By Jeremy Kay2024-10-11T05:40:00+01:00
Source: © APPRENTICE PRODUCTIONS ONTARIO INC
/ PROFILE PRODUCTIONS 2 APS / TAILORED FILMS LTD
Ali Abbasi’s Cannes sensation and Donald Trump origins story The Apprentice opens in North America on Friday (October 11) in 1,740 theatres in what will be one of the more closely watched independent box office launches of recent times
The production is already wrapped in its own mythology
The story of young Trump played by Sebastian Stan coming under the tutelage of notorious McCarthyite and attack dog attorney Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) in 1970s and 1980s New York features a rape scene and was threatened with a lawsuit by Trump’s campaign team around the time of its world premiere on the Croisette
And it opens less than one month before the US election on November 5
when voters either return Trump to the White House or choose his Democratic rival and sitting vice president Kamala Harris
After a no-show from US buyers despite becoming one of the most talked-about selections in Cannes
Briarcliff Entertainment stepped up and closed the acquisition several months after the festival on August 29
right after executive producer James Shani bought out investor Kinematics following “creative differences”
Two days later there was a sold-out screening at Telluride Film Festival and less than a week after that
Toronto International Film Festival hosted an invite-only tastemaker presentation
As the film opens across the United States and Canada, The Apprentice heads into awards season as a contender
Briarcliff founder and owner Tom Ortenberg knows a thing or two about handling provocative
The industry veteran took Spotlight all the way to the best picture Oscar while running Open Road and released box office smash Fahrenheit 9/11 at Lionsgate
the most important thing is you have to be fearless,” Ortenberg told Screen
the theatrical distribution of a motion picture
Ortenberg did not attend Cannes as he was fulfilling producer duties on the set of the independent film Nickels
He watched a link on the recommendation of colleagues on the ground
He thought it would sell for a lot of money
“And then all the stories started hitting about how all of the American distributors
both big studios and [independent distributors]
were walking away from the film,” said Ortenberg
who has been doing the trade press rounds in advance of the release. “And not because the film wasn’t great
and not because they didn’t think there was money in it
“I’ve made a fair amount of my reputation over the last few decades making and distributing films that were considered too controversial by some
but I certainly don’t shy away from it and that is why I do this
I’m in the film business because I love film and I love films that challenge people.”
Ortenberg declined to specify how much Briarcliff paid for The Apprentice
that one needs to look at the big picture as Abbasi’s film embarks on its release
“Everybody will look at opening weekend and have their opinions
but we look at this as a marathon,” said Ortenberg
“We know the picture gets great word of mouth
We’ve had enough screenings to thunderous applause
and not just the requisite standing ovations in Cannes or the film festival [circuit]
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‘Ish’ and ‘Learning To Breathe Under Water’ will also feature
Monday’s statement to reporters follows Truth Social
Company’s latest foray into genre will open theatrically on October 10
’Thunderbolts*’ has achieved the third-biggest opening number for a US studio film in 2025
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When screenwriter Gabriel Sherman set out to make his new film The Apprentice
he received a chunk of change from an unlikely source: Trump supporter and former Washington football team owner Dan Snyder
just through my own reporting on my own film
that Dan Snyder had never read the script,” says Sherman
he wasn't involved in Kinematics’ day to day and Mark Rappaport never showed him the script
I don't even understand what Dan Snyder knew about the movie.”
In the second half of our two part conversation
we talk to Sherman and Briarcliff Entertainment founder Tom Ortenberg — who stepped in to release The Apprentice when most of the rest of Hollywood ran away from it
Ortenberg tells us more about his fondness for shepherding divisive films — including the 2023 Sundance attention-grabber Magazine Dreams
The film was ultimately shelved by Searchlight Pictures after its star Jonathan Majors was convicted on assault and harassment charges
Skydance Media CEO David Ellison moves ahead with his deal to acquire Paramount Global
Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw tell us what to expect
In part two of our chat with “Apprentice” writer Gabriel Sherman and distributor Tom Ortenberg
we hear about unlikely sources of funding and navigating death threats
FLASH SALE: Snag The OG Black Zip-Up designed by LA artist Chuy Hartman— inspired by the 24/7 service we provide to the LA community
ends tonight
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Andrew Johnson is beside himself with excitement
The 29-year-old grew up in Lansing and attended Lansing Catholic High School
He remembers going to the movies in town with friends
especially at the NCG at Eastwood Towne Center
This time it will be to see a showing of “When I’m Ready,” a movie that he directed
“I’m so excited it’s playing at NCG because
going to the midnight showing of 'Hunger Games' when every screen in the house was playing," he said
"That’s the biggest surprise for me - like
and it’s been a long time coming for Johnson
“It’s super exciting that it’s finally out," he said
The world of movie making these day is very confusing
Amazon and Netflix among other options saturating audiences
“When we finished this film the market was definitely slow," Johnson said
