In new honors created for this milestone 50^th New York Film Festival, Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman and Festival sponsor Film Society of Lincoln Center (FSLC)’s longtime program director Richard Peña will be saluted at a galas during the Festival,  September 28 – October 14, in Alice Tully Hall. The honors were announced Wednesday by Film Society executive director Rose Kuo.

Kidman will take part in an onstage conversation at the screening of director Lee Daniels’s much-acclaimed film The Paperby, which has been added to the Festival’s Main Slate. The film co-stars Zac Efron, John Cusack, and Matthew McConaughey.

Daniels was a producer on Monster’s Ball and producer and director of the acclaimed Precious…, which was nominated for Best Picture, 2009. Of it’s six nominations, it won for Adapted Screenplay and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Mo’Nique..

Peña, who’s served the Festival for 25 years, is leaving his role as FSLC program director to head the Festival’s Selection Committee.

The tributes were created “to celebrate the work of those in film who’ve made significant artistic contributions to film culture in the past and will continue to do so in the future.”

In The Paperboy (Millenium Entertainment), Kidman plays the sultry fiancée of a death row inmate (Cusack). Working with a local journalist (McConaughey), she gets to know the writer’s younger brother (Efron), and the rest, as they say, is history.  The film became one of the most talked about entries at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

“Nicole Kidman is one of our finest contemporary actresses,” says Peña, “Since her breakthrough performance in To Die For and her bold and provocative appearances in Lars Von Trier’s Dogville, Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut, as well as her awarding-winning portrayal of Virginia Woolf in Stephen Daldry’s The Hours [for which she received the Oscar], Nicole has insisted on finding roles that are complex, bold and demanding.”

Peña, who possesses a vast knowledge of film history as they who watch THIRTEEN’S Saturday night triple film series and who’s always accessible to media and film buffs, joined FSLC. Before long, his name became synonymous worldwide with that of the NYFF. Over the years, he’s gained immense respect across the board throughout the film industry.

Ms. Kuo noted that Peña “has guided the festival’s artistic vision. He also helped the Festival to discover such visionary directors as Pedro Almodovar, Abbas Kiarostami, Olivier Assayas, Lars Von Trier and Hou Hsiao-hsien. His contribution has been indelible.”

At the golden age of 50, the NYFF is keeping things fresh with a new Midnight Movies series with screenings of films “best experienced at the witching hour, and which will have you cringing, cheering, and shrieking.”

 General tickets for the 50th New York Film Festival go on sale September 9. For more information, visit the NYFF Tickets section of www.filmlinc.com/nyff2012.

Bargain Film Society Memberships

Join one of New York’s best movie-going programs. In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the New York Film Festival, FSLC is offering $50 memberships for a limited time. Benefits include a subscription to Film Comment magazine, bi-weekly e-newsletter, discounts from Film Society partners, merchandise discounts, concession freebies, annual cocktail party, advance ticket purchase, invites to special events, and complimentary tickets to screenings. To join, visit members@filmlinc.com or call (212) 875-5620.

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New York cinema’s big event, the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s 17-day New York Film Festival, September 28 – October 14, is known for highlighting the best in world cinema with top films from celebrated and emerging filmmakers. This year’s Festival will be quite special, since it celebrates the 50^th Anniversary. When asked what to expect, a press spokesman said, “Lots of surprises!”

The main slate will include works by notable directors that include Noah Baumbach, David Chase, Brian De Palma, Ang Lee, Sally Potter, Alain Resnais, and Robert Zemeckis.

Opening Night will debut Life of Pi [Fox 2000] from director Ang Lee [Brokeback Mountain], based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel, a magical adventure of an Indian zookeeper’s son who finds himself in the company of motley animals, including a 450-pound Bengal tiger, after a shipwreck – legendary French actor Gérard Depardieu co-stars.
The Centerpiece gala is the semi-autobiographical Not Fade Away [Paramount Vantage] from director/writer David Chase (The Sopranos, Northern Exposure, The Rockford Files), headlining James Gandolfini and Brad Garrett, about 60s New Jersey friends forming a rock band to make it big.

Denzel Washington, John Goodman, and Don Cheadel star in the Closing Night gala,  the thriller Flight (Paramount), directed by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?), loosely-based on 2001’s incident of a pilot guiding a fuel-less superliner from certain crash and becoming a hero until the subsequent  investigation reveals troubling details.

