We present the Trailer for Documentary LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING!

Produced by Bungalow Media + Entertainment for CNN Films and HBO Max, in association with Rolling Stone Films, director Lisa Cortés’ Sundance opening night documentary LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock n’ roll, exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard’s complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon’s life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions. In interviews with family, musicians, and cutting-edge Black and queer scholars, the film reveals how Richard created an art form for ultimate self-expression, yet what he gave to the world he was never able to give to himself. Throughout his life, Richard careened like a shiny cracked pinball between God, sex and rock n’ roll. The world tried to put him in a box, but Richard was an omni being who contained multitudes – he was unabashedly everything. Directed by Lisa Cortés, LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING is produced by Robert Friedman, Cortés, Liz Yale Marsh and Caryn Capotosto and Executive Produced by Dee Rees.

Magnolia Pictures will release LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING for special one-night-only theatrical screenings on April 11, 2023 followed by additional theaters and a digital release on April 21, 2023.

In Canada, Mongrel Media release it April 21, 2023 in theatres and on VOD May 19, 2023.

By Amanda Gilmore

Award-Winning Filmmaker Dawn Porter brings us this engrossing Documentary about one of the most influential and least understood First Ladies, Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson. Porter uses all-archival footage and the 123 hours of personal and revealing audio diaries that Lady Bird recorded during her husband’s administration.

Through Lady Bird’s audio diaries, we get a look into many pivotal events throughout US history. That’s because LBJ’s time in office was one of the most tumultuous and significant periods in modern American history that included the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. Porter doesn’t glaze over these monumental moments but rather delves deep into the movements, protests and the bills passed. We’ve heard of these historical moments from today’s viewpoint, however, this Documentary gives insight into this important period from someone inside the White House while it was all happening.

This engrossing Documentary shows the impact Lady Bird had during her husband’s time in office. She was a voice of reason for LBJ and spoke her mind when she knew her opinion needed to be heard. It’s captivating to listen to phone calls she made to her husband informing him of how he should be handling certain situations. These conversations, and all the other times she voiced her opinion, are inspirational for women of all ages — both then and now. 

The one major takeaway about Lady Bird‘s legacy, as her passion for the environment. It was due to her that Nixon form the National Environmental Policy Act. It’s clear that her focus on environmental issues proves she was a woman and catalyst ahead of her time.

Although she’s been considered one of the least understood First Ladies, The Lady Bird Diaries proves that she was an intelligent political strategist and had a deep understanding of people.

The Lady Bird Diaries screens at SXSW ’23 as follows:

Mar 10 at 5:00pm at ZACH Theatre

Mar 14 at 6:15pm at Rolling Theatre at The Long Center

To commemorate Women’s History Month, writer/director/journalist Chandler Levack has joined forces with Hollywood Suite to curate a day of programming featuring the work of women filmmakers and performers. The films are set to air on Hollywood Suite’s 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s channels on March 30, 2023, and will be available to stream all month on Hollywood Suite On Demand.

“All of my favourite movies will screen this month, including life-changing gems like Claudia Weill’s Girlfriends and Susan Seidelman’s Smithereens, and true boundary-breaking auteur films by Sofia Coppola and Elaine May,” said Levack. “The series ends with two films by Canadian geniuses that totally blew my mind when I first watched them and prove that the future of Canadian cinema is female — Joyce Wong’s Wexford Plaza and Grace Glowicki’s wholly original and jaw-dropping Tito — both shot for under $150,000. It’s a true honour to be asked to curate this series. In case you didn’t know, I like movies! Especially when they put women in the centre of the frame.”

“Chandler is an exceptional filmmaker and fierce champion of talented women,” added Sharon Stevens, Vice President, Programming for Hollywood Suite. “With her award-winning feature debut I Like Movies now in Canadian theatres, she is the perfect person to lead our Women’s History Month programming.”

Hollywood Suite’s Women in Film collection, airing throughout March and available all month on demand, features 50 movies that showcase talented women in front of and behind the camera. Discover the collection at hollywoodsuite.ca/women-in-film.

