Celebrating Diversity In The Entertainment Industry
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MULTI-AWARD WINNING AUTHOR
ANA INGHAM Novelist | Playwright | Screenwriter | Poet | Visual Artist PLATEAU STATE
Home of Peace & Tourism
HW FILM FESTIVAL 2021 Winners & Red Carpet
LILY BUCKMAN Miss Nation
OUR cover story is about Ana Ingham, a very talented multi-award winning author. She is a British citizen born in Turkey and married to the late Bryan Ingham, an established British artist. She is currently dividing her time between Brighton (UK) and Los Angeles promoting her work. She has 16 internationally published novels (under two different names), ten plays and eight film scripts. Her screenplay “The Roots of Love” recently won the Best Script Award at the Mediterranean Film Festival Cannes. Read more of her story on page 20. Our inside stories: •
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During our 7th Annual Film Festival, our very own HW Africa Correspondent Egor Efiok came with VIP guests from Nigeria. They came in support for their local film “KHUM’GBOW THE LEGEND” and promote Plateau State in Nigeria. The 7th Annual Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival update. Film submissions, winners and screenplays plus the red carpet event.
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Valentina Gurova, head of the PR-Aliyans agency. Her field of interest included social activism, charity, culture, art, and show business.
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Lily Buckman, a 21-year-old college student from South Carolina. A telented model and multi-award pageant queen told us her big dreams, goals and ambitions.
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Hollywood Weekly Magazine’s favorite authors are back! Read all of them in this issue’s Bedside Reading.
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“Dad I’m Sorry”, Vietnam’s no. 1 film is an official entry to 2022 Oscars. The story centers on three generations of a family. The story, plot twists and turns and endearing characters created an authentic experience that made me laugh, cry and reflect.
Enjoy!
Prather Jackson Publisher
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Letter from the Editor
PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Prather Jackson VICE PRESIDENT Bernice Harris Michael D. Coxson SENIOR BOOK CURATOR Jane Ubell-Meyer ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER Hailey Ashley CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Alex A. Kecskes Elyce Hastings CREATIVE DIRECTOR Rouland Medina DESIGN & PRODUCTION Denise Chavez AFRICA OPERATIONS Egor Efiok Egorefiok@gmail.com BRAZIL OPERATIONS Fabio Glingani Rico@lapenda.net (310) 567-3333 INDIA OPERATION Ike Sinha Mobile +919599068592 LATIN AMERICA Karla Silva Karla@monarks.Biz 818.254.5505 Jose Beltran wpsevents@gmail.com 562.546.2840 DISTRIBUTORS CoMag MADER NEWS
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04 PLATEAU STATE 10 HW FILM FESTIVAL 2021 12 VALENTINA GUROVA 18 ANA INGHAM 20 LILY BUCKMAN 28 BEDSIDE READING 32 DAD I’M SORRY 37 HW NEWS
Entertainment & Sports
Home of Peace and Tourism in Nigeria Winners & Red Carpet Q&A
Multi-awarded Winning Author Miss Nation
HW’s Favorite Authors
No. 1 Vietnamese Film
HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY• 3
ROUNDUP
TV & FILM
HBO Documentary STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET will debut on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max HBO Documentary STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET, debuting MONDAY, DECEMBER 13 (10:00-11:47 p.m. ET/PT), is a rare window into the early days of “Sesame Street,” revealing the creators, artists, writers and educators who together established one of the most influential and enduring children’s programs in television history. The documentary focuses on the first two experimental and groundbreaking decades of “Sesame Street,” highlighting this visionary “gang” that audaciously interpreted radical changes in society and engaged children in ways that entertained and educated in new and innovative ways. In the late 1960s, television executive Joan Ganz Cooney and Sesame Workshop co-founder Lloyd Morrisett took on a revolutionary experiment: to harness the burgeoning power of television and create an educational, impactful and entertaining show that could reach children nationwide. Cooney saw the power that advertising had to use music and images to engage audiences and sell products. She sought to harness that kind of creative energy to sell education and drive culture and knew she would need to enlist trailblazing talent to execute. She recruited visionary Muppets creator Jim Henson and acclaimed children’s television writer and director Jon Stone to craft the iconic and uplifting world of “Sesame Street.” The creative team knew their bold vision would only move the needle if it appealed to both children and their parents. Inspired by the civil rights movement, Cooney took this one step further, envisioning a program that would not 4 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY
Jim Henson with Ernie (Sesame Workshop/HBO)
only entertain and educate children, but specifically reach urban communities with less advantaged children with low socioeconomic status, in an effort to fight the educational gap that racism and poverty created. This revealing documentary explores how the team incorporated groundbreaking puppetry, clever animation, short films, music, humor and cultural references into each episode, ensuring it was engaging enough to keep children and parents coming back, and never shying away from difficult conversations with children. STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET, inspired by the New York Times’ bestselling book “Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street” by Michael Davis, features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and over 20 original cast and creator
interviews. They tell us in their own words about how “the gang” came together, staying committed to their original mission through decades of political and social change, and through it all maintaining a wicked sense of humor and joy. STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET is directed by Marilyn Agrelo; produced by Trevor Crafts, Ellen Scherer Crafts, Lisa Diamond; executive producers, Brian O’Shea, Nat McCormick, Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor, Mark Myers, Heather Kenyon; co-executive producer, Michael Davis; editor, Ben Gold. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller; coordinating producer, Anna Klein.
ROUNDUP
TV & FILM
‘Turning Red’ Introduces Boy Band 4*Town ACCORDING to “Turning Red” director Domee Shi, if you set a 13-year-old girl’s coming-of-age story in the early 2000s, it’s pretty much mandatory to include a boy band. “We needed our character Mei to be obsessed with something that her mom would not approve of,” said Shi. “Boy bands were the first step into the world of boys for a lot of girls that age. The guys were all super pretty, polished, soft and loving, and they had of way of bringing girls and their besties together. Plus, I thought it’d be really cool to create an animated boy band.” Enter Pixar’s first-ever boy band, 4*Town. Filmmakers called on GRAMMY winning singer-songwriters Billie Eilish and FINNEAS to write the fictional band’s songs—three in total, including the song “Nobody Like U” featured in the new trailer. Eilish, whose sophomore album, “Happier Than Ever,” debuted at No. 1 in the Billboard 200 in the U.S. and in 19 countries worldwide, made history as the youngest artist to win in all the major categories at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards.
FINNEAS, the youngest ever to win the GRAMMY for producer of the year (nonclassical), built a sterling discography penning and producing smashes for a cadre of superstars. His debut solo album “Optimist” is out now. GRAMMY, Oscar and Emmy winning Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (“Black Panther,” “The Mandalorian”) is composing the score for “Turning Red.” Joining previously announced Rosalie Chiang and Sandra Oh, who lend their voices to Mei and her mother Ming, are
Orion Lee as the voice of Mei’s dad, Jin, and Wai Ching Ho as the voice of Grandma. Mei’s tightknit group of friends are voiced by Ava Morse as Miriam, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Priya, and Hyein Park as Abby. Tristan Allerick Chen voices classmate Tyler, and Addie Chandler lends his voice to Mei’s secret crush Devon. Providing the harmonious voices of the members of 4*Town are Jordan Fisher, Grayson Villanueva, Josh Levi, Topher Ngo and Finneas O’Connell. Rounding out the voice cast are James Hong, Lori Tan Chinn, Lillian Lim, Mia Tagano, Sherry Cola, Sasha Roiz and Lily Sanfelippo. Disney and Pixar’s “Turning Red” introduces Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang), a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (voice of Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughter, an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda! Directed by Academy Award® winner Domee Shi (Pixar short “Bao”) and produced by Lindsey Collins “Turning Red releases on March 11, 2022.
Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party Hosted By Miley Cyrus and Pete Davidson NBC rings in 2022 with an all-star celebration hosted by multi-platinum selling recording artist Miley Cyrus and “Saturday Night Live’s” Pete Davidson, alongside a star-studded lineup of special guests and musical performances for a must watch evening. “Saturday Night Live” creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels will executive produce the special for NBC and Peacock. The special will air live on NBC from Miami, Florida on Friday, December 31 from 10:30pm-12:30amET, and will also be live-streamed on Peacock.
“In what is sure to be an exciting and fun evening, we are looking forward to partnering with Lorne Michaels and ringing in 2022 with a night of incredible entertainment, led by Miley and Pete.” Said Jen Neal, Executive Vice President, Live Events, Specials and E! News, NBCUniversal. “Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party Hosted By Miley Cyrus and Pete Davidson” is executive produced by Lorne Michaels, Miley Cyrus and Lindsay Shookus. It is produced by Den of Thieves with Executive Producers Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager
and Barb Bialkowski. It is also produced by Hopetown Entertainment, Miley Cyrus’ and Tish Cyrus’s production company. It is directed by Joe DeMaio. HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY• 5
ROUNDUP
MUSIC
Five Epic Hitmakers Unite for PEPSI Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar Come Together for Once-in-a-Lifetime Performance PEPSI, the NFL and Roc Nation have assembled a lineup of trailblazing musicians to perform the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show: Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar will take the world’s biggest stage at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022, airing on NBC. The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show marks the first time these five multi-award-winning artists will perform together on stage, exciting music fans worldwide and holding a special significance for the greater Los Angeles community, as they host the Super Bowl for the first time in nearly 30 years. Collectively, these artists have been awarded 43 Grammys and have created 22 No. 1 Billboard albums. Dr. Dre is widely credited with being one of the most influential figures in hip hop culture and a driving force behind its mass popularity. While all five artists have deeply influenced this genre of music, each brings a unique style to the world’s biggest stage for what’s sure to be 12 minutes of unforgettable greatness. As part of the collaboration around the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show, Pepsi and the NFL have also joined together to support the launch of Regional School #1, a magnet high school in South Los Angeles that is set to open for students next fall as part of the LA Unified School District. The high school is based on the nationally recognized USC Iovine and Young Academy, a program founded by Jimmy Lovine and Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, that will offer a unique educational model focused on the theme of Integrated Design, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. 6 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY
In addition to philanthropic support of the project, Pepsi and the NFL will collaborate with the school, its partners and the local community to develop and deliver community inspired applied learning experiences and industry internships. “This effort will help develop and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators,” Los Angeles Unified Interim Superintendent Megan K. Reilly said. “We are excited about the additional opportunities this partnership will bring to our students.” Marking the third year of this collaboration, Pepsi, the NFL and Roc Nation are excited to bring these genre defining artists together for a largerthan-life performance of hits from their deep collective catalog. The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show telecast will be produced by DPS with Roc Nation and Jesse Collins serving as executive producers, and Hamish Hamilton serving as director. Roc Nation is also serving as the strategic entertainment advisors of the live performance.
