+ CINÉBASH 2018

Atlanta's first annual #Cinébash2018 happened this past Saturday, June 23rd at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center; an ideal spot for the film party! Sponsored by AJFF (Atlanta Jewish Film Festival), Cinébash is a combination of the arts, music, food and fellowship among those with an appreciation for "all things creative". This year, Cinébash celebrated the graphic work of Saul Bass and his timeless artistic contributions to the world. Bass is admired for his motion picture title sequences including Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, Psycho, and for his promo movie posters for films like Exodus, West Side Story and The Shining. This film party was an unforgettable evening of innovative art exhibits centered around Bass and not to mention, great food +  a very stylish crowd of participants. Food sponsors included delectable selections from Taste of Atlanta. Alon's Bakery & Market, 1KEPT, City Barbeque, DAS BBQ, and FLIP Burger. With impeccable weather, the evening's activities both in and outdoors were graciously managed. And Kudos to DJ Santiago Páramo for rocking the night away on the ones and twos! This was definitely one of those trendy gatherings that you look forward to being a part of for years to come!

* Photos Courtesy of Donald Felice & Vaughn Gittens

Exclusive Interview with Filmmaker Pablo Solarz of The Last Suit

The conclusion of the 2018 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival climaxed with a heart-clinching screening of The Last Suit by Director Pablo Solarz of Argentina. The Last Suit is a narrative about a Jewish 88-year-old tailor by the name of Abraham who sets out on an exhausting journey to reunite with the man who saved his life during the time of the Holocaust. This film, chosen as the celebratory closing at #AJFF2018 was an experience that captivated its viewers as we journeyed with Abraham from trial to triumph. Prior to the screening, we got the chance to speak with Pablo Solarz and hear first hand about what it took to bring this phenomenal project to life.

When asked how he felt to have The Last Suit shown as the closing film for this year’s festival, Pablo says it’s “like a dream” and that he’s very grateful to share this film with such a largely diverse audience. Originally written in 2004, it took over 13+ years to bring such a dream to fruition. His hope is for people to leave with a feeling of humanity and brotherhood; that no one is superior or inferior to the other. Also, Pablo wants people to realize how important it is to keep the memory of such tragedies alive in order to gain consciousness as to what we still see happening today. Both written and directed by Pablo Solarz himself, to date, the film is being viewed in 6 countries including Argentina, Spain, France, Germany, Poland and the U.S.

For more information on the 2018 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and the film The Last Suit, please visit ajff.org.

2 Weeks Til' The 5th Annual Culture Shock Show

The countdown begins! The time for the 5th Annual Culture Shock Show is fast approaching as designers, staff and fans prepare for the exhilarating fashion event which will be held this year at the Rilato Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The Culture Shock Show is definitely more than just your ordinary fashion show! In fact, it is a mélange of African fashion, music, arts, cuisine, emerging talents and more. Their mission, "to promote cultural appreciation and expose artists to empowering altitudes. Culture Shock provides the perfect networking platform not only to designers and musicians, but for small businesses as well.”

One of the key facilitators of The Culture Shock Show is Anita Safo of Pop Productions. Since its origin in 2012, Anita has very passionately planned out the annual event along with her brilliant team of stylists, producers, videographers, industry professionals, designers and more, to assure that people leave with an experience that will only spark a greater anticipation for the event in the future. In celebration of 5 outstanding years in production, this year's theme is "Evolution" and could not be more fitting for how far it has come. The show will commemorate a little of the old and the new by showcasing several variations of styles including, modern African, urban wear, as well as other trendy aesthetics all incoporating vibrant Ankara patterns and contrasting textures. 

For anyone who is a fan of African Fashion or even curious about it, be sure to meet us there on Saturday, July 30th at the Rialto from 5 - 9PM! You absolutely have got to see this!

For tickets, please visit www.thecultureshockshow.com and also check out my coverage of last year's show via Urban Lux Magzine.