After a sold out LAFF world premiere, Political Animals will play festivals throughout the summer!

USA / 2016 / Documentary / 87 minutes / HD

After a sold out LAFF world premiere, Political Animals will play festivals throughout the summer, including Provincetown International Film Festival, Frameline, San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival, Cinema Q Film Festival in Denver Additional festivals to be announced shortly.


Trailer: https://vimeo.com/168338673

POLITICAL ANIMALS celebrates the legendary civil rights victories of the first four openly gay elected California state politicians - who were all women: Carole Migden, Sheila Kuehl, Jackie Goldberg, and Christine Kehoe. An inspiring portrait of four defiant politicians who refused to let hatred and homophobia stop them from making history and achieving legal recognition for LGBT people throughout California and the United States. POLITICAL ANIMALS documents the tough struggles they endured together, and celebrates their pioneering success in the fight for Equality and the sweet victories these unforgettable women created to pave the way for lasting and significant social change.


Directed by Jonah Markowitz (Shelter) and co-directed by Tracy Wares (Bomb It, Gay Republicans). Produced by Anne Clements (Quinceañera, Pedro, Ping Pong Playa).

Festival Info: https://tickets.lafilmfestival.com/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=3927881D-3046-47DE-B487-AA18F527838B&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=ACE8ECC8-9C76-422B-8F9F-8EC8CE63AFF7


Filmmaker Bios:
JONAH MARKOWITZ - PRODUCER/DIRECTOR
Jonah Markowitz is a celebrated director and production designer. Markowitz wrote and directed the critically acclaimed narrative feature film "Shelter" which was recently named "The Number 1 Gay Film of All Time" by AfterElton.com on their bi-annual poll. Shelter also won the HBO Award for Outstanding First Feature, The Scion Director's Award, as well as audience awards in New York, Vancouver, Sao Paulo, Melbourne and more. Markowitz is also a successful film production designer. His most recent film, "The Diary of a Teenage Girl", premiered at Sundance 2015 and won the Grand Prix at Berlin. His credits also include the Sundance Jury and Audience Award winning "Quinceañera", as well as Studio films such as "We Are Marshall", "The Help", and "The House of Sand and Fog".Jonah graduated from the Film department at Emerson College and also studied art history in the Netherlands, as well as film theory and production at FAMU in The Czech Republic.

TRACY WARES - DIRECTOR
Tracy Wares has made documentaries on five continents including; "Bomb It", about graffiti around the globe, which she shot and produced (Tribeca Film Festival 2007), was cinematographer for "Gay Republicans" (AFI's Audience Award 2004), and co-produced Smokin' Fish (PBS and IDFA 2011). Most recently, she has directed and produced documentaries for VICE Media, including "Politics of Food" (2015) and "Ovary Action" (2016). Wares' work has aired on ABC, PBS, Sundance, Nat Geo, Discovery, A&E Bio, CW, TNT, WeTv, Trio, TLC, and VICE online.

PRESS CONTACTS
Matt Johnstone / Matt Johnstone Publicity
323.938.7880 / mattjohnstone-pr@sbcglobal.net

Rico Helmecke / Matt Johnstone Publicity
424-324-4198 / rico.mjpublicity@gmail.com

Jason Wachob, Founder and CEO of mindbodygreen joined me Monday June 6th at 9am pst!

If you missed today's show featuring Jason Wachob, listen here!

If the link above does not work, visit this page: http://www.janeanebernstein.com/

JASON WACHOB is the Founder and CEO of mindbodygreen, the leading independent media platform dedicated to wellness with 12 million monthly unique visitors and the author of WELLTH: How I Learned to Build a Life, Not a Resume. He has been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Goop, and Vogue. Jason has a BA in history from Columbia University, where he played varsity basketball for four years. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, and loves German Shepherds, Chuck Taylors, and guacamole. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @JasonWachob.

Deborah Riley Draper, a marketing guru and award-winning filmmaker, joined me Monday 9:30am pst to talk about her film Olympic Pride American Prejudice premiering at the Los Angeles Film Festival!

Photo caption: 1936 Olympians pictured l-r: James LuValle, 400m Bronze Medalist; Archie Williams, 400m Gold Medalist; John Woodruff, 800m Gold Medalist; Cornelius Johnson, High Jump Gold Medalist; Mack Robinson, 200m Silver Medalist. The photo was taken on July, 1936 on the SS Manhattan.  Photo credit: Olympic Pride, American Prejudice LLC.

If you missed today's show featuring Deborah Riley Draper, listen to our conversation here!