“On February 13, 2022, at the Super Bowl LVI in Inglewood, CA, in the new SoFi Stadium, Dr. Dre, a musical visionary from Compton, Snoop Dogg, an icon from Long Beach and Kendrick Lamar, a young musical pioneer in his own right, also from Compton, will take center field for a performance of a lifetime, said Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter. “They will be joined by the lyrical genius, Eminem and the timeless Queen, Mary J. Blige. This is the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show. This is history in the making.” The Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show is the most-watched musical performance of the year, with nearly 100 million viewers tuning in to last year’s show. Past halftime performances include The Weeknd, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Prince, Madonna and more. For more information about Super Bowl LVI, visit SuperBowl.com.
ROUNDUP
MUSIC
RECORDING ACADEMY ANNOUNCES NOMINEES FOR “THE 64TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS” RECORD OF THE YEAR, ALBUM OF THE YEAR, SONG OF THE YEAR EXPANDS FROM EIGHT TO 10 THE Recording Academy has revealed nominees for THE 64TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS and announced that, for the first time, there will be 10 nominees in each of the general field categories: Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best New Artist. This year’s top nominees include Jon Batiste (11), Justin Bieber (8), Doja Cat (8); H.E.R. (8), Billie Eilish (7) and Olivia Rodrigo (7). As the only peerselected music accolade, the GRAMMY Awards are voted on by the Recording Academy’s voting membership body of music makers, who represent all genres and creative disciplines, including recording artists, songwriters, producers, mixers and engineers. THE 64TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS will be broadcast live from Los Angeles Monday, Jan. 31, 2022 (8:00-11:30 PM, live ET/5:00-8:30 PM, live PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*. “This is an exciting day for music,” said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “These
nominations beautifully reflect today’s broad and diverse musical landscape. I congratulate all of the nominees and everyone who submitted work. I’m also so proud of our voters. They voted in record numbers and brought their very best to evaluating the work of their peers, and I thank them on behalf of the entire music community.” This year’s nominees were voted on by Recording Academy voting members from nearly 22,000 eligible entries and reflect
the wide range of artistic innovation that defined the year in music (Sept. 1, 2020– Sept. 30, 2021). The final round of GRAMMY voting is Dec. 6, 2021–Jan. 5, 2022. For a complete nominations list, visit www.grammy.com. Prior to the telecast, the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will be held at the Microsoft Theater at 12:30 PM, PT and will be streamed live on GRAMMY. com and the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel.
ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME LEGENDS JOURNEY ANNOUNCE FREEDOM TOUR 2022 ONE of the most legendary rock bands of all time, JOURNEY, announces their Freedom Tour 2022, featuring very special guests BILLY IDOL and TOTO. The diamond-selling Rock & Roll Hall of Famers will take the stage in 40 cities across North America with their catalog of global chart-topping hits, including “Don’t Stop Believin”, “Any Way You Want It”, “Faithfully”, “Lights” and more. The tour comes after the band previously announced a brand new six-show Las Vegas residency, running from December 1 to December 11 at the Theater at Virgin Hotels.
Presented by AEG Presents, the Freedom Tour 2022 begins February 22 in Pittsburgh, PA – making stops in Los Angeles, Dallas, Nashville and more – before wrapping May 11 in Hartford, CT. Very special guest and Rock and Roll icon Billy Idol will join JOURNEY on all dates from February 22 through April 5. Very special guest TOTO, who have collectively streamed more than 3.3 billion plays on Spotify alone, will join JOURNEY on all remaining dates beginning in San Diego on April 7. JOURNEY features founder Neal Schon (lead guitarist), Jonathan Cain (keyboards, backing vocals), Arnel
Pineda (lead vocals) Jason Derlatka (keyboards, backing vocals), and Deen Castranovo (drums, backing vocals). HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY• 7
ROUNDUP
SPORTS
The NBA 75 and the Lakers
The league announced its 75th Anniversary Team
Photo by Getty Images FROM the very start of the National Basketball Association until today, the Lakers have featured at the center of the story. All the way from George Mikan, who led the Minneapolis Lakers to the first championship in 1949-50, to LeBron James, still playing at the highest level of the game in the 19th season of his remarkable career. The league announced its 75th Anniversary Team last week, and it featured 18 players who wore the Purple and Gold, including 12 that played at least three seasons for the Lakers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; Carmelo Anthony; Elgin Baylor; Kobe Bryant; Wilt Chamberlain; Anthony Davis; LeBron James; Magic Johnson; Karl Malone; Bob McAdoo; George Mikan; Steve Nash; Shaquille O’Neal; Gary Payton; Dennis Rodman; Jerry West; Russell Westbrook; James Worthy 8 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY
There is a big difference between what players like Magic, Kobe, West and Worthy – all of whom spent their entire careers in Los Angeles – produced for the Lakers compared to some of the players on shorter stints, like Rodman (23 games), or ‘Melo and Russ, who just put Laker gear on for the first time in October. But once you’re in the family … you’re in the family! Only one franchise had more players on the list than the 18 to wear Lakers jerseys, their archrival, the Celtics. They had 20 on the list, if just six* since their 1980’s run, compared to 10 Lakers. Behind the two franchises with 17 titles apiece is the Houston Rockets, with 11 claimable players on the list. Of several players who had credible
cases to be on the list, four Lakers stand out: Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, Gail Goodrich and Jamaal Wilkes. Gasol not only played his crucial role as Kobe’s primary wing man in the 2009 and 2010 championship teams, but also accumulated six All-Star appearances, two All-NBA Second Teams and two All-NBA Third Team honors. Howard, currently L.A.’s backup center, played a key role in L.A.’s 2020 title, and led all players not to be selected with eight All-NBA selections, including five times on the first team. He also made eight All-Star games, four AllNBA First Defensive teams, and was the Defensive Player of the Year three times. Goodrich and Wilkes both have their jerseys up in the Staples Center rafters, which tells us that both are in the Hall of Fame. Goodrich made five All-Star teams, and was on the All-NBA First Team in 1974. Wilkes won four NBA titles (three with the Lakers), and was a three-time All-Star, and two-time member of the AllNBA Defensive Second Team. Another current Laker, Rajon Rondo, also has a case to be argued, buoyed by two titles, four All-Star selections, one All-NBA Third Team and four total All-Defensive teams (two firsts). Meanwhile, outstanding role players like Michael Cooper (five championships, eight All-Defensive teams, including five firsts) and Robert Horry (seven championships) seemed to compliment star players perfectly, if they didn’t have the raw numbers to crack the list. The next time the NBA comes out with an updated list, perhaps for the 100-year anniversary, Lakers like Howard and Gasol will have a shot. And, as history has shown us, so will a few stars that have yet to play for the Lakers, who have never been without the game’s greatest players. Mike Trudell / Lakers Reporter
ROUNDUP
SPORTS
Studying Davante Adams helped Cooper Kupp elevate his game ABOUT this time last year, Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp‘s 11-catch, 145yard performance against the Buccaneers caught the attention of Packers wide receiver Davante Adams – so much so that Adams offered high praise for Kupp on Twitter. “Cooper Kupp is the most underrated receiver in the league,” Adams wrote. Kupp later quote-tweeted in reply: “Much love! That Tae Adams film study does wonders. But the guy 1-7 has my vote.” Kupp leads the NFL in receiving yards (1,141) and is tied with Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans for the league-lead in receiving touchdowns (10). Although Adams has five touchdowns so far, his 979 receiving yards ranks third behind the 49ers’ Deebo Samuel (994) and Kupp. “First off, he’s one of the best doing it right now,” Kupp told theRams.com after Wednesday’s practice. “I don’t know if you can argue the best doing it right now, but what he’s got going on, just
Photo by Brevin Townsell/LA Rams the complete game, from – you want to come up and challenge him, he’s got a great release package. You want to play off, he’s still got a secondary release in being able to stick people, being able to put his foot in the ground and separate at the top of routes. If you want to give him space,
he can do that, he can run past you. He’s a very physical guy, he’s got great body control. He runs down the field and catches the back-shoulders. He kind of does everything, and in that offense they utilize him, they take advantage of every single thing they can, all of his biggest strengths. He’s a really fun receiver to watch. A lot of stuff that we do, some of the combination concepts, some of the things that we do matches up with some of the stuff Green Bay does and (head coach Matt) LaFleur and that offense, and so it’s been fun to be able to kind of grab some things from him, some of the tools that he uses, and try to incorporate that a little bit.” Kupp first began studying Adams when he arrived in the NFL as a third-round pick by the Rams in 2017. Kupp said he had seen some of things Adams – a 2014 second-round pick – was doing, but also made it clear that wasn’t to suggest he wasn’t doing things before. What Kupp appreciates about Adams is the way he has continued to ascend in his career and not become complacent with where he’s at, improving every year. Tempo is one of the things Adams excels at, and something Kupp tries to incorporate pieces of into his own skillset. Stu Jackson / LA Rams
Los Angeles Officially Welcomes FIFA Delegation In Bid To Host FIFA World Cup 2026 THE Los Angeles World Cup Host Committee this weekend welcomed FIFA delegates for an official FIFA World Cup 2026 site visit, showcasing the region’s world-class venues and infrastructure in an ongoing bid to bring the event to Southern California. The Host Committee led FIFA and U.S. Soccer on tours of two of the nation’s most iconic sports and entertainment venues, Rose Bowl Stadium and SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park. During the visit, the delegation also visited numerous locations proposed for training sites, base camps for international teams and the official FIFA Fan Fest. In addition to seeing the various venues, the delegates took part in a few uniquely LA activities, including the host city meeting at the
Grammy Museum, a reception with local officials at Sony Pictures Studios and a culinary experience representing the diverse cultures and neighborhoods of Los Angeles by Wolfgang Puck.
