Months after his successful solo exhibition featuring a compelling selection of his religious paintings billed “The Lord was There” in New York earlier this year, Christian master portrait artist Zimou Tan is now on a mission to make his work more accessible to art lovers of faith and he launched a Kickstarter campaign Tuesday to help him reach it.

Actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter arrive at the 26th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Festival Awards Gala at Palm Springs Convention Center on January 3, 2015 in Palm Springs, California.; Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

The 26th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival opened this weekend, distinguished by robust audience turnouts, megawatt celebrity visitations and constant reminders of the unique space PSIFF occupies and the specialized services it provides to Hollywood.

Falling as it does just before Sundance and just after the Golden Globes nominations, Palm Springs is as much a part of the awards season calendar as it is the festival circuit. Big ticket screenings are presented with all the photo op pomp that would greet a major world premiere at, say, the Los Angeles Film Festival, but in many cases this is to build buzz for (or to re-energize) films that are already in theaters.

At Sundance or Tribeca, the suspense is usually about whether the films in competition will get good reviews and/or find distribution. At Palm Springs, especially on opening weekend, it's more about whether you'll run into Brad Pitt in the guest and industry suite at the Renaissance Hotel.

At the PSIFF awards gala, Golden Globe nominee Reese Witherspoon took home the oddly gender specific Chairman's Award for her performance in "Wild."

J.K. Simmons received something called a Spotlight Award for his superb turn as the menacing music instructor in "Whiplash."

David Oyelowo grabbed the "Breakthrough Performance Award (Male)" for depicting Martin Luther King Jr. in "Selma." Brad Pitt's sing-along presentation of Oyelowo's award became the meme for much of the post-event press coverage.

Sing-a-long with Brad Pitt

Rosamund Pike got the "Breakthrough Performance Award (Female)" for "Gone Girl."

Michael Keaton presented the Director of the Year award to his "Birdman" collaborator Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

And the Palm Spring Convention Center stage was home to two young British heartthrobs who are in Oscar contention this year for period biopics about scientific genius: Eddie Redmayne, who grabbed the Desert Palm Achievement Award (Male) for portraying ALS sufferer Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything," and Benedict Cumberbatch, who split glory with the cast of the Alan Turing biography "The Imitation Game" as co-winner of the Ensemble Performance Award.

The Desert Palm Achievement Award (Female) went to Julianne Moore in the Alzheimer's drama "Still Alice."

Every single one of the movies honored is in theaters now, almost all of them in the midst of slowly expanding release patterns as they mount their long slow march toward the Academy Awards.

The generous "one award per movie" policy and the care with which PSIFF avoids alienating celebrity affections by giving out trophies with such blunt and unequivocal titles as "Best Actress" or "Best Actor" mark the PSIFF awards gala as a psuedo-event: a kind of open-armed Hollywood team huddle before things get grim and serious with the Oscar announcements at the end of the month.

Even an Oscar-worthy oddity like Richard Linklater's "Boyhood" managed to find a place in the parade, with Linklater, who directed Shirley MacLaine in the 2010 black comedy "Bernie," presenting the 80-year-old actress with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award, essentially for career achievement.

Meanwhile, the festival's generous supply of indie, studio and foreign movies churned away in various local movie theaters, a really quite remarkable cluster of buzzworthy pictures, almost all of which have played elsewhere, including at Sundance and Toronto and Tribeca, and in many cases at your local multiplex.

This programming approach can be a double-edged sword. Director Ava DuVernay, whose civil rights-era epic "Selma" opened the festival, was unable to stay for her full run of Palm Springs personal appearances because her movie has been out long enough to spark a rather bitter controversy over its depiction of President Lyndon Johnson. DuVernay abandoned a Palm Springs Q and A in order to defend her film on Charlie Rose. 

While some audience members were bitterly disappointed at missing the chance to hear one of this year's golden ones, I'm sure the PSIFF Board of Governors understood completely. This time of year, you have to play the long game, and, in the words of the civil rights anthem, "keep your eyes on the prize."

Off-Ramp contributor R.H. Greene, former editor of Boxoffice Magazine, is in Palm Spring this week to cover the 26th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival. Look for his missives here, and listen Saturday to Off-Ramp for his report on the festival.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Ten projects feature solar thermal systems.

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Michael D. McCann, MD, MBA, is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Kunkel is the president of Wordslinger Marketing & PR, primarily serving the nonprofit community

Lorrainne Bilodeau, MS, honored for more than 40 years of success in her profession

The work of long-time Core77-fave NOOKA—founded by Matthew Waldman—is the subject of a newly-released book, Designing Time, a lavish and time-travel-y chronicle of the brand's evolution and its efforts to make us rethink how we perceive the formal intersection of time and design.

"The Future Should Not Look Like the Past" offers a deep dive into NOOKA's journey, from its inception to its impact on the design landscape. Established in the late 1990s, NOOKA was a pioneer in creating timepieces that employed a unique visual language, "making the concept of time more intuitive and accessible." The brand's partnership with Seiko marked the beginning of a new era in watch design, introducing passive intelligent interfaces that enriched the user experience.

