M. Jones and Mac Wellman, performing in Wellman's Sincerity Forever under the direction of Jim Simpson. He also performed in more naturalistic fare at the Circle Repertory Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Ensemble Studio Theatre, of which he is a member. His performance in David Rabe’s A Question of Mercy at New York Theatre Workshop earned him an Outstanding Artist honor from the Drama League. His performance as Dick Cheney in David Hare’s Stuff Happens was recognized with Ensemble Awards by both the Drama League and the Drama Desk. His work on television includes such critically acclaimed series as 24 and David Milch’s Deadwood. His film credits include independent releases such as Liebestraum, A Shock to the System, Chasing Sleep and Earthwork, as well as major motion pictures like Tommy Boy, Twister, and Swordfish. Other notable film credits include David Fincher’s Zodiac and Fight Club; Ang Lee’s Ride with the Devil, Werner Herzog’s Rescue Dawn, and Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar. Look for him in the upcoming film Robocop.

Noah Robbins most recently starred as the title character in Nathan Englander’s The Twenty-Seventh Man at the Public Theater. He performed in a Flea Theater benefit reading of The Vandal alongside Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman. Broadway: Arcadia, Brighton Beach Memoirs (Outer Critics Circle nomination). Off-Broadway: Secrets of the Trade (Clive Barnes Award nomination). He won the Best Actor award at the L.A. Comedy Festival for Newsworthy, a short film directed by his brother Jeremy. He is currently majoring in Philosophy at Columbia University.

The Flea Theater, under Artistic Director Jim Simpson and Producing Director Carol Ostrow, is one of New York's leading off-off-Broadway companies. Winner of a Special Drama Desk Award for outstanding achievement, Obie Awards and an Otto for political theater, The Flea has presented over 100 plays and numerous dance and live music performances since its inception in 1996. Past productions include the premieres of Anne Nelson’s The Guys, seven plays by A.R. Gurney (O Jerusalem, Screenplay, Mrs. Farnsworth, Post Mortem, A Light Lunch, Office Hours and Heresy), Cellophane and Two September by Mac Wellman, Ashley Montana Goes Ashore... and The Oldsmobiles by Roger Rosenblatt; JABU and Kaspar Hauser by Elizabeth Swados; Return of the Chocolate Smeared Woman by Karen Finley, Bingo with the Indians by Adam Rapp, Oh, The Humanity and other exclamations by Will Eno, Dawn and Job by Thomas Bradshaw, Love/Stories (or But You Will Get Used to it) Itamar Moses, The Great Recession, Girls in Trouble by Jonathan Reynolds, Parents' Evening by Bathsheba Doran, Looking at Christmas by Steven Banks, the Drama Desk nominated She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen, the Drama Desk nominated These Seven Sicknesses by Sean Graney, I Hate Fucking Mexicans by Luis Enrique Gutiérrez Ortiz Monasterio, and Amy Freed’s Restoration Comedy.

March 22, 2013

Emma Watson, Israel Broussard, Taissa Farmiga, Katie Chang and Claire Julien
in The Bling Ring

Ahead of the anticipated release of Sofia Coppola’s THE BLING RING from A24 on June 14th, the NEW TEASER TRAILER has just landed. In the spirit of the film, it looks like the teaser trailer was also “ripped-off!” Hot from the black market, we have links to both the official teaser trailer file and an embed code for your convenience:


YouTube:
http://youtu.be/r9RRsUojeIE


Based on true events, THE BLING RING follows a group of teenagers who take a thrilling and disturbing crime-spree in the Hollywood hills. The film features the ensemble cast starring Emma Watson, Leslie Mann, Taissa Farmiga, Claire Julien, Israel Broussard,Katie Chang, Georgia Rock, and Gavin Rossdale.

Youth America Grand Prix Presents Ballet's Greatest Hits

Youth America Grand Prix is proud to present its latest and its most ambitious project to date. “Ballet’s Greatest Hits” is a filmed Gala evening showcasing six of the most beloved classical ballets: Don Quixote, Flames of Paris, Giselle, La Bayadère, The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake.