Richard Peña, FSLC Program Director and NYFF Selection Committee chair, said, “This year’s films have a quality of fearlessness uniting otherwise disparate works – films that take the risk of taking audiences places they might rather not go.”

Award winners having New York premieres include the acclaimed Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner Amour (Austria/France/Germany – Sony Classics), Michael Haneke’s portrait, co-starring France’s acclaimed Jean-Louis Trintignant and Isabelle Huppert, of a couple dealing with the ravages of old age; Berlin Film Festival’s Silver Bear Award for Best Director, Christian Petzold’s Cold War thriller Barbara [Germany] about a doctor, played by Nina Hoss, working in 1980s East Germany who’s banished to a country hospital; and După Dealuri (Beyond the Hills) (Romania), director Cristian Mungiu’s gripping modern exorcism tale of two former orphans, starring newcomers Cristina Flutur and Cosmina Stratan, who shared Cannes Best Actress prize.

The Film Society and NYFF receive support from American Airlines, Royal Bank of Canada, The New York Times, Stella Artois, National Endowment for the Arts, and New York State Council on the Arts.

Tickets go on sale September 9 at the NYFF box office. For information on the full line-up, schedules, special events, and panels, visit www.filmlinc.com.
Follow #filmlinc on Twitter.

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In the beginning …

We start as simple templates of mind and soul ready to begin our continuous journey to become better and better human beings.  From learning who we are to learning how to live with others either in the casually murky soup of society or the deeper, more tricky currents of love, this sojourn is what the Australian group Geppetto (composed of “pop cabaret princess, Emma Dean, and Green Room Award winner, Jake Diefenbach“) are using the fairy-tale cipher of Hansel and Gretel to explore the themes of learning how to navigate reality through a lush dreamscape in their new, provocative mini-rock opera/concert piece An End To Dreaming.

As they approach the stage in the darkness of existential doubt they move in a way that is not haphazard, but deliberate and somewhat mystical in nature.  We see a Hansel-and-Gretel-esque pair draped in capes, faces and hair a gothy white with stylized markings.  They test their paths as they go carefully forward, eventually reaching the points where they can begin to cast their spell.  They begin their ritual by gently touching the instruments of their art;  Emma Dean beginning on the synthesizer and Jake Diefenbach on the piano – telling us the story of how they began, in a darkness so complete that they forgot who they were before, and strove to find an identity as well as a path to bring them forth again into the light.

The key difference between this rendition of the Hansel and Gretel story is that this is about fighting a foe much harder to face than a witch or neglectful parents. Their chief opponent is themselves and their understanding of how they can find purpose in the world. The story of this journey is broken into different chapters with a prelude to each concept before each piece bookended by songs that show the beginning and end of their journey through each movement.  These “preludes” are beautiful spoken word pieces that really connect  you to the heart of their struggle. This is truly an existential coming of age story that goes far beyond the original text in scope.

The first movement is The Darkness (with the songs Black  and The Devil you Know ) where they explore the realization of how much they do not know in the world, and how they might begin to figure out how to escape that blindness.  The next section The Awakening (Is Anybody Out There? (see clip above) and Tomorrow) deals with the joy and fear that happen when you realize there can be different choices in life.  They learn to move beyond their inner instincts to be afraid, to want obsessively, and to dream.  The third section, The Reckoning ( This Is Where The Trouble Starts and Forged in Flames) they face who they have found themselves to be and confront that mirror vision of what they most fear as well as hope for in the future.  The fourth movement is The Healing (It’s All Fun And Games and Stuck In The Mud )  is  ”about pain..Not the blind pain of suffering, but ..one that is sexual and fragile.”  A pain that is like a new skin you are just learning to wear.  The finale of the show is The  Light  (Won This Game Before and An End To Dreaming [see below])  where they emerge into the edge of the future which is now.  They still have  new challenges to face, but they are all new journeys to reach for expectantly instead of fearfully.  The bravery of Won This Game Before and the strengthening Affirmation to go forth into the world that is  the song An End to Dreaming  are powerful transmissions to be received from these two prophets of self -rediscovery, that this alone is a reason  you make it to one of their last two performances.

Their journey is very subtle and esoteric… poignant and meaningful…helpful  as well as persuasive to take a chance.  Written directed and performed by Emma Dean and Jake Diefenbach, with brilliant lighting and sound by Ben Stuart, we see not just that these two are great musicians , but amazing at theatre as well.   Catch one of the last two shows this week if you can.  You definitely won’t regret this once in your lifetime opportunity.

