Lady Magdalene’s to Screen at the 2008 Cinema City International Film Festival
Jesulu Productions’ new suspense-comedy feature film, Lady Magdalene’s, has been selected as one of only five narrative-features, out of over 3,000 submissions, to be a finalist that will screen Tuesday, September 30, 2008, 4:45 PM, at the 2008 Cinema City International Film Festival, to be held September 29th to October 1st, 2008, at the AMC Universal City Walk, adjacent to Universal Studios.
Admission to all Cinema City International Film Festival screenings, including the screening of Lady Magdalene’s, is free.
Lady Magdalene’s will be personally introduced by its writer/director, supporting actor, and executive producer, J. Neil Schulman.
Following the screening, at 7:00 PM, Schulman and Lady Magdalene’s star and other executive producer, Nichelle Nichols (”Lady Magdalene”), will meet the press on the festival’s red carpet, as will actress Susan Smythe, who plays Agent Cynthia Seagate. The following day, October 1st, Nichelle Nichols will be a presenter at the festival’s black-tie gala and award ceremony, a charity fund-raiser for severely burned and injured American soldiers returning from Iraq.
This will be the fourth film festival Lady Magdalene’s has played at since its premiere at the at the fifth annual San Diego Black Film Festival on February 2, 2008, where Lady Magdalene’s won that festival’s “Best Cutting Edge Film” award.
Nichelle Nichols is the iconic actress who played “Uhura” on Star Trek, as well as being a singer discovered at age 16 by Duke Ellington.
Beginning in Fall 2007, Nichelle Nichols began appearing as “Nana Dawson,” a recurring player on the NBC blockbuster television series, Heroes. In addition, Nichelle appeared in the 2008 film Tru-Loved, has featured roles in the forthcoming films The Torturer and This Bitter Earth, and is about to begin filming on the film David.
As well as starring in Lady Magdalene’s, Nichelle Nichols contributed her talents behind the camera as choreographer, and composer of two original songs for the film, which she performed as well.
Lady Magdalene’s writer/director/producer, J. Neil Schulman, was previously known as an award-winning novelist and journalist, whose original screenplay “Profile in Silver,” is one of the best-remembered episodes of CBS’s 1980’s Twilight Zone series. He’s currently working on the new feature-length documentary, Dave Schwartz: Firsthand from the First Stand. A preview is on YouTube.
Schulman also contributed music and lyrics to five songs in the film, as well as playing the role of Ali the American, an al-Qaeda terrorist.
The Cinema City International Film Festival was founded in 2007 by veteran director/writer/producer Suzanne DeLaurentiis. The first-annual Cinema City International Film Festival was selected as a Top 25 film festival by MovieMaker Magazine.
Lady Magdalene’s star, Nichelle Nichols is an icon to millions of women, minorities,and science-fiction fans for her groundbreaking role as “Uhura” on the classic TV series Star Trek and in six blockbuster theatrical features that followed. With half a dozen Star Trek TV series still in worldwide syndication and a new major feature film now in production by Paramount, Star Trek has become the most enduringly successful science-fiction franchise in history. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., personally convinced Nichelle not to quit the original series, saying her being a role model as a senior bridge officer on Star Trek made it one of the few TV series he’d allow his own children to watch.
In the late 1970’s, under contract to NASA, Nichelle Nichols took on the daunting task to successfully recruit the first women and minority astronauts for the United States Space Shuttle program, for which she received NASA’s Distinguished Public Service Award for her pioneering efforts. It was Nichelle Nichols who brought America its first six female astronauts including Dr. Sally K. Ride and Dr. Judith Resnick, and the first three male African-American astronauts, Dr. Ronald McNair, Col. Guion S. Bluford, Jr., and Frederick D. Gregory , later NASA Acting Administrator. The first African-American female astronaut, Mae C. Jemison, MD, was directly inspired to apply to NASA’s space flight program because of Nichelle’s role as Uhura on Star Trek.
