Astra Film Festival 2024 kicks off this weekend in Sibiu. Opening with a highly anticipated documentary premiere: “Tata”, by Lina Vdovîi and Radu Ciorniciuc

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

The International Documentary Film Festival, Astra Film Festival, now in its fourth decade, starts this Sunday in Sibiu with a highly anticipated premiere. The documentary”Tata”, by Lina Vdovîi and Radu Ciorniciuc, is already receiving rave reviews. An important cultural event of the autumn season, AFF2024 (October 20-27) brings eight days of premieres, meetings with filmmakers, Q&A sessions, masterclasses, debates, exhibitions, and cine-concerts. Starting Saturday, October 26, a significant selection of films from the festival will be available online across Romania.
The Astra Film Festival 2024 opening gala will take place at the Sala Thalia of the Sibiu Philharmonic on Sunday, October 20, at 6:00 p.m., in the presence of the Minister of Culture, Raluca Turcan. The event will be hosted by journalist Amalia Enache and will feature two discussions: one with film critic Victor Morozov on the role of documentary films in education and societal development, and another with the Rector of the University of Bucharest, Marian Preda, about migration, one of the central themes of the opening documentary. Another special moment will be a piano recital by Dora Gaitanovici.
Valuable films in the official selection. In addition to the 18 Romanian documentaries or those directed by Romanian filmmakers, most of which will have their premiere at AFF2024, the official selection will feature around 100 new productions from across all continents. The festival’s top awards will be decided by prestigious juries from the documentary film industry, which will select the best productions in the four competitions: Central and Eastern European, Romania, Emerging Voices in Documentary Filmmaking, and the Student Competition. The full screening schedule: https://www.astrafilm.ro/ro/2024/program-orar?day=20&view=list.
Six discussions in the DocTalk program. The organizers are offering a series of debates on topics covered by some of the festival’s most intriguing films. These discussions, moderated by renowned journalists and featuring high-profile guests, will take place at Thalia Hall every evening after the 6:00 p.m. screening, starting Monday, October 20, and continuing through Friday, October 26. The DocTalk program for Saturday, October 26, will begin at 2:00 p.m. The DocTalks program can be found here: https://www.astrafilm.ro/ro/2024/sectiune/programe-speciale-2024.
Cinema New Media Dome, in Sibiu’s Great Square, will once again be the epicenter of futuristic cinema, offering audiences the chance to immerse themselves in the action. Astra Film Festival remains the only festival in Romania that offers immersive full-dome film screenings, which seem like they’re straight out of the future. The music of Queen and Pink Floyd will be central to some of the most anticipated screenings in this program. More details: https://www.astrafilm.ro/astra-film-new-media-dome.
Opportunities for emerging filmmakers. This year, AFF2024 offers unique opportunities for young European filmmakers. Eight projects by European directors and producers with films in development will receive mentorship sessions from renowned professionals in the cinema industry. Students will also benefit from a special program, DocStudent Hub, where they will participate in workshops, masterclasses, and hands-on activities in documentary film art, production, and distribution. Participants will include students and professors from prestigious universities in Prague, Zagreb, Vilnius, Bratislava, Zlin, Cluj-Napoca, and Bucharest.
About Astra Film Festival
The Astra Film International Documentary Film Festival in Sibiu, launched in 1993 as an innovative project, is one of the most important non-fiction film festivals in Europe. It is included in the European Film Academy’s list of festivals authorized to make direct nominations for the European Film Awards. AFF is under the High Patronage of the President of Romania and is organized by Astra Film, CNM Astra, and the Astra Film Foundation.
Strategic Partner: Ministry of Culture 
With the support of the Sibiu County Council, the National Film Center, the Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sibiu, the Union of Filmmakers, the Romanian Cultural Institute, Dacin Sara Association, and AFCN. Co-financed by Sibiu City Council through Sibiu City Hall.
Main sponsor: ING Bank 
Sponsors: Mecatronics, Groupama, URSUS, Martini, Cinelab, Reef Distribution Dome, Luthelo, TheRefresh, Algeco, Decathlon, Produced in Sibiu, Kulinarium, Cărturești, GLS, Cotnari, Agence K, Pepsi, Cartofiserie, Promenada Sibiu. 
DocTank sponsors: ProTV, Voyo, Chainsaw Europe Studio, Raina Film Festival Distribution, Institute of Documentary Film
Recommended by Europa FM 
Main media partner: PRO TV, VOYO
Cultural partner: TVR, TVR Cultural, TVR Info, TVR Cluj 
Media partners: TV5 Monde, Euronews Romania, Radio România Cultural, News.ro, G4media, Hotnews, Spotmedia, Vorbitorincii.ro, Tribuna, Turnul Sfatului, Sibiu 100%, Mesagerul de Sibiu, Ora de Sibiu, Sibiu Independent, Sibiul Azi, Știri de Sibiu, Hermannstädter Zeitung, Nine O’Clock, Edupedu, Observator Cultural, MovieNews, Cinefan, Cinefilia, FILM Magazine, LiterNet, Zile și Nopți, Radio Color, Cineuropa, Film New Europe. 
Monitoring partner: MediaTrust 
Communication partner: PiArt Vision

