Like a great film, Gianni Vancini has a soundtrack that seems to accompany his life. When he was a boy, the sound of his father playing the piano filled his childhood home. At six years old, he too began to practice the piano, a gateway instrument that would soon catapult him from playing tunes from a small town in Northern Italy, to making music that would ring out in homes all over the world. While his love for the piano is what initially sparked his affair with music, Gianni Vancini developed a passion and talent for speaking through many different instruments including the drums, the clarinet, the flute, and what he is most widely known for throughout the world today, the saxophone.

Performing both as a solo artist, a well as with various bands, Vancini has toured every country in Western Europe, and almost every country in Eastern Europe. Additionally, he has been received with renown in Australia, Canada, the United States, Turkey, and Romania, to name a few.

For the past 12 years, Vancini has accompanied acclaimed singer Umberto Tozzi on the saxophone. Aside from releasing several hit singles including “Tu”, “Gloria” and “Te Amo”, which topped charts around the world, Tozzi’s music has been included on several soundtracks for film and television shows like The Wolf of Wall Street, Gloria, Glee, Will & Grace, Heroes, The Lather Effect, Saturday Night Life, and countless others. Together, Tozzi and Vancini have performed over 100 live performances. The duo also had the honor of being asked to perform at Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti’s wedding last year, where they played alongside other notable performers including Bono from U2 and Andrea Bocelli.

Over the past two decades, Vancini has continually demonstrated his signature style and ingenious technique, which the world has received with open ears. In addition to his repertoire of international live performances, Vancini has produced and composed several studio albums. While his full discography is too considerable to discuss at length, several of his singles have achieved notable acclaim in the United States, including “Grapes” from the album entitled Souls United, and “Get Your Groove On,” from the album Get Your Groove On.

Vancini is currently filming a music video for his song entitled “Live”, which is set to be released later this year. In between touring, composing, and recording, he finds the time to teach the next generation of musicians, who aspire to one day reach the prominence that they see – and hear – in their teacher.

We recently had the chance to catch up with Canadian actress Helena-Alexis who has starred in a long list of award-winning films and television shows including HBO's The Line, Warehouse 13, Being Human, Blue Mountain State, The Last Casino and many more. Check out our interview below to find out more about Ms. Helen-Alexis and her upcoming projects.


EL: Where are you from? When and how did you get into acting?

HA: I was born and raised in Cornwall, Ontario Canada. I got into acting when I was 7 years old - I was in competitive dance & loved to perform so thought acting was another perfect avenue to do that as it also allowed me to voice my personality


EL: Can you tell us a little bit about the film and television projects you’ve done?

HA: In the HBO TV series The Line I played the role of Chantal. She’s the typical good girl gone bad-- she begins dating a drug dealer who convinces her to start dealing for him, all the while she lives at home with her mom and stepfather who is a cop. The whole show is about the lives of drug dealers - their hustle, their families, their relationships & the one cop, Chantal's stepfather, who keeps tabs on them.

Playing Chantal was the best experience of my life thus far. The character reminded me of myself in many ways, because synchronically I was going through a rebellious teenage phase of my own at the time I was playing the character, mine wasn’t like Chantal’s but it helped me relate to the her.

I recently finished shooting the thriller film Corrupt where I play the role of Jessica Hall, a research assistant at the DA's office. It’s the kind of murder mystery that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats and guessing all the way through.

I absolutely loved filming this movie. My character has a key role in helping the film’s hero, Kate, solve the mystery, as she is the one who provides Kate with the evidence and the missing pieces to the puzzle. Together they figure out the corruption, which the films revolves around. I really enjoyed playing Jessica, and I was also able to do my own stunts, like getting hit by a car, which was really exciting. Stunt work is something that I would like to continue to pursue in the future.


EL: They are all very different, what made you choose to participate in these projects?

HA: I try to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. I believe things happen for a reason so if I’m available I try to jump on the projects that are offered to me.


EL: You get approached all the time to work on projects with people, what makes you pick one role over another?

HA: I am a Gemini so I love versatility. Everyday I wake up feeling like a new/different person so I love to express that through the art of acting. There are no limits to what I am willing to try. I love becoming a character that I've never been before so if I've already played a similar character I may overlook it and try something new that pushes me out of my comfort zone.