On January 9, 1992, Nichelle was awarded her much-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Just a few weeks before, she’d become the first African-American to place her handprints and signature in the cement walk of the world-famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
In 2004 Nichelle Nichols was selected as one of the International Human Rights Consortium’s Fete d’Excellence laureate’s. The citation reads: “You have been selected for the Medaille d’Excellence 2004 in the category of ‘Edutainment.’ This is in recognition of your being a true innovator, a woman of courage and commitment to the deepest values of excellence through your artistry within the world of entertainment and also as an innovative educator and patron to learning and inspiring the budding minds and hearts of youth.”
Lady Magdalene’s has received wide-ranging rave reviews and accolades. Robin Rosenzweig writing in the Beverly Hills Outlook describes Lady Magdalene’s as “hilarious entertainment.” Lee Michael Cohn in the Santa Monica Mirror calls Lady Magdalene’s “an offbeat, sexy comedy.”
Steve Miller, writing in a Rotten Tomatoes review, describes Lady Magdalene’s as “a fun, fast-paced action comedy” that is “built like the classic comedies of the 1940s-1960s, complete with a musical number.” Miller writes, “If writers of the modern thrillers could come up with twists and misdirections even a quarter as clever as Schulman does here, I wouldn’t find myself wondering if the thriller is a dead genre.” Miller also writes that Nichelle Nichols “gives a performance that is worthy of an actress of her veteran status. She is delightful in this film.”
Bestselling author, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, in an advance review, writes that Lady Magdalene’s is “action-humor reminiscent of a Bob Hope movie … The casting is outstanding… The script had all the twists in the right places…powerful and so subtly written… It is purely character driven — and that’s what I loved about it. Definitely one that will etch itself into memory. It grows on you after you finish seeing it. I was still thinking about it a week later.”
Tay Zonday, singer/songwriter of the hit song, “Cherry Chocolate Rain” writes on Youtube: “I love seeing Nichelle in a more textured role.”
Tom Long, writing in his Detroit News column, says Lady Magdalene’s “stars Nichelle Nichols from Star Trek. Talk about someone who can open a movie.”
Rounding out Miss Nichols excellent performance is a fresh cast with backgrounds in movies, music, TV, modeling, and stage, including Groundlings alumnus Ethan Keogh (Bedazzled, Able Edwards) as Agent Jack Goldwater, Susan Smythe (”Best Actress” Award at the NY International Independent Film and Video Festival) as “Angel,” Persian pop princess Claudia Lynx (West Wing, Legion of the Dead) as Scheherazade, former Calvin Klein model Alexander Wraith (Hitch, Royal Kill) as Yassin Salem, London Drama Centre alumnus Mark Gilvary (Puritan, The Bard: The Story of Robert Burns), doubling both as the Director of al Qaeda and as FBI agent Curtis Broderick, Mara Marini (Darkworld, Porntourage) as Nurse Gretchen, Miss Teen All American Hope McBane (MTV’s TRL and Housebroken) as Sinead, and Michele Redmond (HBO’s Cathouse) as Eden.
Lady Magdalene’s log line is, “After a prostitute’s murder, a disgraced federal agent buddies with a Nevada madam to unravel an al-Qaeda plot.”
You can catch the Slice of SciFi interview with Nichelle and Neil HERE.
Imagine Pictures seeks Alicia Keys to voice Princess Zya
Chicago, Illinois - Imagine Pictures made initial contact with Alicia Keys’ managment company, MBK Entertainment to solicit her involvement in the animated film, The African Princess.
All over the country people are talking about this groundbreaking animated film. Imagine Pictures believes Alicia Keys embodies the soul and spirit that translates the strength and character of Princess Zya.
With multiple invitations to film festivals across the country, excitement for the release of this film is building. Emails, blogs and conversations are multiplying and support is pouring in.
