Indie Entertainment Media - Cannes 2021 Special Edition by gotham ch

French Riviera Film Festival Edition 2021 July 11 – 14, 2021

www.indieentertainmentmedia.com

Indie Entertainment Media indieentertainmentmedia.com

Publishers

Gotham Chandna Nicole Goesseringer Muj

Editor-in-Chief | 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

Graphic Design

Arina Kipurova

Photos Courtesy of:

The Beverly Hills Hotel, EMS.ART.SCENE, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Movie Stills DB, WikiCommons.

GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT SHOWCASE PANELISTS ALI M. AKSU

ANNA FISHBEYN

Founder, FilmCapital.io and Auteur Academy

Founder and President of XOFeminist Productions and Anteriya Films

EVA LANSKA Director, Screenwriter

CHRISTINA ROSE

BERTRAND NORMAND

CEO/Co-founder, MirrorWater Entertainment

Filmmaker, Producer

MODERATOR

REHNA AZIM Lawyer & Journalist Moderator

MEDIA PARTNERS

EVENT PARTNERS

4th Annual Global Entertainment Showcase

Ali M. Aksu

Ali M. Aksu is an international film producer, director and entrepreneur. He is the executive producer of several groundbreaking projects, including the first-ever Hollywood feature film to cast digital media talent, that was distributed by Universal Studios. He is the founder of FilmCapital.io, a community focused Hollywood crowdfunding platform that was incubated at Singularity University, and Auteur Academy, an educational platform to empower independent filmmakers. Aksu is the Southern California Young Professionals Ambassador at the United Nations Association of America. He is an MBA candidate at Chicago Booth School of Business. He holds a B.A. in economics, with a minor in film, TV and digital media from UCLA, and earned executive-level degrees from MIT, Wharton and Singularity University.

Anna Fishbeyn, Founder and President of XOFeminist Productions and Anteriya Films (Russia/USA), is an award-winning star of stage and screen, a filmmaker, director, author and actress.

Anna Fishbeyn 4

Her movie Galaxy 360: A Woman’s Playground, which she wrote, directed and starred in, will be released in theaters and on major streaming services this year. The pre-release version of the film screened to a packed house at the Cannes and Big Apple film festivals and was a finalist of the Sundance New Frontier Exhibition. Anna’s first play Sex in Mommyville premiered in New York City and was recommended by Bloomberg News, while CBS Radio

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pronounced her "a comic genius.” Her second play My Stubborn Tongue played off-Broadway at NYC’s New Ohio Theatre and went on tour to the West End in London at the Soho Theatre. Her solo cabaret show at the Metropolitan Room in NYC Anna on Fire and Uncensored was recommended by CBS News New York, Jewish Week, and NiteLife NYC. Anna wrote and starred in the award-winning web series Happy Hour Feminism and directed and starred in Invisible Alice, a short musical film is currently on the festival circuit. Pre-production has begun on her next movie How To Seduce Your Dinner Guest, as well as two optioned pilots for television, the comedy Healthy Nuts and the drama Infidelity Club.

Eva Lanska 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.

Eva Lanska

Across her films, Eva studies the concepts of acceptance and love in challenging circumstances. Her film, Little French Fish 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 picture 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. She recently announced her first feature I Am Not An Actress, inspired by the philosophies of Brigitte Bardot, and will soon unveil her first documentary The Abraham Accords Change History: Women in the Middle East, filmed during the pandemic.

Bertrand Normand is a French filmmaker and producer. A graduate of Canada’s Vancouver Film School, he has directed both narrative short films and documentaries.

Bertrand Normand

His latest short film, The Photographer, has participated in more than 70 festivals internationally and obtained 13 awards. His most renowned documentary, Ballerina, a portrait of five Russian ballerinas from the Kirov Ballet, has been released worldwide. His latest documentary The Rocking Baritone has just been completed. In 2016, Normand founded the production company Les Films du Jour Prochain, which has produced the short films The Taste of Ginger, by Jean-Robert Thomann and Iskra, by Adrian Replanski. He is currently developing and producing a number of narrative films and feature-length documentaries internationally.

CEO/Co-founder, MirrorWater Entertainment LLC (MWE) Christina Rose 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, Europe, Africa (the famous Atlas Studios in Ouarzarzate), and Asia. Together with her brother Michael, she co-founded MWE.

Christina Rose 6

Prior to setting up a production company, Rose 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.

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Rose 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. The series will premiere this August at the 10th Anniversary of "Kat Kramer's Films That Change The World,” which is themed this year as "Sheroes For Change."

The panel will be moderated by Rehna Azim, a London-based practicing lawyer and freelance journalist who writes mainly about film and lifestyle topics. She was previously the editor of a glossy women's magazine and is currently awards editor at www.moviemarker.co.uk. Her site www.itsalawyerslife.com is a lifestyle and wellbeing blog for lawyers by lawyers. She has written and produced four short legal dramas.

Rehna Azim

Adam Driver: Cannes’ Darling BY Lena Basse, International Entertainment Journalist The unconventionally attractive actor who has created for himself one of the most prolific careers in Hollywood stars alongside Marion Cotillard in the Cannes Festival’s opening film Annette by director Leos Carrax

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As the COVID-19 pandemic gradually comes to a close it’s difficult to believe that the world is opening up again, starting with the return of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Ever since Adam Driver’s debut at the festival in 2013 with the Cohen Brothers’ film Inside Llewyn Davis that won Grand Prix, he has been a festival darling, sometimes presenting multiple films a year, like in 2018 when he presented Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman and Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. The following year, Driver played Officer Ronald in frequent collaborator Jim Jarmusch’s film, The Dead Don’t Die, which opened the festival. This year, the Indiana-born actor has returned to open the festival again with a film directed by another cult director, Leos Carrax, in his first English language musical film, Annette.