EL: What has been your favorite role so far and why?

HA: My favorite role thus far is definitely playing Chantal on The Line. She had the most interesting story, and there was so much depth to her. She went from being an innocent, young, straight ‘A’ student to selling drugs on the street for her boyfriend


EL: As for genre, what is your favorite?

HA: My favorite genre is drama. There is just something about it that I love. Maybe it is the darkness, because I love to explore the minds of dark characters.


EL: What separates you from other actors?

HA: No two people are alike. What I have to offer is completely different from anyone else, so as long as I am staying true to myself I will always be separate from any other actor, which makes me unique and interesting.


EL: What would you say your strongest qualities as an actor are?

HA: My strongest qualities as an actor I'd say comes from the fact that I am very connected to my body and my breath, which I think is the most important thing. If you connect your emotions to your breath and body, then you're golden—you can act and react on instinct, which makes for a very natural performance. I do yoga daily, dance, walk, swim and meditate to keep me connected, centered and fluid in my movements.  


EL: Can you list some of the people you’ve worked with that our readers might know?

HA: I've worked with Catherine Zeta Jones, Vanessa Williams, Kathy Griffin, Janeane Garofalo, Edward Asner, Linda Hamilton, Michael Keaton, Zach Galifanakis, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Amy Ryan, Naomi Watts & the amazing director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.


EL: What projects do you have coming up?

HA: I just finished filming the murder mystery Corrupt, and I also have the film Birdman coming out in theaters January 2015. The film stars Michael Keaton, and was directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.


EL: What are your plans for the future?

HA: The future is full of possibilities and I'm one to go with the flow. I have a vision of being an Academy Award winning actress so as long as I'm honoring that path every day by learning, growing and transforming then I know it will manifest.

I would also like to get into producing and possibly directing films in the future. I love the industry in every way and as long as I’m on set, I’m blissful.



EL: What do you hope to achieve in your career as an actor?

HA: I hope to become an Academy Award winning actress, a bond girl, and cat woman. Hollywood needs a new, fresh, young black chick, who’s tough and willing to do her own stunts.

 
EL: Why is acting your passion and chosen profession?

HA: Acting chose me; I didn’t exactly choose it. I would go to the movies and come home acting out one of the characters and then put on a little improv performance in the basement for my parents. The acting bug just jumped inside of me. I love to perform. It was my passion before I even understood why. All I knew was it felt right and it's where I came alive. It's where I felt the closest to God

I did beauty pageants as a child, as well as modeled and danced, and then I began acting. Acting is a combination of all of those things in one-- the confidence of being in a pageant, the mind& body connection of a dancer, and the character versatility of a model. Acting however has the added bonus of connecting with others using my voice and movement. There is something so spiritual about connecting with others creatively that I feel absolutely euphoric when doing it. I was born to be an actress and looking back on my path, I was preparing myself the entire time.

French cinematographer Johanna Coelho is not only a phenomenal director of photography who has a background working with an array of different genres, but she is capable of shooting on any format, a feature that sets her apart from the masses.

"Film and digital have the same purpose: create images for telling a story. There’s a lot of discussion going on about what is best between shooting on film or digital. For me in a sense, it's like having a discussion about which lense to use. It's a decision that concerns one’s choice, taste and style,” explained Coelho.

With the global technological advancements we have experienced over the last two decades, the most noticeable shift when it comes to the film industry can be found in the format in which films are shot. For instance, feature films that were once shot on 35-millimeter filmstrips are now predominantly shot on digital, the reason being that digital technology is cheaper to reproduce, and easily transferrable.

The question of whether to shoot on digital or 35mm will always come down to the aim of the director and what the film’s director of photography (DP) feels is the most viable option for producing the director’s vision. However, for the DP to even consider taking one of these two routes they must first be capable of shooting on both formats, a skill Johanna Coelho can accomplish in her sleep. 