Hosted by “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” Executive Producer, Nigel Lythgoe, “Ballet’s Greatest Hits” presents an all-star cast from the world’s leading dance companies. For added insight into the history and meaning of classical ballet, the film offers exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, rare archival materials, and exclusive interviews with choreographers, film producers, critics and luminaries of the dance world, such as Alexei Ratmansky, Benjamin Millepied, Edward Villella, and many others. The live performances were filmed by five-time Emmy Award winner, Clemente D’Alessio at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Florida.

“Ballet’s Greatest Hits” will premiere in NY, March 31 at:

Clearview- Chelsea Cinemas 9 (260 W 23rd Street) and

Big Cinemas Manhattan (239 E 59th St)

CASTS INCLUDES

Stella Abrera (American Ballet Theatre)
Ashley Bouder (New York City Ballet)
Isabella Boylston (American Ballet Theatre)
Skylar Brandt (American Ballet Theatre)
Taras Domitro (San Francisco Ballet)
Matthew Golding (Dutch National Ballet)
Marcelo Gomes (American Ballet Theatre)
Greta Hodgkinson (National Ballet of Canada)
Maria Kochetkova (San Francisco Ballet)
Veronika Part (American Ballet Theatre)
Joseph Phillips (American Ballet Theatre)
Hee Seo (American Ballet Theatre)
Daniel Ulbricht (New York City Ballet)
Alejandro Virelles (Boston Ballet)

INCLUDES INTERVIEWS WITH:

Lawrence Bender Film Producer
Matthew Bourne Artistic Director, New Adventures
Leslie Browne International Master Teacher and former Oscar nominee
Jose Manuel Carreño Artistic Director, The Carreño Dance Festival
Misty Copeland Soloist, American Ballet Theatre
Angel Corella Artistic Director, Barcelona Ballet
Alessandra Ferri Director of Dance, Spoleto Festival (Italy)
Susan Jaffe Dean, School of Dance at North Carolina School of the Arts
Denys Ganio Former Etoile, Paris Opera Ballet
Mathieu Ganio Etoile, Paris Opera Ballet
Benjamin Millepied Artistic Director, L.A. Dance Project
Wendy Perron Editor-in-Chief, Dance Magazine
Alexei Ratmansky Artist-in-Residence, American Ballet Theatre
Edward Villella Founder and former Artistic Director, Miami City Ballet

The live performance of “Ballet’s Greatest Hits” took place at the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts on January 5, 2013. The film is distributed by Emerging Pictures – the company that has brought The Royal Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet and Nederlands

Click here for tickets.

March 8, 2013

Salma Hayek Pinault

Salma Hayek Pinault and Avon CEO Sheri McCoy Announce Winners of 2nd Avon Global Communications Awards for Speaking Out About Violence Against Women in Recognition of International Women’s Day

Organizations from Pakistan, Tanzania, Nepal, Peru and the Ukraine recognized for exemplary communications

In recognition of International Women’s Day, Avon Foundation for Women Ambassador Salma Hayek Pinault and Avon Products, Inc. CEO Sheri McCoy announced that four global organizations and one government campaign have received 2nd Avon Communications Awards: Speaking Out About Violence Against Women for their outstanding work to bring attention to the need to end violence against women. The awards, presented at the United Nations Headquarters during the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, are part of the Avon Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program, which has donated nearly $50 million globally to end violence against women since its launch in 2004.

At a special adjunct event to the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations, Salma Hayek Pinault; Sheri McCoy; Liberian Ambassador Marjon V. Kamara; Ambassador Rosemary A. DiCarlo, U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative, U.S. Mission to the United Nations; and Futures Without Violence President Esta Soler participated in the Avon Awards ceremony. ABC News Anchor Bianna Golodryga moderated the event. The CSW, which this year focuses on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls, drew nearly 6,000 representatives from UN Member States, UN entities and NGOs from around the world for a two-week session. Last year, the Avon Foundation for Women presented its first Avon Communications Awards at the 2nd World Conference of Women’s Shelters in Washington, D.C.

Avon CEO Sheri McCoy emphasized the critical importance of communications in ending violence against women as she shared highlights of an Avon Foundation-funded survey to be released in June that analyzed bystander behavior in situations relating to partner violence and dating and sexual abuse. “People are willing to speak out, but they don’t always know how to recognize the signs of abuse or how best to intervene. Avon believes communications and education will help bystanders become interveners and help break the cycle of violence against women,” said McCoy.

