Two Los Angeles policemen were arrested Wednesday on multiple sexual assault counts stemming from years-old allegations from four women who claim the officers forced them to perform sexual favors by threatening to arrest them, People confirms. Chief Charlie Beck of the Los Angeles Police Department told reporters during a Wednesday press conference that the charges against Officers James Nichols, 44, and Luis Valenzuela, 43, capped an exhaustive investigation that first began in 2013. Beck says the two men were suspended without pay soon after their accusers came forward. Nichols and Valenzuela are being held on $3.7 million bail on charges of sexual assault, forcible rape,...
- 2/19/2016
- by Chris Harris, @chrisharrisment
- PEOPLE.com
Friday August 28th the Guadalajara International Film Festival in Los Angeles (Ficg in La) announced the winners of Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2 and DocuLab.2 Los Angeles work-in-progress competitions. The prizes awarded to the selected projects cover a wide range of post-production services and opportunities that will ensure the completion of the work and enhance its possiblities of being screen at the Guadalajara International Film Festival and elsewhere.
Winning projects include "Lupe Under the Sun" by Rodrigo Reyes, whose previous film, documentary "Purgatorio" received critical acclaim and play at numerous festivals. Documentary "No Dresscode Required" by Cristina Herrera Borquez was the most awarded film and tells the story of a homosexual couple in Mexico fighting to be legally married. Jose Luis Valenzuela's "Dementia" centers on an terminal AIDS patient attempting to organize a farewell party.
Award Winners List (Work-in-progress competitions)
Films to be automatically considered for work-in-progess or Official Competitions at Ficg 31 (Mexico)
Winner Doculab 2 Los Angeles
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (No Dresscode Required) (90 min.) – Mexico, USA
Directed by Cristina Herrera Borquez
Winner of Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2
"Demenica" (Dementia) (80 min.) – Mexico, USA
Directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela
Winners of Doculab 2 Los Angeles
Warner Bros. Sound, Titra California, Inc., Boogieman Media, Color Space Mexico, Assimilate, Todo Cine Latino, Pomeranc Music and Sound, and Sofia Films.
Warner Bros. Sound Award
-45 hours of sound editorial and mix with sound supervisor Katy Wood at Warner Bros. Sound, Warner Bros. Burbank, CA (DocuLab.2 Los Angeles)
-90 hours of sound editorial and mix with sound supervisor Katy Wood at Warner Bros. Sound, Warner Bros. Burbank, CA (Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2)
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (90 min.) – Mexico , USA
Titra California Award
Production of one Dcp & one Blue Ray for each winning film.
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (90 min.) – Mexico , USA
Color Space Award
Color Space Mexico prize includes production and mastering of initial and final credits and the final roller of the film for one film in each category. Color Space Mexico will deliver the final master in Dpx sequences ready for Dcp master.
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (90 min.) – Mexico , USA
Todo Cine Latino Award
Todo Cine Latino will provide each winning films a consultation for all World Sales and Us Distribution for 12 months following the award being granted.
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (90 min.) – Mexico , USA
Assimilate Award
Assimilate Inc will provide each winning film the following deliverables a single 12-month license to Scratch color correction software.
"Looking at the Starts" (Mirando a las estrellas) (56 min.) – Nicaragua, USA, Brasil
Directed by Alexandre Peralta
Boogieman Media Award
Boogieman Media will provide each winning film with un supervisor to be assigned to assist with marketing consulting, design and production of key art andone (1) key art design delivered digitally in an editable format to Producers, to be used solely for marketing purposes..
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (90 min.) – Mexico , USA
Pomeranec Music & Sound Award
Promeranec will provide each winning film the following two (2) original songs for a project in Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2 including composition, production and musicians and two (2) original songs for a project in DocuLab.2 Los Angeles including composition, production and musicians.
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (90 min.) – Mexico , USA
Sofia Films Award
Sofia Films will provide each winning film the following deliverables a consultation with a color correction supervisor or visual effects supervisor certified by Assimilate and the use of a certified color correction facility in location to be determined by Sofia Films.
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (90 min.) – Mexico , USA
Winner of Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2
Warner Bros. Sound, Titra California, Inc., Boogieman Media, Color Space Mexico, Assimilate, Todo Cine Latino, Pomeranc Music and Sound, and Sofia Films.