In 2026, North America will be the site of history’s first 48-team FIFA World Cup, with cities in Canada, Mexico and U.S. all set to host matches. This will mark the first time three nations have been selected to co-host a FIFA World Cup, and the event’s first return to North America in 32 years. The site visit with FIFA focused on solidifying the Los Angeles region’s bid to be a Super Host City, with both stadiums hosting matches, including the Semi-Final and Final, a fan festival, and other ancillary World Cup™ events. FIFA is expected to finalize the 16 host cities from the proposed slate of 22 candidates by mid-2022. The U.S. has proposed 17 candidate host cities, with at least 10 of these destinations expected to be selected in the final round. HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY• 9
Plateau State Home of Peace and Tourism in nigeria
P
lateau State is one of the 36 states of the Giant of Africa, Nigeria. Home of Peace and Tourism, Plateau State is a state with diversity of religion, of cultures and of ethnicities. The state is endowed with so much natural resources such as the world’s largest known deposits of columbite, tin, which has also been exploited since the 1940s. Smaller quantities of tantalite, wolfram (tungsten), kaolin, zircon, and uranium are also mined. Lead and iron ore are found in eastern and central parts of Plateau State. In Nigeria, Tourism and a number of Allied industries, from travel to Hospitality, have generated revenues of N1.2 trillion, about 4 million direct jobs, coupled with many more in expanding value chain, which has generated over 10, 000 jobs in ancillary industries. The Tourism and Hospitality sector has made a significant contribution to the gross domestic product of Nigeria. With these potentials, Plateau State Government was poised to draw plans for economic diversification in the state. As such. Plateau state is aligning with the new economic possibilities unlocked by Digital technology, and Tourism and Hospitality features prominently in those prospects. The state boasts of a climate that suits
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everyone no matter where you come from around the globe. This and other attributes make Plateau state a perfect destination for tourism and investment opportunities for those who seek business and leisurely adventure from across Africa and from across the globe. If you are an investor, a venture capitalist and I believer in innovation and would like to be part of history in the making, I introduce to you PLATEAU WONDERLAND, a project set to be the first modular resort in West Africa. It is Designed using modular energy
efficient technology, while offering quality structures within a breathtaking environment. The overall project encompasses a business model with commercial buildings, sporting complex, a theme Park, film school, a picturesque African Hall of Fame, 5-star hotel with 350 room capacity, a helipad, bus station, a slaughterhouse, greenhouse farm, 500 housing units, a gas station and an aquarium, all powered by a renewable energy source. This venture is slated to go into development in early 2022 and is projected to be completed by May 2023. Land, license and tax incentives have been proffered by the state government headed by the governor, Governor Simon Bako Lalong and members of his cabinet some of whom are also present here today, to make this venture a viable and attractive opportunity for investors from around the world. Join us in making history and in the process tapping into the benefits of this great opportunity.
KHUM’GBOW LEGEND
Film Screened At The 7th Annual Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival
A
ccording to oral tradition from excerpts of the movie titled, “KHUM’GBOW THE LEGEND”, shot in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, Queen Amina the warrior, died during a military campaign organised by an emissary to the Sokoto caliphate at the Ganawuri regions of the then Gwash (now Jos), situated within the beauty of the middle belt region of Nigeria. The director of “The legend of Khum’gbow” highlights the legendary Queen’s conquest and the region she spent years to grapple, especially with the child that was plucked from her and the generation that child sired at the existence of the kwararafa and who “The lost star of the North” generation are presently. According to the director, Amb Hoom Suk, his portrayal of the film will also showcase the exploits of Queen Amina’s son around the people of Kwararafa kingdom and her vivacious Bori priestesses of old, in subsequent series to be shot with a cast of over 1,500 people and will give a more vigorous definition to the definition of ‘Feminism’ and what it stands for today, creating the perfect balance and opportunities for women to stand up and achieve whatever they desire.
Behind the scenes during the filming of Khum’gbow The Legend
Egor Efiok (center) on the red carpet of the 7th Annual Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival at Beverly Hills, California, with Hon. Tamwakat Weli, Plateau State Commissioner For Culture & Tourism, Lady Getrude Longwan, Lady Aisha and Dr Carmen. HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY• 11
And the winners are... MAGAZINE
FILM FESTIVAL
2021
Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival Best Film Round Ups
BEST DOCUMENTARY GEORGE FLOYD: SAY THEIR NAMES When will the “last” time be the LAST time? Chris Oledude’s single “George Floyd” has now been re-presented in the powerful video, “George Floyd: Say Their Names.” America’s struggle for equality and fairness throughout law enforcement parallels those struggles faced by minority groups in every society where the majority feels empowered to disregard civil and human rights. The pressure for change must continue. No justice? No peace!
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY LITTLE FRENCH FISH Lea is an artist from an Eastern European Jewish family. Djamil is a young man from the Middle East. They accidentally meet in Paris and fall in love. Their story is filled with passion, romance, and profound tenderness, but it cannot last long as they choose family traditions over their own happiness. One day, when they accidentally spot each other in a dark cinema hall.
BEST PICTURE FOR MOVIE THRILLER
GRAVEL WOUNDS A mother struggles with alcohol addiction tries to put the pieces of her life back together.
BEST HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY INHERIT THE LAND Inherit the Land, based on the 2006 history Inherit the Land: Jim Crow Meets Miss Maggie’s Will, tells the story from its 19th-century origins to the present.
BEST INSPIRATIONAL - WOMEN XENTASTIC Xenyatta (Xen), is Spencer’s new girlfriend. Spencer really likes her, but her strange behavior worries him. Xen’s ultra-confidential profession is transporting precious gems for insurance companies.
BEST INSPIRATIONAL - YOUTH
VINO ROYALE This musically-charged, women’s empowerment thriller, tells the story of Laurie, a twenty-something law student, who must travel to Italy and face a gang of ruthless mobsters in order to save the life of her true love.
BEST SCIENCE FICTION FUJIYAMA Two futuristic lady cops are on a mission to track down and catch criminals in a world that is driven by gadgets and technology. 12 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY
BEST INSPIRATIONAL - LIFE
ECCENTRA The Amassi stones hold extraordinarily eccentric powers. And when placed in the hands of high school teen Melanie Vaughn, she must learn how to handle many different relationships, especially the one with the stones.
BEST HORROR THE LITTLE CHAPEL “The Little Chapel,” focuses on a young girl named Stacy who tries to bring her friend back from the dead after a terrible accident, but unfortunately events take a turn for the worse.
SCREENPLAY REVIEWS MARS IS OURS – CLIFF PARIS When a robotic engineer and unwilling astronaut takes a week-long trip to Mars, he leaves a robot version of himself in his place in an attempt to keep an open line of communication with his family. Through a multitude of issues, we are left to wonder who will survive, if anyone. With a hint of a love story, and a few laughs in between, we are left wondering is there a greater journey ahead for our species? A fast paced, action-packed sci-fi thriller. Filled with various story lines and moving parts. Interesting and would most certainly appeal to any robot loving audience. An interesting take on the final chapter of the human race and leaves you pondering how you would deal with being put in the position of many of the characters. TOO BAD ABOUT SNOWBALL – PAUL LARSEN A dark comedy about a group of young filmmakers experiencing a financial hardship. They are hired by a pair of shady businessmen making promises that seem too good to be true. They sign up to create films about saving the environment, but little do they know, they are in for a rude awakening when they realize the true intentions of their shady saviors. An entertaining, humorous take on the serious issue of climate change. The characters are relatable, and the storyline seems to be an easy way to reach a generation of millennial viewers by discussing a subject that has created many conflicting opinions all around the world. A unique form of what seems to be a ‘rom-com’ with a globally recognized, and debated issue intertwined. FLOCK HERS – JAMES SAMUEL (TV SERIES) A group of young women decide they are done with their nine to fives. They all decide to get plastic surgeries and use social media platforms to get attention from men, and ultimately take anything and everything that’s not given to them, by any means necessary. The struggle to form these relationships without developing real feelings pans out to be difficult, and some of the sticky situations they find themselves in are more difficult to navigate than anticipated. In the world we live in today, many people thrive off appearance which translates into followers and likes. This story takes us on a journey that shows the lengths some women will go to in order to get their designer bags and shoes. The characters are relatable, and the storyline shows how quickly things can go downhill while on the hunt for fame fortune, and materialistic beauty.
