Latest news with #SoloTravelingwith
a day ago
- Entertainment
Martha's Vineyard film fest returns with Black star power, bold storytelling and cultural legacy
LOS ANGELES -- No matter the time on Martha's Vineyard, a shimmering glow will be powered by the star presence of Black filmmakers, actors and tastemakers like Issa Rae, Mara Brock Akil and Michelle Obama who are shaping culture on their own terms. For two-plus decades, the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival has been a cultural reunion, a summer sanctuary and a safe haven where some of the industry's most influential voices converge in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts. This week marks the return of the 23rd annual nine-day celebration, which kicks off Friday with a stacked slate that includes appearances from singer-actor Jennifer Hudson and Hall of Fame basketball player Dwyane Wade, screenings like Spike Lee 's 'Highest 2 Lowest' and intimate conversations with figures such as the Rev. Al Sharpton. Over the years, the festival has drawn the who's who of Black Hollywood — including Ava DuVernay, Kerry Washington, Tyler Perry and Regina King. The Obamas made a surprise appearance in 2022. 'It's a moment when so many of us converge and gather in a location that has historically received us incredibly well,' said Tracee Ellis Ross, who will screen her new Roku Channel series 'Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross.' The three-episode show follows Ross as she embarks on solo journeys to unplug, indulge and reconnect through Morocco, Mexico and Spain. Ross said traveling solo is a way of life. She said sharing her project at MVAAFF felt right, noting that the Vineyard-set episode of Akil's 'Forever' captures the spirit and beauty of the picturesque island. 'It felt like the perfect location to kind of share,' she said. 'The timing was perfect from when the show came out.' Set on the campus of the Martha's Vineyard Performing Arts Center and the Vineyard Lounge, the festival has grown from a grassroots gathering into a premier destination where Black creatives can find inspiration, connection and support. Akil paid homage to festival founders Stephanie and Floyd Rance, crediting them for building a creative pipeline where stories rooted in Black culture live and are seen. 'They know the value. They know the need,' said Akil, who will screen 'The Vineyard' episode from the Netflix series 'Forever' at the festival. 'Regardless of what the institution or systems of Hollywood sees as valuable, we claim the value of our stories. We have a chance to celebrate them, complete them, tell them, view them and share them with an audience. It allows for the completion of the story, so that we can move on to many, many, many more stories that need to be told.' Floyd Rance described MVAAFF as a vital part of the entertainment ecosystem, offering a platform where Black voices and stories are given the spotlight they deserve. 'It's always good to have somewhat of a convergence for folks of like mind in the arts and entertainment to gather, coalesce, share ideas, rekindle friendships and fellowship,' said Floyd, who along with Stephanie said they did not expect their festival to become such a main attraction. 'Despite the political climate and what's going on in entertainment, it's always a good time for birds of a feather to flock together.' In addition to the panels and screenings, Stephanie Rance said this year's festival centers on the theme of joy, focusing more on celebration than struggle. She's especially excited for attendees to experience a range of conversations, from little-known moments in Black history to a panel on Ralph Lauren's Oak Bluffs collection with Morehouse and Spelman. The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture will host a discussion on Black dandyism, paying tribute to fashion icon André Leon Talley. 'The community at large on the Vineyard and the folks that come from all over the world to the festival really embrace the filmmakers,' she said. 'Everybody loves the studio and the streaming content and the talent that comes in. But we really are a filmmakers' film fest at heart.' This year's festival is delivering a dynamic slate that blends star power, conversation and creative insight. Spike Lee will unveil exclusive clips from his upcoming film 'Highest 2 Lowest' starring Denzel Washington. Courtney B. Vance is set to lead a panel on Black storytelling, diving into how content creation can retain cultural authenticity. Jennifer Hudson will open up about her Emmy-nominated daytime talk show, while Dwyane Wade will participate in a men's luncheon with industry leaders to discuss leadership, legacy and capital in today's evolving media space. Joy Reid is hosting a fireside chat on power and purpose. Issa Rae returns with a preview of part two of her documentary 'Seen & Heard,' continuing her exploration of visibility for Black creatives. And Debbie Allen will be honored with a tribute to 'A Different World,' celebrating the force the show continues to be decades later. The screenings will showcase a wide range of Black storytelling, including Starz's 'Magic City: American Fantasy,' the Tyler Perry-produced 'Old Mary Mare,' HBO Max's 'The Gilded Age,' and Ryan Coogler's critically acclaimed 'Sinners.' Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson will hold a live taping of their podcast that'll include an interview with Teyana Taylor. For returning filmmakers like Andre Gaines, the festival has become a cultural home to showcase work. This year marks his third screening at MVAAFF, where he'll show 'The Dutchman,' a bold reimagining of Amiri Baraka's searing 1964 play. 'It's great to show our stories in front of our people and get this visceral and genuine reaction when it comes to things that we're familiar with,' said Gaines, who's also collaborating with MVAAFF founders Stephanie and Floyd Rance on a documentary about the late ESPN anchor Stuart Scott. Gaines said the festival affirms the value of Black storytelling in a way that mainstream spaces often overlook. 'Some people look at our festivals, media or award shows as being less than what the mainstream or our white contemporaries might consider them to be, but they aren't,' he said. 'That's the beauty of this festival. We talk to each other and herald the filmmakers that came before us and the ones currently working. We get this grand opportunity to come together in that form.'
USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Tracee Ellis Ross always brings four suitcases. Her 'bring it all' packing philosophy.
In the first episode of 'Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross,' the actress lingers in the lobby of her Morocco hotel trying to decide whether she wants to get a drink or not. 'One of the many advantages of solo traveling is that you can change your plans last minute,' she says in voiceover. 'I don't feel like going out anymore, and no one gets upset.' She turns around and orders room service instead. The three-episode show, which premiered Friday on The Roku Channel, follows Ross on vacations to Marrakech; Mexico's Riviera Maya; and Marbella, Spain, highlighting the joys of exploring the world on your own. Ross, who is also a producer and the founder of PATTERN Beauty, spoke to USA TODAY about her love of solo trips, airplane etiquette and why she usually has at least four checked bags. This interview was edited and condensed for clarity. You mention in the show that you've been solo traveling since your 20s. What do you enjoy about solo travel in particular? I really like my own company. I like being by myself. You know, I live a very full and jam-packed life. I often am working seven days a week and working when I'm on vacation, and doing things. And so it's an opportunity for me to allow the dust to settle and for life to kind of integrate into my being. I really enjoy the luxury of being. I do a lot of doing in my life. And so there's something about solo travel – the kind of solo travel that I do, because some people go on solo travel for adventure, some people go to meet people, some people go to sort of be away from their lives. The kind that I do really is about being, and I gain a muscle strength, which I liken to a baseball player that swings with two bats and then gets up to plate and swings with one. I feel like solo travel is a little bit like swinging with two bats, and I gain a muscle strength around the ability to hold my own self with confidence out in the world. I come back and you're like, going to a party by yourself is no big deal. I was curious what it was like documenting the travels, as opposed to other types of solo trips you might have taken in the past? It was weird. The first episode was weird. I was very uncomfortable. It was interesting. It was very important to me that we included the packing as part of the show, my packing and my travel and sort of what that experience is for me, because that's the sort of authentic truth of it. And I didn't want cameras in my home, so when we figured out how to do the cell phone and record that way, it ended up being one of the best tools on the show, because I was able to do that in a lot of the intimate moments where there wasn't the ability to have a camera person there, and that helped the experience feel more intimate. The other thing that we ended up doing, I recorded a lot of the quiet moments where there's no talking, and that's what happens when you're solo traveling. And then when we were in the editing process, there was the discovery that as much as that sort of reportage, what