February 4th is National Wear Red Day for Heart Health Awareness

February 4th is National Wear Red Day for Heart Health Awareness

Portland, OR. Women who think they’re healthy often misread the symptoms of a heart attack because they don’t think it could happen to them. That’s why it’s crucial to learn about heart attacks, know your numbers and live heart-healthy. Now is a good time to review some basics about the Warning Signs & Symptoms of Heart Attack and Stroke.

Heart attack and stroke are life-or-death emergencies — every second counts. If you think you or someone you’re with has any symptoms of heart attack or stroke, call 911 immediately. The Oregon Chapter of the American Heart Association has some important information about heart health.

Signs and Symptoms of Heart Attack

If you have any of these signs, call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away.

  1. Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.
  2. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
  3. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
  4. Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
  5. As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort.

    But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

What do I do if I’m having a heart attack?

If you experience any of these signs or symptoms:

  • Dial 911 immediately, follow the operator’s instructions and get to a hospital right away.
  • Don’t drive yourself to the hospital.
  • Try to stay as calm as possible and take deep, slow breaths while you wait for the emergency responders.

There is a technique called Hands-Only CPR that is recommended if you should see a person who needs CPR. Here’s a video about it:

Signs and Symptoms of Stroke

If you have any of these signs, call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away.

  1. Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
  2. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
  3. Sudden trouble seeing or blurred vision in one or both eyes
  4. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
  5. Sudden severe headache with no known cause

From the Oregon Chapter of the American Heart Association:

A Culture of Health in Oregon & SW Washington

We’re working to create a world free of heart disease and stroke – a world where everyone can live your healthiest life. We know that true health is influenced by the places you live, learn, play and pray. Our work in Oregon & SW Washington includes working with local industries to improve the health of workers, increasing access to healthy food in our community, teaming up with city and state leaders to promote health policies, and providing our kids with more opportunities to be active in school.

Contact Us

4380 SW Macadam Avenue #480
Portland, OR 97239
(503) 820-5300

The 2022 Sundance Film Festival Winners Announced

The 2022 Sundance Film Festival Winners Announced

Park City, UT. After nine days, 84 feature films and 59 short films, the juries have deliberated and audience members voted. This was the second year the festival was held online. The Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Nanny (U.S. Dramatic), which is seen above. Director Nikyatu Jusu, a daughter of Sierra Leone immigrants, describes her debut NANNY as “a love letter to immigrant mothers, marginalized mothers, mothers who sacrifice so much to create a new life for their children in America.”  Other winners included: The Exiles (U.S. Documentary), Utama (World Cinema Dramatic), and All That Breathes (World Cinema Documentary).

Audience Awards were presented to Navalny (U.S. Documentary), Cha Cha Real Smooth (U.S. Dramatic), Girl Picture (World Cinema Dramatic), The Territory (World Cinema Documentary), Framing Agnes (NEXT), with Navalny winning the Festival Favorite Award.

The Exiles (U.S. Documentary), is a film about the leaders of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests who escaped to political exile following the June 4 massacre.

NAVALNY, an Audience Award winner, was made in secret and details the harrowing ordeal of Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader poisoned with novichok.

