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Inspiring Documentary “Bouncing Cats” – North American Screenings – Fall/Winter 2010

lynn-hasty — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 05:00:04 +0000

Breakdance Project Uganda reaches youth in the slums of Kisenyi, Uganda (photo credit: Nabil Elderkin)

Award-winning film Bouncing Cats, the inspiring documentary of one man’s attempt to create a better life for the children of Uganda through hip hop, is on the festival circuit making its way around North America along with limited sneak peek screenings and benefit events. Narrated by Common and featuring interviews with Will.I.Am, and K’Naan, the story follows the legendary Crazy Legs of the Rock Steady Crew and b-boy Abramz, the founder of Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU), on a journey to unify, empower and inspire youth in the war torn region that has been called one of the worst places on earth to be a child.* The film, by director Nabil Elderkin, recently won “Best Documentary Feature Film” at the Urbanworld Film Festival in New York, “Outstanding Achievement in Documentary Filmmaking” at the Newport Beach Film Festival, and “Audience Favorite Award” at Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival.

For Immediate Release: October 28, 2010 [updated: 1/17/11]

Inspiring Documentary
Bouncing Cats
Uniting the Children of Uganda Through Breakdance and Hip Hop Culture
Currently Screening at Festivals and Special Sneak Peek Events
Around North America Through Winter 2010

LOS ANGELES, CA – Award-winning film Bouncing Cats, the inspiring documentary of one man’s attempt to create a better life for the children of Uganda through hip hop, is on the festival circuit making its way around North America along with limited sneak peek screenings and benefit events. Narrated by Common and featuring interviews with Will.I.Am, and K’Naan, the story follows the legendary Crazy Legs of the Rock Steady Crew and b-boy Abramz, the founder of Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU), on a journey to unify, empower and inspire youth in the war torn region that has been called one of the worst places on earth to be a child.* The film, by director Nabil Elderkin, recently won “Best Documentary Feature Film” at the Urbanworld Film Festival in New York, “Outstanding Achievement in Documentary Filmmaking” at the Newport Beach Film Festival, and “Audience Favorite Award” at Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival. To learn more about the film, please visit http://www.bouncingcats.com and http://www.facebook.com/bouncingcats.

“Bouncing Cats is just the sort of work that the world needs to see coming out of Africa, a story of self-reliance and perseverance against immeasurable odds,” said K’naan.

Breakdance Project Uganda started in February 2006 by Abraham “Abramz” Tekya out of the belief that hip hop can be used as a tool to engage and empower disadvantaged youth in Kampala and other areas of Uganda. Its mission is to engage young people in hip hop culture in order to build leadership skills and promote social responsibility for positive change. The Project has attracted people from every walk of life and acts as a catalyst for building mutually beneficial relationships between people of different social strata across Uganda and the rest of the world. After a trip to Uganda with NGO Oxfam, where he met Abramz, director Elderkin decided to make the film with the hope of shedding light on the situation. “The work Abramz is doing with the kids of Uganda inspired me,” said Elderkin. “It was something I wanted to capture and share with others.”

Bouncing Cats is screening on the festival circuit and at special sneak peek events across North America. Key screenings include:

- Apr. 17 – Newport Beach Film Festival – Newport Beach, CA
- Aug. 21 – DocuFest Atlanta International Documentary Film Festival – Atlanta, GA
- Sep. 17, 18 – Urbanworld Film Festival - New York, NY
- Sep. 17-19 - DocUtah – Southern Utah Int’l Documentary Film Festival – St. George, UT
- Sep. 22 – Manifesto Film Fest – Toronto, ON
- Sep. 23 – Montreal International Black Film Festival – Montreal, QC
- Oct. 8-10 – BendFilm – Bend, OR
- Oct. 16, 17, 19, 22 – Heartland Truly Moving Pictures – Indianapolis, IN
- Oct. 18, 24 – Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival – Hot Springs National Park, AR
- Oct. 30 – MoogFest – Asheville, NC
- Nov. 3 – USC Albert & Dana Broccoli Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
- Nov. 4, 7 – American Film Market (AFM) – Santa Monica, CA
- Nov. 7 - Hartford International Film Festival – Hartford, CT
- Nov. 9 – National Geographic LIVE! – Washington, DC **
- Nov. 11 – Rice University – Houston, TX **
- Nov. 16 – Downtown Independent - Los Angeles, CA **
- Nov. 17 – Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip - Las Vegas, NV **
- Nov. 19 – Arizona State University – Tempe, AZ **
- Nov. 20 – Decatur High School Performing Arts Center - Atlanta, GA
- Dec. 4 – Northwestern University McCormick Tribune Theatre- Evanston, IL
- Dec. 5 – Bahamas International Film Festival – Nassau, Bahamas
- Dec. 16 – NYU – New York, NY **

** These screenings include Q&A sessions with the filmmakers, Crazy Legs, and other cast members from the documentary.

click to watch trailer

Please visit the Bouncing Cats‘ site for additional screening announcements at http://www.bouncingcats.com/screenings.

