BIONIC is a futuristic short film set and shot by the photographer and director Greg Williams*, whose short films, photo shoots and commercials with some of the planet’s sexiest women have been viewed by millions on YouTube & Vimeo (Megan Fox, Rosie Huntington, Daisy Low, Rachel Weisz …)

- Best Director at the 2010 Chicago Film Festival for “Sergent Slaughter, my big brother”.
- Best Photo at the 2011 New York Film Festival for “Tell Tale”
- Best Director at the 2011 New York Film Festival for “ Sergeant Slaugther, my big Brother “

Greg Williams has said “After working with Zahia, you realize that you have never met someone like that. She is a sort of nymph from space, and that is what made me want to work with her.”

A film by matt black featuring paz de la huerta original music by unkle.

The first three minutes is all about Paz grinding it up and then the next basically explains the point of the short film. And the point you may ask? The difference between making love and sex. Love is a personal fulfillment that sex can’t accomplish. Sex is a very superficial way of appreciating people. I guess love is when you look at your partner in the eyes when laying pipe.

Agent Provocateur – “Love Me Tender” in HD from Greg Williams on Vimeo.

Short film written and directed by Greg Williams as a web viral for underwear firm Agent Provocateur staring model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

Greg Williams teamed with Rosie Huntington to produce one of the hottest commercials out.  Check out the super sexy “Love me Tender”

It’s simply amazing how far technology has taken us from the days of extremely expensive and dedicated recording and editing tools.

Enjoy

-Alex

Music by: Marilyn Manson

Numero #114 Miranda Kerr from Greg Kadel Studios on Vimeo.

So, I’m mad geeking out now.  I was wondering how they were going to follow up one of my favorite films of all time and now I have my answer.  Check out the official trailer here boys and girls.

“The three of them were very sensual and provocative, but Lindsay understands this piece was created not for any sensational value other than artistic integrity,” Tsai said. “There was never a discussion about pushing the boundaries. She was totally comfortable with the nudity as long as it had artistic integrity.

“When you see her nipple, it just happened in the moment. She was playing the role of Kate Moss — you’re at a party and you are with a guy you really love and another girl.

The video follows West, 32, on a drunken night out. He is seen having sex with a stranger, projectile vomiting blood and then stabbing himself in the stomach.

At this point, a demon emerges from the depth of his stomach. The creature subsequently stabs itself with a small sword.

I’m not sure of the narrative here, but it’s interesting all the same.

Near the turn of the 21st century, rebel forces attacked Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone, forcing a panicked mass exodus to neighboring countries. Among the thousands who fled were musicians and future band mates Reuben Koroma and Francis Lamgba (Franco) who connected in a refugee camp in Guinea, West Africa. Along with Reuben’s wife Grace they began making music for their fellow refugees, providing a welcome distraction to life in the camps. Safety in the Kalia camp quickly disintegrated, however, when it came under attack from the Guinean army and citizenry. The refugees in this camp were evacuated and relocated to a camp set deep in the remote Guinean countryside. It was here that, thanks to a Canadian refugee aid organization, the developing band was able to acquire the rusted-out sound system and beat up electric guitars that helped officially launch the group.

It was also in this camp that American documentary filmmakers Banker White and Zach Niles along with Canadian singer-songwriter Chris Velan encountered the group, which by that point also included Black Nature, a teenaged orphan with a gift for rap, as well as Abdulrahim Kamara (Arahim) and Mohamed Bangura (Medo), both of whom had had limbs amputated by the rebels. The first-time filmmakers followed the band for three years as they moved from camp to camp. While filming, the United Nations sponsored a trip for the group to return to Freetown so they could see for themselves that the war was indeed over and safe for thousands of refugees to return home. As part of the trip, the UNHCR offered the band the opportunity to make their first studio recordings, which led to leader Reuben Koroma uniting the core group from the refugee camp with his former band mates, The Emperors, many of whom had remained in Freetown during the war. Together they recorded their debut album as Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars. The current touring lineup features members of both entities.