GET THA STRAP – JAMES SAMUEL A cautionary tale that takes you inside the world of guns. Buying them, selling them and what they may be used for once they’re out of our hands. In this story, we learn that bullets don’t discriminate. This script really makes you think about the dangers that can happen when discarding or acquiring a gun. It allows us to take a different look and think a little harder about what can happen when a gun gets into the wrong hands, or how terribly wrong your plans can go when you don’t know how to properly use a firearm. Regardless of your beliefs, this eye-opening screenplay opens your mind and takes you by surprise. THE REVVER – MICHAEL HANSON & KELLY MOOTHART This is a story of a woman who is constantly interrupted from doing her artwork by her noisy neighbor. While he revs his truck and causes commotion, she is set over the edge and decides to take action. A short with a clever spin on women empowerment. With a relatable conflict, she leaves the female viewers giggling, knowing they’ve all wished they could do something similar everyone in a while. Very clever, with a hint of gore and comedy. MUAY THAI RAINBOW – KULLACHAT JITCAJONWANICH The film stars a man who has surgeries to become a woman and is in a relationship with a professional Muay Thai fighter, who dreams of becoming a world champion. When he falls into the wrong crowd, he gets poisoned, he ends up disabled after losing. It’s then when his partner decides to un-do all of the surgeries and revert back to being a male so that they can carry on their love’s dream of becoming a champion, and fight for him. A very interesting and unique story, unlike one I’ve ever seen. With elements of drama, action, sports and a one-of-a-kind love story, it certainly keeps your interest throughout all the twists and turns. HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY• 13
SCREENPLAY REVIEWS UNSF RAPETO – ROBIN SCHER This futuristic sci-fi is full of twists, turns & action. The hints of comedy throughout the story are sure to make the audience chuckle and gives lighter moments throughout. An Interesting take on what the future could hold & is sure to be loved amongst sci-fi lovers. DANCING IN THE WHITE ROOM – DAVID SABBATH In a world where humans use machines, then wear machines, and then the machines gain power. When a message is seen on the walls of the subway 50 years prior, it turns into the battle cry of the anti-techno revolution. This is a sci-fi tale, which is packed with action and thrill. The lines between human, machine and terror are blurred. This original take on futuristic ‘whatif’s’ leaves you on the edge of your seat. MONSTERLY – DAMIAN WAMPLER This is a tale of a monster that is killed by human cops. It’s then a suburban family must choose a side when riots between humans and monsters rage across the United States. This story is an excellent mixture of the stigma of monsters, and the choice one family must make to do what they feel is the right thing. It is an actionpacked story unlike one I’ve ever heard. The storyline is extremely clever and leaves the audience with conflicting emotions throughout the entire story. AT THE MERCY OF FAITH – SAMUEL TAYLOR This is a story of a young preacher who renounces his faith in God after a terrifying and traumatic encounter. After many years, the demons of his past viciously return to wreak havoc on his home and rip out his soul for the god of their hell. This is a tale of faith that takes a turn to horror. The drama filled story gives the audience a different look on the faith we all have, and how some believe we may be punished if that faith is not upheld. An interesting storyline, and action packed screenplay with shocking twists. 14 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY
BURMA HELL – THEODORE C. SODERBERG When a sailor brings his family on his ship to save his marriage, it takes a turn for the worst when a horrific explosion turns many into mutants, including the captain and officers. As the sailor, along with his wife and son fight for survival, we learn the shup is rocketing towards the Golden Gate Bridge. A story filled with action, adventure, monsters and a hint of love. Wonderful characters that you want to root for. A unique story that puts the audience through a wave of various emotions throughout. MURDERESS OF DEMONS – JULIO CESAR CARBALLO In an action-packed horror, a powerful sorceress and her friend confront bandits and demons to save the world. But, when they make the fatal mistake of breaking reality, the create a black hole that destroys the planet. When the sorceress realizes that her dreams become reality, an angel who betrayed God comes from beyond to revive the demons to a keep a promise they once made. This is a fast-paced, action filled, and entertaining storyline. The characters are extremely interesting, and the audience could easily become emotionally attached to them. MISS HOLLYWOOD – JOHN KESTNER When a small-time actress is lured by an infamous drug dealer, just as the CIA is about to make a bust. When the drug lord’s teen son becomes obsessed with the actress, things get interesting. This twisted love story is full of action and adventure. An incredible story about an average woman trying to do her best to make it in the entertainment industry but gets taken down the wrong path. A nail-biting tale that leaves you wanting more. By Hailey Ashley
BEST SCREENPLAYS 2ND DATE – JAIK ANDINO & VINCENT V. SHADE
THE KISS-OFF – GIO FORLENZA
A fabulous, twisted comedy about a pair of friends whose loyalty is put to the test. They will discover how far they are willing to go to find the love of their lives. A dramatic story of hopeless romantics that are desperate to find love in their 30’s. The conflict is, the pair struggles to be with, or without each other. An issue that many people face in the real world makes this story very relatable and hooks the audience in with incredible characters. You truly root for these characters, and root for love to win.
When a disenchanted Brooklyn bagman chooses to help the feisty woman that ripped him off, he defies the family that adopted him in his time of need as an orphan. This actionpacked story leaves you wanting more after each scene. The twisted relationship between the main characters puts a new spin on the lengths we will go for what we truly desire, regardless of any logic.
MOTEL 13 – BRANDON RHINESS While searching for a new husband/father for their twisted family, a clan of temptresses made up of a mother and her two adult daughters lure unexpecting men to Motel 13. They hold them captive at the motel, which they own, with a goal of continuing their family tradition of murder. A one-of-a-kind storyline full of thrilling entertainment and a mystery that left me wanting more. The hilarious characters and ‘family’ dynamic was original, and well thought out. A good mix of horror, gore, humor and mystery. BLACK COLLAR – JAMES SAMUEL (TV SERIES) With little to no resources, a young African American man figures out a way to make significant amounts of money without violence. He uses his intelligence to find loopholes in the white-collar world to support his unique lifestyle. This based on real life story is something that I could see on HBO Max one day. With a string of interesting characters, and various relationships between them all, it’s hard not to get fully indulged in the storylines. The possibilities and potential in this series seems to be endless, with the potential to play throughout many seasons.
BAD LOVE STRIKES – KEVIN SCHEWE In this story we enter a masterful world of sci-fi, time travel, and WWII. In a small town in Tennessee, a gang of kids live daring lives filled with action and adventure. When they come across a time machine, they travel back on a deathdefying mission to Nazi-occupied Poland. Full of danger, excitement and a little love, the kids race to rescue a group of Holocaust prisoners from certain death. It’s an excellent combination of Goonies meets the Lost Ark & we couldn’t get enough! A FALL FROM GRACE – DAVID A. SEADER When everyone knows the truth, there’s only one thing to do – survive. This drama filled story grabs your attention within the first few moments. The characters are so relatable, it seems as though you know them in your own life. Through the struggles, the inspirational story shows that we can get through all our hardships, together. A wonderful story that seems to show a glimpse of all the cracks in our mental health system.
HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY• 15
RED CARPET
Hollywood Weekly's 7th Annual Film Festival and Premiere Night of Dirt Merchant's Vino Royale Movie
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HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY• 17
FASHION / LIFESTYLE
Q&A with
VALENTINA GUROVA Valentina Gurova is the head of the PRAliyans agency. She has been working in PR since 1999, when this field was only starting to find its footing in Russia, with politics being the most popular area of activity for PR specialists. In the early 2000s, Valentina decided to start her own agency, changing her course a little: her field of interest included social activism, charity, culture, art, and, of course, show business. This is how PR-Aliyans came to be in 2002. Today, the team of PR-Aliyans develops PR programmes for individuals and organisations, including large industrial and investment companies.
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Valentina, you were at the forefront of PR in Russia back when the profession of a PR agent seemed to be something mysterious. How did you get started in this field? When I first started, almost no one knew what the job of a PR agent was, there were only 15 agencies in Russia. Back when I was still a university student, I visited an exhibition featuring books on advertising and PR, lectures and, of course, professionals who were willing to share their experience: and right at the exhibition I applied for an internship at one of those
agencies. The new job took over my life to the point that I was practically drowning in it: during the day I was torn between lectures at the university and trips to the office; at night, I studied copywriting and read anything I could find on PR in Russia. I was fortunate enough to almost immediately become part of the team of a major political project: the gubernatorial elections. I had to work around the clock in order to find time for everything, but since this was my calling, I forgot about sleep. I still look back at those times with fondness! Today, PR no longer seems as incomprehensible, but still, what trivial or funny questions do you get asked about your work by the 'uninitiated', people who are not related to this field? Most of the strange and provocative questions I get asked concern not myself or my work, but rather my clients, especially TV stars and stars of show business: what they are like in real life, the latest gossip, scandals... But a good PR agent should have the nobility of an English gentleman – to be silent about juicy details and reveal only what the clients themselves would be ready to make public. And since the boundaries of taboo topics are different for everyone, you need to be a sensitive psychologist in order to understand what exactly the client is ready to reveal to the general public. Sometimes scandalous topics can be a great PR move, even if they do not do credit to the client: public scandals, explicit photos, candid confessions and divorce proceedings. Just imagine the willpower you need to possess in order to impartially work with all this! Have you ever had to work for someone you disliked? Is it even possible? It's just easier to make others fall in love with someone whom you personally find appealing. But, just like in any other business, you get all sorts of jobs — some easy, some difficult. In most cases, I try to connect with the client and build
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a trusting relationship for many years of fruitful cooperation. If there happens to be a sudden creative disconnect between us, we sit down at the negotiating table and discuss the work process. Sometimes clients themselves do not know what they want from their PR team or do not trust us as specialists: in cases like these we simply part our ways. Time is the most valuable resource, you can't spend it on someone who does not understand this. Could you name your most memorable project? Perhaps the most difficult or your favourite one? Our agency is actively engaged in the field of fashion, I am especially proud of our cooperation with such giants as Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Marie Claire and Vogue. Over the past 12 years, we have significantly expanded our areas of activity and now we not only cooperate with the European media, but also work closely with such countries as the USA, China, Vietnam, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. At the same time, each client and each publication is a real challenge and joy. But perhaps the most memorable project was and still is the international beauty contest Miss Earth, where our client, despite her modest achievements, managed to impress everyone with her emotional speech about Russia written under the guidance of our copywriter. Just imagine, a contestant who didn't even get into the top 10 finalists, was followed day and night by dozens of reporters wishing to interview her. The girl was predicted to have a successful political career in her home country, but she saw
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her calling in social and charitable projects, so she did not take this opportunity. Well, there are different ways to influence the fate of your country, but for our part, we have done everything to make the name of our client known throughout the world. How do you feel about selfpromotion through social media: for example, via Instagram? Not only does self-promotion through social media and YouTube have the right to exist, but it is the future of PR. Of course, as long as it is not organised in a frantic way with the sole goal of quickly making money on any hype. The print media is getting replaced by online publications, and during the pandemic, all aspects of our lives have moved to the Internet: communication, healthcare, shopping, work, studying, training. Naturally, content should be original and, generally, there is entire team of professionals behind it: from the writer to the creative producer. We help to fill channels and blogs with high-quality material and do it quickly and efficiently, with knowledge and experience. Where others need inspiration, we just work. Over more than 20 years of working in PR, you are probably already familiar with all the distinguished directors, photographers, stylists, makeup artists and you prefer to work with them. What does, for example, a young photographer need to do for you to notice them and invite them for a shoot? Would it be a risk to you? We are always in search of young talents with fresh views and ideas: photographers,
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stylists, make-up artists and decorators submit their work to us all the time. I keep an eye on the work of my colleagues in the top glossy magazines and enjoy discovering new names for myself. You don't need much to be able to collaborate with our agency: talent, initiative, readiness to work with irregular scheduling and high stress resistance – sometimes it happens that we need to organise a high-quality shooting in just a couple of days or need to film everything in a single take between the client's tours with no room for mistakes, so as not to make the client miss their flight. Shooting on the street at night and in bad weather is not unusual for us. And, of course, the clients themselves are not always in a good mood: they can be tired, moody, indecisive – you need to be able to deal with all this and keep working. So, we invite many, but only the best stay! What are the three top qualities without which you would not have been able to become a successful PR agent? I try to be the best at everything, I always keep learning and never look down on beginners. More specifically, these qualities are perfectionism, thirst for knowledge and the lack of a superiority complex. What is the most inspiring part of your job? The most inspiring part of my job, just like of any other, is to see happiness in my clients' eyes and to hear their appreciative 'thank you'. Needless to say, such emotions act as a very powerful fuel in our difficult but exciting profession!