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It’s that time of year loyal lovers of theater dread. Shows that have been struggling to make it, will be closing. The light at the end of the tunnel, as is always the case with Broadway, is that new, and some are quite exciting, shows will be taking their place.

The musical Ghost, based on the 1990 smash film, gave up the ghost Saturday [August 17]. The End of the Rainbow, with [whether you believe the arc of the play to be factual or fiction] a commanding performance by Tracie Bennett, heads out to tour soon [and will be adapted for the screen] and, as of Sunday, there’s no Judy, Judy, Judy on Broadway. On August 29, the curtain rings down on glitzy Sister Act.

Closing it’s limited engagement on September 1 is the New York Shakespeare Festival’s revival of Sondheim’s Into the Woods, playing Central Park’s Delacorte Theatre [free admission], and starring Oscar winner Amy Adams and Tony winner Donna Murphy.

September 2 we must say cheerio to one of this season best entertainments, One Man, Two Guvnors, starring 2012 Best Actor, the incomparable James Corden. It’s a laugh riot and should be at the top of your Must See list. Also closing the same day is this year’s Best Play, Bruce Norris’s Clybourne Park, also a Pulitzer Prize honoree and Olivier Award winner.
The acclaimed 2012 Tony-winning revival of George and Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess,starring Audra McDonald

Porgy and Bess (Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis | Photo by Michael J. Lutch)

[except August 21-23], Norm Lewis, and David Alan Grier, has posted September 23 for its final performance. Rumor has it heading to the big screen, directed by Spike Lee.

Off Broadway, you can catch the last performances of the popular farce, Potted Potter, which presents all seven Harry Potter books in 70 minutes.

Still holding strong Off Broadway is Nina Raine’s must-see family drama Tribes, one of the best plays of this or any recent season.

In previews or soon to open are the play Grace, co-starring Paul Rudd and Ed Asner; the musical Chaplin, based on the life of filmdom’s silent era king, the Tramp; one of Broadway’s biggest blockbusters, the Tony-winning Annie; Roundabout Theater Company’s revival of Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac and Rupert Holmes’ Tony-winning The Mystery of Edwin Drood, based on Dickens’ incomplete last novel and co-starring legendary Broadway favorite Chita Rivera; and Chicago’s Steppenwolf’s revival of Edward Albee’s landmark play, the scorching Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf? 

Also in the good news department, a brand new edition of Gerard Alessandrini’s wickedly funny send-up Forbidden Broadway, Alive and Kicking! has arrived.

PBS Specials

PBS regularly airs performances of the Metropolitan Opera and a variety of the best in classical and pop concerts. Coming up is a superb example of the former.

Verdi’s La Traviata gets a contemporary design that’s both off-putting and provocative on August 23 at 9 P.M. and August 26 at Noon in Willy Decker’s production that might not satisfy loyalists but breathes new breath into a classic. Celebrated French soprano Natalie Dessay delivers a staggering portrayal of Violetta. Matthew Polenzani is Alfredo, with acclaimed Russian bass Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s magnificent portrayal of Giorgio. The Met’s Fabio Luisi conducts.

Upcoming: Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert, Great Performances, August 31, 9 P.M.; Paul McCartney, Live Kisses, September 7, 9 P.M.

On the Record

Tony winner and two-time Grammy nominee Betty Buckley’s new solo album, Ah, Men! The Boys of Broadway [Palmetto Records] features tunes from her acclaimed 2011 concert, “songs,” she says, “we gals never got to sing. It’s my take on some of the soaring melodies the men got to sing.” The 14 tracks include Irving Berlin’s “My Defenses Are Down,” Annie Get Your Gun; Bernstein/Sondheim’s “Maria,” West Side Story; Frank Loesser’s “Luck Be a Lady,” Guys and Dolls; and a suite from Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd.

Raissa Katon Bennett, cabaret award winner and a later Christine in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart’s Phantom of the Opera, has released Another Kind of Light [LML Records]. The 15 tracks include Broadway, pop, and jazz. Among the highlights is “Ordinary Miracles” by Marvin Hamlisch and Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Cole Porter’s “I Concentrate on You,” and the rarely-recorded “How Could I Not?” by Alan Menken and David Spencer from the musical adaptation of The
Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. Bennett  performs songs from the album August 21-25 at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency. To book, click here.

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Author Howard Bloom has given audiences The Lucifer Principle, Global Brain and The Genius of The Beast.  He’s now on to The God Problem which  ”tackles the puzzle of how a godless cosmos creates; of how a universe without a bearded and bathrobed god in the sky pulls off acts of genesis.”

