Latest news with #Basement
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Workmates: American Playboy, Narcos star Matt Whelan explores love and theatre in new NZ film
'I love the genre of romance and relationship dramas and exploring that,' the Go Girls alum admits. He says his latest movie, NZ International Film Festival entry Workmates, felt 'very real'. Matt Whelan and Sophie Henderson in Workmates, a love letter to Kiwi theatre and love itself. Directed by Curtis Vowell, Workmates draws on the real-life experiences Vowell and writer and star Sophie Henderson (Fantail) undertook as they found their feet in the wonderful world of theatre. Filmed at recognisable Auckland institutions like the Basement theatre and ASB Aotea Centre, and featuring an all-star Kiwi cast, Whelan says the movie shows an unseen side of the NZ theatre scene from those who know it best. Truthful, honest and messy are just some of the words he uses to describe the heart of the film. 'I think that's largely due to Sophie's real-life experience of running the Basement. She's had those experiences. 'I love theatre, and I love that we were able to create something as kind of like a little nod or a love letter to theatre and to the creative community.' Workmates explores the relationship between two people working in theatre, and the trials and tribulations of romance. Another big part of the project was trust, something Whelan says Vowell and Henderson had in bounds. There was a degree of improv involved, with the cast given freedom to work together to create something special from the script. 'There's that satisfaction of being able to really sit deeply in something, and just to be present and not be afraid of making dumb choices. It was malleable enough that we could take it to places and experiment,' Whelan says. It was also, in some sense, a full-circle moment for Whelan, who is once again stepping into the shoes of a romantic lead. It's been more than 10 years since rom-com drama Go Girls ended, an experience Whelan credits as a great 'learning ground' for his diverse career since. 'I think it was a big turning point in Kiwi television as well,' he says. 'It was a really fun show, and again, great cast and great people.' Kiwi actor Matt Whelan makes a star turn in season three of Narcos. Whelan has since made a name for himself on the world stage with his roles in American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story and Narcos, but reveals there isn't much difference between working on Kiwi projects and those in the US. 'It's not too dissimilar,' he says. 'The only thing that you notice is there's maybe some more lights around, or there's more crew, but as far as going into the shoot, it's a very similar thing.' A lot of that might have to do with his commitment to the work as an actor, fully engaging in the task at hand, no matter the circumstances. 'When the cameras are rolling, I'm only focused on the other person, you know, in the scene, or the other people on the scene. I'm just kind of there, present with them. In a way, kind of nothing else really matters.' Workmates was shot at theatres around Auckland, including the Aotea Centre and the Basement. For someone who's been in the game for as long as Whelan, it's no surprise he's learned a thing or two about the business and has some sage advice for young actors heading into the wild unknown world. 'It's not like something where you're in a corporate job, for example, and there's a ladder that you can climb. 'Sometimes the next job can feed into opportunities that can open up for you in the future, but nothing is guaranteed.' He says the key is putting yourself out there, and what better way to do that than in your local theatre scene. 'There will always be spaces for performers, so I would always encourage anybody who wants to pursue that to do it because there will always be a space for you to put something on and to create something.' But as with all professionals, making the most of your downtime is also crucial. Now based in Taranaki, Whelan isn't just stretching his acting muscles; he's also stretching his real ones after taking up weightlifting. 'I'm certainly not at an Olympic level, but it's lots of learning, like what a snatch and a clean and jerk are. I'm also a big board gamer.' Workmates will screen at the New Zealand International Film Festival 2025 on August 1 at the Civic in Auckland and will be released nationally on August 21. Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald's entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke's Bay Today.
