Murmur: A Glorious Summer in the Winter of Our Discontent

By Vernon Nickerson Murmur, a film written and directed by Heather Young, making its debut at the 2020 Slamdance Film Festival, takes an intimate look at the intersections between 1. a lonely and heartsick mother who longs to love and be loved in return, 2. the substances the mother has used to numb her pain, 3. a lonely and heartsick dog who desperately wants tender … Continue reading Murmur: A Glorious Summer in the Winter of Our Discontent

2020 Sundance Film Festival: Juries Announced

Sundance Institute will gather 25 celebrated and revered expert voices across film, art, culture and science to award feature-length and short films shown at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival with 31 prizes, announced at a ceremony February 1. Short Film Awards will be announced at a separate ceremony on January 28. The Festival takes place January 23 through February 2 in Park City, Salt Lake … Continue reading 2020 Sundance Film Festival: Juries Announced

Democratic Chicanery

By Stephan Pisko It’s all cloaked in a shroud positive and negative is cleverly calculated to appear ‘just’ but the puppeteers’ manipulate everything within this regard do not let your mind tell you otherwise or your on ‘automatic deception’ like the mass billions’ on this global gob. It’s setup very very organized which have come along way since World War II this was their ‘wakeup … Continue reading Democratic Chicanery

La Restauración A Tale Of Damnation And Redemption

By Monteque Pope-Le Beau Director Alonso Llosa’s tragicomedy La Restauración will have its World Premiere at the 2020 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. La Restauración is a poignant cautionary tale about excess, greed, disillusionment and elitism. The story takes place in a period of rapid urban growth in Peru when money is flowing freely allowing those who were once unable to graduate to the elite … Continue reading La Restauración A Tale Of Damnation And Redemption

Gem Of A Film

By Steven Buckner Writer/Director Tammy Minoff’s richly layered, award winning directorial debut “Limerence,” cleverly tips the scales on Hollywood’s approach to a romantic comedy. Women get to see themselves in female lead Rosemary—as complex, independent and real, breaking the stereotypes society has fed us. Limerence starts off right away as a romantic comedy with Rosemary (Tammy Minoff) who moves to Venice CA pursues a career … Continue reading Gem Of A Film

The Journey And History Of The Blond Haired Boy

By Monteque Pope-Le Beau The Amber Light Makes Its US Premiere at Santa Barbara International Film Festival Q&A With Director Adam Park To Follow Screenings   “‘As might be expected, the inspiration for this film came after a rather enlightening evening spent with Dave Broom at his home.” Director Adam Park Director Adam Park’s wonderful documentary “The Amber Light” is a story about Scottish whiskey, … Continue reading The Journey And History Of The Blond Haired Boy

Artist Artistry

By Stephan Pisko Trickling water walking over stones spraying sentimentality upon artist’s artistry gesturally with painful protuberance a famous familiarity tune shrouded within unforgeability we reminisce intensely nervously rushing with exacting standards marvelous memories felt feverishly elegant eclectic establishments surge charged sensation soars repetition serves the grandeur artistry assigns feeling it ventures through physicality on route but where? Continue reading Artist Artistry

An interview with “TRIBES” Director Nino Aldi, Producer/Actor DeStorm (day-storm) Power and Producer/Actor Jake Hunter

By: Vernon Nickerson Edited by: Christopher Roberts “Tribes” is a tremendously poignant and thought provoking film. With a rich textured story “Tribes” paints a picture of humanities complicated identity. It is the consequential poem of our times. Tribes” will be a featured short at the 2020 Santa Barbara Film Festival and The Art Of Monteque had the privilege to do a sit down interview with … Continue reading An interview with “TRIBES” Director Nino Aldi, Producer/Actor DeStorm (day-storm) Power and Producer/Actor Jake Hunter

2020 Sundance Film Festival Review Of “LITTLE CHIEF”- A Poignant Winter’s Tale

By Vernon Nickerson Ouch! That’s what many black preachers jokingly tell their congregants to shout when the sermon is directly applicable to their lives. i.e., stepping on their toes. As a second-year special education teacher at an inner-city Title 1 school, “Ouch!” was my immediate reaction to Erica Tremblay’s visually powerful short, “Little Chief”, from the first minute until the last. In too many classrooms … Continue reading 2020 Sundance Film Festival Review Of “LITTLE CHIEF”- A Poignant Winter’s Tale

