UCAN!
VOLUME THREE ISSUE FOUR
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Alexander Dinelaris,Jr. What a Year!
Clark Gayton World Class Musician Squeaky Moore Our Actress Shining Bright Ocktober Film Festival Creates New Stars Chi-Raq the Movie Protests Gun Violence
http://www.filmagon.com/index.php?option=com_community&view=videos&task=videodisplay&Itemid=539
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FROM THE EDITOR
UCAN! M
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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RANDELL PEARSON
2015 has been quite a year! We at UCAN! Magazine are so happy that we get to bring you success stories of our artistic comrades. Artists are always presented with opportunities to prove how much we love being artists. Auditions that don’t book the role, the constant hustle of getting film and television projects financed, hours and hours of practice, not working a day job that could provide a steady income with benefits…. To a layperson the list of why we should not be in the business of show can be really long. Even with the challenging aspects of our lives, we artists have an innate yearning to tell stories. Through acting, singing, playing music, or writing the scripts – we feel pure fulfillment when we get to move an audience. Crew members also have that need. They are creators in their own right. All of us are motivated to entertain and inspire. It is UCAN! Magazine’s mission to help keep that motivation going. As 2015 comes to a close, we all look forward to the opportunity of reaching new goals and levels. We send you all positive energy and best wishes. I personally have to thank a lot of people. Without them UCAN! Magazine would be lacking. Our Creative Director, Randell Pearson makes this magazine look amazing. Social Media Manager Courtney Lee Cordero keeps it fresh in people’s minds. Our Contributing Editors find interesting content. I don’t know where I’d be without your expertise and dedication. Special thank yous also to Alex Dinelaris, William Laney, Julia Wu, Ronnie Wright, Jeff Smith, Tygah Sabre Thomas, Harry J. Lennix and his wife Djena, Jacqueline Mari Alvarado, and Gail Williams for helping to make us a better read. I am grateful for you all giving your time.
SOCIAL
MEDIA
MANAGER
COURTNEY LEE CORDERO CONTRIBUTING
EDITORS
MORGAN ELIASON MELISSA GOLDSTEIN ARLEY SEAMUS ZULA MONTOYA EDITORIAL
PRODUCTION
MONICA TRAVELLINO ENTERTAINMENT
DIRECTOR
KAREN Y. BROWN RESEARCH
CENTER
DEIDRE GREGORY KEIDRA CAMERON MICHELLE DUBOIS ADVERTISING
DIRECTOR
KIMBERLY ANN RICHARDS
UCAN! MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES ANNUALLY IN ENGLISH.
2016 is fast approaching. Start it with a BANG! The best is yet to come.
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Happy Holidays to you and yours. See you next year.
© 2015 BY PINDARA STUDIOS LLC. COPYRIGHT UNDER UIVERSAL COPY-
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RIGHT CONVENTION. FRONT COVER AND ENTIRE MAGAZINE DESIGN COPYRIGHT @ 2015 BY PEARSON DESIGNS, BROOKLYN NY, USA. REPRODUCTION OF ANY PARTS OF THIS PUBLICATION REQUIRES EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE PUBLISHER. UCAN! ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHY OR ARTWORK.
http://www.telemundo.com/
Mastering the Musician Life
Clark Gayton PHOTO:ANA CISSA PINTO
Clark Gayton has deep roots in music. His grandmother and uncle, Lucille and Daryl Lombard were both singers who also played piano. Instrumentally, Clark went in a different direction. He plays the trombone, bass trombone, euphonium and tuba – also known as low brass instruments. In addition, he does gigs as a keyboard player. Clark’s own music journey started early in his life. He began taking lessons when he was eight years-old. It was at ten years of age that he knew he wanted to be a professional musician. He’d had his first paying job at a Seattle church on the other side of town. The gig paid him $30, which was a very impressive payment for a young boy in the seventies. He continued his music studies throughout grade school, high school, and weekend classes at the Cornish Institute of Allied Arts. After being awarded several scholarships to the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Clark’s studies were widespread and intense. The school boasts an impressive list of alumni including Quincy Jones, John Mayer, and Diana Krall. The extensive training made Clark a solid and well-rounded musician. Since finishing music school, there have been lots of opportunities for Clark to demonstrate his love for music and being a musician. “Becoming a musician presents many challenges. Of course, the most obvious one is money issues. I personally had to play any gig that paid money in order to survive. I think that’s what really made me durable over the years,” he says. His wide range of knowledge made it possible for Clark to get the work he did. Lots of players only play one or two styles. However, Clark made it a point to dive into several idioms, and to put as much love into them as he could. That’s what kept the phone ringing in the early days. Playing with some of his own bands, EXPLORATIONS IN DUB and SKATALITES have been some of Clark’s favorite experiences. After decades of playing music, Clark is no longer sure that music school is the way to go in these days and times. “I don’t think it’s really necessary to spend money on schools these days. It can be helpful, but the main thing is to have the drive to be a player,” Clark recommends. He is convinced that growth happens once you get around other musicians who can play. In fact, Clark believes anything an aspiring musician needs to know can be learned from Youtube. “If someone doesn’t have the money, now’s the best time to get into music. All the info you need is online,” he says full of gusto. Clark may see music school as nonessential, but attending one certainly isn’t detrimental. In fact, recent music moguls have suffered financially as a result of not being able to read music. Pharrell lost millions of dollars, only because he couldn’t express himself in musical terms, and neither could his lawyer. “It’s always beneficial to learn everything there is to know about your craft, and that includes reading music,” Clark acknowledges. Someone might be able to make millions of dollars not knowing how to read. Nevertheless, that lack of know-how also limits a musician’s ability to stay relevant as he or she gets older. Most musicians who can’t read either get stuck artistically, or just stop playing altogether. Over the years Clark has played with acts like Prince, Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Usher, Glen Hansard, Queen Latifah, Nancy Wilson, Katy Perry, Quincy Jones, Steven Tyler, and many others. These jobs have taken Clark around the world many times over. He has several gigs coming up, but he’s mostly looking forward to putting his old band, CLARK AND THE SUPERSLICKS, together. They’ll be playing a New Year’s gig at 55 Bar down on Christopher Street in New York City. The doors open at 10:00 p.m. and don’t close until well into the morning. “Although there are many ups and downs in the life of a musician, the upside outweighs the downside by far,” Clark tells us. “One day, you might be eating dry noodles, but get a call the next day from a world famous rock star to go on a world tour! It happens. It happened to me!” Non artists find it very difficult to understand those ups and downs. But to us, they make perfect sense.
