Latest news with #TheAcademy
IOL News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Sailing towards change: Julia Jansch navigates Azile Arosi's inspiring journey in 'The Academy'
Azile Arosi's inspiring journey from Khayelitsha to the world of skipping is wonderfully captured in 'The Academy'. Image: Supplied While Mandela Month is a time for reflection, kindness and generosity, it is also a reminder to help combat poverty and inequality. And 'The Academy' on Disney+ reveals how some of the issues are being championed in pioneering ways. As part of the streaming platform's 'People & Places: Shorts' collection, it celebrates individuals who have made giant strides in their profession despite facing numerous socio-economic obstacles. Award-winning film-maker Julia Jansch. Image: Supplied Under the direction of award-winning film-maker Julia Jansch, the short feature spotlights Azile Arosi. This young woman from Khayelitsha discovers healing and purpose through sailing at The Academy, a transformative training program offered by the Royal Cape Yacht Club. In a recent chat with Jansch, she shed light on how the project came about. 'I made a movie called 'My Father the Mover', which won at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2020. And a guy called Mandilakhe Yengo was my producing partner on it. When it won at the festival, there was a big grab to acquire it. Disney was one of the companies. I spoke with Marjon Javadi, the head of documentary film and series, there. 'She said to me, 'Do you know other movers like, you know, the film was about a gqom dancer called Stoan Move Galela teaching kids how to kind of find their superpowers through gqom dance. 'Because'My Father the Mover' was very, I guess, up Disney's alley in terms of its feeling of hope and upliftment, especially during Covid, where nobody could move.' The request immediately sparked an idea Yengo had planted in her mind, mentioning his brother-in-law, Lindani Mchunu, who was at the helm of The Academy, which is a sailing institution established at the Royal Cape Yacht Club. A behind the scenes shot of the making of 'The Academy'. Image: Supplied Their specific mandate is to teach kids from previously disadvantaged backgrounds how to sail. She added: 'The Academy was a part of the Royal Cape Yacht Club's kind of larger systemic effort to transform from the inside out. 'And it's funny because when I met Lindani, he took me into the Commodore's office, and it's a great shot in the film where it's just all these old white men on the wall. And it said everything. Then he took me towards the back of the yacht club, where The Academy was. "And I went into the room and all these young sailors were playing with the rope and making knots, and they were female, they were black, and it was just a totally different face.' Arosi's story struck her as she searched for a protagonist. 'Most of the documentary work I do is social issue-related, and usually I'm looking for an individual story of transformation and transcendence, and what that comes to is figuring out the wound. 'Azile comes from a challenging socio-economic background. She's a female, which is not usual for a skipper. "But beyond all of that surface-level stuff, I was looking for something very, very deep, and having spoken to all the sailors, what I was particularly drawn to was how the sea, specifically in the ocean, had healed a very painful part of Azile and her past.' Jansch continued: 'She had a personal challenge in her early childhood development to deal with; her relationship with her mother was a painful point within her. In her coming to The Academy and learning to sail and being on a ship, she had found healing from this particular wound. "And she says this incredible line in the film, 'The sea will speak to you, but you have to understand what it says to you'.' One of the most challenging moments during the shoot was filming Azile skipping a boat around Robben Island for the first time in a race, during very gusty conditions. Overall, Jansch is proud of her undertaking with this project, and she's already busy with her next production. She shared: 'I love the glories of hope, and I love stories of faith. I love stories of people who have had to go through the fire and who come out the other end, stronger. I look for deeply psychological stories and exciting worlds. I love stories about unsung heroes and ordinary people who are doing extraordinary things. 'And stories that inspire, and I'm particularly charged by people who are seemingly unseen in our world. I would say that's my purpose and life's mission with creating a story. It's African stories for an international audience and sharing our beautiful lessons we've learned on a very kind of internal level, but also on a systemic level.' 'I've been working for the past year on a very interesting documentary, which is set in the world of car spinning. I don't want to give too much away, but it's it's got similar themes and it's a young woman's story as a world,' Jansch revealed. 'And in the same way that the sailing kind of saves Azile, spinning saves the girl. I'm very excited about it. We are in post-production in New York.'
