Month: June 2022

Karmalink’s theatrical and video on demand release in US and Canada

Karmalink will be released in the US in major city theaters and on video on demand in the US and Canada on Friday July 15, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Conceived as a way to interrogate processes of neo-colonialism, and highlighting the alienating effects of technological progress, Jake Wachtel’s Karmalink is a mind-bending tale of reincarnation, artificial consciousness, and the search for enlightenment. (Good Deed Entertainment, 2022)

In near-future Phnom Penh, the rich and privileged are augmented with nanotech and new skyscrapers crowd the skyline. In Tralop Bek, a tight-knit community threatened with forced eviction, 13-year-old Leng Heng is having vivid dreams of his past lives. He and his friends are convinced they are meant to find a buried Buddhist statue to save their homes, and they seek out help from a street-smart girl in the neighborhood, Srey Leak. Together they follow clues across town and into the past, uncovering a link with a genius neuroscientist on a quest for digital nirvana. As Leng Heng’s dreams converge on the present, his very sense of identity begins to unravel. When it becomes clear that the stakes are higher than they imagined, the two friends must decide how far they are willing to go to find their treasure and the truth.

American-born filmmaker Jake Wachtel began his career making short documentaries for nonprofits and social impact ventures working in the global south. His work has been featured on NYTimes.com, Wired, NPR, and MSNBC. In 2015, he moved to Cambodia to teach a year-long class in filmmaking to children as a part of the Filmmakers Without Borders initiative. His Phnom Penh-set short film The Foreigner Here premiered at the Cambodian International Film Festival, and he has gone on to collaborate with many of the growing new wave of young Cambodian filmmakers. He also served as on-set editor for Jimmy Henderson’s Cambodian-Chinese coproduction The Prey. Phnom Penh became his home base for several years as he developed his first feature Karmalink—Cambodia’s first sci-fi movie—set in the community where he taught and produced with a majority Cambodian cast and crew, including his former students.

Director: Jake Wachtel Starring: Srey Leak Chhith, Leng Heng Prak, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Cindy Sirinya Bishop, Rous Mony, and Sveng Socheata. 

Cambodia, 2021, 102 minutes, in Khmer with English subtitles

***OFFICIAL SELECTION: VENICE FILM CRITICS’ WEEK (OPENING NIGHT FILM), AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL, GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL, and many more.***

Karmalink will be released in the US Theatrically in major cities and on VOD in the US and Canada on Friday, July 15, 2022.

Theaters include:
Lumiere Music Hall – Los Angeles, CA
Rialto Lakeside Elmwood – Berkeley, CA
Rialto Lakeside Sonoma – Sebastopol, CA
SIFF Film Center – Seattle, WA

VOD Platforms include:
US: Apple TV/iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, XFinity Cable, and more.
Canada: Apple TV/iTunes, Google Play.

Good Deed Entertainment (GDE) is an Ohio based independent studio dedicated to producing, financing, and distributing quality entertainment for under-served audiences. Its distribution slate includes recent releases Summertime, Ma Belle, My Beauty, and Lucky Grandma, in addition to the Academy Award nominated, Loving Vincent, and Spirit Award nominated, To Dust.

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Book review: ‘Breach’ by Kelly Sokol

‘Breach’ is Kelly Sokol’s new book. Photo: amazon

Kelly Sokol is the author of “Breach” and “The Unprotected,” which was featured on NPR and named one of Book Riot’s 100 Must-Read Books of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood. She is a Pushcart Prize-nominated author and MFA creative writing graduate. Her work has appeared in Alpinist, UltraRunning Magazine, The Manifest-Station, Connotation Press, and more. She teaches creative writing at The Muse Writers Center. Her new book “Breach” is an unflinching and timely gaze into the marriage of an enlisted special operator and his wife.

