Indie Entertainment Media - Sundance 2021 Special Edition

// january 2021

Park City Issue

PUBLISHERS

Gotham Chandna Nicole Goesseringer Muj

MANAGING EDITOR

Nicole Goesseringer Muj

CHIEF DIGITAL EDITOR

Gotham Chandna

CONTRIBUTORS

Lena Basse Claude Brickell Nicole Goesseringer Muj Eric Minh Swenson Dr. Laura Wilhelm

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Rachael Fisher

EDITORIAL DESIGN

Viktoria Bocharova

Photos Courtesy of: Bigstock, EMS Gallery, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, MovieStillsDB.

©2021 | Indie Entertainment Media No part of the Indie Entertainment Media may be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher. Indie Entertainment Media liability in the event of an error is limited to a printed correction.

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INDIE ENTERTAINMENT SHOWCASE Saturday, January 30, 2021 12 PM PST/ 3 PM EST (RSVP HERE) PANELISTS BRUNO CHATELIN

EVA LANSKA

COO, FilmFestivals.com

Director, Screenwriter

REBECCA LEFFLER

CHRISTINA ROSE

Author, Journalist

CEO/Co-founder, MirrorWater Entertainment

KAMILA TARABURA Director, Screenwriter

MODERATOR TONY POTTS CEO/Co-Founder, The Content Artists MEDIA PARTNERS

EVENT PARTNERS

INDIE ENTERTAINMENT SHOWCASE 2021

Indie Entertainment Showcase 2021 4

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Bruno is a graduate of HEC MBA and spent 10 years with the prestigious international advertising agencies JWT, Masius, and Publicis. He then became a film distributor and launched some 250 films as marketing director for Columbia TriStar and served as managing director for UGC FOX. He was recognized as an innovative marketing expert and named by Film Français as one of the top film personalities when he merged the leading theatre chain UGC and Fox.

Bruno Chatelin

COO FilmFestivals.com

Bruno went on to become an Internet entrepreneur and co-founded several companies, including filmfestivals.com that became a global leader in festival news and a partner of major festivals and markets.

He contributed to the business development of an audiovisual studio center in Cherbourg led by Eicar Group.

He runs a film consulting boutique agency where he specializes in film marketing, international festival strategies and market presentations for Cannes, Berlin & AFM, and others. Today, he serves as COO of filmfestivals.com, while curating the 'Best for Fests' section.

Eva is a London-based director and screenwriter. After graduating from the London Film Academy, Eva has focused on producing both documentary and fiction films. She has directed several award-winning films recognized throughout Europe and America.

Across her films, Eva studies the concepts of acceptance and love in challenging circumstances. She poses pressing questions to direct her audience to reflect on the choices to be made, putting themselves in the shoes of her protagonists.

Eva Lanska

Director, Screenwriter

Her short film Little French Fish, starring British actors Jonas Khan and Devora Wilde, draws attention to the global stigma against interracial marriages through the relationship of an Orthodox Jewish woman and a Muslim man. In 2020, Little French Fish was selected by one of the world’s oldest and largest Jewish festivals, the Washington Jewish Film Festival. Her previous short Okay, Mum won Best Picture at the Los Angeles Film Festival and was selected for the Short Film Corner at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Eva recently announced her first feature I Am Not An Actress, inspired by the philosophy of Brigitte Bardot.

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INDIE ENTERTAINMENT SHOWCASE 2021

Rebecca Leffler

Christina Rose Ka Tar CEO/Co-founder MirrorWater Entertainment LLC

Author | Journalist An author and journalist based in Paris, Rebecca is the former France correspondent of The Hollywood Reporter, film critic on the Canal+ network’s hit show ‘Le Grand Journal’ and film correspondent on France 24.

She has published four books focused on healthy lifestyle and cooking.

She was a creative consultant to Darren Star for his #1 Netflix series Emily in Paris. She is currently Editorial Lead, Brand Content at Publicis Luxe and also works with the Marché du Film (Cannes Film Festival) and Canneseries TV Festival.

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Christina is an American-German director, producer, and screenwriter and is part of the new ‘Hollyworld Movement,’ bringing entertainment to the global world. She has worked in North America (USA, Canada), Europe (Denmark, France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Bulgaria), Africa (the famous Atlas Studios in Ouarzarzate), and Asia (India’s Bollywood). Together with her brother Michael, she co-founded MirrorWater Entertainment LLC (MWE).

Prior to setting up a production company, Christina worked at such prestigious companies as Arad Productions (The Amazing Spiderman), Exclusive Media (Rush, Ides of March), in distribution at ZDF-Enterprises, where she has developed numerous projects with Michael Hirst (Vikings) and William J. MacDonald (Rome). Most recently, she was an executive at the European network Sky, acquiring new projects for development.

Since starting MWE, she has produced a number of documentaries and TV shows for the international market and is currently finishing her anticipated six-part documentary series Wonder Women where we meet young women leaders in underrepresented industries around the world who are redefining leadership for a better future.

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Kamila Tarabura is a graduate of the Warsaw Film School and The Wajda School. Her short film debut Into the Night won “Best Short Live Action Film Award” at the 36th annual Warsaw International Film Festival, making it eligible for Academy Award consideration. Currently, she is developing her first feature film. She is also working with Nina Lewandowska, the writer of Into the Night, on an original coming of age drama series. Kamila gained her film experience by making short fictional films, commercials, and music videos, as well as through her work as an assistant director, which includes the TV series Krew z krwi (Penoza) by Jan Komasa and the film High Life by Claire Denis. She is interested in themes of family and specifically, the mother-daughter relationship. Her cinematic storytelling focuses on an observation of human nature with a keen eye for unique characters and stories.

amila rabura

Director | Screenwriter

Produced by Munk Studio and Papaya Films, Into the Night is the story of Krysia, a teenage girl, who leaves her home for the first time in weeks after her mother invited her to a party. She does not want to be there, but she always does what others tell her to do. At the party, she runs into Majka. The two girls slip away and set off on a journey that takes on a dizzying pace. The emotionally wounded Majka tests how far she can explore the limits of her sexuality, while Krysia does everything she can to guess her secret. Will this new friendship help to heal Krysia?

Former Access Hollywood, Emmy-winning entertainment reporter Tony Potts, is known for his smart, casual, and engaging on-air style, Tony is an expert in live, breaking, no-script situations with the ability to connect and engage audiences while creating moments.

Tony Potts CEO/Co-Founder The Content Artist | Moderator

He took that skillset into the international executive ranks co-creating, building, and launching two European companies with a focus on creating cutting-edge, audience engaging content. It’s a career built under intense daily scrutiny in a pressurized environment to analyze, execute & deliver world-class content to an audience of millions over a span of 4,000+ shows and 7,000 pieces of content.

Tony is the CEO/Co-Founder of The Content Artists, a hyper-efficient, innovative, and data-driven global content company specializing in real-time ROI while grabbing the attention of millions for its clients.

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ISABELLA ROSSELLINI: LIFE AND CONSEQUENCES

Life and Consequences

Isabella Rossellini 8

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Lena Basse Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Ingrid Bergman’s daughter who became famous for her iconic roles in cult films and a successful modeling career with Lancôme shares some memories about her glamorous mother, working with David Lynch and talks about her passion of creating her own films and her performances in films such as “Sex and Consequences”.

Her smile is undeniably infectious, whether it’s on screen or in real life.

In fact, she is a master in smiling through the eyes. No wonder she became the face of the luxurious cosmetic brand not once, but twice: first, at the age of 30 for 13 years, and then at the age of 63, Lancôme called her again. Even though she is not chasing perfection, it seems that

her age suits her. Those who visited Sundance last year could see it for themselves. As a member of the jury, she was often spotted between screenings chatting joyfully with Ethan Hawke and other colleagues.

Even without any glitz and glamour, Isabella Rossellini, who turned 68 last summer, emitted a natural radiance and a true happiness.

When we “met” her on Zoom, she admits having had a great time in Park City watching films and commenting on them. She comments, “We’ve been thrown together for 10 days and now we are intimate because watching film inevitably makes you talk about yourself.”

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ISABELLA ROSSELLINI: LIFE AND CONSEQUENCES

In general, Isabella Rossellini is not shy to get intimate with and talks about herself easily. She has written three books that she has described as fictional memoirs. She is not sitting and waiting for projects; she makes them for herself. After she earned a master’s in animal behavior and conversation, she did numerous comedic monologues and a series of short films on animal sexual behaviors.

Many of them like Green Porno or Seduce Me, in which she is often performing as a dolphin, a bee or even a bed bug that are seduced by others, can be seen on YouTube. In some other monologues like Bestiaire D’amour and Link Link Circus, the actress toured extensively over the past two years in Europe and Australia, and in about 50 cities in America. But since the pandemic, the tour has been cancelled and she used some of the elements of those monologues for her new show Sex and Consequences made for The Sundance Channel.