Here’s more information about Sundance

“Today’s awards represent the determination of visionary individuals, whose dynamic work will continue to change the culture and create discourse throughout the year,” said Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente. “This year’s entire program has proven that no matter the context, independent storytelling remains a pivotal tool in expanding critical dialogues, and these stories will and must be shared.”“The 2022 Sundance Film Festival once again met our audience wherever they happened to be,” added Sundance Film Festival Director Tabitha Jackson, “Whether you watched from home or one of our seven satellite screens, this year’s Festival expressed a powerful convergence; we were present, together, as a community connected through the work. And it is work that has already changed those who experienced it.”“We are so grateful for this year’s jurors who brought their expertise and passion to their decision-making process,” said the Festival’s Director of Programming Kim Yutani, “We congratulate the award winners and we’re so thankful to each and every film in the program that made the 2022 Sundance Film Festival such a huge success.”The awards announcement marks a key point of the 2022 Festival, where 84 feature-length and 59 short films — selected from 14,849 submissions — were showcased online via the Festival’s online platform; a selection of the program will play at 7 Satellite Screen locations across the United States, starting tonight.This year’s jurors were: Chelsea Barnard, Marielle Heller, and Payman Maadi for U.S. Dramatic Competition; Garrett Bradley, Joan Churchill, and Peter Nicks for U.S. Documentary Competition; Andrew Haigh, Mohamed Hefzy, and La Frances Hui for World Cinema Dramatic Competition; and Emilie Bujès, Patrick Gaspard, and Dawn Porter for World Cinema Documentary Competition. Joey Soloway was the juror for the NEXT competition section. Penelope Bartlett, Kevin Jerome Everson, and Blackhorse Lowe juried the Short Film Program Competition.Feature film award winners in previous years include: Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised), CODA, Flee, Hive, Minari, Boys State, Epicentro, Yalda, A Night for Forgiveness, ClemencyOne Child Nation, Honeyland, The SouvenirThe Miseducation of Cameron PostI don’t feel at home in this world anymore., WeinerWhiplash, Fruitvale Station, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Twenty Feet from Stardom, Searching for Sugarman, The Square, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Cartel Land, The Wolf Pack, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Dope, Dear White People, The Cove and Man on Wire.GRAND JURY PRIZESThe U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to Nikyatu Jusu for Nanny U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Nikyatu Jusu, Producers: Nikkia Moulterie, Daniela Taplin Lundberg) — Aisha is an undocumented nanny working for a privileged couple in New York City. As she prepares for the arrival of the son she left behind in Senegal, a violent supernatural presence invades her reality, threatening the American dream she is painstakingly piecing together. Cast: Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector, Rose Decker, Leslie Uggams.Juror Chelsea Bernard said: “For this Grand Jury Prize we celebrate a movie that flooded us with its compassionate and horrifying portrayal of a mother being separated from her child. This film cannot be contained by any one genre —it’s visually stunning, masterfully acted, impeccably designed from sound to visual effects, and the overall vision, expertly guided by Nikyatu Jusu comes together offering its audience an electrifying experience.”The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to Ben Klein and Violet Columbus for The Exiles / U.S.A. (Directors: Ben Klein, Violet Columbus, Producers: Maria Chiu, Ben Klein, Violet Columbus) — Documentarian Christine Choy tracks down three exiled dissidents from the Tiananmen Square massacre, in order to find closure on an abandoned film she began shooting with Renee Tajima-Peña in 1989.Juror Joan Churchill said: “For the Grand Jury Prize, we recognize a film which is totally original, layered, philosophical and non-linear — challenging our understanding of history. For celebrating the power of documentary filmmaking and the responsibility of the filmmaker to examine the truth.”The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to Alejandro Loayza Grisi for Utama / Bolivia/Uruguay/France (Director and Screenwriter: Alejandro Loayza Grisi, Producers: Santiago Loayza Grisi, Federico Moreira, Marcos Loayza, Jean-Baptiste Bailly-Maitre) — In the Bolivian highlands, an elderly Quechua couple has been living the same daily life for years. When an uncommon long drought threatens their entire way of life, Virginio and his wife Sisa face the dilemma of resisting or being defeated by the environment and time itself. Cast: Jose Calcina, Luisa Quispe, Santos Choque.Juror Mohamed Hefzy said: “An intimate and tender portrayal of a family struggling to uphold their traditional way of life and finding resilience in the face of loss, this beautifully shot first feature film brings into focus the effect of climate change on the indigenous populations of South America.”The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to Shaunak Sen for All That Breathes / India/U.K. (Director and Producer: Shaunak Sen, Producers: Aman Mann, Teddy Leifer) — Against the darkening backdrop of Delhi’s apocalyptic air and escalating violence, two brothers devote their lives to protect one casualty of the turbulent times: the bird known as the Black Kite.Juror Emilie Bujès said: “This poetic film delivers an urgent political story while constructing a singular and loving portrait of protagonists resisting seemingly inevitable ecological disaster – with humorous touches punctuated by unsentimental depiction of the animal kingdom. For maintaining its suspenseful tension when portraying the interior struggles of its characters and the contradictions in spirituality and materialism they confront, we present the [World Cinema] Grand Jury Prize to All That Breathes.”AUDIENCE AWARDSThe Audience Award: U.S. Documentary, Presented by Acura was awarded to Navalny / U.S.A. (Director: Daniel Roher, Producers: Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller, Shane Boris) — Shot as the story unfolded, a fly-on-the-wall documentary thriller about anti-authoritarian Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Recovering in Berlin after nearly being poisoned to death with the nerve agent Novichok, Navalny makes shocking discoveries about his assassination attempt and bravely decides to return home – whatever the consequences.The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura was awarded to Cha Cha Real Smooth / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Cooper Raiff, Producers: Dakota Johnson, Ro Donnelly, Erik Feig, Jessica Switch, Cooper Raiff) — A directionless college graduate embarks on a relationship with a young mom and her teenage daughter while learning the boundaries of his new bar mitzvah party-starting gig. Cast: Dakota Johnson, Cooper Raiff, Vanessa Burghardt, Evan Assante, Brad Garrett, Leslie Mann.The Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic was awarded to Girl Picture / Finland (Director: Alli Haapasalo, Screenwriters: Ilona Ahti, Daniela Hakulinen, Producers: Leila Lyytikäinen, Elina Pohjola) — Mimmi, Emma and Rönkkö are girls at the cusp of womanhood, trying to draw their own contours. In three consecutive Fridays two of them experience the earth moving effects of falling in love, while the third goes on a quest to find something she’s never experienced before: pleasure. Cast: Aamu Milonoff, Eleonoora Kauhanen, Linnea Leino.The Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary was awarded to The Territory / Brazil/Denmark/United States (Director: Alex Pritz, Producers: Will N. Miller, Sigrid Dyekjær, Lizzie Gillett, Anonymous) — When a network of Brazilian farmers seizes a protected area of the Amazon rainforest, a young Indigenous leader and his mentor must fight back in defense of the land and an uncontacted group living deep within the forest.The Audience Award: NEXT, Presented by Adobe was awarded to Framing Agnes / Canada/U.S.A. (Director: Chase Joynt, Producers: Samantha Curley, Shant Joshi, Chase Joynt) — After discovering case files from a 1950s gender clinic, a cast of transgender actors turn a talk show inside out to confront the legacy of a young trans woman forced to choose between honesty and access.FESTIVAL FAVORITE AWARDSelected by audience votes from the 84 features screened at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, the Festival Favorite Award was presented to Navalny / U.S.A. (Director: Daniel Roher, Producers: Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller, Shane Boris) — Shot as the story unfolded, a fly-on-the-wall documentary thriller about anti-authoritarian Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Recovering in Berlin after nearly being poisoned to death with the nerve agent Novichok, Navalny makes shocking discoveries about his assassination attempt and bravely decides to return home – whatever the consequences.JURY AWARDS FOR DIRECTING, SCREENWRITING & EDITINGThe Directing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented to Reid Davenport for I Didn’t See You There / U.S.A. (Director: Reid Davenport, Producer: Keith Wilson) — Spurred by the spectacle of a circus tent that goes up outside his Oakland apartment, a disabled filmmaker launches into an unflinching meditation on freakdom, (in)visibility, and the pursuit of individual agency.Juror Peter Nicks said, “In moments ranging from whimsical to hypnotic, this remarkable film demonstrates a singular command of cinematic form to create an immerse and authentic experience. For this captivating tableau that reminds us of the beauty of the unseen, the Directing Award goes to Reid Davenport for I Didn’t See You There.”The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to Jamie Dack for Palm Trees and Power Lines U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Jamie Dack, Screenwriter: Audrey Findlay, Producers: Leah Chen Baker, Jamie Dack) — Seventeen-year-old Lea spends her summer aimlessly tanning with her best friend, tiptoeing around her fragile mother, and getting stoned with a group of boys from school. This monotony is disrupted by an encounter with Tom, a man twice her age, who promises an alternative to Lea’s unsatisfying adolescent life. Cast: Lily McInerny, Jonathan Tucker, Gretchen Mol.Juror Marielle Heller said, “Jamie Dack …directs a brave and subtle film that forces us to face something that is happening just under the surface all over the world. She expertly guided two extraordinary lead performances that ground us so deeply in the circumstances that we can’t look away. This is a situation we like to keep at arm’s length but it’s closer and more invasive than we all wish, and this film delicately walks us through how anyone’s desire for love and attention can lead you down a rabbit hole that’s impossible to escape from.”The Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented to Simon Lereng Wilmont for A House Made Of Splinters / Denmark (Director: Simon Lereng Wilmont, Producer: Monica Hellström) — In Eastern Ukraine, follow the daily life of children and staff in a special kind of home: an institution for children who have been removed from their homes while awaiting court custody decisions. Staff do their best to make the time children have there safe and supportive.Juror Dawn Porter said, “An astonishing achievement in documentary storytelling. With sensitivity, this filmmaker immerses us in an intimate story obscured by a broad political conflict tearing at the fabric of a country. This pristine and highly emotional film embraces the children’s universe within a harsh reality.”The Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented to Maryna Er Gorbach for KLONDIKE / Ukraine/Turkey (Director and Screenwriter: Maryna Er Gorbach, Producers: Maryna Er Gorbach, Mehmet Bahadir Er, Sviatoslav BulakovskyI) — The story of a Ukrainian family living on the border of Russia – Ukraine during the start of war. Irka refuses to leave her house even as the village gets captured by armed forces. Shortly after they find themselves at the center of an air crash catastrophe on July 17, 2014. Cast: Oxana Cherkashyna, Sergey Shadrin, Oleg Scherbina, Oleg Shevchuk, Artur Aramyan, Evgenij Efremov.Juror Andrew Haigh said: “An exhilarating piece of cinema, meticulously framed, exquisitely blocked, and beautifully performed, this is a film about the choices we make as the world is torn apart.”The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to K.D. Dávila for Emergency U.S.A. (Director: Carey Williams, Screenwriter: KD Davila, Producers: Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner, John Fischer) — Ready for a night of partying, a group of Black and Latino college students must weigh the pros and cons of calling the police when faced with an unusual emergency. Cast: RJ Cyler, Donald Watkins, Sebastian Chacon, Sabrina Carpenter.Juror Marielle Heller said, “We celebrate KD Davila’s wildly inventive and instantly compelling script for Emergency. From the beginning premise, we are instantly hooked and on the side of our lead characters as they try to navigate an impossible situation with hilarious and gut-wrenching results. By the end of the film, we are entirely invested in the friendship of these young men and have gone along on this funny and witty ride and come out on the other side feeling more connected to each other as human beings. Davila’s script, in Carey Williams’ extremely capable hands, takes us on a wild ride that we will never forget.”The Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented to Erin Casper and Jocelyne Chaput for Fire Of Love / U.S.A. (Director: Sara Dosa, Producers: Shane Boris, Ina Fichman, Sara Dosa) — Intrepid scientists and lovers Katia & Maurice Krafft died in a volcanic explosion doing the very thing that brought them together: unraveling the mysteries of volcanoes by capturing the most explosive imagery ever recorded. A doomed love triangle between Katia, Maurice and volcanoes, told through their archival footage.Juror Peter Nicks said, “For its ability to distill a wealth of immersive archival material into a powerful story of human endeavor and love, the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award goes to Fire of Love.”SPECIAL JURY AWARDSU.