LD Entertainment & Variance Films to Release Rene Rosado-Starrer “National Anthem” In Theaters This Summer

Posted on February 7, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Rene Rosado’s latest project is heading to a theater near you.

LD Entertainment will partner with Variance Films on the theatrical release of National Anthem, the queer ranching drama starring the 41-year-old Puerto Rican actor.

The feature directorial debut of Luke Gilford, which debuted at last year’s SXSW, also stars Charlie Plummer, Eve Lindley, Mason Alexander Park and Robyn Lively.

National Anthem will be released in the U.S. on July 12.

Immersed in the world of a rural queer ranching community, and set against the exuberant, real-life International Gay Rodeo Association, National Anthem is billed as a celebration of first love and chosen family. The protagonist of the film is Dylan (Plummer), a 21-year-old working in construction in New Mexico who joins a community of queer rodeo performers in search of their own version of the American dream.

Said Variance’s Dylan Marchetti and Kristen Osborne: “Variance’s mission is to help people find joy at the movie theater, and Luke’s incredible vision is a perfect fit. National Anthem is a celebration of so many things that TRULY make America great- love, our beautiful open spaces (shot in glorious 35mm, no less), and finding your family no matter where you may live- because no matter where you live, your family is out there waiting for you. We can’t wait for audiences to glam up and find theirs at theaters everywhere this summer!”

Added LD’s Mickey Liddell and Pete Shilaimon: “We have been impressed with Variance’s commitment to providing a re-imagined look at independent film releases. It is within the theater that audiences come together as a community to have fun and take home a message that resonates. Luke’s film embodies this same spirit, one that is a ballad to young love and finding yourself. We are beyond thrilled to invite audiences, cowboys, and drag queens alike to the rodeo.”

Demi Lovato Among Celebrities Featured in Twitter’s New “Manifestations” Campaign

Posted on January 18, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is hoping to inspire others’ manifestations…

Twitter has launched a new campaign encouraging everyone to “Think big, make it happen,” and the social media platform has called in the 29-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actor to help.

Twitter is embarking on a physical campaign, one that’s meant to inspire minds and lay down the groundwork for big things in the future.

On Tuesday, Twitter launched its celebrity-powered “manifestation” project, engineered by the power of positive thinking in 280 characters or less.

Lovato, Megan Thee Stallion and Niall Horan are among the artists, athletes and celebrities whose tweets became a reality, and are now set to go extra-large on billboards around the country.

Those tweets will appear in the hometown locations of the stars “who manifested their dreams,” in eight cities around North America, reads a statement from Twitter.

On February 7, 2010, Lovato tweeted that they one day hoped to sing the National Anthem at a Super Bowl. A decade later, Lovato fulfilled this dream in 2020 by singing at Super Bowl LIV.

To get the ball rolling, Twitter is donating nearly $1 million to charities of the stars’ choice on their behalf, including Boys and Girls Club, Destination Crenshaw, The 3-D Foundation, and UNICEF Canada.

Tweets about manifestation are at an all-time high, the social network reports, with 100% year-over-year growth and a total of close-to 60 million posts over the past three years.

https://twitter.com/Twitter/status/1483427691198095360?cxt=HHwWgIC5_YTomJYpAAAA

YouTube to Premiere Demi Lovato’s Four-Part Docuseries “Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil” in March

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is getting personal…

YouTube has given the green light to a four-part documentary series that follows the 28-year-old part-Mexican American singer/actress.

Entitled Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, the docuseries will premiere on March 23 with the first two episodes. The final two episodes will then air weekly.

The new series will follow Lovato returning to show fans her personal and musical journey over the past three years. Last year, she performed the National Anthem before Super Bowl 54 between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

The series will be directed by Michael D. Ratner, who was a director on and exec produced Quibi’s recent &Music series, and produced by Ratner’s OBB Pictures, which produced YouTube’s recent Justin Bieber: Seasons series.

The announcement comes nearly two years after the digital platform and the “Sorry Not Sorry” singer were set to do a follow-up doc to Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated.

That film, which was directed by Hannah Lux Davis, was released in 2017 and has been viewed more than 32M times. It chronicled the recording of her Tell Me You Love Me record and her life and career including her stint on the Disney Channel and her struggles with bipolar disorder and addiction.

The Google-owned service had been in talks to make a follow-up film in 2018 before Lovato overdosed and that project was put on hold. She’s understood to have recently seen the Justin Bieber series and reached back out to YouTube to say she is ready to make another documentary.

“It’s been two years since I came face-to-face with the darkest point in my life, and now I’m ready to share my story with the world. For the first time, you’ll be able to see my chronicle of struggle and ongoing healing from my point of view. I’m grateful that I was able to take this journey to face my past head-on and finally share it with the world,” said Lovato.

