Look To The Stars News: Steve Buscemi

Look To The Stars Film Pick: Reach For Me

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles (DFFLA) is proud to announce A MediaVision Production’s of LeVar’s Burton’s film “Reach for Me” as the 2009 Centerpiece Gala film, to be presented on Friday, August 14th, 2009 at 7:30pm at the United Artists Screening Theater inside the AT&T Center.

The film’s star, Seymour Cassel will be presented with the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and a gala party will follow the evening’s programming. The award will be presented by actress and Screen Actor’s Guild Foundation executive Connie Stevens, with video tributes from Wes Anderson, Steve Buscemi, Angelica Houston, Luke Wilson and more!

This special event will be located at the festival’s main screening venue, LBA Realty’s AT&T Center (formerly, the Transamerica Center), located at corner of Hill St. and 12th St , in downtown L.A.’s burgeoning new South Park district. The gala party will be held on the 32nd penthouse floor of the complex.

“Reach for Me” (2008, USA, 89 minutes) directed by LeVar Burton follows Alvin (Seymour Cassel), a bitter man confined to the Valley Meadow Hospice who unexpectedly discovers the joys of life and its many intricacies. Ready to pass away after a disappointing life, he is interrupted by the vivacious young man named Kevin (Johnny Whitworth), a new patient and roommate who loves to live life to the fullest. Kevin and his girlfriend Sarah (Lacey Chabert) do their best to make Alvin’s life meaningful in his last few days and even get him to fall in love for the first time with Valerie (Adrienne Barbeau). Setting all the wheels in motion for the intersecting relationships is head nurse Evelyn (Alfre Woodard).

Mr Burton says “The heart and humanity of Michael Bruce Adams’ script leapt off the page. When my producing partner Mark Wolfe brought me this amazing project I was committed immediately.” Producer Susan R. Rodgers has been pleased at both the critical and audience reception to the film, commenting, “This is a filmmaker’s dream to make a great film you care so deeply for and put so much work and sacrifice into it that has garnered both commercial and artistic success.” She and producing partner Charlene Blaine-Schulenburg adds, “…we tend to shun the aging and the sick and this film paints aging and dying with both humor and dignity and most of all honor.” Producer Mark Wolfe noted that “Having such a stellar ensemble cast lead by a talent like Seymour Cassel, and under LeVar’s direction, is the essence of successful indy filmmaking.”

Cassel, an Academy Award nominated actor for Faces (1968), will be presented the lifetime achievement award. One of Hollywood’s most familiar faces, Cassel has performed in more than 170 films with numerous distinctions throughout his career as well as television appearances in shows like “The F.B.I.” (1962 ) and “Heist” (2006). He is highly celebrated for his work and dedication with the American indie film community, beginning with director John Cassavetes’ Shadows (1950) and along with other Cassavetes’ titles like Minnie and Moskowitz (1971). In addition, he starred In The Soup (1992), in which Cassel received the Special Jury Recognition for Outstanding Performance at the Sundance Film Festival, and co-starred with Bill Murray in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004).

Much like many others in the film industry, Director LeVar Burton was amazed by Cassel’s heart and devotion to his craft. “By anyone’s standard, Seymour is a legend,” Burton comments. “He’s an amazing actor who’s had the kind of longevity in his career every actor dreams of….”

Starring along with Cassel is Alfre Woodard. In addition to her multiple Emmy and Golden Globe awards for her work in television, Woodard was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her celebrated role in director Martin Ritt’s 1983 film Cross Creek. As well as appearing in Desperate Housewives, Woodard is the co-founder of Artists for a New South Africa, a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating the African AIDS pandemic and advancing democracy and equality in South Africa. ANSA also works to further civil rights and safeguard voting rights in the U.S.

The Centerpiece Gala and Awards Ceremony will be attended by celebrity presenters to be announced at a later date.

For more information, visit the festival’s website: www.dffla.com

Igor Helps Fight Malaria In Africa

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

John Cusack’s new animated film, Igor, is helping to raise awareness of the threat of malaria in Africa.

The film – which features the vocal talents of Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Jay Leno, and Christian Slater – tells the story of a lowly lab assistant in the land of Malaria who dreams of becoming a scientist. With the help of two of his experimental creations—Brain, a brain in a jar who’s a little light on brains, and Scamper, a cynical bunny brought back from being road kill, Igor and his friends fight to save the world, and prove that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

The film was picked by www.malaria.com – an education, advocation, and financing body whose mission is to fight the disease – as being the perfect vehicle to raise awareness of the issue. By visiting Malaria.com’s special Igor site, the public can donate directly to the Against Malaria Foundation to buy mosquito nets for people in Africa.

“For a very little donation you can purchase these nets… the biggest prevention of malaria in Africa, where it is a huge problem,” said Buscemi. “Out of one to three million people who die of malaria, 70 per cent are under five years old. I had no idea that it’s a huge problem, so I’m glad if this movie can raise money.”

One mosquito net only costs $5 and can save the lives of whole families in Africa.

Stars Become Brokers For BGC Charity Day

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:30:00 -0000

BGC will hold its 4th Annual Global Charity Day on Thursday 11th September.

Consistent with its theme, “Working Globally – Giving Locally”, BGC’s offices around the world will raise money for charity as they commemorate September 11 by reaching out to help others.

In New York, London, Paris, Sydney and Hong Kong, celebrities from the worlds of music, stage, screen and sport will join the company’s brokers to help raise money for a number of selected charities. All of BGC’s global revenues generated from the day’s trading will be donated to charity.

Events will take place around the globe, with celebrities becoming stock brokers for a day. In New York, stars such as Tony Sirico, Donald Trump, Steve Buscemi, Regis Philbin, Matthew Modine, Leighton Meester, and Scott Gomez will become traders on Wall Street, while in London, Prince Charles will join Kevin Spacey and Jerry Hall in the City to trade on the markets.

Charities that will benefit from this year’s Charity Day will include: Barnardo’s, Breast Cancer Care, Scope, the Jodie Kidd Foundation, the Prince’s Trust, Baby Buggy, the Rainbow Trust, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the Variety Club, the National Down Syndrome Society, the Valerie Fund, the Wounded Warrior Project, Nordoff-Robbins, and many more.

The annual Charity Day has raised over $15 million for charities around the world. For more information about this year’s events, visit the BGC website.

Look To The Stars News: Steve Buscemi

Look To The Stars Film Pick: Reach For Me

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Igor Helps Fight Malaria In Africa

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