Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites - Tinsletown Tidbits

Actor Johnny Depp was injured while on location in Austrailia where he is filming recent version of Pirates of the Caribbean. It was reported the world renowned star was flown back to Los Angeles for surgery on a broken wrist. According to spokesperson the production remains scheduled for a July opening. Wishing Jack Sparrow a speedy recovery and sending sweet kisses! (visirt: JohnnyDepp#official).

Fans around the world are grieving the loss of music giant Prince, who died in his home in Minnesota April 21st. RIP dear Prince.

By Joshua Harmon -- Daphna Feygenbaum swears she is the most devout Jew in her family. When her less observant cousin arrives to claim a treasured family heirloom and religious symbol, a hilarious and devastatingly funny battle of Old Testament proportions ignites. This youngest generation of Feygenbaums sharpen their wit, familial vitriol and humor making what The New York Post praises as, “delicious, nasty, good fun!” Sponsored by Ruth and Alan Heeger with support from Sybil Rosen. Directed by Jonathan Fox.
Performance Schedule • Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8pm • Special Saturday Matinee on 2nd Saturday of the run • Sundays at 2pm and 7pm (no 7 pm on 2nd Sunday of the run) • Tuesday, at 7pm (1st Tuesday of the run)
Event Category & Type: Theatre ( Concerts, Shows & Performances)

2:00 PM -- 4/24 4/30 5/1
7:00 PM -- 5/1
8:00 PM -- 4/22 4/23 4/27 4/28 4/29 4/30

We would like to congratulate all the exceptional women who will be honored at the 57^th Genii Awards, which will be held on Thursday, May 5th as part of Digital Hollywood at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

The Awards (pronounced "Jeannie" and named in honor of Jeanne Gray McDonald, the Affiliate group founder) acknowledges the notable achievements of women in media and entertainment. Honorees are selected based on their pioneering efforts, dedicated leadership, commitment to quality and excellence, and their community contributions. Genii honorees have made significant contributions to advance the impact of women in media by educating and acting as a resource to its members, the industry and our community.

"The Genii Awards honors Southern California talent within the arenas of radio, television, film, documentary, journalism and entertainment," said AWM SoCal president Samantha Brown. "We're excited to celebrate the contributions of our esteemed colleagues."

Former Genii winner and former president of the ABC-Disney Television Group Anne Sweeney will present the award to her longtime friend, Maggie Bellville.

Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Betty White, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Whoopie Goldberg, Doris Roberts, Leeza Gibbons, Ellen DeGeneres, among others.

For more information about Alliance for Women in Media Southern California, please visit www.awmsocal.org.

The LA Film Festival, produced by Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that also produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, announced today that Ricardo de Montreuil’s Lowriders will open this year’s Festival. The film, produced by Academy Award^® winner Brian Grazer (A Beautiful Mind, 8 Mile, American Gangster) and Oscar^® nominee^® and Emmy Award winner Jason Blum (Whiplash, The Gift, HBO’s The Normal Heart), stars Eva Longoria, Demián Bichir, Melissa Benoist, Theo Rossi, Tony Revolori and Gabriel Chavarria. It was also announced today that Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed) is named the 2016 Guest Director. The 2016 Festival poster artwork by Carolyn Castaño has also been unveiled.

Additionally, it was announced that Ava DuVernay (Middle of Nowhere, Selma) and Array Releasing will receive the Festival’s annual Spirit of Independence Award. This award, which honors those who advance the cause of independent film and champion creative freedom, has previously been given to Don Cheadle, George Clooney, David O. Russell, Tom Bernard and Michael Barker, and Charlize Theron, among others.

The 22nd edition of the LA Film Festival will take place June 1 – June 9, 2016 at ArcLight Cinemas. The LA Film Festival’s mission is to showcase diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision in independent American and international cinema.

“We are thrilled to open with Lowriders, a culturally vibrant film that explores familial relationships within a second-generation Mexican family in East LA. Made by filmmakers of color, Lowriders embodies our mission of shining the light on unique voices,” said Festival Director Stephanie Allain. “Spirit Award winner Ryan Coogler honors us as Guest Director – we had Fruitvale Station at the Festival in 2013 and are so happy to have him back this year as our Guest Director.”

