At 7,000 feet of elevation, and a top space on any filmmaker’s bucket list, Sundance is already an elevated festival. Revered, renowned, and revolutionary, Sundance is ground zero (but at thousands of feet above sea level) for independent films and those that love them.
FIAF (The French Institute Alliance Française) hosted the 6th edition of Animation First this Friday at Tinker Auditorium.
Almost just as soon as Bearaby collaborated with Whalebone on opening a pop-up shop in NYC’s West Village, they are shutting it down again. The shop, where you can explore the brand signature hand-knit blankets and sensory pillows first-hand, is helping shoppers take a breather during one of the most stressful days of the year.
From today until the end of Cyber Monday, Bearaby is working to #WeightOutBlackFriday, giving consumers a chance to pause amid a chaotic season by shutting the physical location and creating a relaxing web page where browsers can “collect rest”. The evidence is clear. Bearaby-funded research conducted in partnership with Duke University found that Black Friday is one of the most stressful days of the year, with heightened anxiety and an increase of calls to crisis and mental health helplines.
At its Bleecker Street location, Bearaby invites visitors and passersby for a moment of rest in the form of a cozy bench, covered in the sustainable cotton used for the brand’s patented weighted blankets. A sensory “restometer” will total up the amount of rest the bench collects, serving as a reminder to recharge during this busy season.
To further shine a light on the importance of collective mental well-being, Bearaby is making donation to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, for every minute spent having a moment of rest.
DKMS hosted its annual black-tie gala produced by HK Media Group on October 20th in New York City at Cipriani Wall Street.
Casita Maria’s Fiesta! was held for the first time since the pandemic in New York City’s Plaza Hotel on October 11. The event honored Latino groundbreakers such as Puerto Rican Postwar and Contemporary artist Tony Bechara, chairman of the NBCUniversal New Group, Cesar Conde; and immigration rights leader Gaby Pacheco.
“Since 1934, Casita Maria has served as a beacon of hope and safe haven for thousands of families to celebrate the unique, powerful, and rich culture of the Bronx and New York City communities of color,” Pacheco asserted while doting on the organization that taught her ballet in the early 2000s. Since, Pacheco has been advocating on behalf of immigrants and gained national recognition for her work to pass the DREAM Act; which works to grant immigrant students legal status and eventually, U.S. citizenship.
As the son of immigrants, Cesar Conde took to the stage with gratitude for both Casita Maria and his parents. “They always taught us, the one thing in life that no one could ever take away from you is your education,” Conde recalled. “The work that Casita Maria is doing in educating and empowering our youth and opening up all those opportunities in life for them, that is the work that is priceless,” he marveled. Tony Bechara expressed the same sentiment noting, “I want to thank Casita Maria because many, many years ago, waves of compatriots of mine from Puerto Rico were arriving here in New York looking for a better life. New York being the beacon of hope. There was no one to help them. Casita Maria filled that void. They were the first to do it.”
Located in the South Bronx, Casita Maria has taken on the responsibility of exposing Latino youth to the opportunities many of their parents and grandparents sought via immigration. Fostering a community of innovative young professionals for decades, Casita Maria celebrates their consistent wins with Fiesta! The fundraiser enables the organization to continue serving over 1,000 students every year while being an anchor within the community.
To learn more about Casita Maria and for ways to get involved, visit https://www.casitamaria.org
Alberta Distillers announced the return of the famous Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye on October 12. A call for celebration, on October 20, the brand hosted an exclusive tasting with a twist: a fitting for custom jeans by FITTED Underground.
Made from 100% Canadian Prairie rye grains and brewed in glacier-fed spring waters from the Rocky Mountains, the elixer took the U.S. by storm in 2020. Since, the brand’s Cask Strength Rye has received serval awards including Double Gold at both the 2020 and 2021 SIP Awards and the San Francisco World Spirits Competitions.
The award winning booze was sampled in two drinks the evening of the 20th on the rooftop at Sunset Park’s Brooklyn Grange. A rustic “Old Fashion” with Angostura Bitters, and a light “Rosemary’s Baby” with organic cider. In between sampling, guests received the opportunity to customize their fantasy jeans down to the logo on the buttons. A simple, but luxurious process. Through the customization of jeans, guests were also receiving a sneak peak of the whisky making process; which like jeans, requires patience and great craftsmanship.
This holiday season, treat yourself or the whisky lover you know to a bottle of Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye while they’re still in stock.
NYC based LGBTQ+ film festival, NewFest, teamed up with Netflix to create the New Voices Filmmakers Grant. Four recipients, Blanche Akonchong, Livia Huang, Rodney Llaverias and Nyla Moon, were honored at Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn on October 17.
Winners of $25,000 each and a year of mentorship, the filmmakers gathered for a panel to discuss their films and journey’s thus far.
Blanche Akonchong directed “Mercury Afrograde,” a film depicting a family’s struggle when their secrets are revealed during mercury retrograde. “I edited it, colored it, I composed the music,” Akonchong told the Knockturnal. “I literally spent the whole first quarter of the pandemic just working on it. It was my catharsis.” The film received NewFest’s Emerging Black LGBTQ+ Director Award in 2020. Blanche is an actor, writer, director and musician who hails from Riverdale, Georgia with Cameroonian roots.
