Nonpareil Art & Fashion Exhibition 2024
By Rachel Galvin
Models busily prepared to hit the runway while King Yahweh, clad all in white, posed for photos, and other guests strolled through large scale artworks while sipping on spirits and listening to live entertainment. Emcee Rick Sykes kept the party going. This swanky soiree was the Nonpareil Art & Fashion Exhibition, held at Santorini by Giorgios in South Beach on December 6. Fashions were brought to the forefront, courtesy of Unblemished Couture and Swan Song Couture. This event was the brainchild of Travon Ridley-Evans and it benefitted Tinkerbell’s Kids. DJ Myla kept the music pumping. Big Wes and Abdul Muhammad II rapped. And Alexander Padei serenaded. These were a few of the performances for the evening. People dressed in quirky artistic style to add a more festive element to this Art Basel based event. The party kept going til late with a champagne toast to finish it off in style.
#Art #fashion #SouthBeach #Miami #NonpareilArtAndExposition #fashionshow @unblemishedbycherice @veronica_iovan
Edited · 1d
Men of Style: A Wicked Affair
By Rachel Galvin
The BBX Capital Men of Style event, presented by Kimpton Shorebreak, had a decidedly “Wicked” flair this year, thanks to its theme inspired by the iconic musical play/ film of the same name.
The popular event on December 5, held at The Galleria Mall as usual, brought all the zest people have come to expect. Characters like Glinda, the Tin Man, a witch and wizard, and a juggling Scarecrow greeted guests. DJ Nikko played an 80s mix. People could take photos 360-style. There was live entertainment, drinks, light bites from local restaurants and more. But the highlight was the runway show featuring 12 honorees and models showing off styles from Macy’s and Dillards.
Jacey Birch, WPLG news anchor, emceed. Melissa Milroy, senior marketing manager at The Galleria, spoke, as did Lois Marino, executive director of BBX Capital, the main sponsor for the event, before the fashion show began.
The crowd went wild as the honorees strutted their stuff, bringing plenty of personality. Each represented a nonprofit. This year’s honorees were Raphael Walters, for Florida Children’s Theatre, William Schultz for The Pride Center at Equality Park, Chaz Warrington for Junior Achievement of South Florida, Alec Bogdanoff for History Fort Lauderdale, Baldwyn English for Art & Culture Center/ Hollywood, Hayden Casson for Henderson Behavioral Health, Emmanuel Garnier from Handy, Scott Dunseath for FLITE Center, Israel Gomez for Leadership Broward Foundation, Ramon Moreno for Kids in Distress, TJ Walsh for South Florida Symphony Orchestra and Captain Lee Rosbach for Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center.
People could vote on their honoree with money going back to the cause and could participate in the raffle.
Over the last 18 years, Men of Style has raised over a million dollars toward worthy causes. This year, Children’s Diagnostic Center raised the most money at about $60,000.
Did you miss this year? There is always next year!
Film Review: “Bad Shabbos”
When David (Jon Bass), who is Jewish, and his fiance, Meg (Meghan Leathers), who is Catholic, invite her parents for the first time to meet his parents, nerves run high. After all, David’s mom Ellen (Kyra Sedgwick) is not too happy with someone of a different faith becoming her daughter-in-law, even though she is converting. The awkwardness ensues immediately. Everything from preparing dinner to making small talk is like nails on a chalkboard. Things are not going well.
But they are going to get worse. Added into the mix are other inner family conflicts. David’s sister Abby (Milana Vayntrub) is fighting with her boyfriend Benjamin (Ashley Zukerman), so is David’s brother, Adam, who is his own brand of nutty. Furious with Benjamin and filled with anxiety, he needs to pop pills to calm down but that doesn’t stop him from creating conflict. Little did he know his actions would lead to the unraveling of the whole family and night. Not even his father Richard’s (David Paymer) self-help theories can help to soothe the drama that unfolds. Even hip doorman Jordan (“Method Man”) gets swept up in the situation. The more challenges that occur, the funnier it becomes.
The actors did a great job at pacing and characterization, adding to the comedy of the moment. Kyra Sedgwick really shines as the mom. Meg’s parents, played by Catherine Curtin and John Bedford Lloyd, excel when they appear on screen, as do the rest of the cast throughout.
This film is sure to delight all audiences, but especially those familiar with Jewish culture, or simply the awkwardness involved when there is a clash of cultures. The award-winning film, directed by Daniel Robbins and co-written by Zack Weiner, will be shown exclusively at Movies of Delray beginning December 6. The director, as well as producer Adam Mitchell, will be in attendance on opening day and on weekends.
