Entertainment

A Review of Mattress, A 10 Minute Film

Published

3 years ago

March 2, 2020

Mattress Nominated For Young Artist Award (2016) and Vancouver Joey Awards (2015)

Just as the title says, this movie is about a mattress. While that might not sound great, this short film, which is only ten minutes in length, follows the situation that unfolds when, under cover of darkness, a family dumps an old mattress in a dirty Strathcona alley. What happens next is an all-out suburban war, and the next day, blame passes from neighbor to neighbor with no one willing to take responsibility for the abandoned and illegally dumped mattress.

Dodging rotten eggs and Molotov cocktails, the youngest member of the Lee family, has to do the right thing, and the movie is about how Little Boy Lee has to take responsibility for his actions and clean up the streets.

The Movie ‘Mattress’ was Inspired By True Events

While it might sound unbelievable to you, this short movie was written by Michelle Kee, who said that she had always envisioned Mattress to be an extension of her overly-indulgent imagination during one strange month when a pale blue mattress was dumped on her garage and began a passive-aggressive mini-war between her neighbors, she said: “During that month, the mattress degraded into this disgusting big blue eyesore that had been spat on, peed on and even run over. The mystery of how and when the mattress ended up in the alley and the emotion it sparked between my neighbors fascinated me. We actually filmed this story in the same alley as the original inspiration.”

While only a short film, ‘Mattress’ is in a sense, an epic retelling of this incident from the perspective of the ‘dump and ditchers’ – specifically the youngest member of the family, Little Boy Lee.

Michelle Kee, who has lived in Singapore, the UK, and the USA before laying down roots in Vancouver, Canada, and has directed one short film and two music videos.

Mattress is a Tale Through a Young Boy’s Eyes

Every scene of Mattress is from the perspective of Little Boy Lee, and while it is an entertaining and funny film, at its very core, it’s a story about a little boy coming of age. The film is enjoyable as although only short, it takes you on a ride as the situation in the alley continues to escalate but what is the most important and endearing part of the film is that you get to see Little Boy Lee finding out and learning that a person’s actions can lead to disastrous consequences and that there’s a difference between family and world values.

Entertainment

The fundamental features of community festivals’ social implications

Published

2 months ago

April 12, 2023

Jonathan Grilli

Music’s power is an extraordinarily vital and unique instrument that improves the human experience. When combined with a social gathering of individuals from all walks of life who have come to appreciate this art, it creates a force unlike any other. Music allows people to imagine their lives and evoke powerful memories. Music is integral to cultural gatherings, festivals, and belief systems. Sound and rhythm patterns provide a unique insight into an individual’s thoughts on current culture, subcultures, and societal concerns. Community festivals allow people of a community to engage in socialization, entertainment, and the formation of social networks, all of which can contribute to the promotion of community cohesiveness and the development of social capital within a community.

In addition to bringing people of all colors, races, and ethnicities together, these festivals also play a pivotal role in promoting upcoming artists in the music industry. Festivals have long been one of the most prolific venues for promoting new music and exposing listeners to contemporary artists. The absence of festivals and venues has significantly hampered fresh content and talent exposure. Music is vital during festivals because it creates an instant link among those who attend. Festival music speaks to our human yearning to connect, and music is a means of self-expression that transcends all language borders. Picking up performances at smaller or local music festivals is a terrific method for new performers to get into the live music scene.

Cultura Fest Las Vegas is organized by Alexis Lopez, CEO of artist-only entertainment in Las Vegas. The first large Latino Music Festival in the heart of Las Vegas, bringing together some of the top Latin artists from across the world to play on one stage, which includes some of the most prominent Latino Artists performing various types of music genres such as Regional Mexicana, Banda, Mariachi, and Reggaeton to create a first-time Latino music festival in the heart of Las Vegas. By reshaping live entertainment into an economic engine for growth and commerce and challenging humanity to live by its highest ideals, festivals have revolutionized the live music industry and become a crucial source of income for the music business. They also celebrate both the power of the individual and the collective masses.

The upcoming festival to send shockwaves

The festival is scheduled to take place in 2023. With over 20 artists and ten of the biggest Latin DJs and music producers on the stage, bringing Latin Culture together, various Latin food from different cultures, games, contests, and giveaways for all guests to eat and dance the night away.

Cultura Fest will feature Latin music genres such as Reggaeton, Dembow, Mariachi, Corridos, and Banda Regional Mexicana.

Becky G, Dalex, Jowell & Randy, Blessed, Ryan Castro, Luis R Conriquez, Fuerza Reguida, Enigma Norteno, Junior H, Rickstarr, Mr. Fernandez, Christian Nava, Eslabón Armado, Eladio Carrión, Lunay, Sech, Lyanno, Mora, and many more will be confirmed as headliners in 2023.

Through his music promotion venture, Alexis intends to introduce Cultura Fest to other big cities such as Los Angeles, Texas, Chicago, and Miami.

Introducing new artists to the audience

Alexis works as an A/R in the Latino business with numerous artists and frequently forges new ties amongst artists of various genres. Introducing numerous artists merging both cultures to be able to develop the new sounds of Latin Music, such as Grupo Firme from the Mexican Group and Jay Wheeler from reggaetón.

About Alexis Lopez

After suffering three ACL knee injuries, Alexis Lopez decided to hang up his boots and see what the future held for him. Alexis transitioned into music management, working with artists and DJs, and has worked for famous names in the music industry, such as Christian Nava, Rickstarr Baby, and Payso. Lopez has succeeded in every element of his life, and the new chapter of his life was no exception. Alexis Lopez knocked on many doors in his early days and was successful throughout his life. He has completed several missions. Lopez is now taking multiple Artists to South America, Central America, and Canada, such as Grupo Firme, Dos Carnales, Wisin & Yandel, Steve Aoki, Jay Wheeler, Oscar Maydon, Becky G, Luis R Conriquez, and many more Latino artists.