“I think it's amazing to want and know how to shoot both, because today we still have a choice, ” said Coelho. “I pick one over another depending on the project, story, shooting conditions, and visual style. There is a sharpness to digital that is really appreciated nowadays, and film will always give you this beautiful grainy image that gives a really cinematic aspect to your film. They do not look the same, and that's the great thing about it.”

Coelho’s talent as a cinematographer and her ability to choose whether to shoot on film or digital depending on what will be the most compelling for the overall project, has allowed her to be far more creative than most in the craft. 

The film Broken Leaves, which was directed by award-winning director Sasa Numic, follows two teenage best friends, Lana and Annie, as they go on a picnic with three boys in the woods. The film focuses on Lana’s jealousy over the attention Annie is receiving from the boys, a feeling that quickly turns to anger and leads her to do something that she immediately regrets.

Coelho worked her magic as the director of photography for the film, which was shot solely in the woods using 35mm film. Coelho’s use of the perfect filter and film, in addition to the way she captured the sunlight breaking through the trees creates a hazy, almost dreamlike feeling, one that visually supports the film’s storyline of Lana’s rash actions being grounded somewhere outside of reality. 

"Broken Leaves is a story that is supposed to feel like it was shot in the 70's, so I felt shooting on film was appropriate in order to give a realistic and beautiful grain to the images,” explained Coelho.

“Also, there is a really nice warm look created with the filter I used in the camera throughout the whole film. This particular color created with the filter worked because of the type of film I chose to use, Kodak Vision 3 5213, 200T. So it wasn’t only about the grain, but also about the choice of emulsion. Colors on film can be truly amazing if you know how to use them.”

As the director of photography for the film The Black Room, which was also shot on 35mm film and follows a convicted woman who dances away the reality of her jail sentence by imagining she is a cabaret dancer, Johanna Coelho shows her finesse and versatility with the camera. Because The Black Room was based on the incredible camera tricks invented by French illusionists and cinema genius Georges Méliès, Ms. Coelho chose to shoot on film in order to remain authentic to Méliès’ discoveries.

Creating a mesmerizing sequence of imagery using double and triple exposures on film, Coelho draws audiences in with the way she captures the character’s movements to a place where they too forget that the woman they are watching is in jail.

Concerning the use of double and triple exposure, Coelho admits, “We can do that with digital now, but it's not as challenging or as fun! Making all of your effects happen in the camera is an incredible experience that shows you the real power of shooting on film.”  

While the up and coming generations will most likely switch to shooting solely digital, there are elements of 35mm that continue to be widely cherished throughout the film industry today, and Johanna Coelho’s films serve as a testament to the importance of cinematographers having the capacity to work with both.

“Film is the very first format of cinema, and I think there is something really special about that,” said Coelho.

We often see some of Hollywood’s most successful actors playing the same characters over and over again, bringing us to beg the question of: Are they truly talented, or just good at being themselves on camera?

When it comes to actress Maria Patricia, a young Austrian talent who has already created an immense body of work that puts her versatility on display, there is simply no question about her talent for getting under the skin of characters whose differences are beyond diverse.

“I am constantly on the look out for different projects-- I simply love my work,” explained actress Maria Patricia. “Reinventing myself is a necessity for me to feel alive, I love learning new things and having the opportunity to find the challenges within new characters.” 

Ms. Patricia has starred in a long list of films including Host House, Fruit Punch, Image, Love on the Edge, Avinyó 36, The Vision, The Musician, Autokorrektur and many more.

Patricia is a knockout in the film Autokorrektur, which opened at the Vienna Museum of Modern Art’s Cinema (MUMOK) and was created by renowned visual media artist Marlene Maier. Based on a series of anonymous chat logs, messages, blog entries and comments, which combine to create a constant dialogue with each character’s self-image, Autokorrektur received incredible recognition and was screened at the Kassel Documentary Film and Video Festival in Kassel, Germany.

Ms. Patricia’s command over her craft has not only allowed her to easily transition between starkly different roles, but it has also given her the power to work on a myriad of different kinds of productions outside of film and television.

After debuting as a witch in Macbeth on the stage in Madrid, Maria Patricia went on to give a series of monumental performances as Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire, Izzy in Rabbit Hole, Frankie in Frankie and Johnny, Sarah in Stop Kiss, as well as many more. She also starred in the mixed media exhibition “Love is dead. And you killed it,” as well as the music video for Ed Bradley’s hit song “Glows in the Dark.”