https://www.facebook.com/TooBeFrankTV/?fref=ts
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What a turnout for the premiere screening of TOO BE FRANK! This unique web series, created and produced by Frank Williams is a light-hearted dramedy. It follows the life of Franklin Wakefield, a creative twenty something who moves to NYC from a Michigan suburb in pursuit of a career in show business. He is seriously addicted to social media and uses it to present himself in ways that are not quite accurate. Throughout each episode viewers get a peek into Frank’s world through his phone, always knowing the real truth versus what he portrays on social media. TOO BE FRANK explores the outcome of living with a social media addiction along with the effects it could have on your life and self image. Director: Glenn Quentin George. DP and Editor: King Lexx. @TooBeFrankTV and #TooBeFrank View the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnquwQfiGbI PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRANDON JAMES
ALEXANDER DINELARIS JR. GIVING HIS THANKS AT THE 87TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS WITH HIS WRITING TEAMMATES ARMANDO BO, NICOLÁS GIACOBONE, AND DIRECTOR ALEJANDRO GONZÁLEZ IÑÁRRITU. (PHOTOGRAPH: KEVIN WINTER)
C O V E R
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ALEXANDER
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A GRACIOUS TITAN S T A R
D A V I S
Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. probably turns a few heads when he walks down the street. His looks, like his name, are enigmatic. With his naturally tanned skin and his full dark hair, he could easily be cast as a southern European, Latino, or a Middle Easterner. What you don’t see at first sight is his utter brilliance. He’s won an Oscar and a Golden Globe as a member of the screenwriting team for BIRDMAN. He is also a playwright whose musical, ON YOUR FEET!, is on Broadway right now. He’s also co-writing THE ONE PERCENT, a project for the Starz network that’s already gotten a straight-to-series order. And he is a co-producer having been consulted on the new Leonardo DiCaprio movie, THE REVENANT. Many would think Alex Dinelaris is more than justified in being a pompous, conceited ass. But he is not. Even with his amazing level of achievement, which took him about thirty years to reach, he is humble and personable. When I told Mr. Dinelaris he was going to be our cover feature, I have to admit I was just a tiny bit congratulatory. Usually cover features are flattered. Some feel downright entitled. The response I got from him was visceral – a groan that sounded a lot like gas pain. “When I sit in a room with talented writers, I don’t feel like one of them,” he says. His voice a bit raspy. “I’m waiting for someone to point me out and say ‘what the hell are you doing here.’” That’s a complete turnaround from where Mr. Dinelaris was fifteen years ago. In 2000 he was working double shifts at a restaurant in New York. He would work until one in the morning, drink until four in the morning, and then would return at ten in the morning to do it all over again. “I got to the point at the beginning of 2001 where I thought, I’m the most miserable person in the whole world,” he recalls. Shortly afterwards, he packed up his car and drove to his mother’s place in Florida. He got a job selling wine. He wasn’t fulfilled, but at least he wasn’t miserable.
