J Events – Page 4

J Events: American Black Film Festival 2015

June 15, 2015February 1, 2024ayminor

Black-American-Film-Festival-Taraji — ABFF attendees wait for the 2015 Ambassador Taraji P. Henson and moderator Gayle King.

What is ABFF you ask?

The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is a four-day event dedicated to showcasing narrative feature films, documentaries, shorts and Web originals by and about people of African descent. It is a star-studded event that goes beyond the cinema to include master classes, networking events, and panels featuring the biggest and brightest in Hollywood. In its nineteenth year, the festival is considered the nation’s largest gathering of Black film and TV enthusiasts. This year’s festival was held June 11-14 in New York City.

Why you need to attend next year:

Wether you are simply a film enthusiast, or an aspiring actor/blogger/director/etc., ABFF is the place to be. Not only do you have access to the latest and greatest in film and television — this year’s festival included the New York premiere of DOPE — but you also have access to up-and-coming and A-list on-screen and off-screen talent.

Price is no excuse not to attend — though the festival weekend passes start at around $300+, it is possible to purchase individual tickets for many of the events and screenings for as little as $12.

ABFF 2015 films and web series to look out for:

I was blown away by this film. A must see! I was originally a little thrown by the serious tone of the film (my heart was set on seeing a romcom!), but with limited selections available on Friday, my Mom and I thought we would give it a chance. Divine intervention! This movie will touch the heart, and enrich the mind while also giving you a look at the highs and lows of the music industry. Following the screening Che “Rhymefest” Smith surprised the audience with a performance of a song from the movie and, along with the film’s co-director and producer Ricki Stern, answered questions about its conception as well as his relationship with his father. After the brief Q&A, my Mom and I still had several questions; luckily as things wrapped up my Mom was able to talk with Che for a few minutes in the company of The Fashion Bomb Editor-In-Chief Claire Sulmers.

American-Black-Film-Festival — Photo credit ayminor.com.

I was drawn to the web originals showcase on Friday because of the description for Black Actress, a web series created and starring Degrassi alum Andrea Lewis. To no surprise, it was my favorite series of the night.

The series follows struggling actress Kori Bailey (Andrea Lewis) as she navigates life and the ups and downs of the business in the big city. What I loved about the series is although she is trying to making it in the acting world, Kori’s struggle speaks to one many 20-somethings go through in trying to make it in their chosen field. Check out the first episode below!

They have announced that ABFF will take place in Miami next year (a disappointment for those of us above the Mason-Dixon line), but you have a year to save! Please make sure you attend and support!

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J Events: Enter Today to Win Free Tickets to the Landmark Music Festival

May 26, 2015February 1, 2024ayminor

Back from the Chi! Good thing I finally got around to checking my emails from last week.

The hosts of the inaugural Landmark Music Festival will be giving away 500 pairs of free festival tickets in a lottery to be held on Thursday, May 28. You have one day to apply — the lottery closes at 5:00p tomorrow! Find more information about the Landmark Music Festival here and full details about the lottery below.

Feeling lucky? Today, the Trust for the National Mall kicks off a public lottery for 500 pairs of free GA tickets to the fest!

You have from 9:00 a.m. EDT on May 21 until 5:00 p.m. EDT on May 27 to be entered to win a spot at the inaugural Landmark! That evening, 500 winning names will be randomly drawn and all entrants will be notified of the results by email the following day.

In partnership with the Trust for the National Mall, Landmark Music Festival will be the first event held to support the Trust’s Landmark Campaign for the National Mall, which will establish various events and promotions to raise awareness, participation and fundraising to restore the most visited national park in America, the National Mall. The grounds, which were built to honor America’s brightest leaders and bravest heroes, is suffering from a growing amount of deferred maintenance and needed upgrades to the infrastructure of the park, which has not seen a major renovation in 40 years. (landmarkfestival.org)

Three Things I Learned About the White House

April 27, 2015February 1, 2024ayminor

What’s the D.C. experience without a tour of the White House? Since I began packing my bags to move to the District I have been trying to snag a tour of the First Family’s residence. Though I am still working on inside access, on Saturday I was able to do a tour of the White House grounds during the annual White House Garden Tour.

Here a few things that took me by surprise (that I should probably already know):

1. The front porch is actually the back porch.

Has anyone ever watched Scandal and imagined Mellie and Fitz to be overlooking the grounds on their front balcony? I know I did, but alas we are wrong — the “front porch” is actually the back. It is easy to mistake the back of the residence as the front because of its vast views — from the porch you can see the Washington Monument, the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial. It’s also the place where the president officially greets foreign Heads of State. Nonetheless, it’s called 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for a reason.

WH-garden-tour — All of the White House maps also show the backyard in the foreground, which adds to the confusion.

2. The Oval Office is on the ground floor.

Every time I look at the majestic images of the Oval Office, I’ve always imagined that it was located on the second floor of the White House overlooking the front grounds — never in a million years would I think it to be such a small structure, in a corner of the backyard. I mean really, don’t those look like the tops of large trees through the windows?

I did learn that my thoughts weren’t completely off base: during the 19th century, a number of presidents used the White House’s second-floor Yellow Oval Room as a private office or library – it wasn’t until Theodore Roosevelt became president that the West Wing was built (to separate the White House domestic space from the office space), and finally the Oval Office as we know it was established during President Taft’s tenure.

