The circus brings fond memories from my childhood. We went to the circus almost every time it was in town and I also recall going to the circus with my grandparents in their hometown! When I received the invitation from the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center to attend the preview night Continue reading
The 22nd San Diego Latino Film Festival concluded with a blast at the Closing Night Party! This year the party was held at Rooftop600 at Andaz in downtown San Diego. It was a fun evening, with hundreds of Festival attendees, staff, volunteers, and movie actors, directors, and producers. Guests enjoyed live music Continue reading
The Celebration of Fashion event was held at Simon Fashion Valley, as part of the San Diego Latino Film Festival. The event was presented by Divino 360 Woman and included live music, Party Fitness Party Zumba by Ninfa!, Tango by Michael Saltus of Positive Energy Dance Company, and a runway show. Abelardo Rodriguez and I co-emceed the event. Fashion Valley highlighted the latest fashion Continue reading
Friday evening, we met with the San Diego Latino Film Festival event planner, Pilar Kuri, to review the script and do a walk through of the stage. We met outside the AMC 18 Movie Theater at Fashion Valley where the Film Festival was being held. While we were there, we greeted some attendees and I couldn’t resist taking a picture of this cute family Continue reading
This year, the San Diego Latino Film Festival has added a number of fun events! I went to the Festival yesterday and enjoyed time with friends at the events at Microsoft, Bebe, and Burberry. I also met some movie directors and screenplay writers. Below are some pictures Continue reading
(Javier & I at the private movie screening earlier this week)
This week I went to private movie screening of The Divergent Series: Insurgent. This is the second installment of the trilogy novel, written by Veronica Roth. I saw the first movie, Divergent, and was looking forward to seeing this installment! My friend Javier Tirado joined me for the screening and we made a fun evening out of it, Continue reading
The San Diego Latino Film Festival is in full swing and this year it will feature a Fashion Show this Saturday, March 21 at 7:00pm! I was honored to be asked to participate as co-emcee of the Fashion Show, along with TV host, Abelardo Rodriguez. It will be our first time on stage together, should be fun! Did I mention admission is free? It is FREE!
(with Abelardo at the Festival’s Media Kick-off Party where we were introduced as co-emcees of the Fashion Show)
Join us as we celebrate the fashionable Continue reading
One of my favorite annual events is here! The 12th Annual San Diego Latino Film Festival will be held March 12 – 22, 2015 at AMC Fashion Valley (at Simon Fashion Valley mall). This location is a new home for the Festival and the organizers have added some fun events, including a Fashion Show, which I will be co-emceeing with Abelardo Rodriguez on Saturday, March 21, at 7:00pm (click here for details). Continue reading
The 12th Annual San Diego Latino Film Festival will be held March 12 – 22, 2015 at AMC Fashion Valley, located at Simon Fashion Valley mall. This location is a new home for the Festival! This is one of the Festival’s I look forward to every year! A few weeks before Opening Night, the organizers invite members of the media to the Official Media Kick-Off Party, where they announce Continue reading
Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James, has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, that is amazing! The movie opens this weekend and Thursday night’s late night previews already made $8.6 million dollars, that is a lot of movie goers! It has already broken some box office records. I went to see a screening on Wednesday night and Continue reading
As you probably noticed by now, I like going to the movies! My schedule is busy, so I can usually only fit in one movie screening per week, on a good week that is! Which means, I have to be selective of which movies I go see. Last week, I went to see Selma. I was so moved by the movie, that as we were leaving the theater, I started to type my comments about the movie on social media. Then, I remembered I had to wait until the movie opened in theaters to post about it. It was hard to contain myself. Selma is a movie that is not only entertaining and well produced, it is based on history and a significant time for civil rights in our country. The movie chronicles the campaign for the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It is a powerful movie, it had to be, because it tackles some difficult times in the civil rights movement, the injustices some had to endure, discrimination, and racism. It stays on topic, but also gives us a glimpse into Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a man, a person, his feelings and how many personal sacrifices he made to lead and continue the fight for social justice.