Now Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars tour the world spreading their message of peace and love in a “can’t help but dance” show that fans from all musical backgrounds can enjoy. With a spirited fusion of traditional West African music, roots reggae and rhythmic traditional folk, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars craft music that transforms and uplifts.

ALBUM – Living Like A Refugee

Produced by Chris Velan, Living Like A Refugee was recorded throughout the production of the Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars film, between August 2002 and October 2005. Each song is an original composition written during their years in exile and taken as a whole the album serves as a musical document of the band’s incredible journey. The album features field recordings from the refugee camps in Guinea as well as studio efforts at Sam Jones‘ Island Studios in Freetown. While each of the stories in these songs is told from the band’s personal experience, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars’ messages of hope, healing and peace are truly universal.

FILM – Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars

Backed by the likes of Keith Richards, Sir Paul McCartney, Ice Cube, Angelina Jolie and executive producers Steve Bing and Shelley Lazar – the resulting documentary film, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, has won thirteen major awards as of this writing, including the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the AFI Film Festival 2005, the Audience Favorite Award at the Miami Film Festival 2006, the Filmmaker’s Award for Social Change and the Emerging Pictures Audience Award (bestowed on the winner by voting audiences in eleven cities) at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2006, Best of the Fest at the Human Rights Watch Film Fest and the Impact of Music Award at the Nashville Film Fest. Sustaining hope in a landscape dominated by rage and loss is at the core of this heartbreaking yet life-affirming story. The documentary recently aired on PBS nationwide on the Independent Documentary Film Series, Point of View (P.O.V.) and was officially released on DVD via Netflix and its distribution arm Red Envelope Entertainment.

And while the film has conquered the hearts of festival goers (including Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, who told Billboard, “I was just so overwhelmed by the movie and the message of hope they’re carrying. Their music is so buoyant and joyful.”), it is the music and live performances of Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars that are now winning over legions of new fans. Lauded for their infectious sound and engaging concerts, the All Stars are, as Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times says, “establishing an identity based as much on skill, imagination and charisma as on their undeniably touching story.”

TOURING HIGHLIGHTS & COLLABORATIONS

Only recently having emerged from refugee status themselves, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have already begun helping others still in need through their work with Amnesty International, the United Nations ninemillion.org campaign, the ONE campaign, Witness and numerous others in the U.S. and internationally, speaking out for peace and against the insanity of war while calling attention to issues in Africa and the plight of refugees throughout the world.

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have now played on five continents since their documentary began screening at film festivals last year and the release of their ANTI- debut CD, Living Like A Refugee in September 2006. Their touring highlights range from performances at The Kennedy Center, Save the Children’s 75th Anniversary Benefit (honoring former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush as well as Melinda Gates), the Hollywood Bowl, headlining at Central Park Summerstage, a post screening Q&A in New York City with fellow Sierra Leonean and best selling author Ishmael Beah, to stand-out appearances at festivals as diverse as the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, Chicago’s African Festival of the Arts, Transmusicales Festival in France, theWinnipeg Folk Festival, Scotland’s T in the Park, Bonnaroo and the Oxegen Festival in Ireland. Their most recent summer tour follows a successful cross-country tour of Australia, playing the country’s famed East & West Coast Blues & Roots Festivals and two performances at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

In the past year, the group has appeared on Oprah Winfrey, CBS’ Sunday Morning, CNN, andNPR’s “Talk of the Nation.” Their music was featured in the five-time Academy Award-nominated filmBlood Diamond starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and they were joined onstage in Nashville by new friends Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, who later asked Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars to open for them at the Mohegan Sun Arena in CT. The All Stars are included along with R.E.M., U2, Green Day and others on the hit CD, Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur released in June. This double disc benefit compilation of John Lennon songs features Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars collaborating with Aerosmith on “Give Peace A Chance.” The All Stars are also joined by Joe Perry on a cover version of U2’s “Seconds” for the compilation CD, In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2, set for release April 1st, 2008. A portion of the album’s proceeds will directly benefit The Global Fund and features 12 artists each representing a different region of Africa.