Bouncing Cats Cast:
Abraham “Abramz” Tekya:
Abraham Tekya, commonly known as “Abramz,” is the director and founder of Breakdance Project Uganda, an organization launched in February 2006 that uses breakdance and other elements of hip hop culture to promote positive change and social responsibility. A native of Mengo, Kampala, Uganda, Abramz grew up quickly, as most children in Uganda are forced to. At the age of seven, he lost both of his parents to AIDS and was orphaned, shuffled between distant relatives and different homes. Despite these circumstances, Abramz used his life experience and love of hip hop to educate, inspire and unite youth in Uganda and beyond. http://www.bouncingcats.com/cast/tekya.php

Richard “Crazy Legs” Colòn:
To call Richard “Crazy Legs” Colòn a pioneer is an understatement. It is nearly impossible to have a conversation about b-boying without giving mention to the legendary Crazy Legs. Not only is he a veteran of hip hop as a culture, boasting more than 3 decades as the driving force behind the hip hop dance movement, but he’s also an outstanding citizen and role model. He has lent his time, experience, and influence to aiding and encouraging the positive advancement of hip hop culture. http://www.bouncingcats.com/cast/crazylegs.php

Jolly Grace Okot:
Jolly Grace Okot, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, was among the first wave of children abducted and forced to be a child soldier in the beginning of Uganda’s civil war. She is the Uganda Country director for Invisible Children (IC) and has been involved with the organization since the beginning. Her guidance enabled Bouncing Cats‘ filmmakers to see and understand the plight of children in Northern Uganda, and her leadership and direction helped create IC’s initiatives on the ground. Okot also runs H.E.A.L.S., a program that provides play therapy for war-affected children.

Additional details on cast members are available at http://www.bouncingcats.com/cast.

Additional Credits & Film Details:
Bouncing Cats was produced by Red Bull Media House and directed by Nabil Elderkin. All proceeds from the film are going to Breakdance Project Uganda.

Nabil Elderkin, Director:
Director Nabil Elderkin, originally a native of Australia, began his photography career when he picked up a camera to shoot portraits of fellow surfers. What started as a hobby, rapidly developed into a working career. From surf portraits, Elderkin began shooting musicians and anyone that inspired him. He later moved to the United States to continue to expand his career. Today, Elderkin lives and works in Los Angeles at his studio downtown. He shoots musicians, sports, fashion, and portraiture. Elderkin has recently published a book titled Glow in the Dark with Kanye West through Rizzoli and has directed several music videos and documentaries from here to Africa. Traveling is his passion. He created the film in order to bring attention to the situation in Uganda as well as support the inspiring work Abramz is doing through BPU. http://www.nabil.com

- Executive Producers: Amy Taylor, Scotty Bradfield, Karma Gardner, Charlie Rosene
- Producers: Nyla Hassell, George Mays, Claude Merkel, Charles Spano
- Film Editing: Isaac Hagy
- Sound Editor: Andrew Le Guier
- Genre: Documentary / Music
- Runtime: 75 minutes
- Country: USA
- Language: English
- Color: Color
- Filming Locations: Uganda, USA

Awards:
- Newport Film Festival “Outstanding Achievement in Documentary Filmmaking”
- Urbanworld Film Festival “Best Documentary Feature Film”
- DocUtah – Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival “Audience Favorite Award”
- Bahamas International Film Festival Audience Award for “Best Feature Documentary”

“In short – the movie features some serious hip hop cameos, incredible landscapes, and dancing, and is certain to be one of the most celebrated documentaries of 2010.” –Chris Farone, Boston Phoenix

Bouncing Cats Links:
- Official Site: http://www.bouncingcats.com
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bouncingcats
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/bouncingcats
- Trailer: http://vimeo.com/12234800

# # #

For more information, or to request screeners, images, and interviews, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