Otway Fly eco-tourism site listed for sale amid city-centric shift

Travel

The Otway Fly tourist attraction site is for sale with vacant possession or as a going concern.Eco-tourism attraction the Otway Fly has been listed for sale, offering buyers a chance to continue operations or explore new options at the scenic rainforest property.
Merlin Entertainments is offloading the 81ha freehold site best known for its 600m treetop walk suspended 25m above the forest floor.
A zip line experience with nine cloud stations and 165-seat cafe further adds to the experience of visitors seeking out nature and adventure in the heart of the Otway Ranges.

RELATED: Prominent corner site in Barwon Heads ripe for redevelopment
Geelong CBD retail property has a cherry on top
Five-star winery, home listed for sale in Surf Coast hinterland
The treetop walk takes in beautiful views of the surrounding rainforest.
The sale comes as Merlin, a global leader in branded entertainment destinations such as Legoland and Madame Tussauds, focuses its energies on attractions in key cities.
It is also selling the Illawarra Fly in New South Wales, which can be purchased separately or as a combined investment.
Both assets will be sold with vacant possession or as an ongoing concern via an expressions of interest campaign through Castran agents Lachlan and John Castran.
Merlin Entertainments ANZ division director Ian Wood said the Otway Fly would continue to operate until the sale was completed or the direction of the new owner was confirmed.
Six ziplines and nine cloud station form part of the zip line experience.
The Otway and Illawarra Fly operations attract more than 10,000 annually.

The property lends itself to a range of eco-tourism and educational experiences.
“While listing the sites of Illawarra Fly and the Otways Fly in Victoria was a difficult decision, it aligns with Merlin’s global strategy of focusing on the growth of the city clusters,” Mr Wood said.
“We are extremely proud of the positive impact these sites have had on thousands of local and international guests over the years.
“We want to thank our dedicated teams who have created magical memories for 21 years at the Otway Fly.”
Price hopes for the substantial landholding, at 360 Phillips Track, Weeaproinah, are $2.8m to $3m.
A 47m-high spiral tower offering panoramic views of the surrounding rainforest is the centrepiece of the site, which is about two-and-a-half hours from Melbourne and benefits from the 5.4m visitors to the Great Ocean Road annually.
The Otway Fly is nestled in the Otway Ranges.

The visitor centre enhances the overall experience.

There’s a 165-seat cafe on site.
Lachlan Castran said as well the established tourism operation, there was scope to pursue alternative uses such as an outdoor education facility, wellness retreat, eco lodge or a private residence.
“These assets are well-positioned to continue as successful tourism operations but they also offer extraordinary potential for private buyers or educational organisations,” he said.
Extensive visitor facilities at the site include the cafe, 140 carparking spaces and a retail outlet.
John Castran said the Otway and Illawarra properties were easily accessible and popular with both domestic and international visitors.
Together, they welcome more than 100,000 patrons annually.
“The versatility and prime locations of these properties, combined with their substantial infrastructure, make them a rare investment opportunity,” he said.
Expressions of interest close on December 5 at 4pm.