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HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY• 19
AWARDS ANA INGHAM
THE ROOTS OF LOVE Best Script Award
URGENT BEAUTY Best Script Award
TO SEE MORE OF ANA’S WORK:
You can visit her website anaingham.com or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ana.ingham
20 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY
How Did I Become
a Screenwriter by Ana Ingham
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years old, recovering from a pneumonia, I improvised a movie theatre casting penicillin bottles used to cure my illness, as actors. My younger brother became my assistant. When I had a new movie, he would go around and announce the movie to children in the neighbourhood, “Napoleon And Desiree” next Tuesday! Then he would issue hand made tickets and sell them to children. (He would give the money back to the children after the movie.) The dim room room in the basement of our ramshackle house would be full packed with giggling, cheering and sometimes weeping children. I would hide underneath a small table with a curtain pinned around it. My brother would raise his hand and ask children to be quiet and announce the movie. ’Napoleon And Desiree! made by my sister Ana Aysel.” I would then come out from underneath the table and greet my audience. Then I would move the penicillin bottles and speak with the voice of the movie’s characters which I watched in the opener cinema: Napoleon and Desiree . I would whisper, cry, laugh and try t to convey the emotions of Napoleon’s and Desiree’s. Cheers, giggles, applause. In the end I would bow, proud of my achievement. Perhaps those movies I made using the empty penicillin bottles I presented to poor children was my training as a screenwriter. When the open air cinema was built near the ancient graveyard, I begged my parents to take me there every time a Hollywood movie was shown. I loved that cinema more than my school and I became a fan of those Hollywood stars. Here’s a poem I wrote about those movies: HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY• 21
SCREENPLAYS COMPETITION AWARDS ‘GOODBYE MON AMOUR’ Selected by Barnstorm Film+ TV Festival’ 2017 ‘DELICATE PERCEPTION’ Selected by Cannes Screenplay Contest 2019 ‘DELICATE PERCEPTION’ Selected as a finalist by Hollywood Screenplay Contest 2019 ‘URGENT BEAUTY’ Selected by WIKI Screenplay Contest 2020 ‘URGENT BEAUTY’ Selected ‘Best Script Award’ 2020 ‘URGENT BEAUTY’ Selected by ‘Your Script Produced’ 2021 ‘SONG OF THE SNOW’ Selected as Honorable Mention by BOLT 2020 ‘SYMPHONY X’ Selected (Certificate Of Achievement) as a finalist by International Short Award 2020 ‘THE ROOTS OF LOVE’‘ Selected as a finalist by WIKI Screenplay Contest 2020 ‘THE ROOTS OF LOVE’ Selected Best Script Awards 2021 Selected by Las Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Festival ‘WITH SIPOS IN BUDAPEST’ Selected as Best Script (platinum award) by International Short Award ‘WITH SIPOS IN BUDAPEST’ Selected by Vegas Movies Awards 2021 ‘WHO IS AFRAID OF ANTHONY HOPKINS’ Selected for Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards Selected by Vegas Movie Award ‘URGENT BEAUTY’ Selected by Silent River Screenplay Competition ‘THE ROOTS OF LOVE’ Selected for Mediterranean Film Festival Cannes 2021
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“All Dreamers Go to America” is available at Amazon That quality of innocence pervades this touching story, as a brief overview explains: ‘Niko, a carpenter from the island nation of Malta, has come to America to marry Ms. Parker, an American psychology professor, who has once taken a holiday in his village. Niko, pursues his search for Ms. Parker in a snow-ridden New York and beyond. And his search takes him through a series of extraordinary encounters and adventures in which his charming innocence is set against the American Dream.’ Oh to see ourselves as others see us! Ana Ingham makes this happen in one very endearing little tale. This is an author to watch – and follow! Recommended. Grady Harp, December 2020 All Dreamers Go to America by Ana Ingham is a charming tale about Niko Salazar who goes to America to search for the supposed love of his life, Ms. Parker. Ms. Parker is a psychologist who once visited Niko’s home country of Malta. She knows nothing of Niko, not really, and when he calls her collect upon landing in America, she abruptly hangs up on him. This unexpected moment forms the foundation of the story, with Niko going through all kinds of adventures in the amazing country of America, meeting all kinds of new people, and experiencing new things in a country and society he knows little about. There are many tender laughs along the way in this gently and humorously written story, as Niko in all his innocence keeps searching for love in all the wrong places. Truly a brilliant take on how we all have different perceptions of reality and culture, this work is highly recommended for a unique and memorable read. Vine Voice, December 2020 All Dreamers Go to America by Ana Ingham is a refreshing look at American traditions and culture through the eyes of an immigrant. Niko Salazar is a Maltese carpenter who decides to find the woman he met two years previous, while she was on vacation. This one-sided love leads Niko through different loops and hilarious situations. His misinterpretation of our language is comical. When he finally finds his love, his life is set on a new direction. Ana Ingham creates a character whose dramatic response to common American traits is amusing. All Dreamers Go to America is a short read that will make you laugh out loud with Niko Salazar’s twist in American beliefs and speech. The people around him are good natured and help him, no matter his schemes. Overall, this book is a light read that shows the depth of love one man who would do anything to find his dream woman. JoJo Maxson, January 2021
ALL DREAMERS GO TO AMERICA
A NOVEL BY ANA INGHAM AVAILABLE IN AMAZON
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woke up in bewilderment the next morning and my mind struggled to make a connection between Luca Airport in Malta and Sheraton Hotel in New York. Then I remembered that I couldn’t go to Ms. Parker’s town because of the snow storm. The word “snow” evoked snowcovered mountains, white roads, white trees in my mind. Then I fell into a reverie. Ms. Parker in a snowy park wearing a red hat and a navy blue coat, standing beside her. We are holding hands, posing for a picture. At this point I looked at my watch, now set to New York time. It was seven in the morning. Of course I couldn’t phone Ms. Parker at seven in the morning. She must be sleeping, sleeping quietly. She wouldn’t snore. Because she is such a gentle person. But why on earth did she say “no” on the phone? Did she mean she didn’t want to speak to me? Oh, my God! I suddenly felt ashamed of my foolishness. Why didn’t wait for her reply before coming to America? What if she ignores me when I go to her town Saratoga Spring? But surely not! Ms. Parker I knew would never refuse to talk to me. But, hang on! Suddenly the thought struck me that she was perhaps in trouble. Perhaps her mother had just died, or she herself was ill. Oh dear, dear Ms. Parker! How I wish I were now with you.I would do anything for you, anything. After breakfast I took a courtesy van and got to Newark Airport. The 10:00 a.m. flight to Albany was canceled because of a technical problem, and the passengers were given two food tickets and told to wait for the 2:00 p.m. flight. I spent my food ticket on a large pizza marinara and two bottles of apple juice. We finally boarded a small plane, which rattled and creaked while airborne. We flew low above New Jersey, the docks, then Manhattan, the immigrants’ island, the Statue of Liberty. Our small plane was rattling, shaking, vibrating all the time. Then suddenly three successive beeps. The captain announced that the reason for the delay
had been a defect in the generator. They had replaced the generator with a new one, but now the new generator seemed to be failing as well. So we would have to return to Newark. Passengers faces froze. The hostess addressed us quietly “Safety first. Please remain seated.” But the man in jeans and thick spectacles who sat next to me, ignored this and began walking toward the exit. “Please remain seated!” The hostess’s firm voice was raised. “It has taken me thirty hours to get from San Diego to Albany.” The man chuckled nervously. And I was thinking: I didn’t come to America to die in a plane crash. I didn’t deserve that. Dying in a foreign place seemed to me a total waste. No chance for a nice funeral. I personally believe that the dead enjoy their funerals, watching the mourners from behind closed eyes. But if I died in a plane crash over the Statue of Liberty now, I would be deprived of a nice funeral. I wonder what will Ms. Parker think when she sees my name in a newspaper among the names of a plane crash victims? Will she then regret saying “no” to me on the phone? And how will my family cope with the news? And yes, God made our plane land back safely at the Newark Airport. So we were all in the line again, waiting for the steward to comfort us and give us new boarding passes. Waiting at the end of the line, I felt suddenly short of breath and pain in my chest. That’s it. I thought, I’m dying in America. “What do you want to do?” asked the staff who appeared beside me. “Do you want to stay in a hotel?” “I… can’t talk… I can’t walk…” my voice turned into a whisper. I noticed a wheelchair rolling in my direction, pushed by a young woman with black hair. “Sit!” she ordered. I sat. “What is the matter?” “Can’t talk…” I whispered. She left me in the wheelchair and walked briskly to the counter. I heard her say, pointing at me, “He can’t talk! What shall I do with him?” She came back and began pushing me
along the crowded, neon-lit corridor. The woman behind the counter said, “I think it’s better if you go to a hospital rather than a hotel. Do you agree?” I shrugged. “I’m going to call the ambulance,” she said. As she spoke on the phone, I heard her say, “Urgent.” Within a few minutes, two policemen wearing large brimmed hats and dark shirts appeared on either side of my wheelchair. One of them put an oxygen mask over my mouth; the other took my blood pressure. “Breathe deeply. The oxygen mask will do you good.” When he removed the mask, I said, “I am feeling better.” “They always say they’re feeling better when they know we’re here. It’s psychological,” Then two male nurses emerged from nowhere, one black, the other Asianlooking. Before they wheeled me away, I raised my hand to the airline clerks and whispered, “Thank you.” The Spanish woman looked as if she was going to cry. Maybe she thought I would die and would not be able to come back to the counter for another flight. I gave her a smile of a dying man and stretched out my hand by way of a blessing. She really was close to tears. Perhaps she regretted that she had treated me badly and pushed the wrong button in the elevator. Crossing the immense hall in the wheelchair, I raised my hand also to some onlookers who, in the middle of their struggle to catch a flight, stopped to watch me. But I was not blaming the airline. They had done a lot of good things for me. They had brought me from one continent to another, given me coupons for food, made me stay in a hotel where I wouldn’t have dreamed of staying, and on a small plane they took me over Albany and then back again over the Statue of Liberty (an expedition I could never have had otherwise) Finally they put me in a wheelchair and summoned four men—two policemen and two nurses—to save my life. A stretcher waited for me at the exit of the airport. When the snowflakes fell over my face, I smiled. I had seen the snow only on postcards and books and now the snow was real, and yet to me it looked full of mystery and gave me the feeling of having landed in another world. Who would have thought that one day I would enter America on a stretcher, covered by a gray blanket, and snowflakes on my face, being pushed by two nurses into the back of a large ambulance? HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY• 23
