Dances With Films Fest offers "Sweet 16" surprises for indie film makers and movie lovers

Last year's film festival

 Filmmakers and movie lovers will be treated to scores of films on this year's lineup of “Dances With Films,” at Hollywood’s famed TCL Chinese Theatre. 

Dances With Films, one of LA's most popular showcases
of filmmakers, has unveiled its schedule for the 16^th anniversary or billed as “Sweet 16 year,” which now goes for an additional 11 days from May 30-June 9. There will a Grand Jury Prize reception this year, too.

Festival organizers say there will be interesting panels of industry movers and shakers, who plan to discuss changes in the business to the latest trends and demand. 

Scores of films on tap are West Coast premieres and award-winning producer/director, Ron Davis' child pageant documentary "Miss You Can Do It" is scheduled for the opening night film premiere.  

(Courtesy Ron Davis, Director)

The 75 min. HBO Documentary Film’ Miss You Can Do It spotlights Abbey Curran, Miss Iowa USA 2008, the first woman with a disability to compete at the Miss USA Pageant, as well as eight girls and young women from around the country living with special needs, who take part in the Miss You Can Do It Pageant.

Created in 2004 by Curran, the pageant offers them and their families a chance to bond and take part in a special event where inner beauty and abilities reign. Debuts exclusively on HBO MONDAY, JUNE 24 (9:00 - 10:15PM ET/PT).

On the celebrity carpet and expected to attend the festival are celebs: Chris Rock, Melissa Etheridge, Kelly Lynch and Christopher Lloyd to name a few. Since 1998 Dancing with Films has been an innovator and leader in positioning raw and new talented directors and unusual films. 

Founder Leslee Scallon at 2012 event.

This year Festival announced a new Grand Jury Prize for its lineup, where the winner receives a full distribution deal throught Distributor and Festival sponsor, Gravitas Ventures (Sound City, Hunky Dory).

Gravitas Ventures plans to release the winning film with a Video on Demand distribution deal with an expected reach of more than a 100 million households

For more about Dances With Films and ticket info visit: www.danceswithfilms.com. 

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Film imitating life in "The East" ecoterrorism movie starring Alexander Skarsgard and Brit Marling keeps you on edge

Coming in Theaters May 31, 2013

Hang on to your popcorn. Another terrorism movie has hit the big screen and it is loaded with action. Alexander Skarsgard stars in this "ecoterrorist", nonstop thriller movie.

Every once in awhile a Cinderella drama and thriller will surface from the Sunday Film Festival and The East, “ Spy on Us, We’ll Spy on You…feels like it was film imitating life or right out of today’s headlines, too. The movie also stars, Brit Marling, Jason Ritter, Ellen Page, and Toby Kebbell. In The East, Sarah Moss (Marling), a sly operative for an elite private intelligence firm, finds her priorities suddenly changing after she is assigned to infiltrate an anarchist group known for executing covert attacks upon major corporations.   

             The ecoterrorism movie is nonstop action and hits the theaters at the beginning of summer (May 31^st), Memorial Day weekend.

Living amongst them in an effort to get closer to their members, Sarah finds herself unexpectedly torn between two worlds as she starts to fall in love with the group's charismatic leader, finding her life and her priorities upside down.

The East is directed and written by  Zal Batmanglij‘s The East (2013) movie screenplay was also co-written by Brit Marling. Both offer steller, thrilling dramatic performances. 

“In The East, Sarah Moss (Marling) is a brilliant operative for an elite private intelligence firm whose main objective is to ruthlessly protect her client.

It has a great cast, too. Check out the first billed lineup,  It premieres May 31st and will likely be one of the best nonstop action thrillers Memorial Day weekend. Two thumbs up!

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Tom Cruise fans slip into Oblivion - another action thriller movie

Oblivion , the Tom Cruise Sci-filler thriller film has shown he still is a great box office draw if given the right stuff for a movie. It also stars Morgan Freeman and Olga Kurylenko.

He knocked 42 the movie out of first place with a  $38.2 million debut, according to studio executives keeping track over the weekend..

Oblivion brought in more than $33.7 million domestically and a whopping $112 million overseas for a grand global taken of $150.2 million receipts.

