Harboring Hearts Gala
On Thursday, November 7th, Harboring Hearts celebrated their annual highly anticipated gala. Harboring Hearts founder Michelle Javian, co-founder Yuki Kotani and Executive Director Missy Rahman welcomed 200 guests to a sold-out benefit evening to support heart patients and their families during their most critical times of need at The Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center. The special night began with a cocktail reception and silent auction, followed by dinner, an awards ceremony and live musical performances from Alex Getlin, Demi Grace and Broadway Star Antoine L. Smith.
Honorees included Emile Bacha, M.D., Maryjane Farr, M.D., Jack Copeland, M.D. and heart transplant recipient and official Portraitist of Former First Lady Michelle Obama, Amy Sherald. Dr. Jennifer Haythe spoke about her friend and colleague Dr. Farr’s tireless efforts to help heart patients throughout her career and Elizabeth Moran shared a heartfelt story on how Dr. Bacha saved her little girl. Kevin Pemberton spoke about his partner Amy Sherald’s work after Auctioneer Paul Flores encouraged attendees to raise their paddles in support of this worthy cause. Benefit Chairs Linda J. Addonizio, M.D., Ralf J Holzer, M.D., William Cherry, Robin McArthur-Murphy and Dana Jean Constantino along with Board Members Sergio Lagunes, Sheila McCaffrey, Ryan Melkonian, Jessica Melore, Hope Geier Smith and Russell G. Tisman welcomed special guests including Fashion Designer Derek Lam, Elizabeth Rosecrans and Vincent Geiss. Harboring Hearts extended a special thank you to the LiveOnNY Foundation for a game-changing grant they provided this year.
The night raised over $280,000 for Harboring Hearts, a 501 (c)(3) public charity dedicated to providing critical financial and emotional assistance for heart patients and their families. In 2008, Michelle Javian lost her father to heart disease. For two years while she was by her father’s side at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Michelle witnessed firsthand the lack of refuge and community support for heart patients and their families. Around the same time, Yuki Kotani’s father was in the same hospital, under the same surgeon, awaiting a heart transplant after years of battling heart disease. Michelle approached Yuki with the idea to create a charity to help these families and on April 10, 2009, the 1-year anniversary of Michelle’s father’s passing, Harboring Hearts received notice of their official 501c3. For more information, visit www.harboringhearts.org
Photos Credit: Jordan Rathkopf
YAGP 20th Anniversary Kick Off
Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) celebrated their 20th Anniversary Season with a cocktail party at the New York residence of Jean Shafiroff. YAGP alumni dancers attending included Kimin Kim (Mariinsky Ballet), Dylan Gutierrez (Joffrey Ballet), Sasha De Sola (San Fransisco Ballet), Angelo Greco (San Francisco Ballet), Calvin Royal III (American Ballet Theatre) as well as Mariinsky Ballet's Xander Parish,Viktoria Tereshkina, Anastasia Nuikina, Maria Khoreva, Daria Ionova, Yuri Fateev, and Joffrey Ballet's Artistic Director Ashley Wheater.
The hostess greeted her guests in a hot pink Oscar de la Renta dress. The late-night soiree followed a performance of the Balanchine Festival at City Center and went into the wee hours with dancers and ballet patrons sipping champagne around her dining table.
Guest included YAGP board members Sergey Gordeev, Suzanne Hall, Judith M. Hoffman, Christina Lyon, Linda K. Morse, Richard Osterweil, Howard Paley, Elizabeth Papadapoulos, Susan and Greg Pappajohn, and John Sills as well as Edgar Batista, Delin Bru, Valentino Carlotti, Sue Dorn, Joanna Fisher, Marjorie and Ellery Gordon, Peter Hay Halpert, Cathy Hardwick, Sharon King Hoge, Michèle Gerber Klein, Aimee Maroney, Wendy Moonan, Cole Rumbough, Sana Sabbagh, Andrew Martin Weber, and Hal J. Witt.
Youth America Grand Prix is the largest global network of dance. YAGP fulfills its mission of dance education through scholarship auditions, master classes, alumni services, performances, educational and outreach activities. 2019 is YAGP's 20th Anniversary season! Over the past 20 years the organization has provided opportunities to 80,000 dancers worldwide and have gifted talented young dancers more than $3.5 million in scholarships to leading dance schools and companies around the world.
Today, more than 10,000 young dancers – ages 9 to 19 – audition annually. 450 Youth America Grand Prix alumni are now dancing with 80 professional companies around the world. 100 of these alumni are soloists and principal dancers. The organization was founded by Larissa Saveliev, who trained at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow and toured throughout the world, before defecting to the United States in 1995.
Photo Credit: Credit: Mark Sagliocco For PMC
25th Living Landmarks Gala
On November 1, 2018, The New York Landmarks Conservancy hosted its 25th Living Landmarks celebration at The Plaza Hotel. This year’s honorees were: Christie’s Americas chairman emeritus Stephen S. Lash, garden designer Lynden B. Miller, philanthropists Liz and Jeffrey Peek, actress/dancer/singer Chita Rivera, Dr. Thomas Sculco, Publicolor founder Ruth Lande Shuman, Columbia University president Michael I. Sovern, and former MTA Chair Peter Stangl. The sold-out event raised $1.3 million.
Landmark’s president Peg Breen opened the program and introduced the evening’s master of ceremonies, himself a Living Landmark, David Patrick Columbia. Music was provided by another Living Landmark Peter Duchin and his Orchestra. Living Landmarks Arie L. Kopelman and Leonard Lauder served as Honorary Co-Chairs for the evening.
The recipient’s speeches were witty in their own way. Stephen Lash turned his into a live auction. The much-loved philanthropists Liz and Jeff Peek had the crowd in stitches with a David Letterman-style list: "The great thing about being a Living Landmark…is that it sure beats the alternative.” In a moving tribute to her life’s work, Ruth Lande Shuman accepted her award alongside three Publicolor alumni. These students were the first in their families to graduate from high school and college. Dr. Thomas Sculco received praise for giving fellow indomitable honoree Chita Rivera a hip replacement. Michael Sovern's long list of boards and charities drew applause. Peter Stangl recalled the help of Jaqueline Onassis in the restoration of Grand Central Station.
Guests who gathered to celebrate the year’s extraordinary honorees included: Renee and Robert Belfer, Stacey Bronfman, Ellie and Edgar Cullman, Jr., Mayor David Dinkins, Fe and Alessandro Fendi, Carole Bailey French and John French, Barbara and Peter Georgescu, Yaz and Valentine Hernandez, Marlene Hess and James Zirin, Louise Kerz Hirschfeld and Lewis B. Cullman, Harold Koda and Alan Kornberg, Margo Langenberg, Linda Lindenbaum, Gregor Medinger, Sylvester Miniter, Laura and John Pomerantz, Hilary and Wilbur Ross, Emilia Saint-Amand, Barbara and John Schumacher, Jeanne and Alexander Sloane, Judy Steinhardt, Elizabeth Stribling and Guy Robinson, Patsy and Jeff Tarr, Elizabeth and James Tozer, Lauren and John Veronis, Sandy and Stan Warshawsky, Sue Ann Weinberg, and Candace King Weir.
