Highlights included Debi Mazar’s speech about her love and adoration for her husband. She also spoke about future plans if her “Extra Virgin” cooking show on Cooking Channel didn’t work out – she would move to Tuscany and eat, drink and make love!

Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar of Extra Virgin, Kristine and Chef Ludo of Ludo Bites. Photo credit David Livingston

Tony Tripoli, comedy writer for Joan River’s Fashion Police on E!, brought the house down with his irreverent quibbles.

Jolene Sugarbaker of Trailer Park Test Kitchen, one of the celebrity award presenters at the Taste Awards, also charmed the audience with her blonde bouffant, neon blue eyeshadow and southern twang.

Jolene Sugarbaker of Trailer Park Test Kitchen with fans at Taste Awards

Other celebrity presenters included the Food Network’s Carrie McCully, Tanya Holland, Manouschka Guerrier, and Candice Kumai, Bravo TV’s Fabio Viviani, Nyesha Arrington, and Danielle Keene, Public Television’s Joanne Weir and Nathan Lyon, ION TV’s Michelle Harris, food broadcast gurus Bobby Bognar, Zuzy Martin Lynch, and Susan Irby, plus food and drink humorists Zane Lamprey.

Special Achievement Honoree Awards presented during the evening went to Kung Fu Panda 2 (The Seiji Horibuchi Award for Outstanding Animation) and Debi Mazar (Outstanding Passion). Mad Fashion (Bravo), Kaitlyn’s Beauty Journal (KTSF), and Nail Files (TV Guide) were given the Breakout Fashionistas of the Year Award, and Cuisine Culture (Public Television), Ludo Bites America (Sundance Channel), and Restaurant Impossible (Food Network) were given the Kikkoman Award for Breakout Foodies of the Year. Kikkoman was a sponsor of the event.

Queens of the Quirky Cocktail: Alie and Georgia at Taste Awards

Among the evening’s Award Winners were television programs such as the Travel Channel’s “No Reservations” for Best Food Program and for Best Food Travel Series, Zane Lamprey’s HDNet series “Drinking Made Easy” for Best Drink or Beverage Program, Cooking Channel’s “Originals with Emeril” for Best New Series and “Extra Virgin” for Best Home Chef in a Series, Lifetime’s “Project Runway” for Best Fashion or Design Program, Bravo’s “Top Chef: Just Desserts” for Best Single Topic Series and “Top Chef” for the Kikkoman Award for Best Reality Series – Food or Drink, the Food Network’s “Aarti Party” for Best Green or Organic Program, and ABC’s “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” for Best Chef in a Series.

Public Television series “Check Please, Bay Area” picked up Best City or Regional Program, and “Mexico – One Plate at a Time” received the award for Best Ethnic Program.

Hannah Hart of My Drunk Kitchen web series. Photo credit David Livingston

Web winners included “My Drunk Kitchen” for Best Comedy Series, “Without Borders” for Best Food Travel Program, “Style.com” for Best Fashion or Design Programs on the Web, “Average Betty” for the Best Critic or Review Series (on TV or Web), “Raising the Bar with Jamie Boudreau” for Best Drink or Beverage Program, and “Food Wishes”, which was presented by Austin Lau of YouTube and which won the award for Best Food Program on the Web, along with a foodie trip to Estonia. “Bon Appetit” magazine won for Best Newspaper or Magazine Program.

In the film category, “Magnum Ice Cream Original Short Film Series by Karl Lagerfeld” picked up the award for Best Film or Documentary, and in the new Radio category, Evan Kleiman “Good Food on KCRW” got the win, along with “Come Dine With Me” (BBC America) for Best International Program.

The Taste (pronounced tasty) Awards after party was a Dionysian feast of succulent roasted goose from Pig n’ Whistle, Estonian Chef Marika Blossfeldt‘s uber-delicious and healthy beet salad and fresh baked bread and tipples from Alquimia Tequila tastings to vodka cocktails to wine.

Chef Marika Blossfeldt interviewed by travel journalist, Lindsay Taub.

A full list of Award Winners, Honorees, and Nominees, plus event photos and coverage, can be seen on the site, www.TheTasteAwards.com.

Screening details below:

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED
Saturday, December 10
AMC Burbank 16
125 E. Palm Ave.
Burbank, CA
11AM

To reserve and download your pass, visit gofobo.com/RSVP and enter the promotional code: LATHPLGN2P. The first 50 fans will be guaranteed seats for the screening.

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED
Animated comedy-adventure
Release:  December 16, 2011
Director: Mike Mitchell
Written by: Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger, based on the characters created by Ross Bagdasarian and Janice Karman
Producers: Janice Karman, Ross Bagdasarian
Cast: Jason Lee, David Cross, Jenny Slate, and Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney, Amy Poehler, Anna Faris, Christina Applegate

The vacationing Chipmunks and Chipettes are turning a luxury cruise liner into their personal playground, until they become ‘chipwrecked’ on a remote island.  As the ‘Munks and Chipettes scheme to find their way home, they accidentally discover their new turf is not as deserted as it seems.

A Hollywood ladies power-packed meeting, The New Women’s Em(Power)ment luncheon at Soho House featured the latest 2011 Glamour Reel Moment directors Eva Longoria, Olivia Wilde and Zoe Saldana discussing women’s roles in the film industry.

Moderated by Shaun Robinson, the panel also featured Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith, a screenwriter known for such female-empowered films as Legally Blonde and House Bunny, and Chris Payne, the VP Marketing for Clarisonic – the underwriting sponsor of 2011 Glamour Reel Moments series and a company with a strong position on female empowerment.

Glamour Reel Moments is a three-part video series showcasing inspiring real-life story submissions from Glamour readers, brought to life by Hollywood A-listers.  For most of the actors, this is their directorial debut. Proceeds from Reel Moments benefit a charity chosen by each director.

Free Hugs, Directed by Olivia Wilde

A Proper Send-Off, Directed by Eva Longoria:

Kaylien, Directed by Zoe Saldana:

The panel covered the subject of women in film, as well as women feeling empowered through directing and challenging their role within the industry. LA’s The Place, courtesy of Glamour Magazine, brings you direct quotes from Eva, Olivia and Zoe shared yesterday:

Eva Longoria on directing her first film:
“Oh my god, it was so fun because I’m naturally bossy, in life… there is something so empowering about it. I love it [directing] because you have more creative control, as an actor you sit there and you just hope they edit you well, and you hope they use the best take, and you hope you look good.”

Zoe Saldana on why there is a lack of women in film:
“Look at now, its like all about vampires, if women were cool, female topics were cool and they were making a lot of money, studios would be green lighting left and right.”

Olivia Wilde on the inspiration behind her Glamour Reel Moments film, Free Hugs:
“I was very inspired, actually, by “Bridesmaids” in terms of a kind of tone of storytelling because I feel so often the stories about women are told in a very melodramatic way that kind of alienates the male audience, it makes people feel like ‘oh its a chick flick,’ it’s not going to be as biting or crass.”

Eva Longoria on not being afraid:
“As women, you can be rooted in being a woman, but not constrained by it. I find that you should celebrate it, but many women feel constrained by it.”

Zoe Saldana on women finding the confidence to lead:
“Everyone is born with the power to lead, just not everybody is given the tools to believe in themselves. I think that now we have a lot of women, throughout our lives, our politics, our country, our community, our world, in our art that are inspiring us and taking leadership, we just have to follow that and not be afraid. You don’t have to please everybody…”

The actresses-turned-directors also shared how working in the role as director had helped them see the many other sides of the production of a film besides acting, and how it rounded out their vision from an actor’s standpoint.

They also spoke about how the challenge it is for women in Hollywood to succeed as directors and writers. Of the roughly 13,400 members of Directors Guild of America, only about 1,000, or 7 percent, are listed as female directors. No woman has ever won an Academy Award for best director. Glamour’s Reel Moments is about empowering the women of Hollywood and the women of Hollywood lending their support for their charities and getting people’s stories of inspiration and courage out there, spreading good, positive, informative messages.

Panal included Chris Payne, Kirsten Smith, Olivia Wilde, Eva Longoria, Zoe Saldana

Glamour Magazine Online

Clarisonic is the sponsor of the 2011 Glamour Reel Moments series. Clarisonic puts the power of a woman’s beauty in the palm of her hand. Clarisonic Skincare Brush is a professional-grade skincare brush, and provides a gentle sonic micro-massage for cleaner, healthier skin at home!

Clarisonic featured their new Clarisonic PLUS Sonic Skin Cleansing System, for Face and Body.

Read why Clarisonic was the best-kept secret at LA Fashion Week in our article here..

The new Clarisonic PLUS Sonic Skin Cleansing System, for Face and Body.

Maximum Warrior tests 20 contestants in 15 action-packed, adrenaline-filled challenges. This challenge tests the strength, agility and endurance of the Maximum Warrior competitors. Challenge #3 was won by U.S. Air Force 48th Rescue Squadron Pararescue Luke D. with the fastest time of 7:24.

The Challenge: Obstacle Course

In challenge number three, each of the 10 Warriors, while carrying their weapons, had to traverse and negotiate a 600-meter course containing 20 different obstacles. The Warriors were challenged with completing the entire course in the quickest time possible. The Maximum Warrior competitors ascended a rope climb, hoisted themselves over cargo netting, crawled under Jeep Wrangler SUVs, climbed through windows, and had to cross a river using only a rope stretched from bank to bank.

