SXSW ANNOUNCES NEW WAVE OF KEYNOTES AND FEATURED SPEAKERS

José Andrés; Priyanka Chopra Jonas; Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, and Gillian Gilbert of New Order; Margo Price; and Tilda Swinton Announced as Keynotes

Featured Speakers Announced include Mary Barra, Brian Baumgartner, Kristen Bell, Greg Brockman, Tarana Burke, Karen Civil, Deepak Chopra, Dr. Sumbul Ahmad Desai, Daveed Diggs, Robert Downey Jr., Tim Ferriss, Representative Maxwell Frost, Paul Giamatti, Chelsea Handler, Ed Helms, Michael Kassan, Tony Kotsur, John Leguizamo, Chelsea Manning, Keith Morrison, Jen Psaki, William Shatner, Dax Shepard, Tye Sheridan, and more

Austin, Texas — February 14, 2023 — South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals has announced the next round of Keynotes and Featured Speakers for the 37th edition of its annual Conference, which celebrates the convergence of technology, film, television, and music. SXSW takes place March 10 - 19, 2023 in Austin, Texas. 

The Keynotes announced today include humanitarian, culinary innovator, educator, and founder of World Central Kitchen José Andrés, actor, producer, and New York Times bestselling author Priyanka Chopra Jonas, members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-nominated rock band New Order Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, and Gillian Gilbert, Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter and producer Margo Price, and Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton.

“Today's speaker announcement is a fantastic milestone for the 2023 event and spotlights five additional Keynotes and numerous Featured Speakers, including influential icons and up and coming innovators,” said Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer and Co-President. “We are extremely proud to have assembled a diverse, comprehensive conference program for SXSW, and we can’t wait to share it with our community in March.”

SXSW’s first announced Keynote Speaker was Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert in conversation with Emmy Award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Katie Couric. Additionally, SXSW has announced a Keynote Session featuring the following members of the James Webb Space Telescope team, NASA Goddard Communications Team Lead for the James Webb Space Telescope Laura Betz, Astrophysicist and James Webb Space Telescope Deputy Project Scientist for Exoplanet Science Dr. Knicole Colón, Astrophysicist, Instrument Scientist for the European Space Agency, and Deputy Project Scientist in the Webb Mission Office at the Space Telescope Science Institute Macarena Garcia Marin, Planetary Scientist and James Webb Space Telescope Deputy Project Scientist for Planetary Science Dr. Stefanie Milam, and Astrophysicist and Deputy Project Scientist for James Webb Space Telescope Science Communications Dr. Amber Straughn.

The SXSW Conference is organized into 25 programming tracks presented across a variety of session formats. The tracks for 2023 include 2050, Advertising & Brand Experience, Cannabis, Civic Engagement, Climate Change, Creating Film & Episodics, Culture, Design, Energy, Film & TV Industry, Food, Game Industry, Health & MedTech, Markets & Economies, Media Industry, Music & Tech, Music Careers, Psychedelics, Sports, Startups, Tech Industry, Transportation, Travel & Leisure, Workplace Revolution and XR & Metaverse. More information about SXSW programming tracks and formats can be found here.

Newly-announced Keynote Speakers include:

• Actor, producer, and New York Times bestselling author Priyanka Chopra Jonas with Head of Amazon and MGM Studios Jennifer Salke

• Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter, producer, and author Margo Pricewith Associate Managing Editor at Rolling Stone Angie Martoccio

• Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton with Director of Sundance Film Festival Eugene Hernandez

Newly-announced Keynote Sessions include:

• José Andrés: The Stories We Tell Can Change the World: Chef and HumanitarianJosé Andrés founded World Central Kitchen (WCK) with the simple belief that a plate of food is more than a meal—it’s hope and comfort in times of crisis. Since 2010, WCK has provided more than 250 million nourishing meals in response to disasters around the world, most recently the wildfires in Chile, earthquakes in Türkiye, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In the face of unthinkable tragedy, the WCK team sees the best of humanity in the people who show up for their community. This keynote will dive into the responsibility that comes with hearing these stories and the power of storytelling to move people to act.

• Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, and Gillian Gilbert of New Order in conversation with The Times rock & pop critic Will Hodgkinson — From the ashes of legendary band Joy Division, New Order triumphed over tragedy to emerge as one of the most influential and acclaimed bands of all time. Their debut Movement(1981) was overshadowed by the sound of Joy Division; going forward the band combined post-punk with influences from New York’s club scene, the result was Power, Corruption & Lies (1983). 1983 also saw the release of Blue Monday which became the bestselling 12-inch single of all time, selling over 3 million copies worldwide. New Order then released the albums Low-Life (1985), Brotherhood(1986), Substance (1987) and Technique (1989). Between several brief hiatuses and line-up alterations, Republic (1993), Get Ready (2001) and Waiting for the Sirens’ Call (2005) came out, before Peter Hook’s departure in 2007. The band released their critically acclaimed tenth studio album Music Complete in 2015 featuring guest vocals from Iggy Pop, Brandon Flowers and Elly Jackson of La Roux. Never resting on their legacy, New Order continue to perform live around the world, playing some of the biggest shows of their career to date, headlining Manchester’s Heaton Park and London’s O2 in 2021 and a US arena tour with Pet Shop Boys in Autumn 2022.

Newly-announced Featured Speakers include:

• Chair and CEO of General Motors Mary Barra with CEO, CTO, President, and co-founder of Cruise and co-founder of Twitch Kyle Vogt

• Actress, philanthropist, entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author, and co-founder of Hello Bello Kristen Bell, CEO of Hello Bello Erica Buxton, and actor, comedian, filmmaker, host of the podcast Armchair Expert, and co-founder of Hello Bello Dax Shepard

• Chief Diversity Officer of TBWA\North America Aliah Berman with activist, advocate, author, and founder of the #MeToo Movement Tarana Burke

• Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation JoeBen Bevirt with Chief Sustainability Officer at Delta Air Lines Pam Fletcher

• Chief Digital and Commercial Officer at Unilever Conny Braams, President, Worldwide Advertising at Netflix Jeremi Gorman, founder and CEO of MediaLinkMichael Kassan, and Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Delta Air Lines Tim Mapes

• Co-founder and President of OpenAI Greg Brockman with founder and CEO of Dot Dot Dot Media Laurie Segall

• United States Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm

• General Partner at Benchmark Bill Gurley with investor, New York Times bestselling author and host of the podcast The Tim Ferriss Show Tim Ferriss

• Comedian, television host, six-time New York Times bestselling author, and Dear Chelsea podcast host Chelsea Handler with MSNBC host and former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki

• Co-founder and CEO of Colossal Ben Lamm

• Activist, technologist, network security expert, author, and DJ Chelsea Manning

• DJ J.ROCC with DJ and founder of Stones Throw Records Peanut Butter Wolf

• Golden Globe Award-winning actor, writer, producer, director, recording artist, andNew York Times bestselling author William Shatner

• Global Director of Race Promotion for Formula 1 Chloe Targett-Adams

Newly-announced Featured Sessions include:

• The Art of Creating Influence 101: In this crash course, join female trailblazers such as Executive Vice President and General Manager at Young Money Records Karen Civil, rhythm and blues singer Savannah Ré, DJ, producer, and creative curator DJ Rosegold, on-camera host, music journalist, publicist, and founder of Remixd Magazine Tallie Spencer, and founder of Socially Loud Randa Quraan as they offer real and fresh viewpoints on how to navigate a career in entertainment, media, and marketing while building your own brand. Whether you're looking to work in these fields, or you're an artist wondering how to market yourself, this panel will discuss tips for getting yourself noticed and marketing your skills in order to grow your brand, and most importantly your influence.

• The Blog Era: Hip-Hop's Wild Wild West: The Blog Era was the intersection where hip-hop really met the internet. Thanks to a handful of nobodies behind keyboards, the careers of Drake, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj, Kid Cudi and hundreds of cultural centerpieces were launched, entire industries were brought to their knees, and the course of pop culture was changed forever. In this session, ItsTheReal, together known as creators Eric Rosenthal and Jeff Rosenthal, will sit down in a live setting for the first time with artists and insiders of the time and run back the highs, the lows, and the lawsuits ahead of the April premiere of their new podcast series: The Blog Era.

• Daddy Issues in Film: Frank Rossi. Jonathan Kent. Jack Byrnes. Darth Vader. All of these characters add layers of complexity and emotion to their respective films as the stories unfold—and the connective tissue between them is their shared role as father. In this session, join Academy Award-winning actor Troy Kotsur and filmmaker, founder of the Emergent Order Foundation (EOF), and host of the Dad Saves America podcast John Papola as they explore fatherhood in film, the evolution of fathers as integral characters, and how family, in all of its varied forms, remains an important part of how we tell stories on the screen. Emergent Order Foundation will also screen an exclusive clip from their upcoming short documentary about Troy Kotsur’s relationship with his dad.

• Dateline 24/7: How the True Crime Powerhouse Became a Podcast Empire: In this session, join Executive Producer of Dateline NBC Elizabeth Cole, Senior Executive Producer of Dateline NBCs David Corvo, Correspondent for Dateline NBC Josh Mankiewicz, Correspondent for Dateline NBC Keith Morrison, and actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer June Diane Raphael for a conversation about how NBC’s longest running primetime program evolved into a true crime powerhouse with a mega podcast hub. With numerous #1 podcasts, including The Thing About Pam, Motive for Murder, Dateline: Missing in America & Mommy Doomsday, along with a Dateline 24/7 streaming channel on Peacock, the team will discuss how the true crime juggernaut is reaching a new generation of fans with its signature storytelling.

• Driving Personal Health Forward: The Role of Apple Watch and iPhone: Since the release of the Health app in 2014 and Apple Watch in 2015, Apple has introduced a wide array of powerful and innovative features, across areas like heart health, mobility, sleep, mindfulness and menstrual health. In this session, Vice President of Health at Apple Dr. Sumbul Desai and Women’s Health Editor-in-Chief Liz Plosserwill discuss Apple’s approach to creating tools that empower people to lead healthier lives and examine how science-based technology can act as an intelligent guardian for health, moving people from being passengers on their own health journey into the driver’s seat.

• Evil Dead Rise: Flesh-Possessing Demons Come Home: Join writer/director Lee Cronin, series creator and horror icon Sam Raimi, cult legend and “Ash” himself Bruce Campbell, and stars Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland for a look at the new film that moves the action out of the woods and into the city.... The panel will discuss how the film not only pays homage to the beloved franchise, it also expands the Evil Dead universe, turning a crumbling apartment building into an urban “cabin in the woods” and putting the action squarely in the hands of two chainsaw-wielding women. Deadites will never be the same again… Evil Dead Rise tells the tale of two estranged sisters, whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.

• An Inside Look at “Blindspotting” Season 2 with Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs: In this session, writer, director, actor, poet, musician, and Co-Creator, Executive Producer and Showrunner of Blindspotting Rafael Casal joins Tony and Grammy Award-winning actor, rapper, co-Creator and Executive Producer of BlindspottingDaveed Diggs for a preview of the second season of the critically acclaimed-comedy series Blindspotting, coming to STARZ in April, and to celebrate its world premiere at SXSW.

• Onyx Collective Presents “UnPrisoned”: Inspired by Tracy McMillan’s Life, UnPrisoned is a half-hour comedy about a messy, but perfectionist relationship therapist and single mom whose life is turned right-side-up when her dad gets out of prison and moves in with her and her teenage son. In this session, join writer and Creator of UnPrisoned Tracy McMillan, actor Marque Richardson, actor Faly Rakotohavana, actress Jordyn McIntosh, and Primetime Emmy Award-winning actress and Executive Producer of UnPrisoned Kerry Washington for an intimate discussion on the new Hulu series produced by ABC Signature.

• The Kids Are (Not) Alright: Gun Violence Terrorizing Youth of America: Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for American kids. In 2021, there were 1,572 youths killed in gun violence with an 80% increase in Black youth and 46% in Hispanic youth. February 14th marks the 5th anniversary of the Parkland school shooting that took 17 lives and inspired a global youth movement. Last May, the Uvalde school shooting surpassed Parkland as the deadliest to date with 21 lives lost. In the same month, a manifesto by the shooter of 10 Black victims at a supermarket in Buffalo self identified as a known supporter of white supremacy, voicing support for the far-right "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory in the context of a "white genocide". For the first time, mass shootings have been described as acts of domestic terrorism. In this session, join co-Founder of Lives Robbed Jazmin Cazares, human rights activist and founder and CEO of Life CampErica Ford, first Gen-Z Member of Congress Representative Maxwell Frost, Parkland survivor/activist Samantha Fuentes, and Peabody Award-winning director and producer Kim A. Snyder as they address youth trauma, activism, and what justice looks like in a time of rising hate crimes involving firearms.

• Leguizamo Does America: Next Stop – Austin: In this session, join Director Ben DeJesus, Emmy Award-winning Senior National Correspondent at NBC News Tom Llamas, Emmy Award-winning actor, comedian, and film producer John Leguizamo, and Executive Producer and Showrunner Carolina Saavedra as they preview the upcoming MSNBC Films and NBC News Studios series Leguizamo Does America. Llamas will moderate an in-depth discussion with Leguizamo, DeJesus and Saavedra on Leguizamo’s storied career and the groundbreaking new series that focuses on the unmistakable influence and contributions of U.S. Latinos.

• More Than a Joke: The Road from Sitcom Success to iHeartPodcasts Powerhouse: Daytime Emmy Award-winning actor and New York Times bestselling author Brian Baumgartner and SAG & WGA Award-winning actor, writer, producer, and comedian Ed Helms are known as TV and film funny men, but they’ve branched out into podcasting with iHeartPodcasts – in surprising ways. Ed’s show SNAFU tackles the stories of history’s epic screw ups, and Brian’s show Off the Beat gets guests to talk about their favorite jobs. In this session, join the moderator, co-Host of the podcast Stuff You Missed in History Class Holly Frey, as she finds out what led these comedians to seek out meaningful stories in the audio medium, and how they manage to still keep it humorous.

• Online Crime: An American Crisis: Cybercriminals, con artists, digital spies. We call them many things, but they all have the same motive - to steal your data, information and ultimately, your money. Last year, Americans lost nearly $7 billion dollars to online crime. There’s no denying that tech has enabled incredible progress, but our increased connectivity comes with great risk. It’s time to take the best of technology and put it to work for protection vs. exploitation and battle back against the relentless onslaught from hackers. In this session, join Academy Award-nominated actor and producer Robert Downey Jr., New York Times bestselling author Maria Konnikova, former FBI counterintelligence operative, cybersecurity consultant, attorney and authorsecurity consultant, author, attorney, and public speaker Eric O’Neill, and founder and CEO of Aura Hari Ravichandran for a riveting discussion about the true scope of the crisis Americans are facing, a look inside the minds of cybercriminals and how they are able to manipulate our families and wallets, and thoughtful solutions on what can really be done to fight back.

• Open Minds: Innovations in Consciousness, Psychedelics & Mental Health: Psychedelic-based therapies continue to influence the evolving landscape of mental health. As humanity begins to understand the complexity of consciousness and its impact on mental health, these worlds will become increasingly intertwined. In this session, join founder of The Chopra Foundation and Chopra Global, Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, and New York Times bestselling author Deepak Chopra and guests from the upcoming mini-series Open Minds CEO of Cybin Inc. Doug Drysdale, M.D., Psychotherapist at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies Cristie Strongman MA, Ed.M., and actress, activist, and co-founder of the Never Alone Initiative Gabriella Wright as they explore the connection between consciousness, mental health, and psychedelic therapeutics and the need for humanity to focus on the internal work required to heal.

• Paul Giamatti’s CHINWAG with Stephen Asma: In this session, Academy Award-nominated actor, comedian and film producer Paul Giamatti and Professor of Philosophy at Columbia College Chicago Stephen Asma will record a special episode of their forthcoming weekly podcast CHINWAG. In front of a live studio audience, Paul and Stephen will dive into one of their favorite topics of conversation — MONSTERS. They will explore the fears and fascinations we share about some of Western culture's worst nightmares in an unexpected, and maybe even hilarious chat.

