A Letter From Our Favorite Comedian

Truly funny comedians' lives are usually as funny off stage as they are on it. Such is definitely the case for our favorite comedian Ardie Fuqua (from Cookies & Cream). Here is his hilarious (and sad) story about his holiday season this past year. Ardie gave us permission to post this story, as he also told it on his Facebook fan page. Here it is:

"OK...

Ive been up for more than 24 hours at this point because I have to take my truck to get the window fixed... my truck got broken into last nite...

Heres my story.....

So I leave home to go to the gym. I get to the gym & I open my gym bag bc I thought I put my camera in there... no camera. I dont go anywhere without my camera, so I drive all the way home to get it. I go in the house, I cant find it anywhere. I basically tear my house apart looking for it. No sign of the camera. I go back out to the truck, dump everything out of my gym bag, and inside my sweats was my camera. So I put my camera in my glove compartment.

I drive back to the gym, pissed bc of all the time I wasted. I recieve a text from the person who dumped me. I get excited bc I think they want to talk, so I call them, only to find out, she just wanted me to bring her dry cleaning to her. She needs it that nite. so I cut my work out in half, drive back home to to my house in JERSEY CITY,NEW JERSEY to get the dry cleaning, then drive to her apt in BRONX, NEW YORK.

I get there, she tells me to come inside. So I drive around looking for a parking spot. I finally find one 4 blocks away. I open my glove compartment to throw on some hot body cologne bc Im thinking, "Oh, she must have something reeeeaaallllllyyyyy sexxxxxxyyyyyy in mind!!!". My camera falls out of the glove compartment, so I just leave it on the front passenger seat. I run the 4 loooooooooooong blocks to the apt ready for some loving, only to find out that she had just baked 2 strawberry pies & wanted me to taste them to get my opinion. DAMN!!! REALLY? I MEAN REEEEEAAAAALLLLYYYYYYYY????? Then she says she doesnt like the way 1 of the pies turned out, so she gives that pie to me. No, Im serious. She did.

I get back to my truck, my passenger side window is busted... FUUUUUUCCCCCCCCKKKKKK!!!!! They ravaged the whole truck... turned the glove compartment inside out, went thru all my cd's, all my colognes were onstole, my gym bag, which contained nothing but sneakers, sweats, sweaty undies, & a tank top that I blew snot into bc I couldnt find a rag... but guess what? In their haste, they completely ignored THE FUCKING CAMERA!!! ITS STILL SITTING ON THE FRONT SEAT!!! They took everything but the 1 thing in the vehicle that was worth anything!

Now Im driving 80 miles an hour on the west side hway & the new jersey turnpike with no window in 20 degree weather... but 1st I have to go to my party at Pink Elephant, so I park the truck in a lot. At 4am, as Im leaving the lot, a police car pulls me over bc the officers saw the jagged glass still in the window frame, and they pull me out of the truck, make me sit down on a cold wet curb while they ran the plates ( I have Connecticut plates & I guess the 1st thing they thought was "aint no niggas from Connecticut) to see if it was stolen... they didnt even give me a chance to open my fucking mouth. Finally, they talk to me. I told them my story, then I showed them the truck keys & the PBA card that I have bc Im friends with a lot of the NYPD. They actually laugh... like, loudly right in my face.... then they ask to see the strawberry pie. Then they told me that I should go home & fuck the pie.

So if Ive pissed anybody off, and youre reading this, please call the voo doo hex you put on me off.

Please. HAPPY 2009 TO ARDIE FUQUA!!!!!"

- Ardie

Ardie's Facebook fan page:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=8802856597

Ardie's Myspace page:

www.myspace.com/ardiefuqua

Catalina Sandino Moreno

Since we love actors and since this blog is increasingly actor-friendly, I find myself being asked more and more these days who may favorite actors are. I always answer how I really feel - my favorite actors are some of the actors we are lucky enough to be working with here at One Way. So usually, they specify by asking who my favorite "mainstream" actors are. THOSE actors change from time to time of course, because movies are so full of new, exciting talents that continuously pop up.

Right now my favorite "mainstream" actress handsdown is Catalina Sandino Moreno. I first saw her where most people did - with her breakthrough role in the multi-award winning indie film Maria Full of Grace. I later saw her in Linklater's Fast Food Nation and I knew immediately that she was my favorite, and that Maria wasn't any kind of a fluke. She is great in a lot of different ways in terms of her choices, but one of the things I really respond to in Catalina is the way she has help bring naturalism back into the mainstream. As a fan of DIY, smaller films, to see this style of acting further cross over into the mainstream is exciting and encouraging.

Catalina is currently in Steven Soderberg's new film Che, which is getting a lot of good buzz and is in theatres now. Here is more about her.

Catalina Sandino Moreno (born April 19 1981) is an Academy Award-nominated Colombian actress.