“Breach” – Marleigh Mulcahy grew up in a boxing gym, the daughter of hard-drinking parents who did not keep a stable roof over her head. The story begins as she is working at her grandfather’s gym. In the cinder-block Box-n-Go, amidst the sweat and funk, she meets Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialist Jace Holt, a highly and expensively trained bomb diffuser with three successful deployments behind him. With a heady mix of hope, carelessness, and a ridiculous amount of courage, they begin a family. They have plenty in common because they both have unstable parents and they are determined to do better. In between the pressures of a growing family and responsibilities, their relationship grows strained. When Jace returns to active duty, a roadside bomb resurrects ghosts from the couple’s past and threatens the life they have built.

It is common knowledge that the life of a military wife is challenging but it is rare to read a book that chronicles these challenges. This is where ‘Breach’ comes in and not only fills the void but excels at shining the light on the ups and downs of a military family. This book is an unwavering look at the reality of what it means to be a military wife and struggling to keep it together. With down to earth language, it is fast paced and an easy read and will keep readers turning pages to find out what happens to Marleigh in the end as her life begins to unravel. The characters are relatable and well developed and the action is mostly dialogue driven. Although it contains a few graphic sex scenes, it serves to cement the couple’s relationship and does not take away from the focus of the overall story. Marleigh and Jace’s story may be heartbreaking but it ends on a hopeful note that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. ‘Breach’ by Kelly Sokol is a reminder that it takes a village to raise a family and that we all need the support of friends and family. It is easily this year’s beach read and is recommended for fans of military family life fiction as well as women’s fiction.

“Marleigh awoke in the dark, each night, a running tally of debt in her mind. Food, school for the boys, diapers for Max, gas for the car, car insurance. Did she have room on either of her credit cards? Health insurance cancellation notices.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

An excerpt of ‘Breach’ is available here.

Twin Liquors moves to new location in Alamo Heights

The new Twin Liquors location will feature a tasting bar and education room. Photo: google

Yesterday Twin Liquors announced the grand opening of its newest location in Alamo Heights. The store will be located in the same shopping center it is currently in, but will be moving into the old Stein Mart location at 99 E Basse Rd, San Antonio, TX 78209. With a bigger space, the new liquor store will boast a tasting bar and education center along with a fine wine room, expanded product selection and more. (Twin Liquors, 2022)

GRAND OPENING – Thursday, 6/23

Business Hours:
Monday – Saturday
10a.m. – 9p.m.

Twin Liquors Alamo Heights
99 E Basse Rd
San Antonio, TX 78209
*former Stein Mart location

Born and raised in downtown Austin, Texas, Twin Liquors began as one small store and has developed into a successful “home-grown” Texas family-owned company that has a unique and well-respected reputation throughout the United States for having impeccable team members, outstanding customer service, conveniently located stores, extensive selections of fine wines and premium spirits from around the world, and substantial community involvement. Twin Liquors currently operates 100+ neighborhood stores from Austin to San Antonio, the Hill Country to Houston and the DFW area with their Sigel’s branded stores.

Photo: Twin Liquors, used with permission.

Taco Cabana celebrates Fourth of July with limited time margaritas

The new limited time $4 Fireball Margarita will be available July 1-4, 2022. Photo: Taco Cabana, used with permission.

On Friday, July 1, 2022, Taco Cabana invites guests 21 years of age or older to try the all-new refreshing Watermelon Margarita, available at all Texas locations for just $4. At select participating locations throughout Texas, guests can spice up their Independence Day Weekend with a limited-time Fireball Margarita from Friday, July 1, 2022 through Monday, July 4, 2022 for just $4 as well. Guests can also enjoy a wide variety of Taco Cabana’s $3 classic frozen margarita flavors statewide including Lime, Strawberry, Mango, Mangonada and Strawberry/Mango. (Taco Cabana, 2022)

Pair these tantalizing summer margaritas with Taco Cabana favorites like the Dozen Taco or Flauta Boxes or TC’s Kickin’ Grande Nachos – all are a perfect addition to any 4th of July gathering. Beer lovers can also cool off with a bottled beer including Miller Lite ($3.25), Bud Lite ($3.25), Shiner Bock ($3.75) or Dos Equis XX ($3.75) and a three-pack of the newly-launched Carne Asada Street Tacos for $5.29 or one of the 16 new combinations of Smothered Burritos.