Local books: Writer focuses on her own challenging journey

Arts & Culture, Books

In the opening scene of her memoir, “What We Wished For: An Adoption Story,” Lisa Crawford Watson describes one of her adopted teenage daughters flying into a rage, cursing Watson, grabbing a Swiss Army knife and stabbing her mattress over and over again.“You’re next,” her daughter says to Watson.For a little over three years, Watson has written weekly features for the Herald about local authors and their books. About two years ago, she decided it was time to get “serious” on recording her experience adopting twin infants. The result is a story about the effects of trauma, family love and broken relationships.“It is much easier for me to tell other people’s stories,” says Watson, who as a freelance writer on the Monterey Peninsula for more than 30 years has profiled hundreds of notable citizens,  sometimes even their dogs. She has written several books, including “Legendary Locals of Carmel-by-the-Sea” and taught classes at Monterey Peninsula College and Cal State Monterey Bay.Carmel author Lisa Crawford Watson. (Courtesy photo)Yet this story is different. Despite having all the family support, educational tools and love she thought it would take, the story, as it stands now, isn’t what she wished for.“We couldn’t have (adopted the twins) if we didn’t believe that our love of our family, the salvation of my family, would bring them forward to a really happy, healthy, productive life,” Watson says, noting the support of her parents and siblings, as well as her partner at the time. “I didn’t think that there wouldn’t be issues along the way … but, I couldn’t have foreseen all there was to come.”“I’ve written very little about somebody else’s story similar to this,” Watson says.Watson writes, “This a narrative I felt compelled to write as a way to heal and to connect with those who might find solace in my words.”About 21 years ago, Watson and her partner adopted a pair of infant twins “born of a homeless hookup,” she writes, “drug-and-alcohol victims way too small for their 11 months who’d been languishing in five different foster homes waiting for someone who cared.” Watson writes of the challenges of not being considered ideal adoptive parents because of being a same-sex couple, of the sense of desperation, yet also fear, in adopting children from a troubled background and a different race. The twins are “Afro-Latina,” Watson says. She is white and lives in Carmel, “one of the whitest communities around.”Yet, after a week-long visit to the girls’ foster home in Sacramento to measure compatibility, Watson recalls the children reaching out to her and her partner their last morning there, wanting to be picked up. In that moment, Watson said, they knew they needed to take them.Watson writes they brought them home and were immediately surrounded by close family and friends eager to help out, which reassured them. Watson said she felt at that moment “bringing these babies into this community, that our world of friends and family would support us, and they did hugely.”And she had experience with twins, because she is one. She often served as a babysitter to her sister’s children before she adopted the twins.Yet, there were still problems, from addressing some health and development challenges to integrating the children into school and through troubled teenage years that resulted in emotional confrontations and sometimes violence.But there were also hopeful and tender moments, such as the twins learning to swim and one going on to excel as an equestrian, another making the high school basketball team and, later, the twins caring for Watson’s mother, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Through it all there was much family support and mental health counseling for all involved.Yet, things didn’t turn out the way Watson wished. She and her partner would separate when the twins were about 6, with her partner moving out. The two would continue to co-parent. Watson married Philip, a man “who just wanted to make his girls happy,” in 2011.The twins were troubled teenagers who on more than one occasion trashed their rooms, from breaking furniture to putting dents in the walls. They spit in Watson’s face because they knew it would hurt her. Soon after her daughter threatened to stab her, Watson and her former partner made the decision to send them to residential therapy for several months in Utah.After they turned 18, the twins moved out. There would be other incidents, other reconciliations, but the book ends with broken relationships.Watson emphasizes that this is a memoir, a narrative based on her memories. She has changed the names of her daughters and her former partner in the book.Through it all, Watson says she still loves her adopted children deeply.“And I still say my children. And I think about them even though they’re adults,” Watson says. “I was grateful to them and respect them for their experience … what they’ve gone through.“… they have tremendous heart and resilience and courage.”There will be a book launch celebration from 5-8 p.m. Friday at the Carmel Women’s Club on 9th Avenue. Tickets are $35 and include an autographed book. For more information call (831) 620-1600 or visit ami.carmel.com

