Bond on Cinema

Creator Todd Komarnicki Discusses His New Mini-Series EARTH ABIDES on MGM+

Todd Komarnicki is a prolific writer, producer and director of film and television as well as an acclaimed novelist.
He is back today to talk about a new streaming mini-series EARTH ABIDES. After months of isolation, the main character Isherwood Williams, learns that most of the world has fallen to a mysterious illness. Yet despite his instincts to further isolate, he leads the charge to develop a new civilization. This isn’t science fiction, this films brings the reality of seeing a new world.
If you are not familiar with Todd Komarnicki’s work, let’s recap as his screenplays include Sully directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks and was a 2016 AFI Top Ten Film. The Professor and the Madman, starring Mel Gibson and Sean Penn. He has also written Perfect Stranger starring Bruce Willis and Halle Berry.
And he co-produced the Christmas blockbuster Elf, starring Will Ferrell and directed by Jon Favreau, which has become a yearly Christmas movie favorite.
Ladies and gentlemen, EARTH ABIDES is a very powerful 6 episode mini-series. It’s about survival, rebirth and hopefully restoring society better than before.
We have ask ourselves, if everyone on Earth died and only a few people were left to start over, what laws apply and which laws don’t. Very complex, but EARTH ABIDES in some ways gives us some answers and even more questions.
#MGM #MGMplus #miniseries #tvseries #earthabides #earth #planetearth #climatechange #survival #newcreation #humanrace #adventure #rebirth

Actress Meredith Thomas Talks Life, Television, Film & New Christmas TV Specials

My guest today is actress Meredith Thomas who spent her early childhood in Alaska, in one of the northernmost settlements in North America where her parents taught Inuit grade school students through the Bureau of Natives Affairs.
Meredith's first professional acting role as Tessie in "Annie" came while still in elementary school. She continued to act in summer stock productions in the northeast throughout her youth, but soon headed west securing a role in her first big-budget feature film, "Pleasantville" as a teenager. She hasn't stopped working in film and television since.
Meredith Thomas is known as the quirky blonde beauty with girl-next-door charm and wit, it's no wonder she has become a television movie favorite. She is second only to Vivica A. Fox in the number of Lifetime Television Movies.
With chops for both comedy and drama, you'll find her easily transitioning between thrillers to Christmas holiday movies.
Meredith Thomas is back this holiday season with two new rom-com movies, including the Netflix release THE MERRY GENTLEMEN and the Lifetime movie MAKE OR BAKE CHRISTMAS opposite Vivica A. Fox. She continues to spread even more holiday cheer with several returning Christmas titles available on Peacock, Great American Family, and Amazon Prime.
#lifetimenetwork #hallmarknetwork #hallmarkmovies #lifetimemovies #merediththomas #vivicaafox #Christmasmovies #hallmarkchristmas #lifetimechristmas #netflix #netflixmovies #thriller #suspensethriller #peacockplus 

What Happens When Michael Jackson's Music Inspires a Family Drama?

Ladies and gentlemen, the feature film, I’LL BE THERE is about a blended family. The film focuses on Grace, who never had an easy time explaining to her friends about her family.
After the opening scene of Grace and her brothers and sisters as children, the film then finds her more than a decade later, she has built a new life for herself in Los Angeles and cemented her place as the outsider of the family. But her new life is upended when she learns that her older brother AJ has cancer and her now estranged family comes to town to support him.
The film is set during the days after Michael Jackson's death in the Los Angeles hospital that is next door to the L.A. Coroner's Office, where the King of Pop was autopsied. As we unravel the family's traumatic past, the pivotal role AJ played as Grace's protector, and the chasm that now exists between them as adults, Grace comes to terms with the ghosts of her past and her former role as the family's "Golden Child."
Michael Jackson played an important role in the siblings' childhoods and the irony of the timing isn't lost on Grace. As she tries to reconcile her complicated relationships with her siblings, she's also saying goodbye to the icon who was the soundtrack to that chapter of her life.
I loved this film as many people can relate to the dysfunction of a blended family and in this case do they blend at all? But regardless of the ups and downs with siblings, there is an underlying love that never goes away. And for some, it can take decades for that love to rise to the top.
Director/producer Andrew Shea, an award-winning filmmaker who has enjoyed success in film, television and theatre.
In 2019, his film, Buzz, produced in association with Endeavor Content and Peter Berg’s Film 45, premiered on HBO. His films have screened at several of the most prestigious and selective film festivals in the world: the Cannes Film Festival Critics Week, the Sundance Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival, DOC NYC, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), and SXSW.
Andrew is a professor in the Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
#featurefilm #blendedfamily #familydrama #illbethere #filmdirector #filmmaker #filmmaking #cinema #cinematographer #moviereview #filmreview #family #stepsiblings #michaeljackson

