Help our children

In this time of giving, I have chosen to support our children's education. There is a great site called Donors Choose, where teachers can post projects that they are trying to fund. You can see a link on the left column of this page.

Most of the projects are very low cost, sometimes less than $100.00 can provide classroom supplies that should be a right for any student.

Here in the U.S. education seems to be left behind when budget cuts are considered. It is a testament to the true heroes in our society, the teachers that commit themselves in spite of the lack of support.

I have created a donors page that can be accessed through the link above. In here I have posted some projects that will be expiring soon and need very little money to complete.

Please help in any way you can and be proud of the fact that you are doing some good in a child's life.

Annie Lennox - Sing for World AIDS Day

In this holiday of Thanksgiving, let's not forget about others here in the U.S.A. and around the world dealing with AIDS. This is a song recorded by Annie Lennox to raise money for those suffering with AIDS in South Africa.

To learn more about her charity go to www.annielennoxsing.com

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Let's not forget those we have lost in our lives to this disease and let's do whatever we can to help the spread of it.

Teatro La Tea "Asi Somos" Bi-lingual Playwrights Festival

You can click on the images for a larger view.

The festival runs from December 5th- December 14th. All plays will be performed first in English, then in Spanish. The theater is located at 107 Suffolk St. New York, NY 10002. Tickets can be bought at Smarttix.com

I conducted an interview with one of the playwrights, A.B. Lugo, writer of Geneva. You can listen to the interview here Cumba Media Presents Podcast Episode 1 - A.B. Lugo

In the meantime, support Latino theater!

Nothing Like The Holidays Trailer

Opening December 12 in wide release in the U.S. "Nothing Like the Holidays" boasts a great Latino cast. The movie stars Luis Guzman, John Leguizamo, Alfred Molina, Jay Hernandez and Freddy Rodriguez (who also produced the film) and directed by Alfredo de Villa (Washington Heights, Adrift in Manhattan). 

Here is the trailer:

Slumdog Millionaire

The new movie from director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Shallow Grave) is opening up in limited release. So far, the reviews have been positive. The story focuses on an 18 year old orphan from the slums who goes on India's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." With just one question away from winning it all, he is accused of cheating because no one believes a street kid could be so smart.

Calavera Highway Director Renee Tajima-Peña Interview

You can read an interview with director Renee Tajima-Peña about the challenges of working with her husband and his family in the documentary Calavera Highway by clicking here.

P.O.V. - Calavera Highway | PBS 2008

Calavera Highway was a movie that I missed at the New York Latino Film Festival. It will be having its television premiere this week on PBS as part of the POV documentary film series. Directed by Renee Tajima-Peña (producer/director of the Academy Award nominated film, Who Killed Vincent Chin?), she follows her husband and his five brothers in a search for the truth of their parent's life. Check your local listing. I have heard great things about this documentary.

Hollywood Reporter Article - Latinos in Entertainment

Interesting article giving an overview of some of the Latino writer-directors in Hollywood.

Latinos in Entertainment by Noel Murray

Two years after Alfonso Cuaron, Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu took the year-end awards circuits by storm with "Pan's Labyrinth" and "Babel," and a year after they inked a $100 million deal with Universal to produce five films under their Cha Cha Cha banner, opportunities for other Latino filmmakers -- both veterans and those relatively new to the scene -- have been on the rise.

For complete article click here.

On the Road in America, Baghdad High and Quid Pro Quo

I have been watching the reality show, “On the Road in America” on the Sundance Channel. It follows four young Arabs traveling the United States and documenting their reactions as well as their interactions with the people across the country. It allows the viewer to see what Arabs are like and helps to break our perceptions formed from watching mainstream media. The show does not try to make them out to be perfect models of Arab youth but shows them as humans with positive and negative aspects to their personality. You do see them struggling with their preconceptions about Americans and at times trying to hold on to these preconceptions but ultimately becoming more open. The series ends with the original pilot with a slightly different cast. Next week, the series is being re-aired. It is worth checking out.
Today, I watched two films, one a documentary called “Baghdad High” and a drama, “Quid Pro Quo”. The first film, much like “On the Road in America” gives us an insight into a different culture. This time, four high school boys in Baghdad are given video cameras to document their last year of high school. The four boys are friends in spite of being from different ethnic and religious backgrounds. The boys are Christian, Kurdish, Shia and Sunni. We get a glimpse into their every day struggles trying to get an education while dealing with a war raging around them, with bombs exploding and bullets flying. This is a documentary that should be shown to students here in the United States to give them a view of how fortunate they are.
The second film I watched was first time director Carlos Brooks’ “Quid Pro Quo.” The plot revolves around a radio host who is a paraplegic. He gets a tip about someone bribing a doctor to amputate his leg and while investigating comes upon a subculture of people who are wannabe amputees or paraplegics. The film is a very sensitive portrayal of people with disabilities and their struggles. At the same time, the film is not judgmental of people with psychological issues. The performances by Nick Stahl (In the Bedroom, Carnivale) and Vera Farmiga (The Departed) are excellent, taking you with them into their world.

Angel Movie Trailer - A Jacobo Morales Film

This is the trailer for the latest film by Jacobo Morales. The movie stars Braulio Castillo Jr. and Jacobo Morales.It is one of the films to be screened at the Film Society of Lincoln Center Latin Beat 2008.