2nd Avon Communications Awards Winners

The Avon Foundation recognized non-governmental organizations from Pakistan, Tanzania, Nepal, Peru, and a governmental organization from the Ukraine, for their exemplary communications campaigns that are helping change communities, policies, institutions and behaviors to end violence against women. An international panel of judges selected the winning campaigns from more than 425 communications submitted to the Communications X-Change by 119 organizations in 46 countries, ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. The X-Change, a digital global communications library funded by the Avon Foundation and managed by Futures Without Violence, enables organizations and advocates throughout the world to find, share, and learn from the best communications material focused on ending violence against women and children.

The winning organizations, which will each receive an Avon Foundation grant to fund the continuation of their work, are:

Innovative Campaign Award:

Bytes for All (Pakistan) – “Take back the Tech!”

This campaign seizes upon the spread of technology in Pakistan to help strengthen women’s use of technology to raise awareness about Violence Against Women by using online tools. The campaign also strategically involves important public figures from judges to movie stars using social media to spread the word to “take back the tech.” The print and online communications materials pave the way for young women to use these online technology tools, often off-limits in Pakistan, to make their voices heard.

Break the Silence Award

Engender Health (Tanzania) – “Champion Project”

The “Champion Project” video is part of a five-year effort to engage men in Tanzania by increasing their involvement in addressing underlying gender issues and power imbalances in relationships. The video aims to turn men from bystanders to champions with its key message, “Violence is everyone’s problem. Be a role model. Earn respect by standing up to violence.”

Community Change Award

Equal Access (Nepal) - “Voices – Samajhdari”

Involving community members as writers, reporters, radio technicians and commentators, “Voices – Samajhdari” by Equal Access enables women to be agents of their own change – reshaping community attitudes through their own messages that resonate with their closest neighbors and throughout Nepal. This weekly 30-minute radio program directly integrates voices from rural communities in audio collected by 12 female 'community reporters' who are themselves survivors of violence, able to discuss topics and issues that otherwise would be considered off-limits.

X-Change Award for Outstanding Government Communication Award

State Service for Youth and Sports & International Women’s Rights Center ‘La Strada’ (Ukraine) - “Stop Violence”

The Government of Ukraine, working with UNICEF Ukraine and NGOs, leveraged the 2012 Euro Football Cup to field a large campaign aimed at men to use communications to raise social awareness of the need to end violence against women. In their “Red Card” poster, the Ukrainian singer Ani Lorak speaks a soccer fan’s language to advocate against sexual violence. Recognition of this campaign highlights the important development coalitions among government agencies, the UN and NGOs working collaboratively for greater impact across society.

Global Award for Excellence in Communication

PCI Media Impact (Peru) - “Strong Women, Strong Voices”

The “Strong Women, Strong Voices” radio program—using radio, a favored medium particularly in rural communities—skillfully weaves together stories using language accessible to both Spanish-speaking and indigenous women that dramatizes the stories of women overcoming prejudice, abuse and sexual violence. Radio and storytelling is very adaptable, but real impact comes also from an organization with both a strong infrastructure and well-analyzed and realized strong theory of change.

To view the award-winning campaigns in each of the five categories, as well as the 19 finalists’ campaigns, please visit: http://www.avonfoundation.org/causes/domestic-violence/funding/avon-communication-awards/. These materials and many others are available on the Communications X-Change, which is open to new submissions.

Other Avon Foundation Speak Out Against Domestic Violence Initiatives

Avon Empowerment Charm Necklace

At the 2nd Avon Communications Awards: Speaking Out About Violence Against Women, Salma Hayek Pinault launched the Avon Empowerment Charm Necklace in recognition of International Women’s Day on March 8th. One hundred percent of the net profits from the necklace’s sale will benefit the Avon Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program. The silver tone necklace features the infinity symbol, which in Avon’s Speak Out campaign represents lives with unlimited potential when free from violence.