TIME FOR CHANGE DOCUMENTARY with Director Daniel Borunda - The Unbiased Look at the George Floyd Tragedy

Ladies and gentlemen, TIME FOR CHANGE is a 2-hour landmark documentary that was filmed after the death of George Floyd and chronicles the tragic event of his death and the subsequent worldwide social impact. This unbiased and compelling documentary is replete with hard-hitting interviews, as well as a historical retrospective regarding the roots of racism in America and practical steps we need to take as a nation to bring peace and lasting change.
Change only happens if we want it too and it can start with each one of us in our own communities.
Founder and executive producer of the Borunda Media Group, Daniel Borunda.
He has followed his childhood passion through his film and television production education and was selected into UCLA’s coveted Masters of Fine Arts program and earned the highest grade possible for his documentary short-film “Hollenbeck Hero”.
He sold his first screenplay to Columbia Pictures, “Welcome Home” and went on to write three more screenplays and co-produced two mini-series for television, “Count of Monte Cristo” and “William the Conqueror”. 
In addition to writing and producing a couple of independent films, in 2018, Daniel launched an innovative, news series “America Unscripted”. The hard-hitting television series covers both national and global news and also deals with the issues that are dividing our nation and presents solutions.
#georgefloyd #policebrutality #defundthepolice #blacklivesmatter #malcolmX #martinlutherking #backtheblue #policepolicies #unbiasednews #filmdocumentary #filmmaking #filmmaker #filmdirector #socialimpact 

1910 Manchurian Plague Outbreak Creates a New Protective Medical Discovery in this Oscar-Qualified Short FilmL Interview/Film Discussion

Ladies and gentlemen, Robin Wang’s short film NEITHER DONKEY NOR HORSE is one of the best films I have seen this year. It has the feel and look of a multi-million dollar feature film.
The story is so intriguing and from the first frame to the last one, your attention is focused on the story brought to life on screen by an all-star stellar cast. With the likes of Chris Pang from Rich Crazy Asians, to Jim Lau, Michael Monasterio, Albert Kuo to name a few.
NEITHER DONKEY NOR HORSE takes us through the 1910 Manchurian Plague, which was the world’s first major outbreak of pneumonic plague, eventually claiming more than 60,000 lives.
director/producer Robin Wang. His expansive filmography has been honored with a Student Academy Award, three DGA Awards Grand Prize, and two College Television Awards.
As a director and producer, Robin has brought his works to over a hundred international film festivals worldwide.
From 2023 to 2024, Robin helmed numerous higher-budget genre films and period pieces as the director. Notably, he co-directed the feature film Jack & Lou: A Gangster Love Story, starring Linda Hamilton from the Terminator Franchise. The film is set in 1920s Al Capone’s Chicago, with select scenes filmed on the Warner Brothers Studio Lot.
He is especially known for directing the historical biopic short film, Neither Donkey Nor Horse, based on the life of the first Nobel Prize-nominated Chinese scientist, Dr. Wu Lien-teh.
The film, sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival, won the Student Academy Awards, and the DGA Student Film Awards Grand Prize. The film is currently long-listed for Best Live Action Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards.
#N95 #oscars #academyawards #manchurianplague #manchurian #DrWu #warnerbrothers #terminator #telluride #cinema #cinematography #filmmaker #filmmaking #filmdirector #screenwriter #medicine #traditionalmedicine #pnuemonic 

Twins Meet 20 Years Later in Prison Over a Chess Game: Oscar-Qualified Short OVER THE BOARDL The Interview