If the link above does not work, visit this page:
http://janeanebernstein.com/

OLYMPIC PRIDE, AMERICAN PREJUDICE

A documentary film directed by Deborah Riley Draper

Narrated by Blair Underwood

Executive produced by: Dr. Amy Tiemann, Michael A. Draper, Blair Underwood

World Premiere | 2016 LA Film Festival | Documentary Competition

SCREENING 2

MON June 6, 2016

4:06pm

@ Arclight Culver City

9500 Culver Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232

Get tickets now! http://tinyurl.com/z9lcvpf

VIEW TRAILER:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Icc35DJPM

ABOUT THE FILM:

OLYMPIC PRIDE, AMERICAN PREJUDICE, directed by Atlanta filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper (Variety’s “10 Documakers To Watch”) and narrated by Blair Underwood is a feature length documentary that explores the trials and triumphs of 18 African American Olympians in 1936. Set against the strained and turbulent atmosphere of a racially divided America, which was torn between boycotting Hitler’s Olympics or participating in the Third Reich’s grandest affair, OLYMPIC PRIDE, AMERICAN PREJUDICE follows 16 men and two women before, during and after their heroic turn at the Summer Olympic Games in Berlin. They represented a country that considered them second class citizens and competed in a country that rolled out the red carpet in spite of an undercurrent of Aryan superiority and anti-Semitism. They carried the weight of a race on their shoulders and did the unexpected with grace and dignity.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

http://www.1936olympicsmovie.com/

FB: facebook.com/1936OlympicsMovie

TWITTER: @Olympics36

IG: @1936OlympicsMovie

RELATED HIGHLIGHTS:

Variety named Director Deborah Riley Draper as one of the ‘10 documakers to watch’. http://variety.com/gallery/10-documakers-to-watch/#!3/deborah-riley-draper/

This is an Olympic year! XXXI Olympiad (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) will kick off in August 2016.

The film captures profound archival footage, gathered in the US and in Europe.

Deborah Riley Draper and special guests are expected to attend the LA Film Festival.

ABOUT DEBORAH RILEY DRAPER

Deborah Riley Draper is a marketing guru and award-winning filmmaker. Her debut film, Versailles ’73: American Runway Revolution, was heralded by New York Times and Los Angeles Times film critics. The film garnered film festival selections at St. Louis International Film Festival, Denver DocNights, Elle Croatia Fashion Film Festival, Johns Hopkins Film Festival, New York Winter Film Fest, L’Oreal Australian Fashion Film Festival and won CNN Outstanding Documentary at Martha’s Vineyards African American Film Festival and Best Documentary at the African American Film Critics Association Awards. The film also appeared by invitation at New York Fashion Week, Toronto Fashion Week, Saudi Design Week and Holon Fashion Week in Israel. The film is distributed by Cinetic/Filmbuff and enjoyed a successful premiere on Viacom’s Logo TV channel in September 2015. Director/Producer Tate Taylor (The Help, Get on Up and upcoming The Girl on The Train) optioned Versailles ’73 and expects production to start in late 2016; Draper will serve as a story consultant and executive producer.

Draper served as associate producer for Echo at 11 Oak Drive. As an advertising agency executive Deborah has worked on blue-chip client accounts including Coca-Cola Classic, ExxonMobil, HP, AT&T, FedEx, and Georgia Lottery, earning two regional Emmys, a Gold Effie and several Addy Awards. Draper is a member of Film Independent and Film Fatales and resides in Atlanta.

Dear Rejection, You suck...but thank you.

Without you, I never would be who I am today. I never thought I would say this, but you’re probably the best thing that could have happened to me. I first remember you in seventh grade when my boyfriend (if you could call him that) of just a few days dumped me after Valentine’s Day. And I definitely don’t blame him. In fact, I would dump me, too. He gave me the cutest red stuffed Monster with the words “Be Mine!” My gift? Uh- do I really have to say? Okay, it was a copy of Rod Stewart’s “Do you Think I’m Sexy?” Sexy? I was not even close, nor did I really even know what sexy was. Was I “on fleek?” Not even close. My braces and lack of fashion sense made me wonder why I even had a boyfriend in the first place. But there you were Rejection over the phone that day, telling me I was officially dumped. You did, however, prepare me for future relationship fiascos, so thanks for getting me
started at an early age.

The biggie, of course, was that on/off college relationship I had for (gag) six years. And when I finally ended it, because I sensed a lack of honesty and my gut told me I could really do a lot better, it was as if he had dumped me. The tidal wave of your Rejection pummeled me to the ground. I think it took me a year to recover, but I did, and I thank you for that experience. Rejection, you really did teach me what not to repeat again in future relationships and how not to be a doormat. I realized how young love can be completely out of touch. My father nailed it when he said, “don’t confuse love for weakness.”