Watermelon margaritas available beginning Friday, July 1, 2022. *Fireball Margarita and dozen flauta boxes available Friday, July 1, 2022 – Monday, July 4, 2022. All other TC food offerings are available now.

*Fireball Margarita available only at select Texas locations.

TC food offerings and To-Go Margaritas are available through curbside pick-up, drive-thru, in-restaurant, and via mobile order through the MyTC! App.

Taco Cabana, a subsidiary of YTC Enterprises, LLC, was founded in 1978. The brand specializes in Tex-Mex-inspired food including enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, flautas, burritos, tacos, flour tortillas and a selection of made-from-scratch salsas and sauces. Restaurants feature open-display cooking, a selection of beer and tequila margaritas, patio dining, drive-thru windows, curbside pick-up and delivery. As of June 21, 2022, Taco Cabana operates 143 company-owned restaurants in Texas.

WonderSlice at Pearl to open next week

WonderSlice will serve pizza by the slice, full pies, subs, salads, and soft serve ice cream. Photo: WonderSlice, used with permission.

Potluck Hospitality and Chef Ben Schwartz are excited to announce that WonderSlice, the first pizza concept at Pearl, is opening at the Food Hall on Monday, June 27. WonderSlice pays tribute to the heyday of neighborhood pizza joints. The name conveys a sense of nostalgia, with a promise of “wonder by the slice.” The new restaurant is accessible and playful; its offerings include fresh pizza by the slice made onsite, full pies, homemade subs, salads, and soft serve ice cream. (WonderSlice, 2022)

Select menu items include the Ball Park pizza which includes Italian sausage, red onion, broccoli rabe, and chili flakes; the Green Monster pizza with parmesan cream, shredded zucchini, and pesto; and the Meatball or Chicken Parmesan sub with marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, and basil.

The Grand Opening will be on Monday, June 27, 2022.
Business hours:
8a.m. to 9p.m. Sunday – Thursday
8a.m. to 10p.m. Friday and Saturday

Food Hall at Bottling Department
Pearl
312 Pearl Pkwy Building 6
San Antonio, TX 78215

Founded in 2022, Potluck Hospitality conceives, operates, manages, and partners on culinary and experiential brands in San Antonio, TX. Potluck Hospitality concepts include Best Quality Daughter, Brasserie Mon Chou Chou, Carriqui, Food Hall at Bottling Dept., Ladino, and Stable Hall (coming 2023). Potluck’s team is made up of chefs, designers, strategists in culture-crafting, brand, and finance that all share a love of food and gathering. Potluck Hospitality’s name pays tribute to memorable experiences with great food, great music, and great company–where everyone has something to contribute. Being together, sharing meals, and communally experiencing music is elemental to what it means to be human.

Free Family Saturday at Blue Star Contemporary

Free fun and art making for families at Blue Star Contemporary’s Family Saturday. Photo: google

Blue Star Contemporary (BSC), San Antonio’s first and longest- running contemporary art nonprofit, welcomes the public on Saturday, June 25 for Free Family Saturday. From 1p.m. to 4p.m., families with children of all ages are invited to enjoy free hands-on art making activities, led by artists on view Jenn Hassin, Sarah Sudhoff, and Jill Ewing with Bihl Haus Arts. Also in attendance will be Vicki Johnson, who will be leading a letter writing activity with Operation Gratitude, a nation-wide nonprofit dedicated to providing people across our great country with opportunities for hands-on volunteerism to say ‘thank you’ to our Military, Veterans, and First Responders. (Blue Star Contemporary, 2022)

This free family event focuses on BSC’s current exhibitions and gives families an opportunity to interact with local artists and community organizations. The artworks on view inspire art making that encourages children to look deeply and understand contemporary art better through fun activities. Families are invited to enjoy BSC’s exhibitions as well as complimentary food and refreshments.