The New York Landmarks Conservancy honors distinguished New Yorkers as “Living Landmarks” for their contributions to the City. The Landmarks Conservancy is dedicated to preserving and protecting the iconic buildings and diverse neighborhoods that define this extraordinary City. It is the only private organization providing both financial and technical support in this effort.
Photos by James Salzano
Big Apple Circus
On Sunday, October 28, the Tinsley Mortimer served as a guest ringmaster for the Big Apple Circus opening night. Fellow Real Housewives of New York Stars, Dorinda Medley, Sonja Morgan, and Ramona Singer were all in attendance to support their co-star. The 43-year-old beauty were all smiles as she flawlessly entertained the crowd.
The annual Big Apple Circus is a super outing for people of all ages. If you are looking for quality entertainment in Manhattan, Big Apple Circus cannot be beat. Presented in a traditional big top located in Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park, the show is European style with a single ring surrounded by seats, so no one is more than 50 feet from the action. Even the cheapest tickets are close to the rink.
The world renowned the show featured a roster of super hero talents, including Iron woman Virginia Tuells & her husband Ihosvanys Perez in DUO FUSION, a breathtaking acrobatic act that combines dance, strength, flexibility and passion in which Virginia handles a majority of the lifts; the wildly fun SPICY CIRCUS, created by Andréanne Quintal, whose team of performers will (literally) bounce off the walls in her feisty trampoline act; THE FLYING TUNIZIANIS, a double wide trapeze act showcasing seven fliers & two catchers in addition to the quadruple somersault by Ammed Tuniziani – a feat only successfully landed by ten people in the world – alongside his wife Estefani, brothers Gamal & Dandino, and more; DESIRE OF FLIGHT, a daring and balletic dual aerial straps act; a free-standing ladder balancing act by Emil Faltyny; for the first time in America, the gravity-defying horizontal juggler Victor Moiseev; Big Apple fan- favorite Jenny Vidbel with her cute animals; and the hilarious Mark Gindick &; Adam Kuchler.
The Big Apple Circus was a charming, adrenaline-charged, surprise. Exhilarating from beginning to end. Each act will give you the chills and make you burst out with cheers and hand clapping. Every single performer and animal will grab your attention. There is never a dull moment. I cannot applaud the entire production enough. Get tickets, show up and enjoy!
Big Apple Circus is happening now in Lincoln Center, New York from October 2018- January 2019. Its a New York experience you will not want to miss out on.
The Lang Lang International Music Foundation Gala
The Lang Lang International Music Foundation (LLIMF) raised more than 1.6 million dollars at their 10th Anniversary Gala Concert Dinner in New York City on Wednesday, October 10th, funding the organization's efforts to educate, inspire, and motivate the next generation of music lovers and performers.
The world-renowned pianist and creator of the foundation, Lang Lang, played led a special performance featuring the foundation’s Young Scholars.
"I really feel that this is a good beginning. I think the next ten years will be even easier to build up," said Lang Lang. "We believe that if music just disappears from children's fundamental studies, that would be the most tragic thing...We have to inspire kids to learn music.
The gala was hosted by Golden Globe-winning actor Alec Baldwin. Baldwin, along with auctioneer George McNeely, led the foundation's 'call for cash,' drawing a flurry of donations. The evening also included special performances by three-time Grammy Award winner Wyclef Jean, twelve-time Grammy Award nominee Ledisi, and internationally acclaimed tenor Roberto Alagna.The Foundation presented a special award to Joan and Irwin Jacobs, who were honored for their contributions to classical arts.
The event was opened with a speech by Gala Chair John Paulson, who spoke about how musicians add richness to everyone's lives.
And Sandy Weill, Chairman of the Board of Directors at LLIMF, presented a special award to Joan and Irwin Jacobs, who were honored for their contributions to classical arts. In ten years, LLIMF has successfully developed music education programs benefiting children across the world including Keys of Inspiration™, 101 Pianists™, Young Scholars™ and Play It Forward™.
Keys of Inspiration™ (KOI), one of the most influential programs of the foundation, weaves rigorous, keyboard-centric musical instruction into the mandatory curriculum of selected Title 1 public schools–integrating group piano classes for grades 2-5, twice a week.
KOI started in 2013 with only two schools and 300 students. As of September 2018, it has 40 schools enrolled in the program from across the country, reaching over 16,000 students.
“Utilizing a strategic expansion plan, KOI will reach 30,000 students in 80 schools by 2020”, says chief Executive Officer of LLIMF, Leszek Barwinski-Brown.
Photo - Krista Kennell /PMC
RSVP at Arlo
New York based producers Jason Jude Hill and Daniel Sears of GrumpyFilms & Productions have created something special with RSVP at Arlo. This really sexy variety party, RSVP at Arlo, is paving the way for out-of-the-box variety shows and intimate entertainment experiences in New York City. RSVP at Arlo shows feature talent spanning an array of entertainment including music, dance, comedy, burlesque, magic, and more. The September shows were hosted by cabaret and variety show host Dale Seever with jazz band Irini Res & The Jazz Mix, burlesque performer Mandarine Moon-Fly, comedian Shalewa Sharpe, flexn dancer Kellz Zada and X Plus One, an improvised 40s scifi radio show. It’s a fast-paced, immersive show that take place in a sophisticated den-like studio at the high-end Arlo NoMad hotel in NYC - a venue which perfectly combines a chic, welcoming atmosphere with design-forward spaces for a one-of-a-kind experience that makes audience members a part of the party.
RSVP at Arlo is the hottest new event designed to switch up the typical night out with a variety of curated artists and acts. It’s a fast-paced show that take place in a sophisticated den-like studio - a perfect first date, a fun evening out with friends, or a unique event to celebrate a birthday at. Arlo NoMad naturally lends itself to creating an intimate, immersive experience for the audience through a series of performances by intriguing artists. Past performers include: Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Chaney Sims, the musical comedy duo Reformed Whores, ventriloquist Carla Rhodes, comedians Katie Hartman and Khalid Rahmaan, tap buskers Mediocre Flow, trans performer Becca Blackwell, and downtown reggae rocker Felice Rosser. As an added bonus, drink specials are available throughout the show at BARlo, serving craft cocktails in a cozy setting, and RSVP ticket holders receive 15% off pre or post show dinner at Arlo NoMad’s restaurant, MASSONI. In addition, RSVP will be releasing six $5 cushioned floor seats which make up the front row of the venue. Ticket buyers will have the option to upgrade their seats for free if capacity allows and will be notified regarding their upgrade before showtime. Games and prizes are awarded during a quick break.
I had never been to anything like RSVP at Arlo. The last time I saw a variety show was in high school, and this was so much different and so much better. It was all very chic and intimate, the perfect stop during a night out in New York City. The October shows will be hosted by comedian and actress Dara Jemmott with cellist Malcolm Parson, spoken word performers Kristine Haurna & Jen Goma, married Jewish-Palestinian comedians Jess Salomon and Eman El-Husseini, Burlesque dancer Twinky Boots, and singer/songwriter Joshua Bartholomew. If you want the chance to see some real talent and have a good laugh while in a venue that makes you feel super cool, purchase tickets for $5-35 (includes a cocktail!) here for Oct 19th at 7:30pm,Oct 19th at 10pm,Oct 20th at 7:30pm,Oct 20th at 10pm.
