Tri-County Sentry
Friday
FEBRUARY 28, 2014
Page 13A
Entertainment News
NUHO Offers Unique Film Festival Steve McQueen on the Moment He Saw Lupita Experience to the Masses
(NewsUSA) - From Sundance to Palm Springs to Cannes, film buffs ogle at these cinematic fetes but typically can only dream of parading among the who's who of Hollywood. Now, however, a new indie distribution company is making it easier -- and less expensive -- to attend a film festival by hosting it online. NUHO Online Film Festival is the brainchild of New Hollywood Entertainment CEO Keith Mitchell and Ivy League entrepreneur Chris Kanik, and was born out of what Mitchell describes as an "inherent problem with quality independent films making it into the movie theaters." "The festival business is a necessary spoke in the wheel of film distribution," says Kanik. "However when the festival benefits the hosts more than the filmmakers, that's wrong. We offer filmmakers a friendly site where everybody succeeds." What makes NUHO different from other film festivals is that independent filmmakers gain from profit sharing, have exposure to a worldwide audience, and contact with agents, distributors and other industry professionals -- all without having to
Now you can bring the film festival experience inside your home. incur travel, hotel or mar- bution. In addition, NUHO has an online lounge to keting costs. "We are offering every- meet other attendees, and thing other film festivals of- an industry tab where othfer -- where you watch films, er distribution and acquistream live events, attend sition reps can watch the panel discussions and meet content and make deals. "What we're doing is other filmmakers -- the only thing we can't provide is a probably as crazy as when [Robert] Redford was telling cocktail," jokes Mitchell. The idea, he says, was people he wanted to start a to make NUHO similar film festival in the mountains yet different from other of Utah," says Mitchell. NUHO's state-of-thefilm fests by keeping it at a fraction of the cost, and art technology ensures the allowing guests to attend filmmakers that there are no piracy issues. from their homes. The online film festiTo that end, participants can watch any film for val, which will kick off $1.99 (per film) or buy an its festivities with a keyall access pass for all 21 note speech by Spike Lee, films for $14.99. The all runs throughout February, access pass allows guests and covers all genres of to join in panel discussions film, including narrative with working industry features, documentaries, professionals who will be shorts and web series. For more information, talking about screenwriting, filmmaking and distri- visit www.nuhofilmfest.com.
By Alanna Vagianos As if actress and allaround feminist superwoman Rashida Jones hadn't already turned us into hardcore tween fangirls, the "Parks And Recreation" star's most recent comments have us seriously swooning. The Harvard grad sat down with The Guardian's Hadley Freeman to discuss her final farewell to "Parks And Rec," funny women in Hollywood and the "full princess fantasy." After allegations of "slut-shaming" Hollywood actresses during an October 2013 Twitter debacle, Jones clarified and expanded on her perception of a "pornification" of pop culture in a column for Glamour magazine. The actress told The Guardian: "I'm just asking people
Rashida Jones to take a breath and talk about it. I also wanted to say there's more than one way to be a woman and be sexy -- like, you're a really great dancer, or you're really f**king smart." Jones also discussed her frustration with the value put on marriage as an achievement for women -and how she overcame the
narrative that women can't be happy without it: I had the full princess fantasy: the white horse, the whole being saved from my life, which is ridiculous. What do I want to be saved from? My life's great! But it's just this weird thing that's been hammered into my head culturally: that's the only way to succeed, that's the only thing that counts for a woman. I'm happy, but the fact that I'm not married and don't have kids – it's taken me a long time to get to a place where I actually am OK with that, where I actually don't feel like I'm some sort of loser. While Jones has had to defend some of her positions, there's no question she is committed to women's equality -- if not superiority.
Nicki Minaj already blasted the song's lyrics. The rapper's use of the image in unison with the track caused even more of a stir. Minaj posted an apology to Instagram, along with a screengrab from her music video. In the mes-
sage, she wrote: What seems to be the issue now? Do you have a problem with me referring to the people Malcolm X was ready to pull his gun out on as Lookin Ass N****z? Well, I apologize. That was never the official artwork nor is this an official single. This is a conversation. Not a single. I am in the video shooting at Lookin Ass N****z and there happened to be an iconic photo of Malcolm X ready to do the same thing for what he believed in!!!! It is in no way to undermine his efforts and legacy. I apologize to the Malcolm X estate if the meaning of the photo was misconstrued. The image of Malcolm X has since been removed from Minaj's Instagram account and her website.