Isabella speaks with us from her organic farm in Long Island, 60 miles from New York City, where she lives and works. She proudly presents her barn, decorated with sculptures and paintings of animals, which is her new studio. Indeed, not only the barking of a dog could be heard from time to time during the interview but also, a woodpecker that was pecking on her house for the last three days. And this obviously makes Isabella happy. She comments with that great smile, “That is attractive.”

ABOUT SEX AND CONSEQUENCES It’s a 45-minute show followed by a Q & A. It is based on my knowledge about science and the fact that I always tell the stories about science and animals, but in a comical way. I will alternate live interfaces like this one, in fact we are going 10

to Zoom, the same interface with you, this is one part of the set that I have. I have a part of my home, which is a big barn that I have decorated, where I will bring some of my animals live— lambs, chickens, dogs, to be part of my show, and then sometimes I would cut to one video, so it would alternate recorded, two minutes of a recorded video and maybe I will speak for three or four minutes live.

ABOUT THE ADVANTAGES OF BEING COOPERATIVE AND FRIENDLY When we think of evolution, we think of survival of the fittest, and I always imagine that the fittest means the strongest or most aggressive animals. But now, they think the fittest might also mean the friendliest, the most cooperative of the animals. And they looked at domestic animals, and I have them, which are much more docile than the wild ancestor. And they also found advantages in Darwin and I talk about Darwin, saying that maybe altruism and empathy also evolved. And those are not things that you think are associated with animals, but they are. The new science discusses how individuals that are more cooperative and friendly will mate and have babies and they will also transform themselves, so the wolf becomes the dog, the mouflon becomes the sheep. So, I am also talking about domestic animals and how the sexuality among individuals that are docile and not aggressive, eventually changes them and makes them domestic and kind to us.

With sex, everybody thinks pregnancy, yeah, yeah, yeah, but this is much more interesting, it can change a species. (she laughs)

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ABOUT LIVING ON A FARM We have an organic farm where we grow vegetables. I have bees and attend to the animals.

I have bees for honey, and I have chicken, ducks, and turkeys for eggs. We don’t do any meat. And I just started a program with all heritage sheep that have different wool that became very rare because now, as we have in industrial farming, there is what we call a monoculture. There’s also the monoculture of animals. So, the breed of sheep that is very popular now is called the Merino sheep. I don’t have Merino sheep, but I have breeds of sheep that are very ancient with wool that have been forgotten by the industry. And I’m working with the Parsons School of Design, which is New York’s best fashion school, to promote biodiversity even in the farm. And we do it also with vegetables, of course, not only organic but we also raise heirloom … heirloom means tomatoes that you cannot easily find in a supermarket or an asparagus that is of a different variety than the asparagus that you typically find.

Isabella Rossellini

... I always tell the stories about science and animals, but in a comical way.

HER PASSION FOR ANIMALS As a little girl, I always loved animals and I was five years old when I had an appendix operation and my mother gave me a little puppy and, ah, I was in love with that puppy and ever since I had a dog in my life. And it was always an interest of mine, a love of mine that became more of a serious interest as I grew up. And I have a master’s degree now in animal behavior and conservation.

I don’t have a favorite animal, although in the last six years I started a farm and I have a lot of domestic animals, like goats, sheep, chickens and the process of domestication and what scientists are learning has been quite fascinating to me. → 11

ISABELLA ROSSELLINI: LIFE AND CONSEQUENCES

Of course, all the domestic animals come from wild stock. The wolf became the dog, there’s a goat that has big horns … not goat, sheep …that became the domestic sheep from which we take the wool. And I always imagined that process was done by man, by our ancestors. And recently, there has been incredible discovery. All domestic animals, if you think about it, have patches— goats have patches, dogs have patches, cats, pigs, all the domestic animals have patches, but when you look in the wild there are no patches. So, this is quite interesting, the domestic animals changed themselves physically. So, these are the kind of things that I’m discussing about in Sex and Consequences, and the new discoveries of science.

ABOUT HER RELATIONSHIPS WITH GROWN CHILDREN AND EXTENDED FAMILY MEMBERS We have a big extended family, Italian style, with not only brothers and sisters, but also half-brothers and half-sisters. Both my parents were married three times, so they have children from three different marriages. We are all very united, all very loving, but occasionally it’s complicated, and we are many. I live not far from New York City in the countryside on a farm. I run a farm and my daughter is the manager. In the months of March, April, May, the toughest months of the virus, we all came here. Now, my son Roberto is back in New York City, and it was relatively easy for us because on a farm, there is a lot of outdoors and we live by the sea, so we also could go to the beach and it was the season that was getting warmer and warmer. We are a little bit worried now that it’s getting colder and colder, because of course, a lot of the walks and outdoor ac-

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tivities will be diminished. But particularly, I have a grandson who is two-and-a-half, who is very sporty, a tomboy, so it might be harder for him.

But for the moment it has been pretty good. I also continue to work. I wrote Sex and Consequences, and we decided to do live theater from my house and that also gave me the satisfaction of going back to work. At the beginning I didn’t mind not working and taking a break, but after two months I felt very nostalgic for acting and reconnecting with my audience. So now I’m going to do it.

BEING A MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER I think I am a present mother, I mean my daughter lives next to me. We also have a garden in common. So, she has a private home with her husband and the baby, but we can just cross the garden and see each other, so we see each other every day. And I babysit officially my grandson three days a week, so my daughter knows she has a schedule where she can count on me. I always provide food. I am always keeping an eye that if my daughter is tired or has a baby to look after, I would get the food and either prepare it or go buy it. I am not cooking because my daughter is a very good cook. My son Roberto was here at the beginning of the pandemic, and now he’s back in New York. My son works as a model. He’s incredibly handsome and working as a model is starting to come back, a little bit, not as much as before, but it’s coming back.

ABOUT HER MOTHER AND BECOMING OLDER I celebrate my birthday always with great parties and great joy. But last year I was 67 and my

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mother died on the day of her birthday when she turned 67. It was very sad. I did try to have a dinner, but all day long I had this weight in my heart.

It makes me cry because she died young, quite young. I feel like I’m full of energy still. I miss her terribly. I admire her even more. It’s funny isn’t it?

I admire more and more; I admire her strength, her rectitude, her humor, her charm. I think of her every day and she has become bigger in my head —bigger, nicer, more intelligent, more capable, more courageous. I recognize these attributes as I grew older and I went through the stages that she went—becoming a grandmother, growing old or losing your beauty and how she handled it all.

And she was a role model, but I also have to say I incredibly admire her strength. And it was helpful to have a mamma like mine. I could always look at her example. Both my children didn’t meet my parents. I have two children, one called Elettra Ingrid and one called Roberto after my father. Both of them didn’t meet my parents, I lost my parents in my twenties.

ABOUT THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL I have an infinite admiration for the Sundance Film Festival. It’s the same thing, in a funny way, Sundance really promotes biodiversity in the artist. I was just talking about my farm where we promote biodiversity. It is the same concept; diversity is a great richness and Sundance does it so brilliantly. And also, not only do they do a beautiful festival, but they have the institute that allows people to go. I have been to their institute; I became a director thanks to Sundance. Because I always wanted to be a director, but I thought I couldn’t do it, stupidly I thought maybe you need to be a man because you have a crew of 150, you

Ingrid Bergman

have to say action, I was too shy to do it. And then thanks to Sundance and working with avant-garde filmmakers you can make a crew of six or seven, just friends. You say, ‘ok now, we’re ready, you don’t have to say action.’ They give you a voice.

And I am so grateful to Sundance and to Robert Redford who has allowed this to happen. And it’s the same as it is on my farm, somehow it is the same intent to keep diversity.

ABOUT MAKING BLUE VELVET That film was the beginning of an incredible friendship between David Lynch, Laura Dern, Kyle MacLachlan, and I, and also Dennis Hopper, but unfortunately, he died several years ago. There was an atmosphere of incredible trust and loving in the set. And I don’t think I could have played that role, so difficult, if I didn’t feel completely safe and protected. And all our intentions were the same. It was no sense being exploited because I had to play a nude scene or anything. David was very

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ISABELLA ROSSELLINI: LIFE AND CONSEQUENCES

Dennis Hopper, Isabella Rossellini & David Lynch

When I started to be a director and writer, I didn’t know that I had that surrealistic streak in me.

clear in his vision and we all committed to it. → And we were all very friendly, still today. When we call each other, we call each other family. (Laughs) Laura, David and Kyle; we always say we’re family.

ABOUT THE INFLUENCE OF DAVID LYNCH When I started to be a director and writer, I didn’t know that I had that surrealistic streak in me. And I thought wow, I don’t think that I learned it from David, but I understood David as an actress; I understood his intention because I have that streak. Some people say to me “I don’t understand the narrative of David’s films, what is happening.” And to me that was not a question, but we don’t understand the narrative of life, we don’t know what’s going to be in the next second.