New York native filmmaker and actor, Nyla Moon, created “How Not to Date While Trans.” “I realized that there wasn’t a lot of stories by trans women about the trans experience,” Moon noted. “This is such a fun film and it’s like a love story to the trans community because everyone always talks about our experiences but they don’t listen to us, so I wanted to create this story so people could understand what it’s like actually dating as a trans person.” With this accomplishment, Moon continues to produce and act in more original works.
Working on the development of their first feature film while living between the Dominican Republic and Bogota, filmmaker Rodney Llaverias won the New Fest prize for “The Two-Headed Calf.” In the film, the protagonist comes to terms with their sexuality; a monumental event for most audiences don’t get to see from the queer point of view. “I really wanted to tell this story,” Llaverias admitted on the panel. “I had a very late flourishing when it came to my sexuality (…) I was really tapping into my past, my past traumas; I really wanted to talk about my relationship with my father and what that meant for me.”
“More Happiness,” by Livia Huang also explored parental relationships. “I think we all have evolving relationships with our mothers,” Huang said. “I just had these conversations that I couldn’t really let go of, and ‘More Happiness’ has this conversation with a real mother and daughter pair interspersed with the protagonist’s past memories about the past love affair with her ex girlfriend.” Huang, a Baltimore bred director, created the film as a thesis for Brooklyn College, two years ago.
Creating safe havens for queer communities since 1988, New Fest also dedicated the evening to celebrating thriving artists including Big Mouth’s Brandon Kyle Goodman, Wendell & Wild’s Sam Zelaya and Dead End: Paranormal Park’s; Zach Barack.
Four spirits were the highlight of the Lobos 1707 Tequila Tasting and Pairing on October 26 in NYC. Hosted by Founder, Diego Osorio, the evening was dedicated to appreciating the Lobos 1707 Joven, Mezcal Artesanal, Reposado and Extra Añejo expressions as both beverages and ingredients via cocktails and tasty h’ordeuvres. While entertaining guests in the Lobos Headquarters, Diego was able to explain how the brand came to be.
“Everything goes back to a story,” Diego explained to the Knockturnal. “The story told is my great-great-grandfather went from Spain to Mexico with some sherry wine barrels, drank them, filled them up with agave liquor; and then realized it tasted a lot better.” Often used to age whiskeys and bourbons, Diego’s family decided to partner sherry and Tequila. Each expression contains this special ingredient, also known as Pedro Ximenez, despite their contrasting flavors.
What started out as a creative outlet and something for friends to enjoy, turned into a company thriving in partnership with Lebron James. “We’re building something to stay,” Osorio asserted. “I think other brands are trying to capitalize and make just a moment, and sell something. We want to make something that’s here to stay.”
Check out Lobos 1707 for the next Taco Tuesday or gathering with friends. Like the company slogan says, “Protect your pack. Drink responsibly.”
With the success of its Harlem location, the team behind the chicken-any-way-you-like-it restaurant has expanded (or, in more proper terms, spread its wings) at an all-new location in Kips Bay. Located at 415 3rd Ave, the brand-new spot is the perfect mix of ambiance and comfort, with its beautiful, trendy interior and delicious food that will remind anyone of home with its many customizable options.
The new location is absolutely beautiful, the first thing you see is the beautifully crafted exterior with chic plants and a very open atmosphere. Inside, the dim lighting and candles provide a cozy yet trendy and beautiful atmosphere. Everyone was buzzing with conversation and excitement when we visited the spot for dinner on Friday evening, and we were far from disappointed by the upbeat mood of our surroundings.
Chef Jonghun Won brought a taste of Europe to Midtown Manhattan in the form of cafe and bakery, Pavé. After leaving his home in South Korea to open Jungsik New York and New Jersey’s La Tabatiere, Chef Won teamed up with partner, Jin Ahn, to create the rustic Pavé which opened its doors on September 21. Taking pride in their daily baked bread, Pavé also offers coffee’s and teas to accompany specialty seasonal sandwiches and pastries.
The Knockturnal was invited to a Pavé tasting on October 12. Starting off with the Burrata salad, the sweetness of the marinated tomatoes complimented by the crunchy pistachios definitely woke the taste buds. Next was the savory Croque Monsieur. This ham and cheese sandwich mixes Gruyère and Béchamel with spicy Dijon mustard on a warm and soft sourdough bread. Just as savory, was the Country Pâté which is topped with tart cornichon pickles on a firm, but doughy baguette. Similar to a Sicilian slice, the Chorizo-Zucchini Focaccia is a delicious mix of sausage, mozzarella, basil and of course; thinly sliced zucchini.
For desert, we indulged in a few pastries. To start we had a fluffy brioche slice filled with a passionfruit sauce, the perfect sugar kick for anyone with a sweet tooth. Next up was the Green Tea Scone which was full of white chocolate that was flavorful but not overpowering; a great pair for tea. Lastly, it was only right to close off on a classic chocolate chip cookie that was crunchy in all the right places.
Check out Pavé on Tuesdays-Fridays from 8am-3pm to unwind the Parisian way, in a tranquil space while wafting the smell of bread baking from opening to closing.