(LEFT TO RIGHT) ALEXANDER DINELARIS, GLORIA ESTEFAN, DIRECTOR JERRY MITCHELL AND EMILIO ESTEFAN (PHOTO: BRUCE GLIKAS)
“After about three months, my best friend Chris McCartin called me up and said ‘I’m gonna fly down this weekend on Friday with a one-way ticket, and then you and I are gonna get in your car and drive back to New York on Sunday. And if you have to sleep on my floor, you’re gonna sleep on my floor. But you’re gonna come back, and you’re gonna start writing again.’ And as God is my witness, that Friday he showed up.” While sleeping on the floor of his friend’s one bedroom flat, Mr. Dinelaris wrote the play, FOLDING THE MONSTER. The writing was so good, Danny Aiello and Rosie O’Donnell did a reading of it. Danny’s manager, Johnnie Planco saw the reading at the Variety Arts Theater and wanted Mr. Dinelaris as a client. That was the beginning of an amazing road of accomplishment. Mr. Dinelaris strongly believes just like it happened to him, it can happen for anyone else who invests the time to learn and prepare. “Know your shit inside and out. I can’t say it enough.” Mr. Dinelaris says, almost pleading. “The only thing I know about success is you have a great chance if you’re competent. There are so many people out there who aren’t competent who write because ‘I have a good story in me.’ And they might even write a good script. They’re not going to write six. They’re not going to write three. They might write one good script, but they can’t reproduce it. You have to know your craft. This is the only craft where people can try to pretend they’re in the business and not do that. Can you imagine if it was heart surgery? Yeah, that’s fine. You can stay off my mom.” U CAN! M
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ALEXANDER DINELARIS WITH ACTOR MICHAEL KEATON AT THE 2015 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS. (PHOTO: MARK DAVIS)
ALEXANDER DINELARIS AND HIS WIFE NYLA
“This is the only craft where you can claim to be a professional without training. Picasso was doing portraiture. Before Jimi Hendrix was doing Hendrix, he was playing scales. This is what we do. Anyone who’s good at what they do practices fundamentals and knows their crap inside and out, so that you can blow it up.” “Being prepared, training yourself as best you can, [and] being competent puts you in the top ten percent, and that puts you in a position to get your work read or seen.” “The good thing about writing is good work will get seen. Not like being an actor. You can be a great actor, and they can still say ‘she’s too short, she’s too tall, she’s too dark, she’s too light’ you know what I mean?” “But with a script, people will just say, ‘that’s a good script.’ It’s takes a little bit less luck. You still have to network and get a little bit of luck like me and Danny Aiello, but if you can do it, people are going to pay attention because everybody’s looking for a good story. Everybody’s looking for good writers. So if you’re competent, boy it’s going to go a really, really long way. For me that was the trick.” With regard to actors and auditioning, Mr. Dinelaris offered just as much juicy advice. In addition to the many high-stakes projects he’s juggling, he also regularly attends general Equity auditions. He honestly believes if actors can take the time to learn monologues and develop characters, that he as the writer can at least be there. He describes the experience as, “hit or miss.” “I liken it to Family Feud,” he starts. “They come in the room, and they give you the number one answer, right? [Name some] things in a kitchen? Refrigerator! Right? Number one. Not flower box, or placemats. When they come in they give you the first choice, and some of them do it really well. But it’s the first choice, so you don’t have to engage. You know what they’re doing. If they’re good at it, you appreciate it, but you’re not stimulated.” “Then there are actors who come in, understand the action of the scene when they walk in if they have sides. They can analyze what they’re doing, and then give you the fourth or fifth answer, something that’s personal to them. Something that you didn’t think of. And the minute that comes out, you have to sit forward. I mean, I wrote the thing, but I didn’t write it that good.” Mr. Dinelaris is quick to say to not do your own thing too much. Say what’s in the sides - verbatim. To change the lines in an audition would be disrespectful to the writer, and you definitely won’t get the job. A good audition is when an actor gives their own version of what’s written, and whoever is behind the table is forced to engage and ask questions. A strong recommendation for actors from this A-list writer is to volunteer be a reader at auditions – at every possible opportunity. Once the role is won, and the scenes are being shot, then lines can change on a whim. Many times a writer is anxious to work with an actor and is excited about any impulses he or she may get. Mr. Dinelaris says in ten years he hopes to be doing exactly what he’s doing right now. He expresses gratitude for his family and his good health. He acknowledges his good fortune of having steady work that he’s interested in and not having to punch in a time clock. “I’m keeping my head down and hoping nobody notices me,” Mr. Dinelaris concludes. Well it’s too late for that. Alex Dinelaris is a gem in this crazy world of show business. We as an audience are blessed to see his work, that is regularly described as moving and brilliant. Whether we know it or not, we will all be lucky if Mr. Dinelaris is doing exactly what he’s doing ten or even twenty years from now. As a writer, he won’t be another Mick Jagger – way overdue for a graceful exit. Instead he’ll be older, wiser, and he’ll have a lot more interesting stories to tell.
