10 minute read
Arts
Women’s film festival plans return in 2022
SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF
The 2022 Worldwide Women’s Film Festival is back, and filmmaker submissions are now open.
The festival will be held next Feb. 1820 at the Harkins Shea 14 Theatres, 7354 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale.
Early bird registration is now open on Film Freeway at filmfreeway.com/WorldwideWomensFilmFestival through Sept. 3, with regular registration ending Oct. 1, and late registration ending Nov. 1.
Like many other events, the 2020-21 event was canceled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. But during the past year, event founder Kim A. Huenecke has been working hard to make several changes in the festival.
For instance, the Worldwide Women’s Film Festival is officially a federally certified nonprofit – a status that Huenecke predicts will help tremendously.
“We hope to secure grants and other charitable donations that will be helpful in putting together a festival of this size,” Huenecke explained. “It was so hard to have to cancel the last festival, but we are thrilled to be back supporting women in film.”
The new board of directors includes Huenecke as president; Keenan Murray, vice president; Toy Taylor, secretary; Joy Bazanis, graphic designer; and Elaine “E.E.” Moe, board member-at-large.
The festival also has a new website and slogan, “We have become the future,” which can be found at the new url at wwfilmfestival.org.
Now in its fourth year, the festival shows films with a woman in at least one key creative role of writer, producer, director, cinematographer, editor and composer, including for best feature, short, documentary feature, cinematography, visual effects, original music score, sci-fi and web series.
However, WWFF goes beyond showcasing women in front of and behind the camera. WWFF strives for inclusiveness and diversity and balance of gender, race, film positions and more.
Films under 60 minutes are considered shorts, with films longer than 60 minutes are considered feature length. All genres, narrative and documentary, will be accepted.
Film buffs who want to help in a variety of capacities are sought as volunteers as well as sponsors for the film festival.
The festival needs ushers, ticket takers, film programming, registration, poster distribution, help with after-party set up and tear down and a host of other tasks.
Contact Volunteer Coordinators Jennifer Younghans and January Queen at Sungateagency@gmail.com or JanuaryQueen@gmail.com.
Sponsor packages are available for $50 to $1,000, for awards, workshops, breakfast panel, in-kind donations and more. Visit www.wwfilmfestival.org/ sponsors for details.
For more information and updates, visit the festival’s website at www. wwfilmfestival.org, email worldwidewomensfilmfestival@gmail.com or direct message Festival organizations via Facebook at Worldwide Women’s Film Festival.
Worldwide Women’s Film Festival festival volunteers include, from left: Sandy Kim, Michelle Allen, Cassandra Nicholson, fest President Kim A. Huenecke and festival co-founder Eva Louis. (Special to STSN)
Sun Lakes author publishes new novel
SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF
Sun Lakes author Sandra Givens says she’s incorporated some contemporary issues into her latest novel, “Love at the Ranch.”
That book comes after last year’s publication of two novels that she published within eight months of each other – “Second Chances” and “Maui Christmas.”
“Love at the Ranch is a sequel to her 2018 novel, “Running Horse Ranch” and Givens devotes part of her book to exploring domestic violence and the possible extinction facing the world’s bee population.
Although Givens had noted last year that “readers keep asking me for more about the characters,” she hadn’t planned on writing a sequel but eventually decided to feed their curiosity about her characters.
“Love” follows the blossoming romance between characters Cassandra Markham and Jake “Running Horse” Kelly. When they first met, Cassandra was married to a tyrant. Following his death, the two re-connect but Givens poses Sacramento and is a recipient of the prestigious International Association of Business Communicators Award of Excellence.
Her short story, “Life with Auntie,” was published in 2013. Givens is a member of Romance Writers of America.
She travels extensively but noted that the pandemic for a while put an end to that.
So she began writing more.
Now that she can travel again, Givens hasn’t put writing totally aside and is giving her next novel a lot of thought.
“ I’ve always got stories in my head and have been toying with the idea of what happens on a flight to Paris,” she said, adding that while she is “still noodling it around, after all, who doesn’t love Paris?”
Givens published “Second Chances,” late last fall. That novel looks at a young widow who decides it is time to move on with her life. To rediscover who she is without her husband, she sets out on an adventure alone, never knowing what obstacles await her.
The novel creates some romantic suspense as the reader begins to wonder if secrets from her past destroy her chance at future happiness.
Givens said she enjoys writing as “a good way for me to escape the ugliness of what has happened in this country. I can put the news aside and go off in a fantasy land.”
And her endings won’t disappoint readers.
“I guess I’m a hopeful romantic – always wanting a happy ending,” she said. “Who doesn’t love being in love? And being loved?”
All Givens’ works are available on amazon.com.
Sandra Givens
– Sandra Givens
Chandler Museum slates programs, exhibits
SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF
Chandler Museum, 300 S. Chandler Village Drive, Chandler is offering a variety of free programs this month. The museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Mondays. Information: 480-7822717 or chandlermuseum.org.Exhibits
On March 22, 1967, at Madison Square Garden, New York City, two men face off in the ring for the Heavyweight Championship of the World – Muhammad Ali and the challenger from Chandler, Zora Folley.