About Maximum Warrior

Maximum Warrior is broken down into two separate programs – the authentic Maximum Warrior Competition that pits actual special ops operatives against one another; and the inaugural Maximum Warrior Pro-Am that pairs a special ops operative with a civilian contender to create a 10 team competition. The competition series was recently completed at the state-of-the-art T1G training facility in Crawfordsville, Ark.

About Alpha Media Group

Alpha Media Group Inc. is a multimedia company and publisher of the Maxim brand and magazine, the largest young men’s lifestyle magazine in America reaching nearly 12 million readers each month. Maxim Digital encompasses Maxim.com and reaches more than 3 million unique visitors each month.

About Jeep

Built on 70 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The Jeep brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence. The Jeep vehicle lineup consists of the Compass, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Patriot, Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited.

To watch the Maximum Warrior series, visit www.maximumwarrior.com

“Québec in Hollywood” opens with a free concert at the Hard Rock Café on September 9th by Québec rock bands – The Respectables, Steve Hill, Tailor Made Fable and Dance Laury Dance.

Québec, with its European-French influence, has one of the highest concentrations of artists per capita in the world. Angelenos will get to experience the vast creativity and flair during “Québec in Hollywood” of Québécois culture in their own backyards.

Slated events at “Québec in Hollywood” include a Québec film festival at the Egyptian Theatre, performances by top bands and comedy acts on renowned stages, a Montréal fashion runway show at Hollywood & Highland Center, restaurant tastings crafted by top Québécois chefs, a green transportation design symposium, gallery exhibitions and more.

“Québec in Hollywood’s” events will take place in different locations around and near Hollywood from September 9th – 25th; culminating with the premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s IRIS at the legendary Kodak Theatre. For IRIS Cirque du Soleil preview:

Click here to view the embedded video.

“In 1987, the Québec Government Office in L.A. played a pivotal role in bringing Cirque du Soleil to Los Angeles, introducing their unique brand of entertainment to the U.S,” explains Yanick Godbout, Director of Governmental Relations and Public Affairs, Québec Government Office in Los Angeles.

“We are now bringing a selection of the best new talent from Québec to Los Angeles. We hope that ‘Québec in Hollywood’ will create the same effect and will serve as a springboard for the next wave of Québécois success.”

Highlights of “Québec in Hollywood” include:

9/9: Hard Rock Café: Free show by Québec rock bands, The Respectables, Steve Hill, Tailor Made Fable and Dance Laury Dance.

9/12‐17: The Grill on Hollywood: Chef Jean‐Pierre Curtat of the 5 Diamond AAA‐rated Nuances Restaurant at the Casino de Montréal, presents a unique menu featuring some of Québec’s best products.

9/15 Comedy Store: Sugar Sammy, named “One Of 10 Rising Comedy Talents From Around The World” by the Hollywood Reporter, performs at the Comedy Store, with opening act, Daniel Tirado.

9/16‐18: Egyptian Theatre: Québec in Hollywood partners with the American Cinematheque to host “Québec in Hollywood Films: The Other North American Cinema.” Opening night features red carpet.

9/19‐24: Public Kitchen & Bar, Roosevelt Hotel: Chef/Owner Laurent Godbout of Chez l’Épicier presents a customized Québec inspired menu for Hollywood.

9/22: Hollywood & Highland Center, Fashion & Opéra Fashion Show: The spring and summer 2012 collections from six of Montréal’s most acclaimed designers.

9/25: Kodak Theatre, Iris: Journey through the world of cinema with the premiere of “Iris” the latest sensation from Cirque du Soleil.

9/9‐25: Roosevelt Hotel: Daily Québec Happy Hours featuring a special menu with Québec drinks and appetizers. Monday‐Thursday at the Tropicana bar and Friday‐Sunday at the Library bar.

A complete list of events is available at www.Quebecinhollywood.com, or at www.facebook.com/Quebecinhollywood

Whether you peek through your fingers or not, the world of Horror Films just turned up the dial on gore!  The Summer of Massacre is the anthology child of Director Joe Castro.  With the partnering of Executive Producer Steven Escobar and Cult Movies Magazine Publisher, Shroeder, The Summer of Massacre broke records with over 100 killings onscreen beating out the body count on all the Friday the 13th movies combined.  Right now the new gore epic has been submitted to The Guinness Book of World Records hoping to be accepted for the most onscreen killings in a single film.

“The Summer of Massacre is more of a slasher film than a horror film,” explains Executive Producer Steven Escobar. “Joe Castro, my partner and Director of the film, and I have been making different horror films throughout the last 10 years and we wanted to do something different and original.”  Original they did!  “The Summer of Massacre is a 100pmh slasher/gore ride that takes you on an adventure through the eyes of not one, but eight maniacal killers.”

For Joe Castro, this has been a long time coming!  “Over the years I accumulated ideas/synopsis’s for a splatter/slasher epic,” said Castro. “As an artist and director, I chose to create a film that would be an anthology incorporating all my ideas. Like a father, Herschel Gordon Lewis always told me to make something that is truly original and that is why I wrote and produced The Summer of Massacre.”

Anthology it truly was!  “Joe has always had many original ideas, so we decided to make four movies and combine them into one gore epic!” said Escobar.  “When we realized that with people’s attention spans getting shorter, YouTube and other internet streaming, we felt that making an anthology film was going to be our best bet for a new kind of splatter film.”

When it comes to the record breaking kills onscreen, Escobar admits that it was all part of the initial concept of the film. “We had always intended to break the record for the most kills onscreen,” said Escobar. “It took nearly three years to complete The Summer of Massacre and Joe and I are very proud of our accomplishment.  We hope our audiences will enjoy it as much as we put our heart and soul into making it.”

Since its world premier in May 2011, the film has won ten awards including: Best Horror Film, Best Director, Best Experimental Director, Best Experimental Film, Best Experimental Production Design, Best Experimental Costume Design, and the award of Merit for Experimental Film.  The film has also been shown at top film festivals such as the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, American Independent Film Festival, Indie Gathering International Film Festival, The Accolade Competition and Los Angeles Reel Film Festival.

So, what’s next for the horror film duo?  Currently the two are working on Terror Toons 3, which is the third installment of their Terror Toons series.  After that, a change is coming to the lighter or more comedic side.

For more information visit: thesummerofmassacre.com

Both based on true stories, the documentaries took viewers to another area of life during the Film Festival and now have brand new followings. “Somewhere Between” is directed by Linda Goldstein Knowlton, a woman who adopted her daughter from China. The film is based on this aspect of her life, as it follows four teenage girls in different parts of America, all bonded by one thing—they were adopted from China as a baby.

Linda Goldstein Knowlton working on "Somewhere Between"

Due to China’s controversial One Child Policy, these young girls could not be kept by their birth families, so they were raised in the United States. They completely adapt to American culture with the love of “Sesame Street” and such, but eventually, they all start to wonder about their heritage.

Filmed all across the country, the documentary takes a closer look at their lives through their eyes as they struggle for acceptance and yearn to feel a full sense of belonging. The girls venture to Europe where they discover other young women in their same situation, and then they travel to China to find their birth parents, but the result is an eye-opening experience.

Knowlton is also known for her full-length documentary “The World According to Sesame Street,” where she co-directed and co-produced. She has also produced feature films in the fiction category like “Crazy in Alabama” and “Mumford.”

“Somwhere Between” won the Hot Docs Sundance Channel Audience Award, and “Crime After Crime” was recognized at the Sundance Film Festival, the San Francisco International Film Festival and the Atlanta Jewish Festival. Set right in America, the documentary takes a closer look at the current judicial system and the many issues that it faces in modern day.

In 1983, Deborah Peagler was put in prison when found connected to the murder of her abusive boyfriend. After more than 26 years in jail, California passed a law allowing domestic violence survivors’ cases to be reopened. With little experience, Joshua Safran and Nadia Costa take on Peagler’s case.

The stars of "Crime After Crime"

Working to finally set her free from being wrongly accused of association with the murder, her two attorneys work tirelessly searching for new witnesses, new evidence and even more information from the men who committed the crime. Names a “must-see” by several film critics, “Crime After Crime” opens many eyes to the issues faced in the court of law.

For more information on these two documentaries, visit www.somewherebetweenmovie.com and www.crimeaftercrime.com.

In addition to these films, the LAFF acknowledged winners in various categories for achievements this year, allowing these smaller pieces a chance to shine in the spotlight. Winners included:

• Narrative Award – Stephane Lafleur for “Familiar Ground”
• Documentary Award – Beverly Kopf & Bobbie Birleffi for “Wish Me Away”
• Best Performance (Narrative) – Amber Sealey, Kent Osbourne, Amanda Street & Gabriel Diamond for “How to Cheat”
• Best Narrative Short Film – Saba Riazi’s “The Wind is Blowing on My Street”
• Best Documentary Short Film – Susan Koenen’s “I Am a Girl”
• Best Animated Short Film – Mikey Please’s “The Eagleman Stag”
• Audience Award (Narrative Feature) – “Attack the Block”
• Audience Award (Documentary Feature) – “Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest”
• Audience Award (International Feature) – “Senna”
• Audience Award (Best Short Film) – “Blind Date”
• Audience Awards (Music Video) – “Shake this Feeling” by Grum

“It was such a rich year in competition films, so our juries had really tough choices to make. The winning films are the cream of a particularly delicious crop, and we’re delighted that they reflect the Festival’s dedication to movies from all over the world,” said Festival Artistic Director David Ansen.

For more information, visit www.filmindependent.org.