 Sounds interesting? Here’s more …

 “If Howard Bloom is only 10 percent right, we’ll have to drastically revise our notions of the universe. There’s no mysticism in The God Problem—no God, no religion, no incommunicable spiritual insights – just the contagious joy of a great mind set loose on the biggest intellectual puzzles humans have ever faced. Whether you’re a scientist or a hyper-curious layperson, Bloom’s argument will rock your world.” Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed, National Magazine Award Winner

 Howard is currently down to the last dwindling days of his Kickstarter Campaign which will fund his media campaign.

 If this book sounds fascinating and you want to learn more click here. Oh, and don’t forget to donate while you’re there!

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The Lambda Literary Foundation has selected 119 finalists for the prestigious 24^th Annual Lambda Literary Award, which identifies and celebrates the best of lesbian and gay books in the year of their publication. Finalist readings are being held in San Francisco, Seattle, Minneapolis, New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles.

On Friday, May 11, Lambda Literary Award Finalists will be reading from their selected works in NYC at  Bluestockings Books, 7:00 pm.

Confirmed authors for this event are: Anton Dudley, Paul Legault, Barbara Browning, Michael Schiavi, Bil Wright, Barry Brennessel, Glen Retief, Sacchi Green, Sally Bellerose, Dawn Lundy Martin, Jonathan Tolins, Serena Anderlini-D’Onofrio, Rafe Posey, Steven Haas, Colm Toibin, Michael Hames-Garcia, and Jafari S. Allen.

The awards, now in their twenty-fourth year, celebrate achievement in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) writing for books published in 2011. Winners will be announced at a Monday evening, June 4th ceremony in New York at the CUNY Graduate Center (365 Fifth Avenue) with an after-party at Slate (54 West 21st Street).

Books from major mainstream publishers and from academic presses, from both long-established and new LGBT publishers, as well as from emerging publish-on-demand technologies, make up the 119 finalists, culled from a submission pool of approximately 600 titles represented from about 250 publishers.

More than 90 booksellers, book reviewers, librarians, authors, previous Lammy winners and finalists, and other book professionals volunteered many hours of reading time, critical thinking, and shared discussion to select the finalists in 24 categories. To view the full list of finalists, click here.

The Lambda Literary Foundation nurtures, celebrates, and preserves LGBT literature through programs that honor excellence, promote visibility and encourage development of emerging writers. For more about Lambda Literary, check out their website.

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Best Erotic Romance (Cleis Press, 2012) offers a sampling of work from some of the best authors writing in the erotic romance genre today. Editor Kristina Wright introduces Best Erotic Romance by saying, “These are the stories that touched my heart and ignited my libido, that made me think about the nature of desire and the unpredictability of the human heart. Each of these seventeen stories weaves love and passion so tightly that one cannot be separated from the other. And isn’t that what a lasting relationship is all about?”

Well written and provocative, the stories in Best Erotic Romance touch upon many different aspects of our sexuality and our expressions of sex within the context of our most intimate relationships. This is a book that celebrates the role of sex in our lives, and the need we have for intimacy, love, and passion. As a whole, the collection supports conversation, communication, and self-reflection. In the foreword, Shayla Black encourages readers to “embrace these stories for what they are: a true mirror of our inner needs, our longing to combine souls, to discover our truest selves. Explore. Fantasize. Wonder.”

Best Erotic Romance offers a wide range of stories which explore and reveal our most intimate connections, encompassing a vast array of situations, characters, and settings. The relationships in these stories are mostly heterosexual and vary from long-term marriages to first encounters. The characters range from unattached singles to divorced parents to married couples with children. These stories take place across the world, and are rooted in our relationships with the erotic, body and mind, heart and soul.

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Best Erotic Romance

Edited by Kristina Wright. Cleis Press, 2012. Foreword by Shayla Black

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What Happened In Vegas by Sylvia Day skillfully balances the genres of romance and erotica, combining traditional romance with scorching hot sex.

First Night by Donna George Storey explores the concept of marriage and anticipates the subtle changes that such a deep commitment can bring.

Another Trick up My Sleeve by Heidi Champa finds humor and depth in a couple’s quest to bring excitement back to their sex life.

Drive Me Crazy by Delilah Devlin is a lusty story about attraction and the push and pull of two characters as they reveal themselves to each other.

