KUCI: Get the Funk Out

THE FILM ”SOUFRA” is having its North American premiere at DOC NYC ahead of a theatrical release in November and December. Host Janeane Bernstein spea...

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER SUSAN SARANDON AND DIRECTOR THOMAS MORGAN, REBELHOUSE GROUP, AND PILGRIM MEDIA ANNOUNCE NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF THE FEATURE DOCUMENTARY SOUFRA AT THE DOC NYC FESTIVAL
ABOUT
THE FILM TELLS A WILDLY INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF THE WORLD’S MOST UNLIKELY ENTREPRENEUR, MARIAN SHA’AR —A GENERATIONAL REFUGEE WHO LAUNCHED A CATERING COMPANY AND THE FIRST-EVER FOOD TRUCK BUSINESS FROM INSIDE A REFUGEE CAMP.
U.S. SCREENINGS OF SOUFRA TO FOLLOW IN LOS ANGELES STARTING NOV. 17 & NEW YORK STARTING DEC. 15
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER SUSAN SARANDON TO ATTEND RED CARPET U.S. PREMIERE AT DOC NYC IN NOVEMBER
WINNER – AUDIENCE AWARD – EL GOUNA FILM FESTIVAL
WINNER – BEST ARAB DOCUMENTARY—EL GOUNA FILM FESTIVAL
NEW YORK – The award-winning documentary feature SOUFRA, will have its North American Premiere at the DOC NYC Film Festival in New York on November 12th.
SOUFRA is directed by award-winning filmmaker Thomas Morgan (Storied Streets, Waiting for Mamu), produced by Primetime Emmy®-winning filmmaker Kathleen Glynn (Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, TV Nation), Rebelhouse President, Trevor Hall, Pilgrim Media Group President & CEO Craig Piligian, and executive produced by Academy Award®-winning actress Susan Sarandon. All will attend the film’s red carpet premiere, along with other prominent individuals including actress Mary-Louise Parker, on November 12th at SVA Theatre 2.
"The only ‘feel good’ doc about refugees that I know of – inspiring and delicious,"
 said Susan Sarandon.
SOUFRA follows the inspirational story of intrepid social entrepreneur, Mariam Shaar – a refugee who has spent her entire life in the 69-year-old Burl El Barajneh refugee camp south of Beirut, Lebanon.
The film chronicles Mariam and a diverse team of fellow refugee women, from throughout the Middle East who share the camp as their home as they set out to change their fate by launching a catering company, “Soufra,” and then expanding its reach (thanks to an astonishing Kickstarter campaign), outside the camp with a food truck business. Together, they heal the wounds of war through the unifying power of food while taking their future into their own hands.
SOUFRA is a co-production of Rebelhouse Group, Pilgrim Media Group, and BIG 9 Productions.
Official Website: http://www.soufrafilm.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soufrafilm/
Instagram: @soufrafilm

New Yorker, Lauren Collins, shares her journey of learning French in the name of love –and what it means to love someone in a second language When in ...

New Yorker writer shares her journey of learning French in the name of love –and what it means to love someone in a second language
“A thoughtful, beautifully written meditation on the art of language and intimacy. The book unfolds like several books in one: on moving abroad, on communication in human relationships, on the history of language, and in the end, on the delights of cross-cultural fusion.”—The New York Times Book Review
A staff writer at The New Yorker since 2008, Lauren Collins has profiled subjects from Michelle Obama and Gérard Depardieu to April Bloomfield and Donatella Versace. In her bestselling book, WHEN IN FRENCH: Love in a Second Language, now available in paperback, Collins turns an unwavering eye on herself. When, in her early thirties, Colllins moves to London and falls for a Frenchman named Oliver, she discovers firsthand that a language barrier is no match for love. Unable to speak French herself, their relationship develops solely in English. When the couple, newly married, relocates to francophone Geneva, Collins—fearful of one day becoming "a Borat of a mother" who doesn’t understand her own kids—decides to answer these questions for herself by learning French.
Lauren Collins as she shares her journey of what it means to love someone in a second language, including:
· Wondering about the things she doesn’t understand about Olivier, having never spoken to him in his native tongue
· Whether “I love you” even means the same thing as “je t’aime”
· Grappling with the complexities of the French language and accidently telling her mother-in-law that she’s given birth to a coffee machine
· Wrestling with the very nature of French identity and society—a far cry from life back home in North Carolina.
Plumbing the mysterious depths of humanity’s many forms of language, Collins describes with wicked humor and great style the frustrations, embarrassments, surprises, and, finally, joys of learning—and living in—French.
About the Author:
Lauren Collins began working at the New Yorker in 2003 and became a staff writer in 2008. Her subjects have included Michelle Obama, Donatella Versace, the graffiti artist Banksy, and the chef April Bloomfield. Since 2010, she has been based in Europe, covering stories from London, Paris, Copenhagen, and beyond. Her story on the Daily Mail was recently short-listed for the Feature Story of the Year by the Foreign Press Association in London.