New York Residents, Tourists Must Watch Out For Bed Bugs

Travel

New York State is crawling with tourists and (gulp) bed bugs!In late August, Hudson Valley Post learned that a record number of tourists traveled to the Empire State in 2023.However, people traveling to the Empire State and New Yorkers should know that many parts of New York State are crawling with bed bugs!Bed BugJohn-Reynoldsloading…A number of hometowns in New York State made Orkin’s list for the “worst cities for bed bugs in America.” See the full list below.These 50 US Cities are Crawling with Bed BugsEvery year the pest control gurus at Orkin put together a list of the Top 50 Bed Bug Destinations in the United States. Which areas do you travel to that you should take extra care to watch out for these blood-sucking insects? Let’s countdown to the most bed-bug-riddled city in the United States.Gallery Credit: Scott ClowFor all the news that the Hudson Valley is sharing make sure to follow Hudson Valley Post on Facebook, download the Hudson Valley Post Mobile These Parts Of New York Are Most Concerned With Bed BugsNew Yorkers seem to be extremely concerned about bedbugs.Bed Bugs Bed BugCanvaloading…Below are the 15 hometowns in New York that appear to be the most concerned about bed bugs.Top 15 New York Cities Most Concerned With Bed BugsNew York ranked 36th across the nation for bedbug concerns, so the experts at MattressNextDay took a deep dive into the New York cities most likely to face bedbug concerns in 2024 based on Google searches.Which cities in New York State are the most concerned? Here’s a look at the Top 15 who are searching for Bed Bugs the most:Gallery Credit: Dave WheelerGoodbye: Supermarket Chain with 60 New York Locations Confirms Closures306.3 Million Visitors Explored the Empire State in 2023A record-setting 306.3 million visitors came to New York State in 2023, according to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.This May Impact You: 1 Of New York’s Biggest Gas Stations To Close 1,000 LocationsThe Finger Lakes, Greater Niagara region, Long Island and New York City had the most tourists. Visitor spending in those regions increased by at least 10 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, officials say.Times Square Biggest Tourist Trap In The WorldHowever, Times Square was named the “biggest tourist trap” in the world.Keep Reading:Four New York State Landmarks Among Worst Tourist Traps in AmericaFour other landmarks in New York have been dubbed “tourist traps.”Four New York State Landmarks Among Worst Tourist Traps in America24/7 Wall Street recently named the 18 Worst Tourist Traps in America. New York State dominated the list.

Dhofar eyes new tourist markets with charter flight boost

Travel

Salalah – The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) is focusing on promoting Dhofar as a year-round tourist destination, with an aim to attract new markets and boost visitor numbers to the southern region of Oman.
As part of the initiative, 26 travel agencies from Armenia landed on Sunday in Salalah for a familiarisation trip for representatives from the Caucasus country. These trips provided a firsthand experience of Dhofar’s rich historical and cultural attractions, offering a glimpse of the region’s unique appeal to potential tourists.
The fam trips coincide with Dhofar’s annual charter flight season, during which over 400 special flights typically land in Salalah from Europe.
Speaking at the 2nd Arab Forum for Tourism Statistics earlier this month, H E Salim Mohammed al Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism, announced that more than 450 charter flights are expected this winter season, providing a significant boost to Dhofar’s tourism industry.
Dhofar received its first charter flight of the season from Hungary on October 13, bringing 176 tourists, including 46 representatives from Hungarian tourism offices. This marked a strong start to the season, with more flights from Europe expected in the coming months.
To further entice visitors, the ministry hosted a series of events under the banner Marhaba Dhofar (Welcome to Dhofar) in September.
These events targeted both regional and international markets, with a focus on strengthening tourism ties between Oman and Saudi Arabia.
The events drew participation from over 50 tourism companies and 15 media professionals from Saudi Arabia, featuring business meetings between Omani and Saudi companies as well as visits to key tourist sites across Dhofar governorate.

Travellers and businesses face months-long wait for Spirit bookings, but new ships won’t be operational until 2026

Travel

Melissa Cunningham’s dog transportation business depends on her being able to book vehicles on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry each week.But a shortage in space on the ships for tall vehicles is making The Dog Transporter unviable.”We’re virtually going to shut it down. It’s just impossible to get spots on the Spirit,” she said.”This week we’ve got one vehicle on — we could have filled up three.”Melissa Cunningham’s dog transportation business is scaling down because she hasn’t been able to secure enough spots on the Spirit of Tasmania.

