Interviews

Exclusive From The 2024 Tribeca Film Festival: The Whitest Kids U’ Know Discuss Their Zany New Animated Comedy Mars

Interview With Sam Brown, Darren Trumeter, and Timmy Williams of The Whitest Kids U’ Know A pinnacle of early 2000s comedy, The Whitest Kids U’ Know, comprised of Timmy Williams, Sam Brown, Darren Trumeter, Zach Cregger and the late Trevor Moore, weren’t sure if their new animated film Mars would resonate with more distinguished Tribeca […]

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Exclusive from The 2024 Tribeca Film Festival: Director Elina Street Illuminates a Poignant Queer Story with “My Best Friend”

Interview with Filmmaker Elina Street Even before co-directing the Emmy-award-winning docuseries “The Lesbian Bar Project” Elina Street held a fervent desire to showcase queer stories. As a queer woman herself, growing up consuming the underground queer media that existed at the time, Street realizes the intense communal impact of representation in film and television. For

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Jeff Fein Reflects on Our Technological Co-dependence in “In Front of a Screen”

Interview with Jeff Fein Witnessing the accelerating rate at which our society is changing due to the ubiquitous implementation of technology is certainly fascinating and alarming. Humans routinely spend almost seven hours a day online according to the recent Global Overview Report from DataReportal. That’s more than three times the National Heart Lung and Blood

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The World Premiere Musical “Last of the Red Hot Mamas” is Sizzling at the Bucks County Playhouse

You never know how one moment in life can help guide your destiny. Just ask Lloyd and Sue Ecker, the noted married theater, film, and book collaborators. This couple, who have known one another for 50 years, first fell in love with a young Bette Midler and her accompanist Barry Manilow at a college event

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Tribeca Film Festival 2024: Elexis Ray Goodwin Details The Power of Following Your True Passions in “Smile, God Loves You”

Interview with Elexis Ray Goodwin A film festival debut for any aspiring filmmaker would bring about incredible elation but the premiere of “Smile, God Loves You” is especially heartwarming for writer/director Elexis Ray Goodwin. Coming from an extremely personal place, the short film, featured in the Unbought & Unbossed block of films, chronicles the life

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The Tribeca Film Festival 2024: They’re Here Bridges a Desire For Transcendence and The Extraterrestrial

Interview with Pacho Velez and Daniel Claridge The UFO and extraterrestrial being represent more than a conglomerate of fear and speculation, that usually results in an image of a circular metallic ship and a green specimen with abyss-black eyes. There is almost a universal longing to definitively confront something larger than us, occupying the very

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The Tribeca Film Festival 2024: Julia Aks and Steve Pinder Entwine Comedy and Education With “Jane Austen’s Period Drama”

Interview with Julia Aks and Steve Pinder    Truly successful comedy provokes meaningful thought and conversation from audiences, providing laughs first, but ultimately saying something more profound underneath its jovial exterior. This is a clear throughline in “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” a short film premiering at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival on June 7, written

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Eamon Rush Highlights the Critical Moments That Kept Pan Arcadia Alive and Thriving

Pan Arcadia’s tagline exclaims that they’ve been “Making tracks in a Brooklyn shack since ‘21,” but recently the indie rock band has been breaking into new creative spaces across New York City. Bringing untamed energy rock music wherever they venture, Pan Acardia seeks to surprise audiences with a myriad of genres they can infuse into

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‘Philly Loves PAWS’ Citywide Fundraiser Sure to be a Treat

The Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, (PAWS), will host its 8th Annual Philly Loves PAWS citywide fundraiser on Wednesday, May 15. The event features more than 50 Philadelphia-based restaurants, shops, and businesses that will come together to help PAWS further their mission of saving and protecting pets in need. PAWS is a non-profit organization dedicated to

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Leo Sawikin Explores the Depths of Growth and Change in “Till You’re Somebody Else”

Former frontman of indie band The Chordaes Leo Sawikin has dedicated his solo projects to discovering the beauty in the existential and ontological. His latest single “Till You’re Somebody Else” revels in themes of rejuvenation, rebirth, and the consistency of growth we all undergo. The dreamy rhythm composed of gentle drums and light guitar strums

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Tiphanie Doucet Wrestles With Musical Identity and Individuality With “My Own Way”

Interview with Tiphanie Doucet With careful strums of her harp and crisp vocals imbued with thoughtful reflection, international artist Tiphanie Doucet sets artistic boundaries while breaking musical barriers with her new single “My Own Way.” After sifting through multiple directions her music could take, mainly proposed by industry executives, Doucet forged her own narrative, conflating

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Jodi Heights Sends Out a Call to Wandering Souls With “Lone Wolf”

Interview with Jodi Heights Being in tune with the darker sides of ourselves isn’t always something to be afraid of. Classically trained artist Jodi Heights believes embracing our habits entwined with everything revolving around the nighttime is a tool for reflection and growth. Her upcoming album Nocturne, featuring her latest single “Lone Wolf” is a

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Jack Manley Reveals the Heart-wrenching Course of His Healing Journey in “Save Your Own”

Building yourself back up from a broken place is a crucial and universal part of being human. Though we experience our lowest points in a myriad of ways, determined by an array of circumstances, a unification occurs in understanding that we can materialize a positive future through expression, connection, and creation. Art is often an