In January 2025, the comedy will screen in West Palm at the Sun and Stars International Film Festival (January 23-Feb. 2), and at the Miami Jewish Film Festival (January 9-23). After that it will roll out to additional theaters in Florida and elsewhere in the U.S.
For more information, visit moviesofdelray.com.
Men of Style 2024 is almost here
Photo from 2021 Men of Style event
By Rachel Galvin
Food, Spirits, Fashion & Philanthropy — Men of Style is a high energy event that has it all. Held at the Galleria Mall, this year’s event, presented by Kimpton Shorebreak Hotel, will take place December 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. WPLG news anchor Jacey Birch will emcee and Jay McCracken will be the guest DJ.
Guests can grab a drink and a light bite from one of the many participating area restaurants. They also enjoy live entertainment and engage in the lively fashion show.
Every year, 12 men from the community are honored and each represents a different charity. Their supporters come out to cheer them on as they strut down the runway wearing trendy fashions along with models. This year’s honorees are Raphael Walters, for Florida Children’s Theatre, William Schultz for The Pride Center at Equality Park, Chaz Warrington for Junior Achievement of South Florida, Alec Bogdanoff for History Fort Lauderdale, Baldwyn English for Art & Culture Center/ Hollywood, Hayden Casson for Henderson Behavioral Health, Emmanuel Garnier from Handy, Scott Dunseath for FLITE Center, Israel Gomez for Leadership Broward Foundation, Ramon Moreno for Kids in Distress, TJ Walsh for South Florida Symphony Orchestra and Captain Lee Rosbach for Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center.
You can vote on your favorite man, get more details on the event, participate in the raffle and get tickets for the event at galleriamall-fl.com/events-promotions.
41st Miami Book Fair — brings book lover to Miami
By Rachel Galvin
Are you someone who can’t wait until the next book in a series drops, or who spends their nights with their nose in a book, or who follows everything their favorite author says and does? No matter which type of bibliophile you may be, you are sure to love the Miami Book Fair. Now in its 41st year, the fair seems to have more reasons than ever to check it out.
The event is held on the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus from November 17-24 and 400 authors will be in attendance. All genres will be presented from horror to romance to fantasy, and beyond. There are also authors of children’s books. One of the biggest draws is sure to be horror author Stephen King. But there are plenty of journalists who have written books who will be in attendance, including Connie Chung, and well-known classic authors like Amy Tan and funny guy Dave Barry. The long list of authors from all over is really outstanding this year.
Don’t miss the “Evening With” presentations with some of the most established thinkers of our day like Chung who is having a conversation with her husband Maury Povich; Tan talking about her “The Backyard Bird Chronicles,” Clarissa Ward talking about her experiences in the news industry, and more.
This event is perfect for families. Not only can children go home with handfuls of books, but they can also engage in activities in the Children’s Alley, including making books of their own, doing science experiments, learning about robots, making music and more. There will be performances, storytelling, strolling characters and artists, virtual reality and a FIFA experience too.
Adults will love the nightly cocktail parties at the Lost Chapter lounge and the full food court hosted by Smorgasburg.
Have fun at the street fair from November 22-24!
There is free parking on campus in building 7, a block sized garage, between NE 1st and 2nd Avenues and between NE 5th & 6th Streets.
General admission is $12 for adults, $5 for ages 13-18 and those over 62; free for under 12. There is a free block party the first night with Funkbox NYC, featuring DJs Tony Touch Hector Romero and Tedd Patterson with a live performance by Joi Cardwell.
For more information and to get tickets, visit miamibookfair.com.
Authors include the following:
Nonfiction
* Alice Driver, Life and Death of the American Worker: The Immigrants Taking on America’s Largest Meatpacking Company
* Alice Randall, My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music’s Black Past, Future and Present
* Carrie Sun, Private Equity: A Memoir
* Daniela Rus, The Mind’s Mirrors: Risk and Reward in the Age of AI
* Ernesto Londono, Trippy: The Peril and Promise of Medicinal Psychedeolics
* Jonathan Vigliotti: Before It’s Gone: Stories from the Front Lines of Climate Change in Small-Town America
* Glory Edim, Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me
* Jason Stanley, Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past
* Kara Swisher, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story
* Marie Arana, LatinoLand: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority
* Patrick J. Kennedy, Profiles in Mental Health Courage
* R. Derek Black, The Klan Man’s Son: My Journey from White Nationalism to Antiracism
* Sahaj Kaur Kohli, But What WIll People Say: Navigating Mental Health, Identity, Love, and Family Between Cultures
Pop culture icons
* Amy Tan, The Backyard Bird Chronicles
* Former Poet Laureate Billy Collins, Water, Water: Poems
* Daniel Handler, (as Lemony Snickett) And Then? And Then? What Else?
