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BCDC Newark is the primary economic development catalyst for Newark, New Jersey, organized to retain, attract and grow businesses, enhance small and minority business capacity, and spur real estate development within the city.

As a business development company, BCDC Newark initiates and execute economic development activities to produce and sustain economic growth, generate jobs and create wealth for the citizens of Newark.

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Artist LNY and Solo(s) Project House launch “PROTOCOL” with “Soy Fuego”

Newark’s Solo(s) Project House and New Jersey-based artist, LNY, have launched PROTOCOL, an eight-week residency (April 6 – June 6, 2013) that explores the creative process and the monetary issues with working in the public space.

The exhibition officially kicks off April 13, 7pm to 11pm, with the short movie screening of SOY FUEGO, a collaborative effort between LNY and Mexico City-based filmmaker Jonathan Ostos Yaber. The 12-minute short film will juxtapose LNY’s drawings with the story of a sleeping female engulfed in flames, followed by a discussion with the artists.

During this period, the Solo(s) Project House gallery (972 Broad Street, Newark, NJ) will be an open studio, host an evolving installation, serve as a meeting place for workshops, screenings, readings and a market place, where the private art is released only after it has funded the creation of free public art.

SOY FUEGO April 13 Solo(s) Project House

SOY FUEGO screening and discussion with artists LNY and Jonathan Ostos kicks off PROTOCOL residency at Solo(s) Project House in Newark

About LNY

New Jersey-based street artist LNY has left his mark in over a dozen cities worldwide and is back in his native New Jersey to create himself a new home in Newark.

“I see Newark as an open laboratory, where I can explore and build upon interior and exterior landscapes.” – LNY

LNY’s work is ephemeral, location sensitive and takes the form of murals, drawings on paper and urban interventions. His practice is akin to graphic journalism, as he both visualizes local narratives and reflects upon issues affecting the communities where his art inhabits.

About Jonathan Ostos Yaber

Jonathan Ostos Yaber, also known as “El Zombie,” is the director, animator and co-writer of the multi-award winning short film “La nostalgia del Sr. Alambre” (SIMONA GESMUNDO, Huesca, Cut Out Fest). Yaber is a graduate of the Vancouver Film School and UWE, with a specialization in character animation, 3D animation and VFX. His videos mix a wide range of techniques, including live action, stop motion, CGI, 2D, cutouts and more.

His films have travelled to more than 130 different film & animation festivals, including Cannes, Annecy, Huesca, Edinburgh International Film Festival, SICAF, Anima Mundi, SXSW, LA ShortsFest, Cut Out Fest, Morelia International Film Festival, and Comic Con.

PROTOCOL_Soy Fuego

The PROTOCOL Documentary

In addition, Newark-based documentarian Dubois Ashong will be filming the entire life of the PROTOCOL residency. DuBois has focused on contemporary and modern artists in his prior works, including stained glass artist Joseph Cavalieri, master glass blower & sculptor Jamie Harris. His most acclaimed film to date, THE GANTALIST: the art of being Jerry Gant, was featured in multiple festivals around the country.

“I see telling the artist’s story as a mission worth pursuing, because they are heroes to me. And I suppose my interest originated from my own experience growing up in a family of artists.” – Dubois Ashong

The Newark Office of Film + Television is a proud supporter of the PROTOCOL / SOY FUEGO exhibition, and to partner with Solo(s) Project House.

For more information on PROTOCOL, visit www.solosprojecthouse.com/lny

Soul Food Junkies: Film Screening and Discussion with Filmmaker Byron Hurt at Newark Symphony Hall 02.27.2013

On February 27, 2013, Newark’s own and award-winning filmmaker, Byron Hurt, will present a community screening of his latest film: Soul Food Junkies. The film screening will take place at the Newark Symphony Hall (1020 Broad Street, Newark, NJ). The event is free with RSVP, and will also feature a discussion with filmmaker, activist and writer Byron Hurt and Baye Adofo-Wilson, Executive Director of the Lincoln park Coast Cultural District.

Soul Food Junkies – Film Summary

Filmmaker Byron Hurt explores the upsides and downsides of soul food, a quintessential American cuisine. The film Soul Food Junkies explores the history and social significance of soul food to black cultural identity and its effect on African American health, good and bad. Soul food will also be used as the lens to investigate the dark side of the food industry and the growing food justice movement that has been born in its wake.

The film includes both scenes and interviews in Newark, particularly with leaders from organizations such as the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District and St. Philips Academy.

Come out and watch a thought-provoking film whose theme should not only resonate with Newarkers, but which also features local filmmaking talent and scenes.

