#indigenous film production company

[galleryyuhself]

GALLERYYUHSELF - JANUARY 9th 2023 GUAMA TV DOCUMENTARY FILM go online for FREE viewing on our youtube channel - subscribe here so you don't miss it: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXZ3PIPXKu2xuMJUusZqAPg

The OFFICIAL VIP screening will be held in Barbados first before it gets posted online. 

GUAMA the 22-minute TV Documentary version tells the tale of the often unsung hero - the Great Cuban Taino Chief Guama, and leaves you wanting more,

Hatuey (Supreme Taino Chief in Cuba in the rebellion against the Spaniards in 1512)Caonabo & Mayneri (the destroyers of the first Spanish settlement of La Navidad in Hispaniola)Mabey (Hispaniolan Taino leader who fought Spaniards in Cuba)Luquillo (one of the last Taino Chiefs in Puerto Rico to wage war against the Spaniards)Guayacayex (Taino Chief in Cuba who successfully massacred the Spaniards in 1510 in a revenge attack for Spanish atrocities) Guatiguana (the first Taino Chief in Hispaniola to organize a rebellion against the Spaniards)Guarocuya (Enriquillo - leader of a Taino rebellion against the Spaniards in Hispaniola)Agueybana II (leader of the Taino Rebellion of 1511 in Puerto Rico)

 Instagram also @firstnationsproductions - the ONLY grassroots Caribbean 100% owned and operated Indigenous film company.

Also, visit our website at www.eagleclanarawaks.com to learn more about all of our unique and unprecedented local, regional, and international Indigenous actions and enterprises.

[rhysdarbinizedarby]

Couch surfer in his 30s. Oscar winner in his 40s. Why the whole world wants Taika

**Notes: This is very long post!**

Good Weekend

In his 30s, he was sleeping on couches. By his 40s, he’d directed a Kiwi classic, taken a Marvel movie to billion-dollar success, and won an Oscar. Meet Taika Waititi, king of the oddball – and one of New Zealand’s most original creative exports.

Taika Waititi: “Be a nice person and live a good life. And just don’t be an arsehole.”

The good news? Taika Waititi is still alive. I wasn’t sure. The screen we were speaking through jolted savagely a few minutes ago, with a cacophonous bang and a confused yelp, then radio silence. Now the Kiwi ­ filmmaker is back, grinning like a loon: “I just broke the f---ing table, bro!”

Come again? “I just smashed this f---ing table and glass flew everywhere. It’s one of those old annoying colonial tables. It goes like this – see that?” Waititi says, holding up a folding furniture leg. “I hit the mechanism and it wasn’t locked. Anyway …”

I’m glad he’s fine. The stuff he’s been saying from his London hotel room could incur biblical wrath. We’re talking about his latest project, Next Goal Wins, a movie about the American Samoa soccer team’s quest to score a solitary goal, 10 years after suffering the worst loss in the game’s international history – a 31-0 ­ignominy to Australia – but our chat strays into ­spirituality, then faith, then religion.

“I don’t personally believe in a big guy sitting on a cloud judging everyone, but that’s just me,” Waititi says, deadpan. “Because I’m a grown-up.”

This is the way his interview answers often unfold. Waititi addresses your topic – dogma turns good people bad, he says, yet belief itself is worth lauding – but bookends every response with a conspiratorial nudge, wink, joke or poke. “Regardless of whether it’s some guy living on a cloud, or some other deity that you’ve made up – and they’re all made up – the message across the board is the same, and it’s important: Be a nice person, and live a good life. And just don’t be an arsehole!”

Not being an arsehole seems to have served Waititi, 48, well. Once a national treasure and indie darling (through the quirky tenderness of his breakout New Zealand films Boy in 2010 and Hunt for the Wilderpeople in 2016), Waititi then became a star of both the global box office (through his 2017 entry into the Marvel Universe, Thor: Ragnarok, which grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide) and then the Academy Awards (winning the 2020 best adapted screenplay Oscar for his subversive Holocaust dramedy JoJo Rabbit, in which he played an imaginary Hitler).

Waititi playing Adolf Hitler in the 2019 movie JoJo Rabbit. (Alamy)

A handsome devil with undeniable roguish charm, Waititi also slid seamlessly into style-icon status (attending this year’s Met Gala shirtless, in a floor-length gunmetal-grey Atelier Prabal Gurung wrap coat, with pendulous pearl necklaces), as well as becoming his own brand (releasing an eponymous line of canned ­coffee drinks) and bona fide Hollywood A-lister (he was introduced to his second wife, British singer Rita Ora, by actor Robert Pattinson at a barbecue).

Putting that platform to use, Waititi is an Indigenous pioneer and mentor, too, co-creating the critically acclaimed TV series Reservation Dogs, while co-founding the Piki Films production company, committed to promoting the next generation of storytellers – a mission that might sound all weighty and worthy, yet Waititi’s new wave of First Nations work is never earnest, always mixing hurt with heart and howling humour.

Waititi with wife Rita Ora at the 2023 Met Gala in May. (Getty Images)

Makes sense. Waititi is a byproduct of “the weirdest coupling ever” – his late Maori father from the Te Whanau-a-Apanui tribe was an artist, farmer and “Satan’s Slaves” bikie gang founder, while his Wellington schoolteacher mum descended from Russian Jews, although he’s not devout about her faith. (“No, I don’t practise,” he confirms. “I’m just good at everything, straight away.”)

He’s remained loyally tethered to his ­origin story, too – and to a cadre of creative Kiwi mates, including actors Jemaine Clement and Rhys Darby – never forgetting that not long before the actor/writer/producer/director was an industry maven, he was a penniless painter/photographer/ musician/comedian.

With no set title and no fixed address, he’s seemingly happy to be everything, everywhere (to everyone) all at once. “‘The universe’ is bandied around a lot these days, but I do believe in the kind of connective tissue of the universe, and the energy that – scientifically – we are made up of a bunch of atoms that are bouncing around off each other, and some of the atoms are just squished together a bit tighter than others,” he says, smiling. “We’re all made of the same stardust, and that’s pretty special.”

-----------------------------------------------

We’ve caught Waititi in a somewhat relaxed moment, right before the screen actors’ and media artists’ strike ends. He’s ­sensitive to the struggle but doesn’t deny enjoying the break. “I spent a lot of time thinking about writing, and not writing, and having a nice ­holiday,” he tells Good Weekend. “Honestly, it was a good chance just to recombobulate.”

Waititi, at right, with Hunt for the Wilderpeople actors, from left, Sam Neill, Rhys Darby and Julian Dennison. (Getty Images)

It’s mid-October, and he’s just headed to Paris to watch his beloved All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup. He’s deeply obsessed with the game, and sport in general. “Humans spend all of our time knowing what’s going to happen with our day. There’s no surprises ­any more. We’ve become quite stagnant. And I think that’s why people love sport, because of the air of unpredictability,” he says. “It’s the last great arena entertainment.”