Marion Cotillard

Driver is already demonstrated his musical talent in many of his works, from the hit television series Girls to Inside Llewyn Davis. His most recent vocal performance can be found in Noah Baumbach’s

Annette

Marriage Story, where he sings Stephen Sondheim’s “Being Alive” in an unbroken take. Ahead of the film’s premiere, a song from the original soundtrack was released profoundly called, “So May We Start,” where he sings alongside Marion Cotillard and featuring Simon Helberg. Hopefully, he will be able to return to the red carpet even though he finds stardom a bizarre experience as he says in his own words, “Cannes is very overwhelming, because you’re walking upstairs, it’s kind of feels like we’re gonna sacrifice something together other than watch a movie.” His own story could be made into a film. It has a transformational arc in which the main character goes from being a regular person at the beginning of the story to a real hero over the course of the story. Driver went through this hero’s journey successfully, including overcoming all required obstacles. Driver grew up far from the entertainment industry in Mishawaka, Indiana. He enjoyed playing in school musicals so much that despite being a tall lop-eared kid with clubfoot he got the idea of becoming an actor. After finishing school, he left for California, saying “see you!” to his friends, family, and then girlfriend, meaning of course, his following presence on a big screen. After his car broke down in Amarillo Texas, Driver lost his money even before setting foot in California. After staying at a youth hostel in Los Angeles for two days, Driver went back home, defeated. But he didn’t let go of his dream. The aspiring young man decided to apply to the prestigious Juilliard school in New York City where he wasn’t accepted. After seeing the events of 9/11, he decided he had to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. But his career in the Marines didn’t last long, as he broke his sternum

in a biking accident before being deployed. He was discharged and sent home. From this hardship, Driver found his lucky break. He applied to Julliard again, this time getting in and fostering a deep love for acting. At Julliard, not only did he launch his acting career, but also met his future wife, Joanne Tucker. After graduating, Driver performed in a number of Broadway plays, including “Burn This” and “Man and Boy”. Driver had his film debut in none other than Clint Eastwood’s 2011 film J. Edgar. It was then that his agent suggested that he audition for a new HBO show Girls, created and written by Lena Dunham. He initially refused, stating that he was a theatre actor only. Luckily, he was convinced to meet Dunham and found himself really liking her and the script. He portrayed the leading male character that developed through different stages during all six seasons: from a complete loser who is stalking on his ex-girlfriend to a successful professional who is capable of a serious relationship. And so, did Driver by truly evolving as an actor. At the same time, he continued working with Hollywood’s best directors including such eminent filmmakers as Steven Spielberg, Jim Jarmusch, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, and Terry Gillian, just to name a few. When asked if he would ever take the director’s chair, he explains that he simply doesn’t see the world in the way directors do. Instead, he works with the most talented directors in the world, rather than try it out himself. But he is perhaps most well-known for appearing in the sequel series of Star Wars. The role of Kylo Ren has launched him into superstardom, from attending premieres all around the world to getting stopped by fans in the street. With such a recogniz-

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able face and a tall stature, it is nearly impossible to hide among the crowd, which has forced Driver to walk with bodyguards whenever he makes a public appearance. Having to go through all of this trouble on top of being a millennial sex symbol, it is understandable why he comes off as cool and unapproachable. Despite this, he answers all interview questions honestly and thoughtfully, demonstrating his vulnerability. Even though he sometimes gets carried away with his own thoughts, he is never shallow when he tries to reflect on various topics. ABOUT HIS TRANSITION FROM THE MILITARY TO HOLLYWOOD I think in retrospect, I always wanted to be an actor, and the Marine Corps was in a sense some of the best acting training I ever had. Because you are isolated with a group of guys who are under an incredible amount of stress, I learned a lot of how to be on a set - this idea of a team effort from being in the Marine Corps, and the idea of a shared credit. So, working within a cohesive unit under an incredible amount of stress, obviously the stakes of a movie set are different than the stakes of being in the Marine Corps, but you have a role, and you have to know your role within that team and you guys are all there to accomplish a mission that is bigger than any one person. And there’s someone leading it and when they know what they are doing, what you are doing feels active and relevant and necessary, and when they don’t know what they are doing, it feels like a waste of time and dangerous. And there’s a lot of crossover I think between the military and acting. It’s about service, about a group of people to accomplish a thing that’s bigger than themselves. And success is relative in a way

and again, the stakes are different, but working and supporting other people and being there for other people is core to both of them. ABOUT SAYING GOODBYE TO STAR WARS It’s been six years of my life since I knew about it until we were done shooting it. And I don’t think it ever really hit me until it comes out in December. When these things are done I try to put them out of my mind as much as possible. I’ve only had the experience twice, once with this show called Girls that went on for six years and another time with Star Wars is that for that character, I know I had to put it in the back of my brain somewhere, because I knew we were going to do three. But this time I don’t have to revisit it anymore, so that has been a thing I don’t think I computed yet. ABOUT BEING DESCRIBED AS “INTENSE” I don’t think of myself as being intense. I don’t want to waste time, that’s for sure and I consider getting a chance to make a movie is an incredible opportunity - someone is paying millions of dollars, we are being away from our family, to be in a hole, not necessarily a hole, but isolated somewhere to work on this thing and someone is going to film it and it’s going to last forever, it better be worth it. There should be, you can’t hide from it, you can’t hide yourself from it, you have to kind of show up and give everything. You are making a document that maybe could reach someone who is in a part of the world that has nothing to do with you, and that’s my experience with film and cinema being in a small town in Indiana and watching Scorsese movies, or Fellini or Godard. Something that really 11

Adam Driver in Cannes

like opens your imagination and what a great thing about films is that they are so democratic, and they can find their audience. What an opportunity that is. Why would you not want to try to make that the best version you can in the time that you have? So, I just don’t want to waste the time and the opportunity. ABOUT VULNERABILITY That’s the great thing that I like about being an actor or what I like in other actors, is that it forces you to be empathetic, it forces it to be part of your life that you have to look at someone that you maybe have no interest in or have nothing that you relate to and find a way in. Whereas often in your jobs, you don’t get that exercise - no one else is going to give you three months to think of someone else’s perspective. So, I don’t think of it in terms of being vulnerable, I think of it as being more empathetic. 12

ABOUT WATCHING HIS OWN FILMS That’s interesting, I try to train myself to forget it as soon as it’s over. If a film is over, then I try to flush it out of my body or in my mind as soon as I can, and not to really think about it again and be distracted by other work or something else. Because at a certain point, my favorite part of working on something is when we are working on it, we are collaborating on it and making it. Then what it is, I feel like I don’t have an ownership over anymore, it’s not my thing, it’s the director’s. So, it’s hard for me. It’s also why I don’t watch the movies that I am in because I can’t, in a sense it has nothing to do with me at that point, and I feel like my tendency would be to try to make it something else or have regret (why did you use that and that’s not what I thought was operating). It’s a weird process because a year or two years later, people kind of respond to this thing that you did two years ago in a basement somewhere. So, by that time I’m kind of disconnected from it. But only remember it as

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we were making it and don’t experience it as this end result thing. ABOUT COLLABORATION Yeah, I can’t claim 100 percent for a performance that would be an illusion. I am one part of it. You can act in a room as much as you want alone, but you are relying on the lighting, you are relying on dialogue, you are relying on someone else’s perspective that you trust, you are relying on other actors who maybe come in with a better idea that you didn’t think of, the sets, the costumes, there are so many things that are telling the story, it would be an illusion for anyone to say that they have 100 percent credit or reason why, I’m such a small part, I don’t know the percentage of how it divides up, but I would say it’s pretty even. ABOUT HIS TASTE IN MUSIC It’s really all over the map. I know that’s also a non-answer, but it’s really true. I love Tom Waits to classical, to Rachmaninoff, it’s kind of all over the place. I don’t have a preference, there’s not really a genre that I stick in. I play the piano but playing the piano, I don’t play the piano, like I am not Van Cliburn (laughs). I know chords and things like that, I’m serviceable, but no performance or anything.

