Tag: Financial Content

More than 80% of small and medium law firms reported financial performance at or better than expectations.  But the post-COVID boom is receding, and the ‘great resignation’ has led to renewed pressure.  Ambitious firms are turning to legal tech to help them thrive. 

LONDON, UK, 16th May, 2022 – Today, LexisNexis Legal & Professional released the 10^th Anniversary edition of the Bellwether, titled “Transformation troubles”.  Building on a decade of sharing insights on the independent legal market, this report suggests that the post-lockdown boom has continued into 2022.   91% of the market voiced confidence in the future of their firm and 33% noted they had outperformed revenue expectations – maintaining the highs of 2021.

Having endured several tough years, firms are starting to feel the benefits of the tough decisions they made to survive.  However, external pressures continue to challenge profitability. A staggering 81% of respondents, with knowledge of their PII, reported that their costs had increased at renewal.

Whilst there remains a clear desire to grow organically, the number of firms actively open to a merger or acquisition has climbed almost 10% since 2021.  This may be because we are seeing signs that the post-pandemic growth boom is plateauing.  51% of respondents stated they were growing, a notable slip from the 66% in 2021 and 57% in 2019.

Just as growth projections return to the pre-pandemic ‘normal’, the traditional problems for the sector have also returned.  The ‘great resignation’ has left its mark on the sector. Around 50% of contributors commented that recruiting and retaining good lawyers is now one of their top 3 challenges, with sizeable unease that they would be able to compete effectively for talent.  This is clearly causing pain, as winning new business is seen as an equally big challenge.

To combat these threats, ambitious firms are investing in cloud-based tech to drive greater efficiencies and win more business. 36% had already increased their investment in technology and 24% were planning to do so.  When asked which tech tools are currently in place, perhaps unsurprisingly, teleconferencing software such as Microsoft Teams had the highest adoption rate at 79%. This was followed by legal research tools, such as LexisNexis, at 69%.

Whilst some firms have welcomed technology with open arms, 47% say they have no plans to invest in any technology at all.  74% say they still use Google for free research and guidance – even though 63% of the survey acknowledged this was riskier and slower than using legal tech.

The divide in the industry continues when looking at business generation activities and ways of working.  Only 46% are investing in their marketing spend and 55% are developing a social media strategy.  Almost 50% are insisting their teams come into the office 5 days a week.

Rakhee Patel, Senior Marketing Manager and the report’s author, commented “It is wonderful to see that the industry has found its feet again after such a challenging period.  But with continued challenges with recruitment and business generation, firms must be open to embracing new technologies so that they can survive, grow and thrive.”

Read the report here: https://www.lexisnexis.co.uk/research-and-reports/bellwether-2022.html

Rakhee Patel is available for comment.

About LexisNexis Legal & Professional

LexisNexis Legal & Professional^® is a leading global provider of legal, regulatory and business information and analytics that helps customers increase productivity, improve decision-making and outcomes, and advance the rule of law around the world. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis^® and Nexis^® services. LexisNexis Legal & Professional, which serves customers in more than 150 countries with 10,500 employees worldwide, is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers.

 

• MICHELIN Guide inspectors will discover and celebrate Toronto’s restaurants
• Toronto becomes the first MICHELIN Guide destination in Canada

 

TORONTO, May 10, 2022 — Michelin and Destination Toronto today revealed an expansion of The MICHELIN Guide, with the announcement of the MICHELIN Guide Toronto, making it the first Canadian destination for the selection.

A new chapter begins in Toronto, which features global eats and charming cafes as well as high-end dining experiences. It’s a city where top chefs want to establish a presence and where emerging chefs nurture their culinary talent – both drawing on locally produced ingredients unique to Ontario.

The inaugural edition of the MICHELIN Guide Toronto will be announced in fall 2022, with a selection of restaurants receiving honors. Inspectors award MICHELIN Stars – One, Two or Three – to unparalleled cuisine. They also bestow Bib Gourmand ratings on restaurants that offer great quality food at good prices, and they award the MICHELIN Green Star to restaurants involved in sustainable gastronomy.