Once Upon a Dinner Date by Saskia Walker is a delightfully playful story that feeds upon the sensual exploration of sex.

He Tends to Me by Justine Elyot searches the place of love in a Dominant/submissive relationship dynamic.

Guest Services by Angela Caperton explores sex as self-empowerment, as the main character learns to take what she wants.

Memories for Sale by Andrea Dale is a story about a couple in a broken relationship opening up to communication and healing.

Blame it on Facebook by Kate Dominic finds the main character reconnecting with her past, and finding a path to her future.

The Draft by Craig J. Sorenson explores the powerful need for connection between two strangers who meet by chance.

To Be in Clover by Shanna Germain is a beautifully written story encompassing the wild, boundless nature of our sexual selves.

Honey Changes Everything by Emerald explores sex as a place of empowerment, as a couple finds strength in each other during a difficult time.

Cheating Time by Kate Pearce is a hot, heady story which engages and shows the love, passion, and sheer lust between a couple who take time to rediscover and reignite the fire between them.

Our Own Private Champagne Room by Rachel Kramer Bussel explores pop-culture sexuality and self-awareness as the main character actualizes her fantasy.

Till the Storm Breaks by Erobintica is a story about sexual openness and acceptance, as a married couple finds erotic pleasure between them rekindled through a threesome.

The Curve of Her Belly by Kristina Wright explores the concept of beauty and body image, as the main character struggles to see herself as the beautiful, sexy woman her husband sees, revealing a story of love, intimacy, and desire.

Dawn Chorus by Nikki Magennis is a story about the primal, emotional, natural expression of sex, as two characters crash into each other’s dark worlds, bringing to light the deep need we all have for connection with another.

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About Cleis Press

Cleis Press publishes provocative, intelligent books in the areas of sexuality, gay and lesbian studies, erotica, fiction, gender studies, and human rights. The largest independent queer publishing company in the United States, Cleis Press was founded in 1980 by Felice Newman and Frédérique Delacoste. Brenda Knight is Associate Publisher and Kat Sanborn is Editorial Associate.

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About Kristina Wright

Kristina Wright is an award-winning author whose fiction has appeared in over seventy-five anthologies. A member of the Erotica Readers and Writers Association, Romance Writers of America, and Passionate Ink, Kristina received the Golden Heart Award for Romantic Suspense from RWA. She is the editor of Steamlust, Dream Lover, and the bestselling Fairy Tale Lust.

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• Call For Submissions: Putting The “BLE” In Combustible

What is “BLE”?  It’s Best Lesbian Erotica of course!  Simply Google the title and you’ll find nothing but praise for this anthology of steamy hot stories. This is the fourth year that friend of our site, Kathleen Warnock, is editing the anthology – and she’s looking for submissions for Best Lesbian Erotica 2013 to be published by Cleis Press in December, 2012.   In addition to the $100 payment and author copies, contributors receive a 50% discount on the book purchased from Cleis.

In 2011 the edition was judged by Lea DeLaria, who contributed a story (The Elevator Man) to the 2012 edition. And those off-Broadway favorites, BETTY, were the guest judges in 2010.

So if you think you have what it takes to write something that will steam up the windows and mirrors … get to writing and get those submissions IN!  Details after the jump:

Submission Guidelines for Best Lesbian Erotica 2013

Kathleen Warnock is now accepting submissions for Best Lesbian Erotica 2013, to be published by Cleis Press in December, 2012.

Payment is $100 for each published story, and two copies of the book.

Submission Guidelines:

• Submit short stories, self-contained novel excerpts, other prose
• Unpublished material will be considered
• Previously published material will also be considered
• Submit two hard copies of each submission (you may print double-sided).
• Include a cover page with: Author’s Name, Pen Name (if applicable) Title of Submission(s), Address, Phone, and Email Address, and short (50 words) bio.
• All submissions must be typed and double-spaced; number the pages.
• Each submission should be a maximum of 5,000 words (list word count on title page). You may print double-sided.
• You may submit 2 pieces of work
• No email submissions will be accepted, except in the circumstances detailed below; you can email queries to Kwarnockble (at) gmail.com
• Manuscripts will not be returned.
• We will consider stories that have been published in other themed anthologies.

E-mail submissions:

• You may submit your story via email (as a Word document or PDF) under the following conditions:
  • You live outside of North America or Europe
  • The cost of postage would be prohibitive from your home country
  • The content of your submission may be illegal to send via postal mail in your home country
• Submission Deadline:
  • Submissions will be accepted throughout the year. The final (postmark) deadline is April 1, 2012. All submissions will be responded to by the end of September. Early submissions are encouraged.