3. Sasha and Malia’s playset lives on.

The cutest part — in 2009, President Obama had a playground installed for Sasha and Malia Obama — a sign of normalcy in contrast to their growing notoriety. Though I’m sure it hasn’t been used in a while, it’s still cute to see a piece of their childhood.

Here are a few more images from our outing!

J Events: Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day

April 22, 2015February 1, 2024ayminor

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Happy Earth Day!

To celebrate this year, I attended the Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day, a rally and concert on the Washington Monument grounds.

Leading up to the event there was much skepticism about its impact — although the event was meant to highlight important issues including climate change and the end to poverty, there was a fear that the big draw for people was the concert and the calls to action would be nothing more than an afterthought.

Global-Citizen-Festival-2015-Earth-Day — My view for the day.

Although I do think the concert was a big draw for people, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing because it provided an audience to hear great music, but also an important message by using interactive videos and big name speeches. The format definitely could have been more effective — they should have featured the speeches and videos in even shorter segments, they often called for taking action on mobile devices which were inoperable due to the huge crowds, and the event should’ve been more eco-friendly; however, even with the drawbacks, this type of event has great potential to strike that perfect balance of “work” and play to really motivate action amongst young adults.

To read more about the issues, watch video from the event and see interactive content go to globalcitizen.org

Now to get to the music — I wasn’t able to see all of the acts live, but I’m glad I made it just in time for Usher and No Doubt — it was such a beautiful day!

Tourist-washington-monument-global-citizen-festival — Enjoying the sunshine in front of the Washington Monument.

Find a few performances below:

Usher brought out special guest Common to perform “Glory” at the 6:40 mark. What do you think of Usher’s rendition?

No Doubt looked and sounded great. Gwen looks like she came in a time machine from 1999, absolutely flawless!

J Music: Jazmine Sullivan’s Reality Show Tour at the Fillmore

March 20, 2015February 1, 2024ayminor

My first post in the new year, cheers to 2015!

Last week I had the pleasure of attending my first Jazmine Sullivan concert and I promise you it was every bit the experience you’d think it to be.

I arrived a few minutes after 8:00 to another sold out crowd for the 27-year-old phenom. As soon as her husky vocals came through the loud speakers the crowd roared — she came right back with the same energy. That her vocals were on point comes as no surprise. It was her presence that is a true testament to time, healing and facing your demons.

The theme for her comeback, the tour, and her new album Reality Show is self-love, and these days, Jazmine practices what she preaches. She is happy. She is healthy. She is confident. You saw it in her smile, toss of her hair, even in a few Beyonce-like booty pops (I swear). She’s worked through the pain of her abusive relationship, the insecurities that come with fame and she can now stand firm on who she is. For that, I am thankful for her four year hiatus; she’s a better performer because of it.

You gotta put yourself first. – Jazmine Sullivan

Watch her performance of “Forever Don’t Last” below:

https://youtu.be/CMpdAPHOYaA

Not to worry, Jazmine was still able to effectively channeled her pain without wallowing in it. When performing records like "Forever Don't Last," and of course, "In Love With Another Man," she had folks catching the holy ghost because of that raw, captivating emotion.

The Reality Show Tour opener Jordan Bratton was a natural performer and brought something a little different to the show — a soul-electronic fusion. I’ve yet to find much intel, other than his new single “Danger ft. Fabolous,” but I will keep an eye out.

Luckily for any who missed her March tour dates, Jazmine has added new stops in April, including another performance at the Fillmore. Buy your tickets now before it’s too late!

Check out my snapchat from the night:

J EVENTS: 2014 WEEN AWARDS AT HELEN MILLS EVENT SPACE

November 21, 2014February 1, 2024ayminor

On Wednesday night, I battled the cold and CRAZY Uber prices to attend the fourth annual Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN) Awards held at Helen Mills event space in Midtown.

WEEN is an organization committed to supporting, promoting and defending the balanced, positive portrayal of women in entertainment and society founded by Valeisha Butterfield Jones. Annually, the organization hosts the WEEN Academy — a 4-week* crash course that trains young women between the ages of 18-22 to be next-generation leaders in the entertainment business. Unfortunately for me, I learned about the academy a few months after my last eligible year, however I made sure to stay connected with the WEEN community by signing up for the WEEN Online listserv (which is open to women of all ages).

Though I couldn’t find a wingwoman for the night, I am beyond grateful that I worked up the nerve to attend on my own. As a former BET intern and media and entertainment enthusiast, I have been to plenty of networking events, but this was my first taste of an industry event — there was no velvet rope, it was truly an opportunity to mix and mingle with women who continue to pave the way in the industry, from musicians to top executives. Seven women were awarded for their commitment to empowerment and achievement in business and entertainment including MC Lyte, Angela Yee and Sevyn Streeter. In addition to the honorees in attendance, Yandy Smith, Bridget Kelly, Lil Mama and Mona Scott-Young, among several other stars, served as presenters.

I encourage any young women passionate about the industry to audition for next summer’s class and become a WEEN member today to learn about future events and opportunities.

WEEN Awards-Valeisha-Butterfield — Cîroc girl! Photo courtesy of WEEN Online/Nyki Elle.

Watch a video recap of the event below:

*I believe the 2015 WEEN Academy will be 6 weeks, still free of charge for participants.