“A small theatrical release is like a dream come true,” he added
“You get to see the film on a big screen with showings in LA
Phoenix and cities of the principles of the movie – like Lansing because I grew up here
‘When I’m Ready’ will be playing here for an entire week
The movie features well-known Hollywood talent like Dermot Mulroney (“My Best Friend’s Wedding”)
Lauren Cohan (“The Walking Dead” TV series) and Andrew Ortenberg
The producers will be waiting for reviewers and critics to come and screen it and give their pronouncements
That may lead to streaming by Netflix and Amazon
the route to being a movie auteur was not a direct one
Although he has always been involved in music and performing through singing and baritone saxophone
his high school life at Lansing Catholic was mostly in sports
After high school he found himself in Nashville
at Belmont University wanting to be a music major
but he was open to many experiences and doors began to open for him
He got interested in stage and audio production and soon found himself as a film and production major
Being in film school opened Johnson’s eyes in many ways
“Film kids talk about movies in a different way – analyzing every shot
I remember watching ‘Forrest Gump’ every day for about a month over and over again
a friend from Los Angeles called and said that his roommate left
Johnson packed the car and left for the West Coast the very next day
Life in LA was not luxurious for Johnson – sleeping on a cot
getting short gigs as production assistants (“I learned a lot doing that stuff”) and taking classes
He called a friend he had met in acting class
Ortenberg said he had just written a 60-page script for a short movie
which was a little bit of an “end of the world,” road movie
young adult (YA) love romance with quirky characters
It turned out that Ortenberg’s father Tom Ortenberg was a producer and well connected in the film industry
The script was expanded to that of a full feature film
and a distributor (Quiver) picked it up and financed it from several organizations to the tune of $750,000
To say that I was living the dream is an understatement.”
the experience was lots of fun but also complicated
“We had 19 days of filming and then we edited for six months," he said
"A budget of $750,000 seems like lot but we had a staff of 40-50 to make this film and you’re blocking off roads for certain scenes and that money was tight
I felt my sports background allowed me to be pretty even keel about the whole thing
It takes sheer willpower to make it all happen.”
Johnson continued his part-time job lifestyle and he watched the Hollywood film world begin to change
the more he realized how much he loved Michigan
Soon he waved goodbye to LA and he now lives in Grand Rapids
ready to bask in the success of the movie he made 2½ years ago and waiting to see what happens next
“When I’m Ready,” directed by Lansing native Andrew Johnson
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Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong in “The Apprentice”
2024 at 8:00 AM EDTBookmarkSaveIndependent film distributor Tom Ortenberg didn’t think he had a chance of securing the rights to the Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice when he saw it debut to rapturous applause at the Cannes Film Festival in May
But it turns out no one else wanted the Ali Abbasi-directed movie
which stars Sebastian Stan as Trump in the early years of his business career and Succession’s Jeremy Strong as US prosecutor Roy Cohn
The film depicts Trump getting liposuction
taking amphetamines and sexually assaulting his then-wife Ivana
Broadway
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WEST END
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The film is set to debut in theatres on February 7
Quiver Distribution has secured the North American distribution rights to When I’m Ready
a romantic end-of-the-world thriller featuring Andrew Ortenberg
a collaboration with Briarcliff Entertainment and 19th Hole Productions
followed by a digital and on-demand release on February 14
a former beauty queen holding out hope for last minute love while riding out the end with her daughter Apryl (Luciana VanDette)
Cohan spent over a decade starring on ‘The Walking Dead’
and currently leads the spinoff series ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’
It’s her first on-camera film appearance since her role in 2018’s Mile 22 opposite Mark Wahlberg
Mulroney plays Keith, a solitary drifter spending his final days scavenging and IN SEARCH OF human connection. The veteran actor has had a busy 2024 and had supporting roles in two of 2023’s biggest theatrical hits, Scream VI and Anyone But You.
Besson, one of the stars of the recently released season of “Emily in Paris” and the daughter of French filmmaker Luc Besson, plays Michelle, the leader of a pack of young hedonistic party-goers on their way to an end of the world rave.
Bryan Curtis of The Ringer voices a radio DJ updating citizens on the progress of the asteroids as the hours tick down.
Producers on the pic are Ortenberg, Eli Samek, Jordan Dykstra, Robert Ballo and Tom Ortenberg. EPs are Clay Pecorin, Russell Geyser, James Masciello, Matthew Sidari and Ellen Wander. 19th Hole, the label founded by Ortenberg and Samek, handled production with Quiver and Briarcliff now teaming up for the domestic distribution. FilmBridge International is selling the international.
Freeform’s “30 Days of Disney” will make a splash this Summer with themed weeks full of feel-good favorites and nostalgic classics. Highlights include the world television premieres of Disney Pixar’s “Elemental” and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Strange World.'
BET+ has picked up Tyler Perry’s Divorced Sistas, a new BET+ original series. The show follows five close friends as they navigate life, love, and the challenges that come with divorce, marriage, and dating.