Levack’s Guest Programmer Picks

A NEW LEAF (1971)
Director: Elaine May
Starring: Elaine May, Doris Roberts, Renée Taylor

ALICE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE (1974)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Leila Goldoni

GIRLFRIENDS (1978)
Director: Claudia Weill
Starring: Melanie Mayron

FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (1982)
Director: Amy Heckerling
Starring: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates

SMITHEREENS (1982)
Director: Susan Seidelman
Starring: Susan Berman

THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK (1987)
Director: George Miller
Starring: Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer

ORLANDO (1993)
Director: Sally Potter
Starring: Tilda Swinton

THE VIRGIN SUICIDES (1999)
Director: Sofia Coppola
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Kathleen Turner

GRACE OF MY HEART (1996)
Director: Alison Anders
Starring: Illeana Douglas, Jennifer Leigh Warren

TITO (2019)
Director: Grace Glowicki
Starring: Grace Glowicki

THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL (2015)
Director: Marielle Heller
Starring: Bel Powley, Kristin Wiig

WEXFORD PLAZA (2016)
Director: Joyce Wong
Starring: Reid Asselstine, Ellie Posadas

ABOUT HOLLYWOOD SUITE

Hollywood Suite owns and operates four exclusive HD channels featuring the iconic movies that defined the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s, plus essential Hollywood classics from the Golden Age, always uncut and commercial-free. With hundreds of movies every month on four HD channels and Hollywood Suite On Demand, Hollywood Suite provides an unparalleled value to consumers.

Hollywood Suite is available to over 10 million households across Canada, exclusively through Canadian television service providers and Amazon Prime Video Channels. Visit hollywoodsuite.ca for more Information.

ABOUT CHANDLER LEVACK

Chandler Levack, Writer/Director, Producer Chandler Levack grew up in Burlington, Ontario, and lives in Toronto where she studied cinema at the University of Toronto and screenwriting at the Canadian Film Centre. She has directed numerous music videos, earning two JUNO nominations. Also a veteran arts journalist and critic, she has contributed to such publications as The Globe & Mail, The Village Voice and Maisonneuve, with articles for the latter resulting in two Canadian National Magazine Awards nominations. Her short film We Forgot to Break Up (2017) premiered at TIFF and SXSW. I Like Movies is her feature debut.

By Mr. Will Wong

Luchina Fisher‘s THE DADS is timely and important. The 11-minute Documentary Short brings six fathers together for a fishing trip in Oklahoma, but this is far from just a dudes’ getaway flick.

We learn these men are actually fathers to trans and LGBTQ+ children. Together, they swap stories of their biggest fears, including one of them whose son is black and trans, worrying every day for his safety. Another is the father of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man who is 1998 was beaten, tortured and left to die. Here we are in 2023 with so much work left to do and if anything, the Film leaves us with a message of hope through the uncertainty, exploring fatherhood and masculinity through a fresh lens.

This is far too urgent a matter to be explored over 11 minutes only, but in its short screen time, Fisher‘s message is impactful. We are hoping there might be an expanded version of THE DADS to come or a follow-up to come.

THE DADS screens at SXSW ’23 as follows:

Documentary Shorts Program 2 at Rollins Theatre at The Long Center

Mar 12, 2023

2:15pm—3:46pm

Documentary Shorts Program 2 at Alamo Lamar D

Mar 16, 2023

6:45pm—8:16pm

We got a brand new look at CHUPA, coming soon to Netflix, with this brand-new Trailer. This is directed by Jonás Cuarón.