“For the first time in its history, the MICHELIN Guide lands in Canada, and our inspectors are excited to experience the impressive culinary landscape of Toronto,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the MICHELIN Guides. “This first selection for Canada’s largest city, and our first in the country, will represent the local flavors, international inspiration, and distinct creativity that makes Toronto’s dining scene world-class.”

In order to present a full and independent selection in the fall, Michelin inspectors already have begun visiting restaurants in Toronto. They will continue during the next few months. Michelin inspectors are meticulous in maintaining their anonymity. They make dining reservations anonymously and pay for all their meals to ensure they are treated the same as any other customer.

“This is an exciting moment for our city as Toronto will become the first MICHELIN Guide destination in Canada,” said Mayor John Tory. “This further bolsters our reputation as a world destination for food and cuisine. Our diverse city, along with the many renowned chefs who call Toronto home, have helped us get to this point and to be able to showcase all of the wonderful restaurants. A big thank you to everyone who has made this possible: MICHELIN, Destination Toronto, Destination Ontario and Destination Canada. While we await the guide, I encourage Toronto residents to continue supporting and celebrating the revival of Toronto restaurants by dining in locally to sample the diverse culinary offerings our restaurants have to offer.”

“Toronto’s culinary scene is as diverse as the city itself, and the MICHELIN Guide Toronto is the perfect way to celebrate our culinary community,” said Scott Beck, President & CEO of Destination Toronto. “It will be a powerful way to share our culinary capabilities with new audiences from around the world. We’re so proud to partner with Michelin and our destination partners Destination Ontario and Destination Canada, to bring the MICHELIN Guide to Canada for the first time.”

The MICHELIN Guide is constantly observing the evolution of culinary destinations around the world, and the discovery process began in Toronto four years ago. Michelin works with Destination Marketing Organizations, or tourism boards, to promote the travel industry in the respective locations; however, the MICHELIN Guide selections process remains completely independent. While selections remain fully independently determined by Michelin inspectors, Michelin is working with Destination Toronto on marketing and promotion activities only.

The upcoming MICHELIN Guide Toronto selection will follow Michelin’s historical methodology, based on five universal criteria, to ensure each destination’s selection equity: 1) quality products; 2) the mastery of flavors; 3) the mastery of cooking techniques; 4) the personality of the chef in the cuisine; 5) consistency between each visit (each restaurant is inspected several times a year).

The new restaurant selections will join Michelin’s selection of extraordinary hotels in Toronto, curated by Tablet Hotels, the hotel experts at the MICHELIN Guide.

Michelin in Canada
Michelin opened its first North American tire production facilities in Canada in 1971 in Bridgewater and Pictou County, Nova Scotia. It’s now a major contributor to the Canadian economy in the field of sustainable mobility, with activities in the tire sector but also around and beyond tires. The company currently employs around 4,000 people in Canada.

About Michelin North America, Inc.
Michelin, the leading mobility company, is working with tires, around tires and beyond tires to enable Motion for Life. Dedicated to enhancing its clients’ mobility and sustainability, Michelin designs and distributes the most suitable tires, services and solutions for its customers’ needs. Michelin provides digital services, maps and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences. Bringing its expertise to new markets, the company is investing in high-technology materials, 3D printing and hydrogen, to serve a wide a variety of industries—from aerospace to biotech. Headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, Michelin North America has approximately 22,500 employees and operates 34 production facilities in the United States and Canada. (michelinman.com)

About Destination Toronto
Toronto’s visitor economy is a vital economic engine for the city, generating more than $10 billion in economic activity and supporting 70,000 jobs in 2019. Destination Toronto’s mandate is to reflect the breadth and diversity of Toronto’s people, places and culture to inspire residents and visitors to meet, visit and explore our city. Operating in partnership with the City of Toronto, the Greater Toronto Hotel Association and the Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, Destination Toronto markets and promotes the city to locals and visitors, attracts and supports major meetings and events, and supports local businesses to maximize the opportunities of visitor spending. For more information, please visit DestinationToronto.com.