Ashland business believed to be first in town to use AI in day-to-day operations

Business News

Within a year of Brett and Kate Lofing starting Howdy Owl in the garage of their home in Ashland in 2015, they had to switch locations to a warehouse in Lincoln because of how much the custom wall decor business grew.But when Etsy, Howdy Owl’s main retail platform, changed its advertising strategy in 2021, its sales plummeted.The Lofings now run Howdy Owl on their own, having just moved operations from Lincoln back to Ashland. With a downsize in personnel comes many challenges. One of them, Brett Lofing said, is customer service.“In this world today that we’re in, everybody wants answers,” he said. “This can be the person that is searching at 3 a.m. for something online, and they’re ready to purchase, but they got a question. Well, I’m not up at 3 a.m. answering emails.”That’s where Brown Bacon AI comes in.

People are also reading…

The tech company is collaborating with Howdy Owl in what is believed to be the first use of generative AI in an Ashland business’ day-to-day operations, using an AI chatbot that automatically answers customer service questions.Tony and Aimee Arnold, who are also based in Ashland, have developed the patent-pending SomAI, which was created to help restaurants and other food-related businesses.When customers email Howdy Owl with a question, they get a reply in about a minute. Lofing said he has Howdy Owl’s version of SomAI set up to review the answers that are generated before they are sent to customers.“Our engine is very, very specific to only your business. So it really stays in that box,” said Tony Arnold, the CEO of Brown Bacon AI.What makes SomAI different from other AI services like ChatGPT, Tony Arnold said, is that it only generates answers based on information given by the business owner, and doesn’t collect data on the users who send in questions.

The SomAI chatbot used by Brett Lofing, the co-founder of Howdy Owl, to answer questions for his business’ customer service. Howdy Owl is believed to be the first Ashland business to use generative AI for day-to-day operations.

Courtesy image

In Howdy Owl’s case, all the information comes from its website.Tony Arnold also said SomAI simultaneously works alongside other services like ChatGPT to supplement its answers with relevant information that isn’t in the provided materials.“Most restaurants aren’t going to have the winemaker info and the soil type, but yet, you can ask that to our AI, and it will tell you about who the winemaker was,” Tony Arnold said.Brett Lofing said SomAI has helped him and Kate Lofing free up time to focus on orders and creating pieces, while also saving them money on hiring a customer service employee. Brown Bacon AI has plans starting at $500 a month.Although the Lofings have started to focus more on selling their products locally, Howdy Owl still fulfills orders from around the country, Brett Lofing said, adding that SomAI will work even when a question has a dialect from another region.“The AI software doesn’t care. It still answers it, and it does it in a way that we would answer it,” Lofing said. “Sometimes better than what we would do.”

An order being put together in Brett and Kate Lofing’s garage in Ashland. The Lofings started Howdy Owl in 2015.

Courtesy photo

Beyond SomAI, the Arnolds have also developed AImee, a separate AI model that provides basic medical information for users also in a chatbot form.“AI, it’s one of those things, it’s not going away,” said Brett Lofing, who started using ChatGPT about two years ago to help him write website content. “It’s one of those things that is evolving so quickly, and you have to embrace it as a business owner.”In the future, Brett Lofing said he hopes to use SomAI to power the search engine on the Howdy Owl website.Aimee Arnold, the CMO and CWO (chief wine officer), of Brown Bacon AI, said AI has the potential to create a boom in the opening of small businesses.“Everyone’s got some sort of idea, they just don’t necessarily know how to implement it, or they don’t know how to hire the people,” Aimee Arnold said. “AI is there and can help you walk through that, and, in a lot of ways, it can help people achieve that dream of being a business owner.”
Download the new Journal Star News Mobile App

Top Journal Star photos for October 2024

Norris’ Crew Moeller (4) dives into the endzone over Waverly’s Trev Greve (2) to score a touchdown in the second quarter to score a on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, at Norris High School.

KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star

Lincoln North Star junior Skyler Shaw practices welding at The Career Academy. Ten years since its grand opening, The Career Academy at Lincoln Public Schools has more than doubled its enrollment and district officials expect that growth to continue.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Factory Manager Dan Neil (from left), associate maintenance manager Tanner Winberg, predictive maintenance tech Kenny Rose, PDM Tech Chu Fung Wong, and IT tech Gary Schellhorn pose for a photo alongside their new Boston Dynamics robot dog Spot at Nestle Purina Petcare Company on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Crete.

KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star

Gretna’s Alexis Jensen celebrates after the final out of the fifth inning during a Class A state tournament game on Thursday in Hastings.

KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star

Oliver Degner, 4, (from left) Charlotte Degner, 6, and Noelle Gormley, 7, all of Lincoln, run to the finish line during the Pumpkin Run on Sunday in Lincoln’s Haymarket.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Erika Madison, Capital Humane Society animal welfare specialist manager, weighs a Goldendoodle on a scale during intake on Friday. The city of Lincoln is balking at signing a new long-term contract with the humane society to provide shelter for stray animals after the amount nearly tripled over previous years.

KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Russ Marr works on a wooden portion of “Vlad the Impaler” — an art piece depicting a goose that has the fangs of a vampire, the tongue of a serpent and the tail of a rattlesnake. The body of the piece uses an original tank from a 1977 Harley-Davidson Super Glide.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Malcolm’s Cole Tiedeman (center) celebrates with his teammates after the Clippers defeated Raymond Central 27-19 on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, at Raymond Central High School.

KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star

Lincoln Northwest High School seniors Brookelynn Wheeler (from left), Tyjian Deerinwater, Kareem Yahya and Haylie Helmick investigate a crime scene during a forensics class on Tuesday.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Lincoln Lutheran’s McKenzie Sidlo (center from left) goes to hit the ball over the net while defended by Pius X’s McKenzie Becker and Faith Venable (2) during the third set on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, at Lincoln Lutheran High School

KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star

As seen from outside the UNL Union, Sen. Deb Fischer (right) speaks about her responsibilities as a senator and answers questions from students during a UNL College Republicans meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, at the UNL Union. Fischer, the Republican from Nebraska seeking her third term in the US Senate.

KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star

Lincoln Southwest’s Ja’Sara Wilson kicks up dirt as she slides into second base in the first inning of the A-2 district championship on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Doris Bair Complex .

KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star

Henry Oetjen augers corn from his combine into a grain cart while harvesting on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, at Oetjen Farms near Walton.

KATY COWELL Journal Star

Pius X’s Faith Venable (left) is mobbed by her teammates after scoring the set winning kill in the second set on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, at Lincoln Lutheran High School

KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star

From left, Nola Broderick, 7, and her twin Rose Broderick ride their bikes past the Halloween decorations at the home of Wade and Debbie McGinnis at 5043 Leighton Avenue is seen on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Lincoln.

JUSTIN WAN Journal Star

Malcolm players are silhouetted by the sun as they warm up before the game on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, at Malcolm High School.

KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star

Nebraska players huddle up the North endzone in the fourth quarter against Rutgers on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.

KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star

Wicked Bones band members Marshall Johnson (left) and Jobe Sullivan rock out onstage during at UNL’s Battle of the Bands on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, at the Bourbon Theatre. Six local bands comprised of UNL students competed for a spot to perform as part of UNL’s homecoming. The final two bands will perform during Cornstock on Friday.

KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Nebraska’s Isaac Gifford (2), Nebraska’s Ceyair Wright (15), DeShon Singleton (8) and Nebraska’s MJ Sherman (48) celebrate a defensive stop during the third quarter of the game against Rutgers on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.

KATY COWELL Journal Star

Nebraska’s Jahmal Banks is defended by Rutgers’ Eric Rogers is ruled as a incomplete pass, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.

JUSTIN WAN Journal Star

Mark Thornton, executive director of Jacob’s Well, sees potential in an old grocery store at 2001 J St. He hopes to create a new gather place and make it part of the neighborhood again.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Lincoln Southwest’s Sage Strait competes in the Girls 5K during the LPS cross country championships at Pioneers Park on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Lincoln.

KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star

Norris’ Crew Moeller (4) stiff-arms Lincoln Pius X’s Sam Kassmeier during the first quarter on Friday at Aldrich Field.