SYNOPSIS | Shy 13-year-old Alex (Evan Whitten) flies from Kansas City to Mexico to meet his extended family for the first time. There he meets his grandfather and former lucha libre champion Chava (Demián Bichir), energetic, wrestling-obsessed cousin Memo (Nickolas Verdugo), and fearless, hip cousin Luna (Ashley Ciarra). But just as Alex begins to get his bearings, he discovers a mythical creature living under his grandfather’s shed: a young chupacabra cub, which he recognizes from stories of the feared, full-grown chupacabra, fabled to feed on farmers’ livestock. Alex soon learns that his new friend “Chupa” has a secret history with his family, and that dogged, dangerous scientist Richard Quinn (Christian Slater) is hunting the misunderstood creature to try and harness his powers. To protect Chupa from impending danger, Alex sets off on the adventure of a lifetime, one that will push the bonds of his newfound family to the brink, and remind him that life’s burdens are lighter when you don’t have to carry them alone.

Directed by Jonás Cuarón (Desierto), and produced by 26th Street Pictures’ Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe (The Christmas Chronicles), CHUPA is a nostalgic journey through myth, memory, and the making of one’s own personal legend.

CHUPA arrives April 7, 2023 on Netflix.

(Photo credit: Netflix)

The Annual Human Rights Watch Canada Film Festival (HRWFF) in partnership with Hot Docs Cinema recently completed all in-person screenings and will now be available from March 13-19 on the Hot Docs digital platform. Following the tradition of past festivals, all tickets for digital screenings are free and accessible to everyone in Canada with internet.

The 20th anniversary festival program consists of five films covering a wide variety of human rights topics, including the powerful Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, which opened the festival.

The five films selected for the festival program include (listed in order of screening date):

FREEDOM ON FIRE: UKRAINE’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM Canadian Premiere of 2023 version

Directed by: Evgeny Afineevsky

Synopsis: Freedom on Fire is a behind the scenes and beyond the headlines view of the war in Ukraine from the Academy Award® nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire). This is filmmaking from the heart, beautifully capturing the resilience of the Ukrainian people in their fight against the Russian invasion. A logistical tour de force, with 43 cinematographers (including the filmmaker) filming in over 20 Ukrainian cities, Freedom on Fire captures the stories of children, mothers, soldiers, doctors, artists, volunteers, clergymen, and journalists as viewers witness the transformation of a country fighting for its very survival.

Programming: A post-screening discussion with Evgeny Afineevsky, the filmmaker; Lisa LaFlamme, a Canadian journalist; Valentina Kuryliw, education director at the Holodomor Research and Education Consortium; and HRW’s Crisis and Conflict Director Ida Sawyer, moderated by Canadian journalist Lisa LaFlamme, unpacks how this conflict disproportionately affects women and girls.

“Despite the ongoing brutality, the nation is not on its knees. The movie’s essence is singing, hugging, volunteers bearing gifts, and children drawing pictures for the soldiers who are keeping them safe. That’s beauty: People who know how to laugh and love,” said filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky.

KOROMOUSSO, BIG SISTER World Premiere

Directed by: Habibata Ouarme and Jim Donovan

Synopsis: Canada-based codirectors Habibata Ouarme and Jim Donovan capture personal stories and deep moments of support in a small community of women from West Africa, who are confronting social norms and embracing the inherent power in pleasure and love for their own bodies. With candor, humour and courage, a group of African-Canadian women challenge cultural taboos surrounding female sexuality and fight to take back ownership of their bodies.

Working with codirector Jim Donovan and combining her own journey with personal accounts from some of her friends, codirector Habibata Ouarme explores the lifelong effects of female genital mutilation and the road to individual and collective healing, both in Africa and in Canada. These women begin a journey of personal discovery, with discussions on the importance of female pleasure and the complexity of the female anatomy, while working to shed long-held feelings of shame and loneliness. While finding strength and joy in their own frank and intimate conversations together, Habibata and her friends continue to advocate for wider access to restorative surgery and community conversations in Canada and worldwide.

“This film brings more than an education on a harmful traditional practice that’s still practiced in parts of West Africa – it captures the stories of solidarity among these irrepressible, strong African women,” said Mausi Segun, Africa division director at Human Rights Watch.

Programming: A post-screening discussion with Regina Tamés, deputy women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch. Panelists include Habibata Ouarme, a FGM survivor and filmmaker; Jim Donovan, filmmaker, and Doctor Angela Deane, OBGYN and advocate for those affected by FGM/C.