Mailing Information:

Send all submissions to:

Kathleen Warnock
31-64 21st St., #319
Long Island City, NY 11106
Attn: BLE2013

If mailing from the US, First Class mail is fine. If you require a confirmation other than the USPS Delivery Confirmation, please included a self-addressed stamped postcard (not an envelope). If mailing from Canada, Airmail or XpressPost USA are recommended.

Please note: April 1, 2012 is a postmark date. You don’t need to overnight it as long as it is postmarked by then. If you are unable to make the postmark date, please email to discuss the possibility of an extension.

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Marielle DeLuna & Antonio Miniño in front of her photographs | photo by Decia Bodden

In she walks wearing one of New York based Dominican fashion designer Peter Hidalgo‘s latest creations for Spring/Summer 2012, a turqouise Mosquito dress that asserts her readiness to conquer the world and create all opportunities. She has a lot to celebrate, a dream come true to most artists and even bigger accomplishment for someone from the small pond of Dominican Republic to the mecca of Art and Design.

Marielle DeLuna is an emerging photographer who said yes to living her passion later in her life. From being an American Airlines employee to owning Marielle DeLuna Photography, she has broken molds with her unique personality and love for the obscure in a land where this practice is most unconventional.

She is not a stranger to adversity having received “shade” from purists for her radical views and tell-it-like-it-is personality. Sticks and stones that will never affect an outstanding mother raising a beautiful family, an anchor that reminds her of what is really important at the end of the day. Judging by their participation in one of the photographs being displayed at the Broadway Gallery in SoHo they support her passion wholeheartedly.

Marielle took some time to answer some questions for The Happiest Medium.

When did you fall in love with the lens? what inspires you?
Marielle: Since I was a child I love Art… My inspirations come from old and romantic paintings; the paintings are a dream to me, a secret or a mysterious kind of beauty.
Beauty can be created and represented by a dream, or fantasy, sometimes romantic and sometimes repugnant.

How did you get involved with Broadway Gallery and this exhibit?
MDL: Thanks to my dear friends Chloe Fernandez and Peter Hidalgo, both in fashion actually.

Marielle DeLuna

How has being a native of the Dominican Republic influence your Art? how does it add to it and how does it make it challenging?
MDL: In Dominican Republic traditional photographers and art buyers are mostly interested in folkloric Art and Destination Photography, which is why I think I’ve been mostly influenced by International artists, but there is a part of our history that really inspires me and makes me dream of the past and the people of yesteryear forcing me to look for other ways of expression…. Our Colonial Zone is full of history and very rich in untold stories that I try to catch with my eye and translate with my lens.

