Los Angeles, CA, September 17, 2024 –(CarryOnHarry.com)– Heal One World proudly presents the 15th edition of the Awareness Film Festival (AFF), unveiling its official program selections. This year, AFF invites cinema aficionados, visionary filmmakers, and passionate artists to experience a curated celebration of global storytelling amidst the scenic backdrop of Los Angeles. From Tuesday, October 1 through Sunday, October 6, 2024, AFF will showcase nearly 100 feature films, short films, and revival programs from 10 countries. Key highlights of the festival include: 11 World Premieres, 47 Los Angeles Premieres, and 6 U.S. Premieres. In addition to an array of compelling screenings, the festival will feature engaging panels, thought provoking conversations, inspiring Student Programs, and vibrant festivities.
• Abruptly Laid To Rest (Director: Mackenzie Champlin) U.S. – 2024 • The Race Of Our Lives (Director: Roy Medawar) U.S. – 2024 • Fl*Shing Injustice (Director: Astrid Malter) U.S. – 2024 • Thoughts & Prayers (Director: Danny Farber) U.S. – 2024 • Double Or Nothing (Director: Makayla Wheeler) U.S. – 2024 • Four Corners: A Conversation (Director:Talora Michal) U.S. – 2024 • The Wamp Vs. The Wall (Director: Charlie Winn) U.S. – 2024 • You’re Not There (Director: SJ Creazzo) U.S. – 2024 • I Am Gustavo (Director: Melissa Phillips) U.S. – 2024 • Gone To Water (Director: Marin Vesely, Cat Ross, Nicholas Wilson) U.S. – 2024 • A Rising Tide (Director: Cheryl Fabio) U.S. – 2024 • Invisible (Director: Matthew Michael Ross) U.S. – 2024 • The Berlin Waltz (Director: Lloyd Frost) Germany – 2024 • Unbroken TIES (Director: Graham Streeter, Grace Swe Zin Htaik) U.S. – 2024 • Under (Director: Aloura Melissa Charles) U.S. – 2024 • Someone You Know (Director: Asha Dahya) U.S. – 2024 • What Design Can Do (Director: Mary McDonagh Murphy) U.S. – 2024 • He Told Us The Sky Is Blue (Director: Cecilia Mellieon) U.S. – 2024 • Sound Tracks (Director: John Steven Schaffer) U.S. – 2024 • Final Fight: When The Trauma Of War Comes Home (Director: Frances Causey) U.S. -2024 • Hidden In Plain Sight (Director: Rachel Levy) U.S. – 2024 • Kids Ocean Day | A Love Project (Director: David Creech) U.S. – 2024 • A Seat At The Table (Director: Sophia Abolfathi, Rob Bailey) U.S. – 2024 • Loud Love (Director: Bing Wang) U.S. – 2024 • Run Away (Director: Chico Bennett) U.S. – 2024 • Pain (Director: Chico Bennett) U.S. – 2024 • She (Director: Chelsea Newman) U.S. – 2024 • Talking Outloud: Teens & Suicide Loss, A Conversation (Director: Geoffrey Cantor) U.S. – 2024 • The Sound Of Hope (Director: Emanuele Michetti) U.S. – 2024 • One Story At A Time: Celeste Lecesne (Director: Eva Tenuto, Natalia Iyudin) U.S. – 2024 • A Mother’s Journey (Director: Miranda Beth Kahn) U.S. – 2024 • “Passive Power” 8K 3D 360 VR (Director: JB Singh Ghuman, Jr. ) U.S. – 2024 • The Hoodtrophy Bino Story: Breaking The Generational Curse (Director: Sam “Gebar” Gebremiche) U.S. -2024 • My Dad’s Tapes (Director: Kurtis Watson) Canada – 2024 • Vision (Director: Dan Parris) U.S. – 2024 • Monster Spray (Director: Shawnette Heard) U.S. – 2024 • Ariel (Director: Bernie Garcia) U.S. – 2024 • Fingerpaint (Director: Stefan L Coleman) U.S. – 2024 • Shame (Director: Kelly Lynn Warren) U.S. – 2024 • Don’t Mess With Texas: An Abortion Story (Director: Ellison Leticia Martin, Qiu Li Tovo-Hurt, Roswell Goransson) U.S. – 2024 • Jasmine (Director: Tom Caulfield) U.S. – 2024 • Embrace The Monster (Director: Austin Hamilton Le) U.S. – 2024 • Any Given Moment (Director: Kim Shelton) U.S. – 2024 • The Birds & The Beans (Director: Pete Warren) U.S. – 2024 • When Does Freedom Begin (Director: Linda Genereux) U.S. – 