PAINTING IS LIKE FALLING IN LOVE I believe that creativity is about finding a unique synthesis between reality and abstraction. Since an early age, I was driven to writing and painting. This was my way of coming to terms with the reality of life and my artistic sensibility always tended to a zone between reality and abstraction. I wanted to look closely at the reality and see it clearly, yet also stand aside and see the reality behind a hue, a mist. This duality created an emotional suspense which is perhaps the source of poetic sensibility. When a teenager, I wanted to do both, writing and painting, but as it was difficult to focus on two different artistic expressions with the same intensity and continuity, I chose to concentrate on writing, perhaps because I wanted to be closely involved with the world and to revolt against things I didn’t like. This is more difficult with painting, since modern painting is a way of standing back from reality, and existing in a zone sheltered from it. But the visual sensibility never left me and good paintings continued to move me deeply. So, after writing a number of novels, short stories, poetry collections, and plays, I claimed my right to express my experiences, my emotions and my vision in painting. And the intense and at times rocky (because we were both rebels) relationship between Bryan Ingham and myself must have contributed to this claim. Our relationship was based mainly on a shared sensibility; in him lingered a poet and in me lingered a painter. And after his death, my own lingering sensibility erupted with its own dynamic and I found myself painting passionately and obsessively. I now needed more than ever before to dwell in that zone between the real and the abstract, and to shelter my artistic sensibility from the increasing harshness of the world. I think painting is very similar to falling in love. 24 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY
One falls in love through idealization. Love is an abstraction and the need for abstraction seems to be inherent in the human psyche. I am also a believer in beauty, although I am aware that artistic beauty ought not to be beauty as defined by society and fashion. Artistic creation is a claim for one’s own sense
of beauty captured through harmony, and proportion. I am trying to capture my feelings and thoughts towards places I have dwelled. Since I have been a driven traveler, I became connected to different parts of the world. And I think my paintings mirror my physical intellectual and emotional journeys. I repeatedly painted landscapes of Cornwall and Paris because emotionally I responded to those places more strongly than to other places. Yet I would like to paint many other places. The reason why I am driven to integrate collage and painting may be related to my dual artistic identity, as a writer and a painter. Collage provides a direct link to the real whereas painting is a product of the imagination.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
South East Art Centre (Brighton) 2007 Oliver’s Art Cafe (London) 2008 Centre des Poets Francais( Paris) 2009 Hotel de France (Poitiers) 2009 Gallerie Lee (Paris) 2010 Lemon Street Gallery UK (2020-2021)
“Let’s Go My Darling” Oil on canvas - 50x70 cm USD 2,900.00 “Titanic” Oil on canvas - 70x100 cm USD 2,800.00
“Going to Hollywood” Oil & collage on canvas - 70x100 cm USD 2,950.00
“Jane” Oil on canvas - 70x100 cm USD 2,900.00
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HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY• 25
The
ROSE BREAST CANCER SOCIETY
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he Rose Breast Cancer Society is a 501.c3 non-profit organization and “Living Memorial” for Juanita Zara Espinosa Uddin, the multi-talented artist and mother of Carmelita Pittman who founded the organization 1998. Carmelita is a multi-dimensional artist who coined the term “EDUtainment” to describe the production of the Rose Variety Arts Show, a Fine and Performing Arts , Wellness event in an inspirational setting. The 14th Rose Variety Arts Show was held on 6 1/2 acres on the grounds of Virginia Robinson Gardens, Beverly Hills. The mission is to promote: “Education for the prevention and intervention of breast cancer.” Keynote speaker Dr. Cherilyn Lee Phd. is an Honorary member. It is also an arts based organization which is currently producing the “ Gardens of Life/ Alley-O-Graphy” mural in association with the ARTery USA founded by S Senior Senator (retired) Pasqual Bettio FRPS and Deborah Gillman in Mid-City Los Angeles.
prospective painting by CARMELITA to be added to the Gardens of Life/ Alley-O-Graphy mural in Mid City Los Angeles. medium: acrylic
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There is scientific evidence of the benefit of the arts in promoting health. The project has met respect and enjoyment by the neighborhood and the Longwood Manor Retirement Hospital on which it is currently being developed. The Rose Breast Cancer Society is sponsoring the project and seeking $25,000 to complete it. The Dept. of Cultural Affairs is lending support. It will materialize between Highland and Rimpau along the Washington Corridor., Los Angeles, Calif. Send tax deductible checks payable to The Rose Breast Cancer Society 8549 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1136, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Juanita Zara Espinosa Beginning of Gardens of Life/ Alley-O-Graphy mural painted by Katherine Uddin who loved roses and Arion of Romania. Senior Senator (retired) Pasqual Bettio FRPS is seen mother of Carmelita Pittman. with appreciative neighborhood children. photo by Tom Porter
Carmelita Pittman Founder of The Rose Breast Cancer Society , wearing Strutwearable Art by Pasqual | photo by Raul Alonso
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BEAUTY, BRAINS & BEYOND Introducing
Lily Buckman M I S S
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he age-old battle of beauty vs. brains has been a longstanding battle throughout history. Recently, we met a woman who has both and wears them proudly. Lily Buckman, the 21-year-old college student & model embodies what any parent would want as a role model for their child. Although she is now living in South Carolina, Lily was born in Maryland, and has always had big dreams, goals and ambitions. She tells us “I think that everyone is uniquely beautiful in their own way”, and it’s clear to see that her humble, and kind personality has shined through to help her shoot for the moon, and land amongst the stars. We asked Lily when her passion for modeling began, and she told us, “It has always been a dream of mine to be a model and pageant queen. I began modeling when I was 18, and I was Miss Chesapeake Bay Teen at Miss Maryland USA and I also won best interview. After that I began modeling for local boutiques and I had my first fashion show in DC
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fashion week where I modeled for the director/owner of DC Fashion Week and Corjor International. I was also blessed with the opportunity to model with my mother, Julie Buckman who is Mrs. South Carolina US Nation, Mrs. Nation First Runner Up, and Miss Bikini Chesapeake Fitness, where we wore amazing designs of Roots by Bella. After that I was excited to win my first pageant for which I still hold the title of, Miss Bikini Chesapeake Model, and I will compete in Miss Bikini US as part of Miami Swim Week.” Lily describes her fashion style as classic and elegant, with a touch of bohemian and goth. Her oneof-a-kind look has taken her to unimaginable places, and we wanted to know a little more about her achievements, and Lily told us “I won and am currently Miss Maryland US Nation. Then I went on to win and still hold the national title of Miss Ambassador US Nation. I also competed against other titleholders from around the world last year in Miami and won and still hold the international title of Miss Nation,
which is through Miss US Nation and Miss Nation Universe pageant organization.” She goes on to let us know, “I modeled in Miami Fashion week for various designers such as Bella Fashion Designs, Bindi Fashion Designs, Liz Couture Boutique and Rose Paulino. Since winning my titles I have been blessed with many exciting opportunities, and I was able to participate in multiple Christmas parades in beautiful Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was an honor as Miss Nation to be in Pawleys Island, South Carolina Independence Day parade. I was also given the opportunity to be a judge for Miss Columbia Nation Universe pageant. I am blessed to have been honored in over 540 publications online on websites such as Fox, CBS and Market Watch.” Some of Lily’s other achievements include being featured on the banner and website of Miss US Nation pageant, and to be represented by XLNT Worldwide Model Management as well as Hannah
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Noelle Models, and she is a brand ambassador for The Wolfe London. In Lily’s eyes, an important part of being a title holder is making a difference in the community and world around us. She feels honored to have worked with World Vision, and joined the Global 6k for water, which is a organization that helps to raise money and awareness for clean water across the world. She is also playing a role in raising awareness for Brookgreen Gardens and their upcoming exhibit to help rescue the endangered species of red wolves. Lily has also helped raised awareness for the World Wildlife Fund for the endangered species of the giant panda and grey wolves, as well as donating blood to the American Red Cross, donating food and clothes to those in need, working with veterans and raising awareness for those with Alzheimer’s. When we asked if she was passionate about any other charity organizations, Lily bravely tells us, “Cancer has affected my family and so it is a personal cause for me to be an advocate for the fight against cancer. I am honored to have volunteered for and raised money and awareness for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. I also have raised awareness as an advocate for World Vision, human trafficking, and racial equality”. She goes on to say, “As a pageant queen, I also am an advocate for women’s empowerment. I also have several volunteer opportunities coming up soon with the American Red Cross, and I am in the process of organizing a food and clothing drive, as well as several other volunteer opportunities.” Most recently, Lily was honored to coach contestants, help host and crown contestants at the Miss California US Nation pageant in San Diego, California. She tells us “I had a great time modeling for the beautiful designs of Bella Fashion Designs, Bindi Fashion Designs, and DAW Fashion Design Inc. in 30 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY
San Diego Fashion Week. Up next I will be continuing my journey as Miss Maryland US Nation, Miss Ambassador US Nation and Miss Nation. I am also very focused and passionate about expanding my modeling career and look forward to competing in Miss Bikini US next summer as Miss Bikini Chesapeake Model”. Lily dreams of becoming a doctor, while expanding her modeling career, and it seems that nothing can stop her on her journey to the top. She has already reached so many of her goals,
and her accomplishments seem endless. When we asked her what she was most proud of, she said “My biggest accomplishment is winning Miss Maryland US Nation, Miss Ambassador US Nation, Miss Nation and Miss Bikini Chesapeake Model. I am also extremely proud of getting full scholarships into 8 colleges. I received various awards throughout high school that brought me great pride, for my accomplishments on my swim team as well as academic achievement awards due to having a 4.0 GPA.”
and tennis, and I was on swim team for many years, and I have now been able to get onto my college swim team. Throughout high school I learned Taekwondo, and most recently I have earned my brown belt and I am now working towards earning my black belt. I also play the piano and I am learning to speak French and play the guitar.” And she leaves us wondering, is there anything she cannot do? Lily lets us know she is passionate about not giving up on her dreams and hope the same for aspiring young men and women. She states “My advice to someone just getting into modeling is to try different things and be confident. There are all different kinds of modeling and so many opportunities in the industry.” She tells us she is inspired by God and her family who motivate her to live her best life each and every day.