For more information, contact:
Andrew Festa
Michelin North America – External Communications
andrew.festa@michelin.com  

Kathy Motton
Destination Toronto – Senior Communications Manager
kmotton@destinationtoronto.com

Miraculous Brain Injury Survivor, KCPD Officer Moss, champions the race as the 2022 Honoree to support the Brain Injury Association of Greater Kansas City and Kansas

Kansas City’s connection to the Memorial Day Race, Going the Distance for Brain Injury, is personal. Friends of Kansas Citian Amy Thompson launched the race 35 years ago in her honor as she fought to survive a debilitating brain injury. They hoped to gain awareness and support for individuals and their family members affected by brain injury.

Sponsored by the Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City, Going the Distance for Brain Injury race is the successor of that original race organized by Amy’s friends. The 2022 event is Monday, May 30, at 8 am on Memorial Day in Loose Park, just south of the Plaza. This Kansas City racing tradition includes 5K and 10K runs and a 1.5-mile walk, a virtual race, and children’s event.

At age 24, Amy Thompson’s life changed after an attempted robbery that left her with a brain injury. Her friends and family offered Amy encouragement and support. Several years after her injury Amy passed away but her legacy is still associated with today’s race.

“Thompson’s story and her friends’ efforts made a lasting impact. People often still refer to the race as the Amy Thompson Run and feel close to the cause that impacts someone in the U.S. every eighteen seconds,” said Robin Abramowitz, Executive Director of the Brain Injury Association of Greater Kansas City and Kansas. “Since then, many advances to help those with brain injuries have been made. One such example is in our 2022 race honoree, Kansas City Police Department Officer Tyler Moss.”

Officer Moss was given a one percent chance of living after being shot in the head by a gunman on July 2, 2020.  Police on the scene rushed Moss to what is now University Health (formerly Truman Medical Center). His recovery was miraculous and reflected Moss’s tenacity to relearn everything from eating to talking to walking. Moss currently is working at the KCPD Police Academy, retraining and mentoring other officers.

Abramowitz added, “Tyler’s journey offers hope and sparks the conversation about brain injuries. The BIAKS-GKC connects people to resources to improve outcomes for individuals living with brain injuries. The race is one of our largest fundraisers, so we encourage everyone to register, participate in the run or walk, and have fun for this good cause.”

Kansas City Chiefs cheerleaders will be at the race, and former wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs, Marc Boerigter will serve as Honorary Walk for Thought Chair. He is a record-holder for the longest touchdown reception in Chiefs and NFL history. Marc is an active member of the KC Chiefs Ambassadors and has hosted the Chiefs pregame show for the last 11 years on a local sports radio station.

Participants in the race will receive a commemorative 2022 race shirt designed by former race honoree James McGinnis, who received a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during a football game his senior year at Olathe East High School. He was given a seven percent chance to live yet beat the odds and is now an artist spreading his message of love.

Race details and registration are available at www.biaksrun.org

About The Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City (BIAKS-GKC)

The Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City (BIAKS-GKC) is the only nonprofit in Kansas and the Greater Kansas City metro solely devoted to serving individuals living with brain injuries, their family members, and the professionals who treat them. BIAKS-GKC’s mission is to provide ongoing brain injury advocacy, education, and resources. The association is largely funded through donations, grants, and special events, including the beloved Memorial Day run, Going the Distance for Brain Injury. Founded in 1982, BIAKS-GKC is a chartered affiliate of the Brain Injury Association of America, a network of brain injury associations across the United States. www.biaks.org

Message testing research has long been an ignored part of market research, with little methodological or technological innovation over the years. Even the most basic needs that market researchers have in message testing have still not been met:

• Still can’t test a lot of messages in one study
• Still can’t get good separation in scores between good/better/best messages
• Still have to ask respondents to explain likes/dislikes
• Still have no way of improving messages as they are tested

Current message testing solutions do not help marketing teams with campaign readiness and there exists an unaddressed gap between what marketing needs vs. what is handed over by market research. For example, while market research delivers top messages, what marketing really needs to execute a campaign is optimal message bundles and story flows for every channel and segment. Consequently, a significant amount of judgment is applied by marketing teams to get to translate market research results into omni-channel, personalized campaigns.