Rejection, you are the reality slap I usually need. You provide guidance and insight into staying strong on this rocky ride called life. When you first showed up in my career life, you crushed me, my self-esteem and my dreams. I later learned that the only one who can crush my goals is me, and I shouldn’t be sitting around dreaming anyway. I should be doing, achieving, and not taking your rejection to heart. Often times, your rejection turned out to be the best thing that happened. I turned a corner, uncovered something new in me, and found a direction I never realized. So, thanks.

Here’s my biggest learning moment from you Rejection: when someone doesn’t like my writing, my voice-over audition, my script, or whatever creative/career pursuit I am trying to achieve, that doesn’t mean everyone will feel that way. You have taught me that everyone has an opinion and you, Rejection, are very subjective. Some people like a little extra cheese on their pizza and others think the pizza I made is perfecto!

Rejection, I just don’t think you suck anymore. There I said it. I embrace you and all the people that come along with you. I look for why you appear in my life and what you can teach me. You give me great clarity, focus, and sharpen my sense of humor. So, even though sometimes you really do kind of suck, I have learned to just keep on going. You’re not so bad anymore. I guess you have grown on me. Thanks.

World Premiere of Girl Flu Monday June 6th at LAFF!

Girl Flu Premieres Monday June 6, 2016

 

Director and writer Dorie Barton, Jade Pettyjohn ("School of Rock"),
Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory), Heather Matarazzo (Sisters), Judy Reyes ("Scrubs"), and Diego Josef (Ugly Benny).

 

ArcLight Culver City Theater 2
9500 Culver Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232

Monday, June 2, 20169:20 PM – Screening begins 

 

Bird, a thoughtful twelve-year-old, is becoming a woman whether she wants to or not. During the worst week of her life, she gets her first period (in front of her entire sixth-grade class), is ditched by her impulsive, free-spirited mom, and learns that you can never really go back to the Valley. Devastated that her childhood is over and still reeling from a recent move to Echo Park from Reseda, Bird struggles through her new reality along with some helpful, and some not-so-helpful, friends and family.

First-time writer/director Dorie Barton sets a lighthearted backdrop for this story of both a mother and daughter coming-of-age, offering a sweet perspective on a universal, yet underrepresented experience. We all have to grow up… and half of us do it by getting a case of the Girl Flu.
 

GIRL FLU’s impressive ensemble cast of Katee Sackhoff, Jeremy Sisto, Heather Matarazzo, and Judy Reyes all step into their roles beautifully. Newcomer Jade Pettyjohn is stunning as Bird, a girl struggling to cope with her sudden graduation to “womanhood.”

Runtime: 93 min

Please note you must receive a confirmation to be permitted on the press line

ABOUT THE LA FILM FESTIVAL
The LA Film Festival is a key part of the exhibition arm of Film Independent, showcasing new American and international cinema that embraces diversity, innovation and unique perspectives. The Festival produces one-of-a-kind events featuring critically acclaimed filmmakers, industry professionals and award-winning talent from Los Angeles and around the world. The Festival’s signature programs include the Filmmaker Retreat, Celebrating Women Filmmakers, Master Classes, Spirit of Independence Award, Coffee Talks, LA Muse and more. The Festival also screens short films created by high school students. Presenting Media Sponsor is the Los Angeles Times. Premier Sponsor is Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Principal Sponsor is Jaeger-LeCoultre. Platinum Sponsors are American Airlines, Dolby Laboratories, Inc., EFILM | Company 3 and HBO. The University Sponsor is Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television. WireImage is the Official Photography Agency. More information can be found at lafilmfestival.com.

Wolfe Video Presents PARCHED Written and Directed by Leena Yadav

Opening Theatrically on June 17th:

Los Angeles, Laemmle Music Hall

Wolfe Video Presents

PARCHED

Written and Directed by Leena Yadav

 

 

116 min * India * 2015 * Drama * Hindi & English

'Should resonate with audiences worldwide.' - VARIETY

'The lead actresses deliver a trio of clearly committed performances.' - THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

 

Indian drama PARCHED, from writer/director Leena Yadav (one of the leading female directors in India), will open theatrically on Friday, June 17th in Los Angeles (Laemmle Music Hall), New York (AMC Empire 25), and the Bay Area (Cine Grand in Fremont and Camera 12 in San Jose).

