Thursday, July 9, 2020

Atlantic City Cinefest announces a unique and exciting new virtual film contest


 Atlantic City Cinefest announces a unique and exciting new virtual film contest: TrailerFest

Requirements: Submit a Trailer for your film. Your film does NOT have to be completed.

Time Limit: 2-3 Minutes Maximum
Genre: All genres and hybrid genres are welcome
Categories: 3 (Shorts, Features, and Documentaries)
Regular Deadline: August 1
Cost to enter: $15/$10 for students
Late Deadline: September 15
Cost to enter: $20/$10 for students
Semi-finalists announced: September 30
Finalists announced: October 15
Winners announced: October 31



Procedure:
Submit your Trailer via Film Freeway by sending a secure link to your trailer. https://filmfreeway.com/DownbeachFilmFestivalAtlanticCityCinefest

Include a short SYNOPSIS of your film and the CATEGORY along with the entry.

Semi-finalists will have their trailers up loaded to the ACC YouTube Channel  and screened at the 2021 Atlantic City Cinefest

Finalists will be awarded Laurels, a Certificate, and a Screening of their completed film, if available, at the 2021 ACC Film Festival

Winners will receive Trophies, a Certificate, and a screening of their completed film if available at the 2021 ACC Film Festival


Follow TrailerFest on
ACC's website:  https://filmfreeway.com/DownbeachFilmFestivalAtlanticCityCinefest
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/accinefest/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/atlanticcitycinefest2019/

Sunday, June 7, 2020

Actor, Model & Singer/Songwriter Benjamin Hey! releases pandemic pop anthem..."Corona Crazy"

BENJAMIN HEY!

RELEASES NEW SINGLE…."CORONA CRAZY"

Entertainer Benjamin Hey! has just released his latest single Corona Crazy on #newmusicmonday.


Inspired by his frustration with Covid19, Corona Crazy is an '80 inspired pop song that gives a description to feelings of emotional instability.

Corona Crazy is available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon, Deezer and most music platforms internationally.

Benjamin Hey! is an actor/singer/songwriter/model based in New York City. His passion for music took him to Los Angeles where he followed long time collaborator and well known L.A. based producer Jonny On The Rocks (JOTR), who has worked with Prince and LL Cool J. He also co-produced Corona Crazy.

https://youtu.be/8tu5-LYON7w



In 2018, Benjamin Hey! also had the honor of collaborating with Hollywood darling, Laverne Cox on her music debut, the Billboard Clubplay smash "Beat For The Gods"
He also got to co-star in Marvel's The Punisher episode Kandahar.

2019 had Benjamin emerge as a "bro-cialite," making rounds of events increasing his visibility and inspiring a new persona called "The Captain." One could catch Benjamin out and about in his signature airplane captain hat…. a look that has been captured on the red carpet by Getty Images & other sources..

2020 started off with a bang as Benjamin released a music video filmed in Paris, titled "Scene Of The Crime." That video led to further exposure and a chance meeting with a model scout. Upon his publicist's urging, Benjamin followed up and made his runway debut for Harlem Fashion Week @ New York Fashion Week 2020. The Captain wound up walking for not one...but three designers (Allan Virgo, Twisted World & Mario Miguelito)

While his plane is experiencing turbulence like most of the world, The Captain refuses to ground it...... even if he's going "Corona Crazy."

For any info or press inquiries, please contact:
management@benjaminhey.com
www.benjaminhey.com
Social Media: @benheyallday

Friday, June 5, 2020

A Message of Hope through the Pandemic in the Words of MrJonez

MrJonez aka Nathan Jones is one of America's most successful indie artists on the rise. As an established Hip Hop recording artist, producer, and writer, he found his niche in the Midwest growing up in Ohio in a small Midwestern town 45 minutes east of Cincinnati.  He then began to hone his craft traveling to the West Coast and back to the Midwest and East Coast. MrJonez is known as  a socially conscious rapper with emphasis on self-respect as well as respect for women, especially in his lyrical messaging. MrJonez is an established indie artist with affiliations with key affiliated DJs, PDs and music producers throughout the industry and a fan base of music lovers worldwide. MrJonez is now officially launching a national digital campaign in support of his recent album release, #Relationship Status.