boredom, reflection, long form thoughtful conversation. Everything is kind of compressed to a soundbite and passed off as truth and I think that critical thought is an important thing and often not promoted as much as it should. I try to have that in my life. I mean, I live in New York City, one of the loudest cities in the world, but it's important for me to get out of it as much as possible I think to survive it. I think we could all use more of it, you know, that's pretty non-controversial statement but I think even as an actor it's an important thing to not be occupied and be open to the world around you. That's a great way that Martin Scorsese works, that I think is a good way to live is not to be so preoccupied even in life, you know, the cell phone zombies is what Jim Jarmusch actually calls them all the time. People walking around just kind of being closed off to the world around them and missing kind of, I guess a better way to say is one thing I liked about Paterson actually is this routine that he has. It's a well-worn group of where he goes every day and he's not distracted by – he's probably done it maybe 100 times the same path, but Jim liked the idea of every time that he walks by there's always a new detail because it's nature. You can't control it and it's unpredictable even when we shot those scenes, it's fun to – it just made me very aware of the beauty and simplicity and how wild it is and how much you can't control it, and you I think only can achieve that when you're aware which means not being distracted by anything.

ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF SILENCE I think it's an important thing. I think in a culture that's saturated with everything social media, the news, talking heads, politics, anything, everything is in excess. People almost don't have patience for 13

High Romance on the Riviera… by writer/director Claude Brickell Ah, the French Riviera, France’s playground of the rich and famous and known locally as the Côte d’Azur. Americans know it too, for its famed Cannes Film Festival and French movie icons like Brigitte Bardot who made movies there. But few know memorable American films were shot on the Riviera, as well, at its legendary studios of La Victorine. The Nice-based lot gained instant fame when American director Rex Ingram landed there in 1919 to shoot three of his silent era pics, and the studios never looked back. American stars who have graced the lot’s stages have included Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Katherine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall, David Niven, Audrey Hepburn, Paul Newman, Robert De Niro and countless others… not to mention international film directors like Alfred Hitchcock, François Truffaut, John Frankenheimer, Jean-Luc Godard, Herbert Ross and Jacques Demy all who chose to film productions there. During my days at La Victorine, as Hollywood’s rep, the lot saw additional American productions such as 20th Century Fox’s The Jewel of the Nile with Michael Douglas, Warner Bros.’ Under the

Cherry Moon with Prince and John Frankenheimer’s miniseries Riviera, among others. Romance was there, too, but none more memorable then the royal one that literally put La Victorine on the worldwide map. It was in the mid-1950s that Alfred Hitchcock chose La Victorine to shoot his legendary cat burglar romance To Catch a Thief starring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. Filming of the pic took place over the summer of 1954 but its release date was delayed. Producers feared the public might not accept as believable a romance between the film’s two stars due to an age difference. That was an issue, as well, with Billy Wilder’s Paris-set romance titled Love in the Afternoon starring Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper (Cooper was three-times his co-star’s age). And after the film’s release, critics panned it just for that calling Cooper miscast in the role. This even led to the star undergoing a full facelift the following year. When To Catch of Thief was released in 1955, age was not an issue with America’s best-loved leading man, and the film became the biggest hit of that decade. The Riviera lot is full of celebrity legends such as the studio’s swimming pool contractually mandated

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Nicole Kidman in Grace of Monaco

for Elizabeth Taylor to do her morning laps‒which she never once used‒and Errol Flynn’s vintage 1930’s Rolls Royce, which he simply forgot was there and is still in a shed collecting dust. Seasoned personnel love recounting stories like when they sipped whiskey with Richard Burton in the studio’s canteen or when they shot pool with writer Graham Greene in the celebrity lounge. I was even told that, one day, a shiny black chauffeured limousine arrived unexpectedly on the lot and out stepped his Royal Highness Rainier, Prince of Monaco requesting an introduction to actress Grace Kelly filming To Catch a Thief there. The story goes, the prince was simply mad about the actress from seeing her American pictures and he wanted to meet the seductive beauty in person. The press has always reported the first meeting of the actress and the prince took place much later when Kelly headed up the US delegation to the

Cary Grant and Grace Kelly

Cannes Festival for To Catch a Thief ’s festival premiere. While there, Kelly was supposedly invited to participate in a photo session with the prince at his Monaco Palace that was 55 kilometers away, a full year after To Catch a Thief had wrapped. But studio regulars remember all too well their first meeting was on the La Victorine lot where Rainer was swept off his princely feet by the movie siren. The rest is history. Following that undisclosed encounter, the prince initiated an exhaustive correspondence with the actress while she continued appearing in Hollywood productions back home in the United States. And it was said she had not been that taken with the prince in the beginning. Despite her strict religious upbringing, she was rumored to have been romantically involved with almost all of her leading men. After a yearlong courtship from afar, and while palace powers-that-be worked out the legal wranglings and royal protocols, a wedding of the nuptials was announced. But the Napoleonic Code of Monaco and strict laws of the Catholic Church necessitated two separate ceremonies, one civil and one religious. The civil one was conducted in the palace throne room on April 18, 1956 with a reception attended by three thousand Monégasques where 142 official titles bestowed on the princess were announced. The following day, a religious extravaganza took place in Monaco’s Saint Nicholas Cathedral with a host of international royals and Hollywood elite present. An estimated thirty million viewers were said to have watched the ceremony on live TV and was hailed as the first modern event to generate media overkill.

