Category: Cultural issues

Cultural issues, LGTQ

Fencesitter Films Creates a Unique Film Festival for All Shades

By Mike Szymanski All kinds of film festivals exist: those focused on vampires, or cannabis, or veganism. Filmmaker Kyle Schickner’s has dreamt for the past three decades to have a festival of movies that cater to his specific interests: telling stories that focus on women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ communities. Of course, some quite prominent individual film festivals exist for each of those, … Continue reading Fencesitter Films Creates a Unique Film Festival for All Shades

Unknown's avatarMike Szymanski
Activism, Cultural Arts, Cultural issues, History, Social Issues

The Golden Age of Hollywood: MGM Turns 100 and A Little Girl Turns 97

By Mike Szymanski (all photos by Mike except as noted) It’s a true Hollywood story. On April 19, 1935, MGM Studio chief Louis B. Mayer had a brainstorm and celebrated the joint birthdays of the studio’s youngest star Cora Sue Collins along with one of the oldest stars May Robson. It was to be a great publicity stunt with every major star on the lot … Continue reading The Golden Age of Hollywood: MGM Turns 100 and A Little Girl Turns 97

Unknown's avatarMike Szymanski
Activism, Cultural issues, Movie Review, Philosophy, Social Issues, Spirituality, The Environment

Planting ‘The Seeds of Vandana Shiva’ Will Make You See the World Differently

The Seeds of Vandana Shiva Rating: 8/10 Directors: Camilla Denton Becket and James Becket Writers: Camilla Denton Becket, James Becket and Anthony Ellison Style: Documentary Time: 1 hour 12 minutes Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/@theseedsofvandanashiva4082 Review by Mike Szymanski Few people in the world can speak pearls of wisdom all the time, and be quoted all the time, and are still saying something meaningful and important to the world. … Continue reading Planting ‘The Seeds of Vandana Shiva’ Will Make You See the World Differently

Unknown's avatarMike Szymanski
Cultural Arts, Cultural issues, Healthy Living, Movie Review

Take a Big Bite Out of ‘Love Charlie, The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter’

Love Charlie, The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter Rating: 6/10 Director and Writer: Rebecca Halpern Style: Documentary Time: 96 minutes Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2gVkngEg2M You may never have ever heard of Charlie Trotter (I know I didn’t) but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a fascinating documentary subject. He created a great deal of masterful culinary pieces of art that other great chefs rave about, but he … Continue reading Take a Big Bite Out of ‘Love Charlie, The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter’

Unknown's avatarMike Szymanski
Cultural issues, History, Movie Review, Social Issues

‘Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend’ is the Greatest Basketball Player You’ve Never Seen 

Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend Rating: 7/10 Directors and Writers: Ryan Polomski and Dean Prator Style: Documentary Time: 82 minutes Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NzNpikx070 Review by Mike Szymanski Los Angeles is definitely a city of secrets and after more than three decades here, I’m constantly finding out more about the people and potential stars that came from the city, but never made it as a household name. For example, … Continue reading ‘Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend’ is the Greatest Basketball Player You’ve Never Seen 

Unknown's avatarMike Szymanski
Cultural issues

A Message Of Hope And A Plea For Help to Save Mes Aynak

By: Director Brent E. Huffman Saving Mes Aynak is ultimately a story of hope.  This is a film that is optimistic for a better future for Afghanistan, a country plagued by over 30 years of perpetual war yet containing one of the richest cultural histories in the world. This documentary is dedicated to Afghan archaeologists, like Qadir Temori, who face constant threats from the Taliban, … Continue reading A Message Of Hope And A Plea For Help to Save Mes Aynak

Unknown's avatarMonteque
Cultural issues

“SAVING MES AYNAK” FILMMAKER PLANS GLOBAL SCREENING DAY TO STOP 5,000 YEAR-OLD BUDDHIST SITE IN AFGHANISTAN FROM DESTRUCTION

ARTEMQUIN, INDIEGOGO, AND VHX UNITE FOR INNOVATIVE DOCUMENTARY DISTRIBUTION AND ACTIVISM CAMPAIGN  In a bid to save a 5,000 year-old Buddhist archeological site by raising international pressure on a Chinese state-owned mining company, the Afghanistan government, and UNESCO, the filmmakers of Saving Mes Aynak, are launching a campaign on Indiegogo, the world’s largest crowdfunding platform. Through the campaign the documentary’s director Brent E. Huffman and documentary collective Kartemquin Films (Life Itself, Hoop Dreams) … Continue reading “SAVING MES AYNAK” FILMMAKER PLANS GLOBAL SCREENING DAY TO STOP 5,000 YEAR-OLD BUDDHIST SITE IN AFGHANISTAN FROM DESTRUCTION

Unknown's avatarMonteque
Cultural issues, Introduction to the Artist, Movie Review

“Boy Meets Girl” A Message Of Unconditional Love: A interview With Director Eric Schaeffer

By: Adrienne Vaught Edited By : Colleen Page “Boy Meets Girl” is a coming-of-age LGBT film in which Director Eric Schaeffer challenges the audience to take their preconceived ideas of the small rural American town, throw it out the window into the gutter where most preconceived notions belong. Combine that with our innate drive to belong to the society and bodies in which we are born and … Continue reading “Boy Meets Girl” A Message Of Unconditional Love: A interview With Director Eric Schaeffer

Unknown's avatarMonteque