STEVEN JOHNSON, The New York Times–bestselling author, shares a look at the world-changing innovations we made while keeping ourselves entertained

Steven Johnson, the New York Times bestselling author of How We Got to Now—also an Emmy-winning PBS series—takes a long-zoom approach to popular entertainment, contending that the pursuit of novelty and wonder is a powerful driver of world-shaping technological change. In Wonderland, now out in paperback, Johnson argues that throughout history, the cutting edge of innovation lies wherever people are working the hardest to keep themselves amused and how follies dismissed as mindless entertainment have changed civilization in dramatic ways.
In six captivating sections—Fashion and Shopping, Music, Taste, Illusions, Games, and Public Space—Johnson introduces us to the colorful innovators of leisure: the explorers, proprietors, showmen, and artists who changed the trajectory of history with their luxurious wares, exotic meals, taverns, gambling tables, and magic shows.
Steven discusses how:
· Garment design has driven technological innovation
· Early music boxes demonstrated advanced mechanical engineering and player pianos paved the way for the development of computer software
· Having a taste for spices from pepper to vanilla to cinnamon generated massive international trade
· Our desire for amusement has shifted our perspective about public spaces and led to the creation of parks, zoos, taverns and coffeehouses, all of which have played a key role in revolutionizing society.
In every case—from 19th century illusionists to today’s virtual reality—Johnson brilliantly shows how innovations come from unexpected places—including the technological breakthroughs of Snow White to the way that games (from chess to Spacewar!) have made possible crucial advancements in computing. As he makes clear, “you will find the future wherever people have having the most fun.”
About the Author:
Steven Johnson is the bestselling author of books including How We Got to Now, Where Good Ideas Come From, The Invention of Air, The Ghost Map, and Everything Bad Is Good for You. The founder of a variety of influential websites, he is the host and co-creator of the PBS and BBC series How We Got to Now. Johnson lives in Marin County, California, and Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and three sons.

Noel Wells, Director/Producer and Lead Actress in MR. ROOSEVELT at AFI FEST 2017 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2017. She chatted with host Janeane Bernstein ...

ABOUT MR. ROOSEVELT
In her feature directorial debut, Noël Wells portrays Emily, a talented but hard-to-classify comedic performer who left behind her home and boyfriend to pursue career opportunities in L.A. When a loved one falls ill, Emily rushes back to Austin where she’s forced to stay with her ex-boyfriend (Nick Thune) and his new-and-improved girlfriend (Britt Lower), a totally together woman with a five-year plan. Though Emily is the same, everything else is different: her house has been smartly redecorated, her rocker boyfriend is training to be a real estate agent, and her old haunts show serious signs of gentrification. Holed up in her own guest room, Emily--who has no idea what she'll be doing five days from now, let alone five years--is forced to question everyone's values: are they sell-outs or have they just figured out what makes them happy? And is she following her dreams or is she just a self-absorbed loser?
MR. ROOSEVELT premiered to great acclaim at SXSW, where it won the Audience Award in Narrative Spotlight and the Louis Black Lone Star Award, and has continued to garner plaudits on the festival circuit, most recently at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival, where it won the Founders Prize for Best US Fiction Film.
MR. ROOSEVELT is written and directed by Noël Wells, who also stars and serves as an Executive Producer. Michael B. Clark, Chris Ohlson, and Alex Turtletaub produce. Cinematography by Dagmar Weaver-Madsen, editing by Terel Gibson, music by Ryan Miller. MR. ROOSEVELT is distributed by Paladin Pictures.
RT: 90 minutes / Not Rated

11/13 9:45am pst - SHAWN ASKINOSIE Founder of Askinosie Chocolate shares the secret to purposeful work and business

