10/28/19 @9:45am pst - Selene Calloni Williams - Using Ancient Secret Practices of Shamanic Yoga to Transform Your Life!

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Can the ancient practices of Shamanic Yoga transform unhealthy behaviors to create an empowered life?

Hidden at the heart of nearly all spiritual and esoteric traditions lies the powerful teachings of The Mother Mantra. Its initiates have preserved its consciousness-expanding techniques for millennia. Originating in the ancient practice of shamanic yoga, this tradition allows us to perceive the full complexity of reality.

It helps us see both the visible and the invisible, moving beyond the consciousness of duality that limits us to only the material world. Operating in this heightened state of non-ordinary consciousness, we can see beyond our subconscious programming and behavior patterns and understand our possibilities and powers. By removing all fear, it allows you to love yourself exactly as you are.





Selene Calloni Williams, with a degree in psychology and master’s in screenwriting, has authored several books and documentaries on psychology, deep ecology, shamanism, yoga, philosophy, and anthropology. A direct student of James Hillman, she studied and practiced Buddhist meditation in the hermitages of the forests of Sri Lanka, and is an initiate of Shamanic Tantric Yoga. She is the Founder and Director of the Imaginal Academy Institute in Switzerland, where she hosts workshops in the Alps.

Some topics that Selene speaks on:

Explore the origins of The Mother Mantra
Learn about the ancient secret practices of shamanic yoga
Discover how nature brings us in harmony with our true selves
Learn how survival instinct plays a part in the evolution of consciousness
Learn how the Great Image plays a part in our spiritual development
Understanding and using the four movements of the Mother Mantra
How often would we do our spiritual practices
Tips on poses to channel energy for ultimate release & expression
Insights on the Spiritual Revolution and how it's impact on humanity
Tools for transforming subconscious negative beliefs and fears
Empowerment tips for living your highest life possible







The Mother Mantra: The Ancient Shamanic Yoga of Non-Duality by International best-selling author Selene Calloini Williams, is the initiate’s guide to the healing practices, spiritual exercises, and ancient secret rites of the Mother Mantra tradition.

Publisher: Inner Traditions /
Bear & Co. (January 8, 2019)
ISBN-13: 978-1620557921

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all Indie bookstores.


Selene is having her book featured in Spirituality & Health Magazine (print & online) next moth, she is also traveling from Switzerland to be a guest speaker at the Science & NonDuality Conference. (https://www.scienceandnonduality.com) in San Jose toward the end of this month, followed by a book signing and workshop at East West Bookstore on November 1 & 2. https://www.eastwestbookshop.com/collections/november-2019-events-1

10/28/19 @9:30am pst - Dr. James Gordon, MD joined Janeane live on KUCI 88.9fm

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How do human beings recover from trauma or can they? In his latest book, The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma, renowned expert, Dr. James Gordon, MD, helps us understand that trauma is a human experience, not a pathological anomaly.

In The Transformation, Dr. Gordon, MD, discusses his comprehensive, evidence-based program to reverse the psychological and biological damage that trauma causes. Drawing on the latest scientific research, 50 years of clinical experience, timeless wisdom, and inspiring life stories, he shows how we meet the challenges that trauma brings, and discover the ordinary joys as well as the meaning and purpose of our lives.

James S. Gordon, MD , a Harvard-educated psychiatrist, is internationally recognized for using self-awareness, self-care, and group support to heal population-wide psychological trauma. He is founder and executive director of the nonprofit Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, D.C., a clinical professor at Georgetown Medical School, and was chairman (under Presidents Clinton and GW Bush) of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy.

Dr. Gordon’s latest book, The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma, helps us understand that trauma will come sooner or later to all of us. Trauma, he explains, is a human experience, not a pathological anomaly. In The Transformation, he guides us step by step in a comprehensive evidence-based program to reverse the psychological and biological damage that trauma causes. He shows us, drawing on the latest scientific research, 50 years of clinical experience, timeless wisdom, and inspiring life stories, how we can, as we meet the challenges that trauma brings, discover the ordinary joys as well as the meaning and purpose of our lives. We come to know that our broken hearts can open with greater compassion and love.

More info at https://jamesgordonmd.com

The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma by James S. Gordon, M.D., in which the world-recognized authority on post-traumatic stress and acclaimed mind-body medicine pioneer is the first comprehensive, evidence-based program for reversing the psychological and biological damage caused by trauma.


The Transformation represents the culmination of Dr. Gordon’s fifty years as a practitioner, teacher, and advocate of integrative approaches to overcoming psychological trauma and stress. Offering eye-opening research, innovative prescriptive support, and inspirational stories, The Transformation for the first time gives the reading public clear guidance in the methods that Dr. Gordon has developed and that he and his team have used to relieve the suffering of hundreds of thousands of children and adults around the world.


Dr. Gordon’s work is grounded in a basic understanding:

Trauma will come to all of us, sooner or later

Each of us has the capacity to understand and heal ourselves.

So, what if we lived in a world where trauma was seen as an accepted, inevitable human experience, and not a pathological anomaly? What if healing and reversing trauma was the key to attaining the joy and fulfilment that every human deserves?


In this a field-tested approach to whole health. The Transformation, Dr. Gordon answers these questions and delivers an inviting narrative that allows readers to easily use his step-by-step evidence-based program—which so many others have used—to reverse the psychological and biological damage that trauma causes, and to restore their hope and heal themselves.