On View at Blue Star Contemporary
BSC’s main gallery features Travel Distance, curated by independent curator and interdisciplinary artist Amber Zora. The exhibition features the work of Miridith Campbell (Kiowa), Joe Devera, Claudia Hare, Jenn Hassin, Gina Herrera, Monte Little (Diné), Jessica Putnam–Phillips, Daniel Rios Rodriguez, Renee Romero, and Sarah Sudhoff. The artworks featured represent how veterans and their families have processed, moved through, purged, and reclaimed their experience around military service.

The Learning Lab at BSC presents The Veterans Book Project, a library of books authored collaboratively by artist Monica Haller and dozens of people who have been affected by, and have archives of, the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In their printed format, the books provide a place, or “container,” that slows down and materializes the great quantity of ephemeral image files that live on veterans’ hard drives and in their heads. Each book re-deploys volatile images with the aim of rearticulating and refashioning memories. It stands both independent of and in concert with the larger collection.

These exhibitions coincide with the Blue Star Museums program, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums. Running from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2022, museums across the United States offer free general admission to active-duty military personnel and their families. BSC participates in this program in an effort to say “thank you” to our military community.

Opening on July 1, Andreas Till: De Ami, focuses on the influence of the presence of American troops in artist Andreas Till’s hometown Heidelberg, Germany and the relationship between Germans and Americans between 1945 and 2013 born out of this presence. The Other Side, is a selection of films referencing ideas of transitions and events that foundationally change someone, i.e. “to be on the other side of something.” The video works also allude to ideas of mortality and the spiritual concept of metaphysical selves entering a new plane. The films were selected from Darmstadt Sezession’s 2021 prize shortlist for our collaborative Projection/Projektion grants and screenings program, and feature the work of Faezeh Nikoozad, Aki Pao-Chen Chiu, Breech Asher Harani, and Fumiko Kikuchi. Fake Plastic Forest features the work of France Dubois, Annette Isham, Işık Kaya, and Leigh Merrill, contemporary photographers and lens-based artists dealing with themes of artifice, truth and fiction, and the theatricality of our interactions with nature.

BSC presents exhibitions with artists from San Antonio and around the world sharing their global perspectives that encourage understanding, empathy, change, and action, fulfilling our mission to inspire, nurture, and innovate. Like most non-collecting contemporary art spaces, BSC contributes fresh insight and perspective on larger issues affecting society and culture by highlighting trends, movements, and conversations happening in art.

BSC was founded for artists by artists in 1986 in a grassroots movement sparked by the cancellation of the first major museum exhibition of contemporary art in San Antonio. Six arts supporters and artists founded Contemporary Art for San Antonio to provide an exhibition venue for artists and the public. With the support of a handful of donors and property developers, the founders, artists, and volunteers converted an abandoned warehouse into a gallery for the first annual Blue Star Exhibition. Over the years, BSC has grown to encompass a professional staff, a robust calendar of onsite and offsite exhibitions, community collaborations, creative youth development programs, international exchange opportunities for artists, and public art projects.

Free Family Saturday at Blue Star Contemporary. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Forrest McCurren’s debut album Oh Me, Oh My

For fans of Hayes Carll, Willie Nelson, and John Prine, Oh Me, Oh My will be out August 19, 2022. Photo: Forrest McCurren.

With a half-time back beat and a feel-good guitar twang, songwriter Forrest McCurren graciously marries a classic rock road song with a classic country love song on his new tune “Little Rock.” Sparked by how his messy motel room on the road was compared to the orderly and clean life he led back home, McCurren spun up this rocker that evokes the urgency of a road warrior like himself to make it on home, specifically to his wife Margaret—who sings and plays drums and fiddle on McCurren’s upcoming debut Oh Me, Oh My. The initial idea transformed into an ode to Margaret and getting home to her. (Forrest McCurren, 2022)

Last week, Wide Open Country premiered the music video for “Little Rock,” which follows Forrest and Margaret on a beautifully-shot mission from the fireworks store to the Piggly Wiggly and beyond. They noted, “You could consider Oh Me, Oh My a soundtrack to those moments of human connection that feel almost cosmic.” Fans can watch the “Little Rock” music video now at this link and stay up to date on all things Forrest and Oh Me, Oh My ahead of its August 19 release right here.

