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It’s tough being a teenager these days. Performing well at school, being confident enough to stand among the crowd, and showing great future potential are only a few things that put pressure on kids these days. However, it’s tougher being bulkier than others at school. You are not only under the pressure of meeting the unprecedented beauty standards set by social media, but you also have to deal with bullies who are eager to make you the butt of all the jokes they can conjure up from their insecurities. In Claire Ayoub’s “Empire Waist” Lenore (Mia Kalpan) is a plus-sized teen who, in order to avoid being on the other side of the jokes, revels in being invisible.

Donned in all black, Lenore enjoys being the outcast who doesn’t talk to anybody. I mean, you can’t be on the wrong side of the wrath of...

Indie distributors are fretting about the current marketplace, specifically a glut of films vying for precious theater space and hard-to-snare audiences who, with exceptions of course, still seems mostly willing to come out for big ticket films.

While there are fewer wide studio releases than pre-Covid, theaters are giving them more space, up to 60%-70% of their real estate, a few indies execs said.

Meanwhile, it’s become cheaper to distribute films, which may be why new firms keep popping up to test the waters and in some cases open their movies on hundreds of screens, perhaps without a commensurate marketing effort.

“There is a lot of stuff being released, but nothing is performing,” says one indie distribution executive. Films like Deadpool or Beetlejuice Beetlejuice work, “but everything else is a crapshoot.

“Whether consumers are going to movies other than the big ones has been the question, and still is.

The Los Angeles Festival of Movies has announced dates for the festival’s second edition, set to take place April 3-6.

The first festival, co-presented by Mubi and the Mezzanine film non-profit, drew a young and enthusiastic crowd to L.A. venues on the eastern side of town for events including the West Coast premiere of “I Saw the TV Glow” and “Good One,” as well as the first episode of HBO’s documentary series “Ren Faire,” and 4K restorations including Chantal Akerman’s “Toute Une Nuit.”

Mezzanine and the festival will also present fall and winter screening events, to be announced.

“Independent cinema is alive and well in Los Angeles,” said Lafm director of programming Micah Gottlieb. “We were overwhelmed by the response to our inaugural festival, and we’re launching this second edition feeling energized and inspired by the local film community.”

Screening venues will again include 2220 Arts...

James Huntsman’s Blue Fox Entertainment, the indie film distribution and sales company, has hired Dave Hudakoc and Ian Goggins to open a Canadian office just in time for the Toronto Film Festival, which gets underway Sept. 5.

Former levelFILM co-founder Dave Hudakoc will lead Blue Fox Entertainment Canada as president and partner, while Ian Goggins, former executive vp of global home entertainment at Entertainment One, joins as executive vp, it was announced as the Venice Film Festival launches.

“For many years, expanding our footprint into Canada has been a strategic goal for Blue Fox Entertainment and we finally found the right partner in Dave Hudakoc,” Huntsman, head of Blue Fox Entertainment, said in a statement on Wednesday. Hudakoc and Goggins will work with the U.S.-based Blue Fox to bring indie films to Canadian and international audiences.

“With the continually increasing amount of high-quality films in the independent space,...

Tabyana Ali has been teasing her upcoming role in a new film for several weeks. Now, the General Hospital star has taken to social media to talk about her new role and what fans can expect from the movie. So, what is Tabyana’s new role and what’s the film about? Keep reading to find out.

General Hospital Star Moves On To The Big Screen

On August 8, the Gh actor took to Instagram to share some big news about the upcoming film Empire Waist. She wrote, “Oh my goodness! It’s here! The trailer!”

The official trailer was released on Thursday, August 8. Underneath the video on YouTube, there was a synopsis for the movie.

It reads, “Lenore Miller is a plus size, insecure teen whose talent for fashion is discovered by her confident, plus-sized classmate, forcing her into the spotlight—and into the path of both bullies and new friends.

As General Hospital’s Trina has dealt with all kinds of soapy drama, her portrayer, Tabyana Ali, has branched out to participate in a different kind of drama. Co-starring in the upcoming film Empire Waist, she happily shared news of its release with her fans, who are excited for her new project.