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Uncompromising Artistic Vision was presented to Bradley Rust Gray for blood U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Bradley Rust Gray, Producers: David Urrutia, Bradley Rust Gray, So Yong Kim, Elika Portnoy, Alex Orlovsky, Jonathon Komack Martin) — After the death of her husband, a young woman travels to Japan where she finds solace in an old friend. But when comforting turns to affection, she realizes she must give herself permission before she can fall in love again. Cast: Carla Juri, Takashi Ueno, Gustaf Skarsgård, Futaba Okazaki, Issey Ogata.Juror Payman Maadi said, “For a special jury award for an uncompromising artistic vision we celebrate Bradley Rust Gray for his film blood. Rust gently walks us through an authentic journey of grief that invites us to observe intimate moments of human connection. It is sometimes the small changes that leave a lasting effect on your life. Sometimes to ease your pain and find yourself, you have to leave your comfortable surroundings to find a world that will help you know yourself better.”U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Ensemble Cast was presented to John Boyega, Nicole Beharie, Selenis Leyva, Connie Britton, Olivia Washington, London Covington, and Michael K Williams for 892 / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Abi Damaris Corbin, Screenwriter: Kwame Kwei-Armah, Producers: Ashley Levinson, Salman Al-Rashid, Sam Frohman, Kevin Turen, Mackenzie Fargo) — When Brian Brown-Easley’s disability check fails to materialize from Veterans Affairs, he finds himself on the brink of homelessness and breaking his daughter’s heart. No other options, he walks into a Wells Fargo Bank and says “I’ve got a bomb.“ Cast: John Boyega, Michael Kenneth Williams, Nicole Beharie, Connie Britton, Olivia Washington, Selenis Leyva.Juror Payman Maadi said, “For a special jury prize for an incredible ensemble of actors we celebrate 892: John Boyega, Nicole Beharie, Selenis Leyva, Connie Britton, Olivia Washington, London Covington and the legendary Michael K Williams. These actors represent the best of their craft, bringing their humanity required to tell Lance Corporal Brian Brown-Easley’s heartbreaking story to the screen.”U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: Impact for Change was presented to Aftershock / U.S.A. (Directors and Producers: Paula Eiselt, Tonya Lewis Lee) — Following the preventable deaths of their partners due to childbirth complications, two bereaved fathers galvanize activists, birth-workers and physicians to reckon with one of the most pressing American crises of our time – the U.S. maternal health crisis.Juror Garrett Bradley said, “We would like to recognize a film which brings to light an issue both historical and ever present — which weaves together a critical and lesser known history alongside the urgency of today.”U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: Creative Vision was presented to Descendant / U.S.A. (Director: Margaret Brown, Producers: Essie Chambers, Kyle Martin) — Clotilda, the last known ship carrying enslaved Africans to the United States, arrived in Alabama 40 years after African slave trading became a capital offense. It was promptly burned, and its existence denied. After a century shrouded in secrecy and speculation, descendants of the Clotilda’s survivors are reclaiming their story.Juror Peter Nicks said, “For the Creative Vision – Special Jury Award, we would like to recognize a film which evokes, un-surfaces and reveals, in a profound direction forward. A character-driven film in pursuit of historical reconciliation, the award goes to “Descendant,” directed by Margret Brown.”World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Documentary Craft was presented to The Territory / Brazil/Denmark/United States (Director: Alex Pritz, Producers: Will N. Miller, Sigrid Dyekjær, Lizzie Gillett, Anonymous) — When a network of Brazilian farmers seizes a protected area of the Amazon rainforest, a young Indigenous leader and his mentor must fight back in defense of the land and an uncontacted group living deep within the forest.Juror Patrick Gaspard said, “A singular achievement of cinematic craft, the film thrills with a soaring score, sound design, skillful editing and cinematography, all in support of a story that is both intimate and epic. It allows contemplation of this existential crisis from multiple perspectives.”World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Excellence In Verité Filmmaking was presented to Midwives / Myanmar (Director: Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing, Producers: Bob Moore, Ulla Lehman, Mila Aung-Thwin, Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing) — Two midwives work side-by-side in a makeshift clinic in Myanmar.Juror Dawn Porter said, “This revealing film is a reminder of the exquisite power of cinema verité filmmaking. A surprising story of female self-determination in the face of militaristic oppression, directed with a rigor that demonstrates the resilience of filmmaker and subjects alike.”World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Innovative Spirit was presented for Leonor Will Never Die / Philippines (Director and Screenwriter: Martika Ramirez Escobar, Producers: Monster Jimenez, Mario Cornejo) — Fiction and reality blur when Leonor, a retired filmmaker, falls into a coma after a television lands on her head, compelling her to become the action hero of her unfinished screenplay. Cast: Sheila Francisco, Bong Cabrera, Rocky Salumbides, Anthony Falcon.Juror La Frances Hui said, “Switching in-between genres, this film within a film follows an ailing screenwriter who enters her unfinished screenplay of a gangster film to experience and edit her own creation. Constantly shifting in tone, the film is a playful display of the love of cinema. Its innovative and risk-taking spirit is especially commendable.”World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Acting was presented to Teresa Sánchez for Dos Estaciones / Mexico (Director and Screenwriter: Juan Pablo González, Screenwriters: Ana Isabel Fernández, Ilana Coleman, Producers: Jamie Gonçalves, Ilana Coleman, Bruna Haddad, Makena Buchanan) — In the bucolic hills of Mexico’s Jalisco highlands, iron-willed businesswoman Maria Garcia fights the impending collapse of her tequila factory. Cast: Teresa Sánchez, Tatín Vera, Rafaela Fuentes, Manuel García-Rulfo.Juror La Frances Hui said: “This performance is a total standout. This actress delivers the complexity of a factory owner bearing the weight of a family business under threat. Her nuanced performance embodies toughness, loneliness, a yearning for love, and an ignitable rage that brings the character fully alive and infinitely fascinating to follow.”NEXT INNOVATOR AWARD PRESENTED BY ADOBEThe NEXT Innovator Award presented by Adobe was presented to Chase Joynt for Framing Agnes / Canada, U.S.A. (Director: Chase Joynt, Producers: Samantha Curley, Shant Joshi, Chase Joynt) — After discovering case files from a 1950s gender clinic, a cast of transgender actors turn a talk show inside out to confront the legacy of a young trans woman forced to choose between honesty and access.Juror Joey Soloway said, “This film simply grabbed me, taking me on a ride, questioning and re-questioning what was “real”. What an inspiring, alive structure this filmmaker pulled off — holding space for his own subjective presence, compelling and brilliant performances, an actual de-centering of cisness, but mostly — reclaiming history and pumping new breath into the outlines of those we never knew.”SHORT FILM AWARDS PRESENTED BY XRM MediaJury prizes for short filmmaking were awarded to:The Short Film Grand Jury Prize was awarded to The Headhunter’s Daughter / Philippines (Director and Screenwriter: Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan, Producer: Hannah Schierbeek) — Leaving her family behind, Lynn traverses the harrowing roads of the Cordilleran highlands to try her luck in the city as a country singer. Cast: Ammin Acha-ur.Juror Blackhorse Lowe said, “We were entranced by this poetic and dream-like film, which follows its character’s intimate journey with gorgeous cinematography and direction and acting, capturing a unique sense of place.”The Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction was awarded to Walter Thompson-Hernández for IF I GO WILL THEY MISS ME / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Walter Thompson-Hernández, Producer: Stuart McIntyre) — Lil’ Ant is obsessed with Pegasus, the Greek mythological character, since first learning