It appears this incredible woman is too good to be true, she goes on to let us know that she enjoys hobbies outside of school and work, just as we all do. She says, “I enjoy spending time with my family and pets. I also love traveling, photography, running, swimming, kayaking, skiing and anything adventurous and outdoors! I have been blessed to travel many places in my lifetime like New York City, Cape Cod, Philadelphia PA, Washington DC, Williamsburg VA, Outer Banks NC, Myrtle Beach SC, which is where I currently call home. Charleston SC, Jacksonville FL,
Amelia Island FL, Coco Beach FL, Orlando FL, Miami FL, The Florida Keys, San Diego CA, Canada, Bermuda, Atlantis Bahamas, Freeport Bahamas, Coco Cay Bahamas, Rome Italy, The Vatican, Switzerland, and Paris, France.” She continues to tell us, “I love music and movies, especially rock music and horror movies. I have also played many sports in my life. I began dancing at a young age and danced for 10 years, mostly ballet, even at Strathmore Hall in Washington DC. I also played soccer
When we asked the accomplished student and professional model how she was able to take what she loved and make a career with it, she tells us, “I turned my passion into a career by hard work. When I first got into the industry, I like anyone else in the world have certain goals in life I want to reach in modeling and in life. As Walt Disney once said, ‘if you can dream it, you can do it’. And that is exactly true, ‘you can do anything you put your mind to’, as said by Eminem. Obstacles in my life that have tried to block me did not win as they only made me stronger and more determined to succeed. I am blessed with all that has entailed thus far with winning these four pageants this past year and I’m excited to see what this next chapter in the journey of life holds for me.” We join Lily in her excitement for what the next chapter for her holds and look forward to watching her conquer and thrive in whatever she may choose to take on in the future. If you’d like to reach Lily, you can find her on @missnation2020
@lilyfaith550
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Hollywood Weekly - Page Turners Bedside Reading curates books for book lovers. We’re starting our holiday shopping early. Favorites from our book lovers! BedsideReading.com
Behind The Door by A. Gavazzoni When Lara dies at the hands of a Manhattan lawyer during a sex game, he needs help to prove that Lara’s death was accidental. Simone, a brilliant psychiatrist and the author of books on sexual behavior, is hired to analyze the detailed account of the lawyer’s steamy, year-long relationship with Lara. While she evaluates the presumed killer’s writing, Simone continues to receive patients with sexual disorders and unusual fantasies. Meanwhile, Simone’s clinical partner, friend and research colleague, Edward, is working with the police to capture a serial killer who is torturing and killing women. From hot and unusual sex to the swing houses of New York and Paris, this fastpaced page-turner is a blend of mystery, suspense, humor, romance and erotica. With a shocking twist at the end that no one sees coming, the murder culprit may not be who you think…
Complications by Danielle Steel Known for its luxurious accommodations and bespoke service, the Hotel Louis XVI has been the most lauded boutique hotel in all of Paris for decades, attracting an international clientele of the rich and famous. Now, after four years of renovations and the death of its legendary and beloved manager, it is set to reopen its doors at last. An esteemed group of loyal returning guests is set to descend upon the hotel, joined by a number of new faces who have managed to secure coveted bookings in the wake of lastminute cancellations. Awaiting them all is the Louis XVI’s new manager, Olivier Bateau, an anxious man whose lack of experience leaves him unprepared. He and his level-headed assistant manager, Yvonne Philippe, both strive to continue the hotel’s tradition of excellence. But they quickly realize that anything can happen at any moment, and on one cool September evening, everything does. Danielle Steel tells an unforgettable story about a famed hotel, where a few complications quickly escalate into a matter of life and death, changing the lives of everyone who passes through its doors. 32 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY
FICTION
The Last Lumenian by S.G. Blaise The Last Lumenian is a coming of age story of a 19-year-old princess, Lilla, who is rebel-in-disguise, fighting for the refugee’s freedom. The arrival of the mysterious and ruggedlyhandsome Callum brings news of a bigger battle the Era War between the two ruling archgods- that threatens not only Lilla’s home world but everyone else’s in the Seven Galaxies. Lilla must learn to control her magic and defeat the dark god before He finds her - the last Lumenian.
Under The Willows by Pamela McCord After her husband is killed by a drunk driver, Kelly Harris and her son TJ move into a sprawling Victorian house in Ohio that her husband inherited from his grandmother. Dealing with her overwhelming grief is a struggle as she adjusts to life in a small town. And, just as she’s beginning to feel more comfortable, life takes another unexpected turn. The Alexa unit in her son’s bedroom starts to cry, and a little girl’s voice comes out of it asking for help. A young widow, a new town, a handsome detective, and an Alexa unit that cries and launches a frantic search for a missing child. This gentle ghost story introduces you to Emma, a ghost child who can break your heart.
The Price: Lairds of the Crest Book II by Kim Sakwa Return to the 15th century in The Price, book two in the Lairds of the Crest series, following the #1 international bestseller, The Prophecy. She’s an agent running from her past. He’s the warrior who will become her future. In her desperation to undo the tragedy that stole everything from her, Maggie Sinclair becomes entangled in an enchantment and thrust into 15th-century Scotland. Torn from everything she knows, her mission becomes survival. Losing his wife and unborn child all but crushed the spirit of the once-proud Highland warrior Callum O’Roarke. But when the sisters of Brackish Abbey press Callum to take in their new charge—a woman whose emotional scars are as deep as his own—he reluctantly agrees, offering Maggie sanctuary. Thrown together by devastating circumstances, the pair find common ground in their shared pain, and begin to forge a friendship. Thinking he has nothing left to give, Callum learns to love again. After being trapped in the past, Maggie discovers she’s in exactly the right place.
A Piece of Peace by Sweta Vikram
Einstein’s Compass by Grace Blair and Laren Bright Take a YA time traveler adventure with young Albert Einstein. When young Albert Einstein’s father gives him a jeweled compass, he has no idea the adventure that awaits. Spanning from 10,400 BCE on the Islands of Poseidon to Switzerland in 1903, Einstein’s Compass sweeps across dimensions all while Albert Einstein is growing into his destiny. But a dangerous creature hunts Albert and the compass. In this fantasy adventure, cosmic forces of good and evil clash around a budding scientist on the cusp of his greatest discovery. NON-FICTION
A Piece of Peace is an autobiographical account of one woman’s unique struggle with a near-fatal disease. In 2018, Sweta had already earned acclaim from having written a dozen successful books and for her work toward amplifying women’s voices. Suddenly overtaken with a massive health crisis, she entered a fight for her life that lasted more than six months. Her journey back to wellness through mindfulness and Ayurvedic healing show us both the true resilience of the human spirit as well as laying out a practical day-by-day plan that anyone can build on to restore health and recover from chronic health losses. Sweta shares her vulnerabilities, makes recommendations, interviews experts, and reminds us all that how we respond to a situation determines our path in life. Additionally, you’ll learn about: The power of mindful living. The impact of finding and owning your voice on your well-being. A reminder about the role of wellness in the lives of writers & creative professionals. Essays and stories on coping with the pandemic, mindfulness, Ayurveda, meditation, resilience, productivity, and more. Tips, tricks, wisdom all packed neatly with compassion to help you navigate life no matter what’s thrown at you. HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY• 33
Become A Manifesting Machine by Jennifer Teske It’s no “secret” there are a lot of books out there on how to use the Law of Attraction. The concept has been mainstream for over a decade, and the idea that it’s possible to manifest intentionally is irresistibly appealing. Yet many who dabble in the art often find frustration rather than success. This book changes that. In Become a Manifesting Machine, you will find a fresh, hands-on approach to the principles of the Law of Attraction that promises to illuminate your understanding, eliminate outdated ideas, and amplify your results. Weaving together powerful narrative with clean, easy, and practical how to exercises, Become a Manifesting Machine offers a raw, honest, and heartfelt story that will inspire you, make you laugh, and provide the gift of a step-by-step manifestation framework. If you are interested in the power of intentional manifestation, this book offers a simple clear roadmap to develop and keep a manifestation state of mind.
Impact: Reshaping Capitalism to Drive Real Change by Sir Ronald Cohen “A Must-Read Book From The Godfather Of Impact Investing” - Forbes Capitalism and democracy are being challenged. The world must change, but we cannot change it by throwing money at old ideas that no longer work. We need a new path to a new world where inequality is shrinking, where natural resources are regenerated, and people can benefit from shared prosperity. This is the world being created by the Impact Revolution. Preeminent international investor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and social finance innovator, Sir Ronald Cohen, has dedicated two decades to leading the Impact Revolution to achieve real social and environmental change. As one of the founders of venture capital, which ushered in the Tech Revolution, he builds on his years of personal experience to deliver a compelling account of how impact investing is reshaping capitalism. If you are interested in companies doing good and doing well at the same time – this book is a surefire way to find out how you can play a role in changing the world. “A powerful case for a movement that is gaining traction in society” - Andrew Jack, The Financial Times
The Power of a Graceful Leader by Alexsys Thompson In The Power of a Graceful Leader, Alexsys Thompson shares how to begin integrating who you are and how you lead. Through her experience with this disconnect in her own leadership and having coached hundreds of leaders in their integration journey, Alexsys offers tools, tenets, and some relatable stories to support you in your journey toward becoming an integrated and graceful leader. You will find yourself making better decisions, building healthier relationships, and experiencing joy, love, and compassion as you transcend into the leader you were born to be.
Wall Street Journal bestselling book.
