• I’m working in NYC…what are you doing? #

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“Who Is Your Hero? Bruce Lee.”

That is the bumper sticker that Linda Wang read the other day, right before she bumped into the owner of the car, none other than Bruce Lee’s wife, Linda Lee (no relation to the writer).

The funny thing is, Bruce Lee really is one of Wang’s heroes. This “die hard New Yorker” actress shared how her life has been a series of interconnected kismetic adventures, when we met for lunch in a quaint little patio at “The Cat and Fiddle” restaurant in Hollywood.

Imagine working at McDonald’s at fourteen years old in Queens, NY, and then auditioning for the golden arches years later. Not only reading for a role that was originally meant for an African American actor, but then actually booking the part.

The director of the commercial (Sunu Gonera, director of “Pride” starring Terrence Howard) was so impressed by Wang’s believability as the young mother of a young African American girl who read with her during the audition, that he added an additional character just for her.

“I am very thankful to the director, casting directors and executives who were able to be innovative in non-traditional casting,” says Wang, who works with her agents to push the envelope to submit her for non-Asian-specific roles.

Very engaging and funny, she often ends her hilarious sentences with “…,am I right?!” It’s easy to see how people are charmed by her wit and personality.

Wang has been able to wow others with her skills by landing parts not originally meant for Asian Americans. Her latest role was written for a Latino actress in writer/director Allyna Renee’s short film “Red Betta.”

“I was thrilled to play an older woman who had a younger lover,” said Wang. “‘Red Betta,’ a film with very few words but the emotions of Liz has taken me to the next level to a point of no return. Juan excitingly brought Liz to life. She reaped the benefits of his fever-pitch of passion, only to realized her murmur to the red betta fish was too late.”

This is the first short-length film that Wang has acted in since 1994, when she played a hostess in Brett Ratner’s short film “Whatever Happened to Mason Reese?” “I was just a teenager then and was mostly excited to be working on a film narrated by Anthony Michael Hall, because I had seen ‘The Breakfast Club’ and loved the character he portrayed.”

In “Red Betta” Wang plays “Liz” - a character who personifies the feistiness of a “Red Betta Fish” also known as “The Siamese Fight Fish,” a fish that will fight with anything in sight, including its own mirror image, and therefore must live alone.

“The director had spent weeks looking for the right actress to play the part. We talked for the first time when I made a courtesy call to decline the audition - I was booked as a Geisha on a beer commercial for Spain at the time and couldn’t make the casting - but after chatting for a while on the phone, the director said that she had to meet me in person.” And just like that, upon meeting Wang, the director offered her the part.

It happened again when JANE Magazine was looking for someone to play the role of a “Caucasian man with metropolitan flare” for their online series. Wang wowed them at the audition and she landed the part.

These experiences echo the path of another actor who has been able to change impressions about traditional casting: Whoopi Goldberg. “She is my inspiration. A single mother living on food stamps, who broke out in
acting later in life. She was able to break the race and gender barrier when it came to roles. She’s at the top of my list of heroes.”

“One of the things that I’m passionate about is promoting diversity - everywhere, on film, TV, stage, and even commercial print and broadcast. I’m for pushing the envelope when it comes to how people think about things.”

For more on Linda Wang, please visit: http://imdb.com/name/nm0910972/

Written for Lazy Limabean Magazine™
© Copyright 2007 Linda Lee.
All rights reserved.

My first encounter with Aaron Ingram, the Executive Director of ActNow Foundation, was at a small film screening gathering at club Level V. Looking back, his demeanor as he approached me was of calm humility, easily the remnants of his middle-class Bronx upbringing. And that seems to have set the tone for his aspirations with ActNow.

His childhood memories were colored with diversity, mainly his ethnically mixed friends scouting out food from each others’ houses. It was “hard but good,” he says of his childhood, adding that he wanted to be a fireman when he grew up. He drew his biggest inspiration from his mother, who constantly planned community events, family get-togethers, church choir practices, and Christmas gatherings. After some watching-from-the-sidelines, he took after her, now successfully running his own not-for-profit foundation to showcase up-and-coming as well as seasoned short-film makers.

