NEWSLETTER Katy Perry Mourns the Death of Her Grandma in Heartfelt Tribute Katy Perry’s grandma, Ann Pearl Hudson, has passed away. The 35-year-old singer paid tribute to the late loved one via Instagram on Monday. "I don't know when a soul enters a new vehicle, but if there is an afterlife where there's a waiting room of the coming and going, my mind wonders if the soul that is waiting to come into my world is getting a kiss on the forehead from my sweet Grandma that departed this earth yesterday. My heart hopes so," the "Firework" star wrote on the social network. "If she is able to speak with the soul in waiting, the conversation would probably include, 'Are [you] sure you wanna pick this wild group?!' There would most definitely be some sarcasm, a witty quip or two... tbh grandma probably had a glass of her favorite blush wine ready upon arrival to this afterlife... and a most fashionable look, jewels included, naturally." Perry then explained that "a lot of who I am is because of my father...and he because of her." "She started it all, as she used to remind us and I'm so grateful she did," she continued. She also reflected on the impact of family. "Family... is there to show us what love can be... sometimes that journey of finding the love is tough to get to AND through but if you can open your heart and let the light lead the way you will find that incomparable love," she added​. https://www.eonline.com/news/1129263/katy-perry-mourns-the-death-of-her-grandma-in-heartfe lt-tribute
ANIMATION ‘Mind My Mind’: Exploring the Complex Inner World of Autism Through Animation
Dutch filmmaker Floor Adams talks about her award-winning short film filled with the heartbreak and humor of living with Asperger’s syndrome. By Jon Hofferman and Dan Sarto | Friday, December 13, 2019 at 3:20pm In 2D, CG, People, Short Films | ANIMATIONWorld | Geographic Region: All 'Mind My Mind,' directed by Floor Adams. All images courtesy of Curious Wolf. Acclaimed by the international animation community (and lauded by mental health professionals), Floor Adams’s multi-award-winning 2D animation Mind My Mind is a powerful, sensitive, and often very funny chronicle of the challenges faced by a man with Asperger’s syndrome. Like all of us, Chris depends on social scripts to get him through the day. However, especially when it comes to perilous undertakings like dating and sex, his condition makes it a lot harder for him (and his dedicated neural assistant, Hans) to find the right script for these more open-ended situations. As is often the case with personal projects, Mind My Mind had a long gestation period. Adams first started thinking about the idea in 2009, or as she recalls it, “I thought about it, got pregnant, and thought about it again.” She first applied for funding in 2012 and began animating in 2014, first with one animator, then two, then three. William Thijssen of CinéTé Filmproduktie, who produced Michaël Dudok de Wit’s Oscar-winning short Father and Daughter, came on board as a producer, followed by Tom Van Gestel of Fabrique Fantastique. Meanwhile, the film grew from 11 to 15 to 30 minutes. In the end, some 59 people – including six animators, three composers, and several former students of Adams – contributed to the film, which went on to win awards at Anima, Stuttgart, CINANIMA, and numerous other festivals.
Adams is one of the Dutch filmmakers scheduled to participate in the December 14 NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) Film Festival InFocus: Lebanese, Arab & Dutch Cinema event being held at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Mary Pickford Center’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. The evening starts with a collection of new and exciting work from Dutch short film directors, including Mind My Mind. The event also includes programs on Lebanese films focused on childhood experiences, LGBTQ+ stories, family drama and modern isolation and loneliness, as well as Arab films showcasing Syrian, Egyptian, Palestinian, Saudi Arabian and Tunisian stories. "Mind My Mind" Trailer Mind My Mind - Official Trailer from CinéTé Filmproduktie on Vimeo. We recently had the opportunity to speak with Adams about Mind My Mind, not only the production process and the many challenges and triumphs along the way, but also the nature of autism and the seminal experiences that led her to make the film. AWN: The style of your storytelling in this film, the way you depicted the tortuous process behind this young man’s efforts to perform simple tasks and deal with the world, was extremely powerful and illuminating. Autism is so foreign to some people that they really don't even know how to think about it. How did the project come about and what made you want to tell this story? Floor Adams: I used to teach animation in art school to students with autism. And one day during break time, one of them told me about his special interest, which at the time was the Tokyo subway system. He knew everything about it – the names of the stations (in Japanese!), how many suicide attempts there were on average, how many people traveled by train every day. And it really fascinated me. And I said, "You know all these details. How do you remember it?" And he said, "I read it, and I remember it because I like it and it interests me. But if you ask me to go get groceries, or go to a party and interact socially, that's very difficult for me." So that got me thinking, "How is it even possible that you'd know all these things and can't remember the other things? What does it look like in your brain?" I'm a visual thinker, of course, so I was wondering, "Are there rooms in your head? Or do you have a cupboard, or a file cabinet – how does it work?"