about him at school in Watts, California. He begins to notice imaginary airplane people around his home, and yearns to fly with them. Cast: Anthony Harris Jr.Juror Blackhorse Lowe said, “We were impressed by the personal vision of this drama, a meditation on the filmmaker’s neighborhood, the need to fly and mythology, with vibrant writing and performances to show us all how to take control of our own world.”The Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction was awarded to Dania Bdeir for Warsha / France/Lebanon (Director and Screenwriter: Dania Bdeir, Producer: Coralie Dias) — A Syrian migrant working as a crane operator in Beirut volunteers to cover a shift on one of the most dangerous cranes, where he is able to find his freedom. Cast: Khansa.Juror Penelope Barlett said, “What first appears to be an everyday story about man’s quotidian existence set against the drudgery of a hazardous workplace transforms into a stunning, joyful journey of self discovery and self expression. For its combination of jaw dropping aerial cinematography with an intense performance by the lead actor, The Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction goes to Warsha by Dania Bdeir.”The Short Film Jury Award: Nonfiction was awarded to Samir Karahoda for Displaced / Kosovo (Director and Screenwriter: Samir Karahoda, Producer: Eroll Bilibani) — In postwar Kosovo, driven to keep their beloved sport table tennis alive, two local players wander from one obscure location to another carrying with them their club’s only possession: their tables.Juror Penelope Barlett said, “Artfully framed and edited, with a droll sensibility that makes it almost feel like a narrative, this subtle, precise observation of a community determined to succeed and excel at their beloved sport, despite a lack of resources, or even a place to gather to play it, speaks powerfully to human resilience.”The Short Film Jury Award: Animation was awarded to Joe Hsieh for Night Bus / Taiwan (Director and Screenwriter: Joe Hsieh, Producers: Wan Lin Lee, Joe Hsieh, Joe Chan) — On a late-night bus, a panicked scream shatters the night’s calm. A necklace is stolen, followed by a tragic and fatal road accident. The series of intriguing events that follows reveal love, hatred, and vengeance. Cast: Shu Fang Chen, Ming Hsiu Tsai, Yu Fang Lee, Shing Ming Wang, Shang Sing Guo, Pi Li Yeh.Juror Kevin Jerome Everson said, “With its deft handling of film noir sensibilities, well rounded storytelling, suspense and deeply crafted characters this film takes us on a ride figuratively and literally.” A Short Film Special Jury Award: Ensemble Cast was presented to Zélia Duncan, Bruna Linzmeyer, Camila Rocha, Clarissa Ribeiro, and Lorre Motta for A wild patience has taken me here / Brazil (Director and Screenwriter: Érica Sarmet, Producers: Lívia Perez, Silvia Sobral, Érica Sarmet) — Tired of loneliness, a middle aged motorcyclist goes to a lesbian party for the first time. There she meets four young queers who share their home and affections. An encounter of generations, a tribute to those who brought us here. Cast: Zélia Duncan, Bruna Linzmeyer, Camila Rocha, Clarissa Ribeiro, Lorre Motta.Juror Kevin Jerome Everson said, “A film that exercised extreme confidence with its generational group dynamics and an amazing cast that made the story and characters feel natural, exciting and inspirational to live and learn from.”A Short Film Special Jury Award: Screenwriting was awarded to Sara Driver for Stranger Than Rotterdam with Sara Driver / United States (Directors: Lewie Kloster, Noah Kloster, Screenwriter: Sara Driver) — In 1982, the completion of Jim Jarmusch’s sophomore film, Stranger Than Paradise, hinged on producer Sara Driver’s willingness and ability to smuggle one of the world’s rarest and most controversial films across the Atlantic Ocean.Juror Kevin Jerome Everson said, “With its unique storytelling approach, this historical documentary tells an all-too-familiar story of fighting for independent cinema. For her screenplay and narration, The Short Film Special Jury Award for screenwriting goes to Sara Driver for Stranger Than Rotterdam with Sara Driver by Lewie and Noah Kloster.”EARLIER SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL AWARDSThe 2022 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, presented to an outstanding feature film about science or technology, was presented to After Yang. The filmmakers received a $20,000 cash award from Sundance Institute with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.The Sundance Institute | Amazon Studios Producers Award for Nonfiction went to Su Kim for Free Chol Soo Lee (U.S. Documentary Competition).The Sundance Institute | Amazon Studios Producers Award for Fiction went to Amanda Marshall God’s Country (Premieres).The Sundance Institute | Adobe Mentorship Award for Editing Nonfiction went to Toby Shimin, and the Sundance Institute | Adobe Mentorship Award for Editing Fiction went to Dody Dorn.The Sundance Institute | NHK Award went to Hasan Hadi for his film The President’s Cake.The Sundance Film Festival®The Sundance Film Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the past three decades, including Flee, CODA, Passing, Summer Of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Clemency, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Zola, On The Record, Boys State, The Farewell, Honeyland, One Child Nation, The Souvenir, The Infiltrators, Sorry to Bother You, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Hereditary, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, The Big Sick, Mudbound, Fruitvale Station, WhiplashBrooklynPreciousThe CoveLittle Miss SunshineAn Inconvenient TruthNapoleon DynamiteHedwig and the Angry InchReservoir Dogs and sex, lies, and videotape.The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute. 2022 Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Acura, AMC+, Chase Sapphire, Adobe; Leadership Sponsors – Amazon Studios, DIRECTV, DoorDash, Dropbox, Netflix, Omnicom Group, WarnerMedia, XRM Media; Sustaining Sponsors – Aflac, Audible, Canada Goose, Canon U.S.A., Inc., Dell Technologies, IMDbPro, Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold, Rabbit Hole Bourbon & Rye, Unity Technologies, University of Utah Health, White Claw Hard Seltzer; Media Sponsors – The Atlantic, IndieWire, Los Angeles Times, NPR, Shadow and Act, Variety, Vulture. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations helps offset the Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute’s year-round programs for independent artists. Festival.Sundance.orgSundance InstituteAs a champion and curator of independent stories for the stage and screen, Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists in film, theatre, film composing, and digital media to create and thrive.Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institute’s signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Sundance Collab, a digital community platform, brings artists together to learn from each other and Sundance advisors and connect in a creative space, developing and sharing works in progress. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discover original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported such projects as Clemency, Never Rarely Sometimes AlwaysZola, On The Record, Boys State, The Farewell, HoneylandOne Child NationThe Souvenir, The Infiltrators, Sorry to Bother You, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Hereditary, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, The Big Sick, Mudbound, Fruitvale StationCity So Real, Top of the Lake, Between the World & Me, Wild Goose Dreams and Fun Home. Join the Sundance Institute on FacebookInstagramTwitter and YouTube.