The main filmic touchstone for Next Goal Wins (which premieres in Australian cinemas on New Year’s Day) would be Cool Runnings (1993), the unlikely true story of a Jamaican bobsled team, but Waititi also draws from genre classics such as Any Given Sunday and Rocky, sampling trusted tropes like the musical training montage. (His best one is set to Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears.)

Filming in Hawaii was an uplifting experience for the self-­described Polynesian Jew. “It wasn’t about death, or people being cruel to each other. Thematically, it was this simple idea, of getting a small win, and winning the game wasn’t even their goal – their goal was to get a goal,” he says. “It was a really sweet backbone.”

Waititi understands this because, growing up, he was as much an athlete as a nerd, fooling around with softball and soccer before discovering rugby league, then union. “There’s something about doing exercise when you don’t know you’re doing exercise,” he enthuses. “It’s all about the fun of throwing a ball around and trying to achieve something together.” (Whenever Waititi is in Auckland he joins his mates in a long-running weekend game of touch rugby. “And then throughout the week I work out every day. Obviously. I mean, look at me.”)

Auckland is where his kids live, too, so he spends as much time there as possible. Waititi met his first wife, producer Chelsea Winstanley, on the set of Boy in 2010, and they had two daughters, Matewa Kiritapu, 8, and his firstborn, Te Kainga O’Te Hinekahu, 11. (The latter is a derivative of his grandmother’s name, but he jokes with American friends that it means “Resurrection of Tupac” or “Mazda RX7″) Waititi and Winstanley split in about 2018, and he married the pop star Ora in 2022.

He offers a novel method for balancing work with parenthood … “Look, you just abandon them, and know that the experience will make them harder individuals later on in life. And it’s their problem,” he says. “I’m going to give them all of the things that they need, and I’m going to leave behind a decent bank ­account for their therapy, and they will be just like me, and the cycle will continue.”

Jokes aside – I think he’s joking – school holidays are always his, and he brings the girls onto the set of every movie he makes. “They know enough not to get in the way or touch anything that looks like it could kill you, and they know to be respectful and quiet when they need to. But they’re just very comfortable around filmmakers, which I’m really happy about, because eventually I hope they will get into the ­industry. One more year,” he laughs, “then they can leave school and come work for Dad.”

Theirs is certainly a different childhood than his. Growing up, he was a product of two worlds. His given names, for instance, were based on his appearance at birth: “Taika David” if he looked Maori (after his Maori grandfather) and “David Taika” if he looked Pakeha (after his white grandfather). His parents split when he was five, so he bounced between his dad’s place in Waihau Bay, where he went by the surname Waititi, and his mum, eight hours drive away in Wellington, where he went by Cohen (the last name on his birth ­certificate and passport).

Waititi was precocious, even charismatic. His mother Robin once told Radio New Zealand that people always wanted to know him, even as an infant: “I’d be on a bus with him, and he was that kind of baby who smiled at people, and next thing you know they’re saying, ‘Can I hold your baby?’ He’s always been a charmer to the public eye.”

He describes himself as a cool, sporty, good-looking nerd, raised on whatever pop culture screened on the two TV channels New Zealand offered in the early 1980s, from M*A*S*H and Taxi to Eddie Murphy and Michael Jackson. He was well-read, too. When punished by his mum, he would likely be forced to analyse a set of William Blake poems.

He puts on a whimpering voice to describe their finances – “We didn’t have much monneeey” – explaining how his mum spent her days in the classroom but also worked in pubs, where he would sit sipping a raspberry lemonade, doodling drawings and writing stories. She took in ­ironing and cleaned houses; he would help out, learning valuable lessons he imparts to his kids. “And to random people who come to my house,” he says. “I’ll say, ‘Here’s a novel idea, wash this dish,’ but people don’t know how to do anything these days.”

“Every single character I’ve ever written has been based on someone I’ve known or met or a story I’ve stolen from someone.” - Taika Waititi

He loved entertaining others, clearly, but also himself, recording little improvised radio plays on a tape deck – his own offbeat versions of ET and Indiana Jones and Star Wars. “Great free stuff where you don’t have any idea what the story is as you’re doing it,” he says. “You’re just sort of making it up and enjoying the ­freedom of playing god in this world where you can make people and characters do whatever you want.”

His other sphere of influence lay in Raukokore, the tiny town where his father lived. Although Boy is not autobiographical, it’s deeply personal insofar as it’s filmed in the house where he grew up, and where he lived a life similar to that portrayed in the story, surrounded by his recurring archetypes: warm grandmothers and worldly kids; staunch, stoic mums; and silly, stunted men. “Every single character I’ve ever written has been based on someone I’ve known or met,” he says, “or a story I’ve stolen from someone.”

He grew to love drawing and painting, obsessed early on with reproducing the Sistine Chapel. During a 2011 TED Talk on creativity, Waititi describes his odd subject matter, from swastikas and fawns to a picture of an old lady going for a walk … upon a sword … with Robocop. “My father was an outsider artist, even though he wouldn’t know what that meant,” Waititi told the audience in Doha. “I love the naive. I love people who can see things through an innocent viewpoint. It’s inspiring.”

After winning Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award for JoJo Rabbit in 2020. (Getty Images)

It was an interesting time in New Zealand, too – a coming-of-age decade in which the Maori were rediscovering their culture. His area was poor, “but only ­financially,” he says. “It’s very rich in terms of the ­people and the culture.” He learned kapa haka – the songs, dances and chants performed by competing tribes at cultural events, or to honour people at funerals and graduations – weddings, parties, ­anything. “Man, any excuse,” he explains. “A big part of doing them is to uplift your spirits.”

Photography was a passion, so I ask what he shot. “Just my penis. I sent them to people, but we didn’t have phones, so I would print them out, post them. One of the first dick pics,” he says. Actually, his lens was trained on regular people. He watches us still – in airports, ­restaurants. “Other times late at night, from a tree. Whatever it takes to get the story. You know that.”

He went to the Wellington state school Onslow College and did plays like Androcles and the Lion, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Crucible. His crew of arty students eventually ended up on stage at Bats Theatre in the city, where they would perform haphazard comedy shows for years.

“Taika was always rebellious and wild in his comedy, which I loved,” says his high school mate Jackie van Beek, who became a longtime collaborator, including working with Waititi on a Tourism New Zealand campaign this year. “I remember he went through a phase of turning up in bars around town wearing wigs, and you’d try and sit down and have a drink with him but he’d be doing some weird character that would invariably turn up in some show down the track.”

He met more like-minded peers at Victoria University, including Jemaine Clement (who’d later become co-creator of Flight of the Conchords). During a 2019 chat with actor Elijah Wood, Waititi ­describes he and Clement clocking one another from opposite sides of the library one day: a pair of Maoris experiencing hate at first sight, based on a mutual suspicion of cultural appropriation. (Clement was wearing a traditional tapa cloth Samoan shirt, and Waititi was like: “This motherf---er’s not Samoan.” Meanwhile, Waititi was wearing a Rastafarian beanie, and Clement was like, “This ­motherf---er’s not Jamaican.”)

