One film. Five legendary athletes. The compelling and inspiring story of the journeys of athletes that made incredible impacts in the sports arena. Director Jacqueline Joseph speaks with host Janeane Bernstein about her incredible documentary called WINNING - featuring, Nadia Comaneci, Jack Nicklaus, Martina Navratilova, Edwin Moses. The World Premiere takes place September 8 in NYC!

LISTEN to Jacqueline Joseph talk about her incredible 

Sports Legend Documentary, WINNING!

See Winning during our World Theatrical Premiere in NYC opening September 8th at Cinépolis!

WATCH THE TRAILER!

One film. Five legendary athletes. The compelling and inspiring story of the journeys of tennis champion Martina Navratilova, golf great Jack Nicklaus, Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci, track and field star Edwin Moses, and Dutch Paralympian Esther Vergeer. Through candid interviews and footage of their most exciting championship moments, WINNING reveals their dreams, challenges and triumphs and explores why some athletes achieve greatness.

Get notified about future screenings: http://bit.ly/WINScreen

Synopsis

One film. Five legendary athletes. The compelling and inspiring story of the journeys of tennis champion Martina Navratilova, golf great Jack Nicklaus, Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci, track and field star Edwin Moses, and Dutch Paralympian Esther Vergeer.

Through candid interviews and footage of their most exciting championship moments, WINNING reveals their dreams, challenges, triumphs and explores why some athletes achieve greatness. As they reminisce about the highs and lows of their careers, these iconic athletes share a unique and intimate window into their lives.

WINNING features rare archival footage of the athletes’ childhoods, as well as some of their most memorable and historic moments at the Olympics, Wimbledon, The Masters, US Open, British Open, French Open/Roland Garros, PGA Tour and The Paralympics.

The film features interviews with the athletes' families, coaches, agents and competitors including Olympic Gold Medalists, Bart Conner and Derrick Adkins, track and field Olympians, Benn Fields and Herb Douglas, tennis star, Pam Shriver, legendary coaches, Sven Groeneveld and Robert Lansdorp, Duke University Professor of Sports Psychology, Greg Dale, Barbara Nicklaus, Jana Navratilova and former Olympic gymnastics coach, Paul Ziert.

The story is both timeless in its appeal and global in its reach.

Website / Social Media

www.thewinningfilm.com

www.facebook.com/thewinningfilm

www.twitter.com/thewinningfilm

www.instagram.com/thewinningfilm

Press Contact
Adam J. Segal • The 2050 Group – Publicity
212.642.4317 (Office) • 202.422.4673 (Cell)
adam@the2050group.com • www.the2050group.com

Visionary thinker, Global Women’s Director at Nike, to CEO/President of Lucy Activewear, Shaz Kahng joined host Janeane Bernstein 8/28 at 9:45am pst!

‘THE CLOSER’ PRESENTS FIRST FEMALE CEO IN SPORTS INDUSTRY, FORMER NIKE & LUCY EXECUTIVE SHAZ KAHNG’S WRITING INSPIRED BY TRUE LIFE
SAN FRANCISCO, CA.

LISTEN to Shaz on today's show!

Sometimes the best man for a job is a strong woman. In the first book in her Ceiling Smasher series focusing on positive powerful female leaders, senior executive Shaz Kahng fictionalizes her decades of top business experience to create a thrilling story of the first female CEO in the sports industry. Kahng’s vast experience working in male-dominated boardrooms enables her to provide a behind the scenes look at what it’s like to work in the sports sector as a woman and what it takes to shatter the glass ceiling.

ABOUT SHAZ
Shaz Kahng is a visionary leader and inventive thinker adept at turning around and scaling businesses in the retail, sports/active apparel, and footwear industries. From Global Women’s Director at Nike, to CEO/President of Lucy Activewear, she has led teams to achieve success in very male-dominated industries. She has previously worked as a research scientist, a global consulting partner, a builder of e-businesses, and a brand strategist. She graduated from Cornell University and has an MBA from the Wharton School. Shaz currently works as a global startup mentor and advisor to PE and VC firms. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and twin daughters.   

THE CLOSER

In The Closer, we meet Vivien Lee who has spent her entire consulting career helping CEOs look good. When she finally has the chance to go after her dream of running a business, she grabs it. A lifelong athlete, Vivien arrives at the Smart Sports campus in Portland, Oregon and is introduced as the first female president over the women’s apparel business. It’s one of the highest-profile jobs in an industry inhospitable to women. Principled but slightly naïve, Vivien believes her male peers will give her a fair shot.

Vivien stumbles early on, making a series of rookie mistakes. With guidance from the Ceiling Smashers, a secret society of successful professional women, Vivien learns to navigate the treacherous business terrain. A tight-knit group of male sports executives is determined to show that an industry outsider cannot prevail. The challenge is all too clear: will Vivien triumph in the sports industry against impossible odds? The Closer is a fresh, riveting tale about a strong woman endeavoring to succeed with smarts, scruples, and style.

Fans of Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In will love this book for its strong, talented, and likeable female characters and the supportive environment they foster through their secret society, the Ceiling Smashers. The Closer sends a message of hope and positivity to all workingwomen out there striving to achieve more.

Shaz Kahng discusses:

· Growing up first generation American and how that influenced her work ethic

· Her educational path toward big business success

· Being one of the first females to head a global business at Nike

· Balancing motherhood (and infant twins) with an enormous executive position at Lucy Activewear

· Her successes in fast company turnarounds—both at Nike and Lucy, Ms. Kahng lead her teams toward profitability in a fraction of the time requested of her

· Female business leadership—how to embody the characteristics needed for success as well as inspire other women to pursue executive careers

· Women supporting other women, and real life “Ceiling Smashers”

· The Super Powers of Ceiling Smashers—what qualities do these women embody?

· Her writing process, from concept to manuscript in just 10 months

· Real life anecdotes from her career and the adversity she had overcome to achieve her goals

Monday 8/28 @ 9:30am pst, Janeane spoke with Producer/Creator Bill Grisolia from the New Blues Festival - Labor Day weekend!

LISTEN to today's show
with Bill Grisolia!

NBF Producer/Creator Bill Grisolia will give you the inside scoop on the up-coming New Blues Festival Labor Day weekend! Plus, we will be giving away a pair of tickets and listening to Bill's band New Blues Revolution. Bill Grisolia's band will be performing at the new Blues Festival 4.