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
JoJo Siwa to play The Academy in Dublin as part of Infinity Heart Tour
JoJo Siwa has announced a European leg of her Infinity Heart Tour, with a stop in The Academy in Dublin scheduled for September 29th. Siwa will also play in Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle, London, Brighton, Birmingham, Cardiff, Paris, Cologne, and Warsaw. Advertisement In a post on Instagram, the Boomerang singer said: "My Infinity Heart Tour is coming to Europe! The love and kindness you all have shown me means the world to me and I can't wait to start my Infinity Heart Tour with you! "It's all of your favorite JoJo songs that you know and love plus, new music that I can't wait for you all to hear! Let's make tons of unforgettable memories singing and dancing together!" Local pre-sale will begin at 12pm on Friday, while general on sale will take place from 10am on Monday. View this post on Instagram A post shared by JoJo Siwa (@itsjojosiwa)
Extra.ie
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
JoJo Siwa to open European tour in Dublin this September
The tour will hit Dublin, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle, London, Brighton, Birmingham, Cardiff, Paris, Cologne and Warsaw. JoJo Siwa has announced a headline show at The Academy, Dublin on September 29 – the opening night of her upcoming Infinity Heart tour across Europe. Siwa first rose to fame as a bow-wearing preteen on the US reality show Dance Moms and later built a multimillion-dollar brand aimed at children, with music, merchandise, TV shows and her hair accessory brand 'JoJo Bows'. In recent years, she has shifted toward an image catered towards older audiences. Her 2024 single 'Karma' has racked up over 70 million streams, followed by the release of the Guilty Pleasure EP, recent single 'Iced Coffee' and a cover of the 80s classic 'Bette Davis Eyes'. The 22-year-old has remained a constant presence in reality TV, appearing on US shows such as Dancing With the Stars, The Masked Singer, and Special Forces. She made headlines earlier this year as a finalist on Big Brother UK. The Infinity Heart tour will visit 18 cities, including London, Manchester, Paris, and Cologne, wrapping up in Warsaw on October 15. Tickets for the Dublin date are priced from €42.70 and go on general sale on Monday, July 21, at 10 am via Ticketmaster, with an MCD presale on Friday, July 18, at 12 pm.
Extra.ie
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Scouting For Girls announce second Irish show following sell-out gig
After selling out their previously announced Dublin show, Scouting For Girls, best known for 'This Ain't A Love Song', which received Platinum status, have announced a second show. It will take place on Saturday, February 28th, 2026, at The Academy. The tour will celebrate the 15th anniversary of their studio album, Everybody Wants to Be on TV, with a mix of songs from the album and some of the band's biggest hits. In addition to the new show, Scouting For Girls are releasing a new picture disc and zoetrope vinyl. The record will feature tracks such as 'This Ain't A Love Song', 'Everybody Wants To Be On TV', 'Posh Girls', 'Famous', '1+1' and 'Little Miss Naughty'. The band are also releasing a 'Wolfcub Edition' of their upcoming album, which can be pre-ordered. Fans who pre-order can access these songs through a limited edition 'Wolfcub' lanyard. The lanyard can be tapped on fans' phones to unlock the new songs as well as 'making of' content of Scouting For Girls' new album. The 'Wolfcub Edition' will also give fans access to pre-sale tickets for their upcoming tour. Pre-sale will begin on Wednesday, April 30th, at 10am, and general sale will take place on Friday, May 2nd, at 10am. Scouting for Girls had major success on their last two tours, which followed the release of their album, The Place We Used to Meet. These tours saw prime shows at the Roundhouse and the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London.
Time of India
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
WWE legend Dave Bautista joins The Academy after 2 decades in Hollywood
Batista (Image via WWE) Dave Bautista was once the feared Batista when he came inside the WWE the squared ring. His dominance was majestic and his talent unparalleled. But over the years, he has left his wrestling days behind to focus more on his acting career, and with so many accolades, it's time to say that he has made his mark in Hollywood. And it was further accentuated recently with his induction into the Class of 2025 of The Academy. The Academy invites Batista and 533 other artists into its Class of 2025 The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited 534 artists and executives to join the organization in its esteemed Class of 2025. And in the list of individuals, one name that caught the eye of wrestling fans was WWE star Dave Bautista Bautista, whose movies like Dune: Part Two and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery have both been nominated for The Academy. The actor has been a part of the movie industry since 2006, and with two decades in the business he has become one of the top stars of Hollywood. Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a joint statement expressed their excitement to invite the newest batch of Academy members to their midst, applauding their commitment to the world of moviemaking. 'We are thrilled to invite this esteemed class of artists, technologists, and professionals to join the Academy. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Duong Chuc Dong: Beautiful New Senior Apartments with Two Bedrooms Senior Apartments | Search Ads Search Now Undo Through their commitment to filmmaking and to the greater movie industry, these exceptionally talented individuals have made indelible contributions to our global filmmaking community.' The list of all the names being invited into the Class of 2025 was added in the latest announcement by The Academy. And Dave Bautista aka Batista is one of a total 33 actors who have been extended this invitation alongside other members of the industry. While his stint with wrestling seems most likely over, fans of Batista still remember the glory days, reminiscing his greatness inside the ring. Whether he returns or not, Batista will always be considered a legend in WWE and fans will forever have him in their hearts. Also Read: WWE SmackDown Results & Highlights (6/27/25): Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton faceoff before KOTR, Rey Fenix makes a surprise entry, John Cena and more Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