Breakdance Project Uganda reaches youth in the slums of Kisenyi, Uganda (photo credit: Nabil Elderkin)

* Former UNICEF head Carol Bellamy has called northern Uganda “pretty much the worst place on earth to be a child;” over 20,000 children – some as young as six years old – have been abducted by the rebel-led Lords Resistance Army (LRA), forced to serve as child soldiers, sex slaves and laborers. http://www.warchild.org/projects/WC_Canada/Uganda/uganda.html

Bomb It – Graffiti Phone App/VOD and “Bomb It 2″ Web Series on Babelgum – Nov. 2010

lynn-hasty — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:35:29 +0000

Alex Face graffiti image from Bomb It 2 (photo credit: Jon Reiss)

Jon Reiss, the director of Bomb It, the global graffiti documentary, and his team, have a lot to announce and celebrate this month. Starting as early as today – November 1, 2010 – Bomb It can be seen in tens of millions of cable, satellite, and telco Video On Demand (VOD) homes. In mid-November the Bomb It team will be releasing a free geo-location graffiti and street art application (app) for both iPhone and Android operating systems (tentative release date: 11/22/10). And Bomb It 2, commissioned as a web series exclusively for the digital broadcast network Babelgum, is rolling out new weekly episodes at http://www.babelgum.com/bombit2.

For Immediate Release:
November 1, 2010

Bomb It
The Global Graffiti Documentary
Set To Introduce New iPhone and Android App
In November 2010
+ Bomb It VOD Launch This Month
+ Bomb It 2 Web Series Continues on Babelgum this Month

LOS ANGELES, CA – Jon Reiss, the director of Bomb It, the global graffiti documentary, and his team, have a lot to announce and celebrate this month. Starting as early as today – November 1, 2010 – Bomb It can be seen in tens of millions of cable, satellite, and telco Video On Demand (VOD) homes. In mid-November the Bomb It team will be releasing a free geo-location graffiti and street art application (app) for both iPhone and Android operating systems (tentative release date: 11/22/10). And Bomb It 2, commissioned as a web series exclusively for the digital broadcast network Babelgum, is rolling out new weekly episodes at http://www.babelgum.com/bombit2. Learn about these and more at http://www.bombit-themovie.com.

Bomb It’s VOD premiere goes out over 75 cable, satellite and telco operators including the following:
- Armstrong
- AT&T
- Atlantic Broadband
- Blue Ridge
- Bresnan
- Charter
- DIRECTV VOD
- DISH Network IPVOD
- Insight
- Mediacom
- RCN
- Service Electric
- Suddenlink
- Verizon
- Wave

Click on Alex Face graffiti image (above) to see Bomb It 2‘s Bangkok episode
on Babelgum (photo credit: Jon Reiss)

The FREE Bomb It geo-location graffiti and street art app will work on both iPhone and Android operating systems when it’s released later this month (11/22/10 tentative but visit the Bomb It site for updates). This app will allow users to take photos of graffiti and street art in any city in the world and upload images to Google maps. Simultaneously – anyone in any city will be able to press a button to see on Google maps where others have posted exciting street art. Award-winning director Jon Reiss, named one of Daily Variety’s “10 Digital Directors to Watch,” views this as a natural extension of the Bomb It project – “We are connected with artists and fans throughout the world – how wonderful would it be to have a tool in which they could share a love for this art form with each other.” The app will also come loaded with Bomb It episodes.

In addition to the VOD launch and upcoming iPhone/Android app, Bomb It 2 launched on Babelgum in October 2010. Bomb It 2 was commissioned as a web series exclusively for the digital broadcast network Babelgum and expands the global reach of Jon Reiss’ exploration of graffiti and street art into new and unexplored areas of Asia and South East Asia, the Middle East as well as Europe, the United States and Australia. Reiss traveled by himself to Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv, Palestinian refugee camps on the West Bank, Perth, Melbourne, Copenhagen, Chicago and Austin. Artists featured include Klone, KnowHope, GreatBates, Zero, Darbotz, Killer Gerbil, Bon, Alex Face, Sloke, Husk Mit Navn, Ash, Phibs, Stormie Mills, Beejoir and many more.