The wedding dress the princess wore, designed by MGM’s Academy Award-winning Helen Rose, had three dozen seamstresses working six weeks straight to complete it. And that night, the prince and princess left for a seven-week honeymoon cruise of the Mediterranean aboard the royal yacht Deo Juvante II. Upon the royals’ return to Monaco, however, the prince found himself embroiled in an existential dispute contesting his sovereignty of the principality by his powerful overlord President Charles de Gaulle of France. The legal tiff was primarily over Monaco’s coveted tax status with which the French president was more than displeased. All the while, director Hitchcock was working to lure the princess out of her self-imposed retirement. Seems he was determined she would star in his new production Marnie. Already, the princess was feeling cloistered in her Monte Carlo palace digs with mundane receptions and nagging charitable responsibilities facing her

Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace

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daily, and it was rumored she was actually entertaining Hitchcock’s offer. It was equally rumored, however, Rainier would hear none of it, all portrayed ludicrously years later in director Olivier Dahan’s feature film titled Grace of Monaco starring Nicole Kidman. After opening the Cannes Film Festival that year, the film’s scheduled release date in November of 2013 was put on hold. The Monaco royals were vehemently objecting to their mother’s blatantly-false characterization in the film, and US distributor Harvey Weinstein was demanding unreasonable cuts in the picture as well, which both the produce and director refused to make. As a result, the film was permanently shelved. On September 14, 1982, at age 52, Princess Grace was killed in a tragic automobile accident near La Turbie in Monaco, thought for years to have been the same mountainside motorway made famous in the To Catch a Thief chase scene. But this was categorically denied by her son, the current reigning Prince Albert of Monaco, who claimed it was not the same stretch at all. And the official details of the accident released publically stated, while driving in her convertible with her 17-year-old daughter Princess Stephanie at her side, Princess Grace lost control of the vehicle after suffering a stroke at the wheel. But palace insiders tell a different story claiming Princess Stephanie was at the wheel, instead‒some say driving recklessly during a heated argument with her mother‒lost control of the

vehicle, herself, which resulted in a plunge down a 120foot cliff. Princess Stephanie sustained only minor injuries while Princess Grace suffered a vascular stroke and died in the Monaco hospital the following day. I arrived at the studio a year after the princess’ demise and decided to drive over to Monte Carlo with an American friend following a night at that year’s Festival de Cannes. We were dressed for it, we thought, à la tux, although we had been warned by others we would be disappointed. I had already heard the princess, a devout Catholic, had singlehandedly transformed the entire enclave into a sanctimonial citadel. Driving into the iconic port, we right away spied hidden cameras everywhere, like on all traffic lights, and noticed magazine kiosks throughout devoid of any publications remotely risqué. Today, Monte Carlo is populated by the wealthiest of international retirees living there tax free and completely accepting of the status quo despite having to put up with tourists from the cheesy cruise-line set. Even the famed Monte Carlo Casino, where we were headed that night, renowned for its James Bond ambiance and high-rolling roulette wheels whirling, is now wall-to-wall with indoor/ outdoor carpeting and lined row after row with slot machines à la Las Vegas. Shorts and thongs are ubiquities and selfies now the rage. High class and glamour are no more, malheureusement, even on the Riviera. 17

Steven Boggs…. Loving Every Minute at The Beverly Hills Hotel

by Nicole Muj

Red Carpet Entrance

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Steven Boggs

The Beverly Hills Hotel Spa

IEM recently had the chance to catch up with Steven Boggs, Director of Guest Relations, The Beverly Hills Hotel.

tionably one of the world's most prestigious luxury hotels?

Steven, please tell us a little about your background. Steven: I am a native Angelino and while I have also lived in Georgia and Texas, I always came back to Los Angeles. I got my first hotel job when I was 20 working the Front Desk at a little place called Franklin Plaza Hotel in Hollywood and fell in love with the hotel business. I then moved over to the Hotel Bel-Air as a Room Service waiter and began taking Hospitality courses at UCLA. After a while I became the Room Service Manager, Pool Manager, and then Assistant Front Office Manager before taking a position at The Beverly Hills Hotel as Front Office Manager. I am currently the Director of Global Guest Relations for The Beverly Hills Hotel and loving every moment.

Steven: The Beverly Hills Hotel is one of the most unique institutions in the world. We’ve captured the world’s imagination. Hollywood was built around our hotel and so was the city of Beverly Hills (the city was actually named after The Beverly Hills Hotel in 1914, two years after we opened our doors). Our offerings will always reflect our ties to Hollywood, the most powerful industry on the globe. Our team members are some of the most recognizable faces in the city! They are part of our history as well as Hollywood’s history – and some of them have been with us for decades. We honor their personalities and encourage them to create meaningful bonds with our guests. This is what forms the emotional attachment that so many of our guests have for our hotel.

In your opinion, what makes The Beverly Hills Hotel (The Pink Palace) so special, and unques19

Pool

Polo Lounge Patio

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What is an historic or interesting fact about the hotel that people might not be aware of? Steven: In 1949, architect Paul Revere Williams designed the new Crescent Wing with its iconic script Beverly Hills signature, as well as re-imagined the Polo Lounge, Fountain Coffee Shop and lobby in their still-stylish pink-and-green motif. He is responsible for the signature design that has become synonymous with The Beverly Hills Hotel. Do any of your guests live long-term at the hotel, making it their residence? Steven: Yes, we have one guest that has been with us since the 80s! You must truly love your role at The Beverly Hills Hotel. Can you tell us a few of your favorite moments or most memorable experiences over the years?

Steven: My favorite memory was being a part of the hotel’s centennial celebration and landmark designation. It was a privilege to participate in these two very significant moments in the hotel’s history. And being able to share these experiences with team members - as well as guests near and far made it all that much more special. Since COVID, the entertainment business definitely has changed with only smaller events or purely online events planned, no large gatherings, etc. The Beverly Hills hotel kindly hosted the intimate awards ceremony for the 2020 French Riviera Film Festival, which was a virtual event. As we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel with COVID, will you be hosting larger events soon? Steven: As of June 15th, California has fully reopened and therefore we are now back to our pre-pandemic operations and can host large events. Can you let us in about any new initiatives planned for the hotel over the next year? Steven: We have a lot of fun things planned in 2021 but the one that we are most excited about is the reopening of our newly renovated spa, which was designed by Alexandra Champalimaud. The spa features four treatment rooms for body and facial therapies and one duet suite that can accommodate two guests at the same time. Also new to the spa is a nail suite, including two pedicure chairs and a manicure area featuring natural light from the citrus garden. The locker rooms have steam showers and other spa amenities to help unwind and decompress.