With ambitions ahead of their time, Waldman's vision was "to promote a universal language through design that transcends cultural and geopolitical boundaries." He created a shorthand for the concept—Mindstyle—which "merges interface design with lifestyle aspirations, aiming to foster a better future."

Inside the Book

Spanning 200+ pages, Designing Time is an absolute treasure trove for design enthusiasts, and an incredible pleasure to meander through. It features an array of content—including sketches, renders, and photographs—accompanied by inside stories and process images of unrealized projects. (Always some of the most ambitious!) The book not only highlights NOOKA's groundbreaking products (such as the iconic STRIP belt and futuristic sunglasses), but also delves into the brand's cultural impact during the 2000s. Anyone in the design world at that time will be taking a very enjoyable trip down memory lane with this thing.

Launched on Kickstarter Japan in 2022, the book quickly reached its funding goal, reflecting the enduring interest in NOOKA's innovative approach. The first print run sold out, and a second edition [Hard cover only] is set to ship in November 2024, so more of us will be able to get ouir hands on one.

Find more info here: https://www.nooka.com/nooka-book/

Event Begins: Thursday, November 14, 2024 1:20pm
Location: Lurie Ann & Robert H. Tower
Organized By: School of Music, Theatre & Dance

Adam Lenhart performs a 30 minute recital on the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Carillon, an instrument of 60 bells with the lowest bell (bourdon) weighing 6 tons. The program celebrates the life, legacy & music of Selena Quintanilla Pérez (1971-1995) as part of Lenhart's American Women Concert Series.

Thirty-minute recitals are performed on the Lurie Carillon every weekday that classes are in session. During these recitals, visitors may take the elevator to level 2 to view the largest bells, or to level 3 to see the carillonist performing. (Visitors subject to acrophobia are recommended to visit level 2 only.) An optional spiral stairway between levels 2 and 3 allows for up-close views of some of the largest bells.

SPOILER ALERT: Details follow for Season 12, Episode 7 of “The Masked Singer,” “Who Are You Fest Night,” which aired November 13 on Fox. It may have been a wipeout, but surfer Bethany Hamilton told Variety that she still enjoyed her brief appearance on “The Masked Singer.” Hamilton was the latest celebrity to be unmasked, […]

Whoopi Goldberg is celebrating her birthday this year with some of her favorite things, from games and apparel to a kitchen tool you and your family will love. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/2Ybi4tM MORE FROM 'THE VIEW': Full episodes: http://abcn.ws/2tl10qh Twitter: http://twitter.....

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[Written by Stephen Wright] Ras Mykkal has described his latest book, Celebrating 50 Years of Motocross in Bermuda, as a labour of love and said motocross set him on his path as one of the island’s top sports photographers. The book, launched at Brown & Co on Thursday, features interviews with some of the sport’s […]

The Bermuda Motocross Association [BMA] is preparing for its 52nd-anniversary celebration this weekend. A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Motocross Association [BMA] is thrilled to announce its 52nd-anniversary celebration at the beloved Southside Motocross Track. This landmark event, taking place this Sunday 10th March, will see the gates drop at 12:00 PM for an unforgettable day […]

Appleby announced it retained its Planet Mark Business Certification for 2024, achieving a 37.2% reduction in carbon emissions and reaffirming its commitment to sustainability. A spokesperson said, “Appleby is pleased to announce that it has retained its Planet Mark Business Certification for a further year, reducing carbon emissions by 37.2% and underlining the Group’s commitment […]

Dems were sure that Trump was going to lose. Remind them that they were wrong. Again.

The post Celebrate The Return Of MAGA With These *NEW* Trumpinator 2024 Prints appeared first on Clash Daily.

Pittsburgh looks to erase Monday from their memory as they look ahead to their matchup against the Detroit Red Wings

Penn State Great Valley is hosting a special exhibit through Jan. 6 in collaboration with the Regional Center for Women in the Arts, featuring a vibrant collection of works by visionary artists dedicated to celebrating women's voices and experiences.

Chef Ritu Dalmia, one of India's most celebrated chefs, tied the knot on November 5, 2024.

Shanaya Kapoor, Vedang Raina were also a part of the celebrations

According to the Garda Siochana, Ireland's national police and security service, the US citizen was discovered unconscious on a bathroom floor Tuesday evening

By attending these festivals, you can immerse yourself in the vibrant culture, traditions, and hospitality of India.

According to the Garda Siochana, Ireland's national police and security service, the US citizen was discovered unconscious on a bathroom floor Tuesday evening

Children's Day, also known as 'Bal Diwas', is celebrated annually on November 14 in India. The day also marks the birth anniversary of the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who was known for his love for children.

Children's Day, also known as 'Bal Diwas', is celebrated annually on November 14 in India. The day also marks the birth anniversary of the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who was known for his love for children.