Accessibility: The film is captioned and audio-described

THE GRAB
Directed by: Gabriela Cowperthwaite

Synopsis: The Grab reveals a new world order in which global power will be held by those who control not oil, but food. The new global thriller from the renowned director of Blackfish combines hard-hitting journalism with compelling, character-driven storytelling, taking viewers around the globe from Arizona to Zambia, China to Saudi Arabia, to reveal one of the world’s biggest and least exposed threats.

Quietly and seemingly out of sight, governments, financial investors, and private security forces are dividing up the world’s last remaining food and water resources. Communities are forced to stand by as their aquifers are sucked dry, and land they have owned for generations is grabbed from under their feet. As the scale of the run on natural resources is uncovered by a team of investigative reporters, issues bubble to the surface in real time. Russia’s attack on Ukraine uses food access as a geopolitical tool, and global food prices hit an all-time high.

Programming: Introductory remarks by Farida Deif, Canada director at Human Rights Watch, followed by a conversation with filmmakers Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Nick de Pencier, and Jennifer Baichwal.

UÝRA: THE RISING FOREST
Directed by: Juliana Curi

Synopsis: Uýra, a trans Indigenous artist, travels through the Amazon on a journey of self-discovery using performance art to teach Indigenous youth that they are the guardians of ancestral messages of the Amazon Forest. In a country that kills the highest number of trans, Indigenous, and environmentalist youth worldwide, Uýra leads a rising movement through arts and education while fostering unity and providing inspiration for the LGBT and environmental movements in the heart of the Amazon Forest. Uýra’s performances are a metaphor inspired by the ecological cycle that mirrors social struggles: the destruction of the soil and violence against life, followed by the re-emergence of young plants that germinate quickly and make way for a renewed, stronger ecosystem.

Programming: Post-screening discussion with University of Toronto Professor Andrea Allan, Spoken Word Artist Sarah Lewis, Sketch Creative Director Julian Diego, and moderated by Rasha Younes, senior LGBT researcher at Human Rights Watch. Sarah Lewis will also be opening the evening with a spoken word.

Accessibility: The film is captioned

NO U-TURN
Directed by: Ike Nnaebue

Synopsis: As a young man, the celebrated Nigerian director Ike Nnaebue left Nigeria taking the route via Benin, Mali, and Mauritania to Morocco where he was forced to turn back, unable to reach Europe. In his first documentary, No U-Turn, he retraces the life-changing journey he made over 20 years ago.

Along the way, he meets those who are taking the same trip and, through conversations with them, tries to understand what motivates young people today to expose themselves to the dangers of a passage into an uncertain future. Most are aware of the dangers of traveling undocumented by road, yet more and more are joining the ranks of those who take this risk, despite widely circulated images and terrifying testimony found online of people who have been lured into slavery and bondage. Overlaid with a powerful poetic commentary, this self-reflective travelogue hints at the deep longing of an entire generation for a better life.

“Why is it unrealistic to dream of a comfortable life in a continent of abundant resources?” said Ike Nnaebue, director, No U-Turn.

Programming: Panel discussion on Zoom with filmmaker, Ike Nnaebue and Michel Chikwanine, former child soldier and public speaker. Moderated by host of CBC Podcasts’ new weekly world news podcast, Nothing is Foreign, Tamara Khandaker. Keynote speaker to be determined.

Accessibility: The film is captioned and audio-described

About Human Rights Watch

For more than 40 years, Human Rights Watch has defended people at risk of abuse by investigating abuses scrupulously, exposing the facts widely, and relentlessly pressing those in power for change that respects rights. Our researchers examine situations in 100 countries around the world functioning as investigators, journalists, and advocates.

Human Rights Watch host upwards of 15 film festivals and film events around the world each year. HRW researchers vet selected films to verify facts and make sure topics are responsibly represented.

Tickets here.

About Human Rights Watch Canada

In 2002, Human Rights Watch Canada was established to advance education on human rights issues, both in Canada and around the world, and to increase support for the work of Human Rights Watch worldwide.