“We can’t imagine a more fitting recipient of the Spirit of Independence Award than Ava DuVernay and her distribution company Array Releasing,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “In addition to being a brilliant filmmaker, Ava is a passionate, forward-thinking distributor, helping unique and diverse voices find their audiences. Array bought Takeshi Fukunaga’s Out of My Hand at last year’s Festival, a film that we celebrated at this year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards.”

Set against the vibrant backdrop of East LA’s near-spiritual car culture, Lowriders follows the story of Danny, a talented young street artist caught between the lowrider world inhabited by his old-school father and ex-con brother, and the adrenaline-fueled outlet that defines his self-expression.

“It is such an honor that the LA Film Festival has chosen Lowriders to open this year’s Festival,” said producer Brian Grazer. “From their humble beginnings to their modern-day status as works of extraordinary art, these aren’t simply cars…they hold the imagination of the people and culture that create them. Danny’s coming-of-age story is one of a son, a brother and a visionary, and we cannot wait to share Ricardo’s film with the world.”

“We are always looking to partner with filmmakers who are incredibly passionate about their projects,” said producer Jason Blum. “When Brian brought the idea for Lowriders to Blumhouse, we got excited by the opportunity to work with Imagine and Ricardo on this powerful story, which is a unique look at two generations at a crossroads. The LA Film Festival is a wonderful event, and we look forward to being a part of this year’s unique lineup.”

Guest Director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed) will attend the 15th annual Filmmaker Retreat. A signature program of the Festival, the Filmmaker Retreat brings together all the feature directors in this year’s Festival along with seasoned filmmakers and Film Independent Board Members who attend as honored artists. The Filmmaker Retreat is an opportunity to build community among the Festival’s filmmakers before the Festival kicks off on June 1. Past Guest Directors of the Festival include Rodrigo García, Lisa Cholodenko, David O. Russell, Mira Nair, Kathryn Bigelow, George Lucas, William Friedkin,  Sydney Pollack, Guillermo Del Toro and Alfonso Cuarón.

Writer/director/producer/distributor Ava DuVernay (Middle of Nowhere, Selma) and her colleagues at Array Releasing will be awarded the Spirit of Independence Award. The Spirit of Independence Award is given to individuals who advance the cause of independent film, champion creative freedom or make a significant contribution to the preservation and proliferation of independent voices. Array Releasing is an LA-based film collective dedicated to the amplification of images by people of color and women. The collective’s film releases to date include: 2015 LA Film Festival winners Out of my Hand and Ayanda, Ashes and Embers, Mississippi Damned, Middle of Nowhere, Kinyarwanda, Restless City, Vanishing Pearls, Big Words, Better Mus’ Come and I Will Follow.

“In 2013 we launched a series of LA Film Festival posters designed to celebrate LA artists. Native Angelena Carolyn Castaño joins the ranks of acclaimed artists Ed Ruscha and the late Noah Davis as the 2016 poster artist,” said Mary Sweeney, Film Independent Board Chair. “Castaño’s work reflects and celebrates her deep roots and experiences in the powerful Latina culture of Los Angeles. Film Independent and the LA Film Festival support and celebrate the diversity of unique artistic voices.”

Carolyn Castaño’s work in painting, drawing, video and mixed-media installations has been exhibited both nationally and internationally, most recently at the 56th International La Bienniale di Venezia, LACMA’s Fútbol: The Beautiful Game, the Pasadena Museum of California Art and at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Rufino Tamayo in Mexico City. Her site-specific installation at the Los Angeles International Airport will be unveiled in June 2016. Castano earned a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and her MFA from UCLA.

Festival passes are on sale to Film Independent Members starting today, April 5. Passes go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, April 12. The full line-up will be announced on Tuesday, April 26. Individual tickets go on sale to Members on Tuesday, May 5 and to the general public on Tuesday, May 10. Please visit lafilmfestival.com for more information.

Purchase your 57th Annual Genii Awards Tickets Now!

Purchase your
57th Annual Genii Awards
Tickets Now!