• Social Media Town Hall: In the early to mid 2000s, many of the pioneers of social media gathered at SXSW to brainstorm about the potentials and possibilities of these new platforms for communication. 15 years later, so much of the optimism of those early discussions has fallen by the wayside. So where do we go from here? Is it possible to build a new kind of social media that emphasizes our shared humanity as opposed to our divisions? In this interactive session featuring co-founder and Executive Director of the Sustainable Media Center Steve Rosenbaum and Tech Culture Reporter for The Washington Post Nitasha Tiku, attendees are invited to come to the microphone and offer their one minute solution on what a more functional system of scalable networked communication looks like.

• True Grit: 3 Stories of Overcoming Life's Challenges To Make It In The Music Business: In this session, join Executive Vice President, General Counsel at Fender Aarash Darroodi, singer-songwriter, producer, activist, writer, orator, model, visual artist, and actress Kam Franklin, Music Writer at the Austin American-Statesman Deborah Sengupta Stith, and co-founder and frontman for the band Delta Spirit Matthew Logan Vasquez as they take a deep dive into the unique life stories of three individuals with very divergent paths, but who share a common theme of overcoming challenges and obstacles in life to ultimately achieve success in the music business.

• Understanding the Role of AI in Reshaping the Film & Television Industry: In this thought-provoking session, join Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of California at BerkeleyAngjoo Kanazawa, actor, producer, and co-founder and President of Wonder Dynamics Tye Sheridan, filmmaker, VFX supervisor, entrepreneur, and co-founder and CEO of Wonder Dynamics Nikola Todorovic, and Delta Electronics Professor and Head of the AI+D faculty at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Antonio Torralba as they examine the latest AI-powered innovations in the film and television industry and explore how it will change the way we create and consume media.

• Why is America Afraid of Its (Black) History?: William Faulker wrote, “The past is never dead. It's not even past.” But if the past is still with us, why has learning the true history of the United States become a battleground in our national culture wars? And are we doomed to repeat it? In this session, writer, producer, and founder and CEO of The Who We Are Project Jeffery Robinson, Community Organizer for the Texas Freedom Network Corisha Rogers, and founder, Owner, and Principal Guide of Black Austin Tours Javier Wallace, Ph.D. will use Robinson’s documentary short How to Rig an Election: The Racist History of the 1876 Presidential Contest (SXSW 2023) as a springboard for a conversation highlighting the efforts of Black truth tellers to shine a light on our country's past and change the direction of our collective future.

About SXSW
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film and television, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music, and comedy showcases, film & TV screenings, exhibitions, professional development, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2023 will take place March 10 - 19, 2023 in Austin. For more information, please visit sxsw.com. To register for the event, please visit sxsw.com/attend.

SXSW 2023 is sponsored by White Claw, Porsche, Itaù bank, C4 Energy, Slack, and The Austin Chronicle

Queer Artist Kyle Motsinger releases "Bad Years"

In “Bad Years”, singer/songwriter Kyle Motsinger reflects on the long, arduous, road he has travelled in the pursuit of his rock star dreams.  “It’s been challenging with daily obstacles like waking up to find my bank account overdrawn and having to call mom and dad for grocery money,” he admits. “Or promoting a show at the venue I always dreamed of playing to only have one friend show up. It can be pretty humiliating and soul-crushing. You start to wonder if anyone cares or if you are even talented.” Produced by Motsinger and engineered, mixed, and mastered by MP Kuo, the alternative rock anthem is a theatrical song that features talents from the New York theatre stage including Broadway pit musicians Janey Choi, Conrad Harris, Mark Kosmala, and Joel Lambdin. Broadway’s Trisha Jeffrey (Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, All Shook Up, and Motown the Musical) and NYC actor Jason Pintar provide the background vocals. NY Drama Desk nominee Mark Hartman plays piano.  

“The message of ‘Bad Years’ is a hopeful and encouraging one,” Motsinger continues from his Manhattan home. “It is about how things can and will get better if you hold on. One day, you will look back from a better place.”  

Kyle Motsinger was born and raised in a small, conservative town of five hundred people near Peoria, Illinois. “I grew up singing Broadway tunes in the middle of cornfields,” he remembers.

He participated in school productions and community theatre as a youth and in college, he earned a BFA in musical theatre at Western Illinois University. He then moved to NYC where he performed in several Off-Broadway productions including Fancy Nancy The Musical, a show based off the popular children’s books. Motsinger originated the rapping shark role and can be heard on the show’s cast album. “I am the OG baby shark,” he laughs.

While performing, he continued writing his own music and it eventually took the focus of his creativity. Kyle Motsinger has released two full-length albums, Far Away and Any Way I Want It To. He’s also released six singles including “Dark Shadows”, based on the gothic sixties’ series and film by Tim Burton. The music video for the song starred Kathryn Leigh Scott from the series and it premiered to much fan acclaim at the Dark Shadows convention in Los Angeles.

As Kyle Motsinger approached his mid-thirties’, he began to feel that he wasn’t where he wanted to be in life. He channeled that frustration into a batch of new songs that appear on his upcoming album. Like “Bad Years”, much of the material muses on life’s struggles and finding joy in conflict.

“The life I have chosen hasn’t been an easy one but I wouldn’t change it,” Kyle Motsinger explains. He says he has matured through trial, both as a person and an artist, and believes that it shows in his music. “I think ‘Bad Years’ is the best piece I’ve written so far. I’m proud of it and I really believe in it.”

He credits the engineering wizardry of MP Kuo, best known for her work on Trixie Mattel’s first two EPs, with the quality of the recording. Also, the incredible artistry of Zachary Eldridge on drums, Chris Bonner on bass, and Adam Stoler on guitars.

“The song is inspirational and the first of several stories I will be sharing that will hopefully encourage people to battle through and persevere. I, for one, am ever the dreamer!”

Kyle Motsinger’s “Bad Years” will be available on Apple Music, Spotify and all digital platforms on Friday, February 3.   Its lyric video is on Youtube. 

Visit www.kylemotsinger.com.  Follow on Instagram @  kylemotsinger

I’m Lycan It: New Telefilm Teen Wolf: The Movie Has A Nice Bite To It ...

Review by Arnold Wayne Jones

Courtesy of Paramount+

Temps outside may be chilly, but over at the Paramount+ streaming service things are hot – downright steamy. That’s ever since the premiere of Teen Wolf: The Movie. Now. if you’re over 30, you’re probably thinking, “Teen Wolf was already a movie... back in the ’80s!” (You’re subscription to AARP Magazine is being rushed to you as you read this.) No, no, we’re talking about the movie following the Millennial angsty TV soaper Teen Wolf, which debuted on MTV (yeah, they don’t show music videos there either, old timer!) more than a decade back and ran for six seasons. The series was nothing like the excruciating low-budget Michael J. Fox comedy, which probably only got a release because Back to the Future was a smash a few months earlier.

Courtesy of Paramount+

What led series creator Jeff Davis to revisit that stale chestnut and rebrand it as a quasi Twilight rip-off is unfathomable, but hey, good for him... especially because the series bore so little similarity to its source material. Set in sleepy-yet-steamy Beacon Hills, the plot revolved around young Scott McCall (Tyler Posey), a dewey-eyed high school emo-hunk who, after being bitten by a werewolf, has to cope with puberty and lycanthropy. But he soon uncovered a host of supernatural shenanigans, including that his clique was populated by banshees, kitsune, hellhounds, werecoyotes (who knew?) and other mystical terrors. It was all brooding teen glances and PG flirtations.

Truth be told, I barely ever caught an episode when it was on. It fell in that netherworld of sincere adolescent dramas like Riverdale, Charmed, Smallville, Pleasant Landing, Supernatural, Supergirl, Gossip Girl and yada yada. They all ran together. (Don’t believe me? I made up one of those titles.)

I’ll say, though, I feel like I might have missed out on that one, because the reboot of the series as a two-hour-plus movie had me hooked, even without a deep understanding of the plot or characters. Most of the original cast returns to pick up where the series left off, with Scott’s dead ex-girlfriend seemingly resurrected by a terrifying creature with a devious plot, although nobody is quite sure what his plan is.

Courtesy of Paramount+

One of the few newcomers – and the only one who even comes close to qualifying as a teen as the title promises – is Eli Hale (Vince Mattis), son of ageing alpha Derek Hale (Tyler Hoechlin). Eli is born to be a werewolf, but in the lupine equivalent of not having his balls drop, has yet to undergo his hoped for transformation, making him crabby and unpleasant to be around – i.e., a typical teenager. (The metaphors do not run deep.) He’s roped by dad and Scott into helping out though, and you’ll never guess whose eyes burn yellow before the closing credits. Hey, predictability can be a comfort, especially in TV.

Teen Molf: The Movie feels like it could be the launching point for a new Teen Wolf series with a new, younger cast (though there’s already a related spin-off, Wolf Pack, airing on Paramount+), but it exists as more than an overstuffed pilot. The special effects are impressive. The scares, when they come, scary! The plotting twisty and surprising.

Courtesy of Paramount+

And then there’s the hotness quotient that I led off with. Tyler Posey has matured from dreamboat to tramp steamer – harder, beefier, sexier. His cohorts – male and female, older and younger, of assorted races and sexualities – mostly all smolder seductively. I can see why youngsters loved the show when it was originally on, but the movie/streaming service upgrade allows more foul language and outright sex (butts and pecs!).

Will this spawn another series? Who knows. But it certainly kept this older guy entertained on a cold winter’s night. Who doesn’t wanna snuggle up with a furry alpha to stay warm?

Now streaming on Paramount+

Wesley Smoot & Shelley Hennig at Teen Wolf: The Movie After Party

Wesley Smoot at Teen Wolf: The Movie Premiere Hollywood, California

ANOUSHKA SHANKAR & AROOJ AFTAB PERFORMTHE LEAD SINGLE "UDHERO NA" FROM AROOJ'S LATEST ALBUM, VULTURE PRINCE(DELUXE EDITION)

Nine-Time GRAMMY® Award Nominee Anoushka Shankar Is Up For Two New 2023 Nominations:

"Best Global Music Album" 

Between Us... (Live) with Metropole Orkest & Jules Buckley Featuring Manu Delago

"Best Global Music Performance"

"Udhero Na" with Arooj Aftab

London, England -- Friday, January 27, 2023 --Acclaimed sitar virtuoso, producer, film composer, and activist Anoushka Shankar will perform at the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony® as it returns to the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, Calif. Nine-time GRAMMY® Award Nominee Anoushka Shankar performs with Arooj Aftab on the lead single "Udhero Na" from Arooj's new album, Vulture Prince(Deluxe Edition). "Udhero Na" is up for "Best Global Music Performance" and Shankar's latest album, Between Us... (Live) with Metropole Orkest & Jules Buckley Featuring Manu Delago, is also nominated for "Best Global Music Album." The 65th GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will stream live on Sun, Feb. 5, 2023, at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT on the Recording Academy's YouTube channel and on live.GRAMMY.com.

Anoushka Shankar was the first Indian artist to perform at the GRAMMYs® (2005) and the first Indian female musician ever nominated in addition to becoming the youngest-ever nominee in her category in 2002. In 2013, Shankar and her sister Norah Jones accepted the Recording Academy's "Lifetime Achievement Award"for their late father the legendary sitarist Ravi Shankar at the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards. In 2021 (63rd GRAMMY Awards) and now 2023, Shankar performs at the Premiere Ceremony for the 65th GRAMMY Awards.

Shankar shares, "I'm genuinely over the moon to be performing at the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony® for the third time. This time, I'm excited to share the stage with the wonderful Arooj Aftab, playing her beautiful song, 'Udhero Na.' I'm grateful my music -- both on this song and on my album Between Us... -- has been recognized with a nomination again and am proud to share my instrument, the sitar, with people on this world stage."

New Single by Anoushka Shankar -- "In Her Name"

In addition to her two nominations for the 65th Annual GRAMMY® Awards, Shankar has released a new single, "In Her Name" (LEITER/December 16, 2022), featuring words by the renowned British-Indian poet Nikita Gill and recited in spoken word by Shankar. As reported by GRAMMY.com on January 5, 2023 in their story, "Anoushka Shankar Wrote A Composition Standing Up For Women & Girls. 10 Years Later, She Questions How Far We've Come," Shankar brings urgent attention to the ongoing global crisis of violence and sexual violence against women with the release of "In Her Name" commemorating 10 years since the terrible incident which initially inspired it, the 2012 gang rape in Delhi of Jyoti Singh, who died from her injuries 13 days later. "In Her Name" is a newly recorded -- and substantially developed -- version of a track originally released in 2013 as "In Jyoti's Name," included on Shankar's Traces Of You album. To learn more and view the music video for "In Her Name," please visit: https://leiter.lnk.to/InHerName.

Between Us... (Live) with Metropole Orkest & Jules Buckley Featuring Manu Delago

Released on June 24, 2022, Between Us... features Shankar's regular collaborator -- and master of the Hang a.k.a. hand pan -- Manu Delago alongside Holland's Metropole Orkest, with the seven pieces arranged and directed by Jules Buckley, the renowned orchestra's honorary conductor since 2008. The album was recorded in Amsterdam and Den Bosch during a short run of Dutch shows. Between Us... is Anoushka Shankar's first live album since 2001's Live At Carnegie Hall and draws upon material from four solo albums -- 2005's Rise, 2013's Traces of You, 2015's Traveller and 2016's Land of Gold -- and one previously unreleased track, "Jannah."

Jules Buckley clearly remembers the atmosphere at the nights they recorded Between Us.... "Everybody invested so much love and energy into the programme," he says, "that, come fight night, it really felt like an electric union between Anoushka, Manu and Metropole. I also remember a feeling of great joy from the audience." Shankar agrees, "Going on stage with an orchestra where the audience is standing and feeding back a lot of energy, I just loved that electricity. I'm used to it in other kinds of shows, but getting that in an orchestral show felt really fresh and fun. Having several shows with the same orchestra, getting to know Jules a bit more and getting really close to Manu: it felt like this is how it should be in a perfect world..." 

Arooj Aftab's Vulture Prince (Deluxe Edition) Featuring Anoushka Shankar on Lead Single "Udhero Na"

Following a historic win at the 64th Grammy® Awards, Arooj Aftab released Vulture Prince (Deluxe Edition)featuring Anoushka Shankar on her lead single "Udhero Na" on June 24, 2022 via Verve. Aftab made history as the first Pakistani artist to be nominated (including "Best New Artist" and "Best Global Music Performance") and win the latter category. "Udhero Na" (translation: "please undo") updates one of Aftab's works with the electrifying sound of Shankar's sitar and Maeve Gilchrist's harp, adding a new layer of longing.

Aftab notes of the track, "'Udhero Na' has been one of my dearest songs, written in 2005 and never released, played live on and off over the years. I've always held it close to my heart and am so happy it's finally been released. It describes a very unique and fleeting emotional moment, a super underrated feeling. When the thought of someone from a very old and 'passed' relationship just pops into your head as you go about your present day to day."

About Anoushka Shankar

Sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar is a singular figure in the Indian classical and progressive world music scenes. Her dynamic and spiritual musicality has garnered several prestigious accolades, including nine GRAMMY® Award nominations, recognition as the youngest -- and first female -- recipient of a British House of Commons Shield, credit as an Asian Hero by TIME magazine, and a Songlines"Best Artist Award." Most recently, she became one of the first five female composers to have been added to the UK A-level music syllabus. 

Deeply rooted in the Indian Classical music tradition, Anoushka studied exclusively from the age of nine under her father and guru, the late Ravi Shankar, and made her professional debut as a classical sitarist at the age of 13. Since launching her lauded career, Anoushka has led cross-cultural collaborations with artists such as Sting, M.I.A., Herbie Hancock, Pepe Habichuela, Karsh Kale, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Joshua Bell demonstrating the versatility of the sitar across musical genres. As an international solo sitarist, Anoushka has performed to sold-out crowds on many of the world's most revered stages such as Carnegie Hall (NYC), Barbican Centre (London), Sydney Opera House, Philharmonie (Paris), and San Francisco Opera House.