While she has a busy shooting schedule ahead of her, you can catch this incredible star in the horror film Host House, which will screen at the James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles on October 25.

Actor Yohan Lee is a South Korean heartthrob whose good looks and versatility have made him a highly sought after talent for Hollywood films and theater productions.

Yohan Lee recently starred in award winning director Eugene Lee Yang’s film Comfort Girls, which debuted earlier this year at the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival where it was an Official Selection. Comfort Girls, which has been referred to by many as a K-Pop satire, deals with the widely spread use of plastic surgery in Korea in a comedic and shocking juxtaposition of reality and the extreme.

In the film Lee plays the dynamic and scathing role of the Emcee, the business savvy manager of the K-Pop music group ‘Comfort Girls’, as well as the host of the show that the film’s story revolves around.

The film follows the ‘Comfort Girls’, a music sensation comprised of four young Korean sisters who are pushed by their parents and their manager, Emcee, played by Lee, to undergo intensive plastic surgery transformations to make them more appealing to their audience of imperialist international leaders. During the film, the ‘Comfort Girls’ are primped and prepped by Lee’s character Emcee, who lectures them on the importance of their appearance and performance.

Lee shows his ability to play an expert manipulator in the film as viewers witness his character convince the girls to seduce a group of imperialist leaders from America, Japan, Russia, and China, with their beauty and catchy K-Pop tunes.

“I used Ceasar Flickerman’s character, the emcee from the Hunger Games, as a reference point, which not only helped me tap into the energetic and persuasive voice my character used while hosting the show, but also helped me get a better understanding of how to embody a character’s evil nature with subtlety, as my character couldn’t be openly corrupt, ” explained Yohan Lee.

Comfort Girls was produced by The Menagerie, a Los Angeles-based production company with an impressive history of past work which includes the film Ma Cité, Mon Histoire, as well as the music video’s for Dead Can Dance’s “Children of the Sun”, Poliça’s “Wandering Star”, Che'Nelle’s “It's Happening Again”, Tah Mac’s "Oxygen", and more. The film was written and directed by Eugene Lee Yang, more commonly known as ELY, whose films include Wanderlust, Larmoyant, I’m Not a Princess, Serenata and many more. Yang has received several awards over the course of his career including the $50,000 grand prize for his film The Art of Fame at the LG Fame US contest, and an honorable mention at the Vanity Fair/Banana Republic commercial film awards.

We recently had a chance to catch up with Canadian actor Zack Peladeau who stars in three-time Leo Award winner Lauro Chartrand’s upcoming horror film Blackburn, opening in theaters this Halloween. Find out more about Zack’s work, as well as his inspiration for becoming an actor and so much more below!


EL: Where are you from? When and how did you get into acting?

ZP: I am from a town of 3000 people called Alfred, in Ontario, Canada. I started acting when I was 16 years old. I went online to find auditions because I wanted to start working in film and I stumbled upon an open call audition, which lead me to sign with an agency. 

EL: Can you tell me a little bit about the film and television projects you’ve done?

ZP: I play the lead role of Shaun in the feature film Blackburn, a horror film about five bickering college friends who get trapped by a forest fire and a rock-slide in a small Alaskan ghost town with a horrifying history. The role was definitely physically challenging, as I had to run and fight a lot in cold weather.

I play Jay Allerson in the film Guilty at 17, which aired on Lifetime and The Movie Network and focuses on a teenager who becomes overwhelmed with guilt after lying to support a friend’s claims of sexual assault, claims which lead to the accused teacher’s suicide.  I also play Erik Sanders in the film Crisis Point, and Dylan on the SyFy TV series Being Human.  

EL: You get approached all the time to work on projects with people, what makes you pick one role over another?

ZP: The character, and the potential behind the role, I try to find something I can relate to and can accomplish in a great way. I also tend to look for roles I’ve never done before in order to give my career and my craft a bit of diversity. And obviously it depends on the script; it has to be a great script.  I also consider the director and producers behind the projects, and their ability to turn the script into something greater.

