Ketel One Botanical Launch Summer 2018

Photos by Karen Ostlund
– An evening of music, fitness, and cocktails as we get ready to celebrate summer and the launch of Ketel One Botanical, said Tone It Up! co-founder Karena Dawn at Millwick, 800 E 4th Pl , Los Angeles.

May 22nd, Ketel One Botanical launched as a series of three varietals in beautifully illustrated, botanical-inspired bottles: Peach & Orange Blossom, for those who enjoy lush, juicy white peaches and bold notes of fragrant orange blossoms; Cucumber & Mint, for those who appreciate crisp cucumbers and light tones of fresh garden mint; and Grapefruit & Rose, for those who seek zesty, mouthwatering grapefruit and the refined elegance of rose petals.

The evening kicked off with a fitness class taught by Tone It Up! trainers Chyna Rae and Tori Simeone as DJ Brittany Sky spun tunes. Following the class, guests could enjoy fresh tasting, signature Ketel One Botanical cocktails and juice shots.          

Ketel One Botanical is a 30% ABV spirit made with 100% non-GMO grain, with no carbs, no artificial flavors, no added sugars, no artificial sweeteners and it’s only 73 calories. On the cocktail menu:
The Ketel One Botanical & Soda:
Grab a wine glass
Fill it with ice
Pour Ketel One Botanical (1.5 oz.)
Top with sparkling water (3 oz.)
Choose the garnish: fragrant herbs, crisp citrus or fresh fruit

Tone It Up trainers Tori Simeone (L) and Chyna Rae w Ketel One Botanical & Soda

Peachy Keen Fizz  cocktail:
– Ketel One Botanical Peach & Orange Blossom, fresh lemon, strawberry, rhubarb, and tonic water
 Mint To Be cocktail:
– Ketel One Botanical Cucumber & Mint, fresh lime, mint, fresh pressed kiwi juice, agave and club soda

Grapefruit Glow
– Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit & Rose, fresh grapefruit, pineapple, wildberry, raw honey, hibiscus flower tea, and rose water

Karen Ostlund at Ketel One Botanical

Ketel One Botanical vodka is distilled with botanicals and infused with fruit and botanical essences and origin from 11th generation family distillers Carl Nolet Jr. and Bob Nolet in Schiedam, Holland. www.ketelonebotanical.com 
                                              

Forget Me Not Juice Shot

13th Annual LAWineFest Returns June 2nd & 3rd to ROW DTLA

Photos by Karen Ostlund

 LAWineFest returns on June 2 and 3, 2018 to downtown LA.

Stroll down for complete list of Wineries & Beers exhibitors 2018

LAWineFest crowd in 2017 at ROW DTLA

Will & Wont's band performed at LAWinefest 2017

Rebel Coast Winery at LAWinefest 2017 at ROW DTLA

The LAWinefest moved last year from Hollywood to the ROW DTLA at 777 S. Alameda Street - an artsy place that offers plenty of parking.
The festival is often called LA's "Signature Celebration of all Things Wine,”and is the  combination of award-winning wines and artisan beers, but offer also coffee, cider and water.

LAWinefest was founded by DR. Joel Fisher (in red shirt).

LAWinefest was founded by DR. Joel Fisher in 2005 and now in its 13th year. The event became popular in L.A. to bring wine and people together, because it balanced fun and education. Each day include tastings, presentations and seminars or just relax to live music in one of the lounge areas.

Guests savor and discover flavors from around the world, whether a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, well balanced Pinot Noir, or an ice cold innovative craft beer. For wine aficionados who want to experience small-batch pours from boutique wineries, there will be a limited number of daily tickets for tastings at vip lounges.

LAWinefest 2017

While sipping, savoring, and strolling, attendees will be able to shop for unique, one-of-a-kind items offered from artesian boutique exhibitors along with the ROW DTLA new shops opening throughout the complex. Food trucks will be on site.

LAWineFest will donate a portion of the event proceeds to a worth non-profit organization.
Event sponsors include ROW DTLA, Los Angeles Magazine, Icelandic Glacial, King Barrel, Pasquini Coffee.


Admission to LAWineFest includes commemorative glass, beverage sampling, bottled water, coffee and bread. Designated drivers are encouraged and receive discounted admission.

Pasquini Coffee

Festival hours are: Saturday, June 2nd: 2pm to 6pm, and
Sunday, June 3rd: 1pm to 5pm. Tickets are $90 per day or $120 (which includes the popular and limited boutique tasting), and $25 for designated drivers. More info at www.LAWineFest.com