Keith Urban will be honored with the coveted ACM Triple Crown Award and honored with numerous performances of his songs by fellow artists at the Academy of Country Music Awards.
National Geographic has released the trailer for OCEAN WITH DAVID ATTENBOROUGH, a feature-length documentary special that marks the first collaboration of its kind between Sir David Attenborough and National Geographic. Watch it now!
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by Alex Billington January 17, 2025Source: YouTube
"I can't believe it's really gonna happen." Briarcliff Entertainment & 19th Hole Productions have unveiled an official trailer for an indie film called When I'm Ready
a "romantic end-of-the-world thriller" from filmmaker Andrew Johnson
Set for release in February just in time for Valentine's Day - including on VOD to watch at home if you want
Seeking meaning and thrills in their last days alive
Rose and Michael embark on a cross-country road trip as a devastating asteroid threatens to wipe out life on Earth
While journeying to see her grandmother one last time before they perish
they fight to find meaning and adventure in the world's final week
Starring Andrew Ortenberg & June Schreiner as Michael & Rose
Bryan Curtis of The Ringer also voices a radio DJ updating citizens on the progress of the asteroids as the hours tick down
This trailer plays up how crazy people would be if it was really happening
Here's the official trailer (+ posters) for Andrew Johnson's film When I'm Ready, direct from YouTube:
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2025 NFL Mock Draft - 32-Pick First Round Mock Draft Predictions: Shedeur Sanders holds the keyWith the 2025 NFL Draft starting on Thursday night
it’s time to produce the final 2025 Pickswise NFL mock draft
there is a ton of intrigue at the top of the board
After screenwriter Gabriel Sherman’s The Apprentice debuted to a rapturous reception in Cannes
Donald Trump tried to block the film from landing a distribution deal
getting this general sense that because Trump had filed the cease and desist letter
there was this feeling of… we just gotta see how this plays out,” Sherman says
“It's gonna [maybe] take a few days to see if anyone wants to make an offer and those offers never materialized.”
But Briarcliff Entertainment founder Tom Ortenberg stepped up
It wasn’t the first time that he dared to release a film that others were afraid to touch
In the first of a two part conversation about The Apprentice
Sherman tells us all about the risks of making a movie about prominent attorney and prosecutor Roy Cohn’s mentorship of a young Donald Trump
And Ortenberg shares why he took the film on — even in the face of threats — and how it became a sprint to get The Apprentice into theaters just a month after establishing the distribution deal
“Separated,” Errol Morris’ immigration documentary
is coming to MSNBC… But its release was delayed until after the election
“The Apprentice” screenwriter Gabriel Sherman and distributor Tom Ortenberg share the risky process of bringing their Donald Trump biopic to theaters ahead of the 2024..
As David Ellison’s Skydance merger with Paramount begins, studio executives have been given some serious incentives to stick around through the transition process
Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw examine the latest happenings at the studio
Kim Masters wraps a two-part conversation between The Apprentice writer Gabriel Sherman and Briarcliff Entertainment founder Tom Ortenberg
Sherman shares how billionaire Trump supporter Dan Snyder helped finance the project without reading the script… And he also shares how Snyder was bought out of the project once he saw an early screening and realized that the film was far too critical for his taste
Ortenberg reflects on the death threats he’s encountered over the years due to his propensity for distributing controversial movies
David's parents denied themselves everything to feed their children
but the family would always have two white challah loaves for the Sabbath
David remembered his mother lighting candles and praying for her children to get an education
The Ortenbergs put a high premium on learning
After his father's death in the Spanish flu pandemic during the Russian Civil War (1918-1920)
the sixteen-year-old David tried to make some money to support his mother Revekka and sister Dora
but he soon decided to continue his studies at the provincial school in Kharkov (Ukraine)
he gained his first experience in journalism
the teenaged David took part in some campaigns of the Civil War
he was sent to the district town of Izyum (near Kharkov)
where he served as principal of the first mobile school of political literacy in Ukraine
He also edited the newspaper Zarya ("Sunrise")
the future General Secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR in 1964-1982
Ortenberg also worked as a special reporter for the Ukrainian edition of Pravda
he was deputy executive editor of the newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda ("Red Star")
and took part in the conflict with Japan at Khalkhin Gol (Mongolia) in 1939
where he met Georgy Zhukov (who would go on to become Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the USSR in World War II)
He also fought in the Soviet-Finnish "Winter War" of 1939-1940
In July 1941, following the outbreak of the Soviet-German War, Ortenberg was appointed editor-in-chief of the Krasnaya Zvezda ("Red Star") newspaper, under the pseudonym Vadimov. Ortenberg wrote: "I definitely knew how to depict events and people, based not only on the reports of the operations division, but on what I had seen with my own eyes"
Stalin entrusted this important post to Ortenberg
after some of the top journalists of the newspaper had been repressed
yet his attitude to his job remained unchanged
Being at the helm of the most important Soviet wartime newspaper