For more information regarding Anoushka Shankar, please visit: anoushkashankar.com

M. Night Brings Terror Back To The Big Screen With Knock At The Cabin

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

From visionary filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, Knock at the Cabin stars Dave Bautista (Dune, Guardians of the Galaxy franchise), Tony award and Emmy nominee Jonathan Groff (Hamilton, Mindhunter), Ben Aldridge (Pennyworth, Fleabag), BAFTA nominee Nikki Amuka-Bird (Persuasion, Old), newcomer Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn (Little Women, Landline) and Rupert Grint (Servant, Harry Potter franchise). 

While vacationing at a remote cabin, a young girl and her two dads are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand that the family make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. With limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost.

Universal Pictures presents a Blinding Edge Pictures production, in association with FilmNation Features and Wishmore Entertainment, an M. Night Shyamalan film. The screenplay is by M. Night Shyamalan and Steve Desmond & Michael Sherman based on the national bestseller The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay. The film is directed by M. Night Shyamalan and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Marc Bienstock (Split, Glass) and Ashwin Rajan (Servant, Glass). The executive producers are Steven Schneider, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos and Ashley Fox. 

Knock at the Cabin – In Theaters February 3

Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | #KnockAtTheCabin

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Queerty Announces Nominees for The 11th Annual Queerties Award Show

Los Angeles, CA – January 25, 2023:  Queerty, the LGBTQ+ entertainment news site, is announcing its nominees for The 11th anniversary Queerties awards, taking place February 28th in Los Angeles.  The Queerties is a celebration of entertainment and pop culture moments that defined the past year in the LGBTQ+ community. It is designed to uplift and spotlight LGBTQ+ creators, tastemakers, and storytellers who are not often recognized at other award shows. 

“The Queerties gives voice to the LGBTQ+ community,” Scott Gatz of Q.Digital, the parent company of Queerty, explains.    “It is the only pop culture awards show where queer people vote for the talent and creatives they feel will have the most lasting impact on the next generation of queer youth.”  

Bianca Del Rio will host this year’s ceremony.     “Grab your sequins, grab your feathers, grab your leather harnesses, and let's be merry, Marys," she says.

Nominees for The Queerties were selected by the editorial team at Queerty.  Winners will be voted on by Queerty readers from now through February 21.  Categories range from the “Badass” award, honoring the top LGBTQ+ newsmakers, to “Drag Royalty,” and “Closet Door Bustdown”, an award recognizing brave notables who shook up mainstream America with their coming out stories. 

Nominees in the “Bad Ass” category include Joel Kim Booster (Fire Island, Loot), Jim Parsons (Spoiler Alert), and Ryan O’Connell (Queer as Folk), among others.  Willow Pill will compete against Alaska, Raja, Eureka! and more for the “Drag Royalty” crown.  Kit Connor (Heartstopper), Rebel Wilson, Noah Schnapp (Stranger Things) and Aunjanue Ellis (upcoming The Color Purple) are among the stars competing in the “Closet Door Bustdown” category.

Billy Eichner (Bros), Janelle Monáe (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) and Troye Sivan (Three Months) are among those competing in “Best Performance Film”.  Indie artists being recognized include influencers Chris Olsen and Megan Mitchell, vying for “Favorite TikTok-er”; Omar Rudberg and Chappell Roan, both named in the “Breakout Musical Artist” category; and Cole Escola and Jeffery Self, whose popular comedy show, Breakfast Buffet, is competing for “Top LGBTQ+ Podcast”.

This year’s event honors Dylan Mulvaney, an actress who documented her gender transition to her ten million followers on TikTok, and musician Rufus Wainwright.  Gay music artist VINCINT will perform at the ceremony.

And what is a queer award show without at least a little shade?  The 11th anniversary ceremony will also award its renowned “Girl, Bye” prize, the category that execrates the individual most scorned by the LGBTQ+ community.  Nominees for 2023 include Candace Cameron Bure, Kanye West, Elon Musk and Ginni Thomas, among others.

For more information on The 11th Annual Queerties Award Show and to vote for your favorite nominees, visit www.queerty.com/Queerties. 

Here are the nominees:

BADASS 

Rosie O'Donnell

Joel Kim Booster

Jim Parsons

Yasmin Finney

Ryan O'Connell 

Keke Palmer

Jinkx Monsoon

Jerrod Carmichael

Ts Madison

David Archuleta

DRAG ROYALTY 

Victoria E. Black

Alaska 5000

Militia Scunt

Honey Mahogany

Raja

Victoria Scone

Hot Chocolate/Larry Edwards

Tenderoni

Eureka O’Hara

Willow Pill

FUTURE ALL-STAR  

Kerri Colby

Jasmine Kennedie

Miss Fiercalicious

Angeria Paris VanMicheals

Tempest DuJour

Kornbread

Thirsty Von Trapp a.k.a Mark Indelicato

Plastique Tiara

Vanessa Vanjie Mateo

Jorgeous

PODCAST

Sibling Rivalry

Hall and Closet

Still Processing

Breakfast Buffet

Hi Jinkx!

Vibe Check

MLVC: The Madonna Podcast

Las Culturistas

FANTI

Lez Hang Out

CLOSET DOOR BUSTDOWN 

Aunjanue Ellis

Ellia Green

Queens of Drag Race Season 14 (Kerri Colby, Bosco, Jasmine Kennedy, Kornbread, & Willow Pill)

Noah Schnapp

TJ House

Kit Connor

Maybelle Blair

Rebel Wilson

Sanjaya Malakar

Tevin Campbell

FAVORITE INSTA-FOLLOW 

Jonathan Bennett

Jazz Jennings

TonyTalks

Renee Rapp

George Takei

Laith Ashley

Dominique R Jackson

GFlip

Matt Bernstein 

Benito Skinner

FAVORITE TIK-TOKER 

Juwan Gutierrez 

Chris Olsen

Kelon 

Garret Clayton

Henry Jiménez Kerbox

Emira D’Spain 

Austin Cho

Boman Martinez-Reid

Megan Mitchell

Ebony and Denise (@Team2Moms)

BREAKOUT MUSICAL ARTIST 

Madison Rose

Gia Woods

Omar Rudberg

Lagoona Bloo

Ocean Kelly

Sam Williams

Omar Apollo

Zee Machine

Chappell Roan

Doechii

COMIC 

Fortune Feimster

Matt Rogers

Sherry Cola

Matteo Lane

Dewayne Perkins

Jerrod Carmichael 

Mae Martin

Meg Stalter 

Rob Anderson

Nicole Byer

LIVE THEATER 

& Juliet

Titanique

A Strange Loop

Melissa Etheridge: A Journey Through Life

Take Me Out

Drag: The Musical

The Collaboration

Fat Ham

Merrily We Roll Along

Best of Enemies

MUSIC VIDEO 

"C'mon Loretta" by Trixie Mattel

"Let Go & Your Name" by Shea Coulee

"The Loneliest Time" by Carly Rae Jepsen ft. Rufus Wainwright

"Becky's So Hot" by Fletcher

"Black" by Bob the Drag Queen, Basit, & Ocean Kelly

"i get high" by Jordy

"This Hell" by Rina Sawayama

"The Curse of the Blackened Eye" by Orville Peck

"AMEIANOITE" by Pabllo Vittar & Gloria Groove

"Away From You" by Zach Campbell

ANTHEM 

"Unholy" by Sam Smith ft. Kim Petras

"You and Me On The Rock" by Brandi Carlile ft. Lucius

"What I Want" by MUNA

"Everybody's Gay" by Lizzo

"Hold Me Closer" by Elton John & Britney Spears

"Booty" by Santana & Latto

"COZY" by Beyonce ft. Honey Dijon & Ts Madison

"Boys Don't Cry (Live)" by Anitta ft. Miley Cyrus

"Bad Habit" by Steve Lacy

"Boyfriend" by Dove Cameron

STUDIO MOVIE 

Anything's Possible

Bodies Bodies Bodies

Bros

Everything Everywhere All At Once 

Fire Island

Better Nate Than Ever 

My Policeman

Spoiler Alert 

Tár 

The Inspection

TV COMEDY 

A League Of Their Own

Hacks

Heartstopper

I Love That For You

Reservation Dogs

Smiley

Sort Of

The White Lotus: Sicily

Uncoupled

What We Do In The Shadows

TV DRAMA

American Horror Story: NYC

Elite

Euphoria 

Interview With The Vampire

P Valley

Queer As Folk

Severance

The L Word: Generation Q

Welcome To Chippendales

Young Royals

REALITY/DOCU-SERIES

Trixie Motel

Bargain Block 

Legendary

The Andy Warhol Diaries

The Book of Queer

The Big Brunch

The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans

Lesbian Bar Project

Queer for Fear

We're Here

PERFORMANCE - TV

Abbi Jacobson - A League Of Their Own

Bilal Baig - Sort Of

Devery Jacobs - Reservation Dogs

Harvey Guillén - What We Do In The Shadows

Jeff Hiller - Somebody, Somewhere

Joe Locke - Heartstopper

Michaela Jae Rodriguez - Loot

Murray Bartlett - Welcome To Chippendales

Nicco Annan - P Valley

Vico Ortiz - Our Flag Means Death

Emma D'arcy - House Of The Dragon

Johnny Sibilly - Queer As Folk

PERFORMANCE - FILM 

Amandla Stenberg - Bodies Bodies Bodies

Ben Aldridge - Spoiler Alert

Billy Eichner - Bros

Eva Reign - Anything's Possible

Conrad Ricamora - Fire Island

Jamie Clayton - Hellraiser

Janelle Monáe - Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Jeremy Pope - The Inspection

Stephanie Hsu - Everything Everywhere All At Once

Troye Sivan - Three Months

INDIE MOVIE 

Benediction

Close

Firebird

Girl Picture

Joyland

Please Baby Please

The Swimmer

Three Months

We're All Going To The World's Fair

Wildhood

DOCUMENTARY

A Sexplanation

All Man: The International Male Story

All The Beauty And The Bloodshed

Framing Agnes

George Michael: Freedom Uncut

God Forbid

Mama's Boy

Access All Areas: The AAA Girls Tour

Holding Moses

Stay On Board: The Leo Baker Story

WEBSERIES 

Interested In

Avocado Toast

Adam In Fragments

The Michael Henry Cinematic Universe

WeHost with Zach Noe Towers & Darren Bluestone

IMHO: The Show

The Walk In with Mo Heart

Moonie

Translation

I Need Space

BEST READ

Just By Looking At Him by Ryan O'Connell

You Gotta Be You by Brandon Kyle Goodman

The One You Want To Marry by Sophie Santos

Let's Not Do That Again by Grant Ginder

Working Girls by Trixie and Katya

Daughters of the New Year by E.M. Tran

The You Kind of Kind by Nina West

This Time For Me by Alexandra Billings

Miss Memory Lane by Colton Haynes

My Government Means To Kill Me by Rasheed Newsom

NEXT BIG THING 

The Little Mermaid 

Nyad

Fellow Travelers

Legally Blonde 3

The Color Purple

Yellowjackets

Oppenheimer

Barbie

Rustin

They Both Die At The End

GIRL, BYE

Ron DeSantis

Candace Cameron Bure

Ginni Thomas

Elon Musk

George Santos

Kevin Sorbo

Laura Ingraham

Kanye West

Kevin McCarthy

JK Rowling

ICON/SINGER ISAAC MIZRAHI RETURNS TO CAFÉ CARLYLE WITH AN ALL-NEW SHOW, FEBRUARY 14-25

Isaac Mizrahi returns to Café Carlyle with his all-new show, The Marvelous Mr. Mizrahi, for a two-week residency, February 14-25. His previous residencies in the room were sellouts, receiving widespread critical acclaim. Accompanied by his band of jazz musicians led by Ben Waltzer, Mizrahi will perform a range of tunes from Arthur Freed to Grace Jones. The New York Times noted, “he qualifies as a founding father of a genre that fuses performance art, music and stand-up comedy.”

Isaac Mizrahi has worked extensively in the entertainment industry as a performer, host, writer, designer and producer for over 30 years. Along with his annual residency at Café Carlyle, Isaac has performed at various venues across the country such as Joe’s Pub, The Regency Ballroom, several City Winery locations nationwide and comes to the Carlyle fresh from his run as Amos Hart in the Broadway production of CHICAGO. He is the subject and co-creator of Unzipped, a documentary following the making of his Fall 1994 collection which received an award at the Sundance Film Festival. He hosted his own television talk show, “The Isaac Mizrahi Show” for seven years, has written three books, and has made countless appearances in movies and on television. He served as a judge on Project Runway: All-Stars for the series’ entire seven-season run.   

Performances will take place at Café Carlyle from February 14-25(Tuesday-Saturday) at 8:45pm. Weekday pricing begins at $100 per person for General Seating, $150 per person for Premium Seating, and $85 per person for Bar Seating. Weekend pricing begins at $135 per person for General Seating, $185 per person for Premium Seating, and $100 per person for Bar Seating. Reservations can be made online via Tock. Café Carlyle is located in The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel (35 East 76th Street, at Madison Avenue). 

Follow Café Carlyle on Instagram @cafecarlyle and Facebook for more information.

“QUEERING PSYCHEDELICS”

By: Dustyn Gulledge

The World of Wonder (WOW) gallery located smack dab in the middle of  Hollywood hosted the Chacruna Institute for a book launch last week on “Queering Psychedelics” written by researcher and psychologist, Alex Belser, co-authors Dr. Clancy Cavnar, Phd., and including founder of the Chacruna Institute, Dr. Bia Labate—-Unleashed LGBTQ was front and center to dig into all the “trippy” questions. 

The entrance to the WOW gallery dazzled with a red carpet (actually electric purple), and a matching backdrop that featured patterned logos of RuPaul’s House of Love cocktails, Chacruna, and World of Wonder. I’m not one for impromptu photo ops, but I did the gracious thing and propped my copy of “Queering Psychedelics”  with the title camera facing, suggested to the photographer we do at least three looks for a cheeky experience and Snap, snap, snap, snap. We did four, and had a laugh. 

I purchased my copy of “Queering Psychedelics” only days before on Amazon after being told I’d be covering the event. I received it hours before, and was able to skim on a subject I knew little to nothing about.  As a small town Texas boy whose sole experience with psychedelics, specifically psilocybin mushrooms, was pulling them out of cow dung, boiling them in cheap Lipton tea, and losing all touch with reality, I was…well, queerly intrigued by the notion of how something often associated with illegal drug use could be contextualized into a medical perspective.  

The Chacruna Institute’s mission statement is to “promote reciprocity in the psychedelic community, and support the protection of sacred plants and cultural traditions.” I continued on their website from my phone, legs rambling their way over to the House of Love open bar. I was presented with five different flavors, and some mock options, each with a tiny logo of RuPaul flashing that iconic smile. In an attempt to flirt, I asked the bartender which was his favorite, but he chose the least appealing to me, so I broke up with him, settled on the savory Strawberry Daiquiri, and found my place beside a ten foot Ru-Paul… cardboard cutout. My first sip was intercepted by a soothing voice that commanded the buzzy attention of the room. It was Alex Blesser, holding a smile and his book, ‘Queering Psychedelics' (high in hand). I was all ears. Bresler welcomed the guests, voiced purpose around his book, and certitude over the research and personal experience of psychedelics treating PTSD, primarily in the LGBTQ+ community. 

Following Alex Bresler, each co-author and contributor at the Chacruna Institute shared an excerpt of experience and personal research regarding the safe use of psychedelics, such as ayahuasca, biota, psilocybin mushrooms, and “other natural medicines” as a way to treat and heal different forms of PTSD, internalized homophobia, addiction, and other diagnosis often seen in the LGBTQ+ communities. “We, a hundred percent need to be thinking: how are we making psychedelic therapy accessible to people who need it the most,”  inclusivity and diversity expert Ariel Vegosen, who focuses on the concept they call “psychedelic privilege” in the book (Page 21). “Right now, so much of this is illegal, and as it legalizes, it’s going to become expensive.” 