In his role as the founder and executive director of The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM), Dr. Gordon has created and implemented what may well be the world’s largest and most effective program for healing population-wide trauma. He and his 130 international faculty have brought this program to populations as diverse as refugees from wars in the Balkans, the Middle East, and Africa; firefighters and U. S. military personnel and veterans and their families; student/ parent/teacher school shooting survivors; and Native American children and their families—as well as stressed out professionals, stay-at-home mothers, inner-city children, White House officials, health professionals and medical students, and people struggling with severe emotional and physical illnesses.

One published study of child survivors of war in Kosovo—the first randomized controlled trial of any intervention with war-traumatized children—is exemplary. After participating in an 11-week-long group where they learned the skills taught in The Transformation more than 80 percent of the children no longer had symptoms of PTSD.

10/28/19 @ 9:15am pst - Music plays a key role in healing from hidden loss ‘The Trumpet Lesson’ explores how societal attitudes about teenage pregnancy, race, adoption, family, and homosexuality affect personal integrity. Author Dianne Romain joined Janeane live on KUCI 88.9fm

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Mexico – A breathtaking look at the impact of a life-long secret occasioned by 1960’s attitudes toward teenage pregnancy and race, Dianne Romain’s debut novel, The Trumpet Lesson (She Writes Press, September 24, 2019), cross-examines music, family, and friendship in recovery from a lifetime of hidden longing, shame, and grief.


Fascinated by a young woman’s performance of “The Lost Child” in Guanajuato’s central plaza, painfully shy expatriate Callie Quinn asks the woman for a trumpet lesson — and ends up confronting her longing to speak of her own lost child, the biracial daughter she gave up for adoption more than thirty years before. Callie learns the value of playing and speaking from the heart. Yet, having convinced herself that she must remain silent for her daughter’s sake, Callie uses denial, dark humor, and evasion to guard her secret. She risks abandoning everyone she dares to love. But to speak, Callie must confront the deepest reasons for her silence, the ones she conceals from herself.


The Trumpet Lesson was recently announced as the winner in “Women’s Fiction” for the 2019 American Fiction Awards.

Dianne Romain grew up in Missouri and studied philosophy at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. After completing her PhD in Philosophy at UC Berkeley, she taught feminist ethics and philosophy of emotion at Sonoma State University and published Thinking Things Through, a critical thinking textbook. While in California, she practiced fiction writing techniques in a women’s writing group. In Guanajuato, where she lives with novelist Sterling Bennett, she took up the trumpet as research for her debut novel, The Trumpet Lesson. Her current writing projects set in Guanajuato include short stories and a second novel. Visit her at https://dianneromain.com/.


Praise for The Trumpet Lesson


“The Trumpet Lesson is a beautiful literary novel focused on healing and the families that are forged abroad.”

― Foreword Clarion Reviews

“Romain clearly renders the complex racial dynamics of the times in which the characters lived.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Dianne Romain’s daring and delightful first novel, The Trumpet Lesson, crosses boundaries, opens wounds, and heals them, too. This is a book for anyone who has known the pains and joys of families, both old and new. Are there lessons in this book that moves gracefully from Missouri to Mexico? Indeed there are. Those who go below the surface of the narrative will find them, and they will be amply rewarded for their efforts.”

— Jonah Raskin, author of A Terrible Beauty: The Wilderness of American Literature


“A beautiful story of a woman adapting to a foreign land, The Trumpet Lesson breathes with the authentic atmosphere of Guanajuato, colorful characters, how a trumpet lesson feels, musical lives, and plenty of philosophy. Bravo!”

— John Urness, soloist and principal trumpet of the State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra


“Try as she might, Callie’s plan to hide from life after a fateful decision is doomed. This witty, heartwarming ‘lesson’ in human nature navigates the complexity of guilt, regret, and longing. It

shows how the heart will always find a way to form family, no matter how unconventional. All you have to do is learn to breathe — and perhaps buzz your lips.”

— Rita Dragonette, author of The Fourteenth of September



The Trumpet Lesson

Dianne Romain | September 24, 2019 | She Writes Press

Paperback ISBN: 978-1631525988 |

Women’s Fiction, Literary Fiction




Royalties will be donated to the Laurie Frink Career Grant for young brass musicians and Mujeres Aliadas for women’s reproductive health.



In an interview, Dianne Romain can discuss:


Finding common ground between members of different cultures


Her backgrounds in philosophy and fiction and how they influence each other


How she learned to play the trumpet to get to know her trumpet-playing characters


Shifting gears in writing: her experience writing short fiction, analytic philosophy, and now literary fiction


Her fiction-writing journey and how it led her to this novel


Her decision to donate royalties to nonprofits





An Interview with

Dianne Romain





You grew up in Missouri and lived in California for many years. What drew you to move to Mexico? What role does location play in The Trumpet Lesson?


At SSU we had a number of students with Mexican heritage, and so I went to Mexico on sabbatical to improve my Spanish and learn more about Mexico. I fell in love at first sight with Guanajuato, a small, historic canyon city with stunning geography; colonial architecture; and international and national music, art, and literature. Something delightful and unexpected happens all the time.


As for The Trumpet Lesson’s location, Guanajuato offers a wealth of symbols: mazelike pathways, blind alleys, tunnels, and the Subterrania (a street that winds above a hidden river). There are mine shafts in the surrounding hills. Callie gets lost in town and she panics at dark mine shafts. She is lost and afraid of knowing herself. But there is gold to be found in dark places.