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Pop Culture Press's Feature Music interview with Maxie Mandel

Singer-Songwriter Maxie Mandel Makes a Magnetic Impression With “Someone You’d Love”

Emulating the crisp and captivating vocals of her inspirations Sara Bareilles and Carole King, with lyrical parallels to Taylor Swift’s Invisible and Lewis Capaldi’s “Bruises,” 19-year-old Maxie Mandel captures listener’s hearts in a single melody. Her vivid lyrics detailing an all-too-relatable high school unrequited love compounded with empowering instrumentals instill in her listeners the courage

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Griefcat Talks New Album and The Idiosyncratic Joy of Musical Comedy

After meeting at a DC-based variety show in 2015, Annie Nardolilli and Louisa Hall quickly realized they had a lot in common despite their drastically differing backgrounds. With the two working in high-stress level jobs, Louisa as a tech employee and Annie a now-former sheriff’s deputy, an amalgamation of frustration, mistreatment, and most importantly a

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Disney’s North American Tour of the Musical ‘Frozen’ is Sure to Melt Hearts in Philadelphia

Some aspects of our lives appear to be fated, and this is certainly the case with actress Lauren Nicole Chapman and her role as Anna in Frozen, who she adores and is thrilled to be sharing with audiences around the nation. Her relationship with Frozen began at a workshop in 2017 with the Broadway company for a

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Whimsy Indie Band Söūp on Their Electic Style and Upcoming Show

So many newborn bands have an excruciating time crafting and articulating their aesthetic, especially in an industry that typically encourages conformity. Whimsical indie-rock band Söūp understands the elusiveness and versatility of genre in a way that not all can grasp. Their emphasis on utilizing imagery of the sea and the cosmos, melding the two with

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Brian K & The Parkway Stress the Necessity of Connection in Their New Single “Straight Through”

Hailing from opposite sides of the East Coast, Brian K. Pagels and Stephen Russ of the coastal heartland rock band Brian K & The Parkway, are stark advocates of the importance of friendship and connection, whether it be near or far apart. The lyric video for their latest single “Straight Through” featuring the vocals of

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Hats & Pearls Women Empowerment Summit on March 30 to Benefit “End Child Marriages’

“If you want to go fast, go alone, But, if you want to go far, go with others”                                            ‘African Proverb’ A simple act of kindness can change a girl’s life forever. Just ask Bongai Mhloyi,

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Major Community Safety Event at Clearpath EPM on May 16

Why We Need to Attend An Important Safety Training Event on Thursday, May 16, in Oakland Park, Florida Years ago, unrest or violence in a house of worship, business, or school was beyond our wildest imagination, but unfortunately, this is no longer the world we are living in, so preparedness and training are the keys

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Gabe Rivera’s “The Mist” is The Perfect Song for Those Without a Valentine

Chocolates, teddy bears, and sharing a meal with a special someone isn’t the reality for everyone’s Valentine’s Day, and Gabe Rivera’s new single “The Mist” encapsulates the feeling of alienation and loneliness that can come with the holiday. The song, released on February 9 balances a brutal lament with ghostly rhythms that evoke a lingering

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Jack Powers of Jack Flowers and The Petal Tones Talks Upcoming Shows, a Debut Album, and The Source of True Originality

New Jersey’s Indie scene has been full of surprises lately, but nothing like Jack Flowers and The Petal Tones. The imaginative band is the brainchild of musician Jack Powers and is currently touring around the Northern Region with an upcoming show on Friday, February 9 at Prototype 237 in Paterson, New Jersey, and The Mill

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Gene P. Abel’s The Destruction of the American Republic

Gene P. Abel’s The Destruction of the American Republic Like the loving father of a petulant child, author and U.S. Army Colonel (Retired)  Gene P. Abel is extremely worried about our nation’s current and future state. Colonel Abel is the best-selling author of more than a dozen books in several genres, including sci-fi and romance.

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Back to June Plays Their First Live Gig at The Stone Pony to Astounding Success

At The Stone Pony’s January 14th Sunday Showcase, Manchester local band Back to June performed their first live gig with impeccable energy that would have you believe they’ve been around for quite some time. Formed by a passionate group of students from both Ocean County College and Manchester Township High School, Back to June as

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Indie Rock Musician Gabe Rivera Announces Tour Dates Across New Jersey

New Jersey native Gabe Rivera has been deadset on taking his indie rock career from his bedroom to various stages throughout the state. After working on an array of projects that include new music, Rivera is inundating himself with a new era of creativity. From January to February, Rivera is hitting some iconic spots with

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Jeremy Fury’s Songs for Hanukkah Ignites a Spark in Listeners 

Interview with Jeremy Fury of Jeremy & The Harlequins The holidays being at the end of the year are a time for relaxation and preparing for what’s ahead in the coming year, but it can also be a great time for reflection. With fervent unrest in the world, it can be difficult to look back

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Clearpath EPM CEO Mike Johnson Discusses the Necessity of Safety Planning in Everyday Environments

No one should have to worry about existential threats as they enter their workplace, school, or place of worship. The unfortunate reality is, that due to the increase in mass shootings, hate crimes, and overall decline in mental health, frequent worrying has infused itself with daily navigations and activities of life. Though anxieties can be

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