Vegosen continued to share their research on the economic challenges queer, trans, non-binary, as well as other marginalized communities have historically been relegated from the access to these important treatments within our American healthcare system. Chacruna’s intention is to advocate for the safe accessibility to psychedelics as they inevitably become legalized and ostensibly eradicate the disproportion of socio-economic privilege around that access. 

I thanked Alex Bresler as he signed my copy of “Queering Psychedelics,” and bid him a good night.

I am always on the side of keeping an open mind and I feel most people should. This, I believe, is how we nurture the diversity of our world and begin to understand that there may be more than one way of healing. It would be challenging not to read “Queering Psychedelics'' without a slight curiosity around exploring different forms of healing trauma in the LGBTQ+ community—especially, when so many other modules have historically failed or have been misrepresented in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Are psychedelics for healing various forms of trauma that “far-out” from the realm of possibility? Unleashed says: read “Queering Psychedelics” and expand your mind. 

For more information on Chacruna, visit https://chacruna.net/

Other resources: 

https://www.worldofwonder.com/

https://www.houseoflovecocktails.com/

SXSW FILM & TV FESTIVAL DIRECTOR JANET PIERSON SHIFTS TO DIRECTOR EMERITUS ROLE

CLAUDETTE GODFREY PROMOTED VP, DIRECTOR OF FILM & TV

Austin, Texas, Wednesday, December 29, 2022 – The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals announced today that Janet Pierson, revered VP, Director of the SXSW Film & TV Festival will become Director Emeritus and her long-time deputy, Claudette Godfrey, Film Festival Programming Director, will assume leadership of the SXSW Film & TV Festival. 

2022 marked Pierson’s 15th year as head of SXSW Film & TV, capping a forty-five year career championing independent films and filmmakers in a variety of roles including exhibitor, producer’s rep, executive producer and segment producer and segment director of IFC-Criterion’s Split Screen. During her tenure as head of SXSW Film & TV, Pierson ensured the event was vital and wide-ranging, championing numerous careers in both the Conference and Festival, launching a dedicated section for Episodic programs years before other festivals and showcasing a renowned XR exhibition section, all while contributing to the strategy and direction of the broader event. Many of the films and careers Pierson has been privileged to be involved with are highlighted at SXSW Film at 25 and Alumni Stories. Her new role will include serving as a programmer for the 2023 event, where she will be celebrated for her exceptional contributions to SXSW and the entertainment sphere.

“Leading SXSW Film (now SXSW Film & TV) starting in 2008 at the age of 50 was a wonderful, and quite unexpected, adventure. It’s been glorious to present so much great work at our unique event, yielding so many transformative experiences for creators and audience alike,” said Pierson. “I’m intensely proud of the work our small and very mighty team has accomplished. Now, 15 years and 14 events later, it feels right to hand the reins to the new Director, Film & TV, Claudette Godfrey. Claudette and I began working together in 2008 and she has been a significant collaborator and leader every step of the way. I’m excited to remain on the programming team to continue to support and elevate creators in this new capacity as Director Emeritus. It’s been a true privilege and I’m filled with gratitude.”

Claudette Godfrey is widely regarded as a tastemaking curator of new voices in film. She has championed numerous short and music video filmmakers who went on to illustrious and award-winning careers, including Daniels (Everything Everywhere All At Once), Janicza Bravo (Lemon, Zola) Trey Shults (Krisha), Jim Cummings (Thunder Road) and many others. A native Austinite, she holds a singular understanding of every facet of SXSW, serving in a variety of capacities during her 17-year tenure at the event, ranging across volunteers, operations, and programming, and often multiple disciplines at once. She started as a volunteer crew manager in 2006, working her way up to an essential programming and operational force, becoming Film Festival Coordinator in 2009, Shorts Programmer and Operations Manager in 2010, Senior Programmer in 2017, and Director of Film Festival Programming in 2022. In her new role, Godfrey will lead the team and be responsible for the vision, programming, and execution of the SXSW Film & TV Festival, and the film and TV-focused content within the SXSW Conference.  

“Janet is an incredible leader and mentor, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to watch and learn from her example. Our bold community of filmmakers, our enthusiastic audiences, and our gifted team that makes it all happen perpetually inspire me,” said Godfrey. “I’m a hype woman at heart, and it’s a great joy in my life to discover and elevate new talent by curating and evolving an event that celebrates film, TV, and creativity. I started from the bottom and the journey has been exceptional — it’s an immense honor to continue to build on the legacy of SXSW Film & TV and take it into the future.”

Register now for the 2023 event to get the best hotel rates and options. SXSW Film & TV and XR submissions are open through October 18, 2022.

Addendum - Pierson’s Fifteen Years of SXSW Film and TV Programming Highlights 

2009: Lena Dunham Debuts At SXSW Film With Creative Nonfiction & Meets Future Collaborators For 2010’s Award Winning Tiny Furniture | Joe Swanberg’s Alexander The Last Has First Ever, Day-And-Date Release At Festival & On VOD. Notable Speakers: Jan Harlan, Todd Haynes, Richard Linklater, Col Needham, Robert Rodriguez, Henry Selick, Jeffrey Tambor’s Acting Workshop, Mark Woollen. World Premiere Film Festival Highlights: 45365 (Ross Brothers), Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo (Jessica Oreck), Best Worst Movie (Michael Paul Stephenson), Breaking Upwards (Daryl Wein), Brock Enright: Good Times Will Never Be the Same (Jody Lee Lipes), I Love You, Man (John Hamburg), It was great but I was ready to come home (Kris Swanberg), Trust Us: This Is All Made Up (Alex Karpovsky), True Adolescents (Craig Johnson), Winnebago Man (Ben Steinbauer). Memorable Screenings: Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow). Notable Talent:Jennifer Coolidge, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Amber Heard, George Kuchar, Spike Lee, Zoe Lister-Jones, Danny McBride, Sam Rockwell, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Jason Segel

2010: Monsters and Marwencol and Ms. Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture, Three Very Different World Premieres, Wow SXSW Audiences and Then The World. Notable Speakers: Ruben Fleischer, Michel Gondry, David Gordon Green, Matt Reeves, Eli Roth, Gustavo Santaolalla, Gilbert Shelton, Jeffrey Tambor’s Acting Workshop, Ti West. World Premiere Highlights: Cold Weather (Aaron Katz), Kick-Ass (Matthew Vaughn), MacGruber (Jorma Taccone), The Myth of the American Sleepover (David Robert Michell), Passenger Pigeons (Martha Stephens), Pelada (Luke Boughen, Rebekah Fergusson, Gwendolyn Oxenham, Ryan White), Putty Hill (Matthew Porterfield), Thunder Soul (Mark Landsman), Tiny Furniture (Lena Dunham). Notable Talent: Malin Akerman, Carrie Brownstein, Robert Duvall, Dakota Fanning, Will Forte, Judy Greer, Carla Gugino, Val Kilmer, Lemmy, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Ryan Phillippe, John C. Reilly, Chloe Sevigny, Sissy Spacek, Kristen Stewart, Patrick Wilson

2011: Bridesmaids (Work-In-Progress), Attack The Block, Undefeated, Greta Gerwig, Simon Pegg And More For SXSW Film. Notable Speakers: Sandra Adair, Vera Farmiga, Ze Frank, James Gunn, Jake Gyllenhaal, Catherine Hardwicke, Duncan Jones, Tim League, Richard Linklater, Elvis Mitchell, Ellen Page, Todd Phillips, Randall Poster, Paul Reubens, Robert Rodriguez, Rainn Wilson. World Premiere Highlights: Attack the Block (Joe Cornish), The Beaver (Jodie Foster), Bridesmaids (work-in-progress; Paul Feig), Charlie Casanova (Terry McMahon), Dragonslayer (Tristan Patterson), Green(Sophia Takal), Kill List (Ben Wheatley), Natural Selection (Robbie Pickering), Paul (Greg Mottola), The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway (Paul Reubens), Turkey Bowl (Kyle Smith), Weekend (Andrew Haigh) | Notable Talent: Rosario Dawson, Mark Duplass, Elmo, Vera Farmiga, Foo Fighters, Jodie Foster, Nick Frost, Greta Gerwig, Paul Giamatti, Carla Gugino, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel Harris, Jake Johnson, Michelle Monaghan, Conan O’Brien, Ellen Page, Simon Pegg, Aubrey Plaza, Jason Ritter, Billy Bob Thornton, Ti West, Joss Whedon, Kristen Wiig, Rainn Wilson, Anton Yelchin and more. | Undefeated wins the Oscar for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards.

2012: World Premiere Of HBO’s Series’ Girls, 21 Jump Street, The Cabin In The Woodsand More From SXSW Film. Notable Speakers: Willem Dafoe, Richard Linklater, Seth MacFarlane, Cliff Martinez, Mark Mothersbaugh, Kevin Smith, Jeffrey Tambor’s Acting Workshop, Mark Wahlberg, Joss Whedon. World Premiere Highlights: Beauty is Embarrassing (Neil Berkeley), Big Easy Express (Emmett Malloy), The Cabin in the Woods (Drew Goddard), Citadel (Ciarán Foy), Eden (Megan Griffiths), Fat Kid Rules the World (Matthew Lillard), Gayby (Jonathan Lisecki), Sequin Raze (Sarah Gertrude Shapiro), Starlet (Sean Baker), Sun Don’t Shine (Amy Seimetz), Waiting for Lightning(Jacob Rosenberg). Episodic: World Premiere of HBO’s Girls by Lena Dunham is the first episodic featured in the festival program. Notable Talent: Mike Birbiglia, Jack Black, Billy Campbell, Deepak Chopra, Kristen Connolly, Willem Dafoe, Minnie Driver, Lena Dunham, Mark Duplass, Julia Garner, Gina Gershon, Bobcat Goldthwait, Emile Hirsch, Richard Jenkins, Jake Johnson, Alex Karpovsky, Johnny Knoxville, Melissa Leo, Matthew Lillard, Ziggy Marley, Matthew McConaughey, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Rob Riggle, Mumford & Sons, Mark Wahlberg, Danny Way, Bradley Whitford, Paul Williams. 

2013: Spring Breakers, Cheap Thrills, Drinking Buddies, Good Ol’ Freda and More At SXSW Film. Notable Speakers: Danny Boyle, David Carr, Nick Cave, Michael Cera, Carlton Cuse, Shawn Fanning, Neil Gaiman, Selena Gomez, Harmony Korine, Chuck Lorre, Matthew McConaughey, Sean Parker, Sarah Silverman, Jeffrey Tambor’s Acting Workshop, Reggie Watts, Joss Whedon, Alex Winter, Lauren Zalaznick, Rob Zombie. World Premiere Highlights: 12 O’Clock Boys (Lotfy Nathan), Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton (Eric Slade & Stephen Silha), Cheap Thrills (E.L. Katz), Downloaded(Alex Winter), Drinking Buddies (Joe Swanberg), Euphonia (Danny Madden), Evil Dead(Fede Alvarez), Good Ol’ Freda (Ryan White), Hours (Eric Heisserer), Maidentrip (Jillian Schlesinger), The Punk Singer (Sini Anderson), The Short Game (Josh Greenbaum), Short Term 12 (Destin Daniel Cretton). Episodic: World Premiere of A&E’s Bates Moteland Conference session Bates Motel: Story to Screen with Carlton Cuse. Notable Talent: Simon Baker, Elizabeth Blackmore, Rose Byrne, Steve Carell, Jim Carrey, Snoop Dogg, Shiloh Fernandez, James Franco, Selena Gomez, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dave Grohl, Jake Johnson, Catherine Keener, Rachel Korine, Brie Larson, Jared Leto, Brit Marling, Matthew McConaughey, Radha Mitchell, Michelle Monaghan, Stevie Nicks, Ellen Page, Paul Rudd, Alexander Skarsgard, Dave Stewart, Lou Taylor Pucci, Paul Walker, Olivia Wilde 

2014: Film Keynotes: Jason Blum, Lena Dunham, Casey Neistat & Marc Webb | Episodics Launch Notable Speakers: Tunde Adebimpe, Fred Armisen, Kevin Bacon, Jason Bateman, Carrie Brownstein, Adam Buxton, Nicolas Cage, Robert Duvall, Jon Favreau, David Gordon Green, Pete Horner of Skywalker Sound, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Mindy Kaling, Leonard Maltin, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Jeffrey Tambor’s Acting Workshop. World Premiere Highlights: 10,000KM (Carlos Marques-Marcet), Buzzard (Joel Potrykus), Chef (Jon Favreau), Creep (Patrick Brice), Evolution of a Criminal (Darius Clark Monroe), Harmontown (Neil Berkeley), Honeymoon (Leigh Janiak), Neighbors (Nicholas Stoller), Print the Legend (Luis Lopez & Clay Tweel), Veronica Mars (Rob Thomas). Memorable Screenings: Cesar Chavez (Diego Luna), Cosmos (Brannon Braga & Bill Pope), Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson). Episodic:Official launch of dedicated Episodic screening section, with six projects in the program: COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey, and the world premieres of Deadbeat, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Halt and Catch Fire, Penny Dreadful, and Silicon Valley. Notable Talent: Wes Anderson, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Hannibal Buress, Nicolas Cage, Jerrod Carmichael, Jemaine Clement, Rosario Dawson, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Zac Efron, America Ferrera, Eva Green, Kathryn Hahn, Dan Harmon, Josh Hartnett, Ethan Hawke, John Leguizamo, Juliette Lewis, Diego Luna, Melanie Lynskey, Thomas Middleditch, Mike Myers, Kumail Nanjiani, Michael Pena, Imogen Poots, John Ridley, Jason Ritter, Seth Rogen, Alia Shawkat, Jeremy Sisto, Jenny Slate, Martin Starr, Elizabeth Streb, Tilda Swinton, Patrick Wilson, Elijah Wood, and more. 

2015: Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck, An Exclusive Preview Of Mad Max: Fury Road, World Premiere of Furious 7 & The 30th Anniversary Screening Of The Breakfast Club | Film Keynotes: Mark Duplass, Ava DuVernay, RZA, Christine Vachon. Notable Speakers:Sandra Adair, Geoff Barrow, Guillermo del Toro, Sally Field, Will Forte, Alex Garland, Ryan Gosling, Brian Grazer, Oscar Isaac, Phil Lord, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Chris Miller, Jeff Nichols, Randall Poster, Gina Prince-Bythewood, John Ridley, Henry Rollins, Amy Schumer, Michael Shannon, Morgan Spurlock, Derek Waters, Beau Willimon. World Premiere Highlights: A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story (Sara Bordo), Brand: A Second Coming (Ondi Timoner), Deep Web (Alex Winter), The Final Girls (Todd Strauss-Schulson), Fresno (Jamie Babbit), Hello, My Name is Doris (Michael Showalter), Mavis!(Jessica Edwards), Raiders! (Jeremy Coon & Tim Skousen), Rolling Papers (Mitch Dickman), Sneakerheadz (David T. Friendly & Mick Partridge), Spy (Paul Feig), Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine (Alex Gibney), The Invitation (Karyn Kusama), and too many more to mention! Episodics: Five Episodic world premieres: Angie Tribeca, The Comedians, iZOMBIE, Mr. Robot, and UnREAL. Notable Talent: Vanessa Bayer, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Steve Carell, Billy Crystal, Adam Devine, Robert Duvall, Taissa Farmiga, Will Ferrell, Sally Field, Josh Gad, Tyrese Gibson, Domhnall Gleeson, Ryan Gosling, Max Greenfield, Judy Greer, Rupert Grint, Bill Hader, Colin Hanks, Kevin Hart, Josh Hartnett, Oscar Isaac, Rashida Jones, Natasha Lyonne, Melissa McCarthy, Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally, Aubrey Plaza, Molly Ringwald, Henry Rollins, Stephen Root, Leon Russell, Rosa Salazar, Amy Schumer, Ally Sheedy, Christian Slater, Mavis Staples, Jason Statham, Gloria Trevi, Reggie Watts, Elijah Wood, Neil Young.