do you call it? Like, that documentary feeling, that it needed a voiceover, sort of an inner dialog voiceover. So, as opposed to it being written, it was really me talking my thoughts, and I thought that helped me feel more comfortable with what I was sharing, so that the experience of, 'Can you be yourself by yourself out in the world?', which is really what the underlying theme of the show is, felt articulated in that way. We get to see in the show your very meticulous packing process. What is one of your travel must haves that you always bring? Well, I always bring a medical kit, and that's both one that, you know, has a tourniquet, like, Band-Aids and Neosporin, and also your basics like Theraflu and anti-nausea (medication) and stuff like that, just in case. … The other is a pillow. It's a must have. I have a smaller pillow that will go in an onboard roller bag, because I know that I have expressed this and I think I talk about it in the show that I am a checked-bag girl. One of my packing philosophies is BIA, which is, 'bring it all.' I often check a minimum of four bags. And then I also talk about how I prepare for beauty and disaster. I also, in my carry-on, have a very meticulously and strategically put together bag that if the luggage doesn't arrive, I can still look chic and be fine for an extended period of time before I can get to a store. And so those things are really important to me. But, yeah, I kind of think it all through. I'm like, is it going to rain? Isn't it going to rain? We all know that now, the weather changes every day, so I have it all. Do you have a favorite travel memory from shooting? I really enjoyed the olive oil (tasting) in Spain. I felt very tickled and also silly that I didn't know that the majority of the olive oil in the world comes from Spain; I thought it was Italy, and I'm like, 'Oh, how did I not know that?' Who knew there were so many shades of yellow and green in olive oil, and who knew that olive oil could be just as intricate and expressive as wine? And I thought that was really amazing. Morocco and the nut carts were (some) of my favorites. Who knew, again, that a cart of nuts could be like a beautiful display of art? Also the 'Red City,' Marrakech, and that beautiful, sort of dusty rose color was one of my favorite, favorite things I experienced in the travel. Do you have a preferred way that you like to travel? We saw you flying in the show but are there other ways, like train or cruise travel, that you enjoy? Up until this moment, I have not been a cruise person at all, but I won't say that that's out of the question. I love flying. I'm an easy flyer. Growing up, I did a lot of taking a train because I went to school in Switzerland … and so I really find there's a real civility to the train that I quite enjoy. But due to my luggage, the train is not my preferred (method), and the airplane is the most easy. Do you have any travel pet peeves, things that bug you while you travel? Oh, I have many. People that cough and don't cover their mouth is just – I just don't understand. I'm sorry, I do not. I mean, put your face in your shirt. It's not that hard. People that go into the bathroom on the airplane in bare feet – I'm at a loss here. I want to help those people understand what is actually happening in the bathroom. … It's sort of airplane etiquette, being in tight, personal spaces with people and the different etiquette that people have. I just sometimes am at a loss why people don't have more courtesy for their fellow human than is right next to them, especially after COVID, and how we learned how easy it really is to protect yourself. Is there anything that you like to splurge on when you travel? I think the biggest is in time. I let myself sleep. Like if I want to stay up and watch my iPad and binge until 2 o'clock in the morning, so be it. If I want to sleep late, I sleep late. If I want to take an afternoon nap, I take an afternoon nap. If I want to have a glass of wine at lunch, I have a glass of wine at lunch and then take a nap. So, I think time is really the luxury for me on solo vacations and following my own pace and my own heart around. The splurge financially – I'm not really a shopper on solo travel. I did in Morocco, because how could you not? Like, it was just something that had to be experienced. But it's not a thing that I do. I'm not a person who goes to a gift shop or even has to go find this or that somewhere. I love museums and restaurants and things like that more in travel. But I do love extravagant first classes. And I do love a hotel room that if I am too anxious and can't sort of experience out there on my own, that I would be fine in my hotel room and in my hotel. Great American Vacation: Josh Gad's favorite travel splurge isn't what you'd expect For someone who