* Deborah Paredez, American Diva: Extraordinary, Unruly, Fabulous
* Edda L. Fields-Black, Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During
* Erik Larson, The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
* Ed Newman, Warrior Judge: One Man’s Journey from the Gridiron to the Gavel
* Julie Satow, When Women Ran Fifth Avenue, Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion
* Kathleen Hanna, Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk
* Madeline Blais, Queen of the Court: The Many Lives of Tennis Legend Alice Marble
* Marianne Williamson, The Mystic Jesus: The Mind of Love
* Moon Unit Zappa, Earth To Moon: A Memoir
* Patti Smith, A Book of Days
* Ray Suarez, We Are Home: Becoming American in the 21st Century: An Oral History
* Simon Doonan, The Camp 100: Glorious Flamboyance from Louis XIV to Lil Nas X
* Stacey Abrams, Stacey Speaks Up
* Susan Seidelman, Desperately Seeking Something: A Memoir
* Tomi Adeyemi, Children of Anguish and Anarchy
* Thurston Moore, Sonic Life: A Memoir
* V (Eve Ensler), Reckoning
Florida based icons
* Asha Elias, Pink Glass Houses
* Dave Barry, The Swamp
* Dr. Paul George and Henry Green, Jewish Miami Beach
* Ed Newman, Holly Greenberg Newman Warrior Judge: One Man’s Journey from the Gridiron to the Gavel
* Edwidge Danticat, We’re Alone: Essays
* Fabienne Josaphat, Kingdom of No Tomorrow
* Gene Moreno, Carlos Alfonzo: Late Paintings
* Geoffrey Philip, My Name is Marcus
* Jen Karetnick, Inheritance with a High Error Rate
* Jennine Capo Crucet, Say Hello to My Little Friend
* Jim Grippando, Goodbye Girl- A Jack Swyteck Novel
* Joy Castro, One Brilliant Flame
* Leonard Pitts, 54 Miles* Dr. Paul George, Jewish Miami Beach
* Lisandro Perez, The House on G Street: A Cuban Family Saga
* Oscar Fuentes, Relics of the Heart: Stories of My Family
* First Miami Dade Poet Laureate Richard Blanco, Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology
* Rochelle Weinstein, What You Do To Me
Fiction
* Alice McDermott, Absolution
* Claire Messud, This Strange Eventful History
* Lisa See, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women
* Jamie Quatro, Two-Step Devil
* Jayne Allen, The Most Wonderful Time
* Jean Hanff Korelitz, The Sequel
* Jill McCorkle, Old Crimes: and Other Stories
* Julia Phillips, Bear
* Louis Bayard, The Wildes: A Novel in 5 Acts
* Margot Livesey, The Road from Belhaven
* Marie-Helene Bertino, Beautyland
* Mona Simpson, Commitment
* Myriam Chancy, Village Weavers
* Nicola Yoon, One of Our Kind
* Rachel Kushner, Creation Lake
* Tracy Clark, Echo, featuring detective Harriet Foster
Film Review: “High Tide”
By Rachel Galvin
Lourenço (Marco Pigossi) finds himself swimming against the tide. Escaping his home of Brazil and hiding who he truly is, he finds himself in the United States adrift in the queer mecca of Provincetown. His boyfriend left him. His visa is expiring. He finds himself doing menial work for a cruel boss. He is shiftless. And spending time picking up strangers in bars is leaving him feeling more hollow. But a chance encounter on the beach may prove to be his salvation. But even that comes with complications. Still reeling over his ex, he is not the most stable of partners. Is he ready to start again? Even his friendship with a friend who has taken him becomes unsteady. Can he find anything to hold onto? He flounders and tries to keep his head above water. There has to be a way.
This film, directed by Marco Calvani, is a very slow burn focused on Lourenço’s angst and the slowly developing unexpected romance between he and Maurice (James Blunt), and what happens next when Maurice has to leave town to his next planned adventure.
Pigossi and Blunt are both very easy on the eyes, and Maurice’s friends act as the comic relief. The film is produced by Marisa Tomei, who also acts in it as a woman who leaves her husband for a woman, a different role for the actress. Scott, Lourenço ’s landlord of sorts, is played by Bill Irwin.
The movie touches on the themes of racism and gay issues primarily and is going to be appreciated most by a gay audience, but is relatable to anyone who has found themselves adrift in life. Note: The film does include nudity and plenty of gay sex scenes, as well as drug usage.
