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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Ashley Green & Taylor Lautner on the red carpet in LA

Article first published as The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
Breaks New Ground in Social Media on Technorati.

TheTwilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 

breaks new ground in Social Media                                                                                                                                                            

Taylor Lautner

Normally when such blockbuster movies as Liongate’s The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn- Park 2 premieres, the movie stars eyes are all on the flashing cameras and TV crews in the press box on the red carpet. 

But on this big night (Nov. 12, 20212), at the Nokia Center L.A. Live Theater in downtown Los Angeles, stars like Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli and other celebs spent more time signing autographs and allowing fans to take their pictures more than the media.

Photographers wait for the celebs to turnaround for photos.

The U-shape setup is a trademark of Lionsgate’s style. Unlike The world famous Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, CA, where fans traditionally line up across the street on Hollywood Blvd.,  LA Live at Nokia Center in downtown LA allows the screaming fans to camp out for five days opposite of the media, but close enough for autographs and digital cameras.The stars know too well they wouldn’t be where they are today without the fans. Social Media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+ and other social networks globally expose stars to a new fan base so when this epic finale premieres in London and Europe later this week, fans already know what to expect. The much anticipated teenage phenomenon film opens nationwide on Friday Nov. 16^th.

Kristen Stewart, signs  autographs takes
allows her fans to take pictures as the media waits 

Robert Pattinson (left) engages fans before media.

Underneath all those screaming fans are shout outs from cameramen in the press box, “turnaround Kristen, over the shoulder Robert and look over here Taylor.” The advance of high speed access, smart phones, Ipads and other handheld devices has change the traditional style of covering celebrities at premiers. Fans first media second.The film and teenage phenomenon premiere attracted 2,000 fans.This is the epic finale of novelist Stephenie Meyer's four best sellers and this is probably the most violent of the teenage phenomenon movie about the girl-vampire-werewolf love triangle. The worldwide blockbuster is sure to please obsessive fans, who spend a week just to get in the front row for an photo together with their idol stars.The fans are sure to love this mega hit that has made three actors overnight sensations. The last two adaptations of the book were actually split into projects “Breaking Dawn-Part 1 and this Friday “Break Dawn Part 2.” The both last year and this years hit was directed by Bill Condon, who is has mastered horror movies. This one is no different.Short synopsis (imdb):Bella is enjoying her new life and new powers, after the birth of their daughter, Renesmee.  Soon, however, their family bliss is threatened again, by a new menace. Vampire Irina believes a child like Renesmee could challenge the power and existence of the Volturi.

Julianne Hough

As Irina rallies the Volturi to destroy this potential threat, Bella and the Cullens - together with any allies they can assemble - are preparing to fight a crucial, ultimate battle, to protect their family.The list of celebrities that had confirmed for the premiere and celebrity carpet event included:  
Members of the cast of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN – PART 2 including Kristen Stewart (Bella), Robert Pattinson (Edward),Taylor Lautner (Jacob), Billy Burke (Charlie), Peter Facinelli (Carlisle), Elizabeth Reaser (Esme), Kellan Lutz (Emmett), Nikki Reed (Rosalie), Jackson Rathbone (Jasper), Ashley Greene (Alice), Michael Sheen (Aro), Dakota Fanning (Jane), Mackenzie Foy(Renesmee), Julia Jones (Leah), Booboo Stewart(Seth), Christian Camargo (Eleazar), Mia Maestro(Carmen), Casey LaBow (Kate), Maggie Grace (Irina),MyAnna Buring (Tanya), Joe Anderson (Alistair),Omar Metwally (Amun), Rami Malek (Benjamin), Guri Weinberg (Stefan), Noel Fisher (Vladimir),Andrea Gabriel (Kebi), Angela Sarafyan (Tia), JD Pardo(Nahuel), Marisa Quinn (Huilen), Lisa Howard(Siobhan), Marlane Barnes (Maggie), Patrick Brennan(Liam), Bill Tangradi (Randall), Erik Odom (Peter), Toni Trucks (Mary), Valorie Curry (Charlotte), Amadou Ly(Henri), Janelle Froehlich (Yvette), Judi Shekoni(Zafrina),Tracey Heggins (Senna), Chaske Spencer(Sam Uley), Jamie Campbell Bower (Caius), Daniel Cudmore (Felix), Christopher Heyerdahl (Marcus),Charlie Bewley (Demetri), Cameron Bright (Alec),Andrea Powell (Sasha), and Masami Kosaka(Toshiro).  

Director Bill Condon

Filmmakers Bill Condon (Director), Melissa Rosenberg(Screenwriter), Stephenie Meyer (Author of THE TWILIGHT SERIES, Producer), Wyck Godfrey(Producer), Karen Rosenfelt (Producer), Marty Bowen(Executive Producer), Mark Morgan (Executive Producer), Bill Bannerman (Co-Producer)Additional THE TWILIGHT SAGA cast members: Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria), Xavier Samuel (Riley),Christian Serratos (Angela), Gil Birmingham (Billy),Justin Chon (Eric), Michael Welch (Mike), Sarah Clarke (Renée), Tinsel Korey (Emily), Alex Meraz(Paul), Bronson Pelletier (Jared), and Kiowa Gordon(Embry Call). Celebrity guests include (in alphabetical order): A Boy and His Kite (Band),  Alex Newell (“Glee”),Amandla Stenberg (THE HUNGER GAMES), Antawn Jamison (LA Lakers), Aramis Knight (ENDER’S GAME),Ashley Tisdale (Actress), Boom Circuits (Band), Brent Smith (Musician), Brooke 