Can you tell us a little bit about the differences you’ve experienced in writing your textbook and your novel? Was there any unexpected overlap?

I wrote my textbook with two audiences in mind: undergraduates taking critical thinking and their professors. I wanted the textbook to be engaging and user-friendly for students and yet precise and thorough enough for their professors. I wrote the novel for an audience interested in character-driven fiction, music, and life outside the US. As for overlap, I do some story telling in the textbook. Both books highlight different ways to use language, address emotion, and invite reflection and compassion.


What has been your experience with music? Why focus so much of this novel on the trumpet?


I grew up with music. My mother sang around the house and for weddings and funerals. I sang in the church choir and high school chorus, took piano lessons, played flute in junior high, and banged a bass drum in the high school marching band. In graduate school I returned to the piano and took lessons off and on for years. I also played tin whistle and pounded out piano cords when we hosted Irish music parties at our old farm house in California. We also hosted piano concerts when my piano teacher or one of her students would come up from Berkeley. She and her husband performed for the launch of my text book. I took up the trumpet as research for The Trumpet Lesson.

As for the focus on the trumpet in the novel, I was looking for work in Guanajuato for a young woman from the US. The orchestra served that purpose. I like questioning stereotypes, so I made the woman first trumpet. In the novel Callie is hiding from others and from herself. You can’t hide when playing the trumpet. Callie has trouble breathing. You have to breath to play the trumpet.

What inspired you to write Callie’s story?

I was writing about a writing group member who had written stories of the other members of her group, but had not written her own story. It came to me one morning that she had relinquished a baby and had never told anyone. I was so moved that I began shaking. I knew then it was the story I needed to tell.

Did you find it difficult to write certain aspects of her story?

Writing Callie’s thoughts of losing her baby was the most painful emotionally. I added humor to the story as it was too difficult otherwise for me to manage the pain. As far as the writing craft, it was difficult tying all the subplots together: Armando’s lost dog, Armando’s troubled love life, Pamela’s relationship with her mother, the mysterious behavior of Callie’s mother. It was like trying to weave many colors and textures together in a coherent design. Or trying to have the elements of a meal be varied, complementary, and ready to be served at the appropriate time.

How has your background in philosophy influenced your writing?
My study of ethics relates to the difficulties the characters have with integrity, and my study of emotion relates to how I describe the inner lives of the characters. Because of my study of feminist philosophy I’m interested in the complexity of race relations, in stories with characters from marginalized groups, and in imagining a healthy society. Callie is from a white working-class family, fell in love with a black youth, and relinquished a baby. Societal attitudes in the 1960’s led her to experience her love and her loss alone. The novel offers an alternative society, where characters form a mutually supportive family with members from marginalized groups.

The Trumpet Lesson touches on so many aspects of life, race, sexuality, what family means, to name a few. Ultimately, what do you hope readers take away?

Reflection, compassion, and another view of Mexico. Readers tell me that they reflect on their own secrets and regrets when reading the novel. They feel comforted, too, by the novel. Readers also tell me that they feel more compassion for women who have relinquished babies. Many readers comment, too, on the descriptions of Guanajuato. One reader said she wanted to move there after reading the novel. I expect other readers will take away a different view of Mexico and Mexicans than the US press offers.

Dianne Romain grew up in Missouri and studied philosophy at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. After completing her PhD in Philosophy at UC Berkeley, she taught feminist ethics and philosophy of emotion at Sonoma State University and published Thinking Things Through, a critical thinking textbook. While in California, she practiced fiction writing techniques in a women’s writing group. In Guanajuato, where she lives with novelist Sterling Bennett, she took up the trumpet as research for her debut novel, The Trumpet Lesson. Her current writing projects set in Guanajuato include short stories and a second novel. Visit her at https://dianneromain.com/.

10/28/19 @9am pst - Mary Jane Black has released her debut work “She Rode a Harley” - she joined Janeane live on KUCI 88.9fm

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Mary Jane Black has released her debut work “She Rode a Harley” (She Writes Press, October 1, 2019). A tale of love and loss, “She Rode a Harley” depicts the true story of Mary’s escape from an abusive marriage when she falls in love with Dwayne, her soon-to-be second husband on a blind date. When Dwayne is diagnosed with cancer, Mary has to take on a new role as his caretaker, confronting the changes imminent in their relationship, and her life.


“With unsentimental language and unblinking courage, Mary Black recounts her big-life adventure—on Harleys, and off. If you’re looking for a great true-life love story, this one is it.” Joyce Maynard, author of The Best of Us


Motorcyclist’s memoir embodies love despite previous abuse

“She Rode a Harley” is a woman’s empowering tale of getting up on the seat of a Harley after experiencing decades of emotional mistreatment


AUSTIN, TX – Mary Jane Black’s debut memoir tells her inspiring story of finding love later in life, in the midst of abuse and pain. “She Rode a Harley” details the kick-ass adventures of a woman whose second husband, a biker since he was 13, taught her how to save herself by believing in her own strength, power, and individuality. Mary Jane writes courageously, as though her time spent riding Harleys has transferred to the page, with smooth, gliding transitions and powerful, engine-revving scenes.