“I was inspired to explore how and where graffiti and street art had penetrated the globe into some of the most unlikely places – such as Singapore. I am especially fascinated in how each culture (and each person) takes this art form and makes it their own – and how the local culture affects the development of graffiti in each place that I visited. Tel Aviv and the refugee camps of Bethlehem couldn’t be more different. The former is on the verge of a street art explosion similar to Barcelona in the early 90s. In the West Bank, graffiti is much more about a political statement and “art” is often viewed as reconciliation. At the same time it was interesting to see how some of the constants of graffiti exist nearly everywhere – from Perth to Copenhagen: the need to express oneself in public – and the addictive nature of getting up!”

Read more about the making of the Bomb It 2 web series here: http://blog.bombit-themovie.com/2010/10/loving-the-webseries-form

About Babelgum:
Founded in 2005, Babelgum is a free, revolutionary Internet and Mobile TV platform supported by advertising. Babelgum combines the full-screen video quality of traditional television with the interactive capabilities of the Internet and offers professionally produced programming on-demand to a global audience. Babelgum’s goal is to act as an international ‘glue,’ bringing a huge range of professional and semi-professional content to a global audience – like a modern-day Tower of Babel. Bomb It 2 is the latest evidence of Babelgum’s growing involvement with street art culture, both in terms of its extensive collection of street art feature films and videos and its involvement with events such as the international Meeting of Styles and the recently launched Moniker Art Fair.

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For more information, images or to request interviews please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

Diz White’s new book ‘Haunted Cotswolds’ out Halloween 2010, LA book signing 10/21/10

lynn-hasty — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 22:11:52 +0000

Photo Credit: Randall Montgomery

Award-winning actress and playwright Diz White is set to release her spine-tingling collection of true stories, Haunted Cotswolds, through The History Press this Halloween season. Set in what many consider the most beautiful part of England, White, a Los Angeles-based British expat, recounts the numerous paranormal events that have occurred in the region while simultaneously documenting the Cotswolds’ eerie architecture and fascinating history. Pieced together from both historic and present-day sources, the 96-page paperback book is filled with tales of ghosts, ghouls and the undead from every corner of the Cotswolds, the second most popular tourist destination in the UK. Included are stories of tortured headless kings, stark-raving mad butchering inn keepers, buried alive country squires, burned at the stake nuns, and other undead who walk among us. The author will discuss and sign copies of the book at a Samuel French reception in Studio City on Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. (11963 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604; 818-762-0535; www.samuelfrench.com).

For Immediate Release:
September 28, 2010

The Ram Inn — the most haunted building in Britain. Photo credit: Randall Montgomery

Award-Winning Actress/Playwright Diz White
Tells Chilling Tales of Ghosts, Ghouls & Apparitions
From England’s Most Scenic Region
Haunted Cotswolds
US Book Release Halloween (October) 2010 by The History Press
Author Book Signing at Samuel French in Studio City on Thursday, October 21, 2010

LOS ANGELES, CA – Award-winning actress and playwright Diz White is set to release her spine-tingling collection of true stories, Haunted Cotswolds, through The History Press this Halloween season. Set in what many consider the most beautiful part of England, White, a Los Angeles-based British expat, recounts the numerous paranormal events that have occurred in the region while simultaneously documenting the Cotswolds’ eerie architecture and fascinating history. Pieced together from both historic and present-day sources, the 96-page paperback book is filled with tales of ghosts, ghouls and the undead from every corner of the Cotswolds, the second most popular tourist destination in the UK. Included are stories of tortured headless kings, stark-raving mad butchering inn keepers, buried alive country squires, burned at the stake nuns, and other undead who walk among us. The author will discuss and sign copies of the book at a Samuel French reception in Studio City on Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. (11963 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604; 818-762-0535; www.samuelfrench.com). The book was initially released in the UK in June 2010 where the first print run sold out in six weeks. The US release is set for October 2010 by The History Press (ISBN 978-0-7524-54269, www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/Haunted-Cotswolds.aspx).

Ghost of Warwick Castle. Photo credit: Randall Montgomery

Long renowned for its breathtaking beauty, the Cotswolds region in England is well-known and loved for its rolling hills, picturesque villages, and beautiful vistas. But all is not as it seems. Beneath the quaint surface lies years of brutal history filled with murder, mayhem, bloodshed, and treachery. This sinister past has encouraged the paranormal set — ghosts, ghouls, and other supernatural entities — to take up residence in the region’s underground chambers, spooky inns, and imposing manor houses. The creepy stories of these mischievous spirits, illustrated in the book with more than sixty photographs, feature colorful historic characters and popular Cotswold landmarks: King Charles I’s headless haunting of Chavenage House; the ghost of Warwick Castle as he emerges from his portrait; the ghouls of the Ram Inn, the most haunted building in Britain; the banshee of Banbury Cross; and a ghostly Guy Fawkes and his conspirators who still plot to blow up Parliament.