Business Insider
21-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
BNB Chain Recognizes July 21 BNB Hack Winners as Basement, DeFi Copilot, and BIBIM
Dubai, UAE, July 21st, 2025, Chainwire BNB Chain, the community-driven blockchain ecosystem, today announced the winners of its July 21 batch of the BNB Hack, which continues to support innovation across AI, DeSoc, DeSci, DePIN, and the broader Web3 space. After a rigorous evaluation of over 30 submissions from this batch(23 June-17 July), 3 projects: Basement (DeSoc track), DeFi Copilot (AI track) and Bibim (AI track) were selected as winners, and 2 projects Peridot (AI track), and Agent Einstein (AI track) were selected as Honourable Mentions. The three winners secured $3,000 USDT rewards, $50,000 Kickstart Package and Demo Opportunity. Basement is a social layer for the web that lets users chat, react, and earn directly on any webpage with AI agents surfacing key discussions and rewards for contributors. DeFi Copilot is an AI-powered DeFi assistant for streamlined trading on PancakeSwap, featuring real-time analysis, one-click execution, and automated management on the BNB Chain. BIBIM simplifies DeFi strategy creation with AI, allowing users to build, test, and monetize crypto trading strategies through an intuitive, visual interface. Since its launch, BNB Hack has received more than 200 submissions from builders worldwide. Through its flexible, bi-weekly evaluation system, the program has recognized a total of 9 winners and 40 Honourable Mentions(potential awardees). Projects benefit from rewards, continuous feedback, and ecosystem support that helps accelerate their path to real-world deployment. Two additional projects for this batch demonstrated potential and were selected for Honourable Mentions. They will continue to receive technical support, visibility, and evaluation for future tier advancement: Peridot is a cross-chain DeFi platform on BNB, enabling lending, borrowing, and AI-driven strategies with a sleek UI accessible even via Telegram. Einstein is a web3 AI agent that delivers trading alpha by scanning DEX activity using Bitquery data. BNB Hack has become a dynamic launchpad for blockchain innovation. Past awardees continue to deliver results with growing traction, product upgrades, and ecosystem impact. Highlights include: WORLD3 hit 90.2K agents, 1.05M tasks, and 162K tweets with major upgrades to its AI Portal and automation tools. Aster AI ranked #17 in AI on BNB Chain with 28.3K users and 30.15K transactions in the past 30 days. PlayAI Network integrated AsterDEX for 100x leveraged trading, launched NFT airdrop campaigns, and listed on Binance Wallet and dAppBay. BNBOT launched XID and XMoney on BSC, with internal testing for X Agent v0.2 with autonomous capabilities is underway. BNB Hack is open to builders at any stage, from solo developers to early startups. Successful projects unlock rewards of up to $10,000 in cash and a $50,000 Kickstart package, also sponsored challenges prizes over $540,000, and may be considered for MVB, the BNB Demo Day, and official demo opportunities. Projects must have launched on testnet or mainnet after February 12, 2025. Interested builders can apply here.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC Drops ‘Gaza: Doctors Under Attack' Film As Producer Brands Director General A 'PR Person'
For the second time this year, the BBC has dropped a documentary film about the Israel-Hamas conflict, announcing that it will no longer move forward with Gaza: Doctors Under Attack. The BBC greenlit Doctors Under Attack last year from Basement Films, the production company run by former Channel 4 News editor Ben de Pear. More from Deadline International Insider: '28 Years Later' Arrives; Landmark Netflix-TF1 Deal; NHK At 100 BBC Hits AI Startup Perplexity With Legal Threat Over Content Scraping Concerns BBC's BAFTA-Winning Doc Series 'Once Upon A Time In...' Turns Eye To Middle East It was meant to spotlight the plight of medics in Gaza, but production was paused in April following the scandal over Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, the HOYO Films doc that was found to have been narrated by the child of a Hamas minister. A BBC investigation into How to Survive a Warzone remains ongoing. Peter Johnston, the BBC's director of editorial complaints and reviews, is examining the failings that led to the film being broadcast. Now, the BBC has said it will not screen Doctors Under Attack, or carry any of its contents in news bulletins, after discussions with Basement 'reached the end of the road' on Thursday. In a lengthy statement, the BBC said: 'We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC. 