2024 • Honeymoon (Director: Dayana Yakhyarova) Kazakhstan – 2024 • Koi (Director: Taige Shi) U.S. – 2024 • She Is A Shaman (Director: Victoria Lynn Carroll) U.S. – 2024 • Where Olive Trees Weep (Director: Zaya Benazzo, Maurizio Benazzo) U.S. – 2024 • Still Waters (Director: Steven Fong) U.S. – 2024 • Vision (Director: Reese Ward) U.S. – 2024 • Resolve (Director: Brandon James Harrop) U.S. – 2024 • Damaged (Director: Dana Kippel) U.S. – 2024 • Guiding Light (Director: India Anne Mitchell) U.S. – 2024 • Kinnected (Director: Katz Carter) U.S. – 2024 • The Footprint (Director: Frank Zanella) U.S. – 2024 • Thank You Sade (Director: Julie Fergus) U.S. – 2024 • Water Is Coming (Director: Aśka Faron) United Kingdom – 2024 • Out Of The Cave (Director: Christian Gandini) Italy – 2024 • The Power Of Choice (Director: Naheed Choudhry-Caballero) U.S. – 2024 • Huo Tong’s Cave Heaven – The Foremost Among The Thirty-Six Daoist Cave Heavens (Director: Shenghui Liu, Jingyuan Huang) China – 2024 • It Isn’t Just Politics (Director: Liza Asner) U.S. – 2024 • The Girl From The Village: A Story Of Hope (Director: Billy Surges) U.S. – 2024 • Darcine’s Day (Director: Aaron Goffman) U.S. – 2024 • Flying Bird’s Diary (Director: Madeline Sayet) U.S. – 2024 • Zinnia’s Garden (Director: Candace Brown) U.S. – 2024 • This Time Round (Director: Francisco J. Nunez, Ansley Sawyer) U.S. – 2024 • Reimagined Volume Iii: Young Thang (Director: Melissa Joyner) U.S. – 2024 • Feel It All (Director: Drew Petersen, Jesse Levine) U.S. – 2024 • Even Me 2.0 (Director: Megan T. Ebor) U.S. – 2024 • Pyrrha & Pandora (Director: Pamela D. Torrance) U.S. – 2024 • Purple Death & Party Hats (Director: Dante Francesco Jigamian) U.S. – 2024 • Baraye (Director: Fr3deR1cK) U.S. – 2024 • Hi! Neighbor (Director: Alex Nicoletti) U.S. – 2024 • Peace Prayer (Director: Grayhawk David Gibney) U.S. – 2024 • Every Day, Something New (Director: Ed R. Gutierrez) U.S. – 2024 • Somewhere (Director: Alexander Craven) U.S. – 2024 • The Neighbours Of Santa Olga (Director: Amanda Rivera Fürst) Chile – 2024 • The Kindness Within: A Journey To Freedom (Director: Steven Priovolos) U.S. – 2024 • Cuba Es Mi Patria: The Homeland I Keep Inside (Director: Rose Marie Perez) U.S. – 2024 • Touch (Director: Lauren Miller) U.S. – 2024 • Rock Soup – The Story Of Leo & Teresa Razo (Director: Tony M. Marino) U.S. – 2024 • Green Superheroes 2030 (Director: Los Angeles Barea) U.S. – 2024 • Religion, Racism & Reconciliation (Director: Gerald Krell) U.S. – 2024 • Building Justice: A Journey To Finland (Director: Tania Anderson) U.S. – 2024 • My Friend Doubt (Director: Mark Riccadonna) U.S. – 2024 • The After: A Chef’s Wish (Director: Umar Riaz) Pakistan – 2024 • Step On Me (Director: Alex Herz, Christophe Zajac-Denek) U.S. – 2024 • H20: The Intelligence Of Water (Director: Emmanuel Itier ) U.S. – 2024 • Curandera (Director: Alexia Kraft de la Saulx) Peru – 2024 • Pre-Existing Freedom (Director: Frederick Taylor) U.S. – 2024 • Where Is America The Beautiful? (Director: Fr3deR1cK Jerome Taylor) U.S. – 2024 • Mercy Me (Director: Steve Schuster) U.S. – 2024 • The Christmas Chain (Director: Dale Fabrigar) U.S. – 2024 • Wired: Gosiwon (Director: Sojung Bahng) Canada – 2024 • Banned Together (Director: Kate Way, Tom Wiggin) U.S. – 2024 • Funeral Of The Earth (Director: Jaewon Park) United Kingdom – 2024 • Breaking Plans (Director: London Houghton) U.S. – 2024 • This Is Not About Drugs: Perspectives (Director: Bryan Sims) U.S. – 2024 • Buddy (Director: Yeonwoo Kim) U.S. – 2024
For more information about Awareness Film Festival, or to download the 2024 program guide, please visit:www.awarenessfestival.org.