2016: Film Keynotes: Nelson George, Gale Anne Hurd, Elliot Page and Ian Daniel & Joel Swanberg | Work-In-Progress Screenings Of Keanu and Sausage Party. Notable Speakers: J.J. Abrams, Andrew Bujalski, Don Cheadle, Nonny de la Pena, Mark and Jay Duplass, Joel Edgerton, John Gaeta, Llana Glazer, Ira Glass, Sarah Green, Jake Gyllenhaal, Gaby Hoffmann, Abbi Jacobson, Mike Judge, Barbara Kopple, David Lowery, Rami Malek, Chris Milk, Alia Shawkat, Christian Slater, Kerry Washington. World Premiere Highlights: 9 Rides (Matthew A. Cherry), Beware The Slenderman (Irene Taylor Brodsky), Donald Cried (Kris Avedisian), Don’t Think Twice (Mike Birbiglia), Everybody Wants Some (Richard Linklater), In a Valley of Violence (Ti West), Jean of the Joneses (Stella Meghie), Master Cleanse (Bobby Miller), My Blind Brother (Sophie Goodhart), Operator (Logan Kibbens), Pee-wee’s Big Holiday (John Lee), The Bandit(Jesse Moss), Tony Robbins: I am Not Your Guru (Joe Berlinger). Episodics: Five Episodic world premieres: Outcast, Preacher, Search Party, Vice Principals, and You Me Her.  Notable Talent: J.J. Abrams, Mike Birbliglia, Betsy Brandt, James Caan, Don Cheadle, Kirsten Dunst, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ethan Hawke, Tyler Hoechlin, Gaby Hoffmann, Gillian Jacobs, Zoe Kazan, Keegan-Michael Key, Nick Kroll, Rami Malek, Thomas Middleditch, Ruth Negga, Ellen Page, Jordan Peele, Michael Peña, Lily Rabe, Paul Reubens, Burt Reynolds, Seth Rogen, Michael Shannon, Alia Shawkat, Alexander Skarsgård, Jenny Slate, Christian Slater, Martin Starr, Kerry Washington, Mae Whitman, Elijah Wood. 

2017: Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, James Franco’s The Disaster Artist, Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde & More From SXSW Film. Notable Speakers: Keynotes Lee Daniels, Gareth Edwards, and Jill Soloway pluss Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the cast of Veep, Showrunners David Benioff And D.B. Weiss,Bob Odenkirk and Fred Armisen, Notable Premieres: Baby Driver, The Disaster Artist, Atomic Blonde, Most Beautiful Island, The Work, Gemini, Mr. Roosevelt, Small Town Crime, Infinity Baby, Two Pigeons, May it Last: A Portrait of The Avett Brothers, Spettacolo, Lucky. Episodics: Six Episodic world premieres: American Gods, Dear White People, I Love Bekka & Lucy, I’m Dying Up Here, Nobodies, and The Son. Notable Talent: Michael Fassbender, Rooney Mara, Nick Offerman, Jon Hamm, Ansel Elgort, Frank Oz, Jake Johnson, Josh Duhamel, Bill Pullman, John Hawkes, Octavia Spencer, Anthony Anderson, Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, Nick Thune, Noel Wells, Megan Mullally, Kevin Corrigan, Martin Starr, George Lazenby, Pierce Brosnan, Lola Kirke, Zoe Kravitz, John Cho, James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Melissa McCarthy, Armie Hammer, Melissa Leo, Josh Lucas, Juno Temple, Peter Fonda, Judd Apatow, Kumail Nanjiani, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, John Carroll Lynch, GianCarlo Esposito, Lena Olin, Stephanie Beatriz, Danny McBride, Ridley Scott, Katherine Waterston, Wyatt Cenac, Bill Nye, Francesca Eastwood, Harry Dean Stanton, Jim Caviezel, Matt Bomer, Ari Graynor, Katherine Moennig.

2018: A Quiet Place, Blockers, Ready Player One, Isle Of Dogs (North American Premiere) Thunder Road & More. Notable Speakers: Barry Jenkins, Darren Aronofsky, Nonny de la Peña plus Ernest Cline, Spike Lee, Matthew McConaughey, and more; Notable Films: A Quiet Place, Blockers, Ready Player One, Isle of Dogs (North American Premiere) Thunder Road, The New Romantic, First Match, Jinn, People’s Republic of Desire,TransMilitary, Galveston, Support the Girls, A Vigilante, The Dawn Wall, The Director and the Jedi, Profile, Prospect, Upgrade, All Square. Episodics – Vida, The Last O.G., Barry. Episodics: Seven Episodic world premieres: This Is Us Season 2 Finale Episode (special event), Barry, Condor, Krypton, The Last O.G., Vida, and Warriors of Liberty City. This year we launched the Independent Episodics section with 13 titles. The section would be renamed the independent Pilot Competition in 2019: Beast, Cleansed, Everything is Okay: Robot, First World Problems, Hold To Your Best Self, My Dead Ex, Night Owl, One Eye Small, Otis, Polar, Rapture, She’s the Ticket, andUnspeakable. Notable Talent: John Krasiniski, Emily Blunt, Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz, John Cena, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Wes Anderson, Abbi Jacobson, Dave Franco, Ben Foster, Elle Fanning, Rachel Bloom, Adam Pally, Regina Hall, Olivia Wilde, Molly Shannon, Rian Johnson, Mark Hamill, Lena Waithe, Steven Spielberg, Jason Blum, Tiffany Haddish, Tracy Morgan, Bill Hadar, Ethan Hawke, Spike Lee, Boots Riley, Armie Hammer, Steven Yeun, Omari Hardwick, Jermaine Fowler. Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Justin Hartley, Dan Fogelman, Jay Duplass, Edie Falco, Danny McBride, Josh Brolin, Jim Gaffigan, Daryl Hannah, Nick Offerman, Vera Farmiga, Bob Balaban, Evan Peters, Lauren Lapkus, Lucy Hale, Jason Schwartzman.

2019: Us, Long Shot, Pet Sematary & More From SXSW Film. Notable Speakers: Marti Noxon, Olivia Wilde, PJ Raval, Kathy Griffin, Jessica Brillhart, Elisabeth Moss, Stacey Abrams, Pamela Adlon, Lance Bass, Jason Blum, Jodie Foster, Neil Gaiman, Noah Hawley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Frank Oz, Gwyneth Paltrow, Olivia Wilde, and more. Notable World Premieres: Us, Booksmart, Good Boys, The Highwaymen, Beach Bum, Long Shot, Pet Sematary, For Sama, Villains, Sword of Trust, Running with Beto, The Curse of La Llorona, Olympic Dreams, Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story, The Art of Self-Defense, The River and the Wall. Episodics: Seven Episodic world premieres: Broad City Series Finale Screening, Love, Death & Robots, David Makes Man, NOS4A2, Ramy, Shrill, What We Do in the Shadows, and Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate SXSW Event, which included Conference session and several unique activations. 12 Episodic Pilot Competition titles: Baby Love, A Cure For Fear, East of La Brea, Hammerhead, M, Maggie, Moderately Put Together, Queering, Rainbow Ruthie, Revenge Tour, Sterling, and Who You Are

2020: Following the City of Austin’s cancellation of the 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SXSW Film Festival partnered with Amazon Prime Video to present the SXSW 2020 Film Festival Collection with 39 projects from the 2020 lineup available to audiences online. The Festival also presented nearly all of the Shorts Program online in association with Osciliscope and Mailchimp. Since many Special Awards had already been in place, once filmmakers opted in, all juried competitions were held. Shithousedirected by Cooper Raiff won the 2020 Narrative Competition Grand Jury Award and An Elephant in the Room directed by Katrine Philp won the 2020 Documentary Grand Jury Award. Additional Award Winners: Topside, Really Love, The Donut King and Finding Yingying
Episodics: 12 Episodic world premieres were programmed: Central Park, Chad, Cursed FIlms, Hightown, Home, Motherland: Fort Salem, Outcry, Snowpiercer, Solar Opposites, Tales from the Loop, Upload, and We’re Here. 14 Episodic Pilot Competition titles were programmed: Alisa, Beached, Bored, Embrace, Everyone Together, Heart To Heart, This Isn’t Me, Bananas, Chemo Brain, Cooper’s Bar, The Dream, Homecoming: The Journey of Cardboard, Lusty Crest, and Racist Trees. 

2021: Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil, Alone Together & More From SXSW Film
Notable Speakers: Ava DuVernay, James Cameron, Taraji P. Henson, Barry Jenkins, Matthew McConaughey, Samantha Bee, Elizabeth Banks, Mayim Bialik, Bill Hader, Noah Hawley, Demi Lovato, Amber Ruffin, The Russo Brothers, Ava DuVernay, Kenan Thompson. Notable Films: The Fallout, Lily Topples the World, Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, Alone Together featuring Charli XCX, Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free, Alien on Stage, Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and the Legendary Tapes, Disintegration Loops, The End of Us, Gaia, Here Before, The Hunt for Planet B, Hysterical, Jakob’s Wife, Luchadoras, Recovery, R#J, Sound of Violence, Sparks Brothers, Swan Song, United States vs. Reality Winter, Violet, When Claude Got Shot.Episodics: Six Episodic world premieres: Confronting a Serial Killer, Cruel Summer, The Girlfriend Experience, Made for Love, Sasquatch, and Them. Six Episodic Pilot Competition titles: 4 Feet High, Dale’s House, For the Record, Parked in America, The Position, and Pretend Partners.

2022: Notable Speakers: Lizzo, Celine Tricart, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Busy Philipps, Sara Bareilles, Karl Urban, Jessie T. Usher, Jensen Ackles, Laz Alonso, Chase Crawford, Karen Fukuhara, Donna Langley, Frank Pallotta, Ethan Hawke, Kelly Garner, Brittany Jones-Cooper
Notable Films: Everything Everywhere All At Once, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Spin Me Round, The Locust, The Lost City, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood, X, The Pez Outlaw, I Love My Dad, What We Leave Behind, Sissy, Deadstream, More Than Robots, Bad Axe, Descendant, Diamond Hands: The Legend of WallStreetBets, Fire of Love, Kids in The Hall: Comedy Punks, Still Working 9 to 5, Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, We Feed People, Facing Nolan, Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off, Sheryl, and Mickey: The Story of a Mouse. Episodics: 12 World Premiere Episodics: Atlanta Season 3 premiere, 61st Street, The Big Conn, Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart, DMZ, The Girl From Plainville, Halo, The Last Movie Stars, The Man Who Fell To Earth, Shining Girls, Swimming with Sharks, They Call Me Magic, and WeCrashed. Six Episodic Pilot Competition titles: Awayy, Brownsville Bred, Hidden Kingdom, My Year of Dicks, Something Undone, and We’re Doing Good. Notable Talent:Daniel Radcliffe, Sandra Bullock, Jared Leto, Jenny Slate, Pedro Pascal, Nicolas Cage, Zazie Beetz, Anne Hathaway, Elle Fanning, Dakota Johnson, Ethan Hawk, Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Andrea Riseborough, Ron Howard, Stephen Root, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan (virtually), Chloe Sevigny, Keith David, Debby Ryan, Donald Glover, Meredith Salinger, Odeya Rush, Glen Powell, Harry Shum Jr., Richard Linklater, O-T Fagbenle, Zach Woods, Kate Flannery, Owen Teague, Ayden Mayeri, Jacob Scipio, Ramona Young, Tim Heidecker, Raul Castillo, Alessandra Mastronardi, Daniel Kwan, Rick Famuyiwa, Colton Ryan, Daniel Scheinert, Cooper Raiff, Jeff Baena, Kyle Marvin, Frank Marshall, Tom Gormica, Lily Sheen, Aaron Nee, Dean Fleischer-Camp, Adam Nee, Tony Hawk, Glenn Ficcara, Sheryl Crow, Magic Johnson, Michael Morris, John Requa, Casey Neistat, Sarah Jones, Sam Jones, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Jim Gaffigan, Patton Oswalt, Jon Kimmel, Connor Kalopsis, Maureen Bharoocha, Julie Cohen, Amy Scott, Vanessa Burghardt, Evan Assante, Brene Brown, Sam Green, Bradley Jackson, Betsy West, Michael Rosenberg, Nolan Ryan, Gabby Giffords, Senator Mark Kelly, Andy Morreale, and more!

15 Years of Film & TV Conference Highlights: Robust TV programming in the Conference preceded 2012’s first Episodic screening in the Festival.  Highlights of Conference Keynotes and Featured Speakers, many covering both film and TV topics, include: Bob Odenkirk in Conversation with Fred Armisen, Elizabeth Moss in Conversation with Brandi Carlile, Silicon Valley Cast and Creators Panel, Mr Robot Cast and Creators Panel, Veep Cast and Creators Panel, The Chi Cast and Creators Panel, Game of Thrones Cast and Creators Panel, Westworld Cast and Creators Panel, The Boys Cast and Creators Panel.  Other Highlights include: Lizzo Keynote, Ava DuVernay Keynote, Barry Jenkins Keynote, Mark Duplass Keynote, Lee Daniels Keynote, Jill Soloway Keynote, Gale Anne Hurd Keynote, A Conversation with Neil Gaiman, A Conversation with Tilda Swinton, A Conversation with Elizabeth Banks and Aidy Bryant, A Conversation with Ethan Hawke and Jason Blum, A Conversation with Olivier Assayas and Richard Linklater, A Conversation with Chris Miller and Phil Lord, Spike Lee Masterclass, A Conversation with Wagner Moura and Alice Braga, A Conversation with Melanie Lynskey, and many more.

Iconic Film & TV Activations: Each year features dozens of inventive, immersive, award-winning installations promoting work in the Festival and Conference, as well as other projects that appeal to the unique SXSW audiences. These include HBO’s groundbreaking recreation of Westworld, and subsequent Bleed for the Throne; Amazon’s Good Omens Garden of Earthly Delights, A&E’s Bates Motel; USA Networks’ recreation of Coney Island for Mr. Robot; AMC’s Preacher and Starz’ American GodsInstallations, plus many others. 2022 featured Amazon's Superheroes & Superstars Experience featuring The Boys and Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, FX's AtlantaSeason 3 Amsterdam style cafe pop up fittingly called The Trip, Disney+'s Outdoor Screening complete with larger than life characters and all day outdoor screenings, the WarnerMedia House, the Peacock Playground and many others.

About SXSW
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film & TV, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music and comedy showcases, film screenings, exhibitions, professional development and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2023 will take place March 10 - 19, 2023. For more information, please visit sxsw.com. To register for the event, please visit sxsw.com/attend.

SXSW 2023 is sponsored by White Claw, Porsche and The Austin Chronicle.

RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Rosé Releases “Santa Baby” Music Video

RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Rosé has loved Christmas since 1997 when Santa gifted her with a Doom 64 game for her Nintendo.  Early this month, she sang her appreciation to everyone’s favorite jolly elf with her own sweet rendition of the classic tune, “Santa Baby.”  Now, Rosé is releasing a fun new music video to accompany the song.

In Rosé’s “Santa Baby” video, Santa is depicted as hurdling through the sky, high as a kite, on Christmas Eve. He flies over a snowy forest and pulls over to land for a break. There, he sees a quaint little rosy pink cottage and inside it, the silhouette of a beautiful woman playing music on a gramophone.  

In a flash, we're inside the woman’s home, and lo and behold, it’s Rosé!  She is the picture of irresistibility and with the help of four sexy men, Rosé launches into a full, bells on performance.  She sings and dances, begging Santa to fulfill her Christmas wishes.   Old Santa is losing his folly mind over the sexy temptress but at the end of the song, the mysterious cottage vanishes into thin air and, along with Santa, we realize it was all merely an extremely festive hallucination.

“I have always adored ‘Santa Baby’,” Rosé reflects of the classic song.   “I love its naughty, sexy mood, and its femininity. My version pays homage to Eartha Kitt’s, Madonna’s, and Gwen Stefani’s but I make the song my own by peppering in some light percussion and a few string moments.  Also, my ‘Santa Baby’ is almost 100% vocal, and the voice is of a cis man.”