With Jemaine Clement in 2014. (Getty Images)

But they eventually bonded over Blackadder and Fawlty Towers, and especially Kenny Everett, and did comedy shows together everywhere from Edinburgh to Melbourne. Waititi was almost itinerant, spending months at a time busking, or living in a commune in Berlin. He acted in a few small films, and then – while playing a stripper on a bad TV show – realised he wanted to try life behind the camera. “I became tired of being told what to do and ordered around,” he told Wellington’s Dominion Post in 2004. “I remember sitting around in the green room in my G-string ­thinking, ‘Why am I doing this? Just helping someone else to realise their dream.’ ”

He did two strong short films, then directed his first feature – Eagle vs Shark (2007) – when he was 32. He brought his mates along (Clement, starring with Waititi’s then-girlfriend Loren Horsley), setting something of a pattern in his career: hiring friends instead of constantly navigating new working relationships. “If you look at things I’m doing,” he tells me, “there’s ­always a few common denominators.”

Sam Neill says Waititi is the exemplar of a new New Zealand humour. “The basis of it is this: we’re just a little bit crap at things.”

This gang of collaborators shares a common Kiwi vibe, too, which his longtime friend, actor Rhys Darby, once coined “the comedy of the mundane”. Their new TV show, Our Flag Means Death, for example, leans heavily into the mundanity of pirate life – what happens on those long days at sea when the crew aren’t unsheathing swords from scabbards or burying treasure.

Waititi plays pirate captain Blackbeard, centre, in Our Flag Means Death, with Rhys Darby, left, and Rory Kinnear. (Google Images)

Sam Neill, who first met Waititi when starring in Hunt for the Wilderpeople, says Waititi is the exemplar of a new New Zealand humour. “And I think the basis of it is this,” says Neill. “We’re just a little bit crap at things, and that in itself is funny.” After all, Neill asks, what is What We Do in The Shadows (2014) if not a film (then later a TV show) about a bunch of vampires who are pretty crap at being vampires, ­living in a pretty crappy house, not quite getting busted by crappy local cops? “New Zealand often gets named as the least corrupt country in the world, and I think it’s just that we would be pretty crap at being corrupt,” Neill says. “We don’t have the capacity for it.”

Waititi’s whimsy also spurns the dominant on-screen oeuvre of his homeland – the so-called “cinema of ­unease” exemplified by the brutality of Once Were Warriors (1994) and the emotional peril of The Piano (1993). Waititi still explores pathos and pain, but through laughter and weirdness. “Taika feels to me like an ­antidote to that dark aspect, and a gift somehow,” Neill says. “And I’m grateful for that.”

-----------------------------------------------

Something happened to Taika Waititi when he was about 11 – something he doesn’t go into with Good Weekend, but which he considered a betrayal by the adults in his life. He ­mentioned it only recently – not the ­moment itself, but the lesson he learnt: “That you cannot and must not rely on grown-ups to help you – you’re basically in the world alone, and you’re gonna die alone, and you’ve just gotta make it all for yourself,” he told Irish podcast host James Brown. “I basically never forgave people in positions of responsibility.”

What does that mean in his work? First, his finest films tend to reflect the clarity of mind possessed by children, and the unseen worlds they create – fantasies conjured up as a way to understand or overcome. (His mum once summed up the main ­message of Boy: “The ­unconditional love you get from your children, and how many of us waste that, and don’t know what we’ve got.”)

Second, he’s suited to movie-making – “Russian roulette with art” – because he’s drawn to disruptive force and chaos. And that in turn produces creative defiance: allowing him to reinvigorate the Marvel Universe by making superheroes fallible, or tell a Holocaust story by making fun of Hitler. “Whenever I have to deal with someone who’s a boss, or in charge, I challenge them,” he told Brown, “and I really do take whatever they say with a pinch of salt.”

It’s no surprise then that Waititi was comfortable leaping from independent films to the vast complexity of Hollywood blockbusters. He loves the challenge of coordinating a thousand interlocking parts, requiring an army of experts in vocations as diverse as construction, sound, art, performance and logistics. “I delegate a lot,” he says, “and share the load with a lot of people.”

“This is a cool concept, being able to ­afford whatever I want, as opposed to sleeping on couches until I was 35.” - Taika Waititi

But the buck stops with him. Time magazine named Waititi one of its Most Influential 100 People of 2022. “You can tell that a film was made by Taika Waititi the same way you can tell a piece was painted by Picasso,” wrote Sacha Baron Cohen. Compassionate but comic. Satirical but watchable. Rockstar but auteur. “Actually, sorry, but this guy’s really starting to piss me off,” Cohen concluded. “Can someone else write this piece?”

Directing Chris Hemsworth in 2017 in Thor: Ragnarok, which grossed more than $1.3 billion at the box office. (Alamy)

I’m curious to know how he stays grounded amid such adulation. Coming into the game late, he says, helped immensely. After all, Waititi was 40 by the time he left New Zealand to do Thor: Ragnarok. “If you let things go to your head, then it means you’ve struggled to find out who you are,” he says. “But I’ve always felt very comfortable with who I am.” Hollywood access and acclaim – and the pay cheques – don’t erase memories of poverty, either. “It’s more like, ‘Oh, this is a cool concept, being able to ­afford whatever I want, as opposed to sleeping on couches until I was 35.’ ” Small towns and strong tribes keep him in check, too. “You know you can’t piss around and be a fool, because you’re going to embarrass your family,” he says. “Hasn’t stopped me, though.”

Sam Neill says there was never any doubt Waititi would be able to steer a major movie with energy and imagination. “It’s no accident that the whole world wants Taika,” he says. “But his seductiveness comes with its own dangers. You can spread yourself a bit thin. The temptation will be to do more, more, more. That’ll be interesting to watch.”

Indeed, I find myself vicariously stressed out over the list of potential projects in Waititi’s future. A Roald Dahl animated series for Netflix. An Apple TV show based on the 1981 film Time Bandits. A sequel to What We Do In The Shadows. A reboot of Flash Gordon. A gonzo horror comedy, The Auteur, starring Jude Law. Adapting a cult graphic novel, The Incal, as a feature. A streaming series based on the novel Interior Chinatown. A film based on a Kazuo Ishiguro bestseller. Plus bringing to life the wildly popular Akira comic books. Oh, and for good measure, a new instalment of Star Wars, which he’s already warned the world will be … different.

“It’s going to change things,” he told Good Morning America. “It’s going to change what you guys know and expect.”

Did I say I was stressed for Waititi? I meant physically sick.

“Well…” he qualifies, “some of those things I’m just producing, so I come up with an idea or someone comes to me with an idea, and I shape how ‘it’s this kind of show’ and ‘here’s how we can get it made.’ It’s easier for me to have a part in those things and feel like I’ve had a meaningful role in the creative process, but also not having to do what I’ve always done, which is trying to control everything.”

In the 2014 mockumentary horror film What We Do in the Shadows, which he co-directed with Jemaine Clement. (Alamy)

What about moving away from the niche New Zealand settings he represented so well in his early work? How does he stay connected to his roots? “I think you just need to know where you’re from,” he says, “and just don’t forget that.”

They certainly haven’t forgotten him.