What is next for Marielle DeLuna?
MDL: A Fantasy Book.

~~~

Marielle DeLuna’s photos were on display through February 2nd at the Broadway Gallery in SoHo NYC.

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I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the new short film by Antonia Bogdanovich — MY LEFT HAND MAN —  starring Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Nanny McPhee, Love Actually), Andrew Howard (Limitless, upcoming “Hatfields and McCoys”), Kevin Bigley (“The Chicago Code,” “CSI: Miami”) and Erich Wildpret, who is a Latin American star. The 18-minute dramatic short screens as part of the NJ Film Fest at Rutgers on January 28th.  Although the film clocks in at under half an hour I was captivated by the beautiful mosaic of emotions Bogdanovich was able to create both as writer and director in this film.  The story is told in a straightforward, simple manner however the situation is anything but conventional.

The Emersons are a theatrical family, of sorts – one son is a street performer who recites Shakespeare while his older brother picks pockets in the crowd. Their father, a has-been thespian, spends the take on booze and ponies. But Samuel wants to make like his comic book hero The Cardinal Comet and split; and a visit from a loan shark gives Samuel a chance at freedom.

Ms. Bogdanovich graciously allowed me to pepper her with questions, both about this amazing film and the process of making it, as well as how her impressive lineage played a part in making her who she is today.  Read on as she tells me about the challenges of creating a short film, how her own rebellious youth helped her created the character of Samuel, and exactly what a “left hand man” means to her …

Antonia Bogdanovich

Antonia! I just saw your short film, MY LEFT HAND MAN, and found it incredibly compelling. In 18 minutes you manage to tell a story which provides so much back-story yet takes place in a very short span of time.

You not only directed MY LEFT HAND MAN, but wrote it as well. Where did this idea of the story come from?

Antonia Bogdanovich: The idea came from a few places. I love Shakespeare – as an actor, I studied it a bit at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London (summer program). And I have seen quite a few very good productions on stage, as well as some of or most of the films. I really relate to his work, it has such depth yet it is so accessible. The crime elements are from my own experiences….ahem… I was a bit of a juvenile delinquent – rebelling pretty hard against my upbringing. So I basically hung out with kids that stole cause they had to (their parents didn’t have enough to finance their extracurricular activities) or because they just liked the thrill of getting away with it or both.

The comic book comes from my son – who loves superheroes – but I chose comic books because I wanted it to be clear that my character couldn’t really afford cell phones or cable TV. Then it became even more important to show that their father wouldn’t really allow it even it they could afford it.

I also really wanted to write about two brothers. And what it would be like if they had to fend for themselves. My parents were away a lot working when I was growing up, and I had to figure out a lot of stuff on my own. And I love the dynamic of brothers. It’s really fascinating how close they can be, but don’t necessarily interact the way sisters do. (I have 2 sisters).

What does the title mean to you personally? And further, what do you think the title would mean to your characters – something different?

AB: The title, as you probably gathered, is a play on “my right hand man.” So the title means having someone you can depend on, but in a real backwards kind of way. You can depend on them, but you really shouldn’t. So the father depends on his kids, but he shouldn’t. The brothers depend on themselves, but they shouldn’t have to at such a young age. And in the end, they all encounter great losses because of this. So I guess the title is really about enabling and co-dependence, familiar themes I think all families contend with, but this one worse than some others.

I think to my characters the title might mean something different for each one. The father would deny it completely. The older brother would say that no one was or is his right or left hand man. And the youngest brother, Samuel (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), would probably feel the same way I do about the title. Samuel’s brother is his left hand man. He depends on him because he really doesn’t have a choice. But in the end, he only has himself to depend on. So in a way, he’s free.

MY LEFT HAND MAN will be screening as part of the New Jersey Film Fest at Rutgers. How did you become a part of that?

AB: I submitted to the New Jersey Film Festival and they accepted the film. I really thought festivals in New York and New Jersey would respond to this story so I searched festivals in that area. Fingers crossed I get into a few more!

Thomas Brodie Sangster in a scene from "My Left Hand Man"

Thomas Brodie-Sangster is utterly amazing in this film. How did he come to this role?

AB: Thomas Brodie-Sangster is unbelievable. He made me tear up a number of times on the set. And I don’t usually cry in front of people I barely know, but one time I had to literally go outside. I was so overwhelmed with his sheer, natural talent. We would really like to work together again so I pray that happens in the future. The way I found him was I called my dear friend Sean Valla to ask if he would edit my short. He was in Louisiana at the time working on a feature film, The Baytown Disco. I told him about the script and described the main character. He said, “you should check out Sangster” – who was actually working on The Baytown Disco. I asked if he were British and if he could do an American accent to which the answers were both “yes”. Then I looked him up on IMDB and almost died because he was perfect. Then, of course, I recognized him from Love Actually and Nowhere Boy. Then I got really lucky because I sent him the script and he liked it! Sean Valla did end up being my editor so I got 2 great people with one lucky phone call.

Short films can sometimes be more challenging that full-length movies which is something most people would never consider. I’m sure you had to juggle a lot of moving parts to make this film. What’s a story you could share with our readers that’s a good example of this?

