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San Diego Asian Film Festival

Posted on: November 6th, 2013 by tommyj

BC-1007-097editedFOct-10small-370x208What is it about Film Festivals that makes them uniquely important and seemingly a vital, integral part of the movie industry?  Why are there Film Festivals taking place all over the world and in small pockets of society? Simple… it levels the playing field, or the big screen in this case. It is an opportunity for the little man to compete with the big wigs of the industry.  As long as the movie can fill the size of the screen, the low budget, 1,2,3, 4 man production can be seen as equally and along side the multi-million dollar production.  Second, you, me the audience gets to see movies, films and documentaries that are not under the marketing control and distribution of the majors…therefore there is no censoring of talent and no shelving of the little mans project that has been pegged for DVD distribution without ever making it to the big screen.  Third, they have become the meeting grounds for cultural diversity and sharing.

There are thousands of film festivals around the world.  Each one with its on unique lure that attracts an audience.  The various cultural festival seem to have a unique pull all their own.  Whether if its a geographical, ethnic, educational or religious in nature, film festivals brings together that community, as well as  invites others to come share in their rich cultural background.  Film festivals allows an audience to see more ofIMG_6714small-770x433[1] the movie industry that is shoved out by the majors. It allows new and up and coming talent, people and other aspects of the world to be seen and is not typecast by a single industry’s view. The artist, film makers and actors have as much freedom to create and showcase their on brand and talent.

So let me introduce you to a very rich cultural Film Festival that has captured high acclaim in the festival world.  Recently named by USA Today as one of the 10 reasons to visit San Diego, the annual San Diego Asian Film Festival is the flagship event of Pacific Arts Movement (formerly the San Diego Asian Film Foundation), a non-profit media arts organization specializing in Asian and Asian American cinema.

Founded in 2000, the Festival has grown to become the largest exhibition of Asian cinema in the western United States, and has showcased everything from future classics like Bong Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder (US Premiere) to luminary independent work like Patrick Wang’s award-winning In the Family (North American Premiere).

Pacific Arts Movement also presents the SDAFF Spring Showcase, a mini-festival in April, as well as year-round quarterly screenings and community events. For information about Pac-Arts and its mission and values, click here.

Join The Image Of Magazine as we cover a dynamic events and the people who make it happen, on and off the camera.  Check out past editions of the San Diego Asian Film Festival:

Unbeatable
2013 SDAFF Spring Showcase
2012 San Diego Asian Film Festival
2012 SDAFF Spring Showcase
2011 San Diego Asian Film Festival
2011 SDAFF Spring Showcase
2010 San Diego Asian Film Festival
2009 San Diego Asian Film Festival
2008 San Diego Asian Film Festival
2007 San Diego Asian Film Festival

Starting Thursday November 7th the San Diego Asian Film Festival begins.  Come out and see why USA Today says the SDAFF is a must attend film festival.  View more information, films, times and dates read the preview for this year on The Image Of Magazine website front page.

AMERICAN COUNTRY AWARDS: THE NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

Posted on: October 30th, 2013 by tommyj

AMERICAN COUNTRY AWARDS: THE NOMINEES ANNOUNCED ` […]

Musiq Soulchild… Just Being A Real Man

Posted on: October 28th, 2013 by tommyj

Musiq+Soulchild+52nd+Annual+GRAMMY+Awards+5GNyN8EbexAl[1]When you listen to Musiq, you know he is a musical talent. When you meet the man behind the Musiq you realize there’s more to him than what you hear. We recently held a show for Breast Cancer Awareness month and it reminded me of what Musiq Soulchild has accomplished and why he is still “Just Being A Real Man”. Here’s the article…

Musiq Soulchild… Just Being A Real Man

The one thing that stood out the most about Musiq was his kindness and giving.  After the show at the 4th And B, we spoke with him personally about some of the things he has done and achievements  in music.  He stated to me that he appreciated that I book him to do the show… a full show with a band and everything.  He said that most acts and venues are so into the appearance and not the talent of performing.  He thinks that waters down the industry and true music.  He also said he only had 30 minutes after the show to do pictures, without a fee charge by the way, with a select few fans.  Well he actually stayed for an hour taking pictures with anyone who came to the photo room and spoke with them on a personal level.