In 2005, Shawn Askinosie left a successful career as a criminal defense lawyer to start a bean-to-bar chocolate factory and never looked back. Askinosie Chocolate is a small batch, award-winning chocolate factory in Missouri, sourcing 100% of their cocoa beans directly from farmers across the globe. Recently named “One of the 25 Best Small Companies in America” byForbes, Askinosie Chocolate was founded at the forefront of the American craft chocolate revolution and is regarded by many as a vanguard in the industry. But other than the honestly sourced cocoa, what’s the secret of Askinosie Chocolate’s success? According to Shawn Askinosie (and his daughter Lawren Askinosie), there is a lot more, as he shares in Meaningful Work: A Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul.
In 2005, Shawn Askinosie left a successful career as a criminal defense lawyer to start a bean-to-bar chocolate factory and never looked back. Askinosie Chocolate is a small batch, award-winning chocolate factory in Missouri, sourcing 100% of their cocoa beans directly from farmers across the globe. Recently named “One of the 25 Best Small Companies in America” byForbes, Askinosie Chocolate was founded at the forefront of the American craft chocolate revolution and is regarded by many as a vanguard in the industry. But other than the honestly sourced cocoa, what’s the secret of Askinosie Chocolate’s success? According to Shawn Askinosie (and his daughter Lawren Askinosie), there is a lot more, as he shares in Meaningful Work: A Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul.
Shawn Askinosie shares:
· How to create a work life that reflects what’s most important, so that it’s not a drain on physical and mental energy
· How to use the principles of “integrated kinship” in order to achieve your business’ calling
· “Success” no longer translates to “profitable” alone—it also encompasses happiness, purpose, and community
· Despite their inclination, most entrepreneurs are skeptical that their business can have a purpose beyond making a profit. Askinosie says, there’s no need to wait for your business to live out a calling…begin now
· The business philosophy of “reverse scale” not to get bigger, but to get better at staying small.
Meaningful Work is not a book about “saving the world,” but how positive change begins with individual action. It’s a book for anyone who may be successful but unsettled, in a hurry for answers, and ready for the next journey, or anyone just starting out and looking for the on-ramp. It’s a story about Shawn did it, how he is still doing it, and how others can do it too.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shawn Askinosie is the founder of Askinosie Chocolate. Lawren Askinosie, his daughter, is the Chief Marketing Officer. Their business model has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and on Bloomberg and numerous other media outlets. Shawn was named by O, The Oprah Magazine, as "One of 15 Guys Who Are Saving the World." He is a Family Brother at Assumption Abbey, a Trappist monastery near Ava, Missouri.
https://www.askinosie.com

11/13 9:30am pst - Stephen Rosenfield who trained many of today’s premier comics--standups and writers, joins host Janeane to talk about his book, ”Ma...

Stephen Rosenfield who trained many of today's premier comics--standups and writers like Lena Dunham, Jim Gaffigan, Eric Slovin, Jessica Kirson, and Michelle Buteau.
Rosenfield was the subject of an NPR documentary by Sara Fishko (WNYC) previously.
The New York Times heralds Stephen Rosenfield as “best known comedy teacher in the country”
Mastering Stand-Up is an invaluable guide for aspiring and experienced comedians as well as students and instructors in comedy studies at the university level. The book publishes November 1.
This entertaining and sharply written guide—for both beginners breaking into comedy and professionals seeking to improve their sets and advance their careers—examines the work of great comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld, Richard Pryor, Eddie Izzard, Tig Notaro, Moms Mabley, Hannibal Buress, Sarah Silverman, and more as a means of illustrating the most important techniques of performing and writing stand-up.
In Mastering Stand-Up, Stephen Rosenfield lays out a clear plan for achieving success, candidly explaining what works, what doesn’t, and why. Included in the book is a 12-item “Successful Comedian’s To-Do List,” about which Rosenfield states, “Get undeniably good at each of these and you can kiss your day job good-bye. You will be a pro.”
Mastering Stand-Up is an invaluable guide for aspiring and experienced comedians as well as students and instructors in comedy studies at the university level. Rosenfield founded the first full-time comedy program in an institute of higher learning and has initiated programs, designed curriculum, and taught courses at numerous universities in the U.S. and Canada. He is a professor emeritus of stand-up and sketch comedy at William Paterson University.
ABOUT
Stephen Rosenfield is the Founding Director of the American Comedy Institute, the premier stand-up comedy school in the United States. The extensive media coverage of his teaching includes the Starzmini-series, Standup or Shutup, and a Sara Fishko documentary aired by NPR. Alumni of Rosenfield’s workshops include some of today’s most prominent comedians and comedy writers, such as Lena Dunham, Jim Gaffigan, Eric Slovin, Jessica Kirson, and Michelle Buteau. He has directed, coached, and/or written for these and hundreds of other comedians. Rosenfield is a member of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Schools of Theatre, the agency designated by the U.S. Department of Education as responsible for accrediting college, university, and private conservatory programs in the performing arts. He is the first board member in NAST’s history drawn from the field of comedy. His academic credentials also include a M.F.A. in theatre directing from Stanford University.

