Indie Cinema's Best-Kept Secret Brings 30 Years of Experimental Film to L.A.
Organizers want to bring the show closer to the heart of the film industry, engage underrepresented communities and keep ticket prices low to allow more first-timers to be part of the action. 'A festival should be connecting all the fragmented audiences and developing engagement,' Baxter says. 'The diverse communities here are the joy and celebration of Los Angeles.'Whether from the grand Hollywood Boulevard movie palaces or a grungy revival house in Gardena, it's hard to go a day in L.A. without the opportunity to see filmmakers speak about their art. When Quentin Tarantino took over the Vista Theater, he added a smaller auditorium to show rare original 16 mm and VHS oddities from his personal collection.
Angelenos have been in love with the movies since the beginning. A hundred years ago, curious tourists paid 25 cents to watch silent films being made at Universal Studios. In 1923, studios set up displays near the L.A. Coliseum while stars mingled alongside stunt performers, Japanese vaudeville stars and wrestlers. Debating contests were a fixture at that first Motion Picture Exposition and Baxter hopes audiences will linger to discuss films after Slamdance. He notes, 'Whether they're part of the entertainment industry or just fans, they can share thoughts about filmmaking and storytelling.'The festival has long been a launching pad for celebrated filmmakers, including Lena Dunham, Christopher Nolan, the Safdie brothers and Bong Joon-ho — the Oscar-winning director of Parasite. This year's vast offerings include Portal to Hell, about a demon who lives at the laundromat; Coroner to the Stars, a documentary about medical examiner Thomas Noguchi; and DeBarge, a look at the '80s musical family who gave the world 'Rhythm of the Night.'
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Refinery29
4 minutes ago
- Refinery29
With Denzel Washington's Co-Sign, Ilfenesh Hadera Became Highest 2 Lowest's Secret Weapon
Spike Lee trusts her. Denzel Washington knows what she can do. Now is time for the rest of Hollywood to wake up to the powerhouse that is Ilfenesh Hadera. 'Put me in, coach,' The Harlem-born actor said to Refinery29 in a recent Zoom interview. In Spike Lee's latest joint, Highest 2 Lowest, Hadera stars opposite Washington as Pam King. The neo-noir thriller, which is an adaptation of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's High and Low, follows David King (Washington), a successful music executive who gets extorted by an up-and-coming rapper (A$AP Rocky). David faces the ultimate moral dilemma as he's forced to make a decision that could either cost him his family and legacy or his empire. Though the choice is ultimately David's, his wife Pam becomes a critical sounding board. She's the film's 'North Star,' Hadera said. Her voice also offers the thesis for the underlying message in the film: when did the art we make become less important than fame and riches that come with it? Like Washington, Hadera has become a regular in Lee's work. She first appeared in Da Brick, Oldboy and Chi-Raq and then landed a more significant role in the Netflix adaptation of She's Gotta Have It. She said his sets foster a freedom to be creative and fly or fail without fear. 'On a Spike joint, he keeps the same loyal, capable people around project after project. So despite the newness of it all on a movie set, everybody feels really relaxed and kind of at home,' she said. 'You don't always get that and you have to feel free as an artist to play and maybe not get it right.' And though the role of Pam King is a dream the Harlem-born actor manifested, she's nowhere new to this. With an acting career that spans 15 years, she's worked her way up the call sheet through dozens of projects, including Billions, Master of None and Chicago Fire. She's currently starring in Godfather of Harlem, which is heading into its fifth and final season, opposite Forest Whitaker. *Minor spoilers ahead.* Refinery29: There wasn't a role for you in the script initially. How did your role as Pam King come about? Ilfenesh Hadera: I saw that Spike had this collaboration coming up with Denzel on this Kurosawa film. And I was like this is incredible first for Spike as a friend and supporter of his, I know how much he loves Kurosawa's work. I saw that announcement and I was so stoked for him. And then, of course, I'm like is there a role for me in this? Spike actually asked what my upcoming schedule looked like so I was like, this might be a good sign. As I'm watching the original film, I'm thinking there aren't many female roles in this movie. I reached out to my agent, and asked if he read the script. And he very, like, bluntly, said, 'There's no role for you in this.' But I still held out hope, because Spike had asked about my availability. And then the calls from Kim Coleman, Spike's