That leads me to this.  I also found out that he was an ambassador for the Susan G. Komen For the Cure.  He spoke about being a part of the movement and said he was honored to be a part of it.

(2010) Musiq Soulchild recently announced his new role as an Ambassador for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Circle of Promise, a movement designed to further engage black women around the globe in the fight against breast cancer.

In his new role, Musiq will raise awareness about breast cancer so that younger women know the importance of early detection and why it’s important to pay attention to their bodies.

“Early detection is the key to winning the fight against breast cancer,” said Musiq. “Too often, black women are diagnosed in stage three and four when breast cancer is most difficult to treat. Some women are afraid to seek treatment for fear of losing their breasts or their hair. One’s physical appearance is much less important than the will to live. It’s time to remove the stigmas that are attached to this disease.”

Take a few minutes to check out Musiq’s  video “Yes”, which features breast cancer survivors from the metro Atlanta area. The video was directed by Juwan Lee.


When I saw the video I knew I had not only booked a great musician to do the show, but also a great person who is  just a good ole fashion real MAN that does support women and their cause.  He gives back as much as he can.  When I now look into producing show, I want the quality of the person as well as the talent. musiq_soulchild_20120401_1835955641[1]

So for the remaining days of Breast Cancer Awareness Month we will feature the music of Musiq.  Check out Musiq at www.musiqsoulchild.com.  If you missed his show last year at 4th And B you missed a real talent that knows how to entertain his audience.  We are looking forward to bring Musiq back to SD in 2014.  Stay tuned…

Wednesday October 30, 2013

Musiq was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is the oldest of nine children. At an early age, Musiq left home and dropped out of school at the age of 17. It was during that time Musiq started to build a reputation for being musically gifted, beat boxing for MC’s, free styling on the open mic circuit, scatting at a jazz club, or just performing a cappella in the streets of Philadelphia, which is where he got the name “Musiq” and later added “Soulchild”, which is intended to respect and represent the legacy and traditions of past soul artists. He cites as his inspiration such icons as Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Patti LaBelle, Billie Holiday, Sly & the Family Stone and Ray Charles.

 

“There were people who knew of me but they didn’t really know me; they just knew me as ‘that music dude.’ So after getting that so much, I was like ‘Just call me Musiq.’ It was so fresh to me because if I had to be called anything, I would have wanted to be called Music. That’s how much I dug it; when you see me, I want you to automatically think of music.”[1] The nickname Soulchild came from two ideas. Musiq quotes it as, “Musiq Soulchild is technically two ideas. ‘Musiq’ is the front man and ‘Soulchild’ is the idea behind it. It’s basically me as an artist in this generation, representing the traditions and the legacies of the past soul stars.”

More than any song produced and performed by Musiq Soulchild, “Love” is and will always be the song most of his fans will identify as his signature song.   The words, melody, arrangement and delivery pushed him to the top of the R&B charts.  The “Philly” sound became known to the rest of the industry and the world.

Outside of music, he has been featured in television and print ads for McDonald’s, Nike, Inc., Coca-Cola, Levi Strauss & Co. and The Gap. He made a special appearance on The CW’s #1 comedy The Game on Monday,  as well as the UPN sitcom All of Us. On June 25, 2012, Musiq released a book on love and relationships titled “143 – Love According To Musiq”.