Jasmin McSweeney sits in her office at the New Zealand Film Commission in Wellington, surrounded by promotional posters Waititi signed for her two decades ago, when she was tasked with promoting his nascent talent. Now the organisation’s marketing chief, she talks to me after visiting the heart of thriving “Wellywood”, overseeing the traditional karakia prayer on the set of a new movie starring Geoffrey Rush.

Waititi isn’t the first great Kiwi filmmaker – dual Oscar-winner Jane Campion and blockbuster king Peter Jackson come to mind – yet his particular ascendance, she says, has spurred unparalleled enthusiasm. “Taika gave everyone here confidence. He always says, ‘Don’t sit around waiting for people to say, you can do this.’ Just do it, because he just did it. That’s the Taika effect.”

-----------------------------------------------

Taika David Waititi is known for wearing everything from technicolour dreamcoats to pineapple print rompers, and today he’s wearing a roomy teal and white Isabel Marant jumper. The mohair garment has the same wispy frizz as his hair, which curls like a wave of grey steel wool, and connects with a shorn salty beard.

A stylish silver fox, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he suddenly announced he was launching a fashion label. He’s definitely a commercial animal, to the point of directing television commercials for Coke and Amazon, along with a fabulous 2023 spot for Belvedere vodka starring Daniel Craig. He also joined forces with a beverage company in Finland (where “taika” means “magic”) to release his coffee drinks. Announcing the partnership on social media, he flagged that he would be doing more of this kind of stuff, too (“Soz not soz”).

Waititi has long been sick of reverent portrayals of Indigenous people talking to spirits.

There’s substance behind the swank. Fashion is a creative outlet but he’s also bought sewing machines in the past with the intention of designing and making clothes, and comes from a family of tailors. “I learnt how to sew a button on when I was very young,” he says. “I learnt how to fix holes or patches in your clothes, and darn things.”

And while he gallivants around the globe watching Wimbledon or modelling for Hermès at New York Fashion Week, all that glamour belies a depth of purpose, particularly when it comes to Indigenous representation.

There’s a moment in his new movie where a Samoan player realises that their Dutch coach, played by Michael Fassbender, is emotionally struggling, and he offers a lament for white people: “They need us.” I can’t help but think Waititi meant something more by that line – maybe that First Nations people have ­wisdom to offer if others will just listen?

“Weeelllll, a little bit …” he says – but from his intonation, and what he says next, I’m dead wrong. Waititi has long been sick of reverent ­portrayals of Indigenous people talking to kehua (spirits), or riding a ghost waka (phantom canoe), or playing a flute on a mountain. “Always the boring characters,” he says. “They’ve got no real contemporary relationship with the world, because they’re always living in the past in their spiritual ways.”

A scene from Next Goal Wins, filmed earlier this year. (Alamy)

He’s part of a vanguard consciously poking fun at those stereotypes. Another is the Navajo writer and director Billy Luther, who met Waititi at Sundance Film Festival back in 2003, along with Reservation Dogs co-creator Sterlin Harjo. “We were this group of outsiders trying to make films, when nobody was really biting,” says Luther. “It was a different time. The really cool thing about it now is we’re all working. We persevered. We didn’t give up. We slept on each other’s couches and hung out. It’s like family.”

Waititi has power now, and is known for using Indigenous interns wherever possible (“because there weren’t those opportunities when I was growing up”), making important introductions, offering feedback on scripts, and lending his name to projects through executive producer credits, too, which he did for Luther’s new feature film, Frybread Face and Me (2023).

He called Luther back from the set of Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) to offer advice on working with child actors – “Don’t box them into the characters you’ve ­created,” he said, “let them naturally figure it out on their own” – but it’s definitely harder to get Waititi on the phone these days. “He’s a little bitch,” Luther says, laughing. “Nah, there’s nothing like him. He’s a genius. You just knew he was going to be something. I just knew it. He’s my brother.“

I’ve been asked to explicitly avoid political questions in this interview, probably because Waititi tends to back so many causes, from child poverty and teenage suicide to a campaign protesting offshore gas and oil exploration near his tribal lands. But it’s hard to ignore his recent Instagram post, sharing a viral video about the Voice to Parliament referendum starring Indigenous Aussie rapper Adam Briggs. After all, we speak only two days after the proposal is defeated. “Yeah, sad to say but, Australia, you really shat the bed on that one,” Waititi says, pausing. “But go see my movie!”

About that movie – the early reviews aren’t great. IndieWire called it a misfire, too wrapped in its quirks to develop its arcs, with Waititi’s directorial voice drowning out his characters, while The Guardian called it “a shoddily made and strikingly unfunny attempt to tell an interesting story in an uninteresting way”. I want to know how he moves past that kind of criticism. “For a start, I never read reviews,” he says, concerned only with the opinion of people who paid for admission, never professional appraisals. “It’s not important to me. I know I’m good at what I do.”

Criticism that Indigenous concepts weren’t sufficiently explained in Next Goal Wins gets his back up a little, though. The film’s protagonist, Jaiyah Saelua, the first transgender football player in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match, is fa’afafine – an American Samoan identifier for someone with fluid genders – but there wasn’t much exposition of this concept in the film. “That’s not my job,” Waititi says. “It’s not a movie where I have to explain every facet of Samoan culture to an audience. Our job is to retain our culture, and present a story that’s inherently Polynesian, and if you don’t like it, you can go and watch any number of those other movies out there, 99 per cent of which are terrible.”

*notes: (there is video clip in the article)

Waititi sounds momentarily cranky, but he’s mostly unflappable and hilarious. He’s the kind of guy who prefers “Correctumundo bro!” to “Yes”. When our video connection is too laggy, he plays up to it by periodically pretending to be frozen, sitting perfectly still, mouth open, his big shifting eyeballs the only giveaway.

He’s at his best on set. Saelua sat next to him in Honolulu while filming the joyous soccer sequences. “He’s so chill. He just let the actors do their thing, giving them creative freedom, barely interjecting unless it was something important. His style matches the vibe of the Pacific people. We’re a very funny people. We like to laugh. He just fit perfectly.”

People do seem to love working alongside him, citing his ability to make productions fresh and unpredictable and funny. Chris Hemsworth once said that Waititi’s favourite gag is to “forget” that his microphone is switched on, so he can go on a pantomime rant for all to hear – usually about his disastrous Australian lead actor – only to “remember” that he’s wired and the whole crew is listening.

“I wouldn’t know about that, because I don’t listen to what other people say about anything – I’ve told you this,” Waititi says. “I just try to have fun when there’s time to have fun. And when you do that, and you bring people together, they’re more willing to go the extra mile for you, and they’re more willing to believe in the thing that you’re trying to do.”

Yes, he plays music between takes, and dances out of his director’s chair, but it’s really all about relaxing amid the immense pressure and intense privilege of making movies. “Do you know how hard it is just to get anything financed or green-lit, then getting a crew, ­getting producers to put all the pieces together, and then making it to set?” Waititi asks. “It’s a real gift, even to be working, and I feel like I have to remind ­people of that: enjoy this moment.”