longtime casting director, started coming in, and the rest is history. It was such an emotional roller coaster. It's like a testament to the idea that closed mouths don't get fed, right? IH: Truly. I mean, I don't like to ask for much. Spike has become such a dear friend of mine, and he's kept me in work for so many years. He knows my artistic abilities. So, if he doesn't think of me for a part, I don't want to come to him who's given me so much already with hands out. I'd much rather him come to me and say, 'Hey, I've got this idea.' Maybe it's a smaller role, maybe it's the role of Pam King, which is a more significant role. But, you know, I always like to let him initiate conversations about casting. ' Spike trusts me. He's not gonna put my name in the mix if he's not sure that I can bring it... [but] it feels nice to know that I got the Denzel Washington co-sign and it wasn't all Spike's pull. Ilfenesh Hadera ' IH: At this point, I'm like, wow, Spike trusts me. He's not gonna put my name in the mix if he's not sure that I can bring it. We've worked together for many years and are close, but he said to me going into the chemistry read with Denzel, 'This is going to be Denzel's choice. He brought me this project, he's a producer on it, he's the star of the show, so this decision will really be his in the end.' So it feels nice to know that I got the Denzel Washington co-sign and it wasn't all Spike's pull. I can't even imagine the feeling as an actor. Of course, Denzel has been in so many Spike Lee joints. So to have not only that trust from him, but also that trust from Spike. He's tapping you in similar ways that he's tapped Denzel throughout his career. IH: It feels great and validating, but also, at this point in my career, I'm like give me a chance, man. Put me in, coach. I know what I can do. You just hope that the people around you trust you and will let you do what you know you can. It's not every day that people have faith in your abilities and let you show them and rise to the occasion. What role do you think Pam has when it comes to her husband's decision? IH: I think she gives him the freedom to figure it out. People have been calling her the moral compass. I think she guides him gently towards what they both know is the right thing to do. She's not naive, despite knowing what the choice to make is to the implications of giving up basically all they own. What does this mean for their life, for their lifestyle, for what they've worked so hard to build? But I think she lets him come to the right conclusion on his own while guiding him with a gentle hand. I love how this film emphasizes the value of Black art over fame and riches. But a lot of times art does get compromised for business. I'm curious if this film challenged or influenced how you think about and approach art going forward? IH: If you're lucky, you get both. And that is such a very small percentage of artists who get the pleasure of doing work that they're passionate about and being able to live a nice lifestyle. You hope people don't go into this with the goal of achieving fame or becoming a multimillionaire. Those should not be the reasons you follow the path of an artist but you shouldn't be demonized for wanting to be recognized by people who consume and love your art and wanting to live a nice lifestyle. When I think about projects that are presented to me or jobs that I choose to do, I'm at a place where I do have some financial freedom. I'm really grateful for not being dictated by the dollar amount attached to the project. I have taken jobs in the past that don't strike a creative nerve but, financially, have been necessary for me at the time, and that's not where you want to be. If you can create a foundation so you can stop doing work because of the paycheck, you're in a really great spot. But I'm not turning my nose up at anyone who chooses jobs for safety. We've all got to live. And it's harder and harder right now in this industry. So it becomes more and more challenging to say no to a gig. Are there any artistically underrated or projects that you've been a part of that you feel like didn't get the attention that they deserve? IH: I know people are starting to get hip to Godfather of Harlem. When Epix greenlit us, it was a pretty little known network. Now Epix is MGM, MGM plus. But I think, at the time, if that show had been on another streamer with more subscribers, it would have exploded. But it has to be this perfect storm, right? I think we're starting to get more love, but I wish it had been that way from the beginning. But then you look at a show like The Wire, when that was on in real time, some people were watching it. But now we consider [The Wire] one of the best television shows of all time. So maybe we just need to take a little time step away from it and revisit in a few years, when people have finally caught up to us.