“I have been a proud supporter of the Avon Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program since it launched in 2004,” said Salma Hayek Pinault, Avon Foundation for Women Ambassador. “I encourage everyone to purchase, wear or give the Avon Empowerment Charm Necklace to help raise vital funds for domestic abuse support services.”

For more information about Avon’s efforts to end violence against women around the world follow us on Twitter at @avonfoundation #AvonSpeakout #IWD.

January 27, 2013 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL
APPLICATIONS DUE FEBRUARY 14
17th Annual Festival Runs August 9-25, 2013

The New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC), the largest multi-arts festival in North America, will present the 17th Annual Festival from August 9 - 25, 2013. Each year the festival presents programming by nearly 200 of the world's best emerging theatre troupes and dance companies. General FringeNYC applications are being accepted for participants in all genres (theatre, dance, puppetry, performance art, multi-media, etc.), and separate FringeAL FRESCO (free outdoor events) and FringeJR (children's programming) applications are also available.

Applications are now available online at www.fringenyc.org and completed applications are due February 14, 2013. Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable $40 application fee, in the form of a certified check, cashiers check, or money order in US Dollars payable to The Present Company.

FringeNYC is a production of The Present Company, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Elena K. Holy. In 1997, New York City became the seventh US city to host a fringe festival, joining Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Houston, Orlando and San Francisco. FringeNYC has presented over 3000 performing groups representing every continent, prompting Switzerland's national daily, The New Zurich Zeitung, to declare FringeNYC as “the premiere meeting ground for alternative artists.” In November 2007, FringeNYC was honored by Mayor Michael Bloomberg with the Mayor's Award for Arts & Culture for "showcasing the best and boldest theater and performance;” previous recipients include Woody Allen, Stephen Sondheim, The Public Theater, Chita Rivera and Edward Albee. The festival has also been the launching pad for numerous Off-Broadway and Broadway transfers, long-running downtown hits, and regional theater productions including Urinetown, Never Swim Alone, Debbie Does Dallas, Dog Sees God, 21 Dog Years, Brandon Teena, Dixie’s Tupperware Party, Silence! The Musical, Matt & Ben, Bash'd, The Irish Curse, Jurassic Parq and The Fartiste and as well as movies (WTC View, Armless) and even a TV show (‘da Kink in My Hair).

January 14, 2013

PBS Continues Commitment to Independent Films in 2013
Short Film Festival and Independent Film Showcase Announced

Today at the Television Critics Association meeting,PBS reaffirmed its commitment to independent film by announcing that itwill offer its second annual Online Film Festival,featuring short form films beginning Monday, March 4, and will offer a multi-platform Independent Film Showcase this fall. Both will feature films from POVand ITVS’s INDEPENDENT LENS, as well as other public media partners.

“PBS is committed to providing the public with year-round access to the best in independent filmmaking, whether it’s short form or long form—on-air and online,” said PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger. “Working with POV, ITVS and our public media partners, our goal is to spotlight more independent films and filmmakers and help bring new and larger audiences to this important genre for PBS and our stations.”

PBS Online Film Festival Returns for Second Year

PBS’ Online Film Festival, accessible beginning March 4 via all PBS digital platforms, YouTube and PBS social media channels, will showcase 25 short films[1]that feature a diversity of subjects, voices and viewpoints.

The featured films were produced by a number public media partners, including Independent Television Service (ITVS), POV, Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB), Vision Maker Media,National Black Programming Consortium (NPBC) and Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC). This year’s festival also includes films from PBS stations KCTS 9 (Seattle), KLRU (Austin), PBS SoCaL (Los Angeles), WGTE (Toledo) and WCVE (Richmond, Virginia).

Viewers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite short film from March 4 throughMarch 22; the film with the most votes will receive the People’s Choice Award.The winning film will be announced in early April.

“As we’ve seen with PBS Digital Studios, the appetite for well-produced video on the web is growing substantially. Last year, Americans viewed more than 38 billion videos online a month,”said Jason Seiken, PBS General Manager, Digital. “The Online Film Festival is a great example of how we can leverage the web’s reach to showcase the terrific work of our producing partners, including the work of PBS member stations. We see the Online Film Festival as another example of how PBS and our partners are innovating and experimenting with different formats and platforms.”