EL: What has been your favorite role so far and why?

ZP: My favorite role so far has be the role of Shaun in Blackburn. I had permission to do 90% of all my stunts, which was physically challenging, but satisfying. I had a few fighting scenes which were pretty exciting. I had the opportunity to work with a great director with a lot of previous stunt experience, and a lot of times when I was fighting I was surrounded by fire, and a lot of special effects and blood. We shot the film in the woods and since it was a horror film it had a whole different vibe than a Thriller/Drama/Mystery.

EL: What separates you from other actors? 

ZP: I have an ability to fully inhabit my characters to the point where I am often unrecognizable from one to the next in a realistic and believable way. My performances are always thoroughly engaging and truthful, and they enhance the quality of every project I work on. I am a hard worker, and I help all those in need and try to build up the people around me to help them achieve further success. I am generous and respectful to those I work with and my surroundings. When I set my mind to something I bring it to life, I walk by Faith and not by Sight. I know there’s a higher power working for me and I feel understanding that completely will take you places.

EL: What would you say your strongest qualities are as an actor? 

ZP: I am perseverant, and really positive. I can get very deep into my characters where I have no difficulty crying on command. 

EL: What projects do you have coming up?

ZP: I have a feature film coming up called Where are you Bobby Browning where I play the lead role of Bobby Browning. It’s about a twenty-something gal who realizes that she picked the wrong guy in high school, and travels back to her small town to make things right.

EL: What do you hope to achieve in your career as an actor?

ZP: I hope that one day I’ll get to have my star on the walk of fame, for self-achievement; and win an Oscar for best actor in a leading role, shoot one or two studio movie a year, act alongside Tom Cruise and be well rooted in the industry. I’d also like to act for directors Steven Spielberg & Martin Scorsese, & for producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

EL: Why is acting your passion and chosen profession?

ZP: I believe a passion is given to you by a higher power, God. When you love something, you yourself did not “choose” to love it, you just loved it. Therefore if you follow your passion, you do what you are suppose to do, and you are always where you’re suppose to be. If you want to know where your passion is, you follow your heart it’ll show you the way. Acting is my passion because I love it, and that is why it is my chosen profession. Waking up everyday and reading about it, watching it, and practicing it, is always interesting– time flies when you follow your passion. I’d rather try my whole life to accomplish my passion, which is my dream, than go to work everyday and not love what I do.

Actress Daniela Junko was blessed with the kind of breathtakingly exotic features that stop both men and women in their tracks. Originally born in Sao Paulo, Brazil to a Brazilian mother and a Japanese father, Daniela Junko has lived all over the world and experienced many different ways of life. 

“Once you live among different cultures, which in my case incudes Norway, Brazil, Japan, Singapore, and the US, the experience gives you a priceless understanding of diversity and how to operate within it,” said Daniela Junko.

Giving her an incredible edge in the entertainment industry, the elusive nature of Ms. Junko’s ethnic origins make her an easy cast for a wide variety of roles.

In the hit crime series Point of Entry, which airs on channel 5 in Asia, Junko played the riveting role of a Thai woman who was abducted and abused by a ruthless drug cartel. Junko’s versatility as an actress and the fact that she has lived among many different cultures allowed her to flawlessly transition into the role of the Thai woman where she delivered her dialog in Thai, something few actress can accomplish.

“The episode was the show’s highest rated ever, and it taught me a lot about my capabilities as an actress,” said Junko.

Ms. Junko also starred in the psychological thriller Rough Mix, a feature film intended for the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Junko’s performance in the role of Janelle, a successful Asian pop star that appears to have it all from the outside, while on the inside she is dying for a taste of true love, is mind-blowing.  In the film Junko starred alongside Asian icon Kay Tong Lim who is known for his roles in the films Brokedown Palace, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, It Could Happen to You, The Photograph, City Sharks, and many more.

“Playing Janelle was a very rewarding experience and my most enjoyable character,” said Junko.  “At the end of the movie her pain was so real to me, that we had many people on our crew trying to hide their tears.”

The mark of a true actress, be sure to be on the lookout for the unstoppable Daniela Junko!