“We are excited to continue sharing Demi’s brave story,” added Susanne Daniels, Global Head of Original Content, YouTube. “YouTube Originals is committed to telling real stories about the complexities of life and for Demi to use our global platform to open up about this chapter is something we are very proud of.”

“Demi’s willingness to explore the darkest elements of her life is going to leave the audience with a complete understanding of everything she’s been through and ultimately where she is going. Demi stands for empowerment, and this documentary is going to answer the many questions that have been out there – providing a real window into the life of one of the biggest stars in the world, who is simply a human being,” said director and executive producer Ratner.

Demi Lovato to Host This Year’s People’s Choice Awards

Posted on October 27, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is the People’s host…

The 28-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress is set to host the 2020 E!’s People’s Choice Awards, which will air on November 15 live from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.

The news was revealed Tuesday during a Twitter conversation between the Grammy-nominated singer and the cable network.

Lovato, who has won five People’s Choice Awards in 12 nominations, has had a busy 2020, with performances at the Grammys and the Super Bowl (where she sang the national anthem) and the release of singles “Anyone,” “I Love You” and “I’m Ready,” the latter in a duet with Sam Smith.

Recent singles include “OK No to Be OK” with Marshmello and “Commander in Chief.” On screen, her recent credits including a role on the final season of NBC’s Will & Grace and in Netflix’s Eurovision.

She now will emcee a hybrid People’s Choice ceremony that will present awards in 44 categories across entertainment and pop culture.

Tyler Perry and Jennifer Lopez will receive special honors during the ceremony, which will air from 9:00 -11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Demi Lovato to Host Talk Show on Quibi

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovatois ready to talkthings up a notch…

The 27-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress, who performed the National Anthem at the Super Bowl last weekend, will lead a talk show for the upcoming shortform digital service Quibi.

The platform has greenlighted Pillow Talk with Demi Lovato(working title), a 10-episode series fronted by the Grammywinner that will feature candid, unfiltered conversations between Lovato and guests — both experts and celebrities — exploring topics such as: activism, body positivity, gender identity, sex, relationships, social media and wellness.

“I’ve always considered myself someone that speaks honestly about issues that face my generation,” Lovato said. “We’re excited to bring those frank conversations to a public forum, where people can have the opportunity to relate to the topics and guests, while finding room for laughter and learning.”

Produced by Goodstory Entertainmentand SB Projects, Pillow Talk with Demi Lovato is executive produced by Lovato, Scooter Braun, Allison Kayeand Scott Manson, JD Rothand Adam Greener.

Founded by Jeffrey Katzenbergand led by CEO Meg Whitman, Quibi launches on April 6.

Demi Lovato Performs Rousing Rendition of National Anthem at the Super Bowl

Posted on February 3, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a star-spangled night for Demi Lovato…

The 27-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress helped kick off Super Bowl LIV on Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami with a soaring rendition of the National Anthem.

Wearing an all-white pantsuit with a belt, Lovato delivered a note-perfect rendition of The Star Spangled Banner, nailing both the dramatic “land of the free” climax and the elongated closing “brave” note.

The anthem has been performed at the Super Bowl in recent years by P!nk, Luke Bryan, Lady Gaga, Idina Menzel and Gladys Knight.

The Super Bowl marks Lovato’s second Sunday in a row delivering a high-profile performance on national television, having debuted her new heart-wrenching single “Anyone” at the Grammys a week earlier.

The song is expected to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, Lovato’s first entry on the chart since “Sober” in 2018.

Demi Lovato’s “Anyone” Sees Huge Sales & Streaming Spike Post-Grammys

Posted on January 31, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovatois back with a vengeance…

The 27-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress saw a huge spike in sales and streams after the performance of her emotional, autobiographical single “Anyone.”

Lovato’s “Anyone” was the most downloaded song in the U.S. on Grammy Day, with more than 11,500 sales on the day of the show and more than 27,000 sales within 24 hours of her performance, according to data from BuzzAngle and Spotify.

It sets a promising scene for her performance of the National Anthem at the Super Bowl on Sunday. Lovato’s “Anyone” was the most streamed song the day after her performance increasing with 2 million streams (up 600%).

But she isn’t the only Latina seeing a bump…

Camila Cabello‘s ode to her father, “First Man” — which she sang to her father in the Grammy audience, causing him and untold thousands of dads across the world to weep — led to a whopping 68,000% gain, according to BuzzAngle.

The song went from selling a handful of units per day prior to the show to 6,159 sales on the day of the show and over 11,400 sales within 24 hours of her performance. “First Man” increased by 310% the day of her performance and nearly 900% the day after her performance, for 1.4 million streams. Spotify said streams of the song increased more than 1,000% after her performance.