His vision is driven by the undercurrent in his feelings that “the black middle-class community is underrepresented.” His biggest message?—“that we [the black middle-class] count.” Echoing the sentiments of popular thought, he says that the face of the African American in media is a skewed one with negative connotations. He tries to bring to the forefront an assortment of issues near and dear to the individual filmmakers, with the message that there is more to the African American experience than the negative stereotypes of the ghettos, projects, and crime. So what is his favorite movie, I asked. “Nothing But a Man – it symbolizes a brother trying to figure out how to make it work,” he replied. And that is the genre he tries to feature in his screenings—human experiences—but unique to that of the African American lower-, middle- and upper-class.

The screenings are usually packaged in themes from love and relationships to family, race and sex, relating the issues in an almost mini-series fashion. I went to his most recent film collective on June 14th—this time it was a father’s day theme. His day had started before 8:30 in the morning with jury duty, a day no different in busyness than his normal hectic days of making phone calls, planning for future collectives, culling film submissions, coordinating his small staff and handling administrative duties. Only this day, he had his event to set up—not getting to do so until after the duty let out, after 4 in the evening, leaving less than two and a half hours for everything from transit time to orchestrating the people and event.

A gracious host, he greets each attendee himself, his humility continuing from the day before when we had met. He even takes time to politely direct guests who aren’t there for the viewing. Throughout, he stays alert, monitoring the sequencing and timing and the noise level. Every so often, he confers with his staff, specifically the announcer, about progress. “The sponsors should be here soon,” he tells me. It was just the kind of turnout he’d hoped for, about seventy-five people, a mix of corporate and common folk with a predominantly black demographic. The atmosphere was light with a lounge-y feel with soul music serenading in the background and muffled chatter filling the room when the movies weren’t playing. The short films, however, invited intent attention from the viewers with bursts of loud reactions from laughter to gasps.

Continuing his mother’s tradition, to Aaron, it is as much throwing a successful party as bringing film connoisseurs together—from securing the venue and involving the right sponsors to giving his guests a powerful yet entertaining experience. With urban musical interludes before and after each film, complementary drinks to ‘grease the wheels,’ Q&A sessions for aspiring as well as experienced film-makers, actors and those interested, and games and raffles to close, calling his theatrical productions ‘screenings’ would simply not do.

Acting is his first passion, with live-theater snagging an extremely close second. How this passion surfaced from a former bank teller, pension fund employee, and life guard is that much more intriguing. A dancer, yes, an ex-girlfriend, takes credit for exposing him to acting classes. Slowly, he pursued acting and still acts on the side. It was the frustration he felt faced with limited roles that led him to bringing artists together whose talents may otherwise stay hidden.

To his own credentials, he’s produced short films and plays but Aaron is most interested in rounding up talent, expanding his presence from his current Brooklyn-based operation to Manhattan and eventually inaugurating a prestigious awards festival solely for short films. But to do so, the funding is crucial. Trying to strike the balance between remaining a grass-roots and ‘for-the-people’ effort yet gaining popularity for sponsorship is his toughest challenge. A friend of three years notes that he is known for his kindness and generosity but if there is one attribute Aaron says people should know about him, it is that he is not a quitter. With that attitude, he’s sure to achieve his goal; after all, he’s come quite a long way from when he’d just started. As for something most people would not know about him, he says he has a cat named Pookie.

For more on ActNow Foundation, please visit: http://www.actnowproduction.org

Written for Lazy Limabean Magazine™

The Reel Life explores the daily chaos within Shirbert Films, an independent motion picture production company run by brothers Nathan and Norman Goldstein. As the story begins, we find the offices of Shirbert in more disarray than usual. When their attempt to rise above the T & A genre that has brought them success (by producing an updated version of Macbeth (starring Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony) tanks badly, the brothers are forced to find a new project to salvage their now foundering careers.

The search brings them to an update of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (re-titled The Hunchback and The Naughty Dame), that combines the kind of story they need with classic Goldstein tits and ass. Matters are complicated when Nathan is coerced into hiring his hated former father-in-law, showbiz legend Dunston Fairview, to star in the new picture.