'Impartiality is a core principle of BBC News. It is one of the reasons that we are the world's most trusted broadcaster. Therefore, we are transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films.' The corporation continued: 'We want to thank the doctors and contributors and we are sorry we could not tell their stories. The BBC will continue to cover events in Gaza impartially.' De Pear has been contacted for comment. It is not clear what brought the talks between the BBC and Basement to a head. De Pear did, however, personally criticize BBC director-general Tim Davie on a public platform at the Sheffield DocFest on Thursday. He said Davie is 'just a PR person,' who has meddled in editorial decisions and is leading an organization that is 'failing' in its duty to report on the Gaza crisis properly. 'Something needs to happen because they are making decisions from a PR defensive point of view rather than a journalistic one. If you make a decision on a journalistic basis you can defend it, but if you make it on a PR basis, you can't,' de Pear said, per a report in Broadcast. The BBC said it spent weeks with de Pear attempting to get Gaza doctors' voices heard. 'Our aim was to find a way to air some of the material in our news programmes, in line with our impartiality standards, before the review [into How to Survive a Warzone] was published,' it said. The BBC added: 'Contrary to some reports, since we paused production of Gaza: Doctors Under Attack in April, it has not undergone the BBC's final pre-broadcast sign-off processes.' The BBC's coverage of the Gaza crisis has stoked strong feelings on both sides of the conflict, with How to Survive a Warzone illustrating the fraught nature of the debate. The UK's Jewish community was appalled that the BBC screened a film narrated by a boy with Hamas connections that were not declared to viewers. Others argued that the BBC's decision to pull How To Survive a Warzone was an act of 'censorship' that played into Israel's agenda. Best of Deadline 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series 'Stick' Release Guide: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
Daily Mail
01-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Mystery of 'Budweiser Girl' murder could finally be solved as lurking suspect emerges from the shadows
It was raining the afternoon that Jessica Richardson found her mother, Cheryl Williams Frady, dead in the basement of her Georgia home in 2008 - a single gunshot wound to the head ending a life just hours away from a highly anticipated escape. The mother and daughter had planned to spend the day shopping, gathering last-minute essentials for a cruise to the Bahamas they were set to embark on the following morning.
Time Out
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Here's how we're celebrating Mexican New Yorkers this week for Cinco de Mayo
For too long, many have accepted Cinco de Mayo —and by extension, Mexican culture—as an excuse to down a few tequila shots. But for Mexicans, the holiday is more complicated: In the homeland, it's only celebrated in the state of Puebla to commemorate the 19th-century victory a Mexican battalion won against the French army. The Mexican-American community took the holiday and gave it new meaning, using Cinco de Mayo a defiant occasion to celebrate and assert their rightful place in the United States. Growing up, I saw a holiday that was supposed to celebrate Mexican-American identity as one that turned our culture into an opportunity to sell discounted margaritas. Don't get us wrong, we love a good party (and occasionally, a great drink), but Mexican-Americans have a lot more to offer. To me, the power in New York's Mexican community is that we've managed to find pride and joy in our heritage in spite of messaging about our communities being filled with drug dealers and currently, a criminal presence to be purged from our borders. What most don't realize is that you can't get rid of us because we're everywhere, even when you don't realize it. There are more than 330,000 Mexicans in New York, and we all have a different story to tell. We've managed to break out of every box we've been placed in—Now, we're just waiting for everyone else to notice. Last year, we highlighted prominent New York Mexicans through our Cinco to Celebrate editorial package, in which we asserted the importance of New York's Mexican community as a force that deserves to be recognized, appreciated and ultimately, platformed. This year we're doing that again, but bigger: Through more features, we want to show that there're infinite ways Mexicans show up in New York culture, sometimes in ways you don't expect. Whether they're playing hard techno behind the decks at Basement; photographing covers for your favorite magazine; or being big time influencers on TikTok, they're all shaping the future of our city.