Source: The Age

By: Konrad Marshall (December 1, 2023)

[quartergremlin]

Hey, do you support Palestine? Our beliefs seem similar so I assume you do. I saw you reblogging some Percy Jackson stuff and wanted to let you know that it’s something we should be boycotting. Idk if interacting with fan posts counts but… you know.

Hi! Many people are choosing to boycott Percy Jackson specifically because of Riordran's statement about the genocide that he posted to his personal site, but Percy Jackson is not a boycott target listed by the BDS. Disney is, so you shouldn't be watching the show as a product of theirs, but the difference is why and what the goal of the boycott is.

On their site, the BDS states that Disney is a boycott target because "The Disney-owned Marvel Studios (US) is promoting in the next Captain America film a 'superhero' that personifies apartheid Israel. Both companies are therefore complicit in 'anti-Palestinian racism, Israeli propaganda, and the glorification of settler-colonial violence against Indigenous people,' as Palestinian cultural organizations have stated."

They also say "We must strategically focus on a relatively smaller number of carefully selected companies and products for maximum impact. We need to target companies that play a clear and direct role in Israel’s crimes and where there is real potential for winning... Compelling large, complicit companies, through strategic and context-sensitive boycott and divestment campaigns, to end their complicity in Israeli apartheid and war crimes against Palestinians sends a very powerful message to hundreds of other complicit companies that 'your time will come, so get out before it’s too late!'"

The ultimate goal is to put pressure on these companies to get them to withdraw their support of Israel, and while it's great that the fan percy jackson boycott happened to align with the requests of the BDS, they do warn against following random boycott lists that you might find on social media.

Disney is a pressure target, so you should follow their guidelines to boycott them effectively through purposeful action, namely by canceling your Disney Plus subscription (make sure to tell them why!), not buying their products, and putting pressure directly on the company on social media. 👍

TDLR:

interacting with fan content does not count because the target of the boycott is Disney, who won't feel it either way if you stop talking to your friends about Percy Jackson, but who will feel it if you cancel your Disney plus subscription and stop giving them money.

Listen to the people you're trying to help about what they need when it comes to boycotting.

[avatar-news]

Everything we know about Avatar Studios’ first movie

It’s time for a good ol’ masterpost!

Here’s everything we here at Avatar News know about Avatar Studios’ first movie! Info that Avatar News is the exclusive source for is specified, otherwise everything is official public info from Paramount/Avatar Studios/etc.

Last updated on February 18th, 2023.

Title

The movie is currently designated “ANIMATED AANG AVATAR” in Paramount's slate, but is untitled

The Avatar franchise has been officially named “Avatar Legends” since 2022

A potential working title is Avatar The Last Airbender: Echoes and Aftershocks, based on a Paramount employee’s resume

A rumored title is Hidden Kingdom

Release

Release date: October 10th, 2025

Will be released in theaters exclusively at first, then stream on Paramount+ after

Previously estimated for 2024 internally at Paramount, but not announced publicly (source: Avatar News)

Story

Featuring “Aang and his friends”

Aang and Team Avatar will be young adults (source: Avatar News)

A movie with a Zuko-focused storyline was/is in development, it’s possible that this is that movie (source: Avatar News) - Update: The Zuko movie is separate

Brand-new original story, not an adaptation of an existing story from a comic, novel, etc.

Crew on this specific movie

Director: Lauren Montgomery (storyboard artist on ATLA, supervising producer on TLOK Books 2-4, showrunner of Voltron: Legendary Defender)

Writer: Kenneth Lin (Netflix’s House of Cards, Paramount’s Star Trek: Discovery)

Producers: Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko (showrunners of ATLA and TLOK, Chief Creative Officers of Avatar Studios), Eric Coleman (executive in charge of production of ATLA, suggested the creation of the character of Zuko in early development)

Production companies: Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, Paramount Animation, Nickelodeon Animation Studio, Avatar Studios, Flying Bark Productions

Crew at Avatar Studios whose involvement in this specific movie, if any, we don’t know yet

Composer: Jeremy Zuckerman (composer of ATLA and TLOK)

Writer: Tim Hedrick (writer on ATLA/TLOK/VLD, showrunner of Fast & Furious: Spy Racers)

Head of story(board): Steve Ahn (storyboard artist and assistant director on TLOK)

Executive art director: Christie Tseng (character designer on TLOK)

Art director: William Niu (background designer on TLOK)

Consultant on native representation: Migizi Pensoneau (Reservation Dogs)

Many, many more crewmembers, of course.

Animation

Animation studio: Flying Bark Productions (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018-2020), Glitch Techs (2020), Monkie Kid (2020-), Marvel Studios’ What If...? (2021), Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (2022))

Animation style: traditional 2D + substantial CG

History of statements on animation style: Sep 2 2021: “series of CG films” - Brian Robbins (president and CEO of Nickelodeon and chief content officer of kids and family for Paramount+) Dec 2 2021: “outstanding and customized [...] unique production look” that “integrates [...] traditional 2D and CG” - Paramount recruiting for Avatar Studios Jun 29 2022: “our main bread and butter is 2D animation” / “homage to anime” / “[not] gonna be [...] hardcore straightedge 2D” / “start with hand-drawn, handmade artwork and then: what can technology do to help us enhance it, to help us deepen it, to help the filmmaking, to make it more cinematic” / “not [...] starting purely 3D and then trying to stylize” / “looking hard to form our own look” / “not doing anything purely 3D” - Bryan Konietzko (Avatar Studios co-Chief Creative Officer) Oct 13 2022: “2D Avatar feature film” / “couple traditional 2D animation with substantial CG elements” - Flying Bark Productions (the movie’s animation studio)

Cast

No cast info for this specific movie yet

Dante Basco is attached as Zuko, reprising his role from ATLA

A global casting call is going out for Asian and Indigenous voice actors in their 20s for Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph

Janet Varney, the voice of Korra in TLOK (2012-2014) has announced that she doesn’t want to voice Korra in the future; she wants an Indigenous voice actor to voice Korra (Korra is from the Water Tribe in the world of Avatar, which is inspired by Indigenous culture in the real world). It’s possible other voice actors will make the same choice.

Characters we know will definitely be in this movie: Aang - previously voiced as a child by Zach Tyler Eisen in ATLA (2005-2008) and as an adult by D. B. Sweeney in TLOK (2012-2013) Katara (source: Avatar News) - previously voiced as a child by Mae Whitman in ATLA (2005-2008) and as an elder by Eva Marie Saint in TLOK (2012-2014) Zuko - see above “Aang[’s] friends”

Other

Three theatrical animated movies are currently in development at Avatar Studios

Each movie has a standalone story-- they’re not a trilogy-- so the story of this movie won’t be continued in the next movie after it

The second movie is focused on Zuko (source: Avatar News)

The third movie is focused on the new earth Avatar after Aang and Korra (source: Avatar News)

The image above is official canon art of the Gaang as adults, but it’s from the lead-up to the release of The Legend of Korra in 2012, not from this upcoming movie. Fun fact: it was drawn by Joaquim Dos Santos, co-showrunner of TLOK and director of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) and Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (2024)!