“I started out a skeptic,” says White about the ghost stories she investigated for the book, “But was quickly reduced to ‘a believer’ whose sleep was disturbed by terrifying dreams after I visited the creepy locations in the book.”

Haunted Cotswolds is part of the ‘Haunted’ series that The History Press publishes by various authors. These are fast becoming collector’s items in the UK. Other books in the series include Haunted Cheltenham (also by White), as well as Haunted London, Haunted Oxford, Haunted Birmingham, and Haunted Nottingham by other authors. Full details on books in the series can be found at www.thehistorypress.co.uk. White’s Haunted Cotswolds was first published by The History Press in Great Britain in June 2010. It sold out its first print run of 3000 books in six weeks and is now well into its second run. Other books in this same series have taken two years or more to sell out the same number of copies.

The Cotswolds

The Cotswolds -
The book does double duty as a guide to the area with descriptions of Cotswold architecture and history woven into thrilling stories of supernatural happenings. The Cotswolds, which has been designated ‘An Area of Outstanding Beauty’ by the British government, extend through six counties: Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Somerset, Worcestershire, and Wilshire. This region lies directly east of Wales and includes Stratford-upon-Avon to the north and Swindon to the south. Over six million US tourists visit Great Britain every year and many of those have the Cotswolds on their itinerary — the region is the number one tourist spot in England outside of London.

Why Is The Area Called The Cotswolds?
The rolling hills and thin soil of the Cotswolds area was not suitable for arable farming but ideal for raising sheep. As such, the Cotswolds acquired its name from the sheep’s enclosures, or ‘cots,’ combined with the description of the hills which, during those times, were known as ‘wolds’.

Diz White. Photo courtesy of the author.

Diz White -
English-born Diz White divides her time between Los Angeles, where she has a career as a writer and actress, and her cottage in her beloved Cotswolds, where she writes books and articles about the area. She founded and ran her successful comedy group for over fifteen years and three of her group’s plays are in current publication with Samuel French Play Scripts. They are El Grande de Coca-Cola, for which White won the New York Critics Drama Desk Award, Bullshot Crummond, for which she was nominated for an Ace Cable Award, and Footlight Frenzy, which won a Backstage award for Best Ensemble Comedy. All the group’s shows were televised as specials by Showtime, HBO and ABC, and one of them, Bullshot, was produced as a major motion picture by the late ex-Beatle George Harrison’s HandMade Films.

White studied history of art and architecture, in addition to her specialty graphic design and illustration, at Central/St. Martins where she was awarded a National Diploma in Design. She also trained at City Lit Drama Institute in London. Her comedy group’s success launched White’s solo acting, producing, writing and voice career. She has guest starred in Star Trek Next Generation, starred in the Low Moan Comedy Special for ABC, and the feature Too Much Oregano, which won a Cannes Film Festival award.

Her vocal work can be heard in Titanic, Shrek, Gladiator, Austin Powers, Bruce Almighty, Friends, Garfield, Boston Legal, Frost/Nixon and How to Train Your Dragon among many other television shows and feature films. She is also the voice of Jackie Kennedy in the PBS Documentary Jackie Behind the Myth. White has written for Paramount, Disney, CBS, ABC and for Los Angeles Magazine and has also taught her own comedy class in Los Angeles and at Yale University.

White’s books include The Comedy Group Book (Smith and Kraus), and Haunted Cotswolds and Haunted Cheltenham (The History Press), which were published in the UK this year. She is currently writing another book for The History Press that explores the historical events of the year 1910, a pivotal year in English history, which centers around the entries from a recently unearthed Edwardian girl’s diary.

She is also putting the finishing touches on her recently completed comedic memoir entitled A Love Note to the Cotswolds before submitting it to potential publishers. This Under the Tuscan Sun-style book extols the delights of the English countryside as it describes the author’s hilarious roller coaster romp during her search to buy an English country cottage. Together with her husband Randall Montgomery, White is also producing a home entertainment DVD of Haunted Cotswolds, which shows narrated scenic footage of ghost locations from the book. The DVD will be released in Spring 2011. She can be reached at www.dizwhite.com.