So, to me it was more interesting that David tried to capture an atmosphere. David one day said to me, ‘you enter into a room and immediately there is an atmosphere.’ You know immediately if it is a joyful gathering or there is tension, or something is strange. How? How do we know that? And this is what I’m interested in. And his films are a series of capturing these moments, this intuition that we 14

have. He’s not so interested in the narrative. And as we accept surrealism or abstract art in painting, I accept David Lynch’s films. And then I knew that when I became an author myself, when I tried to express what was in me, came out in a kind of comical surrealistic way. I thought ‘ah, that’s why I got along with David and I understood him, I had it in me without me knowing.’

ABOUT HER UPCOMING MOVIE ARRIVEDERCI AND PLAYING AN OPERA SINGER I am playing an opera singer who is sick with cancer, so I don’t have to sing! (laughs) Because of COVID, we were supposed to shoot in Italy. I think they might now be shooting in Greece, so I am still waiting for confirmation.

I think it’s a beautiful story of a person who had been incredibly glorious in her career and in her life and now she is at the end of her life. And a woman comes and sees her, and I don’t want to give the story away, but I think I imagine it like a Roman ruin, something that had been glorious once, but now broken. (laughs)

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EMS PHOTO GALLERY

Eric Minh Swenson photojournalist | filmmaker founder, EMS.ART.SCENE

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h n

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When the world goes into lockdown the soul seeks likewise.

These were my yearnings during a time of real struggle for most people depriving themselves of the outdoors. Most of us inflicted self-imposed stay at home precautions against a terrible bogeyman called COVID-19 that deprived us of the many things that brought us solace and harmony

into our lives. We could no longer sunbathe, hike, reconnoiter, or travel to the parks, beaches, and refuges of clean air. Luckily, for me I was able to take a twoweek road trip during the holidays through California, Arizona, Nevada, and back home to Hollywood. Looking at these pics, I’m proud to say that I ended 2020 on a high note.

Las Vegas, NV

Sedona, AZ

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EMS PHOTO GALLERY

Telluride, CO

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EMS PHOTO GALLERY

Mesa Verde, CO

Mesa Verde, CO

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Cortez, CO

Dolores, CO

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EMS PHOTO GALLERY

Arizona

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NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY

A Great Film School Can Launch a Great Career!

Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen

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Claude Brickell Writer/Filmmaker

From the earliest days of filmmaking, technical training has been fundamental for the professional film industry whether it is onset apprenticeships or structured classroom instruction. After all, filmmaking is a highly technical as well as a visual art and it is critical to professionally train for it. Over the years, the best film schools have been in France, Russia, and the United States where the greatest of filmmakers, such as Jean Renoir, Serge Eisenstein, and D.W. Griffith, set the standards early on. Later filmmakers such as Francois Truffaut, Ingmar Bergman and Alfred Hitchcock, and cinematographers such as James Wong Howe, carried on the tradition of excellence.

noted directors as Martin Scorsese, Martin Brest, and Spike Lee, and like LA’s USC turning out a host of film technicians with a 75% rate of working in the industry.

Today, there is a new kid on the block, and it is the New York Film Academy (NYFA) with branches in both New York and Los Angeles, now training the next generation of professionals for today’s booming media world. NYFA was founded in 1992 by veteran producer Jerry Sherlock, known for his Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen with Peter Ustinov and Angie Dickinson and for executive producing The Hunt for Red October starring the late Sean Connery.

Sherlock set out to design a holisThe modern era has seen noted tic film school that was not only U.S. film schools like at New York affordable but, more importantly, University, headed by the legendary founded on the principles of learnHaig Manoogian, graduating such ing by doing.

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EMS PHOTO GALLERY

Students at NYFA write, produce, direct, and edit their own original films, while also serving as crewmembers on fellow classmates’ projects providing them extensive on-set experience. This is not a new concept as most film schools strive for that, but NYFA is filmmaking on steroids. Students live and breathe film 24/7 turning out professional-level film and video shorts. While there, students receive in-depth training in a panacea of specialties, including producing, directing, cinematography, 3D animation, documentaries, digital editing, and a host of other media-related skills in both classroom and lab environments. There, they receive top-level training designed to prepare all students for careers in the professional film world.

As an international school, aspiring filmmakers attend from all over the world. When I was finishAl Pacino

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ing touch-up editing on my independent feature Havana, Habana, I enlisted two of the school’s student editors for help and was astounded at the level of their expertise.

Olga Shelukhova, a Russian student from Kazakhstan, has this to say about the school, “One of the best things about NYFA is that it is very hands-on. And I’m glad that I have had an opportunity to work with a variety of different kinds of equipment, especially 360° cameras for Virtual Reality Filmmaking. After my graduation, I definitely plan to continue projects in Virtual Reality whenever possible.”

Akinwumi Osunkoya, a student from Nigeria, says: “As a filmmaker, I have invested a lot in myself overtime, but I still consider my investment studying at NYFA to be one of the most bene-

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ficial. As someone who had the vaguest idea of how films were made, the school has equipped me with the knowledge to create film from an idea to finished product. With every project I now create, NYFA will always have my greatest appreciation.�

Havana, Habana went on to become an official selection at the Rome Independent Film Festival in Italy and is currently with a foreign representative for international sales. It is also available stateside for streaming on Amazon Prime. I credit these two students, unquestionably, with helping to make my feature film a terrific success!

In addition to the in-school professional environment, NYFA also offers camps designed specifically for high school-level students who are looking to get their hands-on industry caliber equipment and start realizing their visual and performing arts

dreams. Camps are provided in such locals as New York City, Los Angeles, South Beach Miami, Harvard University in Boston, Paris, France, Florence, Italy, and Gold Coast in Australia.

NYFA has hosted such prominent speakers as Steven Spielberg, Al Pacino, Adam Driver, Ron Howard, and many, many others, and is already graduating a number of prominent working professionals in today’s industry.

Whatever your aspirations are in film, you will definitely want to look into New York Film Academy, in New York or LA, to get your own career off and running while gaining the professional tools you will need to achieve your own filmmaking dreams. www.nyfa.edu Los Angeles/New York

Havana, Havana

Sean Connery in The Hunt For Red October

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CZAR OF ALL THE RUSHES: REVISITING THE HAYS FILM CODE

Czar of All the Rushes Revisiting the Hays Code

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Claude Brickell Writer/Filmmaker

Any new era suffers its own moral backlash from traditionalists. This was especially true with the socially-rigid Victorians as we moved into the 20th century. One objection was the shortening of hemlines in women’s fashion. Daring designers had already teased us with the ankles and the titillation of that opened a floodgate for more. By the end of World War I, women’s hemlines were up to the mid-calves and climbing.

There will always be those who go into a new era kicking and screaming. Religious mores play a big role, with a host of regulatory laws following. When alcohol consumption exceeded acceptable norms, Prohibition was the result and that lasted from 1920 to 1933. Movies, still in their infancy, were about to suffer a similar fate, as well, with morality censorship. A series of recent Hollywood scandals had made headlines across the country and the writing was already on the wall. Seeing what Prohibition had done to the spirits industry, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association (MPPDA) acted quickly to come up with self-censorship before the government intervened first. The MPPDA created the Hays Commission naming it after the association’s president Will H. Hays, later known as the Production Code Administration (PCA) of 1930, taking full effect in 1934.

Hays’ assistant charged with enforcement of the Code was Joseph I. Breen.

Although, Hays retained final say on everything garnering him the onus moniker ‘Czar of All the Rushes’ (rushes bring the day’s film-takes processed overnight for producers to view first thing in the morning). Breen, on Hays’ behalf, was quoted as saying to a producer that the Code was objecting to his script “from the standpoint of the good and welfare of the industry… due to its illicit sexual relationships between characters without sufficient compensating moral values… and that it would likely bring condemnation of the industry from decent people everywhere...”

In addition to overt or implied sexual behavior (which included incest, nymphomania and homosexuality), the Code also objected to depictions of nudity and blatant lustfulness. Studios and producers sparred constantly with Breen over Code complaints but were forced to make dialogue changes and scene trims, nonetheless, to obtain the Code’s mandatory seal.

Even the industry’s cartoons were subject to the conformity.

No individuals were more outraged by the Code’s complaints than the industry’s screenwriters. They were so angered that they began inserting double entendres and salacious subplots that would slip by Breen but were understood by → 29

CZAR OF ALL THE RUSHES: REVISITING THE HAYS FILM CODE

rose quickly at Columbia to associate producer and even executive producer, one of only three women in the industry to hold that position for the next thirty years. Having had total control over Cover Girl as its producer, Van Upp was able to spice up the dialogue with such memorable lines as, “You’re a genius at everything (implying sex) but minding your own business, aren’t you?”

In 1946, the ‘film noir-ish’ script Gilda, written by Marion Parsonnet, adapted by Jo Eisinger and based on a story by E.A. Ellington, had Van Upp once again at its helm, a project to star Glenn Ford and, of course, Rita Hayworth. And with total control as earlier, the wily queen of innuendoes proceeded to transform the straight-forward script with her signature touch turning it into a sexually charged, character-driven guessing game.

The surface description read:

Gilda

astute filmgoers desperate for more realistic fare.