Photos courtesy of RSVP
Room for Tea NYC
It’s no secret that in New York, the accepted order of caffeinated beverages of choice is coffee, coke, and then, if you dare, chamomile. We’re long past the days of tea parties and parlors. The greater the concentration of caffeine, the closer you are to having the traits of a bona fide New Yorker (boisterous, hardheaded, etc) -- at least according to Malcolm Gladwell, who in his essay Java Man, outlines the characteristics of coffee vs. tea.
But Room for Tea, an exhibition on tea culture and diversity, is here to change New Yorker’s snobby, elitist attitude toward the beverage. Created by Parsons graduate Iris Xing, the exhibition features multiple interactive, immersive rooms that celebrate tea’s rich, international history.
Upon entering the exhibition, guests are welcomed into the Summer Boba Court, in which they can try their hand at catapulting pink, plastic “boba balls” into the matching basketball hoops nailed to the wall. But don’t spend all your time playing boba basketball -- you won’t want to miss the next room!
Named the Labyrinth of Tea Origin, the second room of the Room for Tea exhibit features long, winding curtains which guests must navigate in order to make it on time for the featured Japanese Tea Ceremony. Here, guests can unwind while learning about traditional Japanese tea culture, and of course, enjoying a pot of hot tea.
Directly across from the Labyrinth of Tea Origin is the room celebrating Japanese Matcha Culture, which features beautiful paper lanterns and cherry blossom petals! It was almost my favorite room in the exhibit, but in the end, I have to give it to The Milk Tea Metropolis Room, which takes up the entirety of the second floor.
The Milk Tea Metropolis room is dedicated to milk tea culture in Hong Kong, where milk tea became popular after it was introduced by the British. Designed in true Hong Kong style, the room features plenty of vibrant neon signs, as well as subtle references to popular Hong Kong culture: keep an eye out for the pineapple can from Chungking Express!
Tea lover or not, there’s a lot to learn from the Room for Tea exhibition, as well as plenty of samples to change your mind! And as an added bonus, all proceeds from the pop-up will go towards the Trees for the Future Forest Garden program. So be sure to check out the exhibit! Room For Tea, located at 371 Broadway, is currently open, and will officially close on September 22nd. For more information, visit https://www.roomforteanyc.com/, or their instagram, @roomforteanyc.
Dream Machine
If you’re looking for an escape from reality, look no further than Dream Machine.
A nine-room immersive art installation in Williamsburg, Dream Machine is designed to walk you through different common dreams.
You start by walking through a room of clouds, a room of bubbles filled with smoke, and the dream begins. Each room is a simulation of a different themed dream. There is a black and white room for those who only dream in black and white, and an ocean-blue ball pit for those who dream of being underwater.
My favorite part of the Dream Machine experience happened after I stopped to take a few pictures in the trippy laundromat, where you are given cotton candy. Before my group and I left, one of the workers suddenly stopped us and said “Hey, let me show you something cool.”
She opened a secret door that led to what they call the “Infinity Room”. The Infinity room is a mirrored room with tons of hanging lights designed to make you feel like you transported to outer space. It was incredible.
The rainbow hall is the perfect spot to take photos for Instagram. The entire exhibit is an Instagram jackpot, but this hallway had everyone stopped and posing. The hall changes colors, offering tons of opportunities for the best lighting possible.
After exploring the jungle room, you walk through a hall of shiny, metallic strings and the dream ends. The experience is designed to take about 45 minutes, but with all the stopping for pictures, plan on spending some more time. With a ticket price of $38, you get your money's worth.
Visit Dream Machine by clicking here. Dream Machine closes July 29th.
Taste of Bushwick
On the evening of Tuesday, June 12th, crowds of people gathered at the concert venue Brooklyn Steel for a showcase of Bushwick’s vibrant culinary scene. The event celebrated the 5th annual Taste of Bushwick, which provided relief for those struggling to keep up with the new bars and restaurants opening everyday in Bushwick. The highly anticipated tasting festival has become one of Brooklyn's premier culinary events.
This year’s tasting has come a long way from its humble beginnings in 2014, which featured 12 vendors and 200 people in attendance. The 5th annual Taste of Bushwick is the biggest yet and has nearly tripled in size since the first, with an attendance of over 1,000 people.
The event prides itself on celebrating the diverse flavors of the neighborhood, with more than four dozen Bushwick restaurants, bars, and shops, all featuring food and people of different backgrounds. Some of Bushwick’s most renowned culinary institutions convened at the outdoor space to rejoice the neighborhood’s active gastronomic life while offering tastes of their food and drink. All proceeds from the event benefit the upcoming 2017-18 season of theater, dance, puppetry, and performance at the neighborhood’s Obie Award-winning, non-profit theater The Bushwick Starr, located at 207 Starr Street.
Participants included: Archie's Bar + Pizza, Blue Bottle Coffee, Boar's Head, Braven Brewing Company, Brooklyn Cider House, Brooklyn Whiskers Bakery, Bruce Cost Ginger Ale, Bushwick Food Cooperative, Bushwick Grind, Cape House, City Bear BK, Elisa's Love Bites Dessert Atelier, Faro, FINE & RAW chocolate factory, Forrest Point, Foster Sundry, Guadalupe Inn Brooklyn, Brooklyn's House of Kava, House of YES, Interboro NYC, Irving Bottle Wine Shop, Kings County Brewers Collective, L'imprimerie, Lucy's Vietnamese Kitchen, Maite Bushwick, Mominette Bistro, OddFellows Ice Cream Co., Owney's NYC Rum by Owney's Rum, Precious Metal, Queen of Falafel, Sally Roots, The Sampler, Sea Wolf Brooklyn, Sey Coffee, Tito's Handmade Vodka, The Wandering Barman, Tony's Pizzeria & Restaurant, Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos, and The Wheelhouse
With spectacular fare, live music, and strong drinks, it is safe to say that everyone had an extraordinary time. It was the perfect summer night out.
Photos by Francisco Bravo
The Brooklyn Film Festival - Are You Glad I'm Here
Wednesday, May 30th. I meet with director Noor Fay at Amber, a sushi restaurant on West 70th street, to discuss her first feature film: Are You Glad I’m Here, recent winner of Best Original Score and Best Feature Narrative at the Brooklyn Film Festival. Having watched the film myself the night before, I’m excited for the chance to pick her brain: where did the idea for the film come from? What was the production process like? Noor answers my questions with ease. She tells me of her Lebanese heritage, and her screenwriter, Sam Anderson’s, studies in Arabic. We discuss the difficulties of filming on a low budget, of finding the perfect cast, and the skill required to bring the soft, specific beauty of the Lebanese countryside to the screen. I tell Noor that I expected the movie to end with her two female leads intertwined in a sexual relationship, and she laughs.
“Yeah, I guess I can see why you’d think that.”