The Canadian office organizes several larger public and smaller private events throughout the year. This includes the annual Human Rights Watch Canada Film Festival. Toronto is one of our longest running festivals, now in its 20th season. In 20 years, we have showcased over 200 films at our Toronto Festival, and over 700 as a global initiative.

Hot Docs

Hot Docs is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing and celebrating the art of documentary and creating production opportunities for documentary filmmakers. Hot Docs was founded in 1993 by the Documentary Organization of Canada (formerly the Canadian Independent Film Caucus), a national association of independent documentary filmmakers. In 1996, Hot Docs became a separately incorporated organization with a mandate to showcase and support the work of Canadian and international documentary filmmakers and to promote excellence in documentary production.

Each year, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America’s largest doc festival, conference and market, presents over 200 cutting edge films from around the world.

Year round, Hot Docs supports the Canadian and international industry with professional development programs and a multi-million-dollar production fund portfolio, and fosters education through documentaries with its popular free program Docs For Schools.

Hot Docs owns and programs the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, a century-old landmark located in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood and the world’s first and largest documentary cinema. During the pandemic, Hot Docs launched the Hot Docs at Home streaming platform to provide audiences across Canada access to first-run documentaries and curated programming and events.

Human Rights Watch Canada:

● https://twitter.com/HRWcanada

● https://www.facebook.com/hrwcanada

● https://www.instagram.com/hrwcanada/

The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and CBC celebrated Canada’s biggest night in music this evening at The 52nd Annual JUNO Awards Broadcast. Hosted for the second time by Hollywood superstar Simu Liu, the awards were broadcast from Rogers Place in Edmonton, nationwide on CBC TV, CBC Gem CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen and globally on CBCMusic.ca/junos. The first traveling JUNOS since 2019, the highly anticipated show opened with Calgary native and five-time JUNO Nominee, Tate McRae, making Albertans proud with her energetic performance of her pop-punk hit “she’s all i wanna be.”

Following his four major wins Saturday night at the 2023 JUNO Opening Night Awards Presented by Music Canada, The Weeknd becomes the second most awarded JUNO winner in history after adding Album of the Year* to his collection this evening. He has now amassed 22 wins in just a decade, breaking his tie with Bryan Adams while Anne Murray holds the top spot as the JUNOS’ most decorated artist with 25 awards.

“I am so honored to be recognized like this from my home country that I love so much. I’m so humbled by all this and could never thank fans enough,” said The Weeknd in a statement. 

Global phenomenon, singer, songwriter and producer, AP Dhillon, made JUNOS history tonight as the first artist to sing entirely in Punjabi on the JUNO Awards stage, performing his chart-topping hit “Summer High” to a cheering crowd. 

Canada’s hottest rising stars also performed and took home some of JUNO Week’s biggest awards. All first-time winners and musical collaborators, Banx & Ranx (Breakthrough Group of the Year* winners) together with Preston Pablo (Breakthrough Artist of the Year* winner) and Rêve (Dance Recording of the Year winner), had audiences out of their seats and dancing to the beat with a special mashup performance of their hit singles “Headphones,” “CTRL + ALT + DEL” and “Flowers Need Rain.” Preston Pablo’s award was given out during tonight’s Broadcast while  the others received theirs earlier in the weekend at the JUNO Opening Night Awards Presented by Music Canada.

Canadians were given the option to vote for the TikTok JUNO Fan Choice, which was awarded to Avril Lavigne. This marks the fourth time Avril has won the award bringing her total JUNO count to an impressive 10 awards.