McCurren’s entertaining debut album Oh Me, Oh My showcases the energy of his live shows with songs that shimmer and rock with an ebullient warmth that is bound to reach into listeners’ hearts and souls and get them to reflect a little on the people and places that mean the most to them. He is always writing songs, but all the songs on this album are from a three-year period when McCurren was setting out on his own, between college and now. He is looking back at his life, looking at his life now, and looking forward to his life to come in the 10 songs on the album. “I was just setting out on my own,” McCurren laughs. “I spent a lot of time thinking about my grandparents, painting a picture of characters I knew growing up. In the songs there’s a sense of longing and place, and they evoke the transition from running wild as a kid to running wild as a man. The songs have a sense of movement and a sense of place and a sense of who I was gonna be.”

As soon as he learned three chords, McCurren started to write songs. In his early 20s he started accumulating songs. In his songwriting, he resembles Hemingway. “I always try to write one true sentence. Every song I have kept, the first line I wrote was the first line of the song. Words come first, then melodies get inspired by the words. I trust the quickness of the way I write. I am always jotting down rhymes. Songs have given me a way of understanding who I am and relating to people.”
Music is McCurren’s favorite ways to connect with people. “My songs show them a little bit of who I am and when I show them a little of me they share a little bit of them, too.” He does not write sad songs, but songs that move us and celebrate, as he says, the “luckiness of life.” As his debut album shows, McCurren excels at making those connection and at celebrating life. Forrest McCurren has a reverence for the songs, and he sings, plays, and writes with a heart for bringing people together.

Catch Forrest McCurren on tour:
June 23-26 – Slade, KY – Festival of the Red
October 6-8 – Eldon, MO – Lake Ozark Music Festival

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Anova Skyway announces new EP Reset

The new EP Reset will be released July 15, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Described as “A talented and dark-visioned lot!” by popular metal site Bravewords.com; Houston “prog-ternative” rock band Anova Skyway will follow up the release of their acclaimed 2020 single “Diet of Worms” with another bold and irresistible take on the modern prog blueprint. The six-piece ensemble will debut their awaited EP titled Reset on July 15, 2022. (Anova Skyway, 2022)

Reset features six songs including four co-written with Louis Abramson of JOLLY and an intriguing cover of Faith No More’s “Ashes to Ashes.” Produced by the incredible Dean Dichoso; Anova Skyway makes a notable and instantly satisfying impression with Reset, showcasing their sonic evolution with their most indulgent and exploratory melodies to date, caressed by powerfully emotive lyrics.

“Reset represents yet another turn in our winding journey as a band. All the detours left their mark and brought us to the unit that we are today. Mike has completely blown us away with where he’s taken the vocal performances. The hole he leaves in the guitar spot with this move makes room for one of our oldest friends in music and one of the best guitarists we know in Sean Gary (ex-Oceans of Slumber). Frank Alonzo rounds it out on keys and our brother Garret West has left his mark as well contributing the lyrics to some of these songs as a final parting gift. We are excited to bring this new version of Anova Skyway to the world.” – drummer Mike Marksberry

The refreshed ANOVA SKYWAY lineup is composed of vocalist Mike Palacios, Guitarists Andrew Alvarez and Sean Gary, Drummer Mike Marksberry, Bassist Cory Miles, and Frank Alonzo on Keys/synth.