Shining a Light on Pressing Global Issues The Awareness Film Festival, Headquartered in Los Angeles, has emerged as a vital platform for advocating social change through the power of film. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational program, the festival is dedicated to highlighting urgent issues affecting communities worldwide, using cinematic storytelling to inspire action and empathy. The festival’s mission is clear: to transform the way audiences engage with critical global challenges. By showcasing a diverse selection of films, Awareness Film Festival amplifies voices that might otherwise go unheard. Each screening is more than just a presentation; it is an invitation to confront and reflect on the pressing issues of our time. Beyond the screen, the festival offers immersive experiences through engaging filmmaker panels and dynamic community partnerships. These components provide deeper insights into the stories behind the films, fostering dialogue and encouraging collective action towards meaningful change. The Awareness Film Festival is not merely about entertainment. It represents a commitment to using film as a tool for education and advocacy, aiming to cultivate a more just, peaceful, and healthy world. Through its carefully curated program and community-driven approach, the festival strives to unite filmmakers and audiences alike in the pursuit of a better future.
About Our Sponsors The Awareness Film Festival is honored to be supported by it’s esteemed Sponsors. Their invaluable contributions play a crucial role in enabling the Awareness Film Festival to bring this transformative event to life, fostering a platform where impactful stories can inspire and engage audiences. Veggie Grill, Cali Water, WIF Women in Film Los Angeles, LA YOGA, Heal the Bay, Freehand Los Angeles, New Belgium Brewing, Partake and U.S. Vets among others.
Portland, OR, November 27, 2025 –(CarryOnHarry.com)– The FAN EXPO Portland celebrity guest list has always featured great variety, and five new additions to the 2026 lineup for the pop culture extravaganza are further proof of that. Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride, Saw), Gates McFadden (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Picard), Walter Koenig (Star Trek, Babylon 5), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place, Star Wars: The Acolyte) and “Peggy the Dog” (Deadpool & Wolverine) will now attend the event set for January 16-18 at the Oregon Convention Center.
Elwes gained wide acclaim for his portrayal of “Wesley” in the 1987 classic The Princess Bride and reached new audiences by headlining the Mel Brooks spoof Robin Hood: Men in Tights and later Saw. He also recently appeared in the Tom Cruise features Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One and Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning and portrays “Mayor Larry Kline” in Stranger Things 3.
McFadden had the key role of “Beverly Crusher” in TNG, reprising the role in Picard, Prodigy and other iterations of the franchise. She is also a stage actress, choreographer, director, teacher, and was the host of more than 300 episodes of the podcast “Gates McFadden InvestiGates: Who Do You Think You Are?”
Koenig is best known for his recurring television portrayals both of the hated, intensely driven “Alfred Bester” (Babylon 5) and the likable, perpetually cheerful “Pavel Chekov” (Star Trek). Koenig’s film work includes the first seven Star Trek feature films, for which he earned two Saturn Award Best Supporting Actor nominations. His many other films have been independent projects with challenging roles.
Jacinto played “Jason Mendoza” on the full four-season run of The Good Place (2016-20) and later appeared as “Lt. Fritz Avalone” in the blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. Also among his more than 50 TV and film credits are runs on the Hulu series Nine Perfect Strangers and the animated series Hailey’s on It!
Peggy, earning the title of “Britain’s Ugliest Dog” in a national competition there, has gone on to stardom as “Dogpool” in the Marvel Universe in Deadpool & Wolverine. A portion of proceeds from her appearance at FAN EXPO Portland will support a local charity in the Pacific Northwest.
The five bolster an already impressive FAN EXPO Portland celebrity roster that includes: • The Lord of the Rings headliners Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan • Mike Colter (Luke Cage, Men in Black³) • Josh Holloway (Lost, Yellowstone) • Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation) • Harry Potter duo of Matthew Lewis and Bonnie Wright • Judith Hoag (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Armageddon) • Robbie Rist (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Brady Bunch) • Ernie Reyes Jr. (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) • Brian Tochi (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Revenge of the Nerds) • Kenn Scott (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, director/Adventures of Johnny Tao) • François Chau (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Lost) • Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!, American Dad) • Cedric Yarbrough (Reno 911!, The Goldbergs) • My Hero Academia standouts Eric Vale, David Matranga, J. Michael Tatum, Brandon McInnis and Clifford Chapin • Hazbin Hotel regulars Christian Borle, Joel Perez and Krystina Alabado
More FAN EXPO Portland guest announcements will follow from the worlds of film, television, streaming, art, literature, gaming, cosplay, anime, animation and more in the coming weeks.