From industry veterans to organizations and music legends, Canada’s flourishing hip hop community came together for a collaborative performance shining a spotlight on the 50th anniversary of the genre. With involvement from ADVANCE, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective, and the JUNO Rap Music Advisory Committee, the four-song medley was written and produced by award-winning artist and four-time JUNO Award Winner Kardinal Offishall, who hosted the segment alongside 2022 JUNO Award winner Haviah Mighty. Renowned recording artist Rich Kidd mixed the track, while veteran entertainer DJ Mel Boogie added her own unique spin to the music live on stage. The festivities began with Kardinal Offishall and hip hop pioneer Michie Mee performing her hit  “Jamaican Funk,” before launching into Dream Warriors’ timeless “My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style.” Four-time JUNO Award winner Choclair followed with his fast moving beat “Let’s Ride” and the showcase ended with TOBi serenading audiences with his lyrical rap single “Flowers.” The performance led into the presentation of Rap Album of the Year, which was awarded to TOBi, who wins in this category for the second time.

This evening’s broadcast included Nickelback’s highly anticipated induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Presented by TD Group. Ryan Reynolds made a special virtual appearance to induct the group and celebrate the band for their incredible contributions to Canadian music,  which included a greeting from Michael Bublé who congratulated the band. Edmonton Oilers’ Captain, Connor McDavid, was also part of the festivities joining the stage to honour the band in-person. To cap the evening, Nickelback performed a medley of their chart-topping and most iconic rock tracks including “Rockstar,” “How You Remind Me,” and “Animals.” Both their Induction and Performance were presented by TD Bank Group. 

Four more longstanding Canadians artists will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2023, when the annual induction ceremony returns to Studio Bell, home to the National Music Centre on May 18. Renowned French Canadian singer Diane Dufresne, veteran jazz pianist Dr. Oliver Jones, country music superstar Terri Clark and rock legends Trooper will all be honoured for their astounding contributions to Canada’s music history, live. Tickets go on-sale April 7, 2023 at the National Music Centre box office. More information on the event can be found HERE.
 
MusiCounts recognized Canadian music educator, Jewel Casselman (Lakewood School,  Winnipeg, MB), not only for her impact on students, but also their community and the music education field, through the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award, presented by the CST Foundation. She is the first elementary school teacher to win this award and after an astonishing 34 year career, and will retire at the end of this school year.

The 2023 JUNO Awards featured four more spectacular performances including the long awaited return of fan favorites Alexisonfire, who shared their heartfelt ballad “Sans Soleil” after winning Rock Album of the Year* Saturday night. Aysanabee in collaboration with Traditional Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year nominees Northern Cree performed a moving and choral rendition of “We Were Here,” while multi-platinum R&B powerhouse and tonight’s winner of Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year* Jessie Reyez spoke to fans with an electric and soulful performance of “Mutual Friend,” the first track off her latest album. Two-time JUNO Award winner for Country Album of the Year* Tenille Townes took audiences on an emotional journey with two of her most powerful tracks, “Where are You” and “The Sound of Alone.”
 
The evening’s impressive roster of notable presenters included actor and comedian Andrew Phung (Run the Burbs, Kim’s Convenience); nine-time JUNO Award winner Avril Lavigne; star of CBC’s Push Bean Gill; multi-platinum R&B powerhouse Jessie Reyez; TikTok’s KallMeKris; three-time JUNO Award nominee Lauren Spencer Smith; two-time JUNO Award winner Maestro Fresh Wes; 2023 JUNO nominated Digging Roots’ ShoShona Kish; Minister of Canadian Heritage The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez; Global Music Album of the Year nominee Pierre Kwenders; and multi-Platinum-selling artist, music producer, and actor Tyler Shaw.
 
Fans can see the complete list of winners and rewatch every performance and memorable moment from the 52nd Annual JUNO Awards broadcast on CBCMusic.ca/junos and CBC Gem.

By Mr. Will Wong

Rachel Sennott (also at SXSW ’23 with BOTTOMS) continues her ascent, giving us range in Torontonian Ally Pankiw’s (The Great, Schitt’s Creek) self-penned directorial feature debut, I USED TO BE FUNNY. We meet Comedian Sam (Sennott) who is beginning to carve-out her own space in Comedy, but then suffers a trauma which de-rails her aspirations. All the while, she debates whether or not to reconnect with a missing teen whom she used to nanny, Brooke (Olga Petsa).