WOMEN RULE THE MAIN STAGE AT NEW BLUES FESTIVAL IV, LABOR DAY WEEKEND, SATURDAY & SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 & 3; HEADLINING SETS BY 2017 GRAMMY NOMINEE JANIVA MAGNESS,

QUEEN OF BLUES GUITAR ANA POPOVIC, PLUS LONG BEACH BLUES LEGEND GUITAR SHORTY, GUITAR ACE CHRIS CAIN, AND MORE GREAT SOCAL BLUES BANDS ON THE "GOLDEN GROOVE STAGE"

~In Conjunction with the New Long Beach Blues Society~

WOMEN RULE THE MAIN STAGE AT NEW BLUES FESTIVAL IV,

LABOR DAY WEEKEND, SATURDAY & SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 & 3; HEADLINING SETS BY 2017 GRAMMY NOMINEE JANIVA MAGNESS,

QUEEN OF BLUES GUITAR ANA POPOVIC, PLUS LONG BEACH BLUES LEGEND GUITAR SHORTY, GUITAR ACE CHRIS CAIN, AND MORE GREAT SOCAL BLUES BANDS ON THE "GOLDEN GROOVE STAGE"
~In Conjunction with the New Long Beach Blues Society~

http://www.newbluesfestival. com.

Direct link for purchasing tickets: http://www.newbluesfestival. com/tickets/.

This year's festival is presented in conjunction with the new Long Beach Blues Society "Preserve the Past, Promote the Future."

newbluesfestival.com

facebook.com/ theNewBluesFestival

http://www. longbeachbluessociety.org/

ABOUT BILL GRISOLIA 
Imagine a gifted young singer/pianist growing up on the coast of Spain honing his chops throughout the clubs of Valencia. Half-way around the world, imagine a young guitarist growing up in Los Angeles, playing rhythm guitar for members of the Yardbirds and Paul Butterfield Blues band at the age of 12.

Both would continue to explore their musical journey and go on to play many of the most famous venues in the world. Not long ago, their paths and collective pasts would collide together in the creation and concept of the "New Blues Revolution".

Meet Bill Grisolia- Singer and Frontman extraordinaire, described as a "Bigger than Life Personality" and yet a "Playful Tiger" of a Force. Meet Guitarist - Chap Cooper, lauded as one the "last great blues guitarists of our time", a "True Original". Both Songwriters...

Now imagine an inspiring yet compelling journey with something unknown yet something you have always known. Meet the New Blues Revolution.


The band leads the vanguard of the new blues movement in the U.S. (think John Mayer, White Stripes, Joe Bonamassa, and Black Keys). In 2016 they returned for the third time to play NAMM for the kickoff party and will return to play at the House of Blues, Anaheim, the Whiskey A-Go-Go, and the Coach House as well as concerts and festivals which, in 2015, took them from San Diego to San Francisco. They’ve opened for a diverse range of music legends including Macy Gray, Leon Russell, Canned Heat, Rick Derringer, David Lindley, Starship, and Kathy Segal-Garcia


Forging a unique, distinctive style featuring Bill Grisolia's vocals and piano and Chap Cooper’s guitar, the band brings exciting showmanship to a mix of high-energy songs – deep, modern, rocky but soulful. A favorite of critics, The New Blues Revolution receives rave reviews from national trade magazines such as Cashbox and Music Connection. Critics recognize NBR’s exciting talent and their extraordinary songwriting. Their song “Blue Revolution” was nominated for an LA Music Award.


The band’s exciting live show makes for great TV. Television appearances include live satellite broadcasts from New York City to prime-time television in Spain. Broadcast performances in major U.S. television markets (UPN in Los Angeles) confirm the appeal of the band's music across the U.S. Los Angeles television appearances include KNBC, KCAL, KCOP and KMEX including the #1 morning show in the LA market.


Recent festivals include the 4th of July Red, White & Blues Festival, Santa Clarita Blues Festival, Freedom Festival, Freedom Coalition Festival at Irvine Lakes, the Long Beach New Blues Festival, the LB Latin Jazz & Blues Festival, Maverick Stadium Festival, the Arab American Festival and Woodyfest. Summer Concerts include Long Beach, Lakewood and the Alameda County Fair (SF Bay Area). See them perform for 30,000 people on Labor Day 2016 in Wilmington, California!


Bill Grisolia – Singer\Songwriter\Pianist – his first memories of life are on the Spanish Mediterranean coast; the bilingual singer grew up in the blues rock jazz stew of Kansas City. His international career began at 18 by playing the top clubs Tres Triste Tigres and Pub Gent in the rough Barrio Del Carmen district of Valencia, Spain.


Chapman Cooper – Guitarist\Composer – Before he was 12, Chapman played rhythm guitar for members of the Yardbirds and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. It was old hat to the guitarist who scored his first paying gig at age 8. Growing up among Rock's most famous legends has lead to his working with many top musicians and recording artists. Early on, Chap led the house band at Gazzari’s, a top Sunset Strip locale. These experiences color the rich array of ideas - complete with guitar stylings that "span the emotions" - of the New Blues Revolution. He is endorsed by Dano Electric.


Roger Beall - Drummer\Vocals

“The band does have a nonstop powerhouse drummer in Roger Beall” Jim Washburn - LA Times


Roger shares the stage with notables such as Blue Oyster Cult, Steppenwolf, The Dixie Dregs, Mickey Gilley, TSOL and Agent Orange. He endorses Aquarian drum products.


Roger leads and presents drum and percussion workshops in the US as well as Europe and plays large concert halls like the Anaheim Convention Center, mid-size concert halls like the Wilshire Ebell and Coach House and many top Sunset Strip nightclubs including the House of Blues.

Roger began his musical training at the age of 10, first with piano, then concentrating on drums and percussion. Roger took private drum lessons while also gaining more formal training playing in band, orchestra, jazz and pep Bands both in high school and at Long Beach City College, and California State University (both Long Beach and Dominguez Hills campuses). He also studied Electronic Music and Audio Recording Engineering during his time at California State University, Dominguez Hills.


Roger designed, built, owns and operates Foundation Rock Studio in Long Beach, CA.

Robert "Bob" Byrnes - Bass Guitar\Vocals - Born in Chicago he started playing guitar at age seven, took classical lesson for four years and then switched to bass in high school. In the mid 80s he formed The Squad, a 3-piece instrumental band similar to Joe Satriani and opened for Robin Trower and Roy Buchanan on several dates. As Jack Scratch, they played shows with Jane's Addiction and The Smashing Pumpkins. Both bands played every major night club in the Midwest, and were regularly booked at Cabaret Metro, The Park West and The Rivera Theatre in Chicago.

He moved to Los Angeles and formed The Chicago Sound Experience with fellow Chicagoan and record producer Lee Popa. They recorded a tribute album to blues legend Willie Dixon and went to Japan to promote it. He played with Michael McDonald at the NBA All-star game half time show at The Staple's Center. He hooked up with LA based guitarist Katya (as seen on VH1 Rock Fantasy Camp) and played the LA club scene. He again joined up with Lee and Jolee Popa and recorded on their electronica project Pinksideofthemoon. The album was released in 2011.