Warner Bros. Sound Award
-45 hours of sound editorial and mix with sound supervisor Katy Wood at Warner Bros. Sound, Warner Bros. Burbank, CA (DocuLab.2 Los Angeles).
-90 hours of sound editorial and mix with sound supervisor Katy Wood at Warner Bros. Sound, Warner Bros. Burbank, CA (Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2).
"Demenica" (Dementia) (80 min.) – Mexico, USA
Directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela
Titra California Award
Production of one Dcp & one Blue Ray for each winning film.
"Demenica (Dementia) (80 min.) – Mexico, USA
Color Space Award
Color Space Mexico prize includes production and mastering of initial and final credits and the final roller of the film for one film in each category. Color Space Mexico will deliver the final master in Dpx sequences ready for Dcp master.
"Demenica" (Dementia) (80 min.) – Mexico, USA
Todo Cine Latino Award
Todo Cine Latino will provide each winning films a consultation for all World Sales and Us Distribution for 12 months following the award being granted.
"Demenica" (Dementia) (80 min.) – Mexico, USA
Assimilate Award
Assimilate Inc will provide each winning film the following deliverables a single 12-month license to Scratch color correction software.
"Demenica" (Dementia) (80 min.) – Mexico, USA
Bogieman Media Award
Boogieman Media will provide each winning film with un supervisor to be assigned to assist with marketing consulting, design and production of key art andone (1) key art design delivered digitally in an editable format to Producers, to be used solely for marketing purposes.
"Demenica" (Dementia) (80 min.) – Mexico, USA
Pomeranec Award
Promeranec will provide each winning film the following two (2) original songs for a project in Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2 including composition, production and musicians and two (2) original songs for a project in DocuLab.2 Los Angeles including composition, production and musicians.
"Lupe Bajo el Sol" (Lupe Under the Sun) (82 min.) – Mexico, USA
Directed by Rodrigo Reyes
Sofia Films Award
Sofia Films will provide each winning film the following deliverables a consultation with a color correction supervisor or visual effects supervisor certified by Assimilate and the use of a certified color correction facility in location to be determined by Sofia Films.
"Lupe Bajo el Sol" (Lupe Under the Sun) (82 min.) – Mexico, USA...
Winning projects include "Lupe Under the Sun" by Rodrigo Reyes, whose previous film, documentary "Purgatorio" received critical acclaim and play at numerous festivals. Documentary "No Dresscode Required" by Cristina Herrera Borquez was the most awarded film and tells the story of a homosexual couple in Mexico fighting to be legally married. Jose Luis Valenzuela's "Dementia" centers on an terminal AIDS patient attempting to organize a farewell party.
Award Winners List (Work-in-progress competitions)
Films to be automatically considered for work-in-progess or Official Competitions at Ficg 31 (Mexico)
Winner Doculab 2 Los Angeles
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (No Dresscode Required) (90 min.) – Mexico, USA
Directed by Cristina Herrera Borquez
Winner of Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2
"Demenica" (Dementia) (80 min.) – Mexico, USA
Directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela
Winners of Doculab 2 Los Angeles
Warner Bros. Sound, Titra California, Inc., Boogieman Media, Color Space Mexico, Assimilate, Todo Cine Latino, Pomeranc Music and Sound, and Sofia Films.
Warner Bros. Sound Award
-45 hours of sound editorial and mix with sound supervisor Katy Wood at Warner Bros. Sound, Warner Bros. Burbank, CA (DocuLab.2 Los Angeles)
-90 hours of sound editorial and mix with sound supervisor Katy Wood at Warner Bros. Sound, Warner Bros. Burbank, CA (Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2)
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (90 min.) – Mexico , USA
Titra California Award
Production of one Dcp & one Blue Ray for each winning film.
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (90 min.) – Mexico , USA
Color Space Award
Color Space Mexico prize includes production and mastering of initial and final credits and the final roller of the film for one film in each category. Color Space Mexico will deliver the final master in Dpx sequences ready for Dcp master.
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (90 min.) – Mexico , USA
Todo Cine Latino Award
Todo Cine Latino will provide each winning films a consultation for all World Sales and Us Distribution for 12 months following the award being granted.