One such screenwriter already making a name for this was Virginia Van Upp. In 1944, at the height of the Code’s enforcement, Harry Cohn at Columbia was frustrated with his writers for failing to come up with a satisfactory script for his next picture Cover Girl, a costly Technicolor project set to star Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly. Out of desperation, Cohn hired Van Upp from Paramount on a lark. Not only did she come up with a brilliant version from the various discarded drafts, she also gained the confidence of Hayworth who became a lifelong friend and the star’s trusted advisor. And with Cover Girl’s tremendous box office success, Van Upp 30

Loaded-dice toting gambler Johnny Farrell cleans up at a waterfront dive and is subsequently saved from retaliation by the dagger-tipped cane of Ballin Mundson, owner of a Buenos Aires casino and head of a Nazi cartel. Recognizing a kindred spirit in Johnny, the two become close and Ballin makes him his right-hand man. Johnny's intense loyalty to Ballin is strained by Ballin's surprise marriage to the supremely magnetic Gilda, a femme fatale who once loved and then jilted Johnny setting the tone for his future relations.

The odd trio begins exploring their conflicting desires while Ballin maneuvers to retain control over his vested interest.* Van Upp had seen more. What would have been another forgettable film noir, became, instead, a psychologically driven suspense that sizzles with sexuality, full of machine gun-delivered eu-

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phemisms that keeps savvy viewers on the edge of their seats. Here is the deeper description: Diehard misogynist Johnny Farrell, ace gambler from the States, arrives in post-WWII Buenos Aires where he right away visits an exclusive waterfront casino and walks out with a hefty win having just cheated the house. Passing then by the docks, he is jumped by a couple of thugs but is miraculously rescued by a dapper-dressed German Ballin Mundson wielding a deadly spear-activated walking stick that he calls his special ‘friend.’ He then introduces himself as the owner of the casino Johnny has just swindled. Instantly drawn to each other, one with power and the other skill and good looks, Johnny proposes Ballin take him in as his personal bodyguard and assistant manager of his casino. Ballin is intrigued with the idea and accepts on one condition, no women. “Women and gambling don’t mix.” That suits Johnny just fine, and over the next few weeks, a pseudo erotic bond develops between the two until Ballin returns from a trip with a gorgeous, and provocative ex-dancer from the States, as well, named Gilda, now Ballin’s wife. Unbeknownst to Ballin, however, Johnny and Gilda have their own mutual past. The two were former lovers. The only problem then is, both men are obsessed with the same woman, Ballin in possessing her and Johnny hating her unquestionably. It seems Gilda had walked out on him ending their affair which is the source of his deep hatred of her and of women in general. Johnny’s loyalty to Ballin is now in jeopardy. And to complicate the situation, Ballin, who secretly heads up a South American ex-Nazis cartel, is forced to flee Argentina after murdering one of the cartel’s messengers sent to tighten the screws on him, using his trusted cane for the kill. When Ballin’s plane takes

off, it suddenly crashes into the ocean, and seeing this, Johnny rightly assumes Ballin is now dead.

That leaves him in total control of both the casino and Gilda. And ever haunted with the memory of Gilda’s betrayal, he delights in torturing her with house arrest. Her only defense is flaunting her sexuality with other men to taunt him, and even performs a scandalous striptease to the thrill of the entire casino crowd. Quite unexpectedly, Ballin returns surprising both Johnny and Gilda who have finally managed to reconcile their hatred of one another. Ballin is intent on taking back his wife, and in a menage-a-trois-like scuffle, Ballin is impaled by his own cane, the highly-phallic weapon of power that first brought he and Johnny →

Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford

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CZAR OF ALL THE RUSHES: REVISITING THE HAYS FILM CODE

together ‒ a metaphor for their homoerotic bond ‒ and is what does Ballin in in the end.

Here are a few of the tantalizing innuendos Van Upp cleverly provided the characters**: On Ballin explaining his lethal cane ‘friend’: Ballin: It is a most faithful and obedient friend. It is silent when I want it to be silent, but talks when I want it to talk.

Johnny: Is that your idea of a friend?

Ballin: That is my idea of a friend.

Johnny: You must lead a gay life.

On Johnny questioning Gilda’s supposed infidelities: Johnny: Doesn’t it bother you at all that you’re married?

Gilda: What I want to know is, does it bother you?

On Uncle Pio, the janitor who has just shined Johnny’s shoes and is putting them on him: Uncle Pio: (looking up between his legs) I find this always a revealing vantage point. A worm’s eye view. So often the true one.

To Ballin on women: Johnny: Statistics show that there are more women in the world than anything else… except insects.

On her own personality: Gilda: If I’d been a ranch, they would’ve named me ‘The Bar Nothing.’ (The Code objected to this line but eventually let it stay in as written.)

On a woman coming between the two men: Ballin: Quite a surprise to hear a woman sing in the house, eh Johnny?

On the two men’s relationship: Johnny: I thought we agreed that women and gambling didn’t mix.

Ballin: My wife does not come under the category of women, Johnny.

On the threesome: Johnny: Well, just a few weeks ago we drank a toast to the three of us (referring to Johnny, Ballin and Ballin’s cane ‘friend.’)

Gilda: Well, who was the third one, then? Should I be jealous?

Ballin: Hardly, darling. Just a friend of mine.

Gilda: Is it a him or a her?

Ballin: That’s a very interesting question. What do you think, Johnny?

Johnny: A her.

Gilda: Oh! Ballin: Why that conclusion?

Johnny: Because it looks like one thing and then, right in front of your eyes, it becomes another…

By 1968, the Production Code was finally abandoned due largely to changes in the nation’s mores, the advent of television that was cutting in on movie audiences and the competition from foreign films that were not subject to the Code’s restrictions. The Code was replaced with the current rating system of PG, PG-13 and NC-17.

And, to date, cable TV (where more mature fare is presented) remains virtually free of any restrictions, at all.

Los Angeles/New York *Mae Moreno, IMDB **from script of motion picture Gilda.

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REBECCA LEFFLER INTERVIEW

Rebecca Leffler — An Américaine in Paris

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PARK CITY ISSUE | JAN 2021

Dr. Laura Wilhelm LauraWil Intercultural

Paris has long hosted famous American expats. Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was once an ambassador to France, where he negotiated the Treaty of Paris. France's cultural and political influence extended far beyond Franklin to his home nation, particularly the city of Philadelphia.

World-renowned French cultural events such as the Cannes Film Festival and Paris Fashion Week have served as Ms. Leffler's subjects as the French correspondent for The Hollywood Reporter. She has also appeared on French television as a film critic and promoted many Iconic American writers such as French luxury brands as an adverErnest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitz- tising executive. gerald, and James Baldwin found In other news, this hard-driving endless inspiration in the City of amĂŠricaine just consulted for DarLights. Julia Child became tele- ren Star's new ten-part Netflix series vision's beloved French chef in Emily in Paris. Viewers will notice America after mastering cordon a strong physical resemblance bebleu cuisine in France. tween Rebecca and Emily, who is So, who are today's Americans in played by popular actress Lily ColParis? One of them is Rebecca Lef- lins, and see many parallels between fler, who studied French cinema at their exciting Parisian lives.

Dartmouth College and has worked Below please find an in-depth infor many years as an entertainment terview with one who is unafraid to reporter and marketer in Paris. speak for herself in any language!

Merci beaucoup to Ms. Leffler for her brilliant insights.

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REBECCA LEFFLER INTERVIEW

Laura Wilhelm: I was sensing a strong The Devil Wears Prada vibe while watching Emily in Paris!

What were some other influences on the series and what influence do you expect it to have?

Rebecca Leffler: Absoluement! There is definitely a Devil Wears Prada vibe here, though I think what makes this show so true to life is the classic reactions of Sylvie and the Savoir team. They are intimidated at first by Emily’s arrival that they see as threatening their way of life and working, but, little by little, she charms them and proves herself and they shift their attitudes towards her. This seems very cliché, but, having worked in many offices with many French people, I’ve experienced this firsthand. I had a boss – named Sylvie! – who was very chic and very scary and very intimidating, but she then became like my French office mother and we remained close after that. At my current agency, I, like Emily, wasn’t invited to lunch with my colleagues and they rolled their eyes when I was the loudest one in the room, but they have become dear friends. Like a good French baguette, most French people can be a bit ‘upper crust’ on the outside, but once you open them up, they are warm and soft-hearted.

The French luxury marketing company where Emily works is called Savoir, which means "to know." Some of the people Emily deals with reject firms like this to do their marketing in favor of social media influencers off the street. Might amateurs not know more about what they want as consumers than even the most experienced professionals? Please comment.

RL: It is constantly changing. Many brands will hire a boutique agency like Savoir to specifically target social media influencers. While the

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influencer’s posts may appear to be organic or natural, most of the time, they are calculated and organized through agencies. I currently work with a bigger global agency that handles everything from a brand’s messaging to digital platform to influencer posts. The value of hiring an agency is continuity in brand messaging, choosing the right influencers to communicate and making sure they stay ‘on brand’ in terms of their image and messaging.