Independent Film Showcase Kicks Off Fall 2013

This fall, PBS will present a four-week multi-platform Independent Film Showcasewith programs airing Monday nights at 10 p.m.(broadcast dates TBD). The Showcase will feature films from the landmark series POV and INDEPENDENT LENS, which together provide a year-round broadcast footprint for independent filmmakers on public television on Monday nights at 10 p.m. The Showcase is slated to take place during the weeks between the seasons of POVandINDEPENDENT LENS.

In addition to broadcast content, the festival will connect audiences with related online and mobile content, as well as opportunities to participate locally with their public television stations.

“While PBS offers independent film programming year-round, we devised this film showcaseto help shine a spotlight on the exceptional programming coming from POV and INDEPENDENT LENS,” said Donald Thoms, Vice President of Programming, PBS. “With an impressive line-up of films crossing different genres and themes, we hope the Showcase will be a draw for existing independent film fans as well as new viewers.”

The featured films include the following (air dates are TBD):

“56 Up”– POV

A film by Michael Apted

“56 Up” is the eighth film in a series of landmark documentaries that began 49 years ago when UK-based Granada’s World in Action team, inspired by the Jesuit maxim “Give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man,” interviewed a diverse group of seven-year-old children from all over England, asking them about their lives and their dreams for the future. Michael Apted, a researcher for the original film, has returned to interview the “children” every seven years since, at ages 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, and now at age 56. In this latest chapter, more life-changing decisions are revealed, more shocking announcements are made and more of the original group takes part than ever before, speaking out on a variety of subjects including love, marriage, career and class.

“Brooklyn Castle”– POV

A film by Katie Dellamaggiore

Imagine a school where the cool kids are the chess team. Welcome to I.S. 318.“Brooklyn Castle”tells the stories of five members of the chess team at a below-the-poverty-line inner city junior high school that has won more national championships than any other in the country. The film follows the challenges these kids face in their personal lives —and on the chessboard — and is as much about the sting of their losses as it is about anticipation of their victories.

“Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey” – INDEPENDENT LENS

A film by Ramona Diaz

For Arnel Pineda, the past five years have been the stuff that dreams are made of. In 2007, hisfriend began uploading videos of the aspiring Filipino singer covering classic rock songs onto YouTube. One of the videoswas seen by Neal Schon, guitarist for the iconic rock band Journey. Blown away by Pineda’s talent and uncanny vocal similarity to former Journey front man Steve Perry, Schon flew Pineda from Manila to San Francisco to audition for the band.The rest is history. But Pineda’s personal journey had just begun. His mother died when he was 12 and he ended up on the streets. And with no classical music training, he was anything but prepared for the grueling physical and emotional strains that come from fronting a rock band on a whirlwind world tour. Can a man who has already overcome so many obstacles deal with the demands of his newfound fame?

“The Waiting Room” – INDEPENDENT LENS

A film by Peter Nicks

“The Waiting Room” is an immersive documentary film that interweaves several stories that unfold in surprising ways in the ER waiting room at Oakland, California’s Highland Hospital—a facility stretched to the breaking point. The film is an intimate rendering of the story of our health care system at a moment of great change, told through the eyes of people stuck—sometimes for up to 14 hours—in the waiting room. The program tells the story of a remarkably diverse populationbattling their way through seismic shifts in the nation’s health care system while weathering the storm of a national recession. It’s a film about one hospital, its multifaceted community, and how our common vulnerability to illness binds us together. “This is the rare film that can change the way you think and see the world,” says The San Francisco Chronicle.

About PBS

PBS, with its nearly 360 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 123 million people through television and more than 21 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS’ premier children’s TV programming and its website, pbskids.org, are parents’ and teachers’ most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the Internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile devices.

Short Films Featured in the PBS Online Film Festival

Listed by Presenting Partner – Titles Subject to Change

Festival Begins March 4, 2013

Independent Television Service (ITVS)

· “Brionna Williams”

Meet Brionna Williams: At 14, she was suffering from health problems and chronic asthma. Now a 17-year-old senior at Kansas City’s Central High School, Brionna has become healthier and has found focus as a highly recruited student athlete.