                                             Wineries LAWinefest 2018

Ascension Cellars*
Byron Blatty Wines*
Caduceus Cellars/Merkin Vineyards
Cass Winery
Cavaletti Vineyards
Cloak & Dagger Wines
Clos Pepe Estate*
Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits
Giracci Family of Wines* (Giracci Vineyards, A Stone’s Throw, Cowboy Canyon)
Herzog Wine Cellars (Sunday only)
J. Wilkes Wines (Saturday only)
Joya Import
Kooksoondang Brewery Co., LTD
LOLA Wines
Los Angeles International  Wine Competition
Lucky Dogg Winery
New Zealand Wine Navigator*
Obvious Wines
PB Importers – Hungarian Wines
Quigley Fine Wines
Riboli Family Wines of San Antonio Winery
Roadhouse Winery*
Slyd Wines*
Sycamore Ranch Vineyard & Winery*
Temecula Valley Winegrowers
The Wine Caterers
Vino Vibes*
Wedell Cellars*
Wilson Creek Winery
Wines of Greece
Yarden Wines
* Boutique Wineries

Beers & Ciders LAWinefest 2018

Highwater Brewing
Iron Triangle Brewing Company
Lagunitas Brewing Company
Lincoln Beer Company
Peroni
Reel Brew Co.
San Fernando Brewing Company

COLCOA French Film Festival 2018 Winners: Cinema, Television, Shorts & Digital Series

Announcements by Karen Ostlund

COLCOA French Film Festival Announced 17 Awards For Cinema, Television, Shorts and Digital Series at the 22^nd Edition of the Festival, which ended yesterday.

LE BRIO Wins LAFCA Jury Award and BLOODY MILK/Petit Paysan Wins Audience Award 

LE BRIO Wins LAFCA Jury Award

BLOODY MILK/Petit Paysan Wins Audience Award

 (West Hollywood, May 1, 2018) The Franco-American Cultural Fund, a collaboration between the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, The Writers Guild of America West and France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM), announced today the awards for the 22^nd edition of COLCOA French Film Festival.

COLCOA Cinema – 8 Awards

This year’s LAFCA film jury was comprised of Lael Lowenstein (KPCC’s FilmWeek), Wade Major (KPCC’s FilmWeek, DigiGods, CineGods.com) and Chuck Wilson (LA Weekly and Village Voice).

LE BRIO, written and directed by Yvan Attal was awarded the COLCOA LAFCA Critics Award/Prix de la Critique by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Jury at the 22^nd edition of COLCOA French Film Festival.

Jury Statement

At a time of heightened racial and religious tensions on both sides of the Atlantic, writer/director Yvan Attal’s superb LE BRIO shines a hopeful light on a subject too often relegated to dark prognostications. In blending elements from such classics as PYGMALION and THE PAPER CHASE with serious issues of contemporary concern, Attal’s smart, elegantly-crafted and superbly entertaining film is both socially relevant and artistically proficient, making it the perfect choice for our COLCOA jury.  In the hands of veteran Daniel Auteuil and dazzling newcomer Camélia Jordana, Attal’s crackling dialogue becomes the spark that sets off one of the most incendiary screen pairings in recent years. 

C’EST LA VIE!/Le Sens de la fête, written and directed by Éric Toledano & Olivier Nakache, was awarded the LAFCA Critics Special Prize/Prix Special de la Critique.

Jury Statement

C’EST LA VIE! is further confirmation that Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache are among the most skilled filmmakers currently working anywhere in the world. It’s an unbelievable juggling act — folding an unwieldy number of characters and subplots into a single, frenetic event — that manages to be as life-affirming as it technically accomplished. 

LUNA, written and directed by Elsa Diringer, received the Best First Feature Award/Prix du Meilleur Premiere Film.

Jury Statement

Our jury also celebrates the achievement of first-time writer/director Elsa Diringer whose LUNA stands apart from a host of other films wrestling with the contemporary challenges of youth. Anchored by a sterling lead performance from Laëtitia Clément, LUNA is at once heartbreaking and impassioned, deeply empathetic and bracingly optimistic.

BLOODY MILK/Petit Paysan, written and directed by Hubert Charuel, won the distinguished COLCOA Audience Award/Prix du Public.

PROMISE AT DAWN/La Promesse de l’aube, written and directed by Éric Barbier, opened the festival, and won the Audience Special Prize/Prix Special du Public.

MAKALA, directed by Emmanual Gras, received the Best Documentary Award/Prix du Meilleur Documentaire.

CUSTODY/Jusqu’ à la garde, written and directed by Xavier Legrand, was awarded the Coming Soon Award, which is awarded to a film with a U.S. distributor.   The film will be released by Kino Lorber later this year. 

SEE YOU UP THERE/Au revoir là-haut, written and directed by Albert Dupontel, won the American Students Award/Prix des Etudiants Amercains.  This award was voted on exclusively by a jury of ten students from local area high schools and colleges.

COLCOA Television – 4 Awards

Presented in association with TV France International and TITRAFILM, the COLCOA Television competition awarded four programs the following awards:

THE AGE OF STATELESS/Le Temps des égarés, written by Gaëlle Belland, directed by Virginie Sauveur, received the Best TV Movie Award/Prix du Meilleur Telefilm.

PROUD/Fiertes, written by José Caltagirone, Niels Rahou, Philippe Faucon and directed by Philippe Faucon, was awarded the Best TV Series Award/Prix de la Meilleure Serie and the Audience Award (TV Series)/Prix de L’Audiene (Serie).