Sandino was born in Bogotá, Colombia to a pathologist mother. Before becoming an actress, she studied advertising at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá. She relocated to New York City in 2004, after she was "discovered" at the Rubén Di Pietro acting school in Bogotá. She was then referred to a casting audition for the 2004 film Maria Full of Grace where she beat over 900 girls for the lead role.

Sandino received a nomination for Best Actress at the 77th Academy Awards.

2005 Best Female Lead Award in the Independent Spirit Awards.
2004 Silver Berlin Bear for Best Actress in the Berlin International Film Festival.
2004 Most Promising Performer in the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards.
2004 Breakthrough Award in the Gotham Awards.
2004 New generation Award in the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards.
2005 Golden Space Needle Award for Best Actress in the Seattle International Film Festival.

Sandino has lived with David Elwell from 2002 to the present. She married him on 15 April 2006 in a small ceremony held in Cartagena de Indias. She reads Spanish-language books because she misses her native language. She is the first Colombian to be nominated for an Academy Award, and was in New York when she heard on TV that she was nominated for Best Actress in the 2004 Oscar race for her role in Maria Full of Grace.

Filmography
Che (2008)

Heart of the Earth (2007)
The Hottest State (2007) as Sarah
Paris, je t'aime (2006)
Fast Food Nation (2006)
Journey to the End of the Night (2006) as Angie
Maria Full of Grace (2004) as María Álvarez

Actors, dancers, etc auditions in NYC for theatre

Actors, Dancers, Acrobats for The Tempest

Category
Performer

Description
Seeking experienced dancers with strong acting and improvisation skills for a production of The Tempest. Gymnastics, acrobatics, aerial and clowning skills a plus.

Job Start Date
1/18/2009

Job End Date
5/18/2009

Union Information
?

Salary
Stipend

Company
Odyssey Theatre Ensemble New York
Address
New York, NY 10016US

Contact
Shana Solomonsolomon.shana@gmail.com

Respond Method(s)
By Email

Theatre auditions in NYC (unpaid)

Auditions

Category
Performer

Description
Auditions for On the Night of Anthony's 30th Birthday Party, Again by L. Pontius

Job Start Date
1/17/2009

Job End Date
3/28/2009

Union Information
AEA Showcase Code pending
Salary
N/A


Company
Whirled Peas Productions
Address
New York, NY 10011US

Contact
Megan Demarest

Respond Method(s)
At Audition

Audition Information

When: January 17 & 18, 2009 12-4pm
Where: Theatre Row Studios Studio 5 410 West 42nd St.
Notes/What to bring: Audition SIGN-UPS are at Manhattan Theatre Source, 177 MacDougal St. @ West 8th. PLEASE SIGN UP FOR A 5 MINUTE SLOT before coming to the auditions at Theatre Row Studios-sign up sheet will be available by January 6 at 12pm. A copy of the script will be available at MTS for IN-HOUSE reading only. Sides will be provided at the audition. Please bring one headshot and resume. Looking for: Charlie: 29, He was always a good listener and a nice guy, too Ben: 30, He was the coolest guy you knew Kate: 29, She was the coolest girl you knew and you always wanted to be around her Beth: 30, She was that smart, sarcastic girl who was loud and spoke her mind Jenny: 31, She was that girl who was quiet in class but knew the answers Max: 28, He was that guy who knew everything but you never knew his name Otis: 32, He was that guy who was always a blast at parties Anthony: 30 or 31? Charlie's boyfriend- he was that guy that was always together and always the center of attention

We welcome actors of any ethnic background.

Don't forget to sign up for an audition slot IN PERSON at Manhattan Theatre Source!!!

Premiere of Indie Film Blogger Road Trip

I guess there are a couple of perks to my job. Very often, my girlfriend and I get these cool invites to indie films. Check this one out below. Make sure you support DIY filmmaking at its best. We'll see you there!

Indie Film Blogger Road Trip
World Premiere

Tuesday February 17, 2009
8 PM

Anthology Film Archives
32 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10003

(map/directions, Nearest Transit: 2nd Ave-Houston St (F, V),

Uptown Bleecker St-Lafayette St (6),Downtown Bleecker St-Lafayette St (6, B, D, F, V))
212-505-5181
$9 ($6 for Anthology members)
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Indie Film Blogger Road Trip description:

In the feature length documentary Indie Film Blogger Road Trip independent filmmaker & blogger Sujewa Ekanayake (Date Number One, DIY Filmmaker Sujewa blog) travels to several U.S. East Coast cities in the Summer of 2008 and discusses the thriving world of indie film journalism on the web, related Internet writings & other matters relevant to the indie film community with over a dozen bloggers who write about indie film and or media professionals who rely on indie film blogs to accomplish their daily work. Indie Film Blogger Road Trip

features: Anthony Kaufman (indieWIRE, Village Voice, Anthony Kaufman's blog), Brandon Harris (Cinema Echo Chamber, Hammer to Nail, Spout, Filmmaker Magazine), Stu VanAirsdale (The Reeler, Defamer), Melissa Silverstein (Women and Hollywood), Erica Ginsberg (Docs In Progress, Docs Interactive), Chuck Tryon (The Chutry Experiment, Newcritics, Fayetteville State University), Gabe Wardell (Atlanta Film Festival, Gabe's Declaration of Principles, ATL 365 blog), Paula Martinez (Atlanta Film Festival, Paula's After Thoughts), Tambay Obenson (The Obenson Report, Beautiful Things), Noralil Ryan Fores (ShortEnd Magazine), Armando Valle (Horror 101, Armando Valle blog), KJ Mohr (National Museum of Women in the Arts, My World Bank Lunches), and Brian Geldin (The Film Panel Notetaker).

Film was produced, directed, videotaped, edited by Sujewa Ekanayake, and features music by Kevin MacLeod. Indie Film Blogger Road Trip is a warm, multi-faceted, reflective introduction to - and a celebration of - a young, influential 21st century creative community.
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Director & several bloggers featured in the film will attend the screening. There will be a brief Q & A session/discussion following the screening.
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Media & Event Management Contact: Sujewa Ekanayake (wilddiner@aol.com, 240-354-3394)
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Check out the opening 9 minutes of the film here:



Indie Film Blogger Road Trip website & blog: http://indiefilmbloggersmovie.blogspot.com/
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Indie Film Blogger Road Trip Copyright 2008 Sujewa Ekanayake/Wild Diner Films

A hard to find DIY gem

Six thirtysomething friends find out more about each other than they expected or wanted to know in this semi-improvised drama. Wes (Michael Traynor) is about to turn 30, and his live-in girlfriend, Sophie (Kellee Stewart), decides that a surprise birthday party is in order. Once the big day arrives, Wes would rather fool around with Sophie than entertain guests, but he politely goes along with the big party as their friends arrive, including tightly wound architect Lenny (Tif Luckenbill); his nervous girlfriend, Allie (Amy Redford); self-styled ladies' man Dylan (David Robinette); and his latest girlfriend, Naima (Marjan Neshat), an Iranian whom he recently met on a train and who doesn't happen to speak English. After a few cocktails, conversation between the guests becomes looser, until some secrets are unexpectedly revealed and tempers between the friends begin to fray.

Cry Funny Happy was the first directorial effort from Sam Neave, who was previously best known for his work as an editor.

Before it got damaged, I used own this DVD for a few years. I cant even remember how I came across it; I believe it was when I stumbled on the DVD for another kick-ass DIY film called Four Dead Batteries (another tough to find DIY DV feature), that like Cry Funny Happy, made its way around the festival circuit between the years 2003 and 2005 to rave reviews and praise. I watched this film again with my friend director Brian Ackley over the Christmas break, and turned him on to it as well. We both think it was fantastic.

Its a mystery why this film was never included in the list of some of DIY's most influencial films, especially when one considers these facts:

* the film was made around the same time as Andrew Bujalski's Mutual Appreciation, which is credited as further establishing this new genre of improvisational feature films.

* Cry Funny Happy, unlike Mutual Appreciation, was actually accepted into Sundance, and included a quote of support from Robert Redford himself.

I can only guess that the film is not mentioned as a "mumblecore" film because the charaacters are in fact in their early 30s, and the fact that they don't mumble at all. They are rather articulate, and are living their lives and working in their careers while maintaining somewhat "stable," albeit troubled, relationships.

Nonetheless, if you are into DIY DV features made entirely in NYC, and you like improvisation, you will find great performances and nuances in the characters. You can find the film for purchase where I found it - on www.Amazon.com

Here is a scene from the film:

2009 Sexy Film Festival

Check out this film festival. They are friends of ours. We recommend checking this festival out if you are a filmmaker or musician looking to submit to a festival with a chance to showcase your music or screen your films worldwide in some of the largest, coolest cities in the world, or a music and film fan that loves edgy, independent films and music from around the world.

MELBOURNE-PERTH-PARIS-LONDON-NEW YORK-LOS ANGELES 2009

STRICT DEADLINE : 31st MAY 2009
http://www.sexyfilmfest.com/

The SEXY INTERNATIONAL FILM AND MUSIC FESTIVAL showcases short and feature films from across the globe which explore love, relationships and sexuality. This year we are also incorporating live music into the programme, featuring some great emerging and established talents.

In August we open the festival in Melbourne before departing on a round world tour of Perth, Paris, London, New York AND Los Angeles in October.

The festival also has a competition, « The Sexy Awards », awarding prizes in the following categories ; Best Short Film, Best Male Actor, Best Female Actor, Best Director, Best Live Act, Best Feature Film, Encouragement Award plus an annual Hall of Fame recipient.

http://www.sexyfilmfest.com/