I am not one to go to the movies to critique the production, I usually go for the entertainment and fun of going to the movies. Selma, is not only entertaining, it is also an educational experience. I was so moved by the movie, that at times I had tears in my eyes, as did my friend that was watching the movie with me. It made me reflect. I left the theater thinking this was such an educational movie, that students would benefit from watching it. Today, I was glad to learn that leaders in the African American community of New York united to raise funds to allow students from 7th, 8th, & 9th grade to attend the movie for free. In New York, 27 leaders, raised enough money for 27,000 New York students to see the film for free at participating theaters. The New York City effort sold out in the very first weekend and was expanded to 75,000 free tickets for students! Business and community leaders in other cities followed New York’s example, and within a few days it was confirmed that Boston, Nashville, San Francisco, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Sarasota, and Westchester would also be offering students the opportunity to watch the movie for free. Additional cities are getting organized and will be announced this Wednesday, January 14.
Selma won a Golden Globe Award for Best Song (“Glory” by Common & John Legend) and was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director. For me, the movie carries a very personal message and I am glad thousands of students across the country will have the opportunity to view it. To learn more about the movie and where students can go see it for free, go to: Selma Movie. To help get the word out about this program for students, tweet using the hashtag #SelmaForStudents. If you haven’t seen the movie trailer, I posted it below, along with some pictures from the film and the Golden Globe Post Party held by Paramount Pictures.
Have you seen Selma or do you plan to go see it? Were you familiar with what occurred in Selma prior to this movie coming out?
Hugs,
Paola
Pictures from the Golden Globes Post Party held by Paramount Pictures at The Beverly Hilton:
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the movie screening of Disney’s Into The Woods. My friend, Nena, joined me and we made a fun evening of it! Into The Woods is a modern twist on the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, it combines multiple stories and plots. In addition to the well-known fairy tales’ happily every after endings, the movie includes a further look into the consequences of the characters’ wishes. I liked seeing these because in real life we all know there are consequences to our actions, and these aren’t always includes in fairy tales. The movie is based on the Broadway musical with the same name and is brought onto the big screen magnificently well. I am a fan of Broadway musicals, but not so much of musicals in movies. Into The Woods is very well done as a musical movie. The songs are interpreted by the actors, which in itself is quite impressive. The lyrics are contagious and I found myself singing the main song, Into The Woods, after we left the theater and the day after. And, of course, there is a soundtrack available for those that are fans of movie soundtracks. It is a delightful movie, with comedy, special effects, and entertaining for the entire family! It has what I like to call, “the magic of Disney!” This is a good movie to go see with the kids over the holiday break!
The movie follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel, all intertwined by a story involving a baker, his wife, and their interaction with a witch who has placed a curse on them. Starring in the film are Meryl Streep, as the Witch (she is amazing!); Emily Blunt, baker’s wife; Johnny Depp, the wolf; Anna Kendrick, Cinderella. It is directed by the director of the well-known musical, Chicago; and the producer of Wicked. The movie opened on Christmas Day and is rated PG. It has already been nominated for multiple Golden Globe awards!
You can find more details and view pictures on the movie’s website: Into The Woods.
Below is the trailer, so you can get a glimpse of the movie. I loved it! Hope you enjoy it too!
Have you seen the movie? Will you be going to see it over the holiday break?
Hugs….and happy holidays,
Paola
Paola
As you know, I enjoy watching movies. When I heard there was going to be a screening for Exodus: Gods and Kings, I got excited and was looking forward to seeing the movie. I even watched the trailer a few times before the screening date. Since it is not a chick-flick, my hubby went with me. He is not a big movie goer, but in this case he viewed the trailer and decided this was a movie he wanted to see. We made a date night out of it by going to dinner at PF Chang’s and then heading across the street to the ArcLight Cinemas at Westfield UTC.