Also around to keep Nathan’s blood pressure in a constant state of volcanic eruption are his ex-wife, Stasia, as well as Shirley Goldstein, the boys’ mother, also known as the Minnie Marx of the indie-film world.

When: Tuesday, August 28th @ 7pm
How much: FREE. (Seating is limited so reservations are recommended)
To reserve a seat please call 917-463-1097 or email info@actors-rep.org

For additional information on The Reel Life, please visit the RL link on the ART website at http://www.actors-rep.org/reellifeart.html
You can also visit The Reel Life MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/thereellife

CAST: Michael James Anderson, Jamie Axtell, Charlie Fersko, Nicole Godino, Jeremy Handleman, Kathryn Kates, Johnny Blaize Leavitt, Jonathan Marten, Tanya Marten, Monica Russell, Ed Schultz, Laura Schwenninger

Park Slope Films is looking for 3 actors to complete the cast of a short film. Available roles:  MOE/CHRIS - 30s, Irish. Brooklyn born and raised, tough-looking and completely uncensored. TINY/WILLIE - 30s, Italian. Big, heavy, quiet guy. Loves to eat. SHANTY/DANNY - 30s, Irish. Married young, now lives with his wife, mother-in-law and 6 kids. Works about 10 jobs to support them all.  All are guys who are part of a close-knit group of friends; actors should have a good sense of playing part of an ensemble.Please send your headshot/resume to psf.mail@parkslopefilms.com

For more info on us, see www.parkslopefilms.com ; you can find myspace and youtube links there as well. Thank you, we look forward to meeting you

I Am (Not) Van Gogh

David Russo’s short film which is a cross between public art and live-action animation.

I Am (Not) Van Gogh

Monday, August 20, 2007

6:30 PM

Pioneer Theatre

155 E. 3rd St./Ave A
New York City, New York

Description

This movie is produced and writen by Long Islanders. The first screening was @ the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington on July 22nd and it sold out the largest theater in the building.

Go to www.lostsuburbia.com to watch the trailer!

New York independent filmmakers have come together to produce this labor of love (three years in the making) feature anthology based on local haunted legends that have plagued their childhood nightmares. The four short films are based on the hangings at Sweet Hollow Road (Paul Natale’s “Misery Loves”), the lady in white ghost (Sean King’s “Don’t Go Looking For Mary’s Grave”), the abandoned Kings Park psychiatric facility (Terrence and Elizabeth Smith’s “The Institute For Mental Hygiene”) and the Native American tale of Lake Ronkonkoma (Pete Bune’s “Lady/Lake”). The fictional films are preceded by documentary segments that explore the legend’s origins and feature interviews with experts on the subject such as paranormal investigator Joe Giaquinto, ‘Weird NY’ authors Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman, and ‘Ghosts of Long Island: Stories of the Paranormal’ author Kerriann Flanagan Brosky, along with historical photos, dramatic reenactments, location footage, and testimonials by locals who have been effected by the legends; supernaturally or otherwise. LOST SUBURBIA is a not just for Long Island natives, but a must see for anyone interested in history and the supernatural.

Tickets:
Prices range between $6.50 - $10.00

Click on the link titled ‘Event Homepage’ below to buy tickets online!

Cast and crew will be attending and after the screening all are invited to hang out with us and discuss the movie.

LOST SUBURBIA
USA, 2007, 100 min., color, unrated • Directors/writers: Paul Natale, Sean King, Terrence and Elizabeth Smith, Pete Bune • Producers: Paul Natale, Sean King, Terrence and Elizabeth Smith, Pete Bune, Chris Russoniello, John Robert Mariani • Cinematography by Sean King • Music: The Printers, Joel Smith, Come Down, Paul T. Laino • Cast: Cody Lightning, Elizabeth Brissenden, Rick Maggio, Dade Scott, Nick Myers, Christina Barrows, Kat Sarfas, Michael Koscik.