On Sept. 30, a live webcast of the Video on Demand Premiere Party will be filmed in a secret location, leading up to the first VOD screening for free at midnight on Oct. 1. But before “The Perfect House” could get to these types of premiere events, it had to get made by those who believe in it most.

Vahl (producer), Kent (producer/director) and Hulbert (writer/producer/director) were interested in filmmaking at an early age. “I think I have always naturally been interested in story telling and filmmaking was a natural progression of that,” Hulbert told LA’s The Place. He realized he would have to make it his career when, “it didn’t matter if my scripts were good or not because nobody was interested in reading them.”

Kent had a little bit of a different experience at first. “I really wanted to be an actor at first, but the more film sets I got on, the more I realized acting wasn’t really doing it for me, and I was much more fascinated by what was going on behind the camera. Then when I started to actually make my own stuff, I grew to really love filmmaking and transitioned to that,” he explained.

The idea for the horror “The Perfect House” first came up between Kent and Hulbert after some Craigslist exchanges. Hulbert saw Kent’s Craigslist ad asking for someone to help him make a horror film, and the two began discussing ideas based on Hulbert’s short that he submitted.

“It was a short and I wanted to do a feature so we went back and forth trying to figure a way to stretch it and it wasn’t working,” Kent told LA’s The Place. “So I came up with the idea of making it part of an anthology about this house and he wrote some more and it grew very quickly from there into what we have today.”

The movie revolves around newlyweds Mike and Marisol who have just purchased their dream house, but it’s quickly realized that the ‘perfect house’ has a terrifying past. This past is conjured up in three separate back stories.

“The film is a story about the horrors that occur inside an ordinary house that is not haunted,” Vahl explained.

Hulbert adds, “It’s an homage to horror told through an anthology. Each story is set in a specific time period based on the filmmaking styles used in that era of horror.”

Things like the short shoot schedule and receiving funds for “The Perfect House” made the production difficult, something many young filmmakers are facing today.

“Aside from the raising the money part of it, which is the toughest thing in indie filmmaking, period, not having enough time to do things while we were shooting. We shot this in 14 days, and although it turned out better than we ever imagined it would, there are several things that if we just had another couple of days to shoot, we knew we could’ve really done something special. And every time I watch it, I think of different ways to do it but we were under the gun on certain things and had to move on,” Kent revealed.

On the reverse side, everyone also had a favorite part of the film, including Vahl who enjoyed the audition process.

“Since I was producing the film since the very beginning I was able to see the character development in the script through each draft. When we held auditions, it was fascinating to see how actors interpreted the script and delivered the lines so differently than how we had expected,” Vahl said.

Hernke had many favorite instances, including getting to know everyone on the set of the small movie.

“One of the things I enjoyed was getting to know everyone and their personalities on day one of filming. From there on, I knew how to work with everyone while I was in the position of being the 1st A.D. for the shoot. Once everyone got into the groove of how I ran the set, things were great and everyone got along and worked very hard, but actually enjoyed the work they were doing and not complaining about anything! We all became like a family,” Hernke told LA’s The Place.

With the intense violence and disturbing themes, horror fans are enjoying the movie, and according to its producers, they are receiving very positive reviews so far.

“I have yet to see a bad reaction, unless you consider people being so disturbed that they had to leave the theatre or someone throwing up in their cup during the movie a bad review, but I consider that to be the best reactions yet!” Vahl said.

Hulbert has seen a different kind of reaction to “The Perfect House”—one of passion and support.

“People have loved the film and more importantly the cause behind the film and what we are trying to do with it,” he explained. “Some of the biggest opportunities and breaks we have gotten have been directly through audience members that loved the film and just wanted to help out in any way.”

Now, the cast and crew are busy promoting the work through social media and looking towards their Oct. 1 worldwide release date.

Kent sums it up: “The biggest compliment we get, and I agree completely, is that it ‘actually has a story and great script.’ I’ve heard that more times than I can count and that is the biggest shock that people have in seeing the movie, aside from the gore. Most people think, ‘Oh, low-budget horror movie with no huge stars, it’s going to be schlock crap!’ Then most end up being pleasantly surprised and happy to be wrong about the movie. I think that is where a lot of the passion comes in, that we threw them a huge curve ball and they are grateful for it.”

For more information, visit www.theperfecthousemovie.net and www.facebook.com/theperfecthousemovie.

The Disney film held a sneak peek at the LA Film Festival, and its world premiere event hit Walt Disney Studios on July 10 with voice actors Jim Cummings, Travis Oates, Tom Kenny, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Wyatt Hall and late-night host Craig Ferguson, who star in the movie.

In the 1920s, A.A. Milne began writing his series of books based on his real son and stuffed friends. Walt Disney’s daughters adored the books, so in 1966, the first Disney Pooh story was born—a short called “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.” In 1977, Disney produced a full-length feature based on the bear with little brains called “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh,” and after that, the character became one of the most loved and well-known in Disney’s history.

The Hundred Acre Wood continued to reign in children’s eyes and with the start of the 1988 ABC series based on Winnie, Jim Cummings was cemented as the voice of both Pooh and his pal Tigger. The latest film, simply titled “Winnie the Pooh,” uses the same animation from the ‘80s and ‘90s versions and enlists the help of Cummings’ voice talents to keep it as close to those pieces as possible. It’s directed by Pooh newcomers Stephen Anderson and Don Hall, who might be venturing into new territories, but they don’t make it obvious that this is their first Hundred Acre Wood journey with skilled direction and seamless writing.

Other actors have changed, but the casting works well, as they keep similar phrasing and tones from the previous voices of their respective characters. The most surprising is Ferguson for Owl, the wise but often incorrect mentor to the group. An odd choice at first, its clear that Ferguson has a love for the stories as well, and he’s a welcome addition to the gang. Eeyore is just as depressed as ever with Bud Luckey’s stylings, and this is not Oates’ first turn as the scared and small Piglet.

Veteran actor John Cleese serves as the narrator of the storybook-formatted tale of one fateful day in the Hundred Acre Woods. Pooh wakes up with one thing—per usual—on his brain: honey. He begins looking for his tasty treat when he bumps into Eeyore who has misplaced his tail again.

Wanting to help his forlorn friend, Pooh pauses his honey hunt to enlist the help of everyone (including Kanga, Roo and Rabbit) to give Eeyore a new tail. This act is harder than it seems, and just when they are about to ask Christopher Robin (voiced by Jack Boulter) for help, they find a note he has written.

Zooey Deschanel with Winnie the Pooh

Owl—the reader of the group—interprets the piece in a skewed way, and soon, the gang has decided that Christopher has been kidnapped by a mysterious monster called the Backson. Pooh still hasn’t received his honey, Eeyore still doesn’t have his tail, but they have a more important task, and that’s to save Christopher Robin.

“Winnie the Pooh” is the perfect little film for the entire family, bridging all generations, as Pooh is a character from everyone’s childhood. Back to the 2D animation that really makes Pooh and his friends sparkle, the new movie will have older audiences reminiscing about their favorite Pooh stories of years past, and new fans of the series will want to revisit classics like “The Blustery Day” and “Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too.”

With sharp humor, interesting dialogue and the most lovable characters around, “Winnie the Pooh” does what Disney does best: entertains audiences of all ages. Leaving a nostalgic aura with a feeling of scrumptious sweetness, it’s hard to not just simply adore the new movie after it closes.

Giving the franchise a mild revamp is actress/singer Zooey Deschanel’s reworking and arrangement of the opening theme song and the ending credits song “So Long.” The indie singer/songwriter is on vocals and the ukulele, backed by her She & Him partner M. Ward for the opening number, which allows for a subtle update on the classic tune without overpowering and changing the basics too much. The “So Long” piece—written by Deschanel and Ward—is a lovely ending and new addition to the Pooh legacy.

In addition to Deschanel’s stamp on the music, several new songs were created for the characters to sing written by Robert Lopez (a Tony winner for “Avenue Q”) and his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez (voice of Kanga).

Clocking in at a short 70 minutes, “Winnie the Pooh” shows storytelling at its finest with perfect visuals and a narrative that both evokes laughter and teaches a lesson of friendship to the young ones—and older ones—in the room. Pooh might be a willy, nilly, silly, ole bear, but he is loyal to his friends through whatever problems they may be facing. He’s even more loyal to them than his rumbly tumbly.

For more information, visit www.disney.com/Pooh and www.facebook.com/WinniethePooh. The film also features a short at the beginning called “The Ballad of Nessie” and a brief scene at the end of the credits.

“Wild animals exploited by filmmakers are scared, confused, and out of their element, but time is money, so if they don’t perform on cue, they can expect to be beaten or given an electric shock,” says PETA Director Delcianna Winders. “The makers of Zookeeper hired confirmed animal abusers, so moviegoers should steer clear of this film and all others that use exotic animals and should support only willing human performers.”

PETA members will converge outside Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles, Wednesday, July 6, 4:30 p.m. to protest against the use of live wild animals in films and to encourage filmmakers to use lifelike animatronics or computer-generated imagery (CGI) instead.

The action follows the death of a giraffe named Tweet, who suddenly collapsed and died during the production of the movie. Also, in May, Animal Defenders International released undercover video footage that shows trainers at Have Trunk Will Travel—the company that supplied the elephant who appears in Zookeeper—forcefully abusing its elephants with sharp, steel-tipped bullhooks and electric prods.

PETA points out that the American Humane Association’s certification stating that “No animals were harmed in the making of this film” applies only to what transpires on the set, not to what happens during off-set training sessions, where abuse is most likely to occur.

hgc

Chris Weitz directs his stars in A Better Life.