And, during the same period, I fell in love with someone who turned out to be autistic himself. At first I didn’t believe it. He was a bass player, an archeologist, a very clever guy. And I told him, "There's nothing wrong with you. I know my students are autistic because they're in the special school, they're labeled, they're diagnosed. But you – that's not possible." And it turned out to be possible. And that was such an eye-opener for me, you know? You don't see it from the outside. Especially, when people are very clever, very smart, they can blend into the surroundings and
copy other people's behavior. We could be at the same party, or meeting the same people, and he was busy doing other things in his head, and I wasn't aware. And I thought, I need to make a film about this. But one that’s also about love. Because there are films about autism, but not really also about love, not from an inside perspective. So I thought, I must be the person who does this story. AWN: Clearly, you had a lot invested in this. So once you made the decision to tell this story, what were your next steps? Did you first write the script? FA: Yes. But before this, I interviewed many people with autism, like old students of mine and my ex-lover. And also autism experts and professors. I wanted to know the best image to describe, or to show, autism, something that would not be stereotypical. Many people think Rain Man, Dustin Hoffman, is the typical autistic guy, which he's not, because there is no typical autistic guy. I spent many, many hours researching so as not to exaggerate and not make it look stupid. I knew it had to be some sort of love story, the flirting process, the sexual process. I had a table full of notes, and I puzzled and I wrote... I didn't want to go into production until it was perfect because it was my first film. So I took all the time I thought was necessary, within reason, of course, because you can’t go on and on until you're 80.
AWN: How did you go about designing the look? What were your considerations regarding the animation style and techniques you would use? FA: Well, I wanted Chris to be some sort of a square. His face is kind of "square-y." And I wanted her to be more round. And Hans, the character inside his head – we called him “Hans,” after Hans Asperger [for whom the syndrome is named] – I know it looks a bit like a penis, but it's not on purpose. Many people say, "Why does he look like a penis?" AWN: Yeah, that's the first thing we thought, but that's just us. FA: This may sound stupid, but I used to draw a lot of teachers like this when I was doodling. It was the first figure that came to mind and I thought, well, he doesn't need anything else. He needs to see, but he doesn't need ears. He only needs the essential parts. So this is it. I wanted the look to be just like it was in my sketchbook. So we worked in PC Paint and one of the animators created a brush that was quite similar to my brush strokes on paper. It was a big process because you can't use the paint buckets. And because there were a lot of open lines, the people who were coloring the animation needed a lot of time, as well. But I think it was good in the end, because we succeeded in capturing this very specific look.
AWN: You spent about 10 years on this project as a fundraiser, designer, producer, director, businessperson… basically, living the life of an independent filmmaker. Looking back, what would you say was the biggest challenge? FA: It's really a big challenge to have to take care of everything. Normally, you're not a producer and a director at the same time, at least not in The Netherlands. But because I started this production, I was a producer, so I was also responsible for the whole budget, which made it quite hard. Also, I was working with so many people with different schedules, which meant I would have to work during the weekends, and my private life and my work life became intertwined, which was a burden. But it was also beautiful to work with so many people with so many talents, who could do things that I wasn't capable of, and made the film much better. So overall, I would much rather work collaboratively than work on my own again. Also, we had test screenings with lots of different people, including people with autism. And we would ask, "Can you follow the story?," "Is it clear to you?," and so on. It helped so much during the whole process. I would advise everyone to do this, to collaborate and to let people watch your film at an early stage, before everything costs so much money. AWN: What do you hope audiences will come away with after watching your film? What’s the most important thing you want to convey to them? FA: I hope people will be more patient with each other, more tolerant, more accepting of each other's behavior. Many people with autism get bullied, and so they try to blend in as much as possible. Which is so sad because they're beautiful the way they are. When they walk out of the cinema, I want these people to be able to say, "Wow, that looks like me. I can relate to this film. I feel represented." That's the best thing I can achieve, I think. Link to the article: https://www.awn.com/animationworld/mind-my-mind-exploring-complex-inner-world-autism-th rough-animation
Coachella, Stagecoach 2020 Postponed Amid Coronavirus Spread The popular music festivals, which bring hundreds of thousands of people to a California valley, were rescheduled for October. Coachella, the music festival that attracts thousands of tanned bandanna-wearers to southern
California each spring, has been postponed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, organizers announced Tuesday.
Festival organizers say Coachella will now take place over two weekends in the fall, Oct. 9-11 and Oct. 16-18. Stagecoach, a country music festival held at the same venue in Indio, California, was also rescheduled and will now be taking place Oct. 23-25. Goldenvoice, the company that produces the events, said it changed the dates for the festivals “at the direction of the County of Riverside and local health authorities.” “While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously,” the company said in a statement.
