The Madlab Post has joined artists and organizations from coast to coast for Artists Sunday, the world’s largest art event dedicated to encouraging the public to buy something special, unique and handcrafted this holiday season – from paintings, sculptures, and pottery to multimedia works, textiles, music, photography and more.
Artists Sunday is bringing 500 communities around the country together for the fourth time in a movement to recognize the importance of art in our lives and its impact on the local economy.
“It’s a day to fill our lives with beauty, creativity, and joy,” says Christopher V. Sherman, an aerial photographer, videographer and entrepreneur who loves experimenting with cameras and digital software tools.
What We're Doing This Holiday Season
There's a lot going on...to start, on Sundays I will be introducing you to several indie film directors, writers and producers who you can support by renting, streaming or buying their films and other merchandise. You can also support many of them by attending the festivals where their films are screening.
Documentaries to Watch this Weekend...
See extra footage from the documentary Reinventing Freedom directed by Robert J Moore and Eleftherios Koutinas when you rent it to stream from a computer, TV, or mobile device! Reinventing Freedom tells the incredible journey of resilience, redemption, and triumph from homelessness and years behind bars to global recognition.
Interdisciplinary Artist Anitra Nelson directed, wrote, produced, narrated, and did photography seen in her documentary film Beyond Money: Yenomon -- lively thought experiment of a postcapitalist world without money — a world satisfying everyone’s basic needs, living within Earth’s limits and offering power to people. The documentary is based on a chapter of Nelson’s book Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy, drawing on activists engaged in a fight for a money-free society.
In her book, Nelson aims to deepen our understanding of how money is the driver of political power, environmental destruction and social inequality today, arguing that it has to be abolished rather than repurposed to achieve a postcapitalist future. Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy is available as a Paperback and Ebook.
Historical & Romantic Drama Movies to Watch this Weekend...
Listen to the Soundtrack of the The Astronot by Pennan BraeA reclusive wishful astronaut strives to overcome his fear of loss during the space race of the 1960s in The Astronot by screenwriter, actor, co-producer & music composer Pennan Brae and Co-Producer/Director Tim Cash. This historical drama film is available to stream on Amazon Prime in the U.S. and UK.
A singer-songwriter named Sarah Jane moves to London to make it in the music industry, where an industry executive named Russel D leads her down a path that is difficult for her to return from in Purple Beatz written and directed by Lola Atkins. Set in the underground drum and bass scene of 90's London, this coming-of-age romantic drama is available to stream on Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Apple TV, Google Movies and YouTube.
Comedy Movies to Watch this Weekend...
When a gym bag goes missing, the lives of a ride share driver and a slap fighter intertwine in the comedy Slapped Straight by David Anderson & Raynel Almonte of Luminary Figures Group. You can directly support the artists who created this project by renting the film for 48 hours, or buying it for unlimited streaming. You can also get your very own Slapped Straight gym bag and SFC (Smack Fighting Championship) T-Shirt to match your movie night viewing of this story about a man who gave up on life until he gets slapped into a new perspective by a fighter named Hothands who gives him the courage to face his fears.
Science Fiction Movies to Watch this Weekend
The Art-house Sci-Fi Drama Foreclosure by Maki recently made its VOD debut and is now available for rent on Gumroad, where you can watch this movie about alien colonization, the desire to live forever and a global Armageddon. Foreclosure re-imagines footage from a 1960s post-apocalyptic Italian horror film based on Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel, I Am Legend.
Horror Movies to Watch this Weekend...
NOW AVAILABLE on Amazon: Stream the horror film Many Keys - The Heartbreak Monologue by Mike Messier, for Artists SundayHeartbreak welcomes her new friends to "this odd reality" in the horror film, Many Keys - The Heartbreak Monologue by producer, writer and director Mike Messier.
The film features a monologue extracted from Messier ‘s novel/feature film screenplay, A Distance from Avalon - When the Dying and the Dead Reunite.
Many Keys - The Heartbreak Monologue is available on Amazon.
The Madlab Post will be highlighting and promoting the giving of art-focused items and experiences for the holidays.
“Every artist that you invest in, whether it's buying something to hang on your wall, or something for your kitchen, or something that you wear, or jewelry, that's going back into the local economy,” says Sherman.
Another way you can support Artists Sunday is by making a holiday wish-list and encouraging your loved ones to gift you items from local artists and makers. Then send your list to your friends and family. Be sure to include your favorite movies from the list above and upcoming spotlights here on The Madlab Post!
What fills your life with beauty, creativity, and joy?
Which of these films would you like to watch first?