“A Better Life” held its world premiere at the LAFF, complete with red carpet arrivals from cast, crew and director Chris Weitz. He even invited friends Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart from his 2009 project in the “Twilight” series “New Moon.” Weitz introduced the film giving credit to its cast of Hispanic actors, the heart of the film.

Starring Demian Bichir (a long resume but most known in the States for his role in “Weeds”) as Carlos Galindo, a long-suffering father trying to give his son the life he was never able to have. They are living in Los Angeles, but Carlos is not here legally. He works seven days a week to provide for his teenage son and yearns to have his “papers,” but luck is not on Carlos’ side.

Fifteen-year-old Luis Galindo (Jose Julian in his first feature film) struggles to accept his position in society and find exactly where he fits in. He is forced to attend high school in a less-than-desirable area and soon discovers that gangs rule the town. His best friend is debating on joining a gang, but Luis just can’t figure out the right thing to do, especially when he sees his father come in day in and day out, just hoping to catch a break and make ends meet.

A riveting performance by Bichir propels this story of the issues plaguing this country where illegal immigration is concerned. Completely made in Los Angeles, local Hispanics took part in the filming and are central to the plot. After catching a glimpse into a world that many have not seen first-hand, it’s hard to go back to the days of not knowing the corruption that lies in Los Angeles’ backyard.

A Better Life's Demian Bichir and Jose Julian.

Heartbreaking and impactful, Weitz’ direction leads “A Better Life” into a arena that many filmmakers strive to, much like documentary filmmaking, where a true-to-life story is told in such a way that others want to make a difference. The two leads’ performances are so captivating that leaving the film having not been emotionally moved might mean you’re missing the ability to feel at all.

On the other hand, the LAFF offers several popcorn flicks too for those days that mindless entertainment is needed. Not every trip to the cinema should bring about tears, and “Life Happens” definitely does not force important themes or thought-provoking dialogue on anyone.

A “Bridesmaids” wannabe with female leads and raunchy comedy, “Life Happens” was directed and co-written by Kat Coiro; BFF and lead actress Krysten Ritter participated in the writing portion too. The plot is simple: best friends Kim (Ritter) and Deena (Kate Bosworth) have the perfect roommate life with unlimited opportunities and hopes for the future until Kim unexpectedly gets pregnant.

Krysten Ritter, Rachel Bilson and Kate Bosworth star in Life Happens

Kim and Deena continue to live together while one friend takes care of her child and the other continues pursuing her dreams of becoming a published self-help book author for women. Kim has had to put her aspirations of opening the first-ever puppy mall on hold and works for a horrible rich lady played by Kristen Johnston (“3rd Rock From the Sun”).

When Kim decides to finally get back into the dating scene, she gets nervous and lies about having a baby at all. It’s actually worse than that because she says the baby is Deena’s. As a typical romantic comedy goes, things continue to spiral out of control, and the laughs are supposed to ensue.

Co-starring Rachel Bilson, Jason Biggs, Geof Stults and Justin Kirk, “Life Happens” has its moments of good-natured humor and interesting one-liners on young adults in Los Angeles, but with an unlikable lead actress, the compliments end there.

Bosworth steals the show from Ritter as an opinionated feminist who can’t figure out how to balance her relationship with a new mom. It’s hard to feel sorry for Ritter’s plight, and at one point when she exasperatingly asks why no one warns that motherhood is so hard, Deena bitingly retorts that that is all anyone ever really says about it.

Not a film that will stay with the audience for years to come (like “A Better Life” will), “Life Happens” provides ladies with a harmless girls’ night out flick that remains watchable if not all that memorable. Its original title “BFF and Baby” at least spurred intrigue and added creativity, but it was changed to the drab “Life Happens” at some point during production.

“A Better Life” opened in limited release on June 24 through Summit Entertainment. More information can be found at www.facebook.com/ABetterLifeMovie. “Life Happens” does not currently have a release date, but its twitter continues updating: www.twitter.com/lifehappensfilm.

The first showing of “Drive” was this past May in the French Riviera at the Cannes Film Festival. It won Refn the Best Director award at the Festival and was nominated for the grand prize—the Palm d’Or. The thriller is set to debut stateside in theaters on Sept. 16.

"Drive" red carpet at LAFF: Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, Nicolas Winding Refn, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Ryan Gosling and Ron Perlman (photo by: Alberto E. Rodriguez)

With a brilliant and flawless opening scene, Refn quickly sets the stage for what exactly “Drive” is—an amazing vehicle (no pun intended) for Gosling to showcase his enormous acting chops and ability to hold an audience’s attention in the palm of his hand. Dark and mysterious, “Drive” begins with Gosling slickly and expertly driving a getaway car for some mediocre thugs. He’s brilliant at his job but why he is in this line of work is unclear.

Never even given a real name, Driver works as a Hollywood stunt driver and a car mechanic by day moonlighting occasionally as the perfect getaway driver by night. He has strict rules and little expression. This quiet and unflinching persona could be ruined by a lesser actor, but Gosling fully embraces it making the personality quite attractive.

Driver works for Shannon (Bryan Cranston) at the mechanic shop, but Shannon has other plans for the talented lad. He begins talks with some serious mobster-like acquaintances to invest in Driver’s abilities in the race car department. Bernie Rose (Brooks) must meet him first, and within a moment, he is sold on the young man’s talents too.

However, his colleague Nino (Perlman) is not so sure about any form of money funding these pipe dreams. A violent bunch, Shannon wants to remain on their good sides, but this proves difficult.

In the meantime, Driver is quickly and innocently befriending his next door neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son.

Irene is a working mom with her own problems, including her husband being in jail. Intrigued by Driver, she continues to allow him in their lives, accepting his help with chores around the apartment and enjoying his company. They take romantic drives around Los Angeles and have quiet chats, but Driver remains mysterious and thoughtful. Somehow Gosling makes his character solemn and off-putting in a likable way—a fete many actors would love to achieve.

Their lives are disrupted when her husband Standard (Oscar Isaac) is released from jail but saddled with a giant debt to local thugs. Soon, Standard’s and Driver’s lives collide in a mish-mash of seedy transactions, forcing the two to be on the same side in the violent underworld of Southern California.

Stars Ryan Gosling (enjoying Sweet Tarts), Christina Hendricks and Bryan Cranston helping introduce the film. (Photo by: Alberto E. Rodriguez)

What begins as a gorgeous ode to Los Angeles with breathtaking shots of downtown quickly changes into an insider look at the corruption that lives in the city and the blood bath that surrounds these characters. An edge-of-your-seat thriller, Hossein Amini’s screenplay is not cluttered with unimportant dialogue but edited to only include the most important and memorable lines.

The provocative film takes a no-holds-barred approach to storytelling with many closeups to reveal every inch of expression on the talented ensemble cast’s face. Refn’s direction is seamless from the humanity and love between Mulligan and Gosling on one side of the spectrum to the complete villainous opposition with Brooks and Perlman pulling off realistic and believable bad guys.

Mixing silence and a spellbinding soundtrack, the tone perfectly straddles whimsy and gritty realism putting “Driver” in a league of its own when it comes to filmmaking. The noir feeling of the first portion of the movie turns hostile when the gore and blood of the action begins to seep in, however, Refn never loses focus, and his cast never loses sight of what they are attempting to create.

After Gosling’s performance in last year’s “Blue Valentine,” he’s quickly being named the best actor of his generation by critics and audiences alike. Mulligan also continues to garner acclaim in her choices since she broke onto the scene with “An Education,” and dependable co-stars Brooks, Perlman and Cranston don’t ever disappoint.

Though not for the faint of heart, “Drive” has elevated current filmmaking to an entirely new level putting Refn and Gosling in the driver’s seat of Hollywood.

On June 16, the Festival will open with “Bernie,” the new movie starring Jack Black, Shirley MacClaine and Matthew McConaughey. Directed by Richard Linklater, “Bernie” revolves around the true story of assistant funeral home director Bernie Tiede, a very likable man who befriends an elderly lady. No one has a bad word tpo say about him, even when he commits a terrible crime.

June 16 also has a screening of “Green Lantern” starring Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively available. The film will be in nationwide release the next day, June 17, so the screening gives LAFF-goers a chance for a sneak peek. This special Gala screening will be hosted by Premier Sponsor Pechanga Resort & Casino with a unique exciting casino experience in the VIP hospitality area, with table games and opportunities to win resort getaways and free slot play at the largest casino in the Western USA. The Pechanga Resort & Casino is a Four-Diamond resort, located in the Southern California Wine Country of the Temecula Valley, and it offers: 517 newly-renovated guest rooms and suites; a world-class golf course; eight critically acclaimed restaurants; five bars and nightclubs; a relaxing spa, ful fitness center and pool; and more.

The official beer of the festival has been announced as Stella Artois with Jameson Irish Whiskey® the official spirit, and World Wine HeadQuarters as the official wine purveyor. The Los Angeles Athletic Club is the Official Host Hotel and Virgin America is the Official Airline Partner. WireImage is the Official Photography Agency and PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent.

This year’s Los Angeles Film Festival is the 17th annual event and will screen more than 200 feature length movies, short films, retro screenings and music videos, including “Attack the Block,” “Another Earth,” “A Better Life,” “Boyz n the Hood,” “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” and “Rudy.”

Another huge draw of LAFF are the special conversations and interviews with guest. This year the list has a wide variety of speakers, including Julie Taymor, Erykah Baduh, Jack Black, Shirely MacClaine, Jason Ritter, Diablo Cody and James Franco.