#Relationship Status features original tracks written, performed, and produced by MrJonez. Songs on the project release include his notable singles "Love Letta", "Stay with Me", "Play the Fool", "Everyone Else" and "Baby Girl". In addition, MrJonez is also slated to be featured in an exclusive interview on a major U.S. radio station about his successful career as an indie artist slated to take place in 2020.

MrJonez' national digital campaign includes a roll out of digital pop up interviews and social media drops that feed into his brand as a socially conscious rapper and performing artist on a mission to bring his message to the mainstream mindset of millennials and general music lovers. His music is featured and is streaming on Spotify, Google Play, Amazon, iHeartRadio and on Music Choice.

MrJonez is a hip hop recording artist on the rise of national and global recognition as an indie artist committed to real music and authenticity as a writer and music creator. He has worked in studio collaborating with other top artists in the industry. He has been featured in U.S. media on national outlets including Examiner where he has been featured on select pages with news headers including Entertainment Tonight and Ellen Degeneres news.

As a musical artist and songwriter, MrJonez has established  industry recognition as a two-time Grammy Contender. In the fall season of 2019, he became a 2020 Grammy Contender for his hit project releases, "#Relationship Status". In addition, he was featured as a Grammy Contender in the top publication for recognition in music, Billboard Magazine's Grammy Contender issue. He was featured in two issues, one with Lizzo and Lil Nas X.

In addition to #Relationship Status, his other project releases include "Addicted", "Love Letta" and other tracks  distributed globally through Jonezboy Entertainment LLC. "Addicted" represents his socially conscious track to address the subject of addiction in America and the world. According to MrJonez, he shared this about the social message of this record, "The message behind this track is to get people to wake up about addiction and to show that addiction can be anything including music. To raise awareness about this topic. It's a movement. The addicted project came about when I heard that a few people close to me and friends That I grew up with where overdosing on drugs and a few of them came through it and got another chance at life  so to speak."

From performances local to global and costarring in movies featured in multiple media outlets, MrJonez has been on the move across various areas of entertainment as a writer, performer, music producer, indie label executive and now in 2020 as a documentary film maker. He continues to innovate music, television and film with original content with his next project, a documentary film release, to be announced shortly.

"One of my main reasons why I entered into the entertainment industry is because I wanted to organize a real solid platform to share the passion of love for music. Being able to spread a more positive message so our youth can see that you can be a Hip-hop artist or an artist period, and be yourself without following the trend of what others seem to do. I wanted to create a whole new style, trend, lane, swag, and brand. To share with the rest of the world," says MrJonez, Jonezboy Entertainment LLC., Jonez Investors LLC.

MrJonez encourages everyone in America and the world to stay safe, stay healthy and stay blessed during this challenging time as communities worldwide unite to overcome the pandemic effects of Covid 19 in our global society.

For More information, please visit:
MrJonez, #Relationship Status

Instagram.com/Mrjonez33
Twitter.com/Mrjonez33
Snapchat/ mrjonez333

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

New Thrilling Series "SCRAWL" Aiming For You In 2021

Keith Collins, Doug Bollinger, Gervase Peterson, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal
Starring In The New Thriller Series “SCRAWL”


Write What You Know…..
Award-Winning Team To Film In New Jersey

So, what are you afraid of? This is the simple question being asked from the new upcoming series SCRAWL. Well, we can list many things we are afraid of but what about you? 

Lets take a look, SCRAWL tells the story of a struggling writer as he battles his insecurities, mental health, and inner demons as he desperately reaches for success. A stranger presents him with a dangerous opportunity to achieve fame and fortune. He makes a pact that may turn his dreams into realities. But what will this deal do to his nightmares? 

Insecurities, Mental health, Inner demons? Would you be scared? Fame alone would scare us fortune not so much. Making pacts with dreams, deals and nightmares? Reminds us of the classic "Oh God You Devil" with the late George Burns taking deals turning them into dreams with the cost of selling yourself to the devil himself! Yes, no thank you. They say Fear can only be kept hidden away for so long. Eventually, it finds a way to crawl out of the story and into your mind. We say If Scrawl crawls into your mind this could be a must watch. Looking forward to the release in 2021.  