“What a beautiful and enriching tale for the whole family that fosters self-esteem in youth, and especially African American youth of today. There is no doubt in my mind, that The African Princess will go on to be one of the most sought animated films…of the century,” one supporter wrote.
[Alicia Keys photo shot by Mark Seliger during a Fight AIDS campaign]
Feedback Wanted On “The African Princess”
IMAGINE Picture Group and the “The African Princess” would like to hear your feedback.
Please go to www.theafricanprincess.com and click on the feedback button. Your comments will be viewed by the IMAGINE Picture’s creative team.
Here are a few questions to get you started:
- 1. What is your opinion of the “The African Princess” storyline?
- 2. What is your opinion on other movie makers’ attempt to develop an African themed animated film?
- 3. How will “The African Princess” impact your children, family or culture?
- 4. Would you take your family to see “The African Princess”?
Take a moment to voice your opinion and be a part of this historical movie production that will impact millions. We also encourage you to blog your thoughts throughout the Internet. Search the net for blogs/articles/comment threads and voice your thoughts. You can begin here on Slice of SciFi to post those thoughts.
“The African Princess” is an original animated film based on actual events within the continent of Africa. It is a story of perseverance, struggle and triumph that will inspire both young and old audiences. The heroine is Zya, a young African princess who is the sole heir to her father’s kingdom. Through a series of events that displace her family, devastate her country and cause her to lose her memory, Zya, with help from Neebo, a small furry monkey who is her childhood companion, rises to the challenge to lead and sustain the survival of her native kingdom. Set in the rich and colorful continent of Africa, a cultural kaleidoscope of vibrant green forests, blue rivers and sun burnt skies seep out of the story line. Woven into this spirit filled story, you’ll discover Africa’s soulful music, passion and many traditions. Audiences will fall in love with Zya, a passionate, jungle-savvy and witty young girl and Neebo, a small mischievous, white-haired furry monkey with lion-like features.
This film also highlights the severe drought and starvation that has caused conflict among many of Africa’s diverse tribes.
“The African Princess” is scheduled to be released in 2008.
“The African Princess”
Chicago, Illinois — “The African Princess” is an original animated film based on actual events within the continent of Africa. It is a story of perseverance, struggle and triumph that will inspire both young and old audiences.
The heroine is Zya, a young African princess who is the sole heir to her father’s kingdom. Through a series of events that displace her family, devastate her country and cause her to lose her memory, Zya, with help from Neebo, a small furry monkey who is her childhood companion, rises to the challenge to lead and sustain the survival of her native kingdom.
“The African Princess” is a coming of age story that illustrates the courage and greatness of a young girl who proves that leadership and success are in all of us. With a traditional theme of good and evil illustrated by colorful characters, “The African Princess” brings to life the many prisms of the human spirit and its power to triumph over extreme odds. This film also highlights the severe drought and starvation that has caused conflict among many of Africa’s diverse tribes.
Set in the rich and colorful continent of Africa, a cultural kaleidoscope of vibrant green forests, blue rivers and sun burnt skies seep out of the story line. Audiences will fall in love with Zya, a passionate, jungle-savvy and witty young girl and Neebo, a small mischievous, white-haired furry monkey with lion-like features. Woven into this colorful story, you’ll discover Africa’s soulful music, passion and many traditions.
“The African Princess” is the first original story of its kind written by Kerry Marshall, Creative Director of Covenant Pictures. A film company based in Chicago, Illinois, Covenant Pictures’ “The African Princess” will rival films created by other major animated production companies. “‘The African Princess’ is anything but your average fairy tale. Rather, it is a riveting story that both highlights and illustrates the richness of a continent and the strength of perseverance”, says Kerry Marshall. In the making since 2005, “The African Princess” is set to be released in 2008.
“The African Princess” will serve as a precedent for future multicultural animated films by introducing audiences to the beautiful sights, sounds and wonders of a land that offers stories which speak of history, struggle and beauty.