Ortenberg did his best to turn it into an effective weapon in the fight against the Nazis
he had a very good intuitive grasp of literature
Krasnaya Zvezda was the most "literary" newspaper in the wartime USSR
and some of the foremost Soviet writers – Vasily Grossman
Mikhail Sholokhov – were among its contributors
The high quality of their texts made Krasnaya Zvezda exceptionally popular and valuable
Ortenberg possessed great personal courage
which was manifested both in his relations with the Party leadership and in his constant visits to the front lines
While editors-in-chief were not requited to do so
Ortenberg insisted on seeing the war with his own eyes
and Novgorod amid the most intense fighting
He would later describe all these trips in his memoirs
Ortenberg managed to create a genuinely interesting and popular newspaper
which was also an effective instrument of Soviet propaganda
Some of the persistent myths of the "Great Patriotic War" were born on the pages of Krasnaya Zvezda
One of these is the famous story (later shown to be false) of Panfilov's Twenty-Eight Guardsmen
who were allegedly killed in action on November 16
after destroying 18 German tanks and halting the enemy advance
Ortenberg himself was one of the authors of this myth
Ortenberg was summoned to a meeting with the Party bosses
told him that there were too many Jews on the editorial board of his newspaper
and he suggested that Ortenberg "thin them out." The editor-in-chief was confused: there were many people of different nationalities working at his newspaper
and he had never previously pondered the problem of antisemitism
which was already spreading in Soviet society because of Stalin's policies
Ortenberg told Scherbakov: "This has already been done: Eighteen Jewish reporters from the newspaper have been killed in action." That same year
he was sacked from his post and sent to the front
After inquiring about the reason for his dismissal
he was told by Shcherbakov: "There is no reason." Ortenberg went so far as to write to Stalin
Ortenberg could not come to grips with the fact that the reason was his nationality
Ortenberg served as chief of the political sections of various armies
he was chief of the Political Department of the Moscow Air Defense District
He was awarded two Orders of the Red Banner and three Orders of the Patriotic War
He was discharged from the army in the rank of Major General in 1950
Ortenberg graduated from the Lenin Higher Party School and began to write prose about the war: Time Has No Power
He also collected and edited the war stories written by Krasnaya Zvezda reporters
publishing them in the collections Fiery frontiers (1965)
He enjoyed the reputation of a person who had served in his vocation and made a great contribution to the Soviet victory and to the memory of the war
I recalled my conversation with Shcherbakov several months prior to my departure from Krasnaya Zvezda
Alexander Sergeyevich summoned me and said (verbatim):
- "There are many Jews in your editorial office… They need some pruning…"
I was shocked to hear such words from the Central Committee secretary
- "I've already pruned them… The special correspondents Lapin
But there is still one other Jew I can prune – myself…"
I am convinced that Shcherbakov did not start this conversation on his own initiative
His attitude to the Jews had been well-known for a long time
The full extent of Stalin's antisemitism – which became so malevolent and monstrous in its manifestations after the war
when he launched the notorious "anti-cosmopolitan" campaign – has now become known throughout the world
I would like to tell a story that illustrates Stalin's role as the "prime mover" behind Soviet antisemitism
the deputy editor of Pravda made a phone call to me in Dnepropetrovsk
where I was working as a Pravda correspondent
wondering as to the purpose of the question
You have an article scheduled for tomorrow's issue of Pravda
I was so stunned that I even failed to inquire: "What's the matter
I decided (rather foolishly) that a great honor had been bestowed upon me
would occasionally submit their materials under pseudonyms; hence
the Pravda staff must have been so impressed with my article that they decided to publish it under an alias
This was followed by other articles and reports
I would invariably sign them with my full name
yet they always appeared under the pseudonym in the paper
I noticed that the names of other Pravda correspondents began to change
to be replaced with pseudonyms ending in "-ov"
It was the same story in Izvestia and Komsomolskaya Pravda
a conference of Pravda correspondents took place
Why have you changed your names?" They all gave the same reply: "It wasn't we who changed them; they had them changed for us!" And then they told us sotto voce
without actually mentioning the General Secretary by name
they did not explain the purpose of this massive "rebranding"
I can say in full honesty that I attached no importance to the "fifth point" [the indication of nationality in Soviet passports]
I had been raised in the Russian culture practically from the "cradle"
and we had the good fortune to celebrate our "Golden Jubilee" [50th wedding anniversary] before her death
The story of my pseudonym had a sequel during the war
who proceeded to inform me of my appointment as editor-in-chief of Krasnaya Zvezda
he added: "Your contributions will be signed Vadimov." As I have already mentioned
I kept tailing Mekhlis as he paced through his office
- "Your candidacy has been approved by Stalin
I will not bring this matter up with Stalin
Neither did I have the courage to ask Mekhlis: "Why Vadimov
our renaming in Pravda back in the 1930s had been carried out at his directive; he had merely been implementing Stalin's will
Mekhlis gave no explanation at the time; he merely pointed upward: "Stalin said so." Many years after the war
The answer he gave was mind-boggling: "Stalin said back then that we should not be taunting… Hitler."