1/13 9:00am pst - USC professor James J. Owens joins Janeane to talk about The World is Just a Book Away, an anthology he edited which captures the st...

You know it's not every day Liam Neeson, Jude Law, Jane Fonda and dozens of other major celebrities come together for one purpose....but they did for the love of literature! The incredible charity World is Just a Book Away (which builds libraries all over the world) is releasing its first anthology this November through USC Press (details below) to raise funds for the nonprofit and bring more reading joy to young children :)
USC professor James Owens has collected the personal stories of 5 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, actors, royalty, world leaders, scientists, humanitarians, and many more celebrities for his book....all about their love of reading.
Recently, Sharon Stone shared about her personal involvement with the org and many more celebrity endorsements are planned for this book's release.
ABOUT
The World is Just a Book Away is an anthology edited by USC professor James J. Owens that captures the stories of how books and reading inspired some of the world s most prominent people. Recognizing the life-changing nature of reading, Owens set out in 2002 to create this deeply moving book. At first glance, the sixty contributors to this anthology may not seem to have much in common yet they all share their personal love of books and reading in The World is Just a Book Away. This book takes readers on a unique journey through personal stories from five Nobel Peace Prize laureates, actors, royalty, world leaders, scientists, humanitarians, and many more.

11/6 9:30am pst - Janeane chats with Dr. Jerry Weichman Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, adolescent specialist, author, speaker and parenting expert

“Today’s teens and parents need to be armed with a ‘tool box’ of practical solutions, and step-by-step instructions on how to use them, to meet the challenges they will all predictably face.”
Jerry Weichman, Ph.D., is a young clinical psychologist and adolescent specialist. His practice at Hoag Neurosciences Institute in Newport Beach, California helps teens deal with parents, teachers, friends and academic pressure, communicating with them in a way they understand to successfully handle the social drama of high school. Parents respond well to his directive approach, gaining a far deeper understanding of adolescent issues.
Dr. Weichman’s book, How to Deal, is a survival guide for high school teens, sharing his personal struggles as a teen and young adult to teach teens how to deal with stress, elevate their mood and feel better… “even when things really suck.” His popular speeches, lectures and seminars have presented assemblies of students, teachers, parents and administrators with a valuable window on how today’s teens successfully overcome the all too predictable, and painful, trials and tribulations of growing up, from meeting parental academic expectations to walking away from drugs and other self-destructive behavior.
Jerry Weichman grew up without a right foot, dealing with family problems and learning to walk with a prosthetic leg, being teased, developing body image issues, having social acceptance problems in school, experiencing lack of motivation, academic problems and depression. Dr. Weichman describes in detail his high school transformation which enabled him to elevate his mood, become more optimistic, foster more intrinsic motivation, receive academic and athletic honors in high school, play Division I football in college, receive academic awards in college and earn his Ph.D. at the early age of 26.
“Dr. Jerry”, as his patients and their parents call him, provides concrete, applicable tools for teen problems and explains how to use them to become a self-reliant person. He bridges modern-age adolescent lingo, concepts and technology, and clinical knowledge, in an approach that resonates with teens.
Dr. Jerry speaks at many schools, has worked as an intern with teens as a school psychologist in middle and high schools, counseled teens at community counseling centers and works with teens exclusively in private practice. He is on staff at Hoag Hospital. The relevance of his youth and experiences, combined with the directive approach he uses, connects teens and parents extremely effectively, teaching them better ways to cope with the challenges of growing up.
A popular and well respected media resource, Dr. Jerry has been interviewed by the New York Times, Washington Post and LA Times and has been asked to appear on major networks, ABC and Fox. He also sits on the Advisory Board for the Crisis Text Line, a subsidiary of DoSomething.org and is a regular contributing expert at award winning parenting website KidsInTheHouse.com.

MILLENNIALS​ ​TO​ ​BE​ ​75%​ ​OF​ ​EMPLOYEES​ ​BY​ ​2025 Debbie Wooldridge helps businesses learn to work with the majority generation. Debbie speaks ...