Are You Glad I’m Here is in no way a sexual movie -- it’s refreshing, I realize, to have a drama about a female friendship where there’s no sexual undertone. There is, however, plenty of violence -- at first easy to ignore, like static background music, but then sharp and spiked -- gasps of forte after an entire composition in piano.
The movie opens on Kirsten (Tess Harrison), a young American teaching abroad in Lebanon. She’s at once identifiable as that liberal arts educated expat -- someone with a sense of higher morality who has adopted their own standards of right and wrong: stealing is acceptable, but domestic abuse? Not at all. Her character in is direct contrast to Nadine, played by Marwa Khalil. Unlike Kirsten, Nadine lives by the standards set by her society. She despises her husband, his wandering eye and his violent outbursts, but her fear of shame is greater than her desire for freedom.
Nevertheless, the two women find themselves slipping into an easy friendship. There are several scenes dedicated to the pair laughing, bonding over shared senses of humor and shared bottles of wine, seemingly ignoring the deeper troubles that plague them. This all comes to a head, however, when Nadine, in an act of self defense, strikes and kills her husband in front of a shell-shocked Kirsten.
From then on, there is a drastic shift in the tone and styling of the movie -- so much so that the second half of the film reads like a sequel to the first. Kirsten is on the verge of irrelevance -- the focus is instead on Nadine, dealing with the physical aftermath of her actions, hiding her secret from her family, and navigating how to break the death of her husband to her son.
But the lack of Kirsten is made up for with Nadine’s family. Their dynamic with her is full and beautiful -- the words Nadine exchanges with her brother are near poetic, benefiting from the pleasing sound of Arabic. It’s a relief when they are not revealed to be the tyrants we fear -- we are reassured that Nadine is now in good hands, capable of facing the future with them by her side.
It’s true that Are You Glad I’m Here has flaws -- ones that can’t be compensated for with stylish cinematography or interesting shots. Nonetheless, its ability to blend two cultures and languages into a cohesive, compelling movie, not to mention the clear passion and hard work behind it, makes the film worth a watch. But feel free to decide for yourself: check out the trailer below, or visit the film’s instagram page: @areyougladimhere.
The Ucross Foundation Gala
The Ucross Foundation hosted its inaugural New York Gala & Awards Dinner last night at The Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The night was filled with performances and readings by notable award-winning artists, all Ucross alumni, including Ricky Ian Gordon (Grapes of Wrath, opera), Steven Lutvak (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), bestselling author Tayari Jones, author and Vanity Fair contributor Elissa Schappell, composer/pianist Dylan Mattingly, trumpeter Frank London, and singer-songwriter Kate Schutt. Special guests included Broadway stars Laura Benanti and Nancy Anderson. A collection of artwork from Ucross visual artist alumni was on display and available for purchase. The emcee was former journalist and current film and television screenwriter William "Bill" Broyles.
At the heart of the evening was the presentation of the Ucross Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts, which was presented to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Proulx by the editor of The New Yorker, David Remnick. Proulx is widely recognized for many of her literary works, notably Brokeback Mountain, which was first published in The New Yorker in 1997. Remnick noted The New Yorker’s long history with Proulx stating, “It’s always been a privilege to publish Annie’s work in The New Yorker and it’s a privilege to take part in this ceremony tonight.”
In the early stages of her writing career, Ucross granted Proulx the solitude and inspiration to become a literary legend. She acknowledged the impact and continuing growth of the Ucross residency stating, “I have watched Ucross grow from a remote place that offered a few writers and artists shelter and solitude become a highly regarded and important resource for creative people: writers, painters, filmmakers, sculptures, all the rest. Ucross has developed real clout in the intellectual ethos of this country and beyond. What happens in this little corner of Wyoming matters to the way we all think, see and interpret the world and ultimately how we solve our problems.”
The evening began with a cocktail hour featuring a visual arts exhibit and sale by Ucross alumni. One of the paintings, by artist Pamela Talese, was presented as a gift to philanthropists Jesse and Cathy Marion, who received the Outstanding Patron of the Arts Award. All the works in the exhibit may be viewed here.
Philip Himberg, Artistic Director of the Sundance Institute Theatre Program was also honored last night with the Outstanding Creative Partnership Award for his years of collaboration with Ucross.
About Ucross Foundation
Located in northeast Wyoming in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains, Ucross Foundation fosters the creative spirit of deeply committed artists and groups by providing uninterrupted time, studio space, living accommodations, and the experience of the majestic High Plains, while serving as a good steward of its 20,000-acre ranch. Residencies are awarded to nearly one hundred artists each year. Ten artists are in residence at one time, typically a mix of four visual artists, four writers and two composers.
Since its establishment in 1981, Ucross has provided over 2,000 residencies to writers, visual artists, and composers, including such distinguished fellows as Annie Proulx, Terry Tempest Williams, Colson Whitehead, Elizabeth Gilbert, Ann Patchett, Ricky Ian Gordon, Bill Morrison, Theaster Gates, Anthony Hernandez, and recent Academy Award and Tony winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Other Ucross national partners include the Sundance Institute Theatre Program, the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts, the Pew Fellowships in the Arts, the Alliance of Artist Communities, and the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Fiction. The Ucross Foundation Art Gallery is a significant cultural resource for surrounding communities and beyond. For further information, visit
Photo credit: Jared Siskin/PMC via Getty Images.
Publicolor's SS+R 2018
Publicolor celebrated its 22nd Anniversary at their annual gala, Stir Splatter + Roll on April 23 at the Metropolitan Pavilion. The evening’s colorful cocktail hour began at 6pm with 18 painting stations where guests participated with some of NYC’s leading artists, designers, and architects to create customized works of art.
Publicolor honored longtime supporter Chris Ward (AECOM VP and CEO, Metro New York, and former Executive Director of Port Authority), who attended with his family, along with groundbreaking composer Philip Glass, with the Catalyst for Change Award who performed at the benefit.
While working from the Port Authority, Ward was instrumental to secure Publicolor's 2002 community revitalization project, The Painted Promenade. Students in the Publicolor program, from high schools across the City, painted a bridge on West 39th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues in sunshine yellow and turquoise blue. Sixteen years later, the colorfully painted walls have become a fixture in Hell's Kitchen (and the backdrop to the famed Hell's Kitchen Flea Market), thanks to Ward.
“It's always a joy to celebrate our students who are succeeding despite the enormous challenges of poverty- homelessness, food insecurity, lack of good role models or advocates, neglect," said Ruth Lande Shuman, President of Publicolor. "They are realizing their potential - graduating high school, graduating college, and giving back to their communities by painting joy, respect, dignity and safety in under-resourced neighborhood facilities like health clinics, shelters, childcare centers, and community centers. They inspire us every day!”
The event’s master of ceremonies was Publicolor’s longtime supporter, Jeffrey Banks. The evening's live auction was led by Christie's Lydia Fenet.