Chinese New Year Plans Take Shape at Lan Su Garden

Chinese New Year Plans Take Shape at Lan Su Garden

Portland, OR. The Year of the Tiger kicks off on Tuesday, February 1st and the Lan Su Garden Garden is ready. The garden hosts one of the biggest Lunar New Year celebrations in the Pacific Northwest including a lion dance performance at the garden’s Entrance Plaza. The performance will also be live-streamed on Lan Su’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. The garden will also host 15 days of cultural programs, performances, and family activities.

At the Lan Su Chinese Garden, volunteers educate visitors. 

We’re Entering the Year of the Tiger: Here’s What It Means
According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2022 is the Year of the Tiger. The Chinese Zodiac dates back to the Qin Dynasty over 2000 years ago and is rooted in a system of zoolatry (or animal worship). As the legend goes, the Jade Emperor challenged all the animals in the Kingdom to a “Great Race.” Whoever arrived at his palace first would win his favor. The Tiger was sure that he had the race in the bag, but ended up placing third after the cunning Rat and workhorse Ox snuck in ahead of him. Thus, Tigers are extremely competitive people, known for their courage and ambition. Tigers are ambitious, but they’re also extremely generous with a drive to help others. Tigers want to win but they’re also always seeking justice.

If you were born in 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 or 2010, you were born during the Year of the Tiger. Famous people born during Tiger years include Queen Elizabeth II, Christopher Lloyd, Stevie Wonder, Martin Short, Jon Bon Jovi, Leonardo DiCaprico, Penelope Cruz, Lady Gaga, Jon Batiste and Shawn Mendes. The Tiger is associated with Yang (masculine, active) energy. Tigers do things their own way and hate being told what to do. 

Happy Year of the Tiger from Lan Su Staff from Lan Su Chinese Garden on Vimeo.

From Lan Su Garden:

Visit Lan Su to experience the most colorful and joyous Chinese festival during the garden’s two-week Chinese New Year celebration. In accordance with the Lunar Calendar, the Chinese New Year celebration of the Year of the Tiger, begins on February 1, 2022 and ends February 15, 2022. The festival features cultural performances, festival decorations, and craft activities, audio tours, Year of the Tiger Scavenger Hunts and much more!

Follow #CNYatLanSu on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so you never miss the updates of Chinese New Year celebrations at Lan Su!

Chinese New Year Opening – 9:45am, Tuesday February 1st
Kicking off with the new Lunar Year on February 1, Lan Su welcomes the community to join us for a lion dance performance at the garden’s Entrance Plaza to ushers in the Year of the Tiger. This is a community event and FREE for the public. In addition, garden visitors of the day will receive a hong bao, or traditional lucky red envelope at entry. This performance will also be live steamed on Lan Su’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.


Chinese New Year Featured Daytime Programs
Lion Dance Performance

Martial Art Demonstration

Chinese Dance Performance

Chinese Calligraphy

Chinese Seal Carving

Chinese Brush Painting

Family Craft Activities

Chopstick Challenge

Culture on Zoom – Chinese New Year Floral Arrangement

Culture on Zoom – Artist Talk with Dean Wong

Culture on Zoom – Lunar New Year Traditions with Sarah Chung

Foods of the New Year

Click Here to check out the full cultural program schedule of Chinese New Year 2022
Discover Chinese New Year at Lan Su
Enrich your festival experience with Discover Lan Su. This visitor mobile app provides a free access to garden audio tours and the interactive “Year of the Tiger” scavenger hunts from the safety and convenience of your own mobile device!

Chinese New Year Special Daytime Hours
10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. February 1-15

Please note: For the health and safety of visitors, volunteers, and staff, masks are required for all visitors. Plan for your visit by purchasing admission ahead of time. All programs are volunteer-based and weather-dependent, so please check our website to make sure the program is not canceled before visiting.

Pandemic Forces 2022 Sundance Film Festival Online for Second Year

Pandemic Forces 2022 Sundance Film Festival Online for Second Year

Portland, OR. The 2022 Sundance Film Festival opened on January 20th, debuting its lineup of new documentary and narrative films via streaming for the second year in a row. Films are viewed online and there are chat sessions online as well, like the one pictured above which is Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut, When You Finish Saving the World. The primary cast (Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard) and the producers (Emma Stone and Dave McCary) joined Eisenberg to discuss the tense, yet tender film about family. The festival was planned for an in-person experience but changed to an online platform several weeks ago, due to the omicron variant surge.

Sundance Film Festival, which runs through January 30, is making virtual screenings available across the U.S. (and, in some cases, internationally) via Sundance’s digital platform. The festival includes 82 features from 28 countries, most of which are world premieres.