For more information about the new blues genre please go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_blues

 

Vincent Sabella Writer/Director of Elizabeth Blue film on KUCI 88.9fm 8/28 9am pst http://getthefunkoutshow.kuci.org - http://www.kuci.org

Writer/Director Vincent Sabella joins host Janeane Bernstein to talk about his film Elizabeth Blue

LISTEN to Janeane's conversation with Vincent Sabella 

Recently released from a psychiatric hospital, Elizabeth (Anna Schafer) returns to her Los Angeles apartment where she lives with her fiancé, Grant (Ryan Vincent).

With the guidance of her new psychiatrist, Dr. Bowman (AdewaleAkinnuoye-Agbaje), and the unfaltering support of Grant, Elizabeth works at regaining control of her mental stability and her life as she begins to plan their wedding.

Struggling to navigate daily voices, hallucinations, anxiety, failing medications and her judgmental, unsupportive mother, Carol (Kathleen Quinlan), Elizabeth fears that Grant will leave her as she clings to hope that love will truly conquer all - even mental illness.

ELIZABETH BLUE was written and directed by first-time filmmaker Vincent Sabella. Sabella is a diagnosed schizophrenic and the film is loosely based on a time in his life when all of his medications failed.

Global Digital Releasing will release ELIZABETH BLUE in NY, LA, and an additional 10 markets on September 22. The film has a running time of 94 minutes and is rated PG-13 by the MPAA.

The filmmakers and GDR have partnered with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and ELIZABETH BLUE is scheduled to screen at multiple NAMI Affiliate locations across the country during the film's opening weekend. NAMI is the largest grass roots mental health organization in the country and works with celebrities and filmmakers as part of their ongoing efforts to raise awareness and combat stigmas associated with mental illness. NAMI will also be receiving a portion of the film's proceeds.



To view the trailer, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faXEc87xsks

RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World – Official Trailer

Starting next week, Kino Lorber will release in U.S. and Canadian movie theaters the award-winning Rezolution Pictures’ music documentary RUMBLE: THE INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD, a powerful movie about the role of Native Americans in contemporary music, featuring some of the greatest music stars of our time. Writer/Director Catherine Bainbridge chats with host Janeane Bernstein

RUMBLE: THE INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD THE YEAR'S MUST-SEE MUSIC DOCUMENTARY RUMBLE: THE INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD IS NOW PLAYING IN NEW YORK CITY & TORONTO; COMING SOON TO DOZENS OF CITIES NATIONWIDE

THE YEAR'S MUST-SEE MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
RUMBLE: THE INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD

IS NOW PLAYING IN NEW YORK CITY & TORONTO;
COMING SOON TO DOZENS OF CITIES NATIONWIDE


"It’s been a terrific few years for music documentaries, and that winning streak continues with “Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World.” Sharing the same spirit of “20 Feet From Stardom” and “Searching for Sugar Man,” which both put overlooked performers center stage, this film examines the influence of Native Americans on popular music. A master class in the mixing of cultures." (NYT Movie Review 7/26/17)


ABOUT "RUMBLE"

This revelatory documentary – an award winner at Sundance Film Festival – brings to light the profound and overlooked influence of Indigenous people on popular music in North America. Focusing on music icons like Link Wray, Jimi Hendrix, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Taboo (The Black Eyed Peas), Charley Patton, Mildred Bailey, Jesse Ed Davis, Robbie Robertson, and Randy Castillo, RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World shows how these pioneering Native American musicians helped shape the soundtracks of our lives.

Featuring interviews with Buddy Guy, Steven Van Zandt, Tony Bennett, Taj Mahal, Martin Scorsese, Stevie Salas, Quincy Jones,John Trudell, Steven Tyler, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Monk Boudreaux,George Clinton, Jackson Browne, Joy Harjo, Iggy Pop, Wayne Kramer (MC5), Marky Ramone (The Ramones), Pura Fe Crescioni (Ulali), Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Slash (Guns ‘N’ Roses), Rhiannon Giddens (Carolina Chocolate Drops), Pat Vegas (Redbone), Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys), and Taylor Hawkins (The Foo Fighters).


"THE MISSING CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF MODERN MUSIC, AND SUCH A VITAL ONE."


"THE KICKASS NATIVE AMERICAN ROCK BANDS MUSIC HISTORY FORGOT"
"It was a Shawnee who introduced the power chord to rock and roll. But American Indians' massive influence on rock and pop history has largely been buried — until now."



MUST-SEE SUNDANCE & HOT DOCS AWARD WINNING MUSIC DOCUMENTARY RUMBLE: THE INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD HITS U.S. & CANADIAN THEATERS NOW PLAYING AT FILM FORUM IN NEW YORK CITY BEFORE NATIONAL EXPANSIONS

OFFICIAL THEATRICAL TRAILER:
https://youtu.be/hovJUoyxulc

Theatrical Release Starts Tomorrow / Plus Movie Awards Push

NOW PLAYING: OPENED JULY 26 THROUGH AT LEAST AUGUST 8
Opens in New York City at Film Forum
209 W Houston Street, New York, NY 10014

NOW PLAYING: OPENED JULY 28
Opens in Toronto at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema

AUGUST 8
Opens in Rochester, NY at Little Cinema

AUGUST 11
Opens in Tulsa, OK at Circle Cinema
Opens in Vancouver at Vancity Theater

AUGUST 18
Opens in Arcata, CA at The Miniplex at Richards' Goat Tavern & Tea Room
Opens in Winnipeg, MB at Winnipeg Film Group

AUGUST 25
Opens in Atlanta at Landmark's Midtown Art Cinema
Opens in Los Angeles at Landmark's NUART Theatre
Opens in Philadelphia at Landmark's Ritz at the Bourse
Opens in Washington, DC at Landmark's E Street Cinema

SEPTEMBER 1
Opens in Berkeley at Landmark's Shattuck Cinemas
Opens in Denver at Landmark's Chez Artiste
Opens in Minneapolis at Landmark's Lagoon Cinema
Opens in Pittsburgh at Hollywood Theater - Dormont
Opens in San Diego at Landmark's Ken Cinema
Opens in San Francisco at Landmark's Opera Plaza Cinema
Opens in San Rafael at Rafael Film Center
Opens in Seattle at SIFF Cinema Uptown

SEPTEMBER 8
Opens in Montreal, QC at Cinema du Parc
Opens in Quebec City, QC at Cinema Le Clap

SEPTEMBER 15
Opens in Ottawa, ON at Bytowne

SEPTEMBER 28
Opens in Houston at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

All new bookings and press downloads have been added to this page: https://www.kinolorber.com/film/rumble


WINNER – Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at Hot Docs
& WINNER – Audience Award for Best Canadian Documentary at Hot Docs




“The feel good music film of the year, a game changer.”
- Robin Menken, Hollywood Progressive