Exodus: Gods and Kings (PG-13), is directed by Ridley Scott (known for directing Gladiator, Prometheus, Alien, American Gangster) and stars Christian Bale (best known for The Dark Knight/Batman) as Moses. The movie is the story of Moses’ rise against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses (Joel Edgerton), and how he leads 400,000 slaves on a journey of escape from Egypt. We watched the movie in 3D, the special effects are state of the art and quite amazing! It was nice to see other famous familiar faces in the cast, such as Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, and John Turturro.
Growing up, I had seen multiple versions of the story of Moses. This movie is the writers’ interpretation of the story. I was curious to see how they would bring the story to life. It was interesting to see how they depicted God, the scene with the Ten Commandments, the parting of the Red Sea, and the multiple plagues. The special effects did not disappoint: the scenes where the Nile was turned red, the locust infestation, the hailstones, and the toad torrents. The movie has scenes filled with action and beautiful costumes. Overall, I found the movie to be entertaining. As I mentioned, it is the writers’ interpretation of the story, so don’t expect it to be the exact same script as movies about Moses you have seen in the past.
According to the box office results, Exodus: Gods and Kings was number one on its opening weekend (just opened this past weekend on December 12), so many other movie goers must have also been looking forward to seeing it as much as I was!
Will you be going to see this movie? Or, did you see it and what did you think of it?
For more information, pictures, and to find a theater where it is playing, you can visit the movie’s official website: Exodus: Gods and Kings.
The trailer was my first peek into the movie, you can view it below.
Hugs,
Paola
Another poster from the movie.
Over the past seven years, I have been fortunate to be invited to participate at events at Westfield Mission Valley and Plaza Bonita. The Marketing Team at the shopping center organizes the best events! I am always glad to support them and their events! There will be two major events this holiday season at Continue reading
“This Is Where I Leave You” is one of those feel-good, dramatic comedy movies that you want to go see just from watching the commercial on television! I did! Then I watched the trailer on-line (watch it below) and was even more excited to see it!! First of all, Continue reading
Hi friends,
Hope you enjoyed the Cesar Chavez holiday! Did you see the Cesar Chavez: An American Hero movie this weekend? I was out of town Friday & missed the Cesar Chavez Red Carpet Premiere in San Diego. I heard from friends that it was a success, congratulations to the organizing committee! Here’s a link to great photos of the event : www.creativeimagesphoto.sm
How did you celebrate the Cesar Chavez holiday? Did you work today or was it a holiday for you?
Hugs,
Paola
ESPANOL:
-Disfrutaron el dia Conmemorativo de Cesar Chavez hoy? Vieron la pelicula Cesar Chavez: An American Hero este fin de semana? El viernes estuve fuera de la ciudad y me perdi el Estreno de Alfombra Roja de la pelicula Cesar Chavez en San Diego. Mis amistades me dijeron que fue un exito! Felicidades al comite organizador. Aqui les comparto un link a fotos del evento: www.creativeimagesphoto.sm
Como celebraron el Dia Conmemorativo de Cesar Chavez? Trabajaron o descansaron?
Un abrazo,
Paola
Cesar Chavez Red Carpet Premiere (courtesy of Memo Cavada)
Hi friends,
Every once in a while a movie comes along that can touch an entire community. The Cesar Chavez: An American Hero movie is one of them – a movie that the latino community is looking forward to seeing, particularly Mexican-Americans! It will open nationwide tomorrow, March 28. I first heard of this movie about a year ago and was excited! A few months later, I received an e-mail with a preview of the movie trailer, again I was excited and touched! I tend to multi-task while watching television, but every time I see a commercial for this movie, I stop what I am doing to watch it. I am touched by the movie – and I haven’t even seen it yet! The release date is finally here! I know, this is a lot of exclamation points, but this is how excited I am!