Sundance also includes virtual reality presentations in the New Frontier section, with multimedia storytelling and biodigital performances accessible via laptop or VR headset. On the “Spaceship,” attendees can interact with other festival-goers via avatars, in this quasi-return to the traditional community atmosphere of the festival.

While in-person screenings at Park City, Utah, were canceled, some of the festival’s lineup will still screen at independent arthouses across the U.S. beginning January 28, including the Amherst Cinema in Amherst, Mass.; SNF Parkway Theatre in Baltimore; mama.film in Lawrence, Kan.; Indie Memphis in Memphis, Tenn.; Digital Gym Cinema in San Diego; Northwest Film Forum in Seattle; and a/perture cinema in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Here’s a preview video about Sundance.

To purchase packages and individual tickets go to the Sundance website.

Below is a snapshot of some of the highly anticipated films for 2022:


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A scene from the documentary “Fire of Love” by Sara Dosa.COURTESY OF SUNDANCE INSTITUTE

“Fire of Love” (World Premiere)

Director Sara Dosa makes terrific use of years of footage and photographs taken by Katia and Maurice Krafft, a French couple whose shared field of study — volcanoes — took them to the very edge of disaster.

“Fire of Love” is a love story, about a man, a woman, and the scores of volcanoes they investigated together around the world, from rivers of molten lava to explosive eruptions that can wipe out entire villages and mountainsides. Adept at conjuring a media-friendly image of daredevil husband-and-wife volcanologists, the Kraffts were awestruck by the power of nature, which would claim their lives during an eruption of Japan’s Mount Unzen in 1991.

Dosa’s film makes very clear that the Kraffts’ early fascination with volcanoes fueled their love for each other, and their shared enthusiasm pushed them beyond where clear-eyed scientists might go (as in, paddling a rubber raft in an acid lake). The volcano footage is mesmerizing, but the Kraffts’ story makes one appreciate how individual personalities — in this case, starstruck lovers — can advance the cause of scientific knowledge. Narrated by Miranda July. In English and French with English subtitles. Screens Jan. 22.


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“The Princess,” a new documentary by Ed Perkins.COURTESY OF SUNDANCE INSTITUTE | PHOTO BY KENT GAVIN

“The Princess” (World Premiere)

There has been no shortage of documentaries about Princess Diana, often incorporating interviews with palace staff, confidantes, and royal observers offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Windsor intrigue, Di’s failed marriage, and her tragic end in Paris. Director Ed Perkins takes a different path in this engrossing film, eschewing interviews laced with hindsight and using only archival footage — much of it unfamiliar — that captures Diana, Prince Charles, and the other royal family members only as the public saw them, with media pundits and commoners weighing in on the scandals that rocked Britain’s monarchy, from the time she first became a fixation of the public and the paparazzi, to her death.

With no overriding narration, we are walked through what amounts to the spectacle of her public life from age 19 to 36. We see how the spark of her public persona so captivated the world — and also how years of public utterances about their marriage, and the royals’ standing in society today (from Di and Charles, and the insufferable TV talking heads) got everything so wrong.

In the process, the film makes the public’s insatiable need for Princess Diana — a woman they truly did not know — partly culpable in the media’s hounding of this young woman. By the end they would hurl flowers onto her hearse. Screens Jan. 22. Will be broadcast on HBO later this year.


“Tantura” (World Premiere)

The desire to erase a painful past can be so strong that it feeds denialism, even when the evidence points otherwise. In 1948, the seaside village of Tantura in Palestine became the site of a fight between Israeli forces and Arab locals. Residents of the town were soon relocated, as seen in carefully staged newsreel footage. But years later, academic researcher Theodore Katz conducted interviews with survivors, from both sides, and postulated that Israeli troops had committed mass murder. His paper became the target of a libel suit by Alexandroni Brigade veterans.

When a village is, in the words of one, “erased,” the serenity of its current incarnation is disquieting. But with little physical evidence at hand, director Alon Schwarz (“Aida’s Secrets”) pores through the interview tapes, and conducts new interviews, that tend to muddy the historical record even further. How transient is memory? And how is the past, and justice, served by the desire to let sleeping dogs lie? “I’m fed up remembering bad things,” says one aged former soldier. In English, Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles. Screens Jan. 22.


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Singer Sinéad O’Connor in the film “Nothing Compares,” by Kathryn Ferguson.COURTESY OF SUNDANCE INSTITUTE | PHOTO BY ANDREW CATLIN

“Nothing Compares” (World Premiere)

“They broke my heart and they killed me, but I didn’t die,” says Sinéad O’Connor. Using archival footage, recreations and new interviews, Kathryn Ferguson’s insightful film tells the story of the Irish singer, and of the success and scandals that have followed her since she first burst onto the scene with her albums “The Lion and the Cobra” and “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got.”

For more than three decades, O’Connor’s non-conformist life, and art, has been a searing reaction to abuse she suffered at home; to discrimination and misogyny she experienced in the music industry; and to the condemnation that came from the press and the public whenever she opened her mouth and expressed something other than music. Rapper Chuck D notes, “The powers-that-be weren’t ready for her.”

Spoiler Alert: She’s not all that apologetic.

We also gain understanding about her collaborations with other artists, as well as how O’Connor’s image was marketed by a nervous label, which in hindsight seems silly: Had they never seen a punk, buzz-cut, pregnant singer before? Screens Jan. 21, 23.


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Salik Rehman in “All That Breathes” by Shaunak Sen.COURTESY OF SUNDANCE INSTITUTE | PHOTO BY KITERABBIT FILMS

“All That Breathes” (World Premiere)

In New Delhi, the population of kites — large birds akin to hawks — is cherished, but with the increased pollution in the skies, the birds are suffering. Brothers Mohammad and Nadeem Saud and their assistant, Salik Rehman, have therefore taken upon themselves the noble pursuit of tending to sick and injured birds, which they collect and nurse at their cobbled-together Wildlife Rescue clinic.