Adult, Youth and Child Single-Day Tickets, Three-Day Passes, Family passes, and Ultimate and VIP Packages for FAN EXPO Portland are available now at www.fanexpoportland.com. Advance pricing is available until January 1.
Portland is the second event on the 2026 FAN EXPO HQ calendar; the full schedule is available at fanexpohq.com/home/events.
About FAN EXPO HQ FAN EXPO HQ is the largest comic con producer in the world. Collectively it hosts over one million fans annually at FAN EXPO New Orleans, FAN EXPO Portland, FAN EXPO Vancouver, FAN EXPO Cleveland, MEGACON Orlando, Toronto Comicon, CALGARY EXPO, FAN EXPO Denver, FAN EXPO Philadelphia, FAN EXPO Boston, FAN EXPO Chicago, FAN EXPO Canada, FAN EXPO Dallas, VIDCON Anaheim, EDMONTON EXPO, Dallas FAN FESTIVAL and FAN EXPO San Francisco. The latest schedule of events is available on the website, along with up-to-date ticket information. Discover. Celebrate. Belong.
Nashville, TN, November 20, 2025 –(CarryOnHarry.com)– A fourth-generation U.S. Virgin Islander who has called Nashville home since 1993, de Lugo transitioned from an award-winning career in music publishing and feature film producing, with Platinum and Gold Albums, Arista Records A-Team Award, BMI #1 and more, to lavender farming in 2018. Focusing exclusively on Peace Tree Farm’s trademarked, heat- and humidity-tolerant hybrids—Lavender Phenomenal®, Sensational!®, and Exceptional!®—she has proven these cultivars are the definitive choice for Southern growers.
Lloyd Traven, President of Peace Tree Farm, the original breeder of these global-standard varieties, praises de Lugo’s early foresight and influence:
“Over a period of the last decade, Gigi has been highlighting our introductions that have become the Gold Standard for lavender worldwide, and she was an early proponent because she saw the extra value of these introductions… Once she knew the plants were different and far superior, she committed to making the right choice for her customers. She can now proudly say that she has started over 30 new farms on their journey across an area ranging from Virginia through to Iowa!”
From its original rented fields in Whites Creek—Gigi’s Lavender, was celebrated by “Garden & Gun” magazine as one of the South’s top lavender destinations—the licensed nursery has supplied thousands of Peace Tree-bred plants throughout Tennessee and beyond. In 2019, de Lugo founded “The Lavender Exchange (TLx),” an exclusive membership alliance offering ongoing technical support, resource sharing, cooperative marketing, and agritourism promotion to farms that source their plants exclusively from Gigi’s Nursery.
Traven also highlights the impact of this network: “Gigi also knows the great importance and value of marketing with expression of clear benefits and a clear message. She created the Lavender Exchange with this in mind—to provide an outlet for cooperative marketing and sharing of equipment and machinery and product ideas.”
This strengthened ownership ensures continuity for de Lugo’s research, educational outreach, and product innovation at the Joelton location, including her newest Patent Pending offering, “ZWave Mg”—a topical magnesium spray infused with pure Phenomenal lavender hydrosol steam-distilled exclusively from flowers grown by TLx member farms. Designed for relaxation, muscle relief, and better sleep, ZWave Mg showcases the wellness potential of Southern-grown lavender.
“This milestone gives us the stability and security to continue investing in our Southern lavender research, development, product distribution, and growing community of the farms we support through The Lavender Exchange (TLx),” said Gigi de Lugo. “From the beginning I set out to prove lavender could become a viable cash crop for Tennessee and Southern farms—not only a pretty agritourism field, but a real harvestable commodity built on Phenomenal®. It took courageous pioneers willing to bet on the unproven and stay the course with me. These years, alongside the extraordinary farmers of our TLx family, have been one of the greatest adventures of my life.”
Experience the pure essence of Southern lavender: Gigi’s premium products, including the breakthrough ZWave Mg, are available exclusively through her website, and retail partners across Tennessee. Gigi is in discussion with a Nashville based manufacturer to expand her ZWave Mg production capacity for 2026.
About Gigi’s Lavender Nursery & Farm Gigi’s Lavender Nursery & Farm is a Tennessee-licensed grower and an exclusive Southeast source for Peace Tree Farm’s Phenomenal®, Sensational!®, Exceptional!®, Inspirational!® lavender cultivars. It serves as headquarters for The Lavender Exchange (TLx), a premier network advancing lavender agriculture and agritourism across the South and Midwest.