KATY COWELL, Journal Star

Teacher Maileigh Camp holds Tailey Helmstadter, 7 months, at an Early Head Start classroom Tuesday at the Community Action Head Start K Street Center.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Lincoln Southwest’s Brenly Noerrlinger (from left), Ja’Sara Wilson and Hadley Madson sing a chant during a game against Fremont on Tuesday at Doris Bair Complex.

KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

USC’s Ally Batenhorst (left) reacts as Nebraska fans cheer for her before Sunday’s match at the Devaney Sports Center.

KATY COWELL, Journal Star

Amy Bolton arranges several skeletons in tutus as she decorates her front yard for Halloween on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at her Lincoln home near 48th and High Street. Bolton has been decorating her yard with skeletons since she bought her home in 2020.

KATY COWELL Journal Star

#lee-outstream-wrap {
height: 100%;
width: 100%;
max-width: 800px;
margin: 0 auto;
display: none;
position: relative;
}
#lee-outstream-wrap .ima-controls-div { z-index: 99; }
#lee-outstream-wrap .lee-outstream-video {
position: relative;
padding-bottom: 56.25%;
height: 0;
}
#lee-outstream-wrap .lee-outstream-video video {
position: absolute;
top: 0;
left: 0;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
z-index:1;
}
#lee-outstream-close {
display: none;
position: absolute;
cursor: pointer;
top: -25px;
left: -25px;
padding: 10px;
overflow: hidden;
background-color: #000;
border-radius: 20px;
color: #fff;
z-index: 99;
line-height: 0;
box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4) 0px 0px 5px 0px;
}
#lee-outstream-close:hover { color: rgba(255,255,255,.8); }
#lee-outstream-wrap.sticky {
position: fixed;
bottom:0;
right:0;
width: 400px;
z-index: 1000;
height: auto;
box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4) 0px 0px 10px 0px;
}
#lee-outstream-wrap.sticky #lee-outstream-close{ display: block; }
@media (max-width: 767px){
#lee-outstream-wrap.sticky { width: 60%; }
}

Contact the writer at [email protected] or 402-473-2634. On Twitter @ShelbyRickert.

0 Comments

#lee-rev-content { margin:0 -5px; }
#lee-rev-content h3 {
font-family: inherit!important;
font-weight: 700!important;
border-left: 8px solid var(–lee-blox-link-color);
text-indent: 7px;
font-size: 24px!important;
line-height: 24px;
}
#lee-rev-content .rc-provider {
font-family: inherit!important;
}
#lee-rev-content h4 {
line-height: 24px!important;
font-family: “serif-ds”,Times,”Times New Roman”,serif!important;
margin-top: 10px!important;
}
@media (max-width: 991px) {
#lee-rev-content h3 {
font-size: 18px!important;
line-height: 18px;
}
}

#pu-email-form-business-email-article {
clear: both;

background-color: #fff;

color: #222;

background-position: bottom;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
padding: 15px 0 20px;
margin-bottom: 40px;
border-top: 4px solid rgba(0,0,0,.8);
border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,.2);

display: none;

}
#pu-email-form-business-email-article,
#pu-email-form-business-email-article p {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, “Apple Color Emoji”, “Segoe UI Emoji”, “Segoe UI Symbol”;
}
#pu-email-form-business-email-article h2 {
font-size: 24px;
margin: 15px 0 5px 0;
font-family: “serif-ds”, Times, “Times New Roman”, serif;
}
#pu-email-form-business-email-article .lead {
margin-bottom: 5px;
}
#pu-email-form-business-email-article .email-desc {
font-size: 16px;
line-height: 20px;
margin-bottom: 5px;
opacity: 0.7;
}
#pu-email-form-business-email-article form {
padding: 10px 30px 5px 30px;
}
#pu-email-form-business-email-article .disclaimer {
opacity: 0.5;
margin-bottom: 0;
line-height: 100%;
}
#pu-email-form-business-email-article .disclaimer a {
color: #222;
text-decoration: underline;
}
#pu-email-form-business-email-article .email-hammer {

border-bottom: 3px solid #222;

opacity: .5;
display: inline-block;
padding: 0 10px 5px 10px;
margin-bottom: -5px;
font-size: 16px;
}
@media (max-width: 991px) {
#pu-email-form-business-email-article form {
padding: 10px 0 5px 0;
}
}
.grecaptcha-badge { visibility: hidden; }