Taking over more than six city blocks, the LAFF is one of the region’s most active ‘live content and event campus with 15 restaurants and huge nationally recognized venues like Staples Center, Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, the Conga Room, Club Nokia, the Grammy Museum, Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge and Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14.

On June 26, the LAFF will close with the world premiere red carpet screening of “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark,” starring Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison and Jack Thompson. The much-anticipated horror film from director Troy Nixey and writer Guillermo del Toro tells the terrifying story of a young girl sent to stay with her father and stepmother who discovers there are creatures ready to take her into their own way of living. It’s a remake of the 1973 TV movie of the same name with stars Kim Darby, Jim Hutton and Barbara Anderson.

Contact the Coca-Cola Festival Ticketing Center for passes, tickets and event information by calling 866.FILM.FEST (866.345.6337) or visit LAFilmFest.com. Festival Passes and tickets can also be purchased in person beginning today, at the Coca-Cola Ticket Center located at the Festival Village on the West Garage at L.A. LIVE (1005 Chick Hearn Court).

Special support is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, UCLA Latin American Institute and the University of Guadalajara Foundation.

For more information or to become a member, visit FilmIndependent.org.

Read more about Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic; it was the first article LA’s The Place ever published!

Spike is coming to Utah specifically because of Baird and Clark. “Flipping Foreclosures” has a definite Spike TV spin to it — this is the “wild, wild West” of house flipping, according to Clark. It starts at foreclosure auctions in Salt Lake City, where 30 to 120 homes per day are being sold at the Matheson Courthouse.

“The heart of the series is our enterprising, ambitious hosts,” said Tim Duffy, Spike’s senior vice president of original programming.

Mike Baird and Doug Clark

The Clark & Baird Expedition

Baird, 33, grew up in San Diego and moved to Utah to attend Brigham Young University. Clark is a native of Utah who grew up in Murray. They met at a foreclosure auction in 2004, and Clark quit his career as a commercial pilot to join Baird as a foreclosure flipper.

Each of the six episodes ordered by Spike TV will follow Baird, Clark and their team through the story of one home. See them throughout the entire process – buying the foreclosure, cleaning it, repairing structural damage, rehabilitating and redecorating, and selling to a new owner.

They buy and sell an average of 50-60 homes a year and have 15-20 in their portfolio at any one time.

Turning Filth into Fortune

“Some of these homes have been vacant for years and years,” Baird said. “They’re rat-infested. And neighbors are just wishing that something would finally be done to some of these homes.”

Many times they encounter the unthinkable. Dead animals. Stolen cars. Meth labs.

“You have mold throughout the entire home,” Baird said. “You have people who have left meat that has been rotting there for months and months and it’s completely infested with flies.”

“One time we sent in people in biohazard suits to clean out meat,” Clark said. “By the time we put it in the Dumpster, the health department had already come to cite us because the Dumpsters smelled so bad. It was absolutely awful.”

“You never know what you’re going to find,” Clark said. “We had one home that had tens of thousands of hypodermic needles. There are situations we’ve seen that kids have lived in that would just blow your mind — worse than a third-world country.”

Clark & Baird Making A Difference

The plan for “Flipping Foreclosures” is to concentrate on the happy endings. “It’s tough when people are losing their homes,” Baird said. “But the reality is that there are victors in this, too. In the beginning, the neighbors are really curious. And then at the end, it’s kind of a hugs-and-kisses thing. They’re excited to have a new family in their neighborhood.”

“If we’re fixing America one house at a time, then at least we’re making a difference,” Clark said.

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Simply become a subscriber of LA’s the Place Magazine for your chance to win. Winner will be notified by email.

Bradley Cooper at Hangover II Premiere

Robert Downey Jr. and wife.

Alyssa Milano

Zach Galifianakis

Jaime Chung

Ed Helms

Director Nathan Ruegger

Coming from an entertainment family, he was lucky to see that success is possible in this business. He saw early success himself as a young voice over actor on the animated show “Animaniacs”.  His own work as an actor helped shape his vision of how to be a hands-on director and pull amazing, true-to-reality performances from his actors. His hard work and determination to make a film that truly speaks for those who may not always be able to tell their story is bringing him accolades for his film “Another Life” which recently screened at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Nathan for a Q & A interview.

Kali Cook:  How was the casting process for Another Life?

Nathan Ruegger: This film was cast-dependent. We hired an amazing casting director, Cheryl Faye, who has worked with Quentin Tarantino and Sam Raimi. We spent a while with the breakdowns, called in about 200 hundred actors and narrowed that down to approx. 10 actors for each part in the callbacks.

KC:  What were you looking for in the lead role of Angela? The actress you choose was incredible.

NR: The most important thing was that she be believable as being in Iraq killing people, yet also vulnerable and likable.

KC: That is a lot to ask for, what stood out with Tracy?

NR: I think what stood out the most was the way I could see the whole movie on her face without her saying a word.

KC: And Robert, what was key in choosing him to play Scott?

NR: Robert actually made us cry with his audition. We managed to hold it in until he left the room.

KC: What type of prep did you do with these two before filming? Their chemistry exploded on screen.

NR: We rehearsed for about a week and they both had their own processes with becoming the characters. For example Tracy took her uniform home to wear it and immerse herself  with being a veteran.

KC: Can you tell us a little about the other actors?

NR: Harrison’s scene is so complicated, he plays the mob boss and has the job of setting up the whole story, as well as this character needing to scare people almost to death. Bobbie, who plays Kaylie is just adorable and so easy to work with. She played the scene perfectly when she knows her Dad has been killed, it shows in her eyes so subtlety.

KC: What made you interested in writing this film?

NR: I love crime dramas and thrillers, they interest me the most. I didn’t want to just make a fun movie, I wanted it to tell a real story.

KC: You absolutely accomplished that. Lets talk directing for a moment. What would you say your style on set is?

NR: Soft spoken. Very focused. I like to work with each actor individually to get the moments the scene calls for.

KC: The colors of the film are so “real” and beautiful, what inspired this?

NR: Jay Visit and I have similar styles, very easy going, so we work well together. We chose the colors for Tracy’s world, thinking in terms of cold, blues, shadows. Robert’s world is warm, bright and yellows.

KC: I have to say, the ending surprised me. Did you always know that is how you wanted it to end?

NR: I wrote 20 drafts of the script. I grappled with how to end it. A mentor had told me that a short needs to be emotional 1 or 2 moments. Angela is trapped, can’t see a way out.

KC: Do you have a particular message you would like viewers to leave with after watching Another Life?

NR: Very much so, “Talk to someone”. Angela could not see a way out, she felt done. She should have talked to someone. Reached out. I want people to see and know that we aren’t alone. To reach out to someone before it becomes too late, no matter what that is.

KC: In closing our interview, what would you say was something influenced you growing up?

NR: My grandfather was an actor and a director, my Dad is a producer, Mother, actress. Each of them taught me and showed me different areas and I gained endless knowledge from their particular perspective.

For more info on the film and Nathan Ruegger, visit: www.anotherlifefilm.com.

At the age of 30, Vescio was working as a TV photojournalist with CBS News and was earning high praise—even talks of an Emmy—but it forced him to reevaluate his career path.

After a stint teaching at Virginia Tech, he decided to pursue professional acting instead. It was 2001, and in that summer he enrolled in David Mamet’s Acting Conservatory. Mamet is an American playwright, essayist and film director, notably helming projects like “The Verdict” and “Wag the Dog.” After reading many acting books, it was Mamet’s that stood out to Vescio, so the school seemed like a perfect fit.

“I found out that I finally got accepted into his acting conservatory, and then the following summer, I moved to NYC and started training at his school,” Vescio told LA’s The Place. “And that decision was the best thing that I ever did with in my life. I just love acting more than anything else in life! And I honestly practice and study this art form every single day of my life.”

In 2005, Vescio was cast in several projects, two short films “Manic” and “SomePlace Wonderful” and one movie “Blue Hour.” All a little on the dark and supernatural side, those pieces are where Vescio first began professionally working, and since then he has performed in about three dozen short films in a two-year period. From those experiences, Vescio has learned a lot.

“I’ve learned how to work on a film set without ever seeing the camera at all, that way I can totally be in the moment as the character, and not worry where the camera is,” Vescio explained. “That way, my performance can look like a documentary film, versus a fictional film. It’s just more natural-looking versus pretend-looking.”

He continued, “I’ve also learned how to take direction from all different types of directors as well. Which is definitely a plus, because I can now take direction from any kind of director that there is, because I’ve pretty much seen and/or heard it all.”

Frequently, Vescio is seen playing the villainous and evil role, but it’s what he enjoys and he wouldn’t have it any other way, even commenting that there are no other genres of film he’d like to pursue.

“Yes, I definitely do enjoy being the villain, but I also feel that the villain portrayal isn’t properly being told by most actors here in Hollywood, so it’s my duty as a professional actor to be these character types as truthfully as humanly possible—as if it is real life,” Vescio revealed. “And in the end, I definitely do want the audience to learn these hard cruel facts the easy way, by watching me perform in a film, versus the hard way of it actually happening to them in real life instead.”

The action/sci-fi flick “Gemini Rising” is currently in post-production starring Lance Henriksen, Amy Hathaway, John Savage, Brian Krause and Vescio as Dr. Bainbridge, a role he says is different from previous outings.