[lilyginnyblackv2]

Multimedia company N LITE is producing a film titled MFINDA, which it refers to with the term "AFRIME," or "afro-anime." The company unveiled visuals for the film in English and Japanese:

N LITE describes the story:

MFINDA tells the story of a young girl, Odi, who is transported into the past where she joins another young girl, Nasambi. They must venture into the MFINDA and confront evil spirits to reclaim the Nkisi if she has any hope of returning home.

Christiano Malik Terry, founder of N LITE, also leads N LITE Japan with Shin Koyamada (The Last Samurai, Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior) and Shigeru Igari (former CEO of Atlus). N LITE is producing MFINDA in Japan. Donald H. Hewitt (Spirited Away's English screenplay) and MFINDA creator Patience Lekien are writing the screenplay. The production credits Lekien and Terry with the story.

N LITE Japan teased that it will announce its partnership with a Japanese producer and international Oscar-nominated production team next month.

N LITE aims to bring black and indigenous stories in partnership with global creators. AFRIME, or afro-anime, is its hand-drawn 2D animation. The company plans to produce AFRIME films and television series. N LITE Japan is working on upcoming projects based on anime and manga IP.

Source: Email correspondence

[parm4carm]

i think what irks me the most about the discourse surrounding margot and greta not getting nominated is that people are grossly downplaying either of their accomplishments? the barbie defenders have looped around to being regressive because why are you acting as if barbie is THE most important film that either of them have ever done or WILL ever do?

not even counting the unquantifiable cultural impact, greta and margot are both highly decorated entertainers. margot has been nominated for two academy awards, both acting. both of greta gerwig's films have been nominated for academy awards, and have won multiple awards. it's almost embarrassing to watch people act as if these women in their thirties haven't been in the entertainment business for years?

now what really gets me is how much these people are downplaying other accomplishments. two black women and one honduran woman in the supporting actress category! three black men nominated for acting awards! an indigenous woman being nominated for the first time in history! many lifelong actors are being recognized for their decades of work – paul giamatti, cillian murphy, jeffrey wright, sterling k. brown (to name a few). justine triet's historic best director nomination. godzilla minus one being the first japanese film to be nominated for best visual effects. killers of the flower moon, past lives, and american fiction receiving best picture noms – films with nonwhite leads.

and on top of that? margot robbie IS being recognized for her work on barbie in a historic way – she's receiving her first EVER oscar nomination as a PRODUCER of a film in the BEST PICTURE category – meaning, regardless if barbie wins or not, she is now an academy award-nominated producer who owns her own production company (luckychap) meaning she will absolutely use this momentum to put more women's stories to screen.

i'm just confused as to why we're acting like barbie didn't receive 8 nominations? you're demeaning women of color to prop up your favorites (who would hate you for that, by the way) when margot robbie and greta getwig are NOT the examples you should be using to do so, because both of them were successful before barbie, and will be even MORE successful after barbie.

you should focus your energy on supporting frontrunners like lily gladstone, da'vine joy randolph, danielle brooks, etc.

i'm also very confused as to why we're acting as if the academy voter's nominations have EVER reflected the public's opinion, especially considering they're roughly 75% middle aged white men. do you really think those men resonated with american ferrera's monologue? be honest with yourselves.

[the-art-block]

Why do you hate MCU or George Lucas? I'm not against that hate, I'm just curious of your reasons.

The bandwidth that the MCU and Lucasfilms dominate in the film industry prevents a majority of new IPs or concepts from reaching further production - because film production companies aren't there to bolster up-and-comers, they're there to make money.

MCU and Lucasfilms make lots and lots and lots of money by cloning the same two story ideas over and over again because they know an overly nostalgic and traumatized public will keep paying for them.

The formula makes billions of dollars every time a film gets released, the stagnation of media culture doesn't matter next to a paycheck like that.

Lucasfilms in particular I take issue with because they really really lean into the exoticization (and then the repetitive abuse and wholesale slaughter of) indigenous communities through their writing. Use of the "Pretty Native Alien Woman" and the "Pragmatic Survivalist Race" is consistent throughout all the iterations of the franchise, and no one really seems to be talking about that.

rip every Sand Person. y'all just repelling colonizers and the writers kill you off like mice in a combine blade - and usually for laughs, no less.

These companies are not here to be progressive, they are here to take your money. Any inch they give to LGBT+ or POC character representation is immediately contradicted and cheapened by the film's own writing.

How long was that gay kiss in RoS? Did they follow it up with a joke?

Is Valkyrie still Bi?

Be critical of big franchises folks, I'm begging you. Otherwise we'll be watching Yet Another White Superhero Lead and George Lucas's Hero Fantasy Part 50 until we all die.

[nothingunrealistic]

billions season 7 casting calls: april 16-30, 2023

‘Billions’ Season 7, Native American Female (posted April 19; expires April 23; shoots April 25 in NYC)

Production Description: Casting a Native American female photo double for season 7 of Showtime’s “Billions.”

Native American Female Photo Double: Background / Extra, Female, 25-45. Height 5’6-5’9. Approx. 190lbs. Dress 12-14. Pants 14. Shoe 8.5-9. Ethnicity: Indigenous Peoples. [Posted April 19]

Rehearsal and Production Dates & Locations: Shoots Tues., April 25 in NY.

(grant wilfley casting posted an equivalent casting call on april 19. there are two existing characters who are native american women — roxanne, senior’s second wife, and jane halftown, a council member of the cayuga nation of new york. the age range and height seem to match roxanne, but i’m not sure about the other measurements.)

Billions Chinatown Visitors (posted April 21; shoots April 28 in NYC)

Production Description: #gwciseeking people to portray Chinatown Visitors for the seventh season of the Showtime series BILLIONS. Seeking people from the NYC-Chinese Community.

Rehearsal and Production Dates & Locations: Filming in NYC area.

(is that visitors To chinatown, or visitors From chinatown? requesting members of “the NYC-Chinese Community” might mean the latter, but the april 28 shoot in chinatown, matching this shoot date, might mean the former.)

Billions Beautiful Receptionists (posted April 21; shoots May 8-10 in NYC)

Production Description: #gwciseeking female models to portray Beautiful Receptionists for the seventh season of the Showtime series BILLIONS.

Rehearsal and Production Dates & Locations: Filming in NYC area.

(it seems late in the season to add new receptionists to prince cap. are they working for another hedge fund? another office entirely?)

‘Billions’ (posted April 25; expires May 3; shoots May 8-9 in NYC)

Production Description: Casting season seven of Showtime’s “Billions.”

Investment Company Traders (Non-SAG Covered): Background / Extra, 25-55. People to portray investment company traders. [Posted April 25]

Rehearsal and Production Dates & Locations: Shoots May 8 and 9 (plus future work dates through May) in NY.

(overlaps with the shooting dates for the receptionists. is someone starting up yet another new hedge fund? maybe axe global, if that sign stays up past april 27?)