A pioneer in the use of decision heuristics science and AI to improve messaging, Newristics recognized that behavioral science and machine learning algorithms had the potential to transform message testing research. The idea led to the birth of CMO (Choose Message Optimizer), a message testing algorithm that is designed to deliver better campaign readiness out of market research. Built with 3 years of pure R&D, CMO significantly improves campaign readiness by providing the optimal message map for each channel and customer segment, ready for execution.

To demonstrate the power of CMO innovation, a large-scale message testing study was conducted using in-market messaging from a large financial brand (Chase Bank). The study tested over 400 messages across several attributes, with over 1,000 respondents. The messages were tested with consumers in an online survey using the CMO algorithm.

In-market messages from Chase Bank were tested against 100s of alternate articulations that were created using decision heuristics. Winning message bundles were then identified from the survey data using machine learning algorithms. Improvement in messaging from Chase in-market controls vs. new optimized message bundles was measured using preference share analysis. Message bundles for different channels and customer segments were predicted by CMO algorithms.

The results from the study were sensational, with the CMO-optimized message bundles outperforming current in-market messaging across ALL types of campaigns, with increase in preference share ranging between 30% – 50%. The findings of this study are especially powerful because the improvement in messaging campaigns was achieved with ZERO assistance from the Chase marketing team and simply relied on the power of decision heuristics science and AI to optimize messaging.

Learn more about the CMO (Choose Message Optimizer) here.

About Newristics
Newristics is famous for helping brands optimize messaging using a combination of behavioral science and machine learning algorithms. In the past 10 years, Newristics has optimized messaging for 100s of world-leading brands generating $100s billion in revenue every year.

Newristics Contact:
Tyler Correll
VP, Client Development
Newristics
Mobile: 760.704.9424
Email: tcorrell@newristics.com
Calendar: https://calendly.com/tcorrell-bsi/30min
Website: www.newristics.com

British actress and dancer Stephanie Tripp will star in the trilogy written and directed by Bruno Pischiutta and produced by Daria Trifu.

In the calm and relaxed atmosphere of a small cocktail party, director Bruno Pischiutta told members of his entourage and a few close friends that he has decided to expand the story of the film “Spa” into a trilogy consisting of feature films that follow a sequential storyline.

“I want to tell,” said Pischiutta, “one of the best stories Hollywood has ever brought to the screen, an extremely popular story that will also be emblematic of contemporary human relationships and will be a turning point, a milestone, in defining the cultural conflict over free speech. To achieve this, I need nearly five hours of screen time, because the standard length of a single film would be significantly limiting.” Pischiutta has been writing the script for more than a year, and expects to complete it by the end of the summer.

British actress and dancer Stephanie Tripp will star in the three films. The cast consists of approximately 50 international English-speaking actors, most of whom are members of Global Film Studio’s talent agency, the Global Film Actors Agency.

In an earlier statement by Pischiutta on the topicality of the subject, the author said, “Love and sexual relationships are more complicated today than ever before. They are often interracial, and sometimes involve LGBT characters in a kaleidoscope of different nationalities, traditions, and ways. Love relationships are not caused and motivated by logic but by passion, and the power of passion gives them life and governs them in a constant fluctuating variation that is always interesting and often surprising.”

The film will be distributed worldwide by globalcinema.online, Global Film Studio’s paid streaming service for non-violent films. The streaming channel expects one to two million viewers to watch the film in its first weekend of release.