Here is his brief synopsis on the mysterious film: “When my character (Dr. Bainbridge) was a child, his father was a top medical scientist for the CIA. So basically, I was his guinea pig for most of his experiments, from sleep deprivation to LSD injections, etc. My character grew up being as anti-social as humanly possible, but, now, he’s the top medical scientist working for the U.S. government, figuring out how to control human beings telepathically, and that’s where the storyline begins. You have a mad scientist and a super smart colonel trying to control human beings telepathically, but, at the same time destroying human life in order to achieve this mission. That’s where the protagonist of the story comes in and tries to destroy us for doing these cruel things, but my character is, well, not up for any of that at all. His medical research means everything to him, and he will literally kill it.”

Vescio has a lot on his plate coming up, including roles in two movies in the pre-production stage, “Blood on the Border” and “Showdown in Durango,” the latter starring Martin Landau. He just finished shooting “Hick” with the ensemble cast of Alec Baldwin, Blake Lively, Juliette Lewis, Chloe Mortez, Eddie Redmayne and Rory Culkin. It was shot in Wilmington, N.C. and tells the story of a Nebraska teen leaving her small town for Las Vegas. It’s based on the novel of the same name by Derick Martini and Andrea Portes. It will hit theaters next year. And again, Vescio is the villain.

Vescio is also appearing in the horror flick “Q for Death” starring Jeremy London, who portrays a man who loses everything and decides to punish criminals for their wrongdoings themselves in a “Boondock Saints” type of thriller. Vescio just so happens to be one of those criminals.

“I’m a Hollywood producer who loves conning people out of their hard earned money, and for some reason, I always get away with it, because I have the best lawyer in town,” he explains laughing. “Isn’t life great!”

The screening for this incredible, thought-provoking film will be Tuesday night May 3rd at 8:30 pm as part of the Suspenseful Shorts series at the prestigious Newport Beach Film Festival. This is not a film to be missed.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The film has performed well at six other festivals for its thrills and chills as well as its provocative portrait of a veteran coming back home with PTSD.

You can see the trailer, links, and more here

The impressive cast includes Tracy Coogan, K. Harrison Sweeney, Robert W. Evans and Bobbie Prewitt.

The writer/director is Nathan Ruegger, a recent graduate with honors in Filmmaking at USC School of Cinematic Arts. We will be featuring a special Q and A interview with him on how he poured his heart and soul, along with his fantastic crew, including award-winning cinematographer Jay Visit, into “Another Life” to allow its audience an extremely real look into something we may not otherwise get to see, yet he also seems to understand the simple, yet often misunderstood fact that we are not alone with our personal demons.

Check out the film’s impressive website for the trailer and much more about “Another Life”

Article by:  Kali Cook

“African Cats” chronicles several years in the lives of two feline species: lions and cheetahs. With Samuel L. Jackson’s soothing and strong voice, intertwining stories of these real-life African cats are narrated and shown on screen. The animals are given names and personalities, just like an animated Disney film, but the stories are true accounts of what transpires in the wild.

First, there’s Fang, a male lion in charge of his own pride of lionesses and cubs. For the most part their life is calm with the lionesses taking care of the young and hunting, while fang—with a broken tooth from battle—looks menacing to fight off predators. However, across the river is Kali, a rival lion who wants to overtake Fang’s reign with his lion brothers.

Not too far away is our heroine Sita, a feisty cheetah who is caring for her five baby cubs all on her own. Without anyone to assist her, she has the toughest job yet: hunting to feed her young while also making sure the babies don’t get into harm’s way. They have a lot to conquer on their journey for food, including hyenas and shockingly, other cheetahs.

Both of the cat families are working to teach their young cubs how to survive, whether its hunting for food or creating a bond with the pride so they will accept and look after you.

The animal kingdom is both mysterious and familiar, and “African Cats” does an amazing job documenting both of those aspects. Those who believe animals are devoid of emotion will think twice after witnessing these cats in joyous moments and also in complete despair over family problems and the loss of loved ones. And these animal characters are relatable. All Sita wants is to protect her young, and the fight for survival is a universal feeling, making these creatures that much more intriguing and watchable.

Like with all of the Disneynature films, “African Cats” is no exception to tugging at the heartstrings, especially those of animal lovers. Directed by Alastair Fothergill (“Planet Earth”) and Keith Scholey (“Nature”), the movie’s look is breathtaking and every intricacy is seen due to the close proximity to the subjects.

“African Cats” doesn’t necessarily shy away from the harsh reality of events in nature, but it maintains a G rating for the little ones to remain informed but not traumatized. A couple of scenes in the newest adventure are tear jerkers, but it’s a great way to keep the family together and teach everyone something about the world. Humor is also widely present in the feature, with each character having its own spunk and personality.

Reminiscent of “The Lion King” (without Elton John’s music or James Earl Jones’ booming voice), “African Cats” creates an inspirational tale of epic proportions that any nature documentary lover will enjoy, including children who find animals fascinating. Jackson’s dialogue is sometimes cliched, but the film is for families and proves to be something that all ages can identify with—even though revelations of the animal kingdom were strikingly hard to imagine. (These felines really don’t appreciate their own kind as much as you would hope!)

As with every Disneynature film release, a portion of the proceeds from the opening week of “African Cats” will be going to the “See African Cats, Save the Savanna” initiative, a campaign that has already helped save more than 9,500 acres of land in Kenya’s Amboseli Wildlife Corridor through advanced ticket sales.

“We are very impressed with the passion people are showing for ‘African Cats’—advance ticket sales for this film have surpassed both ‘Earth’ and ‘Oceans’ at this stage of the game, which shows how excited moviegoers are for both the movie and the ‘Save the Savanna’ initiative,” said Alan Bergman, president, The Walt Disney Studios. “The Amboseli Corridor is an essential passage utilized by so many animals in the African savanna. The advance ticket sales so far will allow Disneynature with African Wildlife Foundation’s assistance to conserve more than 9,500 acres of this passage—which equates to 19 Disney’s Animal Kingdoms, or nearly two-thirds the size of Manhattan—and we still have two weeks till opening day.”

After the box office numbers for “Earth,” three million trees were planted in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, and in 2010 with “Oceans,” 40,000 acres of marine protected areas in The Bahamas where established, which contain miles of vital coral reef.

“American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks performs the ending credits theme, “The World We Knew.”

For Los Angeles residents planning on seeing the film, the El Capitan will be hosting a special presentation with wildlife experts and exotic animals before each showing. Tickets for groups of 20 or more are available by calling 1-888-DISNEY6 and available online at www.disney.com/africancats. For more information, become a fan of Disneynature on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Disneynature.

Star Molly Quinn signing a poster at the "Finding Hope" premiere party.

The vision started with Namm’s short film, “The Sacrifice,” starring familiar faces from the later feature Molly Quinn, Chris Mulkey, and Richard Riehle. The film told the story of Rev. Dobbins (Mulkey) taking a 13-year-old wife, Esmee Johnson (Quinn).Quinn had booked “The Sacrifice” when she was 14 and before she had the gig on the hit TV show “Castle.” “I met Diane and at first I felt like I couldn’t understand. I felt like it was piece of fiction,” Quinn told LA’s The Place about the idea behind the film involving girl runaways. Namm explained the severity of the issue to Quinn with statistics like “1-3 million runaway and homeless children living on the streets in the United States, and 80 percent of runaway and homeless girls reported having been sexually or physically abused.”“Ever since then it really woke me up, and even though I will never understand what these girls are really going through, just to be able to speak for them honestly in whatever way I can, doing this film with Dianne…” Quinn explained, trailing off due to the severity of the subject matter.“I really asked myself what if? What if I was in that situation? How would I react, how would I deal?”

Writer/director Diane Namm at "Finding Hope" party.

Namm knew she wanted to continue the story of Esmee that was started in the short film and wanted Quinn to continue playing the part, but some time needed to pass in between.

“In the intervening years, I worked with a number of at-risk facilities and did writing workshops with at-risk girls and learned what their lives were like out on the streets,” Namm told LA’s The Place. She expanded the story by having Esmee run away and dive into an entirely new sub-culture that needs exploring.

“Anything about child endangerment in general, I get mad about,” Namm revealed about her motivation to do this type of piece. “I believe that everyone has a story, so I want to create a story to bring this issue to light.”

Actress Kristen Dalton was cast as Agent Lani Morgan in “Finding Hope” when the casting director thought of her from her part in “The Departed” as Jack Nicholson’s girlfriend, Gwen.

Actor Chris Mulkey getting ready to sign the "Finding Hope" poster

“It was the perfect role. They were looking for a red head that had been a runaway as a child and was helping other runaways now,” Dalton told LA’s The Place. “I loved working with Diane. She’s such an actors’ director. Really lets you play, have fun, brings it to life and makes it such a fun experience.”

Other members of the cast were also on-hand to celebrate the official film launch, including Chris Mulkey, Richard Riehle, Andy Mackenzie, James Morrison and Christine Elise. Other celebrities in attendance included, Lee Reherman (“Battle of the Supercars”), Natalie Maggio (“Raising Hope”) Jaimie Hilfiger (supermodel), Matthew Willig (“Year One”), May Wang (“Cougar Town”), Alex Swanstrom (Miss California Teen USA 2011), Alyssa Campanella (Miss California 2011) and Yvonne De La Rosa (“One Man Show”).

Everyone who walked the red carpet signed an official “Finding Hope” poster for auction on eBay to benefit Covenant House California. Covenant House is a non-profit organization in California that works with abused, neglected and homeless youth. “Since 1988, CHC has impacted the lives of more than 160,000 homeless youth out of our Los Angeles and Bay Area locations,” according to its website at www.covenanthousecalifornia.org.