 

INFIDELITY/Un Adultere written by Eric Assous, Stéphanie Vasseur and directed by Philippe Harel, was honored with the TV Movie Audience Award/Prix de L’Audience Telefilm.

COLCOA Shorts – 4 Awards

GRAMS/Petites filles, written/directed by Camille Japy, won the Best Short Film Award/Prix du Meilleur Court Metrage.

THE WRINKLES/Les Bigorneaux, written/directed by Alice Vial, received both the Best Short Film Special Prize/Prix Special du Court Metrage and the Audience Short Film Award/Prix de L’audience Court Metrage.

HYBRIDS, written/directed by Romain Thirion, Florian Brauch, Matthieu Pujol, Kim Tailhades, and Yohan Thireau,was awarded the inaugural Best Animated Short/Prix du Court Metrage d’animation.

COLCOA Digital Series – 1 Award

BIARRITZ SURF GANG, written and directed by Nathan Curren and Pierre Denoyel, was awarded The Best Digital Series/Prix de la Meilleure Serie Digitale.

86 films, television series, digital series and VR programs were presented at COLCOA this year and 33 features, 4 documentaries, 23 short films, 12 television series, and 4 digital series competed for the 2018 COLCOA Awards. Films details: www.colcoa.org/

This year’s festival opened on Monday, April 23 with the North American Premiere of writer/director Eric Barbier’s PROMISE AT DAWN and closed with the North American premiere of Cedric Kahn’s new drama THE PRAYER on Monday, April 30.  Writer, director and actress Mélanie Laurent was honored as the “Focus on a Filmmaker” and composer Laurent Perez Del Mar was honored with the “Focus on a Composer.”  Happy Hour talks included France’s Female New Wave with panelists w/d Sou Abadi (SOME LIKE IT VEILED, w/d Elisa Diringer (LUNA), actor Camélia Jordana (LE BRIO and SOME LIKE IT VEILED), w/d Nawell Madani (STAND UP GIRL) and w/d Marie-Garel Weiss (THE PARTY’S OVER) and a panel with several of the festival filmmakers including w/d Eric Barbier (PROMISE AT DAWN), w/d Samuel Benchetrit (DOG), w/d Hubert Charuel (BLOODY MILK), w/d/p Charles de Meaux (THE LADY IN THE PORTRAIT), w/d Xavier Legrand (CUSTODY) and w/d Marie-Garel Weiss (PARTY’S OVER).

 

Other attendees included director Jon Amiel, writer, director, producer Lucia Aniello, composer Jean-Michel Bernard, Anthony Bajon (THE PRAYER), director Modi Barry (CHATEAU), w/d Dany Boon (FAMILY IS FAMILY), director James Bort (RISE OF A STAR), actor Isabelle Candelier (BLOODY MILK), w/d Christian Carion (MY SON), author Erri De Luca, Prima Ballerina at Paris Opera Ballet Dorothée Gilbert (RISE OF A STAR), actor Vanessa Guide (LET THE GIRLS PLAY), w/d Taylor Hackford, musician Jean-Michel Jarre, w/d Philippe Le Guay (NAKED NORMANDY), writer, director, producer and education Jeremy Kagan, actor Xavier Lemaître (INFIDELITY), actor Gong Li, w/d Michael Mann, w/d Mike Mills, actor Vanessa Paradis (DOG), composer Lalo Schifrin (Honoree), singer Hélène Ségara. w/d Francis Veber (THE DINNER GAME), and w/d Marie-Garrel Weiss (PARTY’S OVER).

COLCOA FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL is presented by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaboration between the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, the Writers Guild of America West, and France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM). COLCOA is also supported by France’s Society of Authors, Directors and Producers (L’ARP), the Film and TV Office of the French Embassy in Los Angeles, the CNC, TV France International, and Unifrance.

COLCOA FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL is sponsored by Air Tahiti Nui, TV5MONDE, Variety (Official Sponsors); Admirable Malibu Wines, Airstar America, Barnstormer, France Télévisions, KPCC 89.3, Los Angeles Times, Champagne Trésor de France, The Hollywood Reporter (Premier Sponsors); Club Culinaire of Southern California, ELMA, LA Confidential, Sunset Marquis, Titra Film (Major Sponsors); Alliance Française de Los Angeles, Cinando, D’Alessio Law Group, Discover Hollywood, Duverger, Laemmle, Marché du Film/Festival de Cannes, Miraval/Vineyard Brands/La Vielille Ferme, Office de Tourisme Epernay, Paul M. Young Fine Wines, (Platinum Sponsors); Cinelife, Delair Labs, France-Amérique, French Morning, Gayot, Hénaff Gonidec, La Chouquette, Le Grenouille Selections/The Source Imports, Locations Wines, Lycée International Los Angeles, Mademoiselle M, MAC, Petit Pot, Rosenthal, Samsung, Sharingbox, Tealeaves (Supporting Sponsors).

 www.colcoa.org