The good news: A profile in The New York Times inspires some funding so that they can build a proper animal hospital. The bad: Rescues are exhausting, and the chance to go abroad to study interferes with the work that needs to be done.

Shaunak Sen’s meditative film focuses on the unique bond that the men share with their patients, and how their efforts are an often-thankless sacrifice. Their secret? They believe what they are doing is the right thing. Not doing it is unimaginable. In Hindi with English subtitles. Screens Jan. 21, 23.


“Riotsville USA” (World Premiere)

In the late 1960s and early ’70s, efforts to combat riots in America’s streets (including the Kerner Commission’s study on civil disorder over racial inequities in America, which primarily resulted in more police funding) led to the erection on U.S. Army bases of fake towns, in which anti-riot tactics were demonstrated and filmed. With Army soldiers dressed down as rioters, Black “provocateurs” and gunmen engaged in looting and violence, security forces showed how to handle such miscreants, to the delight of assembled military and police officials.

Sierra Pettengill, director of “The Reagan Show” and “Town Hall,” and producer of the Oscar-nominated “Cutie and the Boxer,” blends the unearthed training footage from the government and archival footage from broadcast media to examine how these faux riots altered the dynamics of urban clashes between protesters and police — and maintained an institutional power structure.

The film casts a wide net, showing not just how Chicago police addressed demonstrators at the 1968 Democratic Party Convention, but also how police in Miami engaged in tactics during the Republican Party Convention that only enflamed the population more, such as indiscriminately spraying so much tear gas in one neighborhood that residents had to flee their homes. Screens Jan. 21, 23. 

About the Sundance Film Festival:

The Sundance Film Festival®
The Sundance Film Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the past three decades, including CODA, Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Minari, Time, Zola, Clemency, I Carry You With Me, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, On The Record, Boys State, American Factory, The Farewell, Honeyland, One Child Nation, The Souvenir, The Infiltrators, Sorry to Bother You, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Hereditary, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, The Big Sick, Mudbound, Fruitvale Station, Whiplash, Brooklyn, Precious, The Cove, Little Miss Sunshine, An Inconvenient Truth, Napoleon Dynamite, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Reservoir Dogs and sex, lies, and videotape. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute. 2022 Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Acura, AMC+, Chase Sapphire, Adobe; Leadership Sponsors – Amazon Studios, DoorDash, Dropbox, Netflix, Omnicom Group, WarnerMedia, XRM Media; Sustaining Sponsors – Aflac, Audible, Canada Goose, Canon U.S.A., Inc., Dell Technologies, IMDbPro, Michelob ULTRA, Rabbit Hole Bourbon & Rye, Unity Technologies, University of Utah Health, White Claw Hard Seltzer; Media Sponsors – The Atlantic, IndieWire, Los Angeles Times, NPR, Shadow And Act, Variety, Vulture. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations helps offset the Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute’s year-round programs for independent artists. Festival.sundance.org

Bank of America Offers $100 Donation for Hunger Relief For Every Employee Who Gets Covid Booster

Bank of America Offers $100 Donation for Hunger Relief For Every Employee Who Gets Covid Booster

Vancouver, WA. Bank of America is kicking off 2022 with a donation to the Oregon Food Bank and Clark County Food Bank. For each employee who gets their booster shot and notifies the bank before January 31, 2022, the bank will donate $100 to the local hunger relief organizations. (Clark County Food Bank volunteers are seen above sorting produce.) According to Oregon Food Bank officials, since the start of the pandemic, they’ve seen nearly double the number of people seeking assistance.

Oregon Food Bank Network officials say communities that have experienced disproportionate rates of hunger have been hit especially hard: people of color, immigrants and refugees, trans and gender-nonconforming communities, and single moms and caregivers.

The move to get employees boosted shows how companies are reacting to soaring Covid-19 cases by trying to incentivize their workforces to get fully vaccinated and boosted.
“This is a direct investment in your health, and in the wellbeing of the communities where we work and live,” Bank of America executives wrote in the memo. “Medical experts and health officials continue to emphasize that receiving a booster shot is critical to protecting your health and safety, and that of your family, friends and community.” In a memo, Bank of America officials said they will direct a $100 donation to local food banks and hunger relief organizations for each employee who updates their booster card info in the employee vaccine portal before the end of January.
Bank of America does not have a vaccine mandate but strongly encourages employees to get fully vaccinated, including boosters.
According to CNN, some companies have offered bonuses to vaccinated workers. Last August, amid the Delta wave, Vanguard offered employees $1,000 to get vaccinated. Bank of America said it plans to host several on-site booster clinics across the country this month for employees.
Brian Kropp, head of Gartner’s human resources practice, said companies need to offer both carrots and sticks to get employees vaccinated.
“For employees that are vaccinate hesitant, $100, $200 or $300 worth of incentives doesn’t seem to be enough to get them over their concerns,” Kropp told CNN in an email. “While a donation to a charity is a good thing for companies to pursue, most employees would prefer to get $100 cash.”
Eleanor Bloxham, founder and CEO of The Value Alliance and Corporate Governance Alliance, a firm that advises boards on corporate governance practices, said, “This is a very positive example of good corporate citizenship that I would hope others would emulate. Good for the company: good for the community.”
Bank of America said this effort could direct up to $10 million to fight hunger across America and is on top of the bank’s ongoing commitment to the cause. Bank of America said it has donated nearly $150 million toward hunger relief since 2015.
“Millions of Americans suffer from food insecurity each day,” Bank of America said in the memo. “The pandemic has not only increased the challenges faced by many American families, but also the non-profit organizations who deliver vital resources to families across the country.”