ABOUT

Bruno Pischiutta is one of the last great Italian filmmakers of his generation, and the only one who lives and works in America for forty years. During his film career, he created and developed numerous feature films in Europe, America, Africa and Asia, and won important awards in several countries. In China, he wrote and developed the feature film “The Sepia Portrait”, and in Ghana he completed the feature film “Punctured Hope” that the Hollywood Political Film Society submitted for nomination at the 2010 Academy Awards^®: brunopischiutta.com

Stephanie Tripp is a British actress and dancer. She studied at South West Academy of Dramatic Arts, and is currently based out of London. Her IMDB page credits the actress in over 20 films and TV series, and it shows that she is currently attached to six upcoming projects. Tripp will be the star in Bruno Pischiutta’s upcoming trilogy of sequential feature films: IMDB Profile

Global Film Studio Inc. is a privately held Canadian media company. Its operations focus on film production and distribution, talent management, film festival organization and publishing. Global Film Studio has six divisions including the Global Nonviolent Film Festival (founded in 2012), Global Film Actors Agency (founded in 2012) and Global Cinema Online (founded in April 2021): globalfilmstudio.com

Global Film Actors Agency is unique in the world. The agency applies the Hollywood studio system used in the 1950s to create stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe and many others: globalfilmactors.com

The 13^th Annual New Media Film Festival^® Los Angeles CA USA nominee tallies are in-125 New Media films and content from 29 countries: Australia, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Republic of, Lebanon, Malta, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic, Tahiti, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA
44 World Premiere, 6 US Premiere and 35 Los Angeles Premieres. With an astounding 85 Premieres out of 125 titles programmed, New Media Film Festival^® is a must attend event.

Full details of all nominees https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/events/

For 2022 the festival judges are from some of the most notable places such as PBS, BBC, HBO, MARVEL, Rolling Stone, Simon & Schuster, ABC and more! Nominees are up for $45,000.00 in awards.  Attendees get to network and engage with creators and influential people from the industry. On June 1 & 2 2022 at The Landmark, 10850 West Pico Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90064. Screenings, Q&As, live music, and more can be experienced.  www.newmediafilmfestival.com

Australia

Writer – Luciano Cavallaro

Country – Australia

Premier – World

Logline, One magical coin can change a life. Two can change the world.

 

Title, The Split

Writer, Nicola Green

Country, Australia

Premier, World

Logline, Based on true events, this is the story of three lives intertwined; a 1960’s London sporting hero turned gold thief, a sick child and a grieving daughter, determined to uncover her family’s secrets, finding far more than she ever could have bargained for.

New Media Film Festival^® create a unique video to present scripts. There will be a Q & A for these writers as well.

 

Bangladesh

Director

Sundaram Tagore

 

Country

Bangledesh, USA

Logline, Art historian and filmmaker Sundaram Tagore travels in the footsteps of Louis Kahn to discover how the famed American architect built a daringly modern and monumental parliamentary complex in war-torn Bangladesh. This very personal fourteen-country odyssey delves into Bangladesh’s quest for democracy, how Khan brilliantly wove together Eastern and Western forms, and the power of great architecture to embody the highest ideals.

Belgium

Title, Paradisiac

Director, Quentin Dujardin

Country, Belgium

Premier, World

An elderly lady remembers the autumn mornings she spent on a vast river in the company of her friends, when they were children. In this immense setting, they rowed towards an island

they had named… Paradisiac.

 

Bulgaria

Title  Happy Stones

https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/happy-stones/

Date Wednesday June 1 online

Director Zoya Dimitrova

Country Bulgaria

Premier World

When you lose a child, you fall into despair or you start to build. The challenges of building a chapel high in the mountains as a unifying image of power, will, spirit of the ordinary man, and a monument for those who will always live in our hearts.

 

Canada

https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/save-the-day/

Date Thursday, June 2 in person.