"REVELATORY IN ALMOST EVERY SENSE."
"ASTOUNDINGLY RICH AND RESONANT."
"Brimming with revealing first-person interviews, tantalizing audio clips and dynamic concert footage, Rumble evinces the enviable potential to appeal to a broad range of audiences in a variety of formats."
- Justin Lowe, The Hollywood Reporter
–––
“EXTRAORDINARY.” “ASTOUNDING." "WHEN YOU WALK OUT, YOU WON'T BE THE SAME PERSON THAT WALKED IN!"
"That a film with such an important, timely, and profound message would also be so beautifully paced and lit and shot with such extraordinary love and care, I found astounding. Plus, of course, the level of passion exhibited by filmmakers and interviewees alike. There’s a lot of love in this tribe!"
– Jay Meehan,
–––

"EYE-OPENING."
"IRRESISTIBLE FOR POPULAR MUSIC LOVERS."
- Allan Hunter, Screen
–––
“ONE OF THE BETTER MUSIC DOCS I’VE SEEN.”
– Edward Douglas, Latino-Media Review (LRM)

 ONE OF THE 25 MUST-SEE FILMS AT SUNDANCE

 

Starting next week, Kino Lorber will release in U.S. and Canadian movie theaters the award-winning Rezolution Pictures’ music documentary RUMBLE: THE INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD, a powerful movie about the role of Native Americans in contemporary music, featuring some of the greatest music stars of our time.

As described by Justin Lowe of the Hollywood Reporter, it’s a film "Brimming with revealing first-person interviews, tantalizing audio clips and dynamic concert footage, Rumble evinces the enviable potential to appeal to a broad range of audiences in a variety of formats."

The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the festival’s World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Masterful Storytelling.

Following its world premiere, RUMBLE received the Best Music Documentary Film Award at the Boulder International Film Festival and won two major Audience Awards at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival.

A New York theatrical premiere is set for July 26, 2017, at New York’s Film Forum – before a national expansion during the summer. Kino Lorber will be promoting the film for awards consideration this fall.

Written and directed by Catherine Bainbridge (Reel Injun), written and co-directed by Alfonso Maiorana, and Executive Produced by Stevie Salas and Tim Johnson, RUMBLE exposes a critical missing chapter of Rock history, revealing how Indigenous musicians helped shape the soundtracks of many generations.

The film stars Link Wray, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Robbie Robertson, Jesse Ed Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Randy Castillo, Taboo, Martin Scorsese, Quincy Jones, Steven Tyler, Steven Van Zandt, Iggy Pop, Tony Bennett, George Clinton, Slash, Taylor Hawkins, Robert Trujillo, and many more.

“Catherine Bainbridge & Alfonso Maiorana's RUMBLE brings back the contributions of Native Americans and indigenous musicians to their rightful place in music history. The film is also a thrilling and beautifully constructed documentary, so it’s bound to appeal to audiences of all ages and backgrounds, nationwide.” – Richard Lorber, CEO Kino Lorber

“This whole film happened because I was playing sold out arenas and stadiums with Rod Stewart and while on the road across America I started to wonder why there were no other Native Americans in the biz. Then I discovered there were indeed others who, for reasons unknown to me, people didn't know about." – Stevie Salas, Executive Producer

Written and directed by Catherine Bainbridge (Reel Injun) and written and co-directed by Alfonso Maiorana

Produced by Catherine Bainbridge, Christina Fon, Linda Ludwick and Lisa M. Roth

Executive Producers: Stevie Salas and Tim Johnson

Executive Producers for Rezolution Pictures: Catherine Bainbridge, Christina Fon, Linda Ludwick, Jan Rofekamp and Ernest Webb

Canada • 2017 • 103 Minutes

ABOUT KINO LORBER:

With a library of 1,600 titles, Kino Lorber Inc. has been a leader in independent art house distribution for over 30 years, releasing over 25 films per year theatrically under its Kino Lorber, Kino Classics, and Alive Mind Cinema banners, with six Academy Award nominated films in the last eight years, including this year’s nominated documentary FIRE AT SEA, directed by Gianfranco Rosi.

In addition, the company brings over 250 titles each year to the home entertainment market through physical and digital media releases under its five house brands. It also now distributes a growing number of third party labels in all ancillary media and is a direct digital distributor to all major digital platforms including iTunes, Netflix, HULU, Filmstruck, Tribeca Shortlist, Amazon, Vimeo, VHX, Fandor, Mubi and Others.

Next from Kino Lorber are the theatrical releases of Vanessa Gould’s OBIT., opening April 26 at Film Forum and Lincoln Plaza Cinema, and Bruno Dumont slapstick comedy SLACK BAY, starring Juliette Binoche and set for an April 21 New York release at Quad Cinema and the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

About Rezolution Pictures

Rezolution Pictures is an award-winning film, television and interactive media production company, founded by Catherine Bainbridge and Ernest Webb, which plays a vital role in bringing cultural diversity to the North American broadcasting landscape. Since 2001 it has built itself a reputation for creating acclaimed series and one-of-a-kind productions, working with many of Canada’s best new and established talents to create unique comedy, dramatic, and non-fiction films, as well as video game programming, through its sister company Minority Media. The company produced the multiple-Gemini and Peabody Award-winning film, Reel Injun, as well as several award-winning documentaries and television series including the CSA-nominated Mohawk Girls, the Rockie-Award winning The Oka Legacy, Smoke Traders, Club Native, and Down The Mighty River.

PRESS CONTACT:
Adam J. Segal • The 2050 Group – Publicity
212.642.4317 (Office) • 202.422.4673 (Cell)
adam@the2050group.com • www.the2050group.com

IN THEATERS STARTING AUGUST 18, AT THE RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART IN NEW YORK CITY, "WALK WITH ME - A CINEMATIC JOURNEY INTO THE WORLD OF THICH NHAT HANH." Host Janeane Bernstein speaks with Director/Producer Max Pugh on KUCI 88.9fm.

A Gathr Films and Kino Lorber Release

IN THEATERS STARTING AUGUST 18 AT THE RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART IN NEW YORK CITY, "WALK WITH ME - A CINEMATIC JOURNEY INTO THE WORLD OF THICH NHAT HANH."

FILMMAKERS AND 70 MONASTICS IN-PERSON
OPENING WEEKEND

WALK WITH ME TRAILER: https://vimeo.com/179167579

LISTEN to Janeane's conversation with Producer/Director Max Pugh


“Fascinating and profound”
– Screen International

“A unique spectacle – a thoroughly meditative piece of cinema.”
– RogerEbert.com

“The filmmakers leave you desperately wanting more time with it (Plum Village).”
– Austin Chronicle

Gathr Films and Kino Lorber Inc. present the New York City premiere of the film WALK WITH ME, a cinematic journey into the world of mindfulness of Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh, narrated by Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch.

