Urbanworld Film Festival 2024

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Directed by by Frank Sputh, Bin Martha, Kolumbianerin (I'm Martha, Colombian) is a slowcumentary, the nearly three-hour portrait of a young Afro-Colombian woman, a slow, closely observing documentary.

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Fine Art Reproductions - Limited Edition Giclees on Canvas and Limited Edition Prints by World-Renowned Visual Artist and Designer, Synthia SAINT JAMES

 

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Perspectives directed by Neer Shelter has qualfied for the 2024 Academy Awards

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FYC: Academy qualified short film 'Perspectives' directed by Neer Shelter | Oscars Shortlist

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Rent Abyss: The Greated Proposal Ever, a short film made with a diverse cast & crew working together to tell a story about Love, Friendship and PTSD! This urban military homecoming drama is a candid glimpse into the troubles surrounding a U.S. Army Sergeant who gets stranded by SEPTA in the inner city when a wild marriage proposal shakes up his plans to reunite with the only family he knows. 

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Entries in Charity (5)

Monday
May282012

Monday Movie Meme meets Jude Law’s 'Variety Club' on Memorial Day

 

Before actor Jude Law became the go-to man for wisdom during my screenwriting (mis)adventures, he supported charities centered on peace, health and education. Variety Club, a charity that provides medical equipment, transportation and access to activities such as sports, to sick, disabled and disadvantaged children is among these organizations where Jude Law dedicates his humanitarian efforts. I thought that Variety Club was solely a British organization but recently learned that it also has footing in the U.S.called Variety of the United States with chapters across the country.

So in honor of Memorial Day and Jude Law’s work with the Variety Club, this week’s Monday Movie Meme topic is: In the Line of Duty.

Share on your blog or in the comments section, your most memorable MOVIE CHARACTERS who were injured while working in a branch of the Armed Forces. Remember to also visit the blogs of fellow participants. Here are my selections for this week’s In the Line of Duty theme.

Lieutenant Dan
Who could forget this grumpy ol’ Army veteran who lost both his legs during the Vietnam War, in “Forrest Gump?” Of all the things I remember about Lt. Dan (played by Gary Sinise), one of the biggest moments that stood out was when he scolded Forrest for saving his life. Lt. Dan had trouble coming to terms with being a double amputee and needing to use a wheelchair. It seemed as though the alternative -- dying in Vietnam was a more acceptable fate to Lt. Dan, rather than living with his disability.

The war veteran’s eventual new, more joyful perspective on life shows how people who encounter dire circumstances can find peace quicker when there is at least one person out in the world who genuinely cares about their well being and/or believes in them. In Lt. Dan’s case, it was Forrest, despite the fact that Dan frequently either tried to push him away or shoot down his dreams and beliefs.

Ron Kovic
Returning home from the Vietnam War was just as bad, if not worse than being in battle, for this paralyzed Marine Sergeant who appears to receive more pity or blatant neglect than respect and a warm welcome home by his country-- including the very people who are supposed to help him in “Born on the Fourth of July.” St. Ron Kovic (played by Tom Cruise) spends his rehabilitation surrounded by careless staff in a rat infested VA hospital where access to quality medical supplies is slim and doctors rarely visit their patients.

After refusing to allow doctors to amputate one of his legs, the wheelchair-bound veteran returns home as a hostile man who questions the virtues that he once believed such as “honor” and “courage.” Kovic’s combative disposition about the cards that he was dealt strains the relationships in his family. I don’t know what kind of lessons are to be learned from Ron Kovic, except for maybe that we need to treat our wounded veterans better, particularly where their healthcare matters (quality hospitals that are staffed well; access to improved and continued physical and mental rehabilitation) are concerned, since they risked their lives to save ours.

Jose
This Vietnam veteran gets his hand blown off while working as a demolitions expert for the Marine Corps and causes all sorts of ruckus upon returning home in “Dead Presidents.”

The effects of the war also took a toll on Jose’s mental state -- he turned into a pyromaniac and literally burned up hundreds of thousands of dollars that his friends planned to share following a robbery.

Much like Ron Kovic in “Born on the Fourth of July,” it seems as though we could stand to provide proper forms of rehabilitation -- in the case of this “Dead Presidents” movie character, mental health care including counseling or related therapies.

Here’s hoping that the disabled and/or wounded among our Armed Forces receive all of the medical care they need including physical therapy, helpful medication, crutches, reconstructive surgery, counseling and support for any symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and any related support that provides a way for them to improve or maintain good health.