Guests included: Sarah Billstein, Chuck Close, Paige Davis, Frederick Doner, Barbara Flood, Jim Gutmann, Chloe Gutmann, Boo Grace, Joan Hornig, Steve Kohn, Gene Kohn,Julia Lescarbeau, Takaaki Matsumoto and Julie Matsumoto, Andrea Marcucci, Nicole Miller, Lori Parkinson, Monica parekh and Deven Parekh, Rosa Pietanza, Alex and Michael Shuman, Andrew Oshrin with children Sophia Oshrin and William Oshrin, Leckie Roberts, Tziporah Salamon, Suzanne Scott, Jamie Singer, Robert Soros, Suzanne Tick, John Williams, John Ward, Kate Ward, Pam Ward, Doug Wilson.
Painting Team Leaders included Jon Otis + Diane Barnes; Rob Rogers, FAIA + Alissa Bucher; Henry Myerberg; Rainey Day Erwin; D. Pearson Feinn; Paul Haigh; Joan Hornig; Takaaki Matsumoto; Nicole Miller; Milly; Paul Aferiat + Peter Stamberg; Tucker Viemeister; Dan Walsh; Doug Wilson; Vicente Wolf; Saya J. Woolfalk, and Gerard Yosca.
The Silent Auction items included the Albers Foundation, Jane Benson, Ross Bleckner, Dana Bronfman, Christo, Chuck Close, Paolo Costagli, Mark Di Suvero, Michele Oka Doner, Rainey Day Erwin, D. Pearson Feinn, Tom Geismar, Gensler, Philip Glass, Paul Haigh, Michael Hambouz, Joan Hornig, Rashid Johnson, Maira Kalman, Gene Kohn, Michael Kors, LIVE with Kelly and Ryan, Arielle Tepper Madover, Takaaki Matsumoto, Stacey Mayrock, John Morning, the LeRoy Neiman Foundation, Gaetano Pesce, Karim Rashid, Laurie Simmons, Swoon, Union Square Hospitality Group, Dan Walsh, “WhatShouldWeDo?!”, Kehinde Wiley, and Sonya Winner.
PUBLICOLOR BY NUMBERS Unlike many other youth organizations that focus on high-achieving, low-income students, Publicolor deliberately focuses on low-income students who are at high risk of dropping out of school. Publicolor’s project-based learning model succeeds in engaging them in their education and empowers them with skills for success in school, work, and life despite many challenges of poverty.
ABOUT PUBLICOLOR’S FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF PUBLICOLOR RUTH LANDE SHUMAN:
A dynamic and passionate innovator, Ruth Lande Shuman is an award-winning industrial designer and Founder/President of Publicolor. Ms. Shuman has been deeply committed to community- based volunteer work for over thirty years, most notably as a founding trustee of the Big Apple Circus, where she served as Trustee Emerita. She was also a board member of the Wiltwyck school’s union-free school, a board member of the Rowena Reed Kostellow Fund at Pratt Institute, a board member of The Kitchen, and was the Mayor’s representative to the board of the Museum of Art & Design in New York City. Ms. Shuman founded Publicolor in 1996 to use color, collaboration, design, and the discipline of the commercial painting to engage at- risk students in their education, targeting the most underserved communities, most underperforming schools and most seriously disadvantaged middle and high school students. Most recently, Ms. Shuman has been recognized by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) as an Honorary Fellow and also named a “Living Landmark” by the New York Landmarks Conservancy.
ABOUT PUBLICOLOR:
Publicolor fights poverty by aggressively addressing the alarming dropout rate and low levels of educational attainment and youth employment in New York City. They do this by engaging high- risk students, ages 12-24, in a long-term continuum of intensive, multi-day, design-based programs to encourage academic achievement, community service, college preparation and job readiness. Their unique applied learning approach uses design and design thinking as vehicles to engage, stimulate and inspire at-risk, low-performing students in our city’s struggling middle and high schools, empowering them to achieve success in school, college, career and life. For more information about Publicolor, go to: http://publicolor.org/
Photos by Annie Watt
Tribeca Film Festival - TIME'S UP and Natalie Dormer
The eleventh day of the 17th Tribeca Film Festival presented by AT&T collaborated with TIME’S UP to host the Day of Conversation and Action, which featured conversations with a range of women who are playing a pivotal role in raising awareness about inequality in the workplace. Activists, storytellers, business leaders, filmmakers, lawyers, media figures, and more shared their stories. Highlights included:
· Julianne Moore and Jurnee Smollett-Bell opened the day by introducing TIME’S UP with Moore saying that "our understanding of what’s acceptable has been skewed by what is normalized by society,” and calling for change.
· Saru Jayaraman (co-founder of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United) detailed the rampant sexual harassment in the restaurant industry and demanded action.
· Sienna Miller introduced the panel, "A New Direction: Behind the Lens" with female filmmakers, and said, "[we're] not just wives and girlfriends in life...it's on all of us to pave the path and help stories be told."
· Former NFL player and advocate Wade Davis talked about the importance of starting the conversations around sexuality and sexual assault early.
· Lupita Nyong’o, Cynthia Erivo, Mira Sorvino and Amber Tamblyn talked about the roles women are cast in, the importance of telling rich stories on screen, and the impact of portraying powerful female characters in film. Erivo said, "I’m trying to make people aware that we have a choice in the way we are perceived. I see myself differently and I want that to help other young ladies get the permission to also see themselves differently."
· Marisa Tomei talked about the impact of - and introduced - the TIME'S UP Legal Defense Fund, who discussed legal wins.
· Mariska Hargitay introduced a panel about "Activism Through the Ages" during which Robin Morgan fired up the audience and also got them laughing, saying, "the women’s movement is the most fun you can have sitting up."
· Ashley Judd shared a personal letter about the fortitude it has taken and the personal empowerment she has experienced as a survivor.
· The event concluded with a speech from the CMO of TIME'S UP and a performance from the Resistance Revival Chorus.
Elsewhere at the Festival, Natalie Dormer was joined by Director Larysa Kondracki and executive producer Jo Porter for the North American premiere of their new series Picnic at Hanging Rock, a reimagining of the 1975 film. During a panel after the screening, speaking about her character, Hester Appleyard, and other characters she has chosen to play in her career, Dormer said she is attracted to “complicated women” more so than strong women. Appleyard in particular she describes as one of the most complicated, and someone who “really needs to go to therapy”. She also spoke about her hesitance ahead of taking the role, saying, “I’m not doing another corset job” before being blown away by a phone conversation with the writer.
Director Haifaa al-Mansour producer Amy Baer, and actor Douglas Booth were greeted by fans on the red carpet at BMCC for the US premiere of their new film Mary Shelley. The film tells the story of a young Mary Wollstonecraft (Elle Fanning) as she embarks on a whirlwind romance which leads her to invent one of the most iconic horror stories of all time, before she’s even 20 years old.
Laura Poitras, director of Citizenfour, The Oath, and My Country, My Country, participated in a Tribeca Talks conversation today moderated by Sheila Nevins, former president of HBO Documentary Films. Both power women admitted that they were both “mutually intimated” by each other. Nevins praised Poitras’ bravery jokingly asking her if she was “medicated in anyway or if is it natural courage.” Other topics they spoke about were the #metoo movement, the future of streaming platform, and what drew them to documentaries. Nevins even made the statement “if anyone can change the world with a documentary, it would be Laura.”