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Stars
in the Making 2015 OCKTOBER FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS
PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF SMITH
BEST
WEB SERIES
anna fishbeyne TURNS THE TABLES
ANNA FISHBEYN is a writer, actress, feminist, and mother, and her children are her creative muses. Her eleven year-old daughter and her seven year-old son are expert comedians. They are inventive, unpredictable, and utterly fearless. Like all good comedians, they don’t laugh at everything, and can easily tell their mom when they’re bored with her jokes. So when Anna got them to actually laugh at them, she felt inspired to keep going, to keep writing comedy, to keep making her kids laugh. When she thought about creating a fictional TV show, she thought about her favorite talk shows led by women like Ellen Degeneres who stuns with her clever humor and feminist spoofs, or Wendy Williams who oozes feminine charm and sexual energy, and Oprah whose show Anna has watched for years. Anna was always amazed at Oprah’s generosity of spirit, and meaningful impact on society. Anna was also immensely influenced by Saturday Night Live during the heyday of Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph. “I became interested in theater and film after I gave birth to my children,” Anna says. “I had been working on a novel for a while, but it was after the birth of my son that I got on stage for the first time and fell in love with performing.” Anna’s two plays, SEX IN MOMMYVILLE, and MY STUBBORN TONGUE, feature strong female characters. SEX IN MOMMYVILLE, in particular, tackles the intersection between feminism and motherhood. “I wrote that play in response to our culture, to the numerous commercials and TV shows that pressured women to look flawless, to stop aging, to get thin, to attain the ideal - to be the perfect woman,” Anna continues. The more television Anna watched, the more she would become outraged. She often called up her girlfriends, and they talked about why there isn’t a commercial for men’s anti-aging cream or zero-calorie cereal. She questioned why men get to have cars and cigars and alcohol on screen, and women get to demonstrate how fat-free yogurt can make them thin and therefore acquire a more exciting social life. Anna began to realize that she wanted to use the medium of film and television to capture the issues affecting women, in part because television is currently our society’s mouthpiece. It’s often used to bombard women. “I wanted to create visual transformations of men and visual objectifications of their bodies, and finally, I hoped to reach a wider audience,” Anna reveals. She had been toying with the concept of having men experience being women for a long time, not only because she had wanted to impart a feminist message and respond to modernity, but also because she always loved shows where gender was switched. In the 80s Anna loved the movie TOOTSIE, where Dustin Hoffman dresses up as a woman and experiences what it’s like to live in a woman’s world. “Dustin Hoffman admits that dressing up as a woman taught him how difficult the world is for women, and the impact that society’s merciless judgment of women’s looks can have on their personal lives.” That resonated with Anna. U CAN! M
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”I decided to take a somewhat new and original approach to this problem. I realized that the only way I can create a world where men can still define themselves as men and experience what it’s like to be treated like women is to create a future world where it’s normal for men to be the sexual objects and for women to be wholly in power.” Anna’s web series, HAPPY HOUR FEMINISM won the Best Web Series award at the Ocktober Film Festival. In the world of HAPPY HOUR FEMINISM (HHF), it’s an accepted fact that men are the ones worrying about wrinkles, beer bellies, dieting, monthly periods, working vs. staying at home with their children – in other words, it presents all the issues currently bombarding women. On the other side women are relaxing, drinking bourbon, running corporations, dominating the sciences, putting pressure on men to look good, and having fun objectifying men. “The greatest contribution to my project was not financial. It was my parents’ support, love and devotion. I felt Hillary Clinton’s words, ‘it takes a village,’ most deeply during the filming of HAPPY HOUR FEMINISM. Although the shoot only took approximately six days, the days were long and arduous. My mother, Margarita and father, Iosif took care of my children during that time, encouraged me, and never complained. They are the reason I am able to call myself a woman filmmaker today. I am filled with gratitude and love for my mom and dad.” In addition, Anna acknowledges Adrian Roman, her co-creator and director, who worked tirelessly on the project. She expressed gratitude for his creative direction, sense of humor on the set, and original approach to complex concepts, as well as his dedication to the cause of women. Anna wants to thank Rachel Collins, Kathryn Kates, Anthony Laciura, Patricia Randell, Mike Smith Rivera, Dana Watkins, Annie Meisels, Dan Shaked, Eric Miller, James Patrick Nelson, Jacob Knapp, and Filip Pogady. Anna strives to support young girls, to help raise their confidence and self-esteem, and to help young boys as well - so that our future society has more equilibrium, balance, and a deeper understanding between the genders. XOFeminist Productions is developing other projects, including a feature film, and a TV pilot. https://www.patreon.com/xofeminist https://www.facebook.com/annafishbeynofficial https://twitter.com/annafishbeyn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BluhlTb8jsA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eX77rYv-vg
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davidcarlone
PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF SMITH
FILM SHORT
USING HIS HEARTBREAK TO CREATE AWARD WINNING HUMOR
We got to sit down with DAVID CARLONE after his win for Best Short Film at the Ocktober Film Festival for his work, HUNGRY. He is charming and funny and very enthusiastic about filmmaking. From a young age, David has always loved film. As a kid he was picked on a lot, and movies became his escape to another world where anything could happen. Some of his biggest influences from an early age and still today are: Jim Carrey, Mel Brooks, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Tom Hanks, Christopher Nolan, Peter Berg, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Robert DeNiro, Judd Apatow and Denzel Washington. David has seen these artists play so many different roles and make so many different genres of films. As the writer, director, editor and actor of his film HUNGRY, David feels that his work is heavily influenced by these people who he grew up watching. The moment David realized he wanted to do film was when he was finishing school at Long Island’s Nassau Community College. He loved making films and, with his friends, started a YouTube channel called EASTCOASTCOMEDYCREW. Even though they made videos every week, David still didn’t know where he wanted to go to school after community college or what he really wanted to do. He’d been accepted to The University of Connecticut and literally got up and left in the middle of choosing his classes. He U CAN! M