SAN DIEGO, CA – By 2025, 75% of the workforce will be part of the Millennial generation born between 1980 and 2000. Few companies are accommodating the different work styles of this massive power behind American business, but Debbie Wooldridge, founding president and CEO of ttcInnovations, had an idea for helping businesses improve their performances.
She created The Millennial Project, an interactive, two-day workshop that provides companies with the tools and strategic roadmaps needed to alter workforce processes and increase productivity in regard to their Millennial employees, who have a different working profile from generations prior. Her previous book, Unleashing the Intrapreneur, focused on supporting Millennials in creating livable career goals and working effectively to achieve them.
In her new book, A Manager’s Guide to ​Unleashing the Intrapreneur​, Wooldridge builds upon her expertise, providing engaging learning experiences to companies by zeroing
in on the majority demographic in American companies today—and certainly in the years to come—Millennials. Debbie’s company partners with learning and development organizations in the financial sector to help them scale at a moment’s need through staffing solutions, large-scale project support, and innovative approaches to evolving for the emerging workforce. ttcInnovations has helped businesses enhance on-the-job performance, improve their customers’ satisfaction, deliver significant business results, and achieve their goals.
Debbie Wooldridge is the founding president and CEO of DW Training and Development, Inc., dba ttcInnovations, which provides businesses with engaging learning solutions that adopt a host of performance support options. Debbie’s company has also created The Millennial Project. Debbie currently lives in Carlsbad, California, with her husband and is a mother to
twin Millennials. www.JKSCommunications.com | 237 Old Hickory Blvd., Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37221
Sara Wigal | (615) 810-9697 | Sara@jkscommunications.com
In​ ​an​ ​interview,​ ​Debbie​ ​Wooldridge​ ​will​ ​address​:
● The importance of treating Millennial employees differently from
generations past
● Why changes must be made by many companies to accommodate Millennials
● The difference between intrapreneurs and employees
● Debbie’s own experiences as both a business owner and mother to Millennials and her
observations about this generation’s work styles
● The most important changes most firms can make to work with Millennials
● The most desirable perk any company can offer a Millennial employee
● The importance of personalized professional development plans for Millennial employees
● How companies can attract and engage Millennial employees
● Why Millennials don’t place the same value on a paycheck as previous generations
● What Millennials look for in a manager
A​ ​Manager’s​ ​Guide​ ​to​ ​Unleashing​ ​the​ ​Intrapreneur

Coming up this week! Janeane speaks with Director/Producer Robyn Symon and Gloria Stein about UNCLE GLORIA: ONE HELLUVA RIDE!

A Film by Robyn Symon
Featuring Gloria Stein
Opening in Los Angeles This Week
Friday, November 3, 2017
UNCLE GLORIA: ONE HELLUVA RIDE! recounts the astonishing true story of Butch, the macho owner of a South Florida auto-wrecking company, who in a desperate search of a way to hide from the law, transformed himself into a woman named Gloria. But what started out as a trick to beat the system ended up changing Butch’s life forever. Now in her 80s, Gloria’s stranger-than-fiction life has been filled with risky surgeries, sex work, family dysfunction, activism and a gender-bending love story. Full of humor, warmth and sass, UNCLE GLORIA is a rollicking ride that must be seen to be believed.
UNCLE GLORIA: ONE HELLUVA RIDE! has played numerous festivals, including Outfest LA, Newfest: New York’s LGBT Film Festival, Fresno ReelPride LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Raindance International Film Festival, and TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival.
The film is directed, produced, and edited by two-time Emmy-winning, former PBS documentary producer Robyn Symon. Gerald Sprayregen is executive producer and original music is by Ronen Landa. UNCLE GLORIA: ONE HELLUVA RIDE! is distributed by XLrator Media.
About XLrator Media
One of the fastest-growing independent film distribution companies in North America since its creation in 2010, XLrator Media, LLC (XLratorMedia.com) will release 25 films in 2017. Recent releases include Academy Award®-winner John Ridley’s Jimi: All is by My Side starring Andre Benjamin as rock legend Jimi Hendrix, CBGB starring Alan Rickman, and SXSW hits Housebound and The Diabolical. XLrator Media is the home of four acclaimed releasing labels: MACABRE for horror/genre (American Mary, Banshee Chapter), TURBO for action/thrillers (Infinity Chamber, The Machine, Ironclad: Battle For Blood), LIFEFRAME for documentaries (The Legend of 420, Storm Surfers 3D, Queen Mimi, It’s So Easy and Other Lies) and PACE for multicultural films (Five Star, Allegiance, We The Party).
RT: 76 minutes / Not Rated
Downloadable Trailer Link
YouTube Trailer Link
Link to Poster
Link to Stills
LOS ANGELES THEATER
Arena Cinelounge Hollywood
6464 Sunset Blvd. Lobby Level, Los Angeles, CA 90028
BIG TIME PR & MARKETING
Karen Tran | Emily Sharp
karen@bigtime-pr.com | emily@bigtime-pr.com