In “She Rode a Harley,” a schoolteacher escapes an abusive marriage and finds a new love on a blind date. Mary Jane’s new man, Dwayne, is certain that riding a Harley will restore her confidence and, sure enough, Mary Jane ends up following the white lines with him through 15 years of marriage. Traveling together, they learn to be partners, both on and off the road, until Dwayne is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Mary Jane writes of caregiving, and the joy and pain inherent in a love meant to last.

“With unsentimental language and unblinking courage, Mary Black recounts her big-life adventure—on Harleys, and off. If you’re looking for a great true-life love story, this one is it.”

-- Joyce Maynard, author of The Best of Us

“She Rode a Harley is a vibrant memoir about love, loss, and second chances… There’s warmth and immediacy in Black’s story” -- Foreword Clarion Reviews

“A compelling narrative” -- Kirkus Reviews

In an interview, MARY JANE BLACK can discuss:
How she escaped an abusive marriage, and her advice for other women who are suffering in their marriages


Remarrying and becoming a step-parent later in life


Becoming a caretaker after Dwayne’s cancer diagnosis, and her advice for other cancer caretakers


How she built a Harley Davidson motorcycle


Being a female motorcyclist and how her experience differs from male motorcyclists on the road

ABOUT 

MARY JANE BLACK: studied English and journalism as an undergrad, and went on to pursue a master’s in English with a concentration on creative writing. Teaching writing and literature at the high school level for fourteen years, she nurtured her students’ voices as she hid her own. After long days of teaching, she would spend sleepless nights scribbling stories in tattered notebooks found in her classroom and writing short poems in the margins of her desk calendar. Her first memoir She Rode A Harley will be published by She Writes Press on October 1, 2019. Excerpts from it have been published in Shark Reef Journal and Oxford American Magazine. She now lives in Austin, where she is a literacy specialist for the State of Texas. Visit her at https://maryjaneblack.com/.


“She Rode a Harley: A Memoir of Love and Motorcycles”

Mary Jane Black | October 1, 2019 | She Writes Press

10/25/19 - Chef Vikas Khanna joined host Janeane Bernstein to talk about his film, The Last Color

LISTEN to today's conversation with Producer Vikas Khanna

Teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9VQsr6XQ50

Starring: Neena Gupta, Aqsa Siddiqui, Rudrani Chhetri, Rajeshwar Khanna

Synopsis: The Last Color is a story of empowerment and friendship. Nine-year-old flower seller and tightrope walker Chhoti (Aqsa Siddiqui) befriends Noor (Neena Gupta), a 70-year-old widow living a colorless life of abstinence. Both outcasts yet vastly different people, Chhoti and Noor touch each other’s lives in profound ways. Chhoti promises hope to Noor as this poignant story of love, friendship, commitment and victory of the human spirit unfolds on the banks of River Ganges.

10/21/19 @ 9:30am pst - Actress/Producer Tanna Frederick joined Janeane Bernstein live on KUCI 88.9fm

LISTEN to today's conversation with featured guest, Tanna Frederick.


TWO WAYS HOME TRAILER:
https://vimeo.com/335734993

Awareness Film Festival Official Selection TWO WAYS HOME film on Bi-Polar Disorder couldn’t be more relevant as we approach Mental Ilness Awareness Week October 6-12. 



LOS ANGELES, CA (October 2, 2019) — Director Ron Vignone and Actress/Producer Tanna Frederick’s independent film circulating the festival circuit is definitely getting noticed as the nation is seeing a rise in reports by the media regarding mental illness. Their movie highlights bipolar disorder while also touching on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). As recent high-profile events in the news should make clear, not even mental health advocates are invulnerable. 

TWO WAYS HOME is about a young woman returning home to rural Iowa while balancing her bi-polar disorder and struggling to care for her veteran grandfather, who is suffering with PTSD from wartime service, all while trying to reconcile with her estranged 12-year-old daughter. With an original screenplay by Richard Schinnow, TWO WAYS HOME was filmed and produced entirely in Iowa.

The narrative explores what society has deemed, until just recently, a taboo subject—mental illness. Without diminishing the film, TWO WAYS HOME both educates the audience about bi-polar disorder while bringing awareness. Frederick and Vignone are collaborating with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) www.nami.org who work tirelessly to remove judgment and stigma from mental illness.

The film recently won the “Women Empowerment Award“ Jury Prize at the 2019 Women Texas Film Festival, and continues to screen at various film festivals nationwide.

The film will screen in Los Angeles at The Awareness Festival October 8, 2019 at 6:30p.m. at Regal Cinemas LA: 1000 W Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, Ca 90015.

Publicity Contact: Cher Culver PR: cher@cherculverpr.com Cast and Crew available for interviews Trailer and EPK available upon request www.twowayshomemovie.com Follow us at: Insta: @twowayshomemovie; Facebook: Two Ways Home; Twitter: @twowayshomemovi ###

10/21/19 @ 9:00am pst - Kim Perkins, Ph.D. joined Janeane Bernstein live on KUCI 88.9fm to talk about her life as a former a former pro speedskater and former journalist, and how she uses her Ph.D. in positive organizational psychology to focus on the science of optimum human experience at work

LISTEN to today's conversation with featured guest, Kim Perkins.