Polo Lounge Cocktail

An Ode to our Tenth Desert. A Poem for Desert X by EMS By Eric Minh Swenson

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At dusk I wake in a pool at Ace - A beach towel in hand with no beach in view, I grab a catalog with Desert X adieu. We board the car to go afar crisscrossing sand and wind and heat to withstand forms of art of scale to tell a tale or what is called the art man’s hell. This hell or gripe or spite or urge to make things right is fraught among a people who inhabit a Valley called Coachella where golf and retail are King and meth and date shakes are Queen. It is this artist who bares the cross a burden to remind those at loss that Indian Land inhabited a land before the dawn of the musical festival. My friends I think find merriment in pass through streets and valleys displaying art from lads and cultures far and wide in places called Hot Springs on roads called Gene Autry and an oasis tis Sunnylands. Tis Stringfellow and Galanin to Clottey my love for you consumes the night. I dare sleep. Tis I awake and find you were merely a dream. Adieu. Adieu. Adieu. But I will speak in ultimate glee a shout out toward the desert that be - for any art that lifts me ass to travel vast - kudos to that art that made me flee. EMS 5.21 23

The New Hollywood Initiative To Watch: Auteur Academy Navigating through Hollywood as an independent filmmaker is challenging, involving arduous challenges such as finding distribution partners, investors, talent, and so on. International film producer, talent manager and thriving entrepreneur, Ali Mahir Aksu, makes it possible for the up-and-coming filmmakers to pursue their wildest dreams. Early in his career, Aksu produced several feature films that are distributed by major Hollywood studios. He completed a degree in economics with a minor in film, TV, and digital media from UCLA. He also earned succeeding degrees at MIT, Wharton, and Singularity University. At present, he is pursuing his part-time MBA at Chicago Booth School of Business.

Ali M. Aksuo

"I am truly inspired by some of the exceptional leaders I met along my journey in Hollywood. I was lucky enough to breathe in the same air with some legends and select business leaders around the world. One advice from Scooter Braun stuck with me: imagine, create, execute, deliver. And keep swinging until you hit the home run. At the end, I believe you can do anything in this lifetime. I pursue all my work with a hope to be of service to leave a better world than what I found. Hollywood is an ideal place to impact billions of lives through the media," says Aksu. Amid the pandemic, Aksu launched Auteur Academy, a community-focused digital platform designed to empower independent filmmakers through personalized tools and coaching. Working alongside

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Production Without Borders Event 2019

him is Larry Namer, the co-founder of E! Entertainment Television. Namer is currently the head of Metan Global Entertainment Group and COO of FanVestor. Monique Giggy, who is now the Auteur Academy’s COO, was formerly Vice President of Singularity University Ventures. She has successfully advised more than a thousand start-ups and has invested capital in more than 20 of them. Having the support of such phenomenal leaders in the business fuels Aksu's confidence that his initiatives will disrupt Hollywood's traditional industry ecosystem in the coming years. As his group is getting ready to announce collaborations with prominent filmmakers, Aksu is bound to discover the next piece of content that will catapult his company to great heights. 2020 was a wild ride for the Hollywood industry with the advent of streaming platforms. The exponential rise in streaming platforms paved the way for independent filmmaking to thrive like never before in this new realm. With Warner Brothers

announcing in December 2020 that it will release its 2021 slate on streaming platforms, the industry is eagerly anticipating what's to come. More than 400 new streaming platforms emerged globally, and Hollywood may need a massive internal disruption to meet this rise in content demand. Looking ahead, Aksu envisions Auteur establishing a strong presence in at least three countries in the next couple of years, turning it into a global hub for diverse talent, content production, and distribution. As he continues to bring life to the vision and artistry of numerous aspiring filmmakers out there looking for a way to share their talents with the world, he is paving the way for a new breed of artists in the film industry. As he invests in their abilities and empowers them to believe in their ability to make a magical impact on a global audience, he continues to fan the flame that produces many of the world's greatest filmmakers. @alimahiraksu @auteuracademy

Andrea DiFiore

Andrea DiFiore’s ‘Homage to Hitchcock’s Women’

By Nicole Muj

With Mother Nature as her muse, Andrea DiFiore mixes contemporary photography and photo-illustration with traditional fashion. Born in New York City, she holds a master’s degree in Fine Art. Selftaught in Adobe Photoshop, she began her career as a high-end photo-retoucher for Dior, Rolling Stone Magazine, and DIRECTV. As a single mother, she has balanced raising her daughter while creating various works of art using mixed media and exhibiting them. It was with great passion, determination and patience that she was able to develop a successful line of luxurious silk scarves, under the banner of DiFiore New York. DiFiore’s permanent works of art are displayed in the United Nations FCU building and in several mental health organizations around the country.

Hitchcock and Grace Kelly on set of To Catch A Thief

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Janet

Kim

She was also commissioned by the City of New York to use her talents for the beautification of her Lower East Side neighborhood, with two art pieces on display in Straus Square. While always creating, DiFiore also makes time to be involved in charitable work. Her latest endeavor, “Homage to Hitchcock's Women” will be featured in a new exhibit this summer in Greenwich Village. The great director Sir Alfred Hitchcock had a major connection to Festival de Cannes, attending numerous times to promote his new films, and earning three nominations for Notorious (1946), I Confess (1953), and The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956). In 1980, a special tribute for the legendary filmmaker was held in Cannes, who had passed away the previous month. Among the attendees was Princess Grace of Monaco. I have always been a dedicated fan of Hitchcock's films and admired the women he chose to star in his movies. Not only are the women stunning, but that period in fashion was extremely elegant and sophisticated. I started this series several years ago and recently changed the color palette in the Kim image. I added a few personal elements to the pieces and my own color interpretation to make it my own. – Andrea DiFiore

Grace

Tippi

Photos Courtesy of Andrea DiFiore. 27

Lifetime Achievement Award George Chakiris was born in Norwood, Ohio. He is the son of Steven and Zoe Chakiris. They were immigrants from Greece. A graduate of the American School of Dance, Chakiris recalls the early days of passing the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, “where the world’s most glamorous people were seen,” never thinking that one day he would be attending his own premiere for Westside Story, for which he received a

Golden Globe and an Academy Award. Eventually, in December 2011, he would have his hand and footprints placed in the famous forecourt, among those whom he had idolized. In 1974, Chakiris made his film debut in the chorus of Song of Love. Later he appeared in several small roles, usually as a dancer or a member of the chorus in various musical films. He was one of the dancers in Marilyn Monroe’s ‘Diamonds

West Side Story

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West Side Story

Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ number in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes released in 1953. He again appeared as a dancer alongside Rosemary Clooney in White Christmas in “Love, You Didn’t Do Right by Me.” In 1961, Chakiris’ biggest success came with the film West Side Story, for which he won the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Bernardo. He starred as a doctor in the film Diamond Head released in 1963, opposite Charlton Heston and Yvette Mimieux, and in 1967, he appeared alongside Gene Kelly and Catherine Deneuve in Jacques Demy’s French musical Les Demoiselles de Rochefort. Besides films, Chakiris performed on Broadway and for television. In the early 1960s, he embarked on a career as a pop singer, resulting in several hit

songs, as well as recording a single with noted producer Joe Meek. Chakiris worked more in television in the 1970s and 1980s, appearing on such shows as Wonder Woman, Medical Center, Hawaii Five-O, Dallas, Murder, She Wrote, and the TV daytime drama Santa Barbara. In Superboy, he appeared as Professor Peterson during the series’ first two seasons from 1988-1990. Chakiris’ last role to date was in a 1996 episode of the sitcom Last of the Summer Wine. His reclusive reputation has made him highly sought for interviews. His hobby of making sterling silver jewelry has turned into a new occupation and can be viewed at georgechakiris.com