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knew being there was not for him. A few weeks later he got a postcard from Hofstra University about a transfer day. He did some research and found out they had a film program. HUNGRY was David’s senior thesis film that he made earlier this year at Hofstra University. Besides, being the film’s writer, director, and editor, David also plays the lead character Kevin. Kevin wants to get back his ex-girlfriend, Caitlin. But Caitlin has moved on to a new, rich boyfriend. Kevin, being broke, finds out about a burrito eating competition and enters into it. The winner will receive $1,000 for eating a 5 lb. burrito. David got this idea from a personal situation of dating a girl that was rude and mean to him. “I was so infatuated with her, I couldn’t see how badly she was really treating me and didn’t listen to my friends and family warning me until one day I finally realized,” he says thinking back. “The idea for the burrito eating competition came from seeing the Nathan’s Hotdog eating competition over the summer and I thought that it could make a good concept in a film and I just used burritos instead, because I love burritos.” Everyone in production knows there can be a million glitches that slow down a project. For David and his team, one of the biggest struggles was the weather. “We filmed from January 8th to January 11th on Long Island and we had a snow storm the first day,” he says. Luckily they were inside that day, but for the entire shoot it was ten degrees or below outside. “We used blankets and hand warmers throughout the whole shoot to keep everyone warm.” Another problem was when one of the actors couldn’t make it to set because his license was suspended, and no one could pick him up or get him there in time. “I had to rewrite the script on the spot, but luckily it came out better than what I had originally written,” David says. This really helped him to see how he would handle a difficult situation under pressure and luckily everything worked out. “I can use this experience as an example if any other obstacles come up in the future.” David says financing his film did not take too long. He’s had a summer job caddying at a golf course since he was 12 years-old, so he had money saved up. He is thankful to have his parents who are so supportive and helped him throughout everything. He also had a collection of Air Jordan sneakers that he completely got rid of to fund the rest. “I’d say that was a growing up moment for me because I had collected sneakers for a long time and when I got rid of all of them,” David says. “I didn’t even hesitate because my film meant way more to me than some sneakers.” There are so many people David says he would not have been able to make this film without. He mentioned producers Desmond Jackson and Alexis Sansone who helped throughout pre-production and assembled the crew. Everyone on the crew played a key role in making HUNGRY. Rob Agulo was the cinematographer. Luna Cruor was the 1st AC. Sarah Wach was the sound mixer and assistant editor. David says there are so many more people whom he can thank. David will soon be shooting a music video for the comedy/rap song he performs during the credits to HUNGRY. He will also be shooting his first dramatic short film called BLINDED. In August 2016 he will be shooting another comedy short called WEEKEND WARRIORS, which he actually developed when he was 12 years-old. “It will be an amazing feeling to film something I have had as an idea for the past 11 years.” David’s words of encouragement, “If I could tell anyone else who wants to be a filmmaker it would be to not listen to people that will put you down. I had certain people I looked up to tell me I didn’t have the skill, talent or experience to pull of acting in and directing my film, but I believed in myself and that is all that matters at the end of the day because it got me to where I am right now.”
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anthonyhobbs
A YOUNG MAN WHOSE FULL GREATNESS IS YET TO COME
ANTHONY HOBBS is ten years-old and started acting when he was four. He describes himself as funny, kind, caring, and brutally honest like his mom. The reason he started filmmaking was because of the White House Film Festival. Writing and making his short film, ONE NATION was so much fun that he wanted to do more. Anthony says his mom, Kerri, and all the people who support him are his biggest influences because they support him and always are there to cheer him up whenever he feels sad. As of late, he has no reason to be sad. He is the very first winner of the Best Young Adult Film at the Ocktober Film Festival. Anthony says Steven Spielberg, Hill Harper, and any actor who makes their own films and stars in them are people in the business who he really respects. He admires these people because they are who he wants to be - a director and an actor. Anthony says Hill Harper has supported him in his work and wants him to go on and make his dreams come true and be like those people: actors and directors. We are so impressed with this young man! He is a joy to be around. We hope his words prove that no matter how young a creative soul is, greatness can always be accomplished. UCAN! You were motivated to make a film while most people your age are happy just with going to school and hanging out with
their friends. What made you want to be a filmmaker?
ANTHONY The moment when I had my first job for the PBS Sprout Network. It was so much fun and at that very moment I
thought, I want to keep doing this, this was fun. This is what I want to do with my life. UCAN! What gave you the idea to write and direct ONE NATION?
ANTHONY I heard about the White House Film Festival and I heard the rule that it had to be about giving back, so when I heard
the words “give back� I thought of the army. So when I got to school I jotted down a quick idea of some kids that sneak into the houses of people going to pick up their army families, so that they come home to surprise. I worked on everything, had auditions, gave out parts, and made the film. That is how I made my award winning film. U CAN! M
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UCAN! How did you get the money to make
ONE NATION? Did you get any contributions that were very meaningful to you? ANTHONY I financed my film by using
some of the money I’ve made from acting and some of my mom’s money. I guess it wasn’t really meaningful because we only used our money. UCAN! We know most productions can
have snags. What was the biggest snag with ONE NATION?
ANTHONY Editing. That was the hardest
because it took the longest and it took the most work. We had a lot of shots and a lot of times we had to pick the best shots when a lot of them were good. It takes a lot of patience, and as a kid I don’t have a lot of patience. But I guess we picked the good shots and the best scenes because now it’s an award winning film! Another thing was that I realized and learned in the middle of filming [was] that hiring your friends isn’t always the best idea. They may be your friends, but they may not be the best actors; or they may be good, but not professional so they don’t stay focused long enough for you to do a scene or get a shot. I overcame it by pulling through and getting them to stay focused. It helped to make me strong as a filmmaker and as a person because I lived, and I learned. UCAN! Who are the people you wish to acknowledge on your
production team? How did these people help you finish your film? ANTHONY I would like to acknowledge Kayla Johnson, Thomas
Johnson, Kaylee Ofstead, Amanda Trinh, Noah Thomas, and Zachary Hammond. I acknowledge them because without them we wouldn’t have been able to finish the film because they were the main characters in the film. I also thank Zachary for being my Production Assistant. UCAN! We know you’re going to make more films! Tell us what you
have coming up.