The animation in Rosé’s “Santa Baby” was created by Joe Sulsenti of Nickelodeon, and Miles Schlenker of Disney.   The featured dancers are Ryan John, Danny Lopez, Karaj Pettis, and Casey Sheehan.

Miguel Zarate choreographed the video.  Make-up and costuming is by Rosé.

“The original dress I had planned to wear got lost in the mail,” Rosé explains.  “And the day of the shoot, my hair was not giving.”   Rosé ended up using alternative choices, but all worked out in the end.  “I'm so glad the Universe pointed me in a new direction because I love the green and ice blonde moment.”

Rosé is looking forward to the holiday season.  She will spend it with her nieces and nephews in Houston, Texas.  She is also excited about the new year and plans to make a lot more music.

Rosé’s “Santa Baby” is available now on iTunes, Spotify and all digital platforms.    Its video is on Youtube.  

Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits Volume 2 - Deluxe Edition (Remastered) Due Out January 6, 2023

Her longest-charting album features hits including “Physical,” “Magic,” “You’re The One That I Want,” “Hopelessly Devoted To You”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Nashville 28, 2022) — Dame Olivia Newton-John's legacy continues to live on with the remastered release of Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits Volume 2 - Deluxe Edition, due out on January 6, 2023.

The 14-track collection, originally released 40 years ago (1982), features her biggest international hits, as well as her U.S. Top 40 hits from that era including singles “Physical,” “Magic,” “Hopelessly Devoted To You” and “You're The One That I Want.”

“Forty years ago, in 1982, my Greatest Hits Vol. 2 album was released - how lucky am I as an artist to have two volumes of Greatest Hits?” said Olivia Newton-John in May 2022. “During the five years between the two albums, everything seemed to go from busy to a blur! First there was the global success of Grease in 1978, and my album Totally Hot, followed by Xanadu in 1980. I was so proud that this soundtrack went on to sell over two million copies with the #1 hits ‘Magic’ and ‘Xanadu’ (with the amazing ELO) and, it gave me the opportunity to reunite with Cliff Richard on ‘Suddenly.’ Physical followed in 1982 and during the tour to promote the album, Olivia’s Greatest Hits Vol. 2 was released. It was the first time I put out a greatest hits album with two brand new recordings - ‘Heart Attack’ and ‘Tied Up.’”

Much like the reissue of Olivia Newton-John’s Greatest Hits, to mark the 40th anniversary of Olivia’s Greatest Hits Vol. 2, both international versions that were released in 1982 were combined to create the definitive deluxe edition of the collection.

“We continue to pay tribute to Olivia’s great legacy with the remastered release of Greatest Hits Vol. 2. This was Olivia’s longest charting album, spending 80 weeks on the Billboard charts, and was the 10th best-selling album of 1983. The songs contained on this release have touched many lives over the past four decades and will continue to do so with new generations of fans,” says Blake Davis, General Manager, Green Hill Productions.

Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits Volume 2 - Deluxe Edition marks her first non-soundtrack album to rank in the year-end Top 10. It was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA in the U.S. and Platinum in the UK, where it peaked at No. 8 with a 38-week chart run.

The second volume of hits follows last month’s remastered release of Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits Deluxe Edition (click here to purchase or stream).

Pre-save Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits Volume 2 - Deluxe Edition (Remastered) here: https://lnk.to/ONJ-GreatestHitsVol2

Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits Volume 2 - Deluxe Edition (Remastered) track listing:

1. Heart Attack

2. Magic

3. Physical

4. Hopelessly Devoted To You

5. Make A Move On Me

6. Deeper Than The Night

7. Landslide

8. A Little More Love

9. You’re The One That I Want

10. Tied Up

11. Suddenly

12. Totally Hot

13. The Promise (The Dolphin Song)

14. Xanadu

FILM REVIEWS: Home Movies: Two Films Open for Thanksgiving – one great, one meh… and you won’t believe which is which

By Arnold Wayne Jones

There are two things I love about the new animated adventure Strange World: First, it’s about a white farmer named Searcher Clade (Jake Gyllenhaal) living on a farm that grows seemingly organic, sustainable crops that are also a renewable energy source with his Black wife Meridian (Gabrielle Union) and mixed race, openly gay son Ethan (Jaboukie Young-White) – exactly the kind of progressive, welcoming family film that will piss off right-wingers. The second thing I love about it is, it is exactly the kind of progressive, welcoming family film that will piss off right-wingers. Haters will dismiss Strange World as “woke,” sniffing that it has an indoctrination agenda meant to normalize acceptance of differences … which is just the reason why it can be so exciting. It’s the very fact of its casualness towards tolerance – even Ethan’s man’s man grandfather Jaeger Clade (Dennis Quaid) doesn’t miss a beat embracing his grandson having a boyfriend – that shows an entire world of dramatic possibilities in a format (big-budget animated feature from Disney) that often steers clear of such cultural bright lines.

But if my only reason for swooning over this film were its social awareness, it wouldn’t be the multi=layered success it is. There’s also the beautiful design and artwork, the exciting and emotionally resonant plot, the thrilling score by Henry Jackman. Strange World triumphs across the board.

The story is roughly recognizable to Disney devotees. Jaeger is a legendary explorer who, despite his exploits, has never crossed the imposing mountains that surround the village of Avalonia and keep it isolated from the rest of the world. Jaeger sets off with his 16-year-old son Searcher to finally find a passage, but Searcher is more interested in the seemingly magically plant he discovers on his way – an electricity-producing pod called pando that will revolutionize life in Avalonia, making it a kind of postcard version of Wakanda. Jaeger, though, continues on the journey, disappearing and never returning.

Two decades later, Searcher has his own family and is heralded in town as the techno genius who made life better. But when all the pando crops begin to die off, an expedition including Searcher (with his family stowed away) embarks on a mission to find the source of the blight, quickly discovering an underground world that seems almost magic.

Of course, you know who they find alive in this world. Of course, you know that father-son dynamics will be dutifully explored across generations. Of course, it will be resolved heart-warmingly. (It is a Disney film, after all.)

I won’t say more, because the film is so unexpectedly delightful, it’s great to go in knowing as little as possible and just being swept up in the adventure. It’s one of the few good films outside the Star Wars universe to use tons of wipe-edits and not seem clangy. Strange World is definitely another feast for the Thanksgiving holiday.

To my astonishment, I can’t say the same thing about The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg’s long-awaited coming-of-age story. Spielberg deserves his reputation as one of cinema’s preeminent storytellers – a visual artist who knows how to tug heartstrings and who has portrayed childhood and adolescence with seriousness and respect. I expected The Fabelmans, based on his own life from about age five to 19, to have the same visual grandeur and intimate warmth as E.T. or Empire of the Sun. So it came as a shock to how often I sat puzzled, wondering about clunky scene transitions, heavy-handed and drawn out foreshadowing, awkward missteps and sketchy character development. It’s as if he was so close to the material, he didn’t have the perspective to do it justice.

It may also be because this is his first credited screenplay in 20 years… and only his fourth ever (he wrote or co-wrote Close Encounters, Poltergeist and A.I.). Even with Tony Kushner’s assistance, the story drones on for more than two-and-a-half hours, never developing any real momentum. And when it ends, it ends on such a sudden, gimmicky trope that, despite a quick chuckle, leaves you thinking, “C’mon… really?!”

The film begins in New Jersey at Christmas 1946 when Mitzi (Michelle Williams) and Bert (Paul Dano) take their young son Sam Fabelman to his first movie: The Greatest Show on Earth. Sammy becomes entranced by the magic of visual storytelling, which his artsy mother notices and his dull but loving dad supports. Dad’s foresight about the potential of computers gets him a new job in Arizona, and later, another in Northern California, which uproots the family, causing anxiety for Mitzi and leading a now teen-aged Sam (Gabriel LaBelle) to an unwelcome realization about his parents and their friend Benny (Seth Rogen). The plot meanders as coming-of-age stories often do, but without any real energy until a jolt about an hour in when Mitzi’s Uncle Boris (Judd Hirsch) shows up. Hirsch’s extended cameo is like a shovelful of coal in the locomotive engine powering the story, but it doesn’t sustain the film; it is not until the closing minutes when another cameo (played by filmmaker David Lynch) defibrillates a by-now listless body of routine bullying, failed romance and confessional revelations.

I wanted to like The Fabelmans, and truth is, I didn’t hate it, but it feels like it could have been made by anyone. The only indication that it shows us Spielberg is the main character’s preoccupation with making movies. There’s otherwise no clever foreshadowing (a joke about sharks? A quip about aliens from outer space?) that lets us know that Spielberg really appreciates his own legacy. That leaves the film in the realm of home movie rather than biographically insightful memoir. I’m more interested in the Clades than the Fabelmans, and who thought they’d hear that this Thanksgiving?

Both in wide release Thursday.

Tom Goss Rings in the Holidays with New EP “Big Fat Gay Ass Christmas”

A Rollicking Collection of Original Songs that Celebrate 
Living Joyfully, Exuberantly, and Authentically Queer 

Tom Goss isn’t a fan of Christmas music, but that isn’t stopping him from recording his first holiday album!  His new EP, Big Fat Gay Ass Christmas, is Christmas-themed, but with songs like “Santa Slay,” “Put that Ass in Christmass,” “Sassy Santa,” and “Ho Ho Homo,” it’s not a traditional holiday album.  “I want people to laugh and smile, then strip down to their undies and dance,” he says.  “That’s the Christmas I’m most looking forward to this year!”

Joining Tom on the EP are some of the biggest names in gay hip hop, rock-and-roll and country music:  Benjamin Koll, Big Daddy Karsten, Keith Lawrence, de ROCHE and more.   “They are all a part of my queer family,” Tom explains.  “We may sing in different music genres but we are the same in that we live our lives joyfully, exuberantly, and as authentically as possible!”  Tom Goss’s Big Fat Gay Ass Christmas will be available on Apple Music, Spotify and all major digital platforms on November 18. 

At first glance, the songs on Big Fat Gay Ass Christmas appear tongue-in-cheek, but those who look deeper will recognize a serious side to the record. “I have spent a lot of my life censoring myself,” Tom laments. “Censoring what I say, what I write, how I dress, what my music sounds like, and so much more. It’s been a constant state of second-guessing, carefully carving out a life that is unoffensive, in hopes that everyone will love me. But that’s not real. With my first holiday EP, I wanted to make something that was big, fun, unapologetic, body positive, and queer as f**k.”

Big Fat Gay Ass Christmas begins with “Santa Slay,” a dance/ballroom track that Tom wrote with Jaake Castro about a Santa who is big, confident, queer and in touch with his feminine side. “This Santa is not only delivering toys, he is throwing it down in bed,” Tom explains. Ned Douglas mixed and mastered the record. Drag queen Roxy Wood is the lead vocalist, Tom sings the chorus, Ryan Satyr provides background vocals and Drake Jensen serves the sexy deep-voiced Santa.

The second track on the EP is “Put that Ass in Christmass,” a song about celebrating Christmas with a booty shake. Big Daddy Karsten raps the first verse and Keith Lawrence raps on verse two. “I’ve been a fan of both guys for years,” Tom reflects. “I just love how aggressively big and queer Karsten is. As soon as I wrote the song, I knew I wanted him on it. As for Keith, we were casually texting and I asked “hey, do you rap?” I sent him the track and he immediately called me, excited. Like me, Keith loves a big boy, so it was wonderful to get giddy about ways we could paint men of size in a positive light.”

Tom Goss wrote “Sassy Santa,” the third track on Big Fat Gay Ass Christmas, with hopes of getting Benjamin Koll on the EP. “I have a huge crush on Benjamin,” Tom confesses. “I love the joy and positivity he brings to the bear community.”

Knowing Benjamin’s affinity for funk and dance runs, Tom worked both sounds into the song’s rough mix that he sent to Benjamin with fingers crossed. To his delight, Benjamin agreed to perform on the record! He added instrumentation, vocals, mixing, and mastering, turning “Sassy Santa” into a slamming retro dance/funk track that Tom loves.

Big Fat Gay Ass Christmas concludes with “Ho Ho Homo,” a beautiful track Tom recorded with his frequent collaborator, de ROCHE. He credits de ROCHE with bringing the song to life with vocals that sound like a group of carolers on the doorstep. “De ROCHE and I have been making music together for over a decade. I want her to be a part of everything I do until the end of time.”

The album’s cover art is by Joseph Fortuno. “Joseph created something so much edgier, cuter, gayer, and more visually stunning than I ever could have imagined,” Tom raves. “It’s the perfect wrapping for this big, fat, gay ass gift of an EP.”

Tom Goss was raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a small city on Lake Michigan, between Chicago and Milwaukee.  Much of his youth was spent focused on his studies and on wrestling.  He didn’t feel much in the way of sexual and emotional desires growing up.  In fact, he didn’t go on his first date until he was 22, while in seminary, training to be a Catholic priest.

That was when Tom realized he did have an appetite for sex, only it wasn’t towards women or even the men that society deemed as handsome.  His attraction was toward plus-sized men, known as "bears" in the gay community.  Many of his biggest pop hits today are odes to the large, furry men he loves.

Visit http://tomgossmusic.com

Follow Tom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Ashlee Keating is Comin' to Town!

Weslo: Hey, it’s Wesley Smoot with Unleashed LGBTQ, today we’re chatting with Ashlee Keating, singer-songwriter, and pop star extraordinaire. How are you?

Ashlee Keating: Awe, you’re so sweet. Thank you, I’m great thanks!

Weslo: I got to tell you, “Saucy” quickly became a summer anthem for me. It was released this year with stellar reviews, so congratulations on that… What was it like working with such a talented group of people for this project? 

Ashlee Keating: Ah, thank you so much!! That’s so amazing to hear and means a lot. I worked really hard on it. Man…I thank God and I’m grateful every day to have been able to have worked with the Champagne Therapy Music Group team on this music and SAUCY. They’re all insanely talented and down to earth people. Great energy, and that’s hella important to me.

Weslo: The music video to "Saucy" is just fabulous… And it seems now you have a huge LGBTQ+ following. I definitely see why your music is so appealing to queer audiences. Did you have many gay inspirations growing up?

Ashlee Keating: Thank you. Not in particular, but I did love Freddie Mercury and Elton John of course. I honestly always looked up to strong artists that made a huge impact on the world with their music and beyond as well as being very bold and fearless with their fashion tastes and decisions. I also loved Madonna, Cher, Lady Gaga, Prince, Pink, Britney Spears, Tina Turner, Marilyn Monroe…the list goes on. They were big in that community.

Weslo: Speaking of gay appeal… you have a recent single “YASSS”... another favorite. This track got over 1 million streams on Spotify in almost no time. What was that like?

Ashlee Keating: SO COOL!! Lol. It was my first million streams, and I still can’t believe it! It did well, even during the pandemic, and I hope it gave people a little escape and made them want to dance. I’m so happy everyone loved it, it’s a fun song and just the beginning.

Weslo: I just want to touch a little on your past, because you are no stranger to the spotlight… You were on Broadway at six years old alongside Richard Chamberlain (The Sound of Music), you played Annie at the famous Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia, you’ve worked with Disney, CBS… You’ve managed to sustain and continue to grow in a very difficult industry. What has contributed to this? Any advice to other young talents entering the show business?

Ashlee Keating: I think it’s very important to know yourself well and stay true to your roots and who you are. If you don’t know, that’s okay—keep searching and keep finding it. Don’t be afraid to be that unique version of yourself. People in this industry have a lot of opinions, but always be true and authentic to who you are, work hard, and never give up!! It’s not easy, you have to be hungry!!

Weslo: Giving back is obviously very important to you. You work with philanthropic organizations that support women empowerment and the LGBTQ+ community including GLAAD, Girl Up, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Why are these endeavors so important to you?