hasn't traveled on their own and they're not used to it, do you have any tips for taking your first solo trip? I absolutely do. If you have the impulse to solo travel but you're nervous and you've never done it before, the first thing I suggest is that you go to dinner on a Wednesday night at 6 o'clock when a restaurant opens and see how you do. If you do well on that, try a Friday or Saturday night at 8 p.m. when it is jam packed with couples and groups of people. If you can accomplish that and feel good about it, I then suggest that you take a solo trip. If you still feel nervous about that, then you can either tack on a couple of days on your own during a trip that's already been planned with other people, or go somewhere you've been with other people on your own, so that you know what to expect from that environment. The other thing I ask people to ask themselves is, what kind of solo trip are you looking for? Do you want a solo trip of adventure, to meet people, to relax by yourself? It'll help you define where it is you want to go. And then the last thing that I think is incredibly important is, if you're traveling on your own, I suggest that people treat it like dating in that (you) let somebody know where you're going, give them your itinerary, so they can check on you and know where you are. And also if there are parts of your identity that perhaps will leave you vulnerable in a foreign place, perhaps if you are a woman on your own, a Black woman, LGBTQ, differently abled, anything that might perhaps be perceived as a vulnerability out in the world, do your due diligence to the best of your ability to find a location that you will be safe there. Obviously there's the unexpected, but that you can, to the best of your ability, make sure that you will be safe where you go.
IOL News
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Tracee Ellis Ross unpacks her 'delicate' secrets to effortless solo travel packing
Tracee Ellis Ross shares practical travel tip for solo travel. Image: Instagram When it comes to packing for a getaway, one would typically think of layering the suitcase with a veritable buffet of clothing options; however, "Black-ish" star Tracee Ellis Ross has a refreshingly minimalist approach. The 52-year-old shared her quirky travel essentials in front of a curious audience at the Travel + Leisure's World's Best Summit in New York City, making jaws drop with her packing philosophy: "There's always one bathing suit, a flip flop and one little dress I can roll up. And there's always two undies," she said. "Travel + Leisure" editor-in-chief Jacqui Gifford wasn't shy about probing further, asking: "Two undies, that's it?" To which Ross responded that she often takes matters into her own hands, literally. "I use a hotel sink and a bar of soap to hand-wash my undergarments. You can't pack a month's worth of underwear. They take up a lot of space," Ross explained. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading But wait, there's more! Just days after her onstage appearance, Ross took to Instagram to clarify her packing strategy: "This is hilarious. I pack two pairs in my carry-on in case my luggage doesn't make it." Her openness came just ahead of the premiere of her new travel show, "Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross", which is set to premiere on the Roku Channel on Friday, July 25. Mixing her love for travel with the joys of self-exploration, Ross describes herself as "a solo travelling broad" looking to take her audience on a fun-filled journey of culture, cuisine and, of course, hotel pools. Back in 2023, Ross championed the power of solo travel, encouraging others to embrace the experience, starting with a simple dinner for one. "See if you can do that. You might find you can't! Then you're not ready for a solo trip," she said in her feature with Travel + Leisure's The Best in Class Issue 2023. Back to the delicates, Ross posted a TikTok video showcasing her practical approach to laundry while on holiday. She broke down the process, saying that she uses shower gel, a bar of soap and two sinks to hand wash her underwear before she rings them out, rolls them into a towel and then hangs them up to dry. Viewers appreciated her down-to-earth wisdom, praising her for being "so relatable" despite her star status. "This is why we love you, Tracee! So relatable!" gushed one fan, while others expressed admiration for her throwback laundry skills. South Africans rushed to the comments to add their voices. @user9199855113634 said: "Don't you wash everything after bathing? That's what we do in South Africa." @Moyakazi commented: "Are we the only nation that washes one at a time every day?" Whether it is one at a time or all at once, sometimes you have to get your hands dirty, or at least your undies clean!