The documentary feature will screen in New York City at the Rubin Museum of Art from August 18 through August 26. Then it will be released in theaters across the United States, including via Gathr theatrical screenings.

The film received its world premiere at 2017 SXSW FILM FESTIVAL earlier in the year.

The much-anticipated Speakit Films produced movie is directed by Marc J. Francis (BLACK GOLD) and Max Pugh (THE ROAD TO FREEDOM PEAK).

Filmed over three years and with unprecedented access, this visceral film is a meditation on a community who have given up all their possessions for a monastic life in rural France.




"In my life I've been so touched by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, it was a great honour to work on 'Walk With Me.' I have no doubt that audiences across the world will be moved by this beautifully crafted film observing the daily life of the monks and nuns who have committed their lives to the art of mindfulness”
- Benedict Cumberbatch

“A moving and wonderful film that captures the essence, depth and the poetry of Thich Nhat Hanh … a great work full of love.”
- Alejandro G. Iñárritu



There will be a weekend of special event screenings at the Rubin Museum as part of a one week run of the film starting August 18. Jo Confino, Executive Editor of Impact & Innovation at “Huffington Post” will introduce selected screenings throughout the weekend with monastics opening each film inviting viewers to breathe and relax with the sounds of a meditation bell. Q&A’s with filmmakers and monastics from Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village monastic community will follow each screening and meet and greets with monastics will be held throughout the weekend.

Filmmakers' Statement - Marc J. Francis and Max Pugh
“Taking our time with the film process has allowed for the chance to develop a cinematic ‘language’ capable of communicating the actual practice of a life lived differently and mindfully. We have worked to create an immersive film to plunge the audience deep into the poetry of the present moment, a feeling so elusive in the reality of the daily grind. If you can allow yourself to breathe with the rhythm of Walk With Me, let go, and relax, you can experience the film as a meditation. Movie theaters offer the best conditions for this experience; where the big screen, surround sound and the collective energy of the community can come together in one moment in time.”

Synopsis
With unprecedented access, Walk With Me goes deep inside a Zen Buddhist community who practice the art of mindfulness with their world-famous teacher Thich Nhat Hanh.

Filmed over three years in their monastery in rural France and on the road in the USA, this visceral film is a meditation on a community grappling with existential questions and the everyday routine of monastic life.

As the seasons come and go, the monastics’ pursuit for a deeper connection to themselves and the world around them is amplified by insights from Thich Nhat Hanh’s early journals, narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch.

About Thich Nhat Hanh
Widely acknowledged for introducing mindfulness to millions of people in the western world is 90 year old Buddhist Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Today, he is avidly followed by world leaders in politics and business, particularly by CEOs in Silicon Valley, and by stars of stage and screen, including Oprah Winfrey who has twice invited him on her show.

Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by his friend Martin Luther King Jr., Thich Nhat Hanh is also a human rights activist, poet and successful author. His books have become worldwide bestsellers and he has over a million followers on Facebook.

In 1982, Thich Nhat Hanh set up Plum Village - a monastery in rural France for monks and nuns to live, and for lay people from across the world to engage in mindful practice. His community is one of the single largest Buddhist monastic communities in the world.

WALK WITH ME
2017, United Kingdom, Unrated
Runtime: 94 min.
In English, Vietnamese, and French with English subtitles.

A Gathr Films and Kino Lorber Release
Directed and produced by Max Pugh and Marc J. Francis
Featuring Thich Nhat Hanh
Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch

Press Contact
Adam J. Segal • The 2050 Group – Publicity
(212) 642-4317 • (202) 422-4673

adam@the2050group.com • www.the2050group.com

Craig Carlson called in to the KUCI studios from Paris to chat with host Janeane Bernstein about his memoir, Pancakes in Paris and the restaurants Breakfast in America!

                            

Thanks to Craig Carlson for calling in from Paris today!
If you missed Craig on today's show, listen here.

Pancakes in Paris – Living the American Dream in France

New York Times best-seller, Independent Booksellers Pick

ABOUT CRAIG CARLSON

With a background in journalism, Craig Carlson received a B.A. from the University of Connecticut.  After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles where he studied at the University of Southern California, receiving an M.A. in film production. After winning the prestigious John Huston Directing Award, Craig wrote and directed a short film, Wheel of Torture, which went on to win awards at the Chicago Film Festival as well as the Lucille Ball festival of comedy. In addition to being a produced screenwriter, Craig worked as a translator for Letters: Jean Renoir, a book on the famous French director.

In 2003, Craig completely shifted gears and decided to open the first American diner in Paris, France. After more than a decade in business, Breakfast in America continues to serve authentic breakfasts and burgers to customers from all over the world. Pancakes in Paris is Craig’s debut memoir, with many more stories to follow.

www.Breakfast-in-America.com www.PancakesInParis.com

Kalifornia Karl Detken joined host Janeane Bernstein 8/21 to chat about his incredibly meaningful work, Joyful Noise Music Therapy!

ABOUT KALIFORNIA KARL DETKEN

Did you miss Kalifornia Karl Detken on today's show?
Listen HERE!

    "Kalifornia Karl" went from Star Search winner to playing a singer in the movie Duets with Gwyneth Paltrow to marketing executive at Pioneer Electronics who's DJ division went on to become a half billion dollar a year division. Now, he sings to the elderly for a fraction of what corporate exec life used to pay but he is 1000% more fulfilled professionally and personally from the joy that it brings the people that need it most.

There is research about the effects of music on patients. The Wall Street journal just ran a story on these important findings.

It’s no secret that music can help you feel better seniors and hospital patients. "From a massive library of 30,000+ songs from every decade and style; from Bing Crosby to Bruno Mars, we bring live performance & interactivity to those that need it most" says Kalifornia Karl Detken. "Engaging & entertaining activities which I call 'Engagetainment'".

Since 1975, Kalifornia Karl has performed over 10,400 shows and is one of the most sought after music providers for health care facilities.

JoyfulNoiseTherapy@gmail.com

www.Facebook.com/KaliforniaKarl

www.Instagram.com/KaliforniaKarlMusic

Remembering a great conversation I had with Larry King at Pre-Oscar Award Ceremony

The New Documentary WALK WITH ME Opening in San Francisco this Friday and New York next Friday focuses on Thich Nhat Hanh and his Work on Mindfulness

The New Documentary WALK WITH ME Opening in San Francisco this Friday and New York next Friday focuses on Thich Nhat Hanh and his Work on Mindfulness

But Who is He? And What is Mindfulness?

What is the Value of Meditation?