I quit Krasnaya Zvezda and parted with Vadimov
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Please enjoy this archive of our seven years of publishing groundbreaking research on women and gender in the history of science
When people ask me about my day job as a museum social media manager
I often tell them that I spend half my time making science jokes on the internet
In the case of both the meetings and the joke writing
I find myself grappling with the ethics of being a tech person (or at least a tech-adjacent person) trying to do good in the world
in order to boost a story written by a colleague about the history of environmental activism
Do I worry about the sexist behavior of many of Wikipedia’s volunteer editors
even as I enthusiastically promote my organization’s efforts to increase the number of articles about women in science on the platform
Do I wonder if the museum workforce can ever become less white
even as I take part in diversity and inclusion efforts led by the professional organizations to which I belong
All of which is to say that despite not identifying as a “hacker” or a “coder,” I related deeply to the communities that Dr. Christina Dunbar-Hester examines in Hacking Diversity: The Politics of Inclusion in Open Technology Cultures
I can’t program software and I’ve never even visited a makerspace
thoughtful book with underlines and enthusiastic marginalia
a professor of communications at the University of Southern California
her conclusions are refreshingly universal and her insights will be valuable to many people seeking to make their industries more diverse and inclusive
Dunbar-Hester traces the history of open-source communities
to today’s open-source coders who gather in online forums and offline “hackerspaces.” Between 2011 and 2016
she interviewed participants in these communities
and gathered data from conversations on electronic mailing lists
The book examines how and why these communities became so heavily white
less than two percent of people involved in open source technology communities were women
Generous and sympathetic to grassroots activists working to make these communities more diverse
Dunbar-Hester nonetheless concludes that too often their efforts remain shallowly focused on increasing representation in the technology industry
Making the world a better place–something many activists claim as a goal–requires a deeper commitment to structural change
both within open source communities and out in the wider world
If the question implied by the book’s title is “Can we hack our way to a more just and inclusive society?”
The book neatly divides into what I have come to think of as the “what?” half and a “so what?” half
The first four chapters cover the “what?,” defining the open source community and describing some of the ways that advocates are trying to make it more diverse
Dunbar-Hester explains that what holds together the variety of projects taken on by hackers and open source coders (terms she uses more or less interchangeably) is more of an ethos than a commitment to a particular product
Largely focused on the collaborative creation of software code that is made available for other coders to adapt
and otherwise “hack,” these communities are ideologically committed to transparency
It is important to many people in the open source community that their activities are purely voluntary
and they hold strongly to the idea that one’s coding prowess is the only thing that matters.
and pure meritocracy so breathtakingly homogenous
While anyone with an interest in coding is in theory welcome to join open source projects
their libertarian-leaning principles have created a community that is not only overwhelmingly white and male
but also actively hostile towards efforts to institute structural change
One significant point of contention within these communities is the creation of Codes of Conduct for conferences and online spaces
Many diversity advocates have pushed for CoCs that discourage harassment and create more actively welcoming environments
while other participants insist that any such efforts go against the community’s experimental culture and commitment to openness and freedom of expression
Dunbar-Hester also describes efforts by diversity advocates to create new spaces and communities. One example she gives is a community-based workspace in Oakland, California for hackers, coders, and makers of various kinds, specifically run by and for people of color. Another, less literal “space” is Dreamwidth
a nonprofit online blogging platform with majority non-male staff and users
both of these projects developed language and practices meant to welcome people who did not already identify as “computer geeks” and “hackers,” built around written Codes of Conduct and statements of values
The second half of the book–the “so what?” half–explores the motivations of the people who are trying to remake the open source community
Is diversity advocacy about representation
with the goal of increasing the number white women and people of color involved in open source projects
more liberatory political project to use technology to build a more equitable world
or are they fundamentally irreconcilable?