Heartbreaking and tender, the film, which received 100% fresh from Rotten Tomatoes, will be shown on Friday, November 15 and Saturday, November 16 at 7:15 p.m. at Regal South Beach 18, 1120 Lincoln Road Mall, in Miami Beach. Pigossi, who is a very popular Brazilian actor, and the director, Calvani, will be in attendance at the Q&A during those showtimes. For additional showtimes, visit regmovies.com/theatres/regal-south-beach-0482?date=11-15-2024 .
FLIFF 2024 Kicks Off Nov. 8th with grand parties, celebrities & films from around the world
New President & CEO Steve Savor talks about parties at FLIFF this year, including kick-off at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
By Rachel Galvin
The Ft. Lauderdale Intl. Film Festival is just around the corner. Running November 8-17, the festival, in its 39th year, will show more than 100 feature films from around the world and have plenty of parties bringing in countless celebrities and filmmakers. The films will primarily be shown at their headquarters, Savor Cinema in Ft. Lauderdale, as well as their other location in Hollywood, FL, and Gateway Cinemas in Ft. Lauderdale.
But it also will have screenings elsewhere, including at the kickoff party, which will be held again at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Nov. 8. The red carpet will be at 5:30 with the film, “Queen of the Ring,” with the party presented by Variety sponsored by Truist Wealth. Special guests will include Ray Romano, Mena Suvari, Cathy Moriarty, Gavin Casalegno, Francesca Eastwood, Emily Bett Richards, Kevin Pollak, John Savage and the legendary Bob Mackie. The Jersey Girls will also return to give another showstopping performance.
This year, there are a few changes, the biggest of which is that president & CEO Gregory von Hausch will no longer be with FLIFF. He has found himself a new job in Hawaii. They showed a video of Von Hausch talking about starting out the festival back in the beginning. They also had him on a Zoom live to say a few words and announced that he will be the Emeritus President & Chief for a lifetime. People were in shock at the change and there were some tears, and a standing ovation. Another change is that they are moving all the short films to a separate event in February.
Steve Savor, who is now listed as president & CEO, talked about his specialty– the parties! Besides the kickoff at the Hard Rock, he will be having his usual soiree at his Villa de Palma on Nov. 9. This one is Barbie themed. He talked about the Centerpiece movie, “No Address,” and having a block party again this year at Savor Cinema on Nov. 13, and the wrap party with the film “Grander” shown at Super Yacht Village and a grander party at Pier Sixty-Six South complete with live music and superyacht after parties on Nov. 16.
Check out the video on the magazine’s TikTok and wait for more articles and promotions to come soon, including feature stories in Independent Streak Magazine complete with more photos. For additional information and tickets, visit www.fliff.com.
OUTSHINE LGBTQ+ Film Festival Opens Thursday, Oct. 17
OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival, internationally acclaimed as one of the largest LGBTQ+ cultural festivals in the world, will open its Fall Edition with a screening of Young Hearts (Belgium/Netherlands, 2023), a profound story exploring first love on Thursday, October 17 at 7 p.m. at Regal Dania Pointe, at 125 Sunset Drive in Dania Beach.
This year’s newly revised festival celebrating queer culture runs through November 3 and will offer 62 acclaimed features and shorts including premieres and documentaries from 25 countries that inspire, entertain and educate to cinema enthusiasts in both Broward and Miami-Dade counties during one run.
Fourteen-year-old Elias (Lou Goossens, in a breakthrough performance) lives a carefree life in his charming Belgian town until the arrival of Alex, a cool new neighbor. As Elias’s feelings for Alex deepen, he embarks on a journey of self-acceptance and emotional discovery, making for a touching and rewarding experience. Filmed beautifully in the Belgian countryside, Young Hearts is a refreshing exploration of first love. Writer/director Anthony Schatteman’s feature debut delivers a unique story that resonates on multiple levels: a balm for those whose initial queer experiences were traumatic, a mirror for today’s LGBTQ+ youth, and a hopeful message for parents of future generations.
In Dutch and French with English subtitles, the film runs 97 minutes.
An afterparty at the Dania Improv will take place immediately following the screening.
Tickets for the Opening Night Film + Afterparty are $75 (plus service fee). Ticket subscription packages and individual tickets are on sale now for the OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival Fall Edition. For a full schedule of films, parties and special events or for more information, visit outshinefilm.com.
This year’s OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival fall edition is sponsored, in part, by Twist Night Club, Lexi Goza State Farm, Funding Arts Broward, Broward County Cultural Division, The Our Fund Foundation, OutClique, HotSpots and It’s Happening Out, OUTSFL, Skirt Magazine, Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami Beach, Prevention 305 and Gilead.