Martin Luther King, Jr. Nominated Him for the Nobel Peace Prize

Oprah Winfrey Has Been Deeply Inspired By Him and Feature Him on OWN's Super Soul Sunday

Directors Alejandro Inarritu, Alfonso Cuarón and Actor Benedict Cumberbatch Have Been Inspired by His Work

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff Has Been Deeply Inspired By Him

_______

A Gathr Films and Kino Lorber Release

OPENS IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA THIS FRIDAY, AUGUST 11 AT THE RAFAEL FILM CENTER

OPENS IN NEW YORK CITY NEXT FRIDAY AUGUST 18 AT THE RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART

WALK WITH ME

A CINEMATIC JOURNEY

INTO THE WORLD OF THICH NHAT HANH

FILMMAKERS AND 70 MONASTICS IN-PERSON OPENING WEEKEND

IN A TIME OF INCREASING POLITICAL DIVISIVENESS HOW DO WE FIND A WAY TO FIND PEACE IN OUR BEING? HOW DOES ONE CONTROL ANGER?

WALK WITH ME TRAILER: https://vimeo.com/179167579

“Fascinating and profound”
– Screen International

“A unique spectacle – a thoroughly meditative piece of cinema.”
– RogerEbert.com

“The filmmakers leave you desperately wanting more time with it (Plum Village).”
– Austin Chronicle

Gathr Films and Kino Lorber Inc. present the New York City premiere of the film WALK WITH ME, a cinematic journey into the world of mindfulness of Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh, narrated by Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch.

The documentary feature opens in the San Francisco market this Friday, August 11 and will screen in New York City at the Rubin Museum of Art from August 18 through August 26.

Then it will be released in theaters across the United States, including via Gathr theatrical screenings. More than 150 theatrical bookings nationwide have already been booked for the film's theatrical-on-demand expansion.

The film received its world premiere at 2017 SXSW FILM FESTIVAL earlier in the year.

The much-anticipated Speakit Films produced movie is directed by Marc J. Francis (BLACK GOLD) and Max Pugh (THE ROAD TO FREEDOM PEAK).

Filmed over three years and with unprecedented access, this visceral film is a meditation on a community who have given up all their possessions for a monastic life in rural France.

"In my life I've been so touched by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, it was a great honour to work on 'Walk With Me.' I have no doubt that audiences across the world will be moved by this beautifully crafted film observing the daily life of the monks and nuns who have committed their lives to the art of mindfulness”
- Benedict Cumberbatch

“A moving and wonderful film that captures the essence, depth and the poetry of Thich Nhat Hanh … a great work full of love.”
- Alejandro G. Iñárritu

There will be a weekend of special event screenings at the Rubin Museum as part of a one week run of the film starting August 18. Jo Confino, Executive Editor of Impact & Innovation at “Huffington Post” will introduce selected screenings throughout the weekend with monastics opening each film inviting viewers to breathe and relax with the sounds of a meditation bell. Q&A’s with filmmakers and monastics from Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village monastic community will follow each screening and meet and greets with monastics will be held throughout the weekend.

Filmmakers' Statement - Marc J. Francis and Max Pugh
“Taking our time with the film process has allowed for the chance to develop a cinematic ‘language’ capable of communicating the actual practice of a life lived differently and mindfully. We have worked to create an immersive film to plunge the audience deep into the poetry of the present moment, a feeling so elusive in the reality of the daily grind. If you can allow yourself to breathe with the rhythm of Walk With Me, let go, and relax, you can experience the film as a meditation. Movie theaters offer the best conditions for this experience; where the big screen, surround sound and the collective energy of the community can come together in one moment in time.”

Synopsis
With unprecedented access, Walk With Me goes deep inside a Zen Buddhist community who practice the art of mindfulness with their world-famous teacher Thich Nhat Hanh.

Filmed over three years in their monastery in rural France and on the road in the USA, this visceral film is a meditation on a community grappling with existential questions and the everyday routine of monastic life.

As the seasons come and go, the monastics’ pursuit for a deeper connection to themselves and the world around them is amplified by insights from Thich Nhat Hanh’s early journals, narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch.

About Thich Nhat Hanh
Widely acknowledged for introducing mindfulness to millions of people in the western world is 90 year old Buddhist Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Today, he is avidly followed by world leaders in politics and business, particularly by CEOs in Silicon Valley, and by stars of stage and screen, including Oprah Winfrey who has twice invited him on her show.

Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by his friend Martin Luther King Jr., Thich Nhat Hanh is also a human rights activist, poet and successful author. His books have become worldwide bestsellers and he has over a million followers on Facebook.

In 1982, Thich Nhat Hanh set up Plum Village - a monastery in rural France for monks and nuns to live, and for lay people from across the world to engage in mindful practice. His community is one of the single largest Buddhist monastic communities in the world.

WALK WITH ME

2017, United Kingdom, Unrated

Runtime: 94 min.

In English, Vietnamese, and French with English subtitles. 

A Gathr Films and Kino Lorber Release

Directed and produced by Max Pugh and Marc J. Francis

Featuring Thich Nhat Hanh

Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch

Press Contact

Adam J. Segal • The 2050 Group – Publicity

(212) 642-4317 • (202) 422-4673

adam@the2050group.com • www.the2050group.com

There's a very special guest joining the show blog...Ina Funk! Submissions now open and great advice given!

Dr. Ina Funk, Ed.D. is an experienced writer with an Ed.D. (a doctorate in everything dreadful!). She has a background in solving some of the world's most complex 'funks,' from the most personal to the professional. Whatever life throws your way, she's here to help! 

Have a question or a story to share?
Contact  dearinafunk@gmail.com!

Each letter will be featured right here on "Get the Funk Out!" and Ina will personally respond.

xo Ina Funk

The film Elizabeth Blue, starring Anna Schafer, Ryan Vincent, Kathleen Quinlan and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, opens theatrically September 22

ELIZABETH BLUE

STARRING ANNA SCHAFER, RYAN VINCENT,

KATHLEEN QUINLAN AND ADEWALE AKINNUOYE-AGBAJE

OPENING THEATRICALLY ON SEPTEMBER 22



Director: Vincent Sabella

Writers: Vincent Sabella, Alfred D. Huffington

Stars: Anna Schafer, Ryan Vincent, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Recently released from a psychiatric hospital, Elizabeth (Anna Schafer) returns to her Los Angeles apartment where she lives with her fiancé, Grant (Ryan Vincent).

With the guidance of her new psychiatrist, Dr. Bowman (AdewaleAkinnuoye-Agbaje), and the unfaltering support of Grant, Elizabeth works at regaining control of her mental stability and her life as she begins to plan their wedding.

ELIZABETH BLUE was written and directed by first-time filmmaker Vincent Sabella. Sabella is a diagnosed schizophrenic and the film is loosely based on a time in his life when all of his medications failed.

Global Digital Releasing will release ELIZABETH BLUE in NY, LA, and an additional 10 markets on September 22. The film has a running time of 94 minutes and is rated PG-13 by the MPAA.