Title Save the Day

Artist Girlie Vasallo

Country Canada

Life goes on.

 

Cyprus

Title Codex Oros Edemos

https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/codex-oros-edemos/

Director Akis P. Tix

Country Cyprus

Premier World

A mysterious wind blows on Earth and vanishes people randomly on a forgotten Mount called Edemos. People who find themselves there, seek ways to escape and their survival becomes their utter priority. In this story, we are following a survivor of this Mount, seeking his way to escape.

Title – Surviving 9/11 27 Hours under the rubble.

Director Chloé Rochereuil

Team Victor Agulhon

Country France

https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/surviving-9-11-27-hours-under-the-rubble/

 

Featuring exclusive and never-seen-before archives of the World Trade Center remastered for virtual reality, this documentary offers a unique connection with the testimony of a survivor

https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/voila/

Writer Mark Pomerville

Country US

PremierLos Angeles

 

After being forced into servitude sewing lace, a spunky young seamstress and a headstrong spectacles maker must rescue their humble village from a tyrannous, fashion-obsessed Duke.

 

Germany

Title Harold Halibut – https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/harold-halibut/

Director Onat Hekimoglu

Country Germany

Premier Los Angeles

Harold Halibut is a handmade narrative game about friendship, and life on a city-sized spaceship submerged in an alien ocean.

 

Title Mercury XX – https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/mercury-xx/

Date Thursday, June 2 in person.

Title Mercury XX

Director Miriam Kuhlmann

Country Germany & USA

Premier World

A science fiction short Film which tells the story of an all female space mission to draw the first breath on another planet.

 

Title frozen chaos

Date Thursday June 2 in person

Artist Lukas Atzert

International Art Exhibit

Country Germany

https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/frozen-chaos/

This shot shows a frozen lake in Bavaria – Germany called “Eibsee”. It was taken at a 120m height with the camera tilted down at a 90° angle. The pattern of the frozen ice is probably the result of trapped air that was slowly released by submerged plants at the bottom of the lake.

 

Greece

Title Warriors of Hallan – https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/warriors-of-hallan/

Date Wednesday June 1, online

Writer Evi Photopoulos

Country Greece

Premier US

 

This Trilogy’s first book has a fast-paced amalgam of cult secrecy, sea-faring brigandage, love, sex, and high intrigue. The heroes have great adventures with mythical beasts and warriors, culminating in cataclysmic events in the salt mines of an ancient island.

 

Hong Kong

https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/ruined-world-an-ai-elegy/

Date Wednesday June 1st is online

Director Zoran Poposki

Country Hong Kong

Premier World

Team Polyptech

Artificial Intelligence creates a visual poem about a post-apocalyptic world where human civilization has been erased by environmental collapse.

 

Israel

The Hitchhikers – https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/the-hitchhikers/

Date Wednesday June 1st is online.

Director Yair Agmon

Country Israel

Premier US

An Israeli Roadside Odyssey illuminates the complexities of Israeli society through each hitchhiker that we meet. In these short episodes, Agmon travels all over the country and picks up a diverse mosaic of Israeli characters.

 

Title, Second Wind- https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/second-wind/

DateWednesday June 1st is online.

Director Guy Gazit

Country Israel

Premier US

Max and Dundi are childhood friends. Their relationship changes completely following a car accident where Max was the driver, leaving Dundi completely blind.

 

The Doubles – https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/the-doubles/

Date Wednesday June 1st is online.

Director Tal Michael Haring

Country Israel

Premier World

 “The Doubles” takes us through the story of a nameless Jew, a survivor of World War 2, who aimlessly walks the streets of a ruined city, with no place to call home. Through an interactive timeline, we experience the many months of lost and despair, until finally salvation comes in the form of Jewish soldiers from the British Army – who are gathering refugees for a secret plan to bring them to Palestine.