ANTHONY My next film coming up is called NAGA PIXIE. It is about
a pixie who nags everyone. I am told that I am not allowed to share details about it. Right now I am fundraising to make the film. My fundraiser is going really good. You can also check out my website at www.anthony-michael.com UCAN! What would you want audience members to feel from
watching your film?
ANTHONY I want them to feel like giving back is important, it’s
good, and when you do it there’s this warm feeling inside of you. You beam with happiness and there’s something inside of you that tells you that you did the right thing. It makes the person you gave back to happy which makes you happy. Wouldn’t it make you happy for being a part of someone else’s happiness?
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juancarlos rodriguez PROFESSIONALLY GIFTED
JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ is a Puerto Rican-Dominican filmmaker from New York City. His accomplishments in film and in business can easily make other Latinos proud. He is an award winning filmmaker whose first feature film, TRACKED, won Best Feature Film at the Ocktober Film Festival. The film was a very professionally produced project that takes on compelling subject matter which Juan got to experience firsthand. It was, and is, important to Juan to create material that is true to the urban experience. TRACKED is based on true events that occur over a three year period of Juan’s life. Shot on location in NYC’s Washington Heights, TRACKED takes us into the harsh world of a federal investigation of Mimi, a young Dominican woman who gets caught up in drugs, big money and double-dealing. Federal agents soon take notice of Mimi and her entourage of female drug runners. The women are soon under federal investigation. Juan remembers his first day on the job as a wiretap interpreter. He was sitting with a coworker and was quite shocked at what the field of wiretap surveillance entailed. He remembers actually saying to his coworker what a great film it would all make. Three years later, Juan is no longer in that line of work. Now he is full of experiences and stories to share. Those experiences and stories, along with Juan’s formal training as an actor, seemed a natural path into the world of filmmaking. “I’d like to think that my teachers have been all of the works by Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino. I literally have studied their work, frame by frame. I am fascinated by the way they tell stories,” Juan says. U CAN! M
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The summer before filming TRACKED, Juan and his good friend would sit with a projector, watching and studying films for hours and sometimes days - at a time. One of the more memorable movies was Quentin Tarantino’s KILL BILL. “That is a piece of art,” Juan says thinking back. “Not just in the cinematography, but the amount of work and resources that took to create that piece of art!” A lot of enthusiasm here. “I want to create pieces of art that stay with the audience member.” TRACKED and its production was a fairly smooth course, even with a large cast of thirty-five actors and more than eighty scenes to shoot. Juan credits the actors’ solid performances and professionalism, along with his very dedicated crew. He knows how important it is to treat his people with respect. That professionalism was important to establish since making the day’s shot list often had team members working together for up to eighteen hours a day. “I run a very professional company,” Juan tells us. “Having been an actor in NYC, I know firsthand that you need to take care of your people so they can do the work.” That caring came with very high expectations. “My production team and I set a standard of professionalism and excellence from day one, in all areas: cast, crew, contacts, locations, supporters…” Juan’s company, JUANKI Productions LLC is working hard on their next two projects, a short: 15 MINUTES OF BLISS and a feature: HOOD ROSES. Both projects are scheduled to shoot Spring/Summer of next year. “We are beyond excited about these two projects because they will challenge us as a company. We want to take the work further at all levels.” Juan’s words of encouragement, “If you have a vision, make it happen. Put it out to the universe and work as hard as you can everyday to accomplish your vision. No matter how many NOs you get, keep on pressing, and make it happen.” With this kind of passion and professionalism, Juan Carlos Rodriguez is destined for a long and stable career as a filmmaker. We’re excited to see what he and JUANKI create next!
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TURNING PERSONAL PAIN INTO AN AUDIENCE FAVORITE
tonylindsay TONY LINDSAY’s award winning feature film, WHERE HEARTS LIE, is a project that comes straight from his heart. He is a single father, and also an entrepreneur. His first love is music, and it still has a strong influence in his life. Tony regularly writes poetry and songs, but writing a screenplay was always in the back of his mind. He was actually in the process of writing a novel based on his own life when a friend of his convinced him to adapt it to film. And being that he’s a movie buff and an overall lover of all arts of expression, he decided to give it a try. His biggest influences are his own real life experiences. Tony believes the best way to reach his audience is by creating content they can personally relate to, so he centers his creative process around all the things that appeal to our true selves, our emotions, and our humanity. He believes these are the areas in which we all find common ground. “I have always felt that my life has served a specific purpose,” Tony begins. “Being the son of a pastor, I have always been in a message driven environment, where I learned many life lessons growing up.” Those lessons not only taught Tony about himself, but they also saved his life. Since becoming a father, he began to experience life from a very different outlook than he did before. “I learned the true meaning of love, but also gained a very real and unique understanding of conflict and struggle.” He felt that his experiences could somehow serve as encouragement to other men (and women) out there who may feel that they don’t have a voice in their familial relationships. Tony remembers waking up from a horrible nightmare in which he dreamed that his son, Jordon was taken away by the court system. As a single parent, he is no stranger to the family court system. To say that he has had bad experiences there would be an understatement. “But I remember sitting up in my bed with tears running down my face, and saying to myself, ‘I can’t let this happen to anybody else.’ I grabbed my iPad, started writing, and didn’t get out of that bed until my dream, that I vividly remembered every detail of, was completely written,” Tony tells us. U CAN! M