Homepage

http://www.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=104018

Chicago (and elsewhere!) Cinephiles:

It’s August in Chicago. But, don’t let that stop you from coming out and feeling the heat affront the glow of the projector! This year’s Chicago Underground Film Festival–August 15-19, at the Chopin Theater (1543 W. Division) and Elegant Mr. Gallery (1355 N. Milwaukee Ave).–features films and videos from locals and beyond. The festival packs in as much fun as it can in five days. Check http://www.cuff.org for the entire schedule! Advance tickets are available at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/5499

The festival kicks of on Wednesday August 15th with the World Premiere of “Orchard Vale”, the first feature from Chicago musician Tim Kinsella (Joan of Arc), winner of the “Made in Chicago Award” at last year’s CUFF. The film is an apocalyptic family drama that tells the story about five people in the near future living together in the ruins of the contemporary American suburban landscape. Cyan Walker stars as Sophie, a quiet 15 year-old girl, who provides material and emotional support to her family as they try to cope with the dangerous world around them. Says Kinsella of the film, “Orchard Vale raises more questions than it can possibly answer. Much of the story is told in between the moments other movies would have probably shown to tell the same story. This is done to invite the viewer to become an active participant, hopefully prompting the audience to expand upon the questions it raises. In a way, it might be like Planet of the Apes without the apes and in a different way like a zombie movie without the zombies.” This screening is already close to sold out so get your tickets now!

The festival concludes on Sunday August 19th with the Chicago Premiere of Jim Finn’s “La Trinchera Luminosa del Presidente Gonzalo” the follow up to “Interkosmos” his internationally acclaimed debut feature from last year. “La Trinchera Luminosa del Presidente Gonzalo” is a documentary styled political drama concerning women prisoners devoted to the Peruvian Maoist revolutionary-terrorist group the Shining Path and it’s charismatic leader Chairman Abimael Gonzalo. As with “Interkosmos”, the film features original music from Jim Becker (Califone) and Colleen Burke (We Ragazzi). This lo-fi feature reaffirms Chicago-native Finn as one of the most exciting talents in the current underground film scene. As The Rotterdam Film Festival wrote: “Jim Finn has made a name for himself…thanks to his feeling for irony and his capacity to shape something new from propaganda, news and other historic images. Not to forget his very dry sense of humor.”

Other feature films in this year’s festival:

EVERYBODY IS HURTING (World Premieres) – Award winning photographer and videomaker Richard Sandler’s first person look at New York City’s emotional state during the first week following 9/11.

LIKK YOUR IDOLS (U.S. Premiere)  –  Angelique Bosio’s documentary LLIK YOUR IDOLS documents the Cinema of Transgression and ’80s downtown NYC scene. Featuring Richard Kern, Lydia Lunch, Jarboe, Richard Hell, Joe Coleman, Nick Zedd, Thurston Moore, Jack Sargeant, and many others, plus clips of BANNED and OUTRAGEOUS underground movies

GO GO MOTEL (World Premiere) – Feeling like a mix of vintage Waters’ trash, Lynch surrealism and Selby sleaze; Baltimore filmmaker Dan Bell delves into the dark and foreboding world of strippers, hookers, bums, boozers and skid row criminals.

THAX  (World Premiere)– Alex MacKenzie’s portrait of Thax Douglas, Chicago’s ‘poet laureate of indie-rock.’

THE DESCRIPTION OF BANKRUPTCY (U.S. Premiere) – Kang-hyun LEE directs this documentary on the all-consuming nature of credit card debt in South Korea, and the lengths to which people go trying to get rid of it.

Other features screening in competition include:

BACCHANALE – A ‘lost’ adult arthouse film from 1970, released towards the end of the grindhouse era and at the dawn of XXX. Enlightened pornography is overwhelmed by a script chock full of low-budget surrealistic pretensions. New audio curated by Sam Zimmerman, Nick Hallett and Montgomery Knott of Brooklyn’s Monkeytown

BEGGING NAKED –  A documentary directed by Karen Gehres. In 1976 Elise Hill left home at the age of 15. In Union Square she met her first pimp. After leaving prostitution, Elise supported herself for 15 yrs creating art, but ,is slowly forced back into sex work and drugs to survive.