RSVP via this link: http://www.forwardevernj.com/events

Byron Hurt – More than a Filmmaker

Byron Hurt is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, a published writer, and an anti-sexist activist. His most recent documentary, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. It was later broadcast nationally on the Emmy award-winning PBS series Independent Lens, drawing an audience of more than 1.3 million viewers. To date, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes (BBR) has been selected to appear in more than 50 film festivals worldwide and The Chicago Tribune named it “one of the best documentary films in 2007.”

In addition to being a filmmaker, Hurt is a nationally respected activist. Since 1993, he has been using his craft, his voice, and his writings to broaden and deepen how people think about race and gender. His first film, I AM A MAN: Black Masculinity in America, is a 60-minute award-winning documentary that captures the thoughts and feelings of African-American men and women from over fifteen cities across the country. Hurt challenges audiences to interrogate the damaging effects of patriarchy, racism, and sexism in American culture.

Soul Food Junkies Trailer: 

Soul Food Junkies Facebook: 

You can learn even more about Byron Hurt and Soul Food Junkies on the filmmaker’s website: http://www.bhurt.com/soulfoodjunkies.php

“America’s Got Talent”: Home in Newark

America’s Got Talent found a new home in Newark’s New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in 2012. By all accounts, season 7 was a resounding success, and Newark looks forward to welcoming the AGT team again in 2013. AGT is estimated to have generated an estimated $40+ million in economic activity.

The cast of Cirque Du Soleil’s Zarkana — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

New AGT judge, Howard Stern, is widely credited with pushing the show’s executives to move the production to the East Coast. And after an exhaustive search, AGT’s producers discovered that no city, and no venue, provided better conditions than the NJPAC in Newark. We welcome that kind of discovery!

Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, Howard Stern, Kim Guadagno, Lt. Governor and Secretary of State of New Jersey — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

Thousands and thousands of contestants flocked to Newark and gave it their best shot to achieve stardom on the national stage.

“Trying to produce a show on the East Coast of the variety nature is a huge challenge. NJPAC quickly rose to the top because they understood the show, and they made it clear they can handle something like a guy diving into a kiddie pool from 60 feet up in the air.” – Jason Raff, Executive Producer, AGT

Nick Cannon, Clint Carvalho and His Extreme Parrots — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

For more on America’s Got Talent, visit the show’s NBC page here.

Like AGT on . Follow AGT on Twitter .

 

ESPN: Eric LeGrand – Believe

Paralyzed after a tackle, former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand has found strength through the support of family and friends and his single-word motto: believe. Doctors told LeGrand that he would never come off a ventilator nor walk again, yet he has defied expectations to breathe without assistance. LeGrand is seeking to graduate from Rutgers. Continue reading →

Akintola Hanif – Photographer, Filmmaker, Editor (HYCIDE)

Akintola Hanif’s work is heavily rooted in cross-cultural photojournalism; fine art photography; media coverage and documentation of quality of life, education and class issues.

His photography has been featured in solo and group exhibitions throughout the Tri-State area; in such venues as the Eyejammie Fine Arts Gallery, Danny Simmons Corridor Gallery, Aljira, Columbia University, Princeton University and the Newark Museum.  Continue reading →

Yuri Alves – Director

Growing up in Newark has influenced me a lot… I think its grittiness, which I am attracted to, has spilled over into my work. To me, Newark is like a character itself.

Yuri Alves has written and directed more than a dozen films and won over a dozen film awards.  Alves has been hired by production companies in New York, Los Angeles and Europe to direct a range of projects, including primetime television series, commercials, music videos, promos and more. His most recent film project, “Broken Clouds,” won the support of a strong fan base as well as multiple awards worldwide. He directed two primetime television episodes in Portugal as part of the series “Tempo Final,” and received critical acclaim.
Continue reading →

American Idol Auditions at the Prudential Center in Newark

“This is a great audience. I feel such a connection with these contestants, which is why I love this job.” – Ryan Seacrest

More than 20,000 starry-eyed contestants flooded into downtown Newark to audition for ‘American Idol‘, the smash-hit singing competition. They lined up for hours at the entrance to the Prudential Center, filling the plaza with energy and anxiety.

For two days this June, Newark was the place where dreams knocked on opportunity’s door in a big way (we think this is the case year-round, but we digress).

The lively crowd screamed even louder when ‘American Idol’ producer and host Ryan Seacrest addressed the crowd with a megaphone and charmed his way through waves of contestants, fans and loved ones.

Newark is one of only seven cities to host auditions for Season 12 of ‘American Idol’. The city, and the Prudential Center, was already host to last year’s ‘X Factor’ auditions, whose turnout exceeded most expectations and set the stage for this year’s burst of activity.

For more on the event, check out NJ.com:
‘American Idol’ comes to town: Newark hosts auditions this week