Ashlee Keating: I love being involved in philanthropy. Giving back is such a big part of my heart. I team up or work with organizations I connect with. GLAAD is connected to the LGBTQ community which is dear to my heart, Girl Up is supporting women empowerment and leadership which I support heavily, and St. Jude and the Make-A-Wish Foundation are all about kids and helping them feel/get better which means a lot to me.

Weslo: So, Christmas is right around the corner and I understand you have something extra special for your fans this year… a remake the holiday classic, “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”. I love the energy of this track, and I understand there will be a music video as well. Can you tell us a little more?

Ashlee Keating: YASSS!!! I’m so excited to share that this holiday season! It’s going to be super fun, and it’ll feel like a sassy and fierce type of holiday video with a little bit of naughty and nice like me haha. I loved my looks from the video. Hope everyone loves it!

Gay Streaming Service Dekkoo Begins Streaming Its Provocative New Series This Fall

Dekkoo.com, a subscription streaming service dedicated to gay men, will begin streaming its new original series, Adam in Fragments, on November 17. The provocative, gritty drama follows Adam (Beau Swartz), a sex worker who has never had to worry about anyone but himself until he meets Lucy (Keiva Bradley). Adam’s urge to guide the young and naïve aspiring adult film starlet and protect her from their terrorizing handler, Felix (Francisco Antonio), triggers a series of events that sends violent ripples through the Los Angeles underground sex-trade. Adam in Fragments is produced by Dekkoo Films and The Arbor Company.

“Most television shows and films about sex work either glorify the trade or exploit it,” says Omar Salas Zamora. He wrote and directed the series with Calvin Picou. “In Adam in Fragments, we aim to examine the profession, not by sensationalizing it, but through exploring the main character and his interactions with drug dealers and johns.”

Zamora and Picou drew inspiration from 70’s crime thrillers. “We incorporated that same coarse-grained aesthetic for a story aimed at a queer male audience,” Picou explains.

Each episode of Adam in Fragments builds a new picture of Adam. In the premiere, “Crawling Back”, the young man returns to his former life as a sex worker and quickly re-engages with his seedy and often dangerous male clients. In episode two, “Meal Ticket”, viewers are introduced to Lucy and witness the burgeoning relationship between the girl and Adam as they prepare for another night of work. In the third episode, “One Hundred & Fifty”, Adam is set up on a date where he meets a young hustler who opens his eyes to playing the sex trade by different rules. “In Through the Out Door” is the fourth episode in the series; Lucy reveals the abuse she’s endured at the hands of their pimp, Felix, and she and Adam begin planning their escape. In the series finale, “Fear Eats the Soul,” Adam struggles with the price he must pay for a safe and comfortable life.

“Throughout the series, Adam remains enigmatic,” says Brian Sokel, President of Dekkoo who executive produces along with Derek Curl. He selected Adam in Fragments as an exclusive series for Dekkoo. “The moment viewers think they have a handle on him, they realize that they do not. Adam’s ability to maintain his anonymity by never getting too close to johns, pimps, drug dealers, and even viewers, allows him some level of control, and it makes the series a fascinating and almost immersive experience for the audience.”

“Mainstream society will view Adam and the characters in Adam in Fragments as irredeemable, but these veterans of the underground are, in most cases, comfortable in their skin and together, they form something of a family unit,” Omar Salas Zamora adds. “It is only when a fresh new face comes along, with unattainable dreams and false illusions about life, that chaos ensues. Adam’s mistake is that he allows himself to become emotionally accessible to Lucy.”

Adam in Fragments stars Beau Swartz, Keiva Bradley, and Ryan Ruffing, and features supporting performances from Jonathan Miller, Francisco Antonio, Nick Flaig, Joe Garcia and Tara Emerson.

“We hope viewers find the humanity in these difficult characters,” Zamora and Picou agree. “They’re not heroes, villains, or victims. They merely exist.”

Filming for Adam in Fragments was done primarily on the streets in downtown Los Angeles.

Adam in Fragments premieres on Dekkoo on November 17, 2022. For more information, visit Dekkoo.com.

It’s Here! Ben Bakson Releases “You Got Me”

An Original Club Track Featuring Vocals by OMEO

*Remixes by GSP, JUNYO, Mauro Mozart, Elof de Neve and Dan Slater *

DJ Ben Bakson is out now with ‘You Got Me’, an uplifting original club track that features the incredible vocals of pop singer OMEO. It encourages listeners walk away from toxic people that keep them from achieving their life goals. “The song is about leaving the past behind and moving towards a happier, freer self,” Bakson explains. “It’s about finding peace within and taking back your power.” OMEO wrote the song and Ben Bakson produced its radio edit and original club remix. To support the single, Bakson is also releasing a dance package of ‘You Got Me’ with additional remixes by Dan Slater, GSP, Elof de Neve, Mauro Mozart & JUNYO. All are available on Apple Music, Spotify and all digital platforms.

“I’ve known OMEO for many years but when we ran into each other at this year’s Mardi Gras in Sydney, I knew it was kismet,” Bakson continues from his Miami home. He says the song’s story is one he can relate with. “I’ve had so many naysayers tell me I couldn’t do this or I was too young to do that. I have gotten rid of them all. If there is one thing I’ve learned, it is how important it is to surround oneself with positive people that encourage you to go to the distance. Anything worth achieving is going to take blood, sweat, tears and a whole lot of optimism.”

Ben Bakson grew up as an only child with two parents in a small village in south Germany where he enjoyed watching movies, listening to music and long days at the lake or sea with family and friends. At 18 years old, he moved to Berlin to study Economics and after graduating, he landed a marketing job at a large firm. It was only then that he began dabbling in music production.

His music style is commercial with hard, emotional, and energetic beats. Vocals are important to Ben as he believes that they are the soul of every song. In addition to his original compositions, he is noted for re-working famous songs from the 80s and 90s, as he did recently with Cutting Crew’s “(I Just) Died in your Arms”. “It’s fun to recreate past hits with fresh vocalists and modern, driving melodies,” Ben Bakson says.

OMEO is a pop singer from Sydney, Australia. His signature sound is one of smooth tones and warm vocals over electronic beats. He grew up singing a mix of Soul, R&B, gospel, and pop music. His name is indigenous and means ‘mountains’. It is a reminder to the artist that every mountain top is within and it is important to keep climbing. OMEO lives by the quote “The best view comes after the hardest climb”.

Ben Bakson is currently on a world tour. He premiered “You Got Me” at his recent parties in Sao Paulo, San Francisco, Washington DC and NYC. His next events will be in Madrid, Panama, Mexico City, and Dallas. “I can’t wait to open my sets with ‘You Got Me’ because it’s the best feeling in the world to see crowds enjoying music I have made.”

Ben Bakson’s “You Got Me” featuring OMEO is available now on Apple Music, Spotify and all platforms

SXSW ANNOUNCES INITIAL KEYNOTE AND SECOND ROUND OF FEATURED SPEAKERS

Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert Announced as Keynote

Featured Speakers Announced include Andrew Callaghan, 
David Chang, Julia Ducournau, Scott Galloway, Valerie June, Miranda Kerr, 
Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Cheech Marin, Hamilton Morris, Esther Perel, 
Ginni Rometty, Kara Swisher, Anne Wojcicki, and more

Austin, Texas — November 15, 2022 — South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals has announced its initial Keynote and the second round of Featured Speakers for the 37th edition of its annual Conference, which celebrates the convergence of technology, film, television, and music. SXSW takes place March 10-19, 2023 in Austin, Texas.

The Keynote and Featured Speakers announced today include Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert; founder of Momofuku and Majordomo Media and New York Times bestselling author David Chang in conversation with co-founder and CEO of Meati Foods Tyler Huggins, and co-founder and Chief Concept Officer of Sweetgreen Nicolas Jammet;director and screenwriter of the Palme d'Or winning film Titane Julia Ducournau; New York Times bestselling author, and co-host of the Pivot podcast Scott Galloway in conversation with Editor-at-Large of New York Magazine, host of On with Kara Swisher and co-host of the Pivot podcast Kara Swisher; Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Valerie June; and co-founder and CEO of 23andMeAnne Wojcicki.

“At SXSW, we thrive on creative ideas that lead to bold action when it comes to addressing society’s biggest challenges,” said Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer. “Our first announced Keynote Speaker, Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert, is a true leader in the world of business who is unafraid of pursuing the systemic reform needed to protect our planet in the face of climate change.”

The SXSW Conference is organized into 25 programming tracks presented in a variety of session formats. The tracks for 2023 include 2050, Advertising & Brand Experience, Cannabis, Civic Engagement, Climate Change, Creating Film & Episodics, Culture, Design, Energy, Film & TV Industry, Food, Game Industry, Health & MedTech, Markets & Economies, Media Industry, Music & Tech, Music Careers, Psychedelics, Sports, Startups, Tech Industry, Transportation, Travel & Leisure, Workplace Revolution, and XR & Metaverse. More information about SXSW programming tracks and formats can be found here.

Newly-announced SXSW 2023 Keynotes include:

• Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert

Newly-announced Featured Speakers include:

• Chemistry professor at the University of Texas at Austin Dr. Kate Biberdorf

• Founder of Royal and DJ Justin Blau, aka 3LAU

• Gonzo journalist and creator of Channel 5 Andrew Callaghan

• Professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business and author Dolly Chugh

• Director and screenwriter Julia Ducournau

• Professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, New York Times bestselling author, and co-host of the Pivot podcast Scott Galloway in conversation with Editor-at-Large of New York Magazine, host of On with Kara Swisher, and co-host of the Pivot podcast Kara Swisher

• Emmy and Tony Award-winning producer, co-founder and Managing Partner of Get Lifted Film Co., and Fellow and Professional-in-Residence at the University of Texas’ Moody College of Communication Mike Jackson

• CEO of Luminate Rob Jonas

• Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Valerie June

• Founder and CEO of KORA Organics, entrepreneur, and supermodel Miranda Kerr

• Actor, director, writer, comedian, and musician Cheech Marin

• New York Times bestselling author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together Heather McGhee

• Psychotherapist, New York Times bestselling author, and host of the podcasts Where Should We Begin? and How’s Work? Esther Perel

• Author and former Chairman, President, and CEO of IBM Ginni Rometty

• Founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup Boyan Slat

• Mycologist, entrepreneur, author, and inventor Paul Stamets

• Associate Professor of Environmental Politics at the University of California, Santa Barbara Leah Stokes

• Founder and CEO of Strangeworks whurley

• Co-founder and CEO of 23andMe Anne Wojcicki

Newly-announced Featured Sessions include:

• An Imminent Shift In The Plant Based Ecosystem: Consumers are finding themselves at a long-awaited intersection: diets are shifting to prioritize nutrition and environmental impact at a time when food innovation is booming and new brands hoping to address consumer’s fluctuating priorities emerge daily on grocery shelves. However, when food culture drives buying decisions in a sea of indistinguishable plant-based options, how do emerging products bust the paradigm of what people can expect from alt-meat? Where will consumer behavior go and how will the industry keep up? In this session, join founder of Momofuku and Majordomo Media, James Beard Award-winning chef, host of The Dave Chang Show and Recipe Club podcasts, and New York Times bestselling author David Chang, co-founder and CEO of Meati Foods Tyler Huggins, and co-founder, Chief Concept Officer of Sweetgreen Nicolas Jammet, and Head of Content at SutherlandGold and lecturer at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Aditi Roy as they discuss this shift and what the implications are for buyers and the food industry, ending with a hands-on activation where attendees will experience and taste mushroom root.

• Bijan Mustardson & the Future of NIL Partnerships: In 2022, creative agency CALLEN and Bijan Robinson launched the dijon mustard brand Bijan Mustardson, a partnership made possible by recent changes with NIL rules for college athletes. In this session, join founder and Chief Creative Officer of CALLEN Craig Allen, Marketing Manager at Athletes First Bryan Burney, running back for the Texas Longhorns Bijan Robinson, and Director of the School of Advertising and Public Relations, Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin Natalie Tindal, Ph.D., APR as they discuss how creative agencies can invest in more than a campaign and build a true business partnership for long-term success, developing a product and growing a brand with a celebrity business partner, and how to adapt to and anticipate where the NIL market is headed.

• Build the Damn Thing with Kathryn Finney: Founder and Managing Partner of Genius Guild and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kathryn Finney’s book, Build the Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business if You're Not a Rich White Guy, is a hard-won, battle-tested guide for every entrepreneur who the establishment has left out. In this session, join Finney for a conversation where she will share her storied career as an entrepreneur, inclusion champion, and investor who funds Black founders and women entrepreneurs in pursuit of their entrepreneurial dreams. 

• Building an Open Metaverse: As it stands today, a sole metaverse does not exist. What does exist are thousands of virtual worlds, many of which are connected through Ready Player Me’s network; an avatar system used by over 3,000 app and game developers. It is this interoperable network that has earned their reputation as a default avatar platform for the metaverse. In this session, join co-founder and CEO of Ready Player Me Timmu Tõke as he focuses on the importance of collaboration and building out partnerships in order to create an open metaverse and what brands need to do in order to make this happen.

• Building a Sustainable Economy in the Metaverse: As the metaverse is being created, it is our responsibility to build a sustainable foundation. But, how sustainable is the journey to this virtual landscape? In this session, join co-founder and CEO of VNTANA Ashley Crowder, founder and CEO of Emblematic Group and Director of Arizona State University’s Narrative and Emerging Media program Nonny de la Peña, and founder of Friends With Holograms Cortney Harding, as they discuss what the metaverse is today and explore how to build an inclusive environment, drive a shared value for businesses and creators, empower consumers, and enable ways to measure impact to create digital sustainability.

• The J Dilla Effect: Breaking Barriers Through Beats: James Yancey, aka “J Dilla,” is one of the greatest all-time hip-hop producers, a musical genius and visionary that inspired artists like A Tribe Called Quest, Pharrell Williams, Erykah Badu, and many others. Dilla made ultimate sacrifices to build opportunities for young, diverse creators to continue breaking down societal and cultural barriers. Curated by Save The Music, this session will feature founder and Chairman of the James Dewitt Yancey Foundation and J Dilla’s mother Ma Dukes and Grammy Award-winning DJ and music producer DJ Jazzy Jeff as they share personal stories of Dilla’s life and how his work changed hip-hop culture, while exploring how to carry on his legacy by investing in culturally rich communities to provide equitable resources for young creators to achieve economic stability and success through music and technology.

• Own Your Data: Empowering Our Digital Future: In this session, co-founder of the Own Your Data Foundation and author Brittany Kaiser will explain how she decided to become a whistleblower to protect our human rights in the digital space and discuss the issues that Big Tech has presented us with (lack of transparency, uninformed consent, no tracking or traceability, monetization of our data without any value going to us, etc), as well as the solutions she believes are essential to making technology more ethical and congruent with rights protection. 

• Reigniting Fan Engagement at Live Events: ​​The importance of community and human connection was more prevalent than ever when World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) returned with its biggest event of the year, WrestleMania, in April 2021. This historic event featured the first Black female Superstars to main event WrestleMania, celebrity appearances, live music performances and the unveiling of WWE’s new signature, “Then. Now. Forever. Together.” to recognize and celebrate WWE fans, their community and the message of inclusivity. As WWE prepares to host WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles this coming April, Chief Content Officer of WWE Paul “Triple H” Levesque will discuss in this session the road to WrestleMania, the importance of the WWE Universe and how this community has evolved.

• To Trip or Not to Trip: The psychedelic science torch is getting passed to the next generation, with fresh perspectives on both ancient and future medicines. In this session, join Writer and Director of Hamilton's Pharmacopeia, chemist, and science journalist Hamilton Morris, professor of Pharmacology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Charles Nichols, adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and Professor Emeritus at the Purdue University College of Pharmacy David E. Nichols, co-founder and Partner at Palo Santo Tim Schlidt, and endowed professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Trauma and Director of the Center for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Director of Mental Health at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center Rachel Yehuda as they explore the future of psychedelic science and answer questions such as, can we take the “trip” out of psychedelics, do we want to, and will “next gen” psychedelic compounds have an advantage over today’s medicines? 