The History Press -
The History Press is the UK’s largest local and specialist history publisher. The company publishes over 500 books a year on a wide range of subjects including Ancient, Medieval and Modern History, Transport, Biography, Popular Archaeology, Sport, Military History, Heritage, Leisure, and Walking.

# # #

For more information, a copy of the book, photos, or to arrange an interview, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 and lynn@greengalactic.com.

Just the Facts:

Title: Haunted Cotswolds
Author: Diz White Photographs by: Randall Montgomery and Others
Published by: The History Press
Distributed by: Trafalgar Square Publishing
US Publication: October 2010
Type: Trade Paper
ISBN: 978-0-7524-54269
Pages: 96
Retail Price: $17.95

Table of Contents:
1. Manor House Manifestations
2. Oxfordshire Entities
3. Creepy Cotswold Castles
4. Eerie Inns
5. Cadaverous Cotswold Kings and Queens
6. Gloucestershire Ghosts
7. Chilling Chippy

The History Press:
www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/Haunted-Cotswolds.aspx

Amazon:
www.amazon.com/Haunted-Cotswolds-Diz-White/dp/0752454269

Available at bookstores everywhere and through Trafalgar Square Publishing from Independent Publishers
Group, 814 N. Franklin St., Chicago, IL 60610. Toll-free number for orders: 1-800-888-4741.

Gargoyle from St. Mary’s Church, Adderbury. Photo credit: Randall Montgomery

Haunted Cotswolds Book Signing & Reception

Thursday, October 21, 2010
7:00 – 9:00pm

Award-winning actress/playwright Diz White signs copies of her new book
Haunted Cotswolds at an intimate reception with books & treats (& tricks)

Samuel French
11963 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604-2607
818.762.0535
www.samuelfrench.com

promo video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6TZFtutycE

Total São Paulo L.A. Book Signing Party 5/9/09

lynn-hasty — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:13:09 +0000

Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art is pleased to present the Los Angeles book signing party for Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected on Saturday, May 9, 2009 from 3 to 7 p.m. The gallery, known for its well-respected Brazilian street art exhibits, welcomes author Phuong-Cac Nguyen, as she returns to her native Los Angeles for the celebration. Total São Paulo, the first offering from new book publisher Unhinged Jaw Press, is scheduled for release on April 29, 2009. Join the author for complimentary caipirinhas provided by Leblon Cachaça, music and other surprises while enjoying the art of talented Brazilian artist Thais Beltrame, whose solo exhibition opens in the gallery on May 7. Carmichael Gallery is located at 1257 N. La Brea Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90038. For more information on the gallery please call 323-969-0600 or visit www.carmichaelgallery.com. To learn more about Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected please visit www.totalSPguide.com.

For Immediate Release: March 26, 2009

Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art Presents
Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected
Brazilian Event-Filled LA Book Signing Party
Meet Author Phuong-Cac Nguyen
Saturday, May 9, 2009

LOS ANGELES, CA — Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art is pleased to present the Los Angeles book signing party for Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected on Saturday, May 9, 2009 from 3 to 7 p.m. The gallery, known for its well-respected Brazilian street art exhibits, welcomes author Phuong-Cac Nguyen, as she returns to her native Los Angeles for the celebration. Total São Paulo, the first offering from new book publisher Unhinged Jaw Press, is scheduled for release on April 29, 2009. Join the author for complimentary caipirinhas provided by Leblon Cachaça, music and other surprises while enjoying the art of talented Brazilian artist Thais Beltrame, whose solo exhibition opens in the gallery on May 7. Carmichael Gallery is located at 1257 N. La Brea Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90038. For more information on the gallery please call 323-969-0600 or visit www.carmichaelgallery.com. To learn more about Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected please visit www.totalSPguide.com.

From hidden bars serving up $2.50 caipirinhas and tiny boutiques, to the best clubs and vintage markets, Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected is a must-have travel resource for discerning creative types traveling to one of the world’s most up-and-coming cities. Written by Phuong-Cac Nguyen, an American journalist who has been reporting and breathing São Paulo’s pop culture/lifestyle beat for years, this beautifully designed 176-page paperback guidebook packs in places off the beaten track in 10 essential neighborhoods. Sprinkled among the candid, gorgeously shot photographs are also 11 easy-to-read, illustrated maps and 17 interviews with São Paulo VIPs who give the inside scoop on the metropolis’ best spots. A supplemental online São Paulo city guide will be launched shortly at www.totalSPguide.com with profiles on hotspots and provocative features.