The business news you need
Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

‘Four Mothers’ Review: Slight But Charming Irish Comedy Treats Family Heartache With Tenderness – London Film Festival

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

There is always space, it seems, for another warm-hearted story about the foibles of Irish working-class women, cosy as a fireside chat with a nice cup of tea. As for gay men and their mams, that’s a rich  seam of drama, comedy and whatever lies in between that is probably inexhaustible. The four mothers who give Darren Thornton’s film its title all have gay sons and have come to some sort of accommodation with that uncomfortable knowledge, however badly it sits with the church where these sons deliver them dutifully every Sunday morning. After all, they couldn’t live without their boys — literally. Who else would put up with them and still show the love? “It does get easier,” mutters one of the sons to another as they huddle in a back pew. “When?” is the anguished reply.

Except that it’s not real anguish, just a comedy version of it: Thornton keeps the tone light and the pace frisky. The demands and difficulties of looking after an elderly person whose grip on reality is drifting are mostly the source of rueful jokes; the men’s shared desire to have a bit of a sex life before middle age closes over their heads is not the stuff of existential crisis, simply a reminder that boys just want to have fun. When three of them decide to abscond to the Maspalomas Pride in Spain, an exuberantly bacchanalian event where they will be ridiculously old — but better late than never — they contrive to leave their respective mothers with Edward, the most dutiful son of them all, for three impossible days.  

Watch on Deadline

Edward (James McArdle, giving a performance that is the closest thing in movies to a cuddle) is a writer whose YA novel about a young gay boy has had rave reviews and is about to hit the ultimate market, the United States. His mother Alma (the eternally formidable Fionnula Flanagan) has a degenerative illness that has left her unable to speak. She remains sharp, however, delivering her zingers on an iPad in the voice of an AI bot. She is not keen to share her small home with three women she doesn’t know, each of whom is impossible  in her own way. Too bad: they were left on the doorstep, a done deal. Edward gives up his bed for one of the ladies and settles into carers’ purgatory.

Meanwhile, his publishers have arranged a whistle-stop book tour through the US.  Ann Patchett is booked to do an on-stage interview. He’ll be on chat shows. Except, as he keeps saying to them weakly, he doesn’t really think he can go, not with his mother the way she is. Meanwhile, the lads sent pictures of themselves being festive.  It’s all very vanilla, although the most recently “out” of the group does send a WhatsApp selfie asking if he doesn’t look too silly in a leather harness. He does, obviously.

Four Mothers is based on an Italian comedy by Gianni Di Gregorio  called Mid-August Lunch, which had hitherto resisted several efforts to adapt it as an English-language story. Thornton and his brother and co-writer Colin loved the original film, but were able to put a different spin on it with their own lived experience. Coincidentally, they had both just moved home to be with their own mother, whose reliance on an iPad to “speak” — often very incoherently, given her shaky spelling — was frustrating but also the source of much comic relief  in the stressed Thornton household. The year they spent with their mother is wound into this story, giving the glow of the cheeky golden girls story a slight rub of real rust.  

Thornton, along with DOP Tom Comerford, also tailors a visual style that wards off excessive cuteness: the color palette is determinedly muted, the women no more glamorous than they would or should be, the skies seemingly always gray. But the story arcs gently into a grab-bag of happy endings. The women bond, as you know from the outset they will, as they talk  about their missing husbands (“You’d love to see them walking through the door, asking for their dinner”) and thrill to the idea of visiting an online tarot reader in Galway, six hours’ drive way. Niamh Cusack gives a marvelous cameo performance as the medium, whose fraudulence is neither affirmed nor denied; as she stares into the corner to commune with hovering spirits, you want to believe in her. It’s all very charming, which is fortunate  because it is clearly intended to charm us.  A film probably best enjoyed with that aforementioned cup of tea, I’d say — and forget the bondage harness. A snuggly blanket would be so much nicer.

Title: Four MothersFestival: London (Official Competition)Sales agent: MK2Director: Darren ThorntonScreenwriters: Darren Thornton, Colin Thornton,Cast: James McArdle, Fionnula Flanagan, Dearbhla MolloyRunning time: 1 hr 39 mins