STARRING: Doug Bollinger ("Waltzing Anna"), Keith Collins ("The Evangelist"), Gervase Peterson ("Survivor”), Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (“Asia”, ”Guns N’ Roses”), Sarah Osman (HBO Max's “Love Life”), Ankit Sharma (“Prince of Bollywood”), Christina Dollard (“Fear of My Flesh”) PRODUCED BY, Keith Collins, Doug Bollinger, CINEMATOGRAPHY BY, Cory Green ("The Jersey Devil") WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY, Doug Bollinger. 

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SCRAWLtheseries


THE STORY WILL BE TOLD 2021
#SCRAWLtheseries




Monday, June 1, 2020

Hola Mexico Film Festival proudly presents the first-ever Hola Mexico Virtual Theater

Hola Mexico Film Festival proudly presents the Hola Mexico Virtual Theater online film series starting May 21. The festival, which has been postponed until September 2020, wants to help give viewers a chance to see some of the best films that have come out of Mexico in recent years and serve as a reminder of how much Mexican cinema has grown in the past two decades. The films have been specially curated for this online theater event experience.

Due to the COVID-19 health crisis, organizers of the Hola Mexico Film Festival will practice social distancing by offering this virtual theater experience before the 12th edition of Hola Mexico Film Festival presented in the fall. Viewers will have the opportunity to watch the best in recent Mexican cinema while staying safe at home.

May 21, Los Parecidos – Dir. Isaac Ezban
May 22, El Estudiante – Dir. Roberto Girault
May 23, Revolucion- Directors- Mariana Chenillo, Fernanda Eimbcke Amat Escalante, Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo Garcia, Diego Luna, Gerardo Naranjo, Rodrigo Plá, Carlos Reygadas, Patrica Riggen
May 24, Oso Polar- Dir. Marcelo Tobar
May 28, Los Ojos del Mar- Dir. Jose Alvarez
May 29, Historias Del Desencanto- Dir. Alejandro Valle
May 30, El Cielo Abierto –Dir Everardo Gonzalez
May 31, Tiempos Felices-Dir- Luis Javier H.

More films to be announced soon! With weekly screenings from Thursdays to Sundays.
Each one of the curated films will play for only twenty-four hours, and will include a pre-recorded Q&A session.

The cost to screen each film, is only $4.99 & the proceeds of each "ticket" will be shared with the filmmaker. Support the festival, support the filmmaker!

"We're talking about some of the best films to have come out of Mexico yet were never released in the United States, or if they did screen in the U.S., it was for a limited time, and they are certainly not currently available to view anywhere else," says Samuel Douek, Founder & Director of the Hola Mexico Film Festival.

Tickets are available at:
https://xerb.tv/channel/holamexicoff/virtual-events

The traditional Hola Mexico Film Festival 2020 has not been cancelled, and the festival's organizers hope to help keep viewers safe at home during this time of required social distancing. We'll hopefully see everyone in September. In the meantime, please enjoy the Hola Mexico Virtual Theater!

Founded in 2008, Hola Mexico Film Festival, the largest Mexican Film Festival outside of Mexico, strives to highlight the best and brightest talents in Mexican cinematography. Spanning comedies, dramas, horror films and documentaries, the festival showcases high quality films in a festive atmosphere in conjunction with exclusive parties and outdoor concerts. Celebrating its 12th edition, Hola Mexico Film Festival returns to Los Angeles in September 2020, offering film enthusiasts a chance to screen many beloved Mexican films and interact with the filmmakers and talent through special events. Sponsors include: Cinelatino, Corolla, HBO, Delta Aeromexico, Herradura, and UNAM LA.

Sunday, May 31, 2020

Cannes Film Festival Postponed But Diverse Filmmakers Find Silver Lining

On the day we were to witness the 73rd Festival de Cannes' opening ceremonies, Yolonda Brinkley of Diversity in Cannes, the intiative promoting inclusion at the Cannes Film Festival, announced official selections of the 2020 Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase and its Cannes Conversations, a twelve day virtual series highlighting Festival Alums. With the goal of lifting filmmaker spirits, she hopes the announcement will inspire creativity and encourage the continued pursuit of dreams, amidst global uncertainty.