“Bigger than Boxing” features the stories of these two boxers, the circumstances that weighed heavy on each man, and the fight that was a turning point in both of their careers.
Black and white in black and white: Images of dignity, hope, and diversity in America. Through Oct. 17.
At the turn of the 20th century, many African Americans across the country embraced the “New Negro Movement,” which set the stage for the Harlem Renaissance. No one better captured the essence of this time of advancement than African American photographer John Johnson. This exhibition includes thirty-one large-scale black and white photographs captured by Johnson from 1910 to 1925.
Programming Museum in a Box
Dive into culture, history, and art at home with a themed activity box. Each Chandler Museum in a Box includes instructions and supplies for three-five activities. Museum in a Box is available for sale in the Museum Store.
Family Edition Build It! Frank Lloyd Wright in Chandler
Explore architecture with a Frank Lloyd Wright themed activity box. Design a city, test your building skills with edible construction supplies, and review shapes hidden within authentic Wright drawings. This Chandler Museum in a Box contains all needed supplies for three activities, stories about Wright’s time in Chandler, and the book Who Was Frank Lloyd Wright from the popular Who Was? series. $18, Great for ages 7-10, includes enough supplies for two users. While supplies last!
Date Night Edition Sweat and Spar: Boxing Fun for Two
Ready for a date night that packs a punch? Don’t worry about your fitness level, grab your partner and step in the ring. Round 1: Duke it out with your partner in a series of jump rope challenges. Round 2: Find out who can talk the talk. Round 3: Weigh in on issues that matter with conversation cards centered on the exhibition Bigger than Boxing: Zora Folley and the 1967 Heavyweight Title. Round 4: Take a breather by expressing your artistic side, boxing style. This box also includes movie suggestions, drink recipes, and a sweet treat. $24, Designed for adults.
Chandler’s Zora Folley was beloved by his family and the community, as the exhibit at Chandler Museum
shows. (Special to STSN) Got t ot Got Go G News? ? s? ws?ews News New Ne N Got G t o Got News? Contact Paul Maryniak atC P lM ikontactPaulMaryniakt Paul Maryniak atyContact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 480 8985647 or pmaryniak@timespublications.com ik@i bli i orpmaryniak@timespublications comor pmaryniak@timespublications.com p y p480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@timespublications.com
Gilbert pop punk singer releases new title
BY ASHLYN ROBINETTE
Staff Writer
A Gilbert pop punk artist has released his latest single. “What’s the Issue” is the title of the new hit by rising singer-songwriter Benjamin Sanchez, otherwise known by his stage name “imfalls.”
The 18-year-old started making music in his sister’s garage roughly four years ago and now has a rapidly growing fanbase. He already has drawn about 500,000 Spotify streams, 250,000 SoundCloud streams and 50,000 YouTube views.
“As a kid with a dream and a borrowed computer and a little $45 microphone that barely worked, I made do with what I had and slowly tried to build a name for myself,” Falls said.
Falls is originally from a Wisconsin small town called Menomonee Falls, from which he picked his stage name.
He recently graduated from Highland High School and signed with a forward-thinking startup label in Los Angeles called Wayward Son Music, which caters to young listeners’ experiences instead of old-school genre classifi cations.
Falls is currently focusing on his music career, transitioning from melodic rap to pop and pop punk. He says his songs are directly inspired by personal hardships and heartbreak and are designed for anyone to relate to. His musical realism is inspired by Mac Miller and has pop infl uences from 24kGoldn and Iann Dior.
“My music is the type of music that you just hear and you feel like you’re not alone,” Falls said. “If you have a struggle, my music is there to comfort you through it. I make everything a complete real story. I don’t make up any lies. I just want to keep it as real as possible so that
you feel good and know you’re not alone through any struggles you’re having.” Connecting with others is important to Falls. He said his music is the only thing that truly allows him to express himself. He hopes that his emo singles resonate with audiences and help them feel like they’re a part of something.
“What’s the Issue” is a sequel to his most popular song “What’s the Point.”
Both songs were a product of his last relationship and reveals the toxicity that can result from a messy breakup.
“I had a girlfriend and things didn’t really go so great so I made the song ‘What’s the Point’ for closure, but that just created more problems for us and
caused drama between everyone I know locally so I made ‘What’s the Issue’ to fi nalize everything that has been said in the past,” Falls said. “Now, I’m over it and ready to share how I really feel. It’s my moment and it’s time I stop giving her all the time in my head.”
Falls said his newest single serves as the fi nal closure for his breakup and believes that listeners who have ever been in love will be able to relate to his lyrics.
With around 10 to 15 additional songs fi nalized and ready to be released, Falls promised, “A lot of pop punk is coming.”
‘What’s the Issue’ is available on all streaming platforms.
– Benjamin Sanchez “imfalls”
Benjamin Sanchez of Gilbert, whose stage name is imfalls, has released a new record. (Special to STSN)
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