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (90 min.) – Mexico , USA
Assimilate Award
Assimilate Inc will provide each winning film the following deliverables a single 12-month license to Scratch color correction software.
"Looking at the Starts" (Mirando a las estrellas) (56 min.) – Nicaragua, USA, Brasil
Directed by Alexandre Peralta
Boogieman Media Award
Boogieman Media will provide each winning film with un supervisor to be assigned to assist with marketing consulting, design and production of key art andone (1) key art design delivered digitally in an editable format to Producers, to be used solely for marketing purposes..
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (90 min.) – Mexico , USA
Pomeranec Music & Sound Award
Promeranec will provide each winning film the following two (2) original songs for a project in Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2 including composition, production and musicians and two (2) original songs for a project in DocuLab.2 Los Angeles including composition, production and musicians.
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (90 min.) – Mexico , USA
Sofia Films Award
Sofia Films will provide each winning film the following deliverables a consultation with a color correction supervisor or visual effects supervisor certified by Assimilate and the use of a certified color correction facility in location to be determined by Sofia Films.
"Etiqueta No Rigurosa" (90 min.) – Mexico , USA
Winner of Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2
Warner Bros. Sound, Titra California, Inc., Boogieman Media, Color Space Mexico, Assimilate, Todo Cine Latino, Pomeranc Music and Sound, and Sofia Films.
Warner Bros. Sound Award
-45 hours of sound editorial and mix with sound supervisor Katy Wood at Warner Bros. Sound, Warner Bros. Burbank, CA (DocuLab.2 Los Angeles).
-90 hours of sound editorial and mix with sound supervisor Katy Wood at Warner Bros. Sound, Warner Bros. Burbank, CA (Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2).
"Demenica" (Dementia) (80 min.) – Mexico, USA
Directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela
Titra California Award
Production of one Dcp & one Blue Ray for each winning film.
"Demenica (Dementia) (80 min.) – Mexico, USA
Color Space Award
Color Space Mexico prize includes production and mastering of initial and final credits and the final roller of the film for one film in each category. Color Space Mexico will deliver the final master in Dpx sequences ready for Dcp master.
"Demenica" (Dementia) (80 min.) – Mexico, USA
Todo Cine Latino Award
Todo Cine Latino will provide each winning films a consultation for all World Sales and Us Distribution for 12 months following the award being granted.
"Demenica" (Dementia) (80 min.) – Mexico, USA
Assimilate Award
Assimilate Inc will provide each winning film the following deliverables a single 12-month license to Scratch color correction software.
"Demenica" (Dementia) (80 min.) – Mexico, USA
Bogieman Media Award
Boogieman Media will provide each winning film with un supervisor to be assigned to assist with marketing consulting, design and production of key art andone (1) key art design delivered digitally in an editable format to Producers, to be used solely for marketing purposes.
"Demenica" (Dementia) (80 min.) – Mexico, USA
Pomeranec Award
Promeranec will provide each winning film the following two (2) original songs for a project in Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2 including composition, production and musicians and two (2) original songs for a project in DocuLab.2 Los Angeles including composition, production and musicians.
"Lupe Bajo el Sol" (Lupe Under the Sun) (82 min.) – Mexico, USA
Directed by Rodrigo Reyes
Sofia Films Award
Sofia Films will provide each winning film the following deliverables a consultation with a color correction supervisor or visual effects supervisor certified by Assimilate and the use of a certified color correction facility in location to be determined by Sofia Films.
"Lupe Bajo el Sol" (Lupe Under the Sun) (82 min.) – Mexico, USA...
- 9/2/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Brian Mulligan, the entertainment turned financial executive who made headlines last year after he admitted to snorting bath salts prior to a bloody altercation with police officers, slapped the Los Angeles Police Department with a $20 million lawsuit yesterday, on charges of civil rights violations, assault, and -- in a further twist in the bizarre case -- false imprisonment.
The former co-chairman of Universal Pictures alleges that two Lapd officers forced him to rent a motel room and trapped him inside as a “setup” to extort $3000 from him. The suit also claims that Mulligan's attempt to escape was the catalyst that led to the officers battering his face and snapping both his shoulder bones.
Click here to read Mulligan’s full complaint against the Lapd.