"As COVID-19 wreaks havoc on millions, causing the postponement of the Festival de Cannes and Diversity Day programming, I was reluctant to announce the Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase official selections. While we battle this global pandemic, I remain uncertain about the timeliness of our news without new date confirmation,"comments Yolonda Brinkley, Diversity in Cannes. "However, despite its appearance, these diverse filmmakers, giving voice to marginalized populations through stories, deserve recognition. I wholeheartedly believe there's power in celebrating in the midst of the storm and am delighted to share this exciting news, as a silver lining for our global film family."

Created to celebrate underrepresented filmmakers at the Cannes Film Festival, the Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase is presented by American Publicist, Yolonda Brinkley, with support from Academy Award Winner Viola Davis and Julius Tennon's JuVee Productions.

Selected by a screening committee of entertainment professionals, from 324 submissions representing 31 countries, the films will be screened at an event concurrent with the 73rd Festival de Cannes, assuming confirmation of future 2020 date. Final winners will be selected onsite by an esteemed jury and announced at an awards reception following the screening. Prizes include mentor meetings with industry executives Elon Johnson, Tyler Perry Studios, CBS Entertainment Diversity's Tiffany Smith Anoa'i and Talent Agents Tracy Christian and Clair Best.

1. "Wash Day" Jaida Salmon, Canada
2. "Welcome Back" Tiffany Guillen, Ecuador/USA
3. "Beads" Rachel Byrd, USA
4. "Fisherman" Zoey Martinson, Ghana
5. "Yellow Girl and Me" Isabella Issa, Jamaica
6. "Down" Rzn Torbey, Switzerland
7. "CODA" Erika Davis-Marsh, USA
8. "The House of LeKeitio" Jasone Urgoitia Urrutia, Spain
9. "Black Boy Joy" Martina Lee, USA
10. "Strangers Reunion" Liz Sargent, United Kingdom
11. "Cupcake" Courtney Grace, USA
12. "Catch A Girl" LeRon Lee, USA
13. "We Meet on the Roof" Nicholas Sun, China
14. "Honeymoon" Amy Aniobi, Mexico/USA
15. "The Mandarin Tree" Cengiz Akaygun, Germany
16. "Freeze" Maya Albanese, USA
17. "Paese Che Vai - When in Rome" Luca Padrini, Italy

Given the fluidity of the global pandemic, the organization's plan is to stay home in hopes of flattening the corona curve and to align with the execution strategy of the Cannes Film Festival, monitoring the crisis and providing updates as appropriate.

In closing, Brinkley adds, "As a woman of faith, I'm believing God for supernatural healing and restoration of our emotional, financial and physical health. I am cautiously optimistic we will safely convene on the Croisette in Cannes in celebration of life and marginalized voices globally. In the interim, on the day we were to witness the 73rd Festival de Cannes' opening ceremonies, I am delighted to announce official selections of the 2020 Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase, with the goal of lifting filmmaker spirits during these unprecedented times.

To learn more about their inclusion efforts at the Festival de Cannes follow on FacebookInstagram and Twitter.

Amazing New Kids' Show Born of COVID - Full of Laughter and Surprising Depth

Despite the tragedy of the novel coronavirus, "shelter in place" has brought some unlikely wonders into the world. Consider Jonmar, father of four and business owner who found himself, like so many others, stuck at home with no clear future.

Jonmar is an accomplished software engineer, artist, and singer/songwriter whose work has been heralded as magical by art critics in LA, described as "Harry Potter-type magic" in Billboard magazine, and featured by both Apple and Rolling Stone Magazine. He was a lead developer/designer on Nike's Innovation Team at their world headquarters until launching his own business creating magical, story-focused AR experiences. But in the wake of COVID, his professional life was up in the air. Still, his heart told him to continue to tell stories worth sharing, but to focus on children who were stuck at home and isolated.