Authoritative and in the know, Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected leads travelers through a rigorously edited list of São Paulo’s locally adored restaurants, art spaces, boutiques, street fairs, bars, clubs and other can’t-miss sights, like the city’s Red Light District and its version of Little Tokyo.

Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected has a streetwise and clean magazine-style design (think Tokion, Wallpaper, Nylon, Mass Appeal) and is written in a smart, edgy tone that makes it a speedy reference unlike any other travel guidebook about Brazil or South America on the shelf today. Its small, handbook-like size (6.1” x 5.3”) is convenient for on-the-go reading and has a sewn spine for extra durability. Thanks to a team that includes talented, locally based photographers and illustrators, travelers will get a truly first-hand experience of São Paulo through their eyes.

THE SPECS:
- Title: Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected
- Publisher: Unhinged Jaw Press
- Release date: April 29, 2009
- Cover: Paperback
- 176 full-color pages divided into the top bars, restaurants, shops, and sights in 10 must-see neighborhoods
- 11 easy-to-read colored maps
- 17 interviews with São Paulo VIPs who give the inside scoop on the city’s best spots
- Full-page features on the highlighted locations & experiences in each neighborhood
- Locally created by a team who lives in the city
- Size: 6.1” x 5.3”
- Available online at www.unhingedjawpress.com and independent bookstores worldwide; check site for locations
- Price: $26.99

Phuong-Cac Nguyen writes about São Paulo for renowned trend-hunter blog websites CoolHunting.com and JoshSpear.com. She started her journalism career at the Los Angeles Times and served as one of the editors at URB magazine before expanding her writing work to include marketing projects for Nokia and surf/skate retailer Pacific Sunwear, as well as projects for a respected trend-forecasting agency in São Paulo. She has been published in the Los Angeles Times, the LA Weekly, mcsweeneys.net, Anthem Magazine, and others. Nguyen has appeared on major Brazilian television network O Globo promoting her upcoming book and discussing her favorite hidden São Paulo haunts.

Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art exhibits emerging international contemporary artists with a focus on narrative and figurative painting, mixed media and sculpture. The gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and by appointment.

# # #

For more information, photos or to arrange interviews please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

“Total Sao Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected” out 4/29/09

lynn-hasty — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:16:39 +0000

From hidden bars serving up $2.50 caipirinhas and tiny boutiques, to the best clubs and vintage markets, Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected (Unhinged Jaw Press) is a must-have travel resource for discerning creative types traveling to one of the world’s most up-and-coming cities. Written by Phuong-Cac Nguyen, an American journalist who has been reporting and breathing Sao Paulo’s pop culture/lifestyle beat for years, this beautifully designed 176-page paperback guidebook packs in places off the beaten track in 10 essential neighborhoods. Sprinkled among the candid, gorgeously shot photographs are also 11 easy-to-read, illustrated maps and 17 interviews with Sao Paulo VIPs who give the inside scoop on the metropolis’ best spots. Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected will be released in April 2009 through www.unhingedjawpress.com and independent bookstores worldwide. A supplemental online Sao Paulo city guide will be launched in December at www.totalSPguide.com with profiles on hotspots, provocative features and a regularly updated happenings calendar.

For Immediate Release: November 3, 2008

Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected
Travel Guidebook is an Insider’s Peek At
Underground Sao Paulo, Brazil
Coming April 2009

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL/LOS ANGELES, CA — From hidden bars serving up $2.50 caipirinhas and tiny boutiques, to the best clubs and vintage markets, Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected (Unhinged Jaw Press) is a must-have travel resource for discerning creative types traveling to one of the world’s most up-and-coming cities. Written by Phuong-Cac Nguyen, an American journalist who has been reporting and breathing Sao Paulo’s pop culture/lifestyle beat for years, this beautifully designed 176-page paperback guidebook packs in places off the beaten track in 10 essential neighborhoods. Sprinkled among the candid, gorgeously shot photographs are also 11 easy-to-read, illustrated maps and 17 interviews with Sao Paulo VIPs who give the inside scoop on the metropolis’ best spots. Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected will be released in April 2009 through www.unhingedjawpress.com and independent bookstores worldwide. A supplemental online Sao Paulo city guide will be launched in December at www.totalSPguide.com with profiles on hotspots, provocative features and a regularly updated happenings calendar.

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For more information, photos or to arrange interviews please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.