Lucky for the rest of the world, charitable organizations like Variety Club are helping children live with their disabilities or illness, by providing families in need with adapted car seats, wheelchairs, feeding tubes, prosthetic limbs, hoists and other medical equipment.

Happy Memorial Day everyone! Now, I'm off to try and finish some video editing before hopefully watching "Kingdom of Heaven" on DVD later tonight.

So tell me....

Who is the most memorable wounded Character in the Armed Forces that YOU ever saw in a movie?

Have YOU ever needed medical equipment, therapy or medicine and could not afford it - or - Do YOU know someone who has? If so, how did that experience turn out? If not, do you think that health insurance companies should offer better coverage for medical equipment and rehabilitation services?

Friday
Apr132012

Love according to Hollywood #friday #atozchallenge #atoz #lovebomb

 

“I wanna love you, I wanna love and treat you right. I wanna love you every day and every night. We’ll be together, with a roof over our heads, to share the shelter in a single bed. Is this love, is this love, is this love, is this love that I’m feeling?”

“Is This Love” by Corinne Bailey Rae is one my favorite songs to listen to -- many of you might be surprised to learn that I didn’t like Rae’s music when she first came out. Now, I can’t get enough of her. Excuse me as my letter alignment gets a little funky as the A to Z Challenge progresses. I also chose “Lovegame” by Lady Gaga as an honorable mention and while Gaga fits the L letter of the day appropriately, I don’t listen to that particular tune as much as Rae’s track, so the slow song wins over the frisky one.

It’s interesting how we find ourselves asking if we’re in love or wondering whether we know what it is -- what it looks like, what it feels like. Maybe it’s a gesture such as writing a whole bunch of letters to one’s significant other to help him or her cope with loss or serve as a reminder to smile, such as what makes up the storyline in “P.S. I Love You” starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler. This movie has been sitting in my Netflix queue for some time and I tried to watch it at the last minute before writing this post -- until I found out that it’s not available for streaming.

So, I’ve compiled some quotes on love from film actresses, as I wait for this DVD to arrive. Here they are for your reading pleasure if you want to share them with fellow guests at a bridal shower, bachelorette party, afternoon tea or even Thanksgiving. These quotes on love could make for some great conversation starters -- especially since everyone tends to have clashing views on the subject.

"I don't need someone to make me whole" - Hayden Panettiere (Remember the Titans; Scream 4) on the best relationship advice she’s ever received. (Cosmopolitan Magazine, 2008)

"I was never one of those girls who dreamt of my wedding and Prince Charming....To piss my mom off, I used to say ‘I’m never having kids I'm going to be be a fabulously rich old maid with cute butlers and dogs’ " - Jessica Biel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The A-Team) on having kids and her relationship with Justin Timberlake. (Elle Magazine, December 2011)

"You have to give love your all, and if it doesn’t work out, he wasn’t your man...Now that I’m actually in a healthy relationship, I know that what came before wasn’t real" - Ali Larter (Resident Evil: Extinction; Legally Blonde) on romance. (Cosmopolitan Magazine, 2007)

Also, since March, I’ve been participating in a group called Love Bomb, which sends out weekly missions for members to spend 5 minutes each week sending words of encouragement, hope or simple kindness to people who may need an extra ray of sunshine during a hardship. These Love Bombs are done in the form of comments on the person’s blog or a blog operating on his or her behalf.

The Love Bomb recipients are everyday people like you and I such as a woman named Susan, whose stroke affected 2 arteries in her brain and there were many loving messages sent to her -- I sent one to her, myself. Unfortunately, she passed away within days but those messages are still there and can hopefully comfort her family.

Another memorable Love Bomb that I participated in was sending support to a budding California based photographer named Kim who lost her best friend Jenn to suicide in mid-February. After some dark days filled with sadness, Kim wrote a new blog post expressing her gratitude for all of the love and support, as well as providing an update on her efforts to get back into the swing of things -- enjoying the outdoors and soaking up the sunshine, trying to live her best life!

While I never thought that I could squeeze out any extra time in my day for something that may seem so trivial on the surface, participating in the Love Bomb missions reminded me of how powerful genuine love or caring can be -- even when it comes from strangers, but ESPECIALLY when it comes from a close friend or family member. Therefore, it’s five minutes well spent, in my book!

If you haven’t already, check out the Love Lessons from Leonardo DiCaprio!

Did YOU see “P.S. I Love You” in theaters or on DVD? If so, how would you rate it on a scale of 1 to 10?

Do YOU agree or disagree with what these actresses had to say regarding love and/or romance?

How do YOU know when you’re in love?

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