Nebraska natives Alexander Payne and Dick Cavett took part in the Tribeca Talks: Directors series today. The two traded stories about some of the most prolific actors they’ve worked with throughout their careers, including Jack Nicholson, Mike Nichols, Marlon Brando, and George Clooney, who Payne worked with on 2011’s The Descendants. Speaking about fame, Payne told a story about how Clooney’s Kentucky town approached him about naming a street after him. When they asked what street name they should change to “George Clooney Boulevard,” instead of choosing Main Street, Clooney asked “where does so and so live,” referring to his former bully. That way, Clooney’s former bully would have “George Clooney Blvd” on his driver’s license and every time he writes a check.
Closing night featured the first part of Showtime’s new four-part documentary The Fourth Estate which gives an inside look at The New York Times as they track Trump’s first year in office. Ann Curry moderated a conversation after the screening with The New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet, Washington Bureau Chief Elisabeth Bumiller, White House Correspondent Julie Davis, Washington Investigative Correspondent Mark Mazzetti, director Liz Garbus, and producer Jenny Carchman. Curry noted the term “embedded” in journalism is usually associated with the military, but after seeing this film it does seem that they are in a “war for figuring out what’s truth” during this “unpredictable presidency.” Speaking of Trump, Bumiller responded “he says three different things in the same day, so you do the best you can” which triggered laughter from the audience. The panel then spoke about how Trump and the media have a strained relationship. Garber explained that once “Hillary Clinton [was done being] his main punching bag, it became the press.” Davis said they are “always vetting” their information while Baquet added that the press must cover “aggressive and fair.” Davis noted for this project they made it a point to film the journalists in their homes to show they are “full people, not just by-lines or talking heads” and while filming in the newsroom, Garber said the crew worked with them to “protect their sources and make them feel more comfortable to let us in.”
Tribeca Film Festival - Jordans, Viola Davis
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Social media stars were in attendance at the world premiere of The American Meme, a documentary that follows the journey of four social media disruptors including Paris Hilton, Josh Ostrovsky (@TheFatJew), Brittany Furlan, and Kirill Bichutsky (@slutwhisperer). Other stars who came out to support the cast included Hailey Baldwin, Nicky Hilton and husband James Rothschild, Brittany’s fiance Tommy Lee and more.
On the red carpet, The Fat Jew was showing off the tattoo he got of Paris Hilton’s signature on his arm. Also, Paris Hilton brought her own light to brighten up her interviews on the red carpet.
Real-life husband and wife Julius Tennon and Viola Davis were on hand at the premiere of their new ABC docu series The Last Defense, in which they serve as executive producers. The emotional series exposes flaws in the American justice system through in-depth examinations of death row cases.
During a panel following the screening, Davis referred to James Baldwin’s quote about loving America and reserving the right to criticize it before giving her greatest criticism of the country, one about the criminal justice system. She talked about how our country gives us the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but it does not do a good enough job defending that right through the criminal justice system. She went on to talk about the advice she gives her daughter: “I tell my daughter everyday life isn’t fair,” but shared her thoughts that, “in the criminal justice system, it has to be fair.”
Fat Joe, Kid Ink, and Gizzle hyped up the crowd at the end of the night with a musical performance following the world premiere of Dexton Deboree’s new documentary Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1 about the creation of the Air Jordan and how it launched the sneaker craze and intersected with music, sports, celebrity, and sociopolitical issues. It features interviews with Spike Lee, Jason Sudeikis, and Michael Jordan. All talent walking the carpet showed up wearing their favorite pair of AJ1s including Deboree who showed up in a pair of red and blacks to match the red carpet.
Photos Courtesy of SunshineSachs
Nello Petrucci: The Pompeii Collection
In Ancient Greek, “Καιρός,”(kairos) is defined as a critical moment in time. It therefore is the perfect name for the newest artistic project created by Italian artist, Nello Petrucci. Presented at the ArtExpo in New York City this past weekend, the “Pompeii” Collection pays homage to Petrucci’s origins and current residence: Pompeii, Italy. The collection also included elements of the ancient artwork that was originally located inside the ruins of the early Pompeii homes.
“Nello and I are from Pompeii,” said Giovanni Boccia, the CEO of Contemply Art Gallery, who also represents Nello Petrucci’s work. “Millions and millions of people come from around the world to visit Pompeii and see the ruins of the city which were caused by the volcano.” Pompeii, a city which was once considered one of the most technologically and culturally advanced cities in the world, was vaporized by Mount Vesuvius, a volcano near the Bay of Naples in 79 A.D. . The catastrophe resulted in the deaths of thousands , as well as loss and damage of artifacts. However, the millions of tons of volcanic ash acted as a marvelous preservative; underneath all that dust were artworks that were once displayed in the Roman city homes. The city of Pompeii and its rich history allow millions of current residents and visitors to witness the marvelous art first-hand. However, as the official records were erased, the names of the artist artists remain unknown.
The mystery of who is the mastermind behind the most fascinating pieces created in humanity’s time served as the point of origin for Petrucci’s project. “In Greece, for example, you know about this culture and you know who made it; we know the names of the artists. But in the ancient times, such as during Pompeii, there is no artist. We do not know who the artist was. There were no names behind these paintings,” said Petrucci. “I wanted to know who the artist was and that was the start of my project. I had a very big task of taking the work from the past and incorporating it into my work with my technique, with my style, and with my identity.” Therefore, the Pompeii project was born.
During his research, Petrucci noticed one gripping detail: the faces, bodies, and lifestyle depicted in the works of Pompeii’s artists have not changed from 2,000 years ago. “If you study [the paintings], you will see that they're completely modern,” said Petrucci. “We brought everything from the ancient times. Nothing has really changed. The technology changed, but nothing else has. The concepts remain the same. Pompeii gives you expression and style of life. In the modern world, you can send a text, but back then it was graffiti. I want to know about the past. Because life is the same. It's just a different time. But life has remained the same as 2,000 years ago.”
With the idea of ancient, yet, contemporary, as well with the aim to preserve the historical elements and add the “Petrucci touch,” it took Nello Petrucci two years to complete the Pompeii collection. The main challenge faced by Petrucci was how to bring the unknown attributes of Pompeii and its artists onto the world stage, while incorporating his own philosophy into the work. “Nello wanted to do something for these artists. He wanted to attribute them by bringing the artworks from the inside of Pompeii to the rest of the world,” said Boccia. “It is strange because the connection is very beautiful, these paintings come back, but they come back with the name of Nello Petrucci. All people in the world can now share how amazing and how beautiful these artworks are. But now they have a name on them: Nello Petrucci.”
The Pompeii Collection is indeed a rare piece of art magic. Prior to fully devoting his time to art, Petrucci also attended a film school, and worked as a set designer, actor, and cameraman. The artist starred in the film, The Fallen, while also working with Martin Scorsese on the New York classic-The Gangs of New York. The mixture of creative directions resulted in Petrucci using movie posters as a base for all of his paintings. He purchases original movie posters, tears them down, and begins to work with layers by adding two additional posters or images, followed by marvelous strokes of paint. To finalize his artwork, Petrucci adds photos of the Pompeii paintings on the surface, fusing them with the rest of the piece.