Eric Roberts – 2021 Industry Excellence Award Eric Roberts is an Academy Award nominee for his role in Runaway Train, and a three-time Golden Globe nominee for Runaway Train, Star 80, and King of the Gypsies. Roberts received acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival for his roles in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints and It’s My Party. He also starred in La Cucaracha, which won Best Film at the Austin Film Festival, and for which Roberts won Best Actor at the New York Independent Film Festival that same year. Other notable performances include his roles in The Dark Knight, Final Analysis, and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice for Warner Bros., Millennium Films’ Lovelace and The Expendables for Lionsgate. On television, Roberts’ memorable recurring roles include USA’s Suits, CSI and Code Black for CBS, NBC’s Heroes, and Crash for Starz. He has appeared in guest star roles on ABC’s Greys Anatomy, NBC’s Will & Grace, Fox’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine, CBS’ Hawaii Five-O, HBO’s Entourage, and many others. Roberts will play Matt Dillon’s doctor in Head Full of Honey, a Warner Bros. Germany production that is directed by Til Schweiger. Emily Mortimer and Nick Nolte also star. He also has a supporting role 30

in the independent Hard Luck Love Song directed by Justin Corsbie. Roberts will play Skip, a grizzled doorman who offers advice to characters played by Michael Dorman and Sophia Bush. The film also stars Dermott Mulroney, and American rapper RZA. Finally, Roberts will appear as DEA boss Erick Sheldon in La Reina del Sur for Telemundo Global Studio and Netflix. Roberts was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, and grew up in and around the Atlanta area. He began his career in theatre in New York City where he won the Theatre World Award for his role on Broadway in Burn This. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife of 26 years and brood of felines. Roberts is represented by Sovereign Talent Group, Cultivate Entertainment, and Miles Anthony Associates in the UK.

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Caroline Lagerfelt Industry Excellence Award T h o u g h k n ow n to millions as Celia “CeCe” Rhodes on Gossip Girl and for her extensive film and TV credits, Caroline Lagerfelt has established a distinguished career in international theatre and Broadway. The recipient of Outer Critics Circle and Obie Awards, as well as a Drama Desk nomination, her career began under the auspices of theatrical legends Eva Le Gallienne and Sir Ralph Richardson. She is a huge lover of the short film format, and has appeared in many, working with young directors. These films have taken her to short film festivals in Warsaw, London, Sundance, Milan, Stockholm and others, where many were nominated and/or won prizes. Among her many feature length films are Minority Report with Tom Cruise, Altered Minds opposite Judd Hirsch, Wake with JoKoy, I’ll See You in my Dreams with Blythe Danner and Sam Elliot, and most recently The God Committee with Kelsey Grammer. She appeared in nine Broadway shows for some of the most celebrated directors of the English-speaking world, among them Sir Peter Hall (Betrayal opposite Raul Julia and Roy Scheider), Sir John Gielgud (The Constant Wife with Ingrid Bergman), Harold Pinter, Cyril Ritchard, Mike Nichols, Jerry Zaks, and Abe Burrows.

She has appeared in every major Off-Broadway venue, receiving critical acclaim for Nathan the Wise opposite F. Murray Abraham, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie opposite Cynthia Nixon, Moonlight with Jason Robards, Blythe Danner and Live Schreiber, Quartermaine’s Terms with Kelsey Grammer, and for multiple collaborations with Harold Pinter, Simon Gray and Nicolas Kent, among others. In addition, Lagerfelt has played many of the US and UK’s top regional theatres (Kennedy Center, Guthrie, Williamstown, etc.), highlights including Queen Elisabeth in Schiller’s Mary Stuart, Night and Day with Ralph Fiennes, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui with Paul Giamatti, Les Liaisons Dangereuses with Dianne Wiest, The Physicists with Brian Bedford, George Grizzard and Len Cariou, and Garland Wright’s The Misanthrope. In 2010, Lagerfelt starred as Greta Garbo in Frank McGuinness’ Greta Garbo Came to Donegal, voted one of London’s “Top Five Plays of the Year.” Recently she starred in the two hander Notes on my Mother’s Decline at Next Door at New York Theatre Ensemble opposite Ari Fliakos, which was named “Best of Theater 2019” by Scott Heller of the New York Times. She is currently playing the free-spirited Paula Vree-land on Netflix Sweet Magnolias.

FRFF Celebrates Drama and Human Dignity by Dr. Laura Wilhelm, LauraWil Intercultural 2021’s French Riviera Film Festival (FRFF) drama submissions show just how many forms the category can take! This year’s drama storylines touched on topics of coming of age, crime, family, historical, romantic, and even musicals. Below let us consider each of these subcategories in turn. Coming of Age - Into the Night (Poland). An eventful night on the town turns into a journey of erotic self-discovery for two young women. Directed by Kamila Tarabura.

Family Week

Cindy

Family Week

Crime - Montana 1977 (Switzerland). A routine undercover operation in the Swiss mountains ends with an inconvenient corpse. Directed by Kimyan Fluckiger. 32

Family - Cindy (Israel) and Family Week (USA). The father in Cindy hopes a wealthy family will want both his most treasured cow and marriageable but tomboyish teenaged daughter. Directed by Shemer Gaon Baraba. The troubled families in Family Week must finally come to grips with the harsh realities of substance abuse and addiction. Directed by Lisa Poggi.

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Historical - Boundless (Canada). Women pilots fight for equality as well as democracy during World War II. Directed by Kate Campbell. Boundless

Little French Fish

Romantic - Little French Fish (UK) and October (Italy). Two talented young couples experience the first stirrings of desire and love. Directed by Eva Lanska and Federico Siano/Luca Visingardi, respectively.

Invisible Alice

Musical - Invisible Alice (USA) and The Taste of Ginger (France). The overlooked and underutilized Russian American protagonist of Invisible Alice strives to be acknowledged by singing at work and on stage. Directed by Anna Fishbeyn. The mature Taiwanese former lovers in A Taste of Ginger seek to rekindle their old relationship while singing every line of dialogue. Directed by Jean-Robert Thomann.

