August 30, 2018: Guillermo del Toro Calls For More Women Directors at Venice Film Festival, Snapchat Will Participate in Its First NewFront, Campsites Are Providing Alternative Wedding Venues

1. GUILLERMO DEL TORO CALLS FOR MORE WOMEN DIRECTORS AT VENICE FILM FESTIVAL: Film director Guillermo del Toro, who is serving as the jury president of the 75th Venice Film Festival, criticized the event for its lack of women directors on its opening day Wednesday. Only one of the 21 films in the festival have female directors this year, and del Toro called for seeing equal representation at the festival by 2020. The Guardian: "Asked about the responsibility of film festivals to promote diversity, the Mexican director of Pan’s Labyrinth and the Hobbit trilogy said inclusion goals were essential. 'I think the goal has to be clear and has to remain 50:50 by 2020,' said Del Toro, referring to an equality charter launched at Cannes this year. 'I think if it’s 50:50 by 2019, [it would be] better. It’s a real problem we have in the culture in general. Many of the voices that should be heard, need to be heard. I believe it’s important that it’s not a matter of establishing a quota … Precisely in this time of the conversation, it’s extremely important to call it out and to question it, and to name it and to make it known.' ... Venice’s artistic director, Alberto Barbera, has come under fire for the dearth of female film-makers in the competition lineup for the second year running. This year, only one director is female: Jennifer Kent, whose period thriller The Nightingale is her first since The Babadook in 2014. The Venice Biennale president, Paolo Baratta, confirmed that just 21 percent of submissions were by women. The pledge for parity and inclusion in cinema festivals has been signed by the Locarno and Cannes film festivals. It promises greater transparency in submissions, curatorial boards, and to reach equality in executive leadership as soon as possible. Venice had refused to sign the pledge, but is expected to agree to it this month." https://bit.ly/2N0RHVo

2. SNAPCHAT WILL PARTICIPATE IN ITS FIRST NEWFRONT: Snapchat has long avoided taking part in the digital upfronts on the East Coast; but the multimedia messaging and video app will partake in its first digital video presentation at the Interactive Advertising Bureau's new Digital Content NewFronts on the West Coast this fall, where video publishers will pitch ad buyers on their content. Advertising Age: "More than proximity may have finally lured Snapchat in, however: The company's ad model depends entirely on video, and it could really use the extra promotion time with brands. Snapchat declined to comment on what it plans to showcase, but the company has about 30 shows so far in a section called Discover, where digital publishers, sports leagues, and TV studios create shows for its young audience. Snapchat's lineup spans reality, sports, style, comedy, music, dating and even crime shows. One popular show is Phone Swap, a dating show where people swap phones to learn more about each other. That show averages 8 million viewers each time it runs, according to Snapchat. Snapchat is the No. 1 social platform among teens, according to a report this week from eMarketer. There are 16 million 12- to 17-year-olds on Snapchat compared to Instagram's 12.8 million, according to eMarketer. Snapchat will be sure to emphasize its teen leadership title when it promotes its service at the NewFronts. Snapchat disappointed investors when it reported ad revenue of $230.7 million for the first quarter, shy of Wall Street expectations, but it surprised them by beating predictions in the second quarter with $262 million of ad revenue, up 48 percent from the quarter a year earlier." https://bit.ly/2N0T0ng

3. CAMPSITES ARE PROVIDING ALTERNATIVE WEDDING VENUES: Hotels, beaches, and standard event spaces are popular wedding venues—but campsites are providing couples who want to plan overnight events for their guests with a new alternative. The New York Times: “Nearly 44 percent of all couples nationwide have wedding weekends incorporating multiple events into several days, according to a Knot Real Weddings Study conducted last year. And a growing number of them are booking campsites, wedding professionals say. Campsites offer space to accommodate a long guest list overnight as well as plenty of activities to occupy their time. Friends and family are able to bond in a more casual environment that feels like a minivacation. And costs are often less than at more conventional event spaces and hotels. Campsite wedding costs will vary, though many facilities charge less than $10,000 for two days. Camp Wandawega in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, charges $22,000 for weekends and $10,000 on weekdays for a two-day rental of their grounds, including accommodations for the guests. (The average spent nationwide for a wedding this year is estimated to reach $26,029, according to the Wedding Report, a research company based in Tucson. This doesn’t include guest accommodations, and it’s for a one-day event that lasts no more than five hours.) The beauty of the outdoors also makes for a glamorous backdrop for wedding photos. Luke Leasure, who with his wife, Mallory Leasure, operates the wedding photography company Luke & Mallory in Portland, Oregon, estimate that a third of the weddings they shoot each year are at campsites, including the Longs’s at the Y.M.C.A. Camp Campbell. ‘People are wanting an adventure wedding, especially those who don’t like the dog-and-pony show of conventional wedding traditions,’ Mr. Leasure said.” https://nyti.ms/2PP6T6A

* LOCAL NEWS *

DALLAS/FORT WORTH:  The Adolphus has completed a two-year-long multi-million dollar renovation to its 407 guest rooms and 24,000 square feet of meeting space. The renovation, which was led by Swoon the Studio, includes a new rooftop pool and a restored 19th floor ballroom. The hotel offers experiential teambuilding activities including cake making run by the executive pastry team; a cocktail competition moderated by the hotel’s beverage manager; and onsite aromatherapy massages, a yoga course, and wine tastings. 

LAS VEGAS:  Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at Downtown Summerlin will launch its new the Grill Gathering Series September 25 with a beer and barbecue dinner. The dinner series will offer a selection of themed food and drink pairings curated by Wolfgang Puck chefs. 

LOS ANGELES:  L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade takes place September 8 at U.C.L.A.'s Royce Quad. The food and wine event raises money for pediatric cancer research. 

The third annual Autism Rocks concert, organized by the nonprofit Swag Squad Inc., will take place at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica on September 16.

Jasmine Lywen-Dill has been named communications manager at the Grammy Museum. 

For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  B-2-B international esports event Esports Bar Miami will take place September 24-26. The event will feature keynote speakers including Nate Nanzer, commissioner of the Overwatch League; Chris Hopper, head of North American Esports for Riot Games; and Todd Sitri, senior vice president and general manager of the competitive gaming division for Electronic Arts. 

NEW YORK:  The inaugural Envsn festival, an event geared toward young women, will take place October 20-21 at Industry City in Brooklyn. The event, which is helmed by retail and wholesale industry entrepreneur Sharifa Murdock, will feature two floors dedicated to beauty, wellness, and fashion products. 

For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

TORONTO:  This year’s Veg Food Fest will take place September 7-9 at Harbourfront Centre. The event will feature more than 150 vendors and music curated by Toronto Downtown Jazz. 

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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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