Here’s another classic that could make the average person want to get on the floor and try thier luck on doing the Chicago Step…

‘700 Sundays’ is a tour de force; Artability show in St. Paul

Posted on: October 25th, 2013 by tommyj

Billy Crystal in “700 Sundays” The first […]

Bad Grandpa (2013) Movie Review

Posted on: October 25th, 2013 by tommyj

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Saving the Godfather’s Soul

Posted on: October 23rd, 2013 by tommyj

After years of estate acrimony, James Brown’s […]

Female Musicians, Screens ‘THE GIRLS IN THE BAND’

Posted on: October 20th, 2013 by tommyj

MUSE/IQUE Spotlights Female Jazz Musicians, Screens ‘THE […]

‘CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story’ on VH1

Posted on: October 18th, 2013 by tommyj

“She totally came into character,” Chilli said […]

23 Years Ago: Naomi Judd Announces Retirement

Posted on: October 17th, 2013 by tommyj

[…]

Cory Booker Adds to the Senate Legacy

Posted on: October 16th, 2013 by tommyj

cory-bookerWith a victory in the Senate race for the state of New Jersey, Cory Booker adds to the short list of popular elected Black Senators.   Only 3 before him have won their seats by in a popular election.  In the 237 years, there have only been a total of 8 Black elected Senators in American history…and his presence is a welcome from the recent influx of elected officials that have a personal agenda instead of the country’s best interest.  Some do have their own party’s best interest in mind.  And if you ask them they say it is the will of the American people who they represent.  The last I checked, I did not ask to have the government of the United Staes of America to shut down, take the country to the brink of a default or to not pass laws that would help create JOBS, JOBS, JOBS as promised in the 2010 midterm elections.

The 2010 elections began an era of radical positions on American policy and views.  The majority of those elected took positions that were in the interest of a minority segment of America..The Tea Party.  Their views seemed to not be their own, but a conjoined agenda passed down by big backers and organizations.  These new officials came from a gerrymandered segment of local communities, without any diversity of thought and ideology. There seems to be no free thinking member among them.  Public officials like Cory Booker, that have represented a diverse population bring a better representation of America to Washington DC.  Mayor Booker has shown his community, city, state and America that he governs on an even kiel.  The demographic of Newark is as diverse as the opening session of a UN meeting, a little bit of everyone.  A politician that has a hands on approach to governing and dealing with his constituents, will deliver an approach similar to that of a Trigonometry equation “If – Then”.

From our little corner of the world here in San Diego, we have seen the effects of a mayor who has his hands on the pulse of the city and a mayor that has his hands on…well you know.  And one of them ends up not to good for the city.  Mayor Booker’s open approach to government and the importance of government officials to see his constituents as people and not just a block of voters, helps to make better decisions when there is a need to get involved and when to take a step back approach. This leads to a “Solution” that is in the best interest of all, not just the select few or a supporters cause.  Keeping people in perspective, Mayor Booker was literally hands on when saving lives, physically and figuratively. An intelligent approach to solving problems creating opportunities is a missing trait in Washington.

Eight African Americans have served in the United States Senate. No African American served in the elective office before the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1870. The Fifteenth Amendment prohibits the federal government and state governments from denying any citizen the right to vote because of that citizen’s race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Of the eight senators, three were popularly elected, two were elected by the Mississippi State Senate, and three were appointed by a state Governor. The 113th United States Congress marked the first time that two African Americans have served concurrently in the Senate.  Congratulations to Cory Booker in his bid to the US Senate and welcome to history.

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The official senate portrait of Barack Obama, the fifth African-American United States Senator who would later become the first African-American President

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P. B. S. Pinchback (1837–1921)
Republican 44th (1875–1877)

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Hiram Rhodes Revels (1827–1901)
Republican 41st (1869–1871)

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Blanche Kelso Bruce (1841–1898)Republican
44th (1875–1877) 45th (1877–1879)
46th (1879–1881)

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Edward William Brooke, III (born 1919)
Republican 90th (1967–1969)
91st (1969–1971)
92nd (1971–1973)
93rd (1973–1975)
94th (1975–1977)
95th (1977–1979)

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Carol Moseley Braun (born 1947)
Democratic 103rd (1993–1995)
104th (1995–1997)
105th (1997–1999)

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Roland W. Burris (born 1937)
Democratic 111th (2009–2011)

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Mo Cowan (born 1969)
Democratic 113th (2013–2015)

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Tim Scott (born 1965)
Republican 113th (2013–2015)