Film Review: “Blink”
By Rachel Galvin
Trudging through snowy hills, traversing through the rainforest, walking through the sifting sand of the desert… the Montreal-based Pelletier family took the type of worldwide trip that many would dream about. But the reason for this sojourn was bittersweet. The idea for the trip came about when the parents discovered that three out of their four young children had a rare genetic disease called retinitis pigmentosa. This incurable malady would lead the children to become blind. Feeling hopeless since there was no cure available, parents Edith Lemay and Sébastien Pelletier decided the best course of action was to take the kids on a bucket list trip around the world to fill their minds with visual memories they could look back on when seeing was no longer possible, to capture the moments before the light fades.
Mia, who was then 11, wanted to go horseback riding in Mongolia. Six-year-old Colin wanted to sleep on a train, Leo, 9, wanted to see elephants. Laurent, 4, wanted to drink juice on a camel … The list of things to do was long and varied, and it took them all over the globe to achieve — to Indonesia, Namibia, Nepal, the Amazon Basin, and beyond. For 76 days, a film crew followed them along their journey, filming footage of beautiful landscapes and precious moments. The children embraced nature, from hiking in the mountains, to letting sand sift through their fingers, to playing with stray pets along the way. All the while, they were being homeschooled, chiming in with their times tables as they walked along the path.
The memories were preserved in a beautifully-made National Geographic documentary called “Blink,” directed by Edmund Stenson and Academy Award-winner Daniel Roher. This was Roher’s first film since his Academy Award and BAFTA-winning movie “Navalny,” for which Stenson was an associate editor. That film, produced by CNN Films and HBO Max, was about the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and events related to his poisoning, long before his suspicious death earlier this year.
“Blink” was an equally poignant and heartfelt film, telling the story of one family on the journey of their life in more ways than one.
For their global trip, the Pelletier family had a budget of $200 a day and stayed in homestays and hostels to really get to know the culture. It wasn’t an easy journey, there were plenty of challenges along the way, but they persevered and made friends from around the world, which was another item on the bucket list.
In quiet moments, when life was not so chaotic, the children had private epiphanies, realizations of what this disease means for their future. Those moments were hard for their mother, especially, to bear.
From the very beginning, the premise of this film makes it a tear-jerker. How could something so damaging happen to innocent children? The way the story is told, through voice-over and interviews, as well as footage all along the journey, makes this a beautiful film to watch. The reality of the moment, however, is what grips you. Overall, the film makes you want to watch it again, to have a part in the wanderlust and perhaps hold on to hope for a better inevitable future.
“Blink,” which is told in French with English subtitles, will be launched theatrically in the U.S. and Canada October 4. For more information on the film, visit https://films.nationalgeographic.com/blink.
Do you know that one about “Jokes & Cigarettes?”
By Rachel Galvin
A troubled comic sits in the green room in front of a lit-up mirror (David Verdaguer) holding his head in his hands. He is supposed to go on stage in mere minutes, yet his mind is a million miles away. Looking more like an undertaker than a comedian, the bearded man when on stage appears melancholic, telling jokes while sitting on a hard stool and drinking, all the while smoking a cigarette. The man talking slow and steady has his set down to a science, but this routine was not always so cut and dried. In fact, there was a time when he was not doing comedy at all.
The film, “Jokes & Cigarettes,” directed by David Trueba, tells the true story of how comedian Eugenio Jofra became the most famous Catalan comedian in Spain, working mostly in the late 60s and 70s. His journey to stardom is not too difficult and yet he and his family undergo some tragedy along the way.
After the opening scene, the movie goes back in time to 1967 when he is rehearsing to get married. Looking disenchanted already, it is obvious this relationship is not going to go far. Luckily for him, true love is just around the corner, almost literally. When he hops on a bus, he discovers a warm and witty young singer (Carolina Yuste), who he chooses to follow and befriend, and the relationship bloomed from there.
The story is all heart, developing as he leaves behind his occupation as a jeweler to become a part of her journey in the singing world before, by happenstance finding his own talents and developing them. As tragedy befalls his later wife, Conchita, his success grows. But this man in black still remains morose, becoming more so it seems once he finds himself alone.
But in real life, his legacy lives on. The real Eugenio passed away at 59 years old and the club he and his wife once owned serves as spot for tribute every year.
This movie, told in Spanish with English subtitles, is a beautiful and poignant love letter to his comic genius and their relationship. It has won 11 Goya Awards and will be screening at Coral Gables Art Cinema, 260 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables, FL, starting on September 13. There will be an opening night reception. For more information, visit gablescinema.com.