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And on that day the synopsis for his award winning film, WHERE HEARTS LIE, was written. The biggest struggle for Tony during the shooting of his film was keeping up with the schedule. But that was mainly because he and his team were working with a very specific budget and a limited amount of time. Everyone really had to hustle. Being an entrepreneur, Tony is no stranger to having to hustle, but when dealing with a full crew and so many other moving parts, he really had to be on the ball and make sure his team was completely in sync. “Otherwise you will find yourself overshooting your mark every time. But in spite of the occasional hiccups, we managed to pull it off splendidly,” Tony says proudly. Tony financed his feature film completely on his own. That is a rare and admirable accomplishment. He believes that if you truly believe in yourself and your product, investing in it should not be an issue. “Whether it is financially, or otherwise, you have to be willing to contribute a considerable amount of yourself to your dream. Otherwise, why should anyone else?” Tony thanks his entire staff and gives special thanks to his Co-producer, Tanya Thompson, who also played the role of Judge Stone in the film. She also played an integral part in the casting of the celebrity talent for the project. She has been diligent in the postproduction process, along with Producer, Peter Iengo, in ensuring that they had the best possible product for release. Tony says Assistant Director, Melissa Watson is, by far, the hardest working human he has ever met. Veteran actor Clifton Powell, who also stars in the film, was always helpful and ready to go beyond what was required of him to get the job done. That work ethic really resonated with Tony, especially appealing to his strong business sense. Actress Taral Hicks always carried herself with such dignity and class. She was consistently professional and business-minded while on set. As a profession, she takes her craft very seriously, and was easy to direct. Any director greatly appreciates working with actors of that nature. On the flip side, there were many people who didn’t believe in Tony and what he was doing. In some cases, they even tried to derail and obstruct his creative efforts. Rather than allow it to hinder his progress, Tony used it as motivation to do better and to work even harder. It is extremely important to Tony to pay it forward. He is dedicated to doing whatever is necessary to create a better world for the children who are coming up in it. He feels as a society, we have become either too indifferent, or lazy, as it pertains to doing the things necessary to create a better world for our children. He is dedicated to doing that. Besides his artist endeavors, Tony also advocates for prison and judicial reform. It is his hope to see more people in the African American community become proactive about fighting for equal and fair treatment here in the US. His mother would constantly say, “You have to bend the tree while it’s young,” and Tony firmly believes that. The sequel to WHERE HEARTS LIE is already in the works. Tony is also working on two other feature films. Preproduction will start this coming spring. “Never allow anyone to talk you out of pursuing your dream. No one else defines you. You are defined by your choices...so choose wisely,” Tony says to encourage up and comers. He walks the walk by being a living example. http://whereheartsliemovie.com https://youtu.be/6n1cztKOX_0 https://youtu.be/dHqceuBJFS4 Tony Lindsay President/CEO Kingsmen Films LLC. (917) 407-8581 Y E A R
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The Ocktober Film Festival stayed true to its stellar reputation and delivered a memorable experience for all who attended. Hosted for the second consecutive year at the Poet’s Den Gallery and Theater in East Harlem, this year’s events featured a wide range of films representing an assortment of locations and cultures. Artists and content creators got to meet and network with some Who’s Who in show business including actors Hill Harper, Clifton Powell and Sean Nelson. Celebrity fashion designer Marco Hall was also in attendance to accept the many compliments for his show stopper creations, the dresses worn by OFF founder Emelyn Stuart.
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This year’s festival maintained its tradition of conducting informative workshops and panel discussions. The Actors Contest, with its original scenes was a treat to watch. Hill Harper was gracious in his acceptance of the Ocktober Film Festival Entertainment Business Achievement Award. Festival Founder Emelyn Stuart and Director Carl Gilbert continue to do their good work with help from The Mason Firm, DPTV, Keri’s Korner, Dre’s House Radio, the inaxxs group, VProud.tv, UFront Media Remapped, Red Bull, Silicon Harlem, and of course UCAN! Magazine. We look forward to our partnership with OFF for next year’s event.
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ONE WOMAN, MANY FACES, ONE CREATOR, MANY TALENTS! Congratulations to Squeaky Moore who impressed the distinguished panel of judges to win the Ocktober Film Festival Actors Contest. We got to sit down with her to hear what she has to say. UCAN! Tell us about yourself and what inspires you as an artist. SQUEAKY My career has been in a huge transition over the last 15 years. I started out acting at age 11. Then followed with producing and directing and mounting stage plays in Chicago in 2000-2003. I later moved to NY to pursue acting. I’d decided to focus only on acting. But very soon after I began a friend asked me if I would produce her short film. I’m not sure why, I don’t believe at that time in our friendship she knew I had produced and directed stage plays. I truly think it was a God thing and that He was calling me towards my higher calling and into my purpose; producing film. After producing a couple of projects, I knew in my heart that I eventually wanted to continue with writing and directing. I truly love acting, but I am completely fulfilled when I am creating. I believe I was born to be a content creator and that everything else, acting, directing and producing would naturally just come with the territory. Over the past two years, I have been focusing heavily on creating content, and writing. I feel at home now. UCAN! Do you remember that moment that finally convinced you were an artist? SQUEAKY A man by the name of Mr. Moore, came into my life at age 11. He saw something in me, that ultimately saved my life from possibly going in the wrong direction. He kept me off the streets by training me to speak dramatically, I started competing in my district and winning, then region, statewide and nationally! He later helped me to get into a school for the arts and that was it! I knew I was an artist from this point on. I performed everywhere...hallways, street corners, classrooms, living rooms, churches, everywhere. I received both of my degrees in Theater…BFA and MFA. Acting was in my DNA. I have always been a storyteller. It’s just transitioned is all. But, I find solace in performing. It’s magical, when I do it right. By right I mean, being true to the moment. UCAN! Tell readers about how you prepared for your award-winning performance during the Actors Contest – or any role you’re about to play.