It Took Rashida Jones 'A Long Time' to 'Be OK With' This
Steve McQueen’s critically acclaimed drama, “12 Years A Slave” has not only received an endless amount of praise from industry insiders and theatergoers, it has also birthed a tremendous amount of recognition for one of the film’s stars, Lupita Nyong'o. Since appearing in McQueen’s masterpiece, the 30-year-old actress has graced the covers of various magazines, and spotted rubbing elbows with the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Anna Wintour. Earlier this week McQueen appeared alongside Nyong'o during an episode of “Piers Morgan Live” where he discussed how he was blown away by her pres-
ence prior to filming the Oscar-nominated flick. “I first saw Lupita on tape, and at first I thought it was a mirage, in a way," he recalled. "I was rubbing my eyes as I was seeing what I was seeing. I brought my daughter in, I brought my wife in and they confirmed to me that
I was looking at a great actress.” “And then I got on the phone to my agent and said that we need to see this woman immediately. And it was just one of those moments where you kind of just quiver and sort of tremble because you know this is something big.”
Vanessa Williams musical numbers that showcase dance, jazz, tap or singing backed by 17 musicians from Jazz at Lincoln Center. Williams, the former “Desperate Housewives” star, will be called on to sing four songs, including “Stormy Weather,” ‘’I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” and “I’ve Got
the World on a String.” She said she enjoyed the music of that era when she was in the TV movie “Stompin’ at the Savoy” in 1992. What can people expect? “It’ll be me,” she said flirtatiously. “It won’t be k.d. lang. It’ll be me. The people that know me know what I bring. I love the music and it’s our history. This is the music of African-Americans in New York.” The actress and singer has never recorded the four songs in the show and especially looks forward to the chance to make “Stormy Weather” her own. “Lena Horn is such an icon for me and her performance is emblazoned in my mind,” she said. “To be able to do my version is phenomenal.”
Vanessa Williams Heads Back to Broadway
By Mark Kennedy NEW YORK — Vanessa Williams wants to stay up after midnight. The actress, singer and former Miss America watched the matinee performance of “After Midnight” on Wednesday and then broke it to the cast backstage that she has signed up for a stint in the Broadway show celebrating Duke Ellington’s years at the Cotton Club nightclub. “It’s an honor to jump in. It’s a well-oiled machine, up and running and I think it’ll be a perfect fit,” Williams said afterward. She signed on before ever seeing the show and says it was an “easy, easy” decision to jump in. Williams, who next month turns 51, will start as a guest vocalist on April 1 and end May 11, replacing Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and Toni Braxton, who in turn replaced k.d. lang. Lang took over from Fantasia Barrino, who originated the part at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. The high energy show, directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, features two dozen
Lil' Kim Releases an Ode to Her Haters
Nicki Minaj Apologizes for Using Malcolm X Image
By Cavan Sieczkowski Nicki Minaj has apologized for using an image of Malcolm X for the cover art of her controversial new single, "Lookin A** N****." Minaj released the music video for her new track along with a photo of the cover art shared on her Instagram page, USA Today reported. The cover art featured the song's title on an iconic photo of the civil rights leader holding an M1 Carbine semi-automatic weapon and looking out a window, the outlet noted. (The image originally appeared in Ebony magazine in 1964, a time during which Malcolm X was receiving death threats.) As the Wall Street Journal points out, critics had
Steve McQueen and Lupita Nyong’o
Lil’ Kim Lil' Kim is taking on her naysayers in a new track with rapper B Ford. Called "Haterz," the song made its debut recently with Kim writing, "The hate is real." The expectant mother has had plans to release an upcoming mixtape, "Hard Core," for months but the project has been delayed indefinitely. No word from Kim if "Haterz" will be included on the eventual release.