Star Kristen Dalton and supermodel Jaimie Hilfiger

Coming up next for writer/director Namm is the play “Judgement at Nuremberg” starring Katharine Ross (“The Graduate”) at Santa Monica Playhouse; it opens on March 12. Quinn continues her work on “Castle” and was rooting for Colin Firth to take home the Best Actor Oscar after their encounter on the set of “A Christmas Carol.”

“I just smiled at him! I was wearing a shirt that said ‘Mrs. Darcy’ at the time, actually,” Quinn laughed. (Firth famously played Mr. Darcy in the BBC version of “Pride and Prejudice.”)

For more information on Namm and her projects and “Finding Hope,” visit www.dianenamm.com.

Photo credits by: Javier Plaza-Torres
Contact: os.mediaservices@gmail.com

Sandra Oh performs the ribbon cutting ceremony for the LG Cinema 3D TV HDTV Gift Lounge.

On the beach in Santa Monica, the LG Cinema 3D TV HDTV Gift Lounge produced by On 3 Productions, was held on behalf of the 2011 Film Independent’s Spirit Awards. A-list celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson, Anne Heche and Aaron Echkhart among the many that attended the gala gift lounge and raised $150,000 for Film Independent’s Project:Involve – a program dedicated to increasing diversity in the film industry.

Presenter Sandra Oh kicked off the carpet arrivals with a ribbon cutting ceremony, which was followed by a check presentation on behalf of LG Cinema 3D HDTV to Project:Involve via the “Tuned In for Charity” theme of the day. For each celebrity who stopped by the LG Cinema 3D TV platform and shared their favorite memories of how, where or with whom they enjoyed 3D entertainment, LG Cinema 3D HDTV made a significant contribution on their behalf to Project:Involve.

Celebrities Impressed by LG Cinema 3D HDTV Experience

Stars were among the first to experience the LG Cinema 3D HDTV, the next generation 3D TV, preferred by consumers 3-to-1 over existing home 3D technology. Celebrities were impressed with such benefits as lighter-weight 3D eyewear, a wider viewing angle, affordability and more.

Fellow Private Practice stars Kate Walsh and Taye Diggs made sure to check out the LG Cinema 3D HDTV together. While husband Liev Schrieber waited outside (he had checked it out on his own earlier), wife Naomi Watts and her best friend Nicole Kidman scurried hand-in-hand through the LG Cinema 3D HDTV Gift Lounge to experience the next generation of 3D TV and help raise money for Project:Involve. Upon entrance, Rosario Dawson immediately put on a special pair of crystal embellished LG Cinema 3D HDTV glasses and remarked, “I’m blinged!¨ while shaking it in front of the LG Cinema 3D HDTVs.

New couple alert… Vanessa Hudgens and Josh Hutcherson checked out the LG Cinema 3D HDTV together and Vanessa even remarked, “That’s dope!¨ Avatar star Zoe Saldana was already familiar with 3D but was so impressed with LG’s next generation of 3D TV, the LG Cinema 3D HDTV. Anne Heche and partner James Tupper were also excited to try on the LG Cinema 3D HDTV glasses and were looking forward to spending cozy nights at home watching 3D movies together.

Malin Akerman & Vanessa Hudgens rocking their LG Cinema 3D HDTV glasses embellished with Swarovski crystals.

Malin Akerman was so excited while she rocked a special pair of LG Cinema 3D HDTV glasses that were embellished with Swarovski crystals. Spirit Awards host Joel McHale met up with Spirit Awards nominee Mark Ruffalo in front of the LG Cinema 3D HDTV. Another celebrity impressed with the LG Cinema 3D HDTV Swarovski embellished 3D glasses was Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg who shouted, ‘Who has more bling? My ring or the TV?¨ Later that night at the Spirit Awards Voter Viewing Party, Gerard Butler met up with Hilary Swank, both donning the LG Cinema 3D HDTV glasses, and together were blown away with the new 3D TV technology.

While backstage, stars experienced the next generation 3D TV for the first time with the LG Cinema 3D HDTV, and all couldn’t wait to experience the LG Cinema 3D HDTV at home!

Celebrities’ Reactions at Gift Lounge

Here’s a few photo ops capturing the stars’ reactions to their luxurious gifts in the LG cinema 3D HDTV gift lounge backstage:

PURE DARK® Pure Dark® Slab with Roasted and Caramelized Nibs

Kate Walsh grins with her Pure Dark chocolate in hand.

“Shut the front door and lock it. I’ll be eating this Pure Dark chocolate everyday¨ – Kate Walsh

PURE DARK® Pure Dark® Slab with Roasted and Caramelized Nibs gave an Exclusive One-Year Offering of Pure Dark® Products. Pure Dark® is a line of premium hand-crafted, specialty dark chocolates as close to nature and the cocoa pod as possible. Pure Dark® delivers an authentic and earthy chocolate experience with robust ingredients harvested straight from nature and has a diverse product offering.

Vanessa Hudgens could not get enough of Pure Dark, and kept returning to the lounge throughout the day for little nibbles, she even brought her new co-star Josh Hutcherson from Journey 2: The Mysterious Island over to sample the delicious Pure Dark Slab with her at one point.

Malin Akerman made Pure Dark her lunch for the day, the starlet was starving as she arrived and munched on a Pure Dark Slab with Caramelized Nibs – and was interested in the health benefits of the product.

A few moments later Anthony Mackie was overheard saying, “I’m going to cook with Pure Dark dark chocolate — I make a mean molten chocolate cup with whipped cream. Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.¨

ALTOIDS® SMALLS®

ALTOIDS gave a 1-Year Supply of the Tiny Breath Mints that Go Where You Go.
Part of the Original Celebrated Curiously Strong™ Altoids family of mints, they are now smaller and sugar-free. Altoids SMALLS come in four flavors: Peppermint, Wintergreen, Cinnamon and Simply Mint. Dale Dickey grabbed an Altoids tin and said “These (Altoids) are going in my purse, I have dragon breath.°¨ Aaron Eckhart popped a few Altoids SMALLS as he discussed his red carpet must-have – earplugs. Rosario Dawson was right behind him, and said that her red carpet must-have is lip balm, which she forgot that day – she treated her mouth to some Altoids SMALLS instead.

Jason Ritter with ALTOIDS' hostess.

THE RITZ-CARLTON NEW YORK, CENTRAL PARK

They gave a Weekend Stay in a One-Bedroom Suite. Relax in luxury at one of the most renowned addresses in the world and indulge in warm, personalized and bespoke service. The Ritz-Carlton is home to Hollywood’s prestigious elite members and the Fortune 500 business titans.

Samuel L. Jackson was excited to see The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park in the Gift Lounge and exclaimed “I just had my Ritz-Carlton¨ robe on this morning. Gossip Girl Michelle Trachtenberg was very familiar with the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, saying that it was my mother’s favorite hotel. Last time I stayed there, the Pastry Chef made a cake with a picture of me on top.¨ Anne Heche added that the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park was “The most elegant hotel in New York.¨

NEW BALANCE RevLite 890

The most revolutionary and lightest running shoe of its kind (Celebrity trainer, Harley Pasternak was on hand with fitness tips for the stars!). Kate Walsh also received a pair of the New Balance RevLite 890’s and said she was going to wear them while walking her dog. Joel McHale jumped into the New Balance Revlite 890 sneakers and told onlookers he wants to start running (again).

Trevor Donovan with his new pair of NEW BALANCE RevLite 890s.

“While trying on a pair of New Balance Revlite 890 running sneakers, I want to spray water on my face and be photographed leaving celeb trainer Harley Pasternak, so people think I work out¨ – Michelle Trachtenberg

CRUNCH Gym Membership

CRUNCH gave stars a 1 Year Membership & Private Training Sessions. With awesome classes, shiny machines and things to punch, Crunch has something for everyone.

Michelle Trachtenberg confessed to never working out but promised she’d check out Crunch since she got a 1-year free membership. Erika Christensen was already a Crunch member but was thrilled to receive another year for free. She even put on the Crunch boxing gloves and had a quick boxing session in the Gift Lounge. Another Crunch member who swung by was Jane Lynch who was surprised to learn there was a Glee Class at Crunch gyms.

Kate Flannery and Nia Vardalos practicing their boxing skills learned at CRUNCH Gym.

Nia Vardalos and The Office star Kate Flannery hung out at the Crunch booth for a long time, posing with the Crunch boxing gloves while still dressed in their red carpet gowns.

“I love group fitness classes at Crunch – it’s my favorite way to work out. It motivates me to never give up! – Vanessa Hudgens

NAUTICA Summer Essentials Tote Bag

In the honor of the Spirit Awards’ return to the beach this year, the tote gift bag included Nautica Swim for Men & Women, a Beach Towel and a “Save Your Oceans” T-shirt. Nautica® products are refined casual classics inspired and energized by the water that are always crisp, clean and distinct. Samuel L. Jackson said he can’t pull off his bikini body this year, so he was thrilled to scoop up a pair of Nautica swim trunks. Couples Retreat actress Malin Akerman took a pair of Nautica swim trunks for her husband, since he needed a new pair.

Anne Heche & James Tupper with Nautica swimwear.

“We’re going to swap bathing suits and wear them to the pool, while checking out Nautica Swim for men and women!°¨ – Anne Heche

LITTLE GIRAFFE & GIRAFFE AT HOME

Little Giraffe gave Adult Cover-ups and Throw-Blankets. Little Giraffe is LOVE.