Billions Political Rally Audience (posted April 27; shoots May 8 in NYC)

Production Description: #gwciseeking #extras to portray Political Rally Audience for the seventh season of the Showtime series BILLIONS.

Rehearsal and Production Dates & Locations: Filming in NYC area.

(my first instinct was that this was for prince’s presidential run, but would he hold a rally 5+ years before the election? i mean, it’s prince, so he might, but i don’t know if it would hold water story-wise. could be for someone else up for election — maybe dave seeking to keep the attorney general’s seat or sacker running for office.)

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Diversity Progresses in Still White Male Dominated Brazilian Production Sector

In Brazil, where the majority of the population are of African origin, persons of color are traditionally under-represented on above-the-line TV and film production. This, however, is gradually changing.

For the past years, POC talents, as well as residents from the impoverished urban areas, LGBTQ  and indigenous people, have gained ground in the still white-male dominated production sector.

The diversity drive resisted four years of an extreme-right government and ironically benefited indirectly from it, in the view of director and screenwriter Janaina Oliveira, vice-president of local Association of Black Audiovisual Professionals (APAN).

As the Bolsonaro administration (2019-2022) withheld coin from government incentives, said 42-year-old Oliveira, indie producers resorted to commissions from the large international streaming companies.

“Netflix, Amazon and the other streaming companies have adopted policies that stimulate diversity in their productions, especially after the Black Lives Matter movement, and they enforced them in Brazil. George Floyd had an impact here,” said Oliveira. 

“We have always being the majority on below-the-line positions, in lightening, catering, driving. But now we see Blacks in writers’ rooms, and directing and producing.”

Continue reading.

[meerasubramanian]

My new book, A New Approach to Understanding Rhythm in Indian Music was published on 20th January 2023, by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Presenting a comprehensive overview of some major traditional Indian rhythms, this book adopts a novel visual approach towards representing these rhythms (for example, Tāḷa/Tāl) in a graphic, tabular ICT (Information Communication Technology) format. It offers insights into structural aspects of beauty in Indian rhythms, and covers examples from ancient to contemporary music, including folk, classical and popular film songs. The tabular informative approach used in this book may also be applied to the study of other forms of traditional music across the world, such as folk music of Eastern Europe and indigenous music from other parts of Asia, the Americas, Australia, and Africa.

Link to purchase book: https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-8812-7

Publisher info:

@CamScholars (Twitter); @CambridgeScholarsPublishing (Facebook); @cambridgescholarsofficial (Instagram); www.linkedin.com/company/cambridgescholarspublishing/ (LinkedIn).

[mvydude]

Filmmaker Catherine Bainbridge examines the role of Native Americans in contemporary music history. She exposes a critical missing chapter, revealing how indigenous musicians helped influence popular culture.

Release date: July 26, 2017 (USA)

Directors: Catherine Bainbridge, Alfonso Maiorana

Produced by: Stevie Salas; Tim Johnson; Catherine Bainbridge; Christina Fon; Linda Ludwick; Lisa M. Roth; Tim Johnson

Production company: Rezolution Pictures

Music composed by: Benoît Charest, Ben Charest

[saintsir4n]

— there are some things I want to say, many of which are regarding race!

The fact that Francesca Amewudah-Rivers is receiving hate the fact she’s playing Juliet is not surprising, since people do not need reasons to hate black women. She’s a dark-skinned pretty woman but of course, because she has prominent black features she’s seen as manly and shouldn’t be playing alongside someone like Tom Holland. I’m not one to put down people but Tom Holland is not God’s gift, and neither is he publicly defending his co-star, a matter that I won’t get into as the focus is Francesca. The role of Juliet is one that was originally played by a man, and since then has been played by people of different ethnicities, some being black women. The fact people are using her appearance or the fact she’s deemed as “not conventionally attractive” is disgusting as if that’s an excuse. I’m glad that over 800 black actors signed a letter in solidarity because of the racial abuse as well as the production company who issued their own statement.

POCs especially darker-skinned women are constantly the target of racial abuse even over things that don’t exist and yes I am talking about fan-casts, especially tangled. I haven’t watched the film but I know the source material isn’t from Brothers Grimm but a Persian poem written in the 10th century by Ferdowsi, 8 centuries before it was turned into a “German folklore.” It’s hilarious how micro-aggressions and racism come out when people think white characters aren’t at the centre of it all. People crying about how their younger selves Would hate to see a stunning South Asian actress in the place of a blonde hair, blue-eyed ADAPTION of an original when brown and black girls had little to no representation at all. “Why can’t we stick to the originals?” Please look up what the original is before you start with your insults specifically those who are crying on TikTok or trolling on Avantika Vandanapu’s Instagram.

And lastly, stop bringing Tiana into it. She’s based on a real person just like Pocahontas, their race is important to their stories, black and indigenous, it’s tiring and also just foolish to post edits of “if they can have an Asian Rapunzel why can’t we have a white Tiana” when it’s clear that missed the plot of the princess and the frog, blind to/ ignoring its micro-aggressions (that are written in solely for a black character) and are just showing their bias all in defence of a film that doesn’t even exist.

And before anyone starts on “Why don’t you just invent your own characters?” Many have tried and the movie itself wasn’t watched, had little to no promotion or has been whitewashed but of course that gets little backlash.

And don’t get me started on wish…

So just to conclude, stop attacking us!

[pramaindiapvtltd]

Prama India Brand Film 2024

Prama India showcases its commitment to revolutionize security solutions by discovering how we harness innovation to safeguard our world, offering cutting-edge technologies and unparalleled services.

The journey of excellence and trust as we redefine security standards. Prama India has a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility near Mumbai. We manufacture high-quality video security products as per Indian standards and market requirements. The company is continuously enhancing its indigenous manufacturing capabilities by making advanced video security products. Our R&D Center continuously strives to develop new tech innovations for smart security applications. we are well-equipped manufacturing facility reaffirms a long-term commitment to the indigenous product manufacturing roadmap.

PRAMA has a long-term plan to empower India through innovative security products and solutions.

[productionbynomad]

Unveiling the World of Film Production Services in the UAE

A Hub for Global Filmmaking

The UAE’s strategic location and unique blend of modern and traditional elements make it an ideal destination for filmmakers seeking diverse and exotic settings. Here are some key aspects of film production services in the UAE:

Diverse Locations: The United Arab Emirates boasts an eclectic mix of urban and natural settings. From the futuristic skyline of Dubai to the pristine desert dunes, historical forts, and lush oases, the country offers a rich tapestry of locations for a wide range of film genres.

Production Support: Film production services in the United Arab Emirates encompass a range of logistical and administrative support, including obtaining permits, visas, and clearances for international crews and equipment. Production By Nomad in Abu Dhabi offer state-of-the-art facilities for film production, post-production, pre-production and even animation.

Local Expertise: The UAE’s film industry is supported by a growing pool of local talent, including directors, cinematographers, and technical crew members. The blend of local knowledge and international experience adds a unique flavor to productions.

Incentives and Investments

To further boost the growth of the film industry, the UAE has implemented several incentives and investments:

Financial Incentives: The UAE offers financial incentives to attract international productions. This includes rebates on production spending and co-production opportunities with local companies.