Her Co-Stars Praised Her

Gh star Tabyana Ali always brings a great performance to the show as Trina, who recently had no choice but to tell the police the truth that she saw Ava (Maura West) looking through her broken hotel room window after Kristina (Kate Mansi) tragically smashed through it and landed in the pool below, losing the life of her unborn child. Even Ava herself couldn’t be mad at Trina for her honesty.

She took to Instagram to share the trailer of a new film she’s appearing in called Empire Waist, and wrote, “Everyone!

"Girl, we are just getting started." Blue Fox Entertainment has unveiled an official trailer for a film titled Empire Waist, the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Claire Ayoub. This just premiered at the 2024 Seattle Film Festival a few months ago, and will open in theaters starting in September this fall. Inspired by the director's own essay "Notes to My Twelve-Year-Old Self," Empire Waist centers on Lenore (starring Mia Kaplan), a highschooler deeply insecure about her weight and desperate to make herself smaller wherever she goes. After a friendship blooms between her & Kayla, an extroverted and confident fellow plus-size teen, Lenore begins stepping outside of her shell and embracing who she really is inside. Despite warnings from her mother—a diet-obsessed woman struggling with her own insecurities—and cruel bullying by the popular crowd at school, Lenore builds up her group of friends who are all dealing with their own obstacles,...

Tabyana Ali, famous for her role as Trina Robinson on General Hospital will be in a new film “Empire Waist” which hits theaters across the U.S. and Canada on September 27. The coming of age film boasts a talented cast including; Mia Kaplan, Rainn Wilson, Missi Pyle, Jolene Purdy, Daisy Washington, Holly McDowell, Kassandra Tellez, Isabella […]

The post Empire Waist: Tabyana Ali’s New Film Hits Theaters Soon! appeared first on Soap Opera News.

Exclusive: Blue Fox Entertainment announced on Tuesday that it will be bringing Wayfarer Studios’ body-positive, coming-of-age YA film Empire Waist, starring Mia Kaplan (Smilf), Rainn Wilson (The Office) and Missi Pyle (Captain Fantastic), to theaters across the U.S. and Canada on September 27.

Marking the debut feature of writer-director Claire Ayoub, whose script was ranked as the #1 Comedy on the Black List in 2019, the film follows Lenore Miller (Kaplan), an overweight, insecure teen whose talent for fashion is discovered by her confident, plus-sized classmate (newcomer Jemima Yevu), forcing her into the spotlight — and into the path of both bullies and new friends. Lenore’s father Mark (Wilson) is her biggest cheerleader, but the fears of her image-conscious mother (Pyle) and Lenore’s own insecurities prevent her from wearing her own designs. Will Lenore ever feel the self-love she inspires in others?

In conjunction with Empire Waist‘s theatrical release, the...

Wayfarer Studios, P&g Studios/Gillette Venus fully financed.

Blue Fox Entertainment has added Wayfarer Studios’ body-positive, coming-of-age YA film Empire Waist starring Rainn Wilson, Missi Pyle and Mia Kaplan to its Cannes slate.

Claire Ayoub wrote and directed her feature directorial debut about a group of teens who overcome societal bias and celebrate self-acceptance through inclusive fashion design and friendship.

Lenore (Kaplan) is a teen deeply insecure about her weight. Hiding her passion for fashion design, she tries to make herself invisible in her day-to-day life to avoid being bullied by her classmates and image-conscious mother (Pyle).

Lenore’s father...

Exclusive: Mia Kaplan (Smilf), Rainn Wilson (Jerry and Marge Go Large), Missi Pyle (Y: The Last Man), newcomer Jemima Yevu and Jolene Purdy (The White Lotus) have signed on to star in Empire Waist, a body-positive, coming-of-age dramedy from writer-director Claire Ayoub and Wayfarer Studios, which is currently in production in New York.

Ayoub’s first feature centers on a group of teens who overcome societal bias and celebrate self-acceptance through inclusive fashion design and friendship. Kaplan plays the lead role of Lenore, a teen deeply insecure about her weight. Hiding her passion for fashion design, Lenore tries to make herself invisible in her day-to-day life to avoid being bullied — both by her classmates and image-conscious mother (Pyle). Meanwhile her best friend Kayla (Yevu) is confident, funny, outgoing, and proud of her plus-sized body.