LIMERENCE- Found or Lost? You Decide

    By: Vernon Nickerson, How I Found Limerence, the fun film   In the midst of a winter of interminable international crises and drama give yourself a break and go see Limerence, a Slamdance Festival feature film and the brainchild of Writer/Director/Producer/Lead Actor Tammy Minoff, The film begins by defining itself in its opening title: LIMERENCE (noun.) a state of mind which results from … Continue reading LIMERENCE- Found or Lost? You Decide

Us And Iran Were Both Wrong

By Stephan Pisko Countries’ do not care about their citizens’ Iran’s “missile mishap” is a clean cut example of this fact. Did Iran even think before they fired off (12) Russian made missiles’ that maybe possibly might just might hit a commercial airline/s? And keep in mind this is a “religiously spiritual” based country going back thousands’ of years’ I think that this was a … Continue reading Us And Iran Were Both Wrong

What To Do In The Garden In January?

By Jannie Vaught Plan first, sort seeds and decide what you need to purchase. You can still plant some cold crop plants, Asian greens, lettuce, radish, and spinach. It is also bare root fruit tree season and cane berry time. Most nurseries will begin to have fruit trees and blackberry plants in or will have them in soon. If you purchase small blackberry plants it … Continue reading What To Do In The Garden In January?

Costume Institute’s Spring 2020 Exhibition to Present a Disruptive Timeline of Fashion History

The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that The Costume Institute’s spring 2020 exhibition will be About Time: Fashion and Duration, on view from May 7 through September 7, 2020 (preceded on May 4 by The Costume Institute Benefit). Presented in The Met Fifth Avenue’s Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall, it will trace more than a century and a half of fashion, from 1870 … Continue reading Costume Institute’s Spring 2020 Exhibition to Present a Disruptive Timeline of Fashion History

Northern Banner Acquires Canadian Distribution Of 2020 Slamdance’s World Premiere Doc SHOOT TO MARRY

    Heartbroken Filmmaker Steve Markle Focuses His Camera On Women To Film A Doc And Find The Love Of His Life.   The Slamdance Film Festival will host the World Premiere of the rom-com doc Shoot To Marry, the long-awaited follow-up to Canadian filmmaker Steve Markle’s cult classic Camp Hollywood. The documentary is part of the Breakouts Selection, which showcases films by feature directors who … Continue reading Northern Banner Acquires Canadian Distribution Of 2020 Slamdance’s World Premiere Doc SHOOT TO MARRY

All Aboard for Shoot to Marry, Steve Markle’s 21st Century ‘Love Train’

By Vernon Nickerson “Love is beautiful and painful…what else is there?” Thankfully, there is also Shoot to Marry, a 2020 Slamdance Film Festival selection. Written, produced, and directed by documentarian Steve Markle, Shoot to Marry is a quirky video memoir of one man’s journey (Markle) in search of a life partner.  From a home base in Toronto, Steve introduces the audience to an array of … Continue reading All Aboard for Shoot to Marry, Steve Markle’s 21st Century ‘Love Train’

The Met Announces Celebrations for Its 150th-Anniversary Year in 2020

  The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced the key components of its 150th-anniversary celebration in 2020, including major gifts of art from around the world; exhibitions and displays that will examine art, history, and culture through spectacular objects; and dynamic programs that will engage The Met’s local and global communities. Highlights of the year include the exhibition Making The Met, 1870–2020, the opening of the … Continue reading The Met Announces Celebrations for Its 150th-Anniversary Year in 2020

Nino Aldi’s “TRIBES” World Premiere At The 2020 Santa Barbara Film Festival

TRIBES, or, what humankind might accomplish if it only had eleven minutes in a speeding subway car!   By Vernon Nickerson, TRIBES, directed by the incredibly talented Nino Aldi, is an absolute gem of an emotional roller coaster and a featured short at the 2020 Santa Barbara Film Festival. Full-disclosure, toy guns particularly and toy weapons of any kind in general were forbidden in my … Continue reading Nino Aldi’s “TRIBES” World Premiere At The 2020 Santa Barbara Film Festival

Happy 2020, Time For Garden Resolutions

By Jannie Vaught Here are a few of mine: 1. More compost and carbon in the soil. 2. Learn more about starting trees and plants from cuttings. 3. Plant thornless blackberries along fences lines for support. 4. Grow more peppers and okra! What’s on your garden list? Incorporating these as the new design unfolds. It is clear to see that my cover crop seeding has … Continue reading Happy 2020, Time For Garden Resolutions