As can be seen, glimmers of humor as well as local color appear throughout even the darker dramas. Boldness October pervades the choices of every actor and director with no holding back when custom might prefer it. So, what might be missing from this year’s batch of FRFF dramas? Perhaps broader representation! Cindy and The Taste of Ginger hint at the richness and vitality of Middle Eastern and Asian cinema. The Israeli daughter in Cindy deserves an honorable mention for maintaining her composure despite pointed comparisons with a cow. The Taiwanese couple in A Taste of Ginger convincingly renders a very intense and complex story completely through song. This reviewer at least would love to see more FRFF drama films of this caliber from non-Western nations in future years. In any case, congratulations are due to all of this year’s participants for persisting despite the global pandemic to create short dramas of rare style and quality! The FRFF founders and judges will be proud to select the best of the best in all film categories and reward their efforts at a ceremony to be held at the uber glamorous Beverly Hills Hotel on Bastille Day, July 14th. Vive la France! Vive le drama! 33

FRFF 2021 PROGRAM

French Riviera Film Festival 2021

Schedule *Access All Events of Festival at https://itsashort.com/frff

Day 1 10 AM PST | 7 PM CET

July 11, 2021

July 13, 2021 Finalists Day 2

4th Annual Global Entertainment Showcase (virtual) Panel to Feature Award-winning Filmmaker/Producers Ali M. Aksu, Anna Fishbeyn, Eva Lanska, Bertrand Normand and Christina Rose; Panel to be Moderated by Rehna Azim, Awards Editor “Movie Marker Magazine”

Day 2

Day 3

Fashion, Comedy, Documentary & Sci-Fi/Horror

Day 4

July 14, 2021 Virtual Gala Awards Ceremony *Recorded Live at The Beverly Hills Hotel

July 12, 2021 Finalists Day 1 Music Video, Experimental & Animation

Live from the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, awards ceremony to feature live and pre-recorded segments. The FanVestor Report’s Jezlan Moyet will host the event that will feature special award presentations to George Chakiris, Caroline Lagerfelt and Eric Roberts. Performances by the Lombard Twins, DJ Gotta, Medi eM & Dustin Quick, and Grammy-winner Paulina Aguirre, and some surprises are planned.

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FRFF 2021 PROGRAM

Day 1 10 AM PST | 7 PM CET

July 11, 2021 4th Annual Global Entertainment Showcase (virtual)

Panel to Feature Award-winning Filmmaker/Producers Ali M. Aksu, Anna Fishbeyn, Eva Lanska, Bertrand Normand and Christina Rose; Panel to be Moderated by Rehna Azim, Awards Editor “Movie Marker Magazine”

Finalists Day 1

July 12, 2021

OUT OF COMPETITION SCREENING CHANT ET FUGUE - A Dance Scene created, produced and directed by Martin and Facundo Lombard. Edited by Martin and Facundo Lombard. Dance composition by Martin and Facundo Lombard. Director of Photography/Camera Operator Bianca Butti. Music “Chant Et Fugue” composed and arranged by Astor Piazzolla. Music Courtesy of Tropical Music. Filmed in New York City. DRAMA

Director: Anna Fishbeyn, Country: USA, Duration: 22:0

INVISIBLE ALICE: Stuck in a depressing job, a single mother tries to please her Russian mother and her eight-year-old daughter, while leading a secret nocturnal life in pursuit of her artistic dream.

Director: Jean-Robert Thomann, Country: France, Duration: 34:19

The Taste of Ginger: Zhi-Wei meets with Amanda, a former love visiting Taiwan, on a night during which the suffering he carries deep within himself is revealed.

Director: Kamila Tarabura, Country: Poland, Duration: 25:30

Into the Night: Two teenages slip away from a party to set off on a dizzying journey testing one’s sexuality as the other pries to guess her secret.

Director: Kimyan Flückiger, Country: Switzerland, Duration: 19:47

MONTANA 1977: Switzerland in 1977, two narcotics agents’ simple routine job takes a turn and the two are forced to work together for better and especially, for worse.

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Director: Lisa Poggi, Country: USA, Duration: 33:57

Family Week: Three families whose lives are upended by addiction, send their kids to rehab to find hope in family week.

Directors: Luca Visingardi, Federico Siano, Country: Italy, Duration: 40:00

October: As the autumn colors change, two colleagues meeting on an October afternoon spirals into an intimate walk challenging their desires, torments and fears.

Director: Kate Campbell, Country: Canada, Duration: 10:31

Boundless: An 80-year-old Woman Airforce Service Pilot recalls her audacious attempt to fight for military status and for a flag to be placed on her fellow pilot’s coffin near the end of WWII.

Director: Shemer Gaon Baraba, Country: Israel, Duration: 16:20

Cindy: A young girl drives with her dad to sell their cow Cindy to an Arab dealer. While she thinks her dad has set out to sell Cindy for dairy, she begins to suspect his true intentions may be different.

Director: Eva Lanska, Country: UK, Duration: 12:53

Little French Fish: Inside a dark cinema, a catching glance of two past lovers rekindles the spark of their lost memories together. Will the two push past their family traditions to choose their own happiness?

FASHION Director: Adrien Servadio, Country: USA, Duration: 1:00

Oasis: an aesthetic birth of an oasis.

Director: Vincent Groen, Country: France, Duration: 1:37

Daily: A young woman breaks away from her repetitive morning routine to brighten her day with her style and new formed attitude on life.

Director: Thomas Gerard, Country: France, Duration: 4:36

RISQUES: When panic strikes, human experience spirals into turmoil. This piece reveals the twisted sense of becoming your own enemy and no matter what you do to tackle it, fear condemns you before the crisis.

FRFF 2021 PROGRAM

Director: Nils A. Witt, Country: Germany, Duration: 3:05

The Awakening: Set on a minimalistic and cold architecture, Aenna experiences a transformational awakening expressed by moving and revolving lights.

Director: Mauro Vecchi, Country: Italy, Duration: 5:30

Francesca Marchisio #weareallinfinite: Italian fashion designer and atelier owner Francesca Marchisio commissioned and styled “We are all infinite” to represent, promote and embody the spirit and intention of her spring/summer collection for 2021.

Director: Giulia Achenza, Country: Italy, Duration: 5:00

Fenice - Momoni SS21: Employing dance to unfold its narrative, this fashion film celebrates the world of symbolism through a series of sensual, yet ethereal movements and gestures.

MUSIC VIDEO

Director: Gabriele Rossi, Country: Italy, Duration: 6:00

Back to Us: Born out of the Italian edition of the Levi’s® Music Project, Levi’s has collaborated with award-winning Italian singer-songwriter Mahmood to showcase 14 talented students from the Milanese neighbourhood of Gratosoglio. This compilation represents their artistic and musical journey.

Directors: Eric Rino, Roxana Stern, Country: Austria, Duration: 3:27

ZEIT (time): The showcase of a song inspired by the slowing of time the COVID crisis had on many of our lives. Torn between self-discovery and the need to be connected to others, this piece expresses those moments outside of time in its colors and complexities.