You’re right – as Emily demonstrates in the show, brands are increasingly reaching out to real people to show the products ‘in action’ which can be even more powerful than other forms of more traditional advertising. The luxury world is still trying to find a balance between more professional, high-end quality visuals and messaging and a more accessible approach to directly speak to consumers.

... most French people can be a bit ‘upper crust’ on the outside, but once you open them up, they are warm and soft-hearted.

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At one point Emily develops a successful campaign for a champagne lovingly made by a distinguished French family at their exquisite ancestral chateau. After considerable resistance she convinces the family matriarch to use some of the surplus bottles for sprays. The buyers won't even drink the champagne! From a purely economic perspective, does it really matter what people do with your product once they buy it?

What are some other concerns relating to brand identity besides the bottom line?

RL: I think it definitely matters! Brand loyalty is huge, especially today when there is so much ‘noise’ in the market and on social media.

One of Emily's marketing suggestions is to make the "sexy or sexist' debate swirling around a provocative French perfume ad into a poll. Do you think open and honest dialogue about differences of opinion is a valid approach generally in global business situations?

RL: Oui! I love that Emily expresses her opinion (even if she is technically a junior employee, which people find to be quite audacious, but I support her.) I often find myself in meetings with French people and have to explain that, while something may ‘work’ in the French market, it doesn’t necessarily translate on a global scale.

Thanks to globalization, our cultures are more and more similar, but there are still several inherent differences and things that can be ‘lost in translation.”

The ‘sexy vs sexist’ debate is an interesting one, particularly in the wake of the #MeToo movement that has really shaken things up in the US, while in France has been taken far less seriously and with fewer consequences.

You have been an American in Paris for quite a while now! Were you pleased with the characterization of Emily in Emily in Paris? Why or why not?

RL: Oui oui! What I love about Emily, versus other stories of ‘Americans in Paris’ is that she came all on her own and has to learn to be independent in a foreign country. When you’re an expat, you experience all of the same ups and downs of life, but everything is magnified. Everything feels even more dramatic and, at times, more comedic which is why I think her experience lends itself very well to a TV show format. So much of the literature or film/TV depictions of Americans in Paris we see feature women falling in love with French men then following them to Paris, but here Emily makes the decision to come on her own and learns so much about herself in the process. She is far from perfect of course. Oddly enough, everything →

Lily Collins on set of Emily in Paris

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REBECCA LEFFLER INTERVIEW

Rebecca Leffler

... my Americanness and blend of cultures is what makes me unique, so I’ve grown to embrace it.

I found "annoying" about her, I realized that it was because it was me looking back at my 20-something-year-old self and wishing I could go back in time and be a bit more "French" and more Zen! Unlike Emily, you speak French very well and have studied the country and its culture. What have been some of your more memorable experiences in France? How did your knowledge of the language and the culture enhance or detract from them?

RL: When I first moved here (in 2004, another era!) I’d studied French literature and cinema in college but learned quickly that people don’t speak fluent Victor Hugo and Voltaire on a daily basis. I had to learn more colloquial terms and slang, and also learn to understand French people speaking much more quickly than they did in 18th century France … and also with no subtitles as I had been used to studying French cinema! I am 38

still learning. It amazes me that even after 16 years here, I am still learning French expressions or new words which is fascinating to me.

As for memorable experiences in France, I think that, like much of life, I remember the very worst and the very best. I’ll always remember watching Woody Allen shoot ‘Midnight in Paris’ on the Pont Alexandre III at night, my first kiss strolling along the Seine and sharing an elevator with Omar Sharif at the Hotel Barrière Royale in Deauville or doing yoga with Alec Baldwin in a dress and heels in Cannes. But I’ll also remember waiting outside for 12 hours in 90-degree heat to get my immigration papers, being knocked down on the street by a French pigeon and learning every French word relating to plumbing the first time my toilet exploded. Much of my life in Paris has been ups and downs, high highs and low lows, often simultaneously. In a ‘Parisian minute,’ I’ve

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gone from pure elation sipping champagne at a Chanel fashion show in le Grand Palais to being drenched in the pouring rain, stuffed into a crowded, smelly metro and walking up 81 steps to my apartment. That is what makes Paris so special.

What advice do you have for other young American women (and men) who might want to live and work in Paris?

RL: It’s funny, my first thought was to say ‘Well, just know it isn’t as glamorous as Emily in Paris!’ But here’s the thing: it is! Paris is beautiful and timeless and chic and extravagant and luxurious. But it can also be ugly and stuck in the past and scary and hard. Living and working in Paris is not the same as visiting the city on holiday. So, my advice would be to stay open-minded. That said, like Emily, I have tried to keep my Amélie Poulain-like American optimism – here they call it “Fleur bleue” or ‘blue flower,’ this optimistic approach to life. And, as Emily learns, instead of trying to fit it and be more French, be yourself. I have spent years trying to tie my scarf just right, roll my ‘R’s and master what I call ‘Resting French Face’ (think: the Sylvie scowl!), but my Americanness and blend of cultures is what makes me unique, so I’ve grown to embrace it. Oh, that and, be prepared to deal with French bureaucracy – it is not fun!

Please tell me more about your Green and Glam cookbooks and lifestyle. Has France started to embrace the whole foods movement as well as the US? RL: The joke here is that everything in the US eventually comes to France, but it takes a few years. This was definitely the case when it comes

to the health food movement. When I left Paris to visit places like NYC and LA, I saw the juice bars and health trends happening and felt as if I’d boarded a time machine and could see the future. It was frustrating that the words ‘gluten-free’ or ‘vegetarian’ made French chefs roll their eyes.

However, the more I spent time in the culinary world here, the more I realized that, while the health movement took off easily in places like the US and the UK, it was a tougher sell for a place like France, a country that prides itself on its culinary traditions. Is French food without butter, cream and baguette really French food? In fact, OUI! I was both shocked and thrilled that my books were well-received. Not only by French people, but also by Michelin-starred chefs who have increasingly adopted this new way of approaching cuisine to appeal to all types of diners. Just because you don’t – or, in my case, can’t – eat gluten or dairy, doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice on flavor or très chic gastronomic experiences. Eating healthy can be green AND glam! My last book explores the history of French cuisine which, as it turns out, lends itself perfectly to this healthier approach to eating and living. While Julia Child is my hero, she brought with her this idea that French cuisine is all about meat and butter, but in fact it is so much more than that! It warms my heart that today, in most restaurants, even in my neighborhood traditional French bistro known for its boeuf bourguignon and escargot, there is always a veggie or gluten-free option. And yoga isn’t just for crazy hippies anymore! Plus, the city is filled with people running and working out – there has definitely been a huge shift in lifestyle.

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: CHARLIE SEXTON

Artist Spotlight

Charlie Sexton 40

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Nicole Muj Managing Editor, IEM

Indie Entertainment Media recently caught up with American guitarist, singer/songwriter, and actor Charlie Sexton. The Austin-based artist starred alongside Ben Dickey and Ethan Hawke in the award-winning film Blaze that premiered at Sundance in 2018. He has performed as a key member of Bob Dylan’s touring band since 1999. Sexton recently performed in the groundbreaking online concert A Bowie Celebration: Just For One Day!, produced by Mike Garson, in honor of the late music icon’s 74th birthday. Following is our exclusive interview.

Charlie Sexton in A Bowie Celebration

Nicole Muj: A Bowie Celebration just made history, taking the touring show, online, mixing virtual and live performances, holographs, etc.

How was this experience for you as one of the live performers?

Charlie Sexton: I was very honored to be part of A Bowie Celebration in general, but especially given so many of the wonderful musicians involved. David was amazing as an “abstract casting director,” so to speak.

You had a special relationship with the late David Bowie beginning early on in your career.

What influence did he have on you, professionally and also, personally?

CS: The brief, yet important time I spent with David, was so very special, and in some ways quite easy. He had that way about him, making people feel at ease, such grace. The first time I became aware of him, I was probably five years old, and it made me quite curious about the world outside my little world, musically, humanly, etc.

And as I looked further into his work, later all of that broadened massively and kept expanding in many musical directions, particularly in the aspect of recording. He was so very kind to me and supportive, and quite the hilarious rascal.

Can you share with us a special moment or story about him, or any advice he might have given you over the years?

CS: In some ways when we met, we were both in transitional places, yet obviously in → 41

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: CHARLIE SEXTON

different ways. (I’m not keen on telling stories.)

I did ask him once if he ever had singing lessons.

He laughed so hard, “Oh dear, singing lessons?”

We thought that was hilarious. I’ll just say he was one of the most important friends I’ve ever had.

You attended Sundance a few years ago when the film BLAZE (starring Ethan Hawke, Ben Dickey, and you), was an official selection and award winner. In the film you played the late Townes Van Zandt, receiving critical acclaim. How was the experience working on this film and playing someone who you knew rather well?

CS: I will always be indebted to Ethan for Blaze, for getting it made, for the opportunity to play Townes, which was difficult, yet important, and strangely steeped in destiny and synergy, as

Blaze at Sundance 2018

I learned after we made it. Ethan is a true artist!