SQUEAKY I always begin creating with prayer. I’ve found my best performances are when I am living in an anointing. So, if you
don’t know, I do acting coaching as well as all of these other things. I was honestly scared to compete, because I hadn’t acted in a while and people (included some of the people I’ve coached) started reaching out on social media to wish me luck on the upcoming competition. A few people had said, “Girl, I know you got this!” It totally threw me because I noticed people had faith in me; in my talent! It was an eye opener for me. I found myself not wanting to let them down. I also made a promise to start seeing and believing in me the way others saw and believed in me. After my prayer I set out to dig into the work. My first goal was to understand the relationships better; on a deeper level. I began to journal about the relationship all that wasn’t in the script. I kept asking myself, “but why.” Why does she say this, why does she do that, but why but why. I had come to a place I couldn’t answer why any more about my character or the person with whom she was talking to. Then, I personalized the words. The syntax of the writing was much different from my own, so I did what I call “highlighting” the conversation. I spoke and said the responses the way I would say them, I reacted the way, I Squeaky would act in real life. The situations became very personal to me. I used all of my training; from schools to personal coaches. I literally brought out the books! Lol. I told you I was scared! I needed all the help I could get. I had my husband reading lines and my 5 year-old son. I used them to live in the moment. I knew they would give different readings…lol, but I responded to what they gave. Lol. It helped me to be flexible and live in the moment. Once we were paired up with partners, I asked if we could create a moment before. I knew if I could create a moment before and/or tag the scene with something unique…it would separate us from the others. For our scene…it allowed us to create the environment and the relationship without saying a word. I think that was what helped me to win in the end! UCAN! Who are the people you wish to acknowledge in your sup-
port team, and what did having them mean to the evolution of your actor?
SQUEAKY Oh God, I have one hell of a support system! My hus-
band is from the high heavens! God gave him to me. He is such a sweet support. He is my biggest fan! Then, my little son! I love that he totally knows what I do, and he gets it. He understands me and my goals. It’s the cutest and best way he could ever support me! Then, I have a few friends who are a part of my mastermind group. We call ourselves the “Women of Power.” They are supportive, motivation, inspiring…they are my prayer warriors. God sent them to me and I know I am blessed to have them. They’ve been a part of my growth over the last 2-3 years. They are there for me to bounce all my ideas off of. They push me past mediocrity. I wish I could bottle them up and spread them out as gifts at Christmas! Lol. But seriously. UCAN! What exciting projects do you have coming up. SQUEAKY I’m currently in post for a talk show that I am directing
producing called THE POSITIVE CONTROVERSY with Kristen Pope. It’s airing on Focus Broadcast Networks beginning in February. (You can go to the site to get more info on the show and see episodes from last season.) I was also hired to write (and act in) a girl comedy with some other amazingly talented women and male director. A group of comedians! It’s so great. I am not at liberty to say right now, but I do believe we will premiere in January before pitching. Lastly, I’m currently pitching a few TV shows that I have spent the last two years creating. I’m believing that my work is elevated and on a major network next year. I’m letting God handle the details on that!
UCAN! You know UCAN! Magazine is all about inspiring and encouraging. What can you say to inspire and encourage those who
want to act?
SQUEAKY I’ll share what I’m pondering on today. I’d really been struggling with my belief system. I realized that I was lacking in
the faith area. My faith was questionable! I recently went on a journey to grow in faith which meant that I needed to go back and understand God and His promises better. Boy has it been a journey and I’m only a few weeks in! But my latest discovery is this, “When God gives a vision, He always makes provision.” Those words came from Mark Batterson who wrote the book, Draw the Circle. Gosh, this took so much pressure off of me. I realized, that I was never supposed to make my big ideas come to fuition on my own! God had given me these desires and aligned my purpose with His will, so I didn’t have to have all the answers. I just had to take the steps. One step at a time. NEW SITE!! www.squeakymoore.com FACE OF DARKNESS website: www.faceofdarknessdocumentary.com The Positive Controvery - http://kristenlpope.com/category/positive-controversy/
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UCAN! EDITOR-IN-CHIEF STAR DAVIS WITH ACTOR HARRY J. LENNOX
The UCAN! team was a part of something special when we got to attend the New York premiere of CHI-RAQ at the famed Ziegfeld theater. Directed by prolific filmmaker Spike Lee, CHI-RAQ is a loose adaptation of the ancient Greek drama “Lysistrata.” In lieu of an after party, Spike along with the Reverend Al Sharpton and Nick Cannon, Harry J. Lennox and Chicago’s own Father Michael Pfleger lead a march of hundreds through Midtown Manhattan to protest gun violence. It was also the 60th Anniversary of the day Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus which added more fuel to the rising Civil Rights Movement. https://www.facebook.com/chiraqthemovie
http://abc7chicago.com/news/spike-lee-chi-raq-stars-to-answer-questions-about-film/1095912/
PHOTOGRAPHY: RONNIE WRIGHT
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