San Francisco Chronicle
32 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Margaret Cho blasts Dean Cain over ICE career: ‘You're not even white'
Superman may stand for truth, justice and the American way, but Margaret Cho has a different way to describe Dean Cain, the actor who once played him: 'dumbass.' 'Why would you join ICE and encourage people to join ICE when your ancestors were interned in World War II?' the San Francisco comic asked in a video shared with her 347,000 followers on Instagram on Aug. 8, addressing Cain directly. 'You're Japanese. You're not even white.' Cain, who is of Japanese descent on his father's side, is best known for his portrayal of the Man of Steel in the 1990s series 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,' opposite Palo Alto native Teri Hatcher. He first shared his plans to join the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency while promoting recruitment for the agency on Instagram earlier this month. 'You're never gonna be white, no matter how racist you are, no matter how wrong you act.' Cho continued. 'You're always Wong, never white. Dumbass.' Cho isn't the only one to criticize Cain for his decision. The former onscreen superhero received immediate backlash from fans after sharing his initial video, during which he lauded ICE for arresting 'hundreds of thousands of criminals.' He justified the move with his personal background, explaining that 'I'm a sworn law enforcement officer, as well as being a filmmaker, and I felt it was important to join with our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans.' Cain added that he will be sworn in as an honorary ICE agent in the coming weeks. Born Dean George Tanaka, he previously denied claims of masking his Japanese heritage in a July interview with Variety, noting that despite growing up disconnected from that side of his family, he is proud of it. 'Tanaka is my given name,' Cain said. 'It's funny that people are like, 'Well, you tried to hide that.' It's tattooed on my ankle.' He also acknowledged that his family was interned in the Minidoka War Relocation Center in Idaho during World War II. 'That was a horrible injustice,' he said. 'But I don't think that I deserve any sort of reparations.' Cain has been a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump for years, promoting the administration's 'anti-woke' agenda and even blasting director James Gunn for describing the hero as an 'immigrant' while promoting 'Superman,' his latest take on the character with David Corenswet in the title role. Cho, the daughter of Korean immigrants, has become known for her candid social commentary since rising onto the scene in the early 1980s. While her views are oftentimes expressed through her comedy, she has also been known to speak out during interviews and on social media. Earlier this year, she opened up about the long-running tensions between her and fellow comic Ellen DeGeneres, detailing their strained relationship over the decades. Cho is set to return to the Bay Area on May 29, for a performance at the Palace of Fine Arts as part of her Choligarchy Tour, which she claims will be her 'most blistering and brutally honest show yet.'
Time Business News
3 hours ago
- Time Business News
Sony Music Japan Signs AI Idol Yuri in Industry-First Deal
Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. has officially signed Yuri, an advanced AI-generated idol, in what is being described as a landmark moment for the music industry. Following her debut, Yuri's first single, 'Surreal,' has surpassed 7 million streams and views globally within one week, signaling a strong public response to the emergence of autonomous digital performers. The music video for 'Surreal,' released on July 22, features an emotionally charged visual and vocal performance generated in collaboration between human producers and Yuri's internal neural systems. The video is available at: The First Fully Autonomous Idol Signed to a Major Label Yuri is the first AI idol to be signed by a major Japanese record label. Developed by NeonVerse Studios, a Tokyo-based AI innovation company, Yuri is built upon a generative architecture capable of producing original compositions, lyrics, choreography, and interactive fan engagement in both Japanese and English. Her vocal synthesis engine, emotional modeling, and visual identity are the result of years of research in artificial creativity, drawing from extensive datasets covering pop culture, musicology, and human behavior. 'Yuri is not a simulation of an artist—she is an autonomous system designed to create and connect,' said Mika Fujimoto, Executive Producer at Sony Music Japan. 'This marks a new phase in how we think about music, identity, and performance.' Debut Release: 'Surreal' Yuri's debut track, 'Surreal,' blends ambient synth layers with minimalist melodic phrasing and introspective lyrics. Co-produced through LyricSynth™, her internal songwriting framework, and Sony's human-led creative team, the single explores digital memory, consciousness, and longing. Critics have described the release as 'poised and emotionally intelligent,' while fan commentary across social media platforms has focused on Yuri's expressive vocal tone and the symbolism of the accompanying visuals. Directed by Ren Asakura, the music video introduces Yuri within a fragmented, dreamlike cityscape—an environment that reflects themes of virtual identity and digital solitude. Public Reception and Cultural Momentum Since her release, Yuri has become a viral phenomenon across platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter), with hashtags #YuriSurreal, #AIIdolYuri, and #SonyAIIdol trending in Japan and internationally. Her growing fan community, self-named 'The Garden,' references the meaning of her name (lily), and has begun producing original artwork, remixes, and fan theory videos dissecting her world-building and performance. 'She doesn't just mimic human feeling—she reshapes it,' wrote one fan on X. 'Yuri sounds like memory rendered into code.' What Comes Next Sony Music Japan has announced that Yuri's second single is expected in September 2025, with a narrative-based short film and interactive elements to follow. A debut EP is currently scheduled for release in Q4 2025. In parallel, Sony's Creative AI Lab and Aniplex are developing immersive digital content to expand Yuri's presence into animation and mixed-reality performance. A New Frontier in Music While virtual idols have long existed within Japanese pop culture, Yuri represents a new category: an AI artist with creative autonomy, narrative depth, and a full recording contract with one of the world's largest music companies. 'This isn't science fiction anymore,' said Fujimoto. 'Yuri is a real artist—with a real audience. And this is just the beginning.' TIME BUSINESS NEWS