And after years of slogging, it out, off and on…. so thankful for the role. Of course, Ben Dickey was fabulous!

You also worked with Ethan again on his acclaimed Showtime TV series The Good Lord Bird. How was the experience playing a character like Reverend Martin?

CS: I am a huge fan of the book and James McBride’s work, and proud of Ethan for getting it made. Reverend Martin, I can’t say I am at all fond of. It was “The Work” and not exactly the most pleasant skin to be in. He’s pretty despicable.

Accepting it {the role} was for the greater good, and there were so many amazing talented actors in the project.

Charlie Sexton in A Bowie Celebation

t Charlie Sexton in Blaze

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Do you have any other film or TV projects in the works?

CS: Yes, I’m accepting all theatrical offers that aren’t coming in! (laughs) You have been an important figure in the Austin music scene, literally your entire life. How do you feel Austin changed over the years?

CS: Austin is a very special place. Of course, it has changed especially since I arrived in 1972, but still has ‘that something’!

You have worked with some of the most respected names in the industry - Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Don Henley, Willie Nelson, Shawn Colvin, Edie Brickell, Lucinda Williams, and of course, David Bowie. What music projects or collaborations do you have in the works or on the horizon, either as a producer, music director, or performer?

CS: I’m constantly working – recording, writing, producing. I learned long ago that creativity expands when collaborating. I’d say it’s the “we,” the “us,” that makes things possible.

Charlie Sexton as Reverend Martin (photo by Anne Rivera)

I learned long ago that creativity expands when collaborating.

I’d say it’s the “we,” the “us,” that makes things possible.

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COVID-19 STORY

When Push Comes to Shove, We Pivot!

Paulina Aguirre

Nicole Muj Managing Editor, IEM

Without question, 2020 was a year to remember and one that quite frankly changed the entertainment industry forever. IEM has asked some of the top names in TV, film, and music about how the pandemic has forced the creative community to pivot.

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a e

For me, it's been a way to learn more about digital marketing and new ways of exposure I had delayed discovering for a long time. I am glad this has challenged me to learn more about the digital world.

I am now the voice for a software that I can't mention yet due to privacy and my audition was through Zoom.

Grammy-winning Music Artist

Yasmine Al-Massri Larry Namer

Actress (Quantico), Producer, Humanitarian

COO, FanVestor, Founder/ President/CEO, Metan Global In my role as COO of FanVestor, I have noticed an incredible difference in the way managers agents and lawyers think about expanding the activities of the celebrities they advise. The idea of creating business opportunities and revenue streams outside the talent’s core focus has become top of mind for most. As president of Metan Global we have had to put most of our film and TV production activities on pause. The risk level of getting shutdown in the middle of a production is simply too great.

One of the things that I had to deal with on a personal level during this quarantine was to learn how to sit with myself without being distracted from what I feel. Those uncomfortable feelings that we usually avoid by keeping busy, they show up when you are quarantined and there is no way out. So, on a philosophical level, this has been a major lesson that I am learning. On a professional level as an actress, learning how to audition during this time has been interesting. I auditioned for a very important TV show recently, and I had my acting teacher on one screen, my ‘acting mother’ Leigh Kilton-Smith on another screen, my friend from Quantico Tate Ellington, and my friend who is a director who happened to be in LA (who showed up at my house with double masks), all came together to shoot the audition. I truly felt how much love I have for my craft, and I realized that nothing can stand between you and what you are supposed to do, even during a pandemic.

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COVID-19 STORY

Vincent De Paul Member PGA/Emmy Winner/ French Riviera Film Festival "Best Actor" Winner 2019 Now more than ever the film and TV industry has had to adjust and pivot or revolve to continue during this time of COVID-19. There are many positive outcomes from this time. I believe strongly that the most poignant movies, art, poetry, and content will come from our entertainment and artistic community. The reason is that we had the ability to focus and create during this unique era in history.

Kat Kramer Actress/Producer/Writer/Performer 46

Mik Gar

As an actress/producer/writer/performer, a creative in the film and entertainment industry, I definitely had to pivot during the pandemic. It was a unique journey learning how to navigate the "new normal." When COVID-19 hit LA, I was forced to move all production meetings to Zoom. I was scheduled to act and produce an episode of an anthology series in June 2020, and that was postponed. My cinema series Kat Kramer's Films That Change The World couldn't take place for its 10th Anniversary, #SHEROesForChange Film Festival. I was invited to speak to a group of women about female empowerment in the film industry, which was presented as a virtual event. I performed a new monologue for Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival's Halloween Mixer on Zoom. This change of path was positive because I've been developing projects in the animation space, have joined Webinars with people in different time zones, and launched a new YouTube channel named HMP Celebrity Showcase, a weekly series honoring entertainment and broadcasting pioneers, that was put together during the pandemic as an archival history project for the Hollywood Media Professionals.

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ke rson

There is hardly a force which can prevent the urge to create. This was clear while developing our A Bowie Celebration concert despite growing COVID complications. These hurdles forced us to pivot from having more artists live on stage together to using technology and digital artistry bringing artists together at a time when we’ve been forced to separate. My passion is to spread the healing aspects of music and that was my goal with this having created and shared so much music with David. He was a genius and his songs needed to be sung - especially during these trying times.

David Bowie’s pianist & longest-standing band member, producer A Bowie Celebration: Just For One Day!’

Larry Kasanoff Founder/CEO, Threshold Entertainment

We at Threshold, prior to the pandemic, started an animated movie, Bobbleheads: The Movie, starring Luke Wilson, Jennifer Coolidge, and Cher, for Universal. Microsoft and Nvidia gave us new technology to test, enabling us to make the film via a global, remote network.

The technology worked better than expected, which meant that when the pandemic hit, we were prepared and finished, in spite of everything, on time! On a recent panel, someone asked me if we’d ever go back to our old ways and my answer was a resounding, No! We’ve always made movies for the world, and now they can also be from the world, including diverse talent and perspectives. So, the trial by fire the pandemic gave us made us realize we will continue this way, pandemic or not.

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COVID-19 STORY

Kate Rees Davies Director/Producer During the pandemic I thrived. I took over 40 industry meetings with entertainment and studio executives on Zoom, as everyone was forced to stay home and production had been halted. I wrote two TV pilots as I had more time to focus and develop the story lines. I also taught three directing workshops online via Zoom, which I found to be more productive than in person meetings.

Bruno Chatelin

Co-founder, filmfestivals.com

I have used the extra time organizing Zoom interviews vs. written interviews. The situation helped me conduct more of them because people were more accessible, I also developed my current editing skills a bit. Online tools I had been using are now more widely spread. It helps me in my day-to-day work. I have travelled less, resulting in big savings in cash and energy spent to travel the world for festivals. I am happy that festivals have finally opened to the world with virtual screenings, things we have been advocating for the past two decades. Also, I am very happy with the development of virtual Q&As, panels and keynotes which contribute to a greater sharing of experience.

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Christina Rose

CEO/Co-founder, MirrorWater Entertainment LLC For us at MirrorWater Entertainment, our global projects were shut down, postponed and have been delayed, leaving us to focus more on local content. Without a doubt it's been a very difficult time as we are planning to pick up where we left off. It has forced us to think about how we can make content more effectively – both in terms of economic means as well as the execution of the content. Processes and procedures have changed and in the future post pandemic times we might still be doing certain things the same way but with a different purpose.

Sue Vicory

Founder, Heartland Films, Inc.

COVID-19 did not have any significant effect on Heartland Films, Inc. projects. We finished production on a narrative film Panic at Parq just prior to the shutdown and was then able to make its way through post-production and consequently aired on Public TV 10 days in a row by year’s end. Another film, a feature historical documentary, completed production as well and is now in post-production with a May 1, 2021 premiere date. A short animation film, After the Question, is in production expecting completion soon as well.

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SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH EVA LANSKA

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spotlight interview with

Eva Lanska Nicole Muj Managing Editor, IEM

IEM has the chance to interview London-based director and screenwriter Eva Lanska, a rising star on the indie film scene.

She has directed several award-winning films that have been recognized throughout Europe and America. was named an official selection of the Washington Jewish Film Festival, Little French Fish draws attention to the global stigma against interracial marriages through the relationship of an Orthodox Jewish woman and a Muslim man. Okay, Mum is the story of

Natasha, a gifted and fragile child whose childhood was filled with constant conflict because of her father’s anger and her mother’s inability to protect her. When she grows up, her main purpose in life is to not repeat the path of her mother.

The short film won Best Picture at the Los Angeles Film Festival and was selected for the Short Film Corner at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Lanska recently announced her first feature I Am Not An Actress, inspired by the philosophy of Brigitte Bardot.

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SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH EVA LANSKA

Nicole Muj: How do you compare working as an author versus as an actress/performer versus being a director?

Eva Lanska: I have tried to combine all of these several roles at the same time on one project. After this experience, I now prefer to have a separate person responsible for each function, as often the overlapping of roles seriously affects the quality of the work. And most importantly, differing points of view from different specialists on the same plot gives a better chance of getting a brighter, multifaceted film. During filming, as a director, I always try to listen to the opinions of each member of the team.