Craig Robinson snuggling his Little Giraffe blanket.

Gorgeous luxe cover-ups and cozy throw blankets, plus some popular baby items for guests who have little ones. Trevor Donovan, Jane Lynch, Anne Heche and Mark Ruffalo all stopped by to pick up the ultra-soft blankets and couldn’t wait to snuggle post-awards with Giraffe at Home!

AMC ENTERTAINMENT Exclusive AMC Signature Pass

Provided each star and one guest the opportunity to see movies for free at more than 300 AMC theatres across the U.S. for an entire year. Trevor Donovan was excited to receive the exclusive AMC Signature Pass, but remarked that he now needs to find a girlfriend… Erika Christensen had her AMC Signature Pass from the previous year and was excited to get a new one for 2011.

Zoe Zaldana at the AMC Entertainment station.

Vanessa Hudgens was one of the first to of the day to hit the AMC Entertainment station and held onto her AMC Signature Pass the entire night. After hugging the AMC Entertainment representative, Rosario Dawson gratefully accepted her AMC Signature Pass and showed it off to everyone standing nearby.

VERA BRADLEY

Tote in Choice of Periwinkle or Navy: Be Colorful! Malin Akerman brought her old roommate over to check out the Vera Bradley totes and smaller gift items including Vera Bradley mini coolers and umbrellas, she told onlookers that they used to live together and
everyone in that house has had successful careers – “good energy brings good things¨ she exclaimed. Trevor Donovan talked girls with the reps at the Vera Bradley station … saying he just started talking to a showgirl in Vegas that he met onset and was texting her about the Vera Bradley collection. Anthony Mackie said he couldn’t wait to pack some drinks in his new Vera Bradley mini cooler from Vera Bradley and take it to the beach.

MARCHON INC. Eyewear

Stars were treated to custom fittings for designer sunglasses including Jil Sander, Karl Largerfeld, Emilio Pucci, CalvinKlein, Fendi and more!

For more about On 3 Productions’ events, visit them at http://www.on3productions.com.

Lily Tomlin, Kat Kramer, Tippi Hedren and Cher attend a screening of "Elephants and Man."

Directed by Jane Kropinski and executive produced by Maya Kaplan, “Elephants” is a documentary that examines the brutal treatment of elephants in graphic and realistic detail. The film spans through the times of Thomas Edison’s painful electrocution of these animals for his experiments to modern day when elephants are still mistreated in circuses and zoos, holding them in captivity.

Kaplan is the founder of the nonprofit organization Voice for the Animals Foundation, and her documentary explains her viewpoint that these zoos and circuses do not know how to rightfully take care of these kinds of animals.

Many celebrities are lending their name to the cause, and the Host Committee for the premiere of the film includes: Cher, Alec Baldwin, Kathy Griffin, Billy Bob Thornton, Jane Fonda, Robin Williams, Ed Begley Jr., Paul Haggis, Fisher Stevens, Ric O’Barry, Karen Black, Lainie Kazan, Ken Davitian, Sally Field, Beau Bridges and others.

Those in attendance of the film screening also included, Tippi Hedren, Ed Begley Jr, Ken Davitian, Karen Black, Lainie Kazan, George Chakilis, Ben Vereen, Shawn Toub, Diane Warren, Jane Lynch, Kathy Najimy, Paula Poundstone, Greg Finley, Brando Eaton, Joe Slaughter, Colin Owens, Michael Anthony Spady, Beverly Todd, Mark Rydell, Tehmina Sunny, Michael Mccurio, Marc Rosenberg, Andre Hyland, Charley Bowyer, Peter R.J. Deyell and others.

“Hopefully, this film will introduce and educate people to the barbaric and inhumane practice of keeping elephants captive in zoos,” Tomlin said. “Once most humans learn the truth about the cruelty and suffering we are causing these creatures, I believe they will find exhibiting them in zoos as morally unacceptable as I and many, many others do.”

Kat Kramer founded the film series in 2009. The series is released under KnK Productions Inc., and it is being used to demonstrate her thoughts and feelings towards these types of social issues. The first two films she screened for the series were “Yentl,” starring Barbara Streisand and last year’s Academy Award winner for Best Documentary, “The Cove.”

Kat’s father Stanley Kramer was no stranger to socially conscious films, known for his work with “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” “On the Beach” and “Bless the Beasts and the Children.”

The showing of “Elephants and Man” came at a pivotal point in the Los Angeles community, as the Los Angeles Zoo recently opened a new elephant exhibit costing $42 million, allocating three of the six acres to guests of the park and not the animals. The previous smaller elephant exhibit was under fire for several years as 14 elephants had died while in captivity there.

“People who think the new elephant exhibit is wonderful because it is larger than the old one, are missing the point,” Kramer said. “Elephants need more space, to be healthy. We hope zoos throughout the country will pay attention to the message of ‘Elephants and Man’ and do the right thing by closing their elephant exhibits.”

For more information, visit the Voice for the Animals official site at www.vftafoundation.org.

Since that first experience working in the entertainment industry, Jeff has continued to work as a police officer, as well as an actor and police and military technical advisor on features, television and industrial projects such as CSI: NY, House, M.D., Saving Grace, Dark Blue, and Race To Witch Mountain to name a few.

As a kid, Jeff grew up in an LAPD home regularly watching television shows and films written by former LAPD Sergeant Joseph Wambaugh such as Police Story, The New Centurions, The Onion Field, and The Blue Knight. “I was fascinated with Wambaugh’s works and consider myself following in his footsteps”, Jeff admits.

It was inevitable that Jeff would write and produced a new television series called Medal of Valor. Medal of Valor is an anthology, docu-drama series that re-creates the real life actions of law enforcement officers that earned them law enforcement’s highest award, the Medal of Valor.

Scenes from Medal Of Valor

The Medal of Valor is an award presented for bravery that is given for extraordinary acts of heroism exhibited in the performance of their duties at extreme, life-threatening personal risk.  The series, Medal of Valor, combines the best of reality, drama, suspense and horror.

“I wanted to showcase these heroic stories of the men and women in blue who’s actions above and beyond the call of duty all too many times go unnoticed or are taken for granted”, Jeff told LA’s The Place Magazine.

“I think that viewers will not only be entertained and on the edge of their seats, but will be amazed…and come to the realization that these police officers are members of society not unlike themselves - PTA members, their son’s little league coaches and next-door neighbors. The only difference is that they put their lives on the line every day they go to work.”

In May, 2010 Jeff teamed up with director and co-producer, Faz Brahimi, to produce a pilot for Medal of Valor.  “I was more than amazed with Faz’s creativity”, Jeff explained.  “Faz would run something by me as the writer in regards to various shots. The first few times I wasn’t exactly following him so I responded with a ‘Show me’.  After seeing what he was coming up with I knew that between his talents and the realism that I had to offer, that Medal of Valor would be a success!”

Traditionally, law enforcement television series have been successful, as viewers are intrigued with police work.  Dragnet, Adam 12, Hill Street Blues, COPS, the CSI series and Bones are just a few of the police television series that have achieved great success. 

Jeff is impressed and credits the writers of these series as being brilliant, “There are so many talented writers out there generating great stuff!  As a writer and technical advisor, I like to incorporate some of the finer points, both tactical and interpersonal, that lend to authenticity and that are not as noticeable at first glance but would only be known to someone who has been in some of those hair-raising situations.”

Jeff gives one example of those subtleties such as being unable to stop your hand from shaking due to the adrenaline rush after a foot pursuit and fight. “There’s been many times, as any experienced police officer can attest to, where you need to write something down after experiencing a close call and you can’t because your hand is shaking so much.  As a police officer you have to shake it off and not allow suspects or the public see that so that you’re not looked upon as weak or vulnerable”.

Jeff Corbin, Ventura Police Officer

As a police officer, Jeff has worked in patrol, as a motor officer, a member of a violent criminal offender task force, and in Narcotics, working undercover where he has participated in the service of over 200 high-risk search warrants. Jeff has also worked as both a patrol and traffic supervisor and is currently a supervisor in his department’s Command Center.  Jeff is also the recipient of his department’s highest award for valor. 

After 19 years as a police officer in both Las Vegas and Southern California, Jeff is quickly approaching the end of his law enforcement career.  “As I near the end of my career I would like to utilize my skills in the entertainment industry and my passion for writing, coupled with my real-life law enforcement experiences to create credibility through authenticity in film and television productions”.

It doesn’t get any better than that.

You can watch the trailer for Medal Of Valor here…

Jeff can be contacted through his website at www.jeffcorbinadvisor.com.

Sean stopped by the LA’s The Place studios on his way to his first film premiere, and spoke about his experience and more with our host, Jeff Gaskin.

The story is based on Penny Chenery’s life centered around her racehorse Secretariat, who won the Triple Crown in 1973, and Secretariat’s trainer Lucien Laurin played by John Malkovich.

After being in cast in commercials and a few independent movies, he hit his first big acting role soon after he began his acting career. Now, with a role in a Disney movie, he has also been in “The Fields 2” in which Sean’s little brother, Seth, and sister, Coryn, are acting in roles as his brother and sister. He’s also currently working on the film “That’s What I Am” starring Ed Harris. He’s surely one to watch as a rising young star in Hollywood.

Sean became interested in acting while watching his grandfather work on Because of Winn-Dixie (2005) as the special effects coordinator. His grandfather passed away before he could see Sean follow in his footsteps with the same love for the business as he had.