These questions of representation versus liberation are hopefully familiar to people trying to diversify all kinds of spaces
from the national political arena to individual workplaces
and Hacking Diversity is at its best when teasing out the differences between the two
Efforts that focus on representation tend to be the most obvious
They include advocacy activities that strive to bring more white women and people of color into tech workplaces–with the goal of increasing upward mobility for marginalized people
but also to reach markets that remain neglected
Such efforts are not necessarily interested in dismantling the world’s problematic structures; their goal is to give more power to traditionally marginalized people within them
Other technologists seek to diversify their workplaces and volunteer open source communities as part of a larger effort to build tools that address structural social problems
But radical change is a more difficult sell
and many advocates are forced to compromise
In one of the most interesting parts of the book
Dunbar-Hester describes speaking to activists in open source communities who are committed to politically progressive causes
but who strategically use the language of representation when seeking funding or trying to raise the profile of their particular technology projects
One of the people Dunbar-Hester interviewed succinctly summarized the compromise involved
observing that “Advocates often have social justice motivations but work in for-profit organizations that aren’t equipped
The advocates learn the language that will get an initiative funded
This is where Dunbar-Hester’s mix of sympathy and careful critique really comes into focus; she thoughtfully describes the practical work being done by these activists
acknowledging the material circumstances under which people with liberatory politics do their best with the skills and resources they have
But she is skeptical that truly structural change can happen if activists remain overly focused on championing bland and uncritical diversity
I didn’t walk away from Hacking Diversity feeling like there was anything particularly unique about diversity advocacy within open-source—and perhaps that’s the point
Technologists often believe that only technology can save us from social ills; open source advocates can be particularly evangelical about their ability to create radically free communities
But many of the book’s observations could easily apply to other industries
from higher education to environmental activism
People who work in technology industries or volunteer with open source organizations might find themselves relieved or disappointed to discover that their problems are not so very unique
“It is not enough to act locally while thinking globally–there are structural forces at work that dictate that these hacks will fall short of advocates most elevated intentions.” It’s an observation that feels both unsettling and true in a world where the fixes to structural injustice often feel beyond our reach
Hacking Diversity hasn’t convinced me that it’s pointless to make smaller changes to one’s immediate community in the name of bettering the world
and I don’t necessarily think that Dunbar-Hester would want to convince me of that
But books like this remind me that there are no easy answers to the world’s biggest problems
There are no “justice hacks,” technical or otherwise
Image Credit: Summer School 2014 im Makerspace der SLUB | TU Dresden / Fanny Hauser on Flickr | CC BY 2.0
She is also a public historian based out of Philadelphia.
Lady Science is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivatives 4.0
Exec is set to remain in his post until the end of the year
the company where he served as founding CEO
an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap
Ortenberg will remain in his post until the end of the year to help with the transition in management
Open Road’s upcoming slate includes Johnny Depp’s “Labyrinth,” Bella Thorne and Patrick Schwarzenegger’s “Midnight Sun,” and Raja Gosnall’s “Show Dogs.”
the arm of former Bear Stearns exec Donald Tang’s media conglomerate that includes production and distribution companies IM Global and Open Road Films
rebranded as Global Road Entertainment earlier this week
and named Rob Friedman as its chairman and CEO
“I could not be more proud of the company that I built along with our partners at AMC and Regal and the outstanding team that has led Open Road to some truly remarkable accomplishments,” Ortenberg said in a statement
I know that the company is in great hands with Rob Friedman and I am certain that the future will be bright for him and the entire organization.”
“Tom has been an essential part of Open Road’s growth and success over the years,” added Friedman
“His leadership and legacy has created a foundation that will allow Global Road to evolve into a preeminent global content studio
We are appreciative of all of his efforts and his support as he transitions out of the company.”
Open Road Films was co-founded by AMC Theatres and Regal Entertainment in 2011
Ortenberg led the indie production company through various hit films
including the 2015 Oscar winner”Spotlight” as well as “The Nut Job,” “Nightcrawler,” “Mother’s Day” and “The Grey.”
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Gaga’s rap is titled “Cake” and features her voice distorted to sound like a man’s
which you can also hear for yourself in the runway video
Ortenberg, you can suck my dick/ Walk bitch, you ain’t Lady Gaga/ Nicopanda got style
your style ain’t dick/ Walk a mile in these foot-high heels/ I run in these
Hey, congratulations to Cathy and Art! You have now been celebrated in song by one of the most famous pop stars of our time — and during a particularly busy week for her, on top of that. What’s more, Gaga’s lyrics (particularly the “dick/dick” rhyme) effectively validate everything Ortenberg wrote in his WWD letter
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COLLECTION OF ETHNOGRAPHIC ART INSPIRED BY FASHION COUPLE’S WORLDWIDE JOURNEYS
Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg retired from the fashion business to focus on environmental and wildlife conservation issues
inspiring their interest in collecting ethnographic art
BID ON ITEM
ETHNOGRAPHIC ART SIGNATURE® AUCTION 5254, featuring items from the Estate of Liz Claiborne and Arthur Ortenberg, is scheduled for July 8, 2016, in Dallas and online at HA.com/5254. For information, contact Delia E. Sullivan at 214-409-1343 or DeliaS@HA.com
Heritage Auctions is offering more than 30 lots of Tribal and American Indian art from the Estate of Liz Claiborne and Arthur Ortenberg in its July sale of ethnographic art
“It is clear that these art works were collected with a keen eye for art and design as well as a passion for the people and places from which they hail,” says Delia E
director of the Ethnographic Art Department at Heritage Auctions
The pieces being offered reflect their years of exploration and love of tribal art,” Sullivan says
“It was while traveling on safari in 1987 that Liz and Art learned of the plight of the African elephant
which literally redirected them from the fashion world to the fight to save wildlife.”