This award-winning film is an evocative, vibrant drama of a three rural Indian women who begin to question the ancient traditions that hold them in servitude. One fateful night, the women come together and take a bold step that will change the trajectory of their lives forever.

In a remote desert community of North West India -widowed Rani (Tannishtha Chatterjee, acclaimed for her starring role in Siddharth), her vivacious best friend Lajjo (Radhika Apte), and the erotic dancer Bijli (Surveen Chawla) - unapologetically talk about men, sex and life as they struggle under the oppressive rules of their traditional village ways. But when Rani is tasked to find a teenage bride for her entitled fifteen-year-old son, they begin to question this status quo that favors men, sends child brides to abusive husbands, and ostracizes women for being educated and opinionated. 

With a bold visual confidence, filmmaker Yadav combines the stark realism of hostile desert landscapes with a Bollywood palette, vibrant tones that celebrate the unleashing of the women's repressed sensuality and dreams. Beautifully shot by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Russell Carpenter (Titanic), PARCHED elevates these women's heartfelt stories, transforming their struggles into a stirring portrayal of liberation. 

Said writer/director Leena Yadav, "I was raised to judge and treat people as human beings above and beyond their gender, religion or caste. This story is my reaction to a misogynistic society that treats women as objects of sex, where their greatest role is to serve men. Giving my women characters a voice that observes, absorbs and reacts was what drove me to write this drama about ordinary women who are driven to extraordinary ends."

Written, Directed and Produced by: Leena Yadav

Cinematographer: Russell Carpenter (Titanic)

Starring: Lehar Khan, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Surveen Chawla, Radhika Apte

Distributed by: Wolfe Releasing

 

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/162697988

More Info: https://www.wolfevideo.com/products/parched/

 

RELEASE PLATFORMS: 

PARCHED opens theatrically via Wolfe Releasing on June 17th in Los Angeles (Laemmle Music Hall), New York (AMC Empire 25) and the Bay Area (Cine Grand in Fremont and Camera 12 in San Jose).  The film will also be released via Wolfe Video on August 9th on DVD / VOD, across all digital platforms including iTunes, Vimeo On Demand, and WolfeOnDemand.com, and will also be available same date on DVD via Wolfe Video and many major retailers.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:

Born in Mhow, India, Leena Yadav is one of a vanguard of successful contemporary female directors working in India. She began her career as a successful editor on commercials and an assistant director for television, and then went on to direct for than 300 hours of television, including hit fiction shows and India's first reality TV show. She made her directorial debut with Shabd (2005), wich she wrote, edited and directed - and which bravely explores the psychology of love, marriage, creativity and freedom.  Then then write and directed Teen Patti (2010), starring two legends of cinema - Amitabh Bachchan and Academy Award Winner, Sir Ben Kingsley. Parched (2015), her third feature film, world premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, and has garnered awards and critical acclaim in numerous festivals worldwide. It was deeply inspired by real life villagers she met and their resilient spirits.

ABOUT WOLFE VIDEO:

Founded in 1985 and now celebrating 30 years as the largest exclusive distributor of lesbian, gay, bi and transgender (LGBT) films, Wolfe's release slate includes some of the most popular LGBT films of 2015, including the Swiss Oscar and Golden Globes submission The Circle; the gorgeous lesbian drama by renowned Venezuelan director Fina Torres, Liz in September; and the epic international production by Finland's Mika Kaurasmäki, The Girl King. In 2016, Wolfe's releases will include the Thai Oscar submission How To Win at Checkers (Every Time); Henry Gamble's Birthday Party; Portrait of a Serial Monogamist, and Naz & Maalik. Wolfe's library of beloved modern classics includes such acclaimed hits as Cloudburst, Undertow, Desert Hearts and Big Eden. Wolfe's complete motion picture library can be found at WolfeVideo.com as well as at national retailers such as Netflix, Amazon and VOD destinations such as Comcast, Time Warner, Hulu, iTunes and WolfeOnDemand.com. Find more info online at http://www.wolfevideo.com.

 

WOVEN - A film by Salome Mulugeta & Nagwa Ibrahim, Los Angeles Film Festival Screening June 4th 11:30am

 

 

96 mins  www.wovenfilm.net – Trailer: https://vimeo.com/131683631

Attempting to integrate her mother's traditions with her own dreams, Ethiopian-born Elenie Tariku’s life is destroyed when a mysterious crime takes the life of her only brother. As Elenie searches for the truth behind his death, her life intertwines with an intriguing man whose own personal turmoil brings them together for better or worse.

LAIFF Screening:      June 4^th @ 11:30am, Arclight Theater Culver City, Theater 2, 9500 Culver Blvd