Upon initial glance, we’d have thought I USED TO BE FUNNY would lean more towards the quirky Comedy we’ve come to expect of Sennott in prior films like Shiva Baby and Bodies Bodies Bodies. However, other than traces of her inspired past, much of the jokes are presented in flashbacks. The focus is the present where Sam is struggling to get her life back on track and thanks to Pankiw‘s crafty storytelling, we try to figure out the connection why she’s so fixated on protecting the young and carefree Brooke. Though it takes a moment to establish its tone, we get a better understanding of where Sam is coming from the further along we get in the story.

That being said, Sennott undeniably is great and rises to the challenge, diving deep and exploring the numbness Sam feels in her languishment. This really is a glimpse into the aftermath of trauma and the struggle to re-discover one’s passion and purpose again, and sometimes we find that fire again in others.

I USED TO BE FUNNY screens at SXSW ’23 as follows:

I Used To Be Funny at Alamo Lamar E

Mar 13, 2023

2:30pm—4:15pm

I Used To Be Funny at Rollins Theatre at The Long Center

Mar 15, 2023

11:00am—12:45pm

I Used To Be Funny at Alamo Lamar A

Mar 17, 2023

3:30pm—5:15pm

By Mr. Will Wong

16 women where killed in Boston, Massachussetts throughout the ’60s and if it weren’t for the groundbreaking female journalists at the Boston Record American, the common connection among these deaths might not have ever been found. Matt Ruskin writes and directs the compelling BOSTON STRANGLER, coming March 17, 2023 to Disney+ in Canada.

The Historical Drama recounts the struggles that Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) and Jean Cole (Carrie Coon) faced in their efforts to break the story at the publication for which they worked, having to overcome sexism, while also uncovering a web of corruption that kept the killer at large. These female journalists also put their own safety at risk when their identities became attached to their reporting.

So thrilled to join a virtual junket with the Director/Writer and Cast of BOSTON STRANGLER. In-attendance were:

• Keira Knightley (as Loretta McLaughlin)
• Carrie Coon (as Jean Cole)
• Alessandro Nivola (as Detective Conley)
• Chris Cooper (as Jack MacLaine)
• Matt Ruskin (Director)

The Cast and Crew are asked what drew them to this project.

Ruskin: “I had always heard about the Boston Strangler, but I really didn’t know anything about the case. And then, several years ago, I started reading all that I could and discovered this incredibly-layered murder mystery that was full of twists and turns. And, in many ways, was as much a story about the city at the time. And so, I was just completely gripped by the case. And when I discovered these reporters, Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole, I found out that they were one of the first reporters to connect the murders. And they actually gave the Boston Strangler his name during the course of their reporting. I felt like that was a really compelling way to revisit this case.”.

Knightley: “Well, I think for me, I had heard of the Boston Strangler. I really didn’t know anything about it. So I really came to it from Matt’s wonderful Script. And I just thought it was a really interesting way of telling the story of a serial killer but through the point-of-view of these two female journalists. And the fact that you’ve kinda got a case where most people didn’t know that it was two women who broke the story, that they’ve largely sort of been erased from the history of this case, I thought was really interesting.”.

Coon: “Yes, that was the most shocking part of it for me, that these women were so integral to breaking the case and to forcing the police departments to share information. And their names are never mentioned in association with it. That was really shocking to me. And then, their stories of how they became journalists, as individuals, they were very compelling, very moving stories. It certainly echoed the lives of the women in my world who grew up in the Midwest. My mother was a nurse. One of my grandmothers was a teacher, and the other was a homemaker. And those were the opportunities available to women aside from secretary. So Jean’s fight to become a journalist at all was very moving to me. And then, of course, I had seen Crown Heights, which Matt had made, and I think of him as a really, deeply moral Filmmaker. And I knew that his interest in this story was feminist. You know?”.

Knightley is asked what impressed her most about the nature of these female journalists’ investigation.