Dubai Film and TV Commission: The Dubai Film and TV Commission provides valuable assistance in securing permits, location scouting, and connecting with local resources.

Film Festivals and Promotion: The UAE hosts renowned film festivals such as the Dubai International Film Festival and the Abu Dhabi Film Festival. These events not only promote local talent but also serve as a platform for international networking.

International Blockbusters and Local Productions

The UAE has been the backdrop for a variety of international blockbusters, including the ‘Fast & Furious’ series, ‘Star Trek: Beyond,’ and ‘Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol.’ These films not only showcased the breathtaking landscapes of the UAE but also provided opportunities for local talent and businesses to collaborate with Hollywood.

In addition to hosting international productions, the UAE is also nurturing its indigenous film industry. Local filmmakers have been gaining international recognition with thought-provoking works that reflect the cultural diversity and modernity of the UAE.

The Future of UAE Film Production Services

The UAE’s film industry is poised for continuous growth. The country’s commitment to nurturing talent, expanding infrastructure, and providing a conducive environment for international collaborations is attracting filmmakers from all corners of the globe.

As the UAE continues to carve its name in the world of cinema, its film production services are sure to play a pivotal role in creating spectacular visual experiences that captivate global audiences and shine a spotlight on the rich culture and diversity of the region. With its strategic location, financial incentives, and a passion for storytelling, the UAE’s cinematic journey is set to unfold in ever more thrilling and captivating ways.

Original Source: film production uae

[nwbeerguide]

As the official beer for EPIC SWIM Maui Maui Brewing Company invites you to enjoy Hawai'i Life Lite Lager.

image courtesy Maui Brewing Company Press Release Kihei, Hawaii … Maui Brewing Company announces the re-launch of Da Hawai'i Life Lite Lager, a lighter version of the previous recipe with lower calories, lower ABV, and now the official beer of the EPIC SWIM Maui expedition. As presenting partner, the companies are aligned on the epic project to raise global awareness around ocean health.  EPIC SWIM Maui is an official project of the United Nations Ocean Decade and will be the world’s first expeditionary swim around the island of Maui. The expedition – and accompanying documentary film – will feature the world’s best open water swimmers from six continents, as well as scientists, indigenous leaders and environmental champions all focused on improving the health of our oceans. The event will take place this summer and include a celebration of the Hawaiian culture as it passes through the 12 Mokus (districts) with community gatherings at the beginning, middle, and end of what organizers anticipate will be a 12-18 day circumnavigation. Celebration sites will include the newest Maui Brewing Company restaurant located in the Outrigger Ka’anapali Beach Resort where everyone will have the opportunity to kick back and enjoy a locally crafted beer overlooking the world’s #1 beach. “Maui Brewing Company is the perfect presenting partner for EPIC SWIM Maui,” notes EPIC SWIM’s founder Robby Seeger. “Their commitment to the community of Hawai'i and their understanding for ocean health aligns with our values of stewardship and our connection to the ocean. #SwimTogether represents our global efforts for united ocean solutions. Visit epicswimmaui.com for more information and how to get involved.” MBC’s new recipe for Da Hawai'i Life Lite Lager offers a lower ABV (4.2%) and 15 IBUs with just 110 calories per 12 ounce serving. The pale gold dry hopped American light Lager is brewed with Citra Cryo hops offering a clean citrus flavor with light malt character and aromas of citrus and hops. The light-bodied beer is a brewer’s best friend. “This is the perfect thirst-quenching beverage for on, in, or around the water”, per Garrett Marrero, Co-Founder and CEO of Maui Brewing Co.  For the first time, MBC will be offering Da Hawai'i Life in a new 15-pack carton for the price of a 12-pack, as well 6-pack cartons for to-go purchases. The beer will also be available on draft at all Maui Brewing Company restaurants on Maui and Oahu, and in markets where independently-owned Maui Brewing Company craft beer can be found. One sip and you’re livin’ the best life… Da Hawai'i Life! The MBC team are stewards of their communities and the ‘aina, and curators of the craft beer way of life. Their beers have been recognized worldwide for quality and innovation.  For more information, visit MauiBrewing.com or follow @MauiBrewingCo on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. ### About Maui Brewing Company Founded in 2005, Maui Brewing Company is Hawaii’s largest craft brewery. MBC is based on Maui, with its grid-independent production brewery, restaurant and tasting room in Kihei, as well as restaurants in Kahana (Maui), Ka'anapali (Maui), Kailua (Oahu), and Waikiki (Oahu). Maui Brewing Company is available in 28 states, 1 district, and 3 international countries with more areas to follow. from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/4bYocfr

[thenoticeblog]

9 Days LEFT till the Afrofuturist Vampire Dance Party!

Hey Folx!

We’re just 9 DAYS away from The Notice Blog’s end-of-year costume extravaganza: The Afrofuturist Vampire Dance Party! We’re celebrating the release of our film "Willow: State of Emergency" on Amazon Prime, and raising funds for our highly-anticipated Afrofuturist Multiverse series, "Willow: House of Griots." This groundbreaking, 1-hour SciFi uses speculative history series to explore concepts of Liberation and the inherent violence of Capitalism; all set in a vampiric alternative reality where the 1811 German Coast Slave Revolt leads to an America led entirely by Black and Indigenous people.

The Afrofuturist Vampire Dance Party Friday, December 8th, 8:30PM - 1:30AM First Live | 219 Central Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11221. Find Details and Tickets here (Discount Code “CensorDuckLives” for $20 At-Door Tickets).

Featuring music from Electronic musical artist Jay Cass and Afrobeat, Hip Hop, and House tunes from DJ Zeke; guests will treated to a sneak peek of the first 5 minutes of “Willow: State of Emergency,” “Willow” themed drinks, and special deals from local vendors like Black Thoughts. 

Nevertheless, this event is not just about music; it's about fostering a community that values the re-indigenization of our stories by centering the narratives of Black women, Indigenous peoples, and Queer folx. Let’s build on the legacy of our ancestors, and make the untold stories that we need to see.

Can’t make it to the party, but would love to support "Willow: House of Griots?” Make a tax-deductible donation - or consider the tax-deductible sponsorship opportunities attached to this email. 

Either way, don't miss your chance to be a part of the community-building around this journey - these are our pivotal next steps, and I am eternally grateful to share them with you.

See you on Dec 8th! 

Sincerely,

Paul A. Notice II (They/Them) what’s this? Executive Producer, The Notice Blog Georgetown University 2009 BS | NYU 2011 MFA www.TheNoticeBlog.com Paul@TheNoticeBlog.com | (917) 593 - 0369 Support the "Willow: House of Griots" Crowdfunding Campaign Twitter  | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | The Notice Foundation

—------

About The Notice Blog: The Notice Blog is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit production company that produces and supports BIPOC, Queer, Immigrant, and Formerly-Incarcerated narratives in TV/Film, Journalism, and the Performing Arts. Our mission is to lay the groundwork for narratives that re-indigenize storytelling in any medium. Find out more at thenoticeblog.com.

—-----------