Petrucci’s work is truly remarkable and unique. “I met Nello and I thought to myself, ‘I need to take you into my team. I am crazy about your artwork.’ He's a true artist,” said Boccia. “Sometimes you see some artists who do something because they think, ‘Well I just want to make a painting that will sell my work. I know that if I make something really important then I will become famous.’ Nello is totally crazy for the art itself. Just look at his work.”
Indeed, Petrucci’s art captivates. It certainly speaks to the name of “Καιρός,” because Petrucci takes the past and the present and blends it to create the right moment in time. The subjects in his paintings are all drastically different and yet somehow, Petrucci draws a comparison between the women of Pompeii and the actresses on the poster layered underneath. It reaches an extent when any individual looking at Petrucci’s work begins to question if they might look like the subjects depicted. “Change the photography, change the makeup, change the outfit,” said Petrucci. “You will realize: it is all the same.”
If you are interested in purchasing artworks from Nello Petrucci’s collections, including the “Pompeii” Collection, visit http://www.nellopetrucci.com/home_en.php and https://www.contemply.com for more information.
Tribeca Film Festival - McQueen, Jamie Foxx
Fashion elite came out for the premiere of McQueen, where Janet McQueen attended the screening which celebrates her late brother. Other attendees included Chloe Wise and Vanity Fair’s Amy Fine Collins. Later in the evening, Chloe Grace Moretz and Sasha Lane goofed off on the carpet of their film The Miseducation of Cameron Post which centers around a teenage girl who is forced into a gay conversion therapy center by her conservative guardians.
The Crown’s Matt Smith joined sibling co-producers Eliza Dushku and Nathaniel Dushku at the world premiere of Mapplethorpe. Marianne Rendon also took on the red carpet and was supported by her Imposters co-star Inbar Lavi.
Sarah Jessica Parker supported husband Matthew Broderick, who was on the carpet for his film To Dust. The couple was joined by another husband and wife duo and producers of the film, Alessandro Nivola and Emily Mortimer who paused for a moment for a family photo on the carpet with their two boys. Additionally, producer Ron Perlman joined the cast on the carpet.
Cast member Mary Elizabeth Winstead brought Ewan McGregor as her date to the premiere of All About Nina. He snapped pictures of her as she completed interviews on the carpet. Other cast members in attendance included Common, Pam Murphy, and Grace Shen.
Noam Galai/Getty Images
The Tribeca Film Festival also expanded to a new space with a panel about ESPN’s 30 for 30 Podcasts and their first serialized season which debuts this spring and focuses on the founder of Bikram Yoga, Bikram Choudhury. Bikram’s producer Julia Lowrie Henderson and host/editor Jody Avirgan lead a conversation about the intricacy of creating a podcast and touched upon the controversy surrounding Choudhury who currently has warrants out for his arrest as well as where the yoga community stands today.
Andrew Toth/Getty Images
Jamie Foxx invited select audience members on stage to dance with him as they posed questions during his Tribeca Talks: Storytellers panel. Throughout the session, Foxx kept the crowd on their toes as he peppered in spontaneous moments by bursting out into songs or doing impressions of other stars such as Puff Daddy, Wesley Snipes, Jim Carrey, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Pharrell, Denzel Washington, Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, and Sidney Poitier.
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
A pregnant Rachel Weisz hit the carpet of her premiere for Disobedience and looked radiant in Chloe. She was joined by fellow cast mates Rachel McAdams, making her first appearance since becoming a new mom herself, and Alessandro Nivola, who brought his wife Emily Mortimer as his date. During the introduction director Sebastián Lelio, fresh off his oscar win for best foreign language film for A Fantastic Woman, noted that this was his first english language film before calling on stage his Holy trinity of McAdams, Weisz, and Nivola - for his Jewish Orthodox lesbian love story!
Photo Credit: Getty Images for Tribeca / Theo Wargo
Alec Baldwin and Spike Lee participated in a Tribeca Talks panel together. Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria Baldwin, was in attendance to support. An audience member asked Lee for his thoughts on the box-office hit Black Panther; he went on to share that he saw it four times and it “changed everything.” The audience then broke out in applause and cheers when Baldwin prompted “well, wait a minute, we’re in a world now that focuses on inclusion, don’t you want to ask me what I thought of Black Panther?”
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Kevin Bacon stopped by the New York City premiere of Studio 54 to support his sister, Karin Bacon who is part of the cast for the documentary about the rise and catastrophic fall of the legendary Manhattan night spot.
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Tribeca also connected the past with the present at the premiere of Cobra Kai, an all-new series that reunites the adversaries from the iconic film franchise The Karate Kid. Fans were ecstatic to see Ralph Macchio and William Zabka together again. During the talk after the screening, Macchio shared he has been hesitant of any reboots or reunions and has been protective of the material for so long to not “taint the legacy” but knows you “got to trust the storyteller and the filmmakers.”
Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal posed for photos with the filmmakers and cast of Nigerian Prince at their premiere screening. The film is the first winner of AT&T’s Untold Stories program, an initiative to support filmmakers that are underrepresented in the industry. The director, Faraday Okoro, received a $1 million grant last year from AT&T to produce his film.
Photos courtesy of SunshineSachs
Glimmerglass Gala
On April 8th, 2018, the Glimmerglass Festival hosted its annual gala at the Metropolitan Club on East 60th Street to honor Leonard Bernstein’s and Jerome Robbin’s centenaries, the Festival’s 2018 production of West Side Story, and the 30th anniversary of the Glimmerglass Young Artists Program.
Members of the Glimmerglass Young Artists Program performing the mambo scene from this season’s musical West Side Story.
The Glimmerglass Festival is an seasonal event that blends high class opera with laid back summer style. Each summer, the company produces more than forty operas, ranging from new to well known, in the quaint community of Cooperstown, New York. But the festival is not just a celebration of opera -- despite being the second largest producer of opera in New York State (after the Metropolitan Opera), the festival also hosts concerts by celebrity guests, literary lectures and events, and, most importantly, serves as a training ground for young artists hoping to enter the world of theatre production.
Guests mingling in the Great Hall at the Metropolitan Club, New York
Many of these young artists were in attendance at the Gala, which started off with a cocktail hour at six o'clock sharp. Guests, patrons and artists mingled for the entirety of the hour before the performance began at seven -- and what a performance it was, featuring the work of some of Glimmerglass own artists, a serencade from famed opera singer Eric Owens, and the dancers from West Side Story.
Robert Nelson, Margarita Sears, Van Ramsey, Moira North
Following the performance was a delicious dinner and then dessert, which was accompanied with a set from the Peter Duchin Orchestra. Guests swayed and danced to the music, ending the night on a particularly classy note.
Kelley Rourke, Kevin Puts
So if you’re looking for a cultured way to spend the summer, be sure check out the Glimmerglass Festival
Courtesy of Ruby Tull for the photos!