Jonmar decided to start a youtube show that could breathe life, love, and happiness into the hearts of kids everywhere. The show would feature powerful storytelling and captivating music, but the magic really happened when he looked for a story-related domain name.

He found that www.story.dog was available. A lightning bolt of inspiration struck. He'd create a puppy puppet named Story Dog who'd take kids on breathtaking adventures.

Within days he created the Story Dog show, a marvelous mixture of adventure, learning, and laughter, with original songs that fill you with joy, no matter your age. Think Calvin and Hobbes meet Winnie the Pooh.

https://vimeo.com/420849502



https://youtu.be/NE8GIB6W88c



Within weeks he made three episodes and was interviewed on morning television, where reporter Molly Riehl praised Story Dog as a truly impressive show that can entertain all ages.

Watch the interview:
https://youtu.be/7BFTInEHEGE

Kids are saying "I know I'm special. Story Dog told me!"

And parents are saying "This is better than half of the cartoons on Netflix! I absolutely love it! My kids were mesmerized. You got some hearty laughs out of them. Thanks for the great stories!"

What's next for Story Dog? He hopes to make it on Ellen. As inclusive as she is, he notes her show is sadly lacking in the puppy-puppet demographic.

If you're looking for a super positive influence for children, or want some happy magic for yourself, go to www.story.dog and enjoy the show.

And subscribe! It's like subscribing to your own happiness.

https://youtu.be/RufyNa4Girs



https://www.slideshare.net/JohnMarr2/story-dog

Friday, May 29, 2020

Lux/Eon Records' to Release Ronen Landa's "Yinz" Film Score

Ronen Landa's original score to the thriller, Yinz is getting a digital release on May 7, 2020 by Lux/Eon Records. Jeremy Michael Cohen helmed the project, both writing and directing. The film was released by Gravitas Ventures and stars Samuel H. Levine (CBS's Elementary), Hailey Hansard (Universal Pictures' Miami Vice) and Teo Rapp-Olsson (HBO's Crashing). Some of Landa's other credits include Dark Sky Films' recently released 1BRA Rising TideCavemenMad as Hell and IFC Films' The Pact, which originally premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The score consists of 33 tracks and will be available on all major digital sites including iTunes, Spotify, Bandcamp, Amazon and Apple Music.

When discussing the Yinz score Landa says, "Writing the orchestral score for Yinz was a dream come true. When I first read Jeremy's script I knew it would be a special film, and he delivered in droves. The movie is a delicate dance of comedy, drama and suspense, and we had a blast working together to cover all that ground in the music. Hearing it come to life when we recorded was unforgettable; the orchestra was superb and having soloists like Dan Tepfer on piano really elevated the score. Jeremy is a one-of-a-kind writer/director and I can't wait to see what he does next!"

The film's synopsis reads: The aftermath of a prank gone awry tests the bond of three high school best friends as an illicit relationship with an older woman is revealed.

ABOUT RONEN LANDA

Driven by the endless possibility of sound, composer Ronen Landa creates music that is stirring, inventive, and bold. The press has hailed his work as "an astounding auditory journey" (Cinema Without Borders) and a "multi-layered feast for the ears" (Review Graveyard).

Feature films Landa has scored include Nicholas McCarthy's horror hits THE PACT (Sundance) and AT THE DEVIL'S DOOR (SXSW), Ben Hickernell's romantic drama A RISING TIDE (Showtime) and Rob Legato's psychological thriller ELOISE  (Starz).

Documentaries include Andrew Napier's MAD AS HELL (Hot Docs Conscious Media Award Winner), Cambria Matlow and Morgan Robinson's BURNING IN THE SUN (PBS, Cinema for Peace International Green Film Award Winner), Haydar Daffar's landmark Iraq War film THE DREAMS OF SPARROWS (SXSW) and Nadav Kurtz's PARAÃŒSO (NYTimes Op-Doc; Sundance; Tribeca Film Festival Best Short Documentary Award Winner).

Currently, Landa resides in Los Angeles. In addition to his work, he serves as Associates Board Chair for Education Through Music – Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization that ensures children attending inner-city schools can receive a high quality music education.