There will be a Red Carpet Premiere at the Reading Cinemas San Diego tomorrow at 8:30pm, with a panel discussion following the conclusion of the movie. The Premiere is organized by the United Farm Workers (UFW) Foundation and includes a VIP reception at Stingaree Night Club at 6:00pm. The Red Carpet will include a number of special guests, such as actor Jacob Vargas; Arturo Rodriguez, President of the United Farm Workers; members of the Chavez family, and elected officials and community leaders. Tickets are $100 VIP Reception and movie, $20 movie. Funds raised will help support the UFW Foundation and the United Farm Workers. Tickets can be purchased at: http://secure.ufw.org/page/contribute/Chavezmoviesd. There will also be Premieres hosted in Bakersfield, Fresno, Salinas, and other locations.
The movie depicts the life and struggles of Cesar Chavez, the civil rights leader and labor organizer, and his commitment to securing a living wage for farm workers. As founder of the United Farm Workers, Chavez embraced non-violence as he battled prejudice in his struggle to bring dignity to people. Chavez inspired millions of Americans from various communities, even those who were not form workers, to fight for social justice. The movie was directed by Diego Luna and stars Jacob Vargas, Michael Pena, America Ferrera, Rosario Dawson, and John Malkovich. It is rated PG-13.
You can visit www.chavezmovieseeit.com for more information and a theatre near you.
The movie will be playing in multiple theatres in the San Diego region:
-AMC Theatres: Fashion Valley, Mission Valley, Otay Ranch, Norwalk Oceanside, Palm Promenade
-Regal Theatres: Rancho del Rey, Parkway Plaza, La Jolla
-Signature Stadium Theatres: Vista, Escondido
-Century Tranforan San Diego
-Reading Cinemas Downtown Gaslamp San Diego
What do you think of this movie? Will you be seeing it? Do you relate to Cesar Chavez?
Hugs & have fun at movie,
Paola
Hi friends,
The San Diego Latino Film Festival had it’s Closing Night Party last night. I hadn’t been to the Closing Night Party in a few years and was glad to attend last night. We had a blast! This party was different from other Film Festival parties, it included individual musical performers, a band that performed Mexican regional music, dancing, and even a fashion show. There was also a silent auction, food, and tequila tasting stations. The red carpet was rolled out to greet guests at the Broadway Pier Event Center, on the bay in downtown San Diego.
I sat with friends and met some new friends! We mixed and mingled, and best of all I got to catch up with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. Overall it was a fun night! It is all about the company you are with….and I always have fun with friends!
Here are some pictures from last night’s Party! Hope you enjoy them.
Did you attend the San Diego Latino Film Festival? Were you at the party? What did you think? Share pics!
Hugs,
Paola
The fashion show.
Towards the end of the evening we took this fun group picture with Edith Gonzalez (funny, someone photo bombed our pic).
Opening Night: San Diego Latino Film Festival
Latin Food Fest
Day At The Museum
Hi friends, it’s Friday, yay! I was looking forward to attending the San Diego Latino Film Festival today, to meet viewers at the station’s booth. I also had the opportunity to interview one of Mexico’s most famous actresses, Edith Gonzalez. I remember seeing her in novelas when I was a teenager. She also does theatre performances and films. The organizers told me Edith will be at the Festival tomorrow and Sunday, promoting the film Deseo. She was nice and gracious, just as beautiful in person as she looks on the screen.
Afterwards, we were able to catch a movie! We saw No Se Si Cortarme Las Venas O Dejarmelas Largas, a film from Mexico, with actress Ludwika Paletal (also a famous novela actress). It was fantastic, a comedy with a good story line! If you want to get a laugh and see an entertaining movie, this is a good one!
There are two days left for the Festival. Don’t miss this opportunity to watch the best movies from Latin America, Spain, & Mexico, and attend the closing night party tomorrow! Hope to see you there!
Hugs,
Paola
A picture from the film Deseo.
A picture from No Se Si Cortarme Las Venas O Dejarmelas Largas
Hi friends,
This week is a special one for movie lovers in San Diego and Tijuana! The San Diego Latino Film Festival is back and features more than 150 movies! The Festival will be held March 13-23 and includes eleven days filled with movies, parties, music, panel discussions, and opportunities to meet actors and directors. This year’s movies include famous actors, such as Continue reading