 

Italy

Tempo Rubato Enigma – https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/tempo-rubato-enigma-an-argentinian-mozart-francesco-cordio/

Date Wednesday June 1 online

Director Cristiana Di Bartolomeo

Country Argentina and Italy

Premiere World

A great Argentine musician of Italian origin -from the early 20th century- mysteriously dies at an early age. Rodolfo Zanni was only 26 -credited with a prodigious career and an impressive musical production. At the time of his death, all his works, however, had vanished into thin air. His body was nowhere to be found.

 

Japan

Tops Of Memory Il Illusion

DateWednesday June 2nd

Event Type In Person

DirectorJialiang LIU

Country Japan

Premier Los Angeles

Hand-drawn animation using actual painting materials has a unique charm because of its a special texture or material feeling and unique sense of dynamism. Now with the help of VR video technical which broke the square frame of traditional film, it can let you experience the specially wonderful hand-drawn word through 360-degree view, give you the feeling that your body is just being in that fantastic space.

 

Hop Step Sing! Happy People

Director Hiroshi Chida

Country Japan

Premier Los Angeles

An interactive VR music video designed to deepen the relationship between VR idols and their fans and provide the ultimate fan interaction experience.

 

Korea

Title Strawberry Milk

Date Wednesday June 1st is online.

Director Ryan Taeck-gyu Kim

Country Korea

Premier US

https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/strawberry-milk/

One day Jeong-jin bought a strawberry milk at the convenience store on the way to work as usual, and he fell in love with a part-timer with innocent and beautiful smile. From that day, Jeong-jin goes to the convenience store everyday to get a strawberry milk. He had been agonizing how to confess his love and decided to propose with flowers.  Would Jeong-jin be able to deliver his message to her?

Title Across the Ocean- https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/across-the-ocean/

Date Wednesday June 1 online

Composer Michael W. Choi

Country South Korea

Premiere World

 

A classical film score from South Korea.

 

Lebanon

Title My Journey: Georges Wassouf

https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/my-journey-georges-wassouf-ep1

Date Wednesday June 1 online

Director David Oryan

Country Lebanon

Premier US

Renowned Arab singer George Wassouf recounts career-defining moments and reveals secrets he has never shared before.

 

Malta

Title, Monumental- https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/monumental/

Date Wednesday June 1st is online.

Director Aleksa Ristovic

Country Malta

Premier Los Angeles

A deep spiritual journey starts in pursuit of the right place to leave a mark in the world we live in.

 

New Zealand

Black Sea Golden Ladder The Visual Album

https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/black-sea-golden-ladder-the-visual-album/

Date Wednesday June 1, online. Directors

Nicole Horan, Xavier Horan, Dahnu Graham, Marara Katipa, Hayden Aull, Thomas Rose, Huhana Ruri-Panapa

Country New Zealand

Premier World

An exploration of the human experience that spans from childhood to death through the lens of seven Māori directors. A film that takes inspiration from the ten tracks on Black Sea Golden Ladder.

Title, Visiting Ben Shemen- https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/visiting-ben-shemen/

Date Thursday, June 2 in person.

Director Miriam Harris

Country New Zealand and Israel

Premier Los Angeles

In 1946, three young Jewish teenagers met at the Ben Shemen school, in Palestine. Each had been traumatised by the Holocaust and World War II. These women, now in their late eighties – one of whom is the director’s mother – recount the ways in which Ben Shemen offered a healing and soul-nourishing refuge.

 

Poland

Title, Maharaja’s children. A Brave Bunch in India- https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/maharajas-children-a-brave-bunch-in-india/

Date Thursday June 2 in person

Director Tomasz Stankiewicz

Country Poland

Premier Los Angeles

In the Easter of 1940 the boy, together with his mother and brother, was arrested by NKVD and deported to Siberia. He shared the dramatic fate of thousands of Polish deportees. His rescue arrived from the least expected direction. Maharaja of Nawanagar builds a refugee camp for polish children. At the end of war he also adopts all the minors from the camp, so they do not get under communistic jurisdiction of new polish government controlled by Stalin.