Their second career – the mission to save wildlife – was a cause they would remain dedicated to for the rest of their lives
The company grossed $2.6 million in its first year
the business became the first company founded and headed by a woman to be ranked on the Fortune 500
was the largest women’s apparel maker in the country
BID ON ITEM
BID ON ITEM
BID ON ITEM
After a stint in the armed forces he ended up in New York City, where, at the age of 29, he took over a dormant publishing concern named Grove Press
It wasn't long before he began to turn it around by publishing controversial books that no one else wanted to touch
He used his share of the family riches defending works like Lady Chatterley's Lover, Naked Lunch and Tropic of Cancer against obscenity charges
In all three of these cases Grove Press was eventually vindicated
and these pioneering victories helped pave the way for the freedom of expression that exploded in the 60's
Obscene, a new documentary about Barney, opens tonight at the Siskel for a week-long run
It was co-directed by Dan O'Connor and Neil Ortenberg
two former editors of Thunder's Mouth Press
We had the chance to speak with Ortenberg about how he got into filmmaking
and why they didn't shoot the film in Thailand
Chicagoist: How did you go about making the move from publishing to filmmaking
which took me about half a year to do after I left publishing
I had talked with Barney about doing a film with him for years
His idea of the film that we would make is that we would fly him to Thailand
and stage--it was kind of like a Captain Kirk thing
He wanted to go out in the jungle somewhere and stage Eleuthéria
And in addition to that he wanted me to bring in a bunch of cronies and give them cameras and have them run around Thailand in a kind of gonzo way
So it took me awhile to disabuse him of that
to let it sink in that this wasn't a film--it might be a film I'd enjoy if Warren Buffett was supplying us with money and booze
but I finally got him to understand that I just wanted to do a documentary
I thought he had a great story and I wanted to do a documentary
He wanted to do that Thailand thing because it's one of his favorite places
But I finally I got him to agree that we wouldn't do that
C: Were there certain films or filmmakers that you had in mind as models for the kind of film you wanted to make
NO: I did. Like My Best Fiend, the Herzog film with Klaus Kinski. The Kid Stays in the Picture was somehow in my mind. Also, The Fog of War
There were just different films that I thought might be somewhat of a template or partially a template
whatever ideas I might have about what would happen--I knew that it would be kind of anarchy as far as what would turn out
C: It seems as if once you got Barney on board he was pretty eager to talk
All of those things kind of weighed in the background of my mind as I set out to do the film
The other thing about filming him was that he really wanted to be a kind of co-director
And then I realized that he just loves film
him being a co-director of his own documentary probably seemed completely reasonable to him
The biggest problem we encountered was--all the reviews so far have characterized the film more or less as a love letter to Barney
I wanted it to show Barney as this kind of tragic hero but with all of the darkness and the demons that haunt him
but I don't think maybe we showed some of that
I think it comes down to the fact he's this really major figure in 20th century publishing who's sort of been hiding in plain sight all these years that so many people just don't know about
but we came together and at the end of the day I think we were all happy with it
cultural storytelling of the times and of Barney changing the culture we also wanted it to have an emotional impact on people
pioneering spirit is something I've been thinking about since seeing the movie
I've been asking myself if his efforts helped to pave the way for the freedom of information that's embodied in the internet
or if the internet was just another way that evolved of solving the problem of censorship
They gave cameras to a bunch of soldiers in Iraq
So Barney would have loved to have been in his prime now as technology is exploding
C: Do you think he would have had his own website and been a blogger instead of publishing
I think he would have been doing everything
(NEW YORK) On the heels of Cathy Horyn‘s retirement from The New York Times last week after 15 years as the paper’s fashion critic, to take care of her ailing partner
it was announced today that the former founder and vice chairman of Liz Claiborne Inc
The fashion industry was initially shocked over Horyn’s resignation just a week before NYFW
Horyn’s former colleague, Eric Wilson
“I’m deeply sorry for Cathy’s loss
and I was truly blessed to have had the opportunity to know him well
and then also to know Cathy and Art as a team.” Wilson spent almost nine years working with Horyn at The New York Times before decamping last year to InStyle
“She’s an amazing colleague and great friend
and we certainly had a fantastic time working together for all those years
She’s just as insightful and to the point off the page as she is on,” said Wilson
“I’ll miss reading her high-minded approach to fashion in the paper and her ability to articulate the merits or weaknesses of a collection before I even had time to get back to the car.”
Ortenberg started Liz Claiborne, Inc. with his wife, Liz Claiborne, in 1976. By the time they retired, the publicly-traded firm was making $110.3 million in net profits. Ortenberg will also be remembered for the millions in philanthropic funding to wildlife conservation that he distributed through the Liz Claiborne Art Ortenberg Foundation
taking you backstage & catapulting you into the world of fashion
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By Elbert Wyche2017-04-25T17:13:00+01:00
publicity executives report to Tom Ortenberg
Open Road Films has named Loren Schwartz president of marketing while Liz Biber has been promoted to president of publicity.