Kim holds a Ph.D. in positive organizational psychology from Claremont Graduate University. As chief behavioral scientist at NOBL, Kim has worked with leaders at companies as diverse as Warner Bros., Human Longevity, and the Getty Leadership Institute. A former journalist and pro athlete, Kim’s research helps companies get beyond reward and punishment to motivate their people through passion, purpose and flow

www.kimperkins.com

October 17th, 2019 - The Observatory in Santa Ana, California, featuring headliner Clairo, with openers Beabadoobee and Hello Yello.

Clairo - photo credit: J. Bernstein

October 17, 2019 - Clairo headlined at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California last week with opening acts Beabadoobee and Hello Yello. Beabadoobee, a Filipino-British indie artist, took the stage in her adorable mini side buns and genuine stage presence. She was full of spunk, charm, and charisma, and her fellow musicians had great chops, too. Their set list included songs with a fantastic mix of drums, bass, and of course, her beautiful singing voice. Even though she had an amp issue early on, she grabbed her acoustic guitar and killed her set list.
Clairo - photo credit: J. Bernstein


Beabadoobee - photo credit: J. Bernstein

Clairo took the stage later on around 9:45pm and the crowd went nuts. She's an extremely talented 21 year old from Boston, Massachusetts with meaningful songs that resonate with her fans. From her casual and genuine style to her singing, it is easy to see why Clairo is a worldwide sensation. With over 1 million followers on Instagram, Clairo had the venue packed with her supporters and fans. Her set list included songs from her latest album, Immunity, as well as some of her singles Bubblegum, Pretty Girl, Flaming Hot Cheetos, and 4ever. In between songs, there were numerous fans yelling,
“I LOVE YOU CLAIRO!!” and she would break from her composure, and respond with a heartfelt, “I love you, too!”

The audience loved her so much, and chanted for an encore. She played three more songs and then picked five very lucky people out of the audience to come on stage for a dance party. The look on their faces was pure joy and disbelief! She ended the dance party with hugs and thanking each fan individually.

Clairo is a class act with great vocals and a captivating stage presence. She made sure to walk the stage, shake hands, and connect with adoring fans, whether she was standing at the edge of the stage, above the pit or on either side of the venue. The emotion on her fans faces was a beautiful thing to witness. 

Clairo - photo credit: J. Bernstein

PRAYERS OF A SAINT, A SHORT FILM BY SANTHO GOONEWARDENE, WILL SCREEN AT THE LA FEMME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, OCT. 16-19, 2019. Santho called in to the KUCI studios to speak with host Janeane Bernstein.

PRAYERS OF A SAINT, A SHORT FILM BY SANTHO GOONEWARDENE, WILL SCREEN AT THE LA FEMME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, OCT. 16-19, 2019

LISTEN to today's conversation with Santho! 

LOS ANGELES, Sep. 25, 2019 -- PRAYERS OF A SAINT, a dramatic short film written and directed by Santho Goonewardene, will be featured in the 15th Annual LA Femme International Film Festival on Saturday, October 19th at 2PM, 2019 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. The film is also entered into competition at the 10th Annual Oaxaca FilmFest in Oaxaca, Mexico, Oct. 7, 2019 and the Official Latino Film and Arts Festival in Palm Desert, California on Nov. 1, 2019.

PRAYERS OF A SAINT shows how the decision to run away from an abusive home life has profound consequences for young Maya, portrayed by Amber Midthunder (Legion on fX, new season of Fargo). An encounter with a violent man forces her to face reality and stand up for herself as she decides to leave her old life behind forever. Also featured are actors Rob Tepper and Abigail Shields.

The behind the camera team included Producers Jeffrey Stott and Sonia Marques; Director of Photography Bella Gonzales; Editor Annie Guidice; Supervising Sound Designer Victor Ennis (Oscar-nominated for Drive), and Original Score and song by Robert Summerfield.


Writer-Director Santho Goonewardene immigrated from Sri Lanka to the United States at age 14, alone. Her fascination with films began at an early age as they helped her escape her unstable home environment. After graduating from University, she secured a position as an assistant to Jeffrey Stott, a prolific producer who produced many of Rob Reiner’s films including Stand by Me, Misery, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, and The Bucket List. Stott’s encouragement inspired her to further expand her experience by working on both film and television projects including True Detective, Stronger, and Trumbo.



Santho has since collaborated with filmmakers Greg Campbell and Jake Gyllenhaal as a Co-Producer on their award-winning documentary, Hondros, and most recently served as Associate Producer on the Amazon Prime limited series, Too Old to Die Young, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.



Having been inspired and encouraged by these incredibly talented filmmakers, she started making her own films. In 2015, her first short film, Butcher, premiered in New York at the Chelsea Film Festival and was also selected to screen at the Bath Film Festival in the UK and the Short Sharp Festival in Australia.



“The one thing that underlies all my work is the firm belief that narratives that represent all walks of life are essential for us to be more understanding of each other and remind us that we are not alone.” Santho confides. “I strive to tell stories that engage thought while encouraging the viewer to navigate beyond what’s comfortable and familiar.” Critics have singled out her emotionally seductive, distinctive visual voice which is the hallmark of all her films.



PRAYERS OF A SAINT will screen on Sunday Oct. 19 at 2 pm at Regal Theater 14 at the LA Staples Center, 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015

For ticket information, visit http://www.lafemme.org/tickets/. When visiting L.A. LIVE for two hours or less, we recommend using the East Garage (Lot E, Enter on Olympic Blvd) or West Garage (Lot W, Gates E & F – Enter on Georgia St. and turn on West Road). Some establishments validate, please confirm prior to arrival.