The filmmakers and GDR have partnered with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and ELIZABETH BLUE is scheduled to screen at multiple NAMI Affiliate locations across the country during the film's opening weekend. NAMI is the largest grass roots mental health organization in the country and works with celebrities and filmmakers as part of their ongoing efforts to raise awareness and combat stigmas associated with mental illness. NAMI will also be receiving a portion of the film's proceeds.

To view the trailer, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faXEc87xsks

News/Talk Radio Producer Bernadette Duncan joins host Janeane Bernstein 8/7 at 9:45am pst to talk about her candid, behind the scenes book, "Yappy Days: Behind the Scenes with Newsies, Schmoozers, Boozers and Losers."

LISTEN TO TODAY'S SHOW FEATURING
BERNADETTE DUNCAN HERE!

ABOUT BERNDETTE DUNCAN 
Bernadette Duncan spent twenty-six years as a radio talk show producer.

In "Yappy Days: Behind the Scenes with Newsers, Schmoozers, Boozers and Losers," she vividly recounts her adventures in the trenches of big-time talk radio during its most dynamic decades set against the dramatically changing backdrop of America's pre- and post-9/11 realities.

This candidly told story includes Bernadette's firsthand impressions of the sometimes quirky celebrity talk show hosts whom she served as a producer during her career.

In talk radio, a producer does a wide variety of tasks in facilitating a show, including booking the guests, screening the listener phone calls, occasionally engineering the program, and most important, holding the hands, supporting, consoling, encouraging, and simply trying to get along with some of the most egotistical, egocentric, neurotic, insecure, demanding, opinionated, sometimes horrible, but oftentimes wonderful and always remarkably talented human beings to talk across the face of the earth.

They include some of the biggest in the business: Larry King, Sally Jessy Raphael, Gil Gross, Tom Snyder, Lou Dobbs, Charles Osgood, and more.

Bernadette also collected a number of insightful anecdotes interacting with hundreds of high-profile guests during those caffeine-charged years, from media, show business, and politics—many as quirky, ego-driven, and neurotic as her talk show host bosses.

"Yappy Days: Behind the Scenes with Newsers, Schmoozers, Boozers and Losers" is a fun, breezy, informative, and gently analytical look at the media, journalism, and the complex nature of ego.

Janeane chats with author Deborah Beatriz Blum about her book, Coming of Age: The Sexual Awakening of Margaret Mead - 9:30am pst 8/7

LISTEN TO TODAY'S SHOW HERE!

The startling coming-of-age story of famed anthropologist Margaret Mead whose radical ideas challenged the social and sexual norms of her time.

The story begins in 1923, when twenty-two year old Margaret Mead is living in New York City, engaged to her childhood sweetheart and on the verge of graduating from college. Seemingly a conventional young lady, she marries, but shocks friends when she decides to keep her maiden name. After starting graduate school at Columbia University, she does the unthinkable: she first enters into a forbidden relationship with a female colleague, then gets caught up in an all-consuming and secret affair with a brilliant older man. As her sexual awakening continues, she discovers it is possible to be in love with more than one person at the same time.

While Margaret’s personal explorations are just beginning, her interest in distant cultures propels her into the new field of anthropology. Ignoring the constraints put on women, she travels alone to a tiny speck of land in the South Pacific called Samoa to study the sexual behavior of adolescent girls. Returning home on an ocean liner nine months later, a chance encounter changes the course of her life forever.

Now, drawing on letters, diaries, and memoirs, Deborah Beatriz Blum reconstructs these five transformative years of Margaret Mead’s life, before she became famous, revealing the story that she hid from the world – during her lifetime and beyond.

Music producer and writer, John “Fingazz” Stary, of the band Colt .22 joined Janeane Monday 8/7 on KUCI 88.9fm!

LISTEN TO TODAY'S SHOW
WITH FINGAZZ
HERE! 

LISTEN TO “Call To Action”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efSecPiv4WI 

Learn more about the band here!

ABOUT COLT.22

Colt.22's Debut Album 'Freedom/Freewill' is an exploration of the blues, rock, and electronic music; out August 4th via Elite Frequency Group

(Los Angeles, CA) – Los Angeles indie-rock band Colt.22 has released their first lead single accompanied with a music video off their debut album Freedom/Freewill. Premiering onGhettoblaster Magazine, the video for the song “Call To Action” follows Los Angeles parkour stunt group Substance Over Hype, showcasing car-chasing, gun fighting, and martial arts through the streets of LA. This video is a tribute to cult classic movies Kill Bill and Sin City. Colt.22 is best known for placing a major sync with Showtime for the promo of the hit series “Billions” with their song “Find Your Pride”. Freedom/Freewill will be released in August on indie label Elite Frequency Group with distribution by The Orchard.

Pre-order Freedom/Freewill - http://apple.co/2t32elP

Colt.22 is a collaboration between two experienced music producers and writers, John “Fingazz” Stary and Travis Pavur. Fingazz, a platinum award certified hip-hop producer, is best known around the globe as one of the few masters of the "talkbox," which has been featured on records by Snoop Dogg, Mike Posner, Far East Movement, Flo Rida, Tyga, Bryson Tiller, Just Blaze, and many more. His sound can be described as "Future Funk" and his song “Winning” won on So You Think You Can Dance. In contrast, the New Orleans-born Pavur is a rocker through and through. He has recorded and produced countless up and coming rock acts from his own Los Angeles studio, Golden Beat Recording. Currently he is an engineer at the historic Valentine Recording Studios as well, working with acts like Lana Del Rey and Eagles of Death Metal.

Colt .22’s mission is to draw directly upon influences from the past, fusing them with the sound of now. The power of the music is a reaction, like the recoil of a gun exploding with solid guitar riffs and driving beats. The gritty and emotional vocals of Stary, fire out lyrical content like bullets of self-awareness and knowledge. Their intent is to use heavy anthemic chants and layer it with harmonies that complement the power of the music.

The Only Way Through the &^%$ Storm of Life is Through it, Not Around It - What I did after I found out my father had Stage 4 Cancer

August 4, 2015 was a shitty day. I got a phone call that I was not surprised to get. “I have cancer,” my father uttered weakly. He was quiet and stunned; this was a departure from his usual witty and, often, abrasive self. I, on the other hand, was stoic and not at all surprised. I knew from looking at him that he was not healthy. He was overweight and had heart disease. Several heart attacks and major surgeries left him weak and miraculously alive, but lately he kept complaining of stomach pain, and other symptoms. The cancer diagnosis was confirmation of my gut feeling; that his pale gray skin tone, weakness and decreased mental and physical state were all a result of a cancer that had been growing for some time now.