About SXSW
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film and television, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music, and comedy showcases, film & TV screenings, exhibitions, professional development, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2023 will take place March 10 - 19, 2023 in Austin. For more information, please visit sxsw.com. To register for the event, please visit sxsw.com/attend. 

SXSW 2023 is sponsored by White Claw, Porsche, Itaù bank, and The Austin Chronicle.

Jinkx Monsoon & BenDeLaCreme’s “The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show” Tours Internationally This Fall

You better watch out, you better not cry, because global drag icons and RuPaul’s Drag Race stars, BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon are coming back to town with the wildly successful, internationally acclaimed The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show (Produced by BenDeLaCreme Presents). The tour will run from November 11 - December 30 across the U.K, U.S. and Canada with a new show written by Jinkx & DeLa that proves why they’re still the reigning “queens of Christmas” (Entertainment Weekly).

Following the massive success of three previous holiday tours, fans can expect another year of fabulous spectacle, whip-smart comedy, brand new songs, and annual favorites. Join the sugary DeLa and spicy Jinkx for an evening The New York Times says is “sure to lift your spirits and make you howl with laughter.”

BenDeLaCreme says, “The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show is joyous, hilarious, surrealist, communal, and heartwarming. Nothing makes me feel more connected to the good in the world than the seas of people we get to celebrate the season with night after night--laughing, cheering, and being in our feelings together. I’m so lucky to get to experience that each year, and I hope you all will experience it with us.” 

Jinkx Monsoon (who just won All Stars 7) adds, “The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show will take everything you expect from a drag queen variety show, and spin it on its side. It will test the limits of stupidity, while being unexpectedly deep and reflective. We strive for entertainment while always proving that the holidays are for you to celebrate however you want to.” 

BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon are the sole writers of their holiday shows, a major achievement for two drag artists who tour at such a large scale each year. Jinkx says, “I think it is important that the show is created BY us, so it's decidedly FOR us, and those like us. So often, queer and drag stories are written by outsiders, and lack an authenticity that queer audiences crave. Creating the show ourselves, from the ground up, ensures that that authenticity is infused in every aspect of the production.” 

DeLa adds, “Jinkx and I LOVE writing. We are passionate and have something to say. It comes from the heart. Writing AND performing as a combo is the best way for us to express what drives us as artists and as humans and fortunately, on top of that, people just happen to think we’re very funny.”  

For the past four years, Jinkx and DeLa have owned the season with their sold-out holiday tours including To Jesus, Thanks for Everything in 2018, All I Want for Christmas Is Attention in 2019 and The Return of the Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show, LIVE! In 2021. In 2020, BenDeLaCreme produced her first-ever film under BenDeLaCreme Presents with The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special (Hulu / PVOD), a 60-minute variety special made for the screen. The special debuted to critical acclaim and solidified itself as a global queer holiday must-watch for years to come. 

The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show is co-written and co-created by BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon, directed by BenDeLaCreme, and produced by BenDeLaCreme Presents, a company comprised of producers BenDeLaCreme, Kevin Heard, and Gus Lanza. For more information, and to sign up for updates, visit jinkxanddela.com.

As “Queens of Christmas” Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme prepare to kick off their 4th annual critically-acclaimed holiday tour - “The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show” - they’ve released a hopeful and classic holiday ballad, “Looking at the Lights” available on all streaming platforms November 1st via BenDeLaCreme Presents Records. Written by BenDeLaCreme, composed by Major Scales and performed by Jinkx Monsoon, the song debuted in the 2021 holiday tour which beautifully (and hilariously) explores the effects the pandemic had on our mental health, and how the “joy” of the holidays felt different than before. 

DeLa says, “‘Looking at the Lights’ is the first song I’ve ever written that’s just earnest and didn’t break itself with a joke. It’s a true holiday song about friendship and community, and how even in the darkest of times, we still have each other. I wrote it as a way to process all my feelings of trauma, grief and anxiety in the pandemic. When we were working on the show last year, it had all the campiness, jokes and parodies our audiences love but it was still missing something that truly acknowledged what we had all gone through. This song became the climax of the show, and hearing Jinkx sing it for the first time absolutely floored me. As someone who’s always struggled with the holidays, this is more than just a song about pandemic loneliness. It’s timeless and always relatable.” 

Jinkx adds, “First of all, it’s such an honor when two of your brilliantly talented friends [BenDeLaCreme and Major Scales] make a song for you and ask you to sing it. When DeLa and I first heard the composition by Major, we had mutual goosebumps. It’s become one of my absolute favorite songs to perform, and even more special knowing how audiences connect with it. I’m excited for fans who got to see the show last year to add this studio recording to their holiday playlists.” 

“Looking at the Lights” follows the release of the duo’s first joint studio album, The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special Soundtrack from their beloved holiday film classic The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special streaming on Hulu (Produced & Directed by BenDeLaCreme).

Tour Dates:

November 11 - Clearwater, FL (Capitol Theatre) [Preview Performance]
November 12 - Clearwater, FL (Capitol Theatre) [Preview Performance]
November 17 - London, UK (London Palladium) *SOLD OUT*
November 18 - Sheffield, UK (Sheffield City Hall)
November 19 - Manchester, UK (Manchester Opera House)
November 20 - Brighton, UK (Brighton Dome)
November 23 - Buffalo, NY (Riviera Theatre)
November 25 - Toronto, ON (Queen Elizabeth Theatre) *SOLD OUT*
November 26 - Ottawa, ON (Algonquin Commons Theatre) *SOLD OUT*
November 27 - Montreal, QC (Olympia) *SOLD OUT*
November 29 - Boston, MA (Chevalier Theatre) *SOLD OUT*
November 30 - Philadelphia, PA (The Fillmore) *SOLD OUT*
December 2 - New York, NY (Town Hall) *SOLD OUT*
December 3 - New York, NY (Town Hall) *SOLD OUT*
December 4 - Washington, DC (Lincoln Theatre) *SOLD OUT*
December 6 - St. Paul, MN (The Fitzgerald Theater) *SOLD OUT*
December 7 - Chicago, IL (Auditorium Theatre)
December 8 - Detroit, MI (Royal Oak Music Theatre) *SOLD OUT*
December 9 - Indianapolis (Murat Theatre at Old National Centre)
December 11 - Austin, TX (Paramount Theatre) *SOLD OUT*
December 12 - Dallas, TX (Majestic Theatre) *SOLD OUT*
December 14 - Denver, CO (Paramount Theatre) *SOLD OUT*
December 16 - San Diego, CA (Balboa Theatre) *SOLD OUT*
December 17 - San Francisco, CA (The Warfield) *SOLD OUT*
December 18 - Los Angeles, CA (Orpheum Theatre) *SOLD OUT*
December 19 - Los Angeles (Orpheum Theatre)
December 21 - Seattle, WA (Moore Theatre)
December 22 - Seattle, WA (Moore Theatre)
December 23 - Seattle, WA (Moore Theatre)
December 24 - Seattle, WA (Moore Theatre)
December 27 - Portland, OR (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall)
December 29 - Calgary, AB (Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium)
December 30 - Vancouver, BC (Vogue Theatre) *SOLD OUT*

Additional Praise for The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show:

"Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme are the Queens of Christmas." 
- Entertainment Weekly

"Filled with queer Christmas cheer, these queens deliver the goodies." 
- Film Inquiry

“A masterclass in polished, elevated drag, that plays to the special talents of its stars, this is a pairing not to be missed.”
- Glasgow Theatre

“[Jinkx & Dela] are experts at the kind of physical comedy Lucille Ball perfected in her heyday. Whether it’s with a snarl of the lip, in Jinkx’s case, or a widening of the eyes, in DeLa’s, each has the ability to make small movements speak volumes…”
- Exeunt Magazine

“A double dose of delight...One story, two queens, and an extravagantly side-splitting evening.”
- Out Front Magazine

URGE Miami Festival Returns This Thanksgiving Weekend

With Three Massive Night Spectaculars and the Steamiest Beach Party on the Sands of South Beach

URGE Miami Festival returns this Thanksgiving weekend with three massive nighttime events and three sizzling daytime fetes including the Royal Palm Pool Party and the legendary Beach Party on the sands of South Beach.    Produced by Luis Morera, Billy Kemp and Hilton Wolman, the LGBTQ+ festival weekend will take place November 25-28 and will feature a list of the world’s most famous circuit DJs including Alex Lo, Dan Slater, Edu Quintas, Enrico Meloni, Jerac, Joe Gauthreaux, Marvin Ayy, Mauro Mozart, Paulo Fragoso, Suri and Tom Stephan, with more to be announced.

“After the massive success of last year’s Thanksgiving festival, we are excited to do it all over again, bigger and better than ever before,” says Hilton Wolman.

URGE Miami Festival kicks off Friday, November 25 at 10pm when Barcelona’s Matinee Group makes its triumphant return to Miami with Matinee Pervert XXL.  DJ’s Tom Stephan and Alex Lo will take over the decks at Miami's newest nightclub, M2 Nightclub, for their raunchiest production ever.  The historic nightclub (formerly known as Paragon/Glam Slam/Level/Mansion and Icon) has been transformed with $10 million in upgrades to structure, sound and lighting.  At 35,000 square feet, it will be the largest party ever thrown by URGE. Matinee Group is promising a level of production seldom seen before and they are flying in some of the hottest dancers from Spain and Europe to keep the dancefloor shaking into the wee morning hours.

At 2pm on Saturday is the Royal Palm South Beach pool party, presented by Eliad Cohen as part of the Papa World Tour.  DJs Dan Slater and Paulo Fragoso will raise the temps with their high energy beats, making extensive use of the incredible facilities offered by Royal Palm.  Expect plenty of wet and wild, splish and splashy fun and gorgeous men in skimpy bikinis.

The weekend’s Saturday night Main Event, URGE Warrior, will take place at one of Miami's premier film studios, home to some of the biggest blockbusters on HBO Max and Netflix, on their largest sound stage. DJs Suri and Mauro Mozart will battle it out with incredible beats in a spectacular production, sure to amaze. 

It leads to the signature event of the weekend:  the long-established Sunday Beach Party on the sands of South Beach. The sandblast begins at 2pm with DJ’s Enrico Meloni from Italy and Joe Gauthreaux from the USA dropping the beats on the largest stage and dancefloor and most colossal VIP deck this event has seen before. Kidd Madonny and his company, 3DX, are building the decor for the party and like last year, it will incorporate URGE Miami Festival’s yellow and white retro resort and cabana influenced theme.

“Circuit fans come from all over the world to experience one of America’s biggest LGBTQ beach parties,” Wolman explains.  “We will not disappoint.”

This year’s host hotel is the Royal Palm South Beach.  With 400 rooms, more than a quarter of which are suites, the Royal Palm is one of South Beach’s largest hotels, superbly located directly on the beach on Collins at the end of Ocean Drive. It offers a superior experience and will serve as the location of URGE Miami Festival’s Welcome Center and Saturday Pool Party.  It is also a short walk to a majority of the parties. Special $249 room rates are available while supplies last.

A portion of the proceeds from URGE Miami Festival will once again benefit Miami Beach Pride, a not-for-profit organization that works to unite members of the LGBTQ community by celebrating the unique spirit and culture of its people. 

Tickets for URGE Miami Festival are available now on the website.  GA and VIP tickets are available, as is the popular 24-hour pass that includes the Sunday Beach Party, Sunday night event and Monday morning Afterhours event. 

LUCKTOBERFEST LIGHTS UP LUCK, TXAN INCLUSIVE CELEBRATION OF CULTURE AND COMMUNITY

With unforgettable performances from Orville Peck, Paul Cauthen’s Big Velvet Revue, Tanya Tucker, Shinyribs, Los Lobos, Jake Wesley Rogers, Alex Meixner and more

Orville Peck Credit: Brittany Halberg

Austin, TX - October 30, 2022: This past weekend, Luck Presents’Lucktoberfest took over Willie Nelson’s Luck, TX for an incredible, culturally-rich weekend of unique music, food, and artisan experiences that celebrated the diverse, amazing people that call Texas home. It was a weekend of non-stop connection, inclusivity, and experiences at a party that only Luck Presents could create. The three-day festival saw show-stopping performances from Orville Peck, Paul Cauthen’s Big Velvet Revue, Tanya Tucker, Shinyribs, Los Lobos, Alex Meixner, Jake Wesley Rogers, and more, with plenty of surprise guests taking the stage.

Paul Cauthen’s Big Velvet Revue Left to Right: Kirby Brown, Paul Cauthen, David Ramirez, and The Kernal Credit: Brooke Hamilton + Amanda Cooper

On Friday, Ryan Quiet, Los Lobos and The Kernal all took the stage ahead of a spectacular performance of Paul Cauthen’s Big Velvet Revue where he was joined by special guests David Ramirez and Kirby Brown. 

The Beer Hall tent lived up to its name, offering patrons the option of a pint or pitcher from Real Ale, Deep Ellum, Lagunitas, Thirsty Planet, and Yuengling. Music wasn't the weekend's only attraction. Guests of all ages were treated to a midway carnival with classic games and Luck-themed prizes. In addition, local creative collective Preacher took over the chapel for a recorded confessional activation, inviting attendees to anonymously broadcast their deepest, funniest, or weirdest thoughts - to the crowd throughout the day.

Jason Scott kicked things off for Saturday’s Outlaw Masquerade with Jonathan Terrell and Jake Wesley Rodgers both taking the stage. Saturday was a fashionable affair, with fans fully decked out for the occasion. The Desert Roses Southern Glamour Fashion Showbrought the runway to the center of Luck, with outstanding queer southern glam looks and more from central Texas designers NICÓ, This is Sloane, DASHE, FLAMER, and Alive By Benjamin, and TheJigglewatts Burlesque took over the town with an extravagant burlesque show. The love amongst the community was palpable as festival goers embraced the genre-bending, binary-defying art, fashion, and performances of the weekend. 

In addition to the themed flair, many attendees dressed in elaborate Halloween costumes - and were able to enter a costume contest to win a $400 Southwest Airlines gift card. Guests could also top off their look at Tecovas' braid bar and shoe shine station. Headliners Orville Peck and Tanya Tucker ended the night with two show-stopping sets under the glow of the iconic Luck sign. While Tucker surprised the audience with appearances from Country hero Sonny Throckmorton and Craig Dillingham, Peck made his biggest (littlest) fan’s night with an onstage greeting. 

Tanya Tucker | Credit: Brittany Halberg

Throughout the weekend guests enjoyed beverages from Tito's Vodka, White Claw, TX Whiskey, Bev, Epic Western, Topo Chico, Sap's Original, Liquid Death, and Guayki. 

The weekend came to an epic conclusion on Sunday for ‘Prost, Y’all!’, a night of German-influenced entertainment celebrating cherished Bavarian traditions from everything to polka to the stein holding competition, hosted by New Braunfels' Krause's Beer Hall, celebrating the end of October in true Bavarian fashion. Participants competed for VIP tickets to Luck Reunion 2023. Music was of course the centerpiece with performances from Alpenmusikanten, the Walburg Boys, Yodel Blitz, Tanzenfest and Alex Meixner, who was joined by friends Walt & Tina Wilkins and Sunny Sauceda for a very special set. Shinyribs pulled out all of the dance moves for their Southern soul headlining set, with a crowd pleasing performance of hits. 

Orville Peck with Fan | Credit: Brooks Burris

 $1 from every ticket sold went directly to the Central Texas Food Bank through the Luck Family Foundation. Now in its 40th year of serving those in need, the mission of Central Texas Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in the fight against hunger. The Food Bank provides food and grocery products through a network of nearly 300 Partner Agencies and nutrition programs, serving nearly 60,000 people every week.

Renowned as one of the most exciting, singular musical experiences of the calendar year amongst artists and fans alike, Luck Reunion will return to Willie Nelson’s “Luck, TX” on Thursday, March 16th, 2023 for it’s 11th year. Tickets will go on sale to the public soon. 

Jake Wesley Rogers | Credit: Brittany Halberg

Desert Roses Fashion Show | Credit: Brittany Halberg