by Steve Horn, DeSmogBlog, May 21, 2013 ” Gasland 2 ” screened yesterday in Normal, Illinois, and  DeSmogBlog  was there to gain a sneak peak of the documentary set for a July 8 HBO national premiere.  Josh Fox’s documentary played at the  Normal Theater , the second-ever screening since the film  officially premiered on April 21  at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City .  The movie builds on Fox’s Academy Award-nominated ” Gasland ,” further making the case of how the shale industry’s  hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”)  boom is busting up peoples’ livelihoods, contaminating air and water, polluting democracy and serving as a ” bridge fuel ” only to propel us off the climate disruption cliff.  A central theme and question of the film is, “Who gets to tell the story?”  That is, industry PR pros and bought-off politicians utilizing the ” tobacco playbook ” and saying ” the sky is pink , ” or families directly injured by the industry? Fox explains how the industry has gamed the system, ensuring the communities have their voices drowned out

Srinagar, May 18 (Scoop News) –As a part of the ongoing 2-month long Kashmir Folk Festival, a colourful cultural programme was held today at Pahalgam, the famous South Kashmir tourist resort, with prominent folk artists performing before an enthusiastic audience.             Based on the folk music and folk dance of Kashmir, the programme presented the rich cultural heritage of Kashmir before the domestic and local tourists visiting the area.

The end of this year’s Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival , especially in the context of the country’s ongoing budget debates, has led many netizens to wonder about the economic impact of the event.

A Venezuelan movie about a young deaf woman who is sexually abused by her stepfather, “Brecha en el silencio” (Breach in the Silence), took top prize at the second Colombia-Venezuela film festival. Twelve feature-length and 10 short films were screened at the May 13-16 festival, held in the border cities of Cúcuta in northeastern Colombia and San Cristóbal in western Venezuela

[SA Info]A record 150 South African filmmakers are set to attend the 66th Cannes International Film Festival starting on Wednesday, 12 of them sponsored by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), which will also host the market screening of three South African films at the prestigious event. [Published in AidNews – Read

by Laura Gottesdiener Happy Mother’s Day to all our New York City friends. As you celebrate all the powerful women and mothers in your life, take a minute to become a supporter of Waging Nonviolence — and receive a free ticket to an early preview screening of Robin Blotnick and Rachel Lears’ documentary The Hand That Feeds . This 20-minute selection of scenes from their film about the Laundry Workers Center’s Hot and Crusty restaurant campaign dramatizes the possibilities that result when labor organizing combines with grassroots, direct-action movements.

by Laura Gottesdiener Happy Mother’s Day to all our New York City friends. As you celebrate all the powerful women and mothers in your life, take a minute to become a supporter of Waging Nonviolence — and receive a free ticket to an early preview screening of Robin Blotnick and Rachel Lears’ documentary The Hand That Feeds

It has been about two weeks since the 3rd annual NGC Bocas Lit Fest ended in Trinidad and Tobago and readers, writers and litbloggers alike only just seem to be coming down from the literary euphoria. Blogger and journalist Lisa Allen-Agostini , who was one of a handful regional writers shortlisted for a key prize , called the festival “a great gift to our country and our region”.

Srinagar, May 9 (Scoop News) – On the fourth leg of the recently launched two-month long Kashmir Folk Festival, prominent folk artists of Kashmir enthralled people in large numbers at the famous Chinar Bagh here Thursday evening.             The Festival, organised by the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages in association with the Department of Tourism has so far traversed several tourist destinations of Kashmir including Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Zabarwan Park and Kokernag. The inaugural programme was held at Pahalgam on May 4.

Pahalgam/ Srinagar, May 4 (Scoop News) –Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture & Languages Saturday launched a colourful package of cultural events to celebrate and showcase Kashmiri folk theatre and music.             Prominent folk artists of Kashmir will perform distinguished specimen of local folk dance and music including Bhand Paether, Dhamali and Chhakri for which the Valley is widely known.             The cultural festival, organized in collaboration with Tourism Department will run weekly events at tourist places including Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Verinag, Kokernag, Achhabal, Zabarwan Park and Chinar Bagh for two months showcasing rich Kashmiri cultural heritage