BLOOD CAR – In this horror-comedy directed by Alex Orr, gas prices are at an astronomical high. One man is determined to find an alternate fuel source. That alternate fuel source turns out to be blood…HUMAN BLOOD.

CELLULOID #1 – Steve Stasso’s confetti of references/passions to the genius of Warhol, Fassbinder and the era of ‘The Hustler’ as well as the glory of black and white. Celluloid #1 is ultimately about celluloid and how it captures us.

EAST 3 – British filmmaker Mr. Young explores the Arctic town of Inuvik. This disturbing and surreal film investigates life in the sub-zero temperatures of the Canadian wilderness focusing on the hunting/trapping lifestyle, the community greenhouse, dog cruelty, traditional games and music.

EACH TIME I KILL – The 29th and final film by the late queen of sexpoitation cinema Doris Wishman, completed just months before her death in 2002. “Each Time I Kill” is a horror film about an unpopular high school girl who finds a magic locket that will allow her to exchange one physical feature with anyone she kills.

THE GOOD TIMES SKID – The second feature from Azazel Jacobs (son of avant garde filmmaker Ken Jacobs) is the story of two men with the same name who cross paths one day and the girl between them who gets the chance to escape her daily routine. A story about stolen love and stolen identities, shot on stolen film.

HELL ON WHEELS – Bob Ray (Rock Opera) directs this from-the-trenches look at the dizzying clash of athleticism, exhibitionism, egos, politics and business that is modern-era roller derby.

HOOKS TO THE LEFT – Frequent CUFF Alum Todd Verow’s tale of a male hustler shot entirely on a cell phone camera.

MILK IN THE LAND- The second feature documentary resulting from collaboration between Ariana Gerstein and Monteith McCollum following their 2001 film “Hybrid.” Milk in The Land weaves together a quirky, alternative history of America’s most committed culinary choice.

OFF THE GRID: LIFE ON THE MESA - Jeremy and Randy Stulberg examine a loose-knit community of radicals who live in the desert, struggling to survive with little food, less water and no electricity, as they cling to their unique vision of the American dream.

RANDOM LUNACY: VIDEOS FROM THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED - Victor Zimet’s documentary about the travels of a nomadic Dixie jazz-playing family. Led by the charismatic Poppa Neutrino, the family builds several rafts to sail the Mississippi, joins the circus, and plays in a band in Russia.

REVOLUTION SUMMER – Miles Montalbano’s debut feature tells the story of three young people adrift in the city, their search for meaning, and the paths they choose over the events of one summer.

THE SKY SONG – Chicago’s notorious avant-gardist James Fotopoulos says this long form video has “something to do with revenge (particularly in action films), American Indian tribes, goblin sharks and fragments of memories of the day the Chicago Cubs lost the playoffs in 1984.”

URBAN EXPLORERS: IINTO THE DARKNESS - Filmmaker Melody Gilbert (Whole, A Life Without Pain) plunges into the world of urban exploration, a growing international subculture of adventure-seekers who explore places where most people would never dream of going.

VIVA– Anna Biller’s ode to vintage sexploitation and swinging playboy-era sexuality. A suburban housewife in 1972 goes out to find herself in the middle of the sexual revolution.

In addition to these features CUFF will, as always, present a wide array of short films and videos from around the world including new work from Miranda July, Marie Losier and Guy Madden, Kent Lambert, Robert Todd, Deborah Stratman, Deco Dawson and many more.

• Monday Night Films From the Southern Documentary Fund

  Date: Monday, August 6th
  Time: 7:00pm
  Location: Barbés (376 9th St, at Sixth … #

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The growing adoption of broadband combined with a dramatic push by content providers to promote online video has helped to pave the way for mainstream audiences to embrace online video viewing. Fifty-seven percent of online adults have used the internet to watch or download video, and 19% do so on a typical day. Three-quarters of broadband users (74%) who enjoy high-speed connections at both home and work watch or download video online.

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