As the dust settles after one of the most contentious election seasons in modern history, TV host and online personality James Deakin reflects on the shifting power dynamics in the world of journalism, censorship, and the impact of political endorsements in his new commentary uploaded on the Peanut Gallery Media Network’s online platforms. According to Deakin, the media landscape has been forever altered, and it’s clear: “The (American) mainstream media are officially dead.” Watch the full episode on the PGMN YouTube channel here: Deakin’s sharp critique points out that US-based mainstream outlets have lost the trust of the public. “People […]...

Keep on reading: As Trump reclaims the Presidency, James Deakin says 'people have had enough' of celebrity endorsements

Gwen Stefani set to release fourth solo album on FridayLegendary musician Gwen Stefani looks back at the making of the breakthrough album of her solo career Love.Angel.Music.Baby., as she marks 20 years of releasing it.Discussing the album, the popstar said, "At that point, things were unhinged,...

The giant statue of her was better.

Our best guesses for season 12.

Blizzard is celebrating a number of huge milestones this year across Warcraft, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Warcraft Rumble. Here's everything shown at the company's huge Direct event

Georgia coach Kirby Smart had lots of praise for backup safety Jake Pope on Tuesday, just days after he criticized the player for appearing to celebrate with fans from the opposing team.

A 60-year-old American man was found "beaten to death" at Ballyfin Demesne, a luxurious five-star hotel in Ireland. Police said a suspect is in custody.

LONDON — UK's King Charles will celebrate his 76th birthday on Thursday (Nov 14) by opening two food distribution hubs which are part of his project designed to cut waste and support charities that help those who are hungry. Last year, the king, an outspoken campaigner on environmental issues and supporter of a sustainable economy, launched the 'Coronation Food Project', his mission to 'bridge the gap between food waste and food need'. On Thursday, the monarch will open the initiative's first two food hubs — distribution centres which are designed to save and circulate tonnes of surplus food. He will visit one of the hubs in south London which will host a 'surplus food festival' making meals created from food which would have gone to waste, as well as virtually opening the other site in northern England. Their aim is to make it easier for food charities such as FareShare and the Felix Project to provide support for those in need, Buckingham palace said. It said since the launch of the scheme, the project had helped save an additional 940 tonnes of surplus food which was to the equivalent of more than 2.2 million meal portions.

London’s National Gallery is celebrating 200 years with newly digitised artworks, curated stories and an interactive AI experience connecting art and music on Google Art…

Tharaldson Hospitality Management proudly announces the grand opening of their 88th hotel, the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Porter Ranch Los Angeles. This milestone marks another significant achievement in THM’s continued expansion and commitment to delivering exceptional hospitality experiences. Located in the vibrant and rapidly growing area of Porter Ranch, CA, the new Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton boasts 100 modern and beautifully designed guest rooms, providing visitors with the perfect blend of comfort and convenience. Guests can enjoy premium amenities, including complimentary breakfast, free Wi-Fi, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and a refreshing outdoor pool. The opening of this new hotel comes thanks to the hard work and dedication of the entire THM team, who have worked tirelessly to ensure a seamless and successful launch. THM extends sincere gratitude to every team member for their unwavering commitment and efforts. The Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Porter Ranch Lo...

As voting for the first phase of the Jharkhand Assembly elections covering 43 seats began at 7 A.M. on Wednesday, several prominent figures, political leaders, and candidates were among the early voters at their respective booths, stressing upon the importance of fulfilling one's duty.

US President-elect Donald Trump has announced Pete Hegseth, an army veteran and TV personality, as his Defence Secretary, filling up another key position in his incoming cabinet.

1. India celebrates joining Square Kilometre Array Observatory as member country, to set up regional data centre  The Indian Express
2. India becomes full member of SKA, aims to build world’s most sensitive radio telescope  Deccan Herald
3. India to host regional centre for world’s biggest radio telescope  The Times of India
4. India set to contribute Rs 1,250 crore for construction of Square Kilometre Array Observatory  Telegraph India
5. India celebrates joining SKAO as member country  Hindustan Times

The Bermuda Bicycle Association [BBA] is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and invites cyclists to join the Legends Ride this Sunday. A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Bicycle Association [BBA] is thrilled to announce the celebration of its 50th anniversary, marking a significant milestone in the history of cycling on the island. The BBA was […]

Celebrity pregnancy announcements: The most iconic to the most bizarre  9News

OM Philippines celebrates 25 years of transforming lives and communities.

OM's Riverboat was inaugurated in the Netherlands during a New Year celebration on board.

This year, on 9 August, OM Malaysia celebrates 30 years of ministry with former OMers and friends of OM from all generations.

On 9 August 2014, OM Malaysia held an open house to celebrate 30 years of ministry, with OM International Director Lawrence Tong as the guest of honour.

OM's work in Finland began 50 years ago in 1965. Since then, approximately 3,000 Finns have participated in OM’s work.