Ladies and gentlemen, OVER THE BOARD, a story about twin brothers who meet for the first time, under unique circumstances. Before they can come together, however, they must first overcome their differences.
Ian is a top collegiate chess player. Eric is an inmate with a gift for the game. Eric and Ian are identical twins who have never met, until today. When their worlds collide, one thing becomes immediately clear-they both share a passion, and talent, for the game of chess. But will this be enough to make them family? The only way to settle their differences, the only way to understand each other, is over the board.
This film keeps your attention because the storyline is focused and it blends seamlessly into the cinematography of being shot mainly in black and white, until the ending of the film when the use of color brings something very special. I will not spoil the end as this is a must see short film.
There is a bit of Ian and Eric in all of us. In this film we see book smart versus street smart or in this case prison smart creates incredible exchange of dialogue, thought and emotion. But when two people didn’t know each one existed, there is a growth period and we see that within the 27 minutes of this film.
#oscars #academyawards #chessmatch #chessgame #twins #identicaltwins #filmmaker #filmmaking #filmdirector #filmproducer #actor #cinema #bondoncinema #cinematic #cinematography #screenwriter #filmproducer #blackandwhite #chessboard 

Oscar-Qualified Short RYAN CAN'T READ: Interview/Film Breakdown of this Brilliant Endearing Heartwarming Story

Ladies and gentlemen, this heartwarming tug at your heart short film RYAN CAN’T READ delves into the struggles of Ryan, played by Lewis Ian Bray, a man facing immense financial hardship and the overwhelming burden of bills. His inability to claim benefits pushes him to the edge of despair. However, a lifeline is thrown his way when his friend Tyrone, portrayed by James Nelson-Joyce, offers him a chance at redemption.
This short film is a tearjerker, set against the vibrant backdrop of Liverpool, England, examines the human spirit’s resilience in the face of adversity.
With a screenplay co-written by Rhys Chapman and Lewis Ian Bray, RYAN CAN’T READ paints a vivid picture of the challenges faced by individuals in their daily lives and the profound impact of friendship.
We all have Ryans in our life and we all need to be more like Tyrone in helping those that need a bit of love, encouragement and motivation. We can all be mentors and this beautiful short teaches us that very thing.
RYAN CAN’T READ is one of my absolute favorite films of the year as I am a sucker for heartwarming and endearing stories that have the power to put tears in your eyes. And this film has put those tears in my eyes six times already.
My guests today are producer Bryony Pulizzi and writer/actor Lewis Ian Bray and their heartwarming and endearing Oscar-qualified short film RYAN CAN’T READ.
Bryony's debut as a producer was on 2022 BAFTA shortlisted "ROY" from Academy Award winning production company Slick Films, closely followed by "Ryan Can't Read" and "Gladstone Girls". She has also worked in the industry as a Casting Assistant for TV and Film. She is also a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Lewis Ian Bray is a neuro-divergent actor and screenwriter known for his commitment to authentic storytelling and underrepresented voices. He co-wrote and starred as Ryan in the Academy Award-qualifying short film RYAN CAN’T READ. Praised by Ken Loach as "touching" and "important," the film earned Lewis the Best Actor award at Tokyo's ShortShorts Film Festival.
In addition to his role in Channel 4's upcoming drama series PATIENCE, Lewis is involved in several exciting projects set to air in 2025/26. He is also the founder of Scribble Pictures, a neuro-divergent-led production company.
#shortfilms #illiteracy #cantread #oscars #academyawards #friendship #mentor #mentorship #heartwarming #endearing #filmmaker #filmmaking #filmdirector #filmproducer #screenwriter #actor #neurodivergent #ryancantread #bondoncinema #cinema #cinematic #cinematography

Oscar-Qualified Short DIVE: A Melancholic Exploration of Adolescent Love in a World beset with Violence

Ladies and gentlemen, the short film DIVE is a melancholic exploration of adolescent love in a world beset with violence. The drama follows Roman and Julia, two young adults enjoying the vitality of their youth, when their day out on the beach is suddenly shattered by the looming presence of war.
The very minimum use of dialogue allows you to experience the film on a deeper level into you subconscious to relive your long lost youth. We can see how youth is fleeting, from a moment of love, joy, freedom and a bit a living in a dream. And all of shattered with the strong introduction of war, an element of life that we can’t control.
War steals adolescent, youth, hope and dreams. In this poignant film called DIVE it leaves us wanting relive our own youth.
The cinematography is beautiful and the use of real film gives it depth, just like the souls of Roman and Julia, even before they dive into the ocean.
The soundtrack adds so much emotion. As Roman and Julia dive Into the water, the music brings them together in an aquatic dance that is beautiful and free, exactly what love should be. Being under the water and away from the realities of life is a feeling we need to experience more and Aldo Luliano gives us that feeling in this compelling film.
Director Aldo Iuliano and he is known for his award-winning short films, both in Italy and internationally. In 2016, he directed Penalty, which was shortlisted for the Nastri d'Argento, selected for four Oscar-qualifying festivals, and won the 2017 Globo d'Oro. His debut feature film, Space Monkeys, was released in theaters in 2022.
His newest soulful short film DIVE premiered at the 80th Venice Film Festival, where it was in official competition, the drama was further selected for other Oscar-qualifying festivals, and won the Special Award at the 2024 Nastri d'Argento. The film has qualified for the 2025 Oscars.
#shortfilms #oscars #academyawards #beach #youth #RussianUkrainianWar #Italy #ocean #swimming #landmines #wartime #lostyouth #filmmaking #filmmaker #filmdirector #art #artistry #cinematography #cinema #bondoncinema #cinematic #screenwriter #filmdirector 