NM: Do you plan to return to any of the other artistic disciplines besides directing (writing, acting, painting, singing)?

EL: I am always involved in the process of writing each script and creating the music for each film. As for any unrealized plans, I still dream of staging a play, a theatrical production. I would like to make a modern adaptation of one of the works of Shakespeare.

NM: How has COVID affected your “grand plan”?

EL: I shot a small project a month ago, a series titled Motek. The work became more difficult as many team members were in a state of prolonged stress and fear. Fear can destroy any talent and work of art. I think that we will be able to assess more how all this will affect the industry closer to May 2021.

What are some of your most exciting, upcoming projects? I am sure you will mention ‘I Am Not An Actress.’ Why do you feel you resonate with Brigitte Bardot?

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EL: At the beginning of 2000, I lived in Paris. I had my own musical group and even released an album. After its release, a French producer asked me to record covers of some of Serge Gainsbourg’s works. Among them were Brigitte Bardot's songs. While working in the recording studio, I began to study the biography of Brigitte.

I discovered a lot of new facts about her life that are not known to a wide audience. This outstanding woman has dedicated her life to fighting for women's rights. Although the #MeToo movement originated in America, it was Brigitte who was one of the first to rise up against the existing oppressive rules in the film industry. As a woman, I have repeatedly faced gender discrimination in a professional environment, ever since my years as a student. In addition, Brigitte’s huge contribution to the protection of animals is already enough for many films to be made about her.

What are some of the past projects of which you are most proud?

EL: I am attached to all the films I have made. Each film is a creative work of a large team with many hours of work by the actors. To put it bluntly, I always fall in love with my actors in the process of making a film and the work of each of them is a separate piece of art. It feels like the joy of a sculptor who sculpts glass and captures every

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change. Figuratively speaking, the finished sculpture is beautiful and fragile, similar to the actors with whom I work.

What is your educational background? Did you attend any film schools?

EL: I graduated from the faculty of television journalism and studied radio journalism and publishing at university. Over the years, I have taken many acting and vocal courses and studied the theory of professional directing at the London Film Academy. Although they say that in order to be a director there must be a calling – theoretical knowledge is not enough.

How has ROSKINO been helpful in your career?

EL: My very first film Okay, Mum was selected by ROSKINO to participate in its Russian Pavilion film program during the Cannes Film Festival. To be honest, it was a huge moment for me. I was given the chance to present my work and it was a great honor for me. This was my first film as a director and I was tormented by various doubts, and the fact that ROSKINO believed in me gave me invaluable support. At the same time, in parallel, quite by accident, this film was chosen by the festival to participate in the Short Film Corner. These two events were a great stimulus for me to believe in myself.

Viva Maria Brigitte Bardot courtesy of Movie Stills DB

Behind the Scenes, Okay, Mum

Who has been the biggest influence on you with regard to your career? Do you have any mentors?

EL: On the eve of any of my shooting, I always review the work of Michelangelo Antonioni, exclusively for rhythm and inspiration. I also have several friends with whom I have had many years of friendship. I always send them raw edits and we conduct a sort of focus group.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

EL: I try to live in the present day as no one knows the future and there is no point in returning to the past.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

EL: I would like to offer this message to my fellow creatives - Believe in yourself and give preference to the voice of intuition, over reason and logic.

Believe in yourself and give preference to the voice of intuition, over reason and logic.

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INTERVIEW WITH KAMILLA TARABURA

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interview with filmmaker

Kamila Tarabura Nicole Muj Managing Editor, IEM

Indie Entertainment Media’s managing editor Nicole Muj had the chance to interview Polish filmmaker Kamila Tarabura, director of the Oscar-qualifying short Into The Night.

Born in 1990, director/screenwriter Kamila Tarabura graduated from the Warsaw Film School and The Wajda School. Her short film debut Into the Night won “Best Short Live Action Film Award” at the 36th annual Warsaw International Film Festival, making it eligible for Academy Award consideration.

Currently, she is developing her first feature film. She is also working with Nina Lewandowska, the

writer of Into the Night, on an original coming of age drama series. Kamila gained her film experience by making short fictional films, commercials and music videos, as well as through her work as an assistant director, which includes the TV series Krew z krwi (Penoza) by Jan Komasa and the film High Life by Claire Denis. She is interested in themes of family and specifically, the mother-daughter relationship.

Her cinematic storytelling focuses on an observation of human nature with a keen eye for unique characters and stories.

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INTERVIEW WITH KAMILLA TARABURA

Nicole Muj: Tell us please about why you decided to direct Into The Night?

Kamila Tarabura: I have a much younger sister, so it was somehow natural for me as a director to jump into a project about her generation. It was a great experience to have dialogue with young people, having a lot of meetings with them and getting into their world. It was fundamental for me to have them onboard as our consultants for the film.

Why do you think Into The Night is resonating with global audiences?

KT: Thank you, I do believe that Into The Night resonates with a global audience. It's authen-

tic and shows the dilemmas faced by real young people. Also, I should mention our teenage actresses Agnieszka Rajda and Nel Kaczmarek. They were very much involved in creating the story and writing dialogues, making them up to date.

Into The Night was a female-led production and had a majority of women working on the project in front of and behind the camera. How important was this to you as filmmaker/producer and why?

KT: It's true, there were a lot of women on board, but it wasn't planned. My wish was to work with the best and most creative people I know.

Kamila Tarabura on set of Into The Night

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The fact that there were so many of women involved means that the film industry in Poland is changing for the better with regard to female equality. For me, however, it's not about gender, but about one's sensibility and how a person sees things.

As female filmmakers/producers, what do you wish to communicate to the attendees of Sundance 2021?

KT: I think it's difficult time for our industry, due to the pandemic and to all the restrictions we are facing. We must remember to fight for what’s best for us and our projects, and never compromise, especially now.

What are some of your most exciting, upcoming projects/collaborations?

KT: I am very happy that thanks to the success of our short film, we were often together with the writer Nina Lewandowska. Together, we will co-develop a new original project. I am also preparing my first full-length feature debut, which I hope will begin shooting this year.

Into The Night Offical Poster

We must remember to fight for what’s best for us and our projects, and never compromise, especially now.

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Après Ski Style, Sundance and Swag in 2021

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Virtual spotlight on the latest luxury items of 2021 Nicole Muj Managing Editor, IEM

Each year, the Sundance Film Festival is not only the home to the very best in indie entertainment, it’s also an amazing venue to present the latest in upscale brands to the global film industry and the après ski set.

During the annual festival, global luxury lifestyle and fashion brands are often launched at the exclusive gifting lounges scattered along Main Street or at the St. Regis Deer Valley.

This year, while we’ll miss the live music performances, activations and VIP gifting suites, IEM would like to place the virtual spotlight on the latest luxury items of 2021 that hopefully, we’ll be able to enjoy during next year’s trip to Park City.

We can all create the ambiance in our own homes until that time….

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NOVE Trident Automatic Watch

Some of the brands on our radar include NOVE Trident Automatic, a stunning Swiss-made diving watch combining function, craftmanship and style.

Composed of a double curved sapphire bezel and case backing, a Tahitian mother of pearl dial, and the latest ‘Automatic R150’ movement, NOVE has designed the ultimate statement piece.

“I founded an innovative Swiss-made watch brand called NOVE to create beautiful timepieces as functional pieces of art. We’ve now launched the first series of the Automatic Trident, an innovative and modern design engineered to peak performance, that is both durable and versatile and a great companion for any outdoor sports like skiing,” comments founder Tiffany Meerovitsch.

02

SPYDER Eyewear

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ULTRASONE Performance 880 Headphones

For your listening pleasure, the Ultrasone Performance 880 featuring S-Logic® Plus technology catapults sound to a new level. At the heart of the closed headphones is a 40mm titanium-coated transducer, while its driver enables high-precision mapping of music and speech. The clear high-frequency range draws in every nuance of the music, as the bass range brings in the drums and effects impressively, without placing them too much in the foreground.

The Performance 880 presents the same airy sound as you would expect with open headphones.

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Spyder is a familiar name to the festival, and the brand’s latest collection are perfect for the active set. The new styles feature extendable lanyards, interchangeable lenses, and temple/ straps. Uber fashionable and perfect to transition from the slopes to Main Street. My favorite is the Extendable Lanyard style.

ic! berlin was a smash hit brand with Hollywood’s elite at the 2020 festival at the Kia Telluride Supper Suite’s celebrity gifting lounge. The hand-made, German-engineered eyewear brand has just unveiled its brand-new Acetate collection of prescription and sun frames. My favorite of the latest styles if the VIP.

ic! berlin VIP Sunglasses

06 05 KODIAK Peyto Boot

THE OUTSIDER

by Cocktail Sneakers

Designs by Cocktail Sneakers, a company founded and operated for women by women, are available at many high-end resorts nationwide. The collection of elegant, classic, and timeless designs delivers elevated casual options for women who favor comfort, style and versatility, a perfect pairing with our after-ski wear. The brand’s Outsider Bootie in blush is a beautiful addition to one’s footwear collection.