The Lapd insists its officers acted in self defense against a drug-fueled assailant. According to a police report, the officers were responding to reports of a white man breaking into cars,...
The former co-chairman of Universal Pictures alleges that two Lapd officers forced him to rent a motel room and trapped him inside as a “setup” to extort $3000 from him. The suit also claims that Mulligan's attempt to escape was the catalyst that led to the officers battering his face and snapping both his shoulder bones.
Click here to read Mulligan’s full complaint against the Lapd.
The Lapd insists its officers acted in self defense against a drug-fueled assailant. According to a police report, the officers were responding to reports of a white man breaking into cars,...
- 2/7/2013
- by Mallika Rao
- Huffington Post
"Luminarias" zeros in on one of the most invisible groups in America -- the professional Latina. This romantic comedy focuses on four such women, upwardly mobile in their careers but in a perpetual nose dive in their love lives. And while the film is based on a play, it seldom betrays its theatrical origins. The film has an easy flow that lets director Jose Luis Valenzuela gracefully move from subplot to subplot, dropping in on these women at crucial junctures in their messy, soap opera-like lives.
But the real question is, will one of the most invisible groups in America show up to support such a film? One recent male-oriented Latin-themed film, "Price of Glory", proved resistible to Latinos in general, while another, "The Other Conquest", has performed well at the boxoffice. But no movie has really targeted Latinas in any big way.
New Latin Pictures, a distribution company that releases
English-language pictures primarily to Hispanics -- their first release was "Nueba Yol" in 1996 -- insists that such an audience does exist. If so, the Cinco de Mayo release of "Luminarias" will need the support of considerable media buys to make Latinos aware of this low-profile picture. Chances for crossover appear unlikely, but the film may do well in some overseas markets.
The film's star, Evelina Fernandez, who is married to helmer Valenzuela, developed the script first as a play for the Latino Theater Company at the Los Angeles Theater Center and then as this independently produced film.
"Luminarias" is the name of an East Los Angeles restaurant where these women gather to quaff tequila and dish. Fernandez plays Andrea, an attorney going through a divorce from a philandering husband (Robert Beltran). When she finds herself falling for a fellow attorney who's Jewish (Scott Bakula), she must confront her own intolerance of gringos.
Conversely, Sofia (Marta Du Bois), a shrink who lives on the Westside, puts all her energy into fitting into Anglo society. That is, until a waiter from the restaurant, Pablo (Sal Lopez), who can barely speak English, gently woos her.
Irene (Dyana Ortelli), a clothing designer who has given up sex for Lent, equally distrusts Anglos even as she insists that her drag queen brother (Geoff Rivas) isn't gay, just "confused."
Visual artist Lilly (Angela Moya) tries to overcome her penchant for undocumented workers "who don't work" -- as her girlfriends put it -- by taking up with a lonely Korean-American businessman (Andrew C. Lim).
The film mainly concentrates on Andrea. This includes her relationship with her future ex, her new lover and a client (Seidy Lopez), who becomes more embroiled in her life than she should.
The three other roles are more sketchily portrayed, so don't look for much insight into their troubled psyches. The film hugs the surface, relying on schematic comedy and bumper-sticker catch phrases for its social commentary. Despite its centrality to the story, Fernandez doesn't really explore the mistrust between Latinos and Anglos beyond using this as a source of conflict between her characters.
The writer and Valenzuela, who are partnered with Sal Lopez in Sleeping Giant Prods., clearly intend to keep things light. This means bypassing an opportunity to explore such intriguing issues as the role of professional women in a culture often ruled by machismo and people's reactions to interracial dating beyond "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" gasps.
Mostly, Valenzuela maintains a party atmosphere with lot of margaritas (boy, can these girls drink), upbeat music and repeated visits to Luminarias.
And other than a show-off four-minute tracking shot that opens the film, Valenzuela is content to let his wife be the star, both as an actress and writer. Technical credits sometimes reflect the low budget -- the film reportedly cost less than $1 million -- but are always professional.