AB: On the challenges of short films, three days before we started shooting we lost the actor that was supposed to play the father, Warren. He got a recurring role on a TV show so I totally understood at that time because mine was a short with no real money. Needless to say, I was panicked. We needed an English actor, etc and as you could probably tell from the quality of the acting, I wasn’t about to use a mediocre actor. So I knew if I didn’t end up recasting it with a really talented actor, I would end up cancelling the shoot. I basically “called in” my first big favor. I actually had to call a few people I knew before I really got the favor…lol. The 1st few people I called were like….”ahhh, you say it’s for a short….yeah can’t really help there.” Then someone put me in touch with Andrew Howard, who was literally between projects in Los Angeles for one week and agreed to do it. I will never forget what he did for me or for this film. He was incredible! He is so funny too, that he had everyone on set in stitches!

The film has a beautiful aesthetic – every frame carries an emotion with it. Was that intentional? Or do you just do that intuitively?

AB: As far as the aesthetic (thanks so much for the incredible compliment), I do it intuitively. But I was an amateur photographer and also dabbled in oil painting. My grandfather was a fine artist, my father has an incredible eye, and my mother was an amazing production designer so I guess you could say it’s in the genes. However, I’ve always been an extremely visual learner. So I have to give some of the credit to myself. And when I write scripts I do see every shot in my head and every location before I write it.

Antonia on set

How hard was it for you to switch between your writing persona and your directing persona to complete this film? Was there ever a moment, directing it, that you were tempted to re-write something in order to make something flow better?

AB: Funny you ask about the writing/directing persona. I actually re-wrote up until three days before we were going to shoot. I only stopped because my 1st AD was like, “we need a shooting script now so I can send it out to the crew so stop sending me new drafts!” But on set, my actors improvised a bit – mostly the foul language and some English slang. I only actually wrote one “fuck” in the script. But as I’m sure you noticed there were many many more than that, which was perfectly fine with me because it was completely authentic to the story we were telling.

You are the product of two very talented parents whose combined success in the industry is estimable. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you were going to follow in their footsteps. My dad’s an accountant and that’s the last career I would choose. Even though you are obviously talented as a writer and filmmaker you easily could have decided to do something else to be rebellious. So, my question is – taking all that into account – was this career inevitable? Or could you see yourself doing something else just as easily?

AB: My parents…yes… are a tough act to follow. Well, I started out at a very young age wanting to be a singer. I was quite good, but I had terrible stage fright so I got as far as back-up singing and a demo tape. I also worked in production right out of high school for a number of years, but never knew quite what I wanted to end up doing. At that time, I never ever considered directing. It was too much pressure, and I didn’t have the confidence. I also studied acting and booked quite a few acting gigs. But after one really bad experience – I left acting and the business for good, swearing that it wasn’t for me and decided to become a scientist – as far removed as possible

But within a year of college, I took up writing – poems, short stories, and journalism. I kept telling myself that this was a hobby and I wasn’t an artist, dammit. Even when I wrote my second screenplay, I was still telling myself the same thing. I was in complete denial. But now, I would have to say that this was truly inevitable. Though I tried very hard at other things, none of them stuck. It’s quite a relief for me to not fight it anymore. I’m truly at peace with it. I wanted so badly to do something different than my parents. I was such a rebel. But I realized at some point that I can be different than them, but still make pictures. And now I’m so proud of their accomplishments where as when I was younger, I was intimidated. I am so thankful for everything they taught me about film-making even though when I was younger I often would roll my eyes at them when they would try to teach me something. My mother knew so very much about every aspect of film-making it still boggles my mind.

As far as directing, it was much easier for me to be a writer than to admit I wanted to be a film director. After directing some theater, I actually did the short to make sure that what I really wanted to do. And, by the second day I was so sure and so comfortable being a director it was unreal. It was a true “ahh” moment. It also felt so real and so perfect for my personality. I really feel at home on a movie set – probably because I spent more time with my parents on movie sets than I did at home. Sad as that may sound, it’s true. When I see lights and cable laid across the ground it actually reminds me of the good parts of my childhood every time. And we all know how that feels when we see something from our childhood that just makes us feel comfortable. Well, that’s how it feels like for me on a movie set.

Final question – the film ends on an open-ended note of confusion, but hope too. What do you think that says about you, as a writer?

AB: Every opportunity in life brings another challenge, not necessarily an obstacle, but another choice. So Brodie-Sangster’s character, Samuel, is not quite sure where he’s going to go next. But I do have him leave the house so the audience would know he’s not going to stay “in there” figuratively or physically. I think that traumatic events are so confusing. I’ve had a few bad ones, and some of them were at a pretty young age. But if you experience tragedy, you also have to have hope that things will improve otherwise you would literally die from grief. You actually learn that things get better after going through something difficult for the first time. In other words, you learn to have “hope” that things will get better with time and space from the actual event.

So I think as a writer I will always want to leave my audience with some hope, but also with the understanding that life can be pretty confusing with its fair share of ups and downs. And when we are first confronted with something I think there is always a time where we are confused by it or don’t quite understand what is happening to us or the people around us.

~~~

Thank you, Antonia Bogdanovich, for giving us so much background on your wonderful film!

For those of you who are interested in seeing My Left Hand Man at the festival, please click here for more information.  The screening will be held January 28th starting at 7:00pm and Antonia will be making an appearance so if you read something here that you’d like to know more about, or if something about the film brings up your own questions – get yourself over there and ask away!

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