I felt so bad for him and less for me. After all, I was the result of a short-lived marriage that was tumultuous and left him emotionally scarred and angry. As a child, I only saw him on weekends and sometimes just for a day, so he could take me trick or treating…in the rain. At one point five years passed, because I was not allowed to see him. A lot happened in those five years. My brother ran away to live with him, while I was napping. I was hospitalized. I witnessed my mother’s plethora of boyfriends, most of which were dentists and orthodontists. (I had great teeth!) But for a young girl, I learned to not depend on anyone, and not be disappointed if they didn’t keep their word. There wasn’t any family around, I was self-sufficient, and I didn’t have my father. So when I finally saw him, I wasn’t even sure how I felt; learning that my emotional shut-off valve could be a benefit and a detriment.

The day after I turned sixteen, my mother told me to “Get Out!” (there’s a longer story there, but that’s another article). I was more than happy to leave and go live with my father. I had no idea if his kindness and unconditional love was an act or the real deal. Time would tell me to trust and treasure that I finally had someone who cared. I considered myself to be so lucky to have had this year and a half before college to turn my life around; he helped build my self-esteem, work ethic, encouraged me to become a varsity athlete and work as hard as I could at anything I wanted.

My father instilled in me to be strong, and carry on when life got tough; this mindset was a gift August 4, 2015 when I learned his body was ravaged by cancer. I would remain calm and not fall apart. I wanted to be there for him, no matter how this cancer nightmare was going to play out. My step-mother and father had already decided to sell their house and move to Florida, so days later I was on a plane helping pack up their home of 43 years.

The tension and fear filled their Connecticut home. When he told me to “Shut the ^&%$ up!” because he was on the phone, I just ducked and let his words fly past me. I even laughed, because I knew he was still the same old feisty Dad. He never quite realized what he was saying anyway; there was no filter most of the time, but that’s what made him my Dad. For a man who was fastidious about showering twice a day, shaving and eating French fries and a drumstick with a fork and a knife, his mouth was the antithesis – shocking and blunt, but deep down he was a sweetheart of a man.

After the house was packed, I watched him in excruciating pain as we flew to Florida. I was cringing seeing him trying to get through the flight and make it to our destination. I barely ate and could hardly breathe. Seeing someone you love in pain is the hardest experience in life. You just want to make them better, make them comfortable and take it all away.

In my father’s case, all four doctors we went to said, “There is nothing we can do.” His heart was functioning at only 20%, so administering anesthesia was not an option. Plus, the cancer had spread to other organs. I already knew this because I studied his medical records and read every report and viewed the ultrasound. For a man that was tough and resilient all his life, cancer was a beast he could not defeat. I captured photos and videos of these days with my father and spent as much time with him as possible. Every month, I flew from California to Florida and would watch him sleep and grimace in pain.

The only thing that kept me healthy was my determination to take care of my mental state. I walked and walked…and walked some more. I listened to music and called him, while I was walking. I even recorded our conversations, because I knew at some point I would not be able to hear his voice anymore. I had to come to terms with the fact we were living in this “any day now” mode. No one knew exactly how long he would make it, and he just kept hanging on.

Right before my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah, I dyed my hair black. I heard lots of Elvira jokes and comments, but I didn’t care. My hair color reflected how I felt. I was preparing for death and I was going through the motions of everyday life, but I wasn’t present most of the time. How could I be? My phone would ring at 5:00am and my father would be hallucinating from morphine. “Where are you?!” he would yell. “They are bugging the phone!” I would calm him down and talk to him to reassure him he was okay. I could barely sleep those days, because I remained on high alert and felt his life was nearing the end. What would life be like without being able to talk to my father every day? I could not imagine. I called him at least three times a day to hear his voice and let him know I loved him. I also wanted him to know I wouldn’t be who I was without his unconditional love, support and encouragement. He always said the same thing when I mentioned getting freelance work was tough, “Just keep going. Keep going.”

The last time I saw my father was October 31, 2015. As I made my way to the airport to fly home, I planned to fly back again for Thanksgiving. Right before the holiday, life threw us all a curve ball. My step-mother became very sick and could not take care him or even herself. We had to put him in a facility until she was better. Even though we had an aide and hospice care at home, he needed round- the-clock care.

On December 4, 2015, my step-mother was finally ready to see my father. I called him around 8:30am his time and he asked me to call him back because he was “on the john.” He was a constant jokester and never ceased that day. We spoke four times. However, on the final call, I noticed he was weak and there was a lot of silence on the phone. He was tired, but happy he finally saw the love of his life. I told him I would talk to him the next day and we closed with our usual “I love you.”

I consider myself to be very lucky. For four months, I faced cancer with strength and conviction to take care of those I love. I tried my best to take care of me, but that was tough. Getting that call that my father was gone was devastating, but inevitable. I knew the call was coming. I had prepared as best I could, but are we ever ready? Dad was gone, but thankfully he went peacefully, painlessly and this ordeal did not continue with him hanging by a thread in excruciating pain.

I learned a lot about myself in those four months. For someone who grew up incredibly insecure and lacking confidence, my father taught me how to kick the shit out of tough times. He taught me to keep going, keep moving and be a pillar of strength when needed. It’s okay to cry and break down, but I have never wanted to keep my composure more than when I read his eulogy. I wrote my heart out on the plane ride. I barely slept and would normally be a blubbering, weepy heap of tears. However, this was my time to tell everyone just how wonderful Dad was, how tough, but also ridiculously funny with his recycled jokes and pranks. I smiled and gave the best speech of my life, as I glowed talking about his love for f-bombs and colorful stories of breaking people’s limbs. But deep down inside, he was a teddy bear with a love for his family and friends.

I like to think Dad drove off in one of his favorite Cadillacs and is keeping tabs on what he’s been missing. Here’s what I would tell him:

I love your wonderful wife more than ever and I feel lucky to have someone who cares for me like my own mother. I call her every single day and sometimes more; we don’t go a day without talking. She misses you terribly, but I am helping her through the worst funk of her life. And after a year and a half, she is starting to laugh and smile again, and she finally sits in your favorite leather chair. I tell her you would be so happy knowing she sits in your chair, and to imagine your love like she is getting a giant hug from you.

Remember, all the people you told me were a-holes and conniving bastards, well, you were right. You were usually right about a lot of things, except we’ll never see eye to eye on music, food, or politics, but that’s okay. I just needed to grow up to see what you meant about a lot of things.

We all miss you and I miss the sound of your voice. I am so thankful I recorded our conversations, so I can have you with me now that you are gone. Your granddaughters love you and miss you, too. In fact, your oldest granddaughter calls her strong, tough side, her “Sammy.” Named after you Dad.

I love that you had about nine different careers by the way; this makes me feel that there are no wrong turns, only new directions leading to more opportunities. For now, I plan to just keep going. And I will take care of me the way you would have wanted.