TIFF Deals Portend Well For New Indies

“A new crop of movie entrepreneurs tested their wares at the Toronto International Film Festival over the last week, and several had cause to be pleased with the results.” More impressive, many of the films scoring distribution deals were decidedly independent, with no studio backing at all. “And if Hollywood has expressed skepticism about the affluent neophytes who have entered the business in the past few years – mainly Internet, retail and trust-fund tycoons – this, their first real crop of movies entering the marketplace, may indicate that they have a future in the industry.”

Pittsburgh On The Road Less Traveled

“The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra had a rocky prelude to the start of its new season this month. First a local newspaper suggested over the summer that the 111-year-old orchestra be downsized. Then its administrators, on the heels of a $500,000 expected deficit, were forced to pay a huge raise to its players because of an unusual contract clause. Plans for a European tour in October were abandoned for lack of a sponsor. And the accidental popping of balloons shattered the mood during its gala opening program on Sept. 10, giving a new definition to the term pops concert.” But behind the scenes, the PSO is tackling its challenges with an unconventional approach, making a concerted push to expand their subscription base and market the orchestra itself, rather than high-profile conductors and soloists.

Christians In Comedy: A World Apart

As a general rule, stand-up comics tend to be fairly liberal sorts. Maybe it’s something about the lifestyle – performing late at night in seedy bars with other comics who use the f-word as punctuation – but the right wing, which encompasses a large chunk the U.S. population, has never seen much representation at the local Laugh Factory. But just as the world of American religious conservatism has created and nurtured its own sources for music, news, and education, a new market is emerging for Christian comics, who hit all the usual stand-up targets while simultaneously taking digs at evolution, activist judges, and gays who want to get married.

Katrina Relief, In Black And White

The cultural divisions that separate Americans – factions of race, region, and economic status – have never been more evident than in the various benefit events being mounted around the U.S. in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Musicians from classical, country, pop, and hip-hop scenes are all doing their part for the relief effort – but all on separate stages. Some experts say that “the competition that has emerged among fund-raising efforts reflects cultural lines that were already drawn,” but others insist that the factionalized effort is merely a by-product of an already compartmentalized entertainment industry.

The List: Cultural Sites In Katrina’s Path

Keeping track of the current state of New Orleans’s cultural institutions has been a chaotic enterprise at best, but a picture is beginning to emerge of just how widespread the damage is. The New Orleans Museum of Art lost one of its more valuable works to the storm, and a new, unfinished museum in Biloxi was crushed by a casino barge that was pushed a full quarter-mile inland. Some institutions escaped damage altogether, but not many…

Far From Home And Missing It Badly

David Anderson, the principal bass player of the now-homeless Louisiana Philharmonic has a temporary gig with the Minnesota Orchestra, but all the temp hirings in the world can’t answer all the questions the LPO has about its future, nor can they replace a wholly unique orchestra in a city with a musical life unlike any other in the world. “Anderson loves the way whole families permeate the music scene [in New Orleans] — the Marsalis and Neville clans are only the most familiar. He loves that he’s in a classical orchestra but also plays a mean electric bass in New Orleans’ more raucous venues, grinding out original jazz, funk and bop with friends in his Symphony Boy Funk Ensemble.”

Rushdie On Terror, Both Personal and Global

Thanks to the fatwa issued against him by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini following the 1989 publication of his novel, The Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie will never be just another writer. “Forced to go underground for several years and travel everywhere with a phalanx of bodyguards, Rushdie was given a reprieve of sorts in 1998, when a reformist Iranian government distanced itself from the previous ruling… Despite this, Rushdie has not settled into a life of hedonistic comfort. He has been active in American PEN, speaking out vigorously on issues that affect writers around the world. And in his latest novel, the critically well-received Shalimar the Clown, Rushdie has taken on terrorism in the best way he knows how: by exploring the personal nature of fanaticism and how it has made the planet a more dangerous place.”

On The Road To Better Times In San Antonio

Two years ago, the San Antonio Symphony was in dire financial straits, and came perilously close to shutting down completely. Today, as the SAS launches its second full season following a tumultuous period in bankruptcy, things are looking up, and the orchestra is seeing a sharp uptick in ticket sales as well as philanthropic giving. “The symphony already has $2 million of its almost $6 million budget for the 2005-06 season,” and officials are confident that the ensemble will be able to operate without a deficit this year.

Do-Over – When Prominent Architecture Needs Fixin’

The Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University was architect Peter Eisenman’s first large-scale work, a renowned 1989 building. But it leaked. And the temperature inside swung wildly during the day. Eventually the museum had to close for a redo. “That leaks and zigzagging temperatures would plague such an experimental building is not so surprising, some architects say, given that the design elements would have been challenging for any structural engineer. But, inevitably, the setbacks of celebrated architects seem to draw attention.”

New Orleans As A Literary Character

Setting a book in any city helps define the story. But New Orleans isn’t just any city; the city is a powerful character. “Gertrude Stein famously complained that when it came to Oakland, Calif., there was no “there” there. New Orleans, conversely, could be accused of having too much “there” there: It’s a city stuffed with ambience, bursting at the scenes with color and flavor and sound.”