Championed by The New York Times, critic Stephen Holden wrote, “As harrowing as these personal tales may be, the music buoying them is uplifting. The cliché bears repeating: music heals and creates community.” Born in the midst of a violent, decade-long civil war, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have found a place of refuge through music, a sense of purpose and a source of power. The band has seen the worst that this world can offer – yet, through their unflinching spirit and joyful sound they celebrate the best in all of us, and thankfully, they are now sharing their message and uplifting music throughout the world.

OPRÉ / Twenty120 from Harder on Vimeo.

My interpretation was to reveal the dark side of Opulence, in an age that has no time just an end. In short, I created a contemporary romeo and juliet fantasy with the addition of a 3rd character. The 3rd character being the Top Hat.

I recently watched ” Moulin Rouge ” randomly after I had completed Opré. And realized I may have sub consciously borrowed the dynamics of the love triangle that occurred between Satine the gem (Kelly), Christian the saviour ( Driver) and the Duke who in my case is the (Top Hat ).

I took an abstract angle, using a lot of symbolism. Symbols that i have collected over the years. For instance, I used Zebra stripes to symbolize prey……..Which brings up the title Opré, a word play involving : Opera, Osprey, and Prey.

The Genre or premise is an Opera with a cast of conflict doomed for tragedy.  The Osprey as you may know or not is a bird of prey, a bird that attacks – a predator. I utilized the Osprey / Owl to be Kelly’s inspiration, something to watch over her, to protect her if she failed to do so herself.  Considering Kelly in fact was the prey, hunted by the Top Hat, she needed hope to defend herself. Which Brings up the Driver Character, who in actuality is an imaginative character that Kelly created as a defensive mechanism to protect herself from the Top Hat.

Last but not least, the Top Hat as you might have gathered represents evil greed, the enemy, opulence.

With these characters and symbols all mixed together created a conflict that in turn ended in an epic tragedy. This is my interpretation for the theme ” In The Age of Opulence “. I will let you fill in the gaps.

Michael Jackson THIS IS IT will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London’s O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June, 2009, the film is drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, and genius as he creates and perfects his final show.

“I have never been partners with a more creative, innovative or groundbreaking entertainer than Michael Jackson,” said Randy Phillips, President & CEO, AEG LIVE and producer of Michael Jackson THIS IS IT.  “While the concerts would have been the greatest shows in the history of music, our film will provide a historic event for Michael’s fans to see for themselves the genius that he was and the creativity, talent and imagination that the entire cast devoted to create the ‘greatest concert that never happened’.”

Michael Jackson’s This Is It in HD

After Kevin Smith’s casting of “Whore of the Rings” star Katie Morgan in his “Zack & Miri Make A Porno” comes news that Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh has cast porn star Sasha Grey as the lead in his upcoming feature, “The Girlfriend Experience.”

Variety reports that the low-budget drama, currently shooting in Gotham, chronicles the life of a high-price call girl, is part of Soderbergh’s six-pic deal with multimedia entrepreneur Mark Cuban. Pic was written by “Ocean’s 13” scribes Brian Koppelman and David Levien and will bow under the Magnolia Pictures shingle.

The 20-year-old Grey entered the skin biz just after her 18th birthday and has appeared in scores of XXX flicks. In January she became the youngest recipienct of AVN’s Female Performer of the Year award.

For Grey, who lists Jean-Luc Godard, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Catherine Breillat among her favorite filmmakers,“Girlfriend” will be her third legit film appearance in 2009, having notched small parts in Dick Rude’s indie “Quit” and the Canadian horror project “Smash Cut.”

“To have the opportunity to work for an Academy Award-winning auteur is truly a great honor,” Grey told Adult Video News. “I’ve been an admirer of Soderbergh’s films for years, and I am elated that I have been given a leading role in a character-driven film.”

I have to admit I haven’t seen any of Sasha’s work, but I am about halfway through“Pirates 2: Stagnetti’s Revenge” so until I get to her role in the epic, I’ll have to rely onyour word.  So what do you think?  Is this a crazy move by Soderbergh?  Or does Grey have the stuff to hold her own in a mainstream film?