Wilson will play Lenore’s father, Mark, who is his daughter’s biggest cheerleader, with Purdy as Ms.

Network: Showtime.

Episodes: 18 (half-hour).

Seasons: Two.

TV show dates: November 5, 2017 — March 31, 2019.

Series status: Cancelled.

Performers include: Frankie Shaw, Rosie O'Donnell, Miguel Gomez, Anna Chanel Reimer, Alexandra Mary Reimer, Samara Weaving, Connie Britton, Blake Clark, Raven Goodwin, Kimberly Crossman, Mark Webber, and Mia Kaplan.

TV show description:

A dark, semi-autobiographical comedy from creator, writer, director and star Frankie Shaw, the Smilf TV show centers on Bridgette Bird (Shaw), a working class, South Boston single mother. Although she is striving to provide a better beginning for her son, Larry Bird (named for the former Boston Celtics player), she still has to do some growing up of her own.

While this Southie native secretly...

Vulture Watch

What's next for Southie's own Bridgette and Larry Bird? Has the Smilf TV show been cancelled or renewed for a second season on Showtime? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Smilf, season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?

What's This TV Show About?

A dark semi-autobiographical Showtime comedy series, Smilf stars creator, writer, and director Frankie Shaw, with Rosie O’Donnell and Miguel Gomez. The cast also includes Anna Chanel Reimer, Alexandra Mary Reimer, Samara Weaving, Connie Britton, Blake Clark, Raven Goodwin, Kimberly Crossman, Mark Webber, and Mia Kaplan. The story centers on Bridgette Bird (Shaw), a working class, South Boston single mother. Although she is striving to provide a better...

Showtime has set January 20 for the second season premiere of hit comedy series Smilf, starring, created and executive produced by Frankie Shaw. The premium cabler also released a new extended trailer for season 2 (watch above).

Set in Boston, Season 2 picks up with trying to move forward and focus on her future, while attempting to exorcise old ghosts and atone for past misdeeds. She’s still toiling away in her day job working for narcissistic boss Ally (guest star Connie Britton). Meanwhile, Bridgette’s mother Tutu (Rosie O’Donnell) rallies from a heartbreaking setback punctuated by the presence of her co-dependent younger sister Jackie (guest star Sherie Rene Scott). Ex-boyfriend Rafi (Miguel Gomez) and his girlfriend Nelson Rose (Samara Weaving) grow closer, while Eliza deals with her own family drama. Viewers will also go back in time to witness the highly unconventional birth of Bridgette’s beloved son,...

Talk about mother's little helper. Showtime has renewed its Smilf TV show for a second season. Starring creator, writer, and director Frankie Shaw, the new series just premiered on November 5th and is based on her short film of the same name. A dark semi-autobiographical comedy, Smilf also stars Rosie O’Donnell and Miguel Gomez. The story centers on Bridgette Bird (Shaw), a working class, South Boston single mother. Although she is striving to provide a better beginning for her son, Larry Bird (played byAnna Chanel and Alexandra Mary Reimer), Bridgette still has to do some growing up of her own. The Showtime cast also includes Samara Weaving, Connie Britton, Blake Clark, Raven Goodwin, Kimberly Crossman, Mark Webber, and Mia Kaplan. Read More…...

Although Shameless has been a top performer for Showtime, the dramedy is currently in its eighth season and can't last forever. This year, the cable channel's introduced a couple of new comedies -- White Famous and Smilf. Can these new TV series bring on the laughs and reel in the viewers? Will Smilf be cancelled or renewed for season two? Stay tuned. A semi-autobiographical series starring creator, writer, and director Frankie Shaw, Smilf also stars Rosie O’Donnell and Miguel Gomez. The Showtime cast also includes Anna Chanel Reimer, Alexandra Mary Reimer, Samara Weaving, Connie Britton, Blake Clark, Raven Goodwin, Kimberly Crossman, Mark Webber, and Mia Kaplan. The story centers on Bridgette Bird (Shaw), a working class, South Boston single mother. Although she is striving to provide a better beginning for her son (played by the Reimer twins), Larry Bird (named for the former...