LUMINARIAS
New Latin Pictures
Sleeping Giant Prods. in association
with July Street Entertainment
Producer: Sal Lopez
Director: Jose Luis Valenzuela
Screenwriter: Evelina Fernandez
Based on a play by: Evelina Fernandez
Director of photography: Alex Phillips
Production designer: Patssi Valdez
Music: Eric Allaman
Co-producer: Mina Vasquez
Costume designer: Bernie White
Editors: Terilyn Shropshire, Jeff Koontz
Color/stereo
Cast:
Andrea: Evelina Fernandez
Joseph: Scott Bakula
Sofia: Marta Du Bois
Lilly: Angela Moya
Irene: Dyana Ortelli
Cindy: Seidy Lopez
Joe: Robert Beltran
Pablo: Sal Lopez
Running time -- 98 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
But the real question is, will one of the most invisible groups in America show up to support such a film? One recent male-oriented Latin-themed film, "Price of Glory", proved resistible to Latinos in general, while another, "The Other Conquest", has performed well at the boxoffice. But no movie has really targeted Latinas in any big way.
New Latin Pictures, a distribution company that releases
English-language pictures primarily to Hispanics -- their first release was "Nueba Yol" in 1996 -- insists that such an audience does exist. If so, the Cinco de Mayo release of "Luminarias" will need the support of considerable media buys to make Latinos aware of this low-profile picture. Chances for crossover appear unlikely, but the film may do well in some overseas markets.
The film's star, Evelina Fernandez, who is married to helmer Valenzuela, developed the script first as a play for the Latino Theater Company at the Los Angeles Theater Center and then as this independently produced film.
"Luminarias" is the name of an East Los Angeles restaurant where these women gather to quaff tequila and dish. Fernandez plays Andrea, an attorney going through a divorce from a philandering husband (Robert Beltran). When she finds herself falling for a fellow attorney who's Jewish (Scott Bakula), she must confront her own intolerance of gringos.
Conversely, Sofia (Marta Du Bois), a shrink who lives on the Westside, puts all her energy into fitting into Anglo society. That is, until a waiter from the restaurant, Pablo (Sal Lopez), who can barely speak English, gently woos her.
Irene (Dyana Ortelli), a clothing designer who has given up sex for Lent, equally distrusts Anglos even as she insists that her drag queen brother (Geoff Rivas) isn't gay, just "confused."
Visual artist Lilly (Angela Moya) tries to overcome her penchant for undocumented workers "who don't work" -- as her girlfriends put it -- by taking up with a lonely Korean-American businessman (Andrew C. Lim).
The film mainly concentrates on Andrea. This includes her relationship with her future ex, her new lover and a client (Seidy Lopez), who becomes more embroiled in her life than she should.
The three other roles are more sketchily portrayed, so don't look for much insight into their troubled psyches. The film hugs the surface, relying on schematic comedy and bumper-sticker catch phrases for its social commentary. Despite its centrality to the story, Fernandez doesn't really explore the mistrust between Latinos and Anglos beyond using this as a source of conflict between her characters.
The writer and Valenzuela, who are partnered with Sal Lopez in Sleeping Giant Prods., clearly intend to keep things light. This means bypassing an opportunity to explore such intriguing issues as the role of professional women in a culture often ruled by machismo and people's reactions to interracial dating beyond "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" gasps.
Mostly, Valenzuela maintains a party atmosphere with lot of margaritas (boy, can these girls drink), upbeat music and repeated visits to Luminarias.
And other than a show-off four-minute tracking shot that opens the film, Valenzuela is content to let his wife be the star, both as an actress and writer. Technical credits sometimes reflect the low budget -- the film reportedly cost less than $1 million -- but are always professional.
LUMINARIAS
New Latin Pictures
Sleeping Giant Prods. in association
with July Street Entertainment
Producer: Sal Lopez
Director: Jose Luis Valenzuela
Screenwriter: Evelina Fernandez
Based on a play by: Evelina Fernandez
Director of photography: Alex Phillips
Production designer: Patssi Valdez
Music: Eric Allaman
Co-producer: Mina Vasquez
Costume designer: Bernie White
Editors: Terilyn Shropshire, Jeff Koontz
Color/stereo
Cast:
Andrea: Evelina Fernandez
Joseph: Scott Bakula
Sofia: Marta Du Bois
Lilly: Angela Moya
Irene: Dyana Ortelli
Cindy: Seidy Lopez
Joe: Robert Beltran
Pablo: Sal Lopez
Running time -- 98 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
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