Here’s a look at the post-Grammy reporting:

Top Songs Performed/ Day Of % Impact/ 2 Day Sales/ 2 Day % Impact

Anyone/Demi Lovato 27,071/ Debut
Nobody But You/Blake Shelton 103%/ 14,159/ 54%
First Man / Camila Cabello 68,333%/ 11,415/ 81,435%
Old Town Road/ Lil Nas X 263%/ 7,878/ 207%
What’s A Man Gotta Do/Jonas Brothers 192%/ 7,104/ 142%

Top Streamed Songs Performed/ Day After % Impact

Anyone/ Demi Lovato/ 1.9M 592%
Old Town Road/ Lil Nas X/ 1.8M -9%
When the Party’s Over/ Billie Eilish/ 1.7M 97%
First Man/ Camila Cabello/ 1.4M 890%
What A Man Gotta Do/ Jonas Brothers 1.3M/ 21%

Julian Castro to Take Part in 2020 Presidential Candidate Forum on LGBTQ Issues

Posted on September 17, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Julian Castro will be discussing LGBTQ Issues later this week…

The 45-year-old Mexican American politician and Democratic US presidential candidate will take part in the national 2020 Presidential Candidate Forum on LGBTQ Issues.

Hosted by Pose actress Angelica Ross, the forum is presented by GLAAD, One Iowa, The Gazette and The Advocate and will be livestreamed from Coe College’s Sinclair Auditorium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on September 20 at 7:00 pm CT.

In addition to Castro, whowas the youngest member of President Barack Obama‘s Cabinet, serving as the 16th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 2014 to 2017, participants include Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Tulsi Gabbard, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Joe Sestak, Elizabeth Warren and Marianne Williamson. Country artist and contestant on season 11 of The Voice Billy Gilman is set to perform the National Anthem at the event.

A transgender activist, Ross will join GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellison stage tol bring LGBTQ specific-issues to the forefront of discussion in the 2020 presidential election.

During the Forum, each candidate will discuss their plan and vision for improving LGBTQ acceptance in a divisive time for marginalized communities.

“This LGBTQ Presidential Forum is a pivotal moment in the 2020 election cycle,” said Ellis. “It’s the first time that LGBTQ issues will be exclusively discussed by 2020 presidential candidates on a national stage.”

She adds, “We look forward to hearing how the 2020 candidates plan to reverse the attacks and rollbacks of the Trump Administration and put LGBTQ Americans on a course to 100% acceptance.”

This comes at a time when members of the American LGBTQ community have faced more than 124 anti-LGBTQ attacks in policy and rhetoric from the Trump Administration. This includes the ban on transgender Americans from serving in the military and the administration’s opposition to the Equality Act.

Fifth Harmony to Perform the National Anthem at the NHL All-Star Game

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Ally Brooke Hernandez and Lauren Jauregui are hitting the rink…

The Latina singers and their fellow Fifth Harmony groupmates will perform at the National Hockey League (NHL) All-Star Game on Sunday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The 62nd annual event, which will also feature performances by Nick Jonas and Carly Rae Jepsen, kicks off at 12:30 p.m. PT on Sunday, Jan. 29, and will air on NBC.

Jepsen will kick things off with the Canadian national anthem before the game, and Fifth Harmony will follow with “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Jonas, meanwhile, will perform during the game’s second intermission.

“We are pleased with the incredible lineup of entertainment that we put together for the 2017 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend,” said Steve Mayer, NHL chief content officer and executive vice president. “The All-Star Weekend will feature three days of can’t-miss events, including the NHL100 celebration on Friday night, in a weekend where hockey takes over Hollywood. We are excited for Nick Jonas, Fifth Harmony and Carly Rae Jepsen’s All-Star Game performances for our fans in L.A and those watching around the world.”

This will be Fifth Harmony’s second performance without Camila Cabello, following their debut as a quartet at the People’s Choice Awards last week.

The NHL All-Star Weekend will also include the NHL100 gala hosted by actor Jon Hamm honoring the league’s 100 greatest athletes of all time with guest appearances by John Legend and Robin Thicke, who will honor his late father Alan Thicke, as well as John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting.

This will be the third time Los Angeles will host the NHL All Star Game and the first since 2002.

Blacc to Perform During Game 7 of the NBA Finals

Posted on June 19, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a star-spangled Sunday for Aloe Blacc…

The 37-year-old Panamanian American singer-songwriter will provide the night’s entertainment with a special rendition of the National Anthem before tonight’s winner-takes-all game between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

In addition to performing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the Grammy-nominee will also

offer the crowd at Oakland’s Oracle Arena a special halftime performance.

Blacc helmed the vocals for Avicii‘s 2013 hit “Wake Me Up” and unleashed his third album Lift Your Spirit in 2013.

Don’t miss Blacc and Game 7 tonight when the game airs live tonight at 8:00 pm ET on ABC.

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