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Delving into What Makes LAAPFF’s Pacific Cinewaves Shorts Unique

How to Catch a Taotaomona

Playing at the
Regal L.A. LIVE: A Barco Innovation Center
1000 W Olympic Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA

Saturday | September 25, 2021
3:30 pm

The Pacific Cinewaves Program at the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival is my go to for kick starting this event. It’s free / pay what you can, because there’s no reason not to miss all the messages being delivered about how to preserve the ancient world of Polynesia.

The various pieces offer a delightful, supernatural and meditative exploration on what makes this part of the world unique. I say this with mixed feelings, because not all the countries in this vast region are represented. We have Guam, and a beautifully family oriented tale about how to reconnect with one’s faith in How to Catch a Taotaomona.

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[Fantasia 2021] Having “Dreams on Fire”

The movie Dreams on Fire is about finding that passion to make Yume that rising star, and fulfilling a dream to become a professional dancer.

North American Premiere

Moviegoers who love films about newcomers wanting to firmly establish themselves in the performing arts have seen this premise before. There’s an individual who wants to be recognized. But in order to do so usually means crossing the line or burning a bridge somewhere.

Yume (Bambi Naka) has Dreams on Fire–this film’s title. After watching a spectacular performance at a local theatre, all she wants to do is dance. She goes against her parents’ wishes and leaves the nest to find she’s alone. She’s nowhere close to getting auditions for those shows or being recognized, much less winning at street dance competitions. But there’s more to the art than having the moves. There’s also finding that drive to keep going. As Don Henley once sang, “She can’t feel the heat coming off the street.”

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[Fantasia 2021] From Stage to Film to Streaming with Art Kabuki

Taping live theatre performances is one thing, but to capture the nuance that defines song, dance and drama through the lens of a video camera requires having the eye to make the show as mesmerizing as attending one.

Nakamura Kazutaro and Onoe Ukon knew that when the pandemic hit, not every citizen of Japan could partake in watching Kabuki theatre. There are other forms of entertainment, but some cultural events would have to reinvent themselves if it’s to survive. Taping live theatre performances is one thing, but to capture the nuance that defines song, dance and drama through the lens of a video camera requires having the eye to make the show as mesmerizing as attending one. And thus, Art Kabuki was born.

The story we find has to enthral and even captivate. The first segment, “The Descent of the Four Gods” connects the heavens with the mortal realm as these divine forces get rather curious about our human affairs. Much like early Greek theatre, where gods are said to intermingle in the lives of humans and are part of the show, this Asian world takes a novel approach.
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WARPs UP “Pleasure” now Available Worldwide!

WARPs is an abbreviation of Wave Assemble Radical People-syndicate, based on the concept of creating waves of innovation. It is a project that produces a variety of unique artistic works and transcends national borders. WARPs UP are one of the groups within the WARPs project.

Available to stream
on Apple Music and iTunes

For other services, please
visit this landing page.

Japanese-Chinese boys’ collective WARPs UP has new single ‘Pleasure’ now available to download and stream. Also available is their new mini-album ‘Prep.20/21SS -Chapter RLSM-’ for fans to rock on to. Up until now, these releases had been limited to China. This releases marks the first opportunity for fans to hear these long-awaited songs on music services around the world.

The single ‘Pleasure’ is the opening theme song to the popular TV anime series Fruits Basket–whose latest season ‘The Final’ began broadcasting in April. This is the first ballad from them which carries an inspiring message: No matter our fate or circumstances, we all have the power to shape our own future. There’s no need to be afraid.

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From Beatmania to Beyond, Yamato, This Star Blazer is Making Waves

Yamato’s outstanding skills with a Pioneer CDJ deck are an incredible sight to behold.

To see Yamato’s latest videos, please visit the official YouTube channel.

Meet Yamato, an impossibly highly skilled DJ and producer from Japan who has redefined the boundaries of CDJ mixing. Over the course of his career, Yamato has been blessed by the late DJ Avicii, and, more recently, contributed tracks for Konami’s ‘beatmania’ games. Yamato’s latest track, ‘Blaze’, has been featured in a campaign to attract visitors to the city of Nagoya.

Just two years after his DJ debut, this DJ took first place in the ‘burn WORLD DJ CONTEST 2013 JAPAN’ competition, which was sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company. Soon after, during the ‘burn STUDIOS RESIDENCY’ global contest held in Ibiza, Spain, he was selected by superstar DJ Avicii to co-star at the ‘burn YARD in Budapest’ festival in Hungary, becoming the first Japanese artist to perform with Avicii. Since then, Yamato has been a fixture at clubs and large festivals in Japan and around the world.

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TVO & The Toronto Star to Livestream New Year’s Eve Celebrations!

The show’s spectacular opening number from the Princes’ Gates in Toronto, will have an extraordinary and diverse group of performers from legendary stars to new artists, who take us on an incredible journey making their way to a sensational stage which will feature a showstopping launch to the show, choreographed by Clarence Ford with Akeel Henry as Musical Director.

FREE TO VIEW!

On New Year’s Eve, Thursday December 31st, 2020, at 10:30 pm ET, From Ontario With Love: A Celebration of Hope will showcase a powerful, heartfelt 90 minute special event on TVO and the TVO YouTube Channel, as well as Facebook livestream at thestar.com. Featuring incredible performances, storytelling, and fireworks, with our cast and crew from Ontario. Witness some of Ontario’s greatest emerging stars and legendary talent including: Avril Lavigne, The Halluci Nation (Formerly known as A Tribe called Red), AllyDice, Barenaked Ladies, Broadways Chilina Kennedy, CZN, Divine Brown, Jully Black, Measha Brueggergosman, LOONY, Award winning DJ duo Loud Luxury, NOTIFI, Roy Woods, Ryhan Douglas, Sean Jones, Steele, The Tenors, Wali Shah and America’s Got Talent Finalist Roberta Battaglia with the Award winning Windsor Symphony Orchestra.

The celebration will also feature powerful Front Line Workers across Ontario. The evening will be hosted by Kim’s Convenience star Andrew Phung and Canadian television and radio personality Arisa Cox with award winning DJ duo Loud Luxury, live from Windsor’s Capitol Theatre, which will be celebrating its 100th birthday on New Years Eve.

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