 

Singapore

Title, The Prism- https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/the-prism/

Date Wednesday June 1st is online.

Director Eric Wong

Country Singapore

Premier Los Angeles

A Singaporean family downgrades from their luxury condominium to a small public housing apartment due to the father losing his job in the pandemic. In the midst of moving, they discover something special about their 9 year old autistic son.

 

Title CTRL https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/ctrl/

Date Wednesday June 1 online

Director Estovan Reizo Cheah

Country Singapore

A Chinese serial drama about a hacker who survived an accident when he was a child and how he became a very talented hacker.

 

South Africa

Title The Adventures of Zizwe-

Date Thursday June 2 in person.

Directors Robyn Stalson, Rox Dare, Kevin Johns

Country South Africa

Premier US

Aboriginal mischief-gods who are determined to incite chaos.

https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/the-adventures-of-zizwe/

 

Spain

Title, Stranger at the Funeral

Date Wednesday June 1 online

Director Ana Maria Estrada

 

Country USA

Mayhem ensues when the family discovers who the stranger is at the funeral.

https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/stranger-at-the-funeral/

Title, TXAC Planet

Date Wednesday June 1st is online.                       

Director Eterio Ortega

Country Spain

Premier Los Angeles

A TV series to approach the logic of computational thought and literacy in computer technology. Each episode presents a computational concept in an entertaining and intuitive format, reaching out to children and adolescents who can interact with it.

https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/txac-planet/

Syria

Title, Goodbye Rosaline-https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/goodbye-rosaline/

Date, Wednesday June 1st is online.

Writer, Karen Lothan

Country, Syria

Premier, Los Angeles

Syria, 1920’s. Nawras is a village’s lord’s son, and his friend Nemer is a mayor’s son. Nemer, who is alwaysgetting Nawras in trouble, yearns to fight in the war, like his long lost elder brother Seif. Nawras falls in love with his maid Jamila, but his mother is against it.

 

Ukraine

Title, Honorable Lviv Lady- https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/honorable-lviv-lady/

Date Wednesday June 1 online

Director Natalia Pasenytska

Country Ukraine

Crew

A modern, cultured woman Penelope, who lives in Lviv and works in an archive. A meeting of heroes leads to uncontrollable passion and crazy actions.

 

SCRIPTS

Title, Generation Z https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/generation-z/

Date, Thursday, June 2 in person.

WritersMyroslav Latyk, Oksana Ivanyuk

Ukraine

Premier, World

Eight friends try to survive in Mariupol during the first 10 days of the war between Russia and Ukraine. They try to survive but not all of them will do, as Mariupol is being wiped to the ground.

Title, Little Enchantress- https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/little-enchantress/

Date, Thursday, June 2 in person.

Director, Oksana Ivanyuk

Country, Ukraine

Premier, World

Mariyka, 11 y.o. girl, dreams of becoming a Tik-Tok star. Her father Mykhailo works as a border patrol officer. Money is tight for him and he is unable to come to a decision – is he going to be a good officer, or a rich one.

 

United Kingdom

Title, Love Locked

https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/love-locked/

Date, Thursday June 2 in person

Director, Breanne Krause

Country, US

Premier, Los Angeles    An escape room dating show where individuals are set up on blind dates in an escape room looking to find their true love. If couples are able to escape, there will only be one question left to ask; Do they ever want to see each other again?

 

Title, Morlock- https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/morlock/

Date, Wednesday, June 1 online

Writer, Anthony Povah

Country, United Kingdom

Premier, World

When a Russian bomber, pursued by an RAF plane, crashes on British soil, civilian air crash investigator Jayne Kendal is press-ganged into conducting an investigation that she knows should be military-led. Racing against her menacing Russian counterpart to seek out the truth, she uncovers a conspiracy that threatens global security.  Inspired by real events.