Schwartz and Biber will report directly to Open Road Films CEO Tom Ortenberg
Open Road marketed and distributed Armenian Genocide drama The Promise at the weekend on behalf of Survival Pictures
The film reportedly cost more than $90m and opened on $4.1m in 2,251 theatres
Schwartz is Open Road’s third marketing chief in 14 months
who only took the place of Jason Cassidy in March 2016 and is understood to be joining Fox as head of theatrical marketing
Biber has been head of publicity since the company’s inception in 2011.
Schwartz most recently served as executive vice-president of genre marketing and advertising at Warner Bros
he was senior vice-president of creative advertising at Columbia Pictures
including Superbad and Pineapple Express
As executive vice-president of marketing at Screen Gems he oversaw films like Resident Evil
Heaven Is For Real and The Vow.
Ortenberg said: “Loren has a proven track record in all aspects of motion picture marketing
He has an impressive depth of expertise in creative advertising and he is highly respected by filmmakers along with his colleagues in the industry.“I am thrilled to bring him on board as part of the senior management team at Open Road and looking forward to Loren and Liz being a truly dynamic duo as they lead our marketing and publicity efforts into the future.”
Schwartz said: “I’m excited to work with Tom and his incredible team
Open Road has a great reputation for unique and innovative campaigns on a diverse array of projects across many genres. I’m looking forward to working with them on their upcoming slate.”
Open Road’s recent releases include Before I Fall (pictured) and it will release Home Again starring Reese Witherspoon on September 8
husband of the late fashion designer Liz Claiborne
looks at the plaque honoring her during ceremonies for New York's Fashion Walk of Fame at New York's Bryant Park Grill in 2008
He died at the age of 87 from complications of pneumonia
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin
where he aimed to increase sales of sportswear
he recruited Liz Claiborne — who was then Liz Schultz — to design a clothing line for Rhea
I knew something important was happening,” he wrote in his memoir
She took the Ortenberg last name privately
Claiborne was the chairman and chief designer for the company
while Ortenberg was the company secretary and its chief executive
The company made $2.6 million dollars in its first year
Liz Claiborne became known for producing moderately-priced clothing that towed the line between business and casual
It was often Ortenberg's job to make sure the operations of delivering materials and clothing to their proper locations at the right time ran smoothly
“It’s a wonderful intellectual activity,” he told The New York Times in 1986
“The equivalent of three-dimensional chess.”
who most recently worked at The New York Times as a fashion critic
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WWD has just reported that Art Ortenberg, Cathy Horyn’s longtime partner, passed away today at the age of 87. This comes days after Horyn announced her departure from the New York Times to spend more time with the ailing Ortenberg
A brief obituary celebrating Ortenberg — who was the founder and vice chairman of Liz Claiborne — describes his “vision [that] guided the phenomenal growth of the company in the Seventies and Eighties,” and his later dedication to wildlife conservation and philanthropy
president of theatrical films at Lionsgate
is ditching the studio he’s spent 12-years at for a similar title and position at The Weinstein Company
Ortenberg will take on some of the same responsibilities at TWC that he oversaw at Lionsgate
Certainly the Weinstein brothers must have been excited to land a veteran exec such as Ortenberg, especially after all the recent turnover within TWC’s senior executive ranks. In a press release announcing the hire,Bob and Harvey Weinstein said:
“Tom’s arrival at the company is a major coup for us
wide knowledge of all parts of the industry and impeccable track record is unbelievably good fortune for us as we prepare to release some of the biggest and most exciting films we’ve made
who’s bringing his years of experience to the company
and we are confident that his expertise will continue to further the success of The Weinstein Company and strengthen our existing executive pool.”
When Ortenberg reports to work on February 2nd he’ll slip into the freshly minted position – president of theatrical film – a title the Bob and Harvey Weinstein apparently created to match the one he held at Lionsgate
Ortenberg’s move was not entirely unexpected, as Lionsgate has been a little top heavy ever since they purchased Mandate Pictures in 2007. Though here’s a mildly interesting tidbit – according to a post on Nikke Finke’s blog Deadline Hollywood on Monday
it appears both Lionsgate and TWC may have been forced into making the announcement a few days before they really wanted to:
“I’m told that Lionsgate’s Joe Drake gave Ortenberg a 6-month test period to see if he wanted him as part of the team
Since that time Ortenberg has been shopping himself
Ortenberg was told his contract would not be extended
I hear his [Ortenberg’s] salary at TWC is less than what he was making at Lionsgate
This was going to be announced at the end of the week
but my tipsters foiled those plans (again).”
Possibly because of Finke’s post, Drake, who came on board as Lionsgate’s chief operating officer with the Mandate acquisition, was sure to point out when speaking with Variety that Ortenberg’s tenure ended on friendly terms:
the comments left on Finke’s blog post
seemed to sum up the news as a mixed blessing
The Weinsteins have a reputation of running roughshod over the talented executives they hire and most were concerned that Ortenberg may wind up in a similar situation before too long
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