Legendary Canadian brand Kodiak, featuring premium leather footwear with Saltshield™ stain prevention, provides many stylish options for men and women that protect its wearers from the snow and slush of the resort towns. Peyto, a sleek, Chelsea style boot, is perfect after a day on the slopes.

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07 UNBOUND MERINO Compact Travel Hoodie

Unbound Merino is the must-try clothing company of sustainable wardrobe essentials made of 100% merino wool. The luxurious apparel line is perfect for alpine resort dressing as it adjusts to one’s body’s temperature to make sure you are not only stylish but also dry and warm. Using sweat-wicking, wrinkle-resistant, anti-bacterial material, the brand’s T-Shirts and hoodies stay clean and fresh no matter how many times they're worn. A new wardrobe essential!

For some subtle yet stunning après skis bling, a piece from LEFineJewelry.com featuring fine 14k gold and genuine diamonds is the perfect addition to make you stand out during an evening’s festivities.

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OLIVER CHARLES Sweaters

Stay toasty warm in Oliver Charles’ sweaters, made from the finest merino wool and a rare fiber known for its antimicrobial properties called Khullu, which comes from the underbelly of high elevation Tibetan yaks. The sweaters are 3D knit and cashmere soft. The founders grew up in Aspen, Colorado and their mountain culture has definitely played a major part in the garment’s development.

09 LE FINE Jewelry

And for that James Bond glamour, why not have a case of BEAU JOIE Champagne, a zero dosage, no sugar added bubbly, special delivered? The gorgeous bottles are encased in a stunning suit of copper armor, a functional design element made to help cool the champagne quicker and keep it colder longer, without the need for an ice bucket.

BEAU JOIE is available same day delivery via Drizly and Minibar. For those extra special moments, try the limited-edition couture collector’s bottle, the MARCHESA, a partnership series with the fashion house MARCHESA. This bespoke, hand-beaded bottle adorned with over 10,000 beads and jewels, is a true work of art inspired by the brand’s Creative Director and Co-Founder Georgina Chapman’s past collections. Only 1,000 signed and numbered bottles will ever be produced.

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BEAU JOIE Rosé Champagne

12 NOLLAPELLI Bedding

CHÂTEAU DE BERNE

If you are looking to enjoy a lovely rosé, but not the bubbles, Château de Berne and Ultimate Provence wines from the French Riviera have been featured at the top celebrity events during the Sundance and Cannes film festivals in recent years. Fun fact: The brand’s rising star wine master Alexis Cornu also developed Post Malone’s new rosé. Available at wine.com.

Many of us love to sleep in style, even while on vacation, so oftentimes, high quality sheets are a must on our packing lists. Signature sheets by the new bedding company Nollapelli make the cut.

The sheets are made with a patent-pending bedding fabric that restores you, your skin, and your hair while you sleep, with no more sleep lines or bedhead. Nollapelli also makes it easy to BYOB (bring your own bedding) with its sustainably crafted travel pouches for pillowcases.

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13 ASHER Candles

And to create a romantic, ski chalet ambiance, the ultra-dramatic new candles by Asher are perfect. The candles available in a wide variety of curated scents have roughly 120 hour burn time. The reusable candle holders and candle tins can also be used as chic floral vases and terrariums. A cool note: free sample whiffs are available to validate your scent selections.

After a long day on the slopes, sore muscles, some that we haven’t used in a while, may be in need some tender loving care. Some portable, easy to transport items to bring with you include:

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MAGICHANDS™ TRUSHIATSU™ Neck and Back Massager

Celebrity favorite, MagicHands™ is truMedic’s most advanced, high-performance massage designed with a patent-pending mechanism that is made to recreate the touch of a professional masseuse. The product has four massage nodes that each act as their own “thumb” to deliver effective shiatsu massage therapy. This mechanism, combined with heat, creates a massage that you can’t get anywhere else. Oprah noted, “it's guaranteed to make you think a masseuse has moved in."

15 DOSHA Mat

Why not pamper yourself with a Dosha Mat, a handmade, premium acupressure mat that is lightweight and great for travel? The eco-friendly mats feature acupressure, an ancient Ayurvedic treatment that is similar to massage, acupuncture, and reflexology, and is helpful in relieving tension, soreness and pain in the back, head, neck, shoulders, hips, and feet.

16 17 EQUIPT Ankle and Wrist Weights

Initiale

by EMPREINTE

To maintain our fitness regimes after our daily visit to the slopes, EQUIPT offers the stylish and portable Ubarre and vegan leather ankle and wrist weights to take on the road with you, keeping you toned while away from home.

Your comfort clothing need not be frumpy. Last year, French lingerie company Empreinte launched an active wear collection, featuring uber stylish leggings and under garments. Reprise's Aspen plantbased leggings made of Tencel fabric take care of your skin, making for a cozy and warm addition to your wardrobe.

REPRISE ASPEN Leggings

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19 21 BOTANIKA LIFE CBD Jet Pack

HERAUX Skincare

Botanika Life CBD Jet Pack, featuring a duo of an all-natural, clean, and safe immune boost spray + sleep spray, both enhanced with 120 mg full spectrum CBD. The immune spray bottle is infused with vitamin C to help protect the body against infection, zinc to keep your immune system strong, and CBD which functions as an immunosuppressant. The sleep spray bottle incorporates melatonin to help you sleep, magnesium to stabilize your mood, and CBD to keep travel anxiety at bay.

My latest discovery is the new patented Heraux Molecular Anti-Inflammaging Serum. After nearly a decade of breakthrough research and 18 patents worldwide, the serum features HX-1, a proprietary anti-inflammaging biomimetic lipid that shields skin stem cells from the effects that fuel aging, reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, increasing skin smoothness and firmness, and much more. The addition of hyaluronic acid hydrates and plumps skin, resulting in a more supple complexion and peptides reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamins C and E and red maple bark extract provide antioxidant support, protecting the skin from environmental aggressors and promote a brighter, more even skin tone. An important addition to your skincare regime.

20 DR. KERKLAAN Therapeutics

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Dr. Kerklaan Therapeutics products will come to the rescue with the brand’s signature Natural CBD Relief Cream, formulated to provide localized relief with the added cooling effect from the essential oils of eucalyptus and peppermint. The cream’s luxurious non-greasy feel makes it comfortable to use both day and night.

CALDERA + LAB

Finally, you can pack up all of your skincare and cosmetics in Makeup Junkie Bags, the innovative travel bags created

by Shark Tank alum Meredith Jurica (MJ).

Frustrated with what the market had to offer when storing large makeup items to travel with, MJ, a mother of two daughters, crafted her own pattern to make the perfect cosmetic bag that doubles as a clutch. Named “One of the Top 10 Travel Bags” by USA Today, the bag lays flat, allowing for easy access to its contents, while eliminating the chances that the bag will fall over sending products everywhere.

And so apropos is Caldera + Lab. The brand was founded after Jared Pobre and Stacy Keibler moved their family from LA to Jackson Hole. After spending days on the mountain skiing, the couple quickly realized the harsh side effects of high-alpine climate on one’s skin. After two years of R&D, working with local chemists, botanists, and scientists, they perfected the award winning formula of The Good — a multi-functional serum that is proven to moisturize, protect against harsh environmental factors, and promote healthier and younger looking skin.

It is specifically designed for men, but women also love the product, especially those who spend a lot of time in the mountains.

MAKEUP JUNKIE BAGS

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LUNAR NEW YEAR Collection

XiXi Yang

The brand that surely would have made an impact at this year’s festival is BH Cosmetics, a global beauty company that celebrates diversity and inclusivity. The brand recently launched a limited-edition makeup collection in collaboration with award-winning entertainment journalist and beauty influencer XiXi Yang. As the first American TV personality of Asian descent to host “Live from the Red Carpet”, XiXi brings together a global audience of 28M+ views with her bilingual skills and a passion for all things beauty. Each product name and palette shade were carefully selected with XiXi to embody the rich heritage of Chinese culture and the true splendor of the Lunar New Year.

Lunar New Year: 2021 Edit is available now at BHCosmetics.com and Ulta.com. The limit-

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ed-edition collection includes a 21-Color Shadow Palette, Liquid Eyeliner, OMG Glitter! Face & Body Gel. LNY Edit: Gold Coin, OMG Glitter!

Face & Body Gel LNY Edition: Red Envelope, Faux Mink Lashes - Dynasty Diva and Faux Mink Lashes -The Empress.

“This is such an exciting passion project of mine because growing up, I didn’t see many faces in the beauty industry that looked like mine, and I certainly didn’t see products that celebrated my heritage,” said XiXi Yang. “A big part of who I am today is due to the transformative power of makeup! I’m so proud to team up BH Cosmetics, one of the biggest beauty brands that nourishes diversity and inclusivity, to create a special collection that celebrates the rich splendor of Lunar New Year!”

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