Oscar-Qualified Short A PLACE TO FALL DOWN: Brilliant Storytelling with Duane Hansen Fernandez - THE INTERVIEW

Ladies and gentlemen, A PLACE TO FALL DOWN, a film unfolds in the span of a single day, capturing Jose's emotional journey as he grapples with balancing his daunting real-life workload with the profound sense of loss.
Through an extraordinary performance from Clifton Collins Jr. and a gripping sound design that acts as a character in the film, "A Place to Fall Down" explores themes of grief, empathy, healing and the power of love. It's in the darkest moments that the resilience of the human spirit and the profound impact of unconditional love shine the brightest.
Duane has created elements you must watch very closely. The environment is dark, an environment in which grief lives, but with glimpses of light. The cinematography close ups on Clifton are poignant because grief can feel like the world is closing in on the one who is experiencing it.
Writer/director Duane Fernandez and he has had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest leaders in the industry, from Netflix, Disney, Marvel, A24, Universal Pictures, and Lionsgate, to Paramount and Sony Pictures to name a few.
The his directorial debut of A PLACE TO FALL DOWN is a poignant short film that delves into the life of Jose, an elite mechanic struggling to cope with the overwhelming grief he feels after losing his beloved wife.
If you are dealing with grief, seek counseling and don’t go at it alone. 
Featuring an extraordinary performance from Clifton Collins Jr., A PLACE TO FALL DOWN explores the question: Can a person work to make themselves whole again after experiencing trauma?
#shortfilms #grief #depression #mentalhealth #oscars #academyawards #filmmaker #filmmaking #filmdirector #screenwriter #garage #automotive #mechanic #cinema #cinematography #storytelling #cinematic 

Oscar-Qualifying Short FROM ABOVEL Interview/Film Breakdown with Danish Actor Nicolaj Kopernikus

Ladies and gentlemen, this beautiful and endearing short film, FROM ABOVE is about a father looking to reconnect with his child after falling on hard times. The story follows Morten, once well-respected but now homeless, as he attempts to turn his life around after a chance encounter with his daughter after eight years apart. 
Morten looks his daughter in the eyes for the first time in 8 years. After that he decides to get in touch with her again and uses very unconventional and spectacular methods to get her attention and forgiveness.
Everything about this film is wonderful. The storytelling is superb, the cinematography is what you would expect coming from Henrik Christensen and the Academy Award winning M&M Productions and of course the acting is incredible.
This is the type of film that wins awards, but more importantly it wins hearts. And it has won my heart and I will not soon forget this wonderful short film.
Ever since graduating from theater school in 1994, Nicolaj Kopernikus has become a prominent figure on stage, film and television. He made his big breakthrough in the 1997 feature film “Let’s Get Lost” and is also known for his portrayal as an alcoholic in the drama film “The Bench” alongside Jesper Christensen.
Nicolaj gained worldwide recognition for his role as the killer in the BAFTA and International Emmy nominated TV series “The Killing”, which had great success around the world and spawned an American remake. Nicolaj has recently taken a seat behind the camera and directed various TV series and is currently working on numerous TV and film projects.
Following the success of his Oscar shortlisted film “The Stenophone”, well-renowned Danish actor is back with FROM ABOVE, which he has written, directed and also stars in. Once again he teams up with multiple Academy Award winning production company, M&M Productions. 
#shortfilms #denmark #fromabovce #perspective #fatherdaughter #divorce #filmmaker #filmmaking #actor #filmdirector #screenwriter #nicolajkopernikus #danish #thekilling #jesperchristensen #oscars #academyawards #art #artfilm #homelessness #reconnection #cinema #bondoncinema #cinematic #cinematography