Novelist, Actress
Stephenie Meyer 

Lyons (“2 Broke Girls”),Bryan Singer (“House M.D.”), Carly Craig (HALL PASS),Carmen Electra (Actress), Caron Butler (LA Clippers),Cheryl Hines (Actress), Chris Colfer (“Glee”), Chris Scott (Choreographer), Christina Perri (Singer),Christina Robinson (“Dexter”), Damian McGinty(“Glee”), Dawn Olivieri (“House of Lies”), DeAndre Jordan (LA Clippers), Dwight Howard (LA Lakers),Edson Buddle (LA Galaxy), Eva Amurri (Actress), Flo Rida (Musician), Frank Marshall (THE BOURNE LEGACY),Goran Visnjic (THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO),Green Day (Band), Guiliana Rancic (TV Personality),Gus Kenworthy (Professional Skiier), Hilary Duff(Actress), Jacqueline Emerson (THE HUNGER GAMES),Jaden Smith (THE KARATE KID), Jake Abel (THE HOST), Jaleel White (“Psych”), Jana Coffey (Musician),Jeanine Mason (“So You Think You Can Dance”), Joey Lawrence (“Melissa and Joey”), Julia Snigir (DIE HARD),Julian Morris (“Pretty Little Liars”), Julianne Hough(ROCK OF AGES), Julie Bowen (“Modern Family”),Kathleen Robertson (“Boss”), Kathryn McCormick(STEP UP REVOLUTION), Kent Boyd (“So You Think You Can Dance”), Kiernan Shipka (“Mad Men”), Kim Raver(“Grey’s Anatomy”), Kristen Quintrall (“The Helpers: Refuge from the Storm”), Lori Loughlin (“90210”), LOU(Singer), Louis Van Amstel (“Dancing With The Stars”),Mae Whitman (THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER),Maria Menounos (TV Personality), 

Dakota Fanning 

Mary Lynn Rajskub (“How to be a Gentleman”), Max Irons (THE HOST), Mayim Bialik (“The Big Bang Theory”), Metta World Peace (LA Lakers), Michael Chiklis (“Vegas”),Molly Sims (actress), Morgan Saylor (“Homeland”),Natasha Bedingfield (musician), Nene Leakes (“The New Normal”), One Direction (Band), Paramore(Band), Pau Gasol (LA Lakers), Rachel McAdams(MIDNIGHT IN PARIS), Radha Mitchell (SILENT HILL),Ryan Guzman (STEP UP REVOLUTION), Saoirse Ronan(THE HOST), Sharni Vinson (STEP UP 3D), Sherri Shepherd (“The View”), Sterling Beaumon (“Red Window”), Steve Blake (LA Lakers), Stevie Nicks(Musician), Sydney Leroux (US Tennis Olympic Gold Medalist), Terrell Owens (Seattle Seahawks), Tia Mowry-Hardrict (“The Game”), Trevor Donovan(“90210”), Trey Thompkins (LA Clippers), Willow Shields (THE HUNGER GAMES), and Willow Smith (I AM LEGEND).

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High speed rail heads for derailment as taxpayer pricetag skyrockets

Courtesy SFist

For the last several years, the Obama Administration has promised more green jobs by approving $45 billion in federal funds to create what he and California high speed rail supporters say will create hundreds of thousand of jobs and green jobs, too.

But a closer look might surprise you, and some opponents are even saying the California taxpayers are being taken for a multibillion train ride.

California High Speed Rail Authority says California's electrically-powered high-speed trains will help the state meet heavy demands on its transportation infrastructure. First running  speeds of 220 miles per hour  from San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim via the Central Valley, and later to Sacramento and San Diego. Then the bullet trains will travel between LA and San Francisco.


It all sounds great, but California needs those jobs today, not tomorrow. The government reports no new jobs were created in August, not one green job. New jobs numbers reveal layoffs doubled in September and hiring’s were also down.

And several Republican Congressmen like Devin Nunes (Visalia, CA), from the 21st District wants to put the brakes on the expensive train of so-called green jobs going nowhere fast.

“When you’re pouring concrete how can you call them green jobs?” said Nunes. The CHSR claims the project will create “as many as 100,000 construction-related jobs each year that the system is being built,” and lay the tracts down for potentially “for 450,000 permanent new jobs statewide,” from the economic growth of a high-speed rail over the next 25 years.
Different cost estimates have been circulated in the media, even one out today in the Los Angeles Times (more) pegs it at $95 billion, double the earlier estimate. But wait there's more figures, and higher, too.


Former chairman Curt Pringle of the California High Speed Rail Authority Board said every rail project creates green jobs and reduces carbon monoxide pollution.
Although early official reports estimate the rail project will cost around $60 billion, Congressman Nunez contends it will cost more like $145 billion dollars, when and if it's ever finished.

"My phones have been ringing off the hook from folks who live in the path where this is train will be is going to go," said Representative Nunes. "When you start looking at the homes, the business, the farms that this thing is going to cut through just here in the valley, it's going to be hugely expensive."


California High Speed Rail Authority is already planning to cut the ribbon and break ground for the rail next year, but it may only be a grounder breaker for the real debate.


Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) is introducing new legislation that freezes federal funding for the bullet train project for one year so that auditors can review its viability. Stay tuned for the next trainload of information and debates.



 For more info about the proposed bullet train visit: FACTS ABOUT THE RAIL
(http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/)

Note: This story first appeared on Technorati.com (more) 

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Article Author: George S. McQuade III

George S. McQuade III is a national award-winning business, high tech, entertainment and social media writer based in Los Angeles. He has earned “Best Breaking News", Associated Press Managing Editors Assn, “Best News writing", Radio TV News Ass

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