Knightley: “Well, I think for me, this whole film is really a love song to female investigative journalists. And really highlights how important it is to have women in position of power in storytelling because it was these two women that really went, ‘This is an important story. This is information that needs to be in the public in order to keep women of Boston safe.’ And I think, largely, it was a story that had been, at that point, ignored by the male establishment. And I don’t know that their male colleagues would have seen the importance of it. So I think it’s wonderful to be part of something that is really highlighting how important it is to have as many good female journalists as you possibly can for the safety of our communities.”.

Chris Cooper actually has only a couple degrees of separation from the real Loretta McLaughlin.

Cooper: “I was lucky enough to rub shoulders with Eileen McNamara, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who worked on the Boston Globe in the ’70s and ’80s. Loretta was a mentor to Eileen, and Eileen directed me to exactly what I needed. And a little bit unorthodox, I followed Jack Maclaine, the character. Jack was never too interested in these murders, you know? And it was complete embarrassment for the Boston Police. They didn’t seem to be pursuing it that much. But Eileen directed me to source material that was so specifically for the ’60s newsroom, what happens politically, you know, just terminology I wanted to know about, hierarchy within the paper. That’s where my interest, and that’s where my research led me.”.

Alessandro Nivola comments on his character Detective Conley and his connection to the story and Loretta.

Nivola: “Yeah, I mean, I think the character is pissed off that the police department isn’t dealing with sort of more modern techniques of forensic psychology and that they’re not interested, seemingly, in connecting these murders. And so he does what’s kind of a desperate move in reaching out to her or, you know, agreeing to talk to her, because he’s probably the son of a cop. He’s probably the grandson of a cop. And so, you know, he’s facing, potentially, you know, betraying the department and casting >the department in a bad light by having, you know, it be perceived that the media is driving the case forward instead of the police department. But he does it because he’s just, like, totally obsessed with the case, and the only other person that he encounters who’s also totally obsessed with the case is her. And so, you know, I think, in that way, they feel like they are kind of cut from the same cloth. He’s probably also attracted to her and enjoys those encounters.”.

Ruskin talks about the importance of filming this Film in Boston.

Ruskin: “Yeah, I think one of the reasons I wanted to film the Movie in Boston was to be able to bring in a lot of the local talent. There’s an extraordinary theater world and scene in Boston and just a very deep pool of talent of local actors. So it’s great to be able to bring them in and allow some people to speak with their, you know, Boston accents. And I would just add to that, in this case, it’s not as much about class as it is just about as a generational thing, you know? Like Loretta’s parents came over from Ireland, so for her, she grew up in a house that didn’t have Boston accents. They were just trying to assimilate. So some of it is, you know, how long you’ve been in the [college?].”.

Disney+ Canada streams BOSTON STRANGLER beginning Friday, March 17, 2023.

(Photo/video credit: Disney+)

Do you like Piña Coladas? Or Teenage Dream-era Katy Perry? Toronto duo Crash Adams are here to get us into that Summer Spirit with an early bid for Song of the Summer, CALIFORNIA GIRL!

This weekend, pop duo Crash Adams joined fans on YouTube to premiere the official video for “California Girl.”  The video brings the group back to the Santa Monica pier with influencer Katarina Mogus to spread joy and positivity with their sun-kissed single. 

The release of the official “California Girl” video follows up on Crash Adams’ global Facebook premiere of their “Give Me a Kiss (Flash Mob Edition),” which features a flash mob, fan content, a choir and more.  Released March 3^rd, this video has already garnered over 1 million views, and can be seen here. 

Known on social media for their musical skits and their iconic red couch, Crash Adams has rocketed to success, quickly gathering over nine million new followers in a span of just six months across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Spotify. “California Girl” is an instantly hummable tune, and the latest in a string of viral hits from the group who have made it their mission to spread positivity and inspire good vibes everywhere they go.  

Crash Adams is currently working new music with award winning producers and songwriters such as Justin Tranter (Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez), Captain Cuts (Bebe Rexha, Halsey, The Chainsmokers) and Dave Hodges (Avril Lavigne, 5 Seconds of Summer, Kelly Clarkson).

(Photo/video credit: Warner Music)