For more information on the film or to arrange an interview with Santho Goonewardene, please contact Deborah Gilels, LA Media Consultants, at 818-648-9513.

FILMMAKER MARTHA ELCAN’S “LADIES MOST DEJECT” TO MAKE ITS LA DEBUT AT LA FEMME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, OCT. 17-20, 2019 - Short film lauded for its portrayal of resilience and strength in the face of loss and brokenness. Janeane spoke with screenwriter and actress, Conner Wharton from our KUCI studios.

FILMMAKER MARTHA ELCAN’S “LADIES MOST DEJECT” TO MAKE ITS LA DEBUT AT LA FEMME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, OCT. 17-20, 2019

Short film lauded for its portrayal of resilience and strength in the face of loss and brokenness 

LISTEN to today's conversation with Connor Wharton!



LOS ANGELES - September 25, 2019 -- “Ladies Most Deject,” a dramatic short film directed by Martha Elcan, will screen at 2pm on Friday, October 18 at the Regal Theatre at LA LIVE in downtown Los Angeles.

In the tradition of “Winter’s Bone” and “Mud,” “Ladies Most Deject” is the story of 17-year-old Charlie who struggles to free herself and her three siblings from the grip of their unstable addict mother and drug dealing uncle in rural Appalachia.

The screenplay was co-written by Conner Wharton, who plays Charlie, and ARAY Productions’ Mark Salyer; Helen Cho Anthos served as Director of Photography, and Emmy Award-winner Nena Erb, ACE, edited the film. Production Designer Kleev Guessford and Sound Designer/Music Composition Brian Hawlk complete the creative team.

Filmed entirely in the Appalachians, the film’s producers strove to represent the authentic and gritty reality of life in the mountain communities in America today. ARAY (Appalachia Right At Ya) Productions tells stories by and about the people of the Appalachian Mountains. Created by Appalachian artists Melissa Palmer and Mark Salyer, ARAY develops projects for television, film and new media. Current projects include “Mysteries of Appalachia”, a docu-series about the mysticism and folklore of the region; and “Where I’m From”, a travelogue for young people about cultural exchange.

Initially drawn to this touching story because it was set in her home state of Virginia, Director Elcan quickly learned how true-to-life this drama was. “Charlie finds herself desperate with nowhere to turn when she and her three young siblings must leave home to escape their mother and her meth addiction. Though Charlie’s kind teacher Mrs. Neeley finds them a safe place for that night, the children’s dire situation forces Charlie into adulthood before her time in this cautionary tale for a society immersed in a national opioid addiction crisis.”

Conner Wharton (Charlie and Co-Writer) is a student at UCLA majoring in English and minoring in Film Studies. She was 19 years old when she and Salyer wrote the screenplay for Ladies Most Deject, inspired by the people of her tiny hometown in Central Appalachia which is dealing with a drug crisis of epic proportions. "I want to tell stories about people dealing with extraordinary circumstances - heroes and heroines making a difference," she said. Asked how a teenage girl from the mountains ended up at UCLA making films, Conner said, "I always knew I wanted to be in California working in this industry. I may very well be the only Appalachian girl at UCLA."

Other cast members include Robin Mullins, Ben Mackel, Pepper Binkley, Ellie Williams, Sofia Adams, and Josiah Wells.


About LA Femme International Film Festival (www.LAFemme.org)

The LA Femme International Film Festival is now in its 15th year as one of Los Angeles’ premiere film festivals dedicated to celebrating and promoting female artists both in front of and behind the camera. In addition to bestowing awards in multiple categories, from short subjects to documentaries to commercials, LA Femme is proud to present the Lupe Ontiveros Award to a performer who embodies the spirit, audacity and dedication to art that its namesake represented.



“Ladies Most Deject” will screen on Friday October 18 at 2pm at the Regal Cinema Complex at LA Live, 1000 Olympic Blvd. in downtown LA. Tickets are available at the box office or by visiting the festival’s website www.lafemme.org/tickets.



For more information on the film or to interview Martha Elcan and Conner Wharton, please contact LA Media Consultants, Deborah Gilels at 818-758-6509.

Teen Filmmaker Olivia Anton’s Short Film “Tillie” to Screen at LA Femme International Film Festival, October 17- 20th. She called in to our KUCI studios to chat with host Janeane Bernstein

Teen Filmmaker Olivia Anton’s Short Film “Tillie” to Screen at LA Femme International Film Festival, October 17- 20th 

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October 4, 2019 — “Tillie” which marks the writing and directorial debut of 13-year-old Olivia Anton[now 15}, will screen at the 15th Annual LA Femme International Film Festival on Thursday, October 17th at 12PM. The film was conceived as the first episode in a proposed teen thriller television series, similar to shows like “Stranger Things” and “Riverdale” and was shot in Asbury Park and pays homage to the city’s historical and mythical landmarks.

Produced by Asbury Park Films, “Tillie” centers around Julia, a typical teen, except for her deadbeat father and the murder of her best friend, which has made her fearless and brave beyond her years. When Julia and her friends secretly visit the abandoned “Tillie” mural at the old Palace Amusements in Asbury Park, they seem to disturb something. As they spend the day at the local Carnival, Julia’s friends start to go missing one by one and she will have to get to the bottom of the disappearances before same fate befalls her.