Director: Malcolm Solomon, Country: USA, Duration: 3:53

The Silence: Performed by Law, The Silence catalogues the pursuit of love and fantasy that never arrives at the same time for one couple.

Director: Noah Frech, Country: USA, Duration: 6:32

Break the Silence: Once a man living in a soulless world learns of the deep-rooted corruption that runs within, he knows he must break free from the oppressive institution holding him hostage.

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EXPERIMENTAL Nadia Mejia’s (2016 Miss USA RunnerUp) AI Driven Interactive Food Film: Director: AJ Kamdar, Country: USAs, Duration: 5:30

The very first AI driven Interactive Food Film captures four stories of a ‘Day In The Life of Nadia Mejia,” former Miss 2016 runner-up, Model, Musician, Foodie, and Global Brand Ambassador for Kitchen Crafted.

Director: Anna Radchenko, Country: UK,

Lost Time: This movement-led piece features alternative pop singer and songwriter JONES to portray a positive journey learning to coexist with time

Duration: 3:10

by rising above the uncertainties of the future.

Director: Ryan Paterson, Country: USA Duration: 6:00

Paradise: Transport yourself to a world of ethereal chrome in a transcendent state of hypnotically shifting patterns, dreamy colors, and calming weightlessness. Ride along as we go up, up, up.

Director: Douglas Alves Ferreira, Country: Brazil, Duration: 5:00

Dreams: Classical poetry combined with the use of stop motion experimental animation to tell the tale of a soul wandering within the dream world searching to find home.

Finalists Day 2

July 13, 2021

COMEDY

Director: Colin Francis Costello, Country: USA, Duration: 11:23

From Russia with Motive 107 “Eto led ili svidaniye”: After an unexpected visit from ICE, Natasha, Svetlana and Tatiana go speed dating to find a good American man who will help them stay in the United States.

Director: Seanie Sugrue, Country: USA, Duration: 19:00

Oh Dalia: A Russian woman is taken down memory lane when her marriage falls apart by her husband’s indiscretions. Should she have seen it coming?

FRFF 2021 PROGRAM

Director: Liat Glik, Country: Israel, Duration: 12:26

Sugar Crash: Aviva, a tired older woman, knows she has no chance of every being skinny, but an actress?... perhaps.

DOCUMENTARY

Director: Sharad Khare, Country: Canada, Duration: 20:00 Director: Christina Rose, Country: USA, Duration: 40:00

The O Show: A glance into the life of an Afro Canadian, indigenous, two spirited advocate DJ Orene Askew who continues to represent her black community during the BLM protests/marches in Vancouver. We follow her journey taking on a leading role in the LGBTQ+ PRIDE PARADE. A Woman’s New World: A Woman’s New World tells the story of Tianyi Lu, one of the few female conductors, striving to make her mark in the world of music.

Director: Ishmael Fiifi Annobil, Country: UK, Duration: 31:31

Linda Karshan: COVID-19 Conversation: In the first Covid-19 lockdown in New York, invoked artist Linda Karshan speaks of the reminded memory of her father’s crippling polio affliction in the 1952/53 epidemic, and his gallant battle against it.

Director: James Hall, Country: USA/Mexico, Duration: 25:52

Puntos de Vida (Broderie de Vie): The documented trip of teacher and artist Marie-Astrid Do-Rodriguez bringing two of her students from Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy to meet Mayan artisans and experience the craft and traditions Yucatan has to offer.

Director: Greg Ferro, Country: USA, Duration: 5:42

A Club Called Rhonda: An insight into the free spirited and unique environment of the cultural phenomenon that hit LA in 2008 with the opening of the eponymous club.

ANIMATION

Director: Ioachim Stroe, Country: Romania, Duration: 18:00

The Mouse B: In the quiet city of Genopolis, a psychology professor begins a series of experiments designed to prove that mice are capable of empathy. Desiring fame and respect, he overlooks the flagrant failure of his experiment.

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Director: Fabrizio Ellul, Country: Malta, Duration: 4:03

Mr. Teddy is Angry: A Giant Teddy appears in Valletta Harbour. Media goes into a frenzy. Soon, havoc follows.

Director: Takeshi Yashiro, Country: Japan, Duration: 27:59

GON, THE LITTLE FOX: When Gon, a playful orphaned fox, finds that a young boy, Hyoju has lost his mother, he tries to comfort him and make amends by secretly bringing small gifts to the boy every day. Hyoju doesn’t realize who is behind the anonymous gifts, and the two are headed for a heartbreaking climax.

SCI-FI/HORROR Directors: Jodi Beth, Rich McKee, Country: USA, Duration: 16:16

What was That: An entity persists in a house with a family of a mother and three children.

Director: Eric Minh Swenson, Country: USA, Duration: 6:48

Nymphoclistes: The sea is a dangerous beauty, luring an innocent sunbather to its depths, in this modern mythological tale.

Director: Adrian Replanski, Country: Russian Federation, Duration: 11:30

Iskra: As a strange plague tightens its grip on an isolated rural village, a young woman’s contact with the outside world breeds unrest amongst superstitious townspeople.

Director: Riker Lynch, Country: USA, Duration: 39:20

Aliens on Halloween: In an attempt to snatch a sample of human DNA, two clueless aliens come down to Earth for the first time and crash a Halloween party in Hollywood.

Director: Brianna Woo, Country: USA, Duration: 5:00

Briar: Home becomes purgatory for a grieving and murderous filmmaker during a global pandemic.

Director: Dimitrios Karas, Country: Greece, Duration: 9:26

In Memoriam: When a member of an antigovernment covert resistance group is captured by an intelligence agent, she is threatened to not only have her memories erased, but her whole identity.

FRFF 2021 PROGRAM

Director: Patricia Vonne, Country: USA, Duration: 4:37

Virtual Gala Awards Ceremony

*Recorded Live at The Beverly Hills Hotel

forallcares.com

Cold Dark Hollow: A single mother shaken from PTSD searches for relief from her terrorizing nightmares.

July 14, 2021 Live from the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, awards ceremony to feature live and pre-recorded segments. The FanVestor Report’s Jezlan Moyet will host the event that will feature special award presentations to George Chakiris, Caroline Lagerfelt and Eric Roberts. Performances by the Lombard Twins, DJ Gotta, Medi eM & Dustin Quick, and Grammy-winner Paulina Aguirre, and some surprises are planned.

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Hosted by

Jezlan Moyet

Dustin Quick

GOTTA

Medi eM

Lombard Twins

Paulina Aguirre

JULY 14TH frenchrivieraﬁlmfestival.com/awards2021

Vincent De Paul kdfja

JULY 11TH, 10 AM PST cloud21.com/ges2021