World Circus Culture follows five circus acts from different countries as they rehearse and compete at the “Academy Awards” of circus competitions, the Monte Carlo Circus Festival. Through these personal stories, the film will open peoples’ eyes to the true culture, art, business, and history of circus on an international scale as never seen before. After filming all [...]
After a leisurely afternoon of admiring ligers, petting goats and snuggling with emus at Sarasota’s Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary, my sisters and I were treated to a demonstration by the Rosaire Family and a few of their feline friends. This ninth-generation circus family has been training and rescuing exotic animals for several [...]
Ben Vereen is an American actor, dancer and singer whose accomplishments include numerous Emmy’s, Golden Globes and Broadway theatre shows, to name a few. Despite his successful career, Vereen was the subject of much controversy in 1981 when he performed in blackface at the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan. The following article highlights some of [...]
Produced by The B. Company & Dimitris Statiris in 2010-2011, THE CIRCUS LADY: JANET FISCHIETTO is a documentary featuring the burlesque sensation Janet Fischietto, a gal who’s infatuation with seduction, circus and freakshow imagery from the 1920s and 1930s has led her to a highly imaginative and provocative performance career. “The Circus Lady on the [...]
Warning coulrophobes: There’s a new clown-centric movie on the scene and it promises to heighten your discomfort with clowns if you’re already so inclined. I present to you, the trailer for The Last Circus: Here’s the official plot synopsis: 1937, Spain is in the midst of the brutal Spanish Civil War. A “Happy” circus [...]
Released just a few short months ago, the Cole Bros. Circus documentary, Tearing Down the Tent, “grants viewers a backstage pass to one of the largest traveling tent circuses in the world.” Since premeiring at the Gem Theatre in Kannapolis, NC, this documentary has had several screenings, including at the Asheville Film Festival and the [...]
☛ Warning: Do not continue reading this post unless you have a full 23 minutes to kill…. I cannot pinpoint when exactly the whole depression era circus theme became so en vogue, but I can’t say I mind it either. One thing’s for sure: it certainly sells. In the wake of the television series Carnivale [...]
Leave it to a big-budget Hollywood movie to bring national light to under-appreciated non-profits. Such is the case with the release of Water for Elephants and a few circus historical preservation societies, namely the Al. Ringling Theatre and Circus World Museum, both in Baraboo, WI. Not that I’m complaining; these non-profits have been struggling to [...]
Circo is a documentary following a small Mexican circus as they travel the countrysides, attempting to carry on ancient arts in the 21st century. Directed by Aaron Schock, this film has received high praise in numerous film festivals including the Sarasota International Film Festival, the Los Angeles Film Festival and the BFI London Film festival, [...]
Rob Mermin is a world-famous clown, mime, actor and founder and director of Circus Smirkus, the award-winning youth circus in Vermont. Now, he’s also lecturing on the historical exploration of nonverbal communication in silent film and other forms of popular entertainment. This Valentine’s Day, Mermin will be in Austin, TX to deliver his presentation, Silents [...]