Anton intends to ride the horror popularity wave with her fresh take on the teen horror genre. And with Asbury Park’s recent resurgence as a destination spot of the Jersey Shore coupled with its iconic history, the teen filmmaker felt she had the perfect setting for a thriller.

“I feel reality television has shaped a very inaccurate and crude perception of typical Jersey Shore communities, where in actuality, generations have fostered long-lasting relationships that strengthen through the years,” Anton said. “Listening to my parents tell stories of Asbury Park and its decrepit, unfinished architecture and its live music and art scene, I knew it would provide the perfect setting for a horror film. Moreover, I’m so excited to be part of the LA Femme International Film Festival, with all the other women/young women in the festival.”

Anton, as young female filmmaker, is also bucking the trend of a male dominated profession. Out of 1,100 films made in the last 11 years, only 4% were directed by women or roughly 22 male directors for every one female director, according a study by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Anton, who is a Manhattan native and spends summers in Asbury Park, studied acting at the The Lee Strasberg School of Film and Theater for five years. She landed her first role at the age of 11 as the young version of the title character in “Ava's Possessions,” a 2015 supernatural horror comedy film written and directed by Jordan Galland.

After her experience on the film, Anton quickly realized that she preferred to behind the camera and is now currently participating in a prestigious two-and-a-half year film fellowship with the Ghetto Film School in New York City.

Her first student short film entitled “Cheat Day” was recognized by a jury of industry professionals as one of the top films of her class and was recently screened with classmates at The Landmark Theater in New York City. Anton is in the 10th Grade at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, and a competitive swimmer. She is also the CEO and founder of a 501c3 not-for-profit organization called Birdhaus of Interlaken, NJ which is a well-known community building initiative which give back to the Jersey Shore. She has donated funds and hosted art therapy to Mary’s Place by the Sea, replaced a fence at a Cemetery in Neptune & is now working with Covenant House in an initiative to help homeless teens.

“Tillie” will screen on Thursday, October 17, 12PM at the Regal Cinema 14 at LA Live, 1000 West Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles 90015. For ticket information, visit http://www.lafemme.org/tickets/

For more information on the film or to arrange an interview with Olivia Anton, please contact Deborah Gilels, LA Media Consultants, at 818-648-9513.

10/14 @9:15am pst - Krista Driver, author of MANI/PEDI, joined Janeane on KUCI 88.9fm

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She left everything behind and risked not only her life, but also the lives of her two small children to escape from Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon. In the middle of the night, Charlie―along with her husband, two toddlers and two young sisters―joined 100 other people on a tiny boat and fled their home country. The journey was long and dangerous, but after almost two years in refugee camps, the family finally made it to America.

After emigrating, as many Vietnamese refugee women did, Charlie began working in the booming nail industry. When her path crossed with Olivett, an African American woman, they became business partners―and built an empire together. After only a few years in the US, Charlie was a millionaire and living the American dream. Her tale is one of tragedy and triumph―a true rags to riches story that will amaze and inspire readers from all walks of life.

Born to a teen mother and a child of the foster care system for four years before she was adopted, Dr. Krista Driver started out as the epitome of the “underdog.” Today a licensed marriage and family therapist with a doctorate in psychology, Dr. Driver has dedicated her career to working with the most vulnerable in her community. A perpetual observer with an innate curiosity for other people’s stories, when she stumbled across an incredibly fascinating tale of one woman’s escape from Vietnam, she felt compelled to write about it. It all began in a nail salon in Orange, California with a simple question: “Where are you from?” As the CEO of a nonprofit counseling center that specializes in providing mental health services to women and children, Dr. Driver sees Mani/Pedi as a natural extension of her work.

10/14/19 @9:30am pst - Filmmaker Nancy Goodman spoke to Janeane about SURPRISE ME! - her fun Rom-Com starring Fiona Gubelmann, Jonathan Bennett, and Sean Faris. Author of “It Was Food vs. Me …And I Won.” (Viking/Penguin) has figured out the connection between eating and feelings.

COMING TO VOD ON OCTOBER 4TH

Written and Directed by: Nancy Goodman

Produced by: Kevin McGrail and Nancy Goodman

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Runtime: 103 minutes
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yI5uqxb5pM&feature=youtu.be

Website: surprisemethemovie.com

Starring: Fiona Gubelmann (The Good Doctor, Hallmark’s Tulips in Spring), Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls), Sean Faris (Never Back Down), Nicole Sullivan (The King of Queens), LaShawn Banks (Chicago P.D.), and Robyn Coffin (Every 21 Seconds).

Synopsis: At Surprise Enterprise, Genie Burns masterminds off the wall surprise parties in nobody-would-suspect-it locations. Here, she takes crazy risks but in her personal life, she plays it safe. Her hilarious partner Steven is gay: that makes him safe. Danny, her perfect match, is kept in the friend zone. Safe again. Along comes Jeff. His depth and charm draw her in. They slip into a passionate love where she loses all control. 

ABOUT NANCY GOODMAN
Nancy, she is a published author, a health and food specialist, and recently an award-winning director and screenwriter. SURPRISE ME! is based on a 2012 novel she wrote and something she would call a “romantic comedy diet” because she sees this as not just a movie, but her crusade to help women turn their focus from dieting (which she calls a set up to binge and overeat) to their feelings, choices, strength, pain, joy, goals, and new passions beyond their taste buds.