It Takes a Village by Kevin Pereau Our smartphones are changing the way we manage our health, democratizing healthcare and better connecting us to everything we need to get and stay healthy. But what happens when we are all connected and how do we plug in? It Takes a Villages checks in with healthcare’s top thought leaders to capture and share their insights on who is doing what and how you can benefit. Innovation never rests. From devices, to artificial intelligence, providers to innovators and everything in between. Learn how to leverage healthcare innovation from a pop culture take that anyone can relate to. All you need is your smartphone. Plug in and get connected. To your health! 34 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY
C O N V E R S AT I O N S W I T H O U R A U T H O R S
Mindfulness and Mysticism by Ora Nadrich Mindfulness and Mysticism brings together the practice of present moment awareness with a spiritual understanding of becoming one with a higher consciousness, which can be called God, Source, or the Absolute. Author, Ora Nadrich, takes the reader into a nonreligious experience of mysticism by giving them what she calls “sacred truths”, which are Universal Principles, or Divine Laws every human being can live by if they choose to be present with the mystery of life. Mindfulness & Mysticism is a beautiful road map to assist one’s soul on the journey of awakening, self-discovery, and mystical illumination. Q&A with Ora Nadrich Q:What inspired you to write Mindfulness and Mysticism?
A: I wanted to explore the different states of spiritual consciousness we can realize when we’re in the present moment. I discovered that when we are in a more heightened state of awareness, which Mindfulness helps us be in, we are more attuned to spiritual truths and insights, which can lead to mystical experiences. When you are fully present, your senses are more heightened, and you are a more open vessel for information to come through you, which can be called downloading, meaning you are receiving information, knowledge, wisdom, and even sacred truths from a higher vibrational field.
Q: What do you want people to discover about themselves in Mindfulness and Mysticism?
A: I wanted people to know that they are the master of their destiny, and that they can live each day connected to the higher realms of consciousness. As we move more into the future, we will be challenged by the very things we create, which are very powerful and can be dangerous, like AI; Artificial Intelligence, and bio-weaponry — which are micro-organisms like viruses and bacteria deliberately released out into the world to harm others. If we don’t value developing and heightening our consciousness, both individually and collectively, it can be our greatest undoing on this planet.
Firework Humans: Spark A Growth Mindset. Ignite 9 Entrepreneurial Instincts. Fuel Courage, Curiosity, Confidence, & Conviction by Jessica Mead Firework Humans teaches readers how they can live an extraordinary life full of fireworks and steadily control their own orbit. Founder, CEO, Investor, and Homeschool Mom, Jessica Mead has spent two decades focused on how to spark entrepreneurial instincts in her employees and children. In Firework Humans, she offers a powerful and hopeful perspective on parenting, running a business, and amplifying one’s life. She introduces the Nine Entrepreneurial Instincts that she believes every human possesses and guides readers through the process of developing these instincts into behavioral traits. Q&A with Jessica Mead Q: How did you identify the 9 Entrepreneurial Instincts and why are they important for leaders to understand?
A: As a mom who has homeschooled two very different types of children, and a business owner who has had dozens of employees, I’ve seen first hand how differently humans learn and what captivates their curiosity. There is so much research around learning styles, management styles, personality traits, and how to motivate people. I combined that research with what I observed through over a decade of teaching kids and running remote business teams. The 9 Entrepreneurial Instincts are a way for leaders to better understand how to bring out the best in people.
Q: As a female CEO who runs 20+ companies, homeschools her children, and is an active angel investor, what do you foresee 2022 has in store for women who are juggling work and family?
A: It will be a very empowering year for women in all situations. The Pandemic turned the working woman’s world upside down. Overnight, women had to manage their work life differently, while figuring out how to distance educate or homeschool their children. It was a massive disruption for some and has forever changed how company managers and heads of families will look at running a business and a family. When I started fielding questions from women (and men) about how to homeschool AND how to manage their staff differently, it occurred to me that people needed to switch mindsets. 2022 will truly be a year of rebirth and revitalization for everyone. Women will be leading in business. Companies will look at remote teams as a plus, not a burden. Women will enter 2022 with a much clearer sense of what’s important both in business and at home. HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY• 35
A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose. Q&A with Darynda Jones Q: Can you summarize A Bad Day for Sunshine in a couple sentences?
A: A missing girl, a flasher named Doug, and an old flame that refuses to burn out. What else could go wrong on newly sworn in sheriff Sunshine Vicram’s first day?
Q: What research did you do for the book?
A: I did tons of research about small towns in New Mexico even though I live in one. I had to research the more mountainous areas. The pretty parts. I also had to research the heck out of policies and procedures pertaining to county sheriffs and their deputies as opposed to city and state police. And I spent a lot of time on how to go about getting a search and rescue team assembled and coordinated. Lots of layers to that one, and it’s absolutely fascinating.
Make it, Don’t Fake it by Sabrina Horn “Fake it ‘till you make it” has become gospel in our cultural playbook, but it ultimately doesn’t work and can have devastating consequences. If we really want to succeed, shouldn’t we push ourselves to “make it” with integrity? Won’t we gain far more by facing reality, even when it’s hard? In MAKE IT, DON’T FAKE IT: Leading with Authenticity for Real Business Success, C-suite advisor, entrepreneur and communications expert Sabrina Horn gives leaders the tools to resist “short hacks,” and the courage to lead with authenticity and integrity. Horn shows us how by writing from two valuable vantage points: as a leader in public relations–a profession known for its spin – and as a CEO of her own national firm. She draws on 25 years of insights and stories to show how we can flip fakery into authenticity to reap greater rewards. Q&A with Sabrina Horn Q: Why is running a business with integrity and authenticity hard?
A: Running any business is hard. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it! Being a leader of a business means making the right decisions at the right time based on the often very harsh realities of the truth. So, running a business with integrity is hard, because facing reality can be hard, like when you realize you have to do a layoff, or admit a financial error in your reporting to shareholders, or there is a flaw in your product and have to do a recall. There are no “short hacks” to running a successful business. Leading with integrity and being grounded in success is the only way to run a business.
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Q:If we know that integrity is the foundation of every business, why do companies and the people who run or work for them fake it or just plain lie?
A: Understanding what compels people to fabricate the truth, to fake it, and to lie is useful in coming up with the strategies and tools to avoid or prevent it. There is a broad spectrum of fakery, from innocent little white lies to the perfectly criminal, which you can see in my Fake-O-Meter. The most common types of lies in business are exaggeration, minimization, omission, and what I call, ostrich lies. They are mostly rooted in personal insecurity or a feeling of inadequacy, that somehow, we don’t feel we measure up or we made a mistake, and we don’t want to risk embarrassing ourselves, so we cover up, twist the truth, tell a tall tale, or exaggerate the truth. The other most common type of fakery isn’t really a lie, but it is rooted in avoiding the truth, as in looking the other way or shoving a problem under a rug, or just generally not dealing with the reality of a situation.
#1 VIETNAMESE “DAD I’M SORRY” LIVES UP TO HYPE, FILM PERFECTLY PORTRAYS ASIAN It is clear to me why “Bố Già (Dad, I’m Sorry)” became the #1 box office hit of all time in Vietnam and the first Vietnamese film to break $1 million in the US box office, as well as Vietnam’s official entry for the 2022 Oscars. The story, plot twists and turns and endearing characters created an authentic experience that made me laugh, cry and reflect. Set in small-alley Saigon life in the midst of third world poverty, family dynamics were explored, as well as socioeconomic mobility and how modern phenomena like “youtube influencers” would rock traditional dynamics that stubbornly tried to persist. The story centers on three generations of a family. The grandfather, Ba Sang, played by Trấn Thành, stole the show. As the story centers around him, his range of emotions as a father, adoptive father to his granddaughter and overall role as the glue that kept his family together, no matter how dysfunctional or unappreciative, was perfectly portrayed. Between his siblings who take advantage of him to his son, a famous YouTuber, he plays the typical patriarch who quietly sacrifices for those he loves. His character, though, is not stoic and one-dimensional but instead, we are able to see the range, the struggle and the tough decisions he had to make play out. The chemistry between dad and his children and siblings was undeniable. Tear jerking moments around his connection with his sweet 6 year old
GENERATIONAL FAMILY DYNAMICS, STRONG CONTENDER FOR 2022 OSCAR By Marc Ang
granddaughter involved humor and real dialogue, and it never went into cheesy territory, which is hard to do with this movie format. Credit to solid writing, editing and casting. Tuan Tran plays son Woan, a Youtube star, who is nouveau riche enough to provide for his family. He represents a successful younger generation struggling to understand why his father would do certain things so old-fashioned. It becomes a recurring theme throughout the movie, where the audience is able to see both perspectives but can see how situations would put father and son in different camps, whether it is the father’s unwavering loyalty to his abusive siblings, or the son’s desire to spend his money on a luxury apartment instead of a house. The young daughter’s performance, as well as the father’s love interest and the drunkard and sometimes thief, brother who was shockingly willing to help Ba Sang in his time of need, provided shining moments for the supporting cast. The way the characters, even the bullying siblings, endeared themselves to the audience is a testament to the stellar writing, casting and directing. While Parasite provided the fast pace Hollywood is used to, Bố Già is
superior in its character development and stirring the heart and emotions with its plot and characters. Running at 128 minutes, an edit for the US audience may just create a home run, but that is just a minor critique. After the 45 minute mark, the movie accelerates and grips you like the best movies do. It is a welcome addition to the Oscars in 2022, where this is Vietnam’s official entry. The premier film academy will be treated with Vietnam’s fine work and debut breakthrough, of sorts, complete with cultural pride but also a universal treatment of emotional dynamics around family that breaks new ground for Asian cinema. I predict this film will give the consistent hit-producing Korean entertainers a run for their money. Korea has made a name for itself in global and American film, but Vietnam, through this movie, has masterfully depicted the specific complexities of Asian cultures, patriarchy and family obligations in a non-cliche, heartwarming feature film that can grab your attention like the strongest moments of Squid Game. This was a great team effort with Directors Vu Ngoc Dang and Tran Thanh himself, and a great cast - a crown jewel for Vietnam and the foreign and comedy and drama genres.
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exceeding
EXPECTATIONS “Jennifer was extremely pleasant, patient and generous with her time in showing us many properties in Laguna Beach before we decided. She had excellent knowledge of the marketplace, what we were looking for, and kept us well informed throughout the process. She was there every step of the way until we closed, and has even been available to us post purchase to look after the house as it is our second home. And always with a smile. I would recommend Jennifer to anyone looking to purchase a home in the area.” Read more client experiences at jenniferhalbert.com ‘
JENNIFER HALBERT REALTOR®
949.899.2113 jenniferhalbert@bhhscal.com jenniferhalbert.com DRE# 01992762
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