· “Can’t Hold Me Back”

The film follows Fernando Parraz as he becomes the first in his family to earn a high school diploma—his ticket out of the struggles of inner-city poverty and violence. With a mountain of roadblocks stacked against his educational achievement, Fernando finds support from an unlikely figure: his father—a former gangster who has suffered the costs of his own mistakes.

· “Story of an Egg”

Can learning the meaning of a single term actually help change the food system? David Evans and Alexis Koefoed think so. These poultry farmers explain the real story behind such terms as “cage free,” “free range” and “pasture raised” so that consumers can make informed decisions when they go to their local supermarket.

POV

· “Ars Magna”

Nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy® Award, “Ars Magna” enters into the obsessive and fascinating world of anagrams with a man who took the first three lines of Hamlet’s “To Be or Not to Be” and created what has been called “the world’s greatest anagram.”

· “Cat Cam”

An engineer straps a camera on a stray cat in North Carolina and inadvertently creates a media sensation.

· “Sound of Vision”

A blind musician spends his waking hours confronting the hurdles and embracing the cacophonyof “The City That Never Sleeps”—New York—which he will never see.

Center for Asian American Media (CAAM)

· “Making Noise in Silence”

A short, fascinating look at two Korean American teens as they learn what it means to be both deaf and Korean.

· “Why I Write”

Vehement Khmer American spoken word artist KosalKhiev delivers a passionate personal narrative in this engaging, head-on collision between the political and personal

· "Indian Summer”

This short documentary brings together first generation Indian American youth with similar feelings of alienation to document their religious and cultural point of view.

POV and Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB)

· “Sin País”(Without Country)

Winner of a 2012 Student Academy Award®, “Sin País” explores one family’s experience as members are separated by deportation.

Vision Maker Media

· “Hoverboard”

After watching Back to the Future 2, an imaginative young girl and her stuffed teddy bear try to invent a real working hoverboard.

Vision Maker Media and ITVS

· “Injunnuity - Buried”

“Injunnuity” is a unique mix of animation, music and real thoughts from real people exploring our world from the Native American perspective. “Buried” shares Oblone activist and educator Corinna Gould’s reflection on the destruction of sacred shell mounds in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.

National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC)

· “Asylum – Bisi”

BisiAlimi describes coming out as a gay man —on national television — in Nigeria.

Pacific Islanders in Communication (PIC)

· “Lina’la’Lusong”

Unshaken by centuries of colonial conquest and the changing tides of occupation, the lusong has endured to heal and feed the people of the land, and to impart a sacred lesson of survival.

KCTS 9 (Seattle)

· “Capsule”

Two astronauts struggle to stay alive as their crashed space capsule slowly runs out of oxygen.

· “Honor the Treaties”

A portrait of photographer Aaron Huey’s work on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Featuring Shepard Fairy.

· “The House I Keep”

A short film about a young woman’s emotional struggle to come to terms with her miscarriage.

KLRU (Austin)

· “NocnaTanecku (Night at the Dance)”

A profile of the last days of a Czech dance hall in rural Texas—and the old-timers who come there to polka.

· “Mijo”

An evocative portrayal of a mother and child’s intimate relationship in the midst of life-altering medical events.

· “The Longest Sun”

A narrative short film inspired by the mythology of the Tewa peoples of northern New Mexico is told entirely in the endangered language of Tewa (less than 500 native speakers remain). The film follows a young Tewa boy who sets out on a mythical journey to stop the sun from setting.

PBS SoCaL (Los Angeles)

· “Breathe Life”

The Montelone family must fight cystic fibrosis every day, but their passion for love, life and surfing allows them to get through the uncertainty.

· “Still”

Dive into the world of Carlos Eyles, ocean photographer, to discover the powerful connection between humankind and the seas that surround us.

· “Worlds Apart”

A young Native American woman deals with the struggles of college away from her reservation.

WCVE (Richmond, Virginia)

· “Live Art”

A groundbreaking educational program and concert event, created and led by the School of the Performing Arts in Richmond, Virginia.

WGTE (Toledo)

· “Heel”

From the theater stage to the wrestling mat, the surprising story of a young woman’s journey to be a wrestler.

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