Tribeca Film Festival - Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, and Tribeca Cinema360
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival
On April 22, Robert De Niro sat down with Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper for a Tribeca Talk: Storytellers to discuss Cooper’s career focusing on their past work together including Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, Joy and Limitless. During the talk, Cooper credits De Niro for “changing his life” and “impacting him in a way that he never even knew.” Additionally, Director David O. Russell made a surprise appearance to discuss their past work together including Jennifer Lawrence’s favorite moment from Silver Linings Playbook where De Niro as Cooper’s father calls him a loser. He also reminisced on a story when he first met De Niro with Joe Pesce who said, “You’re going to find out when you hang out with this guy, that if you don't give him what to say, he’s not going to say anything.”
Another point of discussion was focused on Cooper’s upcoming directorial debut, a modern adaptation of A Star is Born, which he also produced, co-wrote, and stars in alongside Lady Gaga. Cooper goes on to say how he prepared for the role which included spending a year and a half taking vocal lessons and singing at major music festivals including Stagecoach and Glastonbury.
Cooper shared a touching story on how he met De Niro right as his dad became ill; his father soon after passed away in between Limitless and Silver Linings Playbook and the actors’ experience playing father and son was the reason they grew so close. He explained: “I got to say the word ‘dad’ all the time after my dad passed away, and I got to say it to you.”
You can view the talk here.
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Brent Hodge discussed his new film Freaks and Geeks: The Documentary with the creator of the original television series, Paul Feig, who shared that Seth Rogen only auditioned one time to join the cast. Feig is happy the cult hit, which catapulted Jason Segal, Busy Phillips and many others, has maintained its popularity and Hodge added “it’s lasted because of how honest it is.” Feig joked: “A lot of people are embarassed of their old stuff but everyone was still honored they are a part of the show.”
The Animated Shorts Curated by Whoopi G red carpet was full of smiles as the creators were joined by Whoopi Goldberg who posed for photos with the group. Tara Lipinski was on hand to support her husband Todd Kapostasy who produced a film in the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival: Sports Shorts, Sponsored by Mohegan Sun.
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Director Nia Costa answered with surprise, “Me?!” to fans calling her name outside the red carpet right before stars Tessa Thompson and Lily James met her for the world premiere of Little Woods. And showing support for their daughter Katherine Waterston were parents Sam Waterston and Lynn Louisa at the world premiere of State Like Sleep. Also in attendance were director Meredith Danluck and stars Michael Shannon and Michiel Huisman.
Director Marianna Palka and cast members Christina Hendricks, Alysia Reiner, David Alan Basche, and Gbenga Akinnagbe walked the carpet for the world premiere of their film Egg. Ansel Elgort was joined by girlfriend Violetta Komyshan and co-star Suki Waterhouse for the world premiere of his sci-fi drama Jonathan. Members from the cast of The Seagull attended the world premiere of the film at including Annette Bening, Corey Stoll, Michael Zegen, Billy Howle, Brian Dennehy, Jon Tenney, Mare Winningham, Glenn Fleshler and Dana Delany. Also in attendance was Director Michael Mayer, Producer Tom Hulce as well as friend and special guest Alec Baldwin.
The Festival’s centerpiece gala Zoe was celebrated by cast members Ewan McGregor, Léa Seydoux, Matthew Gruber, and Director Drake Doremus who attended the world premiere of their recently acquired Amazon Prime film.
The Tribeca Film Festival took a musical turn with Bathtubs Over Broadway, that follows Late Night with David Letterman writer, Steve Young discovery of Industrial Musicals. Performers sang Broadway-style “industrial musicals” inspired by the film, even breaking out into song about the Tribeca Film Festival itself. Young claimed “performers are performers are performers” speaking on how important the arts and theater are for society.
A new addition to Tribeca Immersive is Tribeca Cinema360, a VR theater featuring four curated screening programs of 360° mobile content which opened today and runs through April 28. Tribeca Cinema360 spotlights four immersive screening programs: VR for Good Creators Lab, This is Climate Change, horror themed It’s Right Behind You, and the breathtaking experimental visions of Horizons.
Link to photos of Tribeca Cinema360 and the Tribeca Virtual Arcade featuring Storyscapes can be found here.
Photos Courtesy of SunshineSachs
Tribeca Film Festival - Scar Face Reunion, Bethany Hamilton
The first full day of the Tribeca Film Festival kicked off with a bang. Legends, the likes of Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer and Brian DePalma reunited for a special 35th Anniversary screening of Scarface. During the talk after the film, Pacino talked about the gory cult classic and Pfeiffer reminisced about her role in front of a packed house.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Common attended the premiere of their buzzed-about new film Blue Night. Ethan Hawke and Noomi Rapace celebrated their film Stockholm that talks about the inspiration for "Stockholm Syndrome."
Cast members Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Thandie Newton and James Marsden were on hand to premiere the new season of Westworld. During the conversation after the film, James Marsden had the crowd laughing, saying Evan Rachel Woods’ new character is "hot for a second, but then you have to figure out how to stay alive." Following that, Thandie Newton made a not-so-subtle comparison of Westworld to our current political climate, and Evan Rachel Wood discussed how she did not really know her character going into season two.
John Legend discussed his career with Jesus Chris Superstar co-star Sara Bareilles, and then changed his outfit and hit up the premiere of United Skates, a film about African-American roller-rink culture, which he's an executive producer on. During his talk, Legend talked about how he met Kanye West before anyone knew who he was and shared that he'd already started to write songs for his unborn son.
The second day continued with a full day of screenings and events at venues around Lower Manhattan in New York City. Trayvon Martin's parents Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin joined filmmakers and moderator Joy Reid for a panel following the world premiere of Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, about the tragic death of Martin and its impact on the #BlackLivesMatter movement. The incredibly moving panel following the screening welcomed Martin's parents with two standing ovations. The Martins discussed their struggle to put off grieving to fight for justice, and the importance of the series in helping Trayvon's story live on.
On a panel following the world premiere of National Geographic’s Genius: Picasso, Antonio Banderas spoke about the responsibility he felt to fill the shoes of the most prolific artists of all time, particularly having been born in the same Spanish city and growing up with the artist as an idol. He was joined by castmates Alex Rich, Clémence Poésy, and Samantha Colley, showrunner Ken Biller, executive producers Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo.
Alex Pettyfer‘s directorial debut Back Roads also made its world premiere tonight. His cast members, including Jennifer Morrison and Nicola Peltz, were all at the screening to support the film, which centers around a young man caring for his sisters after their mother is imprisoned for murdering their abusive father. Anwar Hadid was on hand to cheer on his girlfriend, Nicola.
Innovators Tony Faddell, Megan Smith, Joanna Hoffman, Marc Porat, Andy Hertzfeld attended the world premiere of their documentary General Magic, a tribute to their influential tech company. Bethany Hamilton arrived for the world premiere of Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable and reunited on the red carpet with actress AnnaSophia Robb who depicted her in 2011's Soul Surfer. Jeffrey Wright, who portrays a maximum-security prison inmate in Madeleine Sackler’s new film O.G., walked the carpet at the film’s world premiere along with producer Boyd Holbrook and actor William Fichtner while Michael Angarano and Dree Hemingway supported their new film In A Relationship at SVA Theatre.
Photos Courtesy of Sunshine Sachs