Meanwhile, Surprise Enterprise has just been contracted to throw a surprise party wedding by a client who prefers not to reveal his identity. As Genie works to get his bride down the aisle, her own life begins to take turns. Is Jeff "the one" because he challenges Genie to heal the wounds from her past? Or, Danny because he embraces her fears? And why is she bingeing out of control? Is there a clue in all of that crunching? We'll find out in the end, and not a moment before, because what's real in life screams...SURPRISE!
SURPRISE ME! will be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video on October 4th, with additional platforms to follow.


ABOUT INDIE RIGHTS

Indie Rights was founded by Michael Madison and Linda Nelson because they believed that the future was bright for independent artists and that there was a better way to produce and distribute movies. They have been in business since 2000, when they produced their first film, NSYNC BIGGER THAN LIVE a Giant Screen Movie that played to sold out crowds worldwide.

Known for innovation. SHIFTED, their first digital feature, was the first movie on Amazon's UnBox (the predecessor of Amazon Video) and was used by Amazon to promote their platform for over five years. DELIVERED was the first independent feature to edit and master a 4K movie using Adobe CS5. Articles in Variety, HDVideoPro and an Adobe Success Story followed. Partnerships were forged early on with the leading digital platforms including Amazon, Google, AppleTV, TubiTV, and others. These partnerships insure that Indie Rights can offer the very best audience opportunities for their own films, as well as the more than 800 other filmmakers they work with. Indie Rights exhibits every year at AFM and the Cannes Film Market.https://www.indierights.com/

10/14 @9:45am pst Country music artist Brandon Stansell redefines the country music genre with his incredible talent and inclusive messages to LGBTQ artists.

ABOUT BRANDON
“[A] Country Artist You Need to Know”
- Rolling Stone

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"I grew up in small-town Tennessee, gay and a lover of Country music. I thought I was the only person like me in the entire world and that made for a very lonely childhood. I don’t want anyone else to ever feel that way...ever again." https://twitter.com/CMT/status/1059460333360869377 …

With Jimmie Allen’s recent #1 song, Kane Brown’s #1 album and Grammy wins for artists like Kacey Musgraves and Brandi Carlile, Country music seems to be swinging open its doors to some of the more unlikely of country artists - enter Brandon Stansell.

When CMT premiered the video for Brandon’s last single HOMETOWN in November 2018, he instantly became what they called,“living history.” The premiere of this video, addressing LGBTQ themes, is a first for the home of Country Music videos.

The video then went on to be named one of Rolling Stone’s Top 10 Country Music Videos of 2018.”

"Country music may not be known for being inclusive to LGBTQ artists, but rising musician Brandon Stansell is redefining the genre one soulful song at a time, “ says Billboard

His is a bold new voice in the genre, as comfortable making you tap your foot as shed a tear - a singer songwriter with something to say, and a voice to remember.

10/14/19 at 9:00am pst - Janeane spoke with Julie Rowen about her documentary, The Air of Time

“THE AIR OF THE TIME”, A DOCUMENTARY BY JULIE ROWEN, IS AN OFFICIAL ENTRY IN THE 15TH ANNUAL LAFEMME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, OCTOBER 17-20, 2019

Film celebrates legendary fashion designers Coco Chanel, Carolina Herrera, Donna Karan, Diane Von Furstenberg, Vivienne Westwood and others

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LOS ANGELES - October 7, 2019 - “THE AIR OF THE TIME: Celebrating A Century Of Women Designers,” a documentary produced and directed by Julie Rowen, will screen at the upcoming 15th Annual LA Femme International Film Festival, October 17-20, 2019 in downtown Los Angeles.



“The Air of the Time” gives an in-depth look at the impact and empowerment of women fashion designers over the past 100 years. The film tells the stories of designers Coco Chanel, Diane von Furstenberg, Carolina Herrera, Vivienne Westwood, Donna Karan, Gabriela Hearst and Hanako Maeda, in a combination of archival images and interviews.

Also included are insights from male designers Tony Melillo (ATM) and Johnson Hartig (Libertine) as well as fashion editors, Hamish Bowles (Vogue), Ken Downing (Neiman Marcus) and Betty Halbreich (Bergdorf Goodman).

“The film is an intimate look at women designers who have successfully launched iconic careers in a male dominated industry, created for women,” says director Rowen. “In the film, the designers share their personal and professional stories, as well as their processes for designing their respective collections. We discover the journeys they have taken, from their beginnings to present day; their struggles, their successes and their disappointments, as well as well as their thoughts on sustainability and the future of design.”

The production gained the full cooperation of the Chanel Estate, Carolina Herrera, Diane
von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, Gabriela Hearst, Hanako Maeda, Hamish Bowles, Johnson Hartig, Bergdorf Goodman and many others. These designers not only made the time to be interviewed, but opened up their offices, ateliers and archives for the filmmakers to produce this project.

Producer/Director Julie Rowen began her career working with directors John Hughes and Ron Howard on films such as ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’, ‘Far and Away’ and ‘Apollo 13’. She is currently a producer/director at Blue Collar Productions working on commercials, documentaries and films. “The Air of the Time” is her documentary feature film debut.

Other members of the production team include producers Camilla Belle and Mark Rowen, and Blue Collar Productions, a creative content and video production company located on ‘The Lot’ studios in Los Angeles.

THE AIR OF THE TIME will screen at the Regal Cinemas Venue 1 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, October 19th at 2pm. For ticket information, visit http://www.lafemme.org/tickets/