“Mike has completely blown us away with where he’s taken the vocal performances and we can’t wait to bring this new version of Anova. We have a new vocalist, a new guitarist, and a new keyboardist. I wouldn’t say there is a huge departure from our previous style, but those new elements alone make for a brand new sound! We’re excited to bring it to the world.” – Anova Skyway

The track listing for Reset is unveiled below along with the stunning EP artwork designed by Giannis Nakos of Remedy Art. The first single will premiere soon, along with additional EP details including pre-order information. Anova Skyway teased a glimpse of what’s to come via social media. Visit the band’s Facebook page for a peek into the arrival of Reset.

Reset track list
1. Translucent
2. Absent
3. Spark
4. City Underground
5. Ashes to Ashes
6. Horizon

Horizon is the new single from the new EP Reset, due out July 15, 2022.
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County Line Community Band summer concert

The County Line Community Band will perform in the Buena Vista Theater on the UTSA downtown campus. Photo: google

On Sunday, June 26, 2022 at 3p.m., the County Line Community Band will perform their “Concert Favorites and Solos” in the beautiful Buena Vista Theater on the UTSA Downtown Campus from 3p.m. to 4p.m. This concert will feature world renowned Saxophonist, Dr. Andy Wen and Tyler Neufer, French Horn instrumentalist with the U.S. Air Force Band of the West. The band will also highlight music considered some of the favorites in band literature like, “Funiculi, Funicula,” “Bugler’s Holiday,” “Lassus Trombone,” and more. (County Line Community Band, 2022)

This concert is free and open to the public. Parking is free at the Cattleman’s Square parking lot across the street from the theater. Come out and support community music in San Antonio. Donations deeply appreciated.

The CLCB is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and our mission and endeavor is to create an environment whereby our all-volunteer organization can further their musical education and enjoyment through the performance of concert and symphonic music, to further the efficacy of music as an integral piece of the culture of the local community, to advocate for the synergistic integration of music education, to work with our cultural partners in our communities for the advancement of the arts and to be a source of pride for our members and the communities we serve.

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s Teatro Salon presents La Niña Girasol

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center proudly presents the Teatro Salon’s world premiere of La Niña Girasol (The Sunflower Girl) by J. Cesar Duenas. Photo: The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, used with permission.

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center proudly presents the Teatro Salon’s world premiere of La Niña Girasol (The Sunflower Girl) by J. Cesar Duenas, scheduled for June 22 – 25, 2022 at the historic Guadalupe Theater, 1301 Guadalupe St., San Antonio, TX 78207. Clint Taylor, who has over 25 years working with numerous theater companies in San Antonio and New York, will be directing this unique and imaginary children’s play. (Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, 2022)

“Follow a brother & sister on a journey through their dreams to save their maternal line from being lost forever…. A magical tale of family, history, and the struggle to keep their roots alive,” this, according to playwright J. Cesar Duenas. Mr. Duenas is a local theatre actor and while La Niña Girasol is his first play, he has acted with VIVA 48hr Play, Teatro Audaz, Killer Productions, Overtime Theatre, and Jumpstart. He is a first-generation American and a US Army veteran who was born and raised in San Antonio. “I am so excited with this rare opportunity to have my first play produced and enjoyed by the community.”

Teatro Salon is a project of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center that provides opportunities to developing new plays and is sponsored by City of San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture, Texas Commission on the Arts, Trinity University and National Performance Network.

Show times include two morning performances on Wednesday and Thursday June 22 and 23 at 11a.m. and two evening performances on Friday and Saturday June 24 and 25 at 7p.m.. Admission is $12 Adults, $6 Teens and Seniors and $2 Children (13yrs and under). All performances will take place at the historic Guadalupe Theater, 1301 Guadalupe St. San Antonio, TX 78207.

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center was founded in 1980 as a non-profit, multidisciplinary organization. Located in the heart of San Antonio’s westside, the Guadalupe is one of the largest community-based organizations in the United States. Its mission is to cultivate, promote, and preserve traditional and contemporary Chicano, Latino, and Native American arts and culture through multidisciplinary programming.