"Oblivion" grabbed $13.3 million on opening day Friday and almost $15 million on Saturday. 

Morgan Freeman told CBS one main reason he accepted the role was a chance to work with Tom Cruise.  

Tom Cruis and Morgan Freeman "Oblivion" leads
at the box office ( Courtesy Universal Pictures)

"That was one great, great draw for the project," Freeman told CBS News. "I've been wanting to work with him since I don't know when. I'm a big fan of his. A big, big fan."

Freeman has a lot of fans, too, including this writer, who saw him receive so many Lifetime achievement awards, Cruise was probably saying the same about working with Freeman.

The cast is awesome, too. We'll see if fans slip into Oblivion
this weekend, too. 

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Best baseball movie - 42 - starring Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford’s newest movie hit a grand slam performance with team player Chadwick Boseman at the box office for “:42”, the movie. According to the movie website Box Office Mojo opening day, '42' ($9,100,000) is on track to become the “best debut ever” for a baseball movie. Even #2 Scary Movie 5 did have half as good ($5,515,000) and third place Evil Dead (2013) ($3,200,000) on opening day.

Branch Rickey's prediction of fallout and discrimination turned out right with not only rivals but even with his own teammates. Robinson became a bull’s-eye target with nasty criticism, physical abuse and constant racial slurs. Even the opposing teams in the Major League threatened strikes. And to make it worse, his own teammates threatened to walk out. 

It was an inspiring, riveting movie portraying the true, against all odds story of how Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson broke numerous records. The biggest record was cutting through the racial barriers during the days when restrooms 

Brian Helgeland and Harrison Ford

were market “colored” and the entrance to the ballparks showed signs of segregation.

It is a breakthrough real-life drama that stars Chadwick Boseman (The Express”) as Jackie Robinson and one of Oscar® Nominee Harrison Ford (“Witness) best performances as Branch Rickey. If the box office attendance and receipts are any indication, it could set a new weekend showing, too. 

In 1947, Rickey placed himself at the forefront of history after signing Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking Major League Baseball’s infamous color line.  Bombarded with racism from all sides, Robinson pursued his dream with awesome courage and restraint from reacting and ruining his career.  

Robinson widow (middle) 90 yr. old  old Rachel

Ryan Merriman (Dixie Walker) & Kristen McMuller

In 1997, Major League Baseball retired his number of “42”, which was the first number in sports to be universally put on the shelf.  Written and Directed by Academy Award® winning Director Brian Helgeland (“L.A. Confidential”), the movie was produced by Thomas Tull, Dick Cook, Jon Jashni (The Hangover(2009)) and Jason Clark, Ted (2012).  Co-producers included Jillian Zaks (Pacific Rim, July 2013) and Darryl Pryor (Lethal Weapon 4, 1998). 

The main cast gave a stellar performance and included: Nicole Beharie, Christopher Meloni, Andrew Holland, Lucas Black, Hamish Linklater and Ryan Merriman. 

After watching film that opened nationwide Friday, April 12, 2013 and hearing movie goers cheer on Robinson’s victories throughout, this film timing is perfect. It carefully traced how blacks in this country struggled to overcome racism. 

The White House held a screening for high school and college students of the Jackie Robinson biopic “42″ earlier this month (April 3, 2013), which was hosted by first lady, Michelle Obama. 

Harrison Ford talks to the media about the "42".

Harrison Ford describes it as, “A real pleasure and great experience, because we were able give them a lot of written materials on the movie and Robinson’s history,” he said on Premiere night in Hollywood.  “It’s very important to remind the young people not just about a bit history, or reading about it,  but more about what it felt like to be a victim of racism at that time.”  

Asked about Chadwick Boseman’s star role in the movie as Jackie Robinson he said, “Chadwick was great. He worked so hard to learn the skills of a baseball player and studied the life of Jackie Robinson. 

This could be a homerun at the Oscars next year, too. It has been already nominated for the Golden Trailer Awards For “Best Drama” (AV Squad, and Warner Bros. Pictures) for "Trailer 2" and “Best Drama Poster” for (Refinery, The and Warner Bros. Pictures).

This is a great movie to take the whole family to learn history and enjoy the true legacy of Jackie Robinson. Two thumbs up! 

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