Amazon MGM Studios and Orion Pictures has released the official trailer for the Nickel Boys, a new film starring Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.

About Nickel Boys

Based on the book “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead, Nickel Boys chronicles the powerful friendship between two young Black teenagers navigating the harrowing trials of reform school together in Florida.

“Elwood Curtis’s college dream shatters alongside a two-lane Florida highway. Bearing the brunt of an innocent misstep, he’s sentenced to the netherworld of Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory sunk deep in the Jim Crow South. He encounters another ward, the seen-it-all Turner. The two Black teens strike up an alliance: Turner dispensing fundamental tips for survival, Elwood, clinging to his optimistic worldview. Backdropped by the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, Elwood and Turner’s existence appear worlds away from Rev. Martin Luther King’s burnished oratory. Despite Nickel’s brutality, Elwood strives to hold onto his humanity, awakening a new vision for Turner.”

The film will be in select theaters only on October 25.

Check out the trailer

couchdate is a hub for black and brown creatives to enjoy events like live shows and vinyl listening parties. The lease with the current owner ends in three months leaving the business in limbo. Leaders of ‘couchdate’ have started a GoFundMe to find a new space.

“This fundraising effort is not just about growing our business but stabilizing downtown Oakland. It’s about showing that brown and black businesses have a chance,” the fundraiser reads.

About couchdate

couchdate is a restoration project of building community and culture. Through rethinking on how they use space, music, and art, couchdate has been centering brown and black creatives in Oakland for the last 4 years.

This reshaping has taken the form of intentional events like vinyl listening parties (styled after Japanese jazz kissas [cafes]), artist pop-ups, and intimate live shows. This curation has been a rare opportunity for local artists and our diverse community to connect.

Funding the initiative

The cost of doing business in the Bay Area is one of the highest in the nation. Keeping their events affordable and accessible while fairly paying employees has been a delicate balancing act.

With over 10,000 followers on Instagram and many sold-out events, they’ve been able to connect people from all walks within their diverse Bay Area community.

While couchdate is designed to center brown and black people and their art, it is not about keeping anyone out. They are inclusive and intentional, not exclusive, redesigning spaces with social injustices, inclusivity, and wellness in mind.

“With this philosophy couchdate has built deep ties within our local community. It’s the same community that has bolstered us through the many transitions, pivots, and hard times that brown and black business owners are far too familiar with,” the GoFundMe reads.

They are now looking to reach out beyond the community that has been supporting them throughout their entire existence.

couchdate is moving from pop-ups to a hopefully permanent restaurant/bar space in the heart of downtown Oakland. They are looking to raise $300,000. $160k for the purchase of Slug Bar LLC and $140k of operating costs for the next 3 years. They plan to use the space as a Hifi Bar + Community Space.

For more information about couchdate and to donate to their cause, please visit the GoFundMe.

Beyond: The Cary Film Festival and 3 Chambers Fest will present CAN I KICK IT?, an innovative film experience by Shaolin Jazz that caters to the lovers of martial arts flicks, music and everything else in between.

CAN I KICK IT film experience

On Saturday, September 7 they will screen the Quentin Tarantino classic, KILL BILL VOL. 1 starring Uma Thurman.

Fair use image

A former assassin, known simply as The Bride (Uma Thurman), wakes from a coma four years after her jealous ex-lover Bill (David Carradine) attempts to murder her on her wedding day. Fueled by an insatiable desire for revenge, she vows to get even with every person who contributed to the loss of her unborn child, her entire wedding party, and four years of her life. After devising a hit list, The Bride sets off on her quest, enduring unspeakable injury and unscrupulous enemies.

Live score

At the event, the film will be scored live (scene-by-scene) by Shaolin Jazz co- founder DJ 2-Tone Jones who mixes elements of Funk, Soul, Hip- Hop, Rock, and more. 2-Tone also uses an array of techniques and sound bites to accentuate different moments in the film ranging from aggressive fight scenes to subtle love scenes.

DJ 2-Tone Jones, says “This isn’t just playing a DJ set during a movie. We incorporate the music with the movie so you can still follow the plot and hear the dialogue. You might have one scene using a song with lyrics and another using instrumental beds underneath. It’s weaving music over and under the film audio, just scoring the film, scene by scene.”

How to participate in CAN I KICK IT? Film Experience

The event will take place at Beyond: The Cary Film Festival on Saturday, September 7 at The Cary Theater (122 E Chatham St, Cary, NC 27511).

Doors open at 7:30 PM. The film (with a live music soundtrack by Shaolin Jazz) will begin at 8:00 PM. Concessions will be available for purchase from Brew Coffee Bar.

Tickets are $5.59 on Etix. The film is rated-R and may contain content not suitable for young audiences.

This event is sponsored by 3 Chambers Fest.