— Coachella (@coachella) March 10, 2020
Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean were slated to headline the original dates for Coachella, scheduled to be spread over two weekends, April 10-12 and April 17-19. Carrie Underwood, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lil Nas X and Eric Church were originally scheduled to headline Stagecoach over the weekend of April 26-28. It’s unclear if the same performers will appear at the new festival dates in October. HuffPost has reached out to festival organizers for comment. Officials announced three new cases of coronavirus in the Coachella Valley on Monday, the Los Angeles Times reported, bringing the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Riverside County to six. Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach are the latest major event to have its plans changed due to the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. On Friday, Austin, Texas, canceled South by Southwest, the media festival that was scheduled to kick off on March 13. Event organizers across the country have been canceling conferences, festivals and other occasions out of concern for public health. Testing efforts across the U.S. have been sluggish and the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus has surpassed 6 00, reported The Associated Press. Sarah Ruiz-Grossman and Carla Russo contributed reporting. Barcelona Legend Ronaldinho Suspected Of Committing ‘Other Crimes’ In Paraguay, Reveals Prosecutor
Tom Sanderson Contributor Currently being held in Paraguay, FC Barcelona legend Ronaldinho and his brother Roberto are suspected of having committed “other crimes” in the South American nation, as revealed by the leading prosecutor on Sunday. They are being prosecuted for using false documents. The [false] passport they used to enter Paraguay was issued by legal authorities, but the data contained in the documents has been tampered with,” it was also clarified. “The charge against them is for using these documents. This investigation is still in the beginning and there may be other criminal acts involving Ronaldo and Roberto. It is important that they continue here in Paraguay during this process,” Legal added. No official certificates or medical reports supporting this, it has since emerged that the brothers could be behind bars for a period of six months before facing trial. Asked by Fernandez and Sibilla what advantages there would be in Ronaldinho owning a Paraguayan passport, especially when, as a Brazilian, he could travel freely to Asuncion with just his national ID card alone, Legal said: “A Brazilian with Paraguayan documentation could have the advantage of participating in [the] business [operations] of some companies in the country,” which “would not be granted without Paraguayan citizenship”.
It is important to know that Ronaldinho is a global idol and causes a commotion wherever he goes,” Legal went on. “In recent days, crowds have lined up to get a photo or an autograph [from him]. This also happens within the justice system, which does not always work as coldly as it should,” it was remarked, of local officers comically posing with the former Ballon d’Or winner in now viral images. “The law must be the same for everyone, be it Ronaldinho or any other citizen. He is a very dear person, but we need to do our job as if he were just anybody,” Legal concluded, though elsewhere admitting that he didn’t find it necessary for Ronaldinho to be led to court in handcuffs. Additionally, it also remains to be seen if he will have troubles entering Spain in the near future, to take up a previously-hinted at position behind the scenes at the Catalan club, while further questions are raised as to how he managed to complete visits to Europe in late 2019 and last month when he was reunited with coach Frank Rijkaard. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/tomsanderson/2020/03/08/bar celona-legend-ronaldinho-suspected-of-committing-other-crimes-in-paraguay-reveals-pros ecutor/amp/ Apple may have postponed an iPhone SE2 event over coronavirus Brittany A. Roston
Apple canceled an event it had originally planned to hold in late March, a new report claims. This event would reportedly have involved the unveiling of two different unspecified products, one of which may have been the anticipated iPhone SE2. Rumors about this alleged event first appeared in February, but it was never actually announced by the company. The information comes from sources that spoke with Cult of Mac, which claims that Apple canceled the event partly over concerns about the coronavirus and partly because of delays it has reportedly experienced involving the production of two of the products it was going to announce. The event would reportedly have taken place at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park, but Santa Clara County — where it is located — recently banned gatherings that involve 1,000 or more people until April 1. Apple was reportedly concerned about having such a large group gather amid the current outbreaks; this was allegedly a ‘major factor’ in its decision to cancel the event. The delays in production for these two products were also a contributing factor, the sources claim, pointing out that Apple wouldn’t be able to sell the devices soon after the event if it took place this month. Based on the report, it doesn’t sound like Apple currently has a new date in mind and that it’ll take some time to figure out when it can hold the event. Apple is expected to unveil the successor to the iPhone SE at some point in the near future — a model that some call the iPhone SE 2 and that others call the iPhone 9. Some had also expected Apple to announce new headphones and earbuds, accessories like a wireless charging mat, and new MacBook and iPad products.
https://www.slashgear.com/apple-may-have-postponed-an-iphone-se2-event-over-coronavirus-1 0612781/amp/
Dwayne wade’s son is transgender!! Dwyane Wade has continued to open up about his journey as the parent of a transgender daughter, crediting 12-year-old Zaya with being his family’s “leader” in what’s seemiDuring a Tuesday appearance on “Good Morning America,” the retired NBA legend said he had never had a close relationship with a member of the LGBTQ community before Zaya, whom he said was 3 years old when she first identified as transgender.ngly turned out to be a life-changing process. “Zaya, early on, knew two things,” Wade told host Robin Roberts. “She knew ‘straight’ and she knew ‘gay.’ But Zaya started doing more research. ... She went down the list and said, ‘This is how I identify myself. This is my gender identity.’” The retired NBA star said he and his wife, Gabrielle Union, took the moment as an opportunity to “sit down with our daughter and find out who she is and what she likes and not put something on her.” “As parents, we put our hopes and our fears on our kids,” he added. “With Zaya, we decided to listen to her. She’s leading us along this journey.”